Clearing the Web

by Cary J Lenehan

  “I ha’ not heard of t’ese for a while. If’n you ’re alone when you meet one, you die. Don’t ask me how a beast of metal can exist, or rather how a beast can grow a metal shell ’n’ ha’ gems for eyes. We call t’em war tigers.” He pointed at them.

  Now that they are lying stretched out, I can see that their flanks bear black stripes on the bronze of their skin. “Legends say t’at they used to be taken into battle by a far-past ruler.” He held up the gems for all to see. “See…t’ first treasure reclaimed from Dwarvenholme.”

  “I would wager that these two were supposed to attack us at the same time as the others were.” How strong were they? Let us see, they took four of my arrows, two bolts and a lot of other damage. Even an armoured elephant would not have taken half that much to die. “We are lucky that they didn’t.”

  When Thord came out of the corridor he said: “T’ere ’re several rooms in t’ere, from t’ fittings I’d say t’ey were workshops or factories. I found shaft leading down. It’s too difficult for us to use, but something could fly up it, if’n it were made to. I’d say t’at t’ Masters sent t’ blood suckers up from below us. I dropped coin ’n’ heard it clinking for long way as it hit t’ sides.”

  “One more,” said Rani, “and then we need to think about where to spend some rest time.”

  “Rest,” said Astrid. “I wouldn’t bet on that. They will just keep sending things against us until we fail. Let us attack them instead.”

  Rani thought for a while, waving the others to silence. Do we rest or push on? What is best? I need to decide one way or the other quickly. “You are right.” She turned “Thord, if the way down was on this side, should we have found it by now?”

  He nodded. “It’s usual just off t’ main chamber. It’ll probable be t’ corridor opposite t’is.”

  Rani nodded and turned to Father Christopher. “Do you have anything in your pharmacopoeia that would take away our tiredness?”

  “Of course. Lakshmi said that the bandits had brought some leaves back to her from the forests below. I have never seen this before, and she told me to take it with care…even one sip has been known to lead to addiction. It is called Sleepwell, and that one sip will make it as if we had just risen from a good night’s sleep.” He started rummaging in his pack. Rani looked in. It is a big pack and it seems to be almost completely full of bags, bottles and packets.

  “Find it and keep it close. We will take it when we reach the next level. Hopefully there is only one.” I doubt there will be, but I can hope.

  She turned them around and they headed towards the other corridor, again keeping them close to the wall.

  They made it into the far corridor before they were attacked again. Bianca cast a piece of wood ahead. That looks like a huge swarm of large moths flying towards us.

  “Flame ’em!” yelled Thord. “Quick … burn ’em afore t’ey get here. Don’t leave any alive.” He started backing up and ran into Rani moving forward. He is in panic. I hope he knows what he is talking about. She pushed past and fanned her hands out, her thumbs joined and with her little firepot hanging from them, as she started chanting.

  The first of the moths was nearly upon them when she finished and a sheet of flame burst from her hands. It washed down the corridor, filling it with fire, as she moved her hands up and down leaving behind floating ash and a burnt smell. When the fire had gone, none of the moths remained.

  “Would you like to tell me now why I just used my entire stock of mana for the day on wiping out a cloud of moths?” she asked Thord.

  “T’ey were Night Moths. I didn’t mention ’em afore. I didn’t expect to find ’em. You don’t want ’em to touch you. Flame ’s t’ best t’ing to use.”

  “I know of them,” said Ayesha, “they exist sometimes in the mountains. They poison you by touch and, even if you survive their attack, you can oft later die of a wasting disease that eats you from inside. It wasn’t a waste of anything to kill them. Once you are dead, they will then settle over and around your corpse and eat your body once it has rotted. No scavengers will come near if they are there. After that they mate and lay their eggs in the soil around. They can lie there for many years until they are born.”

  Thord nodded. “Hold your breath until we’re past t’eir ashes ’n’ try to avoid getting any on you. Even t’eir ashes can kill you from t’at wasting disease.” He thought for a bit and then added. “If’n t’ose are here, t’en we should be very watchful for something else with like effect. T’ey’re called Deathshrews. T’ey look like normal shrew, but t’ey swarm in large swarms. One can only nibble you, but t’ey have poisonous breath ’n’, if t’ey touch you, t’en you’ll like catch Flashfever.

  “I cannot cure that,” said Christopher. He sounds surprised. “I am not strong enough yet and may never be.”

  “Anything else you want to tell us about?” asked Rani sarcastically.

  “T’ere is so much,” Thord replied seriously. “T’ere are jellies t’at move, t’ey general don’t like flame either, t’ere are rats t’at, like war tigers, ’re made of metal ’n’ we ha’n’t seen any undead since we entered ’n’…’n’…”

  Astrid came up and clapped him on the shoulder. “That is what I like about you, Thord. You are such an optimist. In a few weeks, we will be sitting in the hall, drunken as Freehold lords, making up tales for those that stayed behind and laughing about all this.” Despite himself Thord smiled. Even if it is a trifle sickly. “Let us go,” said Rani and waved them on. I wish that I felt as confident as I am trying to look.

  Chapter VII

  Rani

  6th Undecim

  He did say it would be just off the main chamber. It is huge…round and over fifty paces across. Around its edge is a huge staircase that winds around above and below us. The staircase alone is five paces wide, and has a carved and pierced railing carved out of the same stone, and over a pace high and two hands wide.

  Once, when it was all lit up, it must have been magnificent. Now it exhibits the signs of age and is covered in lichens, and shows signs of dampness from water seeping through the walls. There are even some stone snail trails like in our mine. Filling the rest of the room is a huge hole.

  “T’is usually extends from t’ top to t’ bottom of a town. It should ha’ a wooden platform in it with rails. It goes up ’n’ down on command ’n’ is used to move heavy loads between levels. I am not sure if any Dwarf mage could even make one nowadays. T’ey ’re hard pressed just to maintain t’ spells on t’ ones t’ey ha’.”

  “I don’t know about Dwarven mages,” said Theodora, “but I am sure that I would not be able to do it alone. Lifting a slab of timber that large and still have it carry things…the weight would be just so… It is incredible. You say that each town has one of these?” Thord nodded.

  “My dear,” she is talking to me now. “We have some State visits to do after this is over. I want to see if they will trade me for the spell. I can trade the one I used at Mousehole for it. I cannot even think how to construct this one.”

  It seems that a new spell will always distract her. “Later dear, now…up or down.” She looked at Thord.

  “T’ t’rone room ’ll be up. We’ve been attacked from below, but t’ey ’ll ha’ been driven creatures ’n’ t’ey could’ve been compelled from anywhere. However, I suppose t’at, if’n t’ Masters t’ink of ’emselves as t’ rulers of t’ Land, t’en t’ey ’ll be in t’ t’rone room.”

  Rani nodded. I suppose that was obvious. “Up it is then,” and she waved them on towards the stairs.

  They were moving up the stairs when Theodora, who happened to be on the outside and ahead of her, glanced behind her. She screamed “watch out,” and fired a bolt from her wand. Rani turned. The air bolt grazed Anahita from the way she was flung aside. Princess is firing out into the shaft and up to the next coil, about twenty paces above. What i
s she firing at?

  “Light, give me light.” The others turned their shields towards the shaft, mystified but obedient. By the Destroyer. What are they? Rani gasped at sensing a flock of almost invisible floating beings, folds of dark in the dark, drifting towards her people and she started firing at them as well. Everyone backed up against the wall.

  Stefan had to drag Anahita back. She is just standing there, not moving. Princess threw the wand she was using away…drew another one…fired once… She is looking around anxiously. She is moving forward cautiously. “Bring me light,” she said. Hulagu came forward and she pointed up. He tipped his shield so that the light shone up the shaft. “I think we got them all.”

  “All of what?” asked Hulagu.

  “Look at Anahita.”

  Christopher is already tending her. “She is not responding. She is just standing here.” He is waving his hand up and down in front of her. Her eyes are not following his hand at all. He felt her pulse. “Her pulse is normal and, apart from this tear, I can see nothing wrong with her. What just happened?” He started dressing where the skin was torn from the air blast.

  “Our people have to deal with them sometimes at Deathguard Tower,” Theodora began to explain. “They are called Moonshadows. They are easy to kill, but if you cannot sense the invisible, as mages learn to do, then they will usually be able to kill you. They don’t often come when you are awake. It is usually during the night that they drift up. They attack when you are asleep, and once they have chosen a victim, they will follow until they have drained them completely.”

  “Anahita is un-minded. She cannot think for herself. That is why I blasted it off her. It affects each person differently at first, but if one attacks and stays attached to a person, she loses her mind, her ability to speak, her hearing or being able to move at all, one or the other. Eventually when all else is done, she dies.”

  “We will have to lead Anahita around now and feed her and clean her. If we can get her home, then we will have to try and find a cure. I have heard of it being done, but I do not know how.” Kãhina has gone up to Anahita and hugged her, but there is acknowledgement from Anahita, and Kãhina is starting to weep. Dhatr be with her.

  “I have never heard of more than one coming at once. I think that there were a dozen here at least. We were lucky that I glanced around and noticed them. If I had not noticed them, and they had struck us from behind, then we would all now be dying.”

  “I will lead her as we move,” said Christopher, detaching Kãhina from her friend. “You can care for her when we stop. I am sure that, inside, she knows that you care for her. Perhaps she can still hear you.”

  “Can you do nothing?” asked Hulagu.

  “Not until we get back to Mousehole, unless…” He turned to Rani. “Can we go back down the stairs for, say half an hour? I want to do a quick Mass, which might be a good idea anyway, and ask the Lord to help her. She is a good girl, and I am sure that He will not mind that she is not a worshiper. She is still one of His children and a part of my responsibility.”

  I have been brought up to respect the priests and their rituals. I may not be strong in my faith, but I will still pay respect. This man may not be Brahmin, but he is certainly a good man who works hard to heal and care for people. “Half an hour.”

  I should pay attention to this so that I understand my people better. With his congregation facing out and on guard, Father Christopher drew a complex pattern with chalk and placed Anahita inside it. He then began a shortened Mass in Latin, going to his worshippers to hand out the wafers, which he had in a separate pouch, rather than the other way around.

  All of that he has done before. He sought the intercession of Saints Winifred, Cosmas and Damien. He has talked of them before. They are some sort of avatars of healing. He concluded with a heartfelt prayer, reminding the Lord that he had not asked for Divine Intercession before and pointing out the work that he was doing in His name. Aziz was mentioned and pointed out. Lakshmi and Parminder were referred to as well.

  All of that is new and interesting. It is almost like an impromptu spell without form. It is just an expression of desire and faith. He thanked God for the blessings that he had received and uttered the Benediction.

  There was a brief pause as Christopher stood there looking at the Khitan girl and then Anahita shook herself. “What am I doing here? Ouch. Why am I hurt?” she asked and wondered why she was smothered in kisses from Hulagu, Kãhina and Bianca before saying “oh” as memory flooded back.

  Unbelievably it seems that she had been conscious through it all. Christopher beamed and then received a huge kiss, first from his wife on his lips, and then another from Kãhina on both sides of his face.

  “Thank you,” said Bianca, tenderly.

  “Thank the Lord, not me. I just asked. We will do another Mass of thanks as soon as we can.”

  Aziz came up to him with wonder in his voice. “Can you teach me to do that?”

  I would not have believed that Christopher’s smile could grow broader. “Gladly…gladly.”

  If I wanted proof of the priest’s holiness, I have just seen it demonstrated in the most tangible way. He cannot hold even a fraction of the mana needed to restore Anahita’s spirit with a normal Miracle. Bringing a lost spirit back to the body is far beyond a mere cure. It is far beyond what Princess and I could hope to achieve together.

  What I have just witnessed is a direct intervention of Christopher’s Deity in answer to a Holy Prayer. I have heard of such, and indeed the priests even tell you that this is always available as an option if you are strong enough in your faith and…well…lucky. I have heard and read of such before, but it is all in the past. I have never known of anyone doing so successfully.

  They were about to set foot on the stairs again when Rani looked at the faces around her. “We are all tired. Father, share out some of that potion of restfulness, or whatever it is. If we cannot have a night’s sleep, it is as well to feel that we have just arisen.”

  Christopher nodded. He began by using up all of his mana by laying his hands on first Aziz’s stomach and then on Anahita’s abrasion. Then he gave everyone a sip asking them to tell him if they felt strange in any way afterwards. They set out again.

  The stair is rising above us and, with the light we have, I cannot see its top. Looking up I can see the coil above us, and I can see the stairs carved into the other side of the room, but more than that is just a suggestion.

  Astrid is looking queasy again. “Father, are you sure that I am…” she ran for the balustrade and vomited over the side. It seemed that she had little left in her stomach, but still huddled there, clutching the rail. Basil has run up and is holding her hair out of the way. She smiles weakly at him before again lurching for the rail. As suddenly as the attack had come, she has recovered and is standing erect.

  “Here you are,” said Christopher and handed her another of the mint balls.

  She shook herself. “You are not worried?”

  He has felt her pulse and her temperature. “No. I’m sure that everything is as it should be. I am also sure that the feeling will pass soon. Let us go on. The sooner that we get all of this over, the better it will be.” He may not be worried, but I am.

  We have reached the last of the nails that we set into the walls on our previous climb.

  “You had better refill my bag of these,” Hulagu is saying. “It is as well that we decided to come this way. I think we would not have had enough of them to do the rest first.”

  “I did not expect the place to be so large. We could fit a goodly part of Pavitra Phāṭaka in those pieces that we have seen so far. The Dwarves were never numerous, or so I had thought before now. We should be quieter. We should soon be up to them. Ayesha, as we climb, do you have the ring of stealth and that which protects from magic ready?” She nodded.

  “Then do not wait for me to say anything. If you
see the Masters, and have a chance to do something to them, put the rings on and…do what you do. Remember to be careful getting clear of us. I would hate for you to be hit by mistake. If you fall, we may not be able to find you. Astrid, you may need to do the same.”

  We continue up the stairs. We rise in only a shallow curve, going up only one pace for every five that we take forward. It is a long hard trudge. Looking down at where the light showed we have been; there are ten coils of the stair behind us. We are probably even now only at about the level of the top of the main concourse. She looked up. There is still no sign of the top above us. How far does it go?

  Christopher

  We keep climbing…twelve…no thirteen coils of the stairs…oh Dear Lord. “Lacrima Christi, let me past. Look to the right.” Everyone did so. They are still too far away, but rushing down the stairs towards us, like a giant wave, are the last of the old residents of Dwarvenholme, a horde of their animated skeletons are defending their old home for its usurpers. From what I can see there might be more here now than there had been outside…many more.

  “Father,” said Rani, “try and do what you do from behind the line. Get those opposite. Your job will be to heal us as we fall out.” Christopher stopped his rush and nodded. That makes sense. “Those with shields, form a wall. Spears get behind them. Archers, fire at them as they come down until you run out of exploding heads. If you can, then get new ones from those in front.”

  She and Theodora started firing their wands as fast as they could at the oncoming horde, tearing gaps in their ranks. The others hurried to take their places and get set. They were just in time and Aziz, Ayesha, Hulagu and Thord had just been joined by Stefan, coming from the rear, when they were hit by an almost solid wall of moving bones.

  I am not sure if my prayers are having any effect…there are too many at once. The archers and the mages could scarce miss their targets. They were packed tightly and in seeming limitless numbers.