by Lee M Eason
“Kara and Mia Sara!” Jac exclaimed sitting forward in his chair. “They hate each other.”
“That may be so but they’re in Ildra as we speak,” Durnin chuckled. “Strange times call for strange alliances.”
***
“Go, go!” Mia Sara yelled barely audible above the noise of the Fury’s presence.
Kara faltered, torn between helping Mia Sara and doing what she knew she had to.
“I’ll come back for you. I promise,”
“Leave!” Mia Sara shouted.
Hating herself Kara transformed and grabbing a startled Halleck threw him onto her back and leapt from the ruins. Four powerful limbs dug into the earth and she plunged into the jungle.
Mia Sara turned, lifting her arms as if pushing against a wall. Her hair and the surrounding jungle writhed about her. The clearing was chaotic, ripped and tossed as if by a storm. Energy ribbons lashed randomly at trees and masonry, sending fern and dirt into the maelstrom as the Fury stepped from the portal.
Mia Sara could barely turn to see if Kara was gone. She needed focus to keep the thing, on the edge of the clearing, at bay. This one was weaker than the one they’d encountered at Amar but even so she struggled to contain it. She could sense the distant minds controlling it. They must have been followed. Something had given them away. She tested the ground below it, there was no rock; the same trick wouldn’t work. Stealing herself she drew on the field, pain lanced at her mind as The Field’s Caps began to limit her. Gritting her teeth against it she focused her will even further and pulled in more energy. It was agony and her body protested but she fought harder, straining for every gain. Soon she could bear it no longer and unleashed the potential in a focused burst. The air rippled and cracked like thunder against the Fury disrupting its form field. The thing shuddered, its energy ribbons collapsed and it was blown back into the trees. Mia Sara’s legs buckled and she fell, the world closed in around her and then everything went dark.
She awoke with a start not knowing where she was and tried to rise but everything began to spin and she fell forward onto her hands and knees and vomited. When the spasms had finally died she was able to straighten and waited for her breathing to ease from short little breaths. It took her a little time to remember where she was, her head pounded. Wiping her hand across her mouth she noticed blood. Absently she cleaned it on her knee and spat trying to clear her mouth.
Once her stomach had settled she struggled to her feet, sharp pain stabbed inside her head and her vision was clouded in one eye. She awkwardly rubbed at her forehead with a hand, trying to calm the pain. There was sudden warmth on her neck. She touched her ear, more blood.
Trying to take a few faltering steps she turned, unaware of a disturbance in the jungle. Where were Kara and Halleck? Perhaps they had gone to find firewood. She let that thought linger for a while as she stood swaying slightly. No, that wasn’t right. Something had happened. She felt very tired and wondered if it would be alright to lie down again for a while just until she was rested. Looking around for a suitable place she noticed the forest was moving and yet silent, the wind was picking up but she couldn’t feel it on her face or hear it. The trees swayed violently and leaves came spinning through the air. As Mia Sara watched, her vision blurring, she was reminded of their last meeting in the park the sun had shone, glistening through the branches as it did now. She stumbled forward wanting to feel the glow on her face. Lights leapt out of the jungle before her and she reached out to touch them as the huge figure drew closer.
Chapter 17
Carrick reached for the hot drink Jerrad had set before him, his hand was still shaking so instead he rubbed at his eyes, dragging his hand down his face in fatigue before propping up his head.
“No more today,” Jerrad said firmly, “or tomorrow. You’re pushing too hard again.”
“Ok,” Carrick agreed reluctantly.
Jerrad sighed, relieved that Carrick was now listening to him and stepped quietly from the doorway into what passed as a small garden. He took a deep breath of the salt air and let the wind blast him as waves boomed on the pebble shore. He was glad that the worst was now behind them.
In Amar he and Carrick had worked together and had quickly become friends. Naicarn’s use of a staff had continued to bother Carrick. He’d talked to Moy, Amar’s Adept Maker and she’d agreed to fashion one for him. Having never done this before she was excited by the project and after considerable research began her task, crafting a rod and weaving in the form fields that would allow it to work. The first attempt had exploded, rather spectacularly but undeterred she had tried again.
All had watched eagerly, as Carrick picked up the staff for the first time, almost holding their breaths as his fingers closed around it. There had been smiles and satisfied nods as staff and user connected.
Carrick’s first attempts to direct his will through the staff had been a source of much joking between them. With practise he had managed to charge the staff and to everyone’s surprise direct a small amount of energy a short distance at an iron rod, half buried in the ground. The flash had popped in the air making them all jump and then fall about laughing. To say the effect had been unimpressive was an understatement. Carrick had practised for weeks and had improved to a bolt that struck the rod from a greater distance. In the time that followed he’d managed to knock the bolt over but was clearly becoming frustrated by his lack of progress. Gwen had done her best to persuade her brother to give up but the two had parted in anger and frustration. In the end Jerrad and Carrick had left Amar and headed for the small house the Amarian maintained when he needed a break from the politics of the Order. Rather than let Carrick continue alone Jerrad had agreed to monitor him and use his skills as a master healer.
Time had passed and at first Carrick had been responsible about the process, minutely pushing against the limitations of The Field’s Cap. Jerrad had watched Carrick battle against the pain of this process, easing it and repairing minor damage like nose bleeds. But as time passed Carrick pushed himself more and more and Jerrad had become concerned. His abilities had increased but so had the harm Carrick was doing to himself and Jerrad found he was repairing deeper, more alarming damage to blood vessels and parts of Carrick’s brain. Carrick began living with constant headaches, which plagued him unceasingly, his stomach was unable to cope with food and he wasn’t sleeping. Jerrad would often wake to find Carrick talking to himself as if someone else was in the room or in his head. By day Carrick had been at best irritable and at worst he would fly off the handle blaming Jerrad for the whispering that now dogged his waking hours.
Jerrad had tried to persuade him that enough was enough but after many arguments he had given up and watched the torture on a daily basis. Jerrad had even tried to drug him but Carrick had become aware of this and exploded in rage. At that point Jerrad had decided he needed to leave. He’d actually begun riding down the beach but then reluctantly turned round knowing Carrick needed his help. He returned to find him on the floor unconscious and took the opportunity to send him into a deep sleep, extending the rest for a week before allowing Carrick to wake naturally. That following morning Jerrad had woke to find Carrick up and stood on the beach watching the sea. He had his staff in his hand and the iron rod was placed some distance down the beach. Jerrad had dressed and gone to see how he was, concerned Carrick would be angry at his enforced sleep. As Jerrad approached, Carrick had greeted him, sounding more like his old self and asked him to watch. Jerrad had agreed and waited patiently, behind Carrick, as he turned towards the distant rod. Raising his staff, he’d concentrated and Jerrad had felt Carrick focus his will, the air had begun to prickle and still Carrick focused further, drawing on the field. The staff hummed suddenly and a ragged strike of energy had erupted from the tip of the staff and struck the rod, the ground around it exploded into a large crater. Both had watched as the sand and fused silicon patted back down onto the beach, the noise of the sea filling the air again.
“I’ll
do it your way from now on,” Carrick had promised, adding a heartfelt apology.
“Your sister needs to hear that too,” had been Jerrad’s only response.
Carrick had snorted. “Hmm, when you’re right you’re right.”
Since then Carrick had kept his word and although the going had been painfully slow they had made progress. He waited outside for Carrick to join him, knowing the Adept wasn’t feeling good this morning and would be trying to hide this fact.
Carrick watched Jerrad step outside and tried again for the hot drink. This time the shaking had eased enough for him to pick it up and take a few sips. It was slightly bitter but everything tasted bitter lately. He wished he could get the taste out of his mouth. Eventually the drink began to take effect and Carrick decided to get up and join Jerrad. He was a little unsteady on his feet and waited a while so that Jerrad wouldn’t see this and force him to wait longer before he could continue. He drank more, taking careful sips so he didn’t burn his mouth. Finally feeling steady he went out to join Jerrad.
“An ear for them,” he asked seeing Jerrad sat on the stone wall.
“Sat here looking at this you wouldn’t know there’s a war on,” Jerrad said thoughtfully. “There must be people all over the continent oblivious to the fact. Just getting on with their lives.”
“I hadn’t really thought about that but yes there must be,” Carrick wondered at the man’s thoughts. He didn’t seem to fit in at the Amar Order. He didn’t seem to be struck with the same need to progress, to climb to a position of authority. “Do you ever regret joining your Order?”
Jerrad thought for a while. “No, but there are times when I get sick of all the ‘in house wrangling’. There are too many egos that need stroking and perhaps too many people gullible or ambitious enough to do it. Is it the same in Naddier?
“Oh yes. There’s less of the politics but just as many egos.”
“Have you thought any more about going back and sorting things out with your sister?” Jerrad sensed now was a good time to broach the subject.
Carrick leaned against the wall. He could feel his legs starting to tire. “Yes. I know I should. I keep thinking I’m going to see her coming down the beach one morning. She’s not one to hold onto things.”
“She was only worried about you.”
“True, but I felt this was important. You’re pretty shorthanded at this end. If I’d been able to do what I can now, more people would have survived the Fury attack. If Segat’s got more of those things we won’t stand a chance, unless we push the limitations placed on us.”
“That’s what Naicarn wanted us to do in the first place,” Jerrad said pointedly.
“And before all of this I would have said he was wrong but….”
“Naicarn’s dream seems to have become a reality, in a roundabout way,” Jerrad said dryly.
“Perhaps they have. How ironic.”
They watched the skimming sea birds as they braved the rolling waters. The constant noise of the waves was somehow comforting. Jerrad finally spoke. “Have you tested yourself this morning?”
“I’ve been holding off. I’ve felt different lately.”
“You haven’t mentioned this. In what way different?” Jerrad asked a note of concern in his voice.
“Don’t worry,” Carrick managed a half-hearted smile. “Not in a bad way.” He paused trying to find the words to explain something he didn’t fully understand. “The whispering has gone. It’s taken me a while to realise it, or rather remember it was there in the first place. But thinking back when I woke that morning, after you’d drugged me, it was gone then. May be you should have done that earlier.”
“I tried. You weren’t exactly pleased.”
“Really,” Carrick puzzled.
Jerrad nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry. I still don’t know what the whispering was. What it was a sign of…” he gave up rubbing at his forehead. “I can’t put it into words. It made me want to continue even when I knew I should stop and I felt angry for no reason when you tried to stop me. Do you think I was going mad?”
Jerrad laughed. “A few weeks ago before you collapsed I’d have said yes. But now, I don’t know, you’re back to normal. It was like your whole personality had changed.”
The afternoon found them on the beach. The wind had dropped and the sea was calm. Jerrad had set an iron rod some way off, having walked past several craters now partly filled in by the daily movement of sand.
“Ready?” Jerrad asked as he approached, his boots digging into the soft grit.
Carrick nodded apprehensively, “I think you should stand away a bit.”
“I always do. This time I’m going to stand a long way back,” Jerrad joked, trying to ease the tension.
Carrick prepared himself and began to focus his will. From the second he started Jerrad could feel a difference. The energy field was more responsive and less sluggish. When he drew on the energy to heal it always had the feel of treacle. This seemed to flow more like water. He could feel it building much quicker and the air already had the static feel associated with a concentration of the field. In less time than before, Carrick raised the staff and willed it to discharge. No short-lived bolt this time. The staff’s hum came to a pitch, there was a flare of light and a beam of brilliant energy sliced through the air. The iron rod erupted in a flash of molten sparks and the ground around it bulged and then erupted in a large detonation, spraying sand and silicon half way back to where they stood. Jerrad had flinched involuntarily at the detonation and Carrick stood frozen looking at the crater. Sea birds scrambled noisily into the air.
“Are you alright?” Jerrad asked as he walked quickly over.
Carrick seemed to be checking himself before answering. “Yes, I think I am. Nothing’s dropped off and my head’s still here.”
Jerrad slapped him on the back the tension lifting. “Good work.”
Carrick let out a whoop of delight and shook Jerrad’s hand. “Thanks to you.”
Several days later, after making Carrick rest, Jerrad locked the door to his house and climbed onto his mount.
“We should make Amar by tomorrow. You sure you’re up to the journey?”
“I’m ok. I’m eager to get back.” They started off along the beach at a steady trot leaving the small house behind. Carrick wasn’t sorry to leave, his memories of the past weeks already seemed distant, even a little surreal and weren’t ones he wanted to take with him. He took a last look back at the small cottage and the sea beyond before coaxing his mount on to catch up with Jerrad. Now that they were on their way his thoughts turned to what was happening in the wider world. He was eager to see his sister and perhaps make some amends. He was also impatient for news of their friends.
The sky ship journey was short and upon their return Carrick thought it appropriate to speak with The Chancellor first, even though he wanted to see his sister. Gattick noticed the change in his appearance immediately. The weight loss and the dark circles under his eyes gave some impression of what Carrick had put himself through. They sat and Carrick related the events of his time at Jerrad’s while the Chancellor listened thoughtfully.
“You took a terrible risk,” Gattick said finally. “And one I could not have encouraged but the war is coming and I fear we will need all the help we can get.”
“So Segat has made further moves?” Carrick asked aware that events in the world beyond the beach house would have moved on a pace.
“Yes,” Gattick nodded gravely. “He seems to be clearing away any pockets of resistance in the North. Neath and eastern Sancir are under his control. He now controls Urukish, Selarsh, Hon and much of Cian.” He pointed to the map and its covering of flags and markers now set up by his desk. “Though thankfully the Cians allowed Hallorn to help. But your people are only just holding his forces back short of the capital. We have been able to set up a communications relay with the Conveyers from many Orders and Cian is a vital link in its success. His powder weapons and The Ildr
an Order under VaCalt are proving a powerful component of his armies.”
The Chancellor continued to bring Carrick up to date until he could see the man was becoming tired. “It would seem now is the time for you to get some rest but before you go I have news from your sister.”
“Oh,” Carrick said a little surprised.
“Segat has been testing our defences at the Ugarmas Dip. She volunteered to go there and spear head a counter strike shortly after you left and so isn’t here to greet you.” The Chancellor noted Carrick’s sudden concern. “She anticipated your reaction and left you this note, oh and this,” Gattick passed him a hat.
Carrick took hold of it not knowing what to say but quickly opened the note. He read the short message and then chuckled. “The note,” Carrick began, “reads as follows. Dear brother, I sincerely trust this finds you well and in full control of your faculties! However, should that not be the case, please find attached this hat, which may be used to cover the top of your head - large holes tend to collect water in the rain. Love Gwen.”
***
“Get us in closer!” Gwen shouted urgently above the explosions that rocked the ship.
The Amarian captain expertly swung his craft closer to the much larger Ildran one. Unencumbered by sails the three Conveyers worked hard to propel it at the speeds needed to out manoeuvre the bulky adversary.
The Ildran Captain had positioned himself to fire on the fort and wasn’t prepared for the Hallorn ship, which appeared out of nowhere. Bellowing orders, he tried to move away but was too late.
From her position of cover Gwen focused her will and transported herself and fifteen soldiers onto its deck. The men quickly spread out and dispatched the Ildran crewmen manning the powder weapons. The ship’s own compliment of soldiers dashed to engage them.