Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6)

by Christopher Mitchell

  Corthie stood before them. ‘Wait here,’ he said. ‘Van and I will open the gates from the inside. When that happens, bring everyone up to Old Alea. Of all the places in the city, it will be the last to be destroyed.’

  ‘How will you break in?’ said a grizzled old Bloodflies supporter in stolen armour.

  ‘We have been shown the way. Rest, gather weapons, and collect the strongest force you can. Then, go over the wall and up the ramp, once you see the gates open.’

  ‘Is this really the end of Tordue?’ said a Blue Thumb.

  Corthie gazed at their expectant faces. ‘It is the end of Lostwell.’

  * * *

  It was three miles from the edge of the Shinstran district to the place at the base of the cliffs that Sable had imprinted into Van’s head, on the southern flank of Old Alea. In the darkness, Corthie could see no way up the steep cliffs, but Van led him to a shallow cave, where a path ascended the slope. Above them stretched a high aqueduct that brought fresh water all the way from the Torduan Mountains to the residences of the gods.

  ‘The entrance is up there,’ said Van, pointing, ‘where the aqueduct crosses the walls. This path must have been built so that workers could repair the waterway.’

  They sat for a moment, resting, and Van lit a cigarette.

  Corthie took the salve from his pocket. ‘Should we have some?’

  Van eyed the vial, his desire for its contents written into his features. At length, he shook his head.

  ‘Save it for when we need it.’

  Corthie nodded. ‘My battle-vision should last a little bit longer, but after that, I’m going to need to sleep for a month.’

  ‘If we don’t stop the gods, we’ll be sleeping for a lot longer than that.’ He frowned. ‘How is Sable getting here?’

  ‘I don’t know. On foot? She said she was a couple of hours away. She knows where Aila and Kelsey are, so our priority is getting a Quadrant.’

  ‘And what about all of the civilians?’

  Corthie lowered his gaze. ‘Pyre knows how many have already died. I don’t know, Van. If we can’t stop the gods from destroying Lostwell, I don’t know how we can save them.’

  Van stubbed out his cigarette. ‘When I first heard about this operation, I gambled everything on getting a place on it. I borrowed money from Sohul, and used up every favour that was owed to me. I even bribed a doctor to forge a note saying that I was in good health. I thought we were going to be in and out, a quick operation that would help pay off some of my debts.’ He shook his head. ‘No one on Implacatus will care about the destruction of Lostwell. The Banners will mourn their losses, but none of the gods will raise an eyebrow at the annihilation of an entire world.’

  Corthie got to his feet and glanced at the steep path that snaked up the side of the cliff face.

  ‘It’s our job to stop that happening,’ he said. ‘Come on; let’s pay the gods of Old Alea a visit they’ll never forget.’

  Chapter 28

  The Gates of Old Alea

  S outh of Alea Tanton, Tordue, Western Khatanax – 4th Kolinch 5252

  Sanguino glanced down at Sable. ‘Did you find your nephew?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, rubbing her temples, ‘and just in time; they were about to charge up the ramp of Old Alea to their deaths.’

  ‘Then we did the right thing.’

  Sable looked up at the dark red dragon. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened, Sanguino. You chose me over Blackrose, and I know how much that decision has cost you.’

  ‘Do you think they have already left Lostwell?’

  ‘I don’t know; maybe? It will take them time to transfer all of the iron and gold up to the forecourt, but after that there will be nothing to delay them.’

  Sanguino lowered his head. ‘I don’t regret it. I wanted to go to Dragon Eyre, but I’d rather be with you.’

  Sable stood and stretched her arms. Looking north from the foothills of the Torduan Mountains, she could see a dull red glow on the horizon. Alea Tanton was burning.

  ‘Are you ready for the final stretch?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Sanguino.

  ‘We’ll follow the line of the aqueduct that crosses the plain. Keep low, in case any god is watching.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘Then, we go to war.’

  The ground rumbled under them, and a series of rockslides cascaded down the high slopes to their rear. They had flown over freshly-made ravines that were pulsing out lava into the heart of the mountain range, and had witnessed high, barren peaks collapse as the ground had writhed in torment. Sable hadn’t understood it at the time, but after reading Van’s thoughts, she had realised what was happening.

  ‘When the sun comes up,’ she said, ‘it will herald Lostwell’s final day.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ said Sanguino.

  ‘The Ascendants have destroyed this world; I read it from Van’s mind. By tomorrow night, there will be nothing left. By leaving Blackrose, I may have killed us both.’

  The dragon said nothing.

  ‘I have made many mistakes, Sanguino.’

  ‘You didn’t know, my rider. It’s not your fault.’

  She tried to smile. ‘Yes, but even if I had known, I would still have left the Falls of Iron. My sister’s son needs our help.’

  ‘Then let us find him.’

  She turned from the red glow on the horizon and climbed up onto the harness, buckling the strap round her waist. Sanguino extended his great wings and rose into the night sky. He circled once, then surged to the north. He angled to the left and descended a little, soaring above a tall stone aqueduct that crossed the plain. Sections of it had collapsed, and fresh mountain water was pouring from the broken stonework. The miles rushed below them as Sanguino flew at his top speed, and Sable had to narrow her streaming eyes to see anything amid the wind that struck her face. She pushed her vision out, relying upon it rather than her physical sight, and scanned the tormented and broken countryside ahead of them. She found a battery of anti-dragon defences, but it had been abandoned, and the nearby barracks block was on fire, its roof collapsed. Slaves were roaming the fields, after having freed themselves in the chaos. They were trailing south and south-east away from the city that had kept them in chains for so long. To them, the waves and earthquakes had been a blessing, an act of god that had set them free. Corpses also littered the fields – those of slave masters and guards, cut down by their former chattel. Farms had been gutted, and every large barn was in flames, or had fallen to the ground in a heap of debris.

  ‘For years,’ said Sanguino, ‘I have wished to see Tordue suffer, but now that it has happened, I feel nothing but pity in my heart. I looked down, and glimpsed the hope and joy upon the face of a slave child, a child who will be dead before the sun sets tomorrow. The Ascendants must have known the pain their actions would bring, and yet they did it anyway.’

  The city appeared in the distance, marked by the high cliffs of Old Alea. The promontory looked at peace, while flames were rising from the slums at its feet. Sable pushed her vision round the flanks of the cliffs, and saw the ramp. On the battlements above the gates, hundreds of soldiers stood ready next to their large ballistae, each pointing down at the approaches to Old Alea, while at the bottom of the slope, over a thousand armed civilians had gathered behind the shadows of a low wall, the place where Sable had seen Corthie and Van. An earthquake rumbled through the city as she watched, and more buildings crashed to the ground. The tremors were so violent that they reached the cliffs of Old Alea, and with a crack that split the sky, the face of one of the carved gods detached itself from the rockface and tumbled down. It struck the gardens below, exploding into a thousand fragments of sandstone amid a cloud of dust that spiralled up into the night sky.

  Sable guided Sanguino along the route of the aqueduct, keeping low, and she turned her attention to the narrow path that snaked up to where the stone water-bearing channel cut through the wall at the top of the cliffs. Close to the summit were t
wo men.

  ‘I see them,’ said Sanguino. ‘I assume the taller of the two is your nephew?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Sable, ‘and the other is Van, a former mercenary, whose loyalties now lie with all those opposed to the Ascendants. We shall draw attention away from their position, and cause some trouble elsewhere in Old Alea. The more soldiers we can pull away from the gatehouse and the Governor’s residence the better.’ She used her vision to look over the huge mansions dotting the high plateau. ‘Lady Felice’s old palace; that will do.’

  She drew her vision in as the promontory rushed towards them. Sanguino banked to the left, following the line of cliffs away from the aqueduct, then soared up and over the walls. Soldiers were patrolling the streets, ensuring the large civilian population remained in their homes, and the dark red dragon was spotted within seconds.

  Sanguino surged over the narrow terraced houses and wide, open estates until they reached the sprawling palace where Felice had her home.

  ‘Burn it, my love,’ said Sable; ‘burn it to the ground.’

  ‘With pleasure, my rider.’

  Sanguino soared across the meadows and parkland of the estate, then opened his jaws. Sparks flew, followed by a great burst of dark flames, red, tinged with blue, and the central wing of the mansion exploded as it was enveloped in fire. Soldiers screamed as they fled the inferno, and Sanguino hovered for a moment, moving his head in a shallow arc as the flames spewed out of his jaws. A tall tower ignited, its stones glowing red, then it toppled into the western wing of the palace, driving through the tiled roof into the interior below with a crash that rang through Sable’s ears.

  A few crossbow bolts whistled by them, and Sanguino lowered his gaze to the soldiers in the gardens beneath them. He opened his jaws again, consuming a dozen in a flash of orange flame.

  ‘That should do it,’ said Sable; ‘we have their attention. Ascend out of range.’

  Sanguino beat his great wings and soared upwards, and Sable glanced down at the promontory. Soldiers were rushing towards the location of Felice’s mansion, along with companies of fire fighters and their water wagons.

  ‘Alright, back to the aqueduct.’

  Sanguino banked and headed to where they had last seen the two men. A large, walled reservoir stood close to where the aqueduct pierced the walls, and Sanguino alighted onto the roof of a low building next to it. Sable unbuckled the waist strap and dropped down to the roof.

  ‘Fly straight up; I’ll contact you once I’ve spoken to Corthie.’

  Sanguino tilted his head, then soared back up into the sky. Sable watched him for a few seconds, then climbed down from the roof, and hurried to the side of the reservoir. She followed the stone channel that fed it, turned a corner, and ran into Corthie and Van.

  They stared at each other.

  Sable put a hand on her hip. ‘So, I’ve finally found you at last, nephew? Better late than never, I suppose.’

  Corthie grinned, then wrapped his wide arms around her and squeezed. ‘Auntie.’

  Sable pushed him away with a laugh then glanced at Van. ‘I hope you’ve been looking after my sister’s boy, and not leading him astray.’

  ‘Not at all, Sable,’ said Van. ‘From what I’ve heard, it seems that you’re the bad influence.’

  Sable squinted at him. ‘Have you been smoking keenweed? Have you got any?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Are you sure? You look… unusually alert.’

  ‘I’ve had a dose of salve.’

  ‘Ah. I see. Well, I’m glad you’ve taken something; we have a lot of work to do.’

  ‘How did you get here?’ said Corthie.

  ‘Never mind that for now. I’m guessing our priority is to obtain a Quadrant, so we can escape from Lostwell?’

  ‘Aye; that, and to take down as many gods and Ascendants as possible. And, we need to help Belinda.’

  ‘If she wants to be helped.’

  ‘I’ve heard from lots of people that you two hate each other, but Belinda is like a sister to me.’

  ‘It pains me to hear that, nephew.’

  ‘I guessed it might. My plan was to attack the gatehouse from the rear, and open the gates. There are hundreds of armed Blueflies and… whatever the others are called.’

  ‘Bloodflies and Blue Thumbs,’ said Van.

  ‘Aye, them. There are hundreds waiting at the base of the ramp. If we can open the gates, they’ll flood into Old Alea, and we might have a chance of getting inside the Governor’s residence. That’s where Belinda is, and the gods’ Quadrants will be there too.’

  ‘And the Sextant,’ said Sable. ‘If we can take that with us, we can stop the Ascendants finding our world. I like your plan, Corthie; I’m sure your mother would be very proud of you.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Van, shaking his head. ‘How are three of us going to storm the gates? Even from the inside, they’ll be heavily defended.’

  ‘Sable has battle-vision,’ said Corthie.

  ‘Even so. We haven’t a chance. Maybe we should just try to sneak into the residence. Sable and I both know the layout well.’

  ‘You’re right,’ said Sable, ‘except for one thing – there are four of us, not three.’

  Corthie frowned. ‘Do you mean Belinda?’

  ‘No, not Belinda.’

  Sanguino, descend to me. Land by the banks of the reservoir.

  ‘Who else is here?’ said Van. ‘Have you brought another all-powerful Holdfast?’

  ‘Not quite. He’ll be with us in a moment.’

  The two men glanced at each other, then their eyes widened in alarm as a huge shadow appeared overhead. Sanguino landed a few yards away, tucked his wings in, then extended his neck towards them.

  ‘You called, my rider?’

  Corthie staggered back. ‘You have a dragon?’

  ‘I’m his rider; I don’t “have” him, or, at least, we have each other. His name is… Sanguino. What do you think of our odds now, Van?’

  ‘I would say,’ mumbled the mercenary, as he stared up at the dragon, ‘that they have improved considerably, ma’am.’

  She laughed. ‘Don’t call me “ma’am.” Well, not unless you want to. We’ll follow Corthie’s plan. Sanguino and I will deal with the gatehouse, while you two make your way to the Governor’s residence. Don’t try to get in until the gates of Old Alea are open, and then we’ll join you. We’ll stay outside, causing a commotion, and you get a Quadrant, and Belinda too, I suppose; but please, I implore you, be wary of her. Once we’re all out, Sanguino can hit the western tower of the residence, where the Sextant will be, and destroy it, if we can’t take it with us.’

  ‘That all sounds fine,’ said Corthie, ‘except for one point. Blackrose tried to burn the Sextant in Fordamere, and it was completely undamaged. I don’t think it can be destroyed.’

  ‘Damn it,’ Sable muttered. ‘Alright, that part of the plan we may have to improvise. If I need to talk to you, I’ll land and speak to Van.’

  ‘Can’t you talk to us from the air?’

  ‘No. I need my powers to fly.’ She turned towards the harness. ‘Good luck, boys. See you at the residence.’

  Sanguino ascended back into the night sky.

  ‘Keep to the walls by the south side,’ she said. ‘There are fewer soldiers guarding that stretch.’

  ‘I shall, my rider. Why did you tell your nephew that you needed powers to fly? The opposite is true; I need you.’

  ‘What is it with dragons and their obsession with lies?’ she said. ‘What I said was technically true; if it weren’t for my powers, then I wouldn’t be able to fly on your back, so I wasn’t actually lying.’

  ‘You were defending me; you didn’t want them to pity or mock me.’

  ‘My truth is open to interpretation.’

  ‘Your entire relationship with the truth troubles me at times.’

  ‘Just concentrate on the job at hand. If we survive, we’ll have plenty of time to philosophise about the nature of truth.’

/>   Sanguino banked to the left, following the wall as it turned north. The battlements over-looking the ramp were packed with soldiers. Most were gazing down at the city, but several caught sight of the approaching dragon. Some were trying to reposition their ballistae to meet the new threat, but the machines seemed to be fixed to aim down towards the ramp.

  ‘They are at our mercy,’ said Sable; ‘show them none.’

  ‘Yes, my rider.’

  Sanguino unleashed a long burst of flames as they soared over the line of battlements. Soldiers fell screaming, engulfed in the river of fire as it consumed the walkway atop the walls. The large gatehouse was halfway along the stretch of battlements. It had a roof platform filled with ballistae, and Sanguino rose up and delivered another volley of fire, incinerating everything. He hovered for a moment, turning his attention to the courtyard directly behind the gates. Some soldiers were fleeing, but others were trying to organise a response, and several crossbow bolts were loosed at the dragon. Sanguino opened his jaws, filling the courtyard with flames.

  ‘Now the gates,’ said Sable; ‘bring them down.’

  Sable felt the heat around her rise as the dragon descended into the burning courtyard. He turned his head towards the thick, iron-framed gates, and blasted fire at them. They ignited, the wood blistering and splitting, the iron beams glowing red hot. Sanguino enveloped them in fire, and the gates buckled under the force of the flames, then exploded outwards, sending fiery fragments spinning into the night sky.

  A crossbow bolt struck Sanguino’s right flank, and he grunted, then turned. Banner soldiers were gathering to his rear, forming into lines, and he swooped down at them, using his claws to sweep through their ranks, ripping the soldiers to shreds. He sent out another burst of fire, consuming a squat barracks block. The windows blew out, and the roof collapsed in the inferno. Sanguino rose up again, and Sable glanced down. Beneath them, nothing was moving, and charred and smoking bodies filled the yard.