Shadow Magic, page 22
“Do you sense any magic?”
Arkon closed his eyes for a moment then shook his head. “Nothing.”
Perhaps the location was too obvious. The army started forward.
They hadn’t taken ten steps when the first enemy soldier appeared atop a nearby building. The man lobbed a small item at the center of the densely packed column before ducking down again. All around them more men appeared and lobbed similar items.
The first one struck the center of Nord’s army and exploded in a ball of sound and fire.
They had little time to react before the second firebomb exploded.
A dozen more explosions mingled with the sound of screaming and the hungry crackle of flames.
In moments his well-trained army collapsed into a frenzy of men running every which way trying to escape the killing flames.
Those on the opposite side of the fire scattered into the side streets and back the way they’d come.
“To me, men!” Nord bellowed, trying to regain control of his disintegrating army.
The noise was such that only the nearest companies heard him. They put some distance between themselves and the dying.
“I thought you said there was no magic.”
Arkon studied the sooty black smoke and said, “That isn’t magic, it’s alchemist’s fire.”
“What the hell is that?”
“A volatile liquid that explodes on contact with air, purely mundane, no magic at all.”
“Terrific, how do we stop it?”
Arkon looked at the sword in Nord’s hand.
“Of course.” Nord leveled the sword and let rip with a blast of chill magic.
An icy sheet of energy hit the inferno. He watched as the flames died down revealing the charred bodies of hundreds of his men.
Behind them there was no sign of the rest of his soldiers.
He swore. That one attack had cost him nearly half his army. There was nothing to be done about it now. “Let’s move out. The palace waits.”
They left the stench of charred meat behind and headed deeper into the city. The closer they got to the palace the more lavish the homes became. As they passed a particularly well-built mansion Arkon held out his arm. “I sense magic.”
Everyone came to a halt. “Where?” Nord asked.
“The center of the road; there’s about three feet of safe space on either side. The danger zone looks about twenty feet long.”
“Everyone hear that?” Nord asked. The soldiers murmured their understanding. “Arkon, take half the men along the left side. The rest of you come with me.”
Nord led his men along the right edge of the road, Heat’s Bane glittering icy blue in his hand. He went about ten paces before he felt confident enough to step away from the wall of the building. When nothing happened he turned to watch the men’s progress.
About half of them were safely beyond the trap when the first spear thrust through the window of the house. The spear struck a man through the gut and pushed him into the spell field.
Nord braced himself, waiting for an explosion.
Nothing happened.
As the men gaped in surprise, a score more spears struck home on both sides of the road. When a dozen bodies fell and nothing happened the soldiers moved away from the buildings and into the middle of the road.
“Come on,” Nord yelled. “They’re just trying to slow us down.”
He pointed Heat’s Bane and summoned a wall of ice to protect his men.
They left the trap behind and continued down the main road. They’d gone maybe three hundred yards when Arkon stopped them again. “I sense another spell field.”
“Like the last one?” Nord asked.
Arkon nodded. “Exact same size and shape, designed to make us travel close to the buildings.”
“How stupid do they think we are?” one of the sergeants asked. “We ain’t gonna fall for the same trick twice.”
He stepped right into the spell field and exploded in a shower of blood.
Nord wiped his face. “I think we should go around.”
No one argued.
He pointed Heat’s Bane and threw up walls of ice to stop any soldiers inside the building from attacking them. When everyone had made it safely past, Nord said, “My brother is cleverer than I thought.”
“Then you perceive his true intention?” Arkon asked.
“He’s trying to sow confusion and slow us down.”
“That’s part of it,” Arkon said moving closer to Nord. “There’s more though. Every trap has something in common. To pass safely you have to call on the sword’s magic. Your brother’s trying to drain your power before he confronts you directly.”
Nord frowned as he considered Arkon’s words. He could feel the truth in them. Vilos always did favor a sneaky approach.
He might try but Nord would be damned before Vilos’s tricks stopped him from claiming what was his.
Chapter 39
Vilos drove his sword through the chest of one of Nord’s soldiers. The dead man fell to the ground and Vilos pulled his sword free. This first skirmish ended quickly as his force outnumbered the small group of fleeing soldiers five to one.
“Report, Captain.”
Vilos’s second-in-command for this battle offered a nervous bow. “Three dead, six wounded, sir.”
“Alright, get the wounded to the healers. Everyone else, let’s go hunting.”
Vilos led them through the streets toward the ambush site. Three other groups scoured the streets for invaders that had fled the ambush. He hoped it wouldn’t cost too many lives rounding up the stragglers.
As they approached the main street the scent of death assaulted them. The sight as they stepped onto Sultan’s Way was even worse. Hundreds of bodies burned beyond recognition lay scattered about. Abin had told him the alchemist’s fire wasn’t pretty; effective, but not pretty.
Vilos certainly couldn’t argue.
One of his men had dug out a pipe and was getting ready to light it with a smoldering finger bone. The others laughed until they saw the look on Vilos’s face.
He slapped the bone from the soldier’s hand. “They may have earned their death when they marched through our gates, but now that they’ve passed into the next world, you will treat them with respect.”
The soldier pocketed his pipe and hung his head. “Sorry, Majesty.”
Vilos laid a hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s all right. Just remember, we mustn’t lower ourselves to the level of our enemies or we risk becoming what we fight against. Understood?”
The last question was addressed to everyone.
“Yes, Majesty,” came the unanimous reply.
“Good, now let’s go find their buddies and send them to join their friends.”
Vilos led them down a side street then paused when he heard the sound of fighting. “This way.”
They thundered to the right and found a large group of invaders fighting one of his other bands of hunters.
Vilos roared and charged.
The nearest man turned just in time to get his skull split in half.
Unfortunately the force of the blow caused Vilos’s sword to get stuck in the bone.
A massive axeman didn’t waste the opportunity.
He swung his weapon with the idea of separating Vilos’s head from his shoulders.
The look on his face when the weapon bounced off Vilos’s neck brought a grin to the sultan’s face.
It also bought him the second he needed to jerk his sword free and spill the unlucky soldier’s guts onto the street.
The shock of Vilos’s attack brought the skirmish to a quick end.
He was about to lead his men off in search of another battle when he heard Abin’s voice. “Majesty, your brother has reached the palace gates.”
“Damn. Captain, I’ll leave you in charge of the cleanup.” Vilos tossed him a rune-covered stone. “Should the palace fall, I’ll send a message through the stone. Get everyone hidden, understood?”
“Yes, Majesty,” the captain said. “I won’t let you down.”
Vilos clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man. Abin, get us to the palace.”
The wizard muttered a few words then tapped Vilos on the shoulder. His feet lifted off the ground and his stomach lurched.
He hated flying. Abin had assured him he knew just how long the spell would last and they’d be on the ground well before then.
Abin canceled his invisibility spell and they rose up into the air and shot toward the palace. At least Vilos assumed they shot toward the palace. He couldn’t be certain since his eyes were clamped shut.
He felt the wind on his face then after a few seconds Abin said, “We’re here.”
Vilos opened his eyes and found himself hovering about an inch above the ground. Two thousand men stood waiting to fight the invaders.
“Why am I still floating here?”
“Sorry.” Abin snapped his fingers and they settled back to earth.
A deep pounding echoed through the garden. “What is that?” Vilos asked.
“Your brother is trying to chop his way through the gate,” one of the soldiers reported.
“Why doesn’t he use the sword?” Vilos hoped blasting through the gate would use up the last of its power.
“Perhaps he’s figured out your plan,” Abin said as if reading his mind.
Vilos marched toward the gate. “Someone get me a crossbow.”
When he arrived, a loaded heavy crossbow waited for him. The wood shuddered under the impact of an axe. Vilos took the weapon and put it to his shoulder. There was a small slot the guards used to look over visitors.
Vilos pointed at one of the soldiers. “Open that slot.”
The man gingerly reached over and slid it open. Vilos spotted his brother’s ugly face and fired.
The bolt scored a bloody line across Nord’s cheek.
Vilos tossed the crossbow to a nearby soldier. “Everyone back.”
“What did you do?” Abin asked.
“I just scratched Nord’s pride.” Vilos grinned at his friend. “He’ll be coming, even if it takes every drop of power left in Heat’s Bane.”
A moment later the gates exploded in a blast of chill air.
A screaming clot of men poured through the sundered gate.
“Attack!” Vilos drew his sword and led the defenders on a fierce counterassault.
Vilos spotted his brother on the left side of the battlefield. Having no great desire to face the power of his sword he headed right.
Nord’s men were skilled fighters and Vilos soon found himself hard pressed by a pair of warriors fighting in tandem. One had an axe and would attack aggressively then when Vilos tried to counter the swordsman would move in to guard his partner.
Finally Vilos was forced to allow the axeman to land a blow.
The distraction of his failed attack gave Vilos the second he needed to run the swordsman through.
Without his partner the axeman fell soon after.
Temporarily free, Vilos surveyed the battle. His men were getting pushed back. Nord’s army was too large. The defense was going to break.
“Retreat to the palace,” Vilos roared.
The defenders began a fighting retreat. Nord’s men pushed hard but paid a steep price for every foot. They weren’t the only ones paying, though. Vilos saw more than a few of his own men lying on the ground.
All of a sudden a blast of frigid air struck Vilos. He turned toward the source and saw a chunk of his flank frozen on the ground.
A hand fell on his shoulder.
He wheeled around ready to strike.
Abin was there. “The palace is lost. You must escape, Majesty. I’ll send the message to our men in the city.”
Vilos wanted to argue but Abin cut him off. “The people need their sultan alive. Think of Shara.”
Vilos swore but knew the wizard was correct. “Alright, let’s get to the portal. Sound the surrender and get the others out of sight.”
Abin muttered a word of power and made some gestures in the air. “It’s done, let’s go.”
They turned and ran from the battlefield, heading straight toward the palace. As they approached the doors Abin gestured and they flew open. The pair ran through the main hall toward the throne room.
The doors lay open before them. Vilos hurried behind the throne while Abin watched the door for signs of pursuit. After a moment’s search he found a slight indentation and pressed it.
A hidden panel slid open revealing a stone tunnel that went deep into the earth.
“I got it, come on.”
Abin joined him and conjured a sphere of light. Once they had entered the tunnel Vilos touched another indentation and closed the panel behind them. They followed the twisting path for several hundred yards until it emerged in a cavern about fifty feet across and twenty feet high. Two black stone pillars about eight feet apart rose ten feet in the air from the center of the cavern floor. Twisted runes covered every inch of the pillars.
Vilos stepped up to them and said, “In the name of the Sultan of the High Kingdom I command the path to open.”
The runes began to glow with silver light. Soon the cavern was filled with so much light that Abin let his fade. When the space between the pillars finished filling with swirling silver light Vilos said, “Time to go.”
Abin nodded and the two men stepped through side by side.
A jolt of power coursed through Vilos.
He felt like his body was being torn apart.
The sensation lasted only an instant, then they were standing in a cavern similar to the one beneath the palace.
The silver light faded and soon they were standing in total darkness. After a few moments Abin summoned a light. A small tunnel to their right led toward the surface.
Vilos went first up the tunnel, setting a slow pace. His head spun from the aftereffects of the teleportation spell.
He slammed his fist into the stone wall. “How many times has that gate been used?” he asked.
Before Abin could answer he continued, “Damn few, I know. Many of my ancestors died rather than flee an enemy.”
“While you live the people have hope,” Abin said. “Think of your daughter. Perhaps Kent has some word of Shara.”
Vilos took little comfort in his words, but little comfort was better than none. At the top of the tunnel they exited into a quiet alley. When Vilos looked back he saw only a stone wall.
Abin saw the look on his face and smiled. “Illusory wall. One of my predecessors put it there to keep out unwanted visitors.”
Vilos laughed. A salty breeze struck him and he drew in a deep breath. It had been too long since he’d seen the sea.
“My brother’s office is near the docks. Let’s go find him.”
Chapter 40
Nord snarled in pain as the bolt ripped into his face. “Out of the way!” he bellowed.
He leveled Heat’s Bane at the gate and blasted it to splinters. His men rushed in and were met by a mass of defenders. Nord kept his distance, feeling weak from using the sword’s magic.
His men pushed the defenders back but at high cost. Nord closed his eyes and delved deep into Heat’s Bane’s magic. Little remained, but he felt a wisp of power. Enough, he hoped, to turn the tide quickly.
His right flank was starting to weaken. Nord raised his sword and summoned the last of the sword’s magic.
Icy magic swept over Vilos’s right flank killing scores of men.
The attack lost momentum as the defenders reeled.
Nord’s men renewed their push.
They forced the defenders on to the palace steps then without warning they threw down their weapons and surrendered.
Thoroughly sick of fighting for one day, Nord accepted the surrender without question. His men rounded up the survivors and went to set up a temporary prison.
“You’ve won, my lord,” Arkon said.
Nord looked at the wizard as blood dripped off his chin. “Hardly. Vilos escaped and my army is in ruins. I have the capital in name only. With the men I have left we can’t even patrol the streets. I have no doubt my brother left plenty of men behind to cause trouble. We control the palace and that’s it. Once everyone is secure I want you to contact Duke Benwa. Have him send more men south. Then we will finish off my brother.”
Chapter 41
“There it is, King’s Port.” Robert made a grand sweeping gesture to encompass the entire city. He had brought the wagon to a halt on a small hill looking down over the city.
King’s Port was an oddly sprawling city with a huge waterfront. Ships of all sizes, from massive galleons to three-man sloops crowded the docks. What made the city look odd was that it sprawled along the coast but only went about half a mile inland.
Gentle waves lapped against the shoreline. It looked perfectly calm to Shara. “Why do they call it the Sea of Torments?”
“Because one of the nastiest creatures on the planet calls this sea home, the Black Widow Shark. It gets about fifty feet long and some have been known to swallow small ships whole.”
“Why is it called the Black Widow Shark?” Shara asked.
“Because it’s all black and has a red hourglass-shaped mark on its belly, just like the spider.”
Shara shuddered. “I hope we don’t meet one.”
Robert smiled and Blade slapped him across the back of his head.
“Tell her the real reason,” Blade said.
“Real reason?” Shara was confused.
Robert rubbed his head. “I was only kidding about the shark. They call it the Sea of Torments because there’s a whirlpool at the center that moans like a tormented man. Don’t worry, everyone just sails around it.”
“Then there is no Black Widow Shark?”
“Nope, just sea dragons and giant octopi. We’d better get going.” Robert flicked the reins and they started down the rough dirt road toward the city.
Sea dragons and giant octopi, that’s much better than giant sharks. Shara shook her head as they rattled down toward the city.
She grabbed the side of the wagon when they hit a bad bump. Since they’d left the other bandits behind, Shara had gotten relegated to the back of the wagon like cargo.
Arkon closed his eyes for a moment then shook his head. “Nothing.”
Perhaps the location was too obvious. The army started forward.
They hadn’t taken ten steps when the first enemy soldier appeared atop a nearby building. The man lobbed a small item at the center of the densely packed column before ducking down again. All around them more men appeared and lobbed similar items.
The first one struck the center of Nord’s army and exploded in a ball of sound and fire.
They had little time to react before the second firebomb exploded.
A dozen more explosions mingled with the sound of screaming and the hungry crackle of flames.
In moments his well-trained army collapsed into a frenzy of men running every which way trying to escape the killing flames.
Those on the opposite side of the fire scattered into the side streets and back the way they’d come.
“To me, men!” Nord bellowed, trying to regain control of his disintegrating army.
The noise was such that only the nearest companies heard him. They put some distance between themselves and the dying.
“I thought you said there was no magic.”
Arkon studied the sooty black smoke and said, “That isn’t magic, it’s alchemist’s fire.”
“What the hell is that?”
“A volatile liquid that explodes on contact with air, purely mundane, no magic at all.”
“Terrific, how do we stop it?”
Arkon looked at the sword in Nord’s hand.
“Of course.” Nord leveled the sword and let rip with a blast of chill magic.
An icy sheet of energy hit the inferno. He watched as the flames died down revealing the charred bodies of hundreds of his men.
Behind them there was no sign of the rest of his soldiers.
He swore. That one attack had cost him nearly half his army. There was nothing to be done about it now. “Let’s move out. The palace waits.”
They left the stench of charred meat behind and headed deeper into the city. The closer they got to the palace the more lavish the homes became. As they passed a particularly well-built mansion Arkon held out his arm. “I sense magic.”
Everyone came to a halt. “Where?” Nord asked.
“The center of the road; there’s about three feet of safe space on either side. The danger zone looks about twenty feet long.”
“Everyone hear that?” Nord asked. The soldiers murmured their understanding. “Arkon, take half the men along the left side. The rest of you come with me.”
Nord led his men along the right edge of the road, Heat’s Bane glittering icy blue in his hand. He went about ten paces before he felt confident enough to step away from the wall of the building. When nothing happened he turned to watch the men’s progress.
About half of them were safely beyond the trap when the first spear thrust through the window of the house. The spear struck a man through the gut and pushed him into the spell field.
Nord braced himself, waiting for an explosion.
Nothing happened.
As the men gaped in surprise, a score more spears struck home on both sides of the road. When a dozen bodies fell and nothing happened the soldiers moved away from the buildings and into the middle of the road.
“Come on,” Nord yelled. “They’re just trying to slow us down.”
He pointed Heat’s Bane and summoned a wall of ice to protect his men.
They left the trap behind and continued down the main road. They’d gone maybe three hundred yards when Arkon stopped them again. “I sense another spell field.”
“Like the last one?” Nord asked.
Arkon nodded. “Exact same size and shape, designed to make us travel close to the buildings.”
“How stupid do they think we are?” one of the sergeants asked. “We ain’t gonna fall for the same trick twice.”
He stepped right into the spell field and exploded in a shower of blood.
Nord wiped his face. “I think we should go around.”
No one argued.
He pointed Heat’s Bane and threw up walls of ice to stop any soldiers inside the building from attacking them. When everyone had made it safely past, Nord said, “My brother is cleverer than I thought.”
“Then you perceive his true intention?” Arkon asked.
“He’s trying to sow confusion and slow us down.”
“That’s part of it,” Arkon said moving closer to Nord. “There’s more though. Every trap has something in common. To pass safely you have to call on the sword’s magic. Your brother’s trying to drain your power before he confronts you directly.”
Nord frowned as he considered Arkon’s words. He could feel the truth in them. Vilos always did favor a sneaky approach.
He might try but Nord would be damned before Vilos’s tricks stopped him from claiming what was his.
Chapter 39
Vilos drove his sword through the chest of one of Nord’s soldiers. The dead man fell to the ground and Vilos pulled his sword free. This first skirmish ended quickly as his force outnumbered the small group of fleeing soldiers five to one.
“Report, Captain.”
Vilos’s second-in-command for this battle offered a nervous bow. “Three dead, six wounded, sir.”
“Alright, get the wounded to the healers. Everyone else, let’s go hunting.”
Vilos led them through the streets toward the ambush site. Three other groups scoured the streets for invaders that had fled the ambush. He hoped it wouldn’t cost too many lives rounding up the stragglers.
As they approached the main street the scent of death assaulted them. The sight as they stepped onto Sultan’s Way was even worse. Hundreds of bodies burned beyond recognition lay scattered about. Abin had told him the alchemist’s fire wasn’t pretty; effective, but not pretty.
Vilos certainly couldn’t argue.
One of his men had dug out a pipe and was getting ready to light it with a smoldering finger bone. The others laughed until they saw the look on Vilos’s face.
He slapped the bone from the soldier’s hand. “They may have earned their death when they marched through our gates, but now that they’ve passed into the next world, you will treat them with respect.”
The soldier pocketed his pipe and hung his head. “Sorry, Majesty.”
Vilos laid a hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s all right. Just remember, we mustn’t lower ourselves to the level of our enemies or we risk becoming what we fight against. Understood?”
The last question was addressed to everyone.
“Yes, Majesty,” came the unanimous reply.
“Good, now let’s go find their buddies and send them to join their friends.”
Vilos led them down a side street then paused when he heard the sound of fighting. “This way.”
They thundered to the right and found a large group of invaders fighting one of his other bands of hunters.
Vilos roared and charged.
The nearest man turned just in time to get his skull split in half.
Unfortunately the force of the blow caused Vilos’s sword to get stuck in the bone.
A massive axeman didn’t waste the opportunity.
He swung his weapon with the idea of separating Vilos’s head from his shoulders.
The look on his face when the weapon bounced off Vilos’s neck brought a grin to the sultan’s face.
It also bought him the second he needed to jerk his sword free and spill the unlucky soldier’s guts onto the street.
The shock of Vilos’s attack brought the skirmish to a quick end.
He was about to lead his men off in search of another battle when he heard Abin’s voice. “Majesty, your brother has reached the palace gates.”
“Damn. Captain, I’ll leave you in charge of the cleanup.” Vilos tossed him a rune-covered stone. “Should the palace fall, I’ll send a message through the stone. Get everyone hidden, understood?”
“Yes, Majesty,” the captain said. “I won’t let you down.”
Vilos clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man. Abin, get us to the palace.”
The wizard muttered a few words then tapped Vilos on the shoulder. His feet lifted off the ground and his stomach lurched.
He hated flying. Abin had assured him he knew just how long the spell would last and they’d be on the ground well before then.
Abin canceled his invisibility spell and they rose up into the air and shot toward the palace. At least Vilos assumed they shot toward the palace. He couldn’t be certain since his eyes were clamped shut.
He felt the wind on his face then after a few seconds Abin said, “We’re here.”
Vilos opened his eyes and found himself hovering about an inch above the ground. Two thousand men stood waiting to fight the invaders.
“Why am I still floating here?”
“Sorry.” Abin snapped his fingers and they settled back to earth.
A deep pounding echoed through the garden. “What is that?” Vilos asked.
“Your brother is trying to chop his way through the gate,” one of the soldiers reported.
“Why doesn’t he use the sword?” Vilos hoped blasting through the gate would use up the last of its power.
“Perhaps he’s figured out your plan,” Abin said as if reading his mind.
Vilos marched toward the gate. “Someone get me a crossbow.”
When he arrived, a loaded heavy crossbow waited for him. The wood shuddered under the impact of an axe. Vilos took the weapon and put it to his shoulder. There was a small slot the guards used to look over visitors.
Vilos pointed at one of the soldiers. “Open that slot.”
The man gingerly reached over and slid it open. Vilos spotted his brother’s ugly face and fired.
The bolt scored a bloody line across Nord’s cheek.
Vilos tossed the crossbow to a nearby soldier. “Everyone back.”
“What did you do?” Abin asked.
“I just scratched Nord’s pride.” Vilos grinned at his friend. “He’ll be coming, even if it takes every drop of power left in Heat’s Bane.”
A moment later the gates exploded in a blast of chill air.
A screaming clot of men poured through the sundered gate.
“Attack!” Vilos drew his sword and led the defenders on a fierce counterassault.
Vilos spotted his brother on the left side of the battlefield. Having no great desire to face the power of his sword he headed right.
Nord’s men were skilled fighters and Vilos soon found himself hard pressed by a pair of warriors fighting in tandem. One had an axe and would attack aggressively then when Vilos tried to counter the swordsman would move in to guard his partner.
Finally Vilos was forced to allow the axeman to land a blow.
The distraction of his failed attack gave Vilos the second he needed to run the swordsman through.
Without his partner the axeman fell soon after.
Temporarily free, Vilos surveyed the battle. His men were getting pushed back. Nord’s army was too large. The defense was going to break.
“Retreat to the palace,” Vilos roared.
The defenders began a fighting retreat. Nord’s men pushed hard but paid a steep price for every foot. They weren’t the only ones paying, though. Vilos saw more than a few of his own men lying on the ground.
All of a sudden a blast of frigid air struck Vilos. He turned toward the source and saw a chunk of his flank frozen on the ground.
A hand fell on his shoulder.
He wheeled around ready to strike.
Abin was there. “The palace is lost. You must escape, Majesty. I’ll send the message to our men in the city.”
Vilos wanted to argue but Abin cut him off. “The people need their sultan alive. Think of Shara.”
Vilos swore but knew the wizard was correct. “Alright, let’s get to the portal. Sound the surrender and get the others out of sight.”
Abin muttered a word of power and made some gestures in the air. “It’s done, let’s go.”
They turned and ran from the battlefield, heading straight toward the palace. As they approached the doors Abin gestured and they flew open. The pair ran through the main hall toward the throne room.
The doors lay open before them. Vilos hurried behind the throne while Abin watched the door for signs of pursuit. After a moment’s search he found a slight indentation and pressed it.
A hidden panel slid open revealing a stone tunnel that went deep into the earth.
“I got it, come on.”
Abin joined him and conjured a sphere of light. Once they had entered the tunnel Vilos touched another indentation and closed the panel behind them. They followed the twisting path for several hundred yards until it emerged in a cavern about fifty feet across and twenty feet high. Two black stone pillars about eight feet apart rose ten feet in the air from the center of the cavern floor. Twisted runes covered every inch of the pillars.
Vilos stepped up to them and said, “In the name of the Sultan of the High Kingdom I command the path to open.”
The runes began to glow with silver light. Soon the cavern was filled with so much light that Abin let his fade. When the space between the pillars finished filling with swirling silver light Vilos said, “Time to go.”
Abin nodded and the two men stepped through side by side.
A jolt of power coursed through Vilos.
He felt like his body was being torn apart.
The sensation lasted only an instant, then they were standing in a cavern similar to the one beneath the palace.
The silver light faded and soon they were standing in total darkness. After a few moments Abin summoned a light. A small tunnel to their right led toward the surface.
Vilos went first up the tunnel, setting a slow pace. His head spun from the aftereffects of the teleportation spell.
He slammed his fist into the stone wall. “How many times has that gate been used?” he asked.
Before Abin could answer he continued, “Damn few, I know. Many of my ancestors died rather than flee an enemy.”
“While you live the people have hope,” Abin said. “Think of your daughter. Perhaps Kent has some word of Shara.”
Vilos took little comfort in his words, but little comfort was better than none. At the top of the tunnel they exited into a quiet alley. When Vilos looked back he saw only a stone wall.
Abin saw the look on his face and smiled. “Illusory wall. One of my predecessors put it there to keep out unwanted visitors.”
Vilos laughed. A salty breeze struck him and he drew in a deep breath. It had been too long since he’d seen the sea.
“My brother’s office is near the docks. Let’s go find him.”
Chapter 40
Nord snarled in pain as the bolt ripped into his face. “Out of the way!” he bellowed.
He leveled Heat’s Bane at the gate and blasted it to splinters. His men rushed in and were met by a mass of defenders. Nord kept his distance, feeling weak from using the sword’s magic.
His men pushed the defenders back but at high cost. Nord closed his eyes and delved deep into Heat’s Bane’s magic. Little remained, but he felt a wisp of power. Enough, he hoped, to turn the tide quickly.
His right flank was starting to weaken. Nord raised his sword and summoned the last of the sword’s magic.
Icy magic swept over Vilos’s right flank killing scores of men.
The attack lost momentum as the defenders reeled.
Nord’s men renewed their push.
They forced the defenders on to the palace steps then without warning they threw down their weapons and surrendered.
Thoroughly sick of fighting for one day, Nord accepted the surrender without question. His men rounded up the survivors and went to set up a temporary prison.
“You’ve won, my lord,” Arkon said.
Nord looked at the wizard as blood dripped off his chin. “Hardly. Vilos escaped and my army is in ruins. I have the capital in name only. With the men I have left we can’t even patrol the streets. I have no doubt my brother left plenty of men behind to cause trouble. We control the palace and that’s it. Once everyone is secure I want you to contact Duke Benwa. Have him send more men south. Then we will finish off my brother.”
Chapter 41
“There it is, King’s Port.” Robert made a grand sweeping gesture to encompass the entire city. He had brought the wagon to a halt on a small hill looking down over the city.
King’s Port was an oddly sprawling city with a huge waterfront. Ships of all sizes, from massive galleons to three-man sloops crowded the docks. What made the city look odd was that it sprawled along the coast but only went about half a mile inland.
Gentle waves lapped against the shoreline. It looked perfectly calm to Shara. “Why do they call it the Sea of Torments?”
“Because one of the nastiest creatures on the planet calls this sea home, the Black Widow Shark. It gets about fifty feet long and some have been known to swallow small ships whole.”
“Why is it called the Black Widow Shark?” Shara asked.
“Because it’s all black and has a red hourglass-shaped mark on its belly, just like the spider.”
Shara shuddered. “I hope we don’t meet one.”
Robert smiled and Blade slapped him across the back of his head.
“Tell her the real reason,” Blade said.
“Real reason?” Shara was confused.
Robert rubbed his head. “I was only kidding about the shark. They call it the Sea of Torments because there’s a whirlpool at the center that moans like a tormented man. Don’t worry, everyone just sails around it.”
“Then there is no Black Widow Shark?”
“Nope, just sea dragons and giant octopi. We’d better get going.” Robert flicked the reins and they started down the rough dirt road toward the city.
Sea dragons and giant octopi, that’s much better than giant sharks. Shara shook her head as they rattled down toward the city.
She grabbed the side of the wagon when they hit a bad bump. Since they’d left the other bandits behind, Shara had gotten relegated to the back of the wagon like cargo.
