Interphase (51 page)

The others stepped through the portal and rushed after David. Pressing through the hanging branches, they were unprepared for the sight before them. Roanan trunks, blackened and twisted, stood at the edge of the grove, and marked the last visible reminder of the greenery beyond. Scorched ground stretched ahead of them as far as they could see.

David gaped in horror. Even in his nightmares, he couldn't have imagined the pristine wilderness of Analath in this ravaged state. A small movement caught his eye, and he could just make out a figure, kneeling on the charred dirt. He raced toward it.

As he drew closer, he could make out the face of Shalaron. The Sage seemed exhausted, and remnants of his clothing smoldered on the ground around him. "It was you? You attacked Analath?" David asked incredulously.

Shalaron stirred and lifted his head. His eyes slowly focused, and recognition flitted across his face. He stood carefully and glared at David. "You have no right to speak of attacks, invader. Your hands are still stained with the blood of my people. You are marked for death, murderer."

Anger flared in David's eyes. "How dare you—"

"How dare you!" Shalaron shouted in return. "This world is not your own. You have stolen the true world from us, yet you would deign to claim this place as well? I have given my oath to—"

"Enough," David roared. He shifted into the form of the Wraith and donned his mask. "You murdered
my
best friend, tried to kill
my
love, and now seek to destroy the world itself? Not a chance. This ends today!"

David charged at Shalaron and swung his blade forward in a wide arc. Shalaron rolled to the side, grunting as he braced himself against the ground. David lunged, stabbing at his foe's chest, but again Shalaron evaded the attack. "Face me, you coward," David screamed.

Shalaron flung his arm out, and a wall of force slammed into David. It hurled him back several yards and knocked him to the ground. Moving with surprising speed, Shalaron crossed the distance to David and struck a powerful backhand blow, pressing his attack with unrestrained fury.

Thomas bowled into the furious Sage, knocking him aside. He drew his longsword and readied his shield, advancing steadily on his foe. Shalaron's face twisted in concentration, and his staff flickered wanly into existence. The Sage grasped it and leaned against it, his body shaking with deep breaths. Thomas took advantage of the pause and leapt forward.

Despite his appearance, Shalaron fought back with tenacity, turning aside Thomas's strikes and returning blows of his own. The two of them continued their duel as David and Lucas circled around behind. With a nod to each other, they both joined the fight. Shalaron spun his body and staff as quickly as he could, but his attackers were implacable. Light cuts began to penetrate his defenses, and it was all he could do to avoid more serious injury.

With a circular sweeping strike, Shalaron launched a ring of ice outward, smashing the party into the ground. With a cry, he leapt at David and thrust his staff for a killing blow.

A detonation rocked the air, throwing Shalaron some distance away. David blinked and struggled to his feet. "Sorry about the proximity of the blast there Dave, but it looked to me like he meant to do you harm," Clyde said with a scowl.

David glared half-heartedly at Clyde, who shrugged and propped his rocket launcher against his shoulder. A shout in the distance drew their attention. Several soldiers dashed across the burnt clearing to gather around Shalaron's fallen form.

"You think reinforcements will help you now, Shalaron?" David raised the Wraithblade and prepared to charge again.

"No more," Shalaron shouted as he was helped to his feet. A blast of heated air swept past them. A glowing cloudbank began to swirl above, and thunder rumbled ominously. A roar shook the ground, and a massive column of fire descended between the two groups. The terrible heat rolled over David, and he staggered backwards. Two glowing eyes materialized from a towering figure as a giant formed from the flames.

A wailing shriek tore across the plain, a sound David hadn't heard in weeks. In the back of his mind, he felt a chill of fear. A wavering shadow rushed past him, knocking him off his feet. The elemental reached out as if trying to intercept the blur, but it could not stop the shade from hurling a bolt of lightning into Shalaron and his guards.

The Sage collapsed. The elemental he had conjured erupted with a wild bellow, growing to staggering heights. The sound of panicked voices was swept away by the roaring flames. David struggled to get to his feet and felt something cool and misty shove him out of the path of a fire blast.

The ghost stood between David and blazing death. For an instant David thought he saw a face in the shred of dark mist, gazing down at him, but it vanished as it turned back to face the elemental's renewed assault.

Hands gripped him and hauled him upright. David tried to peer around the inferno. "Where is he? Where is Shalaron? This isn't finished yet!" Behind the raging curtain of flame, he saw the guards assemble, forming a protective barrier around the fallen Sage. Two of them lifted him up, and carried him away from the field.

David tried to run forward, but Thomas's arm encircled his chest and pulled him back. "David, let him go!"

"You heard what he said! He knows the truth about Phoenix and Analath."

"We will deal with that when we can, but right now we are in danger!"

Another roar made David look up. The elemental was turning frantically, as if trying to locate something. There was no sign of the shadow. Noticing the gathered guards, the burning figure struck with full fury. Its flaming arms beat against the ground, consuming them within seconds. David stopped struggling against Thomas, and together they ran.

Clyde and Lucas were watching from a distance away. "What the hell were you two doing,
sightseeing
?" Clyde demanded. "That thing is between us and the exit."

"Can we fight it?" Lucas asked.

"With what, genius?"

An explosion rocked the ground as the elemental swelled into immensity. Its burning gaze swept across them, and it surged forward.

"It's seen us!" Thomas warned.

Oh hell.

"Everyone,
run
," David shouted.

They dashed away from the burnt meadow and headed toward a grove in the distance. David kept pace with Clyde, and he could hear Lucas's frantic footfalls just behind. He knew without looking that Thomas brought up the rear. The feel of the searing wind behind them told him all he needed to know about their pursuit. Breathing hard, they dashed between the hanging branches. Seconds later, the sound of crashing trees rang out behind them.

"It's running afoul of the foliage," Thomas called out. "Keep going!"

"
Where
are we going?" Clyde yelled.

David found a path he recognized and sprinted along it. "This way!"

The guards hadn't been taking Shalaron back to the city. They had left in another direction. If the group couldn't outrun the elemental, then Ilinar might be their only hope.

***

The gates were open, thankfully. The guards at the wall shouted something at them, but the beating of his heart was all David could hear. His vision fixated on Ilinar's west gate, and he wasn't going to let anything keep him from reaching it.

The group charged through before anyone could stop them. David's legs came to a stop, and he collapsed on his hands and knees. His lungs burned, and he drew deep gasping breaths. Voices barked orders nearby, but he paid them no attention. He used the last of his strength to lift his head and look for his friends.

Of the four of them, only Thomas was still upright, but even his face was pale with exhaustion. The exertion had drained their focus, and they had all reverted to their normal forms. Both Clyde and Lucas lay on the ground, the latter groaning weakly. Guards with spears surrounded them, and David felt his arms suddenly pulled behind his back.

"Trespassers! Someone alert the Sage immediately."

David's breath caught in his throat. Oh hell. Shalaron was here?

They were dead.

"
Stop
!"

David knew that voice. He forced his head up and saw Rupu striding toward them. He was wearing a robe, which struck David as odd. Rupu's gaze drilled into the lead guard. "You will release them at once."

"But, my Sage, they ignored our warnings and burst into the—"

"I know these men. They are no enemies. Release them!" Rupu's eyes glinted with anger.

The guard let go of David's arms. He climbed unsteadily to his feet and looked at Rupu with astonishment. Rupu's glare settled into a grin, and he shrugged. "Things have… changed, slightly, since last we saw each other, David."

"No kidding."

"What are you all doing here? Where is Analara? Is she safe?"

David held up a hand. "Explanations have to wait. Right now, a massive elemental is pursuing us. We slowed it down by leading our trail through several clumps of trees, but I don't think we lost it. Is there anything you can do to help?"

"An elemental? Is this some sort of creature from your world?"

"It is, well…" David struggled to find the right words. "It's a being of pure fire, about thirty feet high, shaped like the upper body of a man. I think Shalaron called it here."

Rupu's eyes grew wider as David's words sank in. "And now it is coming here?" he asked with dismay.

"We didn't know where else to go. We couldn't face it on our own."

"We shall prepare our defenses immediately." Rupu paused and looked like he was considering something. "If this creature is formed of the powers of our world, I may be able to face it down. I will need assistance, however."

"I can still fight," David said with more confidence than he felt.

"Meet me at the Heartroot, then. I must speak with Nathalion to see if my idea will work." Rupu turned and left.

Lucas was still on the ground, pale and gasping for air. He'd thrown up earlier on the side of the street. David caught Thomas's gaze, and they nodded at each other: Thomas would keep watch over his brother. Clyde was already on his feet, cracking his knuckles. David gestured into the city, and the two headed for the fountain square. All around, orders were shouted, and people headed for safe rooms and cellars. The city quivered with anticipation and fear.

Varlath met them at the Heartroot with a warm but worried smile. "We never seem to meet under fortunate circumstances, lad," Varlath lamented as he gave David a strong embrace. "But it is good to see you."

"You as well." David smiled back at the old man.

"Okay. Question," Clyde said. "How is a giant flammable plant going to stop a creature made of fire?"

Rupu finished his conversation with Nathalion and turned back to them. "I'm going to channel my energy through the Rethkor, and freeze it from within."

Nathalion walked to the Heartroot and gently caressed the plant. "If it is quick enough, it should simply cause the Rethkor to sleep. As long as it is warmed back to its normal temperature soon, it should suffer no ill effects. In the meantime, Rupu can use it as a powerful weapon."

Rupu nodded. "Speaking of weapons, David, where is your sword?"

Reaching for its usual spot, David realized that it had disappeared along with the rest of the Wraith. He focused and shifted back into his full avatar. Several townsfolk gasped at the sight of the transformation.

"Things have definitely changed since last we met," Rupu said with amazement. David drew the Wraithblade carefully from its sheath. His hands still shook slightly as he handed the sword over. Rupu frowned at him. "Are you certain you are up to this?"

David balled his quivering hand into a fist, trying to will his fatigue away. "We brought this upon the city. I will
not
stand back and leave you to deal with it alone."

"Here." Nathalion drew a pair of clay vials from his belt and handed them to David and Clyde. "If you intend to fight, this will prevent you from dropping with exhaustion."

David broke the seal and swallowed the contents of the vial in one gulp. The ache in his chest eased, and his heart rate slowed. Rupu nodded at him and turned his attention to the Wraithblade. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt and gently held his hand at the edge of the sword's shimmering aura. The air around them chilled, and small crystals of ice began to swirl gently around the blade. Rupu handed the weapon back to David.

"I think I see where this plan is going," Clyde remarked with an appreciative grin as he summoned his rocket launcher. "I'll provide ranged support. A barrage of concussive charges should help tamp down the flames a bit."

A cry sounded from the far wall. The elemental had been sighted.

"Clyde, do what you can to buy us some time," David ordered. With a nod, Clyde sprinted away.

Rupu laid his hands on the Heartroot; Nathalion placed his over Rupu's. All around them, the vines snapped to life. From underneath the Sage's palms, a fine dusting of crystallized ice spread, racing across every leaf and tendril, until the whole of the Rethkor glistened with frost.

Nathalion closed his eyes. "It worked, my Sage. The Rethkor sleeps deeply."

"Very well, to the walls," Rupu shouted.

David and Rupu raced across the city and up the stairs to the battlements. The elemental roared close by as Clyde's blasts knocked it from side to side. It dodged a rocket and surged towards the wall, towering head and shoulders over them. David drew in his energy and channeled it through the blade, sending a torrent of frost cascading into the blazing chest. The elemental recoiled from the blast, staggering backwards from an enveloping cloud of steam.

Rupu approached the wall and thrust his hands into the icy mass of the Rethkor's vines. Slowly the tendrils began to move, wrapping around his arms. Over the wall, the massive carpet of creepers and roots writhed, lifting and weaving themselves together to form a vaguely humanoid shape.

The elemental faced its new opponent and roared a challenge. It charged forward and struck at the mass of vines with fury, tearing chunks of smoldering greenery away. The Rethkor withstood the assault, however, and drew back for an attack of its own. The impact of the strike was tremendous, and several nearby guards were thrown from the wall. The two titanic entities grappled, trading thunderous blows with each other. David and Clyde did what they could to hinder the elemental's attacks, launching rockets and icy streams whenever a gap presented itself. Despite their best efforts though, the Rethkor's form began to falter.