“The Herald’s Ravine?” Thorne offered again, her voice timid and low.
Canis shrugged, and Vann shook his head.
Vann pulled Canis and Thorne to one side. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“What exactly is it?” asked Canis.
Vann lowered his voice. “Water flows throughout the city, our saving grace, but over time it cut into the mortar and into the south wall. The fluvial slope rips right through it.”
“There’s a hole in the wall?” Canis whispered back, but felt Bane laughing inside him.
“It’s not that simple. The Wardens fixed bars and turbines to it ages ago.”
“But nobody goes near The Herald’s Ravine,” said Thorne. “Nobody, big’un. Not anymore. One of the Wardens stayed underwater, the Herald himself, but it doesn’t ignore humans like the others. Anyone who goes there gets killed.”
Bane’s smug, faint hint of laughter faded.
Canis stopped but the bald Scourge male stepped into their huddled conversation. “We must not go there. Many of us died trying to swim up the river.”
Thorne and Vann looked at it with screwed up faces of disbelief, but Canis knew Bane had told the enemy everything they had said.
He turned to face the bald one. “You didn’t have me then. Few of your kind have developed to the point of tactical superiority. And I thank the maker you’re no better than bottom feeders.” He spat at the host’s feet. “But, I’ll need your help all the same if we’re to take down a Warden of the Herald’s reputation. Bottom feeders or not, I’ll use you as I see fit.”
The Scourge’s face remained lax. “Show us the way.”
Canis turned on the spot and pointed forward. “To the south wall,” he said, and Thorne took the lead. They stayed at the head of the Scourge. There was no clear ground, the Company covering every inch of grass and moss. His followers’ footsteps crunched in unison, their strained words at his heels.
The horde feared him. He felt it in his bones. It radiated through him like images to a mirror. And while their brave, ethereal gazes stared back with rivalled intensity, he knew they were scared. He could taste it.
Thorny barriers did little to slow their pace as Canis hacked through with the Butcher’s Cleaver, placing himself above the vermin scuttling behind. The same network of spikes towered over the walls, but as they drew closer, he realized they created a tunnel around the city. He hadn’t noticed anything when he’d first left and, as he and the Scourge-freaks jumped into a gorge around the walls, bones crunched underfoot.
“Just another failed attempt to enter the city,” said Bane.
Like the structures built against the walls on the other side?
“Exactly. It’s as if the Wardens could sense us, or maybe hear us. I don’t know, but they proved unrelenting in their defense of Blackrose. Until you came along.”
Until I came along…You things are a curse to man. I loathe the thought of you in my city. Mortalo filled my mind with his dreams and wants, and I’ll rot before I see you turn it to ash. I have to believe there was some good in Mortalo’s plans, or people will have died for nothing. My life will have been for nothing. You represent everything evil in this world.
“And yet you are our savior.”
I will save my people, not yours.
“What’s the difference?”
Bane retreated into its own thoughts, but Canis couldn’t get the words my people out of his mind. It was as if he had said what Bane had wanted, but Canis knew what he meant, not what the parasite silently implied.
Another bone crunched underfoot. It looked like the Scourge had been using humans as tools for centuries. Nothing had changed. But he hoped Bane would convey to them that he wouldn’t stand by and let it happen again. Once within the city walls, if anyone got in his way, they would be sentenced to death.
He sensed Agrim as if the beastie agreed with him. Come down and sit upon my shoulder. It was only an idea, but it had seemed as if the spider had listened to his desires in the past. Now that he knew Bane could communicate telepathically, he wondered if this kept Agrim attached. The spider crawled down, its two big eyes like black gems. Get back up, but be ready if I need you. The spider crawled into Canis’ hair.
He imagined himself roaming Mortalo’s citadel as a free man, the people he had saved bowing, grateful for his kindness. He shook the idea of them being submissive from his mind. It was childish, but Mortalo had taken his childhood away, and right now, Blackrose needed a man. I will save them all. I will lead where Mortalo failed.
The thought of leaving Blackrose burned in his chest. Maybe he could lead his people to a new city. Maybe he could build an army to one day strike back. Maybe, but for now, the important thing was dealing with the Fallen, and if that meant joining with the Scourge-freaks around him, then so be it.
Thorne led them around the wall, using a clearing that had been dug at its base. Canis heard running water and upped the pace. The Herald’s Ravine: Another Warden, another fool in my way.
The gorge around Blackrose ended, and they climbed back into the thorny mesh that had long since strangled the forest. He gripped his axe and hacked away. Blood flowed through his veins with a primal purpose. The sound of running water danced on the edge of his hearing.
Chapter 24
Flowers appeared as red and yellow blurs. Canis Rayne smelled the river, like the sky after a thunderstorm, and he breathed it in. The uncoordinated footsteps of the Scourge still followed him, their mismatched thumping never ending. Beatrix Thorne shot ahead, but Canis had come to expect it of her and continued to hack his path.
Thorne reappeared, her features emotionless. “We’re almost there. Get everyone to stop so the Demon of the Deep can’t hear us.”
Canis laughed for the first time in a long time. “Demon of the Deep? I’m no child. It’s a Warden, made of metal and wires. This Demon of the Deep, or Herald as you call it, is nothing.”
Thorne shook her head. “It’s not like the other Wardens. It’s bigger, for one. It hasn’t had to move in decades, though.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She sighed. “It hasn’t had to move because no one is stupid enough to go near it.”
Canis held up his hand and turned to face his new army. “Wait here.”
He motioned for Thorne and Vann to follow and crept ahead.
A river, its water as black as the pupils of Agrim’s eyes, flowed around stranded trees and boulders. He traced it to Blackrose. Wildlife had grown up the wall, dark green mold and moss harboring mushrooms and insects. Bars as thick as a human body sat bolted to the top of a large crack, jutting straight down, punching through the water.
“Thorne, go and see if the Warden is there,” said Canis.
“Me? Why?” she asked, her gaze flicking between him and Vann Xan.
“You like to run ahead. Now it’s time to make use of your talent.”
She laughed. “I’m not stupid enough to swim up to the Herald.”
“You still don’t trust me? We could send the Scourge, but I only trust you.”
Thorne looked to Vann again, but he lowered his head. Canis pointed to the water, and Thorne kept her mouth shut. She didn’t have any armor on. She was the best for the job. She would do as she was told. Everyone would have to do as they were told if he was going to lead them to victory. He felt as if Bane controlled him again, his own words coming out more hiss than speech.
Thorne was trapped between the water and the Scourge following Canis. She couldn’t have taken smaller steps as she made her way to the embankment. I’m sorry, he thought, but she was the most qualified, even if Bane had been fueling his thoughts. He felt as if Mortalo watched and waited, the King of Demons biding his time.
The water sucked her in. He kept watching as Thorne swam to the wall before submerging. There were no ripples in the flowing water, just dirty trickles and scummy flotsam smoothing over the disturbance as if
she had never stepped in.
“Do you trust me, Vann?” asked Canis.
“I do,” he said, the two of them standing side-by-side, waiting for their friend to return. “But you were harsh on her. She has a good heart.”
“I’m sure most people do, but we can’t forget the lives they’ve lived.”
“She’s not like that.”
“Don’t let your feelings get in the way.”
“Feelings? We weren’t allowed feelings in the Iron Hands.” He shrugged. “The thought of it makes me feel weak, but I do fear for her safety. And yours.”
“Mortalo’s legacy might prove our greatest weapon.” Canis looked over his shoulder. “Our brothers will carve our path to victory.”
“Are you talking about our brothers or your new followers?”
Canis looked at him but said nothing.
Thorne thrashed on the water’s surface after minutes underneath. Canis ran to her. She gasped for air and swam to meet them. Vann helped her, the algae clinging to their skin. Nothing followed, and the river returned to form.
“What did you see?” he asked, his gaze fixed on the water.
“The Herald’s there all right,” Thorne said, catching her breath. “But he didn’t move. There’re no lights or anything. He looks inactive.”
“Could you get through the turbines?”
“Yes.”
Canis turned to Vann. “Go and get the Scourge. Tell the—”
“No need,” Bane interrupted. “I already have.”
The wax army of muscled Scourge slipped out of the trees. He realized some weren’t clothed, and those that were, had rags instead of armor. Not the army Mortalo would’ve commanded but needs must.
Canis stepped into the water, the cold biting into his toes. The chill numbed him and it felt like a slow burn as he submerged farther. It came up to his chest, and he struggled to manage anything other than short intakes of air. He plunged in, icy death burrowing through his skull. He came up, the feeling of despair fleeting. Bane writhed inside him but remained silent.
He struggled to keep his head above water as he neared the turbines. A learned calm came over him and he breathed in as much air as he could before going under. The water was dirty, but he saw dark shapes cast by the limited moonlight from above. All he could hear was the beat of his heart.
He pulled himself to a bar, and then with his legs, pushed off.
The darkest of figures loomed in front of him as he glided through the water. He floated before the Herald. A bony fish, with a mouth as wide as Canis’ head, sucked on the Warden’s face. There was no part of the machine’s body free of weed or plant. Schools of fish darted in between the colossus.
Canis looked it in the eyes as he swam past, but the glass lenses were dead, no light or flicker of hibernation behind them. His lungs ached for air as he left the image of the Herald behind. He pushed his way through the water and out. Air rushed into his lungs, and he swam to the edge, his movements clumsy.
The city tasted of fear.
The Scourge followed, but not as close as Vann and Thorne who touched him. The three of them scrambled to the side of the steep ravine, using hands and feet to gain purchase as the soil broke away. They clawed their way to the layer of cobbles above. The streets and derelict buildings looked dirtier than the muddy river they had come from, layers of dust extending past the windows. Are you okay, Agrim? He thought, and he sensed the spider’s presence.
He glanced back to the ravine, to see if the Herald really was inactive. Nothing moved. A cough echoed from a building nearby, and he spun to face it. A pair of eyes reflected the smallest amount of light from the dark of a doorway opposite.
“The Fallen!” said Bane, filling Canis’ mind with flashes of emotion.
His eyes bulged as his hearing pitched. “Kill them!” Canis shouted and charged the building.
The Scourge he had led into the city overtook him and went to slaughter their foes as Canis had commanded. His wet hair was whipped to one side with the rush of bodies surging past him. A group of men and women jumped from the surrounding buildings, as if they had been waiting for them.
A volley of spears descended upon Canis’ men as they neared the enemy and two dozen died.
“Stop!” Canis ordered, his voice hoarse and strained.
The Scourge halted. Tell them to take the spears for their own, he thought, directing it at Bane. And while Bane didn’t reply, the Scourge plucked the spears from the chests of their dead kin.
He strode to the front, stepping on the dead as he did so. The group of people in front of him twitched and hesitated. Most of them were dressed in black, their clothes torn, and he noticed some had spears coiled back, ready to strike. He couldn’t see a clear leader, but he could see the regret in their bloodshot eyes. It didn’t feel right. These were humans.
He spotted Thaddeus, the boy who had taken an iron bar to his leg before the Bone Singers had cast him into the pit.
“Thaddeus!” Canis called.
“You can speak?” the boy called back.
“Of course I can speak. I’m not one of them,” Canis lied. “I’m here to destroy the infected Wardens. Have you seen them at war? The Fallen and Scourge? How many more of you are left?”
Thaddeus walked out to meet Canis, pushed forward by much larger but cowardly men at his back. He stopped halfway between Canis and his own kind.
“Is this everyone?” asked Canis when nobody answered his previous questions.
“No, more were trapped in the citadel. The Scourge somehow knew we were gathered there. We had to escape.”
“Were?”
“Teller Redmaw is leading them,” he looked over his shoulder, “to the clock tower. There’s a small chance we can fight back if we can retake the heart. A few of us escaped into the chute leading to the pit. The plan was to wake the Herald and lead him to the Scourge in the center, but we were too scared to go near the river.”
“I remember the pit well. Don’t be afraid. Help is here.”
Tears welled in the boy’s eyes. The flood of emotion left streaked lines as he shuffled the last few steps toward Canis who embraced him. The feeling of fear had gone from his gut, replaced by a wicked arrogance. He felt nothing else as he hugged the child. No resonance of the desire to comfort he had shown moments ago.
“You believe that?” asked Bane.
What?
“These are the Fallen…the child too. Don’t join with them.”
Canis concentrated his thoughts in order to reply. There are no parasites inside. Look at them. When Mortalo died, you wanted me to go near the Fallen, now you want them dead again?
“They’ve evolved. Kill them.”
No…
“Look in his eyes.” Bane pumped its fluids into Canis’ veins. “Look into his eyes!”
Thaddeus’s eyes darkened, the emotion evaporating. Canis shook his head, the image before him returning to normal; tears still dripping from a sad child’s face. Reality merged with basic human desire, and basic human desire merged with reality. He couldn’t tell what to believe and pushed Thaddeus away.
A spear nicked his ear as it shot over his head and, without command, the bald Scourge he had led into the city charged. Both sides galvanized and collided into one mass of flesh.
Thaddeus was trampled by the horde, bare feet crushing his skull against the cobbles, his limp body flopping from side to side as they knocked him. Canis’ stomach clenched and emptied before he collapsed onto his knees, his head dizzy from conflicting thoughts. Vann rushed to his side. Canis pushed him away too, scrambling to see if Thaddeus was still alive. The rush of Scourge had left the body broken and mashed and, as he held Thaddeus’s head, the boy’s eyes stared back at him. Lifeless.
“We have to help them,” said Vann.
Bane hissed and thrashed. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s just a dumb brute. They’re of the Fallen and you know it!
”
“It’s this weakness that’ll destroy us!” said Canis.
“They’re killing innocent people,” said Vann, pulling Thorne behind him.
Canis shook his head. “They’re the Fallen. I saw it in their eyes. It was a trap. They’ve evolved, Vann. They’ve evolved! You have to trust me.”
The Scourge chased the people into the buildings, leaving Canis, Vann, and Thorne behind.
“They threw the first spears,” said Canis, clenching his fist. “They tried to kill me. Please, I don’t want to hurt you, Vann, but if you would just listen to me, it won’t happen.”
Thorne pushed past Vann. “It looked like you were going to attack that child!”
Canis nodded. “It was crawling into my brain, trying to control me. I cannot fight it. I had to get it away. I realize now why Mortalo had to be the way he was. Everyone wants salvation, but isn’t willing to sacrifice anything, to commit to anything. He had to be strong so he wasn’t taken over by other people’s weakness. If I had given in just then, taken in by the child’s tears, I’d be dead right now. If I had done what you expected me to do, you’d be dead right now.”
Vann stood beside Thorne. “Mortalo was a monster and you know it.”
“I thought I did, but without him, no one would be fighting back. We’d all still be rotting, clawing at the scraps left by greedy Company leaders like her mother.”
“Hey!” Thorne screamed. “Don’t talk about things you don’t know! She did what she had to. And I’ll do it all again. Nobody should have to shave their hair to avoid being raped, but that’s the world we live in and we made the best of it.”
“The world doesn’t have to be that way. It just needs sacrifice. And I’ve already made it.”
“You’re wrong. And if you keep thinking this way, or keep letting Bane control your mind, then you’ll end up like the King of Demons! I can see it now!”
“I’ll show you what I’m dealing with.” Canis pulled his armor away from his chest.
A Thousand Eyes Page 15
