Chapter 7: Day Three - Part 2 - The grotto, a challenge and the new pupil

Teral stood, “you need my help?”

Elvan seconded him and I glared at him, “you are to rest. Go down to the room you used before. When you see Jeremy tell him I put you there and asked for Jen to watch you until I return.”

Walking to the door I set Cynthia down as the others watched, “Sam, could you get the sword on the bench there and follow?”

I looked at Cat and saw the longing in her eyes as she looked at Artimas and Edward, “Cat?”

When she looked at me I smiled, “could you stay with your family and protect them?”

She looked at me for a long minute and then smiled at me before nodding. As we left the room I looked up at John, “keep this quiet but get some men ready just in case we need them. Arm them with the Admantium swords. I will start looking on the next floor up.”

As he headed down the stairs with Elvan slowly following I went up with Teral and Sam. On the landing I stopped. Breathing out, I started the mental exercises I used to centre myself and relax my body. Slowly I walked through each room with my senses extended. After checking that floor I went back down the stairs and repeated it.

Slowly I made my way down, I was aware as others joined us. Including Samil and a much bruised noble, (James) I ignored them all. It was not until I was on the bottom floor that I felt anything. I was at the end of the hall and even though I felt a difference in the stone it was a moment before I realized I had found the entrance.

Coming out of my trance I looked around, I could feel the difference but could not tell where the lock was. Slowly I turned from facing the wall and that was when it jumped out at me. The end light had a tiny area that was in darkness beside it. It was a tiny spot but it was out of place. I looked at Samil and then John with the ten men behind him.

They all had a determined look on their face, “Samil, I was not expecting you but since you are here I have an offer for you.”

He looked back at me without smiling, “you already owe me.”

I smiled as he glanced over his shoulder at James, “who better to teach him well enough to stay alive as well as how to treat people? Besides I told his father that if you accepted him I would teach him as well.”

This seemed to mollify him, “what is your offer?”

I grinned, “an admantium sword for protection work.”

Samil raised his eyebrows, “admantium swords are very valuable as you know so this is not a cake walk.”

I nodded, “probably not.”

He looked back at James and then looked at me, “agreed.”

I motioned for everyone to move back except Samil and Teral. I gestured at the end of the hall and crossed to the light. When I depressed the area that was in shadow the wall at the end of the hall moved back several feet. Then with a grinding it slowly turned sideways and slid into a slot in the wall.

When the grinding stopped a silence fell over us. Then Samil called for light and we saw a long hall. It ended in a large wooden door. There were niches every few feet down the hall until it reached the door. I moved up between them and could feel the webs of magic that extended down the hall, “before the undead guards wore amulets. If there are any here cut the cord or chain that holds it.”

Slowly we made our way down the hall. The undead guards that were there were slow to respond and very clumsy. Samil picked up a sword from the first guard that fell. By the time we reached the other end we had developed a pattern. At the door I again reached out with my senses to check the door. It was not warded and I could feel no magic from it.

The door opened into a large cavern. There was light as if the sun reached through the stone above. I thought it was probably five hundred feet in diameter with only one wall that was flat and did not have a balcony on it. That was the wall that faced the river. I could see stairs that were carved into the walls leading up to the other balconies.

The whole floor was covered with grass and trees and bushes. I looked at Samil and Teral, “stay here and guard my way out.”

Even as I was telling them Artimas came through the crowd, “I am going with you.”

I shook my head as Cat, Edward and the four mage sisters joined Artimas, “no. Your daughter was a mage. Any ward or traps will be for a mage or magic. Stay here until I can clear it. Sam, stay with Samil and Teral. As far as I know this is my only way out. Cat, come with me.”

I stepped up to Sam who had a worried look on her face, “do not worry. Take a deep breath and center yourself just like in our classes. Stay relaxed and let the sword move where it will. Watch their backs.”

I kissed her and then turned and walked into the grotto with Cat following and a grey striped shadow slipping into the undergrowth. I followed a path that was surprisingly well kept. When I was two hundred feet in we reached a clearing. Stopping at the edge I could feel the webs of magic that surrounded the clearing.

It was paved with large stones that held designs. In the center of the clearing was a naked woman. She was kneeling with two chains falling from each wrists. I (felt) the webs and when I followed them I found the real threat. They were dead but unlike the other undead guards these had a different feel to them, almost like a Mair.

Slowly I unraveled the webs on the clearing until I reached an inner circle around the woman. After studying the magic that surrounded her I knew I did not have any choice. There were wards that detected mages that were still active. I had not been able to remove them unless the ward around the woman was taken down.

I faced Cat, “breath and center, guard my back.”

I faced the passage out, “Beware! Guard the passage!”

I stepped on the glyph that woke the woman, at the same time I pulled on the strand of magic that detected mages. As the woman woke with a snarl I raised my finger to my lips for silence and faced out. Suddenly a small creature stepped into the clearing. It almost looked like a rabbit but it stood on two feet, “Mother! The bad ones come!”

I felt them approach and did not need to hear Cynthia’s warning as they broke cover and came into the clearing. They were Mair alright and male, which from what I had heard was unprecedented. They were also undead and moved with fluidity as they crossed the clearing towards us.

I felt Cat draw her sword as I drew my own. Letting myself go I slipped into that comfortable place I had not been in except the few times I faced my master. Moving I swept forward and engaged the first, blocking the second before slicing across the first ones throat, cutting the chain.

I felt Cat block a blow aimed for my back and then another aimed at herself. Slipping to the side I cut left and then moved back to the right as an undead Mair stepped forward towards where I had been. With a lunge I broke the chain around the third Mair’s neck as I felt Cat shift and cut the arm from another followed by his chain on his chest.

After that it was like water flowing. As one would go after me Cat would appear to block and then cut the chain. When she was attacked I would do the same. We were down to the last three when there was a change. Suddenly one of the undead on my left turned and started for the woman in chains.

I did not even hesitate, spinning on the balls of my left foot I took a step after him and lunged as hard as I could. The short sword went clear through it and came out the chest cutting the chain. Unfortunately it also pulled the sword from my hand. Spinning back I was barely in time to catch the blade of one undead as the other tried to get past me and get to the mage.

Cat came out of my side long enough to stop him. It was a long moment with both of us exchanging blows with the undead guards. The break came when one tried to get past us and fouled the other. Without thinking we both moved and it was over with all the undead guards down. I was unhurt but Cat had a small cut on her arm.

I reached out feeling for more of the guards but there were none. I relaxed and retrieved my other sword before facing the kneeling mage, “we are here to free you but you will need to be patient, there are still traps.”

She looked at me for a long minute before slowly nodding. I looked at the cut on Cat’s arm before pulling a kerchief out of my pocket and wrapping it, “you did great, stay here and I will be right back.”

I could feel that the few guards that had gone to the passageway were gone so I walked quickly to the door. Samil and Teral were there looking unhurt but Sam was down with a large red wet stain at her shoulder. The Mair Ginger was with her and she looked up as I knelt, “she is fine, a deep cut. I closed it and healed her.”

I nodded to her, “thank you.”

Looking Sam in the face, “I know I told you to stay with Samil and Teral. That did not mean to not watch your own back.”

Teral spoke up, “we were pressed hard and she took a blow that was meant for me.”

Sam smile up at me, “I will be fine. Go, you have work to do.”

I nodded and stood, facing Artimas, “I may need your help. Do you think you can remain calm and not rush into anything?”

He nodded and followed me back to the clearing. When he saw his daughter there was the sound of indrawn breath but that was all. Back at the inner circle his daughter had wide eyes as she saw her father and tears slowly made their way down her face, “father?”

He nodded but remained outside the circle, “Elizabeth we will get you out, be patient.”

Slowly he walked the circle feeling the magic. When he was back in front of his daughter he faced me, “the way through is triggered to someone’s blood. At a guess I would probable say Antizel.”

I thought about it, “what about a relative. A daughter?”

Artimas looked at me then at the circle. It was a moment before he nodded, “yes, that might work.”

I turned to Cat, “could you bring the others? And ask Ginger to look at that cut.”

She nodded and started off but was stopped at the edge of the clearing by Cynthia and Simon. The small creature I had seen before backed into the clearing with the familiars following it. I had been right, it did look like a rabbit except it had hands and feet. The body was in proportion to the head, arms and legs.

It wore a skirt with a rough woven shirt and it had a pouch over its shoulder. Slowly it backed across the clearing with Cynthia and Simon following. Halfway across it stopped and then glanced over its shoulder at Artimas and me. It straightened its shoulders and turned around and walked towards us.

When it reached us it stopped, “are you here to help mother?”

Artimas and I looked at each other and Elizabeth cleared her throat, “father, he would be talking about me.”

We looked at her as she gave a half hearted shrug, “they were what I was working on when all this started.”

I nodded and turned back, (gesturing for Cat to go on) “yes, we are here to help mother.”

The small creature gave a high pitched call and stood there watching us until Cynthia butted him on the shoulder. At first he was startled and a little afraid but I felt Cynthia’s mood, “she just wants you to pet her.”

Turning back to the circle as the small creature tentatively reached out to the cat. I made a slow circle around the woman. There were six glyphs just outside the circle. I could feel the webs of magic that spun from one to the other but there were also strands that went up towards the ceiling.

I looked at Artimas, “there are spell strands that go up to the ceiling.”

He came over to look at the glyphs, “this is tied into the blood key. It is a second half of the lock. The strands of magic will pull the ceiling down if both halves are not used.”

I looked around the circle at the six glyphs, “now to find which lock to put the key into.”

Together we walked the circle again. It was not until we were behind Elizabeth that I found it. It was barely felt, it was under the glyph and in two places. Pointing it out to Artimas resulted in him getting down on his hands and knees to look at the glyph. When he stood it was to shake his head, “I barely feel it and will not be able to help.”

I took a deep breath and let my senses slowly sink down to feel the web of magic. Cat returned with the rest of the crowd. I barely heard Artimas tell Edward and the Mair girls to not go into the circle. Finally I found it, the loose ends I was looking for. Looking up I called Amanda around the circle to where we stood.

When she reached us I had Artimas check to see if her blood would work. He checked and then nodded that it matched. I looked at her, “listen closely. In order to disarm some of the traps around the circle we will need a drop of your blood.”

She just held out her hand. I centered myself and reached down to grasp the loose ends of the spell. I nodded to Artimas and he pulled a tiny knife from his sleeve. Taking her hand he pricked a finger, then he held her hand over the glyph. Slowly he turned her hand until a single drop fell.

Things seemed to move in slow motion for me. As the drop touched the glyph I pulled both strands and then pushed another. With a tingling sensation the wards around the circle went down. Artimas again had to warn everyone not to approach his daughter. He and I and now Edward made a slow circuit around Elizabeth.

We could feel the webs of magic on and going through her. Slowly we examined the chains at her wrists. When we finally stopped it was to look at one another with a haunted look. I broke the spell, “there are no loose ends.”

Artimas and Edward nodded but it was a worried Artimas that spoke up, “that is because it was not meant to be removed.”

I looked at him and then frowned as I looked back at the chains. The webs on the chains came from the center of where Elizabeth did magic. They extended down the chains and back to her heart and the part of her brain that controlled body functions.

I remembered something my master had once said about using my chi to make a shield, “alright this is a long shot. There might be a way but it will be very dangerous, both for you Elizabeth and for me. I am willing to try but you have a say.”

She looked at me a long time and then nodded, “do what you have to. I have already accepted my fate.”

I smiled back at her, “it might just be that I can change that fate.”

Taking a deep breath I looked at the two other mages, “what I intend to do is break the strands of magic and shield her with my chi, that is with myself, my lifeforce.”

Artimas and Edward nodded and I centered myself and reached for that place I went to when meditating. Reaching out I used the force of my chi to grasp the webs of magic. Mustering my strength I shattered the strand I (held) and slammed a shield of force and will on the end that was reacting.

The explosion that followed threw me fifteen feet away and was purely magical. As Cat, Sam and the others rushed to me the chains on one of Elizabeth’s wrist shattered and she half slumped to the ground. Artimas again stopped the Mair girls from going to her. Sitting up I shook my head as Cat and Sam were trying to help me, “I will be fine. That was a little more than I expected.”

Glancing at Elizabeth and then up at Edward standing over me, “that was a little bit of an overkill.”

He nodded as Teral and John helped me stand. Moving back to Elizabeth it looked like energy crackled around and through her. The more I looked the more it looked like she needed to be grounded. The energy going through her needed to be released. I thought of the wave of healing I had felt when Jen was first healed, “could someone go get Jen? I have an idea.”

Both Cat and Sam frowned but it was Jen that spoke up, “as long as it does not involve you blowing yourself up, I am right here.”

I looked as the large crowd of men John had brought moved aside. Sitting behind them was Elvan and Jen. I frowned, “Elvan I thought I told you to rest.”

He smiled back at me, “I am resting and I was not the one that was just thrown through the air.”

I shook my head and held out my hand to Jen. When she reached me we turned to Elizabeth, “remember that first time you were healed and how you reached out?”

She smiled and nodded and I smiled back, “good. What I want you to do is to try to heal me as I pull the energy from Elizabeth. What I think will happen is that you will pull the energy from me and it will multiply in force. I do not want you to stop any of your healing, just let it out like you did that first time. Do you think you can do it?”

She frowned for a minute and then nodded. I turned to Elizabeth as she started. I could feel the magic I knew and recognized so well. Reaching out to Elizabeth I placed my hand on her shoulder. When I made contact it was like a jolt of electricity passed from her to me. Jen seemed to pull the energy as I received it.

A wave of healing spread out through not just the crowd but throughout the grotto. When it faded men sighed and Jen laughed, “Oh, that felt so good.”

I patted her arm and moved around Elizabeth who was a lot more alert. This time I tried to anchor myself. I was partially successful, it only threw me five feet. John and Samil caught me before I could fall. This time it had felt like I had been put in a vice but it had worked. Like before the chains on Elizabeth’s other wrist shattered and she had slumped to the ground.

Like before I used Jen to pull the excess energy from Elizabeth. She stayed on the ground as her father and brother did a slow walk around her. I was feeling fatigued but reached out to her as I slowly sat in front of her. Artimas and Edward returned to stand next to me.

I looked up, “I only feel one that touches her and it has the feel of medicine. Like healing but not? The other spells that permeate her go throughout her body. I think but am not sure that it is tied to her genetically.”

Artimas nodded, “we recognize the spell on her. It is one of regeneration and fertility. The ones that are in her we do not know.”

I thought about it before looking up at them, “could it be the spell that alters her children?”

His eyes widened as he looked at his daughter, “Elizabeth, you do this kind of work. What do you think?”

She looked down at herself before looking back at me, “I think he is right.”

I looked at Artimas, “can you take the other spell off?”

He looked down and I could feel webs of magic gather before the one holding Elizabeth disappeared. I looked at Elizabeth, “I do not know if you can fix the magic in yourself but if you want my help all you have to do is ask. I might even find a way to reverse it in your children if I study it.”

She looked at me and smiled a smile I had not seen before, “I will accept your offer only ... can we leave this place now?”

That was when the four Mair girls fell on her crying and everyone was hugging her. I looked at John, “we need to have a litter brought down.”

Even though she had been through two healings she had been there a long time and would need to be carried out. As they were lifting her a high voice spoke, “mother?”

Elizabeth looked over the side of the litter, “little one, the passage is open now. I do not think they will take me far. Get your people together and come, it is time you saw the outside world.”

As she lay back he turned and ran into the brush covering the clearing. As the crowd went back through the passageway I stopped John, “lets keep everyone out of here for now. The creatures that live here will be shy about coming out.”

He nodded and moved off. I pushed a staggering Elvan into a room and called Jen. When she showed up, “would you stay with him?”

After a long look at Elvan, “he has something he needs to talk to you about. You have been with me long enough to know me a little. Listen to what he has to say.”

With that I left, catching up with Cat and Sam at the door leading out. There was a small company of guard waiting outside the passage. Over several protests I had Elizabeth put in a room that was finished at the house. I sent the guard off and things started to settle down. Teral had left as Samil and James (who had a new outlook of things since they had shown up) stopped by me.