“Probably still think I’m more trouble than I’m worth,” said Leilas with a pang of regret. Somewhere deep inside, she knew Joshuas was her soul-mate. But unfortunately, soul-mates didn’t always end up together.
With a sigh, Leilas put that thought out of her mind and got back to the task at hand. The story continued around the circle. As the remaining Sky crafters moved away from the collapsing library, back toward their encampment, demon-like men watched from the ruins. The same masters she’d seen in the great hall. It was clear they’d caused the collapse of the library and the death of so many crafters. Still, they’d been too late to keep Master Frey from claiming his prize. What was so special about that book that Master Frey would risk so much to obtain it? Countless lives had been lost, plus a shift had occurred in the balance. It was a question the Chidra needed answered. The title was becoming more comfortable, even if the responsibility wasn’t.
As the crafters packed up the encampment, clouds of darkness were gathering. Lightning lit the bottom of the clouds like gold. None of the Sky crafters looked back to see one of the Land masters invoking some dark spell with his fist clenched in fury in the air. Had they looked, it would have been difficult to mistake the meaning.
The last panel confirmed what she’d surmised would happen in the previous one. Seven great divisions of soldiers were positioned in front of the ruins of the library. A demon-man was leading each division. The last preparations for war were being made. In the far left corner of the panel, a darkness –almost a presence– was watching, overseeing the preparations. Leilas shivered. Was this the Dark Lord Dredrac they’d talked about in the great hall? He was far more intimidating as a nebulous presence than he would have been as some kind of recognizable entity.
The masters in the great hall had said the balance was beginning to fail. Did that mean Master Frey had already gained the book? Were events already in motion? Or was there time to reason with her former teacher?
There was only one way to find out. It was time to find a way out of Crysalis. As soon as she’d had the thought the lights went out in the cavern. Laying her axe against the podium, Leilas adjusted the strap of the sword in darkness, placed her short sword where she had easy access to it and then bent to pick up her axe. She heard a click and saw a door appear in the wooden stand. Unsheathing her short sword, Leilas pried the end in the crack that appeared around the door and wriggled the blade up and down until she heard a second click. Smiling at her success, she opened the door. Feeling around inside the small cabinet, Leilas felt something rectangular, with raised etchings on the outside. It appeared to be a book.
“Something to tackle later,” she said to herself, tucking the book into her tunic. Taking another swig of precious water, she readied her weapon and jumped to the floor. Fighting goblins in the dark would be much harder than facing them in the light, but she needed to leave this place.
As she suspected, as soon as her feet touched the floor she heard panels slide open and the soft pad of feet running in her direction. Swinging her axe in front of her, Leilas made her way in a straight line to the where she believed the opposite door should be. She had an idea. These creatures only appeared when she stepped on the cavern floor. If she could reach the entrance to the passageway, she would be safe.
The guards fought well and Leilas was hard pressed to make any headway against the almost invisible enemies. But step by step, she moved closer to her objective. Four goblins lay dead when she reached the entrance. Not stopping to look for traps hidden in the doorway, Leilas plunged into the tunnel.
A grim smile flickered across her face when the vibration began again, the lights flickered on and she saw the guards disappear. The trap was an effective, if deadly way to protect these treasures from anyone who wandered this way uninvited.
The dim light, from the cavern she’d just left, illuminated the walls of the passageway enough that Leilas could make out faint markings on the wall. Deciding to risk a small light, Leilas held it where she could see the writing. At first, it appeared to be simply crooked lines carved in the stone. Disappointed, Leilas began to turn away. Then it occurred to her what these lines represented. One of the lines slanted toward the ceiling and one sloped slightly toward the floor. Studying the first, Leilas memorized the twists and turns and the location of the beginning of the line. Adjusting her weapons more comfortably, she let the light go out. After her eyes became accustomed to the dim, orange glow, she moved off in the direction of the passageway marked by the map.
Trying to keep track of her paces, Leilas counted her way to the entrance. It was farther than she’d anticipated, almost two miles if she’d counted correctly. But now she had a rough estimate of how far she had to go. It was almost thirty miles of passageway rising to the surface. A good two-day journey, if she pushed hard. Probably more, since she had little food and water. She was going to have to find some source for water soon. She took a swig of her precious liquid before she started up the passageway.
As she trod along, her hand touching the walls as she went, she thought she detected a faint light. It took a few minutes to realize the fungus growing on the walls was glowing slightly. A memory of Garabaldi’s rat stew flashed through her mind. He’d been willing to eat this stuff and it was damp. It would provide a source of water.
Taking her short sword from her sheath, Leilas peeled a patch of the fungus from the wall. Then summoning her resolve, she popped it in her mouth. She almost gagged on the revolting flavor and the funny feeling on her tongue. But, she managed to keep her stomach from heaving and chewed the foul tasting stuff. She chewed for a long time before she worked up the nerve to swallow the ball of mush in her mouth, but she finally managed. Cutting a dozen more pieces from the wall, she tucked them in her belt. She would wait a bit to see what effects this nasty-tasting fungus had on her before she ate anymore. At least it had helped with the dryness in her mouth.
The floor in the passageway was rock rather than packed dirt and the moisture that fed the fungus made the walking treacherous. Again, Leilas lost track of how far she’d gone or how long she’d been walking or more correctly stumbling along. Only the map in her mind gave her any idea where she might be. Fatigue finally forced her to find a spot where she could rest. Removing the sword from her back and laying the axe nearby, she settled against the wall, ate half the vile fungus, spoke a spell of warding and fell into an exhausted sleep.
Leilas wasn’t sure what awakened her, or how long she’d been asleep, but there was danger nearby. Dark crafters, powerful masters were moving close by her. There was no time to find a better hiding place. Instead, Leilas moved farther into the small alcove she’d chosen as her resting spot and found some boulders to shield her from sight. Then wrapping her cloak over her head and face until only her eyes remained uncovered, she spoke a spell of concealment and hoped her small use of magic wouldn’t give her position away.
“Blood and guts,” she thought as she waited for the Dredracians to move past her hiding place. She should have realized that if this was the way to the surface and the dark masters had called their people to war, they’d be coming this way. She should have pressed on rather than giving in to the need for sleep.
It didn’t take long for the danger she’d sensed to arrive. She felt fear and despair begin to creep into her soul as the first of the gaunt masters moved past her. He paused briefly and looked around in the darkness. Leilas was sure that she’d been discovered. The fear she felt made her want to jump from her hiding place and make a fight of it. She barely kept herself from giving into the need by sheer willpower alone. The gaunt moved in her direction, but was distracted by a gnome who joined him and asked him why they’d stopped.
“I thought I felt someone in the tunnel. I was mistaken,” said the master, in a raspy, grating voice. “Keep moving. The forces we sent earlier have seen the Jovanulum arrive on the other side of the gorge. We need to hurry. We only sent a platoon to face them. They won’t be able to hold off a company
of crafters for long.”
The gaunt master turned from facing Leilas’ hiding spot and swept on through the tunnel. Hundreds of Dredracian troops followed him. The other two gaunt masters who’d been in the great hall were interspersed among the troops, keeping them from turning back from the task at hand. Helpless to do anything else, Leilas watched them pass by.
At last, Leilas saw the last of the dark army file by her. Waiting another quarter hour, Leilas left her hiding spot and followed the army up to the surface. She didn’t know who’d crafted the panels on the walls, or if they’d been intended for her. What she did know was that she’d stumbled across them too late to be able to help shape the events taking place.
“A watcher is all you’re ever going to be,” she told herself, bitterly. It was a hard burden for her to bear. She ached to be able to act, to make a difference. The steep, uphill slope was making her legs burn and her heart pound, but she did her best to keep up with the army, staying just out of sight of the last of the soldiers.
The gaunt masters didn’t stop to give their people rest. They pressed on and on until Leilas felt she couldn’t take another step. Still, she pushed herself forward, unwilling to be left behind. She didn’t have any sense of how long they’d been moving upward toward the surface. To her, it seemed as if she’d been walking forever in this tunnel. Taking a few minutes to catch her breath and rest her aching legs, Leilas drained the last of the water from her water skin and forced down three pieces of furry vegetation. It was the last of the fungus. She hoped it would last her until she reached the surface. Breaking into a jog, she moved as quickly and as quietly as she could through the cave until once again she could hear the troops moving in front of her. Then she fell in behind them and into the same routine she’d been following since they’d passed her in the tunnel.
She was stumbling with exhaustion, when she heard the troops come to a stop in front of her. Falling to the ground, she laid her head against the wall as she waited for them to resume their march. Instead, a large explosion ripped through the tunnel, singeing her skin and throwing her back against the wall. She heard a cheer as the world around her grew distant and then disappeared into total blackness.
When she woke, she knew that she was alone. The men that she’d been following had left the tunnel. Rising shakily to her feet, Leilas moved up the last remaining yards of the tunnel. The tunnel ended at what used to be a door, but the door was no longer there. It had been ripped from its hinges and thrown to the side. Stepping through the doorway, Leilas looked around in dismay at the destruction. White pillars stood around a ruined building. Books were strewn about everywhere, many half-burned. She knew she’d missed Master Frey’s triumphant discovery. The army he’d led had already disappeared, only those who’d died here remained. Dropping onto a stump of a pillar, tears welled in her eyes.
“Gidron, what have you done?” She shook her head in sorrow. She should have been able to stop this. If she’d been here in time, she would have stopped it, prophecy or no prophecy, former master or not. As she sat there, she could see the dark clouds roiling in the sky, the lightning flashing across them. A terrible portent of what was to come.
CHAPTER 11
For the first time since she’d left home, Leilas wished that Joshuas was traveling with her. She could use someone to guide and protect her. Someone she could trust and she knew she could trust him.
“But he isn’t here,” she told herself wearily, “and you’re still in danger.” Pushing herself to her feet despite her body protesting with every muscle, she picked her way through the rubble and moved off in the direction she knew Frey and his army had taken. One person on foot, no matter how tired, was bound to overtake an army on the move. Once she was on the other side of the gorge, she was fairly certain she would be safe. The dark masters were busy preparing for war. They weren’t interested in chasing her. Who knew? Maybe this journey through Crysalis was exactly what Garabaldi had intended for her. Maybe she was supposed to see the murals and find the book.
Leilas reached down and patted her tunic to reassure herself the book was still there. A hollow thump indicated it was. But whatever knowledge it had to offer would have to wait for another day. Right now, she needed to concentrate on finding a path down the valley wall while it was still light.
Once she crested the ridge, Leilas could clearly see the path that Frey’s men had taken. Following their trail, she made good time down the steep incline. The deep shadows of evening were stretching across the valley by the time she reached the valley floor. She was stumbling with fatigue and hunger. After deciding that the valley wall would offer some protection, Leilas made a fireless camp in a small crevice. Not wandering too far from camp, she managed to find some berries to eat and a small creek where she filled her water skin. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
Making sure she didn’t eat too many berries, she drank deeply and settled in to sleep. Wrapping her cloak tightly around her, she placed her sword within reach and closed her eyes, the soft call of owls singing her to sleep.
“What do you see?” The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere.
“The Chasm of Ceryk,” replied Leilas, looking out at the great rift that divided the land. It was a beautiful scar on the land. Myriads of colors striped the walls down to where they disappeared into the mists that hung halfway down the wall, or so it seemed. Many had said that the chasm was endless and that anyone who fell into its depths fell forever.
“A beautiful creation, don’t you think?”
“Indeed, a most beautiful place and yet evil.”
“Do you think so? My beloved servant Rengailai created it for me.”
“And in doing so, forsook the Creator,” replied Leilas, looking away from the magnificent canyon.
“There is more than one who can create, who can give and take away.”
“What am I doing here with you, Dredrac? I have no dealings with you or your servants.”
“But there is a part of you Chidra that could. That part your father, my servant, gave you. Think of what you could accomplish if you forsook the crafter oaths and joined with me. The crafters have forsaken you. Why do you still offer them your loyalty?”
Leilas woke to the morning light making its way into the canyon. It hadn’t been an unpleasant dream, but it had disturbed her profoundly. Why would Dredrac seek her out? She was nobody. She’d recognized the voice as the one she’d heard on the way to Menas. At least now, she knew who was taunting her, even if she didn’t know why. Why was it important to him that she reject the light crafters and join him? He had thousands of dark crafters in his service.
Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Leilas had a small breakfast of berries, refilled her water skin and picked up the trail of Master Frey’s army. The food and sleep had refreshed her and she made good time across the valley. She was counting on the Dredracians being too busy assembling to notice one crafter hurrying across the valley floor beneath the dark clouds.
From the tracks the army left, it appeared to Leilas that they were a day, maybe a day and a half ahead of her. She would have to move fast to overtake them, which meant she wouldn’t be able to make her way secretly. It was a chance she was going to have to take. She needed to be with Master Frey when he addressed the Council. Once again, she wished Joshuas was with her. She could use his wisdom and counsel on how to approach the masters.
As she thought of him, she almost felt as if she could reach out and touch his face. In her mind, she did touch him and felt her fingers tingle in response. Pulling her hand away, she also pulled her mind away in surprise. That had never happened before. It was as if she’d really touched him. Was that real? Or was her mind playing tricks on her?
“Get a hold on yourself, girl,” she chastised herself. Forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand, she put her thoughts of Joshuas aside. They were too dangerous.
The valley was fairly easy to negotiate, though she found herself looking over her
shoulder every few minutes to assure herself she hadn’t been discovered. She took care to use the natural cover to hide herself as much as possible. It was well past mid-day when she finally gained the top of the far valley wall. A half-mile of meadow to cross and she would be in the safety of the trees.
One look in the direction of the ruined library changed her mind about making a run for it. Across the valley, hundreds of dark warriors were gathering on the plateau. The picture she’d seen in the cavern was being formed before her eyes. Sentries had been placed along the valley wall every ten feet, though they couldn’t have been attending their posts diligently, or her trip across the valley floor would have already been detected.
The dread she’d felt at seeing Dredrac’s nebulous form hovering over the scene began to creep back into her soul. She needed to be away from here, now. But how was she going to gain the forest without being detected? She would be visible to all those warriors as soon as she stood.
Trying to gauge the sun’s position in the sky, Leilas gave up the idea of moving in the daylight and wriggled back to the edge of the valley wall, cautiously climbing down until she was sheltered by a clatch of rocks. As she waited for the cover of darkness, she watched the forces of dark prepare for war. Her emotions vacillated between her anger at Master Frey and her frustration at having to wait to get on with the task of finding him.
“Why?” she kept asking herself. “Why would he do such a thing? He must have known what would happen. He must have known how many would be hurt and killed. Wasn’t one devastating war enough to ensure he’d be diligent in protecting the balance?”
“Obviously not,” Leilas answered her own question, grimly. Something about that book was more important to Master Frey than all of Preterlandis. Hugging herself to ward off the disappointment and disillusionment she felt, she tried to keep her attention on the scene unfolding in front of her and not on her teacher’s betrayal.
First Comes The One Who Wanders Page 19
