He used his sword to scoop it off his boot and flicked it away. Arden was used to things like this. Fighting in confined spaces was always a grizzly business. If only he could have spared his daughter the horror of it. But no one who lived in the Nether could escape violence for long. She was only seventeen, but had already seen more than her fair share of blood.
Arden glanced at Wrynric as the old man pulled the arrow shaft from Perren’s shoulder. The young scion warrior groaned, clutching at the wound as blood trickled down his arm. Erinie plied open his fingers and treated the wound with one of her healing poultices. “You’re going to be alright,” she said, grinning. “Now you won’t lose your arm. You can thank me later.”
Perren’s face had gone as pale as bone.
Arden helped Liana up. "We need to move out."
They all nodded, and quickly gathered their things. All of them were veterans in their own way and understood the way of the Nether. The blood and screams would attract predators. And those predators would not care if their meal was living or dead. Such was the way of things.
WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT a mile from the battleground, Arden stopped them and they took a closer look at their wounds. Perren’s injured shoulder was in a bad way. Though far from fatal, it would stop him from scaling a rope and he’d be unable to wield his weapon. The bone-people had fallen on them by chance, but there were predators out here that would stalk them—waiting for the right moment to pounce on them unawares.
They had to be ready at all times. That made Perren a liability to the group, and he’d have to return home on his own, as they couldn’t spare anyone to escort him back. When Arden approached him, the scion lowered his head. "I have failed you."
Arden placed a hand on his uninjured shoulder. "No, you fought well. Don't feel you failed. It was unfortunate we ran into the bone-scum so close to Sunholm, but now that we know they’re active in this area, someone must warn our people."
Perren nodded. "Then I will return and tell them what happened."
Arden patted him once on the shoulder. "Thank you, brother. Take what supplies you need and make haste."
Walking over to the supply bags, Perren took a small ration of food and some torches. Glancing around at the rest of the group with red-rimmed eyes, he said his farewells and left.
Wrynric passed Arden a water skin. After taking a long drink, Arden said, "I’m surprised we ran into our enemy this close to home. We’re lucky they ran into us, otherwise they might have gotten a lot closer to Sunholm and raided one of our supply caves."
"At least we got em all.” Wrynric grimaced. “And it didn’t cost us a single life."
Arden shoved the cork back into the water skin, thinking of all the scions who had died in the battles with the bone-people. Twenty two—and all in the last year. In that time, only eight scions had been born to replace them, along with another six non-scions who would one day fight alongside them. But it would take years for them to be old enough to fight. If these losses kept up, Sunholm was doomed.
There were other civilized groups of people out in the Nether, but most stuck to their own kind. Arden wiped the blood from his sword. Perhaps once he returned with the artifact, he should seek out the Knives of Dwaycar and ask for their help. They would certainly be more reliable as allies than the Stelemian exiles. Their kind consisted of thieves, murderers and simple peasants who somehow got on the wrong side of the Priest King’s thugs and were banished out here into the Nether.
But the thought of being in debt to the Knives of Dwaycar, was enough to give Arden a bad case of stomach cramps. The way they looked at you when you spoke to them, the way they reviled the technologies of the old world. They were insane zealots, much like the Order of Ibilirith, but they had no love for the bone-scum and would slaughter them without a moment’s thought. That made them potential friends in Arden’s eyes.
Leaning in close to Wrynric, so no one else would hear, Arden said, “I pray to the Lost Sun this artifact will deliver us, because if it doesn’t we’re going to have to ask some unsavory people for aid.”
“It will save us.” The old man’s eyes blazed. “And you will be the one to wield it.”
Arden tried to conjure an image of the artifact in his mind. He had seen it dozens of times in his visiondreams, and yet when he was awake, it was hard to remember what it looked like. Sighing, he gave up trying to picture it. “I’ll converse with Liana and we will decide what way to go from here."
The old man took a sip of water. "Have you had another visiondream? You’ve said nothing of them since we left home."
Arden glanced at Liana, who was helping Erinie bandage Kalisha’s leg. "I haven’t had one since we left. But don’t worry. The images and the feelings Liana and I experienced, are burned into both our minds, so we shouldn’t have any trouble finding the right path."
"No trouble?" Wrynric chuckled. "I find that unlikely."
Wrynric knew as well as Arden that nothing in the Nether could be considered easy. Even with visiondreams to guide them, their journey would be long, hard and dangerous.
When Liana had finished helping Erinie, Arden conversed with her as the librarian studied the map device. "I think we head that way." Liana pointed toward a cave opening a little up the wall from the floor of the chamber.
Arden studied the opening. It did indeed seem familiar, though he had never seen it before, at least, not while awake. “I think you’re right.”
Erinie followed it on her map. “None of you are going to like this, but that passage seems to be one long belly crawl."
Grimacing, Arden motioned them to gather their things. Just what they needed. More belly crawls.
AS ARDEN PULLED HIMSELF through the dripping passages, he let his thoughts wander back to Kristia. He recalled her tears when he had told her he’d come to break his promise. The pain on her face, the grief. The hatred he felt for his own wife.
"I have duties to my covenant. I have duties to my people." He had sobbed so hard his ribs ached. I have a duty to my wife. He had pulled away from Kristia, not wanting to, but knowing he needed to, otherwise he might give in to his heart, and never let her go.
"Duty," Kristia said, tears running ragged streaks down her face. "What about your duty to me and your daughter? You've never once spoken to Kara. I told her you would take us away with you to a better place. She’s been looking forward to meeting you, to leaving here and having a family—like she always wanted." Kristia was almost hysterical.
Arden stood, his chain armor jingling. "I know this is hard for you." If it was so painful for him, it must be unbearable for her. "But I can't take you. My home region out in the Nether has become dangerous of late, and I must focus my energies on defending my people." He sighed, knowing how hollow his excuse must sound. "I may- No I will never return."
That was not the reason he had to do this. It was a convenient excuse. He could not tell her the truth. Curse you, Meridia, you spiteful, wretched husk. I should never have begged for your forgiveness. I should have cast you out into the darkness, where you belong. Our people would understand.
Kristia fell to her knees and tried to reach for him. "Arden," she cried, in a small, taut voice. "Please... please. Don’t leave me."
It ripped apart his heart looking at her like this. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her tight, and say it was all a bad joke. He would take her and Kara away with him, and they would be with him always. Happy and protected, loved and cared for.
But that was not why he’d come.
Turning his back to her, he said, "I love you, Kristia, and that is why I do what I do now. Please take care of yourself. Be happy, find someone who will love and care for you far better than I ever could."
He started toward the door, one step leading into the next, each more painful than the last. I have to get out of here, otherwise I'll turn around and take her in my arms and all this pain will have been for naught.
"Arden. No. Please."
Reach
ing the door, he paused. "Goodbye, Kristia." With that, he strode out and never looked back.
When he was outside, he headed down the street, avoiding the glow of the sacred lights. He veered off the road and into a stalagmite garden, the stone points lit by the phosphorescent bacteria growing on the cavern roof. The monolithic Capital Spire towered above him, its sides glowing with bacterial light. He wanted to scream at it, wanted to grasp it in his hands and shatter it to pieces. But it was bigger than him, bigger than anything in his wretched, miserable life.
I hope you’re happy, Meridia.
"Is it done?"
Arden didn't turn around. "It is done, my friend."
Wrynric came to stand beside him, and gazed out over Crystal Lake. "Then let us return home so we can plan our war."
Sighing, Arden glanced at the tavern one last time. He saw Kristia through her window, weeping, while her old madam consoled her. Wrynric saw her too, and shook his head sadly.
Such was the way of things.
The memory faded, as did Kristia’s beloved face. She was gone now. She could no longer be part of his life.
Emerging into a chamber, Arden stood and stretched. He waited for the others, and they ate and drank, then set out once more. Soon they arrived at another chamber, which was almost as dangerous as the battle with the bone-people. All over the ground were deep pits filled with long, pointy, spear-like stalagmites with only a narrow path between them.
One wrong step, and they could fall and be impaled.
Though the chamber was no more than two hundred feet across, it took over an hour for them to reach the far end. The next chamber was no better than the last and had the added complication of stalactites, some so low they had to go prone and slide under them, while at the same time, trying to avoid falling into the spike-filled pits.
In the next chamber, the ground became a steep slope. The exertion of their journey had worn them down, each of them as exhausted as the others. Then one of them made their first mistake.
Erinie hadn’t gotten a good grip on the rock and she slid down the slope toward a pit of indeterminate depth. Her robes got caught on a jutting piece of rock just before went over the edge.
Screaming, she cried out for someone to grab her. Arden tried to get back to her, but there was no way he could reach her without being imperiled himself. The others were in the same situation. Erinie hunted for a finger hold, but there was little for her to grab. Her robe would not hold long.
Arden rolled onto his back, using one hand to grip a small stalactite on the roof. "Liana, can you reach the rope at my waist?"
She peered at him through the flickering light of his torch. "I—I will try."
"Then hurry."
He felt her tugging at the rope, trying to unhook it from his belt. Come on, girl.
Finally, she got it.
Both Arden and his daughter gripped the rope one-handed and let the end slide down to Erinie. "Grab it," Arden said, bracing himself for the extra weight.
Crying, Erinie reached for the rope then took it. "Make sure you have a good grip," Liana said, her voice edged with panic.
Wrynric let one of his legs slide down for Erinie to grab. Slowly, the librarian made her way up, her face ashen and glistening with sweat. When she reached Wrynric's leg she grabbed hold of it. The old warrior grunted as he pulled her up.
When the librarian was beside the old man, she clutched at him so tight, he begged her to let go. She did, and they listened to her ragged breathing. Arden reached over and brushed her wet hair from her face. “You’re alright, you’re alright.”
They let her adrenaline settle for a few minutes, then Arden moved them on. They would only be safe again once they were back on level ground.
An hour later, they made it to another chamber, this one filled with stalagmites with little room to sit. "I think on our return journey, we try to find another way to get back to Sunholm," Liana said, hugging Erinie close. They were best friends, and it was hard to imagine one without the other.
Erinie had her face buried in Liana’s long dark hair. "I’m never coming this way again."
Arden embraced them both. “Then we’ll find another way home.”
CHAPTER 4
A day later, they encountered something none of them had ever seen before. A glowing phosphorescent limestone arch, in the middle of a chamber, that shone like the bacterial lights in Stelemia.
Erinie ran her fingers over the glowing film coating the arch. "It feels like slimy, sticky fluid."
"It's probably not going to come off now." Liana giggled, her tired eyes filled with green light. "Then what are you going to do?"
The librarian shrugged. "I guess I’ll walk around with a glowing hand. At least I won’t need torches anymore."
Kalisha drew her sword. "Silence, I think I heard something."
The rest of them grabbed their weapons and listened. Arden heard nothing but the drip of water away off to their left. But he knew better than to ignore Kalisha’s warning. She had good ears, and had been on countless scouting missions and fought many a time.
Then Arden heard a soft thump.
He stiffened, holding his breath. Thump. There it was again. But where was it coming from?
He dared not have Wrynric douse the torch, as it would draw attention to whatever was out there and leave them blind. With luck, it was some passing beast who wanted to avoid them as much as they wanted to avoid it. But you never knew out here. Death could come at anytime, from any direction. Such was the way of things.
The noise came several more times, and at one point, they heard grunting sounds. But then the noises moved off and they all breathed again. Arden kept his sword drawn. "Let’s go, before it comes back."
He got no argument, and they set out, weapons at the ready. It didn’t take them long to reach the edge of the chamber. "I think we need to head up here," Liana said. "I remember a vision of a bright light, then climbing."
"I remember too." Arden started preparing a rope. "I feel the next leg of our journey is high above us."
While Wrynric, Kalisha and Etrian kept guard, Arden and the two young women set to work preparing for the climb. Arden put on a pair of gloves, then donned a specially-made vest for climbing and Liana placed a torch in the holder high up his back. It was dangerous carrying a torch right above your head, but it beat scaling a rock face in the dark.
Arden clambered up the water-slick rock. The ascent wasn’t too difficult; he’d certainly climbed worse in his time. When he reached the summit, he scanned for danger, then when he was satisfied he was alone, he tied the rope to a thick stalagmite. Throwing it over the edge, he waited for the others.
An hour later, they made camp and ate a cold meal. The two scion warriors took turns on watch, while Wrynric would take the last. Arden felt bad leaving them to guard their sleep, but he and Liana had work to do.
THE VISIONDREAM CAME to Arden. A dream of caves, of a river and of broken concrete passages. Feelings came with the images, feelings which told him the way he must head. The images ended at a metal door, pitted with rust, and dented by war. What he needed to find was in that room. An artifact of unimaginable age and power.
Liana was with him. He saw fleeting glimpses of her, traveling beside him through the same series of images. He projected love at her and she projected it back. Nothing compared to a shared visiondream. Journeying together, feeling each other in ways that couldn’t be described with words. It was a linking of spirits, of each other, that normal people could never experience.
Arden wished Semira could have been with them, bonding in a way one could never do while waking. His wayward daughter would have been so happy, her face lit up in wonder, her frown replaced by a contended grin. She would have been part of something greater than all of them, an ancient force that came from the time when the human ancestors and those of the scions, lived under the Lost Sun.
His heart sunk. If he could fix Semira, he would.
Then the visio
n was over and he woke with a hungry sigh. It was always hard to be pulled out of the dreams, to return to the stresses and fears of reality. Liana sat up and rubbed her eyes next to him. Wrynric was still on watch, which meant they still had several hours before they needed to head off again. Arden whispered for Liana to try to get some more sleep and then made his way over to the old man.
"How goes it?" he asked.
"Nothing is out there, as best I can tell.” The old man shifted his weight “Did you have another vision?"
"Yes, the way is clear to me now."
They stared out into the darkness, listening to the quiet breathing of their companions. He and Wrynric had spent many nights like this, side-by-side, keeping watch. Sitting beside him, Arden could almost feel the older man's love. Wrynric wasn’t like the other men Arden knew, for the old warrior had one love in life, and that was Arden.
And yet, he could never return Wrynric’s affection in that way. It hurt him that he wasn’t like Wrynric, for no man could have as loyal a companion. But the Lost Sun had made Arden one way, and the old warrior another and there was nothing either of them could do about it.
Such was the way of things.
After everyone had eaten breakfast, they moved out. Following the path laid down to them in their visiondreams and using the map device, they came to what appeared to be a perfectly formed square-shaped passage. They all stared at the smooth surface of the ground and walls in wonder. “This isn’t natural,” Erinie said. “I think someone carved this.”
Kalisha ran her fingers along the wall. “Maybe it’s chiseled out of the rock like the roads in Stelemia.”
Arden had to agree. “Then who carved it and why?”
Erinie sighed wistfully, as she often did when she found something new to study. Liana watched the other young woman’s face and grinned. “Great, now we’re going to be forced into becoming Erinie’s research assistants. She won’t let us leave here until she knows who built this road and why.”
Fall of a Lost Sun_The Prequel novella to the Lost Sun World Page 3
