The Black Orb Read online

  Silence reigned in the cavern long after the Tsarina stopped talking.

  Aria felt as if she was drowning in a vortex of powerful emotions. A mist seemed to hang before her eyes, obscuring her vision and clouding her powers to think. She swayed on her feet, and if it hadn't been for Bikkar's hold on her wrist, she might have fallen on the hard floor. "My parents were victims of the Black Orb?"

  "Take a deep breath." Bikkar's voice seemed to be coming from far away.

  She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, concentrating on one image, her brother as she had last seen him before he disappeared from the city. He had been playing with Shayla's young son. They were throwing marbles on the floor, each attempting to outdo the other. Marcus could have beaten the young child easily but he was losing consistently. The two of them had been laughing like loons.

  Aria had thrown a basket at him and ordered him to bring much needed supplies.

  It was the last image she had of her brother before his transformation into the Queen's pet. And it was this memory she clung to with all the fierceness she could muster, until her mind calmed enough to think clearly.

  "I'm all right." She stood tall and proud in front of the Tsarina and stared at her.

  No matter how painful her past or how difficult her future, Aria knew she would not fail her brother. He was the only family she remembered, the only family she knew and loved with all her heart. And she would snatch him back from the jaws of death, if required.

  "If you wanted me to firm my resolve, you've done so masterfully." Aria said. The Tsarina had been brutal in her revelations. Perhaps it had been needed, perhaps not. At least Aria memories of her parents, something she did not have before. "I thank you for all you've shown me, your highness."

  "I did not intend to hurt you." A hint of remorse laced the Tsarina's words. "I felt it might help you to know that you have come from a family of great healers. They gave to the land and to the people, and never thought about their own needs. I hope that you will be able to uphold the tradition of service they established their lifetime."

  Aria brushed aside the Tsarina's near-apology. "Would I have been born with the gift of healing if it had not been taken away from my mother before I was conceived?"

  "I know not the answer to that. Perhaps it is possible that all their children might have been born with the same gift."

  Aria wondered what it would have been like to be blessed with magic. Would she have used it for good as her parents had done? As a healer, would she have earned pots full of gold? Marcus would have been a wonderfully compassionate healer, she knew. She allowed herself a moment to mourn all that might have been.

  "We'll take your leave now, my lady." Bikkar, still gripping Aria's wrist, bowed low. "You've been most helpful. We thank you for your gift of knowledge."

  "It was my responsibility to set the child on the right path."

  Aria followed him, looking back as she passed through the wide door. The Tsarina of Dryads had a look of profound helplessness on her face, almost as if she wanted to say something more, but did not have the right words for it.

  What would it be like to have so much power and magic, but still feel the bite of vulnerability, unable to do anything to save her own race from extinction?

  Chapter Eleven

  Without another exchange of words, Aria and Bikkar followed their guides to the stables. The strong and silent male dryads helped them load their horses with water skins and leather bags full of fruits and vegetables. It was what the dryads ate, and all they could offer to their guests.

  "Won't we need fodder for the horses?" Aria said, as Bikkar checked and re-checked the saddle straps.

  He scratched his chin in an absent-minded manner. "No. The ride will take us only one day and I want the horses to be light. They will need to be fast." He mounted his gelding and adjusted his cloak around him.

  "Why?"

  "Let's go." Bikkar urged his horse forward instead of answering her question. "Don't be all day."

  Aria rolled her eyes, but she jumped onto the mare and held the reins lightly as she followed him from the stable.

  It was so unlike Bikkar to not carry fodder for the horses. Despite the lush grass available around them, he had always ensured a variety of feed. There was a strange stillness around him this morning. His shoulders were rigid under his cloak and there was a set expression on his face.

  Aria looked around, searching for the source of his tension, but found no cause for alarm. The forest was cold and silent, the trees tall and forbidding. Their two guides strode swiftly, easily matching the slow pace of the horses. Not a whisper, not a leaf stirred on the trees as they traversed the forest, heading toward their ultimate destination. It was almost as if the whole forest was waiting for something.

  They picked up pace as the rays of the sun danced like shards of diamonds on the soft moss that grew under the trees. The dryads ran ahead, showing the way among the thick trunks of the ancient trees.

  The forest gradually opened, until the trees grew at a distance from each other, leaving wide spaces between for the horses to navigate easily. From under the canopy of the last tree, they looked across the plain of knee-high grass as it stretched to the bottom of the highest mountains Aria had ever seen. They reared, their peaks jagged, towards the blue sky overhead. Lush and green, they were covered with shrubs and bushes and tall trees that grew on the steep slopes.

  Bikkar surveyed the land before them, as if searching for any hint of danger.

  One of the dryads touched Bikkar's knee. "We bid you farewell now. May the Goddess smile on you and lead you on a safe journey."

  "Thank you for your hospitality. May your trees grow strong and tall under the benevolence of the Goddess." Bikkar smiled as he watched them melt into the shadows with graceful agility.

  After they disappeared, he stared back across the vast landscape spread before them. With a soft sigh, he dipped a hand underneath his tunic and took out the golden key he wore. With a sharp tug he pulled it free and passed it on to Aria, along with the leather strap it was bound to. "Wear this around your neck."

  Aria did so, knotting the thong carefully so the key swung freely, its weight a heavy burden across her collar bone. "Why?" she whispered, as a hard lump of apprehension lodged deep within the pit of her stomach.

  Bikkar wouldn't look at her. He stared ahead, as if he could see something she could not. "Remember what I told you? Find the citadel in the forest. See those twin jagged peaks." He pointed to the mountain that rose to their north.

  "There's a valley at the base of that mountain. Once you enter the valley, you'll be safe from harm. It's protected by the magic of the citadel. The citadel stands deep in that valley. When you reach it, use the golden key to open the door. Inside rests the Dragon Claw. Once you have it, all will become clear to you."

  "Why are you telling me this?" Aria's body went numb as the lump inside her stomach seemed to grow and pulsate with fear. "You'll be with me, won't you?"

  Bikkar met her eyes squarely. "There's something I haven't told you."

  "What?"

  "When I stole the Golden Key from the Tomb of Issar, the long-forgotten god of war, where it was placed to ensure its protection by wizards of the past, I unleashed its guardians."

  "The guardians of the key?" Aria saw fear in his eyes for the first time since the beginning of their journey.

  "The guardians are stone warriors, called Akhands. They were entombed with the key. As soon as I removed the key from the tomb, they came alive and pursued me. I used a magic shield to hide from them. But the magic it takes to build and sustain a shield takes its toll, and I couldn't sustain it forever. Hence, I travelled to Azmeer.

  "Once I was inside Azmeer, I could not use magic but the lack of magic protected me--us--from them. The stone warriors could not sense the magic in the Golden Key in Azmeer because the power of the Black Orb disoriented them and prevented them from following the trail the magic of the key leaves behind. It was a
chance I took before I entered Azmeer."

  "Chance?"

  "Yes. I could have gone anywhere in the world to look for a person to wield the Dragon Claw, but I thought being in Azmeer, a kingdom devoid of magic, would save me from the stone warriors while I searched.

  "And I was right. Nightly I checked for them but it was as I'd hoped. They could not get the scent of the key. Still, they remained in the kingdom, searching for me.

  "Remember the tale the innkeeper told of strange men who killed an entire contingent of the Queen's soldiers? Those were the stone warriors. I realized that as soon as I heard the story. They are unstoppable, for they are not mortal."

  He paused to take a deep breath. "The Tsarina of Dryads informed me that they wait on the far side of the forest. They have sensed that the Golden Key is nearby and they're waiting for it to reveal itself. As soon as we leave the protection of the Forest of Dryads, they will scent its magic and follow us like hounds, because the power of the Black Orb doesn't extend on this side of the forest."

  "Could we not fight them?" Aria had always sensed that Bikkar was not telling her something but this she had not expected. What were the chances of their survival in a fight with warriors made of stone?

  Bikkar gave a short bark of laughter. "Fight them? The warriors are not human. They can't be killed with sword or arrow. They are created by magic, made of stone. We'll have no chance against them."

  "Can't you use your magic to shield us as you did when you stole the key? Can't you destroy them?" Aria sensed where the argument was headed. She would not...could not allow him to--

  Bikkar's lips twisted in a travesty of a smile. "I might once have been able to shield us for a limited time...but now, after the Black Orb's power was unleashed on me... My magic is not strong enough to cloak us from their eyes. Even at my full power, I couldn't have destroyed them. But now..."

  "So what will we do?" Aria dreaded his answer.

  "You'll go on. As soon as we step outside the forest, the guardians will sense the key and come rushing through the forest. The Tsarina refuses to get her people involved, fearing the wrath of Issar upon her. If she'd agreed to delay the guardians, it might've bought us more time but--" He shrugged.

  "We'll have some time before they emerge on this side. Goddess willing, we'll make it to the valley before they reach us. I don't know how fast they'll be traveling. If they're faster than our horses, they will catch us. If that happens, I'll use my remaining magic to cast shields around us, which might buy us more time.

  "Whatever happens, you must head for the valley." He stared at her intently. "You'll not stop or falter, push your horse as fast as it can go. Do not wait for me. Do not come back for me. Do you understand?"

  "What are you planning?" Fear burned a hole in Aria's heart as she realized the risks he was undertaking. She had a goal and that was to save her brother. He was willing to sacrifice his life for the good of all mankind and magical beings.

  "I still have enough magic to delay them, but I don't know how long I'll be able to protect you. Promise me you'll not stop for anything until you enter the valley. They won't be able to enter it because only mortals are allowed inside. Its magic will stop them from bringing harm within its protected depths. Promise me?"

  "You know that I would do anything to rescue my brother. I would risk my life to save his because without him, my life means nothing. That doesn't mean that I'm willing to let you give your life in exchange." Aria went numb as realization fully dawned. Her worst fears were coming true. He was planning to use himself as a shield for her. "You're asking for too much, if you expect that I'll stand by and let you destroy your life."

  "It's not only for your brother that I'm doing this. You're the only hope for thousands of people, not to mention all other magical creatures of our world. You must use the Dragon Claw to destroy the Orb. Promise me that you'll do so?" he insisted, with a half-smile.

  "I promise." Aria bit her lip to stop the flood of tears that threatened to overcome her. Bikkar had come to mean so much to her. He was the only man, apart from her brother, with whom she felt safe. He had risked his life and his mission to save her. How could he ask her to abandon him?

  But she knew why he asked it of her.

  Her mission was more important than the life and wants of a single individual. She understood, somehow it didn't lessen the pain in her heart.

  Perhaps her worse fears will not come to pass. They might outrun the stone warriors and reach the valley before the guardians of the key fell upon them. There was always hope, and she clung to it as a drowning man would cling to a piece of driftwood.

  Bikkar took the pouch that contained his gold coins from his belt and handed it to her. "Here. Take this. You might need it."

  Aria attempted a smile. "Are you sure you want to give all your gold to an ordinary thief?"

  "You may be a thief, but my dear, you're by no means ordinary. And I want you to know... It has been a privilege to be with you. You've more honor than most honest people I've come across."

  Tears prickled at the backs of her eyes. "Don't be so sure," she sniffed. "I might just run off with all your gold just to teach you a lesson. You're too trusting."

  He looked at her out of tired eyes. "Remember your promise. No matter what happens, go on without me. I've faith in you. You'll bring this evil to an end."

  Aria squeezed his hand. "I'm ready. Let's go. Let's give these warriors a run they won't soon forget."

  Bikkar steadied himself upon his mount. "Go!" he yelled. They spurred their horses forward and galloped out of the protection of the forest, into the thick carpet of grass.

  The hunt was on.

  Chapter Twelve

  As they raced across the wide open meadow, trampling emerald-green grass and dodging tree-high clumps of reeds, Aria wondered if Bikkar had imagined the threat from the stone warriors. They were the only living beings on the sunlit expanse as far as eye could see. There was no looming danger behind or ahead of them.

  Perhaps reaching the valley they were heading towards might be as easy as plucking ripe apples off a tree. But just in case, remembering their harrowing near-death experience with fire, she urged her mount to cover as much distance as possible.

  Bikkar was right beside her, his back hunched over his horse as he stared at the twin peaks ahead of them, almost as if he could, with his willpower alone, speed them across the distance in as little time as possible.

  The sun was high towards the east when Aria caught a sudden movement to her right. She turned her head. Way behind them, almost at the edge of the forest, was a glint of light, almost as if sun rays were being reflected off a sword or the blade of a spear. It hovered in the distance at first, but then it began to move. It appeared to first one side of their route, and then the other, until finally it veered and came straight toward them.

  "They're coming," Bikkar said, his voice muted.

  Aria urged her horse to move faster. Every few yards she turned in the saddle to look back at their pursuers, but they were still too far away to identify.

  "Don't look," Bikkar ordered. He rode hunched over his horse, with sweat pouring down his cheeks. "I'll try to confuse them with a false trail. Move ahead of me. Whatever you do, don't come back."

  Aria resisted the urge to protest and focused on her destination, on the serrated peaks with a valley nestled at their feet.

  Fighting the need to protect the man who had saved her life, who had come to mean so much to her over the past few weeks, she pushed all thoughts from her mind and concentrated her entire attention on her goal. Over the weeks, she had developed a bond with her horse and now, perhaps sensing the terror that threatened to engulf her, the gallant mare responded to her command with a grim swiftness.

  Through rivers of green grass swaying gently in the wind, she hurtled forward. Gradually Bikkar fell behind, although she could still hear the thunder of his horse's hooves. For now, he was safe.

  Aria longed to look back, but she dared
not do so. It was imperative that they not realize that she was the one holding the Golden Key. Her life was at risk; she knew that without a doubt. If the pursuing warriors caught her with the key, they would kill her as easily as she would swat a fly.

  She could all but feel the key around her neck growing heavy. It was a burden she could no longer bear. Aria fought an unreasoning need to take it off and throw it behind her. Perhaps the magic of the key was playing on her fears but she felt as if the warriors were right behind her, ready to overthrow her from her horse.

  Bikkar was the only barrier between her and them. He was risking his life to give her a chance, and she was determined to not let him down.

  No. She was not going to give in to fear, not so close to her goal.

  She risked a quick glance behind her. Bikkar was two horse lengths behind her. His mouth was moving. He was probably muttering incantations, trying to block the path of their pursuers. With each thundering stride of her mare, he seemed to fall behind. Was the power of his magic sapping his horse's strength? Or was he not urging his mount as he should?

  Was the magic necessary? Could they not simply outrun their pursuers? Were the stone warriors really capable of catching up with the horses?

  Bikkar clearly believed they could. His eyes narrowed in concentration, even as his gaze slipped past her to the looming mountains ahead. Sweat was dribbling down his forehead as he hunched on his gelding's back.

  She longed to slow, until she could take his reins and pull him forward with her. But she dare not. He had asked--no, commanded--her to keep moving. Casting one last desperate look over her shoulder, she focused her gaze on the sharp twin peaks and forced all else from her mind. The valley was her goal and she was not going to let anything distract her from her destination.

  The sun reached its zenith and began its descent and Aria still forced her horse through tall heather, across rushing streams, not stopping for food or rest. The mare's hide was sleek with sweat, its breathing labored as it responded to the urgency of Aria's commands.