Chapter 15: The Return
In which a plan is formed.
Ever since the wizards had landed, I'd been itching to burn one of the signal charms sitting in my pocket. Zephyr and I had put them together months back, a robust method of communication. By my reckoning, the only thing that would stop the matching charm from unravelling at the given signal would be the open ocean, so if Zephyr was anywhere on the continent, I could get their attention right away.
The thing was, the runes in each charm were a pain to scribe, the wizards were obviously on our side, and nothing had gone wrong. Even if Zephyr had been gone for a few days longer than expected, this wasn't the first time or even the longest. Certainly, some of the our new guests were a bit cracked in the head, but that wasn't at all unusual in their profession.
Still...
My shoulders stretched out a little when I saw the tell-tale blue glow slicing across the morning sky. Calicule came scurrying up with another wizard, an orb-reader, trotting along behind. "Lady Susan, I don't mean to alarm you but-"
"Nothing to fear!" I said brightly. "That's just our wizard returning. On full burn, it appears."
The orb-reader blinked owlishly at Calicule, then at me, then at the crystal ball clutched in his sweaty hands.
"Are you sure that's-" he started, but I swept away towards the centre of the clearing. Zephyr remained high above the settlement far longer than usual, descending in long, slow loops. All the other wizards had gathered together, either reading the same signals of Zephyr's return, or just following the commotion. They formed a loose semi-circle with their backs to the tree line, with Calicule off to one side.
(Standard firing formation to avoid blocking each other's spells. Calicule is the linchpin, use the orb-reader as cover from him. Close in early, no magic or artefacts, just blades)
Zephyr seemed reluctant to actually reach ground level, hovering above and behind John. John was getting irritated by the muttering and posturing, both of which came a little too easily to those of a wizardly inclination.
"Lady Susan, are you - are you absolutely sure that is your wizard." said Calicule. He his right hand resting gently on the outside of his robe, standing perfectly still. A mosquito whined past, and when Calicule brushed it away, Zephyr twitched.
"Woah woah, easy there Zephyr, easy." I said, like one would to a horse. "We're all friends here. Allies, even. Calicule, this is Zephyr. Zephyr, Calicule Cratorious."
"CHARMED." buzzed Zephyr in a voice that made the wizards curse and and a child start crying. A crackle of blue lightning flickered when Zephyr spoke. "Oh, many apologies," They said quickly at a more normal volume. "Leftover charge from the flight. Calicule, yes, your work is known to us."
One of the wizards was jostling his neighbour, "-earthing mana just from talking, what are we waiting for, blast-" and was pinned back into line with a glare from Calicule. He turned back slowly to face us. Zephyr came all the way down to stand next to John, manifesting a pair of legs for the occasion. I let out one deep breath, and replaced it with another. "Lady Susan, I don't...I'm not quite sure..." said Calicule, thinking and rethinking his next sentence. "I suppose if you say that is your wizard, I suppose I have no choice but to believe you are correct."
"On the contrary Calicule," said Zephyr evenly. "You do have another choice. You could find out for yourself."
(Zephyr. Zephyr, why.)
Calicule seized up. Stared at Zephyr, flicked his eyes over to me. Half the wizards had hands on pockets, near the brims of hats, behind backs. Then, ever so slowly, Calicule moved his right hand out into the open air by his side, empty palm facing forward. I had no idea if John even noticed what had gone on, he seemed to be talking to himself and staring off to one side. Zephyr re-absorbed the new legs, and floated towards the edge of the settlement.
All the wizards watched the blue glow until Zephyr was completely out of sight. Then, they turned as one towards Calicule, their hands still at the ready. He was looking at the ground. His right hand was clutched in the left. Trembling.
That night, the clouds were lit from below with silent light. Keller came to join me on my vigil. The wizards were far outside of the settlement, but I wanted to be the first to know the outcome. He shook his head at the flagrant display of wasteful spellcraft. "It's just like the bad old days. I swear, if one of these flouncy blouses slips me a shiny penny to off Calicule, I am going to spit."
But Calicule was back the next morning, teeth gleaming. "Lady Susan! Good morning to you. And what a wonderful new day it is proving to be." I just nodded. As was his way, he quickly went on to fill the silence. "I do believe I have the solution, the solution to both of our problems. All of them!"
He waited for me to ask.
"We go back." he said, with a flourish, and my heart dropped.
"We go back to what you've left of HIS tower."
I wanted to say a few things. Things like "are you out of your mind". "No fucking way". "Are you out of your fucking mind". And the like. Calicule was nattering on, something about engines and stars and runic signatures. Before I could open my mouth, I heard a desperate cry from the other side of the settlement:
"MUMMY!"
Followed by:
"What do you mean that's not my son?!"
I was already running. A soldier met me by the ragged old oak in the centre of the village, saw where I was going, and turned back to follow me. People were already gathering near the narrow entryway in the new earthen walls the wizards had built. A struggling woman was desperately trying to get free from a pair of soldiers that were desperately trying not to hurt her. A third soldier was holding a crossbow. I couldn't see the target, but I could hear the wailing.
"Back! Everybody back!" I called, dragging a gawker aside. "If you've not got a weapon, you're a target. Get out of the way."
I took my place two steps to the left of the crossbowman. He glanced towards me and I shook my head, pointing at the entrance to the village. The crude wooden door had been pushed open. Under the shadow of the walls, stood a little boy, covered in dirt and scratches and insect bites. Three streams of tears and snot had cleared a pale patch down the front of his face. His shirt was torn, and leaves were threaded in his hair.
"Mummy..." he whined through his hands.
"Kid! Look at me." I called out, then turned to his mother. "What was his name?" She just wrestled all the harder.
"You're not! You're not going to take him from me!" she yelled, voice breaking at the end.
"Get her out of here." I said to the soldier holding her left arm. He had a pair of shallow scratches down his face. Her knees buckled, almost pulling the two soldiers down with her. I couldn't bear to watch. "How did this happen." I turned back to the soldier with the crossbow. This time, he didn't spare me a glance, just kept the bolt lined up on the child's head. Good.
"Standing orders from Keller, your ladyship. Anyone goes missing overnight, and comes back, it's crossbows only and don't touch it."
"Good. Good."
(And how in the hell did this kid - the barricade. The lightning trees. I checked, and one of them was dead. Oh no.)
I pushed the thought aside. Consequences first. Recriminations later.
"Good. Well...?" I said.
His finger tightened on the crossbow trigger. His hand shook on the stock. He paused, wiped his sweating face with one forearm.
A bird chirped.
"Do you want-" I said, and then it all fell apart. The thud of an elbow hitting somewhere vulnerable, a choked curse, and the woman was loose, running between the soldier and her child. What was left of her child.
"No! Take me! Take me instead, I'll do anything, just don't hurt my boy, please..." She had her arms wrapped all the way around him, her entire body, her back exposed to the killing bolt.
The right thing to do, would've been to grab the crossbow and pull the trigger. Unarmoured flesh, there was a good chance the bolt would go all the way through her and kill them both.
But I hesitated. And hesitation isn't the same as showing mercy.
"Anything, mummy? Really- anything?" came a small voice from inside her arms.
She nodded, and I could see her neck moving, see her saying something in his ear, but I couldn't hear the things he - the things it was whispering back.
My guts twisted up. I couldn't move. Neither could the soldier by my side. We just watched as blood bloomed through the woman's clothing, blood that turned black, blood that began to twist into long, long limbs...
The boy died. He went missing the night after we left. Whatever caught him wouldn't have permitted him to die until at least the night after that.
His mother died. I blew her head off with my very first spell, but she kept going until I landed another spell directly down her open neck, and blew out the lungs. It took even more spell-fire to stop the individual scuttling legs, pinning each one beyond arms reach and burning it until the chitin melted.
I got off with nothing but a scratch on my right forearm. I had to melt away a layer of flesh with acid, but it hadn't reached bone, so I'd likely get to keep the arm.
One of the soldiers had been lying on the ground, writhing in pain. He was the most vulnerable. He was killed instantly.
One of the soldiers had a crossbow. He sunk the first bolt directly into her stomach, loaded a second, and then died.
The third soldier ran. Maybe to grab the spear that was lying against a nearby hut. Maybe he was running for his life. It didn't matter, he didn't get to keep either.
The last soldier, the one to fetch me, managed to draw his sword and hack at the independently moving legs. He shouted a warning, which probably saved my life. I hit him in the neck with a lesser cleaving before the leg could squirm it's way into his eye.
I wandered away, clutching my numb arm. The clear air of the winter morning seemed wrong. I couldn't smell anything except her blood. A portion of the settlement had seen it all unfold, and ducked away at my approach. I didn't know where I was going. I had to find Zephyr, or John. I didn't trust my own senses to tell if my injured arm needed further treatment, or perhaps removal. I couldn't find either of them, but I did see one of the soldiers. Maybe they knew where Zephyr was. Or John. Or Alaxoria, or Keller for that matter. Anyone.
There was a rapier, lying on the ground near the soldier. He were looking up at the sky, arms by his side. Talking. Praying? I couldn't quite hear what they were saying. I knew it was important that I could hear the words.
Hear the
words.
The words they were speaking.
It was the younger Arsworth. I wondered if Keller had taught them how to use that rapier. I wondered what words they were speaking. The rapier that was...
On the ground.
Arsworth was staring up at the sun. Unmoving. Arms slack. He turned to me. I could see the light of the sun shining in his eyes. Could see his teeth and tongue moving through holes in his face. The words. The words he was speaking. The words.
"I'll do anything. Anything. Just don't hurt him. Don't hurt my brother. I'll do anything. I'll do anything."
I tried to run forwards. Tried not to listen. I walked up and felt the fingers of rot worming in through my ears. I picked up the rapier, put it in his neck.
"What have you done!" John spat in my face, shaking me by the shoulders. The sun had shifted a fraction. Half of John's face was black with rot, bugs crawling out of the hole where his eye had been. I blinked, it was just a trick of the light. "What happened here!"
"...the kid" I coughed out. Dirt in my mouth. When had I fallen over?
"What do you mean- what kid?"
"The boy. Went missing. Came back." I pointed over to where the rapier was sticking out of a pile of flesh. "His brother."
John dropped me back to the ground, put his hands together, and prayed.
A bolt of sunlight struck me in the front of the skull, pinning me to the dirt for a moment. All my arms and legs let go. When it stopped, John ripped off a gauntlet and put two fingers down my throat until everything came up. When I wasn't quite done spitting, he pulled down on my jaw and stared into my throat. He waited, staring. I felt something move, just behind my teeth, and bit down, grunting furiously. John pulled my two lips apart, grabbed hold of it with his fingers. I let my jaw open, throat spasming, as he pulled it all out and flung it onto the ground. Another bolt of sunlight came down, scorching the patch of dirt to cinders. I spat fluids, but it was just blood. I'd bit my tongue in the process. John picked me up, and patted me down. "It's noon, you'll be fine." he said briskly. I hoped he was right. "Now, when did this happen."
"A few..." I spat, head clearing. "A few minutes ago."
"Then we've still got time." said John, picking up his sword from where he had tossed it.
Some of the soldiers stayed with their families. Some stayed in the barracks. Arsworth had been living in the barracks. I pulled a mask over John's nose and mouth. He went to the barracks. There was no time for explanations, or last goodbyes. Just laying about with the broken sword. One of the soldiers ran, John pinned him to the ground and cut his head off right there in the dirt.
I stayed near Arsworth and put a trace on his boots. The damp ground held hundreds of footprints, and his lit up clearly. I followed the trail back to one of the huts. Looked at where the sun was. Tried to figure out the timing. There was no time. I opened the door, tossed in a gas bomb and held the door shut until everyone inside stopped moving. There were no screams. Just more of the
words.
John and I met back up in the centre, then went prowling through the settlement. There were no good spells for this kind of thing, Zephyr was terrible at it. I just had to work with hunches, John with prayers. It was noon. We'd been quick. There was a chance we'd caught it in time.
Cresorious came bumbling up from the other side of the settlement, "what is the meaning of this!" and wouldn't listen when I tired to explain. I grabbed him by the jowls and screamed directly in his face, just noise. I pushed him back, and kept pushing.
"Move! You and all of your useless parasites, get them out of here! Out!"
Zephyr came roaring back overhead, took one look at the situation, and started doing laps. Any time a survivor poked their head out of a shelter, bloody visions of teeth and claws chased them back inside. John marked out the barracks, Arsworth's body, the hut I'd gassed, the entryway to the village. Zephyr laid down lines of bright yellow fire that twisted and turned until nothing was left but cooked mud.
We waited. The air stank of ash. Nothing moved in the settlement. There were no horrifying creatures bursting out of nowhere and slaughtering the people in our care.
We'd caught it soon enough. The boy, his mother, his brother, the soldiers, some people that Arsworth had spoken to. We'd cut and burned hard and fast enough to keep the rest. It was the first time in a while.
Calicule was pacing back and forth near their original landing site, along with his five yammering colleagues. Hadn't there been more of them before? Two of them had the stone structure split open to reveal the runic surfaces beneath, and were yelling at each other. Calicule demanded explanations.
"Fine. We're going back to the tower." was all I said.
The wizards couldn't get their vessel air-borne again, and seemed rather embarrassed about it. We'd have to walk. John gathered the rest of us up while I sat and stared out at the horizon, waiting in the middle of camp. Alaxoria staggered in last, red-eyed. Calicule had his fellows herded in front of him. There were dirty looks shot back and forth. I didn't care.
"Here's the plan." I dropped a few glass rods onto the ground, they sketched back and forth as I talked. "We go to HIS tower. We go down into the engine floors this time. Those weren't touched during our attack, but may have been damaged in the aftermath. Calicule here believes there will be least one suitable star stone fuelling the systems, or equivalent." He nodded, silent for once. "We take that, go back to the citadel. We fix the portal." I turned to Zephyr, who glowed slightly brighter in answer. "Then."
Deep breath.
"Then we use the star stone and the portal framework to send this entire village as far north as possible. Not just the people. No need to get anyone out of bed. No need to lose our defences when we arrive, since we know HIS creations were left untouched. The new walls will hold runic anchors. With those acting as the outer boundary, we take the whole lot."
Keller piped up, "Can we even do that?"
I looked at Keller, then up at the sky, chewing my lip. Calicule scratched his head, and started counting on his fingers, mouth moving silently. Eventually, he went. "Hmm..."
"Hmm?" I couldn't help myself.
"Hmm, yes." said Calicule, moving his fingers again. "Normally a significant portion of the portal power is used to limit the distance travelled. Disregarded. Exit destination accuracy, likewise disregarded, at least along the horizontal axis. It will undoubtedly blow the power core in the process. In fact, we should take pains to guarantee that it will expend the entire energy supply, lest we end up in the northern ocean or... somewhere even less pleasant."
One more deep breath in.
"Since the portal will be targeting this location, and our final destination to the north, the spell won't be able to transport anyone at the nexus. Someone will have to stay behind at the Western Citadel to operate the controls.
John looked up at me between furrowed brows, and stepped forward.
"Preferably," I moved on quickly "Someone with detailed arcane knowledge. And, can also fly and catch up with us in just a few weeks."
For a second, John pursed his lips. Something squiggled around in my eye. No, not my eye. My right eye caught the reflection of something in John's left. Even just a glimpse of it, and I could feel it in the fleshy corner where it met my nose.
"So, it's decided then!" said Calicule, clapped his hands together a few times. "Supplies, tools, and boots are in order, I should think! Ah, and what a fine day it is turning out to be after all."
It was barely mid-morning. The ashes were still warm.