The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (novels in english .TXT) 📗

I was binding her guard. She had struck me barehandedunder the chin of my helm. Before I could recover she caught my legin her arms and proceeded to do her best to imitate a whirlwind. Ioutweighed her by quite a bit, but she overcame that by swinging mein circles with herself as the fulcrum. My head began striking hardobjects with incredible regularity.

“It’s not going to work girl, it’s oneof the gods!” shouted Cyhan, trying to warn her off. “You have torun!” He was doing his best to drag himself over to the still boundEgan, probably to try and free him.

Yes please, listen to theman. Retreat, so someone can save me! Ithought, which wasn’t easy considering the constant battering. If Ihad still been living, I would have been unconscious or hopelesslynauseated already—if not badly injured. “Lyet bierek!” I shouted indesperation.

It was one of my oldest and most basicspells, the flashbang. Given my chaotic circumstances I wasn’t ableto focus on a single point as well as I normally could, so I simplyput as much force into as I could manage. The resulting flash oflight was accompanied by an explosive boom so loud I wondered ifperhaps I hadn’t made a mistake and destroyed my own home. I foundmyself on the ground, and my magesight showed me Penny reeling,blind and deaf a few feet away.

My advantage, slight as it was,wouldn’t last for long, so I used another spell to bind her andCyhan in the same fashion as Sir Egan.

“STOP!” someone shouted, and suddenlyI could no longer move. I was surrounded by a powerful field ofaythar. The spell being used was crude, the method was similar toburying someone in sand, unlike the tightly focused bands I hadused on Penny and the others, but the end result was the same.Moira Illeniel had entered the fray.

My daughter glowedbrilliantly in my magesight for she didn’t know how to shieldherself. Why hasn’t Walter taught heryet? I wondered. Her power was shocking inits intensity, and I began to realize perhaps, what Walter had beentrying to tell me once when he had tried to describe my ownappearance to his magesight. She made the Prathions look dull andeven Elaine was probably only half as bright as Moira’s powerseemed to be.

I was amazed and proud of her at thesame time. I was also a bit worried. Given my weakened conditionshe was quite a bit stronger than I was at the moment, and she hadnumbers on her side. My only advantages were skill and experience,but while I was hampered by the fact that I didn’t want to hurther, she had no such hindrance. The look on her face also had meconcerned; I had never seen my daughter with such a fierceexpression.

“Don’t you dare hurt my mother!” sheyelled.

While I couldn’t agree more with hersentiment, I couldn’t imagine what I could possibly say to convinceher to let me go—plus the power she had wrapped me in blockedeverything but sight. As I struggled, I could see my son move pasther to claim his mother’s sword from the ground. He held it up infront of him and took a stand in front of his sister.

The image of the two of them, bravelyfacing an unknown foe and hoping to protect their mother, wasenough to break my heart. Never had I thought to see my ownchildren staring me down with such intense resolve, but I couldn’tafford to weaken.

“Thylen pleitus,”I muttered, focusing my will and sending tinyblades of force outward, destroying the field that held me with aminimum of effort. Moira was incredibly strong, but she no longerwore the amulet to protect her mind. No wizard did; it restrictedour magesight too much, but unlike more experienced wizards, shehadn’t learned to shield herself yet. “Shibal,” I said quickly, focusingmy power directly on her open mind.

The spell was meant to put herharmlessly to sleep, but I hadn’t reckoned with my daughter’sstrength of will. She staggered, eyes drooping, but she didn’tfall. Instead I saw her aythar flare as her determination hardened.Her back straightened, and fury cloaked her in an expanding sphereof power. It was similar to a traditional shield, but far moreaggressive in nature. Sharp blades of pure force grew from it andbegan to whirl around her as they expanded.

What in the hell isthat? I was awed by her untrainedpotential even as the blades began tearing at the walls around her,destroying stonework and slamming into my armor. Unfortunately herlack of skill showed as one of the blades clipped her brother,slicing deeply into his side and sending him into one wall. Therewas blood everywhere.

Time seemed to stop, as I watched himcollapse, hemorrhaging badly. Unable to penetrate her shield, I didthe only thing I knew and lifting my sword I used it to channel ablast of wind, battering her back toward the door. Before she couldrecover I made it to his side and brought my sword to bear on histhroat.

“Don’t move, or I’ll kill the boy!” Ishouted, stopping her in her tracks even as she prepared to attackme again.

All eyes were on me then, those of thebound warriors, and most especially those of Penny and Moira. Icould see Moira’s thoughts racing as she tried to figure out asolution that would save her brother, but I didn’t give her thetime. Fumbling with my pouch, I brought out my enchanted shieldstones, and with a word I sent them out to surround me, Sir Egan,and my dying son.

Removing my gauntlets, I quicklybrought out the link to the Iron Heart Chamber and created amakeshift link between it and my shield stones. Creating such alink without prior preparation was risky, but my knowledge andpractice over the years were enough to manage the task. Moira wasalready battering my enchanted shield, and without the additionalpower it wouldn’t last against her rough blows. Once the link wasfinished, I breathed a sigh of relief; nothing short of a god couldinterrupt me now.

I brought my attention to bear uponMatthew now. His wound was serious, and my senses told me that hewould die within minutes if I didn’t heal him. The main problem wasmy extremely low level