Warded Mage (Reawakening Saga) (3 page)

The Vathari female let out a long string of what Thad could only suspect to be curses mainly direct at him. The Vathari grabbed Thad’s clothes tunic and pulled him in close. “So you are on your pilgrimage, I don’t believe it. No Mage has visited a Vathari village for their pilgrimage for centuries. Why have you decided to do so now?”

So the words were something about a pilgrimage. Thad wasn’t sure what the pilgrimage was about but he would have to play along, the alternative to not doing so was not looking very pleasant. “There is a time for everything and the time for my pilgrimage is now.”

“Very well heir of Moriudonius I shall take you to see Sae-Thae. Feel free to do something stupid along the way, I would love a reason to gut you and turn your carcass into a nice belt for my robes.” The Vathari said as she turned away in disgust and walked back to a large tent that had been set up in the middle of the cavern.

Knowing that the Vathari woman held his life in her hands, Thad followed behind her closely. He didn’t plan to let her get out of his sight if her could manage it, there was too many unknowns when it came to the Vathari, and  the only chance he had at getting where he wanted to go was a woman who it seemed had a severe distaste for him.

CHAPTER III

The Vathari woman escorted him just as promised though she continued to her verbal assault of him whenever she saw an opportunity. Though she was hostile Thad learned a lot from her. Her name was Bahia She was a priestess though she refused to tell him the name of her god. Despite her venomous words her actions towards Thad were completely different. She allowed him to sleep in her tent, and shared her food with him, which was much better than the standard fare the other Vathari soldiers were getting.

The first time they had stopped for rest Thad was a little reluctant to bed down in the same room as the woman, the
re was no telling if she would bury a dagger in his heart while he slept, but while she was openly hostile to him the soldiers were the ones who kept their eyes on him, licking their lips and fingering the hilts of their weapons.

It was now their third day on the road to their village which Bahia had told him was called Xi’han. Thad did his best to keep her talking about her home as it was one of the few times she wasn’t making
a slighted remark or open threats to him. Thad spent his time not only listening to Bahia’s words but also studying her. She didn’t mind if he conjured up light from his staff so when he had the energy available he did so. The Vathari woman was vastly different than the other Vathari he had met. While she still had the large black eyes and ashen grey skin she was much taller than the average Vathari, almost as tall as Thad. Besides her eyes and skin she looked human. Her eyes were the main thing Thad found himself gazing at. They were plum size and completely black, like obsidian jewels. At first glance their eyes made them look odd but after a period Thad began to envy them. Not because they could see in the darkness but because of their abstract beauty.

“What are you staring at?” Bahia barked. “Every time I turn around you’re always looking at me with those dreadful eyes of yours.”

Before he thought about what he was saying the words jumped out of his mouth. “I apologize; I just find your eyes so intriguing, they’re stunning.”

Bahia turned her face away from him. If he didn’t know better he would have thought she was blushing. “Be careful what you say human, I might take it as an insult. None of my men would say a word if you met with an accident. A lot of dangerous things lurk in this darkness.”

Thad understood her warning. In fact, it was all too clear with the added effect of the other Vathari grinning at him as if he was a simple lamb waiting to be slaughtered. He wished the others could speak his tongue as well so he could get a better understanding of what they actually thought. He knew the Vathari were a warrior race but little else. He had learned that they could reason, some of them were even thoughtful and in their own way kind. It just seemed that everything didn’t match up. In all the stories the creatures of darkness were always evil without exception but in reality he was finding very little evil in the creatures so far. They enjoyed battle, but the same could have been said about many of the races.

“I didn’t mean any…” Thad started to say when Bahia grabbed him by the arm and
flung him to the ground, covering his body with her own. At first Thad was sure she was going to try and kill him but after only a second his mind cleared and he began to understand something else was going on. The large tunnel they were traveling down erupted in the sound of metal on metal and screams of pain filled his ears. Thad could feel something wet dripping on his shoulder looking close he found that it was blood and not his own.

Thad quickly rolled a very mad priestess off of him and found that an arrow had lodged itself through her arm. Bahia pushed him away and got unsteadily to her feet as an aura of magic surrounded her. Thad had seen the spell before as soldiers made of pure darkness slipped into being. Thad frantically looked around for their attackers but could see nothing other than
Vathari warriors in the tunnel. He didn’t understand what was going on until Bahia sent her soldiers of darkness to attack one of the Vathari that was advancing toward them.

The Vathari man lifted up a staff and the soldiers wavered then collapsed back into the shadows. The man was a mage and Thad knew that no mages other than
himself had traveled with them. With a flick of his staff the Vathari mage sent Bahia sprawling backward across the ground. He turned toward Thad giving him a knowing smirk. “They are finished son of Moriudonius, come with us, I promise you no harm and that your pilgrimage will continue.” The mage said laughing deviously, “just with better company.”

Thad shrugged his shoulders and
stepped forward. When the mage dropped his staff Thad let loose a barrage of magical energy he had been building within himself blasting the mage backwards. As the mage slammed hard into the stone wall the other Vathari turned toward him and started to advance their blood soaked swords held at the ready. Thad threw up a shield that spanned the tunnel blocking off himself and Bahia from the other Vathari and ran to the downed priestess. Avalanche was nowhere in sight but Thad knew that she would be safe. The creature had an uncanny knack for finding him so he tried to push his worries from his mind.

As soon as he got close to Bahia he could hear her moaning. She was alive
, thank all that was holy. If she had died Thad would had lost his one link to Sae-Thae. Knowing his shield would only last a few minutes Thad was left with little choice than to lift Bahia up and carry her to safety. Though she was thin she weighed much more than he had expected. Thad pushed everything from his mind as he ran; his only objective was to find a place they could hide out until the danger had passed. After the third turn he made Thad found himself in a fair sized enclave, the only opening being small enough that one of his magical doors would easily over it. Opening his pack he quickly pulled one of the magical orbs of metal from it and placed it on the ground and watched as it spread to cover the entrance.

Thad sat Bahia down secure in the knowledge that his magical wall would keep them safe. Not only was the wall enchanted to be strong enough to withstand a charging bull it was also made so that it would absorb and blend into the heat patterns of the surrounding rock making it look like nothing more than a stone wall to the night eyes of the
Vathari. Thad and Crusher had used the magical wall many times over during their long stay in the tunnels underneath the earth.

Bahia was unconscious but still moaning when Thad sat her down, blood flowing freely from the arrow still lodged in her arm and the nasty gash that she had on the back of her head. Thad was not much of a healer but he was sure he could help her enough to keep her from dying. Thad first broke the tip off the arrow then pulled it out of her arm. As soon as the arrow was free the amount of blood flowing from the wound increased two fold. Acting quick Thad switched to magesight and studied the wound. One of the veins carrying her lifeblood had been severed, that was what was allowing the loss of so much blood. Thad focused his energy on
the damaged willing it to mend itself. After a few antagonizing moments the blood stopped flowing and the wound had healed itself enough thatThad could no longer see the meat inside of her arm, he sat back and allowed himself to rest.

Bahia’s other wound was more delicate, head wounds always were. The wound itself looked only superficial but Thad knew that even a light head wound could cause death. He wasn’t sure why they were so dangerous he just knew they were so he figured his best bet was to tread carefully. Thad cut three long strips out of a clean tunic he pulled from his pack that had been
magically enchanted to hold five times its normal capacity. Taking the clean strips of cloth Thad made a makeshift bandage for Bahia’s wound. Once that was done the only thing left to do was sit and wait.

Thad built a small fire to stave off the cold. He wasn’t sure if the Vathari preferred the coldness but he was beginning to shiver so he decided to risk Bahia’s displeasure should she wake. Though he had slept in the same tent with her
, it was the first time Thad had seen Bahia’s sleeping face. In the tent Thad had always been sectioned off and threatened with death should he try and peek at the sleeping priestess. It had added a bit of wonder to the moment and the woman who now lay before him. Gently Thad brushed the stray strands of black hair that had fallen over her face.

Watching her Thad thought back to the battle. The attack had taken them by surprise and Bahia’s first instinct had been to protect him. He was positive that when she tossed him to the ground and covered him that she had been uninjured. Had she not been there he most likely would had been the one to catch the arrow and most likely not in the arm. Why had she protected him, and why did everyone keep calling him the son of Moriudonius. Thad didn’t know his father but he was sure his name wasn’t Moriudonius.

Thad was woken by someone tugging hard on his arm saying his name. Groggily he opened his eyes to find himself staring into Bahia’s troubled face. “Where are we mage, I can’t find a way out did the tunnel collapse?” Bahia asked with a slight bit of terror creeping into her voice.

“
What…we’re fine…I just put up a wall to keep us hid.” Thad said rubbing his eyes and shaking away the last vestiges of sleep from his mind.

“So we are safe for now, good.” She said the sound of relief clear in her voice.

“What happened back there? Why did your comrades attack us, why did they want me and who in the blazes is Moriudonius?” Thad asked confused and curious about the events of the previous day.

“Those were not my comrades; they belonged to a different Vathari village.” Bahia growled. “They wanted you because you’re a human mage. In times past it was seen as an honor to host a mage on his pilgrimage, now that so few make the trip it is even more so. As far as whom Moriudonius is, you will have to ask another, I am not the one to tell you. ”
Bahia said hotly then she looked at Thad and her hard face softened. “Why did you save me? You could have gone with the other Vathari. It’s not like it matters to you what village hosts you.”

Thad thought about the question. It was true he could have easily taken the Vathari mage
’s invitation. There was bound to be mages in the other village who could have helped him, it wasn’t as if it had to be Sae-Thae. So why did he refuse? “I didn’t want to go with a person who tried to kill a person who saved my life. I owed you a debt and I am not one who easily forgets a debt.” Thad said unsure of his own words as he looked into Bahia’s large dark orbs.

The next thing Thad knew was that he was held in a tight embrace as Bahia pulled him to her. A jolt of excitement rushed through his body as their lips met. Her hands felt like velvet on his skin. Every touch made his skin dance. There were no words said between the two as their kisses began to linger. His mind racing Thad lost control of time as he succumbed to the
Vathari’s offered embrace.

When Thad awoke the next morning the events of the previous night passed through his mind. Looking over he stared at the bare body o
f the woman lying next to him. It had been his first taste of the female flesh and he couldn’t lie to himself, he had enjoyed it but now in the light of a new day he felt guilt pitting in his stomach. He knew he had no true feeling for Bahia he had only acted out of impulse and now what would come of it?

“Don’t you humans know how to sleep in and just enjoy the night?” Bahia asked in a sultry tone as her hands pulled Thad back down to the ground. Her lips sought his again and he didn’t pull away, they felt as soft now as they had the night before. “What
has you so worked up this early in the day?”

“How do you know if its day or night?”
Thad asked trying to change the topic but from the look on her face it was obvious it wasn’t going to work. “I think we made a mistake. I can’t stay with you; I need to get back to my own people, my own home. Nothing can come of this.” Thad said his voice dark and boding.

Bahia’s lips found his again this time he tried to pull away but she wouldn’t relent. She pulled him in hard sinking her teeth into his lower lip and
biting down hard. Thad felt the trickle of blood roll down his chin. “Does that make it wrong? It was an enjoyable night nothing more. We Vathari live for battle always knowing death awaits us. We live life; we don’t let it slip away. I will not regret my actions; it was an enjoyable night one I plan to revisit for as long as you shall allow it.” Bahia said as she ran her finger over Thad’s chin wiping off the blood.

Thad tried to resist as Bahia pulled in to her but his resolve weakened as he looked into her eyes. She was right. He had faced death many times over. Would he regret his time with Bahia? The answer was simple, no he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t have regretted if he had taken Brianna either. Sighing Thad allowed the
Vathari temptress to pull him back down to the cold stone floor.