by Phil Tucker
Asho nodded. "Go on through."
She smiled at him then, incredulous, and disappeared through the ink. Asho felt some of his pride return.
Shabo came last, shepherding a score of children before him. "Orphans," he said. The children ranged in age from around four to perhaps twelve, and all were scrawny but not malnourished.
Asho nodded. "There's a new life awaiting them on the other side. Are you ready for it?"
"Yes, Asho." Shabo stepped up to the portal and reached out to touch its stone walls. "A miracle, this is." He turned to consider the children, who were standing in a bunch together, then to Asho. "Thank you."
Abashed, Asho called out the demon's name, and the Portal awoke. He wanted to say something stirring, something that would reflect the tumult of emotions in his breast, but all he could manage was a stiff nod. "You're welcome."
The children edged through, holding each other's hands, then Shabo, and finally Asho stood alone at the far end of the bridge. He gazed out into the remote purple glow, then back to the empty tunnel at the far end of the bridge. Was that voices he heard? Guards? He thought of his father and mother back in their home, thought of the thousands who were laboring that very moment deep within the rock with no hope for their future.
"I'll be back," he vowed, and stepped through.
He emerged into a different kind of gloom, a darkness made oppressive by the ambient mist that hung over the obsidian floor. Starkadr. It was only his third time passing through, but still, it made him shiver. Turning, he regarded the huge column of twisting Portals that arose to disappear into the darkness above. Where did all those arches go? To what forgotten corners of the world? One day, perhaps, when all this was over, he would find out.
Nearby, he saw the Bythians huddled in a large crowd, pressed close together and staring at him with relief.
"Don't worry!" He raised his arms and stepped forward, grinning. "We've done it! We've left Bythos, and nobody can stop you now! You're free! There are no Ennoians here, no Sigean tally masters! In a moment, we'll go through one more Portal, and then you will be at your new home."
Shoulders sagged in relief and people exchanged shaky smiles, though Asho saw that many were still holding their children tight.
"This place – it's called Starkadr." Asho looked around as if seeing it for the first time. "It's long been abandoned, and we use it to travel from one place to the other. It's how I came to Bythos, how we'll get home. Don't be afraid. Just stay close to me, all right?"
"Asho, what are all these corpses?" A young Bythian, perhaps his own age, was staring fixedly at a desiccated corpse just a few yards from him in the mist.
"I don't know." Asho pitched his voice to carry. "They're dead, though, and they won't bother us. Some ancient war. Come on, let's get out of here!"
A ragged cheer greeted his words, and he strode happily through the mist, picking a path around the corpses to the next column, where the Portal to the Hold was set. Each hand that clapped him on the shoulder or back set his heart soaring. Behind him marched his people. Bythians, just like him.
They reached the far column, and again people began to bunch up, some craning their necks to look up the height of the pillar, others whispering to each other, several mothers soothing the crying of their babies.
"This Portal will lead you into a series of underground rooms. They're not large enough to hold us all, so I'm going to go through first and let everyone know you're coming. Then, when I come back, I'll open the Portal once more, and your new friends on the other side will direct you upstairs to wait in the Hold's courtyard. Understood?"
"I'm coming with you," said Kanna sharply, stepping forward.
"You can if you like," said Asho, taken aback. Then it hit him. She still didn't trust him. Didn't trust that he would return. That realization and her obdurate expression soured his elation. "Come, then."
He spoke the Portal's name and stepped through immediately, not feeling gracious enough to let Kanna precede him. He emerged in the subterranean room beneath the Hold, and saw two Agerastian guards stand up quickly, one of them pocketing some dice as the other placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Asho raised his palms, stepping to one side, and the soldiers relaxed. He immediately sensed the magic coursing through the air, ubiquitous and reassuring, rich and fey and delicious. He had to fight the urge to draw on it, knowing that without Kethe it would only make him ill, but even so, its very presence settled him, like ballast in the bottom of a boat.
He wasn't powerless here.
Kanna stepped through, her face screwed tight in determination, then blinked and simply stared around her, trying to take it all in. The air was colder here, touched with a humidity that the flickering torches couldn't dispel.
"Upstairs," said Asho. He knew he should wait, give her time to adjust, but he was still piqued. She hurried to catch up, but he moved quickly in turn, running up the stairs and out the secret door, which was now permanently propped open.
The storeroom was bustling with activity. Half of the room was filled with foodstuffs, the other half with masonry and construction equipment. Agerastians were rolling out barrels and arranging sacks, and while many of them looked curiously at him, they were all intent on their work. Asho could smell roasting pork, dung, fresh sawdust and more. He nodded to some of the workers, then stepped outside into the courtyard.
Kanna followed, then gave a little cry and shrank back into the doorway, staring up in fright. Asho followed her gaze, hand going to his sword, and then felt the fool. There was nothing above them but the sky.
He remembered the first time he'd seen anything but rock overhead: the shock of it, that vertiginous feeling that he might be sucked up and swallowed by that bewildering, terrifying expanse of nothingness. He'd stepped through the Solar Portal into Ennoia beside Shaya, taken one look up and then staggered, fallen over, and retched. Lord Kyferin's Black Wolves had laughed, and he'd felt a profound sense of shame.
"It's all right," he said, moving back to where Kanna was clinging to the side of the door. Agerastians pushed past her, their annoyance changing to curiosity the moment they saw her terrified face. "Come back inside. Here, let go. Come."
He pulled her back into the storage room and sat her down on a barrel. Kanna shivered and clasped her hands tightly together, then pressed them with the insides of her knees. She hung her head and hunched her shoulders. "I knew – I'd heard about the sky, but I never guessed it would be so hungry –"
Asho wanted to kick himself. He crouched in front of her, feeling helpless, feeling the fool. Was he no better than those Black Wolves of so many years ago?
"It gets better. The sky – it's, well, you get used to it. I promise."
He thought of the glory of sunsets, of how terrifying a storm could be, how lightning had made him scream, how bizarre falling rain had seemed, the drenching wonder of the sun, the mystery of the moon. It had taken him almost a year to come to peace with the sheer variety of the sky, the weather, its mercurial and beautiful nature.
"I'll see if Lady Iskra is here. I'll bring her –"
"No." Kanna stood up. She was still clasping her hands tightly in front of her, and a band of muscle flickered into view again and again over her jaw. "I'll come with you."
"Yes, all right." Asho hesitated. "Do you want to take my arm?"
Kanna looked past him at the courtyard. "That's daylight. From the sun."
"Yes," said Asho. "It's overcast. That means, ah, that the sun – where the light comes from – is behind some clouds. Which are like the aurora. But white. Most of the time. I guess sunset – never mind." He cut himself off and forced a smile. "Daylight. Are you ready?"
Kanna licked her lower lip, then bit it and nodded. "Yes." She stepped up beside him and linked an arm through his, holding his bicep with the other hand.
"Slowly, now." Asho walked outside, watching her as they went. She was trembling violently, and when they cleared the archway she winced, looked
down, then tilted her head and looked up, as if she expected blocks to fall on her at any moment.
Asho stopped, giving her time. Kanna's shoulders were up close to her ears, and her eyes were nearly scrunched closed, but slowly she relaxed, her eyes widening as she studied the sky, her gaze darting from side to side. "It's – it's beautiful."
Asho looked up. It was a gray day, truly overcast, and the sky looked like the chalky inside of an old iron kettle. The clouds themselves didn't have much definition. But – yes. In its own way, limited as it was by the walls of the courtyard, perhaps it was beautiful.
"How high up does it go?"
"How high?" Asho frowned. "I don't know. I don't think it stops, really."
"And the sun? I don't see it."
"It's there. Behind the clouds. On a good day, you'll see it blazing like gold before a fire, turning the whole sky a gorgeous blue."
Kanna nodded mutely. "It feels... carnivorous."
Asho laughed. "I don't think it's eaten anybody yet. Come on. Let's find Lady Iskra."
Kanna only tore her gaze away from the sky as they entered the Great Hall. There, Asho stumbled to a halt, and Kanna peered at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I don't think. It's – I hadn't realized how quickly they were working."
The Great Hall was filled with carpenters and craftsmen. They were laying paneling over the stone walls, smoothing out the uneven flagstones, bustling around the ancient hearths. Trestle tables had been set up running down its length, and a team of carpenters were assembling a raised dais at the far end. Fires were burning in two large pits down its center, over which entire swine were being roasted, filling the air with a delicious, mouthwatering smell.
Kanna was pressed firmly against his side, her eyes darting to and fro. Asho heard her swallow hungrily, and with a grin he dragged her forward, past workmen and some familiar faces, to one of the fire pits. He drew his dagger, waited for a nod from the undercook Gathis, and then reached out to cut a sliver of roasted flesh.
"Here. Try this."
Kanna took the cut gingerly. It was piping hot, but still she bit into it, and then closed her eyes and moaned in a way that made Asho almost uncomfortable. She pushed the rest into her mouth and then licked her fingers.
"By the Ascendant." She shook her head. "What is that?"
"Pork." A giddy sense of excitement wafted through him. All the discoveries that he and Shaya had stumbled upon when they'd first arrived, the surprises and shocks, the delights and terrors – he could introduce Kanna and the others to them, could guide them, could watch as the boundaries of their worlds fell away. "There's so much for you to see, to taste, to experience! But, come. We can't leave the others in Starkadr for much longer. Let's find Lady Iskra and then welcome them home."
"The Lady Iskra's upstairs, ser knight," said Gathis. "I believe she's meeting with the Vothaks."
"We have an upstairs now? Thank you," said Asho. He pulled Kanna away from the fire, nearly dragging her back to the door and then out into the courtyard. This time she shielded her eyes, as if from a glare. "Ser knight?"
"Yes." Asho felt a stirring of pride at the title, something he'd not felt since Ser Wyland's betrayal. "I'm one of Lady Iskra's knights."
"So, you are an Ennoian," said Kanna as they stepped into the stairwell.
Asho bit back a sharp response. "No. I'm not." He let go of her arm and began to climb the steps. "Ask any of them if they consider me one of their number, and they'll laugh at you."
Kanna trailed behind him. "But we've no Bythian knights."
"You do now."
"Do you consider yourself a Bythian?"
Her question stopped him in his tracks. Did he? "I don't know. Not yet, perhaps." He resumed climbing, and Kanna followed in silence.
The stairwell opened to the second floor. There, new beams had been socketed into old holes in the walls, supporting flooring down the length of the hall and in some of the rooms. The Hold was truly coming to life. Laughter came to Asho from downstairs, a cry in Agerastian, the sound of winches squealing outside. Hammers everywhere. Two Agerastian guards were standing outside a closed door at the end of the hall. Asho forced himself to not walk gingerly on the new wood. To think that only a week ago, this had been skeletal, rotted rafters and no more.
He recognized the two guards, but their names eluded him. "Is Lady Iskra within?"
The guards exchanged a hesitant glance – did they understand him? – and then nodded. One knocked and pushed open the door, spoke quickly in Agerastian to those within, then pushed the door open wide and stepped aside.
Asho stepped inside. Within the room was a circular table of pale oak around which were sitting Lady Iskra, Ser Tiron, three Vothaks in their purple and yellow – he recognized Alasha amongst their number – and the Agerastian scribe, Orishin.
Asho stepped forward and bowed deeply to Lady Iskra, who arose, hands clasped before her, clad in a blue dress so rich she seemed to have been cut from the heart of a summer sky. "My lady."
"Ser Asho. You have returned to us." Iskra's voice was almost breathless with relief. "How did your mission fare?"
Asho straightened. "Very well, my lady. May I have the honor of introducing Kanna, a shift leader and instrumental ally in my success."
He turned and saw that Kanna was hovering in the doorway, one hand smoothing down her brown and dirty linen. In contrast to Iskra's dress and the resplendent robes of the Vothaks, her clothing appeared less than that of a peasant, and she seemed frozen, unable to enter the room fully.
Iskra began to round the table, but Asho reached Kanna first. "It's all right. You're with friends. I'm here."
Kanna was trembling, but she took Asho's arm and allowed him to pull her gently into the room. The guards closed the door behind them, and Kanna startled, shooting a panicked look behind her as if her sole exit from a lion's den had been cut off.
"My dear Kanna," said Iskra, stopping before her with a gentle smile. "I can't imagine the shocks you are experiencing as you transition from your old world to the new." Her voice was soothing, but, more importantly, it was kind, and Asho saw Kanna draw strength from it and begin to collect herself. "If you have played some part in helping Asho bring help, then you are to be celebrated and deeply thanked. I am Lady Iskra Kyferin. It is an honor to have you here."
"My lady," whispered Kanna, and then she bowed in a jerky manner from the waist.
Ser Tiron rose to his feet, his chair squealing back across the new floor. "How many did you bring, Asho?"
"About three hundred." Asho stepped forward, Iskra taking Kanna's other arm, and together they guided her to a seat. "They are in Starkadr as we speak, awaiting my return."
"Two hundred," said Alasha, nodding in approval. As a Vothak and cousin to the Agerastian emperor, she exuded a confidence and authority that were at odds with her youth. "That is a handsome beginning."
Asho placed a hand on the back of Kanna's chair. "And I assume you found no problems at the mines, Ser Tiron?"
"None," said the older knight. "We were just discussing it. The three towns I visited are little more than decrepit relics, but we found no demons."
Iskra nodded to a servant, who poured a glass of wine for Kanna. The Bythian held the pewter goblet and examined it as if it were a gift, then took a sip, frowned, and took a second before setting it carefully on the table.
"My lady, I must return to Starkadr to gather the rest of my people." My people, he heard himself say. "Is there space set aside already for them?"
Iskra nodded briskly. "There is. We've cleared a space along the lake that should be able to house them. We've enough food to feed them for a week, but we expect more to come from Agerastos as soon as you open that Portal."
"You can't just take them out like that under the sky," said Kanna quietly.
Asho nodded. "She's right, my lady. They'll need time to get used to the differences."
Alasha leaned forward. "How much time? We need the mining to be
gin posthaste."
"As much time as it takes," said Kanna, an edge of iron entering her voice.
There she is, thought Asho. "We'll have to see. Maybe we can convert the rooms below into a staging ground for now, and bring them out slowly in groups so that they feel safe. It may take a couple of days."
Iskra sat down in her chair. "Understood," she said. "Orishin, please convey my request to have the lower rooms converted into a shelter immediately."
The lanky scribe arose smoothly and bowed low. "As you command, my lady." He then swept out of the room, striding quickly, already calling out orders as he went down the hall.
"My lady," said Asho. "I thought it might be best if I stayed with the Bythians." No longer your people? "I can help guide them into this new life, escort them up to the first mining town, make sure that they settle in smoothly."
"Would that we could spare you, ser knight." Iskra's expression became apologetic. "But Audsley has not returned to us. We need you to open the Portals to Agerastos, and, further, the emperor has asked that we convene a war council the moment you've done so. I would have you join us, make your report, and help us in planning the next stage of the war."
"Ah," said Asho. He could feel Kanna looking up at him. Accusingly? He didn't want to check. "Of course, my lady. When do you wish to travel to Agerastos?"
Iskra tapped her lips. "Tomorrow morning will have to suffice. I have an audience with the Hrethings this afternoon."
Ser Tiron leaned over the back of his chair. "If I may make a suggestion, my lady. Why not ask Kolgrimr to assist with the Bythians? They are a kind-hearted people and nobody knows these mountains better."
Iskra nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that could work. Two hundred, you said, Asho? We have twenty Hrethings stationed with us on guard duty already, plus the number that will be arriving soon. Yes, that may well be the solution to our problem."
"We are not a problem," said Kanna stiffly.
"No, of course not, my dear." Iskra's smile was immediate and reassuring. "A slip of the tongue. As you learn about our situation, you will understand how pressing it is that we begin mining Gate Stone so as to fight our enemies. My apologies."
