by M. D. Grimm
Breyln smirked, his eyes dancing with anticipation. “You want all my warriors to fight against you?”
“Yes.”
“You are very sure of your skills.”
“I am.”
We stared at each other for a moment longer before Breyln nodded. “I think I would like to see this.”
We gathered at the training field. Of course, the rest of the tribe joined us. I ordered them back, to keep a safe distance. Most followed my instructions. For those who didn’t, I would show them soon enough why they should’ve listened.
I stood in the middle of the field, my arms at my sides, my stance wide. Warriors with swords, spears, bows, and axes, stood around in a circle. I swallowed hard and focused on not harming any of them too severely. I still needed them in good health to use them for bait. A standoff grew between us. Who would make the first move? The tension grew as all eyes rested on us, the anticipation hanging in the air, thick as a cloud. I waited. They waited. Then I saw a flicker of glances around the ones in front. They communicated with glances and movements of the hand. Good. I doubted Drasyln would notice that. She was rather rash in battle.
As one, the warriors in front surged toward me with battle cries. I waited for them to reach a certain distance, then I lifted my hands. I drew magick from the air, channeling it and sending it out to those about to pounce. The wind caught some, sending them tumbling to the ground. I didn’t hold back much, only enough to make sure the strength of my wind didn’t collapse any chests or break any bones. Some warriors managed to turn the fall into a controlled roll and they landed in a crouch. The ones who hit the ground hard still managed to gain their feet again.
I could see I’d surprised them but they never hesitated. The second wave came, along with those who recovered from the first. I sent out a wall of fire to encircle me but many had quick reflexes and simply leapt over it. They came at me and I crouched, drew the earth magick, and the ground gave a mighty lurch. It trembled and groaned as it jutted up, knocking many on their backs. Some still managed to either flip or climb over the wall. I sent the ground like a wave backward, knocking many more off their feet.
They kept coming. I had to give these soldiers credit; they certainly had a lot of energy and skill. They moved swiftly, nimbly, and I was impressed. But it still wouldn’t help them. I was done taking it easy.
I used more earth magick and with a murmured word, the trees began to move. Their branches tried to attack the dialen, who hacked at them with their blades. Then I cracked the earth once more, sending some down into the crevice. But I didn’t close the earth; I didn’t want to kill any of them. I needn’t have been too worried; none of them was down for long. They climbed up from the cracks just as I sent the earth rumbling again. But this time, I made the ground under my feet jut upward, sending me several feet into the air.
One bold dialen easily ran up the side of the earth structure and then used his momentum to leap into the air, bringing an axe down at my face. I directed a gust of wind with a hissed word to send him flying over me. Then I crouched as a hail of arrows fell upon me. I brought up my force shield, deflecting them easily.
These dialen were good: skilled technique, nice teamwork, but it wouldn’t be good enough. Drasyln would kill them. I had to stop hesitating and aim to kill, to show them. I brought the hill I stood on shooting downward, the impact shaking the ground. Many of the spectators fell. Adrenaline pumped through me, and I vaguely realized I was barely winded. My magick sang through my veins and the use of elemental magick certainly kept exhaustion at bay, but not for long. Even I had a mortal body with weaknesses just like these dialen. I sent blades of force shooting at the archers. Some ducked, some took slices across their shoulders or legs. I was holding Breyln’s entire army at bay, and I knew he’d think twice before ordering them against Drasyln.
Fire was the next element I used. It always came easily for me. I sent a fireball at several dialen, but I made sure I barely missed them. Even with their skills, they wouldn’t have survived had I actually been aiming at them. And they knew it. I could see the realization in their eyes. Then I turned and used wind again. A large group of dialen flew through the air and actually crashed into a group of spectators: the ones who didn’t follow my instructions about backing up.
I drew moisture from the air and my own sweat to form small ice spikes. I flicked them at one warrior who tried to dodge to my blind side and come up from behind. The spikes imbedded themselves in his skin, and he leapt away with a cry of pain. The battle was becoming more ferocious and I half wondered if Breyln would call a stop to it.
Pure force came next. I used it to shove another large group of dialen off their feet, but to also hold them down, like a net. I pumped enough energy into it to make it last before turning to the last group, who scattered as my gaze landed on them.
Then something completely unexpected happened.
Someone, somehow, got under my guard and leapt onto my back. An arm came around my neck. Cries from the crowd had grown louder as the battle intensified but now the crowd was nearly roaring; with bloodlust, excitement, fear, I wasn’t sure. But the roars deafened me.
I hissed a word and fire erupted over my entire body. Fire that burned. I heard a scream and whoever was on my back fell off. In battle frenzy, I spun around, ready to teach the bold dialen a lesson. But as my flaming fist shot out, my mind quickly took in my opponent. A gangly youth lay on the ground, his green eyes wide with pain, fear, his hair and clothes slightly singed from my fire. His skin was pink as well where the fire had touched him.
Aishe?
The blast of fire I unleashed hit the ground right next to him, my hand jerking at the last moment. Dread and horror clenched my gut as my heart tried to jump out of my chest. I’d nearly.... I fell to my knees in front of him. “Mother fucking Hunter, Aishe! I’m so sorry. Are you all right? Do you need—?”
His feet connected hard with my chest. My breath whooshed out and shock made my movements slow. Slow enough that it allowed him to tackle me, straddle my waist, and wrap his fingers around my throat. My eyes bugged as I gripped his forearms. He grinned, though his eyes still shone with pain. Those burns had to sting.
“Don’t let your guard down, Mage,” he said smugly.
That was when the rest of the dialen warriors, those still on their feet, stood over me, pointing their weapons down at me.
“You lose, Mage,” one of them said.
I slowly smiled. “Do I?”
I teleported. To them, it would have looked like I’d just vanished. I sort of did. But I actually traveled by purely magickal means, a few feet from them. I stood, seeing them gasp and turn around, shock on their faces. Aishe knelt on the ground, his mouth open wide.
I laughed slightly. Silence descended. All eyes were on me.
“I’m sure Drasyln can do that as well,” I said softly, knowing everyone heard me. “She also has one of the Pferun Dulleriin, and that gives her even more power.”
I let that sink into their heads as I turned my gaze to Aishe. He blinked in awe. I knew they understood that even though I’d ended the fight, the mage I hunted wouldn’t stop. They were truly outmatched.
“That was a nice try, Aishe. Good tactics.” My throat hurt. Seeing his burns made my heart clench. Then I looked at Breyln where he stood on the outskirts of the crowd, holding Lucia in his arms. Amyla stood beside him, gripping his tunic. Lucia had her face buried in his neck, but he stared at me, his face blank.
I inclined my head to him before walking off the field. Their silence followed me.
***
The evening air was warm but the dialen still lit fires. Breyln had made the announcement they would be moving to another camping ground when night fell. They broke down their camp and it wasn’t long before the hunters returned immensely successful, and soon the smell of meat cooking filled the air. I tried to help break down their camp but it was evident I was more of a nuisance than a help. They had a system and they didn’t
need an outsider to mess things up. So I ended up sitting on the ground, my chin in my palm, watching these amazing creatures. The Ravena weren’t very different from the other dialen tribes I’d stayed with, but I certainly had more vested in their protection.
Dialen were amazing creatures, so in tune with nature and her rhythms. Tribes were scattered all over Karishian, some were nomadic, others had a set territory. Besides payshthas, they were probably my favorite creatures in this world. Many relished a battle, trained from childhood how to fight and win. They had a certain amount of bloodlust I could understand, since I felt it myself. There were different types of dialen, and some were lighter while others were darker, in both appearance and personality. Some resisted violence, while others embraced it. The Ravena tribe was actually one of the darker ones. They didn’t shy away from violence, as evidenced from Breyln’s challenge to me. I’d seen the excitement in his eyes as we’d fought, the thirst to pit his strength against a creature he knew was stronger. There were other dialen tribes, however, who never trained to be warriors, only healers. They talked only of peace, serenity, and didn’t eat any meat. I wouldn’t find a place among such creatures.
The warriors didn’t hold a grudge against me for defeating them on the battlefield. I almost worried they would. But perhaps they treated me with a bit more caution than they used to. I still got smiles, looks of open curiosity and respect.
Aishe had been healed by his mother. It still shook me how close I’d come to harming him. But I hadn’t, had I? I needed to remember that, focus on that. All he got was a little singed. Hopefully that would show him that he shouldn’t go up against a mage, and leave such fighting to the adults. Doubtful. He had a hard head.
As I watched them, my mind ran through the different ways I might defeat Drasyln. She had Atcoatlu, the stone of time, which was the most unusual stone I’d heard of.
“How do you defeat time?” I asked aloud.
After being banished from the camp break-down, I’d tried to latch onto the agate’s magickal signature, as I’d done once with Rambujek, but once again had no luck following the trail. An impervious wall was between me and my prize. All magick left some sort of signature. Only a few creatures could actually see it. When I meditated and opened my third eye I could see it like a misty trail over a world gone dull and indistinct. I’d be in the surface layer of the spirit realm when I did so, and I could send my conscious out to track. My own signature—or aura—was dark blue. I always wondered why it wasn’t black or a violent red. I hadn’t really put much hope in tracking the agate’s signature but it was something I’d had to try.
I turned my mind once again to analyzing the stone itself. The fact that the agate seemed to drain Draslyn was an advantage. Her growing addiction to the stone worked against her. Atcoatlu was no different from the other stones—it would create a need, binding it to the user. The stones were treacherous creations, working against the one who wielded them.
The problem was, if Draslyn realized she was losing a battle, such as the one we fought in the clearing, she’d probably go back in time and fight alongside herself. But if she was losing in the present, then wouldn’t that mean she hadn’t gone back in the past to help herself?
Cringing, I rubbed my fingers against my temples. This was another reason time travel was forbidden. There were too many paradoxes and no predictability.
But I also had to consider the Mother and her role in all this. If I was supposed to be here, then Drasyln was as well. She was my vehicle to this time and place. Could I assume that I won this battle against her? As far as I knew, the next magickal danger to confront the Ravena was Kayl. If I succeeded, then Drasyln never found full control over the agate. I didn’t underestimate her, but that gave me some comfort.
I frowned. Do time paradoxes exist if the Mother writes everything? I shook my head. That was a question for philosophers. I had no hard and fast answers; no one did when it came to time travel.
I had to face Drasyln by myself, that much was obvious. Despite my little demonstration, I was sure I’d get some argument if I told the warriors to stay out of the fight. Both males and females were born and bred warriors. But I had to depend on Breyln’s love for his tribe, and the people’s sense of self preservation, to persevere in the end.
Hunter and Mother, help me!
Warm wind blew through the camp, heating me, making me sweat. I was still sticky from the fight. I grunted and scratched my neck. The dense, black material of my clothing didn’t really breathe, compounding my discomfort. I must also smell. What I needed was some place to wash myself and cool off. A river would do fine.
Standing, I looked around for someone to ask if there was a stream nearby. I noticed Fray taking a break, drinking from a canteen. He resembled Aishe in a lot of ways; they were even the same height, and could have passed for twins, only not identical. His eyes might have been the same intense green Aishe’s were, but his hair was black. Of the brothers, he seemed to be the most even-tempered and easy-going. I’d seen Wyn tickle attack some of the younger children, and he seemed like the type who loved to laugh. Eulun was a grump. Aishe was a bundle of energy, always twitching. Fray seemed gentle, quiet.
“Fray.”
He looked up, smiled. “That was some great magick you did. We’ll be talking about it for ages.”
“Thanks. It helped to have such skilled opponents.”
Gratitude entered his smile. “What can I do for you?”
“Is there a river or lake anywhere near here? The heat’s getting to me.”
He chuckled. “Over there.” He pointed. “Just go past the clump of trees. There’s a lake that we often swim in. It’s quite safe.”
“Thanks.” I turned to go.
“Still,” Fray called after me, “you might want to take someone. I’d rather not have you attacked and leave us all vulnerable. Even someone such as yourself can be taken unawares.” Unawares, like when Aishe leapt upon my back. I turned and blinked at the kid. He shrugged, his smile easy. “You’re our best weapon against the other mage, are you not? Be careful.”
The kindness of these creatures touched me deeply, even after I took on their entire force. The children seemed to accept me, trust me. It was too much. I nodded, unable to speak.
I strode quickly to the lake. The setting sun colored the water with reds and oranges, and it shimmered like liquid glass, clear and serene. My breathing quickened, my legs trembled as I looked at the innocent beauty of this place, as I considered the genuine trust and friendship this tribe offered me.
They were all going to be murdered. And I couldn’t stop it. My legs collapsed underneath me. My face dropped in my hands. They are going to be murdered.
Alone, in silence, I finally unleashed my misery. I finally let myself feel. I cried. My chest constricted, my throat became raw. The moment I traveled into the past, I’d been moving, searching, fighting. But now, in the stillness of the late evening, as I listened to the gentle lapping of the lake against the shore, I found the isolation I needed to vent my frustration. My grief.
Gasping for breath, my eyes sore, I ran my fingers through my hair, and tugged. I swallowed the last of my sobs, calling myself weak, before I managed to stand. I stripped and dove into the water without bothering to check the temperature. I didn’t care, and the cold was a harsh shock to my system. But I needed it. I swam, wanting to feel the chill down to my bones. The cold soothed my eyes, sucked the warmth from my skin. Needing air, I broke the surface and gulped in oxygen, looking at the quickly darkening sky.
I stayed in the water a little longer, feeling marginally better. I finally swam back to the shore. It sloped slightly before plunging like a cliff into the water—which, to an unsuspecting bather, would hurt like a bitch. It forced me to climb out of the water, using my arms to lift my body. With a word of magick I dried myself and grabbed my trousers. Before I could buckle them around my waist, I heard a noise. I froze. It came from the bushes to my right. The noise was little, mo
re like a rustle of a small animal. But I couldn’t take any chances, so I called to my magick and it rose inside me. I sent it out in a gentle wave and searched for other magick, sweeping over the one who watched me. But it wasn’t Drasyln.
Fear and anxiety left, and irritation replaced them. Instead of anger rising, I found myself more frustrated—something my peeper didn’t have to know. I slapped my hand to the ground, drawing the elemental magick into myself. I hissed out a word and the ground lurched where the voyeur crouched in the darkness. A cry of surprise issued from my stalker as the ground heaved and sent Aishe tumbling out from behind the bushes.
Rolling head over heels, Aishe was propelled toward me and landed at me feet, gasping for breath. I slowly stood, magick still humming in my veins.
“Aishe.” My voice was sharp as a blade.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he said, on his hands and knees, his head down. “Don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean to, I mean, I saw you leave and, um....”
I didn’t say anything and let him flounder. He fumbled with his words, hunching his shoulders. How long had he been spying on me? My own face burned slightly with embarrassment. That was silly since Aishe was my mate. In the future, at least. But...this was just a very awkward situation for both of us.
Yet, I should have expected this, shouldn’t I? Aishe was in love with me. Youth plus love often equaled obsession. Or so I’ve heard. I never had that first crush, that first innocent fumble in the dark. My first lover had been a fellow apprentice and I’d been past that awkward stage when we’d come together. I’d also studied up on the art of sexual encounters before taking her to my bed. But this was different for Aishe. Yet I couldn’t let him off the hook. He’d deliberately invaded my privacy, my solitude.
“Aishe,” I said again, my voice softer this time, but no less sharp. He trembled. “What were you doing behind the bushes?”
His sudden silence made me raise an eyebrow. Oh, hell. He hadn’t been...? I barely resisted a cringe. “Aishe....”