Until All Bonds Are Broken

by Tim Frankovich

  “Blocking?”

  “He says we will feel them again once we leave him. Which cannot happen soon enough.”

  Dravid considered. He now possessed some of Forerunner’s power. Did it make him immune to Bindings also? He couldn’t know until they left Forerunner behind. He wasn’t sure he wanted to do that as soon as Ixchel did.

  “I need more training,” he muttered.

  “Yes, you do,” Ixchel said. “But not from Forerunner. You need to learn how to defend yourself.” She stopped their progress just before entering the pavilion, and looked into his eyes. “This will not be the last time you might have to fight. I can teach you that.”

  “Well…” Bruises were swelling on Dravid’s face, making it difficult to speak. “That sounds fun.”

  Seri found she couldn’t close her mouth. Both her friends looked like they had escaped from a war, or at least how she imagined a war would look like.

  “A curse-stalker did this?”

  Ixchel nodded. “Dravid may have trouble answering you. His face is damaged.”

  “I can see that.” Several huge bruises marred Dravid’s beautiful skin. His nose looked swollen too. In addition, a bloody bandage covered his right upper arm, while his pant leg hung in tatters, showing badly-scraped skin all over his shin. Ixchel bore a bandage on her left side also.

  Seri knelt beside Dravid. She wanted to touch him, but was afraid of putting her hand on another injury. “You could have been killed.”

  “Almost was,” he said through thick slips, slurring a bit. “Ixchel saved me.”

  “She’s good at that.” She glanced up at Ixchel to see her smiling.

  “My mentor would be pleased. Defeating one of those beasts is significant,” she said.

  “Your mentor?”

  “The assistant blademaster. Primary trainer of the Holcan. He hated curse-stalkers. There are many of them in Ch’olan.”

  “Then let’s not go there,” Dravid mumbled.

  At that moment, Forerunner hurried into the pavilion, followed by his three assistants. “What is this?” he exclaimed. “They told me one of those creatures made it into our sanctuary. Is this true?”

  “Your magic didn’t tell you?” Ixchel said.

  “Contrary to some reports, I am not all-knowing,” he said, giving her a quick look over. He focused on her bandaged side before turning to examine Dravid.

  “Oh, my. Your face will take some time to return to its usual handsome self,” he said. “The leg looks like it will be fine, but this…” He began to remove the bandage around Dravid’s bicep.

  “That is not necessary!” Ixchel said, starting forward.

  Forerunner held up a hand. “I need to see the wound.”

  Ixchel frowned, but did not intervene.

  Seri gasped as the bandage came away. The tear in Dravid’s skin looked deep. She knew little of such injuries, but she had never seen one this bad. The muscle looked nearly torn in half. Blood oozed from it in a sluggish flow. How could it ever return to normal?

  Forerunner looked it over and made an unintelligible sound in the back of his throat. He pushed the sides of the wound together. Dravid jerked and cried out. “If left to itself, this would never heal properly,” Forerunner said. “You might regain use of the arm, but never to the degree you had before.”

  It wasn’t fair. Dravid already lost a leg. Now he might lose the use of an arm too?

  Forerunner looked into Dravid’s face. “If you will allow me?” Dravid didn’t say anything, but something seemed to pass between them. Forerunner nodded.

  He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Seri thought she heard him murmuring something, but couldn’t make out the words. His hands began to glow, like when he erected the shield to protect them from the earthquake.

  Forerunner placed his hands on Dravid’s upper arm. While blood began to seep out between his fingers, the glow spread around the wound. It grew brighter and brighter until Seri had to turn her eyes away. Dravid cried out, but it sounded more out of surprise than pain.

  The glow subsided and Seri looked back. Everything looked the same until Forerunner pulled his hands away, wiping blood off Dravid’s arm as he did.

  “It’s gone!” one of Forerunner’s assistants exclaimed. Seri had forgotten they were even here.

  But she was right. As Forerunner wiped away the rest of the blood, Seri saw no sign of Dravid’s injury. The skin looked smooth and unbroken. Dravid flexed the arm and moved it back and forth, his mouth agape.

  “This cannot be,” Ixchel said.

  “You say ‘cannot’ many times, Ixchel,” Forerunner said. “Perhaps you should focus more on ‘can.’” He looked at her side. “Your wound is not as severe, but I can heal it as well, if you will permit me.”

  “I will not.”

  Forerunner nodded. “It is your choice.”

  “Ixchel, why not let him?” Seri said. “He has the power, and no reason to hurt you.”

  Ixchel shook her head.

  “Battle scars are important to the Holcan,” Forerunner said. “Once it heals naturally, she will look at the scar it leaves behind with pride. I understand.”

  “You do not. You can not.”

  “Do you think I have never seen battle? Speak to me when you have glimpsed the endless war that rages in the third world. Tell me when you have slain one of the tunaldi, who stalk the curse-stalkers. Regale me when you have wielded weapons that would devastate your entire order. I understand far more than you can imagine.” As he spoke, Forerunner’s voice vibrated with magic, growing louder and deeper.

  Ixchel took a step back and her hand went to her sword hilt.

  “Stop it! You said you wouldn’t use magic in your voice again!” Seri shouted.

  Forerunner lifted his hands, still dripping from Dravid’s blood. “I apologize. I grew agitated and overreached myself.” He turned away. “If I am no longer needed here, I will go. I need to clean up, after all.”

  “Thank you,” Dravid managed to say through his swollen mouth.

  Forerunner nodded. “You are quite welcome.”

  Seri watched him leave with his assistants. Almost every encounter with Forerunner led to some new mystery about his powers and origins. She needed answers. Maybe getting away from this place would help.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  TRAVELING WITH FORERUNNER turned out to be quite the experience. He didn’t seem to be in any kind of a hurry. Instead, he stopped for any number of reasons: an early lunch, a beautiful landscape to survey, or because one of his followers wanted to discuss something. While it seemed strange, Seri did learn more about their mysterious leader from listening to his conversations. He never ventured into outright blasphemy or even criticism, but she detected an overriding disapproval of the Laws of Cursings and Bindings. At times, she thought that disapproval carried over to Theon himself, but she might be imagining it.

  On the other hand, he seemed exceptionally interested in hearing people tell their own stories. And it wasn’t just the dramatic stories, like Seri’s, that intrigued him. He appeared fascinated by stories of simple lives, simple needs. Almost as if he had never heard them before, or experienced anything similar.

  In addition to Seri, Ixchel, and Dravid, Forerunner brought along seven other followers, all female. Two of them were part of his trio of primary assistants. The others had all been present at the sanctuary for differing times. Seri could see no particular reason for this specific group, save that they all seemed willing and eager to engage Forerunner in the conversations he sought. They also brought along a single donkey loaded down with many bags. It allowed most of the company to walk unencumbered.

  “Can you tell where we’re going?” she asked Ixchel after two days.

  Ixchel made a noise Seri took to be disgust. “We started out heading south, but then shifted west. Today has been mostly southeast. We have made little progress.”

  “We’re not sticking to the roads. That’s for sure.”

&n
bsp; “I am not convinced he knows where we are going.”

  Seri’s eyes trailed to the bandage on Ixchel’s ribs. “How is your side?”

  “It heals well.”

  “Was Forerunner right? Do you truly prefer to have a scar?”

  Ixchel considered for a moment. “It is… a memory. When I notice the scar in years to come, I will remember fighting that creature.”

  “And that’s a good thing?”

  Ixchel nodded. She pulled up the side of her skirt much higher than usual. Seri’s eyes darted around to see if either of the men were nearby. “Look,” Ixchel said. Seri looked back and saw her indicating a small scar near the top of her thigh. “This is from the fight on Zes Sivas, against Volraag and his assassin.”

  “Oh. I didn’t even know you had been hurt then.”

  “If one is not hurt, is it truly a battle?”

  Seri wrinkled her brow. “I’d rather avoid battles altogether, myself.”

  “That is why you have me.”

  Seri stifled a laugh. “I guess so.”

  “My friends!” Forerunner called. “Let us move on!” He pointed forward and set out, expecting everyone to follow.

  “Which way is he heading now?” Seri asked.

  Ixchel sighed loudly. “Northeast.”

  “Dravid, I need your help.” Seri knelt on the ground next to her friend.

  He raised his eyebrows. “You’ve barely spoken to me since we left the sanctuary. But as always, whatever you need, I’m here.”

  Seri winced. She had been avoiding him since their hug. She wanted to say more, to try to explain herself, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know how.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  He nodded. “I forgive you, of course. What’s going on?”

  “You remember when we first arrived in Varioch and we both tried to sense which way to go?”

  Dravid nodded.

  “We need to do that again. I think I’m sensing something.” She held out her hand.

  Dravid hesitated only a moment before taking her hand in his. She tried not to think of it as anything other than uniting their magic senses. Not uniting anything else. Except now that she tried not to think of it, it filled her thoughts. Great.

  She let go of his hand. “Let’s… try without that.” A bit of confusion and maybe hurt flashed across his face. Seri tried to ignore that. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Reach out. Feel the vibrations.

  “I haven’t used these senses much lately,” Dravid muttered. Of course. He had the new power to focus on.

  There. She found it. “Um, that way,” she pointed, then opened one eye to see. Dravid opened his eyes, noted her direction, and closed them again.

  She focused again. Yes, definitely. A strong power, not very far away at all. She could feel it even over the strangeness of Forerunner’s power behind her.

  “I feel it,” Dravid said. “I think it’s the direction we’re going. Not far.”

  “Yes.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “It’s not Volraag. He’s too far away, or I’d feel the Bond. So who is it? The boy I’m looking for? Or Forerunner’s friend?”

  Dravid frowned. “Could be either of them. Or maybe they’re the same person. But I don’t think so. This feels more like Antises magic. Not… his.” He gestured toward Forerunner.

  “Good point.” Seri licked her lips. The brush against the new power source actually made her thirsty. “Maybe we’re back on track.”

  “We’ll know soon enough, I think.”

  Marshal knelt again and put his hand in the dirt. This time, he felt more than he expected, and almost immediately.

  “That’s different.”

  “What is it?” Victor asked. He stood next to his friend while the rest of the squad packed up their camp.

  “It’s not Volraag… or anyone like him. I’m sensing someone or something not far away. Very powerful. But not the same.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know. When we were near Volraag, I could feel his power. It was like mine. But this isn’t.”

  “A wild magician?” Victor suggested. “Or even a regular magician, I guess.”

  Marshal stood and dusted off his hands. “I don’t think so. I think magicians use the same kind of power that I do. This is… not like it at all.”

  Victor held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. “So not shaking?”

  “No, not exactly. More like a large release, followed by nothing, then another release.”

  “Release?”

  “Of power. I think.”

  “Which direction?”

  Marshal thought for a moment, then pointed northwest. Somewhere else, he heard a distant howl. Wolves?

  “Huh. Well, we’re going northeast. Unless you think we should go that way?”

  “I don’t think we’ll have to.”

  “Why not?”

  “I think it’s moving. And coming toward us.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  DRAVID SCOWLED. WHAT good was all this new power if he still had to use this crutch? He hated traveling again, especially now that Forerunner led them. Admittedly, he didn’t mind very much being the only other man in a group of eleven. Everywhere he turned, he saw something to admire.

  Yet his thoughts remained focused on Seri. Helping her with the magic detection yesterday had only reminded him of the awkwardness between them. There had to be something he could do or say to fix things.

  Ixchel dropped back to walk beside him. “My Lady suggested I ask you a question. Are we closer to the magic source you two found yesterday?”

  “Why doesn’t she ask me, or check for herself?”

  “She has. She just wants confirmation.”

  “Is she afraid to talk with me?”

  “Afraid? Why would she be afraid?”

  Dravid sighed. “I don’t know. I think she’s worried I might hurt her.”

  “Then I would have to hurt you.”

  “Ha. I know. I meant emotionally.”

  Ixchel grunted.

  “You do know what I mean, right? I mean, even with your warrior training, surely you had some time for…”

  “For what?”

  “Romance?”

  “I… never had time for…”

  “Ixchel!” Forerunner swept up next to them with a flourish of his sleeves. “I must ask something of you.”

  “The answer is no.”

  Dravid stifled a laugh. This should be interesting.

  “I need you to protect me,” Forerunner said, ignoring her response.

  “Protect you?” Ixchel stopped walking. This time Dravid couldn’t stop his laugh. He and Forerunner paused and turned back to her.

  Forerunner nodded and gestured in the direction they walked. “It’s not far now. When I see my friend, I will have to help him.”

  “Help him with what?” Dravid asked.

  Forerunner spared him a glance. “Help him to wake up, you could call it. At any rate, his… companions will not understand what I am doing. They may try to stop me. I want you to protect me from them.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “Because you know.” Forerunner pointed at her. “You know what it looked like when I helped Seri with her star-sight.”

  “You protected yourself from me then.”

  “But I may not be able to do so this time. There will be more than one of them. But you know that I meant no harm to Seri.” He waved at Dravid. “And when I healed him. This is the same kind of thing.”

  “I can’t believe you want help from me. I don’t trust you.”

  He held up a finger. “But you know what I am doing. You know that I do not mean to harm this man. All I ask is that you let me finish helping him. Then they will all see. They will understand. Just like you did when I helped Seri.”

  Ixchel did not answer. Dravid found himself very curious about all this, knowing what he and Seri had sensed.

  “Maybe
we should let this play out, Ixchel,” he said. “I want to see what happens.”

  “I will not kill for you,” Ixchel said.

  “I would not ask,” Forerunner said. “Just hold them back.” He turned his gaze toward Dravid. “You might want to be ready as well. This is going to be… fascinating.”

  Seri saw them before anyone else. They had entered a more open area of Varioch’s countryside, a large plain that opened up without any trees before rising up into a new line of hills. The opening let her catch a glimpse of high mountains off toward the north. But as her eyes came back down, she saw a small group of men walking together. Their paths looked to intersect in moments.

  “Hello over there!” Forerunner called.

  The men, hearing him, stopped walking and turned to face their group. As they drew closer, Seri noticed they all carried weapons. They looked rough and dangerous. A large Ch’olanese man held some kind of spear. Four others around him carried swords and spears. But the two that broke off and came toward them demanded Seri’s attention.

  The tallest of the two looked quite handsome for a pale-skinned Varioch resident. His blond hair reached to his shoulders. His face held a short beard, but he looked no older than Seri and her friends. His muscles bulged out of some kind of leather shirt with a beautiful gold-trimmed red cloak on his shoulders. A sword hung on one side of his belt, and some other odd device with a chain hung on the other.

  Seri’s attention turned to the second young man. He also wore a sword at his side, but otherwise dressed in a simple tunic and trousers. Ugly scars like ropes criss-crossed his face. His hair mirrored his companions, but brown like Seri’s own.

  “It’s him,” Seri gasped aloud.

  “Who’s him?” Dravid said.

  Seri pointed. “The one with the scars. He’s the one I saw in the Otherworld! The one who fought Curasir!”

  “Him? That’s your ‘boy’?” Dravid paused. “You must be right. I can sense his power. Like a Lord himself.”

  The other five men followed the first two, looking curiously at all of them.