Savage Messiah

Everyone knew that Reznik was aware of Uther's designs upon his position. They also understood that the wily leader of the Valrenkians would not be easily killed. And so they waited and watched, to see which of the two would prevail.

The front room of Uther's cottage, like Reznik's house, was filled with beakers, bottles, and books. Numerous fluid-filled jars held human and animal body parts. Uther watched his young apprentice cutting the toes off a corpse that had just been taken down from one of the street gibbets and grimaced. The boy was doing a terrible job of it. Many Corporeals did not appreciate the value of a good brace of toes, but Uther did. He shoved the boy aside and snatched away the knife.

"You ignorant bastard! How many times must I show you?" He waggled the knife in the apprentice's face. The boy blushed.

"Take each toe off at the joint nearest the foot!" Uther instructed.

"Otherwise you run the risk of rendering the entire appendage useless! I didn't age this endowed corpse just so you could come along and butcher it! Now watch me again!" Muttering under his breath, Uther placed the razor-sharp blade against the lifeless skin.

Before he could begin, they heard a commotion outside. Looking out the windows, Uther saw people gathering in the street. That was unusual enough to warrant looking into it.

Uther dropped the knife. Ru

The crowd in the street was growing, talking, pointing up at the sky. Looking up, at first Uther couldn't see what was commanding their attention. Then two dark forms appeared, seeming to plummet right out of the sun.

Uther had heard of the winged ones who had accompanied the Coven upon its return to Eutracia. He also knew of the rumors claiming that these creatures were now under the command of the prince. But, like the others here, Uther rarely traveled beyond the walls of the bluffs and until this moment had never seen one of the Minions of Day and Night. A cottage door banged shut, and he turned to see Reznik run over to join the stu

At the last possible second, the two plunging forms abruptly pulled out of their dives. Snapping their wings open, the Minions leveled out and soared through the streets. The Valrenkians began to scatter.

Uther and his apprentice turned to run back to the cottage. But the apprentice tripped over his robe and Uther went down on top of him. As he hit the ground, he felt his ankle snap.

His apprentice scrambled his way out from under him and, with no regard for his master, ran into their cottage and slammed the door. Uther heard the lock in the door turn over. He looked frantically back to the sky, but saw nothing. The street had become deathly still.

Uther rose to stand on his good foot. Then he saw the two dark shadows tear across the ground toward him. He tried to run, but his bad foot collapsed painfully under him and he landed in the dirt again.

Uther watched in abject terror as the warriors soared down. In perfect unison, they leveled out on either side of him and expertly scooped him up, each holding one of his arms. Uther screamed, and tried to break free.

The next thing he knew was a meaty fist smacking into his face-and then nothing.

Finally seeing that it was safe, Reznik and a few others tentatively left their houses. They watched as the dark forms in the sky grew smaller, finally disappearing in the northeast. No one needed to tell Reznik who had sent the Minions, or where they were off to.

As he looked back down to the street, he couldn't escape the feeling that Satine was somehow the cause of this. Then he looked back to the sky, and another disturbing realization crossed his mind.

The wizards knew about them now, and they would be back. When they came, Valrenkium would have to be ready for them.

CHAPTER XXXIX

"The pollution that shall ravage the land will be never-ending, unless the Jin'Sai or the Jin'Saiou can summon the power to stop it. For the calamity shall be of the craft, and far beyond their wizards' abilities to control." -PAGE 333, VOLUME I OF THE PROPHECIES OF THE TOME

Tristan shot Celeste a quizzical look, then walked over to Wigg. An eerie silence still commanded the room. Wigg's eye was still trained upon the lens at the top of the signature scope as though he thought that if he stared at the blood signature long enough, he might somehow change what he was seeing. Tristan placed a hand upon the First Wizard's shoulder.

"Wigg," he said quietly, "are you all right?"

Wigg looked up at the prince. It was plain to see that he was overcome.

"What's wrong?" Tristan asked.

"It's her blood signature," Wigg breathed. He looked over at Jessamay. "You knew, didn't you?" he asked. "That's why you wanted me to use the scope."

Jessamay nodded.

Sensing Jessamay's pain, Celeste walked over and put her arms around the older woman. Jessamay gave Celeste a startled look. Then she looked back at Wigg. A strange mixture of sadness and surprise had suddenly come over her face. Celeste held Jessamay closer.

"What did you see through the scope?" Celeste asked her father.

Wigg sighed. "Do you remember my telling you that blood signatures lean either to the left or to the right?" he asked. Tristan and Celeste nodded.

"If the signature leans to the right, then its owner is induced to practice the Vigors," Tristan said as if reciting a lesson. "And if it leans to the left, the Vagaries. The lean is determined at birth, and it is immutable."

Wigg nodded, then shook his head in wonder. "Jessamay's signature displays no lean whatsoever," he said.

Tristan scowled. "But you said that was impossible!"

"That's right," Wigg said. "And until this afternoon, that's what I believed. But the proof is right here, on this table."

He went to sit on the bed. As Celeste moved aside, he took one of Jessamay's hands.

"Failee did this to you, didn't she?" he asked. "It was part of her experimentation."

Using her free hand to wipe away her tears, Jessamay nodded.

"It was so horrible," she whispered. "I was the only one who survived. Even so, Failee hadn't quite finished her work."

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked.

"Failee was trying to convert her signature from right-leaning, to left," Wigg answered for Jessamay. "But you killed the First Mistress before it was done."

He shook his head. "Jessamay and the others were here the entire time we were. They were only two rooms away, and we never realized it. If only we had known…"

He looked back down at the terrified sorceress. "I'm right, aren't I?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Failee wished to convert disciples of the Vigors to willingly serve the Vagaries by altering their blood signatures," she said.

"Had she completed her work, our world would be a far different place. During her last session with me, she bragged about how close she was."

"Who were the other subjects in the alcoves?" Celeste asked.

Wigg's mouth suddenly fell open and he covered his face with his palms. He shook his head gently.

"They were my other female officers of the Black Watch, weren't they?" he asked, his voice muffled by his hands.

Jessamay touched Wigg's face. "Yes," she answered. "She never told us what became of the male Black Watch officers she captured. Killed, presumably. We females were brought here by Succiu, when she returned from her raid on Eutracia. Failee gloated about it, telling us that she now possessed not only us, but the Paragon and the Jin'Saiou, as well. She said that nothing could stand in the way of her creating her fifth sorceress. Katherine, Jessica, Phaedra, Mallory-" Her voice broke. "Not all of us, but many. You and the other wizards no doubt thought us killed in battle. But we were here, suffering under Failee's hand. The bones of my Black Watch sisters lie in the alcoves below."