Sha-Kaan looked at Hirad, neck in a 'u' to face him, head and muzzle alone almost as tall as the barbarian.
'Well?' he asked.
Hirad grinned. 'Take it as a yes, Great Kaan.'
'Excellent.' The head withdrew. 'Strike your camp. We will not return here.'
'What about Thraun?' asked Will.
'Thraun?' Sha-Kaan looked for clarification.
'The shapechanger,' said Hirad. 'The wolf.'
'Ah.' A pulse of forest images and blood filled Hirad's mind. 'I have touched consciousness with him. He is here in the corridor somewhere. He will come. His bond with you, little human Will, is very strong. Like a dragon with his Dragonene.'
The tension on Will's face broke and he nodded and looked round.
'Go and find him, Will,' said Hirad. 'The rest of us will clear the camp.'
'Hurry,' said Sha-Kaan. 'The Council will act soon.'
Hirad led The Raven from the chamber and back, briefly, into Balaia.
With General Kard again outside the Heart, and with Endorr's LightGlobe illuminating them, the Julatsan Council minus the sacrificed Deale stood in the Heart and prepared to talk again to Heila, the Shroud Master.
The small chamber, centre of Julatsan magic, was cluttered with Barras' selection of the College's most critical texts. They were stacked high in the spaces between the eight smoothed greystone segments and covered swathes of the stone flags that spiralled inward from the door to the Heart, hiding each councillor from those adjacent as they stood flush with the wall.
Kerela frowned at the obstacles spread all over this most hallowed of rooms, and Barras couldn't help but smile.
'We always said we should expand the Library,' said the old elf negotiator.
'I'll have the plans drawn up as soon as we've seen off the Wesmen,' said Torvis. A chuckle ran around the Heart, easing the tension.
Kerela held up her hands to restore quiet.
'Please, my friends,' she said. 'We are here to disperse the DemonShroud protecting us from the armies of the Wesmen. Its raising took Deale from us and his soul is still under thrall to Heila and will remain so for we know not how long after the Shroud is gone. He may never be released. For the soul of Deale, I beg of you a moment's contemplation.'
Barras dropped his head forward on to his chest as did they all. Deale's had been the supreme sacrifice, his soul now at the mercy, though that was a complete misnomer, of the demons. It was a sacrifice Barras and Kerela felt keenly. Heila's preferred choice would have been either of them.
'Thank you,' said Kerela. 'And now we will summon Heila, Shroud Master.'
With eight reduced to seven, the Council's task was that much more difficult. Kerela could spare only three to anchor the column and the sweat quickly covered the brows of Endorr, Torvis and Seldane as they struggled to maintain its integrity. Despite a single dangerous flare as the disc descended, they held firm, eventually settling to allow Barras to open the gateway.
As he edged it open, a surge of ice-blue mana light powered along the cylinder, all but dragging the lid from his mind's grasp.
'Something is wrong,' he said, his voice straining as he concentrated on control.
'Are you stable?' asked Kerela.
'Barely,' replied Barras.
'Can I continue the summoning?' Kerela's voice was urgent.
'You have no choice.' Barras could dimly feel perspiration running down his back. The mana still surged up the cylinder to dissipate against the walls or feed into the Heart construct where it added to the power the Council could draw on.
To Barras, Kerela's words of summoning were a faraway murmur as he bent all of his age, experience and sheer bloody-mindedness to the task of maintaining the gateway. Somewhere, the demons were drawing on a power that fuelled huge pressure in the mana they were projecting through the small portal and into which, Kerela placed her head to conduct the Summoning.
He couldn't understand the behaviour. Disappointment that the Council were about to force the dispersal of the Shroud, perhaps. Just being difficult, certainly. But in the deep of his mind, Barras felt something more sinister. Its root hung just beyond his reach, just beyond his comprehension. It was there though, like a marker for a thought he couldn't quite grasp. They would have to be careful.
Abruptly, the battering at the portal ceased, the column disappeared and Heila was among them once more. He was larger this time, both in height and girth, his azure blue colouring so bright it partially obscured his features. He rotated slowly for a while, arms and legs crossed and back ramrod straight, taking in the scene inside the Heart.
'I had not thought to be here so soon,' he said, his voice betraying his irritation.
'We were always honour-bound to limit our need for the Shroud as far as possible,' replied Kerela calmly.
'Ah, we are here to discuss dispersal, not extension.'
'You are surprised?' asked Kerela.
'At the discussion, no. At the timing, yes.'
'It is not in your gift to choose the time of dispersal.' Kerela's tone was tense.
'But circumstances change, do they not, High Mage?' Anxiety crackled in the air. Barras frowned. Nothing had actually changed, had it?
'Meaning?' Thank the Gods for the steadying influence of Kerela. If she felt nervous, she didn't show it.
'The dispersal of the DemonShroud is not currently in our best interests. To do so now would inconvenience us.' Heila's expression never changed. His every utterance carried no emotion, no betrayal of his desire. Yet every word carried with it the power of his position. Few stood taller in the hierarchy understood to control the demon dimension - a dimension in no way as chaotic as popular myth depicted.
'Inconvenient?' Kerela laced the word with total contempt.
'Might I remind you, Heila, that the dispersal of the Shroud is not contingent on the convenience or otherwise to you. It is conferred following a decision by the Julatsan Council. Your agreement is sought to ensure that none of your people are caught as the Shroud is capped. It is not something we have to do. It is a courtesy we observe in the hope that you will look mercifully on the souls of those caught in its embrace. The spell of dispersal is not something you can resist.'
Heila smiled, revealing close ranks of needle-sharp teeth. 'I am aware of the limitations placed upon us by the construct of your mana shape and it is most cunningly crafted. All I ask is for two more days for us to reap full benefit of the power it has temporarily given us. We too have enemies to fight. If you grant me these days, all the souls of those taken will go free.' There was a sparkle in Heila's eyes above the brightness of his skin, or rather the chosen colour of the mana encasing him.
Barras heard Seldane gasp and there was hesitation in Kerela's voice as she spoke.
'Heila, your offer is both generous and tempting. Very tempting,' she said. 'And in any other circumstance, I would gratefully accept it. However, the lives of countless thousands of Julatsans hinge on the Shroud's immediate dispersal. With due sorrow and regret for the plight of Deale and all those taken, I cannot agree to this.'
Heila's brows arrowed in and his face contorted in a rage that suffused his feelings in blue swirls of writhing mana. His breath clouded in a sudden cold that swept the Heart and his fists unclenched to reveal wisps of pure white essence that voiced human screams as they were snatched back through the portal.
'We will fight you, High Mage, and souls like these will, I promise you, suffer an eternity of torment far from the heavens in which they belong. They are lost as you will be. I name you, Kerela of Julatsa. You are mine.'
'You cannot touch me, Heila,' said Kerela, though the demon's words had clearly shaken her. 'Prepare your underlings for the dispersal of the Shroud. Goodbye.' Kerela terminated the link and Heila vanished without another word. Mana howled again along the column but Barras was both ready for it and equal to it. With a solid grunt, he sealed the portal.
There was quiet in the Heart for a moment. Barras wiped wispy grey strands of hair from his face and puffed out his cheeks. Torvis and Vilif exchanged frowns. Endorr spoke.
'What did he mean, "we will fight you"?' asked the young mage.
'Presumably, they will resist our capping and dispersal,' said Cordolan.
'No,' said Kerela. 'It will be worse than that. The demons seek souls and something is giving them the strength to challenge us now they have a foothold in Balaia. I think they may try and break the containment.'
'What?' Seldane gaped, then her brow creased. 'Can they do that?'
'Ordinarily, no,' said Kerela. 'But ordinarily, they wouldn't feel they had the power to threaten us in our own dimension. Now, they obviously think they can.'
'So shouldn't we wait these two days? Let Heila complete whatever it is needs doing?' asked Endorr. There was a murmur of disagreement from Torvis, put into words by Vilif.
'No, young Master, I think you misunderstand who are the enemies to which Heila referred. In two days, I suspect the demons would be strong enough to sweep the containment aside. Heila was presumably upset because he can no longer be certain.'
'Yes,' agreed Barras. 'And in two days, so many more will die in the Shroud. We cannot wait.'
'But his offer-' said Endorr.
'A lie,' said Kerela, her expression set and determined. 'Come, my friends, the longer we delay, the greater our chances of failure. Join with me around the candle and remain strong. We cannot afford to weaken or the demons and not the Wesmen will take Julatsa. And then they will take Balaia.'
The Raven gathered close to Sha-Kaan, the wood and oil odours of his hide mixing uncomfortably with the sourness of his breath and the heat from the fires. They were in a defensive formation, the dragon and the humans back to back, he taking three quadrants, they the fourth. Hirad stood flanked by The Unknown and Will, Thraun beside the little man. Behind them, Ilkar, Erienne and Denser, ready to prepare on Sha-Kaan's word.
They couldn't feel the movement of the corridor, though Sha-Kaan assured them they were approaching Julatsa and he was merely waiting for the right time to breach the Shroud. Indeed, the calm was unnerving and Hirad found it hard to credit that they had moved anywhere. It was his trust in Sha-Kaan that made him believe.
'You will know when we touch the DemonShroud,' said Sha-Kaan. 'The walls of this hall will shake and you will stumble. I will try and steer a steady path but I must strike at the heart of their power if we are to stop them and allow your mages to close the Shroud.'
'How soon?' asked Hirad.
'Very. They have begun their preparation. Your casting should commence shortly.'
'Before we start, remember what this spell actually is,' said Ilkar. 'We're constructing a Cold Room by creating a shell inside of which mana cannot flow. We will maintain it using thread streams of mana stamina from within us. The process will be very draining. The Cold Room will not stop the demons but it will hurt them to enter it and weaken them extremely quickly. The absence of mana flow around your weapons will allow you to damage them but kills won't be quick and you should be striking to keep them back.
'We'll colour the shield pale green. You'll be able to see through it but don't step outside of its bounds or your weapons will be useless and your soul will be lost.'
Hirad and The Unknown nodded. Will turned to Thraun whose wolfen eyes bored into his face.
'Stay beside me always,' he said. 'Don't leave my side for a moment.' He drew his dual short swords, unable to keep the quiver from his arms. Thraun looked up at him, a growl rumbling in his throat.
'Are you sure they'll attack us?' asked Will.
'There can be no doubt,' said Sha-Kaan, his voice tone altered as he steered the corridor towards Julatsa, along the trails and markers given to him by the stricken Elu-Kaan. 'Our presence will disrupt their energies, acting like a stopper in a bottle. Your souls will attract them like dragons to prey, deflecting their attention. Soul-taking Arakhe have little discipline when temptation is put in their way.' He swung his long neck around and over their heads to face them. 'One more thing. Expect the Arakhe from anywhere. They are not bound by our laws. They could come from above you or from beneath your feet as well as straight at you. Their touch is like fire, their bite like ice and their eyes will try to prise the souls from you. Strike hard and strike often. Show them no fear.'
He locked eyes with Hirad for a moment and the barbarian felt a flow of thanks tinged with anger. Sha-Kaan blamed their casting of Dawnthief for all that had come since and he wouldn't forgive quickly.
Hirad turned to the mages. 'You ready?'
Ilkar nodded. 'Just keep your sword sharp.'
'I wonder what colour demon blood is.'
'Well, now's a good time to find out,' said Denser. 'Find out a lot, will you?'
Hirad smiled. 'As much as I can. Let's go Raven. Great Kaan, the casting will start on your word.'
'Excellent. Begin at once.' Sha-Kaan returned his head forward. A ripple ran through the corridor. Hirad adjusted, knees unlocked. He drew his sword. Behind him, the mages sat back to back. They couldn't afford a fall to break their concentration.
Ilkar found he wasn't scared of the union of the three magics. Indeed, since his first enforced link with Denser, to save Hirad back in Septern's long barn, the idea had fascinated him as he knew it did the Xeteskian.
With all three minds attuned to the mana spectrum, Ilkar watched as the streams of orange-, deep blue- and yellow-hued mana indicating Dordover, Xetesk and Julatsa respectively ran together over their heads. Each mage was encased in a sheath of colour while above them their magics mixed like the plaits of a rope, each strengthening the other two.
Then, with the stream coiling and thrusting, seeking outlet, the trio tipped their heads back so that their skulls touched and clasped hands left and right to complete the circle. Erienne, who had most knowledge of mana exclusion constructs, led the casting.
'One magic, one mage,' she said.
'One magic, one mage,' repeated Denser.
'Just get on with it,' said Ilkar, feeling the warmth between Denser and Erienne through the mana flow which now encased them all in a single tri-coloured tulip.
'I'll speak the words but we must all reinforce the shape. Keep your colours for now and push out to form one side of an equilateral triangle. Bring the sides in and rotate.' Erienne's voice was barely above a murmur.
Ilkar felt a tremor through the corridor but ignored it, concentrating on the slowly moving four-sided pyramid shape above their heads. Erienne let it settle before moving on.
'Divide and angle out your sides. Allow the apex to break.' A six-sided shape formed from the pyramid. 'Mirror and double, base to base.'
It was a fairly simple construct and now, almost formed, the two pyramids flush and rotating in opposite directions, Ilkar could see where the shape was going and where the difficulty lay. Erienne confirmed his view.
'All right; we need a spike at either end, each one rotating opposite to the pyramid beneath, each six-sided with consecutive panels of each College mana to bind it securely and to produce the shape to force mana around the outside of the whole. The pyramids must continue rotating during spike construct.' She fell silent and the air around Ilkar hummed with effort.
It was a trick of the mind, the ability to maintain and construct simultaneously. Partitioning was a skill taught early but learned long. Ilkar had no doubt they'd all mastered it but this was different. If the pyramids stopped rotating, the spell would backfire with consequences Ilkar guessed would be severe. Perhaps memory loss, perhaps blindness. Maybe death.
Denser's panels appeared almost immediately, rotating opposite each other, apexes touching.
'I am secure,' he said and Ilkar wondered briefly what Dawnthief had actually done to him. It should have been impossible to produce the panels that fast. But it had its benefits and gave Ilkar a target for his own panels.
Imagining a gentle breeze, he set the thought aside, knowing it would sustain the pyramids' rotation for a short while.
Despite the two-way pull on his mana flow, Ilkar, using subtle movement of his still-clasped hands, dragged mana with mind and intonation, matching Denser's triangular panel sizes. He forged them deep yellow and robust, snapping them into place instants after Erienne's. Now the pyramids held counter-rotating spikes at either end and the spell could be completed.
'Outstanding,' said Erienne, though there was little surprise in her voice. She knew the extent of their abilities. 'The two halves must mirror exactly in shape and rotation speed. Flatten and spread the pyramids . . . yes. Widen the bases of the spikes. Hold it. We're ready to deploy.'
'I'm stable,' said Denser.
'Me also,' said Ilkar. Above them, the mana shape hung and spun like two large, spiked, domed helmets.
'Dor anwar enuith,' said Erienne, the words of Dordovan lore sparking through the shape, mixing threads of pale orange through the yellow and blue. 'Eart jen hoth.' She unclasped her hands from Ilkar and Denser and held them, arms stretched, above her head. 'Deploy.' She brought them down, her palms slapping on the stone floor. The mana shape expanded as if a burst of air had been fired into it at enormous pressure. One half covered The Raven and Sha-Kaan, the other was beneath them, intended to slow the advance of any demons who attacked from below.
'Lys falette,' said Ilkar quietly and a green washed through the shape, pale and translucent. The trio of mages allowed their heads to drop. The casting was complete. Raven and dragon breathed air untainted by mana. It tasted and felt no different but to the mages, the Cold Room was an instant drain. They could not hold it for long.
Hirad didn't have to open his mouth to advise Sha-Kaan the spell was done. A savage jolt shook the corridor, ruffling the tapestries which hung from the walls and sending sparks from the fires as log and coal shifted. Hirad wobbled and Will sprawled, tripping against Thraun's broad flank. The wolf howled in fear, unable to see the threat but knowing it was there.
'Steady, Raven,' said The Unknown who had not even had to adjust his footing. He tapped his sword's point on the stone, its gentle clashing bringing clarity to mind and banishing uncertainty.