Chapter 45
Alivia tore her attention away from the surging mass of knights engaging the Krai’kesh when she felt a massive drop in pressure out in the field above the Krai’kesh to the south. Casting out her mind, Alivia watched in awe as three tunnels opened from high in the atmosphere and began to spin around. She sought the cause of the magical phenomena, but could not identify the source.
She studied the vortexes. Her father had told her stories of such vortexes, called tornadoes, that sometimes occurred to the south and east of Tar Ebon, but she had never seen one before. They looked like vertical clouds. Clouds. She delved deep into one of the vortexes and sensed a higher level of moisture than the surrounding air. The temperature had also dropped. With a further drop, ice crystals would form, which meant…
Alivia pulled the heat from one of the tornadoes, and then the other two, throwing the excess heat as fireballs toward the Krai'kesh lines. They began to spin even faster, and the water began to freeze. “This ends now,” Alivia said. Then, as she had done a year earlier in the tavern in Mara Damare, Alivia began to form lightning.
The first lightning bolt arced from the ground toward the vertical shaft, though to the untrained eye it would seem that the lightning had originated from inside of the tornado. Another one followed, and then another. Soon a cadence of lightning began erupting from the ground toward the vertical shafts of air rotating in the midst of the Krai’kesh. The effect reminded Alivia of archers firing arrows of light toward a tower, the arrows arcing into the air to hit higher places on the tower. Thunder followed moments later, due to the proximity.
Again and again, the lightning struck, electrocuting one after another Krai’kesh. The lightning took on a life of its own, feeding on the effect that she had begun. Alivia focused on containing the lightning to the midst of the Krai’kesh and away from friendly soldiers.
After several minutes the vortexes dissipated. Alivia withdrew her mind back and felt exhaustion wash over her, buckling her knees and almost bringing her toppling down. Her head pounded as if she had just been struck by a mace. She felt wetness below her nose and raised her hand, finding blood there. Knowing that her time of consciousness was short, Alivia spun and raised her fist into the air while meeting Coryn’s eyes. Coryn nodded and raised her own fist into the air. Alivia, satisfied, collapsed to the ground as darkness took her.
Chapter 46
As Coryn sat atop her horse facing the southern gates, she reminisced about the past few months. It had not been easy, facing insurrection and public unrest, not to mention the threat of the Krai’kesh right outside of the walls of the city, but they had come this far and she was not about to quit. For several minutes before Alivia’s signal, booms of thunder had echoed through the air, with horn blows before that. Coryn had not been able to see above the wall, but she had seen reflections of lightning as the light reflected off of the clouds above the city.
Behind Coryn gathered a host of civilians, city watchmen, rangers and soldiers. Some were mounted, many were not, while most wore armor ranging from leather to steel and had an edged weapon of some kind. Coryn had blocked out the sound of the smithies as they worked non-stop producing armor and weapons to equip the forces gathered at the southern gates. She looked at Captain Galbraith. “Are we ready, captain?”
Captain Galbraith gave her a nod of respect. “We are ready when you are, my queen.”
“What, no remark about how this is a bad idea, Galbraith?”
“No, your majesty. You are the queen.”
Coryn arched an eyebrow. “That never stopped you before now.”
“I also think it’s a good plan, your majesty. Nothing to remark about.”
Well, that was something. Coryn gave a slight bow to him. “Thank you, Captain.”
“Of course, my queen.”
Coryn heaved a heavy sigh before mounting the steps near the gatehouse and turning to face her people. “My friends, my allies, my subjects, we stand here in a most desperate hour. Outside of our walls, allies from across this continent have come to fight for us. They are dying for us. Now is the hour to lend them our aid, to show the world that Tar Ebon remains strong.” Behind her, the gates creaked open. “Forward, to victory!”
***
A third of the twenty-four golems Ashley had summoned still stood as the lightning abated and the funnel clouds dissolved. Rain began to fall as the moisture held within the funnel clouds dissipated into the drier air. Despite her concentration being split, Ashley focused her eyes on the scene before her. Patches of charred ground showed where the lightning had struck, while large swathes devoid of standing Krai’kesh identified the touch-down points of the tornadoes. Fire continued to sprinkle from the mages on the walls toward the remaining Krai’kesh in the field.
A horn blew from within the city, echoed along the walls, and the southern gates creaked open. A line of soldiers both mounted and on foot exited the city. The line spread out into a wide swath of soldiers. The mass of men charged toward the Krai’kesh south of the city that still remained. The Krai’kesh, having been beaten down by magic and now attacked from the front, rear and flank, began to show signs of serious casualties.
Ahead of Ashley, she heard the shout from officers for the soldiers to press forward. The men charged ahead with renewed vigor all along the front.
Ashley fought exhaustion and summoned more golems, bringing her number to the original two dozen. Forming them into a loose-spaced line, she marched them ahead of the rank of Selucian soldiers, using them like linebackers in football to clear a path.
***
Jason brushed back his wind-blown hair, attempting to restore some semblance of order to it. His legs felt heavy and threatened to collapse as he mounted his horse. Riding down the ridge, he headed toward the battlefield. He felt sure that he wouldn’t have been able to so much as light a candle in his current state of exhaustion. Rain fell from the sky, a byproduct of summoning so much cold air from the roof of the world.
He sought out Bridgette in the corner of his mind where the link with her resided. Bridgette, are you ok? No answer. Bridgette?
I’m a little busy, Jason, Bridgette responded.
I just wanted to make sure you’re still alive.
Jason got the impression of Bridgette snorting. I almost died, but luckily John came in with a bloody flaming sword and saved the day.
Well, I brought you an army.
A late army.
It was Jason’s turn to snort mentally. An army is an army is an army, my dear.
Except when it’s late, Bridgette replied, though a tinge of amusement flowed through the link.
You’re insufferable. Will you ever let me live down being late?
Maybe if you’re extra nice to me.
***
Coryn watched as what seemed like the entirety of the human army collapsed on the last pair of Krai’kesh. Like a tidal wave slamming into the shore, weapons borne by dozens of hands slammed, sliced or pierced the Krai’kesh survivors until they were indistinguishable. For a moment silence reigned on the battlefield. Then a cheer went up across the battlefield; men banging their weapons on their shields, whooping and hollering with wild abandon. Despite her exhaustion, Coryn could not stop the massive smile that came to her face.
She looked around and found John, who was sitting up nearby. “John, can you come over here, please?”
John looked around in search of the person who was speaking to him, saw Coryn looking at him and pointed a finger at his chest. “Me?”
“Yes, you,” Coryn said. “I need you to amplify my voice. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, I should be able to.” John stood and walked over. His eyes glazed over for a moment, before focusing on Coryn. “Go ahead and speak.”
“In which direction must I stand?” she asked, and her voice boomed across the battlefield. Men across the battlefield turned toward her.
John laughed. “It’s tethered to be in front of you, so whichever way you t
urn it will capture and amplify your voice.”
Coryn cleared her throat and began again. “My fellow warriors, my comrades in arms. Today we celebrate a great victory for humanity. Today, the darkness that threatened to sweep across the world has been turned back by the light!” Another cheer went up at her words. Coryn let it go for several moments before continuing. “Though today is a day of victory, let us never forget the lives of those brave men and women who gave their lives today so that humanity could survive. As we look now to the aftermath of this battle and moving on with our lives, let us mark this day as a day to remember the sacrifices of the fallen.” She paused to let her words sink in. “We will need the support of every able-bodied person to tend to the wounded and fallen. Bury our dead, burn the corpses of our enemies.”
Chapter 47
Dawyn opened his eyes. The faces of a dozen people or more met his, all staring at him with concern on their faces. He struggled to sit up. Pain lanced up his back. “What happened?” he asked.
John stepped forward and extended a hand. “Well, uh, you kinda helped us with the entire battle, Dawyn. One minute you’re there, next to…” he paused, “the next that big crystal of theirs is blowing up, our magic is back and you’re lying against the wall.”
“Ah,” Dawyn said, turning his eyes toward the ground. Memories of the events John referred to were beginning to come back. He remembered fighting and then, “Anwyn.” The way the eyes of everyone gathered dropped told him he had not imagined her death.
“Dawyn,” Coryn began, “I’m sorry, but Anwyn didn’t make it.”
“I remember,” Dawyn said. “I held her in my arms as she died.” He looked up. “I take it we won then?”
“That’s an understatement,” Jason said from near the back. “There’s not a single Krai’kesh alive on the battlefield.”
“It came at a high cost,” Ashley reminded him.
Dawyn looked past the circle of his friends toward the battlefield beyond. Thousands of men carried stretchers holding the wounded toward a central area cleared for medical care, while others carried the dead away in droves toward mass graves. Women rushed between the wounded, carrying bandages and tools for the field surgeons while the older children assisted. Looking toward the southern gates of the city, Dawyn saw a flood of people still exiting the city to help. “So it would seem.”
“At least it’s over,” someone near the rear of the crowd said.
“It is not over,” Dawyn said. “It has only just begun.”
“What do you mean?” John asked.
Dawyn pointed toward where a pile where men threw Krai’kesh corpses. “We defeated but a small force of these creatures. It was but a scout force - a small strike force designed to perform reconnaissance and gain a foothold, nothing more. The Founders were clear about the coming threat. Krai’kesh in ships that traverse the stars” he pointed toward the sky, “using technology that the Founders could not completely comprehend or combat, attacked and destroyed human civilization in our future. This was but the vanguard. More will come, by the thousands, hundreds of thousands. We must be prepared to fight them when they come.”
“Yeah, but Dawyn, that’s got to be a while from now, right?” Jason asked.
Dawyn shrugged. “I don’t know yet. We will have to further study the records from the Founders to understand the time frame we are operating within. It could be several thousand years, or it could be a week from now. No, my friends, we are far from done. This was but the opening salvo. The war has yet to begin.”
“We can discuss that later,” Coryn said, “in a more private setting. In the meantime, you should report to the infirmary, Dawyn. It’s a miracle you’re alive at all.”
Dawyn shook his head. “I’m almost healed, Coryn. I’ll be fine.”
“Stubborn men,” Coryn grumbled.
***
Bridgette approached the shogun of Sagami. She raised her voice. “Shogun, I have come to submit myself to Sagami justice.” She knelt.
The shogun turned to her, his eyes surveying her from behind his painted mask. “Arise, lady of the shadows. You have served well in this battle alongside my warriors. You saved my son’s life, by all reports. The debt is paid; Sagami Justice is satisfied.”
“Thank you, Shogun,” Bridgette replied, rising and offering a bow.
***
Ashley found Leysa among the Rovarkian camp, helping tend to the wounded. “Leysa,” she said.
Leysa smiled as she looked at Ashley. “Oh, m’lady. I saw what you did on the battlefield. You were so impressive!”
Ashley blushed. “I did what I must. I see you are reunited with your people?”
“Yes, this is the tribe I was taken from. I have returned home.”
It was Ashley’s turn to smile. “I am so happy for you, Leysa. Stay safe.”
Chapter 48
John held Ashley’s hand as they walked away from Dawyn and the others. Around them the flurry of activity related to post-battle triage and clean-up continued unabated. “We made it babe,” John said.
Ashley smiled up at him. “Yes, we did. I saw what you did during the battle, with the light. That was amazing. How did you feel?”
John gazed up toward the sun peeking through the clouds. “It’s hard to describe. I felt…a level of power I never experienced before. It was like I could do anything. With that sword in my hand, nothing could stand in my way.”
“You felt invincible,” Ashley observed.
“You’re right, I did.”
“Do you think you could do that again?”
John pondered the question for a few moments. “I remember what I did, so I guess I could.”
“It’s not a secret weapon, is it. You’ll be announcing to the whole world when you use it.”
John laughed. “That is so true. At least the region around me. What about you, what did you do?”
Ashley shrugged. “I created some earth elementals. Nothing much compared to you.”
“We all played our roles, babe. No one person won this battle.”
Ashley jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “One person tipped the scale in our favor, though.”
“Who?”
“Anwyn. If she hadn’t died, if she had lived, Dawyn wouldn’t have...,” she trailed off.
“Dawyn wouldn’t have gone all time-berserk and been able to destroy the crystal,” John finished.
“Yeah.”
The pair were silent for a moment as they continued toward the southern gates of the city.
***
The first thing Alivia felt was pain. Her head pounded and every muscle in her body ached, eliciting a groan.
“Lie still,” a familiar voice said. Favio? “I’m here for you, Alivia. You pushed yourself to the brink I’m told. You must rest.”
“I,” Alivia tried to say, but a finger pressed against her lips silenced her.
“Shhh,” Favio said. “Save your strength my hero mage.”
She opened her eyes and met those of Favio. His beautiful brown eyes stared back at her and he cracked a smile.
***
“Bridgette!” Jason called toward Bridgette’s retreating back.
Bridgette turned around. “What?”
Jason came to a stop before her and looked her up and down. “Are you OK?”
Bridgette scowled. “You can get into my head, what do you think?”
“I think you’re shutting me out.” Jason felt barriers along the link between them, with only hints of her emotions leaking out. He tried mentally pushing, but the walls stood firm. Reaching out with a hand, Jason touched her shoulder. An emotional jolt like electricity swept through his mind as the act of touching her washed away the barriers between them. A flood of emotions, fear, pain, anger, frustration and more assaulted him. He felt the urge to close his eyes against the onslaught of emotion. Instead, he weathered the storm and allowed himself to swim in the emotions. Memories of her torment at the hands of Lord Garik pounded against his walls
, threatening to suck him into a vortex of madness, but he clung to his sanity.
“Stop,” Bridgette whimpered.
As Jason watched, tears streamed down Bridgette’s face like water running down the face of a dam as it cracks open. Instead of releasing her, Jason pulled her closer and embraced her. “I will never let you go again, Bridgette. I love you more than anything in the world, and being away from you made me realize that.”
“No. Nobody can love me,” Bridgette said between sobs. “I’m a monster. The world despises me.”
Jason stepped back and moved his hands to rest on Bridgette’s shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “Look at me,” he commanded.
Bridgette raised her eyes to meet his.
Jason took her hands in his and placed them on his chest, over his heart. “Let yourself feel.” In the center of the emotional torment coming from Bridgette, Jason opened his own flood gates. As fear and pain entered his mind and cut him like swords, Jason reciprocated with bravery and comfort. As anger and frustration struck at him like needles, he responded with love and patience. For the first time since they had been bonded, Jason dropped every barrier. Every secret thought, every unspoken desire, every memory and hope and dream exploded out of him. He felt Bridgette shudder but held her hands tight against his chest.
In that moment, with each of their barriers down, Jason felt himself become one with Bridgette. He lost all sense of himself and his identity. Notions of him and her as separate people were lost as they swam in a sea of love. The two floated in that ethereal place for what seemed like an eternity.
After a time, as the emotional high faded, Jason remembered where he was. Several people on the battlefield had stopped to stare at them and Jason met their eyes feeling no shame.
The Complete Shadow Trilogy Page 50