Beyond the Sapphire Gate: Epic Fantasy-Some Magic Should Remain Untouched (The Flow of Power Book 1) (18 page)

“How would someone standing by have helped them?” Crystalyn asked.

“When the draw of the Flow proved too much, they could have fed it into the standby User, who then could have severed the link to the Flow.”

Hastel’s sunburned face had whitened. Even Atoi’s normally passive face looked as if she’d eaten something rancid. “Are you saying your students opened a source of power they couldn’t close?”

“Not opened, interrupted. They were not training to become Users. They were training to become Interrupters. There
is
a difference, a critical one. In basic terms, the two students interrupt a trickle of the Flow, and then redirected it…to themselves. That in itself is a vast mistake. One of the first things we teach is that an Interrupter’s
only
purpose is to provide a conduit of the Flow to a User at a rate appropriate to the User’s strength. The Interrupter’s internal matrix is the conduit, so a great danger exists for uncontrolled flow. With the proper training, the risks remain minimized. Unfortunately, those two up and coming Interrupters believed they could handle the Flow without having the ability to Use. It cost them dearly.”

Crystalyn was hesitant, but she still had to ask. “Could I have pillared, Mother?”

Two glowing eyes regarded her for a long moment. “There was a possibility. I installed a block in case you should try, but you wiped it away as one would remove dust coating a window. I could not stop you, but your innate instinct, or your ability, perhaps the Flow itself, repelled you before you could draw from it. In any case, I do not believe you shall ever be able to Interrupt the Flow. Your self-preservation or your own power will prevent it. The two are tied rather close together, anyway.”

Crystalyn was disappointed that she might not be able to Use, but not much. “I don’t really need to be an Interrupter or a User, do I?”

Cocking her head to one side, the Lore Mother’s mouth pinched, deepening the lines in her cheeks, “I suppose not, with your…symbol magic. One other thing you should know, Crystalyn. I am a strong Interrupter. Not many come stronger. Yet as I said, I could not open a conduit to the Flow to you, or stop you from attempting to access it on your own. You must be very strong, possibly stronger than anyone I have met.” The Lore Mother clamped her mouth closed with a grimace, as if the admission pained her.

Crystalyn gazed at her companions’ faces, musing aloud. “I may still be able to access the Flow using a tentative approach. Now that I kno
w
—
”

The Lore Mother exhaled an explosive breath. “No! Did you not hear me? I cannot do it alone. You are too strong if something happens.”

The protest on Crystalyn’s lips dissolved as Lore Rayna and Cudgel sprinted around the bend. Cudgel gripped a long rope trailing behind him. Horses galloped into view. Running side-by-side at a ground-eating pace, the pair covered the distance, coming to a halt before Crystalyn, breathing easily. The horses thudded to a stop as soon as the pair did, bunching together as far away from the man and woman as the rope permitted.

Lore Rayna spoke first. Head held high, the big woman seemed to be in one of her better moods. “We found where your attackers left their mounts with ease. They did not know how to conceal them as well as they believed.”

Crystalyn looked over a mare and two stallions, automatically performing a count and noting the differences, part of her list-ordered mind from her mind affliction, she knew. She couldn’t change it, even if she wanted to. The horses’ front haunches had lathered from hard use, save one. A magnificent black mare with dark, wary eyes showed no signs of a hard ride. “Those poor animals look at them! Are they going to make it?” she asked no one in particular. “Why would anyone destroy their transportation?”

“I believe the brigands rode them hard to stay ahead of us,” Lore Rayna said. Her face flushed at the Lore Mother’s nod of approval.

Crystalyn nodded too; it made sense. She was about to say as much when Cudgel’s bass voice spoke with a rumble. “There’s something else we discovered: two sets of horse tracks headed east toward Misty Gorge. These horses,” he said, raising the lead rope, “were tied on the path to mill about and obscure tracking, beyond them, the trail had been raked with branches. Someone knows what they’re doing.”

“Blast!” Hastel said, moving behind Atoi, he stared out at the surrounding trees, his head swiveling back and forth.

Atoi’s wide, green eyes narrowed, shifting from face to face.

Even the Lore Mother looked around.

Crystalyn stared at her companions. So there it was. Someone wanted her buried, for some unknown reason. Perhaps they didn’t want her going to Surbo, or finding her sister. Well, she was going anyway, it was her best shot at finding Jade.

Setting her pack on the ground, she squatted, rummaging inside. Where were her blasted meds? Her headache had officially pillared.

SHIVERS

Following the stream farther down, they set up camp in an inviting copse of trees someone else had used in the past. A ring of river rock surrounded a fire pit made for cooking, though big enough to provide heat in case of need. Crystalyn’s shivers provided the need. The whole group gathered enough wood to last asHastel got a fire crackling. Sitting on a rock beside the growing warmth, she willed her bloodstained pants to dry faster as the rest of her companions set up camp for the night. She envied them their movements. At least they would stay warm going about their tasks, but her instructions were to stay put by the fire, by everyone except Atoi. Crystalyn wasn’t about to argue with the Lore Mother about i
t
—
not after disregarding her warning with the Flow, nor would she any of the others. They all meant well on her behalf.

Rummaging around in one of the chests he carried on the wagon, Hastel pulled out some material and strode to the fire, passing by Atoi as the girl took a seat on the opposite side of the fire. “Here, put these on,” he said, tossing some leather garments to Crystalyn. “The pants may be too short and the shirt too big, but at least they’re dry.”

Crystalyn jumped to her feet, delighted. Oh Hastel! I could kiss you. No one thought to purchase me something at Four Bridges,” she said, giving Atoi the eye as she peeled off her shirt. The tiny girl gazed back unblinking, her face void of compassion.

Hastel pivoted on one heel, concentrating on the tree line. “Well, you can keep them if they fit well enough.” His voice sounded a little strangled.

Crystalyn pealed with shivery laughter. “You don’t have to look away. I still have my undergarments on.”

“Uh, the leather…outer garments, is made from Kell. They will retain the heat from your, uh…body better, allowing your…your undergarments to dry faster than the clothes you’re…removing,” Hastel said, his voice sounding further strained with each syllable.

Crystalyn laughed, pulling the drawstring snug at her waist, a simple tie-knot secured it in place. “Oh!” Thank you so much!” The fit was about what Hastel thought. The pants hung above her ankles, the shirt was baggy when cinched tight, though the overall look was tolerable. She did feel warmer, and the leather was much suppler than it looked. It was almost like wearing leather made from silk if there was such a thing. One thing she did know, there was no way Hastel was going to get them back.

Mumbling, Hastel strode off in the rapidly falling darkness in the direction of the horses. Draping her bloodstained clothes on the rock to dry, Crystalyn moved to a stump, which was farther away from the growing heat of the fire. The rest of her little band of travelers soon joined her as the darkness fell beyond the fire light accelerated by the sun sinking behind the mountain. The temperature dropped as the stars came out. Sitting on logs, rocks, or the ground, all of her band sat in companionable silence.

Lore Rayna had sat cross-legged on the ground. “We should keep moving. The air will chill after sunset. The farther down Glacier Mountain we travel, the warmer it will be.”

The Lore Mother’s wizened face swung toward her student from her place on a wide rock. She frowned. “We would not get far before losing light, and you know it. Or did you want to stumble around in the dark?”

Atoi’s callous voice spoke up. “Has your memory lapsed? Crystalyn was soaked; she needs to dry.”

Lore Rayna pulled her knees up. “I shall make torches and lead you all. Toss the outlander in the wagon with a blanket. We shall keep moving.”

Atoi folded her tiny arms at her waist. “The
outlander
is the one in charge here. We halt when she says so.”

Hastel rose to his feet from where he’d sat behind Atoi, his voice stiff with irritation. “Even a Valen like you would have to know we’d risk breaking one of the horses’ legs with all the ruts up here.”

“What’s the hurry, Rayna? Cudgel asked sitting on a log behind the big woman. “We all could use a good rest. We’ll make better time at first light.”

“My words are for the Mother, no one else,” Lore Rayna said.

“The ‘Mother’ has already spoken my daughter,” The Lore Mother said. “Though I would like to climb down from this mountain, you shall not change my mind this evening.”

“Crystalyn will decide when we go,
no one else
,” Hastel said, mimicking Lore Rayna’s tone as he moved into the fire light.

“I don’t think I like what your inferring, friend,” Cudgel said.

“You don’t have to like it, but you do have to do what she wants,” Hastel said, his voice low, but clear.

Cudgel stood. “Perhaps you and I ought to settle this, right now.”

“Stomp him, then toss him in the wagon beside the outlander Cudgel. We need to get moving,” Lore Rayna said.

“Now, now, everyone, I’m certain this is not the best way—” the Lore Mother began.

Enough was enough, Crystalyn shouted, not looking at anyone in particular. “Stop it, all of you! No one’s tossing me anywhere. We leave, when I’m ready!” Couldn’t they all just get along?

Lore Rayna jumped to her feet, towering over Cudgel and everyone else. “We have to keep moving. Why do you all not know this?” Turning, she vanished into the dark.

Cudgel raced into the darkness behind her. “Rayna, what’s wrong? Talk to me!”

Crystalyn’s ire grew. “What’s gotten into her, again?”

The Lore Mother shrugged. “Her moods have shifted as much as a child denied a time of play on this journey. I have not known Lore Rayna to be this petulant, not even during her moon cycle. I shall be speaking with her about it... at length.”

“She should not be allowe
d
—
” Atoi began.

A piercing growl severed her words. The horses screamed.

Hastel charged off into the darkness, bellowing. “There’s a dragon lion after the horses!”

Yanking a branch from the fire, Crystalyn raced after Hastel, following the sound of his bellows, as they moved away. Bushes loomed from the darkness. Dashing between them, the shadow of trees rose higher than her branch light. A high-pitched roar broke the stillness, close by. She slid to a halt, waving the meager light back and forth. There. Two amber eyes glowed in the dark, regarding her. A low-pitched growl sent a sudden chill up her spine as the eyes approached. Standing immobile, she shuffled through patterns in her mind trying to recall their use.

A broad head appeared behind the yellow eyes, followed by a sleek, scaly body. As tall as a horse, the creature stalked into her wavering light, a cougar’s fierce, tawny head directed a reptilian body. Lips pulled back in a snarl, its whiskered muzzle displayed the many menacing teeth underneath. The dragon lion circled, amber eyes fixed her direction. Turning in place, Crystalyn kept the creature within her dwindling light. An errant gust of wind fanned the flame wildly, matching her thumping heart. The beast halted, facing her, its front haunches tensed.
Prepare a symbol,
her mind screamed. But the patterns eluded her. Her branch light wavered.

Suddenly an arrow bloomed from the creature’s side, penetrating a gap in its armor. Staggered slightly, the lion roared with rage, and leaped.

Barreling out of the darkness, Cudgel slammed bodily into the dragon’s front shoulder, knocking it over onto one side, almost at her feet. His club already in motion, he hammered on the beast’s brow above an eye, his resounding thwacks filled the air. The dragon lion roared again, blood dripping from the powerful jaws that snapped at the big man. Cudgel slipped his club in the beast’s mouth. The beast gnashed at it, clawing to regain its footing. Another arrow sank beside the first. The creature succeeded in getting a front and rear shoulder on the ground, beginning to right itself.

From the edge of her meager light, Hastel’s axe fell, sinking into the thick, brown fur of the dragon lion’s unarmored neck. Its legs stiffened and retracted, shaking once. Then it went still.

Breathing deep, Cudgel regarded her. “Did it injure you?”

She shook her head.

He released an explosive breath. “That is well. It was quick thinking to bring light for Rayna’s arrows, but I was nearly too late to assist. Please don’t push it so close in the future.” Pulling his bludgeon from the dragon lion’s mouth, he poked at it, making sure it wouldn’t suddenly return to life. With each stab, blood dripped from three jagged gashes on his arm.

“You’re injured!”

Cudgel bent over the downed creature, looking at the scaly armor of the dragon portion of its inert body. “It will wait until we’ve harvested the scales on this dragon. It is a rare creature and worth much to armorers,” he said without glancing up.

Crystalyn hung back, not certain those yellow eyes wouldn’t suddenly fix upon her from where the head lay, the shadowed, darkened orbs facing toward her, the snarl fixed forever upon its lips. Atoi appeared in front of it. Blocking her view, the little girl bent over it, a dagger in her hand.

At Cudgel’s gesture, Hastel wiped his axe on the ground, and then sheathed it. “The bloody thing killed two of the bandit horses.”

Crystalyn’s stomach tightened. She could’ve been the big cat’s victim—no would’ve— if not for her companions. They’d kept the thing’s claws from her with their killing blows, and Cudgel had blocked its attack with little regard for his personal safety. Next tim
e
—
and she was positive there would be on
e
—
she may not have her friends around. She shivered. From now on, she couldn’t let her symbols flit away in the heat of danger. She’d study her two books until they resided in memory as much as memories of family. Starting tonight she’d read, by fire light. Right after she’d seen to Cudgel’s wounds.

She shivered again, wondering if it had much to do with the cold.