Chapter 45
'Over the bridges!' roared Hirad. 'Now. Don't look back.'
He saw them all past him. Outside, the dragons swept by again. Every time, less flame touched the ground and more was expended in mid-air as the reavers took their toll. Demons were slaughtered in sight of the edifice but so many were still advancing. He turned and ran after The Raven. Eilaan had managed a ForceCone and had beaten a few of the survivors of the dragon suicide flight against the left-hand wall. Denser played an IceWind right and forward, taking out some more. The rest of them were sprinting for the bridges and the prize beyond.
Hirad stormed past the still — breathing hulk of a dying dragon and swallowed hard at the scene before him. Across the shimmering light, two figures stood on a raised dais. Their shapes were hard to discern beyond tall and slender, with long arms raised palms upwards towards the sky, because of the light that bathed them, head to foot. They stood thirty or so feet apart and between them spanned an arc of light. And from that arc a canopy of shimmering luminescence flowed out, feeding down into the gap which led back to Balaia.
That they were alive was never in doubt. He could see them shuddering and through the light he thought he saw eyes burning into him but it could have been his mind playing tricks. He ran on and across the nearest bridge. The power roiled and sucked below him, threatening to pluck him from a path only just wider than his shoulders. He fixed his eyes dead ahead and reached for The Unknown's hand.
He turned, his heart pumping painfully in his chest. His breath came in huge gasps and he felt like dropping to his knees. But instead, he dragged himself around to face the hordes coming after
them. Desultory fire played outside the edifice, lighting the demons within in harsh relief. Reavers, too many of them, floating in and joined by more every heartbeat. Ul-karron paced up to the bridges, albinos scampering around them.
'Kill those fuckers behind us,' said Hirad. He brought his mace to the ready.
Denser's spell was quick and sure. A focused Orb lashed out, plunging into one of the demon conduits. There was a flare, then nothing. The reaver advance stopped. The karron ceased their pacing. Denser cast a second Orb. Eilaan followed with IceWind. No effect.
'What is happening?' demanded Hirad.
'We can't harm them,' said Denser. 'Magic won't do it.'
'Magic has to,' said Hirad. 'It's the only way.'
'It must be the One,' said Auum. 'The Al-Drechar saw it.'
'Erienne?' asked Hirad.
'I'll try.' Erienne's voice was weak with the exertion of the run.
'You can do it.'
The Raven formed up one more time in front of her. The demons watched them, moving closer by degrees but convinced they were no threat. More and more were crowding in. The Unknown came to Hirad's side, Thraun the other. Behind him, Eilaan and Denser prepared once more and encasing Erienne were Auum's Tai.
Hirad felt a presence in his mind. 'We are weakening,' pulsed Sha-Kaan. 'Our fires are spent. The reavers are many and strong. You must be quick.'
'One moment,' said Hirad to his friends. And he pulsed out the message he had to. 'Go home, Sha-Kaan. You have done all you can. It's up to us now.'
Warmth flooded him. 'Skies keep you, my old friend. You will prevail. I can feel it.' Then a pause. 'Expect my touch one more time. I will not abandon you here.' And he was gone. Hirad smiled. There was always hope. But first, there was a job to be done. Preservation could come later.
'Erienne, over to you.'
She began to cast. The demons screamed and attacked.
Reavers flew over the gap. Karron ran for the bridges, albinos in their wake.
'Brace!' called The Unknown. 'Remember the ship. Let's do honour to Darrick!'
There were fewer of them than had organised the mock defence on board ship but the principle was the same. The reavers came at them quite low, dictated by the height of the carved stone ceiling. Each man stood his ground, half crouched.
'Now!'
Maces flew low to high. Hirad connected with a reaver groin, beating the creature back over the shimmering light. Beside him, The Unknown had battered his target high. It collided with the roof, only just steadying itself. They had all the space they needed.
'Down!'
They dropped to their haunches on Denser's command. IceWind howled away. Reavers froze in flight. Wing struts shattered, membrane frosted and bodies were whipped away into the shimmer to fall into the Balaian night.
Again they rose to punch hard with maces. Hirad ducked a flailing tail spike and crashed his mace into the reaver's side. It slewed away and came again, this time slicing down with its arms. Hirad brushed aside one but felt the other rake into his right arm. He felt the ice gather there and grunted in pain.
'Down.'
Eilaan this time and a ForceCone drove the reavers away.
'It's a good idea,' said The Unknown. 'Denser. ForceCone. Keep the reavers off the both of you. We have other problems.'
Eilaan and Denser backed away to the dais, ForceCones playing out over the heads of the Raven warriors. Ul-karron came on, pincers snipping at the air, writhing in front of the weapon limbs, searching for purchase.
'Two to a bridge. One sword, one mace,' ordered The Unknown.
It made perfect sense. Hirad flung his mace at the nearest karron and dragged out his sword, running right with Thraun. Only able to come across one at a time, the karron were severely hampered. Hirad grinned fiercely, feeling the aches grow in his tiring body.
'Let's send these bastards on a journey, Thraun.'
Thraun howled like a wolf from his human mouth and the two joined battle, the ex-Protector duo mirroring them four yards away.
Behind the fight at the bridges, Rebraal watched the reavers and
strike-strain trying to evade the two ForceCones. Beside him, Auum and Evunn stood in silence, waiting for the inevitable. Kneeling by them, Erienne tried to form the casting that would break the light cycle and close the gap.
But she seemed to be struggling. He heard her gasp and curse, berate herself and slap the ground.
'Easy, Erienne. Plenty of time. We are with you.'
'Shut up, Rebraal.'
Ahead, Hirad shouted in triumph as a blow from Thraun's mace sent a karron tumbling into the pit. But simultaneously, two sets of reavers worked out the flaw in the Raven defence. Left and right they came, under the ForceCones, and there was nothing either mage could do to stop them without striking their own people.
'Eilaan, Denser, disperse and defend, it's your only chance.'
Rebraal could only hope they had heard him. The reavers were amongst them.
'Blades,' muttered Auum.
He blurred. A reaver died. Short blade in his right hand, Rebraal dragged at a reaver's legs as it dropped towards Erienne, pulling it across his body and onto the ground. The creature lashed out with its claws, ripping into his thigh. He gasped and dropped hard onto its chest. It choked and spat, lashed in again. This time he rocked backwards, ducked under its claw and drove his blade high up under its arm.
He turned as he rose. More were coming at them, targeting Erienne. Auum and Evunn stood either side of her, hands and feet moving in harmony, knocking enemies from above her head, dragging their blades through wing membrane, hurling strike-strain towards the pit to be swallowed to Balaia. But even they would not be enough.
'Raven,' called Rebraal. 'We need you here!'
He saw Hirad turn his head and mouth a curse at what he saw. Ten, twenty, fifty reavers circling and darting in, each needing only one strike to disrupt her concentration. Hirad dropped, swept the feet from under a karron that plunged left. He called to The Unknown and ran into the maelstrom.