Chaosmage (19 page)

“You all tried and failed. If I ever see any of you again, I will kill you,” said Balfruss, adding a little power behind his words until his voice rattled loose stones. “Do you understand?” he bellowed.

Any trace of bravado was gone. All of the students had been reduced to frightened children in the face of an implacable enemy.

Fear was all they knew from the Master, and now Balfruss was using the same tool against them. He loathed himself for doing it but the offer of sanctuary or compassion would be pointless. This city had sickened them, and unlike him they wouldn't even realise what had happened. After only a few days of exposure he could feel darker emotions trying to bubble up to the surface. Such desires and feelings had become second nature to them. A blunt response was all they would understand.

With a snarl Balfruss cut his magic and they all crashed to the ground.

“If you're not out of my sight by the time I count to five, I will gut you all,” he said. He didn't even make it to four before he was alone on the street.

Kaine couldn't keep hiding forever. Eventually he would run out of pawns to throw at Balfruss and then he'd either come out of hiding or, if this was a game of Stones, put a different piece onto the board.

Balfruss had to find Kaine before any more people were made to sacrifice themselves out of loyalty or fear. And when he did there would be a reckoning beyond what he'd done to the Warlock.

I
n the deepest cavern under the winery Alyssa knelt on the soft damp earth and tried to pray. It was warmer down here than she'd been expecting, something to do with hot air coming up through the cracks, but more importantly it was quiet. Normally when alone she had no difficulty meditating, but today stray thoughts prevented her from finding any peace.

Everywhere Alyssa went in the winery people asked her opinion and wanted her to make decisions on their behalf. It had started with the new arrivals but once others learned of the blood oath they also wanted to swear loyalty. Alyssa had refused to let anyone else kneel, but it didn't stop people treating her as if she were royalty. All day they pursued her with an endless series of questions. Even on the wall, with Zannah's glare to contend with, they wanted her to make choices for them.

Alyssa had hoped it would be peaceful down here, away from their constant demands, but a disturbing and erratic noise kept intruding. Row upon row of bright pink stalks rose above her head and every now and then one of them would creak as it stretched upwards trying to find the light. Candles dotted around the cave provided enough ambient light to find her way between the rows, but heavy shadows still pooled around the edges of the cave. In the gloomy corners, and in a small cavern off to one side, mushrooms were growing in the earth.

To her left another rhubarb stalk groaned and Alyssa flinched at the sound. It was a peculiar noise and being alone in the cave surrounded by the creaking rows of vegetables wasn't nearly as serene as she'd hoped. Turning her back on the eerie place Alyssa retraced her steps and went back up through the levels, aiming for the courtyard. Perhaps she'd find some peace on the wall with only the taciturn Zannah for company.

On the way she wanted to ignore every request, but she couldn't just walk past people when they approached her. No matter how it had been done, they needed her. Alyssa slowed down but never completely stopped walking, gave what brief advice she could, often amounting to nothing more than common sense. She suspected all of them already knew the answers, but they still seemed grateful.

Eventually she made it to the courtyard where an icy wind was blowing the dust around. The late afternoon sky was lead grey and she thought it might snow. As she paused to pull on a pair of woollen gloves, the sound of raised voices drifted down from above. Zannah was stood on the wall in her usual spot with Balfruss leaning on the wall beside her, staring out at the city. As snatches of their conversation drifted down Alyssa slowed her ascent, not wanting to interrupt but also curious about their disagreement.

“You're pushing yourself too hard. Taking too many risks,” Balfruss was saying. “How much did that last stunt cost you?”

“A few years.”

“A few?” scoffed Balfruss. “I heard your bones pop when you landed. How many did you break?” When Zannah didn't answer he shook his head in dismay and ran a tired hand over his face. He looked more drawn than when he'd set off that morning. “If you keep this up, you'll die, and there's nothing anyone can do. Not even me. I can't repeat it. Do you understand?”

“I'll be fine.”

Balfruss's laughter was mocking. “You were days away from death when we arrived. How will you help these people if you're dead?”

Alyssa hurried to the top of the stairs and the sound of her footsteps halted the conversation.

“Are you dying?” asked Alyssa. Zannah frowned at Balfruss as if he were to blame. “Answer me!” said Alyssa, gripping her friend by the arm.

Zannah glanced down at the hand on her forearm but Alyssa ignored her glare. The Morrin's stare might intimidate others but she knew Zannah would never hurt her. Zannah tried to pull her arm away but Alyssa gripped one of her hands with both of hers. It was only then that she realised how warm Zannah was. Even through the gloves she could feel heat radiating from the Morrin's body.

“Zannah, are you dying?” she asked again.

“No. He . . . helped me,” said Zannah vaguely, gesturing with her chin at Balfruss, who harrumphed but said nothing.

“Tell me what's happening,” said Alyssa.

She looked between them, waiting for one of them to say something, but neither spoke. Zannah never shared anything about herself without being asked the same question repeatedly, and even then what she said was brief. Alyssa thought about asking Balfruss but knew that it would put him in a difficult situation. It was Zannah's secret to share.

“I'll find out,” she promised. Zannah pulled her hand free and Alyssa thought a smile briefly touched her lips.

“Another day,” said Zannah. “Today you should worry about wizards.”

Alyssa turned towards Balfruss, who stood with his shoulders hunched from fatigue and something else. The muscles in the side of his face jumped as he clenched his jaw.

“Kaine sent more of his students to kill me.” The Battlemage was furious, but after taking a few deep breaths his posture relaxed. “They were just children.”

“Are they dead?”

Balfruss glanced at Alyssa, a look of surprise on his face that she would ask such a question. “No, not by my hand, but my fear is I've killed them all the same. One of them said if they went back without my head Kaine would kill them.”

“You're not responsible for his actions,” said Alyssa. “You didn't make him do it.”

“No, but I hold some responsibility for them being here in the first place.”

“Why?”

Balfruss waved a hand dismissively. “It's a long story about the Red Tower, for another time.” He glanced at the sky and frowned. “It'll be dark soon. Where's Tammy?”

“She went to the last mercenary base. The one ruled by Fennetaris,” said Zannah. Alyssa realised she'd only heard other people refer to the mercenary as Fenne.

“Do you know Fenne?”

“He was here, occupying Shael during the war.” Zannah's voice had become rougher and her eyes had drifted somewhere else into the past. The guilt she carried weighed her down far worse than any suit of armour. Every day she was made to remember all of the things she'd done. All Zannah needed to do was look at the face of anyone in their shelter to see the scars of her people's work.

“One day we received an order to sail home and most of my people went. A few stayed behind. They had become gluttons.” Zannah's expression turned sour. They both knew she wasn't referring to eating or drinking too much. There had been rivers of blood and stacks of bodies piled as high as buildings.

“What happened to them?” asked Balfruss.

“I hunted them down and killed them,” said Zannah,
matter
-
of
-
factly
. “Fennetaris was the last one, and the worst. He hid from me.”

“If Fenne is as bad as you say then Tammy may need help. Can you give me directions to his camp?” asked Balfruss, turning towards the stairs.

“By the time I've drawn a map and explained the route I could be halfway there,” said Alyssa. “Besides, I'm far less of a threat. By now your reputation will have spread. They might try to kill you before you have a chance to speak.”

“You cannot go,” said Zannah. Alyssa rounded on the Morrin and was surprised to see her smiling. “People here depend on you. They swore an oath.”

“Don't remind me.”

“When I suggest something that might save their lives, they ignore it. They would continue to ignore it as someone slit their throats and smile at me as they died. When you say the same thing they listen,” said Zannah, checking her sword and pulling on a pair of leather gloves. “Whether you want it or not, you are now their leader.”

Alyssa hated to admit it but part of her knew that Zannah was right. She was aware that her people could cope perfectly well without her, and if she died they would find someone else to lead them, but in the interim there would be chaos. Without her they might actually succeed in murdering Zannah. Even so, stubbornness, and a chance to get away from the endless questions, made her try one last time.

“I should be the one to go.”

“They won't let you,” said Zannah, gesturing at the courtyard. A group of people had gathered in the doorway of the main building. Every face was staring at Alyssa and she could feel the immense weight of being responsible for all of them settling on her shoulders. “You give them hope.” The Morrin retrieved the knotted rope and threw it over the wall. Before Alyssa could wish her good luck or offer a prayer, Zannah went over, and a minute later was running down the street away from the winery.

So far the people in the courtyard had not followed her onto the wall. Alyssa wondered if part of their reluctance had been because of Zannah. Now that the Morrin had gone she feared they would swamp her.

“You can't hide up here all night,” said Balfruss, scratching at his beard.

“Watch me.”

“I know it feels heavy, but it does get easier.”

“What's that?”

“Being responsible for others.” The Battlemage sounded as if he were speaking from experience. “At one time we all felt it during the war. There were only six Battlemages and without us there would not have been a war between Seveldrom and the west. The Mad King and the Warlock would have marched in and slaughtered thousands. A great deal was expected of us.”

Alyssa knew some of what had happened, but this was the first time she'd spoken to someone who had been there on the Seve front line.

“What happened?”

The look of sorrow that settled on Balfruss's face was so intense Alyssa reached out and laid a hand on his arm. He tried to smile but couldn't manage it. Instead he turned his face away so she couldn't see the old pain in his eyes.

“We did what was needed,” said Balfruss, his voice thick with emotion. “But the other Battlemages, my friends, they all died.”

“I didn't mean to open old wounds,” said Alyssa, suddenly desperate for something to distract Balfruss. She brought up the first thing that came to mind, mostly because it had been niggling at her. “During the war, did you ever meet any plague priests?”

“No, none. I didn't even know they existed until this year. I've heard stories of them curing illnesses since the war ended, but Kai is the first one I've met. Why do you ask?”

Alyssa bit her lip, wondering if she was overthinking things. “It's probably nothing.”

Balfruss shook his head. “Your instincts are good. It's one of the reasons people follow you. Tell me.”

“It's Kai,” said Alyssa, glancing around to make sure he wasn't standing below them in the courtyard. Even so she lowered her voice, slightly afraid for some reason that he might hear what was being said. “There's something odd about him.”

“I know,” admitted Balfruss. “He's a very strange man.”

“It's not just that.” Alyssa was struggling to put into words what she felt but the feeling in her gut would not leave her. “He unsettles me, and a few others.”

“Has he hurt someone or said something?”

“No, nothing like that. He's been kind with all the sick and injured. It's something else. It's hard to describe, but every time he's in the room it's like having an itch inside my head.”

“You have more experience of it than me. Do you think he's been changed? Is he one of the Forsaken?”

Alyssa had considered it as a possibility, but he'd exhibited none of the usual behaviour. Also he spent more time alone than with other people, which again wasn't like any of those who had been changed. They wanted to spread the word of their new gospel, not sit alone drinking wine.

“It's not that, I'm certain of it,” said Alyssa. “He's got a dark sense of humour and he's a strange man, but there's something more that's out of place.”

“I'll look into it,” he promised.

She had thought Balfruss might challenge her more and disregard her feeling as nothing more than paranoia. Alyssa had hoped that in some ways. Instead he was going to investigate, and that worried her. What if she was right?

“Where is she?” he muttered. Tammy had been gone for a long time now.

Alyssa joined Balfruss in his vigil and together they silently watched the darkening sky. The light was beginning to fade and no doubt more Forsaken would soon follow. After last night's slaughter Alyssa wondered if they would return in even greater numbers seeking retribution for their dead.

As much as that worried her she couldn't stop thinking about Zannah all alone out there in the darkness. She offered a brief prayer and watched with a growing sense of dread as the shadows lengthened and the sun drifted below the horizon.

When darkness fell they lit the torches on the gate, and others took their places on the wall, preparing themselves for another long night. Zannah still hadn't returned. They were on their own.