The Black God's War (17 page)

Lucia watched Caio raise the rod, then heard Ysa’s sword and shield humming a barely perceptible tone.

Ysa, empower his prayers!

And then Caio was gone.

The Pawelon base became the epicenter of an impossible phenomenon. Countless water droplets appeared out of the dry air and flew toward the enemy forces as if in slow motion—yet the water covered the Pawelons in a matter of seconds.

Lucia felt her head spinning as she gazed at the divine handiwork. Something like a small sun covered the Pawelon fort, but instead of a fiery ball, the sphere was composed of deep blue water like the stormy Rezz Ocean. Its circumference chopped violently.

Muffled screams escaped the watery prison like a haunted chorus, emphatic but indistinct.

A sudden pain seized Lucia’s heart. She raced toward the hill drawing her sword. “Caio!”
Damn you, father, you should have known he wasn’t ready for this!
She held up her shield to block any incoming arrows or magic, leaving it up to her goddess whether she’d live or die.

The yelling behind her revealed that Ilario was close by and the warpriests trailed him. The sounds of her heavy exhalations and clanking armor almost drowned out the wails of the trapped Pawelons.

Strangely, her legs moved more easily as the climb grew steeper.

It’s like I’m running downhill.

She felt a tangible force pulling her body upward toward the liquid sun, even with half the distance still to go.

From behind, Ilario screamed her name.

Chapter 20: Astrapios and Brontios

CAIO FOUND HIMSELF SUSPENDED ABOVE the Pawelon outpost, hovering in the air. Countless hostile faces screamed at him from below. He yelled back in their language, “I didn’t come to hurt you!”

WHY, Mya?

The water droplets seemed to float toward him so slowly in that moment—so quickly in truth—accumulating rapidly, sticking to him, pooling around him, until he was submerged in the cool water, along with all the Pawelon soldiers. Water-soaked rays of sunlight cascaded around the edges, giving Caio hope that he might swim free. His legs kicked and his arms dug through the water—but his body stayed anchored in place.

I’m at its center.

I’m trapped.

Angry voices dribbled into his ears along with the rush of sloshing water. His already cool skin felt colder. Most of the Pawelons struggled to escape; some of them floundered, as if they didn’t know how to swim. None of them got away. Caio realized that whatever force kept him in the center of the sea also trapped the Pawelons inside.

Two swam toward him with spears in hand and rage burning on their faces. Caio felt the spirit of the leading Pawelon, a veteran determined to see his iron cut through Caio’s body. Caio’s heart and chest heaved as the water swirled around him. The Pawelon drew close.

Caio jerked aside as the spear’s tip thrust past his chest. A hard surge of water crashed the Pawelon into him and their bodies collided, grappling.

A fierce hand grabbed Caio’s wrist. Fingers dug into his throat. He choked on cool water. Caio shoved the hand off his neck and tried to expel the liquid.

The second Pawelon swam close, ready to thrust his spear. The strong arms of the veteran wrapped around Caio’s chest from behind, restraining him. Caio thrashed, overpowered.

I’m going to die.

The spear came at him.
I forgive you.
The blade pierced his chest, glancing off his ribs. Caio bellowed, bubbles erupting from his throat. Blood gushed from his chest, a murky red cloud in the blue.

Vine-covered Lord Oderigo flashed in his mind. Caio’s eyes closed, his world fell away to nothingness, and death’s long tunnel opened before him.

Lucia stared at the spot where Caio had been standing.

Whatever spell you’ve cast
—her thoughts burned on the Pawelon sages—
I will break
.

She raced up the dry hill pointing Ysa’s sword at the sky, her muscles alive with exertion. “Ysa, destroy them for whatever they’ve done to him!”

The sword discharged a shocking force into her body, stunning her senseless. The energy retreated back into the sword and shot from its tip toward the water.

Lucia collapsed in a quivering heap, battered lungs straining to breathe. Gasping for air, a vision of blond Ysa appeared before her closed eyes.

Death’s tunnel pulled Caio in, faster and faster …

BOOM!

An explosion shattered the black tunnel. Caio became conscious of his body again. A shock wave sent blistering heat across his skin. His nose picked up the scent of sizzled hair and flesh.

Dozens of Pawelons floated around him, all but one unconscious. The first attacker floated away, twitching involuntarily. The young man who speared him struggled with weak limbs to grab his floating weapon.

Caio grabbed the spear with his right hand, Mya’s rod still somehow in his left. As he pushed the weapon away, their eyes met. The boy wrapped his fingers across his own throat with terror contorting his face. Caio heard a garbled sound from him and knew the young man was nearly out of breath. By some grace, Caio no longer struggled to breathe.

His empathy reached out to the boy, and the Pawelon’s story came to him in a flash of insight. His family lived in a poverty-stricken village in the mountains near the city of Mathura. Caio saw his possible future. He saw the man someday with a large, loving family. His first son would become a respected spiritual leader among his people.

Caio watch the young man’s agony as he drowned. He reached out just as the boy’s body went soft, and put his arms around him.

Mya, protect his soul.

The rest were dead. Caio sensed, as he often intuited things, that the boy's spirit had been powerful enough to keep him conscious after the lightning spread through the water.

The water gave way and flooded down the hill’s steep slopes. Caio crashed to the ground in the center of the outpost, clinging to the young soldier and bleeding on his enemy’s soaked uniform. He rolled onto his knees and grabbed the boy’s shirt with both hands.

Mya, I command you, raise this young man from death!

Chapter 21: A Rival to the Gods

Moments earlier.

ILARIO WATCHED SPARKS OF LIGHTNING flow from Lucia’s sword, around her armored body, back into the blade, and then out toward the hovering mass of water.

“Lucia!”

He slid beside her, panting, his knees scraping against the desert floor. He dropped his sword and put his hands to her cheeks.

“Lucia, you’re going to be all right!”

Her body writhed. She struggled to breathe. No air came in or out.

Ilario pressed against her breastplate, hoping to awaken her stunned lungs. A tortured sound escaped her throat, followed by wheezing, then choking breaths.

“I’m okay,” her pained voice lied. “Stop their sages. Go find Caio.” She squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced. “I’ll follow. Go!”

Ilario grabbed his sword and stood, his heart slugging his ribcage. Lucia’s suffering filled his mind with red rage. He wanted to stay with her, but he knew she was right. The warpriests would protect her while he searched for Caio.

With duty focusing his mind like the edge of his blade, he pushed his muscles to their limits and ignored the burning in his thighs. He sprinted to the wall of the Pawelon outpost, just beneath the chaotic waters. He dug his fingers into the stone walls, climbed, and jumped upward into the hovering sea.

The water sucked him in deeper before its force released him. His stomach hit the dry ground. A moment later, the sea crashed down over him, surging past his ears as it flooded the area. He jumped up reflexively, spinning with sword in hand. The water cascaded off the hill in all directions, revealing hundreds of dead Pawelons. Their outpost had become their graveyard.

Caio lay near the center of the structure, beside a Pawelon’s body, both of them covered in blood. Ilario ran as Caio came up onto his knees and grabbed the unconscious soldier by his shirt. Caio’s face contorted in agony, revealing intense concern for the young Pawelon.

“Let me help you.” Ilario approached him, tearing off his cloak to cover Caio’s wounds. The warpriests were running in from behind.

“Stay back, Ilario. These men are dead because of me,” Caio said.

“You did this so fewer will have to die.”

“What about this one? Does he deserve to die?”

Caio put his palms on the dead Pawelon’s chest. His hands and arms glowed red and black, projecting dark swirling colors into the daylight. The colors transformed slowly into pure white. The light spread over and around the soldier, sheathing him like a cocoon. The boy rose into the air.

A gust of breath punched its way into the Pawelon’s chest, and his body rippled with an aftershock. The lights lifted higher, and he with them, turning him until his feet dangled just above the ground. The coat of light sank into his chest and disappeared. The young Pawelon landed upright.

We’ll never see this miracle again
. Ilario realized he’d been one of only a dozen to witness the single resurrection by the Haizzem of his era. The greatest miracle Caio could grant in this life was given and done.

“You resurrected a gods-damned Pawelon!” Lucia’s voice bellowed from well behind Ilario. She flung down Ysa’s helm and stormed forward.

Ilario envisioned two scenarios in which he might need to intervene, one involving an angry Lucia and the other involving a violent Pawelon. He took another step toward Caio and the pig. Caio bent over, hiding his face and breathing hard. The Pawelon’s face revealed his enchanted state of mind.

Ilario said in stilted Pawelon, “Sit down. We’ll not hurt you.”

Caio raised his head off the ground, and the boy sat as commanded.

Lucia raced forward, pointing Ysa’s white blade at Caio. “You raised a gods-damned Pawelon from the dead?”

“He will have seven children,” Caio said. “He will be a peaceful man, a good man. I couldn’t—”

“Lucia, please put your sword away,” Ilario said as he raised his free hand.

“You could have saved one of ours some day.” She sheathed the blade with a resounding slam. “This is an outrage, an insult to our entire history.”

Caio pressed his lips together, restraining his words. His eyes were locked with Lucia’s, asking for understanding.

“Damn, Caio! How could you do this? How could you be so irresponsible?”

“I could not let this boy die! You don’t understand how much he has to live for.”

“Just one time, Caio. Just once. You’ve gone and used your power. How could you!”

Caio pushed himself up, revealing a long, bleeding gash on one side of his chest.

Ilario rushed to him and covered him with his cloak. “Lay down, Caio. You’re losing a lot blood.”

Lucia came forward and knelt beside her brother. Her red face turned pale. “I am sorry. I didn’t know.”