by Rob J. Hayes
History books tell us that the Orran and Terrelan empires were all that was left of a hundred smaller kingdoms. Terrans fighting terrans for control over the lands they deemed theirs. After the fall of Orran only the Terrelan Empire remained. Still, I considered myself Orran for a long time even after the empire was nothing but memory and unmarked graves.
Most folk from Orran or Terrelan never even considered that the world contained other peoples. We all knew of the Rand and the Djinn, it was hard not to with the great cities, Ro'shan and Do'shan floating around the skies. But most terrans on Isha went their entire lives without seeing a pahht or tahren, let alone those who lived even further away. It wasn't until later in my life I discovered why, that the other races shunned Terrelan. I changed that. For the better or worse.
The stories I read made me want to see the world outside the empire, but they also made me realise, and appreciate, how old the world was. It was through those stories I first realised that there are things, secrets buried deep in the earth and rock beneath us. Some of those things are precious and valuable, things of wonder. Others are better left buried and forgotten. I was fool enough to dig them all up.
Isen ignored me the next day. And I was fucking furious. I saved his life and he sulked about it. It was a slight to his pride that, once again, I stood between him and death. As though it were far manlier to roll over and die than to let a woman save him. But Isen was quick to forgive and forget. Not that anything I'd done for him really required forgiving.
I didn't tell the others about my deal with Yorin. It was a distraction they didn't need. I just pressed upon them how little time we had left to escape. The rest of the digging was done by Hardt and Tamura. I was too short and not strong enough for the work, and Isen could barely stand, let alone swing a pick. That didn't stop Prig from lashing him for slacking.
The whispered rumours about me grew and grew. The other scabs started bowing their heads to me as I passed by, and some even came to me with gifts, currying my favour. My fame had grown due to confrontations with the most powerful people in the Pit. I knew it couldn't last. I wasn't just living on borrowed time from Yorin. Soon, the rumours would be too much for Deko to ignore and he would have to make an example of me. It's the way arseholes like him work. As useful as I was to him alive, I would serve just as great a use as a broken corpse strung up near the Trough. Reputation is a blade with no hilt, it cuts both ways.
By the fourth day we had opened the crack enough that even Hardt could start to climb up into the dark crevice above. We were so close I liked to think I could smell freedom as well as hear it. Tamura agreed with me, I think. He said, "Fresh rain on the ground." and I took it to mean it was a pleasant smell. What a load of shit that was. Nothing down in the Pit smelled pleasant.
Nobody wanted to say it, but we had no idea if it would lead to the surface. For all we knew the crevice would close just a dozen meters above leaving us trapped with no way, but back down. We could keep digging, of course, but I believed Yorin's threat was real. I had just one day left to give the man freedom or both Isen and myself would pay the price.
"I'm going up," I said, staring into the darkness.
Trapped with the rock closing in. Crushing in the darkness. I shook the thought away and buried it.
Tamura nodded. "First to flee, first to fall," he said.
Hardt just stared at the crazy old man for a moment before turning to me. "You sure? Maybe I should go."
"Chivalry now of all times, Hardt?" I said. "The last thing I'm afraid of, is the dark." It was true enough. I had faced down the darkness and accepted it inside of me, even if I wasn't yet sure of what that meant.
"I was thinking there might still be some digging to be done." Hardt was ever the practical one. "It might require a bit more strength than you have."
I thought Hardt might be surprised by my strength, but he meant strength of arm and he wasn't entirely wrong there, but I hated being called weak in any sense of the word. "It might require a bit more space than you'll have." I replied and patted my belly to insinuate he was fat. It was a harsh insult and unjust, but I really was a bitch. I plucked the little hammer from the ground. "Can't swing it if you're wedged in tight."
Hardt made a sour face and nodded, and the discussion was over. I just wanted to be the first up into the crack and the first to taste the freedom above. I wonder if I would have gone back down to fetch the others if I had found my way out.
Hardt gave me a boost up, shoving me towards the crack and I reached for a handhold, pulling myself up into the waiting darkness. I could see the crack opening up and the crevice beyond seemed to stretch out forever. I wedged my feet against the wall and pushed my back against the other. Tamura handed me the little hammer and a small lantern to hang from the rope tied around my waist, acting as a belt.
What if the lantern breaks? A blazing corpse wedged between rock.
I'd be lying if the thought didn't cause me fear. But fear was what Ssserakis wanted. I eventually learned that feeding the horror was a good way to shut it up for a time.
Now I was up in the crack I could hear the wind whistling above, feel the cool breeze on my skin. It would probably have put a chill in me if not for the permanent cold I felt inside. Besides, spelunking is not an easy sport and the effort will soon warm a body up.
I inched my way upwards, squeezing myself against the rock and reaching for handholds. The light from the lantern helped a little, but I was feeling my way up more often than not. It was hard going, and I earned more than a few scrapes, but I was used to little injuries by then. Cuts and grazes were nothing new, the pain kept my mind sharp. Strange to say it, but it's quite easy to let your mind wander crawling through the darkness. You start to see shapes, black against black, images the mind tries to decipher. That, I think, is why so many people fear the darkness; their minds trick them into seeing things that simply aren't there. That is what I thought I was seeing when I looked up and saw two yellow eyes staring at me from the darkness.
I glanced up, seeing the yellow dots, then squeezed my eyes shut. I could hear myself breathing hard, the hammering of my blood rushing through my ears. I could feel the closeness of the rock around me. Fear made me indecisive. When I opened my eyes again the yellow lights were still there glinting back at me. I froze, staring up at them. It's hard to say how long I waited there, not moving. Hoping that they hadn't seen me. Hoping if I didn't move, they wouldn't notice. Long enough that I heard Hardt call up to me.
The lights didn't move, nor blink out. They just sat there in the darkness above.
"I'm alright," I shouted without taking my eyes from the lights. Fear paralyses, makes us weak. I hated weakness and I hated being afraid, and I knew the best way to overcome fear is to face it head on. I started to crawl upwards. Still the lights didn't move. I could hear the whistling of the wind, closer now, and feel the breeze.
At some point I realised what it was I was looking at. They weren't eyes in the dark or even lights. They were reflections from the lantern hanging at my side. I reached out towards them, and my hand met rock, hard and unyielding above me. I scratched at it with broken nails and pulled free a small gemstone that held the reflected lantern light within even when I cupped my hands around it, cradling it in complete darkness.
I let out a short laugh and pocketed the gem before prying the second one free as well. Only then did I let the reality of the situation dawn on me. The way above me was solid stone. The crevice we had opened up ended and I was fairly certain we were still far from the surface. I unhooked the lantern from my belt and held it up to be sure, but all I could see was rough rock.
Well that's the escape plan over. All that's left is to wait for Yorin to finish the job. The thought brought on a nervous type of fear that niggled at me. I almost dropped the lantern as I tried to fix it back onto my belt, and only then did I let frustration take over. You might think that deep underground there is no one to hear you scream, but sound carries.
"A
re you all right?" I heard Hardt shout. "I'm coming up."
"No." I shouted back down before lowering my voice again. "Then we'd both just be up here fucking sulking in the dark."
"What's the matter?" he shouted.
I shifted to the side a little so I could look down and see Hardt's face, lit by a lantern, staring up from so far below.
"The crevice ends. There's no way out." I felt like screaming again. I very nearly did.
Tamura's face appeared below me, shoving Hardt out of the way. "Nothing from nothing," said the crazy old man. "Even the sea begins somewhere."
"Right." I rolled my eyes though I knew he couldn't see it. "Really fucking useful. Thank you, Tamura."
He whistled up at me before Hardt shoved him out of the way again. "Can we dig the rest of the way?"
Looking down I knew I hadn't moved more than four levels up, maybe less. We'd have to dig through close to sixty feet of rock to reach the surface. I tried to think of a witty response that would make Hardt feel as stupid as the question he asked. I was feeling a bit too frustrated and exhausted to be witty.
"No," I shouted back, my shoulders slumping. "No," I repeated to myself so quietly my words were drowned out by the whistling of the wind around me.
There is a point where inspiration hits. It's strange. Almost like having an idea, but not knowing what the idea is. I floundered for a moment, desperately searching for the reason that hope was flaring within me again. Then it dawned on me. The whistling of the wind. Everything had to have a beginning. A strong breeze didn't just come from nowhere, and it was a strong breeze.
I started feeling around, placing my hands on the rock all around me until I felt where the wind was whistling into the crevice. After raising the lantern once more, I could finally see a small hole in the rock just in front of me. Another crack to dig away at. Swapping the lantern for the little hammer I started smashing away at the rock, trying to widen the hole. Rubble rained down around my feet and I heard Hardt shout, asking what I was doing. I didn't bother to answer. I was far too busy smashing away, tearing rock free from the wall in front of me. I hoped the big man had the sense to back away from the falling debris.
Fresh sweat dripped into my rags as I hammered away at the wall. Before long there was an opening large enough to shove my hand through. After a couple of inches of rock, I felt empty air all around, a gentle breeze cooling my sweaty skin. I pulled my arm back in and shifted until I could peer into the hole. I saw little yellow lights shining back at me, dozens of gemstones like the ones in my pocket. A grin spread across my face as I realised all was not lost.
The lights beyond were not bright but they showed flat walls, a carved roof and ceiling above. The hole didn't just open into another crevice. There was a room the other side of the wall. For just a moment I wondered if it was a part of the Pit, sealed off and forgotten about, but the walls were too flat and uniform to be hewn from the rock by us scabs.
Just before I pulled away from peering through the hole, I saw something move against the darkness and then it was gone. I ignored it, believing my eyes were playing tricks on me. I was wrong about that.
I hammered away at the wall some more until the hole was large enough I could put a leg through it. By then I was coated in a layer of sweat and feeling every bit of the exhaustion. I realised then I couldn't do it alone.
Crawling back down the crevice took far too long. My excitement filled me with nervous energy and I almost fell a couple of times before I finally felt open air beneath me, my legs dangling. A moment later strong arms wrap around me and Hardt lifted me from the crevice to the ground.
I grinned up at the big man and wrapped my arms as far around him as possible, squeezing him tight. I found him smiling back at me and Tamura too was giggling, as though my excitement were somehow contagious.
"I thought you said there was no way up?" Hardt asked.
"Not up." I was breathless from the climb and the excitement. "But out maybe. I found a hole in the wall of the crevice where the air was whistling through. Just like you said." Tamura nodded back at me. "It opens out into a room. A room. Carved and everything. A proper room."
Hardt nodded slowly. "Just a room?" he asked.
"Well I think there was a door leading out of it," I said as if the question were a stupid thing to ask. "There must be."
Hardt didn't look convinced. "Leading where?"
"I don't fucking know," I said. "But if there's a room then there has to be more. Carved walls and a ceiling don't just appear in the middle of solid fucking rock."
Hardt still didn't look convinced. He glanced at Tamura and then back at me. "Better than nothing," he said. "So how do we go about exploring? Two people through at a time until we find a way out?"
I shook my head. "I was thinking we'd open the hole wide enough so we can all fit through and then get out of the Pit for good."
Hardt let out a sigh. "We'd only have whatever food we could scrounge together. Oil too. We'd be better exploring for a day or so at a time. Maybe you and Tamura. You two don't need to dig."
"We don't have time," I said. I knew it was about time I came clean. "I didn't so much save Isen's life as give it an extension." I let out a sigh and hoped Hardt would understand. "I told Yorin I'd get him out as well." I saw the look on Hardt's face and decided to plough on before he could argue. "And if I don't help him escape by tomorrow, he's going to kill me and Isen."
For a while Hardt just stared at me. I'm still not sure if it was anger, disappointment, or something else he was feeling, but whatever it was, he swallowed it. Hardt was always good at that. I, on the other hand, have always struggled to hide my feelings.
With a shrug, Tamura grabbed the lantern and hammer from my belt and leapt up into the hole. He was far more spry than a man his age ought to be. Within moments all I could see of him was a shaking light shining down from the crack above.
"Do you think he'll come back?" I asked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Hardt nodded. "Tamura is crazy, but he's reliable. He won't go running off making decisions without us."
It was hard to miss the intonation. "That decision saved your brother's life," I spat. "Something you seemed unwilling to do." I regretted saying that the moment it burst from my lips. I still regret saying it, even now. I saw how much it hurt Hardt. The words were mine, but the fault was his. His pesky pacifism was what almost killed Isen.
Silence settled between us, broken only by the scrabbling of Tamura up in the crevice above. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd just destroyed another friendship. I was fast running out them to burn. I've never been very good at repairing things, relationships least of all. I've always been so much better at doubling down and laying waste to everything around me. Luckily, Hardt doesn't share that trait with me and he's never been one to hold a grudge, though I have given many opportunities to in our time together.
"Thank you, Eska." I saw the big man swallow back the lump in his throat. "Isen won't say it and I think someone needs to." I'm not sure which of us felt more awkward then. It was probably me. I wasn't used to being thanked for things.
The sound of metal striking rock started to echo down from above and rock dust cascaded around us.
"We'll need some food then?" I asked.
"For a start." Hardt began pacing. "Lanterns as well. We have two but we'll need more. One each would be best, and oil to fill them."
"We won't get that but for the storeroom and Deko keeps that guarded. Can you and Isen get in?" I knew it was unfair of me to ask but I couldn't do it all myself and I already knew where I would be needed.
Hardt shook his head. "Isen is still in a bad way and..."
"Hardt," I interrupted him. "I need you and Isen to do this. I'll take Tamura and get as much food as we can carry."
"How?"
"I don't know yet." It was a lie. But I didn't want Hardt knowing what I was going to do. He wouldn't agree with it. I don't think he'd have let me go through with it. These days I
've done far worse things of course, and Hardt has helped me. I wonder if I corrupted him somewhere along the line.
"We still have a problem with Deko and Prig," Hardt said. "If none of us are there to dig, Prig will start looking for us. Enough people have seen us around this area. It won't take long before Deko has a full search for us. They'll find the crack." He paused and I could see him struggling with something. "I want to get out, Eska, but we can't help Deko and his thugs escape as well. They're criminals. Real bloody criminals. They're here for good reason. Bad enough we're helping that murderous snake-kisser Yorin escape."
"Don't worry about Deko," I said. I could see Hardt was about to argue. "And don't ask why not. Just leave it. Please."
Hardt drew in a deep breath and nodded. Some things are better left unknown and he didn't want to know my plan. "What about Prig?" he asked. "We could do with taking him out."
"I'll see if our murderous snake-kisser can help," I said. "Get him to earn his freedom."
"Tomorrow then?" Hardt asked.
"Tomorrow," I agreed. "We each do our part and meet back here."
With that our plan was made. More rock dust and rubble fell from the crack above and I heard Tamura give a giggle. I was so nervous. A hundred different things could go wrong and Ssserakis whispered each of them to me. I tried to ignore it, but the horror knew how to scare me, and the fear I fed it made it bolder.
Worse than the fear, though, was the guilt at leaving Josef behind. I knew I could have looked for him still. I knew I should have. Maybe I would have found him, repaired the rift between us. But, as I have said, I am not very good at repairing things. I've always been so much better at breaking them and setting fire to the remains.
Chapter 23
Photomancy is one of the strangest schools of Sourcery for it involves the manipulation of something most of us can only barely perceive. It is the power to wield light, or so the tutors said. In terms of practical applications, the uses are many and powerful. With it, a Sourcerer can create a powerful flash of light so bright it blinds all those who aren't swift enough to shield their eyes, or bring about a darkness so complete one would think the world had simply stopped being.
