As Mark emerged from the First Gate, he knew that something was wrong. He sensed something, but he just couldnt place what it was.
And with dread, he suddenly realized.
He sensed five Greater Dead nearby. As he looked around for them, the water in front of him erupted into a geyser. Riding it was one of the Greater Dead he had sensed, pulling the water up from below it, hissing at him. Mark drew his sword, wreathed in fierey Charter Marks.
My first sword Mark thought. He had been given this sword by his master when he had become offically the Abhorsen-in-waiting. He had put the Charter Marks on the sword itself, for it's Charter Marks were long dead. He had put Charter Marks of fire, speed, unraveling, and most importantly, of binding.
It a mundane sword when he had been given it, but for one Charter spell that lasted. It was not a strong spell, but one spelled to last a thousand generations.
The Clayr Saw me, the Wallmaker made me, the Abhorsen weilds me. Those words were written in fire along the flat of the sword.
As far as he knew, he thought that almost all Abhorsen swords said that, or something extremely similar.
and slashed his sword through the geyser. He heard a scream and realized that one of the other Greater Dead were actually hanging on to the other one.
Mark drew Saraneth, and held it in the air for a second. Then making sure that there were no Greater Dead ready to jump him as soon as he rang, he rang the bell, attempting to bind them to his will. They cringed and screamed, trying to resist the bell, but they could not. Few were strong enough to resist Saraneth, one of the strongest of the bells, the bender of wills.
"Sit!" He yelled commandingly. The Greater Dead, trying to resist, sat down jerkily, but their will was already bent into Marks controll.
Mark put his hand on the bell, silencing it, and then put it back into his bandolier. Then he looked at the dead around him.
"I order you to walk beyond the Ninth Gate, never to return, where your souls will rest for all eternity!" Mark yelled commandingly. One of the Greater Dead recognised his voice.
"Abhorsen!" It hissed angrily at Mark as it was forced to walk to it's ending. It tried to turn and attack him, but Saraneth had him in too tight of a grip. After they had all jumped into the Second Gate, Mark relaxed.
Mark sheathed his sword, and stopped for a moment. He felt the presense of his master getting further away. Mark swore violently, then walking to the giant sinkhole of water that was the Second Gate, he spoke the words, and it froze into a giant spiralling-inwards stair.
As he walked the water resumed behind and above him. Just like all the gates, this gate was deceptive of it's distance, and he quickly made it to the bottom of the sinkhole.
Right before he walked all the way through the Second gate, he remembered the Third Precing, and got ready to run.