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Authors: David Alastair Hayden
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help he won't survive against twelve veteran palymfar."
Zyrella began to stand, but Jaska stopped her. "I should take that qavra now. It won't be linked to the others, so they won't be able to track it. I can use it to detect their positions and aid our retreat. I know spells that will loosen my limbs and boost my strength. And there is one powerful spell I can use against them if it comes to fighting."
Jaska steeled his nerves and took the qavra. Despite his fears, nothing terrible happened. He raised the leather choker to his neck. He connected the locking studs, drew it to the proper tightness, and fastened the buckles. The specially treated leather fit snug against his neck, covering the pale flesh where a qavra had sat fixed in place for the last eighteen years.
Jaska felt naked no longer. He felt complete and whole. Empowered and confident.
Evil and sadistic, murdering and foul.
Not from sorcery but from memories--nightmares that flooded into his waking mind. Things he had done with the powers such a stone granted. He panicked and shadows flooded his brain. He tore at the qavra until a section of scar tissue opened and bled. He screamed and fell into convulsions.
Ohzikar held him down, and Zyrella soothed him with a chant of sleep that reduced him to tossing and muttering. Fever spread through his body. His limbs flexed into exhaustion, and he descended into a tortured stupor.
~~~
Ohzikar ripped the canvas sheet from its moorings as he rushed into the cave. "All twelve palymfar are entering the canyon. We have time to slip away, up the back trail, but only if we leave now."
Zyrella's breath caught in her throat. The sun was descending, casting shadows in the canyon behind Ohzi. Darkness was falling onto their hopes. She continued to daub Jaska's tensed face with a cold, wet cloth. Half open, the assassin's eyes were glazed over.
Somewhat aware of the waking world around him, Jaska muttered an indecipherable reply.
"Ella, we have to go now."
"He can't move, Ohzi."
"Then we must leave him."
With a cold voice, more lifeless than any he'd ever heard from her, she said, "We will not abandon him."
Ohzikar knelt and rubbed his hand across her back. "We have no choice. I can't protect you here. I would carry him, but the trail is too treacherous. Ella, we have nothing if you are lost."
"No, Ohzi. We have nothing if Jaska is lost. I know you don't want to face this but you must. Jaska is more important than me. The White Tigress didn't spend her final free moments giving me instructions. She spent them saving this man. I may be more valuable to you, but Jaska is more important to our cause. If we die defending him, then we die. I cannot help that."
Ohzikar cursed and stalked to the back of the cave where he tried to marshal his thoughts and emotions. But he couldn't cool his anger, or his jealousy over how much time and attention she gave to the assassin who had killed their brothers.
Zyrella leaned close to Jaska, whispered and pleaded. "We need you. You must break free. Otherwise, all is lost." For a moment, she thought his eyes focused on her, but she couldn't be sure.
"Tear that damn choker off him," Ohzikar said. "If you won't leave him behind, at least give him a chance to wake."
They had discussed this a half-dozen times after she had confirmed that the stone contained no active energies and that this must be caused by a reaction within his mind.
She spun and nearly shouted. "We don't know that he'll wake without it! He may become further lost to us. The qavra will remain in place."
"But, we must--"
"I know that is the right thing to do. I will not be persuaded or threatened otherwise. I am the High Priestess of the White Tigress, and you will obey me in this. Now, I suggest, captain, that you see to our defense as best as you can."
"As you wish, high priestess."
Tears streamed from Zyrella's eyes as Ohzikar harshly packed the last of their gear. She hated fighting with
Zyrella began to stand, but Jaska stopped her. "I should take that qavra now. It won't be linked to the others, so they won't be able to track it. I can use it to detect their positions and aid our retreat. I know spells that will loosen my limbs and boost my strength. And there is one powerful spell I can use against them if it comes to fighting."
Jaska steeled his nerves and took the qavra. Despite his fears, nothing terrible happened. He raised the leather choker to his neck. He connected the locking studs, drew it to the proper tightness, and fastened the buckles. The specially treated leather fit snug against his neck, covering the pale flesh where a qavra had sat fixed in place for the last eighteen years.
Jaska felt naked no longer. He felt complete and whole. Empowered and confident.
Evil and sadistic, murdering and foul.
Not from sorcery but from memories--nightmares that flooded into his waking mind. Things he had done with the powers such a stone granted. He panicked and shadows flooded his brain. He tore at the qavra until a section of scar tissue opened and bled. He screamed and fell into convulsions.
Ohzikar held him down, and Zyrella soothed him with a chant of sleep that reduced him to tossing and muttering. Fever spread through his body. His limbs flexed into exhaustion, and he descended into a tortured stupor.
~~~
Ohzikar ripped the canvas sheet from its moorings as he rushed into the cave. "All twelve palymfar are entering the canyon. We have time to slip away, up the back trail, but only if we leave now."
Zyrella's breath caught in her throat. The sun was descending, casting shadows in the canyon behind Ohzi. Darkness was falling onto their hopes. She continued to daub Jaska's tensed face with a cold, wet cloth. Half open, the assassin's eyes were glazed over.
Somewhat aware of the waking world around him, Jaska muttered an indecipherable reply.
"Ella, we have to go now."
"He can't move, Ohzi."
"Then we must leave him."
With a cold voice, more lifeless than any he'd ever heard from her, she said, "We will not abandon him."
Ohzikar knelt and rubbed his hand across her back. "We have no choice. I can't protect you here. I would carry him, but the trail is too treacherous. Ella, we have nothing if you are lost."
"No, Ohzi. We have nothing if Jaska is lost. I know you don't want to face this but you must. Jaska is more important than me. The White Tigress didn't spend her final free moments giving me instructions. She spent them saving this man. I may be more valuable to you, but Jaska is more important to our cause. If we die defending him, then we die. I cannot help that."
Ohzikar cursed and stalked to the back of the cave where he tried to marshal his thoughts and emotions. But he couldn't cool his anger, or his jealousy over how much time and attention she gave to the assassin who had killed their brothers.
Zyrella leaned close to Jaska, whispered and pleaded. "We need you. You must break free. Otherwise, all is lost." For a moment, she thought his eyes focused on her, but she couldn't be sure.
"Tear that damn choker off him," Ohzikar said. "If you won't leave him behind, at least give him a chance to wake."
They had discussed this a half-dozen times after she had confirmed that the stone contained no active energies and that this must be caused by a reaction within his mind.
She spun and nearly shouted. "We don't know that he'll wake without it! He may become further lost to us. The qavra will remain in place."
"But, we must--"
"I know that is the right thing to do. I will not be persuaded or threatened otherwise. I am the High Priestess of the White Tigress, and you will obey me in this. Now, I suggest, captain, that you see to our defense as best as you can."
"As you wish, high priestess."
Tears streamed from Zyrella's eyes as Ohzikar harshly packed the last of their gear. She hated fighting with
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