The Ways of Mages: Starfire (23 page)

“
There must be a way. I guess we could try going through the maelstrom again
.
”

“
NO
!”
Jingles said standing
.“
Not that nightmare again, begging your pardon
.”
He turned pleading eyes toward Jewel
.“
There must be another way
.
”

Jewel chewed her lip
.“
Not that I know of, but I have a friend who may be able to figure something out. She is to the north of us and it will take some time to get there. And you lot need to be fully healed before we go.

“
We are healed. Let us go and talk to this friend of yours
.”
Grim said standing.

Jewel looked up at him for a moment before nodding
.“
Then let me get some supplies and then we will go. But I warn you, things are becoming more dangerous here and I dare not use too much magic
.
”

“
Understood
.”
Grim replied.

“
I’
ll help you pack
.”
Jay Dee offered
.“
And while we pack you can tell me what you mean b
y‘
things becoming more dangerou
s’
.

“
Agreed
.”
Jewel said picking up a bag.

Arathin- East of Emeran, Marlhema

Pain. That was all he knew. There was no world beyond it. Everything was black as pitch. His body wa
s…
he did
n’
t know. Something was burning within him. Burning, burning
, burning.

Nothing.

The sun was rising over the Golden Sea. Its light chased away the shadows of night and called the birds to sing. They did so and their songs were joyful. They fluttered about, looking for juicy bugs and anything else nature had to offer. A little chickadee flitted to a place where she knew the pickings were good. On the edge of the brush she stopped. Something clung to the air; sweet and cloying. She landed on a thicket branch, working her way into the densest branches.

Death and Danger were enjoying the morning. Or at least they had fun the night before. Lying in the clearing of their fun was the fly encrusted remains of large animal. In life it had been a horse. Lying several feet from the horse was a man of average height and build. Blood was not unknown to his clothing, but the flies did
n’
t seem to like him. He groaned as the morning light fell upon his features.

Pain still nagged at him, but it did
n’
t dominate his senses. He could tell that the su
n’
s light was just too damn bright. But his body was too sore that he did
n’
t want to chance rolling away from the light. He wanted to remember who he was before he tried anything. Searten, Searten Kerat. He lay there for a time savoring that and trying to remember how he had ended up in the position that he was in. Memories eluded him for a time, leading him on a chase. Flashes of something large, black, and terrifying falling out of the sky. His horse had panicked, throwing him to the ground a split second before the thing crushed it under its weight. He remembered cold blue eyes turning toward him. Pain was the next memory that he knew. Slicing, burning pain.

Searten shuddered impulsively at the memory. To his surprise, this did
n’
t cause the pain to smother him. In fact, the pain seemed to be a dim memory. Yes, he was still sore, but the crippling pain was gone. Testing this fact, Searten rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. No pain, just blue sky ringed by green covered branches. He heard buzzing and could smell death. He sat up slowly wondering how he could have missed the sound and smell a second before blaming it on his preoccupation with pain. His body did
n’
t scream at him as he made his way to a standing position. Searten looked over at what remained of his horse. Nothing but a pile of bone, tatters of skin, and a ton of flies.

Shaking his head at the useless horse he looked down at himself. Blood was a rust black smear stiffening his deep brown vest and leather pants. He swore at the hanging section of vest. A long tear was slashed from his right shoulder down to just above his navel. He cursed not at the torn material, although that was a small part of it. His choice words were in disbelief of what lay naked before his eyes. A pinkish scar bisected the torn cloth. Searten knew from the look of it that it had been a terribly deep wound that no normal man should have survived. No normal man should have healed from it this fast.

His mind came to the most obvious conclusion. He was
n’
t a normal man. He was invincible! He had to be. Searten laughed. Here he was, immortal, and he had let himself be ruled by a sorceress who thought she was greater than he. Of course, he could understand his mistake. He had
n’
t known of his superhuman condition. Arelle was a cruel mage who had made it clear that if he upset her that she would either kill him or turn him into something painfully unnatural.

Searten smiled. Now he could turn the tables. He remembered now. He had been on his way back to Arell
e’
s abode when he had been attacked by that nameless nightmare. Searten glared at the now useless mare. Arell
e’
s keep was still another da
y’
s ride through this forest then a long climb up the mountain. Grumbling about mixed blessings, Searten began to walk toward Emeran.

Around noon pain smashed into him again. Searten was brought to his knees by the weight. Burning ignited throughout his veins. Struggling to breath, Searten felt something
change
. His awareness of body melted away. He felt himself grow in size. Shadows clouded his vision. Soon the pain was gone. So too were the burning and melting sensations. Searten opened his eyes. The ground was farther away than it used to be. And instead of a ma
n’
s boots on that ground he saw great, three-toed bir
d’
s feet. Wicked talons of obsidian adorned each dusk gray toe.

Experimentally, he lifted a toe and one of those bir
d’
s toes lifted. Startled, he peered at the rest of himself. Feathers of midnight shadows black adorned his body. As he peered at his new form he noticed that his movements were jerky, like those of a bird. He was a bird, an impossibly big bird.

An idea came to him. Who needed a horse when one could fly? Cackling at the crazy way fate ran, Searten stretched his wings. Trees got in the way, but he did
n’
t mind too much. He jumped into the air, batting at it with large wings. To his elation, he gained altitude.  Flying seemed to be a hidden instinct to him, for it came easily to him. Power was his. This form was the epitome of power. Nothing could stand against him, least of all a sorceress like Arelle. She had much to pay for. And she would pay very, very soon if these great wings had anything to say about it.

***

Arathin- West of Plarn, Marlhema

The same golden light that fell upon Searten warmed her. Terana stood upon a rock near the road. She looked away from the sun in the east, toward where they were going. Kadrean had told her that they were near the edge of the mountains. Terana shook her head. It was still hard for her to imagine huge stretches of flat ground with nothing but grass for as far at the eye could see.

Terana looked down when she hear her companion scratching. Russ
y’
s back foot was crazily attacking a spot just behind his ear. Terana chuckled softly at him and jumped down from the rock. Russy was making moaning sounds, trying to get to the itch.

“
Here, Russy. Allow me
.”
Terana said, pushing his paw away and itching the spot he could
n’
t reach. Russ
y’
s foot fell slowly away as he leaned into her. His amber eyes were shuttered by relief. Terana shook her head and continued scratching.

She heard the plodding of a horse coming closer. Terana looked up to see the rest of her companions catching up. Kadrean led Tivieis. Beside him walked Liam who, for reasons beyond her, still used his cane. Zeeve, the pest, sat between the hors
e’
s ears with a lock of mane in one hand and the other waving first to one side then to the other. He looked like he was trying to be some pompous king. To Terana he looked ridiculous. 

“
Zeeve, What are you doing
?”
She asked him when they came close enough.

“
I am pretending to be in a parade, if ye wee person must know
.”
Zeeve answered, still waving.  On a wonderful chance of fate, Tivieis shook his head as horses sometimes do. Zeeve lost his perch, but did
n’
t lose all of his dignity because of the lock of mane he was holding. He fell to the side of Tiv
i’
s head. Kadrean reached out and helped Zeeve back between the hors
e’
s ears, chuckling the entire time. Zeeve was red in the face and glowering at the head on which he sat.

“
Poor Zeeve
.”
Terana said smiling.

“
Poor indeed. Something happens like that all the time. It makes you wonder if he ever learns
.”
Kadrean commented.

“
There is nothing wrong with being optimistic, Kadrean
.”
Zeeve muttered
.“
I was being optimistic. Can we get moving now? My tummy is demanding that it be filled
.
”

“
Of course it is
.”
Kadrean said with a shake of his head
.“
It would be the end of the world if it did
n’
t. Come along
.”
Kadrean gave Tiviei
s’
s reigns a slight tug and continued on down the road
.“
Lancha is
n’
t that far now
.
”

Lancha was a small town just on the outside edge of the mountains. Terana frowned as she looked upon it. Lancha was a lot like Plarn, maybe a little bigger, but that was truly the only difference. The only difference one could see from the outside.

“
Dinner
.”
Zeeve said when he saw the town before them. He leaned forward and almost fell between Tiviei
s’
s eyes. A rumbling sound made itself known from his area. An answering growl issued from Teran
a’
s stomach.

Liam laughed
.“
Hurry, Kadrean. The little ones be hungry
.
”

“
I’
m not that much shorter then you are, sir
.”
Terana told him.

“
Give it a break, Terana
.”
Zeeve said
.“
They never listen when you try to correct them. They never do when I tell them
.
”

“
Zeeve, that is because you
are
super little. I am only an inch or so shorter then Liam
.
”

“
Which still makes you a little one compared to
.”
Liam replied.

Terana rolled her eyes
.“
Whatever. Le
t’
s go
.”
And she put action to words. As she walked toward the town Russy trotted next to her.

“
He ca
n’
t come, Terana
.”
Kadrean called.

Terana stopped and turned back
.“
What
?
”

“
Russy. He ca
n’
t come with us into town
.
”

Terana glanced down at the russet wolf. Kadrean was right. If Russy was to put a single paw into town his life would be forfeit. She met the wol
f’
s amber eyes
.“
You need to stay here
.”
She told him. Russy blinked. She had the feeling that he understood, but she also could tell that he did
n’
t care. He was
n’
t going to do what she said
.“
Russ
y
…”

He growled at her. Terana blinked. It was the second time that she could recall him doing so.
I am not staying behind
. A thought told her faintly.

“
Kadrea
n…
I do
n’
t think he is going to listen
.”
Terana murmured softly, trying to ignore the fact that it seemed Russy had said something to her again. Before the others could say anything she continued
.“
But I have an idea
.
”

“
Oh
?
”

The idea slowly solidified as she stared into defiant amber eyes. She looked up and behind her at Kadrean. Along the way, her eyes flickered over Lia
m’
s cane
.“
I think it will even work
.
”

Their reception into Lancha was the exact opposite of what it would have been in Plarn. Terana had been expecting, using Kadrea
n’
s arrival as something to compare to, to see huge crowds, as huge as a town this small could produce, to meet them. She had expected people pointing at her and laughing behind their hands. But what she could see, through the thin cloth covering her eyes, was only peopl
e’
s passing curiosity. Russy got more attention than she did, but only slightly more. He probably would have gotten more if he had
n’
t been wearing the collar and leash that Kadrean had fashioned for him out of spare rope.

They made their way to the inn that Kadrean said was there. Terana was surprised Lancha
had
an in
n…
Turning her head as if she could only see the world with her ears, she looked about her.
Lancha has strangers all the time. Strangers are
n’
t new to them.
She thought. It made sense, this conclusion. But it also made her wonder; why did
n’
t people visit Plarn?