The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 64
Oliver's erratic breathing was heating up the bag over his head, making him sweat.
"Are they all Lanics?" It was a man's voice, Oliver presumed it was William's.
"Yes," Queen Lacine said.
"We'll call it twelve thousand then," William said.
"Ah, ah, ah, Mr Knight. Don't be too hasty I have more to offer you yet," the Queen said enticingly.
"The stone? Do you have it?" Isaac asked excitedly.
"Xen, show him," Queen Lacine said.
A moment later both Isaac and William gasped.
"How did you manage it?" Isaac asked.
"Xen, unveil Mr Rook," she said.
Oliver heard the shuffling of feet a few yards away then the removal of a bag.
"Tell them," the Queen commanded.
"I cut the arm off a groll," Hector growled.
"Genius," Isaac breathed. "How much for that man?"
"Hector? He's my best hunter," she replied hesitantly.
"You were never going to let me leave were you?" Hector spat.
"How about twenty thousand for the lot? The Lanics, the scrivenstone and the hunter," Isaac offered, ignoring Hector.
"Hmm. What about fifty thousand weapons, and I'll throw two high-born Renics into the deal," the Queen said tantalisingly.
"Renics?" William asked doubtfully.
Oliver felt a wave of fear for Rogan and Quinn. He wanted to shout out but was terrified of giving May away.
"I'd trade ten of my low-born Lanics for even one high-born Renic," Isaac said greedily.
"Show them, Xen," the Queen said.
Oliver heard his friends' bags being removed.
William gasped. "Isaac, that's Rogan Ganderfield and Quinn Thorn. But they were with- TAKE THE OTHER BAGS OFF!"
Oliver heard bags being removed from his friends around him. He knew he only had mere seconds before he and May were revealed. There was nothing he could do. They were helpless.
The bag was whipped from his head and he gulped in a lungful of fresh air. The glaring snow blinded him for a brief moment then his eyes focused on his father's shocked face.
"Stop!" William shouted as he spotted him.
The soldier who had been moving down the line removing their hoods nodded and stepped away, leaving Larkin and Ely still concealed beside Oliver.
Another group of ten people stood beside the Queen, harnessed and masked, Oliver presumed they were the Lanic mages.
"Isaac," William said in shock, gripping his friend's arm without removing his gaze from Oliver.
"What?" Isaac said, frowning in confusion.
"That's my son," his voice trembled as he pointed at Oliver.
Oliver felt eyes on him from every direction.
"Then the girl must be here. Which one is she?" Isaac hissed, his eyes roving between Anna and May hungrily.
"The blonde one," William breathed.
Oliver hated him so much in that second he could barely contain it. He glared at his father, filling his expression with abhorrence.
"You know these people?" the Queen asked in confusion.
"Yes the boy and the girl," Isaac said. "That one is of particular interest to me." He pointed at May with a slender finger.
"Well I'm sure a deal can be made," the Queen said loftily, barely containing her anticipation.
"This one's my son. There'll be no deal for him," William said, approaching Oliver.
Oliver's heart hammered so hard in his chest that it hurt. He leant away from his father as William walked around him and cut his binds with a flash of magic.
"Are you alright?" William bent low and whispered in Oliver's ear, wrapping a hand tightly around his arm.
"Let go of me," Oliver said, grimacing as he tried to wrench his arm out of his father's vice-like grip.
William frowned and pulled Oliver up by the shoulders, forcing him to his feet.
"Fine. That one you can have for free, but the girl you'll have to barter for," the Queen said, clearly trying to maintain control. She snapped her fingers so that two soldiers stood in front of May.
"Fine whatever you want," Isaac said, his cool demeanour abandoned.
"One hundred thousand weapons. For the lot," she said, folding her arms and raking her perfectly manicured nails across the sleeve of her coat.
"Yes, yes. Now give me the girl," Isaac ordered impatiently, stepping towards May.
"Don't you touch her," Oliver spat, forcefully shaking off the grip of his father at last.
William moved in a flash, wrapping an arm around Oliver's chest and forcing him into a tight hold. Oliver desperately struggled against him. His father's hand lit with fire and he held the burning palm up to his throat.
"I don't want to hurt you but if you move again I will," William said quietly into his ear.
"If you don't let him hurt her I won't," Oliver growled, his heart racing.
The soldiers stepped aside from May. Rogan shuffled up beside her and Isaac forcefully pushed him aside, knocking him to the ground.
He knelt down in front of May, his eyes roaming over her face triumphantly. He retrieved a small knife from within his coat that glinted red as it caught the light of the sunrise.
"NO! GET AWAY FROM HER!" Oliver roared. William pressed the fire to his neck and he gasped in pain.
"Stop fighting," William breathed.
"Never," Oliver spat.
William tightened his grip but didn't say anything.
"STOP!" Rogan shouted at Isaac, righting himself.
"Please don't hurt her!" Anna cried out desperately.
Isaac ignored them. He only had eyes for May. He licked his thin lips and leant towards her. May turned away from him, her body visibly trembling. Isaac gripped her hair, using it to pull her head backwards to expose her neck.
"PLEASE!" May screamed. "At least tell me why. Please." Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"Mr Rimori? What exactly do you think you're doing?" Queen Lacine asked, stepping forward, her gait commanding authority.
Isaac glanced back at her. "This isn't your business."
"How dare you?" she said, puffing out her chest.
Isaac got to his feet slowly and turned to face her. "This girl's death is important," he said, clearly trying to keep his voice calm. He bounced the knife between his finger and thumb.
"Don't you point that weapon at me. You are in my kingdom. How do I know you will keep to your part of the bargain?" she asked, her gaze stern. She nodded to her men and they surrounded May, keeping her from Rimori.
Isaac raised his hands up innocently and stepped away but a venomous look entered his grey eyes. "You will have your weapons," his tone was no more than a whisper. "But do not test my patience, Your Majesty."
"I will hold onto the girl and Mr Rook, you may take the others. Then when you bring me my weapons you may have them," Queen Lacine said.
A wave of hope rushed through Oliver. The Queen outnumbered them tenfold with her soldiers.
Isaac threw his head back in exasperation, gazing up at the sky. He dropped his head and looked to William, pressing his tongue into his cheek. "Will?" He raised an eyebrow at his friend.
William let go of Oliver with one arm and the palm of it sent an explosion of orange light at the soldiers. All but Xen crumpled to the ground who had evidently blocked the magic. The Lanic mages shuffled their feet nervously, clearly unsure of what was happening around them.
Xen's sword ignited with purple fire and he raised it menacingly. The Queen gasped and stumbled away from the fallen men around her feet.
"Xen, I'm honoured to meet you at last. I've heard many great things about you," Isaac addressed him.
Xen placed his free hand on Nex's shoulder, pushing him behind his back. "Don't threaten my Queen," he snarled.
"She is your Queen then, yes?" Isaac asked.
"What do you mean?" Xen asked, frowning as he eyed Queen Lacine.
"Wouldn't you rather be your own commander? Rule your own kingdom?" Isaac asked.
Xen eyed him suspiciously. "What are you offering?"
"The throne of Galice," Isaac breathed. "But more than that, much more."
"Commander Xen. Don't listen to him," the Queen said, looking panicked as she lost control of the situation.
Xen looked at her then his gaze shifted back to Isaac. "What else?"
A grin spread across Isaac's face. "You have the blackening don't you?"
Xen nodded. "I do."
"I can offer you a cure. A cure that will make you more powerful than you ever would have been even without the illness," Isaac said.
Oliver watched in shock as a shadow surrounded Isaac. A buzzing vibration in his ears made every hair stand on end all over his body. It was a feeling that was familiar to him and he suddenly knew he was in the presence of a vark. Dread set in and he froze in his father's arms.
"Tell me more," Xen said.
"Commander Xen," Queen Lacine said, her voice wavering. "Don't listen to him. He's lying."
She looked vulnerable without her soldiers, her usual togetherness now fully abandoned.
"Let me show you," Isaac said.
Oliver struggled against his father once more, gazing at May who was surrounded by a circle of unconscious soldiers.
Xen nodded, looking intrigued.
Isaac shut his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. He opened them, revealing his pupils to be coloured a deathly black.
Isaac raised his palms over the Queen and the shadow around him shifted, looming over her instead. Her body jerked violently and she fell to the ground in an obvious fit of pain. Her crown fell into the snow as she screamed and her eyes rolled up into her head. Black smoke seemed to emit from Isaac's palm, spiralling down towards the Queen. His mouth curled up in a cruel smile as he watched the woman struggling at his feet.
51
Smoke and Bone
"Stop!" a woman cried.
Oliver turned to see Keeper Jade raising her wrinkled hands at Isaac. She cast a fireball towards him. He flicked his wrist, changing the direction of the dark smoke so it engulfed the fireball, extinguishing it. Oliver felt a surge of hope at the sight of the mage.
Isaac steadily surveyed the Keeper and the shadow looming over the Queen returned to hover around him. The Queen gasped as she was released from the pain.
Isaac aimed the black smoke at the old woman. It blasted towards her at an alarming rate. She ran, lifting her heavy skirt up as she hurried away through the snow. The smoke engulfed her body and lifted her from the ground. She span in the air, disappearing into the thick, black mass with a blood-curdling scream that seemed to cut right through Oliver's chest.
Isaac dropped his hands and the smoke dissipated. Charred bones crumpled to the ground, the only remains of Keeper Jade.
Oliver blinked in horror, pressing back against his father. They stumbled backwards a few feet as he forced his weight against him but William kept a tight hold.
"Don't be afraid," William whispered.
The Queen screamed aloud in fright and desperately crawled away through the snow. Isaac ignored her and returned his gaze to Xen, raising his eyebrows at him.
Xen's eyes were filled with shock and admiration. He dropped to his knees and planted his sword, tip down, into the snow. The snow sizzled as the fire touched it, leaving a melted patch where it landed. He bowed his head, gripping the hilt of the sword. "I am at your service."
Isaac smiled and approached him. He held out his palms over Xen's head. "Do you pledge me your allegiance?"
Xen nodded. "I do, my master."
"You have no master. Those who follow me do so by choice. Do you choose to follow me?"
Xen chanced a look up at Isaac, his eyes filled with surprise. "I do."
"Kogure, grant this man the power you have granted me," Isaac muttered.
The shadow shifted over Xen's body, engulfing him. A vibration filled the air once more, humming inside Oliver's head.
Xen's head snapped backwards so he was gazing at the sky. He gasped. His eyes were black with shadow as Isaac's had been.
The vibration stopped and he slowly lowered his head. Isaac helped him to his feet and Xen gazed at his hands. Dark smoke swirled in them. His mouth hung open in shock.
"It will feel strange at first. But you will adjust, my friend." Isaac said, his eyes had returned to their usual pale grey.
Xen nodded, returning to his feet. "It doesn't hurt anymore," he breathed, touching his chest. Nex reached a hand up to touch his arm and Xen extinguished the smoke in one palm, affectionately stroking the boy's dark hair. "It's still me, Nex."
"She's all yours," Isaac said to Xen, gesturing to the Queen.
She fled. The Queen lifted the layered material of the dress beneath her heavy coat and started running away across the valley. Her escape was slow and she was extremely exposed in the wide ravine, quickly becoming a glaring crimson target against the snow. Oliver could hardly bear to watch as Xen took chase, leaving his sword buried in the ground.
He gained on her quickly and leapt forwards, dragging her down into the snow. He held her down and pressed his hands to her temples. Smoke engulfed her head and she screamed and wailed. Oliver couldn't tear his eyes away from the horrifying scene though he desperately wanted to. The Queen's screams were abruptly cut short and Oliver winced.
Xen got to his feet and Oliver could just make out the melted patch of snow where the Queen's head used to be, a pile of ash was all that remained.
Isaac laughed in delight then strode purposefully towards May once more. He grabbed her hair and dragged her across the ground by it.
"No!" Oliver roared.
"Isaac," William said, his tone full of warning.
Isaac met his eye and nodded. He held the knife above May's chest, her body rising and falling as she hyperventilated.
Oliver cried out in absolute panic. With a huge effort, he yanked himself out of William's grip, elbowing him forcefully in the ribs. His father lunged after him but Oliver twisted around and sent his fist flying at him. William's nose made a loud crack as his knuckles impacted with it and he stumbled backwards in shock. Pain shot up Oliver's wrist but he ignored it, swung around and ran towards May.
Isaac was looking at William in surprise as May struggled manically against the hand he had twisted in her hair.
Oliver saw red, rage consuming him. Isaac's eyes flicked to his own, a calm and unflinching gaze. A smile crept up at the side of his mouth as he slashed the knife towards May.
Oliver cried out as he ran but, before the blade reached her, it flew from Isaac's hand.
A flash of movement caught Oliver's eye and he snapped around to see Ely standing with his hood discarded at his feet.
Ely looked straight at Xen. "You missed one." A blinding blast of light exploded from his hands, tearing the scene apart.
Everyone flew backwards away from the violet light that was cast between them. Oliver saw Ely hit the ground, his palm still outstretched. Oliver landed on William, making his father cry out in surprise. He slowly rolled off of the man, his limbs heavy.
His hearing rung from the explosion as he sat up in a daze. Everyone was on the ground, sprawled away from the impact zone where the snow had melted at the centre of the group.
Oliver saw Hector get to his feet, blinking heavily. With a swift, tense movement he pulled at his hands with all his might and the cord binding them together snapped.
Oliver tried to get up but his body felt so heavy he couldn't find the strength to do so. The scene around him seemed to unfold in slow motion.
He saw Hector move towards Quinn.
"Get the key. Take off her gloves!" Oliver tried, but he could barely hear if the words came out of his mouth over the high-pitched noise in his ears.
Hector met his eye, ran toward a soldier who was sprawled on the ground and fell to his knees beside him. Oliver saw a glint of silver then Hector stowed it in his pocket. He returned to Quinn and lifted her into the air, her body limp in his arms.
Rogan struggled to sit up and shouted something to Hector, gesturing to his bound hands. Hector ignored him and ran towards the Gateway with Quinn.
The Gateway sprang to life. Hector stepped forward into the electricity that crackled within the hole in the tree and disappeared with Quinn gripped in his arms. Oliver shouted out in confusion.
Rogan forced himself to his feet, his mouth opening as he called after them. Oliver shook his head as he tried to bring his hearing back. He looked up and the world seemed to speed up. Sound returned in a wave as he got to his feet.
"Get to the Gateway!" Ely shouted, whipping a hand through the air that made the binds on their hands slice apart.
Oliver glanced back to see that William was rousing behind him. His eyes flashed open and landed on Oliver. His hand shot into the air and Oliver flinched but William's arm snapped back to his side as a wave of amber light hit him.
"Move, Oliver!" Ely shouted in a strained voice as he cast the magic that was holding William in place.
William's face was turning red as he struggled against it.
The rest of his friends were stirring. Oliver ran to May first, lifted her up and steadied her in the snow. Isaac was face down on the ground unconscious just a few feet away from her. She blinked as she recovered from the blast, focusing on Oliver's face.
The others got up and Ely fled toward the Gateway. "Come on! Move!"
Larkin grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her up, pushing her ahead of him.
Oliver sprinted flat out toward the Gateway, dragging May behind him. With his spare hand, he reached for the Lock at his neck to reassure himself it was still there. As he closed in on the tree, he glanced around to make sure his friends were following then forced May headfirst through the portal. He waited for the others to pass through, leaning on the gnarly bark of the tree, panting.
Each disappearance relieved him. He waited until last to go in, the gap only big enough for one at a time.
Oliver glanced back to see William casting a shot of light in his direction, his face taut with determination. Oliver ducked it and fell through the Gateway, his eyes not leaving his father's furious gaze until he disappeared into the portal. His arms were outstretched as he fell through, his skin tingling and his eyes filled with golden light. He crashed into the ground on the other side in Brinatin.
