The Shadow Realm

by James Galloway

  Delande had to be the presence that Jenna and Jula had been sensing. That mystery was solved. Judging from Iselde's reaction, the news about the sui'kun was information the Elders didn't bandy about with the other Sha'Kar.

  "I'm sure we could chat back and forth about pleasantries, but I'm afraid I've come on business," he told them. He saw Dolanna's slightly disapproving look, but he didn't feel like smalltalk at the moment. He wanted to set things out right now and see how they reacted to what he said. "Me and my friends are on a mission, a mission directly from the Goddess herself. Have you ever heard of an artifact called the Firestaff?"

  That got their attention. All ten of them--including Arlan--gave him a startled look, and almost as one, the Elders and Grand Syllis put their hands inside the sleeves of their robes. The scents coming off of them were ones of trepidation and worry. They did know about the Firestaff, and judging from the defensive reactions, they knew quite a bit about it.

  "The Goddess tasked us to find it, because the whole world is turning itself inside out over it right now. She wants us to find it and take it away and hide it again so it can't be found." He threw his braid over his shoulder absently. "We know it's somewhere in this general direction. When we started encountering all the obstacles, we felt that there was a good chance that it may be here, that the obstacles had been placed to defend it. Now I see that the obstacles are there because you're here," he said with a slight sigh. "I don't think it's here, but maybe, if you know where it is, you could tell us."

  There. That set everything up. They knew what Tarrin was doing, but Tarrin made a plausible reason not to think that it was on the island. They knew something about it, something important. Probably where it was on the island, but he could tell from the way they reacted that they wouldn't willingly tell him anything. But Tarrin had set up the trap, and now he wanted to see if they were going to fall into it.

  "I'm sorry, honored one, but we can be of little help to you," Grand Syllis said with a sigh. "I'm afraid we don't know where it is."

  He was lying. Tarrin could smell it all over him. He was nervous and a little upset, and he was lying. Tarrin had to admit, he was a good liar. He didn't blink or shift or do any of the normal things that humans did when they lied. The Sha'Kar probably had no idea Tarrin's senses were so acute, that he could smell the change in the man's scent that was caused by his emotional shift when he had to lie.

  "Then I'm afraid I have no more need to be here," he said bluntly. "Our mission is too important. We'll leave you and visit again when we return to Suld."

  "Tarrin, what are you doing?" Kimmie demanded in the unspoken manner of the Cat.

  "Trust me," he replied to her.

  "Please!" one of the Elders cried out, a short thin male with blond hair. "You only just arrived, honored one! Surely you can spare a few days from your quest!"

  "Yes, honored one! Please stay!" one of the females called, almost pleadingly. "We hunger for news of the outside world!"

  Syllis looked visibly annoyed with his council of Elders as all of them, as well as Arlan, Iselde, and Allyn, pleaded with Tarrin to stay, even if only for a few days. Tarrin let them plead and beg and cajole a moment, looking serious, then he turned and glanced at Dolanna. She nodded, and he held up his paws. "Alright, but only for a few days," he told them.

  "Thank you, honored one!" one of the Elders exploded, a very tall, willowy female.

  That same female stepped from the group and curtsied to him, holding up the hem of her dress, and introduced herself as Dalenne. Then Grand Syllis stepped up and bowed, and then led Tarrin back to the Elders and introduced them one by one, the females first, as if by some custom. They were Yvenne, Uralia, and Vendelle, and the males were Jordan, Alphon, Thince, and Basel.

  Tarrin responded by introducing his friends, but he saw that they seemed only mildly interested in them, almost as if they didn't matter until Tarrin brought their presence to their attention. He introduced Dolanna, Keritanima, Allia, and Dar as katzh-dashi, and that got something of a cordial reply from Grand Syllis. Introducing Phandebrass and Camara Tal as a Wizard and Priestess seemed only mildly interesting to the man, and he didn't even spare a glance at Azakar, a Knight, or the Vendari bodyguards. He gave Miranda a very strange look when Tarrin introduced her as Keritanima's friend and aide, one that made Tarrin wonder just what he could tell about his very special friend. When he introduced Kimmie as his mate, that made the Sha'Kar smile at her and offer his hand to her, something he didn't do for anyone else.

  "I must ask what race you are, my dear," he asked Kimmie. "I've never seen your like before."

  "We're Were-cats, Grand Syllis," she replied with a sweet smile.

  "Were-kin? Our honored one is also a Were-kin!" Grand Syllis said with a bright smile. "I say, that is definitely very interesting. I didn't think any of the Were-kin had any potential as Sorcerers."

  "The introduction of humans into the Were-kin broadened the abilities of our kind," Kimmie said carefully. "Many Were-kin are very capable Wizards and Priests as well, at least those that don't have enough Druidic aptitude to study it."

  "I can sense something about you, dear lady. Are you perchance a Druid?"

  "Wizard," she replied with a smile. "I'm afraid I wasn't lucky enough to have enough Druidic ability to train."

  "At least you've managed to excel in some kind of magic, dear lady," Grand Syllis said with a false smile. His scent told Tarrin that the Sha'Kar was vastly relieved at that news. And that was very important information. Syllis feared Druids, and rightly so. Druids could block Sorcery. Syllis had just ensured that there wasn't a Druid among them to interfere with him, if it came down to it.

  Tarrin looked at this Grand Syllis, and every moment that went by, he was more and more certain that the Sha'Kar was going to ultimately end up opposing him. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did. Even now, before the first lines had been drawn in the sand, Tarrin was already sizing up this future enemy, puzzling out his motivations and preparing counters to deal with them.

  "Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on your coming blessing, dear lady," Syllis told her with a smile.

  "Thank you," she said calmly. "You have good eyes, Grand Syllis. I'm not even showing yet."

  Tarrin realized that it wasn't because he could see it, but because he probably probed Kimmie with his magic, the same way Arlan did to him when they first met. He assensed Kimmie and felt a second active intelligence within her. In a female, that was obviously a pregnancy. "Those who revere life are sensitive to the newest ones," he said with a sweeping of his arm. "Please, let us take you to the House of the Goddess, where we can give you rooms proper for your station. Not in this small hovel," he said with a slightly deprecatory glance at Arlan, who bowed his head.

  "If it's all the same to you, Grand Syllis, I'm a simple man with simple tastes. I find this house quite satisfactory. If Master Arlan will have me, I'd prefer to stay here."

  "You can have my personal chamber, honored one," Arlan said very brightly, almost falling over himself to accept. "You honor my humble home beyond words!"

  "Are you sure, honored one?" Syllis pressed. "The House of the Goddess is much finer than this place. It's a place more suited for you."

  "I'm not Sha'Kar or human, Grand," Tarrin said pointedly. "I have customs that will seem very alien to you. One of them is that I don't find a need to be surrounded by opulence and servants. Trust me, this place is almost too much. Were it any grander, I would go back into the forest and set up a camp there. I'd feel more comfortable out there anyway."

  That seemed to scandalize all the Sha'Kar, but Syllis seemed to recover himself. "Anything you wish, honored one," he said smoothly. "If you would prefer to stay in this small cottage, then this is where you will stay. I'm sure Arlan will do his best to be a proper host to you."

  "You will be well cared for, honored one!" Arlan said emphatically.

  "For the moment, we of the Council need to withdraw and consult our book
s. We will search our histories for you and see if we can find what you seek. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable with Arlan and his family."

  "I'm sure Arlan will be a proper host," Tarrin said confidently.

  "Very good then. I know you prefer to be here and that you don't like opulence, but we must celebrate your arrival in a suitable fashion. A feast, I believe, one for the entire city. Would that offend you, honored one?"

  Tarrin glanced at Dolanna, who nodded imperceptibly. "That's fine with me," he answered.

  "Very good, then! We'll make the arrangements. Tonight, you will meet all of us who wait to return to our place in the world."

  "I'm looking forward to it, Grand Syllis."

  The male smiled at him. It was an oily smile, one that put Tarrin's hackles up almost immediately. It was a chilling smile. "We'll do our best to honor your arrival," he said.

  And then, with lengthy farewells, the Council withdrew. Tarrin watched them leave, and all he could feel was uncertainty over Syllis. Maybe it was just him, maybe it was just his feral nature, maybe it was hin inexperience with Sha'Kar culture, or maybe it was real, but everything about that Sha'Kar screamed at Tarrin to either kill him flee from him. The Cat saw him as an enemy, and Tarrin had a certainty within him that he was one. Syllis was going to be one he would have to watch carefully. Until then, there were Sha'Kar youths and human servants to quietly grill for information.

  Arlan was true to his word, and pushed Tarrin to taking his personal chamber. To say that it was extravagant would have been a vast understatement. The bed itself was large enough to fit six Sha'Kar, on a raised pedestal of sorts at the far end of the room from the huge entry doors. It was round in shape, something Tarrin had never seen before, and was both soft and firm at the same time. The rest of the room was monstrous, fully as large as the sitting room, with paintings, a few tapestries, and more of those delicate sculptures. Some of them were decidedly erotic, although tastefully so, a window into the mind of the Sha'Kar. They obviously didn't have the same hang-ups about sex as the humans did. The huge bed was only the first of a series of unusual decorations or furnishings, from two strange couch-like divans with no backs, only a raised section on one side for someone to recline upon, and there were very well carved bureaus for clothes, with large, deep drawers. A series of balls of light hung from the ceiling, glowglobes, something he hadn't seen anywhere but in the Tower, and they served to illuminate the room. By far the strangest feature of the room was the pool in a recessed area behind the bed, which was literally in a room of its own. The fact that there was no door between the pool area and the rest of the room made Tarrin consider it a part of the room, the two separated by a very large, wide, elegant arch with Sha'Kar script chiselled into the white stones. It was a short prayer of blessing to the Goddess. The pool's water was hot to the touch, and Tarrin could sense the magic that caused it to be so, as well as several other permanent spells that kept the water clean and fresh. The arch too was imbued with magical energy, causing the heat of the pool beyond to be contained in the pool room.

  It took Tarrin a while to get used to the idea that a room for sleeping was nearly as large as a hall in a castle keep. Kimmie too seemed a little overwhelmed by the huge chamber and its delicate art and wondrous beauty, sitting on one of the divans and spending almost ten minutes just staring this way and that. She seemed quite impressed by the chamber, and looked longingly at the baths.

  After Tarrin and Kimmie got used to the idea of the room, they had one of the servant girls send for the others. They all gathered in the room a few moments later, all of them looking quite shocked by what they'd found in the rooms to which they'd been taken. "Tarrin, this mansion has twelve bedrooms!" Dar told him in a shocked tone. "Twelve! As big as the rooms are in this place, I didn't think they'd have much room for more than two!"

  "We're not here to talk about the rooms, Dar," Tarrin told him as they gathered around the two divans. The room wasn't meant to entertain large numbers of people, so everyone but Kimmie, Dolanna, Keritanima, and Miranda stood around the two backless couches as the four females seated themselves. "Has anyone managed to drag anything out of anyone yet?"

  Keritanima paused, looking around. Then she wove a Ward that would prevent eavesdropping and placed it over them. "The Firestaff is definitely somewhere on this island," she said. "I can see it in their eyes when I've asked about it."

  "I agree," Dolanna nodded. "And more, it is not something they seem willing to discuss. I do not think the serving girls know much, but they will not talk about it."

  "They're certainly friendly," Phandebrass coughed. "I was changing into a new robe when one of them came in. She made some entirely inappropriate offers, she did."

  "You should feel lucky," Camara Tal teased him. "It's not often an old coot like you gets a lady's eye."

  "It's more than that," Phandebrass said. "I say, I get the feeling that the girls are doing it out of duty. The young lady certainly didn't seem all that interested in me, she didn't. It was like she was offering for my benefit, not hers, she was."

  "You mean the servants here double as prostitutes," Azakar said stiffly.

  "I'd say that's a pretty fair description," Miranda said calmly. "One thing I did notice, and that's that the human servants are terrified of the Sha'Kar. You should see the way they jump whenever one of them is in the room. It's almost pitiful."

  "I did notice that," Tarrin grunted.

  "I took a walk around the grounds," Keritanima said. "There's a farm behind the house, and all the people who work it are human. None of them would talk to me. I asked Iselde why they wouldn't talk with me, and she said it's because they're working. But I've never seen a farmer that wasn't willing to stop a moment and jabber with someone."

  "Let us reserve judgement, my friends," Dolanna cautioned. "These Sha'Kar are powerful. Their ways are not ours, and I think that we had best not alienate them. They would be formidable enemies. Even if they keep the humans as slaves, we should not try to interfere or voice our displeasure. At least not until after we have what we need from them," she corrected.

  "Dolanna raises a very good point," Allia agreed. "I can feel their power surround them like a cloak. Even Iselde and Allyn are powerful, and they do not have the same sense about them as Keritanima and Dolanna. I do not think they are da'shar."

  "They're not," Tarrin told her. "I already thought about that, and you're right, Dolanna. If they oppose us, they'll win. It's that simple. So we'd better be very careful about how we go about getting around their lying. Syllis knows where the Firestaff is. I'm sure of it. We just have to think of a way to trick him or someone else into telling us where it is."

  "He may have it, dear one," Dolanna speculated. "Perhaps the Sha'Kar are the final guardians."

  "No, they're not," Phandebrass said, scratching his chin. "They came here just before the Breaking, and the Firestaff was here thousands of years before that. Did you hear what Iselde told Tarrin? I say, she said her people came here because of the Ward, they did. That means that it was here long before them. The Ward, I think it was set here to protect the Firestaff, it was, because the poem mentioned the Ward. So, logic tells me that the poem that doesn't mention the Sha'Kar was written before they came here, and that means that there is a guardian, there is."

  "Unless the Sha'Kar destroyed it," Camara Tal grunted. "If they're that strong, they could have ganged up on it and taken it out."

  "That is a rather unsettling possibility," Phandebrass conceded with a frown.

  "The question now is, what are we going to do?" Kimmie asked.

  They were silent a moment. "Move very, very carefully," Keritanima answered. "We need information, and we can't really move until we get at least a rough understanding of what we're dealing with. So I guess for now, we spread out and learn everything we can about the Sha'Kar. The more we know about them, the easier it'll be to manipulate them when the time comes, if we have to go that far. I'd rather not. They may be potential
enemies, but they are Socerers. They're our brothers and sisters. It'd be easy if you could tell the Goddess to make them obey us, Tarrin," she told him. "They seem to be faithful children. If she ordered it, they'd probably obey her."

  "That's worth a try," he agreed, raising his head. "Mother? Can you hear me?" There was a long silence. Tarrin worried for a moment, then realized that the sense of distance from the Goddess was still there. Unlike everything else that returned when they got through the Ward, that had not returned. "I don't think she can hear me," he fretted. "I think the Ward is interfering with me."

  "I say, that's understandable," Phandebrass said. "There are gods after the Firestaff as well. It's only logical that whoever set the Ward hides it from gods as well as mortals. Since we're inside the Ward, we're on the wrong side of the line." He looked to Camara Tal. "I say, my dear, do you think you could cast a spell? If you can, then my theory isn't sound."

  "My spell will work, Phandebrass, whether Neme can hear me or not," he said. "My connection to her where my magic is concerned runs through the Weave, same as your connection to your magic. Now, I could try to commune with her," she stated. "If that doesn't work, then you're probably right."

  Keritanima shuddered. "Who can make something that blocks the powers of a god?" she asked in a sober tone. "Who made that Ward?"

  "I'd say the Goddess did," Tarrin answered her. "I assensed that Ward when I touched it, and believe me, I don't think any mortal, not even every Ancient there was Circled together, would have been capable of doing something like that. I could barely understand even the tiniest fraction of everything that that Ward is capable of doing. And she may have made it so well that it even blocks her. The other gods probably would have demanded that. An unopenable chest isn't very useful if the maker has a key."

  "That's reasonable," Phandebrass nodded.

  "Well, that's one good idea wasted," Keritanima grunted.

  "It would have been too easy," Miranda said with a cheeky grin. "So far, nothing has been very easy. I don't think we can expect our luck to change now."