Rides a Dread Legion Free with Bonus Material Page 36

  When Miranda felt safe to conjure, she said, We were led into this trap. Somehow they knew we were coming.

  We can sort all that out when we get back to Sorcerers Isle, said Kaspar.

  Mirandas eyes widened. We must go there now! She reached out and grabbed Amirantha and Creegan and shouted, Hang on! When everyone was holding on, she willed herself to the island.

  And they arrived in the middle of a holocaust.

  Pug and Magnus finished examining what was left of the Saaur library at Ahsart. As the shamans and priests of the city had gathered their writings over the years, most had perished with them, but a few older clay tablets and a handful of bound books locked away in a vault had endured. The language was unknown to them. Simon said, Had I the time, I have a spell which would allow me to decipher these within a week, two at the outside.

  We dont have the time, said Pug. The discovery that Maarg was dead and someone or something else was using his name to mask his identity was troubling. This was not the first time in his life he had discovered that much of what he assumed to be true was half-truth, inaccurate, lies, or just wrong. With no one here, we can arrange for some students to come and gather this up, and return with it to Sorcerers Isle. Then, he said with a weak smile, you can study them at leisure.

  Magnus came to stand next to his father and spoke softly. What is it?

  Something is terribly wrong, said Pug, not caring if the other two magicians overheard him. Every bit of information we received about the Demon Legion led us to believe that things were much as they had been when we battled the Emerald Queen. That one demon captain, Jakan, in the guise of the Emerald Queen, the Lady Clovis, had engineered a war that had engulfed half of Midkemia. But now we see that Maarg lies dead, a victim of his own gluttony, stranded here His eyes widened. Is it possible?

  What? asked Magnus.

  Everything that has happened to me from the day I was captured by the Tsurani, all of it was part of a much larger plan. Your grandfather said so, Ban-ath said so, and Ive always seen myself as a player in a larger drama. But like a player, Ive only been concerned with my part. Oh, Im aware of the parts of those around me, your mother, Tomas, Nakor when he was with us, even to a lesser extent Ban-aths.

  But because I know my role, or think I do, and because I know something of the others roles, doesnt mean I understand the complete drama. He visibly winced. I am such a fool!

  What? asked Magnus, obviously not following his fathers deductions.

  At first I blamed the Nameless, because I was told he was at the heart of every evil thing that befell Midkemia. It was logical, even obvious, given he is the God of Evil.

  But what if theres another agency, another cause of evil that is creeping into our realm using the Namelesss own acts as a cover, to prevent us from seeing his hand behind things?

  The Dasati Dark God?

  Perhaps he was a tool as well. For all his power, did he strike you as particularly subtle?

  He gulled the Dasati into thinking he was their Death God, reminded Magnus.

  True, but that is a simple deception compared to what Im imagining.

  What are you imagining, Father?

  I assumed that Jakan, the demon playing the role of the Emerald Queen, wanted to reach the Lifestone, to seize its power for his own use. I was unclear whether that was to fortify his own role in our universe, to return and battle Maarg for supremacy of the Fifth Circle of Hell, or for some other motive. I was so intent on stopping him, I almost got myself killed, and I really didnt care why he wanted the Lifestone. He looked at Magnus and a rueful smile crossed his face. What if he was bait?

  For what?

  To lure Maarg here to die of starvation, while someone, or something, else gained domination of the Fifth Circle. Jakan was on Midkemia; Tugor died fighting Hanam; and Maarg was left here to die.

  Someone else is ruling the Fifth Circle, but doesnt want us to know his identity.

  Why?

  Because understanding that identity might be key to defeating him. Else why guard it so jealously with all this misdirection?

  Perhaps Amirantha might shed some light on this, or maybe the elf, Gulamendis?

  We certainly will need to speak with both of them. To the other two magicians he said, Come here and stand close. To Magnus he said, Take us back to the rift, please.

  The four magicians stood near enough to grip hands, and Magnus used his arts to take them to a position before the rift, a short distance from the edge of the plateau overlooking the city of Ahsart. Pug started to step through and halted.

  Instantly, Magnus said, What is it?

  Were being blocked!

  What? asked Randolph.

  We cannot go through this rift.

  How is that possible? asked Simon.

  Pug looked around the hillside and saw a large rock. He threw it at the portal, and when it touched the shimmering grey void that marked the rift, it bounced back. At least you wouldnt have been killed, but youd have gotten a fair bloody nose from walking face-first into that.

  Who could do this? asked Magnus.

  Pug took a deep breath and said, The same evil bastard whos able to subvert Amiranthas summonings and use them against him, I think.

  Belasco? asked Magnus.

  Or whoever his master really is, answered Pug. He looked around and pointed to another clear area. Come, let us begin. Were not going to waste time trying to overcome that barrier. I know enough rift lore to know that I can make another that will follow this one to our home. It should only take an hour or so, faster with your help.

  Randolph said, Tell us what to do.

  They began.

  The heat rolled off the burning building like a wave, sweeping over Miranda and her companions as they appeared in the garden. Grab hold! she shouted, choking from the heavy smoke. As no one had stepped away when they appeared, it took mere seconds for them to resume their previous positions, and Miranda willed them a short distance away, on a low hillock overlooking the rear of the main building.

  Everything was on fire.

  Below, the main house burned like a bonfire, and the outer buildings were reduced to either flaming skeletons of wood framing or little boxes with flames shooting out their windows and doors. The ground around the compound was littered with the bodies of students and instructors, and Miranda could barely contain her rage.

  Then the first demon came into view, running around the corner as he chased one of the students. Miranda pulled back her arm and let fly with a bolt of energy that should have reduced the creature to ash. Instead, the spell stunned him long enough for the student to put more distance between herself and the demon, as the infernal creature stood reeling for a minute. Then he shook his head and looked to find the author of the insult.

  Spying Miranda on the top of the hill, the demon lowered his shoulders and charged. He was roughly human in the torso, but with shoulders far broader than any humans. The head looked like a cats skull, devoid of flesh, with exaggerated fangs. The legs looked like the back end of a horse, and while it appeared to be at risk of falling over at any step, it moved with uncanny speed.

  Mirandas eyes widened in surprise that the demon weathered the blast she had sent and she began another attack. Then her mind locked up, and suddenly she couldnt remember anything.

  Amirantha incanted a spell and unleashed it at the charging demon, who stumbled, then stood motionless, trembling as if seized by a monstrous hand that shook it. If one of you would please kill this horror, he said to Sandreena and Father-Bishop Creegan.

  Both hurled their most powerful spells of destruction, especially crafted for demons, and the creature let out a howl of agony as it fell to its knees and was consumed by bursting orange flames.

  Miranda said, Thank you. I thought

  Demons are not like mortal creatures, said Sandreena. Sometimes, brute force works

  Sometimes it doesnt, finished Brandos. Look out!

  A flying horror, all wings and talons, came
swooping in, apparently intent on ripping someones head off. Creegan shouted a single word as he stuck out his hand, and a black shape, looking like nothing so much as a shimmering blanket of silk, suddenly enveloped the demon, smothering it. As it fell to the ground, the wrapped demon grew smaller and smaller, until it vanished completely.

  Sandreena said, Look! and pointed at a knot of demons who were gathered together, surrounded by some of the islands magicians. The magic-users were using a variety of spells and enchantments to keep the monsters at bay, and it appeared to be working.

  Weve got to help them! shouted Miranda, charging down the hillside.

  Oh, mercy, said Brandos as he was a half-stride behind her.

  Miranda pulled up short and began to cast a spell, but Brandos dove from behind and dragged her down, just as the demons unleashed a blast of blackness pulsing with purple lights. Each magician was consumed by the clinging, pulsing energy that wrapped around them like a shroud. They fell to the ground, screams muffled as if their faces were covered in cloth.

  When they gather like that in a knot, theyre going to pull something like that, shouted the old fighter. He leaped to his feet and helped her up, as a demon in that small group charged.

  Amirantha, Sandreena, and Creegan all caught up, and Sandreena intercepted the charging demon, bashing it in the face with her shield and swinging her mace in a wicked arc, crushing the creatures skull.

  Miranda allowed herself to be pulled over by Creegan and Amirantha, as Jommy took up position beside Brandos. What do I do? asked the young noble.

  Keep these bastards off the spellcasters so they can do their work, he said, slashing out at a demon who got too close.

  What about Sandreena? asked Jommy as he backed off another demon with a wicked cut of his blade that took the creature on an unprotected forearm.

  Dont worry about that girl, said Brandos, backing off another demon, who was leaping toward Amirantha, as if he recognized where the real threat was coming from. She knows how to take care of herself.

  Sandreena was expert in avoiding the animal-like claws of the demons. This bunch was something like those she had encountered before, mostly sinew and fangs, little intelligence, though they were cunning, as demonstrated by the trap they had unleashed on the young magicians.

  Miranda tried to pull the smothering fabric off one young magician that she could reach, but the stuff resisted her every attempt to remove it, whether through spells designed to dispel enchantment or by physically trying to claw it off. She felt her heart sink and she went cold inside as the young magician, a bright young man from Yabon named Patrick, died as she was helpless to save him. Do something! she shouted at Amirantha out of frustration.

  He recognized and ignored her frustration, concentrating as much as he could on dealing with the threat right before him. He could easily have gated in a half-dozen demons of his own in this period of time, but now he realized he could not trust one of them to do his bidding. Instead he focused on the spells at his disposal that would either destroy them outright or banish them back to the demon realm. But it took time. Each target had to be in his line of sight for nearly a minute as he enchanted it, and sometimes the break in his concentration forced him to start over.

  Father-Bishop Creegan seemed to have different abilities at his disposal, more effective but slower. He would single out a demon, chant, and, after a minute, a bright light would envelope the target and it would freeze motionless. Then, after a few more minutes, it would simply vanish. Unfortunately, from Amiranthas point of view, he could only manage one at a time.

  The wind shifted and suddenly they were choking from the smoke, as it billowed off the flaming buildings and swept over them, a blinding wall of darkness that filled the lungs and caused the eyes to water. This way! shouted Miranda, coughing as she tried to lead them around to a point upwind of the flames.

  Sandreena crouched as another demon tried to claw at her, its claws scraping harmlessly off her helm, and then she stood, bringing her helmet up under its chin as she held up her shield to block a second demon to the right of the first. Then she spun to the right, her mace held out, so that when she finished the circle, the maces head slammed into the demons side. It doubled over and fell atop the stunned first demon, and Sandreena retreated after the others.

  As they moved back, regrouping, before them unfolded a scene of horror. Of the hundreds of students and instructors in residence on Sorcerers Isle, most lay dead on the ground. Many of those had been maimed or mutilated, or partially devoured. Scattered around the area were demon corpses, mute testimony to the courage of the young magicians.

  From their vantage point, they could see scampering figures in the fire as the main house went up in a tower of flames. Then they saw it.

  In the middle of the flames, where they reached highest into the sky, stood a figure of undiluted terror. Monstrous in size, it was nearly twenty feet tall. The head was like that of a bull, but with an elongated snout, and the horns were impossibly wide, spanning eight feet. Massive shoulders and enormous arms with muscles looking like heavy cable under a black-silk skin. The eyes were red flame, and steam or smoke blew out of flaring nostrils. As if challenging heaven, the creature threw back his head and bellowed a call that was painful to hear.

  Confusion and panic were mounting on all sides, and Miranda struggled to make sense out of what she could see through the blinding smoke. Amirantha! What is that? she demanded.

  If I were to guess, said the Warlock, coughing from the smoke, its a demon captain, perhaps the Dahun those Black Caps were summoning. Right now he exploded into a fit of coughing, then swallowed hardI dont know if I understand anything about demons. His tone left no doubt he was shaken by the days revelations.

  Everything we saw over by the Peaks was a distraction, said Father-Bishop Creegan. To lure us away so they could destroy the Conclave.

  As long as Im standing and Pug and my sons are alive, said Miranda, so is the Conclave. Her tone left no doubt of her anger. And she shot forth a bolt of searing energies that should have withered the demon where he stood. Instead, he turned and looked at the source of the attack.

  Sandreena, Amirantha, and Creegan all reacted within moments, unleashing three spells of banishment. The creature seemed stunned, staggering back, but didnt vanish as intended.

  Its tethered! shouted Amirantha.

  Tethered? asked Jommy.

  It was Brandos who answered. Somethings anchoring it here, in this realm. You do it to keep a demon from going home if its unhappy with what you want it to do!

  Look for anything over there thats out of place, shouted Amirantha. An icon, a pole, something thats not burning. That will be the tether. Destroy it, and we can banish that horror.

  Miranda said, I cant see a thing with all this smoke and flame.

  Then the monstrous demon recovered from their attack. With a bovine grin, it advanced on their position, a band of scampering, running, and hopping smaller demons in its wake.

  Brandos shouted to Jommy and Kaspar, Dont try to attack it directly. Kaspar, break to the left! Jommy, break right with me, when I give the word! Keep those smaller devils in front of you! Dont let any of them get behind you!

  Amirantha, you have to protect Creegan and Miranda as best you can!

  Understood, shouted the Warlock. He shouted to the Father-Bishop and Miranda, Dont act until I give the word! He reached into his belt pouch and pulled a large gem out of it. Crushing it in his hand, he shouted a single word, and suddenly they were engulfed in red smoke.

  Now! shouted Brandos and he and Jommy ran right, while Kaspar took off in the other direction.

  The large demon bellowed again and swung a massive claw through the space occupied a moment before by the three fighters, and then backhanded the cloud of red smoke. He shouted in pain and anger when his hand came away with red smoldering sores, as if he had touched acid. The unexpected wound distracted the creature for a moment, while the smaller demons rushed the fighters.
>
  Inside the smoke cloud, Amirantha said, Back up slowly!

  His two companions did as they were told and moved back, until they could see the befuddled demon captain standing over the roiling cloud of caustic gas. Whatever you have, Miranda, said the Warlock, nows the time.

  Her eyes were wide with anger and frustration, and she reached down to the depth of her power, using her will to focus the most destructive spell she could muster. A line of blinding light extended from her outstretched palm to strike the creature, and down it flowed a brilliant white light. The demon captain stood stunned for a moment, then bellowed in pain and began to writhe.

  I see it! shouted Jommy to Brandos. He pointed to a strange object, a black post with alien runes carved on the surface. It sat in the midst of the flames, untouched.

  He took a step toward it, but Brandos grabbed him from behind and yanked him back just as a demon leaped to the spot he had vacated. The old fighter swung hard with his sword, severing the creatures head from shoulders. The body lay flopping on the ground while the heads features contorted and it tried to scream. Unless youre fireproof, thats not going to work. And look out!

  Another pair of demons leaped at them, each about the size of a large monkey. Jommy extended his sword point and allowed the creature to impale itself. The shock that ran up Jommys arm almost cost him his sword. He lifted his boot and kicked hard, as he pulled back, sending the demon tumbling backward. Brandos beheaded the other one in efficient fashion. Points useful, but not that way, he said as he struggled to breathe in all the choking smoke.

  Jommy was forced to agree and began slashing at anything that tried to approach. What do we do about that anchor?

  Wait, said Brandos, looking around, as if seeking inspiration. The large demon seemed to be coming out of the shock induced by the three spells hitting it and stood still, slightly shaking its head, as if clearing it.