The Call of Kerberos

by Jonathan Oliver

  The crew had retreated below. Both Ignacio and Jacquinto had wanted to stay and fight, but Silus had convinced them that he needed to be on his own for what he was about to attempt.

  Kelos had agreed. "Anything that interferes with his concentration could lose us this fight."

  Gulls had begun to congregate on the water not far from the Llothriall, picking through the detritus that had been scattered by the creature's attack. As they took to the air with a cacophony of shrieks, Silus drew his sword.

  There was a moment of quiet then before the sea erupted.

  The leviathan's body left the water, arcing high - its jaws opening to catch the gulls that were too slow to escape - and Kerberos itself was eclipsed by its bulk, a vast shadow falling over the deck of the ship.

  Silus shielded his eyes and could see a mass of tentacles lining the creature's underside, just before it crashed back down, throwing up a wave that pushed the ship rapidly to starboard.

  Silus lost his footing and his sword skittered out of reach.

  He stumbled twice before he managed to regain his feet and he snatched up his weapon just in time to sever the tentacle that slithered towards him. Dark purple ichor sprayed into his eyes and Silus didn't have time to clear his vision before another tentacle snaked in behind and lifted him from the deck.

  A deep lowing sound came from the creature as it drew him near and the pupils of several of the vast eyes that dotted its head dilated as they studied him. Silus saw his image repeated in those dark pools and he willed himself to relax as he saw beyond them.

  There were Chadassa crawling all over him, their thoughts an incessant buzzing chatter as they communicated with each other. From somewhere in the distance he could hear the call of his brethren and he tried to respond, but a bolt of white hot pain was driven into his mind when he lifted his head. He tried to buck against the onslaught of the creatures, but found that it was their will alone that held him; a horrendous buzzing that itched at the back of his mind.

  A Chadassa with a barbed spike swam into view and drove the weapon deep into his side. The anger that he felt at the injury was fed back to him by the other Chadassa - a continual loop of rage - until it became so acute that it was almost painful.

  He cried out and his call echoed from the depths of the canyon that fell away a short distance beyond him.

  And then the Chadassa were swimming away and he suddenly found that he could move.

  He could feel the lightless depths of the canyon calling to him, where more of his kind grazed and bred and reared their young in peace.

  It wasn't peace that was burning through him now however; just the pure and hateful anger that the Chadassa had instilled in him. He could still feel them somewhere out of sight, feeding his rage. Nurturing it.

  Four of his kind swam into view; a male and female adult and, behind them, two calves.

  The group called to him as friends.

  He shot them a warning response - this much he could just about manage - but they didn't recognise the change that had been wrought in him, they only saw one of their kind and they continued to approach.

  The young darted ahead of the group and he went for them.

  The calves were easily broken and soon the water was clouded with their innards. The female of the group tried to flee but he lashed out with his tentacles and pulled her in close, before gouging at her side with his teeth.

  Even as the male barrelled into him, he closed his jaws and killed his mate.

  There was the rich iron taste of blood in the water as he turned on the last surviving member of the group.

  The whispering of the Chadassa increased in volume as he squared off against his opponent. The male was bigger than he, the crest of bone that rose from his back marked with the many striations of age. He only hoped that with that age had come frailty, but the vast form that now barrelled towards him showed no sign of weakness.

  They grappled and, as he managed to force his opponent to the lip of the canyon, he could see the Chadassa swimming into view as they moved in to observe the fight.

  He disengaged and backed out of range of his opponent's tentacles before rushing forwards, barrelling into the side of the enemy, taking him over the edge of the canyon and smashing him into the far wall. Great chunks of stone crumbled away and fell slowly into darkness.

  Bellowing his victory he smashed into his opponent again and this time there was the rending of flesh. His opponent was fading in and out of consciousness now and, before he could regain his faculties, his tentacles encircled his body and squeezed hard.

  He could feel the great heartbeat of his opponent close against him, echoing through his own body. It was an almost relaxing, reassuring sound but, still, he squeezed with all his might until that beating slowed and then stopped.

  He let his tentacles drop away and watched as his dead brethren sank out of sight.

  He had killed four of his own kind but it wasn't enough.

  The anger still boiled within him -

  - and he lashed out.

  There was a scream and someone called his name. But that wasn't his name, was it?

  "Silus, help!"

  A tight band encircled his waist and he struggled against it before realising where he was.

  The creature maintained its hold on Silus as it lifted Katya from the deck of the Llothriall. Ignacio and Jacquinto, leaning hard against the rail, tried to make a grab for her, but succeeded only in snatching the shoe from her right foot.

  "Katya, try not to struggle." Silus shouted.

  As the creature drew her close, Katya reached out and - for just a second - their fingertips touched.

  "Silus, what's happening?" Katya called.

  "This creature is being controlled by the Chadassa. They sent it after us. If I can - "

  Out of the corner of his eye Silus noticed Ignacio knocking an arrow to a bow.

  "No, don't hurt it, otherwise you'll get us both killed!"

  It seemed that the wind was strong enough to carry his voice, as Ignacio lowered his weapon.

  The creature brought Katya closer then, more tentacles coming to bear as it examined her. One explored the mound of her belly and Silus prayed for the leviathan to be gentle.

  "I'm going to try to break through the Chadassa's control, Katya. Stay as calm as you can."

  Silus looked into the creature's eyes again and he could sense the taint that lay over its will, like a diseased caul. He moved beyond this and called to the creature in friendship and in peace. He spoke to it of the lightless depths, the abundance of life that moved through the canyons and of the comfort and companionship of its brethren. Silus could feel how the creature yearned for these things and he focused this desire through his will, until it was keen and strong. Then he broke through the mental restrains that the Chadassa had put in place.

  There was a rumbling sound from the leviathan and its grip on Silus suddenly relaxed.

  He landed on damp grey flesh and grabbed hold of the ridge of bone that rose from the creature's back. Then, as the creature rose up in preparation to dive, Silus's feet went out from under him. Only his urgent mental calls prevented both he and Katya from being drowned.

  The creature settled back down, expelling a jet of water from its spout along with a great sigh.

  Silus stroked its flank as he spoke and soon Katya was lowered to stand beside him.

  Holding his wife close, Silus spoke again and the leviathan slowly carried them back to the Llothriall, all the time filling Silus with waves of joy in thanks for its newfound freedom.

  Chapter Fourteen

  After the creature had guided he and Katya back to the Llothriall, Silus spent some time communicating with it. The creature responded to him with peace and gratitude, thankful that it was finally free of the Chadassa yoke. But, before it could go and join its brethren in the depths of the deep-sea trenches, Silus requested a favour.

  They needed to find land, and soon. Without Emuel, without the full power of
the stone that was the heart of the Llothriall, they were stranded. It would only be a matter of time before the Chadassa launched another attack and Katya was getting dangerously close to her full term. And so, Silus, asked the leviathan to guide them to land.

  For a while the creature hadn't responded and Silus contemplated the possibility that there just wasn't any land nearby; that they'd ride the seas until they died of thirst or starvation. Years from now, they'd wash up on some Allantian shore, an unusual ship manned by a crew of skeletons. Perhaps somebody would even write a sea shanty about the mystery of the sepulchral travellers.

  But then the creature replied and Silus breathed a sigh of relief.

  The crew's enthusiasm and gratitude, however, were tempered by their friend's recent death and when Silus tried to persuade the two remaining smugglers to help harness the creature to the ship, Ignacio refused. After all, this thing had killed his friend. But Silus reminded him that it was the Chadassa, and not the leviathan who had been responsible for his loss.

  "Ignacio, this is probably our only shot at survival," Kelos said, coming to Silus's defence. "Don't let this voyage have been for nothing."

  "The mage is right," said Jacquinto. "How do you think Ioannis would have wanted to die, Ignacio? Deep in the Citadel at Turnitia, tortured to death by the City Guard for running Sarcrean spice to low-life users? Or out on the open waters, battling with his friends and using his sword for something worth fighting for? This was where he wanted to be."

  Ignacio looked at Silus, then at Katya cradling the curve of her belly and his features softened.

  "Throw me a knife." He said to Jacquinto before scrambled into the rigging.

  Soon they were moving at the creature's full pace and Silus communicated his thanks to the leviathan. It responded with a great, booming call that vibrated the planks of the deck.

  Brother Incera polished the telescope's eyepiece before bringing his right eye to bear on it once again. He found that he hadn't been mistaken after all. The thing that looked like a small black dot moving across the face of Kerberos was not a flaw in the lens.

  The astronomer noted the position of the dark spec on his charts before increasing the magnification and looking again.

  The dot now resolved itself into a sphere, about an eighth the size of Kerberos, its surface a pure featureless black. He tracked its progress for a couple of hours before satisfying himself that it was not on a collision course with Twilight. Then he cranked the handle that lowered the telescope's cradle, stepped down from the seat and stretched to work out the kinks in his back.

  In all his years as the Final Faith's head astronomer, he had done little more of note than track the movement of the stars and record the phases of eclipses. He had studied what few ancient astronomical texts there were, but they told him nothing he couldn't have found out for himself just by looking at the sky. It would seem that to the Old Races the heavens were just as much a mystery as they currently were to the humans. Yet the Final Faith still maintained an interest in the astronomical arts and this was why Brother Incera had occupied his position for the last three decades, tucked away in his dusty observatory in one of the highest towers of Scholten cathedral.

  He had to admit that he was a touch alarmed at the appearance of the new moon. Katherine Makennon would have to be informed. No doubt she would be just as surprised at his continued existence as she would be at the news of the astronomical phenomena.

  Brother Incera felt a little trepidation at the prospect of an audience with the Anointed Lord. It had been quite some time since he had last spoken to the leader of the Final Faith. In fact it had been quite some time since he had last spoken to anybody.

  Carefully, he descended the spiral staircase that led from his garret down to the main levels, his arthritis burning deep in his bones. By the entrance to a bell tower he paused to catch his breath and managed to startle a passing Eminence who hadn't expected to see so pale or so elderly a figure leaning against a wall in this part of the cathedral. The Eminence hurried on, throwing glances behind him as though he wasn't sure that Brother Incera wasn't a ghost.

  The astronomer muttered a benediction at the priest's back before descending into the main body of the cathedral.

  Here he briefly basked in the warm, heavily incensed air that wafted through the decorated arches and aisles. In their stalls beyond the transept, the Eternal Choir's song heralded the approach of dusk, the last few rays of the sun pouring through the stained-glass windows painting the robed singers with vivid splashes of colour.

  Brother Incera realised that this meant that it would be at least two hours before the next service and, in all likelihood, Katherine Makennon would currently be in her audience chamber.

  He descended more stairs before being stopped at an ornately decorated door by two knights of The Order of the Swords of Dawn.

  "State the nature of your business with the Anointed Lord."

  "I... I." Brother Incera swallowed. It had been so long since he had spoken that his throat seemed to catch on each word. "I have important astronomical news that I believe the Anointed Lord will want very much to hear."

  One of the knights disappeared into the chamber only to reappear a moment later to usher him into the hallowed sanctuary.

  Brother Incera had forgotten how beautiful Katherine Makennon was and, for a moment, he looked in confusion at the bejewelled hand she held out to him. But then, remembering the seriousness of his news, he composed himself and kissed the symbol of the Final Faith before bowing low.

  "Brother Incera." Makennon said. "What a pleasant surprise. It has been quite some time since we last discussed matters of astronomy."

  In fact, Brother Incera was fairly certain that they had never discussed matters of astronomy. He had, of course, been introduced to Makennon at her inauguration, but since then she had shown as much interest in matters concerning the heavens as had the crumbling relics who had preceded her ministry.

  "Forgive me Anointed Lord, but I had thought you wouldn't remember me. I am most honoured."

  "Well of course I remember you, Brother Incera. I often think of you up in the heights of Scholten, gazing at the stars. I only wish I had time for such activity myself. You must feel so close to the Lord of All, looking up at His most holy and divine work."

  "Oh yes, yes I do. The beauty of Kerberos never fails to move me."

  There was the sound of someone stifling a laugh from one of the dark arches that ringed the chamber, before a skeletal man with a shaved head, wearing dark robes, stepped into the light.

  "Ah, Querilous." Makennon said. "Have you met Brother Incera?"

  They hadn't met but Brother Incera had certainly heard of Querilous Fitch. He thought, with some regret, that previous Anointed Lords would never have employed someone so enamoured of the sorcerous arts. Even in his garret he had heard rumours of the magics being employed by the Faith to further the aims of the church.

  "We haven't. But Mr Fitch's reputation precedes him."

  Brother Incera shook Querilous's hand and the sorcerer returned his weak grip with one that made his bones ache.

  "And have you named a new star in honour of the Anointed Lord?" Fitch said, a not entirely pleasant smile on his lips.

  "N-no. This astronomical matter is rather more serious."

  The smile dropped from Querilous's face and he gestured for Brother Incera to continue.

  "I have sighted a body of some sort moving across the face of Kerberos. It appears to be a black sphere. It's quite featureless and, at the moment, it holds a steady orbit."

  "A black sphere? Has it come from Kerberos?" Makennon said. "Could it be a sign from the Lord of All?"

  "I don't know, but I don't think so. What is more there was no warning or sign of its approach. It's almost as though it appeared out of nowhere."

  "A dark sphere moving across the face of Kerberos." Querilous said quietly, almost to himself, and Brother Incera noticed that he had paled.

  "Queril
ous. Do you have a notion of what it could be?" Makennon said.

  "Just something that the... prisoner said before it expired. It may be nothing to worry about but I probably should take a look for myself."

  "Very well. Brother Incera, I'm sure you will not object to Querilous accompanying you to the observatory?"

  "Not at all, Anointed Lord. It will be an honour."

  Brother Incera had almost forgotten how much he hated displaying false deference. One of the advantages of being so isolated in his work was that he very rarely had to tug the forelock to higher ranking church members.

  As they ascended to his tower, he insisted that Querilous walk ahead. The thought of having such a one at his back sent a chill through him.

  In the observatory he noted Querilous looking with disdain at the piles of charts and mouldering books, many of which were draped with cats. In a corner, on Brother Incera's rumpled cot, a ginger moggy nursed six kittens.

  "Ah, my family. They keep me company and keep me sane. Feel free to pet them, I can assure you that none bite."

  "Thank you, but I'd rather not. Now if you could show me this object that has so perplexed you, I would appreciate it."

  Brother Incera showed Querilous how to position himself in the telescope's cradle before checking the magnification. Having made a few adjustments he gestured to the eyepiece. "Please."

  He watched Querilous as he looked, the expression of haughty disdain on the inquisitor's face slowly disappearing to be replaced by something like fear.

  As the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the azure giant, the dark sphere moved into the exact centre of the face of Kerberos.

  "'With the dying of the light, our dark God comes.'"

  "I - I'm sorry Brother Querilous, but I'm not sure I follow. Is something wrong?"