Lifebringer (Pharim War Book 6)

by Gama Ray Martinez

  Jez knelt by Sariel and tried to shake him awake, but the high lord didn’t respond. Having neither breath nor heartbeat, Jez had no idea how to check if he was all right. Sariel was a pharim, and the fact that he retained a physical body said he wasn’t dead, but more than that, Jez couldn’t tell.

  “It’s like whatever happened to Aphlel,” he said under his breath.

  In fact, it was exactly like what had happened to the healing lord. Jez’s breath caught in his throat. The afur hadn’t revealed themselves until after Villia had sent out the call, but they had been with the army for a long time. Who knew how long they had been in the area? Three of them, the same number of power sources Sariel had detected.

  Jez picked up Sariel. In his transformed state, he was more than strong enough to carry the pharim lord, at least physically. As they flew, Sariel’s power was like a buzzing in the air. At first, it was easy to ignore, but before long, the power reverberated through him, and he felt like it would tear him apart. By the time the city walls came into view, it was all he could do to stay aloft. As he neared, he felt the color drain from his face.

  To the west, the beast men and Haziel’s army were engaged in a pitched battle.

  CHAPTER 25

  Unsure of what else to do and afraid to take the unconscious Sariel into battle, Jez tucked in his wings and dove, landing on the roof of Clont’s inn. He laid the pharim lord down out of sight and crafted a ward against detection magic as well as a shield of protective energy. Neither working was very good but there was no easy way onto the roof, so he hoped Sariel would be safe enough. That done, Jez took to the air again and headed toward the battle.

  Beast men, wearing features from every animal Jez had ever seen and many he had only heard of, marched toward Haziel’s army. They didn’t move in formation or maintain any sort of military discipline. Rather, they moved as individuals or small groups. Had they been men, the more disciplined troops under the command of Queen Istar would have destroyed them, but both sides had been joined by afur. While the king had received many who had belong to the Veilspeakers or the Lightgivers, most of those more suited to combat, such as Shadeslayers and Beastwalkers, had gone to the beast men.

  The attackers poured over the king’s army like a tide washing over rocks. Men and women fell to creatures with the strength and power of wild animals, guided by the minds of humans. Afur flung magic or attacked with otherworldly swords that sheared through flesh and steel with equal ease. On the king’s side, summoned beings of every form imaginable cut into the beast men and their afur allies.

  Hurriedly, Jez raised his arms. His head was still swimming from coming all this way while under the constant assault of Sariel’s power, but he forced himself to concentrate in spite of the mental fog. He drew deeply of Luntayary’s power and sent it into the ground. The earth rumbled so hard that nearly all beings who stood on two legs were knocked off their feet. Most of those, like Galine, who walked on four, managed to keep their balance, but even they stopped when the earth started moving. Jez landed in the middle of the battle, sending another surge of terra magic into the earth so that it trembled as he set foot on it. Cracks spread from his point of impact.

  Everyone stared at him, and he scanned the gather combatants. It didn’t take him long to find the towering form of Galine and the flaming sword banner of King Haziel. He pointed at one then the other before indicating the ground in front of him, demanding that the leaders come forth. Both the king and queen wore bewildered expressions, and as they approached, they kept their eyes on Galine, as if they were afraid the lion man was going to eat them. Galine, for his part, eyed the monarchs with suspicion and approached Jez with caution.

  When Jez turned back to the king and queen, Villia had appeared beside them, though her robes didn’t bear any of the rips or stains that the clothing of the others had. Rather than being wounded, she looked like she was going to be sick.

  “What happened?” Jez asked. “I thought you could protect them.”

  She shook her head. “I do not know. The working got stronger. It broke through my shields, and then...” She spread her arms to encompass the battlefield. It was littered with the dead and dying, and the coppery scent of blood hung in the air. Lifebringer afur had already started healing the wounded, but there was little doubt they would lose many. Jez turned to Galine.

  “I can’t explain it,” the lion man said. “It suddenly seemed like they were a threat that had to be dealt with. We didn’t even need to discuss it. Within an hour, we were marching.”

  “Didn’t you listen to what Villia said? Weren’t your protected?”

  “We tried, but it would take us days to find everyone. We started looking and told the afur what to do, but they had already been discussing Sharim’s offer before we arrived. One thing led to another until we were convinced the king would try to enforce his will on us, so we attacked.”

  “Lina?” Jez called out.

  “I’m here.” Her disembodied voice was barely above a whisper. A moment later, she dropped the working maintaining her invisibility. “It got me too.”

  She looked pale, far more than usual, and she carried a tiredness about her that said she’d been using a lot of power lately. Many might dismiss her ability in combat since she was only an illusionist, but under the right circumstances, she could be frighteningly effective. The sickened look on her face said she’d done just that.

  “Osmund?”

  “Here, Jez,” he said as he strode toward them, looking none the worse for wear. It wasn’t especially surprising. Osmund usually fought in the form of Ziary, and any damage he suffered wouldn’t carry over to his human form, though some of the fatigue did. “It was bad. Even Ziary was surprised by the savagery it brought in us.”

  Jez raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  Osmund nodded. “Remember, he’s not just some indiscriminate killer. He wants to destroy evil. That’s not what this was. This was just killing.”

  “What could cause this?” Galine asked.

  “I’m not entirely sure,” Jez said, “but it could be when a traitor afur stabbed a high lord of the pharim in the stomach and used some of his power to strengthen this working.” Everyone gaped at him, and he swiftly recounted what had happened. Once he’d finished, he looked from Haziel to Galine. “Where are Shanel and Raphlia?”

  “I haven’t seen Raphlia in some days,” Haziel said.

  Istar was shaking her head. “I spoke to her just before the battle.” Her hand went to her head. “That’s the last thing I remember before the anger.”

  “It’s the same with Shanel and me,” Galine growled. “Are you saying they were responsible for this?”

  Jez nodded. “They’ve been Sharim’s from the beginning.”

  “What do we do now?” Istar asked.

  Jez closed his eyes for a second before shaking his head. “I can’t counter this working. Can you just stay away from each other? I need to get back to the manor.”

  Lina threw her hands up. “Jez, not the manor again. What do you expect them to do?” Jez readjusted his mental wards and expanded them to include her. Instantly, she calmed down. “Sorry.”

  Jez nodded. “Just stay away from each other. Find the triune. If we can stop them, the working might collapse on its own.”

  Haziel and Istar nodded simultaneously, and the queen spoke up. “We’ll sound the retreat.”

  Galine let out a roar so loud that the humans covered their ears. Istar drew her sword, but Villia’s eyes glowed and calm passed over the queen’s features. She seemed almost embarrassed as she sheathed her weapon. The beast men backed away from the soldiers, though they never took their eyes from their enemies.

  “That was the retreat,” Galine said by way of apology.

  “Go back to the forest,” Jez said. “That way, there should be less of a chance of any mistakes happening with the army.” He turned to Haziel. “And you go back to the camp.”

  Jez spread his wings, but Lina touche
d his arm. “I’m going with you.”

  “I don’t think that’s the best—”

  “Take her, Jezreel,” Villia said. “She may be able to protect her own mind, but if there is another surge, she is too powerful a mage to risk having her losing control again so near to the king and queen. She could make us think the beast men were attacking, and then all of this will be for nothing.”

  “I should go too,” Osmund said. “I assume between the two of you, you can guard my mind?”

  Jez nodded and took Lina in his arm. Osmund shed his human form, and they took off and flew toward the inn. They landed just long enough for Jez to dispel his wards. Ziary scooped up Sariel, and they headed toward the fog column. Jez looked over his shoulder at the battlefield.

  “Do you think they’ll be able to resist fighting each other?”

  Lina sighed. “Not for very long. That working...” She shuddered in his arm. “It’s so strong. I can’t believe it’s healing magic.”

  Jez nodded as they descended. An indigo-robed figure with dark brown skin stood in front of the entrance to the manor, waving them down. Though there was nothing to provide shade nearby, shadows hid all but the most prominent features.

  “Jez, is that who I think it is?” Ziary asked.

  Jez took a closer look and did a double take. It was Leziel, the lord of secrets himself. Jez landed next to him. Though his face was perpetually shrouded in shadows, Jez got the impression that his eyes had gone wide at the sight of the unconscious Sariel.

  “The same thing that happened to Aphlel?” he asked.

  “I think so. Illeon put him to sleep.”

  “You saw it happen?” Jez nodded. “We may be able to help Sariel, at least, if not Aphlel.”

  “What do you mean?” Jez asked.

  “Aphlel has been taken out of the manor, and I cannot see where his kidnappers have gone.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Leziel led them through the halls of the manor. No longer illuminated by lanterns or torches, shining balls of light hung in the air just below the ceiling. The high lord seemed wispy, as if he wasn’t really there, and whenever Jez looked away from him, he seemed to leap forward several steps. As they walked, Jez explained what they had learned about the working laid over the town.

  Leziel nodded. “I wondered why the others were acting so rashly.”

  “It didn’t affect you?”

  Leziel shook his head. “Among other things, I am the lord of mental magic.”

  “But the working wasn’t mental magic.”

  “No, if it had been, I would certainly have detected it, but the mind, properly trained, can override many of the influences of the body.”

  “Can you counter it?”

  “Not directly. I, and the afur who have returned to me, can strengthen the minds of the people so they can more easily resist it.” The high lord shuddered, and for a moment, Jez thought he could see his face. “It feels odd to move so openly, even though the people will never know it is I who protected them.”

  “Is that really the best idea?” Jez asked. “Getting your afur to help us, I mean. We all thought we could trust Illeon and his friends, and look how that turned out.”

  Leziel turned to him, and the shadowed expression gave the sense of smiling. “The Darkmasks are not like other orders. The minds of all those under me are open to my power. They can and should keep secrets from others, but they have none from me. None of them will betray us.”

  “They did before,” Jez said under his breath, but if Leziel heard, he didn’t respond.

  The lord of secrets led them into one of the servant sleeping quarters, and Ziary laid Sariel on the bed before resuming his human form. Leziel placed a hand on Sariel’s forehead. He closed his eyes, but after a second, he sighed and shook his head.

  “It is just like Aphlel. I cannot find his mind. What exactly did Illeon do?”

  “He put a hand on his forehead just like you did. Sariel cried out and fell unconscious. He said it was some kind of sleeping working.”

  “Dusan could do that,” Osmund said. “Even to spirits. He did it to Ziary.”

  Jez shook his head. “He only did that because he was channeling Marrowit’s power.”

  “Was Marrow the only nightmare demon?” Osmund asked.

  “No.” Jez turned to Leziel. “I guess there’s no harm in trying.”

  Leziel motioned for him to continue. Jez had to think for a second. He hadn’t used this particular working in years, and even then, he’d only done it under Luntayary’s influence. It was similar to that used to end a possession, though it went deeper. Jez splayed his fingers and dragged them from Sariel’s forehead to the left side of his chest, right where the heart would be in a human, though of course, there was no beating. His power flowed through the lord of protection, and it slammed into a wall.

  Jez pulled back. His ears were ringing, and he grabbed onto the bed to keep from falling. He took several deep breaths and took on Luntayary’s form. Even the added power wasn’t enough, though he felt the working quiver. He was very close. He turned to Leziel as he resumed his human form.

  “I need a Shadowguard afur.”

  “There are none left,” Leziel said. “They acted as one when they attacked.”

  “I need more power.” He thought for a moment.

  “What about Kilos?” Lina asked. “He studied protection.

  “Good idea,” Jez said as he glanced at Leziel. “Is he in the laboratory?”

  Indigo light flickered in Leziel’s shadowed eyes, and he gave a single nod. “He is.”

  “Have someone bring him here.”

  Leziel nodded and called out into the hall. It only took a few minutes for Kilos to arrive, escorted by a pair of Shadeslayers who had their weapons drawn. He was sweating and looked ready to run at any second. His eyes fell on Jez, and his words tumbled over each other.

  “Jez, what’s going on?”

  “I need a contingent.”

  Kilos narrowed his eyes. “You could’ve just asked instead of sending those guys to drag me out of the lab at sword point.”

  Jez sighed. “Sorry. I told them to go get you, but I didn’t mean as a prisoner.” He glared at the afur. “You should have asked him.”

  The former Shadeslayer gave him a level look. “We were told to retrieve the mage. We were not instructed on any niceties.”

  Jez rolled his eyes. “Sorry.”

  Kilos waved it off, his attention held by the unconscious Sariel. “What happened here?”

  “It’s some kind of demonic working. I need more power to undo it.”

  Kilos glanced to the Shadeslayers on either side. Then, he took one hesitant step forward. When they didn’t move to stop him, he nodded. “I guess I can understand why you were in such a hurry. What’s the initiating thought?”

  Jez turned to Leziel. “Can you give a thought? A complicated one?”

  “As you wish.”

  Jez had used an implanted thought twice before. Once, Sharim had tortured both him and Lina with the image of being held down to a chopping block while an executioner prepared to cut off their heads. The other time, Master Rael had shared her memory of being raised to her rank. Such a complex thought allowed for a nearly perfect joining of power. He had expected something similar this time. Instead, he saw a spider web against a field of darkness. He could see every strand, every intersection, and it seemed to go on for miles, shimmering in a light that wasn’t there. Its complexity staggered him even as he wondered at the simplicity. He barely noticed the contradiction as he focused on the thought. A spider, a hundred spiders, could not weave such a pattern if they had a thousand years.

  Power sprung up around Kilos. Jez twined his power with the other mage and almost gasped. Never had he been in a contingent so perfect. It didn’t feel like borrowed power. It felt like an extension of his own. Once again, he transformed. The energy flowing from Kilos was barely a trickle next to Luntayary’s power, but he had been close to breakin
g through the working. It just might be enough.

  He splayed his fingers and brought them down to Sariel’s heart. Their combined power ran against the working. It bent under the weight. For just a second, Jez thought it would hold, but then cracks spread through it. It shattered, making a sound so loud it hurt Jez’s ears. At some point, it transitioned to Sariel’s scream. The high lord sat up with eyes wide. He gripped Jez’s collar and said something in a language Jez didn’t know but that tickled the edge of his memory. Sariel leaned forward and stared blankly.

  “What did he say?” Jez asked.

  “It was the pharimic tongue,” Leziel said. “He spoke of when he cast out the afur under his command. It hurt him a great deal, and he never truly recovered.”

  “It was a nightmare,” Sariel said as he got to his feet. “Sorry, for a moment, I was confused about where I was. It is really quite odd.”

  Jez smiled. “It happens to humans all the time when they wake from dreams. It was something like the sleeping sickness then?”

  Sariel nodded. “A more concentrated version than the one that struck Korand a few years ago.”

  “Do you know who the demon was?” Jez asked.

  “Regrettably no. It did not show itself to me or else I would have destroyed it. Few demons could hold me, even bolstered as it would be from leeching off Aphlel’s strength. Nakari, Vulior, and Janderol. They were Marrowit’s chief lieutenants, and they could, perhaps, craft a dream that would hold me as I am.”

  “When Marrowit fed of the dreams, he created a world formed from a combination of all their dreams,” Jez said. “Was this the same? Did you see Aphlel?”

  Sariel shook his head. “I had a sense he was near but no. He may have been drained too completely to manifest himself, or the demon may have been able to keep us separate. Regardless, now that I know what has afflicted him, I should be able to wake him.”