Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

Chapter 28: A Tactical Retreat

"Many have questioned what 'Conjunction' meant

In the context of the newly forged Norak Utterance.

Was it merely bringing the Weapons of Power into proximity?

Or was it something more? Something that connected their Wielders together?

It was a question that beset all of us as we mourned the loss of the Sa'an

And their Weapons of Power,

And wondered how we'd hold back the demon horde without their magic."

- From a surviving fragment of Aesthegon, the last elven High King's journal

"Shiana!" Lawrence cried happily and with not a little relief before pulling his younger sister into a spinning hug. Laughing, Shiana returned the embrace, holding tightly onto her big brother as he spun her around.

"You are alive and well! Shards and bloody bones, I'm glad to see it." Then he put her down before taking an abrupt step back and frowning as he looked Shiana's armor over. "But in Wielder armor? Not only that, but I sense great power in you. What happened?"

It was Shawn who supplied the answer, giving his sister a smile as she stepped in to give him a quick hug, an embrace she then echoed with Patrik.

"The blood bond, my brother," he said. "The bond between twins; apparently it had the power to allow the sharing of my Wielder gift. When the abysslords imprisoned me for a time, the essence of what being the Wielder of the Star Sword passed to her for a time."

"Along with enough memories that I knew how to use the magic of the Wielders," Shiana added. "Kept me from getting killed during our chase through the Easterling. And later, during the siege of Gorgon's Dagger."

At hearing the names of the battles his younger sister had been engaged in, a younger sister who, only a few short moons' ago was concerned more about which dress to wear to Ra'Ashal than anything else, Lawrence could do naught else but shake his head in amazement.

"So much has happened," he ruefully noted. "So much beyond what I myself have experienced ... After this is all over, we're going to need to sit down together and have a long talk over mugs of ale to catch up. But Shiana is right. Time to get our people out of Tal Morun!"

"Agreed." Shawn turned his attention back to the scrying globe which, up to this point, had been forgotten. <<King Ciradaan. Time to join Fenoran and Najthin in withdrawing from the city. Do you have the survivors?>>

<<We do, my Lord Wielder,>> Ciradaan's voice spoke from the scrying globe. <<As many as we could extricate without drawing too much attention from the abysslords and their lord.>>

<<Excellent. Here is our position.>> Shawn sent a series of images through the scrying globe to the Aquilan monarch, enough for Ciradaan to use to open a Scion portal with the Sword of Aesthegon. <<Begin your withdrawal now.>>

Instead of replying, an elvish-style portal spun open close to where Shiana had opened her portal. And through it quickly stepped the Var Ethisdil cleric Halen, an injured muraan carefully cradled over his shoulder.

"My lords, my lady," the wiry Sylvasin greeted the humans with a smile as he lowered the muraan to the ground, the big cat breathing steadily despite a blood-soaked bandage wrapping his barrel chest. The star tattoo on his cheek seemed to dance with the expression as he stood to bow.

"Forgive me if I don't linger, but there are many that won't be walking through the portal." Then he was stepping back into the shifting opening in space, disappearing from view.