Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2), B.T. Narro [digital book reader txt] 📗

“I was busy in Rohaer. My brother has done a lot of damage in that kingdom, spreading dteria far and wide. I was trying to undo the damage I could, but recently I felt a great surge of power here in Lycast. That’s when I knew he was here and most likely up to something detrimental to this kingdom. I can’t stay much longer now. I don’t want my brother to go into hiding again. I plan to follow him.”

“What about your father?” I asked. “You mentioned Basael a few times when you confronted Valinox. Do you really feel him in the dvinia of Curdith Forest?”

“I do. I know he’s alive. I believe he’s watching, testing. My brother must believe the same, or he would’ve killed the humans who stood against him. It was centuries ago that we all took an oath that we wouldn’t kill or interfere in human warfare. Our father was there.”

“He has killed,” the king explained. “He threw one man off the third floor of my keep, for example, and that man died when he struck the floor.”

“Could the man’s death have been an accident?” Souriff asked.

“I suppose.”

She nodded. “Just like with every oath sworn through ordia, intention is all.”

“Demigods follow the same rules of ordia?” I asked.

“We follow all the rules of the magical arts. We live in the same world as humans, elves, and krepps. We created the magical arts, but none of us has found a way to break our own rules except maybe Airinold, when he transformed into Gourfist. To this day, I still don’t know how he was able to change form without it being a mere illusion. Perhaps it was a curse of dteria, and that’s why it took control of him eventually.

“Airinold was born much stronger than the rest of us,” Souriff continued. “As a result, dteria is the strongest magical art of all. I don’t believe even he knew the full capabilities of its power. It’s this notion that has enticed so many sorcerers. Power obtained with little effort can become an addiction on its own because it dissolves the fulfillment of obtaining strength through real effort.”

Her head darted toward the window. “My brother. I feel him using more dteria. I must be leaving.”

“Is there a method by which we can contact you?” the king asked. “A callring?”

“I’m not your guardian who can be summoned, though I am on your side. I will be doing what I must to ensure Valinox does not win this war, but you are not to rely on me for anything besides impeding my brother. I don’t expect Valinox to fight humans directly, out of fear that Basael or Gourfist will destroy him. The worst he can do is steal and pillage. The only scenario in which I will attack human dteria users would be if Valinox breaks our oath first and he is not swiftly destroyed as I expect him to be.”

“Would the other demigods fight with you in this case?” the king asked.

“I can’t speak for Nijja, who has removed herself from this world for many years now. I believe only Failina and I would face Valinox, and we may not be enough to stop him. We can only hope that the oath still holds power. Failina and I will be impeding the efforts of our brother as much as we can, but none of my siblings are gods. These days we are more human than divine. Prepare to face Rohaer yourselves, as we can only delay them.”

She ran to the window and jumped out, then took off into the sky.

“Good god,” Michael exclaimed as he stood up. He sounded like his old self. “We really just met Souriff?”

“That was definitely her,” the king concluded, taking just a single moment to look out the window as she disappeared far in the sky.

By the time he was done and looking back me, his expression was as if there were now more important matters to worry about than a simple meeting with a demigod.

“I take it Cason escaped?” he asked dubiously.

“No. He’s dead, sire,” I told him definitively.

Nykal smiled. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, and we have the krepps to thank for that. They were the first ones to arrive as I fought him with Souriff helping. If we’d had to wait for our human allies, Cason would’ve gotten away with Valinox’s help.”

“Let me make sure I understand this. You engaged in combat with Cason and Valinox, you and Souriff against the two of them?”

“Yes, in the mountains.”

“Tell me exactly how it happened. Spare no details.”

I wasn’t sure I had ever seen the king interested in more than just what he needed to know, but it seemed that the meeting with Souriff had brought out a different side of him. For the first time since I could remember, he looked relaxed as he casually sat on Michael’s bed.

“I would be happy to, sire, but is there something we should be doing now? Souriff makes it seem like it will take everything we have to prepare for Rohaer.”

“I appreciate everything Souriff is doing for us, but I don’t believe she knows us humans as well as she knows her siblings. Human strength does not come only from work and preparation, but also from rest and from joy. Now it’s time we take a brief rest. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this room who would like to hear what happened. There is just one matter.” He found Barrett among the group of guards listening. “You’ll make an announcement, councilman?”

“What should it be about, sire?”

“That Cason is dead and his body will be arriving back at the castle shortly. For the naysayers to witness for themselves, of course.”

“Nothing of the demigods?” Barrett asked.

“Many people saw Valinox in person today. Let them speak of ‘Pearson’s’ power and express their fear. We need as many people as possible to understand the kind of threat we’re facing. I’m sure rumors of the presence of demigods will begin circulating