Chapter Thirteen

Amaya stepped back as Vorat rushed forward on the heels of Zalon. She glanced over at Lotheolan; his hood was up shielding his face as he knelt embracing her son who had fallen to his knees. Her brother's hands had a soft green glow as he healed.

"Mend anything life threatening," she said. "We'll need you to heal the group."

She turned her attention back to the battle at hand. Rommath was easily fending off the attacks from the knight and warrior. However, even the great Magus had his limits; it was only a matter of time. She cast a couple of quick ice bolts at him, one caught his shoulder the other he absorbed with a shield he put up.

Cinada took his brief moment of distraction to attack him from behind, however her dagger was caught by Rommath's bare hand and he roughly shoved her away. Amaya could see blood dripping from his fingers from where it had come in contact with the blade.

"Was the dagger poisoned?" She whispered to her sister.

"Of course," was the reply, "his mind will be muddled for a bit."

"Teacher, please we don't want to fight you!" She shouted, as her magical barrier deflected an attack.

"Funny way to show it," Rommath growled as he froze Zalon, Vorat and Cinada in place. He stepped back and unleashed an icy storm down upon the trio. She saw the healing powers of Lotheolan encircle Cinada, healing the cuts left behind. The men were practically untouched in their heavy plate armor.

"I only wish to free my son. Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron has pardoned him of any crimes he might have done. And you know that! That's the reason you're alone, you no longer have the backing of Silvermoon … do you?"

Rommath answered her by firing a blast of arcane magic toward her. "I have the backing of our Prince, what those bureaucrats do or say has no impact on me."

"You don't mean that, you love the Sin'dorei and Quel'Thalas … I know you!" Amaya shouted back easily side-stepping his unfocused attack. "And as you love the people, I love my son … I only did this for his sake … please."

The flames in Rommath's eyes danced madly. "You always were a horrible liar, Amaya."

"When Tyilo left us, I was there when you swore your life to protect Obito and me … you swore your life to our safety." Her voice became calm and she mentally told the others to break off their attacks.

She sensed their disbelief but they did as she commanded, falling back. The fire in the Magus's gaze flared as his hands glowed brilliant blue. She made no move to protect herself as she continued to approach him. "You've done your duty protecting us, Teacher. But there are things that even you cannot shield us from. I don't know where this path I walk on will lead me but unless you kill me now, I will follow it and see."

Suddenly the entire area exploded in ice, freezing all that it touched including most of the lake. Amaya and the rest of her party were entombed in giant blocks of ice. Vorat shattered his only to have it instantly reform around him. Rommath walked past Amaya, the madness in his eyes was gone. He continued to where Obito was frozen in a similar icy tomb, kneeling behind Lotheolan.

"Please don't hurt him!" Amaya pleaded.

Rommath ignored her as his hand burst into flames. He slammed it against the ice shattering it. He grabbed her son before he could flee holding him firmly on the shoulder with one hand and pressing the palm of the other against Obito's chest. She saw him chanting as the glyphs on Obito's body responded by glowing and then disappearing. Her son let out an earsplitting scream as his back arched. Rommath released him and Obito collapsed onto the ice covered ground.

"Stop it!" Amaya cried.

Rommath spun around slowly looking at the others still frozen in place. "Fine if you are so damn determined to pursue this farce; I wash my hands in the matter. The child is fine I removed the spell-lock it was more painful than it should have been because I had to do it on the fly."

Taking a rune from his pocket Rommath opened a portal. He bowed toward Amaya, "I hope you live long enough to find the answers you seek." Then he stepped through the gateway and disappeared. The ice around them shattered and she ran over to her son, Lotheolan was kneeling beside the still form.

"He's unconscious, Sister, his body is exhausted it's probably for the best if we just let him sleep." The priest removed the soiled bandages and started healing the cuts underneath. "Your first aid skills have room to improve, Zalon."

"Do I look like a priest to you, mon?" The troll said sheathing his sword. He glanced over at Amaya. "Now what?"

"Now we wait for Obito to recover and then we take up the mantle for hunt he has done alone for too long."

Cinada removed her facemask and stretched. "Well, while we're waiting for the sleeping one … I'm going to fly over to that waterfall up there and wash off." She glanced over her shoulder at the others and smiled. "Company wouldn't be turned away."

Amaya just rolled her eyes as Zalon and Vorat summoned their flying mounts to join her. She moved over and sat down next to her son. Running a hand gently across his dirty cheek, she glanced over at her brother who was finishing healing Obito's leg. "How is he?"

"Like I said, he's resting … he had bites to his arm and leg that must have been from a rabid creature, don't worry I cured the disease. Bet he wasn't feeling very well because of it. No broken bones, just some small superficial cuts beyond that. I sense no ill-effects from the removal of the glyphs." Lotheolan took a sip of water from his canteen.

Amaya ran her fingers through Obito's short jagged hair. "Would you …" she asked.

Her brother moved behind Obito and sitting cross legged placed her son's head on his lap. Lotheolan ran his hand through Obito's hair. The auburn locks slowly started to lengthen as his fingers continued to comb through them. "This is going to take awhile," he said. "Why don't you go join the others … I'll send a whisper should anything change."

Amaya nodded. "All right, baths will probably become a rarity …" Her voice trailed off as she looked out into the horizon.

"What do you think we'll find at the end of our journey?" Lotheolan asked.

"I don't know … hopefully answers Obito and I can live with."