Chapter 19
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
They rode on, reaching the outskirts of the forest at about mid-afternoon. As they continued toward the city, the undergrowth thickened until they were riding toward a thick treeline. Mist hung in the air, and they could smell the dampness of the approaching forest before they reached it.
As the trees loomed over them, the path narrowed. Devon’s vision took on a red tinge, and a red line loomed toward him. Fate’s anticipation ability was sending him a warning.
Within the blink of an eye, three shadow cats and a snow-leopard were heading into the trees. In her snow-leopard form, Izzy faded into the undergrowth. Shade was abundant in the forest, and the shadow-cats magically jumped between shadows without passing through the area in between. Further up the path, they located a silthrine and her companion. Each was armed with a self-made bow and dressed in little more than rags. Their lizard-like features looked scared as their targets had just disappeared in front of their eyes.
The silthrine ladies looked around them in awe as golden mist covered the surrounding area and white sparkles clung to them. Their auras were golden, and Devon sighed with relief. He had no desire to kill these two waifs. The two lizard women fell to their knees, fear contorting their feminine features. “Lord Wayfarer, could that truly be you? Have you come for our souls?”
Devon broke cover and stepped out of the shadow right beside the kneeling ladies. He felt sad when he saw how terrified they looked. They truly believed they would lose their souls for a little petty banditry. These two were young and looked starved. Their eyes wide with fear as the enormous black cat stalked up to them. He changed into his shadow-pumine form—a large humanoid cat-man. Like Shalim, he consisted of pure shadow; unlike Shalim, Devon could talk while in this form.
The silthrine ladies instantly pushed their faces hard against the ground. “Please, Lord, forgive us. Don’t take our souls.”
Devon reached down and gently guided the two girls back to their feet. They looked apprehensive about standing in his presence, but they obeyed without question. “You must do something for me if you wish to keep your lives,” he growled.
A human, an elf and an enormous horse appeared behind him, causing the girls to look even more scared. “A, anything, Lord.” The smaller silthrine said, the red combs on her head twitching nervously.
“Go into the forest and tell your people what you saw. Give them this message. The waygate will reopen at midnight tonight. They should make their way there, and I will take you all to new homes in a place where you can be well-fed, safely housed and free. Everyone will be welcome. The Wayfarer has returned to fulfil the promise he made to your people nearly two thousand years ago. I am also looking for soldiers to join me.” He delivered the message slowly and clearly, hoping that the petrified ladies would spread it far and wide. He couldn’t search for each refugee, but these two probably knew where a lot of them were.
“Yes, Lord. We will spread the word, and they will come. We promise.”
“What are your names?” Izzy asked.
“I am Darcia, and this is my sister Braken. Would you allow us to join your army?” said the shortest silthrine. She was no more than five feet tall, which was short even for the diminutive lizardfolk.
Devon laughed. “Yes, I would. Maybe we can teach you to shoot straight once you get your magic.”
The girls looked amazed but realised they had been given work to do, so without another word, they fled away into the depths of the forest.
Izzy looked at him and smiled. “Nicely done.”
****-****
“This is Triana’s outer wall. We are outside the slum area on the western side of the city,” Izzy explained. “The forest borders onto that part of town.”
“The wall’s not too high. We could probably climb over right here if we jump up from Jet’s back.”
“Easily,” Gwen added, looking up at the wall.
“You are not coming with me, Devon. The guards will notice you instantly, and even you cannot fight an entire city full of those brutes with just us by your side. I have things to do, and Gwen is still recovering,” She laughed. “Although, from the historical records I read, you tried to do it by yourself last time.”
Devon snorted. “I made it into the throne room, but by then, I was exhausted, and my symbiot had given up. It’s no wonder Entwaine managed to incapacitate me with a crappy freeze spell, allowing the bitch-queen to claim a victory even though she technically cheated.”
“Entwaine is still her second, and he still spends half his life whispering in the queen’s ear. That is what Astley tells us, anyway.”
Devon froze at the sound of that name. “Izzy, promise me that you will not tell Astley anything. Bring her with you when you return if you can, but please, don’t tell her anything.”
Izzy gave him a worried look. “I promise, of course, not a word. I will go in alone and bring a delegation to you. Mersia will be desperate to meet you, as will everyone else. I have spent my life in there being invisible to the guards. Your only dalliance inside those walls has become a thing of legend. You really should read that book I gave you. It contains ancient texts and histories about you. It is my notebook.”
“Fine, but you had better come back to me,” he said, then twisted in the saddle and kissed her gently on the cheek. “You’re far too important to me, and I need you in my life.” Devon reached into a pocket and withdrew a small crystal sphere. “Take this. Keep it safe, and do not give it to anyone. When the waygate opens, it will start to glow with a golden colour and will guide you to it. Only with that token will your group be able to pass through.”
Izzy delicately took the sphere and tucked it away. She felt her face turn scarlet. Her emotions had done a backflip as soon as he’d said that he needed her. She loved him, ached for him, but she had never dared to dream that he might ever want her in that way. Because of that, she had been struggling to bury her intense longing for him. It was a new emotion for her. It made her feel hollow inside, vulnerable, but what she felt was incontrovertible. Did he love her? She hadn’t dared to go looking for the answer in his head. Then there was Gwen. Why was all this so complicated?
Fortunately, the one person in the world she could talk to was on the other side of this wall. In a desperate attempt to save face, she grabbed his shoulder and stood up on the saddle. With a leap, she pulled herself up and over the wall.
“One day, Wayfarer, then I will meet you back at the settlement.” Then she was gone.
“You’d better love me as much as you do her, or you’re in big trouble,” Gwen said. She looked upset, and there was anger in her voice.
“I love you both just as much. I can’t help the way I feel about the two of you.” Devon said. He had dreaded this moment, but he wanted to face it head-on. “You are the opposites of each other, and yet I need you and Izzy more than I can tell either of you.”
“Hrmph! I should be mad at you. I really should, but my heart itches every time I look at you. You make me stupidly happy, and you’re the only person I’ve ever met that is just as dark as I am. The elf better be ready to share because I’m not giving you up. No chance.”
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“We will sit down and work it out. Just can it wait until the queen is dead, please?”
Gwen nodded. She had expected this moment, but it had still hit her hard. She had no intention of waiting, though. The second Izzy got back to the settlement, Gwen would have it out with her. If the elf was reluctant to share, then she’d better be prepared for a world of pain. She forced herself to calm down. Devon deserved her understanding. He had given her everything and asked her for nothing in return. He had too much on his shoulders already.
After Gwen had re-seated herself behind him, he guided Jet back into the forest, and they began searching for the waygate’s original location.
****-****
Using his pendant to guide the way, Devon found the spot where the old waygate must have been. The location was a few minutes from the city’s edge. Even after centuries, the ground was still scorched in a circle the same size as the gate had been. Nature hadn’t dared to try and reclaim it. He and Gwen sat atop Jet in the centre and listened. It was nearly midnight, and they expected to hear the muted sounds of night animals going about their business, but there was nothing. If they were being stalked or watched by anything, they were good at their job. His shadow sight suggested that he and Gwen were alone, though.
He slid down from Jet’s back, walked to the centre of the clearing, withdrew the waygate charm from his pouch, then placed it on the ground. Gwen came up to stand beside him. Devon reached into his bag and removed the last four magical energy crystals. Hold those and feed them to me if I need them. This will need a lot of mana, and Brack can’t pull enough energy from this weak environment.
“Let the rebellion begin,” Gwen said, taking the crystals. Her voice was still sulky, but she couldn’t stop herself from getting swept up by the thrill of the moment.
Devon stepped back to the edge of the trees, fished out his pendant from under his shirt, and began channelling a generous stream of mana through the pendant into the charm. It felt strange for him to be doing something like this and not have a curious audience of villagers. It was good to be with Gwen, performing deeds that would change worlds. He didn’t miss the loneliness. The people in his new life filled a gaping space inside him that he hadn’t realised he had. Right now, he needed Gwen and Izzy more than anything. Also, he needed soldiers. He would not face the queen alone a second time. He’d bring an army of trustworthy people, and they would flatten their enemies as they marched to the palace.
Devon watched the flow of mana happily as it poured into the waygate. It was always a good feeling for him. A new waygate meant new adventures, and he was confident that this gate would not disappoint. Very soon, the faie could cross back into Earth realm and take residence in the world that was originally theirs. Once established, they would take the Earth realm back together.
Brack replied, apologetically.
Devon gestured to Gwen, and she popped one of the magical energy crystals in his mouth. It fizzed and dissolved as it slipped down his throat. Brack hungrily pulled all the energy from it before it reached his stomach, and he felt his mana surge as the dragon converted it into magic. The ghostly image of the waygate slowly started to become solid as his mana flowed into it. He nudged his dragon and asked him for all his channels to step up to ninety percent. Devon knew that this gate would connect to the key-nexus that was already powered up and active in Earth realm.
Devon made another gesture to Gwen and received another crystal in his mouth. This time Brack had drained it before it slid past his tongue. He nodded to Gwen again and received the penultimate crystal, which was swiftly sucked dry by his hungry symbiot. The gate was now pulling its power from him rather than requiring him to channel it. He supposed that the magic’s weakness in this realm meant he had to supply the process a lot more of his power. He needed to invent a better way to store magical energy. Maybe even bottle the dust from the mana-pool in the nexus. Devon wrenched his mind back to the task at hand.
Still, the gate dragged more from him. He consumed the last magical energy crystal and hoped desperately that it would be enough. Gwen placed her hand on his neck and channelled what little mana she had spare across to him.
Brack warned him.
Devon started to panic. This gate would start dragging at his lifeforce if there wasn’t enough mana to feed it and that never ended well.
Devon’s blood went cold as Brack’s mana flow ceased, and the gate started pulling at his own energy. The pain began to scream from every part of him. His lifeforce and vitality were sucked from him by the hungry waygate. Devon sank to his knees, cradled by a distraught Gwen, who was screaming at him to stop the flow. Her voice became more distant, and his sight started to tunnel and fade. He wondered if his body had broken when he heard a loud crack. Gwen spun to look at the waygate.
The gate’s form had become solid. Devon was just able to damn the energy flow, stopping it entirely before it killed him. He quietly thanked the elves and Defiance for sending Izzy to him with the crystals. They had proved valuable twice and saved his life this time. He vowed to create and store more for times such as these.
There was a thunderous thwump sound as the waygate flashed into operation. A bright blue haze filled the frame, its light flowing outward before gradually dissipating a few feet away. The gate was twenty feet tall and fifteen wide, and it hummed quietly. Devon had always thought his creations sounded happy, as if the hum was a sign of contentment. He felt the rush of the magical energy as it began to cascade from Earth realm through the gate. He and Gwen just knelt there, bathing in it as it flowed around them like rocks in a river. It would flood this realm within a few days, thus removing the hold that the queen had over the faie. Then they would strike her down. The countdown to Triana’s demise had now started.
Devon watched a golden beam of shielding energy flow out from the top of the gate and begin to spread out around it. The shield was an orb that surrounded the structure, protecting it from harm. As long as the gate had magical power, it would be shielded and hard to damage. Without mana, the waygate would just crumble to dust. The energy flowing from Earth realm’s nexus would keep the gate running indefinitely.
“Take Jet through and get the Shadows ready,” he said to Gwen. “I’ll follow you through in a minute.” He wanted to make sure the shield formed correctly and that the gate was set to refuse entry to anyone without a token like the one he’d given to Izzy. Otherwise, anyone could wander through, and that would compromise the settlement.
Gwen nodded and led Jet through the gate.
Once he’d set the gate correctly, he stood back and basked in the feel of the magical energy that washed over him. He already felt stronger.
Devon was pulled from his musing by the loud sound of shouts and numerous feet thumping through the trees toward him. The voices were loud and harsh, and he could smell their stench. Orcs! Some local guards must have heard the gate activate. He wasn’t concerned, however. The darkness was his church; it empowered him. He shifted into his shadow-cat form, a sizeable puma-like creature with razor-sharp claws and teeth even deadlier than Jet’s. This form was invisible in shadows, had perfect night vision, and still allowed him to utilise his magic. In this form, he exuded power and became a deadly predator.
Devon ran through the darkness. He wanted to get behind the incoming orcs and see what he was up against – no sense in taking foolish risks. When the hulking, green creatures came into sight, he could see that there were twelve of them, and they were the elite variety of the species. Being elite hadn’t made them smarter, though. Only two of the creatures had the sense to grab a torch, so their ability to see was limited. Unfortunately for them, orcs couldn’t see in the dark. Their smaller cousins, the goblins, could, but faie magic hadn’t blessed these creatures with the ability. Two of the twelve were hanging back; they were carrying heavy crossbows. You two need to die first, he thought.
At night the shadows ruled, so he could appear and disappear in any place that was visible to him. He appeared behind the first crossbowman and pounced. His teeth bit hard into the back of the orc’s neck, and then he pulled his head back hard. Its spine snapped, and the stricken creature collapsed. Then the shadows silently swallowed the monster cat back up. The second crossbowman yelled in horror, and the group halted their charge abruptly. They all drew their weapons and began to turn on the spot, trying to locate their attacker.
Black flames erupted from the floor where the orcs were standing and began to sear up their legs. Screams rang out as chaos ensued. The second crossbowman collapsed to the floor. Mind-numbing terror racked his body as he wept bitter tears, Devon’s ‘terrorise’ spell overwhelming every sense the poor guard had. The largest, most heavily armoured orc became wrapped in a thick black chain which oozed a dark mist from its links. The chain contracted and forced him down to the floor. This was one of his most potent Reaper spells. ‘Soul chains’ would keep the target wrapped up and drained of mana for as long as Devon had mana to spare.
A colossal cat materialised behind one of the torch-wielding orcs at the back of the group. Claws sank deeply into its flesh, either side of its torso, then raked back hard. The torch was extinguished as the eviscerated creature collapsed and rolled on top of it. Then the cat was gone again, disappearing into the shadows like a ghost.
The orcs closed into a tight circle, each facing outward, brandishing their weapon. Terror gripped every one of the remaining creatures. Their heads twitched left and right, their poor vision desperately trying to pick out any detail they could in the pathetic light of the one remaining torch. A black-feathered arrow blossomed from the last torch wielder’s eye, and a moment later, his head erupted with a loud explosion. Seven terrified orcs became covered in gore. They screamed as darkness engulfed them. Each guard made the same decision and ran as fast as possible, trying to add distance between them and the horror tearing into their ranks. The direction didn’t matter; it just needed to be away.
One orc knocked itself out as it blindly ran headlong into a tree. Another had its throat ripped out by something it never even saw. The others fell one after another as Devon systematically hunted them down. Not one of the creatures made it back to the wall they had been patrolling.
The squad of guards had been unlucky to encounter a Reaper in its natural environment.