Inside the whirlwind, the ground was a jagged mess. Fissures gaped and points of rock jutted out of them. There were very few flat spaces.

On one side nearby was Davorultumn, battered and bruised, a cut across his forehead. Across from him stood the Isyar Jorvanultumn had seen Davorultumn facing earlier. One of the Hgirh lay at that Isyar’s feet. The other Hgirh lay unmoving off to the side on one of the jagged pieces of land.

Fevionawishtensen traced equations on the blade of her sword. She leapt into the air just as the ground she was standing on flipped over. Jorvanultumn dove to the side. Rocks flew at both of them, but diverted just before impact. Davorultumn swept with his arms, spinning in place, and sent the rocks back towards the other elementalist. The Darker made similar motions and the rocks stopped midway. They hung in the air, unmoving.

Jorvanultumn spread his wings and joined Davorultumn’s dance, adding his own strength to it. The rocks shot forward, smashing into the Darker’s chest and forehead. He stumbled back.

Fevionawishtensen flew down at him. A jagged spire of rock rose in her path, but her sword cut right through it. She flew on, ploughing into the elementalist, and knocking him over. Without pause, she flipped over and grabbed hold of the Darker by the back of the head, landing on top of him. She pressed his face down into the ice, and pressed her knee into his wing.

Davorultumn nodded to Jorvanultumn, who caught his meaning. Jorvanultumn followed every movement of his diare, stepping, turning, waving in unison. Together, they took control of the whirlwind before it spiralled out of control. Gradually, they decreased its intensity, broke it apart. They allowed the snow, ice, and rocks caught in it to descend gently to the ground.

When the largest pieces were safely on the ground and the whirlwind was mostly dispersed, Davorultumn slowed his movements, while Jorvanultumn continued. Davorultumn sat down, gasping for air. Jorvanultumn reduced the air currents back to what they were before all this started and then released them. With a sigh, Jorvanultumn fell to his knees to catch his breath.

He did not get much time. Fevionawishtensen motioned to him and pointed to each of the two unconscious Hgirh with her free hand. With her other hand, she still had hold of the elementalist.

Jorvanultumn nodded, got up, and went over to the nearest of the two Hgirh. A quick check showed that the Hgirh was still alive. Jorvanultumn gathered some winds to lift the Hgirh up, then went over to the other one. He did the same there, and then used the air currents to carry both of them out of the damaged area and lay them on a softer patch of snow.

Fevionawishtensen joined him a moment later, dropping the elementalist unceremoniously on the ground. He hit the icy surface without bending or flinching, his body completely rigid. Fevionawishtensen must have done something to completely paralyse him.

“Do you know him?” Jorvanultumn asked.

Fevionawishtensen shook her head. We will question him later.

Davorultumn approached them, still breathing heavily. “Where is Mikranasta?”

“We got separated,” Jorvanultumn said. He called out mentally to her. Mikranasta?

I’ll be there soon.

“She is coming,” Jorvanultumn said.

Davorultumn nodded. “Yes, she just told me.”

A minute or so later, Mikranasta came into sight from the now-ruined copse. She was limping and had a nose bleed.

Jorvanultumn rushed over to her. “You’re hurt.” He offered her an arm to lean on.

“It’s trivial.” But she accepted his arm. “I twisted my ankle.”

“Your nose is bleeding.”

“That’s just an effect of extreme concentration.” She took Davorultumn’s hand as they reached him, and the two of them touched foreheads.

“What happened?” Davorultumn asked.

“There were two mentalists,” she said. “One was considerably more powerful than the other. I didn’t get a good look at her, but I’m sure it was Paydamat. The magic had her feel to it. The other one was less powerful, possibly her siare, Nascanmat. However, together they had an edge over me.”

“What happened to them?” Jorvanultumn asked.

“They fled when they realised the rest of the battle was going against them. It was only your winning your battles that allowed me to survive. If we’re able to, we should move quickly to find Meleng Drago. I don’t want those two mentalists to move him before we can get there. What of your opponents?”

The enchanter and conjuror are both dead, Fevionawishtensen signed. The elementalist is our prisoner. My two are unconscious and Davorultumn is heavily depleted.

“I’ll be fine,” Davorultumn said.

Mikranasta touched his face. “You’re sure?”

“Certain.”

She gave him a sad smile. “You know you can’t lie to me. Stay out here. Watch over the injured Hgirh and the prisoner.”

Davorultumn sighed. “As you wish. Jorvanultumn, go find your friend.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Jorvanultumn touched foreheads and wing tips with his diare. “Thank you for everything.”

Fevionawishtensen motioned to him. Come. She strode back into the ruined copse.

Jorvanultumn offered Mikranasta his arm, and together, they followed after Fevionawishtensen.

* * * * *

The cave was only a cave insomuch as it was inside the foothill and was accessed via an opening in the side of the foothill—an opening that previously would have been concealed by the szadane and szadenee. The walls of the “cave’ were smooth and square and formed a corridor—clearly not natural. An elementalist had probably created them. It would have been tiring, precise work, but Jorvanultumn could see how it could be done. He could probably do it himself if he were willing to spend the time, although he was unsure he could make such precise corners.

Occasional ice doors blocked their passage, but Jorvanultumn removed them with little effort. They led to small living areas, four of them in total. Jorvanultumn and the others only spent enough time in these rooms to confirm neither Meleng nor anyone else was in them.

It did not take long to reach a larger room. It was unusually warm, and mostly bare apart from two tables. Meleng lay, naked and unconscious, on one of them.

Another Isyar stood between the two tables. That Isyar spun round as Jorvanultumn, Fevionawishtensen, and Mikranasta entered. “Where am I?” It was Nascanmat. “Did you bring me here? Are you here to help me?” He moved towards them.

Mikranasta held up a hand, and Nascanmat froze in place.

Jorvanultumn rushed over to Meleng’s side. His arms and legs were bound to the table with manacles. A quick check showed that he was breathing steadily. Jorvanultumn gently shook Meleng’s shoulders. “Meleng? Meleng? It is me, Jorvanultumn.”

Meleng did not wake.

Mikranasta approached Nascanmat. “I am going to allow you to speak, but know that if you attempt any spellcasting, I will know and block it immediately. It could be quite painful. Now, where is your diare?”

Tears poured down Nascanmat’s face. “I don’t know. I don’t know how I got here. I swear. You must believe me.”

Mikranasta indicated Meleng. “You know who this is?”

“It’s the human who was abducted.”

“Rather convenient that we find you standing over top of him,” Mikranasta said.

“It wasn’t me. I swear. It wasn’t me.”

“We shall see.” Mikranasta placed a hand on Nascanmat’s face. “If you’re telling the truth, don’t resist.” She stared into Nascanmat’s eyes for what felt to Jorvanultumn like ages. Finally, she lowered her hand and stepped back. “He’s telling truth that he doesn’t know where Paydamat is. Everything else is hidden under many complex mental shields, probably put there by Paydamat. It will take me time to unravel them all.”

“I really didn’t do it,” Nascanmat said. “Please, you must believe me. I—”

“Enough.” Mikranasta held up a hand, and Nascanmat fell silent again, almost perfectly still apart from a tremble and the tears still pouring down his face.

Jorvanultumn looked down at Meleng and ran a hand through his friend’s hair. “Is it possible it wasn’t him?”

Mikranasta took awhile to respond. “I doubt it, but yes. It is conceivably possible. I will need to examine him more closely to be absolutely sure. But I’m sure I felt Paydamat outside, and if she’s involved, it’s hard to believe her siare isn’t also.”

Jorvanultumn tried one of the manacles on Meleng’s wrist. He could not magically manipulate metal, but he could manipulate some rock from the walls to break the manacle, though that risked harming Meleng. “Could someone have misled you into believing you sensed Paydamat?”

Mikranasta sighed. “Again, doubtful. I’ll examine Nascanmat more thoroughly later. First, we need to help Meleng Drago.”

Fevionawishtensen brushed past Jorvanultumn. She gave him a smile and traced an equation onto the manacle he was holding. It broke apart and fell away. Then she circled the table and did the same to the other manacles.

Mikranasta place a hand on Meleng’s cheek. “He’s in a dreamscape. It’s been set to repeat with manipulations from Nascanmat.” She sighed. “Or whoever has been experimenting on him.” She let go of Meleng. “I have ended the dreamscape, but it will take time to fully undo what has been done to him. He may also have a hard time accepting reality, as he’s been subjected to constant illusions for the past few days. It is a terrible thing to go through.” She walked over to Jorvanultumn and put a hand on his arm. “He will need support from people like you and Sinitïa Alessia Deanna Folith, the people who love him. Be patient with him.”

Jorvanultumn nodded. “Of course.”

Mikranasta began to rummage through the things on the second, smaller table beside the one Meleng was on. It was covered with papers and books, as well as a some writing implements and jars of ink. “These appear to be primarily resources that Nascanmat...or whoever was using as guides, but there are a few notes as well. We should go through them when there is more time. Fevionawishtensen, check the other rooms we passed through. See if there are any clothes, blankets, or anything we can wrap Meleng Drago in to keep him warm on the return home.”

Fevionawishtensen nodded and left the room.

Mikranasta picked up a small book, opened it, and started leafing through it. Jorvanultumn came up beside her and peered at it.

“A journal,” she said, “by the person experimenting on Meleng Drago. On a quick glance, the author does not appear to identify themself. However, perhaps a handwriting comparison with Nascanmat might be useful.” She snapped the book closed. “I’ll hold onto it and go through it more thoroughly later.”

Jorvanultumn had not managed to see much of what was in it, just a sentence or two here and there as Mikranasta had flipped the pages. The writer seemed frustrated that Meleng was seeing through the illusions. That made Jorvanultumn smile. Good going, Meleng!

Fevionawishtensen returned with a bundle of blankets. Jorvanultumn and Mikranasta took the blankets and, together, carefully wrapped Meleng.

I am strongest, Fevionawishtensen said. I will carry him. She lifted Meleng off the table.

“I will guide Nascanmat out,” Mikranasta said. “Jorvanultumn, my ankle still bothers me, so I may need your help until we are outside and I can fly.”

Jorvanultumn offered her his arm. She took it and they headed for the entrance, Nascanmat following jerkily behind them.