The Lady's Man (36 page)

“So Mayfall is now a thane?”

“No.” Myral shook his head slowly. Then he appeared to reconsider. “Maybe. Mayfall I think is dying as he is consumed by one. But some of his memories, his evil soul lives on in that which now walks in his body. His will directs it. Enough to recognise you, and to dislike you first and above all. For the moment.”

“Then too his magic is strange. None of the other thanes were necromancers. They were all elemental casters of terrible power. None of them raised the dead or used them as servants. None of them hunted down particular people like you or worried about enemies like the dragons. None of them cared. They just destroyed. This one seems different, and that may help us to fight him. You may help us to fight him.”

Yorik wondered why Myral had added the last, but when the wizard started pulling on more of the bandages, tightening them so that he could barely move, he abruptly lost interest. The pain was too raw. He just drew his breath in and concentrated on his control as he'd been taught.

“Then how do I kill him?”

In the end that was the only question that mattered. Mayfall or whatever walked in his shoes, had to die. Again.

“You can't kill him. No one can. You especially. Your magic is of the divine. Your strength too. Against him you are helpless. Druidic magic like mine is a little more effective, but not enough. Only the magic of the wizards, true wizards, can defeat him, and even they can't kill him, only fight him.”

“True wizards?”

“Those whose magic is of the elements. Fire, light, lightning, thunder, earth, water and air. Once, millennia ago, they were the most common of wizards. Now the rarest. But some still live. You know them as the sylph.”

“The Land of The Sky?”

Yorik knew of the sylph of course. He knew the stories. And he knew of their realm far to the south west. But he knew of no one who had ever been there. No one who had actually spoken to a sylph. Centuries before they had left the known world, retreating to their mountainous realm, and staying there. Since then nothing had been heard of them. They did not leave their realm and those who visited did not return.

“The next leg of our journey.”

“Let's hope it is better than this one.”

And then even as the words left his mouth left his mouth an intelligent question finally arrived in his head.

“Why? He is not the Dark One.”

Going to see the sylph about the dark wizard or thane didn't seem that important when the Dark One was busy raising armies of the undead and destroying the world. No matter how terrible Mayfall might have become, he was still only one man. The harm he could cause was limited. Wasn't it? Slowly, and somewhat awkwardly Yorik managed to get his questions out.

“Because the thane is very dangerous. The destruction he can bring about is far worse than simply what a wizard could do, no matter how powerful. And he will bring death and destruction to the world on a scale not seen in eight hundred years. And a thousand before that.”

“Eight hundred years? You said the thanes vanished many thousands of years ago?”

“I said most of them.”

Myral tied a knot in the bandage around his shoulder just then that straightened it out a little, and Yorik nearly fainted from the pain. He didn't cry out, but that was only because his throat had locked up.

“But some survived. Some walked the world to cause trouble. And the last one I know of walked the world eight hundred years ago. He caused terrible destruction. A dozen cities were destroyed, people died in their hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, perhaps even more. There was widespread panic and fear, and for a time all hope was lost. Until he went away.”

“Until he ...” Yorik didn't like the sound of that. That he hadn't been defeated but had simply gone away. And there was another problem as he slowly realised.

“Eight hundred years ago is not that long. There are records of those times. And I don't recall anything in my lessons about such a terrible calamity.”

“Of course not. You assume that because Mayfall is human the last one was too. But he wasn't. He was sylph. The cities destroyed were theirs. The Land of The Sky as we know it today was devastated. Once it was said to be beautiful beyond compare. Now it is a rocky wasteland. Some humans and elves and those of other races were killed, some of their towns destroyed, but in the end the thane aimed his spite upon his own people and the rest were spared.”

But this time the thane was human Yorik realised. He didn't need the wizard to tell him that. Mayfall would aim his spite at the human realm, probably at the realm of New Vineland. It was that that Mayfall knew, and it was there that he no doubt had a score to settle with many.

“You said they went away. How long before Mayfall goes away?”

Myral shrugged helplessly. He didn't know. “Even five hundred years ago when I last walked as a man, the damage was then three hundred years old, and it was in sylph lands which most of us did not dare enter. The sylph are not a welcoming people.”

“But now we have to go there and ask for their help?”

Yorik didn't expect an answer. In the end it wasn't really that sort of question. More a statement of unwelcome facts. Of course they had to go there and hope that the sylph were in a welcoming mood for once. And if they weren't they'd have to persuade them to be. Yorik did not want to think about what that might entail. So he let his thoughts turn to the practical. The military matters which he did understand.

“So, do we now have two enemies to fight? The Dark One raising the dead and shattering the world, and this servant of the Nameless doing the same? Can this really be?”

Which of course it couldn't be. It made no sense. It was like being blown away by a hurricane at the very same time that the ground was opening up beneath your feet as the earth shook and the mountains spewed orange fire. Some things were simply too unlucky to be true. Surely.

“Maybe not young one. Others have mentioned that you had doubts about the Dark One being responsible for the undead. And to my mind your doubts about the Dark One were well placed. Maybe someone just wanted us to believe it was the Dark One returned. Maybe this has all been the thane.”

“Then it cannot be the Nameless. According to all that is known, the Nameless has no will. It eats, it hungers, it hates and destroys, that is all. And even if Mayfall has become its partly dead or dying servant, surely he can want little more? Except of course for killing me.”

Yorik knew that he was right even if he hadn't studied the ancient holy tales as much as he should have. He much preferred getting out and doing to sitting down with the endless tomes of knowledge and studying. But still everyone knew that much about the Nameless. He or it was not so much a creature no matter how horrible, as an eternal hunger. The remains of the primordial chaos that had been before the world according to the sages. But Mayfall on the other hand – if it was him in there – he would want to kill him. He would very much want to kill him.

“Could the ghost dragon not tell you more?”

“Ghost dragon?” Myral stared at him as if he'd said something incredibly stupid. “You believe Darryndell is a ghost?”

Yorik nodded, a small gesture that sent a lance of agony raging through his shoulder. Darryndell? He remembered speaking the word during the conversation Myral, the Lady and the dragon had had, and so he guessed it had to be the dragon's name.

“Darryndell is no ghost. To be a ghost he would have to be dead and he is most certainly not that.”

Yorik ignored the obvious questions about what the ghost dragon was if he wasn't dead or a ghost. It could wait for another time. “Then if he's alive could he not tell us more of the thane? Perhaps fight him?”

“No.” Myral shook his head decisively. “He could tell us that it was not the Dark One breaking free of his prison. The great demon is as completely trapped now as he was when the dragons imprisoned him. And that will not change. But he was blind as to the true enemy. And my thought is that it is for the same reason that you cannot link with the Lady, nor the priests with their gods.

“The dragons have gods to call on for their strength?” That did not make any sense to Yorik. The dragons were already as close to gods as any living creature could be. They surely didn't need any help even from the divine.

“No! The bond between priest and god works two ways. The priest gains his power and magic through the bond. The god gains the priest's eyes and will and connection with the world. And when the bond is broken both are cut loose until it's restored. In the thane's presence the Lady cannot act or see you. When you were cut off from her she was also cut off from you. She could not see or know what was happening to you as you could not draw from her.”

“The dragons are of the divine, bound with the Mother to the celestial world. It is the deal they struck long ago. And in the thane's presence they are unable to act or see. Just as the Mother is. Just as the Lady is.”

“Then if the divine is cut from the world none of the gods can help us. Not only are the priests powerless, but so are they. Then how do we fight such a thing?”

For an answer the ancient wizard just shrugged again, a surprisingly common gesture for an elf, but one that spoke volumes. Myral was just as lost as he was. When he was a five century old wizard, that could not be good. And that left him with only the routine matters to consider.

“If we are to make this journey to see the sylph, we should still find the others and report back to the elders at Hammeral first.”

It was the logical thing to do, but the ancient wizard shook his head, and far too quickly for Yorik's liking.

“We cannot go back to the temple. We cannot risk the thane realising that we yet live. We cannot face him, and he may still be near the ancient temple, hunting out others. It took us half a day to climb the canyon on horseback. On foot, with you badly injured and no provisions it would be the better part of two, and then we'd have to hunt them out. The others, assuming that they yet live, will have to make their own path.”

That could not be. Yorik could not allow it. The wizard's words upset Yorik more than a little. Or maybe it was the truth behind them that upset him so. Still, he could not face that truth.

“Our duty is clear. We do not abandon our own. We must help our friends and comrades, and then when we have done so and once more have horses and provisions return to Hammeral and warn the people. They need to know this thane is around.” But even as he spoke Yorik knew he was wrong. That he was trying not to face the truth. That the wizard was right.

“We will pray for them as best we can. But we cannot go to them. It is beyond our ability and far too dangerous. It also would slow us down in warning the elders. The others if they still live must look after themselves.”

He was right, the trained soldier in him knew that and Yorik hated it even as he had to accept it. He hated it more than he could say. Not knowing if Genivere was alive or dead, if she needed protection or healing, and being unable to go to her. It was torment. But there could be no argument. Maybe some of that anguish showed on his face as the wizard rushed through his plan.

“Our path must take us straight to Hammeral where we can give warning of our new enemy soonest. Report all we have seen and now know. And there we will acquire some horses and provisions and ride as fast as we can for the Land of Sky.”

“But the others have hope. Be at peace young Yorik. I sent the birds of the great forest after the others, and the Lady heard my spell and added to it. It is very likely that your lady friend lives still, and the others with her. And they can take care of themselves. Your lady friend follows the Mother and is capable with her magic. The rest are soldiers. And the Lady will guide them if they choose to hear her.”

He wanted his words to be reassuring, Yorik knew. But they weren't. The ancient wizard was guessing at best. Hoping. And if the thane could sever the bonds with the Lady then there might be little she could do. But it did raise another question for him. Something that made no sense.