Gossamer scowled at Shea. ‘You don’t suffer in those gateways, wretched child. Some of us, with more sensitive natures, are not so fortunate.’
‘Sorry Gossamer. I forgot. Jemin’s Dark guards are used to them but I don’t know about General Whilk and his men.’
Tika grinned. ‘And poor Sket doesn’t much like them either.’
Tika slept with the Dragons and woke well before dawn. Her farewells were private before she made her way in to The Bear’s den. She met Essa at the door and peered up at the enormous woman. Pale purple teeth flashed in a smile.
‘Will your mother be all right Essa?’
Essa bent closer. ‘She has blessed the trails that he and Lemos must take, but she has hidden herself away now, lest her tears bring bad fortune upon their journey. Menagol and Theap and I will witness your departure.’
They moved aside. General Whilk nodded at them as he passed at the head of his eleven men, and Jemin arrived moments later. All of the men wore the black uniform of the Dark guards. Tika watched Sket march down the passageway between Gossamer Tewk and Shea, and firmly repressed any hint of amusement at the apprehension of two of those faces. Gossamer and Shea entered the den, Sket hesitating beside Tika. Essa enveloped Tika in a hug.
‘Take care of everyone, little friend,’ she whispered before releasing her.
Tika could only nod and stumble after Sket. She blinked in the light of the many lamps illuminating the den. She saw Daylith speaking to Lemos and Cyrek standing beside the three engineers. She wondered suddenly how hard it was to get so many people through one gateway. And just as suddenly, she decided not to think of it.
More than thirty people suddenly appeared in Gossamer Tewk’s back garden. A few of them immediately sagged to the ground with groans of distress. It seemed much darker here than the predawn had been in the Bear village because rain was driving relentlessly down from heavy clouds. Gossamer was first to stagger to her back door, followed by Tika who supported Sket. Snail was astonished by the advent of so many strangers but already had various kettles and pots heating water for tea. Those who suffered when travelling through gateways sat on the floor in the hall, gritting their teeth against nausea and dizziness.
Gossamer sat at the kitchen table, trying to organise her mind enough to talk to poor Snail with some semblance of intelligence. Sket watched tea being poured, his eyes slitted against a pounding headache. It was the Dark Lord Cyrek who raised one eyebrow at Tika. She flushed and bent over Sket, her fingers brushing across his brow. He blinked, realised the pain was gone, and grinned up at her. But she was already moving along the line of sufferers, healing them with the lightest thought. The kitchen was crowded but she wormed her way through to Cyrek.
‘Please remind me every time. I keep forgetting how my power has changed in regard to healing at least.’
Gossamer raised her voice above the muted din. ‘Drengle! Drengle List, get down here this instant!’
Feet stumped across the landing and down the stairs. A very nervous Drengle hovered by the kitchen door, torn between fright at all these strangers and relief at seeing Gossamer. Then his eyes widened as The Bear moved up beside Gossamer Tewk.
The Bear smiled, his filed but unstained teeth gleaming. ‘I am glad to meet you Drengle List. I am named The Bear.’
Drengle smiled cautiously back. ‘That’s a good name,’ he agreed. ‘Never seen one – a bear I mean. But I know they’re big.’
‘We are here to help Prince Jemin to gain his rightful place,’ The Bear went on.
‘I’m sorry I can’t help,’ Drengle interrupted. ‘I’m much too busy working upstairs.’ He began backing out of the kitchen.
The Bear raised an enormous hand in a calming gesture. ‘We realise that, Drengle List, but we had hoped you could stay here anyway.’
‘In charge of our base, so to speak,’ Jemin added.
They watched Drengle’s mouth form a circle of astonishment then he frowned in a serious fashion.
‘In charge you say? Well I can do that. Simert’s Balls, yes. I can do that. I can be in charge from upstairs.’
The Bear nodded. ‘Ideal, Drengle List. Will you recognise us all, as we come and go? It would not be good if you attacked one of us by mistake.’
‘Attack?’ Drengle looked appalled. ‘Erm, no. They’re all wearing black and those two are girls. Anyway, Snail will know. She can call me. I’ll be upstairs you see.’
Drengle made a slightly hurried exit, leaving a silent kitchen behind him.
Snail handed a bowl of tea to The Bear.
‘That was very kindly done, sir. He’s a good lad really.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
When the ghosts swirled in to the kitchen, a surprising number of Kelshan officers were able to see them. Somewhat to their alarm. Several ghosts departed on instructions from Jemin and the rest went back to encircling the house. Jemin also sent out three of his own guards together with three of Whilk’s men. The back door remained open, despite the rain that was blown inside by the strengthening wind. The Bear stood by the door, peering out. The sky was now a murky grey, promising a dreary day.
Lemos winked at Shea and Sket. ‘He longs to see this land of yours. And he wonders why his children have such a large bump of curiosity in their characters.’
Most of the men were checking their weapons: Kelshans and Dark guards both trained to such meticulous routines. One pair of scouts dived in through the door, Snail clucking in annoyance at the amount of water they brought with them. The Kelshan was white and speechless, leaving it to the Dark guard to explain what they’d seen.
‘We went through the streets towards the – Guild Precinct?’
The Kelshan guard nodded.
‘We found two bodies sir. No blood around them, or in them. Throats torn open.’
Tika paled and Shea moved closer to her.
The Dark guard indicated his companion. ‘He suggested we went up higher. There are mostly flat roofs along one whole section. We saw two creatures. Big as The Bear, but bulkier in the chest. Long tails. On four legs but a pair of arms came from just under the longish neck. Sounded like claws on the stone street sir.’
The Kelshan guard found his voice. ‘We’d just spotted those two sir, when a militia troop came round the corner, between Bank Street and Jewellers Row. There were ten militia with ten regular guards.’ He stopped. ‘None survived sir, and the two creatures sustained no injuries from swords, axes or pikes.’
Dog stretched her legs under the table and adjusted her helmet. ‘Good thing we brought a nice supply of poppers, seems to me.’
Everyone stared at the engineer and she smiled. Jemin coughed.
‘How many did you bring?’
‘’Bout a hundred. ’Course, we put in a dozen or so of our heavier crackers.’
Tika sat down.
Sket managed a weak smile. ‘Glad you’ve come well prepared, engineer.’
Dog’s smile became a beam. ‘Take pride in being prepared, we engineers do. Think we should give ’em a test?’ She looked hopefully at Tika, but it was Jemin who answered.
‘I think so indeed Dog. You and me.’
Tika thought Jemin’s expression was as wild as Dog’s.
‘Nah. I can run fastest.’ Onion objected. ‘And I can use a sword if I really have to. You’re no good with a sword.’
‘And I will come,’ The Bear announced, in a tone which brooked no argument.
One of Whilk’s men, Barlis, also stepped forward. ‘I know the City sir.’
Gossamer rolled her eyes while Tika simply leaned her head on her hand.
Onion stood, a small pack over his shoulder. He went to the door, smiled up at The Bear and patted his pack.
‘Only six poppers and two crackers in here sir. Not much, but enough to have a bit of fun.’
Gossamer groaned aloud as the three men vanished into the rain. Several men gathered by the door talking quietly. Tika sighed.
‘I’ve been in battles befo
re, in tunnels and on the plains. But never in a town.’
‘City.’ Gossamer, Snail and Shea all spoke together.
Tika shrugged. ‘In a City then. It could be very difficult knowing exactly who to fight.’
‘Kelshan guards wear green uniforms.’ Shea tried to be helpful but only received a rather sour look from Tika.
‘And if ordinary people come out of their houses? Do we ask, politely, if they support the Imperatrix or Jemin?’
Barlis led the way rapidly towards the upper City. They passed several bodies: after a brief examination of the first, they didn’t stop to look at the others. There were very few people about, shops stayed shuttered, although it was well past dawn by now. Barlis halted, listening intently. Above the hiss of the rain they heard shouts some distance ahead. Jemin pointed across the street. A narrow stone stair led in a zigzag up four floors. The roof was sloping but a ledge ran along the front which looked sturdy enough from down here.
Onion was already scrambling up to the ledge, Jemin at his heels. The Bear followed Barlis, agile despite his size. Onion jumped across a gap between buildings, his pack clutched to his chest. Jemin muttered a prayer to Mother Dark, imploring Her not to let the engineer fall. The shouts sounded closer and Onion slowed, crouching lower against the next roof. There was a low ornamental balustrade atop the next building which was sited at a corner where three streets met. Hunkering down behind this inadequate barrier, Onion unfastened his pack.
Jemin wiped rain off his face and risked a look over the top of the balustrade. A large number of City militia and a lesser number of regular guards fought a desperate battle. They had a single creature surrounded and Jemin saw several pikes dangling from parts of its torso. They’d managed to wound the thing. Jemin ducked back behind the balustrade as The Bear in turn peered over. He squatted back beside Jemin.
‘They should have gone for its legs as soon as they saw they could hurt it,’ he rumbled.
Jemin was watching Onion free one of his poppers lovingly from its wrappings.
‘Even if you hit it square Onion, you’ll get a lot of those fighters too.’
Onion stared into Jemin’s eyes, cradling the popper in his right hand. He said nothing.
Jemin felt the full force of responsibility descend on his shoulders at that instant, and settle there. His jaw muscles bunched then he nodded.
‘Do it.’
Onion stood up, seeking out the creature below. He drew his arm back and threw the popper, watching it fall. Straight to its target. The clay pot hit the creature halfway down its back, and exploded.
After the explosion, ears rang in a brief moment of absolute quiet. Then moans and screams rose to the four men watching from the roof. The lower walls opposite were liberally spattered with gore. Body parts and what looked like large lumps of meat from a butcher’s stall lay around a shallow dip in the centre of the junction of the three streets. Bone fragments ringed the dip; some human, most not.
‘Six.’ The Bear said. ‘Three or four with light wounds.’
Jemin’s face was like stone. He watched the remaining men in the street helping their wounded away from the steaming, smoking mess they had somehow survived.
The Bear studied Jemin’s expression. ‘Do you wish to continue, or to go back to Gossamer Tewk’s house to report this success?’
‘Success?’ Jemin flushed, glaring up at The Bear.
‘Yes. Success.’ The Bear spoke firmly.
The rain was easing a little by the time they splashed back through the tangled garden to find everyone waiting for them in some anxiety. Jemin seemed preoccupied, towelling his hair and accepting tea from Snail. The Bear waited, but when it became apparent Jemin was going to say nothing, he chose to speak.
‘One popper destroyed one creature.’ His deep voice growled through the kitchen. ‘I suggest that General Whilk takes eleven men and one engineer. Prince Jemin the same. I will accompany Lady Tika’s group.’
‘Lord Daylith must be with the Prince,’ said Cyrek.
The Bear nodded, although Jemin still had not spoken. Finally Jemin faced them.
‘Although a popper destroyed the creature, it also killed six guards. I have thought only of this since it happened, and I find it hard, very hard, to accept that we will probably have to kill more guards, or worse, citizens, while we try to destroy these creatures. We have no way of knowing how many of them there are for a start.’
Snail interrupted him. ‘The ghosts know. Last time one came back, he said there were about thirty of the things gathering along the curtain wall in front of the Citadel.’ She blushed, realising who she’d just interrupted.
General Whilk glanced at the Prince. ‘Beslow would surely think of liquid fire? It is stored in the lowest part of the Citadel where it is cold. It is never kept in the City – too dangerous by far. He must know these things are making for the Citadel.’
One of his officers, Kestis, got to his feet. ‘Beslow would send barrels of the stuff along the watch walk, pour it down on any approaching creature,’ he agreed with some excitement.
Jemin pulled at his lower lip as he thought. ‘But where might the Imperatrix be? And do we know if any of these things are within the building itself?’
‘One of the ghosts heard the man Beslow speak to the Imperatrix. He said he thought those creatures are probably from the Dark Realm, retaliation for her sending an invading force there. The ghost said Beslow ordered the woman to stay in her rooms.’ Tika regarded the Prince as she spoke. ‘I feel, more and more insistently, that I must go to the place the mage’s body was taken. I cannot explain more.’
Both Cyrek and Lemos frowned at Tika’s words, and exchanged a quick glance. Jemin gave her a curt nod.
‘Then I will go to the private apartments of the Imperatrix. General Whilk has instructed Daylith closely on certain locations within the Citadel, so there should be no problems.’
He turned away to begin sorting out which men would travel in which group and Sket raised his brows at Tika. She gave a faint smile in return. They had learned never to assume there would be “no problems” in any situation. The three engineers had been huddled together, sorting out their packs and dividing up their dreadful toys. Dog was to go with Tika’s group, Onion with Prince Jemin, and Darrick with General Whilk.
The General intended to go through the City streets. He hoped he might meet militias or guards, and be able to explain what he was trying to do. He rather wished he’d insisted on retaining his green Kelshan uniform but the Dark Ones had refused the idea. Daylith was taking Jemin’s company through a Dark gateway to the apartments once used by the daughters of the Imperatrix. From there he could choose to go to the Imperatrix’s offices or to her private rooms. The ghosts had explained, with immense difficulty, where the mage Ternik’s body had been taken and how it had been destroyed with four barrels of liquid fire.
Shea had no knowledge of any places in the Citadel other than the rooms where she’d spent all of her nearly thirteen years. But Cyrek apparently saw no difficulties in locating the infirmary, although Tika had serious reservations about how forming gateways in virtual ignorance of the destination could be possible. Shea, Dog and The Bear had no qualms at all, though Tika was sure Sket and Gossamer shared her own nervousness. Even Lemos looked rather pale as he moved closer to Cyrek.
The Dark Lord opened the gateway with no warning, and after a few vertiginous heartbeats they found themselves in a well lit corridor. Voices came from one direction and The Bear moved silently towards the sound, his great axe loosely grasped in his hand. He glided back shaking his head, implying nothing to worry about. Tika was only vaguely aware of the others.
She walked slowly down the corridor, in the opposite direction from the one The Bear had checked, and stopped beside a closed door. Cyrek was at her shoulder and Sket, sword drawn, at her other side. Tika felt a hazy tugging in her mind, unlike the overwhelming evil she’d experienced in Shea’s room. She touched the door with only a thought,
and it swung inwards. She was peripherally aware that Cyrek’s mind had altered, he was fully alert and very close to activating the pulse which changed his physical shape to that of the Dragon.
‘No, Cyrek,’ she murmured, and took a few paces inside the room.
The room smelled cold, rancid. The walls were soot covered but seemed strangely rippled beneath the soot. A few shards of bone could be seen in four heaps of ash on the floor. But on the stone table was only a fine thick layer of black ash, no bits of heavier bone, no curve of skull. Tika took a step closer. The ash looked like fur, soft, inviting. Her hand was reaching towards it when Lemos grabbed her arm.
‘I think that’s not a good idea,’ he whispered.
Tika blinked, inwardly berating herself. Whatever it was must be chuckling now – she seemed to be so easily lured. Dog stayed by the door with The Bear.
‘Liquid fire for sure,’ she said, sniffing. ‘But something else, which I don’t recognise.’
Gossamer Tewk had only ventured one step inside. ‘Burned flesh?’ she suggested.
Dog gave her a pitying look. ‘Nah. Smelled plenty of that. A chemical sort of smell.’
Cyrek nodded. ‘You’re right. It’s nearly familiar to me.’
Tika heard these comments from a distance, the table still held her attention. Shielding herself, she focused the tightest probe she could and let it sink into the black ash. Almost at once the ash seemed gone. A circle, perhaps a handspan across appeared. No, she corrected, withdrawing the probe quickly: a tunnel. A way into or out of the Splintered Kingdom. And if it could tempt her so easily, what of any other people who came in here?
She knew she could test no more at this moment, too much else was at stake today. She turned to the door. ‘Everybody outside.’
Tika had spoken softly but the ring of command was there. Once they were in the corridor, she used her mind to close the door. Concentrating, she transformed the wood of the door into the same stone as the corridor walls.
Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series Page 37
