Wolves of the Gods

deepening, head rising almost to the ceiling. It wasn't posturing, but a spell he was making with the help of Fari and Luka. He was using that spell to strike fear into Safar's heart, attempting to hammer his enemy into submission.

He smiled, his long teeth making him look like a wolf. 'We can move in and out of this flesh at will. It's a bit painful, but after time you learn that pain gives strength as well as pleasure. There's more hope in pain than you might guess, Safar. You can see things, horizons and possibilities you never dreamed of before.

As a boy my greatest dream was to be King of Kings. Well, I achieved that dream. But great as it was, once won, it was nothing. I felt hollow, Safar. Empty of all achievement, even though I'd matched my boyhood hero, the Conqueror Alisarrian.'

Protarus saw the dagger in Safar's hand waver. The spell was working! He pressed harder, pushing against Safar's defenses with all his might. The dagger point dropped lower still and it was all Iraj could do to keep from smacking his lips in anticipation.

Instead he gestured at the wolves who were Luka and Fari. 'My friends saw this. They understood even more than I-even more than you-what I truly sought.' He leaned closer, his breath hot on Safar's face.

'Now, I can be King of Kings of both worlds-magical as well as mortal. I suppose I should thank you for opening the way for me. My ambitions, my dreams, have always been greater than the flesh that could hold them.'

The spell was so strong that Safar-who was already stretched to the breaking by his twin effort to protect Palimak plus hold Iraj and the wolves at bay-was nearly overcome. Gundara sank sharp claws into his shoulder, hissing, 'Master! Master!'

Safar rallied, beating back the spell. He said, 'If you are so all powerful, Iraj, why don't you just do away with me now? Kill me. Kill the child. Blast Kyrania to dust with your most powerful spell. What's stopping you?'

Iraj forced laughter. He was shocked at Safar's swift recovery. This wasn't how it was supposed to work! On his right Fari growled, urging him to keep on.

'Think about it,' Iraj said, swiftly trying to repair the spell. 'The only thing that held me back from true greatness before was my lack of magical abilities. You were the one whose powers were so awesome even demons feared you.'

'That's hardly my fault,' Safar said, mentally brushing aside the spellweb. Looking for his chance. 'I was born with those talents. And you weren't. What more can I say?'

'Still,' Iraj said, 'you could have given me those powers. They could have been a gift to your oath brother and king.' He gestured at Luka and Fari, who growled at his motions. 'They were certainly willing to give me such a gift. Why wouldn't you?'

'You won't believe this,' Safar answered, 'but even if I'd wanted to, I didn't know how. Not safely, anyway. With these two-plus Kalasariz-you formed the Spell of Four. Very powerful. But also a two-edged sword. It is dangerous not only to others, but to yourself. You don't realize it now-perhaps you never will-but the pact you made was your downfall. I did nothing to you. Not really. True, I made a spell of destruction. But it depended upon your own nature for it to work.'

'You're right,' Iraj said. 'I don't believe it.'

Safar shrugged. 'I didn't think you would.'

'As for destroying my kingdom,' Iraj said, 'it was only temporary. Even as we speak my armies are putting it back together again.'

Safar ignored this. 'You still didn't answer my first question,' he insisted. 'Why all this talk? It's really quite unlike you, Iraj. Why not just kill us now?'

'The answer is simple, Safar,' Iraj said. 'I'm here to collect your powers.' He nodded at Palimak. 'And the boy's.'

Now, Safar thought. Now! And he let himself sag a little, as if in spell-induced shock.

Iraj's temples hammered with sudden elation. He gestured at the sleeping child, grinding in his perceived advantage.

'My friends and I are perfectly willing to drain those powers from your dying bodies. And put them to better use.' He shrugged. 'The result would be rather weak, but it'll do, it'll do. Alive would be better, of course. And with your full cooperation it'd be better still.'

'You'd still kill us,' Safar said. 'Eventually.'

Iraj barked humor. 'Oh, I promise you that, old friend. As I said, I owe you much. But if you surrender now, I'll let the boy live.'

'That's no bargain,' Safar said, pretending unconcern. 'I'd still be dead.'

Iraj frowned, as if deeply concerned at an impasse that did not exist. 'But I require the boy alive. He's the key ingredient to what I need to secure my new throne.' As he spoke, he and his Brothers of the Spell poured all their powers into their assault on Safar's will.

'I know the child's just a foundling,' Iraj continued. 'So you probably don't have any deep feelings for him. You won't suffer greatly when I tell you we intend to make the boy's life as miserable as possible.

And believe me, there's nothing about misery I don't know, Safar Timura.'

Safar let a soft moan escape. Iraj grinned, excitement so great that he lost control of his human shape and a wolf snout suddenly erupted from his face.

'What luck!' he growled. 'You do love the boy, you poor sad fool.' He sniffed the air, licking his chops.

'Marvelous,' he growled. 'I can already taste your pain.'

Iraj sniffed again, liked what he found even more, and drew in a long breath, shuddering from the infusion of fear and servile misery Safar was pumping into the atmosphere.

I am small and weak, Safar thought, and you are large and strong. Mercy, Lord, mercy. If I must die make it swift. Mercy, Lord, mercy. And spare the child. I beg you, spare the child. Mercy, Lord, mercy.

Iraj gloried in the rich scent of Safar's humiliation. Grinned at the sour sweat running off of him in streams.

It made a quite a heady concoction.

When he relaxed his guard Safar struck.

It wasn't his strongest spell. In fact, it was rather weak. But it was the best he could do without killing Palimak in the backblast.

A fiery arc leaped from his dagger point to Iraj's crown. There was a flash of light and a howl of pain as Iraj was hurled back by the force of Safar's attack, slamming against the far wall.

Hoping against all the odds Safar turned to his left, aiming a second blast at the demon wolf who was Lord Fari.

'To Palimak!' he shouted to Gundara.

The little Favorite leaped from his shoulder onto the bed.

Fari was almost on him when Safar let loose the next sorcerous blast. But it was weak, too weak and the demon wolf shrugged it off and kept coming. From the corner of his eye he could see Luka leaping for him. Just beyond Iraj was rising up, shaking off the affects of Safar's attack.

Then he felt a heatshudder as Gundara threw a protective shield over the spellbound Palimak.

He reached deep for his strongest spell but even as he formed it he knew he was too late.

All was lost but he kept going, praying his enemy would make the smallest mistake or misstep.

It was a foolish prayer because there were claws scything toward him and the euphoria of certain death leaked into his brain, numbing him for the shock.

Then there was a thunder of hooves bearing a chill war cry and the house shook as an enormous weight struck the wall.

Safar's three attackers stumbled about in surprise as the whole wall crashed inward-showering them with debris-and they hurled themselves to the side just as a mailed warrior on horseback smashed into the small room. And then everything was a confusion of flying hooves and slashing sword and shrill battle cries.

Iraj and his demon/wolves were flung apart. They roared in pain and fury as horse and rider whirled about, barreling into them.

Safar leaped back through the doorway as the horse swerved toward him. He glanced over at Palimak's bed and saw the boy was still asleep; Gundara crouched over him, his shielding spell keeping bed and boy miraculously