Joint Intentions (Book 9) (35 page)

Moving forward, he dodged everything that was thrown at him, weaved his way through the maelstrom of flying debris. He tried to reach Neltus before the others were pulverized, but he couldn't break through the dome of energy which surrounded the crimson casting wizard.

"You thought it was only a barrier to keep me in?" Neltus questioned, staring at the delver with an even larger smile. "I made sure it also keeps you out. You should have listened better. It's now as much my shield as it is theirs."

Back at the base of the tall butte, Holli dodged many of the stones as well, but she couldn't avoid them all as she shielded Enin from a wave of fist-sized rocks. She bit back the pain as she was struck in the arms and shoulders. She drew her long sword and deflected several of the larger boulders, but the smaller rocks continued to pelt her body.

Vraya was the first to fall, struck upon the side of her temple and knocked unconscious. Her small stature saved her life, as many of the stones missed her prone body and those that struck her were not large enough to cause mortal wounds.

Jure tried to cast a shield spell to protect the group, but he could never concentrate long enough. Halfway through the spell, he sidestepped a boulder flying past, and then bit back the sting of pain from rocks smashing into his arms and legs. He tried again, but the continuous flurry of stones sailing toward his face forced him backward.

Ryson pressed against the dome, screamed at Neltus to stop, but the wizard ignored him. The delver looked back over his shoulder and saw his friends being battered. Unable to reach the crimson casting wizard, he raced back to them and unsheathed the war blades at his hips. He stepped in front of Vraya and turned to face the torrent of stone. He became a blur of motion as he deflected every rock hurled toward the sorceress.

"That's right Ryson, try to save them," Neltus mocked, "I know you don't tire, and you're faster than the rocks flying at you, but you can't stop them all, can you? There's too many, even for you and the elf. And look around you, look at how much stone is available. I could drop an entire hillside on you. What would you do then?"

Neltus did not stop with Ryson. He fixed his gaze on the elf guard and his satisfaction grew.

"And you, elf witch, how does it feel... being beaten? You know I could annihilate you out here, where the land is strong. I could end your life in an instant, but I don't want to just kill you, I want to crush you... slow and painful. I want to embarrass you. I've always wanted to go up against you in a battle of pure magic, but I never wanted to risk fighting you when you had so many friends with you. You have them by you now, but they can't help you, can they?"

Holli realized with Vraya on the ground and Enin unable to protect himself, Neltus had effectively neutralized their advantage in numbers. The shield she had hoped to use against Neltus had been turned to his favor. They needed to alter their strategy, but for that, they needed to escape the barrage.

"We need to retreat!" she shouted. "We must use these slopes to our advantage. Fall back around the butte behind us."

Before Ryson could gather Vraya up in his arms, Neltus cast another spell. More red magic swirled from his hands, raced down his body and into the ground. It swelled underneath the surface directly towards the delver and his companions. Once it passed them, it pushed upward.

Sheets of clay rose up around the group forming a giant wall in the shape of a horseshoe. The thick barrier blocked all paths of retreat. The only opening was in front of them, a direct line toward Neltus. The barricade kept them at the mercy of the barrage.

Ryson and Holli turned back to deflecting the rocks. They tried to block as many as possible, but the storm of stone worsened as many deflected back at them from the walls which surrounded them. If they couldn't find a way to stop Neltus' spell, they would all soon fall.

Holli grew as desperate as she was angry. Her fury resided as much in her own mistakes as in Neltus' brazen assaults. The crimson casting wizard was correct, and the elf wouldn't hide from her own blame. She had indeed been predictable, and her carelessness in that regard placed them all in great peril. Even after she swore to avoid further errors in judgment, promised herself to be more vigilant, she walked right into a trap... and brought others to their probable deaths right along with her.

She had to find a way to overcome her mistakes, even if it meant relying on those same individuals she led into danger.

"Ryson!" the elf guard commanded. "Protect Jure! Give him time to cast a spell of defense. We need momentary protection."

Her last hope was a grasp at a short straw, and Neltus pulled it away before she could even touch it.

"All of your moments are gone!" the crimson wizard laughed as he sent another wave of red magic into the ground at his feet.

A rolling swell of power rushed toward Vraya's prone body. When it reached her, the ground opened up and pulled the sorceress halfway into a narrow chasm. It then closed upon her, compacting at her waist.

Ryson could not allow the sorceress to be crushed. He couldn't afford the time necessary to protect Jure. He couldn't even protect himself. He dropped to the ground and began digging with the edges of both war blades. As fast as he could clear the ground away, clay and rock reformed around Vraya's body.

"I thought the shield was supposed to keep him from casting spells at us!" Ryson shouted over the cascading noise.

"The shield I cast was meant to contain him and his magic," Jure yelled back, "but he's sending it underneath."

Holli found the explanation lacking.

"How can he press that much energy through the ground? The magical dome should be suppressing his spells, even below the surface. Most of the magic should be contained!"

The elf was correct, but Jure began to realize Neltus was prepared for their arrival in more ways than one.

"Have you noticed he hasn't moved?" Jure pointed out as he continued to dodge the surge of stones. "He must have tethered himself to these lands before we arrived. He's passing his spells through magical pathways. The shield can't stop that!"

"You believe he has rooted himself?" Holli asked.

"Yes!"

And with that insight, Holli found her new strategy, a plan that was more than hope or desperation. It was a decision of finality, and totally unexpected.

"Enin!" the elf commanded. "Dodge the larger stones for as long as you can. Jure, hold your energy in reserve. You will know when to use it."

She said nothing more. When Enin shifted his position closer to Jure, Holli turned her back toward Neltus. She allowed the stones and rocks to batter her body, but they would not break the concentration needed to make her own transformation. Even as several of her bones shattered beneath the barrage, the pain only lasted a brief moment.

She did not have to concentrate to cast a spell, for it was not an incantation she would use to defeat her foe. She would use the force of her emerald magic in a different way. She would unleash it within herself, allow it to break free in one massive surge. She would give the magic only one purpose... to save her friends. Beyond that simple instruction, she placed no other restrictions within the energy of her core.

Her skin hardened into thick bark, her bone and muscle melded together into solid heartwood, her veins stretched into fibrous strands of sapwood. The core of her body became a solid trunk, her arms stretched out into thick limbs, her legs turned to roots and plunged deep into the ground. Her fingers and hair turned into long wild branches and stretched out into the night air.

Enin did not wish to accept what he saw, but as Holli continued her transformation, his anguish grew.

"No!" he screamed as he leapt toward the tree which the elf had become and wrapped his arms around the trunk. He tried to pull Holli back, but there was nothing for him to grab, and no magic within him to reach out to her.

As the limbs continued to expand and new shoots filled the open spaces, the stones and rocks flung through the air were knocked harmlessly away by the swaying branches. Enin was safe behind the sturdy trunk and the others were offered cover by the umbrella of branches overhead.

During the reprieve, Ryson managed to quicken his pace. Digging furiously, he got ahead of the collapsing chasm. He opened up sufficient space to pluck Vraya from the hole. He carried her to a secure spot behind the thickening trunk.

Jure also took shelter behind the tree. With the rocks failing to break through the branches, he could concentrate on spells once more, cast a spell of shielding, but it was no longer necessary. The tree before them offered more than enough protection.

He wanted to send a wave of assaulting energy at Neltus, use all of his magic in one monumental blast to obliterate everything near the wizard, including the magical dome, but he recalled Holli's final order. He would obey it, would not even cast a spell to revive Vraya. He would wait until he knew it was time to use his energy.

Neltus watched the metamorphosis from behind the domed shield. He never imagined the elf guard would make such a sacrifice. He continued his barrage even as he knew the tree would protect the others, but he never expected a counterattack.

Holli had planned the move before she had begun her transformation. She planted it in her memory, so that even after she lost her consciousness, she knew the desire would be fulfilled.

Roots from the lone tree in the wilderness snaked their way through the sections of softer sedimentary rock, searched within the layers of stone below Neltus' feet, and found the spell caster's magical tether into the land. The energized roots embraced the line and used it as a pathway to reach the wizard.

Long thick strands broke through the ground and wrapped about the wizard's arms and legs. The roots pulled at the wizard with unyielding force, not enough to tear his limbs off but with sufficient pressure to cause excruciating pain.

Neltus screamed. His concentration on his spells broke as he faded into unconsciousness. He slumped over forward, but the roots held him upright.

The barrage of rocks ceased, but the dome of energy remained. It was, however, no longer influenced by crimson energy. It glowed in the darkness, lighting up the defeated figure bound within.

Enin disregarded Neltus. He placed his hand on the trunk of the sole tree on the barren plain. He moved closer, placed his forehead against the rough bark. He tried to speak, but he could not find the words.

Jure understood and moved closer to Vraya. He cast a simple spell to revive her and ease some of her wounds, but kept most of his magic in reserve. He helped the sorceress up, allowed her to utilize her own energy to completely heal herself and then revealed to her what had occurred.

"We should remove our shield now," Jure advised.

Vraya nodded, and with Neltus unable to resist, there was nothing to prevent them from canceling the spell. The dome disappeared, and Neltus, still unconscious, was vulnerable.

"I'm going to need your help to loosen the roots," Jure requested of the sorceress. "The moment he's free, I want to send him back to Burbon. It's not going to be easy to untie him without hurting him or damaging the roots. That's why Holli told me to keep my magic in reserve, but I want to hold enough energy to deal with him if he regains consciousness."

"Won't Holli just release him when she turns back to herself?" Ryson asked, wondering why the elder wizard was concerned about using too much magic.

Vraya looked away, knowing the news would crush the delver.

Jure grimaced but revealed the truth.

"She can't turn back. Her ability to cast spells ceased the moment she transformed."

"But the roots..." Ryson argued. "She still attacked Neltus, still used magic after she turned. Why can't she use it again?"

"The emerald magic is still within her, but she's not the same as she was. It wasn't a temporary alteration. She embraced the full scope of her power. It was the only way she could use the magic. She couldn't concentrate on a spell and cast it, so she allowed her core to act of its own accord. When she turned, she did so to save us, and that desire remained within the magic even after she changed. She did what she needed to do."

"Are you saying she's going to be like this forever?"

It was Enin who answered.

"No, Ryson. She's going to die." Enin felt as if he was going to choke on the words, but he continued. He wanted the delver to understand the fullness of Holli's sacrifice. "She knew that when she began the transformation. Look around you. This land is unable to support a tree. The ground is hard and dry. There's not enough nutrients to sustain her, not enough water. Eventually, she will dry out and whither away."

Just as Enin was initially unwilling to accept Holli's decision, Ryson was unwilling to accept the consequences of the elf's choice.

"Vraya, what about you? You cast alteration spells. Can't you change her back?"

"It was her magic... her core," the sorceress explained. "I can't reverse it. She willingly sacrificed herself. That's not a message I can change or an order I can reverse. I can't even alter the tree's perception of that decision."

"Why did she do this? There had to have been another way!"

"Maybe there was," Jure offered, "but we didn't have time to find it. Neltus was going to kill us... all of us. You may not agree with her decision, but don't make it sound like she had obvious options. She didn't."