After a few moments, the animals were gone, the sounds of their flight quickly dying out. Idrimel was left in an eerie, oppressive silence. Thick clouds appeared from nowhere and blotted out the sun, rapidly cooling the air. She shivered and rubbed her bare arms. An ill feeling formed in her gut, and she walked swiftly in the direction the animals had fled, away from whatever danger approached.
The booming of a drum met her ears, followed by voices chanting in a foul, demonic tongue. Idrimel reached for the holy symbol at her breast but was stunned to find it was gone. I never remove my holy symbol!
Fear overcame her, and she hitched up the hem of her dress and fled. Branches slapped at her face as she ran. One thin sandal caught on a root, and she turned her ankle, falling painfully on hands and knees. She tried to regain her feet, but it was too late.
Darkness blotted out the clearing as if night had fallen. The shadows of trees fell away as if the ground had swallowed them up. The drums and chanting grew louder, sending a piercing pain through Idrimel’s head. She screamed and clutched her temples, crying out to Sol for protection, but it was no use. Blood flowed from her ears as the wicked speech shattered her eardrums.
Then Idrimel was falling. The ground disappeared, and she plunged into a dark abyss. She screamed, and her stomach felt as if it were in her throat as she plummeted into the void.
She was dimly aware of landing hard on broken, stony ground. Her bones shattered, and her flesh was torn upon impact. Twisted shapes covered in scales, all teeth and claws, swarmed in and tore into her. She screamed for long minutes in excruciating pain as her flesh was ripped away. Finally, the pain faded away mercifully, and she became aware of a voice speaking in a sibilant whisper over the animalistic sounds of the demons gorging themselves.
“Lord Shaol, all has come to pass as you have foreseen it. Even now, Nexus lies on the brink of destruction. The way has been laid clear, the planes at your mercy. Your humble servants hunger for the flesh of innocents…”
The voice faded away with the wisps of the dream, but she recognized it as belonging to the black-eyed fiend she and her brother had encountered outside the City Works office.
“I knew that fiend was engaged in the Enemy’s work. Thank you, blessed Sol, for showing me a sign and granting me the wisdom to see what we must now do. My brother and I must destroy that creature and prevent it from carrying out its plans.”
She rose from her bed and went to alert her brother in the next room. The siblings had yet to hear from Master Flent of the engineering department and were growing short on patience. Now that Sol had shown her a sign, they would no longer remain idle.
***
“Master, it is Endira. Are you well?” Endira opened the Seer’s door a crack and peered inside.
The chamber smelled of a sick house. The old man was feverish, soaked in sweat and clutching the blankets to his chin. When she approached the bed she could feel the heat radiating off of him. The Seer’s frail form convulsed in a coughing fit. His wet hacking subsided after a few moments, leaving a blood spatter on the pillow.
“Master, shall I fetch a healer?” Endira was alarmed at his rapid deterioration.
The old man waved her off. “My time has passed, young one. Xoares the Sage will soon release me from my duty.” With Endira’s aid, the Seer was able to sit up in bed. She passed him a cup of water, and he drank thirstily.
Endira watched him with worry. “I fear events are moving faster than we anticipated, Master. Malek is ready to attempt to gain entry to this mana factory where he believes his master is being imprisoned. I fear that such an intrusion will provoke a confrontation with the Warders and possibly the Pale Lord himself. I don’t believe such an encounter will end well for us.”
The Seer coughed again before finishing the last of the water. “Yes, all is as I have foreseen. The time of reckoning is at hand… I just regret we had such little time to prepare. Do not underestimate the corruptor’s power. The Lord of Nexus himself would do well to take care in confronting him. What is shrouded from my vision is the plane-cursed child and her role in the gods’ designs. Is she well?”
“Nera? Yes, she is a headstrong… somewhat petulant young woman but seems loyal to Malek and determined to accompany him till the end. I will join them as I feel I must.”
Nera had informed her and Malek of her discovery of the mana factory, and they were planning to move on it that night.
Her master nodded. “Whatever you do, you cannot allow the corruptor to destroy Nexus, either through his own doing or by virtue of unseating the lord of the city. Either would result in catastrophe. Try to rein him in and make him see reason although I fear it may be fruitless. If his power begins to consume him, it is vital you stop him, by whatever means is necessary. Do you understand?” He stared at her intently, seeing her very well with his second sight. He had not needed the use of his physical eyes for centuries.
She nodded her head sadly. “Yes, Master, I will act as needed when the time comes and will try to convince Nera as well.”
The Seer leaned back on his pillows, seemingly relieved. “That is wise, my student.” He patted her hand. “I fear there is nothing further I can teach you, and my time is short. You have sound judgement. Follow it always, for the greater good.”
“Yes, Master.”
Endira was saddened and shocked by her master’s rapidly declining health. She had been a pupil of his for several years, merely a brief time in the life of an elf, and had been eager to learn much more from the old man’s wealth of knowledge. She knew in her heart that the unfolding events would prevent her from furthering her studies.
“I must rest more—my strength is flagging. If this is the last time we see each other in this lifetime, I would ask the gods to smile upon you, Endira Moongrove, and bless Nexus.” The Seer smiled at her and squeezed her hand before rolling over on his side, away from Endira, and pulling the blanket tighter. “Would you be so kind as to inform Nihad of my condition before you depart with the corruptor?”
“Of course, Master. Rest easy… I shall see you on the morrow, gods willing.” Endira quietly closed the door to the Seer’s bedchamber, leaving him to his rest.
She was overcome by a deep melancholy, realizing that if events went poorly at the mana factory, they would likely not see each other again in this lifetime. The fates of all of them were now in the hands of the gods.
***
A soft knock sounded at Nera’s door. She sat up in bed, having been unable to sleep anyway. She almost hoped Malek was paying her a visit.
“Come,” she called, trying to smooth back her unruly hair and straighten her nightgown. A pair of candles guttered weakly on the nightstand.
The door opened, and Endira stepped inside. Nera tried to keep the disappointment from showing on her face.
“Hello, Nera. I apologize for disturbing your rest—”
“You didn’t. I can’t sleep anyway.” She motioned Endira into her room and swung her legs over the side of the bed so she faced the elf. She waited for the other woman to speak.
Endira gave her a tentative smile and perched gracefully on the edge of the room’s lone chair, clearly uncomfortable with whatever subject she was about to broach. “I know we haven’t really seen eye to eye all the time…”
“I suppose you could say that,” Nera allowed. What does she want of me?
She envied the elf’s delicate, beautiful features and long, lustrous hair. That, along with the fact of Malek’s obvious interest in the elf, had made Nera dislike her immediately and probably irrationally. Not fair to Endira, she supposed, but that’s the way it was.
“I wanted to speak to you about Malek,” Endira continued. “I know you care for him, and he for you—”
“Oi, what? He’s my employer, and I intend to stick with him to collect my clink, elf, and that’s all there is to it.” Nera gave her a hard stare for having touched a nerve. She forced her tangled feelings deep down inside.
Endira smile
d patiently, and Nera wanted to strike her in the face.
“Of course,” the elf said. “I meant no offense. I just wanted to say that whatever happens this eve, we need to be of the same mind on what must be done should things get out of hand.”
Nera cocked her head. “What do you mean ‘out of hand?’”
“Malek can summon an immense amount of power… Even without having witnessed his magic, I can sense the great puissance at his disposal. He told me what happened at the prison. If he truly loses control this time, it could spell doom for Nexus.”
“Why would he do something like that?”
The words were barely out of Nera’s mouth when she thought back to when she lay dying from a blade through her guts in the courtyard of the prison. Malek had lost control. Even though the memories were hazy, she knew Endira’s concerns had merit. Lassiter and his Magehunters were taking him very seriously indeed.
“He may be green, but he isn’t foolish enough to undo the magics binding Nexus even if he was capable of such,” Nera said although she didn’t quite believe herself.
Endira nodded. “I’m sure he wouldn’t consciously make that decision, but if he were hard pressed and desperate, perhaps it might occur despite his best intentions.”
“Aye… I suppose that’s possible. Accidents do occur. What of it?” She couldn’t help thinking of her wild dreams and the Seer's warning to Malek of Nexus falling.
Endira’s face was grave. She looked as serious as Rollo did when the guild’s funds didn’t match the numbers in the books. “If that is the case, then I would ask you to aid me in stopping him and preventing disaster—whether it be a distraction to draw his attention or more… severe means. My Master has seen great catastrophe if Malek loses control of his power.”
Nera snorted. “Aye, I’ve been hearing a lot of doom-and-gloom talk of late, and my thought is it’s just a heavy whiff of shite. I still don’t know if I believe all that nonsense.” She held up her hand to stall Endira’s protest. “I will, however, agree that if things get out of hand, then I’ll try to rein the mage in… no sense in drawing the Warders right up our arses or having the roof blasted down atop our heads, aye?”
Endira seemed to relax. “Very well, that is all I can ask. Try to get some sleep before we make our move—midnight is yet a few hours away.” The elf slipped out, leaving Nera to her thoughts.
Malek, you silly fool of a mage… don’t you go getting all of us killed or unmade by those damned Warders. With a sigh, Nera got up and dressed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep and figured she might as well double-check her gear and sharpen her blades.
***
Idrimel knelt with Athyzon before the altar in the temple. The hour was late and the sanctuary empty, save the two of them. Idrimel took solace in the quiet, feeling the comforting presence of her god around her in the holy place.
“Lord of Light, mighty Sol, bless us with your radiance as we face the darkness of your foes. May your light guide our steps and protect your faithful from any harm should we fail to vanquish the evil that besets this city.” The candlelight seemed to flare brighter as Idrimel finished her words.
“Mighty Sol,” Athyzon said, “lend your strength to our weapons of righteousness as we strike down the vile filth that would seek to drown this city in sin and wickedness.”
“For despite the darkness, dawn always follows, and with it, the purifying rays of the light make everything anew,” they finished in unison.
The two knelt in silence for a few moments longer, and Idrimel felt herself imbued with a powerful sense of purpose, her courage renewed. She knew her brother felt the same way. They were happy to now have Sol guiding them along a sure path rather than wandering aimlessly and waiting for a sign. She prepared a spell that would allow them to locate their quarry—the fiend in the sand-colored cloak—Shaol’s agent in Nexus.
For this night, they would be Sol’s radiance, driving away the darkness of evil.
Chapter 29
Nera gestured to the others to remain where they were, crouched in the shadows. Across the small square, the curtain wall of the Nexus fortress soared above them. Somewhere overhead, obscured from their view by the overhanging eaves of buildings, the spires of the fortress itself rose up over Nexus.
The small gate in the wall was manned by a pair of Watchmen. One of them puffed on a pipe while the other leaned heavily against the wall and yawned deeply. According to the chroniker mast they had passed a quarter-hour before, the time was well past midnight.
“I can sneak up on them and knock them unconscious,” Nera said. “Or maybe it would be better to lure them away, and we jump them here?” She looked at the others.
“Perhaps I can put them to sleep. The one is nearly there already, but his companion with the pipe seems more alert.” Endira studied them, her eyes gleaming in the gloom.
“Or you could put them to sleep,” Nera agreed. She turned to Malek. “What say you? How do you want to play this?”
“I like both ideas,” Malek replied diplomatically. “Endira, try to put them to sleep. If the second guard doesn’t go down, Nera can knock him unconscious.”
“It’d be a pleasure,” Nera replied eagerly.
“Just don’t kill them. There’s no need—”
“Aye, I know. They’re just a couple boyos doing their job.” She snorted. “What do I look like, a cutthroat?”
Before Malek could respond, Nera tapped the elf on the leg. “Do your thing. I’ve got the other one.”
She melted into the shadows without waiting for a reply. Without making a sound, she slipped along the near side of the street, parallel to the guards’ position, until she reached the edge of the square. She moved quickly, darting across the street and stopping at the edge of the light cast by their lantern. From her position, a dagger’s toss away from the guards, she could already hear the first man snoring loudly, slumped against the wall while somehow remaining on his feet.
“Ered, what in the name of the gods, man?” The second guard put his pipe down and approached his snoring companion, shaking his head in disbelief. “Wake your arse up!”
Ered didn’t reply other than choking out another snore.
The second guard shook his head in disgust and reached out to shake Ered.
Nera made her move, slipping from the shadow and raising her dagger. The guard’s eyes noticed movement at the last second, but before he could react, she slammed the pommel against his temple. He crumpled and fell at the feet of his partner. Nera caught him by the armpits and struggled to ease him to the ground since the guard was easily twice her weight in his heavy mail. She leaned him up against the wall beside Ered.
Hah! As easy as taking clink from a baby. Now, if the rest of this fools’ mission can only go so smoothly.
She waved the other two over and approached the door. Having not seen any keys on the pair of guards, she guessed either they weren’t allowed inside, or the door must be opened from the inside by knocking or giving another signal. Once up close to it, she realized it was no door at all, merely an illusion of a door. The rough hewn blocks of the curtain wall lay about a foot behind the illusory door.
“These fools stand guard at an illusion all day and night?” she asked aloud in disbelief.
Malek and Endira came up beside her and studied the wall, baffled as well.
“I sense magic here beyond a minor illusion,” Malek said after a moment. “Is there a concealed latch or keyhole, Nera?”
She went to work, peering closely at the wall, fingers tracing the stones and mortar between them. After she poked at a cleft in the block, a faint yellow glow bloomed, and the stone flowed away, revealing a keyhole.
“Found it. Now just need the right key… I hope you’re ready for what lies beyond, mageling.” Nera flipped through the key ring she had stolen from the Magehunter at the prison.
“As do I,” Malek replied quietly.
Nera squinted at a strange key, an ugly iron thing with a smo
oth shank with tiny glyphs carved in it. The bow was styled to resemble bones. She snapped it into the keyhole and twisted. A brief clank of tumblers sounded deep inside the wall, followed by a hum of energy. The yellow glow bloomed a lurid red, followed by a soft whump as a portal appeared in the stone wall. The scene on the other side appeared to be a long, well-lit room, albeit distorted by the portal’s field.
Malek took a deep breath. “Everyone ready?”
Endira nodded quietly, intensely focused on the portal. “Perhaps we should review the plan first?”
“Right,” Nera said. “Remember, Malek, grab your master and be off. No need to stay and sightsee. If things go ill and we get separated, then head straight for a portal off plane. Don’t worry about the elf and me. We’ll be able to fend for ourselves.” She spoke with more confidence than she felt.
They had stashed supplies at Nihad’s but realized they might not have the chance to rendezvous there. She had seen to it that Malek had what he might need if they couldn’t stop: cloak, full waterskin, and a couple days of rations. Nera had only a vague idea that she would go seek out her friend Wyat and his mercenary company, the Steel Rage, on Oblith, a war-torn world where the sellsword business was very lucrative.
Or I could tag along with Malek and see that the green doesn’t get into any more trouble. She shook her head and forced the annoying thought away. Once we’re done here, we’re done—period. My life’s upended enough. She turned her attention back to the ongoing discussion.
“Yes, Malek,” Endira was saying. “With your power, it wouldn’t be wise to stay in Nexus any longer than absolutely necessary.”
“The Magehunters will be all over me. I get it.” Malek didn’t look happy at the prospect.
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