Sovereign Stone (36 page)

Suddenly, Ilona spun into existence above the table.

“Darkness comes,” she said with deadly seriousness. “Master Alabrand, I have need of your assistance. Come quickly.”

Lucky looked to Alexander. He nodded as he stood. “What’s coming and how far away is it?” Alexander asked, checking the Thinblade in its scabbard.

“A scourgling is scaling the mountains that ring this valley,” Ilona said. “It will be here soon. We can send it away but it will require the sacrifice of a fairy.”

Alexander and Isabel both shook their heads in unison. “No, we’ll leave immediately,” Alexander said. “It will follow us. Phane sent it to kill me. If I’m gone, it will leave you alone.” He turned to his friends. “Make ready at once.”

Ilona buzzed up to him. “There may be another way. If you leave, it will hunt you and you cannot outrun it. Eventually you will be forced to face it and then you will die.”

Chloe spun into a ball of light at the mention of Alexander’s death. “I will not let that happen, My Love.”

Ilona continued as if Chloe hadn’t spoken. “With my help and guidance, Master Alabrand can create a potion that will send the scourgling back to the netherworld.”

Lucky stepped up with his bag over his shoulder. “Tell me what to do,” he said without hesitation. She led him from the banquet hall.

Alexander and his friends prepared to leave. The threat of the scourgling brought the reality of his duty slamming back into the forefront of his awareness. He had accomplished his goal for coming to the Pinnacles and now it was time to go. He still had a great distance to travel and time was running out.

They stood near the crevice that led out of the valley, waiting for Lucky and Ilona. Chloe spun into a ball of light every few minutes out of nervousness and fear.

“I will face the scourgling, My Love, and send it away if all else fails,” she said.

“No! You will not risk yourself against that demon, no matter the danger to me,” Alexander said. “I mean it, Chloe.” She spun into a ball of light. He turned to the rest of his friends. “That goes for the rest of you as well. If it comes to it, I’ll face that thing alone.”

“You heard Kelvin,” Anatoly said, “the Thinblade won’t work against it. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Neither do you,” Alexander said, “any of you. Look, if we end up fighting that thing, we’re going to lose. It was sent to kill me. I won’t have it killing any of you just to get to me.”

Abigail pointed up toward the top of the cliffs across the valley and called out, “Look!”

All eyes turned to where she pointed and saw the dark silhouette of the scourgling only a moment before it leapt off the edge and plummeted to the ground. It crashed into the forest not a mile away with a loud thud that reverberated off the stone walls of the valley.

“Chloe, go warn your mother and the rest of the fairies,” Alexander said. “Tell them not to engage that thing, just avoid it. The rest of you get into the crevice. I doubt the scourgling can fit in there.”

Chloe darted up and kissed Alexander on the cheek. “If you die, I die. Preserve me, My Love,” she said before she spun into a ball of light and disappeared.

“What are you going to do?” Isabel asked.

“I’ll wait for Lucky or the scourgling, whichever gets here first . . .”

Before he could finish his sentence, the scourgling emerged from the forest at a dead run, its huge glistening black form moving with frightening speed in long loping strides. It spotted Alexander and adjusted course to charge straight for him.

He pushed Isabel into the gap in the stone cliff and followed her in. Not ten steps inside, he heard an impossibly loud crashing noise as the scourgling smashed into the stone with tremendous force. Alexander spun in the tight quarters and drew his sword. The scourgling was stuck in the entrance of the crevice, clawing its way in deeper and closer. It raked the stone walls with its iron-hard claws, scoring it deeply with each stroke and tearing the face of the stone away to clatter against the ground as gravel. Slowly it started working its way toward him.

An arrow whizzed over his shoulder and shattered against the demon’s empty eye socket. Alexander looked back at Abigail.

She shrugged. “Had to try,” she said before moving deeper into the crevice.

They backed up and got some distance from the demon when it suddenly stopped clawing its way forward, withdrew to the opening of the crevice and started climbing up the side of the cliff toward the top. Its claws left angry-looking gouges in the sheer rock face and rained chips of stone down on the valley floor.

Alexander saw Lucky come into the clearing with Ilona and Chloe. Lucky held up a glass vial to show Alexander that he had a weapon to use against the beast.

As Alexander watched the beast climb, he tried to decide on a strategy. If he tried to get to Lucky, the beast would drop down on top of him. If he went through the crevice, the scourgling would be there to face him on the other side; he also risked coming to a wide space in the crevice that the scourgling could fit into. He decided to face it sooner rather than later. At least if the potion failed, he would have the cover of the crevice to take refuge in while he came up with another plan.

He reached out for Chloe with his mind.

“I’m here, My Love.”

It was a new sensation to be bonded with another. It would take some getting used to. He projected his thoughts to her. “Tell Lucky to be ready, I’m going to lure the scourgling back to the ground.”

“Be safe,” she said.

Lucky began to approach cautiously with both Ilona and Chloe floating above his head. Alexander started moving slowly toward the opening, all the while looking up at the beast as it continued to climb. Once Alexander came within six feet of the entrance to the crevice, the scourgling abruptly dropped from the cliff face and came crashing to the ground not twelve feet in front of him. It leapt out of the hole it had created in the meadow with such speed and force that it wedged itself into the crevice, swiping at Alexander with one giant clawed hand.

He stumbled backward and lost his balance, which saved him; the claws of the beast came within inches of his face. He regained his feet quickly and slashed in an upward motion at the next swipe of the beast’s giant hand. The Thinblade struck with force but didn’t even scratch the glistening black surface of its hand.

Alexander withdrew farther to be sure he was out of reach. Then Lucky was there behind the beast. He heaved a glass vial filled with a dark liquid; it shattered against the monster’s back.

Nothing happened.

Alexander waited for a moment, holding his breath. Still nothing happened. The demon swiped at him again and then backed out of the crevice. Lucky retreated toward the edge of the forest, safely out of reach of the single-minded netherworld beast.

Just when Alexander decided that the potion had failed, the scourgling stopped suddenly, frozen in place. Abruptly, the surface of its glistening black skin started burning away. The bright white leading edge of the flame spread over every inch of its eight-foot-tall frame. It happened quickly—in less than a second, the entire creature was nothing but a cloud of black smoke without substance or form.

The smoke began to swirl like water flowing down a drain. For several seconds it flowed into the ground, and then it was gone. A moment later there was a thunderous, otherworldly clap of noise that stunned Alexander and left him a bit shaken. Loose rocks clattered to the ground from the walls of the crevice in the aftermath of the scourgling’s banishing.

Alexander emerged into the valley, followed by his friends.

Marla stepped up next to him. “You have terrifying enemies, Alexander. Those who envy you your crown have no idea what you face on their behalf.”

“Indeed,” Ilona said. “It has been two thousand years since such a beast was loosed on the world. Know this, Alexander, if you fail to prevent the Nether Gate from being opened, creatures like that will roam the world freely.”

Alexander took a deep breath. As if Phane wasn’t bad enough, he had the threat of the whole netherworld invading the world of the living to contend with as well.

“Ilona, I know you’re opposed to taking sides in this war, but I urge you to reconsider. I’m one man. I can’t fight this war alone. Your help and guidance would be invaluable.”

Ilona smiled. “Chloe will give you the guidance you need. As for joining the fight, there may be a few things we can do to help. I will think on the matter. I must admit, seeing a beast from the dark so close again has reminded me of the stark choice the Reishi have given the world. Farewell, Alexander. Love my daughter well.”

She turned to Chloe and smiled sadly. They both spun into brightly glowing orbs of light and passed through each other, and then Ilona was gone.

They made their way through the crevice and reached the maze of giant boulders by midday. Alexander talked silently with Chloe as they traveled. She asked a thousand questions about his life. He answered every one honestly and without hesitation. She wanted to know about his childhood, his friends, his family, even his favorite color. He spent the time happily feeding her childlike curiosity with details about himself.

He asked questions as well.  He was shocked to discover that Chloe was over seven thousand years old. She had a general knowledge of the history of humanity, but she’d spent most of her years living in seclusion deep in the mountains with other fairies. She’d had little contact with those in the outside world and knew humanity mostly through the druids who lived among the fairies.

He also gave her some reassurances. She was committed to him and put on a brave face, but Alexander could sense that she was afraid of leaving the safety of her home of so many years and even more frightened by the idea of war. In many ways she was like a child in her innocent belief in the power of love above all things. Yet that innocence was tempered by a deep wisdom earned through the experience of living for over seven millennia.

Chapter 31

Now that he had Chloe’s assistance, time was the enemy. He needed to get to the Reishi Isle as quickly as possible. There was no telling what Phane was up to and Alexander didn’t want to risk looking in on him again. He still didn’t know if the Reishi Arch Mage could do worse than scattering his consciousness.

Just after they passed through the illusion that guarded the entrance to the valley, they stopped for lunch. Alexander noticed a marked drop in temperature. It was as though the entire Valley of the Fairy Queen was spelled to create an endless spring.

Once they finished eating, Alexander decided they needed to set their course to reach the Reishi Isle as quickly as possible.

“Clarissa, what’s the fastest way to get out of the Pinnacles and to the west?”

She thought about it for a moment. “It would be best to return to Highlake City and then take the western road. It winds through the mountains into the Great Forest and finally to Highlands Reach.”

Marla chimed in, “I agree. Going back to the north would take much longer. The road to the west is a more direct route.”

“Good, it’s decided then. We’ll return to Highlake City and hope Commander P’Tal is lost in this maze for good.”

Not an hour later, Isabel stopped them. “The Reishi are just up ahead around that bend. It looks like more than a dozen men with P’Tal and his giant friend. Truss is with them, too. He looks much better with a hook for a hand,” she said with grim satisfaction.

Clarissa frowned. “They’re in our path. We cannot get to Highlake City except by that route.”

Before Alexander could decide what to do, a half dozen ravens floated into view overhead and started squawking. He knew at a glance that they were spelled. Apparently, the wizard working with P’Tal was able to find another flock of birds to press into service as spies.

He turned to Clarissa. “We have to flee. Is there another way out of this maze that will lead us out of the Pinnacles?”

She frowned in thought but it was Marla who answered, “The cataracts. If we can get the aid of the ashrays, they can guide you down to the sea.”

Alexander frowned. “What’s an ashray?”

“They’re another of the great powers of the Pinnacles,” Marla said. “They’re sentient beings made of water. With their help and guidance you can take canoes down the river to the ocean. Without their assistance, the journey through the cataracts is certain death.”

Alexander heard shouting in the distance and turned to see a soldier pointing toward them and yelling, “There they are!”

A moment later an arrow drove through the soldier’s breastplate and into his heart. He looked down in surprise before slumping to his knees and falling over.

Abigail calmly nocked another arrow.

“Nice shot,” Alexander said.

A moment later, Jataan P’Tal came around the corner. Abigail loosed her arrow at him, but he slipped aside and caught the shaft in midflight. He set his sights on Alexander and started running toward him. Alexander felt a thrill of fear; he wasn’t sure if he could beat the battle mage. Chloe spun into a glowing orb of light, probably in reaction to his fear.