Kanos held up the woman’s crooked body for a moment to show the spurting blood from the vertebra that pierced the flesh. Kanos dropped the body to the ground and made three swift diagonal steps toward the man in black.
The man in black had no place to go. His energy was diffused from beating on Beo. Kanos lunged. The man in black surged as well — he tipped and leaned. As the front edge of his throat was snipped, his goaded neck oozed thick black blood. The man fell to the floor clutching his throat, a wound that led to certain death.
The room behind the mages was beginning to bellow with smoke. Beo shot a beam of energy and blasted out the only two windows to allow the air to clear.
The thick smoke found its flow and seeped by in thick truncations out the two windows. The bellows hung and flowed across the corners of the room as the faint light of the fires below them tufted against the beams of smoke.
The two mages stared at the two enemies before them.
The demon was bizarrely still; even its eyes did not move. The sorcerer seemed enamored by the treachery around him, neither fully afraid or fully at ease.
The sorcerer leaned forward, his eyes affixed to the space before them all. A shape of dim red light arose. The box expanded and seemed to be composed of great vitriolic energy. Beo sent a beam of crystals towards it, and the crystals were sheered into a pale white vapor as they touched.
When the mages moved left or right, the huge barrier moved to follow.
Kanos eyed the demon’s staring eyes. He wondered who powered the red shield before them. As hard as Kanos tried to see, the barrier stopped his ability to see the flow of magic.
Beo went all-in. He sent a thin film of crystals to the top of the room, and they slid above the floating red barrier. With the burst of his voice, he infused the film of crystals, and they expanded into a veritable mass. The mass collapsed like many boulders and fell upon the alter itself, before the barrier cut them off.
The demon was motionless. The sorcerer grew frantic. Kanos and Beo saw how strict the limits of the barrier were. Beo sent another row of crystals below, and as the barrier shifted, Kanos ran and leapt above.
The sorcerer tried to lift the barrier but not in time — when it moved, Beo ballooned the lower veil of crystals that gathered below the sorcerer, which exploded. The sorcerer was cast aside on the floor, his legs a bleeding mess. The room was freed of the red barrier.
Kanos hit the alter as the sorcerer fell down to the ground, moaning, as his bloodied legs kicked around pumping blood.
Kanos stood four feet away from the demon. The demon’s expression never changed.
Kanos swung the blade of Anoak toward the beast.
The beast took the stab without a flinch. Kanos tried to pull back the blade. Instead, the blade was pulled into the wound.
Kanos felt the spell around the beast. He knew it was the demon behind the cult. He knew it was the cult behind the slaying of his wife and children. The demon stood without emotion, not even towards its own destruction.
Kanos pulled energy from his depth of heart. Beo set loose a violent torrent of energy at the beast’s ample gut.
Kanos felt the energy in his entire being surge to heights he didn’t understand — his limbs pulled energy from the great expanse. His fist became solid and heavy as rocks. His back and arms screamed with strength. His adrenaline turned into liquid fire, as his chest beat with the sounding drum of eternal vengeance.
Kanos slung his hand with brutal might. The demon moved for the first time.
The demon’s mouth opened, and a massive gnarly clawed arm reached out from its throat — the black oily limb screamed out with insane speed. The limb was faster than any human; it moved with rigid strength and pummeled Kanos in the ribs four, five, six times in a couple seconds. The arm moved in glitches of reality and cut through the very fabric of space before him.
The claw reached high above, the enormous fingers sprawled out — the demon moved to take the head of Kanos in a single swipe.
Beo sent out a sheering wall of razor thin energy toward the beast. The wall sheered deep into the beast, nearly 1/3 through its body. The demon didn’t respond to the wound at all — instead, the oily arm moved to take Kanos’ life. The beast’s flesh slid up and down Beo’s crystal wall. Its body began to sheer and flay.
Kanos took a brutal slap of the claw across his face twice in a row. He dodged the third strike. He found the flap cut into the demon’s gut with his hand. Kanos drove his arm through the demon’s flesh. His hand found the blade of Anoak. His wrist twisted the blade like a spire within the beast. Kanos made the blade upright and dug his heels into the floorboard. He surged his body high with great impactful speed. Kanos drove the blade up the center of the demon’s body with a bladed uppercut that sent Kanos’s whole left side through the flesh valley of the demon itself.
The blade of Anoak sliced without resistance through the neck and head of the demon, leaving Kanos standing upright, covered from head to toe with blood. The demon’s body flayed open, the clawed arm limp and useless. Kanos held up the blade that set him free — as the spellbinder cult was erased from Avios eternally.
The men ran to the open windows quickly. Kanos climbed down the wall, and Beo set himself down with an array of crystals. They found the doorway of the building and waved to Eravan to flee the city.
PART 2
20.
The cool evening air wrapped around Kanos, Eravan, and Beo. They stood among the sahz trees two miles from Provang. The darkness of night hid them well, even as they lingered near a small floating fire Eravan sparked moments before.
The fire shined inward upon the men, but as Kanos stepped away, he could see no light. He was amazed at the power of fire in the hands of Eravan, who smiled as he watched Kanos figure out the flame.
The men were warm, and their energy was still riveted. The battle that just took place pushed them all to the extremes.
Beo said, “How did you break that spell on the building walls? I heard spells like that are nearly unbreakable.”
Eravan replied, “It’s good to have powerful friends. I began learning magic over 20 years ago. I was one of the first. It’s truly amazing what you can understand about the subtleties of spellwork. The imprint of energy left by spellcasters is barely detectable to most.”
Eravan asked about the battle inside the building, and as the men lay out the series of conflicts, they gazed in the distance, watching the plumes of smoke rise from Provang, where the massive building was still burning to the ground.
The men respected their great aid to each other and were riveted at such a massive victory with such poor odds. Beo said, “We took on a cult of sorcerers… driven by a demon. Eravan broke a spell upheld not only by a large cult, but by the province itself…”
Kanos said with reverence, “I’m finally free. I spilled the blood that had to be spilled.”
The men understood how deep the victory was for Kanos. They paused in silence as his thoughts surfaced.
Kanos said, “So much tension has faded away — the demon’s spells were shattered. But… I am left with emptiness. I would have been dead without your help. Thank you.”
The men nodded, each grateful toward each other, knowing the devastation saved much life.
“I have to continue down this road. I don’t know how to explain it… I’m being drawn.” Kanos pointed to the descending hill, down a road that led around the Provang Province. “My strength has grown, and I feel a deeper purpose taking hold. I don’t think I’m finished with this way of life.”
Eravan said, “It’s clear to me the path of the tracker is yours. I have known a few quite well. They find it hard to stay still for long.”
Kanos thoughtfully agreed and recognized the truth. His farming days were over. He realized the silent strings of Avios pulled him forward.
Beo understood as well. “I have no intention of dying in my bed. What drives you… drives us all. Unrest like this is good — it keeps you sh
arp. I don’t think Avios will allow us a passive life.”
The men agreed and shared the night. They warmed themselves by the fire for another couple hours. Eravan felt an urgency stir. He said to Kanos, “Hold out your hands, with your palms flat, facing towards each other.” Kanos did what Eravan asked.
Eravan continued, “The hands, for you, are like a force. They focus energy that streams through your bones — the very nerves that give you life, allow your power to transcend reality. Feel the energy pull from your belly through your heart. Feel the energy divert to your arms and then flow through. Feel the energy push out through your palms.”
Kanos did this and did feel some kind of flow.
Eravan said, “If you use your strength for great purpose, that flow will continue to evolve. The purpose we embrace becomes us. A mage makes use of energy by division and expansion; a battlemage pulls steadily from the firmament of Avios itself.”
Eravan held up his arms and looked to the sky. “Avios has enforced a balance, that the new magic cannot be used without changing the world itself. How we endure the hardships of life will change us.”
Kanos slowly nodded, as Eravan saw into his deepest self. “What we fight against is not unlike ourselves, but such enemies have drawn purposes that contort their state of mind. They see what looks like truth. Those we fight have deceived themselves, often based on great want or suffering. The world endures small error, and darkness grows. The evolution continues through such dark lenses.”
Beo said, “It’s our job to face this great divide.”
The men shook hands and prepared to part ways.
Kanos was distracted deep inside, so instead of sleeping, he turned down the hill and walked into the forest canopy deep, among the darkest hours.
21.
Lana never felt alone. She was a dweller of the forests called Aloren, a long stretch of dark deciduous forest 30 miles from Provang. She came from a wooded village so small it had no name. They just called it Aloren after the forest. It lay between the Eldridge Mill and the Oro fields that grew a special light blue grain of rice called bando.
Lana grew up a child of the wilderness with a thousand acres of woods she barely had to share. She was lean and strong, and her grasp of nature was incredible. She climbed trees as a child, and as a young adult, she friended wild bears. It was her job to find such creatures to pull the great stone wheel of the Eldridge Mill. If not for Lana, the bears would have been terrible candidates for such a job — but Lana’s uncanny ability made a friendship with animals second nature. With her guidance, the bears pulled the wheel a few hours a day in exchange for a belly full of ground millet, softened bando grains, and a giant sabo fish or two.
Lana discovered the way of magic almost eight years before. She discovered the faint webbings of energy that could be seen in the dimly lit corners of the woods, just as sun was setting. Lana also had a friend who was a mage that carried staff and cloak; Lana herself was not a common magus, a mage, or any other sort.
Lana was a lean athletic girl, and with a turn of magic, she could transform. Amidst the dappled forest light, she often changed her form. As the pale blue flames of energy lapped over her, the woman that stood firmly on the soil transformed into a massive bear. She was a shapeshifter with a single alternate form, and it was the secret behind her work — an idea no one believed was possible.
Lana the bear wandered the dark lit woods, just as Lana the person would as well. She held the form and roamed at will, and while not magic at all in human form, as the bear, she could yield power far beyond a simple animal. Her friend, the mage named Atholin, presumed Lana’s exclusive life in nature yielded ancient favor from the energy of Avios directly, giving her such a strange ability.
Kanos plodded 50 miles in two straight days after parting from Eravan and Beo. He was looking for some food.
Kanos had a way of traveling so light of foot that he was 14 feet away before Lana the bear realized a single step would cause a scene.
Kanos noticed the creature finally, and his heart was frozen still. He stood as motionless as a statue. Kanos had no desire to harm a bear of abnormal size or to be its victim.
Lana the bear watched Kanos closely, and she milled the ground with her nose. She stood up straight and showed her massive height, nearly 14 feet tall. Kanos reached for his dagger. He held it still and did not draw the blade.
Lana could see the man was good. She saw the energy that ran through Kanos better than anyone else could, including Elrock. She dropped her paws heavily on the soil, her massive shoulder blades jostled, and her fur shimmered in the light. She simply turned and slowly walked away.
Kanos smiled and was glad the bear would walk away. He continued down the faintly pressed dirt road and made another mile or two of progress. As he walked along in the fading sun, he could hear something move beside him, deeper in the forest. Kanos looked into the trees and saw Lana the woman walking among the slim smooth trunks. She walked parallel to Kanos and turned her head and smiled. Kanos smiled back and lowered his head as he walked along.
They walked this way for a solid mile. Lana slowly pulled her path toward the road. She said with her low sweet voice, “Hello there, stranger.”
Kanos said, “Hi there, how are you this evening?”
Lana simply smiled, looked down, and the two walked down the road together.
After a while, Lana finally spoke, “I saw your energy, and I see your great intent. You move forward with conviction.”
Kanos said, “Yeah, it’s true… I haven’t rested much in days.”
Lana said, “Well, where do you go?”
Kanos paused, looked down, and replied, “I’m being pulled. In truth, I feel the need to move in this direction only. I need to learn more about the way to defend good people.”
Lana turned and said, “Have you seen much blood?”
Kanos said, “I thought I saw too much, but now I feel it’s only just begun. Avios is…”
Lana said it for him, “Changing. And it’s changing fast.”
Kanos said, “Are you knowledgeable of magic?”
Lana said, “In a way yes, but my friend is a mage, and she knows more than I do.” She did not want to tell Kanos she was the bear. It was a secret she kept from almost everyone.
Kanos nodded, and he said, “I am not a mage but something else.”
Lana nodded towards the dagger nested at his side. She said, “You are a warrior with strange energy.”
Kanos felt suspended, unsure how she knew exactly what he was.
They walked for a minute in silence, and Kanos finally said, “How do you wander so easily through the woods without fear, as a woman? I hear there are rough men in this area.”
Lana laughed and began to feel a gilded trust for reasons she did not understand, “The bear you saw before…”
“Yes,” said Kanos, “you saw me meet the bear?”
Lana coyly said, “I am the bear as well.”
22.
Lana and Kanos walked through the evening when Lana said, “I know you need a place to rest. Your energy was low, adamant as it was. My village isn’t far, and the people are friendly.” Kanos agreed, and the two walked side by side. As the forest began to clear, he could see the quant cabins and the narrow creek and the many little colored lights.
The two stood on a ledge of soil and before they were about to descend the slope, Lana reached out and took Kanos’ hand. She turned toward him and leaned right in. She put her soft lips to his and gave him a small, slow kiss. Lana laid her hand on his chest and said, “Your heart will grow back again.”
Lana turned and walked away with a small laugh, leaned back, and whispered, “I’m not looking for a man, but I know a man in pain.”
Lana and Kanos went down to the village, and they found a neighbor who was stirring a large pot of white millet soup. The man stood with his friend, while his wife and child spoke warmly to Lana, and they were all very kind to Kanos.
The group l
ingered around in the evening, sipping honey cider, chewing anselrod pods, and rocking on the wooden porch as the seffer bugs flew and flashed their small blue lights.
Later that evening, Lana said to Kanos, “Tomorrow, we will find my friend, Atholin. She will want to see your kind of magic, if you will show it. I imagine you are quite fierce.”
Kanos said, “Sure, it would be good to stretch my arms and meet another mage as well.” The evening of peaceful rest made his mind drift to many things. He did feel, for a while, a sort of peace settle down within his chest. He was wrapped in a faint echo of an old life lost long ago. Later, by the generosity of Lana’s neighbors, Kanos was given a soft warm blanket and a padded mat. He slept in peace on the open porch. The dreams he had were calm, and the blood of vengeance found no place to haunt him.
Kanos awoke in the middle of night and wondered if Lana infused him with a spell of peace as he gazed toward the stars and pondered the mystery of Avios. He fell asleep watching the seffer bugs fire their tiny lights around the forest before falling fast asleep.
As the morning sun began to shine and the dew began to vanish, Lana approached the porch from her small cabin down the road. She walked with a fair-haired woman donned in modernized rustic Brakkish clothes.
The two seemed like great friends, as they both spoke openly and rather fast. Kanos finally had a moment to speak and asked about the Brakkish clothing. Atholin said, “Well, I come from the village of Lavorra. We never forgot the Brakkish ways through all the generations. Three thousand years we have been waiting for the age of magic to begin again.” Atholin slowly bowed her head with her eyes closed. She and Lana began to laugh.
Mages of Avios 2. Battlemage Page 7