Uleni's Gamble (9 page)

They did increase speed when the sun came up, they could see much further now and she was relieved by it. But not by much. She also kept looking over at Justin. He was the same man in many ways that she had met in the forest. But now more than ever the authority of his power was apparent on his face. She was also a bit more than a little turned on by his forceful decisiveness over the last few hours…

*

Nora almost groaned as they ran by another patrol of soldiers. She took down a number of them, as did Nicole, but considering Nicole was a big fire streaking across the sky, it was almost a lost cause trying to keep their presence a secret. Still, the more they silenced now, the less they would have to face on the way back out.

She just hoped it wouldn’t wind up being all five thousand.

It also wasn’t lost on her that Katrina was pregnant, and it was entirely possible her and Nicole were with child as well. She was trying to force it out of her mind the best she could. The last thing she needed was to panic about it. She felt responsible though, for all of them. Justin made most of the big decisions, but the details and strategies were always left to her.

She was proud he trusted their family to her judgment without question, but it was a lot of responsibility. She just couldn’t screw up, it would destroy her.

If she had anything to say about it, they would all make it through this, even the mentally unbalanced assassin if only for Sara’s sake…

*

Nicole was doing her best to keep any soldiers from following them, or even surviving if she was seen. One of the advantages to her fire birds was they operated independently of her, until the goal she gave them was reached, or they ran out of the magic powering them. So they could fly, at a bird’s speed, as far from her as her magic would last.

This meant, she was killing a lot more soldiers than anyone on the ground knew. Her eyesight in her phoenix form was phenomenal. Any group of soldiers she judged close enough to make them out, she released a group of firebirds to take care of. She wasn’t able to kill all of them of course, without Justin suppressing their talents, anyone with water or earth talents could stop her birds easily.

But she was getting most of them. Fire and telekinesis talents had no effect on her magical fire birds, and air talents simply made them stronger, fed the flames. Outside of a mage, earth or water talent, she couldn’t think of many others that could stop the birds.

She had killed maybe fifty soldiers so far, which wasn’t a lot compared to the five thousand Uleni is reputed to have left. But most of those would be in the city, or sleeping in barracks still at this time in the morning. Only those unlucky enough to be on night patrol met their deaths from her flames.

So far she was still doing great on her magical level. Every fifteen minutes or so, Justin was restoring them so they could keep up the punishing pace. Well, the pace wasn’t punishing for her, but those on the ground…

*

Sally was starting to feel a little more comfortable pushing with air, though she had a long way to go before she was effortlessly juggling all the little things and adjustments needed to safely move her and two others at speed. Nora made it look so easy, but it so wasn’t, it was grueling.

It was about two hours past sunrise when the city came into view and it was with some relief that they all slowed. She frowned at the picture in front of them. The walls were well manned and although the gate was open, there were at least six soldiers there. They weren’t close enough yet, but as they slowly advanced and came in range of her talent, she felt no less than four mages.

They really hadn’t given much thought or planning as to what would happen when they arrived. She heard a loud horn and the soldiers looked their way. She had expected the six soldiers to close the gates, she had expected swords to be pulled, she had expected to feel the mages connect to their talents.

But none of that happened, instead a large bear of a man wearing armor, but no weapons, started to jog in their direction. She couldn’t help but giggle when he held up and waved the white flag as he got closer…

Chapter 8

Cytherea sighed at the presence behind her. One she hadn’t felt for a couple of thousand years, and one she could have gone without seeing for a few more millennia. She blushed as she remembered her past with him, she had been so vain and heartless back then.

“Hey gorgeous,” the low deep voice full of arrogance made her roll her eyes.

“What do you want?”

She wasn’t worried, he was in her sphere. Had barely a shadow of his power in this place. When she felt his hand rest on her shoulder she shrugged it off and turned.

He smirked. “Is that how you want to be? I don’t think your champion is going to make it. You’ll have to deal with me sooner or later… It’s much more fun to watch the mortals fight from bed isn’t it?”

She couldn’t help the tingle of remembered pleasure but she didn’t let it show, frowning instead.

“Have you learned nothing from our punishment?”

He looked at her with contempt, “Aph, what was there to learn? The creator took our fun away, that’s what I got out of it, what else matters? Thanks to the crazy human down there we can be together again, and watch as they destroy themselves.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Many things Ares, and I no longer go by that name. If you insist on shortening my name call me Cy or Rea. I don’t want to hear that name again. I have no interest in being what I once was, leave now, or I’ll be forced to rudeness.”

He looked at her in surprise at her rejection, then anger as he could see the source of it.

His voice boomed with anger and disgust, “I see, you believe you are better than me now, more enlightened. I can see you love the mortals below, what a foolish endeavor. I shall prove you wrong, they are nothing but toys and believing anything else is nothing but an illusion and I will rip it from you.”

She shook her head as he disappeared in a large crack of thunder. He always was a bit ostentatious. He was right about one thing, time was running out for Justin to stop the mage from giving War an anchor on this world, her world. She couldn’t let him destroy it.

Once he had an anchor it wouldn’t be as easy to banish him, the dark god was simply a powerful being from another universe. Not quite a true god, but still powerful, and utterly evil. Ares was a god of this universe, and her equal. She wasn’t sure Justin would be able to reverse it at all until all of Wars followers were dead. The best chance was now… before it even started.

That is why she had visited Justin’s dreams last night. She was forced to remove the memory of her visit, but with his approval had left the feeling of urgency. She had done well choosing that one.

On top of it all she felt a little lonely. She had no desire to sleep with Ares, but she had been alone for a couple of millennia. She had enjoyed the kiss with Justin to remove his memory just a little too much. Of course, anything with a mortal was impossible, back when she did do those things she treated them as toys, just as Ares suggested. Now, she loved them too much to start something that was so unbalanced it could only end in pain.

But still, she was lonely, she couldn’t help be disappointed that Ares hadn’t changed as she had, she wondered if there would ever be anyone for her…

*

Justin watched warily as the man approached and bowed. He couldn’t imagine the man was here to surrender the city to seven people.

The soldier bowed and said, “My name is Colonel Ross, commander of the military here. Flame, I’m glad to see you, please follow me.”

Justin coughed. “You’re happy to see the person who foiled your invasion?”

Ross frowned. “No, I am happy to see the only person that can kill the insane son of a bitch that killed my king. We’ve lost over thirty soldiers so far and they won’t even try anymore, and I can’t blame them. The mages all refuse as well, as most of them were trained by the old man and are terrified of his power. He literally sucked the life out of the king. We got word you were on your way a half hour ago, so I’ve been waiting at the gate.”

He asked, “Sara?”

She nodded slowly, “All true.”

He felt the urgency and said, “Very well, lead on Colonel.”

They were running through the city when Justin started to get a really bad feeling. He started to feel some sort of power build up as they approached the castle, then something clicked in his mind, like a key turning in a lock. They were too late. The stone in Egeria had felt like sandpaper against his talent. This was different, it felt like cold steel, death, and the taste of blood. He tripped and fell to his knees.

*

Riese laughed maniacally. He felt the approach of the Flame of Cytherea as he finished the last rune and filled it with magic. Too little too late. The block of stone turned a blood red as time froze and an image seemed to rise from it and solidify into a being wearing full armor, and the god’s visage was angry.

Riese dropped to his knees and asked, “Have I angered you great god Ares?”

Ares boomed out, “No, it is Cytherea who angers me. I will help you, but you must agree to do all I say without question, else I will go and leave you to the mercies of your bitch goddess.”

Riese would have giggled at that, had he not been in terrified awe. It couldn’t have gone better for him, than the god he chose having the same feelings as he did toward the goddess.

Riese said, “I will follow your every command and be your faithful servant if you can help me rule here on this world.”

Ares grinned down on the man, “Bargain struck, I hope you don’t regret it.”

Riese screamed in pain as his mage talent was torn apart in his mind, his connection to the goddess permanently severed beyond repair. His screams lowered when he felt the god reach into him again, giving him new power, healing the damage left behind from the separation.

He panicked at first, when he realized he would no longer be a mage. It had been his whole life. But these new gifts he had were impressive. He picked one of the last soldiers he had killed, since most of the rest were buried, and stripped his armor and sword for himself.

He noticed the wrinkles had disappeared from his hands and found similar smooth young skin as he touched his face. He was definitely younger, he was also very much stronger than he used to be, muscles rippled down his arms.

He laughed and said, “My first gift to you will be depriving the Flame of his life.”

When he moved toward the door the god’s voice boomed behind him. “NO!”

He turned in confusion, he would follow the order, but it didn’t make sense at all to him.

Ares chuckled, “You will kill him, but not yet. First you will gather an army and slaughter the soldiers that he supports. All who worship me, that you convert, will be gifted with the same protections from his feeble magic, though not the knowledge how to fight, you must train them in that.

“When he finally realizes he cannot face you. When he is filled with despair at his failure, and those that trusted him to keep their loved ones safe turn away in hate. When his and his goddess’s failure to protect them fills them with anguish, that is when you may kill him, not before. He and Cytherea must suffer before he and his mates die. Then we will have true victory, when you destroy her anchor to this world.

“Do you understand?”

Riese did understand, this god hated the goddess more than even he did. “I will follow my orders.”

Ares said in approval, “Good, then this is what you must do…”

When they finished speaking, time started up again, and he headed up the stairs and toward the exit. The orders surprised him, but he didn’t question them. He did wonder however, if there would be anything left to rule when he was finished.

*

Justin stood with Nora’s help and shook his head. He was feeling a bit off from the sensations from the altar, and when he looked up the stairs to the palace entrance he saw a young man with a drawn sword walk out.

Sally whispered, “That has to be Riese, I can’t feel him at all, his talent I mean. It just feels cold and my senses cut out.”

Sara cleared her throat and said, “I can’t feel his emotions either.”

Nora and Nicole shot fire and air at him, as soon as it got around ten feet to the man, the air dissipated and the fire flared out.

Nicole shook her head. “The magic containing and forming the fire just died when it got close to him.”

Riese snickered and looked supremely confident, “What, not even a hello first?”

Justin burst into flame, all of those around him were surrounded by white flames, but the white fire died when it got close to Riese. As Riese walked toward him he had to fight off the urge to run. When Riese got within ten feet, the fire around him, and everyone else, died.

Sally whispered in his ear, “I tried to get the ground to open up, but that anti-magic aura he seems to have extends far enough down to prevent it.”

He pulled his sword, and rushed Riese. He was good, he knew the forms of combat, but in a very short time it became obvious Riese outstripped him in skill by far. He cried out as Riese cut into his forearm, making him drop the sword. He stepped back, unsure why the man didn’t just kill him, Riese seemed to almost be playing with them.

He saw Nora step forward with a weapon but waved her back, he needed to think.

Riese said loudly, “The Flame is helpless before me, as are his sluts. My new god, Ares, thinks that magic is for the weak. Join with me, and let skill of arms determine the end of this contest. No longer will we be held down by a weak goddess. Accept Ares as your god, pray to him, and you will be gifted with the talent to deny magic’s power as I have been. We are men, and I call you to war!”

Riese continued, but in a low voice, “Ross, I am disappointed to find you with our enemy, like the flame I will let you live, so you can watch helplessly as this world falls to me and my god. Unless of course you’d like to fight…”

His mind was spinning, he already had a few ideas to counter Riese’s power, but it would require time to make, and to plan. He heard fighting start to break around him, he also noticed the mages had made themselves scarce.