The Raven Collection

‘But it won’t help you when you die!’ shouted Hirad. ‘Why aren’t you listening to us?’

‘Because I have to believe that if we defeat this enemy then your resting place, our resting place, will become, I don’t know the right word . . . viable again. I don’t see we have another choice,’ said Denser, hanging on to his temper.

‘We have just offered you one,’ said Erie

Denser’s eyes pricked and he looked down at his wife. Now a five-year-old. He felt a surge of frustration. He sighed.

‘But you don’t know how to get us there,’ he said gently, trying hard not to adopt a patronising tone. He reached out a hand to stroke her hair but pulled it back. ‘I need to have proof or I have no option but to stand and fight. Evacuating the continent is not a realistic option.’

‘How can you be getting this so wrong?’ asked Erie

‘At least tell us you’re sending messengers to the colleges and Calaius,’ said Darrick. ‘Letting the powers know there is a threat.’

Denser smiled. ‘And there you are, adding example to my argument. We are in constant contact with Lystern, Julatsa and Calaius. We have delegates in the Wesman Heartlands and can speak with every baron and lord, and with the Mayor of Korina, at very short notice.’

‘How?’ asked Ilkar.

‘I’ll show you later. But right now I need you to trust that we have not been idle. We can and will repel this enemy. We have new spells and have enhanced those that already existed. Together, the Balaian people are strong. And you have our reluctant king to thank for all that.’

All eyes turned to Sol, whose face remained impassive. ‘And yet I worry, Denser. Exaggeration has never been part of The Raven. This power, whoever it is, is strong enough to have destroyed the dead dimension, something the demons were unable to do. So while I share your confidence in our new-found strength, I think we must also plan for defeat.’

Ilkar nodded. ‘At least that.’

Denser shrugged. ‘But our main focus must be on repelling the enemy. Not ru

‘And we will face them as far from our cities as we can,’ said Sol. ‘We will identify their positions and we will go to meet them.’

Hirad sighed. ‘I urge you not to. All you’ll get is bloodshed, not enough of it theirs. And you will lose so many souls to the void.’

‘You know it is something we have to do, don’t you?’ said Sol.

‘I had hoped to persuade you otherwise.’

‘We must attempt to secure our lands,’ said Denser. ‘Just to run is unthinkable, disastrous.’

‘We must fight. We will not meekly surrender Balaia to anyone.’

‘And, who knows, while you hold on to that belief, Unknown, perhaps there is a chance,’ said Darrick. ‘But we, the dead, do not see it, though we will stand by you.’

‘Why?’ asked Denser. ‘If you believe it such a lost cause.’

‘We don’t have a choice,’ said Erie

Ilkar pushed himself to his feet and walked back to the balcony window. The library caught his eye again and he felt a coldness enter his soul.

‘You ca

The regret in Denser’s eyes was answer in itself. ‘Nearly everything. During the siege Dystran managed to salvage some texts but we have lost so much that was precious. Irreplaceable.’

‘But, even so, you were more fortunate than Dordover,’ said Ilkar.

Denser nodded. ‘I can’t ever see Dordover recovering as a college of magic. The Heart is gone and there are not enough surviving mages to construct a new one. But isn’t it strange that, when all is said and done, Julatsa is the most complete college of the four?’

‘You tell me; I’ve been dead almost fifteen years.’

‘Lystern has its Heart and precious little else. Dordover has nothing but a library of lore that no one can use. Xetesk has lost two thousand years of teaching. Julatsa is almost untouched. The decision to abandon the college and run here worked in ways your fellow mages and elves could not possibly have imagined. The demons always meant to go back and consume the Heart after the battle here was done. They never made it. It makes Julatsa strong.’

‘Only potentially, Denser. I can’t imagine too many mages survived to begin the process of recruitment and training. You have numbers at least. But they won’t do you any good.’

‘So you all keep saying, and you’ll excuse me if I don’t immediately buy the opinion of people who have been dead for a good long time. We need to see this enemy for ourselves. Understand that I’m only just buying the idea that you can possibly be here at all.’

Ilkar nodded. ‘Then do it quickly. Being dead was good. Being alive again really isn’t.’

‘And that’s why Hirad has gone all emotional on me, is that it?’

‘No, Denser, it’s because he can feel something that he ca

There was a knock at the door.

‘Come,’ said Denser.

A young messenger entered and bowed. ‘Please, my Lord Denser, Master Haldryn of the Communion Globe sends his urgent wish for your attention. Calaius has fallen silent.’

Ilkar watched the colour drain from Denser’s face.

‘I take it that’s not good, then.’

Denser shook his head.

‘And what’s a Communion Globe?’ asked the elven mage.

Denser rubbed a hand across his forehead. ‘Wait here, all of you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

They all watched Denser go, following the messenger out of the door and away down the long spiral stairway. Ilkar took a seat next to Hirad and smiled, squeezing his old friend’s healthy shoulder and regretting that he couldn’t see the barbarian in his original body. For all the awful reasons they were here at all and not floating in the timeless sanctuary of the dead dimension, there was still pleasure to be derived from being among friends. Even the different faces and bodies could not detract from the sense of well-being.

‘So what’s eating the Lord of the Mount?’ asked Hirad.

‘Not sure, really. One of his toys is broken and he wanted to show it off to us, I think.’

‘Oh, I see.’

As usual, it was plain that he didn’t see at all. Ilkar looked over at Sol. The big man was studying the edge of the table, kneading the carved knotwork with his thumbs.

‘It’s not just a toy, is it, Unknown?’

Sol shook his head. ‘It’s the first line of defence against any invasion of Balaia or Calaius. It’s the way we can talk over huge distances at any time. There are only two reasons for Calaius to fall silent. Deliberate cessation of the casting by the elves, and I dismiss that out of hand.’

‘Or . . .’

‘Or something overcame them so fast they had no chance to send a warning.’

‘Go and have your fight if you must but you need to believe us, Unknown,’ said Hirad. ‘You need to worry about evacuating west right now. There is no time for doubt.’

Chapter 10

Pain where there had been comfort.

Fear where there had been calm.

Loneliness from love.

He would have screamed but he had no voice with which to do so. It had been so long, it seemed, since he had ascribed any living sensations to how he felt or what was happening to him. The pain soared, ripping at his being. Unstoppable, rising all the time, scaling heights he could never have conceived existed.