First of Tomes (The Tomes of Kaleria Book 2)

by Honor Raconteur

  They changed, bundled up laundry, and took it down with them. A maid relieved them of the burden at the foot of the stairs. Mei Li spied their group already at a table in the far corner and made her way there. Shunlei pulled out a chair for her, and she took it with a quick, grateful smile.

  “We’ve food coming,” Melchior informed them as they sat down. “Nord’s been explaining some of the trouble with this hunt. Talismans are useless?”

  “Talismans will be difficult,” Nord corrected him patiently. He had both hands folded on top of the table, but one lifted to gesture as he spoke. “Because they are paper and ink, exposing them to rain would only make the ink run, the paper crumple, and the spell will misfire.”

  Mei Li canted her head toward him. “I’ve seen that happen once. Not pretty. I really suggest we think of something to use aside from talismans. Leather talismans might be best in this case. Either that, or find a way to protect them from rainfall to use them. With Gong determined to drown us all with rain, that storm isn’t going to let up anytime soon.”

  “How is what I’ve been stuck on.” Kiyo settled with an audible sigh that spoke of irritation. “I kept thinking about it as we rode north, but no obvious solution comes to mind. I do believe we need to force this battle to be on land as much as possible. Water and fire-based spells are not a good choice.”

  Hawes grimaced agreement. “Not with a water deity. Shunlei, can he douse even dragon fire?”

  Shunlei spread both hands, indicating ignorance. “I’ve never battled a deity before. And are we so sure that battling it will be wise?”

  “I believe,” Mei Li translated dryly, “that he’s politely asking, ‘Who here is crazy enough to think they can beat a deity?’”

  Melchior gave a snort. “I wasn’t going to ask that.”

  “I’m not even sure if we have enough power to seal it.” Kiyo glanced between the mages at the table. “Even borrowing judiciously from natural earth power, I don’t see that working out well for us. I’m open to other ideas. Flashes of genius are also accepted.”

  Dead silence.

  Mei Li knew for a fact that they did manage this somehow. She could kick whoever it was who wrote the report in the first place. Right now, she could hardly give them an airy reassurance without anything concrete to back it up.

  “Maybe food will revive us enough that we’ll think of something.” Hawes did not look convinced of this, however.

  Well. They’d figure it out. Eventually.

  They figured it out. Maybe. Heavily leaning on the maybe side.

  The plan was this: use bricks with talismans painted onto the bricks themselves, wrap them in oil cloth to protect the spell design, then use them to form a barricade around the water deity. Shunlei would act as a decoy to bring it far enough inland to weaken the deity. As long as it was in pure water, they had no chance. But standing, with only puddled rainwater, gave them something of an edge. A minuscule edge, but they’d take any advantage they could.

  They’d use the ring of bricks to form a temporary barrier and then take the time to properly form something more lasting.

  Kiyo and Nord seemed to think this was plausible, but they weren’t sure how high the odds of success were. It was hard for them to calculate at this point, as they had no idea how powerful the deity was. No surprise, as neither had faced one before. This was a little outside Mei Li’s comfort level, truth be told. Their design took magic to a whole new type of innovation. This was her weak point in magic. Give her a problem that was similar to something else she already knew and/or had done, she was fine and could adapt. Give her a problem completely outside of her book learning and experience, and she was woefully out of her depth.

  The Tomes had never truly been mages. They were guardians. Record-keepers. Instructors to the next generation. But genius mages? Not one. Well, maybe the First Tomes had been. By all accounts, they’d been quite handy and well-schooled in the art of magic.

  They spent the morning creating the bricks based on Nord’s design. Then a few backup traps to help supplement in case the bricks were not sufficient. With those created, they packed up around noon and headed out again. At this point, no one wanted to be out in the rain, but they were very invested in seeing the end of this so they could experience the warmth of the sun again.

  Of course, they didn’t reach the coast that night, so another stop was necessary. Nord secretly made a few more bricks—Mei Li saw him do so. She could hardly blame him as she was a tad nervous with their plan as well. But he said nothing when they packed up and left the inn the next morning.

  The rain, impossibly, was even more pervasive. It came down harder, sheets and sheets of rain that blinded a person’s vision and soaked them straight down to the bone. Mei Li had heard of the phrase ‘raining cats and dogs’ before but felt it inadequate to the storm raging. Maybe wolves and tigers would be more accurate. Or wolves and elephants. For heaven’s sake, they were partway into a city before she could make out the shapes of buildings, that’s how badly the storm raged!

  Hawes paused and waited for Shunlei to come abreast of him before leaning in to shout the question, “Can you fly ahead and get sight of it?”

  Shunlei shook his head before Hawes could get the full question out. “I can’t fly in this weather! No visibility.”

  Seeming to expect this answer, Hawes just nodded.

  They kept riding. Nord pulled at Hawes’ sleeve, then pointed, and they changed direction. Mei Li wasn’t sure what that was about or where they were now heading. Thibault might be the now modern city of Tanguay, but nothing about this city looked remotely familiar. That could be due to the storm. Mei Li doubted it, though. Either way, she had nothing in the way of landmarks and might as well be lost.

  A large, dominating building sat at the end of the street. Nord seemed excited to see it, as he immediately hopped down from his gelding and strode right through the main doors. Hawes led them to the side, where a large overhang straddled the road, giving them shelter from the pounding rain. It was still loud, drops of rain bouncing off the cobblestone streets, but it was a relief to not be under the deluge.

  Mei Li took the chance to get out of the saddle and stand for a bit. Shunlei slid down first, then gave her a hand down, which she appreciated. Twisting her torso, she stretched her back before leaning forward, stretching out her thighs as well. “I vote, when we head back south, we do so by ship.”

  Groaning, Shunlei flopped forward and let his arms and head dangle. “Ship sounds blissful.”

  “Doesn’t it?”

  Melchior casually joined them. “I can guarantee Hawes won’t go for it. If we’re on a ship, we can’t hear rumors about things going wrong, or easily change direction.”

  Mei Li lifted her head to pout at him. “You’re an utter killjoy. You could have at least let me fantasize.”

  Melchior just shrugged. “Warning you now. Oh my, that was quick.”

  “What is—oh.” Mei Li straightened abruptly, hope rising. Nord had three people in tow, all of them mages themselves. She’d not seen another mage since her arrival. Mages were not common, no matter what era of time you were in. She understood that intellectually, but Mei Li was so accustomed to working with groups of mages that not seeing anyone aside from her own team had felt strange.

  The three men carried umbrellas that they closed as they stopped under the stone awning. Nord introduced them with a relieved smile stretched from ear to ear. “Mages Janine, Sandeep, and Liggett. My friends, this is Mages Hawes, Kiyo, Mei, the warrior Melchior, and Shunlei the Red.”

  Shunlei got more than one startled look, but the three in question took the rest of them in stride. Janine was fair, obviously indoors most of the day, as her mint green dress was barely wet around the hem, blonde hair in a tidy bun at the top of her head. The woman standing next to her hailed from the Southern Isles, unless Mei Li missed her guess. The traditional silk dress with exposed midriff and over-the-shoulder silk tie hailed from that region. She, too,
wore her black hair in a tidy bun at the back of her head, which was really the only sensible choice in this heavy humidity.

  Liggett was the first to speak, giving a respectful bow to the group as a whole. He was reed thin, like a strong wind could send him toppling, and it almost did as he bowed. “A pleasure to meet all of you. Nord’s told us a little of who you are and your aim here. We’ve been in a dither this entire time, not sure what to do. We are a magic school, but we focus on the healing arts.” He gave a respectful nod to Janine.

  Janine did look to be more master than student, as she was middle-aged at least. She accepted the nod with a fond smile at him. “Indeed. And I only have three seasoned students at this stage. Hardly enough to tackle an out-of-control water deity. But this group is accustomed to fighting such battles, are they not?”

  “We are,” Hawes answered with simple confidence. “Not deities, normally. But trouble, yes. We work under the direction and generosity of the Prince of Horvath. Forgive me, but Nord didn’t say much. How do you know each other?”

  “He started here, as a child,” Janine explained. “I had him for three years before I realized his talents were really best suited in a different focus of magic. But he always stops in when he’s in this region. I’m glad he’s come to us now. We could use your help, Mage Hawes. The water level has already become dangerously high, and the storms are only increasing in their fury. Much more of this and I fear for the lives of everyone in the city.”

  “It’s an entirely valid fear from what I’ve seen. Master Janine, we’re frankly here to borrow more magical help. We’ve a plan to subdue the water deity, but as you can see, we only have four mages. I don’t think that’s sufficient to handle the problem.”

  “For that matter, I’m not sure if seven is.” Janine looked to the other two and got stubborn looks in return. Her mouth twitched up, in either a smile or a grimace, it was too quick to tell. “But I suppose we must try. Certainly, no one else has offered anything like a solution. I know precisely where Gong sits. Or I should say, madly paces.”

  “That helps. We weren’t sure where to go.”

  “Allow us just a moment to fetch a few things. Then we’ll go.”

  “Of course.” Hawes waited until they’d strode away, quickly heading back inside, before asking Nord, “Does this even our odds?”

  “I don’t know. But it has to help.” Nord chewed on his bottom lip before admitting, “Master Janine is strong. As strong as Kiyo or myself. Sandeep and Liggett are still learning, but I think their magic is up to the task. They’re nearly finished with their training. She doesn’t trust anyone else to help. They’re too young and green.”

  “And shouldn’t be embroiled in a fight like this. I understand. Then we’ll do what we can with what we have.” Hawes blew out a steady stream of air. “What a strange world we live in, that men must manage the bungled affairs of the heavens.”

  Mei Li felt this was not the moment to tell him it would get much worse before it got better. They still had crazy fire demons and triple volcanoes to deal with in the future. Which, wasn’t that a joyful thought?

  The three were back in record time. Janine instructed them to leave their horses and just carry what they needed. The path to Gong was steep and narrow, not something a horse could pass through. Shunlei volunteered to take on the majority of the bricks and shouldered the weight easily.

  It was interesting, seeing the bay of Tanguay before it became the Sea Walls of Tanguay. It was a simple bay, not deep enough to bring anything larger than a schooner inside. It wasn’t a large trade hub—not yet—but established enough because it was enroute between Tri-River City and the East Sea. The streets led straight to the bay, and they followed it until they reached the docks, and only then veered off to the right. They hiked the edge of the bay, and it became a little rockier, less tended, as they went. There was once a path laid in, Mei Li could see traces of the stones, but dirt and moss had grown over it and pushed it out of pattern.

  Had the water deity gone mad through neglect? Sometimes they did.

  Mei Li was glad to have the guide. She would have lost all bearings without Janine. The storm was so much worse now as they closed in on the epicenter. It was like walking through a typhoon. In fact, she was pretty sure they were doing exactly that. Shunlei stepped in front of her, encouraging her to use him as a windbreaker, and she thankfully did exactly that. She felt that for every step she took forward, the wind and rain drove her two feet back. It was impossible to make any real headway. It apparently took a dragon’s strength to manage it.

  Then they broke through, and it was nothing but still air. Not peaceful—it felt charged and heavy, the promise of a storm not yet realized. Mei Li almost preferred the storm outside to this circle of too-calm stillness.

  In a half-destroyed pagoda of white columns and stone roof sat a figure. Well, a listing figure that kept twirling one hand in the sky as if stirring up trouble. He looked more liquid than solid, humanoid in the shape of a human male, but without the skin or hair of one. Something like a loin cloth was wrapped around his hips, he wore one sandal, but he looked like the ocean trapped in the outline of a human body. He didn’t stir or shift as they approached.

  That, more than anything, unnerved Mei Li. Did he not care that someone was nearby? Was he not worried about it? Or was his mind so far gone that he couldn’t even properly observe his surroundings?

  Shunlei started quietly passing out bricks. They each took two and fanned out, casually, carefully, trying not to look suspicious or rouse his interest. Shunlei stuck tightly to Mei Li’s side, and she was grateful for it, as Liggett was right in front of her, and frankly? In a fight? She wasn’t sure if Liggett had the reflexes to survive. He was not battle-worn and savvy. She could tell by the nervous way he kept glancing at the pagoda, as if he had no idea what to do if things went abruptly south.

  “Visitors,” said Gong. If the wind, grating along the surface of an ocean wave, could make a noise, that’s what Gong sounded like. It wasn’t akin to anything she’d ever experienced. His words were far from pleasant on the ear. He turned his head languidly, no energy or drive in the movement. “Many visitors. How long has it been since I’ve had visitors, I wonder?”

  Shunlei gave her shoulder a squeeze and murmured, “Keep going.” Then he turned and approached the pagoda with a steady stride. “You are Gong, the water deity?”

  “I am.” Gong sighed. It was the sigh of oceans and tides retreating and storms whistling inland. It spoke of power and sadness. “Who are you, visitor?”

  “I am Shunlei the Red.”

  “Shunlei the Red. A dragon. In human form? I rarely see that. You know, when our Mother created the dragons, she gave them that ability. None of us understood the point of it. Why bother? But she said it was necessary. Only that. Why do you think it was?”

  “To befriend humanity,” Shunlei answered promptly. “It’s rather hard to do when you’re so much larger. It’s hard to share space, for one. I’m very thankful she gave us that ability.”

  “But the dragons don’t use it.”

  “We’re beginning to. I use it often. I’m more in human form than dragon, these days.”

  “Are you really?” Gong perked up, his manner more alert than it had been even a moment before. “Why do the rest not approach as you’ve done?”

  Mei Li looked around and saw that not everyone was in position yet. Hawes and Janine still had several paces to go until they were on the far side of the pagoda. The brick talismans didn’t have to be in precise alignment, but they did have to be in some semblance of a circle to activate correctly. And there could be no serious gaps.

  Shunlei tried to distract him. “They’ve prepared something—”

  “Oh, I see what you’ve prepared for me.” Gong stood, and the ocean shook and crashed against the shore, rising in higher waves that threatened to sweep over the pagoda. “You think to diminish me? To steal my power?”

  “We need you to stop the
storms.”

  Mei Li shot him an incredulous look. Then mentally smacked herself for her own surprise. Of course Shunlei would try reasoning with him. Even though he was obviously mad.

  “I’ll do as I like in my own territory!” Gong roared back, and the ocean rose and crashed, harder than it had before.

  Hawes was flat out running now. Everyone was, scrambling to get into position. Mei Li lost track of what was happening, her attention focused instead on getting her own bricks into the right placement to line up with Liggett’s on her right, and Nord’s on her left. She got the first brick down, then went flat as a sudden wave swept her legs out from under her. Spluttering, she came up, dragging hair out of her face as the water retreated. They were going to have to do this the hard way.

  Flopping onto her side, she saw that the brick she’d just placed was now a foot away and in entirely the wrong spot. Swearing, she rolled onto her knees, and just in time for a second wave to come crashing through. Braced for it, it moved her a few inches but at least didn’t jerk her around as badly as the first.

  A crash came from the pagoda, and she looked up to see that Shunlei had tackled Gong outright. The deity came up swinging, clipping Shunlei’s jaw good, but he was in dragon form now and not easily budged. Good, that might give them a few seconds.

  But only a few.

  Scrambling, she got her knees under her and nearly butted heads with Liggett as he lunged for his own wayward brick. They avoided a collision at the last second before real damage could occur, fetched their bricks, and hit each other as another wave crashed through and threw Liggett against her.

  “Sorry!” he gasped, struggling to right himself.

  “Go, go, go!” she encouraged, untangling him and pushing him off in the right direction.

  Everyone seemed to be having the same trouble. Shunlei was trying to help, but physically fighting Gong to a standstill was both challenging and not working. The water deity didn’t need physical gestures to control water—that was clearly evident as the waves grew and became too powerful to ignore.