He fumbled with the clasp, opening the container and shakily pulling out what he was looking for. Regnard’s notes. And his own.
“Father did?”
“I would have destroyed them, but he said you’d come back for them someday. He knew it, saying your spell work was important even if we weren’t. Just didn’t think it would take you this long.”
Delminor placed the parchment back inside the case and closed it. “Did he ever tell you why I ran off?”
“Does it matter?”
He considered for a moment. “I guess it doesn’t. Looking back, it doesn’t seem important.”
“That’s better. No need to drudge up your version of things.” She smoothed her apron. “So tell me about Donya. She’s prettier than I’d expect.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She shrugged. “I figured a pretty girl would find someone who adores her completely. I assume you still put your research above your responsibilities?”
“My research is my responsibility.”
Jary’s eyes rolled upward. “She must be dull if she finds your book work interesting.”
“I shouldn’t have come here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is your home.”
He snorted. “It hasn’t been that for a long time.”
“I can’t argue with you there.”
Their banter ended and Jary kept things cordial when the others were around, being the perfect hostess. She pulled out blankets for them and they had a hearty sleep.
The next afternoon, Delminor’s father returned. Minlon seemed happier to see his son than Jary had proven to be. “You must catch me up on everything!” He clapped Delminor sharply on the back, reminding the mage of why he’d left in the first place.
“It’s been a busy time,” he said. “You and Mother seem to be doing well. The field out back looks like the land is happy with how you tend it.”
“It’s a fertilizer I use.”
“Oh? Do you make it yourself?”
“Watch your mouth,” Minlon grumbled. “There was something mentioned in one of those scrolls of yours. Something about aerating the land or what have you. I couldn’t understand most of it, but that stood out and it’s been a help.”
Delminor recoiled in surprise. “You read Regnard’s scrolls?”
“Just a bit. And yours. I couldn’t get through them all. No normal person could. How does it even make sense to you?”
“I don’t know. It’s something that always felt right.” He reached for something to say. “Like you and farming. What got you interested in mucking around in the dirt?”
Minlon made a sound. “Necessity. People need to eat and if you don’t make your own, you have to make something else you can use to barter for food. Not even your magic could make food out of nothing, can it?”
“It doesn’t work like that, no.”
“Didn’t think it was all that useful, except for bartering. But that doesn’t last well for long. When people know you literally can’t live without their help, they take advantage. No, farming solved all that. Now they come to me.”
Delminor looked pointedly at a fresh set of curtains and a shelf of decorative pottery. “But you don’t take advantage of them.”
He looked aghast. “I would never. My fertilizer costs more, but the quality of the crop is better for it. Of course it fetches a steeper price, but I would never hurt my fellows.”
He went silent and stared at Delminor. He may not hurt his fellows, but he had hurt Delminor and they both knew it. Delminor held his gaze sternly and eventually his father looked away.
“Well, business is good, is all I can say. At least I wasn’t off traipsing around the world.”
They remained in Verrithon for several days, waiting until Arenda was well enough to travel. Her ribs would need a lot more time, but the bickering between Delminor and his parents became more apparent as time went on and, even with the guests around, they couldn’t maintain airs for long.
He was glad to say goodbye. At least this time he had said it. It was a chapter of his book he could close. His parents had thrived without him, as he had without them. The bitterness faded soon after he left and he promised himself he would never subject himself to it again.
He bid a final farewell to the town as it vanished on the horizon.
Chapter 40
Beasts
The journey northeast was slow. Donya’s wound was tolerable, but Arenda had to hold her breath to do anything, though she still managed to fire her bow and assist in battle.
“Why don’t you use your magic for a while?” Donya asked. “It might be easier than pulling the bowstring.”
She shrugged her good shoulder. “I’m trying not to rely on it so much.”
“You may not have a choice.”
They pressed on, dealing with minor skirmishes until they were further and further away from the towns. As the beasts came out in earnest, they were hard-pressed to defend themselves.
Delminor called on the power of the jades as much as he dared. He cracked the ground open with the fissure spell he had decoded for Una long ago, swallowing an angry gang of gleese. The white honking birds were more of a nuisance than a threat, but he did away with them anyway.
Gallena alternated between her fire magic and her sword. The magic took a lot out of her, so she saved her fireballs for when they needed them. As she battled, her skills with the sword improved, though she grew sorer with every bout.
They neared a forest and made camp among the trees, only to be disturbed by a monkeeter. The brown-gray beast used its long tail like a pogo stick, bouncing around until it was close enough to strike. Then it spun and lashed out, using its tail like a whip. Its cracks were sharp and painful.
Donya hurled a set of ice spears toward the monkeeter, but missed, as her side spasmed and distracted her. She drew her swords and tried to strike the flashing tail, but it was too fast.
The speed of the beast made it difficult to score any damage. Yet it was able to pop in, strike, and zip away quickly. Soon the entire team was covered in lacerations.
Arenda held her bow taut, waiting to strike. Delminor whispered something in her ear and she nodded. “Cassilourian aurauvia darouliou lashen ouria,” she chanted. Taking aim, she fired and her arrow snapped instantly toward the monkeeter, its trajectory powered by air. She hadn’t anticipated the lack of an arc so she aimed and fired again. Her aim was true and she slowed the creature down, allowing the others to finish it off.
Their respite was short-lived, as a pack of squirrets tromped over and launched countless pellets from their tails. Delminor raised an earth shield to block the assault and then dropped it onto them, causing them to scatter.
“It’s like something is drawing them all to us,” Gallena said.
They pushed on and the battles only increased in frequency. There weren’t often large groups of foes, but the endless parade was exhausting.
Delminor used the nature jade and pulled on a set of vines hanging from the trees. He coaxed them to enwrap the four nearest trunks, effectively enclosing them in and blocking out the feral creatures long enough for them to catch a break.
The jades vibrated more as they ventured north but Delminor conceded that the four of them may not have the strength. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Can’t the jades do more to help us?” Donya asked. “They’ve inspired you before. What about now?”
“They are helping, but there’s interference with all of them together. It’s hard to concentrate on a single one.” He had offered to dole them out to his companions, but they had refused. Donya didn’t want much to do with the jades directly and Arenda followed suit. They feared the jades were preventing Donya from bearing children and because Arenda wanted a child, she didn’t want to risk it. As for Gallena, the king had refused to give them the fire jade and she had no use for the others.
A deep scratching sounded on the vine wall and soon a skuntite burrowed i
ts way through. Deep, dark eyes stared at them as it raised its tail and released a noxious gas. The purple fume filled the enclosed space and Delminor scrambled to cast a vortex spell to gather the vapor so he could push it out. Gallena struck the critter down, coughing uncontrollably.
“We need more manpower,” Donya said. “We can’t even get any decent rest. We have no choice. We have to head back.”
“But the jade?” Gallena asked.
Arenda answered. “It’s too dangerous. The jade’s no good to us if we’re dead.”
Delminor considered the jades again and thought back to his ordeal at Sandonia. The shards had risen up of their own volition and saved him from destruction. Perhaps they would do so again. Yet he was the only one who knew they had done so.
“You three head home. I’ll follow later.”
“Delminor!” Donya shrieked. “Are you insane?”
“I have my reasons. I’ll manage.”
Gallena scoffed. “You’ll manage to die, you mean. There’s no way we can let you go. The king bade us to see to your safety on this journey. We can’t return without you.”
“Then wait here until I return.”
“We’ll be beheaded,” Arenda said. “Don’t you understand? This isn’t all about you.”
“Of course it is.”
Donya reached over and slapped him, her face a mask of fury. “Just because I can’t bear you a child doesn’t give you the right to throw your life away.”
“What? This has nothing to do—”
“You keep saying you want the healing jade so you can keep me safe, to heal my wounds. But you want it so I can birth you a son. Don’t tell me that isn’t your purpose.”
He raised his voice. “To keep you safe and healthy? Yes, that is my purpose. The rest? You’re being ridiculous.”
Gallena interrupted. “Finish it later. We have company.”
Three rodia approached, working their way through the hole the skuntite had made. The rodia were fast on their feet and wriggled about, making them hard to catch. Their bites were sharp but small, making them a lesser threat, except that the vine barrier was still in place and made it hard to move around.
All four tried skewering the rodia as they scurried about, nipping at ankles. Delminor stomped his foot down, crushing one of their necks, then decided he needed to vent his anger, so he continued stomping until all three were destroyed.
He spent the next hour fortifying the area with additional defenses, including twig traps that would alert them sooner to the presence of beasts. He raised a short rock wall around the vines and hardened the ground underfoot to keep any burrowers from poking into their makeshift camp. Soon they started falling asleep, exhaustion winning out.
Gallena woke Delminor to take watch and she looked at him with concern. “Be careful.”
She had guessed his intent and he didn’t argue. He opened a hole in the defenses, slipped out, then sealed it up again, not sure if it would last when he was gone, even with the gemstones he used for the binding. But he had to get the jade.
The going was difficult, but he no longer had to focus his spells as intently. He could lash out any way he wanted and strike without having to worry about his companions. He called upon the earth jade constantly, its energy passing through him and propelling him toward his goal. The air jade resisted the pulls, but Delminor worked to invert the efforts of the air jade, which wasn’t easy.
When he looked back on it later, he had no idea how he had made it. He’d faced too many beasts to count and yet he had pulled through with only minor scrapes. Truly, the jades had to be helping to protect him, especially as he neared the source of the resonance ahead.
His heart sank as he neared an enormous rhinosine. Its hide was a dark gray and looked as thick as armor. The beast was asleep, its body heaving with every breath. The five horns on its head were razor-sharp and the glass jade tingled in warning. Additionally, the beast’s massive feet could easily crush his chest if given the chance.
He couldn’t let it have that chance.
Starting with the Shield of Delminor, he set up a series of protection spells he had been working on. An air shield went up next, a vortex to push projectiles away. He drew up a panel of earth and held it before him as a physical barrier. He then approached the beast, wondering where the jade might be.
The shards in his pockets vibrated frantically as he neared the guardian, but he couldn’t see the jade. He crept around the huge monster and the jades all vibrated in the same direction—toward the beast itself.
Delminor grabbed his sword and made his way toward the sleeping creature’s throat. He took a breath to brace himself and then stabbed with all his might.
He might as well have tossed a bit of dust. The blade deflected off the dense hide and skittered away. But the beast had felt the attack.
The rhinosine awoke from its slumber, a low growl emanating from within. Its legs moved, giving it the momentum it needed to roll over and stand. Delminor grabbed his sword and hurried around behind the beast, then tried to stab its rear. But the hide was just as dense.
The rhinosine’s tail snapped at Delminor and his earth shield collapsed with the impact. He felt the breeze of the air cushion blowing off the beast, useless.
He knew he was overmatched as the large creature turned around and stared at the little pest. Its beady eyes narrowed and the rhinosine roared, sounding more like the honk of a gleese than the deep rumble of a tigroar. It lowered its head and charged.
For a massive creature, the rhinosine had impressive agility. Delminor threw himself to the ground, reawakening the pain in his right arm, which had healed well after Essalia’s treatment. He stood up and had no idea what to do. He grabbed the earth jade, begging it for inspiration, but none came. It was as if the jades disagreed with him and refused to help.
The rhinosine came back around and stomped its way forward, honking again and then brandishing a new attack. The horns on its head sparked one after another, again and again, then blasted out as a bolt of lightning, striking Delminor full in the chest. He fell backward harshly.
Delminor coughed and rolled onto his feet, trying to get out of the way of the approaching monster. He knew his sword was ineffective against the beast, but he had no other choice. The front foot came down on him and he held both hands up in the air.
The sword was brushed aside and his arm bent awkwardly, but then the beast raised its foot and howled, falling over.
Agog, Delminor couldn’t believe his luck, then realized he was still holding the earth jade. It had pierced the beast.
He wasted no time. Delminor pounced on the monster, hacking at its belly with the earth jade, the shard holding firm and never breaking. He didn’t question it but pulled out the glass jade next and used the two of them to slice into the beast.
The Shield of Delminor was activated as he touched the monster, but it was already so massive, the spell did nothing to slow it down.
The rhinosine summoned its lightning again and let it electrify its own body, striking Delminor and blasting him away. He scrambled to his feet and rushed in, bolstered by the discovery that the jades could not be broken. It was still a dangerous fight, as he needed to ensure the creature didn’t roll over on him, and the lightning blasts grew more intense as the beast was wounded.
The rhinosine found its feet again and bolted away from Delminor, then turned to face him head to head. The mage wielded the two jades like daggers and he waved his arms, beckoning the beast to charge. It did.
The rhinosine bent its head, lightning flaring along its horns. It charged as fast as its damaged body would allow. Delminor waited and then jumped, landing on the snout and driving the glass jade into one of its eyes. The lightning struck and Delminor was blasted to the ground.
The creature stomped about in pain, wailing and blasting random lightning flares everywhere. Delminor raised another earth shield to block the lightning, though it was barely effective.
After a time, th
e beast calmed itself and saw Delminor through its remaining eye. It snorted and turned to walk away. Delminor had won.
But something was wrong. The jades were resonating still, but the intensity decreased as the rhinosine shambled along. It was then he realized that the jade must be inside the beast. He had no choice but to destroy it.
None of his attacks had affected the monster except the jades. He gripped the earth and glass jades tightly in his hands, and he hurried after the rhinosine. With a hearty strike, he slashed the creature’s back leg, then he went for the other. A mighty roar echoed as the beast collapsed. Delminor came around to the front and stared the beast down.
“I’m sorry.”
He smashed the glass shard into the other eye, careful to avoid the head spikes that were charging again. He climbed onto the head and slid down the other side, needing several strokes to cut through the beast’s neck. Dark crimson blood gushed over him and the rhinosine’s life extinguished.
The ordeal wasn’t finished yet, however. The jades pulsated fiercely, urging him onward. He cut into the corpse, disgusted as he removed the entrails, slicing and hacking his way inside, seeking the one thing he had come all this way for.
There, jamming into a hole in its stomach, a shard of the Red Jade called out to its companions, vibrating intensely. He withdrew it and then climbed out of the viscera.
He felt the shard vibrate in his hand, a low hum that could be felt more than heard emanating from within. He knew immediately this was not some sort of healing jade. It was a jade of beasts, the one the king’s men had found in the Great Forest. His shoulders hung low and he collapsed against the fallen rhinosine’s leg.
Chapter 41
Communication
The trek back to Castle Hathreneir was solemn. Donya was furious with him for abandoning them in favor of his quest. Though Gallena had understood his need to go, she made no attempt to provide solace. Best let the two work it out themselves.
Delminor used the silence to commune with the jades, trying to understand any aspect of the new shard along the way. With it, he was able to keep the feral beasts somewhat at bay. It made the journey home much more bearable.
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