Demiourgos (45 page)

“Rose.” She heard him say pitifully from beneath the crushing weight. “Have mercy please! I submit myself to justice.”

“Did you have pity on Liostro? Did you have pity on Nina when you sent her into the enemy’s arms?” Rose screamed as hot vengeance fueled her waning power yet again.

“In the end you will be just like us. You will drain this world and its people of their energy just to fuel your needs. The power you feel will convince you that it is worth the sacrifice and it will tell you that the price they pay is for a noble cause.” Blood escaped his lips in a spray as he coughed loudly.

She felt a pulse of anger reach out and touch the forest around her. It cried out in pain as she began draining the life from it instinctively. “No! I will not be like you!”

Clasping her hands around her head she fell to her knees and tried to purge the rage in an attempt to stop the killing force that was being exerted around her without her consent. Her struggle was evident on her face even as she heard the sound of armed feet running up behind her. The pain of the forest throbbed in her head and she could feel the presence of every living thing around. The power she could drain from this place would make her rival the gods themselves. With a scream she shook those thoughts out of her head. “I can’t stop it! Please someone help me!”

“Rose!” A familiar voice called from behind her and gave her pause. She knew the voice but feared it was a trick even as she looked up and saw Liostro walking toward her being supported between two guards. His breastplate had been removed and a bloody bandage was wrapped around his torso. “Please stop this!”

“Liostro?” She called out in a pitiful voice as blackness claimed her vision.

~~~~

It didn’t take long this time. She had recovered from her ordeal with Leonidus, now branded the betrayer, faster than she could have imagined. Rose was on her way to the council chambers to address the queen and the gathered elders of the elven court. Barius had informed her that Leonidus was left dead under the stones and the council had been gathered. Her feet carried her as quickly as she could make them and she had gathered Barius and Noranda on her way. She had no doubt that Liostro was already there offering what knowledge and advice he could. She hoped that the delay of her recovery did not cost them needed time.

Her surprise was genuine when she stepped into the council chambers to hear Taines and the other council members arguing about sending troops into the front when they had no information on the enemy. It was obvious from Liostro holding his head in his hand that he had tried his best to convince the council otherwise. Even Avreel, born of the true tyrants of the elven race, looked disgusted. She was appalled by their behavior. Nina was among the army or worse waiting to be saved and yet here again the elves were locked in debate. When she finally crossed into their view they stopped arguing for a moment to watch her approach.

Standing there among the gathering of elves with councilman Taines and the others still shocked from the recent events Rose could not help but feel a little overzealous. She had changed back into the black and red garments of her station and belted the trusty sword she had relied on to her hip. The red gems hanging from the chain that stretched from her ear to her nose sparkled from the light of the room. Everyone was silent so she took the initiative. “My queen, there is little time for pretty words and banter. If the betrayer was correct the armies of our enemy may already be upon us. Gather the strongest magic weavers among your people and have them join me at the mountain cave. I will distract them as long as I can. With their help it should give you enough time to gather those among you who can fight.”

“I do not take orders from you blood guard.” Miralastra replied with an air of superiority and resplendence as usual. Her blue eyes narrowed as she regarded Rose from her perch and turned to speak to the council again.

Liostro looked startled and Rose had definitely suffered the last insolence she would be able to take from the stubborn elf. She clenched her hands at her sides and glared at the queen and before she could stop herself she shouted at the top of her lungs. Even she was surprised when the marble beneath her feet cracked and nearly shattered. The fissure stretched out for several feet from her. “You will listen to me or you will all die where your pretty little posteriors sit.”

“I have bled for you and your legacy; I have bled for the elven people. I have sacrificed more than any of you know while you sit here in your little tree forts dabbing on perfume and sparring with words. You have asked so much of me and I have complied and now it is time for you to stand up for yourselves. Either you listen to me and gather yourselves up for a valiant defense or I leave now and never return again.” Rose paused for a moment and attempted to slow her breathing and make herself calm down but it wasn’t working. “Make no mistake I will go after my charge, no my friend, Ninanthia Sunmane a princess of the elven legacy. She is missing if none of you have noticed and requires rescuing before she is harmed or worse.”

“How dare you speak to me in such a tone!” Miralastra screamed back at her standing up on her podium.

“How dare me? How dare you call yourself Nina’s mother, how dare you sit there and allow her to get further away with each minute. Your duty to your people and crown aside your daughter is out there and I am going after her, I don’t need your permission but I am willing to forsake my quest for a short time in order to give the rest of your people a fighting chance. You will take it or you will leave it and I will depart knowing that I did all I could to make things right for a people that freed me from my bonds. Make no mistake I’ve paid my dues to all of you and all that remains is my blood bond with Nina.” She stared at the queen unwavering in her judgment; even Liostro was amazed at her outburst which was obvious from the fact that his mouth was agape.

“You cannot speak to the queen that way you insolent…” Taines began before he was cut off by the queen herself.

“Barius, Noranda, do as she says.” Mira finally said and looked over at the council. “Liostro and Avreel will assist them in gathering every capable weaver within this forest. I’ll not see my home lost to invasion after protecting it so long.”

“Councilman Taines,” Rose turned to him and met his eyes for a second before he turned his gaze away. “That includes you. Your arcane dabbling is strong enough to be of use. Argue and I drop you where you stand.”

“Liostro, Avreel, attend me for a moment.” Rose turned and began walking away from the gathering with Liostro trailing behind her. Once she had exited the council chambers she turned to him. “What happened after I passed out?”

“Leonidus shuddered once and tried to say something about merging powers but he expired and his body began to wither instantly. I don’t know why.” Liostro eyed her for a moment. He was not sure what else to say.

Avreel nodded her head at Liostro’s words and then spoke. “What is the matter?”

“I feel changed, empowered.” Rose said softly all the while looking down at the wooden walkway beneath her. Rose could not meet their eyes. “The same way I did after the death eater died and Kestrel merged with me. I think I understand it now, the death eater could morph its body, Kestrel was pure arcane essence, Leonidus commanded much old magic and all of it is inside me now.”

Liostro looked shocked for a moment. “Do you think you absorbed his power as well?”

“I know I did. Go quickly and help them gather and prepare. Any magic will do, spiritual, mental, arcane, it doesn’t matter gather them all.” Rose focused her attention on shifting her presence to the former tower of the betrayer just as Leonidus had. To her surprise the council chambers disappeared from her vision in a blur and she set foot down on the familiar stones. She knew what she was looking for but she did not know how she knew it. The destruction she had wrought in the now-fragile structure made the upper levels tenuous but luckily the artifact in question was on his withered body. As she approached the pile of stones she had left his corpse pinned under she felt an involuntary shudder. He was still visible so she decided to make short work it. From his hand she pulled a signet ring of the royal family and placed it upon her finger gingerly. The familiar tingle of magic at work was not as welcome as she had originally thought. She could feel Nina’s presence quite some distance away and fading so she quickly gathered a pair of bracers from his arms and a carved rod from beneath his robes.

Once she had donned the bracers and tucked the rod into her belt she sighed and knelt down next to her former tutor. It was still hard for her to believe that he had betrayed them all, that this man who had seemed so caring and kind had a black shriveled heart within his chest. He had abandoned his family and turned his granddaughter over to the enemy then he had tried to kill both Liostro and Rose. “I hope you find peace wherever you are. I will always remember you as the good man I met in the desert, the man who saved my life and taught me how to wield the power I command today.”

With that being said she touched the ring on her finger and willed herself down to the entrance of the palace. It would be a decent walk to the mountain opening because she had to make a stop along the way. Several people started and backed up a few steps when she appeared from nowhere but she did not break stride as she headed toward the forest. Once she was clear of the elves’ home she touched the oldest looking tree she could find and closed her eyes using her mind to call out. “Al’talesh’matar I beseech your aid. Your home is in danger.”

“I felt the disturbance.” The tree guardian replied to her mentally. “The trusted elder of the elves is dead?”

“I will be brief. He betrayed us all and an army amasses outside the mountain as we speak and I don’t think I have the ability to hold them off alone.” There was a silence; she could almost feel the guardian pondering his next move as slowly as the trees he cared for grew. It took some time for him to come to a decision.

When he spoke again she could feel him gathering his power through the aged bark. “I will give you what aid I can but the forest is my primary responsibility so I cannot sacrifice too much or my ability to defend the wood will be hindered.”

“Thank you for whatever you can provide. I will defend this place with my life if need be.” She let go of the tree and continued to the mountain pass. She could feel several magic weavers trailing behind her in the distance and she knew it was all of the gathered elves coming to her call. The walk gave her time to think and formulate a strategy. She would have to focus her energy on taking out as many of the attackers as possible to buy the elves a chance to strike back. Once she had made her mark on them she would have to single out the sorcerer lord within their ranks and take him out quickly.

Even with what she could do and the fact that she felt more energized and powerful than ever before she did not know if she could stall or defeat the army or the sorcerer that accompanied them. Her connection to the Spellrage had become stronger; she could feel it surging in the back of her mind as if it knew what she would have to do to win this battle. Before she knew it she was climbing the stone stairway toward the dark tunnel. The longing she had felt when she first had laid eyes on the passageway was there but it wasn’t as strong. It was almost as if her experiences and growth in ability was protecting her but the itch at the back of her mind was present. Once she was clear of the long passage she stepped out onto the large stone ledge and gasped at the gathered masses walking toward the mountain.

There were thousands of marching humanoids below in the sands, all of them were quite far away but she could see them as a black writhing mass moving ever closer toward their goal. Rose sat down and crossed her legs. Her eyes closed slowly and she began to focus on gathering and replenishing her store of magic. When she had reached her limit instead of stopping she continued taking what power she could from the guardian and the raw earth around her. The chosen elves arrived one by one escorted by Barius, Noranda, Avreel and Liostro. She knew they were there because she could feel them. Out in the distance she could feel another point of magical power. He was not powerful enough to rival her but the army that was gathered around him was a potent reminder of whom she was dealing with. This man was an apprentice to the sorcerer lord of Rahkshas but he was a powerful arcanist in his own right. Once she was satisfied with her store and at the limit of her ability to ignore the burning sensation within her she opened her eyes and stood.

The sun had reached its zenith in the sky and the army was almost to the mountain. She turned to the others to take stock of who had been summoned. Several of them were barely adults and all of them looked scared save for the three seasoned warriors and the priest that had escorted them. “I need you all to listen to me now; don’t focus on what you see walking in the sands. I am going to ask that each of you loan me your power. Grant me as much as you can without harming yourselves. I don’t have time to explain it in detail but you need to focus on me and act as if you’re casting some sort of magic on me but don’t actually formulate a spell. When you grow weary or cannot give anymore just close yourselves off, I know all of you know how to do that right?”

“We shall give you all that we have Rose.” Avreel said sternly as she closed her eyes. “What little power I boast is yours to command.”

When she got a nod from them all including a scared-looking councilman Taines she sighed and looked at Liostro for a brief moment and then turned around. The men and creatures that marched toward them were from all walks of life. Some looked to be mercenaries; others were the same creatures that had attacked them under Liostro’s control. Yet others were dwarves, elves and even the occasional sand-colored ashkanti. The army pulled up short of the mountain by at least a half mile and stood there looking up at her. At first she was confused then she saw a lone man step out of the formations. He was tall and lanky and maybe he had once been handsome but the corrupting influence of the sorcerer lord was evident in the patches of dead scales that were present in his skin. The man had long stringy black hair and wore a robe of black bearing blue and white decoration, most likely the mark of his master.