Rage of the Diamond's Eye (The Guildsmen Series Book 1)

by Becker, Shawn

  The rumbling intensified as the druid drove her staff down against the stone, turned it horizontal, and swung it in a slow arc at the gate. The mesa shook, forcing everyone to pause in their fighting. A rending sound followed as though the foundation of the mesa was tearing apart. A jagged shaft of earth, as wide as the mid gate, speared upward and through the wooden barrier, crushing the Zynnashans nearby. Their bodies flew over the wrecked gate, broken and bloody. The massive wall of rock lifted ever higher, either side of it as smooth as polished marble.

  Tair smiled at Laridiya, but the druid priestess slumped to the ground as her communion with Ethaea had sapped all of her energy. The Zyn Beasts that still remained inside the now permanent barrier fought on. They knew they were trapped and intended to slaughter as many humans as they could before their own violent death. The remnants of the Joram’s Bend militia had regrouped and found new courage in the defense of their home. Tair saw Jabor and Cris Malachi fighting together, both of them taking down one of the man-wolves, their own faces contorted with a bestial rage.

  Seeing them fight side by side brought a sudden urge to find Myst, but she knew she couldn’t leave Laridiya alone and defenseless. Tair checked on her, gently shifting the woman’s large girth until she was sitting up against the mesa wall. Standing up, Tair heaved a sigh as to whether she should leave Laridiya to find Myst, but was suddenly shoved face first against the rock wall. Her daggers clattered to the stony ground as she lifted her hands to push against her attacker. She could feel a pair of hands on the back of her neck, squeezing and pushing her face harder into the stone.

  Then a familiar voice spoke softly into her ear: “I told you I was going to kill you.”

  It was Vettis. And this time he meant to do it.

  Using all of her strength, Tair pushed against the rock and kicked backward. She felt him grunt as her boot caught him in the groin. She kicked again, catching him in the thigh. Then he turned her around, his hands now choking her. Her hair fell into her eyes as she punched, scratched, and slapped at him. He only squeezed tighter, causing red spots to dance in her vision until they became white blotches, pulsing along with her racing heart. She couldn’t breathe, there was no air.

  She looked again at the man who was once the love of her best friend. He was hardly the same man. Desperation and madness filled his eyes, had lined his face with premature age. His once charming smile was now replaced with a terrible grin of finality. Tair felt her mouth widening, her throat fighting for any amount of air.

  In an instant, painful rushes of oxygen rushed into her lungs as Vettis’s hands released her. She felt a splash of warm liquid on her face and tasted blood in her mouth as she slid down against the rock wall next to Laridiya. Tair watched as Vettis’s headless body collapsed in a heap before her. She gasped and coughed at the same time, trying to understand what had just happened. Then she saw Myst and the look upon her friend’s face frightened her more than the wolf-beasts.

  She was nearly unrecognizable. Her face was dark with soot; lines of tears trailed down her face from red-rimmed, water-filled eyes; and her red hair stuck out in uneven spikes. Beyond the physical aspects, Myst’s eyes were also filled with a cold rage; a grief that Tair knew could only come from Teeg’s death.

  Myst stared at her for a moment to confirm that Tair was out of danger and then she turned toward the waning battle. Hefting her blood-stained sword, Myst loosed a war cry of inarticulate fury and dove into the fight. She hacked and slashed at anything with fangs and fur. One Zynnashan came at her with its claws, but Myst could not be stopped. She parried the creature’s attacks with ease, slicing open its mid-section. It died trying to hold its insides together as Myst stepped over it to kill the next one. On and on she went until the last Zynnashan fell writhing in its final moments.

  Once the immediate fighting stopped, those that survived the skirmish took a moment to catch their breath and thank the gods. Myst said nothing as she stomped off, throwing her sword to the ground, her body wracked with violent sobs. Tair could only watch, unsure of what, if anything, she could say to ease her friend’s grief. She felt a gentle touch on her arm as a revived Laridiya examined her. “So much blood,” she commented. “Are you hurt?”

  Tair’s voice came out as a rasp, “The blood isn’t mine,” she told her.

  Shouts and cries of joy came from above as the people of Joram’s Bend watched the Zynnashan river ship slide away. The monstrous creatures beyond the gate retreated into the darkness and those that used the power of fire aboard the strange vessel disappeared inside the craft. The riotous yells of victory increased as the ship followed the town’s namesake east and faded into the night.

  “We made it,” Tair said with a weary smile. “We beat them.”

  Laridiya nodded, glancing at the bodies strewn within the small area that marked the entry way of mid-gate. She then looked after Myst, who was crouching near the fallen rope bridge with her face in her hands.

  “Yes, we beat them,” she whispered sadly, “but at what cost?”

  19

  To Tienn, the High Temple of Diathanos was a garish monstrosity dedicated more to receiving attention than it was to foster hope in the world. The structure was built out of a mixture of steelstone, white marble, quartz, and some form of crystalline substance. High ceilings with gigantic columns, majestic hallways wide enough to accommodate a marching army, and marbled porticos offering fantastic views of the city made up the temple’s splendor. False white light created from the blessings of the celebrated deity shone through crystal globes placed everywhere in the temple. The structure of the building and the magnitude of luminescence combined to make the High Temple appear like a place of awe and wonder; a true home for the God of Light and Life.

  But, Tienn knew.

  He knew that every thing, no matter what its purpose, has secrets - dark, dirty secrets that were either shown for what they were, or hidden underneath the white, pristine beauty of light. The temple had such a place underground, and it took Tienn and Kaelyn little time to sneak in through a side entrance near the kitchens and find a small staircase that led down into the dark underbelly of the temple. By using his innate ability for camouflage and her magic, the two were able to slip through the temple undetected and down the steep steps.

  As Tienn slid against the cool stone wall of the dark hallway, he let himself smile at the irony of it. House Diathanos represented the purity of the world, the integrity of Vasalius. How could it allow such darkness to exist in its own home? Once again, Tienn knew.

  Nothing…no one…can call itself whole without embracing both the light and the dark.

  It was why Tienn could never embrace such a God as Diathanos. If he were a praying man, he supposed he would choose Thaealyfis – God of Fire – due to his love of battle. Tienn was an artist with his blade and when he gave in to his senses, when he succumbed to the dance of his rapier, it was as close to heaven as he thought he would ever reach.

  The lower level of the temple was nothing but labyrinthine hallways of pocketed shadow, the only light coming from the occasional guttering torch that rested against the rough stone walls. The passageways intersected at many points, but Kaelyn was somehow confident in her ability to guide them. Before they ventured within the temple, the young magi had mentally severed the connection between Sajiix’s lost ring and her own foci, as it was flashing so quickly that it looked like a steady flare of light coming from her wrist.

  Twice they had to pause, waiting for a passing priest or young acolyte running on some errand. No one saw them; they were perfect in the shadows.

  Finally they reached a hall that did not turn or branch elsewhere. Kaelyn gripped Tienn’s arm tightly as she moved forward at a faster pace. The hall ended abruptly with a small room. From the light of a nearby torch, Tienn could recognize Sajiix chained to the wall. His head slumped forward, but his eyes were open, listening.

  “Someone approaches,” he said quietly, “using shadow in a place of light.” />
  Kaelyn allowed her spell to expire, becoming visible in the feeble light. “Dhama,” she said, pressing her body against his and touching his hands.

  “Who is with you?” the older Magi demanded.

  Tienn stepped from the shadows, his hands wide as if to say “guess who?”

  “Your warning spell was activated and I had to come. I was attacked when I discovered you were here,” she told him, her hands skimming over the iron manacles. “Master Draanyr assisted me and enlisted the help of the Guild to free you.”

  Sajiix’s eyebrows arched, his mouth angled in a familiar smirk. “Did he, now?” He looked straight at Tienn. “And how, pray tell, did he convince the Guild Master to do this?”

  “He does not know, Sajiix,” Tienn answered, taking a step inside the room. “I went to him after your apprentice told me of the situation and he was nowhere to be found. I took it upon myself to make the decision.”

  Kaelyn spoke a word of magic and the manacles released Sajiix from their grip with a firm click. The older Magi lowered his arms with a grunt, allowing Kaelyn to escort him to the single chair to sit. Once seated, he looked up at Tienn as he massaged his wrists. “You risked the wrath of House Diathanos against the Guild to save me? I’m touched.”

  Kaelyn examined her Dhama’s wrists and winced at the bruising. “They will suffer for this,” she hissed.

  “No,” Tienn commanded. “No one will suffer. Understand this, both of you. The Defender’s Guild came here to avert a battle between Magi and clergy. We agreed to rescue Sajiix so that he could be returned to the Arcanum. Once he is safe, you can report to the Elementai and let them form a committee or whatever it is you do there. I do this for the larger scope, Sajiix.”

  The Magi nodded. “Of course,” he said tightly. “Far be it for you to rescue me out of friendship.”

  “That is not the point,” Tienn told him. “Leaving you here would be wrong. I risked the Guild to do what is right…something it once stood for.”

  Sajiix stared hard into the Draaken’s eyes for a moment, gauging Tienn’s sincerity. Finally the Magi nodded. “Very well,” he sighed. “What is your plan for getting me out?”

  Tienn nodded to Kaelyn. “Your apprentice can turn you invisible and we sneak out like we snuck in.”

  “My apprentice does not have the skill to keep us both unseen.” Kaelyn seemed to bristle at this comment, but Sajiix continued with a gentle pat on her shoulder. “Her skill is hampered by the aura of House Diathanos. One can almost taste the selfless good that permeates the air.”

  “Do you have anything that can help?” Tienn asked him, ignoring his sarcasm.

  Sajiix shook his head. “Not without my foci,” he answered.

  “And where is…?” Tienn raised snow-white eyebrows.

  Sajiix only looked up to the ceiling, referencing the level above.

  “This will make it more difficult,” Tienn said, his voice dripping with his own cynicism.

  “If I cannot become invisible, then I must blend in some other way. And though it fills me with dread to say this, perhaps we can find some spare white robes or a cloak?”

  “We are not killing anyone for their clothes,” Tienn said firmly.

  Sajiix sighed, “No one spoke of murder. Kaelyn can easily put someone to sleep or perhaps there is a linen closet somewhere. Either way, we need to get moving.” The Magi stood, arching his back. He let out a low moan, staggering forward.

  “Are you in need, Dhama?” Kaelyn said, rushing to Sajiix’s side.

  “Only of five, ten years, perhaps,” Sajiix offered his apprentice a rare smile. “I am not as young as I once was.”

  “Did they torture you?” asked Tienn.

  “Only when they started quoting the Luminous,” Sajiix answered wryly. “For the most part, they have left me here alone.”

  The sound of a boot scuffing stone came from down the darkened corridor, prompting Sajiix to quickly stand and gesture to Kaelyn and Tienn to vanish. Both faded from view as the Magi grasped hold of the manacles above his head, pretending as though he were still held captive. From the shadows entered a young priest carrying a bowl of water, his robes as white and new as the rank he now held. Sajiix was also pleased to note that the man was almost his size.

  The priest was quite young and untried; his faith not nearly as tested as Kaelyn’s ability. A simple spell to fog the brain put the man to sleep and Sajiix set about removing the robes of his order and replaced them with the priest’s own. They were a tight fit, but the hood of the white robes would hide his face well enough. The Magi and Tienn then dressed the priest in Sajiix’s own purple outfit and lifted his body against the wall so that Kaelyn could secure him in the manacles.

  From a distance, it looked as though Sajiix were still a prisoner.

  As the trio prepared to leave the small room, Tienn could not hide his chuckle at seeing Sajiix in robes of pure white.

  “Not a word, Draanyr,” the Magi warned.

  The three moved on; Kaelyn and Tienn hidden with their separate talents and Sajiix disguised as a priest of Diathanos, his head bent low in faux supplication. After a few mistaken turns and back steps, the three finally reached the stairway that led to the main level. All of them were jittery, wondering when the priest they had shackled would awaken and start shouting for help.

  Sajiix climbed the stairs into the bright hallowed halls of the High Temple. Somewhere nearby, Kaelyn and Tienn followed. The Magi walked toward the cathedral, but paused when he heard a sharp hiss from behind. “That is the wrong way. The exit is down this hall.”

  “My foci is somewhere on this level,” Sajiix whispered, his head still bowed. “I will not leave without it.”

  “Are you mad?” replied Tienn, his voice becoming faster, more agitated. “If you haven’t noticed, the amount of light in there makes my ability to be unseen nearly impossible. I cannot follow you.”

  “Then do not wait for me,” Sajiix said calmly. “Go out and secure our escape route. Kaelyn will aid me in the location of my ring.”

  Tienn was beside himself. They were standing so close to the exit, so close to escaping from this political fiasco without harming anyone, and Sajiix decides to pine for his ring! Yet, there was another nagging concern that lingered in the Draaken’s mind – could he trust Sajiix not to take his revenge against those that imprisoned him?

  “Be quick about it,” he finally advised. “I will be waiting near the entrance.”

  Sajiix nodded and waited until he sensed Tienn’s presence fade. He then addressed his apprentice, who was closer than he anticipated. “Kaelyn,” he said softly. “I want you to use your foci as a divining rod, use it by feeling the energy pulse within you – not visually without. If you concentrate, you can guide me close enough to the ring to where I can sense it myself.”

  All Magi grow an affinity for their own foci as they grow in power, almost as if it were a new appendage. The item becomes sacred, a part of them. Locating one’s foci is like soothing a burn with a refreshing balm. During the hours he was detained, Sajiix could feel his ring within the building, but not having it on his person was an itch he could not reach to scratch. He would have his amethyst again – and Diathanos help the paladin that still held onto it.

  Sajiix moved through the grand hall with relative ease. The night was growing late and few patrons visited the cathedral at such a time. The few Palidiamos assigned as sentries hardly noticed a low-level priest who seemed to be doing nothing more than praying to his deity.

  At last, Sajiix felt Kaelyn tug on his robes as they passed a smaller hallway filled with oval framed doors of polished wood. Sajiix could feel his amethyst the moment he set foot upon the carpeted floor of the hall. He moved swiftly down the corridor, pausing at the third door to his left. Taking a breath, he knocked softly. Concerned that the occupant did not hear, he knocked louder, still garnering no reply. Placing his hand upon the brass knob, Sajiix tested the door. It was unlocked.

  Those within
the flock of Diathanos were a trusting breed.

  Sajiix entered the room, allowing time for Kaelyn to enter before he shut the door. He could see that the missing occupant was obviously a paladin by how clean and orderly the room was kept. It was a large area, comprised of a wood-framed bed, wardrobe closet, locked chest, work desk, armor rack, and small table. A thick rug of animal skin lay near the foot of the bed and a number of adornments were scattered along each wall. This Protector has done well for himself, Sajiix noted.

  A sigh behind him let him know that Kaelyn had released her spell, allowing him to see her once more. “Do you sense it here, Dhama?” she asked.

  Sajiix nodded as he moved toward the desk. “Yes,” he replied. “The thug obviously meant to keep it as a trophy.”

  The elder Magi began tugging on drawers and scattering sheaves of parchment. As he searched, Kaelyn sat nimbly upon the edge of the desk, her eyes alight with mischief. “I was quite worried for you,” she said, her voice in a familiar husky tone that caused Sajiix to pause in his search.

  He smiled as she raised a hand to the fabric that covered her bosom, gently pushing it aside to allow him to see more of her body. Sajiix chuckled and shook his head in genuine wonder. “You,” he said, leaning closer to her, “flirt too much with danger and pleasure…”

  “It makes it more exciting,” she breathed.

  “And what if our paladin friend happens to walk in?”

  Kaelyn’s silky laugh reverberated through Sajiix. “Then, perhaps we will show him something he’s never experienced.” Sajiix kissed her then, roughly. She met his lips with an eager desire, her hands lacing around the back of his neck to pull him closer.