Keith Baker - The Gates of Night

Two soldiers slept on the floor, with swords set just within reach. A third warrior sat on the floor, oiling his blade.

Then Xu’sasar saw the woman in purple. Her eyes were closed, her legs crossed-and she was floating a few feet off the floor. The woman’s robe was silk hemmed with intricate silver patterns, and she wore a headdress made from violet glass, with sweeping horns curving up and around her head. Her skin was pale, her hair dark, and her features reminded Xu’sasar of the one who had accompanied Daine in the burning jungle-Lakashtai, the servant of demons.

Though there was little cover in the inner chamber, the green light of the crystal core was faint, no stronger than moonlight. Calling on spirits of scorpion and shifting panther to hide her from her foe, Xu’sasar slipped within the monolith. The blue-skinned giant turned as she entered, but his gaze slid past her.

Xu’sasar raised the Tooth of the Wanderer. The bone wheel was not the weapon for close battle, and she considered her options. The twin knives were the weapon of her mother, the weapon passed down to her, yet using the Tooth in that form reminded her of the heirlooms she’d left behind, the memories she would never pass on. The single sword? The razor chain? The rod of venom? In the end, she decided on the long teeth, a polearm with a sharp blade on each end of the haft. As soon as the thought was clearly formed in her mind, the Tooth shifted in her hands, bone and leather stretching into the new shape. The balance was perfect, and though it had the appearance of bone, the weight of the weapon spoken of a stranger truth. Xu’sasar felt the thrill of battle rising within her. She held the tooth of one of the great spirits. What mortal creature could stand against such power? Now it was just a matter of waiting for the attack. A burst of fire , Pierce had said. She crept forward, moving to where she could see the plains, watching for signs.

There! A flash in the night. Flame filled the monolith. This was no mere signal; it was a deadly fireball, a blinding burst of heat. The wall of flame boiled toward Xu’sasar, and she heard the first notes of the soldier’s screams.

You possess the ability to resist forces that will be brought to bear , Pierce had said. Fortunately for Xu’sasar, he was correct. Night and darkness were bound to her blood, and this shadow had the strength to extinguish lesser magics. The flames swept over her but melted before touching her. Even the air around her remained cool and breathable.

The mystic fire lasted for only a second, fading as swiftly as it had struck. Xu’sasar was already in motion, the point of her blade leveled at the demon-woman in purple. The initial thrust slammed through her opponent’s breast, piercing the woman’s heart. Violet eyes flew open, filled with shock and pain. Xu’sasar kicked her in the chest, using the force of the blow to pull her weapon free. Before anyone in the chamber could react, Xu’sasar spun to the side, lashing out with the Tooth. Both blades flashed across the woman’s neck, cutting flesh and muscle with ease. The woman never made a sound. She simply fell to the ground as blood flowed across the floor.

Would that she had time to savor the triumph. Xu’sasar turned, taking in her surroundings. The human soldiers lay scattered around the floor, and though a few still twitched and feebly reached toward their weapons, the stench of burnt flesh and smoldering cloth told her all she needed to know.

But where was the giant? The horned creature was nowhere to be seen.

There! Floating in the air, shimmering into view as the spell of invisibility faded. He was drawing his great bow, preparing to loose a second arrow. The first ripped across Xu’sasar’s ribs, and even the magic of the fey amulet couldn’t turn this bolt.

Fire flowed through Xu’sasar’s veins-excitement, not fear. A worthy foe at last! She rolled to the side, and the second arrow slammed into the ground just behind her feet. Clearly he thought to wear her down, using his power of flight to his advantage. But Xu’sasar had fought the firesleds of the sulatar, and no mere bowman could get the best of her. As the beast drew a third arrow to his bow, Xu’sasar leapt , the strength of the spirits flowing through and carrying her across the air. Her blades flashed in the green light, sundering the giant’s bow and scattering shards of wood across the chamber.

“Dark spirit!” the beast cried, his booming voice echoing throughout the empty tower. And with that, he disappeared again.

Xu’sasar felt pleasure. This one still had much to learn. She set her back against the crystal pillar, brought her weapon into a cross guard, and closed her eyes. Darkness was one of the weapons of the Qaltiar, and every child of her tribe was taught to fight without the benefit of sight. Sound, scent, even the pressure of the air combined to paint a picture of her surroundings. She heard the greatsword slide from its sheath, the sword cutting through air on the backstroke. She could see the enemy in her mind, and even as he swung at what he thought a helpless foe, she dove forward, rolling down and under the blow.

The giant came into view again as his sword crashed into the crystal pillar, sparks and shards of glass flying through the air. Already in motion, Xu’sasar felt a thrill as her blades pierced leather and steel and sank deep into blue flesh. The creature grunted in pain as he turned to face her.

The battle began in earnest.

This giant was no fool, save for the arrogance that led him to fight instead of flee. He learned from each wound, and he fought more carefully, using his size and reach to hold her at bay. His strength was formidable. One clean blow with the greatsword would be devastating, and he knew it. Worse still, his wounds were healing. As they circled one another, Xu’sasar saw that the cuts on his back had vanished. The skin beneath the armor was smooth and unblemished.

Xu’sasar felt the first touches of fear. She was not afraid to die. But for the last of the Qaltiar to die at the hands of a giant, without even harming her foe? This was shame indeed. Surely there was a weakness she could exploit. As she danced away from the giant’s sword, she realized that his face was burned, that he had recovered from the stroke of her sword, but not the blast of fire.

Then Pierce arrived.

The warforged swung, the whirling chain singing in the air, the golden ball ablaze with light, nearly as bright as the sun itself. The giant turned to face this new foe; it seemed that Xu’sasar was unworthy of his attention, having proved unable to inflict any true injury.

It was a fatal mistake. With a thought, Xu’sasar shifted the form of her weapon. The hard haft of the polearm divided into a hundred links of chain. One swift motion, and she caught the giant’s leg with a coil of razor-edged bone. For all his strength, the creature was unprepared for the attack, and he tumbled to the ground. As he started to rise, Pierce’s flail smashed into the giant’s face. Bone snapped beneath the golden ball, but physical force was only part of the blow. The flail’s glow was the result of terrible heat, and the stroke seared the flesh even as it tore through the skin. Two more blows, and the giant fell still.

“My apologies,” Pierce said. “I know you wished to battle this one, yet-”

“The pack is stronger than the one who hunts alone,” Xu’sasar replied. As she spoke, she returned the Tooth of the Wanderer to the shape of the bone wheel. “I thank you for your aid.”

The others arrived within moments. Daine looked down at the burnt corpses and shook his head. “A bad way to die,” he said.

“I assure you, there would be no reasoning with the likes of these,” Kin said. He looked down at the woman in violet. “We’re lucky. This one was only a vessel in training, not a host to one of our true foes.” Kin placed his hand on the crystal pillar and closed his eyes. “Yes, this will do,” he said. “All you need to do is sleep.”