The Obsidian Pillar

Chapter Fifty-four

We collapsed in a heap on the hard ground, elbows and knees embedding themselves into each other's bodies as we writhed, struggling to get our bearings. I hauled my arms from the prince's aging shawl and stood shakily, my stomach turning from the effects of Varellna's porting spell. The sorceress lay still on the floor, whining in pain.

Battle was raging around us. The tang of blood was in the air and the screams of dying men echoed in my ears.

'Varellna, are you alright?'

'Help me to my feet.' She grasped at my arm as hundreds of screaming soldiers fled past, knocking us as they went, barely recognising two lonely women in the midst of battle.

'I need you to heal me.'

'What?' I grasped the sorceress's waist when she almost fell back to the ground, her forehead creasing with pain and her lids fluttering with fatigue. 'I don't know if I can...'

'Stop saying that,' Varellna tried to yell over the screams of the soldiers. Her eyes flew open. 'The pendant.'

I grasped it in my hand and channelled the vibrations that it emitted. My vision was blurring and my head was pounding with fear.

The flame seemed to sing to me in a high pitched, desperate wail as it bounced against the glass. I channelled the heat, feeling the burning of its surface on my hand as I begged it to help.

'Channel your thoughts, your feelings, pain – anything!' Varellna gasped, falling onto her knees. I lifted the sorceress's chin with one hand and squeezed the pendant with the other, closing my eyes tightly and absorbing the energy that I could feel through the glass.

The vibrations ricocheted around me. I tried desperately to drown out the other sounds around me, ignoring the blasts of cold air and the shouts of injured men as the battle continued around us. Somewhere above the beast roared, shaking the ground beneath me, but I persisted, and finally I began to feel warmth spread through my whole body.

'Valla?' Varellna whispered. I could hear the sorceress clearly, as though she was speaking right into my ear. The connection that we shared through my magic was intensifying. I looked down to see Varellna smiling softly. She had more colour in her cheeks and steely determination had returned to her eyes. She stood up smoothly.

'It worked,' she stated, unable to hide her pride and relief. I took that as a compliment. But my skin prickled at the realisation that I had healed Varellna twice and Waincroft...I had failed to heal him at all.

A scream resounded from yards away. We turned just in time to see the beast rip a man's head from his shoulders.

I felt my knees weaken and bile rise in my throat, but Varellna grabbed my hand and set off into a run amongst the panicked soldiers. 'It was Balfour!' she explained hurriedly.

I tugged Varellna's sleeve. 'Stop, Varellna!' The newly healed sorceress was relentless.

I looked around at the soldiers in their grey tunics; dull armour was only worn by the strongest men. Others cried and moaned with only a small axe to protect themselves. We had ported into the centre of the Kralkenian army. We were safe, for now.