“Huh.” He rolled his eyes to Nalia and set the case down on the floor. The spiders still didn’t seem to be interested in them. All he needed was to pick up the drum and they could leave.
As soon as his skin touched Orum, the spiders all whirled toward him, every last one of them raising the front halves of their bodies up and extending their fangs.
“Run!” Nalia said to him, leaping in front of one of the more anxious spiders that had jumped at them. Her shrapezi spun in the air and two of the arachnid’s legs became significantly shorter.
Sam didn’t want to do as she said, but he did. He took off running as fast as he could back toward where they had come. If he could get into the narrower passageway, the creatures would have to come at him one or two at a time, instead of all together. Relying on Nalia’s skills to keep her safe, he ran as if his life depended upon it. He knew that it did.
A spider off to his left jumped at him as he passed Rindu. Sam projected his rohw from the end of his staff and swung it awkwardly with one hand. It was enough to buffet the hairy body away from him before it could bite him. With his staff in one hand and the drum in the other, he weaved his way through the cave’s features and slipped into the narrower tunnel.
When Sam turned to look, he felt despair. Nalia was moving like a snake, dodging jumping and striking spiders, whipping out with her shrapezi to remove parts of the creatures where she could, but always focusing on defense. One scratch of the venom from a spider this big and she might not survive to kill the creature, Sam thought.
Rindu, too, seemed to be fighting for his life. His swords were out and he was causing legs and pieces of hairy flesh to fly as well, but they were vastly outnumbered. There were at least thirty of the creatures and it would only take one mistake for them to be poisoned. Sam set the drum down and began to go back to help.
“No, Sam,” Rindu yelled. “Go further down the tunnel. We will seek an opening and flee this battle into the more restricted area. You will only be in our way. Go.”
Sam picked up the drum, wishing he could do more, and headed down the tunnel. Before he went out of sight, he saw Rindu nod to Nalia and then flash brilliantly for a moment as he used his rohw to push all the spiders around him. They took advantage of the lull and ran toward him, so quickly he had to turn, duck his head, and sprint for all he was worth.
The three came out into the open area almost at the same time, the spiders hot on their heels. Sam had already sent to Skitter that he should cross the ropes to the other side, so the hapaki was halfway to Ix and Emerius when they came out of the mouth of the tunnel.
All three whirled and readied their weapons, determined to cut down the monstrous arachnids as they came out of the narrow tunnel one at a time.
There was no need.
The spiders stopped at the end of the narrow passageway, looking right at the three, but they came no nearer. One by one, they turned and made their way back to their own chamber at an unhurried pace. One final spider, missing half of one of its front legs at the third joint, waved its setae briefly as if confirming that the humans were still there, and then it too retreated, leaving only a thin trail of wetness where it had bled.
“Huh,” Sam said, almost as an exhale. “I guess they’re not allowed to leave their home. What do you suppose they eat? They, or their ancestors, have been there guarding the artifact for thousands of years.”
“I do not know,” Rindu said. “Perhaps Dr. Walt has an idea. We can ask him when this is over. I am just happy to be alive and curious.”
“A little help!” Ix yelled from across the chasm. The assassin, the hunter, and the rakkeben were engaged in battle with soldiers trying to force their way out of the narrow passage on the other side of them. Sam nodded to Rindu and Nalia and the three went to join their friends.
“Sometime soon, I’d really like a break,” Sam said, as he finished securing the drum in his backpack and moved over the ropes to the battle on the other side.
Chapter 59
Sam stepped off the rope into chaos. Emerius was twenty feet from the passage opening firing arrow after arrow at the soldiers trying to break through. Each arrow was so precisely placed that it was fatal. Ix, the rakkeben, and Oro were cutting through the soldiers who managed to get past the arrows. There were just too many for Em to handle.
As he watched, Ix cut the throat of an archer who was preparing to shoot back at Emerius. In one smooth motion, she ended his life, twisted his dying body, and slipped the quiver off his shoulder as he fell. She turned quickly and threw the full quiver of arrows toward Emerius, who in turn snatched it out of the air, set it down, and continued firing arrows from the quiver he was already wearing, all without a pause.
The three rushed into battle beside Ix and the mounts. Emerius was able to slow his firing, choosing his shots in a more leisurely manner and, more importantly, rest so he did not become exhausted. There was no telling how long the battle would last, so they all had to conserve energy. Luckily, the bodies of the soldiers were already piling up, making it more difficult for the others to push clear. If it wasn’t for the choke point of the narrow passage, the party would have been overwhelmed.
In the cramped conditions, Sam split Ahimiro into two sticks. Even so, movement was difficult without bumping or striking his friends. When a sword slash cut a shallow slit in his backpack, he immediately stepped out of the battle, halfway to the pit. He took the backpack off, set it in between two rock formations, and entered the battle again. He didn’t want the artifact to be damaged while he was fighting.
Sam cleared his mind and let himself feel the battle’s song. His body began to move, almost as if of its own accord, performing impossible evasions and maneuvers and striking out with perfect efficiency. He wasn’t sure how long the battle would be, but he felt as if he could keep the pace up forever. Sparing a glance at the others, he saw them all moving smoothly and efficiently. They too looked as if they would be fine for the long haul.
A flicker of movement along the edge of the passage opening caught his eye. With a blur of motion, a shape flew over the heads of the soldiers and Ix, turned a perfect somersault, and landed lightly on its feet. It was only after landing that Sam got a clear look.
It was a woman holding a bell in one hand and a short staff in the other. The staff looked to be made of metal, and as for the bell, Sam had no doubt that it was the artifact Azgo. This had to be Ayim Rasaad.
He wasn’t sure why exactly, but Sam hadn’t pictured his enemy looking like the woman he was seeing now. She didn’t appear more than a few years older than he and though he knew she was evil, she looked like someone he would have been friends with. Her face was pretty, but short of beautiful, by Telani standards. It was all angles with a strong jaw, but still soft somehow. Her almond-shaped eyes scanned the chamber lit by the torches wedged into rock formations.
Rasaad’s clothing was strange, flowing britches tied with cord at the knees and ankles, a tight blouse that left her midriff open but had long sleeves of the same lightweight material as her pants. Soft shoes that were tied tightly with a length of cord covered her feet and her ankles. She was a tall woman, and from her body shape and her movements, Sam could see she was a skilled athlete, a warrior on par with any he’d seen. That was to be expected of a former Zouyim monk, he supposed.
The strange thing about the woman, though, was her head. She was bald, but not completely hairless like the Arzbedim. All across the tight skin of her skull were colorful tattoos, swirling, curving shapes that made the eye dizzy to follow them. She still had dark eyebrows, which were drawing down as she caught sight of Rindu. There was recognition in her hazel eyes.
Too late, Sam realized what she was doing. She had the bell in her hand to teleport away—would the teleportation of the artifact work here?—and she was planning on grabbing the drum artifact. He began to move toward where it was, but then stopped himself. It would be stupid for him to go toward it and reveal its location. Dodging a knife strike and
the swing of a mace from nearby soldiers and counterattacking without thinking, he kept his eyes on Ayim Rasaad.
She headed right for where he had placed the drum. Sam chastised himself. Of course, she had been watching him, she had seen where he put Orum down. Now she was heading toward it to take it away. Dropping all pretense of not paying attention to her, he started running toward the woman, knowing as he did so that he would be too late.
Don’t worry, Sam, Skitter’s thoughts edged their way into Sam’s mind. I have taken the drum and moved it to another hiding place. She will not find it.
Thank you, Skitter. You have saved me from myself once again.
Rasaad got to where the drum had been and confusion painting itself across her face. It was quickly replaced by rage. She calmly put the bell into a pouch on her waist, spun her staff in her hands, and turned toward Sam.
Sam realized he would be unable to stop, so instead he continued running at full speed, preparing his sticks for Rasaad’s attack. He didn’t expect what the woman did next.
With a smirk, Ayim Rasaad lowered her staff as Sam was rushing headlong at her. She raised her left hand, palm out, and gave it a little twitch. The next thing Sam knew, he was flying through the air and striking the back of one of the soldiers who was fighting with Rindu. The man cushioned his fall, but it still knocked the wind out of Sam.
Shaking his head, he climbed to his feet and started back toward the former Zouy. As he went, Rindu and Nalia finished off the soldiers they were fighting and joined him, having seen the situation.
“Be careful, Sam,” Rindu said. “She is a powerful rohw user. You must be mindful of using your rohw for defense, as we have practiced.”
“Okay,” Sam said. “I’ll remember.”
The Zouy, the Sapsyr, and Sam surrounded Rasaad. Though outnumbered, she did not seem concerned. “Make it easy on yourselves and just hand over the drum. I promise you a swift, painless death if you do so. It will go much harder for you if you refuse.”
“Ayim Rasaad,” Rindu said, “you always did have an arrogance that was unjustified. You cannot prevail. Surrender and we will not have to kill you this day.”
A smile that was wholly incongruous with her attitude lit up her face. “You do not know the power I hold, Master Rindu. It is a power that the Zouyim have always feared to wield, a power that is superior to the pitiful rohw you hold in such reverence. You will behold my power, the power of the awkum. You cannot stand against it.”
Sam saw Rindu motion to him and Nalia, a subtle gesture that only had meaning because of how many times the three of them had fought battles together. He prepared himself for what was to come.
As if by a verbal cue, Sam, Nalia, and Rindu attacked Rasaad at once, from three different directions. Rindu flew through the air with a kick directed at the woman’s head. Nalia dashed in, shrapezi spinning, ready to cleave. Sam ran straight for the woman, sticks up and ready to strike. Ayim Rasaad simply stood there, casually raised her hand, and then firmly closed it into a fist.
It was as if an explosion had emanated from that raised hand. All three of her attackers were thrown back a dozen feet. Sam crashed hard into Cleave, Nalia’s rakkeban, both falling to the ground. Nalia spun off and struck the wall of the cavern with a grunt. Rindu cartwheeled toward the pit, only just catching himself on the ropes so he did not go in. When Sam got up and looked, Rasaad stood there with a wry smile on her face.
Sam concentrated, forming a shield made of rohw around him. He saw that the soldiers had all but stopped fighting and were watching the four combatants further inside the chamber. Rindu flipped back onto the stone floor, a bright shield of his own rohw springing up around him. Even Nalia was limned in energy, though not as brightly as her father.
“Your pitiful energy cannot stand against the awkum, Rindu,” Rasaad sneered. “Your precious rohw is motion and light and life. The awkum is of solidity, non-movement, darkness, and death. You will see.”
While she was speaking, Rindu and Nalia had circled her until the three of them were facing Rasaad. Sam looked to the Zouy, but found no direction there.
“But I tire of this. It is time to end it. Goodbye, Master Rindu.” Ayim Rasaad raised both her arms, staff still held in her right hand, and pointed them at Rindu.
Sam couldn’t see anything more than a simple distortion, but he knew some power was emanating from her hands. He watched in horror as Rindu’s rohw shield shattered and he flew backward as if struck. His cry of pain told Sam all he needed to know. Ayim Rasaad was too powerful for them.
Rasaad relaxed and Rindu slumped to the floor, breathing hard.
“Sam,” he whispered, too softly for Rasaad to hear, “you must come into harmony with us. It is the only way to defeat her. Together, we may do so.”
Their enemy was raising her hands again, getting ready to finish Rindu off.
Sam’s thoughts swirled. He had to combine his power with Rindu and Nalia. If he didn’t, they would all die. Not only that, but if they failed, Rasaad would get the other artifacts and all of Gythe would be subjected to her cruel reign. But how, how could he do something that he had not been able to accomplish before, no matter how hard he tried? He had only seconds, he knew.
Nalia was looking at him, her expression pleading with him. The firm set of her jaw, the soft look in her eyes, they told him that she believed in him, that she knew he could do it. She had faith in him. So much faith, in fact, that she knew that her very life was in his hands, and she trusted him with that life. His vision got blurry as he blinked the wetness from his eyes. She was so much a part of him, sometimes he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. They were like different parts of one person.
Different parts of one person. The thought echoed in his mind. They were the same. There was really no difference. So what if they were physically separate? That wasn’t the important thing. They had a connection that could not be broken any more than it could be defined. Yes.
Sam’s mind tried to catch up with itself. He was confused, but there was something important in there. If he was the same as Nalia, if they were connected, then how much harder was it for Rindu to be connected to them as well? He loved the monk as a father and had a strong rohw connection with him as well from all the training they had done together. What if he had been trying too hard all this time? What if it was really as simple as letting his feelings guide him?
He remembered when he had first started training with Rindu, trying to learn combat with Nalia. What was it Rindu had said? The first and most important thing is that you must stop thinking and start feeling.
Sam took a breath, trying to ignore Rasaad as she prepared to kill Rindu with this other power of hers. Exhaling, he relaxed completely. With his eyes closed, he could see in his mind the energy surrounding Nalia and Rindu. Reaching out, he touched Nalia’s aura with his own rohw. Tentatively probing, then caressing, then finally embracing it, he let himself melt into her as she melted into him. It was such a shock that he almost lost his focus, almost opened his eyes. Instead, he forced himself to maintain the connection, something similar to how he and Skitter communicated, something intimate and comfortable. He felt himself smiling.
Immediately, he reached out to Rindu and did the same thing. It took more focus and a few more precious seconds, but finally the Zouy’s rohw slipped into the stream surrounding the other two and then they were one. Their energy was merged and much more powerful than when they were apart.
Sam felt Rindu’s eyes snap open, felt the monk smile, and then get onto his feet. When Sam opened his eyes, he saw the Zouy glowing like the sun, felt the power that was rushing through all three of them. He knew he must look the same to the other two.
Rasaad thrust her hands toward Rindu. Her eyes went wide when her power was absorbed into the shield now surrounding the man. “How…?” she said.
“Your power is discordant,” Rindu said. “The rohw is accordant, harmonious. You cannot prevail.”
The woman threw
energy at Rindu, at Nalia, and at Sam, but the shared shield protected them from her attacks.
“Very well,” she said. “I will simply have to destroy you in a more…conventional manner.” She spun the staff in her hands and rushed to attack the closest foe. Nalia.
“Iba,” Rindu said, “we must maintain the harmonious energy. If we all do battle, it will be lost. We will maintain it so that you may fight her without fearing her power. It is your contest now.”
Nalia nodded and raised her shrapezi. After the briefest of pauses, she rushed into battle with Rasaad.
Chapter 60
Sam thought the battle would be over quickly. Nalia, after all, was Nalia, and he had the utmost confidence in her abilities. Though he knew that Ayim Rasaad had been one of the Zouyim, thus trained well in combat, he figured that without her abilities to attack with energy, she would be easily defeated. He was wrong.
Though the harmonic energy he and Rindu were channeling protected Nalia from Rasaad’s attack using this new strange energy, the awkum, they could not keep her from using it to enhance her own performance. Rasaad moved far more quickly than Sam thought she should be able to, and judging by the few hard blocks Nalia had performed, the woman’s strength was increased as well. Sam noted that Nalia had shifted to using exclusively parrying and evasion techniques.
Rasaad used that metal staff of hers expertly. As Nalia whirled and slashed, the weapon seemed always to be there, deflecting the shrapezi and then counterattacking. Nalia evaded or in other ways defeated the counterattack, of course, but it was maddening to Sam that it had already taken so long.
“Relax, Sam,” Rindu said to him. “Your tension will affect the flow of energy. Trust in Nalia’s abilities and focus on maintaining the shield against the awkum.”
Harmonic Magic Series Boxed Set Page 98