It's almost as if we have traded places, Wigg suddenly realized. He now seems to be the master, and I the student.
"It is time for us to talk, old friend," Tristan said. "There is much to tell you. You have been patient with me, and for that I thank you."
"Where are we headed?" Wigg asked.
"To the Orb of the Vigors," Tristan answered. "Part of Wulfgar's forces march toward Tammerland. In fact, they may already be laying siege to the city. But before we engage them, we must find the orb. We near it as I speak."
Wigg gave him a curious look. "How can you know where the orb is?" he asked.
Tristan looked back out toward the horizon. "I can sense it," he answered. "It is almost as if the orb calls to my blood."
Wigg's mouth fell open. "But that's impossible!" he protested. "The best any of us has ever been able to do is make the orbs appear, and even then, we were not always successful. No one has ever been able to sense the location of the orbs and go to them!"
"Until now, perhaps," Tristan answered.
Wigg scowled. "Even assuming that you can find the orb, why not simply call it forth, rather than go to it?"
Tristan's expression darkened. "Wulfgar," he said. "In the interests of time, I am both racing to the orb while also calling it to me. I want to draw the Enseterat near and tempt him with my presence. It is for that reason I ask you not to cloak our blood. Nor is his cloaked; I can sense his approach. He is twelve leagues away and closing quickly."
"But no one can sense endowed blood from such a distance!" Wigg said.
Tristan took one of his throwing knives and made another small cut in his hand. He allowed several drops of his red blood to fall to the floor of the litter. They twisted into his familiar blood signature, complete with the Forestallments granted him by the Scroll Master.
Wigg raised an eyebrow. "So you succeeded after all…" he said.
Tristan smiled slightly. "Yes," he answered. "There is little that is impossible within the purview of the craft. Isn't that one of things that you have been so fond of telling me all these years?"
Tristan took a deep breath. "I need to explain some things to you," he said. "They have to do with both our past and our future. You will find them difficult to hear, and even more difficult to believe. But you must accept what I now tell you, just as I am trying to do."
He looked sadly at the golden vase. "Much of it has to do with Celeste," he added softly, "and my destiny without her." Tears began to form in his eyes and he brushed them away. He looked back at Wigg.
"You must listen to me with your heart, as well as with your ears. To fully understand these things, you must accept them in your soul as well as in your mind."
While Wigg listened, Tristan told him about his experiences with the Scroll Master. The First Wizard hungrily absorbed every word. As the sun sank toward the western horizon, their litter soared on toward their destiny. Wulfgar lowered his hands, stymied. for the first time since receiving his Forestallments, he had encountered a force of the craft that was his equal.
Then he sensed the distant presence of the Jin'Sai's blood, and he knew.
His Black Ship and the accompanying horde of K'tons sailed south over the fields of Farplain. For the last several moments he had been trying to summon the orb. But the opposing force was strong-as strong as his own. The Heretics had told him that he must put distance between himself and the azure pass before calling the orb, and that much he had accomplished. But the orb would not appear. Then, in the midst of his frustration, he heard the choir of voices again.
He went to his knees and bowed his head.
"The Jin'Sai approaches. He, too, tries to call the orb. His blood is now red, and also carries Forestallments. We did not foresee this development. His blood is strong, but so is yours, and you command far more Forestallments than he does. There is a way to beat him, our son. Hear us as we tell you how…"
As he listened to the Heretics, Wulfgar began to smile. When they had finished speaking, he stood and turned to look at Cathmore.
"Halt the Black Ship," he ordered, "and order the K'tons to the ground. Allow them to rest. Tell them that when the order is given, they are to rip into the approaching Minions. But under no circumstances are they to attack the Jin'Sai."
Pausing for a moment, he rubbed the damaged side of his face. He thought of Serena and their unborn daughter waiting for him at the Citadel. Very soon now the Jin'Sai would be dead, and the world theirs to command.
"I will deal with my half brother myself."
Cathmore gave his lord a short bow. "As you wish," he said.
The Black Ship slowed to a stop, then hovered in the air. The K'tons landed in the fields, their vast numbers darkening the ground as they milled about anxiously, swords and clubs at the ready.
The Enseterat smiled. With a wave of one hand, the Black Ship, everyone aboard her, and all the waiting K'tons vanished.
Raising his arms he again tried to call the orb, knowing full well that by doing so he would continue to attract the Jin'Sai and his forces.
Come to me, you bastard, he thought. It shall be a clash of the two sides of the craft like no other. Let us finally finish what we have begun. As they soared through the sky, Tristan stiffened again and walked quickly to the front of the litter, all of his senses alert. With a shout, he ordered the warriors to stop and hover in place.
The easterly breeze that had fought them all day suddenly calmed, as though someone had just commanded it to do so. There was no sound other than the beating of Minion wings. To the west, the setting sun was just beginning to sink behind the Tolenka Mountains. The sudden quiet was eerie and unexpected.
Tristan narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side as if listening. Then, his face grave, he urgently motioned Wigg forward to join him.
"He is here," Tristan whispered. "Place the strongest possible wizard's warp around our litter, and do it now! But don't let an azure glow appear-I want the warp transparent. And don't raise your arms as you conjure it."
His face locked in concentration, Wigg was silent for a moment. Then he looked back at the prince.
"It is done," he said.
Tristan stared intently out into the air. "Turn slightly to your right, and tell me what you see."
The wizard did as he was told, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"There is nothing here," Wigg protested.
"Yes, there is," Tristan countered. "There is a massive distortion in the sky. Its edges waver, like that of a reflection in a rippling pond. It hovers directly before us, about fifteen meters away. Listen to me welclass="underline" No matter what happens from here on, you must not interfere. The very future of the craft hinges on what I alone must do."
Wigg looked out into the air. "But I see nothing," he protested. "Are you quite sure that-"
Azure bolts suddenly streaked toward them, born of nothingness. Twin beams of light exploded against Wigg's warp, threatening to send both the wizard and the Jin'Sai tumbling to the ground. Several warriors supporting the litter died immediately, torn apart by the blast, their bodies tumbling to the ground.
But Wigg's warp held, and other warriors quickly took the places of those who had died and righted the litter.
Suddenly the Black Ship materialized before them. Dark forms appeared in the sky and pounced upon the unprepared Minion warriors. In the first few moments, the K'tons' surprise attack cost at least one-third of the Minions their lives. As the airborne battle began in earnest, Tristan and Wigg saw how badly outnumbered they were.