Gavin shifted to meet them, raising his shield to block their thrusts.
It was almost the last action of his life.
One of the undead dark elves thrust its sword, and Gavin caught the blow on his shield. He started to strike back, but two other dark elves fanned out around the first warrior, swords gripped in their skeletal hands. The undead Gavin had fought before had been mindless things, but the undead dark elves moved with cold skill. One sword of blue steel stabbed towards his throat, and another towards his leg. The thrusts were perfectly timed, and they should have killed Gavin. Only Truthseeker’s power let him dodge, and Gavin lost his balance, stumbling as the trio of dark elves pursued him.
Fire flashed before his eyes, and a thumb-sized sphere of flame slammed into the undead on the left. The withered creature erupted into flames as Antenora’s magic chewed into it, and Gavin had his opening. He swung his shield into the dark elven undead in front of him, the dwarven steel rebounding from the blue metal of the corpse’s armor with a loud clang. Gavin pivoted and slashed Truthseeker, taking the head from the undead upon the right with a flash of white fire. The creature collapsed in a spray of bones and dust and blue steel, and the undead in the center attacked again. This time the creature was alone, and Gavin caught the strike upon his shield with ease, swinging Truthseeker with all the soulblade’s power driving his arm. The soulblade ripped through the undead creature’s torso, the sword’s power shredding the dark magic binding the rotting flesh. Bones and armor clattered away, and Gavin glanced over his shoulder. Antenora stood next to Calliande and Morigna, all three women casting spells. He wanted to thank her, but this was not the time.
If he lived through this, he could thank her then.
White fire flared around him as Calliande finished her spells, her magic making Gavin faster and stronger and better armored against attack. He wondered if she would have any power left to strike at Rhogrimnalazur. Then he understood that she would not, that it was up to Gavin and Arandar to land killing blows upon the mighty urdmordar.
He remembered the desperate fight against Agrimnalazur in the ruins of Urd Arowyn, how Agrimnalazur had slaughtered her way through the lupivirii and had nearly overpowered Calliande.
How his father, his poor, cowardly father, had found his nerve at last and sacrificed himself to save Gavin from Agrimnalazur’s wrath.
Perhaps if Gavin had carried Truthseeker then, he could have saved his father
Perhaps he could keep Rhogrimnalazur and her servants from killing his friends.
Gavin fought his way to the side of Arandar and Ridmark, Truthseeker trailing white fire.
###
Calliande held her wards in place, maintaining the augmentation spells. Rhogrimnalazur turned, green fire and writhing shadow twisting around her talons, and pushed her left hand towards Calliande. A lance of snarling shadow and crackling green fire stabbed from the urdmordar’s clawed fingers, and Calliande’s wards shuddered beneath the impact, wavering like a banner caught in the storm. Had the spell ripped through her wards, it would have killed her and both Morigna and Antenora in a single heartbeat.
But her wards held. Even with all the furious power of an urdmordar behind the spell, her wards held intact against the attack.
For that was the secret of the Keeper, the secret that had allowed the past Keepers of Andomhaim to defend the realm from orcish warlocks and dark elven wizards and the wrath of the urdmordar before Ardrhythain had founded the Two Orders. The Keepers wielded the magic of Old Earth, mighty and ancient and resolute, and no power found in Andomhaim could resist it.
Conversely, no ward could stand against the Keeper’s power. Calliande had neither Shadowbearer’s skill nor his strength, but with the power of the Keeper, she had fought him to a standstill in
It was almost the last action of his life.
One of the undead dark elves thrust its sword, and Gavin caught the blow on his shield. He started to strike back, but two other dark elves fanned out around the first warrior, swords gripped in their skeletal hands. The undead Gavin had fought before had been mindless things, but the undead dark elves moved with cold skill. One sword of blue steel stabbed towards his throat, and another towards his leg. The thrusts were perfectly timed, and they should have killed Gavin. Only Truthseeker’s power let him dodge, and Gavin lost his balance, stumbling as the trio of dark elves pursued him.
Fire flashed before his eyes, and a thumb-sized sphere of flame slammed into the undead on the left. The withered creature erupted into flames as Antenora’s magic chewed into it, and Gavin had his opening. He swung his shield into the dark elven undead in front of him, the dwarven steel rebounding from the blue metal of the corpse’s armor with a loud clang. Gavin pivoted and slashed Truthseeker, taking the head from the undead upon the right with a flash of white fire. The creature collapsed in a spray of bones and dust and blue steel, and the undead in the center attacked again. This time the creature was alone, and Gavin caught the strike upon his shield with ease, swinging Truthseeker with all the soulblade’s power driving his arm. The soulblade ripped through the undead creature’s torso, the sword’s power shredding the dark magic binding the rotting flesh. Bones and armor clattered away, and Gavin glanced over his shoulder. Antenora stood next to Calliande and Morigna, all three women casting spells. He wanted to thank her, but this was not the time.
If he lived through this, he could thank her then.
White fire flared around him as Calliande finished her spells, her magic making Gavin faster and stronger and better armored against attack. He wondered if she would have any power left to strike at Rhogrimnalazur. Then he understood that she would not, that it was up to Gavin and Arandar to land killing blows upon the mighty urdmordar.
He remembered the desperate fight against Agrimnalazur in the ruins of Urd Arowyn, how Agrimnalazur had slaughtered her way through the lupivirii and had nearly overpowered Calliande.
How his father, his poor, cowardly father, had found his nerve at last and sacrificed himself to save Gavin from Agrimnalazur’s wrath.
Perhaps if Gavin had carried Truthseeker then, he could have saved his father
Perhaps he could keep Rhogrimnalazur and her servants from killing his friends.
Gavin fought his way to the side of Arandar and Ridmark, Truthseeker trailing white fire.
###
Calliande held her wards in place, maintaining the augmentation spells. Rhogrimnalazur turned, green fire and writhing shadow twisting around her talons, and pushed her left hand towards Calliande. A lance of snarling shadow and crackling green fire stabbed from the urdmordar’s clawed fingers, and Calliande’s wards shuddered beneath the impact, wavering like a banner caught in the storm. Had the spell ripped through her wards, it would have killed her and both Morigna and Antenora in a single heartbeat.
But her wards held. Even with all the furious power of an urdmordar behind the spell, her wards held intact against the attack.
For that was the secret of the Keeper, the secret that had allowed the past Keepers of Andomhaim to defend the realm from orcish warlocks and dark elven wizards and the wrath of the urdmordar before Ardrhythain had founded the Two Orders. The Keepers wielded the magic of Old Earth, mighty and ancient and resolute, and no power found in Andomhaim could resist it.
Conversely, no ward could stand against the Keeper’s power. Calliande had neither Shadowbearer’s skill nor his strength, but with the power of the Keeper, she had fought him to a standstill in
Similar Books
