Broken World Book Three - A Land Without Law (8 page)

The mage
stepped forward and bent to pick up the Starsword, almost falling
face-first into the dirt when it did not budge. He scowled and
tugged at the hilt, grunting and grimacing. His men peered at him,
some standing in their stirrups to see what was preventing their
mage from lifting the weapon. The wizard straightened, shooting a
glare at Talsy, and gestured to one of his men.

"Come and take
this thing."

A man jumped
down from his horse and strode over to try to pick up the sword,
with identical results. The mage looked thoughtful and turned to
Talsy. "It's cursed, right?"

"It can't be
wielded by any other!"

"Ah, well,
then it's useless to me." The mage raised his arms, muttered his
guttural chant and flung his fire at the sword. An explosion
engulfed the weapon, throwing up burning soil that stung Talsy's
skin where it hit her, making her hiss. The blast's heat made her
skin prickle, and ice trickled through her veins again. The
Starsword lay unharmed in a crater of scorched earth, and the
wizard scratched his head, adjusting the crested headdress. He
muttered a curse and turned to Talsy.

"Stand aside,
girl. If I can't destroy the weapon, then killing its wielder will
suffice."

"No!" She
crouched over Kieran. "Leave him be!"

"If you refuse
to move, I'll have to move you. I wouldn't harm a pretty girl, my
men will enjoy you better in one piece. But I'm afraid your lover
must die."

"Chanter!"
Talsy bellowed.

The mage
glanced around, then grinned. "To bad, no one else to play with.
Now get away from him."

"No! Touch me
and you die! Chanter! I need you!"

The mage
laughed and imitated her, calling Chanter's name in a high-pitched
voice. "No one's coming, silly girl, now get away from him!"

Talsy tried to
drag Kieran towards the gate, making him groan. The mage sighed and
rolled his eyes, aping a girlish flounce. Raising a finger, he
giggled and flicked it at her with a hissing whisper. Talsy yelped
as a flash of fire burnt her shoulder, dropped Kieran and clutched
the wound.

The mage
wagged his finger at her. "I told you to leave him. I can kill you
or just make it hurt, what's it to be?"

She renewed
her grip on the Prince. "Try to kill me then!"

The wizard
shook his head with a long-suffering air. "No, no, I can't do that
to a pretty girl. More pain then, eh?"

He raised a
finger again, wagging it as he waggled his painted brows.

The air filled
with the screaming inferno of Crayash. The mage shrieked and leapt
into the air, beating at his clothes. The manifestation of Fire
winked out. The wizard glanced around with a frown, then regained
his composure with an embarrassed cough, straightening his
headdress. Talsy relaxed with a smile, her eyes stinging with tears
of relief. The Arrad controlled their frightened mounts, some
scowling at the mage. They had all assumed that the mage's magic
had gone wrong, it seemed. The wizard glared at Talsy.

"You try my
patience, girl. Even my magic grows impatient."

Talsy's smile
broadened. "Your magic?"

"Of course! Do
you see any other wizards around here?"

"I don't see
any, no."

"Well then."
The mage's eyes darted around again. "At the risk of another such
show of power, I order you to move away from the warrior, now!"

Talsy giggled,
blinking away her tears. "Do your damndest, wizard!"

The man's
painted face mottled with anger. "Well then you'll get burnt, but I
daresay my men will manage. Last chance!"

She shook her
head, and he shouted the guttural words again, making a sweeping
gesture towards Kieran.

Nothing
happened. Talsy's smile widened as the magician gasped, staring at
his hands in disbelief. He glanced around at the Arrad, his eyes
bulging, then tried again. The mage's face went slack with horror
and disbelief. He stared at his hands, shaking his head. Drawing
himself up for a supreme effort, he shouted and waved his arms in
the throwing gesture. His eyes widened in panic, and he made a
mewling sound as he swung to face his followers.

"Seize the
girl! I'll not waste my magic on her!"

Several men
dismounted and strode towards Talsy.

"Stop."

The soft
command made the Arrad warriors halt and stare at the man who had
spoken. Chanter emerged from the gate, sweat sheening his skin.
Compared to the Mujar's wild beauty, the Trueman wizard's feathers
and berry juice-stained skin looked even more foolish and pathetic.
Chanter regarded him curiously as he stopped beside Talsy.
Emboldened by his presence, she jumped up and glared at the
wizard.

"Leave your
horses and go!"

The mage
stared at Chanter as if mesmerised, but shook himself from his
stupor at her words. Unlike Jesher and his people, he had no doubt
as to Chanter's race.

"Mujar!" he
shouted, his face twisted with hate.

"That's
right," Talsy snarled. "A real one!"

"He should be
in a Pit!"

"No, that's
where you should be, Lowman!"

"Do you think
he's going to help you, stupid girl?" The mage gave a cackle of
laughter. "Do you think you're safe now? I have four hundred
warriors at my back, and you have a useless Mujar! He's harmless!"
The man clutched his gut, overcome with laughter. "Everyone knows
that Mujar won't kill! He won't lift a finger to help you. He's
just come to watch!"

"I wouldn't
bet on it," Talsy warned. "He's already taken away your fire. Why
do you think he told your thugs to stop?"

The mage's
laughter died. "Rubbish! I just used it too much, that's all." He
glanced back at the Arrad. "We'll take him to a Pit!"

The men
growled and raised their weapons, but many looked doubtful as they
eyed Chanter. The scrawny mage gestured grandly, sidling away from
the Mujar. "Seize them!"

Several men
started forward, drew rusty weapons or hefted long spears. Chanter
raised his left arm and pointed to the ground before them. A line
of blue fire burst from the soil, cutting off the mage's retreat
and his warriors' advance. The wizard paled and stared at Chanter,
his face slack with dread.

Talsy smiled,
almost able to forget her burns as she cast a glad glance at her
impassive saviour. Kieran groaned and writhed.

The Mujar
looked down at him. "Sleep."

The wizard's
eyes bulged as the Prince relaxed. A knife appeared in his fist,
and he lunged at Talsy. Chanter grabbed her and yanked her back as
a burst of fire exploded in front of the mage. He staggered back,
dropped the knife and pawed at his face with a howl of pain.

Talsy shouted,
"Leave your horses and go, now!"

An Arrad
warrior threw a spear through the wall of flame, but only embers
fell at their feet. The men muttered and the mage backed away,
glancing at the fire that cut off his retreat. Stripped of his
strutting bravado by the real power that Chanter wielded, he
endeavoured to look cowed and servile, but his eyes glittered with
hatred. His act was wasted on Chanter, who cared nothing for
Trueman emotions.

"Let me go,"
he whined, attempting a placating smile.

The Mujar
gestured and the fire died. The mage straightened from his craven
stance and walked back to his men, clutching the tatters of his
dignity along with the remnants of his singed headdress. The Arrad
who had dismounted leapt aboard their horses, and the mage
approached a skinny grey mare.

Talsy stepped
forward. "I said leave the horses!"

The mage swung
into the saddle. "Make us!"

A warrior
threw a spear at the cringing Jorn, but the weapon burst into
flames at a gesture from Chanter, sprinkling the Aggapae with hot
ash. The wizard jerked on his horse's reins, yanking the animal's
head around as he dug sharp spurs into its flanks. Talsy looked at
the Mujar, who frowned.

"Chanter, help
them!" she cried.

The Mujar
tilted his head and closed his eyes. The horses sank to the ground,
their legs folding and heads drooping as if falling asleep. The
Arrad cursed and laid into the beasts with whip and spur, jerking
on cruel bits that bloodied the horses' mouths. Chanter's brows
drew together, and his eyes opened.

"Stop!"

When the men
continued to beat their mounts, Mujar stepped forward and raised
his left hand. His fingers moved to a silent tune, pointing and
flicking. Flashes of fire exploded amongst the Arrad, making them
leap and yell as they swatted scorched chests and legs. Some, who
were too proud to accept defeat at the hands of a hated Mujar, drew
knives with which to slay their erstwhile steeds. Chanter's hand
twitched and the knives became red hot, forcing the warriors to
drop them with startled yells. With parting kicks and curses at the
recumbent animals and the irritating Mujar, the Arrad abandoned
their horses and ran. Chanter speeded their retreat with flashes of
fire until they had vanished into the trees.

Talsy turned
to him. "Thank you, Chanter."

He cocked his
head, looking puzzled.

"Gratitude,"
she explained.

He smiled.
"Wish."

Startled, she
nodded. "Wish."

"Don't run off
and get into trouble when I can't keep up."

Her eyes
dropped to his crippled arm, and she bit her lip in remorse.
"Regret."

He inclined
his head. "Obedience."

She nodded
again, bowed under a mountain of shame. He had every right to be
angry with her, but, in true Mujar fashion, he regarded her only
with sadness and disappointment.

"You had to
run all the way here?" she asked.

"Yes. A fair
distance it is, too. It seems that I only just made it in time. You
were about to be fried, I think."

Talsy flung
her arms around him and pressed her cheek to the side of his neck
where sweat as pure as spring water ran down his skin.

"What's
wrong?" He sounded confused.

"Nothing." She
shook her head. "I'm just so glad that you're my friend, and I'm
sorry I keep disappointing you."

"I'm not
disappointed. I don't understand you, but how can I be disappointed
in the First Chosen, who would lay down her life for mine, and
tried to? I haven't forgotten, my little clan, that you were
prepared to die for me. That is the greatest sacrifice a Trueman
can make, I think. In turn, I would go to a Pit for your life, if I
had to make that choice. But if you rush headlong into danger when
I'm not around to protect you, I do find it alarming."

"Alarming,"
she echoed with a smile, leaning back to look up at him. "You have
an odd way of saying things, Mujar. Is this your way of trying to
tell me how you feel about me?"

"Feel?" He
looked puzzled. "I care for you, nothing more."

Her heart
swelled with joy. "Really?" She looked away as her cheeks grew
warm. "We must talk about that. Were you really afraid for me?"

Chanter
smiled. "I could have controlled the wizard's fire from further
away, but he was using so little of it that I wasn't sure what was
going on. That's the only worry I had, with only the Dolana to tell
me how great your danger was. According to that, you weren't in
mortal danger, or I'd have stopped him sooner. There is a lesson to
be learnt today for you and Kieran."

Talsy released
him to glance down at the Prince with a shudder. The holes in
Kieran's burnt clothes revealed areas of blistered skin, but he
remained asleep. She beckoned to the Aggapae who stood in the
gate.

"Bring water,"
she called, and Jesher trotted towards them, pulling a water skin
from his belt.

The Mujar
knelt beside Kieran, took the water skin she handed him and poured
water over the Prince. The manifestation of Shissar made the
Aggapae gasp in awe and surprise, and Chanter laid his hands on
Kieran. A minute later Kieran sat up, shook his head and blinked in
confusion at his unblemished skin. Chanter tended to Talsy's wound,
then Jorn's, who cringed from him and beat a hasty retreat when the
Mujar finished.

Chanter turned
to the slumbering horses and bowed his head, closing his eyes. When
he opened them and looked up, the beasts woke and heaved themselves
to their feet. They came to greet the Mujar with soft wickers of
joy, and Chanter divested each of its saddle and bridle, sending it
through the gate with a silent command. The Aggapae stroked the
horses as they passed them on their way into the valley, murmuring
soft words of greeting and comfort. When the last horse entered the
valley, Chanter followed with Kieran and Talsy, closing the gate
behind them with a gesture.

Chapter Four

"How did he do
it?"

Talsy lay with
Chanter atop the roof that was his favourite retreat, safe from
prying eyes and interruptions. She made sure that Kieran did not
discover this roost, enjoying her monopoly on Chanter's attention.
Since the previous night, when Chanter had fought the mage, her
curiosity had burnt in her, thwarted when the Mujar had vanished
before they reached the village. Now she stretched out beside him
in the sun, enjoying his closeness as he lay on his back with his
eyes closed.

"How did who
do what?" he asked.

"How did the
mage make fire?"

"Ah. What did
you feel?"

"Cold." She
shivered at the memory. "Like ice in my blood."

"Really?" He
opened his eyes and frowned. "Interesting."

"So?" She
prodded him.

Chanter stared
at the clouds. "He must have been drawing Crayash from the living
beings around him and channelling it."

"So much?"

"People have
plenty of fire in their blood. It's what warms them, and he used
the horses too. It's not true power. It's sort of a vampire
version, taking from others. Had he been alone, he would have been
virtually powerless, or frozen to death."