Losara stood frozen in dismay, but every second cost more lives. His mages were not coping well with this onslaught, and if many more of them fell, there was little hope they would ever go on to defeat the light.
It was time.
Shadow mages , he sent, leave Battu to me. Spread out and attack those areas they leave undefended while they concentrate their magic here.
He felt resistance from them, puzzlement. Did they balk at the idea of letting him face this threat alone?
GO , he commanded.
As the shadow mages departed, streams of fireballs and light bolts travelled after them, but the lightfists did not follow as they moved out of range. Losara, now standing alone, felt many pairs of eyes settling upon him.
He took a deep breath, and was more afraid than he had ever been.
•
The shadow mages scattered to reveal Losara, standing with a calm expression on his face. Fahren had expected to have to track him down in the fighting, yet it seemed he had come to them, and without any aid either. Could he really think he was powerful enough to best Fahren, Battu, the power of the Stone and the hundreds of lightfists who stood with them? Or was it some kind of trick?
Greetings, Throne , came Losara’s voice. I have to say, I am somewhat displeased with you.
‘See what I mean?’ said Battu, leaning on his saddle. ‘He probably thinks that was menacing.’
Fahren waved him to silence.
That is a remarkable ward you have , continued Losara. Shadow and light combined, potent indeed. Still, I do not see how it will stop me.
Your minions , sent Fahren, could not penetrate it.
Losara chuckled. There is a reason they are my minions . He made a swiping motion, and the Old Magic ward shattered to pieces with a force that jarred Fahren’s teeth in his head. Instantly lightfists began to cast spells in retaliation, and casually Losara waved up a ward of his own.
Do not attack him, you fools! sent Fahren. You know the plan!
‘I’m impressed,’ growled Battu begrudgingly.
‘I’m not,’ said Fahren. ‘He just used up a great deal of power, which he cannot easily replenish on such a bright day …and we can summon a new ward in an instant. Besides, even without a ward, anything he casts at us will get sucked into the Stone.’
Battu barked a laugh as he joined Fahren in recasting their defence. ‘So serious all the time, Throne.’
Losara extended a hand and cast a beam of shadow that jumped between him and the lightfists on Fahren’s right. As it travelled along the row, cutting through wards like a sword through apples, the mages exposed at their cores were flung away violently.
Lightfists , sent Fahren urgently, contain the Shadowdreamer!
Many hands sprang forth, emanating light. Waves of it cascaded towards Losara, meshing together into a sphere.
This is how you intend to trap me? Losara sounded genuinely inquisitive. He pulsed his power outwards, shattering the light that encircled him.
Keep at it , sent Fahren.
More waves descended, but before they could enclose Losara completely, he fell to shadow and reappeared elsewhere.
The circle must be complete , said Fahren. Below ground and above!
‘Should we not help?’ asked Battu.
‘No. I do not want to confuse the trap with tainted magic.’
‘Tainted?’ Battu scowled. ‘Your mind is narrower than your spindly legs.’
‘Indeed,’ said Fahren absently, his concentration absorbed by what was going on around him. He needed Bel back here – why had he run off? Also, Fahren had begun to sense that shadow magic was being cast elsewhere, in areas of the battle where he knew for a fact that lightfists were in short supply. Without protection the regular troops would be extremely vulnerable, and he hated to think what damage was being done. He could not afford to keep all the lightfists here for much longer.
Elessa , he sent, find Bel, fetch him back here! Don’t even ask, just bring him.
As you command , came Elessa’s reply.
‘Let’s at least shock him as we did before,’ said Battu, ‘to stop him manoeuvring around so easily!’
‘Very well,’ said Fahren. ‘Ready?’
As Losara slipped through yet another flood of light, Fahren raised the staff for him and Battu to channel through. Unleashing the spell, they compressed the air around Losara suddenly. Old Magic rippled through his ward, and he fell to his knees, clutching his head.
CONTAIN HIM , Fahren sent out, hoping to make full use of their advantage. Once again a glowing sphere began to form around Losara, thickening as more mages added their efforts.
You know , said Losara, once your globe is complete, no shadow magic will be able to get out.
That’s the idea , sent back Fahren, trying not to sound uncertain – the figure on the ground seemed to be struggling too much for the serenity in his voice.
Out, or in , said Losara.
As light filled the sphere’s last gaps, the figure inside faded away. Some paces beside it, Losara appeared.
Misdirection , he sent. Even with all my power, these simple spells are still the most useful.
‘Hit him again,’ snarled Battu. He seized the staff, which Fahren had lowered, lifting it back up. ‘He cannot make doppelgangers forever!’
Once, twice, three times in succession they created shockwaves, and each time Losara avoided them, materialising just long enough to shoot offensive spells at lightfists before disappearing to the next place.
‘Be pre-emptive!’ snapped Battu. For a moment the look in his eyes made Fahren doubt that the sharks had really left him.
As Losara fell to shadow again, they started casting without yet knowing where they aimed. As Losara formed, instantly they released the spell. Finally it caught him – even as a blue bolt left his fingertips, the air about him snapped, and he gave a little cry. As he stumbled, the sphere began to build around him for a final time, a hundred streams of light feeding into it from the lightfists. Fahren released the staff to Battu in order to add his own unsullied power to the mix. Under the blazing sun his reserves felt limitless, and in moments the sphere surrounded the dreamer entirely, its surface alight with bright swirls. He felt Losara push against it from within, but now they had him fixed in place, and with so many maintaining the trap there was no way he could break free. Still, Fahren knew overconfidence was a hazard that often foreshadowed failure.
He needed Bel here now .
Evenings Mild
Tiny hairs along the length of his arm tickled his skin as they moved in the air, as his sword thrust forward at a face rising out of the thrumming tableau. In every direction weapons crept towards each other like shadows around sundials, each clink resonating in his ears. Arrows flew overhead, their shadows running up bodies then down to the grass, the uneven surface making them warp and wiggle as they travelled onwards. Enemies were endless, like a promise of joy unending, and he a hungry boar in a field of ripe pears.
Paradise.
A spark of sunshine ran down his blade as it moved towards the hate-filled face. At the last moment he turned the blade slightly, making the spark leap into the creature’s eyes. A wince started to form, crossing the mouth in one direction even as the sword came from the other to slice into the skull. As the leading edge severed the last thin layer of scalp on the other side, splitting the creature’s head cleanly, the sword’s speed increased again, unhindered. He followed through with the swing, landed it across a Vortharg’s back, deep into the rubbery skin.