Rella glanced at the stairs that spiraled upward for hundreds of feet. "I can do it."
Faina smiled at her, the expression oddly reassuring. "Knew you weren't the kind of person to give up easily."
Kara laughed softly. "None of us would be here if we gave up without a fight."
Karik was worried about Rella. Those stairs looked grueling to him, and he hadn't lost a lot of blood. "I'll help you," he said. "Just hold on to me."
She smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Something in that smile made his stomach twist into knots. He'd never realized how beautiful she was, though this was hardly the time to think about how he felt toward her. He could sort through those feelings later, if they survived.
They started up the spiraling stairs. With Rella's weakness, they couldn't move too quickly, but she kept a quicker pace than Karik had expected. With his help, she was able to lag just a little behind the rest of the group.
The climb seemed as if it would never end. Halarik was at the front of the group, his strides determined, as though he knew exactly where he was going. Beside him, Kara looked confident as well. Eventually, they reached a landing with a short railing. Beyond that railing was a drop straight to the water far below. The railing wasn't tall, and it would be easy for someone to lose their balance and fall.
"Rella, are you doing all right?" Karik asked.
She gave him an impatient look. "I'm fine. Let's keep going."
But her face was pale, and she looked as though she might collapse at any second. Karik wanted to do something to help her, but he was at a loss. He'd just have to support her the best he could as they made their way through the fortress.
"I can walk on my own," she said, sounding short on breath.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not some child who needs to be protected."
Karik shook his head. "All right. Have it your way."
To their right was a stone door leading into the rest of the fortress. Halarik sent a pulse of Fireweaving at this door, and it rumbled open. A man stood on the other side, smiling at them. It took Karik a few moments before he recognized the man.
High Priest Teravin. What in the Core was he doing here?
Halarik narrowed his eyes. "I was wondering when we might see you again."
Teravin smiled broadly. "I wasn't. I knew this was when we would meet, or more accurately, it was a strong possibility. But that doesn't matter. Now that you're here, you have a mission to accomplish. Even as we speak, Vardin has put a plan into motion. He's going to use Sunlord Kadin to free Cardell from his prison. You're our only hope of stopping it."
Faina glared at him. "Why can't you do it yourself?"
"Because Vardin thinks I'm on his side. I don't want to do anything that might make him suspect my true allegiances." He gestured for them to follow. "Now you need to make your way to the Source. Vardin has pulled enough of his guards away that you should manage."
"We know the way," Halarik said coldly.
Teravin smiled again. "Of course you do."
Kara shared a long look with Teravin, and it appeared almost as if they were communicating with a Blue/Purple weave, but neither of them gave any indication that they'd spoken to one another.
The entire party stepped past him and entered the halls of the fortress. With Halarik in the lead, they made their way through the labyrinthine corridors. Karik tried to keep track of every turn they took, but he was too anxious to think clearly. The rest of the party remained silent.
The corridors were eerily empty. Karik expected to see guards around every corner, but he saw no one. His chest became tighter and tighter as they made their way deeper into the fortress. Something was wrong here. This was too easy.
Halarik and Kara led them to what looked like a dead end, but then he sent a pulse of Fireweaving at the wall. After a few tense moments, the wall rumbled open.
They stepped through the opening, into a circular chamber, and found no guards. In the center of the cavernous chamber was a contraption like nothing Karik had ever seen. It looked as if it belonged to some strange world. It was as large as a small room, and there were spots on it that glowed a myriad of colors. Thin lines radiated from the center, leading from one glowing section to another. The device was all sharp angles.
"This is the Source," Halarik said. He stepped toward the device and began messing with it. Karik had no idea what he was doing, but he seemed to know. After turning away from the machine, Halarik said, "In a few moments, it's going to fill this entire chamber with bright light, and with that light, we will all become both Sunweavers and Fireweavers."
Karik's entire body felt tense. He didn't know what to think of that. For all his life, he'd been a Fireweaver. How would it feel to gain the magic he'd always wished he'd been born with?
"Close your eyes," Halarik said. "It's about to happen."
Karik closed his eyes, but even through his eyelids, he could see the brilliant glow. He felt it as well. The energy coursed through him, hot but not painful. The entire chamber vibrated, and those vibrations ran through his body as well. He felt a sudden surge of power within him. The heat grew stronger than ever, but still it did not hurt.
Then it all stopped.
"Did it work?" Kae asked.
"You felt it," Talin said. "Didn't you?"
"I'm not sure what I felt."
"It worked," Halarik said. "You'll notice the difference when you use your powers. As Fireweavers, you won't notice much of a difference in how you gather your energy, but you will notice a difference in the power of your weaves. I can already feel that difference myself." He smiled. "Now we have the power to take on Vardin. We can use the Lost Weaves."
Atarin frowned. "Does that mean we can stop the plague of the Turned?"
"I'm not sure," Halarik said. "I think that might require a god." He closed his eyes, adopting a look of deep concentration. "I can feel the weaves Cardell used, but I'm not sure how to undo them. We'll have to focus on that later, when we have more time." His expression was grim. "We need to see if we can help Kadin and the others."
* * * * *
Kadin hated himself, but what choice did he have? Vardin had instructed him on how to do the weave that would free Cardell. It was a modified Sunlord's weave, which made Kadin nervous. His Sunlord's weave had never been strong enough.
He closed his eyes, focusing on weaving all the colors together. By now, that process had become second nature, but now he struggled with it because he knew what it was going to do.
You have to do it, he told himself. For Tyrine.
He didn't want to look at her, didn't want to see the condemnation in her eyes. She had shown such courage, such selflessness, and Kadin was throwing it all away. But he couldn't stand to see her being hurt. It wasn't right, and he had to fix it.
This was the only way.
Three colors. Four. Five. He could still turn back.
But Tyrine would suffer. He couldn't allow that.
He wove the sixth color and felt the Sunlord's weave within him. Here in the Realm of Shade, he could not fuel the sun, so he directed the weave toward the only thing he could.
The prison.
The weave slammed against the crystalline structure. At first, Kadin thought it hadn't worked, but then cracks appeared in the crystal. The cracks grew larger and larger, and then the crystal shattered with a sharp crack. The man within stepped out, smiling.
"At last," he said. "This time, I'm free."
Vardin stepped forward. "It's been a long time, brother." He wrapped an arm around Cardell's shoulders. "Now let's tie up some loose ends."
Kadin's stomach churned.
Vardin turned to the Sun Guards. "Kill them all."
Chapter 44: The Battle of the Fortress
Rella raced through the corridors of the fortress. The energy she'd gained from the Source had overcome some of her weakness, but she didn't think it would last forever.
"This way," Halarik
said, directing them to the left. He sent a pulse of Fireweaving at one of the walls, and it opened. They stepped onto a deck overlooking a large chamber. In the center of that chamber was a giant blue crystal, and in that crystal was a prisoner.
Cardell.
Kadin was staring at the crystal.
"No!" Faina shouted.
"We're too late," Halarik said.
As if to prove his point, the crystal cracked and then shattered. Cardell stepped free.
"At last," he said. "This time, I'm free."
"It's been a long time, brother," said another man, probably Vardin. "Now let's tie up some loose ends." He turned to the Sun Guards. "Kill them all."
"Jump!" Atarin shouted. "It's our only chance."
They all vaulted the stone railing and fell perhaps thirty feet to the floor below. On the way, they wove shields, which softened the impact when they hit the ground. In fact, it felt as if Rella had jumped from maybe five feet up.
The Sun Guards all turned toward them.
But they were ready.
"Fire!" Kara shouted. They all wove Red and Orange at the same time, and a wall of flame like nothing Rella had ever seen erupted in front of them. They directed it toward the guards, who backed away, eyes wide with fear. Their shields were not strong enough to stop the weave. The flames consumed them. Their screams echoed horribly in the cavernous chamber.
Kadin, Deril, and the others with them all jumped into action. They were probably freed from the shield the Sun Guards had placed around them. But there were more Sun Guards, and they were powerful as well.
Soon weaves of fire and lightning were flying across the room. Somebody was weaving Yellow and Green, and the entire chamber began to tremble.
Then Vardin and Cardell stepped forward. The weaves they unleashed made the previous wall of flame look like nothing.
"Shields!" Halarik shouted. "Put them all together. It's our only chance."
They were all standing in the same place, facing the impending wall of flame. Rella wove Yellow and Blue as the flames crept closer. When the flames hit her shield, she was sure they would penetrate it, but the combined strength of their shields was enough.
The flames died down. Vardin and Cardell faced the large party, their eyes wide.
Kae charged forward, sword in hand.
"Kae, no!" Rella shouted, but it was too late. Kae was out of her reach.
"This is for my sister!" she shouted. How could she be so foolish? She had to know she couldn't kill a god. But she didn't care. She flew toward him and tried to plunge her sword through his heart.
Lightning burst from his fingertips, striking her in the chest. She fell backward, and the sword flew from her hands. When she hit the ground, she lay still.
"The rest of you will follow soon enough," Vardin said. "You're not escaping this room."
Atarin appeared at Rella's side, Karik and Talin alongside him.
"We need to weave Red and Purple," Atarin said. "That's the weave that can kill a god."
"Halarik, you need to shield us!" Rella said.
"I will help," Kara said. Faina joined her, as did a bearded man and young woman Rella didn't recognize.
Halarik nodded, understanding what the four Firelords intended to do. "Everybody, focus your shields on these four. They're our only hope."
"They've touched the Source!" Cardell said. "I'm getting out of here." He sprinted out of the room.
But Vardin stayed, along with more than twenty Sun Guards. "I don't fear your weave," he said. "You have no experience with this weave. You won't succeed in killing me."
Rella reached within her, trying to weave Red and Purple. It felt unnatural. She gathered the colors together, but they refused to weave. She focused all her energy, giving herself a splitting headache. But she had to do this, had to kill Vardin.
For Kae.
The weave simply would not come.
Vardin smiled. "As I said, you are not ready to perform that weave. And now that that is over, let's get on with our business, shall we?"
He sent a field of lightning at them. They wove their shields in time, but the spell battered against their shields, and soon they would not hold.
"I'll occupy him," Halarik said. "I can't kill him because I'm also a god, but I can hurt him and distract him."
Vardin laughed. "Is that what you think? Well, I have a surprise for you."
Some of the Sun Guards shielded Vardin while he did a strange weave. The shards of the crystal flew across the chamber, toward Halarik. Rella knew what was going to happen, but there was nothing she could do to stop it, as the rest of the Sun Guards had engaged the party. In only moments, Halarik was encased in the prison.
Vardin's Sun Guards had also touched the Source, so the fight was evenly matched. Fire and lightning flew across the chamber. Rella ducked some weaves, used her shield to deflect others. She had her sword in her hands, and despite her exhaustion, she had to use it.
One of the Sun Guards got close. She tried to slash at him, but he was too quick. He was about to plunge his sword through her chest when Karik slammed into him from the side. Karik drove his sword through the Sun Guard's neck, then quickly retracted it. Another Sun Guard tried to kill Karik, but bearded man came to his rescue, using an Orange weave on the Sun Guard.
More and more Sun Guards were filtering into the battle. Sweat poured down Rella's face, into her eyes, but she kept fighting, blasting the enemy with weave after weave. Shouts and screams came from all around her, but she paid them no heed, focused entirely on her own battles. She had no idea how she'd survived this long, so she just kept fighting, hoping her instincts would guide her through the battle.
Sun Guards lay dead on the stone floor. The battle was too chaotic for Rella to check if any of her friends were among them. She swung her sword at every person dressed in gold. Her swings were largely ineffectual, but that was the best she could do. She was much more comfortable with her magic, and now that she had touched the Source, she felt as if her energy reserves would never run out.
Unfortunately, their opponents had also touched the Source.
A terrible scream came from Rella's right. She turned to see Atarin standing there with a sword through his stomach. Even for a Firelord, that would be a deadly wound if he couldn't reach water and find a healer in time.
Then she glanced down to her left to see Talin crawling along the floor, blood pouring from him. No. They couldn't all die, not like this.
"We have to escape!" she shouted. "We can't win!"
She glanced toward the exit of the chamber. Vardin was still focused on encasing Halarik in the crystal prison. If they ran now, they might get past him. But how could they escape the battle? The Sun Guards were everywhere. Now it had turned into weapon-based combat. They were all too close to use weaves without killing indiscriminately.
That put Rella and the others at a severe disadvantage.
Kadin and some of the others had pulled free from the battle, though she couldn't tell who, as the battle was too chaotic. They were headed toward the exit. If Rella could just find a way out of this chaos, she could follow them. She ducked one sword, twisted away from another. Heart pounding, she cast Orange. Her casting struck two of the Sun Guards close to her, and the pain made them recoil, giving her a chance to break free.
"Cast Orange!" she shouted. "It's our only hope."
"I see a gap!" Karik said nearby. He tugged at Rella's arm, and they raced through the gap together. Faina joined from the right, and they all headed toward the exit. To Rella's surprise, Talin and Atarin followed, staggering through the chamber, blood pouring from their wounds.
They reached the exit of the room, then glanced back to see Kara and Deril about to break free. The two of them were casting Orange, and Sun Guards were falling to the side, screaming in pain. At last, they all stood in the corridor beyond.
All except Talin and Atarin. They remained within the chamber, facing their enemies.
"We'll hold them of
f," Atarin said. "We're going to die anyways."
Rella wanted to argue, but there was no point. They looked as if they were minutes from death. That wasn't enough time to reach water and heal them. Besides, they had no chance of finding the time to heal anyone with the Sun Guards pursuing them.
Talin and Atarin positioned themselves in the doorway, sending weave after weave into the chamber beyond. Screams and grunts came from within.
"This is our chance," Deril said. "We have to escape."
"There's a secret way out of the fortress," Rella said. "I think I remember the way." She wasn't entirely sure she did remember the way, so she had to trust her instincts. Sun Guards pursued them through the corridors, and more seemed to appear from every direction.
"Don't worry," Kara said. "I've been here before. I'll lead the way."
"I know my way around here, too," said the unfamiliar young woman.
Rella and her party sent weaves of fire and lightning everywhere they could. They weren't trying to kill, just trying to delay their opponents. Their opponents were aiming for killing blows, however, which put them at a disadvantage. Such weaves took a lot more time and energy.
The corridors flashed by. More and more Sun Guards poured in from every direction. Rella wiped sweat from her forehead as she ran. Her weakness was beginning to return, but she had to push through it, even if she felt like collapsing at any moment.
This part of the fortress looked familiar, but she couldn't be sure. She thought she recognized some of the paintings on the walls. They were close to the water supply.
"This way," she said, hoping she wasn't leading them to their deaths.
"Don't worry," Kara said. "It's the right path."
The door ahead of them was open, and on the other side, she saw the familiar cavernous chamber with its short railing. She gestured for the others to follow, and they entered the chamber.
But they weren't alone.
"Good to see you again," Teravin said.
Chapter 45: A Blade through the Heart
Fireweaver Page 32