Red Wishes Black Ink

Uicha de Orak, Wildcard of the 6th Renown, representing the Forgotten One, student

Battar Crodd, Death Knight of the 13th Renown and Quill of the Orvesian Witnesses, teacher

Athur Buss, Bone Mage of the 10th Renown, the Orvesian Witnesses, teacher's assistant

14 Rainest, 61 AW

Sugarfoot, one of the Flamingo Islands

76 days until the next Granting

The [Fear] hit Uicha like the tide. For a moment, the Orvesian standing before him seemed to loom almost like a tsunami, a great wave from the ocean and Uicha stranded, quivering in his shadow. Objectively, Uicha understood that this was the aura of terror Battar exuded and the death knight had simply decided that Uicha should no longer be immune to its effects.

But no. Some of the fear was real. Some of it was Uicha's own.

Blood pulsed from the wound in Battar's neck. Uicha could see the man's heartbeat rhythmically slopping down his shoulder. He was steady, though paler through the stripes of ash on his face. Uicha wondered if he should've stolen Battar's [Regeneration]. It didn't matter now.

Battar still held Uicha's scimitar by the blade. He flipped it end-over-end and caught the hilt.

"If it is truly you, mistress, and not some ruse by the boy, then I apologize," Battar rasped.

Trembling, trying not to scream, Uicha half-turned to run.

"But perhaps," Battar continued, "old Orvesians only understand force."

Battar stabbed for Uicha's stomach.

At the last moment, Uicha shoved a hand forward and activated [Greater Shield]. He had stolen the ability from Battar and instinctively knew how it worked. A wall of pure force appeared between them and should've deflected Battar's thrust.

The scimitar slid straight through and slipped bloodlessly into Uicha.

In the back of his mind, Uicha remembered a story Sara Free had told while they traveled the road. She had dueled the death knight on the island. Battar's weapon had cleaved easily through her plated armor and taken her leg. The ability was [Ghost Blade]. His sword could be intangible until Battar decided otherwise.

Battar made the scimitar solid when it was already inside Uicha's guts. His belly split open like a flower unfurling its petals. Uicha screamed as Battar cranked his wrist, corkscrewing the blade to where it fattened. His [Greater Regeneration] worked to hold him together, though it couldn't knit his flesh around where the blade still split him.

"I feel nothing," Battar said, sounding almost giddy. "No resistance from the gods."

The twisting pain in his stomach combined with the flattening sensation of fear made Uicha lose conscious thought. He was an animal trying to escape from a trap. In that lack of focus, his [Shapeshifter] ability failed him—he was once again himself.

"Ah," Battar said. "There you are."

Uicha threw his hands into the air, unleashing the full force of his [Telekinesis]. He sent a wave of sand blasting outward, swirling into the ocean, seashells hanging in the air like glittering shards.

Battar blinked sand out of his eyes. The death knight was [Unmovable]. He remained planted in front of Uicha, the two of them connected by the blade.

"How have you done this, boy?" Battar asked. "I need to know."

Even as he spoke, Battar activated [Draining Blade]. The numbness that spread through Uicha's stomach was a clarifying relief, but he understood that it would doom him to give into that feeling. His blood turned black around the scimitar, the shining curls of his guts going dry and desiccated. His [Greater Regeneration] stretched to its limits and Uicha felt a panicked flair on his chest as the Ink threatened to fade. The blade sucked the life from Uicha and delivered it to Battar, the wound on the death knight's neck closing at an alarming rate.

Uicha forced himself to focus. He wasn't yet out of tricks.

Parrot II slammed into Battar like a boulder shot from a catapult. The gargoyle—summoned by Uicha—clamped its stone jaws on Battar's sword arm and shook its head back-and-forth like a dog with a toy. Uicha could've imagined gentler ways to get the sword out of his belly, but this would have to do. As the blade ripped clear from him, Uicha fell backward onto the beach. He couldn't relish the surprise on Battar's face, too distracted by the decayed tear in his abdomen.

The gargoyle flapped its leathery wings, trying to drag Battar into the air. Snarling, Battar fought back, not allowing himself to be carried. Instead, Parrot II settled for ramming its front feet into Battar's broad chest, snapping now at the death knight's face. The gargoyle raked a chunk of flesh from Battar's cheek and jaw. Battar roared in frustration, his [Strength+] allowing him to hold the gargoyle and himself upright.

Uicha draped a hand across his eviscerated belly, willing his [Greater Regeneration] to work faster—willing it to keep working at all. His guts were bleeding again, at least. That seemed like a relatively good sign. Uicha pushed with his heels, scuttling backward, still feeling the urge to escape. At the same time, he used [Ice Mastery] to send two frozen spears at Battar's legs. That was enough to send the death knight toppling under the weight of Parrot II.

Although he now deeply regretted every decision he had made this morning, for a moment, Uicha thought he might yet have his way. Parrot II snapped and thrashed atop Battar, trying to reopen the death knight's throat. Killed by one of the symbols of Orvesis. The historian in Battar probably would've appreciated that sweet irony.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Uicha had not noticed Athur Buss stalk forward from the surf.

Hunched near Battar and Parrot II, Athur parted the strips of rags and feathers that hid his misshapen body. Fresh bile spread across Uicha's tongue as Athur's ribcage extended forth from his chest, his pale flesh parting bloodlessly, like brittle parchment. Creaking and popping, Athur's bones expanded until they were bigger than the man himself, the rest of his body draped over backward, gone limp. His ribs split open like a set of great jaws and closed around Parrot II.

The gargoyle's wings were crushed by the constricting cage of bone. Powdery scrapings drifted into the sand as Parrot II gnashed at the ribs. The beast's attacks were ineffective. Sharpened protrusions grew from the inside of Athur's bones, grinding down like teeth on Parrot II. Uicha watched as his gargoyle was constrained, pierced, and then crushed down—and finally, lifeless, pulled into Athur's misshapen body.

Athur straightened, shuffling his feathered robes so that he was covered once again. He extended his gnarled hands toward Uicha. Athur's wrists split open and sharpened stakes of bone flew forth—bones laced through with the marble-white of gargoyle flesh. Uicha deflected each spike aside with his [Telekinesis], although the final one buried itself in the sand right between his legs.

"Enough," Battar said. The death knight had regained his feet, fingering the fresh wounds on his face. He pointed down the beach. "Go get my sword, Buss."

The bone mage tilted his head back to flash Uicha a toothy grin from beneath his hood, then loped down the shore toward where Uicha had flung Battar's broadsword.

"You killed the archmage," Battar said, a note of wonder in his voice. He rubbed the side of his neck where the flesh was pink and raw but nearly healed. "I had thought it some internecine strife amongst the mages during which you managed to escape. But no. You killed Ahmed Roh and tried to do the same to me."

Groaning, with one arm hugging his middle, Uicha struggled to one knee. The [Fear] had lifted from him again, though he wasn't sure if that was because Battar's Ink had faded or if the death knight now wanted to talk. He reached for his scimitar with [Telekinesis] and the blade zipped back to him, then fell just short of his outstretched hand. The symbol on his chest faded. He'd used too much of his power when he'd panicked and tried to hurl Battar into the ocean.

"Go ahead," Battar said. "Pick it up."

Uicha considered running, but he sensed there would be no outpacing the Orvesian. He scrambled forward and grabbed his scimitar.

As soon as Uicha had the weapon, Battar pointed his open hand at him. From Battar's palm came a beam of purplish energy that absorbed the sunlight, a dimming streak of night that filled the air with a scent like rotting meat. Uicha stumbled to the side in a clumsy attempt to dodge, but the beam caressed down his sword arm.

Where the energy touched him, Uicha's skin became shriveled with wrinkles. The lean muscles in his arm became like bags of rice, sagging against his puckered flesh. His wrist buckled at the weight of his sword and, with a startled cry, he quickly changed hands.

A half-closed gut wound. A ruined arm. At last, Uicha's [Greater Regeneration] gave out. He would have to survive like this.

"Did I not treat you generously in Ambergran?" Battar asked as he let his beam of [Wither] flicker out. "I tried to show you kindness. A boy in an unenviable position, but a boy nonetheless. Not an object to be stolen and dissected. Not a vessel to be locked away. I wanted to help you, Uicha."

Uicha raised his sword with his good arm. "You murdered half a village."

"The gods!" Battar shouted. "The gods did that! Have you listened to nothing I've said?"

"You really do disgust her," Uicha replied. "Kayenna Vezz. She thinks you're a fool."

Battar came forward then, crossing the sand on long, bounding strides. Uicha sliced crosswise for the man's chest, but Battar was too fast. He sidestepped easily and simply punched Uicha in the face, breaking his nose. When Uicha brought the blade around again, Battar struck him in the elbow. Uicha's whole arm went numb and he dropped the scimitar.

"If I am a fool," Battar said, "it is because I thought to treat you gently."

Battar hooked his hand behind Uicha's head, grabbed him by the back of his neck, and lifted. His thumb and forefinger squeezed tight beneath the joints in Uicha's jaw. Black islands floated through Uicha's vision. He couldn't breathe.

"Look at this," Battar said. "The Orvesian blackbird in red."

He studied the box on Uicha's neck, temporarily filled with the symbol for Orvesis. Then, he raked his free hand down Uicha's chest, tearing open what was left of his shirt and exposing the rest of his crimson Ink. Hissing, Battar traced his thumb across the symbols.

"How did you do this?" Battar said. "Why would you do this?"

At the edge of unconsciousness, Uicha deactivated [Disloyal]. The Orvesian symbol disappeared from his neck, leaving behind only the empty symbol of the Forgotten One. The marking for [Disloyal] faded beneath Battar's fingers.

Meanwhile, air rushed into Uicha's lungs, an invisible force pressing back against Battar's fingers, giving him room to breathe.

"Ah, so the gods do still watch over you," Battar said. "How quickly you go running back beneath their skirts."

He set Uicha down and lightly brushed his shoulders.

"A relief for me, actually," Battar continued. "I can do what I wish now, without fear of going too far."

Battar punched Uicha in the face. The blow was like getting hit with a sledgehammer. Uicha was knocked off his feet and Battar's knee was pressed into his chest before he even hit the ground. The death knight punched him again, and again.

"There is not as much resistance as I would expect," Battar mused. "You must have displeased the gods, Uicha. For once, I find myself in agreement with them."

Uicha's head lolled to the side. His teeth felt loose and his ears rang. One of his eyes had swollen shut, but through the other he saw Athur returning with Battar's broadsword. The bone mage cast a long shadow behind him and, for a moment, Uicha thought that the day had gotten late while Battar beat him. But no, that wasn't a shadow—it was a slump-shouldered man, stepping out from Athur's silhouette.

"I have a question."

The inquisitor Samus Bind took a drag from his smokeroll. Immediately, Battar shot to his feet.

"Athur!" the death knight shouted. "Cover your ears!"

The warning came too late.

"[How far can an Orvesian swim?]" Bind asked.

Uicha could feel the power in the words. So, apparently, could Athur Buss. The bone mage dropped Battar's broadsword and took off at a gallop for the ocean. He plunged into the waves and began to swim toward the horizon, compelled to provide the inquisitor with an answer.

Battar stood over Uicha's body, unmoved. "Your tricks won't work on me, toadie."

"No?" Bind shrugged. "Shall I appeal to your sense of law, then, Master Crodd? The boy you're pummeling is to be turned over to my custody for crimes against the Magelab."

Uicha tried to roll over. Perhaps he might make his escape while these two exchanged words. Battar stopped that notion by stepping on his cleaved belly.

"You have no jurisdiction over this boy, no legal claim," Battar said. "And even if you did, laws written by your castle of crones aren't fit to soak up my piss."

"Well." Bind closed one eye. "I suppose it's other methods, then."

The inquisitor flicked away his smokeroll. It zipped through the air like a bee on a stinging trajectory and exploded against Battar's chest with a concussive force that made Uicha shudder. The death knight stumbled backward as Bind unleashed more bursts of energy from his pointed finger—some Battar dodged, while others struck him. Either way, the effect was the same. He was buffeted away from Uicha. The death knight's [Unmovable] ability had faded, used too much in fighting off Uicha's telekinesis and his gargoyle. A small victory for Uicha, at least.

Bind reached Uicha swiftly, moving with a grace that looked strange on the sloppy man. As Battar roared and regrouped, Bind hastily sketched a rectangle in the sand next to Uicha. He dropped a gleaming silver rock into the place where a doorknob would go.

"Can you walk?" Bind asked Uicha. "Crawl?"

Uicha whimpered.

"Annoying," Bind said.

Then, he dropped down on top of Uicha, bodily rolling him into the rectangle he'd sketched. Breathing heavily, Bind groped for the stone and—as Battar charged toward them—he turned it.

A door opened in the sand and, in the arms of the inquisitor, Uicha fell through.