A Shadow Flame (Book 7) (23 page)

When she looked around at the soldiers who protected her, her elven guard and former mentor, Keira, who had taught her so many things, and Borrican, with whom she was now forever intertwined, and so many others, who were fighting not just to drive the shadow from the land but to restore her kingdom, she felt not only grateful, but honored by them. Each and every one of them had their own reasons for fighting, and Ariana realized that her own reasons had far less to do with the crown that had been stolen from her. She now understood that the crown was not simply a prize, but a symbol of a solemn duty, and she hoped that she would be able to carry out that responsibility, to heal the kingdom and to have the chance to thank those who fought for truth and honor, and a better future. And with that resolve, and acceptance, Ariana felt the bitterness melt away, and though her anger remained, it became a fire that burned clean and true, her own kind of truefire and the fire within her burned with more heat than ever before.

"If I am not mistaken, you seem rather pleased right now," Borrican commented as Ariana's guards parted to let him approach, while continuing to fend off attacks from Calexis' grey soldiers and the Darga.

"I am proud of you, Borrican," Ariana said. " I am proud of everyone who is fighting to free this kingdom, whether we live or die, I am proud of what we do here, now."

"Well hopefully we live, for I find the alternative truly unappealing," Borrican said.

"I very much agree," Ariana said. "There is much fighting left to do, Borrican."

"Of course," he said. "I came to let you know that the Darga ranks appear to be thinning. Storm and the others are searching the city for those devices that throw the iron rods, and I thought to join them. It was not something I could explain with my thoughts, and it seems that some of the Darga are able to hear as dragons as well, so we will be concealing our thoughts for a time."

"Do what you must, Borrican. We may need the fire of dragons against the power of the shadow if things turn out badly, and it would not do to have to deal with such weapons," Ariana said. "We will begin searching the city for people who might be saved."

"If you encounter trouble, let me know and I will return," he said. "You know I will always answer your call, so do not be stubborn about it. Remember, Ariana, when this is over, the people will need their queen, and I don't want you to get hurt either."

"I am beginning to appreciate you more and more, Kandaran," Keira commented, having overheard part of their conversation.

"Thank you, Keira," Borrican said, wondering why she did not appreciate him before, though he supposed that his being a dragon might have been fairly troublesome for an elf.

"Don't you be stubborn either, Borrican," Ariana said. "Kandara will need an Akandar on the throne, and there are three dragon eggs that will need some care and the strength of a dragon very soon."

"I will be careful, Ariana," Borrican said. "I know what you're trying to say."

"What am I trying to say?" Ariana felt her cheeks warm. "What were you trying to say?

"It's fine, we don't have to say it." Borrican grinned, then he dashed off past the soldiers and disappeared into the smoke and chaos of the battle.

*****

Calexis stood at the top of the steps to the palace yard with Aaron, waiting as a winged Darga approached and landed before them. With her power causing problems for her physical form, and many of the grey soldiers she commanded falling prey to their own rot, Calexis was now forced to rely on the Darga scouts to inform her of the progress of the battle. She had noticed that even though the lizard men were not particularly intelligent, those that had managed to use the godswords had increased their ability to think and reason, and they had expressed their surprise that Calexis had ordered that the invaders be allowed to make it into the city, especially the most powerful ones. While the greys did whatever she wished whenever she wished it, the Darga were noticeably frustrated at being sent to attack while having to avoid killing the most powerful among the enemy.

"There is one who has power still outside the city," the Darga told her. "The woman who makes the ships move without sails, I have seen her power with my new eyes."

Calexis cursed the inconvenience of it, but she was not worried, for she had already dealt with the goddess of the sea once before, and when her plan was complete, it would not matter how far away or how deep into the waters she fled this time, one lonely goddess would be insignificant compared to how powerful the shadow would become

"And the others?" she asked.

"They have all come," he said. "Even the one who floats in the air."

"And what about the dragons?" Calexis was frustrated that Aaron had still been able to resist her control enough to let the Kandaran prince rescue the dragon she had captured.

"They take a different form," the Darga told her. "They are like humans, but with the strength of many Darga."

"That is irritating," Calexis said.

"Will Darga have the power to change shape when Queen Calexis gives us the gift of dragons?" the Darga asked.

"And now your questions are becoming irritating," she told him. "Is it not enough that I will remove the curse from you lizard creatures, but now you pester me with such silliness? I already told you, the curse will be gone."

"The curse will be gone," the Darga repeated, nodding his head. "The power of dragons we will again have."

"Yes, yes," Calexis said. "Now begone and if you want to make yourself useful, perhaps find a way to capture a dragon as I have commanded."

"As you command," the Darga said, then he flew off toward the city.

Calexis turned to Aaron.

"Aaron, what do you say we welcome our guests to our domain?"

In the fog that clouded his thoughts, Aaron could hear Calexis speaking and he knew what she was suggesting, but he was so desperate to keep himself from reacting that he could barely hear her words. He knew he had to wait, and that she was taunting him, trying to goad him into using his power.

"It might be rather amusing to have them fight each other," he heard her say, then he felt the tug of her magic and the shadow wrapped itself around him as his vision turned dim and the world became almost completely shrouded in darkness.

Aaron did not fight it, and he let Calexis move him like the puppets on strings he had often seen when he and Tarnath would visit Ashford at festival time. He could feel the shadow pulling at his thoughts as it spread its darkness through him, urging him to reach for the essence of his being, the power at his center, but he resisted, hoping that he would be able to hold out a little longer. The battle for Maramyr had begun, and hoped that the spell Calexis and the dark god had cast over the people could be broken before the battle against the shadow. For now, as he had discovered, all he had to do was let Calexis have her way, and remain close to her, and the hunger of the shadow would abate somewhat, as though it was contented for the time being to toy with him.

Aaron wondered if the Xallan queen herself might be the reason for it, as though her own thoughts or way of being had some influence over the dark god, and the shadow. He could sense differing powers and some sort of conflict within her, and even when she exerted her will through the shadow, it was as though there were many hands that gripped him, instead of hers alone, and while most of what he felt from Calexis was in accordance with the chorus of thoughts, Aaron found it interesting that there were also faint echoes of dissent from within her power, voices that were very much like his own, except that he was not yet completely overpowered. As they walked down the palace steps and across the courtyard, Aaron continued slowly gathering what power he could into his physical being and readied himself for the moment when he would have to face the shadow directly.

Under the cowl of her black robes, Coraline walked past the other mages, hoping that they were so consumed in their tasks of keeping the flow of energy moving through the crystals, and so lost to the magic of the dark god, that they would not notice her. She knew that an obscuring spell or some other weave of magic would have been useless so close to the giant crystal in the temple, especially now that so much power had been gathered within it, so she had no other choice but to walk directly into the temple, a risk she had taken with the knowledge that more than likely, she would be caught and killed by Calexis or one of the mages. Thus far, neither had happened, and so she walked to the center of the temple and looked up at the two mages, who hung limply from the crystal as it sapped their power from them. As the light of the dark glow fell upon her face, she saw a slight movement as Stavros opened his eyes a crack and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. Coraline smiled back at him, then she nodded and turned to her task, hoping she would be able to complete it before she was noticed by the black robed mages.

She noticed that the remaining black robes still appeared to be moving from crystal to crystal in almost the same pattern as before, except that they were now also adjusting the crystals for which she would have been responsible and it left gaps in areas in the temple where they would have their backs turned. Coraline made her way over to one of the crystals that was ensconced upon the outer wall of the temple and, after glancing around to be sure the mage priests were busy with their work, she took a deep breath and began imbuing the crystal. Its resonance began to shift subtly, almost imperceptibly, and she knew she had to be careful because changing the energy of the crystals this close to the mage priests was risky, so it took a lot longer than working with the other crystals in the city. Luckily, they did not seem to notice, and she was able to finish and move away from the crystal before the mage priests changed position. As she walked toward another crystal, she held her breath, hoping the black robed mage who now approached the crystal she had altered would not notice the change, and she sighed in relief when he began to work his magic, making sure the energy was flowing, and did not notice what she had done.

Upon the large crystal, Stavros watched as Coraline moved through the temple, as she likely had before, a simple mage priest, going about a monotonous task. Had she not looked up at him, he would have thought she had been recaptured by Calexis and had merely returned to her work as an ensorcelled slave, but he knew what she was doing, and with the small amount of power he had left, he was able to perceive the slight change in the magic of the crystals.

"I count an extra black robe," Calthas rasped quietly.

"Yes," Stavros whispered. "Say little of it, Calthas, for she is finishing what we started and the last thing we want to do is to alert anyone."

"Right," Calthas said. "So just hang here and watch."

"That would be the most useful thing for us to do at the moment," Stavros replied.

"Alas, I will have to put off my other plans then," Calthas said, with a hint of sarcasm, followed by a sigh. "Can't be helped, I suppose."

"Not really, no," Stavros agreed, glad to see that the other mage was still holding on.

They both went quiet when the mages changed position again, walking past them as they moved to different crystals, along with Coraline, who continued making her way around the temple. Once the mage priests were occupied again with their work, Calthas turned his head and looked over at Stavros.

"How will she complete the magic?" he whispered. "I thought it would take all three of us to do it."

"That, I do not know," Stavros said. "Perhaps she intends to free us, but even if she were to do so, I do not think our abilities would recover quickly enough to be of much help, particularly if those other mages were to take notice. All we can do is try to conserve whatever energy we can and hope that she has a plan."

"Everything I have is being stolen from me, Stavros," Calthas said. "It is as though I can feel my power returning, only to have it sapped away, and every time it happens, a little piece of me disappears. It is almost maddening."

"Bear with it a little while longer, Calthas," Stavros said. "This blasted crystal is doing the same to me, but I can still see and feel a little, and I am almost sure that something is happening in the city."

"Whatever it is, I hope it happens soon," Calthas replied. "I am starting to wonder about simple things, like my own name."

"If you forget it, I'll remind you," Stavros told him.

"And what happens if you forget?"

"Forget what?" Stavros squinted at him.

"My name," Calthas said.

"And what's that?" Stavros asked.

"It's Calthas," he said, his irritation apparent.

"See, you still remember," Stavros said. "That's good."

"If we survive this, we are going to have a little talk about your sense of humor," Calthas said.

"If you forget your name, I could always tell you that your name is Grubnutter."

"Who in blazes is Grubnutter?" Calthas asked.

"Someone you'd rather not be," Stavros told him.

"That is what I mean," Calthas said. "Your sense of humor is entirely inappropriate to this situation."

"Calthas," Stavros said with a sigh. "My brother Tarnath used to say that one really only has two choices when faced with difficulties in life. You can either laugh or you can cry. Both are proof that you are alive, and sometimes things can be so terrible that they can only be considered amusing."

"This is hardly amusing," Calthas said. "In fact, it is unbelievably painful, and unnerving."

"That is why one must sometimes laugh, when the alternative is to completely fall apart," Stavros told him. "Perhaps we can consider ourselves lucky in comparison to those mage priests in the black robes, and considering how awful is our predicament, it is almost amusing that our lot is somehow better than theirs, at least for now."

"That is not saying much, Stavros," Calthas said. "And I would hardly describe our predicament as better, only slightly less awful."

"You follow the path of the pessimist then," Stavros said.

"No, I'm just honest," Calthas replied. "We are trapped here, and I cannot see any way for Coraline to free us. It is hopeless."

"So long as you are alive, then hope remains," Stavros said.

"You keep hoping, and I will continue to hang here and have my existence slowly sucked away."

"There you go," Stavros said. "I knew you would see it my way."

"How is that?" Calthas asked, since the elder mage did not seem to make any sense.

"You still exist," Stavros said. "Acknowledging that is the first step if you are to survive."

"I can't listen to you any longer," Calthas said. "Here come the mage priests again, anyway."

"Gather what strength you can, and do not lose hope, Calthas," Stavros told him. "Things are happening."

*****

The fighting in the city was relentless. As Darga and grey soldiers flooded the streets while winged Darga attacked from above, wreaking havoc upon the army, Nathas, and Kaleb led their soldiers with equal ferocity, slowly pushing back against the tide of enemies. Every time they cleared another street, Ariana, Keira and the group of soldiers with their hands stained red, secured it and began searching for the people of Maramyr who might be in their shops or homes, while the Aghlar and the pirates held the route from the city to the water, ready to protect those who might be rescued and get them safely to the ships.

What Ariana found infuriated her, for while there were many who had survived the ravages of the dark god, and the abuses of the soldiers and the Darga, there were also many others who had not. The signs of struggle and death were everywhere, and though the people that saved were trapped in a daze, the horror at what they had seen was written plainly upon their faces. From what Berant had explained about the magic he had been under, Ariana knew that her people were in a similar state to those who had been rescued at Kandara, and even once they were set free, there would be much healing required if they were ever to regain meaning and dignity into their lives. More frustrating was the fact that the stones that Kiva and Margo had brought from the northern lands did not seem to work on the people in the city.

"It is the reason Stavros and the others have worked to undo the spell that binds them," Ehlena said as she appeared. "The magic that binds the people of the city is tied to the temple, but the spell is very close to being broken."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Margo asked as another stone cracked and fell to dust from the forehead of the proprietor of a boot and leather goods shop, who was trying to wrest himself free from the two soldiers who held him just inside the entrance of his shop.

"Well, we cannot just leave him like this," Ariana said. "It's too dangerous with all the fighting."

"Let me go," the man told his captors. "I must do my duty to the god."

"Let us hope that the mages' plan to break the spell is completed soon," Ariana said. "In the meantime, we must find a way to hold the people safely until the magic is broken and be ready to move them out of the city."

"We could tie him up, like we did with the people at Kandara," Keira suggested.

"If that is what we have to do, then that is what we have to do," Ariana replied.

"I don't know much about magic," Margo said. "But if we have to keep the people in the city until they are freed from this spell that makes them like this, then it might be best to create an area near the gates where we can hold them."

"That part of the city has been mostly cleared of the enemy," Keira commented.

"Then that is now the plan," Ariana said.

"What about the others who fight in other parts of the city?" Keira asked. "How do we get word to them?"

"I will let them know, and I will find out what is happening with the mages," Ehlena said, then she disappeared.

"Let's get to it then," Margo said, and she looked at the two soldiers who were holding the shopkeeper. "Take him to the gates and keep him safe, even if you have to hit him on the head."

The soldiers nodded, then they marched the man toward the entrance of the shop as he continued to struggle, his efforts weak as though he was barely aware of what was happening.

"Please, I must serve the god," he protested as they walked out the door.

*****

It was difficult for Ehlena to use her power to stay hidden so close to the powerful crystals at the temple, and whatever darkness that still lingered within her seemed to call out to the shadow as she drew near to the large crystal at the center of the temple, where the two mages hung motionless.

"Stavros," she whispered, and the elder mage stirred.

"Ehlena," he rasped. "What is happening out there?"

"The army is fighting its way into the city," she told him. "Ariana and the others have tried to dispel the magic that holds the people, but their efforts were unsuccessful."

Stavros shook his head.

"The spell must be broken here, at the temple," he said. "The magic of the crystals must be undone."

"There is no more time," Ehlena told him. "If the people cannot be released, then the crystals must be destroyed to save those who haven't yet fallen under Calexis' magic. Perhaps the magic can be dispelled a different way, later somehow."

"It is not possible," Stavros told her. "Not if we wish to restore the will of the people of Maramyr."

"If I free you, can you complete the spell?"

"I don't know," he said, lowering his voice as the black robed mages began to move again. "Coraline is nearly finished imbuing the crystals."

"The time is now, Stavros," Ehlena said. "Calexis intends to use the crystals."

"Can you free us?" he asked.

"I will try," Ehlena said, and her form became solid as she reached out and touched the tendrils of shadow that held the two mages bound to the large crystal. Ehlena flinched as she drew the darkness away from the mages and felt its horrible, gnawing emptiness flow into her.

"What are you doing?" Stavros growled.

"I am a goddess," she said. "There are things that I can do that others cannot."

"A goddess you may be, but you are not a very good liar," he said. "Stop this."

"It is done," she said, and Stavros and Calthas both fell away from the crystal. Ehlena caught them with her power and lowered them to the dark, polished stone floor of the temple.

The black robed mages all turned at once, sensing the change in the central crystal. Stavros quickly drew a protection spell and cast it around himself and Ehlena and Calthas as black and purple energy began to flicker around the mages' hands. Blasts of energy flew toward them, cascading around the magical shield and weakening it. Calthas struggled to his feet and added what little magic he had to Stavros' spell as several more blasts of energy flew toward them. Ehlena began to waver as her glamour was affected by the energy of the large crystal and the effect of the power of the shadow she had taken, which had weakened her. She raised her hands and seized the air around the black robed mages, causing them to gasp and claw at their throats, but a moment later she fell to her knees as her strength began to falter.