Master of furies, p.39
Master of Furies, page 39
Ruffio did as Hatu told him and suddenly he seemed to be floating in a void with Hatu. ‘Where are we?’
‘I don’t really know,’ said Hatu. ‘I think of it as “my place” and from here I can do many things.’
The latticework of energy lines appeared and Ruffio said, ‘What?’
‘I’ll explain later. This is where we want to go.’
Suddenly they were hovering near the rim of the pit. It was night in the Wound and Ruffio gasped, which Hatu assumed was a mental mimicking of what he was doing in his physical body.
‘Nothing here can hurt you,’ said Hatu. ‘Now look.’
He ushered Ruffio to the edge of the pit and changed the light so he could see down inside. The broken body of the child had been joined by a dog’s corpse and what appeared to be a severed ear.
Beneath the corpses, the massive creature lay motionless. But Ruffio said, ‘Gods above! No!’
The connection was broken and Hatu found himself back in the library. Ruffio was reeling as if he had been physically struck.
‘What is it?’ asked Nathan.
‘It’s what you feared.’
Nathan’s face drained of colour and he moved to a chair and sat down.
Bodai said, ‘What is it? What has shaken you so?’
Ruffio glanced at Nathan, who said, ‘They won’t understand.’
‘You haven’t warned them?’ Ruffio sounded angry.
‘I saw no reason to worry them in case it was something else.’
‘Something else!’ Ruffio’s voice rose to a shout. His face became a mask of outrage and his tone was accusatory. ‘You as much as any being in this universe know what this is.’
For the first time, Hatu and Bodai saw Nathan angry. His eyes welled with tears of frustration and with thick emotion he shouted, ‘I didn’t ask to be here! I was sent here with most of my memory gone! I don’t know what you think I should know, but I am as ignorant as these two’ – he waved at Hatu and Bodai – ‘about many things!’
Hatu took a tentative step, ready to get between the two men. ‘Wait!’ He held up his hands in a placating gesture. ‘What are we doing here?’
Ruffio nodded and regained his composure. ‘That thing in the pit … it’s an agent of the Void. It is the single most powerful creature of the Void.’
Hatu said, ‘The Void?’ He looked at Nathan with an unspoken question.
Biting back anger, Nathan said, ‘Before this!’ He waved his hand in a large arc. ‘Before everything, this universe … other universes, everything! There was this …’ He winced as if struck by a sudden pain. ‘I need to remember!’ he shouted, as if addressing some unseen agent.
Hatu could see Nathan was battling his mounting frustration and accompanying fury.
Nathan winced again as if another pain struck, and then he let out a long breath, seeming of relief, and he lowered his voice. ‘Thank you,’ he said, again as if speaking to someone or something invisible.
Hatu used his power to see if another entity might be in the room, but he sensed nothing.
‘Before the beginning,’ Nathan said in calmer tones. ‘All, everything existed in a … perfect instant.’ He leaned over and tapped the table. ‘Matter, energy, time, all bound up in a … ball, let’s say. Something happened,’ he continued. ‘In a sudden moment, everything changed. Time unravelled, spooling out to become what we experience. Massive bursts of energy also, with matter forming, dust, then gravity turned them into rocks, planets, and stars, air and water, anything material. No one knows how long. Billions of years, or longer. Stars were born and died, life arose and went extinct. The best explanation anyone can come up with is pure speculation. I fear we may never know, or perhaps we are incapable of understanding, how this could be. Imagine two fundamental forces, primal furies let us say, in a harmonious balance in that single moment, that perfect instant.
‘Suddenly it was not perfect, out of balance, and everything flew apart.’
Hatu, Ruffio, and Bodai were rapt and remained perfectly silent.
‘One of the forces tore that perfect instant asunder. I choose to think of that as the chaotic force, the demand for change, evolution, uncertainty.
‘The other force was supreme contentment. I think of it as the ordered force, and now it’s seeking to return everything to that perfect instant. I have no reason to claim knowledge, but it seems fit to say that ordered force is frustrated and angry.’
Hatu softly said, ‘You mean that thing in the pit is an agent of a fundamental fury that wants to return everything to … one instant of bliss?’
Nathan had a tear running down his cheek. ‘Yes, that’s what it is.’
Ruffio said, ‘The thing in the pit is a Dreadlord. It has the power to consume all life on this planet and destroy everything right down to the smallest grains of dust, and expand out from here, and eventually destroy … everything.’
Hatu tried to absorb this. He found himself shaking. ‘Why is it here?’ he asked at last.
Ruffio said, ‘That, my friend, is an excellent question, and one for which I have no answer. Because until this moment, I thought I knew for certain that this thing was trapped somewhere else, locked there in an eternal battle with another being far beyond your imagining.’
Nathan said, ‘What do we do?’
‘I go back, as quickly as possible.’
‘Do you need the orb?’
‘No. Now that I’ve been here, I can return without that cursed device. I won’t need the protection shell in case we accidentally appear inside a mountain.’ He took a breath. ‘That device is not entirely accurate, and occasionally it misses the target destination. That protective shell makes me woozy.’
Hatu said, ‘What are you saying about that Dreadlord?’
‘All that you love is at risk’, answered Ruffio, ‘because all that exists is at risk. There are people I need to speak to, and things I need to learn. Attend to the battle and your wife, for while that is important to you, it’s trivial compared to the true risk.’
Hatu found his childhood annoyance at not comprehending returning rapidly and his temper rose. ‘I don’t understand! What does it all mean?’
Bodai put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, while Ruffio turned and looked at Hatu. ‘The universe is complex beyond understanding. What we call “the Void” is … the space between all those particles you call furies. The Void is … this utterly empty, grey nothingness, a perfect balance between pure white and absolute blackness. The Dread are the single most effective creatures of the Void. The thing slumbering in that pit can, at full power, devour a star. I’m going to have to go and talk to people who know more about this than even I do.’ He looked at Nathan and said, ‘I’m sorry. I do not know what you’ve been through, what you’ve forgotten. I ask for your forgiveness.’
Nathan nodded.
Ruffio closed his eyes and moved his hands slightly, and a tall oval appeared next to him. It had a scintillating silver sheen, wavering like pond water, and he stepped through and into it. In a few seconds, it collapsed into nothing and there was a slight sound of inflowing air where he had stood.
Hatu asked, ‘Where did he go?’
‘To get help,’ Nathan answered.
DECLAN SWUNG HIS SWORD, TAKING the man opposite him in the shoulder. Blood arced upwards and bone was exposed as he cried out in pain and fell out of Declan’s way.
Daylon’s forces had battled to the very gates of the Pride Lords’ palace grounds, finding a large wooden gate partially closed. It had been open for so long that it had sagged and warped the hinges, so it wouldn’t fully close.
Declan’s men needed once again to clear the way for the king’s cavalry and the bloody struggle had been at a critical point of balance for almost an hour.
As Declan’s men fought their way to the small opening, the defenders would push back at them to stop the attackers from opening the gate any wider. Declan, Sixto, and the most experienced soldiers in his company rotated in and out of the vanguard as often as possible, resting for a few minutes between fights.
The attackers would gain an advantage for a minute or two, and the gate would swing slightly wider by inches, but for every two inches gained, the defenders gained back one. Still, the swords Declan, Edvalt, and the other smiths had fashioned were breaking blades, cleaving armour, and allowing the attackers the ability to hew their way through the defences.
At last, the gate moved more than a few inches, and with the loud screech of wood on stone, the right-hand gate was pushed back, and the attackers flooded in.
There was a handful of Azhante, and from the way they fought, these were the most loyal of the fanatics. With them were many men dressed in ornate costumes, looking more like ceremonial sentries and guards than true soldiers.
After an hour of fighting at the gate, the battle in the massive courtyard was over in minutes. Many of the men in robes and decorative armour threw down their weapons and cried quarter. Declan shouted, ‘Take prisoners!’ But he knew those surrendering would be lucky if his men heard the order.
They swarmed into a large plaza that served as the entrance to this massive palace complex.
Declan had his men fan out and soon there were no defenders left outside. The entrance to the palace complex comprised two massive wooden doors. They were shut, and almost certainly barred from inside.
Daylon rode into the plaza and dismounted. He looked back and shouted, ‘Get the horses out of here!’
One rider in three would dismount and lead away his horse and two others, so that two out of three could fight on foot.
Daylon was short of breath and looked his age. When he removed his helm, his grey hair was matted to his skull, his eyes were sunken with dark circles below, and his cheeks flushed red.
‘Are you all right?’ Declan asked.
‘I will be when we finish this.’ Daylon glanced skywards as the sun rose higher. The day was getting hotter. ‘Water!’ the king shouted and shortly after a man brought a water skin. Daylon took a long drink, then handed the skin to Declan.
Declan took a long swallow, then handed the remaining water to Sixto. Sixto finished the skin and tossed it aside.
Daylon motioned for the company to follow him and moved towards the main doors. Declan scanned the dozens of windows, topped by open terraces, that went up and up for half a dozen storeys.
‘You fear archers?’ asked the king.
‘They have few,’ answered Declan, ‘but it only takes one.’
‘Truth,’ agreed Daylon. ‘Where are they?’
‘They have no army,’ said Declan. ‘Don’t you see?’ He repeated the insight he had shared with Sixto and finished by saying, ‘They’re jailers, and the Azhante are constables, sheriffs, tax collectors, spies, but not soldiers.’ He took a deep breath and added, ‘They may be assassins, but they’re useless in a stand-up fight. What did Hava call them? Crime lords?’
Daylon was confused for a moment, then his eyes widened. ‘Of course!’ For the first time since this campaign had been conceived, the King of Marquensas looked almost happy. ‘Getting in is the problem.’ He studied the edifice before him. ‘This … warren is four or five times bigger than my castle, but so far we’ve seen nothing that resembles a defensive fortification. Unless we run into killing rooms, traps, and squads of soldiers waiting for us, it’s just a matter of finding our way to wherever these Pride Lords have barricaded themselves in, get in, and kill them all. Once we’ve done that, it should be over quickly.’ He glanced up at the sky and saw that it wasn’t yet noon.
It was Sixto who pointed at the massive doors they faced, twelve feet tall or even higher, each one ten feet wide, carved out of ancient wood that was probably as hard as steel, and said, ‘I hope you are right, my king, but first we must get through those!’
• CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE •
Resolution, Discoveries, and Transformations
Donte waved at Hava from under the bowsprit of the ship next to Queen of Storms. She was watching from the poop deck as a longboat tethered to the bow of her ship was rowing out, turning the ship in case they needed to defend themselves against any unexpected visitors. The other ships would likewise be turned once the king and his army reboarded.
She waved and he hustled over and dived into the water. Her eyes widened as he came to the surface and swam over to a rope ladder that was now twenty or so feet from the quay.
In a moment a dripping Donte stood next to her and said, ‘Did I need to ask to come aboard or something like that?’
‘It’s the custom,’ she answered, trying not to laugh. Mirth seemed inappropriate in the midst of an attack.
‘I never remember those things,’ he said.
‘I thought you were in Marquensas, with Balven.’
‘I am supposed to be, but I just thought this would be more interesting. So, I sneaked aboard the king’s ship. People at the castle have got used to seeing me running errands, and the “on the king’s business” thing worked well enough on the ship. I grabbed a bit of food here and there, usually with the ship’s crew, not the soldiers.’
‘Why didn’t I see you on the island?’
‘You were spending a lot of time with the king and other important people,’ he said as he tried to squeeze water out of his shirt sleeves. ‘If the king saw me, he’d probably put me under guard.’ He glanced back up at the Pride Lords’ palace. ‘How’s the fight going?’
‘I have no idea,’ she answered. ‘We’re getting ready to leave whatever happens, but I expected we might be attacked.’ She pointed to the main deck, where a squad of twenty of the king’s top soldiers were lined up, ready to defend, alongside the ship’s crew. ‘People in the city are staying inside, and I’ve only seen a few dead Azhante over there.’ She turned to the far end of the quay where the ships were beginning to be towed into position for departure.
Donte shook more water off his clothing. ‘The best part about being friends with you and Hatu is all the amazing things I get to see.’
She kissed him on the cheek, then said, ‘Shut up and get out of the way.’
Donte laughed.
Hava watched carefully as the longboat pulled the bow of the Queen of Storms, swinging her away from the quay, then glanced over her shoulder. As the ship aligned in the desired direction, she said to Donte, ‘I wish I knew what was happening up there.’ With a nod of her head, she indicated the battle on the other side of the city.
‘We’ll find out soon enough, I suspect,’ said Donte. He looked towards the bow as the line turning the ship was cast off and men began disconnecting the sheets that ran from the bowsprit to the foremast. ‘What are they doing?’ he asked.
‘This beauty has a ballista that replaces the bowsprit. Slows her down a bit, but it’s got a nasty bite. And despite it, she’s still faster than most.’ She smiled. ‘Queen of Storms is an ambush predator and I wouldn’t mind someone turning up so I could finally use that giant spear.’
Donte’s expression was dubious, as the best option was nobody showing up in a warship. He pushed aside that observation and asked, ‘What’ll it do? Kill a lot of people at the same time?’ He grinned.
Hava laughed. ‘Only if they get in the way.’ She pointed to where the bowsprit was being removed. ‘You just point your ship at the enemy ship and if you’re breaching troughs or crashing breakers, when the ship lifts at the bow, you shoot that big nasty bolt, and if you aim it right, it’ll completely ruin the other ship’s rigging and sails. Get lucky and one shot will quickly have the other ship dead in the water. You swing alongside and swarm the deck and capture the ship without sinking it.’
‘Sounds like fun,’ said Donte. He stood motionless for a moment, then said, ‘Something is changing.’
‘What?’ asked Hava.
‘Remember what I told you about the Sisters of the Deep, and … well, I came back to kill Hatu.’
Her eyes narrowed as she said, ‘I thought that was a very bad jest.’
‘No,’ said Donte. ‘They put something in my head …’ He looked as if he was fighting for words. ‘But whatever they did, it’s fading.’
‘This was all serious?’
‘As serious as I ever get,’ he replied. ‘They sent one of those sea creatures to command me … so I killed it. You know I don’t like to be told what to do.’
She was caught halfway between disbelief and fear. ‘Do you want to kill Hatu?’
Donte took a deep breath. ‘No … but maybe beat him up a little.’
She stared at him wide-eyed, then hit him hard on the arm. ‘You bastard! Some things you don’t joke about!’
‘Ow!’ he cried out. ‘You hit hard!’
Tears were welling up in her eyes. ‘You deserved it.’
‘Probably,’ he conceded, then he turned and looked out over the aft rail. ‘I wonder how the king is doing up there.’
‘WE NEED A BATTERING RAM,’ said the king, ‘but the engineers are back on the island.’
Sixto, standing behind Declan, said, ‘Doors that big need a rolling ram with cover, better if it’s pushed by oxen. Nothing we can cobble together here will serve. Biggest damn doors I’ve ever seen.’
Declan asked, ‘Is this the only way in for a place this big?’
‘I’m waiting for scouts who’re riding the perimeter, but however many other doors they find, they’re all going to be locked and barricaded,’ said Daylon.
‘If there’s a smaller door’, said Sixto, ‘we could chop down a tree and a few dozen men could use that as a ram.’
Daylon said, ‘We have some four-man log-rams ready, but they’re effective only for smaller interior doors.’
Declan said, ‘Making a bigger ram will take too long, even if we find what we need in the city, and I’ve spotted archers up on that first open terrace.
‘Given how weak the defence has been, I’ll bet gold that as soon as they saw us coming, they pulled everyone with a weapon back into this palace complex. As big as it looks, it’s got to be a warren in there. Expect room-to-room fighting, and even if we get through a smaller door, that’ll just be a choke point.’
