“Um… thank you,” she said, looking at his expressionless, regal face.
He bowed his head.“And I thank you, child. Return the Sudarshana and balance to this land, if you will. I will be glad to have some rest.” With that cryptic uttering, the eagle crouched low and launched himself skyward again with a final cry.
Shading her eyes, Jade watched him go and sighed. Riding on the back of a giant eagle - now that was something you didn’t do often in any world.
“Right,” she said briskly, glancing around the deserted courtyard. “So where’s this statue of Vishnu then?”
“Right in there,” came a deep, familiar voice nearby.
“Cadoc!” Jade cried, running toward him. “You’re here. Where are the others?” She looked around him, searching for the rest of her companions.
The Player shrugged. “I got here first. They’ll be here shortly.” Taking her hand, he smiled down at her but there was a strained look about his eyes. He looked tired. His clothes were darkened with blood and slashed in several places. The war had not been kind to him.
She caught a glimpse of his ruby-studded arm band. There was only one red stone left. “Oh, Cadoc!” She said impulsively. “I forgot, you’re on your last life. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “No matter. I’m sure I’ll get some back somehow, soon. But c’mon. We need to get that Sudarshana in place before the moon becomes visible. The statue of Vishnu’s in here.” He waved a hand toward a large, ornately-carved square stone building in the centre of the temple compound.
Pulling back against his grip, she dug her heels in and twisted free. “Hang on. I’d rather wait a few minutes until the others get here. Phoenix should be part of this. It’s our quest.”
Cadoc sent her a swift, frowning look. “But if you wait you might miss the moon and lose the chance to finish it at all. Don’t be silly.” He reached out for her again but Jade backed away. There was something wrong. He wasn’t acting right. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to one side, staring at him hard with more than just her eyes.
“What’s going on, Cadoc?” Uneasy, she took another step away.
He grinned but it was a forced imitation of his usual bright smile. “Nothing at all. I’ve finished my quest and I’m just helping you to finish yours. Is that a crime?”
Jade stared at him for a moment, trying to work out what was causing her to feel so ill at ease with him. Then it clicked.
“How did you know about our quest?” she backed further away. “We never told you because we didn’t want to get deleted. How did you know about the Sudarshana and the moon?”
Cadoc hesitated then laughed. “Phoenix told me, of course. When you were sleeping. And I told him what my quest was. We decided it was worth the risk.”
“So what was yours then?” she shot back.
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s done. Now let’s finish yours and get to the next level. C’mon. The statue is just through that door.”
Jade looked at the dark, rectangular opening set between ornate columns carved into a stone wall. A feeling of foreboding came over her and she shook her head.
“I’ll wait for the others, thanks.”
Cadoc took a half-step toward her, visibly controlled himself and stopped with a one-shoulder shrug. “Whatever. But the moon’s just started becoming visible, so I wouldn’t wait too long.”
She risked a quick look over her shoulder. Sure enough, as the last of the sun’s light dwindled into red behind the mountains, the first faint glimmer of the crescent moon appeared in the sky above the horizon. He was right. She couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
Cadoc leaned against a column with apparent unconcern, picking his nails with one of his throwing knives. Maybe she was just being over-cautious, as usual. She was tired and reading too much into his desire to be done with this level and get on to the next. After all, he’d looked after her so thoughtfully over the last few days when she was feeling ill… Jade hesitated, biting her lip.
She glanced at the moon again. It was now almost completely visible in the dusky sky. She really didn’t have time to wait. Slipping her dagger discretely out of its sheath, she nodded to Cadoc and followed him into the temple.
As she stepped through the door, Jade extended her senses, listening hard for any unexpected, hidden enemies. She only got the impression of a large, empty room. There was no-one waiting inside except Cadoc. It must have been the stress of the day playing on her mind; making her paranoid about a friend’s intentions. She spelled a dozen green dancing lights into existence and sent them floating around. Even that small magic left her weakened.
In the centre of the square room was a large statue of a man sitting cross-legged. In one hand he held a three-pronged trident while the other was upraised, palm-outward. Around his neck was a cobra and a long, bead necklace. A moon-shape device decorated his long hair; there was a third eye in the middle of his forehead and he seemed to be sitting on a tiger-skin.
Jade looked askance at Cadoc, who shook his head.
“That’s Shiva. I looked him up. He’s The Destroyer or the Transformer,” Cadoc grimaced. “Bit hard to tell if the Indians think he’s a good god or a bad one. He seems to have both aspects. Hinduism is amazingly complicated.” He flashed Jade a grin. “I was trying to explain it to my little brother and he decided that must be why the Indians are so keen on cricket – because it’s easier to understand.”
Jade laughed aloud then covered her mouth as the sound echoed weirdly in the huge, cubic space. “So who are the others? Where’s Vishnu?” She whispered.
Cadoc pointed in turn to the shadowed statue of an elephant-headed man; an archer with a woman beside him; a beautiful, four-armed woman carrying lotus flowers; and finally a large, four-armed man carrying a mace, a lotus flower and a shell.
“That’s Ganesh, Remover of Obstacles; then there’s the hero Rama and his wife, Sita; next is Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and also Vishnu’s wife and that’s Vishnu himself with the shell and flower. See, his fourth hand is empty?” Cadoc gave her a little shove in the back. “Go on, return the Chakra and finish your quest.”
Jade stepped forward, still reluctant to do this without the others. She paused, listening for the sound of hoofbeats in the hopes that they would turn up at the last second. There was only silence and the sound of her own and Cadoc’s breathing.
Abruptly, a shaft of moonlight pierced the green-black gloom of the temple. Looking up, she could see a crescent-shaped hole cut in the wall. The sliver of the dying moon fit precisely into it. The silvery beam fell onto Vishnu’s motionless form. She sighed. If she’d been waiting for a sign to say exactly when it was time to fulfil her part of the quest, it didn’t get much clearer than that. Pulling out the Sudarshana, she crossed the last few steps to the statue and gently slipped the chakra into Vishnu’s open hand. It fitted; shining silver in the moonlight.
Nothing happened.
Jade frowned. Maybe nothing dramatic was supposed to happen but somehow she didn’t think so. She couldn’t imagine the game programmers writing a dull ending for a successful quest. Looking closely at the chakra, she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity and turned it around so the engraved side faced outward. Now there would be fireworks, for sure.
Stepping back, she collided with Cadoc. He had come silently up behind her. She jumped away with an apology but he wasn’t paying attention. His gaze was fixed on the statue. Jade watched as well, bewildered by his strange attitude. What was he looking for?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Phoenix, Marcus and Brynn galloped into the Pune temple complex with the moon casting their shadows long before them. Had Jade made it? Were they too late to put the Sudarsharna back in its place? They’d ridden as fast as they could to get here. What happened if they’d failed this Quest? Would they be stuck here on Level four forever?
As his stallion clattered to a stop before the dark, gaping entrance to the temple, Phoenix held his breath. He swu
ng down from the saddle and peered around into the darkness.
A white figure came sprinting out of the temple: Jade, her hair flying and a delighted grin on her face. She flung her arms around him and gave him an enthusiastic hug.
“You made it!” she carolled, turning to the others as their mounts came to a stop as well.
Brynn was almost thrown forward over his mare’s neck. He slid to the ground with a groan, clutching his backside. “I think I’ll walk from now on, if you don’t mind.”
Jade laughed and gave him a quick hug, too then sent Marcus a warm look.
Phoenix threw his reins over a low post nearby “Sorry we’re late. We got held up by some looters in the village. Vasi and the Raj sent their thanks and farewells, by the way. Oh, and you left this behind.” He tossed Jade’s staff to her.
She caught it with a grin. Marcus strode over and grabbed her arms as though worried she would run away. He looked sharply at her face, pale in the moonlight.
“Are you ok?”
Jade smiled. “Fine. A little tired. I didn’t wait for you, though. I had to return the Sudarshana at the right time. It’s done.”
Phoenix blinked at her. “What? It’s all over, just like that? No fireworks, no explosions, no badguy? Where is the statue?”
Jade shrugged. “I know. It’s all a bit of an anticlimax after the battle. It’s inside. Cadoc’s there, too.”
“Cadoc!” Brynn pushed past her. “You left him in there with the statue and the Sudarshana?”
“Sure,” she replied sending him a quizzical look. “He’s the one who led me to it in time. Why?”
Without further word, Brynn darted inside the darkened temple, leaving the others to exchange shrugs.
“He doesn’t trust Cadoc,” Phoenix explained.
“What?” Jade gaped at him. “He’s practically waited on me hand and foot for the last three days. He’s lost a life in a war he didn’t need to be involved in. He helped us complete our quest. What else does Brynn want?” Then Phoenix caught a flash of doubt in her expression and wondered what she was thinking.
At that second, Brynn’s high-pitched voice carried to them out of the darkness. “Put it back you thief! Put it back before you ruin every….” There was an ominous thump and Brynn’s words were cut off in mid-sentence.
Phoenix drew Blódbál and dove into the dark opening. He rolled and came up on one knee, looking for trouble. Not far away, he found it. Brynn was a limp, silent shape lying in a corner of the room. Bathed in moonlight, Cadoc stood in front of a large, four-armed statue. He held the Sudarshana and smiled with satisfaction. Tucking it into his haversack, he reached for the conch shell.
“Hey!” Phoenix yelled. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Cadoc sent a scornful look over his shoulder. “What does it look like? I’m taking what I need to win the next level.”
“But…but…” Phoenix stuttered. Jade and Marcus appeared behind him and he could sense their astonishment.
“But what,” Cadoc scoffed. “Did you really think I was helping you just so I could lose another life and be a do-gooder. Please.” He jerked his head at the statue. “These four weapons will get me through the last level even on one life.”
“But…” Phoenix trailed off, not knowing what to say. “We would have helped you through the next level if you’d asked.”
“Oh, don’t be more of a fool than you have to be,” Cadoc’s mouth twisted with disdain. “My next level is in Rome. How would you have helped me? You’re going to China.”
Phoenix shut his teeth with a snap. “How did you know that?”
The other Player laughed. “I know everything about your quest.”
“How?” Phoenix growled, stepping into the room.
Cadoc slipped a throwing knife into his hand and hefted it. “Don’t come any closer. I can take your last few lives without blinking.”
Phoenix froze, knowing only too well how accurate he was with those knives.
“And don’t try any magic, either, Jade,” Cadoc warned, flicking a glance her way. “You’re so weak you won’t be able to do more than those little witchlights of yours, anyway.”
“Huh?” Jade’s blank confusion echoed Phoenix’s.
“You lot really are gullible, you know that?” the Breton prince continued eyeing them both with a scornful expression.
Phoenix heard Jade gasp. “It wasn’t Leela’s spices. It was you,” she whispered. “You drugged us that night on the mountain. Oh! All those cups of tea and wine you kept giving me. The weakness I’ve been feeling. You were poisoning me, you pig! I’ve lost three lives because of you. You’re working for Bhumaka! That’s how we got away from him so easily; that’s how he knew about the battle plan, too. You… you…” She sputtered to a halt, overcome by anger.
“Very good,” Cadoc said condescendingly. “You are the smartest one in the bunch – just not smart enough. You’re almost right.”
“We trusted you,” Marcus put in, his voice low and angry.
“More fool you,” the Player retorted. “This is a game and I aim to win. You lot waste too much time worrying about doing the right thing when you should just be doing whatever it takes to win.”
“So what do you get out of all this?” Marcus asked.
Cadoc laughed. “You mean besides four of the most powerful weapons in this world? Money, of course; and more lives.”
“How?” “Who from?” Phoenix and Marcus spoke together.
“Bhumaka and my master,” a new voice spoke from the darkness beside Cadoc. Into the faint, greenish light of Jade’s spells stepped Yajat. His dark eyes glittered strangely in the half-light. He laid a hand on Cadoc’s shoulder and squeezed until the younger man flinched. “Cadoc has served both Bhumaka and the Dragonmaster. Although I suspect Bhumaka may not be in a position to fulfil his half of the deal, Cadoc will be suitably rewarded by my master.” Yajat’s deep voice held a hint of irony.
Phoenix heard Jade draw a sharp breath and wondered what she realised that he didn’t. Whatever it was, it would have to wait. The priority had to be getting that chakra back in place before the light of the moon was gone. It was already weakening. They didn’t have much time before their quest was over in all the wrong ways.
“Wait!” Phoenix commanded as Cadoc turned again to take the conch shell from Vishnu’s hand. “At least leave the chakra long enough for our quest to be completed.”
Yajat smiled and Cadoc laughed again. “Phoenix, I’ve been paid large sums to prevent your quest from succeeding; to kill Jade; to kill Sopaniputra and to help Bhumaka win this war. You’ve managed to stop me from completing two of my tasks. There is no way I’m going to leave the Sudarshana in place and let you get to Level Five. Zhudai would kill me.”
Jade took a half-step toward him. “But…”
Before she could complete the sentence, Yajat’s hand moved and the handle of a long knife suddenly sprouted from Cadoc’s stomach. The assassin looked coolly on as Cadoc stared first at him then at his own body in bewildered shock. The Player coughed and a small dribble of blood appeared on his lip.
“Wha…?” He sank to his knees and blinked up at Yajat.
The assassin withdrew the knife and wiped it clean on Cadoc’s shirt before returning it to the sheath at his belt.
“You didn’t seriously expect the Dragonmaster to reward you so richly when you admit you failed at half of your tasks?” Yajat pressed his two hands together in front of his face and bowed. “Namaste. May you return as something more worthy in your next life: perhaps a cockroach.”
Cadoc coughed again; the breath rattling in his throat. His eyes closed as his body slumped. He fell to earth with a thump and his corpse vanished in deep shadows beneath the statue.
Jade’s disbelieving voice broke the silence. “That…that was his last life. He’s…gone.”
Shaken, Phoenix renewed his grip on his sword. Blodbal sang its war-song, urging him to action, to death, to glory. He shook his head, tr
ying to push thoughts of death - his or Cadoc’s aside. At least Cadoc, traitor though he was, still had a real life on the outside. Unless they were very careful, Yajat could do the same thing to Jade or Phoenix himself - and there was no telling what would happen when they lost their last lives.
“Phoenix,” Marcus drew his weapon. “We need to get the Sudarshana back into the statue’s hand – now.”
Phoenix shook himself, tearing his gaze away from Cadoc’s motionless body.
Jade raised her staff, glaring at Yajat. “Right. Let’s do it. Three to one, even if I can’t do magic, is pretty good odds.”
Yajat threw back his head and laughed aloud. The sound echoed oddly in the stone room. “You don’t really think I came alone, do you?”
At a gesture, six, black-clad men emerged from the shadows. Moonlight glinted off an assortment of evil-looking hooked, clawed and bladed weapons.
“Not good,” Phoenix muttered. Seven trained assassins against three. Not good odds at all. He flexed his neck, feeling various bruises and injuries from the day’s fighting and riding.
The assassins closed in, moving on silent feet. There was a chill feeling of anticipation and breathless fear in the room. Jade’s witchlights flickered and dimmed.
“Jade?” Phoenix said, trying to see her and the assassins at the same time.
“I’m sorry,” her voice sounded fainter. “Cadoc was right. I tried but I’ve got nothing left. I can still fight, though.” She stepped in to fill the space beside Marcus.
“Stay together,” Phoenix instructed. The others nodded and the three companions turned outward to face their adversaries as one.
Still unnervingly silent, the black-clad fighters sprang forward. Phoenix let the song of the sword flood through his mind, allowing it to control his muscles so he moved faster than he believed he ever could to block the first two strikes. The sharp ktchang of metal hurt his eardrums as it echoed off stone. His heart raced. He twisted sideways to avoid one strike then stepped back again before they could open a gap between him and the others. A knife flew past his head, barely missing his ear. Too close.
The Sudarshana Page 17
