by Joseph Lallo
The night fled and dawn found them confronted by a wall of fire. Julia hadn’t regained consciousness. Mathius said she was no worse, and Keverin took him at his word. It was all he could do.
“Can you shield us through it?” Keverin said.
“Not through that. They’d be nothing left of us but ash if I tried, but my father taught me something that might get us through.”
“If not a shield, then what? Can you bridge it?”
Mathius shook his head. “I saw my father call a storm during a drought once. I’ve never tried anything like that before, but I might be strong enough to do it.”
“And if you’re not strong enough?”
“You already know,” Mathius said quietly.
Keverin withdrew to let him work, and sat next to Julia where she lay upon the ash covered ground. It was a good thing she wasn’t awake, because she would never have let Mathius try this if she had been. If the boy wasn’t strong enough, he would die screaming, as Darius had done. There was nothing to indicate he was doing anything. The fire continued to advance southward at the same rate, but the wind suddenly came up from the north.
He’ll make it worse!
Before he could protest, he felt a splash on his face, and then another. It was working! Mathius had brought rain clouds from the north. Lightning crackled, and thunder crashed, but Mathius stood unmoving with his head thrown back, and his hands reaching to the sky in supplication. On his face, there was a look of joy! More thunder and lightning shattered the morning, and the heavens opened to pummel them with heavy raindrops. The flames were already dying back, and steam rose into the air as the water struck the hot ashes. He sheltered Julia with his body as much as possible, and watched Mathius bring a deluge to save her.
A short time later, he rode with Julia in his arms, and Mathius took a turn leading the way on foot. The rain continued to fall in sheets as they moved south. It didn’t impede them. The ground had been parched, and it eagerly drank the water without turning to mud.
They arrived at Malcor that same afternoon.
* * *
Epilogue
“You gave her Tancred,” Lucius accused. “I saw you in the glass.”
“Aye of course,” the healer said in exasperation. “She’d have died if I hadn’t.”
“Don’t you know it’s addictive?”
“Aye, but the craving is better than being dead.”
He grimaced but nodded reluctantly. He glanced at Keverin sitting at Julia’s bedside. “Does he know how bad she is?”
“He’s no fool, but I think not.”
“That’s what I thought. Would you ask Mathius to come in? This will take both of us.”
The healer didn’t answer with words. She moved to the door.
Lucius crossed the room to stand next to the bed opposite Keverin. Julia looked no worse than when he’d viewed her in the mirror. She couldn’t have. Only stubble remained of the beautiful black mane she’d had when he first met her. Her face was pale and slack, totally devoid of her fiery intelligence. The tell-tale blue tinge on her lips and cheeks worried him most. Her lungs were ruined.
“Is there anything you can do?” Keverin said.
“Not alone my lord, but with Mathius’ help there’s a chance. I sent the healer to find him.”
“He’s in his room. He’s trying to understand how Julia does what she does. He’s stronger than he was.”
Lucius nodded. Mathius now wore the yellow robes of a journeyman, and in theory should be strong enough to help him. It depended a lot on whether Julia’s method depended upon her origins. If it did, no amount of strength would help him and Mathius heal her. If it didn’t, there was a chance.
The healer returned with Mathius in tow.
“Any luck?” Keverin said to him as he joined the huddle around Julia’s bedside.
“No, my lord. I understand what I’m supposed to do, but when I try, I slip into the realm of power.”
Lucius nodded. The same thing happened to him. He just didn’t have a fine enough control. Julia might be inherently different concerning magic. She was a woman and from another world. That made her unique. There were no similarities between her patterns and gestures, and the magic taught to men of this world. It might mean there was no way to duplicate what she did. He crushed that traitorous thought ruthlessly. Mathius and he together would see it. They would, he was sure.
“Do you know how to link, Mathius?”
“I saw Renard accidentally link with Julia once,” Mathius said, and turned to Keverin. “It was that time in the library, my lord. Do you remember?”
Keverin nodded, but he didn’t take his eyes off Julia’s face, as if willing her to wake.
Lucius shook his head. How someone could accidentally link was beyond him, but the answer would wait for another time. “So you know how then?”
“Not really. I saw the flows, but they were beyond me. I’ve had a great deal of practise since then.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll initiate the link. Be ready to grasp your magic but don’t actually take hold.”
Mathius stood next to him and made ready. Lucius laid his hand on Julia’s chest and then linked with Mathius. He felt the increase in strength immediately. The youngster’s magic had a solid feel to it, which weaker mages could never provide. The boy had a long way to go before matching him in raw strength, but he definitely had the potential. He turned his attention to Julia, and tried to see what she called the realm of healing, but again he failed.
“I thought I saw something when you used your mage-sight,” Mathius said eagerly. “Can you change the link so that I can draw from you?”
He hesitated. To let someone link in that manner, gave them power over you. Mathius had done it in ignorance, but he knew what it meant.
“I can do it. Be prepared for the rush,” he said quickly, and before he changed his mind, he gave Mathius control.
When Mathius invoked his mage-sight, he was compelled to do the same. He didn’t fight it because he knew what to expect. He watched Julia avidly, but he was confused at first when nothing seemed to happen. Then confusion gave way to excitement as Mathius shifted his sight oh so slowly until Julia became something else.
“That’s it!” Lucius yelled in glee.
“Yes, but what do I do now?”
“Julia told me about this. White light in an aura is good, any other colour means something bad. Yellow means tiredness or exhaustion. She also said mages have a blue light in the centre of their auras. We mustn’t do anything with that.”
“I remember. She tried to give Renard his magic back after he burned out, but he... died.”
Julia’s aura was hardly moving, but he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. The blue light at her centre shone so strongly, it hurt to look at. The good news ended there. Her aura was a dark yellow orange, with a solidly purple area. It was so dark purple, it looked black.
“Send magic at the dark area, but remember to make it white,” Lucius said, and a white beam of light speared the darkness.
* * *
Julia opened her eyes to find three worried looking men staring down at her. She smiled, but she could hardly keep her eyes open.
“How do you feel my love?” Keverin whispered.
“Hmmm, tired,” she said, and smiled sleepily.
“We could try for more,” Mathius said uncertainly.
“Let’s not push our luck too far,” Lucius said. “Neither of us really knows what we’re doing, and her breathing seems normal.”
She hated it when people spoke over her head, but she couldn’t summon the energy to protest. The last thing she heard before dropping off to sleep was Keverin whispering.
“Sleep my love, I’ll stay beside you.”
She slept.
* * *
From The Author
If you liked this book, join Mark’s email list for a free starter library.
Co
ntinue Julia’s adventures in Book 2, The Power That Binds.
Defender
The Sanctuary Series: Volume One
By
Robert J. Crane
www.robertJcrane.com
3rd Edition
Copyright Midian Press, 2011
All rights reserved
Praise for The Sanctuary Series
Avenger: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Two
“I am a huge fan of J.R.R Tolkien and Terry Goodkind and I seriously believe that these books, Defender and Avenger, could be another classic in the fantasy genre.”
Reviewer Amy Sanders, Read To My Heart’s Content Book Blog
“...I cannot wait for the next book in this series.”
Reviewer Mindy Kleinfelter
I liked this one even more than the first...it is a joy to read some of the quips...some of them even made me laugh out loud. The story is filled with elements that a lover of fantasy will adore...I enjoyed the read and highly recommend it. —”
Reviewer Cheryl M.
I enjoyed this second book in the Sanctuary Series even more than the first (the first was good too!)
Reviewer Jen, Goodreads.com
Defender: The Sanctuary Series, Volume One
“This book is full of action, adventure, emotion and anticipation, so much so that I didn’t want it to end!”
Reviewer Gina Hurteau-Jackson
“I have always been a fan of fantasy novels and this book rates way up there with “Lord of the Rings” and others...am so excited for the next in the series I can barely contain myself and please give this book a chance because it is really going to be one of the best of our time. Great author and great novel!”
Reviewer Amy Sanders, Read To My Heart’s Content Book Blog
“The characters are well written and the dialog can be very witty...will gladly order the next book in the series.”
Reviewer Jeremy/Andrea S.
“...despite my early reservations, I found myself wanting the next book in this series and I do recommend it to anyone looking for a fantasy with plenty of action and adventure!”
Reviewer Littleroonkanga2
“Cyrus leads a cast of wonderful characters and the character development is topnotch...I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to get “lost” in a fantasy world when they read.”
Reviewer Marie C. Cordalis
AUTHOR'S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or physical editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.
For information regarding permissions, please contact [email protected].
Find Robert J. Crane online at
http://www.robertjcrane.com
Dedicated to the memory of Joe Cook – a true warrior.
NOW
Prologue
The blood pounded in his ears as he rode his horse into the wind. We're close to the end now, he thought. The Plains of Perdamun had been set upon by a blustery autumn wind. It whipped across the front gate of Reikonos, through the crops of the farmers’ fields, all the way to the valleys and passes of the Heia Mountains. It was an ill wind, out of the north, from beyond the Torrid Sea, and it smelled of decay.
Nestled at the split of the river Perda at the place where the northern branch flowed to the Torrid Sea and the eastern tributary flowed into the Bay of Lost Souls, there was a crater in the ground. Gaping, enormous, the only signifying mark on it was a simple headstone with an engraving that in beautiful, flowing script explained how the crater came to be in the midst of the smooth, unbroken grounds of the plains.
From across the lonely fields came the black cloaked figure on a white horse, making his way toward the scar in the ground. His traveling cloak revealed boots of metal, and hands that were encased in gauntlets. The hood of the cloak was raised and no helmet could be seen underneath. He rode to the edge of the crater and dismounted. With a gentle stroke across the back of the horse he walked away, a few murmured words in its ear; it whinnied at him in a friendly way.
He stared across the gap for a moment before his eyes came back to rest on the monument. Granite, glorious, a testament to the courage and fortitude of a group of fighters so noble that it took the power of the very gods themselves to wipe them from the lands of Arkaria. A feeling stirred, deep in his soul, one not felt in...years. One of longing, of regret, of the barest, most skeletal sense of fear. The last sensation was the most curious, since the tall, cloaked stranger had not felt afraid for a very, very long time.
He shook it off. He had seen great and terrible things in his time, and this was not nearly the worst of trials he had faced. Tracing his way back to the horse, he reached into a saddle bag and pulled out a leather bound tome. The worn cover indicated that the volume was hundreds, possibly even thousands of years old. A string marked the spot in the book that he was searching for, and once opened, he knelt and began to murmur an incantation. Reaching under his armor, his hand clutched something close to his chest. Invoking powers he had never before called upon, he whispered,
“I invoke thee who hear my plea,
I request thy aid,
For those who are soon to die.”
Closing the book, he centered his vision upon the crater. A flash lit his eyes as powerful magics moved before him. Seconds later, another flash. Then another, then lightning, radiating from the crater's center – a shockwave of energy issued forth followed by a loud CRACK! that shook the countryside. The traveler, already kneeling, caught himself with his right hand, moved by the release of power before him.
An ethereal vision confronted him – like wisps of smoke, something began to wave and drift in the crater. Growing more solid, lines took shape and what began as the faintest afterimage became a building. It contained elegant lines and stones, archways and towers, but had a distinctly different appearance than a castle – it was made for a different purpose than housing an army and protecting its subjects – and was fading into view where once there was only the nothingness of the crater.
The traveler rose from the ground, cloak left behind him. His blackened armor glinted in the overcast day. His swords marked him as a warrior. His eyes surveyed the scene before him as though he were seeing a long lost friend.
And for the first time in long memory, the warrior smiled.
8 YEARS EARLIER
Chapter 1
Flames lit every surface in the caves and lava floes burned all around him, like some version of the Realm of Death he had heard tales of in his youth. There were flames leaping out of holes in the walls and floor like fiery stalagmites. Cyrus Davidon stood in the midst of it all, minding his steps very carefully, lest his black armor end up blacker still from an inadvertent scorching.
The sweat rolled off his face as he surveyed the group around him. Over one hundred adventurers, all with common purpose. They had come to this place intending to slay a dragon. There was some nobility in that, Cyrus reflected, but it was diminished by the fact that the dragon was trapped in these depths and not a threat to anyone but those looking for it. Which meant that most of them were here for the dragon’s sizeable treasure hoard.
“There’s nothing like fighting for your life with a small army of opportunists to watch your back, is there?” Cyrus murmured.
“You’re not joking. It makes you wonder if there’s even one of this lot we can trust,” came the voice of Narstron a dwarf who had traveled with Cyrus for many seasons and had shared a grea
t many adventures with him.
“Trust is earned, not given. This group is so raw they’ll be dead before they even prove themselves,” came the voice on the other side of Narstron. Andren was an elf by nature and a healer by trade, a spell caster with the ability to bind wounds through magical means. “This lot has seen far too few seasons – and this is likely their last. Dragons aren’t to be trifled with.” He peered at Cyrus with his eyes narrowed. “You'd better have a damned good reason for accepting the invitation of a stranger in the square to come on this mass suicide.”
“I do.” Cyrus looked around, body tense, eyes coming to rest on the expedition’s leader. She was an elf, her armor was encrusted with rare gemstones.
“I have to believe,” Narstron said, “that the placement of those gemstones has to cut down on the effectiveness of her armor by a good margin.”
Andren snorted. “If that highborn elitist trash's armor has ever seen combat I'll eat the dragon we're going to face in one bite.”
She had approached them in the square of the human capital of Reikonos, inviting them to join an army she had assembled for the purpose of killing this dragon. “He's a tremendous threat to all life,” she'd begun after introducing herself as Angelique. “He was the Dragonlord of the southern lands, King of all the dragons, and intent on leading his people in a march to war against all the northern kingdoms – the elves, the humans, the dwarves, the dark elves, even the gnomes!”
“What's this dragon's name?” Cyrus had asked her, eyes squinting against the midday sun in the square.