Next were the windows of air. What he found in the center of the ring of fire was a series of multiple archways, and as he and Shona walked clockwise around them, they all looked as though they contained glass.
“This is very strange,” Shona said. “It’s as if there is nothing past this place.”
Alaric had noticed that as well. The glass was clear, but beyond it there was only a ball of white light, making it impossible to see if anything did exist beyond this point.
So far, at least, there had been no sign of Tane.
“Well, there has to be something in there, or all this would have no purpose,” Alaric said thoughtfully. He moved with caution, still following the sun-wise path. Behind him the flames roared, making it almost impossible to hear anything else beyond Shona’s voice. And yet, he kept getting the feeling there were other voices there. In the fire. In the earth, he had noticed them both places, and caught himself looking over a shoulder more than once.
“You’re giving me the chills doing that,” Shona said as he cast a glance back once more. “What are you expecting that you’re not telling me about?”
“Nothing,” he said. “It’s just…well I keep hearing things…”
“Voices?”
He looked at her.
“I thought I heard someone talking in an angry whisper when we crossed the bridge of water,” she said.
“And you didn’t say anything,” he said.
“Didn’t think it was important at the time,” she said with a frown. “And anyway, I didn’t want you to think I was afraid.”
“You’re not?” he marveled.
“Well…A little…”
“Me too,” he said.
They reached the northern edge of the series of arches filled with glass. Alaric took a deep breath and pushed against the nearest one as he faced south again. His hand passed through the glass as though it was not there.
“Well, here goes,” he said, and he took a deep breath in anticipation of being suffocated.
The glass was cold on his skin in spite of the heat. And for a moment, his vision blurred as though he had his eyes open underwater. It was much like the tunnel of darkness that had brought them here, he thought. The illusion of dark there had felt the same as the illusion of glass here.
But within a moment, he was through it, standing in a large circular space of pure white marble. It dazzled the eye with its brilliance, forcing him to shade his own as he peeped between fingers and tried to sort out where he was.
“Horns, these deities and their light,” Shona muttered and briefly hid her face in his shoulder.
“It is rather bright,” he agreed.
But then, his eyes adjusted as they had before, and he could see more clearly the area in which he stood.
It was a large circle of marble, surrounded by the arches of glass. From this side, however, they were clear, and he could see the ring of fire beyond them. The floor was a series of concentric circles around a central raised stump of marble that reminded Alaric of the mouth of a well. Everything was decorated with intricate marks and runes. Here, all the elements were represented. Air, Fire, Earth, Water, Sky, Stone, and some mark he did not recognize at all, but it had adorned the statue at the foot of the stairs, and bore the mark of what looked like a scales with pendulous lobes of black and white.
Cautiously, Alaric approached the central circle, ever aware he was entering a field of magic that was singing a mad song to his soul. He wanted to close his eyes and let it carry him along. But he also wanted to know what lie inside the rim of that well…
“Alaric, is something the matter?”
He turned, and she suddenly hitched back.
“What?” he asked.
“Your eyes…you’re eyes are…glowing…”
Alaric frowned. “I’ll take your word for it,” he said and turned back toward the well. Cautiously, he crossed the last circle of marks and leaned over the edge.
At first, there was nothing but light, but as he stared and squinted, he realized there was a shape within. Something long and forked and composed of…stone?
“What is it?” Shona asked. “What do you see?”
Alaric frowned. “A rock,” he said, knowing he sounded rather disappointed.
“A rock?” Shona quickly came forward to join him at the lip of the well. “It is a rock, isn’t it…”
Alaric continued to frown. Was this what he had risked his life for? A rock? He leaned over the edge of the well and stretched a finger towards it.
Fire leapt to his hand, cold as death and filled with rage. With a cry, Alaric jerked back. “Horns!” he hissed as his knees gave, dropping him to sit on the floor. Darkness. He felt darkness in the thing, and a sentient life that was filled with rage, and it was trying to suck him into it.
“Alaric?” Shona cried and reached out to seize his arm, lowering herself at his side.
“Not a sword,” he said. “Not a sword at all…Fenelon will be so disappointed.”
“What?” she said. “You’re sputtering nonsense.”
“It’s not a sword,” Alaric said. “It’s not even stone. It’s…alive…”
Shona pushed his hair from his eyes.
“Of course, it’s alive,” a familiar voice said.
Alaric gasped and turned. Shona was on her feet more quickly than he.
Standing at the entrance to the archway of air was Vagner. The demon looked sad, and not without good reason. In front of him was a figure that still haunted Alaric’s dreams.
“Tane!” Alaric shouted and lunged forward.
Tane put forth a hand and hissed, and Alaric went head on into a solid block of air. The force threw him back down.
“Alaric!” Shona cried and threw herself down at his side as he rubbed his forehead. Well, at least he had not hit his nose this time, he thought glumly.
“And I owe you a debt of gratitude for leading me to what I desire,” Tane said. “The Dragon’s Tongue is exactly that…it is the tongue of the Dark Mother herself. And with it, I am now going to rule the world…”
“Not if I have anything to say,” Alaric hissed and lunged to his feet again. This time, he got most of the way to the bloodmage before Tane lashed across with a hand and spoke the words of a spell. An invisible backhand tossed Alaric off to one side. He hit one of the arches and did not rise as his head spun madly.
“Vagner, kill them,” Tane said.
“I cannot kill him,” the demon replied.
“What?” Tane said and turned.
“I am bound to him, remember?” Vagner said. “I cannot kill him.”
“Oh, very well,” Tane said. He turned towards Alaric who was struggling to get back on his feet. “I’ll deal with him myself. Bas saighead buail…”
“No!” Shona screamed.
Alaric had just charged to his feet as she came running in his direction. Too late, he saw the death bolt leaping from Tane’s finger. Before he could warn Shona to stop, she crossed the distance into its path. The mage bolt caught her high in the back and threw her into Alaric’s arms…
“Shona?” he cried. “Shona!”
She looked at him, her face a mask of uncertainty. Then her eyes closed as she sagged against him, and her weight forced him to the ground.
“Shona, no,” he whispered, clutching her to him. But she remained limp in his arms, and he could feel life ebbing from her limbs. “No, Shona, please don’t die…I won’t let you die!”
But there was nothing he could do except to hold her.
SIXTY ONE
Alaric’s agony swept into Vagner, filling the demon with the sweet pain of remorse. While as a demon, he did not know true grief, he felt Alaric’s all the same, and it turned something inside the demon, opening feelings he had never borne before. Demons did not cry, he told himself, but there were tears on his cheeks, hot and salty as any a human could bear.
“Oh, how utterly sad and pathetic,” Tane said with a sneer. “Vagner, fetch the Dragon’s
Tongue while I finish off this foolish love-struck bard for good…”
Vagner hesitated.
“Well?” Tane snapped and glared at the demon. “What are you waiting for, monster?”
Vagner frowned. “I want no part of this, Tane. Kill me if you wish, but you can fetch the damned tongue yourself…”
“Disobey me, will you, monster!” Tane snarled and lashed at Vagner through his True Name.
The demon felt little more than a sting, but it was more than enough to give fire to his own rage.
“You!” the demon hissed. “You are the only monster here. You would destroy everyone and everything in your path just so you can be a god. Well, I will not help you. Fetch the tongue yourself, if you can.”
“What do you mean, if I can?” Tane snarled and rushed toward the well. “Very well, I will fetch it for myself, and bring the wrath of Na’Sgailean on you as well as the rest…”
But as Tane’s foot crossed the outermost of the six concentric circles that marked the floor around the well, rings of light rose. And as he touched the well itself, lightning struck him from the rim and threw him back. He landed on the ground, cursing in anger and pain.
“You and I are not meant to be here,” Vagner said. “Remember? The magic does not like us, and you have destroyed your one chance to gain that precious artifact.”
Tane crawled to his feet and glanced across the way where Alaric knelt, holding Shona close.
“Not yet, I haven’t,” Tane said. “Bring him here…”
“I cannot hurt him, remember,” the demon said. “You will have to fetch him yourself.”
“Pah!” Tane snapped and started around the circle’s edge. “Then leave, demon, for I have no more use for you.”
“Just like that?” Vagner said and moved into Tane’s path. “What happen to all of your glorious and terrible threats, manling?
“Get out of my way,” Tane said. “I need him to fetch the tongue, and you are not going to stop me.”
“I will not let you hurt him,” the demon snarled
With that, Vagner increased his size so he towered over Tane. The bloodmage merely frowned up at the demon.
“I am not the least impressed, and you will not stop me,” Tane said.
Once more, he lashed again at Vagner through the demon’s True Name, and this time, the pain penetrated to the core. Vagner shrieked in rage and went to his knees, crying, “Alaric, help me! Make me kill him, Alaric”
“Help you kill me?” Tane said through gritted teeth. “He cannot help you, demon. He is no match for me…He has neither the power nor the knowledge to use you against me.”
“He may not have the power on his own, Dark One, but I do…” Alaric suddenly said.
The voice—the very inflection of the words—was not Alaric at all. Vagner managed to turn his head and look over his shoulder as Alaric gently laid Shona on the stones and rose to his feet. The youth stretched forth his hand, and Vagner could see the essence of the “other” in the fire that filled Alaric’s eyes. It was not just Alaric’s essence that took command now, but that of Ronan Tey. He wove a protective spell that rushed over demon in a torrential flood. Tane’s bond was melted away with cool relief, as Ronan and Alaric ripped away the last of Tane’s painful control.
“No!” Tane said. “This cannot be. You are dead!”
“And Alaric set me free of the bondage to which you condemned me,” Ronan said. “He has been my host since that night in the keep where you would have left him for dead. And now, the time has come for my revenge.”
“No!” Tane snapped, and ripping at the demon’s essence, he shouted, “Saighiud buail!”
An arrow of power launched itself across the way. “Adhar gleidh,” Ronan said, and the bolt was deflected harmlessly.
“This cannot be! I will have the Dragon’s Tongue, and you will not stop me…”
“By your True Name, Vagner, we order you to destroy Tane,” Ronan said, and a vengeful smile curled Alaric’s lip.
Vagner stood upright and smiled malevolently as he turned back to Tane.
“Your turn,” the demon said.
“No!” Tane shouted and called a bolt of lightning, casting it at Vagner as the demon lunged for the bloodmage. Vagner dodged the bolt and continued at Tane. From the corner of his eye, he saw the bolt fly high and strike the far walls of the cavern. There was a blast and a crumble of stone as a section of the wall fell in from the funnel of the volcano.
“I am your master,” the bloodmage said, backing around the circle to keep the distance to cast spells on his side.
“I have two other masters,” Vagner said with a sneer. “And they two are more powerful than the one. Oh, you have no idea how long I have dreamed and hoped for this moment.”
Vagner lunged again, raking at the bloodmage with claws. Tane shifted directions, drawing a small dagger from his boot and shouting the words of a spell. The dagger blade suddenly elongated into a sword, and he lashed at the demon’s claws. Vagner moved out of range, sensing the magic in the blade. My True Name is in that spell. By the Barbed One’s Tail Hook. The blade was demon-marked.
“Ha, not so brave now are you, demon.” Tane said and charged.
Now it was Vagner who retreated as the blade lashed at him, seeking some target. The demon did not even dare strike back, for if that blade severed so much as a single claw, the demon would be destroyed. He could do nothing more than dodge and flee as he was forced into the concentric circles where the light still glowed. With a cry, the demon drew his darkness closer and thicker, for the light was trying to burn him.
“Now, you will fetch me the Dragon’s Tongue!” Tane shouted, “or I will make haggis out of you, monster…”
“No,” Vagner hissed through his pain. Oh, yes, there was pain. The blinding pain of white light grew stronger as he approached. But he could not get away, and as he neared the well, those jags of lightning lashed at him as well. He was thrown back towards Tane who readied his blade.
“Not so fast, Tane!” Ronan called in Alaric’s voice, and a blade of fire, solid as any steel, cut across the path and parried the demon-marked blade.
Tane turned to counter too late. Try as he did to cut down the youth now lunging at him, Tane missed, and the blade of fire slashed across his extended wrist. He screamed as it was severed and cauterized by the fiery steel. The demon-marked blade clattered to the ground with his hand still clutching the hilt, and shifted back into a dagger.
“Go ahead, kill me!” Tane snarled, clutching his stump to his chest.
“Ah, as much as we would like to, Tane, we do think there is another who has a more powerful claim to that task…” He stepped away and smiled. “Vagner…”
“No!” Tane shouted and struggled to rise, but Vagner was already there. The demon’s tail lashed out and seized up the bloodmage, jerking him off the ground and bringing him closer. The poisonous barb hovered just inches from Tane’s face. “No, you cannot!” Tane snapped and raised his single hand, calling pain with Vagner’s True Name. The demon stiffened as it lashed at him and coursed through him, but for every nerve Tane stroked, Ronan countered with soothing strength. “No!” Tane called. “Dealanach mhor buail!”
He had aimed the lightning at the demon’s head, and it was by the merest of fractions the demon dodged it. The bolt was tremendous, and even as it skimmed past, Vagner felt the sting of it. But he would not let its presence deter him. His jaws suddenly spread wide and closed over Tane’s head. There was a muffled shriek before Vagner bit down hard. Ah, warm flesh and life, he thought, and let his hunger rule as he swallowed Tane whole.
But Tane’s death did not stop that bolt from crashing into the top of the arches, and where it struck there was a sudden explosion of marbled stone. Pieces shot high into the air, striking the fragile walls of the inner column of the volcano shell. And suddenly there was an ominous rumble.
Horns, not again, Vagner thought and turned. Looks like it is time to get out of here.
> ~
Alaric was in a trance. When Shona took the bolt meant for him, it was all he could do to think. Then Ronan’s presence came over him like a wave, pushing and prodding and filling Alaric’s senses with that cinnamon bitterness so that Alaric had no choice in his weakened state to do anything but release Shona and rise to face Tane.
The rest was a blur, though he felt sure Ronan was behind it all. Ronan was awake and in command, and Alaric was a sleepwalker, working in tandem with the bard yet unable to control his own body. And Ronan…his essence burned with rage that felt inhuman. Alaric was sure Ronan had gone against Tane with some sort of blade the bard had called from the essence of this place. I certainly could not have done that.
But now, the world was starting to shake, and it grew harder to stay on his feet.
“Damn,” Ronan whispered. “This was not supposed to happen…”
“What?” Alaric asked.
“We better leave…”
Leaving sounded good. Alaric took charge once more, pushing the bard’s essence back and stumbling over to Shona’s side. She had yet to move, and as near as he could tell, she wasn’t breathing. He was about to kneel down and lift her when a claw seized him around the middle.
“Time to go, little master,” Vagner said.
“No, wait, we can’t leave her…and what about Tane?”
“Tane was not as tasty as I hoped, but he went down better than that little monster on the cliffs, and I have no intention of leaving Shona here…” The demon lifted her in his other arm.
“But…we can’t just leave. The Dragon’s Tongue…”
“Is going to be difficult for anyone to reach, I imagine,” the demon said.
Alaric looked up. The rumbling had increased, and great chunks of the wall of the volcano were starting to fall inward. The light of the platforms increased in intensity, and rocks seemed to bounce off an invisible shield of air.
Dragon's Tongue: Book One of the Demon-Bound Page 47