Blademage Adept (The Blademage Saga Book 3) (27 page)

“It doesn’t feel like we’re moving…” Alanna frowned, not bothering to mask her discomfort. “I may be sick.”

Most of the clouds now appeared to be spinning slowly around the center to the right, and down. The apparent motion seemed to verify their target destination as the most likely center of the formation.

“There!” Alanna pointed to a stretch of cloud above and to their left. “Not moving as fast as this, but it stretches in toward the center.”

The cloud passed under them on its way by, but was wide enough for the three to tumble down onto with yards to spare on either side. Its trajectory took them lower before they could hop onto one of the more ‘stationary’ clouds on an inner rung.

“Watch your feet,” Reko cautioned as he stopped focusing on the ‘ground’ below them. A minute later, his commanding voice led them through a series of leaps and rolls, landing them three clouds nearer the cluster, but still too far below it to be able to see anything for certain.

Birds and griffin tore through the sky at more frequent intervals, nearing the party, but never stopping for more than a quick screech before disappearing into the surrounding cloud cover.

“Close your eyes, this is the fastest way.” Kevon could feel Reko’s concentration overtaking his as the three of them huddled close on the small, fast moving cloud platform the Mage had directed them to. “Not you, Yusa, I need your eyes.”

“I miss my boat,” the captain groaned.

“We’ll be out of here soon,” Alanna reassured him. “Of course, we’ll still be underground, along a cliff face really far above your ship.”

Kevon buried his face in Alanna’s hair, and waited for further instruction from Reko.

Chapter 43

“It’s time,” Mirsa squeezed Bertus’s hand, straining a breath to move past the pain.

“It should be… weeks…” the Seeker leapt to his feet. Are you sure…”

“It’s. Time.”

“Relaniel! I’ll get…” Bertus shook his head in frustration. “No, Aelion… Relaniel’s… Um. Going now…” His fingers slid free of hers, and he sprinted out the door. “It’s time!” he shouted at the top of his lungs as he stumbled along the suspended walkway that led toward the Elder’s home. His heavy steps rippled along the sky-bridge, building in amplitude until two elves cried out, wrapping themselves around the vine railings for security.

“Sorry!” he shouted, slowing as he barged past them. “It’s time!”

Aelion sat basking in the midafternoon sun just outside his dwelling, and stood as Bertus staggered into view. “It’s time?”

“Here?” Bertus asked, inching the bed further toward the center of the window-light.

“Yes, right there. Sun… helps?” The Elder’s firm hand on Bertus’s shoulder was almost too reassuring. “All will be well.”

After what seemed like hours later, the baby’s cries split the tortured silence, and Bertus barged back into the dwelling. Aelion cradled the quieting newborn close as the last rays of light from the window slid off Mirsa’s still form.

“Is she…” Bertus lurched to a stop, face frozen in horror.

“Resting, child. Merely resting.” Aelion rocked the swaddled infant slowly. “Would you like to hold Maisy?”

The Warrior circled around to where Aelion stood, and gingerly accepted the baby, instinctively cradling her neck, supporting her tiny head, swinging her in close. His feet shuffled and he leaned side to side, rocking to calm her, as well as his own nerves.

Maisy yawned, and blinked twice. She focused for an instant, the intensity of her gaze reminding him immediately of Waine.
Let me tell you a story about that,
he could hear the fallen Warrior say.

“She has your eyes,” the Elder commented as he slipped out the door.

“No, I…” Bertus began, but the elf was already gone. He walked as he rocked, getting near enough to Mirsa to see the rise and fall of her chest before making his way to the bench against the far wall. He sat and leaned back into the corner, intent on memorizing every movement, every wrinkle of her tiny nose as she yawned and fussed.

“Put her down!” Mirsa scolded, as she dumped the brace of pheasants she’d been handed on the hearth. “She’s only just gotten back to sleep, and you’re filthy from the hunt!” For emphasis, the Mage flung a pointing finger at the open door of the cottage. The muddy boot-prints Bertus had left on the hardwood floor peeled themselves up and sailed with considerable force out into the glade.

The Warrior touched the tip of his nose to the baby’s, breathing in the newness of her, all but oblivious to her mother’s fury.

“
Bonk bonk!
” One of the Stoneguard rapped his knuckles on the doorframe, and poked his head around to peer inside. “
Papa!
”

“Why must they always learn the wrong words first?” Bertus sighed, moving back to the cradle, and depositing the infant back in her place. “I’ll tell him we can practice later.”

Mirsa smiled at the yawning Maisy, and shook her head. “She’ll nap a while longer. Go play with the boys.”

“I’ll be back soon,” he answered, planting a quick kiss on Mirsa’s cheek. Bertus unstrung his Elven longbow, and traded it for the ancient sword that rested in the corner.

Bertus followed the two dwarves out into the clearing, and the unicorns, familiar now with the routine, faded into the surrounding trees.

“
Ha!
” One of the Stoneguard whirled and thrust the spear-tip of his axe at Bertus.

Bertus rolled to the left, retaking his feet as he drew his blade and cast aside the scabbard. His evasive movement put the other dwarf behind his aggressor, giving him a brief respite as the pair swiveled and sidestepped to stand shoulder to shoulder against him. He gripped the sword with both hands, and took two lurching half-steps toward his opponents, looking for a sign of weakness or panic. Seeing none, he charged ahead.

The Stoneguard on the left acted first, shifting his axe back in preparation to swing. Bertus zigged to the left, leaned into the run, and took two more quick steps. He hopped over the kick the right Stoneguard aimed at his shin, and kicked at the shaft of that dwarf’s axe. At the same time, he parried the spinning axe of the other, who had turned the shifting motion into a backhand stroke. Changing grips, he smashed the left dwarf alongside the head with the hilt of his sword, spinning a backfist at the other as he twisted on landing.

The second Stoneguard ducked the attack, and whirled about to strike at Bertus’s weapon with his own. The Warrior twisted his wrist, swinging the weapon out of range, and tucked into a roll that gave him a bit of distance from the dwarves. By the time he’d stood and turned, the Stoneguard had split and were trying to circle him.

All right,
he thought, turning toward the one he knew to be a marginally better fighter, while shifting a portion of his awareness to listen for the other dwarf behind him.

Obvious fakes
, Bertus thought of the two quick thrusting jabs of the dwarf’s axe point, and the nearly silent crunch of grasses behind him confirmed the suspicion. He dodged forward and to the right, sidestepping the third, the only
actual
thrust of the weapon. He seized the weapon’s shaft, and pulled it further along its existing path, pivoting on his left foot, and kicking at the dwarf’s shoulder with his right.

The combination of the unbalancing
yank
and the leveraged kick tore the weapon free of the Stoneguard’s grip. Bertus slashed with the sword as he completed his leftward revolution, trying to spin the liberated weapon in his left hand to bear as he did so.

The dwarf crouched and bobbed to avoid the blade’s simple arc, then leaned and stood, leading with his right shoulder. The attack struck Bertus just above the small of the back, and launched him into the air, clutched weapons flailing as he tilted headlong past the dwarf.

No!
Bertus gritted his teeth, and finished spinning the appropriated axe into a steadier grip. He turned his shoulder and his weapons so that he would roll when he hit, and not impale or cut himself. He sprang to his feet, face contorted in a snarl that helped him summon the strength to brandish the heavy Dwarven axe in his off-hand. He flicked the weapon upward, his hand sliding to the correct grip, and he shifted forward and to the right, squaring off toward where both the dwarves were gathered again.

The trailing Stoneguard’s knuckles whitened as his grip increased on his axe.
“Aroro…”
he whispered, beginning to step around his compatriot, weapon raised in a manner that hinted at something more than friendly practice.

“
No!
” the other dwarf extended his right arm, slowing his advance. “
Behr-toos Aroro?
” He shook his head. “
Behr-toos papa. Behr-toos… o-kay.
”

The Stoneguard lowered his weapon, but the fury in his eyes did not abate. “
Aroro.
”

Bertus cried out as his grip failed, and the axe tumbled to the earth, nearly striking him in the foot. He hopped back, sword still at the ready.

“
Pfffft.
Aroro.
” The weaponless Stoneguard shoved his comrade aside and strode up to recover his axe. As he stood, he tilted his head toward the cottage. “
Papa. Go.
”

Lesson’s over for today,
Bertus thought, recovering the scabbard and sheathing the sword.
I’d never seen what fear looked like on a Stoneguard.

“Never heard the word before,” Mirsa set the plate down in front of Bertus, and swept across the room to scoop up Maisy. “If they’d left us with a translator, we would know.”

Bertus watched the slow twisting movements Mirsa used to rock her child back to contentedness, and noted the hint of sadness on her face. “I miss Rhysabeth-Dane, too. She wanted to be here for all of this.”

“They’ll be back soon enough,” Mirsa whispered, placing her sleeping child back in the cradle. After standing over her a bit longer, she crossed the room back to the table, and sat beside Bertus. “And there will be more hard decisions to make.”

Chapter 44

“Oof!” Kevon hit the platform harder than he thought possible, but recovered and scrambled out of the way before Alanna and Yusa tumbled down after him.

“I believe we have arrived,” Reko’s voice whispered from somewhere between them. “I cannot affect the surface below us. It is… somewhat of a relief.”

“Get some rest,” Kevon answered. “We may need you again soon.”

“Can you believe some of the things that have flown past us in just the last few minutes?” Alanna lay on her back, staring up into the whirling expanse.

“A few, almost
into
us,” Yusa clarified. “Curiosity, it seemed, more than malice.”

“Birds of all kinds, griffin, half a dozen things I cannot begin to name…” Kevon agreed. “And beyond this central platform, before we were carried above it…”

“A dragon.” Alanna sat up. “I’d hoped my eyes were deceiving me.”

“Hope instead that they are as benevolent as every other creature we’ve encountered,” Kevon offered, helping the assassin to her feet. “We’re nearly there.”

Kevon led the way into the mist that obscured the view of the center of the vast central platform.

Hours into the journey, the mist thinned, and a twisted shape became visible in the distance.

A crystalline structure, resembling a gigantic frozen dust-devil grew out of the firm cloud surface. Deep sapphire at the base, fading to translucence, and eventual transparence at dizzying heights, the spire was the only solid looking thing they had seen in this realm.

“The base flares out to the left,” Kevon observed, after the others stopped beside him. “There may be an entrance there.

“We’ve gathered an audience,” Alanna pointed skyward to the scattered avian forms circling above.

“Watch them, but let’s keep our pace up.” Kevon decided. “This realm is far more dangerous than M’lani’s. Best to finish our business and move on.”

“There is an arch!” Yusa called over the wind that had grown steadily as they approached the crystal spiral. “We should run for it!”

Something not right about this,
the thought coming unbidden to Kevon’s mind as he sprinted behind Yusa and Alanna into the increasing gale. A dozen yards from their destination, his fears coalesced into reality as the wind snatched Alanna up, her scream all but lost in the fury of the vortex.

“NO!” Kevon poured all of his surprise and anger into a Movement rune, and lashed out with his mind, but the symbol dulled twice as he tightened the magic around the flailing assassin.

Then she was gone.

Kevon stumbled the last few steps into the crystal archway, nearly swept off his own feet in the final yards. The tempest subsided to a whisper inside the entrance, and Yusa seized his arm when he tried to rush back outside.

“There she is!” Kevon tried the spell again as Alanna whirled by, just outside and above the entranceway. The runes darkened as before. “Steel!” he exclaimed. “She’s touching metal!”

“Stand aside,” Yusa slid along the side of the arch to where the breeze began picking up, looked up and into the wind. He twisted his head as Alanna sped by again, then reached out for Kevon. “Be ready!”

Kevon joined hands with Yusa, and hugged tight to the wall as his friend edged further out into the roaring winds. He felt Reko’s spell begin, and mirrored it with symbols of his own, joining their power together under the other Mage’s control. The sudden power drain wrenched at his senses, as the impact wrenched at his arm.

Yusa caught Alanna with his right arm, nearly breaking free of Kevon’s grip in the process.

Kevon grabbed on with both hands, and leaned back, hauling both Yusa and Alanna into the calm interior of the crystal whirlwind.

“I’m glad I woke up for that,” Reko’s voice rasped above the whisper from outside. “Shall we continue?”

“I thought you were…” Kevon pushed past Yusa to encircle Alanna with trembling arms.

“You told me to get rid of my weapons,” she whispered, “And I knew it would be all right.”