Chapter 25 - Tasha
"Get the Book!" Skarlett shouted, shoving her bodily out of the way of the advancing Sunraiders. Without thought, Tasha turned away from Ambori and the wemic and ran at full speed for the tower. No plan for how she was going to deal with Braxin Balinvain entered her mind. The only thought she could concentrate upon at all was the one driving force that had spurred her from the first moment after she had received her in the bathing chambers in the Vineyard grove vision:
She had to get the Book!
With sword in hand, Tasha skipped over the almost unmoving form of Hal and began to climb up the steps. Worry about him later, she told herself. No time right now.
Then, instinctively, Tasha knew that she needed to dive out of the way. Reflexively, Tasha stopped her forward motion, pivoted on one foot and pitched herself headfirst back down the stairs. Behind her there was a sudden rush of air and an incredible swelling of heat that licked at her heels as she dove.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs Tasha tossed her sword aside and tucked her shoulder, allowing her to roll free from the blast. Fire raged against the stone floor of the temple bare inches away from her tumbling form.
Rolling to her knees Tasha was amazed. The stone floor between herself and the mage was bubbling and warped from the heat. Braxin Balinvain stood atop the tower laughing at her.
The wizard raised one hand and pointed but Tasha was already running to one side. She dove again, rolling and sliding away from the veritable wall of fire.
A sudden loud crash reverberated throughout the temple. Tasha tore her gaze away from the wizard for one moment and saw that Skarlett had managed to knock one of the man-lion statues down on top of it's duplicate. She saw Hal trying to rise to his feet with a massive welt around his throat. Skarlett trotted over and placed one hand on the big man's head. There was a slow pulsing light that emanated from them for a second but Tasha had to fling herself backwards and away from the ball of fire that lanced down from the top of the tower.
How does she keep moving so quickly? A frustrated, masculine voice boomed in Tasha's mind. My Power is greater than this mind-bender.
Tasha was so astonished that she almost didn't dodge the next fireball in time. Without meaning, Tasha had gotten a mental lock on Balinvain's mind and was able to anticipate his attacks. A swelling of effort and concentration from the former Court Wizard was all the warning Tasha needed to throw herself to one side as a torrent of flame erupted past her.
This was the first time that Tasha had established a link with anyone unconsciously. Also she had never considered the idea of using her gifts to read an opponent before.
How many other things am I capable of? Could I have done more on the way here if I had only... More concentration tweaked in her mind, Tasha threw her body aside in time.
Save it for later, she admonished herself as the ground began to shake and crack open beneath her. Leaping from one crumbling piece of floor to the next, Tasha managed to reach some stable ground and catch her breath.
Now I've got you! Balinvain thought triumphantly as half a dozen little blue and white projectiles rocketed down at Tasha's kneeling form. Tasha tried to jump up and away, but one of the missiles struck her solidly in the shoulder and spun her to the floor.
There was a smoking, charred patch on the shoulder of her tunic and her entire arm had gone completely limp and numb. Nothing seemed be broken and there wasn't any blood so Tasha hoped that she was all right. And as the wizard readied himself to launch another fireball at her Tasha rose painfully to her feet and stared at the man defiantly.
They continued this game for a while longer, Balinvain casting and Tasha moving aside the instant before. The more she dodged, the more irate and inaccurate the wizard became. But the more that Balinvain slung at her, the more exhausted Tasha became.
Finally Tasha collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain. She had tried to leap over a crevice that Balinvain and created in the floor while dodging another barrage of missiles at the same time. Tasha's fatigue misjudged her footing, wrenching her ankle out of alignment.
Balinvain paused, staring down at Tasha with an evil grin spreading across his mouse-like face. He raised one hand and leveled it at her, slowly pulling each finger into a fist until only one remained to point down at her. And now you die, the wizard thought confidently as he slowly began to gather the Power.
Tasha forced a smirk onto her pain streaked face. Didn't your mother tell you that it isn't nice to point? she taunted him mentally, sending all of the sarcasm that she could muster along with the thought.
The wizard was rocked. He lost his grip on the power he was gathering and staggered back against the Book's altar. "Who... ?" he asked aloud, swinging his head back and forth in sudden alarm. "What ..?"
Now, now Braxin Balinvain. You mind your manners or I'll whip you worse than your daddy ever did! Tasha projected at him while painfully trying to rise.
Balinvain refocused his gaze on Tasha. "Are you doing..." he screeched. "Are you inside my head?"
What do you think?
Balinvain screamed.
Tasha began to limp towards the tower, keeping her link with the wizard open. Once he stopped his screaming, Balinvain started smacking both sides of his head as hard he could, trying to physically dislodge Tasha's presence from his mind. Tasha laughed aloud and let it carry across the link. Balinvain got very agitated and started to lurch around, occasionally slamming into the altar. The Book remained firmly upon it's stand, not wavering at all upon it's seemingly precarious perch.
Now be a good boy, Braxin, Tasha thought, pouring as much conviction into her thoughts as possible. Call off your men and come down from that tower so that we can discuss things like civilized people.
The wizard was in tears, sobbing on his knees like a child not getting his own way. "Please get out of my head," he whimpered. "Please."
If you come down from the tower, I will.
"Do you promise?" he asked hopefully.
I promise.
The wizard seemed to think about it for a moment. Then: "Okay."
Tasha could hardly believe her good fortune.
Balinvain slowly rose to his feet and began to trundle over to the staircase when a third mind slammed violently into the link, startling Tasha so badly that she lost her balance and collapsed back to the ground.
"Master!" Balinvain cried, dropping back to his knees and raising both his arms up over his head.
Tasha received the mental image of a man lounging comfortable in a well-cushioned throne. The man was garbed all in scarlet and had a cowl covering his face completely. But Tasha did notice that the skin on his hands and forearms were almost the color of charcoal.
I am very disappointed in you, Balinvain, spoke the figure in a harsh whisper. The sound of fingernails across the blackboard. I give you a very simple task, and here you are. On your knees before these whelps.
"I'm sorry, Master! I... I don't know what came over me!"
How fortunate that I do know then, so that I might educate you. The image of the man snapped his fingers sharply and Balinvain screamed, suddenly writhing around in pain. You were reduced to a quivering puddle of water after this girl-child made some witty remarks to you! The voice was no longer whispering.
"I'm... I'm surrealistically!!"
I am losing patience with you Balinvain! I want these people dead! They pose a threat to our Lord Xir and therefore must be eliminated, do you understand me?
Balinvain would not halt his screaming.
The figure appeared to relax. His attention shifted away from the sniveling wizard. Tasha became incredibly frightened as the mental gaze of this being passed across her and seemed to judge her worth right there on the spot. Tasha felt herself shaking with fright at the image of the scarlet robed magus.
You are a strong one, aren't you? the being asked. Tasha could not have thought up a response under the threat of death. That deep went her fear. The being laughed. Yes
, a strong one for a woman, aren't you?
Tasha slowly stopped shaking as the being laughed again, harshly.
Demeaningly.
What did you say? Tasha softly demanded.
The man stopped his laughter and regarded her more closely, seeming to lean forward in his throne. Oh dear, he said with great sarcasm. Did I offend you? I certainly wouldn't ruffle your feathers madam. He sighed deeply. I always forget how you members of the weaker sex get offended so easily.
All semblance of her fear was gone now. Every ounce of it was immediately replaced with pure, heartfelt anger. Years of being coddled as the Baron's daughter and a lifetime of chauvinistic attitudes had enraged her to the point where her fear became fuel for her convictions.
Tasha gathered up her mental energies and held them in reserve as she spoke to the figure. You know, you've got a fairly smart mouth for someone as far out of his element as you are.
The figure chuckled and leaned back in his throne. Oh? Do tell. I'm just dying to hear this.
It was Tasha's turn to laugh then. It was forced, but still a laugh. Dying? Unfortunately not today. But I'd be looking over my shoulder if I were you. Because, we're taking the Book and we're going to use it to stop Xir from re-entering the Lands. And when that happens you won't have a leg left to stand on.
You seem fairly sure of yourself, woman. Especially without your bodyguard to protect you.
Tasha's anger flared. I don't need a bodyguard to take care of the likes of you!
The figure chuckled. Oh really?
With relief, Tasha unleashed every ounce of the energies that she'd been holding back and directed them all right at the cowled figure. The man grabbed at his head with both hands and arched back, howling in sudden agony.
Tasha smiled then as she ceased her mental barrage. Yeah, really. Then she sliced at the man's connection to her link and completely severed it, slamming his awareness back into his physical form. The man's howl echoed in her mind for long minutes afterward.
Bringing herself back to the matter at hand, Tasha took a brief moment to examine the situation.
Very little had changed.
Hal was just getting to his feet as Skarlett charged back into battle with the Book's golem protectors. Ambori was still hopping and skipping his way around the crew of Sunraiders that he was battling.
Balinvain was back to his feet and the confusion that Tasha had held over him before was gone.
Her link with the wizard was still established only now Tasha felt like a limp noodle, mentally and physically as she painfully rose to her feet once again. Her arm was no longer numb so it took this time to complain about the discomfort it was feeling while her ankle was fiercely protesting the amount of weight that she was forcing it to hold up.
These she ignored as she faced the wizard.
The mousey Braxin Balinvain stared down at Tasha in wonder. His expression was more thoughtful than any she had seen on him before. It seemed somehow more confident, more outwardly intelligent. He smiled down at her, still in wonder but with some calculation going on in the back of his mind.
"It seems," he said, speaking strongly without any sense of weakness whatsoever. "That I owe you a favor."
To say that Tasha was surprised by this would be a severe understatement.
"You see," Balinvain went on. "What you have done for me today was something I have been unable to do for years. Abalanor, my master, has had my mind linked to his for the past seven years. And in all that time, I have not had a thought to myself." He paused significantly. "Do you have any idea what that is like?
"Of course not, how could you know? But now... I'm free of him. I can do what I want, I can think my own thoughts...."
Fantastic, Tasha cut in hopefully, too tired to speak out loud. Then you'll assist us in stopping this battle and then in keeping Xir from ever reaching the Lands?
Balinvain stared at her as if she had gone mad. "Don't be silly dear girl. I may be thankful to be my own man again. But I know that rooting for the losing team is hardly a good way to stay alive in this world." He shook his head, laughing softly. "No, I think I'll do one last thing for Abalanor and finish what I started." He lashed out his arm directly at Tasha. Stark white streams of lightning blasted down from his fingertips and streaked towards their target.
Tasha squeezed her eyes shut. Too tired to move. To sore to dodge. She merely huddled in on herself and tried to make herself the smallest target possible.
When several seconds passed without her being killed, Tasha reopened her eyes.
Balinvain was staring down at his hands in moderate surprise, shaking them out diligently. He looked down at her and smiled, slightly less confidently. "Oh, don't worry. I won't miss again."
Then he snapped both arms out again and let loose another barrage.
Tasha kept her eyes open and tried to repeat what happened the last time. Once again, the individual flames and electrical surges passed right by her, striking the ground immediately in front or to the side.
Tasha blinked in absolute amazement.
"Stop doing that and let me kill you!" Balinvain snapped as he continued the assault.
Abruptly Tasha realized that the link she held with the wizard was so strong that her desperate thoughts of survival were actually affecting his aim. It wasn't like he was completely missing her, but Tasha was consciously forcing the wizard to fire his magicks off target.
Tasha found herself laughing at the wizard's renewed frustration. Balinvain redoubled his efforts and soon stopped concentrating on specific spells at all, eventually resorting to just delivering blasts of sheer Power at her. All of which missed and slammed into the temple's floor.
This soon became a stalemate in the truest form. For Balinvain could not afford to loosen his attack on her because it would give her the chance to retaliate where as Tasha could not retaliate because it soon took all of her strength just to keep Balinvain's energies from touching her. And while Tasha just seemed to get more and more tired, Balinvain impossibly appeared to be getting stronger. His offense increasing while her defense began to falter.
Off in the corner of her eye, Tasha saw a pulsating blue light heading in her general direction.
In the other corner of her eye, Skarlett was on his last legs. Every time that Skarlett hammered his mace into the golem he fought, the wemic himself weakened more than his opponent. In contrast the golem seemed not the worse for wear, a bit dented and chipped in places. But still in perfect working order.
The golem swung an arm at the wemic's head. Skarlett just barely ducked and scooted around to its back. The claws in his feet scrabbled across the slippery stone floor as he tried to find some sort of purchase. As the golem turned, Skarlett reared up on his hind legs and placed his forepaws on the broad stone chest to steady himself. At that point the powerful cleric reared back with his massive mace and let fly.
The iron mace crashed solidly into the left side of the golem's head and sent it rearing back and staggering away as Skarlett dropped back to all fours. Leaning against the tower for support, the golem righted it's equilibrium and came forward at Skarlett once more. It's one remaining eye still glowed a bright blue in color as it advanced implacably on the cleric.
Skarlett Black's shoulders slumped noticeably as there came the sound of a thousand pieces of fine glass shattering.
Balinvain was relentless in his assault, sending wave after wave of energy down at her. Tasha's head soon began to throb even worse than her ankle and shoulder did combined. The match-up wasn't really all that fair seeing as how Balinvain had the powers of the universe to draw on while Tasha merely had her own inner will forcing her on. Very soon, Tasha had dropped to her knees. Tears of frustration rolled down her face. She would not stop.
She could not stop!
Ambori slid into view, limping slightly from a leg wound. His hat and cape were missing and his flamboyant tunic was torn wide open. Tasha caught a glimpse of a long gash running from should
er to waist. He had a dagger in each hand with fresh blood dripping off each. Two men advanced on him, one carrying a sword and the other an axe.
The axe-man charged at the bard, swinging in low with his weapon. Ambori used the man's head as a take-off point and flipped over him, landing with a roll in front of the swordsman. A missed swipe created a shower of sparks against the stone floor as Ambori dodged aside and kicked the man's feet out from under him with a wide sweep of his leg. The Sunraider tumbled painfully to the ground where Ambori proceeded to turn him into a pincushion, stabbing him repeatedly with both daggers.
The axe-man came charging in again, his heavy bladed weapon held high. Ambori barely managed to catch a double handgrip on the haft of the axe. Rolling back with the Raider's forward motion, Ambori placed both of his feet in the man's gut and hurled him several feet away. The axe skittered away.
The axe-man painfully tried to make it to his feet as Ambori retrieved one of his daggers from the rapidly cooling corpse. Ambori charged in, stabbing downwards with his weapon. The Sunraider reacted instinctively, grabbing hold of the bard's wrist. They remained locked for a moment or two, twirling around like a pair of obscure dancers until they disappeared from Tasha's line of sight.
Tasha was supporting herself on all fours, her eyes painfully squeezed shut as she continued to just barely make Braxin Balinvain go slightly awry with his magick. The wizard was frantically extending his barrage, not allowing Tasha even a second in which to breathe. Tasha's lip began to bleed from where she was biting on it.
She prayed for just a second's respite.
Pleaded for it!
There was another impossibly loud shattering. Loud enough to cause the wizard's assault to falter, but not halt. Tasha snapped open her eyes to see what had happened.
Skarlett Black was lying unconscious at the base of the pool. All around him were crystalline pieces of what had formerly been the golem he was battling. Amidst the wreckage stood Hal. He was bare to the waist, his tunic and cloak shredded to nothing. His hair was loose and whipping about as some unseen wind slowly settled back down to nothing.
In the big man's hand was what appeared to be a solid bar of flaming blue light. He held it reverently in both hands , staring at it in awe for a moment before swinging locking eyes with Tasha. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on.
Help me, Tasha pleaded, not knowing if Hal had heard her or not.
Whether he did or not made no difference. The big man's eyes narrowed dangerously and he shouted out wordlessly as he ran towards the base of the Tower. Ambori, having dispatched his foes, beat him there and was already limping up the stairs.
Balinvain got a disturbed look on his face. Tasha could feel the conflict as the wizard stalled on dealing with the charging Hal and Ambori for fear of halting his assault on Tasha. But as Ambori and Hal got near he was forced to act.
Pulling away from Tasha, Braxin Balinvain redirected his energies and launched a blast of Power directly at the bard.
Ambori, unable to dodge the burst, was caught directly in the chest and flung off like a rag doll. His now limp form sailed loosely back down the staircase, towards the unrelenting stone floor below.
Hal, who had been some distance behind Ambori, abruptly tossed Stormbringer aside and leapt as high as he could. With a frantic grab, Hal managed to catch the flailing bard's body in mid air. Both men tumbled away and fell back to the bottom of the tower in a heap. Ambori was unmoving while Hal slowly made it back to his feet, new pain etched across his face.
Balinvain frantically turned his attention back to Tasha, once again setting up his assault against her... but it was too late.
Tasha got her break.
With every fabric of strength that Tasha had left in her battered and beaten frame, she lashed out at the wizard's mind. She reached across the link, grabbed a hold of Braxin Balinvain's psyche and struck at it as hard as she possibly could.
Balinvain's head rocked. He clapped a hand to each temple and dropped to his knees, howling in agony. Blood leaked out of his ears as he lowered his forehead to the stone of the tower floor.
For the next few moments Tasha was very woozy and unable to tell what was happening around her. Then Hal was there. He slipped a hand under each of her arms and propped her up into a sitting position before wrapping his arms about her and shouting into her ear to bring her to her senses.
"I hear you," she mumbled softly much to Hal's relief. "Stop shouting."
They said nothing for a long moment. They just relaxed and waited until they each caught their breath a bit before speaking.
"Are you okay?" Hal asked.
She nodded jerkily. "Uh-huh. You?"
Hal shrugged. "Better than I was, milady."
A pause. "Is Balinvain dead?"
Another shrug. "I dunno."
Tasha sighed and valiantly struggled to haul herself up to her feet. "I'd better go see... " she muttered. But Hal slowly forced her to lie back down.
"Wait here," he said calmly and walked over to the tower. He retrieved Stormbringer, the sapphire blue flame around the weapon had dissipated and the sword was now once again a simple, elegant blade. Hal stared at it with an empty look for a long moment before sliding it home in his sheathe and leaping up the tower stairs.
Tasha sighed quietly and waited.