Part Eighty-Two
Maybe, Tsuki thought, this whole plan had been doomed from the start. The Sea was a very powerful Wizard. Beryl most likely was not coming. Gwindor and the Elves, and the Orcs for that matter had their own battle to fight. The Rangers as an organization were still in disarray. Tsuki did not think the Brown even knew where they were, even if he should want to rescue his pair of bungling Rangers.
Fei was mostly unharmed, but stood no chance against the Wizard. He had done what he could in drawing Setsugekka and Ugarit aside; it seemed the spell had only prevented them from moving themselves. Perhaps he could see to Duma. The Half-Orc was badly injured.
Tsuki felt Panic from Laurel and overwhelming mix of emotions from Dale.
The guards entered the tower and Laurel clutched the Sun Stone to her chest. "Leave me to my work if you wish for the good of all free peoples!" she commanded.
"She is a witch!"
A moment and Laurel found a pair of swords pointed at her. "I tell you I must continue; lives depend on it! There is a foul plot. Ask the local Rangers, if you do not believe me!"
"We expect a witch to know a foul plot. Your Dark Lord is defeated! We are the King's own Guard, and if you are meant to be in this tower, we would know of it. Surrender that stone."
"Do not touch it! Curse you! I am a good witch and subject to the King!"
"The Witch curses us!"
One of the guards forced the stone from Laurel's fingers. As it came into his hands, he had a vision of some figures in robes and a sense of great pain. He immediately dropped the stone and it fell to the floor and rolled toward the wall. "It is a foul thing! The King is wise to lock it away."
Laurel would have reached again for the stone, but for the sword pointed at her breast. "Please, I swear to you, my work here is good. I must continue."
"We will take you to our women's prison."
Laurel had never been to a city with a prison made only for women. She could be no more help to Tsuki now. She prayed that he succeeded.
Tsuki slumped as the Sea released his hold. He could see that he had been freed only because Dale had caught the Wizard's attention again.
"It is not real," Dale said as he stalked toward the Sea. "I
know that Duma is my son, and Tsuki is my love, and you were hurting them.
I know you are the one who is wrong!"
Tsuki was struggling just to breathe. He was not certain what Dale saw,
but he was aware the Sea was creating illusions to bring Dale under his
control.
"Tsuki doesn't care that I ate people!" Dale shouted and ran the Wizard through.
Tsuki winced to see the Wizard bleeding. "Dale!"
Dale staggered back, his sword still in the Wizard.
The Sea spoke, voice strained, but still strong. "This is just a body." He made a jabbing motion with his staff and Dale screamed.
"No!" Tsuki could feel or gain nothing but chaos and pain through the seeing stone, and yet, even without Laurel, he felt a great power inside him. He had not thought to gather it, and truly did not know if it came from the Moon, or this strange place, or some other source; he only knew it was his to use.
Tsuki's staff moved and The Sea somersaulted through the air. Tsuki rushed to cast protection around Dale and began to trace the circle with his staff.
The Sea, being long a Wizard, was able to perceive the power in Tsuki, and knew he meant to cast a protective shield. This one was too young to be able to cast quickly, even if he had power. His need for aids to concentration would be to the Sea's advantage. The Sea flicked his staff and Dale's body was dragged from the circle before it was complete. Another quick jab and the Elf screamed in pain.
Dale could not describe the pain if he had ability to speak. It was simply pain, and he knew that it was not only the sensation of pain. Dale was aware that each attack damaged him. The Wizard was tearing his body and soul.
"Stop it!" Tsuki shouted. The Sea was killing Dale. There was no time for defensive spells; the Sea would always have time to work against them, but offensive spells would demand the Sea's concentration as well as Tsuki's. There seemed no option but to throw every attack he could at the Wizard and worry later whether there was a bomb hidden somewhere nearby.
Tsuki reached into his cloak, brought out a vial of noxious humors taken from the corpse of a Dragon, tossed it aloft, and then swung at it with his staff as it fell. Tsuki focused his will and incanted as he swung, and the droplets of acid flew at The Sea.
The Sea had been occupied with removing the sword from his gut, and so he did not block Tsuki's first attack, but he quickly countered with a spell of his own, which called ice from the air above to rain down on his opponent.
Tsuki tossed up a packet of spell ingredients and incanted "Alkariarien!" It used up the last of the prepared packets for the spell he had developed with Laurel, but it was effective and melted the pellets of ice as it drew heat like that of sunlight down on The Sea.
It was also, unfortunately, an opening for The Sea to use a spell known to him which formed a quantity of water into a spinning blade.
The water blade cut Tsuki's left arm as it flew at him, but as it turned for another pass, Tsuki willed it to change to snow and it fell softly at his feet. But this was a moment used for defense only and without an immediate attack against The Sea planned, it gave the Wizard opportunity to attack Dale again.
Dale curled in on himself and gasped.
"You will face me! I am your opponent!" Tsuki boomed, attempting Compulsion.
The Sea did turn toward him, but Tsuki did not sense he had fallen under the spell.
"Why?" Tsuki asked. Why did the Sea not kill him now? The Wizard had demonstrated ability to throw Tsuki against the stone as easily as the others. Why did he not use that other spell on him? It must be that he wanted something of Tsuki. "Is there even a bomb?"
"Bomb? Oh. Yes. Quaint term, 'bomb'. There is a weapon, and it is completed. You were clever to learn our plan. It was our mission to go into the east and find the lost host and to seek resources to use against the Dark Lord so that peace could be brought to the earth. And behold, I have found the Eldest, and have a weapon that would have destroyed even the Dark Lord, but even his fall has not brought peace. Right now there are Men fighting within this 'High King's own lands, and the leaders of the realms in the east and the south have not submitted to his rule. We might have united the Men in enmity toward the Orcs, but they have been made strange and Mannish now. The Elves of the West depart in droves, abandoning us, when we have brought the lost host west! We shall have peace. The foulness of the Orcs must be destroyed and Men must unite under a new order!"
"The Order you should have concerned yourself with is that of the Wizards! You have clearly set yourself against the Order and become a Dark Lord yourself. I can perceive the working of the spell you have cast upon Duma and Dale and it is Sorcery! You destroy your own soul to cast such a cruel spell! You consort with fell beasts and Demons! You have cast yourself from the Order by your own actions. You have fallen away from your true calling. You are Black to me!"
"Summon all your power against me if you dare! Summon all you can! Arm yourself.
Draw the power into your flesh…or you will die."
"Is that what you fear…or what you desire?"
The Sea struck out at Dale again. "Shall I turn my spell on another? The Priestess perhaps, now she has betrayed me?"
Tsuki closed his eyes. He could hear Dale scream. He did not know what to do. He had sent powerful attacks against The Sea, but the Wizard still possessed so much power. Tsuki knew this place was a trap, but he did not know which action to take. Should he do what the Sea dared, or would that be the action that closed the trap on him?
"They are all under my protection!" Tsuki boomed, "You will not harm them! May the gods who dispatched you to these lands judge you! I will destroy your body if you move against one of them again!"
"You are not strong enough! You are not a Wizard yet."
Tsuki understood. It was partly the 'yet', but also partly that he had been standing in the strange circle long enough. "I will never be a Wizard," Tsuki said flatly. Whatever he did here, that remained true.
The Sea smiled. Tsuki believed that the Sea was planning on Tsuki never being a Wizard for a specific reason that might benefit him. Tsuki understood now: he had to not be a Wizard now for the other reason.
"This place is the Moon's Hitching Post. It is a place of power associated with the Moon and its guardian, but it is also a place of binding. Certain individuals may draw great power here, but they will be bound forever by the use that power is directed to. If I draw power and cast a spell of protection, I will have a very strong shield, but if the shield ever is broken, then I am broken. If I draw power and place it into a ring I shall be bound to the ring and suffer if it is lost to me. And if I were to draw the power and take it into my body then I would be forever bound to this body. I would be always as mortal as I am now and bound to this flesh. And if one could subdue or control this body, I would forever be vulnerable to that control. You do not want me to die. You want me to exist here as I am, because I have shown you an even easier way to use the power of this place without binding yourself than you discovered with Setsugekka." Tsuki withdrew the Moon Stone from within his shirt and held it aloft.
Tsuki knew he was correct when he saw the Sea's expression. It was likely that the stone this dark Wizard owned was not on his person, He could not have used it to attack Tsuki until he was certain Dale and Laurel would be unable to help him. He would have attacked Dale no matter what Tsuki did.
"My friends are important to me, but there are many more lives at stake. I will go now and find your weapon. You will have to kill me to stop me."
"I will kill the Elf!"
"Then you will have killed the person I love and I shall be that much more difficult to control."
The Sea expressed confusion. Tsuki did not mean to be controlled anyway.
"I am going now," Tsuki said. As he neared them, he spoke quietly to Fei and to Ugarit. "Go before me. We all risk our lives. Seek the weapon. The Place Fei found Dale and I seemed likely, but we turned from it to run to help Duma."
Tsuki saw that Ugarit and Fei went up the stairs and into the night. He trusted that The Sea would follow him, for he could not allow Tsuki to reach the weapon.
Tsuki knew now what he must do.
Fei ran from the Moon's Hitching Post through the rubble of the ancient city to the place had had earlier found Dale and Tsuki. Ugarit was close behind, they had managed to recover her bow from the floor and she ran in sidestep much of the time, watching to see if they were followed.
"Here," Fei said. It was only from traveling together that he and Ugarit understood each other at all, for they both spoke the Common Speech with a strong accent. Fei hoped to survive to make a dictionary of Orc slang with Dale, if his friend could be healed.
A great number of stone stairs, which seemed lifted from the debris and set in this place out of order, rose toward a natural outcropping of the mountain, above the ruined streets. It was the only place apart from the well that showed signs of recent activity apart from the razing of buildings to the ground. Perhaps, Fei thought, it would have been better for the world if Tsuki had gone up before, instead of running back to aid Duma. He and Dale had suffered for it, and many lives of Men, Elves and Orcs west of these mountains were still in jeopardy.
Though, Fei also thought, it seemed right to save Duma. They had all known that in reaching their goal one or more might fall and perish, but though Duma fought with them, he was a child. Fei knew Dale and Tsuki thought the same way.
Even Ugarit, full grown and seemingly quite clever for an Orc was a child. Fei vowed silently that he would protect her if the time came. He would not let her be the one to carry the weapon away into the wilderness alone.
"How will we know this weapon?" Ugarit asked as they climbed the stairs.
Fei did not answer her, but if Tsuki had been correct, they might kill themselves in finding it.
The stack of displaced stairs led to a platform of wooden planks, perhaps salvaged from a large wagon or discarded war machine, set across the rock of the mountain to form the level floor what seemed a wall-less observatory. Fei and Ugarit could see that this platform gave rise to another above, similarly built over the natural shape of the mountain outcropping. They could not yet see what lay on that upper level, if there was anything, but here they found a table and what seemed tools of a Wizard and also some caskets made of wood and reed, some braced with metal banding.
"You watch," Fei suggested, and took searching upon himself.
Ugarit crouched and looked back down the mismatched steps to the level of the streets. If she turned, she could see the light colored rock in the well of the Hitching Post clearly in the moonlight and though the Wizard could have waited upon this platform until he saw any arrive, and then gone down to confront them. Tsuki and Dale might have passed near to him without knowing, as they searched.
Ugarit checked her bowstring. She had restrung it once coming up the mountain and Beryl had scolded her for allowing the snow to dampen the string. Her string was waxed, dry and taut.
"There is something up there. I hear it move."
"You keep watch there. I will look." Fei had already searched several caskets and found many strange Wizard accoutrements but nothing that seemed a great poisonous weapon as had been described to them.
The Scholar went to the ledge and peered onto the higher platform. There was a Dragon there, tied down with many ropes and tearing at something bloody, an Orc by the color. Fei slowly lowered his head and turned.
"They are coming!" Ugarit hissed. "Tsuki, and then the Wizard. I think our Man has a new wound. He holds himself so."
"Dragon," Fei whispered.
"What is that?"
"Dra-gon. Wing-ed Drag-on. Up there."
Ugarit swallowed hard and scampered into the shadow of a rock form. She readied her bow and snuffed the air. "We are up wind from it," she spoke in a low hiss.
"Tied up," Fei whispered, taking cover below the table. "Maybe it guards the weapon. Is the Wizard close?"
Ugarit turned her head and looked to the stairs, and pulled an arrow from her quiver as she did. Between a winged fire-breather and The Sea, no walls to put at their back, and only one apparent entrance or exit, unless one counted falling from the mountainside. A smart Orc would never have climbed the stairs.
Tsuki would never have thought snow so treacherous, but the Sea seemed learned in spells employing use of water and its forms. The corrupted Wizard had likely been walking these lands and in his present guise for thousands of years, and it was possible he had memory of his life before he was made a Wizard. Tsuki was not 35-years old, or perhaps he was by now. His former Master had not been certain of his exact age. A millennia to study and Tsuki would cast faster and know many more spells, but he did not have that long.
Tsuki saw the blurred line of the arrow in flight just as it passed by his head. He willed the weariness from his body and rushed up the remaining stairs. "Is it here?" He asked quickly. He wondered then why Fei, who had always shown courage, even when he had been short of skill, was beneath a table.
The Eastman stepped out then and answered quickly. "A winged fire breathing Eastern Dragon is tethered above. Maybe it guards the weapon. It was eating. My blade, it is not so fair matched against Dragon hide."
"One must be mad to face a Dragon in single combat. I will go."
Fei nearly laughed, but that he realized quickly Tsuki was deadly serious and this was not one of Dale's clever turns of a phrase. Tsuki did mean to face this Dragon without allies. "I should have brought Dale's sword."
"There was no time, and one does not take a sword from an Orc unless they consider them already dead." Tsuki turned to look back toward the stairs. Ugarit had sent arrow after arrow, but now the Wizard could be seen and she was trembling. "Do not challenge him," Tsuki said, and then ran at the ledge and finding footholds on the rock, leapt up onto the higher platform.
The Sea expanded the shield about his body and it became offensive as much as defensive and threw Ugarit and Fei both off their feet. Ugarit fell from the platform. The Sea passed them and went to the upper platform, and only when he had passed did Fei cross the lower area to look for Ugarit.
Tsuki understood the darkness and cleverness of the Wizard's plan when he beheld the Dragon. There was a scar on its underside, which was only revealed to Tsuki for a moment before it lowered its body and brought its head as near as the tethers would allow. It was tamed, tamed such as Trolls might be tamed by Orcs, which meant it was always an Elf's hair's breadth from being wild.
The weapon was sewn inside it, and recently perhaps. This operation itself would probably kill the Dragon in time, but Tsuki now supposed that the Sea had long studied such creatures and had designed the housing of the bomb such that the acidic biology of the Dragon would in a set time activate the explosive device, which would be greater in destructive force when combined with the noxious breath of a fire-breather. It was fed on Orcs, and so Tsuki supposed, this Dragon had been trained to fly toward the stronghold of Orcs. The Sea must have timed all very carefully, for the Dragon was only held with rope, which would burn the instant it exhaled flame, which it would as soon as it was threatened.
And that meant Tsuki had just begun the countdown.
He charged the Dragon, knowing that if he was able to injure the wings, it would not be able to direct its course. He barely thought on protecting himself from fire, but cast the spell with a word as he moved. The fire came and the ropes snapped and there was a rush of air as the Dragon rose, wings still folded close to its body.
There was a chance, a moment to reach its vulnerable underside as it rose. Tsuki set the sword stroke in motion and then fell onto his back as the Dragon's tail slammed into him.
Tsuki looked up, aware of pain and he saw the Dragon's sinuous neck swoop down. He was sure it would break him, but at the very edge of his vision, he saw a blue figure, and then, all he saw was a trunk, blood and Dragon fangs. He could hear Fei calling and tried to move.
When Fei stepped onto the platform all he could see in the silvery light was piles of gore and dark pools of blood.
"What happened?" Ugarit asked from below.
"He had two vials of Dragon blood on him," Tsuki groaned.
"Tsuki!" He was covered in blood and Fei strained to distinguish Tsuki's figure from the gore about him.
"Was the Dragon guarding the weapon?"
"It is out of reach. I failed. Our quest is failed."
"Is that Orc blood? Was there a weapon here? Where is it?"
Fei pulled Tsuki to his feet and Tsuki answered then. "It was within the Dragon. Sewn into its body. Things were set so that the bomb would be delivered even if we defeated the Sea. The rope…and the flame…and it flew away. I tried to stop it."
Ugarit sneered and looked around at the blood slicked planks. "It was tamed? Fed on Orcs?"
"Trained to seek out Orcs," Tsuki sighed.
"Then might it not go to the Wood, where many Orcs give battle now and not to the more distant mines?"
"It might. I do not know. The explosion will happen in a set time, whether the Dragon is at the Mines or not."
"Then, can we get it back? If it goes to the Wood to feast on Orcs, can we catch it again?"
Tsuki shook his head. "I know it would seem good to hope so, even if it means those known to us personally suffer…I am not one who has made a study of Dragons. This one clearly did."
"Why did it eat its Master? To steal his power?"
"I do not know!" Tsuki said loudly. "I threw Dragon's blood upon him, because it irritates the skin, but perhaps the scent on him angered or attracted the Dragon. Perhaps it was smart and hated the one who tried to tame it."
"You are injured. Some of this here is your blood," Fei said softly.
"Blades of ice. I was not fast enough. I did not think…"
Ugarit hissed loudly. "You planned to die! You do not care if you are injured badly or not! You planned to die! Is there nothing we can do? We came all this way!"
"I am sorry I failed," Tsuki said weakly.
Ugarit growled and then fled down to the lower platform and to the steps.
"We all made our best effort. A clever trap was laid for us. Maybe not all will die. Perhaps the Dragon will go to the Mines and some there will die, but the Elves have sent warning by bird, have they not? Maybe enough will survive. Maybe, in time the poison will disperse."
Tsuki did not wish to discuss it anymore.
The Wood was silent. It was past midnight and the large offensive that had been anticipated had not yet come. Instead, all stood anxious and ready. They had eaten their last meals and the Elves had said prayers and now they were prepared to die if they must, for the youngest had gone into hiding and even the females had donned armor and taken up weapons.
There was then a thunderous outcry from the Rómendar. They had sighted the Dragon.
"What is it?" Denelas asked. "They do not move yet. They have not cried out before their past charges."
"A Dragon!" Lenaduiniel called from the branches.
"A Dragon!" Lain called as he ran. "Our branch walkers saw the fire breath! A Dragon!"
"Dragon," Marduk snarled, "From where."
Lain panted.
"It came from the mountainside, from place the Sorcerers lived," Lenaduiniel called calmly from the tree.
Gwindor looked to the sky, through the branches. "What color was it?"
"Gold."
"Can you still see it? Does it pass us by, or join battle? Has a messenger told you of a vulnerable spot in its hide?"
Lenaduiniel laughed.
"Where is it?" Marduk demanded.
"West," Lenaduiniel called then, "West. I saw the flame again. It is going toward the river!"
"Was it carrying anything?" Galen asked.
"It was not possible to see."
"They tracked it when it was lit by its fire," Lain offered.
"Carrying?" Marduk asked. He growled.
There was another outcry from the Rómendar, and this time they moved. But the battle was not distraction enough, the word had already gone through the Orc soldiers that the Dragon had carried the bomb west, toward the Mines.
"If Death-Shadow has failed us, and Orcs of the Mines die, then we must live or all Orcs shall be removed from the earth! Fight Orcs! Fight!" Marduk commanded.
Lenaduiniel blew upon her whistle for archers to loose arrows. The wall tent had been struck and all companies of bows, swords, spears, horses and machines were gathered along the trench and within the settlement, on the ground as well as in trees, and ready to move with their Leader or Captain.
"Breach! Close the Breach!"
Marduk responded with his own Band to keep the Rómendar from flooding over the trench. A few of the enemy fought through and he saw Orcs move to pursue. "Here!" he barked, "Leave those few to the rope-walkers."
The small group of Rómendar realized to late their path to the center of the Wood had been too easy. They were snared with loops on poles or lengths of rope and strangled as they were lifted into the trees or Elves in winter camouflage lowered headfirst and slit their throats. At Gwende's whispered signal, the rope-walkers, as the Orcs translated their name, lifted those that had died upon the ground and emptied bags of snow or old leaves to hide the blood, so that there was no sign of intruders or trap.
Fei helped Tsuki down the steps, into the well again. Ugarit had already returned here and was bent over Duma. It was apparent as they approached that Setsugekka, free of the spells the Sea had held on her, had labored to make Dale and Duma as comfortable as possible, to gather together their remaining gear and to tend Duma's wounds.
Duma was conscious when Tsuki and Fei rejoined the others. He made an attempt to sit upright when he saw them, and winced in pain as he did. The Wizard had touched him only briefly with his curse, but it had hurt him, and he had several fresh arrow wounds in addition to those he had taken in getting to the mountain valley, and a Man in similar condition might not have been able to move at all.
They all had wounds of some kind.
Dale had not been undressed or bandaged, though some of his armor had been removed from him, and he still lay doubled over in pain.
"My Lord," Setsugekka said softly, "I can do nothing for the Maple Demon. My powers are diminished and bound to my flesh and weapons, and my knowledge of healing is inadequate. He has suffered unnatural wounds." Her fingers combed Dale's damp red hair at his temple, but Dale did not seem comforted.
Tsuki bent. The cuts in his flesh had not been tended, but the greatest part of his pain was result of injuries that did not bleed resulting from being struck by the Dragon's tail, and being dashed against standing stones and nearly strangled by The Sea. His body ached, and at least one bone in his right arm was broken. Fei had helped him to remove his cloak and jacket and to tear the right sleeve of his shirt. Tsuki's wand and knife had been tied to his arm with the fabric to make a splint for the bone.
Tsuki knelt beside Dale and Fei stepped aside to lay the items they had removed from the platform among the gear. They had found the Seeing stone that had been in his possession, and a diagram of the bomb that had been made and some ceremonial items, including the Sea's staff, which Tsuki had already broken against the rock. Destroying the staff had required a great deal of his remaining strength. It seemed days since they had eaten or slept, but it was only because they had fought so many battles in coming here.
Tsuki gently brushed Setsugekka's hand from Dale and called to him. "I am here."
Dale shifted and looked up at Tsuki with one open eye. "I am sorry," he whispered.
Tsuki leaned closer. It seemed to pain Dale to speak. "Do not speak now."
"Tsuki, you have to help him!" Duma said loudly, "Dale's dying!"
"Quiet," Tsuki said harshly and then listened to Dale's whisper.
"Tsuki, I am sorry. I have to go."
He had known before leaving the Moon's Hitching Post that Dale was dying, but to hear Dale confirm it himself was very painful and Tsuki's eyes were filled with tears. "Oh, Dale, no."
Dale moved his hand into Tsuki's. "I should have already left this body," he rasped.
"You are immortal!"
"My hand hurts."
His hand. It hurt even to hold Tsuki's hand. "I love you!" Tsuki cried. "I am sorry! I failed us all. He attacked you because…"
"Tsu…"
"Dale!" Tsuki amplified his voice with magic. "Do not leave me yet!"
Dale writhed and withdrew his hand from Tsuki, but then, he went still and spoke again. "I think they will let me go to the Blessed Place. I will be all right, Tsuki. I would have given up my immortality to live with you."
"Dale?"
"Cruel to say it now, but you need me to say…"
"Dale, please." Tsuki felt he could barely speak or breathe.
"I love you, but you have to let me go. Remember you packed your magic feathers."
"What?" He had heard. Dale said it. He loved him. His feathers? He had taken them from Moon-halo's bridle. They were in his cloak. "Dale!" Tsuki laughed. "Dale?"
"I think Momiji-san has gone."
Tsuki made his voice boom. "Dale! You open your eyes and look at me!"
Dale's head turned and his eyes opened wide.
"Dale, if there is truly hope, then I am not letting you die! Do you understand? I know what I have to do now. This time I really know! You have to say it is your will. Say it, please. If I can take away some of your pain so that you can heal, and even if you have to give up your very immortality, do you want to live with me? I love you, but it must be your will. You must say it. It must be true."
"Together?" Dale rasped.
"Yes. I promise. Together. Dale…" Tsuki's tears fell down onto Dale's face. "If you want to go to the Blessed Realms now, I cannot make you stay with me, and you will be happy there, but if you choose a life with me, I have the power here to take your pain so that you may have that life."
Dale's tongue slipped from his mouth and licked the tears from his lips.
His eyes closed, and then opened slowly again. "I want you to do
it."