Master of Tomes

by Raconteur, Honor

  Scott was correct, and she should have put that together much more quickly. “It’s a good idea but we can’t do it, and—you’re shaking your head. You think we can?”

  “We don’t need to do two long-term spells, just one. And I have the energy to spare for that. With Alina’s help, I bet I can call on a great deal of water in one fell swoop. Alina?”

  Alina was out of Mei Li’s line of sight, on the left side of the box, but her voice was strong. “I can do it.”

  “Then do it,” Mei Li encouraged.

  Scott half turned, left hand reaching toward Alina. “On three, Call to Water. One, two, three.”

  They spoke the spell in unison, the water sprites at hand already unfurling, readying themselves. In a second, they dove in and out of the ocean, water rushing and heeding the sprite’s call. The result was quick, indeed. The ocean tide came in much more strongly than it had before, a harsh crash against the beaten stone of the shoreline.

  Odom was still laughing, gloating at their loss of a mage. “You think a paltry amount of water can do anything to me. Ha, I am—”

  He cut off with a gurgle as a torrent of water snaked out of the ocean, followed a water sprite deftly in, and then crashed inside the box. Odom spluttered visibly, air bubbles rising to the top, even as water closed in over his head. If he wasn’t a creature of earth and fire, it would have drowned him immediately.

  Mei Li did regret that. Tremendously.

  “At least it’ll shut him up,” she said under her breath. “Scott, Alina, thank you! Good work. Let’s get this done. I want this bastard dead before noon.”

  “I think we can do that.” Scott tilted his head back to eye the top. “In fact, isn’t that about the right height?”

  “Not quite. Another three feet, and we’re there.” That height should have been enough, but because Odom had built himself up so high, it wasn’t. They had to build the wall higher to compensate, while the water sprites inside did their best to drown him.

  Mei Li had the distinct impression that all of the water sprites hated Odom’s guts. She had questioned once if they would even help, considering Odom’s power, but they seemed to have their own vendetta against the fallen deity. They certainly had no problem helping now.

  A deep red glow emanated from under Odom’s feet. It was obvious he was trying the same tactic again, even with water all around him. The water wouldn’t stop him completely, of course; magma ran too hot for that. But it did take him more effort, more energy—and most importantly, more time.

  Sometimes, battles of attrition all came down to time.

  Almost there, almost there, the wall was so close—you know what? Good enough. “CALL! Stop there, switch!”

  Shunlei repeated that for Mei Li, making sure everyone heard. They all stopped, more or less in sync, and then switched to the devastating wind spell. Well, everyone but her. Those who used Evocation called upon their wind sprites, and a few others on water sprites, creating a dervish inside the box.

  Mei Li had never underestimated the power of wind and water, even before she was shipwrecked. But after that horror, she had an immense respect for the combination. Wind and water had destroyed a massive schooner and killed everyone on board but her—all within the blink of an eye.

  As powerful as Odom was, he was still made of earth. And given enough force, water and wind could break apart the earth.

  Odom was laughing. She couldn’t hear him through the water, but he had a grin stretched across his ugly face.

  When the fourth sprite dove into the water and started spinning around him at high speeds, his massive body started to lift off the magma floor. The fifth sprite came in, then the sixth, and the speed picked up quickly. It no longer looked like a lazy spin inside, but a proper vortex of water. A contained whirlpool, one deadly in nature.

  Chips started flying off Odom’s body. He spun with the dervish, and there was just enough time to see the panic on his face before he was whipped around again.

  “I can call on two more,” Scott offered in a mock-genial way.

  Mei Li shot him a smile. She did like this man. “Please do.”

  He called for more sprites even as Sotejo growled, “I can call another, too.”

  “The more the merrier,” she encouraged.

  Everyone seemed to be of the same opinion, as sprites appeared left and right, joining in with glee. She actually did hear a few whoops of glee, so that wasn’t just an expression. And she knew that they were finally getting somewhere when a large chunk of rock separated from Odom’s body.

  He felt it; his head reared back in a roar of pain, muted under the water.

  No one had any compassion for him.

  The water now spun so quickly that she could barely see what was going on. It was just a froth of foam, water, and rocks spinning and impacting the sides of the wall. Mei Li couldn’t judge how long it would take to defeat Odom. Were they close? Did they need another ten minutes, an hour, what? Normally, she’d send Shunlei up top to check for her, but given the deadly gas, she wasn’t willing to tempt fate. Just because Odom was in the water, it wasn’t automatically safe out here.

  More and more rocks hit the side of the wall, hard enough that each impact sounded like an explosion going off. Mei Li jumped with each one.

  And wasn’t surprised that on the third, Shunlei was suddenly half in front of her, eyeing the wall suspiciously.

  “That won’t break, will it?”

  “It’d better not.” Mei Li glared at the wall, daring it to fail now after they’d spent so much magical energy building it. “I can’t tell if Odom has got anything left in him. It’s too chaotic in there. But I’m also worried about asking everyone to stop and having to restart it because he’s not actually been defeated.”

  “I understand, I have the same fear. Maybe ask one of the sprites?”

  They would surely have a better idea, since they were in there. “Good idea. Scott, can you check with one of your sprites?”

  “I’m dying to know, myself,” Scott admitted. He called out a request, naming one of the sprites, and waited a second.

  She flew out of the tank with a flourish, like a dancer performing a final pirouette, her small translucent body glistening with water. Then she dove for Scott, chattering very excitedly, talking so quickly that Mei Li had no prayer of deciphering her words.

  Scott, apparently used to this rapid speech, did so without issue. His eyes flared wide with delight, and he gave the little sprite a bow.

  “My dear, you are a joy. Everyone! Odom is defeated! He’s been completely busted apart, and there are no two stones still connected.”

  Mei Li’s head dropped back, eyes closing as the tension that had ridden on her shoulders for months dropped away. The most destructive demons in history were now either destroyed or resealed.

  They’d done it.

  The close call of Simeon had rattled her. Mostly because she felt more responsible for it. Some part of her felt like she could have, and should have, prevented the accident. If they weren’t so tired, and overworked, and stressed, Simeon never would have tripped over his own feet like that. Elves were incredibly sure-footed. Even a half-elf like Simeon should never have stumbled. Mei Li felt partially responsible because she’d pushed the man too hard.

  Shunlei’s arm came around her shoulder and hugged her to him. “Let’s collect everyone, get them out of this area. Before anyone else can take a tumble into pockets of deadly gas.”

  Mei Li groaned in agreement even as she turned. “I’m checking on Simeon first. Yell at everyone to move, will you? Simeon!”

  The half-elf waved tiredly at her, still leaning heavily against Rone. “Sorry. Sorry, I was trying to get more water in there.”

  Mei Li put a hand to his arm, looking him over with concern. Tired. She could see the exhaustion in his body language. “Let’s get you back to a safe place and properly treated, alright?”

  He gave a nod. “But yay, the plan worked?”

&nb
sp; Mei Li grinned at him. “That it did. And I’m ever so glad we tried it. One down…far too many to go.”

  When they retreated to the nearest town and announced that Odom had been scattered to bits on the wind, they were welcomed like conquering heroes. And they were, in a sense.

  But Mei Li was too exhausted to feel it.

  She had to tell the story, over and over, with a strained smile on her face. But eventually, Shunlei insisted on rooms at an inn, a hearty meal, and rest for everybody. The Master of All Dragons managed what she could not: quiet.

  They had their own room, tucked into the second story above the kitchens, undoubtedly one of the warmest rooms in the house because of the shared chimney. A fire was laid, and warm water was brought up so they could wash. Mei Li was grateful not to be forced back downstairs to interact with everyone else. She flopped on the bed for a moment, giving her aching feet a rest, and just lay there, staring blindly at the ceiling. The ceiling was nice. Didn’t demand anything of her. She felt that she and the ceiling could be good friends.

  Shunlei came back into the room with a tray balanced on one hand. “I convinced them to let us eat our dinner up here instead of going down. I don’t think you’re up to socializing tonight.”

  “You’re seriously the best husband ever,” she said with a sigh, sitting up regretfully.

  “I do try.” He put the tray down, his sharp eyes evaluating her. “What eats at you, beloved?”

  “It was a little too close for comfort, what happened with Simeon. A half-elf losing his balance while running is basically the greatest oxymoron in the universe. I’ve pushed him and everyone else too hard, I think. What if his mask had slipped? He would have been a dead man, and it would be partially my fault.”

  Shunlei shook his head.

  “No, Mei. Don’t do that to yourself. You safeguarded every single person there as best you could. You were clear about the dangers, about the safety precautions they all needed to take. And Simeon knew very well that he could not leave the line once you started. He shouldn’t have done it without your approval. I know he thought it would help boost us, but he almost jeopardized the whole thing.”

  “And I’m mad at him for that. But also aware that we’re all tired and prone to make mistakes because of it. I wish we could slow everything down, even a little.”

  He moved the chair so he could sit next to her, taking both of her hands in his as he looked straight into her eyes.

  “For every generation that I’ve worked with the Tomes, we’ve always lost at least one or two mages in the process of defeating or resealing something. I know you went back into the past to avoid that possibility. You don’t want to lose anyone on your watch.”

  “I haven’t yet. I know it’s not always in my control, though.”

  “Battles take all choices out of your hands. You can only prepare so much. We didn’t lose Simeon today. Focus on that, alright? And come eat.”

  He was wise. But he’d also seen this pattern more than she, having lived through millennia of it. Mei Li would be wise to listen to him. She willingly accepted the warm plate of food Shunlei had thoughtfully brought up. The kitchens had outdone themselves, her plate boasting a lovely array of steamed shrimp in a delicious sauce, rice, and fried veggies.

  Seconds might be called for.

  “What do you want to do tomorrow?” Shunlei asked as he reached for the shrimp.

  “I think we should take at least three days here and rest. I’d like to clear the air around Odom’s spot, as I’m sure people will want to go see for themselves that he’s been defeated, and I don’t want them dying because of their curiosity. Our warning ropes and labels aren’t enough to keep the truly curious at bay.”

  Shunlei shrugged in agreement. “People can be stupid that way. I do agree. Evocation might be best for this.”

  “Certainly, I can’t think of a talisman offhand to do the job. I’ll speak with Scott and Dolan; they’ve got more wind sprites than anyone else.” She paused to eat, thinking for a moment. “Part of me says that the reason Simeon tripped in the first place was that we were all so exhausted. He was sure-footed and shouldn’t have lost his balance like that. I don’t want to repeat this situation, where exhaustion makes someone lose their life. Three days of rest, at least, and then we can head to Kovel.”

  “Should we send a note to Kovel, then, to update them on matters here and our plans?”

  “I think that’s wise. I don’t want to leave people wondering where we are. And they might need to reach us, for that matter. My news from them is a good week out of date at this point.”

  “It does worry me,” Shunlei admitted, brows drawing down into a light frown. “In situations like this, no news is rarely good news. And Kovel doesn’t get better with time.”

  Mei Li grimaced in agreement. “Too true. But after Kovel, the really serious things will be taken care of. Everything else can wait until the proper spring weather arrives. And I vote we go back to Dragon’s Peak and sleep for a week.”

  “And then soak in the hot springs for three.”

  They grinned at each other, completely in accord. The plan was truly excellent, and Mei Li was looking forward to it.

  After dinner, Mei Li wanted to be done for the day, but she also hated having things hanging over her head. So, she went to the table to write a report of Odom’s defeat, and their intention to rest for a few days before traveling to Kovel. It was a very short, succinct report, as she just didn’t have the heart to write more. That done, she went to Dolan’s room next door, and he was happy to relay the letter.

  With that task done, she was a free woman for at least the rest of the night. She promptly climbed into night clothes and snuggled into bed with Shunlei. He welcomed her with one arm held out, then drew the covers over her as she settled against his side.

  “Mmm, you warmed the bed up for me.” She sighed with pleasure.

  “I’m considerate that way,” he drawled. “We’re sleeping in. I insist on this.”

  “I’m such an obedient wife, I won’t even dream of arguing.”

  “Ha!” His chest rumbled with a chuckle. “The day you’re obedient is the day I shave my head. Oooh, if we’re staying for three days, then can you preen me tomorrow?”

  “That’s definitely on my to-do list. I want to clear the air around Odom first, but let’s preen you after.”

  He gave a happy thrum deep in his throat. “Tomorrow is looking up already.”

  Mei Li fell asleep with the thrum vibrating against her ear like a happy purr.

  “—Mei Li! LADY MEI LI!”

  Her eyes came slowly unglued, one at a time. What was that dreadful racket? It sounded like someone was pounding on the door and screaming her name.

  Terrible dream, this. Brain, change dream, please.

  The warmth of her husband left the bed, causing a wave of cold air to hit her, and she grumbled and tried to snatch him back. He deftly evaded her hands, going…somewhere. Mei Li wasn’t really awake enough to track his movement through the room.

  Where were they, anyway? She didn’t recognize…oh. Inn room? Uh…somewhere.

  “What is it, Dolan?” Shunlei demanded sharply.

  Oh. Maybe not a dream? That sounded more real than dreamlike.

  Mei Li put some effort into waking up and getting both eyes open. It proved a challenge. She’d given her body permission to sleep in last night, and it had obeyed with pleasure. So what was she doing awake before the sun even came up?

  “I just received a message from Kovel,” Dolan relayed rapidly. “It was short, the sprite basically sprinted full speed here. The Prince of Horvath is injured. Kovel Below has taken over half the city.”

  Those words took a second to penetrate. Then she was wide awake, jerking harshly back into the cold pre-dawn light. Flinging back the covers, she rolled out of bed with a thump, her feet cold against the wooden floor, before darting to Shunlei’s side and ducking under his arm to see Dolan properly.

  �
�Say that again,” Mei Li demanded, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

  “The Prince of Horvath is down with a serious injury,” Dolan repeated, looking just as frantic as she felt. “Kovel Below has taken over half the city. They urge you to come with all speed.”

  Mei Li sucked in a breath, taking three seconds to process this. Just enough for her to breathe in and breathe out. Kovel Below had taken over half the city—that meant a lot of people missing, potentially hurt or dead, and probably some very frantic evacuations. If the Prince of Horvath was injured, then things had gone very wrong, indeed. If he wasn’t able to issue orders, his men might not be working very effectively, making a bad situation worse.

  And, glory be, it was her job to fix all of this.

  Mei Li hated this morning with a passion.

  “Shun, I need everyone awake and moving in thirty minutes,” she said.

  “On it.” He squeezed past Dolan before bellowing and pounding on doors.

  “Dolan, send a message back that we’re on our way. It’ll take several days to get there, but we’re coming.” She tried to think, there was something important to do today…oh, right. “I need someone—Budworth, Sotejo!”

  Both men were just coming out of their rooms, fuzzy at this early hour and not entirely dressed. But they were focused on her and listening.

  “I need someone to linger here a day, can you two do it? I want the air around Odom’s corpse cleared so nobody dies walking through there. Put up a warning sign on all sides that say no one is to enter, and ask the town to station a guard there to keep the stupid ones out.”

  “After what happened with Simeon? I couldn’t leave it like that and sleep at night.” Budworth gave her a firm nod. “We’ll take care of it. I might keep Curtis with us; that’s kind of a challenging task.”

  Who? Oh, that must be Sylvia’s brother.

  “You keep who you need and catch up with all speed. I’ll ask for two dragons to stay behind and fly you to Kovel.”

  “Tengfei and Ling Ling, please,” he requested. “They’re fast.”

  Huan poked her head out of her own room, farther down the hallway, and called to them, “I’ll stay behind as well. I want to burn the land clear. And if there’s a dragon for each mage, we’ll be able to fly a lot more quickly.”