Shadow of the Otherverse (The Last Whisper of the Gods Saga Book 3) (35 page)

“
If
ain’t the right word,” said Rexall. “
When
is more like it. And, despite what General Carannan says, there are still too many unbelievers in this army for my liking. We’re going to need to do some convincing before Justin arrives or we’ll be faced with an unprepared army.”

“How about another demonstration?” suggested Alicia, remembering the success of Sorial’s efforts at Vantok.

“It’s hard to imagine something more forceful than bringing down a palace.”

“I’ve got an idea,” said Sorial. “At the very least, it should convince the troops that we have our share of mythological firepower.”

* * *

“Well,” said Alicia, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I can think of at least one part of your body that’s still working fine.”

Sorial smiled but said nothing. His fingers trailed a line from her neck to her hip, brushing the skin with a feathery touch. She shivered involuntarily. “That tickles.”

It was a break they both needed, a pause in the frenetic activity of preparing for Justin’s attack. Lying together on Sorial’s bed in the Citadel afforded them a few moments together. Since Alicia’s Maturity nearly two years ago, they had spent precious little time together and that made opportunities like this special.

“I missed this,” Alicia mused.

“The sex?”

She laughed. “The closeness. I hate when we’re apart, even when I’m with others. It never feels right.”

“I know. I hope this was the last time and from now on we can be together.”

“After this is all over, I’d like nothing more than to return to Vantok, rebuild our house, and live out the rest of our lives there. I don’t know how long we have - we’re both aging at unnatural rates and Justin looks nearly as old as Ferguson and he’s only in his 40s - but I’d like to think we can spend at least a couple of decades growing old together. And if we get bored, we can always foster a child or two.” She hesitated. “Maybe Myselene would send us the heir for a period. It’s not unusual for a royal son or daughter to spend time in a noble’s household during their formative years.”

Sorial considered whether this had been part of his wife’s plan from the beginning. He wondered if the agreement between Alicia and Myselene included conditions he didn’t know about. He wasn’t sure how he felt about raising his own child without being able to acknowledge being the father. Then again, it might never happen. At this point, it was all wishful thinking.

“For Myselene, it might end with Justin. If she wins the Battle of Obis, she can take a legion and march south to Vantok. For us, there’s more, and I have the uneasy feeling it’s not going to end with us settling down and enjoying a period of domestic bliss in a rebuilding Vantok. Not if there’s something wrong in the Otherverse. Not if some corrupting force is gaining strength there.”

Alicia pondered his words. “So you believe Malbranche and Altemiak made it in. Which means there’s a pathway. So someone - Justin or you or I - could follow. I wish there had been more time to scour the library. Piles and piles of scrolls and books I never even peeked at. I learned so much but it was just the fringes of a large tapestry that now lies in ashes.”

“Any ideas? Kara said she and Braddock weren’t actually killed by the portal. Well, their bodies were but not their essences. Their non-corporeal ‘spirits’ ended up in the Otherverse but they were powerless there. Altemiak and Malbranche may have assumed control - equally balanced forces for chaos and order. They arrived as masters of the Otherverse, able to control its energy. I assume Justin’s plan is to enter, upset the balance, and take full control of both forces. If he succeeds - and I’m not sure it’s possible - he’ll have the power of a god.”

“With Ferguson as his cleric?”

“I never considered it, but it’s the kind of bargain that would excite the old bastard. Then again, considering his age, he might be dead before he can collect on his end of the deal.”

“I think Justin believes he needs all four wizards. He wants to kill us not only because of the danger we represent in battle but because he wants loyal people in our places. His interpretation of the process to enter the Otherverse involves all four elements. I’m not sure how but opening a gate must involve a synthesis of powers. We know that if an active wizard tries to enter a portal, he dies, probably ending up in the same state as your mother and brother: existing but impotent. But if there’s a way to use magic to force the portal open, it might be possible to pass through intact. Perhaps not physically but with full control of some aspect of the Otherverse.”

Sorial’s bafflement showed on his face. “I ain’t really following you but I’ll assume you know what you’re talking about. But why the war? He don’t need to conquer all six cities to control the wizards. In fact, he’d’ve had more success waging a stealth campaign to assassinate us.”

“He tried.”

“I know, but it wasn’t the focus of his efforts. The attempts to kill us were halfhearted and amateurish because his attention was directed at building an army and developing the battle plan against Vantok. The war is
important
. It ain’t just a distraction.”

“Sorry. I don’t know. And it’s not as if I haven’t thought about it, stableboy. All the way back here - two weeks in the water and another riding your fucking uncomfortable rock wyrm from the shore - I’ve been digesting everything I learned in the library and the only conclusion I’ve arrived at is that Justin knows a hell of a lot more about the Otherverse than we do. Ferguson might still be useful…”

“No!” Sorial sat up abruptly, the scratchy blanket falling away. “No more games with him. We should have executed him long ago, but he dangled his knowledge as the prize for keeping him alive. Your father almost died because of that mistake and Gorton wasn’t so lucky. Besides, I don’t trust anything he might tell us. He could easily weave a web of lies that would lead to our destruction. Ferguson’s time of manipulation is finished. His life will be forfeit if he’s foolish enough to show himself to me or Myselene.”

“Or me,” said Alicia quietly.

“Let’s get some sleep. You’ve got some lessons to teach me about using deep magic.”

“I’m not sleepy, but I can think of a few things you might be able to do to tire me out…”

* * *

Sorial and Carannan were deep in discussion in one of the Citadel’s many “war rooms” - large, well-lit chambers so named because the walls and table were covered with maps. A knock on the door interrupted speculation about how an approaching storm front might impact Obis’ preparations for battle and, perhaps more importantly, Justin’s cross-continent march. The latest report was that he would likely set out today.

“Come,” said Carannan.

The door opened to admit Rexall and a small, pale girl. Sorial’s suspicion of who she was blossomed to certainty when he met the other man’s eyes and saw a flash of embarrassment.

“Shiree, I presume,” said Sorial, approaching her with his flesh-and-blood hand extended. He could tell she was unsettled by his appearance even though he was wearing his mask. Nevertheless, she shook with a firm grip that belied her appearance. “Rexall has spoken of you often.” Not really, but he had mentioned her on at least one occasion, citing her as the reason why he had left the North. Why was she here in Obis with him?

“You’re the wizard Sorial?” Her accent, slight as it was, reminded him of his mother’s.

“That’s him,” said Rexall. “Not what you were expecting?”

She shrugged as if it didn’t matter. A bemused Sorial asked, “What can I do for you?” As curious as he was to learn more about the relationship between these two, he knew Rexall wouldn’t have interrupted without a good reason.

“Tell him.”

“I was sent by Master Warburm. He wanted me to convey a message to the queen: ‘Your old mentor be no more. The one Sorial don’t trust made a pact with another of the four. The refugees be not in play at Obis.’“

Rexall added, “Warburm sent her alone, with only an escort of three soldiers. A desperation move, meaning he thinks the number of people he can trust is small. It’s a good thing we weren’t relying on the remnants of Vantok’s militia at Obis.”

Sorial nibbled on his thumbnail. “I’m going to have to go there to sort things out.”

“If you go, take Alicia. She’s been there before. And look for Aiden. I can’t believe he’s one of Ferguson’s lapdogs.”

“First things first, though. I’ve got to do a little something to convince the rank and file of Obis’ militia - not to mention some stubborn generals - that magic has returned to the world. You’re welcome to watch, Rex. It’s going to be quite a show.”

* * *

This time, Sorial experienced no apprehension, despite his dislike of public spectacles. He doubted the same was true of at least one of the two women sharing the public eye with him. Following her lengthy solo bonding with the rock wyrm as it had conveyed her from the coast to Obis, Alicia had overcome her most ingrained distrust of the creature. Myselene, on the other hand, remained skittish around it. Sorial hadn’t told either of them about the surprise addition to today’s “show.”

The Citadel was a large structure with grounds to match. For this demonstration, fully half the open area between the massive tower and the outer walls had been emptied. Viewers watched from designated “safe areas” outside the “danger zone”, from atop the walls, and from the building’s roof. Most of the observers were members of the army, although certain skeptical nobles of high rank had been invited.

Sorial, dressed in his priestly robes, stood between the queen, who was in full royal regalia (including the crown, which had been rescued from the palace debris), and his wife, who was dressed in a feminine version of his costume. Instead of the drab brown favored by her husband, Alicia’s robes were made from a lighter fabric with an azure hue. Both wizards were hooded, their faces concealed in shadow.

No words were spoken. None were necessary. Everyone present knew why they were here - to see proof that the age of mythology had truly returned. Most expected to see a display of magical trickery - a light show, perhaps, or a few flashes of fake lightning. No one anticipated what happened.

Sorial concentrated, directing his will into the earth. It didn’t take long to reach the waiting rock wyrm. A few quick thoughts were exchanged then Sorial withdrew his mind. There was no need for supervision.

Twenty feet to the right of Myselene, the ground erupted in a geyser of rock and dirt. The queen steeled herself not to flinch even when a fist-sized clod of clay bounced off her shoulder. Up through the newly created cavity shot the rock wyrm, its massive, undulating body soaring higher than the top of the Citadel before it made a sinuous mid-air pivot and dove back toward the opening through which it had emerged. No sooner had it vanished than a similar display was repeated to Alicia’s left. This was obviously a different rock wyrm - slightly smaller and with greener scales. It executed the same maneuver and disappeared beneath the earth. Moments later, both rock wyrms duplicated their display, this time in tandem. The demonstration took a little more than a minute and, when it was done and the clatter of tumbling rocks had quieted, a stunned silence ruled the grounds.

Doubt had been banished. Obis was ready to begin preparing for a different kind of war.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: THE CALM BEFORE

The storm was coming - figuratively as well as literally. The defenders of Obis could only hope that the high winds and blinding snow would batter the army approaching from the east with as much ferocity as they were likely to hit the city. Still, this offered an opportunity, although Overcommander Carannan recognized there was risk involved. Instinct told him, however, that safe, traditional tactics were likely to result in the fall of Obis. Conventional methods of engagement at Vantok had led to a catastrophic defeat. This time, the army had to do something better than massing outside the city and meeting Justin’s forces head-on. A host of twenty-thousand men should not be able to take Obis. But twenty-thousand men, ten djinn, a dragon, and a wizard… that was a different prospect altogether. His generals, all good military men, weren’t imaginative. Their approach was to ignore the mystical and magical aspects of the attack. They were clones of Overcommander Vikon and their schemes would fare little better.

The city’s top military minds were gathered to hone a strategy. Myselene had given Carannan overall command of her forces - an appointment that had bred resentment among some of the older, more experienced generals. Her argument, however - that one of their number, General Greeg, had betrayed and nearly killed her - had quieted the most vocal opposition. She could trust Carannan because he had fought for and nearly died for her on two occasions. He didn’t know Obis or the specifics of the army’s composition but he had stood against Justin and understood what to expect. 

Sorial and Alicia were also present. This provoked some uneasiness but there was no cogent argument anyone could make against giving them authority equal to Carannan’s. Whether the assembled generals liked it or not, and most didn’t, magic was going to play a role. The wizards had a mandate to overrule any stratagem if they thought it was unsound given the supernatural parameters under which the battle would be fought.

“How long?” This was directed to Alicia who had thus far shown the greatest aptitude for predicting the weather. An air-wizard would have done better but Alicia’s ability to read water vapor allowed her to “see” into the future for about a week. After that, guesswork and experience were needed. She was adequate with the former but deficient in the latter.

“Three or four days. It’s building off the coast, way beyond Andel. When it strikes, it should last about two days and drop perhaps three feet of snow. That will make it hard going for Justin’s army and probably slow his approach by at least several days. Behind the storm, we’ll be dealing with brutal cold for a while before conditions return to normal. By the time the battle is joined, much of the snow will have melted.”

Carannan shook his head. “So, if we’re going to deploy forces outside Obis, we have two days to get them moving for the storm to cover their tracks. I have it in mind to set a trap for The Lord of Fire’s army.” He asked Sorial, “Will he have any way of knowing how our troops are positioned?”

Sorial turned to Alicia, feeling that, as a result of her studies, she might be better able to respond. “There are ways. Whether he’ll use them or not is another matter since they would drain his magical resources. Sorial can estimate troop placement and movement through the ground. Justin can do something similar through fire. That’s how he avoided the trap we planned at Vantok. He used a torch to spy on the battle commanders as they formulated their strategies. Fire is his to command; he can subjugate any flame, anywhere. Don’t underestimate that ability. We need to learn from our mistakes.” Thus saying, she looked pointedly at the lanterns lighting the room. “He could be watching now. He could be hearing everything we’re saying.”

“You’re saying our primary means of light and warmth can’t be trusted?” The man who voiced this question was the youngest and fittest of the generals, hastily promoted to fill Greeg’s position.

Alicia nodded. “I’m not saying we
can’t
use fire. There’s no way Justin can control every flame in and around the city, although the closer he comes, the more comprehensive his grasp will be. But we have to be cognizant that, when we use it, we take a risk.”

“So we need to adjourn and regroup in a room lighted from outside?” asked another of the generals.

“That’s my recommendation,” said Alicia. “Unless you want to chance Justin knowing our plans. As for troop arrangement, if the men eschew fire, he’ll be blind to their location. Of course, knowing that, it may be possible to provide him with disinformation.”

“Since it won’t be light outside for another ten hours, I suggest we discuss mundane matters at the moment - subjects that would bore The Lord of Fire if he chooses to listen and that will provide him with no advantage. At dawn, we can move to another location to formulate our battle plans.”

There were murmurs of agreement although it was clear no one was happy about having to wait all night to hear Carannan’s ideas detailed. Sorial and Alicia excused themselves, saying they would rejoin the group at daybreak. There were more productive ways they could spend their time than listening to soldiers haggling over the evacuation plans for the village outside Obis’ walls.

Instead of retreating to their quarters, the wizards traveled down several staircases inside the Citadel until they were in the lowest level of the basement, a large chamber painstakingly hewn from the rock under the city. It was like being in a mine. The walls were rough and glistening with moisture. The presence of water allowed Alicia, like Sorial, to see in the dark. The room, which measured roughly sixty feet by fifty feet, had at times during its history been used as a dungeon and a storage chamber, although the damp rusted chains and spoiled supplies. Now, it was empty, making it perfect for the wizards’ purposes.

“You sure you can do this?” asked Alicia.

Sorial shrugged. “It worked with Myselene. She came out fine.” It wasn’t a resounding affirmation.

“I know. She said she’d rather die than do it again.  Said she still wakes up at night in a cold sweat, imagining all that dirt closing around her, sucking her under.”

“She ain’t used to magic. You are. It shouldn’t be much different from swimming through water. In this case, it’s rock and dirt. Like water, it ain’t passing through you, you’re moving it aside so you can pass where it was. The only difference is the material.”

“And breathing?”

“How do you breathe when you’re under water?”

She didn’t know. It sort-of happened.

“Same thing,” said Sorial. “You just have to remember that I’m in control. I think one of the problems with Myselene is that she fought me. In that like in everything else.” He didn’t elaborate and Alicia didn’t ask him to. But she could make some shrewd guesses.

During the chaotic escape from the palace, Sorial had learned the full-body contact he had used with Myselene wasn’t necessary. So, with Alicia, he simply took her hand and clasped it firmly as they descended into the stone floor. Her reaction was calmer than the queen’s. In fact, she gave the appearance of studying the experience. That represented a significant change in how she approached matters of magic. The Yu’Tar Library had truly changed her.

They were underground for perhaps ten minutes, with Sorial taking them on a tour of the city’s immediate environs before returning to their starting location. Once they exited the rock floor, Alicia shivered involuntarily but seemed otherwise unfazed by the experience.

“That was… interesting. You’re right, stableboy. It’s like swimming - the only difference being that water is fluid while rock is solid. A non-magical person can move through water while the same isn’t true of the ground.”

“We ain’t built for it. There are creatures that live their entire lives burrowing through the ground. The rock wyrms, for example. They hate open spaces. The sky, so vast and far above, frightens them.”

“How many of them are there? Just the two, or more?”

“I’ve only made contact with two. There are more but they’ve avoided my probes. I’ll keep trying. I’ve also started to form a deeper communication with them. The way they think ain’t like us. Everything is… tangible. Conveying abstract concepts is difficult. But I’m starting to have success.  Sending the one wyrm to contact you across the sea, for example. “

Alicia looked down at the even, unbroken floor. “I can see why Myselene was unnerved. It’s an alien feeling, moving through the earth like that. It touches you but doesn’t abrade the way I imagined. It’s… smooth, almost like mud. I think there may have been a disconnect between what she expected and what she experienced. Also a little claustrophobia.”

“Will you be okay on a two-hundred mile trip? It will take several hours.”

“Can you hold my hand for that long?” she teased.

“That long and longer.”

They spent the rest of the night alternately sleeping and making love. By dawn, they were sated but not necessarily rested. They joined Carannan and the generals in the top room of the Citadel - the only chamber in the entire building with windows. It had been designed as an observation post and offered an impressive view of the city and its immediate environs. In the past, when Obis was under attack, generals had used this as their war room since it provided an impeccable view of the would-be invaders. Carannan expected it to once again serve that function.

“Can we talk freely?” The overcommander directed the question at his daughter.

“I think so.”

“Good. Then we’ll hold all strategy meetings here and, even at night, without torches.”

“I’ll get you some glowstones,” offered Sorial. They didn’t produce as much light as fire but they were beyond Justin’s ability to control.

“The more I’ve considered it, the more I’m convinced that confronting Justin by using any conventional strategy is foolish. In the past, when Obis has been attacked, there have been two general methods of defeating the enemy - either by massing the army outside the gates and deciding things in a melee or keeping everyone inside and using archers and long-range catapults to pummel the attackers as they crashed and broke against the walls. Both would be excellent strategies against a conventional army but that’s not what we face.”

“Presumably, this is a long winded preamble to a workable battle plan,” grumbled one of the generals.

“I recommend we take between two-thirds and three-quarters of the army - about fourteen thousand souls - out of the city and reposition them to the south, beyond Sutter’s Hill.” Several of the generals gaped in shock at the proposition. Others, including the one who had challenged Carannan, showed no reaction. “If we can relocate the men before the storm hits and position them where the enemy won’t notice them, the snow will hide their tracks. Justin won’t know that only a fraction of our force is in the city.”

“And we come on them from the rear?” This general, a grizzled veteran slowly nodded his head. “It might work. If they were truly taken by surprise. If you’re attacking a city, the last thing you expect is to be set on from behind. With archers and catapults above, and fourteen thousand attacking the exposed flanks and rear…” He was, of course, ignoring the djinn, the dragon, and Justin.

“Alicia and I can help,” said Sorial. “We can keep their camp hidden and obscure their approach when they begin moving.”

“It’s a nice enough plan but you’re forgetting one thing, Overcommander.” This observation was offered by the first man who had challenged Carannan. “Not only will those men be out there in the teeth of a storm but they’ll have to endure the elements for another two weeks waiting for the enemy’s arrival. And all that without a lick of fire. They’ll freeze to death.”

“No they won’t,” said Sorial. “I can deliver a constant supply of hot rocks that give off warmth but no flames and I can form tunnels through which supplies can be transported.” He and Alicia had discussed this with Carannan once the overcommander had realized that magical support would be necessary.

“The difficulty will be determining the timing for the attack. As we learned at Vantok, the djinn can decimate an army. They have to be otherwise occupied or destroyed by the time our ground forces engage. What I need from you, all who have greater knowledge and experience than I have, is a workable plan of action by which those fourteen-thousand men can attack a larger force from behind and achieve excellent results. We also have to figure out the strategy for the men who remain in the city, especially in the likely event that the walls are breached. Assume they’ll come down, either in part or in whole.”

“Them walls have stood for more’n a thousand years and have withstood attacks by armies as large as fifty thousand. Don’t care what you throw at ’em - they ain’t coming down!” declared one man, stomping his booted foot at the end of his statement as punctuation. As adamant as he was, others were evidently less sure.

Sorial listened carefully to the back-and-forth among the generals but he eventually found himself becoming confused by the military jargon. It was clear, however, that the generals were more in favor of Carannan’s idea of splitting the army than against it. Their greatest concern was maintaining communication between the two pieces but the idea of tunnels assuaged some of their fears. Sorial promised an entire network of traversable catacombs crisscrossing beneath the proposed battlefield.

Sorial recognized that he and Alicia would be asked to do the improbable. Not only was Carannan counting on them to fend off and perhaps kill the djinn and the dragon, but fight against Justin if and when he entered the battle. Dueling The Lord of Fire concerned him the most. Justin’s knowledge and experience meant that he would lash out in ways Sorial couldn’t predict and, if the attacks were hard to anticipate, it might be impossible to formulate an effective defense.