Arch Wizard

A burst of power thrust Taeauna flat on her face in front of him, thrust aside a few of the battle dead, and lit him from ankles to the tips of his fingers with a bright white light, a radiance that drew all eyes and trailed an aura of curling ruby-red smoke out into the night.

'Hear me, doomed wizards, and all others who would dare to defy me!' he thundered, his magic making his voice roll thunderously out across Darswords and echo back from wooded hilltops all around.

'I am Malraun the Matchless, whose magic triumphs over all other spells, from one misty end of Falconfar to another! I avenge Horgul now, just as I assure all Falconfar that his army will fulfill its destiny, marching on to victory after victory, until every warrior who fought for Horgul gains gold enough to retire fat and happy, living in idle luxury all the rest of his days! No wizard can stand against my might, and all who seek to do so will be served thus!' He turned to face the wizards alone, and added, 'Die!'

The light cloaking him rose around him, like a snake rearing up to strike, and then rushed away from him through the torchlit, moonlit night, to crash down on the Stormar on the hilltop in an inferno that blazed up fiercely. His power had pinned them there even before he'd spoken, and it held them there now, arms waving in futile attempts to weave spells that would whisk them elsewhere, as their bodies were consumed in a few breaths of roaring fury, and collapsed into ash.

A faint radiance flickered momentarily over a hilltop that had been scorched down to bare, blackened stone, then died away into darkness.

There was a long, stunned silence. Then the surviving warcaptains, up and down the hill on all sides, raised a ragged cheer.

Taeauna hurled herself at his ankles, kissing his boots and reaching up to caress him.

Malraun smiled down at her, at first out of mere fondness, but then more broadly as a thought struck him.

He would stay with the army long enough to enjoy their 'taking' of Harlhoh. As it was under his rule, that would be mere feasting and reprovisioning, not fighting. Then he would leave Taeauna in charge of these ravening beasts and warriors, as they went on to conquer Darkriver.

So he could get back to his real work. Finding and destroying the real Narmarkoun, and watching this 'Lord Archwizard' Everlar dolt to learn what he was really up to, and what hidden power he was seeking, before the right moment to destroy him came.

Not that destroying this Lord Archwizard would be anything more than childishly easy.

If it had been Lorontar, now… Malraun shivered inwardly, just for a moment, setting Taeauna to whimpering softly.

Then, reaching down to soothe her with a caress or two, he firmly put that unpleasant thought from his mind.

Chapter Fourteen

WIngs suddenly blotted out the moon, making Garfist swear in startlement and rear back from the window. A flapping moment later, there were two Aumrarr in the room.

Iskarra and Garfist could see that much, though in the wake of the flash that had split the sky, their eyesight was still blurry. Yet the two winged women were clear enough-as tall and slender black shapes, silhouetted against the cold brightness of the moon flooding the room.

'Who are ye?' Gar growled, settling into a menacing swordsman's crouch as he faced them, as if his hands bristled with warsteel rather than hanging empty.

'Dauntra and Juskra, of the Aumrarr,' came the curt reply. 'We brought you here, and we'll be taking you away again. Now.'

'Why?' Iskarra snapped, from behind the table. 'I'm finding I like Stormcrag Castle.'

'The time is come,' said the other Aumrarr, in a slightly kinder voice. 'We need you.'

'For what?' Garfist asked suspiciously. 'Just how quickly is this going to get us killed, hey?'

'No time for that now,' Juskra snarled, her sword starting to grate out of its scabbard-whereupon Isk held out the mindgem above the table, swinging her arm sharply to warn them she could at a whim swiftly bring it down, and shatter what she held.

'Oh,' she told the two Aumrarr softly, as they stared at her with thinning lips, 'I think there is.'

Juskra's eyes blazed, and she strode forward almost panting in rising fury-only to stop abruptly, hissing, as Gar moved to bar her way to the table and drew back one arm, as if a solid punch could prevail against her sword and dagger.

'Dyune,' he said firmly. 'She left us. Just left us. What's befallen her?'

The two Aumrarr looked at each other, and then back at Gar and Isk.

'She has… perished,' Dauntra said reluctantly. 'In battle with a greatfangs. Along with our sisters Ambrelle and Lorlarra.'

She shuddered as she fought back tears, then swallowed, sighed, and added, 'Ambrelle died so we might live. She used the flame of life that burned within her to work a great magic.'

'That blew the beast's brains apart from within,' Juskra said grimly, 'and slew it.'

A little silence fell, until Garfist said into it, 'Tell us more.'

When neither of the Aumrarr spoke, he sighed and waved a hand at the mindgem Iskarra was holding over the table. 'We know what we have, but where's the skull?'

'The skull?'

'Ortbaunt's skull,' he growled disgustedly. 'An' just for that, ye can tell me what ye're planning to use it for-or we, an' this oh-so-precious mindgem with us, stay right here.'

The Aumrarr traded glances with each other again. Juskra was visibly itching to bury her sword in Garfist, but Dauntra gave her a glare, shaking her head.

'I know where it is,' she told Garfist, slowly and reluctantly, 'but we've not sought to recover it, yet. That-' She pointed at the mindgem. '-we came seeking first. Dyune was supposed to have hidden it here at Stormcrag and then departed without the two of you-or anyone else-ever seeing her.'

'Ever kings scheme, yet the Falcon rends all bright plots awry,' Garfist quoted an old ballad archly. 'Even, it seems, the clever plans of Aumrarr.'

'Enough of this,' Juskra snapped, glaring at Iskarra. 'Give us the gem, or I'll start cutting large slices off your man, here!'

Garfist grabbed for her sword then, barehanded. She backed hastily away and brought its point up to menace his face and throat.

He gave her an unpleasant grin. 'Threaten someone it'll work on. For us, save yer breath. Ye need us, not just yon stone and the skull. Hey?'

Dauntra sighed, shoulders sagging. 'Yes.'

Garfist gave Juskra a sardonic look, arching one eyebrow. She grimaced in disgust and lowered her blade.

'That's better,' he growled. 'Now, the two of ye, heed: Isk and I may well be quite willing to aid ye. If ye speak truth, and keep nothing back from us. Ye Aumrarr love to keep secrets, but there's none but us to say ye didn't, hey? If you speak truth, the Falcon might even smile on ye, for once! So speak. We know ye need us, so what we're to do is something no Aumrarr can succeed at. We know 'tis dangerous and urgent, or ye wouldn't be here in the dead of night drawing steel on us. So spill all, lasses! What d'ye need us for?'

'If we tell you,' Dauntra said quietly, 'the mere knowing leaves you standing in danger.'

'Sister, no!' Juskra snapped. 'We dare not-'

'You daren't not tell us,' Iskarra snapped out, her voice louder than the scarred Aumrarr, and ringing with the iron of command, 'or you lose your chance. Either we refuse, you slay us, and you