The power of destiny the.., p.6
The Power of Destiny (The Force of Magic Book 3), page 6
He paused to look out at the devastation. Buildings fallen. Men dead, including the Guild. There lay Lathos, not far away. In the place of the great tower, there rose a tower of smoke. As Karven looked back the other way, he saw his men gathered around a prone form on the ground.
Karven stepped down into the Keep. As he walked by Lathos, he could see the man's skin was grey with death. Other forms extended from the rubble of a fallen wall and one of the outer buildings was gone completely. The two men made way as he approached, allowing a clear view of Brant.
The deadly warrior's eyes were closed, but his chest still moved with labored breath. Karven had never seen him like this, weak and fallen.
"Did you find anyone else? Anyone who was not a part of our men?"
"No one, sir. Though others are still searching. We've not been inside. I fear the buildings aren't safe."
Karven looked back at where some buildings still stood. The closest one was missing most of the wall on this side. He found himself drawn in that direction, though he was certain his laboratory and quarters were destroyed.
"What should we do with Brant?"
Karven glanced back at them. "Can you carry him? I don't know what we can do, but he will heal in time. He always does. Take him to the tents outside and leave someone with him. I'll want to talk to him as soon as he wakes up."
The soldiers obeyed and Karven left them to continue into the obliterated fortress. He paused by Lathos and looked for signs of injury to see what brought his death.
He must have died recently. When I tried to contact his speaking stone, his life was still there, though faint.
"Excuse me sir, but the cook and servants are still alive."
Karven looked up as another member of the Brotherhood approached from around the corner, back towards where the tower lay. He nodded and stood to follow him, indicating the man should show him the way. As the rest of the inner keep came into view, it surprised Karven to see a building still standing whole amidst the wreckage.
The main building of the inner structure, from which Darkholm Keep drew her name, was actually three buildings. The tall tower that protruded high above the outer walls, the massive inner keep, which took up half of the interior and a smaller two-story section that housed the kitchen and servants' quarters.
The tower was gone and the keep was on fire with large holes blown out in several places, but the small building looked as if it was the same as it had always been. Standing before it were one of his men and a cluster of women, with the main caretaker of servants in front.
Karven strode towards them with purpose, determined to get some answers.
"What happened here? Tell me what you know!"
Most of the women drew back from him, but the woman in front did not flinch. What was her name? Jane? No, June.
"Someone came and attacked during the night. The sounds of destruction awoke my girls early this morning and we've been hiding in our quarters."
"Who attacked?"
"I saw a man dressed like a member of the Guild, though his robe was old and worn. He seemed a magic user of some sort."
The old woman answered clearly, but something seemed hidden within her words. Karven slowly walked closer until he was standing right in front of her.
"Was the servant girl here? The one who escaped from the Keep weeks ago."
"Which servant girl? Unfortunately, there are many who have run away over the years."
Karven reached out one gnarled finger towards her throat, the black nail coming closer until he could feel her fear rise. "You know which girl. The one who floated away in the night."
Karven saw recognition in her eyes and knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it. He waited as his glare bore into her.
"There were a few of them. She may have been with them. I only saw them in the dark. I don't know what happened to them after that."
She knows more than she's telling, but I'll not waste more time on her now.
Turning to the soldier standing there, Karven said, "Take them out and keep them under guard. If they give you any trouble, you can give these girls to the men. They'll know what to do with them." He was pleased to see the panic spread in their eyes, but the one called June gave him a look of defiant anger.
Walking around the small building, Karven could see the destruction in the main building was centered on his laboratory. The fire burned hottest from that part of the wall, with a hole larger than his carriage from which the black smoke continued to pour.
All my materials. All those potions, including the Elixir of Life, burnt up and from the look of the tower, my quarters are just as bad.
Karven knew what this meant. His magic grew out of the use of things he collected from around the realm. Darkholm Keep contained a lifetime of materials, most of it in his workshop. The Elixir of Life might be the greatest loss, but it was far from the only one.
At the base of the once great tower, debris lay out scattered upon the ground, unrecognizable. The fire here continued, but there was little left to burn. The tower fell against the inner wall, like a giant had kicked it away from the main keep.
The approach of another of his men interrupted Karven's thoughts.
"Sir, we've found one of the enemy, but we need your help. He's a magic user."
Chapter sixteen
Fade Away
None of us can hold back our spirit from departing.
None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death.
There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle.
And in the face of death,
wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.
The Book of Ecclesiastes 8:8
Karven
The soldier led him back the way he'd came and the bodies of Lathos and the others were still there, but Karven could see they'd moved Brant. From where he'd fallen, they walked a short distance past the lone building that was still standing on this side of the keep.
"There, in the shadows." The soldier stopped, keeping his distance from the place he pointed to, which was on the side of the building. Karven couldn't see anyone there, so he took a few steps closer, but the soldier who brought him remained in place.
A raspy voice carried to him from a shadow that was darker than the rest. "You're here. What a joy to see your face in the midst of this."
Karven froze and felt inside his bag, looking for one specific compound he'd placed there earlier. Bringing it out, he pulled the stopper and scattered a bit in his palm. There was a light glow, but when he breathed on it, the dust grew dazzling. Karven palmed it and then flung the dust up and out towards the shadowy wall. Some of it stuck on the wall and the rest floated in the air, but it illuminated the area and he could now see clearly.
A man in a dirty, ragged robe lay against the wall. Dark red soaked his robe, emanating from the sword stuck in his chest. He closed his eyes in the light, but Karven recognized him.
"You're the one who was Brentham's apprentice. We've not heard from you for a while. I thought you must be dead."
With a pained look, the man squinted and looked up at Karven. He opened his mouth to speak, but coughed and blood ran down his chin.
Karven stepped closer and the hilt of the sword was almost within his reach. "It seems that you soon will be. All this destruction won't make a difference. We've captured your friends, including Tantem, and in the end we'll have lost nothing that can't be replaced."
The man stared at Karven, his eyes more open now, full of fury. Though he looked helpless, Karven inched back and reached for a potion he could use in an instant.
"Your face sends a different message. I think the loss of your home weighs heavy. You should know that it was with your own laboratory that I gathered everything needed to destroy this place. Thank you for collecting it all for me. You proved an able ally."
He's been in my workshop. Is it possible he still has the Elixir?
"You're a waste. You could have held an honored position within the Guild. Instead, you choose this. You've shown yourself capable here, but now you'll fade away. A name forgotten, lost to history, with no one to remember him."
Narrowing his eyes, the man glared at Karven before closing them completely. He did not stir. One hand rested near where the blade entered his robe and the other lay at his side. Karven stood and watched him, looking at his face and chest in order to detect any signs of life. He thought he saw the continuation of labored breathing, but there was no sound.
Karven drew out a simple sleep powder that he could use if necessary and moved in. He extended his hand to touch the tip of the sword's pommel. It felt cold there in the shade and Karven exerted pressure on the sword, pushing it towards the form prone before him. The man's face flinched, but his eyes remained closed.
"I'll hang your corpse on the wall and when nothing remains but the skeleton, it will be a reminder to all that death is the path for those who betray our Guild."
A whisper passed from the man's lips, but Karven couldn't make it out.
"Your voice fades with your life. No one will know your final words, not that it matters."
The man's eyes came open again, but they were hazy and looked through Karven, not seeing him though he lay directly before him. His hand rose from the ground and reached out towards Karven, as if he were trying to reach his hand resting on the pommel.
Karven shook his head and grasped the hilt of the sword, ready to pull it out and let him bleed out. He watched as the man placed both hands on the blade and gripped it. Karven didn't know if he meant to help him pull it out or fight with the last of his strength.
As he started to pull on the sword, the man spoke again, this time with renewed strength. "I am Pariah, but you…you are the betrayer." He joined his strength to Karven's, and the sword slid easily from his chest, causing Karven to stumble back.
He gathered himself and gripped the sword firmly. As Karven stepped forward to finish this foe, he could see that he was already gone. The eyes were open, but vacant and no breath moved through his blood-stained lips. He poked the sword under the man's chin, causing his head to tilt to the side.
"You die as you lived, in violence and pain and I will keep my word. You will be forgotten."
Reaching down, Karven pulled Pariah's bag from where it rested, hanging loosely over his shoulder. It was filled with many things from his workshop, but the Elixir of Life was nowhere to be found.
Chapter seventeen
Wander
We growl like hungry bears;
we moan like mournful doves.
We look for justice, but it never comes.
We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.
The Book of Isaiah 59:11
Trace
He ran with wild abandon, both trying to forget what lay behind and hoping to find answers at Marda's. First passing through the woods until he came to the ravine and river he'd crossed that night so long ago. Trace debated going around, but finally decided to try to jump over the water once again. This time, he cleared the river easily.
I must be getting stronger.
The hill seemed smaller than he remembered and when Trace reached the top, he stopped to look back from where he'd come. A thick, black cloud filled the western horizon, rising above the forest and into the sky. The treetops looked like arrows pointed into the darkness above. The sun was already descending and was just above the gloomy cloud. It would soon be blocked out, giving way to an early sunset.
Turning around, Trace looked towards Riverbend. He followed the trail of the river up to where it must lie, but couldn't tell for sure.
I wonder if Lilly and Ayna are still there. I can seek help from them and maybe Hars and Agnes. They were kind to us before. First, I need to talk to Marda.
It was hard to remember the way to Marda's cabin. Perin and he'd just stumbled across it as they made their way through the forest.
If I can find the stream we followed, it should take me to her.
Trace was more careful now as he passed under the canopy of trees and into the heart of the woodlands. He was no stranger to the woods, but he knew from experience that one place in the forest could look like all the others unless you were careful to keep your bearings. The first time they'd made this journey, they were trying to make their way towards Riverbend and Trace did his best to duplicate that path.
The light was fading fast and he could already hear the sounds of the forest start to pick up. He remembered his battle with the wolves and wanted to avoid anything like that again. There'd been no tracks that he could see and birds were the only life he'd encountered so far.
Now that he was deep within the forest, it was more difficult to get his bearings. Trace was still fairly certain he was traveling to the east, but the stream continued to elude him. He decided to climb up to the top of a tree to see if he could make certain of his location.
Trace leapt up and gripped a thick branch, swinging his legs up to rest against the massive trunk. It was easy to climb through the tree with his capabilities. He'd always been good at climbing trees from the time he was a boy, but now the next branch was always within reach. As he leapt up to a higher branch, Trace failed to notice a crack until it was too late.
It gave way, and he was falling through the leaves, unable to grab anything strong enough to support his weight. His back crashed into a thicker branch, changing the path of his descent and knocking him farther away from the tree. He felt pain shoot along his spine and a loss of sensation in his legs.
His body flipped back and forth as it made contact with dark limbs on the way down. Trace finally collided with a large branch and grabbed hold, but when he looked down, he could see he was only a few feet from the ground. His fingers released their grip, and he slid to the soft earth.
Stupid! I should have taken a closer look at that branch before trusting it to support my weight.
His mind was filled with pain from his back and Trace stretched out to check the extent of the damage. He was able to move okay, though there was considerable hurt in his limbs. He tried to stand, but though his legs supported him and he could see their movement, he felt nothing below his waist. This caused him to stumble and fall to his knees.
As he knelt there for the first time, Trace noticed the sound of something large moving through the trees, not far away. He froze in place, listening to try to tell if it was getting closer. His hand slid to his scabbard, and that's when he realized he'd lost his sword in the fall. Looking around, it wasn't within sight.
Trace moved to sit with his back against the trunk of the closest tree, but sitting down, he heard a loud crack from a branch underneath him. Everything was quiet for a moment after that and Trace froze, listening for any clues.
The crunch of giant steps across the forest floor drew closer, followed by the sound of something sniffing the air. A giant, furry head came out of the leaves, only about two arm's lengths away. It wasn't looking in his direction, but Trace could see the bear's nose as it smelled the air.
I'm sure I stink enough for him to smell me a mile away, much less just a few feet.
Trace made ready to move, pressing his hands down into the soft plants growing at the base of the tree. Suddenly, the bear swung its head in his direction and its eyes widened with surprise to see him there. On instinct, Trace yelled as he tried to scramble to his numb feet.
The bear's head pulled back, and he lost sight of it as Trace was able to stand by grabbing onto a branch just above his head. He edged around the trunk to put it between him and where he'd seen the bear. As he put his hand on another branch, preparing to try and pull himself up into the tree, a great roar sounded and the whole of the bear finally came into view. It was easily twice his size and was coming right towards him.
Chapter eighteen
Bear Up
When doubts filled my mind,
your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
The Book of Psalms 94:19
Trace
His speed and reflexes saved him. At the last moment, Trace abandoned trying to climb the tree and only desperately threw himself aside. The huge furry mass rushed past him and he scrambled ahead, trying to find a place to hide while he healed. As he crawled around the side of another tree, Trace heard it coming back.
Gripping the bark of the tree, he made his way to his feet. The numb feeling persisted in his legs, but there was no time to worry about that now. The bear was still out of sight, but he knew it was close. Looking up, there was a thick branch above. It was high enough to take him temporarily out of harm's way and well within the reach of his new abilities. Still, Trace was uncertain about gathering himself to jump after his injury.
The reappearance of the bear convinced him to give it a shot and just before it came within reach, Trace did his best to leap towards the branch. His aim was altered just enough by the lack of feeling in his legs that he almost shot past it entirely. Instead, his fingers caught the bottom of the branch and he used his momentum to pull himself towards it.
Trace dangled above the forest floor with one arm wrapped around the limb. The bear was watching him curiously, sniffing the air. It seemed to be waiting for him to fall back to earth. Trace brought his other arm up and lifted himself up to where he could sit in the tree.
After another moment, the bear stood up on its back legs and extended its paw up into the air. Only a handsbreadth separated it from the bottom of Trace's boot.
Just out of reach. Too bad for you.
He did his best to pull his legs up onto the branch, hoping to discourage the bear enough for it to give up and seek easier prey. As the giant brown beast returned its four paws to the ground, Trace relaxed for a moment to rub his legs. He thought he felt a light tingling there.
The sound of claws digging into bark drew his attention back to his adversary and he watched in horror as the giant creature started to climb the trunk only a few feet away. It moved up the tree faster than he would have thought possible for something so massive. It would soon be on his branch.
