Path of Bones

by Steven Montano

  Kath nodded, and offered up a weak smile.

  “My father warned me about girls like you.”

  “Oh, really?” Ijanna said with a playful turn of her head.

  “Well,” Kath laughed, “maybe not exactly like you…” He was still uneasy, that was clear, but it felt like a wall that had stood between them for a week was finally breaking down. “You need some rest,” he said. “Go on. I’ll take first watch.”

  No more was said. Before long, fight it as she did, Ijanna fell fast asleep. The last thing she saw as she drifted off was Kath, his face illuminated by the dim flames while he stared off into the dark.

  Seven

  They set off early the next morning. Kath was glad he and Ijanna had finally talked – the tension was still there between them, but it was nowhere near as stifling as before.

  Kath tried not to think too hard about what lie ahead, a difficult task given that his every waking moment was consumed with thoughts of Ijanna. He knew she hadn’t meant to do this to him – to make him her slave, essentially – but that didn’t stop him from resenting both her and what she felt she had to do. With every step they took Kath was more convinced she was walking the wrong path. He didn’t doubt her good intentions, but he couldn’t for a second believe any destiny involving the resurrection of a monster like Carastena Vlagoth could be pure. She was a scourge, a demon made flesh who’d been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. The poison of her magic had soiled Malzaria, and the dire legacy she’d left behind would claim even more lives before memory of her evil would be forgotten.

  He had little choice but to protect Ijanna – the magical bond between them saw to that – and deep down he wanted to. Or at least he thought he did.

  Maybe the person I’m meant to protect her from is herself. Kath almost laughed out loud at what a colossal joke that would have been. All he’d ever been good at was fouling things up, so the thought that he was somehow meant to help Ijanna fulfill her destiny made him tremble inside. She’d be better protected by a court fool.

  Still, he had to try. He was there, for better or worse, so he intended to make the most of it. He’d help her find this Skullborn woman in the hopes she’d provide Ijanna some other road she could take. There had to be another way.

  He constantly worried about how much he’d been affected by Ijanna’s power. Kath couldn’t believe she was intentionally twisting his mind, but what would her magic do on its own accord? By her own admission the Veil sometimes did things even she couldn’t anticipate or control. It had bonded the two of them, after all, presumably so he’d protect her on this insane quest, but maybe it had some deeper purpose he couldn’t comprehend yet.

  But what else has it done to me?

  Kath kept his worries to himself. Ijanna had enough on her mind, and he had to focus on how he could help her…especially if their trek across the Bonelands led them to a dead end.

  What a horrible place it was. Broken earth oozed greasy water, and dead clusters of trees loomed like burned men. The air smelled like bad meat. Ash clouds hovered across the face of the sun and cast the land in grey shadows. What little life they’d seen was all scavenger, animal and human, tattered and clinging to life. Kath had never before ventured more than a few miles away from Ebonmark, and while he knew that not all places were like the Bonelands his first impression of the world beyond the city he’d grown up in certainly wasn’t a positive one.

  There was no wind. The day continued to grow warm, and before they’d hiked an hour Kath felt a sheen slick of sweat upon his brow. The sun was hazy and orange and seemed somehow hollow, a hole in the sky. Ijanna removed her cloak after a time, and Kath happily carried it for her, slinging it through and under his pack along with his own.

  He was worried about her. For as powerful as she was, her magic seemed incapable of combating her fatigue, and she’d been pushing herself hard those past few days. She was thin to begin with, and though she was athletic she certainly didn’t seem up to the excessively arduous schedule she insisted they keep. Kath, on the other hand, was used to extensive marches – he and his fellow members of the City Watch used to joke that they seemed to do little else – but even he was beginning to grow weary from the endless days of trudging across inhospitable ground.

  They were finally leaving the Razortooth behind. For a time they’d been so close they could have pushed into the range’s outer rim, but the very thought of entering those mountains chilled his heart. Hundreds had died there just a few years before, his mother among them. Some said that if you traveled through the thick mountain forests you could still hear the screams of the Bloodspeakers who’d perished in the Dawn Knight’s death camps.

  By mid-day Ijanna was exhausted, and Kath wasn’t faring much better. A week of hard travel was finally catching up with them, and Kath insisted they rest. Ijanna finally relented, and they stopped at the top of a craggy hill covered with thorn oak and deep ravines. The clouds turned blue, and Kath was grateful for the chill breeze coming at them from the River Black. They’d kept hiking further and further from the shore to avoid the sea traffic moving in and out of Kaldrak Iyres, and while the ground was rougher and more difficult to traverse the air was much cooler. Game and forage remained scarce, but they had no trouble finding mountain creeks and shallow streams, even if the quality of the water was sometimes dubious.

  They ate oat cakes and nuts. It seemed an eternity since they’d had meat, and Kath was surprised by how much he craved it. At his size he’d always had a healthy appetite, and when he was an active member of the City Watch he’d consumed eggs by the dozen. His eating habits had been curtailed somewhat in the past few months, but he was still used to several healthy portions per day, so he wasn’t surprised when his stomach rumbled so loud he was sure every predator within a league would hear it.

  They took a short rest and pressed on, and after a few more hours of hard travel they came to the top of a steep rise from which they could see Kaldrak Iyres, the City of Thieves. It was a rabid and ugly place even from a distance, a cluster of jagged towers and spiky round buildings. The city sprawled across the harsh stone landscape and led right to the briny shores of Thorn Lake.

  Kaldrak Iyres was almost entirely controlled by criminals, and it was known to be a place of decadence and filth. That last living Galladorian city had stayed free of any significant influence or control from Jlantria and Den’nar, though from what Kath had heard there were still no more Drage to be found there than in the cities further to the south. The mercenary soldiers of Kaldrak Iyres didn’t enforce the law so much as protect the rich criminals who held the populace in a stranglehold of fear.

  It wasn’t quite dusk. Kath cleared a stone ledge of its debris and motioned for Ijanna to sit, which she did without hesitation. The flat clearing sat in the shadow of a half-toppled cedar that would hopefully keep them hidden from prying eyes. Kath sat down across from Ijanna and rummaged through his pack for some trail mix, a blend of nuts, dried berries and figs. He bit into his portion, trying his best to ignore the painful molar he wished would just fall out on its own so he wouldn’t have to pull it. The icy wind made him shiver in place, but he recalled the heat of the days before and decided he’d relish the cold while he could.

  The food had little flavor, but it was better than nothing. If only they’d been close to any place but Kaldrak Iyres he could have convinced Ijanna to enter so they could get a good meal and stock up on supplies, maybe even sleep in a real bed for a change, but she’d already made clear that there were powerful people in that city who wanted her dead. Even being as close as they were now was probably an unnecessary risk. Kath had brought up the notion of going in alone so he could get supplies, but Ijanna wouldn’t have it, and she insisted they were likely to run into some honest merchants traveling between Kaldrak Iyres and Allaj Mohrter who they could barter with instead. Kath was dubious, but he was the first to admit he didn’t know the territory nearly as well as she did, and he only hoped they’d find
one of those merchants soon.

  Kath closed his eyes and silently prayed. He was thankful they’d made it as far as they had. None of the problems they’d experienced since leaving Ebonmark had been anything they couldn’t handle. Kath had some combat experience – he’d fought brigands with the City Watch and had gone toe-to-toe with Tuscars – but the thought of what waited for them in the Bonelands froze his blood. They were venturing into unholy lands, territories that had been scarred and scourged by magic, which in the eyes of the One Goddess’s church was what Gallador deserved for allying itself with an infernal creature like the Blood Queen. Now she was dead, just another of the Unmaker’s countless abominations, but if their mission in the north failed Ijanna and Kath were going to bring her back to life. Ijanna insisted that doing so would save lives, but no matter how hard he tried Kath couldn’t believe that. Part of him wondered if Ijanna wasn’t insane. Even if she was, he was her prisoner, held captive by a force he couldn’t comprehend or resist.

  But just because I have to protect her doesn’t mean I can’t try to talk some sense into her. Unfortunately, every time he thought about saying something his words caught in his throat.

  He watched Ijanna while she ate, but she was so exhausted she didn’t even seem to notice. They were both covered with sweat and dust, and it was clear from the lines under her eyes that she needed sleep. Firelight reflected off her pale Allaji skin. She’d undone her braid a few days ago, so her blonde hair hung loose down around her shoulders. Her deep crimson eyes shone like gems in the night.

  Goddess, I don’t know what to do.

  In the end it seemed he had little choice. Ijanna had told him it was the Veil that had placed the compulsion for him to serve and protect her, and if he resisted he’d die. The truth was he didn’t want to fail her, but the thought of resurrecting the Unmaker’s servant twisted him from the inside out.

  The sun turned molten as it set, a yellow stain in the brick red dusk. The Bonelands always seemed to be covered with shadows, and the air was dry and course in spite of their proximity to Thorn Lake and the River Black. Kath drank sparingly from his canteen and licked his dry lips.

  “Once we’re past Kaldrak Iyres,” Ijanna said quietly, “we should slow down. I don’t think I can keep up this pace.”

  “Well,” Kath said, “you set it.”

  “I know. And I’m sorry.” She smiled. He liked being on friendly terms with her and able to talk again, even if he couldn’t bring himself to say what really needed to be said.

  Being friends isn’t going to help much when things get more complicated.

  “Well, we probably shouldn’t go too slow,” Kath said. “The Bonelands are dangerous.”

  “We’ll stick close to the western trade roads as long as we can,” Ijanna said. “We’re bound to find a caravan so we can get fresh supplies. As we go further north I’ll steer us clear of the Razorcat hunting grounds and Dust Men tombs. We’ll also avoid the ruined cities.”

  Kath stood and stretched. He heard animal calls in the distance: not wolves, but something bigger.

  “It would be nice to sleep with a roof over our heads,” he said.

  “Trust me, the ruined cities of Gallador are the most dangerous parts of the Bonelands. Which is…unfortunate.” She leaned back and looked out over the darkening landscape. The sun was setting fast, and the world looked like a black sea. Kaldrak Iyres’ ghostly fires reflected off the surface of the massive lake. For a moment Ijanna’s eyes strayed to the twin blades she carried, the weapons she called the thar’koon, which he knew were somehow leading her to the women they sought.

  “What’s wrong?” Kath asked.

  “Nothing,” she said.

  “Ijanna…”

  “We’re going to Corinth,” she said, and she looked at him. “That’s…not good.”

  “Did the blades tell you that?” he asked. “Just now? Is Corinth where the other Skullborn is?”

  “Yes.”

  Kath swallowed.

  “Corinth is supposed to be haunted, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Ijanna said with a nod.

  Kath tried to suppress a shudder. There would be no avoiding it, not if that was where the blades told her to go.

  “We’ll be okay,” Kath said. Ijanna gave him a questioning look. “I promise,” he said.

  I don’t know if you’re crazy or not, he thought, but I’ll give you this, Ijanna – you’ve certainly made life more interesting.

  Eight

  That night, Ijanna slept worse than any other since leaving Ebonmark. She had no nightmares or visions, but her slumber was fretful and uneasy. On several occasions she woke in a panic, her eyes darting about, convinced she’d been woken by some threat coming at them from out of the night. Kath was always ready with his axe in hand to go and inspect whenever she thought she sensed something in the darkness, but they were alone.

  She’d never been more grateful for her turn to take watch, even if Kath had been reluctant to let her have one since he knew how little she’d rested. Eventually exhaustion forced him to sleep, leaving Ijanna up alone, nervous and on edge. All through that next morning she moved as if half-asleep, barely registering their position as they stayed in the shallow valleys and crested buttes west of Kaldrak Iyres, avoiding the roads and watchtowers scattered across the countryside.

  She stumbled a few times, and she was grateful Kath was there to catch her. The chill of the early morning air was all that kept her awake, and she regretted the fact that very soon the atmosphere would be scorching.

  Kaldrak Iyres faded from sight. They followed the western trails, which eventually cut to the north. It was a long day’s walk through scrub oak and blasted stone, and they passed clefts in the earth that looked deep enough to swallow ships, but they managed to side-step those rifts with relative ease and make their way down to the wide trade roads. They camped around mid-day in the shadow of a dead oak.

  After Kath acquired some hard provisions and salted beef from a traveling merchant with a mule-driven cart and a burly man-at-arms as his protection – Ijanna remained hidden in case those men knew of the bounty Mez’zah Chorg had put on her head – they headed northeast, away from the road and into the flatlands.

  Gallador’s unnaturally hot weather, especially for such a northerly place, was only one of its many curses. The regions to the west were arid and cold and received snow, but the northern wastes were all desert. The atmosphere was so dry it seemed ready to combust, and the heat they’d trudged through along the River Black was nothing compared to what they felt as they entered the Bonelands.

  The rocky terrain gradually gave way to smoother and softer ground, dark soil filled with sediment and bone. The air grew stale and murky and the sky was dark, peppered with black clouds Ijanna knew were toxic to the unprotected, which was why she shielded the two of them the moment the first one came into view. Low hills seemed to move in the distance, and long-blasted roads sank into the black sand. The ruins of collapsed towers and shattered buildings littered the wastes, so hollow and decimated they were likely to topple in a strong wind.

  Ijanna’s fear slowly melted away while they walked. The trek was long and tiring, but since horses were the preferred prey of Razorcats and Iron Scorpions they decided not to bring any mounts – it seemed foolish to invite danger in a land where trouble was practically expected at every step. They were bathed in sweat, but they had a good supply of water, and the one benefit of the constant black clouds was that at least they didn’t have to worry about direct exposure to the sun. Grey and black dust kicked up around their feet as they walked. The land between the ruins was stark, like the surface of a black moon.

  Ijanna walked in a haze of fatigue, but she was comfortable with the knowledge that she and Kath were safe, at least for a while. Few brigands rarely strayed so far north, and by early afternoon they were too far from Kaldrak Iyres to worry about being reached by the eyes and ears of the Phage. The burning fear of what she might find in Corin
th clutched in her chest like a razored breath, but Ijanna did all she could to ignore it. Sadly, it didn’t work.

  Near sundown, after a long but eventless day spent crossing the bleakest lands north of the Heartfang Wastes, Kath slowed his pace. The enormous soldier was constantly checking their surroundings and watching for signs of trouble.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  Kath stopped, and Ijanna walked up beside him and looked out over the lands to the south. The golden-black desert was peppered with burned hills and sand-blasted stone ruins.

  “I think we’re being followed,” Kath said. “A small group, maybe six or seven strong.”

  “Where?”

  She didn’t see anything moving. The sun’s glow was dulled by the slow-moving clouds, and the land itself was so dark it looked like a sea of oil.

  Kath kept his eyes to the distance and leaned in close until their faces almost touched. She felt his breath and smelled his dank sweat as he carefully pointed towards the horizon. After a moment she saw them: several distant figures moved at the edge of a far hill, barely visible as they slowly crept across the landscape. Kath must have had the eyes of a hawk to pick them up at that distance.

  “Oh no,” she said. “It could be travelers, if we’re lucky, or bandits if we’re not.”

  “I think they’ve been following us for a while,” Kath said.

  Ijanna looked around. There were broken buildings and tower shells in the distance, but nothing they could take shelter in before the strangers caught up with them. If they were pilgrims or explorers then there was nothing to worry about, but if they were something more…

  A strange roar carried across the plains. At first Ijanna took it for wolf song, but after it carried on for a few moments she realized it was human. Kath clenched his axe.

  Ijanna’s heart froze. She knew that cry, though she’d only heard it once before. She’d hoped never to hear it again.

  It was the war call of the Chul. They’d found her.