Prophecy's Quest

by A. S. Hamilton

  Kaydyr glided down for a closer look. With the guards asleep, it was safe now. Some cuts still bled, the rain making little rivers of his blood, which was darker than the dye. Burns disfigured his arms and there were punctures where... where his scars should be... He must be hiding them, she thought. They would be too identifiable otherwise. Why extend the illusion to her though? The hawk looked up into Brynn's face. His features were relaxed. He was not even faking weakness. She was dismayed, she had been counting on his help. Sariah chastised herself. She was responsible for this, she should not be relying on anyone else.

  Kaydyr hopped over to the diminishing fire and closed his talons about the hilt of an eating knife. She would have preferred a hunting knife, for it would be sharper, but they had few enough options to be choosy. The hawk hopped over to her, and renewing his grip on the knife, launched himself to hover awkwardly near her hands as she struggled to grip the hilt. Sariah groaned as the knife tumbled to the ground. Kaydyr dropped to retrieve it and they tried again. It was hard for the hawk, he was made for gliding and diving, and his efforts were losing him a fair few feathers.

  Sariah almost released a jubilant yell as she finally closed her fingers about the hilt. Kaydyr dropped to the ground for a well-earned rest as Sariah readied herself for her next move. Her hands were tied above her head in such a way that she would not be able to wield the blade to cut the rope... This was going to hurt like Fate's grief.

  Gritting her teeth and swallowing the pain she desperately wanted to release in a scream, Sariah hauled her body up and, with painstaking care, transferred the knife to her teeth. Lowering herself, she rested. Then she pulled herself up again, her muscles trembling with the strain as she held her chin at a height where she could saw the rope. That thane was going to pay!

  She only had to weaken the rope enough to get it to snap. Sawing was an awkward task, forcing her to hold her neck at an uncomfortable angle. Sariah held in a curse as she lost her grip on the knife. 'I am so sorry, Kaydyr,' she sent as the hawk hopped over to pick it up.

  Again Kaydyr hovered near her hands, and twice she dropped it. She barely had any feeling in her fingers and they were refusing to function properly. Kaydyr looked up at her, feeling just as frustrated. Ignoring the fallen knife the hawk launched himself again, this time hovering and darting in until he was able to find purchase on her wrists. His talons dug into her skin as he started to tear at the rope with his beak. Sariah did not mind the pain of his claws, it was insignificant in comparison to her previous tactic.

  She felt the rope jerk as the fibres started to give on their own. She told Kaydyr to leave off and then raised herself, hopefully, for the final time. Gripping the rope as best she could she struggled to pull herself up a little higher and then dropped her dead weight. The rope snapped, depositing her unceremoniously on the ground.

  Kaydyr hopped over to attack the rope that joined her wrists to her ankles, which had kept her legs bent and allowed them to hang her in such a painful position. As the rope gave way, Sariah collapsed on the ground allowing herself a moment of rest as her whole body shuddered in agony.

  Without warning, Sariah's skin grew hot. Kaydyr looked at her and she saw a blue light enveloping her. With complete amazement, she watched as her wounds closed and her skin became smooth. The heat increased until it felt like a fever she had when she was a child. Riqu had babied her through it, but she remembered feeling like she was in a furnace. Just as abruptly as it had started, the heat faded. Her body felt rejuvenated, renewed... it was uncanny. Sariah stretched her legs out. Her muscles were blessedly silent. Getting to her feet, she started to walk over to Brynn.

  'You should get your armour and weapons first,' a voice whispered through her mind.

  The link was the refined connection of Baschia and her allies. Of course! Why had she assumed Brynn had left them behind? Kaydyr flew to her shoulder. In the absence of the leather pad, he had to dig his talons into her skin. Sariah ignored her discomfort — this was not the first time he had needed to do it. Refusing to forsake silence for swiftness, Sariah went to retrieve her armour.

  Awareness returned to Brynn in stages. First, the pain. Just the physical aspects, the pain non-mages would feel. Then followed several moments when he was bombarded with emotions. So much so he felt tears sliding down his cheeks. Finally, he felt himself reconnect with the planes and Her. She was still there, helping him manage his extensive injuries. She was exhausted.

  'It is time.'

  'Thank you.'

  Then, She was gone.

  Brynn tested himself. His physical body was weak. Emotionally, he would need time. As far as the planes went, with Her intervention, he was rested enough to use them. She was right, an older, experienced mage would not have been overwhelmed by the influx of pain and trauma. If there was a next time, he should not find himself as helpless. Indeed, even now, reunited with his physical body, even in the distress that it was, he could still put aside its demands so he could use the planes. Via the planes he could do many things, such as slowing down bleeding, increasing regeneration, and triggering the production of chemicals that would reduce the pain and stress on his body. All these things would stop him from dying. Not that it was that bad this time. Next time, however, it could be.

  First, his healing. For that he needed energy. In effect he would have to steal it, or more precisely trade for it, a complex manoeuvre taught to him by the may-en-ghi.

  'Brynn.'

  'Baschia?'

  'Link with me, I will see that you heal. You do not have long enough.'

  'But Baschia...'

  'Brynn, I was trained for this. You were there, are there for me, when I have need of you, do not turn me away when I am able to aid you.'

  'You are a gift of Fate, Baschia.'

  He accepted her link. She was so much more elegant about it than he was, but then the ability was natural for her. Sala, his may-en-ghi tutor, assured him that one day he would learn such finesse, given patience and practice.

  Once she restored his body, Baschia withdrew her link.

  'I will be nearby, however, I will honour your wish and not intervene unless it appears absolutely necessary.'

  He sent her his gratitude. 'It was a wise may-en-ghi who once told me that a cub cannot learn to fend for themselves unless their parents step back and allow them to try.'

  Baschia sent her mirth. 'I would cuff a young cub for the impudence of being so clever as to quote me to myself.'

  'Fortunately, I am out of reach,' he quipped.

  His good humour faded quickly.

  Tapping into the planes he started to draw in the energy from the environment around him. He would make no mistakes this time. He would ensure he could deal with all contingencies.

  Then.

  Then he would deal with Nathan Kennelm.

  Akileena felt a wave of energy run through him. It rippled out and faded away. Several more came in quick succession. For a moment he lay there just feeling the rhythm of it, hoping to trace the source. Just as he decided to give up, he discovered it, finally following a ripple to its end. Blue-green eyes shot open. The source! It was him.

  The rebel mage, Nathan's so-called thief, was using his empath talent to draw energy from the environment. In return, he gave back the pain as a neutral energy to reimburse what he had taken and keep the balance. This resulted in the circular pattern that had confused Akileena. That was why it had been so hard to detect the source! Alone, the amounts were almost unnoticeable. But once those minute amounts of power were merged...

  That was how he avoided the mage's scans... and more crucially, more fantastically than anything else, that was how he escaped Colnba and Nisari!

  By the realms, what a phenomenal discovery!

  For turns he had prayed for the knowledge to free him completely of Malithorn Abbarane, and here it was, a simple, but potent method of harnessing almost limitless power without calling attention to ones-self. And, the thief was doing just that, gathering in
immense amounts of energy.

  The realisation was quick in coming. He had suspected it before when Nathan had asked him to trace whoever was intervening in his torture of the thief. But he knew, now. The thief had indeed been aiding himself, but he was no mere thief or even a simple rebel mage. The elvan they had so casually left for dead was actually a prophecy come true.

  Day 15 – Night

  Sal-Cirus

  Ko-rayen spent some time observing Linuk from the planes. He was in the room adjacent to where they were keeping the Dai-tur mage. Both rooms were heavily-warded, but Linuk's room also had bars on the windows. No one could access her room without going through this one. It was not completely secure, but neither was it long term. Colnba had asked him to supervise her transfer to Denas. They would not make the same mistake as they had with Leyhera though. This time there would be a full guard and accompanying mages.

  What intrigued Ko-rayen was that right now, regardless of the numerous talented wards locking Linuk away from her talent and the planes, she was accessing a plane.

  His first instinct had been to lock it down. But then he realised, it was not a plane known to him. Linuk was known to have planes-walker training. To become a planes-walker was to achieve the height of one's mage-ship. It was to master not just a talent or all talents, but the planes themselves. Ko-rayen was keenly interested in such knowledge himself and so, he observed.

  From what he could tell, she was not trying to escape. She was not trying to contact the rebels, either. She was trying to help someone, at least that was his theory. The plane she was using was veiled from him. He knew she was trying to aid them because she was using empath and healing. Who was she trying to help? And why?

  Ko-rayen considered contacting Colnba and Nisari, between them they had more knowledge of the planes and planes-walking than any of the other Abbarane elvan mages. But he did not want to disrupt his observation, it was tenuous enough. He could share this memory with them and they would glean much more if he paid close attention to the other mage's activities.

  Abruptly, Linuk withdrew from the plane. Ko-rayen cursed softly, she had sensed him. He moved to the door and using his will, unlocked it. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and locking it before leaning against the door with his arms crossed. Linuk definitely looked guilty. Like a pup who had chewed your favourite shoes, but was hoping you had not noticed yet.

  She was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed and at his entrance she had pushed herself back against the pillows. It was as if her instinct had been to run, but then she had realised there was nowhere she could go. Next to her was an empty bowl.

  Ko-rayen nodded to the bowl. 'At least you are eating. I was worried, with all the talented exertion resisting the wards, you have expended a great deal of energy. If you do not replenish it, you will not have the strength to attempt an escape.'

  Linuk gave him a brief, sarcastic smile. 'Who would have thought; a Ko-renti with a sense of humour.'

  'I am not without my charms. You look very weary still, though. Yet, as far as I can tell, you have not been pushing against the wards recently. What are you expending your energy on Linuk?'

  She gave him a suspicious look. Ko-rayen had not mentioned her accessing the unknown plane, and he did not intend to — if he confirmed he knew of it, she would stop using it and he would not be able to observe her interaction with it. Such observation may lead him to figure out what kind of plane it was and how to access it. Whoever she had been trying to aid had to be of the utmost importance for her to take such a risk. There was only one person he could think of worth that kind of risk — the Saviour.

  'I am simply still recovering from that sword strike you delivered,' Linuk answered calmly.

  Ko-rayen tilted his head, his scrutiny was meant to make her nervous, and it did, the colours of her aura revealing that she was feeling anxious. 'I regret causing the injury, but not the result.'

  'If Toormeena knew, she would be appalled.'

  'A good thing she does not know, then,' Ko-rayen retorted calmly. She thought to use his relationship with Toormeena to emotionally manipulate him, but he was about to use her introduction of Toormeena against her. 'You know, she met with him,' he said casually, although he was careful to observe her expression

  'Who?'

  Ko-rayen resisted smiling, she was fooling no one with her feigned disinterest and ignorance.

  'Your saviour, of course. Well, he is more Toormeena's saviour, he sent her the vision, after all.'

  'The Saviour, so he has started his path. I am surprised Nisari and Colnba allowed the meeting.'

  Linuk's tone betrayed no anxiety, but her aura flared up with it, confirming for Ko-rayen who it was she had been trying to assist via her secret plane. Ko-rayen immediately accessed a private plane Nisari had created so they could communicate. But he sent to Colnba, as Nisari was occupied with other tasks. 'Colnba, the Saviour is in trouble. I do not know where he is or what is threatening him, but I just caught Linuk trying to help him.'

  Colnba sent a feeling of acknowledgement. He would not waste time on words, when it came to the saviour, immediate investigation was imperative.

  To Linuk he said, 'It is amazing what one can learn from observation alone. As you know, much of talent is passed on from mentor to apprentice through observation. They allowed the meeting because it gave them more information about The Prophecy than turns of interrogating Toormeena would gain. Did it not occur to you that the only reason they kept Toormeena was because they knew one day he would go to her?'

  Now Linuk was scrutinising him. 'All right, let us be direct. You know I was trying to aid the saviour. I want to ask you a question.'

  Ko-rayen nodded.

  'When they kill Toormeena's saviour, how will you feel having contributed to the grief she will experience.'

  'They will not kill him. They simply want to detain him long enough to pursue their own path.'

  'You are not so naïve, Ko-rayen. There is only one way to be absolutely sure the Saviour does not divert Nisari and Colnba's path and that is to destroy him.'

  Day 15 – Night

  North Kenar Woods

  Kaydyr resettled himself on the leather part on Sariah's armoured shoulder. Her swords were stored under the sleeping mat of one of the soldiers. He must be highly ranked to have commandeered them and obviously did not trust his fellow soldiers if he had to sleep on them.

  Sariah knelt by the sleeping man. Rage boiled under her deceptively calm exterior. This was one of the men who had tried to strip her. She was in two minds. She could kill him while he slept, but then he would never know who had taken his life or why. The warrior was not inclined to such mercy. Yet to wake him could risk alerting the whole camp.

  Partially rising, Sariah swiftly pinned the soldier, using one knee to secure an arm and his torso, and one hand to secure his free arm. Her other hand she placed firmly over his mouth. His eyelids opened wide revealing startled brown eyes.

  'I do not need a mage's skill to know the crimes you have committed in the name of war,' she growled low into his ear. 'The women you have taken against their will, the innocent you have put to death. Now you know their fear. Thank Fate it is for so short a time.'

  In a move too swift for the soldier to respond, she released his arm and broke his neck.

  Taking up her swords, she slid them into her harness. Upon retrieving her second sword she found her knives as well as Brynn's bracers together with his may-en-ghi long knife. Greedy son of a pirate, but fortunate for her to have them all in one place. Several careful moments later she rose, fully armed.

  She would have liked to kill the whole camp, especially that foul piece of work who called himself a thane. Her most recent capture had taught her a lesson though — she was out-numbered and she had a greater responsibility to Brynn. And also to Sentary and Riqu. Besides, that cursed mage, Akileena, was still functional and, thus, capable of subduing her again.

  Approaching Brynn she no
ticed a number of things. The rain had washed him clean, no blood or dye marked his hair or skin. Neither did a single wound... That was propitious. The may-en-ghi must have healed him.

  Then Brynn raised his head and Kaydyr met those ocean-blue eyes.

  She reconsidered her theory about the may-en-ghi. Never had she seen so much fury. It was hard and cold, but it was fury.

  Brynn focused on her as the chains holding him captive released.

  At the same moment a noise behind her cause her to turn.

  Akileena emerged from his tent looking stunned. His gaze took in Sariah and Brynn.

  Sariah handed him the bracer with the crossbow built into it and, after he put it on, gave him the other one. 'I do not know what happened to your tunic,' she said handing him his long knife, which Brynn slipped onto his belt.

  'It matters not for the moment. I need you to get away from here as swiftly as possible,' Brynn murmured. Then he looked up to meet Akileena's bemused gaze. He held it as he gave the warrior instructions. 'Take all the horses, except the one Akileena rides, the dark-brown one, Herjan,' he directed quietly. 'I have called Sershja back. He will guide you to Sentary and the others. They may need your protection.'

  'What about him,' she asked nodding towards Akileena. 'And the Thane.'

  'I will take care of them both. With Fate's blessing, Akileena will join you. The Thane… I will deal with the Thane.'

  Matthias Rochester started as his mind finally crashed through to consciousness. Nausea washed over him and he clamped his mouth tightly shut as he waited for it to pass. For an awful moment his memory was completely blank, he could not remember where he was, or why...

  He was sharply aware of various points of pain singing through his body, indicating he had been injured recently. The mage assessed his condition, a cut that went right across his mid-section was healed, but the muscles were weak and the nerves fragile. That would explain why sitting up had caused him so much discomfort. A cut on his upper arm seemed to indicate that whoever had attacked him had taken their weapon in a diagonal strike from left to right, through his arm and then his middle. A minor cut on his right thigh confirmed his theory.