by Ben Hale
Elenyr inclined her head. “I will try.”
She turned and departed up the corridor, her step lighter than at her approach. For the first time in months she saw a way to victory. The Gate could be closed, the fiends destroyed, the war ended. She paused and looked back, wondering if she should kill Serak. But she had no thirst for his blood, so she turned and walked away.
“That was interesting.”
She nearly leapt from her skin when Shadow materialized at her side. “You watched?” she demanded.
“Of course,” he spoke like the question was ridiculous. “I came in through the hole at the base of the chamber. Did you really think you could lock me out of anything?”
She smiled and reached out to tousle his hair. “I guess not.”
He smiled and jerked a thumb back at Serak’s prison. “Are we going to kill him?”
She paused and looked back. “No. Draeken has chosen his fate, and on this, we have an accord.”
She faced forward and advanced up the corridor to the secret exit, a plan forming in her mind. It would work, of that she was certain, but the timing would have to be flawless. For the first time in months, a smile spread on her features.
“When you get that look, someone always dies,” Shadow said.
She grinned and motioned to him. “Can you get a message to the other fragments?”
“Of course.”
“Then it’s time for us to end this war.”
Chapter 29: A Tale of Brothers
The Gate glowed to life, silver liquid shimmering into place and turning solid, illuminating the dark chamber. Two figures stepped through, and Mind breathed a sigh of relief as he returned to Lumineia.
“You did not care for the Empire?” Ero asked.
“I have little taste for the darkness in krey souls,” he said.
“It is disheartening to witness the depravation of my kind,” Ero said, and touched the amulet on his neck, altering his flesh back to Jeric. The now-elf gave a wry smile. “Can you fault me for wanting to spend time on a free world?”
“I suppose not,” Mind said, and then motioned to the Gate. “Do you think she will really come?”
“I believe she will,” Jeric said. “My previous doubts aside, Tardoq is committed, and he has convinced her of our cause. Belrisa desires the downfall of the Empire as much as I do, and she sees the merit of protecting Lumineia.”
Mind recalled their conversation, and the demonstration of magic he’d provided. She’d been impressed, but also wary. Mind wasn’t sure if she liked the idea of mankind possessing such power. She’d promised to come when needed, and Ero had given her a set of keys that would connect to Lumineia, allowing two individuals passage. Ero had further warned her that in using the keys, he would know of her presence.
“You’re as paranoid as I am,” Belrisa had said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Ero had said.
She’d inclined her head in respect, and then departed with Tardoq. Mind and Ero had departed another way, slipping out of the main Gates of the Bone Crucible before the guards discovered their presence. They exited the basement from beneath the fort in Orinfall. The moment they set foot in the street, it was obvious something had occurred.
Men and women rushed about, loading wagons with supplies. Children cried, and sheep bleated. Caravan leaders shouted as the people departed Orinfall in a steady stream. Mind frowned as he picked the truth from the panicked minds of the commoners.
The Alliance failed at Xshaltheria . . .
Thousands are dead because of Draeken. Who is next?
What will we do without King Justin? Surely his daughter is too young to hold the throne . . .
“Who ordered the evacuation?” Jeric asked.
“His daughter, Annah,” Mind replied. “It appears she has ascended to the throne, and with the support of the other monarchs, has ordered the entire kingdom to evacuate north or south.”
“A bold strategy,” Jeric said. “They must fear the arrival of more fiends.”
Mind spotted a captain barking orders, and he reached into the man’s consciousness. “Someone destroyed the Dark Gate,” he said. “But it’s only a matter of time until it’s rebuilt.”
They joined the throng and pushed their way south. Jeric glanced his way, his next words unspoken. I’m surprised the people obeyed the order to flee.
Don’t be, Mind replied in kind. All four of Draeken’s generals are abroad, spreading disease, famine, and death. The people flee out of fear.
Mind wrestled to control the flood of fear from the commoners, their thoughts piercing his own like shouts in his ears. A mysterious disease in the eastern villages. Thousands dead by famine in the south. Food stores turning moldy in seconds, and large men withering away to bones and skin.
“Death rides the surface of the earth,” a woman wailed. “He is the reaper of souls, and will come for you as he came for my husband!” Her family sought to quiet her and load her into a wagon, but she resisted. “You cannot escape the coming calamity!”
“Sit, woman,” an older man said, exasperated.
As the village evacuated, many mounted horses and gathered armor and swords, the soldiers threading through the gates of the Orinfall. They were headed north, to protect the refugees on their way out of Griffin. Most of the soldiers had already departed to join the final stand at Ilumidora, and the remainder were the young and the old.
“At least we are not too late,” Jeric said.
“We should hasten,” Mind said. “It won’t take long for Draeken and Serak to repair the Dark Gate.”
“It might already be open,” Jeric said.
He found himself gripped by a need to find his brothers. They’d been fighting for weeks, and he had no way of knowing if they had succeeded, or if they’d been killed. His worry mounted as they sought for a pair of steeds. Most were being used by the forces moving south, a herdsman saddling every available mount to the soldiers. Mind and Jeric managed to acquire two and rode ahead, where Mind set a blistering pace.
The road was packed with soldiers heading south and people heading north. All of Griffin was being evacuated, and the people hastened to flee before Draeken’s army descended upon Griffin.
“Mind,” Jeric said, his voice labored from the ride. “We cannot reach Ilumidora in a single day.”
“You want to slow down?” Mind shot over his shoulder. “Be my guest.”
“Your horse cannot keep this pace,” he said.
Mind looked down to find his horse lathered in sweat, his breathing labored. He reluctantly pulled on the reins, allowing the horse to slow to a walk. Jeric caught up and then pulled on his reins.
“I know you’re worried about your brothers and Elenyr,” Jeric said. “But sometimes you just have to be patient.”
“This is my family,” he said. “I’m not going to let them die, not by Draeken.”
“How do you intend to stop him?” Jeric challenged. “He’s more powerful than all of the fragments combined.”
He sighed and stared down the road, realizing that was the greatest question. Knowing his brothers and Elenyr, they would have figured out how to stop the generals, perhaps even destroy the Dark Gate. But it was Draeken that was the greatest threat. If he survived, he would be unstoppable. He didn’t even need the fiends to conquer, he could do it all on his own.
“I don’t know,” he finally said.
“You’re the only one that can.”
He shifted in the saddle to regard Jeric. “What makes you say that?”
“Because you already did so at Blackwell Keep.”
“I didn’t destroy him,” Mind said. “I made him.”
“You cannot create what already exists,” Jeric said. “And he was always part of you. If he were stronger, he would have killed you and your brothers, and you would have all become a distant memory. But it was you that proved victorious, and it’s you that can defeat him again.”
“His magic is stronger th
an mine.”
“True,” Jeric said. “But you didn’t use magic to defeat him the last time.”
“What am I supposed to do? Hit him with a spoon?”
Jeric chuckled. “Of course not. You are the fragment of Mind. Outthink him, and then use your magic to stop him.”
“You say that like its easy.”
Jeric shrugged. “It’s simple, not easy. But you should be grateful you have your brothers to help.”
“You haven’t talked about your brothers,” Mind said.
Jeric gave him a measuring look and then seemed to decide it didn’t matter. “Krey family life is not like here. There are usually over sixty houses in the Empire, although when I was born there were more than a hundred. The stronger houses control a multitude of worlds, and in order to maintain that order, the head families frequently have dozens of children, and each are placed in positions of power. Mine was to control Kelindor as Primus.”
“You controlled an entire world?” Mind asked.
He grappled with that idea, of a single head for all the people on Lumineia. How many millions, or more likely billions, had served Ero?
“My house was a mid-tier house,” he said. “I was the Primus, with my two brothers as Secondus and Tertious.”
“You still owned a world.”
“It’s not like what you think,” he replied. “Although billions of individuals were directly under my authority, my position was similar to a duke of Griffin.” He swept his hand at the forest of oak and pine. “Our house was our kingdom, and as a son of the king, I controlled a region.”
“A region the size of a world.”
“It didn’t stop our destruction,” Jeric said.
Mind saw the parallel to Draeken’s invasion. It didn’t matter the size of the province or kingdom, there were always greater threats. It was actually comforting, in a way, to know that the Krey Empire experienced upheavals and conflicts like any other government. The only difference was how many lives were lost, and that elicited a frown.
“Were you close to your siblings?” Mind asked.
“Some were rivals,” he said. “Some were friends. Skorn and Thengor were those I trusted. After Kelindor, my house was punished, and my parents lost their status. My house resources were divided among rivals, and Skorn and I were bereft of home. All houseless krey are called mercenaries, because they are paid to work for other houses.”
“From Primus to mercenary,” Mind said.
“A sad tale,” he replied, “but one that ultimately led to all this.” He swept his hand to trees bordering the road.
“Lumineia was your new house,” Mind realized.
“It was. And then it became so much more.”
“And Skorn?” he asked.
“A tale for another day,” he replied. “Suffice it to say, the Dawn of Magic saw the loss of my second brother.”
The sun had set and shadows filled the road. Most of the travelers had shifted to camps along the side of the road, subdued affairs where the people ate quick meals and retired to uneasy rest. Guards were plentiful, and soldiers huddled around their campfires as if the flames would protect them from Draeken’s generals.
Mind and Jeric continued on the road, which grew quiet, a dark lane bordered by scattered camps. Both required less sleep, and Mind intended to push the steeds as long as they could. As the moon began to rise, he pondered Jeric’s revelations, and the deeper meaning to the story.
It was clear why Ero guarded Lumineia with such zeal. It had become his home when he was homeless. At one time Ero had thought it would return him to his power, but then the people had become his family, and he’d become more than a Primus. He’d become their protector.
A shape appeared ahead, crossing the road and flitting into the darkness. Mind reined his steed and peered into the gloom. Jeric caught the handle of one of his sword hilts and drew the weapon, the aquaglass hardening into a longsword.
“Gendor?” Jeric murmured.
Mind reached out with his consciousness, into the dark forest. He couldn’t breach the assassin’s mental shields, but he should be able to sense the man’s presence. Nothing. Mind drew his own sword, the tension rising as he turned his horse to the side. He caught a glimpse of movement, closer than before, and scowled.
“If it’s Gendor, don’t hesitate,” he said. “He was a lethal assassin before he became Draeken’s puppet.”
The seconds ticked by and Mind scanned the trees with sight and magic. Distant clanking of a ladle over a stewpot, and a muffled whinny from a horse. Whoever it was, they didn’t care about the camps . . .
A large shape leaped from the darkness and Mind whirled, raising his sword. But it collided with him and carried him to the road. He landed with a grunt as large jaws clamped on the sword and yanked it from his grip. Then it dropped its jaws to his face.
And licked him.
He cursed and shoved the shadow panther away, but it nuzzled against him, shoving him deeper into the mud. Jeric lowered his sword and grinned as Shadow’s messenger continued to lick his clothing.
“I’m going to kill Shadow,” Mind said.
Is that any way to treat my messenger? the panther asked, and Mind caught the remnant of thoughts. It was an echo, but Shadow had obviously known what the panther would do when they met.
Mind shoved the panther aside and stood to wipe the mud from his clothing. “Just tell me your message so you can dissipate.”
What I have to say is too important to reveal through a messenger. Shadow’s voice came from the shadow cat. Just come to Ilumidora. You’ll want to hear Elenyr’s plan. We discovered something, and trust me, it’s big . . .
Chapter 30: A City Destroyed
The farther Mind and Jeric journeyed south, the more bleak the region became. Wind whistled through empty villages, the vacant structures dark and forlorn. Animals were gone, some barn doors left open in haste. Then they reached Terros.
The city was gone.
Stone walls and wooden houses, castle and hovel, even the waterfront, all had been reduced to a pile of rubble. The outer fortifications were unrecognizable, the farms rent and torn until the land looked broken. The cobblestone streets and gilded manors of the rich were nothing but a sea of broken stones and scorched beams.
“It’s been erased.” Mind stared in horror at the destroyed city.
“This is the work of Draeken’s army,” Jeric said.
Mind knew the people had evacuated to Ilumidora, but the devastation would not have been stopped, not even by the allied forces. Anything powerful enough to cause such damage would not be stopped, not by a million soldiers.
“We must hasten.” Mind pointed to the road south, where trees were torn up, the gravel ripped apart by the passage of thousands of fiends. “The fiends are already on their way south.”
“How are we going to get through Draeken’s army?” Jeric asked.
“Leave that to me,” Mind said.
They flicked the reins and hurried south until finally a bend in the road took the disturbing sight of Terros from view. Struck by a renewed sense of urgency, both pushed their steeds, driving them through the night and into the next morning. For two days they hastened their journey, until they reached the fiend army.
Mind and Jeric left their horses and crept through the trees, advancing to the edge of a short cliff overlooking the valley. The sun had begun to set, and in the darkness Mind watched the earth ripple with moving bodies of millions of fiends, the dark creatures marching south. Trees in their way were uprooted or hacked to splinters, boulders were shoved aside.
To the east, more fiends poured from the hills, cascading down the slopes in a wave of flesh. Sipers, the doglike creatures the size of lions. Quare, the spindly humanoid beings that had once been krey or human. And krakas, the captains wielding giant obsidian swords. Then Mind spotted a fourth type.
“What’s that?” he whispered.
The beast resembled a scorpion, with a long pointed tail extende
d over its back. Larger than a wagon, it had dual pincers and thick, scale-like armor. The tails flicked, and then one snapped, sending a bone spear streaking into a boulder laying in its path. The spear plunged into solid stone, the boulder cracking from the impact.
“Skorpians,” Jeric murmured. “They were once beasts of burden on Kelindor. The Dark twisted them into creatures of war, giving them tails and claws.”
Mind’s features darkened and he pointed east, towards Blue Lake. “There are trails between the fiends and the lake. If we hurry, we should be able get ahead of the fiends and reach Ilumidora in time.”
Jeric nodded and the two returned to their horses. Wheeling their mounts west, they worked their way around the fiend army before taking a thin trail through the rolling hills adjacent to Blue Lake. Scattered fiends, separated from the main army, frequently crossed their path, and Mind altered their thoughts, sending them in different directions. The body of a dead fiend would be discovered and investigated, but he doubted anyone would notice if a fiend wandered away.
They raced through the night, the horses laboring to maintain the pace. When the sun rose, Mind’s gaze lifted to the haze that hovered over the fiend army. Like a storm cloud, it wafted off the fiends and blurred the clouds, obscuring the rising son.
“The Dark may not have been able to enter,” Jeric said, “but the fiends are infused with it.”
Mind nodded, and tried not to think about the enormous breadth of the cloud. If the army was even half the size, it was larger than Mind feared. He realized that unless Elenyr had a plan to stop them all, Ilumidora would end up like Terros. He shuddered at the thought and urged his flagging steed to greater efforts.
The horses gave out the next day, but Mind managed to subvert a pair of elk. Moving the saddles over, they left the horses and continued their path on the unusual steeds. Far less sturdy, the animals didn’t last long, but after two days, they managed to pass the front of the fiend army. Just as they reached the forest of Orláknia, they encountered a vanguard of the alliance.