Amelia jumped, surprised to see him. From the tone of Naatos's voice, she had expected something bad was happening. Yet WroOth appeared fine.
She paused, realizing that his eyes were bloodshot and slightly puffy. Had he been weeping? She gripped her forearm and turned her palm out, trying to understand what she felt from him. Bitter pain and grief flowed from him, sharper and more ragged than AaQar's. All hidden behind a too broad smile.
She looked back at the tapestry. He appeared more relaxed and natural in the woven depiction. It was strange though to see AaQar when he was not all white. Apparently he too had long black hair and crystal-blue eyes. His hair was straighter and sleeker than his brothers' though, and his eyes were the lightest, looking almost like sea glass with a hint of cornflower. The family similarity was quite apparent. "How surprising that none of you are smiling."
"I never smile for tapestries." WroOth clasped his hands behind his back. "They never weave the teeth right."
"So if the Machat and the Vawtrians and the Neyeb were such allies, why is it then that you're determined to wipe out all of the Machat?"
"WroOth will explain that." Naatos placed his hand on her shoulder. "But all of the races have changed since the First Age of the Paras."
Amelia looked to WroOth expectantly, quite confused on this point as well as others.
WroOth's expression darkened. He shook his head then and stepped back. "Story time is over, little sister. We have a Tue-Rah to restore."
32
The Restoration of the Tue-Rah
It was time.
Though she had prepared for this for years, among other things, Amelia felt as if she glided over the surface of the moment. Entering the Chamber of the Tue-Rah at Naatos's side and with his brothers was not the way she had anticipated this going. But here she was with Naatos's arm around her waist. He drew her along beside him and down the long, long hall. They passed more statutes and more tapestries. At the far end was a door that stretched more than twenty-five feet into the wall. A five-foot starburst covered the central split.
WroOth went first, followed by AaQar, with Naatos and Amelia at the end. Pressing his hand into the starburst, WroOth twisted it. A whisper of resistance stirred from the gold before it clicked. The doors opened inward into an even larger chamber.
There were no windows in this place, but it was larger than a stadium. The white stone was polished so that it reflected the torch light. Torches were fastened in clusters of three along the walls at regular intervals. The incense oil that the blackened their tops smelled similar to the ones the Machat used. As Amelia walked farther in, she realized that an enormous intricate design of shapes and symbols sprawled across the floor and walls.
In the center of the room was a massive square platform with four broad-stepped staircases leading up, one on each side. The platform itself had been carved from a solid piece of pearl marble. On each of the corners of the platform was a large circle which lay flush with the floor. A different geometric design was carved within each circle. From the center of the platform rose an ornate pedestal.
The pedestal itself had strange symbols carved into its opalescent frame. Hazy light radiated from the top of the pedestal, though no source was apparent. In the center was the kolagro.
Awe spread over Amelia. So this was it? The Chamber of the Tue-Rah? It wasn't quite what she expected. "There was a battle here?" she asked. The room was empty and pristine.
"A great one." Naatos pointed to the creamy white pedestal. "It took hours for the servants to scrub the blood out. It was blackened and covered in dust."
"This is where the Machat imprisoned us," WroOth said. The smile had vanished. He paused at the base of the staircase and drew in a deep breath. "Three hundred and seventy-two years. Bound. Trapped. Captured by treachery, sorcery, and concoctions. I bet they never told you that, did they, Amelia?"
According to Libyshan myths the spirits of the Paras were trapped here. Apparently it was far more than that. She shifted her weight, uncomfortable. "How did you survive all those years here?"
"The Vawtrians and Unatos had their ways of…immobilizing their own kind for significant periods. The Machat stole what they needed to subdue us, but they have exhausted their supplies. We'll leave it at that," Naatos said. "No more questions. Come." He motioned to the staircase.
Each step was more than two feet wide and perfectly polished. It was cold beneath Amelia's feet. It surprised her that no one else was in attendance. For something so important, she had assumed that Naatos would have filled the chamber with his warriors. It was certainly large enough to hold a few thousand or more. If she closed her eyes, she imagined this room filled with people passing through, burlap sacks in hand, ibexes and hounds in tow, children playing and sliding over the stones. How had Naatos and his brothers cared for the Tue-Rah? Did they stand on guard at all times? Surely not. More and more questions asserted themselves within her.
Soft-booted footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, she saw King Theol between two guards. He stood there in silence for a moment, his expression somber. He now wore one of his blue robes over the ecru garments he’d been wearing earlier. Her mother had a robe of a similar design but with lighter blue and the same woven white and silver trim.
"Please," WroOth said, lifting his hand. "Come in. You are about to be part of a historic event. We wouldn't dream of having it without you."
The guards remained in the arched doorway at attention. No one stood on either side of the king. He was left to walk alone up the staircase to the top of the platform. Clearly he was not regarded as a threat.
Amelia dropped her gaze, embarrassed and saddened at once. He had no choice but to cooperate. And what would happen to him when it was finished? She glanced at Naatos, trying to read him. There were no hints to his feelings, only calm. He could not harm her family. King Theol was part of that. This had been one of her demands.
Guilt flashed over her again. Bargaining for a few lives when so many were in the balance? It's just until I can stop them completely, she reminded herself. This isn't surrender. This has to be done. It has to. Elonumato, please don't abandon us. Fear spiked through her. She dug her fingers into her palms.
King Theol didn't look at her once, but his intentionality might also have been to avoid Naatos. He climbed to the top of the staircase and dipped his head slightly. "Before we begin, there is something that I must know." He pointed toward WroOth. "You are the Para and therefore will be the ruler of this world. Is that correct?"
"It is," WroOth said. He set his arms akimbo. "But that does not mean you will not yet have some role to play, Theol. You haven't caused much trouble."
"Ah, but let's say that perhaps someone should cause trouble. Which one of you would deal with him?" King Theol asked.
"If it is on my world, then it would be me," WroOth said. He grinned. "Are you planning to cause trouble, little Awdawm?"
"Not at all. But let's say that I had words, a secret if you will, for one of you. Would I have to tell it to you because you are the ruler of this world? Or could I share it with the one for whom the secret is intended?" King Theol asked.
Warning pricks spread over Amelia's neck. Surely he wouldn't…
WroOth frowned a little, his expression becoming bewildered. "You may share it with whoever you wish."
"Good." King Theol turned to face Naatos and Amelia, his gaze clearly focusing on Naatos. "Then I have something quite private to tell the Para of Eiram. I'm afraid it can't be delayed. And I will not restore the Tue-Rah until it has been spoken."
WroOth shrugged and leaned on the pedestal. "Very well."
Amelia tried not to betray her concern. Her palms sweat. She tucked them under her arms, watching King Theol anxiously. A muscle twitched in his jaw; he stared at Naatos.
Naatos walked to the edge of the dais. "What do you have to say?"
"You'll have to come closer than that." King Theol gave a weak laugh. "I don't wish to embarrass the young woma
n you've brought here. Your wife, as I just learned. She was kind enough to come and visit me."
"She is very kind," Naatos said. "But she is not so delicate. Say what needs to be said."
King Theol pressed his lips into a thin line. "It is a grave secret," he said. "You must come closer."
Naatos stared at King Theol. Then he stepped closer.
King Theol motioned with his hands. "Closer." He continued to spiral his hand. "Closer."
Naatos was directly beside King Theol now. Impatience tinged his face. King Theol cupped his hand around his mouth. "Are you listening?"
"Yes." Naatos tilted his head, angling his ear.
"Are you listening?"
"Yes!"
King Theol leaned closer as if to speak and then punched Naatos in the nose, followed up by an immediate punch to his mouth. "You skinchanging, pedophalic bastard!" he shouted. "It's not enough to steal my kingdom or threaten my wife and son! You stole my daughter, you wretched beast changer! You married her against her will! Scirvanx! Filth! No man would have ever been good enough for her, but you, you are a beast! May you rot in misery all your days! Curse your very breath!"
AaQar grabbed Theol and dragged him off. The guards tensed, but they did not run forward, waiting for a command.
Amelia started forward to intervene, but WroOth caught her arm. "Oh no, little sister," he said. "Let them sort this out. Naatos isn't even angry. Yet."
Naatos stood. He wiped the blood from his face, shook his head, and then spat out the blood.
King Theol continued to curse at Naatos even as AaQar held Theol back. "All three of you should rot in the pits of Selvatstro! May your blood fester and your wounds never heal."
"Enough." Naatos glared at him, looking more annoyed than angry. He wiped the remaining blood from his face as the minor wounds finished healing. "I owe you no explanation for my actions. The only reason you have received any accommodation from me is for my wife's sake."
"And here I thought the king of Libysha was sworn to pacifism." WroOth held onto Amelia, resting his other arm on the pedestal.
"That vow does not prohibit me from defending my daughter from creatures like you." Theol's cheeks were flushed and his eyes sharper than Amelia had ever seen them. "What did you intend to do? Carry off my five-year-old and groom—"
"You will stop right there." Naatos barely lifted his voice, but it sent a sharp chill through Amelia. "I would not have touched her until she was an adult. I am not an Awdawm."
"But you would drag her into life with you, whether she would have you or not? Oh yes, that's far better," King Theol seethed.
"Amelia was pledged to me by the Council of the Neyeb. If not for me…" He paused, glancing at Amelia as if rethinking something. "All was done legally and properly. That is all you need to know. I have taken nothing except that which is mine."
King Theol continued to glare. "You are not worthy of my daughter." He spoke in a calmer tone now, but his voice was no less intense.
Naatos scoffed. "In the line of men who might be her father, you are quite near the end. I knew her actual father, and that Joseph who raised her is more her father than you. You locked her in a labyrinth. You barely cared for her in the five years she was with you. The Neyeb knew what cruelty her mother worked within her and what the curse would do to her. Her father would have agreed if he had been living. If anyone is the thief, it is you. So you will be silent. Your anger cannot wound me, but it can vex me. And if I am such a monster and so deeply vexed, who do you think will be forced to pay that debt?"
"If your designs upon her were so noble, you would have come to me and spoken of it, not invaded. I sought out all who could aid me, those who might understand what it meant for her to be a blood child. And I found none. Your claims of good intent and righteousness are covered in the blood of my people." King Theol said, his words tight.
"This is about far more than Amelia. The conquest of Telhetum was unrelated to her," Naatos said. "And all regimes begin with blood. Blood must be spilled to prevent more flowing later."
WroOth released Amelia's arm. "Charming as this has been, we have other tasks at hand. So, Theol, if you have any other grave secrets to share, you'll keep them to yourself. I would like to congratulate my brother though. I am fairly certain this is one of the first times he has not killed when the desire was so clearly evident in his eyes. Big brother's growing up. It warms my heart. But we need to finish this restoration. It will be another full day before travel will be possible. Now, Theol, if you will." He gestured to the kolagro. "Place your banded wrist into this slot."
King Theol jabbed his finger in the air. "If any of you hurt her—"
"I'm fine. Please don't put yourself in more danger," Amelia said. She tugged at her sleeve, self-conscious. At least he couldn't see the scarring. It would be far more difficult to pretend nothing had happened to her then.
AaQar placed his hand on the king's shoulder. "Theol, your daughter is in the least danger of all. Her being Naatos's wife as well as the Third Nalenth provides her far greater protection than you could ever have hoped for her. If she was just the Third Nalenth, we would have had no reason to endure or accept her—"
"Ill-planned escape attempts, acerbic wit, poorly executed stunts," WroOth offered. Amelia gave him an annoyed glance.
"Yes," AaQar said. "Precisely that. Clearly your desire is to ensure that she is protected and safe. She could not be more so than with us. She is part of our family now, and we need her alive and well. She is Naatos's viskaro, and WroOth's and my beloved sister."
"Besides," Naatos said. He returned to stand beside Amelia and put his arm around her. "Amelia is not the one you should be worried about. I love her, and I would do anything for her—except give up the Tue-Rah or conquer the worlds or not kill. On the third, I'm willing to give a little, so long as that individual doesn't become a festering thorn. So remember neither you nor your wife nor even your son are of any consequence to us, and if you refuse to restore the Tue-Rah, I can sever your arm here and complete it without your cooperation. This woman is the only reason I have not executed your family and why there were no plans to execute you when this was finished. But continue to test my patience, and all of that will change."
Naatos was angry. Far more than he showed. Amelia felt it radiating through him like a furious heat. She turned her palms inward against her sash. The tension swirled about her like smoke from a fire. It was far too early to hope that the Ayamin and Machat were on their way. What would the following hours bring?
"Well, since all that's been settled. Theol, the Ayamin band." WroOth motioned to the kolagro once again.
King Theol stepped forward, pushed back the heavy sleeve of his robe, reached into the crystals, and grasped the kolagro. The markings on his gold Ayamin bracelet clicked into place. The hazy light above the pedestal intensified and dimmed.
The room rumbled and the pedestal throbbed, trembling in time to the groaning of stone and shifting of gears. Even the walls and floor seemed to shake. King Theol grabbed hold of the pedestal as he lost his balance. Amelia fell back. Naatos caught hold of her, lifting her back. Neither he nor his brothers slipped off balance more than the faintest bit. The jarring worsened.
"Do not stand on the design," Naatos said.
The circles on the platform rotated until they locked into place. At the same time, four enormous marble pearl pillars made of five columns rose from the floor. Each one had three arms reaching out from the outer sides, more strange symbols etched into their faces.
Amelia covered her ears as the vibrating continued. Bits of dust and stone crumbled on her head. She squinted up at the ceiling. Suddenly, the top of the mountain opened. Four slabs moved inward, forming four triangles at a diagonal slant with polished mirrors. The top four slabs moved out. Sunlight poured in, reflected off the mirrors, and filled the heart of the temple.
Then, all at once, the shaking stopped. Amelia slowly uncovered her ears.
WroOth shook his
head as if to remove the chaos. "Put your hand on the base there." He rolled back his sleeve, adjusted a thick gold band on his wrist, and then placed his hand on the opposite side of the pedestal. Something clicked.
King Theol flexed his fingers and then did as he was instructed. At once a louder grinding sound filled the air. Slowly at first, then faster, the top three columns of each pillar rotated within themselves, revealing an inner chamber. As these hidden doors opened, a large arm extended, rotating and opening out horizontally like a fan. As the twelve columned sections expanded, they connected to form a solid layer. Once they locked into position, each layer extended in the shape of a mirrored bellow, staircasing downward. The top level gathered the sunlight while the second concentrated it to the second level. It was so brilliant Amelia had to look away, but now the light did not flow throughout the room as before. A soft humming thrum came from the light, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Now," WroOth said. "Place your hands along the side." He placed his own hands just beneath the lip of the pedestal.
King Theol gave WroOth a long hard look. Then, for a moment, his gaze drifted to Amelia. Amelia's heart tightened. She knew what he was wondering. Was it right to restore the Tue-Rah? It was. Leonas had said as much…but the consequences that it would bring. Of course it was Naatos and his brothers' choice to bring the Vawtrians, and they might yet change. But still…Amelia did not have much faith that they would simply change their minds. Disease, illness, cancer, dementia, and more though…
Amelia bit the inside of her lip, meeting her father's gaze. Faith seemed like a poor crutch, but it was all they had. Besides, she didn't doubt Naatos's threat to remove King Theol's arm and finish this himself. All she could think to do was mouth "I believe."
King Theol drew in a deep breath and then grasped the pedestal. The top of the pedestal turned inward. Three pieces of crystal snapped up from the pedestal. One was fixed to the center, forming around the kolagro. The other two rose into the air, suspended within the haze.
Enemy Known Page 30
