Heart of the Ocean Page 34

  To the northeast was a low ridge, only a quarter of a mile from them. Something about the ridge looked familiar to Connor, and the river flowed down from there. Needing a better vantage point, Connor decided to act. Pulling Laila free from the water, he lifted her, as gently as possible while trying to avoid the burns that still marred her chin and neck, onto his shoulder. One arm wrapped around her waist, and the other held her hand, with her staff, over his shoulder. In this manner, he guided her unconscious body up the small ridge.

  It was only a short distance, but it took Connor a while to clamber his way up the ridge. Unsure with the wet stone beneath his feet and trying to maneuver Laila, staff and all, made it difficult. Reaching the top of the ridge, Connor understood what he’d recognized.

  A forest stretched out, north and east of the ridge that he and Laila now stood on. A forest that had a very definite edge, bordered by the barren stone. Connor's jaw dropped in stunned silence. Laila had brought them back to Anrhe, or at least, they were very close. He had seen this river on his hunting excursion with Nina. They were maybe three miles to the southwest of Anrhe. The sensation of the sun on his face brought another realization.

  "The Storm..." he whispered to himself. It was gone. The hills here had been washed clean of any soil after two millennia of perpetual rain. But now they stood in the light of the sun. A late winter sun, so it offered little warmth, but the sun regardless.

  The Ondine were free, and they had taken the Storm with them.

  As Connor stared at the forest, he noticed a series of black pillars reaching into the sky in the direction of Anrhe. Pillars of smoke, he realized. The Aspect had spoken of the Manders and Nuriel's attack against the remnants of the Edonin. They had to get to Anrhe!

  Connor felt Laila stir against him. She coughed and opened her eyes to slits, glancing up at Connor. A brief spasm of pain passed across her face, and leaning her staff against her side, she reached her free arm up to brush the burn on her neck. Her eyes opened wider and she caught Connor's eyes.

  "Did we...?" Her voice was weak, hardly a whisper.

  Connor nodded, pointing toward the forest. He felt her sag against him in brief relief, then quickly stiffen again as she saw the smoke.

  "We have to—" A spasm of coughing cut her words short.

  "I know," Connor said to her unfinished statement. After another moment, he turned to her. "Can you walk?"

  She grasped her staff tighter and pulled her arm from his shoulders slowly, testing her weight against the support of the stone. Grasping the staff with both hands, she leaned against it, steadying herself.

  "I think so," she whispered.

  "If you can't—"

  "I said I think so." Her voice was a little stronger. She waved toward the pillars of smoke, "Let's go."

  Connor nodded, watching her for a brief moment longer, unable to hide the concern on his face. Then he turned and headed down from the ridge, toward the forest and the smoke rising over Anrhe.

  Laila stumbled her way through the forest behind Connor. Her staff was heavy in her hands, and the pain from her neck and side was nearly unbearable, but she pushed forward. Anrhe was burning, and her friends were still there, somewhere.

  How long had they been gone? It had taken them two days to reach the Tomb, but Laila had no idea how much time had passed since Pontus's release. Two days, three? Maybe more. Her fear for her friends kept her on her feet, clambering through the forest toward the stone buildings of Anrhe.

  She saw a break in the trees ahead. Connor rushed forward, and she pushed herself to keep up. Bursting from the trees, they heard the sounds of battle, much as they had heard near the Waters. Snarls and shrieks echoed through the village as Laila and Connor stepped toward the low wall that surrounded the buildings.

  Blue light flared, and the Sword appeared in Connor's hands, ready to defend Laila. Reaching through her staff, Laila called on her power. She felt her body protest at the exertion, but she fought through the wave of exhaustion that washed over her, the desire to save her friends keeping her on her feet. The Earth rose up beneath her, coating her arms in the familiar slithering sensation, and she felt strength flow into her, allowing her to stand freely. Along with the familiar strength, Laila felt a new sensation of power. It was a cool sensation, granting Laila a sense of calm. She drew on that calmness, letting it wash over her much as the strength of the Earth did. Both sensations bolstered her, kept her steady. She turned to Connor, who was watching her, his eyes wide.

  "Ready," she said, her voice echoing with the power of two elements.

  Connor stared at her a moment longer, and then he nodded his head and led them into the village.

  A roar went up as soon as they were within the short wall that surrounded the village. A trio of Manders that had been hunting along the edge rushed toward them, their claws renting hot gashes in the rough ground. Connor stepped in front of Laila, his Sword moving smoothly, the way she had seen her mother move back when she was younger. She raised her staff, ready to defend herself against the creatures.

  The blue of Connor's blade flashed and took the first Mander beneath the chin as it rose up toward him. The Mander snarled painfully and then dropped to the ground, unmoving. Spinning free, Connor's Sword dropped in a smooth arc toward the second Mander. This one reacted quicker than the first had, just escaping the blue blade. Connor continued the movement without missing his stride, however, and came down in a complete circle, blue light crashing into the top of the third Mander's head, dropping it to the ground.

  The Mander Connor had missed growled as it moved toward Laila. A burst of pain echoed along her chin and side upon seeing the heat that emanated from the fire-wolf. Then the cool and calm of her newfound power replaced it, allowing her to stand her ground despite the pain. She batted the creature’s claws to one side with her staff. A hiss of steam rose up from the contact, and the Mander drew its paw back, snarling in pain.

  That is new, Laila thought.

  Connor stepped up behind the creature and finished it with a quick thrust of his Sword. It had all happened in a matter of breaths. Then Laila remembered the Manders at Grimmere.

  "Connor! Fire!" She pushed her hands into his chest and flung him away from the fallen creatures. A second later the three Manders’ bodies burst into flames. Laila held her staff. The heat engulfed her, but the Earth coating her limbs protected her, barely. She could feel the heat as it licked at her arms, face, and side. Heat from her wounds rose to meet the flash fire. But it was quickly over. Laila stood in the middle of the charred circle of ground. The bodies of the Manders were gone.

  Looking up, her eyes still sensitive from the flames, she saw Connor sprawled against one of the nearby stone houses. His clothes were singed at the front, but he was otherwise unharmed. He stared back at her, wide-eyed.

  "Thanks," he said.

  She nodded and then motioned toward the village, following as Connor turned and stalked forward, Sword at the ready. They slid along the curved walls of the houses, keeping a wary eye out for any more elementals. They could hear the sounds of fighting further in; the three Manders they had just fought must have been stragglers.

  They neared the center of the village, passing by one melee between a group of Ondine and Manders, but the elementals were too engrossed in their own battle to notice Laila and Connor.

  Reaching the last circle of buildings before the village center, they leaned out just enough to try and make out what was happening, but not enough to be seen, they hoped.

  The black smoke they had seen from the river arose from the remnants of the huge bonfire that had burned at the center of Anrhe. Now the blackened logs smoldered. Patches of fighting surrounded the logs. Growling Manders swiped and snapped at the almost-human forms of the Ondine, their own wailing echoing through the large circle.

  "What if everyone's gone?" Laila asked in a whisper.

  Connor turned back to her. "They're here..."

  "Where, though, Connor? We haven
't seen any of the Edonin. We watched Tomo and Ayman change. Maybe they were all Ondine. What if there's no one left? Mother, Icarus, Dio... They would've had no warning... They would've been overwhelmed without even—" Connor's hand clamped over her mouth. Her voice had started to rise as she spoke. She could feel her emotions start to overwhelm her despite her firm grasp on her power.

  "We can't just give up that easy," Connor hissed, leaning in close to her ear. She could feel his pulse pounding in the palm of his hand, see the fear in his eyes.

  Laila took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Connor leaned back again, taking in the scene in the village center. Laila saw his eyes widen as a new sound registered on her ears. A change in the pitch of the battle. Something different than the screeching and snarling they had been hearing. A clattering of metal, weapons. But the elementals did not fight with weapons. A new stab of fear shot through her chest.

  The Aurai did, though! she thought.

  Laila moved Connor's hand from her face and leaned around the curved edge to get a clear view, waiting to see the pale skin of the air elementals.

  Instead, on the far side of the circle was a small patch of humans, fighting desperately against the elementals: Manders and Ondine alike. With no pattern to their own battle, the elementals flung themselves at the humans whenever they came near; the heat and craze of battle casting aside all cohesion of thought. An enemy was an enemy. If they were not of their kind, then they were to be destroyed.

  Laila and Connor watched in silence as the group of humans tried to keep together, forcing their way deeper into the circle. It looked like they were heading toward the Elder's house. Connor pointed to another entrance, and they saw another small group of warriors moving into the circle, fending off the battle-crazed elementals.

  "The Edonin," Laila said.

  Connor nodded.

  "So they weren't all Ondine..." Laila said.

  "That means..." Connor began.

  "The house!" Laila said. "Maybe they got back there. Hid from the insanity."

  "Let's go," Connor said, sliding away from the building. The appearance of the Edonin warriors had drawn the attention of the elementals to the opposite side of the circle, allowing Connor and Laila enough time to cross in the direction of the house they’d stayed in.

  Just before they were free of the circle, a wail sounded behind them. Laila glanced back over her shoulder. Four Ondine had seen them as they crossed the circle. Turning away from the Edonin, they raced toward Laila and Connor. These Ondine did not have the look of intelligence about them like those on the island. Tomo had mentioned the restorative nature of the Waters, which these Ondine here had not yet received.

  "Go!" Laila shouted, pushing Connor forward, hoping they could lose the elementals in the twists of the village.

  They weaved their way through the houses as quickly as possible, but the Ondine were fast, and Laila and Connor were tired. Even with her magic, Laila felt her steps faltering. There was only so much her body could take.

  Turning a final corner, they reached the place where the house should have been. Sliding to a stop, they stared at the mound of earth and stone that stood where the house had once sat. The mound resembled the shape of the domed house, but there was no sign of what had happened to the house itself. Before they could investigate, the Ondine appeared behind them.

  Laila and Connor spun to face them. Their eyes glared at the two humans from their wavering faces. Connor stepped forward, Sword ready. Laila raised her staff. The Ondine approached in a rush like a wave. Laila felt herself thrown up against the mound. Pain shot down her spine, and her burns flared again. She swung her staff wildly, trying to keep the creatures at bay, but they danced out of her reach before quickly sliding back in.

  Cold hands wrapped around her neck. She tried to fight, swinging her head back and forth, but the strength that her power usually granted her began to slip away. Pain and exhaustion washed over her. Her breath caught in her throat as the Ondine squeezed. Laila struggled, thrashing back and forth. The corners of her vision began to go dark. The Ondine's cold hand squeezed against her burned neck. She began to slump against the earth behind her, her strength finally failing. With one last effort, she swung her staff at the elemental. There was no force behind the blow, and the Ondine did nothing to deflect the swing. The stone of the staff thumped into the creature’s arm ineffectually.

  But as it did, Laila felt a surge of power arc from her chest to the staff. A brief sputter of power. The Ondine's grip lessened, and the elemental's eyes glanced at the staff. The animal look that had encompassed the Ondine's eyes a moment before had faded into a look of bewilderment. Laila gulped at air as the pressure around her neck relaxed. She could still feel the remnant of the power that had flared, and she reached out with her mind to take hold of it. The Ondine had responded to that power.

  The sense of calm returned, and she planted her staff in the ground, facing the two elementals. She found that she could see the Ondine clearer now, their wavering forms becoming almost transparent, revealing the nearly human forms beneath. The one that had been holding her stared, and the second Ondine moved to strike.

  Channeling her sense of water through her staff, she brought the staff up again. The second Ondine batted at the stone, moving forward. But as soon as the elemental's arm touched the stone, there was another surge of power, and the creature stopped suddenly. This one appeared female, flowing hair and deep blue eyes locked with Laila's; a profound sense of loss resounded in those eyes.

  The two facing her stood silently, watching Laila. Sounds of struggle brought Laila's attention back to Connor. He was barely keeping the other two from him, swinging his Sword in wide arcs, his arms nearly bereft of their strength.

  "Connor! Draw them here to me!" she shouted at him, fighting desperately to put strength into her voice.

  Connor did not respond. She doubted that he had even heard her. His arms flailed wildly. The Ondine continued their assault.

  "Stop them!" Laila pleaded to the two near her. The pale eyes moved between her and their counterparts attacking Connor, but they did not move.

  Stumbling forward, Laila moved toward Connor. With a heavy blow, one of the Ondine struck Connor across the jaw. The Sword disappeared from his hands and he dropped to his knees, blood streaming from his nose. The elementals raised their hands to continue their assault.

  Laila swung her staff in a wide arc. It slammed into the first Ondine with a flash of power, knocking the two elementals away from Connor. As they stumbled back, Laila reached out again and touched the last Ondine with the stone. Another burst and then calm and bewilderment settled over the last two.

  Disregarding the Ondine for the moment, Laila knelt in front of Connor. She grabbed his face in her hands gently.

  "Connor? Connor?"

  Hazy eyes lifted to hers. "I'm....I'm okay." Raising his hand to his nose, he wiped at the blood. "I think." He tried to smile at her awkwardly, but the pain overcame him and he grimaced, lowering his head.

  "Can you stand?" Laila asked.

  Connor nodded slowly. Laila stood and supported her weight on her staff. Reaching out, she helped pull Connor to his feet. Finally, he was able to get his feet beneath him, and he stood, resting a hand softly on her shoulder for support.

  The four Ondine had moved together now, facing the two of them. The first one she had touched said something to her, a flowing sound that reminded Laila of the sound of the falls that surrounded the Waters. She did not understand its speech.

  "I am the Magusari," she stated, unsure. "Return to the Waters. Pontus is there."

  The four Ondine stared at Laila, unmoving. Slowly, their eyes began to take on a more intelligent look. Touched by the Waters, they were now returning to their senses.

  The one who had spoken turned and said something in the flowing language, directing it toward the other three. The other three responded. They turned to Laila and bowed slightly and then moved off to the west, toward the ri
ver.

  Laila stood in stunned silence for a long while, watching the Ondine retreat. She could still hear the sounds of battle from the village center, but nothing seemed to be coming near them.

  "How...?" Connor asked.

  Laila shrugged, placing her hands around her staff. She turned back to the mound of stone and earth. What had happened to the house? Her mind could not focus. Exhaustion threatened to knock her from her feet, and the rush from their flight and short confrontation was fading quickly.

  "Maybe they're...inside?" Laila said, mostly to herself.

  "How'd the mound get here then?" Connor asked.

  "I wish I knew. Maybe..." Her voice trailed off as she moved toward the mound and placed her staff against the earth. She reached out with her power, trying to feel her way through the stone and dirt. A few feet beneath the surface she felt a thicker, more deliberate formation of stone. The house!

  "It's still there," she said, her voice not reflecting the surge of excitement she felt.

  Reaching out as she had done before, she pulled at the Earth, moving the lines of power that encompassed the house. A rumbling began in front of them. Connor took a step back, uncertain. Laila pulled, trying to force the new earth away from the stone beneath.

  In a burst of rocks and dust, the mound near Laila and Connor exploded outwards, knocking Connor off his feet and revealing half of a door. Small stones rained against the building opposite them.

  "Sorry," Laila said, looking down at Connor.

  Connor gave her an awkward half-smile and clambered back to his feet, his own exhaustion making the movements slow. There was a pounding at the door, and it wobbled against the earth that still covered it.

  "Laila?" They heard a voice come through the wooden door. "Laila!"

  It was Icarus's voice. He would have known it had been her that moved the earth.

  "It is," she said, relief overwhelming her. "Where's my mother?"

  "In here." Icarus's scratchy voice sounded weak. "We all are. Two days..." A fit of coughing overwhelmed the voice.