Alphande'

Chaotic it all was as both silent and loud destruction blended into clay hard death. So many things to be done and undone. It was hard to choose where to start, but for the end to begin, I had to begin. Asher was dead and I had avenged my parents’ untimely end. That was a good start.

I looked back at Tet who had Gareth’s limp body between her hands. “Is he dead?” I asked almost without remorse.

“No not yet. He is in shock from the blood loss, but it was your appearance that blacked him out.” She said as her hand worked on his bloody side.

“Leave him to one of the other healers. The fight isn’t over yet and your gifts could be better served elsewhere.”

“I doubt that.”

“Tetyana, now isn’t the time to argue.” I said sternly.

She glared at me with equal intensity. I didn’t relent and reluctantly she called two other changelings over who lifted Gareth’s limp body and spirited him away. “If you weren’t the Grey Mage…” she started as she cleansed her hand of Gareth’s blood.

“You made me that way now deal with it.” I said cutting her off. “What of Andreas and Noräin?”

“We found them. Noräin is alive but not for much longer and Andreas is already beyond help.”

“Fine,” I said as my eyes glistened over, but I didn’t allow the tears to bubble over to my face.

“I will never fully understand human emotions. You weep over strangers, but have no mercy towards your brother.”

“You seriously cannot see the difference?”

“Blood is thicker than water that has always held true for our kind.”

“Andreas and Noräin were more of a family to me than Gareth. Besides, I don’t even consider him blood. Mud maybe, but never blood. He killed Curly.”

“Hmm, that means you hate me too.” she said softly.

“Rammon is still on the loose. The majority of his men are still fighting and the longer this stretches the more people get slaughtered.” I said pretending not to hear her. This was not a conversation I was prepared to have right now.

I scanned the crowdmlittered with men of the Nuwanhe, Asher’s army, Lear, Verdans and changelings. In the thousands of years that had passed, I doubt that there was ever such a gathering of all races. As Tet had said, I was Grey Mage and the changelings had accepted my decision to intervene in the Gé Addar war with no voiced objection. In fact they seemed almost jubilant for the novelty of the experience.

Rammon and Asher trained their soldiers well; however they were no match for the changelings. Where power, speed and grace failed them in combat, they had the gift of magic and no mortal man could hope to stand before a changeling in battle and win.

I could sense that Rammon was close within the crowd. But enhanced senses and all, I still couldn’t see him. There was also something festering in the air that shouldn’t be there.

“Tet,” I said and in a flash she was behind me. “Can you feel that?”

She stopped as she seemed to be testing the air around me. “Yes, there is magic growing, but it isn’t our magic.” She said seeming concerned.

“It is still weak, but it is building.”

“I wonder what the source could be.”

“The gems,” I said. “The presence of Alphandé here is probably strong enough to allow anyone to use their powers.”

“I am not sure, but you could be right. I’ll be back.” she said sprinting away.

Where are you going? I was about to ask but then I saw her stop at Asher’s body as she seemed to be searching.

“They are not there.” She said as she came to stand beside me.

“But they have to be close by; both Gareth and he were feeding off their powers. They have to be somewhere.”

“Or with someone.”

“Rammon,” we said together.

“We have to find him.” I said. She nodded.

“Use a seeking spell.” She said grabbing a broken shield and pouring water into it.

I searched through the knowledge I’d inherited from the mages before me until I found the spell of summoning. The water in the makeshift bowl stilled, for a while there was nothing happening and I looked to Tet. She nodded her head in encouragement and I continued focusing on the water. Finally it went black and then an image of Rammon appeared.

He had five not four gems strung unto a gold necklace which was laid before him. Each gem glowed with an inner fire bursting outwards.

“He isn’t far, just in the fringes due south-east. I do not know what he is doing to those gems but it isn’t good.”

“You are right.” she said sounding equally worried.

I grabbed her hand and with the other I created a portal with the other.

“What is he doing?” I asked as he seemed to be chanting over the gems. The words were of a language spoken eons ago.

“Humans can’t use magic like we can, they have to use incantations as a funnel. Gé Addar had lacked magic for many years now so I thought that the art of sorcery was lost. But it was not the same in Rá Leat, they still have illusionists, weak but still present. Rammon comes from a line of sorcery, so it must have been passed down to him. We have to stop him.” She said rushing forward, dagger in hand.

“Tetyana, no stop!” I yelled at her. I felt a sudden swell of energy as the latent power in the gems expanded with sudden force. A whirlwind of colours erupted from the ground and burst towards the sky. The sheer force of the sonic wind sent her to crashing into a boulder ten yards away. Her eyes shot open from the pain and she slithered lifelessly to the ground.

I ran over to her and placed my head against her chest and face. She was still alive just unconscious. I was immensely relieved and surprised as I didn’t realise how much the sound of her heart beating mattered to me.

Rammon was still chanting and I could see his face now. His eyes were blood shot and his skin was ashen as the whirlwind pulled at his life force. That was what it did. The incantation allowed the gems to feed on anything living around it. The larger it grew the more lives it would need to sustain it.

I loosed an arrow into Rammon’s chest, which by now was merely skin and bone, hoping that by killing him the spell would have been broken. His eyes were wide and blood came down the side of his mouth. I was too late. He was gone and the spell complete.

The twister of light expanded, extracting life from the shrubs around leaving blackened remains, which crumbled into dust that were sucked into its hungry maw.

Terrified shouts of men surrounded me as the twisting monster devoured those who had come too close. Men whole and hearty entered the wind but only charred bones were spat out. The swirling rainbow of colours started to take on a dusty colour the more it devoured.

The amalgamated mass of destruction started to move as if it smelled the feast that had been laid before it. Men, changelings, horses, wolves, Verdans, numbered in the hundreds of thousands were just a few metres away. The upward whirlpool of dust seemed to roar in anticipation of the reaping.

“Evander,” said Tet, “What’s happening? What is that?” she said waking up, grimacing in pain as she touched the back of her head.

“Something I have to stop.” I said as I brushed the hair from her face.

“No don’t go it is too dangerous.” She said grasping my shoulder

“I must and you know that I must.” Her lips were defiant but from her eyes I could tell that she knew that it was true.

“Honour be damned,” I muttered before I brought her face closer to mine and kissed her. Her lips were hard and reluctant at first, but they eventually were soft and welcoming. I removed my lips from hers and looked into her eyes. Which were softer than I had ever seen them before as she for the first time in her life had been completely disarmed.

“In case I don’t return.” I said helping her to stand. “If I fail ensure that you find the safest place to hide. You have kept me safe all along, now it is my turn to return the favour. Promise me.” She was still and not saying anything. “Tetyana, promise.” Finally she nodded. I kissed her on the forehead once and then left her standing alone.

I looked at her once as she stood with her arms folded around her belly. Her emerald eyes shone with tears spilling down her tear drop face. So she did care. I smiled and with the memory of her face I ran towards the reaper.