Warsinger by James Baldwin (most important books of all time txt) 📕

cry, and then the riflemen began to fire on it as a second explosion rumbled through the compound.

I pivoted back to Karalti, who rocked from foot to foot in agitation. She had a hand clamped over her cheek. Shining blue mana leaked between her fingers, and the air was sharp with the smell of ozone.

“Here.” I pulled out an empty mana capsule and a minor healing potion. She hadn’t taken much damage, but it would stop the Bleed effect. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head, and uncovered the wound. “No. Go ahead.”

Vash was doing his best to hold the door as volley after volley struck it, shredding the wood. “You might want to hurry it up, Dragozin!”

I smiled at her even as the [Mana Poisoning] debuff set in and my HP began to tick down. She took the potion from my hands, and held it while I scraped the capsule up along her skin and collected the blood. When it was done, I snapped it into the gauntlet, eyed the pale corpse of the sage, and let out a tense breath.

“Okay. Last chance.” I raised my hand. “Suund'karon, Karalt', Binah!”

Chapter 39

Karalti flinched as the blood still trembling on her skin turned black and vanished, the spell sucking the mana from the gauntlet and out of the air. Mehkhet's corpse sighed, and then seemed to sag further as the dark magic condensed on and then faded into his body. I felt the air tug, then turn chilly as it seeped back out, and a tall, lean shadow stepped free of his body.

[You have gained a thrall: Mehkhet the Illuminator - Sage (Level 27)]

Mehkhet the Illuminator (Greater Shade)

Unit Rank: 5 (Level 27, Rare)

Type: Incorporeal Undead

HP: 833/833

MP: 400/400

Speed: 190 (Extremely Fast)

Melee Attack: 10

Melee Defense: 34

Abilities: Life Drain, Incorporeal, Lore Master, Researcher, Magic (See full character sheet for details), Inspire Terror.

EXP: 27,000 (+2060 to next level)

“Yay! It worked!” Karalti punched the air. “Welcome to Team Karalti!”

“…” Mehkhet was a very different kind of shadow to the bandit. His features were better defined, and he radiated presence, intelligence, and power. The first thing he did was look at his hands, then down along his own incorporeal form. Then he turned back to look at his corpse.

“I killed myself to preserve my secrets,” the shadow hissed. “I died an honorable death. And this is the fate that befalls me?”

“I'm sorry we didn't make it in time,” I said to him. “We came here to rescue you, but things went pear-shaped. Come on: we need to get out of here.”

The shadow's Willpower tugged against my own. I narrowed my eyes as he swayed uncertainly, testing my command.

“What do you want of me?” he whispered, his ghostly voice harsh with fear. “Why have you brought me forth to walk the world in this cursed form?”

“Sorry to have to do this, man,” I said. “I wouldn’t have summoned you if it wasn’t really fucking important, I promise. Let’s work together.”

“Do I have a choice?” Mehkhet turned to stare at me. His eyes were nothing more than dancing white embers floating inside of hollow sockets.

“Burna’s balls, Hector! What have you done!?” Vash, behind us, sounded aghast. “I thought you were just going to talk to the poor man?”

“Save it for later.” Exasperated, I pulled the medallion from under the collar of my armor and let it hang out. “Believe me, if it wasn't for a good cause, I wouldn't be doing this.”

“That is… that is one of the Shields of the Firmament!” The billowing shade shuddered with excitement as he drifted closer. “How incredible! To think I spent my whole life searching for something like this, but passed the veil before I was able to lay eyes on it. Very well. I am curious now; I submit to your command.”

“Great, wonderful. Let's go.” I winced as the first round punctured the door under Vash’s armpit, sending chips of wood flying. The bullet thwipped straight through Mehkhet like he wasn’t there, but it grazed Karalti in the arm.

“Okay, shadow goes first!” We ducked and ran to the side. “Go scare the pants off them!”

“A man of my station, reduced to being a common haunt…” Mehkhet muttered. He breezed past Vash and phased through the door, and the screams began.

“We’re having words about this later,” Vash said, glaring at me as he threw the door open and ran out into the melee.

Mehkhet had almost no attack power, but thanks to Inspire Terror, he didn’t really need to do anything except raise his arms and wiggle his spectral fingers. He loomed up over the guards like a vision of the Grim Reaper, and they tripped over themselves to get away from him, shouting and cursing in terror. We broke out through the pack and ran for the carriage exit door, the one we knew to be unlocked. The yard outside was empty, but the street beyond the fence to our left was in chaos. Suri was boxed in by at least thirty enemies, hacking down guardsman after guardsman with her sword.

“Time to shine!” I bolted out the gate, tensed, and sprung into the air. “Karalti! Protect Mehkhet!”

“Okay!” She squared up inside of the gate, while Vash sprinted for the edge of the pack.

I landed on the back of one Witchhunter, driving the Spear through the gap between his armor and his helmet, then sprung back up into the air with an exhilarating rush. Time slowed as I fell; I used the precious seconds granted to me by Leap of Faith to group a pack of enemies, then hit my newly leveled Master of Blades. Freezing dark flames rushed up and condensed into six black shards, each one as long as the Spear of Nine Spheres. They burst forward like missiles, powerful enough to push me back into the air as they rained down on the crowd of baddies. The shards smashed three of them and badly wounded several others, blowing apart into arcane shrapnel. Suri roared, put her head down, and dashed