Until All Bonds Are Broken

by Tim Frankovich

  “Stay back!” Marshal warned. “I’ve dealt with these before.”

  “You’re not the only one.” Men always resorted to weapons. And Marshal with so much power! What use did he have for a sword? Seri stepped forward and waved at the nearest shadow figure. “Greetings! Welcome to Antises! Are you looking for someone?”

  The figure lunged at her, sword lifted. She barely had time to gasp and take a step back when Marshal shoved her aside and lifted his own sword to block the attack. To both their surprise, the shadow sword passed right through his.

  Marshal stood with mouth open. “It worked the last time.”

  Ixchel knelt beside her, shield and sword at the ready. “I suggest you retreat, my Lady.”

  Seri scrambled back to her feet and backed away. Why had it attacked her? Where was Forerunner, anyway? He should be talking to these things.

  The shadow warriors moved closer, spreading around Marshal and Ixchel.

  “Are our weapons of any use against them?” Ixchel asked.

  “I think I get it,” Marshal said. “The last one I fought must have had a warpsteel sword that could fight in both worlds. They don’t all have those, so our weapons don’t interact with them.”

  “What about their bodies?”

  “No idea.”

  “Let’s test it, then.”

  Ixchel dashed forward, ducked under a swing and slashed through one of the warrior’s legs. Her sword passed through, but seemed to have no impact. As she danced back, it continued to advance.

  “We don’t have warpsteel blades, either, and they’re not fully here. Still, I expected some kind of reaction.”

  “But can they hurt us?” Seri asked.

  “I’m not inclined to test that one.”

  Seri looked around, but none of the others were close. Dravid and Rufus waited with the gear downhill somewhere, and she had no idea where Forerunner and Calu had gone.

  She blinked and her vision changed. Marshal became the glowing beacon of power she had grown used to, and a few beams of light exploded from the ground in various places. The shadow warriors grew more distinct, their outlines more solid. Their appearance became more elongated and sharp, much more like Curasir than the golden-skinned people she had seen recently.

  They charged from both sides. Ixchel and Marshal tried to stand between her and them.

  Ixchel instinctively tried to block an attack with her shield. The shadow sword passed right through it and through her forearm.

  Ixchel screamed.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  VICTOR DREW HIS sword and dropped into a defensive position.

  “I am guessing this is not good,” Topleb said behind him.

  “No, not good at all. I can handle one, or maybe two. Four is not good.”

  “Then let us cut down the numbers.”

  Victor felt the rush of air as Topleb’s atlatl hurled a spear past his head. He struck true into the chest of an eidolon. But the spear passed straight through the shadowy being without any obvious effect. The spear struck another building across the street and fell to the ground.

  “Perhaps we should back into the building.”

  “I’m pretty sure walls aren’t going to stop them,” Victor said. But his mind raced. Why hadn’t the spear hurt them? The last time, when he and Talinir had fought side-by-side against them, it had been like fighting humans. Hadn’t it?

  “Come with us.” The whisper floated on the air. That was also new. Victor never heard them whisper before.

  “Come. You will serve us beneath the stars.”

  That didn’t sound pleasant.

  “Only one thing to do,” he said mostly to himself. He unleashed his flail and let it hang by his side. Then he started forward and began to swing it.

  “Try to protect those people inside!” he said over his shoulder. Then he pivoted to the right and rushed the nearest eidolon. Right before he reached it, he spun. Both flail and sword passed through the creature, neither having any impact.

  Victor felt his battle rage, as he now thought of it, begin to take effect. The tingling in his hands and feet began to swell as he approached the second eidolon. Maybe that would help his weapons have more of an effect?

  With his next spin, he took off the eidolon’s head with his sword. Or would have, if it had been solid. As his flail came around, the eidolon struck with its sword, slashing down through Victor’s upper left arm.

  Pain like he’d never experienced erupted through Victor’s arm. The pain rushed down his arm into his hand, following unknown paths beneath his skin. The flail fell from his hand without any conscious thought on his part. At the same time, the pain shot up his shoulder and into his chest. He lost control of his legs and tumbled, nearly cutting himself in half with his own sword. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything.

  Air rushed back into his lungs, and he gulped it in and tried to control the rest of his body. He managed to come to a stop, still holding his sword. He looked up and saw the four shadow warriors had followed his progress and now watched him instead of the inn. At least he could distract them. Maybe Topleb would take the villagers out the back.

  He held up his sword, his hand shaking, not from magic. He felt nothing from his left arm. It was still attached to his body, but only as a weight he couldn’t control. Again the difference. The last eidolon he fought cut his thigh, and it had bled like a normal sword wound.

  “That’s… not very fair,” he managed. He tried to get to his feet, but stumbled, unable to lean on his left arm. Since they hadn’t charged him yet, he let his sword hand drop and used it to help himself get up. He held the sword up again and took a few steps backward.

  “Come and get me.”

  Seri’s star-sight showed strange flickers of darkness running up Ixchel’s arm. She had never seen anything like it.

  Light exploded behind her. She turned in time to see one of the Gidim dissolve completely, leaving behind only Marshal’s shining sword. Shining?

  “You channeled your power through the sword? That’s brilliant!”

  “They’re vulnerable to magic!” he shouted. He pointed his palm at the others. Spiraling beams of every color of light erupted from his hand, expanding outward and slamming into all of his attackers. So that is what it looked like when a Lord used his powers! Spectacular colors filled her vision.

  The light beams shredded through the Gidim, tearing them apart. The shadowy pieces left behind dissolved in the air and faded away.

  Seri stood, mouth open in awe. “That was fantastic!” she exclaimed.

  Ixchel moaned. Seri gasped. How had she forgotten? She whirled and knelt by her friend. Her sight gave her one last glimpse of darkness in Ixchel’s left hand before that too faded away.

  Ixchel untied her shield and let it fall. “I can’t move my hand,” she said. “I can’t feel it at all!”

  Seri took Ixchel’s hand. It felt cool and stiff. She pressed against the palm. “Can you feel that?”

  Ixchel shook her head.

  “A group of shadow warriors. Eidolon,” Marshal said. Seri looked back, and saw him talking to Rufus and Dravid. They must have just arrived.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Seri said to Ixchel. “I can’t see anything wrong with it. Maybe I can get Forerunner to look at it.”

  “No.” Ixchel shook her head again.

  “Oh, come on. You know he can heal. We don’t even know if this will heal naturally at all!”

  “What is it?” Dravid asked, coming up next to them.

  “One of them cut through Ixchel’s arm,” Seri said. “She’s lost all feeling in it.”

  “They don’t like our magic,” Marshal said. “It’s good that we have so many magic-users in this group. We don’t…” He stopped. “Victor!”

  Marshal spun and raced down the hill, leaving the others behind. Seri understood. The two men sent into town had no magic of their own. They were defenseless against these creatures.

  Marshal r
aced toward the town. If they made it through this, no one should ever split off from the group without at least one magic-wielder with them. Why hadn’t he thought of that before?

  Because he didn’t know, none of them had known, that this kind of thing would happen. The eidola hadn’t shown any interest in them since the battle at the temple. What had changed?

  He tried to channel some magic through his legs to speed his run, but didn’t notice any difference. He needed to ask Seri if that was even possible. She knew so much more than he did. He needed her help.

  But right now, Victor needed his.

  He almost fell when he reached the bottom of the hill and the ground leveled out. He stumbled and waved his arms before regaining his balance and rushing on. He found the main road and followed it into the town itself.

  Victor lay on the ground, but with head lifted up. He still held his sword in the air, pointed at four eidola only a few feet away, all moving toward him. He seemed to be trying to say something, but a trickle of blood ran from his mouth. No words came with it.

  Marshal couldn’t blast at the attackers from here without hitting Victor. He yelled to get their attention. They stopped their movement and at least seemed to be looking toward him.

  He dropped his sword. He needed a wider burst right now. He vaulted over Victor, dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide, letting the power explode outward. The four shadow warriors dissolved. Did he hear screams? He thought so back at the hill, but maybe he only wanted to hear it.

  Breathing heavily, he turned back to Victor. “How you doing?”

  Victor let his own sword drop and fell back onto the road. “Did you just Bind me to you again?” His voice slurred.

  Marshal chuckled. “Come on. You know we’re stuck with each other.”

  “Best thing... ever happened to me.”

  Topleb emerged from between two buildings. Behind him, the townsfolk from the inn waited, not ready to come out in the open yet.

  “That was impressive,” Topleb said. “Next time, you go to the village, and we’ll wait in the camp.”

  “They attacked us there too.”

  “Ah.” Topleb pointed back at the villagers. “They say people have been taken.”

  “Taken? That doesn’t seem right.” Marshal knelt beside Victor. “Where did they get you?”

  With gestures and a few muttered words, Victor managed to explain. He had been slashed twice on his left arm, once on his right ankle, and stabbed twice in both thighs. Both legs and arm were useless now. Marshal had never seen anything like it, even while watching his mother work as a healer.

  “Watch out!” someone called from the watching crowd.

  Marshal looked up. The villagers all stared down the road. He turned. A lone eidolon stood in the center of the village, sword drawn.

  “Only one now?” Topleb said. “They insult you.”

  Marshal stood and retrieved his own sword. Somehow, he knew this one would be different. “You’re not welcome here!” he called. “These people are now under my protection!”

  In response, the eidolon lifted its sword and drew it down. It looked like the blade cut from one world to the other, leaving a dark gash floating in mid-air. Hands emerged through the gash, pulling it apart. And then the eidolon stepped through, transforming into one of the Eldanim.

  “Curasir?” But no. Marshal had never seen this Eldani before, though his white hair made him similar to the last one he fought.

  “Warpsteel,” Victor slurred. Marshal nodded. This one carried a different sort of sword, very powerful, like Talinir always carried. Perhaps that explained how he cut through the worlds’ barriers. Except Talinir had never shown or mentioned any such ability. It also meant Marshal couldn’t count on his blade ward to protect him.

  The Eldani spread his arms wide. “This village is mine,” he announced. “Why do you get in my way?”

  “These people are innocent,” Marshal said. “Why are you attacking them?”

  “They are human. They are not innocent.”

  Marshal took a few steps forward. “You should leave while you can. And you should return those you have taken.”

  “You do not frighten me, Marshal, son of Varion. I know who you are.”

  At the Eldani’s words, murmurs erupted among the villagers. That might be a problem.

  “Then you know I will fight you. Where are the people you took?” Marshal pointed at his foe, letting his power build up.

  “They are beyond your reach now. We needed slaves in our realm. And now that you have weakened the barriers, we can come for them any time we wish.”

  “Me?” What was he talking about?

  “You understand so little, not even the consequences of your own actions.”

  Marshal had enough of cryptic hints and taunts. He let his power flow, blasting full force at this arrogant Eldani. The ground erupted between them.

  The warpsteel sword came up, either blocking or absorbing Marshal’s attack. The torn ground came to a stop, at any rate. Curasir had done something similar in the Otherworld, now that he thought of it. How many capabilities did those swords possess?

  “It appears you do not wish to talk any longer. Then my steel will have to speak.” The Eldani rushed forward.

  Marshal dropped into his defensive stance and readied himself. Aside from some practices with Victor, he had not fought against a single opponent in weeks. But he always found the sword to be natural in his hand. He had a skill that seemed more innate than taught, though both Aelia and Talinir had drilled many lessons into his head.

  He easily shifted on his back leg and dodged the Eldani’s first swing. He hoped to immediately retaliate, but this opponent gave him no time. In fact, it only took a few more thrusts, dodges, and parries to realize he was seriously outmatched.

  Marshal wanted to use his power again, since the Eldani would not be able to block it if he kept the sword busy. But he had to focus entirely on keeping himself alive, watching the Eldani’s movement and countering them. The attacks came so fast and so frequent that defending himself took everything he had.

  Just when he thought he might not be able to prevent one more strike, one of Topleb’s spears flew in from the side and struck the Eldani in the hip. He cried out and stumbled back. Marshal took immediate advantage of the breather to unleash a burst of magic at his opponent’s other leg. The combination of attacks knocked him down.

  Topleb stepped up, atlatl ready to launch again. “Drop the sword!” he ordered. The Eldani glared at him.

  “Behind you!” Marshal cried. Another eidolon materialized behind Topleb, about to strike. Marshal blasted it apart without a thought.

  He whirled back to the Eldani. He pointed and let his power flow in repeated bursts at the enemy’s arm until the warpsteel sword fell from his hand. Marshal pointed his own sword at the Eldani’s neck.

  “You are trapped. If more of you continue to show up, I will continue to destroy them. I don’t know what that’s doing to them on the other side, but it can’t be pleasant.”

  “And you have no honor. We were engaged in single combat and—”

  “You have no place to talk of honor!” Topleb shouted. “You terrify these people and kidnap them? This is not honor!”

  “Kill me then. Let us see how your Laws react to that. What curse will you receive, I wonder?”

  Topleb leaned forward, but Marshal put a hand out. “He’s right. Now that he’s helpless, we can’t kill him.”

  “Then what should we do with him?”

  Marshal smiled. “We’ll tie him up, take care of that spear he’s got stuck in him… and then let Seri talk with him.”

  Victor, still on the ground behind them, snorted.

  Marshal bent and picked up the warpsteel sword. “But I am taking this.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

  SERI’S MOUTH DROPPED open. “Why me?”

  “Trust me on this,” Marshal said. “I think you’ll be able to get more out of him than an
y of the rest of us.”

  Seri looked to Dravid. “Is that a compliment?”

  He chuckled. “Kind of. I think Marshal respects your ability to gain information from other people.”

  Seri frowned. “All right. I’ll try. But I think Forerunner—”

  “Don’t tell Forerunner about this prisoner just yet,” Marshal interrupted. “They both come from the Otherworld. I want to see what we can learn from one before we let them together.”

  Seri looked around the village. Its people now moved freely through the streets, though many stopped and stared at their party. She and Dravid followed after Marshal, leaving the injured Ixchel with Rufus. So far, Forerunner and Calu had remained apart. She wondered what they would think once they discovered what had been going on… or if they already knew.

  “We’re going to help these people as much as we can,” Marshal said. “Topleb and I are going to carry Victor back to our camp. I’m hoping Forerunner can help him. Dravid, can you stay on top of things here until I get back?”

  Dravid looked surprised that Marshal even spoke to him. “Uh, sure. I guess.”

  “Just keep an eye on Seri and the prisoner. And if anyone asks for anything, tell them to wait for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Dravid nodded.

  Marshal hurried back to Victor. Topleb gave a slow laugh. “So much the leader he becomes now,” he said. “It is… entertaining to watch.” He followed.

  Seri watched them go for a moment, then turned to Dravid. “All right. Well, no use putting this off, I guess.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, but stay close, just in case.” She paused. “In fact, if you feel me use magic in any way, that’s a signal for you to come join me.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Seri took a deep breath and approached the empty home Marshal used to house the prisoner. She pushed open the door and entered, not sure what to expect.

  The Eldani lay on a crude bed, propped up with some pillows, hands tied in front of him. A makeshift bandage covered an injury on his hip.