“We’ll help you, Milton, but we can’t do much on our own. You have to help us. You have to fight this. Can you do that Milton?” she asked him softly, looking him directly in the eyes and holding his gaze firmly. Saying his name seemed to help a little, and he responded with a jerky, but deliberate, nod of his head. Ky’ara smiled encouragingly and sent out a small probe, searching his mind and body as she did when trying to heal someone. He was fighting. His mind was clouded with mist much like the fog that covered the land around them, and Ky’ara wondered momentarily if there was a connection between the two. But her curiosity would have to wait. Helping the boy was more important at the moment.
Taren continued to talk to him, encouraging the boy to fight back. He watched sadly as the boy’s eyes filled with pain and frustration from the effort it was taking to throw off the spell.
“We’re going to have to do something else,” Ky’ara said finally, seeing that the boys eyes were dimming and growing tired from the exertion. Taren nodded gently and looked around. The light was fading quickly, and they still hadn’t found Joran. They would have to finish with this boy soon, or they would have to give up looking for Joran until the next day. It would be impossible to find him in the dark. Ky’ara fervently hoped he wasn’t in the same state this boy was in.
“I think I may have an idea,” Taren said after a moment’s consideration, “We’ll have to time it just right, but I think if we can cut him off from the spell caster somehow, he’ll be able to get rid of the remnants of the magic on his own.”
Ky’ara nodded. “I think I can see a faint connecting line coming out of his chest. I don’t know where it leads to, but if we can sever it and then put up a quick shield before it has time to reattach…”
Taren nodded. “You’ll have to break the link, I don’t think I’m strong enough for that. But I should be able to manage a shield.”
Ky’ara frowned. “How? I don’t want to use magic; this shadow stuff seems to feed on it. And if I use a spell strong enough to break the line, I’m liable to hurt the boy. I can’t wield magic that powerful delicately enough.”
Taren looked at her in surprise. “Use your sword.”
“My sword?” Ky’ara started, and looked at him in confusion, “Physical objects don’t work on…”
“You mean you didn’t know?” Taren seemed genuinely flabbergasted.
“Know what?!!” Ky’ara was beginning to get annoyed, suddenly realizing that they had been interacting normally for over an hour and now here he was acting like she was stupid.
“Your sword isn’t just an ordinary blade; it works on things that most swords wouldn’t have any effect on,” Taren explained hastily, “You’ve always treated it like it was special somehow, so I thought…”
“Well I didn’t know! How do you know about my sword? What else…”
“We don’t exactly have time right now. Just trust me, it’ll cut the line connecting Milton to the spell caster,” Taren interrupted her.
“I could shield then and you could cut…since I can see the shadow magic I’ll be able to gauge whether it’ll work…”
Taren was already shaking his head. “The magic of that blade only works if it is in the hands of the one it is bonded to…When A’kiina gave it to you, she wasn’t just handing it to you, she was passing it on and linking it to your magic. In anyone else’s hands it’s just a sword.”
“One of these days we’re going to sit down and you’re going to tell me more about exactly how you know all that and why you never bothered explaining it before,” Ky’ara grumbled.
Taren shrugged, nodding urgently toward the struggling boy.
Ky’ara sighed and drew her sword. “Just tell me when you’re ready with the shield.”
Taren closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in deep concentration. “Ready?” he asked, opening his eyes and looking at Ky’ara expectantly. She nodded and lifted her sword directly above the magical link. Taren held the boy more tightly, restraining him so Ky’ara couldn’t accidentally hit one of his flailing limbs when she cut the line.
“NOW!” Taren shouted.
Ky’ara lunged forward and swung her sword down on the faint line of magic. She half expected it to cut through nothing but the air, so it surprised her when her sword met resistance halfway to the ground. Gritting her teeth, she bore down on the magic with all her strength, and to her astonishment, her sword began to glow faintly. A high whining noise filled the air, and a moment later the strand of magic snapped. Unprepared for the sudden lack of resistance, Ky’ara stumbled forward and had to catch her balance before turning around. To her relief, Taren had successfully cast the shield and for a moment the severed end of the line prodded his bubble of light in confusion, struggling to reattach itself. Ky’ara flicked it away in annoyance and it gave up its attempts to reach the boy and suddenly dissipated.
Taren let down his shield a moment later and Ky’ara saw that the boy was standing still, leaning on Taren for support. He was panting from the extended exertion, but his eyes were bright and he smiled wearily.
“Thank you.”
Ky’ara smiled back and put her arm around him congenially. “You did a fantastic job of fighting off that spell on your own—we just helped even up the odds a bit.”
Milton shrugged, “I don’ know a thing ‘bout magic, so I couldn’ tell ya. But ye’ve got my thanks all the same.”
Ky’ara crinkled her eyes at his dialect, and then gave him a quick one-armed hug before letting him go. “You’d best run along home. We’ve got to find our friend before the sun sets entirely…will you be okay on your own?”
Milton looked around. “Aye. I know where I am and I’ve got enough energy to make it home—though I’m not entirely sure how I got here, I don’t remember anything up until you called my name.”
Ky’ara looked at Taren for an explanation, but he just shrugged. “We don’t know exactly what or who was trying to lead you away,” he told the boy, “but I don’t think he’ll be able to affect you anymore. You’ll be okay on your own, but I’d hurry before it gets too dark.”
Milton nodded and ran off into the mist with a surprising amount of energy.
“It stopped raining,” Ky’ara said, surprised that it had taken her this long to notice. Taren looked at her suddenly and smiled. Ky’ara looked away and his grin faded when he saw the pain that flashed through her eyes. “We need to find Joran quickly,” she said dully, “Is he still ahead somewhere?”
Taren closed his eyes and bent to touch the ground. “I can sense him somewhere nearby, but I’m not quite sure…he’s a little to the west. I have a better idea though.” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “You may not be able to sense him over the link, but you can still see your link, can’t you?”
Ky’ara looked down at her hand and was relieved to note that the faintly glimmering strand was indeed still visible, trailing off in the direction that Taren had indicated earlier. She gripped the thin line in her fingers and looked ahead, beginning to understand what Taren’s idea was. “We’ll just follow the link until we reach him.”
The faintly glimmering strand was actually easier to see in the darkness. If Ky’ara just concentrated on it enough then she could see it without actually using the Sight. Taren trailed behind her until they reached a scraggly tree perched on a knoll overlooking the ocean. The water shone like molten gold in the light of the setting sun, but Ky’ara hardly noticed the beautiful sight, she was focused on the figure sitting under the tree.
“Joran!” she called out and raced to the startled boy.
“Look Ky’ara, I’m sorry I…” he jumped to his feet and began to apologize, but is words died off in surprise when she swept him into a giant hug and they stumbled into the tree before he could regain his balance.
“Are you alright? You’re not being controlled by anything are you? No, I can see there’s no shadow stuff covering you and you’re acting normally. Oh thank goodness you’re okay…” Ky’ara cried with relief
, tears rolling down her cheeks as she hugged him tighter. Seeing that he was alright had put her over the edge; she was emotionally exhausted by the events of the afternoon.
Joran looked over her shoulder to Taren, puzzled by Ky’ara’s reaction.
“We found the boy Berd mentioned. He was trying to leave the village again and we had to help him fight off some sort of hypnosis. We thought that maybe the same thing had happened to you. She couldn’t sense you over the link at all,” Taren explained in reply.
Joran shook off Ky’ara’s embrace, embarrassed by her over-exuberance. “Well, I’m okay. Nothing bad happened to me, I just needed some time to think, that’s all. I’m sorry I blew up at you in there…I’m not sure what came over me, maybe it was some sort of spell, but if it was it wore off pretty quick, ‘cuz I’m fine.”
Ky’ara pulled back, nodding and wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little tired, that’s all.” Joran didn’t miss her inadvertent glance in Taren’s direction.
“We’d better get back. It’s getting pretty dark,” he suggested suddenly, “Berd might start to worry.
Ky’ara nodded and they started to walk. “I wonder though, why couldn’t I sense you? You shouldn’t be able to block me off that much.”
Joran shrugged, “I wasn’t trying to block you, I’m not sure…” he trailed off and looked around at the languidly undulating tendrils of moisture. “It was the mist!”
“How could the—” Ky’ara began to ask, but suddenly she sensed it too. The fog was an oppressive presence, muffling sound, sight, and seemingly magical senses as well.
Taren looked around and nodded. “This isn’t good. Whatever caused that storm left behind this mist and somehow it’s affecting magic. I could feel it when I cast the shield too. We should hurry.”
They made it back to the small hut without much trouble, despite the dark, and Berd greeted them with a cheerful smile and a meal of smoked fish and potatoes. His small hut was barely large enough for the four of them, but they managed to find suitable sleeping arrangements. By the time the moon rose and set the sea sparkling with its silvery light, they were all fast asleep.
* * * * *
Ky’ara stood at the edge of the lake, the island still shrouded by mist. But this time, instead of clearing, the fog seemed to darken. She became incredibly aware of the forest behind her—the tall, shadowy trees looming over her through the mist. Something was there…or someone. Ky’ara turned to peer into the darkness beneath the trees, searching. A chill stole over her body and she took a step towards the forest, her legs carrying her beneath the dense branches of their own volition. The darkness around her deepened. When she tried to turn around to see the lake, it was gone. Even the ever-present mist was replaced by an almost tangible blackness. It pressed up against her, cutting off all sensation, suffocating her. She opened her mouth to scream, but there was no sound.
* * * * *
Ky’ara sat bolt upright in her bed, trembling. She didn’t know if she had screamed aloud or not, but Taren was by her side in an instant. The dream had unnerved her so much she couldn’t even think of anything else. She buried her head in his chest and cried quietly as he put his arms around her and murmured comforting words. Eventually, her shaking subsided and they just sat there silently for a while.
“Ky’ara—” he started to speak, but she stopped him with a shake of her head. She wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but she didn’t want it to spoil the moment…didn’t want a reminder that he was torn between her and his life before. Didn’t want to remember what the past few months had been like. For now, she just wanted to pretend everything was ok again.
* * * * *
The girl’s breathing slowed. Taren looked down to be sure she was asleep, and then lightly pressed his lips to her forehead, wishing he could do more to dispel her fears...whatever they were. He gently tucked her back under the blanket and padded silently back out of the room to his pallet on the floor outside the door. Maybe he should have insisted they talk about why she shut him out…but she had let him hold her, had clung to him the way she had before Myrnai’s unexpected appearance. He couldn’t bring himself to spoil that. For the first time in months, he found an inkling of hope.
Chapter 6: Deep Water
Sukylar glanced occasionally at the sparkling body of water to his left. The lake was a soothing sight—it meant that he had navigated the forest successfully and exited in the right spot. He nudged his horse down to the water’s edge and allowed it a long drought while he consulted the stars to verify his position. He still had a ways to go before he reached the Grey City, and there was no guarantee that he would even find it. He had many friends still living under the Kingdom who worked underground markets and trade routes. Most of them sold things, from medicine and illegal magical amulets to swords and simple food supplies. But the man he was looking for disdained the selling of physical objects—they were too easily traced and not too much trouble to get aboveboard anyways, so prices were never good. No, Vivek wouldn’t trade in anything you could touch or handle. He traded in what the rebellion needed most and, consequently, what would bring the highest price—information.
Sukylar turned his mount back to the hazy path that meandered through the scant undergrowth and rode slowly north, planning the next step. Luckily, Vivek was a close friend. He owed Sukylar for being the one to set him up in contact with the rebellion, so the price of getting the information he needed wasn’t going to be a problem. The real issue was finding the scoundrel. Vivek lived in a sprawling metropolis hidden deep in the forests above Grey Lake. It was a city few knew existed, though it was known by more names than he could count on one hand—the Grey City or Lake City to the people who lived in the country round about, Havenhold in the legends, and Senkutari to the Elysians. But to the people who lived there, it was known only as Brume.
The city of Brume was populated by a ragtag band of outlaws and runaways, as well as a fair number of mystics and rebel mages. It wasn’t unusual to see an Elysian or two either. The peculiar population of Brume was what made it so inaccessible—the outlaws kept a sharp watch on the few paths that led to the city. The Elysians were experts in blending into the terrain and Sukylar wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the fugitive mages had a hand in hiding it as well…the bottom line was, it was near impossible to find, even if you knew where you were going.
Luckily, Sukylar had been there before.
Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he would be welcome.
The people of Brume were disinclined to allow outsiders into their city—for good reason of course, seeing as most of the residents were wanted by the law for one thing or another, but that didn’t make it any easier for Sukylar to gain entry. He rode down the faint path, following along the shores of the lake and carefully watching the land around him until the dark shadows of trees fell over him once more and it was nearly too dark to see. An ancient pine tree loomed just ahead of him, its needles black in the shadowed forest. He had finally reached the signpost he was looking for. Dismounting, he walked to the base of the trunk and found the discreet notch that marked this as the boundary of the city. Strange, it was usually guarded quite…
A faint click echoed through the trees and Sukylar whirled, instinctively ducking and rolling to the side. Two crossbow bolts embedded themselves in the tree where he had been standing only moments before. “Wait!” he called calmly, standing and raising his hands to show he was unarmed, “I’m a friend!”
Two shadows materialized on either side and he heard the sounds of a third coming up behind him. “You have fast reflexes,” the shadow behind him remarked dryly. “That by itself indicates that you’re not one of the idiotic drudges the king keeps sending up here to find our city—they’re usually so dull witted it takes them a while to realize they’re dead. But how do we know you’re a friend? You can put down your hands…but slowly. I could shoot you in a heartbeat.”
The first thing Su
kylar realized was that there was a crossbow hovering inches from his back, ready to kill him if he gave the wrong answer. The second was that the person holding it was a girl. He lowered his hands slowly, carefully keeping them away from his weapons so she wouldn’t sense a threat. He wasn’t sure how old she was or if she was any good with the bow, though at this range it wouldn’t make any difference. The question was, would she actually be willing to kill him? Her tone said yes. He would have to tread carefully.
“My name is Sukylar. I am a friend of Vivek’s. He will vouch for me.”
She snorted, an indication that knowing Vivek didn’t count for much in her book.
“I’m with the organization; we need some information Vivek may have.”
“Everyone needs information from Vivek,” the girl stated crisply, “You’ll have to do better than that.”
Sukylar smiled suddenly, recognizing her slight accent. “I trained for eight years in Luaioth under the Luo Tsi and now I am an honorary master of the Seventh Tier.”
“And why should I care?” The girl tried to sound disdainful, but Sukylar could sense the slight change in her voice. She didn’t hide her surprise very well.
“Because,” he replied, suddenly flipping over the startled girl and landing directly behind her with both swords drawn. She whirled almost before he could land, her crossbow still pointing directly at him. Sukylar smiled, “you’re an Elysian.”
They stood staring at each other, waiting in perfect silence. The girl laughed suddenly and lowered her crossbow. “Half Elysian, actually. But you’re right—I will accept your training as proof of your credibility. You may enter. You know the procedure?”
Sukylar nodded and sheathed his weapons, then turned to allow her to blindfold him and put a lead rope on his wrists. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” he said conversationally while the girl checked his ropes professionally and then yanked him forward, signaling him to follow.
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