The Deathless Ones, page 34
She glanced at Semil. He looked tired, but there was a determined look to his face. She was glad to see that. She had been so worried for him. It was as if something inside him had broken and it had hurt her to see him so unsure, so full of doubts. It looked as if her master was back and she hoped he would teach those three a lesson they wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
They rode hard, but the wagon had a good head start and though at times, they could catch sight of it, it remained beyond the range of their bows and spears. They rode all night and reached Lykos as the last moon was setting. The wagon was blocking the main road and they rode into town, slowly and cautiously.
There was the sound of glass breaking and suddenly white smoke was everywhere. Marian’s horse stumbled and fell and she managed to jump clear. Her companions and Semil were all coughing; she couldn’t see them, only hear their gasping cough. She didn’t understand what was happening or why the smoke didn’t affect her. She could see the road vaguely, and she ran.
Soon, she reached the edge of the town. The smoke was thinner there. The breeze was dissipating it. She saw the two standing at a distance, waiting for her. Sadjah and her brother. They both had on the same tunics they were wearing when she had captured them. Madh’s tunic was torn at one side.
She drew her sword and approached them.
“Surrender!” she yelled. “You’ve no other option.”
Madh lifted his hand, but Sadjah placed her hand on his arm. “This is my fight,” she said. “I’ve a score to settle with her!”
Marian was amused. Was she going to fight her unarmed? Madh made a gesture and a sword appeared in Sadjah’s hand. Marian frowned. She had noticed his white robes when she had seen him first, but they had no embellishments and so she had assumed that he wasn’t magician.
“So, it’s two against one,” she said.
Madh shook his head. “I shall not interfere. I’ve faith in my sister.”
She sneered at Sadjah. “So you think you can take on a trained warrior, healer?”
“I’ve been trained too,” Sadjah said. “I can take you.”
Marian lunged, feinting. Sadjah’s movements were slow, showing her lack of practice, but she managed to block Marian’s move. Soon, they both fell into a rhythm, but Marian knew that she had the upper hand. Sadjah was good, but not as good as her. Sadjah jumped away from a strike, rolling and jumping up and turning to face Marian again. Marian smiled, as she saw that Sadjah was tiring.
“It’s a pity you can’t be killed,” she said as her eyes fell on the woman and Lykos behind her. The smoke was almost gone, giving it the appearance of a town covered by fog. Marian’s step faltered, and her sword arm was suddenly heavy as fear clutched her heart. Sadjah’s face was in shadow and Marian recognised her as the faceless stranger of her dreams.
“This can’t be,” she whispered as Sadjah lunged and her sword came up a fraction too late as Sadjah’s sword entered her gut.
“Just returning a favour,” Sadjah said, twisting the blade and Marian gasped. Strangely, she felt no pain. She stared at Sadjah, her eyes wide, as she looked at the strange markings all over Sadjah’s body. Her sword fell from her hands and she fell, her eyes empty.
“No!” A shout came from the direction of the town and an arrow thudded into Sadjah’s heart and another into Madh’s calf, bringing him to his knees. Semil ran towards him and before he could cast a spell, something hit his head and he fell down, unconscious.
Semil was by Marian’s side, his hand on her head. He rose and turned to Amrose who had thrown away the sword, the hilt of which he had used to knock Madh unconscious.
“Can you do the spell here?”
Amrose nodded. “I’ll start. By the time she comes back to life, she’ll be part of the spell.”
“Do it then,” Semil turned away from him and bent down to lift Marian’s body, carrying it to the side. “Be at peace, Marian,” he whispered, feeling tears prickle his eyes.
Actions and Consequences
Mylwin glanced at Lady Myra as they rode. Her face was hard, and he could not ever remember her looking that way. He glanced back at where Radik and Pelmeya were following them, Bydor rode with Fin, Syamin, and Aadron brought up the rear with Danyal and Layla riding before them. Aster had asked Danyal to go with them, saying he would be fine. Both Aster and his horse were exhausted, but the horse would be all right with rest and food. Mylwin had a feeling that it wouldn’t be so easy for Aster.
Once they had seen Aster was safe, Syamin had asked Bydor and Fin to stay with him and to take him back to Mirrel, but Aster had refused saying that they would need all the men they could get. Semil and his men would probably be occupying Lykos, and though the town was deserted, it still was important from a strategic point of view. Some of the villagers who had helped Layla defend Dell had also offered to come, though Syamin had assured them that they were needed to defend Mirrel.
“I’ve left my entire armies there, drugged and helpless should anyone choose to attack them,” he had said. “If you can keep them safe until they regain their senses and then send them after us, that’s the greatest help you can give us.”
“You should trust them,” Layla had told him once the villagers had departed.
“I do trust them,” Syamin had said. “But I will not have civilians die unnecessarily.”
“Sadjah is their friend,” Layla had insisted.
“She’s one of my people, and is my responsibility,” Syamin had said. “Besides, now that Aster is safe, there is no need to hurry. We only need to hold Semil at bay and keep him from leaving Lykos until our men come.”
Mylwin wondered what was so special about the twins.
“Semil wants them,” Aster had said. “He wants to use them for some purpose of his own. I don’t know what he intends to do with them, but I know that whatever he means can’t be good. You need to save them. Let Semil go, if need be, but make sure you get the two of them back!”
Mylwin glanced again at the two magicians riding just behind him. Neither looked well. Both were holding themselves upright, but they sat too stiffly. Mylwin wondered if Semil's magician was in the same state. He certainly hoped so. They could use whatever advantage they could get. They were a laughably small group, but once outside Lykos and free of the shadow, it would be easier for Radik and Pelmeya to protect them. Magicians could not attack or take lives, but they were extremely good at protecting.
Mylwin wondered again what they were doing. None of them knew what was special about Madh and Sadjah, and yet, they were all risking their lives for them. Mylwin knew the same fear was in him that was in every heart, the fear that this would be the fight that they would not return from, the fight when they could lose someone who meant everything to them. Just thinking that he could lose anyone else frightened Mylwin. Miran was gone, Kore was gone, Bale was gone and Fin, Pelmeya, Lady Myra and Syamin were all he had left. Though he had been angry with Syamin for his betrayal, that anger had dissipated a while ago, and now all he could think of was the mentor and teacher who had taught him everything. Without Syamin, he would probably be dead now, and so would Lady Myra and most of his friends. He couldn’t contemplate losing anyone in this group, not even Danyal or Layla whom he barely knew.
Mylwin could feel sleep war with his fear, and he shook his head to stave it off. It also helped that Lady Myra was setting a punishing pace. Everyone appeared nervous. The white robes of Radik and Pelmeya gleamed in the dark.
They reached Lykos just as Arwi was beginning its descent. The town was deserted, but they could see Semil's army had passed through. The town was in flames. They crossed the burning town without difficulty, keeping to the shadows as they loosed arrows upon the camp that Semil had set up. The armies seemed to be in a state of confusion, and it took them a while to realise they were under attack. Both armies were clear of the shadow of Nadais, and Radik and Pelmeya were shielding their soldiers as well as causing the weapons of the enemy to be deflected. Semil and his magician were nowhere to be seen, though Semil's soldiers held their ground. The two magicians' help was an added advantage and soon, Semil's armies were almost in retreat with their little group holding the upper hand.
“We need to find Madh and Sadjah,” Syamin shouted.
“On it,” Aadron shouted back as he jumped down from the horse and started searching the camp, Layla and Danyal following him. Before they could get far, their eyes were all blinded by a flash of light and a pillar of fire appeared behind the trees, rising up to the skies.
MADH REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS and realised that he was bound and laid out in the middle of a circle that was connected to another in which lay the inert body of his sister. A line of blood joined the two circles. With a small gesture, Madh freed himself from his bonds and sat up. Amrose was standing with his back to them, reciting the words of the spell. A large circle was drawn on the ground enclosing him and the two smaller circles. Semil stood outside the circle, his eyes avid.
Wind started swirling around Amrose, fire erupted, water started bubbling up from the ground, the lights of the moons and stars dimmed, and a pillar of fire rose to the sky. Madh got to his feet in order to leave, but he could not.
“It’s a protective enchantment,” Kal said. “But you know that already.”
“I know,” Madh looked at Amrose. “The spell is tied to him, and he’s already tied to the other spell too. If I break this one, it could kill him.”
“Quite a dilemma,” Kal said. “On the one hand, magicians cannot kill, but you cannot free yourself without killing him. What do you plan to do?”
Madh listened to Amrose’s words, and started whispering similar words under his breath.
“That will not stop him,” Kal said. “But it will buy you some time.”
“What do you want, Kal?” Madh snapped.
“Nothing now,” Kal said. “It’s too late for me to want anything, but it is not too late for you. What do you want?”
Madh ignored him, though he was angry. Kal was probably sulking. He had no leisure to deal with it. He wished the Elementals would just leave Terrin alone. He wished all those stupid rules that prevented magicians from killing weren’t there. He wished the damn shadow of Nadais didn’t exist. He wished that magic were not so easy, that a magician wouldn’t be able to do anything with a few gestures and a few words. Even when spells drained their life force, they managed to replenish it so easily. He wished that magicians couldn’t do that so fast, that it would take them long periods of rest to replenish what they had lost.
Even through his anger, he kept whispering the words of the spell that would corrupt Amrose’s spell and prevent it from latching on to him and Sadjah for a while. At the corner of his eye, he saw three people burst into the clearing. He watched, not faltering over the words as Aadron attacked Semil while Layla and Danyal tried to breach the circle Amrose was in. Madh stopped reciting and shouted at Layla,
“Shoot him in the shoulder or legs! That’s the only way!”
He knew the protective enchantment. It would stop anyone from entering or exiting, but it wouldn’t stop inanimate objects. But the respite had cost him dear as he could feel the spell connect him and Sadjah to Amrose.
Layla unslung her bow and nocked an arrow.
“No!” Semil bashed Aadron on the face with his shield and Aadron ducked, but the shield clipped the side of his face and he fell down, bleeding, and Semil had jumped towards Layla, his sword passing through her body.
Aadron half rose from where he lay. “Get out of the way, Danyal!” he shouted as he threw a dagger at Amrose. It struck Amrose’s shoulder and his voice faltered, and the fire died down as did the wind and the water. The spell broke and Madh pushed against his circle which also broke.
Madh staggered and fell, utterly drained.
SEMIL SNARLED IN ANGER and hurled his spear at Aadron, intending to kill, but the spear deflected off an invisible shield as Radik appeared in the clearing. Semil flung another spear at Radik’s horse, intending to knock the magician off, but the horse stumbled and went down on its knees, causing the spear to impale its rider’s chest. For a moment, there was absolute stillness as everyone in the clearing froze. Semil's eyes widened in horror and he lifted his hands and waved them as if to ward of something.
“No!” he screamed. “Keep them away! Stay away!”
Amrose stared at his master in horror before screaming and flinging himself at Aadron, but Danyal was on his way and he hit him on his head with the hilt of his sword, and Amrose fell down unconscious. Semil’s men who had entered the clearing fled in terror. Myra came running, and stopped.
“Are they all right?” she asked, pointing to Madh and Sadjah who were both on the ground. Semil sat whispering to himself. Layla lay in a pool of her own blood and Aadron pushed himself up, blood coating one side of his face. Danyal moved towards the twins and bent down to examine them,
“They’re alive,” he said.
“Where’s Syamin?” Aadron asked.
“He’s injured,” Myra said. “Gravely, I’m afraid. It was just as that fire appeared. Mylwin’s attention was diverted and someone fired an arrow at him and Syamin jumped in the way. It caught him in the chest. I’m sorry.”
Aadron ran off, calling Syamin’s name and Myra started at where Semil sat.
“What happened to him?” she asked, horror, revulsion and pity all mixed in her tone and expression.
“The punishment for killing a magician,” Pelmeya caused the spear on Radik's chest to disappear, though there was nothing she could do about the gaping hole it left behind. She knelt on the ground and closed his eyes. “Insanity, and loss of all mental faculties.”
Myra shuddered. “I hate him, but... this seems too harsh.”
“It is not for us to judge,” Pelmeya straightened, her white robes smeared with blood and grime. “It is how it was ordained by Nadais. A magician who kills without provocation will suffer the same fate as one who kills a magician without provocation.”
“And the only provocation is threat to life, isn't it?” Myra asked. “So that means that no magician will ever attack anyone, and no one will ever attack a magician.”
“But this was an accident!” Danyal muttered. “Surely, that has to count for something.”
“It is the action that is punished, not the intent,” Pelmeya said. “After all, thoughts don't harm anyone. Actions do.”
Myra sighed. “Danyal, can you help bring Madh? I’ll carry Sadjah, and Pelmeya, can you help with the magician?”
Pelmeya suddenly put a hand on her chest, grimacing in pain.
“Pelmeya?” Myra's voice was anxious. “Are you injured?”
“No,” Pelmeya whispered. “But... I can't feel my magic any more.”
MADH STOOD WATCHING as his body lay on the ground and Semil threw the spear at Radik.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“You died,” Kal said. “No doubt you’ll live in a bit, but that magical exhaustion will take a few days to abate.”
“This never happened to me whenever I’d died before,” he said.
“You’ve never died by magic before,” Jiv said quietly. “But for what it’s worth, you did save the Elementals.”
“It wasn’t me,” Madh said.
“Not you alone, you mean,” Niya said. “Anyway, your choice has changed things for us as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Aeons ago, before Terrin existed, my father had demanded something from me in return for saving the lives of my nephews,” Kal said. “The day of its fulfilment has come.”
“And what was it?” Madh asked, curious.
“That we would honour your wish and so would our father.” Niya said. “You wished the Elementals would leave Terrin alone, and so we will. We will not return again.”
“What?” Madh asked. “You mean all I had to do was wish?”
Kal shook his head. “It had to be made at the right time.”
“Well, it wasn’t the only thing I wished for,” Madh muttered.
“And all that is coming to pass,” Niya said. “Even as we speak, the shadow of Nadais is leaving Terrin. Semil is the last man to be punished for killing a magician, and no magician will ever have magic inside them again, causing them to depend on magical objects, requiring them to rest for longer periods once a spell has drained them.”
Madh stared at them. “But I... it was just a wish I made in the heat of the moment!”
“It’s irrelevant,” Kal said. “You are a child of Nadais. Your wishes, your choices, have power more than you know. I warned you of it once.” He paused. “And now, it is time for you to return to your body,”
Madh opened his eyes to hear Pelmeya say. “I can’t feel my magic any more!”
The End of the War
Myra was watching the three magicians. Pelmeya, Madh, and Aadron were using their magic to rebuild Mirrel. Since magic had to be channelled through objects, it was taking considerably longer than before. Aadron and Madh were being trained by Pelmeya to use the new magic, which she had found no difficulty in learning. Mylwin, Bydor, Edd, Fin, Hiren, and Krast were organizing the return of the people to Mirrel. Temporary shelters were also being set up, and Aster and Danyal along with the healers were helping with the people who were ill or injured.
The people of Mirrel were still in shock and the partial destruction of their city was only a part of the reason. It was Syamin's death that hit them hard, and Myra couldn’t blame them. It had affected all of them, and it was only by staying busy that they were dealing with it. Aadron was perhaps the person whom the war had affected the most. He had lost Syamin and Radik, and Layla too had been a friend to him. Myra tried not to think of Syamin much. She was so used to Syamin defying odds that she had never expected him to die.
