by M. D. Grimm
I thought I'd knocked him out, but when I reached for the stone, his eyes popped open. With violent glee, he flung force at me and sent me straight through the house, out the wall, and through the wall of another building right next door. I landed hard, and the air was knocked out of my lungs. I lay stunned for a moment, pain blossoming everywhere, and cursed myself for being reckless. It had been a while since I'd fought an opponent as powerful as me, even if he wasn't as skilled. But right now, who was flat on his back?
I gasped for breath and sat up just as he appeared before me and bounced a large ball that looked like a miniature sun in his hand. He grinned and pulled back his hand. I conjured a shield but the whistle of an arrow alerted the sorcerer and he jerked away. The arrow grazed his shoulder. He snarled, and I watched Aishe nock another arrow in less time than it took the heart to beat, and send it flying through the air.
The sorcerer flung away from the arrow, and I saw that he was about to toss the miniature sun at Aishe. Bone-deep fear consumed me, and I launched myself bodily at him, just as he pulled back his arm. I gripped his wrist and gritted my teeth as the heat from the ball seared my skin. The sorcerer and I struggled, and he punched me with his other hand that held the stone. Pain shot through my head, but I never let go. Both of my hands gripped his wrist as he swung me around, making my body smash against the walls of the buildings.
If I let go, he would either kill me or Aishe, and I would make damn sure neither of us died today. I braced myself and opened a channel inside my body before gripping the ball of heat and energy. My flesh sizzled, and I bit my tongue to keep from screaming in agony. I gripped it hard, and took the magick of the ball into my body, channeling it safely, making it flow from my arm to the pit of my stomach and out through the other arm. I pointed my fingers to the sky and the energy shot out, striking the sky like lightning.
As the sorcerer looked at me with utter shock and horror, I flung a large punch of pure force at him and sent him flying up into the air. He never stopped and was soon out of sight.
I collapsed and gasped for breath, my entire body trembling. I thanked my mentor for teaching me how to channel another's magickal energy safely through my body. After all of this was over, I should probably pay him a visit and see if he's learned any new secret tricks.
Exhaustion finally took hold of me, and I wobbled on my knees. I opened my eyes and gazed at my hand, wincing at the charred flesh. My hand barely resembled a hand; the nerves were damaged, which meant I couldn't feel the pain, but it also meant I could see my bones. It would take a hell of a long time to fully heal.
Maybe Aishe could speed it along.
"Morgorth!" Aishe suddenly wrapped his arms around me, jolting me and sending a flare of heat at him that had him jerking back with a hiss of pain.
"It's me," Aishe said, touching my shoulder hesitantly. "Are you all right? What happened? What did you do?"
"Channeled magick," I said, finally catching my breath. I pressed my hand to my chest and lifted my face to give him a smile. "I showed that prick who's the real mage."
Aishe looked surprised for a moment but then smiled. "Yes, you did. But if only you had held him, I could have shot him."
"It wouldn't have worked." Aishe helped me to my feet. "I'll explain later, but trust me, it wouldn't have worked. We have to come up with a set plan to get this guy dead."
Aishe nodded, and he didn't look happy about it. Who would? The situation sucked revenai poison.
"We can't leave until I know Elissya's okay." I said. Something flickered in Aishe's eyes but was gone so quickly I wondered if I'd seen it. It almost looked like... resentment? No, couldn't be. He was just impatient to continue our hunt.
"By the Mother, your hand!" he grabbed my wrist and examined it, wincing at the state of it.
"Yeah, well, channeling magick doesn't leave you unscathed."
"Morgorth." We both turned to see Elissya, who was held up by two seelas. She stared at me with wonder, and I was uncomfortable by how pale she looked.
"Elissya."
***
We sat in one of the few buildings still standing while the rest of the town cleaned up the mess the sorcerer had made. Food was brought out, and Elissya healed herself while I gave my hand to Aishe to heal. I watched, and part of me wished I had developed this skill as stringently as the others that helped me destroy things.
Aishe closed his eyes, murmuring words in his native tongue, and his hands glowed a soft, warm yellow. My eyes widened as I watched my flesh begin to knit back together. The muscles latched together, the veins became whole, and my flesh turned white and merged, becoming smooth and healthy once more.
Holy shit.
I looked at Aishe, and his eyebrows were bunched, not in pain but concentration. Then the light died, and he let me go. I lifted my hand and turned it around. It was like the burn didn't even happen. I flexed my fingers and didn't feel any pain, I touched my palm with the fingers of my other hand and felt nothing wrong with it.
I smiled and looked at Aishe as he opened his eyes. "You're really something, Aishe. Thanks."
Aishe nodded and stepped back. I turned back to Elissya who was staring at me with a smile on her round face. She was a petite thing, and the tight blue dress she wore accentuated that, with the low-hanging bodice, the way it cinched around her waist, and even the way the sleeves clung to her arms. She looked good, and I realized I'd never given her a passing thought in the years since our last meeting.
"Why didn't you tell me you were here?" I asked.
She tilted her head, the smile still on her face. "Because I know you. You wanted privacy and solitude, so I gave it to you. I only settled here because these creatures were in need of a mage, and I wanted a home. I needed to be on my own, and Master Ulezander finally decided I was ready."
I found myself smiling at the mention of my mentor. Of our mentor. "How was he when you last saw him?"
"Same as always. Grouchy and brilliant."
I chuckled. "Sounds like him. So, he finally let his youngest great... how many greats are you, again?"
"I don't even think he knows," she laughed. "Just say I'm his grandniece. And yes, he finally let me go. A couple of years ago, actually. I'm really enjoying my independence."
Her smile faltered and faded. "Until that brute came." She reached across the table and took my healed hand in both of hers. "I thank the Mother you got here when you did. I'm no match for him with the stone. My home would have been destroyed. Thank you so much."
She looked at Aishe. "And thank you. I can see by your mark that you are on a hakum. Is he the one you are after?"
Aishe nodded mutely.
"The sorcerer massacred his entire tribe," I supplied.
Elissya's eyes widened, and she cupped a hand over her mouth. Her horror was genuine. She was too sweet and innocent to fake it, or anything for that matter. She was incapable of lying, and she sucked when she tried.
"That..." She inhaled slowly, and I saw her cheeks redden. "No words can describe what that thief is. He came here about a year ago, did you know that? He found out I had one of the stones and tried to get it from me."
It was I who gripped her hand this time. "Explain."
She took a sip of water before continuing. "He said his name was Kayl and that he was trying to unlock more of his power. He heard that I had trained with the great Master Ulezander and wondered if I might assist him."
Aishe sat down beside me on the bench, straddling it, and gave Elissya his full attention.
"I believed him, so I did. I quickly realized that he was just never going to be a very powerful mage. His powers were even more limited than mine, and I tried to tell him to accept that, but he wouldn't. He then demanded I give him Lazuis."
My muscles tightened, and I could barely breathe. "He should have just accepted his life," I said coldly. "Idiot."
The bitterness coated every word, and when Aishe took my hand, I squeezed his in return.
"You have one
of the Pferun Dulleriin?" I asked, after I found my control.
"Had," she replied. "Master Ulezander gave it to me when I left, entrusting it to me. You know he has several."
I nodded. That was a secret only a select few of his students knew about, and Ulezander didn't take just any mage to become a student. I wasn't the first mage to think the stones were dangerous and should be locked away. I had learned everything I knew from my mentor.
"I gave it back to him after I kicked Kayl out of my town." There was pride in her eyes. She really had grown up since I'd last seen her. "I knew he'd be back, and I just couldn't risk it. Especially with what that stone can do."
I frowned, wracking my brain. "Lazuis... it steals power, doesn't it? Stores it for the possessor to use?"
"Yes. They call it a minor stone, but I think it is far too dangerous to be labeled so carelessly."
I nodded and contained a shudder. Stealing power...yikes.
"Kayl came after you for revenge?" Aishe asked, the first words he'd spoken since the battle. "Because you wouldn't give him the stone?"
"That's correct." Elissya nodded.
Aishe looked at me. "He went after you because he couldn't get your stones. When I tracked him before I found you, I thought his pattern was random, but now I don't think so. He's destroyed several towns and tribes after gaining Rambujek, and I think they had stones and refused to give them to him."
I nodded slowly. That made sense. And apparently, he didn't get the other stones, even after he blasted their keepers. They had the foresight to hide the stones. If that was true, and he kept to his pattern... "Do you know of any town or tribe around here who might have a stone?" I asked Elissya.
She frowned as she thought, and I wondered why I never noticed how adorable she was. Why did I treat her so indifferently back then? Eyes were drilling into me, and I glanced at Aishe, surprised to see anger in his narrowed eyes. His lips were pulled thin, and his stare was accusing. I glared back, wondering what bug had crawled up his ass.
"I think the Lania tribe has a stone," Elissya said, completely oblivious to the silent battle of wills between Aishe and me.
She fingered her head where the gash had been, and her amber eyes were worried as they met mine.
"The Lania tribe?" Aishe jumped to his feet. "They are my sister tribe. We must go, now."
I stood and nodded. "Thanks, Elissya. Sorry we can't stay and help --"
She waved that away and shoved us to the door. "You will help us by stopping Kayl. Don't let him destroy another town, Morgorth."
I nodded and Aishe was already striding out of town when Elissya grabbed my arm. I looked down at her, and she shocked me by kissing my cheek.
"It really is nice to see you, Morgorth. You look well, and that does my heart glad."
I wanted to touch her, but I resisted. I nodded. "You look good too, Ellie. I'm glad Uzzie finally let you go."
She laughed at our shared nickname of our mentor, one he never knew about. I was sure he'd blast our butts if he ever heard it.
"So am I. Go, now. Good luck." She let me go, and I walked away, feeling odd. So many memories had leapt to mind when I'd seen her, and a lot of them were good and fun. She'd been a friend -- a steady, reliable friend. But at that time, I didn't want friends. I wanted separation. I wanted to be alone.
Did I make the right choice?
I caught up with Aishe, and we headed out of town. I took out the crystal, and it pointed northwest. We turned accordingly, and as I was about to grab Aishe and speed through the air, he spoke.
"You two were lovers." It wasn't a question.
I looked at him in confusion. The anger in his voice was odd. "That's none of your business, dialen."
Aishe scowled, and I noticed the white-knuckled grip he had on his bow.
"Let's just focus, Aishe. If we want to stop another tribe from having the same fate as yours, we need to get there before him."
The dialen grunted, and I grabbed his arm. "Time to brace yourself again." He slung his bow over his shoulder and gripped my arm with both of his hands. The magick rose up, I said the word, and we became nothing but blurs in the darkening afternoon.
Chapter Six
A multitude of tents appeared over a shallow hill, and I slowed gradually. Aishe managed to stay on his feet when I let him go. We had traveled over many kirons in only a few minutes, and it was still afternoon. Aishe's hair was windblown, and I had to admire the way it made him look even more dangerous and wild. For myself, I probably just looked dirty and unkempt. I flattened my hair as we walked closer to the Lania tribe. The crystal still pointed northwest from our location, and that made me breathe easier.
"He's not here. Yet." I showed Aishe the crystal. Relief flooded his eyes, and his shoulders slumped.
Without thinking, my hand rose and patted him gently on the back, a gesture of understanding. He looked at me with those intense, soul-searching eyes, and I instantly jerked my hand back.
"We'll make sure he doesn't get them," I said firmly. "He won't destroy another tribe. You have my word."
I didn't know what made me so confident, but I saw hope enter Aishe's eyes once more as he nodded.
"You had better keep your word," he said. "I always do." For good or bad, I always did. We walked closer to the tents, and I let Aishe precede me as I looked at our surroundings, my mind whirling through the possible barriers or illusions I could create to hide these dialens from Kayl's wrath.
I wished Elissya hadn't said his name. I didn't want a name. I liked it better when he was just a faceless opponent, a sorcerer, a thief. But now I had a name, which meant he had a past, he had ambitions and possibly a family. I wouldn't be the one to kill him, but I would be the one to assist in his murder.
Knowing his name complicated things.
Voices rose, and I looked over between two tents to see Aishe being surrounded by the tribe. They were hugging him and stroking his hair and jabbering on in their native tongue. Aishe was smiling. Beaming. Laughing. I watched and listened, mesmerized by the sight. He really was a beautiful creature. I knew the grief and wrath was still inside him, clawing, begging for vengeance, but there he was, greeting dialens he probably knew as a child. Dialens who knew his tribe. Familiar and loving faces.
I swear I could feel the very marrow of my bones turn green. My stomach tightened, and my breath quickened. My hands burned, and I had to look away. I put my back to the tribe and tried to gain control over my emotions. Where the fuck had that come from? I never wanted a family, I never wanted...
But I realized that was a lie. A big, fat lie. Who didn't want a family? Who didn't want loved ones whom you could trust and depend on? Who didn't want support and someone to talk to in the good times and the bad?
I sure as hell did. But I knew I couldn't have it, and that was that. I shook off the violent emotions and shoved them away. They were no help to me. Steady breaths allowed me to focus on the task at hand. The tribe was located near a mountain and a flat plain with tall grass and grazing animals in the distance. Out in the open, a really handy target.
Fantastic.
An illusion wouldn't work because Kayl knew where the tribe was. Some tribes moved around, some didn't. Unfortunately, the Lania tribe didn't move. A barrier might work, but I would have to find a way to keep it up and solid even when I wasn't there. For magick to work, there had to be a constant source of energy. With barriers and domes, magick that needed to last for an extended period of time, there had to be an energy source that kept it charged, or else it would fade. There were ways -- I just had to come up with the quickest and most logical.
"Morgorth!" I swallowed hard and turned around. Aishe led a small group of dialen to me, and I nodded respectfully to them. Aishe was still grinning, but I saw the seriousness in his eyes. He actually touched my shoulder and presented me to the tribe elders.
They sized me up, as I did them. There were five of them, three males and two females of varying height and coloring. Dialen didn'
t outwardly show their advanced age, but I saw the centuries in their eyes. They looked like capable creatures, and I remembered the few times I'd lived with the dialen tribes. They were good allies to have in a battle.
"I told them about Kayl." Aishe told me. "They remember him, and not too fondly."
I nodded. "Good. He will come for you, and I intend to be here when he does. I hope you will consent to moving your tribe into the caves running through the mountains. You are exposed here, and it will be easier for me to protect you if you are enclosed."
The elders spoke softly to each other, and I looked away, letting them decide. Aishe's hand was still on my shoulder and the warmth of his skin seeped through my layered jacket. The strength and steadiness of his hand made me uncomfortable because I could see myself getting used to it. I shrugged it off and walked a few steps away, contemplating the mountains.
"We are a good team, you and I," Aishe said as he stood beside me.
I shrugged carelessly. "When we can stand each other. We're only a team because we have to be. As soon as I have the stone and Kayl is dead, we'll separate."
"Is that what you want?" Aishe whispered.
Confused, I turned to him and he lowered his eyes from my gaze. "Isn't that what you want?"
"What I want..." he said and touched the black paint on his face. "At this time, what I want does not matter. It cannot matter."
"Look, I know the hakum comes first but..." I paused and hated the look on his face. "You didn't allow your tribe to dictate your actions when they were alive. Why would allow them to do it now that they are with the Mother?"
"You do not understand," Aishe said, his voice growing fierce. "You cannot understand. You have no family, no one to love you. You are a selfish and lonely creature."
"Then why don't you explain it to me?" I retorted, stepping in front of him. He raised his head, and his eyes were bright with his wrath.
"Why don't you explain what it's like to have a family who actually gave a damn about you?" I continued. "Who didn't hate you the minute you were born? Why not make me understand what it's like to live in a world of flowers and rainbows? I live alone because I want to, Aishe. Don't you dare judge me."