Keith Baker - The Shattered Land

Pierce had been listening in silence, trying to make sense of this strange conversation, but now he heard the sound of people making their way through the jungle, and a moment later four figures emerged from the thick brush and cover.

“Pierce and the Lady Lei,” Gerrion said with a bow. “How lovely to see you again.”

The scorpion drow knew this region of jungle well, and they knew the path the firebinders would take to reach the Monolith of Karul’tash. The firebinder soldiers were slowed by armor and the need to manage the prisoners; Xu’sasar was confident that the oathbreakers could ambush the enemy before they reached the gate. A chill ran through Daine’s spine when the drow scout said that the woman in green had been injured, and his fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword.

The sun was beginning to fall toward the horizon, and Daine was kneeling in the shadow of an enormous tree, nestled against the edge of a wide path. The weathered trunk was covered with fiery orange moss, hardly ideal for camouflage. Luckily, shrubs and the flow of the land provided stronger cover, and there was little chance of being spotted by the foe. “The firebinders favor force,” Shen’kar had told them. “The spear, the sword, the flow of flame and spell. They sharpen blades, not eyes, and will not see us in the shadows. The scout in the sky is a danger, but I shall pluck out his eyes.” For an instant, a black mist flowed around the dark elf’s hands, before being drawn back into his skin. “Darkness is our birthright. The firebinders turn from it, clinging to flame and light. But the scorpion strikes unseen, and as children we are taught to fight without the use of sight. We will draw them into darkness, and there will they fall.”

Gerrion is mine , he thought.

So you have said , Lakashtai responded. She was close by, but her skills with stealth were a match for any drow, and even Daine had lost sight of her. Lakashtai had offered to link the thoughts of the oathbreaker elves, but the drow had declined. They were willing to plan strategies, to agree on critical signals, but they had no intention of letting this outlander touch their thoughts. It may surprise you, but I had not decided to steal his death from you in these last few moments .

I’m sorry. It’s just that the thought of that worm gloating over Lei … I can’t tell you how much I want to kill him .

You don’t have to , she replied. I can feel it .

Why did we trust him?

What reason was there to question him? she countered. He saved our lives, Daine. Now we know why, but at the time, it seemed a gift of good fortune .

Good fortune? What’s that?

He sighed and studied his sword. Shen’kar had taken excellent care of the weapon; if anything, better than Daine had. The blade was polished, and the eye on the pommel flashed as a beam of sunlight found its way through the canopy. Daine’s thoughts drifted, and he remembered finding the blade in his grandfather’s hand, still covered with blood.

The sword holds many memories .

The foreign thought jerked Daine from his reverie. It’s a sword. Steel and leather. The memories are mine .

Just a sword? Not at all. It is a symbol. A relic. I think it has many tales to tell-but you have not been listening .

Is there a point to this? Daine thought.

His concern for Lei already had him on edge, and his family history was a subject he had always pushed away. When he’d left his house he had disfigured the blade, gouging out the Watchful Eye of House Deneith. It had been Alina Lyrris who restored it … a strange turn of events, given her role in his earlier life.

Perhaps. Symbols and memories have power. You weaken yourself by ignoring your past .

Even as Daine struggled to frame his response, he heard the long, low call of one of the orange and gray monkeys. The call was repeated, twice, and Daine knew it was no monkey. It was the warning of the Qaltiar-the firebinders were coming.

A few moments later, a firesled appeared, drifting some fifteen feet above the path. The sled was moving slowly, no doubt scouting the way for the troop behind. The elf holding the carved staff was studying the brush, and Daine held his breath as the cold white gaze swept over his hiding place … and paused. Daine cursed silently. The soldier seemed uncertain, but if he’d spotted Daine, one blast from the staff could incinerate him and alert the others. Where was Shen’kar?

It was a question with an immediate answer. A shadow rose up along the side of the path behind the sled. In one smooth motion, Shen’kar leapt into the air, and gravity stood aside and let him fly. He landed on the back of the sled and brought one hand down against the wood. Inky vapors flowed forth from the point of contact, and in seconds this dark cloud had completely enveloped the sled. The sled picked up speed but veered to the right; it was soon off the path, and Daine thought he heard a muffled explosion in the distance. He idly wondered if it would start a wildfire, but these thoughts were quickly thrust aside as the elven troop came around the bend.

Quick! Daine thought to Lakashtai.

For an instant, Daine could feel the kalashtar reaching out with her mind, pulling distant thoughts into a bonded network. His breath caught in his throat, then the thought flowed into his mind.

Daine?

Lei! It wasn’t her voice, but the sense of her, her presence , filled him with new strength.

Captain . Pierce’s thoughts were as steady as his voice, solid and stable as stone.

There’s no time to explain , Daine thought to them. As soon as it’s dark, drop and roll to the side. Get off the path quickly. If you’re hurt … just stay down. Stay out of the way. We’re coming .

Darkness? Lei thought. Night is hours away. What-

As the firebinders drew closer, the troop was engulfed in a sudden and impenetrable gloom. The scorpion wraiths had made their move. Xa’sasar and Kulikoor had used their powers to weave shadows into small stones, and just as Lei’s cold fire lanterns spread light, these devoured it. Daine caught only a glimpse of the drow shadows slipping into the void, but he heard the tortured cries as the oathbreakers claimed their first victims. He stepped onto the path, blade at the ready, and waited for his prey to appear.

First to emerge was a priest. His ceremonial robes were torn, fresh blood mingling with the crimson cloth and chunks of obsidian woven into the hem. His expression was one of abject fear, his only concern escaping the death that waited in the darkness; he never considered what might be waiting in the light.

The cleric’s blood was still seeping into the soil as Gerrion rolled out of the shadows, moving low and fast. His small crossbow was in his hand, and he was tracking Daine even as he rose to his feet, but he wasn’t fast enough. Daine smashed the weapon from Gerrion’s hand with one powerful blow. Daine pressed the point of his blade against the gray man’s throat, pressing just hard enough to draw blood.

“Daine!” The clash of weapons and the screams of dying elves filled the air, but Gerrion was as unflappable as always. “So good to see you again. I hope these savages haven’t hurt you.”

“I’ve been trying to find one good reason not to kill you,” Daine growled.

“How about saving Lei’s life?” Gerrion glanced to the right, and Daine followed his gaze. Lei was nowhere to be seen.

No! There was a flash of dark metal, all too familiar-Daine’s dagger, in Gerrion’s hand. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Daine saw the blade sweeping up toward his grandfather’s sword. Daine knew what was coming. Steel was no match for adamantine, and in an instant the sword would be broken. It was his last bond to his family, and in that moment anger, shame, and love flowed together in a raw burst of emotion.