by David Wind
“Go with them, Princess. We will hold them.”
“You cannot without me,” she said simply. Suddenly, blue-white light covered her hands. She released the light at the first of the charging ghazis, who exploded and disappeared.
“Bows!” Noslen shouted. In the space of a breath, the six men pulled their bows and drew arrows. The first volley flew and six ghazi fell. Areenna drew up more power and sent lances streaking at the still charging dark soldiers.
A half-second later, a hammer blow struck her chest. Doubling over, her breath driven from her lungs, she gasped for air and fought to regain her breath. The Master is coming. She grabbed Noslen’s hand. “We must go, now!”
“Back,” he ordered the Sixes. They did not turn and run; instead, they back-stepped, firing arrows as they moved. The ghazis, mindless enough to charge forward, fell one atop the other.
The Master struck again and this time, a wall of fire encircled them. It flared skyward, cutting off their retreat. High above, Gaalrie screamed.
CHAPTER 33
For three hours, a hundred and thirty Nevaen men and eighteen Nevaen women climbed the steep slope of the mountain. Not a sound issued. They moved carefully and by spreading across the face of the mountain, they rose inexorably closer to the lower camp.
They were within two hundred yards when Enaid grasped Roth’s shoulder and leaned close to his ear. “The Master is there,” she whispered. “He senses something. We must be ready.”
Roth nodded. He turned left, then right, each time signaling to the Nevaens. Every man and woman freed a weapon and prepared to climb the last yards. “Have the women ready,” he told Enaid.
She stopped moving. She sent a message to Ilsraeth on her left and another to a woman to her right. Each relayed the message on to the women next to them. Less than a minute later, she nodded to Roth. He moved first, and the lines of Nevaens continued upward.
They were ten yards from the camp when the first of the ghazi guards spotted them and raised a cry while throwing a short lance at one of the easy targets. The lance struck a Nevaen warrior, burrowing deep into his shoulder.
Roth rose, whirled his sword over his head and pushed himself toward the ledge of the camp. The Nevaens followed. The wounded man pulled the lance free and ignoring the pain, charged with the rest.
A stream of fire erupted above them and struck down at Roth. Enaid, already filled with powers, released a shield to stop the flaming bolt while Ilsraeth released a wave of dark red energy across the ridge that struck the ghazis standing ready to repel the advancing forces.
The ghazis, those not killed but knocked backwards, retreated out of the blistering force of the attack, allowing the Nevaens to reach the ridge and form ranks. They surrounded their Master and prepared to defend him. The Master stood a full head above his slavish followers, his dark robes fluttering in the predawn breeze.
Roth, with Enaid still at his side, signaled his troops to form the ranks he had outlined before leaving their camp. The troops moved forward to face double their numbers. The archers released a wave of arrows at the ghazis. The arrows exploded harmlessly, blocked by the Dark Master’s powers.
At Enaid’s command, all the women of power combined to attack the Master. The shield he had raised glowed orange yellow around him, drawing in and surrounding him like an impenetrable solid ball. The energy of the women crackled across the shield, hissing and popping ineffectively.
No one had expected this attack to reach the Master; rather, it had forced his attention on the women, allowing the Nevaen troops to attack the ghazis. The fighting grew frenzied. The Master joined in the defense, sending streaks of lightning at the oncoming fighters. Half the women changed their energies to shields, protecting their fighters while the other half continued the assault on the Master.
Roth charged forward, heading directly for the Master. With him came one of the Sixes. Behind them were another twenty Nevaen warriors. They met the front lines with swords, knives, and axes, tearing into the mindless creatures and cutting a swath to where the Master stood. Unbelievably, Roth saw the Master encircled by more troops, not ghazi but Nevaen exiles, all with weapons ready.
The Master, turning toward the onrushing troops, raised his hands directly at Roth. Next to him, Enaid cried, “Down!”
Without thought, Roth dropped to the ground and his Sixes did the same, as the Master unleashed a powerful wave of bloody crimson power. The fighters behind Roth, those unlucky enough to have not dropped instantly, received the full force of the lethal burning power. A dozen died instantly, another five burst into flames.
“No more!” Roth screamed. He jumped to his feet and charged the Master.
<><><>
The high-walled circle of fire trapping Areenna and the Six disappeared. When it did, Areenna saw ghazis standing there, their weapons at the ready. Before Noslen could order his men forward, Areenna stepped in front of them, her hands already encased with blue-white energy. Without hesitation, she slammed her palms together.
The waves of power were so strong, they became visible as they exploded from her palms. The twenty odd remaining ghazis flew in every direction. Some died instantly from the force of the power; others spilled over the edge of the campsite to tumble down to the ridge below.
“Back!” she ordered the Sixes and together, they ran to where the others waited. The ground erupted with fire as the Master attacked. Reaching the others, Areenna sent a silent asking to Charka, who carried Mikaal across his back.
The kraal gave a low cry and started up the mountain, careful not to move too quickly so Mikaal would not fall. “Up,” she told everyone, “Hurry.”
Concentrating forcibly, she sent out a call to Enaid. I have Mikaal. We go to the peak. Then she ran after Charka. When she reached him and Mikaal, she grasped Mikaal’s lolling head between her hands. I have you. You are safe. She knew not if she could reach him through the potion; but, touching him, having him free was all that was important.
Go quickly, the Master follows you, came a dart-like thought from Enaid.
Turning, Areenna ran to Trebor and Akassia. “Mount the kraal, ride fast,” she ordered Trebor. “There is a cavern at the peak. Go inside and wait for us.”
Trebor started to argue, but Areenna cut him off. “You cannot run with your wound. Do as I say.”
Without further words, Trebor went to the kraal and mounting behind Mikaal, urged Charka forward. The kraal took off with a lurch and sped upward. As the kraal climbed the mountainside, Areenna gathered the rest to her.
“We must move fast. I will trail behind. The Dark Master is coming and we must get to the peak. Go! Shields,” she shouted to the two women.
Noslen and his men surrounded the two women and everyone ran. She waited until they were twenty feet ahead before following. She ran, her eyes skimming everywhere, desperate to find something, anything to stop the Master. To her left, a hundred feet above the trail was an enormous boulder protruding from the mountainside. Was it big enough? Can I move it?
Realizing she had no choice, she knelt down, dug her hands into the rocky ground of the trail and built her moving ability, the one inherited from her mother. She had never attempted to move something as big as this boulder, and could not guess its weight. Yet, she knew she had no choice. When she had enough power, she focused on the boulder and tried to extract it from the ground. Perspiration beaded her brow, sweat poured into her eyes, stinging and blurring her vision, but she did not stop. The boulder moved a fraction of an inch. The slight movement of the huge rock was enough for her to believe she could control the boulder.
A wave of darkness struck her. It was not a weapon, simply the forewarning of the Dark Master’s approach. Time was running out. Digging deep within herself, she pushed her ability to its furthest edge. The boulder moved again. Small rocks, dislodged by the movement tumbled down the mountainside.
She blinked sweat from her eyes, and saw the Master walking toward her. Behind him was a horde of… Nev
aens. Surprised, it took her a valuable moment to realize they were not Nevaens, but exiles under the Master’s control.
She renewed her efforts. A loud cracking echoed down. Following the sound, small rocks, snow, and dirt slid down the mountainside when the boulder came free. Areenna controlled the massive rock with what remained of her strength, moved it directly over the Master and released her hold.
The Master froze and raised his hands seconds before the monstrous rock reached him. Light flared, waves of violet power shimmered around the Master. The boulder froze above the robed figure and the exiles.
<><><>
Roth charged forward, his anger so strong he no longer cared what happened to him. He needed to get to the Master and end its life. He made it ten feet before there was a huge explosion above him and bodies rained down the mountainside.
The Master gave vent to a scream. A gray mist rose quickly and surrounded the Master and the exiles. Three seconds later, he was gone, his ghazis undefended, and the exiles nowhere to be seen.
Roth did not stop his mad charge and when he reached the first of the ghazi, he slashed at anything near. The Nevaens, seeing their High King charging forward reacted by following him, their shouts coming as fiercely as their swords meeting the flesh of the Dark Master’s puppets.
The battle lasted three minutes. When it was over, only Nevaens stood. Roth, his breathing strained, drew his anger down. Next to him, Enaid closed her eyes and a moment later, heard Areenna’s silent message about freeing Mikaal.
Go quickly, the Master follows you, she responded and turned to Roth. “Areenna has freed Mikaal but the Master chases them.”
Roth turned from the carnage. “Then we chase him.” He called Elyk, the leader of a Six group. “Come with us. Bring the other Six.”
“Tend the wounded. We go to the peak,” Enaid told Ilsraeth.
Timon, who stood next to Ilsraeth, sheathed his sword. “I go as well,” he stated flatly.
Roth nodded.
<><><>
Areenna and the Master stared at each other. He stood still. She sensed he could not release the boulders and fight her as well. Taking advantage of his situation, she ran. Almost exhausted from the fighting, Areenna ignored her screaming muscles and moved as fast as possible while the Master dealt with the boulder.
Behind her, the Master’s anger surged and faded. She could almost hear him laughing. Then his thoughts hit her hard… Run, run. I will have you soon, Sorceress. You and he will be mine.
She almost responded, such was the vileness carried within his thoughts, but somehow she stopped herself. She would not allow him to know she’d heard him, not allow him to know where she was.
There were shouts behind her and she glanced back. The exiles were slipping past the Master, who continued to hold the rock aloft.
She pushed herself harder, made her legs pump faster. “Faster,” she urged when she reached the Six and the two women. “He has more fighters—Nevaen exiles, not the mindless ghazis. We must reach the peak before they catch us.”
The sky had lightened further and the crown was visible a thousand feet above. At this point, the trail narrowed and the sides of the mountain rose higher above the trail, creating a bottleneck and squeezing them into a single line. Next to Areenna, Noslen turned to two of his men. “Lag behind us. Slow them. They will not be able to move quickly through here.”
The men stopped to let the others pass, pulling their bows from their back, and notching arrows. Once the others were through, they began to follow, but slower, one looking forward on the trail, the other walking backwards behind him, watching for signs of the exiles.
There was a loud explosion below. The waves of the Master’s dark force washed over her. She knew it could mean only one thing. The Master had destroyed the boulder. She shuddered at the depths of power he controlled. “Faster,” she pleaded.
The time it took to reach the lower peak seemed eternal to Areenna. Her only concern was to get Mikaal into the cavern and find a way to cleanse him of the potion. Nearing the peak and the plateau leading to the cavern, she joined with Gaalrie, who had been shadowing her throughout the fighting. With a gentle asking, she sent her aoutem to watch the trail behind. When the small group reached the plateau, Gaalrie whirled and skimmed over the mountainside toward the oncoming exiles.
Gaining the somewhat level ground of the plateau, Areenna saw the exiles two-thirds of the way up the trail. The Master was still following behind.
Areenna caught up with Charka, as the kraal moved toward the cavern. “Call your men back,” she shouted to Noslen. “There is enough time.”
Slipping two fingers between his lips, Noslen sounded a sharp staccato whistle. A few second later, he turned to Areenna. “Where?”
“In there,” she said, pointing toward the far side of the plateau and the crystal sheet of its entrance.
The small group raced across the plateau and Areenna called Gaalrie back. The treygone flew back to her and they all reached the entrance and went inside. Noslen, standing in the cavern’s opening said, “They come.”
Areenna stopped to look back. The exiles were pouring over the ridge and running toward them. Noslen and his men sent a wave of arrows at the oncoming exiles and Areenna went to the two floating crystal boxes and grasped the staff suspended between them.
The instant her fingers went around the ancient wood, a spark of power filled her hand and spread through her body. She returned to the entrance. The exiles, two hundred feet away, were rushing madly at them. “Inside!” she ordered the Sixes.
Without hesitating, she raised the staff and closed the entry. Noslen, the last man of the Sixes, barely squeezed inside before the crystal sheet closed against the mountainside. With the door closing, the ceiling of the cavern came alive with nightmoss. Areenna sank to the ground, her chest heaving.
Noslen stood next to Areenna and as she fought for breath, he reached down to grasp her shoulder. “Will this doorway hold?”
Areenna drew in one more deep breath and stood. She favored Noslen with a wry shadowy smile. “For eternity if need be,” she whispered.
Noslen laughed. “Let us hope we wait not so long.” He paused, his eyes inspecting her. “You’re unharmed, My Lady?”
Across the cavern, Akassia and Laira were taking Mikaal from Charka’s back. “I am fine,” she said, “But he is not. Put Mikaal between the two boxes,” she called to the women.
She reached them as they lay him on the ground and knelt by his head. Bending low, she took his head in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, pushing her mind to him. She pushed and pushed again but could not penetrate the barrier the potion had created.
She wanted to scream her frustration aloud but held back. She had not stopped moving or fighting since the Master had taken Mikaal. Now, with the crystal entry locked in place and the small group temporarily safe for the present, she had to stop her mind from racing and concentrate on what was next.
She stroked his face gently, her stomach tight with her need to bring him back. I cannot lose you, not now, not ever! She drew back. His eyes were open and unblinking. I will find you, she told him silently. Fight, Mikaal, fight!
All too aware of the faces staring down at her, her mind raced frantically. Laira and Akassia were closest, Noslen and his men behind them. Trebor sat off to the side, holding his shoulder. Think! she commanded herself. How do I break through?
She met Akassia’s eyes and a spark of memory surfaced. “What did she tell you, the Speaker?” she asked Akassia, as she released Mikaal and stood.
“She said I have one purpose for now. To heal. She said I will know how and what I must do.”
Areenna looked from Akassia to Mikaal and back at the young sorceress Princess. “And do you know?”
Akassia’s face ran through a gamut of expressions until she closed her deep umber eyes. When they opened, she glanced from Mikaal to Trebor, who sat silently off to the side. “I know what is needed,” she said and came for
ward.
Areenna stepped out of her way, opening the path to Mikaal, but Akassia went to Trebor instead, where she knelt at his side. “Help me remove his armor.”
Two of the Sixes came to them and carefully unhooked the chest armor from the back plates and pulled them free. They used their knives to cut off the padded leather tunic, which had already become stiff with Trebor’s drying blood. When they reached for the blood-soaked undergarment, Akassia stopped them. “Leave it.”
She placed her hands over his eyes. When she lowered them, Trebor’s eyes had closed and his chest rose and fell evenly. Areenna watched Akassia’s every movement closely, her insides roiling with anxiety for Mikaal. A soft yellow glow formed around her hands when she placed them on the wound. The young Princess held as still as a statue and two minutes later, the glow faded and her eyes opened. “It is done.”
Trebor’s eyes remained closed when Akassia stood. “He will sleep for a while.” Then she went to Mikaal and knelt behind his head, her knees together. Areenna watched the young Princess lift Mikaal’s head and place it gently on her thighs. Her hands remained at the sides of his head, her palms cupping his ears. Her eyes rolled back, she exhaled softly. The yellow glow spread across her hands and floated over Mikaal’s face.
Every muscle in Areenna’s body tensed. Her nerves vibrated. She balled her hands into fists to stop them from trembling. Time stretched. Akassia remained in the healing trance for many long minutes until she suddenly opened her eyes.
Areenna’s breath caught when she saw Akassia’s eyes as the same yellow as the glow over her hands. “I need help,” Akassia whispered.
“What need you?” Areenna responded without hesitation.
Akassia’s features went distant. Her eyes rolled in their sockets. “You, and Laira, at my sides.”
Areenna knelt next to Akassia while Laira did the same on the other side. One hand on me, one hand on Mikaal, came Akassia’s next silent words. The two women did as asked. Areenna placed her hand on Mikaal’s chest directly over his heart while Laira grasped Mikaal’s upper arm. Akassia closed her eyes. The bonding was instantaneous and electric. Akassia’s breath exploded from her mouth. She jerked her head back and turned to Areenna. There are two blocks. This cannot be. He… beneath the potion, he holds his own block.