Darkmask (Pharim War Book 5), Page 3

  “Okay, now what?”

  “Project a thought of Sharim onto the stone and ask the water where he is.”

  Jez almost lost the flows. “You’re making that up.”

  Lina raised an eyebrow. “No, I’m not.”

  “Lina, I work with water all the time. You can’t ask it anything.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Maybe not with aqua magic. Just ask it.”

  Jez stared at her for a few seconds, trying to find any hint that she was joking, but her expression remained steady. He closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. When he opened them again, he focused on the stone.

  “So, water,” he said feeling a little ridiculous, “where is Sharim?”

  Lina groaned. “Not like that.”

  “Then how?”

  “With your mind.”

  Jez sighed and tried to send his thoughts to the water. There was an odd sensation as the magic in the bowl seemed to vibrate, resonating with the magic of the stone. For a second, he lost himself in the flows. When he pulled back, the water had gone misty. It caught him so off guard that he lost his grip on the flow going into the water. It rippled and cleared. Lina glared at him.

  “Sorry, this is harder than it looks.”

  She narrowed her eyes, but he ignored her. He took a deep breath and tried again. This time, the fog grew more pronounced. Sharim’s face appeared in the bowl. As if spurred by the image, a surge of power belonging to neither him nor Lina welled up inside of him. It rushed into the water. Abruptly, the fog cleared, and he found himself looking directly into Sharim’s eyes, slitted like those of a serpent. A second later, the view moved away from him until he could see his entire body.

  Sharim had changed. His past battles with Jez on top of the half year he spent in the abyss had warped his body until he no longer looked human. He was covered in green scales that grew thicker as they ran down his body. Jez knew from experience that those scales were stronger than any human-made armor. A reptilian tail swished behind him, and when he opened his mouth, he revealed long curved teeth. A pair of bat-like wings rose from his back. Jez shivered. If Sharim was wearing his wings when he didn’t need them, it meant he had somehow gotten around or at least mitigated the limitation preventing him from accessing his power without risking damage to himself.

  A wolf demon approached and said something to Sharim. The image provided no sound, but Jez could imagine it speaking in barks and growls. Sharim nodded and the creature loped away.

  “I guess that answers that question,” Fina said. “Can you get an idea of where he is or how many he has with him?”

  Before Jez could answer, the alien power inside him quivered, and the view moved even farther from Sharim until it was twenty feet above the ground. His army stretched out to the edge of the horizon, covering a land of rolling hills. The demons were of all shapes and sizes, and flying monstrosities filled the skies. In the distance, a jagged line of peaks rose.

  “I know this place,” Fina said.

  “Can I let it go, then?” Jez asked.

  Fina nodded, and Jez released the power and ended the contingent. He slumped in his chair, breathing heavily. Fina went back to the secret shelf and started gathering volumes. He raised an eyebrow at Osmund who started doing the same.

  “What are you doing?” Jez asked.

  “Didn’t you see?” Fina asked. “He already has an army, one that is likely growing by the day. We need to communicate with the Academy, and at first light, we need to march.” He cursed. “We may already be too late.”

  A chill ran down Jez’s spine, and he asked the question even though he already knew the answer. “Too late for what?”

  Fina stopped gathering and looked at Jez. “To prevent Sharim from gathering a force strong enough to conquer the world.”

  CHAPTER 5

  They were up before the sun had risen, and they took Jez’s carriage to the army camp. Due to how much they’d been recruiting, the army had outgrown the barracks on the outskirts of Randak, and a town of tents had sprung up outside of the city. Soldiers were scrambling to take it down as Jez approached. A tan-skinned man rode up to Jez on a black stallion. He dismounted and gave Jez a deep bow. A squat man, General Lenag often seemed to have more in common with a boulder than a soldier.

  “Baron, we’ll be ready to depart within the hour. If I may, can I ask what our destination is?”

  Jez turned to Fina. “Where are we going?”

  “The plains near the western edge of the wastes.”

  The general stared at him before asking to be dismissed so he could see to the supply lines. Once he was gone, Jez turned to Fina.

  “It would take us at least a month to get there on foot. With an army traveling with us...”

  “At least twice as long, probably longer. We’ll use that time to see to your education.”

  Jez gave Osmund a sidelong glance before returning his attention to Fina. “Master, I’m a protection adept.”

  Fina chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not trying to poach Besis’s star pupil. I admit, you have a bit of destruction strength, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I teach fields of study that have nothing to do with magic, things you should’ve learned long ago.”

  “Like what?”

  Fina waved an arm toward the soldiers who were efficiently breaking up the camp. “Like the command of an army.”

  Fina spent the next several minutes explaining what everyone was doing, everything from taking down tents, to distributing the weight among the pack horses, to setting the proper marching order. There was far too much for him to explain it all, and in a surprisingly short time, the army was on the march. Fina commandeered a large wagon, and he and Jez’s friends sat inside. Fina started with a long discussion about supply lines and how an army would quickly become too large to be supported by foraging. Then, he started talking about sanitation. It just went on and on like that. Fina spoke nearly nonstop on a myriad of details Jez had never imagined. More than once, Jez found himself drifting off. Fina’s response was simple. A whip of hardened air slashed across Jez’s chest. Jez yelped, though aside from the sting, it didn’t do any real harm.

  “I didn’t know that running an army would be so boring,” he said once they had made camp at the end of the day.

  They had all gathered around a fire and were roasting a couple of rabbits that one of the scouts had shot. Jez couldn’t help but notice the rest of the army wasn’t eating nearly so well, even with their proximity to Randak. He suspected it had something to do with those supply lines Fina had spoken of.

  “Fortunately, you don’t have to run it,” Fina said.

  “I don’t?”

  “Of course not,” he said as he popped a slice of rabbit into his mouth. He didn’t finish chewing before he spoke again. “You’re a powerful mage involved in a conflict with demons. You have much more important things to occupy your time than the care of the cavalry’s horses or other equally trivial matters.”

  “Then why did we spend the last ten hours going over it?”

  “Because you need to know how to run the army. Your quartermasters will handle most of the logistical issues. Your officers will do the rest, but they need to trust you, and you need to trust them. You can’t do that if you don’t understand what they’re doing, but you have to do something more important than run the army. You have to lead it.”

  “So what? I need to know everything about the army?”

  “If you can manage it. We have two months to teach you, so you should be able to get at least a basic understanding of a lot of it.”

  Jez looked to the northwest. He took a deep breath and only then realized he was looking for the smell of sulfur, though they were a long way from being close enough for him to detect that. He sighed and met Fina’s eyes.

  “Can’t we just go? I mean all these men won’t do much against the army we saw, especially not if it keeps growing.”

  “Keep your voice down.” Fina was scowling, and the fire
in front of them flared for a second. “Never let your soldiers think you doubt them. You could be outnumbered a hundred to one, and you still shouldn’t even imply it. These people are sworn to you. They have pledged their life to your cause. You owe them more than that. If they think you have no faith in them, the battle is already half lost.”

  Jez nodded slowly, and Fina calmed down.

  “Fine,” Jez said, “but the question still stands. Can’t we just go and face Sharim’s army ourselves?”

  Fina smirked. “And how many demon armies have you faced?”

  “Two,” Jez said without hesitation. Then, he glanced at Osmund. “Do you think that time in the beast men’s valley counts? I mean those animals were possessed.”

  “True, but we didn’t really fight them. That was all the beast men. You did battle that giant lake monster, though.”

  Jez shook his head. “That wasn’t a demon.” He smiled and looked at Fina. “Just two.”

  Lina groaned. “You two are hopeless.”

  For a second, Fina just stared at them. Then, he threw back his head and laughed. “For a moment, I forgot who I was talking to.” He shook his head. “Those times, you weren’t really trying to stop the army. You had a specific goal in mind. Unless you can banish thousands of demons, you’re going to want an army of your own.”

  Jez stared into the crackling fire for several seconds. The camp was growing steadily quieter as soldiers retired in preparation for the early morning they would have the next day, though the smell of smoke still hung in the air.

  “We don’t have enough.” His voice was quiet. “Not against demons.”

  “In that, I can be of some help. The Academy is sending other mages to join us. On top of that, we have outriders going ahead of us, recruiting from the nearby towns and villages. An army like this tends to attract people, especially one led by someone with as many legendary exploits to their name as you.”

  Jez groaned. “Can you please not mention that?”

  “It’s a tool, Jezreel, and you need to use every tool you can. It wouldn’t surprise me if they army has grown to three times its size by the time we finally encounter Sharim. Queen Istar is also mustering forces to come to our aid.”

  “She is?”

  Fina nodded. “I spoke with her through the speaking stone while you were getting ready.”

  “You did?”

  “She was one of the dozens I called after you had gone to sleep. I’m not sure they’ll be here in time, though.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Fina raised an eyebrow. “Jezreel, there is so much that went into getting this army marching that your head would reel at the sheer scope of it. Your next lesson is going to be the gathering of allies. It was my intention to go over it with you then.”

  “Maybe I wanted to make a request of the king,” Jez said.

  Fina gave Jez’s pack a piercing look. “You can use your speaking stone at any time.”

  Jez glared at him but shook his head. “How long until the ones recruited by the outriders start arriving?”

  “They should be trickling in even now. News about us will be spreading. It won’t surprise me if we’ve already started getting some.”

  “But we haven’t been anywhere. How could the news spread?”

  “We’ve been in Randak.”

  “But the army was in Randak for a long time.”

  “The army was doing nothing in Randak for a long time,” Fina corrected. “An army on the march is an entirely different matter.”

  A captain Jez didn’t know stepped into the firelight. He looked from Fina to Jez as if unsure of who to address first. Fina gave Jez a pointed look. Jez nodded.

  “Yes, captain?”

  “Sir, someone came in with the new recruits who is insisting that he be allowed to speak to you.”

  Fina smiled. “See, I told you.”

  Jez glared at the destruction master before looking to the captain. “Who is it?”

  “A man by the name of Jabur. He…My lord, is there something wrong? You’re pale.”

  It took Jez a few seconds to work moisture back into his mouth. Osmund went for his sword which was leaning against their wagon. Lina looked from one to the other. Fina, who had apparently gotten all he needed from their reactions, shrouded his hand in an orange glow that distorted the air with its heat.

  “Jez, what is it?” Lina asked. “Do you know him?”

  “A big man?” Jez asked. “Heavily muscled and carries a sword like he knows how to use it?”

  The captain’s head bobbed. “Yes sir.”

  “I knew him. He was the head of Dusan’s guard.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Jabur lumbered into the firelight with his arms spread out in front of him, showing that he held no weapon. He walked slowly and made no threatening gestures. A trio of soldiers came right behind him, each with their hands on their hilts. Still, Jez held his sword unsheathed at his side, and he never took his eyes off the bear of a man.

  “What are you doing here?” Jez asked.

  Jabur let out a long breath. “I came to help.”

  “You were Dusan’s lackey,” Osmund said as he moved to stand between Jez and Jabur.

  Jabur’s muscles tensed, and he scowled. One of the soldiers had her sword half drawn before Jabur sighed and relaxed. He kept his eyes down as he spoke.

  “I was the bodyguard of the man who was the lawful baron of Korand.”

  Osmund laughed. “You can’t seriously expect us to believe you didn’t know what he was doing.”

  Jabur looked up and glared at Osmund. Even in the dark, the man seemed dangerous, but that paled in comparison to Osmund. Jez half expected his friend to transform then and there.

  “Why would he trust me?” Jabur asked. “You know what he thought of those who weren’t nobility. Baron, you yourself heard him say that people like me can be useful, but we are never friends. I had no idea what he was doing. One day, the same day you came to see him, he just stormed out of the manor and called for his carriage. I never saw him again. It was only later, when the king’s men and the mages from the Academy came, that I learned what was going on.”

  Jez narrowed his eyes. “You really think I’m going to believe you thought he was innocent?”

  Jabur snorted. “I knew he wasn’t a good man, but he was a noble, so I didn’t really expect him to be.” Lina glared, but Jabur seemed not to notice. “I would’ve never helped if I knew he was killing people with magic.”

  “I don’t trust you,” Jez said.

  Jabur sighed but nodded. “I would be surprised if you did.”

  “What do you want?”

  Jabur’s shoulders slumped. “I wanted you to know that I was here, so that you didn’t run into me when you didn’t expect and think me an enemy.”

  “I’m not sure you’re not.”

  “Send him away, Jez,” Osmund said.

  “No,” Fina said.

  Jez blinked at him. “What?”

  Fina stared at Jabur. “You have a touch of power about you.”

  Jabur nodded. “I never attended the Academy, but I know some battle magic.”

  Fina pursed his lips, and Jez considered. Dusan had told him about this. Battle magic wasn’t really a school of magic. Rather it drew from a variety of schools in order to make the user deadly in combat. Most of the focus was on destruction magic, which was undoubtedly what Fina had sensed.

  “We should keep him with us,” the destruction master said, “under guard of course.”

  “What?” Jez asked. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Remember what I said about tools, Jezreel. The Academy is sending mages, but it won’t be so many that we can afford to turn away a battle mage, not with what we’re facing. We’ll watch him and be on guard for any betrayal.”

  “I will agree to this,” Jabur said.

  Jez considered for a second before nodding. Fina instructed the captain to put Jabur in a secure location and keep hi
m under guard at all times. When Jabur and his escort had left, Jez glared at Fina. Fina gave him an emotionless stare.

  “What would you have done if he hadn’t agreed to your terms?” Jez asked.

  “You’re capable of binding powers, aren’t you?”

  Jez suppressed the chill that ran down his back. To bind someone’s power was to cut them off from it. The longer a person worked with the power, the more a part of them it became. They couldn’t be separated from it without losing an essential part of who they were. The working was reversible, but it still felt like cutting off the person’s arm. He’d had to do it dozens of times the previous year, and he still had nightmares about it. He hoped he’d never have to do it again.

  Fina placed a hand on his shoulder. “This is one of the more difficult lessons about leading men into battle that you have to learn. Use every tool you can to bring them back alive.”

  His voice quivered as he spoke. For a moment, Jez considered letting it go, but curiosity burned inside of him. The study of war was part of the dominion of destruction. It made sense for Fina to have knowledge of it, but this felt more personal.

  “How many did you lose?” Jez asked.

  Anger flashed in Fina’s eyes, but it faded so quickly Jez wasn’t sure he’d seen it. The destruction master stared into the fire.

  “Too many,” he said without looking at Jez. “Use every tool, Jezreel. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to sleep at night.”

  CHAPTER 7

  The march was uneventful over the next several weeks. As Fina predicted, men and women slowly trickled in, and the size of Jez’s army swelled. Every day, the destruction master would pick a different topic and lecture Jez on it. Osmund normally left them alone for that. At first, Jez thought it was pointless, but after a while, he started noticing when a wagon groaned just so, indicating that the wheel needed to be looked at or when the sluggish movements of the horses said they weren’t being properly taken care of. The whole army was like some complicated machine that was slowly making more and more sense to him.

  Eventually, the soldiers stopped arriving. Fresh food became scarce almost overnight, forcing the entire army to subsist on beans and dried meat and other such foods. A near constant hot wind blew across the plain. The mood of the army became subdued. Osmund spent more and more time practicing the sword, a thing Jez could hardly remember him doing.