A clawed hand the size of a man shot out toward Calis, and Tomas reacted by slashing down as hard as he could with his golden sword. He hacked through a wrist four feet thick, and the creature screamed in pain and pulled away, his hand severed from his body.
A stream of the foul black blood shot through the air and drenched Calis, who screamed in pain and fell back from the Lifestone.
‘Calis!’ shouted Miranda, and she and Nakor ran to him. Immediately Pug and Tomas threw themselves into the battle. Energy lashed out, and Tomas struck with his sword, forcing the wounded demon back. Jakan clutched the bleeding stump of his arm to his chest, letting them force him to the wall.
Nakor hurried to Calis, grabbing one of his hands, while Miranda took the other, and they dragged him out of the pool of black blood. Instantly the Lifestone ceased being active.
Calis lay on the floor twitching as his skin burned, peeling as if he had been bathed in acid. He clenched his teeth and kept his eyes closed, and made low animal noises of agony. Miranda and Nakor both felt their hands stinging and quickly wiped their hands on their clothing. Holes appeared in the fabric, but at least their hands stopped burning.
Miranda looked around and saw the servants of the Oracle huddling in the farthest corner of the great hall, sheltered behind the recumbent form of the dragon. She ran to them and said, ‘We need help!’
The oldest member of the band, the one who had spoken to her before, said, ‘There is nothing we can do.’
Miranda grabbed the old man by the arm, hauling him to his feet. ‘Think of something!’
She dragged the old man closer to the scene of battle and pointed to Calis, who lay moaning. She pointed at him and said, ‘Help him!’
The old man motioned for two others to come, and they managed to get Calis completely out of the pool of demon blood. The leader motioned for them to carry Calis around to the other side of the Lifestone and then he said to Nakor, ‘If he can be made to work his will on the stone again, it may save him.’
Nakor’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. ‘Of course, the healing energy!’ He looked at Miranda. ‘It’s like reiki! It serves him first.’
Nakor turned to the two servants of the Oracle and said, ‘Hold him close to the stone.’
They did so, though every movement caused Calis to moan in agony. Nakor took Calis’s hands, burned and blistered as they were, and placed them on the surface of the stone. Nakor said, ‘I hope this works.’ He made several passes in the air over the hands, and muttered a few phrases, then he placed his hands over Calis’s.
Nakor felt warmth under his hands, and looked down. A faint green light bathed Calis’s hands and his own. ‘The energy flows,’ he said. He waited for a minute while the battle between Pug, Tomas, and the demon continued, neither side being able to gain the upper hand.
Nakor said to the two servants of the Oracle, ‘Hold him here. Keep him in contact with the stone.’ Then he ran to Miranda’s side.
Miranda said, ‘This isn’t working.’
‘I know.’
Pug let loose with a blast of mystic energy, invisible to the eye but causing the air to sizzle as it struck the demon.
Tomas showed no sign of tiring, for his Valheru-created armor protected him from any incidental harm. The demon would have to get daws on Tomas to cause him serious injury.
Pug fell back. ‘The best we can hope for is to keep him at bay. How’s Calis?’ he asked Miranda.
She pointed and Pug looked. Calis sat upright, held in place by the two servants, and a green glow was now suffusing the air around him, shrouding him in an emerald-colored nimbus. Pug watched for a moment, and said, ‘He’s getting stronger.’
Nakor said, ‘Yes, as he continues to hold the gem it heals him, and as it heals him he becomes strong enough to continue his work on it. Look!’ Nakor pointed.
Calis’s eyes were now open, and while his expression showed he was still in a great deal of pain, Tomas’s son was once again unlocking the Lifestone.
Again the room was filled with tiny motes of green energy, life being returned to its rightful place. Pug pointed to the demon’s severed hand, which was fading from view, and to the bleeding stump which was now in the process of growing a new one. Pug said, ‘This is healing the demon, too.’ Then Pug’s eyes widened. He said to Miranda, ‘Do you know a powerful spell of binding?’
Miranda said, ‘Powerful enough for that thing?’
‘You only need confine it for two minutes.’
She looked dubious, but said, ‘I’ll try.’
‘Tomas!’ shouted Pug. ‘Keep it back for another minute!’
Pug closed his eyes and began chanting while Miranda did the same. Suddenly crimson bands of energy surrounded the creature, seizing him and crushing his mighty wings across his back. Then they constricted, and Jakan howled in pain.
‘Tomas!’ Pug shouted. ‘A killing blow!’