by Pedro Urvi
The big Norriel stretched. “Ah, now I feel much better.”
Out of the corner of his eye Komir glanced at Kayti, who looked back at him. He acknowledged the redhead’s generous gesture with a small bow. She gave him a nod in return. He went back to Aliana and Lasgol and with a broad grin dropped down beside them. Gradually the rest of the Bearers arrived, and they all sat down in a circle.
And rested.
Powerful Magic
Suddenly the protective magic sphere rose around Komir. He looked down at his medallion and saw that it was giving out a faint crystalline light. Oh no! This doesn’t look good. He turned to the other Bearers and saw that they were all protected by their spheres. The Ilenian medallions had sensed arcane danger. He stepped forward and looked out to the north-east.
And there he saw it.
A thick reddish mist was advancing towards them.
A mist so dense and red that from that distance it looked like a sea of blood. Involuntarily Komir threw his head back as if he had been hit in the face. In his soul he knew evil was on its way.
All the cheers, laughter and happiness at still being alive ceased at once, and the silence of fear fell on the defenders like a heavy slab of rock.
As the bloody mist approached, the sky above it turned black, as if a terrible storm were brewing in its wake. Komir watched it restlessly, certain that his Destiny was coming to claim him. What the old Silver Witch had forewarned was coming to pass. Amtoko was right. She’s never wrong in her warnings. He felt fear, a deep fear which froze his heart and for an instant he could not breathe. Death was coming, and with it unfathomable evil. But he was going to face it, he was going to stand firm as a rock, he was not going to give in. If he had to die, so be it. One way or another, everything was going to end here today. He was not going to elude his Destiny and would accept whatever the outcome. He took a deep breath and let out a long moan.
The time has come. Give me strength! he prayed to the three Norriel Goddesses.
The unfathomable evil continued its advance, infecting earth and sky, until it stopped two hundred paces away from the survivors. They watched it in silence, tense and expectant.
The evil stopped.
The fog of blood started to fade, very slowly.
Five hundred elite enemy guards were revealed.
Behind them two figures seemed to hover above the malignant mist.
Komir strained his vision. At first he could only make out the two figures, but they stirred such a feeling of danger in him that he stepped back as if he had been hit, and had to steady himself in order not to lose his balance. The feeling grew when he focused on them. For a moment he thought his chest had been pierced with a spear. The figures were a woman of overwhelming beauty, cold and lethal, accompanied by an elderly man with intelligent eyes. Although because of the distance he could not see them clearly, for some mysterious reason he saw their features in his mind, as if the two foreigners wished him to, as if they wanted him not to have the slightest doubt about who they were. They could only be doing that by using the Gift, and a very powerful one too.
Komir breathed in deeply and exhaled a few times to try to calm the feeling of unease which was coming over him. The aura of power those two foreigners radiated was enormous, and so distinct that even a blind man would have perceived it without the Gift. He shook himself. He could not let them intimidate him, he was not going to allow that. I must keep calm. The halo of the woman was such that it would make the heart of a war god shrink to the size of a grain of sand. The woman possessed an immense power, a power he could almost taste, a power of death. Her face appeared in his mind, perfectly defined, as if he were seeing it in a mirror in front of his eyes. He saw the black eyes fixed on his. And at that moment he knew who was watching him, with the certainty of a man who knows death is waiting somewhere along his path.
It was the Dark Lady.
And she was coming to kill him.
There she was, the woman who for so long had been searching for him. She had been trying to kill him since he was a baby. The woman who had killed his parents. His Justice and Destiny. There she was, showing herself, defiant and impassive. And Komir knew in his soul that one or the other would not see another dawn. The moment of final confrontation had arrived.
“My time has come,” he announced to his friends, and before anybody could react he went forward to meet the Dark Lady without looking back. He went through the Great Gate, which was still miraculously standing, and with firm steps, trying to summon up his courage at each stride, he stepped out on to the plain to face his Destiny. It took a hundred paces to gather the courage and serenity to look this personification of evil in the face. Surrounded by dead enemies, with the wall behind him, he clenched his fists to control his fear and looked up, raising his chin in defiance. I will not give in.
The Dark Lady watched in silence, unblinking, her black eyes fixed on him.
Such was the power of that being that the scrutiny almost became a physical thing. He felt as if a spirit of darkness had struck him full in the face. He closed his eyes and flinched. He nearly stepped back. But he dug in his heels and stood firm. I have to stand firm, whatever it takes. Like a rock, like a cliff before the ocean of evil, he repeated to himself under his breath.
A deadly silence fell between Komir and the Dark Lady. A gloomy silence which with every heartbeat he felt more strongly. The woman’s glare seemed to be seeking to pluck out his heart, or crush it to stop it beating. He put his hand to his chest, afraid that creature might do precisely that. He checked his medallion’s protective sphere. No, she would not be able to stop his heart with a spell. Or perhaps she could? Fear came over him once again, but he fought to keep it off.
Footsteps at his back broke the menacing silence, and he was thankful from the depths of his soul.
The Bearers joined him. Aliana stood on his right, smiling wanly as she tried to hide the fear she was undoubtedly feeling. Asti came to stand on her friend’s right. Komir turned his head left and saw Iruki with her gaze fixed defiantly on the Dark Lady; she seemed to have no fear. On the Masig’s left stood Sonea, thoughtful as usual, already wondering about the situation they found themselves in.
Komir glanced to either side. “Thanks… to the four of you,” he said in a whisper, “but… it’s my destiny… my duty… you shouldn’t be here…”
“We don’t see why you should have to face power like this on your own,” Aliana said in a firm, determined voice.
“We can all feel it, it’s colossal,” Sonea added.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you. She’s here for me… it’s me she’s after.”
“And then she’ll kill us all,” Iruki said. Her eyes were fixed coldly on the enemy.
“Kill all,” Asti agreed, as she waved her hand at everyone behind them.
Aliana put her hand on her medallion. “We’ll fight beside you. The five united. All the Bearers as one.”
“But…”
“It’s not open to discussion,” Aliana said, and looked directly into his eyes.
Komir sighed deeply, restlessly. The acid from his stomach was rising up his throat. He did not want them to suffer any harm, he did not want to have them at his side, taking such a risk when he was the one whom evil was seeking. If anything should happen to them because of me… I’d never forgive myself… He was about to try and dissuade them, even though he thought it was a vain hope, when suddenly a deep voice behind him cut short the argument.
“Let’s finish them off! There aren’t even that many of them! It’ll be child’s play!” cried Hartz, brandishing his sword behind the five Bearers. Kayti was with him in her shining white armor. After them came Lindaro, the good man of faith, his face as pale as if he had seen a ghost, but with determination in his eyes.
Komir bent his head and shook it with a shrug. How am I going to convince them this is my fight? I don’t want them to come with me in this last battle. It’s my destiny, the Destiny of the Marke
d, not theirs. I don’t want them to risk their lives, they’ve already given so much. Now it’s my turn. If I must die, so be it, but not them. There’s already been enough death and suffering. Seeing the exultation in his huge friend’s face, eyes staring wide as he searched for the enemy to confront them, he knew he would never dissuade him. He turned to the Bearers and in their hardened faces and narrowed eyes he could read the determination of their brave hearts. There was no way he could keep them apart from danger, no matter how he tried, however much he wanted to.
“Lindaro,” he begged. “Go back behind the wall.”
“I can’t stay behind while you all fight this evil. I have to help.”
“It’s too dangerous, and you’re a man of faith, not of war.”
“I’ve already stayed in hiding while you all risked your lives fighting the Black Army. I knew I should be with you, with every heartbeat, knew I was wrong not to stand up against evil, not to fight beside my friends. Danger’s neither here nor there. It doesn’t matter how great the evil we face may be, I can’t hide, put my head in a hole and just pray for evil to disappear. I have to help.”
“It’s an abysmal evil… death is waiting for us…”
“All the more reason to help you fight it. I’ve made up my mind.”
“How will you fight it? You don’t know how to wield a weapon, you can’t use magic… think about it.”
“I’ll fight the way I’ve been doing so far” —he put his hand to his heart— “with my faith” —he put a finger to his temple— “and my head. These are my weapons, and they’ve helped us before, if I may remind you.”
Komir nodded, frowning. “I know, Lindaro. They’ve helped us a lot, but this is different. We’re facing an evil of immense power. I don’t want anything to happen to you, and of all of us, you’re the only one who’s defenseless.”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Of course we are!”
“Then as a friend, I’m asking you to let me fight against evil today, because my soul won’t let me stay behind in hiding, watching whatever happens. I must be here with you and help you. That I’m certain of. My heart tells me so, and my faith confirms it.”
“I can’t stop you, my friend, and I thank you. But I still wish you were safe, a long way away from here.”
“If we don’t defeat that witch, nowhere will be safe. I want to fight with you, to stop this evil from reaching any more innocents. That’s my wish. Grant it to me.”
Komir hung his head and sighed. He turned a beseeching look on Aliana. The Healer understood his silent plea.
“Just the same as us,” she said, indicating the other Bearers with a gesture. “You can’t deny it to him.”
That was not the answer Komir was expecting, but he had to accept it.
“It’s your decision, Lindaro.”
“Thank you my friend, I’m staying.”
Shaking his head, Komir kicked at a pebble. Why won’t they listen? Don’t they realize we’re probably all going to die? The chances of coming out of here alive are minimal. He looked up at the sky. Maybe that’s precisely what’s driving them to stay and fight.
The ranks of the Rogdonian soldiers parted, and Lasgol came forward. “I’ll make sure the good man of faith is safe,” the Forest Ranger promised.
“Thank you,” said Komir, feeling a touch of relief.
“My men are ready,” Gerart announced as he arrived. He was leading the surviving Rogdonian soldiers.
“We Norriel too are ready,” Master Warrior Gudin said. Behind him came all the Norriel, weapons in hand, their steps firm.
Komir watched the men arrive with sorrow in his heart. They’re all coming… this is just what I was hoping against… I’ll never manage to make them turn, not now. They see the enemy, they’re facing it and they know they must fight. They’ll all risk their lives, even though they’re aware of the terrible danger. He sighed. And yet I’m grateful, I’m incredibly lucky. He wiped the perspiration off his palms on his doublet. He frowned as he watched the Dark Lady and her Sorcerer, who did not move. Nor did the elite guard. They kept absolutely calm, as though they knew themselves to be the unchallenged victors, even though their numbers were far smaller. Komir had the feeling of confronting demigods, while they themselves were mere mortals who would disappear from the face of the earth as soon as the Dark Lady chose. He felt a huge void in his stomach.
And the Dark Lady smiled. A morbid, lethal, smile on her thin purple lips, almost black, as if she were some goddess-beast reincarnated in the body of a woman: hungry, licking her lips and smiling the moment before tasting the feast which awaited her.
Hartz and the other Norriel stirred behind Komir, eager to fight. “What the hell are we waiting for?” Hartz cried. “Let’s crush some skulls!” The Norriel meanwhile burst into war-cries.
Komir, whose gaze had never left the Dark Lady, understood. He raised his arms and gesticulated hastily behind him. “No! Stay still! That’s just what she’s waiting for. That woman, and the man beside her, are Sorcerers with a power that has never before been seen, greater even than Haradin’s. If you attack you’ll be decimated by terrible spells.”
At this warning the Norriel stopped and began to whisper among themselves. The Rogdonians beside them also shifted restlessly. They had witnessed enough devastating magic to last them not just one lifetime but the next.
Gerart raised his sword. “Keep calm! You are heroes of Rogdon, and heroes are forged on days like this, fighting against the greatest adversity, achieving the impossible against all odds! Today our victory will be set down in the annals of history, bards will sing our deeds, and future generations will remember the Heroes of Rilentor!” he urged them ardently, trying to put the men at their ease and raise their spirits.
Komir gestured to them to be quiet. “Easy… stay behind us and stay calm,” he told them. He was trying to protect them, although he doubted he could. He gave Hartz a warning glance, then nodded at Kayti. Make sure he doesn’t rush into an attack. Kayti understood Komir’s concern at once. She seized the big Norriel’s arm and pulled him back.
The Dark Lady stepped forward.
All fell silent. A funereal silence.
Yuzumi looked at them defiantly. Her chin was held high, her attitude arrogant, like a goddess gazing down at her mortal servants. Slowly she raised her arm and pointed at them. Several soldiers let out a cry. She burst into loud, disdainful laughter.
“Pathetic,” she said in her cold, velvet voice, and shook her jet-black hair.
They all stared at her, hypnotized. Some even forgot to breathe. Her words reached them on a current of arcane air. The men shivered. Komir too, felt the glacial sensation and shivered as well. He shook his arms and realized it was not cold; what they were feeling was something else… it was the horror she transmitted.
“How dare you confront me, you wretches?”
Komir clenched his jaw and fists in a struggle against the fear he felt, swallowed his fear and took a step forward.
He did his best to keep his voice from trembling as he faced the Dark Lady. “Pathetic we may be,” he said, “but we’ve defeated your black army.”
“And you shall pay for that, in pain. I shall shed your blood, every drop of it, and drink it still warm from your corpses.”
Komir squared his shoulders. “Your army has already tried that and failed. You won’t be any luckier.”
The Dark Lady smiled condescendingly. “You have courage, I like that. I shall enjoy taking out your heart while you are still alive. I shall show it to you before I eat it. What has befallen my army cannot happen again, for the one who conjured its destruction is no longer among you.”
Komir looked back in surprise. How could she know that?
“Without the great Mage you will die. If it is any consolation, even with him present you would not survive.”
The Bearers glanced at each other uneasily. Without Haradin they felt helpless and vulnerable.
�
�I can feel the Gift in you five, a powerful one, but it is as a drop in the ocean compared to what you carry around your necks. The power the Mage used against my army. A power I want for myself, and what I want, I always get. Is that not so, Isuzeni?”
“Indeed, my Lady and Mistress. Always,” the High Priest said with a deep bow.
“We might negotiate…” Komir began in an attempt at diplomacy, but was immediately interrupted.
“The Dark Lady neither negotiates nor makes deals. She takes,” Isuzeni said dryly.
Komir tried to reply, but had no chance to.
“My time is precious, and I do not intend to waste it here today,” Yuzumi said.
Komir felt a knot in his stomach as she took another step forward.
“It is time to die, you insignificant worms,” she said. Her cold certainty froze the blood of everyone watching her.
She raised her hands and began to cast a spell. The Bearers’ spheres strengthened at once. The sky began to turn dark, with the light of day devoured by a sinister arcane night. In the blink of an eye the sun vanished, and clouds and sky followed as if swallowed by a void. A malevolent firmament formed over the heads of the defenders, whose hearts shrank at the unnatural phenomenon. They tensed in anticipation, and unease came over them in the wake of their fear. The Sorceress lowered her arms and pointed at them.
“Those who dare oppose me find only death. May your souls be devoured by the deepest agony and your bodies suffer terrible torment,” she cursed them, and the hearts of the defenders filled with despair and fear.
The bloody fog reappeared, following the commands of its mistress, emanating from her body as if from this woman of insane power came a bloody liquid, malevolent and corrupt, which devoured both earth and men. It moved, hovering densely above the ground and spreading everywhere like a gloomy tide of blood throughout the battlefield, covering everything it met in a dark red of death.
The fearful muttering of the defenders reached Komir’s ears. He turned and saw that they were moving back, undecided and uneasy. He heard nervous comments. The defenders were shuddering at the vision of blood and death. He could not blame them. That accursed fog was coming for them, to swallow their bodies and souls.