by Cadman, Dean
“I plan to summon a creature from the Netherworld to assist us. I'm just not sure which one would suit our needs best. We don't want anything that would consume his body, or we would have no proof of our success,” Zedd said thoughtfully. His fellow agent looked decidedly pale at the thought of summoning anything from the Netherworld. It made Zedd dislike him even more. Suddenly it came to him, the perfect creature to summon. One that would be certain to either kill him, but not consume him. Or if he was as powerful as the Empire obviously suspected, and he managed to survive the attack, he would be so weakened by the creature they were bound to catch him.
“I will summon a Vesdari,” Zedd replied confidently.
“WHAT! Are you crazy! Nobody has ever controlled a Vesdari before,” the agent said looking completely shocked by Zedd's suggestion, and half scared to death at the prospect that he might actually go through with his plan.
Zedd's head snapped in the direction of his colleague. How dare he question his authority, or his ability. This coward of a man standing before him did not deserve the robes he wore, or even to serve the Empire as far as Zedd was concerned. The man visibly shrank under the glare of Zedd's intense looks of contempt.
“I'm sorry for my outburst sire. I only meant...”
“SILENCE!” Zedd spat at him with such venom the man flinched and stepped away from him slightly. “What is your name?”
“Cole, sire,” he replied nervously.
“Well Cole, I didn't ask your opinion, nor do I want it. You will assist me in summoning a Vesdari whether you like it or not. Is that understood?” Zedd asked, almost daring him to reply negatively.
Cole nodded and replied, “Yes sire, of course. I meant no disrespect.”
“You are correct that no one has ever controlled a Vesdari before, but for several very good reasons. The creatures of old in the histories you have obviously read about were tied directly to the power of the Netherworld via the open rift. When that rift closed the creatures continued to feast on the magic of this world, and because the link no longer existed for them to channel all that magic into, they simply ate themselves to death.
“The Vesdari I intend to summon will not be anywhere near as deadly as the ones written about in the history books, because it will have no tie to its own realm, also it is daylight, which as you know vastly weakens all creatures from the Netherworld. It's the perfect choice, either it kills the boy, or it weakens him to such a point he can not maintain his pace, and we catch him easily. The Vesdari after killing him would search out any and all magic it could, and ultimately kill itself in the process,” Zedd said searching Cole's face for any signs of defiance or doubt, but found none. At least he was smart enough to keep his emotions and opinions in check for now, he thought to himself.
“We will need to find the weakest point between our two realms to even have a chance of summoning such a powerful creature from the Netherworld. That point should be the location where the rift formed originally. I have been aware of its presence since we entered this forest, and I believe we are getting very close to its location. I doubt we will even have to make a significant detour from our current path to intersect it, maybe a mile or two at most. Let's go,” Zedd commanded, leaving no room for debate, and set off running again in a southerly direction, with Cole following close behind.
After about an hour of constant running Zedd slowed to walking pace and started chanting a spell to himself. After several seconds he announced, “We're here. This is the edge of where the rift started. I will prepare for the summoning, I suggest you do the same. And be ready, because I will link your power to mine if I need it.” “Of course sire,” Cole replied, bowing his head in deference. Another advantage of the rings they both wore was the ability to create a network of power between all nearby magi also wearing a ring. This meant that one powerful mage could use the magical reserves of many of his colleagues, without completely draining his own reserves. The flow of power ran only one way through the network, always to the highest ranking mage present. It was even possible for a higher ranking mage to fully drain a subordinate, and thus killing him in the process. Although rare, it had been used in the past as a disciplinary measure to kill a number of lower ranking magi for their various transgressions. And that was something all magi of the Empire were constantly aware of in the presence of a higher ranking mage.
Both men began their meditation techniques, which were always deemed prudent before such a powerful spell could be safely attempted. Once both men had attained complete concentration, Zedd began to chant the words of summoning. Quietly at first, but gaining volume and intensity as the words were repeated over and over again. At first nothing happened, and both men began to wonder to themselves if Zedd did indeed possess enough power to bridge the two worlds during daylight hours, even here at its weakest point.
Then after a few more minutes the atmosphere began to change, subtly at first. There was now a static charge in the air all around them, and the hairs on their heads were charged into standing up on their own accord. Then came the crackling sounds as the static charge in the air intensified, gaining power and getting louder and louder by the second, until they couldn't hear anything else over the primaeval roar that now surrounded them. After that came the chilling cold. Cold that instantly seeped deep into their very bones, leaving them shivering almost uncontrollably where they stood. Seconds later came the inhuman screams of anger and hatred of the Vesdari as it was ripped from its own domain, and plunged into their world. It thrashed wildly, screaming in agony at being held in the sunlight against its will.
Zedd held it at bay with his power, but he could feel himself weakening as the Vesdari absorbed the power he was using against it. He instinctively tapped into Cole's power reserves, and was immediately dismayed at his lack of power. Had he made a fatal error summoning this creature? Could he last long enough to take control? He wasn't sure any more. Anger boiled within him at the possibility of losing this battle and being left to rot here in this foreign land, away from his family. They would never know what had happened to him. They would lose their higher status within the Empire, their lands and property would be forfeit for his failure, and they would be forced to live the lives of lower class citizens for the rest of their lives. And all because he was foolish enough to think he could summon and control this creature, to use it to kill the boy mage, and gain the fame which would enable him to climb the ranks even further. Instead, now, he stood to lose everything.
'NO! I can't fail' Zedd thought to himself as he redoubled his efforts against the Vesdari. He needed to speed up the process of binding this creature to his will, and there was only one way he knew how: pain. Without a second thought he sent out a powerful blast of magic from his location, levelling the trees all around them and scattering them like driftwood. As the sunlight flooded the now open area the Vesdari screamed at the sudden intense pain from the sunlight striking its skin. Smoke rose from its black scales, and small bubbles started to form on its softer, more exposed areas of skin. It thrashed violently to escape its torture, but was unable to do so. Zedd gave it a choice: submit, or die in the sun. After several more seconds, which felt like hours, it finally submitted to Zedd's control. Cole was now unconscious on the floor. Zedd had not drained him fully when he had destroyed the trees, but Zedd had considered him expendable even if it had killed him. On the positive side, at least the boy mage had not been warned of their pursuit by feeling the death of a nearby mage.
Zedd allowed the Vesdari to retreat to the shade where it awaited his command. No longer able to defy him it waited in the shadows, agitated and hissing at its own dire predicament. Zedd shook with the immense effort it had taken to subdue this creature. He knew he would not be able to resume his pursuit for several hours, even if Cole awoke by then, but he also felt immense pride in the fact he had just done what nobody else had ever done before him. Smiling with an evil grin he commanded the Vesdari, “Go south, ignore all else on the way, and kill the boy mage
within this forest. GO!” The Vesdari hissed at Zedd one last time, then vanished into the forest. He watched it heading south in the shadows through its own eyes, searching for its new prey.
Chapter Eight
Lusam found the crossing Renn had discovered easy enough, and headed straight back to meet up with him on the other side of the river. As he approached Renn's location, Lusam could see that he'd already gutted and de-scaled the fish, and was about to skewer them on a long sharp stick, when he noticed Lusam approaching.
“No need to do that,” Lusam said nodding towards the fish about to be skewered on the stick. Renn didn't respond, and still looking annoyed and very wet, he simply dropped the fish on the ground with the other one, and waited for Lusam to explain. Lusam could tell Renn was still angry at falling in the river. Even though it wasn't Lusam's fault he fell in, he did feel slightly guilty about dunking him completely under the water when he broke the pole he had been clinging on to. He decided he'd better try and defuse the atmosphere between them and apologise for his part in getting him wet, even though he doubted Renn would have been any drier without his help anyway. “Sorry for dunking you under the water back there, I should have given you more time to prepare before I broke your pole,” he said in his most apologetic voice. Renn just grunted and nodded his acceptance.
Lusam instinctively knew he would get no more from Renn for a while, so he proceeded to deal with cooking the fish. The sooner they ate, the sooner they could be on their way again to rescue Neala. He had been trying to think of a way to track Neala all afternoon while he kept pace with Renn. Not long before they had reached the river he thought he may have come up with a possible way to achieve it. He was keen to test his theory out, but first he had to eat something before he fainted with hunger. Running almost non-stop for two days on little more than a couple of snacks and a handful of berries, was really starting to catch up with him.
Renn removed his tunic and hung it on a tree branch to dry a little, then he sat down with his back to a large oak tree, all the time watching what Lusam would do next. Lusam felt a little uncomfortable at his scrutiny, but decided to continue all the same as if he hadn't noticed the strange looks coming from him at all. He used the same method of cooking the fish as he had used several times in the basement back at the bookshop in Helveel. He created a small fireball in his right hand and let it float about knee height above the ground in front of him. Then he lifted the two fish up from the ground and made them hover above the floating fireball, while rotating them slowly until the fish were cooked. Once they were cooked he extinguished the fireball and sent one of the fish hovering slowly towards Renn, stopping it within his reach. The other fish he brought to himself, then found a tree to rest against so he could eat it in relative comfort.
As Lusam sat down he noticed Renn looking at him very strangely. Before he could ask him why, Renn broke the silence and said, “How do you do that?”
“Do what? Cook the fish you mean?” Lusam replied between mouthfuls of fish.
“No. I mean, how can you do magic without speaking the words for it to work?”
“I've already told you, I don't need to use words. Why do you think it's so strange that I don't have to speak to perform my magic?” Lusam asked confused, taking another mouthful of fish.
“Because, magic has to be channelled using specific words of power, and depending on the spell being attempted it can sometimes take several minutes to complete. Although I'm no expert in the use of magic, I know at least that much for certain. Yet I have seen you with my own eyes, twice now, perform magic without making a sound of any kind. Even stranger is the fact I can't even see your aura. Everyone capable of magic, even in limited amounts possess a strong aura visible to certain others, but you don't,” Renn stated with complete conviction.
“I do have an aura. I just choose to hide it sometimes, or at least reduce its visible intensity,” Lusam replied.
Renn laughed, “Impossible! Nobody can hide their aura, not even the arch magi of old were able to do that.”
Lusam thought about what Renn had just said, about having to use words to channel magic to make it work. He looked around him on the ground a located a small rock about the size of his fist and picked it up. He saw Renn was still watching him and gently tossed the rock to him. Renn deftly caught the rock in his right hand and looked at it closely, as if expecting to see something other than a rock in his hand, and seemed to become even more confused when all he saw was a normal rock.
“How did you catch the rock without saying out-loud that you wanted to catch it?” Lusam asked, smiling at Renn.
“That's different,” Renn replied tossing the rock aside.
“Not for me it isn't. Whether I want to catch a rock or create a fireball, it's all the same to me. It does take me a bit longer sometimes to think about what exactly I want to do when it comes to magic, but there again I haven't had as much practice at it compared to non-magical tasks. Simply put, if I know the spell, I can do it.
“With regards to aura's, I know how they work, my grandmother told me all about them, and of course I can see them myself in others. I can see your aura as a clear light blue, and I know by its strength you can sense magic in others, but you are unlikely to be able to perform complex spells. I learnt how to hide my aura when I was a child while playing hide and seek with my grandmother. And I was told then that nobody else had ever managed to do it in the past. I was asked to make her a promise that I would always hide the true strength of my aura from that day forward, a promise which I have kept to this day,” Lusam said solemnly, remembering the conversation with his grandmother, and how upset she was at the prospect he wouldn't make the promise to her, to keep his true aura hidden at all times.
Renn remained silent, obviously trying to comprehend what he had just been told. Lusam could see the unanswered questions still on Renn's face, rolling his eyes he sighed and said, “You want to see don't you?” Renn just nodded in reply. Lusam realised if he didn't show him his aura he would never hear the end of it, so slowly he lowered his defences and revealed his aura to Renn. He saw Renn's face change as he saw it appear, then he slowly hid it again.
“How?” he asked in a whisper, shaking his head as if he still didn't believe it was possible, even after seeing it with his own eyes.
“I don't know how. I just did it one day when I was a child. My grandmother asked me to show her how I did it, but she was never able to do it herself. And I know you're going to say that she wasn't my grandmother, and that she was only my mother's Hermingild, but she will always be my grandmother to me, no matter what,” Lusam replied, maybe a little too defensively.
“I'm sorry. I can understand that you would feel that way. She raised you and protected you after all. I can see now that she did an amazing job of keeping you safe too, making you promise to always hide your aura was a stroke of genius. I have no doubt you wouldn't have survived if she hadn't,” Renn said. Chuckling to himself he added, “I can also see now why it was so hard for me to find you in Helveel.”
Lusam smiled at him then said, “Sorry, I didn't know you were looking for me.” They both laughed and finished eating their fish, chatting about much more trivial matters while they did so.
After they finished their food Lusam decided to try out his idea and attempt to locate Neala's position. Knowing how far from Stelgad she was may settle his nerves a little, on the other hand, if she was already too far ahead of them it would no doubt make him feel even worse than he did right now. He knew either way that he needed to find out, if he could.
“Renn, have you ever travelled the road from Helveel to Stelgad before?” Lusam asked hopefully.
Renn looked up at him and replied, “Aye. Many times lad. Why do you ask?”
“Do you think you could draw a simple map of the road on the ground here?” Lusam asked pointing to a flat clear area of ground to the side of them.
“Hmm, I suppose so. Why, what are you thinking?” Renn enquired suspiciousl
y.
“I have an idea of how I may be able to track Neala. If it works it would give us a rough idea of the speed they are travelling, and whether or not we have a chance to beat them to Stelgad,” Lusam replied. Renn nodded and after clearing a few leaves and twigs from the patch of ground started to score lines into the dirt with his knife. After several minutes Lusam could make out the clear lines of a road, mountains to one side, and marks representing trees to the other side.
When Renn was finished he took a step back and assessed his work. From what Lusam could see the road formed almost a perfect arc around the forest with only a few minor deviations.
“How accurate would you say that was?” Lusam asked.
“Well, I'm no cartographer, but I would say it's pretty accurate. The marks along the road I've made are the usual approximate travelling distances travelled each day on horseback. Obviously it depends on the speed of the riders. If they have a wagon it would be slower, but if they were in a rush they could maybe travel double that distance in a single day,” Renn replied thoughtfully.
“Okay, I understand. I take it this is the forest we're now in?” Lusam asked pointing to the marks representing the trees.
“Yes, that's right,” Renn agreed.
“Can you estimate where we would be now in relation to Helveel and the road on your map?” Lusam asked pointing at the area he expected would be the general location.
Renn studied his map for a few moments then indicated a spot on the map. “We should be somewhere in this area, but of course it's only an estimation,” he replied, marking the location on his map with a small round pebble. “If you don't mind me asking, how do you intend to locate Neala using a map scratched into the dirt?”
Lusam removed Neala's throwing knife from his belt and held it up for Renn to see. “This knife is Neala's. It's one of six I enchanted for her back in Helveel. I'm pretty sure that I can track the other knives using this one. If her captor is still in possession of any of the other five knives, I should be able to get an indication of their location using this one to track the others. Or at least that's the theory,” Lusam replied not sounding too confident in his ability to achieve the task. Renn nodded in reply, and took a step back to allow Lusam enough space to attempt his location spell.