I had thought the outcome of this combat to be completely ridiculous, until I remembered just how easily Koram had broken my body in our very first encounter, and how difficult it had been to kill that essence warrior at the wailing stage in the cave I first made Grandmother Mara's inside of.
But it still didn't explain this level of foolishness. Throwing away this many bodies wasn't just a waste of resources, it was enabling me to become stronger, little by little, making me an even bigger threat the longer this fight went on.
Vessa, I sent to the ship-woman. Is this just a diversion? Is there another group moving to ambush the prisoners?
No, Jas, the gray woman replied from the sky. Not that I can see on my sensors. You've already caught the ones just running around you. I suppose they want to get you specifically because you're one of the only two people who can take evidence of what happened offworld, and they don't have a prayer of catching Nova with her wings—assuming they even know she has them. But by now, they're close to the waypoint to meet Mota, my Beacon, so it might be too late for them to even intercept the caravan. But stay where you are, because I'm going to check again for veiled enemies.
Very well, I said as I slammed the haft of my spear into another man's head. Let me know when you need me to change locations.
I looked around to notice that no more blood-crazed idiots were charging out of the tropical forest. The few still visible were retreating back into it, and another loud roar sounded from the jungle depths.
I looked around for an enemy that was still breathing, and found the one I had just clubbed instead of stabbed. I walked over to him, pointing my weapon in his face.
"Where are the rest of your people?" I asked. "The strong ones?"
He shook his head defiantly at me. I wondered if I would have to torture him, until I remembered that he probably didn't understand a word I just said.
So I watched his eyes carefully and uttered a series of words in different languages. They showed recognition when I switched to German, so I continued my conversation then.
"Where are the real warriors of your tribe?" I asked. "Why have they not engaged yet?"
"We are the real warriors of our tribe," the injured man said, showing pride he did not seem to deserve.
"If you were truly all that was left," I retorted, "then your new patron would have never bothered to take you in. Warriors at your level are cheap and easy to find. So tell me, where are the stronger warriors of your tribe, and why have they not engaged yet? Every moment they hesitate just lets the former prisoners get farther and farther away."
"They'll never make it," the wounded man spat, "and even if they did, we'd just slaughter the rest of their families with them! You just wait—" he started to say, then stopped.
Vessa, I sent, not bothering to address the dying idiot anymore. I think they are going to draw in their better warriors in one large group, before the bloodbeast begins to move. Or maybe it won't move at all, and will try to draw power from the actions of… its… followers, I trailed off as I realized my murderous stand had actually benefited my primary enemy as much as it had myself.
Not really, Jasper, Vessa assured me. He hasn't gained enough power to make a noticeable difference in the amount of strength he has. He was probably just cleaning out the dregs in his own tribe. And yes, she added, you were right. A large group of warriors at the third stage of Advancement just entered through their portal, both practitioner and Sourcebeast. Wait, there's one other figure moving that's heavily veiled. I can't determine his exact location, but he's strong, you should—
Static began to sweep over my link with Vessa, as if there was too much energy rolling about for her connection to work.
Grandson, the dragon inside my soul hissed. Your Soulsense.
I had the same idea, so I was already reaching for the spiritual sense my grandmother had just trained me to use. Life lit up all around me. Tiny flickers of color from the swaying grass, large pillars of it inside the distant jungle, and a rapidly moving, man-shaped line, moving toward my direction, slowing just long enough to point an arm in my direction.
My enhancements all roared to life at once, and I activated a short-term speed charm to quickly dive as far to the side as I could. Several large spikes of purple-black stone erupted from where I just stood. The next moment, the shifting curtain of air was nearly upon me.
I swiped out with my spear, but I was dealing with an invisible opponent, and my enhanced senses weren't enough to give me anything more than a general read on his location. My enemy easily dodged my swing, knocked my spear out of the way and grabbed me by the front of my clothing. As I was lifted up, a massive discharge of electricity rocketed through me, completely ignoring the defense of my flood barrier and sizzling against my armor and protective charms.
The figure threw me to the ground as pain and smoke ran their course around my body and clouded the thoughts of my mind.
"You can't escape," a harsh male voice said, kicking me in the side. The blow was thankfully not as strong as I feared it would have been. It did no more than knock me onto my side. "Tell me who you are, and I will not only let you live, but see if you can obtain a position in our society. Your already impressive Advancement and body would be nurtured to a much higher extent."
"Liar," I spat, doing my best to act even more hurt. "Bloodbeasts throw away all their minions."
The invisible man kicked at me again, and I offered him no resistance, rolling further away from him.
Hang in there, Jas, Vessa messaged me. I've got a read on him now. Dual practitioner, qi and mana. Silver stage of mana, pool stage of qi, with an augmented natural body. Hang tight, and I can get you out of there.
No worries, I replied, hoping she would trust me. I can take him.
"I'll accept the explanation that you were addled by my last attack," the man continued arrogantly, "otherwise you should be able to tell that I don't work for something as maddened as a bloodbeast. Tell me who you work for, and how they found out about this operation, and I swear by my Source and my Strength that I will see what arrangements can be done on your behalf."
"That was a fancy way to promise nothing," I spat, getting to my hands and knees. I had been forced to drop the spear earlier, and was preparing to summon another weapon from my Soulscape. "And you should know as well as I do that my employer would kill me as soon as he found out I compromised him."
"There is no way Koram could have been behind this," the invisible man snarled. A moment later, his shroud began to flicker, and it fell away to reveal a slightly older man that could have been Koram's thirty-year old uncle. Though that was unlikely to be true. I suspected anyone directly from Koram's bloodline would be higher than merely the fourth stage of any Source, dual practitioner or no. "He wouldn't have the wits to pull this off… unless he had gotten lucky," the man mused, "again."
He watched my eyes for any reaction to Koram's name. I tried to keep my expression neutral, and I tried even harder to make it obvious that I was trying not to react to Koram's name.
"I can't decide whether you're smarter or stupider than what I'm giving you credit for," the man said as he walked over to me. "But you're playing a dangerous game. And, believe it or not, you picked the wrong time to play it," he added, as he removed a small dark orb from his robes.
"Honored Ancestor," the man intoned, "we have found one of those whom you seek."
Smoke billowed out of the orb, taking the shape of something sinister and vaguely humanoid.
My grandmother began hissing from my soul.
"Thisss one… yes," the wraith-like creature said, and as I peered at the darkness carefully I realized there was a human skull in the center of it. "I am curiousss of him."
"Honored Ancestor," Koram's former uncle, or high-ranking servant, said, "is it necessary for you to reveal yourself to him? He is but a talented second-stage practitioner."
"No," the shadowy ghost hissed, raising a clawed shadow hand to point at me. "He isss ssso
mething far more. A tri-practitioner. One carefully nurtured."
"Tri-practitioner?" the ghost's steward growled, turning to glare at me. "There are none left! Those beings died out with the Soulships!"
"And yet he iss here," the ghost pointed at me again. I scrambled away from the creature, but the steward waved his hand and summoned purple spikes all around me. "And now we know how he plundered usss so easssily. I musst claim hiss mind. My ascenssion demandss it."
"Honored Ancestor," the steward began, "forgive me, but I do not understand his value. And there are other ways to acquire the secrets of his mind."
"And I would not ssshare them," the ancient ghost hissed. "His teacher likely hass knowledge of the last Soulshipss. He would have to, in order to unlock hiss pupil'ss power asss a tri-practitioner. Your generation is not ready for such knowledge. If they were, you would already be much farther along on your own Advancement."
"Forgive me, Honored Ancestor," the mana practitioner said. "I have had great difficulty in bringing along both my Sources. I offer no excuse."
"Your excusse, branch descendant, isss that we are short on mana practitioners, and sso we have nurtured your Advancement asss besst asss we could. We may do more for you, if we can pry open thissss one'ss mind. But I will be the judge of that, not yoursself."
Can this ghost hurt me, Grandmother?
Not while I am present, the angry dragon growled. And it is only a piece of a wraith, not the full creature.
With that hunch confirmed, I decided to be bold.
"I will trade you a question," I offered, from where I lay on the grass. "Answer one of mine, and I will answer one of yours."
"You're hardly in a position to—" the steward began, before the floating skull interrupted.
"Asssk away."
I could not say for sure, but the abomination seemed to have an amused tone as it spoke.
"Why have your people bothered with this level of response, over a simple kidnapping mission?"
At this, the ghost seemed to pause, before turning its skull to look at its descendant.
"Doesss he really know nothing of the ritual?" the creature asked.
"I do not know, Honored Ancestor," the artist replied.
"Then thiss iss truly a rather annoying sset of coincidencess."
Oh, seven and a half hells, Vessa swore in my mind.
"Very well. Ssend the army out. Keep the damage to a minimum."
The mana practitioner whispered something into his ring, and the horde of third-stage bloodbeasts and practitioners came rushing out of the jungle. These men and women were actually riding their Sourcebeasts, large wolves and strange rabid horses, and they sped toward the rally point location that Vessa had given Nova.
"There," the ghost sighed. "Now that bloodthirssty fool will receive hiss payment when the resst of his pitiful army diess. Then he can move in to wipe out everything himsself."
Okay, Vessa said in my mind. New plan. The wraith is a projection. Destroy the orb—I don't care how—so that the creature won't witness me firing on the bloodbeast totem. Then either deal with his lackey or retreat.
Understood, I replied, looking at the orb in the palm of the practitioner's hand. He was holding the item loosely, as if he did not have a strong connection to it.
I raised my hand, and opened up my Soulscape.
I could feel my inner world's distaste for the orb, but it still dutifully pulled on the sphere and lifted it out of the practitioner's hand. He cried out in shock as I leaped to my feet, activating the qi technique that would let me ignore difficult terrain.
I picked my way through the spikes and caught the orb as it sailed toward me. Grandmother Mara was waiting for it when it landed. As soon as it touched the surface of my palm she clamped down upon it with her part-soul's teeth.
The spiritual orb cracked immediately under the immense pressure of Mara's spiritual teeth, shattering almost instantly. The ghost bound to it let out an angry wail as its spirit dissipated into thin air.
My other enemy let out a cry of his own as he cast another spell, sending tendrils of black energy wrapping all around me. I countered with the freedom spell I had learned from the cage-drake, and shattered the obstructions trying to wrap around me.
"No," he said, eyes wide. "That power only comes from—"
He clamped his mouth shut and leaped away from me, barely dodging my punch. Then he quickly began working a second spell with his right hand.
"Nevermind," he growled, "you've learned far more than you should have already. It's time for your corpse to give up its own secrets."
With that, he unleashed the black Source energy from his hand as the spikes he had first tried to impale me with began leaping all around me. I dodged and wove, my qi technique still active, and sharpened stalagmites thicker than my leg and longer than my spear erupted all around me. As they affected the terrain, the cage-drake's powers still helped me avoid them. But they still blocked my enemy from view, and I knew he wasn't going to wait and let me get my bearings.
I reached out with my soulsense. It was much more difficult to do while moving and dodging, but I still detected a burning of life and emotion rising up in the air a short distance away from me.
I circulated air and fire qi through a kinesiology spell then expelled it through my limb essence and leaped after him.
He was flying in the air now, and had just cast an invisibility spell. I never would have thought to look for him if I had tried to use my normal eyes, but in this way he was clear as day, a burning torch of purple-black light in the sky.
The pillar flinched and I leaped directly toward it. He hadn't expected me to see him, and he expected even less that I would try to tackle him in mid-air. But I managed to catch him with a flying tackle, and the impact ended both his invisibility spell and my Soulsense.
"Idiot," the man spat as we struggled in midair, his flight spell barely keeping us both in the air. "Did you really think you would be stronger than me, just because I am a mana user?"
Black power surged around him, and his fingers clenched their way past my flood barrier, locking me into his grip.
"No," I said with a grin, and I activated the essence charm I had received from the cage-drake.
The difference in our Advancement was not great enough to keep my charm from activating. I tore completely free of his grip, without releasing my own. Then I finally activated the charm I had learned from Vessa's jotun ghosts, increasing the amount of weight I could carry.
Since I was now holding him, and he had not yet grabbed back onto me, the charm considered me to be carrying him, and made his body feel as light as a small rock.
I whirled him around my own torso the very next moment, burned some kinesiology mana and limb essence for good measure, and hurled him straight down to the ground.
Into his own field of spikes.
He reacted immediately, slowing his fall as much as possible and summoning a dark-purple shield to cover his body, but I had clearly caught him by surprise, and thrown him with far too much force. The massive spike pierced through his shield, his other protective spells that flashed and instantly fizzled as they were overwhelmed, and finally his actual torso. He slid about halfway down the length of the sharp stone pole, eyes wide with pain and hate, and still not dead despite the gaping hole in his torso.
"You," he growled, summoning electricity in his right hand, still unconvinced that he was dying. "How… dare…"
I didn't let him finish.
As I fell downward myself, Koram's gauntlet appeared from my Soulscape and fastened itself over my normal gauntlet. I put all of my downward momentum into a Source-infused punch that struck my enemy in the forehead.
The blow pummeled past the last of his protections and shattered most of his face. Beyond that, it pushed him further down the spike, toward the widened base, and apparently tearing something too important for him to be able to hold himself together with sheer Source energy. The remains of his dark head lolled to
the side, and a cloud of Source energy washed off his body.
I landed next to his corpse in a crouch, remembered all of Vessa's warnings concerning the death of noble family members, and immediately opened up my Soulscape, pointing my palm toward the dead man.
Artifacts flew into my hand just as his body began to combust in purple fire. It burned quickly, and I doubt I got anywhere near all of his treasure, but a handful of rings and a small scroll case made it into my spiritual world before his corpse was consumed.
I would check to see what those items were later. For now, I finally had to admit how tired I was.
Vessa, I asked, as I struggled to catch my breath for the second time in one day, did you get everything that was said? About the ritual, and Koram's family?
Um, yes, Jasper, Vessa replied in a distracted tone, hold on for a moment.
What do you mean, 'hold on'? I asked. How urgent is this news? Do Nova and I need to return to the Soulship?
No-no, Vessa replied. Stay right… there, in fact. Right there. Don't move.
Why? I asked, as the hair began to rise on my neck, and I began to turn around. What's going on that requires me to just sit here and—
Don't turn around, she said, not yet. What you're doing right now is perfect. Just keep sitting right there, looking unaware of your surroundings.
As she spoke into my mind, tremors ran through the ground under my feet, as if something massive was slowly moving closer to me.
Vessa, I began, I am not at all comfortable right now—
Good! Good! she said to me in oblivious approval. That level of apprehension is perfect for what's happening right now. Great job, Jasper. Your acting is absolutely fantastic right now. Keep it up. The only thing you need to do now is to act a little more wounded and scared, like you've been badly injured and just realized that you were led into a horrible trap.
If there was a nearby panic button, I would have slammed it.
Instead, I realized just then that the massive footsteps had finally stopped. I turned around slowly, ignoring Vessa's messages of 'yes, just like that, perfect' and stared up at the figure that had just now moved in the way of the sinking sun.
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