Arts of Dark and Light: Book 01 - A Throne of Bones

by Vox Day

  On the seventh day of the fourteenth month I reached Mount Arman and found that which I had sought. Upon the account of the king of Kir Kalithael, I spoke and conversed with the wondrous head of the divided man, who lived though he had been slain, and spoke though his head had been set upon a spear and his body given to the fire by the king of the men of the Cormazond.

  Many prophecies did he speak unto the men who did not fear to approach him. Many oracles did he pronounce to all who listened. Many gifts did he promise to the man who would take his head down from the pike and give it to the fire, but none dared serve him in this manner for fear of the king of the men of the Cormazond. I climbed the mount in order to see what sort of man he was and what was the nature of this miracle that permitted him to see and speak although his head was cut from his body and his body was no more.

  He told me of his kind, who are neither elves, nor men, nor angels, but a race that lived when the world was young. They were mighty and wise. They knew what was transacted in the heavens. They beheld the earth and understood what is there transacted, from its beginning to its end. They beheld summer and winter: perceiving that the whole earth is full of water; and that the cloud, the dew, and the rain refresh it. They considered and beheld every tree, how it appears to wither, and every leaf to fall off, except of fourteen trees, which are not deciduous; which wait from of old for the appearance of the new leaf, for two or three winters.

  They saw that every work of the gods was invariable in the period of its appearance.

  They considered the days of summer, that the sun is upon it at its very beginning; while the earth is scorched up with fervid heat, and the ground may not be walked upon in consequence of that heat. They considered the days of winter, which grow short with the retreat of the sun and witness the covering of the earth with ice and snow. They considered the days of spring, when the earth returns to life again and the trees put forth their green leaves, become covered, and produce fruit. They considered the days of autumn, when the earth brings forth her bounty and the harvests are collected against the barren season to come.

  “Are you certain you have the right scroll?” Theuderic asked Silvertree.

  “Indeed,” the high elf replied, looking amused. “Be patient, magician. The depth of your understanding will not increase according to the speed with which your knowledge is acquired. I will admit our ancestors do often betray somewhat of a predilection for belaboring the obvious, but there is often method in their meanderings. My lady Everbright, do continue.”

  “Yes, my lord,” she said absentmindedly, staring intently at the scroll. “But what does that word mean? Ah, pay no mind, I see it now.”

  It happened that his people looked upon the earth and saw that the sons of men had multiplied in those days, that daughters were born to the elves, elegant and beautiful, that in the forests and plains the generations of the orcs grew abundant, and that under the mountains the progeny of the dwarves swelled and became great in number. And they saw that even as the seasons proceeded from one to the next, one day they should have to make war upon the sons of men, the daughters of elves, the generations of orcs, and the progeny of dwarves, lest war be made upon them.

  But they were mighty and they were wise and they were good, and their leader, Masyaza, said to them: we shall not stay and slay the sons of men and the daughters of elves, neither shall we remain and destroy the generations of orcs, the progeny of dwarves and the issue of goblins. I say we shall leave this world to walk the shadows and to build a new heaven and a new earth where we may live in peace, alone and unmolested. And their leader, Masyaza, said to them: I fear that you may perhaps be indisposed to the performance of this enterprise.

  But they answered him and said: we all swear and bind ourselves by mutual execrations that we will not change our intention but execute our projected undertaking and walk the shadows with you.

  Then their leader, Masyaza, said to them: how shall it be that we should leave this earth and build a new one if the sons of men and the daughters of elves will one day follow us? Then Qelbara, who was great among them and a keeper of the secrets, arose and vowed that he and twelve of his companions would not accompany Masyaza through the shadows but would remain behind to ensure that neither the sons of men, nor the daughters of elves, nor the generations of orcs, nor the progeny of dwarves would ever follow the path of their people. Masyaza acclaimed Qelbara, and the people acclaimed his companions, and those who were to stay behind were named the Watchers.

  And the Watchers’ names were Qelbara, Laesa, Zahamiseh, Arphoqart, Herimon, Samsela, Samyaza, Merars, Vazeba, Amarazak, Karanylas, Baatral, and Arazayel. Qelbara was their prefect and their chief.

  The one with whom I spoke gave his name as Merars, one of the Watchers. He said the Watchers could take any form they wished, but that as their memories faded over the passing years, they found it more comforting to return again and again to the same form. They could not die, although they could be slain, and once their bodies returned to ashes and dust they would sleep for a time, then awake again, fully restored and in their original form, which he said is like unto a man or elf, only larger and more perfect. Again he begged me to take his head from the spear and give it to the fire, that he might be reborn again in time and avenge himself on the king of the people of the Cormazond or his descendants.

  When I asked him how he had come to this pass, he told me that his fellow Watchers had gone mad and involved themselves with the various peoples of Thelenothas. Some of them had taken wives, each choosing for himself whom they began to approach, and with whom they cohabited. They taught these wives sorcery, incantations, and the dividing of roots and trees. And the women, conceiving, brought forth giants, and monsters, and great evils of every kind.

  Others made themselves out as gods. Arazayel taught men to make swords, knives, shields, and breastplates, so that the race of men became warlike. Laesa taught our fathers the fabrication of mirrors, and the workmanship of bracelets and ornaments, the use of paint, the beautifying of the eyebrows, and all sorts of dyes, so that the elves changed and became beautiful, as if they were of the people who left the Watchers behind. Arphoqart taught the dwarves the use of stones of every valuable and select kind and how to delve deep beneath the ground for the metal rivers that flow through the roots of the mountains. And Amarazak taught the orcs that the life is in the blood.

  “I believe I comprehend the gist of it,” Theuderic broke in. He was never able to retain anything he learned by listening, but preferred reading things for himself, although that was hardly an option here. “You think this thing in the palace is one of these Watchers?”

  “I think it is a very real possibility,” Silvertree said. “And if that is the case, he will not be the only Watcher who has been roused to action by the present course of the moon and stars. That is why I am going to suggest that you both leave for the north as soon as you can. You must tell your king to prepare his realm for war on a scale that he has never before imagined. You may also assure him that, for as long as the situation persists, he need not waste his forces patrolling his borders against our kind. Before you go, I will prepare a letter to that effect.”

  “A letter?” Theuderic asked dubiously. “I can’t imagine you’re empowered to bind the high king in such a way.”

  “The gods themselves couldn’t bind the high king even if they wished. I’m not promising anything. I’m merely suggesting that if your king sees fit to take the initiative, he will likely find King Mael unusually inclined to listen, given how I have been providing him with the same information I give to you now.”

  “I see. But I don’t understand something. Just because we can’t kill these creatures, at least not permanently, it doesn’t mean they’ve got any interest in men or elves. If they’ve been around for thousands of years, they obviously haven’t done us any real harm over all that time. Why are you suddenly so concerned about them now—because one of them might have killed a few celestes? The Church can alway
s make more. The Sanctiff just named two new ones yesterday!”

  “I think I may know why,” Lithriel said, looking up from the scroll that she’d continued reading silently. “It says, ‘All the earth has been corrupted by the effects of the teaching of Arazayel. To him therefore ascribe the whole crime, bind him hand and foot; cast him into darkness; and opening the desert which is in Dudael, cast him in there. Throw upon him hurled and pointed stones, covering him with darkness. But Arazayel learned of Qelbara’s words, and with the aid of Amarazak he raised up a great and mighty army of orcs, with which he threw down Qelbara, he who had been the chief of the Watchers, and set up a mighty fortress, which he called Yhaddiloud, where he awaited the opening of the Door of Shadows.’ That Door of Shadows must be some sort of portal to the new earth the leader of their people, Mazyeha or whatever his name was, led them.”

  “Masyaza,” Silvertree corrected her. “That is indeed the crucial passage. As to the notion that the Watchers have done men and elves little harm over the ages, do allow me to disabuse you of that notion, magician. My researches have led me to conclude that one Watcher or another has been behind the irruption of the Witchkings five hundred years ago—and the great War of the Three Races that led to the destruction of the elven kingdoms of Arathaim and Falas five hundred years before that.

  “Furthermore, I suspect your northern reavers would contest your assumption that no Watcher has done them harm, if I am correct concerning the remarkable rise of those you call ulfin. Neither of our races have ever feared war, but I believe several of the most terrible wars this world has known are the result of one or more Watchers attempting to take control of the gate that provides access to the various dimensional planes.”

  “You seem to know a lot about this,” Theuderic said.

  “I daresay I know more than any living being who is not a Watcher himself, save one. Few elves credit their existence, as there are hundreds if not thousands of references to other, equally outlandish beings to be found in the royal library in Elebrion. And you are likely the only man who has ever heard of them. When I was at the Collegium, I studied under Gilthalas and composed a paper on the topic. It’s always been of interest to me. So when the opportunity to come to Amorr presented itself, I seized it.”

  “Why would a Watcher be in Amorr? Why not Savondir? Or the Wolf Isles, if you think a Watcher is behind the ulfin there?”

  “Based on what Gilthalas and I have gleaned from oblique references and suggestive phrases in various old documents, there is a certain pattern I have observed in the past cycles of what I tend to think of as Watcher wars. The gate opens for a short period of time, more likely measured in weeks than months, and in a location that is not only unknown but is different than the previous occasions.

  “However, the Watchers—at least, those interested—appear to have a good idea when it is going to appear. In preparation for its appearance, they raise armies by manipulating the lesser races, particularly the races of men and orcs, presumably because they are more numerous and warlike, then make use of these armies to gain control of the area in which the shadow door will appear. Or where it can be summoned, perhaps. We know very little of the door itself or the intentions of the various Watchers regarding it. We can only make reasonable assumptions based on the actions of those they are manipulating.”

  “Why do you suppose they don’t make use of us?” Lithriel asked the high elf.

  “Elves are too few, for one thing. We’re too long-lived, for another. Five hundred years, give or take a half-century, appears to be the cycle, and while that’s eight lifetimes for a man and twelve or fifteen for an orc, there are scores of elves who would live from one cycle to the next. So we’re probably less susceptible to their manipulation. Although, who is to say they don’t do so in more subtle fashion? In the end, it was the Collegium that put down the Witchkings, after all.”

  “When is this Door of Shadows going to open?” Theuderic asked. “Or appear, or be summonable? You obviously believe it’s going to happen soon.”

  “From what I can see, the players are still selecting their pieces and moving them into position. If we look to what I believe to be the most recent example, it was seven years between when the Witchkings came to power and when they first began to spread across Wagria.”

  This, at least, was history with which every King’s mage was familiar. “The first records in which the Witchkings appeared was as a heretical death cult in the Margravate of Thauron twelve years before Thule Ahnenvater killed the margrave and crowned himself king.”

  “I did not know that,” Silvertree mused. “I must confess, it never occurred to me that there might be useful documents in the possession of Men.”

  “Men can be useful for all sorts of things,” Lithriel said, with a surreptitious wink at Theuderic. “Would you like me to see if they have any useful records that might reference either the Witchkings or the Watchers at L’Academie when we return?”

  “Indeed. But I think you should consider returning considerably sooner than you have likely been intending. By which I mean that you should leave the city tonight. Do not even return to the Sanctiff’s palace.”

  Theuderic stared at the high elf in amazement. He turned to Lithriel and saw that she too was nonplussed by Silvertree’s unexpected suggestion. “I presume you have some reason for recommending such a drastic action,” Theuderic asked. “Do you genuinely believe we might be in danger from the Watcher there, even if one is truly hidden within the curia? I can’t imagine the Church itself wishes either the Lady Everbright or me any harm.”

  “I doubt the Church intends either of you any harm,” the high elf said. “Even if they look upon your relationship with the lady elfess with little more approval than the high king would. But you are the only one who has detected magic where there should be none, and I doubt that after it has been given time to reflect upon the matter, it will hesitate to eliminate anyone who might threaten to expose it and upset its plans. Both you and the lady present a potential problem to it, since I am certain it knows nothing of the nature of elven sorcery and would therefore not be aware that you are no longer a sorceress, Lady Everbright.

  “These beings are very cunning, adept at hiding themselves and their true intentions, and they are ruthless even by elven standards. No Watcher would hesitate to kill any number of lesser beings from the younger races rather than accept even a small risk of its plans being disrupted. And I fear your visit here may well have alarmed it, as where would one go to learn about them but to an elf?”

  “I don’t understand,” Lithriel said. “How could we disrupt its plans?”

  “By exposing it as a practitioner of the dark arts,” Theuderic said before Silvertree could respond. “Which, here in Amorr, amounts to anything that even remotely smacks of magic or sorcery. But will all due respect, my lord Ambassador, this is all very farfetched. We don’t even know if one of these things exists anymore, still less that it intends us any harm.

  “That is true. We know nothing for certain. We merely have a few points of information from which the pattern is drawn, and perhaps it is the wrong one. But you may wish to keep in mind that one does not live five centuries without learning to keep an askance eye on everyone and devote a thought or two to their fouler possibilities. When dealing with men, I have learned to expect the worst, and I am very seldom disappointed.”

  “They surprise you sometimes,” Lithriel said, flashing a rare smile at him. It was sweet, but it was like a dagger probing at the guilt and shame he carried deep within him. “But even if we were to heed your advice, how would you propose we leave the city tonight? All of our clothing and possessions are at the palace. Can you send for them?”

  “And there is the matter of my men.” Theuderic pointed out. “I can’t simply abandon them here in Amorr without even telling them that I’m leaving.”

  “Where are they? Did they accompany you to the palace?”

  “No, we had a troop escort of about thirty men
-at-arms. They were forced to wait outside the outer wall, although I think they were permitted to stay in a barracks of some sort in that ring between the walls. I don’t know where, although I recall someone told me it was near a church.”

  The high elf shook his head. “If you don’t know where they are, there is nothing we can do. If it’s possible, I will have my colleague see if he can find them after you’ve gone and let them know you’ve already left the city. If you wish, I can provide you with some writing materials, and you can leave them a message. But I don’t think you need fear for them. They’ve done no wrong, and I expect they’ll simply be ordered out of the city like any other group of foreigners.”

  “This is lunacy!” Theuderic slammed his fist down upon the arm of the chair in which he was seated. “I haven’t agreed to go anywhere! Lithriel, we don’t actually know that any Watcher even exists. For all I know, the Church could be keeping a pet elf somewhere in that vast mausoleum. Someone has to train the Michaelines, after all. And even if there was one of these immortal beings lurking in the bowels of the Coviria, we have no reason to assume that its presence is unknown to the Church hierarchy or to believe it intends us any harm at all! The fact that you’ve survived for five centuries doesn’t mean that your paranoia is justified, my lord Ambassador. I simply must return to the palace.”

  The high elf spread his hands and shrugged. “You may well be correct. But if you do return to the palace today, I should still like to suggest that you leave Lady Lithriel here.

  Lithriel made a face. “I don’t know if that’s necessary.”

  “No, that’s not a bad idea,” Theuderic said. “If I’m wrong and the Lord Ambassador is justified in his concerns, at least you’ll not suffer for it. I’ll have a better chance of escaping by myself too. It’s not likely that they’d hold us in the same cell. And don’t forget: I do have some protection by virtue of my being a representative of the king. You don’t. My lord, could you get her out of the city, if need be?”