Vantra wavered between politely cautioning Rezenarza and keeping quiet, knowing she could not withstand his anger when he took offense. If Rudarig had sacrificed Sun acolytes, he deserved a second round of Death’s Judgment, but if the ex-syimlin harmed his essence to the point he could not communicate . . .
She heard whimpers. The elfines clustered at the back of the altar looked from the confrontation to the two Nature adherents, then back, eyes wide with dread anticipation. Not one moved to help their high priest, which spoke ill of all of them. Even if they thought his punishment just, they should still say something about a non-Death being enacting it.
So she needed to say something. Jitters raced through her, and she settled her hand on her tummy. He could not throw her far in Physical form, though thumping against the wall or ceiling, then hitting the floor, would be unpleasant.
She firmed her stance. “Rezenarza—” He glanced over his shoulder at her. The bright glint in his eyes, the malicious half-grin, concerned her, but she pushed the words out anyway.“If he can’t talk, he won’t be of much use.”
Vesh chuckled, pulling the nymph’s heating gaze towards him and the nervous Nature acolytes. “True enough.”
He lowered his head so that his bangs fell into his eyes, then returned to Rudarig; the priest whimpered and shrank, his terrified visage proving she failed. Mentally shuffling through the few passages in religious texts she had read about him, she tried to find something she could use to sway him, wishing she had her mother’s sweet words. Kasoris could convince anyone of anything.
He raised his hand, a burbly bauble forming in his palm. Rudarig’s high-pitched, fearful wail irritated and concerned her; he did not seem much of a high priest, and he did not even attempt to protect himself. She imagined her mother’s fury if the ex-syimlin threatened her like that; slapping his hand away and snarling her displeasure would be the least of his worries.
He paused in his menacing, and a low, amused chuckle escaped his lips. “It seems you must retrieve your Light-blessed,” he said.
What? Her Light-blessed?
“Vantra!”
She looked at the end of the nave; Kenosera jumped above the heads of the changelings heading to the altar, his waving more frantic than friendly.
“The mercs took off and Jare went after them!”
Vesh swore for her. “He’s as impulsive as Qira,” he grumbled.
“Should I go after him?” she asked, torn between listening to Rudarig’s confession while hopefully mitigating Rezenarza’s anger, and racing after the man.
“Yeah. If he thinks the mercs will lead him to Kjaelle, that’s why. He needs backup, even if he doesn’t think so.”
“Other Light-blessed were going to the docks to look for her. Mica was one of them.”
Vesh smiled slightly. “He’s a hot head among hot heads. You need to stop them from getting into trouble, because I’m not up to it.” His head rolled over to look at the ex-syimlin, back towards her, and he winked. Well, he could ask Katta to interfere if things turned nasty. Or maybe they would retrieve Death?
Ema slipped her arms around his neck. “Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Vesh. He’s done it for us on numerous occasions.”
Yut-ta smacked her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Dough and Janny waited with the nomads, antsy and ready to zip after the impulsive Light-blessed. She noted discorporated essences and enemy changelings collapsed within vine enclosures, either from wounds or the rays. The Nature acolytes moved among them, taking them into custody or helping their own.
Her gaze skitted across the square. Too few enemies; the rest must have fled. What had Jare expected to do against so many?
A mercenary snarled and swatted at her captor, the vine confinement interfering with the strike. Vantra firmed her lips. She wanted to know why both Nature adherents and Hrivasine’s mercenaries were there. She wanted to know why Rezenarza had hidden in the ‘harbor’ before the Void filled the temple, how he even knew to do so. Something more was going on, and hopefully Vesh could find out before they needed the information.
Where was Xafane? Before she could ask, he zipped under an arched walkway, driving the vehicle he had used to take Yut-ta to the healers. “I have it,” he called, waving. He skidded to a stop, sending water splashing about. Dedari, Lesanova and Tagra took the shallow bed in back, and Dough and Janny clasped the golden canopy poles on either side of them, and stood on the bumper, holding their swords at the ready. Yut-ta slid across the bench into Xafane, and Kenosera squeezed next to him. As she had nowhere to sit, she grabbed the front pole and set her foot on the step; if she fell, better she than one of the living.
A Sun shield formed a dome over the vehicle. “Hold on!” Xafane shouted.
They took off with shrieks at the abrupt change of speed; Vantra nearly lost her grip, and wrapped her arms around the pole, squeezing tight. After she was certain she would not fall, she checked on the others. Thank Sun the nomads didn’t tumble out the back! They looked grumbly about it, though, while the pirates beamed, gleeful.
The cart sped through the streets, rain drumming hard against the shield, water spraying from the wheels. At least they did not have to worry about running over or soaking random citizens; no one wandered the walkways. She looked behind them. No roots. She expected them to punch through the earth and give chase, as they had before. Why did they not?
Xafane rounded a simple, two-tiered fountain in the center of a square, and the back end of the cart slid on the slick paving stones. She squeaked and clamped her elbows tighter around the pole as her lower body, under pressure, bumped into Kenosera. She righted herself, cast him a quick smile of apology, and stared at the street, terrified she would lose her hold.
Screams and the clang of metal drifted to them from the river when they reached another small square. Xafane increased speed, and they sailed over the dip in the road. She squeaked, squeezed her eyes shut, and hunched down as the cart landed, rocked, skidded, recovered.
“Snake’s hiss,” Kenosera breathed, strained.
“Oh, you should see him trying to reach the bookstore before close,” Yut-ta gritted. Both had braced themselves with their feet and held onto the underside of the dashboard to keep the jostling to a minimum.
“That’s because books are important,” the sprite reminded him, leaning over the wheel as if that helped him see better.
Boat masts and the shimmery green barrier rose over the street and buildings as they drew nearer the river. The structures disappeared, revealing an embankment with tall grass and red flower bushes lining the edge. The road ran down the embankment to a dock where the ships swayed gently on rain-splattered waves. Sailors stood on the wooden planks, staring to the right, many with weapons in hand, if not raised.
“Hold on!” Xafane shouted, making a sharp turn in the direction they faced. As if they’d let go!
The cart tipped onto two wheels. Vantra screamed as her legs collided with Kenosera, but it rocked back onto all four wheels and continued its trajectory towards the rain-clouded docks and the smears of shadows clashing within. The nomads gasped for breath, and Yut-ta made a high-pitched whimper. Janny’s laughter drowned them out; leave it to a pirate to take pleasure in nearly crashing!
“They’re aimin’ for the Loose Ducky!” Dough roared, pointing through the ever-increasing downpour with the tip of his sword.
Xafane flipped the headlights on, and they roared past fighters. Beings leapt out of their way, and enraged shouts followed them; one changeling jumped on the front, claws digging into the shield. Gold flared, and they soared over the canopy, scrabbling to regain their grip. The shield shattered, littering the ground with flaring bits that puffed out as soon as they struck the ground.
Oh no! She spotted several umbrareign in rivcon uniforms fighting. What if the sprite ran them over? What if a being crashed through the front and hit Kenosera and Yut-ta because the shield was down?
The vehicle skidded to a stop at a sign. Vantra, relieved, released the pole and hopped off, stumbled, and banged into the front before she regained balance. She forced her fingers to fully extend; she clutched the pole so tight, she had marks from screw heads on them. If she rode with Xafane again, she was sitting inside with a seatbelt on, even if she had to do so on someone’s lap. She did not care.
Dough and Janny disembarked and raced to the pirates blocking the end of a wooden walkway. They fought changeling mercenaries and umbrareign, the changelings wearing the same Guard tank tops as those at the temple, while the umbrareign had leather straps crossing their breasts that held quivers to their backs, a cloth that wrapped around their waist, and spiked bands on their arms and lower torso’s four legs. They had the same cast as Yissik, with dark fur, a colorful beak running down the center of their head, a stout body, paws instead of hooves, and a short, flippy tail. She assumed they were forest dwellers, probably from the Wiiv tribe.
“Pirates,” Xafane muttered as Dough’s sword sliced through a changeling. The cattish woman screamed and grabbed her side as her essence fled. The wisps got soaked then fell to the ground, lying in a heap of white and brown.
Vantra had never seen wisps behave in that manner, and she looked up at the rain, then held out her hand. A slick brown sheen coated the water, reminding her of dirty oil. Drops did not glide off the side in runny streaks but slowly slid down, where it pooled. Only after the drop had gorged on others did it release and fall to the ground. She felt weighed down, as if the rain added a rock to her palm.
She looked at the Sun shard, winced at the brown splatter coating it, and rubbed it on her tunic. What was in the rain? No time to find out.
She searched for Jare, but did not see him among the crowd of changelings, Wiiv, rivcon guards, sailors, and Light-blessed. Lots and lots of Light-blessed. Had they accompanied Arkie and Mica to the docks? If so, where were those two?
A Wiiv ran up, their muscular legs propelling them through the fighters without difficulty. They raised a spear and threw; Vantra flickered into Ether, the weapon sailed through, and then back to Physical, wincing at the grungy feel of the rain in her essence. The weapon clattered against the cart as the being raised their hands and unsheathed their claws.
Retravigance fell from her lips, but no fire intercepted the enemy. She dodged, her mind whirling—she could not cast a spell?
“Back away!” Lesanova shouted, bow fully pulled.
The Wiiv did not understand, so ignored her in favor of jumping at Vantra, swatting at her chest.
“Jenis tenet!” Xafane screamed.
The Wiiv glanced at him, disregarded the words, and swiped at her. Then they stumbled, cried out, fell; arrows sprouted from the left hind leg, the one pointing towards the two archers. They went deep, and Vantra winced, sympathetic pain rushing to her legs and chest.
Dedari walked to them, bow drawn, as pirates joined them. Two took charge of the enemy while the rest of them prepared for another attack.
She needed to prevent more death. Others would not be as kind as Dedari and Lesanova to the enemy. Should she try Clear Rays? She looked at the shard; no spark of Sun blazed within. Reaching the gemray used up its energy, and saving what remained in her for a more dire situation seemed more prudent, especially if she did not have access to the object’s potent power. “Xafane, can you cast Clear Rays?”
“I’m unsure,” he said, his hands gripping the steering wheel harder. “The rain isn’t completely natural, can you tell? I think it’s a deliberate casting meant to blunt magic, especially those that lean to Sun or Light.”
Oh. Was that what the brown stuff was meant to do? “I don’t see Jare.”
Xafane pointed at the Loose Ducky’s crew. “It seems we need to secure the ship before we find him.” He held his hand out to the rain, brought it back inside, and rubbed his fingers together with a disgusted grimace. “I haven’t seen a spell like this in centuries. There’s a weather or water witch around, and if they’re actively keeping the rain contaminated, I need to find them.”
“You need someone to guard you while you do,” Vantra said. She would not abandon him!
“We’ve got it,” a pirate said.
“We’ll stay, too.” Tagra drew his knife and faced the battle.
“I’m with Vantra,” Kenosera immediately said.
“Me too.” Yut-ta smacked her arm, drew his sword, and ran to the pirates protecting the ship. The other three nomads gave Kenosera confused looks, but he raced after the hooskine rather than respond. Vantra could feel their gazes plowing into her back as she followed. He had his own mind, as did they; why glare at her for it?
More pirates raced down the walkway, waving swords and screaming. The enemy glanced at the new arrivals, giving those fighting the opportunity to take them down. Unlike the nomads, they did not spare their foes, whether living or dead.
“Vantra!” Janny called, hustling around the back of the line with an elfine pirate in tow. “Llel here says Jare chased the changelings fleeing from the Sun temple through the fight, and that’s when the rain started feeling like icky.”
“Xafane thinks it’s caused by a weather or water witch, and they’re probably watching.” So many places to hide near the docks, and they had no time to search for them. “We need to get to the underground city. Whatever happens up here, it starts down there.”
“Dough said to take the boarding crew and get you to the door.” Janny touched her head scarf with the tip of her sword. “And we’ll do it. Kenosera, Yut-ta, stay in the middle. We pirates are already dead; wound to the gut won’t kill us.”
Vantra winced at the bluntness, and by the growly expressions that bloomed on their faces, neither did the nomad and acolyte.
