Description: It's time. Carthak will fall.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: I let the Graveyard Hag have her way in this story. Daine has the gumption to stand up to her, but Arram strikes me as being far more deferential. How many more times do you think before our dear mage gets it through his thick skull that Daine isn't going to be saved? He's not had the years of experience with the strong-willed women of Tortall, and Carthaki women are described as being veiled and strike me as being more demure.
Also, fair warning, the end of this chapter gets quite dark.
Chapter 14
Daine spent the morning with Lindhall convincing his animals, the ones who couldn't be released, into travel crates to be smuggled out his rooms by slaves. The young woman had no idea where they were being taken but the master reassured her, they would be cared for. During the midday meal she bombarded him with questions about her new teacher. Apparently Arram was unnervingly brilliant which had often gotten him into trouble in his youth and Lindhall had an abundance of amusing tales to tell. It was hard to picture the young man in those stories as someone who could destroy an entire country.
That evening when Arram visited he brought Prince Kaddar with him. Or rather, Kaddar brought Arram who was close to passing out again when the men carried him to the runed circle where he now sat recovering. Daine had read something in Alanna's medical journals once called bradycardia and hoped the mage wouldn't suffer from the side effects over the way he kept punishing his body. Just how often did he make this journey to the university?
"You shouldn't have come a second time, my boy," Lindhall scolded while Arram attempted to wave him off.
"It was necessary. I apologise," Kaddar addressed his master. "Have the merchants and the other members of the coalition boarded their vessels?"
The prince didn't seem at all surprised to see Daine when she approached. The young woman guessed Arram must have mentioned she was hiding in Lindhall's rooms. Alanna would be pleased to know she'd been right to suspect the heir being part of this underground movement.
"They are in the process of leaving," Lindhall informed him. "Several members left with the last dye shipment but the rest leave at dawn. Are you sure it's wise to send away all your supporters, Your Highness? What if Arram is successful and defeats His Majesty, leaving the throne free for you to assume?"
"Then they will be called back," Kaddar replied simply. "Until that time, I cannot risk my uncle discovering their involvement in this coup and executing them." The prince looked over towards Arram who was now breathing steadily. "What of the slave rebellion? Are they hiding in the Zemhoukhe Mountains like we planned?"
"They are awaiting your arrival, Your Highness," the mage answered, his voice dry and scratchy. Daine fetched him a glass of water which he accepted with a grateful smile. "Two slaves will come for you before dawn. Be ready. They will escort you to the rendezvous point." Arram gave the dragonet an affectionate scratch under her chin who had come to check on him. "Kitten would you be kind enough to remove these?" He held out his cuffs to her. "I would prefer to have access to my full Gift for what is to come."
Kaddar gaped as the shackles and collar fell to the floor at a croak from the dragonet. "Are you sure I cannot convince you to join me?" His voice sounded hopeful. "Your power and knowledge would be invaluable to the revolution. I could grant you your freedom and anything else you desired."
The mage shook his head. "I thank you for the offer but if I don't defeat Ozorne then your revolution will be long and bloody."
"It still won't be easy," the prince sighed. "What of the Stormwings? Where will their allegiance lie when the dice rolls?"
"Rikash is set to challenge Jokhun for leadership of the Stone Tree Nation when I give the signal," Arram explained. "He would have preferred I free Queen Barzha, but that will only happen with Ozorne's death, and we cannot risk the Stormwings helping him to escape."
Daine didn't think they should be trusting Stormwings to do anything. They were treacherous, evil creatures with, maybe, Rikash being an exception. He'd been kind to Maura at least.
"If he wins the battle then ask him to join me and bring his flock. We could use all the help we can get," Kaddar grimaced. "What of Tortall?" The prince turned to Daine. "I know you cannot speak for your king and queen, but do you think they might send ships if I promise a true peace treaty once I am emperor?"
The young woman looked at her feet, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. It hurt to see so much desperation in Kaddar's eyes when there was so little she could do. "You're right, the best I can offer is to speak with Their Majesties when I get home. I've no idea what they'll decide though." Daine glanced up apologetically.
"I don't suppose you could call a dragon or a herd of centaurs to aid me?" the prince flashed her a wry smile. "I'd even settle for a few ogres if you could manage it?"
Daine bit her lip and shook her head, letting her wild tumble of curls hide the blush she knew stained her cheeks. "I wouldn't know how. I'm sorry."
Kaddar gave a dismissive wave. "It's just fanciful thinking. We could use a miracle which I'm hoping Master Draper will provide for me."
It was the first time Daine had heard anyone refer to Arram as a master. Her head snapped up to regard the mage who lowered his eyes and winced. Did the prince know about his dealings with the Graveyard Hag or was that only known between the older men, and now Daine?
"Will you come with me?" Kaddar gazed up at Lindhall, an imploring look in his dark eyes. In that moment he looked more like a boy than a prince who would command armies.
The elderly mage smiled softly and rested a hand on the prince's shoulder. "I've borne this land for as long as I can. I only stayed for Arram and to help free as many slaves as we could." Kaddar swallowed and opened his mouth, but Lindhall got there first. "There is nothing you could offer me that would make me want to live in a slave country any longer. I plan to go north if all goes well."
"Then I will take my leave to pack my things," the prince sighed heavily before straightening and plastering a smile on his face. He looked at each of their faces in turn. "I wish you all well and hope we meet again once the dust settles."
Kaddar and Lindhall embraced fondly before the prince nodded respectfully to Arram. Turning to Daine, he took her hand, bringing it to his lips to brush a kiss over the knuckles making heat rush to her face. With one last look at the mages, Kaddar opened the main door and left.
The group were silent for a minute until Kitten gave a forlorn chirp, wandering over to the young woman and tugging on her breeches. Daine picked her up giving the dragonet a cuddle before turning to look at the men.
"I was curious as to how you'd been escaping your confinement," Lindhall remarked with a chuckle. "It wouldn't have surprised me to learn you'd created a new spell to remove them yourself, but this makes more sense."
The dragonet sat up in Daine's arms and chattered proudly.
"Kitten is quite the little mage," Arram smiled warmly. Standing he stretched his long limbs and exited the protection circle. "May I borrow some clothes? I think I'd like to feel human again before tomorrow."
"Are you planning to stay here tonight?" Lindhall frowned in concern. "I could make the couch up –"
The younger mage waved away the offer. "I don't plan on sleeping. I'm going to meditate and gather all my strength. We'll need it if we're to succeed tomorrow."
"You could do to rest," the master scolded.
"I can sleep when this is all over," Arram said lightly.
"What can I do to help?" Daine approached the pair not wanting to be forgotten in all their plans.
For a moment it looked like Arram would refuse before he sighed heavily. "Can you evacuate all the animals from the city? There will be nowhere safe tomorrow. The quieter they can leave, the better."
"I'll try," she promised.
Daine placed Kitten on the floor and settled herself down tailor-style. Closing her eyes, the young woman contacted the birds first. They were the swiftest and would be able to carry messages to the other animals faster than any other creature in her range. Next, she informed the palace cats and dogs, asking them pass on the word and to get themselves out of the city. The crocodiles who were at the furthest point of her reach just laughed and said they would stay. The death and destruction would likely serve them up a good feast tomorrow.
Arram followed Lindhall into his bedchamber where his friend began to rifle through drawers to find a shirt and breeches that would be big enough to fit him.
"You should pack tonight if you're to leave tomorrow with the tide," Arram pointed out, noting the absence of packed cases and shelves full of personal possessions and books.
"I thought I would stay and help you," Lindhall muttered, pulling out a shirt only to discard it on the bed.
The younger mage shook his head stubbornly. "I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you. You're not a war mage. Besides, I need you to take Daine with you when you go."
The master pierced him with a sharp look before turning back to his task. "You really think the girl will leave with me? She seems quite determined to stay."
"I know…" Arram sighed, accepting the beige rough-spun shirt his friend found. "I don't know that I could protect either of you from what is to come. It's safer if you both leave." The shirt was a little short in the arms but the length in the body was about right. "The Banjiku will be joining you on your vessel with their animals."
Tano and the other tribespeople were breaking into the menagerie tonight to free the animals and convince as many as they could to leave with them. The emperor's precious collection of birds would be released from their elegant cage to find their freedom and the mage wished them well. It was the least he could do in gratitude for them bringing Daine and Kitten into his life, however briefly.
Lindhall went to the wardrobe and handed Arram a pair of dark green breeches which he pulled on gratefully. They ended half-way up his calves, but the mage didn't care. It felt far too good to wear clothing again, if a little strange. He opted to keep his own sandals as Lindhall wouldn't have a pair of boots big enough to fit his feet anyway.
"What are you planning to do?" the elderly mage asked, avoiding Arram's gaze while he laid out clothes for himself on the bed.
"The same as before – during the fall of the Ikhiyan dynasty," the younger mage wet his lips. "The Graveyard Hag has decided the people need reminding of who really holds the power in these lands, and I will see it done."
Lindhall turned sharply to grip his shoulders, blue eyes bright with tears. "Promise me you'll follow us as soon as you're able?"
Arram swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. "I will try," he whispered knowing it was a promise he couldn't keep. "If I survive the fight with Ozorne and his mages then I'll fly to meet you." The words felt like a lie as soon as they left his lips.
Vessels rarely survived having the power of a god channelled through them. There were multiple records in the library dictating how civilizations had fallen but, almost always, the arbiter of the god died in the process. Those that survived lived half-lives or lived just long enough to set their affairs in order before the Black God took them. If he managed to reach Daine and Lindhall, by all accounts Arram would only have a limited time to instruct the young woman about her wild magic. Maybe that was the part he was destined to play in the war against the Queen of Chaos: teacher to the most powerful Wildmage in history. Arram shook his head to clear it. There was no point in looking too far ahead when he still had to survive tomorrow and defeat Ozorne.
Entering the main room fully dressed, Arram sat opposite Daine and let himself sink deep into meditation. The mage was barely aware of the time passing when he felt his new student retire for bed. Arram spent the entire night gathering every last drop of his Gift for the fight ahead. When predawn light began to filter through the windows, he finally opened his eyes and stretched. The mage hadn't noticed before but the tanks in Lindhall's main room were all empty. It was eerily quiet without the sound of animals stirring or feeding as he entered the assistant's room first to wake Daine.
"It's time for you to leave," he shook her shoulder gently.
The young woman yawned but sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes. "I told you; I'm staying."
Arram sighed not wishing to get into another disagreement about the necessity of her leaving. "Daine, please. I can't protect you –"
"Who says I need protecting?" she retorted. "I can take care of myself!"
He cupped her cheek tenderly, barely resisting the urge to stroke the weathered skin with his thumb. "I am begging you, please return north with Lindhall. Your home is there with the people who care deeply for you, and His Highness is relying on you to speak with the king and queen on his behalf."
"I'm not leaving you behind if that's what you're thinking," the young woman raised her stubborn chin to glare at him.
"Daine –"
"No!" she shouted, blue-grey eyes flashing like a thunderstorm. "Now listen here you stubborn, infuriating, dim-witted –"
Arram kissed her.
In hindsight it wasn't his greatest idea but the moment he pressed his lips against hers everything else fell away. She tasted vaguely sweet as the young woman grabbed his shirt with both hands and clung to him, returning the kiss with enthusiasm. Cradling the back of her neck, Arram deepened the kiss until she moaned, a glorious sound that ripped right through him making what he did next even more vile. Using a whisper of his Gift, the mage entered Daine's mind and wove a sleep spell directly inside it. She went limp as Arram broke the kiss watching her flop back onto the bed. Kitten, who had been watching them with interest, screeched in outrage, baring her sharp little teeth at him.
"She's only asleep," the mage reassured her, lifting the young woman into his arms. "I couldn't risk her following me."
Zek whistled what sounded like a question before leaping onto the mage to climb up to his shoulder. The dragonet continued to berate him while he carried Daine into the main room where Lindhall stood waiting. Arram couldn't meet his friend's eyes, too ashamed of his actions, as he placed the young woman in his arms. Gently retrieving Zek from his shoulder, he sat him on Daine's lap after giving the marmoset one last affectionate stroke with his finger. Kitten still looked like she wanted to bite him, so the mage resisted the urge to pet her one final time.
"You need to leave," Arram swallowed hard. He'd never been any good at goodbyes.
Lindhall nodded and readjusted his grip on the young woman so he could grasp the younger mage's hand in a firm grip. "I will see you again, my boy."
"May Oinomi Wavewalker bless your voyage and see that you reach your destination safely," he murmured.
"Good luck, Arram."
The younger mage said nothing, merely nodded his head before he left, cloaking himself in an invisibility spell so Lindhall couldn't see the tears that fell from his eyes as he walked away from his friend and mentor.
With access to his full Gift, it wasn't difficult to walk about unseen through the university and out towards the river. Arram headed in the direction of Thak City, following the silent summons, grateful for the quiet and stillness of the morning while the walk helped to clear his mind. The sun had only just fully crested the horizon when the mage reached a large graveyard where the tombstones leaned at odd angles. It was overgrown with long yellowing grass and spindly weeds showing years of neglect. Cloth bundles buzzing with flies had been piled to one side and left to rot in the heat with no one available to give those poor people a proper burial.
"They will have their chance to show their displeasure at being forgotten," the Graveyard Hag stood from behind one of the tombstones, grinning wickedly. "Ready to get to work, dearie?"
Arram knelt respectfully before the goddess and bowed his head. "I am prepared."
A cold, gnarled hand rested on his bald head as everything went white. He was back on the sands of Siraj hearing the agonised screams of his victims: men, women, children... Divine power rushed into the mage until it became almost agony. He gasped for air when the Hag removed her hand, lights flashing behind his eyelids while his body adjusted to the influx of power.
"Get up," the Hag thumped the floor with her cane.
Arram obeyed, staggering to his feet as the world reorientated itself around him. He'd known great power all his life but never anything like this.
The goddess grabbed his chin and forced the mage to meet her black eyes. "Let the dead dance in the streets once more. Make the people remember me. Death and destruction shall rule this day."
"Your will is my command," he intoned.
The Graveyard Hag vanished, her nefarious laughter echoing all around.
Arram took another minute to readjust before he sent his silver sparkling Gift into the earth. Bones of the dead lay all around, some in individual graves, while others were crowded together in mass graves, unnamed and forgotten. It was time for them to take revenge upon those who wallowed in luxury while they had starved to death. The silver sparkling magic called to the skeletons, convincing them to break free and stand once again. All around the mage, the earth erupted with bony hands as the dead crawled their way to the surface. Rags were discarded as the rotting corpses climbed off one another to stand before him. It wasn't long before the graveyard was filled with an army of the dead, but it was the children that broke Arram's heart and tore at the last pieces of his soul. He beckoned them forth, crouching low to the ground.
"You don't want to be with us for what we do next," the mage said gently. "Why don't you go and play in the city? There might be some children who will kick a ball with you, or a kind seller to give you sweets."
Arram wasn't sure if the happy giggles were in his mind or if the dead children could still laugh as they ran or skipped away. Blinking back tears the mage strode to the head of his army, the skeletons parting to make way for him, and gestured for them to follow.
The Zekoi had its fair share of dead bodies as they rose from the murky waters covered in slime and mud to join the army. Arram visited every graveyard and burial ground while he made his way steadily to Thak's Gate where Ozorne's army planned to set sail today. Using his Gift, the mage created a silver sparkling bridge for his army to cross the river as they approached the barracks. It could have been considered amusing to watch trained soldiers forget all their drills and scatter in a disorganised pandemonium pelting spears and firing arrows wildly at the undead army, but Arram felt nothing but bitter rage.
For Siraj... "Kill them all," he commanded, his voice a soft whisper.
The dead cried out in manic delight and rushed the soldiers whose welfare had been prioritised over their own. Swords and spears lashed out while the living tried to defend themselves but how did you kill something that was already dead? Arram didn't hear the soldiers' screams. He heard the Sirajit women begging him for mercy or to spare their families. He heard the wails of children crying out for their parents who would never come to their rescue. Somewhere buried in the depths of his memory, a baby was crying in its cot. Tears slid down his cheeks as Arram recalled the cries to the forefront of his mind. The black robe monster wouldn't silence them today.
The mage drifted amidst the barracks slowly going through the first company, then the second, the third, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. The silver sparkling Gift streamed from his fingertips constantly resurrecting the fallen soldiers, adding to his own army until it was a thousand strong. Weaving the assemblage spell over the shattered bones and broken skeletons, Arram reminded them how the pieces fit back together allowing them to stand once more.
When there wasn't a single person left alive, the mage walked to the front of his army and looked out towards the palace. Someone was bound to have escaped and taken news to the emperor. It was foolish to think otherwise.
Activating a speech spell, the mage contacted Rikash. "It's time," he muttered before ending the spell and commanding his army in a hushed voice, "advance." Ozorne might have his mages, but Arram now had the numbers he needed to battle them.