by John Hook
“Whoa? Why is this talisman responding to me? I already absorbed mine.” I dropped it again as if it had bit me.
“They will all respond to you. You can absorb any or all of them. That is why you are unique. Why the others want your power.”
“Yeah, swell. I haven’t even learned to use the power I have.”
“You have, actually. You just won’t let yourself yet.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what that meant, so I turned my attention to the door.
“How does that open?”
“You can open it. So can the monkeys.”
“I tried in Ohnipoor, unless that one’s just broken.”
“That was before you spent your time in the mountains.”
“You have been keeping tabs.”
They didn’t say anything.
“So, what? I cheat and change what it’s made of?”
They remained silent for another minute.
“A clever trick and waste of your powers. Just ask the door to open.”
“Ask it?”
I’m not sure I visibly rolled my eyes but I sure felt like I was being set up. I walked over to the door and put both hands on it.
“Open up.”
Nothing happened.
“You forgot to say pretty please,” Izzy quipped.
“I thought I forgot sesame.”
Tweedledum and Tweedledee seemed to be ignoring us, although I was pretty sure they never did. However, I was betting they weren’t going to be further help and I had to figure this out. Already, in anticipation, I had turned blue. I closed my eyes and tried to just feel the flow of my energy as I had in that last session with Saripha. I let it move out away from me. Then, I sensed another energy. It felt like a very old energy. I’m not even sure what I mean by that but that was what I ended up telling myself. It meant something to me at the time. I let my own energy flow into that energy and intertwine with it. And then the two patterns of energy seemed to merge together and flow in the same direction. I could feel the wheel move in my hands, but I was careful not to shift my attention. I let my energy unwrap from that older energy in a slow dance and then slowly pulled it back into my body. Somewhere I heard a deep sound, like something of great weight moving and releasing a rush of air that had been sealed a long time. There was an earthy, slightly wet smell. I stepped back and opened my eyes,
The door was open although, in fact, it was only ajar. I reached and pulled it open. The hinges, rings of hardened wood, were silent. The door’s own weight helped it open smoothly with little effort, it was so well balanced. It was surprising, because the door really was like a vault door, quite thick. As it opened, it displayed caverns behind it. You couldn’t see very far because there was no light in there.
I looked at Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
“Where’s it go?”
“We told you. Everywhere. It’s a cave system that runs underneath this entire continent, with passages through it that go to a hidden door in each ancient city.”
“That’s how you escaped from Ohnipoor? I assume they—the angels, Knightshade, whoever—came for Guido.”
“Yes, he sent us out of the city.”
“Guido didn’t go with you? Why?”
They were silent again for a moment, but I sensed something more emotional in that pause.
“He didn’t say. He apparently thought there was... something he could do. We suspect he wanted to make sure they didn’t try to find us.”
“What happened to Guido?”
More silence. They looked at each other, then back to Izzy and myself.
“Have you been to Antanaria?”
“Yes. It looks like the Magister there has been made a prisoner and they are extracting whatever it is they extract from people in pain.”
“Indeed.” Tweedledee and Tweedledum nodded. It was spooky how their expressions didn’t change and yet I could sense different kinds of affect in their thoughts.
“So is Guido in Antanaria?” I was mentally kicking myself for not finding him.
“There is no Magister. That form is what they wrapped Guido in and they hold him prisoner.”
Rage exploded in my belly.
“Then which one of these tunnels leads to Antanaria? We have to free him!” The tattoos were glowing on my body.
“We will. However, if it were that simple we would have by now. The Idiri are watching with their horsemen. They plan to end this there.”
“Idiri?”
“You call them angels because of the way they make you perceive them.”
“So, what? We just hide here? Won’t they eventually find us anyway?”
“They might, but they are very patient. They have a goal that is moving closer and closer to being achieved. If they are successful, they will still need your power, but until they have achieved their goal, they can afford to wait us out.”
I looked at Izzy. Izzy was quietly taking it all in.
“You hearing all this too?”
Izzy nodded. “Do we know what they are trying to do?”
Tweedledee and Tweedledum grinned blankly back at us.
“No, but we know where they are doing it.”
“The mountain would be my guess,” Izzy said softly.
As usual, I was getting impatient.
“You think we need to stop whatever is happening at the mountain first. Why?”
“I think I can guess,” Izzy mused.
“Shoot. These guys are way too slow.”
“First, I’m guessing that finding a way to take control of Antanaria and freeing Guido will take a lot of force. I’m guessing, even with the monkeys, we’d need a large army. That means ending the standoff in Zaccora. We’re talking time.”
Tweedledee and Tweedledum said nothing. Izzy continued.
“However, if we can stop whatever is going on in the mountain while Zaccora is being resolved, we might take away the angels’—Idiri’s—reason to stand and fight.”
“Unless it just makes them more pissed at us.”
“There’s always that. On the plus side, they may be already as annoyed by you as they are going to get.”
“You underestimate me.”
Izzy shook his head. “Probably.”
I turned back to the Azaroti. “We don’t actually know what they’re doing in the mountain that has to be stopped?”
I was beginning to interpret Tweedledum and Tweedledee’s silence as affirmation.
“Then we don’t know if it’s something I can do or if we need an army.”
The answer came in my head. “Guido always felt you were the one, maybe the only one, who could stop it.”
“He knew what it was?”
“No. Just that you might stop it.”
“Swell.”
I picked up the platform and it glowed green again.
“Perhaps you should try absorbing it,” said the voice in my head.
“Sure. Why not? You have any bottles labeled ‘drink me’ around?” I shook my head and carried the platform and put it back on the rack where the others rested.
“So what now?” Izzy asked.
“I take it there’s a way to get to the mountain from here.”
“There is,” Tweedledee and Tweedledum answered. “You follow the flow of lava. You will find a tunnel that angles up to the surface. It is a naturally formed vent that comes up near the old mine.”
“And what’ll you be doing?”
“We will journey to Zaccora with the monkeys and assess the situation. We already have spies there.”
“What about Knightshade?”
I felt a tickling in my head and realized Tweedledee and Tweedledum didn’t know what I was referring to.
“Ah,” I heard in my head. “Since he has not been seen in Zaccora and his movements have been reported to be near the mine, we suspect he is protecting the mountain.”
“You didn’t think I should know that?”
The Azaroti looked on with blank froggy
expressions.
“Of course not. Okay, point me in the direction.”
Suddenly we were standing beside the river of lava on the far end of the aqueduct. There was enough of a rocky shore on either side to walk easily without falling in as long as you didn’t trip.
“That way.” Since the Azaroti didn’t point, I assumed they meant the way we were facing.
Izzy and I headed into the tunnel. As we moved further and further away from the city, things became dimmer, but the lava continued to provide an eerie red-orange light. It flickered some, which made it harder to see clearly, but we had no problem picking our way without using that strange bioluminescence I had.
I’m not sure how long it took but we eventually emerged from the vent. We immediately crouched down in the bushes and scrub, behind a pair of large boulders. We could see the raised mound where the mines were and, beyond it, the conveyors going to the mountain. We could see a large flat area, grassland mostly, running to the mountain and the ocean beyond.
Atop the mound of the mines, looking over the edges, were Shirks. They were spaced at intervals. No doubt their job was to watch for any signs of activity that might mean I had returned. However, they had been here a long time with nothing happening. They were bored and distracted, as usual.
“So apparently they don’t think dumping tons of rock on me is a permanent solution.”
“You do seem to bounce back well, even for someone who can turn into a proto.”
“Do you think that mountain has a door?”
Izzy shrugged. “Has to have one somewhere. Why?”
“We need to get into the mountain. Those conveyors head into the mountain near where the pipes from the towers go in. My guess would be, that is where the stuff we need to see is going on.”
“And you want to try and bum a ride on the conveyors.”
“You don’t like the idea?”
“You’re a writer and not an engineer, right?”
“I’m not much of either these days. Why do you ask?”
“Well, let’s see. They are loading rock onto those conveyors. Why do people load rocks onto conveyor belts?”
“To get to the other side?”
Izzy grinned. “And what will happen to those rocks on the other side?”
“They’ll land in a big pile?”
“Okay, possible, but why not just process them as they come in?”
“Process?”
“Pulverize, extract material, melt down—don’t forget, we have lava-like stuff around.”
“I think I see what you’re getting at. Whatever they are doing with the rocks is probably not going to be good for us.”
“You catch on quick.”
“So we just have to find that door.”
“What about them?” Izzy motioned at the Shirks.
“I was just thinking about them. You notice we haven’t seen any demons around the mines. Usually they use demons to control and enslave humans.”
“Maybe they don’t want the demons to know what they are doing in the mountain.”
“Would be my guess.”
“So how do we do this?” Izzy asked. “We’re going to have to be very careful not to be seen. Especially when we get to the open grassland.”
“I don’t like being careful.”
“I’ve noticed that about you.”
“Why do you think the Shirks are positioned around?”
“Watching for you?”
“Why here?”
Izzy looked at me. He probably thought I was pulling his leg, but I was actually thinking out loud.
“They figure you’re going to try to either free the miners or get to the mountain,” Izzy finally answered.
“And what are the Shirks going to do when they spot me?”
“What are they going to do?”
“Yes. What are they going to do? Are we going to be attacked by a squad of Shirks?”
Izzy snorted. “Be a good opportunity for target practice.” He fingered the bow on his back.
“Exactly. They are here for one purpose. They will in some manner call in the big guns. My guess would be Knightshade.”
“Who will probably want to stop us from getting to the mountain.”
“So, let’s cut to the chase. I need to take him down.” I nodded in the direction of one of the Shirks on lookout above us. “Let’s announce ourselves.”
Izzy slipped the bow off his shoulder and strung it. He pulled an arrow, threaded it in the bow, pulled back and let it go. There was a soft hum in the air and suddenly the arrow had ripped into the neck of the Shirk, appearing out the other side. The Shirk made a sickening gagging sound as blood sprayed. He twisted and fell on the ground. The other Shirks froze wherever they were standing. Their heads snapped around and then they were diving for cover, except one. He pointed down in our direction and shouted something we couldn’t quite hear. He then ran down the other side of the ridge we were on.
“Shall we?” I said in a sing-song formal voice.
“After you, sir.” Izzy motioned.
We didn’t have too long to wait. As we were emerging out of the low scrub and trees near the grassland, a ring of Shirks stood in a semicircle trying to look tough. They wore tunics made of hide—though I never knew of what—that had been dyed black. They carried wooden truncheons which they tapped in the palms of their hands. They all smirked with little-deserved confidence. They looked more like the chorus line from a dinner theater production of Grease than warriors.
“Look, Izzy. They must be here to apologize for dumping those rocks on us.”
The leader of the Shirks sighed like someone charged with a duty that he found unpleasant.
“That’s as far as you go.”
“I’m probably going to disagree.”
I had my short blade out in my hand. Izzy had already strung an arrow. I knew Izzy would only get off a couple of shots before they closed in, but he had a club ready on his belt. I was counting on calling their bluff, maybe saving us a long battle.
“You can’t get more than a few of us.” The leader looked steel-eyed, but the others looked like they weren’t as sure.
“Maybe,” came a voice from a cluster of rocks just behind the Shirks. “But I bet we could.”
Blaise stepped out from behind the rocks with his long club. A dark shape dropped from a tree next to him. It was Kyo, long sword drawn.
The leader was attempting to stand his ground, but he had a look on his face that suggested he was trying to figure out what his options were. The others saw only one option and ran. Keeping her sword ready, Kyo let them all run past her and away. We weren’t interested in them. The leader stood frozen.
“Now what?” the leader asked nervously.
I shrugged. “Go. If your job was to hold us for your boss, you probably did fine. He’s the one I want to see anyway. He can come find us.”
He still seemed oddly indecisive. I stepped threateningly in his direction. “Go!”
He broke and ran.
Saripha stepped out from behind the rocks. I gave her a hug.
“What are you folks doing here?”
“Told you before. Things never dull around you, Jack.” Blaise beamed.
“Yeah, well I think they are about to get real exciting. I’ve got to figure out if I can take Knightshade. I might feel better if you were all someplace else.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Saripha nodded.
I looked into her eyes.
“I guess not then.”
I thought for a moment. I didn’t know if this was the right time to tell Saripha what I knew, but she deserved to know.
“Saripha, we know where Guido is.”
Saripha smiled and yet it had a plaintive quality to it.
“I know too. I sensed it at the time I made contact with the Magister, although it took a while for me to realize.”
“Don’t you want to try and...”
Saripha put her fingers on my lips. A tear f
ormed in each eye.
“In time. There is work to be done. I sense we need to do this.”
I nodded and looked around to the others.
“I appreciate your help and support more than you ever know. The most important thing, whatever happens to me, is that one of us has to get into the mountain to find out what is going on in there.”
I began walking and the others joined me.
“Never could resist a good mystery.” Izzy chuckled.
21.
We were almost all the way across the grasslands before Knightshade appeared.
We sent Saripha ahead around the periphery, keeping to the trees. I figured she would figure a way into the mountain if she had to and, although not still mortal, I wasn’t sure Knightshade wouldn’t zero in on her again if she were with me. I wanted to send Kyo or Izzy with her, but she refused. We decided it would be okay as the Shirks had fled and we weren’t expecting more trouble from them.
I spotted the shadow a split second before I would have had a grappling hook sunk in my back and rolled sideways, coming back on my feet. Knightshade floated just above me. He had apparently decided to dispose of the spider-head glamour.
“No thanks. Janovic already let me try the meat hook. I think I’ll pass.”
“I see you brought your friends. Little ants waiting to be crushed.”
My body turned blue. Not that I watched it, it was pretty automatic at this point. However, the sensation it created was unmistakable.
“Let’s say we leave them out of this. They can be your audience. This is between you and me.”
I floated up and hovered a few feet away from him.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it? I’ve wanted to exterminate you since I met you.”
“I seem to have that effect on people.”
He looked at me, all the while forming one arm into a razor-sharp blade.
“Why have this fight? You know you can’t win in the long run. You have the power to transfer your blue energy to another. End this and I will leave you all in peace.”
The appeal to get me to “be reasonable” rang false as well as corny to me. I saw Kyo below make a gesture and I shot straight at Knightshade. The image broke up and evaporated like fog. I spun around to see Knightshade poised, again with one arm elongated into a blade.
“Right. Metal and illusion.”
