Fire and Fantasy: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban and Epic Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  She made Sheesha wheel that way, confident the others would follow. It was a gap, large and circular. Suddenly this did not look like a good idea. As they closed in on it, she could see the trees growing around its edge were twisted and discoloured. The ground itself was devoid of any life. Not a single plant or animal that she could see.

  “Ley-circle!” she shouted back and shook her head. “Not safe.”

  “No feeding!”

  She sighed. That was true. The feeding had been a ten-day ago and it was unlikely there would be another conjunction so close. Questions about feedings and conjunctions had been common at her old master’s house. He demanded a lot of money for the answers since they encroached on the patterners’ knowledge.

  She made the decision and put Sheesha into a descent towards the circle. Not the middle, but not too close to the edge. Who knew what corrupted monsters might be lurking among the distorted trees?

  Eighteen

  The fact that Sheesha and the other ziri did not seem concerned at landing in the ley-circle gave Kantees some confidence. Perhaps magical creatures would be able to sense trouble.

  The surface of the circle was damp soil. It must have rained recently. The Taymalin always put stone down in their circles—preferably the hardest stone they could find, because it resisted the warping in all but the biggest circles. But this one must be unknown to the Taymalin, and perhaps anyone else. She and her companions might have been the first people ever to set foot here.

  If anything went wrong they might also be the last. A part of her mind suggested that perhaps they were not the first and the bones of the others were here too, perhaps just beneath the surface. Or blasted to dust by the power of a feeding.

  As soon as Looesa had landed, Gally set about removing his saddle and other tack. She almost stopped him but the ziri needed to eat and they could not hunt while saddled. So she followed suit with Sheesha while keeping an eye on Yenteel, who was slowly unbuckling himself.

  Instead of removing Jintan’s saddle, Daybian drew his short sword and prowled around them as if he was looking for trouble. In this she neither blamed him nor wanted him to stop. This was a unsettling place.

  It was unnerving to know that, every once in a while, a pillar of white light would descend from the heavens into this space and everything within it would be consumed. No one truly knew what happened. Anything too close was changed and twisted. Yet it was not a malignant force. This was the power of the healers and the patterners, but in such quantity that the patterns of everything within its reach were changed. Or destroyed.

  As soon as they were free, Sheesha, Jintan, and Looesa leapt into the air. The closeness of the trees meant they were soon out of sight.

  Kantees went to where Yenteel stood, leaning against Shingul’s body.

  “Do you know where we are?” she said.

  He shook his head. “Not precisely. However, this is most likely the Talamyrth, the forest that covers Esternes to the west and south. It would make sense.”

  “And this ley-circle?”

  “I don’t know. There are many circles that are not used by people and this one is inaccessible.”

  “A patterner could make a path to it.”

  “Only if he knew what he was looking for.”

  She sighed. “I don’t like it.” Then she looked at the twisted wall of trees. “And I’m scared of what’s out there.”

  “That is wise,” he said.

  “Not very encouraging.”

  “It wasn’t meant to be. Only a fool would not be afraid. Even our friend Daybian is not that much of a fool.”

  Daybian looked up as he heard his name. Kantees scowled at him and he looked away, scanning the trees again.

  “What if there’s a feeding?”

  “Not likely.”

  “But it could happen.”

  “After a conjunction, the moons move apart from one another until the next cycle, but the place where they meet will be far from here. Perhaps not in our lands at all.”

  “When you say our lands, do you mean the Taymalin or the Kadralin?”

  “There is not much difference, since the Taymalin occupy all the Kadralin lands.”

  Kantees looked up towards the mountains. “But not there.”

  Yenteel turned and followed her gaze, then shook his head. “There is nothing there, Kantees. The centre of Esternes is not habitable by the likes of us. Only the giant sikechasa live there, and the prey they feed on.”

  “I heard our people are free there.”

  “Tales made to give us hope. More likely you would find the Slissac alive and well and crawling about in their holes.”

  “You have no hope, then?”

  “I don’t believe in children’s stories, Kantees. I believe in what I can sense.” For a moment he hesitated. She could see the decision being made on his face, until he said, more quietly, “And I believe in you.”

  A wave of fear shot through her and she turned away. “I don’t want to know.”

  “Kantees …” He put his hand on her shoulder.

  She shrugged it off took a step away and turned on him. “Leave me alone.”

  The sudden movement and her words attracted Daybian’s attention and she looked skyward as he strode over.

  “What’s wrong, Kantees? Does this slave need putting in his place?”

  “Shut up. This has nothing to do with you.”

  She glared at them both. Yenteel with a pleading look on his face, and Daybian both angry and confused. Then she saw Gally looking over.

  “Just leave me alone,” she said. “This is hard enough without you two confusing things. You.” She looked at Yenteel. “I don’t want to know why you were at Jakalain and I am certainly not interested in your master’s interpretation of the World’s Pattern. And you.” This time she addressed Daybian. “Stop trying to protect me, you don’t own me. You are not my master and I do not want your help.”

  She turned away and walked a few paces but it took her closer to the maze of trees and she was forced to stop. There was nowhere she could go to be out of their sight. If only Sheesha would return. She could climb into his saddle and leave them behind.

  Except she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

  The other ziri would follow Sheesha and she would not abandon these people. Especially not Gally.

  So instead she stared into the darkness beyond the exposed trees. Not that they looked much like trees. Their trunks and branches were split with holes through them and, instead of simply growing up to where their leaves could catch the sunlight, they grew in every direction. She followed one branch from where it split off a trunk to where it fed into another one, as if it was one branch for two trees.

  Perhaps this was not a bad thing. It meant the confused mass made a barrier against anything large. But then her experience with the chakik-like creatures had shown her that even small could be dangerous in sufficient numbers.

  Her skin crawled at the thought of what might be lurking out there. And as she stared, a shadow moved in the dark beyond. A limb of something blocked out a stray light that had managed to pierce the trees, and then revealed it again.

  She shuddered.

  She did not dare turn her back and, even though she felt a fool, she took steps backwards, keeping her eyes on the spot where she had seen the movement.

  We can’t stay here overnight. Her shadow was lengthening but she knew without having to check the sky that they still had a good amount of light left.

  Something touched her shoulder.

  She jumped.

  “Sorry,” said Yenteel. “You seemed worried.”

  “Nearly jumped out of my skin, you idiot. You could have just said something.”

  “The last time I said something you jumped down my throat.”

  “There’s something moving in the dark,” she said.

  “The place is alive.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I simply mean this is a forest and there are livin
g things out there. It can’t be considered a surprise that there would be things moving in the dark. It doesn’t mean they are dangerous to us.”

  “Something in the forest will be able to kill us.”

  “That’s always true, Kantees. The world is a dangerous place.”

  “Do you know how much cooked meat we have left?”

  “Is that my job? Am I the keeper of the provisions?”

  She sighed. “Can you just tell me whether you know or not?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Fine.”

  Kantees turned away from the forest and headed for the pile of belongings. She noted that Gally had already helped himself to a strip of meat and was chewing it. She checked the rest. It was enough for another day, more if they were careful. Daybian might not appreciate short rations but the rest of them would not complain.

  Yenteel had spent some time looking into the trees where she had indicated but then joined her. Daybian appeared to have given up patrolling and sat down with his back against Shingul, who did not seem to mind.

  “We’re moving on as soon as Sheesha and Looesa get back,” she said without preamble.

  “We should rest them,” said Daybian.

  “It’s not safe here.”

  “As safe as anywhere else, Kantees,” said Yenteel. “We can’t know that we’ll find anywhere else to set down before dark.”

  “There is no wood for a fire,” she said. “And no way to fetch any through the trees. They are all grown together, with only enough space for a chakik. Even if we dared go into that wood, which I do not.”

  That stopped them. She knew she was being driven by her fear but she had to make them see that they could not stay here.

  “I’m sure I could break off some branches,” said Daybian.

  “Be my guest,” she said. “We have no tools and so you would have to climb into that. Whatever it is that’s there will be able to grab you, or bite you, or sting you, or just eat you whole.”

  “I am not afraid, Kantees,” said Daybian.

  “That’s because you’re too stupid to have an imagination!” she said, and instantly wished she hadn’t when the look of hurt crossed his face.

  “You think I am stupid?”

  “No, I—”

  “You think I’m stupid,” he said. “Now I understand. That’s why you wouldn’t lie with me.”

  “What? You’re still talking about that?” She took a deep breath. “I am sorry I called you stupid. I was angry. I have already told you why I would not lie with you but if you insist I’ll say it again. I am not interested in you. You may have been my master but that still doesn’t mean I would wish you to have your way with me. But don’t take it personally, it’s not you. I don’t want anybody.”

  Yenteel and Gally were staring at her. She immediately felt herself flushing with embarrassment. How had they got onto this subject? Oh yes, Daybian and his inability to think with anything except his loins.

  “When Sheesha and Looesa get back we will give the ziri enough time to eat and digest their food. Then we are leaving.”

  “And if it’s dark by then?” said Yenteel.

  “We’ll either be dead or we’ll be leaving. And that’s final.”

  The zirichasa did not seem to mind flying at night so there was no reason they should not do it again. Sheesha would understand.

  There was nothing to be done while they waited. They were hedged in by the trees and the ground was bare and uninteresting. Only the clouds above their heads had any degree of variety, so Kantees lay down with her head on a saddle and stared up at the slow-moving shapes against the blue sky.

  It was hot but there was no shade. Or rather the only shade that existed—cast by Shingul’s body—had been taken by Daybian and then Yenteel. She did not begrudge the injured man since he needed his rest. But she was not happy with Daybian. He did it as if it was his birthright, his privilege. In other circumstances, back at Jakalain, he would be right, but not now and not here.

  She dozed off to be woken with a start by Shingul booming into the sky.

  The sun had moved and was low in the sky. Had they had trouble finding food? She hoped they had not exhausted themselves. They dropped three animals, two of which were four-legged like the deer creature they had caught before. The third, carried by Sheesha, was another winged creature, almost half his size. This one had a beak, so was not a ziri but just a large bird. It might have good meat. But they couldn’t do anything with it apart from cut it up.

  Sheesha strutted around after he landed. Kantees smiled. She had seen him do that before when he had almost won a race. The other racing ziri did it too. He must be proud of himself. Then she saw the blood on his side.

  She ran over to him and pushed the feathers out of the way. A gash in his side was leaking blood. She felt around the wound and dug her fingers into his muscle. The cut wasn’t too deep and did not seem to have affected his ability to fly but he was limping a little.

  “You idiot,” she said to him. “You had to take something that wanted to fight back. Next time just grab a fledgling. Or a fish.”

  She looked at the sun and back at the wound. And felt her plans coming crashing down.

  “Yenteel, can you heal this?”

  He came over and examined the damage, and then Sheesha. “We haven’t got anything big enough for the pattern.”

  “We can’t stay here.”

  “Then you must make Sheesha fly,” he said and then looked at the other ziri. Looesa and Jintan were already curled up while Shingul tore chunks out of one of the carcasses. “But while I may not be experienced as you with zirichasa, they look tired.”

  Mother’s milk. He was right, of course. She just didn’t want to admit it.

  “I can try to put up a ward,” he said. “But it would have to be big and I don’t know if I have the strength to activate it.”

  “I can help,” she said.

  He nodded but still seemed unsure.

  “How much power does it need?”

  “It would need to be big enough to enclose everyone,” he said, “and last all through the night.”

  “I thought ley-circles were the sources of power,” she said and he stared at her.

  “They are.”

  “We’re standing in a big one.”

  “Yes,” he said and looked down then grinned. “We are.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I have to be able to draw an exact pattern in a circle.”

  “Where do you need to draw it?”

  “In the ground.”

  Kantees looked up. “Daybian, lend Yenteel your sword.”

  “I will not. You called me stupid.”

  “Stop behaving like a child. He needs to be able to create a pattern that will protect us through the night.”

  “So now I’m a child?”

  “Kisharuk’s curse! Just give him your milk-sucking sword!”

  She stalked off to where Gally sat staring at the trees.

  “Bad things in trees, Kantees.”

  “I know, Gally. Yenteel needs your help to draw a big circle so he can make a pattern that will protect us.”

  “You said we fly away,” he said.

  “I did say that, but Sheesha got into a fight and he has a nasty scratch. So we have to stay.”

  “Gally will help.”

  “Thank you, Gally. Be quick.”

  Kantees did not know how long it would take to make the circle but she was sure that whatever was in the trees would come out the moment the clearing was as dark as it was in the forest. Perhaps sooner.

  Nineteen

  The sun was brushing the top of the trees on the west side of the circle. And Yenteel was busy working with the sword, scratching patterns into the dry soil.

  She wondered how accurate he needed to be. He had spent several minutes trying to find the centre of the ley-circle itself, though he had done that by eye. The point he chose looked right to her though it may have been off a little,
and there he made a hole in the ground to mark the place. Not only did nothing live in the ley-circle, there were no stones. As if everything had been pulverised to dust.

  Meanwhile Kantees had untied one set of reins to use in drawing the pattern. Gally held one end in the hole while Yenteel stretched it taut and used the sword to mark the first circle. Then they did it again but with the reins shortened by the length of his forearm. The next stage was to mark off twelve equal segments between the two circles, which was a matter of trial and error.

  After that it was just Yenteel and the sword making patterns in each of the segments. Although he was working with large symbols it seemed to take forever as the sun descended.

  She tried to pretend it was her imagination when she saw movement in the trees on the west side, in the deepest shade. But Gally noticed and pointed. Kantees looked at Daybian, who was staring in the same direction. Then he glanced at Yenteel with his sword, obviously wishing he had it instead.

  Only the ziri seemed unconcerned because the three who had gone hunting were now asleep, but Shingul did seem to be keeping an eye on the movement. Perhaps they were being cautious too. Creatures of their size did not have many enemies but Kantees would be upset if they chose to fly away in the event of an attack.

  She hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  And what would happen if they were inside the protection but Sheesha decided he had been provoked and wanted to fight again? In some ways he seemed to be a typical male, though she liked him a good deal more than Daybian, and even Yenteel.

  She was aware it was pointless worrying over things she could not control. But knowing that did not help at all.

  By the time Yenteel was on the penultimate segment, the sun’s light was only brushing the tops of the trees. The movement at the trees was constant, though she could not see what was there. It was as if the shadows themselves had come alive.

  If they were going to trust the pattern they needed to get inside it now.

  “Daybian, fetch your sleeping blanket.” He opened his mouth to speak. “Don’t argue, please, just do it. Gally, collect all the tack together. We need to get it into the pattern.”