Child of Thunder (Renshai Trilogy)

by Mickey Zucker Reichert

  Carcophan nonchalantly placed his bulk between Colbey and the exit. “Even one as strong as you believe yourself to be can’t triumph over the three of us.” He waved his arms to encompass Trilless and Shadimar. “We are the Four.” This time, he added Colbey to the equation. “We can still work together. Destroy the Staff of Chaos, and we’ll all wield the Staff of Law. The world will remain powerful, large enough for us all, and we will control it as one. Or, if we wish, we could divide it and each take a quarter.”

  Trilless approached Colbey and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Kyndig . . .”

  Colbey did not look at the Sorceress. “Remove your hand, lady, or I shall, with Harval.”

  Trilless’ arm returned to her side with graceful dignity despite the threat, and she continued. “We can’t divide the cosmos, but otherwise Carcophan is right. You must dispose of the Staff of Chaos. Should you tap its power even once, you would wreak chaos and ruin upon a world meant only for law.”

  Colbey leaned one of the staves against the wall near Shadimar and rested his callused palm on Harval’s hilt. Still holding the other staff, he measured his steps to the doorway. “The three of you mock what you claim to represent. If you constitute balance, then I am the counterbalance. All forces must have opposition to exist.” He headed for the door in a straight line, stopping in front of Carcophan’s impeding form and meeting the Southern Wizard stare for stare. With obvious deliberateness, he closed his grip on his hilt.

  Shadimar studied the staff beside him, casually shielding it from Trilless and Carcophan with his body. Secodon crouched before it, less subtly on guard. In either of the other Wizard’s hands, the staff could be used for a cause other than itself. He watched his companions, waiting to see if either would try to stop the Renshai despite his hold on a sword that could slay them. Patience usually accompanied near-immortality. Though the least methodical and tolerant of the three, Carcophan surely realized that any attempt to physically restrain Colbey would result in a brawl that would leave at least one of the Cardinal Wizards dead. With a Staff of Power readied in one fist and Harval in the other, Colbey held the clear advantage.

  Carcophan moved aside.

  Momentarily taking his fingers from his sword, Colbey opened the outside door. “I offer you the power to oppose me and prevent my loosing chaos. The one weapon with which you can avert destruction stands there.” He pointed to the staff that he had abandoned.

  The Staff of Law. Shadimar grasped it before either of his companions could make a move in its direction. The polished ash felt right in his grip, as if created for him. Suddenly, his hand felt as unsteady as that of a frightened child. It’s the only thing powerful enough to confront chaos. Colbey sees our world as a plaything. Before his transgression, the eternal battle between good and evil seems nothing more substantial than a petty squabble. Colbey, not Carcophan and Trilless, will doom the world. We must resist and hope time will bring him to his senses. Shadimar expanded his consciousness, touching the minds of Carcophan and Trilless. In their own way, their thoughts mirrored his own. “We will stand against you. You know that.”

  Colbey nodded. “I trust the staff will fare better in your keeping than the Pica. Farewell, old friend.” Without turning his back, Colbey left the room. He closed the door behind him.

  Immediately, Carcophan’s heavy fist crashed against the table. “We have the Staff of Law. With it, we can control a demon powerful enough to kill Colbey. The arrogant bastard has no magics to bind it, and the sword will help only so much. We can’t let him leave this island alive!”

  Mar Lon seemed to awaken from his trance, his attention bobbing from Wizard to Wizard as each spoke his or her piece with an emotionality he had never seen any of them display in the past.

  With confidence inspired by the staff he held, Shadimar quietly seated himself at the table, Secodon restless at his feet. Carcophan had spoken in anger, and he had to see the error in his plan. “Any decision we make now affects the future of all worlds, including the gods’. We have to consider all possibilities and consequences before we act.”

  Carcophan shook with rage. “The least Wizard speaks thus! You would have us sit here hashing plans until Colbey’s gall and stupidity destroys us all.”

  Trilless dismissed Carcophan with a wave. “Someone must pay dearly for the summoning of a demon, and magic will only draw more chaos into our world. Don’t forget our vows not to harm another Cardinal Wizard. That’s a promise we can’t break.” She again took her seat at the table.

  Shadimar clutched the staff until blood drained from his fist, hating his position. Whatever the decision, his own fate remained unchanged. Whether Trilless and Carcophan or Colbey set the destruction in motion, it would come, and he stood alone in its path. Without the Northern and Southern Wizards, I can’t stop Colbey and his chaos. Shadimar knew what he had to do. For the good of eternity, men, Wizards, and gods, he had to league with Carcophan and Trilless against Colbey. Only then could he deal with the others.

  Carcophan sat grudgingly. “The Staff of Chaos has already driven the Western Wizard mad. We have no choice.”

  “We have four choices.” Trilless’ lilting voice rose above the scrape of Carcophan’s chair. “We can reason with him, capture him, steal the staff, or kill him.”

  “We have only one choice.” Carcophan remained insistent. “We tried reason already, and Colbey has none. He’s far too dangerous to hold prisoner, even if we could capture him. Only a fool would let the Staff of Chaos out of his sight. Despite his decision, Colbey’s no fool. We can’t steal the staff. And only one option remains.” He rose abruptly, and his chair toppled over backward. He shouted over the slam of its fall. “I’ll use the Staff of Law and summon a demon to deal with Colbey. Give me the staff!”

  Shadimar clutched the staff more tightly. Carcophan would not have it.

  All softness left Trilless’ voice. “We have to speak to Kyndig again. He is the Western Wizard. We owe him that much.”

  We must destroy Colbey. Although Shadimar despised the thought, he saw no other way. His hatred for the old Renshai turned as strong as the enmity he had watched between Carcophan and Trilless for centuries. But he would never surrender the Staff of Law to Carcophan. With its power, he could contest them; without it, he became their pawn, as easily manipulated as any mortal. The Eastern Wizard slid his chair back and stood. He met Carcophan’s catlike eyes and managed a slight sneer. “You alone do not decide who wields the Staff of Law.”

  Trilless took Shadimar’s side. “Carcophan, you know I’ll never permit you to wield it, as you would never permit me. About one thing, you’re both right. We need to use its power to repair the damage that Kyndig does. It only makes sense that Shadimar should keep the staff.”

  “Very well.” Carcophan returned to his place, hooking the chair with his fingers and hoisting it back into position. “Though Shadimar’s not strong enough to wield the staff, we’ve no time for bickering.” He motioned at Shadimar with a wave that rejected even as it indicated. “Use your small power to summon the demon to destroy Colbey.”

  Trilless fondled shards of the Pica Stone on the tabletop and sucked air through pursed lips. “We may summon a demon for information. We need to know how Kyndig came upon the staves and how he survived touching the globe of truth. But we can’t release the demon to attack. Any chaos creature strong enough to slay Kyndig could resist our control. After it dealt with him, it would break free and ravage the countryside. I won’t have that.”

  Carcophan scowled, leaning across the back of his chair. “Countryside, lady? We’re on the Meeting Isle. There is no countryside. Demons can’t move from world to world without summoning. It could only kill the captain and Mar Lon.”

  Trilless winched her hand closed around sapphire fragments. “That’s two lives too many.”

  Carcophan persisted. “A small price. That’s why we need to kill the Prince of Demons before he leaves this island.”

  Shadimar struck
the heel of the staff on the floor to emphasize his possession of it. “Carcophan, have you gone mad? We’ll not shed the Western Wizard’s blood on the Meeting Isle while I hold the staff.” He pressed his elbows to the table and leaned toward the Southern Wizard, trying to look menacing. “If that reason doesn’t suit you, perhaps this one will. If a demon powerful enough to kill Colbey escapes our control, it could kill any or all of us as well.”

  Carcophan would not be intimidated. He, too, leaned forward until his face nearly touched Shadimar’s. “I’ve summoned demons before. With my experience and the Staff of Law’s power, I can’t fail.”

  Trilless shrieked, leaping to her feet. At regular intervals, drops of blood oozed from her palm, pattering to the table. “A sliver of the Pica cut me.”

  Shadimar stared in horror at Trilless’ bleeding hand, his mind scrabbling desperately for an answer. To damage a Cardinal Wizard, some magic must remain in the stone, yet his own eyes told him otherwise. The rupturing of the Pica Stone had left it empty of sorcery, and the splinter of sapphire that had cut the Northern Sorceress held no magic at all anymore.

  Carcophan paced with the vengeful fury of a wounded jaguar. “It’s Colbey’s doing. Normally, a battle ax couldn’t trim my beard. Now, a piece from a shattered gem draws blood from the only Wizard nearly as powerful as myself.” He glared at Shadimar. “Chaos heralds our destruction! We’ve waited too long. Colbey spilled the first blood on this island. Summon the demon to rid us of the Renshai!”

  Trilless clutched at the heel of her hand, strangely silent.

  The implications boggled Shadimar’s mind. So much of the Cardinal Wizards’ power came from appearance, and so much of that appearance from the need to fear nothing but demons and the Swords of Power. Now, suddenly, everything in the nine worlds had once again become a weapon. The protection won by completing the Seven Tasks of Wizardry had disappeared, and he could only surmise that Carcophan was right about the cause. Shadimar closed his eyes, trying to draw upon the power of the staff. It gave him nothing direct, no specific ideas or feelings, just a vague sensation of invincibility that contradicted Trilless’ injury. Strength ruffled through the collective consciousness, and Shadimar knew, without being told, that his capability had heightened. When the time came, the staff would enhance his competence, confidence, and ability.

  Another possible answer came to Shadimar, though dredged from his own supposition rather than any work of the staff. He spoke it aloud. “We all know the risks of permanent magics and placing chaos in an item. Rarely does it turn out as we expect, and there are always side effects to deal with. The Pica exploded. Who knows what might have happened as a result of the sudden release of chaos? Perhaps the Pica, not Colbey, caused this thing.” He flicked his fingers toward Trilless’ bleeding hand.

  “Perhaps.” Carcophan ceased his pacing to again rest his forearms on the back of his chair. “But that’s immaterial. Colbey caused the destruction of the Pica, so he would still be responsible.”

  “That changes nothing.” Shadimar rose, still clinging to his honor, though his instincts told him that the issue of Colbey and the Staff of Chaos went beyond any vows they might have taken. He smiled, attributing his last shreds of loyalty to the Staff of Law. He clung to it, glad for its reassuring presence. Soon enough, a time might come when he needed its grounding. The world might have to center its focus on Shadimar and the staff, and he would be there.

  Bleeding staunched, Trilless added carefully. “At least Colbey, too, will have remained vulnerable. His recklessness may obviate our need to be rid of him.”

  Shadimar did not mention that Colbey had always been headstrong, especially in battle. Yet he had already survived for seventy-seven years. “Colbey didn’t intentionally hurt Trilless. We’ll call the demon, but only for information.”

  Carcophan seized his chair and flung it aside. “By Fenrir’s black tongue. Don’t you realize . . .!”

  Shadimar shouted back. “I hold the Staff of Law, and my decision is made!” For an instant the power seemed to swell through him, and Shadimar felt like the central focus of the universe. His voice grew more restrained. “Of course I understand the significance, but acting in panic will prove more dangerous now than ever. Unless you wish the demon to escape and turn on us, help with the wards and summoning or stand aside. If you interfere, you may destroy us all.”

  Carcophan’s eyes narrowed, but his voice became deadly calm. “I think, Shadimar, that the mastery promised by the Staff of Law has driven you mad. You would never have taken that tone with me before. Common sense would have prevailed.”

  Shadimar laughed, amused by Carcophan’s posturing. “The staff simply evens the power between us. If you have problems dealing with equals, that’s a problem you must deal with on your own.” An idea clicked in Shadimar’s mind. It came to him that Odin had always meant for him to wield the Staff of Law. That’s why he made the Eastern Wizard the weakest of all. He didn’t want us to become too superior when the staff finally came to its proper place. Another idea followed naturally. With me as powerful as Carcophan or Trilless, we no longer need a fourth Cardinal Wizard. The celestial plan seemed to fall into perfect order. So long as I have the Staff of Law, we can destroy Colbey with impunity. Odin prepared the Cardinal Wizards through millennia for this very time. Colbey has become the vehicle of chaos. When we destroy him, we finally banish the Primordial Chaos for eternity. Joy suffused Shadimar at the realization that he would become the one to serve the nine worlds and complete the AllFather’s final plan. I am the One. I shall become the worlds’ savior. Happiness became an inner contentment and peace.

  Secodon’s wagging tail whacked the floorboards like a drum.

  “The summoning begins.” Shadimar stepped forward, tracing a circle on the tabletop with his finger, to indicate exactly where he planned to call the creature from the plane of magic.

  Trilless moved away from her seat to stand beside Shadimar, and Carcophan joined them. Shadimar lowered his head, pushing aside the gladness that had come with understanding. For now, thoughts of the demon and its binding had to take precedence. One gap, lack, or flaw in his wards or technique would allow the demon to shatter his control. His readings suggested that its first target would be himself. Then it would rage across the land, killing until it ran out of victims or someone managed to slay or dispel it. Shadimar closed his eyes, recalling the method of summoning from his readings yet calling upon his predecessors for more direct knowledge.

  The previous Eastern Wizards shifted restively in Shadimar’s mind, but they gave him nothing concrete. Gradually, he sifted the problem from their joint consciousness. Not one had ever summoned a demon. Each gave Shadimar glimmers of Gherhan, the sixth Eastern Wizard, and Ascof, the eighteenth. Both had been killed by summoned demons. Each loss had caused a break in the collective consciousness, and no Eastern Wizard since Ascof had attempted a summoning. Hating his weakness, Shadimar considered faking the knowledge, but common sense intervened. This is not a matter to take lightly. Better that my colleagues know my weakness than that I destroy myself and them through ignorance. “I’ll need help from you both. This is my first summoning.”

  Trilless and Carcophan nodded together, neither pressing the issue, to Shadimar’s relief. Even Carcophan had no taunts. The stakes had become too high for childish banter and insults.

  “I’ll give my thoughts to you,” Trilless promised. “I’ll put the experiences of my two summonings to the forefront for you.”

  “And my six,” Carcophan added, without gloating. Even he recognized the ugliness of bringing chaos creatures into a world where they did not belong.

  Mar Lon scribbled silently in the corner, distanced from the proceedings.

  “There’s still a matter to deal with before we begin.” Trilless flaked dried blood from her palm, watching each crumb fall with obvious fascination. “If we bring the creature, we have to pay its price in blood. The longer it stays, the stronger it becomes. Even if we hold
it until we’ve finished asking all we need to know, when we finish, it will become free. Then we must either slay it or give it a suitable sacrifice to distract it until we can dispel it.” Trilless shivered at a memory. “My first time, I gave myself. I won’t do that again.” She rolled up her sleeve far enough for Shadimar to catch a glimpse of a withered forearm and four deeply etched scars. Surely, the demon’s attack had stolen some of the coordination from the fingers of that hand as well.

  Carcophan tried to see around Shadimar, but Trilless shook her sleeve back into place. She would show no weakness to her evil opposite.

  Shadimar’s gaze swept the room briefly. His attention fluttered past Mar Lon without focusing on him, though his mind registered the mortal presence more completely. Secodon whined softly, apparently unsettled by his master’s mood.

  All eyes riveted on the wolf.

  Carcophan measured each word. “He is the least important of us all.”

  “Yes,” Shadimar replied, not at all certain they discussed the same “he.” Secodon had proven a constant and loyal companion for too long to sacrifice. Besides, he doubted demons would take animals; he had never heard of a single case in all his readings. He hated to surrender any life to chaos, but the island’s only mortal made the most sense. Except one. Shadimar cleared his throat. “I believe the Staff of Law will give me the support and control to hold the demon long enough for us to slay it. If not, the information we get may tell us to send it after Colbey first. We may solve two problems at once.”

  Carcophan grinned. Trilless scowled, but she did not protest. She had already registered her opinion. To repeat it would only waste more of the precious remaining time.

  Shadimar hoped Colbey’s ignorance would delay his summoning Captain for the sail home. For now, at least, he could not yet have left the island.

  Again, Shadimar lowered his head. This time, he felt the gentle nudge of an intruder in his mind, then Trilless’ presence joined his. She did not rove or seek; to do so would have constituted a rudeness bordering on attack. Instead, she fed him the necessary incantations to form the wards to bind a demon. Then another probe was thrust into Shadimar’s mind, heavy-handed and twisted. The strangeness of the other Wizards’ presences sapped Shadimar’s attention. For some time, he could not continue. Finally, he forced his thoughts to adjust to the intrusion, accepting the knowledge they gave, blending it with a certainty and edge that could only come from the staff he held.