(Path of the Dragon Mage: Exiled) 47. Consequences (Patreon)

"I'm Corvus—" he said, or he tried to say.

Solt's boot pressed down on his throat, cutting off his voice along with most of his air.

Wheezing, Corvus tried to push it away, but he was weak and uncoordinated from the explosion. Lights—or were those notifications? — danced in front of his vision. As he tried to look past them, they faded to an ominous red dot in the corner of his awareness.

The whites were visible around Solt's eyes, but his gaze was unfocused as if he were truly looking somewhere else.

"Never seen one of you look like a human before. What are you? Shape shifter? Illusionist? Or have you given your body as a host?"

Corvus coughed something he hoped was a negative.

A portion of the burning estate crumbled into embers with a loud crash. Solt whirled not to it, but to the dark line of sagebrush at the edge of his property. He screamed out into the night like a madman.

"I'll kill him! I'll kill your host! Come out and face me, demon!"

Of course, there was no answer.

Try as he might, Corvus couldn't dislodge the foot from his neck. He reached for his knives, but he'd stuck them in the back of his belt, and he couldn't quite wriggle his hand underneath himself...

Black spots danced at the edge of his vision.

Solt's attention returned to him. "What are you?" he screamed, more out of control than Corvus had ever seen from him before. "Answer me!"

Then, where Corvus's shoulders and back pressed to the ground, he felt pounding hooves.

Solt must have heard it, too. He turned, but there was no sign of what was coming.

Suddenly, Solt was knocked backward, off and away. Corvus felt a rush of displaced air from a large creature thundering by overhead. It had been NightShade and Gwen, of course, still hidden under the power of the See-Me-Not pendant.

The moment the horse passed, he rolled and staggered up to his feet.

The landscape was horribly changed. Where the cluster of advancing soldiers had once stood was now a shallow depression — wider than the one that he'd accidentally made the last time.

Only this explosion had been no accident. Corvus had known it might come to this each time he'd refilled the mana-needle. He'd known what would happen when he threw.

Now chunks of what used to be people littered the ground. There were whole bodies, too. They lay bleeding out where they'd once been fighting Solt.

... And now Solt's murderous attention was focused on him. He had regained his feet and was advancing.

Corvus backed away. "Wait—Wait, I can explain!"

Solt's face twisted and he reached for his sword.

"Don't touch him!" Gwen yelled.

Between one instant and the next, she was visible again, sitting astride NightShade's back. Her face was streaked with soot, and her hair was choppy and shorter in places. The colorful clan ribbons were gone. By the looks of it, she'd cut them out. NightShade's ears were pinned back — he looked so vicious Corvus was surprised he had only knocked Solt away and not trampled him.

"Trying to hide who you are, girl?" Solt spat. "Don't want to get the horsefolk in trouble for interfering with king's men?"

She scowled at him. "I was saving your horses. Now I'm saving your apprentice from an old drunk."

"You think I don't know what's going on?" Solt's words bubbled out of him in a frenzy, like he'd been holding them in for too long. "You don't think I see the mobs coming down from the mountains? The ratkin, the lupus wolves, and the other twisted creatures? The rumors of border breaches from the soldiers in the villages — the one who aren't afraid to talk about it, at least. And now this new draft? You don't think I see?" He whirled to Corvus, pointing an unsteady hand at him. "You're infiltrating us. Always a new trick, isn't it? And now you've learned to take human shape... or did you give them your body in exchange for power?"

He had no idea what was going on. Solt was clearly drunk, but he'd seen him drunker. He'd always been sharp. Always known truth from a lie.

Solt took a staggering step toward him, and Corvus backed a step of his own. He had his double-bladed knife in hand, but Solt had his sword. He would be no match for the old General.

Gwen's voice was sharp. "You touch him again and I'll have NightShade trample you!"

"Girl, you get within reach of my sword, and I'll slit your horses' throat."

NightShade bared his teeth at him in a horsey snarl.

"Don't." Corvus's voice was mangled and rough. He touched his throat, clearing it before speaking again. He looked at Solt. "My name is Corvus," he said slowly as if he were trying to calm an excitable Merry-Rose. In a burst of inspiration, he leaned on his animal handling skill. Solt wasn't an animal, but he'd try whatever it took. "I was delivered to you by an Unspoken from the palace. You've been in contact with my aunt, Princess Sunli. I am who I say I am. Ask me anything."

Some of the wildness left Solt's eyes, though the suspicion remained. "I received a letter earlier tonight. What were the contents?"

"A wedding invitation from the future Lord of house Cartwright. You said... you said that I wouldn't attend because I would be at the border by then."

He wasn't sure if reminding him of the war was a bad idea or not. Solt's mind seemed to be stuck there somehow.

But Solt's attention was wholly focused on him. "You might be the boy—given up your body to a demon in exchange for power."

"Wouldn't the horse know?" Corvus asked. "Wouldn't he smell demon scent on me?"

"I’ve been with him all night," Gwen said. "He ain't no demon."

Ignoring her, Solt took a step forward. It was everything Corvus could do to stay in place and face him without flinching. Suddenly, Solt's hand shot out to grab Corvus by the neck and haul him closer.

Gwen yelled, but Corvus held out his hand, staying her. Solt wasn't squeezing. He could still breathe. And talk.

"I don't know what you've seen up in the mountains, but I am human," Corvus said. "I was in the village when I learned the guards were coming — I came back to help you. I just... I just killed men to help you!"

Solt stared into his eyes as if he were trying to peel back his soul.

"I watched you blow up five men in an instant."

Only then did Corvus remember the pending notifications still waiting for him. They glowed an ominous red. Combat notifications. Perhaps experience points.

He didn't want them.

"Those aren't demon powers. It's clean magic."

Abruptly, Solt shoved him away so hard that Corvus staggered.

Solt was staring at him, and for the life of him Corvus couldn't read the expression on his face.

"So. You found your talent at last," he spat to the side. "And it's fire."

"Yes," Corvus said because there was no way he would confess he was a hedge witch to the man who'd nearly crushed his wind-pipe with his foot. Besides, as a noble, Solt would know something about elemental magic. "It's a minor talent. I… can't do anything for your house. I'm sorry."

Solt turned to look at his estate, which by now was completely engulfed by fire. As Corvus watched, his shoulders shook in silent tears.

He got the impression he wasn't weeping for the house, but for much older hurts.

Deciding to give him a few moments to collect himself, he edged to Gwen who had dismounted NightShade and was watching Solt with wide eyes.

"Did you get the horses out of the stables, okay?" Corvus asked.

She nodded, though her gaze didn't leave Solt. She clearly didn't trust him not to strike out again. Neither did Corvus.

"I set 'em loose to run with my ribbons tied in their manes. They'll likely join up with our clan horses. If I'm not back by then, my dad and Roan will know I'm in trouble." She paused. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I think he had a hard time in the war," he said, as tactfully as he could.

Her gaze flicked to him. "What he said… Demons can't take human shape, can they?"

They'd both kept their voices down, but apparently not enough. Still turned away, Solt replied, "They always have new tricks up their sleeves."

Corvus licked his lips and tasted blood. He wondered if it was his own or if it was... splatter. No. He couldn't think of that right now. "Is that why you thought I was a demon?"

Solt turned back. Perhaps it was the light from the fire, but the lines carved into his face were starker than usual. "It's one of the first things you learn when you get to the border. Each demon has a human host they get in exchange for power. Sometimes, the only way you can kill one is by destroying the human half. It's why they attach themselves to children. Makes it so that it destroys you a little more on the inside, each time you have to do it."

His words were met with blank silence. Solt gave a bitter smile.

"Is that why you retired?" Corvus asked.

"Among other reasons."

He was sounding more like himself, at least. Corvus debated saying something like, "I’m sorry for what you've been through," but it sounded trite even in his own head.

Thankfully, Gwen saved him from the attempt. She gestured to the dead bodies, though she didn't look as sick about it as Corvus felt. "What did the king's men want?"

"To get rid of dead weight from the royal line." Solt gestured to Corvus. "Some fool sent a letter to his mother that was intercepted and traced here."

A sinking sensation chilled him all the way down to his toes. "I... I thought I'd been careful." But the words felt weak and very silly in his mouth.

Solt heaved an exhausted sigh. "Idiot boy. Of course they can trace a letter. There are magics out there you can't even dream of."

"Runes, you mean," he said heavily. He should have guessed.

Solt shrugged. "But now the cat's out of the bag. These men will only be the first."

"What... what do I do?"

"Don't know. Don't care." Solt waved a hand. "Not my problem anymore. I hereby release you as my apprentice. Get out of here."

The man had tried to kill him earlier, but the words still hit like a punch to the gut. "But..."

Gwen tugged at his arm. "It doesn't matter. People will notice the fire—we have to go. We can't be found with dead kingdom officers."

She wasn't saying it, but she wanted him to join the horse clan. The thought was appealing, but...

"Come with us," Corvus said to Solt. "Whoever pursues me will come after you by association."

"No doubt," Solt said. "This is my home, and I don't intend to run like a coward."

Sudden anger surged in Corvus's chest. He stepped up to the larger man, getting in his face. "What do you want from me?! I'm sorry I sent the letter. It was foolish, but you can't stay here and die for my mistake!"

Solt slapped him across the face.

You have been struck for 2 damage

He felt the blow more than the pain and barely registered Gwen's outcry before Solt grabbed him, spun him to face the fire, and held him in place by the back of his neck.

"Look at it," he snarled. "Look what you've done, boy."

No, he wasn't showing Corvus the fire. He was showing him what he'd been avoiding looking at since the blast. The crater and what was left of the men.

He wanted to close his eyes but couldn't.

"I didn't mean to do it," Corvus said. Maybe if he told himself that, it would be true.

"Of course you did. It was either you or them, and you chose yourself. Face it like a man, or whimper like a child. It's your choice."

His hold on Corvus dropped, but Corvus didn't turn away. He made himself look.

Even with his Night Vision, there wasn't much left to see. There was what might have been a boot lying about ten feet away, but most was just... chunks.

Solt spoke again. "You want to apologize, then you do something with that power you've been given. You do what to the demons what you've done to these men. You end them, and this war."

"You said they attached themselves to children."

"Yes," Solt said heavily. "I did. And there's no way to undo the process once it's taken hold."

The heat from the building fire was so intense it stung at Corvus's eyes. He wished what he told Solt was true — that he had some control over the element. He would have spread the flames all over to burn away what happened tonight. Perhaps it would renew the earth.

"Do you have any magic Talent?" he asked. High Nobles did. The Cartwrights were a young noble family, so it was not guaranteed.

"Earth, but it's less than nothing. Like pissing dust in the wind. So I went to the border to make something of myself." His smile as acid. "Maybe you'll get as lucky as I did."

Behind them, NightShade snorted.

Corvus turned to see the stallion dancing nervously in place,

Gwen stared at her horse as if trying to decipher what he was saying. She shook her head once, then gasped turning to him. "There're more riders approaching. NightShade didn't smell them till now because of the smoke!"

Solt nodded as if this was expected. "You might get away, girl, if you break for it now." He looked at Corvus. "You going to run, too?"

He looked around at the field of dead men and swallowed. Then he looked at Gwen. "I must take care of this first."

NightShade snorted and pawed the ground. Gwen answered. "Why do you think I'm leaving?"

That sent an unpleasant shock through him. "You can't stay."

"No point to running," Gwen said. "They're here."

As if her words were a cue, he heard hooves and the jingle of tack. The roar of flames and occasional sound of the slowly collapsing building must have obscured their approach until they were quite close.

"Tell your horse to come stand by me, girl," Solt said.

Gwen gave him a suspicious look but nodded. NightShade moved over to stand at Solt's side.

Facing away from the fire, towards the road and the approaching riders, Corvus's Night Vision sharpened. He took in a breath. "Maybe thirty riders, and…" He squinted. "They're wearing Shield house colors."

"That good or bad?" Gwen asked.

"It's my mother's house," Corvus said instead of 'I don't know'.

They fell silent. The approaching riders made for a spectacular sight — all on gleaming horses. The commander rode a dun Mountain Heavy every bit as large as NightShade. He stopped the horse, gave the reigns to his lieutenant, and walked up the last few dozen paces.

His eyes swept over the bodies and the gore, but if he was in any way disturbed, he didn't show it.

Then, to Corvus's shock, he stopped and bowed.

"Young Lord Corvus," he said. "General Solt." He looked at Gwen. "Miss...?"

"My daughter, Anita Cartwright," Solt lied, full of irony. "What does Lord Shield want from us on this fine night?"