Fire Within: Book Two of Fire and Stone (Stories of Fire and Stone 2) (28 page)

“I think Salithsa is still safe,” Esset finally said. Toman guided the bird to the ground so they could speak properly, and Esset repeated the words again.

“I think you’re right.” Toman laid a hand on Tseka’s shoulder as she nodded, a determined gleam in her eyes.

“Judging by the damage and the dust, it was probably Moloch, and it was probably right after we left,” Esset said.

Toman nodded. “We knew he would want revenge…and I guess since he found us on our way to the Ashiier, he had to have known we were hiding among the Nadra.”

Esset looked at their Nadran companion. “Tseka, I’m sor—”

“Don’t,” she interrupted him. “We knew the risks in helping you, and Salithsa is still safe.”

“I’m…surprised Salithsa withstood Moloch’s attack,” Toman confessed.

“Salithsa’s protections are ancient and powerful, built upon by generation upon generation,” Tseka said. “The magic also ties into the natural energies of water, stone, and even the air itself.” For all the fierce pride in her voice, Esset could tell she was shaken.

Esset glanced at Toman; he wondered what his brother thought, but Toman was stony and silent. Esset found himself wondering if Moloch had had the power but simply hadn’t felt like expending the energy it would have taken to destroy Salithsa.

“Thank Hyrishal it was enough,” Esset said. The others nodded silently.

“Let’s make sure the area is clear and get inside,” Toman said. The others agreed and Tseka and Toman climbed back on the stone bird while Esset summoned himself a new mount. They didn’t let up until the sun was low in the sky. They circled the area again and again until they were as certain as they could be that whoever had wrought the damage on the place—and they were certain it was Moloch—was no longer around. Only then did they land.

“Okay, my animations inside are signaling the Nadra that we’re here,” Toman said. They waited by the scorched, mauled mound of stones that marked where the doorway to Salithsa would open.

“How is it that your magic can work through Salithsa’s protections?” Tseka asked.

“I dunno… Maybe because my magic is already in those things, and already inside Salithsa?” Toman guessed. Esset shifted uncomfortably, reminded of how Moloch had taken control of Toman with magic despite the protection amulets they’d worn the last time they’d faced him.

“Let’s just make hope they’ll still let us in after all this.” Esset waved a hand at the landscape.

“They’ll let us in,” Tseka said with perfect faith.

But they did have to wait. The sun touched the horizon before the earth began to ripple. Tseka, Toman, and Esset already stood well back from the spot, although they waited and watched. The stones opened up into a gaping mouth to reveal a contingent of Shapers and a group of Nadran warriors.

The trio wasted no time; although they were relatively certain no one else was around, they obeyed the beckoning hands and were barely out of the way before the Shapers closed the earth around them again.

Esset blinked against the darkness, willing his eyes to adjust to the dim light faster.

“Thank goodness you’re okay.” Nassata was among their greeters, and she hugged them all in quick succession.

“We’re glad you are okay. What happened out there?” Tseka demanded. Her coils twitched with tension.

“You know as much as we do after having seen outside,” Nassata replied. “Someone tested our defenses—heavily. The very tunnels shook, but the magics of Salithsa held. Still, the Shapers will be busy. Much damage was done to our infrastructure, and the peaceful energies have been disrupted.”

“It could have been far worse,” Toman said grimly. “The fact that Salithsa still stands make me wonder if it really was Moloch.”

“He’s just a man,” Esset said quietly. Toman looked at his brother for a moment, then shook his head and looked away.

“We know how lucky we are,” Nassata replied.

Toman nodded. “I doubt you’ll be this lucky again. Moloch is not one to give up. He might not try again immediately, but he will try again, and he’ll make sure he comes with power enough to destroy even Salithsa’s protections.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to make sure he’s too distracted to do so,” Tseka replied.

“I’m sure we can manage that,” Esset said grimly. From the look in Toman’s eyes, Esset knew his brother felt the same.

“We’ll get a good night’s sleep and leave first thing in the morning,” Toman said.

Nassata nodded like she’d expected nothing else. “In the meantime, want to do some more sparring, Toman?”

Toman shook his head, and Nassata raised her eyebrows.

“Thank you, Nassata, but no,” Toman said. “My body is as strong as it needs to be now, and the Ashiier gave me what I needed here,” he tapped the side of his head, “so it’s time to stop Moloch once and for all.”

The following afternoon, the three companions crouched among some rocks within view of Arxus’s stone walls, high up in some uninhabited mountains. Well, Toman and Esset could see the castle, but to Tseka he was quite invisible. She had only their word that there was a castle perched atop the rocks ahead, for she saw empty air.

The Nadran woman glanced over at Esset, who was on his back with his eyes closed, his mind occupying the fiery wolf ranging around the area, trying to detect signs of any foes or traps. Two black birds overhead were actually made of painted stone and animated by Toman; they were keeping an eye out as well.

“Nothing,” Esset said, opening his eyes. Toman glanced up at his birds.

“Same. It’s time to approach, then,” Toman said.

“I’ll send my summon.” Esset sent his wolf towards the castle at a trot. It looked around for something to attack, but didn’t fix on anything. It stopped before the castle walls and looked up. Then it barked, but it was like no sound any normal wolf would make—each bark was the sharp crack of stones splitting from excessive heat.

“Ooo, this is exciting. Are you storming your own castle?” The drawling voice came from just behind them, and all three of them reacted instantly and violently. One of Toman’s belts whipped towards the voice and a stone bird began to plummet towards them from above. Esset whirled, fire in both hands. But Tseka was the fastest—she was already had her hands on the owner of the voice before anything else could happen. She had one hand wrapped around his throat, and the other poised in front of his face, her venomous talon protruding from her wrist a scant hairsbreadth from his nose.

“Please don’t kill me,” the man drawled. He didn’t sound nearly as concerned as he should have. Esset banished his fire and summon, and Toman called off his attackers as well, but Tseka kept a grip on the man’s throat. Something about the stranger put her on edge, even when accounting for the unpleasant surprise.

Tseka looked to the brothers as they took in the fancy maroon-and-grey clothing, the sleek black ponytail, the goatee, those narrow grey eyes, and the man’s slimy handsomeness.

“Erizen,” Esset said, his tone somewhere between exasperated, disgusted, and relieved. Tseka glanced at Esset, remembering the name from their previous discussion, and then turned her steely gaze back to the mage.

“Shall I kill him?” she asked, pitching her tone like the idea was desirable.

“Might I say, my dear lady, that you are stunning?” Erizen drawled, showing no hint of nervousness.

“No, you may not,” Tseka hissed. Tseka had to give him credit for his audacity—it seemed it would take more than a threat display to intimidate this man—but that didn’t mean she found him any less distasteful.

“We probably shouldn’t kill him. He might be useful,” Toman said from the side, his expression bored for Erizen’s sake. Tseka internally applauded the tactic, deciding that encouraging Erizen probably wouldn’t help, and reacting in any other way would encourage him.

“Feh,” Tseka hissed, shoving Erizen away. Erizen gave her a knowing smile and straightened his clothes back to their pristine condition before bowing to her—definitely to her, not Esset or Toman.

“I am Lord Erizen, charmed to make your acquaintance,” he drawled to her. “Will you give me the pleasure of knowing your name?”

“No. What are you doing here?” Tseka hissed; she glanced around, feeling exposed. She, Toman, and Esset had all been hidden before he’d shown up, but their reactions to him had exposed them. Anyone nearby would know they were here now—including anyone hiding within the castle.

“Relax, there’s no one here but me,” Erizen said.

“And why should we trust you?” Tseka challenged him.

“Oh come, I’ve done you no harm,” Erizen drawled.

“That we know of. How did you find us?” Tseka asked. After all, their gifts from the Ashiier prevented magical tracking.

“I confess to espionage,” Erizen replied, not sounding sorry at all. At least he was giving a straight answer, although probably only so he could brag.

“I followed you after one of our little sorties, and I discovered your little castle—very nice, by the way, if a little inhospitable. After I, ah, fell out of favor with my fellow Dark Mage Lords, I thought perhaps there would be some resources to be had here—since you lads weren’t using them—but the canine fellow wasn’t very nice. Still, I didn’t want anyone else taking advantage of it all, so I left a spell behind that would let me know if anyone else stopped by. I wasn’t expecting the three of you. Bravo.”

“But how did you find it? It’s invisible!” Toman objected.

“Only to sight and mage-senses,” Erizen replied lazily. Clearly he wasn’t going to be more helpful than that.

“Maybe you should kill him,” Esset muttered darkly to Tseka, who perked up.

“Oh come now, don’t be bitter. The important part is, no one else has found it, and we’re all
happily
reunited. Let’s not spoil the moment,” Erizen coaxed them, still not looking concerned.

“So you’ve fallen from grace then,” Toman said, changing the subject. Erizen eyed him up and down, and his gaze rested on the scar at Toman’s throat for a moment.

“You look a little worse for wear,” Erizen remarked; not that he would deign to show sympathy, or even pity. They all waited for his response to Toman’s statement.

“Fall from grace. As if those Dark Mages have any grace to begin with,” Erizen said scornfully. “I got a few of them on my way out, but Moloch was, as always, my main concern and quite out of reach. Too bad you two failed at stopping him last time. That would have been convenient.”

“Yeah, too bad.” Esset didn’t sound like he felt bad for Erizen at all. “What about your harem and all your
dear subjects
. Did they make it out at all?”

“We digress,” Erizen drawled, which basically answered the question. “As you yourself said, I might be useful. I take it that means you’re going after Moloch again?”

Tseka, Toman, and Esset exchanged looks. All of them knew that he could, indeed, be useful, but as with the first time Toman and Esset had worked with him, they disliked having to rely on anyone so…
mercurial
as Erizen. Not being able to trust him was a problem.

Then a terrible smile came to Tseka’s face. “Hang on. You’re on the run, aren’t you? Could it be that you’re desperate? You need someplace to hide, don’t you? You’ve not just fallen from grace, you’re being actively hunted, aren’t you?”

Erizen was unable to keep his usual smirk, but he hid any discomfort behind a neutral mask, well-crafted from his time among the Dark Mage Lords.

“There is no defeat, only momentary setbacks,” Erizen replied. “What I built can be built again.”

“And until then you have stoop to asking for help,” Tseka goaded him. She debated using her angering ability against him to dig for the truth, but decided not to. Better not to use it on potential allies.

“To the contrary, my dear. I’m offering help,” he drawled.

“Uh huh,” she replied, crossing her arms.

“I bet you’re good in bed,” Erizen told her, looking her up and down. “What do you say to becoming a member of my harem? You’ll be well-cared for, I promise.”

Tseka kept hidden how much the idea repulsed her. “I bet you’re less annoying dead,” she retorted. “What do you say to that? I’ll dig you a nice grave, I promise.”

“Your loss,” Erizen said with a shrug. “So are we going to stand here all day or are we going to deal? I have no doubt that I have information and abilities that will be of great use to you.”