Shadeslayer (Pharim War Book 7) Page 4

  Jez reached into his pouch. Without needing to see it, his fingers closed around the first shadow they had trapped. Manakel was right. Even now, Jez could feel its wispy form trying to slip through his fingers. A few of the others were almost as unstable. Whether it was because whoever had trapped these had used an inferior working or because the presence of so many bound shadows together had the effect of weakening the binding, the beads were melting away far quicker than they had imagined. Jez squeezed his fingers and the glass bead cracked. Inky black smoke flowed from his pouch, and Jez surrounded it with his thoughts. He pictured a cage and forced the image into the shadow.

  The imprisoned being gave a cry that could almost be called a whimper as it transitioned from the bead that held it prisoner into the shape that Jez had envisioned. It was only large enough to cause a single black bar to form in the air above them, but Jez cracked another bead. The shadowed beam spread out and began taking form. Jez reached into the pouch and a third one, adding it to the construct. Piece by piece, he assembled the cage.

  This was not magic, not exactly. While the memory shadows could be affected by wards and the workings of destruction magic, a more effective way to deal with them was to shape them by strength of will alone, and in that, no contingent could help him. Luntayary’s form couldn’t be of much use here either, but ‘not much’ was not the same as ‘none’. The human brain was flesh, and flesh, by its very nature, had limits that a pharim did not. He shed his human form, ignoring the burning sensation that followed. The cage grew further until the beads were expended. It didn’t cover the entire army, but it reached most of them.

  He cast his mystical senses outward. With his skills in aqua magic, he sensed the moisture hanging thick in the air all around them, but behind him where the pillar of fog hiding the manor stood, the presence just stopped. The earth vanished as well, swallowed by the fogs of Between. Jez grunted as he thrust his awareness into that hole, drawing on every ounce of power the contingent granted him. The thought Rael had given them was a complex one, and a wave of power washed over him. The pain in his flesh grew as he added Luntayary’s power to that of the other mages. He sent it outward, rolling over those nearby and reaching to the outer edges of the cage. He drew them in and pierced the barrier between worlds to drag them into Between.

  The world around them faded. The cage that had surrounded them no longer looked like a shadowy outline. The bars were solid black and almost glimmered as if they were obsidian under the noonday sun. People cried out, and Jez’s heart raced at what he saw. The surrounding area, which should have been empty other than the endless fogs of Between, was crowded with dark, shapeless figures that swirled around each other so that it was impossible to tell one from another. The shadows making up their cage seemed to cry out in triumph as their counterparts, the ones who had now surrounded them, rushed at the cage.

  The impact surged through Jez’s mind. It was all he could do not to scream. They pulled back and came at it again, and the cage shattered.

  CHAPTER 8

  Jez was everywhere. He could feel everything. His mind, bolstered by Luntayary’s form, had seemed so capable of doing what needed to be done, but now, with his cage broken, it was insufficient to the task of maintaining thirty thousand people. Reality was not meant to exist here, and their minds and bodies were fracturing.

  Lina was fracturing.

  The thought jarred him back to lucidity. He knew her. He knew the shape of her mind and soul. With barely an effort, Jez picked her out of the crowd and surrounded her with his thoughts. He would not, he could not allow her to die like this. Using a strength he didn’t realize he had, he brought her back together, and they materialized next to each other.

  “Jez?” Her voice seemed to echo forever. “What’s going on?”

  As if drawn by her words, half a dozen memory shadows dove at her. Jez didn’t bother with the binding. He just launched himself at the creatures, intending to skewer them with his crystal sword, but Between wasn’t a place for physical reality. What seemed to be his body was more a reflection of his self-perception than actual flesh and blood. As such, his mind mattered more than the strength of his arm, but right now, his mind was focused on keeping himself and Lina together. His movements were slow and sluggish. His sword only sliced through two of the shadow creatures before the others entered into him.

  Mount Carcer exploded. Molten rock ran down the slope, incinerating nearly a thousand people who hadn’t run fast enough. He heard their screams as they died. He hadn’t been fast enough or strong enough. He’d been too proud. It was his fault. All those deaths were on his head.

  The memory shattered, and Jez found himself looking into the deep shadow that covered Leziel’s face. Relief washed over Jez. The pharim lord nodded, and relief washed over Jez. The rules against mortal interference only applied on the mortal realm. Here, the pharim could do as they pleased.

  “The shadows in your mind have been dealt with. Prepare yourself. We will protect the others from this place, but it will take all of us to hold together so many. We will not be able to aid you with your defense.”

  Jez looked to Lina and nodded. He held his sword in both hands. The strain on his mind vanished as Leziel took on the burden of keeping him and Lina together. It was only then that Jez’s mind cleared and he saw the shadows circling around them. Someone, Sariel most likely, had crafted a ward to hold them away, though such things didn’t last long in Between. The shadows would soon be able to attack again. He turned to Leziel, but the lord of secrets had joined hands with the other six pharim high lords and they now formed a circle facing inward. The army was slowly popping back into existence, though more than one soldier looked like he was going to be sick.

  The shadows redoubled their efforts, slamming against Sariel’s ward. Jez waited. The bestial form of the warrior Jabur stood on one side of him while Captain Narva, her gold-veined sword gleaming, stood to his right. R’Virdi, the former otter man, glowed with emerald energy. Former Shadeslayers, no more able to maintain themselves than the humans were, floated above them, fiery wings and flaming swords blazing as they prepared to fight. Jez hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. If the pharim lords were able to restore everyone before Sariel’s ward fell, Jez would be able to take them directly to Rumar. People were still coming back, though, when a sound like breaking glass rang in their ears, and the shadows rushed toward them.

  Balls of scarlet flame rushed through the fog, striking many of the creatures. Jez’s crystal blade shimmered as it mowed through them with deadly speed. Jabur, who once served as Dusan’s bodyguard, glowed with green energy and fell upon the creatures with a savagery that barely seemed human. Narva’s weapon was much less effective, but it, at least, drove the creatures back long enough for someone else to deal with it. R’Virdi flung what seemed to be balls of concentrated transformation magic that changed the shadows in ways Jez wouldn’t have believed possible, transmuting them into harmless wisps of vapor. As more mages appeared, they realized what was going on, and even more violent workings filled the air. Every once in a while, one of the creatures would make it past the defenders and enter a person, but the Darkmask afur glided through the army like ghosts, appearing next to anyone afflicted. They would rest a hand on their head until the memory shadows squealed and left their hosts, only to be cut down by sword or working.

  Without truly having a physical body, fatigue was much less an issue for the soldiers than it would’ve been in the mortal realm. Neither Jez’s sword arm nor his ability to craft workings waned. Time also tended to get away from him if he didn’t concentrate on it. As a result, Jez didn’t know if they had fought for seconds or days when the attack finally abated. Confused Jez looked around. Once again, the shadows were being held back by a wall of protective energy. Sariel placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “We have everyone.”

  Jez nodded and closed his eyes, but people had scattered in the wake of the attack. He couldn’t grasp them all, not even we
ll enough to take them from Between. He shook his head.

  “I can’t.”

  Sariel nodded. He uttered something in a language in the musical pharimic tongue. It danced at the edge of understanding for a second before vanishing, leaving him unable to comprehend what had been said. Some of the afur, however, scattered, flying toward the outer edges of the army.

  “Take who you can. We will handle the rest.”

  Jez nodded and once again closed his eyes, remembering the gray stone of Rumar Keep. Between wasn’t a place in the traditional sense of the word. Sariel had once described it as between moments and between possibilities. It touched on all places in all worlds, and it only took a simple thought to take them where ever they wanted to go.

  There was a rushing sensation as they moved toward the physical world, and crashed into a wall. Everything spun, and for a moment, Jez didn’t know where he was. Then, he slammed into the ground, the impact driving the breath from his lungs. He picked himself up, crystal sword in hand. Jabur stood nearby, fully human though crouched in a posture that reminded Jez of a pouncing cat.

  They were in a farmer’s field. Leaves had just started to sprout, though Jez couldn't guess at the plant. The farmer himself had stopped his examination of his crops and was staring at them. A dog that followed close behind threw Jabur an uneasy glance and danced away a few steps. Jabur looked at Jez and raised an eyebrow.

  “Where are we?”

  Jez shook his head. “I don’t know. There was something in the way. I think Sharim shielded Rumar from Between. We have to be close, though.”

  “Rumar?” The farmer eyed Jez up and down. His eyes lingered on the crystal sword for a second before he lowered his head. “My lord?” He sounded unsure that that was the proper address. “Rumar is a day’s hard ride to the south. I wouldn’t go there, though. There are unnatural things going on there.” He looked up and his eyes widened as if realizing that these two had just appeared out of nowhere. “I mean...That is...”

  Jez raised a hand. “Be at peace, goodman. South, you say?” The farmer nodded, and Jez turned to Jabur. “How fast can you move?”

  Deep gray fur had already spouted from his skin, and his clothes were melting into his body. The farmer had gone white and the dog was cowering behind him. Jubur’s words were barely understandable as he was already more wolf than man. “Faster than a horse. Lead the way.”

  Jez nodded. He shed his human form and took to the air, flying a dozen feet off the ground. Jabur ran below him, his wolf form seeming larger and more primal than the natural animals Jez had seen. In a surprisingly short time, the farm, and the bewildered farmer, had vanished behind them.

  CHAPTER 9

  As they traveled, they ran into other groups. A few, afur and beast men mostly, were able to maintain the inhuman speed of Jez and Jabur, but it wasn’t long before they encountered those limited to more mundane means, so they had to slow down. They didn’t so much find Leziel on the way as they noticed him flying beside Jez, with no indication of how he’d gotten there.

  “Where did you come from?” Jez asked as he stared into the lord of secret’s shadowed hood. Then, he shook his head. “Never mind. What happened?”

  “It would appear Andera shielded Rumar from Between.”

  Jez looked around. People were staring at them, and Leziel motioned for him to fly higher. Jez nodded. As the lord of secrets, Leziel wasn’t comfortable speaking where he could be easily overheard. In fact, it likely bothered him to be seen at all. It was almost funny to have a high lord of the pharim acting so insecure, though he doubted Leziel would be pleased to hear that observation.

  “It is difficult to put into human terms,” the high lord said. “You were the one leading us. You hit it with the greatest force, and so you were thrown back the farthest. Those closest to you, both physically and in terms of power, landed near you. The rest of us were scattered along the way.”

  “The entire army?” Jez asked.

  “Not quite. Most of the common soldiers would have landed near Rumar. Manakel’s purpose is closely linked to the soldiers, so it is likely he ended up near them. The rest of us should be along the path you now travel.”

  Jez nodded and flew lower. He urged the soldiers to move faster, though they were already going at the speed of a forced march. Manakel had shown himself to have a violent and unpredictable personality, though admittedly, during most of Jez’s dealings with the lord of destruction, he’d been under the influence of an emotional working. Still, the thought of him there, effectively in charge of the army, made Jez uneasy.

  Throughout the day, they encountered Sariel, Gayel, and Aniel, as well as a myriad of soldiers, mages, and beast men. As the sun neared the western horizon, they stopped finding new people, though they did encounter a healing mage walking with half a dozen soldiers. These had been injured by their return to the world, and the healer had helped them recover. From them, they learned that Master Fina, destruction master of the Carceri Academy, had come through earlier with a force of his own, apparently having the same thought as Jez. They were only a few hours ahead so Jez ordered his army to march past sunset.

  It was an hour past dusk when they finally found the other force. They had already made camp, and Jez’s stomach growled at the smell of roasting rabbit, but he made his way toward the center of the camp. News of his arrival spread quickly, and Master Fina came out to meet him. Three thousand strong, when added to Jez’s seven, it left them with a third of their original force, though all of the masters and two more of the high lords had been with Fina. Lina still hadn’t been located. Balud was delighted to see Jez. In short order, they had gathered in a command tent, which was almost as big as the house Jez had grown up in. Fina ordered that Jez’s troops be fed and that dinner be brought to the tent.

  “We should reach the city a few hours after dawn,” Horgar said as Jez started eating. “I flew ahead after we made camp. Manakel is preparing to attack. I tried to convince him to hold off until we arrived, but I’m not sure he will.”

  Jez turned to Sariel. “Maybe you could convince him.”

  Sariel was shaking his head before Jez had finished speaking. “This is a matter of attack. At such times, Manakel’s wishes override anyone else’s. Perhaps your friend Osmund could turn him away from his course, but other than that...” Sariel sighed. “If he sees an advantage, he will attack.”

  “How is he even doing that?” Jez asked. “Isn’t that interfering?”

  “Istar is technically in command,” Horgar said. “He’s only advising her, but do you really think the queen of swords will hold back if the lord of destruction says she should attack?” He shook his head. “I never liked the idea of putting a warrior on the throne.”

  “Maybe I should fly ahead,” Jez said. “If I took command, I should be able to stop it.”

  “Is that really a good idea?” Balud asked.

  A chill wind rustled the tent flap, and some of the masters shivered a little, but Jez barely felt it. “What do you mean?”

  “He is the lord of destruction, and among other things, he is a master of strategy. What are the chances that we’ll be right about something like that instead of him? Shouldn’t we try to do what we can to help his attack succeed?”

  Jez thought about that. It made sense. “Master Horgar, where are they camped?”

  “Near the eastern wall. The demons have seen them, but they haven’t done anything about it as far as I can tell.”

  “Do you know when they’ll attack?”

  Horgar shook his head, but Fina spoke up. “Sunrise. They’ll attack with the sun to their backs, blinding their foe.”

  “Would that work against demons?” Jez asked.

  Sariel nodded, and for a moment, his wings brightened, banishing the shadows in the tent. A smile crept across his face. “Not against all, but many of them cannot stand to look directly into the sun. It is too great a contrast with the dim sun of the abyss.”

  Jez nodded. “We’ll
get up early then, and march so we arrive just as Manakel is attacking.”

  “It’ll be slow going to march in the dark,” Fina said. “We should give ourselves an extra hour.”

  “Fine,” Jez said. “This time, we won’t let Sharim get away. This time, we end it.”

  CHAPTER 10

  The camp woke hours before dawn. They hadn’t brought many supplies, having sacrificed most of their gear in order to reduce the strain on Jez as he transported them. With little to pack up, they had broken camp and started marching less than half an hour after the call to wake had sounded.

  They had recovered enough of the mages to craft the marching working, and they moved toward the city at an incredible speed. The eastern sky had just begun to lighten when the walls of Rumar came into view.

  Jez had come to the capital once before, but that had been in a carriage. His advisor had kept him busy learning the politics of the court, and he hadn’t been watching when they had approached the city. At first, he thought the shadow in the distance was a wide hill, but as they drew closer, he realized it was the walls of the Rumar itself. They stood at least twenty feet high, solid gray stone that had held back the foes of Ashtar since time immemorial. Powerful workings had been built into the stone, making it resistant to terra magic. The trees had been cut down for a mile in every direction, and there was no doubt that the demons now occupying the city had seen their approach. Though it was now held by enemies, Jez couldn’t shake the profound feeling of wrongness in the pit of his stomach at the thought that he was bringing an army against his own capital.

  A trio of former Veilspeakers, a scouting party sent by Daziel, dropped out of the sky and crafted illusions of the walls. Where men would’ve walked in saner times, creatures that looked like snakes with legs patrolled. It was said that there were more types of demons than there were people in the world, and no one could know them all. Jez had no idea what those were and looked over his shoulder at Sariel.