The Way Into Darkness: Book Three of The Great Way

by Harry Connolly

  Tejohn could not do the same. His armor was too heavy for him to lie out flat in the water, and the effort of leaping from one end of the chambers to another in all this water with all this gear had already taxed his aging muscles.

  He caught up with her in the blue-lit chamber as she finished collecting the four black iron bars. Her rope wrapped around each of them, holding them to her back like a pack. “Look how that board is mounted,” she said, waving vaguely toward the rack.

  Tejohn stepped back out of the chamber and went to the back. The light here wasn’t strong, but he could see the board was attached to the heavy vertical braces by some sort of black putty.

  He ran his hand along it. It was as smooth as new ice and as solid as rock. The stone wrapped around the individual wooden braids as though it had been poured over them. “What is it?”

  Cazia joined him, her mace in hand. “Something the alligaunts make,” she said unhelpfully. “Do you remember the indestructible buildings we found at the edge of the sea? That’s what it was made of. I wish there was a tool we could take to create our own.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out for one.” Tejohn took a deep breath, knowing just how strange that was down here in the depths, but he’d already become accustomed to strangeness. “What’s your plan? To remove the hooks from the portal and close it? To strand them here?”

  “No, although I like the idea of starving these hunters. No, their magic is too strong. They would just move somewhere else. Into the ocean, maybe.” She jerked her head, indicating he should follow. He did. Better for them to talk on the move so she would slow down. “Remember why Lar wanted to come to Tempest Pass in the first place? He believed his uncle Ghoron had a deadly version of the Fifth Gift, one that could ‘clean out’ the insides of people’s skulls, turning them into water.”

  Tejohn’s legs were becoming really tired now. “You mean, just like the one you cast when you broke the round light off the end of the balcony.”

  She gave him a sly, sideways look. “You could tell?”

  Once, many lifetimes ago, he would have interpreted that expression as treason. “I could.”

  “Well, I’m a wizard now, and I worked it out. Obviously. And this was the direction--” She paused, startled. The next chamber ahead was unlike the others: there were no small, decorative braids, only heavy braces.

  “This was the direction of the nearest of the gigantic support braids.”

  She was right. Just ahead of them were three massive tree trunks braided together like a child’s pigtails. Up close, they were bigger than they first appeared; each was nearly as wide around as the low tower in the Finstel mining camp. Around that central braid were at least twenty more braids, each trunk as thick as an old oak. The horizontal braces ran straight out from the chambers into those peripheral braids, anchoring themselves through complicated tangle-knots.

  “I know it won’t really get them all,” Cazia said. “I wish I knew a way to do it, but I don’t. Still, if we can bring down this whole city, cover over their portal, and kill a whole lot of alligaunts, maybe they’d start believing in Fire and Fury.”

  While the two of them stood there, marveling at the size of the support braid, a cloud of dirty water floated by, and the braids scraped against each other, creaking and groaning.

  “Maybe it won’t take much,” Cazia said.

  Tejohn wasn’t so sure. “I’ll watch your back.”

  She began to cast the Fifth Gift, focusing on one of the smaller trunks. It only took her a moment, but after she finished her hand motions, she reached out and pressed against the smooth, barkless surface.

  The wood cracked and collapsed inward slightly. The hollow space she’d created was very narrow. It also came very close to the surface of the braid without breaking through.

  “How did you know about the alligaunts and The Blessing?” she asked, beginning her spell again.

  “They were normal voices, but no one was there to speak,” Tejohn said. He stood with his back to her, staring into the murk all around them for approaching enemies. “That’s what Dhe told us about the day he was lured to the beach for his ritual. He said he could tell when someone was nearby, but on that day, he was alone when he heard voices telling him to come to his holy place, or whatever it was.”

  “I’d forgotten that,” Cazia said.

  “Dhe had quite a few revelations for us,” Tejohn said. “That seemed like a small one until you told me about the Tilkilit and the People Above. Is this conversation too distracting?”

  “No,” she said. “It’s helping me hold onto my anger. I’m going to try one of these gigantic ones next. Fire and Fury, do you really think the alligaunts just wanted to turn their enemies into vicious carnivores?”

  Tejohn glanced back at her. She’d turned her focus to one of the trunks that was as thick all the way through as a tower. Could she really do this? It occurred to him that, deep below the lake surface, there would be no way to check her cheeks for tears.

  He banished that thought immediately and returned to his vigil, holding onto a heavy braid to keep from sinking out of sight. That worry came from a life that was dead now.

  “I think it’s a sign of how they think,” he said. “Have you noticed how boggled Bully was by the idea we would risk our lives down here? The alligaunts--Sacred Hunters, I mean--might be strong, skilled with magic, and kings of many lands, but I think they’re too arrogant to try to understand their enemy.”

  She did not respond, so Tejohn kept talking. “If I were going to create a transformation spell to make my enemies turn against each other, I’d turn them into soldiers. Strong, fast, skin so thick, it’s like armor. Any tyr would. But the alligaunts don’t think in terms of war.” They would never make a suicide attack like the one we’re making.

  Of course, he didn’t say that. He glanced over at the young scholar…so much younger than he had been when he first sought out his destruction on the battlefield all those years ago. Her brow was furrowed, her lip curled in concentration.

  Peradaini society valorized the soldier in every way. They were made leaders and kings, were the subject of songs and plays, and heard cheers when they returned from a campaign. In contrast, scholars were treated with fear and suspicion; people stared at them, looking for a telltale tear on their cheeks.

  Now, after the collapse of everything, the most decorated soldier of his generation was standing guard while a scholar who was not even old enough to be betrothed was striking the blow that might drive their enemy from their land.

  She cast several more times, her expression rapt. Tejohn turned his attention outward, looking into the chambers around him for some sign of movement. He saw none, but it was so dark that a dozen alligaunts could have been marshaling nearby and he wouldn’t have known. There were few lights nearby, and those few were not close.

  A sudden shiver of fear and helplessness ran through him. Down here, far below the surface, his skills with spear and shield were nearly useless. All his training--all his assurance in his own power--was gone. Cazia Freewell needed a bodyguard, but all she had was him, a man glad of the chance to rest his tired muscles.

  When Cazia moved to another chamber, he followed. She leaned through the opening toward the column, beginning her spell again, and he took up position behind her.

  Finally, after casting several times, she turned to him. “I’ve sabotaged two of the main trunks and fourteen of the support braids. Do you think that’s enough? Should I do more or just go on to the next?”

  Child, you have built and destroyed more structures than I have. “If you have a question about stabbing someone, let me know. Otherwise, I’m not much use.”

  “I think we know that’s not true,” she said. Then: “That’s good enough. Let’s circle around the hive.”

  She pulled herself through the tunnel opening. Tejohn followed, leaping across the dark chasms as quickly as he could. “Don’t get too far ahead.”

  Looking chagrined, she waited for
him. Together, they kept a slower pace. She was anxious and excitable. “Sorry. I just want to get this done before I get caught.”

  “If you do get caught,” Tejohn said calmly, “I want to be close enough to kill the one who catches you.”

  She glanced back at him, and in the darkness, he could see she was smiling. “After the next one, we should be done. I think. It’s hard to tell how much stress this place was built to handle, but--”

  There was a shout from the commons, then a great cheer. It startled both of them, and they peered toward the center of the structure. An alligaunt swam by, a short white wand in its hand. Shortly after, a school of fish swam by. They were thick and round, like a grown man’s leg, and their scales flashed silver.

  One of them ducked into the chamber opening, and raced directly at them, its gaping jaws ringed with barbed teeth.

  Chapter 36

  Considering everything, it seemed obvious that the wand the alligaunt carried was similar to the one she’d seen in the oceanside fortress. She’d only caught a glimpse, but she was certain the end had the same sharp-edged cube as the lever Kinz destroyed. She felt an immediate urge to steal it. How many Plunders would that have made? Four? Five? She’d lost count.

  But before she even had a chance to convince herself stealing it was an impossible task, the school of silver worm-fish swam into view. Then one turned and came straight at her. Its mouth was a gaping circle with a ring of nasty teeth around the edge, and it looked so like the massive Tilkilit worm that she froze in terror for a moment.

  Tejohn grabbed her elbow and pulled her back. At the same time, he thrust the edge of his shield forward and caught the worm on the side of its “head”--really just a half foot behind those jagged teeth--driving it into the vertical support braid behind it.

  It was a swift, hard blow, especially considering they were underwater. The sound of its cracking skull was surprisingly loud.

  “Let’s hurry,” he whispered, and they loped from one chamber to another. After they’d reached their third, a dozen or so of those worm-mouthed fish zoomed by overhead, with alligaunts in close pursuit. Cazia and Tejohn stood against the vertical braces and waited for the danger to pass.

  No one came close enough to discover them. After a few moments, Cazia heard an alligaunt screaming in agony, begging for someone to come and help it.

  “Auspicious prey,” Tejohn whispered.

  Time to move. They began swimming through chamber after chamber once again. Cazia was sure they were moving west, but direction didn’t really matter down here, as long as they were getting closer to the second support braid.

  “Shouldn’t we have run into more alligaunts than this?” she asked in a low voice. Cazia hated to tempt Fire this way, as though just asking the question would lead them into a phalanx of alligaunts, but the waters of Lake Windmark were crowded with the things, and she couldn’t understand why they would build a huge city but not live in it. “Where are they all?”

  “They’re hunting that auspicious prey.”

  “So, it’s lunchtime?”

  “I don’t think so,” Tejohn said, without slowing his pace. “When the king travels to another tyr’s lands, he travels with a retinue.”

  “I never saw that,” Cazia said, feeling vaguely embarrassed for no reason. “But I did see tyrs when they visited the castle. They came with soldiers, musicians playing the drum and pipe, and sometimes mummers or acrobats. Tyr Holvos gave out sourcakes to hungry children.”

  “Exactly,” Tejohn said. “This Examiner is a person of importance and intends to impress the locals--”

  “--By sending exciting prey into the city ahead of their arrival. But to send creatures that actually kill locals?”

  “That makes it all the better,” Tejohn said grimly. “All the more auspicious. How much farther to the next support, do you think? If they discover Bully, they may postpone our bigwig’s arrival, and these nice, distracting hunts would end.”

  Cazia couldn’t really be sure of how far they had to go, but they kept moving, passing through another well-lit section. Luckily, there was no one here, either.

  Tejohn’s breathing was labored, and so was hers. Ha! Breathing! Down here in the depths! She didn’t want to admit it, but the Fifth Gift had taken a lot out of her. Of course, she could do it again--of course she could--but she was hungry and her head felt light. Worse, swimming this long distance, even with the braces to grab hold of and pull herself along, was wearing her out.

  Not that it mattered. It wasn’t as if she was ever going to leave this place alive. She didn’t need to conserve her energy or worry about the next step. If she failed, the alligaunts would tear her apart. If she succeeded, she would be trapped inside this city as it buckled.

  There was no coming back from this, and--I haven’t even been kissed yet--she was fine with that. If it made the alligaunts think twice about coming to Kal-Maddum, it would be worth it.

  They passed from the dimly lit section into the darkness again. The only light came from the commons, and there was barely enough to see where she could grab hold or duck her head.

  Still, glancing to her right, she could see more and more dark figures passing by. The alligaunts had begun to gather. Either the next wave of prey emerging from that portal was going to be extremely exciting, or Cazia would soon run out of time.

  And then, suddenly, she was there. The chambers came to an end and the heavy horizontal braids wove into another main support. Cazia circled around it so she would not be visible to anyone looking in from the commons.

  “Do you need this?” In the dark, Tejohn held out a small package wrapped in cloth. “I’m sure it’s disgusting right now, but if you need it…”

  “I do.” As she suspected, it was meatbread, and it was thoroughly soaked with murky lake water. Cazia could barely unwrap it without it falling apart, but she pinched off pieces anyway. It was cold, lumpy, repulsive mush, but she forced herself to swallow it until she no longer felt light-headed.

  She turned toward the braid and, without hesitation, began the Fifth Gift again. This time, she started with the massive trunks.

  There was water inside the wood--there was water inside most living things--but purifying it this way took an unbelievable amount of concentration. It was like trying to breathe with a hand covering her mouth, using all the strength in her lungs to pull in any air she could get. It was incredibly difficult, but she drilled her attention into it, beginning at the center and making the wood pulp retreat toward the bark.

  Finished. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and decided against having another pinch of mush. Fire and Fury, they were just about out of time. There was no time to waste on the small supporting braids; she started right in on the second massive trunk.

  “You!” she heard from behind her. “What are you doing here?”

  “What we were told to do,” Tejohn answered.

  “What’s that?”

  “Explore the city. We’re supposed to explore its wonders until the Examiner showed up. Is the name ‘The Examiner’ or just ‘Examiner’? I can’t tell if it’s a name or a title.”

  He’s buying me time. Focus. Focus.

  “It’s ‘Examiner.’” The alligaunt answered. “You shouldn’t be back here.”

  “Well, you didn’t give us much choice!” Tejohn exclaimed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We were attacked by one of those silver things. It just came through the opening and swam straight at us.”

  “Fine,” the alligaunt interrupted, clearly annoyed with Tejohn’s tone. “What is that one doing?”

  A chill ran down Cazia’s back. Ignore them. Focus. She could feel the wood pulp vanishing from inside the trunk, but it was taking too long to reach the edge. She was too tired and too distracted.

  “I only just managed to knock it aside with my shield,” Tejohn said. “Lucky us. That’s why we decided--”

  “I asked what that one is doing.”

&n
bsp; “To come over here, where these huge structures would give us some shelter. This isn’t our native environment, after all. What is that big braid for, anyway?”

  “What’s going on here?” This was a new voice, one with a tone of command.

  “I was asking about this big braid,” Tejohn said. “And those silver things that almost killed us. What are they called?”

  “Tell us what she is doing or we are going to tear y0u both apart.”

  Tejohn was silent for a moment. Cazia shut her eyes, holding onto the thought structures that gave power to her magic. Then he said, “We were told we could travel freely without fear of attack. We were told you weren’t afraid of us.” A few moments of silence passed. “Okay, then. Fine. If you insist, I’ll tell you. The girl is meditating.”

  The second voice said, “Make her stop, or I will.”

  “Impossible,” Tejohn said. “These are sacred meditations we must do when we almost lose our lives. You see, one of those large silver fish swam through the chambers right at us, and--”

  “Magic,” a third voice said, quietly. “I think she’s doing magic.”

  The second voice spoke with simple finality. “Kill them both.”

  Chapter 37

  There were three of them. One was up high to his right but turned so that its tail pointed straight up and its underbelly faced away. The other two were low on his left, lying flat. It had already occurred to him that, unlike people, alligaunts might feel more powerful when they were below him rather than above.

  They hunt from ambush. They’re cowards.

  Before the new creature could finish the command to kill them, Tejohn was moving. He feinted toward the one up high, jabbing up with his spear. He almost made a touch, too, it was so slow to respond, but it jolted back at the last minute, fleeing into the darkness.

  But he had already kicked against a nearby brace, pushing himself back. He lowered his shield and spun his spear to bring the tip around. The other alligaunts were already charging him, and there was no time to switch his grip to a strong overhand position. Tejohn thrust with all the speed and power he could bring to bear. The alligaunt ducked low, but not low enough.