“She either is or she isn’t.”
“You continue to ask questions when your challenge is not yet complete.”
Steve sighed inwardly. So the conversation was back to running in circles. “You’ve given me no challenge!”
“You have taken it upon yourself to set this world free. If you succeed and Azinon is sent to his final rest, you will have your answers. There is within the royal chambers of the Palace of Rajasthan a mirror none but Azinon dare gaze into. Should you wrest the sorcerer’s life from him, this very same mirror will show you all you wish to know. This is your challenge, halfling manchild. Fail in this and know you will surely die with the souls of millions following in your wake, including that of the one you hold most dear, the very same whom you love.”
This last stung Steve visibly and, seeing this, the Oracle’s expression softened.
“I do not say this to hurt you. But it is true, though you may wish it were not.”
Steve gritted his teeth behind his lips until his jaw ached, an eternity passing before his composure returned to him. Looking up slowly he said, “Don’t do me any favors, all right? I know how I feel, and for whom I feel it, and in that I don’t need your help. I didn’t come here for advice on my love life. I came here for answers and all you’ve given me are more questions.”
“I have given you much more, halfling,” the dragon replied, “and you will come to realize this in time, but for now you must go.”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what I want to know,” Steve said with more bravery than he felt.
“Oh, no?”
“I need answers.”
The dragon smiled, exposing fangs twice as long as the human was tall. “Very well. I offer you a choice, halfling: remain here and I shall answer every question you pose to me.” Then, with an intake of breath that pulled at Steve’s clothing, the Oracle blew down a stream of blue smoke that struck the surface of the gold several feet from the young wizard. It then curled back on itself and arched high into the air, circling around until meeting with its tail end in a loop twice that of a man’s height. In its center it grew dim, the mounds of gold visible on the other side fading, replaced by a falling, screening mist of lighter blue.
“But the price of remaining,” the dragon continued, “may be more than you wish to bear.”
Steve glanced briefly at the dragon, suspicious, as the swirling, blue mist slowly revealed a scene not unlike one he recently left. Then, terribly, he recognized it as the exact one he left. In the time it took to realize what had happened in his absence, Steve’s curiosity of the portal changed to a sickening fear that dropped straight to the pit of his stomach.
“You must choose,” the Oracle said.
But Steve leaped through the magical gate before the last word touched the air.
Sonya stirred, slowly rising from unconsciousness at Kayliss’s nudge. She mumbled incoherently and started to drift back to sleep when a second nudge from the tiger brought her fully awake. Propping herself on her elbow she rubbed sleepily at her eyes. Her drowsiness dispersed quickly at the realization the fire had died to pile of smoldering coals, an event that should not have occurred with someone on watch. She sat up and instinctively glanced around for Steve, only to find him gone. It didn’t make any sense he would go missing and Kayliss, always at the young man’s side, yet remained.
“Where’s Steve?” she asked the tiger alarmed. “Is he all right?”
Jiv sat up sleepily from his place between Kayliss’s shoulders asking, “Eh now, whas all the racket?”
“Sonya?” To her left Eegrin had come awake followed quickly by Scott and Kurella. “What is wrong? Where is Steve?”
“I don’t know,” she replied rising swiftly to her feet. “But I think we’re in trouble.”
“We are,” Kurella agreed, her ears listening intently. “Soldiers, from two directions, and they are not being quiet about it.”
Eegrin stood and buckled his sword to his waist. “That is a bad sign.”
Scott jumped to his feet alongside Kurella as his eyes caught sight of the red-orange flames of torches cresting a ridge some hundred yards off and moving swiftly toward them. “I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings,” he said, “but we’ve got company.”
“What happened to Steve?” Kurella asked.
“Behind us!” Eegrin cried pointing. The others turned simultaneously toward the glow of torches advancing swiftly on them from the southwest.
Scott’s nostrils flared as he tested the air, and then, “Sonya, Kurella and I can probably cut a hole through them to allow the rest of you to escape.”
Sonya shook her head, despite her knowledge of a werewolf’s fearsome prowess in battle. “It won’t work. Look at those numbers, Scott.”
“In about thirty seconds we’re not going to have much choice,” he replied.
Stepping forward, Eegrin took Jiv from Kayliss’s back and placed him in the pocket of his vest. “Sonya can fly herself to safety, but along with Jiv I can carry one other.”
“Where’s ee goin’?” Jiv asked. They all turned in time to see Kayliss’s bounding form vanish into the forest.
“Take Kurella,” Scott told the Jisetrian. “I’ll stay.”
“I will not leave you here!” Kurella said adamant.
A sudden, harsh shriek overhead silenced all further arguments and startled Sonya to reflexively throw up her shield over their small encampment. Both roc and rider could not pull out of their dive in time and together they slammed into the glowing hemisphere with a bone-cracking thud. With a loud squawk and a flurry of feathers, the monster bird, appearing like a gigantic, well-muscled vulture, tried in vain to regain control of its flight but only succeeded in throwing its armor-clad rider into the brush before crashing itself amid a stand of trees. Others of its kind, in time to see the barrier, changed course at the last second and instead swooped by overhead in a rush of wind.
“Wot now?” Jiv asked. “Wur surrounded on the ground un outnumbered in tha air!”
Sonya scarcely heard the tiny sprite’s exclamation, so amazed was she at the speed and ease with which she had raised her defenses. No time, no thought, she simply needed it and it was there.
“Whatever it is we’re going to do,” Scott said, “we’d better do it now.”
No sooner had he finished his sentence than the first line of redcrests came into view. By unspoken command, the soldiers quickly formed a defensive line of drawn steel, effectively cutting off any escape to the southwest, away from the Blue Mountain.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Sonya asked nervously as yet another squad arrived to cut off escape to the northeast.
“Ah ave ta admit, lass,” the sprite answered, clearly concerned at the growing numbers of the enemy, “ahm drawin a blank.”
Eegrin glanced to the sky, at the remaining rocs pumping their wings on the air currents as they circled only a hundred feet above their heads. He shook his head looking disheartened. “As am I.”
It did not take long for the last of the redcrest soldiers to completely surround their small party. Although keeping a respectful distance from the glowing, translucent shield, they did not appear intimidated. Sword, shield, and arrow glinted in the circle of torch light like the teeth of some wild animal that anxiously awaited to devour them. In the tense face-off, that which was most unsettling was the lack of sound or movement, save for the screech of a roc or the fluttering flames of a torch beating against the oppressive darkness.
In a whisper Kurella asked, “Why do they wait?”
It was quiet for time and then Scott said, “Standoff. We can’t get to them and they can’t get to us.”
Fifty yards up the face of the mountain, Steve and Kayliss waited expectantly as silent watchers. The Oracle had graciously placed Steve close enough to join in battle if need be, while at the same time maintaining his concealment amid a stand of six foot tall foliage.
“Kayliss, we’ve got problems,” Steve said in unde
rstatement. The great cat huffed in agreement, the odds stacked against them, to be sure.
“We’re going to need help on this one,” he said thinking of Haldorum, and then shook his head. “I hate it when he’s right.”
Quickly Steve sent his thoughts to the great cat. It required no small amount of risk, but a growl from the tiger told Steve he was ready. Steve raised his hand to the sky and Kayliss prepared to break from their cover when the young wizard abruptly stayed him with a gesture. Peering through their cover, Kayliss also spied the reason for the delay.
Borathis stepped through the ranks of redcrests and boldly approached the glowing shield until he stood just a few feet beyond its magical surface. He glared through the eye slits of his helmet at those within for long moments. Then finally, “Where is he?”
“Where is who?” Sonya asked, knowing full well whom this man spoke of.
A bald man clothed in a scarlet robe followed Borathis’s path out of the shadows to stand beside the warlord. His nose was pointed and his brow protruded too much, all of which lent him a malicious countenance as he looked Sonya over within the glowing hemisphere with deep interest.
“Magician,” Eegrin muttered by way of explanation, and Sonya nodded her understanding.
“No mere magician,” the man replied, his voice sounding smug and carrying the quality of sandpaper. “I am the second of the Dark One himself, and a man of no small repute among my fellow practitioners of the Arte.”
“If you do say so yourself,” Scott chimed sarcastic. “So what is it you’re looking for here? A medal or a chest to pin it on?”
The man paid this remark no mind, instead saying, “I know you are powerful, young lady, but without the knowledge and experience to use that power you cannot resist me.”
Scott snorted. “Buddy, with your looks, how can irresistible even cross your mind? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think—“
The magician clenched his fist and Scott’s breath caught in his throat. “As you can see,” the leering magic-user continued calmly, “your shield does little to protect you, or your friends, from me.”
Sonya was not listening, watching helplessly as she was as Scott slowly suffocated before her. “Scott, what’s wrong?” she asked gripping his arm. She glanced briefly in the direction of the scarlet-robed mage. “You son of a bitch, what have you done to him?!”
The magician’s shoulders rose and fell beneath his garb. “It will go easier on you all if you surrender now.”
Steve knew his plan could wait no longer. The sight of Scott dropping to his knees, hands clutching his throat, only confirmed that belief all the more. Magic, Haldorum had taught him, is merely an extension of one’s will that requires concentration to be effectively put to use. Disrupt that concentration and the result changes to failure. Counting on those words to be true, Steve jumped to his feet. “Haldorum, I hope you’re watching.”
Lightning danced across the sky, parting two circling rocs overhead and sending Borathis, his men, and the startled magician to the ground for cover. The second bolt lanced through the air immediately following the first, this time scoring one of the armored, airborne riders in a bright, starburst explosion of sparking light. Distracted for the moment, Sonya did not even see Scott regain his feet at her side.
“I’m all right,” he gasped, Kurella trying to steady him.
“Left and right flanks!” Borathis bellowed as he regained his feet. “Move!”
Scores of soldiers jumped from the ground and peeled to either side, moving with great haste amid the natural cover in an effort to surround the young wizard’s position.
Go on, Steve thought to the tiger. It’ll confuse them and buy us a little more time. Growling acknowledgement, Kayliss moved off to intercept the advancing left ranks. And be careful, Steve added. That said, he retreated out of the cover of the brush and into deeper wood.
Borathis fast set off in pursuit, leaving the magician to deal with the Third Power of Mithal. Two score soldiers, one to either side of the glowing hemisphere, some armed with crossbows, stood at the ready, their nervousness apparent as they awaited those within the protective confines of the shield to succumb to the dark magician’s magic. Sonya, thankful for what could only be Steve’s timely intervention, now faced her problem anew with no better an idea of how to deal with it than before.
“My master only asked that you be brought to him alive, my dear,” the magician spoke. “However, the same does not hold true for your friends. Lower your shield and surrender or I will slay them all before your very eyes.”
When at first she did not answer, Scott faced her sternly saying, “Don’t even think about it. You’re too valuable to afford being captured, and once we were out of your sight they’d kill us anyway.”
“I will start,” the magician hissed, “with that one!”
Scott turned on him with hate in his eyes but the words he intended choked instead as his lungs again ceased to draw breath.
“Damn you, stop it!” Sonya screamed, almost pleading.
If Scott’s breath had a physical form the dark magician most assuredly held it fast, clenched in his left fist and holding it out toward the young werewolf as though challenging him to come and get it.
“Sonya, please!” Kurella begged. “Help him!”
Sonya glanced about frantically, searching for some means or method with which to fight the magician’s power but found nothing of aid. If she lowered her shield Scott could confront his attacker physically, possibly killing him before he himself lost consciousness. At the very least, it would afford Kurella the same opportunity, but at the same time it would leave them all vulnerable to the soldiers, at least half of which sported silver weapons. Seeing Scott like this only reminded her of the last time she was powerless to help him, when she thought he lie bleeding to death in her arms at Shallows Crag.
That thought brought her back to her senses as surely as a slap in the face. The last time she had been fighting a wound that had never truly been an injury, only a change; but this was entirely different. Just as it stood with the plague, this too was a harmful magic, and harmful magic was something she could fight!
Sonya inhaled deeply through her nose and then her lips parted as she exhaled. With a calm mind, she brought her own power to bear in opposition to the magician’s own and her aura flared around the young werewolf. Immediately the cool night air filled Scott’s lungs and color returned to his face with every grateful breath following. The magician attempted to counter and Sonya could feel his concentration intensify, but the effort was nothing in comparison to the strength of her unbridled power.
Uncertainty flashed across the magician’s face at his failure to take on her dominant magic, but he countered again, this time reaching out to include Kurella in his spell. Sonya, however, was not to be beaten, and also extended her power to the wolf girl, the healing energy of her gift flowing and protecting them both. Thwarted for the second time, the magician snarled. He brought his fists together, chanting behind clenched teeth and this time it was Jiv who cried out the alarm. Sonya turned at the sound of his voice to see Eegrin clutching at his own throat.
Sweat dripped from Sonya’s brow and stung her eyes. The concentration necessary to maintain her shield while simultaneously protecting her two friends was a strain dangerously near her limits. And now, with Eegrin’s life also in the balance, she could feel her strength wane even as she tried to include him in her protection. And even if she could, what then? The magician would surely turn his attack on Jiv. The sickening truth was clear: someone was going to die before her strength finally gave out completely.
The magician clearly held the advantage. With Sonya’s concentration divided amongst her friends, and keeping sufficient strength in her shield to protect them all, it seemed only a matter of time. Sonya’s power was a giving one, generous, supplying those in need with healing energy that could rebuild torn or damaged tissue and ward off magical harm. She hadn’t the knowledge—if ind
eed it were even within her abilities—of how to use it as a weapon.
Sonya’s mind raced across seconds with possibilities ranging anywhere from the ludicrous to the impossible, and finally she decided on a plan that bordered the latter. She knew the only thing that would stop the magician’s attack would be to focus his attention on something more important—namely himself. If a weapon could be brought to bear against him she would at the very least disrupt his concentration.
And she had an idea just how to do it. Praying she was right, Sonya released them all from her protective magic.
“Eighteen years,” Steve muttered to himself.
Crouched low, he peered out from behind the base of a thick pine just enough to spy the two redcrests slowly walking toward his position. Four others just like them were already down, unconscious but for the most part unharmed. Killing unnecessarily, in his own mind, was little better than murder, though he doubted Kayliss and his predator instincts held such reservations. An overabundance of conscience was apparently a burden the animal kingdom had been spared. Steve could only hope the tiger’s stealthy attacks were enough to be misconstrued as his own.
“Eighteen years old and I’ve already found enough trouble in my life to last three more.”
At fifty feet away, he raised his hand toward the piece of deadfall behind and to the right of the approaching men. It left the ground soundlessly, and at a sharp gesture from Steve it sailed through the air and struck the first soldier from behind, sending him to the ground with a grunt. The sound alerted the second and he whirled in time to see the two-foot log spiraling toward his head. With steel flashing in his hand, he sidestepped as he chopped, embedding his blade in the gravity-defying wood. In the same motion he used the log’s momentum to his advantage and drove the point of his sword deep into the closest tree, effectively immobilizing weapon and log both.
“Shit!” Steve cursed. At that he stepped out from behind his cover and unleashed a minor bolt from his fingertips. The redcrest dived and the bolt only clipped his leg as he crashed amid the foliage, numb from the hip down.
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