The Ghosts of Blood and Innocence

by Storm Constantine

  ‘Don’t be absurd,’ said Slinque. ‘You’d burn to death in an instant. Here, we wait. From this point on, we must be escorted.’

  Darq was uncomfortably aware of the silent pilot, who still remained motionless in the boat behind them. Other than the initial words Slinque had spoken, the Weavers had made no attempt to communicate with the pilot and now they ignored him.

  Darquiel linked an arm through one of Tava-edzen’s elbows. For a brief stultifying moment, he became painfully aware of how vulnerable they all were. If the Krim Sri had any sinister motive in getting Darq to their hidden city, he had complied with them willingly and perhaps too hastily.

  Tava-edzen drew Darq away from the Weavers a little, to speak in private. ‘You’re tense,’ he murmured. ‘Be at rest.’

  ‘We were too quick to come here,’ Darq said. ‘I should have told the Sri their leaders would have to come to the round house.’

  ‘I don’t sense anything dangerous,’ Tava-edzen said. ‘Really, I think we’ll be fine.’

  The waiting took far too long for Darq’s liking, but after only a few minutes, the wall of flames ahead of him drew back like curtains, and an extremely tall, thin figure walked beneath the arch. It was what appeared to be a woman, clad in a dark robe with a high collar that rose behind her neck in a stiff fan. Her hair was confined in a strange and complicated metal headdress, a mass of spikes and waving tines. Locks of hair gushed forth from apertures in this peculiar crown. Her neck was swathed in close-fitting necklaces of dark jewels, so that no patch of skin could be seen. She carried a long black staff that was tipped with an ornament of gold; it appeared to represent a bird of prey.

  ‘You are privileged,’ Slinque murmured to Darq. ‘That is Tiy, the Eye Priestess of the Krim Sri. She has come to meet you personally.’

  ‘And has dressed herself quite dramatically for the occasion!’ Stelph added.

  The priestess paused some feet away from the hara and bowed. Ornaments on her headdress tinkled. But for her height, she looked like a human woman in her forties, and yet at the same time appeared ageless. Her pale underworld skin was not lined or sagging, but there was an air almost of antiquity about her. She was not beautiful exactly, but striking. Her hair was very black. Darq guessed she must be extremely old, older than Thiede or any other har.

  ‘Welcome to Helek Sah, Darquiel har Aralis,’ Tiy said, then turned to Tava-edzen and inclined her head. ‘And the phylarch of the Nezreka is also most welcome. I am Tiy. I’ll escort you to the city.’

  ‘You know why I’m here?’ Darq asked her.

  Tiy smiled. ‘To discuss my future, I would imagine. Follow me. You must pass through the seven gates to Helek Sah. The Gate of Fire is open now. Come quickly, before it closes.’ She turned swiftly and went back towards the curtains of flame.

  Darq felt no more than gentle heat as he passed beneath the rocky archway. Beyond the gate, he found himself in a deep gorge. The rock here was bare and occasionally running with damp. The air smelled of earth. Looking up, Darq could see no ceiling, only darkness. The torches that lined the walls did not offer enough light to see too much detail.

  Tiy did not speak but led the way quickly. Within minutes, they’d reached the second gate, which was a violent cataract of water across the path. ‘The Gate of Water,’ Tiy said. She raised her arms before it, and drew a few complicated symbols in the air with her staff. Finally, she uttered a tone, and the water drew back like the fire had done, as if it were merely curtains of fabric.

  As Darq passed through the gate, a piercing chill went through his flesh. For a moment, it felt as if he was swimming, which was absurd, but then the gate was behind him and he stood once more upon the stony ground of the gorge.

  ‘It gets better,’ Slinque said to him.

  ‘Better?’ Darq pantomimed a double-take.

  ‘You’ll see,’ said Stelph. He gestured towards Tiy, who was standing impatiently some feet ahead of them. ‘Let’s go. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.’

  The third gate across the gorge was of stone, and this was covered in carved bas-reliefs of tall winged figures. ‘The Gate of Earth,’ Tiy announced. She opened it simply by knocking upon it with her staff. Beyond this gate a perilous walkway of stone arced maybe fifty feet across a deep chasm. Darq thought he heard water rushing, far below. Although the path was fairly wide, the fact that it hung over so deep a drop and didn’t possess any kind of wall or railing along it made Darq feel as if he’d plummet over the side at any minute. Weirdly, he was afraid he’d be driven to throw himself over. He’d never been bothered by heights before.

  On the other side of the walkway, the party entered another chasm lit by flickering torchlight. Here, after a hundred yards or so, they came across the next gate, which was constructed entirely of dark metal. ‘The Gate of Iron,’ Tiy said. Again she employed her staff to open it. She turned to address Darq before they passed through. ‘The next two gates will no doubt intrigue you,’ she said.

  Darq managed a weak laugh. ‘Believe me, the others have intrigued me immensely!’

  Tiy smiled. ‘You’ve not experienced the best yet. Have you traveled the otherlanes at all, Darquiel?’

  Darq shook his head. ‘No.’

  Tiy smiled. ‘Then I think you’ll enjoy this.’

  She led the party onwards until they reached a place where the path seemed blocked by what Darq could only describe as ‘nothingness’. He peered into endless darkness that felt more than simply absence of light.

  ‘This is the Gate of Trackless Void,’ Tiy said. ‘It is part in this world, part in the otherlanes. Have no fear of being lost within it. When it’s open, you simply walk through it.’

  ‘This is a very… elaborate security system,’ Tava-edzen said.

  Tiy raised an eyebrow. ‘You think so? You have no idea what we have to protect ourselves against!’

  Tava-edzen bowed. ‘Excuse me, I meant no insult.’

  Tiy turned away from him and raised her arms before the gate. She spoke a few words in a guttural unknown tongue, perhaps the same one, Darq thought, that Slinque had spoken to the boat pilot. Tiy then uttered some musical tones in a low humming voice. After this, she stood motionless for some moments, perhaps projecting intention into the gateway before her. She then beckoned with her staff. ‘Come, it is open.’

  Darq took a deep breath, again took hold of one of Tava-edzen’s hands, and stepped into the void. He felt as if he was crossing the universe with a single step. There were few impressions other than that of unimaginable immensity. It generated a strange feeling of euphoria, as if a secret of life had been revealed. He was inside the gate for only a couple of seconds, yet time stretched to eternity. When he stepped onto the firm path beyond, it felt as if he’d woken from a long sleep. ‘That was…’ he said to Tiy, then shook his head, unable to describe what he felt.

  She smiled at him. ‘Interesting, yes?’

  He nodded. ‘At least that!’ He glanced at Tava-edzen, who appeared dazed.

  ‘The first time we came here,’ Shayd said, ‘we went back and forth through that gate four times. We couldn’t get enough of it.’

  ‘You couldn’t,’ Stelph said. He grinned at Darq. ‘Shayd likes strange experiences!’

  ‘Come along,’ Tiy said. ‘You won’t be doing that again!’

  The path turned a corner to the right, and here the sixth gate was revealed. It appeared as whirling nebulae of sparkling light. ‘This is the Gate of Stars,’ Tiy said. ‘I think it’s the most beautiful of all.’ As before, she uttered sounds to open the gate. When Darq stepped through it, he felt as if his entire being filled with light. It was like becoming a star himself. On the other side of it, he felt refreshed, full of energy.

  ‘Thank the Aghama there’s only one more,’ Tava-edzen said softly to Darq. ‘I don’t think I can take much more of this disorientation.’

  The last obstacle was the Gate of Bones. It was a reminder to Darq that he was in the earthly realm, after the heady
experiences of the previous two gates, since this final portal was made entirely of the bones of animals, or at least Darq thought they were animals. To open it, Tiy simply pulled a key from a pocket of her robe and unlocked it. Darq supposed the Krim Sri to have a sense of humor. Keys and locks seemed far too prosaic after the gates of Trackless Void and Stars.

  Beyond the final gate, the path they followed became much wider. The rock walls to either side were smooth and set with globes of soft yellow radiance.

  ‘It’s not far now,’ Tiy said. She smiled archly at Tava-edzen. ‘You’ll no doubt be glad of that, tiahaar.’

  Tava-edzen merely smiled at her. Darq could tell the phylarch had been far more disturbed by the experiences of the gates than he had himself. As they undertook the last stage of their journey, Darq said to Tava-edzen. ‘I want to walk beside Tiy, speak to her alone. Do you mind?’

  Tava-edzen shook his head. ‘Of course not. I think you should.’

  ‘I appreciate you coming here with me...’

  Tava-edzen pushed Darq’s shoulder. ‘Hush, go and speak to her.’

  Darq went to catch up with the Eye Priestess. ‘Thank you for bringing us to your home,’ he said. ‘I’ve got many questions.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ Tiy said. ‘Soon, we’ll speak in depth.’

  ‘How much do you know about me?’

  Tiy touched him briefly on the arm. ‘Quite a lot; well, perhaps more than you’d expect.’

  Darq shivered. ‘How do you know?

  Tiy tossed her staff from one hand to the other; a playful gesture. ‘Well, let me see.’ She threw back her head and narrowed her eyes. ‘When your soul entered your hostling’s body, it was as if a special light came on in the world. We couldn’t help but notice it. It was a light that attracted a lot of attention, and not all of it was well disposed towards you.’

  ‘Did you hear my cry into the ethers too, not so long ago?’

  Tiy nodded. ‘A scream, yes! We knew where you were, then. To me, being aware of your being was like watching a star in the distant heavens. Sometimes, the star would glow brighter, but mostly it was a faint gleam. We were often very worried for you, because we knew your light was important, not just for us but for this whole realm of earth.’

  Darq shook his head in bewilderment. ‘It’s still all very new for me, this idea of destiny and so on. It’s overwhelming.’

  ‘I understand,’ Tiy said. ‘You were kept in ignorance to protect you, we knew that. We felt the trauma when your pearl was taken from your hostling; it was terrible. After that, even though we knew you’d been rescued in some way, we often discussed finding you and bringing you here, simply to keep you safe. If things had ever got really dangerous for you, we would have tried to intervene. Fortunately, you’ve had good guardians, so our interference wasn’t needed.’

  For a few moments, Darq wondered what it would have been like to have lived in this place instead of Samway. He had to admit the idea had appeal. ‘It’s so strange to think that others have had an interest in me over the years,’ he said, ‘and that they’ve been watching me. It still doesn’t feel quite real.’

  Tiy tapped his shoulder with her staff. ‘It is real, Darquiel. You must get used to the idea.’

  Darq glanced at her. ‘Do you ever miss the surface?’

  Tiy sighed. ‘Of course I do. I miss the sky particularly, but the day will come when we can emerge once more. I have to believe this. Are you willing to be an ally of the Krim Sri, Darquiel?’

  Darq shrugged. ‘Well, I’ve not yet seen or heard anything that sets me against the idea. I just can’t imagine how I’ll have that much influence to help you.’

  Again, Tiy tapped him with her staff. ‘Here we are, my friend. Helek Sah, last city of the Krim Sri.’

  The path had turned another corner to reveal an immense cave. Helek Sah was a city of many levels, lit by flame. Tiy told Darq that around two thousand individuals lived there, all that remained of the Krim Sri. She led the way into the maze of streets and buildings. Much to Darq’s surprise, it was a place full of life. The Krim Sri went about their daily business, pausing only to bow their head to Tiy as she walked among them. The hara attracted many curious stares. Like Tiy, the populace was very tall and carried themselves with grace. Both males and females could be mistaken for hara, since they were androgynous in appearance. The men had no beards and the faces of the women were strong.

  The buildings were tall and narrow, comprised of obsidian. The pavements beneath Darq’s feet were like black glass, yet not slippery. Tiy led the way along these glossy thoroughfares, between the looming crags of the buildings to a place where black stairs led upwards. At the top was a terrace, and here a villa stood. Ornamental fungi grew in decorative pots before the arched doorway. The sight made Darq wistful; the Krim Sri could never have green plants at their thresholds.

  Tiy did not knock upon the closed door – a strangely beautiful artifact of dark red wood covered in stylised carvings of winged beasts – but opened it and walked directly into the hall beyond. She gestured for the visitors to follow her.

  ‘Is this your home?’ Darq asked.

  ‘No,’ Tiy answered. ‘It’s the home of our leader, Nimron. I’m taking you to him.’

  Inside the villa, a narrow hallway was lit by softly glowing lamps upon the walls. It was not a homely place; the walls inside were unplastered and gleamed as if wet. Tiy led the way down a short corridor to an arched doorway. Here, she opened double doors and went into the room beyond. It was cramped and airless, every wall covered in shelves crammed with books, many shoved on sideways. The books looked very old. In this claustrophobic chamber, a large table took up most of the available space. It was cluttered with manuscripts and peculiar bits of metal apparatus, whose functions Darq could not fathom.

  At the table, in an uncomfortable-looking high-backed chair was a tall man – or what appeared to be a man – who had long white hair. Apart from that, he did not appear old, but shared with Tiy an ambience of antiquity. His long hands looked delicate, as if made of a friable pale stone. His eyes, which were very dark, held a melancholy expression. His mouth was surrounded by faint lines suggesting humor, but if so it was wistful. He stood up as the visitors entered the room, and inclined his head.

  ‘My lord,’ said Tiy, taking hold of one of Darq’s arms, ‘this is the har Darquiel har Aralis.’

  The tall man fixed Darq with a stare that reminded him very much of Zu. ‘I am Nimron, Guardian of the Krim Sri, Lord of Helek Sah, such as it is.’

  Darquiel inclined his head also. ‘Thank you for permitting us to come here. My companions are of the Nezreka, Tava-edzen, who is phylarch, and I expect you already know Shayd, Slinque and Stelph.’

  ‘Yes.’ Nimron barely glanced at the others. He came from behind the table. ‘You asked for entrance,’ he said. ‘We’ve been waiting for you, or one like you, but often I thought it was in vain. What brought you here? How did you discover us?’

  Darq saw no point in concealing the truth. ‘A har came to me, who was once one of you. I call him Zu, though he’s never told me his true name.’

  Nimron stepped back abruptly and leaned against the tabletop. It was clear this information had surprised him. ‘Zu…?’

  ‘Yes.’ Darq frowned. ‘I made the name up. I don’t know his real name.’

  ‘Forgive me.’ Nimron collected himself. ‘The pet name I used for my son was Zu. He disappeared… a long time ago. I believed him dead, and perhaps I’m foolish now to believe otherwise.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Darq said, ‘I don’t know about that. All Zu did was tell me about the Krim Sri and asked me to speak with you. He believes we might assist each other.’

  Nimron nodded. ‘Do you understand why we’re concealed here?’

  ‘Yes,’ Darq replied. ‘Tiy and Zu have told me nearly everything, I think. Tiy told me how you know about me.’

  Nimron took a step forward. ‘Yes, you’re unique among your kind. Like us, you’ve been concealed
. Sometimes, I confess, I feared you were dead.’ He smiled. ‘Tiy never lost faith. She always told me you’d find us, but we had no inkling about this har called Zu. I only hope it’s my son.’

  ‘I’ll find out for you,’ Darq said. ‘The Weavers can tell you what I discover.’

  ‘I’d appreciate that,’ Nimron said.

  ‘So how can I help you?’ Darq asked. ‘I have no power. I’m told I have it, but I don’t feel it. My family is powerful, but I’ve never met them, well, not since I was taken from them.’

  ‘Come to me,’ Nimron said.

  Hesitating for only a moment, Darq did so. The Lord of Helek Sah put his long cool hands on Darq’s face and closed his eyes. He drew in a deep breath. Darq could feel a soft, unobtrusive presence brushing through his being. It was not invasive, but merely something deeper than a glance, a way of gathering information. He was not offended by it.

  Nimron took his hands away, and even though his flesh had not been warm, Darq’s face felt cold once the fingers had lifted. ‘Would you like to know and experience your potential?’ Nimron asked.

  Darq merely stared at him.

  ‘I can help you become acquainted with it, if you wish.’

  ‘Of course I’d like that, but how?’

  Nimron smiled. ‘Darquiel, we might be disempowered in many ways, but we still have a few last tricks up our sleeves! Enter trance with Tiy and myself and let us act as guides for you. There’s an important meeting you should have, which in my opinion is long overdue. Well? Will you do this?’

  The request had come suddenly; yet another change of plans. Darq turned to Tava-edzen and the Weavers, who had been silent all this time. Tava-edzen blinked at him slowly, a subtle show of support. Slinque, Shayd and Stelph nodded in encouragement. Darq turned back to Nimron. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Show me everything you can.’

  ‘Then we’ll do so immediately,’ Nimron said. ‘Are you ready?’

  ‘I think so,’ Darq replied, hoping that was true.

  Tiy addressed the Nezreka. ‘Servitors will be here presently to take you to a place of rest. Refresh yourselves. Darquiel will be brought back to you shortly.’