Ch. 22
Super Natural
The following takes place between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.,
on the day of the Execution of Spearmarshal Kormir:
The crow of a crested moa announced the break of day, though the sun had yet to peek over the horizon. The pale sky above had donned its morning hues however, and the changing of heavenly colors bid the guildsmen to rise from their beds. Zudash had led them at a swift march to the south, and the party had chosen to stop in the village of Pojahelon for the night. Ossjo had been delighted to see them, and while the village men set to preparing a feast, the woman took it upon herself to show the guildsmen the improvements to the village.
Pojahelon had come a long way in the months since they first aided Dormant Vengeance. The trade agreement Rakiv had formed with Zudash had included funding and supplies for Pojahelon, whom Rakiv had considered one of their official allies. Thus Pojahelon had become the recipients of a steady stream of supplies from the Dejarin estate, much of it meant to improve their standard of living and the growth of their crops. The fields were now defended by sturdy fences that kept the local wild life out of the growing harvests. Many of the aqueducts had been repaired, or replaced entirely with new and more efficient water direction systems.
Even their homes had been remade, now with stone and mortar instead of twigs and clay. Construction had even begun to place a wall around the village, to better protect it from the creatures that roamed through Arkjok Ward. Though their population remained small, the farming village now saw much better days, and even elder Isma admitted a measure of gratitude towards the underground guild.
Though the hour had been late when they had all turned to their beds, Kydar had risen early to see that the party would be ready to move by sunrise. The elementalist had felt the weight of his decision fall upon his shoulders almost immediately after their meeting with the Order of Whispers. He had been proud of his position as Rakiv's second-in-command, and had offered all his skill and talent to the guild as a member of their leadership. Rakiv had been correct, however, he did not truly want to be guildmaster. The business of being a leader of men was best left to those who inspired greatness in others, people who could spur soldiers on to glorious feats and legendary deeds.
Rakiv's reputation helped in this regard, and her prowess as a fighter only solidified this quality as part of her character. Kydar however, felt wholly inadequate for the job. He was a scribe, an academic. Sure he was fair in a fight, and had learned to do things that other men could not, but he was no leader of men. It had been all fine and good to talk as if he could lead the guild, show excessive confidence and quell all fears through eloquence and style… but it was another thing entirely to follow through. And Kydar knew that whatever happened, he had to follow through.
With such thoughts weighing on his mind, the elementalist left the village guest house and stumbled down to the riverbank. The Elon flowed quietly here, and the light banter of the water's babble was calming and soothing. The elementalist loosened the ties of his tunic and pulled the garment over his head, giving a grunt of effort as he tossed it aside. With a small sigh he knelt at the river's edge and splashed his face with a handful of the cold water. It was only then that he realized he was not alone.
Their newest party member sat only a few paces downstream, though she appeared to be paying him no attention. The woman in black sat cross-legged on the river bank, her posture perfectly erect as she gazed eastward across the river. Kydar arched a brow in curiosity as he watched her, until she finally took notice of him and turned her pale gaze towards the scribe.
"Good morning, guildmaster," the woman said in well annunciated, silken tones.
"Morning to you… Apprentice," Kydar replied awkwardly, "You're an early riser too huh?"
"No," the woman chuckled lightly, "I have no need of sleep. I trust, however, that your slumber was pleasant yes?"
"Uh… yeah," Kydar blinked, rather skeptical of her claim, "Yeah it was alright. Better than the last time. Stone houses are cooler than stick and mud ones."
"I can imagine," the Apprentice chuckled, "Though I do recall when Pojahelon was much more than a half-abandoned village of desperate agriculturalists."
"You do?" Kydar blinked, "Are you from around here?"
"Oh no, no," the woman shook her head, "But I have traveled to many a forgotten corner of Elona. I find that the most precious things come from the most overlooked places. Don't you agree?"
"Good morning," Anicara's voice broke in.
The young elementalist appeared to be in brighter spirits than usual for so early in the morning. Kydar looked up as the hydromancer approached, knelt by the water side and unrolled her field kit. The scribe arched an eyebrow at the numerous personal hygiene tools contained in the leather pouch and gave a chuckle as he rose to his feet.
"Better hurry up you two," he said, "We move in thirty minutes."
"I don't believe our Trademarshal friend is aware of this decision," the Apprentice mused.
"Then I'll wake him," Kydar said as he snatched up his tunic and tromped uphill, "Just be ready. Thirty minutes."
As the scribe stomped away Anicara set to scrubbing her teeth while quickly drawing a comb through her hair. The Apprentice arched an eyebrow at the girl's multitasking, and then gave a small chuckle of amusement.
"Anicara, is it?" the dark woman asked.
With her mouth full of paste, Anicara could only nod in confirmation.
"I see," the woman nodded in return, "You are from this village, correct?"
Again Anicara nodded as she put down her brush and drew a handful of water from the river, which she gargled and then spat into the grass.
"Ahh, I thought so," the Apprentice nodded, "There was a sort of… familiarity between you and the villagers. Different from their conversation with the others. If I may be so bold, might I inquire as to your age?"
"Fifteen," Anicara responded quickly as she lifted a blue lipstick to her lips and quickly applied her make-up, using the river as her mirror, "Sixteen in a couple of months," she added.
"Fifteen…" the Apprentice replied with a slow smile, "My, my… how time flies."
"What do you…?" Anicara began, giving the woman a curious look, before a shout from the village cut her off.
"Form up!" Kydar's voice shouted, "Hurry up!"
"Ah, and the guildmaster calls," the Apprentice chuckled as she rose to her feet in a surprisingly graceful motion, "A pleasure speaking with you miss. You seem to be much more… civil, than my last master. I do hope that we can be friends."
"Uh… yeah, but…" Anicara began again.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Kydar was calling, "Let's move!"
"My but he is impatient," the Apprentice laughed lightly, "Though I do admire an assertive man."
With that the dark clad woman strode off, her long legs carrying her quickly through the fields with only the slightest sway of her hips. Anicara frowned as she watched the woman leave, unable to shake the deep uneasiness that had settled in her stomach. There was something… wrong, about that woman.
The party left Pojahelon with many well wishes being called in their wake. Zudash led them north, rather than south, to a series of bridges he had recently commissioned. The bridges provided a means of crossing the several river isles that dotted the northern edge of the Elon River Delta. The Trademarshal seemed rather proud of the development, claiming that the bridges allowed traders and shippers to circumvent the Zehlbahn Garrison to the south. The going was swift, and some of the guildsmen were surprised at the pace set by Zudash as he led them across the islands and out of the Ward. Upon being questioned as to the reason for urgency concerning the river spirits, Zudash curled his lip inwards as he contemplated his reply.
"It is better that she tell you herself," the Trademarshal finally decided, "Dehjah is far older than all of us, and has been the guardian of the river since history can remember. If anyone truly understands the danger, she does."
"Oh come now Trademarshal, there's no reason to be so grim," the Apprentice spoke up, her seemingly ever present smile twitching at her lips, "The worst that could happen is the death of the Elon as we know it. Of course Kourna would wither and die without the river, but I'm fairly certain nothing of value would be lost. Besides, we've no need to worry until the demon reaches the Mirror of Lyss, which would take him quite some time I think. "
"By then we would be unable to stop it, witch," Zudash snapped, "Do not make light of these matters. You serve a new purpose now, remember it."
Despite Zudash's outburst the Apprentice seemed completely unperturbed, and indeed appeared to be even more amused. Rather than respond in kind she gave a musical chuckle and nodded to him respectfully.
"Of course Trademarshal," she tipped her head slightly, "My apologies for upsetting you."
The glare Zudash gave her proved that he did not believe her apology, but rather than offer a retort he simply turned away and continued to lead them eastward. The party settled into uncomfortable silence, until Kydar strode up next to the Apprentice and struck up a new conversation.
"Alright, so I have to admit," he began, "I've studied a lot of these old sects and orders, but I really thought the Order of Whispers was gone. As far as I knew they were just informants and guardians of places and things that were better left untouched. When did this whole demon hunting thing kick in?"
"Oh, you wish to know what I know of the Whispers?" the Apprentice asked, turning to look at Kydar with surprised curiosity.
"Well, yeah, seeing as you're part of it," he chuckled, "I just want to know a little about who we're dealing with here. Or are you sworn to secrecy or something?"
"Oh no, not at all," the woman laughed lightly, "That is one vow the Master neglected to force upon me. I believe he was counting upon my ignorance to keep me silent, but as usual he underestimates me…"
The woman trailed off as she stared into the distance, a grin playing across her features as she contemplated quietly. Kydar blinked in confusion and then cleared his throat to regain her attention.
"Right well… can you tell me anything?" he asked again.
"Oh, of course handsome," she smiled as she returned her gaze to him, "The Order has added quite a few tricks to their repertoire over the last few decades. Many of them are treasure hunters and finders of secrets, but the Masters have been increasingly interested in gaining more offensive abilities. That is, the ability to fight things for themselves, rather than relying on others to fight for them."
"Isn't that what they're doing now?" Kydar blinked, "Isn't that what they've always done?"
"Always?" the Apprentice arched a thin eyebrow, and then smiled in recognition, "Ahh, you are referring to Turai Ossa."
"Astute…" Kydar complimented, surprised at how quickly the woman seized upon his vague inference, "But yeah, Turai is a good example. The Order supposedly knew how to break Joko's push, but instead of using it themselves they gave the information to Ossa and let him do the hard work."
"Such is the nature of the Order of Whispers," the Apprentice smiled, "And it remained largely unchanged over the centuries. As the Master said, they are not like your Sunspears. Think of the Order not as some dark army of secret soldiers and swift slayers, but as an information agency, a network of connections meant to discover every dark secret and uncover every forgotten truth."
"And they finally figured out demon slaying?" Kydar asked.
"Quite by accident, I assure you," she chuckled, "But indeed they did, and the lesson they learned showed them that they cannot afford to be passive any longer. Recent events have only pushed them further towards taking up an offensive. With your Sunspears broken, there are no longer shining spears to pierce the dark. The Master sees much potential in your guild… and I must admit, you are a rather impressive lot."
"Thanks," Kydar chuckled.
"Of course," she smiled with a small nod, "But you are also quite few in number, and the Master sees that you will need aid if you are to succeed. If your little display yesterday was any indication, you correctly identified his intentions."
"He wants to manipulate us," Kydar stated, "To hold us in front like a sword or a shield while he waits for the opportunity to strike with the knife."
"Indeed," she agreed, "Though I should warn you to be cautious. You may share common goals, but should the moment require it, he will sacrifice you and your guild if it means he can gain an advantage over these fell creatures."
"The Master is a man of duty and honor," Zudash broke in angrily, "He does not break his word or turn back on his promise!"
"Then I find it quite curious, Trademarshal," the Apprentice replied sweetly, "That he has made no promises."
"Alright, alright let's just settle down," Kydar said in response to the expression of absolute wrath that over took Zudash's features, "I do have one more question though, if you don't mind."
"Do I?" the Apprentice paused to contemplate, "No, I don't believe I do. Please, ask away."
"If you serve this Order, why don't you identify with them?" Kydar inquired.
"Please, elaborate," the woman requested, though a knowing smile had already crossed her lips.
"You keep saying 'they' and 'their' and 'them'," the scribe pointed out, "Never 'we' or 'our' or 'us'."
"My, my," the Apprentice grinned, though her gaze bore a new and somewhat disturbing depth to it, "You are a sharp one aren't you? I do believe I could just eat you up."
Kydar blinked at the woman, who continued to stare at him wolfishly. In the uncomfortable silence that followed Kydar found himself wondering if he really wanted to ask his question again, as she had yet to answer it. He was saved from further conversation when Zudash brought the company to a halt and grumbled gruffly.
"We're here," he announced.
The party stood on an island at the northernmost end of the Dejarin Estate. To the south they could see the sprawling plains of Zudash's lands, and the many fields where crops of wheat and barely bowed in the breeze. To the north the demolished checkpoint of Kodonur Crossroads still sat in ruins, as the Warmarshal had neglected to see it rebuilt after the guild's taking of the Estate. The group came to a stop amidst several granary silos on the high ground of the island and took stock of their surroundings. Anicara was particularly intrigued as she stared at the shimmering lights that bounced about at the edge of the island's shores.
"Kydar…" she spoke up, "Isn't that a ward? An earth ward?"
The older elementalist turned and peered in the direction she pointed and then nodded in agreement.
"It is," Kydar said, stroking his gotee curiously, "A layered ward… at least three I think. Zudash, what's going on here?"
"As I said, it is better that she explain for herself," Zudash repeated, and then turned away from the guild as he called out loudly, "Listen to the winds, there are secrets in the shadows!"
"Pay heed to the water," a disembodied voice responded, that seemed to resonate all around them, "For it speaks with the sound of whispers."
A rush of wind rustled the trees as clouds of mist suddenly rolled over the island. Kydar shielded his eyes against the sudden onslaught, but the storm was over as soon as it had come. All eyes looked up to behold six beings that coalesced out of the clouds of mist. They were all far taller than the humans, and their bodies appeared to be made of shifting blue waters. While most of the party stared up at them in awe, Kydar recognized them as creatures he and Rakiv had met before.
"Water djinn," he identified, and glanced at Zudash, "These are your river spirits?"
"I am Dehjah," one of the djinn spoke as she drifted towards him, "You are the one called Raelesin yes? I have seen the deeds of you and your comrades. It is good that the Master was able to convince you to come."
"Yeah, convinced, let's call it that," Kydar chuckled, "So do you mind if I ask what you have to do with all this?"
"I am the spirit of the River Elon," Dehjah spoke, raising her four arms to gesture at the watery expanses all around them, "In ancient times it was given unto me to watch over the river's flow, to nourish and protect it that it might in turn nourish and protect the life in this land. It was I and my sisters who first spoke to Kunai Ossa and bid him to build his great dam at Mahnkelon, to bring life to Kourna and to quell the earthen demons."
"So you've been at this for awhile," Kydar commented as he nodded slowly, "Well, what can we do for you? We hear you've been driven out of the river? Is that what the wards are for?"
"Indeed they are Raelesin," the djinni woman nodded slowly, "The clanmarshal of these lands, Varesh Ossa, has unleashed the foulest taint upon this river that I have ever seen. This demon, that calls itself the Drought, has set loose many of the creatures that we bound beneath our waters long ago… though it did not do so without aid."
"Really?" Kydar blinked, "The Master told us this was all the Drought's doing."
"The Master is wise, but he does not see all," Dehjah said as she folded her hands calmly, "Varesh has been planning the sundering of the Elon for some time now, though her works seem more elaborate than need be. Still, she has gone to great lengths to taint this land and raise the earth demons from their slumber. Your efforts to stop her have been admirable, but I fear they were not enough."
"What do you mean?" Kydar asked curiously.
"When you journied to the oldest branch, the Bahnelon river," Dehjah said, "You witnessed a ritual of darkness take place, yes? One that you interrupted."
The djinn gestured with two arms, pointing directly at Anicara. The water mage blinked and fidgeted as the djinn bid her step forward. Anicara complied, shyly shuffling to the front of the group where Dehjah regarded her carefully.
"You struck down one who accepted the Warmarshal's coin, and began the taint that spread into the river," Dehjah nodded, "Though you slew the one named Morolah, his work was complete in the summoning of the Torment Rift."
"So… I didn't act fast enough.." Anicara concluded with a hint of depression.
"Not so, young one," Dehjah said, her eyes lifting in a smile, "For even we knew not of Varesh's intentions. By closing the portal you forstalled this event, but the time has come now to finish the deed."
"I-I see…" Anicara nodded, "Then, I'll do my best."
"I am certain you will," Dehjah nodded slowly, "As will you all. Dervish Melonni has also long been a friend of the river, and rescued the Ancestor Tree from demonic taint. Others among you have sought out the tormented lands and corrupted natures that Varesh has awakened and unleashed. But the time has now come for you to face true evils, and to strike down real demons."
"Just show us where they are," Kydar assured, "And we'll get to striking."
"Then we will make for the shore," Dehjah said, "There we, will test your might against this darkness."
"I believe I will take my leave here," Zudash spoke up, as he waved a hand in farewell, "I do not think I will be of much use to you against these evils."
"Best toddle off to your Master, Tradmarshal," the Apprentice smirked, "He'll want to know that you've completed your errand, like a good little boy."
Though Zudash growled with great annoyance, he said nothing to the woman and instead bid the rest of the party farewell. The humans watched him go, until Kydar gave a nod and turned the water djinn.
"Well then, we're ready. Please, lead on," he gestured to her.
"Come," Dehjah instructed, "This way."
The water djinn drifted past the human group and her sisters followed her as they floated downhill towards the beach. The guild followed suit, tracking down to the water's edge where the djinn stopped and stared out at the river. Dehjah turned and extended a pair of hands to the sand as she spoke in a lilting, unfamiliar language. The humans quickly stepped back as the sands began to shift and churn inwards, threatening to suck them into the sinkhole. But instead of pouring down, the sands rose, turning into a fount of glittering glass before dissolving into ethereal substance. The form of an amber colored djinn sat in the sand, its hands clasped and its eyes shut in meditation as it murmured softly under its breath. Dehjah spoke to it, and for a moment it paid her no heed, instead continuing to mutter quietly before it finally raised its head. The amber colored djinn rose from the sand and unclasped its hands as it turned its eyes to Dehjah, and then cast its gaze down upon the humans.
"Human friends," Dehjah said to them, "This is another who is a friend of the river. Her name is Yartu, and long has she watched over the beaches, islands and fields that surround the great river."
"Hmph, I had thought there would be more of you," the earth djinn said with a touch of disdain, "Is this the most that the humans can muster in defense of their land?"
"Well we thought we'd have reinforcements by now," Kydar shrugged, "But this is what we got. The guild is kind of multitasking as it is, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do with just us."
"Hrmph," Yartu grumbled, "If this is the most the Master can manage, then I fear his commitment is lacking."
"Peace,Yartu," Dehjah said, resting a hand on her fellow djinn's shoulder, "The humans have come to our aid and that is what matters. Do not turn away a hand offered in friendship."
Yartu made a sound that was not at all unlike a snort, but gave no other reply. Kydar directed an appraising stare at the earth djinn, and the elemental spirit returned a similar gaze. The scribe couldn't place much blame on the djinn, he might have been disappointed too had he expected an elite demon slaying team and was instead presented with a rag-tag group of mismatched fighters. The next few hours, however, would redefine the guild, either as lowly mortals, or true bringers of light in the face of great evil. It was the latter title for which Kydar was aiming.
"Dehjah," the scribe turned to the water spirit, "Before we begin, I'd like to know what we're up against. If these demons drove you out of the river, I'm guessing they're not to be trifled with."
"You speak the truth, Raelesin," Dehjah replied, "The demons of the earth are strong indeed. But they are not servants of the dark god, and can be bested by mortal hands."
"They must align to some god," Anorah spoke up as she strode to the front of the party, "From whence do such creatures come, if not from fallen deities?"
"We know not, human," Yartu put in, folding her arms across her chest, "The demons were summoned in Primeval times, when the Elon flowed only to the east, and did not pass through these lands. They were produced by an ancient cult, one that worshiped the cold, unliving stone of the earth's flesh."
"Stone worshipers?" Kydar blinked, "Do you mean, the Cult of the Stone Face."
"Hmph, it seems these humans know a thing or two after all Dehjah," Yartu responded.
"What my dear friend means to say," Dehjah broke in quickly, "Is that this cult vanished from Elona long ago, but the evils it wraught remained. When the demons of stone strode forth out of the deserts, Kunai Ossa cried for help. It was we who answered."
"So if they were made by the hands of men," Anorah claimed, her grip tightening on her scythe snathe, "Then they can be unmade by them as well."
"One can only hope," Dehjah nodded, "We will find out momentarially. The wards you see around this island were, placed here when we djinn were forced to flee the river by the demons' awakening. The demons have taken over the lower Elon, and these waters no longer answer to our call. With the Drought's strength flowing through them, we water djinn cannot stand against these demons, lest we be consumed ourselves. We ask that you cast them down, that we might regain our rightful place as keepers of this river."
"We're more than happy to help," Kydar assured the river spirit, "And we will do what we can to give you back this river. Now, where can we find these demons?"
"You needn't look very far," Yartu answered, "When you are ready to fight, I will lower the wards… and once the magic is gone, the demons will come for us."
"Alright, give us a minute," Kydar spoke up as he waved a hand to the party, "Everybody huddle up."
The guildsmen quickly gathered into a circle around Kydar and began checking their weapons and gear in prepration for the battle to come. Kydar adjusted his gloves and pressed his red jewel to his forehead as he turned to address the group.
"Alright, if what they say is true, this is gonna be different," the guildmaster nodded grimly, "So no winging it this time. We need a plan of action, and here's how it'll work. Melonni, Anorah?"
"Ahai, guildmaster?" both woman responded.
"You two are frontline," he instructed, "So you're going to be in the thick of it. Do what you do best, but make sure that nothing gets past the tideline. Stand your ground, strike them down."
"Yes, guildmaster," they answered in unison.
"Where are my eles?" Kydar asked.
"Ahai, senpai?" Sousuke replied.
"Yes master?" Anicara inquired.
At both responses Kydar visibly balked. 'Guildmaster' he could handle, after all, he'd usurped Rakiv to take the title from her. But these were terms of respect he was not sure he deserved, despite the fact that Sousuke and Jin insisted on using it when speaking to either him or Rakiv. After a moment the elementalist shook it off and quickly proceeded with his instructions.
"You two are my midline," Kydar claimed, "I don't know what kind of numbers we're looking at, but Ani I want you slowing them down. Sousuke, you're on defense. I want wards up at all times, as many as you can give me."
"Yes, guildmaster!" both responded, using his newly gained title this time.
"Tahlk, Jin," Kydar called.
"Ahai, guildmaster," Jin saluted.
"I hate that nickname!" Tahlkora complained.
"You two are my backline," Kydar continued, ignoring the young monk's protest, "Tahlkora, just keep us up and fighting. Jin, any weak spot you see, I want you to hit it, prove that these things can bleed."
"Yes, guildmaster," they replied.
"Miss Apprentice," Kydar turned to the female necromancer.
"Oh please, no need to be so formal," the woman responded, "You can just call me Apprentice."
"I… don't see how that's much different but…" Kydar began and then sighed, "Look, the Master of Whispers said you'd show us how to kill demons. I expect you'll be doing that while we keep them harried right?"
"What, against these things?" she blinked, pale eyes wide in a feigned attempt at innocent surprise, "Oh no, no Guildmaster. These are lowly earth demons, creatures of dust and stone. We've no need of flashy displays here. I'll keep them well hexed for you, so that you big strong fighters can do what you do best. Sound good?"
"Is that all you can give me?" Kydar sighed in exasperation.
"I could give you more, but it might be a bit indecent," she winked.
"Fine," the scribe groaned, shaking his head at her goading, "Just join the backline and cast whatever it is you intend to cast."
"Of course, guildmaster," she smiled and bowed low, "As you command."
"Alright, positions everyone," the scribe ordered, "Be ready for anything. Dehjah, you and your sisters might want to clear the area."
"Of course Raelesin," the djinn bowed her head, "We shall pray for your victory, and await your return."
As the djinn dissolved into mist and wind, the party scattered, each of them quickly moving to the positions Kydar had ordered them to take. Anorah and Melonni moved down the beach and stopped at the water's edge. Both women brandished their scythes, and Melonni cast a nervous sidelong glance at Anorah. The Zaishen dervish was immobile, staring with intense focus at the river, ready and unafraid. Behind them the three elementalists stood several paces apart, and readied their various enchantments.
Anicara released a breath of frosty air as the cool magic of her water attunement coursed through her veins. A rush of warmth beside her alerted her to her mentor's own enchantment, as he aligned himself to magical fires. A rumble to her right drew her attention and she watched Sosuke plant his foot and sink slightly into the sand, as the weight of an earth attunement settled upon him. At the top of the beach head, Jin knelt on the sparse grass and planted her quiver into the sand beside her. She snatched an arrow from the wooden case and notched it to her bow as Tahlkora began muttering a prayer beside her.
"All ready?" Kydar asked.
"Yup," Anicara nodded.
"Ready and waiting," Melonni called back.
"I'm ready!" Tahlkora responded.
"Yi!" all three Zaishen shouted in canthan.
"Well that was a bit forceful, don't you think?" the leather clad woman arched an eyebrow.
"Apprentice!" Kydar barked, "Are you ready?"
"For you handsome, always," she remarked.
"Lyssa give me grace…" the scribe grumbled, even as Anicara gave an amused giggle, "Yartu, we're ready when you are!"
"Then let us test your mettle," Yartu responded, "Stand fast."
The djinn lifted all four of her arms over her head and her body shimmered with magical energies. With focused calm the spirit slowly lowered her hands and pressed her palms downward. As she did the wards began to weaken, dissolve and then finally were dispelled all together. No one spoke, and no one moved. The only sound in the air was the quiet bable of the Elon as it ran its way south towards the sea. Kydar blinked curiously, expecting a sudden onslaught of hideous foes. However, it was the shifting of Anorah's stance that warned him danger was fast approaching.
It began as a ripple, expanding outwards across the placid surface of the running water. It was joined by another… and then another, and then another. And soon the ripples were moving, picking up speed and racing towards shore like torpedo tracks through the water. As the tracks approached they were joined by more, and more, and more until Kydar gave up counting them. Whatever was coming, it was about to outnumber them. The scribe unsnapped his thigh holsters and drew both his wands, gripping the wrappings tightly as their enemy bore down upon them. Just as the ripples reached the shore, they vanished, and the surface of the river suddenly turned placid. Several brows furrowed in confusion, but some in their group were not decived.
"Anorah!" Sousuke shouted.
"I saw it," she snapped, "Melonni, back!"
"What?" the kournan dervish blinked.
"Back!" Anorah cried, as she quickly backpedaled up hill.
The Zaishen regained her footing and then gave a savage cry as she brought her scythe down into the sand. Beneath the earth there was a pained shriek and a gout of blood spurted out of the dirt as Anorah grunted and hauled out the creature she had pierced. The Grasp of Chaos writhed on her scythe blade, clutching at the zaishen steel that had pierced its stony hide. With a snarl of contempt Anorah placed one foot on the creature's shoulder, and with a brutal yank rent the demon in two as she freed her scythe from its body.
"In the sand!" Sousuke cried, "They're in the…!"
The elementalist's repition was interrupted, as the sand of which he spoke suddenly, and violently, erupted. A half-dozen grasps sprang forth, shrieking angrily and raising their obsidian claws in search of flesh to shred. One sprang upon Sousuke, and knocked him to the ground. It was quickly repelled when the elementalist responded with a formation of stone that rose from the ground and counter-attacked the beast. The ebon hawk clutched the demon's hide in its granite talons and beat its way skywards, before performing a suicidal divebomb into the rocks on the riverbank. The gargoyle and demon slammed into the boulders and were dashed to pieces, while the real battle raged on.
"Back up! Back up!" Kydar shouted, as he quickly sprang backwards, "Don't let them break our formation!"
As the elementalists made for higher ground, Anorah and Melonni quickly sprang upon the attacking demons. Melonni spun into the fray, pirouetting on point of toe as she struck the nearest grasp with staggering force, knocking it aside as she bore down upon her next victim. Anorah had fared better in obtaining the demons' attention, but now found herself amidst a ring of three evil creatures who raised their claws and charged with wild shrieks.
"God of eternal flame, empower my blade," she prayed fervently, "With Balthazar's Rage!"
A sphere of holy fire burst from the dervish's form, delivering a punishing blow to the demonic attackers. Heedless of rending fangs and slashing claws, Anorah lept upon the demons, rending flesh and tearing limbs as the scythe blade sang gleefully. Melonni pressed her assault, finally managing to dispatch another demon and looked up just in time to see that one had escaped her.
The grasp galloped up the beach head, it's ravenous gaze locked upon the olive colored flesh of the enemy female elementalist. Already it was savoring the taste of a meal to come, when it was forcefully stopped in its tracks. An imagined burdened weighted its limbs to the sand, even as a new hex was layered over the one that impeded its progress. The demon turned its attention to the offender, a tall, dark-skinned necromancer who casually extended her weapon, a bloody knife made of shodily carved bone. The knife flashed with craven magic, and the demon immediately sprang at the necromancer, seeking shred the woman before her curse took hold. But the magic had already done its work, and the necromancer smirked with satisfaction as a surge of dark energy spilled the blood of the aggressor. The demon crashed to the ground as its life ebbed away and finally the limbs of its corpse became quiet.
"Hmph, cocky little bastard," the necromancer commented.
"Thanks… but that was kind of my kill," Anicara chuckled, as she lowered a summoned ice spear.
"Oh was it?" the Apprentice asked, "My apologies miss."
"Ladies!" Kydar shouted, "When you're finished with the tea party, we could use some help! We're still being attacked!"
The scribe spoke truthfully, as the demons had been reinforced by more grasps that surged out of the river's sand, crying wickedly as they charged the human party. The light of Sousuke's wards danced about them, causing many of the demons' blows to glance harmlessly off of the enchanted flesh of the mortal defenders. Small formations of glass littered the beach, remnants from the intense heat of Kydar's explosions as he launched fire balls and raised magma spikes across the beach head. The body count rose, as the grasps flung themselves savagely against the human's defenses and were struck down again and again. And yet still they came. When the humans retook the sand, the grasps began emerge from the water, flying out of the river and shrieking terribly as they shot towards the land. Arrows flew overhead, striking many of the demons in mid-flight as Jin rapidly shot them out of the air. The few that escaped her missles met death amongst flashing blades, shining crystals or raging fires.
"I don't know about you guys," Anicara finally spoke up, "But this is getting irritating!"
"Then by all means," Kydar called back, as he reduced an approaching demon to cinders, "End it!"
"Tahlkora, cover me!" Anicara called as she rushed from the mid-line towards Anorah and Melonni.
"Be fed by the fruits of a healing bounty," Tahlkora prayed, as she extended her wand towards the elementalist, "Healing Seed!"
As the enchantment glowed over Anicara, the elementalist dashed across the beach, her heels clicking against the shards of glass as she made it to the water line. The hydromancer murmured quickly under her breath, as she raised her staff over her head and brought it down into the water.
"Ice Spikes!" she commanded.
A crackle of blue rolled through the river's water, and with a loud snap, the liquid crystallized. The water transformed into a jagged landscape of mighty crystal lances, impaling or encasing the demonic horde. The young elementalist breathed out, panting with exertion from the spell as she stepped back from the edge of the ice.
"Now why…" she began, pressing a hand to her chest in an attempt to catch her breath, "Why didn't we do that in the first place?"
"Because I wanted to see what we were up against," Kydar explained, "Sousuke! Smash 'em."
"Yes, guildmaster," the earth elementalist responded as he began to chant.
"Well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Melonni chuckled lightly, pushing mussed braids out of her face, "I was kind of scared for a bit there, but these guys really aren't that tough."
"I take it they have a different effect on other nature spirits then?" Kydar asked, as he nudged a broken corpse with his boot, "Well we can tell Dehjah and the others that…"
"Uhm, begging your pardon guildmaster," the Apprentice spoke up, raising a finger daintily to procure his attention, "But I do not believe we're quite finished."
"What? How are we not?" Kydar arched an eyebrow, "We got 'em all, nothing's coming out of the river. Time to move on."
"Yes, of course guildmaster," she nodded graciously, and then gestured with one arm towards one of the fallen creatures, "But these are merely lesser demons, the 'bottom rung' if you will. Dehjah and her tribe could have dispatched these themselves."
"Well then why call us out here for this?" Kydar asked in confusion.
"Well, and mind you I am only guessing," she admitted, as she pointed out across the river, "But I believe the thing that requires your attention… is that."
The guildsmen turned their eyes in the direction the necromancer pointed. The field of spikes Anicara had created had indeed slain the army of grasps, but beyond her icey construct, in the deep and faster running waters of the Elon… something moved. The being beneath the surface was large, massive enough to create a visible shadow where the light did not penetrate the waters. As it moved, the river's surface belled upwards, bulging as though thrust from its natural course by the rising of some ancient titan. Snaps and cracks sounded, as the surge of displaced water washed into the shattered spires of ice and washed them away, and the tide rose to lap hungrily at the beach head.
"Higher ground!" Kydar shouted, "Get to higher ground!"
The Elon roared, as if in pain as its waters rose higher and higher, pushed and distorted by the monster that emerged from its depths. With a mighty splash, the waters broke, releasing a spray of foam as the mammoth demon stood revealed. It was a colossus of stone and earth, standing at a height that would make giants tremble. A pair of massive pillars of bedrock formed its legs, upon which it stood in the rushing waters of the Elon river. Its body was a construct of granite and basalt, ending in a flat plateau that lacked any form of cranium. Perhaps most terrifying were its arms; gigantic limbs of pure white marble adorned with thick, sharp spikes of glittering quartz. The demon possessed twelve of them.
"Oh my gods…" Tahlkora breathed in terror.
"Dwayna, Lyssa and Grenth!" Melonni swore, "What are we supposed to do against that?"
"Take it down," Kydar responded firmly, as he twirled a wand between his fingers, "But hold positions. I wanna see what it does…"
Despite many apprehensions the guild held its ground, though all brandished their weapons high. The demon shifted as it appeared to catch sight of them and then beat several of its arms against its various shoulders. The crunching thunder was nearly deafening, and obviously a sign of challenge.
"I don't suppose you have anything to deal with this do you?" Kydar asked, half-turning his head towards the Apprentice.
"Mmm… no I do not believe so…" she responded, though this time she seemed considerably more troubled by the fact, "This is not the sort of demon the Order often deals with. My arts will be of no use here. I do, however, have an idea."
"And that…?" Kydar began.
"Look out!" Anicara cried.
The demon had delivered its challenge, and now intended to make good upon it. The creature dipped its hands into the river, and with a titanic heave lifted a slab of stone out of the river bed. With a whistle of air against porous stone, the demon flung the slab through the air, sending it sailing for the beach head.
"Sousuke!" Kydar ordered.
"I have it!" the zaishen elementalist called.
As the guild scattered to all sides, Sousuke ran directly into the path of the oncoming slab and stomped a foot into the earth. As he did so, thick sheets of shale lifted out of the sand and spiraled about him, before flying to his body and locking in place as heavy plates of armor.
"To the lord that sits in the depths of the world," he called, for once casting in common tongue, "Raise thy shield and lend strength to my form! Stoneflesh Aura!"
Between the armor plates the elementalist's skin hardened, thickened and changed colors until it became hard as flint. As the shadow of the gargantuan projectile loomed over him, Sousuke did not flinch and stepped forward to meet it. With a loud cry the zaishen met the slab with a mighty crack, slamming his armored head into the stone. The slab shattered and broke into a thousand pieces that rained across the beach and splashed back into the water. Sousuke raised his wand and pointed at the demon, before cracking his armored fists against his own shoulder plates, answering the creature's challenge.
"Okay, if it's going to do that, we're going to have to go and get it," Kydar stated, "Apprentice, your plan?"
"Oh, well it's very simple really," the necromancer woman responded, "I believe this is some form of a 'hecatonaire', a legendary rank among the demon hordes. It is said they were monolithic beasts that possessed one hundred arms. If that is so, then all the 'hecatonsaire' that I've ever heard of, have a weakness on their backside. A small hole, covered by a thin sheet of volcanic glass located in the center of their back. Breach it, and you may slay it."
"Oh, so all I have to do is get on that thing's back," Kydar snorted, "No problem. Thanks so much. I'll just go climb it and do that."
"An excellent idea guildmaster," the Apprentice smirked, a hint of malice entering her smile, "I wish you the best of luck of course. Do try and not to get squashed flat. I'd hate to be the only one laughing at your funeral."
Kydar gave no response but strode past the woman. If she'd expected a reaction out of him, he was determined to disappoint her. Instead he focused on the creature ahead of him. The scribe had faced his giants in the past, but this was beyond his ken. If the Apprentice was telling the truth, and if her legend was also true, they had a chance to bring the thing down. But they'd need to get to it first, or otherwise be bombarded by huge slabs of land.
"Jin!" the scribe called.
"Ahai, guildmaster!" the ranger responded.
"Stay here on shore and give us cover fire," he instructed, "There's some kind of weak spot on that thing's back. If you see something that looks like glass, no matter how small it is, shoot it."
"Yes, guildmaster!" Jin nodded curtly.
"Everybody to the shoreline!" Kydar ordered as he brandished his wands, "Anicara!"
"Yes master? Er… guildmaster?" she quickly corrected.
"Give us somewhere to stand," he commanded.
The hydromancer smiled, rather excited by the scale of the conflict they faced. The girl once again stepped to the water's edge, and focused intently as she held out her staff over the river.
"Ye wintery waters of the frozen deeps!" she shouted forcefully, "Encase mine enemies in thy frozen grasp! DEEP FREEZE!"
A crackle of blue, a groan in the water… and suddenly a cacophonous snap as the river froze over. The spell did its work well, forging a broad platform of thick ice that surrounded the demon. Kydar stepped forward, carefully marching on the ice as he motioned for the guild to follow.
"Watch your step!" he advised, "Flank that thing and find that weak spot! Go!"
The dervishes moved in first, their practiced grace allowing them to practically glide across the crystal surface as they charged the great stone demon. The elementalists followed carefully, though Kydar gave a small grunt of frustration as Anicara skated effortlessly ahead of them. Tahlkora brought up the rear, and slipped twice before she found her balance and proceeded to move within range of her comrades. On the shore Jin raised her longbow and notched an arrow to the string, keeping her eyes wide open as she waited for her shot.
As the dervishes approached, the demon roared and swung two of its arms downward. Both women threw themselves aside to avoid the titanic limbs as they crashed down onto the ice. The entire glacier shuddered, costing others their footing, but the ice held firm. A fireball impacted into the demon's torso, and the explosion forced it to rear back in pain. Kydar busily prepared another as Sousuke loosed his own cast to pelt the demon with enormous, conjured boulders. The earth demon shrugged off the stoning it received and responded in kind, directing four fists to point at the offending elementalists. The quartz spikes glowed, and then rocketed out of the demon's marble flesh as jagged projectiles of crystal. Kydar dove aside to avoid the spikes, while Sousuke's skin hardened and Zaishen stood his ground. The elementalist realized too late he had underestimated the strength of the attack, as the stone caught him in the chest, carried him off his feet and into the ice. The sheer force of the projectile smashed the elementalist through the thick, frozen sheet and forced him into the river below.
"Man down!" Kydar reported, "Melonni! Weaken that thing! We can't take hits like that!"
The dervish woman gave no sound of reply, far more focused on keeping air in her lungs as she fled a pair of enormous fists that pounded the ice in her wake. Melonni unsuccessfully tried to skid to a stop as one fist caught up to her, and slammed into the ice ahead of her, missing her by inches. With a grunt the dervish planted her feet against the stone knuckles and pushed off, sliding across the ice between the demon's legs.
"Goddess of living earth," she prayed, "Grant me thy Armor of Sanctity!"
A flash of gold enveloped the Kournan dervish, and a wave of holy energy struck the demon's flesh. With a heavy groan of stone the monster sagged in its stance and its movements turned sluggish as it strength was severely compromised. Melonni was quick to follow up the attack, and grunted as she slammed her scythe blade into brittle stone near the demon's 'knee'. The dervish pushed off of the creature's limb, sliding in a circle around the massive leg as her scythe blade cut through the stony flesh. With a loud cry, Melonni yanked her scythe free, completing the circular cut that severed the demon's leg.
"Comin' down!" she called as she skid away from the falling monster.
Stone grated against stone as the demon unbalanced and toppled, and only managed to save itself by slamming five of its arms into the ice. Enraged by the loss of it's limb, the demon quickly sought vengeance as its remaining arms lashed out at the closest humans. Anorah dove aside, but found herself directly in the path of a second fist. Moments before the knuckles impacted, a whistle zipped through the air and an arrow landed in the monster's wrist. The stone cracked from the blow, and two more arrows followed, and finally a fourth missile found it its mark. The force behind the projectile caused the demon's fist to snap off of its arm, and plummet to the ice below. Anorah scrambled against the ice, but the slick surface afforded her no momentum. A pained cry tore from the dervish's throat as the severed fist landed on her leg, and held her trapped against the ice.
"Anorah!" Melonni cried, as she rushed to aid her fellow dervish.
"Melonni look out!" Kydar warned.
A mighty, marble palm swept at the women, intent upon squashing them flat against the frigid surface. They were saved when Anicara intervened. Clad in frozen armor, the young elementalist slid to a stop and raised her arms up as she locked together the plates of her armor. The hand struck her outstretched palms and stopped as Anicara's ice covered body acted as a brace to stop it's downward progress.
"Move!" she squeaked with effort, feeling the ice begin to crack at her feet.
As Melonni dragged Anorah from under the fist shaped boulder, the demon changed its plan and quickly closed its fingers over the offending elementalist. Anicara shrieked in fright as she was scooped up into its grip and raised high above the river. Stone ground against ice as the marble fingers flexed, and the demon began to crush the girl in its grip. Anicara's cries for help mingled with the snaps of ice as her armor began to give way under the incredible pressure of the demon's clenched fist.
"Jin!" Kydar called out across the ice, "Keep those arms off of me! Tahlkora, I'm gonna need some heals!"
"Yes sir!" the monk called back as she readied a new spell.
The fire elementalist sprinted forward, half-sliding and half-running across the artificial glacier. The demon held its prize high over head focused on grinding the girl to paste as it squeezed ever tighter in an attempt to break her armored shell. However, it did not fail to take notice of a dark skinned pyromancer rushing across the ice toward it, and responded with a savage offensive. Fists, elbows and arms crashed down around Kydar, and many of the attacks were interrupted by well aimed shots from Jin's longbow. A mighty punch to the ice directly behind the elementalist threw him off his feet, as the glacier cracked and began to break apart.
Kydar spun through the air as frigid shrapnel tore through his clothes and bit into his flesh. He hit the ice with a crunch, and something in his leg twisted. The elementalist bit back a groan of pain, even as Tahlkora's healing spell quickly restored his mobility. Kydar sprang to his feet again, forcing himself to ignore the frigid needles in his skin and he stumbled across the ice as he reached the demon's leg.
Having lost one such limb to Melonni, the demon leaned on its side, still supporting itself on several arms as it's others struck at the escaping dervishes and the monk who insisted on healing them. It was alarmed, therefore, when it felt something bite into its calf as the elementalist began to scale it. Kydar's wands found holes in the stone, footholds and indentions which he used to pull himself up the back of the living edifice. The demonic colossus shook as it understood the human's plan, and began to swat at itself in an attempt to splatter the intrepid scribe. Its reach, however, was severely compromised. Its free arms were on the wrong side of its body, and in its weakened state it could spare none of the limbs it needed for support. Still, its flailing grew frantic as the elementalist climbed higher still. Kydar lost his footing more than once, but quick catches and well timed jumps saved his life.
The Apprentice had spoke truthfully, a shining speck of glass, no more than a handspan' wide, winked in the sunlight on the demon's back. A hefty push propelled the scribe upwards and he succeeded in bracing one wand in a nearby handhold. With a grunt Kydar struck the glass with his free wand and the volcanic stone gave a satisfying crack. The demon shook and shuddered, desperate in its attempt to dislodge the elementalist from its back. Kydar raised his wand again, but a much louder crack sounded before he struck and a scream came from the demon's fist.
"Hold on Ani!" the scribe shouted as he beat the glass again, cracking it further.
A final blow shattered the glass and the elementalist muttered under his breath as he prepared a spell, intent on blasting the demon's weakness with as much force as he could muster. The demon gave a heavy shake, and landed a hard slap to its own back, mere inches above the elementalist. The tremor succeeded in destroying Kydar's handhold, and his wand snapped free of the rock in which it was braced. The scribe gave a cry of alarm as his weapon spiraled out of his grip and he made a desperate grab for the demon's weak spot.
The glass filled opening sliced into the scribe's hand and he cried out in pain, loosing his handhold once more. Just as he nearly topped backwards and off the monster's back, Kydar threw aside his second wand and caught the stone of the demon's hide. The elementalist grit his teeth in agony; his left hand bled profusely, and a dozen other wounds still burned from the frozen shrapnel embedded in his flesh. His weapons were gone, and without them his casting ability was severely impaired. Another snap from inside the demon's fist told him he had run out of time.
"C-can't… breathe…" Anicara's voice echoed weakly from inside the stone grip as conscious thought slowly slipped away.
Exhausted and in pain, the elementalist ground his teeth as he settled on one, final attempt to slay the demon. Curling his injured hand into a fist, the scribe thrust his arm into the demon's opened weakness, heedless of the jagged glass that tore into his skin. Inside, beyond the stone of the creature's skin, the demon's flesh was like clay, soft and malleable. The creature shook again, jostling the elementalist and the glass bit deeper into his arm, but Kydar held fast. His fingers closed around a solid mass, a thick lump of coal that formed the demon's core.
"Alright you bastard…" he grunted, "Burn."
A rush of heat rolled through the elementalist as his forehead jewel flared and sent a blast of fire straight into the demon's core. The Mind Burn immolated the core, and the surrounding flesh quickly caught fire. The demon froze as its center was destroyed, and the hard coal core became a white hot ember in the scribe's hand. Kydar shut his eyes as the heated pressure in the demon's center grew, and he cried out again as he felt several of the wounds along his arms suddenly cauterize. The fire spread, bursting into the coal pockets that formed the demon's innards, and as the coal ignited, the demon's flesh exploded. Gouts of fire broke through the monster's hide, blowing out super-heated rock and boiling clay as it was destroyed from within. An explosion tore off several of the demon's limbs, and without its supports the mighty corpse began to totter.
It rocked back, then forward… and then overbalanced completely. Wind screamed against the rocky face and gravity shifted, as Kydar yanked his arm out of the hole and struggled to his feet. As the monster plummeted toward the glacial surface, Kydar pulled his scarred arm close to his chest and sprinted madly up the demon's back. Ahead of him he could see the still clenched fist that held his trapped student, as the demon refused to relinquish its prize even in death. The elementalist reached the edge of the monster's shoulder and with a wild cry jumped from the stony ledge, just as the corpse impacted with the ice.
The frozen sheet could take no more, and beneath the falling creature's weight it shattered completely. Ice floes flew through the air as waves rose and washed toward shore. As he fell toward the frigid waters, Kydar could hear the alarmed screams of his companions as they rode the ice floes through the turbulent waters. The scribe forced himself to focus on his task. They were capable soldiers, and they were unrestrained. They could swim the waters or ride the ice safely to shore. But Anicara was still trapped and unconscious. And held in the demon's fist as she was, she would likely drown.
The scribe splashed into the water, amidst frigid chunks of jagged ice that bobbed in the currents. The demon's arm came to rest on the river bed and Kydar furiously kicked his way along the length of the limb, and clutched at the stone to pull himself forward. This was not his element. He had never been a great swimmer, and he could barely see against the rushing torrent, but desperation drove him forward.
Just don't get them killed. Those are good men and women you're leading.
Rakiv's warning echoed in his mind. Had she been here, this would have all gone far more smoothly. The demon would have died with nary an injury to her party, and the guild's pride would have only been strengthened by the ease of their conquest over so great an evil. As he struggled towards the closed fist, pulling himself across the stone against the river's current, he forced himself to focus once more. His inadequacies as a guildmaster and a party leader could wait. For now, he stubbornly pushed onward. He would not fail Rakiv, and he would not fail his student.
The pyromancer's lungs were burning as he reached the closed fist, and struggled in vain against the marble fingers. He beat against the stone, desperately attempting to summon an explosion, a flame, even a spark. Anything to break the demon's grip. But the Elon was strong, and he had neither breath nor energy. He needed air, and his chest screamed for him to rise, to breathe again. But force of will bid him stay, even as he felt his strength begin to fade.
A snap and crack of stone reached his ears even underwater and he looked up to see the stony form of Adept Sousuke. The Zaishen elementalist stood on the river bottom, his hardened skin weighting him down. The young Canthan gripped a pair of stone daggers in his hands, as he pushed away a severed finger and set to amputating another. Kydar reached for Anicara's feet and began to pull as Sousuke succeeded in removing another finger. His vision was swimming, but the scribe held on tight as he pulled with what little strength he had left. Another snap, another finger removed and suddenly the hydromancer girl came free. Sousuke pointed to the surface, an obvious indicator to rise and with the last of his strength Kydar pushed off of the riverbed.
He broke the river's surface with a gasp, coughing and sputtering as his lungs heaved rapidly, gratefully filling and emptying in the open air. Kydar blinked against the water in his eyes and the wet braids the clung to his face, desperately clutching at the girl in his arms. With a painful grunt he hauled her head above water and managed to keep her supported with his good arm as he tried to kick for the shore. The river was pushing them down stream, away from the islands and Kydar barely had the strength to tread water, much less reach the shore. And then a new current caught them, one that defied the river's natural course and drew them towards shore. Kydar squinted up, against water and sunlight as the current drew them in and finally pushed them ashore.
Dehjah floated at the water's edge, her arms beckoning them forward as she guided the waters to push the humans to 's feet found solid ground and he pushed himself up out of the river, doggedly dragging Anicara with him until he stumbled and collapsed on dry sand. His companions were speaking, mostly concerning their various injuries and flashes of blue light told him that Tahlkora was busy with tending to their wounds. The scribe only panted, desperately trying to catch his breath and cough up more water from his lungs. But something nagged at him, something still wasn't right. The danger had passed but… His focus turned to Anicara, who lay still on the sand beside him. Completely still. Her eyes lay shut and her chest remained unmoving, bereft of its natural lift and fall.
She was not breathing.
"Tahlkora!" Kydar cried as he scrambled to his knees, and leaned over Anicara, "Tahlkora help!"
"I'll be right…" the monk began.
"Tahlkora now!" Kydar shouted.
The scribe placed two fingers to the hydromancer's neck and a bloody hand to her ribcage. She had a pulse, but still no breathing. Her ribs shifted under his hand, three of them broken and putting pressure on her lung. A scramble of sand announced Tahlkora's approach and the monk kneeled next to the drowned elementalist.
"She's not breathing, inhaled water I think," Kydar spouted as he felt for Anicara's solar plexus, "Her left ribs are broken, they might have punctured her lung!"
"No…" Tahlkora corrected quickly as she felt at the broken bones, "No they didn't pierce, but they are keeping her from breathing. We need to get the water out of her lungs. I'll take care of the ribs. You, tilt her head back, shut her nose and blow carefully into her mouth!"
"What!" Kydar blinked.
"Carefully!" Tahlkora responded hurriedly, even as she pushed healing blue light into the younger girl's torso, "If you blow too hard you'll only hurt her, if you breathe in while your mouth is over hers you could collapse her lungs! Hurry!"
Urgency forbid further questions and the scribe did as instructed. He cradled the girl's head as he tilted it backwards and clamped two fingers over her nose. Leaning down he pressed his mouth over her blue painted lips and exhaled into her.
"Be still no more, renounce the grave, and breathe once more the breath of life!" Tahlkora quickly, and fervently prayed, "Renew Life!"
The rush of healing energy flowed into Anicara, and several bruises ebbed away from her form as bones and flesh reknit and snapped back into place. Kydar lifted away from her face, sucked in air quickly and then sealed his mouth over hers once more. Tahlkora wasted no time and quickly straddled the girl's waist, pressed two hands to her solar plexus and began pumping firmly. Frightened silence settled over the beach, broken only by Tahlkora's frantic breathing as she shoved up and down on the girl's chest. Kydar lifted up to breathe again as he gave a growl of terrified annoyance.
"C'mon!" he shouted, before diving down to press his mouth over hers once more.
As if on command Anicara's eyes snapped open, and her chest expanded with a deep heave. The intake of breath was followed by a rush of expelled water, as a painful cough racked her form. Kydar pulled away as the sudden backflow washed into his nose and mouth, and he sputtered as Anicara rolled over on her side. The girl's ribs shuddered and heaved as she coughed up water, and then retched as her stomach heaved as well. Kydar choked and snorted water out of his nose as Anicara vomited helplessly, expelling the water she had both swallowed and breathed. Tahlkora sat back in the sand, panting lightly as she wiped sweat from her brow.
For several moments no one spoke, as the party members simply tried to catch their breath. Finally, a strange echoing sound bid Kydar to look up, only to find that Dehjah and her sisters had formed a circle around the party. The djinn held their hands up, offering applause to the brave humans, though the sound of their clapping echoed strangely from their spiritual forms. Kydar noted with annoyance that one pair of corporeal hands had also joined the applause. A smirking Apprentice clapped lightly at their performance, looking absolutely none the worse for wear.
"We thank you humans," Dehjah said gratefully, "Thanks to your bravery, the lower Elon has been returned to us. With this I may summon more of my sisters to join us, and we can retake the Mahnkelon Waterworks."
"Glad to…" Kydar wheezed, as he wiped his nose against the back of his glove, "Glad to be of service.." he managed.
"Please, remain still," Dehjah bid them, "My sisters will aid in your recovery. The defeat of these demons has increased our advantage, but it is an advantage we loose with each passing moment."
"The Drought…" Kydar nodded, "You say… you say it's even stronger than that thing we just killed?"
"Indeed it is," Dehjah nodded, "It is a servant of Abaddon himself, and it will take all of our strength to defeat it."
A shift of sand announced the approach of Yartu, who manifested in a whirl of dust and glass before settling into her ethereal form.
"We may have less time than we think my friend," Yartu reported to Dehjah, "I feel the tromp of boots upon my land, and the tracks of soldiers marr my fields. The Warmarshal has sent reinforcements to the Waterworks… likely to protect the Drought."
"What do you mean… protect?" Kydar questioned, as he coughed and beat his chest to clear his airways again.
"To consume the river will require the Drought's full attention," Dehjah explained, "It is our hope to catch the Drought unawares, and slay it while it has not the chance to gather its strength."
"So… the Warmarshal has anticipated our action?" Sousuke spoke up, as he wrung out his gloves on the sand.
"Perhaps," Yartu nodded, "But I sense only a small number of troops. If she suspected anything, it was probably Whisper spies, not an armed invasion force. We may yet surprise our foes."
"But it will not be long before the Drought senses the loss of one of its minions," Dehjah said, "And once it has, it will learn that we can slay demons, and it will summon more of its Droughtlings to protect itself."
"Then we'd better get a move on," Kydar grunted as he pushed himself to his feet, "Aagh… son of a…" he groaned as various pains punished him for his action.
"Careful," Yartu grumbled, "You're no good to us if you bleed to death."
"We'll be fine," Kydar said through gritted teeth, "You djinn can work your magic on the way. You just said we haven't any time to waste… so we need to move."
"Then let us head to the north," Dehjah said with a nod, "There is a camp nearby that is near the floodplains. My sisters will tend to you as we travel."
"Sounds… ngh, sounds good to me," Kydar nodded, "Everybody who can stand, on your feet. We got ground to cover."
"Just let me mend Anorah's leg," Tahlkora requested as she shuffled across the sand, "I think she broke it when the rock landed on her."
"I don't think we have time Tahlkora.." Kydar said as he looked up at the sky, "The sun's already passed mid-day. We have do this on the way. Is anyone here not injured?"
Adept Jin hopped to her feet and saluted in response. Adept Sousuke complained of a few bruises, but assured them that his armor had protected him from any real harm. Though the Apprentice said nothing, Kydar immediately pointed at her and beckoned for her to step forward.
"You have proven to be completely useless so far," he snapped, "So make yourself useful. Help Anicara along, carry her if you have to."
"Oh now that is a bit unfair I think," the necromancer pouted lightly, "I told you all about that little weak spot didn't I? That counts for something I'm sure!"
"Help Ani," Kydar ordered curtly, and turned away from her, "Sousuke, you're with me. We're going to carry Anorah."
"I will walk on my own," Anorah quickly countered, "It is merely a flesh wound, and I…"
The dervish's attempt to stand was thwarted, and her sentence cut off as the pain in her leg nearly caused her to fall. Sousuke caught her shoulder and supported her as Kydar moved to her side as well.
"We're carrying you," he reiterated, "Jin, you see to Melonni, she doesn't look so good."
"I can manage…" Melonni grunted, but accepted Jin's hand as the ranger helped her to her feet, "Just a bit bruised from the ice is all…"
"Alright, let's move out," Kydar said, "Tahlkora you can work on this leg as we go…. Tahlkora?"
The young monk had stepped away from the group, her senses tingling with uneasiness. Something had changed around them, as though an unnatural stillness had settled over the island. The girl stared down at the river, her brow furrowed as she knelt at the water's edge.
"Do you guys… hear that?" she asked.
All stopped to listen. There was no sound in the air, all was calm, quiet and still. Kydar frowned curiously, and turned to Dehjah… who stared intently towards the north. Her face was not like a human face, possessing no mouth or nose. But her expression was clearly readable, one of horror, pain, and absolute terror.
"I hear nothing," Jin finally said.
"Exactly!" Tahlkora said, "No wind… no birds… not even the river!"
The party cast about, and their attention finally turned to the river itself. The Elon had stopped, frozen not by cold but as though time itself had halted its flow. The once powerful currents no longer babbled against rock, sand and stone, and instead lay perfectly and completely still. Experimentally Tahlkora dipped a hand into the water, and lifted up a handful of clear liquid. The water shimmered in her palm like a clear jewel, but it did not flow out of her hand or pass through her fingers. Startled the girl dropped the orb, and the handful of liquid fell through the air, changing shape before striking the sand. But rather than be absorbed into the earth and disappear, the water only rolled over the sand, slipping down the dusty incline until it rejoined the river from whence it came.
"Gods above…" Melonni gasped, "What… what does it mean?"
"It means…" Dehjah said, her ethereal form quivering, "It means the Drought has almost completed its task. It has at last purged the holy power from these waters, and in doing so… it has stilled the river's flow. We must make haste, for even now the river dies."
"How much time do we have left?" Kydar asked urgently.
Dehjah was silent for a moment, and closed her luminous eyes in thought.
"We are within hours of the end," she finally spoke, and turned her gaze down to Kydar, "If we cannot retake the Waterworks and slay the Drought by last light, then the demon will win. My sisters and I will fade away, Kourna will die… and the Elon will be consumed."