by Nat Russo
- Mujahid Mukhtaar, Private Commentaries, 105 CE
Nicolas materialized on the shore of Lake Caspar, and the necromantic link he shared with Kagan grew more prominent in his mind.
As he finished materializing, the acrid odor of charred wood and burning pitch made him cough violently.
Waves of necropotency filled his well of power. There had to be an enormous amount of death nearby to pull that off.
As he turned to see the city, he grew cold.
The city of Caspardis was gone. In its place stood a field of ruins that spanned more than a mile to the west and north. The fortress was the only building still standing.
Nicolas dropped to his knees next to a dwarf tree.
Kait! God, no!
Siege towers ringed the burned-out ruins, and Barathosian soldiers came and went in small groups.
He looked toward the harbor. Ships sailed away from the city, but the few remaining in port were on fire and sinking rapidly.
Anger replaced terror, and a stinging pain formed in his palms.
He’d been clenching his fists.
Hours ago, he’d fantasized about leveling the city for the sake of justice or retribution. But the reality of the devastation made him ashamed of himself. There were families in those ruins.
Had anyone survived?
His anger grew as sporadic gunshots echoed through the ruins in the distance.
They’re probably executing anyone left.
A group of people bolted from a ruined building and ran toward what was left of the harbor. The Barathosians fired their weapons, but the people were out of range of the primitive pistols.
A small cloud materialized over the city and began to disperse. Tiny specks of dark brown broke away from the cloud and fell toward the running people.
No. The specks weren’t falling. They were diving.
This isn’t a cloud. It’s a swarm!
High-pitched screeches emanated from the swarm and echoed through the ruins. Within moments, the swarm tore into the people, ripping them apart and tossing limbs and chunks of flesh this way and that.
When the feeding frenzy was over, the swarm flew back into the air as one and headed deeper into the city. But they vanished moments later, as the Barathosian travel magic returned them to wherever they’d come from.
Nicolas stared at the ruins in a daze.
The thought of Kait being one of those victims brought cold rage to the surface. But it was different this time. This time, she wasn’t the only person on his mind. She was one face among many. Aelron, Toridyn, the refugees. And countless others he would never see or know.
Had he delayed too long? Had it been wrong to take Kait to Aquonome when he should have been fighting this war?
He blinked as something changed in front of him.
The siege towers. There were fewer of them now. And as he stared at the ruins of Caspardis, more towers began to vanish, one by one, until none remained.
He wanted—needed—to do something. Summon as many penitents as he could and march into the city. Unleash enough necropotency to strike down every last Barathosian in the city.
Something. Anything.
But if the Barathosians were capable of this much destruction, there was no time to help Caspardis. No time to take revenge or seek justice for the victims. Dozens of other cities—some larger than Caspardis—would be destroyed the same way if he didn’t stop the Barathosians.
And there was no time to wait for Tithian to receive and test the protoforge fragments at the Pinnacle. That could take weeks. One way or another, Nicolas had to get the fragments to Dar Rodon himself. They’d either help take down the Barathosians or they wouldn’t. The only thing he was certain of was that waiting would be the surest way to lose this war.
He stood.
The necromantic link.
Kagan was still alive, such as it was. And judging by the link, he was outside the city. Perhaps a mile or two to the northeast.
“You,” a woman’s voice said.
Nicolas spun in the direction of the sound, but no one was there. Was he hearing things now?
He shifted his weight to lean against the dwarf tree.
“Watch the hands!” the woman said.
The tree stepped backward.
Nicolas leapt backward.
What the hell?
There was movement around the tree. It was subtle at first, but grew more pronounced. The markings on the bark shifted and transformed, in much the same way a flower opens in sunlight, until a single opening appeared in the center.
One hand emerged, followed by another. They gripped the sides of the opening and folded it back into a hooded cloak as black as the Obsidian Throne.
The tree had disappeared entirely.
The hands released the cloak, reached up to the hood and drew it back.
A woman with blond hair tied in a top knot stared back at him.
“Archmage Nicolas, right?” the woman said. “Not what I expected.”
Nicolas stepped back once more. “How do you know who I am?”
He prepared to open a channel from his well of power to the skull symbol.
The woman pointed at his chest.
“You’re wearing a chain of office,” she said.
Nicolas glanced down and saw the chain hanging out of his robe.
“Oh,” he said. “Yeah. I guess I am.”
“And,” she said, “your betrothed told me this is where you’d appear.”
Kaitlyn sent her?
“She and Aelron aren’t far from here,” the woman said.
“Are they with Kagan?”
The woman’s face cycled from expressionless to rage to expressionless in the span of a moment. If Nicolas hadn’t been holding necropotency, he would have missed it.
“There’s a Turian Exports farm,” she said. “It’s far enough from the city for the Barathosians to ignore.”
“Then let’s go…”
“If you’re anything like your brother, you won’t let me rest until I tell you my name. So, it’s Morrigan.”
“Nice to meet you.”
He followed her to the northeast, skirting around the area where the siege towers once stood. As they crested a hill onto the plateau where Nicolas was once held captive in a military camp, he saw a farm in the distance. But the closer they got, the older the farmhouse looked. Most of the thatch roof had collapsed in on itself, and two of the stone walls had fallen into ruin.
“Nick!” Kaitlyn yelled. She started running out from behind a wall, but Morrigan transformed into a black smudge and crossed the distance between her and Kaitlyn—close to one hundred yards—in less than two seconds flat.
Nicolas jogged closer to them.
“What are you doing?” Morrigan said to Kaitlyn. She’d taken Kaitlyn by the shoulders and guided her back into the ruins. “I told you it’s not safe out here. The Barathosians, or their pets, could be anywhere.”
When Nicolas got close to the ruins, Aelron and Toridyn stepped out from behind the wall and welcomed him.
Kaitlyn embraced Nicolas.
“Toby?” Kaitlin asked.
“He’s fine,” Nicolas said. “Thank you for keeping them safe, Morrigan.”
“I just led them here,” Morrigan said. “They kept themselves safe along the way. Toridyn killed five Barathosians by himself. Your brother ran one through, and Kait managed to convince one to kill himself. I’ve never seen that kind of magic before.”
Kait? I’m the only who calls her that.
“It was a close one,” Kaitlyn said. “If I hadn’t seen the look on Aelron’s face, I wouldn’t have known the Barathosian was behind me.”
The thought of it made Nicolas take a deep breath.
“A second more and she would have been a toaster,” Toridyn said. “I had to guide her myself after she went blind.”
“What’s he talking about?” Nicolas asked.
“When I use my power, I can’t see for a while afterward.
I’m probably just doing something wrong.”
“You have my thanks, all the same, Morrigan,” Nicolas said.
Morrigan looked away.
Nicolas opened his mouth to speak, but Aelron narrowed his eyes and shook his head no. There was more going on here than Nicolas was privy to.
“Kait,” Nicolas said. “A word?”
Kaitlyn led him farther into the ruined building, through a half-fallen archway into another room.
“This Morrigan person,” Nicolas said. “You trust her?”
Kaitlyn shrugged. “Aelron seems to.”
Nicolas raised an eyebrow.
“I know,” Kaitlyn said. “What can I say? We’ve been through a lot in the last couple hours. She’s been helpful. And really nice. A little standoffish since you got here, though.”
Nicolas tugged at his chain of office. “This seems to have that effect on people. She was a freaking tree when I met her.”
“You saw the speed trick. I have no idea what kind of magic she uses.”
Nicolas smiled. “Listen to you, talking about magic as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.”
Kaitlyn smirked.
“Plans have changed,” Nicolas said. “I’m going to need all the help I can get.”
He waved the others into the room, and soon they formed a semicircle around him. Kagan stood at a window, looking toward Caspardis.
“What I’m about to tell you stays among us,” Nicolas said. “Aelron, can we trust her?” He looked at Morrigan, whose face was expressionless once more. “No offense, but I don’t know you.”
“A magus wondering if he can trust me,” Morrigan said. “Now I’ve seen it all.”
“Morrigan,” Aelron said.
“I won’t spill your secrets, Archmage,” Morrigan said. “When I give my word, I mean what I say. When I take an oath, I fulfill it. When I take a vow, I live by it. That’s far more than you can say about the magi who surround you at the Pinnacle.”
Nicolas chuckled. “You can say that again. Nothing but a bunch of asshole politicians.”
Shock registered on Morrigan’s face for an instant, then disappeared.
“The reason I went back to the Pinnacle was to retrieve a piece of something known as a protoforge.”
Kagan turned from the window.
Nicolas spent the next few minutes recounting what Tithian had told him about the protoforges. He recounted how the fragments deflected Tithian away from Hiboran when he tried to translocate there. When he got to the part about the fragments heading for the Pinnacle, he looked each of them in the eyes, one by one.
“But we don’t have time to wait,” Nicolas said. “Not after what’s happened here. We need to intercept the fragments and take them to Dar Rodon. That’s where the bulk of the Barathosian force is. That’s probably where these smaller raiding parties and siege towers are coming from. If we can stop them from translocating, then they can’t travel any faster than we can. That should even things up a bit. We have a long trip ahead of us, so—”
“If these are protoforge fragments,” Kagan said, “then you cannot know what they’ll do. They are not mere objects of power made by the hands of humankind. They are divine. Their power is mystical, not magical.”
“I’m aware of the—”
“They could just as easily strip you of your power and give it to the Barathosians,” Kagan said, “because of nothing more than a stray thought you didn’t even know you should control. They could send the armada away—”
“I’m aware—”
“—and drop them right on the Pinnacle,” Kagan said. “You think the Barrier was bad? At least it killed slowly. Predictably. The protoforges could take this continent and turn it upside down. They are divine catalysts. Only the mind of a god can perceive what they’re capable of. They could be our undoing.”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good plan,” Kaitlyn said.
“I’m aware of the risks!” Nicolas said. “But remember what I told you about Tithian. It’s like he tried to hit Austin but landed in Dallas instead. If there’s another way, I just don’t see it!” He looked at Kagan. “You’re worried we don’t know what the fragments will do? So am I! I’m not an idiot! But we have to try, don’t we? I see two possibilities; if we do nothing, the Barathosians will win. If we try this, the Barathosians will probably win. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the latter. And the more time we spend discussing it, the more people are dying like they died outside that window.”
An awkward silence stretched on for several moments, and Nicolas took several calming breaths. No one in this room deserved to be the target of his frustration.
Kaitlyn broke the silence. “If time is a problem, and these things are as unpredictable as Kagan thinks, then I might have a better idea.”
“I’m all ears,” Nicolas said.
Toridyn looked him up and down.
“Figuratively speaking, Tor,” Nicolas said. “Figuratively.”
“Twice now, I’ve been able to get into their heads,” Kaitlin said.
“She destroyed several of their larger tube weapons,” Aelron said.
Kaitlyn nodded. “I sort of improvised. I made the cannon guy see the first scary thing I could think of. But the second time was easier. What if I can control one of their leaders? What if I got them to destroy their own armada? What if I could do what the cichlos were terrified of in Aquonome, and control one of the Barathosian chimeramancers?”
“Taking on a Barathosian or two is one thing,” Nicolas said. “But think about what you’re saying. The entire armada? It’s a long shot at best.”
“And the protoforge things aren’t?”
“Kait—”
“I’m not saying we should forget about them. I’m saying you don’t have to do everything.”
“I have to fix this,” Nicolas said. He pointed out the window. “They destroyed that city…killed everyone in it…because of what my birth father did. They rounded up survivors and shot them. And the ones that lived…the Barathosians hunted them down with animals. Defenseless people! The slaughter has to stop.”
Morrigan looked up at him.
“It does,” Kaitlyn said. “And you’re not alone. You have us.”
Nicolas looked around the room at each of them in turn. His adoptive father, Doctor Murray, once told him the best leaders knew when to ask for help. Could Kaitlyn’s plan work?
“Aelron,” Nicolas said. “If I’m taking Kait closer to the Barathosians, I’m going to need your help getting the fragments to the Pinnacle. Toridyn has to inform the cichlos about what happened here. He won’t be able to do it.”
“Where are they now?” Aelron asked.
“On a barge on the Orm River somewhere. Tithian said they’d be north of Three Banks by now.”
“If their destination is the Pinnacle,” Morrigan said, “they’ll have to pass through Dyr Agul. On the Religarian tributary.”
Nicolas nodded. “That’s the conclusion I reached as well.”
“Can we make it before the barge sets course for the Sea of Arin?” Aelron asked.
Morrigan gave Aelron an odd look. There was a strange dynamic between the two of them, and Nicolas couldn’t figure it out. Eventually, Morrigan nodded, and Aelron looked relieved.
“It will be close, but I think we can,” Morrigan said.
“How are they being transported?” Aelron asked.
“Tithian said something about a guild called Azure Dawn,” Nicolas said.
“The Dawn?” Morrigan asked. “No. This won’t be possible. We’ll have to find another way.”
“You’re going to back out now because some pirates are involved?” Aelron said.
“You don’t understand,” Morrigan said through gritted teeth.
“Why are you so afraid of them?” Nicolas asked.
“Who are you people?” Morrigan said. Her gaze shifted between Aelron and Nicolas. “Neither of you knows anything about the Moon Lake Sodality, and now you�
��re suggesting you know nothing of the Dawn either? You’re the archmage.” Her gaze shifted back to Aelron. “And you’re a former Shandarian Ranger—who’s now my apprentice, I might add.”
“You’re what?” Nicolas asked.
“It’s a new development,” Aelron said and looked away. “And I am aware of the Dawn. You think a man can train to be a ranger and not learn about the largest smuggling operation in the Three Kingdoms?”
“There are agreements in place,” Morrigan said. “Ancient agreements that I cannot break.”
“What would you be breaking?” Nicolas said. “The Dawn is transporting Pinnacle property. One word from me, and you become an agent of the Pinnacle. Problem solved…whatever the problem was to begin with.”
“I’ve taken oaths.”
“I know the value of oaths,” Nicolas said. “I take them seriously. I can’t pretend to know your history or understand these ancient agreements you’re talking about. But I do know how much the Barathosians care about the Sodality and the Azure Dawn. Look out that window. That’s how much. Look at what’s left of Caspardis. Is that a fate you’d wish on every other city in the Three Kingdoms just to protect your oaths?”
Morrigan faced the window and leaned on the ruined sill. After a few moments, she brushed the dust off her hands and faced Nicolas.
“The Sodality has survived conquerors before,” Morrigan said. “We’ll survive this one too.”
Nicolas placed a hand on her shoulder, and turned her toward the window once more. He spoke in hushed tones.
“Conquerers don’t kill people they want to conquer. They’re not here to conquer. They’re here to destroy.”
Morrigan looked away.
“As far as I know, we’re the only people in the Three Kingdoms who have some idea of how to stop them,” Nicolas said. “Help me, Morrigan. Help me stop them from doing this to another city.”
Morrigan glanced at Aelron, who nodded at her. A moment later she stared into Nicolas’s eyes.
“You’re the archmage. Shouldn’t be praying for a solution from the safety of your palace?”
Nicolas chuckled. “I get it. I really do. There was a time I was every bit as cynical. Then I met a Mukhtaar Lord. A little rough around the edges, but a more devout man you won’t meet. He taught me a lot about prayer. The hard way. He taught me the gods aren’t in the wish-granting business. Praying for people is a great thing to do, if you’re of a mind to. But when you finish praying, you help them. Because that’s how prayer works. You pray. Then you do.”