TWENTY - Retribution

The ground was damp.

Pug rolled over on his elbow and saw that James and Locklear were still unconscious. Gorath was awake but disoriented. Owyn sat up, his head held between his hands. ‘What happened?’ he groaned.

‘We hit some sort of barrier.’ Pug closed his eyes as he felt the pain in his head dissipate.

James slowly regained consciousness. He sat up, blinked, and finally focused his vision. ‘Where are we?’ he asked.

Pug stood and looked around. ‘We are in the old courtyard at Castle Sethanon.’ He pointed toward the burned-out gatehouse of the abandoned keep and said, ‘Directly below is our objective.’

‘How do we get there?’ asked Gorath.

‘We probe the boundaries of the barrier and find a place where we can get into the ancient tunnels below this city. They can’t have erected it over the entire warren.’

‘Why not?’ asked Owyn.

‘Because even six Tsurani Great Ones could not keep a barrier like that up and intact all day and all night. Makala doesn’t know I’ve escaped from Timirianya. So this barrier was put in place to keep anyone from surprising Makala. Which means his six magicians are taking turns keeping it in place. It must be small for them to do that.’

Locklear said, ‘Sounds logical to me.’ He stood up and groaned.

‘If there’s one place that might connect with the ancient tunnels, it will be the lowest level of the abandoned keep. Let’s start looking there.’

‘I’ll get something to make a torch,’ said Gorath.

While they waited, Pug said to Owyn, ‘How do you feel?’

‘Beaten up, tired, and angry. But otherwise fine. You?’

Pug put his hands together, then separated them by inches. A blue spark leaped from one hand to the next. ‘I feel my powers returning, slowly. Perhaps this delay will serve us.’ Lowering his voice, he said, ‘I don’t want the others to know, but if we’re facing the Tsurani Great Ones, even at the height of my power, we’d be overmatched. We must trust stealth and surprise. If we can close in on any magician, engage him physically, we can prevent him from casting a spell.

‘Additionally, we have another advantage. The idea of being physically attacked is totally alien to the Great Ones, who view themselves as almost godlike in their power. They are so conditioned to having their word obeyed without hesitation that if they attempt to command us rather than cast a spell at us, we gain advantage.’

Owyn said, ‘I’m not particularly eager for this confrontation. Some of your knowledge is beginning to manifest in my mind, and I think I can do some things now I couldn’t have yesterday, but I’m still uncertain.’

‘Then follow my lead.’

Gorath returned with torches. ‘I found these bundled in an abandoned storage shed over there.’ He also sported a Kingdom crossbow and quiver of bolts. ‘I also found these.’ He tossed the crossbow to Locklear who caught it and examined it.

‘It’s dirty and hasn’t been oiled in ten years,’ said the squire. ‘But nothing looks rusty.’ He put the head of the bow to the ground and put his foot in the metal stirrup designed to hold the bow in place as it was cocked. Unlike the heavy crossbows that needed to be cranked, this light bow needed only to be drawn. ‘And I have little faith in this bow wire.’

But the old bow cocked with a loud click and Locklear loaded a bolt into the groove down its length. ‘Stand back. If this wire breaks, someone could get hurt.’

He aimed at a nearby door and pulled the release. The bow shot the bolt with a satisfactory thud into the door.

Locklear looked at the weapon with approval. ‘I guess they built this one to last.’

‘Do you want to test it again?’ asked James.

‘No,’ said Locklear. ‘That might be pushing our luck. If I can get off at least one surprise shot, that might make a difference.’ James nodded.

Pug looked at his small band and said, ‘Let’s go.’

Pug paused, and said, ‘Wait.’

They were in a deep tunnel, barely wide enough for them to move through without turning sideways. Gorath’s shoulders rubbed one wall or the other as he walked. They had found it behind a flight of stairs, down at the end of an ancient stone tunnel under the castle.

‘What is it?’ asked James.

‘Here,’ he said, pointing to a bare wall. ‘If I remember, this is where we should find a doorway down into the lower chamber.’

James pulled out his dagger, Gorath did likewise, and the others stepped back as they attacked what looked at first like a blank wall of earth. Soon both man and moredhel were sweating, and those on either side of them were pulling back the earth they dislodged. Then James’s dagger point struck rock.

He cleared away the dirt and said, ‘I think this is masonry.’

Owyn said, ‘Move away,’ and held the torch close to reveal old bricks.

Gorath ignored the heat of the torch and leaned close. ‘This looks to be crumbling away.’ He pushed hard on a brick and it moved with a protesting grind. ‘Stand back,’ he said. After they had moved down the tunnel a little way, Gorath put two hands against the bricks and pushed as hard as he could. With a low, grinding rumble, first one, then two, then half a dozen bricks fell away from him.

Gorath managed to keep his balance and pull back just as a section of wall gave way. The tunnel filled with fine dust, which made Locklear and Owyn sneeze.

Gorath didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the torch out of Owyn’s hand and stepped through the hole. Pug and the others followed. The chamber was vast, empty and the dust of ages lay upon the floor, undisturbed for eons. Pug held his hand up and light sprang from it, illuminating the entire area.

It was no natural cave. The ceiling had been carved and in the walls were reliefs of dragons and creatures in armour who rode them. ‘Valheru!’ whispered Gorath in awe. ‘This was once their place.’

Pug said, ‘Before we go any further, I must prepare you for what we are going to encounter, not only the risk of facing the Six, but regarding other issues, as well. Located nearby is an artifact known as the Lifestone.

‘This artifact was crafted by the Valheru, as a weapon to be used against the gods during the Chaos Wars. It is far beyond my understanding, and I have been studying it as time permits for nearly nine years. But this I know: it was crafted to be a thing of great destruction. It was this item that was the goal of the false Murmandamus during the Great Uprising ten years ago.’

‘False Murmandamus?’ asked Gorath, obviously confused.

‘He was no true moredhel. He was a Pantathian Serpent Priest whose form was changed by dark magic to gull your people into wasting their lives in his cause. He captured their dying life essence so he could use that power as a key to activate the Lifestone. Had he reached his goal, I fear the results would have been the obliteration of all life on Midkemia. The devastation of Timirianya would seem a garden compared to the barren rock that this would have become.’

Gorath looked murderous. ‘So many dead because of the Pantathians!’

Owyn was also confused. ‘I don’t understand something. How could even a priest or magician of high art activate something that was a weapon against the gods? If the Valheru are gone, isn’t the secret of this Lifestone gone with them?’

‘No,’ said Pug. ‘The souls of the Valheru are bound within the stone and it may be that tampering with it will free them. Even if they lack bodies, the energy of their combined minds might be enough to use the Lifestone. We don’t know, but it’s a risk we cannot allow.’

‘So Makala wants to destroy us?’ asked Locklear.

‘He is not mad enough for that,’ said Pug. ‘But he is blindly loyal to the Empire and thinks the Kingdom harbours a weapon of destruction that some day may be unleashed upon his nation. He is desperate to discover the secret of that weapon so he may either defend against it or build another for Tsuranuanni so they can treat with the Kingdom from a position of strength.’

‘The fool!’ spat Gorath. ‘What a petty mind he must have.’

‘Perhaps petty in his view of the universe,’ said Pug, ‘but powerful and gifted in magic. At my peak, he could not stand against me, but in my weakened state, I may be overmatched. This is why we must dispose of his six companions and then face him, Owyn and I, together.’ He looked at Gorath and Owyn. ‘I place a tremendous trust in you two, a renegade moredhel chieftain from the Northlands and the youngest son of an eastern noble. Only the Royal Family and a few who were at the Battle of Sethanon, such as Locklear and James here know the secret of the Lifestone.’

Gorath said, ‘I will die before I reveal this to anyone.’

Owyn could only nod.

‘Now, follow me.’

Pug led them down the long hallway, obviously once the surface entrance to a vast underground city. ‘The cities to the north, Sar-Sargoth and Sar-Isbandia were built by the glamredhel in imitation of this one. This was once called the City of Drakin-Korin.’

‘Even in our lore, we know that name,’ said Gorath. ‘Even among the Valheru he was considered mad.’

‘Yet it was he who convinced them to give their essences to the Lifestone.’

The tunnel was massive, and Owyn asked, ‘Why is this so big?’

Pug smiled. ‘Ever seen a small dragon?’

‘No.’

‘This is a snug fit for a dragon, and the Valheru rode large ones.’

They came to a pair of massive doors, ancient wood as hard as iron from petrifaction. Hinges the size of a man’s body had frozen centuries before. There was enough room for them to walk between the doors, and inside a huge hall they stopped.

Suddenly, Gorath was moving, his sword coming from its scabbard and before Owyn or Pug could mouth a spell, two goblins lay dead in the midst of a vast room.

Pug said, ‘This means we are close.’

‘It also means Delekhan is near,’ said Gorath.

‘Makala may be using him,’ said Pug, ‘but I doubt he would reveal the final secret of the Lifestone to him. None of your moredhel witches could transport him down here. He would have to find a way from the surface.’

Gorath said, ‘I doubt this complex has only one entrance.’

Pug said, ‘True. Makala could transport by magic once he knew where to go, but the first time he came here, someone had to guide him.’

‘Nago,’ said Gorath. ‘He was in the south for nearly a year before this madness began. If we could get this Makala to speak, I would wager that it was Nago who showed your Tsurani how to gain entrance to this place.’

Pug said, ‘We can speculate on this later. However they met, they decided their purposes were enough in sympathy that they could co-operate in this endeavour.’ Pug looked off into the gloom, as if trying to see something and said, ‘I think, however, that Makala is using Delekhan as much as the false Murmandamus used your people, Gorath. He’s sending your people to die fighting my people, to keep the Prince’s army away from this place.’

They started walking again, and suddenly Pug said, ‘Wait!’ He moved forward, put his hand out and commanded, ‘Owyn, feel this.’

Owyn came over next to Pug and put his hand out. He felt energy below his palm, a tingling sensation that grew tangible if he pushed on it. ‘Is this the barrier?’

‘Yes,’ said Pug. ‘This is what we struck when I tried to help you transport us into the chamber on the next level down.’

Pug pushed a bit and with his hands moved first right, then left. After a moment he was satisfied. ‘This is a sphere, and we must walk around the circumference, until we find those who erected it.’

He moved all the way to the left until they encountered a wall, then back to the right. At the far right extreme, Gorath spied a door a short way back. ‘Let’s try that,’ suggested the dark elf.

They entered a tunnel and moved deeper into the earth.

The magic in the room was so powerful even James and Locklear sensed it, making their skins crawl. ‘What is this place?’ asked James.

‘A treasure trove,’ said Pug. ‘One of many. Touch nothing here. Some of these items are magic and I can’t judge the consequences of their inadvertent activation.’

Owyn said, ‘What is that?’ He pointed to a large hunting horn with a strange runic symbol on it.

Gorath said, ‘The inscription is familiar to me. It is that after which we fashioned our own script. It is Valheru.’

‘What does it say?’ asked Owyn.

‘It is the glyph of the Tyrant of Wind Valley.’

Pug tried to remember which of the Valheru that was, and knew Tomas could tell him. ‘This is a place of plunder,’ said Gorath. ‘Prizes and trophies were gathered here.’ He looked down at the dust-covered booty; gold, gems and many items both commonplace and alien.

Owyn reached out and held his hand above the hunting horn. ‘Pug, please, examine this.’

Pug gently touched the horn and picked it up. ‘It exudes magic,’ he said softly.

Then Pug remembered, or the object had the ability to place a memory within him. He dropped the horn as if it had suddenly grown hot. ‘Algon-Kokoon! Slain by Ashen-Shugar.’ Softly he said, ‘Tomas would indeed remember this. It is a hunting horn, which . . .’ His eyes widened. He took the horn and put the golden cord which held it around Owyn’s shoulder, letting it hang at the young magician’s side. ‘If it still works, it could tip the balance.’ Pug glanced around. ‘There are so many things here in Sethanon that I have not had time to study. There is so much I don’t know.’

Owyn said, ‘But we know that Makala lies somewhere over there, and we must stop him.’

Pug nodded and turned to leave the ancient treasures behind, and they followed.

A small chamber glowed with light in the distance and Gorath extinguished the torch. To conserve energy, Pug had stopped using his mystic light. He felt full knowledge was returned to him, and Owyn’s abilities had grown far beyond what the young boy who had met Locklear months before had possessed, but they knew they faced seven Great Ones from Kelewan, Makala and his six companions.

They crept down the hall and came to a chamber. Gorath peeked around the corner and pulled his head back. He held up three fingers and pointed to Pug and Owyn. They nodded in understanding. Two magicians rested in the next room, with either a servant or guard. Pug had agonized over how to approach his former brethren. He was almost certain Makala had not told them the full story; even if he had, it was not the truth, but rather Makala’s warped vision.

Still, Pug had finally decided, they had lent their talents to events which had resulted in the deaths of thousands: humans, moredhel, troll and goblin, and that could not go unpunished. Pug nodded, pointed to himself and motioned to his left, then pointed to Owyn and motioned to the right. He pointed at Locklear’s crossbow and held up three fingers, indicating the third person.

He held up his hand a moment, and when everyone nodded, he made a chopping motion and entered the room.

Owyn and Pug were already incantating their spells when the three figures looked up. Two were wearing black robes and the third was a moredhel warrior.

Locklear raised his crossbow, took a breath, let it out, held it, aimed the bow as he had been taught, then pulled the release.

The bolt flew through the air and took the moredhel in the chest, propelling him across the room. He hit the wall with a sickening sound, and slid down, leaving a crimson smear on the brickwork.

The two Tsurani were immobile, unused to danger and having to cope with surprise. The two spells of immobilization went off within a second of each other, and the two figures moaned in pain as they were engulfed. Gorath had his sword ready and stepped forward to kill both magicians.

It was over in moments.

Pug looked around, held up his hand for silence, and listened for any alarm.

It remained silent for a minute.

He said, ‘That leaves four, plus Makala.’

James said, ‘This looks like a bedchamber.’ He pointed to two pallets on the floor. ‘Here they rest, while their brothers maintain’ the shell around the Lifestone.’

Pug closed his eyes and extended his senses. In the distance he detected a familiar presence. He reached out to it, but was prevented from making contact. ‘Not yet,’ he whispered.

‘Not yet what?’ asked James, his face starting to show the fatigue of the past few weeks.

Pug looked at him, then at Locklear and said, ‘How have you been caring for yourself since you left Northwarden?’

‘Arutha’s healing priest gave us powder to drink at night, and we awake refreshed after a few hours.’

Pug said, ‘Those work for the short term, but when this is done, you’ll need to rest for several days. Be wary. Your senses are dulled, and you are not as quick as you think.’

Locklear looked at James and said, ‘If he’s telling us we’re tired, that’s not exactly a surprise.’

James grinned and patted his friend on the cheek, roughly. ‘He’s telling us not to get overconfident, Locky.’

‘Jimmy the Hand, overconfident? Heaven forfend,’ replied his friend, dryly.

‘Come,’ said Pug. ‘A spell as powerful as this barrier is no trivial thing. It is much like the barrier erected around me by the Timirianyan god.’

They moved down the corridor and entered a large chamber. Figures moved in the distance, and Pug motioned for his companions to spread out.

Suddenly light shone in the cavern.

Two robed figures advanced and, across the room, a voice spoke. ‘We were told to expect you, Milamber.’

‘Do not oppose me, Zatapek. Makala has lied to you and you are hip-deep in the blood of innocents. Stop now before you drown in it.’

‘Milamber, Makala is not the only one in our Assembly who believes you to be a false Great One who is more interested in his birth nation than the Good of the Empire. Else why have you hidden this mighty weapon from us?’

The second magician behind Zatapek moved to the side, lowering a staff which he pointed at Pug as if it were a weapon. From behind Pug the sound of a crossbow being fired sounded, and the second magician was spun around, a shower of blood fountaining from his shoulder, as his arm was half-torn from his body. He screamed in agony, and Zatapek reacted.

The Tsurani Great One raised both hands, fingers pointing forward and a cascade of blue energy lashed out, striking Pug hard. He felt every muscle try to contract at the same time, the effect of which was his going rigid and toppling over, striking the stone floor hard as he writhed in silent agony.

Owyn reacted. A large globe of fire erupted from his hand and sped toward Zatapek. But the Tsurani magician was ready, and with a spin of his left hand, he seemed to fashion a shield of energy upon which the fire splashed and flowed to the floor, winking out as it struck the stones.

The only benefit was that he lost control of the magic he had turned on Pug, and the energy vanished, leaving Pug trembling on the stones, still suffering from the pain of Zatapek’s magic.

Owyn could not think of what to do next, so he closed his eyes and let his reactions take over. He put out his hand and with a single word sent a column of compressed air hurtling at the Tsurani Great One. For an instant Zatapek couldn’t see anything and was preparing for another energy attack, then when he realized what was occurring, he reacted too late. The hammer of the blow slammed him twenty feet across the stones.

Gorath ran toward him, and the last thing the dazed Tsurani magician saw was the towering figure of the dark elf above him, poised to strike. Then with a single blow, Gorath killed the magician.

Owyn hurried to Pug’s side and saw the older magician was still suffering from the lingering effects of the spell cast on him. He shook, and his expression was agony, his teeth were locked and his lips pulled back in a rictus grin.

‘What can you do?’ asked Locklear.

‘I don’t know,’ said Owyn. He reached out and touched Pug and his fingers exploded in pain. But rather than pull away, he turned his mind to the pain and felt the energy. He moved the energy and turned it to the floor, and suddenly it was gone.

Pug collapsed. Then he took a huge breath, almost a sob, and let it out with a sigh.

James said, ‘Pug! Can you understand me?’

Weakly, Pug nodded. Speaking slowly, because the muscles of his face hurt, he said, ‘Help me up, please.’ Standing with James’s arm around his waist, Pug’s legs trembled. ‘If I move, the effects should pass.’

Owyn said, ‘I’m glad. That was more magic in a minute than I’ve seen in most of my life.’

‘You did well. You trusted your instincts. If you continue to do that, the magic you have gained from me will serve us both.’ Pug moved away from James and seemed to regain strength with every step. ‘That is four of them. At least one of those remaining will be maintaining the barrier spell, if not both. If we can find them, and disable them, the spell that blocks the Lifestone will fall and we can get to Makala.’

He looked around. The magician whom Locklear had shot had died from blood loss. Through those doors there is another treasure chamber. It is one which has a blasted wall on the other side, stones destroyed by a mighty struggle years ago. Through that gap in the stones lies the chamber of the Lifestone.’

Gorath said, ‘Then we must assume the last two Tsurani guardians and Makala are through those doors.’

‘Come,’ said Pug. He walked slowly and as he approached the doors, he glanced at Zatapek’s companion, a young Great One he had not known. He must have been a trainee when I lived on Kelewan, he thought. Pity. With vacant eyes the dead magician stared up at ancient stones on an alien world. What a waste, thought Pug.

Near the door, Pug motioned for the others to stop. He chanced a glimpse and saw two figures waiting, though he didn’t think they had yet seen him. Their attentions were being directed toward two goals, being alert for Pug’s approach, and maintaining the barrier behind them. Pug knew that fatigue would be the price of such prolonged duty, but had no illusions as to the time allotted to them.

Delekhan and his own Spellweavers would be somewhere close by, trying to locate this cavern, either to free Murmandamus if they truly believed him here, or to claim the legacy of his powers. Either way, either his arrival or Makala’s activating the Lifestone, would prove an abrupt ending to all their efforts.

Pug stepped back and closed his eyes.

I called for you, but was unable to reach your mind, came a familiar voice in Pug’s mind.

He looked to Owyn and said, ‘The Oracle.’

Owyn nodded.

Pug sent, We must lower the barrier and free you.

The Black Robes stole in one night and filled the cavern with a mist that caused my servants to sleep and rendered me weak. Then they bound me with wards that even my powers could not break. It was my inability to know my own future that blinded me to such a possibility. In time I might win free, but so far I am but an echo of what I once was.

Pug considered the might of the Oracle of Aal and was impressed at Makala’s preparation. He must not underestimate Makala at any time.

Makala is reckless, and single-minded, but he is not cruel by the standards of his people; had he wished you dead, he would have taken your life already. He is most likely content to have you incapacitated for a time. I think it unlikely you have suffered any permanent injury.

To Owyn Pug said, ‘We must quickly eliminate those two.’

Owyn asked, ‘Are you able?’

‘I must be.’ He turned to James, Gorath and Locklear. ‘If they are ready for magic, they may not be ready for a physical attack. As soon as we go through the door, hurry after us, but stay to the side in case we are struck.’ To Gorath he said, ‘What you will see beyond the barrier will amaze and shock you, but do not be alarmed. It is a great dragon, but one unlike any on Midkemia before. She is the Oracle of Aal and must be protected from Delekhan or any other menace while she regains her strength. If I fail to overcome Makala, she is our only hope.’

Gorath nodded. ‘I understand.’ He looked at Locklear and James. ‘These are worthy companions. We shall protect the dragon while you two dispose of the magician.’

Owyn was about to move to the door, when Pug stopped him. ‘There is one spell that may give us the time we need to confront Makala. When the barrier falls, he will know his companions have failed.’

‘What is it?’

‘If they are as weakened by their labours as I suspect, there is a mild spell that will stun them to senselessness.’ Pug pointed. ‘If this works, they will continue to hold the barrier in place for a few moments, just long enough for us to cross the chamber to the great rent in the wall between this chamber and the next. We need the time, because to confront Makala, we must shift ourselves in time.’

Owyn nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment, then said, ‘I know the spell you speak of.’ His eyes widened and he said, ‘This seems simple.’

Pug said, ‘If we survive this, remind me to tell you how long I researched this particular magic’ He nodded and they stepped through the door. The two Tsurani Great Ones had obviously prepared, for both continued to hold the barrier in place, splitting their energies so that one attempted to defend against Pug, while the other tried to cast a spell of fire at him.

‘Look out!’ shouted Owyn as he moved out of the way.

The Tsurani may have been prepared for Pug alone, but they didn’t expect a second magician. Both Pug and Owyn cast their enchantments, spells which reached out and seized the Tsurani’s fatigued minds, stunning them with a blow as effective as if they had been struck by a hammer.

Pug ran. Owyn was a step behind as the two Great Ones stood motionless, rooted and unable to do anything for a moment. Then they slumped to the floor.

As the barrier fell, the room beyond was revealed. Even knowing he was going to see a dragon didn’t prepare Owyn for the sight before him. The dragon was immense, easily the largest living creature he had ever seen. Its head rested on the stones, and was the size of a waggon, and its hide was encrusted with gems. Thousands of diamonds covered its body from nose to tail, including its massive wings. But sprinkled throughout were enough rubies, emeralds and sapphires to give the creature a scintillating, rainbow hue that seemed to dance across the surface of her body. Hooded lids covered her eyes, and white teeth the size of sword blades peeked from beneath lips set in a wolfish smile.

Thank you, magicians.

Pug saw a device of Tsurani manufacture that had generated the barrier. In it were tiny bits of crystal. He examined them and said, ‘Now we know why Makala was so desperate to have that ruby.’ He pointed to the machine. ‘Those stones of unusual property you mentioned, Owyn. They were used to power this device, and the Six were responsible for keeping it functioning. I knew there was no simple magic that could disable the Oracle.’ To the dragon, Pug said, ‘Gorath and the others will stand guard while Owyn and I tend to Makala.’

You must hurry. He acts rashly.

Pug and Owyn ran toward the gap in the wall, smashed out by the struggle that a dragon had undertaken with one of the most terrible creatures known, a Dreadlord, during the height of the battle that decided the Great Uprising and ended Murmandamus’s threat to the Kingdom.

Pug faltered. He had expected to see an empty room in which he would have to shift Owyn and himself a moment in time to bring them into phase with the Lifestone. Instead he said, ‘Gods! Makala has brought the Lifestone here!’

The Tsurani Great One stood before a large emerald-coloured stone as high as a man’s waist. From the top protruded a golden sword with a white hilt that looked like ivory. On the hilt was embossed a golden dragon.

Then the Black Robe turned and said, ‘Milamber, I am impressed. I didn’t think even you could win past all my defences. I hope Zatapek and the others did not suffer unduly in trying to stop you?’

Pug’s anger was barely held in check. ‘They died like loyal Tsurani, with honour and obedience, and completely ignorant of your murderous duplicity.’

‘Do not speak to me of duplicity, Milamber! You swore an oath to serve the Empire, yet you hide the existence of this terrible lie from us!’ Makala moved a step toward Pug and Owyn and shouted, ‘Ten years ago you engaged in a battle to bar the Enemy from our worlds, or so you told the Assembly. Hochopepa and Shimone bore witness to that lie. Sons of great Tsurani houses died on this alien world to aid in that great cause. Yet, you denied us any explanation as to why this city was important, why we had to spend Tsurani blood here.’

He lowered his voice. ‘When I came to your world you deflected my questions and were evasive, and when at last I undertook to discover reasons myself, I discovered this place, with its traps and magic wards, and that great creature in the next hall. All here to keep me and anyone else not in your service from that!’ His finger shot out, pointing to the Lifestone.

‘You did not bar this world to the Enemy! You trapped it in that stone, and harbour it against the day you feel the need to unleash it against your foes, perhaps against the Empire of Tsuranuanni!’

‘You can’t believe that,’ said Pug.

‘Not only do I believe it; I intend to make sure that day never comes. I have almost unlocked this thing and when I fully understand its nature, I will take it to the Holy City and there it will wait until the Empire needs it for her defence.’

Owyn said, ‘Pug, he’s mad.’

Makala said, ‘Boy, this conversation is not for children.’ He made a dismissive motion with his hand and Owyn was flung backward, as if he had been struck. At the last instant he recognized the spell as a variant of the same one he had used to fell Zatapek and shielded himself from serious harm. But he still landed hard on the stones and had the wind knocked out of him for a moment.

Pug turned and said, ‘You’re a murderous dog, Makala. I welcomed you into my household and you betrayed me and my trust. You treated my daughter as a pawn in a game and put her life at terrible risk. For that act alone you’ve earned death. But thousands have died for you to reach this point.’

‘All the more reason it’s vital I succeed, Milamber. Else they died in vain. When this artifact is safe in the Imperial Palace, they will have died for the good of the Empire.’

Pug gathered his depleted power to him, knowing he was facing one who was among the most gifted of the Assembly.

Makala stepped back. ‘I will not face you, Milamber. I was amongst those who was in attendance when you single-handedly destroyed the great arena in Kentosani. I have no delusions of being your equal, even in your weakened state.’ He turned slightly and made a signalling with his hand.

From out of the shadows two figures appeared, large menacing grey figures with massive wings. Makala said, ‘One useful thing I gained when I discovered the world of Timirianya, was a staff belonging to an ancient priest named Rlynn Skrr. It allows me to command these creatures.’ He said to the two elemental creatures, ‘Kill them.’

Pug turned to Owyn and said, ‘I can fight one, you the other, but we can’t fight them and Makala. Blow the horn!’

Owyn didn’t hesitate and raised the hunting horn to his lips. He blew and a long, plaintive note hung in the air, sounding as much like a dog’s howl as a hunting horn.

A chilling wind struck the hall, nothing natural, a thing of ancient magic. Suddenly next to Owyn stood a pair of hunting hounds, massive in size with slavering jaws and fangs the size of daggers. Their eyes were red, and around their necks they wore studded collars of iron spikes. They stood waiting.

‘Command them, Owyn!’ shouted Pug.

‘What do I do?’

Pug turned to face Owyn, and in his eyes the young magician saw anger and hate. ‘Makala!’ he shouted.

Owyn stood and pointed at the suddenly-unsettled Tsurani magician. ‘Attack!’ he commanded.

The hounds leaped forward. Pug turned as the first of the wind elementals neared him, and reaching deep within, employed the spell he had used on them before on Timirianya. As before, the creature was engulfed in spinning coloured beads of energy, and stood rooted, wailing a ghostly cry.

Owyn cast his spell at the other, and it, too, stood rooted.

Then they turned their attention to Makala. The Tsurani Great One had erected a protective shield against the great beasts which stalked him and prodded against it, trying to find a way around it. He retreated, and as they closed on him he was prevented from employing any magic against Pug or Owyn.

Pug moved around the Lifestone and took a moment to glance at it, seeing if it had been endangered in any perceivable way. He said a momentary prayer of thanks; apparently Makala hadn’t yet begun to interact physically with the gem.

Pug then turned to Makala who sought to avoid the lunges of the hounds. They couldn’t reach him, but their attacks were unsettling.

Pug came to stand beside one of the huge dogs and shouted, ‘Makala, you have betrayed me, my family, and your own brotherhood in this mindless adherence to a blind Tsurani credo! You did not even bother to determine what was “the good of the Empire”. Had you even begun to understand, you would know that what you propose to do places the Empire in the greatest risk it has known since the Enemy drove the Nations across the Golden Bridge. Thousands have died for your arrogance and vanity. For all of this, you are condemned to death.’

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a spell and with it he peeled back the protective enchantment Makala had raised. The older magician realized at the last instant what Pug had done, and screamed, ‘No!’ Then the hounds leaped on him and began tearing him to shreds.

He died quickly. The dogs continued tearing at his corpse, rending it to pieces they scattered around the hall.

Owyn approached as the two wind elementals faded from view and said, ‘He deserved no less.’

‘Call off the hounds,’ said Pug.

Owyn shouted, ‘Stop!’ and the hounds stopped. He turned to Pug and said, ‘What do I do with them?’

Pug shook his head. ‘I think you just need to tell them to go back where they came from.’

Owyn turned and did so, and the two hounds vanished from sight. He took off the horn and put it down. ‘This is a terrible power to have.’

Pug put his hand on Owyn’s shoulder. ‘All power is terrible if not used wisely.’ He glanced at the mangled corpse and said, ‘That was once a man of great power and position. He abused both. Never forget that.’

Owyn said, ‘I never will. I don’t think I’m cut out for a magician’s life.’

Pug actually managed to laugh. ‘Cut out or not, I don’t think you can avoid it. You’re a young man of great power, Owyn.’

‘Me? I’m just a youngster who learned some things from Patrus and from you.’

‘More,’ said Pug. He put his hand on Owyn’s shoulder and said, ‘When we linked minds you were given much of my knowledge. You will find that some of it will lie dormant for years, but other parts will come to you unbidden. Whatever you choose to do with your life when you return to your father’s court, you are going to be one of the more gifted practitioners of magic in the world.’

Owyn said, ‘That will take some getting used to. I - ‘

Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of swords clashing and shouts from the next chamber.

Magician, came the dragon’s thoughts, I cannot stop them. I am still too weak.

Pug turned toward the gap between the chambers and saw someone hurrying through it. For a moment he thought it was Gorath, but too late he recognized it was a different moredhel.

This one was carrying a staff which he levelled at Pug and Owyn. A blast of energy smashed them both across the room. Pug hit the wall hard enough that lights danced before his eyes, and Owyn again had the wind knocked from him.

He saw the moredhel Spellweaver struck from behind by someone, and saw Locklear stumble into the chamber, then turning to barely avoid the sword blow of another moredhel, a warrior who had vainly tried to prevent Locklear from reaching the Spellweaver.

Suddenly the room filled with combatants. Locklear fought a moredhel warrior, while James attempted to keep close to another Spellweaver, who tried to fend him off with a staff like the one used to hurt Pug and Owyn.

Dazed, Owyn tried to concentrate and help, but he couldn’t focus. He went to where Pug still lay and helped him to his feet, saying, ‘I’m getting very tired of that. My back is killing me.’

Pug shook his head and said, ‘What?’

Gorath was fighting Delekhan. The moredhel chieftain wore the black helm Pug had seen on Murmandamus and gaudy black armour with gems on the breastplate.

Gorath lost his footing and stumbled and Delekhan struck him hard across the face with his free hand, knocking the chieftain of the Ardanien backwards. Gorath went sprawling across the floor.

Delekhan saw the mangled body of Makala and actually smirked in satisfaction. Then he saw the Lifestone.

Pug realized that he could not get there before the self-styled moredhel ruler. Makala had been dangerous because of what he knew; Delekhan was dangerous because of what he didn’t know. He saw the golden sword and his eyes widened. ‘Valheru!’ he cried. ‘It’s a sword for a king!’

He lunged for it, only to have Gorath leap on his back, closing his arm around Delekhan’s throat.

Delekhan’s hand grasped the hilt of the sword and suddenly a thrumming sound filled the cavern. Delekhan’s eyes widened and he began to gurgle, but not from the choking Gorath was inflicting on him. Rather, a great power was trying to manifest itself within the moredhel.

The sword began to rise, and Gorath abandoned his attempt to kill Delekhan and instead gripped the hilt and tried to push the sword back into the stone.

Pug shook his head, and saw that Locklear and James still struggled with their opponents. Owyn asked, ‘What do we do?’

‘Gorath! Stand clear,’ shouted Pug.

‘I cannot,’ said Gorath. ‘If I do, he will pull the sword free.’

Both moredhel struggled, the muscles and cords on their arms and shoulders bulging from effort. Delekhan’s eyes widened to impossible size, as if they were about to burst from his skull, his face was flushed and perspiration poured off his skin. An alien cast came over his features and it looked as if another person was now wearing his face.

‘He’s transforming!’ shouted Pug.

Owyn said, ‘We must stop him!’

‘Do not touch him!’ shouted Pug over the increasingly loud noise.

‘We must help him!’

‘We cannot,’ said Pug. ‘You must help me. We must destroy them both.’

Owyn said, ‘I can’t.’

Gorath shouted, ‘You must! Ancient powers are seeking to take my life! Save my people, Owyn. Save me.’

Owyn nodded and with tears welling in his eyes, he quickly moved his hands in a complex pattern above his head. Pug duplicated the movements, and as one they pointed to the two moredhel locked in a death-struggle before the Lifestone.

A blast of heat erupted from the magicians’ hands, and a white-hot light struck both moredhel. For a moment they stood bathed in eye-searing brilliance, so bright that James’s opponent turned his head away, and James managed to step close and drive his dagger deep into the magician’s chest. James turned toward the light, and was forced to look away from the brilliance. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he moved and struck the moredhel warrior Locklear was facing in the back of the head, causing him to falter, and Locklear finished him off.

A low moan came from the two figures in the light, then they faded from view. A moment later, the light flickered out.

Again, the stone was untouched and the sword remained in place.

Silence descended on the chamber and the four men in the room fell in place, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm them.

Owyn wept and Pug said, ‘I think I understand.’

Locklear said, ‘What happened? I couldn’t see.’

James looked around the chamber and said, ‘Gorath?’

Pug said, ‘He saved us all.’

James nodded, his expression bitter. ‘I will never think of the moredhel in the same fashion.’

Locklear sat and said, ‘He was a difficult companion at times, but he was . . . a friend.’

Pug was too numb to move. ‘I think I’ll sleep a week,’ he said.

James said, ‘Catch your breath, m’lord Duke of Stardock, for we have work left to do.’

Pug said, ‘Work?’

With an evil grin James said, ‘Have you forgotten that stone has to be shifted back where it belongs? And there’s a moredhel army still in the Dimwood? And Delekhan’s advance guards are all around us?’

Pug said, ‘I’m trying.’

Owyn said, ‘If they show up now, I’m dead. I can’t lift a finger.’

Locklear said, ‘Well, if we’re to survive all this, I’d rather not die because I’m too tired to defend myself. Can either of you magicians think of something?’

Pug said, ‘I can. Help me up.’

James pulled him to his feet and asked, ‘What are you going to do?’

Pug said, ‘With whatever strength we have left, my friends, we are going to put on a show.’

Locklear stopped and blinked in confusion. ‘My mind is going. For a moment I thought I heard you say we were going to put on a show.’

‘That’s what I said,’ Pug said. ‘Come with me.’

Three fatigued, confused men exchanged glances with one another, then followed the strange short man in the black robe.

Moraeulf was furious. He had been in a running fight with Prince Calin and Longbow for two days, but had yet to close with them. In the mountains, the moredhel had the advantage, but here in the heavy woods, the eledhel and their demon human friends had the upper hand.

The only good thing in this had been the course of the fight, which had taken them to the edge of the city of Sethanon. Moraeulf was waiting for his father’s orders, and word had reached them that somehow the rift machine had been disabled. Heads would sit on pikes over that, and Moraeulf was determined that his wouldn’t be among them.

‘Master, runners come.’

He expected to see his own scouts who had been trailing the eledhel, but instead two of his father’s honour guards approached, dirty, tired and obviously near panic. ‘What is it?’ he demanded.

‘Disaster! On the walls of Sethanon!’

‘Tell me!’ shouted Moraeulf.

‘Three days ago we found our way into the city and our master left us near the rear gate of the castle. For most of a day he was gone. Then came a great sound from deep within the earth, and then we saw something terrible on the battlement of the castle.’

Moraeulf grabbed one of the guards by the shirtfront and demanded, ‘Tell me what you saw!’

The other said, ‘On the battlement we saw your father, and with him was Murmandamus. I know it was he, for he was without shirt, and the dragon mark was on him. He was gaunt, as if he had been starved, and pale, as if kept underground, but it was he. There could be no doubt. He shouted and we could hear his voice, carried to us by magic as we had heard him ten years ago, lord; and it was his voice.’

‘Aye,’ said the other guard. ‘It was Murmandamus. And between him and your father stood the human prince, Arutha, in their thrall. Murmandamus said he would at last fulfil the prophecy and end the life of the Lord of the West, but as he drew back his blade - ‘

‘What?’ shouted Moraeulf, striking the warrior, knocking him to the ground. ‘On your life tell me,’ he demanded of the other one.

‘My lord, from behind rose a great dragon, a creature the like of which no living being has seen. It was afire with light and covered in rainbows and on its back rode a magician in black. He cried out that Murmandamus was a false prophet and the prophecy was also false, and then the dragon unleashed a blast of fire so hot we could feel the heat of it on the ground below.

‘Lord, your father and Murmandamus were withered before our eyes, turned to ash and blown by the winds, while the Lord of the West, the human, Prince Arutha, stood unharmed!’

Moraeulf howled his rage and struck the man. ‘Damn all magicians and prophets!’

There were half a dozen warriors of his own with the two from his father’s guard. ‘Pass word,’ he ordered them, ‘we return to the north. This madness is over!’

The eight moredhel hurried off to spread the order.

Moraeulf turned to find his way northward to his main camp. He was only a few yards along the trail when a shape stepped out of the gloom and asked, ‘My lord?’

‘What?’ demanded Moraeulf. Too late he realized he knew the person who closed on him, and recognition came with pain, as Narab drove his dagger into the son of his enemy.

Moraeulf sank to his knees, his mouth open in disbelief, and he fell to the earth.

From beyond the path, a voice said, ‘We have done our part.’

Narab turned. ‘I will do mine.’

Martin Longbow and his elves appeared and Narab said, ‘My family is avenged and I will take our people home.’

‘We will not trouble any of you as long as you’re moving north,’ said the Duke of Crydee. ‘Never again return south.’

Narab said, ‘Liallan and her Snow Leopards and my own clan are now the power in the north. As long as we rule, we shall keep to our side of the mountain.’ Then he pointed a finger at Martin and the elves. ‘And you would do well to stay on your own side also.’

He turned and vanished, and Martin said to the elves, ‘Let us go to Sethanon and find out the mystery behind the wonder we just heard. I would like to find Pug and discover how Murmandamus came back from the grave long enough to be killed again.’

The elf to whom he spoke nodded, his expression conveying his own curiosity.

Martin started walking south. ‘At least when my brother gets here, he’ll find his Kingdom still intact. I think that will please him.’

Martin Longbow, brother to princes and kings, shouldered the weapon which had given him his name and hummed a nameless tune. He didn’t know the details yet, but he knew they had won, and that, for the time being, a future existed for his wife and daughter. That was cause enough to hum a tune; the details would come later.