The sun, already halfway to midday, cut at his eyes and he could feel a gentle twinge of pain, reminding him that his hangover had only been masked by Hadley. It was still there, just waiting to take over once the spell was gone. Karl trusted that like so many post-pissed bouts, he could master this one with an oversized breakfast and a tub full of water.
“Good morning, mighty victor,” Aysa said, with her hand raised toward him. “Good of you to finally peel your drunken ass out of bed.” She smiled, but her face was drawn. The crowd could read the sadness on it, one indicative of friends and comrades parting ways for good.
Karl eyed the packs at their feet, which bulged at the sides. Devin sat between Gregory’s legs with her tiny black eyes darting about, either taking in the farewell or looking for acorns. Walking toward them, Karl dragged a hand across his beard and then, only briefly, looked around at the crowd that had come to watch the tragedy of their parting play out. It was as if they were actors on a stage, and Karl hoped he wouldn’t disappoint.
“Aye, I guess this is it then.”
Gregory nodded. “I’ll bring word back to the others. Hannah will be proud of you, Karl. She always knew you were special.”
Karl nodded slowly. “Thank ye, Gregory. Listen, it has been a run. A good run, at that. I would love ta say ye need me ta take on all that damned stuff that waits fer ye, but I know it ain’t true.”
“We will do what we can, but you have been called to something greater indeed!” Gregory looked down at Devin, who was sitting on his pack. “You want to take her with you?”
Karl laughed. “Ye go back ta yer lady without her critter and you’ll wish ye never went back at all. Besides, the emissary goes in alone, so no little weasels.”
Devin stood up on her hind legs and chattered her own goodbye to Karl.
Stepping forward, Hadley pulled Karl into a hug. “Be careful down there,” he said, barely loud enough to be heard by the onlookers.
“Betcher ass I will be.” He stepped back from the hug and looked at each of them one last time. “Let this be it, then. I hate long goodbyes almost as much as I hate magic!”
They all had one last laugh together. Karl hugged Aysa and Gregory, pulling them both into his short strong arms, and then walked back to the king’s residence where he was met by Esder and Clarisse, the ladies who had prepared him for the festival dinner.
“It’s hard to say goodbye to friends, Karl. We watch this twice a year, and each time it breaks my heart more than the last,” Esder said. The smart-assed old woman was nothing but sincere that morning. “Even when it’s a foreigner like yourself, it is hard to watch the parting of friends.”
Karl nodded. “I certainly appreciate that.” He glanced over his shoulder for the first time as the others turned down a side street and walked out of sight.
“Yes,” Clarisse interrupted, “well, that is all fine and good, but there is work to be done. We can’t have you going to meet the gods of all the universe looking like that.”
Karl snorted. “Not this shite again.”
Esder gently touched his arm. “This one is mostly on your own, dear. It is time for your ceremonial rites.”
Karl huffed. “Do them rites include a big breakfast and hot tea?”
The ladies looked at each other, holding back laughter. Clarisse shook her head. “No, Karl. The fast is an important part of the descent. The victor must go down to paradise pure, untainted by the food of our world.”
“Well, I hope the gods have a heapin’ plate of ham an’ eggs fer me when I get there. Me stomach is gurglin’.”
“No doubt,” Esder said with a grin. “After all that dancing you did last night.” She winked. “Maybe you should think of sticking to fighting. It suits you better.”
They turned and led him down the hall, Karl cursing the day as he went. Doors opened on either side of the hall as their footsteps clacked through the corridor. In each open doorway stood a member of the king’s court. Their eyes were fastened on the floor, and as Karl passed them each dropped to one knee.
“What the bloody hell?” Karl whispered.
Esder looked over her shoulder. “As of this morning, you are no longer a common man. You are like one of them.”
“Them?”
“The gods,” she replied.
“Scheisse.”
After taking several turns in the labyrinthine passageway, the ladies stopped at a giant door on their right. Esder turned the knob, pushed it open, and stepped out of the way in one swift move. The women stood on either side of the door, their heads dropped in their own pose of reverence.
“We go in there?”
“Not we,” Clarisse said. “It is a holy place. Not even the king enters. A young virgin has readied the ceremonial bath for you. Your robe is on a hook. Take your time and prepare yourself. The water is both symbol and signature of your departure from our world. It will purify you and ready your soul for paradise. When you are done, there will be a guide waiting here for you.” She looked up for a second and then back at the floor. “It has been a pleasure to serve you, Karl of the Heights. May you have safe passage to the other side.”
Karl wanted to reach out and touch them, but all he mustered was a quick “thanks” before stepping into the room. The door closed with a thud behind him.
The room was a giant dome, as if he were inside a giant bowl flipped upside-down on top of him. It was empty except for a snow-white robe hanging from a single hook to his right and a pool nearly twenty feet across in the direct center. Steam rose from the crystal-clear water toward the ceiling, where it escaped through a perfectly round hole that allowed a single beam of sunlight to cut through the fog and dance on the surface of the water.
Sweat immediately beaded on his brow, and Karl stripped in hopes that his body might cool a bit before he plunged himself into the massive ceremonial bath. Leaving his filthy rags behind him, he stepped to the edge of the pool and peered in. He squinted, thinking his eyes were deceiving him, but after a moment he realized he couldn’t see the bottom even though the water was clearer than any he had ever seen.
He looked over his shoulder, wondering if Hadley was hiding somewhere playing a trick on his mind, but he was alone. Either the pool was extraordinarily deep, or there was some magic afoot. For a beat he considered splashing some water on himself and claiming he had been cleansed, but some sort of old folksy superstition set in and Karl knew deep in his bones that he’d be found out.
“Only one damned way to find out,” he said aloud, his voice echoing around the domed ceiling.
Pinching his nostrils between his thumb and forefinger, he took a deep breath and jumped. His body cut through the surface, sinking deep, and he felt the pressure of the water press against his head. Karl looked down, searching for the stone floor, but the pool seemed to fall away forever.
Intrigued, he let his weightless body spin downward and stroked through the water with cupped hands. Curiosity drove him as he gave all he could to solve the puzzle, but his lungs started screaming and he turned back and made his way to the surface. By the time he made it his head was pounding and his body coveted the damp air that surrounded him.
In only seconds his head cleared and he leaned back, letting the water support his weight. Karl couldn’t be sure if it was the mystery of the ceremonial pool or something in the water, but as his hairy body floated he felt better than he had for as long as he could remember.
“Scheisse, I could get used ta this.”
He stayed in the bath for some time, letting the warm water soothe his muscles and calm his mind. While he didn’t believe the story the Heemites had told him about the gods beneath, this place felt all together holy.
Finally the rearick paddled over to the edge and pulled himself out, letting himself drip dry before pulling on the pure white robe. It fell perfectly to his ankles.
“Like they tailored the damned thing,” he said with a stupid grin on his face.
He couldn’t help but imagi
ne that he was somehow the demigod they all believed him to be.
After one last look at the magical pool, he turned for the door and stepped out into the hall. Two young women waited for him, garbed in long ceremonial dresses of purple wool. Neither looked at him when he exited, but kept their eyes trained on imaginary dots on the wall.
“Well, ladies, guess it’s time for us to go,” he finally said.
They pivoted and started to walk, their steps perfectly timed with each other.
They walked like that through the corridors, twisting and turning down the elaborate hall. No doors were open. No one was there to kneel as he passed. Everything was completely silent.
“Aye, this ain’t creepy as hell, right?” he said, but got no response from his guides.
When they reached the double doors that Karl recognized as the exit, the young women each grasped a knob. Simultaneously they pulled the doors open, and Karl faced the square in front of the king’s residence. The high-noon sun hit his face, blinding him. At the same time a wild cheer rose up from the crowd.
Karl’s eyes adjusted, revealing more people than he had ever thought lived in the small mountain town. Aardash stood on the top step, a look of pure joy washing over him as he gazed at Karl in his ceremonial robe.
“A true victor, and a suitable emissary to the gods,” he said, his hands outstretched.
“Um...thanks,” Karl muttered with a hint of embarrassment.
He stepped forward and stood by the king, who grabbed Karl’s hand and raised it over their heads. The crowd went crazy, whistling and stomping and chanting his name.
“Scheisse,” he mumbled as he tried to smile and look noble.
“It’s all for you,” Aardash told him.
“Just one question. What the hell is up with that pool?”
Aardash laughed. “Well, I guess we still have some secrets left after all.”
“Is it magic?”
He replied, “The rearick aren’t the only mountain folk who know how to dig. Did you find the bottom?”
“Hell, no.”
The king smiled. “Of course you didn’t.” His eyes cut from Karl to a wooden cart covered with thousands of purple flowers and pulled by a donkey. The driver halted it at the base of the stairs. “Finally! That thing was supposed to be here and ready for you an hour ago, but make nothing of it. Your chariot has arrived.”
Aardash told Karl it was time for him to go. Walking down the steps, he could feel the king on his heels. He stopped at the cart and turned.
“Thank ye,” Karl said.
Aardash blushed. “No, Karl. Thank you. Never have we sent them one from beyond the mountain, or one so capable as you. I believe the gods will be truly pleased, and we shall be blessed.”
He just stared back at the beaming king. Finally he shook the man’s hand and climbed into the cart, wanting nothing more than to get underground.
The driver, his eyes darting about nervously, handed him the reins. “So sorry, sir. I had a problem, um, yoking the mule. It was… Well, I’m sorry.” He shook his head and dropped to the ground, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Without another thought, Karl flipped the reins and set the beast to walking. The mule knew its course, heading down the road toward the mines as if directed by a druid. As Karl made his way through the crowd, the Heemites threw flowers in his path and waved giant branches full of green leaves, laying them in the road before the approaching victor.
For a little while Karl gave them what they wanted. He smiled, waved, and even leaned out and shook a hand or two. But as the road rose toward the sheer face of the cliff he grew subdued. Focused. He had no idea what lay ahead, and the rearick wanted to be ready for anything.
By the time he came to the giant doors in the rock wall, the crowd had thinned. A dozen or so people had followed him on the journey, still shouting his name and waving branches. Karl turned and gave them one last wave as the doors creaked open and the mule walked himself and his passenger into the dark cavern.
Cool air whipped around his head and the rough ground crunched under the weight of the cart’s wheels. Karl looked back, seeing a thick tarpaulin covering the cargo—surely the Heemites’ gifts for the gods. The doors slammed closed behind him and the darkness was total. The mule forged on though, and soon a dim light became visible in the passageway. Torches hung every few feet, lighting the way for his journey.
“Never thought I’d say this,” Karl mumbled into the darkness, “but I’d give me left nut fer a proper magitech torch.”
“If I’d had time I would have made you one,” a voice whispered from behind him. “No nut required.”
Karl pivoted in his seat as the tarpaulin was pulled back and Gregory stuck his head out.
“Damn, I’m glad ta see yer face, Gregory!” Karl snorted. “Was gettin’ a wee bit nervous that I was on me own down here.”
“What about us?” Aysa asked as she crawled out from under the tarp, Hadley by her side.
“Aye, seein’ as we’re ridin’ toward only-the-Bitch-knows-what, I’m damned glad not ta be doin’ it by meself.”
Devin crawled from Gregory’s bag and chittered at Karl.
“Yeah, ye little rat, I’m even happy ta see ye. Now, who’s ready to meet some gods?”
****
The cart crept along at a gentle pace, light flickering in the passageway and only the sound of the wheels rolling over stone and sand breaking the silence. It gave Karl time to tell his tale of the ceremonial rites, the bottomless pool, and his empty stomach. The story was uncommon enough that it didn’t warrant the rearick’s traditional embellishments.
Once he had finished, Gregory filled him in on how Hadley had bewitched the cart driver long enough for them to slip under the tarp and make themselves comfortable enough for the journey into the caverns.
“Here, I bet you could use this,” Hadley said, pulling a giant apple from a sack in the cart.
“May the Matriarch bless your mind-tinkerin soul, Hadley.” Karl grabbed the fruit and sank his teeth into it, juices running down into his beard. “Damn that’s good.”
“I imagine they only give their first fruits to the gods,” Aysa said, holding up a leg of lamb. “There’s enough to feed team Triple-B for a month in here.”
“At least,” Gregory added.
“Well,” Karl said with his mouth full of fruit, “this is enough ta tempt even the best of men. Hope I don’t really need me soul ta be pure for them gods.”
They were silent until Gregory said, “About that... We have no bloody clue what awaits us down here, but I think we need to be ready for the worst. The Heemites have been exporting their best fighters into these caves for years, and none has ever returned.”
“Wait!” Aysa said with a sly smile on her face. “We’re not riding toward paradise? I am so out of here.”
Hadley laughed. “I’ve been actually thinking about this one. Weird as hell, right? I mean, they keep shipping people below, no one comes up, and judging by the lit torches, there’s definitely life down here.”
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Gregory added.
They all fell silent, and a sound met them from ahead in the corridor. Slow heavy footsteps echoed off the walls.
“Looks like it’s time for us to leave the victor to inherit heaven on his own,” Aysa said.
Karl gritted his teeth, knowing his friends were about to leave him again. Gregory reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Stay in it,” he whispered. “We won’t be far away.”
“Aye, I got this,” Karl responded.
Hadley, Aysa, and Gregory eased off the back of the cart and crept behind it, staying in the shadow it cast in the torchlight.
Karl cleared his throat as the cart slowed to a stop. “Aye, I am the victor,” his voice bellowed with feigned confidence.
There was silence for what felt like an eternity. A man, stocky and wearing a robe of white, dirty from years underground, stood before the mule. His ey
es were vacant. “Follow me to meet the gods,” he finally said in an empty monotone.
Karl took one last look at his friends, swallowed hard, and stepped down from the cart. The figure turned and began to walk. Karl wasn’t sure where they were going, but from the looks of the man he doubted it was paradise.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Two hours into the hike toward the towers the canopy overhead grew thicker—something that Hannah hadn’t realized was possible. Laurel led the way, attempting to find the clearest path through the undergrowth, with Vitali keeping her heading in the right direction.
Sal lumbered behind them with Parker on his back. He was pissed to have to ride the dragon, but everyone knew they were going to need all the strength he could muster. Although he felt a thousand times better than he had when they left, the effects of the poison still lingered, making him weaker than usual.
Hannah took up the rear, mind reaching in every direction to scan for signs of sentient life. All was quiet, and the hike proved uneventful.
Until they pushed through the final wall of plants.
Laurel stumbled into the clearing first. Ten yards of rubble, broken pieces of the once-mighty tower, stood between her and the structure that loomed above. It was about the size of the building that had been their home outside Arcadia as they planned the rebellion. She exhaled as the others came out of the jungle to stand next to her. “Well, this shouldn’t be too hard. The way the glavne spoke I expected something a little more, well, daunting.”
“If only,” Vitali said. “Follow me.”
They picked their way through the remains of the mighty skyscraper. Vitali was swift on his feet, and danced over the rocks with ease. He stopped a few yards ahead and waited for his new friends with a grin on his face. “There,” he said as the others caught up. “A little more like what you were expecting?”
They looked in the direction he was pointing, and their eyes grew wide. Behind the first tower was a second that had been hidden from their sight. This one was nearly five times as tall as the first, stretching unreasonably high into the sky. Laurel couldn’t help but wonder how the thing stayed in place like that.
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