Rise of Serpents

by B A Vonsik

  “Yes. Taking my Light will bring you pain . . . fatally,” Luntanus Alum told Ezerus with a slight groan.

  “I wasn’t considering such things . . .” Ezerus lied. Did he know my thoughts?

  “Not important at present,” the Shunned interrupted. “That little disobedient karkid of a sakal . . .”

  “Seergal . . .” Ezerus corrected before he thought better of it. He didn’t like playing word games, though titles were different.

  “Also, unimportant,” the Shunned corrected Ezerus with a warning glare. “She dared to take her best at me. I want her for questioning. Though first, and most important is that Tellen with his bow and that Evendiir with what he carries.”

  “I know not where they are,” Ezerus replied.

  “Trapped on the bridge,” Luntanus Alum informed him, then grimaced. “I have a strange choice. Consume you this moment to restore my body so to remove them away from him and likely take your Light or do what must be done through your eyes.”

  Stunned by his words, Ezerus could only stare at the Shunned. He felt a dull numbness all over and a moment as if his life were held fragilely in the balance. He thought to flee. He would . . . consume me? Make him . . . consider it not. Retreat with him to a place where he can recover.

  “You would be consumed in your cowardice,” the Shunned confirmed. “And retreat is not a choice. The Tellen and Evendiir and what they carry may allow him entrance to Vaikuntaars.”

  “They have the rods?” Ezerus asked.

  “No, those are about to be taken from his temple,” Luntanus Alum informed him. “The ones on the bridge have other Agni Stones. I feel them. It is easier to see and act through your eyes when you submit. Resist me, and you will experience pain and injury.”

  “Not a choice, is it?” Ezerus stated.

  “No.” Luntanus Alum replied. “We must be quick. Help me stand.”

  Ezerus took hold of the Shunned’s right arm and helped him to his feet. Luntanus Alum immediately set himself examining the burned area of the bridge and beyond, finding that Tellen now with a blue metal bow helping the traitor to her feet. Luntanus Alum looked at the Tellen with dark, narrowing eyes as Ezerus felt from him a powerful lust for . . . Agni.

  Ezerus recognized the Tellen as the one who took Suhd away from him on the Khaaron, spurring a rage of jealousy in Ezerus before he took hold of it and forced a calming of himself. I must not show that to him. Focusing on the condition of his seergal, she was injured, weak, and staggering even with the Tellen’s help. It was then the Tellen locked eyes with the Shunned. They held it for a long moment, so long Ezerus started to grow concerned. Unsettling. Then, in an act of extreme quickness, the Tellen let go of Dajil and raised his blue metal bow while drawing an arrow from his quiver in a single move, the quickness in which he moved was surprising to Ezerus. How fast is this one! In his next breath, the Tellen released the arrow. It came at them with great speed, faster than anything he had seen before—no time to move. A flash of orange-red from the Shunned’s hand found bits and pieces of the arrow clattering against his armor and the Shunned’s clothing. Before Ezerus could take in all that happened, the Tellen snatched another arrow, this from a tan and black case at his side and nocked it. That arrow sped at them also at great speed, and the Shunned struck the arrow with another burst of orange-red. The arrow remained whole, striking and passing through the Shunned’s right shoulder, then cutting through Ezerus’s hide and metal armor at his upper left arm. His armor fell away to the ground where the arrow passed through it. How sharp is that thing . . . slicing through metal? Ezerus asked himself as he felt the sting and wet of blood running down his left arm from the shoulder. By Kur, what is this Tellen?

  A vaporous barrier exploded into position in front of them, protecting them from that Tellen. Ezerus felt a moment of fright mixed with pain in Luntanus Alum before he controlled it . . . or hid it, replacing it with rising anger at his new agony.

  “My shoulder . . .” Luntanus Alum grumbled. “I must consume.”

  Fear gripped Ezerus at the Shunned’s words. He felt it—a tugging at his innards, his head, his everything. His normal driven self-grew tired and lethargic, so not like himself. His vision blurred, and his head started to swim as the bridge and smoke tilted. Ezerus dropped to a knee. Then, the unseen hand on him saw it all gone. He breathed, filling his lungs with needed air. He felt a hand on his left shoulder and arm. The stinging went away. Looking up, Ezerus found the Shunned standing tall with a hand pulling his hand from his cut arm.

  “I can’t have you lightless . . . yet,” the Shunned declared, speaking of business he intentionally left undone.

  “Have you . . . enough?” Ezerus found himself strangely asking. Why did I ask that when He takes what he wants?

  “For the moment,” the Shunned answered with an unexpected weariness. He let loose blue-white lightning at the Tellen, striking near him and the limping Dajil, both slowly making for the tower. Both staggered and fell to the timbers at the explosion of splinters from the close call of lightning. Ezerus felt the Shunned, his frustration, and self-anger at missing his target.

  Looking over Ezerus’s shoulder and back toward the temples, the Shunned set his dark, narrow eyes on something of an annoyance. Ezerus turned to see many of his Tusaa’Ner lying in the street with the last of the able guardsmen slinging arrows and spears at five red and black-robed manifesters of the Agni powers, still in the intersection, lashing out at guardsmen with light and lightning and fire. The Shunned now stood by him and started muttering something unintelligible. A light appeared in his right hand, then grew into an aura of flames engulfing his hand in a reddish glow. It grew brighter as Luntanus Alum concentrated and muttered. The flaming aura grew more intense . . . hotter, yet it did not burn him. The Shunned then pushed the aura toward the red and black robes. The flaming ball constantly adjusted its approach, then struck the five, engulfing them in an explosion of flames. When the flames and smoke cleared, Ezerus saw the robed ones staggering about with his remaining Tusaa’Ner guardsmen charging them.

  “That should draw him out.” The Shunned spoke more to himself than for others, refocusing on his immediate surrounding.

  “Him?” Ezerus asked as he struggled to his feet. Despite feeling fatigued, Ezerus no longer sensed the burning shoulder wound.

  “Their Ancient hunter seeking my fall,” the Shunned revealed.

  Ezerus felt his strength returning as his skin color recovered to its normal brown. Relief and a hope at living were his once again. The continued ruckus back at the cobblestone intersection found those green-clad warriors in an exchange of arrows with his Tusaa’Ner. Somehow, Ezerus’s Tusaa’Ner were losing. The robed Kunsag now counting four rejoined into their Igal . . . their Chorus. Soon, they would be manifesting to wipe out those that remained of his Tusaa’Ner. Disgust trickled into Ezerus’s feelings. It then changed to a determination to end insolence. He knew its coming before he saw it, the reddish glow engulfing the Shunned’s hand. Ezerus reeled back from the heat as the glow grew . . . hotter and blue-white. The Shunned unleashed the exalted flames at the Chorus, striking an unseen barrier in front of them, obliterating it, and sending the Chorus and their green-clad protectors tossed in various directions.

  The Shunned stood with a satisfied grin. “Now . . . Let us seize this haughty Tellen and that irritating Evendiir as we put in chains our traitor. Stay close in defending me.”

  Chapter 36

  Powers Elevated

  Aren watched as dark-haired Rogaan, dressed in Seb’Ner scout’s armor and carrying his blue metal bow, retreated to the tower almost carrying the Tusaa’Ner commander Dajil. Her torn blue tunic over hide armor and darkened metal shoulder guards scraped and dented, the Tusaa’Ner commander’s red-blond hair whipped freely in the light wind. Her hip, leg, and shin guards looked as badly scraped and damaged as the rest of her armor making her severe limping understandable.

  “Ya be losin’ ya mind!” Pax complained loudly w
hen he went to look for Rogaan after he disappeared from the tower and finding him in the open on the bridge. Rogaan half-carried Dajil at over twenty strides from the tower, making their way to his friends, his progress slowed by the Tusaa’Ner commander from her constant collapsing every few steps. “Ya know who she be?”

  “He knows,” Aren spoke for Rogaan, admitting to himself that he more liked Dajil than not. At least she treated me with respect. But Aren reminded himself too about the danger of her scent when she had a favorable word for you. Powerful sway . . . Be careful. “She’s difficult to forget.”

  Aren saw and heard a second distant explosion of flames far to the west, near where he estimated the Tusaa’Ner prison wagon to be. Each time, he felt the vibrations of the Power before seeing manifested lines created by the Shunned at the bridgehead. No need to tell Rogaan of the danger to his father. It’ll only make matters worse . . . for me. A new feel of vibrations grabbed his attention. Where? He looked about as he felt . . . lightning . . . focused toward . . . Rogaan! Searching past the half Tellen and Dajil, Aren found him, the Shunned . . . manifesting and exalting a powerful weapon. Without thinking of how to do it, a shield of something other than vapors manifested into existence beyond the tower wall, a wall of something like glass in the shape of a round shield and slightly glowing white. Made of the Power, Aren wondered at what it was and hoped it able to stop . . . lightning.

  He thought it to move and found it responding to him. Elated and fascinated, all at the same time, he wondered at it. What did I create? An intense wave of the Power focused in his direction gave alert and alarm to him. Instinctively, Aren commanded the shield in the path of the Power. Almost instantly it went where he wanted it . . . directly behind Rogaan and Dajil. A brilliant bolt of lightning struck, deflecting off the manifested shield and striking the tower above and left of Aren, obliterating blocks of stones in a deafening clap of thunder. A cloud of dust swirled and descended on them as he and the rest of the group dodged flying rock debris, some sizeable enough to do serious harm. Aren felt another focused use of the Power directed at them again. Once more, he summoned the shield and put it in the path of the Power giving Rogaan and Dajil some protection as they entered the tower. Another brilliant burst of light exploded from the lightning bolt as it struck . . . Power against Power. Aren felt the heat of the lightning bolt as it deflected down into the timbers just outside of the tower. The old wood exploded in another clap of thunder throwing sizeable splinters everywhere, several hitting him.

  Agonizing pain from the wood splinters took all Aren’s focus. One of the splinters struck him in his right leg, the other in his arm. He fell to the timbers where he sat looking at the splinters sticking out from his body wondering how to remove them. Neither bled, which he guessed was a good sign, but the pain . . . unbearable. Someone started dragging something behind the stone tower wall. Looking up from his sitting position, Aren found the Tellen already examining his wounds. Trundiir pulled a folded white rag from his carry pack, then grabbed the large splinter in Aren’s arm and gave him an “I am sorry for this” look just before he ripped the splinter out. Aren yelled out in pain, loud enough for the whole city to hear him. He didn’t care. That hurts! The Tellen started wrapping his rag around Aren’s now-bleeding arm when Daluu placed a hand in the way.

  “I’ll take care of him,” the Kabiri told Trundiir. “Can you get everyone ready to run for the next tower?”

  With a nod, Trundiir was off as Daluu kneeled to exam Aren’s arm. Aren made to protest any of his aid, but he had already felt the vibrations . . . very different from any he felt before. He watched the lines of Power stretch out from Daluu’s hand surrounding his wounded arm. His arm and then his body felt cold from the power and what it was doing to him. Before Aren could pull away, the wound felt less painful as he watched in slight awe his wound mending itself. Daluu grabbed the splinter in Aren’s leg without any pretext or warning and yanked it out. Aren howled in pain. “Curse you!”

  Tossing the splinter aside, the Kabiri quickly used his Agni Powers to start healing Aren, sending an intense chill through his body. Again, the unique vibrations and lines of the Power became etched in Aren’s memories. In moments, the cold sensation passing through him disappeared, leaving his leg mended and pain soothed.

  “You should be able to run,” Daluu informed him.

  “Run?” Aren looked at him not understanding.

  “He’s almost upon us.” Daluu’s eyes darted to the archway and the bridge. “We must go. Now!”

  Aren understood Daluu’s concern. The Shunned. Daluu helped him to his feet; then they joined the rest of the group. Trundiir and Esizila were already at the south archway eyeing the Seb’Ner on the bridge beyond the next tower. Six of them. Evidently, the guardsmen had decided not to come any closer to the Agni Powers raining on them all.

  “What are they waiting for?” asked Suhd looking at the Seb’Ner guardians.

  “Us,” Trundiir answered in a grumble without taking his eyes off the royal blue-armored lurkers lingering just beyond the next tower.

  “Well, we can’t wait here.” Aren felt anxious at the soon-to-be arriving Shunned and Ezerus. “Really. We must go, now!”

  “I be agreein’ with da mystic,” Pax added his encouragement to depart their tower urgently. “Master Lightnin’ almost be here.”

  “Trundiir and Esizila,” Rogaan laid out a strategy he considered sound and easy to follow, “rush the Seb’Ner. I’ll strike as many as I can with my bow before anyone can swing a thing. Pax . . . you and Suhd look after our Tusaa’Ner and keep her moving with us. Aren and . . . Daluu, you two do your Agni thing.”

  There was a moment’s pause when everyone seemed to be weighing Rogaan’s words. Then, in silence, everyone nodded in agreement. Trundiir and Esizila immediately set off running at the royal blue guardians. Daluu and Aren followed, but at a slower pace. Rogaan stepped onto the bridge and veered left, drawing an arrow as he did. Pax and Suhd followed with Dajil, still wobbling and hobbling.

  Aren heard the singing of the first arrow from Rogaan’s bow as it whizzed past his head. Not so close, Aren wished of Rogaan’s arrows. The second arrow sang as the first arrow struck one of the Seb’Ner, sending him staggering off out of view. The second arrow struck another guardsman in the head, dropping him immediately. The remaining four guardsmen ducked around the tower walls for cover. Trundiir and Esizila were close to the tower’s north archway when Aren felt the Power. A familiar feeling of vibrations . . . all focused ahead, as a rainbow of colors fell around Baraan-shaped shadows cast on the timbers at the tower’s southern archway. He slowed, allowing Daluu to continue in front of him seemingly unaware of the Powers manifesting in front of them.

  Several more Seb’Ner came into view in the tower’s archway, backing away from the colors, as Trundiir and Esizila neared the north archway. Another Seb’Ner fell from above with a thud as a motionless lump in between his other guardsmen in the archway. What in Kur is happening? Aren started wondering what he was in the middle of as a pair of white lightning bolts struck from a concealed area beyond the tower. Both guardsmen shook and reeled in pain at the white light, then went staggering backward and out of view to the left of the archway. Rogaan passed by Aren in a run, as Aren realized he now stood some fifteen strides short of the tower preparing to summon a shield as soon as he needed it. Pax, Suhd, and Dajil went stumbling past Aren’s right, as well, both brother and sister giving Aren an odd look, not knowing what to think of him having stopped.

  Inside the tower and running into the southern archway, Trundiir suddenly jumped into the air and side-kicked Esizila on his right, knocking him off balance and down onto the timbers. A large, curved blade whistled over Esizila’s head as he fell. The blade struck stone, cutting into it deeply. Trundiir fell to the timbers and rolled past the red and black metal-armored arm, now pulling the blade free of the tower’s stone. Rolling to his feet, Trundiir held the Seb’Ner’s sword he had won earlier now in two h
ands, facing this dangerous adversary. Rogaan stopped inside the north archway with an arrow drawn. He fired with that ringing sound echoing in the tower and the arrow disappearing beyond the south archway. Aren heard a clunk as if the arrow hit metal it couldn’t penetrate. Having regained his feet and with sword drawn, Esizila made to launch himself into the fight at a target concealed from his eyes by the stone. Rogaan made a motion with his bow and head warning him off, then fired another singing arrow that sounded as ineffective as the first. Strangely, the guardsman complied, readying himself to strike in surprise. Somewhere in the tower, Daluu manifested something Aren felt but was unfamiliar with, except for it had an element of lightning. The Kabiri had not only just manifested but now was exalting, building it in the Power.

  Ignoring Trundiir’s raised sword charge, Esizila’s ambush, and Rogaan’s careening arrows, a tall red and black-armored figure stepped into the archway filling it. The armor looked similar to eur armor worn by those who could afford such, with a partially closed face helm that darkly concealed the eyes of the wearer. Both the arms and legs of the warrior were covered in the scale like mesh with feet booted and hands gauntleted. All the red and black armor appeared to be made of red and black-colored metal scales and plates. The warrior’s only exposed flesh was his jaw and that behind a short, yellow-white beard.

  Trundiir’s sword landed on the warrior’s back with a solid clunk as Esizila’s sword struck the warrior’s midsection with another solid clunk. The warrior, taller than the Ebon Circle guardsman by a head, backhanded Esizila, sending him off the timbers and backward where he landed unseen to Aren. Rogaan had drawn his second and last specially prepared arrow and had it at full draw; yet, the half Tellen appeared hesitant to fire.