Battle Mage

by Peter Flannery

  Falco could make little sense of the feelings that dominated his dreams and Malaki watched with concern as he wrestled with the doubt and uncertainty. It was one thing to train a person in the skills of combat or the use of magical powers, but how do you train them to interpret the shifting shadows and treacherous mind of the enemy.

  Malaki leaned across and placed a strong hand on the back of Falco’s neck.

  ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself,’ he said. ‘Just think what you’ve achieved. I’m sure your father would have been...’

  Malaki was unable to finish the sentence as Falco suddenly sat up straight. All trace of uncertainty gone. His green eyes blazed as he turned to the east, where the river flowed towards Illicia.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Malaki as they both rose to their feet. ‘Possessed? Bestiarum?’

  ‘No,’ said Falco. ‘Something else.’

  Even as they stared into the trees they heard the sound of approaching horses. Two riders came into view, one from the camp’s patrol, the other was one of the scouts that rode ahead of the army.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Malaki as the riders careered into the clearing.

  ‘A dark angel,’ said the scout, breathless and afraid.

  ‘Which way?’ demanded Malaki.

  The scout twisted in the saddle to point back the way he had come.

  ‘Down river,’ he gasped. ‘About five miles.’

  If a dark angel spotted the army the Possessed attacks would be greatly increased. These winged creatures were the eyes and ears of the enemy and most armies had no choice but to suffer their scrutiny. But on this occasion the Irregulars were accompanied by someone who could intercept a creature of the air and keep the enemy ignorant of their movements.

  With a nod of acknowledgement Malaki turned back to his friend but Falco was already running.

  87

  Darkness Reborn

  Pulling on his helmet Falco sprinted through the trees, Sidian running parallel to him until they converged in a clearing. Falco ran up a ledge of moss covered rock and leapt onto the dragon’s back. Sidian took one stride... two and launched himself into the air, branches snapping as he ploughed through the surrounding trees.

  As they climbed clear of the canopy Falco reached out with his perception but he could not yet feel the distinctive signature of the creature. Being a lesser demon, the dark angel would not radiate the same force of presence as its greater brethren, but if he got close enough Falco should be able to sense it.

  Rising into the twilight sky they sped east, following the course of the turquoise river. The walls of the canyon went by in a blur, towering cliffs of white rock, green fern and stunted mountain pine. The air was cold and clear, with just a few veils of evening mist to obscure the view.

  The wind whistled against the hard edges of Falco’s armour and sighed over Sidian’s black scales. Through the T-shaped visor of his helm Falco scanned the sky ahead of them, looking for the silhouette of a creature with bat like wings and the demonic body of a withered human. For the first two miles there was nothing but then Falco began to sense a shadow in the air. It was still some way off and higher, several hundred feet higher than the tree clad tops of the canyon.

  Knowing that the evening light could betray their presence he kept Sidian low, using the darker landscape of the canyon to conceal their approach. They continued on and Falco could sense the fierce intensity of Sidian’s gaze and suddenly there it was, captured by the superior clarity of the dragon’s vision. For Falco it was a strange experience to ‘see’ something that was still beyond the reach of his own inadequate eyes. He shook his head as his mind reeled from a sense of vertigo, but slowly he became accustomed to it, and as the dark shape grew larger Sidian’s view faded away and his own vision returned to the fore.

  The dark angel was a mere five hundred yards away when Sidian broke from cover and surged up towards it. It spotted the dragon almost immediately and after a momentary pause it turned in the air to flee. With a hiss of hatred it flapped its wings and made off with surprising speed, but it was being pursued by a larger and far more powerful creature of the air and there was little hope of escape. Its only chance would be to drop down and try to lose its pursuers in the maze of smaller gullies and chasms that connected the main canyons carved by the rivers.

  Even as they watched, the dark angel angled its wings and dived towards one such gully. Falco was still confident they could catch it before it entered the narrow defile, but then he saw it turn to the right and let out a piercing shriek. At first he thought it nothing more than a gesture of contempt but then, away to the right, he saw a flurry of movement. Turning his head he saw another winged shadow hanging in the air.

  There was not one dark angel, but two.

  Sidian was still driving forwards but if they stayed with the first they might well lose sight of the second. Without even thinking Falco reached out his hand and a ball of fire shot over Sidian’s head. It streaked through the air, growing larger until it engulfed the first dark angel some sixty yards ahead of them. At the same time Sidian banked to the right as their entwined minds switched their attention to the second.

  Behind them there came an unearthly scream as the first dark angel was engulfed in flames. The membranes of its wings were burned away, causing it to plunge earthwards, its screams suddenly cut off as it crashed into the trees and tumbled rocks below.

  Falco and Sidian now focused entirely on the second dark angel, which seemed determined to avoid the fate of its companion. It too was flying towards a smaller gully in the canyon wall, but when Falco sent forth another fireball it jinked sideways, dodging the mass of flames which continued on its way before causing a small landslide as it punched into the unstable rock of the canyon wall.

  Sidian adjusted course to stay with the demonic scout, which continued its evasive flight, dodging this way and that. Falco sent forth a tighter bolt of energy that shot through the air much faster than the two fireballs. It looked like it might strike the dark angel squarely, but at the last instant the demon pulled hard to the left and the bolt of energy merely burned a fist sized hole in the leathery membrane of its wing.

  The emaciated creature was almost at the mouth of the gully but Sidian was closing fast. Falco was about to try for another attack but then he was forced to hold on tight as Sidian put on a sudden burst of speed. The dark angel tried to drop beneath them as they surged towards it, but Sidian reached out with his right foreleg and caught the creature in his talons. The dark angel let out a hissing shriek that was quickly silenced as Sidian broke its neck before casting the limp body aside.

  Falco felt a rush of relief as the enemy’s eyes were blinded but this was suddenly eclipsed by the realisation that they were about to crash into the cliffs. Sidian was going too fast, the white walls of the canyon too close. Closing his eyes Falco braced himself for the impact, but then the air was driven from his lungs and he was pressed hard against Sidian’s ridged back as the dragon spread his wings to their fullest extent.

  Falco almost passed out from the force of their deceleration, but he hung on tight as Sidian struck the vertical wall of the cliffs. For a moment the dragon’s talons gouged into the crumbling rock and Falco was sure they were about to fall, but then Sidian pushed away from the cliff and suddenly they were soaring through the air once more.

  Falco was grateful for the cold wind on his face and neck. His skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and he drew deep breaths as his body fought to regain its equilibrium. The adrenaline of the chase and the experience of almost passing out had left him feeling decidedly shaky. He felt a wave of concern from Sidian and placed a reassuring hand on the dragon’s neck.

  ‘I’m fine,’ he said and Sidian’s concern faded away. It was replaced by a sensation of gentle mockery. There was no language in the communication between himself and Sidian, but the dragon’s thoughts were clear.

  ‘Yes,’ said Falco. ‘I suppose I am a puny human.’

  As his min
d cleared he reached out with his perception to see if he could sense any more servants of the enemy. There were no more dark angels in the area, but he frowned as he sensed a shadow to the south east. It was diffuse, like a Possessed force, but there was definitely some kind of demon within it. Could this be the strange demon that the refugees had spoken of?

  He would need to investigate and Sidian began to veer in the shadow’s direction when Falco sensed someone watching them from below.

  Sidian pulled up sharply, hovering in the air as they stared down into the dusk veiled trees below. The shadows on the canyon floor were now deep and impenetrable but there was definitely someone there. Slowly Sidian began to descend and as he did so Falco’s fears were allayed. Whoever was watching them was human.

  Down they went until Sidian’s wings clipped leaves and branches and they landed on the valley floor.

  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ said Falco as they came to rest.

  Cowering in the shadow of a twisted oak tree was another human scout, although from the colour of his mottled green cloak they could see that he was not from the Irregulars. The man’s horse was trembling with fear but remained silent as it had been trained. The man was trying to reassure it, holding the frightened animal’s head against his shoulder.

  ‘It’s all right.’ said Falco as he swung down from Sidian’s back. ‘We’re with the Queen’s Irregulars, heading for Amboss.’

  The man’s eyes remained fearful and wary. His gaze flicked past Falco to take in the black dragon standing behind him. Falco glanced backwards.

  ‘Don’t worry. He’s a friend. You can trust him as you would any dragon.’

  The man did not seem particularly reassured by this but Falco removed his helm and finally the man seemed to relax. In his armour Falco struck an intimidating figure and the man was clearly relieved to see a young man behind the helm of dark steel. His eyes took in Falco’s angular face with its green eyes and long dark hair before moving back to Sidian.

  ‘Draconis noir,’ he said and Falco smiled at the tone of disbelief.

  Slowly the man nodded and finally he seemed convinced that this imposing warrior and his dragon were not here to kill him. He let out a deep breath as if this were the first time he had relaxed in days.

  ‘Soren Forestier,’ he said by way of introduction. ‘Deep scout from Ville de Pierre.’

  ‘Falco Danté, from...’ Falco paused. ‘From Wrath.’

  ‘Valentian?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The scout raised his eyes to the sky.

  ‘You killed the dark angels?’

  Falco nodded. The man had the strongest Clemoncéan accent that he had ever heard and it was clear that he was not accustomed to speaking in the common language of Wrath.

  ‘And you?’

  ‘I wait for them to go,’ said Soren. ‘Need to report the presence of a Geôlier to the south.’

  ‘Geôlier?’ queried Falco.

  ‘Erm... gaoler,’ said the man, translating the word into its common form. ‘A minor duke with a skirt of pain.’

  Falco nodded as the man confirmed what he had sensed to the south, although he frowned at this strange description. He had never heard of a gaoler before.

  ‘Is it travelling with a force... an army?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Soren. ‘Small army. Maybe four hundred. But they move through a different valley. They follow les Argenté Fleuve, the Silver River.’ He made a gesture with his hands to illustrate the river that flowed parallel to the Tonnerre.

  Falco paused in thought. Four hundred Possessed was not so large a force but it was led by a demon, even if it was of some obscure kind. He and the Irregulars could certainly handle it but that would delay their arrival at the front. Besides, there might not even be a path between the two river canyons. He would discuss the matter with Lanista Magnus and the other commanders. For now he turned back to the scout.

  ‘The Irregulars are camped a few miles upriver,’ he said. ‘Can you tell us how we might reach this gaoler?’

  ‘Of course, my lord,’ said Soren.

  Falco was about to reply when he suddenly tensed. A black shadow of fear had suddenly passed across his soul.

  ‘Is everything all right?’ asked the scout as he saw the sudden tension in Falco’s eyes.

  ‘Yes,’ said Falco, trying to mask his discomfort. The feeling of impending danger had suddenly flared in his mind as a distant rumble of thunder might herald the arrival of a storm. Turning away from the scout he replaced his helm and returned to Sidian ‘I’ll head back now and tell the Irregulars you’re coming,’ he said as he leapt onto the dragon’s back. ‘Just follow the river and you will find us.’

  Soren nodded and held tight to his horse’s reins as Sidian sprang into the air.

  As they rose clear of valley Falco reached out with his mind. The sky was now a deep shade of blue as night fell across the eastern massive and the deep canyons were like dark chasms in the surface of the world. The air was cold and Falco’s eyes watered as he searched for the source of his disquiet.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ he said in answer to Sidian’s questioning thoughts. ‘But yes... Somewhere far to the north.’

  Adjusting the pressure of his knees he turned Sidian back in the direction of the Irregular’s camp and together they scythed through the rapidly cooling air.

  *

  Twenty miles south west of Hoffen, an area of fractured rock shifted like the surface of a volcanic pool. The surface began to bulge upwards as something emerged from below, a dark shape, like some infernal golem. Higher the shape rose until it stepped from the pool, its back-bent legs wreathed in smoke and its great hooves glowing with heat.

  The demon rolled its shoulders and the clinging magma slipped from a body clad in dark armour with powerful arms, cinder black skin and two curved blades, one in each massive fist.

  As the rock beneath it began to cool the demon opened its mouth and let out a searing hiss. Slowly the heat of hell faded from its body and it stood once more in the charnel world of men. It opened its blood red eyes and looked to the west. There, in the confines of a human city, was a Defiant and its wyrm. They were surrounded by troops and thick walls of stone but none of that mattered. The demon would tear apart the city and kill a thousand souls to reach them. It would spend the night in prayer but then, with the rising of the sun, they would die.

  Flexing its arms the demon raised its curved blades then it threw back its head and roared its challenge to the night.

  *

  The force of the challenge struck Falco’s mind so hard that he almost fell from Sidian’s back. He slipped sideways and would have fallen but Sidian stalled in the air and shifted beneath him to balance his weight. Slowly the resonance of evil faded away but as Falco’s thoughts ran clear they were dominated by a single realisation.

  The Slayer had returned.

  It was there to the north. Falco could sense it. But more than this he could sense something of its intentions. The Slayer had already chosen a target and its appetite for death had not diminished in its absence. It was going to kill a battle mage and a dragon and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

  Suddenly the various threads of responsibility pulling at Falco died away, the Queen’s peril, the armies at the front, even his friends and the Irregulars. They were all eclipsed by the need to stop the Slayer. When last abroad it had killed two battle mages and a dragon, a terrible loss for which they were still paying the price. They could not afford to lose any more to its curved and merciless swords.

  Blind to all other considerations, Falco and Sidian turned north. The demon was close to its target, Falco could feel its anticipation. They would have to fly far and fast and hope that they could arrive in time. He did not stop to think that Malaki and the others would wonder what had happened to him. All he knew was that the Slayer must be stopped.

  88

  Hard Decisions

  It was almost midnight by the time the Irregular Commanders agreed tha
t they could wait no longer for Falco to return. It was now several hours since the scout from Ville de Pierre had arrived in the camp and a meeting had been hastily convened. The scout told the commanders that Falco had killed the dark angels. He also told them about the gaoler and the small force of Possessed moving through the canyon that ran parallel to their own. The Irregulars were not in any danger from this demon, but their own scouts had just reported that a group of refugees were also travelling along this route and would soon be overtaken by the Possessed.

  ‘We have to do something to help them,’ said Alex but Lanista Magnus shook his head.

  ‘We can’t confront a demon without Falco.’

  ‘Something must have happened,’ said Malaki. ‘He wouldn’t disappear without good reason.

  ‘Maybe he went to check on the Possessed force,’ suggested Bryna.

  ‘But Soren says he was heading straight back here,’ said Lanista Magnus.

  ‘Maybe he’s hurt,’ said one of the commanders who had led the cadet army during the training campaign.

  ‘Not likely!’ snorted Alex. ‘Have you seen what he’s riding lately?’

  Many smiled at Alex’s tone but they could not deny the concern they felt at Falco’s sudden disappearance.

  ‘No. We have to proceed on the basis that he might not be back for some time,’ said Lanista Magnus. ‘Which means we must decide for ourselves what to do about this ‘gaoler’ and the refugees in its path.’

  The scout from Ville de Pierre had marked the gaoler’s position on the map and they could all see that is was dangerously close to the refugees that moved ahead of it. These people were from Illicia and the Illician cadets were especially keen to help them.

  ‘They are moving through here,’ said Quirren, indicating the valley formed by Les Argenté Fleuve, the river that ran parallel to the Tonnerre. ‘The river doesn’t divide or diverge. There is only one route for the people to follow and so it’s only a matter of time before the demon catches up with them.’