“YOU HAVE SERVED ME FAITHFULLY, CHILD. YOU CALLED, AND I AM COME. RISE UP, AND WE SHALL SMITE THE UNBELIEVERS TOGETHER.”
“Well, shit,” Mariana hissed. “How are we supposed to fight a statue animated by a god?”
Gavin’s mind went back to what Bellos had told him on the side of the Tel Roshan road, not far from the remains of Baron Kalinor’s estate. The members of Lornithar’s pantheon weren’t the same as Bellos or Xanta or any of those who accepted the mantle of divinity after the Godswar. Valthon had granted them power in their own right, but Lornithar made his pantheon mere extensions of his power.
Focusing on his skathos, Gavin concentrated all of his senses on the statue lumbering past the altar. Yes, there was a power inhabiting it, but there was also a thread that disappeared into the vast sea that was all ambient magic. A thread that seemed to lead to the east. A thread that felt oddly similar in some ways to Gavin’s own seed of power that made him a wizard.
“Huh,” Gavin grunted. “I wonder if it would work.”
“Wonder if what would work?” Lillian asked.
Gavin opened his eyes and walked toward the statue, while everyone around him stared at it.
“Milthas, is it?” Gavin asked. The statue turned to focus on Gavin. “I’m not sure if you know me, but I am Gavin Cross. What will matter most to you is that I am Head of House Kirloth, and I was trained by the man who spanked you like an unruly child.”
The statue roared and drew back a fist. Before it could complete its unwieldy motion and reduce Gavin to a splotch of red-hued, semi-liquid goo, Gavin focused on his intent and invoked a Word of Tutation, “Rhyskaal.”
The concussion of Gavin’s power struck reality like a massive tsunami crashing against an unprotected shore. Gavin’s intent was—by far—the most powerful invocation he’d ever produced, and he collapsed to his knees and screamed as the power burned and raged through him.
But Gavin wasn’t the only one screaming. Instead of striking Gavin with its massive stone fist, the statue of Milthas clutched its head and fell backward, vocalizing a level of agony far beyond anything those present had ever witnessed before. Everyone who watched expected the statue to destroy the far wall of the shrine when it struck, but instead, the statue itself shattered into small pieces of stone, its scream cutting off with such abruptness that everyone’s ears rang for several moments afterward.
Nirrock collapsed to his knees like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and for several moments, everyone looked around and waited to see what came next. Gavin was on his hands and knees on the floor, his chest heaving as he gasped for air and blood freely flowing from his nostrils and ears.
“What did you do?” Nirrock raged, shattering the silence dominating the shrine. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Gavin lifted his head and tried to stand. He would’ve fallen back to the floor if Braden and Declan hadn’t caught him and helped him up.
“I wondered if Lornithar’s empowerment of his pantheon was similar to a wizard’s power,” Gavin said, his voice weary. “It seems I was right.”
Nirrock now clawed at the altar, his speech mostly incoherent.
“What does that mean, Gavin?” Elayna asked, approaching him.
Gavin lifted his head and made eye contact with the elven priestess, and it looked like the effort was almost more than he could manage. “I ripped away the connection to Lornithar’s power. Milthas isn’t a god anymore.”
Elayna’s jaw wasn’t the only one that dropped.
“Is—is that possible?” Telanna asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
“It must be,” Gavin replied. “I just did it.”
“And damned near killed yourself doing it, too,” Declan growled. “Did you even consider what might have happened if you’d been wrong?”
Before anyone else could speak, a column of fire that neither burned nor radiated heat delivered one of Nathrac’s Guardians to the shrine. It oriented on Gavin immediately.
“Milord, you must return to Tel Mivar at once. The Necromancer has invaded the city.”
Chapter 35
Kiri strode through the halls and corridors of the palace complex. Unlike her normal public attire, she didn’t look very ‘Crown Princess’ at the moment. She wore the black, studded leather armor Declan had obtained for her all those months ago, and just like when she’d ridden with Gavin to deal with the mercenary camp, she was absolutely festooned with blades of all different shapes and sizes. She felt confident she didn’t quite have Declan’s blade count when he was ‘working,’ but she was sure it was a near thing.
The usual occupants and guests of the palace gaped at Kiri as she passed, and the Cavaliers who saw her remembered the whispers about when she’d actually drawn a blade on two of her protection detail while Gavin was unconscious after removing the slave marks. But if Kiri was aware of the looks, expressions, or whispers that followed in her wake, she didn’t show it.
Without pausing to knock or ask permission, Kiri entered her father’s private study. The king turned toward the open door, and his shocked expression soon matched all the others at seeing the Crown Princess decked out like a professional assassin.
“Kiri? What—” Terris began.
“I’m going to Tel Mivar, Father,” Kiri answered, interrupting him. “I can’t handle being estranged from Gavin anymore, and I’m not leaving until he hears me out and we work it out.”
A soft smile curled Terris’s lips, and he said, “Yes, well…I suppose it’s only appropriate. Did I ever tell you that your mother asked me out and ultimately proposed to me?”
All thoughts of Tel Mivar vanished from Kiri’s mind. “She did? I mean, isn’t that—”
“Not how it’s usually done?” Terris responded. “Yes, but that was your mother. When there was something—or in my case, someone—she wanted, she could be a bit relentless. That’s probably part of the reason why she was available when I met her; I imagine she intimidated most men.”
Now, it was Kiri who developed a soft smile. “I wish I could’ve known her better.”
“Me, too,” Terris replied. “She’d be so proud of you, and don’t worry about me or the kingdom. You do what you need to do. We’ll be here when you’re ready to come back.”
Kiri almost leapt into her father’s arms, hugging him tight as she whispered in his ear. “Thank you, Daddy; I love you.”
* * *
Kiri’s next stop on her crusade was Fallon, the Court Wizard. She didn’t have weeks to make the journey to Birsha and then cross the Inner Sea to Tel Mivar, even if she could bring herself to board another boat. She hoped he would be able to teleport her straight to her destination.
Entering the reception area of Fallon’s laboratory and quarters, the sight of him sitting in an armchair with a book in his hand surprised her, though not nearly as much as the sight of the Crown Princess decked out like a traveling blades merchant surprised him.
“Y-Your Highness?” Fallon asked. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, for the most part, it is,” Kiri replied. “Fallon, can you teleport me to Tel Mivar? I need to be there, and I don’t have time for a regular journey.”
“Uhm, well, I didn’t prepare the spell this morning,” Fallon answered. As a mage, he had to prepare spells each day, and the more difficult and challenging spell—like Teleport—required greater preparation times. “But I always keep a number of scrolls hidden around, just for situations like this. I’m afraid the best I can do is the Tower of the Council at the College. It’s fairly central in Tel Mivar, so reaching your actual destination won’t be too difficult.”
Kiri smiled. “The Tower is perfect, Fallon.”
The Court Wizard set aside his book and stood, crossing the room to a tapestry that depicted one of the ancient queens of Vushaar. He reached behind it and withdrew a scroll secured by an amber-colored ribbon. Removing the ribbon with a flourish, Fallon unrolled the parchment and proceeded to cast. In moments, a gateway made of crackli
ng, sapphire-hued energy appeared…except it opened to the plaza right outside the College grounds.
“That’s odd,” Fallon remarked.
“What?” Kiri asked.
“The gateway should’ve opened to the central vestibule of the Tower, right where the Grand Stair opens to the main floor. That’s where the teleport beacon is. But that looks like the plaza tiles right outside the College’s wall.”
Kiri stepped up to Fallon and pulled him into a fast but forceful hug. “It’s fine, Fallon. It’s still Tel Mivar, and that’s where I need to be.”
Without giving the matter a further thought, Kiri stepped through the gateway, causing it to vanish.
* * *
“This isn’t wise, Milord,” Torval said.
The Heads of the Great Houses and their heirs—along with Declan, Xythe, and Ovir—stood with Gavin in the Hall of the Gods inside the Temple of Valthon.
“Isn’t wise, my ass,” Declan growled. “Gavin, what you’re trying to do isn’t just stupid. It’s damned stupid. You’re in no condition to face the Necromancer right now. You can barely stand!”
Gavin turned to face Declan and swayed on his feet, looking for all the world like he was about to fall, but he maintained his balance and met his friend’s gaze. “And just who would you send out there, Declan? You, along with everyone here, know I’m the strongest wizard in the Society. Should Lillian or Mariana go out there to face him? I’m not bleeding out of my ears and nose anymore; Ovir saw to that. But this is a golden opportunity to deal with the threat once and for all. He’s right out there, less than a hundred yards away!”
“Have you considered that it’s a golden opportunity for him as well?” Mariana asked. “If he kills you—”
“Nathrac will take over administering the civil government until Bellos appoints a new Archmagister,” Gavin interrupted. “I’ve already made that change to the constitution, so Tel will never again have to face the question of who’s in charge.”
Just then, a column of fire that neither burned nor radiated heat delivered Nathrac to the discussion.
“Milord,” Nathrac said, “I have activated the garrison. They are pushing back the undead, but it will take time. The Army of Tel—including the Battle-mages—is on the move, but between the time to mobilize and the bottle-neck presented by North Gate, it will be some time before they can reinforce the garrison.” Then, Nathrac took in the expressions of everyone around him and turned back to Gavin. “Why is everyone angry with you?”
“I’m going out there to deal with the Necromancer once and for all,” Gavin said. “There will never be a better time.”
“Ah,” Nathrac remarked. “That would explain it. Are you aware he stands with his cadre of lieutenants? None of them wear medallions, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t wizards. The medallions are part of the Society and did not exist before the Founding.”
Gavin sighed. “Yes, okay. Maybe going out there is a mistake. Yes, I freely admit that I’m not exactly feeling my best. But shouldn’t we do something to keep the Necromancer and his people focused on the city? Don’t we want to keep them from realizing reinforcements will be streaming through North Gate as soon as they mobilize? I can’t think of anything that would work better than a confrontation with me.”
“No, with us,” Lillian said, stepping forward with her friends—the other Apprentices—following suit. Gavin turned to regard her, and Lillian continued. “If we can’t talk you out of confronting him and his people, the least we can do is go out there with you. That way, their entire focus won’t be on you.”
Gavin slowly shook his head. “No. I don’t want the four of you out there. You’re the Heirs of your families, and if it all goes wrong, you’ll be needed when it’s time to start putting everything back together.”
Lillian squared her shoulders as she asked, “And just how do you think you can stop us?”
“I consider all of you dear friends,” Gavin said, “and I hope I’m around for you to hate me for this later.”
Without giving anyone a chance to realize what he was doing, Gavin invoked a composite effect, “Paedryx-Sykhurhos!”
The moment his power touched the fabric of reality, Gavin and Nathrac both vanished…and the temple doors behind him slammed shut as the very structure of the Temple developed a vermillion aura.
“Well, that wasn’t fair,” Lyssa said, sighing.
“What did he do, Mother?” Mariana asked.
Lyssa scowled at the closed doors for a moment before turning to her daughter. “I might be wrong, but I’d wager all the Temple’s doors are now spell-locked, with the Temple itself protected from teleportation.”
* * *
Kiri stepped into a world of chaos.
People ran screaming from undead creatures, the likes of which Kiri had never seen before. The town guard worked to get the people to safety, and the city’s garrison was fighting to corral or contain the undead horde. Turning to the College, Kiri saw that the gate was sealed and no one was visible in the College’s courtyard.
She approached a nearby member of the town guard. “What’s happening?”
“Are ye daft, girl? What does it look like is happening?” the guardsman replied. “The Necromancer opened a portal in the northeast quadrant of the city. No one seems to know whether it’s a full-on invasion or just a raid, but these monsters are sure making a mess of things.”
“Thank you.” She turned and started to push her way through the crowd, toward the northeast quarter of the city. If she knew Gavin, that’s where he’d be.
“Hey! Didn’t you hear me?” the town guardsman shouted behind her. “There’s whole lot of undead that way!”
Kiri drew her two short swords and shouted over her shoulder, “I’ll be fine. There’s someone I need to find.”
* * *
“Okay,” Kiri said, muttering Gavin’s odd word to herself. “Maybe I won’t be fine.”
She was almost to the northeast plaza. Rotting gore covered her torso, forearms, and lower legs, and she’d already lost her swords and three daggers. The swords had snapped during the death throes of a couple ghouls, and zombies had wandered off with the three daggers, apparently deciding that unarmed citizens would be a better meal than someone who stuck them with sharp metal. It would’ve been nice if they had let Kiri retrieve her daggers before shambling off, though. The wind shifted, and the foul odor of the gore that covered her hit her like a stone wall.
“Gah,” Kiri said, gagging and exerting all her will not to vomit from the stench. “I think I’m going to have to burn this armor later.”
The chaos around her seemed to thin, and Kiri realized she was within sight of her quarry. In the distance, she saw Gavin standing at one end of the northeast plaza. Across from him, she saw a cluster of black-robed people, but she was too far away to make out any details. She wouldn’t have known it was Gavin, but she felt safe assuming a lone figure in a gold robe was probably him.
Kiri’s focus was broken when she noticed a cluster of people—actual people, not undead—shifting through the chaos surrounding the plaza. They appeared to be angling to get behind Gavin, and every one of them carried some form of blade.
“So, they think to stab Gavin in the back?” Kiri whispered, almost growled. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Kiri drew on her many hours of training with Declan, moving through the chaos and using it to her advantage. Out of the five or six people moving to flank Gavin, Kiri killed three of them, slitting their throats before the others realized anything was wrong. Then, it became a simple matter of using her training to fight several opponents at once. But just because something was simple didn’t mean it was easy…
The person closest to Kiri was a rather gruesome looking man, sporting several scars across his face and hands. He was huge for a human but moved with a cat-like grace that looked wrong for someone his size. He lunged toward Kiri, attempting a double strike with his short swords. Kiri dropped into a shou
lder roll that brought her within striking distance. Before her opponent realized what she was doing, Kiri thrust her right dagger up to its small cross-guard into the man’s groin, at the same time she slashed deeply into the inside of the man’s right thigh with the dagger in her left hand. Blood fountained from the man’s wounds as he screamed and collapsed, his short swords clattering to the street right in front of Kiri.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Kiri remarked, returning her daggers to their sheaths on either thigh before collecting her new short swords…well, new to her anyway.
The man’s screams faded as Kiri stood to face the next attacker, the blood loss becoming too much for him. Kiri considered cutting the man’s throat to give him a more merciful death, but the next attacker was closing. Besides, Kiri had faith he’d die soon enough on his own with no further attention from her.
As Kiri was standing, ready to engage the woman approaching her with blades drawn, she saw the final attacker moving toward Gavin’s unprotected back, using his associate’s attack on Kiri as a distraction to give him time.
We can’t have that, Kiri thought as she quickly scanned her immediate area. Her eyes landed on the remains of an animated skeleton. The skull was long gone, but the rib cage was intact. Another shoulder roll delivered Kiri to the skeleton, and she speared the ribcage with one short sword. She flicked the ribcage with all her might toward her closest attacker and darted toward the man angling toward Gavin.
The man saw Kiri’s gambit and shouted a warning, but he should have kept his silence. His warning distracted his associate, and the skeleton’s ribcage caught her totally unawares as it slammed into her face and chest. The shock of the impact and her excessive reaction caused her to fall backward in a clatter of bones and blades, more than the force of projectile’s impact alone would have caused. Unfortunately, the man was still far enough away from Gavin that his warning to his associate hadn’t attracted Gavin’s attention.
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