“Varien, what news? What news now of the Lesser Kindred?”
“Come find us, my brother,” he said. “Oh, Shikrar! It is the unknown and the Word of the Winds both together. I have no words. You must see.”
He sounded weary but very happy. I glided towards the sharp peaks ahead, wondering what there was for them to show me.
Berys
Where is it? The damned thing should have come to me by now. It should have been here hours since! Dawn is here already, the best time is past, if it comes not swiftly I shall be forced to—
Ah. Good.
“Masster, all iss done. The prey awaitss you, the Swiftlines are planted in the heart of the host and both are open to you.”
“You are late,” I growled. “You should have been here hours ago.”
“The hossst wasss ill chossen, Masster,” it hissed happily, knowing I had not specified a time limit. “Healersss can work againsst uss. He wasss a sstrong Healer and killed himself before I could force him to build the altar. I wass forced to built it mysself, and that wass not in the price we agreed.”
“You speak truth, little demon,” I said, throwing an extra handful of lansip onto the flames. It inhaled the smoke greedily, its reward sufficient. “All now is achieved. Our pact iss concluded, all iss done, live in pain and die alone,” it intoned, spitting at me as it vanished. I ignored its petty complaints.
All was prepared now for the summoning of the Nameless One, the Demonlord, for I would undertake it the instant Lanen was in my power. There was much to do, and it must be done swiftly, but all was in readiness for my return.
I took with me every set trap I had to hand. Such things were very useful—all the work had already been done, I had only to break the thin clay discs the spells were encased in to summon up the demons in question. If I encountered difficulties I had anywhere from one to a legion of the Rikti at my command, and in extremity I could call up a Raksha from the Third Hell. That should take care of most things. It would even slow the Kantri down long enough for me to appear, take the girl and get out.
The most useful set trap against the Kantri, of course, would be a Ring of Seven Circles, but there had been no time. The making of such a thing took far longer than the two days’ notice I’d had from Marik. Bastard. He should have told me before.
Still, I was prepared. My robes of black and silver, woven about with spells of protection, would serve as armour—not for long, but for long enough.
I stood in my summoning chamber among lighted candles with Durstan at my side. “Be ready to silence her the instant we appear,” I told him.
“I am prepared,” he rumbled. “Success, Master.”
“Always,” I replied, and stepped into the circle that marked the outgoing Swiftline.
It took no time that could be measured. Between one breath and another I travelled to the far end and stepped out into a small wood. I looked quickly about me. I could not see Lanen, indeed I was hard-pressed to find any humans. There on the field before me were hundreds of the little dragons that commonly haunt the woods. I broke a disc and a single Rikti appeared. “Find the living humans in this crowd and come and tell me where they are,” I commanded.
I had not known I would need to deal with these creatures, and I did not know what their response would be. I watched its flight from my hidden place in the wood and saw that it was pursued by several of them. Then, to my satisfaction, I heard a voice cry out, “’Ware demon!” That voice was human enough, and I could tell where it came from, so the thing’s death by the paltry flame these little creatures could command was no great loss.
There were the humans, out in the open and looking terribly confused. How delightful. Ah, and there was my prey.
I was feeling extravagant. I drew out nearly every disc save the one that summoned the Raksha and broke them. The air was suddenly black with Rikti awaiting my command. I pointed. “Leave alive that human, the tall female with the long hair. Kill the rest,” I shouted, to be heard above the yells and hisses of the creatures in the field.
They massed and attacked, and I strode forth to claim my prey.
Varien
Into the midst of our celebrations the first of the demons came alone and died swiftly. If it had not been for Will’s shout we might have had no notice at all. As it was, we were at least a little wary when a great cloud of them appeared and came straight for us.
My first instinct was to rise up and flame them, but when in the next instant I remembered, instead I called out in truespeech to the brother of my heart.
“Shikrar! Haste, my friend, the Rikti attack!”
His voice rose in a song of battle. “Behold, they are their own undoing and it is good. I know now where you are for I can smell the evil from here. I come, Akhor!”
In the meantime, for I knew not how far away Shikrar might be, I drew my sword as my only defence, for tooth and claw and breath of fire were denied me—but they were not denied the Lesser Kindred. I had not known for certain that they would react in the same way as the Kantri; our hatred of the Rakshasa must be deep in the bone. The Lesser Kindred rose in flame and struck with claws and teeth.
Lanen, beside me, had drawn her blade as well. Vilkas stood in the centre of his blazing corona, no whit diminished for all that he had laboured all night to aid the Lesser Kindred, but the fear on his face was plain. Aral, beside him, also had drawn her power about her, but her corona was barely visible in the early-morning light. She only just had the time to draw forth the soulgem of the Ancestor before the things attacked.
I could not see Jamie and Rella, and Will was off somewhere in the midst of the newfound ones. I saw him fighting his way back to be with Vilkas and Aral in the brief moment before I was set upon by three of the demons. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lanen swinging her sword with a will.
My own sword was not to their liking, for their bodies are physical and they can be hurt, but I was too slow. I cried out as my back and my face were raked by two separate Rikti, but to my astonishment both the attackers screamed and the other that threatened drew away from me. I could only see the one that had struck at my face; I watched in amazement as the claws that had drawn my blood burst into flame as it screamed and fled. Other of the Rikti came nigh me to attack but ever they veered away before they could strike. It was as if they could smell—
Of course. My blood. Whatever else had changed about me, it seemed that was still the same. An idea struck me that normally I would not even consider, but in the heat of battle I acted upon it immediately, for there was nothing to lose. I swiftly wiped away the blood that was running down my cheek with my hand, and spread it upon the blade of my sword.
Lanen, only a few feet away, was hard-pressed—I saw blood on her arm and on her face. The sight roused me to fury and I started to fight my way to her. The first I struck with my bloody sword screamed and vanished—it had worked! With a fierce joy I slew the Rikti that kept me from my dearling.
Will
I was caught far from the others, for I had been walking with Salera. She had more words now, though there was still much to learn, and we had been trying to speak with one another when the demons attacked. I had not even my staff with me. I tried to run back for it, but there were too many dragons in the way, for many of them took to the air to fight. There were too many demons as well, and when one fastened on the arm I’d raised to protect my face I thought sure I was doomed, when a strong arm plucked the creature from me and tore it apart. I stared. Salera stood beside me, her new soulgem blazing. She sent flame after the next one and managed to scorch the one behind it as well. She had to push me down to get at one that was attacking from behind, and I realised that I was only in the way. It wasn’t very heroic, I admit, but then I’m no hero. I stayed down, curled up at her feet, while my valiant Salera kept all harm from me.
Vilkas
I could not do it. I had thought that once I had released it I could claim all of my power, but I could not. The old deep injunct
ion that kept me from fighting the Rikti still held. I cursed and fought to tap into that power, throwing all my will behind it, but I met only the same blank wall. When the Rikti attacked in force I could only put up a shield to surround myself—though my fury at my own failure made it strong. I would have extended it to Aral, but she shouted “No!” and I had to obey. As was now becoming her custom, she held the jewel—the soulgem—in her hand and sent her power through it. She kept the creatures away from both of us for a time and managed to kill a few, but there were just too many. The best we could manage was protection for ourselves until we saw, not far away, Jamie and Rella. I have never seen such combined ability with a blade—they appeared to be surrounded by ten swords—but even they were tiring and injured. Rella’s clothing was torn and blood showed through some of the tears. Jamie’s cheek was opened to the bone. They, like we, could do little beyond delaying the inevitable.
I turned to Aral. “Can we protect them as well?” I shouted, pointing, for the noise of the battle was growing. She nodded. We strode over to them, Aral dispelling as many of the demons as she could as we went, but it was like trying to empty the sea with a cup.
We did not reach them an instant too soon. Just before my shield could defend Rella one of the creatures landed on her back and bit her neck. She cried out just once and fell. Aral destroyed the demon and in the next instant my shield protected the four of us, but Rella was badly injured.
“Vil, can you do two things at once?” asked Aral. I was shocked to hear the deadly weariness in her voice. “I’m about exhausted and she’s in a bad way. I have stopped the bleeding but I haven’t the strength to heal her.”
Blessed be the Lady, I thought. At last, something I can do.
Keeping the shield raised all the while, I looked over at Rella, who measured her length on the grass. Aral was right, she was badly injured. Healing, simple healing, safe, blessed by the Lady—and the depth of my strength came to me, the fullness of it, as it had that night in Wolfenden. It was like cold water in my face, I roused and shook myself. I raised Rella with a thought to lie on the air before me. The demon had severed the great cord of her spine. It was a delicate task and required deep concentration to reconnect, and I had to maintain the shield to protect the four of us.
Do not think me boastful. I was useless against the Rikti; all I could do was keep a simple shield around myself and perhaps a few others. But healing—healing ran through me like warming fire. Even in the madness of the battle it was not hard for me. Rella was unconscious, for a blessing. I remembered first to cleanse the wound of Raksha-trace, cleaned the severed ends and reconnected them, forced the re-growth of the cord, of the muscles around it, of the skin above. When I finished and looked up there was but a thin red line on the back of her neck.
I was concerned at first by the expression on Jamie’s face. He was astounded, plainly, but he seemed frightened as well, a disconcerting emotion for such an old campaigner. “It isn’t possible, surely—no one can heal such a wound so quickly, it’s unbelievable.”
Aral saved him. She put her hand on his arm for just a moment.
“Told you he was good,” she said with a grin, and turned back to the battle.
Berys
I gave the Rikti a little while to wear them down, to keep their minds on the little individual battles that surrounded them. It worked well enough.
I prepared the second Swiftline and strode towards the pair in the centre. Lanen and the silver-haired man. Halfway there I stopped and broke the final disc, and a Raksha of the Third Hell stood before me. I interrupted the inevitable posturing.
“Behold, I provide you with a selection of prey, but you will take him first.” I pointed. “The one with the silver hair. Kill him,” I said, “then you may have the rest of them.”
It flew on bat wings to obey me. I followed it.
Varien
The Rikti had learned that my sword was death, so that Lanen and I had a moment’s rest. As I was renewing the blood on my sword, Lanen turned to me with tears of frustration in her eyes. “Damn it, Varien, I can’t help you,” she said. “I’m too slow with a sword and I can’t hurt them otherwise. I hate being helpless.”
I took her hand with my free one. “I know. Would it help to imagine for one last time that I am Akhor of old, defending you with tooth and claw against the Rikti?”
In the midst of the battle, she laughed. “It would indeed. I thank you, Akor,” she said.
Then a movement away to the side caught our attention and held it. I committed my soul to the Winds and bespoke Lanen. “I fear our doom is come upon us. Find safety where you may, dearling. I will distract the creature. Go. Now.”
It was a Raksha, and it was flying straight toward us.
Berys
My plan was working beautifully. The silver-haired one wasted his time preparing to meet a Raksha with a sword and sending Lanen away to find cover. She had seen the other group of humans not far away and was making for them when I cast a simple Sleep charm upon her. It should have worked instantly, but something in her resisted long enough to discover who had sent the charm. When she saw me her eyes widened and she tried to cry out, but Silence is swiftly cast even from a distance, and it is very effective. However, Marik had warned me that she had Farspeech, so I called to two of the Rikti and had them bear her back with me as I ran to the Swiftlines. Speed would make all the difference.
I had not planned on having to deal with one of the Kantri so late in the battle.
Shikrar
I flew as fast as my wings would bear me. The strain in my injured wing threatened to give way, though, and I could not allow that. I was forced to fly more slowly than I would have wanted lest I fall from the sky altogether. I bespoke Varien to tell him that I was near but he did not answer. There again, I thought grimly, he would not reply from the midst of battle.
By the time I was near enough to hear what was happening I was frantic with the Raksha-smell and the silence from my soulfriend. I approached from above, sacrificing surprise that I might know what I faced. It was an evil sight—what looked like a legion of Rikti, and there to one side a Raksha, fighting—
Fighting Varien.
I could see blood on his face, and I heard Lanen crying out his name in my mind.
I came roaring and flaming from the sky, straight towards the Raksha. Varien dove out of the way as I came near. The Raksha turned to face me and raked my armour as I closed with it, but it only had that once chance. I was in a fury, and the Eldest and largest of our race. It was dead with one bite and I destroyed the body with cleansing flame the next instant.
Varien was gone.
Varien
I looked for Lanen the instant I heard Shikrar calling me, though I could not answer while my sword still defended my head. The Raksha was distracted—I am told that they can smell us as we can them—and it only fought with half its strength, for it knew that one of the Kantrishakrim was near and it began to fear for its life. From the corner of my eye I could see Lanen moving towards the others, towards the protection of the healers, when suddenly she fell. I was struggling to get away from the Raksha to help her when two of the Rikti caught her up and dragged her at a terrible speed across the field and away towards the wood at the far end.
She called out to me in truespeech. “Varien! I am bespelled, I cannot fight back—help me! Shikrar, to me!”
“I come, Lanen! Shikrar, swiftly, she is taken!” I cried. I saw Shikrar diving at the Raksha. It turned its attention away from me, and like an arrow released from the bow I sped towards Lanen.
If the field had been empty I might have reached her, but ever the Rikti attacked me as I ran and I was forced to fight them off. “Shikrar, help her!” I screamed in the agony of my frustration, as my blood-soaked sword dispelled the last of the Rikti about me. Shikrar’s vast shape ran past me then, scattering the Rikti as he went, and I followed after faster than I had thought I could run.
I felt as though I were runn
ing through deep water. Every muscle, every beat of my heart threw me towards Lanen, but I felt a great darkness gather round about me with each step as I watched her carried away from me on demon wings.
All my strength, all my love, all that I was or ever had been I poured into my desperate need to be by her side, but to no avail.
The Rikti reached the wood. At its edge stood a man, young and strong, who stank of the Rakshasa as though he were one himself. “Shikrar, the Gedri, he is the source, destroy him for me I beg you!” I cried in truespeech, and spared the fraction of an instant to rejoice when cleansing flame surrounded that abomination.
It did not touch him.
The demon-master laughed and gestured to his tame Rikti, who dropped Lanen into his arms.
“NO!” The scream ripped from my throat, agony. “Stop him Shikrar!”
Too slow.
Too late.
I wake still at nights to the memory of those last moments. I see Lanen catching sight of me, struggling to get away from Berys, stretching out her arms to me, crying my name desperately in truespeech as bespelled silence holds her.
“Varien! Varien! AKOR!”
I threw down my sword and flung myself across the last few feet that separated us, but the bastard who held her captive took one step backwards and disappeared.
With her.
“NO!” I cried, falling to my knees, scrabbling insanely in the earth where he had stood. “LANEN! LANEN!” I screamed in truespeech and aloud.
Silence.
Shikrar went wild then, I think. Like me he followed instinct, but he dug stone like earth, as if Lanen had disappeared down a hole. When finally he realised that he could not follow her, he turned his incandescent anger on the remaining Rikti.
The Lesser Kindred had fought well, but they had not the flame nor the strength of a Lord of the Kantri in his wrath. I had never seen any of our people in a killing frenzy before. The Lesser Kindred drew back in awe as he roared and flamed until all the Rikti were dead, then he rent the bodies of the dead when there were no more to kill.