Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)

I turned around in a second, needing to look at the man, feeling as if I’d make an attack far too easy for him with my back turned to him. I recognised this need for control for its uselessness. I’ve made the attack easy for him just by being there.

The cloaked figure stood proudly on the wall, shoulders straight, head high, fists relaxed, like he was about to take a stroll through the gardens instead of fighting his enemies. He was tall, much taller than Ace, and younger too. The swaying black cloak attached itself around his neck, and underneath it, an eye-made necklace jingled. The dead, bloodshot eyes bulged and moved, focusing on either me or Ace, depending on where the mage’s own eyes glanced.

There was a determination in his light blue, almost silver eyes, his sharp facial features, long, elegant nose and strong, squared jaw. What surprised me the most was how handsome he was. Somehow, I thought he’d be ugly. Surely evil could not hide behind beauty.

Ace froze next to me, now seeming powerless and small in front of this larger-than-life figure.

Soterios offered a grin, baring his straight, white teeth, “What a coincidence! I thought you had given up on engaging with humans, Ace.”

“Ah,” Ace stepped back, frightening me more with his reluctance than the other mage did with his presence, “Humans are my curse.”

Soterios’s eyes slid to me, “Not only humans, it seems.”

Feeling naked and exposed, I averted my gaze, finding solace in the wall’s stony structure. I wanted to turn around and check my companions desperately, but I did not dare. Rixen and Nik surely managed to reach the treeline and run for the Waiting Tower.

“You’ve done some unnecessary damage to this town.” Ace murmured, his fists clenching in an attempt to call forth his magic. But the shadows did not want to come to him. Nothing reached behind the veil of some other world.

“This?” Soterios glanced over his shoulder at the fire still relentlessly devouring the town of Dahn. “They will rebuild it in a century or two. Anyhow, it served its purpose.”

“And which purpose was that?” Ace asked.

“Drawing you out.” Soterios shrugged. “Humans are like mice. Set fire under their feet and they’ll scatter out unaware of the trap waiting for them.”

I yelped when someone touched my arm.

Relax. Rixen’s voice rang through my skull. Don’t react.

My eyes widened, and I prayed to gods Soterios would think it was his cruelty that caused the reaction. Rixen was reaching from the shadows.

“Hardly a human trait. Set fire under anyone’s feet and they’ll scatter out.” Ace said. “Even you.”

A throaty, gurgling laugh fell of Soterios’s lips, “Fire should not be fought with fire.”

Walk backwards. Rixen spoke to my mind. Get him to the treeline.

“What do you want?” Ace grunted, pretending like the mage’s presence did not affect him. But I knew it did. It seems as if I’ve grown attuned to the shifts in the vibe around him.

“Ace.” I whispered, aware the mage could hear me, and stepped back.

“Irina, not now.” Ace hissed, his glance glued to Soterios. He couldn’t do much, his magic was weak.

Soterios looked at me and I felt like he could see right through me, “Leave the spell in Orathia alone and no one will get hurt. Go back to your homes, I’m sure you could use some rest and a warm meal. The world’s fate is too heavy to rest on your shoulders.”

“I will lock Ir-kaal whether you like it or not.” Ace’s voice dropped to a growl, and I doubted he was in any position to threaten.

I pulled at the mage’s sleeve, hoping he would follow me. Backwards, Rixen said.

Soterious offered a small smile, “That is not what you wanted twenty-five years ago. Mages aren’t known for their flimsiness.”

“You think I’d allow someone like you to harness the power of Ir-kaal?” Ace chuckled, the sound too strained, too fake. “I will lock that plane and you will go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.”

Ace took a step back, following me to the treeline. The fact he did not know of Rixen’s plan and still followed through scared me. He was genuinely afraid of this mage. If Ace was afraid, what should the rest of us feel?

“Ir-kaal stays unlocked.” Soterios’s voice did not change, he was certain in his words. “Don’t be a fool, Ace. You’re old, your time is running out, but it doesn’t have to. You’re a clever man, I know you’ve thought about it. Do yourself a favour and let me call on the old gods.”

Ace smirked, “So you and your little army can do whatever the fuck you please? I’d rather die than see you in charge, you conniving, smug bastard.”

Soterious laughed out loud and took a step forward, “Oh, I’ve missed your refinement and elegance. Such a crude, crass man.”

Ace and I walked backwards, escaping out of the mage’s reach, but he dutifully followed. I had no idea what Rixen intended and fear clawed at my heart.

I could feel my companions behind me. They did not move. Perhaps they wanted to, I knew I did, more than anything. My legs itched to run, but my heart refused. Maybe we turned suicidal, or masochistic, or we simply could not bear the thought of leaving each other behind.

“I’ll say this only once, High Earth Mage of Naz.” Soterios came closer and closer to the shadows. “The world does not deserve to be fought for. Lay down your weapons, give up on your quest and I will spare you. And once this wretched world is mine, I’ll give you anything your hearts desire.” The mage reached the treeline, shadows devouring his form. “Refuse my offer and I will hunt you to the very edge of the world, until your eyes are hanging around my neck and your souls are forever trapped in eternal agony.”

Shadows moved, forming a hand out of nowhere. The knife stabbed one of the eyes hanging around Soterios’ neck and he let out an inhumane roar.

“Tempting, but no.” Rixen stepped out of the shadows and pushed the mage away. “Run!”

Falling out of the trance, Ace grabbed my forearm and yanked me backwards. My legs welcomed running, even though I wanted to stay behind and wait for Rixen.

Danilo, Torvald and Nick waited by the point where the wall disappeared in the cliff, rope tied around a tree, ready to be used for sliding. Rixen’s shouting reverberated through my skull, but I forced myself to move.

“Come on, come on, come on!” Nickeltinker jumped up and down. “To the Waiting Tower!”

I allowed myself a glance in Rixen’s direction. He appeared and disappeared, using the shadows around him to confuse the mage. But Soterious was quick and agile, and he managed to set fire to the trees around him, devouring Rixen’s shadows.

“Down the cliff!” Danilo commanded and put the rope in my hand. “Come on!”

Having no control over my movements, I gripped the rope and slid down the cliff, my legs acting on their own. As I moved downwards, I watched the army in the valley, spears in the air, ready for battle. We wouldn’t make it.

I landed on my butt, the impact causing sharp pain in my spine. Danilo slid down right after me, his strong hands pulling me up, giving me no time to react, no time to get used to the pain.

“Rixen!” I shouted, staring up at the wall. “Rixen, run!”

“Irina, there isn’t time!” Danilo yanked me towards him.

“No!” I tried to brush him off, but he was too strong for me. “No! Fuck you!”

Danilo’s eyes widened, and for a moment, for a mere moment, realisation crossed his features. He finally knew, he finally understood.

“He wouldn’t leave you behind!” I yelled, anger coursing through my veins, magic waking up within my core. “He would have never left you behind. So maybe, maybe he’s a better man than you are!”

The knight’s blue eyes dimmed, providing me with enough distraction to stomp on his foot, shake his grip off and run away.

Nickeltinker and Ace ran to the Waiting Tower. Torvald lingered behind, still up at the wall. The wall and the rocks hid us from view, but it wouldn’t take long for the army to realise where we were.

“Rixen!” Magic burst through me, but it had nowhere to go, it did not know what to do. “Get down here, damn you!” I stopped at the rope, incapable of climbing up.

Soterios had his hands around Rixen’s throat and I could feel his pain through our connection. I could feel every particle of fear gathering around his heart. I was helpless. My magic could do nothing against the physical world. Even if I managed to command his mind, even if I told him to leave, he couldn’t.

“Irina!” Ace shouted. “He can’t kill him! He needs him to open the seal in Orathia!”

An arrow flew through the air, swift, sharp and deadly, and hit Soterios’s hand. The mage let go of Rixen’s neck and the shadowman stumbled backwards. He took no time to think; he disappeared in the shadows, his body morphing into darkness.

Flabbergasted and surprised, I traced the direction the arrow came from, but I couldn’t see anything beyond the rocks and trees.

“Come on!” Ace gestured to follow him.

Rixen slid down the cliff, appearing in front of me. His lips were pale and blue, blood oozed from the cuts on his hands and his palms were badly burned. I wanted to kiss him, but there was no time.

Instead, we ran.

The Waiting Tower rose to the skies in front of us, impossibly large and entirely black. With thick black smoke covering the night sky, the tower now matched its colour. Up the stony, moss-covered stairs we went, sticking close to the dark walls.

I glanced towards the valley.

The spirits stood tall and proud, the grips around their spears oozing confidence and determination. Their bodies glowed slightly green, with sprinkles of grey. There was a strange component to them; intangible, nonphysical. We wouldn’t win this fight. The archers stood on the ruins, using the old stone walls as a barrier.

The cultists were up front, all dressed in black, almost undistinguishable from the dark night, hidden behind the thick smoke. They all faced the Waiting Tower. A prickling sensation crawled down my spine, like they saw me, like they traced my movements.

“Quiet.” Ace led the way as we climbed up the steep, black, stony steps.

I swallowed the quiet, churning panic.

Rixen held my hand tightly, his palm sweaty and warm.

The fire in Dahn shifted something inside me. In a strange way, I felt the past and the future bending once more, intertwining into this present moment. Hundreds of people died today because of us.

Why?

Because we were doing a bad job at saving the world.

Because we didn’t truly care about it. Each of us had our own agenda, our own reason for being here in the first place, and we’ve never taken it seriously. Now, a power-hungry mage was at our heels and if we didn’t change, he’d win.

“What are we going to do?” Danilo whispered, his voice itching to shout, to transmit all the buried emotions.

“We’ll run through the Waiting Tower.” Rixen answered, his eyes escaping to the valley.

I couldn’t shake off the feeling that they could see us. They were just waiting to get a good look, to have a clear target.

“They’ll follow us through.” Ace hissed. “My magic is weak, I can’t hold them back.”

The entrance was getting closer. The large, threatening, black doors grew bigger. The army grew smaller until they turned into black, green and grey ants underneath us.

“They’ll see us once we reach the entrance.” Danilo said.

Rixen suddenly stopped and let go of my hand, “There’s something we can do.” His head kept snapping behind us to where we left Soterios, who was now undoubtedly fine and ready to fight.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace, shadowman.” I mumbled.

Rixen’s wide eyes roamed over the mage, the knight and the floran, “We take down the Waiting Tower.”

I turned to him, “Isn’t that, like, your heritage?”

Ace came down a couple of steps, until he was at the same level as Rixen, “Not the worst idea, bastard.”

“How do we do that?” Danilo glanced at the large fort looming over us.

Rixen looked up, “By being quick and efficient. Come on.”

He rushed past me up the stairs.

We snapped out of our lethargy as one and followed the shadowman. The army in the valley began shuffling, the grips around their weapons tightened, their bows tensed. I couldn’t stop staring at them, no matter how much panic it caused me.

“Torvald,” A commanding tone raised Rixen’s voice, “Time for the kill.”

“Ugh.” The brute nodded, snatched the axe off his back and cut through the skin of his palm, drawing blood.

His form immediately began to shift. Black veins covered his tense muscles which seemed to grow larger. An inhumane growl fell of his lips, sounding like he was in pain. I wondered about the giant at the front door of Dahn, if maybe the same thing would eventually happen to Torvald had it not been for the curse between him and Rixen. I wondered where the giant was. Did Soterios kill him first?

Did he kill the small, bald man at the gates?

The man was right when he wanted to refuse us. Yet I made him let us in. This was all my fault.

We approached the gates. And everything onward turned into a blur.

Arrows swooshed towards us as one, hitting the ground, the walls, the air.

“Come on!” Nickeltinker ran up front through the large, black doors. Cold air welcomed us inside.

“Nick, climb up the ceiling!” Rixen commanded. “Irina, keep guard.”

“What? Me? I can’t-” Panic seized my lungs and my throat, prohibiting air from coming through.

“Yes, do it!”

So I remained by the door, despite the army slowly climbing up the stairs. Arrows shot around me, their pointy ends creating holes even in the wall.

“Get the rope, now!” Rixen shouted left and right. “We need to take down the retaining wall!” He pointed at the large block of stone hovering above the main hall of the once great fortress.

Nickeltinker climbed up the black walls with ease, until he was sitting on the block, his legs swaying underneath him, “Give it to me!”

I glanced outside. The army approached with Soterios up front. He looked pissed. The air around him turned dark, acrid and pungent. I could see the shadows gathering around him. Magic reached from some faraway realm.

“Ace,” I mumbled, unable to tear my gaze away, “He’s using magic.”

“Hand Nick the rope!” Rixen shouted to someone.

The mage rushed to my side, “He set an entire town of fire, he’s not as strong.”

“At least he’s not drunk.” I eyed the mage, but his focus was already elsewhere as he tried to call forth his own magic.

“Ace!” Rixen called. “We need you here! Irina, get away from the door!”

I listened on impulse and stepped away.

Nickeltinker planted his explosive thingies all over the stone block in the air, dropped down and planted more at the bases of retaining columns. Rixen tied the rope around the warthog. Danilo and Torvald held the ends. The plan was clear. Tear down the building.

“Ace, you need to help us!” Rixen shouted. “This won’t be enough to tear down the tower.”

“Gladly, bastard, but I can’t reach my full magic.” Ace grunted, his eyes set on the entrance. Soldiers’ steps resonated through the stone, growing louder.

My eyes kept jumping between Rixen’s exasperated expression, Danilo and Torvald waiting for further commands, Ace’s apologetic half-smile and the army slowly approaching.

I couldn’t do anything.

Rixen composed himself, his gaze hardened and he nodded once, twice, “Tear it down.”

Silence.

“Now!”

Nickeltinker lit the explosives, his slight form jumping up and down around the main hall. One by one, the explosives set off, deafening me.

“Pull!” Rixen shouted.

Danilo and Torvald grabbed the rope and pulled. Ace and I ran away from the door. The stone block barely moved, even with the holes the explosives created in the stone. Fire began cracking around us, smoke filled the room. Soterios’s magic.

Soldiers gathered in front of the entrance, quickly filling the room.

This was it. We would die.

“Pull harder!”

Arrows flew towards the soldiers, confusing them, scaring them. My eyes widened. The long, pointy sticks were black, coated in an unknown liquid.

“What the...?” Ace looked around.

Dozens of people, all tall and lean, all dressed in black, stood around us, their arrows aiming towards the entrance, shooting the spirits and cultists entering the Tower. Hope burst through my chest. None of us could quite believe what was happening.

They all had yellow-golden eyes.

Rixen stepped away as the newcomers brought more ropes without a word. Nickeltinker climbed up the stone block away, silently following orders. More explosives joined Nick’s. More ropes tied around stone blocks and columns.

“I’ll be damned.” Ace’s wide eyes took in the helpers. “You know the world has turned upside down when a bunch of shadowmen come to rescue.”

One man, slightly taller than the rest, with deep scars covering his sharp, pointy face, stepped forward. Rixen looked completely flabbergasted. The man bowed towards my shadowman and nodded towards his people.

They pulled the ropes as one while the rest kept on aiming towards anyone entering the Tower. The ropes strained, the stone shook, and after one, two, three pulls, the building began to collapse.

“Run.” The stranger said, his voice calm and composed. “Now.”

I didn’t have to hear it twice. We ran through the Tower’s great hall as pieces of stone fell apart around us.

The strange shadowman turned around and looked at us one more time, “And may the gods be on your side.”