Pharim War: Lightgiver Part 15

How do you know?

Lina shrugged. Its a guess, but it makes sense. This is a place of knowledge, and summoning is in the dominion of knowledge. They have to have places for summoning.

Do you think shed be there?

Its as good a place as any.

Jez nodded. Lets go.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE.

The lower levels smelled of dust and old paper. Osmunds large footprints crisscrossed the room and led to several glowing runes scattered about the chamber. A smaller set of footprints led toward the other end of the room. Through a door, Jez could see a faint yellow light pulsing.

What is she trying to summon? Jez asked.

Osmund shrugged. Some kind of knowledge spirit? Maybe something to guide her through the library.

They walked more quickly. On instinct, Jez sniffed for the sulfuric smell that always accompanied demons. He found none. Something tickled at his memories, but he couldnt quite put his finger on it. They stepped into the room, and Jez stopped in his tracks.

Enki.

The scaled demon stood at the edge of a summoning circle with its hands raised. Its snake-like eyes focused on him and gave him a toothless smile. The hairs on the back of Jezs neck stood on end.

What are you doing here? I thought you were destroyed. As soon as the words had left his lips, Jezs blood went cold. I never smelled sulfur around you, not even when you were first summoned. Youre no demon.

No.

You altered the circle, didnt you? Jez asked. Thats how you survived Ziarys attack.

It was a simple change, and it summoned me a few yards, though it used up all the remaining energy in the sand.

It blew out the ceiling.

And I simply flew away, only to return when you summoned the afur you had seen. His form shimmered, and Mirel stood in his place. Our forms are determined by our self-perception. This is the form I wore when you saw me, but I can alter it if I choose.

You see yourself as a demon?

The smile she gave was even more unnerving than Enkis. Why not? I did, after all, rebel.

But you regretted it.

Mirel laughed. Do you know how much secret knowledge the demons hold? Its more than you can imagine. More than is contained in this place. It is knowledge forbidden even to us. Why would I regret seeking it?

Then why did you help us?

Few pieces of knowledge have escaped the demons, but those few are in this place. I couldve never come here without you. It required a mortal. The goal was to bring you here alone, and it surprised me when you pushed pa.s.sed my interference and brought your friends here, but it doesnt matter anymore.

Osmund, Jez said. Run. Activate your runes.

No, Mirel said.

Shadows swirled around the room. Lina let out a yelp but drew Jezs sword. It only took Jez a second to realize that these creatures hadnt come in response to Mirels summoning. However she was controlling them had nothing to do with the circle shed drawn. That was too similar to Jezs own. It wasnt a circle of summoning. It was one of banishing.

Osmund was halfway to the closest rune before the shadows fell on him. He cried out and clutched his head. More shadows rushed toward Jez. His sword materialized in his hands, and he cut one down as soon as it got close, but there were too many, and a dozen of the creatures entered him. Lina impaled one, though the gold-veined sword only slowed it down. A second later, the shadows swarmed over them.

All around Jez, there was fire and death. Beings as old as time screamed in pain. Jez knew this was all terrible, but it felt somehow muted and far away. His eyes wouldnt focus on it.

Do not look at it, Jez.

Luntayary appeared before him looking far more solid than he had the last time Jez had been drawn into such a vision.

How are you here? Sariel locked you away.

Yes he did, and I still am, but Sariels barriers were meant to keep me in, not to keep creatures like the shadows out, and they have brought you into my memories. This is where Sariel put me.

Jez resisted the urge to look around. You exist here?

Luntayary inclined his head. I am the sum of my experiences as you are. This is only the smallest portion of my memories, though it is among the worst.

Doesnt it bother you to be here?

It is not pleasant, but it is no worse than the first time.

Jez looked up just as a Shadowguard drove his crystal sword into a red-robed pharim, a Shadeslayer.

What is this place?

I believe this was once the southern reaches of what you call Nakior, though I cant be sure. The land was quite different then. It was before your kind came to walk the earth, of course.

I mean what happened here? Why is this memory so bad?

Did you know there are two types of afur?

Two?

Luntayary nodded. The first are like your friends Villia and Welb. They turned against their duty for reasons of their own. They still hold to their purpose, after a fashion. The others... He raised a hand just as a green-robed being that looked more like a lizard than a man struck a Shadowguard with a sword that resembled a large tooth. Took up arms against their kin.

What happened to them?

Those that werent destroyed were cast into the abyss. We tore their very essence from the Keep of the Hosts. Even their names were burned from our memories, and the knowledge of them was hidden away. We thought theyd be destroyed by the demons, but even if they werent, they would be beyond reach. After all, who would think to summon an afur from the abyss?

But the shadows gave us a name.

And only with that name could such a being be summoned.

One side was winning, though Jez couldnt tell which side they were. A group of pharim from all seven orders were gathered in a large circle. Their captors surrounded them, otherworldly blades bared. One Shadowguard, whose wings shone like a second sun, flew over the captives and hovered directly above them. He waved his hand in a wide circle, his fingers leaving a burning blue line that persisted in the air. Inside the circle, he drew a jagged symbol with lines that connected at odd angles and formed a shape that seemed to shift under Jezs sight. The pharim prisoners cried out in protest as the air around them became distorted, as if by heat. The lizard-like being in the center, a Beastwalker, vanished. The ones closest to him disappeared. The effect rippled outward until they were all gone.

We lost much on that day, Luntayary said. They were a part of us. We had been created for the same purpose, and not only did they betray that purpose. They made war on us. Their banishment hurt nearly as much as the pa.s.sing of the pharim they destroyed in their rebellion.

Jez could feel the shadows within him swell with delight as they feasted on Luntayarys pain.

How are they doing that? I thought it didnt bother you.

It bothers me, young human. The pain it causes me is more than you can imagine, but compared to what I have endured over the course of millennia, it is insignificant.

But still enough to feed them.

Shall I deal with them again?

Jez stuttered for a second. Um yes. Please.

Luntayary inclined his head but paused.

Theres one thats too deep. I cant get it out.

A chill ran down Jezs back. What do I do?

It requires more knowledge of mental magic than I have. I can trap it though so that it cant do any harm. The binding will only last a few days, however. When you get back to the Academy, have your master of secrets deal with it. It should present no problem. With your permission?

Jez stared for a second and nodded. Luntayary inclined his head and vanished, taking the vision with him. From the screaming Jez heard in his mind, he guessed far more of the shadows than hed been aware of had entered him. A few seconds later, Jez was back in the library.

Mirel chanted in the circles focal point, and her eyes went wide when she saw Jez rise. He was shaking, but he managed to call his sword. As he took a step forward, however, Mirel spoke the last word of her working, and the ground shook. Her circle, which was almost identical to the one hed drawn in the receiving room, pulsed. Jezs eyes focused on one of the few runes that differed from his own circle. Jez had drawn the rune of water overlaid with the rune of earth and linked with fire and air, the symbol for the mortal realm. Mirel, on the other hand, had drawn a jagged symbol with lines that shifted under Jezs sight, the same one from his vision.

The shaking stopped a few seconds later, and the ambient light vanished. The only thing illuminating the area was the quickly fading light of the circle and the dim runes Osmund had left scattered everywhere. A chill washed over Jez. He launched himself at Mirel, his wings emerging while he was in midair. She uttered a word and a circle at the other end of the room flared to life. Mirel vanished and appeared in it. Jezs sword cut through the air where shed been a moment before. Then, Mirel let out a piercing cry, and the library rumbled in response. He didnt have time.

Jez rushed over to Linas still form and placed a hand on her forehead. He couldnt affect the creatures within her directly, but he could offer then a much more tempting target. As soon as he touched her, the shadows flowed into him and latched onto Luntayarys memories before being destroyed by the pharim. She started to stir, and he practically dragged her to Osmund. The shadows left him just as easily as they had left Lina. Almost instantly, his eyes shot open. He only took a second to observe the situation before calling a ball of fire to illuminate the area and hefting Lina onto his free arm. He glanced at Mirel, who stood against the back wall with her arms raised. She didnt take her eyes off them as she chanted. Osmund hurled his fire ball, but a bubble of green light shimmered into existence and the fire splashed against it. Osmund called up another ball of fire, but he didnt throw it.

Should we go after her?

Jez gave her one last look before shaking his head. I have a feeling that in about ten seconds, the hordes of the abyss are going to rush in. It would be a good idea not to be here when that happens.

Osmund nodded. They ran toward the stairs, though Osmund stopped as they pa.s.sed one of his runes. He touched it and mumbled a word, but the rune went dark.

She disabled them, somehow.

Theres nothing we can do about that now, Jez said.

Osmund nodded and started after him. It didnt take long for Jez to confirm his fears. Different laws governed this place and unlike running Between, here their swift pace quickly left them out of breath.

They were almost to the door in the receiving hall when it exploded inward. A creature that was more fire than flesh stepped into the library, leaving blackened footsteps in its path. Jez didnt hesitate. He rushed forward and cut off the creatures right leg at the knee. The flame mans form of nearly twelve feet toppled over. Jez didnt wait to see if it survived before stepping out of the library.

A searing blast of wind hit him in the face, and the sulfuric smell of it almost sent him to his knees. At first, he thought he was being attacked, but he soon realized that was just the wind of this place. They were on a hill, though rust colored fog obscured much of the area below. Pools of magma glowed throughout the landscape. What little ground Jez could see was all scorched earth, and dark clouds covered most of the sky. A dim sun shed pale red light that painted everything the color of blood.

Are we where I think we are?

A screech sounded from high above, though the smoke hid its source.

Jez tried to force down the lump in his throat. He nodded. Were in the abyss. We need to get away from here before were overrun. Jez picked a direction at random and started descending the hill. Osmund caught up with him a second later.

Why cant you ever have a plan that goes right?

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX.

They hadnt gone very far before Lina stirred to full wakefulness, and Osmund put her down. After a rushed few seconds of explanation, they continued down the hill as quickly as they dared. The air was thick and difficult to breathe. It made Jezs lungs burn and his eyes water. The smell constantly made him feel like he would throw up. It seemed to be getting hotter too. His throat felt dry, and if he breathed too quickly, he would fall into a fit of coughing that left him breathless. In an unexpected twist, Lina seemed to be handling the situation the best, which made Jez wonder if this place somehow attacked the pharim nature within him and Osmund. He tried to search within himself to see if Luntayary knew, but apparently without the shadows to drive Jez into the past, the memories of the Shadowguard were beyond reach.

Several times, the sound of roaring or screeching drifted from overhead. Once, they saw figures in the fog, but Lina raised an illusion to hide them. They all held their breaths as beings that looked like walking stones rumbled past them. No one moved until the demons had been gone for several minutes.

What were those things? Lina asked.

I have no idea, Jez said.

I thought you studied demons.

There are some who say there are more types of demons than there are people in the world, Osmund said. The abyss is supposed to be boundless.

So how do we get out? Lina asked.

We dont, Jez said.

What?

You remember what Villia said last year? You cant go into the abyss, not and come back out again.

Jez, thats dumb, Osmund said.

The frankness caught Jez off guard, and he glanced at his friend, though the fog was thick enough that he could only see a vague outline.

What?

Youve spent the last six months trying to figure out how Sharim could escape, and now youre suddenly sure were trapped here? We even know where to get that information.

Jez looked in the direction they had come from though the red fog obscured the building. The ground rumbled in regular intervals as if something huge were walking nearby. The library is surrounded by demons.