A Hollow Mountain (The Brightest Shadow Book 2), page 47
"Of course. The mine lies deep within the Regent's Forest, far from here. Several Bloodskins died just trying to reach it. Today is about destroying a Deathspawn outpost, and more importantly about drawing them away from the mine." Melal returned to staring forward, his voice rising. "If the outpost falls easily, then they will think there is an attack from Wahleen. But even if we cannot slay them all, forces will still be drawn from the mine to reinforce the outpost. Either way, we strike to claim the seal."
Though the plan seemed sound, it rested on an unknown number of assumptions. The exact positioning of troops, for one, and how the mansthein would respond to such a threat. For that matter, how the human soldiers involved would react. As much as Slaten had enjoyed his time spent in Torgaadi, he abruptly wondered if he had made a terrible mistake by leaving Melal alone.
Or more likely, he would have made no difference at all.
"The outpost is ahead!" Melal called back to the others, raising his hand for them to halt. "Find cover as close as you can. My companions and I will advance to draw them out. Strike when the time is right!"
Slaten and Tani walked forward after Melal, approaching what appeared to be a squat fortress atop one of the rolling hills. It was constructed of large slats of stone reinforced by metal, clean except for drifts of snow in several places. Fortunately, sanity prevailed: Laeri stayed back in a defended position while Patule and two of the errants joined them. One Lesser Steeljudge and a Peak Ironlord, so their group of six held no small amount of power.
As they approached, several figures on the battlements saw them and immediately disappeared. By the time they drew near, a mansthein man emerged from the entrance. Not a Catai, but he wore heavy armor and carried a long war hammer. He set it against the ground and shouted at them.
"Come no further! The Deathspawn army has no quarrel with you, but if you encroach upon this space, granted to us by the nation of Portant, then you will suffer the consequences."
"We want no violence, but we need to speak to you!" Melal continued walking forward, so the rest of them did as well. Atop the wall, Slaten saw more mansthein gathering, some armored but most carrying bows. If they did loose arrows, he might be able to knock some off the low wall, but they could be a serious threat.
"If you wish to treat with us, then stop where you are!" The lead mansthein lifted his war hammer into both hands. "We take no part in your human wars. Let us lay down our weapons and-"
"There is only one war!" When Melal drew close, he abruptly lunged, his sword flashing out and driving through the chest of the mansthein.
The man stared down at the blade with a shock that made Slaten hesitate. It was not surprise at Melal's speed, but shock that he had been attacked. Slaten realized that the mansthein had truly believed they were treating peacefully and died for his trust.
Atop the walls, the soldiers reacted instantly. Their archers were already in position and now loosed a hail of arrows. Slaten drew his sword and hoped that his body could endure. Though the arrows did not travel quickly to his eye, they came so thickly that he would struggle to dodge. Tani had immediately leapt back out of range, but it was too late for him.
One of the errants slammed their large rectangular shield on the ground. Dust shot in all directions from the impact and Slaten was forced to take a step back by the burst of wind. It struck the arrows with even greater force, scattering them across the field.
Even the well-trained archers hesitated for a moment at that, but soon they were nocking second arrows. Before they could, Melal threw the corpse off his sword and called out a charge. Patule and the other errant rushed past him, both leaping up onto the battlements. Some archers died instantly, but more retreated as sein-trained warriors stepped up to hold the line.
More of them flooded from the entrance to the fort. Slaten was surprised to find himself facing a warrior wearing Wahleenese armor, apparently human. Before his opponent could arrive, Slaten raised a hand. "Wait. We do not-"
Then the spear thrust at his face and he had no more time to speak. Even if the armored warrior was Wahleenese, he was fully committed to killing blows. If so, Slaten would not stand down. He had no idea what he even would have said, if he had been allowed to speak.
Though his opponent moved quickly, Slaten rushed directly back at him. His new body made it easy to bash aside the next spear thrust, then he reversed his blade and slammed the hilt against his opponent's head. Though it was not a well-executed blow, he was shocked at how much the metal deformed under the impact.
Staggering back, the warrior desperately tugged at his helmet. Slaten didn't give him a chance, thrusting through the gap beneath his breastplate. As the man fell, his helm finally came free, revealing his battered face.
A battered mansthein face.
That should have meant nothing, since they had come to kill Deathspawn, but Slaten realized that he had been wrong. The man being Wahleenese and being mansthein had not been mutually exclusive. Far too late, he wondered at exactly what agreement the two sides had struck.
More mansthein rushed from the fort, threatening to surround him. But Tani had reached him, allowing them to fight together, and they could use the fort to their own advantage to limit their attackers. On top of that, Slaten heard a great cry from the forest at the same instant that a searing light blinded him. Melal had climbed to the top of the gate, raising his gleaming sword overhead.
"Slaughter them! Slaughter them all!"
~ ~ ~
Though Celivia was told that she camped on the border of Portant and mansthein-controlled Wahleen, the statement meant nothing to her. The armor and architecture might be familiar, but her body refused to believe it. After spending so many days ricocheting around the world, through different days and seasons, something within her rebelled. She had slept poorly the previous night and now she felt increasingly nauseous.
"So, who are we fighting?" Ghalia sat behind her, grinding her fists around her axe. "I was expecting some human barbarians, but they're saying it's some hero?"
"We don't know the truth." Celivia turned away from the window to focus on Ghalia and Reina. "It could be false rumors or a ploy. The truth of whatever is happening there might have been completely lost as it passed between messengers."
"But you don't think it is, do you?"
Celivia massaged her forehead, wondering if she felt only a headache or something worse. "I'm not sure. If the Hero is there, you'll know. Ghalia, you especially be careful. Something about him makes you bloodthirsty and furious... and prone to making stupid decisions. Even if he looks weak, watch out for his sword."
"Wait, why especially me? Are you saying all Towd just go smashing through the battlefield?"
Reina smirked. "Not all Towd, but you definitely do." She grew more serious as she turned to glance at Celivia. "It wouldn't have any effect on me if I seinrage, right?"
"Probably not," Celivia said, "but don't let yourself loose too early. Did you really feel nothing when we fought in Aryabaus's tower?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, but I might not be as sensitive as you."
All Celivia could do was shake her head, unsure. She loved sein because as abstract and beautiful as it could be, she could come to understand it fully. But the Hero's certainty revealed only shadows of doubt, casting her own mind in uncertain shades.
Rejoining her friends had been a welcome reprieve, but now Celivia found herself thinking over a less comfortable thought. "If the Hero is out there, I don't know who will be with him. But there's a good chance he'll have strong warriors fighting alongside him."
Ghalia struck the butt of her axe on the floor. "We can do the same thing to them as we do to him."
"That's just it. There are several of them that I would... prefer that you try to capture, if possible." She went on to describe Slaten, Tani, Laeri, and Veron. With each moment she explained further, she felt their suspicion tighten around her, but she forced herself to finish. "They aren't truly with him, and they could reveal a great deal about the human Legend. I think the Zeitai would prefer them captured."
"No, I think you want that." Ghalia regarded her with narrow eyes. "I still think you shouldn't have taken that assignment, Celi, even if it was for a Zeitai. Undergoing a human-stained rebirth like that, much less staying in it for so long... that does something to you."
"My request stands. Please." Celivia refused to back down, staring directly back into Ghalia's eyes. Eventually her friend cracked a smile.
"You sound pretty emotional about it. This is personal, isn't it? You want to fuck the one with the amazing tits?"
Celivia scoffed, covering her relief. "I described no such thing."
"My vivid imagination filled in the gaps."
"If you mean Veron, I was objectively describing her features so that you would recognize her. You should know that I'm not usually interested in such women." Celivia inclined her head toward Reina and immediately regretted it. Normally something like that would pass easily between friends, but Reina watched her quietly. She had been watching ever since Celivia began describing the humans.
The uncomfortable pause was interrupted when their door slammed open and, surprisingly, Jeraeli entered. She barely even glanced at the other two, advancing directly to Celivia.
"I just received word that there's been an attack on an outpost. A small group of humans on the Portantese side of the border. Do you think the Hero would do something that reckless?"
"That... I'm not sure." Celivia tried to catch up, not having even known that Jeraeli was present. "My experience doesn't give me some magical sense of him."
"This is serious, Celivia." Jeraeli stepped even closer, eyes hard. "I have a Voidwalker prepared, ready to take a small group of elites. If we strike at the right time, we can be the ones who did what the Zeitai wanted instead of waiting around at the border. But if we strike wrong, we won't get another chance."
"This isn't an official strike, is it? If you have critical information, shouldn't you let the whole garrison attack?"
"There's no time for that. We'll lose all our advantages by the time they decide what to do. I need an answer. Now."
Celivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but she felt nothing, not even an impulse in her gut. All she had were memories of Melal, which led her to her answer. "Yes, the Hero would do something that reckless. Probably more. I can't guarantee that this report is him, b-"
"Then we have to take the chance. We won't get another." Jeraeli finally turned to face Reina and Ghalia. "You're Celivia's reinforcements, I take it? If you're strong, you're welcome to come along with us."
They nodded and rose to their feet, leaving behind their packs in exchange for their weapons. Celivia filled with doubt as they left the room and joined Jeraeli's other chosen warriors, her concerns threatening to spill from her mouth. There was a good chance that it meant nothing, yet she also remembered how the Hero had drawn people to him. Even after years...
When the Voidwalker finally arrived, the group gathered quickly and disappeared into emptiness. This was a simple trip compared to the world-spanning twisting she had experienced recently, just a quick jump over part of one nation. Yet when they arrived, Celivia immediately reeled and clutched her head.
They stood in an empty field, not even within sight of the fortress. She could hear the sounds of combat, but they were faint and could have been any battle. Logically, she knew only that they were following a rumor.
But she knew.
Chapter 35
-
"Supplies decreasing, shortfalls increasing. Proper steel is a thing of the past. For all that the nobles talk about waging a campaign against the raiders, they aren't supporting it. Reports of Hero increasing, but vague. If they get worse, we'll be crushed between the raiders and the desert. If human Wahleen somehow turns against us, we will be completely isolated."
- report by Quartermaster Fuleen
-
Tani took a deep breath, inhaling every fragment of the battle clashing around her. She had grown accustomed to smelling mint to warn her of danger, but that might as well have been stumbling around in the dark compared to this. Though she couldn't feel the entire battlefield as if it was her own body, she tasted the flow of sein, smelled the movements of bodies, and felt the weight of every attack.
Any strength she had gained paled in comparison to her new awareness. An archer took aim and she was already stepping away from the arrow's path. A powerful mansthein rushed her from the side and she knew just how to intercept him, her thrown knife striking him on the chest and sending him stumbling into a group of errants. When a weaker soldier attempted to strike her from behind, she knew that she need only chop her sickle knife into his neck to drop him. Some of those around her slipped in the snow and ice littering the battlefield, but she avoided every patch.
Attempting to use threads of sein might throw off the balance, so Tani simply focused on her senses. Many of her opponents were merely soldiers with limited training, making her sickle knife more than enough. While dispatching another, she had the presence of mind to consider the state of the battlefield.
Some of the most powerful from both sides still fought on the battlements while Melal led a vicious attack within the gate. She didn't want to enter the chaos around Melal, but normally she might have helped the others. Instead, she became aware of a new movement of soldiers, attempting to flank the main body assaulting the fortress. That was where she could make the most difference.
Two mansthein came rushing at her, screaming, and Tani killed both in one spinning movement. Compared to the opponents she normally faced, they might as well have been walking and their bodies could barely slow her blade. She finished her spin, orienting herself toward the next power she felt...
And saw Celivia across the battlefield.
Rage eclipsed everything else. Tani raised her sickle knife and in another heartbeat she felt Celivia meet her gaze. She saw the guilt there, but it was too late. Without taking her eyes away from the other woman, Tani kicked another soldier out of her path.
"Tani!" Slaten's voice tugged at her attention and she turned furiously.
With her next breath she realized what had happened. Melal had pushed into the fortress, but he had left the men with him behind. The Bloodskin men now fell back from a Catai and several warriors. She would have turned aside and let them die, but there were several errants trapped against the fortress wall, heavily injured. Not raiders, only young warriors attempting to do what they believed was right.
Slaten saw the crisis, but he hadn't seen Celivia. Tani turned away, rushing to face the new force. She heard him call after her. Once, then only her heart pounding in her ears.
Though she rushed through the battle, she didn't do so recklessly. Her calm awareness of the currents around her had become a storm of fury. She let it carry her away from blows, past warriors who would slow her down, and toward Celivia. The Deathspawn waited atop a ridge, apart from the rest of the battle, as if she wanted the fight.
With a single leap, Tani reached the edge of the ridge, finally facing the woman who had betrayed her. Though Celivia pretended to stand down, she kept her hands on her weapons. "Tani, please listen to me. There's more going on h-"
"There's always something more!" Tani hurled one of her throwing knives savagely, feeling a rush as Celivia was forced to duck aside. "Who did you betray for this one?"
"Don't do this." Celivia deflected the next throw with her own knife.
"Why shouldn't I? You never even apologized!"
"Tani, I'm s-"
She launched herself forward with everything she had, sein coursing hotly through her body. All four of her senses dissolved into a single rush as she lashed out repeatedly.
Celivia finally uncurled her whip, flicking it to counter the attack. Tani tried to hook it with her sickle knife, but the blades leapt away, propelled by Celivia's sein. It could have gone for her face. With a flood of new rage Tani realized that Celivia was still trying to capture her, to overpower her and force her to accept that her betrayal had been right.
As they traded blows, Tani's fury became icy. The fact that Celivia held back was a weakness that could be exploited. Tani hurled another knife directly at her opponent's face, leaving her arm open. Celivia immediately stepped in, her whip spinning to wrap around her arm without the blades biting deep.
So slow compared to her true attacks. Tani thrust her sickle knife toward Celivia's face with everything she had.
Celivia dodged low and back, but the blade passed just past her head. Tani's thrust cut through some of her hair and the tie that bound it. Wisps of silver drifted away as Celivia's hair uncoiled from her head, tumbling around her shoulders. That shimmering hair that had once been pale blond, falling in the way she had found so beautiful.
Tani screamed and launched herself forward.
Unprepared for Tani's new reserves of sein, Celivia was completely taken off guard. One bashing strike knocked her whip from her hand, and though she drew a second horned knife, she was still giving ground. She managed to avoid any strikes to the body, but Tani had never been intending to actually strike her there.
Instead she used her free hand to grasp Celivia's hair.
The other woman froze in shock and Tani grinned, making a fist around the silvery locks. With that firm grip, she prepared to jerk her opponent's head back and strike...
Pain screamed across her hand.
Only instinct allowed Tani to leap away as Celivia attempted to grab her legs. Tani skidded back, nearly going over the side of the ridge. When she stared down at her hand, she realized that it was covered in narrow lacerations. When she tried to flex it, blood welled in the cuts and pain shot down her arm. Holding a knife would be completely impossible.
She stared up at Celivia, realizing that even the beauty of her hair had been a trap. When Tani lifted her sickle knife to engage in battle, this time she didn't scream.
