forced aside the black memories and fought, the axe a white blur in his hands.
And then there were no more foes to fight.
He turned in a circle. Dead kobolds carpeted the riverbank. Some had fallen into the water, the current bearing them away. Kharlacht and Caius and Gavin stood some distance away, weapons still in hand. Calliande swayed, her face haggard, white light flickering around her fingers.
Her bleary eyes focused on him.
“Ridmark,” she said. “You should…should have…”
“Calliande,” he said, stepping closer. “You can release the spell. It’s over.”
She gave a curt nod and made a chopping gesture, the light vanishing from her fingers. The glow faded from Ridmark’s axe, the thrumming sensation of the magic fading, and the white fire disappeared from the weapons of Kharlacht and Caius and Gavin. Silence fell over the field, and Ridmark caught his breath.
Calliande swayed again, and for a moment Ridmark thought she was going to fall into the river. He frowned, returned his axe to its belt loop, and started towards her.
And as he did, shadows rose from the dead kobolds.
###
Calliande sensed the dark magic surge through the corpses. Her magic had destroyed the spells animating the kobolds, whether channeled through her white fire or the weapons of Ridmark and the others. But there had been another spell on the undead, one waiting for the creatures to be destroyed.
One final trick of Shadowbearer’s.
She felt his will driving the dark magic as the shadows rose like hooded wraiths from the corpses. The shadows would kill her and Ridmark and the others. Then Shadowbearer could come and retrieve the soulstone at his leisure. He had wanted to kill her and trap her power in the stone, but he could find another Magistrius to kill just as easily.
The force of the spell gathered, Shadowbearer’s will driving it.
He was going to kill her.
He was going to kill Ridmark.
Calliande gathered every last scrap of power and flung it in an attack. White fire lanced from her hands, slicing through the shadows, and she felt her will contend against Shadowbearer’s.
And she heard the renegade high elf’s strange voice reverberating inside her head.
“It is useless,” he hissed. “You were not strong enough to destroy me centuries ago, and you are less than you were. You are lessened, diminished, maimed, and you do not even know why you did it to yourself! You cannot stop me. You can never stop me. Lie down and die. It will be easier.”
“No,” growled Calliande, struggling against the alien presence in her mind.
“Yes,” said Shadowbearer. “You will never reach Dragonfall, never recover your staff. You failed, Calliande. You failed to stop me, your precious Order of the Vigilant rotted away around you, and you cannot even remember who you are. Lie down and…”
Why was he talking about Dragonfall?
“You don’t know where it is,” said Calliande. “That’s why you’re asking. You want me to think of it so you can find it.”
“Calliande?” said Ridmark, but she ignored him.
Shadowbearer’s rage flooded her mind, but the revelation filled Calliande with fresh resolve. For all his power, for all his knowledge, he was not invincible. She flung her will and magic against him, and for a moment their spells strained against each other. He was stronger, so much stronger, and she was exhausted…but he was far away and she was not.
The white fire blazed from her fingers, slicing the shadows into nothingness, and Shadowbearer’s presence vanished from her mind.
Calliande let out a long breath, lowering her hands.
Gray mist swallowed her vision, and she fell.
She did not feel herself hit the ground.
###
Calliande swayed, her eyes rolling back into her head, and fell over.
Ridmark caught her before she toppled into the river. She twitched in his arms, and she felt feverish even through the wool shirt and leather jerkin she wore.
“Is she all right?”
And then there were no more foes to fight.
He turned in a circle. Dead kobolds carpeted the riverbank. Some had fallen into the water, the current bearing them away. Kharlacht and Caius and Gavin stood some distance away, weapons still in hand. Calliande swayed, her face haggard, white light flickering around her fingers.
Her bleary eyes focused on him.
“Ridmark,” she said. “You should…should have…”
“Calliande,” he said, stepping closer. “You can release the spell. It’s over.”
She gave a curt nod and made a chopping gesture, the light vanishing from her fingers. The glow faded from Ridmark’s axe, the thrumming sensation of the magic fading, and the white fire disappeared from the weapons of Kharlacht and Caius and Gavin. Silence fell over the field, and Ridmark caught his breath.
Calliande swayed again, and for a moment Ridmark thought she was going to fall into the river. He frowned, returned his axe to its belt loop, and started towards her.
And as he did, shadows rose from the dead kobolds.
###
Calliande sensed the dark magic surge through the corpses. Her magic had destroyed the spells animating the kobolds, whether channeled through her white fire or the weapons of Ridmark and the others. But there had been another spell on the undead, one waiting for the creatures to be destroyed.
One final trick of Shadowbearer’s.
She felt his will driving the dark magic as the shadows rose like hooded wraiths from the corpses. The shadows would kill her and Ridmark and the others. Then Shadowbearer could come and retrieve the soulstone at his leisure. He had wanted to kill her and trap her power in the stone, but he could find another Magistrius to kill just as easily.
The force of the spell gathered, Shadowbearer’s will driving it.
He was going to kill her.
He was going to kill Ridmark.
Calliande gathered every last scrap of power and flung it in an attack. White fire lanced from her hands, slicing through the shadows, and she felt her will contend against Shadowbearer’s.
And she heard the renegade high elf’s strange voice reverberating inside her head.
“It is useless,” he hissed. “You were not strong enough to destroy me centuries ago, and you are less than you were. You are lessened, diminished, maimed, and you do not even know why you did it to yourself! You cannot stop me. You can never stop me. Lie down and die. It will be easier.”
“No,” growled Calliande, struggling against the alien presence in her mind.
“Yes,” said Shadowbearer. “You will never reach Dragonfall, never recover your staff. You failed, Calliande. You failed to stop me, your precious Order of the Vigilant rotted away around you, and you cannot even remember who you are. Lie down and…”
Why was he talking about Dragonfall?
“You don’t know where it is,” said Calliande. “That’s why you’re asking. You want me to think of it so you can find it.”
“Calliande?” said Ridmark, but she ignored him.
Shadowbearer’s rage flooded her mind, but the revelation filled Calliande with fresh resolve. For all his power, for all his knowledge, he was not invincible. She flung her will and magic against him, and for a moment their spells strained against each other. He was stronger, so much stronger, and she was exhausted…but he was far away and she was not.
The white fire blazed from her fingers, slicing the shadows into nothingness, and Shadowbearer’s presence vanished from her mind.
Calliande let out a long breath, lowering her hands.
Gray mist swallowed her vision, and she fell.
She did not feel herself hit the ground.
###
Calliande swayed, her eyes rolling back into her head, and fell over.
Ridmark caught her before she toppled into the river. She twitched in his arms, and she felt feverish even through the wool shirt and leather jerkin she wore.
“Is she all right?”
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