Empress of Wolves (10 page)

Grosso snarled wordlessly, staring down at the body at his feet. After fleeing Argoth with the injured Praetor, Grosso had managed to make it Kymru. He had a home there, hidden in the forests and well-shielded from prying eyes. He had healed James as best he could, but the man's life-force was still slowly fading. Grosso had bound him as magister and been fortifying him with what strength he could spare.

The mage tensed as an eerie barking cry erupted outside the small hut. The cry came again, closer this time, sending shivers down his spine. He wondered where

Arturo was. What had he summoned the guardian for, if not to protect the house? A sinister feeling grew, soaking into the very ground itself. Grosso's heart hammered. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he pressed back against his workbench.

He let out a small moan as a dry scratching rattled the door, like skeletal fingers against the weathered wood. The flames in the hearth blazed high, before guttering completely, extinguished by a dark magick.

The scratching came again, then the handle began to shake. A soft click and the door swung open, drawing in a sense of dread. An inhuman figure stood silhouetted in the moonlight that shone through the now open door. The barking cry reverberated through the small confines, and James stirred restlessly on his pallet.

I have sent you help. See to it that you use it well.
Al'dhumarna's cold voice slithered through Grosso's mind as the figure stepped forward into the hut. The creature was tall, towering nearly seven feet, bearing a staff just as tall. A musty scent accompanied the creature, like warm dragon leather and birds. As it came through, two more followed, bearing a third between them. Grosso backed away as they lowered the body beside Sir James.

The creature crouched before the pair on the floor and leaned forward. In profile, it had a long snout. Slender fingers with two inch talons reached out to the Praetor's body.

Grosso felt James' alarm as a bright flash engulfed them. He felt James howl in his mind, and pain seared through every nerve in his body. The mage curled in the floor, giving voice to screams his magister couldn't. The pain built, like fire in the veins, and Grosso surrendered to blessed darkness.

The mage woke, sore and stiff, throat raw and parched. The shadowed creature crouched in the corner, its companions clustered around it. He reached out to brush James' mind and found his magister healed. The man's mind was different, colder, somewhat alien.

Your Magister is healed. He is still useful. Go now to Su Ramerides. This time I intend you to put a stop to the Wolf's plans once and for all. Igasi and his
trith
will accompany you.
Al'dhumarna's cold voice hissed.

The mage's pale eyes widened as fire erupted in the hearth and he found himself face to face with Igasi's reptilian gaze.

Kalla watched Aleister a moment, as he stared out into the desert beyond the shields. This was the Marzan, the wild, untamed desert. The ships were grounded near some old ruins half covered in sand, brought to earth by a fearsome sandstorm that still raged beyond the shields.

“Well done!”

Kalla turned her attention from her brooding magister to find Manny with a somewhat surprised look on his face. From Lukas' slightly dazed expression, Kalla guessed that the pair had managed to mind-speak one another. She put her guess to the War Mage, who was looking positively elated.

“Yes, Dashkele. They have indeed.” He gave the pair a wicked grin. “That means I can start having a bit of fun.”

Manny gave her an uncertain look and she shrugged. She had no idea what the Dashmari was up to. She and Aleister had never gotten further in their training than mind-speaking one another before they had departed the Kanlon.

Kalla watched with interest as the pair joined Lukas and Kasai. The War Mage shielded them, then he and his magister fanned out, circling the pair between them. At an unspoken command both attacked Manny at the same time, one with magick, the other with drawn swords.

Vander, who had been alternating magickal attacks with physical ones, sent a fireball racing towards Manny. The young mage gestured and Kalla blinked in astonishment as it ricocheted off the spontaneously created shield and rebounded on the War Mage. A gesture on the Dashmari's part and the fire was absorbed into another protective shield.

“Very good. Your reaction time is getting quicker,” he said with a bit of pride in his voice. He called a halt to the exercises and they came to join her and the Fox.

“Good work,” Kalla said as they flopped down in the shade of the strike-fighters' wings. Lukas gave her a nod, but Manny fair beamed at her praise.

The magisters settled to clean their weapons. Sykes had given the two Arkaddians rifles like those of the Guard, as both had proven very adept at using them, though Kalla knew Kasai preferred his twin swords. As they tended blades and rifles, Kalla settled down to read. Vander had shifted and now dozed peacefully beside her. Time passed and Kalla grew drowsy herself. She drifted off to sleep to the sound of the magisters talking as they worked.

Sharp fox yips woke Kalla some time later. Darkness had fallen and moonlight glittered on the desert sands. More yips woke Vander and wolf stood and faced the darkness with his ears pricked forward. Aleister stood at the shield's perimeter, looking out into the night. The wolf started to trot forward, but before he had gone two paces, a flurry of foxes tumbled into the campsite, passing the wards as if they didn't exist. The foxes were the same tan color as the sands themselves, with sharper features and huge over-sized ears. Each fox had two or more tails.

Kalla recalled Arvynn's words to Aleister and guessed these must be Fennec Nall's. Sure enough, as the desert
kitsune
clustered around Aleister, a fox the size of Inari glided out of the darkness. Like the smaller foxes, Fennac Nall was dun-colored, with over-size ears, though he sported nine fluffy brushes. He stopped before Aleister.

Welcome, Prince Kaze. It has been a long time since any of our forest brethren have visited here.
The fox dipped his head in Kalla's direction.
Greetings to you as well, Lady Amaraaq.

Kalla came to stand next to Aleister, Vander following along beside her. The others had woke and slowly came to cluster behind them.

“Greetings, my Lord.” Kalla said, inclining her head politely. Aleister echoed her greetings with a full bow. Nall chuffed softly in amusement.

I am glad that you took the time to visit us, Prince Kaze. You look to be managing well. I'm afraid I cannot offer you anything nearly as valuable as your sire and the Lady Arvynn have given you, but I would offer advice to the both of you.

Be careful and tread softly. Al'dhumarna's prison is failing faster than before. His influence grows stronger by the day. It is said that the Crescent Reavers have returned to the land.

“Crescent Reavers?” Aleister asked with a frown.

Aye, Prince Kaze. They call themselves the rahksa, but history and legend give them the name Crescent Reavers. And reavers they be. They are merciless. Servants of the Nagali they were before and are again. Their blood hunger knows no limits.

“It is said they are beings created by Araun's gift. Is that true?” asked Kalla.

No
, Nall said.
No, they are flesh and blood creatures, among the oldest species in all of De Sikkari. The oldest and the most dangerous, distant dragon-kin. Long have they been confined to the Isle of Whispers, but Al'dhumarna is strong enough now to open the gates between here and there. He has sent them forth once more from their isolated island home. He will send them hunting after you and yours, Lady Kalla. Have no doubt of that.

“Oh good. I can hardly wait,” Kasai said in a dry voice. Nall chuffed again.

I have no doubt that you will be up to the task,
the Desert King said.

“Thank you, milord. You have given us knowledge we didn't have before. That will help me keep what I value most safe,” Aleister said.

Just so. I hope you will not encounter the Crescent Reavers, but I will not hold out on that hope. You have disrupted too many of the Nagali's plans.
The big fox dipped another bow to Kalla.
I thank you, Lady Amaraaq, for healing the lands.

“It was my pleasure. I hope to finish that task before long and to free the patrons of the land, if they so wish it of me.”

We belong to the Elephant Lord. You go to visit him and the Lady Laeksheen already. As for the rest, you will have to visit their lands, but I am sure they would appreciate it. There are only two whose jurisdiction encompasses all lands and you have already freed them.

Kalla gave Nall a puzzled look, before raising her hand to the whistle about her neck. “They are the same…”

Aye.
Nall had a grin in his voice.
They are the same. Perhaps you can help more people see that. You have made a loyal friend in the Lord of Illusions, for seeing past what you thought he was.
Farewell now, Lady Amaraaq, Prince Kaze.

Nall departed into the darkness, the smaller foxes running about him, leaving Kalla to mull over his words. She hoped she could help others to see the truth of Araun. That train of thought reminded her of her promise to Vander. She looked down at the wolf standing beside her.

“How would you like to go visit Kartoff now, my friend?”

The wolf gave a weak wag of his tail that she took to be assent. She disappeared into the
Stymphalian
and returned with her staff. The bells jingled softly as she used the tip to trace a huge spiral into the soft sand. With a touch of magick she froze the rippling shape in place, then stepped out onto it. Vander and Aleister followed her.

Kasai was a bit more tentative. Grumbling, the hawk shifted and fluttered to sit on the wolf's head. Vander rolled his eyes up to look at the bird and was promptly bit on the ear. The wolf yelped as Kalla and Aleister laughed.

The Healer looked to Manny and Lukas, standing uncertainly on the outskirts of the spiral. She gestured for them to join the others.

“There is no reason why you should not come, with all of the rest of us gone. All of you, if you wish,” she said, taking in the wyvern. “The two of you shouldn't be left out of everything.”

At her invitation Amaterasu and Thiassi came and coiled along the outer edge of the spiral, completely encompassing the group.

“Are you sure we can come, Lady Kalla?” Manny asked a little nervously. She smiled at him.

“I am certain,” she said. Closing her eyes, Kalla whispered her request to the Master of Xibalba. Before she had even finished speaking there came the soundless concussion of power and the world blurred and shifted, the two planes overlaying one another. In the otherworld the ruins around them were whole once more and Kalla saw that they were once a temple to Azurai.

How uncanny
, she thought,
that Aleister should have been led to come here of all places.
They moved off of the spiral and the world solidified.

The temple before them was assembled in giant carved stone blocks cunningly set together. Twin statues of
ghilan
clothed in flesh sat their haunches to either side of the open doorway, looking imperiously down their muzzles at the group. Xibalba itself was swathed in twilight, as if the sun were setting yet there was no sun here. Kalla lit several magelight globes and started for the doorway.

Behind you, Lady Amaraaq.
Araun's wintry voice whispered in their minds. The group turned to find Xibalba's master lounging in the sands, surrounded several
ghilan
and hounds. Araun's forelimbs were tucked up under him, the skeletal wings folded at his sides.

The wyvern had uncoiled and now each dipped their heads to the ground in an elegant bow. Manny and the others bowed as well. Kalla touched her fist to her heart, bowing slightly in an acknowledgment. She wondered what the others saw him as. Manny and Lukas didn't seem frightened, merely a bit nervous. She guessed that they saw him as 'Auric' rather than the spectral being she saw.

Welcome to Xibalba.
Araun said.
It has been long since any of the dragon-kin walked this realm willingly.

We are honored, Great One.
Amaterasu said. Araun chuckled dryly.

Please, make yourselves comfortable. What brings you?

“Thank you, Lord Araun,” Kalla said. “I had hoped to let Vander speak with Kartoff, if that is acceptable.” As she spoke a frost wolf ghosted from the dimness beyond Araun. He had cream colored fur, with socks and ears the same color as Vander's fur; a wolf that matched the hounds in color.

The two wolves stared at one another for a moment, then Kasai fluttered from the red wolf's back to Aleister's shoulder and the wolves trotted further away from the group. Aleister gave the hawk a wary look and winced as the claws dug into his shoulder.

Kalla came closer and knelt in the sand, the others following her example. “Lord Araun, how is it that Xibalba is not tied to any one land. Kituk is tied to Dashmar, the Hounds to Arkaddia, Oak and Holly to Argoth. You are not tied to any land, save your own.”

I have no people either. One could say that all are my people and thus all lands are mine. I was the first of us all, born from that which is All and Nothing. I Sang the First Ones into being with my gift. Those Old Ones are gone now, returned to the ether from which they were created.
Sadness tinged Araun's voice.
Only the Seven are left, of those elder gods…

Once… it seems so very, very long ago… there was a group that believed that
I
was the only true Deity. Absurdity…
Araun's voice grew soft as he was drawn further into his own memories.

“What happened, Great One?” Manny asked. Araun turned his burning sapphire gaze upon the young Healer.

That belief spread like wildfire, for no reason I can fathom. These people, they persecuted any who would not believe as they did. Belief in many of the First Ones and their descendants faded away. They were forgotten and so they left, returning to Shae N'Sala and eventually to the One who is All and Nothing.

These people rejected the magick of the world. They killed those who had the gift and that rabid fervor created such fear. That fear, as you can well imagine, made itself manifest and the magi were blamed. The fear and hatred grew and from it the distinction between 'Azurai' and 'Araun'.

And Araun they hated and feared just as much or more than they hated the magick-users. They called me 'evil' and so I earned the appellation 'Lord of Living Nightmare.'

“Who are these people, Lord Araun? Why do we have no records of them?”

Because it was eons ago. Long, long before the great Cataclysm that shook even the foundations of the worlds beyond the physical.

Ahh,
Kalla thought. No records existed from before the Cataclysm. She wondered if they had anything to do with the strange artifacts that magi sometimes stumbled upon. Things like the song-cubes.

The world Araun described sounded terrible to her. A world where people paid honor and homage to one deity to the exclusion of all others. Now it was simply understood that each people had their own Patron deities and none were better than the others, merely different. But then, weren't all families composed of different personalities? And they were all a big family, weren't they?

“Can you tell us more?” Kalla asked.

It pains me to say… I remember little else. Little save the fact that in the end… they… ripped the world asunder.
Araun's skeletal tail twitched, betraying agitation.

Kalla decided not to press further and turned her questions to something that had been tickling her mind since they had begun this conversation.

“If you were the first, who created you, Lord Araun?”

Her question earned a more heartfelt chuckle from Master of Xibalba.
Who indeed? I come from the One, as do all things. In that, all things inherently have a spark of the Divine within them. Perhaps the Great Mother, the One who is All and Nothing, decided that diversity was good, for when I woke there was only the Void. The First Ones shaped the worlds. And there are others out there, far beyond the stars.

“How do you know?” Manny asked. The young Healer's voice was quiet. He had come to stand by Kalla, trading intimidation for curiosity.

I am there also. I am everywhere, as is the Great Mother. Here I am Araun, but that is only a small fraction of 'who' or 'what' I really am. A tiny shard of personality, in a much greater being.

“I think my head hurts…” Aleister groaned. “This is too much to understand all at once, especially for one who only recently had it forcibly beaten into them that it is possible to live and remember many lives.”