Sorcerers of the Frozen Isles

Chapter Seven

From all around the throne room, waves of anger washed through Torio’s battered mind.

Overpowering surges of guilt ripped through him as he knelt, exposed, before the people who had been his friends. Shielding from their fury, he withdrew into himself, as blind and helpless as he had been as a small boy.

Claws clicked on the stone floor, and Gray licked his face, nudging him under the chin, offering unquestioning comfort even though the dog had Read Torio’s experience along with all the other Readers.

Then a gentle hand touched his shoulder. “Torio.” It was Dirdra’s voice. “Don’t let Maldek do this to you.”

“You don’t understand,” he said wretchedly. “You couldn’t Read-” He threw his arms around Gray, not caring that the dog still loved him only because it couldn’t comprehend the enormity of his guilt.

“I could Read it,” said Melissa, kneeling on Torio’s other side and putting her arms around him.

“Torio-do you think we would blame you for an accident? You were too young even to understand what was happening! Torio?”

He could not respond, keeping his face buried against Gray, his mind firmly closed. Melissa’s pity was even worse than her anger of the moment before.

Then strong hands grasped his upper arms. “Stand up!” said Zanos, lifting him to his feet. “Torio- Read’t For Hesta’s sake-we’re angry at Maldek, not at you! What kind of evil mind tries to cast guilt on a man for what happened when he was a four-year-old child?”

“But it was my fault-” Torio began.

“Nonsense!” declared Zanos. “Have you Read Bryen blaming me for the loss of his hand? Or me blaming him for letting me be carried off into slavery? Or either of us laden with guilt for the deaths of the rest of our family? By the gods, Torio, you take responsibility for everything that happens, as if to make up for that one event that was not your fault.”

Hesitantly, Torio allowed himself to Read-and found that Dirdra, Melissa, and Zanos spoke the truth. It was not even that his friends forgave him-they found nothing to forgive!

Unlike his mother.

For the two years he had remained at home after Detrus’ death, Torio had lived with a silent woman who blamed her crippled son for the death of her perfect one. She had neither punished nor neglected him-but she had not loved him. And Torio’s growing powers had only revealed more and more how much his mother blamed him for something his young mind had banished from memory.

But he remembered clearly how happy his mother was to be rid of him when then-Magister Lenardo had discovered his potential as a Reader and taken him off to the Academy.

The Readers had taken four boys from six to eight years old out of their town that day. Torio, the youngest, was the only one who did not cry himself to sleep in his strange bed that night… the only one who did not want to go home again.

What he felt this evening in the throne room of Maldek’s castle was the same sense of relief he had known at the Academy, where his teachers had cared only about his Reading potential, and no one had blamed him for anything beyond boyish pranks.

This feeling was even more welcome. His friends knew-and they didn’t hate him! He Read their love, their caring as they gathered around him, even Bryen and Cassandra joining the circle to put their arms around him, protecting him against the malice of the Master Sorcerer-

Who stood partway up the steps to his throne, watching the scene in growing anger.

Astra turned to him. “We won’t let you pull that trick again, Maldek. We have our differences-but you will never again divide us!”

And as if her words were a signal-thunder roared outside, and people began to scream!

They Read outward, to find the city under attack.

Fire rained from the sky. Thunderbolts struck the castle. The forest roared into flame, animals fleeing, leaping into the river and the moat-

“Rokannia!” shouted Maldek.

But there was more than one Adept attacking!

In savage glee, the Readers felt Maldek recognize that the very tricks he had been using on his visitors had been turned against him.

While Maldek had been preoccupied with trying to divide and conquer his guests, Rokannia had taken the opportunity to gather two other Master Sorcerers against him-one of them Borru of Meliard, with whom he had been fostered as a boy.

Torio felt Maldek’s shock of recognition-Borru was his mentor, Rokannia his sworn vassal, and Shivahn his neighbor to the northwest, with whom he had an uneasy truce.

“How dare you attack me?” he demanded.

Rokannia answered for them all. “You destroy my people with your demands, Maldek-and your ruin of your own lands is spreading to those of your neighbors on Madura! You are at war with us, whether you declare it or not.”

“Borru,” Maldek appealed, “Master. You taught me to use my powers. How can you turn against me?”

“You have misused your powers, Maldek, against your people, your land. You must be stopped before you destroy everything your father left to you.”

“This is my land,” Maldek told them. Ill will do with it as I please!”

“No,” said Shivahn, “the land is not yours, nor the people-you are theirs! And your loss of control of the climate has crept year by year into my lands, until my crops fail under early and late frosts, my herds die in the winter storms-and my people suffer hunger! No more, Maldek. You will be stopped, once and for all!”

“Give it up, Maldek,” said Rokannia. “Your powers may be greater than ours individually-but our combined powers are greater than anything you have.”

“You are wrong!” Maldek roared aloud even as he projected the thought. Ill know where you are-and I will destroy you!”

And with that he sent a thunderbolt crackling to where Rokannia was hidden in the forest on the other side of the river-for, Torio realized, while Maldek was distracted with the games he was playing with his visitors, the three Master Sorcerers had left Rokannia’s ship and traveled inland on the same road Torio and his companions had taken.

Of course-these three had the power to fool Maldek’s Readers. They had not even known two other sorcerers were aboard Rokannia’s vessel. The ship was still proceeding around the southeast tip of the island, as if to sail up to the City by the river, as expected. No one had reported that it had put people ashore.

Rokannia and her cohorts easily deflected Maldek’s first blow and sent their own barrage against the castle, shaking its foundations. But it was built to withstand Adept attack, and nothing happened beyond a loud rattling.

Kwinn, however, wakened in terror and galloped down the stairs squealing, looking for Dirdra. When he found her, he flung his arms around her and buried his face in her skirt to be stroked and comforted.

Outside, local minor Adepts had already put out the forest fire-but Torio could Read that such an effort quickly used up their meager powers.

He caught Rokannia Reading him-in fact, Reading the whole group gathered before Maldek. “Join with us!” she directed. “Maldek has proven himself your enemy-help us to kill him, and you will have three Master Sorcerers in your debt!”

But it was not their war-at least not yet. Torio Read the consensus that they protect themselves, but not attack-a spontaneous response from all who could Read Rokannia’s offer.

“Don’t listen to her,” warned Maldek. “I will win. Be my friends, not my enemies! Help me, and I will reward you well.”

He probably Read the skepticism with which they heard that offer, but again they remained spontaneously neutral, waiting to see the outcome- all heartily wishing they were not trapped between Maldek’s evil and the uncertainty of Rokannia and her friends.

The attacking forces again struck with fire- Torio had seen this method of attack many times before. In the City, several neighborhoods blazed up, people running helplessly, minor Adepts rescuing those they could, healers rushing to save people who had inhaled smoke or been burned.

But then there were no new fires as the three Master Sorcerers concentrated so hard that they could not be Read unless one knew where to visualize them-and overhead storm clouds gathered, black and threatening. As they were creating them in a cloudless sky, Torio knew they were working against nature, using a great deal of Adept power.

“You think thunder and lightning will frighten me?” Maldek demanded sarcastically-but his audience was not listening.

Something more was happening in those clouds- water droplets were being urged together, freezing wind condensing them into ice crystals, larger and larger chunks-

Hail the size of melons began to fall on the City and the castle!

People and animals were struck and killed.

Roofs were pierced-and those which first held gave way under further bombardment and the sheer weight of ice.

Even the castle roof was struck through, great ice balls smashing on the stone floors.

But Maldek grabbed hold of the wind, and sent the hail sheering from the upper atmosphere across the river to strike the people who had created it.

Shivahn moved her attention from forming the hail to melting what Maldek was throwing at them before it could strike.

He focused on her-and the sorceress’ heart shuddered and heaved as searing pain clutched at her chest!

Her attention focused on her own body as, shaking, she fought Maldek’s squeezing of her heart.

Fortunately for Shivahn, Maldek dared not concentrate for long on just one person-for while his attention was thus engaged, Rokannia and Borru were directing the hailstones to crush his castle walls-stone walls pierced by ice, driven by Adept powers.

The castle shook as the kitchen wing collapsed.

Maldek had to concentrate on melting the ice before it struck-and at the same time protect himself as the three Master Sorcerers launched an attack on his body, trying to stop his heart or paralyze his diaphragm so he could not breathe.

“Fools!” Rokannia stormed at Maldek’s visitors. “You are closer than we are! Kill him where he stands before-”

But it was too late. Maldek was calling upon the planes of power-Torio could Read a strange aura of energy around him, protecting, even absorbing the blows the others sent against him, thus increasing its own power.

Astonishment rang from Borru. “Maldek-what are you doing? You cannot control so much power!”

" I am doing what you taught me, Master!” Maldek replied cynically.

“We must stop him nowMI exclaimed the sorcerer from the far north. “Come-join with me!”

And the three joined hands, Borru reaching for the same source of power Maldek was tapping- but with a difference.

Maldek was using the power as an outer defense. The sorcerer from Meliard merely drew strength into his own body, as if to heal the weakness caused by the use of Adept powers. Thus strengthened, he joined his companions in the attack with powers Torio was only too familiar with.

Searing flames rose all around!

Hot fire of destruction!

The tapestries went up in flames, the paneling, the wooden throne, the rugs-

Kwinn screamed, and Gray yelped in terror.

The doors burst into flame.

The Readers gasped in disbelief as the very stone walls began to burn.

They were trapped!

Even Maldek had to have air to breathe-and the fire was taking all the air!

Torio choked and gasped, trying to Read a way out. There was flame in every direction.

Heat seared his flesh.

Melissa, Zanos, and Astra fought the fire, but succeeded only in creating a flameless circle around them-there was still no way out!

Maldek concentrated-and cold white fire leaped across the river, attacking the circle of sorcerers-

It burned through their nerves, not healing now, but draining them with searing pain until they shriveled, agony traveling up their spines to their brains, roaring through their minds and leaving them dead-empty!

Maldek had won.

But his throne room was surrounded by fire, the walls, the floor, the very air aflame.

Outside, the forest blazed.

The City roared to the heavens!

All the power their own small circle of Adepts could muster could not hold off the conflagration any longer-they were dying.

“Maldek!” Melissa screamed. “Stop the fire! It will kill you, too!”

He Read that it was destroying his castle, his City-and in pure selfishness he once again reached for that cold white flame-

“Not more fire!” cried Torio-

But then he saw what Maldek was doing.

The cold fire attacked the hot-absorbed it! It spread, circling the group of visitors, drawing power from the flames it fed on and leaving only ash in its wake. Cold ash.

Everyone stared, gasping for breath.

Up the walls went the cold white fire, feeding on the hot orange flames, consuming them and leaving refreshing coolness.

Melissa stared at Maldek. “Such power,” she whispered. “Blessed gods-he is truly invincible!”

Maldek grinned triumphantly, striding down the barren steps as the fire retreated.

About him was still that aura of cold fire.

“Melissa,” Torio warned, “do not touch him! That power is working through him!”

“Of course,” replied Maldek. “I am its route into this world-only I dare call up so much power. Poor Borru-all he ever tried to teach me was to control, control, never loose the true power of which I am capable. Now he knows, wherever he is, what power he could have had if he hadn’t been afraid!”

The Master Sorcerer held out his hands, one to Dirdra, one to Melissa. “All power is mine. Rokannia, Borru, Shivahn-their lands are mine now. And you are mine. I have won the right to you- all of you.

Please me, and I will reward you. Displease me-”

He had no need to finish the threat. Neither woman, though, touched him. “You fear me,” he said, obviously pleased. “That is wise.”

“I do not fear you,” said Dirdra. “Nothing has changed. You cannot do anything more to me than you have already done.”

“Dirdra is right,” said Melissa. “What have you gained, Maldek? More power? You didn’t know what to do with what you had. Read what is happening out there-the force you unleashed may put out the fires, but it will not restore the lives of the people who died. It will not bring the forest back, fresh and green.

Only time will heal those terrible scars-and even time will not help if you continue to destroy your land.”

Torio recalled his prophecy. “Maldek, your land is worse off now than before the attack. Your major trade city lies in ashes. You are your land-do not think that you have any more power than it has.”

“Do you think your nonsense frightens me, Torio? / decide my fate, not some foolish Reader who will not even see, let alone learn to use the other side of his powers. Borru tried to make me into someone like you-afraid of power-and see where he lies now. With my powers, I need have no fear of superstition!”

“Then what,” Astra put in, “are you going to do about the power you have unleashed? Can you control what it is doing now, Maldek?”

Everyone Read with her-and found the cold white energy drawing back toward the castle. All the fires were out-but people lay dead or dying… and as it retreated, the cold fire, having consumed its prime target, now sucked the life from anyone it met who could not shield.

Those with either Reading or Adept power managed to fight it off-but they saw friends and family drained of life in its wake, and screams of renewed agony followed upon the sobs of the already grief-stricken.

“No!” exclaimed Maldek-and for the first time Torio Read genuine fear grasp at the man’s mind.

But the Master Sorcerer wasted no time on his apprehensions-he reached out with his powerful mind, drawing the circle of cold fire back toward the castle, to himself, so that he could banish it-

Where freezing emptiness had been, cold flames flickered and leaped, eluding Maldek’s attempts to direct the fire-it seared through him, cold and deadly, tapping the power of its own plane to renew its strength.

With a mighty effort of will, Maldek forced the white fire to retreat to the castle-where it broke forth in even greater force!

Where orange heat had consumed before, now unyielding cold ravaged through the castle-

Torio Read what was happening:

Maldek was the conduit for this force from another plane of existence.

The farther it ranged from its link with its own world, the weaker it became, and the more easily he could control it.

But when he drew it toward himself, to force it back onto its own plane, it renewed itself by contact with its origins, and could resist him!

¦ Zanos, Melissa, and Astra automatically joined their efforts to Maldek’s-but their powers were nothing compared to his, and they made no perceptible impact.

I The cold energy leaped about the castle-striking the living, drawing their life. Many of Maldek’s servants had powers. They resisted, but those who I had no defenses succumbed without even knowing what had struck them-and with every life, ¦ the draining force grew hungrier.

“Dirdra!” Torio shouted. “Take Kwinn and Bryen I and-”

Then he realized that they were surrounded-as Maldek closed the circle of energy, it had to travel over, past, or through all of them!

“Protect them!” he directed, and they shoved the three with no powers to the center of their circle, Torio, Melissa, Astra, Zanos, and Cassandra joining hands around them. Gray patrolled the outside of their circle as Maldek stood on the steps to his throne-now a pile of ashes-intent on conquering that cold energy as he had conquered every other opponent in his life.

As he drew the cold fire toward himself, it flicked over the circle of portectors. Torio felt it tingle through his nerves, far stronger than when it was used for healing. He shivered as it tried to draw the warmth from him-but instinctively, without knowing how he did it, he let it flow through him without effect.

So did Melissa, Zanos, Astra, Cassandra-and even Gray.

But Dirdra could not let it flow, nor Kwinn nor Bryen-in them, the cold drained, drained-

“Maldek-stop it!” shouted Melissa.

He did not reply-there was no possible reply! He was struggling with all his might. Torio Read his dominant emotion: not fear, but utter astonishment.

Never since he had come into the full flush of his powers had Maldek met a force he could not conquer!

The more Maldek struggled, the stronger the unleashed force became. Never before had the Master Sorcerer allowed it to reach beyond his touch-and now it sought mindlessly the freedom it had briefly known, pure power seeking to consume-

It broke free!

The Adepts were blank to Reading as they struggled to aid Maldek-but their abilities were nothing to his, and he could not control the force he had set loose.

Rampaging now, it seemed a living thing escaped from long imprisonment-

But it was not a reasoning thing.

There was no appeal to it, any more than one could reason with a flood or an earthquake.

The consuming energy burned Maldek with cold fire as it poured forth from his outstretched arms, then from every pore of his body, surging outward, seeking life, sucking energy out of the very stone.

Again the wave of life-sapping power washed through the circle of Readers and Adepts-but this time they could not protect Dirdra, Kwinn, Bryen. Already weakened, they were sucked dry, left lifeless husks… even the warmth was gone from their bodies, and they were left frozen.

The cold spread and spread, drawing life and warmth from everything it touched, feeding itself and growing stronger.

Shaking with the blasts of cold air, Torio turned from the now useless circle. Gray leaned up against him, seeking to share warmth, while Melissa got up from Reading the corpses of their friends, tears freezing on her lashes before they could fall. She buried her hands in Gray’s fur, also seeking warmth.

Torio’s breath was white smoke as he shouted, “Maldek, it’s destroying your land! It will kill your people, and the very earth itself! Let go, Maldek! Cut it off from its source!”

“How?” demanded the sorcerer, no longer seeming to stand there of his own volition, but to be suspended by the force flowing through his body.

” You are the avenue of power,” Torio explained. “Let go, Maidek-save what is left of your land!”

And the Master Sorcerer, realizing that the only way to cut off that draining power was to destroy its means of access, knew: he had to die.

“No!” he howled.

The numbing cold crept up Torio’s legs, and bit at his Fingers. “You have no choice!” he shouted. “It will take you after it has taken everything else!”

Cassandra fell to her knees, arms wrapped around herself, cold seeping toward her vital organs.

“No! I will control it!” Maidek insisted, although he had no strength left.

“It’s using you!” Torio insisted. “The only way to control it is to shut it off! Maidek-it’s going to take your life-let it go now, and save everyone left alive!”

Zanos and Astra huddled together, slumping to the floor as the sleep before death took them over.

“Maidek, our friends are dying!” said Melissa. “It will kill you after it’s drained everything else. Let go now, while there is some hope for your land!”

But Maidek would not listen.

Torio felt Melissa Reading him, Cassandra, Zanos, and Astra-all were dying. Gray dropped to the frozen floor, frost on his coat, and Torio could not keep his feet, could not even feel them.

But Melissa did not fall. Instead she stumbled toward Maidek, pleading, “You must die for your land, Maldek-to live forever in the land itself and the memory of your sacrifice.”

She reached toward him.

“No! Melissa-no!” Torio tried to shout, but his sluggish body produced no more than a choked gasp as he launched himself toward her. His legs would not obey him.

Melissa took one of Maldek’s outstretched hands. “Let me help you,” she said, her healer’s instinct reaching to aid him through the transition-

But the moment she touched him, the cold fire poured through her body as it did his!

Reading, Torio knew faster than thought what Melissa would do. “No! No! Let go!” he screamed, panic forcing his sluggish blood to pound through his arteries.

This time he gained his feet, stumbled forward, reaching for Melissa to break the contact-

He felt her surprise, her confusion, her fear-

“Torio-oh!” she shouted, the name broken off bluntly. Then the set of her mind turned to total determination.

The devouring force cut off, as sharply as if sliced with a sword.

Maldek fell backward, released, a stringless marionette.

And Melissa, loosed from his grip, dropped lifeless into Torio’s outstretched arms.