“This is where it gets interesting. When his daughter killed him, she consumed his link to the firmament and became the first witch of the Sin’Rath Coven. Worse, she inherited her mother’s ability to charm men. Malachi immediately saw the threat they posed and sent none other than Prince Phane to banish Sin’Rath.”
“But why didn’t she just charm him, too?” Isabel asked.
“Azugorath,” Alexander said. “Malachi summoned the Wraith Queen and used her in much the same way that Phane is using her, but instead of giving Phane unnatural abilities, she simply protected him from the influence of other demons.”
“That explains how Phane got the idea for his wraithkin,” Isabel said.
“Yeah, and it worked then, too. Phane banished Sin’Rath, but her daughter got away,” Alexander said. “Her descendants are the Sin’Rath witches of today. After a bit of prodding, I got Malachi to offer some speculation on the matter. He thinks the Sin’Rath want to kill Phane and consume his link to the firmament, so they can summon their mother.”
“As much as I like the killing Phane part, I don’t want these crazy witches to have his power,” Isabel said.
“No,” Alexander said. “So here’s where Siavrax might have saved us. After his failure with Sin’Rath, he supposedly created a creature he called a Goiri.”
“The thing the witches were talking about,” Isabel said.
Alexander nodded. “Malachi says the creature was rumored to nullify magic anywhere in close proximity. Unfortunately, it also proved to be completely insane and uncontrollable. So much so that Siavrax sealed it up in the hidden facility where he created it, and left it to die.”
“So how does that help us?” Isabel asked.
“Apparently, Malachi believes that the power to nullify magic was bound up in its bones. I found the fortress, but when I got close to the chamber where I think it died, I was suddenly back in my body on Tyr. I believe the Goiri’s bones are still there.”
“We could kill Phane,” Isabel said, suddenly excited.
“More importantly, we could destroy the Nether Gate,” Alexander said.
“That too. So what’s the catch?”
“That mountain is crawling with all sorts of unnatural creatures,” Alexander said. “The people of Karth say the swamp surrounding it is haunted, but it’s really just full of things that Siavrax created and abandoned when the Goiri didn’t work out.”
“So it’s dangerous,” Isabel said. “This is our chance, we have to take it.”
“Even if you can escape this place, you can’t go alone,” Alexander said. “I want you to find a place to hide until I can come for you. We’ll go together.”
“I don’t think there’s time,” Isabel said. “Phane knows where I am. I won’t get a better chance to escape than when he attacks. After that, I’ll be on the run. I’m not sure I’d be able to hide until spring. Also, Azugorath is eating away at me. It’s getting harder and harder to hold out against her, especially after the torture.”
Alexander nodded, sighing with resignation. “Hector and Horace are on Karth. I spoke to them a few days ago and told them where you are. They’ll be here within the week. They know Karth. With their help, you can find a place to hide.”
“Alexander, if I told you how to kill Phane and destroy the Nether Gate, would you sit on your hands for the next two months? All the while worrying that you might be possessed by a demon and turn on your friends?”
He said nothing.
“Me neither,” she said.
“I almost withheld this information from you because I knew exactly what you’d want to do.”
“But you didn’t because you also know exactly how important this is,” Isabel said, smiling. “I told you things would become clearer as I got closer to my target.”
“So you did. I don’t want to risk you, but if we’re going to do this, we need a plan.”
“All right, what do you have in mind?”
“Ayela knows the secret passages running through this place,” Alexander said. “If we can get her help, you’ll have a far better chance of escaping while the Sin’Rath fight Phane’s forces.”
“I agree, but I haven’t seen her since she came to me with the potion.”
“I’ll find her and make her an offer,” he said.
“What kind of offer?” she asked.
“She helps us get the Goiri’s bones and we help her eliminate the Sin’Rath,” Alexander said.
“She might actually go for that,” Isabel said, “but you should probably wait until Phane’s people are closer. If she doesn’t agree, I don’t want her to have time to get in the way.”
“Fair enough,” Alexander said. “I’ll keep an eye on you and make the offer a few hours before Phane’s people are ready to attack. Once you’re out of this place, I’ll have Hector and Horace meet up with you. Hopefully, with a little clairvoyant guidance, the four of you can get to the fortress with a minimum of difficulty.”
“I’ll be ready,” Isabel said.
***
After more than a week of pushing his new illusion magic to its limits, often with painful consequences, he found himself with time to address other concerns. It would be a while before Abigail was ready to free Zuhl’s dragons and at least a week before the conditions on Karth would be right for Isabel to make her escape.
Alexander stretched his leg. The wound had finally closed up but it hurt, especially when he tried to walk. It would still be a month or more before he was fit to travel and even then he feared his leg wouldn’t be as strong as he’d like.
Fortunately, he didn’t need to leave his bed to work against his enemies. With Abigail and Isabel out of immediate danger, he could focus on other, less urgent but still vitally important matters.
He slipped easily into the firmament, spending a few moments listening to the song of creation before focusing his attention on the Reishi Keep. After he appeared before Commander Perry, it took several minutes of convincing to assure the suspicious commander of his legitimacy.
“Very well, Lord Reishi, I accept that this illusion is indeed being projected by you.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Alexander said. “I’d like a report.”
“We’ve completed the wall and begun the process of clearing the Keep,” Commander Perry said. “It’s difficult and dangerous, both because of the creatures living within and the magical defenses that are still active. The wall is holding, though there are still attempts by some of the more aggressive predators to penetrate our defenses. Supplies are beginning to become a concern, so I’ve been sending out hunting parties to augment our food stores.
“The Keep itself is quite large, nothing like Blackstone of course, but it has proven difficult to navigate for some of my men. The lack of lighting is an issue, forcing us to rely on torches and lanterns which sometimes alert the creatures we’re hunting to our presence.”
“What of the mission to the hidden fortress?” Alexander asked.
“They arrived several weeks ago and departed the safety of our position within the hour,” Perry said. “I haven’t heard from them since.”
“Very good, Commander,” Alexander said. “You’ve done well with a difficult situation. I’m going to spend some time scouting the Keep. When I finish, I’d like to speak with your officers.”
Alexander spent an hour or more doing a thorough search of the entire Keep. Much of it was abandoned and empty of everything save debris but there were still several areas occupied by a variety of dangerous creatures, of most concern being the tentacle demon which had taken up residence in the throne room. From the remains scattered around the cavernous chamber it had clearly been hunting some of the lesser creatures living in the Keep.
He came to lament the fact that he hadn’t taken the time to enter the Keep himself and claim control of the ancient fortress. Had he done so, he suspected that many of the magical capabilities of the Keep would be available to him, even at such a distance.