What Lies Within (Book 5)

by Martin Ash

  'When did this Karai arrive here?'

  'Oh, just weeks ago.'

  'Exchanged for whom?'

  Urch-Malmain seemed for a moment to weigh his reply. 'I told you before, for some young man I employed to test the portal.'

  'Employed?'

  'Perhaps utilized is a more accurate term, heh-heh.'

  Leth mulled upon this. If it was so recent, the chances seemed relatively good that this Karai officer had been plucked at random from the ranks of the force invading Enchantment's Reach.

  'Ah well, alive or dead, it makes little difference to you, does it Leth?'

  'Had he lived he might have provided me with useful intelligence.'

  'Of course!' Urch-Malmain grinned slyly. 'For you to make use of when you return. For these people invade your kingdom even as we speak. Well, his passing cannot be remedied, but we should do all we can to speed your return, should we not?'

  Leth felt the Noeticist's gaze, cunning and intent upon him again, and quickly turned his head away. Urch-Malmain toyed with him, taking pleasure in it. Leth's anger grew, along with the dreadful acceptance that he could do nothing about it.

  'The longer you remain here, the greater your jeopardy at home, Leth.'

  'How much do you know of what is happening at Enchantment's Reach, Urch-Malmain?'

  'I feel no urge to divulge that information.'

  'Do you know who it is that aids the Karai? And why?'

  'Perhaps I do, and perhaps I do not. Now, Leth, I will say nothing more. Come, we must attend to changing your mind, heh-heh. Your stubbornness can only work to your disadvantage.'

  Leth felt desperation upon him. He had nothing to barter with. Nothing he might propose would sway Urch-Malmain, for what could suit the Noeticist more than someone moulded to perform his every wish? And if that someone was King of Enchantment's Reach . . .

  'Look at me, Leth.'

  Leth kept his eyes averted.

  'Leth . . .'

  Leth thought desperately, his nerve-ends raw.

  'It does no good, Leth.'

  There had to be something he could do. Something . . . There had to be!

  'Think of your children, Leth.'

  At those words Leth's fury burst from him. With a sudden roar he spun around and hurled himself at the two Abyss warriors who stood just inside the door. Both were taken unawares. Leth rammed his fist into the face of the nearest, and at the same moment reached out with his other hand and drew free the warrior's scimitar. He wheeled, and hacked down the second warrior as he struggled to unsheathe his own blade.

  The first warrior, recovering from the blow to his face, lunged empty-handed at Leth. Leth sidestepped, raising the scimitar, and sliced viciously across the warrior's breastbone. Then he turned on Urch-Malmain.

  With unexpected nimbleness the Noeticist had retreated to one corner of the chamber. He was grinning, showing no fear.

  'Now Leth, this is foolish.'

  Leth was free to step across and cut him down, but he hesitated. He did not believe Urch-Malmain was as defenceless as he appeared. Instead he backed quickly out, grabbing the door and slamming it shut behind him. He turned the key, which still rested in the lock, then pocketed it. With the Noeticist's suddenly enraged yells receding in his ears he made off down the corridor.

  iii

  It took only moments to get back to the chamber where his children waited, and he encountered no one on the way.

  'Quickly! Galry! Jace! We must run!'

  He glanced across the room. The sapphire armour and helm still lay beside the bed where he had left them. The armour would require precious minutes to don, yet it could prove invaluable if he was forced to fight - and the likelihood of that was very high. He calculated swiftly: Urch-Malmain, as far as he could tell, was in an isolated wing of the stronghold. It was assumed that he was dealing with Leth and under the protection of his guards. Hence his absence was unlikely to be noted for some time. It seemed to Leth that it was worth taking a risk.

  With Galry's help he strapped on the breastplate, arm- and shoulder-guards, and upper and lower leg-guards, then slid his hands into the gauntlets. He placed the visored helm over his head. Once again he marvelled at the lightness and flexibility of the suit.

  'Now! We must go!'

  He had only the most rudimentary plan in his head - almost no plan at all. He had acted on the spur of the moment, knowing that the one imperative was to free himself of the Noeticist before it was too late. But now . . . He led the children quickly downstairs towards the underground chamber where the portal lay.

  Descending two levels they came upon a pair of Abyss warriors playing dice at a small table outside Urch-Malmain's main reception chamber. The two glanced up but had no time to rise before Leth was upon them. He slashed, and again, and the two lived no more.

  He turned to urge his children on, and stopped short. Galry and Jace were frozen, ashen-faced, gaping numbly, first at the two bloodied corpses, then at their father.

  'It’s the only way,' cried Leth. 'Believe me, these people mean us harm. We have to escape this place.'

  His fire was gone. His children had witnessed and suffered so much in recent days. He should have thought before subjecting them to this. Yet what else could he do?

  Chastened, he continued on down, following the curving stairs and dim passages that led to the chamber of the living artefact.

  A door opened a few paces ahead of them and a figure stepped through. With astonishment Leth recognized Hellia, Urch-Malmain's young, breathtakingly beautiful 'wife'. She was naked and in her hand she grasped a broad-bladed scimitar of the type wielded by the Abyss warriors.

  Before Leth had recovered from the sight of her nakedness Hellia had launched herself at him with a loud yell. Her attack came with unexpected ferocity and he had no time to respond before her weapon slammed against the side of his helm with a resounding clang. But the sapphire plate protected Leth, and he wondered at her state of mind that she should launch such a frenzied attack on a man she knew to be clad in highly superior armour.

  And then he realized, with sudden horror, that he was not her primary target.

  'No-ooo!'

  Hellia had used her momentum and his slow response to slip by him, her naked form a pale slender blur, a breath of womanly perfume wafting in her wake. Her scimitar was raised and she was rushing at the two small figures on the steps behind.

  Leth had no time to catch her. In an instant she had grabbed Prince Galry and retreated two steps up, holding him against her naked flesh, her scimitar-blade at his throat. Grinning, her eyes lit with a fevered gleam, she seated herself, keeping firm hold of Galry, curling her long bare legs about his, her face beside his. 'Your heir's life, heroic Swordbearer. Will you bear it?'

  Little Jace stood close on the step, gaping mutely. Leth breathed hard, a hand extended. 'Do not harm him.'

  'Throw down your weapon, and give me the key to the chamber where my love is imprisoned. It’s that simple.'

  'You will release my son?'

  Hellia nodded. Leth realized she must be in communication with Urch-Malmain, for how else could she have known he was imprisoned? Was he speaking directly into her mind? It seemed the only explanation, but was a skill Leth had not known he possessed. Could he communicate so only with Hellia, or with others too? Leth had perceived no evidence of such communication when travelling with Rasgul and Count Harg and their companions.

  He wondered at Hellia. Her combat ability was unexpected, and though no expert she certainly had some adroitness, as well as spirit and guile. Were these her own skills, or had Urch-Malmain somehow implanted them when performing his vile modifications upon her personality?

  'Well, Swordbearer?'

  She had Prince Galry by the hair. His chin was raised, the scimitar-blade pressed firmly to his exposed windpipe.

  The fight went from Leth. He let his sword-arm drop and the weapon clattered to the floor.

  Hellia smiled. 'That is the wise course.
And the key, please.'

  With some difficulty Leth burrowed beneath his breastplate and withdrew the key to Urch-Malmain's chamber. He tossed it across.

  'Now kick the weapon away behind you.'

  The scimitar skimmed down the passage and skittered off a far wall.

  'You were dense and ridiculous to think you could get away with such a move,' said Hellia, and Leth was more sure than ever that she was speaking Urch-Malmain's words. 'Whatever possessed you? And after you have received such kindness here? I think a lesson is in order.'

  She suddenly wrenched Galry's head back further and with a sharp movement slid the blade across his throat. Bright blood sprang forth. Leth cried out and threw himself forward. But in precisely the same instant little Jace had also thrown herself at Hellia, screaming, 'No! You leave him! You leave him!'

  Jace had seized Hellia's luxuriant dark hair, yanking furiously. Leth arrested Hellia's swordwrist and with his other fist punched her hard in the face. Hellia fell back, cracked her skull on the lip of a step behind, and lay still.

  Leth turned to Galry. Blood poured from a long gash into his clothing, but though pale and shaking he breathed without difficulty. Jace's sudden distraction had deflected the force of Hellia's motion, and the sword had penetrated nothing vital. But if Jace had moved a pulsebeat later . . .

  Leth clutched the two children to him, his heart hammering painfully against his ribcage. Then he quickly tore a strip from the tail of Prince Galry's shirt and used it to staunch and bind the wound. This done, he stood and gazed down at Hellia's naked form, limp upon the steps.

  What are you? He could find no rancour in his heart towards her. She was not responsible. She had once been someone else, wrenched from her own world and transported here to suffer Urch-Malmain's grotesque violations.

  Yet she remained, undeniably, utterly dangerous.

  Leth crouched and lifted her in his arms. As he carried her down the steps he was struck, not for the first time, by her beauty. Her body was warm against him, the skin soft and supple. The scent of her was stimulating in his nostrils. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted. She might have been sleeping. Leth wondered again who she could be.

  Carefully he carried her into the chamber from which she had stepped. There was a door on the other side; Leth laid Hellia on a divan then crossed to investigate. Beyond the door an occupied passage led away, he did not know where. He closed the door again and returned to Hellia. A livid bruise was already blooming on her cheek where he had struck her. Nearby her discarded clothing lay in a heap on the floor. Leth lifted a green linen chemise and tore it into several strips which he then used to secure her wrists and ankles so that she would be unable to move when she awoke. Another strip served as a gag.

  He stepped back outside and retrieved his scimitar and the key which still lay on the steps. Then, with his two children, he continued his descent into the bowels of Urch-Malmain's stronghold.

  iv

  A pair of Abyss warriors stood at the door of the chamber of the living artefact, their bored stares focused on nowhere. Plainly uninformed as to Leth's new status, they at first showed only mild curiosity as he approached. He walked swiftly towards them, his visor raised, gesturing wildly, speaking incoherent words and pointing back the way he had come. The guards frowned, bemused. Just then, following Leth's instructions, Galry then Jace leapt shrieking into view at the foot of the stairs.

  The guards’ attentions were diverted. Leth struck quickly, once, twice, hard to the head with the hilt of his sword. The first guard was down and senseless; the second strove dazedly to retaliate, but his eyes rolled and his legs failed to follow the promptings of his brain. He lurched valiantly, took another blow to the back of the skull, and fell.

  Leth disarmed them, then swiftly, using their belts and trousers, tied them up. He was pleased: this time both warriors lived. He stepped over to the door of the chamber of the living artefact, gingerly opened it part-way, and peered inside. The Portal was still, though all around it the apparatus hummed busily, its liquids bubbling and coursing, beads rolling in their troughs and dropping to run along pre-aligned courses. As far as Leth could make out the chamber was otherwise empty.

  Signalling to his children to wait, he stepped cautiously inside. No one came forward to challenge him. He wondered vaguely as to the whereabouts of Count Harg, then went out again and with Galry's and Jace's assistance, dragged the two comatose guards inside.

  'Swordbearer! What do you do?' came a voice from within the portal.

  Leth recognized it as being that of Aztin, the most senior entity. He bolted the door behind him. 'I come seeking advice and assistance. I throw myself upon your collective mercy.'

  'Our mercy?' queried Aztin, speaking for his fellow entities. He seemed quite startled by the concept. 'Advice? Assistance?'

  'What is this?' piped the voice of another entity. And another: 'What did he just say?'

  More joined in. 'What does he want? Why has he come? Who is that with him? Why does he drag dead guards? Where is the Master?'

  'Ah, now there are two good questions,' said Aztin. 'Swordbearer, it is surely not proper that you should come to this chamber alone. Certainly it is not proper that you should drag dead guards. And where is Master Urch?'

  'The guards are not dead; I wouldn’t have taken the time to truss them if they were. I am simply keen to ensure that when they wake they are discouraged from attacking me. As for Urch-Malmain, that is one of the matters I wish to discuss with you,' said Leth. 'Understand, it is my perception that Urch-Malmain has misused you.'

  There was a sudden silence, then, as suddenly, several voices spoke simultaneously. 'Misused? What is he saying? Yes, misused. Misused! We have said as much many times! But does Urch-Malmain take note? No! We have done everything that he asked, yet he demands more and more. He refuses to release us, denies us our rightful liberty. Yes! Yes! We are misused, and more!'

  Through the hubbub Aztin appealed for calm. 'Enough, now! Swordbearer, I repeat my question: Where is Master Urch? Am I correct in assuming that he has not sanctioned your presence here? Is he harmed?'

  'Master Urch . . .' Leth began, 'Master Urch is not privy to my being here, it is true, though he has almost certainly guessed that this is where I am to be found.'

  'Have you offended against him? I think that you must have.'

  'I have - for a short time at least - disabled him.'

  'Disabled?'

  'He is not harmed. But I have arranged matters so that you and I may speak without his interruption, though our time is limited. I believe it possible that we may be able to help each other.'

  'In what manner?'

  'You are plainly far from happy with the way in which Urch-Malmain has treated you. You have performed, as you understood it, the task he commissioned you to perform, yet he has refused to release you from his employ. My position is similar. I came here by accident, without prior agreement. Against my will I was obliged to go forth to slay Ascaria, with the understanding that, this done, I would be free to return with my children to our home. Yet now I find disturbing new conditions have been added to that agreement. I may return only when these new terms have been met to Urch-Malmain's satisfaction. Such terms are not acceptable to me, nor may they be conducive to the safety and well-being of my own people. In short, Urch-Malmain shows himself to be a man without principles, deceitful and untrustworthy, intent only upon achieving his own ends, without consideration for the rights or welfare of others.'

  There came a chorus of approval from the invisible entities. 'Yes! Yes! Deceitful! Unprincipled! Untrustworthy! It is the truth! Undeniably so!'

  'Hmmm. All well and good,' declared Aztin at length. 'But what are you proposing to do about it?'

  'I want us to work together, now, to unclamp the yoke that Urch-Malmain places upon us. First, I need to know about the Portal.'

  'Know what?'

  'Is it functional, now that Ascaria has gone?'

  'In pri
nciple, yes. But the tail is both unstable and under a degree of influence from some mysterious force which we are unable to identify.'

  'What of the Reciprocity? You have been working with Urch-Malmain to nullify it, have you not?'

  'We have.'

  'With what result?'

  'Ah, there we have made progress. It is difficult to gauge precisely, as no one has passed through since we made our most recent adjustments. At great effort and expense we have introduced a transient obturation to the tail's end.'

  'A transient obturation? Is that good?'

  'It has qualities of neither good nor bad. Why would it? It is best likened to a membrane which forms instantaneously over the plucking orifice of the tail at the very moment at which the orifice seeks to pluck.'

  'So an exchange cannot take place?'

  'Theoretically. Strictly speaking the word 'tail' is a misnomer. The portal is in fact two-headed, though we have greater control over the head here than at the other end. Now, when a person steps in at this end the other head - the 'tail' - automatically seeks someone of similar context at the other end. The transfer is then instantaneous. The transient obturation nullifies this, and in theory also enables us a greater degree of control and stability over the tail, that is, the other head.'

  'Is there any risk involved?'

  'There is always risk,' Aztin replied crisply. 'And as I said, the obturation has not yet been tested.'

  Leth thought swiftly, calculating the risks of stepping through the portal, now, with Galry and Jace. He could hardly justify doing so if he knew that some innocent, or innocents, would be instantly transported here in their place.

  'If it is more stable, are you better able to calculate where a person might be transported to?' he asked.