by Lexy Wolfe
"Citali…" Gold eyes narrowed as they unfocused, Star grimacing as she put her hand to her right shoulder. Her expression suddenly reflected unadulterated shock. "What? But that is not possible!" she whispered. She looked at Seeker, speaking in the Swordanzen tongue sharply. The four warriors' expressions were of equal shock, disbelief and uncharacteristic uncertainty over whatever Star told them. When Nolyn reached out to her, she brushed his hand away, her attention on the four Swordanzen as they argued.
An unearthly sound accompanied by the noises of fleeing animals and creaking branches above them cut the argument short. "It is here!" a servant cried out in fright, pointing towards a fleeting glimpse of an ominous shape above.
"No more argument!" Star stated, no longer the quiet, demure woman. "It is time to fight." She ripped her veil off and flung it aside, then snatched her Naming Blade from her waist, sheath and all. The slight woman grabbed Nolyn by the front of his robes, her sudden tug pulling him off balance towards her.
The startled mage barely had time to realize she kissed him before it ended. She looked into his eyes. Her voice murmured softly, "I love you, Nolyn Lirai. Goodbye." She then turned and bolted for her drizzen, leaping into its saddle and looking into the trees. Her voice carried her defiance to the branches above. "Oolak! Catch me if you can!" The drizzen bolted, the shadowy shape above on the move after her. Dark, dirty feathers that fell exploded into soft clouds of black dust when it struck anything in its path.
Disconcerted, Nolyn looked down at Star's sheathed knife in his hand. "What the hells—?" he began.
The Desanti had mounted their beasts before the rest of the party realized what was happening. "The sacred blades return to the land when their bearers die," Seeker explained. "Because you share no bayuli-volsha with her, you will not know when she is gone. She does not want you to live with false hope." Before anyone could say anything, he spurred his drizzen to follow the other three.
Valerian and Eptina each grabbed Nolyn by an arm when he started to go after the Desanti. "You can't run into a fight blind, Nolyn!" Eptina told him. "That thing will attack you without a second thought!"
"That thing is not after me," he snarled, glaring at the woman. "It is after her." Pulling away from them both, he growled, "I lost too many to darklings. My sister, my master, my student, friends. I will not lose anyone else to the damned things. Especially not the woman I love!"
"Then we do this right, Edai Magus," Valerian stated flatly. "Because no one of us can do this alone. Not even the god touched."
Chapter 76
Star hugged her drizzen's neck as it raced through the forest. She closed her eyes as she felt the dark shape looming over her. At the last minute, she shouted and the drizzen dropped to its belly, sliding as it turned to head back the direction they had just come from. She cried out as the winged monster swept past, raking her back. The drizzen scrabbled to get its footing again as the pursuer swung around.
Just as the drizzen found purchase on the snow covered ground, the thing loomed over them, raking Star's back more deeply. She cried out in pain as the drizzen tried to turn to get its rider away from their attacker. The Su'alin looked up into the face of what could have been a beautiful man, his visage filthy and twisted with anger and pain. Blackened, tattered wings fanned outward, loose feathers falling away to shatter into powder when they struck any surface.
The winged man sneered. A dull red glowed from the depths of his azure blue eyes. "I have caught you." His hand came down to swipe at her, stopped when the double-bladed dagger impaled his wrist. He howled in agonized pain, staggering back as blood flowed dark down his arm.
"Keep fighting," Star begged as she sagged against her drizzen's neck. "Please, you must…" The drizzen sank to the ground near a root wall just as she slipped off unconscious. Nuzzling its rider with worried sounds, the drizzen raised its head to shrill into the sky. Four dissonant voices answered its cry as the Swordanzen arrived. The warriors dismounted, both they and the drizzen surrounding Star's attacker.
The creature lashed out as the warriors darted in and out, the slashes infuriating it. It backhanded Windsong, the Swordanzen flying back against one of the giant roots and slumping to the ground. Seeing a break in the circle, it lunged for the fallen woman. He staggered back from running full force into an invisible shield that protected the Desanti woman. The winged man snarled, looking back to see Eptina astride her nervous horse. When the monster tried to back away, she shifted her spell casting to one that drew rock from the ground to trap its feet.
As the Swordanzen closed in on the trapped being, his eyes rolled back as it began to collapse. He jerked back to awareness, glaring at Valerian as the Unsvet focused on him. "Guardian! You think because you can hold me here that you can win?" he growled. Smashing the rock around his feet with his fists, he lunged towards Pacer, his clawed fingers raking the man from shoulder to thigh. "I am omnipotent! Undefeatable!"
Seeker smiled ferally, sheathing the double-edged sword and drawing the paired single-edged ones. "You believe so? Let us find out, Oolak." The two leapt towards one another, trading ruthless strikes on each other.
"Kiya!" As the others helped the Swordanzen, Nolyn dropped to his knees beside the blood-covered body of the Su'alin. "Kiya, why? Why try to do this alone?" He focused on closing the dreadful wounds enough to keep her from bleeding to death. She could not repress a cry of pain at the raw energy that forced her flesh to move.
"Protect… weak… To heal… Forenta," Kiya whispered. He pulled her close into his embrace. "He… must…" Her eyes closed when she fell unconscious again, her body limp.
Nolyn looked up and could not help but stare in shock when he finally focused on the beast they fought. "I… I remember now," he whispered as memory flooded back. "Trisari!" He winced as a drizzen was knocked aside, the animal having trouble getting back to its feet. For every accurate strike, however, the winged man seemed to falter purposely to allow one of his opponents to strike a successful blow. "Only his equal can win this," Nolyn muttered as he eased Kiya to the blood-stained ground and took her Naming Blade from his belt. "You were trying to draw the Oolak to Citali."
Drawing the knife, he looked at the glittering surface for a time. "It looked so easy when you called him… how—?"
A soft voice touched his mind, like the whisper of snakeskin on stone. You know the fabric of life and death, Nolyn Lirai. You know your mind and heart. Trust your instincts to be the bridge I need you to be. This battle belongs to me.
Nolyn closed his eyes with a nod, lips pressed together. He drew Star's Naming Blade across his palm. He reversed the blade and impaled the ground as he spoke words of Forentan magic. His eyes snapped open at the sudden pressure in his chest, as though a fist had wrapped around his heart and squeezed.
The sky went black and a surreal silence fell on the battle. The drizzen and remaining Swordanzen backed away from the winged man as a pale figure slithered from the darkness. As physically real as the living, the white serpent with bird-like wings coiled in front of the winged man, hissing malevolently. With a back-arching spasm, the Trisari screamed in agony then collapsed lifelessly as a dark cloud oozed from his body, taking a shape of a cobra.
"Come, Oolak," Citali hissed derisively. "Leeching from northborn? If you had any worth, you could have taken my lord's children and known true power." His tongue flicked out, tail tapping mockingly. "After how long and still you could not subdue the one you host? You are pitifully weak."
"You are arrogant, Totani. This one was becoming weak anyway. He was fighting himself into oblivion. You know oblivion, don't you? That is where I will send your little pet by your own hand!" The two wrapped around one another in a vicious fight until the white snake sank its fangs into the black one's throat. It was not long until the black snake fell still, then dissipated. The white snake landed, his form melting into the humanoid shape. Bruised and disheveled but standing with pride, he turned toward the mortals staring at him in awe.
&nb
sp; The Swordanzen all lowered their eyes, fists over their hearts. "You have all fought well. See to the wounded." Citali gestured to them, his eyes only for Nolyn and the woman he cradled against him. He paused to look at the collapsed winged man. With a sneer, he spat on the ground near him then went to kneel in front of his Githalin. Touching Star's cheek, he smiled tenderly at her. "I am so very proud of you, my Star. But it is not your time. Not yet."
Nolyn gasped when Citali grabbed the wrist of his cut hand, briefly blinded by pain. When he could focus again, he stared at a sheathed knife that the Totani slapped into his hand with his symbol on the hilt. "You are northborn, Nolyn Lirai, but you live with the honor and love of the land. You are welcome among the children of the Heart of Desantiva as an equal." Citali smiled. "Now, pull the knife free and release me. I will not have my Star grieve she lived if you do not."
"But…" He swallowed, feeling lightheaded. He glanced towards the Trisari. "Thank you for his life."
"Tell him," Citali stated, his voice edged with hatred, "if he wastes this boon, the truce will be worthless and he will suffer every indignity he ever inflicted on our sister. For now, farewell, Nolyn Lirai." He reached for Star's knife himself and pulled it free of the ground. The oppressive darkness and muffled sounds departed as Citali vanished, the knife falling to the snow. Nolyn's eyes rolled back and he blacked out.
"Oh, goddess," Eptina breathed, covering her mouth with her hands as she stared at the fallen winged man. "He is no monster. He is one of our goddess's divine servants!"
Chapter 77
The Trisari jerked awake, looking up startled when Marcus jumped backwards, falling on his backside. The boy's eyes were so wide, it seemed they threatened to pop out of his head. Shifting painfully, the winged man looked towards his back at his splinted wings, then swept his eyes around the tent that sheltered him. With a groan, he dropped his forehead back onto his forearms.
"A-are you really a Trisari?" Marcus whispered.
Not raising his head to look at him, the winged man replied, "Don't be so disappointed."
"What?" Marcus shook his head. "Oh! Oh, no, I am not disappointed. I am just surprised because a lot of people say Trisari are just a myth but some say that they are just missing though no one knows why you are missing so we don't know where to even begin to look. But I am glad you are not a myth. I am not sure what happens when something that isn't supposed to exist suddenly exists. Not that it isn't impossible for that to happen, but it upsets the order of things, you know? It's bad when order is upset."
The Trisari raised his head, blinking at the boy through the shock of ebony hair that fell in front of azure eyes. "It is not always bad." He grimaced in pain as he pushed himself up from his prone position with determination. He gritted his teeth, biting back his pain as he sat on the mat they had laid him on and shifted his wings.
"Are you thirsty? You must be thirsty. I would be after everything that happened. I have water. And a cup," he added as he scrambled back to his feet to retrieve the items. "Miss Kelafy says that traveling is no reason to be uncivilized and cups are civilized. The Desanti find them a waste of time, but they like her so they don't get angry at her for talking about being civilized." He smiled as he poured the water into the cup. "You would like her, even when she is stern, because she cares and does what she does to take care of everyone."
He looked up again, eyes wide after he filled the cup, suddenly unsure. "Y-you do… uh, drink, right? I mean, you are a divine servant and—" The Trisari held his hand out for the cup. Marcus handed it to him, relief mingling with sheepish embarrassment.
Draining the cup, the winged man held it out to be filled again. "Thank you." He looked briefly annoyed. "Don't look so awed just because I showed you proper courtesy."
"Bu-but you are a Trisari! You don't have to—"
"It is right to offer courtesy in the face of kindness and consideration." With a put upon look, he looked down at the cup. "I am hardly deserving of your awe, Marcus Kyrie. Or any kindness. I appreciate you offering both to me."
"You know my name?" Flinching at what he initially believed was a rhetorical question, the apprentice swallowed several times. "You… you were what attacked my master. He said you touched his mind. Of course you know my name." He blushed as the Trisari looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry I hit you. Back in Andar."
"Don't be. That… thing… wanted to kill your master. Not me. Hitting me helped me regain control again." He closed his fist, expression pained. "For a little while. I was almost lost but for…" Sighing softly, the Trisari looked up at Marcus. "Do you know my name?" he asked.
Marcus turned deep red, scuffing the ground. "Uh. No? I know some of the names of the Trisari, but they don't really, mm, emphasize that at the Magus Academy. And there are not many defined images left. Most sort of have, um, generic faces."
"It is just as well, I suppose." The Trisari shifted but could not get comfortable. "I am Endarian."
"Trisari Endarian of Andar? You are the patron of Andar and the Avarian family? But why would you attack Andar if you… er, sorry." Marcus cringed when Endarian's expression hardened. "That thing made you go to Andar. You didn't have a choice."
"Ahh." Endarian's expression softened. "I understand your perception now. You believe I had just arrived in Andar when…" His voice broke and he stopped speaking for a moment. "The Oolak did not bring me to Andar. I had been there for many centuries. That thing had attacked me fifty years ago. I was fool enough to believe I could fight it alone."
"There is a lot of that 'go it alone' arrogance going around," Valerian stated in dry tones as he came in. The Vodani examined Endarian with a critical frown. "Unfortunately, Tobias could not use much of his healing magic on you. It is challenging enough for him healing the injuries you caused. It looks like he did a decent job of splinting your wings. He remarked it was strange because he never worked on birds bigger than hunting falcons."
The Guardian sat a bowl of stew by the Trisari, handing another to Marcus. "His skill blending healing and temporal energies is improving quickly, though. Quite a testament to his determination. Or just sheer stubbornness. I would wager money it is more stubbornness. A lot of that going around, too."
Endarian hesitated, then picked up the bowl, eating in silence. Marcus broke the silence with a quiet question. "How are the others, Unsvet? Is my master…?"
"Alive," Nolyn stated as he walked in. The grim-faced master mage could not help but smile fondly when the boy ran and wrapped his arms around him in a fierce embrace. "You did well organizing things while the rest of us recovered from the fight, Marcus. I'm proud of you. Now, go get a nap. The Swordanzen want to get moving again and I am inclined to agree with their insistence this time. I can feel the snow in the air. I don't want to worry you'll fall off your horse halfway to Andar proper when we're nearly there anyway."
Marcus turned bright red. "Yes, Master." He took his bowl and left. The sounds of greeting by servants and others in the party drifted back into the tent.
Nolyn and Endarian stared at each other in silence. Valerian ate, watching the two males. He interjected drolly, "If you can read each other's minds, wonderful. But that is not among the blessings of my goddess and I would love to join the conversation." The two turned similar, exasperated expressions on the Vodani Guardian. The Vodani wagged his finger at them. "Not helping."
"I do not know what to say," Endarian stated, his eyes on his empty bowl. "The words for what I want to say… what I need to say… cannot reach the depth of what I need them to mean." He closed his eyes. "Thank you for my life? After all the lives I have destroyed, all the harm I have done, do I even deserve to be alive? I am sorry for being too arrogant to realize I could not fight the thing that nearly destroyed me? For being too weak to keep in control? I tried, but I could not hold back all of its attacks." He sighed heavily. "What could I say that has any meaning? I could not even protect Andar from myself."
Nolyn pinched the bridge of h
is nose, exhaling in exasperation. "You sound like my brother Ash." Endarian blinked, a small smile touching his lips. Nolyn shook his head sharply. "Look. We don't have time for all of that right now. Are you able to ride? We are just outside of Andar proper and there are too many injuries among our number. The only place that can provide adequate shelter is Andar's sacred Tree of Knowledge."
"We are back in Andar?" Endarian looked shocked. "How did I not realize…"
Valerian shrugged. "It was not far from where we fought you… fought the Oolak. Star led you a merry chase back towards the barrier. Nolyn says he thinks she intended to draw you to the other side where her Totani awaited you. Which would have killed her, of course. Except we came along and kept you and her on this side. Edai Magus Eptina and I had combined spells to temporarily repair the Andarian barrier again. This time if any try to break it, it should not backlash on me again. Once you are healed, there will be no need for the barrier at all."
Endarian scowled, pushing himself to his feet and nearly collapsing when his wing bumped the ground. Valerian jumped to catch him, lending him his shoulder to keep his balance. "Easy, big guy," the Vodani soothed. "You aren't in any shape to take on a wind-blown leaf much less anything with more bite."
"Guardians have become irreverent," Endarian observed in bland tones.
Valerian chuckled. "Depends on the Guardian. Some have very large sticks up their—"
Nolyn interrupted, his tones curt. "We will be moving on in a few hours. Make sure you are ready." The chill hostility was clear in the man's voice. "With the Oolak gone, the dead should no longer be trapped here. But I do not want to shelter where you had so recently kept the dead prisoners in their own corpses."
Endarian looked away from Nolyn. A tear coursed down his cheek. "I tried. I tried to free them. When the Oolak left me some control over those many years of being trapped, I tried to set them free. But he would not let them go in peace."
