Beastwalker (Pharim War Book 3) Read online

  Beastwalker

  Pharim War Book 3

  GAMA RAY MARTINEZ

  Beastwalkeris a work of fiction. All incidents and dialogue, and all characters are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover illustration and design by Holly Heisey, http://hollyheisey.com

  Interior illustration by Victoria D. Morris.

  Copyright © 2016 Gamaliel Martinez

  All rights reserved.

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  CHAPTER 41

  CHAPTER 42

  CHAPTER 43

  CHAPTER 44

  CHAPTER 45

  CHAPTER 46

  CHAPTER 47

  CHAPTER 48

  CHAPTER 49

  CHAPTER 50

  CHAPTER 51

  CHAPTER 52

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER 1

  Jez was naked except for the mud. It completely covered him, though a minor effort of will removed it from his hands and face. The excess drained back into the mud pool at his feet. That working wouldn’t be enough to get him through this, though. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

  Water and earth separated from each other. The water congealed around his torso and arms, and the dirt hardened around his legs. He started to sweat as the water churned, and he drew that sweat into his liquid shirt. He tried to take a step, and the dirt around his legs started to flake away. He focused, hardening the dirt while keeping it flexible enough to move in. He took a breath and stepped over his discarded brown robes. He pulled back the flap to the tent that had been set up to give the challenger a measure of privacy and stepped outside.

  Besis, the Academy’s protection master, stood there and smiled. He said something, but all of Jez’s concentration was being spent on his makeshift clothes. He looked up, and his heart fell. A hundred yards away, trapped by a binding circle of glowing sapphire runes, stood three chezamuts.

  The soldier demons, who made up the vast majority of the hordes of the abyss, were terrible in combat. Facing them would be challenging under ordinary circumstances. He’d done that before, though admittedly with help. Being forced to do it alone while he maintained the earth and water around him would’ve made dealing with one extremely difficult. Three was beyond impossible. Silently he cursed Besis. The protection master had promised him this would be a fair test, not one that depended on knowledge that had been locked away or on power that would burn away Jez’s flesh if he touched it.

  As his thoughts raced, the water of his shirt began to drip away, but he caught it before more than a few drops had fallen to the ground. There was nothing left but to try. He started walking toward the circle. After a few seconds, Besis caught up to him. As per tradition, he didn’t say anything as he began walking side by side with Jez. They neared the circle, and the red scales of the demons became clear, and the glow of their brass claws became distinct. Their legs were jointed in reverse and ended in cloven hooves. A pair of curved horns rose from their heads, and their eyes were like points of fire.

  Jez stopped in front of the circle and took several deep breaths. He glanced up at Besis. The protection master met his gaze. He didn’t say anything, but he was sweating and wringing his hands. Jez tried not to look too deeply into that. They were in a small clearing on the slopes of Mount Carcer, and the fire mountain gave off constant heat. That had to be why Besis was sweating. He would never summon creatures for a test that he couldn’t handle on his own. Still, Jez hesitated. If he’d been asked a day ago, he would’ve thought it unlikely that Besis could take on three chezamuts on his own, and certainly not easily enough to defend someone in close quarters. Maybe he’d just underestimated the master.

  He looked the chezamuts up and down. A low growl escaped the throat of the one on the right. The other two repeated it a second later. The one on the right tried to slash at him with its claws, but the attack impacted the invisible wall made by the binding circle. The other two did the same as soon as it drew back. They moved at exactly the same time, practically a mirror image of each other. He looked closer. The scales on two of them were a little too smooth. Their movements were jerky, and Jez’s eyes wandered to the ground. Only one of the demons left footprints. Understanding dawned on him.

  Protection was one of the most demanding dominions, with four schools of magic in addition to more mundane areas of study. Jez had proved his ability with terra and aqua magic by making and maintaining his clothes. Binding would be demonstrated by banishing demons. That only left warding.

  It was a struggle to keep the earth and water around him while crafting a third working. The water kept dripping from his hands as they formed patterns in the air, but he let them go. It shouldn’t be a problem as long as it wasn’t too much. The strain of having to split his concentration three ways made it take longer than it would have otherwise, but finally, a ward against illusion came into being. He felt resistance as it intersected with the binding circle. The wall shimmered but remained intact, and two of the chezamuts vanished. Jez smiled, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Besis relax. Jez released the ward and started another working. He took a deep breath and stepped into the circle.

  Besis cried out, but Jez didn’t have time to look. The demon’s claws tore through the air at him, and Jez dove to the ground. The earth on his legs cracked and nearly half of it came free. He scrambled to his feet, leaving a wet spot on the ground where his shirt had lost water. The demon lunged at him, trying to catch his arm in its razor sharp teeth. Jez took a step back, and a gout of water shot out from his sleeve and into the demon’s face. It backed up several steps. The rest of the earth around Jez legs began to fall away, but he extended the water, melding it with the earth and turning it back into mud. He’d always been more skilled with aqua magic than terra magic.

  With the water inside of the earth, he was able to hold the mud in place. He lifted his hand and a beam of silver light shot out. It hit the demon in the chest. The creature roared as the energy of the working drove it back. It tried to take a step forward, but the beam drilled through it, erupting from its back. The fires in its eyes went out. It took one step forward before its skin cracked and silver light shone from within. Its pieces flaked away, turning to ash in the air. In a few moments, the demon was gone.

  Jez’s shoulders slumped. The mud on his legs began to drip away, and Jez could barely hold on to enough to maintain modesty. Besis clapped.

  “Well done, acolyte. Your skill is beyond question.”

  Jez cocked his head and motioned down at himself. Almost all of his cove
rings were gone. “But I lost it at the end.”

  Besis laughed. Jez felt his face heat up. When Besis finally calmed down, he was breathing heavily. “That? You’d be surprised how many people finish this test naked, and it’s not just the ones who show as poor judgement as you did.”

  “What do mean poor judgement?”

  Besis cocked an eyebrow. “Stepping into the circle with the chezamut was never a part of this trial. Even master binders don’t have to be able to face a soldier demon in single combat.”

  “But binding...”

  “Did it never occur to you to bind it from outside the circle?”

  Jez stared at the master for a second and shook his head. “My ward against illusion almost took down the circle. The binding would’ve destroyed it.”

  “True, but it still would’ve gotten the demon.”

  “But wouldn’t that have been cheating?”

  Besis raised an eyebrow, and the edges of his mouth tightened in the beginnings of a smile. “Jezreel, I know you’ve banished more demons than just about anyone, so I would’ve thought you understood this. There’s no such thing as cheating when battling demons.” He shook his head. “This is one of the only times someone has entered the circle that I haven’t had to step in. Most who succeed not only do it from outside the circle, they do it from a great distance. Granted, their first attempt usually hits an illusion, but they still have time to craft another working before the chezamut reaches them.”

  Jez nodded. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  “Well, you’ve had more direct contact with demons than anyone else I’ve ever trained. Still, you should try to remember that a direct assault isn’t always the best choice.”

  Jez inclined his head. “Yes, Master Besis.”

  Besis waved at the tent. “Now put on your robes. The ceremony will begin at sunset. Well done.”

  Jez bowed his head to the master and couldn’t stop grinning. It felt like a lifetime ago that he’d come to the Academy, though in fact, it had only been a year. He’d changed so much since then, and today, he would take a major step forward. He ducked into the tent and put on his acolyte robes for the last time. At the Ceremony of Raising, he, along with the rest who had proven themselves ready, would be given the colored robes of an adept.

  CHAPTER 2

  The Ceremony of Raising took place in the courtyard near the center of the Academy. The central spire rose two hundred feet above them and loomed like some great beast. The obsidian that covered most of the city shimmered in the light of the setting sun. Students and family members were gathered to honor those who would be promoted. Jez could see the tall form of Osmund in the crowd.

  The giant of a boy had already been at the Academy several terms when Jez had arrived and had received his own adept’s robes two terms ago. Now, the scarlet garment of a destruction adept seemed almost like flames in the setting sun. Lina stood next to him, seeming tiny by comparison, though she was of average height. Her blond hair gleamed in the sunlight. She had only returned to the Academy three terms ago, but she had been promoted the previous term. She hadn’t stopped lording over Jez that she’d been declared an adept before he had, but it had been a friendly sort of teasing, unlike the cruel attitude she’d held in her first term.

  Jez stood with five other brown-robed students before the stairs leading to the tower. Only the dominion of beasts was unrepresented, which was odd because Jez knew a boy named Barash had been set to test for promotion in that dominion. The door to the tower opened and Chancellor Balud, master of healing and head of the Carceri Academy, walked forward and stopped at the top of the stairs. Three masters, including Besis, appeared on his left, and two came to his right. Master Horgar, master of beasts, was missing. The crowd started whispering. Even though Horgar didn’t have an acolyte being raised, it was tradition for all seven masters to take part in the ceremony. Balud stepped forward.

  “When Lenur, first king of Ashtar established this kingdom, he recognized that there were matters beyond the influence of any king. He decreed that a group of men and women establish a school to teach people to deal with things outside the purview of ordinary law, and thus the Carceri Academy was born.

  “Those who leave this place as mages have a responsibility to the people, be they of Ashtar or of any other land, but the road to magehood is long, and few can see it through to its end. You six have taken the first step. Acolytes, you have all demonstrated your knowledge and ability in your chosen dominion. As such, it is no longer fitting to call you acolytes. You are adepts of the Carceri Academy. Let your respective masters come forth and present you with the robes of your office.”

  Balud stepped forward and held out an orange robe to a petite girl named Michena. She beamed as she took it, and her eyes went wide as the chancellor inclined his head. One by one, the others presented their robes. Master Linala had yellow, Rael had indigo. Kerag’s was violet and Fina’s was red. Besis walked up to Jez and held out a brilliant blue robe. He took it and realized his hands were shaking. He’d been at the Academy for six terms, a full year, not counting the time he’d spent at the capital, working toward this goal. Now, it was hard to believe it was actually happening. He inclined his head, but Besis bowed deeply to him. From the way the other masters looked at him, it was clear this wasn’t normal.

  “Well earned, Jezreel Bartinson. Well earned.”

  The other former acolytes were engaged in short conversation with their masters, and Jez was about to do the same when a shadow fell over the gathered people. Everyone looked up at the massive bird descending on the courtyard. It had dark brown feathers and was large enough that it could carry a person in each of its talons. Its curved beak looked well suited to tearing at flesh, and Jez couldn’t help but wonder what this creature ate. A few started screaming and some of Fina’s students raised their hands and prepared to fling balls of fire.

  “Extinguish,” the destruction master called.

  His voice bellowed over the noise of the people, and instantly the fires went out, leaving only the faint smell of smoke hanging in the air. The burly man held his hands clasped together in front of him. When he spread them out, a blast of wind shot into the crowd, forcing them apart and giving the bird a place to land. Jez hadn’t noticed the pair of smaller birds latched on to the wings of the larger creature.

  They looked like miniature versions of the massive hawk, and as soon as it landed, they detached themselves and perched next to their larger counterpart. All three shimmered. For a moment, the larger hawk shrank, but it grew back to normal size a second later. It closed its eyes and gave the peculiar impression that it was concentrating, and all three of the birds shimmered and vanished, revealing three green robed figures. The larger hawk had been Master Horgar. In his hands, he held the unmoving form of Barash, the one who was to have been tested for promotion into the dominion of beasts. The black veil on his face spoke louder than any words anyone could’ve said. Barash was dead.

  CHAPTER 3

  Everyone started shouting at once. A man and a woman Jez didn’t recognize rushed past him, probably Barash’s mother and father. They knelt by the body, and the woman started weeping. Master Horgar spoke softly to them. Jez took a deep breath, sniffing at the air and almost immediately calmed a little. Balud raised a hand toward the crowd, but no one seemed to be paying attention. He glanced over at Master Kerag. The large man nodded, and when Balud spoke, his voice came out like a thunderclap.

  “Silence!”

  Even the wind seemed to die down at his command. Every eye, save those of the dead student’s parents, turned to the chancellor, and he lowered his hands.

  “You will all disperse. Students are free from obligation until the next term begins. Masters will come to my office. Go.”

  The crowd looked at one another, but Balud cleared his throat. Still enhanced by Kerag’s audio illusion, it sounded like the rumble of the earth, and the people scattered slowly. Balud called a few of his adjutants to come and
prepare the body and care for the parents. Jez made his way through the crowd. It didn’t take him long to find Osmund. People actually parted around the large boy. Lina was standing next to him. The two, while not exactly friends, were no longer the bitter enemies they had been once.

  “Did you smell...anything?” Osmund asked.

  Jez glanced around, but no one seemed to be paying attention. Still, he didn’t want to answer Osmund’s unspoken question out loud, so he just shook his head. Lina let out a breath in obvious relief. The motion seemed to accentuate the scar on her face. The mark, made by the sword of Osmund’s alter ego, Ziary, couldn’t be healed by magic or nature. Once, she’d used an illusion to hide it, but after getting caught up in a plot to unleash a demon general, such things had ceased to matter very much for her, and she’d put away that particular conceit. She noticed him looking and gave him a half smile. Jez nodded and led them down an alley before he elaborated further.

  “It’s probably nothing,” Jez said. Then he winced at his own words. Barash had been a quiet and mild mannered boy. Jez had liked him. A lot of people had. “I mean it’s not nothing. It probably wasn’t demons. These trials can be dangerous. Just because the masters haven’t lost anyone in a long time doesn’t mean it can’t happen.”

  Absently, Osmund rubbed his right forearm. After his own trial, that arm had been badly burned. Lina nodded, no doubt remembering the nightmares that had plagued her until well into the term. The masters didn’t allow anyone to go through a trial until they were ready, but there were no guarantees. Maybe Barash had made a mistake as bad as Jez himself had, only without being so lucky. That was probably it.

  They went to the Quarter Horse, one of the town’s inns, where they were joined by a blue-robed boy named Kilos, who was the son of the innkeeper. Jez had saved his life from a fear demon the previous year. Their plan had been to celebrate Jez’s promotion, but with the death of Barash, the mood of their dinner was muted.