Original: To Fire It Shall Return

Chapter 13

They saw no further sign of the cart as they rode toward the next city. Apparently it had survived its headlong rush to Montal, a fact that Alainna blessed as they passed through its borders. This city was different from those they had passed through before. It had a huge, stone wall that appeared to encircle the entire community, including the farmland that surrounded it. A tall iron gate had obstructed their passage until they had announced their identities to the guards at the top of the wall. It seemed quite new; the stone was gleaming and the mortar showed few signs of weathering. That explained why Alainna hadn't heard about it. It had probably been erected within the last few years, but why?

They hurried past the farmland, making for the town itself. Perhaps if they talked to some of the citizens of Montal, they could find out what necessitated the barrier. When they approached the town; however, they only saw the family they had helped on the road, standing on their cart. They shaded their eyes from the glare of the dying sun as they looked west along the road. When they recognized Kelden, Lelahn, and Alainna, the father bellowed at the top of his lungs:

"They're here!"

As if his words had involked a magic spell, people began pouring out into the streets toward the party. They came with joyous cries on their lips, and tears in their eyes as they greeted the White Sorceress with all the force they could muster. Alainna found it difficult to keep her seat in the face of the touching, pleading hands that assaulted her from all sides. She realized with a sinking feeling that Jaren's family must have told them who she was and what they had done. She cried desperately for quiet and finally a hush fell over the crowd as her voice was finally heard.

"I am the White Sorceress," she began, confirming their cries in her soft, soothing tone. "But I must ask you to go back to your houses and not to discuss the fact that I am here." A mutter began to run through the mob, drowning out her words. Finally Kelden's bellow rose up over the wash of the crowd.

"Listen to Her. This is very important!" The sound reluctantly died, and she shot a grateful glance at him before continuing.

"We are on a very important mission involving the Black Wizard, and it is vitally important that he not be able to use his magic to find us. By paying this attention to us, you are jeopardizing our lives and our mission. He will be able to fix on this to determine our position and attack us. So please, go home, and do not discuss this until we are well on our way." A single voice, the soft cry of a young girl rose out of the sea of faces.

"But Sorceress, we need you." This was met with a wave of assent that almost upset the three travelers with its intensity.

"Why?" asked Alainna. The crowd drew back slightly so they could see what lay before them. Behind them was a legion of injured men and women; some supported by others; some just lying exhausted in the dust; and still more barely supporting their own weight. Many looked to be warriors, others were children or elderly, and all sported horrific wounds. Scars and barely stitched gashes gaped from arms, legs, torsos, and faces. One man supported himself on a crutch as one leg was missing from the knee down. The stump looked ragged as if the appendage had been simply torn from its socket. Another's eye was a mass of scars that crisscrossed over the area, oozing over his nose and down his cheek. Alainna gasped, nearly overcome by the force of the human suffering she glimpsed.

"You must help us!" the girl called. The phrase was taken up like a mantra and was chanted from every throat until Alainna felt the tears break from her eyes and fall, dripping down her face. But she could not stop to help these people, she knew. It would be a life-long undertaking, even for someone like her - as surely whatever had injured these people would return. She couldn't afford to delay her mission for the time it would take to heal even a fraction of these people, and if she chose to stay for even a little while, she would have to stay to heal them all. How could she make the choice of who had the benefit of her power and who didn't?

I'll go to Lorenton and get Thalla to contact the Guildhall so they can send someone, suggested Sharra. Illyanna can get them here and you'll be able to continue. I'll catch up when I can,

Yes, go. The bird took off from her shoulder and began winging back the way she had come. Alainna knew that it would take her days to get there, and longer to catch up to them on the way back, but what choice did she have? Meanwhile, she had to leave this town, and pacify the citizens as she did so. She couldn't afford to stay even a night, or their need would overwhelm her. Even now their pain was battering at her mental defenses, threatening her resolve.

"My Familiar is going to fetch a sorceress to come here to Montal. Her specialty is Healing, and she will be able to help you more than I. For now, stay inside the city walls. They can protect you from your enemy, and will keep you safe until you are Healed," she proclaimed. She hoped that she was right. She had no idea what had caused this, and whether the barrier would afford any protection. She seemed to have guessed correctly as the crowd began to look up hopefully at Sharra as she flew into the descending sun. Alainna, Kelden, and Lelahn began to pick their way slowly through the crowd, careful not to step on any injured, but trying to escape them as quickly as they could. As they reached the edge of the mob, the cry started up again.

"Can't you heal even a few of us?" people began to beg from all sides. Alainna forced herself to sharpen her resolve.

"I'm sorry, but the Healer will serve you much better than I," she called, trying to override the pleadings. "We must complete our mission and we have no time to stop. The Black Wizard must be destroyed, or the consequences for all of Anata will be worse than what you have here. Please, go back to your houses and care for your injured until the Healer can arrive." The crowd followed them, battering at their ears as they pleaded for help, ignoring all of Alainna's pacifying words. She hoped that these poor, wretched people would remember what she'd said after she was gone. It would be a tragedy if she ruined their faith in her with this. They stepped up their pace, trying to get away from them as quickly as possible, without looking as if that was what they were doing. By the time they passed through the eastern gate, they had left the crying, begging people far behind.

Alainna looked over her shoulder at the silent, ghostly city, feeling a wave of depression wash over her. Then she looked up slightly, at the sun which was now very low in the sky, almost hidden by the taller buildings. She didn't know what had caused all of that pain and suffering, and she had a feeling that she didn't want to find out. Hopefully they could reach the next city before it was too dark. Her experience in the Badlands had taught her that horrors like that usually preferred the night as its hunting ground.

She glanced at Lelahn. Just like Koldar does, she thought. A fresh wave of hatred burst in her mind as she thought of all the suffering her nemesis had caused. Nothing would stop her from finding him and stopping him, finally, and permanently.

The Black Wizard gazed into his vision pool. It was a huge iron cauldren in the pinnacle of one of the tallest spires of Akarris. He had had it tuned to follow Alainna's progess since Karanis had found her in Lacuna. He watched Alainna, Kelden, and the girl as they left Montal with an unconcealed feeling of excitement. He had half expected that Alainna would be stupid enough to try to Heal all of those people herself. But he had underestimated her resolve, again. As soon as he'd seen Sharra wing her way west, he had known he had won; not even all of those injured people was enough to disuade her from coming to him - exactly as he had sent Karanis to ensure. Now all she had to do was make it to the next town before nightfall, or she may very well end up as dead as many of the people in Montal.

Karanis sat in her bedroom, holding a flute in her lap and staring into the flickering flame of a candle. It danced and wavered, casting shadows that seemed alive as they moved and were overwhelmed by the shadows from other candles. She sat on a stool, watching the flame, absorbing its heat, its essence, into herself until she felt as alive at it was. She closed her eyes. The light of the flame still reflected on the backs of her eyelids; the fire filled her vision until she could see nothing but its crimson light in her mind's eye; until it filled her entire being with its warmth. She lifted the flute to her lips and began to play.

She played no specific song, just letting the thin, breathy voice fill the room with its sweetness. The music breathed life into the room until it pulsed like a living entity in time with her notes. Her music was in constant flow, moving aimlessly, tunelessly, as if drifting on a breeze, and then suddenly taking off. Her fingers flew over the keys, playing combinations that drove her up and down the range of the instrument. Then they would soften, move slowly, lyrically. Sometimes she would pause on a note; just hanging there as if the sound was so beautiful that it was as painful to leave it behind as it was to keep up the flow of air necessary to sustain it. She poured her soul into the instrument, allowing its notes and soaring melodies to proclaim to the empty, uncaring world the things that she could not say in words. Only the music could express her feelings in a way too sacred to deride. Only the music demanded the kind of respect that no human could attain.

When her fingers began to grow sluggish and unresponsive, Karanis dropped the flute from her mouth and began to sing. She held the flute in her hands, cradling it in her arms like a child. The firelight glinted off the pure gold plating of the instrument. She spoke no words, allowing her soul to pour out in those meaningless syllables just as they had through her instrument. She rushed up and down her range, supporting the upper notes until that they made the walls ring, and darkening the lower ones until they seemed like a voice drifting up from Hell. Her eyes were still closed, but she stood and moved slowly around the room, drifting wherever the music took her. After seven years, she knew this room more intimately than even the house that she had lived in all of her childhood and her wanderings never caused her to stumble. Suddenly, the image of the flame in her mind broke apart and then reformed, wavering, as a presence disturbed her repose.

The music died in her throat as she opened her eyes and regarded Lokkar standing in front of her door. He had come in when she had been singing and the soft click of the door's closing had roused her from her trance. The music caressed her, trying to lure her back into its protective arms. It echoed in her mind, stroking soothingly at her startled, tense muscles and willing them to relax, even in the face of this invasion. She looked up at Lokkar, who was standing barely two feet away. She put the flute down on the stool, which was right behind her and forced her facial muscles to frown, despite the grip of the music that still possessed her.

"What are you doing in my room? I did not invite you in," she demanded. His dark face smiled, his lips pulling back into what he must have seen as a subservient, but concerned smile. To Karanis, the gleam of his teeth only looked predatory.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Lady Karanis." Karanis' frown deepened, she had no idea where he had obtained the term 'Lady' from, but he insisted on calling her that. She was a sorceress, not a 'Lady'. He paused, relishing the expression on her face and then continued mildly. "I observed your distress earlier today, and I simply wanted to see if you were all right. You didn't answer my knock, so I was concerned that you might have-" he cleared his throat, "done yourself damage."

Karanis shot him a look, and replied sarcastically. "Well, Lokkar. You can be assured that your 'concern' is completely misplaced. I'm not about to kill myself. Furthermore, I don't care if you think I'm doing battle with the devil himself; you do not enter my room without my inviting you in personally. Do I make myself clear?" Not a hint of fear crossed his face. He bowed politely.

"I apologize again, Lady. I did not intend to anger you." He turned and reached for the handle of the door. Karanis was deeply disappointed by his lack of reaction. As he grasped the handle, she spoke again, advancing nearer to him.

"Wait. I didn't say you could leave." He turned, a look of surprise flickering momentarily across his face. The surprise was quickly drowned however, by the impassive neutrality that usually ruled his features. She advanced even closer, forcing him to press his back against the polished wood of the door. She reached up and caressed his cheek, The Touch sending a thrill of pleasure through him. "I have never asked you to my bed before, Lokkar," she said, her voice soft and sultry. He looked down at her, obviously at a loss for words. She felt him responding where she pressed against him, despite his caution. Suddenly she Worked another spell and an intense wave of pain slammed into him. He jerked away from her, clutching at his genitals. Blood ran over his lips as he bit his tongue to keep from screaming.

She pulled the door open and grabbed him by the throat. She hurled the man, weakened into irresistance by the pain, into the hall where he collapsed on the stone floor. "There is a reason for that!" she nearly shouted. "Do not disturb me again. Not for sympathy, not for sadism. I will not tolerate anything of this nature again." The pain had diminished and he was able to look up at her, momentarily cowed by this display. Her voice dropped. "You are walking a thin line here, mortal. Be careful."

She turned her back on him and closed the door. She was shaking with rage and her throat was raw. Sighing, she tried to force her muscles to relax and sat down on her stool again, cradling the flute in her lap. She began to stare at the flame as she had before, trying to recapture the music. It seemed as elusive as a feather on the breeze now, though it had been such a strong presence mere minutes before. The flame capered in front of her eyes. Instead of being a power that she could harness, it flickered like a ghost, dancing just out of reach. After a few minutes her patience ran out and she flung herself down on her bed. Damn that man! she thought. She knew that only her music could bring her healing from the pain that had been awakened by her experience in Lacuna. She wanted to eradicate that shadow, so that it could never arise again. But that peace had been denied for now, all because of him. She wondered if he had meant to do it; but no, how could he have known what her music meant to her?

Lokkar arose painfully from the cold stone floor, hoping no one had seen or heard what had happened. He mentally berated himself; Karanis was right: he was walking a thin line, but his seeming security over the last twenty years had caused him to forget that. In the end, he was a mortal, surrounded by wizards and sorceresses who would have no reserves about killing him. He had allowed his illusion of power to override caution, and succumbed to the temptation to disturb Karanis when she was vulnerable.

The image of her slender, perfect body swaying and undulating like a sexual goddess to the time of her own music glowed in his memory like burning embers. He would remember her perfect body always. She'd been wearing a flowing skirt, and a knitted black shirt that lifted to reveal her smooth, swaying torso as she raised her arms above her head, twisting them around each other like two lovers. Since they had met, the heat of his own attraction for her had surprised him. He had tried to compensate by showing her the same hatred she had displayed to him, with mixed results.

He would have to be more careful in the future. The only thing that had saved him so far was Koldar's gratitude to Lokkar for saving his life and that gratitude would run out quickly in the face of determined urging from his lover. Lokkar glided down the hall, putting as much distance between him and the black angel in that room. He would have to make plans to leave, soon, before Karanis' patience ran out.

They rode far beyond sunset until the horses - unused to such prolonged exertion - were panting and exhausted. The moon was a tiny sliver high in the sky that barely cast any light at all. As the darkness deepened toward midnight, Lelahn felt her eyes beginning to ache from the strain of peering ahead to discern the road in front of her. There was still no sign of the next town, but they didn't dare stop and face whatever plagued Montal. Lelahn's bruised and aching body was beginning to protest in notes of exquisite pain and her limbs were threatening to lock up. Finally, mercifully, Alainna called a halt and dismounted. Lelahn forced her hands to unwind from the reins and swung clumsily to the ground herself. She leaned against the horse, hoping that it would support her if her legs chose to buckle. Kelden dropped to the ground beside her, landing easily. He smiled at Lelahn.

"Don't worry, we all need a rest. Whatever this place wants to throw at us, we can handle." Lelahn managed a nod, and forced her body to carry her as she walked her horse off the road and tied it to a tree. She sat down heavily on the blanket Alainna laid out for her and put her head down. Despite her best efforts to stay alert, within moments she was asleep.

The Black Guildhall was in one of the southernmost regions of Mecco. Its stone spires cast dark shadows on the shallow strip of water that separated the tropical land from the unexplored continent to the south. Conventional wisdom maintained that there had once been a land bridge that connected the two, but time and the rising sea had eliminated the slender ribbon of land. Unlike Akarris, the granite castle had large windows and huge open rooms. The windows let in the warm sunlight and a cool, scented breeze wafted through the building. The ocean moved gently, crashing against the sandy beaches without violence. It gleamed a gorgeous blue in the sun.

The members of the black Guild mounted the steps toward the massive wooden doors and were eventually seated in their own meeting hall. It was well-lit by the sun and cool from the breezes that moved slowly through the open windows. Nothing of value was kept in the ancient building, and it was so far removed from Anata, that none of the usual paranoia was displayed here.

Unlike at the white Guild meetings, the greetings were more restrained, but warm. Karanis chastely embraced some old friends and smiled at a few acquaintances before moving into the meeting hall with the rest of the Guild members. Koldar was nowhere to be seen, but Karanis wasn't surprised. This was to be the first meeting that he appeared at since his battle with Alainna. It had been over a hundred years since he had come to a meeting, and many of the younger members had never seen him at all. He had taken on the status of a legend among those members and she could see some of them whispering amongst themselves excitedly. She smiled and settled back in the uncomfortable chair, waiting for him to make his appearance, and hoping, privately, that he would finally reveal to them, what his plans were. She was tired of being kept from his confidence.

Koldar stood in the anteroom outside the meeting hall, and tried not to finger the scar on his cheek nervously. He wouldn't admit it, but he was apprehensive about how well he would be received after his long absence. The man who had temporarily taken over his duties while the Wizard had been… incapacitated, was watching him narrowly. Koldar didn't look at him, pointedly staring at the wooden door that lay between him and his followers rather than at the man. Koldar struggled for a moment to remember his name, almost smiling at his inability to recall it. The man cleared his throat and abruptly the name popped into his head - Torus. Koldar waited a split second before acknowledging his presence.

Torus was a much shorter man than the Black Wizard was, and Koldar stared down at him, barely hiding a look of contempt. He wore his brown hair clipped short, and the lavish cloak that he wore seemed much too big for him, nearly dragging on the ground. A perpetual sneer twisted his features, handsome as they were, and he made no effort to be deferential in light of the Black Wizard's rank. Koldar's eyes narrowed.

"Thank you for taking on my duties while I was indisposed, Torus. You have distinguished yourself," he said, trying to sound sincere despite his instinctive dislike of the man. Where did they find this rat? he thought to himself. Torus didn't even bow.

"Thank you Wizard. I treasure your gratitude. I hope this will breed good feelings between us," Torus answered, his eyes searching Koldar's. Koldar nearly laughed in the man's face, but kept his features carefully neutral. Torus was proposing some sort of payment, which Koldar was supposed to grant out of gratitude to him.

"I will be sure to call upon you again to take over my duties, should the need arise," Koldar answered, pretending to misunderstand. His voice was subtly sarcastic.

Torus frowned. "I was considering something a little… more suited to the sacrifice I have made in aiding you in the matter."

Koldar smiled. "Are you suggesting that I perform some service for you for this?" Torus didn't answer, but his face showed plainly that yes, that was exactly what he was suggesting. Koldar pretended surprise. "Was it such a sacrifice?"

"It took a great deal of my time, and without the benefit of Black Wizard magic, it was very difficult to retain credibility as your replacement."

"Yes, yes, I suppose it took away from your quality time with your wife and children." Koldar was openly sarcastic now.

"Nevertheless, Wizard-"

Koldar overrode Torus' protest. "Don't fence with me, Torus. You want me to pay you to step down. Put that out of your mind. You could have had the benefit of my gratitude, but now you will get nothing," he said harshly. He turned away from the man and began walking toward the door. Torus' soft voice from just over his shoulder halted him in mid-step.

"Have you fully recovered, Wizard?" he said quietly, with a hint of threat in this voice. Koldar turned, a terrible smile on his face. He regarded the man for a moment, then grabbed him under the arms, lifting him off the ground and slamming his back against the wall. The blow tore the breath out of the smaller man and he didn't even squirm as he struggled to get oxygen back into his lungs. Koldar held him there for a few seconds and then let him go. Torus crumpled to the ground and stared up at him, gasping.

"Quite fully, thank you." Koldar drank in the terror in the man's eyes for a moment and then turned his back on him, striding purposefully out the door and onto the stage.

Red anger, hotter than molten lead, flows over Kelden's body. Its scalding, hissing path elicits a shrill scream that echoes hollowly and is swallowed up, unheard, by the emptiness of the dreamworld in which he is trapped. The wolf growls deep in his throat, straining against its bonds. Its master keeps it tightly reined; to give it freedom would be to destroy all that he has accomplished. It throws its head back and roars into the night, proclaiming its frustration to all within hearing--

--Kelden was roused from his fitful, dream-filled sleep by a scream that tore the night apart in one brief, poignant expression of terror.

There were no Presiders for the Black Guild, and no need for them. Very few mortals lived in Mecco, and the black sorceresses and wizards preferred to be as independant as possible. For that reason, the meetings were rare, and there was little to discuss at them.

The Black Wizard looked out upon the crowd, a look of implacable evil on his face. His voice was low and ringing, and the scar on his cheek lent an additional air of danger to his features. Karanis tried for the first few minutes to catch his eye, but gave up as she realized that he wasn't looking at anyone. His attention was turned inward as he struggled to reestablish himself after his long absence. She relaxed and allowed herself to simply bask in his presence. The congregation was utterly silent and his voice swept through the room like a malevolent fog. Karanis didn't hear most of what he said until she was suddenly snapped to attention as Koldar's voice took on a hard, ringing tone.

"Many of you helped with the move of Akarris across the Great Ocean, and no doubt you are all wondering about the necessity of this. As well, our appropriation of the White Guild's horses, has been accomplished quickly and efficiently, but again, without any reason given.

"As we speak, Alainna and two other Guild members are riding across Anata, intent on finding Akarris and demanding the answers to those questions. I have done nothing to stop them, and nothing will be done to stop them." Koldar's eyes flashed, punctuating the importance of this order to his followers.

"As you know, the time of reckoning is coming upon us quickly. The horses have been taken to ensure that no mass-assault from the white Guild can be taken on Akarris in the coming years - even if they could find it. I have made one exception, however. I have decided to talk to Alainna and enlist her aid in preparing our world for it, so I have arranged for her to come to my fortress. I am convinced that she will agree to my terms." The Guild was in an uproar. The thought of an alliance with the White… Even Karanis felt a protestation rising to her lips. She forced herself to relax and smile, despite the turmoil inside her. It wouldn't do to have the lover of the Black Wizard be surprised by what he did; she was already supposed to know. Koldar's voice rung out in the hall, overriding the shouts and protests of the congregation.

"Silence!" After a few seconds, the Guild members were seated, but a whisper of dissent swept across the crowd. Koldar waited until even this stilled, staring out silently, his eyes obsidian. When he continued, his voice was low and quiet, as if even he wasn't happy with his decision. "This is more important than our petty war. Our entire world is at stake. If we do not put aside our distaste and unite our countries, we will not be able to withstand the coming test. If Alainna does not agree, we will kill her, and I will take her place." This seemed to placate the crowd somewhat. "My words will be followed, strictly. Anyone who accosts Alainna's party without my permission will be dealt with swiftly and permanently.

"Anyone with specific questions is welcome to come to Akarris to ask them. I want the Guild to be in perfect harmony over this. We cannot afford dissent. That is all." With those words, the Black Wizard left the stage, his cloak swirling behind him. Within moments, the door to his anteroom closed behind him and everyone jumped to their feet, talking furiously. Only Karanis kept her seat, the smile frozen on her face. Looking at her, no one would have known that she was in shock rather than calmly unsurprised. A few seconds later, she stood and followed her lover into the anteroom.

Lelahn is grabbed around the waist and borne into the air. Desperately, she clutches at the ebony horse's mane, she's going to fall--

--Lelahn awoke with a start, shivering with fear. Her eyes were still closed, and she suddenly registered a strange sound. A slithering, whispering noise filled the air all around her. She opened her eyes and looked around slowly, without moving any other parts of her body so as not to alert any threat to the fact that she was awake. She couldn't see her companions from that angle, but she also couldn't see whatever was making that noise. She could feel some branches lying on her chest and limbs and looked up at the trees that lined the road, but there was nothing in them that could account for them falling on her while she slept. She tried to sit up, and the branches suddenly whipped around and tightened. A branch on her arm tightened too far and she heard as much as felt the bones crack. As the pain and panic exploded, she screamed. Even the trees seemed to shiver at the sound. As she was lifted into the air by her bonds, prompting a fresh stab of fire from her arm, she saw Kelden and Alainna jump to their feet. They were unharmed, thank goodness, probably because they had been sleeping further from the trees.

One of the branches - or rather, roots, since they were coming up from under her - lifted its pointed end and began pressing sharply into the fleshy part on the inside of her elbow. Her entire arm was turning purple from the blood trapped by the strength of the bonds. With a fresh surge of panic, Lelahn realized that the tree was trying to burrow into the arm that wasn't broken. She felt her skin break and blood fountain, but the branch continued to burrow into her arm. Lelahn screamed with pain and fear. Where the drops of blood fell on branches, it was soaked up hungrily.

Kelden was the first to reach her, and he passed his sword under her, cutting through the roots and scooping her into his arms before she could fall onto the ground. Her bonds didn't loosen though, and the one in her elbow continued to wriggle and push its way into her body. Kelden laid her down on the road and ripped at the roots still twisting and writhing over her body. Tearing out the one in her elbow brought a fresh gout of blood and a burst of pain, but Lelahn's relief more than made up for it. Alainna stopped beside them, astride her horse, and leading the other two. One had a gash on one leg, but otherwise they seemed unharmed.

"Hurry, get on!" she cried.

Lelahn tried to mount her horse, but exhaustion overwhelmed her and she nearly fell to the ground again. She felt dizzy from loss of blood and her arms were both throbbing, one from the broken bone and the other from the gaping hole, which was now trickling blood that looked black in the darkness. Kelden grabbed her and hoisted her, unresisting, onto his own horse, in front of him. Alainna held the reins of Lelahn's horse with one hand and rode with the other, while Kelden struggled to direct his horse and keep Lelahn from falling off.

She only caught glimpses of that journey; impression of snakelike roots writhing with a whispering, hissing sound across the road toward them, only to be crushed under the horses' pounding hooves; even a tree that tried to lift itself out of the ground as they passed. Its strength seemed to run out moments later and it crashed resoundingly over on its side. Then she descended into a black nightmare where the bouncing and jostling, the pain, and the warmth of someone's arm holding her tightly across the abdomen, was the totality of her existence. Finally she ceased to be sensible of even that.

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