Written as a one-shot for a Halloween challenge. Hope you enjoy!
Lirael placed the charter mark infused bandage on Sabriel's sluggishly bleeding leg. Not for the first time, Lirael was grateful that Sam was a Wallmaker. The charter mark infused bandages could very well mean the difference between life and death anytime when every bit of charter magic counted.
Frightening reports of a Free Magic sorcerer had reached the ears of the Abhorsen and her heir. Something nebulous and ever changing seemed to be under the power of the sorcerer, something that was feasting on anyone it could reach.
Sabriel decided that they would go together because she had more experience but Lirael knew more about Free Magic creatures and how to stop them.
They had flown in by paperwing, surveying the land from the sky. During the midmorning hours, the town and farmland below should have been, if not bustling with activity, active with people going about their daily routines.
Instead, the land seemed deathly still. Nothing moved. Even the stock animals that made up the general activity of a healthy village were absent. The trees of the wooded area to the west were still.
As they drifted downward, Sabriel and Lirael were able to pick out bodies of humans and animals alike scattered on the ground like marbles scattered by a children playing a game.
The paperwing landed east of the village, well away from any cover and by a small creek that sat deep in its winding banks. The silence of the area was nearly deafening after they climbed out of the paperwing. Only the sounds of a watermill creaking downstream and the gentle rustle of grass reached their ears. Even the insects were quiet.
Sabriel drew her sword and drew Saraneth from its holder. "I don't like this," she said. "Be on your guard." Lirael drew her sword.
Cautiously, they walked into the village. They could sense that there had been many deaths in the last few days. The first body they came across had been ripped asunder, an arm had been thrown against a house, a leg lay down the street and there was a massive pool of dried blood.
Now that they were closer, Lirael could tell he died two days ago. "Why haven't the vultures gotten to his body?" she asked quietly.
"Looks like the vultures have suffered the same fate," Sabriel said, drawing Lirael's attention to piles of feathers scattered across their path. The scene repeated itself as they walked further into the small village.
They did not go into any of the homes. Instead, they peered in through the windows and saw more of the carnage. Sabriel let out a forced breath. "They all died two days ago but the vultures died yesterday." She paused a moment, "And today."
"Whatever it is, is still here," Lirael finished up. Her stomach clenched as she studied one of the bodies. Something about the wounds reminded her... a growl was all the warning she had before the creature was almost on top of her. Her sword flashed out across it, raising sparks and a howl.
In that instant, Sabriel was beside her cast a charter spell. A bright flash of light and another howl resulted and the creature shifted in form in front of their eyes as is ran from them between two buildings.
They sprinted after the creature only to see it disappear into the wooded area. Sabriel returned the bell to its pouch. "Do you know what sort of creature that was?"
Lirael thought about what she had read. "It might be a Pejera. They are shape shifters and, according to what I've read, love to rend living things to pieces feasting on the emotions and pain that come with that sort of death." She glanced around, "They can be sealed but we must get back to the paperwing. I have some of the more common elements needed to seal Free Magic creatures away. I think I can find the rest around here."
"I will accompany you," Sabriel said. They edged away from the wooded way, never turning their backs on it.
The silence of the walk back to the paperwing left them feeling like a string pulled too tight. All it would take was one tiny pluck to make it snap.
That moment came just as they reached the paperwing. The stench of Free Magic rose around them, so thickly they felt like they were going to suffocate.
A long, silvery form rose from a gopher hole and solidified into the shape of a five foot tall mantis. Lirael dove for the paperwing as Sabriel parried an attack from the Free Magic creature. Lirael shoved the fight from her mind and grabbed her pack from the paperwing. She grabbed a bottle of quicksilver from one of the small pockets and a silver bottle from another.
A pained grunt from Sabriel drew her attention. One of the silvery claws had gotten inside her guard and cut her leg.
Carefully, she tucked the contents into a pouch on her belt. Grabbing a bowl and a net, she ran to the creek. She jumped down to a sandbar. Putting the bowl on the sand, she put the net in to the creek and pulled it upstream, catching a number of small fish in it. She too the bowl and filled it with water and dumped one fish into it. Carefully, she climbed out of the creek bed.
A rustle of grasses to her left drew her attention and sword as the Free Magi sorcerer himself bore down on her with a sword wrapped in flames. She could feel the charter marks in her blade fighting the corrupted marks enspelled on his sword.
She stepped to the right to avoid his next attack, only she had forgotten the stream and fell into it. A head cleaving swing missed her as she fell into the water.
Squashing down her panic, she strung together charter marks for fire which she flung at the sorcerer. He stumbled back with a cry of agony.
She leapt out of the banks and ran him threw with her sword. The Free Magic creature let out a cry. Lirael turned her head and caught sight of it before it dove into the village and one of the homes.
An agonized gurgle caught her attention. It was the Free Magic sorcerer, he reached feebly into the sky, "The power could've been mine. All I needed was one of the Blood..." His hand fell to the ground and his eyes glazed over. Lirael felt his spirit leave his body. Sabriel limped over to her.
"That's one problem taken care of." She cast her eyes towards the village. "Looks like that Free Magic creature will not attack on its own." Sabriel hefted her sword and turned to go to the village.
Lirael grabbed her arm. "I don't think its going to leave just yet." She pointed at Sabriel's leg, "Besides, your leg needs to be cared for and I need to get everything ready to seal it." She helped Sabriel sit on a clear patch of ground, it looked like it had been the wallow for some cattle, and dug through her pack for the bandages Sam had fixed up.
Using one of the special clothes spelled to drive disease out, Lirael wiped off the wound and placed the bandages on it. Sabriel let out a relieved sigh. "That feels much better. I wish I could have had these before."
Lirael smiled before turning her attention back to preparing for sealing the creature. She was disappointed to discover that the bowl had disappeared. She surmised that it had fallen into the water when she did and floated downstream.
While she knew she would find bowls in the village, she knew that the Pejera could be anywhere in it by now. Instead, she began to look around for something to improvise with and stumbled across a roughly carved vessel. She was not sure if it was for food or drink. But it did not matter so long as it would hold water.
Starting over, she caught another fish and put it in the vessel. She poured a little of the quicksilver in and began the spell. The quicksilver sat at the bottom before rising to meld with the panicked fish. It darted in the water, trying to avoid the silver blob but could not. Lirael could hear the creature let out a cry. She looked up and could see the creature coming her way.
Panicked, she looked for her empty bottle before remembering it was in her pocket. She brought it out and poured a little of the quicksilver into the bottle. She spoke a Master mark that dropped through the air and landed in the bowl with the fish.
The creature let out another cry but, instead of running away, it began to move faster until it stopped a few feet from Lirael. Lirael could hear Sabriel let out a muffled curse and her sister stand. There was the sound of a bell pouch being opened. A glance out of the corner of her eye showed that Sabriel was ready to ring Kibeth if the need arouse.
Lirael swallowed hard and walked up to the creature. Using her sword, she lopped off a bit of one of the claws. She took the bottle with quicksilver and poured it on the open wound. She picked up the bit she cut off, wincing at the burning sensation of the Free Magic flesh. She dropped it into the bottle with the quicksilver.
The creature let out an ear piercing shriek. Lirael almost lost the marks she had been gathering in her mind. Quickly, she spoke the first of three Master Marks. The Pejera began to shrink, its form collapsing in on itself. Another Master Mark made the now thin, silvery thread flow into the bottle. Swiftly, she put a stopper in it and spoke the third mark. The bottle instantly became ice cold. It was a cold she knew would never disappear, even in the hottest fires.
She jumped when Sabriel spoke, "That was neatly done." The approval was clear in her voice. "Not for the first time, I'm grateful you know so much about Free Magic creatures. I can drive them away but no more than that unless I'm lucky."
Lirael shrugged a little. She glanced over at the town, "Do you want to rest a little longer before we give the bodies a proper burial?"
"I think there is time to rest and cremate them before dark," Sabriel said.
"All right." Lirael paused a moment, "We will need to sweep the surrounding area for more Free Magic creatures tomorrow. If he had one under his control..."
"Then there might be more," Sabriel finished up.
"But...," Lirael said, tentatively, "Considering he lost control of the creature before he died even, I don't think he could control more than one at a time."
Sabriel nodded, "You're probably correct but we need to check anyway. The gateways of Death are open and something may have escaped."
Lirael acquiesced. "That makes sense."