by Dan McGirt
Mercury stood. “Eat your breakfast, take your leave of the twins, and join me on the north plaza within the hour. I already have our supplies stored in my cloak.”
The trio of wizards departed and a servant brought in my breakfast of fruit, bread, cheese, and wine. I wolfed down the food, combed my hair, and strolled across the hall to see the girls. Sapphrina lay in bed, her face still puffed and bruised. Rubis sat beside her holding an ice pack in place against her jaw.
“Hi, Rubis.” I approached the bed. “Good morning, Sapphrina. I’m really sorry about this.” I took her hand in mine and squeezed it gently. “How do you feel?”
She gave me a weak but winning smile. “Not much better than I look. Between the flying demons, the possessor, and a certain dashing Darnkite, I took some serious abuse the other day. Nothing broken, but my jaw was dislocated. The healer repaired it yesterday. Mostly bruises and lingering effects of hysteria and traumatic shock. I’ll be back on my feet in no time. Where did you get that gorgeous tan?”
“From a new friend. Listen, I’m about to depart for the Incredibly Dark Forest and I came to say good-bye.”
“The Incredibly Dark Forest!” exclaimed Rubis. “Why?”
“Hopefully, that’s where I’ll learn what’s going on and how I can escape this dangerous life I’ve been living recently.”
“The Incredibly Dark Forest is a good place to escape life, period,” said Sapphrina. “Oh, Jason, don’t go there! Come with us!”
“To Caratha?”
“The queen has promised us transportation as soon as Sapphrina is ready to travel. I’m sure you could come too.”
“I’m tempted. But I’ve still got the Society, the Demon Lords, and hordes of bounty hunters to contend with. Once I take care of those matters, I’ll come see you. How’s that?”
“That’s ridiculous,” said Sapphrina. “You’ll be killed and I—we, that is—will never see you again.”
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
“You know what I mean. It’s just—come with us! Please?”
“I can’t. Not until all this is over with. You two have been in constant danger since you met me. Wolves, bounty hunters, soldiers, demons—you’re lucky to have made it this far. I can’t escape what’s happening, but you can. I don’t want your blood on my hands, so this is goodbye until I’m safe to be around.”
“I suppose you’re right,” said Rubis, rising and giving me a glancing kiss on the cheek. “I think I’ll conveniently take a walk now.” She handed me the icepack and left the room. I took her seat and moved to put the icepack in place. Sapphrina caught my hand.
“Enough of that. My face is frozen. Rubis is worse than a mother when I’m ill.” I put the icepack down. “I’m afraid for you,” she said.
“That makes two of us.”
She smiled. “I’ve only known you for a few weeks and you’ve already saved my life half a dozen times at least.”
“You exaggerate.”
“Not by much. Jason, I’m going to miss you. If anything happens to you—and let’s not kid ourselves, it probably will—I’ll be devastated. At the very least. You’re the kindest, the bravest, the best man I’ve ever known.” She gathered my hands in hers.
“Thank you. By remarkable coincidence, you are the best, bravest, and most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. No slight to your sister, but you’ve got some extra special spark that makes you… that makes you…”
“Well?”
“Extra special,” I said at last, raising her hands until they almost brushed my lips as I moved from the chair to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Jason…”
“Sapphrina…”
“Before you go, I want you to know that—”
“Yes?”
“I’ve thought about it a great deal, the last few days especially, and I wouldn’t say this if I didn’t mean it with all my heart. Jason, I—mmmph!”
I cut her off with a kiss. For a woman with a recently dislocated jaw, she was surprisingly energetic in her response. Eventually we came up for air.
“I can guess what you were about to say,” I said. “But hold that thought until I return. That will give me the most powerful incentive of all to come back alive.”
“Why, Jason! What a romantic thing to say!”
“It just came to me. When I get back, I’ll have something more to say.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I’ll look forward to it. Now kiss me again before you go forth to eradicate the forces of evil.”
When that was done, I left the room, trying not to think about the tears glistening in her eyes. Or in mine.
I met Mercury and Raella on the north plaza ten minutes later. I got a sudden surge of strength as I stepped outside into the full light of the morning sun.
“Whoa!”
“What is it?” asked the queen.
“I feel incredible. Like a juggernaut.”
“Oh,” said Raella. “That’s part of the blessing of Rae. You probably have the strength of ten men when in sunlight, perhaps more. It’s fairly standard.”
“Ready to fly?” asked Merc. I imagine torturers use the same tone of voice when asking their victims if they are ready to be flayed alive.
“Sure,” I said with a brave smile. My augmented prowess did nothing for the ominous lightness of my stomach at the prospect of another carpet ride. “Nothing like soaring hundreds of feet above the ground on an airborne welcome mat.”
“This rug has been thoroughly inspected for defects,” said Raella reassuringly.
“We’ll head northwest, over the Longwash and Orphalia, to where the Arbenflow emerges from the southern tip of the Forest,” said Merc.
“What about the invasion?” I asked.
“The latest reports are favorable,” said Raella. “General Vixen Hotfur commands my northern army and she has halted the Orphalian advance. The Brythalian drive has been blunted as well and order is being restored here in Rae City.”
“We’ll be above the battle anyway,” said Merc. “And Halogen hasn’t the wit to have any sort of air corps. I don’t expect any problems on that front. So let’s quit stalling and go.”
“May the grace of Rae and all The Gods be with you, Jason Cosmo,” said Raella. “And with you, my love.”
The couple kissed and Merc and I boarded the flying carpet. We shot straight up until we were higher even than the top of the Solar Palace, then sped northward.
“We can cover fifty miles in an hour,” said Mercury as the wind whipped our faces and his cloak billowed back like an azure banner.
“Wonderful.”
“Shift your clothing to sky blue as I’ve done. It will make us more difficult to spot from the ground.”
I willed the transition, again marveling at Raelnan garment magic. “Just how bad is the Incredibly Dark Forest?”
“The physical environment is not much worse than the usual evil forest, but it’s not exactly a resort area. Wild animals, ogres, goblins and the usual assortment of dangerous denizens. We’ll be lucky to survive, much less find this shrine.”
“What do you know about the Shrine of Greenleaf?”
“Personally, I’ve never heard of it. The tales I know say a lost castle filled with treasure lies where the Hidden River joins the Arbenflow. I don’t know anything about a holy shrine. It seems like an odd location for one.”
“You think my aura lies?”
“No, I just think The Gods could have picked a better location. No one has ever found the Hidden River. My plan is to skim up the Arbenflow until we find it or get forced to turn back.”
As we flew onward, we saw the unmistakable signs of war. Geysers of black smoke stained the northern horizon like dark blood gushing from a chest wound. Ragged streams of refugees clogged the roads to Rae City like rivers of misery, all unaware that the capital itself had nearly been destroyed. In two hours we had almost reached the Longwash and saw clearly that the boiling smoke came from the burnt husks of two river towns
and numerous smaller villages which the Orphalians had put to the torch.
The invaders had penetrated several miles into Raelnan territory before their thrust was blunted on a low line of fortified hills held by the Raelnan army, hills the Orphalians had to cross in order to reach the interior of the kingdom. It wouldn’t be easy. The Raelnans had built wooden palisades atop earthen ramparts and dug ditches filled with pointed stakes. A barricade of logs and stones blocked the road to Rae City. Heavy catapults and mobile ack guns pulled by oxen supported these defenses.
A pitched battle raged amid the hills. Lacking artillery of their own, the Orphalians hoped to overwhelm the defenders through sheer numbers. They attacked tirelessly, clambering up the slopes and crashing against the barricades, falling back under the withering spears and arrows of the Raelnans, and regrouping to charge again. King Halogen’s forces resembled a mob in rough green uniforms more than an actual trained army. They fought with courage and animal ferocity, but with little coordination of actions. Each little knot of troops attacked and retreated of its own accord, making the battle only a collection of smaller battles on the Orphalian side.
The Raelnans, by contrast, exhibited superb discipline. They left not a single gap in the defensive line and seemed able to anticipate every spontaneous tactic of the enemy. Ack gunners directed their fire where it was most needed, backed up by the powerful catapults. Troops moved efficiently to relieve hard-pressed sections of the line, while medics whisked wounded warriors swiftly away from the front. The Raelnans’ boots were polished and their uniforms clean, remarkable in the midst of battle. The Raelnans functioned as one integrated unit; they didn’t waste a single sword stroke.
The Orphalian encampment was about two miles north of the hills beside a small creek. Safely out of ack range, it was surrounded by hastily erected palisades and lightly guarded. Only a skeleton force remained behind, mostly supporting personnel, though it seemed a cavalry troop was also being held in reserve.
“See the huge green tent in the middle?” asked Merc, bringing the carpet to a halt above the camp.
“The one with the dragon flags all over it?”
“Right. That’s where Halogen is, I’ll wager. Too cowardly to lead his men in battle. I’d like to swoop down, cut out his black heart, and bring this war to a quick close.” Merc spoke of his rival with an unyielding metallic hatred.
“Is that a good idea?”
“Yes, but we don’t have time for personal vendettas now. Maybe on the way back.”
“How wrong you are,” said a hoarse voice behind us. “Now is a perfect time for vendettas.”
We turned and saw that another magic carpet had silently flown up on us while we studied the scene below. Its rider was covered in deepest crimson, from robes to gloves to hood, with no skin exposed. A silver horn hung from a cord around his neck and an obsidian knife at his belt.
“Isogoras,” said Mercury.
“Mercury,” rasped Isogoras.
They spat one another’s names like curses.
“Do you have a sore throat? You sound a little ragged.” Mercury’s solicitude was blatantly false.
Isogoras touched the silver horn. “Do you have any idea how long you have to blow on this thing to summon six hundred winged marauders?”
“The Horn of Hockessin, I presume?”
“The same.”
“I knew it would wind up in your grasping hands eventually.”
“It is my most prized possession.”
“How nice. What inspired you to show your face at last? Run out of incompetent lackeys?” Merc casually reached under his cloak as he spoke.
Isogoras pointed a glowing gloved finger at Merc’s chest. “I wouldn’t think about my sunshades just now, Mercury. We must talk.”
“I don’t think we have anything to say to each other.”
“I am under direct orders from Erimandras the Overmaster to induce you to join our order. Personally, I would rather see you boiled alive in dragon liver oil.”
“What a coincidence. I would rather be boiled alive in dragon liver oil than join the Society.”
“But the orders of the Overmaster must be obeyed. I must warn you that your potential value to our cause does not justify further recruiting efforts. This will be your last chance.”
“Do you mean if I refuse again you’ll finally leave me alone?”
“Of course not. If you refuse again I will finally have the pleasure of killing you, so I hope that you do, but let me run through the benefits of Society membership one more time anyway.”
“Pay attention, Jason. You may find this interesting.”
Isogoras began his recital. “With your low monthly dues you get access to forbidden arcane knowledge and a new world of excitement. You’ll have frequent opportunities to burn, loot, rape, and pillage to your heart’s content in exotic locations throughout the Eleven Kingdoms. You’ll take part in corrupting officials, planning assassinations, and plotting the overthrow of mighty monarches. Men will quake in fear at the mention of your name, because you’ll be part of a proud tradition of terror over two thousand years old.”
“This is the good part,” said Merc.
“As a master wizard, you qualify for special benefits such as your own complimentary staff of personal slaves. You’ll also get an unlimited pass to the exclusive Carnality Club, where you may shamelessly practice any sexual perversion you can imagine with help of a talented staff of lewd and libidinous demonettes. Furthermore, you’ll receive a handsome certificate of membership suitable for framing, a free magic ring, and much much more. What do you say?”
“I’d rather burn in Hell.”
“As one who has done just that, I’ll be happy to help you along.” Isogoras patted the silver horn. “With this I can send you to the Vilest Vales of Hell, where the demon torturers in the Citadel of Endless Agony will gleefully demonstrate how that fortress got its name.”
“Go for it.”
“First, I have a message for Jason Cosmo.”
“What?” I said.
“The Overmaster of the Dark Magic Society has authorized me to make you this offer. Turn yourself over to me, tell us what we want to know, and no harm will come to you. We do not wish to waste further effort in apprehending you and will look favorably upon your cooperation. We will pay you the ten million crowns and give you your own kingdom to rule. If you refuse this generous offer, torture and death will be your lot. What is your answer?”
“It sounds tempting.”
“Of course.”
“But I’ll pass.”
“So be it.”
We had hovered in place during this conversation. Now, with the aerial violence about to begin, Mercury willed our carpet to lift upward with such speed that we were pressed flat against the fabric. Below us, a stream of toxic yellow jelly flew from Isogoras’s finger and filled the space where we had been. Since we were no longer there it fell to earth, to work its nasty effects on the soldiers below.
Merc brought the carpet to a halt and put on the sunshades. “Stay down. It makes you less of a target. We’ve got to get the Horn away from him before he calls up reinforcements.”
It was too late for that. Isogoras flew to meet us, sounding the mournful Horn of Hockessin as he came. Small winged demons the color of blood spewed forth from the instrument. I saw that they were the color of blood because they had been dipped in the substance, which dripped from their bodies and splattered through the air with every flap of their wings. They were alarmed with clanging cymbals, shrill whistles, and tiny trumpets which made an unholy racket louder than the Horn itself and seriously grated on my nerves.
“Bloody nuisances!” shouted Merc. “Small, fast, and irritating. Probably the best he can do with the condition of his throat, but they can eventually drive us mad with those decibels of damnation!”
“I’ll say!”
“Take care of the Horn as we pass!”
We dove into the cloud of nuisances, Mercury cr
isping as many as he could with bursts from the sunshades. I stayed down until we were almost upon Isogoras, then leaped up and swung my axe. It struck the Horn and snapped the cord, sending it spinning into space. No more little demons emerged from it.
“Good work!”
We still had about seventy of the monsters to contend with, however. They stayed with us through all of Mercury’s insane evasive maneuvering, which involved abrupt changes of direction and even flying upside down. We were held in place by the spell of the rug, but I was understandably terrified.
“The sound is making me crazy!”
“Just swing that axe! You’re sure to hit some of them!”
Isogoras fell in on our tail and drew the obsidian knife from his belt. Merc fired sunshade shots at him, but he dodged and weaved to deny him a clear shot. Even so, he hit some of the nuisances.
“How’s he going to stab us from there?” I asked.
“He’s not!”
Isogoras hurled the knife at us. Merc banked into a swift climb. “The fool! Gravity will pull the knife—”
The knife followed us and was gaining fast. It sliced through a bloody nuisance that got in its way and started to glow red.
“I can’t shake it!” said Marc.
The volcanic glass was reverting to its molten form and was now seconds away from catching us. It hit our carpet with a hot splash and the rear of the rug burst into flame.
“We’re going down!” said Merc as we lost altitude.
Isogoras soared above us, taunting. “I’m sure you will get a welcome reception from Halogen of Orphalia, Mercury.”
“We’re going down,” repeated Merc. “And we’re taking him with us.”
Isogoras had slowed so that we could hear his words, giving Mercury a clear shot with the sunshades. The spectacles flashed and our enemy’s carpet burst into flame and began to plummet as well, falling toward the battlefield. Isogoras had nothing further to say.
“I really ought to think of a good parting line,” said Merc. “But we’ve got a bigger problem.”
“Like landing?” I said, beating ineffectually at the flames.
“Crashing gently would be more apt. Response is getting sluggish—I don’t think we can reach the river! What else can cushion our fall?”