Page 96 of Darkness Births the Stars #1
CHAPTER
Noctis
A re you sure about this?”
Kyree gripped my forearm, shouting into my ear to be heard over the raging storm. We crouched behind dense shrubbery lining a narrow path leading deeper into the shadowy forest of Milford Ridge.
I wiped my face, struggling to see beyond a few steps in the relentless downpour. “At least if we can’t see them, they can’t see us either,” I replied grimly.
Lightning slashed across the sky, illuminating twisted branches and gnarled roots before plunging us back into darkness.
The growl of thunder followed closely, shaking the ground beneath us.
I grimaced, my left hand spasming from the violent pull of Chaos, tiny needles pricking my skin.
The storm had broken as we began our ascent up the Ridge, turning the climb into a miserable battle against slick rocks and icy rain.
The closer we got to the limestone cliffs, the stronger the uneasy feeling within me became: Chaos, its insidious whisper heavy in the air.
Signs of its influence were everywhere on the Ridge.
Multicolored flowers glistened with moisture, some with razor-sharp barbs that glinted menacingly in the occasional flash of lightning.
The trees and plants grew unrestrained, as if bursting with untamed energy.
The Veil to the Other was thin here, and the storm had weakened it further, a constant, unsettling hum just beneath the surface.
Kyree and I were alone, cautiously following one of the two paths leading to Briseis’s hut.
We had split up, each group scouting one approach until we spotted our enemy either from the east or the south.
It had seemed wise to pair up with the Aerieth, keeping our lyr -stones secret from the others as long as possible.
The plan was to circle back to the far east of the Ridge, where a less steep route led down to Dalath.
There, we would wait for Rada’s return, hoping to avoid detection.
I knew the risks, but we could not confront Deira blindly.
“Let’s move forward.” I slid my Fire stone into my left hand. With my sword in the other, I signaled to Kyree. We slinked along the muddy path, trying to remain invisible.
The sudden bite of Chaos magic, painfully intense on my skin, was all the warning I got. Instinctively, I pulled Kyree down as I threw myself to the ground, narrowly avoiding the sizzling wave of pure Chaos aimed at us. I felt it brush over my scalp, leaving the air crackling with residual energy.
“What…?” Kyree gasped, eyes wild and breath ragged as he knelt in the mud beside me.
“They are here,” I cried out, all thoughts of secrecy abandoned. Now we had to fight for our lives.
After exchanging a swift, determined glance, the Aerieth and I raced to opposite sides of the path. It was harder for a magic user to attack two moving targets at once. Not that we only faced the threat of magic .
My sword came up just in time as a dark shape jumped at me out of the shadows. Steel clashed. Yellow eyes glared at me; teeth bared in a vicious growl. Rakash. And where there was one, there were always more.
I hurled a glowing fireball into the creature, and it tumbled to the ground with a pained howl, the acrid smell of burnt fur filling my nose.
A swift jump to the side saved me from another assault of Chaos magic, mud and rainwater exploding where I had stood only a moment before.
I frantically cast my gaze around, trying to see where the attack had come from.
Kyree was holding his own against two assailants.
As tall as the Aerieth, they moved with predatory grace.
Their faces bore traces of their once Human heritage, mixed disconcertingly with visible animal traits: small, twitching noses; thin lips pulled back in snarls, revealing razor-sharp canines; and deep-set yellow eyes with slitted pupils, able to see in the dark.
One Rakash, his body and face covered by golden-red fur, fell, clawing at his throat.
The Aerieth plunged a knife into the second one’s shoulder next, piercing his black leather armor.
Without hesitation, I launched another fireball toward them, striking the remaining Rakash in the back. The black-furred creature crumpled to the ground.
Two more emerged from the trees, their cruel faces drawn into animalistic snarls as they threw themselves at us. “Go after the magic user!” Kyree shouted, leaping between them in a whirl of gray feathers and flashing steel. “I will hold them off.”
I cursed under my breath and ducked as a bolt of Chaos-streaked lightning struck perilously close.
The Aerieth was right; the Chiasma attacking us was relentless, and it was only a matter of time before one of those deadly strikes found its mark.
Yet the thought of leaving Kyree alone gnawed at me, an unfamiliar pang of guilt twisting in my gut.
The Fire stone in my hand pulsed weakly as I drew power from it once more.
Not much left. Still, I didn’t hesitate to weave another spell, a fiery whip lashing out at the two Rakash, evening the odds for the Aerieth.
I didn’t wait to see if he seized the opportunity, running again, knowing I had revealed my position.
Chaos magic bloomed to life. This time, I was ready. Rolling through the mud to dodge the vicious blast aimed at me, I kept a firm grip on my weapon and the lyr -stone, casting out my awareness.
There. Between the trees, at a slight rise in the path.
I sprang to my feet and charged at the robed figure.
In this cursed storm, the advantage lay with the Chiasma, the power they could draw through their dagger only limited by their own abilities.
My only hope was to overtake them with sheer force, using the element of surprise.
For a moment, it seemed I would succeed. My sword’s deadly path halted only inches from a pair of furious blue eyes.
“Rahni!” I exclaimed, recognizing the burly form and round features of the Dwarfish female who had once served me.
“Master,” she spat, baring square white teeth.
Her tone dripped with contempt, her expression mocking as she held her ground.
Her hood had fallen back, revealing close-cropped reddish hair, the glowing Aurean runes tattooed on her scalp shimmering through.
The Dwarf was a vicious fighter, as deadly with her axe as with her magic.
I gathered the last reserves of Fire magic within my lyr -stone, letting it race from my hands over our locked weapons into hers, hoping to break her grip. She cursed in guttural Dwarfish and jumped back, but quickly laughed when the fire flickered out without causing actual damage.
“Low on magic, I see,” she crowed. “Deira was right. You are weak.” She balled one gloved hand into a fist. “The power of the Adept is there for the taking. A gift for anyone brave enough to try.”
Fuck! This was worse than I had expected. All my former acolytes sought my death, eager to claim my power. Wherever I ran, they wouldn’t let me find peace. My mind raced, searching for any advantage, any way to turn the tide in my favor.
“Do you really think you have what it takes to claim my power, Rahni?” I taunted. “Aren’t you overestimating yourself, my dear? You’ve always excelled at only one thing: following those more gifted than you.”
With an angry growl, the Dwarf reached for the dagger strapped to her side.
The moment she drew it, I was upon her, abandoning the Fire stone to cage her hand before she could weave any more magic.
I could feel the power of the Chaos stone in the dagger’s hilt, its hunger to be unleashed, gathering the energy of the surrounding storm.
Unlike Vultaron, Rahni didn’t struggle over the dagger with me.
Instead, she pulled me closer with surprising strength and landed a hard kick against my shin, her teeth clicking together dangerously close to my nose as she tried to bite me.
Distracted, I let go, despair flashing through me as she raised the dagger high above her head, channeling more power into it until it glowed like a fallen star.
“Who is the weak one now?” she screeched, her robe fluttering in the wind generated by the ferocious surge of magic.
With the last of my strength, I reached out, trying to seize the power that once flowed through me effortlessly. Only a hollow emptiness answered, Chaos whispering uselessly over my skin.
Knowing it wouldn’t save me, I raised my sword in a final, futile attempt to defend myself. Rahni’s smile twisted into a mask of cruel satisfaction as the Chaosdagger descended with the finality of a death sentence .
A large hand wrapped around the acolyte’s throat from behind.
Rahni’s blue eyes bulged in shock. She clawed at her unseen assailant, dropping her axe and dagger.
Air and Water magic hissed, stealing her breath as she tried to cry out, blood bubbling on her lips as her lungs failed.
Grim relief coursed through me as the light in her eyes dimmed and she crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
Kyree stood over her fallen body, the glowing Water stone in his hand casting an eerie light. He looked like a winged wraith of death, dark hair plastered to his head.
I gripped his shoulder. “Thank you,” I said, my voice hoarse with gratitude. Kyree didn’t react, his gaze locked on the dead acolyte, oblivious to the pounding rain that drenched us both. “You swore an oath to preserve life, not destroy it, didn’t you?” I asked, noting the haunted look on his face.
“Every healer who knows how to save a life also knows how to end it,” he replied, his voice shaking slightly. A wry expression entered his eyes as they met mine. “And if it means saving my friends, I’ll make that choice every time.”
I nodded, picking up the Chaosdagger, its power humming in eager recognition under my touch.