Magic and Mayhem: A Collection of 21 Fantasy Novels

by Jasmine Walt

  He let his consciousness stretch toward the pillar, trying to sense it. A painful crack within his mind sent his sensing snapping back to him. Tan dropped to his knees with the pain.

  Roine reached to help him stand. “Tried to sense it?”

  Tan nodded. Everything swam around him and spots danced in front of his eyes.

  “It will pass,” Roine said.

  “How do you know?”

  Roine laughed. “I’ve already done the same. My touch is gentler. Or weaker. So my response was less.”

  “What is it?” Tan asked.

  Roine shook his head. “Some sort of pure earth, channeled and trapped, almost like an elemental.” Roine stared at the towering pillar, hesitant to approach it. “Perhaps it is an elemental,” he mused.

  “Why?” The effects of whatever his sensing had done faded somewhat, but had not cleared completely.

  “They create a barrier of some kind.”

  “They?” Tan asked.

  Roine nodded, pointing to their right. He had been so focused on the pillar of earth that Tan hadn’t looked around the clearing. A flame shot up and out of the ground, reminding Tan all too much of the fiery cage the lisincend used to trap Amia. The fire sizzled quietly, stretching toward the sky. Flames sputtered briefly before spouting higher into the cavern.

  In front of the spout of flame, beyond the silvery pool, a wide stream of water poured from the ceiling of the cave, running straight down and out through an unseen opening in the floor of the cavern. There was a faint glow to the water. He knew without sensing there was an elemental power to the water.

  Tan looked to the far left corner, expecting to see something there, another pillar of sorts, but saw nothing but the nearby leaves fluttering wildly as if in a heavy wind. Another elemental forming in a different sort of pillar.

  Tan shook his head. “How is this possible?”

  Roine looked at the four pillars surrounding the silvery liquid. “I would have loved to see the shaping of this.”

  “These are elementals, Roine.” Tan felt certain of that.

  The faint glowing of the water was almost certainly the nymid from the lake below. Tan began to wonder if the flames were once channeled from the draasin. That didn’t explain the pillar of rock or of air.

  Roine shook his head. “Not elementals. They can’t be.” He looked at everything in the cavern with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

  “Look at how the water glows and how the fire sputters. I can’t sense the nymid, but I suspect they flow through that water. And the draasin once created that fire,” he said, pointing. “I don’t know golud or ara, but they must be a part of this as well.”

  Roine stared, looking at the cascading water and then over to the fire. “They trapped the elementals here?”

  Amia shook her head. “I don’t think they were all trapped,” she said. “I can’t speak to them—not like Tan—but I sense the nymid offer themselves freely.” She tilted her head, as if listening. “There is a deep presence within that rock, as well. I don’t sense the anguish I felt with the draasin.” She shivered from the memory. “I sense nothing from the wind.”

  “Nor would you,” Roine said quietly.

  Amia frowned at him a moment. “I think only the draasin had been forcibly held.”

  “Why would the ancient warriors trap the elementals? What could be so valuable to need that kind of protection?” Tan asked.

  32

  Pillars of Protection

  Roine closed his eyes, looking from each of the pillars before finally settling his eyes on the silvery pool at the center. Anguish covered his face, that and another emotion that Tan couldn’t recognize.

  “Perhaps there was no other way,” Roine said.

  “No other way for what?”

  Roine pointed toward the silvery liquid, toward where the object hung suspended at the center. “To protect that.”

  “That’s the ancient artifact? Just out in the open?”

  Roine shrugged, squinting as he stared out past their barrier, trying to see what it was hovering above the liquid. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “The artifact isn’t described. It’s not even named. There are only vague references to it and what it does. I never thought to actually find it.”

  Tan looked from Roine out toward the silvery water. “What now?”

  “We get past this barricade.”

  “How?” Tan asked. “If this barrier is powered by elementals, how can we get past it?”

  “I don’t know. I’m working on it.”

  Roine paced along the outer edge of the pillars, walking past each one, moving slowly and stopping, staring, as he came to the next. Tan and Amia followed him, watching, waiting for Roine to come up with the answer, but Tan wondered if an answer might not be had this time.

  The power that stood before them was greater than Roine, perhaps even greater than the ancient warriors who crafted this place.

  Roine approached the pillar of water and paused, staring at it briefly, before moving on.

  Tan started to follow but Amia touched his arm and stopped him. “Can you speak to them?” she asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked at the water pouring out from somewhere overhead. It funneled down, hitting the stone without splashing before running out unseen below them. It created no spray, nothing but a solid sheet of water.

  “I don’t know. I’m not even sure if this is the nymid.” He looked at the water, at the way it glowed as it flowed down. “What if this is the udilm?”

  “Can you speak to them?” she repeated.

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, staring at the water, hesitating. The last time he had tried reaching for the nymid, he’d encountered the draasin. What if this was something different than the nymid? What if they were more like the draasin?

  And if they couldn’t reach the artifact, then the lisincend probably could not either.

  “We don’t even need to do anything. This protects it. Even the lisincend can’t pass.”

  She frowned and looked toward the pillar of fire. It sputtered more than before. “Are you certain?”

  The draasin likely had powered the pillar. And now that they were free, that connection would fail. Eventually the barrier would fail. Then the lisincend would reach the artifact.

  Had they not freed the draasin, it might not even matter. The lisincend wouldn’t have been able to reach the artifact. Now, because of what they’d done—what he’d done—the draasin flew free. And the protection around the artifact failed.

  “This is my fault,” he whispered.

  Amia took his hand. “They deserved their freedom,” she said, as if reading his thoughts. With the connection formed by her shaping him, perhaps she did.

  “What if we fail?”

  She looked at Roine as he limped around the outside rim of the pillars, the limp more pronounced than before. His shoulders sagged and his eyes lost some of their luster. Roine would not be able to help if the lisincend appeared.

  “Then we fail. At least we’ll have tried. And done right for the lisincend.” Amia let out a soft breath. “These others serve willingly, but they grow tired. They deserve their release too.”

  Tan closed his eyes and focused his thoughts as he had when standing along the lake as he reached for the nymid. “I’ll do what I can.”

  Nymid!

  He sent the thought with as much force and energy as he could muster. He swayed in place. Then he waited.

  Long moments passed. For a while, he thought he’d failed. A soft tickle came to the back of his mind, the sense of something else there, fleeting.

  Nymid!

  He sent the thought again with as much strength as he could manage.

  Again the soft tickle came to the back of his mind. Tan felt a definite presence, soft and gentle, settle into his mind. He took a deep breath, easing the tension he’d held.

  Who calls the nymid?

  I am Tan.

  He Who is Tan. You know
the nymid?

  Tan nodded and then sent the answer. Yes. You helped me once. He held up his arms and lifted the shirt Roine had lent him, revealing the burned and charred shirt below. You healed me once.

  You wear our armor. The nymid fell silent for long moments. We know you, He Who is Tan. There was a pause. You released True Fire.

  We did. The Daughter felt their pain.

  He sensed sadness from the nymid. They felt much. If we had known, we would never have agreed to the plan. They were not to have suffered. Once we knew, there was nothing that could be done.

  They are free now.

  The nymid seemed pleased. You have done well. Why do you call?

  We must reach the artifact. Tan sent an image of the object at the center of the pool.

  That is protected by the Mother, the nymid said. Only one blessed by the Mother can touch the object.

  Blessed by the Mother? We can’t pass even this barrier. Tan created an image of the pillars for the nymid.

  The barrier is weakened, the nymid said.

  It may be weak, but we still cannot pass. What is it?

  A bargain. And one made freely. There was a pause. Nearly freely. And made to protect these lands, this place.

  Why? Tan asked.

  There was something more to what the nymid had agreed to than simply protecting the artifact. He got no answer.

  The nymid were silent for long moments and Tan worried they were done speaking with him.

  What would you do with the object?

  We protect it from Twisted Fire.

  Twisted Fire cannot reach the object. We protect it well. The Mother protects it well.

  There is one among Twisted Fire who is powerful. We fear that in time he might succeed.

  Tan sent an image of Fur and his battle with Roine.

  The nymid seemed to consider. That cannot happen.

  No.

  We have protected the object for countless cycles. Those who created the object saw its danger and tasked us with watching over it.

  Why?

  It provides great power.

  What does the object do?

  Only the Mother knows for sure.

  Tan decided to try a different approach. Did releasing the draasin weaken the barrier? The sputtering pillar of fire had him wondering how much of this he had caused.

  It is possible. True Fire did not remain to participate in the protection.

  What effect will that have? Can Twisted Fire now pass through the barrier?

  You reason well, He Who is Tan, the nymid said. And may be correct. The object must not be possessed by Twisted Fire.

  Let us protect it.

  The nymid fell silent for long moments and Tan again thought that they had broken off communication. He turned to Amia, uncertain, when he heard the nymid’s soft presence once more in his mind.

  You may pass. The armor granted you will allow you to move through the barrier, but know that the object can only be possessed by one blessed by the Mother.

  The nymid receded from his mind, leaving him. He shook his head, clearing the sensation, though felt none of the pain as he had with the draasin. Fatigue nearly overwhelmed him, leaving him weakened as Roine after a shaping.

  “The nymid state I can pass.”

  Roine had come behind him. “We can?”

  “They said I can pass. I think that means just me. I’m still protected by the armor they granted me during Amia’s rescue. They said it will let me move through the barrier.”

  Roine looked at the water streaming from the ceiling and forming the faintly glowing water pillar. “You still will not be able to reach the artifact.” Roine pointed toward the silvery pool. “I’ve been considering what that liquid represents. If each pillar represents one of the elementals, or is one of the elementals,” he continued, though his tone seemed unconvinced, “together they form this barrier so immense I can’t pass. It’s a protection unlike anything I could have imagined. It might be enough to protect the artifact from the lisincend.”

  Tan considered Roine a moment. “Were you going to use it?”

  Roine looked toward the center of the silvery liquid where the artifact hung suspended, unmoving. “I don’t even know what it does. But I think we’d have to try.”

  “You said great power is trapped inside.”

  Roine nodded. “And I could do much good.”

  “More than the ancients who created it?” Tan asked. “Why do you think they hid it? Why create such elaborate protection?”

  “I don’t know. Few records of that time remain. They suggest the ancient warriors knew a time would come when this artifact would be needed.”

  Tan frowned. “They saw the future?”

  “Perhaps a prophecy,” he said. “Perhaps nothing so exotic. Many of the ancient shapers were scholars first. Many spent their time studying the world around them.” He looked at Tan. “Many used their ability to speak to the elementals in their studies.” He stared at the pool of silvery liquid. “Though much of their records survived, not everything did. Most who know of this artifact think the ancient warriors anticipated a time when its power would be needed.”

  “And you think that time is now?”

  “The kingdoms have fewer and fewer shapers. Without this, we might fall. Perhaps to Incendin. Perhaps to someone else, but our greatest weapons have grown scarce.”

  “Why don’t you think I’ll be able to reach it?”

  “The pool of silver. If that’s spirit, you won’t be able to reach it.”

  “But I can,” Amia said.

  Roine shook his head. “I’m not sure you can. What if you need to be able to use all the elementals to reach the artifact?”

  “If we don’t, the lisincend will try. Fur will try.”

  A conflicted expression passed across Roine’s face. “I thought only you would be allowed to pass through the barrier.”

  Tan turned to Amia. “Everything the nymid did to help me, they did because of you.” He thought he finally understood. “They know you, don’t they?”

  “They knew my Mother,” she answered quietly.

  “They pulled us to them,” Tan said, remembering the presence after Roine had sent them on a shaping of wind. “Did your Mother ask them to help?”

  Tan couldn’t remember. So much had happened when they first faced the lisincend that he couldn’t be sure. Had she stepped into the stream? Could she have communicated with the nymid?

  Amia shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “She could speak to the nymid?” Roine asked.

  “She nearly drowned when she was young,” Amia answered. “She, like Tan, was saved. It was then that she learned to speak with them.”

  “Where?” Roine asked. “This same lake?”

  Amia shook her head. “I don’t think so. You called the lake a place of convergence, a place of power. My people would have felt that power and simply stayed away.” She shook her head again. “But there are many rivers and streams feeding this lake. The nymid follow the water.”

  “Could she speak to any of the other elementals?” Roine asked, looking at Tan.

  Amia shook her head. “She felt as you did. That the great elementals were gone.”

  Tan looked at the pillars forming the barrier. “No. Not gone.” Of that he was certain. “Please, will you help?” he asked Amia.

  She looked at the artifact where it hovered above the liquid. A fleeting concern flickered across her eyes and then was gone. She nodded.

  They neared the pillar of water when they heard a low humming of energy, so different than the rush of water. Tan removed the shirt Roine had lent him, exposing his burned and ruined shirt beneath. Hope surged through him when he saw a very faint glow from the shirt where he’d rubbed the nymid armor upon him so many nights ago.

  Wrapping his arms around Amia, he backed toward where he felt the barrier. Each step slow. Deliberate.

  Roine watched. Tan felt a shaping build that went skittering back as
it hit some unseen wall. Roine’s face flashed in irritation and he rubbed his temples roughly.

  The barrier parted like thick mud. Resistance eased slowly with each step. Amia kept herself stiff as he held her, protecting her as much as he could with his body and praying she would come through the barrier unharmed.

  And then, suddenly, the resistance disappeared. Tan went flying past the barrier, holding Amia in his arms.

  They fell in a tangle at the very edge of the silvery pool. Thick liquid burbled softly, almost murmuring to them. The edge of the cloak Amia wore—his cloak—had dipped into the liquid. She pulled it out, shaking the liquid from the cloak, but it would not come off.

  Where it touched the cloak sizzled. Hazy shimmers of steam rose from the cloak.

  Tan rolled back and Amia went with him. “How are we going to get through that?”

  “Not ‘we.’” Amia started to pull off her maroon pants and bright blue shirt.

  Tan flushed and looked away. “What are you doing, Amia?”

  “What must be done.”

  He felt her quickly building a shaping as pressure behind his ears. There was no subtlety to how it built, and it was not gentle. The energy raced to a peak, searing into his head, stabbing through his skull with needles. His ears felt like they would explode.

  Tan looked at Amia. She stood, breathtaking.

  Facing away from him, she stared at the pool of silver liquid, nude. Tan couldn’t look away. Her pale skin nearly glowed from the energy she shaped. The ends of her hair curled outward, as if pressed by the energy swirling through her.

  And then she took a step forward.

  “No!” Tan lunged toward her.

  He couldn’t reach her in time. Her foot touched the surface of the thick liquid and she sank softly into it. Amia did not cry out or make any sound.

  Instead, Tan felt a surge in the energy she shaped. She stepped forward, deeper into the strange pool. As she pulled her foot from the liquid, the thick substance clung for a moment before oozing away, dripping back into the pool.