The Raven's Shadow: The Aegis of Merlin Book 4

by James E. Wisher

  “Never underestimate the power of denial,” Conryu said. “Look at me. A year ago I would have denied the possibility of even being a wizard. Now here I am running around trying to save a city that wants to kill me to protect themselves and using a ton of magic to do it. My protests to the contrary didn’t make much impact on reality.”

  Jonny winced. Talk about bitter. He’d never heard Conryu say anything like that.

  They rolled up and parked behind a white hearse. “What now?” Jonny asked.

  “Now I portal in, track down the second box, and deal with whatever protections are waiting.”

  “Cool.” Jonny unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door.

  “We’ll wait here,” Kelsie said.

  “What?” Jonny must have misunderstood. “We can’t just sit here.”

  “Conryu will need to expend extra power to protect us. It’ll be safer for everyone if we stay behind and keep watch on the funeral home. Does this model have a built-in phone?”

  Jonny tapped the touchscreen. “Yeah.”

  “Conryu can just call us to pick him up when it’s done.”

  “I’ll be quick.” Conryu slid out of the car and chanted in that weird language that made Jonny’s skin crawl just listening to it.

  One of those black disks appeared and he was gone.

  Jonny twisted around and stared at Kelsie. “What’s the idea? We’re supposed to be helping him.”

  Her pretty lips gave a sad twist. “We are helping him. Staying out of Conryu’s way is the best thing we can do. My magic is too weak to make a difference and you don’t have any at all. Every bit of power he doesn’t have to expend protecting us is that much more he’ll have to fight with.”

  “He’s my best friend. Just sitting here while he goes into danger makes me sick.”

  “I know. I love him too.”

  5

  The Second Box

  Conryu left Jonny and Kelsie behind and entered the endless darkness of Hell. Cerberus appeared beside him and Conryu laid a hand on the demon dog’s massive flank. Power flowed into him.

  He looked up at Cerberus’s panting heads. “Thanks.”

  Prime flew up out of his grasp. “That’s part of a guardian demon’s job, to protect you when you’re weak. Or in this case to loan you a little extra power so you hopefully won’t need protecting. It is good that you left the others behind. The girl understands and your other friend will as well.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Conryu turned his focus on Cerberus. “Okay, boy, time to hunt. Just like before.”

  Cerberus barked and began sniffing. It took a little longer this time as Conryu wasn’t right at the site of the missing box, but soon enough Cerberus was running through the dark with Conryu on his back. Seconds passed before Cerberus pulled up and growled.

  A little ways ahead of them a trio of raven-winged demons flew around a central point. The demons turned crimson eyes on them, but didn’t attack.

  “Corvus demons,” Prime said. “Bound to protect that location. Our enemy has taken added precautions.”

  “How strong are they?” The demons had skinny arms and legs that ended in talons and emaciated bodies covered in thick feathers.

  “Not overly, as demons go, but they’re fast. Cerberus will have difficulty killing them. Fortunately, they’re so weak they have no hope of causing him real harm. Under normal circumstances even a large group of Corvus demons would flee at Cerberus’s approach. This lot has been bound so they have no choice but to fight.”

  “So it’s a delaying tactic.”

  “Most likely, Master.”

  “Well, we don’t have time to waste. Prime, keep your distance.” He patted Cerberus. “Ready, boy?”

  The growl deepened, vibrating Conryu’s legs. He took that as a yes.

  “Go!”

  Cerberus lunged toward the demons, causing them to scatter. One swung wide and tried to come at them from the rear.

  Conryu threw his hand out. “All things burn to ash, Inferno Blast!”

  The stream of flames forced the Corvus to swing out wider. Cerberus raced after another of the demons, which beat its wings furiously to stay clear of three snapping jaws.

  Another stream of fire forced the demon to flinch left. The sideways movement slowed it just enough for Cerberus’s head on that side to bite down on its leg.

  Cerberus gave a great shake and ripped the limb off. Reddish-black ichor gushed out as the demon spiraled down and out of sight, whether dead or dying Conryu didn’t know.

  They skidded to a stop and spun. Through the fight and wild movements Conryu never felt in danger of losing his seat on the demon dog’s back. Some additional magic he didn’t understand must have held him in place.

  The Corvus demons came in from above, one to the left and one to the right, as they raced back toward the box’s hiding place. Conryu raised both hands and pictured flames coming from them. “Inferno Blast!”

  Twin streams of flame surged out. He missed the one on the left, but burned a wing off the one on the right. It spiraled out of control and disappeared into the darkness. That left one more. “After him, boy.”

  All three heads barked in unison as Cerberus put on a burst of speed. The terrified-looking Corvus tried to flee, but after a certain distance it was like it hit a wall and veered sharply right. For the second time, the turn did in their prey.

  Cerberus snagged a wing with each of his outer heads and bit down on the demon’s body with his central head. Several wet crunches later the remains of the Corvus vanished in a puff of noxious smoke.

  Conryu scratched between the central head’s ears. With Cerberus’s help he’d only had to use a minimal amount of power. The demon dog groaned and padded over to the point where the trail ended. Conryu hopped off. “Good job, boy.”

  Prime flew over to join them. “You two fought well together.”

  “Thanks. Let’s have a look at what we’re dealing with this time. Grant me the power to see through realms, Vision Gate!”

  The window into the mortal realm appeared in the darkness. An identical box sat on an identical pedestal in a very similar-looking stretch of sewer. He guided the window around the vicinity. There were six shadow beasts that resembled lions guarding this location along with a dead guy dressed like a biker.

  “What do you make of him?” Conryu asked.

  Cerberus growled and Prime said, “Just looking at it I’d say zombie, but why would anyone bother with adding such a weak creature to the mix? A single shadow beast would be more effective than a dozen zombies.”

  The three of them watched the odd collection of monsters for another minute as Conryu tried to think of a good way to deal with so many enemies. The shadow beasts didn’t hold up at all well against his fire blasts, but he had no idea how tough the new monster was.

  “Suggestions?” he asked.

  “We don’t have enough information, Master.”

  He shrugged. They’d just have to go in and do their best, the same as always. “Will Cloak of Darkness offer me any protection from the shadow beasts?”

  “Yes, the creatures are basically pure magic given a sort of life. The spell should offer as much protection against them as against the fire cats you trained against.”

  “Should?”

  “With magic nothing is certain.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  Terra closed the lid on the box. The material that remained of the artifact was fascinating. Her preliminary tests indicated it was crystalized necroplasma. How many lives had Mercia sacrificed to create her artifacts and their various protections? Not nearly as many as she intended to slaughter if the Society’s demands weren’t met, that was certain.

  As horrible as it was to summon a horde of monsters and set them loose in the city, it somehow seemed even worse to intentionally murder someone and use their life force in a magical ritual. Maybe it was the personal nature of the act.

  Orin was talking and Terra wrenched her focus
back to the problem at hand.

  “It’s clear to me now that the people advising the mayor aren’t who they claim to be,” the chief said. “As I see it we have two choices: We can try to figure out who they are or we can challenge them directly and expose them in front of the mayor.”

  “I’ve done all I can as far as research goes,” Lin said. “Our next move is to contact Central and talk to whoever handled the primary vetting.”

  Orin shook his head. “If the job was as sloppy as you say then whoever did it may be working with our imposters.”

  “If that’s the case then our only recourse is confrontation,” Lin said. “Where’s Clair? I haven’t seen her all day.”

  “She’s locked up in her casting chamber meditating and trying to restore her magic.” Terra shook her head. The poor woman was obsessed with getting her power back. Terra had tried to tell Clair that only time would set things right, but that didn’t reassure the impatient wizard. “As she is now Clair would only be in the way.”

  “So it’s just us?” Orin asked.

  “We are not without resources.” Terra met Shizuku’s gaze and received a faint nod. “Two wizards along with Lin’s magic gun are a potent combination. Besides, they only brought two guards.”

  “No sense wasting time.” The chief started toward the door.

  He only managed two steps before Shizuku laid a hand on his shoulder. “You and Maria should stay here. We’ll return when it’s safe.”

  “This is my responsibility,” Orin said.

  “Yes, dear, but if it comes to a fight it’ll be better if we don’t have to worry about the two of you.” Shizuku turned to Conryu’s father. “Sho, maybe you too—”

  “These people are hunting my son. I will join you.”

  Terra had never been the fearful sort, but when she heard Sho Koda speak in that tone, a chill ran down her back. His expression never flickered, but if pure, cold rage had a sound it was Sho’s voice.

  Shizuku must have heard it too. “Alright, the four of us then.”

  Orin dug his access card out of his pocket and handed it to Shizuku. “This will open any door in the building. My lock code is our anniversary plus Maria’s birth month. Be careful.”

  Shizuku kissed him and nodded. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

  Terra wished she had someone to kiss goodbye. She glanced at Lin, but he was checking his weapon. Sho stood and led the way to the door. Terra had never seen anyone move that smoothly. He reminded her of a hunting cat, all power and balance.

  Outside the office Terra assumed the lead, heading towards the stairs. The conference room was two floors below them. At the landing she opened the door a crack and peeked out. The two guards were standing on either side of the entrance.

  She could take them out with magic easily enough, but if either of the imposters were disguised wizards they’d sense it. “There are two guards. No way we can sneak past them.”

  “I will deal with them.” Sho slipped out into the hall, not giving her a chance to stop him.

  He strode toward the guards, making no effort to conceal his approach, not that there was anywhere he could have hidden were he so inclined. As he moved closer, the nearest guard, a big, broad-shouldered man whose suit was at least one size too small, stepped away from the wall and raised his hand.

  “You can’t come any closer, sir. Please turn back now.”

  Sho darted in, grabbed the guard’s extended hand, and twisted it. The joint locked. Sho stepped closer and drove his elbow into the side of the guard’s head. He wouldn’t have gone down any harder if he’d been hit with an ax.

  The second guard went for his gun. The pistol came out just in time for Sho to grab the barrel and wrench it to the side. Terra heard his trigger finger snap from the stairwell. Sho jerked the pistol from the guard’s maimed hand and cracked him upside the head with it, sending a second body to the floor.

  Sho looked her way and motioned the group to join him in the hall.

  Conryu conjured a pair of fire globes then opened the portal thirty yards up the tunnel from where the guardians congregated. That should give him time to react to whatever they did. The instant he emerged, four of the shadow lions charged straight at him while the other two ran the opposite way. The dead biker thing just stood beside the pedestal.

  “All things burn to ash, Inferno Blast!” The flames streamed down the tunnel at the charging monsters. One was obliterated instantly. One got singed and the remaining two avoided any damage by leaping up and running along the ceiling.

  He waved his hand back and forth, up and down, trying to burn them all away. This bunch was more nimble than the hounds and he only destroyed one more before they forced him to backpedal.

  “By my will be bound, oh child of Hell. Your thoughts are my thoughts, your desires, my desires, Domination!”

  The surviving shadow beasts shuddered as the spell settled over them.

  “Stop!”

  They went rigid. Conryu let out the breath he’d been holding.

  “Master, the other two are coming from behind us.”

  Clever things. He focused his will on his bound servants. “Kill the approaching beasts.”

  The shadow lions fought him for a second, but his magic held. Baring black fangs they charged past him down the tunnel.

  “Can shadow beasts actually destroy each other?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine, Master. I’ve never heard of them fighting one another. Their hatred is reserved for the living. Rending shadowy flesh will give them no pleasure.”

  “Well let’s at least hope they can keep the others busy. Somehow I think I’ll need all my focus if I want to beat this new guy. Keep an eye on the kitties and let me know if they finish up before I do.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Conryu left Prime to watch his back and eased closer to the box. When he was twenty feet away the undead biker shifted to block him. It leaned forward and for a moment Conryu hoped it was about to fall over.

  It charged.

  The hulking corpse ran faster than the shadow beasts. Only a lifetime of training allowed him to dodge a fist the size of a bowling ball. The punch skimmed by him and crashed into the tunnel wall, crushing a chunk out of the stone and sending gravel clattering against his face.

  He ducked the backhand that took a piece out of the opposite wall. Conryu leapt away and focused on the exposed arm. “Shatter!”

  The spell blew a hunk out of its bicep revealing a line of liquid darkness running down the middle of its arm. He’d expected the whole arm at least to disintegrate so that wasn’t a good sign.

  “Master, the body houses a nether spirit. It will be resistant to low-level magic.”

  Conryu did a backflip, narrowly avoiding a kick that would have crushed his chest. “I only know low-level spells for the most part. Shatter!”

  His spell blew a fist-sized piece out of the undead’s thigh.

  It raced forward, seeming unbothered by the injury, and landed a glancing blow that sent Conryu flying into the tunnel wall. He rolled aside an instant before a size-twenty boot came crashing down where his head had been a moment before.

  Conryu scrambled to his feet and threw out a hand. “All things burn to ash, Inferno Blast!”

  The stream of flame hit the undead square in the face. When the torrent stopped, its face had been burned down to the skull. The stench of roasted meat almost covered the sewer stink.

  As with all his other attacks the monster seemed unperturbed by the damage. It opened its mouth and smoke emerged. A massive right cross came too fast for Conryu to dodge.

  He managed a cross block, but it only minimized the impact. The blow still carried enough force to send Conryu sprawling and sliding through the filth that ran down the center of the tunnel. His forearms ached from the force of the blow, but at least his chest hadn’t been crushed.

  “Master, I fear you’re not strong enough to defeat this enemy.”

  Conryu was starti
ng to fear that as well. Unfortunately he didn’t have any choice.

  Wait, he did have a choice. He wasn’t strong enough to kill this thing, but he’d bet his bike Cerberus was.

  He focused on the ground at the monster’s feet. “Reveal the way through infinite darkness. Open the path, Hell Portal!”

  The black disk appeared directly under the guardian’s feet. It fell most of the way through before its fingers caught the tunnel floor.

  “Cerberus.” Conryu focused all his wrath on the undead. “Kill!”

  Like some unfortunate swimmer in a horror movie, the biker thing was dragged down into the dark. He doubted it would last five seconds against Cerberus. He willed the portal to close just in case it tried to escape.

  “Master, the shadow beasts approach.”

  Conryu threw his hand up just as the first black lion came into view. “All things burn to ash, Inferno Blast!”

  The beast was burned away in an instant. He adjusted his aim to sear the one running along the ceiling. It tried to drop to the floor, but he kept the flame on it until the creature burst into black mist.

  “That’s the last of them, Master.”

  Conryu closed his fist, ending the spell. In that moment he wanted nothing so much as to slump to the ground and sleep for a week. That wasn’t a luxury he could afford just now.

  He crossed his wrists and fingers. “Darkness dispels everything.”

  The basketball-sized sphere of dark magic blew away the wards and necroplasma protecting the box. Five steps closed the distance between Conryu and the pedestal. He placed both hands over the box. “Shatter!”

  Splinters and shards of dark crystal went flying down the tunnel.

  Conryu staggered over to the filthy tunnel wall and leaned against it. He barely had strength enough to raise his arm, but the thought of resting his face on whatever slime covered the stone gave him a boost of energy.

  “Master, this is not a good place to recover. If our enemy sends more shadow beasts you’ll have nowhere to hide.”