Hemlock And The Wizard Tower (Book 1) (29 page)

"Miss Hemlock, do I have a soul?"

Hemlock glanced at Gwineval briefly and then returned her attention to Merit.  Gwineval approached.

"Merit, you are a spirit who has been bound to this mechanical form.  You are not a machine – in fact you were…are a man," said Gwineval.

Hemlock looked at Gwineval in surprise.

Merit stood perfectly still for several moments and nothing was said.  All the while, however, gears and springs were working furiously on his metallic head. 

Finally he responded tentatively, "I am a man?  But how can a man live in such a form as I inhabit?" Merit asked sounding skeptical.

"Merit, I believe that you are a product of the Seventh Circle of wizards and their experimentation with … forbidden magic.  I believe that somehow they transferred your spirit from your mortal form into this mechanical form.  I do not know the specifics, for Falignus, and before him, Zaringer, blocked my inquiries.  But I have been able to glean enough from conversations and attitudes to feel strongly that this is what happened to you."

Hemlock appeared to be ready to respond, but then stopped short, looking searchingly at Safreon, who had joined the conversation.

"Merit, sometimes men are faced with difficult circumstances.  You did not choose this path, yet you find yourself on it.  All that a man can do in such circumstances is to try to do his best and to make whatever peace he can with things as they are," Safreon said with kindness in his voice.

Merit looked at Safreon, back to Hemlock, and then back to Safreon.  "I…I will have to think about this," he said and shuffled off with his characteristic gait.

"Will he be ok?" asked Hemlock, watching him go.

"Time will tell.  It will be difficult for him – especially if he begins to recall memories of his former life.  But he now walks the only path open to him and he must deal with it.  Check up on him, Hemlock, for he seems to feel a certain bond with you," Safreon said.

"This is another stain on the Seventh Circle and the Wizard Guild.  Zaringer betrayed our trust and Falignus follows in his footsteps," muttered Gwineval bitterly.

"Why do the wizards follow Falignus?" asked Hemlock.

"He’s charismatic and he’s smart.  And he is principled in certain ways.  He is efficient and he works tirelessly for the Guild.  Most wizards feel that his positive qualities outweigh his negative ones," Gwineval answered.

"Leadership without compassion will always be flawed," Safreon chided.

"It is a noble notion," responded Gwineval noncommittally.

"
Safreon
, when will the Griffin arrive?  Did the summoning work?" asked Hemlock, changing the subject.

Safreon’s features darkened as he replied:  "The Griffin should be able to find me magically once she is within a few miles from our location.  Still, I would have expected her to have been here by now.  Perhaps she became confused when we were underground and is awaiting another message.  We will have to deal with that once we finish this battle with the Mathi."

Safreon’s voice softened and grew distant. We now seem to be part of great events.  The Tanna Varrans move against the Witch and we seem to move against the wizards.  Great forces are in play now." Safreon’s eyes focused on the peak of a distant hill where they believed the Mathi now rested.

Hemlock noticed that Gwinevalcast his eyes down and looked away.

Taros Ranvok approached the group as they all gazed at the hill.

"The time for battle nears, my friends," he stated.

"We are ready," responded Hemlock.

Merit rejoined the group as they gathered with the Tanna Varrans and resumed their hike toward the hill.  This hill, they learned, bore another of the magical obelisks, similar to the one where they had originally awoken the Mathi.

Hemlock walked beside Taros Ranvok.  She noticed the pleasing appearance of his body, and his broad faced good looks.  Yet when she considered him in a romantic sense, she found her thoughts drawn to Falignus; his comparatively lean physique, his light-skinned appearance bordering on pallor, and his piercing blue eyes offset by a shock of jet black hair.  Dismissing such thoughts, she engaged Taros Ranvok in conversation.

"Could there be another Mathi at this obelisk?"  she asked.

"It is possible," Taros Ranvok replied, "but this hill has never drawn as many spirits as the others.  We have never seen a Mathi here.  This has no doubt helped our cause because the Mathi that you fought has probably had to linger here a long time in order to feed.  It has probably helped us to catch up."

She looked at Taros Ranvok as he spoke, noting that she was getting used to seeing people’s features cast in the light blue chalk that the Tanna Varrans, and now also herself and Safreon, employed.  He was about her age, yet she could tell that he was still inexperienced.  His tone and demeanor approximated the wizened warrior, Tored, yet she could sense that he was still trying on the mantle of leadership and seeing how it fit him.  She had a feeling that he would grow into the role, especially under the guidance of Tored, who seemed to rival Safreon in his wisdom and courage.

As the early evening approached, they reached the base of the hill and began to climb.  The terrain was similar to the other hill which the City dwellers had scaled.  The Tanna Varrans were familiar with the hills and moved efficiently, leading the group up in haste.

Tored, who was at the front of the group, motioned for everyone to stop as they neared the crest of the hill.  He stood watching for a time and grabbed a handful of earth, which he smelled thoroughly.  Motioning again for stillness, he retreated back to Hemlock’s group.  Taros Ranvok, who had been walking beside Hemlock, moved to Tored’s side.

"We have reached the Mathi.  I am almost certain that it lies in slumber in caves beneath the obelisk, which is on the far side of this hilltop."

Tored looked at everyone in the group, including Taros Ranvok.

"This is our final chance to alter our course of action.  Everyone should consider that possibility one final time.  Take a few minutes to be one with your thoughts.  Let us continue this discourse after I assay the hilltop one final time."

Tored moved back to the crest of the hilltop and all of the group who had heard his words seemed to reflect on them, excepting perhaps Safreon, who glanced at the other group members to assess their state of mind.

Hemlock wasn’t concerned in the least about the impending battle.  It seemed to her that winning the friendship of the Tanna Varrans could help her and Safreon in their struggle against the Wizard Guild.  She felt sure that Gwineval sensed this as well, although he evidently was not entirely comfortable with it.  She still suspected his motives and wondered at Safreon’s faith in the strange Wizard.

Tored approached again and the group reassembled in a tight circle.  Merit was included in the circle, although everyone seemed to understand that he would not be a direct participant in the battle.  Still, he wanted to be included.

"Have you all considered one final time whether to attack the Mathi?" asked Tored.

Safreon and Hemlock voiced their agreement and nodded affirmatively.  Tored looked at Taros Ranvok and he nodded as well.  Gwineval gave a quick grunt of assent, eyes downcast.

Merit spoke haltingly. "The cause seems just, although I am concerned for my friends."

"Well spoken, Merit.  It seems that the choice is made," said Tored.  He turned and motioned for the group to follow.

Merit began to move and Tored, hearing the mechanics of his small legs, turned and gently motioned for him to remain.  The gnome stopped with a small whistle from one of his steam operated pistons.  Whether this was a coincidence or some expression of emotion on the part of the spirit of the man trapped inside the mechanical body was not.

The remaining group reached the summit of the hill, where Tored and Taros Ranvok halted.

Hemlock noted the obelisk in the distance, and the sight of it confirmed everything that Taros Ranvok had told her about it.  It had the same appearance as the other obelisk that she had seen: black and smooth on one side and serrated like a cruel scimitar on the other.  The hum of power emanating from this obelisk seemed less powerful than the other one that they had seen.  She saw some wisps of light being drawn into the obelisk, but they were clearly fewer in comparison to the earlier obelisk.

"I’m sorry that we cannot fight beside you, friends, but we cannot violate the pact made by our forefathers and the Witches, as we discussed," said Taros Ranvok.

"We understand.  How do you recommend that we engage the beast?" asked Safreon.

"It sleeps in the caves near the obelisk.  We would approach quietly and startle it with a loud call.  That should flush it out from the caves," responded Tored.

The trio slowly began to move out onto the rocky hilltop.

"This is not our battle Safreon," hissed Gwineval.

Hemlock saw Safreon stop and turn to Gwineval.  She approached to within earshot since they were keeping their voices low.

"This is not the time for debate," responded Safreon.

"You realize that the wizards may interpret this as another betrayal by me."

"Yes, we discussed this.  You will say that you went along to further your research on the Wand.  They will believe you."

"I still don’t like this.  We didn’t need to do this."

"Is it not just?" asked Safreon pointedly.

Gwineval did not respond, but turned away and began moving toward the obelisk again.  Safreon and Hemlock turned as well and fanned out to regain some space between them.

As they got closer to the obelisk, Hemlock noted with disgust that when a wisp of light was drawn over the stone edifice, it seemed to be tortured by the sharp edges of the cruder side.  This serrated surface sliced into the balls of light as they moved against it, reducing them to small, darting beams which still struggled to escape, but were drawn back toward the cruel stone.  Finally, the smooth black side seemed to absorb the rays of ghostly light with a crackle of electrical energy.

Hemlock averted her eyes and tried to block out the magical patterns of the obelisk, which her affinity was mapping out, once again, in her mind.

Soon they were all crouched in positions near a crevasse which yawned before them, directly between them and the obelisk.

Safreon motioned that he would crawl up to the crevasse first.  His visage was cast in shadow, as if the obelisk were emitting a radius of unnatural darkness.

Suddenly a dark blur erupted before them and a familiar, hollow bird-like cry rang over the hilltop.

The Mathi had awakened and surprised them all!  Hemlock felt the renewed weight of the terrible creature’s power in her mind as it soared above them.  She wanted to cower against the cold rock and hide.  The darkness of the Mathi was weighing on her consciousness and she doubted that many would have been able to resist that overbearing weight without fleeing in terror. 

But Hemlock and her companions were not common people, they were two of the deadliest rogues in the City and one of its foremost wizards.  Their wills were tested, but not broken and they sprung into action after just a moment of surprise.

Hemlock deployed her Tanna Varran wings and launched into the air with her two sabres already drawn, stretched out before her.

Safreon and Gwineval joined her and they surged above the Mathi, even as it beat its great wings to gain altitude in response.  Hemlock could tell that the Mathi was accustomed to aerial combat, for it quickly matched the speed of Safreon as he broke outward from the group.

Surging once more, Hemlock was able to make a flying pass on the creature and rake its back with her sabres.  Though they were light weapons, the Tanna Varran enchantment magic that they were now endowed with made them feel as effective as a great broad sword against the darkness of the Mathi.  As her blades slashed along the dark form, they left gullies of empty space in their wake, dissipating the force of the dark body.  Some of this dark energy splattered on Hemlock, burning her skin where it hit her.

Enraged, the Mathi turned in mid-air and breathed its fetid weapon at Hemlock, nearly engulfing her in a conical cloud of darkness.  But Hemlock reacted just in time and willed herself to surge forward; her wings responded instantly by launching her several hundred feet away and well clear of the breath.

Hemlock soared in a wide turn to make another pass, trying to orient herself with the path of the Mathi.

Fighting in the air was still new to her and she worried about her companions, who were less skilled with the wings than herself.

Safreon had managed to gain some distance from the creature and was turning for an attack, bearing one of the Tanna Varran spears.

Gwineval was flying slowly below the Mathi, and as Hemlock watched, he fired beams of searing white light from his hands.  He was using a different spell than he had in their first encounter with the beast; he had developed it after speaking with some of the more magically inclined of the Tanna Varran band.

The Mathi screamed as the white beams impacted its body, although Gwineval struggled to maintain his aim as the Mathi turned suddenly and flew toward him.  Gwineval was forced to halt the beams and concentrate on his flying again; changing course rapidly in an attempt to avoid the advancing Mathi.

Hemlock called on her wings to surge again to engage the creature before it reached Gwineval.

As she approached, Safreon dove from above in another attack on the Mathi.

The Mathi was aware of him, however, and as Safreon neared, it drew up with a great flap of its wings and swiped a wicked claw at him.  Safreon was forced into an evasive turn, stressing his wings.  He lost control and began to fall for an instant before regaining control.

The Mathi took advantage of this opening, breathing its dark energy at Safreon.

Safreon flew away with a burst, but his right arm was covered in the foul, black mist.  His features were contorted in agony.

"Safreon, make for the ground!" Hemlock exclaimed.

The Mathi, sensing Safreon’s wound, beat its wings strongly in pursuit, but was stopped short as a pulsing white net suddenly enclosed it, ending in a rope-like bolt of energy extending back to Gwineval.  Gwineval held the beast back with supernatural strength, though he struggled greatly with the effort and his flight was erratic.

Hemlock did not hesitate as she flew toward the Mathi, noting with some relief that Safreon had managed a rough landing on the hilltop near the obelisk.

She knew she needed to kill the Mathi quickly, for Safreon might not be able to defend himself in his wounded state.

As she approached the beast, she reached that stillness of the spirit which always preceded her most violent outbursts.

Hemlock reached the front of the creature and pulled up sharply with her wings.

Though it was constrained, the Mathi was not helpless, and struck out at her from within the net of energy.  She avoided the clawing strikes with small bursts from her wings, and began  stabbing at the creature between the holes of the magical net.  She noticed that her blade accidently strayed against the net and it offered no resistance.

She
disregarded the intervening magical net and began to swing her sabres with great speed through the arms, head and torso of the Mathi.  It continued to struggle, but with each slash, it seemed to lose energy.

Hemlock’s face and arms burned as she was covered with rivulets of black energy, which sprayed from the creature’s wounds like blood.

It tried to breathe on her again, but with little force.

Hemlock surged and struck, swinging away from her body and rotating the sabres in her wrists repeatedly.  She sensed that her wings were losing power, but still she continued.

Gwineval’s magical net finally dissipated, but under the force of Hemlock’s attacks, the Mathi was losing a coherent form.  Within the remains of its huge, dark torso, Hemlock began to discern a smaller, man-like shape in the outer darkness.  This inner being was writhing in pain, eyes and mouth visible in a glowing, dull red.

Hemlock pressed her attack as the Mathi began to fall.  Gwineval flew near the melee, but so great was the speed and force of Hemlock’s attack, that he did not enter the fray.

She slashed the beast over and over with renewed ferocity as it fell. 

The man-like form was all that was left of it now, and as it fell, Hemlock soared and turned, trying to strike out at it.

Still alive and struggling, the dark form of the Mathi, now diminished, struck the hilltop with great force, causing the earth to tremble, seemingly for miles.

Hemlock and Gwineval landed beside it.

The Mathi moved low and quickly as it scrambled for the cave from which it had ambushed them.