Part 7 (1/2)
The catalyst pointed him out. ”I'm not certain about that fourth man. He isn't Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith. He's not dressed in the black -”
”Is he a warlock of any type?” Joram asked. s.h.i.+fting the Darksword restlessly in his hand in order to get a better grip on the heavy weapon, he nearly dropped it, and irritably wiped his sweaty palms on his s.h.i.+rt.
”No,” the catalyst answered, puzzled. ”It's odd, but by his clothes I'd take him for a -”
”It doesn't matter, as long as he's not Duuk-tsarith,” Duuk-tsarith,” interrupted Joram impatiently. ”There's only two of them we have to worry about now. I'll take one. You and Mosiah deal with the other. Where's Simkin?” interrupted Joram impatiently. ”There's only two of them we have to worry about now. I'll take one. You and Mosiah deal with the other. Where's Simkin?”
”Here,” said a sepulchral voice from beneath the helm. ”Got dark awfully quick, didn't it.”
”Raise the visor, fool. You take care of the fourth man.”
”What visor?” came the pathetic response, the helm turning this way and that. ”What fourth man?”
”The man standing by - Oh, never mind!” Joram snarled. ”Just keep out of the way. Come on. Mosiah, go left. I'll go right. You stay between us, Catalyst.” He crept forward through the brush. Mosiah headed the opposite direction while Saryon, his face haggard and drawn, followed behind.
”'Tisn't my fault,” Simkin muttered gloomily from beneath the helmet. ”Wretched invention, this. I'm completely in the dark. Knights of old and all that. b.l.o.o.d.y nonsense. No wonder Arthur had a round table. He couldn't see the d.a.m.n thing! Probably kept b.u.mping into it and knocking off the corners. I -”
But Simkin was talking to himself.
Mosiah fit an arrow to the bow, his hands shaking so with fear and excitement that he had to try several times before he succeeded. ”Grant me Life, Father,” he whispered.
His throat dry from fear, the catalyst repeated in a cracked voice the words that absorbed the magic of the world into his body. He had not been trained in the art of supporting fighting warlocks; that required certain specialized skills that he did not possess. He could enhance Mosiah's already strong magical powers, enabling the young man to cast spells that otherwise would have been beyond his strength, such as they had done in the fight in the village. But that had been using magic against unthinking brutes. This was far different. They were fighting experienced warlocks. Neither of them had ever been in a battle like this, neither truly knew what he was doing.
This is insane! Saryon's mind repeated to him over and over urgently. Insane! Stop it before it goes too far!
”But it's already gone too far,” Saryon told himself. ”We have no choice now!”
”Father!” Mosiah whispered urgently.
Head bowed, Saryon laid his hand upon the boy's quivering arm and chanted the words that opened the conduit to him. The magic flowed from the catalyst into Mosiah like sparkling wine.
Watching Mosiah's face in the sunlight, the catalyst saw the young man's lips part, the eyes glow. He looked like a child tasting his first sweets.
Saryon's heart misgave him. ”No, Mosiah, wait ... You can't -”
But he was too late. Whispering words the young man had learned from the Sorcerers, Mosiah let fly his arrow in the direction of the man in black robes nearest him. His aim was hurried, but it was not important. As the arrow flew, the young magus cast a spell upon it, causing the arrow to seek out and kill any warm-blooded, living object. Used by the Sorcerers of old, the spell permitted even untrained troops to be highly effective in battle.
But not this battle.
What drew the warlock's attention? Perhaps it was the rustle of Mosiah's clothes brus.h.i.+ng against the gra.s.s. Perhaps it was the tw.a.n.g of the arrow leaving the string or the whisper of the feathers on the shaft as it flew through the air. Or perhaps it was the warning caw of the raven, although that came late.
Swifter than the arrow flying toward his heart, the man in the black robes spoke and pointed. There was a flash of flame and the arrow was nothing more deadly than a streak of ashes that vanished upon the winds.
The second Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith acted as quickly as his partner. Raising his hands to heaven, he shouted a command and darkness fell upon them with a swiftness of a thunderbolt. Brilliant, sunlit day became blinding, stifling night. Saryon could see nothing, and crouched helplessly in the brush, afraid to move. Then, just as his eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness, strange silver moonlight filled the forest. Though it lit up everything in the woods, it caused human flesh to glow brightly, with an eerie purplish-white radiance. The catalyst - blinking - could see clearly the astonished faces of the fourth man and the priest as they turned in their direction. acted as quickly as his partner. Raising his hands to heaven, he shouted a command and darkness fell upon them with a swiftness of a thunderbolt. Brilliant, sunlit day became blinding, stifling night. Saryon could see nothing, and crouched helplessly in the brush, afraid to move. Then, just as his eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness, strange silver moonlight filled the forest. Though it lit up everything in the woods, it caused human flesh to glow brightly, with an eerie purplish-white radiance. The catalyst - blinking - could see clearly the astonished faces of the fourth man and the priest as they turned in their direction.
More by accident than by design, Saryon was crouched down among the brush. Even though the moonlight made his flesh gleam, he knew he must be difficult to see. But Mosiah had risen out of the gra.s.s to fire his arrow. Struggling to adjust his vision to the sudden darkness, he was bathed in the silver pool of moonlight, plainly visible to the two black-robed men. With a cry, he raised his bow.
The Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith spoke. spoke.
Dropping the bow, Mosiah clutched his throat.
”I - I -” He tried to speak, but the magical paralysis cast upon him by the warlock cut off his words, as it was cutting off his ability to breathe. His eyes rolled upward until the whites showed, the young man fought desperately to draw air into his lungs, but it was a futile struggle.
Saryon half rose, thinking to plead for surrender, when a dark shape hurtled past the catalyst, nearly knocking him to the ground. Mosiah's eyes were bulging, his face was slowly darkening. Leaping in front of his friend, Joram raised the Darksword. The strange moonlight did not touch the metal, the weapon was a streak of night in his hand.
The moment the sword came between the Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith and Mosiah, the warlock's spell shattered. Gasping for breath, the young man collapsed. Saryon caught hold of Mosiah and eased him to the ground as Joram stood above them protectively, holding the crude sword in his strong hands. and Mosiah, the warlock's spell shattered. Gasping for breath, the young man collapsed. Saryon caught hold of Mosiah and eased him to the ground as Joram stood above them protectively, holding the crude sword in his strong hands.
Saryon waited grimly for the blast of icy wind that would freeze their blood in seconds or the shattering crack as the ground opened and swallowed them - not even the power of the Darksword would stop such spells as those, he imagined. But nothing happened.
Peering out from the tall gra.s.s, Saryon saw the fourth man walking toward them. Perhaps he had spoken; the catalyst could not hear over the splas.h.i.+ng of the waterfall some distance behind him. But both of the Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith had turned their hooded heads toward the tall man. He made a motion with his hand, telling them to back off, and the warlocks bowed in obedience. Saryon's wonder increased, as did his fear. Who was this man the powerful had turned their hooded heads toward the tall man. He made a motion with his hand, telling them to back off, and the warlocks bowed in obedience. Saryon's wonder increased, as did his fear. Who was this man the powerful Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith obeyed without question? obeyed without question?
Whoever he was, he approached Joram coolly, without fear, his eyes studying the young man intently as he drew near.
”Be careful, Garald,” called the man in the long traveling cloak whom Saryon had taken - and rightly so - for a catalyst. ”I sense something strange about the weapon!”
”Strange?” The man referred to as Garald laughed, mellow, cultivated laughter that seemed to be made of the same rich material as the fabric of his cloak. ”Thank you for the warning, Cardinal,” he continued, ”but I see only one strange thing about this sword - it is the ugliest of its kind my eyes have ever be-held!”
”It is that, Your Grace -”
Cardinal! Saryon, staring in bewilderment, could see the color of the catalyst's holy robes beneath his cloak and knew him for what he was - a Cardinal of the Realm! And this Garald; that name seemed familiar, but Saryon was too nervous to be able to think clearly. The costly clothes, the man referred to as Your Grace....
The Cardinal continued speaking. ”- but it is this ugly sword, Your Grace, that has disrupted the spell of your guards.”
”The sword did that? Fascinating.”
The richly dressed man was close enough that Saryon could see him clearly in the magical moonlight. The beauty of the voice matched the features of the face, delicately crafted without being weak. The eyes were large and intelligent. The mouth was firm, the lines about it indicative of smiling and laughter. The chin was strong without arrogance, the cheekbones high and p.r.o.nounced. Brown hair, with a slight reddish cast in the bright moonlight, was worn short in military fas.h.i.+on. One lock dipped down over the man's forehead in a graceful, careless wave.
Taking a step nearer Joram, the man called Garald held out a hand gloved in fine lambskin. ”Surrender your sword, boy,” he said in a voice that was neither threatening nor demanding, yet obviously accustomed to being obeyed.
”Take it from me,” Joram said defiantly.
”'Take it from me,' Your Grace,” Your Grace,” the Cardinal amended, shocked. the Cardinal amended, shocked.
”Thank you, Cardinal,” Garald said, and a smile played about his lips, ”but I do not think this is the time for coaching thieves in court etiquette. Come now, boy. Surrender your sword peacefully and nothing will happen to you.”
”No! Your Grace,” Joram said with a sneer.
”Joram, please!” whispered Saryon in despair, but the young man ignored him.
”Who is this Garald guy?” Mosiah whispered. He started to sit up, but he froze almost immediately. The elegant man had warned the Duuk-tsarith Duuk-tsarith away from Joram, but he had apparently left Mosiah in their care. Mosiah saw the glittering eyes of the warlocks fixed on him, he saw the hands clasped before the black robes make a slight movement, and he held quite still, hardly daring to breathe. away from Joram, but he had apparently left Mosiah in their care. Mosiah saw the glittering eyes of the warlocks fixed on him, he saw the hands clasped before the black robes make a slight movement, and he held quite still, hardly daring to breathe.
Saryon shook his head, keeping his eyes on Joram and this Garald, who drew several steps closer. Joram s.h.i.+fted in his position, raising the sword.
”Very well,” the elegant man said, shrugging, ”I accept your challenge.”
Tossing his cloak over one shoulder, Garald drew a sword from its scabbard and stepped expertly into a fighting stance. Saryon's throat tightened. The sword, of ancient design and make, was as delicate and beautiful and strong as the man who wielded it. The moonlight burned in it with a cold, silver flame, dancing off the sharp edge and flas.h.i.+ng from the carved, hawk-winged hilt.