“I’ve seen dead bodies before.” Niesha looked up at Berggren. “Helped my mother dispose of one once. The man’s heart must’ve given out during the night.” She eyed Nardus, her eyes pleading. “I promise it won’t shock me.”
“Fine. Come inside, but do not touch anything,” said Nardus.
Niesha hugged Nardus’s waist. “Thank you!” She pushed passed him and stopped. “Wow! Where did all this come from?”
“Another world.” Nardus walked past Niesha and toward another part of the room. “I’ll tell you all about it sometime, but right now I must summon Feƨzhärz Dhä and get to the bottom of what happened.”
“The Watchers?” asked Theyn.
“Yes.” Nardus stopped in an area cleared of furniture and everything else. Five white circles, about three feet in diameter, were drawn on the floor in a circular pattern. Those circles surrounded a central yellow circle of about the same size. Nardus stepped into the yellow circle. Theyn, Berggren, and Niesha had followed him.
“Stand back beyond the white circles,” said Nardus. The three of them moved back.
Berggren fished something out of his pack. Nardus recognized its silver shine immediately.
Ƨäbräƨär.
“What are you doing with that?” growled Nardus.
Berggren clutched the collar tight. “Safety precaution. I’ve learned to expect anything when it comes to mezhik.”
In truth, Nardus didn’t blame him. But those collars represented slavery. They’d certainly have a talk about it sometime in the future.
Nardus called upon his mezhik and brought it to his fingertips. His brain sent mixed signals as the tingle of it intensified. Cyrus relished it, but Nardus loathed it. It would forever be a matter of contention. He cleared his mind and began drawing a rune spell in the air. First, he drew an oval shape and then two nearly parallel lines from its narrow points. Then, he connected the ends of the two lines, forming what looked like a spyglass. Underneath the spyglass he drew four lines, forming a “W” shape. The rune glowed yellow.
The mark of Feƨzhärz Dhä.
Satisfied with his work, he called upon them. “Feƨzhärz Dhä, ƨʊmn Í zíū.”
The rune shattered into a thousand beams of light. The floor quaked and thunder rumbled the air. The light fizzled and disappeared.
Niesha frowned. “That’s it? A bit disappointing if you ask me.”
“It might take a few minutes,” said Nardus. “Be patient.”
“Not my strongest attribute,” admitted Niesha.
† † †
Savric, Calen, and Eshtak waited in the shadows of the outcropping as the rest of the army began heading north toward Elatos. The small camp of uninfected moved as well, keeping back a good quarter mile from the army. Leaving Qotan and Zerenity made Savric feel sick to his stomach but nothing could be done. At least not until he awakened Ūrdär Dhef Ƨäfn Dhä.
After the last few stragglers moved on, Savric released his hold on the light, and the shadows dissipated. He stood and stretched his legs. Calen and Eshtak followed his lead.
Calen looked about nervously. “Are we safe?”
“For now.” Savric reached out and Qotan’s staff jumped into his hand. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”
“Eshtak ready.” He bounced from foot to foot.
Suddenly, Savric felt very strange. Warmth engulfed him, and then his hands and feet began falling apart like ashes.
“Master Savric!” yelled Calen, his eyes bulging from their sockets. “What’s happening?”
“I am uncertain, my boy.” Panic crushed his chest. “I have never experienced anything like this.” He closed his eyes for a moment and collected his thoughts. “You and Eshtak need to head east, toward the Hotah River, and wait for me there. If for some reason I am unable to meet you, I will send Morcinda to fetch you.”
Calen cried, “Don’t leave!”
Another moment, and Savric disappeared into a world of darkness.
† † †
It only took a few minutes for Feƨzhärz Dhä to begin materializing within the five white circles surrounding Nardus, but only two of them came. A male and a female, both older. Immediately, Nardus recognized that the female Feƨzhärz Dhä was one of the infected he’d heard about. She had black veins, pale skin, and black eyes.
Even before the woman finished materializing, mezhik rose into her fingertips. She hissed like a serpent as a green fireball flew from her open palm. Nardus dropped and rolled, narrowly escaping its fiery trajectory. She attacked the older man who had come with her as well, but he’d been better prepared and produced a light shield to block her attack.
Nardus yelled at Theyn, Berggren, and Niesha. “Take cover!” He didn’t have time to see if they had as another fireball whizzed past his head.
“Whatever you do, do not hurt her,” yelled the old man. “She is not in control of herself.”
Damn.
Nardus scrambled to his feet, blocked another fireball with a rock shield he’d conjured, and pressed forward. Using his mezhik, he commanded the rock to hold the woman in place. Two pillars of rock rose out of the floor and snared the woman’s feet.
It didn’t faze her even a little.
The floor fissured as vines grew up from it and attacked Nardus and the old man simultaneously.
Nardus unsheathed his sword, Brinzhär Dädh, and hacked at the vines, but there were so many of them.
The old man lost ground and then the vines took him down.
Nardus caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, but not soon enough.
The fireball hit him in the chest and sent him flying backward. He hit the floor hard and skidded several feet before hitting the wall. Had Brinzhär Dädh not been between him and the fireball he’d be dead.
The woman occupied herself with the rock shoes, firing several fireballs into the rock to try and melt it.
Nardus pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off.
With a flick of his wrist, Nardus freed the old man from the vines that bound him.
Nardus stalked forward, determined to end the skirmish. A red, yellow, and blue fireball rose out of his palm.
The woman’s black-eyed gaze met Nardus’s. She snarled and conjured a fireball of her own.
“Feathers!” yelled the old man.
A flash of silver arced across the room.
The woman’s upper body lurched forward. She coughed and grabbed for her throat.
The fireball fizzled out in her palm.
Nardus pulled his mezhik back, fizzling his mezhik as well.
The woman struggled to free herself from both the rock restraints and ƨäbräƨär, but she didn’t have the strength for either. She writhed and screamed and hissed. “My master will punish—”
“Ƨəlläb,” snarled Nardus.
The woman crumpled backward and would’ve hit the floor hard if Theyn hadn’t caught her.
Nardus commanded the rock around the woman’s ankles to release her and then turned his glare upon the old man. “What is wrong with you people?”
The old man slowly pulled himself to his feet and brushed off his robes. He pulled on the end of his beard as he looked around. “I know this place. I was just about to come here.” He scratched his head and looked at Nardus. “But how did I get here?”
Nardus pointed a finger at the old man. “I summoned you here to answer for what’s happened.”
“Summoned me? And who might you be?” asked the old man.
Nardus stalked forward. “My name is Cyrus Nithik. Who in Ef Demd Dhä are you?”
The old man’s face turned sheet-white. He half-bowed/curtsied/nodded. “My name is Savric Naphor, and I am also known as Savric the Wise. I am honored to make your acquaintance.”
Nardus curled his hand into a fist. “Enough with the pleasantries. Where are the other Feƨzhärz Dhä?”
Savric glanced toward the old woman. “She and I are the on
ly two who remain.” He frowned. “How did you come to be awakened?”
Nardus poked Savric in the chest with his finger. “An excellent question, wizard. Perhaps you should’ve asked it twenty years ago.”
“I misunderstand your meaning. Are you implying that you have been awake that long?”
“There is no implication.” Spittle peppered the air. “It is a fact.”
Savric gazed toward the seven chambers. “Are you the only member who has been awakened?”
Anger drove Nardus to get in Savric’s face. “The dead cannot be awakened. You were supposed to keep watch over us. What happened to the others, and why weren’t more chosen?”
Savric pulled on his beard. “Someone found out about Feƨzhärz Dhä and started hunting us. We went into hiding, but not before the other three of us were killed. They did not get a chance to name successors.”
Nardus pointed at the woman. “And what is wrong with her?”
“In a single word, Cinolth.”
Nardus stepped back and brooded. “Cinolth… What does her condition have to do with him?”
“Do you remember the curse he put on the world when you killed him?” asked Savric.
Nardus rubbed his left bicep. “I do, but that was so long ago.”
“Indeed, but when Cinolth died, his scales spread across the Ancient Realm and buried themselves deep in the earth. When his heart was brought back into the world, those scales grew into venomous vines that infected humans and turned them into these walking shells.”
Nardus retreated farther, his hands on his head. “My God… Is that really what happened?”
“I am afraid so,” said Savric.
Everything truly is my fault.
His stomach wrestled to keep its contents contained as his head swam through the murk of his past.
Is there nothing in this world that I didn’t cause?
“How long will this woman remain asleep?” asked Theyn.
“Could be seconds or hours.” Nardus took a deep breath.
One problem at a time.
“Berggren, help Theyn get the woman onto that metal table over there. I think I have an idea.”
“Got it,” said Berggren.
Nardus went over to one of the cryogenic chambers and reached up into a hidden compartment. His fingers found the flexible, metal bracelet inside. He pulled it out and shoved it over his hand.
“What’s that for?” asked Niesha.
Nardus nearly jumped out of his skin. “Am I going to need to put a bell around your neck so that I know where you are?”
Niesha shrugged. “Quiet feet are necessary when sneaking around a single-room home.”
Nardus eyed the bracelet as he walked over to the table that Berggren and Theyn had lain the woman down on. “This bracelet’s been storing mezhik energy for the last 1200 years.”
“So you can use it?” Niesha asked, right on his heels.
Six years old?
Nardus shook his head and chuckled. “Precisely.”
He placed his hands on the table. “Stand back. I’m going to try and see what’s wrong with her and if there’s a way to cure her of the sickness she’s suffering from.” The others stepped back several feet.
Nardus poured a small amount of mezhik into the table. The metal bubbled and stretched over the woman’s arms and ankles, restraining her. Now it wouldn’t matter if she woke up.
He closed his eyes, reached deep within himself, drew upon his mezhik, and began pouring it into the woman. Through eyes of mezhik, he saw into her. Down through her skin and muscles.
Darkness as black as tar wrapped around her organs, stretched up into her brain, and pumped through her veins. He’d never seen anything like it before. To worsen matters, the darkness seemed to be conscious and sensed his presence within her. At first, the darkness retreated from the places he probed with his mezhik, but then it started fighting back.
Sick, sadistic, disgusting images and thoughts flooded Nardus’s mind. He fought through them easily enough, but the darkness proved far more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced before. He dug deeper within himself and poured light into the woman. More and more, he pumped it into her, but the darkness resisted. It pushed back against him and forced itself into his stream of mezhik and ascended toward him.
I’m losing ground.
The darkness reached his hands. Touched his fingers. Crawled onto his skin.
“No!” he shouted.
Nardus groaned as he fought harder to regain control. He accessed the mezhik stored in the bracelet and pushed with everything he had, forcing the darkness out of his body and back into the woman. Harder he pushed, draining the energy from the bracelet as he filled the woman with pure light, dispelling the darkness until none remained within her.
“Feathers!” exclaimed Savric. “I can see the darkness pouring from her pores. I daresay whatever you are doing is working.”
A dozen minutes passed as the last of the darkness finally left the woman’s body.
“Is it finished?” asked Savric.
“I believe so.” Nardus dropped to his knees and then collapsed on the floor. “I’ve never fought anything so powerful before. The darkness within her was alive. Conscious. It fought me for control and tried to take control of me. I’ve never felt such evil before.”
Theyn and Berggren helped Nardus back to his feet and stabilized him.
The woman on the table coughed and moaned.
† † †
Savric rushed to the table and leaned over the woman. He took her hand in his. “Reni? Can you hear my voice?” His hand trembled more than hers did.
The woman blinked rapidly, coughed again, and then she opened her eyes. They were no longer black. The black veins had receded as well, and her skin had gained some of its color back.
She squinted at him. “Savvy? What happened?”
“Dear Ƨäʈūr, you have returned to us!” exclaimed Savric.
“Returned from where? The last thing I remember is collapsing on the floor of my kitchen.” She tried to sit up but the restraints on her arms held her down. “Why am I restrained?”
“Allow me.” Nardus reached out and touched the table and Zerenity’s restraints melted away.
“Thank you.” Zerenity sat up and looked around. Her brow wrinkled. “And, where are we? This place looks familiar.”
Savric patted the back of her hand. “We have returned to the location of Ūrdär Dhef Ƨäfn Dhä.”
“But why are we here? What have you done?”
“Bugger bees, woman. I assure you that I am absolved of any wrongdoing in reference to the open chambers.”
Zerenity’s eyes grew wide as she processed his words. “You’ve opened the chambers?”
Savric pulled on his beard as he eyed the room. “The state of this room has not been altered since our arrival a half hour past. The two chambers were already opened when we arrived. Cyrus is the only one left alive.”
“Barely,” Nardus said.
Zerenity’s gaze shot over to Nardus. “Cyrus Nithik…”
Savric gestured toward Nardus. “Cyrus saved you and brought you back to me.”
“Save me from what?” Zerenity reached up and felt her neck. “Why am I wearing a collar?”
Savric grimaced. “Cinolth possessed you.”
“Cinolth The Dark? How is that possible? He’s been dead a long time.” She rubbed her head. “Why don’t I remember anything?”
“I promise you that Cinolth is alive. I have witnessed his presence with my own eyes. He controlled you, just as he controls Qotan and tens of thousands of others.”
“He controlled me?” She frowned. “Does this have something to do with the vines?”
“Precisely,” Savric confirmed.
Zerenity’s eyes narrowed. “What are you not telling me, Savvy? Have I done something terrible?”
Savric eyed the floor and didn’t answ
er.
“Please, Savvy, tell me.” She grabbed his arm. “I must know.”
Savric sighed and looked her in the eye. “You are responsible for the deaths of many people.”
“I am?” her voice quavered. “Why? What happened?”
Tears welled in Savric’s eyes. “They were trying to save their families.”
“Dear Ƨäʈūr!” She leaned over the side of the table and retched.
“I am sorry, Reni. I could do nothing to stop you short of killing you, and I would never do that. I would die before being driven to such lengths.”
She wiped strings of vomit from her mouth. “You should’ve killed me.”
“The situation is far worse. An army marches on the Three Kingdoms as we speak, and Cinolth leads that army. Also…” Savric’s voice trailed off.
“Also what?” demanded Zerenity.
“It is Aria. Our girl is in league with the dragon.” Tears spilled from Savric’s eyes. “She has killed so many…”
“Aria?” Zerenity gasped and placed her hand over her mouth.
Nardus straightened. “Aria has killed people?”
“It cannot be her doing,” said Savric. “Cinolth controls her. I am certain of it.”
“That bastard is going to pay!” Nardus slammed his fist on the table.
Savric nodded, a grave look in his eyes. “If we do nothing to stop them, the entire realm will pay.”
“Can you remove this collar?” asked Zerenity.
Nardus reached out and the collar flew off of Zerenity’s neck.
She rubbed her neck. “Thank you, darling.”
“You’re welcome.” Nardus leaned on the table. “Now, tell me who you are and why you didn’t prevent this disaster from happening.”
“My name is Zerenity Salton.” She took a long, deep breath before continuing. “To be honest, it all fell apart several years before the twins were born.”
Nardus leaned forward and prodded, “What twins?”
“Aria and Alderan.”
Nardus tensed. “Alderan?” His throat nearly closed. “Are you saying my son is alive?” he whispered. Tears rushed to the corners of his eyes and spilled onto his cheeks.
“Your son?” Zerenity cocked her head. “Now that you’ve said it, I can see the resemblance.”
Rended Souls Page 46