His slight accent made the slip up all the more charming. She suddenly sensed his nervousness, which was different than the unease he was showing before. He always did her a favor by not looking directly into her eyes, but as he looked away this time, it was not because he was trying to be polite; it was because he couldn't look at her. Something was really bothering him—and she had something to do with it.
"Have I done something wrong, Vohl?"
"No, not at all, my Lady. You have done nothing whatsoever to bring about offense. This problem lies within me."
"No problems are solely within us, Vohl. We are humans. We react to emotions; not our own thoughts."
"My Lady I cannot put words to these thoughts. Doing so would unravel bonds that have formed. And even if there was no danger, words are but an arbitrary measurement of emotion. It is pointless to even offer up the words, for they will do my heart no justice."
Then suddenly she understood. She wasn't positive, but she had seen enough aching hearts in her day to know what troubled the man. He had feelings for her. There wasn't anyone else it could be. She sat silent and stunned, unable to believe that she had not picked up on it earlier. But he had always worked so hard to mask his emotions so as not to manipulate hers with his power, and in that mess of hidden feelings some spark had roared to flame within him. She had totally missed it, and she had no idea what to do about it.
It floored her that he was willing to set his emotions aside. He was doing so for his friends, and his devotion to that friendship was much stronger than his own personal desires. It was an admirable trait. In all his long years he had most likely seen nations rise and fall because of men giving in to their selfish desires. For him to ignore his own feelings, and sacrifice happiness for others was estimable to say the least. It cast Vohl in a new shade of heroic light that put most other men deep in shadow.
She jumped when Song cleared his throat behind them to get their attention. "Am I interrupting something?"
Vohl straightened his jacket and stood tall. "No, Song. Please join us. What have you learned?"
"I wasn't able to get much information out of Uritus. I told him everything Rommus told me to tell him, but he never revealed much about where he plans to keep the book."
"Well there has to be some information you can tell us," Alana said.
"Yes, I bring some news. Where is the map?"
Vohl walked over to a shelf and retrieved a rolled up map. He laid it out on the table and Song began to draw additional hallways and rooms. In addition to the new areas, he marked off sections with X's. After a moment he had finished, setting the quill aside. He looked over the entire map, scrutinizing every line.
"That's everything. That's everywhere I have been in the maze under Brinn. It's not perfectly to scale, but it's not too bad."
Alana tapped the map. "What are these areas you have marked with X's?"
"Those are the areas I know you have visited. These places will have guards posted. He expects the both of you to enter the labyrinth in one of these areas and he intends to intercept you there. He wants to use Vohl to translate the book for him since you can read it easily."
Vohl laughed a short laugh as he crossed his arms. "Why on earth would he ever think I would cooperate? I would sooner sit in for eternity imprisoned in a cell."
"He wants to capture both of you and he thinks that he can use Alana to make you do his bidding. I assumed he meant that he would lock her up or torture her. Anyway, I told him that you were certain you knew where the book was, and he said that it was impossible. It is in a place where you have never been. So, the book is somewhere on this map where there is no X marked."
Vohl ran a finger over the map and clasped his chin in thought. "Or a place that you have never been. There is no telling if this map is complete."
Song nodded. "I thought about that. My guess is that you are probably right. I have already been looking for it in all the places I would expect to find it and it's nowhere to be found. He probably has it in a secret room I have never seen."
"That doesn't help us much," Alana said.
"Sure it does. I can pretty much eliminate every room on this map. That doesn't leave very many places it can be. I'm sure I can find it."
"We cannot afford to let you roam around underground very long, Song," Vohl said. "We will be in great danger the entire time."
Song scratched his neatly-cut hair on his chin. "Well, going down there was her idea, not mine. If you want me to keep looking for it on my own, I can do that."
Alana laid her knife on the table and set the sharpening stone aside. "No, Song, if we serve as a diversion, it will lead you to the book. You said that it was not in a place where I have ever been, and Uritus expects Vohl and me to look only in those areas. That means that most of his guards will be in those areas. But he isn't foolish enough to leave the book unguarded, so there will be somewhere else in the labyrinth where you will encounter more guards. Wherever you see them is where the book is kept. If Vohl and I don't go, then the guards can't find us. If they can't find us, then there's a good chance they are going to find you."
Song took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he thought. "I suppose you're right. I certainly can't be caught stealing that book again. Uritus has already threatened to send me to the void if I do not help him. He wouldn't hesitate to kill me and send my soul there if he knew what I was doing."
Alana smiled at the young man. "I don't think you're going to end up in the void, Song."
"No? How can you be sure?"
Vohl laid a hand on Song's shoulder. "Erratus, my friend, someday soon we all need to sit down and have a chat about your destiny."
Chapter 21
Alana took a hard punch to the jaw. Little lights sparked in her vision, even in the near darkness. She licked the blood from her lip and spit at the floor before thrusting her knife into the chest of the Mage attacking her. It stopped him immediately, and as he staggered backwards, she followed, twisting the knife as she glared at him. He offered no words as he fell; only a wet, gurgling cough.
It was the third Mage she had killed. So far, none of them were even armed, which she found odd. She knew that they were expecting her and Vohl, so it made no sense that they would not have weapons. It was possible that the Mages thought the snow outside had gotten too deep for them to attempt to enter the labyrinth, but it was only about half way to her knee. It seemed as if she was right and most of the Mages were buffoons. None of them were ready even though they had plenty of warning.
She noticed that Vohl was not as eager to clash with any Mages. He kept to the darker areas, but always only a step or two away from her. Instead of looking up and down the dark corridors, he kept his eyes on her. He had killed one Mage, but he was not searching for them like she was. He was being protective, and he was doing a poor job trying to hide it.
She spoke to the shadows where Vohl stood. "They are going to have to find us, you know. That's the whole idea."
"My Lady, for them to see me while I wear this cape in the darkness, I would have to walk up to one of them and smack them in the face. The burden of discovery and capture is on your shoulders."
"I forgot about that cape. I guess that's why I am having a hard time seeing you myself. Do you know where we are?"
"I have a mental picture in my head, yes, though I do not know how to describe it to you. I believe we are a few hundred paces west of the Emperor's Hall. If we continue down this corridor, there should be a right turn. After that, there should be a curved hallway with five open rooms, each larger than the next."
"Well that's no good. I've never seen anything like that. We have to stick to the areas I have been to, remember?"
"Yes, my Lady. I hate to double back, but I suppose if our intentions are to be seen, it is a wonderful way to see that it happens."
They crept through the long halls, touching the wet walls for reference and balance. In some areas, there were torches, but they avoided light whenever p
ossible. After all, it wouldn't be very convincing if they strolled though the labyrinth where they could be easily seen. Their mission had to appear covert or else they might endanger Song.
Song was the one in the most danger. While there was a chance that harm would come to her at the hands of a Mage or even Uritus himself, she was confident that she could handle herself. Vohl was an immortal, so there was no threat that he could be killed. Song was the one who was truly risking his life. If Uritus discovered that he was looking for the book he would not hesitate for one second to send the poor kid's soul to the void.
But Alana saw his bones in the crypt with her own eyes. She knew that he would live out his life centuries in the past, and help to found the nation of Medora. With that line of thinking, she deduced that Song was invincible in a sense. No real harm could come to him if his destiny was to survive and go back to live in the past.
But then something struck her. The whole idea behind the Book of Eternal Wisdom was the idea that no matter what anyone tried to do to alter history, the events would still occur. It might be a completely different path to the events, but the events themselves were apparently unalterable. On one hand, that idea solidified her argument, but on the other hand, it sent chills down her spine. The book was written by Song, but there was no way of knowing if it was Song who was the only one who could write it. It was possible that if Song were to die, that some other person would write the book instead. History would write itself into existence in whatever way it saw fit. It didn’t need Song.
The enormity of the complexities of time and fate made her head swim. She was suddenly very worried that the plan that they had worked out was built on sand and not stone. If they failed in their diversion attempt, and Song was killed, there was no telling what it would do to the fabric of reality.
Vohl's gentle voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "There are more Mages over there in that vaulted area. Shall we kill these men or is it your desire to be seen and have them report back to their commanders?"
"We should keep killing them. We don't want them all on high alert and coming at us from all angles in a panic. If they all know we're here, they're going to catch us for sure."
"I thought it was your intention to be caught."
"Are you crazy? I don't want to be captured, I just want them to know we are down here. We need to alert them to our presence but still avoid getting caught."
Vohl nodded. "So we should let them find the dead bodies of their fellow Mages, I suppose."
"Right. That will get their attention soon enough."
Vohl looked up and down the corridor, checking for any other Mages. "Wait here, my Lady."
Before she could protest, Vohl slipped out into the vaulted area, weaving between the torchlight and shadow. His magic cape kept her from seeing his form, but she saw fluid blurs of motion inching closer to the four Mages. Soon the whistle of his blade could be heard, along with the crisp sound of sliced fabric and skin. Short moans and groans followed as she watched the men fall one by one to their knees. None of them knew what was happening. In their minds, a phantom had come to steal their souls away and carry them off into some darker place than the black hallways of the labyrinth.
Vohl returned after the last man fell. "No weapons."
"I don't understand it. Why are none of them armed? Something is not right here."
"I agree. It does not seem as though they are expecting us. Perhaps our plan is not going as well as we hoped it would."
"It has to be the snow, right? They don't expect us to come for the book because it's too hard to get through the snow in the streets above."
"I do not know, my Lady. But the snow is not deep. Something tells me there is some other reason."
An eerie green light lit the corridor behind them, and she suddenly remembered that some Mages had weapons other than knifes and swords.
——————
Song slid passed the Mages with ease. While all of them seemed to be on high alert, none of them looked his way. He was growing more and more confident in his abilities, and knowing that he was able to avoid the detection of Inshae added to his confidence immensely. While the god did see him when he walked into the doorway, it was obvious that his presence shocked the immortal being. Song's heart danced in his chest when he thought about it.
None of the Mages could be thought of as being on the same level as a god, so Song felt as if he walked among children. While he might not have achieved greatness, he certainly achieved something greater than the bumbling Mages buzzing around the labyrinth. They were simple, talentless beings; unable to even set their eyes upon an intruder in their own halls.
But those same halls haunted Song. The complexity of the framework was daunting, and even though he still held his bearings, he was beginning to feel the weight of frustration coming down on him. He had looked in every area he could think of for a hidden door or some other clue as to where the book might be hidden. He looked for extra guards, as Alana had suggested, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. He had been through every area he could think of, and he had come up empty.
But there was still one place he wanted to check. In his mind he checked over the map, making sure that he was indeed where he thought he was. After turning left twice and following a curved corridor, he came to the area he wanted to investigate, which was a short hallway with no doorways.
The very fact that the hallway was a dead end was enough to grab his attention. It seemed ridiculous to have a hallway there at all, since it literally led to nowhere. He carefully examined the walls as best as he could in the near darkness, but at first glance, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. For a moment he thought that the original builders had intended to continue further but ran into some sort of complication and had to give up.
But then his eye caught something. His mind seemed to be outpacing his vision, because he could sense that something was odd but he could not determine what is was. He scanned every inch carefully, wondering what it was that his mind had caught but his eyes did not. He stood, scratching his chin for some time before approaching the far wall.
Finally, he knew what it was. Everything in the labyrinth was made of highly-polished black marble. Everywhere he looked there were elegant decorations carved by obvious masters, and every single block of marble fit snugly next to its neighboring blocks. The craftsmanship was so elegant and precise that he had actually begun to overlook the work and take it for granted.
But there was a flaw. It was a tiny flaw, but one that now stood out starkly to him. There was a block on the right side, at about chest level that did not fit snugly against the other blocks. There was the tiniest gap-as thin as a fingernail—surrounding it on all sides. He cocked his head as he examined it closely for some time.
Then he reached out and touched it. With a little pressure, it slid backwards into the wall. The sound of stone sliding over stone could be heard, along with the metal ring of chains and grinding gears. The entire wall in front of him recessed and then slid slowly over to the right, opening up a hidden hallway beyond. Dim light peeked through from somewhere beyond, but it was not the orange glow of torches. It was the soft light of the sun, struggling to reach the depths underground from somewhere high overhead.
A marble staircase rose before him. The intricacy of the carved detail made the rest of the labyrinth look as if armatures had carved it, and Song could not help but stare at it in awe. Silver accents now decorated parts of the stairs and interconnecting corridors.
After reaching the top of the stairs, the view truly stunned him. On the right side of the corridor was a wall, and on the left there were massive columns. Beyond the columns was the largest single room that he had ever seen; as if someone had emptied out the entire mountain behind the Emperor's Hall and made it hollow. There were massive ghostly statues, and dust hovered between them like mist. Unseen openings in the hollow mountain above let in a tiny amount of light, illuminating the dust and statues like the moon lighti
ng tombstones and fog in a graveyard. There were staircases leading up to the impossibly high ceiling, but they were so incredibly distant that he could not see where they ended.
Song ignored the distant spiraling stairs and looked at the statues. Every one of them was facing the same direction, seeming to be looking at the decorated archway on the back wall. It was adorned in silver accents, and appeared to be the one single room the entire labyrinth was built for. Soft purple light seemed to be coming from the floor in the room.
His heart seemed to skip several beats when he entered the small room. At the center was a statue of Inshae. On the pedestal at its feet was the Book of Eternal Wisdom. Standing between him and the book was Emperor Uritus Tecadelion.
——————
Streaks of green light screamed by them as they ran. The beams of energy bounced off the marble walls and furnishings, ricocheting several times before dissipating. The air was heavy with an unfamiliar burning smell that was certain to cling to their cloths and hair for some time. But that was the least of their worries. Escaping was all that mattered.
Three Mages trailed behind them. Since they were all floating, Alana assumed that it was the same three Mages that had captured her in the past. She had seen none of the others do anything like it, but she supposed that some of them had started to become masters of magic and not just charlatans. She was angry with herself for underestimating the enemy, and she promised herself that she would not do so ever again.
Vohl grabbed her wrist and pulled her down a very narrow corridor that was only about as wide as her shoulders. It was so tight that she smacked the hard stone walls with various body parts; including her forehead. Vohl pulled her relentlessly, putting her safety over her comfort. He gripped her wrist so tightly that her hand had gone cold and numb while her forearm throbbed in pain with every heartbeat.
Soul Under the Mountain (Legend of Reason Series) Page 12
