Jason Henderson - Highlander - The Element of Fire(1).pdf - Jason Henderson - margozap

HIGHLANDER: THE ELEMENT OF FIRE

BY JASON HENDERSON

Synopsis:

Duncan's eyes flew up the main mast to the crow's nest, and as lightning

linked its way across the sky he saw two women there, and by the strong

presence, he knew they were both Immortals.. "Amber!' shoutedDuncan,

but the wind would not carry his voice. He saw the glint of steel. Who

the other woman was,Duncanhad no idea. But they were fighting.

Lightning filled the sky andDuncansaw the mane of red hair, just like

that of Khordas, the Salamander.Duncanshouted out to Amber again and

began to run for the main mast, but now he saw Connor wrench one hand

free from the wheel of the Rosemary and thrash at him furiously.. "No!"

. "But. . .' Crashing waves. The two women were pitched in battle in a

space no wider than a tabletop.. "She's not ready!' . "No!' Connor

snarled again, over the elements.. "You may not interfere! It is

forbidden!' Lightning crackled once again, and the two female figures

were silhouettes against the gray clouds. Duncanheard the Salamander

cry, "The God will be avenged, Highlander! I own the elements and will

not be denied my duel."

If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this

book may have been stolen property and reported as "unsold and

destroyed" to the publisher. In such case neither the author nor the

publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."

WARNER BOOKS EDMON

"Highlander" is a protected trademark of Gaumont Television. 0 1994 by

Gauniont Television and 0DavisPanzer Productions, Inc. 1985.

Published by arrangement with Bohbot Entertainment, Inc.

Aspect is a registered trademark of Warner Books, Inc.

Warner Books, Inc. 1271 Avenue of theAmericasNew York,NY10020

Visit our Web site at littp://pathfinder.com/twep

Time Warner Company

Printed in theUnited States of America

First Printing: October, 1995

10 9 8 7 6

Prologue

In a year without number, because all years were alike, in a land that

would one day be calledScotlandbut was then called simply the World,

the Children of the Salamander sang: Khordas, we have come to please

you, Khordas, we have come to serve....

The Time of the Return had come. With each beat of the dram the mud

vibrated, with each pellet of hard rain the surface splashed, and

ripples moved in muddy rings around the form of the god who slept. The

god awakened in his sleeping place and opened his eyes. His Children

were calling.

Khordas, hear our prayer!

On the surface of the mud lay the mask of the god, and now it lifted

from its resting place, the form of the god bubbling up from below. The

mud filtered away from the god's eyes and he saw through the mask, and

became the mask, as he rose from the holy pit.

The Children of the Salamander danced, and now the god saw their forms,

lit up by a lightning chain that linked its way across the sky. All of

them were painted deep blue, like the mask of the Salamander. The rain

ran along their muscles, heading on the paint, their glistening bodies

moving in answer to the drums, for Khordas was their god, and they

feared him.

Khordas threw out his arms to the beat of the drums and the clap of

thunder, and mud flew all around him, splattering on the blue dancers.

The god chanted in the tongue of the Children, answering their prayer:

"Fire and water are my domain! Who dares call Khordas, the Salamander?"

We are not puny, like our babes,

Nor weak, like our enemies acrogs the hills....

Khordas leapt from the pit with a hiss and landed in the middle,

surrounded by the dancers. The drums grew stronger.

We are your Children, Khordas,

And because we fear you, we are feared!

Khordas slithered before them, crouching, moving his head like the

Salamander, and now he reached into a pouch and drew out something the

blue people did not see. Khordas slapped his hands together, and

between his palms something flared and burned in the night, brighter

than the lightning.

"ile water can kill the weakest of you, in great amounts, but you

control it, for I am your god.

"But fire is greater still, and even this, I use at my pleasure!"

Khordas, we have come to please you, Khordas, we have come to serve....

The fireball flew from Khordas' hands, and fell before him on the

ground, and a ring of fire grew, too strong even for the rain. And even

the dancers, who had experienced this since they were children, cowered

at the sight. "Why," cried the god of fire and water, the greatest of

things, the elements of power, "I should destroy you for even thinking

you could serve me!"

Khordas, we beg your mercy, Khordas, we wish to please....

"And what will you give me that I might not destroy you?

What will you give, that I might look fondly?"

We give you these baubles, poor though they are, but to us, they are

great things.

And now they came, two at a time, all the Children of the Salamander,

heads bowed, with offerings held before them.

Each pair came to the edge of the fire circle and tossed the offering

inside the circle, for none would cross the barrier, and certainly, none

would approach the god. Slain animals, trophies of hunts, packages of

meat and fish, even jewels-a great sacrifice, made only by the greatest

of the Children.

The god danced the dance of recognition of the offerings, and soon he

stopped dancing, and stooped low. "Your god is not happy."

The god is not happy, what have we done?

Fire rain down, tides wash us away!

"Your god lives in his pit and wants to know the deeds of his Children!

Through the mud he cannot see what his Children do!"

We serve you, Khordas.

Khordas, the Salamander.

"Khordas will join you for this year, and walk among you, his Children,

that you may do him reverence every day."

Every day we do Khordas reverence.

Every day is his, lest we be destroyed

"Join you I shall, walk among you I shall! Eat from your tables, sleep

in your beds!" Now the god twisted on his ankles, smiling, staring at

his Children. The Children danced back a bit and one of the priests

sang:

Unfit are we, to be joined with the god,

Khordas would tire of our home.

The god grew angry, hearing these words, roared from the circle, and

approached the sacred hut near the pit. "Now before me I find this

house, the home of one of my Children. I ask for shelter and

companionship and I am denied it, and I will mete punishment!"

And the Children cowered, and sang of their fear, remembering the great

destruction the god had once seen fit to send them, as the god threw

something at the hut, and it burst into flames.

And now Khordas turned and sought out he who had been planned for, and

this man he seized.

"Lonely is your god, and angry. . .

The man looked like any other, painted blue as he was, and great was the

fear in his eyes. Khordas seized the man, and the Children of the

Salamander danced and cried out in terror, remembered and real, as

Khordas tore the disciple apart with his hands, saying as he did so,

"But Khordas does not wish to be angry, he only wishes to be with his

Children," showering the mud across his body with the blood of the

victim, and now he returned to the ring of fire that surrounded the holy

pit.

A priest emerged now, from the back of the congregation, and the sea of

Children parted to let him pass as he sang his part:

Take then, oh Khordas, this my daughter, Nerissa.

"Take as your Companion her lovely frame,

Her perfect soul, her worship is yours.

Khordas' blood rushed from his face as he felt her come near, her father

pushing her into the clearing. What was this?

What manner of ... in all the years Khordas had been god he had never

seen so perfect a portrayal of Nerissa, her hair such as he had never

seen before, white as snow, skin utterly without color, her eyes pink.

The creature wore no paint, and the mud splashed up and made holy images

on the white skin of her bare feet. But more than this was a feeling he

had never had before, of the air getting thick, smoke on his brain, and

the pink-eyed creature looked at him, and sang with the Children.

This companion your god accepts," said Khordas, as always he said, as

every year he said again. But this time he knew there was something

different, that made his mudladen belly quiver, a force that bonded her

Jason Henderson - Highlander - The Element of Fire(1).pdf

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