Author's note: Review, please. Since I don't get paid for this (and
legally
can't, disclaimer, etc) I need to have some motivation.
*
Chapter 3
*
Hydona grinned her approval as Vho mastered yet another chunk of Valdemaran language. When Vho agreed to this, she had not known that the envoy were gryphons, but it hadn't bothered her. The kingdom she had lived in was the closest to White Gryphon, and there had often been a gryphonic envoy at the palace.
"Congrrratulationsss, youngling," She trilled. "Sssoon you'll be rready to join the rrresst of yourrr yearr grrroup in the classess." The trilling gryphonic accent had been the one drawback to having the gryphons as tutor. It had been difficult to understand them unless they enunciated carefully. However, this was offset by Vho's natural ability with languages.
Suddenly someone pounded a quick few knocks on the door before flinging it open. A page dashed through, panting as if from a long and frantic run.
"Sir, Lady, the Lady Elspeth tells you to come to the observation tower." The boy said breathlessly, speaking so fast Vho had difficulty understanding him. "She says that the (something unintelligible) have struck again, and the entire (another word Vho didn't understand) Colegium has to help."
Treyvan growled a Kaled'a'in curse, and turned to Vho. "The terrrorrrisstss have ssstrrruck." He said in the Haileigh tongue, snapping his beak in an angry fashion. "All the magess are needed; Hydona and I musst leave you now."
"Wait!" Vho called. "I'm a mage, Master class! Can I help?"
Hydona seemed astounded as she turned back. "It would be a blessssing!" She said as Vho ran up to them. "Arre you trained, young one?"
Vho nodded an affirmative as they ran into the grounds, and to a tower. Others were also pouring into it, and at the top of the tower a cluster of people stood.
"Link!" shouted a woman wearing white clothing, and Vho released her hold on her power to throw it in with the rest. The amount there was incredible; surely there were many Adepts there. Why did they need everyone else?
Scenes blurred before Vho's eyes, until, very soon, they were above an unknown village. Hundreds of soldiers swept into the village, but no one fought back. They were frozen, stock still, in the village and the soldiers were taking their time with killing them -
Vho wanted to be sick. She had never seen anything like this. What in the name of the Gods is going on? She thought numbly.
Suddenly, Vho saw through Mage-Sight as well as normal vision, and she saw very well. The villagers were mage bound, and the power raised by their slaughter was being drained away. There was a glimmer of magic on the soldiers as well, but it was not a coercion. Rather, Vho recognized it as an insidious 'encouragement' spell, used to bring people to a particular side, mixed in with a mage shield.
The entire village was shielded as well. A strong construction, but Vho could easily see its weakness, and how simple it would be to break it. And yet, the mage - or mages - leading the link were helplessly slamming down bolts of pure energy - a single adept could, albeit with a lot of work, break it. So why the elaborate link, and this waste of power?
Vho called for attention, and when that wasn't heard, screamed her rage at the needless torturous deaths. There must be some way to get their attention, get to the front of this link, and stop what was happening!
Vho searched, wishing she could close her eyes to slaughter. Suddenly, she saw a web of light that connected - not in all places, but in some - to the linked mass of mages. She leaped, and swam through it. There was an energy so great it felt like fire, and for a moment, Vho shared it, looking through strange eyes...
Then she flitted, feeling her position change in the meld, and came to the front - there - two people, only one joined to this web, but so closely linked in each others mind that it was easy to push both away -
Yes!
Power flooded in, more power than Vho had ever felt, and she saw her chance, and slithered in through the protections, like a grass snake sliding into a crack, and slipped out a blade of power to cut the shield away - she felt a moment of deadly rage, so real it might have been her own, rage that pulled at her, insidiously, horribly, and then -
Nothing.
No sight, no sound, no touch, no smell -
And then she felt Edern pulling at her, and then she was rudely shoved from her position in the link, and sensation flooded back.
Vho was back in the position she had been before, and the mages at the front were now, at least, not wasting time, they removed the mage-bonds and struck at the soldiers. Vho was horrified that the mages, with deadly accuracy, struck down the soldiers. They did deserve it, but the callousness like exterminating vermin - which maybe they are, whispered part of her mind coldly.
And then she was released from the link.
"Elspeth, Darkwind, you did it!" shouted someone rapturously. "How did you manage it? It was wonderful! Now we can stop them!"
Elspeth had a strange look on her face as she answered. "I don't think it was me." She said slowly. "Someone pushed me out of the link - which should not have been possible, and broke the shield. Then they disappeared . . ." The man - Darkwind, Vho presumed - touched her arm, and she shook her head. "Well," she said more briskly. "You all may go. But if it was one of you who broke this - tell me?"
When no one spoke up, the other mages dribbled off, leaving Elspeth, Darkwind, Vho and the gryphons at the top of the tower.
"Well, youngling," said Hydona. "I sssupposse we should get back to yourr lesssoning now."
They both looked surprised when Vho shook her head.
She turned to face the two human, and irritated looking, Adepts. "I need to talk to you."
*
Chapter 3
*
Hydona grinned her approval as Vho mastered yet another chunk of Valdemaran language. When Vho agreed to this, she had not known that the envoy were gryphons, but it hadn't bothered her. The kingdom she had lived in was the closest to White Gryphon, and there had often been a gryphonic envoy at the palace.
"Congrrratulationsss, youngling," She trilled. "Sssoon you'll be rready to join the rrresst of yourrr yearr grrroup in the classess." The trilling gryphonic accent had been the one drawback to having the gryphons as tutor. It had been difficult to understand them unless they enunciated carefully. However, this was offset by Vho's natural ability with languages.
Suddenly someone pounded a quick few knocks on the door before flinging it open. A page dashed through, panting as if from a long and frantic run.
"Sir, Lady, the Lady Elspeth tells you to come to the observation tower." The boy said breathlessly, speaking so fast Vho had difficulty understanding him. "She says that the (something unintelligible) have struck again, and the entire (another word Vho didn't understand) Colegium has to help."
Treyvan growled a Kaled'a'in curse, and turned to Vho. "The terrrorrrisstss have ssstrrruck." He said in the Haileigh tongue, snapping his beak in an angry fashion. "All the magess are needed; Hydona and I musst leave you now."
"Wait!" Vho called. "I'm a mage, Master class! Can I help?"
Hydona seemed astounded as she turned back. "It would be a blessssing!" She said as Vho ran up to them. "Arre you trained, young one?"
Vho nodded an affirmative as they ran into the grounds, and to a tower. Others were also pouring into it, and at the top of the tower a cluster of people stood.
"Link!" shouted a woman wearing white clothing, and Vho released her hold on her power to throw it in with the rest. The amount there was incredible; surely there were many Adepts there. Why did they need everyone else?
Scenes blurred before Vho's eyes, until, very soon, they were above an unknown village. Hundreds of soldiers swept into the village, but no one fought back. They were frozen, stock still, in the village and the soldiers were taking their time with killing them -
Vho wanted to be sick. She had never seen anything like this. What in the name of the Gods is going on? She thought numbly.
Suddenly, Vho saw through Mage-Sight as well as normal vision, and she saw very well. The villagers were mage bound, and the power raised by their slaughter was being drained away. There was a glimmer of magic on the soldiers as well, but it was not a coercion. Rather, Vho recognized it as an insidious 'encouragement' spell, used to bring people to a particular side, mixed in with a mage shield.
The entire village was shielded as well. A strong construction, but Vho could easily see its weakness, and how simple it would be to break it. And yet, the mage - or mages - leading the link were helplessly slamming down bolts of pure energy - a single adept could, albeit with a lot of work, break it. So why the elaborate link, and this waste of power?
Vho called for attention, and when that wasn't heard, screamed her rage at the needless torturous deaths. There must be some way to get their attention, get to the front of this link, and stop what was happening!
Vho searched, wishing she could close her eyes to slaughter. Suddenly, she saw a web of light that connected - not in all places, but in some - to the linked mass of mages. She leaped, and swam through it. There was an energy so great it felt like fire, and for a moment, Vho shared it, looking through strange eyes...
Then she flitted, feeling her position change in the meld, and came to the front - there - two people, only one joined to this web, but so closely linked in each others mind that it was easy to push both away -
Yes!
Power flooded in, more power than Vho had ever felt, and she saw her chance, and slithered in through the protections, like a grass snake sliding into a crack, and slipped out a blade of power to cut the shield away - she felt a moment of deadly rage, so real it might have been her own, rage that pulled at her, insidiously, horribly, and then -
Nothing.
No sight, no sound, no touch, no smell -
And then she felt Edern pulling at her, and then she was rudely shoved from her position in the link, and sensation flooded back.
Vho was back in the position she had been before, and the mages at the front were now, at least, not wasting time, they removed the mage-bonds and struck at the soldiers. Vho was horrified that the mages, with deadly accuracy, struck down the soldiers. They did deserve it, but the callousness like exterminating vermin - which maybe they are, whispered part of her mind coldly.
And then she was released from the link.
"Elspeth, Darkwind, you did it!" shouted someone rapturously. "How did you manage it? It was wonderful! Now we can stop them!"
Elspeth had a strange look on her face as she answered. "I don't think it was me." She said slowly. "Someone pushed me out of the link - which should not have been possible, and broke the shield. Then they disappeared . . ." The man - Darkwind, Vho presumed - touched her arm, and she shook her head. "Well," she said more briskly. "You all may go. But if it was one of you who broke this - tell me?"
When no one spoke up, the other mages dribbled off, leaving Elspeth, Darkwind, Vho and the gryphons at the top of the tower.
"Well, youngling," said Hydona. "I sssupposse we should get back to yourr lesssoning now."
They both looked surprised when Vho shook her head.
She turned to face the two human, and irritated looking, Adepts. "I need to talk to you."