Nasaka Jadoo’s bones had also been made thicker and heavier. They were then reinforced with a mixture of minerals that made them nearly as hard as steel. His overlong arms had been further extended, as had his long legs. His muscle fibers were replaced with stronger, thinner versions that made room for Carver to double or even triple their number. He had also added a second, smaller heart linked to a fully separate secondary circulatory system. Not enough to provide full functionality but certainly enough to keep Nasaka alive through even the most severe of wounds. His skin was thickened and made into a supple variant of a carapace. Not as strong as the thick chitin perhaps, but far better than a leather vest and less restrictive of movement. Besides, standard armor could still be worn over the new skin. With a glance at one of his favorite lizards, Carver modified the structure of the skin further. Once Nasaka learned to control it, he should be able to achieve limited color changes.
Carver looked over the once-human mage hunter with pride. A feeding would be needed before the work resumed the next night. He summoned four slaves and had them bring one of the nutrient vats from the main workshop up to his rooms. He wrapped the mage hunter in a broad weave and lifted him into the dark liquid. Nasaka only woke for a moment. Red eyes flashed in the depths of the vat before they slid closed. A few more days and he’ll never have to sleep again.
Carver had learned much from working on the assassin. Not least of which was how far he could push the body of a Warchosen without breaking it. I may even apply some of what I’ve learned to Maran Vras if I find the time.
Carver had also been fascinated to learn that the whole basis of Nasaka’s quasi-religious sect of mage hunters was the crystal Nasaka always had strapped to his left palm. He had found it as a child and had learned to use its unique properties to dismantle weaves. As his Warchosen abilities had grown, so had his magic-negating skills, to the point that he’d even managed to teach the ability to his apprentices in a limited fashion. It’s a shame I can’t isolate the trait that allows him to make use of the trinket, but the ability certainly makes him a more useful tool for as long as he lasts. . . . In any case, the hardest part is done. Tonight it will be time to fine-tune his new body and maybe think of some new and creative ways for him to kill people. Perhaps even add something in the vein of the Drokga’s own titan carapace? Not as large, of course. Perhaps only half again the height of a man. . . . The whole process would be so much easier given the modifications I’ve already made to Nasaka. I’m sure the Drokga would approve of his favorite killer having more of a presence on the front lines so long as it’s that much less impressive than his own. Certainly a possibility worth exploring. In the meantime, my latest clutch of winged lizards should be grown enough to fly.
Carver stood on his balcony and watched his newest batch of constructs with a critical eye as they flew around above him. The creatures were impressive in their own right, he supposed. But dragons were supposed to fly majestically through the air! To soar! They could get airborne and could cover vast distances faster than any land animal. But his specimens moved with all the grace and majesty of a chicken trying to take flight. The beasts, still conservative in size compared to his final designs, were just too large and heavy; the loss of the feathers had also had a significant impact. He would have to sacrifice combat effectiveness to improve their flight, and that was just unthinkable.
They should still be enough to impress the Drokga. . . . One would hope. They will undoubtedly be effective for his small-minded purposes. The dragonids’ nervous systems had been prepared very carefully—when a carapace-equipped rider mounted one, a temporary link would form between the carapace and the mount, giving the rider access to the mount’s senses as well as granting almost perfect control of the creature.
His creations were still missing one of the most obvious aspects of dragonkind, of course—magic. Humanoids would need to be included in the mix—talented humanoids. Harnessing their power could provide the dragons with improved flight, possibly even the fire breath every legend agreed they had. The larger body would, in turn, provide greater fuel for the talent. Perhaps modifying the powers of a Warchosen would be easier . . . at least initially.
The Drokga wasn’t likely to hand over any of his mages or Chosen for him to experiment on, not even for the promise of dragons to accompany his armies into war. I may be able to convince him to hand over interesting prisoners though. But no, he quickly realized. It’s extremely unlikely that any really interesting specimens would be taken in any kind of useful condition.
Then it hit him. Children might be the answer. The difficulty would be in selecting probable talents. The next logical step was to find a pool of suitable talents and start a breeding program. No one had ever proved that magical talent was hereditary, but there were enough indications that some sort of link to parentage existed. If nothing else, the breeding program would help him learn just how likely a talent was to be passed on.
Come to think of it, I don’t even need whole people to start, just a few of their more relevant parts. Those parts could be kept working for quite a long time and provide more than enough new breeding and test subjects. Freshness will be vitally important, of course. With all the new weapons and creatures Carver was handing to the Drokga, it was only a matter of time before temptation became too strong and he marched to war to try out his new toys. Carver would have to send out the majority of his assistants in the hopes that they would be on hand to collect what he needed should a suitable specimen—from either side—fall. I can get samples from Maran Vras and Nasaka Jadoo quite easily. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t think of this before I modified them and made them unable to breed with other humans.
With a smile, Carver started to prepare new birthing chambers. No matter the results, this would be one of his more interesting experiments.
“Master Carver? If I may interrupt your thoughts for a moment?” asked Roga. Carver’s reward had transformed the slave—he was both taller and more muscular than he had been before. He also didn’t tire as easily and barely slept. But as much as his confidence had increased to match his new stature, his fear of Carver was undiminished.
“What is it, Roga?”
Roga swallowed hard, clearly struggling to keep hold of his courage. “I had an idea, Master, for the army’s supply problem. And uh . . .”
“Well? Spit it out!”
Roga was too flustered. He stood there with his mouth flapping and no recognizable sounds coming out. Carver’s anger was close to the surface. His eyes held Roga’s death.
“If you waste another moment of my time, boy. . . .”
“The mounts!” Roga managed to say. “Couldn’t we change the link so the mounts transfer nutrients to the riders?”
Carver’s anger vanished in an instant. He looked at Roga with newfound respect. “An excellent idea. If we can manage that, then a few extra hours grazing would feed a sizable part of our army. The mounted troops will have to move more slowly than they could otherwise, but then we wouldn’t want them to outdistance the foot troops anyway. The same could be done for the dragonids as well.” He continued thinking aloud. “Yes, consuming flesh would be ideal for such an exchange.” He looked up and saw Roga still standing expectantly beside him. “Yes, you’ve done very well, Roga. I shall have to think of a suitable reward for you. It’s a pity you don’t have a stronger talent yourself or you would have made an excellent apprentice. Still, you may be able to learn some small things of fleshcarving and become an exceptional assistant.”
“Thank you, Master,” Roga said, falling to his knees.
For six days, they continued to search and exploit every resource Skeg had access to. For six days, Zuly and Nial continued to feed deeply. They had only left the shop once and had been frustrated by the changes in Nial. They could no longer pass unnoticed in the slums.
Though Nial was not yet twelve, her shared body now looked like a woman’s. More, she was attractive, healthy, and obviously well fed. Eyes now followe
d Nial wherever she went, when before she had been all but invisible. The girls soon gave up trying to hunt, and went back to the shop to return to their reading.
An hour later Zuly threw their book aside. “This is pointless. It cannot be done.”
Skeg looked up in surprise. “We can’t give up, Zuly.” He was determined to save the girls even though he now knew the link that existed between Amon Kareth and each and every Karethin demon was all but unbreakable. No matter what they did, he would always be able to find Zuly. No matter how strong the wards they built up around her, he would eventually batter them down.
“I don’t mean to give up. I mean to do as he commands and return to the Karethin realm before we are dragged back and our minds destroyed in the process. We found a way to build a portal days ago. Let’s do it and stop wasting our time. The lord will get what he wants from us eventually. We can only hope that the souls we’ve harvested will be enough to bargain for our freedom.”
Skeg grudgingly agreed. “I suppose it is time. I set aside the materials we’ll need for a gate. We’ll have to build it inside the ward circle to stop anything else coming out.”
“I think we’ll be able to seal it from the other side, at least temporarily. But the wards would be a good idea.”
The construction of the gate was surprisingly simple. They needed to shape an arch out of blackwood. The springy branches had to be woven into a pattern that Nial and Zuly were easily able to manage with their talent. After that, it was just a matter of enchanting the arch. It took the girls the better part of two days to create the necessary weaves and set them into the branches with rare paints and exotic minerals.
When it was finally done, Nial and Zuly both checked it over carefully, searching for any mistakes.
“Ready, Uncle?” Nial asked, doing her best to sound cheerful.
Skeg nodded, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Nial looked at the arch and activated the spell.
The portal swirled in front of them. Nial looked over their shoulder and saw the naked fear on Skeg’s face. He had tried to hide his feelings during the gate’s construction, though the girls had felt it on more than one occasion, but there was no hiding it now that the gate was open. They couldn’t blame him, really. They were afraid of the gate as well. Well, not so much the gate as what lay on the other side waiting for them.
Faces started to form in the mists. Demons, braver than most, testing the gate, pushing against the barrier the girls had woven into it.
Nial stood in front of the swirling rift. The girls both knew what lay beyond it. Zuly had come to Nial and they had built a life for themselves in her world. Neither of them had ever expected to return to the realm where Zuly was spawned. No sane mortal would dare set foot there. Nial’s soul would be the object of desire of every demon in the realm.
But we are not mortal anymore, Nial, not entirely anyway, and fighting demons is nothing new to us.
Nial nodded, still trying to find the courage to step onto another world with no clear idea of when or if they would make it back. We have no choice, my dear Nial. We can’t stay awake forever.
Some part of Zuly was eager to return. She knew many of the denizens of Karethin would test them, but she relished the chance to prove herself among those who had once hunted her, to destroy them at a whim. If the demon lord himself hadn’t summoned them, she might even enjoy the prospect of returning home.
“It will be fine, Uncle,” Nial whispered, not trusting herself to speak any louder. She stepped through and the mists dispersed. Skeg was left looking at the twisted archway they had carved. He slumped to the ground, unable to tear his eyes from that empty space. Nial and Zuly were gone and he doubted he would ever see them again.
Nial stepped through the gate into darkness. Something large moved in front of them. Nial only saw faint light from the dispersing gate reflect off long fangs right in front of their face. Zuly reacted instinctively. She grabbed the thing by the muzzle and held it back. They felt the thing’s hot, fetid breath as it grunted and pushed to free itself from their grasp.
They blinked, and their vison adapted. Nial recognized the world she had seen in Zuly’s memories. This was a world of eternal darkness. The sky was the yellow-gray color of a week-old bruise. Dark clouds swirled around in the upper air, torn apart by violent air currents showing glimpses of a black sun. And riding those currents were swarms of nightmarish creatures. Carrion demons and imps banded together in swarms to hunt and for the dubious protection of others of their kind.
The demon they held was a head taller than they were. Its skin was pasty white and wrinkly topped by a slick wolflike head complete with a slavering maw and finger-length fangs. Zuly held its slavering mouth back with one hand. Then she calmly reached up and grasped the demon’s lower jaw with their other hand. Its teeth pierced their skin but they barely noticed. With a growl of her own, Zuly pulled. The demon squealed for a moment before its lower jaw came away with a wet popping sound. She threw the jaw aside before taking a firm hold of the thing and tossing its imposing frame to the ground where it was instantly swarmed by a multitude of smaller demons that fought and struggled over the sudden bounty.
The land around them was barren of all plant life. Rust-colored stones and dust dotted with patches of fungus were all that made up the plain as far as the eye could see. Small animalistic demons moved around in packs attacking each other or fleeing from stronger foes. Larger demons, like the one Zuly had just destroyed, hunted alone, battling groups of smaller demons or fighting each other. The demons of this world took a thousand different forms, but one and all, they fed on one another. There was no rest, no respite, and no mercy. Demons did not sleep. They hunted, especially at night, and this world was an endless night of strife and death.
Nial watched a large demon, which looked vaguely like a cross between a crab and a bear, tear through a pack of a dozen six-legged monkey-rat things only to be killed itself by a horrific beast that seemed to be nothing but tentacles. Through all the mayhem, carrion demons and imps swooped down to carry off forgotten parts of carcasses. When a swarm of carrion demons flew down toward Nial, she set the air around them on fire. Zuly sent a surge of power at them and scattered the burning demons across the plain.
That should be enough of a show of force for now. None of the smaller ones should bother us for a while. They started to walk. Zuly was certain she knew where the demon lord wanted to meet them. It was next to the pool where Zuly had been spawned. When a demoness was ready, the new demons were spawned into a pool of water like those that dotted the plain and then forgotten. Demons of every type bore spawn. The spawn fought to survive and grow like any other demon—by feeding off each other. Once they got big enough, they left the pool and moved onto the plain in search of bigger prey. Though that didn’t stop the odd larger demon from feasting in the pools from time to time.
The pool turned out to be a fairly large lake of muddy, brown water. Eddies and splashes appeared randomly across the water, as the half-glimpsed forms of the demon spawn fought beneath the surface. Fins and less recognizable appendages flashed above the waves.
They stood by the pool for a time and watched as demons caught their scent or saw them and rushed toward them. A few fire spells were enough to kill a few and scare the rest away. There were no truly formidable demons in the area, at least for the time being.
Zuly felt something then and looked up at the sky. “Hide yourself, Nial! The demon lord comes! If he sees even a hint of you within—”
“But, Zuly,” Nial interrupted, her voice exasperated, “we’ve come so far this last year. Surely one demon isn’t enough to scare you now. We’ve defeated more than a few already.”
As if in answer to her question, a dark shape resolved itself against the sky.
“Quiet! He comes!”
The obvious terror in Zuly’s voice silenced any further protests. Nial pulled herself to the deepest part of their shared minds, daring only to watch in horror and fascination
as Amon Kareth, demon lord of the Karethin realm, came closer, blotting out first the clouds, then the sky itself.
If common demons spawned in forms that terrified mortals, that embodied their nightmares, then Amon Kareth was the worst nightmare of gods and dragons. His form was vaguely draconian, but bulkier, lacking any of the terrible grace and beauty of the eldest race. The monstrosity was large enough to grasp the greatest of dragons in one hand. Four massive batlike wings extended from its back, beating in slow, lazy movements that cast the surrounding lands into deeper shadow. The creature’s head was squat and devoid of a neck, reminiscent of a short-nosed crocodile with disproportionately large teeth. Its skin pulsated, as if even this massive shape strained to contain the power within. As terrifying as the sight of the demon lord was, it was the demon’s eyes that sent Nial screaming to find new depths within herself to hide in. Eyes that swallowed all light like holes in the fabric of existence. Eyes that held a hunger so deep, so insatiable, that all the souls in existence could not satisfy it.
Zuly stood in shadow, buffeted by the wind the giant wings created, trembling in fear, unable to move. Never before had she attracted her lord’s attention. Never before had she laid eyes on him, even from a distance. Few were those who did and survived. Zuly was a smart demon, and smart demons knew to run for their lives when they felt their master approaching. She felt fear in the demons around her. Even the smallest of them was running. The spawn moved like a tide to the edge of the stagnant pool. Like the parting of a monstrous sea, the demons fled from their lord’s path.
In fits and jerks the demon lord started to draw its body in on itself. An amorphous mass slowly floated down as it continued to shrink. Finally, a bubbling, wriggling ball of dark flesh and scales touched the ground a few paces from Zuly. She took a step back, unable to control herself. After an interminable wait, the shape of a man started to resolve itself. It drew itself upright and the demon lord stood before her on two legs.
The Bones of the Past (Books of Dust and Bone) Page 32
