Kings of Ghumai- The Complete series Box Set

by D N Meinster

  "All Andrant had left was a shield. Any other man would have given up or begged for mercy. But in spite of the blood squirting from his wrist, he kept on fighting. With only a shield, he disarmed his foes and beat them down until none could ever be a threat to him again. From that day onward, Andrant only ever fought with a shield. And it was all he needed."

  Yveen's yellow eye bore deep. "I can tell that story affected you. It's why you only fight with a shield, right?"

  Doren nodded. He knew he hadn't told it as well as his father used to. Maybe when he returned home, he'd get to hear it again. But, at the very least, Yveen got the gist.

  "I think we understand each other better now, young Prince."

  "There is an addendum, if you don't mind."

  "Go on, then," Yveen encouraged him.

  "The young Prince Doren Tunsev was inspired by Andrant's story. He would practice with a shield even when his father urged him to take up a sword. Two decks ago, Thalians returned to Kytheras. When it came time to fight, Doren retrieved his shield and chased after the ancient fanatics. He, along with two friends, took on these Thalians, including the Grand Mage Hatswick, and came out victorious." Doren returned her gaze. "So tell me, what chance does a Lady of Faunli stand against such a trio?"

  Yveen didn't have an opportunity to respond, for the raiders under her command began screaming.

  Doren searched among them for Rikki or Aros, but he didn't see them. That would have been perfect timing. He only saw that the men had been set aflame, and were running from their campfires.

  Yveen rose up and took the mace from her belt. She ran toward the source of the commotion: someone in an orange cloak.

  Chapter Twenty

  Abyss

  "Shifting is all about being in two places at once. You only need to make one of those places fade away, and then you'll be in the other."

  Grace's words repeated in Rikki's mind as the last bit of light faded away and she was once again consumed by darkness. She thought of nothing else, concentrating on each word of the best advice she'd ever been given by a fellow mage. She couldn't let any part of that conversation fall into the recesses of her memory. It was all that she truly knew about shifting, and it was her only way to escape the abyss.

  Did it know she had returned? Was it out there now, watching her? Rikki's palms were sweating profusely as she thought of that eerie presence she had hoped to never face again. She spun in every direction, expecting a clue to its whereabouts despite the unrelenting blackness. There was nothing to see, but she dared not light her staff again, for fear of summoning it to her location. If it was not nearby, then leaving would be a cinch.

  Rikki took in a few controlled breaths to try and control her fear. Her mind had to be clear if she was going to make it back to the Faunli she had left. She wiped each hand on her dress to clear away the moisture and tried to make her mind as empty as her surroundings.

  She had to be in two places at once. She was here, but she was also in Faunli with Doren. Rikki reiterated this to herself until she was convinced. All she had to do was make one of those locations fade away.

  "It can leave," a voice in the darkness said, breaking her concentration.

  Rikki let out a soft whine. She had been so close to departing.

  "It will take us with it."

  "I certainly will not," Rikki told it. She held out her staff with one hand and touched the other to her necklace. Both lit up at the same time, enlightening her immediate area. If she were to see what this thing was, she was confident she'd be less afraid of it.

  Whatever it was, it was out of range of her lights. She had merely given it a better look at herself. "What are you?" Rikki demanded to know.

  "It will take us," it said back with more menace.

  Rikki urged the light of her crystals to become brighter and brighter. It didn't matter if she might blind herself. She had to know what this being threatening her was.

  No matter how intense the radiance was, she couldn't see it. Finally, when all she could make out was the bright light, she let the crystals dim.

  It took a moment for her eyes to readjust. But when they did, that was when she saw it. It was not a corporeal entity at all, but more of a swirling mist; a white cloud that could move of its own volition. It was a narrow funnel, expanding as it made its way toward her; stretching out as it neared its target.

  Rikki had seen something like this before, when Hatswick had ripped it out of Leidess' body. It was a soul; cleaner and shinier than the one she had viewed before, but similar in composure. What was it doing here in the dark? Why had it not moved on to the Great Bastion? Rikki might have asked it if it wasn't reaching out for her.

  She hopped back and gripped her staff with both hands. How was she supposed to combat a soul? Hatswick had been able to manipulate one. He had forced its essence into his replicated keys. But where could she possibly send it? There was nothing but herself and the soul in this abyss.

  Rikki jabbed her staff forward and urged the soul back. A gust of wind escaped her staff and blew the soul away from her position. Though it could no longer seize her, it was also out of her sights.

  "I know what you are," she said. "I know you are someone's soul."

  It did not respond to her in any way. It did not rush at her or speak. Had she blown it far enough away? This seemed an ideal time to shift.

  Rikki took a slow breath to calm her nerves and listened as Grace spoke those ever-important instructions to her once more.

  Two places at once. Here and Faunli.

  Something was on her feet. It was invading her shoes and weighing down her ankles. A slight tickle shot up her leg.

  Rikki looked down and saw the white cloud shrouding her feet. As it circled the area where she was standing, it gradually climbed up her legs until both limbs were lost behind the mist.

  "You are a soul!" she shouted as she slammed the bottom of her staff into its form. But the cloud enwrapped the staff and then her arms. "You are not my soul! Stay away from me!"

  This soul was not listening. It bound her entire body in its loose mass and then started to swallow up her neck and chin. Rikki held her breath as it got closer to her mouth and nose. She knew she couldn't let it in.

  But it was over her mouth now. It was on top of her nose. It could get in through her ears. She wanted her hands to reach up and cover them, but she was paralyzed. Not an inch of her could move as the cloud completely overcame her.

  She didn't see the blackness anymore. There was only a misty white before her eyes. And she could see nothing else, for the soul would not let her close them.

  It climbed in each ear, and when she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she breathed in the loose substance that constituted this soul. She was helpless as it floated up her nose and sped down her throat. If it had been any thicker, she certainly would have choked to death.

  It was becoming arduous to string the words together in her mind. Each thought was an effort as she made to decipher this soul's plans. It wanted to take over her body. But more than that, it wanted to replace her soul. She couldn't let that happen.

  Yet she was helpless. Her magic, her staff, and her necklace were all ineffective against this being. She wanted to cry out for Magenine's assistance. But could the Goddess even reach this place?

  The soul was poking through her memories. It was calling up instances in her lives. Hatswick's face flashed in her mind. Echoes of his scolding after her escape attempts rang out. Then Milo's face appeared. They were studying together in the library. King Halstrom was passing by, giving her a nod in acknowledgment. She was riding Mirabelle around the stables. And then Doren. They were together.

  No, these memories were private. This soul could not have them. She compelled it to abandon its intrusion, and suddenly different faces flashed before her mind. Faces she had never seen before. These were the soul's memories! She did not recognize the men and women with golden eyes. But some of their environments were familiar. This sou
l was from Faunli. How had it wound up here?

  As if to answer, another face appeared. Its eyes were dancing flames. Its goatee shaped into a perfect triangle. Neanthal. She had seen this face before, but never had it looked so alive. And then she saw him rip a soul from a body and send it here. She knew the person who he had removed it from, too. Jient.

  Now, Rikki's memories returned, and her interactions with Jient played in her head.

  "You know us," the soul spoke to her.

  The fog in her head lifted, and the mist pulled out of her nose and mouth. It's clamp on her body loosened and her limbs tingled as they sprang back to life.

  Rikki's coughing fit commenced as soon as the cloud evacuated from her innards. She spat and heaved so as to get any that remained out of her.

  "You will unite us," the soul said, which was less of a threat and more of a question.

  Rikki wasn't able to answer until her hacking and hemming subsided. When she caught her breath and noticed that she was still surrounded by the cloud, she said, "I will, if you promise to never do that again."

  "We promise," it said.

  She didn't like the idea of bringing this soul back to Faunli, but it wasn't an inherently malevolent being. It had been abused by the Beast; left here for an apparent eternity. And the man it belonged to still lived. He may have been a Thalian, but from what she saw, he had had no choice. How could she not provide him with a chance for penance?

  Rikki stretched out her left arm. "You will need to hold on while I do this."

  From the mist, a formless cloud sprang out until it took the shape of a hand. It latched onto her staff and waited.

  Now was the time. She called up Grace's words and made sure to follow them precisely.

  She was in this abyss and Faunli. Her Faunli, where Doren and Aros awaited. But then she directed herself to leave the darkness. She would only be in Faunli. And as she decided that, the dark place faded away and the bright landscape of her world faded into view.

  The lights on the channeling crystals went out as they were no longer necessary. It was nearing dusk, but there was enough sunlight to reveal her environment. Jient's soul was hanging onto Rikki, as if it were afraid to leave her side.

  "Let go now," Rikki insisted. "We're here."

  "What if you are all that is keeping us together?" the soul whispered.

  "I can't travel around Faunli with you like this," she replied. The cloud was circling her, obscuring most of her line of sight.

  "We know," it said, and the speed at which if flew away startled Rikki.

  The mist disappeared from sight as it sailed across the plain. Rikki wondered if it was going to search for Jient on its own. She hoped so because there was someone else she needed to find. But before she could start, she needed to make sure she was where she was supposed to be.

  Without the soul around, Rikki had a clear view of her surroundings. There was plenty of grass, there always was in Faunli, and a smattering of bushes here and there. She did not see the village that they were near when she had shifted away, or any settlement for that matter. There were no people or noticeable animals either; only the occasional insect shot by.

  Rikki searched in the distance for mountains. She saw none, but she didn't see Oblivion either. She must have been too far away. Her eyes next locked onto the sky, as she waited in anticipation for a post bird to soar overhead. Her heart skipped when she spotted something, but it was only a goose.

  She kept her gaze above until the sun had almost completely set. There was no sign of a post bird, and she considered that a strong enough observation to assume she was where she intended to be. Rikki allowed herself a moment to smile and let the tenseness flow out of her back and shoulders.

  Doren was out there. So was Aros. She hoped they hadn't fought again, with each other, or with Sarin. Or even the Roamers. She sighed. There was too much fighting going on. When she found her friends, she was going to force them to confront how they were feeling toward each other and come to terms. They had to remain strong as a team if they were going to take on any more Thalians.

  Rikki wondered how much time may have passed here since she left. It was still going to be possible to heal the wounds that had formed between them, right? Hopefully it was only a day or two, and not a deck or two.

  She knew one thing for sure: she hadn't slept since she shifted out of here. Rikki held out her staff and the grass began to grow tall and weave into the other blades. She constructed a hut big enough for only one and slipped inside.

  Tomorrow she was going to find her friends. Searching for them would be easy. She could shift now.

  A ruffling outside caused the overwrought sensation to return. Rikki poked her head and her staff through the woven grass and sought the source of the disturbance.

  Rubbing up against the hut was a denhare. It whistled a couple times as it smacked against Rikki's temporary shelter.

  "What are you doing here?" Rikki asked it.

  When it noticed her head sticking out, it ran up to her and stared into her eyes. Rikki stared right back. The denhare's eyes were almost completely white, like a mist had taken over.

  Rikki couldn't contain her chortle. The soul had stolen itself a denhare.

  It whistled at her again until she finally acted. Rikki reached out and dragged the denhare inside the hut. Although it may have once frightened her, the denhare was nothing but cute. She snuggled up to it as she waited to fall asleep. As reluctant as she had been to bring the soul along, at this point she didn't mind the company.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Peransic

  1 D.R.

  Peransic's chain dangled loosely from one of his many belts, while his sickle remained tightly strapped to his left leg until he was ready for the battle to commence. Both weapons were shades more solid than their owner, whose translucent figure made for an odd choice to be leading a more opaque army. But Peransic had proven himself to his master. The blame for their loss during the Early War could not be placed on him.

  Peransic sneered at the very thought of Magenine's prior victory. The Goddess had somehow defeated a god far superior to Her. It continued to boggle him whenever he considered the outcome. Neanthal was on the verge of victory, when a last-second turnaround changed the course of the war and ended with his banishment along with all those who had followed him. She had sent them all into the Pit and expected them to never emerge. Well, they had. And they were no longer on Her divine turf.

  Ghumai was no paradise. Its inhabitants were fleshy mortals with mediocre intelligence and a propensity for conquering each other. They were easy targets, and their eventual subjugation and recruitment were merely a precursor for the events to come. But She would know what they were doing and would work tirelessly to stop it. However, She could not show Her face here. She could try to pull the strings of Her puppets but it wouldn't be enough. They had the upper hand.

  The physical world presented limitations that Peransic had completely forgotten about. It had been eons since he had relocated from here to the Great Bastion. He couldn't remember the name of the world he was from, but it certainly wasn't Ghumai. He had no recollections of friendships that may have once prospered, and no one had sought him out in their afterlife. He only knew his devotion for Neanthal now. And the name of the species he belonged to had slipped out of his mind. He resembled a human, but he wasn't one. And he certainly wasn't Ifta.

  Peransic observed the swarming mass he was leading. The locals had taken to calling the dark creatures Massku, but he had always known them as Ifta. Neanthal had forged the demibeasts from his own soul, giving life to creations made in his own image like any god would. His original attack depended on these creatures, but when the Early War broke out, the Ifta joined him. They were a tall, human-like race, but when they agreed to fight for Neanthal, he gave them hefty armor and power beyond any that Magenine could offer. The Ifta fought well with the demibeasts. In fact, they were so synchronized that Peransic referred to them all c
ollectively as the Ifta.

  He remained unsure as to why the Ifta defied Magenine to join Her enemy. Peransic had tried asking, but they were not a talkative bunch. He admired their prowess in war, and gladly led them, but he would never knowingly turn his back on them. For all he knew, they could change allegiances on a whim.

  The only one that Peransic would ever have faith in was Neanthal. It was on his orders that he had come here with the Ifta. Neanthal wanted those walls to come down, so Peransic would oblige.

  They were only paces away. He had never seen walls built so high out of material so durable. The metal could repel their swords and squash their arrows. There were no signs of weakness in the construction, and no easily identifiable way to break in. With lesser forces, the city of Cortex would be impenetrable. But these weren't Ghumaic simpletons. This was Neanthal's army. The Bellish didn't stand a chance.

  How peculiar that Ghumai's brightest individuals had been packed away to the farthest reaches of their minute continent. They had locked themselves away, believing they were all safe from harm. All their time was spent on scientific endeavors, none of which were believed to include any form of weaponry. In moments, they would regret that choice.

  Peransic raised his arm, preparing to give the order. The plated Ifta stood incredibly still, awaiting the command. But the demibeasts were antsy. They would tackle and bite each other until they received instruction. Their growling and chomping were not effectual for stealth missions, but for general strikes, there were no creatures more vicious or effective.