Sevenfold Sword: Shadow

by Jonathan Moeller

  The others moved at once.

  Kalussa leveled the Staff of Blades, and a crystal sphere shot from the end of the weapon. The head of the berserker on the priest’s right exploded in a spray of brains and blood, and the corpse fell limp to the ground, the huge axe clanging away. Kyralion loosed a burning arrow that struck the priest. Or it would have struck the priest, had it not shattered against a warding spell. Calliande shouted and struck the end of her staff against the ground, and the earth rippled and distorted in a wave, flinging the muridach warriors from their feet.

  Ridmark and Third charged into them.

  The remaining berserker lunged at Ridmark with a roar, his huge bronze axe rising overhead. He dodged to the left, and the bronze blade sank into the ground. Ridmark slashed Oathshield, drawing a deep gash down the berserker’s arm. The huge muridach bellowed in rage and started to straighten up, only for Third to plunge her short swords into its neck. The bellow of rage turned into a wet gurgle, and the berserker fell.

  Tamlin and Calem leaped overhead and fell like thunderbolts into the recovering muridach warriors, and the Sword of Air and the Sword of Earth started dealing death with every blow. Ridmark turned to face the priest, but the warriors rushed to intercept them, and he fought back to back with Third, bronze blades clanging against Oathshield.

  ###

  The old muridach priest recovered faster than Calliande would have expected, but she was ready.

  The magic of the Well surged through her, and she fused it to the mantle of the Keeper’s power. The priest began a spell, but Calliande struck first, hurling a lance of brilliant white flame. Her spell punched through the priest’s wards and slammed into the black-furred body, setting it afire and knocking him back. The muridach priest’s voice rose in a shrill shriek, and he began casting a new spell of dark magic.

  Before he could finish it, one of Kalussa’s crystalline spheres struck the priest’s forehead and exploded out the back of his elongated skull. The priest jerked, his pink tail cracking like a whip, and then collapsed.

  Behind the priest, the attack fell apart. Ridmark and Third had carved their way into the heart of the muridach line, leaving dead ratmen in their wake, and Tamlin and Krastikon and Calem fought just as effectively. The muridachs raised their bronze swords and daggers to parry, only to find that the magical Swords sliced through the weapons as if they had been made of air. Kyralion loosed arrow after arrow with deadly skill, and Kalussa began to methodically kill the muridachs with crystalline blasts from the Staff of Blades.

  When half the muridachs were dead, the other half had seen enough. They whirled and fled back towards the ruined tower, scrambling up the slope. Kyralion shot down another one of the muridachs, and Tamlin, Calem, and Krastikon started after them.

  “Hold!” said Ridmark. “Let them go!”

  “They may report our location to their commanders,” said Krastikon, lowering the Sword of Death.

  “Probably,” said Ridmark. “But they’ll also have to explain how they lost half their warriors and a priest of the Lord of Carrion. Perhaps this will teach their commanders caution.”

  “We do not wish to chase them into the tunnels of the Deeps,” said Kyralion. “There the muridachs will have the advantage.”

  “Let’s keep moving,” said Ridmark. “I suspect we are only a day away from Kalimnos. If the muridachs come for us again, better to be behind stone walls.”

  Calliande nodded, and they paused long enough for Kyralion to collect his arrows from the dead muridachs. She checked over the others, but no one had taken any wounds. The muridachs had not been prepared to face foes with the power of a Swordbearer, the Keeper of Andomhaim, and knights wielding three of the Seven Swords.

  Would the muridachs be better prepared the next time they attacked?

  Best to be gone by then.

  They continued to the south.

  Chapter 9: The Woman Of Seven Lives

  Tamara lowered her staff, breathing hard, and looked around the battlefield.

  Such as it was, anyway.

  It had not been a large fight. The Takai scouts had spotted a dozen muridachs prowling around the northern farms at the base of a hill not far from the Tower of Nightmares, preparing to steal a herd of pigs. Rather than calling out the militia, Sir Rion had gone out to meet the muridachs with the score of hoplites in his service, and he had asked Tamara to accompany him.

  She had done so, and they had caught the muridachs as they prepared to fall upon the farm. Between her spells, Sir Rion’s magic, and the swords and spears of the hoplites, they had made short work of the enemy. Eight of the muridachs had been killed, and the remaining four had fled back into the hills.

  “That’s the last of them, my lord knight,” said the oldest of the hoplites, a veteran soldier named Telemachus. He reminded Tamara of an old tree, withered and tough and leathery, but he still wielded his sword with vigor, and the fresh scratches upon his bronze showed that he had not quailed from the fight.

  “Aye,” said Sir Rion, and he grimaced and pulled off his plumed helm. His face was shiny with sweat, his gray hair matted with it, and there was a faint wheeze to his breathing. He was getting older and someday, perhaps someday soon, he would not have the vigor to lead the men of Kalimnos in battle. What would happen when he died? His oldest son was nine, not nearly old enough to command men in a fight.

  She put aside the thought. Sufficient unto each day was the evil thereof, the old proverb went, and the days lately had brought enough evil.

  “But perhaps there is some good news,” said Tamara.

  The hoplites looked at her with a mixture of wariness and fear. Tamara was used to it by now. She was, after all, Tamara Earthcaller, the strange woman Sir Rion permitted to fight alongside them. Tamara supposed the hoplites accepted her because she was useful.

  “What news is that, madam?” said Telemachus.

  “That was a small raiding party,” said Tamara. “The smallest to pass by Kalimnos in weeks.”

  Rion grunted. “She’s right.”

  “Perhaps the muridachs have turned their attention to other targets,” said Telemachus.

  “Perhaps,” said Rion, “but we were never their main target, my friend. They are just passing through to wage war on the gray elves at the behest of their mad prophet. We were simply convenient to raid upon the way.”

  “Rather less convenient now, I think,” said Telemachus. “But if their main host has marched to the Illicaeryn Jungle, we may be spared further raids for now.”

  “Maybe.” Rion grunted, wiped some of the sweat from his face, and grimaced. “Maybe. But when the muridachs destroy the gray elves, they will return and come for us.”

  “Could we write to King Hektor and ask for help, my lord?” said Tamara.

  Rion snorted. “I am not in good odor with the King, Tamara. For that matter, he’s got his hands full with the Necromancer and the Confessor and King Justin. You’ve heard the rumors from travelers. They say King Justin is getting ready to march upon Aenesium, or that the Necromancer has raised a vast army of the dead and is preparing to destroy the other bearers of the Seven Swords.” He sighed. “We’re on our own out here.”

  “Just as well we made friends with Tumak Valatai,” said Telemachus.

  “Aye,” said Rion. “Well, one problem at a time. Let’s get rid of the dead muridachs, and then we’ll head back to the town. Tamara, can you use your magic to keep watch?”

  “Of course, my lord,” said Tamara. She worked the spell to sense the presence of weight upon the earth and extended it as far as she could. Sir Rion and the hoplites went to bury the dead muridachs. It would have been easy to let them rot, but the stench of rotting muridach corpses could cause disease.

  So, they would bury the dead muridachs, after stripping them of their valuable bronze weapons as the spoils of war.

  Tamara let her eyes wander over the landscape as the hoplites bent to their work, the men of the nearby farm coming to assist. They were ab
out as high up in the foothills as you could go and still grow crops and graze animals, a few miles from the terraced hills surrounding the town itself. In fact, growing crops at this height was so difficult that the nearby farm did more herding than planting, which was perhaps why the muridachs had targeted this place for a raid. Tamara could not but help and think that the farmer was a brave man for living here.

  She could not have tolerated living in the shadow of the Tower of Nightmares.

  The Tower’s hill rose on the northern end of the farm. The great white spire of the Tower stabbed from the crest of the hill like a sword blade, the crumbled ruins of smaller towers gathered around its base. From here, Tamara saw the ruined gate in the Tower’s outer wall, flanked by twin statues of gray elven wizards in ornate robes.

  Had the gray elven wizards intended to create such an evil place, or had it happened by accident?

  Tamara didn’t know.

  She did know that if she concentrated, she could feel the malignant power swirling around the Tower. This was as close as she ever wanted to get to it. Truth be told, it was much closer than she ever wanted to be.

  But she wondered if her strange dreams had come from the Tower.

  It would make sense that her nightmares had come from the dark magic around the Tower, save for the fact that she had never been able to find any concrete connection between the two. Sometimes curiosity threatened to overpower her, and she wanted to walk through that ruined gate flanked by its statues of robed gray elves and find the answer to the mystery.

  Of course, if she did that, she was going to die. That helped suppress the curiosity.

  A flicker went through her magical senses. Someone was approaching, and her spell let her feel the presence of the weight against the earth. Based on the weight, she thought it was a struthian bearing a Takai halfling.

  Tamara turned just in time to see Northwind come loping into the valley with Magatai upon her back. Magatai spotted Tamara and changed direction, reining up Northwind as they approached.

  “I’m afraid you’re too late,” said Tamara. “Sir Rion and the hoplites already killed all the muridachs.”

  “Not all the muridachs,” said Magatai, his voice grim. “There are strange things afoot, Tamara Earthcaller. Come! We must speak with Sir Rion at once.”

  Tamara nodded and jogged alongside Northwind as Magatai rode to where the hoplites and the farmer’s sons were burying the muridachs. Sir Rion was supervising, which seemed to involve standing around and sweating, but he straightened up as Magatai and Tamara approached.

  “Magatai,” said Rion. “Well met! We failed to save any of the muridachs for you, alas.”

  “There are more coming,” said Magatai. “A group of at least fifty muridach warriors and several carrion priests are heading north into the Pass of Ruins.”

  “Then we shall call for reinforcements and make our stand here,” said Rion. “No. Wait. They’re going north?”

  “Further into the pass,” said Magatai.

  That didn’t make sense. Muridach warbands had been coming out of the Pass of Ruins and the nearby entrances to the Deeps for months. Most of them had gone south in haste, marching to join the muridach armies attacking the gray elves of the Illicaeryn Jungles. Some had stopped to attempt to raid Kalimnos for supplies, which was why Tamara had spent so much time accompanying the men of the town as they fought.

  But north? Why were they going north?

  “There is more,” said Magatai. “We spotted a group of travelers heading south.”

  “Travelers?” said Rion.

  “Strange travelers,” said Magatai. “Seven humans accompanying one gray elf.”

  Tamara, Sir Rion, and Telemachus all shared a startled look.

  “But no gray elves have left the Illicaeryn Jungle since the defeat of the Sovereign and the death of High King Kothlaric,” said Sir Rion. “That plague is killing them all, and the muridachs will kill any who survive the plague.”

  “Nevertheless, there is a gray elf in the Pass,” said Magatai. “And Magatai has seen something even stranger. Of the seven humans, three of them are women, and four are men. One of the women is carrying the Sovereign’s Staff of Blades.”

  Rion sucked in a startled breath. “That’s not possible.”

  “It is,” said Magatai. “Magatai was too young to fight at Urd Maelwyn, but Tumak Valatai was at the battle, and he told me of the Staff of Blades. Two of the men wear dark elven armor. One of the women carries twin swords of dark elven steel, and there is something uncanny about her. And their leader…he carries a strange sword the likes of which I have never seen. It burns with a peculiar white flame.”

  “Is he an Arcanius Knight?” said Telemachus. “I have seen some of the Arcanii conjure swords of fire, or set their swords to burn with their magic.”

  “As have I,” said Rion, “but a white flame? It seems that strangers of great power are coming to Kalimnos.”

  “What is their business here?” said Telemachus.

  “Magatai knows not,” said Magatai, “but he thinks that muridach warband is coming for them.”

  “Perhaps we should aid them, my lord,” said Tamara. “If these powerful strangers are coming to Kalimnos, better to befriend them now. For that matter, it would sit ill with me to let the muridachs harm anyone.”

  “Our duty is to defend Kalimnos,” said Telemachus.

  “Aye, it is,” said Sir Rion, pulling on his helm once more. “And Kalimnos needs friends. Come, Magatai. Let us proceed into the pass itself and see what can be done. If these strangers need aid, we shall aid them, and perhaps win powerful allies. At the very least, if we earn their goodwill, they may leave us in peace.”

  “As you say, my lord,” said Telemachus, and he turned and began shouting orders to the other hoplites.

  “Well, Tamara Earthcaller!” said Magatai, grinning. “It seems we shall go to battle together again!”

  Despite her misgivings, Tamara found herself grinning back. Something about the halfling’s mad enthusiasm was infectious. “All civilized men…”

  “And halflings,” added Magatai.

  “All civilized men and halflings know it is a crime to attack travelers,” said Tamara. “Perhaps we shall teach the muridachs that lesson.”

  “Aye! And we shall be stern teachers indeed!” Magatai patted Northwind’s side, and the struthian let out an approving squawk.

  ###

  Ridmark looked at Calliande just in time to see her shiver.

  “What is it?” he said.

  The Pass of Ruins had been sloping downward for the last day. They were almost through to the other side of the Gray Mountains, and according to King Hektor’s map, the foothills of the mountains and then the Takai Steppes lay on the other side. The town of Kalimnos ought to be close. The air had been growing warmer, not colder.

  Yet Calliande had just shivered.

  “The Sight,” she said. “There is a magical aura of great power somewhere ahead, something dark and strong.”

  “A gray elven ruin?” said Ridmark.

  “I do not know,” said Calliande. “I’ve never seen or sensed anything quite like this before.”

  “A warding spell?” said Ridmark.

  “It might have been,” said Calliande, her eyes distant, her voice soft. “If it was, it was…twisted, somehow. I’ve never seen magic like it.”

  “There were many powerful warding spells on these ruins in ancient days,” said Kyralion. “Perhaps one was damaged by the Sovereign.”

  “Perhaps,” said Calliande. “But I think we can avoid it. The aura is to the…southwest, by several miles.”

  “Kalimnos ought to be due south from here,” said Krastikon, “assuming that King Hektor’s map was accurate.”

  “Then best to stay away from the aura,” said Kalussa. “No sense looking for trouble.”

  Tamlin snorted. “Yes, it seems to find us without any effort on our part.”

  “It does,” said Third. “And aura
s of dark magic often attract urvaalgs and more dangerous creatures. We should be on our guard.”

  “Agreed,” said Ridmark, frowning with memory. He had encountered situations like this before, with isolated towns and villages in the shadow of ancient dark elven ruins. Still, perhaps the men of Kalimnos were wise enough not to meddle with such things.

  They walked south in silence for a while, and then Calliande stiffened again.

  “Ridmark,” she said. “Another aura of dark magic. I think…I think there are more priests of the Lord of Carrion coming up the pass from the south.”

  He frowned. “Muridachs?”

  “Probably,” said Calliande. “The aura looks the same as the priest we killed earlier. But I think there are four or five of them.”

  “Can you handle five at once?” said Ridmark.

  “Maybe,” said Calliande. “I’ll need Kalussa’s help. She can attack while I ward against their spells.”

  “If there are five priests of the Lord of Carrion,” said Kyralion, “they will have a guard of warriors.”

  “The auras are coming right for us,” said Calliande.

  “Then we had best stand and fight,” said Tamlin.

  He was right. Ridmark looked around, taking in the state of the ground. The Pass of Ruins widened here as it descended towards the Takai Steppes. Yet many boulders had tumbled from the slopes, both natural stone and the white stone of the ancient ruins. In one place, the fallen stones had blocked about two-thirds of the pass, creating a natural bottleneck.

  “There,” said Ridmark. He drew Oathshield and pointed the sword at the gap in the boulders. Already the soulblade was reacting to the dark magic, the twin soulstones glowing and the blade starting to flicker with white flames. “We’ll hold them off there. Calliande and Kalussa, stand here. Third, Tamlin, Krastikon, Calem, come with me. Kyralion, stay back here and use your bow, and stop any muridachs that get past us.” The gray elf stepped back, drawing an arrow and setting it to the string of his enspelled bow. Calliande and Kalussa took several steps back, white fire playing around Calliande’s staff, the blue crystal at the end of the Staff of Blades shivering and shifting form as Kalussa concentrated.