The Melaki Chronicle (9 page)

Frowning, he set about that immediate task.

Finish it.

He brought a cart by hand and began to pile bones. Then he
stepped back.

This will be faster.

He patterned force and began moving the bones into the cart
with more ease and speed.

And cleaner.
He wiped his hands.

They snuck up on him. He was not prepared.

But they were not sneaking. He just was not paying
attention.

“Hail, wizard.”

Panic shot through him as he spun. He released his pattern
immediately. He had been using his magic without the oily cover. Bones dropped
and clattered to the ground. Behind him were two people.

Ah.
He recognized them – the mercenary husband and
wife from the tavern. He had a heavy pack on his back. She had two.

He smiled, embarrassed. “Hail.”

“Would this be Soam's Crossing?” said the man.

“Indeed.”

“Ah, very good.” He fetched a map from a pocket and then
came close to Melaki. Pointing to the map, he said, “This is where we are,
yes?”

He nodded.

The man looked around and then finally off towards the east,
squinting. He looked back to the map. “We took the village next to yours.
Talam's Ford.”

“Oh? We shall have neighbors? We saw your village while we
were sweeping the area. It looked and felt clean, but we did not get too close.
Not our claim, you know.”

The man looked uncomfortable. “Good to know. Those undead
can be unnerving. I am Neret and my wife is Tila.”

Melaki blinked. “Tila?”

His horse nickered from the stall.

I could not possibly ever tell her she shared the name of
my horse.

“Yes, Tila,” Neret said. He frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing. I am Melaki.”

The man still frowned. “Might I ask a favor?”

Melaki stood next to a jumble of bones and a cart trying to
look casual.

Neret pointed behind him to Tila. “She took a gash to her
knee from a ghoulish thing. Would you...?”

Healing, of course. He's making her carry a double load
with a wound?
Neret fell several notches in his estimation. Down to about
where he viewed Talin. “Certainly. Come inside and take some rest. I will delve
her injury.”

They followed him into the tavern.

“It is rather dark in here,” said Neret.

“Oh? Yes.” Melaki formed the two patterns, oily and light.
Blue light flared. He fixed it to a sconce and blew his usual inferno into the
fireplace.

Neret laughed. “I suppose you had no need to carry lanterns
and oil.”

Tila unburdened herself of her packs and sat by the fire.
She sighed heavily.

“No, I suppose we did not.”

“Quite an advantage for travel. And you have horses, too?
There were none on the boat.”

“Summoned.” Melaki was keenly aware at the moment of how
much he took for granted. “I could attempt a summoning out here and bring you
some horses--”

“Not necessary--” Neret said. His scowl was filled with
pride.

“That would be wonderful--” Tila said. Her eyes were bright
with hope.

His breath caught, uncertain what he should say. He looked
back and forth between his proud eyes and her pleading ones. “I would be
pleased to offer a gift to you as a token of friendship and good relations
between neighbors.”

Neret started to open his mouth, a look of rejection on his
face.

Melaki did not give him the chance. “That is, if your wife
does not mind caring for them.”

She looked at him, her eyes piercing and understanding. A
ghost of a smile fluttered across her full lips.

Neret pumped his chest once and looked thoughtful. Put in
that manner, his pride was undamaged. His wife would be doing the work of
caring for them. He nodded. “We would accept such a gift, then.”

Relief washed over Tila's face but was quickly concealed.

“Allow me to see the wound?” He knelt by her. He looked over
at the kettle and pointed, then wiggled his finger. Flame burst beneath it.
When he looked back, she had unwound a rag from her knee. The wound was indeed
a gash. It looked red, angry, and very painful. He hissed.

“Is it bad?” Neret said.

Likely he only cares that she would not be able to carry
their gear.
He placed a hand on her thigh. She flinched. He placed his
other hand on her shin. She was still. He could feel the warmth of her skin
through her breeches. But some of that could have been infection. He delved.
The wound was deep, infected, and spreading a malignancy. He released and let
go of her leg. “Yes, it is bad.”

“Can you heal it?” Neret said.

Tila looked scared.

He placed a hand on her other knee. “Do not worry. I just
need to rest a moment.” He waved a hand and extinguished the light in the
sconce and the flame under the kettle. He got up and poured everyone coffee.
“The coffee is old, but drinkable. We found it in the cellar.”

“Her knee?” Neret took the offered cup.

“In a moment. I am not very good at healing and it drains me
to do so. But I can heal that.”

“Is not healing the easiest for a wizard?”

How much could he know? Was he wasting power keeping up the
oily pattern? Could one untrained in magic tell the difference? Could they even
feel magic? He had no answers. “Not this wizard.”

Neret frowned. “I would not have her knee healed improperly.
Perhaps we should wait for your partner? We passed him on the road earlier.”

“I said I can heal it. It just takes more out of me.
Besides, Talin will not be back for another twelve days or so.”

“She--”

“Would not last that long.” Melaki frowned. He knelt once
again and straightened her leg, gently. Placing his hands on the wounded leg,
he formed his healing pattern. He chased the malignancy down, killing it as he
went. Satisfied he had destroyed it, he cleansed the infection and stimulated
the wounded flesh.

She gasped in pain.

Neret strode forward. “I do not think--”

Melaki ignored them. He finished by mending the gash and
sealing the skin. He released her leg. Sitting back, he grabbed the coffee cup
and downed it.

Tila was flexing her leg, a look of wonder on her face.

“Are you hurt?” Neret said.

He and Talin could be brothers.

“No, husband, I am fine.” She showed him the healed area.

“Hmm, well. Maybe we shall have it looked at later.”

Admitting any kind of weakness was out of the question with
men like these. Did they have some deep-seated fear of failure? Of being weak
themselves? Fear of others finding out? He had no doubt at all that once he
admitted his weakness in healing that Neret was filled with doubt and fear.

Melaki caught his breath and steadied himself. He felt
drained. But he formed the summoning pattern in his mind and cast the magic out
from him, sweeping outward. He closed his eyes, sensing the flow of the
summons, like a ripple spreading out from a rock dropped into a pond.

He grunted.

There were four responses at the limit of his range.

“Are you ill?” Neret said.

He opened his eyes. “No, just tired. I have sent for your
horses.”

He started to say something, doubt as plain as the eyebrows
on his face.

“Be at ease, Neret. Four have responded.”

“Four?”

“Be warned that they might be very wary of you. With all the
undead around, life for them might have been difficult.”

“The poor animals,” Tila said.

“One strange one comes with the other three. We shall see. I
might like to claim one for myself.”

“Of course,” Neret said as if he would have done so himself.
“Strange?”

“Breed, I think. I sense a determination not usual for a
horse. A plow horse, perhaps. I do not know.”

Neret brushed at his leathers. It reminded Melaki of Talin.

Tila leaned forward. “You would give us three?”

He glanced at her. “The summoning is for you. They will come
to me but I am doing this for you. With four responding, I might like one more
for myself.”

“Three for us?”

“Perhaps all four.”

Her eyes softened. “You are too generous.”

“Nonsense.”

“Why would you do this?”

“Why should I not?” he said. “I am lucky to be in the First
Charter. Sharing my fortune is the least I can do.”

“That is a strange sentiment,” she said.

She was right, for an Altanlean.

Neret raised an eyebrow. “Indeed it is. One might wonder
what advantage you were--”

He sat upright. “Why must everything be about greed?”

Silence answered him.

“I do nothing for some advantage. I do what is expedient.”

“For yourself?” Neret said.

“Husband...” Tila sounded embarrassed.

“I do what is expedient.” He frowned at Neret.

“My wife will not be cooking meals for you--”

“I did not heal her expecting it.” Melaki's voice was a
growl.

The man appeared confused. “I would have assumed--”

“I am not Altanlean.”

Silence again descended over the room.

Had he really just insulted his two guests? He rose. “Come
with me. I need to locate a cachement. Your horses will come to me.”

They followed him out while he fumed in silence. They
watched him saddle his horse without comment.

Tila, the woman, bounced on her legs, testing the healed
injury. Her smile was bright and refreshing.

“Follow if you will, or wait here,” he said. “Once your
horses arrive I will accompany you to your stake. I can provide light for you
while you inspect your village and I rather like having company.”

Neret opened his mouth.

Melaki interrupted him. “I expect no payment.”

Neret's mouth snapped shut.

He could be Talin's twin. Disgusting. Predictable in the
extreme.

His horse nudged him. He petted her neck and nose.

“Your horse seems so friendly,” Tila said.

“I treat her well.”

Silence again dominated the atmosphere.

He mounted and rode out at a walk.

Neret strode along beside him and Tila behind him. “So it is
true about the cachements?” he said.

“True? They exist. Summoned undead of any power are bound
here by necromantic gems. Without them, they would cease. Maintaining their
presence here would require all they have for even just a few minutes. By being
bound to the gems, they are anchored here, but are also vulnerable. Destroy the
gems, destroy the demon.”

“Demons? All of them?”

“Yes. The skeletons and zombies you might see are controlled
by more powerful creatures or necromancers. Since the necromancers should all
be dead, all that is left are demons.”

“So there are no gems for skeletons?” Neret sounded
disappointed.

“No. They are simplistic, base and without intelligence.
They are puppets and nothing more.”

Visions of melting wealth drained from Neret's face.

“Only the powerful – only those that can control skeletons
or raise zombies – will have gems. Caches of artifacts of summoning.” He pulled
one of the purple gems from his pouch. “Such as this.”

A feverish greed lit Neret's eyes and his hand rested on his
sword.

Did the fool think he could take what was mine?
“Think, Neret, before you do something you will not live to regret.”

His hand came off his sword and smoothed over his hair. “Oh,
I was just considering the effort and reward of defeating--”

“It is rewarding to defeat such an evil.” He put the gem
back in his pouch. “The effort is always different. Some are easy. Others
hard.”

“Do you think such would be in our village?” Neret sounded
hopeful, but Melaki detected a quaver in his voice.

“Many. Maybe I should let you forge a glorious path of
destruction and victory--”

“We could use your light, though.”

He chuckled inwardly.
Just like Talin.

The first animal summoned approached.

What?

“What is that?” Neret said.

It looked like a horse. Sort of. Its ears were longer.

“A donkey?” he said.

The animal stopped and laid back its ears. It brayed. An
accusatory tone was laced into the sound.

Neret laughed. “We have no use for an animal so stupid.”

Tila looked troubled.

Another animal approached at a trot, mane flowing and head
tossing. A fine horse. But its eyes were big, searching.

Melaki regarded the donkey. It stood there, ears back, feet
splayed and refusing to move. He motioned for it to come to him. It did not
move.

“I do not think we want a donkey,” Neret said.

Melaki sighed. He walked to the beast and inspected it. On
one flank was an infected claw-slash, oozing pus and blood. He sighed again.

Tila the horse nickered.

The donkey gave a short bray.

He placed his hands near the wound and concentrated.
Infected, but not malignant. Probably just a scratch from a skeleton or zombie.
He applied healing to the wound and stepped back.

The donkey's ears twitched and it bobbed its head. It moved
sideways and looked at Melaki.

“You could thank me, you ugly beast,” he said.

The donkey brayed, loud, and bared its teeth.

“Do you always talk to stupid animals?” Neret said.

He approached the donkey and patted its neck. Then he
scratched behind the ears.

The beast straightened from its splayed-leg position and
nudged him.

Melaki pointed to the fine horse that had come running.
“Take that one. You will need a rope or I will hold the summoning until we get
back to the stable.”

The donkey followed beside him until they got to Tila. His
horse bared her teeth. The donkey did the same.

“Behave, you two.”

Tila the woman giggled.

“The other two horses should be a few minutes. Let us find
that cachement and be done with it.”