Winds of Torsham (The Kohrinju Tai Saga Book 2)

by J P Nelson

  After traveling a short way, he cut the dangling piece of his pants and fashioned a sling. Thankful for the air moving down and seemingly in front of him, he limped his way until finally reaching the pool room. Once more he was baffled. The pool was dry as a bone, not a sign of water at all. But how …

  Making way to the lever, he could not read the markings, but was able to figure the thing had four settings, and it was positioned on one of the two middle settings. Experimenting, he pushed the lever to the next of the middle settings, receiving no results. Pushing it on across, to the adjoining setting on the extreme end, he heard something jolt deep inside the stone.

  Stepping back, Jha’Ley heard a choking, coughing sound come from the pipes with the holes at top. Then a spurt of water started coming out, followed by a gushing stream. He stood back and smiled, how interesting, but how long would it take to fill? It would be nice if he had his pack with jerked meat and Sean Dodgers.

  Not one to sit and whine, Jha’Ley set out to explore wherever he could breathe. He found two more rooms with holes in the ceiling, a few had shelves, but mostly a deserted ruin carved out of a mountain. There were some broken ceramic pots, once beautiful, and he found one room with a deep fireplace. But there was nothing he determined to be of use to him.

  He had water, no food, and no desire at this point to fight the air trying to reach his pack. Jha’Ley made himself as comfortable as he could and slept in the pool room, lulled by sound of running water.

  The next day he watched the water level reach the floor, but the pipes were not stopping. Working the lever, he found the next position in made the other pipes start pumping. By simple trial and error he learned how to keep them circulating, how to stop it completely, and how to make it drain. Choosing circulation, Jha’Ley decided to strip to the flesh and jump in. He was still wondering when the benevolent party would arrive.

  His tunic would waterlog easily, which is why … suddenly he knew how to reach the symbol room and his food pack. Diving into the pool, he luxuriated in the gently swirling fresh water. Holding his compass out and lit, he went down to the hatch and gave it examination. To his further confusion, he found it locked by latch.

  How would he get in? The other party would have to …

  With a grim expression, Jha’Ley reached down and unlocked the latch. That is how he would get in. He looked back up, there was no other person … was there?

  So, what about the candle, and the gust of fresh air up above that was not there? It meant he could not change his mind, as he had been thinking. He did indeed have to go up and find that current, the door, hatch, whatever it was.

  On the positive side, he had sort of already done it, or had he? He could still fail. And what would that mean? No more what ifs.

  Jha’Ley could handle another day of hunger, he wanted to help his knee as much as he could. The pool is where he needed to be.

  Candles? Well, they had to be somewhere, did they not? And when they, he, arrived, he would have to be careful of his position. But he still had time to determine exactly what to do. Even more so, he needed to determine how much of this he should say. The less anyone knew about a time traveling whatever, the better.

  Forty-five hours Jha’Ley stayed in the pool, doing deep breathing exercises, Tai’Jhi in the water, and sleeping. He did not look forward to getting out with his leg as it was, but much of the swelling had gone down.

  With resolve, he left the armor, but donned all the rest save his tunic, including his dao-sword … one never knew. Tying the sleeves and tail snug, he then thoroughly soaked the garment.

  It was woven with a tight knit and had a high thread count. When wet, it held air like a balloon. Wringing the things out was a chore, but it was his favored material for many reasons.

  Keeping the tunic in soaked condition, he returned to the side opening. Looking at the door, he now realized why it looked wrong. It actually looked right, for it was in exactly the same position as when he found, will find it a week later.

  Steeling his mind for the chore at hand, he took the watch in his left hand, and then held the wet tunic from the neck into the current of air. Once it was full, he inhaled deeply, then turned and made journey.

  Up the path, he moved as quickly as he could, holding his breath as long as possible, exhaled, then slowly inhaled from his air. At the water room, he took respite and immersed his head in the basin while holding the neck of his air bag tightly closed.

  Jha’Ley did not wait long, moving quickly to the symbol room. He was almost there when he thought, ‘I cannot follow a scent trail to the next air source, because it is not open yet. I have nothing better to do at the moment, I will eat later.’

  He kept telling himself, ‘I have already done this … I hope ...’

  The bag was more than halfway full, he was currently going on a chest full of water, and he had a full canteen. Seeing his pack next to the corridor, he bypassed it and headed up where he thought he could remember the air came from.

  Each flight of stairs he came to he took, placing dire trust this was the most likely trail for the air. Jha’Ley expelled the water, used his canteen, and used another quarter of his air. He thought, ‘Shite!’

  One more winding staircase showed itself; he began climbing and climbing, two more deep breaths of air … he was past the point of no return … another breath … onto a landing and there was a door such as the one leading outside below. Fear gripped his insides, because the stair continued up around the bend, but sheets of ice filled the case and covered the ratchet and part of the wheel.

  Trying to clam himself, he drew the last of his air and grasped his sword. Pop had had that blade specially made, just like his. It kept edge better than anything he had seen to date, and very strong. But would it hold well against ice? He had no choice.

  Jha’Ley used both hands and all his power. The pain in his left forearm was excruciating as he hit the ice once, twice, three times … he had one last swing left in him as he came down with a yell. The ice shattered around the wheel.

  Dropping the blade and now beginning to suffocate, he seized the grips and strained. Clouds began to form in his mind as he put all focus on the wheel. A groaning, popping, and then a sound like muffled thunder exploded from around the door. Air shot through the slight opening and Jha’Ley was hurled into the wall on the other side of the landing. He thought he heard a sound like a glass lamp globe shattering when wrapped in a cloth, and all went black.

  When Jha’Ley awakened, it was to the sound of rushing wind blowing him in the face. The doorway was just barely open, but enough to fill his lungs with a crispy, cold air. His forearm was horribly swollen, and he could see a lump where it should not be.

  There was no time to panic, it was obviously broken and he must do something about it now. He found a shard of ice he put between his teeth, put his wrist in a fork of the wheel, then set the bone. The ice broke between his teeth, but …

  Tears were in his eyes, but gingerly feeling his arm, Jha’Ley was sure he had set it correctly. Tearing his tunic with his teeth, he made a wrap using his stiff dagger sheath as a splint, then re-slung his arm.

  Seeing his sword on the floor, he hesitated to recover it. Picking it up, he was both relieved and surprised to find not a blemish upon it, the edge unaffected. He would need to thank pop again for this wonderful gift. Logan had had it forged by a secret friend of his, then they presented it to him for his sixteen year celebration.

  Jha’Ley grinned in memory … pop, Logan, and their secrets.

  Fighting against the air current to get to the wheel, he found he could turn this one easier than the wheel downstairs. Opening the door fully, the air flow lessened and he stepped into a massive room.

  On one end was an opening fifty feet wide and fifteen feet high, but it was filled with ice. Yet it was from there the air was coming from. The whole of the room, or better, the cave, was about one hundred feet long. Off to the opposite side was another opening which led to yet anoth
er stairway, he could tell because a few of the steps were still visible, but was also filled with ice.

  Like all the others, this room expressed desertion, but overhead were some strange kind of metal rails bolted into the ceiling. On them were winches with chains, hooks, and block and tackle. Ice was inside by several feet on one side. It had encased part of what seemed to be a broken metal object.

  Were those seats in the front? O-o-o-o … careful. Some of that on the floor was not ice … it was … glass?

  Walking to the ice at the cave mouth, he could see flutes pointing straight down where the air was jetting up and inside. Miu’Ganté!

  Jha’Ley decided, ‘It is cold in this room and I think I have done enough for this day.’

  He wiped his face with his right arm and with an exhausted limp, started back to the symbol room. So much for exploration, he was hungry, his knee hurt, his arm hurt, but the good news was he still had Seedle’s mostly full flask of Avalon Apple Brandy.

  Chapter 51

  GUTTERY SERGEANT DESSI saw his commodore step on that symbol thing, and immediately felt apprehension. He thought, ‘Damn it, does he never show caution?’ And as he bent down to touch the surface, Jha’Ley began to fade out.

  Toagun began to yell only an instant before Seedle, but Dessi launched himself forward. If not caught by his two comrades, he would have been across the symbol within a split second.

  Simultaneously Toagun yelled, “Wait …” Seedle cried, “Dessi!”

  Breaking away, Dessi had his dirk out facing all four men as he commanded in a rage, “Let me go!”

  Toagun stepped back with hands up and widening facial expression, “Easy partner, easy …”

  Seedle had his hands up, forward, and open as the two friends looked to be squaring off, “Dessi … think … he went that fast, and he was on the other side. We do not know---”

  “He. Is. My. Charge---”

  “Stand easy …” The words came loudly from down the corridor.

  Dallio quickly and easily shifted his heavy crossbow to cover the advancing figure. Hearing the voice, Dessi was already at the doorway, brandished dirk still in hand. Rufus gently put hand on the Marine’s shoulder, held the candle out to better illuminate the corridor and said, “Hold private, hear the voice, it is---”

  “---your commodore. Please, Private Dallio, do not fire your weapon.” He was coming upon them now, “I am in enough bad repair as it is.”

  Dessi still had his dirk, “Sir … what happened?!”

  Without realizing it, Rufus took a stern fatherly tone, “You look like shite!” Suddenly realizing his words, he hastily added, “Sir!”

  Toagun was into the corridor ahead of Seedle, but before he could get words out, Rufus pushed the candle at him and said, “Sir, let us get a look at you.”

  Taking Jha’Ley by the arm, Rufus began to lead him into the symbol room when the commodore halted, put his right hand up and said, “Wait, halt, stand down gentlemen. Not in there.”

  Dessi sheathed his dirk and with ill concealed irritation asked, “Put me in place and perspective, sir, who has the con, you or I?”

  Jha’Ley held up a finger, opened his mouth to reply, hesitated, then reached into his arm sling and pulled out a candle for Rufus, then one for Seedle, then another one for himself.

  “There is no one, I mean no one, here but ourselves. Follow me.” Looking back to a waiting Dessi he added, “You still have con, but … we are in safe zone, and I have been here a few days. Trust me, please good sergeant, before clapping me in irons.”

  Dessi’s eyes widened, then he closed them and held up his hands … more to calm himself than resignation.

  They all lit their candles and Jha’Ley handed Dessi his, then took another one for himself. He told the sniper while looking to Dessi, “As per regulation, you keep your weapon at the ready. But sergeant, as I will explain in a few moments, this whole place is cleared.”

  They began to follow the limping commodore, but Seedle and Dessi held back a moment. Dessi was heard to quietly, but firmly say, “We will talk about it later.”

  Jha’Ley led them along the winding corridor, down a different staircase, eventually up two more, through several corridors, past an amphitheater with multiple levels of carved bleachers and a small stage, down another staircase with a landing branching out to two tunnels, eventually to a room full of shelves and two big vats with fire-pits underneath, and a large candle on the floor was lit.

  His pack was in a corner with his blanket roll laid out.

  “Here, gentlemen, is where I have been for the last few days. Take a seat. I can only offer you a mug of honey mixed with water, heated in a cup over a candle. My rations are all gone.”

  Toagun asked, “Honey?”

  Jha’Ley pointed to several barrels along one wall, “This must be a candle making room. Along with some broken pots and mystery, it is all whoever left behind. Take a look, in those barrels are stores of honey and a lot of honeycomb. Those vats are pure melted wax.

  “I figure there were so many candles in storage they could not take them all, or they did not need them where ever they went. I also found three rooms with running water into troughs. I think they are heads. And there are two rooms with ten by fifteen foot pools, both have benches all the way around, with jets of almost hot water shooting in; very clean. The plumbing cannot be seen, but it is there.

  “I can give you a tour later, but men …” he looked gravely at each one, “… I do not want the others knowing of all this. I need your word; that goes for you as well, Private Dallio. I want them focused on getting the dugouts made and getting out of here.”

  Jha’Ley waved his finger around, “There is no silver or pirate loot here. I do not want visions of grandeur floating. I went into a room, disappeared, came back but wandered in a dark place for a few days before finding my way back. Somewhere along the way I fell and was injured. That is all anyone needs to know, and it is all true.

  “Do we have an understanding?”

  Everyone gave agreement. But Toagun was giving him a shrewd eye, as if he did not believe that was all. Seedle and Dessi looked at each other, they knew better. Rufus had that wizened knowing look. Dallio, however, gave a resolute nod. He still had not reached twenty years of age. To him these were orders as if a secret assignment, and he was a Marine proud of the Code and oath he had taken.

  “There is another of those side openings, which I opened. But I have been in every room available, unless there are secret places, which I am not skilled to find. I think there is a hidden door to that symbol room, but I could not figure how to work it.

  “Two stairways are up there which lead into ice. All totaled, I counted sixty-five rooms. Based on the symbol, and what I know of old elf lore, which is not a lot, but the numbers eight, nine, eighteen, sixty-four, and seventy-two are important relative to that symbol.

  I think there are seven more rooms up there in the ice. And based on what I found in one room,” he glanced at Rufus, “I think there is something special up there. But the glacier has encased it.”

  He had everyone’s attention.

  “Sergeant Dessi, I have done my work. You have the con, I want to rest. I want some hot food. If you gentlemen would like to look around, very well, but we do it now. I do not want the others messing around in here.”

  Somewhat mollified, but only somewhat, Dessi gave it thought. Addressing the others, “Then it is a vote. We go look now, or not.”

  Toagun said with a grin, “I would like to see that room and the iced-in stairs. The hot bath sounds good.”

  Seedle added, “I agree. A hot bath sounds very good.”

  Jha’Ley said, “Actually, one of the heads and one of the hot tub rooms are not far from the camp.

  The agreement was made unanimously; they would go see the second staircase Jha’Ley found filled with ice, then the ice cave.

  Standing to leave, Jha’Ley reached for his pack when Dallio asked, “Sir, begging your pardon,
can I carry that for you? I am light of load.”

  Jha’Ley winked at him and said, “Thank you, but I really do not like being to far away from it when exploring. If we get separated again, it has things in it I need. I will manage.”

  Dessi shot him a dirty look, which the commodore did not seem to notice. Everyone put a load of candles in their packs, then they headed out.

  As they walked a corridor, Toagun asked Jha’Ley in a lowered but somewhat dubious voice, “So, no silver, huh?”

  With a disappointed shake of his head, Jha’Ley wrinkled his nose and replied, “No, none at all.” Then with a matter-of-fact look to Toagun he added, “None that I could find, and I looked.”

  The cave room held a mysterious aura for everyone, as they all tried to conceive what the room could have been used for.

  With a grimace of thought, Jha’Ley remarked, “I am certain that thing in the ice was one of the flying machines of ancient myth.”

  Toagun replied, “Well, if it is, that T’Kiemmer guy is going to be really unhappy.”

  Rufus added, “It is my thought he only repeats that which he is told to say.” He looked around, “I know a man who met him, said he is an unintelligent looking sort with no imagination. He was a yes-man and used carriage salesman before becoming a priest. Since then he has suckled his way up. He and Logan despised each other.”

  Jha’Ley glanced at Rufus, but said nothing.

  Seedle and Toagun both started crawling up the front of the thing encased by the ice.

  Seedle exclaimed, “Hey, sir, did you know there was a big closet looking thing between this, whatever, and the wall? It is right on the wall and in the ice. Looks like it has a bunch of jewels on it.”

  Toagun said, “He’s right.”

  They both found a way to crawl right in.

  Jha’Ley tried to get to a vantage point to look at the closet as he said, “Be careful in there fellows.”