Antithesis, The Fall of Neutrality
#11 of Antithesis
Alrighty, chapter eleven. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from 'Knowledge and Discovery...'
Shandi walked along the corridor with her head bowed, partly to read the scroll that she had unrolled, but mostly to avoid being blinded by the large mirror at the end of the hall, its smooth surface spreading sunlight further into the library. The young master magus felt an odd mix of emotions swirling within her as she walked, ranging from the satisfaction of finding some of the information that she sought, to a nameless, source-less fear that had been growing steadily like a mountain of ice in winter, and all of it overshadowed by the ever-present foreboding, like a dark cloud that blotted out the sunshine. At least her search had been fruitful, and she felt as though she were on the cusp of finding the information that she sought, though the constant nameless fear was making her so uncomfortable that all her fur was standing on end, although both Kael and Fornun seemed not even to notice. Though her fear had kept growing, she had pushed it to the back of her mind, ignoring it as best she could, determined not to let it overwhelm her. But, even that wasn't as effective as she would have liked it to be. What made the fear so much worse, what kept bringing it back into the front of her mind, was a secret she had been hiding deep in the darkest recesses of her mind, not even revealing it to her knight, the one person who knew her most intimate concerns. The truth was, she was ashamed.
It was actually something very simple, something that shouldn't have bothered her so much. When the assassins had attacked her family, on the night when she had first seen what her secret lover was like in battle, she had given in to her fear, been nearly paralyzed by it. It had been all she could do not to hide in a corner. Instead of fighting, or doing anything for that matter, she had tucked herself into as small a space as she could, unable to act, unable even to move very far, until she had seen Kael fighting with the vampire. Something about his way of facing that fearsome creature, dueling it with unflinching courage, that had cracked the icy bands of fear that had held her from action. But ever since, she had carried the secret fear that it would happen again, that she would suddenly find herself unable to act when it mattered most. But what she feared most of all was that a warrior like Kael, who seemed utterly without fear, would not understand, and worse, that she would lose his respect, something that meant more to her than she liked to admit. So she hid that secret, determined not to let it happen again. Shaking her head a little and firmly pushing her fears into the back of her mind once more, she thought instead about her research, smiling as she thought about just how close they were to finding the answers she sought.
At first, she had searched through the many compendiums of ancient creatures, seeking for some reference to the creature she saw, but that had turned out to have been a dead end too, for no such beast, magical or otherwise had ever been named in all the histories that existed. Her search had instead led her to a book of ancient tales about the gods, recorded by some long forgotten scribe of the priesthood of Unisus. Though the book had seemed wholly unconnected to what she sought, her instincts, guided by her magic, had led her to one page among thousands, a page that made reference to the origins of magic, a subject every order of magi debated almost constantly. Fornun had guided her and her guardian to a hall on one side of the magnificent library, where she had found a long scroll written in an archaic tongue. The scroll stated that magic was a gift from the gods to their most faithful subjects, a force that let them manipulate the world around them at will. But, towards the end of the long-winded account, telling of which gods had given which orders their powers, it had warned that even the gods themselves had fears.
The priest who had written the scroll said that Unisus, greatest of all the gods, feared that one day, a lower being would grow to such power that it would be able to challenge the gods themselves, so Unisus had cursed all lower beings with mortality, so they could never amass the knowledge needed to gain such power. It was only a legend of course, the scroll so old it was almost unreadable. But, despite the age of the scroll, that last line had held the ring of truth to her mind, reminding her of a story she remembered from her early training in magic. It had only been a reference made in passing, of a time in the Savage Era when magical knowledge had suddenly taken a big step backward.
It had been said among the magi that it had been the Gods' punishment for seeking too much power in the art, and that if magic wasn't used carefully it would happen again. But that explanation had never sat right with Shandi. Surely the knowledge of the mages had grown far beyond what it was back then, so why hadn't the gods unleashed such punishment upon them again? When she had asked the question of her master, the older magus had shrugged it off, saying that it was only a story. It was an unfortunate fact within the orders of magi that f a powerful mage died without passing on a new spell he or she had discovered, then the spell would be lost until someone else came up with it. But, when she had mentioned the story to Fornun, he had frowned, saying that if the sages knew of such an event, it had long been forgotten. When she had persisted, the sage had said that such a story might be found in the Hall of Prophecy if anywhere, which was on the exact opposite side of the library from them. Now, they were almost to the Hall, and, Shandi hoped, the answer.
"I say, who are you?" Fornun called suddenly, making Shandi raise her head from her scroll. A trio of figures, clad in dark, midnight blue robes were walking down the hall in the opposite direction, completely blocking the way forward. Their faces and hands were hidden within the folds of their cloaks and Shandi got a sudden uneasy feeling when she looked at them. It was always possible that they were simply magi from another order, perhaps those that studied the heavens, for she knew that they wore robes of purest midnight blue, but something about them wasn't right, she could feel it. Fornun hailed them again as they came closer, and when they made no reply, Shandi sensed Kael lengthen his stride so he walked beside her once more, obviously sensing the same thing she did. And then, the three figures shifted aside, as if to let Fornun past, and Shandi felt the uneasiness suddenly increase into full blown worry. Something really wasn't right. And then, as the first figure drew near the sage, its arm appeared from within its cloak briefly and Shandi knew what it was that had made her uneasy. The hand was covered in pale yellow fur, the kind of fur that graced the bodies of only one species.
In an instant, Fornun staggered against the wall, a gleaming dagger driven up to its hilt in the sage's side. At the same moment, the three figures cast aside their cloaks, revealing that they were clad not in robes, but in armor of violet and scarlet, a hated symbol upon their chests. Two had crossbows already raised, sighting down the hall towards them, and before Shandi could so much as blink, they fired, the bolts unleashing a piercing scream in the narrow hallway. The bolt shafts had been specially carved with the expert skill of the artisans of House Kirinus, the piercing scream the trademark of their troops, a weapon the struck terror into the hearts of their enemies. For an instant, Shandi froze, knowing she could not move to avoid them in the narrow corridor, and even a magic shield would not come into being in time. Fortunately, she had another option.
Just as the bolts neared her, something that shone like the sun moved in the way. Two hollow clangs echoed down the hall and Shandi blinked, bringing her magic to bear on instinct alone, a bolt of raw energy surging around her protector to strike the warrior that had stabbed Fornun, making him crumple into a heap, his mail jingling. The fight was over in the next instant, the crossbow armed soldiers of House Kirinus falling to Kael's sword even as they tried to draw the short swords that hung at their sides. Taking a breath to calm her swiftly beating heart, she rushed to the fallen sage, knowing even as she did that it was too late. The cowardly blow had been well aimed, the blade parting Fornun's ribs, reaching the sage's heart in a single moment. Already his chest was still, his eyes wide and staring, the look of surprise forever frozen on his face. Shandi knelt beside him and closed his eyes, bowing her head, the shock of losing someone she had known for so long taking away any words she might have said about him.
"One second he was alive and the next..." She whispered, her voice hollow. Fornun's death had happened so quickly, she doubted that he had even known it was happening. Even though they hadn't been that close, the knowledge that she would never see him again hit her like a wave, making tears come to her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she brushed away the droplets as they collected, getting her composure back. A moment later, she felt a comforting hand upon her shoulder and she put her paw over it, feeling the runes that bordered every piece of Kael's armor beneath her fingertips.
"My lady, we must go, there may be more of them about." Her knight said gently, his steady voice snapping her out of her horror. She nodded and got hurriedly to her feet, retrieving the scroll that she had dropped when she had cast the spell.
"Come on." She said, averting her eyes from the fallen sage, moving off down the corridor at a jog. As she ran, she spoke over her shoulder, a sudden thought coming to her mind. "I don't think those three were looking for us."
"What makes you say that?" Kael asked in reply, keeping pace with her despite his heavy armor, plucking the bolts from his shield as he ran.
"For all their arrogance, House Kirinus knows that everyone in my family are powerful magi," She began, turning the corner and running on towards the huge chamber ahead of them. "If they knew I was here, they would have sent more than just three soldiers after me, even if I was unguarded."
"That makes sense." Kael replied, "Why then were they here?"
"I don't know." Shandi replied, slowing down to a walk as she entered the Hall of Prophecy. "Royal decree has made this world forever neutral. Either Kirinus is completely mad, or they somehow think that the other nobles won't do a thing to stop them."
"Or they think they can handle whatever the nobles do." Kael commented, slowing as well and looking around in wonder.
The Hall of Prophecy was bigger even than the index room had been, at the least five hundred feet across, so large the entire audience chamber of House Kit'ranth could have fit within it with room to spare, and, though the room was brightly lit, not a single wall had a window. Every space on the walls were covered with carved wooden shelves filled with scrolls, millions upon millions of rolled parchments, each one inscribed with a single vision of a seer. They were organized by the date they had been made, and only the sages themselves knew where a certain prophecy might lie. And more, two thirds of the massive hall had multiple levels, stretching up more than a hundred feet to the ceiling, supported by a double row of finely carved columns. At first, the arrangement seemed a little odd, but as the pair looked closer, the genius of its design became clear. The open space where Shandi and Kael now stood was lined with a series of mirrors in small alcoves, the shining surfaces so cunningly positioned that they lit the entire room, every level filled with enough light that each label and scroll could be easily read.
"Well, this will be much harder without Fornun," Shandi said, catching her breath. "He might have been able to tell us where it might be. Still, we should start with the oldest prophecies, the ones from the Savage Era."
Kael nodded and resheathed his sword, moving across towards the far wall of the chamber, checking the label of a scroll. Shandi moved over to the nearest wall and did the same, finding that the scrolls there were almost twenty five thousand years old, so old that they crackled as she gently touched the label. Sighing, the magus closed her eyes, pushing her turbulent thoughts and emotions away, allowing the calm of magic to fill her being instead. Slowly, her mind emptied, Shandi willing all the spells that swam forth into her mind's eye to fade back into her memory. For this task, she would have to rely on her instincts alone, for there was no spell that could aid her with this. Taking another slow, steady breath, she allowed the magic to inundate every fiber of her being, filling her eyes and her ears, coating everything she saw and heard with a fine sheen of magical energy. Then, as she concentrated the whole of her being upon the information she sought, the sheen began to fade into a dull luster, a glowing backdrop upon which other images were being drawn. Like a mist rising from dew-laced grass in the light of dawn, wisps of magic, somewhat like to the tendrils of some forgotten creature, began to float through the still air of the hall.
Looking about her, Shandi saw the mist settle upon her guardian across the hall, glowing brightly on the sheath of his enchanted sword and the borders of his armor, making it seem as if no being lived within it, an eerie, empty body of metal that walked slowly along the shelves, occasionally reaching out to touch the wall. Shaking the distracting mental image from her mind, Shandi looked around, the enchantment upon her eyes seeing through the stones that made up every level above them, piercing every shelf, every scroll, leaving only a pale remnant to mark their place, the latent energy that existed within all things only a bare outline. And there, before her, past the twin rows of pillars that supported the second level, the mist settled once more, glimmering bright across the dull back drop, outlining a perfect rectangle, shaped much like a door. Opening her eyes, Shandi stared at the spot in surprise, finding only a bookshelf there, indistinguishable from any other. Closing her eyes once more, the magus began to walk towards the rectangle, knowing that it was no illusion. Magic lived there, spells that stood out in her mind like a beacon, twisting and writhing around each other as she drew closer. But, as she drew near to the spells, she realized that it was not the shelf that was magicked, nor the scrolls that lay upon it, but the wall behind it.
"Kael, over here." Shandi called and the knight hurried over to stand beside her, looking at her curiously. Reaching out to touch the shelf, she found that it was very real, doubtless meant to discourage anyone from finding the enchanted wall behind it. "There is something behind this shelf." Kael removed his gauntlets and reached out, touching the shelf experimentally, sliding his hand over to where it merged with the one beside it. There he paused, peering closely at it.
"There is a seam here." He said, running his hand up the wooden shelf. "The other shelves seem to be one continuous piece of wood, but there is definitely a break here."
"Hold on," Shandi said, noticing something she had nearly missed.
One scroll near the bottom, in a cobwebbed cubbyhole all its own, had no label, not even a string where one might have once hung, yet it glowed in her mind's eye. Reaching out, she took hold of the scroll and pulled. As the scroll came up, it pivoted on its end like a lever and all at once, the bookshelf slid towards the odd pair, making them step back hurriedly. And then, with the squeal of ancient hinges so old they had rusted near to uselessness, the shelf slid aside, revealing a sight that Shandi had not expected. Carved into the door was a pattern like an intricate, many lobed knot of string, stone tendrils twisting under and over each other endlessly like a maze. And, scribed around the design, like ever shifting layers of images, magic runes danced before her sight, one moment sunk deep into the stone as if carved there, the next fading away into empty smoothness once more. But, as the pair stood staring at it, Shandi realized what she was seeing.
"It's a lock." She said in amazement, realizing that the center of the design, though triple layered, was solid, the tendrils all feeding into it. And more, she felt the ward of magic that protected the stone, preventing even the most powerful of magus from blasting their way inside it. "It requires magic, and if I am right, the tendrils need to manipulated in a certain order to unlock it."
"Can you do it?" Kael asked and Shandi nodded.
"I think so, given enough time." She said, reaching out with her magic to touch the tendrils of stone. But, just as her perceptions began to twine along the stone, seeking the key to unlocking the hidden door, a sudden tremble passed through the stone at her feet, followed by another and another, growing stronger by the moment. She had never experienced anything like it, though it filled her with a sudden, unknown fear. "What in the world..?"
"How long will it take to open this door?" Kael asked, all emotion fading from his face, as it always did when the young knight was preparing for battle.
"I don't know," Shandi replied truthfully. Kael nodded slowly and drew his sword, turning to face the passageway that led back into the heart of the library. Curious, Shandi followed his gaze, wondering what could so worry the knight. After only a few moments, Kael's worry was explained by the jingle of mail and the clatter of weapons from down the hall. The rumble was the sound of many pairs of booted feet stomping rhythmically on the stones of the library's corridors. Shandi turned to the passageway and felt her blood turn to ice. Pouring into the chamber behind them were lion soldiers, clad in violet and scarlet. Dozens hurried in, more and still more filing into the chamber, spreading out in a crescent shape, cutting off the light from the mirrors and making their shadows those of giants, reaching out towards them across the stones. Finally, as the rumble in the floor quieted, a tall lion with a magnificent brown mane, clad in full plate armor, entered the chamber at the rear of the column, Shandi quickly counted at least a hundred soldiers in the room, more than she and Kael could possibly handle by themselves. What was more, they were blocking the only way back into the rest of the library. There was no escape, and the ice of fear began to coalesce around her heart once more.
"Can you open this before they get to us?" Kael asked and Shandi shook her head. They were doomed, she knew it. But then her guardian said something that brought her head around swiftly. "Then I will buy you more time."
"No Kael," She replied, shaking her head vehemently. "They will kill you."
"My lady," Kael began, "Our only chance of safety is through that door, and you are the only one who can open it. Do not worry for me, if this rabble knew anything of war, they would have formed into ranks the moment they saw we were here." The knight's words were filled with a quiet confidence that lacked any trace of the fear he must have felt; knowing as he must, that he faced a suicidal challenge. Shandi quickly tried to find some alternative, some other way out. But he was right, she needed more time, and she couldn't risk having her attention divided by holding back a force that large with her magic. Smiling sadly at him, she embraced the man who shared her secret love, tapping her magic, giving a last gift to her protector. Across the room, the soldiers were organizing themselves hastily into lines, those with bows standing behind those without. Suddenly afraid that she might not be able to let him go, Shandi quickly parted from the warrior that had so captured her heart, a nearly invisible barrier winking into being around him, draining off a portion of her strength, leaving her breathless. The spell was not a perfect protection, nor would it protect him forever, but while it lasted, it would turn even the strongest blow. Nodding in silent respect, she whispered again.
"Be careful Kael." She said and the wolf gave her one of his small smiles once more.
"As my lady wishes." He said, then turned and began to walk forward toward the soldiers that had started to advance into the room, his gait confident, unwavering as he marched toward his hundred fold enemy. Shandi watched him go with an odd wonder and admiration, a blush burning in her cheeks as he marched. It was an inspiring sight, a lone Knight, clad in bright armor, marching alone toward what amounted to a small army, no fear in his face, his sword ready and his head held high. A few dozen feet away from her, he began to jog, his mail jingling and she turned from the hall, a sudden resolve gripping her tightly.
Turning to the complicated lock, she washed it with her magic, feeling for the mechanisms within it, seeing in her mind's eye how the lock worked, and seeking the way to unlock it. The first step clicked into place in her mind and she tugged on one of the tendrils with her magic. It released, sliding out of the top layer of the lock with a cascade of centuries of dust, and the young magus tried to ignore the sounds coming from behind her. As she sought for the next step, she heard the voice of the House Kirinus commander, calling a challenge to her guardian. But Kael's only reply was a wolfish howl, a sound that caused an odd, electric thrill to rise within her as she heard it. It was a sound that challenged the soldiers to come and cross swords with him, a sound that promised their doom as it rebounded infinitely in the cavernous hall, a hundred echoes making the sound seem as if it had been voiced by many throats.
Then, with a ringing clash not unlike that of a bell tolling, the battle was joined. Shouts and cries of warriors in battle accompanied the ringing of weapons upon armor, but she did not dare turn from her work, focusing all her attention on the lock before her, knowing that every second she could devote to the lock was being bought upon the point of her guardian's sword. Quickly, she found another tendril of stone, tugging upon it with her spell, pulling it free from the lock's embrace. A third tendril followed, then a fourth, and the whole top layer of the lock clicked, the stone splitting into four parts and shifting slowly apart, revealing the second layer below it. Licking her lips nervously, she searched for the first in the pattern of eight that had to be undone. Concentrating all her will on not hearing the screams and the rending of steel that filled the room behind her, she saw in her mind's eye the key to the task, the tendril glowing brightly in her mind. Smiling, she tugged on it with a spell and it shifted, the lock releasing it. And then, even as the stone tendril began to free itself, the top layer of the stone lock slid suddenly closed, trapping the half-free tendril, the lock snapping closed once more. Startled, Shandi stepped back quickly, fearing that she had triggered some sort of ancient trap. Nothing happened, but then, even as she tried to discern what had happened, a piercing cry echoed in the chamber. It was a cry of utmost agony, piercing her ears, driving like a knife into her despite her best efforts not to hear it and she glanced back, hoping that it was not her secret lover who gave voice to it.
Behind her, out in the open area of the hall, Kael was advancing steadily through a stream of soldiers, apparently completely unhurt, at least a dozen bodies clad in violet and scarlet lying behind him in the various awkward poses of death. The cry had been voiced by another soldier, his body pierced by Fal-cotha, the sword's runes glowing brilliant white once more, the sign of the sword's anger. Her Knight was moving swiftly despite his heavy armor, no blow touching him, no enemy standing against him for more than a few blows. But there was something wrong about the picture before her, something that took a few moments to register in her mind. The blood of the fallen soldiers, the fluid that stained the stones about their bodies was not crimson as one might have expected. It was black, spreading across the stones like spilled ink. Even from where she stood, Shandi could smell the scent of decay, the awful tang of corruption that emanated from it. Something had twisted the soldiers inside, something horrible. And worse, she could see now that an aura twisted about them, an aura as black as pitch. A terrible thought suddenly came to her and Shandi felt an icy fist clench about her heart once more, the memory of the nightmare coming back to her in all its terrible detail.
Shandi started to call a warning to her protector, but as she watched, she realized something else. Despite the aura that touched them, despite the darkness that seemed to have corrupted them, the soldiers were still mortal beings. And as such, they felt fear like anyone else. And any mortal would be afraid of the seemingly invincible steel-clad whirlwind that was tearing through them. And, even as she watched, the remaining soldiers that had broken ranks to duel the Knight turned and ran back towards the relative safety of their comrades. And then, at the plate-clad lion's command, the soldiers in the back rank bent their bows, unleashing a terrifying hail of arrows and crossbow bolts upon her protector. Shandi started to reach for a spell to protect him, knowing even as she did that it would come too late to help. Thankfully, it wasn't needed. Kael simply crouched behind his shield, the wooden and metal barrier catching dozens of the feathered shafts, sounding as if hail stones were falling on its metal surface, and then, to the Lion soldiers' dismay, the knight rose from his crouch, no arrow having reached him. The few that had reached past his shield's protection had been stopped short by Shandi's spell, the invisible armor stopping them inches from his metal skin. Then, the Knight cocked back his head, reaching his arms wide as if to show that he was untouched and gave another howl, his ringing challenge echoing in the hall once more.
As the plate armored lion waved his soldiers to the attack once more, Shandi turned back to the lock, knowing that what Kael had said was true. Though the soldiers looked impressive in their matching armor and in their numbers, they did not truly know how to fight someone like him. Though Shandi did not much like fighting herself, and knew she would never lead soldiers in combat, even she knew that the strength of a formation of soldiers was in their organization. By breaking ranks and engaging the Knight in small groups, they were playing to his strengths, rather than their own. Focusing her attention on the lock once more, she used her magic to pry apart the unlocked top layer once more. The tendrils it seemed, were only one part of the puzzle. When the four sections of the stone lock were once again parted, Shandi cast a spell upon each of them, holding them in place. Shandi marveled suddenly at her own strength; she could only barely feel the magic taking its toll upon her, drawing off her strength as she held the lock open. It felt like the easiest thing in the world, allowing her to focus instead on pulling apart the tendrils that locked the second layer.
With a final tug, she unlocked the portion she had been working on when the first layer had slammed shut. Working quickly, she sought out the next tendril. Yanking it free, she began to search for the third in the sequence. But, as the third tendril came free, the first one clicked back into place, locking once more. Growling fiercely at the tricky lock, Shandi yanked the first tendril free with another spell, locking the three already unlatched in place with more spells. Now the drain on her strength was noticeable, making her muscles begin to tense up from holding the stone in place. Shrugging off the feeling, the young magus began to pick up the pace, working swiftly to free the other tendrils, holding each one in place with magic as it came free. A few moments later, the second layer of the lock split, and Shandi forced it apart as well, yet another spell holding it open. The third layer was even larger than the last, twelve stone tendrils locking it in place, the tendrils connected upon the face of the lock by lines that formed a many pointed star, crossing under and over each other. And oddly enough, one of the tendrils was already free. Shandi could feel the tightness in her chest that signaled that this task was taxing even her formidable strength. Biting her lip like she had once done in a test of her magic powers long ago, she set to work, tugging on the tendrils until she felt one start to give.
And then, as she worked on the lock, she found that this layer had an added twist. No matter what spell she tried to hold the tendrils in place, when she removed one, the two connected to it by the lines of the star would move back in. Letting out a gasp of frustration as it undid some of her work, she slammed the lock with a blast of her raw power, knowing it would do nothing. Or so she thought. As her spell, a product of frustration alone, hit the lock, it pushed an open tendril into the lock once more, pushing the two opposite it open. A relieved smile suddenly came back to her lips. All she had to do was think about this logically, and then she could unlock it.
Unfortunately, she could hear the sounds of battle behind her growing louder, closer and she knew that Kael was being forced back, even his martial skills not enough against so many soldiers. Shaking her head a little to dislodge her thoughts, she looked at the pattern before her and then, with a tired smile on her lips, she began to open and close the tendril-locks, changing the pattern quickly. It took her less than a minute before, with a sudden loud click, the final layer of the lock split apart and she pushed it open, feeling her strength beginning to wane, the strain on her body making her limbs shake as she fought to maintain the magic. Then, an outline of a door suddenly appeared in the wall and the stone slab slid back, pivoting upon a hinge, the spells that kept the lock open allowing it free from its place in the library's stone walls.
Smiling tiredly, knowing that she would soon abandon the strain that tortured her, Shandi turned back, finding as she did so that the fight was much closer than she had thought. It was already at the second row of pillars, and she saw comprehension dawn on the enemy commander's face as he saw the opening door. What was more, she saw that Kael was having a hard time of it. The remaining soldiers were acting as one now, almost surrounding the lone warrior that faced them, using spears to keep him at bay. The spell she had cast upon him must have failed some time ago, for his armor now bore many dents and scratches, each marking a wound that never was. The knight's shield was also gone, the arrow filled barrier of wood and steel lying at his feet, riven in half by an enemy's powerful blow. Summoning much of her remaining strength, Shandi stretched out her hands towards the warriors that had almost surrounded her Knight and let loose her magic. In an instant, they were all sent staggering backward, a force they could not see freeing Kael from the deadly ring of spears.
Seeing that the door was now open, Kael ran full tilt towards it, covering the distance in a few long strides. Shandi stood her ground despite the fact that she was almost unable to breathe, the magic steadily draining what remained of her strength, facing the remains of the force in the hall behind her, daring them to challenge her, magic crackling in bright arcs around and between her hands. In truth, she had not the strength to kill them all, not while holding the lock open, but they obviously didn't know that. To them, she was a very serious threat, one that they had no means to defeat. Their hesitation lasted for the brief moments necessary for Kael to get to her, and for them to step beyond the opening door. Then, at last, the commander shouted an order and Shandi saw the crossbowmen raise their weapons once more, taking aim.
Instantly, she dove to the side, heaving at the door with all her might. It was heavier than she expected, the stone slab at least a foot thick, and the ancient hinges didn't help much, the rust stubbornly resisting any movement. Out in the chamber, Shandi could see the crossbowmen taking aim on her, could feel their triumph at finding a target that was holding so still, straining at the stone slab. And then, even as they loosed the bolts upon their bows, Kael was suddenly beside her, heaving at the door's edge, shielding her with his armored body even as the bolts showered them, his strong arms forcing the door to move. And then, above the ringing hail of bolts clattering uselessly against her protector's armor, Shandi heard something, something that froze her insides.
Heavy footsteps were coming nearer and nearer, and peering out from beneath Kael's arm, she saw the end of the chamber darken, filling with a black mist, cutting off the mirrored light altogether. Knowing at once that her earlier suspicion had been correct, she threw herself at the door with all her strength and the heavy slab slammed shut. With a gasp of relief, Shandi released the spells holding the locks open. With a sharp clattering sound that was audible even through the stone door, the locks clicked shut, the tendrils slamming back into place as her spells faded. But, even as she drew in heavy breaths of air, trying not just to collapse right there since the heavy weight was gone from her body, she felt a presence enter the room beyond the stone wall, a presence of incredible power. But even from that distance, she could feel what kind of powers it possessed. Shivering, she forced herself to remain upright, gathering all the strength that remained to her for one last effort. Focusing all her being on the stone door, she began to weave an enchantment into the stone, the most powerful spell she had ever cast, one that she had learned only reluctantly, hoping it would never be needed. And out beyond the door, the coming creature seemed to have sensed what she was doing, moving to stop her. Shandi grimly continued her casting, knowing it was much too late for it to do anything about it.
A brilliant flash lit the small chamber as Shandi finished her spell, outlining everything like a bolt of lightning on a dark night. The door suddenly glowed brilliant blue-white, and the magus smiled. And then, even as the spell embraced the stone, enveloping it in its power, she felt the magic take its toll upon her. Shandi swayed, suddenly light headed. The effort had very nearly drained her into unconsciousness, but it had been worth it. She could feel the terrible anger of the beast that had tried to counter her spell and she grinned. She actually felt sorry for the soldiers who were left out there with it...
***
Darnis Kirinus' day had started out very pleasant indeed. His family was almost victorious on this world, the orders of magic powerless against the might of their army. And he, the youngest of the family's scions, had been given this, the most important task of all. While the other sons were busy subjugating the plateau cities, he had been given the task of taking the library, the new master of their family giving him the assignment personally. He had known that when he had done his duty to his family, house Kirinus would be unstoppable, their rivals ground under their heels. His small battalion of troops had moved quickly, taking the library's main halls within ten minutes, the sages not putting up much resistance, which Darnis found disappointing. He had spent many a day in his youth under their tutelage, and he found them to be far too arrogant for his tastes. He had almost wanted them to resist, so he could have the pleasure of ramming their stupid lessons down their throats.
He had found his way to the resting place of the ultimate prize within a few minutes of taking the massive building, a sniveling novice telling him the way before Darnis' troops had even had the joy of interrogating him. He had come here with a purpose, for his new master had confided in him alone that within the Hall of Prophecy, there lay the one thing that could stop them. If it was destroyed, then House Kirinus would rule unquestioned, not even the royal family having the power to curtail them. Of course, things hadn't gone nearly to plan after that. It had started with finding the team he had sent to find the hall dead in the corridor outside it, slain with blades and magic. Then, he had a found a female member of House Kit'ranth, his family's most hated rival, in the hall itself. He had thought that he had gotten lucky, that perhaps he might have a chance of killing one of them early on in the family's plan. But the woman had not been alone. She had had a warrior with her, a warrior unlike any he had ever seen before.
When the tall warrior had stepped out into the reflected lights, and Darnis had gotten his first look at him, a cold feeling of dread had started to creep across him. There had been rumors for months now that House Kit'ranth had in its employ a Knight from Antaria, the world that all families had sought for its warriors. The rumors had said that this warrior was better than any other that the nobles commanded, an elite warrior from a world that produced nothing but warriors. The warrior was said to be invincible, untouchable and unbeatable. Darnis had scoffed at such rumors, but he had begun to have doubts the moment he had seen the soldier stride from the shadows into the light, had heard his howling war cry. His soldiers, thinking that it would be easy to kill the lone man who dared to challenge them, had advanced without orders. And, though they were the handpicked best of the army of Kirinus, strengthened with the dark magic of their master, they had swiftly learned the truth. The knight was so fast, it seemed as if Darnis' soldiers were standing still. The mail of his troops had been crafted by the finest armorsmiths in the land, and had stood up to every weapon that had been placed against it, and yet the Knight's enchanted blade had passed right through it, as if it were made of nothing more than thin wire. And the lone warrior's armor had easily deflected anything that touched it.
Those few that survived the initial fight with the knight had fled from him, terror on their faces. Darnis had then showered the warrior with arrows and crossbow bolts, knowing that they were supposed to pierce armor. Instead, not a one had harmed the knight; instead, Darnis found that the lone warrior was staring right at him, his face perfectly clam, as if he felt no emotion, not fear, not anger, not anything. And in that calm, piercing gaze, was a promise that Darnis would die, and nothing would stop it. Panicked, Darnis had ordered his soldiers to advance, trying to kill the knight before he could reach him. And then, he had watched in dismay as his soldiers had died one by one upon the sword of the lone warrior, every kill bringing him closer and closer. And then, as Darnis felt the presence of the creature that ruled his family enter the library, he at last managed to master himself, barking orders at last.
While the Knight was so handily slaughtering the soldiers that had broken ranks to attack him, Darnis formed up his remaining soldiers, ordering them to use their pikes, weapons that most had not thought were needed in the narrow halls of the Library. When the Knight had finished off the last of the soldiers before him and turned back to the main body of the attack, he had found a forest of spear points facing him, and Darnis had at last felt safe. The knight had stopped his advance and then Darnis, furious at himself for losing control, ordered an advance. His soldiers marched forward as they had been trained, keeping their ranks. The Knight had fallen back, seeking refuge in the shelter of the pillars. Feeling triumphant, Darnis had let his men charge, realizing his mistake too late. The pillars split the ordered ranks, and once more, the dark and corrupted blood of his soldiers had spilled upon the stones. But the last ten spear-armed soldiers recovered faster than Darnis could issue an order, grouping together and forcing the Knight back. And then, just when he thought he would claim the trophies of the defeated knight's armor and weapons, the Kit'ranth magus had interfered, using her magic to force the soldiers back. And then Darnis had understood the Knight's suicidal defiance. He had been delaying Darnis' troops, keeping them from troubling his companion while she had opened the chamber that held Kirinus' prize. And now, the pair had shut the secret door of enchanted stone.
Worse, Darnis, could feel his master approaching. The creature's footsteps were already echoing in the chamber behind him, each one sounding as a doom-laden beat of a drum. Swallowing nervously, he turned, facing the magnificent and terrible face of his family's master. It was a creature that was so large he thought it a wonder that it had been able to negotiate the passageways of the library. Bowing low, he started to speak, to provide some explanation of his actions, but before he could speak a single word the creature let out a roar of anger. Whirling quickly to find the source of its rage, he saw the stone door glowing a brilliant blue-white with a magic seal and he gulped again, knowing what fate awaited him now that his failure was complete. Turning back, Darnis gathered his courage, preparing to face his fate with the pride of his family and closed his eyes, bowing his head as the creature reached out to him. Moments later, Darnis' scream echoed through the halls of the library, followed quickly by even more screams as the creature loosed its impudent rage upon the survivors of the best company of the Kirinus army...
***
Shaden sat brooding once more in his darkened chambers. The enchanted blade he had taken from the forgotten citadel lay across his knees, still naked, for the blade had no sheath, its runes glowing a dull crimson in the dark. He could, of course, have had a sheath made for the blade, but even common folk could feel its dark power, so what would be the point of trying to hide it? Though it was the middle of the night, and even he was usually asleep by now, the young magus had found sleep elusive as he never had before. The truth was, he was troubled, more troubled than he had ever been and he could not yet put his finger on what it was that had disturbed him. All that he knew for sure, was that it had something to do with the odd feeling of foreboding that had been his constant companion for the last week. And, from what he observed, his family wasn't the only one that was disturbed by the odd feeling. Everyone on every world in the domain ruled by the twelve houses seemed to be feeling it, and every magus of every order was seeking its source. Even Shaden, who cared little for the concerns of others, was starting to feel like something horrible was reaching out for him in the darkness, a feeling that was decidedly uncomfortable even for he, who usually thrived in the dark.
And even worse, House Kirinus' mysterious disappearance remained unexplained. And, as he sat musing in his sanctum, Shaden couldn't deny that the timing of the two events was a little too uncanny. Their rivals had vanished almost as soon as he had recovered the weapon that now sat across his knees, his hands caressing the crimson runes thoughtfully. Though he sensed that the events were related, he couldn't seem to make the connection between them. What could the ancient blade possibly have to do with his family's rivals? Sighing, he allowed the power of the sword to touch his mind, feeling the almost seductive call of its strength despite his own wards of protection. As he had unraveled the secrets of the ancient blade over the last few months, he had discovered that the weapon seemed to bring an odd clarity of thinking with it when he held it, though there was still something almost unsettling about the sword. It seemed at times to have a mind of its own, for he sometimes sensed a presence within it, something that seemed to learn about him even as he learned about it. What was more, the longer he held the sword, the longer that he allowed its power to touch his mind, the more seductive it became, the more he felt the need to keep it close.
Shaking his dark furred head once more, Shaden shifted his thoughts to a subject more productive than his musings on the vague feelings he felt. His plans were moving quickly now, accelerated beyond measure by the sudden absence of his family's foes, an enemy he had always had to plan around. All was now in place for the final stage, his goals all now in reach. Only one thing remained before the final stage, one factor to control, to dominate, and then it would all be his. He only waited now for the right moment, an opportunity that he could sense was close at hand; all he needed was to be patient a little longer. Even as he smiled in satisfaction of his planning, a sudden commotion outside his chambers shattered his thoughts, making the sword nearly fall from his hand upon the smooth stones before him.
Snarling at the interruption to his thoughts, Shaden stood, reluctantly laying the sword upon the nearby table and swirling a long, sable cloak about his shoulders, concealing the fact that he was wearing only his fur. A moment later, even as the illusion spells fell back around his much altered form, the horn call that summoned all the guards to their posts sounded outside the manor, splitting the night with its almost frantic tone. As he moved to the door, Shaden spoke a sudden thought aloud, nearly tearing the door from its hinges in his sudden rage.
"Why is it that trouble always comes in the middle of the night?" he snarled, scattered servants before him as he went in search of someone who might have an idea of what was going on. Judging from the faces of the servants he passed, something big had happened, something new, something wholly unheard of. Curiosity starting to overwhelm his anger, he picked up the pace, seeking his father or the Swordmaster, knowing that they of all people would likely know what this was all about. Coming out into the entrance hall's balcony, he spied a leopard clad in steel plate armor below him, seeming to be directing traffic amid a milling mass of servants and half-clad guardsmen, all rushing pell-mell through the hall. "What is happening?"
"House Kirinus has reappeared!!" The Swordmaster shouted back as he turned, his strong voice only barely audible amid the hubbub of the crowd. "Their army has been sighted on the Library world. The headquarters of three of the orders of magic have already been overwhelmed. They must have gone mad!!"
In an instant, as the older leopard barked orders to the guards and servants that swarmed about him, an unaccustomed and unfamiliar feeling welled up in Shaden's heart and he acted upon it at once, not realizing what it was until he was almost halfway back to his chambers. It felt as if an icy shell had formed about his heart, shrinking painfully, chilling his insides in an instant. The feeling was fear, but not the half perceived fear for himself that he easily discarded on the rare occasions he got it, or the vague worry that he felt when his plans were endangered. It was true fear, but fear for someone else, fear for the one other person for whom he cared. In a rush, the magus clothed himself in his traveling gear and, seizing the darkly enchanted sword in one hand, its runes blazing bright as it felt the wild emotions coursing through its new master, he began to cast a familiar, and much used spell with the other hand, summoning a magic portal into being in his chambers. Now he understood the foreboding that had been pressing down on him, or at least he thought he did. Without hesitation, the dark magus plunged through the portal, hoping he wasn't too late...