Earthbound, p.8
Earthbound, page 8
When the ground finally stopped moving, Knox left Loghin tucked into the narrow corner and found his way back to the opening he had created in the pillars. Teeth, he reminded himself. Pausing for a moment at the gap, he stuck his head forward, listening, straining to gather anything from his other senses.
He couldn’t tell if it was a trick of his mind, but the air felt cooler in this room. He stepped forward cautiously. His feet found the same solid earth beneath them, his hand stayed glued to the smooth row of pillars. If these really were teeth, there would be a throat and that was a journey he did not want to take.
The darkness did not soften or relent. He kept his fractured arm tucked into his ribs, though it only throbbed now. Whether this was due to his resilience being bolstered or the injury healing, he wasn’t sure. Regardless, he was thankful it no longer flared with pain at every movement.
After a hundred and thirty paces of following the pillared path, he frowned. It felt as if he was walking in a straight line. The beast can’t possibly be that big.
“Loghin, can you hear me?” He called.
Loghin’s voice was muted. “Yes. Where did you go?”
“I’m in the adjoining cave,” Knox said.
“You mean its mouth?”
Knox laughed in spite of himself. “I suppose. Everything still feels like stone though.”
“Any light?”
“Not yet.”
“Ever the optimist.” Loghin almost sounded as if he was enjoying the banter.
Knox’s fingers jammed into a rough outcropping of stone. “Damn.” He shook his hand. The sharp pang dissipated almost instantly. He paused in surprise. The familiar flash and ebb was how he had experienced pain his entire life.
The past months had been an education in the true nature of pain. The lasting and persistent quality of aches and injuries. This had felt as it had back when he was still an Overseer. A moment of discomfort and then it was gone. He tested his fingers against the stone, no hint of injury remained. The unpredictable nature of this power made him uneasy. He could break an arm, but not smash his fingers?
He untucked his injured arm and reached out for the outcropping of stone with both hands. The arm was stiff, but he found it usable. Skies, what is happening?
The surface before him was rough like the other walls he had explored, but angled sharply outward. Its narrowest part was at his knees, and it widened as it stretched up.
Tentatively he moved one foot forward, tracing the floor until it gave way to empty space. A wave of vertigo rushed over him, and he recoiled backwards.
“Find anything?” Loghin checked in.
“A drop-off. Could be its throat.” Even as Knox spoke, his voice echoed down the void before him.
“I recommend avoiding that.”
“Good idea,” he said dryly.
He backed away toward the reassuring presence of the pillars. “I’m coming back.”
Once safely in their corner, he laid out his plan. “I paced it off; if I knock down another pillar around the sixtieth step, in theory, that should be somewhere near the front of the beast’s mouth.”
“But we will still be trapped.”
Knox nodded and then remembered Loghin couldn’t see him. “Ready for when it resurfaces.”
“Right.” The light tone Loghin had earlier disappeared. Even to Knox’s ear, the plan sounded ridiculous. If he was a full Overseer, maybe he could make the beast surface. The obscene irony was not lost on him. The very reason he wanted to live was the reason he would likely die.
His thoughts turned to Emilia and their child. Even if it was hopeless, he had to try; he owed them that much.
Next to him Loghin coughed and groaned. “Who are we kidding, Knox? I’m not getting out of here. I am in no shape to leap from the mouth of a monster.” He cleared his throat. “After you are gone, I’ll throw myself down that chasm—if that doesn’t offend your vows.”
Knox sighed at the edge in Loghin’s tone. “I’m not leaving this beast without you and if it becomes clear that we have no other choice, I’ll join you in the chasm before we starve.”
Loghin sat silent for longer than he expected. “I wish I was noble enough to argue with you, but I’m not. If you get us outta here, I will be yours for life.”
“Careful, Loghin. Words carry more power than you know—” Knox protested.
“I may not be noble or brave, but I’m allowed to make whatever oaths I want.”
He couldn’t argue with that. Every soul had the freedom to choose its bonds. Knox checked the wrappings on Loghin’s chest, and the two men stood and returned to the gap. With Knox in the lead counting off their steps, they made their way along the pillars until they reached what he hoped was the halfway point.
“Last time we did this, the beast didn’t like it. Can you grip one of the teeth, so you don’t tumble away?”
“Are you telling me to hold onto this stone like my life depended on it?”
Knox chuckled. “I am.”
This time both men tied strips of cloth about their faces, guarding their eyes, nose and mouth from debris before bracing themselves against the stones.
“Will you have the strength?” Loghin asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.
“Pray to the Sky I do.”
To his surprise, Loghin began to do just that. His voice low, he muttered the words of a prayer Knox had voiced thousands of times.
“Breath of life; Keep our souls,
Light our path and keep us in Your sight.”
As Loghin finished Knox carried on, his muted whisper reciting the extended words that made up the Primary Oath.
“This is ever my oath before the Sky,
To intercede for your people.
Measure my soul as I bind myself to you,
And if worthy, allow my bones to hold a fragment of your expanse.”
The words washed over him, instilling him with calm. The Sky was never thwarted; even here in the belly of the earth, her breath filled his lungs.
He gripped a massive tooth, and once again sought the elusive thread of strength within him. Energy jumped forward and coursed through his limbs like a runaway blaze. He sucked in a sharp breath and leaned into the stone before him. It gave way as if the ground around its base were nothing more than plaster, crumbling with each push and pull.
The cavern shook, raining dust down on them. The grating of stone amplified and modulated into an angry-sounding groan while the air filled with fine particulates Knox could taste with every breath, even through the makeshift mask.
The pillar fell away from him, and when it hit the floor, the cavern convulsed, tossing both men into the air. Knox reached out instinctively and grabbed for a handhold. A perfect grip within the stone tethered him as they were tossed from their feet several more times before the cavern stilled. “You still with me, Loghin?”
The man gave a soft moan, a cough keeping him from speaking for a moment. “Barely. My chest is an inferno, but I’m here.”
“Come on,” he reached out until he found Loghin’s elbow and led him through the newly created space. “We’ll get you seen to as soon as we get out of here.”
“Do you smell that?” Loghin asked.
Knox paused and his heart skipped a beat as he pulled in a deep breath. “Grass? Or leaves?”
“I’m not hallucinating?”
“Not on this account, at least,” Knox said.
Suddenly, searing light burst into existence and a rush of wind washed over them, warm and full of the scents of the open air. Knox blinked rapidly after the oppressive darkness, but even under the fabric covering his face, he could not keep them open. They were going to have to do this blind.
“Grab hold of me as tight as you can,” he shouted.
He, in turn, tightened his grip on Loghin and reached for the remnant of power.
Knox gasped. Where he’d been eking residual silvers of strength, now lay a wellspring. The power surged through him in a torrent and without further consideration he launched the two of them skyward. All shadows and scents of earth gave way to the light of the sky as they shot clear of the creature’s mouth.
For a brief second, they were suspended above a foreign landscape. The ground below lay tipped and askew with pockets of verdant green interspersed with the dark colours of churned earth. Through the weave of fabric, Knox could make out the dissipating liquefaction of the earthbound as it quickly retreated into the depths.
As always, the moment of weightlessness didn’t last, and solid ground rushed towards them. Knox pulled at the wild force within his chest, harnessing it to his will and fortifying his limbs. He crushed Loghin tight into his side and let his legs absorb as much of the impact as he could manage. They landed with a jarring thump and collapsed back together into the long grass.
Loghin coughed and rolled clear of Knox. “The sky! I can see the sky,” his voice cracked, a sob escaping.
Knox stared through the dirt-caked cloth at the blue above him with tears streaking his face at the only reasonable explanation breaking over him. He’d laid down his oaths and power over a single assurance, having a child. With his connection to the Sky restored, an unprecedented miracle, it could mean only one thing—he was no longer a father.
A Bracing Cup
Tehran
Tehran found the messenger waiting outside his door, looking half dead on his feet. He waved a greeting and climbed the steps to his own stilted home.
“Overseer,” the man said and dipped his head formally. Dirt clung to the messenger and his too-large coat was torn in several places. Deep hollows accentuated his cheek bones and the dark rings shading his eyes made the man’s thin face appear skeletal.
“Come in, come in,” Tehran beckoned as he moved past him, opened the door, and flipped on the light. The single-room apartment was cool; he hadn’t been home for more than a few minutes at a time over the past couple days. Tehran stirred the hearth looking for embers and found only cold ash. He motioned for the messenger to sit at the small table.
“What word do you have?”
The man moved hesitantly and sat. “Pardon Overseer, the man who sent me said you would pay generously to receive the information quickly.”
Tehran glanced back at the man. He wasn’t only tired from the journey. Beyond the state of his clothes, he twitched at every sound and his eyes warily jumped around the room. “They told you the truth,” Tehran assured.
The man huffed a relieved breath. “Thank you, Overseer. My wife was sure I was on a fool’s errand.”
Tehran gave a quick grin. “No fools here, and please, call me Tehran.”
“Yes, Overs—Tehran.”
Someone had filled his wood box and left a small bundle of kindling tucked along the side, no doubt at the direction of Maven. The woman thought of everything. He would have left the fire, but the man before him looked like he could use the comfort of a warm room and a meal.
He began to arrange the kindling. “Tell me,” he glanced up, “what’s your name?”
“Alexxe.”
“Alexxe, where are you from?”
“Arris.”
Alexxe looked toward the small start of a fire longingly. “It’s not much of a message, I’m afraid.”
“Then the sooner we can get to relaxing with a bit to eat and drink,” Tehran encouraged.
Alexxe lit up and leaned forward in his chair. “Your messenger, Jai, told me to say, ‘I am moving on to Rook,’ and ‘listen to this man’s story, it may be of interest to you.’”
He did the mental calculations. Two days—Jai was making good time. The fire started to crackle, and Tehran put a small log atop it before standing. “Did he mention if he had any trouble on the road?”
“No, Overseer.”
Tehran raised an eyebrow and a cajoling smile.
“Tehran,” Alexxe corrected. “When I visit the Capital, they insist on proper titles.”
The culture out here tended to the informal and the few Overseers that remained in the Reaches often adopted the local customs. “We don’t stand on ceremony in Rikken.”
“We? I heard your other Overseer was—” Alexxe started.
“I don’t stand on ceremony,” he corrected quickly and pushed on, not wanting to dwell on the implications of the simple statement. “How about something to eat?”
If Alexxe noticed anything strange, it was completely overridden at the mention of a meal. Tehran made them both a hot cup of corba, a bitter yet bracing drink made from the husks of corba nuts, and pulled open the cooler to find the makings of a meal. Once again, Maven’s thoughtfulness filled the shelves. All ingredients that he could use without fear.
Their conversation about assurances, the specific rules Overseers needed to follow, echoed in his mind. Maven was always insightful, but her words pointed to a deeper knowledge. Knowledge she shouldn’t have.
Tehran prepared a simple platter of meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables. With practised motions he kneaded a quick flatbread and, after frying it, the bread joined their meal. Tehran eyed the small man in wonder as he cleaned his plate three times before pausing to take a breath. Once they had both had their fill, they moved to the more comfortable seating before the fire.
The haunted look Alexxe had when he arrived eased, and he no longer appeared ready to bolt.
“Tell me about yourself, Alexxe,” Tehran invited.
Alexxe sighed, as if remembering a heavy burden. “I have a wife and five children. The oldest is twelve this year, the youngest are twins and turned a year old a month back.” A hesitant smile emerged at their mention. “I run a small textile shop and work the fields during harvest when I can.”
Tehran took in the man’s threadbare clothes again. “A cloth merchant? You’re looking a little more worn than I’d expect.”
Alexxe rubbed at the cuff of his shirt sadly. “Therein lies the story your messenger wanted me to tell, I suppose.” He took a deep breath and settled back in his seat, staring into the fire. “Most of my business was trading wool and cotton from the Reaches with the Central Mercurial. This spring, one by one, my regular suppliers began to send messages, regretfully informing me,” he said the words with an air of hostility, “they had found new trading partners and would not be able to fulfill my orders.
“This happened again and again. I sent messages to confirm, I tried negotiating higher fees, I offered to come and meet them in person, and each time I was turned down.” He looked toward Tehran. “If there had been one or two suppliers, it would have been a lean year, but manageable. In the end it was all but one.”
Tehran’s eyebrow rose in surprise. He wasn’t overly familiar with the textile trade but even to him it sounded suspicious. “Is there a conglomerate moving into this area?”
Alexxe shook his head. “I’ve asked around, but all I can gather is that cluster by cluster, communications are going silent.” He sighed and looked back at the fire, picking up his cup of corba. “I still don’t know who is behind it.”
Tehran frowned, trying to glean what Jai wanted him to take note of. While unfortunate and obviously devastating to this family, there was little he could do about suppliers not wanting to trade with a specific merchant.
As if reading his mind, Alexxe continued, “Which is why a textile merchant sits before you in rags.” His face turned heavy and gripped his mug tighter to still the shake in his hands. “But then the earthbound arrived.”
“You’ve had more than one?” Tehran leaned towards the man, interest peaking.
Alexxe huffed. “One? I wish. A single earthbound wouldn’t have brought our cluster to its knees.”
“You’d be surprised,” Tehran muttered.
“I heard of your beast. We haven’t seen the big ones, thank the Sky.” Alexxe sucked in a breath and shuddered. “We’ve always had a few skuttle around the cluster, but the little beasts started to flood in.”
Tehran nodded. Skuttle were a problem around Rikken as well. The size of a man’s foot, the pot-bellied creatures had a knack for getting places they shouldn’t.
“Our food stores were moved up into the platformed buildings. There were thousands, I’d hazard. The roads became unusable without hovercraft, the ground was in constant flux with their movement.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Not at first. The liquefactions were shallow after all. Once we rescued the food stores, it was more of an inconvenience than anything.”
“What about crops?”
“Most of our food crops are on vines or trees.” He paused, and his thin face pulled taut. “We would have been all right except for the packs of vicers the skuttle attracted. That’s what’s killing folks.”
“Vicers? They don’t often attack.” The earthbound hunters were roughly a third the size of a grown adult and typically hunted small prey in packs of two or three. Great, snapping stone beaks with serrated edges like sharpened flint made them dangerous under the wrong circumstances.
Alexxe dropped his head. “They do now. Far too many folks were lost before we realized what was happening. The vicers moved right into the cluster with the skuttle. Their combined liquefactions were unpredictable and far deeper than anyone expected.” He stared at the fire with a far-off look. “We never needed poles much in Arris, but you can bet people are carrying them now.”
Tehran nodded grimly. If the vicers had moved in, the even larger rigsha wouldn’t be far behind. They were ambush hunters that would wait deep under the surface and strike in a vertical attack before retreating to the depths. While their round bodies and flat faces didn’t have the same menacing look as the vicers, the resulting liquefaction they created was deep enough to swallow an adult whole.
Without long poles, such attacks would be deadly. Tehran had never heard of them coming into a cluster, but with the ground opened up by the smaller creatures, it sounded as if they were capitalizing on the sudden food source. He mentally made a list of the changes that needed to be implemented in Rikken.
“How many has your cluster lost?”
“Sixteen at last count. People are afraid to leave their homes and now are in danger of starving.”
