Bloodstone - Power of Youth (Book 3) (32 page)

He threw the officer down on the ground. Anchor noticed that Lotto held the man’s sword. Lotto handed him the weapon. “Be careful, it’s enchanted like yours. Probably never loses an edge.”

It had been a while since Anchor had desired his power, but now he wished he could see the sword wards, as Shiro would call them, and compare then with the one he took off of the Dakkoran sergeant at the beginning of the Learsea conflict. He slid the sword out of its scabbard. Blood flecked the blade, but the shape was similar to his. It was shorter and better balanced for his fighting style. The edge had never failed on that one. Anchor leaned forward and closed his eyes as he put his head on folded arms over his knees.

~

A passing soldier kicked his toe, bringing Anchor out of his sleep. He still sat on the tree trunk. He stood and picked up his new sword, giving his long Serytaran blade to a passing soldier to go back to the army’s weapon stores.

Lotto quietly spoke to the duke, nearby. Anchor yawned. Gensler soldiers were pulling down Dakkoran tents. In the middle of the meadow, a pile of Dakkoran bodies grew as soldiers began the grisly task of creating a pyre. There certainly was plenty of wood to keep the blaze alight. Wooden walkways were thrown on the pile along with the corpses.

“How many dead for us?” Anchor asked.

Lessa turned around. Anchor hadn’t even noticed him standing there. “Less than one in twenty. A total rout.” The Prolan held out his hand. “Good work. Your discovery of their little hiding trick saved a lot of lives.”

Lotto nodded as he rose to join the conversation.

“Where is the officer?”

“Prince Peeron has taken him to Sally’s Corners,” Lotto said. “He was fourth in command of the army. No sorcerers here. They stayed on the ships with the three top officers of this army rather than live in the mud and snow with their men. Shiro is leading the Red Rose to destroy the ships as we speak. Lessa’s flotilla is still a week away.”

Lessa shivered. “I’d hate to be in the middle of a fight between battle mages.”

Anchor had to agree since he actually had—a number of times. “Where were they headed?”

“Beckondale,” Lotto said. “They still seek the Moonstone. Might I remind you that the Bloodstone is currently in Beckondale as well? They didn’t know, however.”

“So all of this is about the Warstones?” Lessa said.

Lotto nodded. “Sallia knows. I told her through the Bloodstone, so Restella knows as well.” He grinned.

“Thanks. I guess I did get pretty beat up,” Anchor said. Lotto’s use of Sallia’s name without her title still grated.

“I don’t know if you realized it, but Shiro and you led the Gensler forces more than halfway across the camp. You two are legends,” Lessa said. “Lotto is a legend too,” he patted Lotto on the shoulder. “Aren’t you?” Lessa mumbled some made up song about the battle of Mountsea. He was a terrible singer.

Lotto just took the good-natured abuse and blushed. “Enough. So we’ve stopped another onslaught.”

Anchor was relieved just to stand in their midst. “When the princess is restored to the throne, we have to take the fight to the Dark Lord. If we are successful, then Daryaku is certain to make his way across Ayrtan. I still think he’ll land along the Learsea coast and we’ll be fighting Dakkorans again. I’d rather not fight him on Besseth soil. Our people have been through enough.” Anchor felt like he was rambling. He was so tired. The healing must have muddled his mind.

“Histron’s not going to step down,” the duke said.

Shiro appeared. “The boats have been sunk with all of the men. The sorcerers didn’t even put up much of a fight. We were able to destroy them from the shore. My people didn’t even find anyone on watch, only a couple of men minding a temporary corral for their horses.”

“It doesn’t change our Besseth strategy. I have unfinished business to the south and then we will crush Duke Histron and finish restoring peace to Besseth. I know Histron has Dakkoran battle mages.”

“Good luck my friend. In a few seasons we may be celebrating a great victory,” Lessa said.

“Peace for a time, then?”

Lessa laughed. “Agreed!”

The scene darkened. Anchor looked towards the sun, which still shone.

“Wizardry!” Lotto said, I can’t move.”

“Neither can I, Shiro said as the air around them thickened.

Anchor felt unaffected, as did Lessa and the duke. “Step out!” Anchor pulled Duke Jellas and Lessa from the dark mist. This mist attacks those with Affinity.”

Shapes began to form in the darkness. Lotto and Shiro couldn’t move. Lessa brought his sword up, but the vapor repelled his sword and threw him down to the ground. Anchor would have to try. He raised his sword and it easily cut through the murk. He swung at the shapes and could hear faint cries as he quickly released the trapped men.

“The Sunstone. They grab at my pouch.” Shiro struggled to get the words out.

Anchor continued to plunge his sword into the shapes until the vapor began to disappear and the muffled cries of pain subsided.

Lotto grabbed both of them and the next thing Anchor knew, Lotto rolled against a wall in Beckondale castle. Shiro helped him up. Lotto put his hand to his head and moaned. “That’s my second time trying teleportation. Find Sallia!”

Anchor heard screams coming from Sallia’s quarters. He followed the sounds to her apartment just around the corner and ran through the open door. Shiro slashed at the mists of darkness, but his sword bounced off like Lessa’s had. Anchor waded in and laid waste to the shapes. They disappeared with the same faint cries of pain as the others. He hoped whatever powered the black fog had been killed.

Sallia stood sobbing with her hands to her face. She ran into Anchor’s arms. “Thank you for saving me. How did you know?”

Lotto leaned against the doorjamb, sword in hand. “We were attacked in Histo. Now we’ve got to go to Oringia.” He groaned. “I—”

“We must go,” Anchor said. Taking her arms off him. He didn’t want to, but the Moonstone needed to be protected.

Shiro used his Sunstone to find Restella’s location in Lotto’s mind and they confronted another gathering of the dark shapes surrounding a struggling Restella. Anchor went back to work. Lotto had recovered enough, but the magic in Lotto’s sword had no effect. Shiro and Lotto looked on as Anchor fought

The specter’s hands tugged on Restella’s sword, but it appeared that their own spells had frozen Restella’s arm. She screamed more loudly than Sallia. Anchor continued to hack away at the figures. They were even more corporeal in Oringia. He slashed at the hand on Restella’s sword and thrust his sword into figure after figure. The cries were stronger, but the blackness only dissipated until the last spectra had gone. The sorcerers left no evidence of their appearance.

Restella, now unfrozen, slashed at the empty air. “What in all the hells were those?” she said in anger, looking directly at Lotto.

“You figure it out,” Lotto said.

Restella sheathed her blade, breathing heavily. “The sun sets and I have duties. If you’ll excuse me.” The woman walked away purposefully.

They had teleported into a cold, cold keep. Anchor kept his eye on her as she staggered for a bit, leaned against a wall, took a deep shuddering breath, and turned the corner.

“Is she always like that? She didn’t even ask about Histo.”

Lotto nodded his head. “Restella already knew of our victory. I would have thought she would be happier about how things turned out, but she has a problem with proximity.”

Shiro rubbed his chin. “I knew about your issues with the link, but her behavior today…  I didn’t think she could get worse.”

Anchor looked at his hands rather than see the embarrassment on Lotto’s face. He understood that Restella’s actions would draw him to Sallia. She represented a person with a lot softer edges. But then, what did Sallia see in him? Lotto had power and youth. Anchor had one or the other, but he didn’t know how he’d end up after all of this. He wished he could cease to think of Sallia and their relationship, but he just couldn’t.

Shiro pursed his lips. “Magic of the Dark Lord. I have no idea how he did it, but he sent three sets of sorcerers to get the three war stones. The cloud froze anyone with a Warstone, steel, or with power. The shapes must have been physical manifestations of the sorcerers.”

“They’d have to be to take possession of the war stones,” Anchor said. “I cut into more than thick smoke and heard them cry out as I cut them. I hope they are all dead.”

Shiro rubbed his arms the cold of the keep seeped into all of them. “They’d need to be very powerful to manipulate Affinity in such a way. Perhaps a last resort by the Dark Lord?”

Lotto shivered. “I hope so. At least I got us to Beckondale.”

“Practice more, my friend,” Shiro said.

Anchor clapped Lotto on the shoulder. “Still, quick thinking. We were lucky the sword worked when no other could.” But then, Anchor’s long Dakkoran sword might have done the trick as well. His skin crawled at the thought.

Lotto gazed at his blade and then Anchor’s. “How could you have figured that out? You’re right. My father’s sword has power as does the Sunstone sword, but your Dakkoran blade parted the mist as if it wasn’t there.” Lotto put his hand to his head. “I need to sit down.”

“Let’s go back to Beckondale and check on Sallia. I’d rather sit and talk someplace that’s warmer.” Shiro said. “I’ll teleport.” He looked sideways at Lotto.

The powers in the swords came from different sources, Anchor thought. If the sword had killed all of the sorcerers and they were Daryaku’s most powerful, then the sword had struck a mightier foe than all of the soldiers in the night’s battle. Anchor’s musing stopped as the air suddenly became warm as they appeared in the Beckondale castle.

Princess Sallia ushered the three heroes into her apartment. “I’ll have some wine brought.” She wrapped herself in her arms and still shivered. “I couldn’t move!  They were tugging the pouch that held the Bloodstone and nearly succeeded when you three broke in and made them go away. Who were they?” She took a deep breath and wiped away a tear.

“Sorcerers,” Lotto said. “They attacked Shiro and me in Histo. All of this happened after we destroyed the Dakkoran forces in a dawn attack in Histo. I was concerned about Restella and you, so we came here first and then proceeded to Restella in Oringia. The same thing happened in all three places. Luckily, Anchor had just picked up an enchanted Dakkoran officer’s sword. Whatever they did to it allowed him to cut down the sorcerers.”

“I was terrified. They looked like demons from one of the hells coming to drag me back with them.” Sallia said. She shivered in the warm room.

“Spells,” Anchor said. “Men like Shiro or Lotto, but the minions of Lord Daryaku. We think they had to be powerful in order to complete the spell as it happened. The mist acted as a shield for common steel and was selective enough to focus in on a Warstone. Daryaku has the Darkstone and he might have just used it to find the others. The stones are all safe, for now.”

“How do you know about this wizardry?” Lotto said. “I’ve made a study of such things, but you are the one to come up with a solid analysis of the situation.”

“I’m not a dummy, Lotto. I can read and study as well as you,” Anchor said. He didn’t like Lotto’s accusatory tone, but the time hadn’t come to reveal his identity.

Shiro stood and put out his hands. “Anchor and I have talked about the Affinity. He is knowledgeable and that’s where it ends. He has no power and you should be able to see that. He wasn’t affected by the mists.”

Lotto didn’t look entirely convinced. “Let me see your sword.”

Anchor passed him the sword but his eyes turned to Sallia. “How are you, really?”

Her eyes watered a bit more. “I wish Unca was here. He would tell me what just happened. Now I’ll have to wait until spring.”

“He wouldn’t have been able to help you. The cloud froze anyone with power,” Anchor said. “He’d be glad you’re safe, though.” He longed to tell her that she looked at Unca, but he couldn’t.

“Thank you, Anchor. It’s all rather upsetting, but I had you three to rescue me. Thank you all. If you’ll excuse me, I’m still upset and would like to rest. Finish your wine before you leave.” Sallia walked from the sitting room.

Lotto continued to examine the sword. “I think I saw the same spells as on the other blade. Where is it?”

Anchor shook his head. “In the alliance’s armory. I gave it to a soldier. It will be hard to find.”

“Not really, for someone who recognizes enchantments,” Shiro said.

“Remember when I told you about the anti-magic spell that Peleor cast on the lock while I was in the dungeon at Beckondale?  I think I can see a layer of it here. Perhaps the sword carries a ward that defends the holder against magic.” Lotto handed Anchor’s sword to Shiro. “What do you think? You are the man with the experience with wards.”

Shiro closed his eyes and opened them again. He touched the blade and then held his hand against the flat surface. “I see what you mean. I don’t know if I can duplicate the ward, but I could remove it. The surface reflects my power. Its effect is hidden beneath other wards. I’ve never seen anything like it. Power practiced on Dakkor, Roppon and Besseth have evolved so that each one is different. Whatever protected the mist attackers from steel edges must have been nullified by this ward. The creation of this required a very powerful sorcerer, perhaps Daryaku, himself,” Shiro said.