Lebuin looked up at Finnba with shock and confusion. Finnba reached down and grabbed Lebuin by the front of his shirt and picked him up. “I was going to take what I needed quietly. But you, damned fool, had to test a stupid theory, didn’t you? I knew that bitch was warning you.”
Finnba shook Lebuin like a doll and then threw him towards the big-ring tent. He had to have used some magic, because Lebuin flew twenty feet, to smack into the side of the sturdy tent, before falling to the ground in a heap.
Ticca wasted no more time. She threw a dagger at Finnba, which bounced off of his shield. Finnba turned on her. “You’re too beautiful to kill outright. But I don’t mind if my toys are bloody when I use them.” He raised his hand.
Ticca tried to dodge, but a ball of energy slammed into her. She felt her ribs crack, and pain exploded as a tingling sensation burned through her veins. She screamed as she was thrown five feet to land hard on the ground.
Rolling over, she saw Daggers were responding, all around. Elades was already running for Lebuin. Finnba turned and waved, causing four other Daggers, that were preparing to attack, to fly backwards, towards the stone property wall. Just before they slammed into the wall, they stopped and landed on their feet safely.
Finnba roared, turning to Lebuin, who was standing with his own glowing shield. Lebuin’s left hand was pointed at the four Daggers. Lebuin looked at Finnba, gesturing with both hands and causing a beam of energy that smashed into Finnba’s shields. Light exploded, blinding Ticca. She wiped her eyes and blinked several times to clear her vision.
“Is that the best you have? I knew you were poorly trained, but that was pathetic.” Finnba made an underhanded throwing gesture, and a bright orange ball slammed into Lebuin’s shields, flinging him back through the tent fabric in an explosion of thunder and light.
A loud bark was all she heard, before Duke flew over Ticca at Finnba. Duke’s head slammed into Finnba’s shields with a flare of fire and sparks raining inward, as Duke smashed through the shielding. Duke’s teeth snapped closed, only a fraction of an inch from Finnba’s arm. Finnba turned to face Duke. “There you are, you stupid old wolf. This time, you don’t have a chance!”
The necklace beneath Finnba’s shirt glowed through the fabric, and Finnba smiled evilly at Duke. Duke jumped to the left faster than should have been possible as Finnba’s hands snapped together, causing a blast of energy which would have hit Duke, if he hadn’t moved. Instead, the energy blew past Ticca, hitting the far wall, which cracked under the force.
Duke didn’t waste a moment. He spun as he landed and launched himself at Finnba again. This time, as Duke hit Finnba’s shields, they blew apart like burning glass bits. Duke snapped at Finnba, who moved so fast, he blurred, barely escaping Duke’s teeth again. A golden blast came from the big-ring tent, as Lebuin stepped out of the hole he had gone through, glowing with a golden energy. The bolt hit Finnba, who was concentrating on Duke.
Finnba screamed in pain and threw his hands up. A new shield sprang up around Finnba, stopping some of Lebuin’s energies and pushing Duke away.
Lebuin threw another magical strike at Finnba, which impacted Finnba’s shields. Duke pushed hard on the opposite side of the shield, which started to give under the combined pressures.
Ticca painfully rolled to her feet and pulled another knife from her belt. She screamed orders “Get ready! When his shield falls, he is vulnerable.”
Finnba was hunched over, holding his side where Lebuin’s attack had hit. His head snapped up and hatred burned in his eyes—a hatred she had seen before, at the gates of Llino. In her mind, the pieces fell into place. Ticca wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she knew who Finnba was. My Lady, he’s Nhia-Samri. He’s a Nhia-Samri mage that is much older than anyone here. He’s been a spy inside of the Mages’ Guild for years.
Finnba’s hand glowed, and neither Duke’s nor Lebuin’s attacks had penetrated his shield yet. Finnba stood up straight, and both his chest and the shield glowed brighter. Adrenaline raced through Ticca’s veins and her instincts screamed at her to move. She didn’t hesitate and jumped as fast as she could, towards the big-ring tent, as the ground behind her exploded. Looking around, there was once again no cover close, except tents. Damn it, why can’t we have a mage fight where there is more than just canvas for cover! Gotta at least get out of direct sight. She ran as fast as she could for the visual cover the big-ring tent could provide. It isn’t much, but if he can’t see me, he can’t get me.
Her instincts took over and she dodged again, as another explosion next to her threw her to the ground, her broken ribs flaring in pain. Something inside her burst with more pain when she landed, causing her vision to blur as she fought to stay conscious. Ignoring the pain, she rolled back up. Duke had managed to get his head into the shield and was pushing with all his might to get at Finnba, who was forced to dodge again.
Lebuin stepped between her and Finnba. Again, he’s my shield. Well, okay. But this time, I’m throwing the knife.
Finnba yelled, “Duke, you’re still fucking annoying as hell!” Finnba touched the glowing thing on his chest with one hand, and made a sweeping gesture at Duke with the other. Duke flew across the property, smashing through the stone wall. It started to collapse outward where Duke had been thrown.
Lebuin appeared to swell, and he opened his hands with a burst of light like the one Ticca had seen at the market. Lebuin’s energies slammed into Finnba’s shields, causing half to vanish. Ticca stepped out from behind Lebuin and threw with all she could. A number of other Daggers appeared to also take the cue and threw their own knives at Finnba.
Finnba closed his fist, pointing at Ticca. His shield reappeared, but not before Ticca’s knife had penetrated. The other knives bounced off the restored shield. Ticca’s dagger finished its flight, digging into Finnba’s shoulder, up to the hilt. Finnba grunted with pain. “Oh, you are good. I see now, we underestimated you. Oh, well, I’ll rape one of the others.”
Finnba pointed, and a blaze of red energies burned through the air. Elades appeared from nowhere and shoved Ticca out of the way. The energies hit Elades’ shoulder instead, causing it to explode in a halo of blood and bone fragments. Elades’ arm, no longer attached to his body, continued with Ticca, landing next to her with a meaty slap.
Lebuin and Ticca screamed together. “No!”
Elades looked at Ticca with a smile. “Sorry, Ticca. You need to finish this. Do me a favor and keep the teams sharp.” He winked and fell to the ground.
Finnba pulled Ticca’s dagger from his shoulder. The hole it had made blazed white as Lebuin threw another attack against Finnba’s shields. Finnba spun, throwing her dagger at another Dagger, who was trying to sneak up behind him. Ticca’s eyes misted as she saw her own dagger protruding from the forehead of the young Dagger–Kirist, she remembered–who still had the red cut across his neck from their match earlier.
Finnba turned and opened his hands. Lightning spun out from his fingers, hammering Lebuin’s shields, which collapsed, and with enough remaining energy, continued hitting Lebuin, who fell in a heap where he was.
Finnba turned to Ticca. “Before I kill everyone else, you first.”
Damn it girl, move! Her blood burned with fear-fueled adrenaline. She dove to the right and spun, trying to dodge out of the way. A deafening explosion with a bright flash of orange hit her back like a giant’s punch. Her body was infused with a painful, tingling burn as she was thrown towards the big-ring tent. The heavy canvas did not stop her flight, ripping apart like paper. Her flight took her over the pit where the house was being built. Her muscles tingled with an energy that made her body convulse and made it impossible to move. All she could do was watch the smooth, white stone foundation, fifteen feet down, rush towards her. As she hit, she heard and felt her right arm breaking. Her head bounced off the unyielding surface with a sick cracking sound.
The world was spinning. She brought her good arm around and tried to stand. The pain and effort was too much.
Her vision blurred as she raised her head. Her hand was covered in blood. Through blurry eyes, it looked like she was on a boat, on a red ocean with white beaches, and dark mountains in the distance. The water, no, her blood, felt warm, but was cooling as it soaked into her clothes. Her vision blurred more until all she could see was a shimmering, red blot expanding away from her on the white stone. She tried once again to get up, her life flowing around her. Her hand slipped on the wet, smooth floor, and her face bounced on the hard surface, splattering blood drops.
Her vision fogged and her thoughts spun. “Damn it move! Stop him. Destroy the Nhia-Samri. Protect Lebuin...” She ordered no one in particular, with her last breath.
- - -
The blackness was pierced by glowing, golden words on the wall, which illuminated the small chamber with its three padded, empty chairs, sitting before the glowing words as silent witnesses.
IMPERIAL SECURITY OVERRIDE ACKNOWLEDGED: SYSTEM LOCKS RELEASED.
More words appeared in rapid succession.
IMPERIAL ATTACK ORDERS CONFIRMED.
OBJECTIVES—STOP AGGRESSOR, DESTROY NHIA-SAMRI, PROTECT LEBUIN.
IMPERIAL EMERGENCY RECOVERY PROCEDURE INITIATED.
A series of lights blinked in a blaze of colors and shapes. On the wall, a series of panels began displaying numbers, and a map appeared in the middle section. A blinking purple dot with a red circle around it appeared over a circle on the map labeled, ‘New Alganetia.’
Six green lines appeared on the map: three long, dark green; and three shorter, a lighter green; each set circumscribed by a circle of similar color. The six lines moved back and forth. Each line either moved up or down. At first, the lines moved as much as an inch and changed their angles, while with each change, the circle that surrounded them shrank in size. Within a few seconds, the lines had all come together. Three long ones intersected at a single point on the map, and three small ones intersected over the same circle, which was labeled New Alganetia, precisely over the blinking purple point. A red line connected the two triangulated points, which pulsed from the large point to the one over New Alganetia.
ILLEGAL POWERSOURCE TRIANGULATED, AGRESSOR IDENTIFIED.
IMPERIAL ENFORCERS DISPATCHED.
BEGINNING SEARCH FOR TARGET DESIGNATED NHIA-SAMRI.
BEGINNING SEARCH FOR TARGET DESIGNATED LEBUIN.
More panels lit up with symbols, maps, and ever-changing lines of data until three of the four walls were alive with the dancing information.
- - -
The air rippled as a shockwave of sound, from an explosion down the street, thundered into the quiet afternoon. Magus Cune, driving the workman’s cart, looked up. “What was that?”
Sula was walking beside him, dressed in a peasant’s blouse, which did nothing to hide her extraordinary beauty. She looked in the direction of the sound. “It came from Lebuin’s new property.” She was pushing a flower girl’s cart loaded with flowers for the rich estates.
Cune stood up, along with a lot of other folk, and looked. He let himself slip into mage’s sight. Off in the distance, he could see massive energies being exchanged. Another explosion sounded as he looked back at Sula. He knew his mouth was open and that he had a dazed look on his face, but he didn’t care. “There is a magical battle taking place there. Get up here. We need to get there to help, if needed. Those Daggers are not prepared to fight mages, and the Guildhouse is too far away to respond.”
Sula shook her head, ‘no.’ “We cannot get involved. We know too much!”
He felt his pulse pick up, and his face burned at her unwillingness to help.
Lady, forgive me, I cannot abide by this. She is wrong!
He sat down. “That is no longer true. We’ve been off the charts for weeks! You said yourself, there was nothing left at the temple. Now, get up here, or I’m going to leave you behind.”
Sula’s head snapped up from her own inspection of events, to look at him. Her large eyes narrowed. He could see her neck was tinged red.
Sula’s voice was calm, but Cune could hear the ice in it. “We don’t know that, for sure. You will follow orders. Duke has fought enough mages to be able to deal with one now.”
He looked back with his senses and saw what he was sure was Lebuin, as a fading glimmer compared to the blazing energies of whomever was attacking.
Lebuin doesn’t have the power or experience to battle that kind of mage. Forget it. Sitting here is wrong! I have watched over him far too long to let him die now.
“With or without you, I’m going there. If they need my help, then they can have it. If not, no harm done.”
He whipped the horse, which jumped at the abuse.
Sula vaulted into the seat next to him before the cart had moved three inches.
“I’ll determine what we will do. Don’t forget your place here. You are my mother’s follower, and she ordered you to obey me.”
I’m a Dagger first. But we’ll discuss that later. Now, it’s time to get to work.
Cune concentrated on maneuvering the cart through the people fleeing in the opposite direction. Fortunately, they were only a few blocks away.
Six man-sized, armored creatures shaped like huge insects went over their heads in the same direction they were going. They were a highly polished, mirror-like silver, with gossamer wings that reflected rainbows. He looked up at them. They didn’t make a sound, and as they flew, they wove in and out together, like a flock of birds. “What in the heavens are those?”
Sula didn’t answer, so he tore his eyes away from the flying things to look at her. She was staring at them with her mouth open, and had gone white. He needed no further urging and whipped the horse to a gallop, yelling at people to get out of the way.
- - -
Nigan held a defensive crouch with both his daggers out next to Boadua, Risy, and Ditani, around Illa.
Illa was concentrating and Boadua had a hand on her shoulder. Together, they were helping to feed power to Lebuin to fight this mage.
Nigan stole another check on the battle. So far, this mage seems to have far more power than Lebuin. We’ve lost a number of good folks. Which hell did he come from, anyway?
Another explosion caused dust to rise off the debris pile they were using for cover. He leaned out, taking a better look at the situation. Ticca wasn’t to be seen and Lebuin was on his knees, holding his middle with clenched teeth. “Lebuin is down again!” Behind the attacking mage, he saw another casualty lying on the ground with a dagger stuck in his head. “The bastard killed Kirist!”
Risy was looking around the other side of the pile. “Elades is dead, too.”
Everyone looked at Risy in shock.
“He saved Ticca, but didn’t get out of the way fast enough. If he hadn’t, Ticca would have been dead, for sure. He practically exploded.”
Risy was leaning dangerously out of the cover. “What are you doing? Get back under cover.”
Risy pulled himself back, but his eyes looked haunted. “I can’t see Ticca. She had already taken a few hits when I last saw her. She needs support.”
Illa sighed as Boadua sagged away from her, almost falling down. Sheathing his dagger, he put a steady hand on Boadua.
Illa said she would die when Lebuin died, but he was supposed to live nearly forever!
His pulse quickened and his throat tightened, seeing how pale Illa was, half slumped on the ground. Damn it! Lebuin must be out of power and near dead.
Illa pounded the earth weakly. “We’ve got nothing else. I knew I should have been getting more followers! There’s no more magic. That mage is tapping into something. Lebuin can’t pull enough magic to match it. There just isn’t enough power close by. Even damaging his channels more by tapping all the local mana lines, he couldn’t hold his shields. That other mage has far more power than seems possible. I know he is a Nhia-Samri, but I never heard of the Nhia-Samri mages having this kind of power. We’ve lost. Even if we somehow survive, Lebuin might not ever hold magic again.”
Boadua pointed at Illa’s odassi blades. “I bet he is tapping whatever provides power to those for the Nhia-Samri. He has a necklace or amulet that is glowing like the sun. It is likely a key or link to the extra power.”
As the sound of lightning rang out from the other side of the pile, Illa cried out, tears running down her face. Her whole body shook. Every time Lebuin was hit, she felt it. She clenched her teeth against Lebuin’s pain.
Nigan racked his brain. I know I’m forgetting something. What is it? Damn it, she needs me and so does Lebuin, and I’m just sitting here. Why the hell hasn’t Lothia done something?! I bet she is nearby. She said as much to Duke… He slapped himself in the head as he realized what he’d been forgetting. Lord! That’s it! DUKE!
Nigan spun around and grabbed Illa’s arm, pulling her up off the ground. “DUKE! Get up, girl! We have to get to Duke!”
Everyone looked at him. “Remember when Duke was yelling at Lothia? He said he had more power than the Gods needed, right?”
Illa’s eyes blazed, and she raised her head enough to kiss him on the cheek. His cheek burned where her lips touched his skin as her head fell onto his shoulder. Her voice was only a hoarse whisper “You’re a genius. Now, get me to Duke.”
His heart racing, he looked around for a way to get to the hole in the wall where Duke had been thrown. “If we move fast and stay low, I think he’ll ignore us, until we get to that hole. He won’t ignore us then. We need a distraction.”
Risy nodded. “I’ll move over that way, and when you get there, signal me. I’ll get his attention. If I make it, I can help Ticca, too.”
Nigan looked at his partner. He read in Risy’s eyes, the knowledge that this might be his last action. Nodding, he steadied Illa by her arm, helping her try to kneel. She felt limp and was swaying. “Can you make it?”
Illa nodded, but still had a problem getting into a crouch. Ditani moved to her other side. “You guide us. If I have to, I can carry her faster than you can run.”
Thread Strands (Golden Threads Trilogy) Page 19