Savage Messiah

"What about the children?"

"Until they are old enough to learn our secrets, the children are i

"Tell us more about the people you abduct," Lionel said. "What do you do with them, what do you do?"

"We use their body parts to produce our wares. We do not always kill the women that we take. Sometimes we hold the more attractive ones for…other purposes." Uther smiled again.

"During the Sorceresses' War, it was rumored that the occasional gnome woman was also taken," he added. "It is said that they were particularly prized. Some of them even came to like it."

Surprising everyone, Lionel tore from his chair and launched himself at the Valrenkian. With a crash, they both went down to the floor. Screaming, Lionel began pummeling Uther's face.

Knowing how difficult it would be for Faegan to stop the gnome while also keeping his hold on Uther's mind, Adrian lifted one hand. An azure bolt shot from her fingers, striking Lionel squarely in the back. Using the bolt to take hold of him, she smoothly levitated him back toward the table.

His face beet red, the squirming gnome was returned to his seat. With another bolt, Adrian carefully righted Uther's chair. The Valrenkian's nose was bleeding, and two of his teeth were on the floor. She had to admit that she wasn't sorry.

Faegan looked harshly at the gnome. "Must I place a warp about you, as well?" he asked angrily.

Folding his arms over his chest, Lionel glowered at Uther. "I'm sorry, Master, yes, I am," he said. "But you know better than most about the injustices that have been inflicted upon us gnomes over the centuries, yes, you do."

Unafraid, Lionel looked into the wizard's eyes. "When we are done here, all I ask is a few moments alone with this animal."

As much as Faegan would have liked to, he couldn't permit such a thing. He knew that Lionel understood that, too. He placed one hand on Lionel's shoulder.

"Tell me," he asked softly. "Do you wish to become like him?"

Lionel remained silent. Faegan resumed his questioning of Uther.

"Other than the bluffs that surround Valrenkium, what defenses do you have there?" he asked.

"Endowed archers stand atop the walls," Uther answered. "The only way in or out is through a maze of sandstone tu

"What else?"

"Creatures," Uther said softly.

"What kind of creatures?" Abbey asked.

Uther shook his head. "You may force my mind all you wish to, but I ca

Deciding to end the interrogation for the time being, Faegan raised one arm. The Valrenkian's eyes snapped wide open once more.

"You will remember nothing of what happened here," Faegan said. "In addition, you will not remember being taken from your home. Should you attempt to use any of your gifts of the craft, you will find yourself powerless to do so. Do you understand?"

Uther stared blankly out at nothing. "I understand," he whispered.

The wizard snapped his fingers. Uther slipped back into unconsciousness, his head slumping forward onto his chest. His breathing became deep and rhythmic. Blood dripped lazily from his wounded mouth.

Faegan glanced over at his friends. They looked stu

"I didn't know you could do that," Abbey said.

Faegan gave her a short smile. "You still have much to learn," he said. "This kind of thing is relatively simple to accomplish when the subject is a partial adept. But trying to make it work on a full-fledged wizard or sorceress is another thing altogether."

"What shall we do?" Adrian asked. "While we sit here, i

Faegan laced his fingers together.

"There is only one thing to do," he said quietly. Pausing for a moment, he glanced at their captive.

"I am taking the Minions back to Valrenkium," he said. His expression hardened.

"And this time," he added softly, "their mission will be quite different."

CHAPTER XLIV

Flying some distance away from Traax, Duvessa could see his dark form highlighted by the setting sun.

Duvessa and Traax each led a sizable phalanx of warriors. The wizard's litter followed a short distance behind, borne through the air by twelve stout warriors. Ox flew in the lead, guiding them toward their destination.

Though Duvessa's female fighters had not yet passed their rites of ascension, Faegan had asked for volunteers from her group to participate in this urgent mission. He had told them that now, in actual combat, they would earn their red feathers. Duvessa was proud of her women: There had been no shortage of volunteers.

Ox raised one hand, and the entire war party slowed to hover in the air. When Faegan's litter caught up, Ox pointed toward the southwest. "Valrenkium be just beyond border to Hartwick Wood," he said.

Faegan nodded. "Well done," he said. He looked at Traax and Duvessa.

"Remember your orders," he said sternly. "I want everyone to land swiftly, ready to fight. This Reznik must surely have assumed that we would return in strength, and he has had ample time to make plans of his own. There is no telling what awaits us down there." He paused for a moment. "May the Afterlife look over us all."

Faegan cast his gaze into the distance and used the craft to make out the sheer sandstone bluffs. Closing his eyes, he hoped against hope that he was doing the right thing. Then he nodded, and the twin phalanxes regrouped and began to pick up speed.

As they approached Valrenkium, they saw no archers atop the bluffs. The dark entrance to the tu

Soaring over the bluffs, he ordered the phalanxes to descend into the heart of Valrenkium. Dreggans drawn, four thousand anxious warriors landed quietly in the village square. Faegan's litter came to rest near Duvessa, Traax, and Ox. As the wizard levitated his chair out and onto the ground, the Minions fa

Valrenkium seemed deserted. The wind whistled hauntingly through the streets, whirling up little maelstroms of debris. Many of the buildings' doors banged open and closed in the wind, adding to the nerve-racking tension.

Down the single road that led out of town, the gibbets were empty. Blood still dripped slowly from many of them as they creaked to and fro. Scowling, Faegan looked over at Duvessa and Traax.

"Start kicking in doors," he ordered sternly. "Before we leave, we must be sure that no one was left behind. If you find any evidence of the craft-no matter how small-send for me at once."

Feet and fists flying, the Minions began barging through doors and windows. As time went by, the groups returned one by one to say that the buildings were all deserted, barren of people, even of food and drink. All of the tools of the Valrenkians' craft-the herbs, roots and precious oils-were also missing. After more than an hour of searching, Traax, Duvessa, and Ox walked back over to the litter.

"We're too late," Traax said angrily, sheathing his dreggan.

"What are your orders?" Duvessa asked the wizard.

Looking around, Faegan took a moment to think. He was angry with himself. Perhaps the only opportunity he would ever have to crush the Corporeals had slipped right through his fingers. He hated to admit it, but it was unlikely that such a chance would ever come again.

Trying to decide what to do, he looked to the sky. Darkness was falling quickly.