Raging Sea and Trembling Earth: Disciples of the Horned One Volume Two (Soul Force Saga Book 2) (32 page)

D
amien landed
at the appointed place, a flat patch of ground with trampled grass. Behind him the castle battlements were crowded with people that wanted to watch the two sorcerers duel. This sort of thing usually happened at the arena near The Tower, so it was a rare chance for non-sorcerers to watch a duel. When he flew over Damien had spotted the king and his family along with John, Jen, and a morose Duke Iceborn. Karrie waved when he flew over and Damien returned the gesture. She looked so happy and he wished he shared the feeling. The more time that passed since he agreed to her proposal the more he feared he’d made a horrible mistake.

He was saved from further brooding by the arrival of a familiar giant form. Sig cut a gallant figure in his blue and white tunic and matching trousers, a pale blue, fur-trimmed cloak billowing behind him. Damien had seen no point in dressing up and so he wore a rumpled black tunic he’d fished out of his rucksack.

“Ready to die, runt?” Sig asked.

Damien sighed. Why did everything have to be a production? “Let’s get on with it.”

Sig drew power and conjured a fifteen-foot-tall bear with exaggerated fangs and claws. The construct threw its head back in a silent roar. The bear charged, tearing up clods of dirt as it raced toward Damien.

Damien frowned and a massive blade of soul force appeared in the air in front of him. With a wave of his hand the blade sliced the bear in half and scattered its energy around the battlefield in a shower of sparks. He reabsorbed the soul force in his blade and raised an eyebrow at Sig. “Is that it?”

Sig snarled and hurled a blast of raw soul force at Damien. An angled shield appeared in front of Damien, sending the blast ricocheting off into the nearby forest. An explosion sent bits of shattered trees flying. Impressive, he hadn’t thought Sig capable of generating that much power. His shield vanished when Damien absorbed the power. Sig gasped for air, an incredulous look on his once-haughty face.

“You want to call that good?” Damien asked. Even to someone as dense as Sig the futility of continuing the battle had to be obvious.

“I’m far from done.” Power flowed around Sig’s hands and he hurled a rapid succession of golden daggers at Damien.

Their power was so weak Damien didn’t even bother with an extra barrier. The daggers broke on his personal shield one after another until Sig fell to his knees.

“Why? Those were my best attacks.” Sig hung his head and Damien feared he might start crying again. “Are you really that much stronger than me?”

“Yes.” Damien spoke with a complete lack of emotion or pride. His power was nothing to be proud of. He was born the strongest of his generation. No amount of training would make him any more powerful than he was when he came into the world. From the moment you’re born to the moment you die, barring a demon contract, your power was fixed. What you did with it was what mattered.

“Go see your father,” Damien said. “I know he’s worried about you. And don’t challenge me again.”

“Wait! This was supposed to be a duel to the death.”

“If you’re so eager to die find someone else to kill you. I’m not interested in the job.” Damien leapt into the air and flew back to the castle. He needed to prepare for the real battle tomorrow. Somehow he doubted Connor Blackman would go down as easy as Sig.

C
onnor rested
his chin on his hand, lost in thought, as he sat alone in his library. He hated waiting for news, but he could only be in one place at a time and right now he had to rely on his subordinates to complete their tasks before he could activate the crystal and begin summoning his army. He sighed. It truly was a nuisance, but what can you do?

He got up off the black chair and strolled around the shelves, pausing now and then to caress a favored item. The black gem emitted a shadowy spark when he brushed it. He still remembered vividly the day Morana had picked it up and started tossing it from one hand to the other. How she’d screamed when he corrected her. It had been a shame to scar up that lovely, pale skin, but you couldn’t expect your servants to learn if you didn’t provide the proper correction.

Mikhail’s presence jangled his nerves. Connor frowned. He hadn’t expected the black knight back so soon. Something must have gone wrong. If Mikhail was involved there was no other conclusion possible. He returned to the black chair and shook his head. Whatever mistake his unreliable servant had made, Connor would rectify it. Nothing would stop him from completing his great task.

Mikhail staggered through the library entrance, his armor charred and ash covered. It looked like someone had roasted him over a bonfire, a really hot one.

“Master.” He staggered over and collapsed to his knees. “The druid has failed and the cave is lost.”

“Damn it!” Connor leapt to his feet. He needed that cave and the repositioned ley lines to power his crystal. “We must reclaim it.”

Mikhail shook his head. “Gone. The boy destroyed it with me inside. I only survived by the slimmest margins.”

“The same boy that defeated you before?”

“Yes, Master.”

Connor snarled. This youth was getting to be a pain. “What of Eleck?”

“Taken prisoner. I fear he lacks the will to resist questioning.”

That was a considerable understatement. Eleck had less spine than a jellyfish. If anyone questioned him hard he’d tell them everything he knew. “This place is finished. We need to move, now.”

“Yes, Master.” Mikhail struggled to stand and failed.

His servant was useless in this condition. Connor grabbed him by the breastplate and yanked him to his feet. The warlock poured a small measure of his power into the demon armor. Mikhail straightened at once.

“Thank you, Master.”

“Keep silent. I have too much to do on my own. Collect the artifacts and place them in the trunks for transport. Carefully. If anything’s damaged I’ll shred what’s left of your soul. And leave the black gem. I’ll have need of it before we leave.”

While Mikhail packed Connor collected his three remaining crystal birds and set about warning his servants not to return to this place. He looked at the three tiny messengers. He’d lost so many of his minions over the past year, most to the same brat of a boy. It defied reason that someone so young could cause so much trouble. No matter, he’d deal with the brat in due course. For now he needed to find a place to set up the crystal. He had one option left, but it involved doing the one thing he hated most: swallowing his pride.

An hour later Mikhail had everything except the black gem packed safely in two leather trunks. Connor allowed himself a moment of nostalgia before they set out. He’d built this place with his own power. It was the first thing he’d claimed that wasn’t created by his forebears in the Horned One’s cult. Oh well. Nothing lasted forever.

Connor set the black gem on his chair and sent a pulse of hellfire into it, priming the destructive energy inside. The first person to enter that didn’t possess corrupted soul force would receive a nasty surprise.

“Let’s go.” Connor gestured and a black globe appeared around the luggage. They left the cave and once outside he conjured a pair of shadowy horses. The two of them mounted up and flew into the air heading east.

“Where are we going, Master?”

“The haunted lands. I believe an ally there might help us.”
After he’s done mocking me.
“I had hoped not to have to rely on the creature, but with Eleck’s failure we have little choice.”

They galloped through the night sky, crossing over the mountains and into the haunted lands just before sunrise. There was no need to muck about at the pyramids this time. Connor knew exactly where they needed to go and how to get there.

They reached the palace just before midday. Without the paladin’s barrier Connor had no trouble flying through the hole Focalor had smashed in the ceiling and landing right in the middle of the library. He let their mounts vanish and pulled the bronze amulet out of his tunic.

“Guard the entrance. I don’t want anything following me to the vault.”

Mikhail drew his sword. “Nothing will get past me, Master.”

Connor set the amulet into the oval depression and the stairs formed. The walk down gave him plenty of time to think of the best way to approach the spirit in the mirror. He feared a bit of groveling might be necessary. He’d left Mikhail up above as much so he wouldn’t witness Connor negotiating with the spirit as to prevent anything from sneaking along behind him. Dealing with the spirit would be embarrassing enough without an audience.

After the long trudge down the stairs he reached the open chamber where he’d fought the guardian. Today the hellfire construct remained still. It probably recognized Connor as possessing the same corrupt soul force as that which sustained it. Whatever the reason he was glad not to have to fight the monster again.

It took only a moment to find the rune of opening and unseal the vault. It looked exactly like he remembered. Today Connor ignored the treasures hidden behind the rune-etched glass and focused his attention on the black mirror hanging on the back wall. His distorted reflection stared back at him.

“Are you just going to ignore me?” Connor asked.

His reflection wavered and shifted into a vaguely defined humanoid shape. “The court jester has returned. Come to help yourself to another of the master’s toys?”

“No. I’ve been considering your generous offer to show me where the wise king planned to activate the crystal. Upon further consideration I’ve decided your location might be best after all.”

The spirit’s glowing eyes narrowed. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

Before he could reply the spirit laughed, a grating sound like nails on slate. “Your efforts to secure a different location fell apart. So you’ve come crawling back, pretending you reconsidered, when you’ve really failed. Am I wrong?”

Connor clenched his jaw and bowed his head. “Your perceptions are keen, as expected of a servant of King Alexious. Indeed my initial efforts to secure a staging area didn’t work out. Are you still interested in getting out of this vault and going on a trip?”

“My first thought is to tell you to go to hell, but I badly want out of this vault. I haven’t seen anything but these three walls for hundreds of years. I will show you the way, warlock.”

“
E
li
?” Damien was surprised to find his former roommate among the group summoned by the archmage to go after Connor Blackman. He stood beside Master Shen at the edge of the gathering in the royal castle courtyard.

Eli waved. “Damien. I figured you’d be here. I passed my final test and Master Shen took me on as his apprentice.”

They shook hands. “Congratulations. I told you you’d nail it the second time. Is this your first mission?”

Eli nodded. “Yeah. Not exactly an easy way to start. Though I heard your first official mission was a solo bodyguard job that ended up with a huge battle in the badlands. At least I have plenty of help.”

That was an understatement. In addition to Eli and Master Shen, eighteen sorcerers, including the archmage and one of the high sorcerers, were going out on this mission. They had enough power gathered to take on an army. Damien just hoped it was enough to defeat Connor. At least he’d managed to bury Mikhail, so they wouldn’t have to face both of them at the same time.

His master levitated five feet above the crowd. When she had everyone’s attention the archmage said, “You know why we’re here. Through the efforts of my apprentice and his sister we have finally acquired Connor Blackman’s general location. When we reach the mountains we’ll divide into groups of two. If anyone finds anything report at once. Do not try and engage Connor on your own. Our combined force should be enough to completely overwhelm him. Clear?”

Heads bobbed in acknowledgement. Damien really hoped they took her orders seriously. If Connor really was stronger than Mikhail there was no way any of them could handle the warlock on their own.

The assembled sorcerers sprang into the air, some on conjured mounts and others flying along under their own power like Damien. He flew over beside his master. “I assume we’ll be searching together.”

“No, I’m going to stay in a central position with Zahara to coordinate. You’ll be searching with Imogen.”

Damien winced. Imogen hated him. He was surprised the archmage had allowed her to come on the hunt. “I’m not sure we’re a good pair and who’s Zahara?”

“I keep forgetting. Zahara’s the high sorcerer of the east and we’ll be working in her area. Imogen just lost her partner and since I didn’t want to bring any other members of the legion I figured you’d be the most familiar with her. I didn’t want to include her on this mission, but I doubt if I ordered her to stay she’d obey me. At least this way she’ll have someone to keep an eye on her.”

Damien was familiar with her. She yelled at him every time they got within sight of each other. He still had no idea why and now he’d gotten stuck with babysitting duty, great. “Wait, what happened to Alden?”

“He was killed in an attempt to recover the urn. She took it pretty hard so go easy on her.”

Go easy on her. Right.

“I’ll do my best, Master.”

It took four hours for the gathered sorcerers to fly to the mountains. Eleck said the cave was near the eastern edge of the range and more north than south. That still left hundreds of square miles of territory to cover. Nine groups of sorcerers should make quick work of it. It wasn’t like they had to check every square inch. If they just got close any member of the group would sense Connor.

When the archmage brought them to a halt Damien flew over beside Imogen and smiled. As usual that only earned him a scowl in return. Orders were given and they flew out to search their assigned quadrant.

After ten minutes of glacial silence Damien said, “What did I ever do to you anyway?”

Imogen glanced at him, her blue eyes sparkling in the bright sun. “True. I don’t like you because you remind me of my own weakness. Try not to take it personally.”

Damien stared at the back of her head, his mouth partway open. When he’d recovered from the surprise he said, “What kind of stupid reason is that? Are you saying we’d get along better if I was a weakling?”

Imogen stopped and turned to face him straight on. He would have sworn the ice maiden had a tear in the corner of her eye. “That’s just what he said to me the day before he was killed. Alden said it was foolish to hate you for such an absurd reason. As was usually the case he was right. Knowing it and doing something about it are two different things.”

“Alden said that?” Damien shook his head. “I always thought he was too nice a guy to be a questioner. I don’t think I’ve had a chance to tell you how sorry I am that he died.”

“Damn it! Stop being nice to me! I’ve never treated you with anything but contempt. I don’t deserve your kindness.”

Damien bit his lip, flew over, and put a hand on Imogen’s shoulder. Every muscle in her body was tense. “It’s hard to lose someone you care about. Whatever I may think about you in general, everyone deserves a bit of kindness under these circumstances. When this is over, if you need someone to talk to, well, I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

Imogen wiped her eyes and they flew on. When she looked his way again he imagined a hint of a smile. “You make it very hard for a person to hate you.”

Damien grinned. “If you need pointers look up Duke Iceborn’s son. He seems to have hating me down to an art.”

Imogen laughed then clapped her hand over her mouth.

“Careful, your face might break if you keep smiling like that.”

She opened her mouth to retort, but Damien held up a hand. “Do you feel that?” He sensed a hint of corruption to the east and a little south.

Imogen nodded. “It doesn’t seem strong enough to be a warlock.”

“Let’s have a closer look.”

She nodded and they followed the hint of corruption for another two minutes before a cave appeared below them. It matched the description Eleck gave perfectly.

“This has to be it,” Damien said. “I’ll send the archmage a message.”

Imogen’s face was twisted in a grimace. He’d never seen such a look of hate. “It’s his fault Alden is dead. One of Connor’s flunkies cut his throat while he was unconscious. He’s going to pay for what he’s done.”

“Yes, but we have to wait for the others.”

Imogen’s shield flared, blinding him for a moment. When his vision cleared Imogen was almost to the cave.

“Damn it!” Damien frantically conjured a message for his master. She’d have no trouble following it back to this spot. That done he plunged after Imogen. He’d just started to like the woman, he couldn’t let her kill herself now.

Damien caught up just as she landed in a little flat spot outside the cave. “What are you doing? The two of us aren’t enough to take on a warlock.”

She held up a finger to her lips, like Connor hadn’t already sensed their presence. “Come with me or wait here, I don’t care, but I mean to get my revenge.”

Imogen advanced into the cave. Stupid woman. Did she have a death wish? Damien followed a step behind. This was absurd. His only hope was that he could protect her long enough for them to escape or for help to arrive. Damien conjured a weak light when they moved beyond the entrance. The floor of the tunnel was worn smooth by the passage of many feet. It looked like Connor had a lot of company.

They continued deeper, but the corrupt power neither moved nor fluctuated. Damien frowned. Either Connor somehow didn’t know they were there or he was disguising his true power somehow. A little ways ahead the tunnel opened into a larger cavern.

Imogen drew power from her core and lunged through the opening. Damien joined her in an empty room filled with shelves. At the far end was a black chair with a gem on it. The gem pulsed.

Damien grabbed Imogen and pulled her tight to his body. This was going to be close.

He drew all but a fraction of his power and wrapped them in a cocoon of soul force.

The gem exploded and darkness filled the cave.