‘All these years you’ve been moving squads here and there, all over the Realm, and you’ve been guessing the word for our bloody destination?’ Sergeant Essa’s tone was deceptively mild.
‘It’s not like that. Not completely.’ Even to himself Shivan heard the weakness of his defence.
Tika wandered from arbour to arbour, ending up at the one where she’d first met Darallax. She sat on a bench whose high back was swathed in pale green leaves and dark purple, flat faced flowers. Shivan’s mention of patterns had recalled her first attempts to reach for power.
Emla’s Seniors, Kemti, Nesh and Iska, had tried patiently, over, and over, and over again, to show her how to move a tea pot across a table. All she’d been able to do was make the poor tea pot break into hundreds of tiny fragments. Until in stubborn despair, she’d grabbed the threads of power, clearly visible to her although not, apparently, to the Seniors, and had woven them into a pattern. But she did it in her head, she didn’t waggle her fingers. Was it the same?
She closed her eyes and summoned a memory of Lord Favrian in the lowest corridors of the Karmazen Palace. He had called cold fire, to destroy the corpses of guards taken over by the Crazed One. In her mind, Tika watched the play of his fingers. She dismissed the memory, opened her eyes and stared at the air directly in front of her. She drew a tiny morsel of power, split into many strands, and wove those strands. Flame hovered in the air a few paces from her bench, cold white flame, that burned silently and with no visible source.
Tika let the threads disintegrate and the flame was gone. Emla’s people had been fascinated by the way she manipulated power, but although she had shown them what she did, they had little, if any, success in copying her method. She plucked one of the flowers and stared into its pale creamy centre. The Dark Ones must surely once have shared the same language as those of Shadow. Tika knew that many Dark Ones she had met were of incredible age; older even than the black Dragon, Fenj, and she’d once worked out that he must have lived for around a thousand years.
If the Splintered Kingdom had arrived here two, even three, thousand years ago, that language common to both Dark and Shadow would still be known. Subaken had greeted her in that language and she spoke the common tongue with an accent. Tika sighed, twirling the flower between her fingers. She didn’t remember Ren or Babach ever mentioning a secret or ritual tongue in Drogoya. She sent a thought to Shivan, asking him to join her, and allowed herself a moment to hope the First Daughter was recovering.
Shivan peered round a column which was smothered in blue trumpet flowers and Tika waved him to the bench beside her.
‘Did you have much chance to talk with Corman?’
‘Not really. I did ask him about Light. He said Hanlif was the First Son, Lord of Light, but that he was long gone from this world.’
‘And yet Light seems more welcomed throughout all the lands I’ve seen. Corman explained it to me once, about the Dark, and it made sense and I understood it. But still, people live their lives in the light rather than the dark, even your own people.’
‘But light was a gift from Mother Dark,’ Shivan explained patiently. ‘Light and Shadow both are her children, her creations.’
‘When Corman said the Lord – Hanlif? – was gone from this world, did he mean he’d died, or – gone somewhere else?’
Shivan spread his hands helplessly.
‘Oh well. Let’s see if Darallax is feeling either helpful or talkative yet.’ She stood, holding a hand out to pull Shivan up. ‘What were your main interests at the Academy? Daylith said he liked history best, but I wager he knows nothing of all this.’
‘I was, and am, interested in time. But everyone told me all I was doing was wasting it.’
It was afternoon in fact, before the Shadow Lord, his Chancellor and Subaken joined Tika and her companions. The sun had grown hotter over the last days and they were sitting on the river bank beneath small trees whose blossoms were just opening into tiny scented flowers. Navan and Sket were telling stories of the Ganger Wars in western Sapphrea to the three guards and two engineers. Occasional ribald and sceptical comments interrupted the stories but couldn’t actually stop them.
Farn reclined by Tika, watching Storm plunge into the river and return with fat fish which he insisted on giving to Shea. Shea now had seven fish on the grass beside her and was trying to persuade Storm that she really didn’t need any more.
‘Visitors,’ Tika murmured as she caught sight of the three most important people in the Shadow Realm emerge from the roadway. Storm had just deposited an eighth fish and now watched Subaken approach.
‘The Chyliax have gone exploring,’ he announced in mind speech. ‘Some are still here. They told me where the best fish were.’
Subaken cleared her throat. ‘I can see you are one of the most skilled fishers I have ever seen.’
Tika grinned. ‘But that probably is enough for our supper Storm. Really.’
Slightly disappointed, Storm reclined next to Farn and prepared to listen to the conversation. For the first time, Tika saw Darallax a little unsure. But then, she thought, he can’t have had many serious discussions sitting on grassy river banks with a couple of Dragons paying keen attention. The guards too had moved closer. Konrik glanced at his master.
‘It has been decided that we must tell you what we know of the Splintered Kingdom,’ he began, but Darallax waved him to silence.
‘You might consider us weaklings, cowards, for choosing to hide all this time,’ said the Shadow Lord. ‘But we have tried to study the Splintered Kingdom during our concealment. With some success. You told me that you, and most people, including our Dark brothers, believe the Kingdom to be what you called a Place Between. Or another Plane of Existence? We know something of those things and we conclude that the Splintered Kingdom is neither.’
A breeze rustled the tender leaves above them and sent a fresh burst of fragrance into the air. Darallax gazed out over the river then back to Tika.
‘You know of the Ships that came from the most distant stars?’
He waited for Tika’s nod.
‘We conclude that the Splintered Kingdom is similar to those Ships. Of a different size and form and nature, of course, but nonetheless, it is a Ship. The Crazed One is its occupant, or maybe he is the Ship itself. Our opinions are divided on this.’
‘How much do you know of the Ships?’ Tika demanded of both Darallax and Shivan.
Shivan replied first. ‘We know that some of them came down to this world and they had people inside them.’
Darallax nodded. ‘We too knew this.’
‘But these Ships were alive. They were made – I don’t know how – but they had living human brains.’
Darallax looked appalled. ‘Brains?’ he repeated faintly at the same time as Shivan asked: ‘Living?’
‘Show them Star Flower, my Tika,’ Farn suggested. ‘My Tika mended Star Flower. She was near death. Show them.’
Tika picked through her memories and showed a mental picture of the battered Ship Star Flower. She let them see inside, to the place where Captain Sefri revealed the compartment in which floated a living brain. Tika allowed Darallax and the others to hear Sefri’s explanation of where that brain came from, and finally she showed them Star Singer. Storm became agitated when he saw the picture of Star Singer again, but he was distressed rather than angry. He leaned close against Farn and let Navan and Shea soothe him.
Sket watched the faces as they absorbed Tika’s mind pictures, and wasn’t surprised by the healer Konya’s expression of avid interest. He saw Subaken regarding Tika with an oddly calculating look, but he wasn’t sure what the Shadow Daughter could be trying to judge. Darallax blinked as the scenes faded.
‘I am amazed at those Ships,’ he admitted. ‘I believe the Splintered Kingdom is much – larger – different.’ He waved a hand helplessly. ‘Imagine a fog, or a cloud. That is how I have sensed that place. Thinner in some parts, denser in others. And whether the entire cloud is intel
ligent or just a hidden core, I have no idea.’
‘But we’ve seen rock, tunnels in rock,’ Shea objected. ‘The Chyliax can confirm that too, poor things.’
‘Maybe there is illusion. Maybe the intelligence has copied things it has seen, or remembered. But I do agree that, as we understand sanity, the intelligence of or within the Splintered Kingdom is far from that understanding: it is indeed a Crazed One.’
‘So how did Lord Favrian open a gateway into such a place?’ Tika asked.
‘We will consider that but perhaps you should simply ask Favrian.’
‘The simple answers are usually the best,’ Dog nodded judiciously and received glares from both Shivan and Tika.
‘Did you notice any change in the gateway, Shivan?’
‘No I didn’t.’ He glanced at Darallax. ‘Lady Tika wondered if it was possible that a gateway could be attacked, sir.’
The Shadow Lord scowled. ‘Indeed it can,’ he said at once. ‘That’s what happened during the first battle and why the cost was so high for all our peoples.’
‘What happened?’
‘The pattern for the gate was disrupted, obliterating any within in less than an eye blink.’ Konrik extended his leg, pointing to the old scar. ‘I was standing close by when my uncle opened a portal to bring people here. Too close. But at least I lived. My master brought me through, with the last group of people he’d managed to gather. I remember nothing of that.’
‘You said we should have asked Favrian how he opened the way into the Kingdom. Do you want me to go back again?’
Tika chewed her lip then gave a shake of her head. ‘Not yet, Shivan. The fact that Corman’s lost Cyrek, and gateways may not be as safe as you thought, makes me reluctant to let you try again too soon. Darallax, were all gates attacked, or only those of Shadow?’
‘I cannot say. I only know ours were but then, we have had no contact outside of Skaratay since that time. Our young ones learn to use portals only within these bounds.’
‘We are only allowed to use them within our Realm,’ Shivan agreed. ‘Perhaps that implies that our gateways too were attacked?’
‘What we cannot divine, is how our portals were destroyed,’ Konrik spoke heavily. ‘Was it a purposeful attack against a particular target that this being was aware of? Did the formation of a portal somehow impinge on its awareness, thus causing a reactionary attack? Forgive me Lady Tika, but you say that three times now, you have been trapped or lured into the Splintered Kingdom. I would not in any way endorse a plan for you to deliberately place yourself there again. We will find another way.’
He gripped the wooden staff that lay across his knees and faced his master. ‘Let my words stand as the official decree of the Chancellor of Shadow.’
Darallax smiled faintly. ‘No. Let the words stand as the decree of Shadow himself.’
Konrik’s shoulders relaxed and Tika realised how strongly he had felt to place himself in a possibly opposite position to the Shadow Lord. With Darallax’s endorsement of the Chancellor’s decree, she knew she must heed this warning closely. She glanced at Subaken and found emerald eyes staring at her fixedly. Tika felt there was more to learn from the Shadow investigations of the Splintered Kingdom, that there was something they had found, but not recognised as being of importance. She saw they were waiting for some response from her.
‘I would greatly appreciate being allowed to study any documents you are willing to share. I would like to consider your theories in all the detail you have. I ask that some of my companions also view any such papers you have.’
Without hesitation, Darallax nodded. ‘My daughter will show you all the relevant documents.’ His lips twitched. ‘There are quite a lot.’
Tika groaned. She climbed to her feet. ‘Then we should get started on them, shouldn’t we?’
‘My Chancellor and I have several meetings still to attend today but you have only to ask and we will make ourselves available to help you with anything.’
‘Papers, books.’ Sket grumbled as they walked away from the river. ‘If it isn’t stairs or tunnels, it’s papers and bloody books.’
Tika stopped. ‘Sket, take anyone who can’t stand stairs or books, and amuse yourselves doing something important, like weapons drill.’
He scowled although he knew she was joking. ‘And will Dog be joining us?’
‘Can’t pass up the chance of trawling through lots of old books, Captain,’ Dog answered for herself.
Tika turned away to hide her smile at Sket’s look of outrage. ‘Come on then, those of you who can’t wait to get eye strain and headaches. We’ll see you at supper Sket.’
‘But what can I do with these?’ Shea wailed.
They all waited as Shea struggled to catch up, eight fish clutched to her chest. Subaken made a strange sound which Tika strongly suspected heralded an attack of giggles, but Konya came to the rescue.
‘Let’s get these to the kitchens, child. I know the way. And then you’ll need to clean up.’
‘We’ll be round the back of the house Shea,’ Sket told her, knowing she would choose weapons drill over archives.
The company divided and Tika followed Subaken into the house. Dog found a really comfortable chair in a corner and dozed most of the afternoon away while Rhaki, Dromi and Shivan pored over an enormous stack of handwritten leather bound tomes at a table which, most conveniently, blocked Dog in her corner. Navan was thrilled to discover a rack on which were hung countless maps: of this island, of the stars observed from here and from Drogoya, and very detailed maps of the Shadow Realm in Drogoya.
Essa and Tika sat at the largest table and Subaken brought armfuls of papers for them to wade through. She put several notebooks in the middle of the table.
‘These are some of my father’s own observations, and also my own.’
Tika reached for the top one and opened it, hoping it would be in the common tongue. It wasn’t, and she took the next one. To her surprise, this was written in common.
‘Why have you changed languages here?’ she asked.
Subaken pulled a chair in close to the table opposite Tika and Essa.
‘It was father’s idea. Long ago, the Dark Ones spoke the same language as us.’ She shrugged. ‘Well, I would guess most peoples did. But with the great spread of people born of Hanlif’s line crossed with humans, the tongue you use became the most prevalent. Father said our studies should be recorded in your speech. In case we ever – disappeared. Then whoever found them might find some help in these records.’
Tika was skimming through the first pages, written in dark purple ink in a spiky but legible hand.
‘How old are you Subaken? Have you been working on these long?’
‘I am very nearly three hundred and seventy four, barely adult.’
She had her head bent over some loose papers and missed Tika and Essa’s shared look of astonishment.
Silence reigned, broken only by the rustle of paper, the thud of a book being closed, and the occasional muttered comment. When Subaken rose to light lamps around the room, Tika rubbed her eyes. She’d had no idea the day was nearly spent, and so far, although there had been some fascinating little details, she had found nothing at all to confirm Darallax’s theory. She felt hands on her shoulders, kneading the tight muscles around her neck and groaned with pleasure. Dog moved on to do the same for Essa.
‘You got a big picture here Lady Subaken?’ Dog asked. ‘We found pictures on walls all over the place, all very similar.’
‘Well of course.’ Subaken seemed to think everyone would have such a thing.
Dromi half turned in his chair, wincing as his back cramped. ‘Like the big painting in Steadfast Rock?’
Subaken’s eyes glittered in the lamp light. ‘Is it still there? My father did a lot of that one. He speaks of it often. But he wouldn’t do any of the new one here.’
Tika reflected that the “new” one must be at least a thousand years old, but she only asked if they might see it.
By the time they’d descended the one flight of stairs and marched along the colonnade, muscles in legs and backs were loosening enough that they were no longer limping. Halfway along, Tika glanced to her right. A thick fog was rolling slowly up from the river and, as she watched, another row of houses was swallowed from sight. There was just enough light left in the sky for the fog bank to be seen as a wave, inexorably creeping higher up the slope. Tika watched it for a moment, wondering if the Splintered Kingdom could possibly be something both as intangible as fog and yet contain such solidity within it.
She was thoughtful as she followed Subaken through double doors identical to those in the Shadow Lord’s private house. Two lamps lighted a similar hall and the corridors down which Subaken led them were also lit by regularly spaced lamps. Finally they reached the central courtyard, which Tika had guessed was their destination. She felt Subaken use power and the large space was suddenly brightly illuminated. Tika glanced up and saw an opaque skin roofing over the area, like the Domes in the desert, she realised.
Subaken slid closed the doors through which they’d entered and they saw that the walls and doors were entirely covered by the painting. The background was a solid dark purple, but the figures and scenes were vivid with brilliant colours of every hue imaginable. They seemed to be almost alive, as if they could leap off the purple walls and move and speak to those who stared at them.
‘Again, there are no connections through the groups,’ Sergeant Essa murmured. ‘But the Dragons are there, and the Chyliax.’
Tika turned in a slow circle, letting her gaze slide over the painting. Then she turned more quickly, and stopped. Keeping her eyes fixed on the section that had snagged at her, she went towards the wall. Sure she was at the right place, Tika looked round the rest of the huge room. Yes. If the picture was a virtual history of the Shadow Realm, she was at the fairly recent end. What had caught her attention was barely noticeable this close.
Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light Page 39
