Chapter 4
Ariana shielded her eyes as Tate’s form glowed with silver light. When it finally faded, she blinked to clear her vision and then glanced at her friend.
“What was that?” she asked with wide eyes.
Tate smiled. “
Archigos
Ini-herit used his power to heal some of my injuries.”
Giving Tate a closer study, Ariana realized that much of the swelling in her face had gone down, leaving only dark bruises to mark where she’d been injured. Tate wiggled her wrist, which was apparently now healed, as well. When she moved, it appeared less painful for her than it had been.
Deciding not to question it in light of everything else she’d witnessed, Ariana just said, “I’m very glad to hear it. I was so worried about you.”
“Thanks, Ariana.” Tate reached over to give her a sideways hug, the best they could manage in the cage. “And thanks for sticking by me. I know you didn’t have to. I saw you nearly escape just before Eirik’s goons dragged me over the library door and shattered the illusion. You could’ve kept going, but you didn’t.”
Ariana didn’t know what to say. Tate’s words had her fighting back emotion. She’d never thought of herself as anything other than a coward. “You would have done the same for me,” she said at last.
Tate started to speak, but then she paused. “Okay, okay,” she said with a wave of her hands. Once again catching Ariana’s gaze, she said, “Sparky told us to stop chit-chatting and get out of this cage.”
“I’m willing to bet he inserted a few rude words in there, as well.”
“You betcha.”
Ariana managed a small smile. “Well, that’s easier said than done.”
“Yeah.” Tate looked around. “What’s this stick-thing?” She reached through the bars, stretching almost her full length to get her arm out far enough, then pulled it closer.
“I think it’s meant to keep caged creatures in line. Eirik used it to poke me earlier.”
Tate shook her head and cursed Eirik under her breath. Then she said, “Hmm. It’s thick and sturdy, but I don’t know how we could use it to break out of this metal cage. Is there anything you can produce that could cut through metal?”
She’d been thinking about that for a long time. “Nothing has come to mind. I don’t specialize in tools and weapons, and they’re difficult to produce. Those I do know how to create wouldn’t cut through these bars. I can only heat things hot enough to cook, not to melt metal.” Reaching up, she pushed on the top of the cage, which was only about four feet off the ground. “I don’t know how this thing is mounted, but it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to budge it.”
“My ability to produce water won’t help us much, either.” Tate lifted the bloodstained towel that Ariana had used and eyed it consideringly. After a moment, she said, “Sparky is trying to gather ideas on how we can get out. They’ve left the library to come after us.”
“We can’t assume they’ll get back here before Eirik,” Ariana pointed out.
“You’re absolutely right,” Tate agreed. “Eirik and Metis could return any time now. If we want to escape, it’s up to us. So let’s get the hell out.”
Metis brought Eirik to an area she remembered about five miles east of the library. She had been tempted to teleport them to the library itself so that he would be captured or killed by the Estilorians searching for the two females, but she decided that would be unwise. She didn’t know yet whether Eirik might be useful in fulfilling her own plans to obtain the Elder Scroll. She also wasn’t sure that she was powerful enough, even in a bloodthirsty male form, to acquire the two scroll pieces he already had. No, she needed some assistance for that.
When they appeared in the meadow, she looked around to ensure they were alone. She realized the sun hadn’t yet risen. A cool breeze blew across the tall, browning grass, carrying a noticeable stench with it. She imagined it was her and Eirik who smelled so foul, and frowned in distaste. She should have insisted that the Lekwuesti female clean them both before they left. Eirik was ever pressuring her to act before she thought.
“Where are we?” he asked as he studied the area. “I do not recall this place.”
“We circled here when the Lekwuesti attempted to stall for time before finally leading us to the library,” she explained. “It was the only location I could visualize well enough to get us here.”
“How far are we from the library?”
“I am not certain,” she lied. “It was difficult to calculate from the air.”
He turned to study her. His red eyes revealed nothing. When his blond and red-striped hair blew into his gaze, he didn’t even blink. “In which direction is the library?”
“To the west,” she said.
“Then we should fly that way and search for my followers.”
“Fly? There are bound to be Waresti scouts searching for Mercesti. If they see our red wings, we will make easy targets.”
He released a deep breath of frustration. “Very well. Walk, then. But walk now. We must find some Mercesti quickly so that we can continue in search of the last scroll piece.”
“How certain are you that this is truly the last scroll piece?” she asked.
He frowned. “What are you implying?”
“Simply that the Lekwuesti has lied to us on more than one occasion. Who is to say that she has not lied once again? What if the scroll is in five pieces? Or ten? How are we to truly know?”
His jaw clenched as he considered her words. “I shall have to torture her to discover the truth,” he said.
Attempting to control her satisfied reaction, Metis suggested, “Why not have me do that while you find your loyal followers? I can plan to meet you here and transport you and those you have with you back to the two females. By then, I will have all of the information you need.”
“You will succumb to your creature’s bloodlust,” Eirik argued. “You cannot be trusted to torture the females.”
“Then, at the very least, you should allow me to return to the laboratory to keep an eye on them. Do you really trust them alone? What if they escape?”
She could see him warring over the idea. He didn’t trust her, but the females were far too valuable to his cause. In the end, he reached for her throat, much as she expected him to do. As his hold tightened and cut off her circulation, she made sure to flail and cower as she was sure he wanted.
“If any harm comes to those females before I return, there will be no manner of death too painful for you, Metis,” he growled.
“Of course,” she wheezed, adding an urgent nod to punctuate the statement.
She couldn’t help but consider the irony of his treatment of her when he sought to become an elder…the ultimate leader of his class. Who would want to follow him?
“Very well,” he said, and tossed her from him. “I will meet you here within an hour. Do not be late.”
“Of course,” she repeated. She even bowed her head in submission, praising herself for her performance.
Then she closed her eyes and visualized her next destination, which was nowhere near the laboratory housing the females. This new destination was an isle far from the knowledge of most Estilorians. She had only visited it once with her creator, and that had been centuries ago. But this was a very memorable place.
The moment she materialized on the isle, she whipped her head around to glance in every direction. Not seeing any signs of movement, she breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted just then was a battle for her life.
She stood within the crumbling structure of an ancient temple. It had made the transition when the planes were separated, as had most of the structures on the isle. Since it offered her shelter from sight, she relaxed a bit and considered her strategy.
The help she sought was from an unstable source. If she wanted the best chance of recruiting aid, she should shed Deimos’ form and assume her own. The last time she was here, she was still in her base form. The problem was, she hadn’t figured out how to reassume a form once she had shed it. She chalked this frustration up to her creator’s significant limitations.
Once she shed a form, she sometimes retained a portion of that being’s abilities. Most of the time, however, she lost them. She believed that her success in retaining assumed abilities depended in part on the age and power of the being she killed. Her success also increased the longer she remained in the being’s form. In that way, Eirik’s query about whether she would convert entirely to Deimos’ bloodthirsty nature was surprisingly insightful.
Because she had just assumed Deimos’ form, she held little hope that she would retain his ability to teleport once she shed it. That would just not do.
A loud thud not too far away made her tense. Moving as quietly as possible, she edged around a large stone slab and moved closer to a gap between the columns lining the front entryway. Peering outside, she caught a glimpse of her goal.
“I smell you,” said a deep, booming voice. “My next meal.”
Deciding it was now or never, she replied, “Cephalus, you will not recognize my voice or my form when you see me, but I beg you to listen to—”
A resounding crack filled the air. Stone crumbled. Gasping, Metis looked to a point in the distance and teleported just as the roof caved in.
This was going to be harder than she thought.
Chapter 5
As Eirik hiked along the forested western trail leading to the library, he considered whether it was wise to have Metis stay with the two females. She seemed in control of the strange impulses that controlled Deimos, and her point about the two females being unguarded was valid. Although Metis had described some of the impressive security measures in place around the laboratory, there was no saying that the two females or their would-be rescuers couldn’t get through them.
He had witnessed several unusual occurrences since coming into contact with the Kynzesti female, Tate. It wouldn’t surprise him if she had even more tricks at her disposal. If she could avow herself without coming into contact with the other being, after all, she could do just about anything.
Her avowed was almost certainly Zachariah. Because her secondary pairing markings were red, she had to be avowed to a Mercesti. Outside of those who followed him, the only Mercesti he had seen interact with Tate since he met her was the former Gloresti second commander. Zachariah had saved her life when Eirik tried to kill her after acquiring the first scroll piece. At the time, Eirik deduced that the rescue effort was an attempt by Zachariah to preserve the Kynzesti’s life because he was also searching for the Elder Scroll, and he knew the female was needed to shatter the illusions surrounding it. He had been wrong.
He didn’t know how it was possible that the pair had avowed at all, never mind through some kind of remote connection. The amount of love and commitment required to create an avowed pairing was beyond the ability of most Estilorians, especially Mercesti. Prone to emotions they might be, but not the ones most beings considered positive.
It was a puzzle, but one Eirik didn’t care to solve. Somehow, Tate had avowed with Zachariah across a distance. All that signified to Eirik was that Zachariah was now an enemy.
Their unusual connection meant there was a possibility Tate could accomplish other things beyond the typical. It was a good decision to have Metis with her and Ariana while he searched for his followers, he decided. He just hoped she managed to contain her urges.
Rounding a bend in the trail quite a distance from the meadow, he spotted evidence of a campsite. Because it was tucked in among a tight cluster of trees rather than a clearing and there was evidence of a recent kill a short distance away, he reasoned that it was a Mercesti campsite. Non-Mercesti could connect with a paired Lekwuesti for food.
Holding a hand over the campfire’s ashes, he felt heat touch his skin. That meant the others were near.
He studied the ground, then set off in the direction of the freshest boot prints. It took him little time at all to find the group he sought. They had stopped to evaluate some tracks, posting lookouts at several points in the nearby trees. A wise decision, Eirik mused, and was pleased to come across some of his more competent followers.
Emerging from the trees, he caught the eye of the Mercesti who raised a bow and aimed an arrow at his heart. Not saying a word, he continued walking toward the alcove as though daring him to shoot the weapon.
The moment he recognized Eirik, however, the archer lowered his arms and turned to speak to someone behind him. A second later, a large, bald male pushed aside two others and stepped forward.
“Friedrich,” Eirik said as he stopped.
Bowing, Friedrich replied, “We are pleased to see you, my lord.” When he again stood tall, he added, “I trust you will indulge me by answering a question to verify your identity. In light of the abilities of some of the companions you keep, I feel it best to be cautious.”
Yes, Friedrich would do quite well on this next mission, Eirik decided. He might even make a good commander once Eirik assumed the power of an elder.
“You may ask and I will answer.”
“Thank you.” Friedrich paused for a moment, then asked, “What was the name of the Scultresti female whose cottage we raided last year?”
“How should I know? We never bother asking names.”
Nodding, Friedrich said, “Excellent. And what was the most valuable item we took from her?”
“Some might say her life,” Eirik replied, “but I particularly enjoyed the peach cobbler she had just sat down to eat.”
“That was exceptional cobbler.”
“Now that we have established my identity, we must get down to business.” Eirik moved closer to the alcove and conducted a brief scan of the males standing there. He counted eighteen of them. “I require the aid of you and five of your best soldiers. We must make our way to the east, where we will be transported to another part of the plane.”
“And when we get there, my lord?” Friedrich asked.
Frowning because he wasn’t receiving blind obedience, Eirik clenched his hands and answered, “We will continue the pursuit of the last item I need to fulfill my plans.”
The others all exchanged looks. Seeing this, Eirik found himself wondering about the status of his two most loyal followers, Bertram and Tycho. He had sent them on a mission to bring the Kynzesti and Lekwuesti to him, but the two males hadn’t been seen since. For their sakes, he thought now, they had better be dead.
Friedrich once again looked at him. “May I speak with you privately, my lord?”
Not bothering to respond, Eirik turned and stalked back into the forest where he had emerged. He reminded himself that once he had the powers of an elder, his class would cower before him and beg to be given orders to fulfill.
“What is it?” he snapped once he was alone with Friedrich.
Raising an eyebrow, Friedrich crossed his arms over his chest and said, “I request more details about this assignment, my lord. I mean no disrespect, but so far on this journey we have engaged in two bloody battles and suffered significant losses. None of us really has any idea what we are fighting for. While I know you would only ever put forth this kind of effort for something important, we must convince the others or all will be for naught.”
Clamping down on his fury and impatience, Eirik considered the other male’s words. While he wanted the ability to command the world to do his bidding, he was intelligent enough to know that he had to work on maintaining control among his followers…for now.
“We are in search of one last element to an artifact that offers unique promise,” he said at last.
At least, we had better be
, he silently added, thinking of Metis’ comment that Ariana could have lied yet again. “Once I obtain it, I intend to lead our class to greatness.” Seeing the other male’s continued hesitation, he continued, “I will need a solid core of commanders by my side.”
“What you state sounds rather like something Grolkinei would have attempted,” Friedrich pointed out. “His efforts never did our class any good.”
He referred to the male who had killed the original Mercesti elder, Volarius, and forever changed the nature of their class. The Mercesti had once been equals with the other classes, sought after for their skills in strategy and innovation. After Grolkinei murdered Volarius with his own sword out of blind rage, he dramatically altered that fact. He forced the Mercesti to either follow him or be killed. Many members of the class turned against each other, resulting in a dark period in Estilorian history.
Following Grolkinei’s rash and deadly act, the only way a Mercesti could be created was by converting members of other classes. Any being who killed or intended to kill another being based on a reason other than protection converted immediately to a Dark One. There hadn’t been a Mercesti created through the Corgloresti Embrace in over two thousand years.
“Grolkinei was a fanatic,” Eirik responded. “He lost sight of the larger picture. There are more Mercesti on the mainland than any other class residing at Central. Estilorians retained more knowledge of negative human emotions than positive ones after the planes were separated. Fueling anger and jealousy to turn beings against each other has never been much of a challenge. With all of us united, we will be an unstoppable force.”
“Again, I do not question your goals, my lord,” Friedrich said. “I have known you for centuries, and we both stopped following Grolkinei for similar reasons. But if we are going to convince other Mercesti that our efforts are different than anything undertaken by Grolkinei, you will have to be more forthcoming with the details.”
His nostrils flaring, Eirik snapped, “Since when have you known me to be so foolish as to trust just anyone with essential information, Friedrich? You know as well as I do that if word gets out about the artifact I seek, every Mercesti will want it.”
Nodding, Friedrich said, “Your point is well taken. I do not need all of the details. Just tell me how this effort will differ from Grolkinei’s and I will convince the others.”
After a moment of consideration, Eirik decided he had no choice but to offer enough information to capture Friedrich’s interest. His gaze steady, he intoned, “The answer is simple. Grolkinei never ascended to any level of greatness because he could not combat the powers of the elders. When I acquire what I seek, I will not only be able to compete against the elders…I will become one.”