enemies for their clever ruse," Douan was saying, laughing.
Pagonel grabbed his life energy together. He opened his eyes and with a sudden burst of movement, ran his arms in circles, then out, dislodging the two men holding him and shoving them aside.
The Chezhou-Lei warrior moved immediately, but so did the mystic, gathering his energy, then throwing his arms forward and sending that ball of power out across the way, reaching for the hematite, diving into its depths, flooding it with the pure power of Chi. Long Ago, the Jhesta Tu had learned the secrets of the gemstones, had come to know that the energy contained within the stones and was the same basic energy as within their own Chi, the same energy that permeated all of the universe. The strength of any gemstone depended upon the amount of energy contained within, and the amount that any gemstone could hold was a finite thing.
Spent, Pagonel was already Hiring as the Chezhou-Lei's staff whipped around, smashing him to the ground.
Across the way, the hematite blew apart, shards spraying back into sur-prised Yakim Douan, hurling him to the floor.
Cries erupted for the death of the mystic, but before the Chezhou-Lei could follow that course, Mado Wadon yelled at him to hold his strike and to drag the prisoner away to the dungeons.
Other guards were ordered to bear the wounded Douan away, as well, to a comfortable bed. The Chezru Chieftain, semi-conscious, resisted them at first, scrambling desperately to find some piece of his precious soul stone, some chunk of the enchanted gem that would allow him access.
"God-Voice?" came a simple question, and he looked up to see Mado Wadon and several others, including Yatol De Hamman, staring down at him incredulously.
"It may explode again," he said unconvincingly.
"Yes, God-Voice," said Mado Wadon. ?Go with the soldiers now. You are wounded, and we must ensure that Chom Deiru is now secure."
Yakim Douan nodded repeatedly, trying to sort through it all, trying to find some line of deception that he might follow to minimize the risk. And of course, he had to discern a way he could gather another soul stone. Olin would help him. Yes, and he could keep it secret through the next couple of years until things settled, until he had reestablished himself enough to chance Transcendence once more.
Of course, none of this would make any difference at all in forty or fifty years, when all the witnesses would be dead and buried, and Merwan Ma's name would be long forgotten!
That fool Merwan Ma!
Soon after, the God-Voice of Behren was resting comfortably in a bed in Chom Deiru, guards securing his door. His wounds were not nearly as seri-ous as feared, only minor cuts and bruises, and the first Yatols who had come in to see him had expressed great regret that such evil conspirators as Merwan Ma and the Jhesta Tu had ever gotten into the palace.
"Where is the Jhesta Tu?" Douan asked Mado Wadon.
"He is dead, God-Voice," the Yatol replied. ?As you commanded, though it would have given us all great pleasure to see him burned publicly before the palace."
"Too dangerous," Douan said.
"Of course, God-Voice," Mado Wadon replied with a bow. ?Rest now. The first reports of the battle at Dharyan are coming in."
"The Dragon has fallen?" Douan asked, coming forward excitedly.
"Not yet, God-Voice," the Yatol replied. ?But soon. She has nowhere left to run."
Yakim Douan rested back, comfortable in those thoughts.
For the third time, they attacked, and for the third time, they were repelled.
"You cannot continue to throw our warriors against the walls," an angry Chezhou-Lei Shauntil dared to say to fuming Yatol Bardoh after that third retreat.
"Dharyan should have fallen long ago!" the Yatol declared.
"Agreed, but the city is fortified by the fires of a great dragon," Shauntil reminded. ?And we must never underestimate the strength of this woman. She is possessed of demons, my warriors say, and every breach is met with her fiery sword."
Yatol Bardoh clenched his fist and slammed it down on the small table before him, knocking it to the floor. ?I will have the city!" He looked up at Shauntil. ?You deliver Dharyan to me, and soon!"
"If we continue to attack, and continue to be chased away, leaving hundreds dead behind us, you will find your ranks thinning by more than the dead, Yatol," the Chezhou-Lei honestly reported.
"Are we to abandon Dharyan?" came the incredulous response.
"We can resupply. With her dragon downed - and it is downed, by all reports - she cannot."