

A Strange Song of Madness
Part 2

Wil Clayton

Long Shadows on a Wide Plain series

Copyright 2015 Wil Clayton

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### Chapter 14

Shaol held himself against the metal casing of the barrel as it rocked from the movement of the wagon beneath.

Two days had passed since Shaol had taken to the streets of the city in the early morning wrapped in the clothes of the dead. Shaol found his way to a dirt alley across from meat store and waited until Yor emerged from within carrying a large cut of salted meat for an Under. Yor's bald head reflected the morning light, he had lost his ferret skin cap since Shaol had seen him last. When the deal was done and the Under was on his way home with the meat, Yor crossed the street and approached Shaol.

"They said they got you," said Yor.

"They did," replied Shaol.

"Pysuun?"

"I need you to get me on the next run."

Yor sighed and ground his teeth.

"Come inside," he said finally.

Shaol waited for the run amongst the carcasses. The hole in his side slowly mended, helped by the paste that burnt it clean and held it shut. The small amount of time Shaol had left was passing but there was nothing he could do to change that, so he sat on his stool and tried not to think on what was done. No one came for him, no one spoke to him, the silence only interrupted by the occasional appearance of Yor when he came to collect a lump of meat and salt that was needed.

The day of the goods run came and Yor entered the room in with a single barrel and Shaol lowered himself into it.

"Thank you," said Shaol as he climbed into the barrel, "I'll be back for you."

Yor shook his head and handed Shaol a pry bar.

"You'll need this to get out," said Yor simply.

Shaol lowered himself into the space.

"Its a good thing your small," sighed Yor looking down at him and then added, "don't end up like Pysuun, lad."

Shaol did not respond, he just lowered his head and positioned himself in the barrel. Yor placed the top on the barrel and hammered it shut. The world was dark as things shuffled in the room outside, then the barrel lurched to the side and up.

"What's in this?" grunted someone as the barrel fell back to the ground.

"Salt," said Yor, "don't spill it."

"A hand," called the voice.

The barrel tipped again and Shaol held himself in place, the pry bar started to slip but he was able to grab it before it hit the metal. The barrel swayed as it was carried from the room then came the sounds of the street. The ones who carried the barrel grunted, the barrel dropped onto the wagon and then it started to roll, tumbling Shaol over as it went. The pry bar flew free and started to bounce around the small space, Shaol quickly grabbed the pry bar as it flew past him and held it tight.

"Fix it with some bags," came Yor's voice.

Shaol sighed to himself, no one had heard the pry bar. The barrel jolted as things were thrown against it. Shaol sat quietly in the dark with the cold metal gripped in hand as the rest of the goods were packed around him and then the wagon lurched forward, though the city and towards the gate.

The wagon came to a stop as it had reached the mouth of the gate. Shaol's stomach dropped as the realisation came to him, it had taken so much to get here, he was alone, he was wounded but he would not fail the ones that still waited for him.

The barrel was rolled from the wagon and it tipped again, it rocked for a few moments and then hit the ground. A shudder went through the barrel and into Shaol's body, his chested ached, still hurt from the blow he had taken from the metal pole.

Shaol heard someone grunt as the barrel lifted again, it did not tip this time as it was carried by a guard beyond the gate and into the tunnel.

Soon, the barrel was loaded onto the second the wagon, the ones who laboured outside made no sound as they went about their task and then the wagon rolled forward to its final resting place somewhere within the belly of the fortress.

Now, Shaol sat listened to the sound of metal wheels scrapping on the tunnel's stone floor outside the barrel.

The world started to lean as the wagon made a long, slow left, then it suddenly swung back as there was a quick right and then it stopped. The goods were unpacked, the barrel was lifted and placed on the ground, then the wagon wheels started to scrap again as they were pulled away.

Shaol listened. He heard nothing for a good amount of time, so he took the pry bar in hand, put it to the edge of the top, tapped it and worked the pry bar between the barrel and the top, the metal bowed and the cover came free.

Shaol tilted the top and looked up through the small gap. All he could see were thin, stone pillars which soared above, capped by large arches holding a stone roof which reflected the soft, half light of torches. There were no walls in sight, the barrel was sitting in the open.

Shaol lowered the top still feeling unsure, he would give it some more time, the goods wagon may still be nearby, Unders may come to fetch goods for the Masters, guards may pass on a patrol.

Time passed and as it did Shaol grew more confident as nothing moved outside the barrel. He lifted the top and raised his head above the rim. The room stretched out in every direction, there were no walls, only the widely spaced, thin pillars between which sat countless piles of goods. Food, wood, stone, fabric, leather, tools and many other strange objects, which Shaol had never seen before. Each pile sat unattended and unguarded in the soft orange light of torches that had been secured to the pillars.

Shaol pulled himself from the barrel and looked for a place to hide but every pile was as exposed as the next. In the distance, Shaol could see the black wall and the large gate which started the path back to the city. The gate was as tall here as the one that towered over the city, but there were no guards, only two large, black braziers taller than three men which sat on either side of the gate, unlit and abandoned.

Shaol looked behind, away from the black wall, there he saw stone steps which rose from the floor and climbed all the way to roof and disappeared to the left and right into the half light. The piles of goods in front of the steps were unlit, a good place to hide and decide how to move forward. Shaol made his way toward the steps.

"Shaol," called Raphtune's voice, "this way."

Shaol's eyes scanned the space ahead, the young boy's head stuck out from behind a pile of stone and bricks, crouched low to the ground. Raphtune did not wait for a response, the face disappeared, Shaol hurried forward and when he reached the bricks he saw the boy in the distance working his way through the room from one pile to the next.

Raphtune kept a good distance in front of the Shoal as the boy glided through the room like nothing Shaol had seen, each step seemed a continuation of the one that came before with was no hesitation in the motion . Raphtune would find himself behind a pile, he would have looked for what was ahead, be around the pile and across the floor without a single pause, without a single sound, without a sign of effort.

Shaol followed the small shadow which slip through the space and tried to be as silent as the boy but he had to move quickly to keep up and his heavy, metal boots only made the fast, hard steps louder.

Raphtune disappeared from sight, Shaol hurried to where he had last seen the shadow and there he found a small space dug into a pile of goods, the entrance hidden by some empty boxes that Shaol pushed aside and entered.

"I didn't expect to see you here," said Shaol as he ducked low and found a spot in the small space.

"Raphtune the Missing is never where people expect him to be."

"I'm glad you are," smiled Shaol "how did you get in?"

"I have my ways," said Raphtune simply and pulled a bag out from under his shirt, "I got here the day after you tore apart your Master's house, the fortress seemed far safer than the city after that."

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving the city?"

"I've decided it's safer to keep a distance from you," said Raphtune finding a jar of black ink in his bag, "I would still like to get out of Tarlnath with my life."

"You think I'm dangerous?"

"I don't take unnecessary risks," replied Raphtune taking a piece of cloth from his bag and unwrapped it, inside there were sticks stained with swirls of all different colours, "and you should start doing the same."

"I haven't done anything that wasn't needed."

Quietly, Raphtune placed a small mirror on the ground. Carefully and precisely, he angled a lantern sitting on a wooden box behind him to illuminated his slender, face. Shaol watched the boy, not sure if he was going to speak again. Raphtune dipped one of the sticks in the ink and started to draw a curve on his forehead, down his cheek and hooked the line at the chin. Raphtune had learnt the lines that marked the Unders.

"The town was in such a flurry six days ago," Raphtune broke the silence without looking up from the mirror and starting another line, "In the east quarters everyone was alive with gossip, an Under had staged an open attack on a guardhouse using the mists of Zeria as cover. How the Masters were frothing, going wild with fury and turning stupid with fear.

"Seeing this, I grumble to myself, 'This will complicate matters, Raphtune the Missing, it is best you find Shaol and tell him to wait while this mess settles'. So, I cross the city to the Clan Leader Aksit's house, to check on my dear friend and do you know what I saw Shaol?"

Shaol was quiet.

"A whole host of Masters yelling and screaming in the streets, a Demon had torn apart the home of Aksit, the gods had not been able to protect one of the most powerful clan leaders in city, it had even killed one of his boys, helped by Unders, no less. The Horror.

"So, now, I say to myself, 'Don't leap to conclusions, Raphtune the Missing, surely it wasn't Shaol and Pysuun. They wouldn't be such fools as to kick the hornets nest, especially after being patient for so many years, mere moments before freedom would have been theirs.'"

Raphtune seemed to be enjoying his rant.

"So, I go to my dear friend Kiri who works the goods wagon and I ask her, 'have there been any peculiar requests Yor has been making lately', and it turns out two barrels of salt had been added to the goods list for no reason.

"Two barrels, in one trip, how odd, I ask if Yor explained the sudden appearance of these goods, no reason had been given, it had just been added. But then I stop and say to myself, 'Oh, Raphtune the Missing, this is just a misunderstanding on your part, the two would never go together. Not only would it already be strange to any of the Unders that worked the wagon, but if they were caught they would be stuck together, helpless, with no plan of escape.'

"So..."

"It was more difficult than you know," interrupted Shaol angrily.

"It was always going to be difficult, Shaol, did you think it was going to be any different?"

"No," replied Shaol low and quiet as the question had struck away his anger.

"Now, as I was saying, I go to find out what has happened to Aksit and his loyal servants when I ran across the guards closing down the city, quarter by quarter, and that was when I knew I had overstayed my welcome, forget the fortress, forget my dear friends, I said rightly to myself and went to get out of the city. To my dismay I found the Orsil had locked down every exit I knew, even the abandoned water tunnels at the rear of the city. I'd never seen them so focused, so organised, I could not stay in the city another day.

"Luckily, I had was ready for something like this and inside a hollow stone I found passage on the wagon that took the building supplies from the masons. A bit riskier than I like but I was left with few choices.

"So, here I have been for the last few days, surprised you and Pysuun were not already here tearing apart the fortress in your mad hunt, I am guessing that there was more destruction to wrought in the city. In any case, I'm glad you finally got through, you being here will make things easier."

"You still want my help?"

"I need you to get out," said Raphtune flatly, "as chaotic as you are, Shaol, I trust you and that is more than I can say for anyone else in this place."

"Did you bring the cloaks?"

"Did I bring the cloaks?" exclaimed Raphtune looking up from the mirror waving his pen in the air, "could you have given a few days to make them? You don't just throw fabric at some blades and cloaks appeared. I have some very fine, grey fabric sitting in my den on the other side of that wall, along with some wonderfully, strong thread, which was very hard to acquire. A lot of good any of that does us, now.

"But I have found some grey fabric in these piles, and some scissors, all we need thread and time."

"The Grey Men are hunting me after that night," said Shaol simply waiting for Raphtune to start again.

"How?" asked Raphtune quickly.

"Did you see their spirits?"

"No."

"The Grey Men can bring spirits in the mist and they found me and Pysuun, Friend is sure they know us and can hunt us now."

"Shaol, you are a master," laughed Raphtune.

"They had Pysuun, I wasn't going to let them harm him."

"Where is Pysuun?" asked Raphtune innocently.

"He's dead."

Raphtune's pen stopped where it was on his arm for a moment, then he shrugged and continued to draw the line.

"You don't care," growled Shaol.

"Twenty four, I counted in the eastern quarters, hung and disfigured. More in the west, I had stopped counting by that time," replied Raphtune without emotion, "the Orsil cried a web of deceit had corrupted their city and there swords would purge it, did you stop to think of those men and women?"

"I know how the Masters keep their city," growled Shaol.

"And yet you did it anyway," sneered Raphtune suddenly angry, "and then sit there and ask me to weep for your friend, for the one you knew?"

Shaol was quiet.

"I'm not saying you killed them, Shaol, and I'm not saying you weren't right to knock that bastard down and kill his boy. But you know the Orsil, you know what they are, you went about it like a fool and because of it others suffered, others that you knew, others that I knew and they suffered for a man who is no longer with you."

"And what would Raphtune the Missing have done?" spat Shaol.

"You talk as though there was something that could have been done."

"You would have done nothing," said Shaol firmly, "you have sat by and left a friend to die."

"Where is Pysuun?" repeated Raphtune the question no longer innocent.

Shaol fell quiet and silence stretched between the two until Raphtune looked down at the mirror on the ground and, without another word, he finished the lines he needed to look like Shaol, an Under of the stone city and nothing more. Raphtune started to wrap the pens in the stain cloth.

"Now, listen to me," said Raphtune quietly, "no more. You get the treasure, I'll see what I have come to see and we walk out that gate over there."

"We must find Hassa," said Shaol.

Raphtune sighed.

"We cannot come back for her, she must come with us," said Shaol with a hard voice, "Friend is not able to help anyone in the fortress."

Raphtune was quiet for a moment.

"I have found Hassa," said the boy with a reluctance in his voice.

"Have you spoken with her?"

"I do not move with your swiftness, I'm afraid. I think its best we keep our distance until we are ready to leave. We will take her with us, then."

"Why?"

"We don't need her now. We get her on the way out."

"Hassa will know the fortress, we'll move faster with her."

Raphtune went to speak, but then stopped.

"She will be able to find us thread for the cloaks," continued Shaol.

"If you insist, you can speak to her," said Raphtune finally, "but if she can't help, we go into the fortress without her."

"Where is she?"

"The city beyond the tunnel," said Raphtune, "come, its easier to move before they return from the fortress. Bring the pry bar."

Raphtune pulled himself from the space. Shaol followed, the pry bar heavy in his hand.

"Follow. Quietly," whispered Raphtune and he was off again through the piles.

Shaol followed he looked ahead and noticed there was a large, dark wall which divided the area, Raphtune was leading him towards it.

The wall was much further than it appeared and it took a good while before the pair reached it. Set into the wall was a large set of wooden doors the height of a dozen men. To the side, a small, rough tunnel with no doors, large enough for a wagon and nothing more, had been cut into the stone. Raphtune disappeared into the tunnel and Shaol followed.

Chapter 15

Raphtune was waiting at the far end of the tunnel, a crouched, silhouette against red and orange of the fires that burnt beyond.

A city of leather scraps, wooden sticks and metal sheets had been built below the fortress. The small shelters made of stray pieces of waste went off far into the distance. Chaotic paths wormed their way through the city, made only of the space which had not been taken by the huts.

"Do not get close to anyone," whispered Raphtune, "they know each other well. Keep out of the light, keep to yourself, hide the bar, remember, no tongues. Don't follow me too closely."

Raphtune leapt from the tunnel, was down a thin path covered by heavy shadows and started to make his way through the city. Shaol followed and after a while the thin path joined a straighter, wider road in the middle of which sat barrels of small flames which lit the way ahead. Raphtune separated from Shaol and crossed to the other side of the street, Shaol held to his side and continued forward, over the tops of smaller huts he could see shadows moving along unlit paths.

The shacks were like the burrows made by the rats in the corners of the cellar, small pieces of stolen scrapes that were pushed together into a fragile tower of filth. The space inside each was only large enough for one or two people to curl up into.

An Under joined the street ahead, she silently wandered between the black and orange stripes of light made by the barrels before crossing the street. She moved with a speed, her body was upright and her arms stiff, her strides long, her steps firm then the Under vanished down another path and became lost in the darkness.

Shaol kept moving forward, making sure to keep track of Raphtune's outline which moved slowly and calmly in the shadows, occasionally he would disappear into the darkness only to reappearing again a short while later, slightly further ahead.

There were many smaller tracks which joined the road, if Shaol needed he could easily escape into the maze and hide which gave him some confidence as he walked passed the handful of others that sat on boxes at the side the streets, some watched him passed, other ignored him, none appeared to be concerned with his presence.

Yellow eyes burnt from beyond the halos given off from the barrels before vanishing again.

The shacks came to a halt and a square opened up in front. Makeshift stools, rugs and boxes fashioned into benches littered the area. In the centre, a large, metal oven glowed with a deep, red of slow burning coals that gave off a warm and inviting heat. A handful Unders were sitting by the oven hunched over a collection of small, metal things on a stone slab.

Shaol hesitated at the end of the path, he needed to keep to the shadows, so he turned and kept to the edge of the square away from the light and the others. He walked around the red square and as he did he noticed barrels dotted here and there, as he passed one he looked in and saw himself reflected in the surface of the liquid inside. The water sparkled red in the light, Shaol looked to find Raphtune but he had vanished into the shadows again. Shaol looked at the water and wondered whether it was safe or poisonous, he could not be sure so he kept walking around the square.

Past the shelters, Shaol was able to make out the dim shape of the steps behind the city. They continued to rise and meet the stone ceiling above. The black wall still ran opposite it as far as Shaol could see.

Shaol left the square and was amongst the shacks again, he continued until there was another square. Again, an oven lit the cluttered space with the more barrels full of water.

Shaol saw the outline of another gate that led back to the city, a road cut into the stone led up to the gate that sat closed and blocked by iron bars, the Unders had not built their shacks on the road leaving the stones clean and bare. There were no guards at these gates, either, he had not seen any guards since he had arrived.

Raphtune tugged on Shaol's shirt and nodded towards a path that led away from the square. The two became hidden amongst the shacks, there was no movement except for that of some vermin scratching their own way through the shelters.

"Hassa comes to that square when the day ends, you can wait here for her," whispered Raphtune, "I have somewhere else to be."

"You won't stay?"

"No."

"I need you to write."

"A nod means yes, a head shake means no."

"I know that."

"Then you don't need me," said Raphtune flatly, "now, Hassa has long, white..."

"I know what Hassa looks like."

"Then, I'll be going. Be careful."

Raphtune turned down a small path and was gone.

Shaol looked upon the rest of the city as it turned to the left and vanished behind the slope of the steps as it followed the base of the fortress. He had time, so he decided to see how far the scrap city stretched.

Shaol used the small, dark paths to follow the steps and then turned to the left with them. Hundreds of feet ahead, another wall divided the space with an arch, as tall as the gates, sat open and unblocked, through it the yellow sunlight of afternoon flooded into the world under the fortress.

The shacks continued forward for only a short distance before stopping, all at once, at an invisible line that the shelters dared not cross. Beyond the line the space continued, empty except for the thin pillars that held the roof.

Shaol did not dare to step out beyond the cover of the shelters and into the open until he knew more about what lay ahead. Shaol turned towards the steps at the rear of city.

Chipped and cracked with age, the stairs had been neglected and forgotten. Discarded pieces of wood, fabric and metal had been allow to gather on the lower steps, while the higher ones were bare and untouched. Shaol put his hand on the cold stone, the temples were behind, he knew it, he only needed to find a way to get to them. A rat jumped from the scrap next to his hand and he pulled it back as the creature skittered across the stairs and into the darkness.

Shaol turned back and aimlessly walked the trails between the shacks. A few Unders slept quietly inside their dens, a few walked swiftly amongst the shadows.

The image jumped out at Shaol as he passed the open entrance to a hut. A face made of shards of broken pots stared up at Shaol from the floor lit by a single lantern that burnt in the corner.

The maker had arranged each piece precisely and with great skill, dark colours formed shadows which curved around the chin, the cheek bones were high and inset, its mouth curled into a slight smile of amusement, wild, black hair framed the face, its blue eyes danced and sparkled in the light. Shaol looked closely and noticed small pieces of glass had been placed between the clay, bringing a magical life to the face. Shaol pickup up a shard glass, it was blue like the fine glass that had once sat in the windows of Aksit's house. He placed the glass back sure to find the same place he had taken it from. No one in the city had ever made such a thing, no one would have dared.

Could Shaol have remembered his family if he was allowed make them from broken clay like this? It did not matter, he told himself quickly. Memories betrayed the lie that one could go back and there was no way back, not for him or the one that made this image as he had always told the kids that had come to the water caravan. Their families were gone and things such as this picture only turned them sour before their time.

"Who is the boy?" came the voice of friend.

Friend had squashed herself into the shack, her wings crowded behind her.

"I don't know," said Shaol looking at the picture.

"Not that," whispered Friend, "the boy that travels with you."

"Raphtune? He's helping us."

"And what does he want?"

"To see the fortress, nothing more. He doesn't need anything from us."

"We must get below as quickly as possible the Grey Men are recovering their strength," said Friend, "come, I will lead you."

"I'll get Hassa first. We will go after that."

"There is no time for that," snapped Friend, "we must go now."

"Hassa will know how to get us into the fortress."

"We do not need them now, we are beyond the black wall. We must go alone and get the box."

"I need their help."

"I will guide you."

"You don't know what we face."

"We need to move quickly and we will move quicker alone."

"Hassa will know the way better than either of us."

"What do you know about Hassa?"

"Nothing."

"And this boy with you? What do you know of him?"

"And the one with the burning eyes?" asked Shaol annoyed by the questions.

"We have been friends since you were a boy."

"But I know little about you."

"Do you trust me?"

"I do," said Shaol, "I also trust Raphtune and Hassa."

"Shaol, you must understand the fortress is a dangerous place..."

"I know that, Friend," interrupted Shaol, "that's why I need them."

Friend was silent for the moment and her burning eyes narrowed.

"The Grey Men will not wait, they may come for you soon. We must get to the temple tonight."

"We will move as fast as we can, Hassa will know a way through the fortress by now."

Friend was gone from the corner of the shack.

Shaol looked at the smiling face one more time and then went back to the trails. More Unders now walked the paths of the city, some were hauling goods over their shoulders, over darted in and out of their shelters.

The square was alive as Shaol approached it for the second time. All manner of Unders dressed in simple leather sat around the oven which had now been stoked brighter than before and lit the hovels at the edge and a few more beyond those. The sweet smell of meat cooking filled the air as Unders scooped up water with cups from the barrels and drank without fear, two Unders were working together to fill a copper tub with water.

The number of clay slabs and small metal things had grown, some Unders were holding clay shards which they gave to each other for some reason. One man was showing a group of Unders a small empty bowl, he threw a leather rag over the bowl and then pulled it away. Somehow, the bowl had a stone sitting in it, the Unders that watched on clapped and whistled.

"Good Evening, Shaol," whispered a voice in his ear.

Shaol spun around, there stood a young woman slightly taller than him, her hair white and wispy scattered wildly from her head, reflecting the fierce light of the square. Her body was rake thin, her arms were long and made of only bone and slender muscle.

"Hassa," whispered Shaol.

She grinned and then put her finger to his lip.

"This way," she whispered and nodded towards a path.

Hassa took Shaol from the square and down several paths. Her dress made of leather clinked as the pieces of metal that had been worked into the back and front knocked together, in a way it resembled the armour worn by the guards that patrolled the city. Shaol then noticed the two long knives in leather sheathes that hung from her belt.

The light became dim as the trails continued. Hassa stopped in front of a hut, pulled back the leather sheet covering the entrance and motioned for Shaol to enter. Shaol crouched down and entered the space and found a place on the bare stone floor. Hassa moved in after him and pulled the leather across the opening and sat across from him, her thin legs crossed in front of her.

"I knew you would come, Shaol," she said as she pulled a lantern from a corner and lit it, "sometimes I doubted but here you are sitting across from me."

"I hadn't forgotten you," smiled Shaol at the warmth, "your voice..."

"I have something for you," interrupted Hassa.

Hassa rummaged through a pile until she produce a small clay shard.

"Here is your message." she said with a smile and handed him the shard with something was scratched onto the surface.

"I can't read."

"Oh," she laughed of a joy, "I'm sorry."

Hassa lent across the space and wrapped her hand around his.

"It says 'Come, no Orsil, clerics only, ready,'," she read and looked at him, "it was my first message to you and Raphtune."

"Thank you," smiled Shaol, "you couldn't get it to us?"

"No," replied Hassa shaking her head, "there's no way to climb the fortress wall. Whoever told you a man fell from it was wrong. The tunnels and the sky are the only ways in or out."

"But, how do you speak?" repeated Shaol, "Raphtune said..."

"So much has happened," smiled Hassa, "but it is unimportant, you have have gotten out of the city and that's what important. I knew you would make it."

"What happened to you?" insisted Shaol.

"Look at the shard."

Shaol turned the clay shard in the lantern light, at the bottom was a dark stain.

"My blood," said Hassa, "I was trying to climb high enough to get the shard over the wall when I slipped and fell. That was when the darkness took me, Shaol, and in that darkness there was another world and in that world I found the one who built Tarlnath.

"He brought me back to guide you, he gave me my voice so I could tell you everything I've learnt. He said you would come, he said you would listen."

"Who has whispered these things to you?"

"Sulla, the one who built this city."

"I've spent my life in this city and I have never heard that name."

"I know, Shaol, they've taken so much from you, your life, your freedom, everything you could have been."

Shaol became quiet as he became concerned for the one that sat across from him. In the weeks Hassa had been forced to wait, the thoughts had found her but he did not have time to help Hassa now, once he had the treasure he would take her away from the city and then he would deal with the poison thoughts.

"Hassa, can you get me into the fortress?"

"The fortress is yours to take, Shaol," said Hassa.

"What about the Grey Men who hold this place?"

"They sit in their towers, like they do everyday, the fortress is empty except for us."

"We need to go beneath the fortress. There are temples behind the steps that I must reach, then you can go home."

"How many will your friend save, Shaol?"

"Do you know a way?"

"You, me, a few others, I suppose. And then, what? The Masters go and take forty more from Ulnsearth or the First Kingdom or Darkstone."

"There is no time for this, Hassa, the Grey Men are coming for us."

"Do you know how long Tarlnath has stood?" continued Hassa leaning forward and squeezing his hand around the clay, "do you know how much misery it has brought?"

"I know what this city has done to us," said Shaol looking sadly at the one across from him.

"Not just to us, but to the countless men chained to its stone through the ages. Men destroyed, children enslaved, all for a broken land of nothing. Together we can end it, once and for all. There will be no city left in the dead lands, no longer a home for the pathetic Orsil."

Hassa's eyes were wet with tears, the lantern's flame danced across the eyes, the poisonous thoughts done their work and corrupted her mind with strange visions. But her tongue had been brought back, it was then Shaol knew what had happened to her.

"The Grey Men have already found you, Hassa," said Shaol firmly, "they have tricked you with their magic, you need to fight them and help me find what I need."

"The Clerics are nothing compared to the power of Sulla. They are nothing but mindless, irrelevant relics. They covet this place like every other creature that has claimed to rule it, seeking a lost power ignorant of the fact the city is long dead and we along with all the others are the ones who suffer for their delusion.

"They hide in their towers not because they hold anything of worth, it's because they seek something already gone and they'll do anything to keep everyone else from that nothing. Suffering is all that Tarlnath brings to this world and it is all you will find here."

"There is something below the fortress," said Shaol calmly, "the Grey Men are using thee vision to distract you from the path home."

"We don't walk any path. Forget what you have come for, you don't need it anymore, you're all we need."

"We must get to fortress."

"You will listen," said Hassa forcefully, "he has been watching both of us. He told me of your kitchen where you would scrub the pots and Pysuun would pace. He heard you say my name, even when it was hard you never forgot me. You must understand, Shaol, you are the only strong man in Tarlnath and that strength can tear this place apart."

Hassa paused with a wide smile on her face, her hands still held Shaol's tight around the sharp edges of the clay.

"Tarlnath was once a place of great beauty," whisper Hassa, "but now it has become diseased and rotten and it has been that way for more years than any can remember.

"Sulla wants to end it, remove his stain from the world. I want to end it. And I know you want to end it as well, then we can go to peace, Shaol, where the world is quiet, the forests are endless and no suffers."

"There's no such place, Hassa, there's no such way" replied Shaol as though he was talking the kids at the water caravan, "you speak like all the others new to the city but you must listen to the one who knows this place well, nothing comes from these thoughts. "

"The true master of Tarlnath has more power than the bird-woman who talks to you and he does not offer a token gesture of few lives. He will give you the city, like you want."

"One man cannot not do such things."

"You can Shaol, you are different."

"The Grey Men would love nothing more than to see us lose our way now that we are so close. Please, Hassa, you must believe me, you think only the poison thoughts of the Old Ones who struggle against their bonds because you don't want to see what you are, you need to fight it. Help me get below, we can go home and then it can be truly done. Please, stand against the Grey Men with me."

"You'll see it and you will understand," said Hassa with a nod, "I'll have my men bring Raphtune from his cave."

"Men?"

"Yes, there are others here who wish the same as you," said Hassa, "and they have been waiting longer than I have for you to come."

"I cannot take them all. Escape is not easy."

"Not on the broken path you walk."

"It is the only path I will take, Hassa."

"Then tell me," said Hassa her voice is hard, "if you could, how many you would take?"

Shaol was quite, he would not listen to this madness anymore.

"It is a simple question, please answer it. How many would you save? For the lives dragged through the gates and fed to insatiable hunger of this city. Their blood drained, muscles torn and bones shattered, so that the dying beast can lumber on. How many for the children torn from their parents arms, for tongues ripped from the mouths of the innocent, for friends thrown to the pits of vermin."

She lent forward.

"Tell me, Shaol, between none but the two standing before the end of it all. How many would be enough for you?"

"There aren't enough," he replied his voice cold and angry, "because we can never have back what has been taken."

Shaol looked into Hassa's eyes and moment passed between the two of them.

"The city has taken your mind," whispered Shaol, "you must be strong and fight it, you must not let the poison thoughts sit."

"The thoughts are not poisonous and even though you hide from them, you know this too."

"A place I can dig, this is what I need. Will you take me?"

"I will," nodded Hassa and pulled herself from the space.

Shaol had come too late. Hassa had already turned but he would not lose another. He would take her from this place and, hopefully, Hassa could find a kind of peace somewhere in her home far from the city.

Chapter 16

Raphtune was waiting with some Unders at the end of the scrap city, beyond the line formed by the huts was the distant wall with the large arch, the world beyond now dark.

"Hassa," nodded Raphtune as Shaol and Hassa approached.

"Raphtune," said Hassa and nodded back.

"Is there a way into the fortress?" asked Raphtune without a moment of hesitation.

"I'll show you," said Hassa.

Raphtune quickly glanced at Shaol.

"Is the way clear?" asked Raphtune as his eyes darted back to Hassa.

"There are no guards to worry about."

"The Clerics?"

"In their towers."

"Do you know how to get below the fortress?"

"I have an idea."

"Then, the fortress awaits us."

"It does," said Hassa stepping out beyond the line of shacks.

Hassa led the way with long, confident strides unafraid of being seen, she held her lantern high to light the way as Shaol and Raphtune followed a few feet behind. The others stayed at the edge of the city and silently watched the lantern become distant.

"I'm glad you're still breathing," said Raphtune, "I was worried for a moment."

"I was never in danger," said Shaol.

Raphtune nodded. Hassa quickened her pace in front and the two kept up with her.

"Do the Clerics let you freely walk the fortress?" asked Raphtune.

"Yes, the Clerics only keep us to tend to the fortress, fix what is broken and clean away what builds up, they care about little else."

"Can I enter their towers?"

"No one will stop you," said Hassa, "but I would be cautious, the Clerics are still dangerous."

"Shaol, pass me the pry bar," said Raphtune quickly.

Shaol handed Raphtune the metal bar, happy to be rid of the lump of steel.

"Why do you need that?" asked Shaol.

Raphtune simply shrugged and balanced the bar in his left hand.

The arch grew larger as the three approached, beyond it sat another stone wall with an identical arch cut into it. Hassa was quick with her steps and Raphtune, even though he as much smaller than the other two, kept pace easily. Shaol noticed the boy's feet landed with a soft spring that stopped them from making any noise as he moved, though Raphtune's efforts were for nothing as his two companions let their feet hit the ground loudly and without care.

The large arch passed overhead and to the left were the stone steps that led up to the top of the stone roof. Into the sky above, rose the immense, dark body of the fortress. The walls were not built flat and square like the buildings Shaol was accustom too, they curved in and out slightly as they wrapped around the body. Countless windows looked out from the walls, all different shapes and sizes, sparkling silver in the moonlight.

"This way," said Hassa leading the way up the stairs.

Shaol glanced through the arch cut into the far wall, in far distance he could see small orange dots of flames from another scrap city that continued around the back of the fortress.

The steps passed underfoot, halfway up Shaol started to struggled for breath as the enormous slope ascended quickly. Raphtune got ahead as he took the steps two at a time, the pry bar slung over his shoulder. Hassa moved quickly and calmly, her light, messed hair trailed behind her as she went.

At the top of the steps, Shaol caught his breath as he looked out on the world of the fortress that sat on the stone roof of the scrap city. A large yard stretched all the way to the black wall filled with a forest of trees like the five Shaol had studied on his way to the lake but the trees he saw here were not coloured the same brown or green. These trees had trunks of gold and silver, their polished surfaces caught and scattered the moonlight, the leaves that hung from the branches above clattered and scrapped against each other as they moved in the slight breeze that ran through the yard.

Shaol moved towards one of them, as he got close he could see his face warped and strange in the surfaces. He ran his hand over the bumps and groves beaten into the surface.

A bang came from behind, Shaol spun around. Raphtune was hitting the side of a tree with the pry bar.

"Hollow," shrugged Raphtune.

"Quiet," hissed Shaol.

Raphtune hit the tree again causing it to hum and the leaves to grind overhead.

"No guards," said Raphtune flatly.

Raphtune turned and continued through the forest, his warped reflection thrown here and there by the trees. A light started to dance across the surfaces, Shaol swung around and found Hassa next to him with her lantern in hand.

"I would like to show you something," said Hassa with a smile.

Hassa swung the lantern and headed deeper into the forest towards the black wall. She stopped in front of a tree with a large, round body and more branches than any other. Shaol looked up and saw that soared high above the trees around it, reaching almost as high as the black wall.

"This is where I climbed, the tallest tree in the forest. I was going get the shard across the top to you with a sling."

Shaol looked up quietly, he did not want to speak of the visions again. Hassa turned from the tree and threw the light onto a small lump across the yard.

"And this is where I fell."

A small tree made of gold, nailed to the stone, grew to the height of Shaol's waist. It branches were small, sharp and bunched together, its leaves a tangled mass of jagged edges. The lantern did not reflect cleanly off the surface off like it did with the other trees as the dry, black blood that stained its surface ate the light.

Hassa put the lantern onto the ground and lifted the side of her leather and metal shirt, her body was covered in countless tiny scars.

"The darkness did not come immediately," she said quietly, "I lay here, watching the moon move across the sky with the branches pierced through my body. I tried to call for help but my throat was clogged with blood."

Hassa lowered her shirt.

"I'm sorry," said Shaol, "I should've come sooner."

"No," said Hassa sharply walking toward him, "I should have come sooner. You have been cut a thousand time worse then I and while you bled I sat in Moorswatch ignorant of the horror that lay beyond my borders. But I am here now and I won't let you suffer any longer."

"These are the thoughts you must fight," said Shaol, "none of this is because of you, there is nothing you could have done for me or anyone else here."

"My father is High Chieftain of East, I was a Flanking Captain in the Eastern Arms," said Hassa her voice quiet and distant, "I could have done something."

"How would a captain find herself in Gart?" Raphtune's voice suddenly cutting in from somewhere beyond the light, "armies can't march through these land."

"I was routing a Kaborn raiding party from our settlements," said Hassa not looking away from Shaol, "their party was broken and on the run but as we were pushing them through the Burrows the bastards got behind us, they were able to take out half of my men with the ambush, the rest of us were forced to scatter out of Burrows and into Gart to regroup but before we were able the Orsil found me and the ones I escaped with."

"The Orsil enslaving a unit of the Eastern Arms? Wouldn't that have been an act of war?" asked Raphtune still hidden in the shadows.

"My father would have thought us lost in Burrows," said Hassa to the boy that hid amongst the tree, "when you take up the sword, death on the battlefield is always a likely end."

Raphtune tapped on the side of the tree with the pry bar making it sing.

"I'm not the one in danger, Hassa," said Shaol forcefully, "we need to get below then we can go home."

"They've taken your sight along with the rest," replied Hassa, "how many more must go the way of Pysuun for you to see what is around you?"

"I can help you..."

"You will help me into the pits with all the others," said Hassa simply.

Shaol gritted his teeth as the anger rose in him. He turned away from the Old One with the lantern and stormed off into the darkness of the forest. He did not the know the way but he did not want to be led, the yard snaked around the fortress in a way that he knew and understood, he would find the others when the black wall bent and the entrance was before them.

Hassa believed she knew him, the city and what had happened within these walls but she knew nothing but the thoughts that killed those that would listen.

Loss-Eye knelt as the Master held the cup above his head, Shaol could barely recognise his first friend behind the spikes that had been driven into his face. They held him hard as he whimpered behind the mask of metal shards.

The Master tilted the cup and the poison water washed over his face, Loss-Eye screamed as the bronze in skin was burnt away, staining his face and body disgusting swirls of white, red and dark brown, then they pushed the cup to his lips and made him drink.

Loss-Eye thrashed and convulsed and the Master threw him forward into the dirt as the water worked it ways through his body. Shaol, still only a boy who could still remember the farmhouse far beyond the city, saw the skin of his friend's gut turn black and start to flake as it became stone and powder.

Loss-Eye became still. The only friend Shaol had known in the city, the first that Shaol knew to be taken by the Masters. Loss-Eye had listened to the poison thoughts but he had not turned on the kids, he had not turned on Shaol, he had turned on the Masters who guarded the barracks. He yelled at Shaol to run, the iron gate was open but there was nowhere to run in the dead lands. Four Masters were dead before they brought Loss-Eye down.

Every cursed, poison thought had come to Shaol. Every night, when he sat alone in the corner and thought on the friend he had lost. But he fought them back as he looked at the ones who laughed the broken laughter, how easy it would have all have been if only he had sat with them.

Shaol was known as Thumbs in those days after he had popped the eyes of the Old One who had tried to beat him. The one who had failed to haul the full number of sacks from the lake and was wild after the lashes. He had turned on Shaol, but that night Shaol would not be beaten and he fought back, Loss-Eye smiled and cheered as he watched his friend fight to defend himself.

The guard found the boy cowering in the corner awaiting his punishment, but the guard did not take him away instead he threw a piece of scrap at Thumbs and told him to clean off the remains.

There were always others that could be brought to haul the water, the Old One that had squirmed and screamed beneath him was nothing while Thumbs had become more than the others.

But there were always more and the ones that Thumbs damaged to protect the others were always replaced.

As he became older the name stayed but then he no longer needed to rely on the softness of the eyes, his fist were faster, his arms were stronger, his will more determined than the others. The faces of the Old Ones became as soft as their eyes.

Thumbs had his friend taken from him but someone must protect the kids, he must protect the kids and slowly the pain became less, but unlike the other memories that had become cloudy and unfocused Shaol could never forget Loss-Eye as he screamed for a confused and lost boy to run.

And then they cut him. His body was strong enough for the Masters, he did not need to grow anymore, they took him to a brick room with a metal table and when he woke there was nothing between his legs. When he was taken back to the water caravan, he was different, he did not want to be fast, he did not want to care, he wanted to sit in the corner and watch as the world passed. He had seen what he was, he was an Under, no different from any other, he was one who was named Shaol by others that had been taken and he could not remember. He watched from his corner as the Old Ones preyed upon whoever they chose, he would not help anyone again, it was easier to sit in the corner and watch.

The Old Ones became more and more violent until the night when the kid screamed, there was nothing but a bloodied lump where a head should be, the boy was dead, Shaol had not learnt his name.

Unders came and took the body, the Masters came and flogged the Old One. The next day, Shaol drowned the Old One in the lake.

The poison thoughts had taken so many and it was easy to let them but Shaol would not allow them to take him as well, he needed to be strong, he needed to live in the world that he hated. He could not just watch from the corner.

Now, Pysuun was dead and the Masters killed those Shaol could not protected. He had seen the Masters at their worse and he had seen what they had done to Loss-Eye and so many others. Shaol knew what Raphtune had seen after Aksit's house had been destroyed.

He would save the six and those he could name.

Shaol brought himself back to the trees made of metal, the orange of Hassa's lantern bounced erratically across their trunks as she found her own way through the forest.

The forest bent with the black wall as Shaol expected and he turn to the right with it. The trees began to thin and beyond Shaol saw a huge number of figures standing in the moonlight.

Shaol ducked behind a tree and he looked out at the figures, they stood still and lifeless in the moonlight. Slowly, he approached keeping himself hidden in the shadows as he did. He became puzzled as he got close enough to see that the figures were made of rough stone dressed in armour made of the same gold and silver as the forest, covered in gems of all different shades of red, blue, green and yellow that softly reflected the moon.

The frozen guards stood shoulder to shoulder like the guards that marched the street of the city, each looked up at the fortress, all manner of weapons held firm in hand, their still and emotionless faces scratched into the stone. All the types of heads Shaol had seen in the barracks were here. The ones with square chins, the sharp, slender ones, the long and squashed faces.

The lantern emerged from the forest and stones of the armour began to sparkle as the light injected an energy into the army. Hassa smiled at Shaol and he nodded as he caught her eye, becoming angry again as he did, still upset from the memories she had brought back to him.

"Where is Raphtune?" asked Shaol bluntly.

"Somewhere near, I'm sure," laughed Hassa, "you've found the army."

Shaol simply nodded again, he did not want to talk.

"The dreams of the mad Dragon, Gart," said Hassa walking ahead of Shaol, "he built this when the Mother Dragon ruled the world. Each Dragon held a different domain, Gart was given the dead lands to rule.

"He built all this, the forest, this army but not the fortress that was here long before the Dragon's came down from the mountains."

"Did the Grey Men tell you that?" asked Shaol with a hard voice.

Hassa laughed merrily.

"The story of the stone fortress of Tarlnath was told to me as a young girl. The fortress was built by the cursed men in the Age of Men after they murdered Sulla the Fire Babe, the great hero you have never heard of. That is why a curse poisons the lands of Gart, this land belonged to Sulla and no other may rule it."

"Only the Masters rule this land."

"Sulla is the only master of Tarlnath."

"When was the Age of Men?"

"Thousands of years in the past."

"Then, how does Sulla live to help you now?"

"He is a man greater than any other."

"I have seen the Grey Men do amazing things," said Shaol, "their magic has made me see visions as well. I have seen this land when it was green, this is what you have seen, Hassa. They are trying to fool you."

"What do you see when look at these statues?" asked Hassa.

Shaol heard the pry bar scrap against the stone just beyond the light.

Shaol turned back to look at the faces that passed him. Beyond the men dressed as guards were others dressed in silver shaped to look like fabric, golden tools in hand, some held silver ropes tied to copper beast that were fat and large with curved horns.

"Metal and stone," said Shaol simply.

"Do you know the Dragon Gart?"

"No."

"He was a proud and arrogant beast made so by his strength, far greater than any of the other Dragons. Gart was furious when the Mother Dragon gave him the desolate, eastern wastes as his domain and to make it worse the children of the land were the Orsil, the stupidest and most useless of all the men."

Hassa kept walking through the lines of guards, who stared up at the fortress without thought.

"A thousand year is a long time for any mind to strain without breaking and Gart's was no different from yours or mine. And when he was broken by the cursed land and do you know what he did?"

Shaol remained quite.

"He made himself an army. He sent the Orsil to the hills to mine the gold and silver and he had them bring it back to fashion the world he so desperately wanted. When Gart looked upon these men he saw an army of men, loyal and brave, men he could love and be loved by. When he looked upon the metal tress he saw a forest of fruits and flowers, all pieced together from what he could find amongst the stones."

Shaol continued to study the statues, the detail of faces were not fashioned with care, there was only enough to give the faces a resemblance of life, nothing more.

"And yet for all his effort, for all the years he toiled at his marvellous world," said Hassa, "all you see, Shaol, is metal and stone."

Shaol looked at the faces staring back at him, their undefined eyes started to take the form of the faces of the others he could not remember, the face of those that had been taken. He did not want to be amongst the faces anymore.

"Where is the entrance of the fortress?"

"As far as it needs to be."

The gems of the armour sparkled red like blood and green like rot. They didn't know they bled, they didn't know they rotted.

The scrapping came from the beyond the light, it had to be Raphtune. Why did he keep his distance?

Shaol wanted to be back in the kitchen with his pots, there he was at peace in the darkness of the window. He thought of Pysuun as the rats crawled across his face, half of it was gone, he could not fight them off. Was his son with him? His son was waiting. What of the six? There was one with him. Why was six enough? There was never enough.

The lantern flicked and bent in the wind, the shadows and the light swirled together.

"Why do you walk so slowly?" snapped Shaol.

"I walk as fast as I always have," said Hassa, "you have even broken a sweat."

Shaol raised his hand to his head, his forehead was moist.

"How much further?"

"Not far, you can see the entrance from here."

Hassa pointed ahead and above the army stood a large doorway open to the world, above the towers of the fortress climbed into the night sky.

Shaol focused on the doorway and tried to forget the stones that were forced to watch the fortress, slowly his mind return to him as he looked up and away to the black sky and the silver moon.

"The moon is a beautiful silver tonight," said Hassa with a smile.

"It is," replied Shaol.

Hassa was a good person, Shaol knew this, but she was lost and there was nothing he could do for her now, he just needed get below.

"Will you come with me?" asked Shaol as the pair left the figures and started to climb the steps towards the doorway.

"I'm already with you."

"Will you leave the city when it's time?"

"If you leave Tarlnath behind, I will leave with you."

"And you will return home."

"Where else would I go?"

Shaol was silent.

"Where will you go, Shaol?"

"The lake is my home."

"Is that all that is left of you?"

Shaol paused.

"I think you are the one who won't leave Tarlnath behind, but then it's always hard to leave your home."

An anger rose in Shaol as he let the words in.

"I won't hear insults," snarled Shaol.

"What is insulting?"

"Tarlnath is no home."

"You insult yourself," said Hassa calmly, "you refuse to see yourself for what you are."

"The lake is my home and I will return there when this is done."

"Don't look to closely at the shore, Shaol, you may find it made of metal and stone."

Shaol held his breath and found the strength to push the words away.

Raphtune appeared at the edge of light.

"This place is impressive, it must have taken hundreds of years to put these statues together," said Raphtune, "don't you think?"

"We need to get below," said Shaol stiffly.

"I agree, I would like to see these temples. Which way?"

"This way," said Hassa motioning through the large wooden doors that led to a huge, black interior.

"No lights?" asked Raphtune.

"Flames would stain the wall," said Hassa, "besides, no one uses the fortress at night except the Clerics."

"They're in the towers?" asked Shaol.

"As they always are," replied Hassa, "you are safe."

Raphtune tapped the floor with the pry bar letting the sound echo throw the chamber.

"Why are you tapping?" snapped Shaol.

"Just want you to know where I am," said Raphtune, "I wouldn't want you to lose me again."

The lantern threw its soft light into cavernous space, only strong enough to give the faint outlines of things that stood at the side of the walls, some kind of staircase rose at the end of room, something large hung overhead. All Shaol could see clearly in the low light were the blue tiles of the floor and the huge, wooden doors that stood at the entrance to the fortress that seemed to heavy to be closed.

Hassa lifted her lantern higher but it did nothing to illuminate the space and without a word she started to lead the other two into the darkness.

"Hassa, can you pass me the lantern?" asked Raphtune.

"I can hold it higher," replied Hassa without stopping.

"That is true, but you know these halls well and are not stopping to show us what it holds."

"I can show you what you want to see."

"I would prefer to look myself."

Hassa waited for moment.

"Why do you hesitate?" asked Raphtune quickly.

"It is just a strange request..."

"A simple one."

"I would..."

"I think I will wait for you outside, Shaol," declared Raphtune, "the moon shows me what I want to see."

"If you must," sighed Hassa and handed Raphtune the lantern.

"Thank you," said Raphtune with a nod.

Raphtune took the lantern and walked up to the walls, the light ran across more stone figures though these statues were very different. They were not the half carved faces of the yard, they were perfectly formed as though actual men had been sealed in stone.

Across the wall were paintings of armies fighting atop green fields. Blood flowed from the soldiers impaled on swords and spears, there faces painted with little detail, the dark eyes and mouth twisted into expressions of agony.

Raphtune studied the painting carefully.

"We must keep going," said Hassa impatiently from the edge of the light.

"Of course," said Raphtune quietly, still fixated by the image.

Shaol puzzled to himself as he watched Raphtune move along the wall, the boys head never turning away from the images. Shaol looked up at the scene again confused by what had taken Raphtune.

Hassa kept to the edge of the lantern's halo directing them towards a large arch which led to the next hall, the tiles changed their colour to a ugly yellow and black. In the centre of the room a statue of a man in armour towered high above, the face had been chipped away and the sword in his hand had been broken in half. Raphtune studied the statue for a moment and then moved towards the walls. This time Shaol saw something that he knew, the three pyramids from his vision were painted on wall, the largest one that sat behind the other two still shone its scared light.

"That is the temple," said Shaol excitedly, "the one in the middle."

Raphtune simply nodded.

In front of the the temple Shaol saw the leather tents of his vision, this was how the Grey Men had brought him the visions of the temple, they had shown him image on this wall.

Shaol followed study the scene that ran across the wall, men on horseback were hunting an animals he recalled from youth. A large, fat deer with a white coat fled to the left as men shoot their arrows, as scene continued the beast was butchered, its skin was removed stretched and cured and then was stitched together to make a host of tents. A second deer, just as large and fat as the first, with a coat of dark red fled to the right of the scene, the beast was also brought down, bled at the neck and its carcass huge above a fire as countless men waited in a line, which trailed off into the distance, to take a cut of the cooked flesh.

"Is that Sulla?" asked Shaol quietly to Raphtune.

"Pardon?"

"The large one in the middle of the room."

"Sulla?" puzzled Raphtune, "no, the name has been removed."

"Why?"

"So no one would remember him."

Shaol looked at Hassa who moved in the dark at the far end of the hall.

"Did Sulla build Tarlnath?"

"I've never heard that one," shrugged Raphtune.

"Do you know who did?"

"No," said Raphtune still fixated on the paintings, "I've never asked about it."

"What are you looking for, Raphtune?" asked Shaol.

"Something," said Raphtune quietly, "these paintings are from a time that no one remembers, they could hold anything."

"We need to get below," reminded Shaol.

"I know," said Raphtune ignoring him and continuing to walk slowly around the room studying the scenes of the hunt.

The next hall was tiled deep orange and dark green. Here stood another statue of a man holding an axe, his face was not chipped, his weapon was intact.

"Who is this?"

"Ka," puzzled Raphtune, "what is he doing here?"

"Who is that?"

"A hero from the Age of Men. He was an Emperor, a very long time ago, he is said to have been a poor farmer before he created the First Kingdom."

"He does not look like a farmer."

"No."

The wall was decorated with images of another battle between armies and things that were larger than houses. Shaol focused on one of the many beasts that covered the walls, it walked on all fours like a dog but had legs thick and wide with muscles at the end, large, clawed feet that it was bringing down on a house made of wood and stone as it stomped through a small city. It had a long, tangled, mangy coat that only partially covered its rotten green and brown skin. There was a stump of a neck at the end of its body on top of which sat a fat round head, the top half of which was a dome of eyes that was painted with a slimy, shimmer. From where a mouth should have sat four long arms grew, the end of each was a small mess of spikes on a bulge of flesh.

One of the strange arms had wrap itself around a stone tower and was pulling it to the ground as the tower shot a beam of pure light from its top which burnt away at the arm that had taken the tower in its grip. Another of the arms had knocked at host of guards into the air, as another swung at large birds that swooped down from the sky.

"Are those Dragons?" asked Shaol.

"No," laughed Raphtune, "they're Demons."

"The Demon's that the Masters fear?"

"Do you see now why I knew there wasn't a Demon in the city."

"Yes," said Shaol as he studied the other hideous beasts each different from the next, the guards fired useless arrows at them monstrous creatures.

Friend had spoken true, she was not a Demon.

Raphtune continued to the next hall, in gloom Hassa moved by a far wall. A statue of a woman in robes stood tall above the room of purple tiles, her face had also been removed and the staff she had once held had broken in half.

"Do you know her?" asked Shaol.

"Forgotten as well," replied Raphtune simply.

The walls were decorated images of buildings of all strange shapes, circular towers, pyramids with smooth sides, sharp daggers that shot straight into the air, all made of smooth black and white stone. Shaol noticed the white, round stones that flew through the air between the strange structures.

"Those stones," said Shaol, "they're the one that the Grey Men rode in. The ones I saw at the gate."

"Raphtune the Missing would like to see one of those."

"We go down here, Shaol," interrupted Hassa.

Raphtune threw the light onto Hassa who stood next to a small door hidden between two statues.

"Unless you want to see more of the halls," continued Hassa.

"We must go now," said Shaol.

"We have the whole night," said Raphtune, "we can see the halls and then..."

"I have a second lantern," said Hassa, "Raphtune, if you would like to see the halls Shaol and I can go below without you."

Raphtune smiled.

"Perfect," he replied quickly and swung his lantern away from the pair.

"You don't want to see the temples?" asked Shaol puzzled.

Raphtune did not replied and vanished into the next hall.

"I will show you a place we can get between fortress and whatever is below," said Hassa as she lit the lantern.

"Good," nodded Shaol.

"Raphtune is very interested in the fortress."

"Yes."

"Where is he from?" asked Hassa.

Shaol heard the tap of the pry bar on the tiles in the hall.

"Raphtune the Missing would never tell anyone that."

"Here take this, we will need it," said Hassa as she shone the lantern on a large hammer leaning against the wall.

"What is this?"

"A hammer to break apart the brick."

"Where did you get it?"

"We have all types of tools to maintain the fortress, this one was easy to find. If we need anything else we can fetch it then but this should do for now."

Shaol nodded and took the hammer in both hands.

Hassa ducked slightly as she entered the tunnel, the space only large enough for Shaol to walk through and nothing more. After a short while, the tunnel opened up into a space with a set of stairs that went up and one that went down. Hassa did not stop, she just turned and continued down another tunnel that sat next to the stairs. The tunnel turned to the left and continued until it came upon another set of stairs that only went down.

"Here," said Hassa leading the way down the stairs.

The air became thick, damp and rancid. Hassa held the lantern high and Shaol choked as he looked around the room at the bottom of the stairs. It was full of large, wooden barrels that had melted into themselves. Shaol walked up to the moist, lumps and pushed on the spongy remains of the wood.

"This is what lies beneath Tarlnath," said Hassa simply.

Shaol looked around at the walls made of soft orange brick.

"The wine has gotten to the mortar over here," said Hassa swinging the lantern over to a spot on the wall.

Shaol looked closely and saw the grey material between the brick had flaked and crumbled away. Hassa sat the lantern on the ground as Shaol tapped on the bricks with the large hammer. The mortar turned to dust and fell to the ground.

Shaol stood back from the wall and swung the hammer back. His chest burnt with a deep fire but he shook the pain away and brought the hammer down. The wall exploded into a cloud of orange and grey and when the dust settled there was a small hole in wall just large enough to see through. Hassa bent forward and looked through with her lantern.

"Hollow," she said, "just as I thought."

Shaol swung the hammer against the wall again, the brick crumbled. Soon, there was a hole big enough for them both to crawl through.

Shaol put the hammer aside and caught his breath, his chest continued to burn as he did took some deep breathes. He peered through the hole and beyond he saw rows and rows of squat, fat pillars disappearing into the distance. He grabbed the loose bricks and pulled himself through the small hole. Hassa passed the lantern through the gap and Shaol held it ahead into the darkness.

The pillars went on forever in every direction disappearing into the pure black under the fortress. Each only a few feet from the next, squared off and precise. Shaol's eyes swirled as he looked down the rows of identical pillars.

Hassa climbed through the hole and the large hammer in her hands.

"Where now?" asked Hassa.

Shaol tapped the floor with his boot, it was made of stone.

"The temples should be below us," said Shaol as he thought to himself, "like the scrap city is below the metal forest. If we have to make a hole above one of the temples, we can lower ourselves down from there."

"We don't know where they are," said Hassa looking out into the pillars.

Shaol swung the lantern around and looked around for some type of marking but each pillar was the same as the next. For a moment, Shaol saw the brown and gold feathers of Friend move between the stone.

"Over here," said Shaol.

"Wait," said Hassa as she pulled some rope from her belt, "we will get lost under here, this will bring us back."

Hassa tied the rope to metal bracket that had once held a wooden barrel together and the two started into the darkness. Shaol led the way using the occasional appearance of Friend's feathers as his guide until the light found Friend standing motionless between two pillars, she pointed below and was gone.

"Your Saquaari is shy," said Hassa as she saw the figure vanish.

Shaol moved to the space where Friend had stood.

"Here," he said as he put the lantern on the floor, "the temple should be below, pass me the hammer."

Hassa ignored Shaol, pivoted the sharp edge of the hammer in the cramped space and brought it down on the stone. The chamber echoed with the loud crack and Shaol winced as the sound hit his ears. The floor stone gave no sign of damage, it would not give way as easily as the wall. Another swing and the crack echoed again.

Shaol watched on in frustration as Hassa swung the hammer through the small space again and again. He wanted to be the one with the hammer, he was stronger, he would be able to get through the floor faster.

Hassa did not hesitate or stop as she swung at the floor. He was so close to what he had sought all this time and an energy was starting to build in him. Hassa brought the hammer down and the pillars echoed the cracked again.

Shaol shuffled his feet with a nervous energy when the stone finally split and a piece slipped away from the floor, fell a short distance and hit something in the darkness below. Shaol took the lantern and held it over the small hole, below was a large, white, slab of stone. In the dim light he could just make out the sides of the pyramid coming up to meet the roof.

"That's the temple," said Shaol falling back from the hole.

"We will need more rope," said Hassa.

"Can you get some?"

"Wait here."

Hassa put the hammer against a pillar, took the lantern in hand and left. Shaol watched the lantern walk the path marked by the rope between the pillars, he saw the dark orange of the brick wall and then the world below the fortress became black again.

Shaol put his back against the cold stone of the pillar, he felt his chest ache again and he thought of Aksit and his son, Shaol sighed to himself.

The burning eyes of Friend opened in front of him.

"We're here," said Shaol smiling into the darkness, "you will have your treasure and we can go home."

"Yes," said Friend with a cheer in her voice, "you have done so well, Shaol."

"Who is Sulla?" asked Shaol quickly.

Friend hesitated for a moment.

"Why do you speak of him?" she asked.

"Hassa says Sulla has spoken to her."

"Dead men cannot speak."

"You know him?"

"Yes."

"Did he build this city?"

"No one built this city," said Friend quietly, "Sulla does not speak to Hassa."

"The Grey Men have her, they're using their magics to drive her mad."

"What have they done?"

"They found her dying and using their powers they gave her a new life. They have even given back the tongue the Masters had taken and now they are poisoning her mind with visions of this Sulla."

Friend was quiet for a few moments.

"I can take Hassa from the city," said Friend finally, "nothing more."

"Has it taken another?"

"As it does."

Shaol felt a heaviness fell across his mind, pushing the joy of the victory away, he no longer wanted to speak.

"I hate this city more than you can know," said Friend forcefully, "if there was a way to end it, I would, but Tarlnath will stand when we are all dead, that is the way it will be and no one can change that."

"Hassa says there's a way," Shaol said to no one.

"Do you believe the mad visions of the Grey Men?"

Shaol paused.

"No," he said finally.

"So, we will go below and get what we need," said Friend, "then I will take all you can name from this city."

"Can I do anything for Hassa?"

"No."

Chapter 17

The night passed Shaol as he sat under the fortress. After some time, the lantern started to sway between the stones around him, the halo found him and he was blinded for a moment.

"I got the rope," said Hassa from behind the light.

"Did you see Raphtune?"

"He's not in the halls."

"We'll find him afterwards," said Shaol.

"Let me make this bigger," said Hassa tossing Shaol the rope and taking up the hammer.

The stone came free much easier now and soon Hassa had made the piece had broken away. Shaol tied the rope to a pillar and Hassa threw the other end through the hole.

"You first," said Hassa, "I'll hold the light."

Shaol sat at the side of the hole, took the rope in hand and took a deep breath, the nerves took him as he realised he was off the ground again. He did not give the fear time to sit and pushed himself off the edge, the rope swung, his body lurched, something inside him broke, he lost his grip, his body hit the stone.

Shaol screamed as a fire ran through him, his head rang and his chest pulsed with a pain greater than any he had ever felt in his life. Shaol tried to move but his body would not listen to him, it rolled and convulsed on stone with a will all of its own. He started to cough and spluttered and then the pain suddenly vanished, his body became numb, his breath was short, the world spun around him.

"What happened?" yelled Hassa from above.

Shaol tried to respond but his voice would not come.

Eventually, Shaol had managed to roll himself over and pull himself up onto his hand and knees. He started to take short, jagged breath, his throat tightened and he started to cough, he heard the song, the one he had heard in the cage but it was far away in the darkness. Shaol grab at the air and forced it into his body as the pain slowly returned to him. As he did the song swam towards him, a steady beat marched forward with it but the two did not belong together.

A pair of heavy boots hit the stone next to Shaol's head and a light threw his shadow across the white stone, splattered under him were several small pools of blood.

"You're hurt," said Hassa angrily, "you should have told me you didn't know how to climb."

"I can climb," growled Shaol.

"You need to rest."

"I need to get below, I'll rest later."

"Lie on your back," demanded Hassa and Shaol lowed himself back down to ground, "how is your breath?"

"Coming back."

Hassa took the lantern from her belt and placed it on the ground. She took her hands and started to feel his chest.

The song and the beat came at him. It was disorientating as it started to sing over his thoughts. The song whirl around him and its bitter taste filled his mouth, he started to rub his tongue around the inside of his mouth trying to rid himself of the horrid taste but it refused to move, the drumming began to hit him hard and his bones started to shake with each blunt thud.

Hassa found the loose bone, Shaol yelped and his body jerked away.

"You have to watch yourself," said Hassa her voice cutting easily through the noise, "that rib is broken and it won't take much to make it fatal."

"It's not important," stammered Shaol it was so hard to think or speak with the sounds.

"You're no good dead, Shaol."

"We need... below."

Shaol knew he was shouting.

"You need to be careful."

"I will," yelled Shaol, "but I have to get..."

Hassa shook her head as she watched Shaol struggle up from the ground.

"We move slowly," insisted Hassa.

Shaol gritted his teeth as they started to vibrate as the beats came across him. He saw Hassa's puzzled expression, he was just as confused but he need to get below. He steadied himself against the assaulting noise and nodded. Shaol stumbled to the side of the pyramid as the beat legs his limbs as he went.

"I'll go down first," said Hassa walking up behind him, "and then I'll lower you down."

Hassa handed Shaol the lantern and she hopped down the side of the step. Shaol wished she would hurry as the song started to make his vision blur. He frantically tried to rub the horrid, sour taste off his tongue.

"Pass me the lantern," said Hassa holding up her hand as Shaol sat on the side of the stone.

The lantern was passed and placed on the next step. Hassa then took hold of Shaol's foot.

"Don't keep any weight on your hands," commanded Hassa, "all the weight goes into your boot."

Shaol grunted unable to respond as the song knocked the words from his mind. He needed to be careful he managed to scream to himself above the song. He shifted his weight onto Hassa's hand, his boots pressing hard into her palms, Shaol lowered himself off the step and as he did he felt something move in his body but the pain was kept from him by the beat that dominated his body. Hassa grunted as she lowered Shaol to ground, he step forward and the two were down a single step.

Hassa nodded and smiled, Shaol managed a weak smile in return. Hassa took the lantern and held it over the edge of the next step. The pyramid continued down a few dozen steps before meeting the lifeless dust.

"We need to keep going," struggled Shaol, "can you..."

"Yes."

The two continued their awkward dance as they made their way down the pyramid buried below the fortress of Tarlnath. As they went the song that climbed and the beat that was low and steady became more and more distant, slowly losing their dominance over Shaol who had never felt so relieved when his mind and body were finally his own again.

With the sounds gone Shaol was finally able to take note of the world around him. Metal pillars dropped from the ceiling and dug themselves into the steps of the pyramid. Strung between the slender pillars were ropes made of the same red and grey metal.

Shaol pushed himself from a step halfway down the pyramid into Hassa's waiting hands when his mind suddenly became alert and sharp. The water caravan was waking and would soon be moving beyond the outer gates, Rag and Cutter would be with them.

The pain in Shaol's chest persisted and would come to life whenever he shifted the weight the wrong way. Hassa did what she could but Shaol always needed to lean back as he lowered himself and when he did the loose bone would move and his body would burn, but his cough did not return and Hassa was not aware of the pain, so it did not matter.

Shaol looked down at Hassa, she was covered in sweat, her breath was short and her slender arms started to shake.

"We should rest," he said.

"I don't need to rest."

"I do."

"Then, we rest for a short time."

Shaol sat against the rough stone of step and took deep breaths calmly searching for the source of pain, it was at the base of chest where Aksit had landed the blow with the metal pole.

Hassa placed the lantern down, sat next to him and gave out a heavy sigh.

"We'll need to find a way back up," said Hassa looking up at the web of metal ropes, "you won't be able to climb a rope with that injury."

"I know," nodded Shaol, "the hole is not high off the temple, we can find something to stand on."

"We can make a ramp with barrels and wood from the fortress, it may take some time but it is possible."

"How many have you told?"

"A dozen or so," said Hassa, "enough that I can get what I need."

Hassa pulled a leather bladder from her belt.

"Here, drink."

Shaol took the bladder and drank deeply. The water was cool in his mouth, it was so much clearer and lighter than the milk he normally drank.

"Do you know their names?"

"Of course," said Hassa, "why?"

"If they come with us, Friend will take home."

Shaol slid the bladder back across the stone.

"You will save them all," said Hassa shaking her head.

"As many as I can."

"Eighteen, exactly. How will you get them under the wall?"

"With the cloaks of the Grey Men," said Shaol with a nod.

Hassa did not respond. Shaol looked out at the strange metal pillars that grew from the ground below.

"You're very capable," said Shaol, "why did you wait for me?"

"I can only do so much," said Hassa, "Sulla has told me that only you can end it, no one else. If it could be any other way we would not be here tonight."

"I'm nobody."

"As am I," said Hassa, "that does not mean we're not capable of great things."

Eighteen more to take under the black wall that was what Shaol knew he must do now. He tried to make the numbers behave in his mind as he found he would need twenty cloaks. Eighteen, Hassa, Raphtune and himself that he then needed to hide in the city until Friend could return for them.

How many would die if they were caught this time? If dozens were killed for what he had done before, the next time it would be more than he could count. Shaol knew this, that was how the Masters kept control and they kept control for as long as he could remember. And they would have control as long as the city stood. And Friend would have it that way.

The Grey Men were finding their way into his mind like Aksit, who had landed a blow that would plague him days afterwards, the Grey Men were cutting into his mind slowly and deeply but Shaol would not give into these thoughts, not when he was so close to it all being done. Twenty one would find their way under the black wall and into the city that was path he walked now.

The two sat in silence as time passed, Hassa lost in her own thoughts until Shaol pulled himself up from the step.

"We should continue," he said.

Hassa nodded, took up the lantern and the pair returned to the dance that took them down the steps of the pyramid.

Shaol's boots sank into the loss dirt as he stepped out of Hassa's hand, a cloud of fine dust rose up from where he met the ground, it floated upwards in the light and slowly faded to nothing. Shaol coughed as the fine dust tickled his nose, Hassa eyes snapped to him.

"Just the dust," smiled Shaol.

"Good," nodded Hassa and pointed into the distance, "I think I saw a road."

In the dim light, strange, broken forms rose from the ground ahead marking something that appeared to be a road leading to the front of the temple.

Hassa led the way with her lantern as Shaol looked above at the pyramid that now towered next to them. It was just as he had seen in the vision but the pillar of light he had seen was gone, it was long dead like everything else in this city.

The metal pillars that held the fortress over head passed to the left and right. There was no pattern to the arrangement, the pillars were thrown wherever they were needed. Shaol looked out beyond the ring of light and wondered if the any of leather tents had also survived the years. For a moment, he wanted to take the lantern from Hassa and see what he could find in darkness, but what he needed was inside the temple and nothing else mattered.

The broken shapes became clearer, they were shattered pillars of white stone which flanked a road sealed with slabs of broken, dark stone. The shards of stone road had broken sets of tracks that had been dug, deep into it from the passage of wagons and carts. To the right the road vanished into the darkness, to the left it ran immediately into a square opening cut into the two steps at the base of the temple.

"Inside, then?" asked Hassa.

Shaol looked into the black entrance of the temple, he did not know when Friend would come to guide him but he knew the treasure was inside and she would appear if he became lost.

"Yes."

The pair followed the black stone road into the temple, the light washed over the walls of tunnel, revealing figures on the wall. They were dressed in all manner of clothing as they marched into the centre of the temple, some held weapons, others held plants, others stooped low as they carried bundles of goods and heavy pots on their back. Shaol looked over the large images made of thick red lines, even when this temple was not buried there were ones to bring the goods. He looked at Hassa, she simply led the way down the long, straight tunnel uninterested by what covered walls.

The figures continued their march until the tunnel opened into a squat room. There were no pillars as far as lantern light could penetrate but somehow the roof held itself above. Arranged in neat piles were small stacks of goods and materials, swords and armours, clay pots and plates, wooden tables and chairs laying rotting and twisted, remains of sacks and their spoilt contents, bars of rusted metals were placed neatly one on top of another.

Shaol and Hassa kept moving forward through the piles. They passed a group of clay statues of fat beasts, colourful paint peeled from the brown skin of the figures. Shaol ran a finger across the nose of one of the beasts, the fell colour fell away at his touch and gathered on the black floor.

"Is this what you came to see?" asked Hassa stopping and lowering the lantern to her side.

Shaol looked around at the piles, what he saw was odd but nothing he could not have found above.

"No."

"Then, will your friend show us the way?" asked Hassa with a sigh.

"She will when we are lost until then we should continue on our way."

Hassa shook her head but said nothing and the pair continued to move through the dark, endless room. Then Shaol heard it, a low beat that came from somewhere beyond the light. At first, he did not want to approach, the sounds had already tortured him tonight and did not want to let them attack him again, but the beat may be important, he could not ignore it.

"There is something this way," said Shaol pointing towards the source of the drumming.

The sounds grew louder as Shaol found his way through the piles, he wondered why there was no song to join it. It was nothing but an erratic beat, that would thump and then it would not, then there were too many, all at once. Shaol walked ahead of Hassa looking for the thing that sang to him.

The light found it, sitting alone amongst the piles, an ornate, white, stone chair on top of a round step that drummed to itself as it had for countless years. Small, carved men wove themselves together to make the arms and legs of the chair, its back was a large triangle that would tower above any who sat in it carved with lines that started at its apex and reached towards the base.

"The roof," said Hassa from behind.

Shaol looked up, cut into the ceiling above the chair was a circular, metal door.

"A way in?" puzzled Shaol.

The beat from the chair had started to become louder and closer as had the others but then it stopped. It did not invade Shaol's body, it kept a comfortable distance.

"What do we do?" asked Hassa.

"I don't know," replied Shaol, "but we need to use the sound."

"What sound?"

"The sound from the chair."

"There's no sound, Shaol."

Shaol looked at the chair.

"Shaol, sit on the chair," said Friend for the edge of the light.

"She speaks," said Hassa turning towards Friend.

The outline of the wings faded and the space was empty again.

"Why is your friend scared of me?" asked Hassa.

"She isn't," said Shaol quickly and stepped up onto the rise, "do you want to come any further?"

Hassa stepped onto the stone.

"I'll be there when you find the nothing at the end of your path."

Raphtune appeared at the edge of the light.

"One moment," he said making his way across the floor.

"You don't have to keep to the shadows," said Hassa, "there's nothing here."

Raphtune joined the pair on the smooth, stone step.

"I think you should have looked closer," said Raphtune simply.

"What did you see?" asked Shaol.

"Tracks in dirt outside, looks like a group of people were running out of this place, the tracks go a ways, then nothing, they just end."

"I should have seen that," said Shaol shaking his head.

"And then this place," continued Raphtune looking around at the darkness, "nothing is missing, everything is placed orderly and were it should be. There is a stone table that has been broken, over there. Someone has put it back together the best they could without tools, it so flimsy a touch would knock it apart again."

"You're paranoid," said Hassa, "it's normal for a child to be scared of the dark."

"Raphtune the Missing is never paranoid, but he does fear the things that come from the darkness as should you."

"We won't stay long," said Shaol, "we will leave before anything has the chance to find us."

"Agreed," said Raphtune with a nod.

Shaol lowered himself into the chair and as he made contact with the stone the rhythm filled his mind and pulsed in his body like the ones that had come before. Somehow he knew the beat was wrong and different, it was missing the structure it needed.

Shaol continued to listen to the chair. A beat. Then nothing, then nothing again, then a beat followed by another beat, quickly. It frustrated him and he struggled against it, why wasn't the beat where it should be. He listened again, how was the beat meant to be. It was meant to be beat, pause, pause, beat that was beat he needed to hear then it came from the chair. Beat, pause, pause, beat. The step lifted into the air. Beat. The stone dropped.

Hassa gasped and cursed as she grabbed the stone chair and steadied herself.

Shaol found the sound again. Beat, pause, pause, beat. The stones rose. Pause, pause, beat. The stone continued to rise. Beat. The stone dropped back to the floor. Raphtune started to tumble to the side, he then leapt from the stone and landed gracefully a few feet from floor.

"Did Raphtune the Missing slip?" laughed Hassa.

"Quiet," snapped Raphtune and quickly pulled himself back on the stone as it rose again.

Beat, pause, pause, beat, pause, pause, beat, pause, pause. Shaol had found it, the chair did as it should. The metal door scrapped open above. Beat, beat, beat. The stone dropped to the ground and the metal drop scrapped shut.

Shaol felt a slap across his face, it was Raphtune.

"Damn it, Shaol," he growled, "focus on what your doing."

Raphtune was right, he needed to focus again. He took himself away from the world underneath the fortress, surrounded by the strange, forgotten images. He was in his kitchen washing the black muck from the pots, bringing the metal slowly back to life. Beat, pause, pause, beat, pause, pause, beat. The rhythm of Pysuun's breath came from under the blanket. It changed to meet that of the beat Shaol needed. Snort, breath, breath, snort, breath, breath. The pure white of the milk slipped over Shaol's hands. Beat, pause, pause.

Something flashed from beyond Shaol's kitchen but the muck needed to be scrubbed in the world he knew. Beat, pause, pause, beat, pause, pause. Pysuun's continued to breathe from under his blanket, the window that looked into the yard was empty except the red hair reflected in its surface, Shaol was at peace in the black of the window. There he was nothing but the sound. Beat, pause, pause, beat, pause, pause.

"Shaol," called Hassa from somewhere beyond his kitchen, "we're here."

Chapter 18

A flame of a thousand colours twisted and spun above the large, open space. From inside the ball of energy flowed a torrent of water that crashed loudly into a pool in the centre of the room. The water fed into huge channels that roared past the chair and into dark tunnels that were cut into the wall. Hassa looked above, her face alive with light of the amazing flame.

"Where does the water go?" puzzled Hassa to herself, her voice only just reaching over the din of the rushing water.

Shaol pulled himself from the chair and the beat left his mind. He walked over to side of the channel and peered into the rushing water. It was clear except for the white, bubbles that had formed on the peaks on the water that sloshed up the sides of channels as it tried to escape the track. Shaol stepped away as the water threaten to splash onto his skin.

"What is this?" asked Shaol.

"There is someone who could tell us," said Raphtune and then added, "she could tell us a lot of things."

"It's not important," said Friend from the doorway at the edge of the room.

"There you are," said Hassa.

"Come, we're very close," said Friend.

"Is this what poisons the city?" asked Shaol looking into the endless water that flowed from the flame.

"No, it is nothing," replied Friend.

"What is it, then?" interrupted Hassa.

"A symbol of something lost, it's just water."

"Where does the water go?" asked Hassa.

"Nowhere," snapped Friend annoyed, "the water passes through the channels and returns to the flame, it is an illusion that needs no further attention."

Hassa looked at Shaol scooped the water up into her hand. Shaol felt his breath stop.

"Hassa, don't," barked Shaol.

She raised her hand to her mouth and sipped the water.

"As I said it is nothing, now if we are done with this we can find what is important," said Friend, "what we need to past the court room."

Shaol looked up at the strange flame but saw nothing more than colours which danced with themselves. The distant drumming from the stone chair was erratic again.

"Raphtune," said Shaol quietly as the two walked toward the doorway, "do you hear a sound from the chair?"

"No."

Shaol nodded to himself as Raphtune walked ahead. The door led into a hallway lit by lanterns that burnt with a pure light that came from within a round piece of glass, there were no flames just pure light captured inside a glass cage. Hassa walked at Shaol's side.

"Do you still think there's nothing here?" asked Shaol.

"Another rotten limb of a long dead corpse. Didn't your friend say it herself? This is all just a forgotten and lost. This is the strange nothing we suffer for."

Shaol looked at the clean and empty halls of the temple, it may have been beautiful and full of life when the lands were green, when the light soared over head and the leather tents dotted the plains, but Hassa spoke the truth now it was just another forgotten part of a city locked in stone.

What friend had called the court was a large chamber with banners made of red and gold fabric hung from the top the high walls, on one wall were banner decorated with images of a flame, the wall opposite were lined with banners with a tree, on a third wall at the end of the chamber were banners with the image of a tower. The roof soared high above as it slowly stepped in as the pyramid climbed.

A podium sat in the middle of the room. Above it was a tunnel cut into the roof, its smooth sides lit by the same white lanterns that still burnt after all the years they had been buried and at the end of the tunnel Shaol could see the white stone that capped the temple. On the podium sat a tangled mound of melted gold, the red fabric that cover the floor around it was burnt away and blackened, exposing the black floor underneath.

"Here," said Friend standing by a door.

"What is this place?" asked Hassa.

"The Temple of Sacred Light."

"It this where you worshiped Sulla?" asked Hassa.

Friend paused.

"Yes," Friend replied flatly.

"Sulla wasn't a god," puzzled Raphtune.

"No but he was treated like one. Come, through this door."

"What happened to him?" asked Hassa.

"It's not important, none of this is important," said Friend angrily.

"Let me judge that," snapped Hassa.

"He died like all other men."

"By your hand?"

"The voices have told you many things," snapped Friend.

"They tell me more than you will ever tell Shaol."

"There is no need to talk about the things that have been done."

"Did you kill Sulla?"

"Who are you, Hassa?"

"Did you..."

"You are nothing if this is done. You are nothing if this is not done. Do not let yourself be betrayed by the whispers in the dark. It is not Sulla and it tells you nothing but what it chooses."

"Just as you tell Shaol only what he needs to know. I know what I am, Saquaari, now I need Shaol to see exactly what he is."

"You won't speak about me like that," yelled Shaol.

"You will hear it," snapped Hassa, "hear it now before its too late."

Hassa turned back towards Friend.

"I have bled, I have suffered, I have died because of what you did," said Hassa with a low angry voice, "I will hear it from you? Why was I sacrificed at the altar of Tarlnath? What is worth all this?"

"You are lost, Hassa," snarled Friend, "there are no answers that you could understand because you are but one woman headed for the Abyss like all the others."

"While Tarlnath stands more will suffer."

"You don't know what suffering is. You should have gone to Abyss when it called you, that is where you belong."

"I am not a coward who runs from a battle."

"This is not a battle, it is a horrid dance of death, pain and blood and you, girl, will not be the one to end it."

"Why do you fear the end of Tarlnath?"

"I do not fear the end of Tarlnath, I await the day it can be torn apart but for now it will stand."

"That's not enough," interrupted Shaol who's mind was now alive with doubt and he needed it to go away, "tell me why."

Friend froze for a moment and then let out a long breath.

"You can go back now, if you choose," said Friend with a cold, darkness in her voice, "or you can come with me and I can take you home."

Shaol looked at Hassa for a moment and she met his gaze.

"You are already home, Shaol."

There was long silence between the four in the gold and red room. Shaol looked at the melted lump of yellow metal, it spoke of destruction but little else. And then he realised, the Grey Men were still cutting him.

"We get the box," said Shaol angrily.

He must stay focused, confusion was what they wanted.

"Through here," said Friend, her voice still cold.

"Wait here," said Shaol quietly as he pushed through the door.

There was a long, wide room lined with squat pillars that came to waist, on top of which sat vases, each sterile and empty. The vases formed a pathway through the room to a door in the far wall. The walls and floors were tiled with a mosaic of swirling blues and greens that were brought closer together by the lanterns on the walls which burnt a calming blue.

"Here," called Friend from the other side of the room standing next to one of the many doors.

Shaol made his way down the path of vases and found a long, green carpet which led to the door, he walked up the carpet and through the door.

As Shaol stepped into the room, lanterns on the walls came alive with a soft, orange light. Bookcases filled every space on the walls each overflowing with books, some thick, some thin, all wrapped in leather covers stained every type of colour. Those that could not fit on shelves where piled up in front, pieces of paper where thrown between the books and scattered across the floor. An ancient bed rotted in the corner, an unclean mass of green and brown, plates and cups had been discarded without care, they smelt putrid and rotten after ages of being left below.

A desk sat in space between the bookcases at the far end of the room, hundreds of loose pages covered its wooden surface.

"Here," said Friend quietly standing by the desk.

"This' yours," said Shaol with a soft smile, finally he had found something that made his strange friend real.

Friend nodded and was quiet for a moment.

"A very long time ago," she sighed, "move the papers from the desk."

Shaol pushed the mounds of paper to floor.

"The box is what I need," said Friend.

Shaol saw it stuck in at the rear of the desk and pulled it forward into the light. The box was made of dark wood, a single flower was carved into the top its petals were painted a deep red. A single golden latch held the lid tight, Shaol loosened it and open the box. Inside were a few dozen small vials, he found one and pulled it from the soft lining that nestled it.

Blood swirled inside the crystal pattern of the vial.

There was a song, distant but approaching, it screeched like metal scrapping on metal. Shaol put the vial back, he did not want this sound to grow loud but it kept coming now he had found it.

"Let the sound pass you, Shaol," said Friend calmly, "you can keep them distant, it takes effort but you can keep it from your mind."

"Why can I hear them?"

"Just as some men are faster and some are smarter, this is something you can do. You can keep the song distant, do not let it into your mind, the songs will listen when you command them."

Shaol started to hear the other vials inside the box, starting to sing and drum. A bizarre chorus of unmatched sounds marching at him from a distant place. He tried to let them pass, but every time he pushed one away another caught his attention and it became louder.

Shaol grimaced as the sound of the screeching sound started to tear at his ears.

"Close the box," said Friend.

Shaol closed the box and the world was silent again.

"Why are they like that?" asked Shaol shaking the pain for his head.

"It is their nature," said Friend, "but you will have to learn to let them pass you. I can teach you, once this is done, but until then you must not focus on the sounds, they are extremely powerful and hard to control when they are given life."

"They took the bolt."

"It was stupid of me show what they did but it had to be you. If I had tried to it, I would have likely ripped your guts from your body along with the rest. The notes and drums are very dangerous."

"It was the sounds that killed the green beast and brought the tree."

"And the tree killed the ones below. The songs can do many great but terrible things that is why we must not give them life."

Shaol tucked the box under his arm and took a final look around at the mess in the room.

"What did you do here?"

"I learnt many lessons and little else."

There was the sound of books tumbling in the corner, Shaol looked over and saw Raphtune rummaging through the piles.

"Leave those," snapped Friend at the boy.

"Payment," said Raphtune and continued to rummage through the books.

"They're not yours to take," said Shaol.

"Raphtune the Missing will claim his prize like everyone else. You have your treasure Raphtune the Missing will have his."

"The books are useless to you," said Friend.

"Then you won't mind if I take one or two," replied Raphtune flatly.

"I will let you take one of my choosing," ordered Friend her voice angry, "is that enough?"

Raphtune looked at Friend and then looked at the random book he held in his hand.

"Which one?"

Friend walked to a pile of books and pointed to one stained blue halfway up the stack.

"This one," said Friend.

Raphtune ran to pile and pulled the book out causing the others to tumble to the ground. Raphtune looked at the cover of the book, opened it and start looking through the pages.

"Who are you?" asked Raphtune his eyes snapping up at the woman with wings.

"Will this do?" replied Friend coldly.

"Yes," said Raphtune pulled his bag from under his shirt and retrieved something wrapped in leather.

Raphtune unwrapped the object, it was another book with a black cover which was quickly thrown to the ground without care and the leather sheet was then used to wrap Raphtune's new book.

"What's it about?" asked Shaol as he walked over.

"A kingdom at the end of world," said Raphtune placing the book in his satchel.

"What use is that?"

"Raphtune the Missing may want a kingdom when his travels are done," said the boy with a smile.

"The books is yours only if I get my prize," said Friend, "if not, I will take back what is mine."

Raphtune nodded.

"We have spent too much time down here," said Raphtune, "we need to get moving."

"Where is Hassa?" asked Shaol.

"Keeping watch."

Friend vanished from the room and Shaol made his way to the door. Raphtune grabbed him by the shirt.

"Hassa is dangerous," said Raphtune quickly, "she was already raving when I met her in the pens."

"She will come with us," said Shaol, "we are leaving together."

"It won't be enough for her, you know this," said Raphtune, "she claims to talk to Sulla those aren't the thoughts of a sane person."

"She has been poisoned by the Grey Men, we must help her."

"I will not hang for you, Shaol," snapped Raphtune, "and I will not hang for Hassa. This book is curious but I cannot read it if I am dead."

"I don't expect anyone to hang for me," snarled Shaol.

"And yet so many have," spat Raphtune, "Hassa will turn on you, Shaol. You need to be ready when she does. I will not be there to save you."

"Hassa will not betray us, that is what I know."

Raphtune shook his head.

"You're a damn, stubborn bastard."

Shaol turned from the boy and walked back in the room of blue and green when Hassa exploded through the door that led back to court, slammed it behind her and pressed herself up against it.

"Where is the Saquaari?" she called from door.

"Gone."

"Get her back now," yelled Hassa, "we need another way out."

Raphtune ran over to the door and pushed himself against it.

"What's on the other?" he asked.

"Someone in a robe," said Hassa, "they came from running another chamber."

"Weapons?" asked Raphtune.

"Two blades was all I saw."

"Shaol, we need a way out," called Raphtune.

Friend was beside him.

"Through here," called Friend from beside a door in the opposite wall, "follow me."

"I have this," barked Hassa to the boy next to her, "get moving."

"I can fight," yelled Shaol.

"Not with your chest," snapped Hassa, "go, I'll follow."

Hassa slipped on the tiles and as the door tried to open. She pressed her leg against the pillar and pushed back against whatever was on the side of the door. Shaol watched and clenched his teeth, he did not want to leave her.

"Give Raphtune the box," ordered Friend, "he will be able to keep it safe."

Shaol felt the box snatched from hands, Raphtune was through open door and down the hallway beyond. Shaol looked back at Hassa who was straining against the door.

"Go," she grunted.

Shaol ran through the door and into the hallway. Raphtune was already far ahead of him, moving quicker than Shaol ever could. Wooden doors, empty vases, large statues, all flew past him on either side. Ahead, Raphtune disappeared down a turn to the right.

Rounding the corner, Shaol saw Friend standing next to a door, Raphtune was already pulling it open, the box held tight under his arm. Shaol looked behind, he could hear something in the distance, it was the sound of blades coming together, he needed to go back, Hassa was alone with whatever was coming after them.

"Shaol," yelled Friend, "in here."

Shaol ran for the door and into the room beyond, it was full of all manner of tables without space to move between them. Shaol noticed a door was open on the far wall, he squeezed himself through gaps between the tables and into the next room.

A large, dining hall which was several long tables, each one flanked by dozens of ornate chairs. The tables were covered with plates, cups, candlesticks, little silver figurines, all which sparkled in the white light that fell from large pieces of glass which hung from the roof. A pair of large doors stood at the far end of the room.

"Hide," Friend hissed from behind and she vanished.

"Shaol," came a whisper.

Shaol looked down and saw Raphtune hiding under the smooth, white fabric that covered the tables, Shaol dropped down next to him and crawled under the table.

"What's..." Shaol started but Raphtune clamped his small hand over Shaol's mouth.

Shaol heard the sound of the large doors opening at the far end of room. Raphtune released his hand, nodded towards the doors and started to make his way down the table towards the noise, his smaller frame allowed him to move easily in the space while Shaol had to slide himself awkwardly between the angled legs that held the table, as Shaol bent his body around the space the loose bone moved in his chest.

"What are you waiting for?" yelled Hassa from the small room.

Shaol saw two black, smooth feet move past him. With each step the soles of the feet gave a soft click as they hit the polished, black floor. Hassa would be surrounded if they caught her in the small room. Without a moment of hesitation Shaol pulled himself from under the table.

"Hassa, get out of the room," he shouted as he knocked the wooden chairs to the side.

Shaol saw it, a tall thing dressed in a dark, purple cloak, its eyes glowed a brilliant orange from behind a black, stone mask. He had seen the face on the mask before, it was the same as the green face that had emerged from the mist. The creature stopped and studied him for a moment, Shaol readied himself for a charge.

Hassa leapt from a table in the small room through the far door.

"Get to the chair," yelled Hassa as she flew into the room and turned as a second creature pounced after her it cloak whipping behind as it gave chase.

The one that was studying Shaol flicked its head and focus its orange eyes on Hassa. It charged her as the other creature did same. Hassa stopped at the far end of a table, she became frozen except for her head, which whip back and forth tracking the two that closed in on her from both direction.

The creatures brought forth their black blades from beneath their robes. Hassa dropped her own large knives to ground, spun at the last moment, got around the back of one of the creatures, grabbed it by the shoulder and pulled her body back into the beast, ramming it with the full strength of her wiry legs. The two creatures slammed together, their robes, arms and blades became entangled.

Hassa leapt into the air at the jumble of limbs and rammed her shoulder against the back of one. The creatures tumbled to the ground as Hassa pulled back quickly from the whirl of arms and blades.

"Get out," she yelled as she collecting her blades.

Shaol did not move, he would not run while Hassa was in danger. The creatures pulled themselves apart, Hassa readied herself between the tables. The beasts readied themselves and charged towards her again.

As they came at her, Hassa deflected each swing, one after the other, making her way quickly down the long table towards Shaol, but there were too many blades, Hassa spun away as one cut in a metal of leather dress and sliced straight through metal cover. Hassa cried a fearsome sound that shook Shaol, she leapt free just before it could slice into her gut, stumbled off balance and hit the ground.

Shaol grabbed at a plate on the table and hurled it at the whirling bodies that were baring down on Hassa. One of the creatures turned from Hassa, dropped to its blades to the floor, jumped for the plate and grabbed it from the air. The beast then landed next the table, its feet clicking against the stone as it did and placed the plate on the table, its head then whipped around and the orange eyes studied Shaol.

The Masters were never happy when their possessions were broken, every Under knew this and their was always a punishment when it happened to any that could be blamed.

Shaol grabbed the fabric on the table and pulled, spilling the delicate plates, metal cups and silver candlesticks across the perfect metal floor. The hall rang with the sounds of countless things shattering and breaking together.

Both creatures became frozen in spot. Hassa had recovered and now brought her knives down. The blades sliced down the creature's back, through the robes and slipped, quick and harmless, across whatever lay underneath. Both creatures ignored her, their eyes focused on Shaol.

"Shaol, go," yelled Hassa and sheath her blades.

Shaol turned to the large, open doors beyond them sat a short hallway and then the red and gold of the court. Shaol ran as fast as his legs would take him towards the door.

A creature was behind him, then it was gone as Hassa leapt from the side onto it. Shaol picked up two plates as he ran and turned, the second beast was on him, he hurled the plate at it. Hassa was on top of another, wrestling with the blade in its hand. Shaol turned and started to run again, Raphtune had been lost in the confusion.

Shaol scooped up another plate, he turned back and the stone figure landed on top of Shaol, pinning him to ground. His chest screamed as the small bone moved and cracked under the weight. The creature ignored the scream, brought a black fist into the air.

Shaol put the plate between him the creature. The fist stopped. The creature grabbed the plate out of Shaol's hand, the placed it beside his head and lifted the fist into the air. Shaol took the plate up and held it in front as the creature tried to land another blow. The plate was taken and put it beside him, again. Shaol grabbed the plate, again and then again and then again.

Hassa leapt from the side knocking the creature from him.

Shaol picked himself up, coughing and heaving as his chest punished him, he tasted blood in his mouth as he ran for the door. He spat out the blood on the ground and the song came at him again, he cursed and pushed it away.

"Hassa, go back around," called Raphtune, "get to the exit."

Shaol was in the short hallway, Raphtune crouched on the floor, something was burning at the base of the stone

"Hurry," yelled Hassa as she leapt on to a long table as she ran up it Hassa kicked the ancient plates and cups to the ground.

"Get into the court room," yelled Raphtune to Shaol as he ran from the hallway.

Shaol was into the room of red and gold, pulled himself up against the cold, lump of gold in the centre of the room.

The creatures turned their orange eyes onto the door as an explosion tore the walls apart. The large, wooden doors in the court fell forward into the room through the dust Shaol could see the hall of tables was now block by pale, yellow stone.

"The chair," yelled Raphtune as he ran back towards the room of colours, scooping up the box of vials from the floor as he went.

Shaol pulled himself up and followed into the room, his chest hurt each time his boot cracked against the floor. He looked back and saw the dust settling, the creatures were still watching them through the gaps in the stone and then the eyes vanished.

Raphtune was waiting next to the stone chair as the water raged around him, Friend appeared next to him. Shaol fell onto the stone chair.

"How did you do that?" coughed Shaol trying to regain his breath.

"Another gift from you friend," said Raphtune putting a vial into his bag, "one more, if we need it."

"I told you I needed their help," said Shaol to Friend.

"Hassa is coming through the court room," said Friend ignoring him.

"Get the chair up," said Raphtune.

"Don't lose focus," added Friend.

"I won't," said Shaol letting the unsteady beat of the chair enter his mind.

The screaming pain of his rib melted away, even the song that started from the blood in his mouth disappeared. His breath was shallow and it hurt, but Pysuun was calm as he slept under the leather, his face was covered, only his black hair was visible. He found the beat in the black of the kitchen window. In his kitchen and he could always find what was important as milk washed away the dirt for another day.

In the distance beyond the reflection and red hair, he knew Hassa was safe. The beat was constant that was all he needed to know.

And then he felt Raphtune pull on his hand and Shaol was forced to leave his kitchen.

Chapter 19

The world was dark, Shaol could hear something moving in it. A song sang in the distance but it was not the song he knew. A spark came to life and Raphtune's lantern lit the piles of abandoned goods.

Hassa was on the ground in front of the chair, her leg cut deep, blood pooled on the floor. Raphtune leapt from the stone, put the lantern to the side and ran into the darkness. Shaol jumped from the chair, bent down next to her and pushed the wound closed. Hassa hissed in pain.

"We..." started Shaol.

"Shut it," snapped Hassa.

The song was coming from the edge of the world and found Shaol. It was not chaotic like song he knew, just a low hum of notes that jumped when they where needed, each finding a correct place in calm and controlled melody. There was a beat which was hard and fast that moved without care not married to the soft song in any way. Shaol tried to let the sounds pass as Friend had said he should but he could not help but listen to them and the slow song wove its way through thoughts and took his mind, the hum caused every second tooth in mouth to jump when the notes found their place, the taste of burnt coals filled his mouth.

Raphtune reappeared with some fabric and broken sticks.

"We have to keep moving," said Raphtune as he knelt down starting to form a splint, "the table down here was fixed, there's a way they can reach us."

Shaol coughed and blood filled his mouth, he quickly swallowed before anyone noticed.

"Damn it, you can't kill those things," growled Hassa as Raphtune mended the wound, "I even got one its glass eye and it just kept coming."

"Friend," called Shaol into the darkness.

"I am here," said Friend.

"Where else can the chair take us?"

"Nowhere."

"There was a passage above the red and gold room that led to the top. How do we use that?"

"We can not use that."

"We need a way out," yelled Shaol, "I can not climb and neither can Hassa."

Raphtune pulled the splint tight around Hassa's leg. Hassa hit the floor and threw her head back.

"The temples were not built to be climbed on," growled Friend in frustration.

"Do you know how those things can get down here?" asked Hassa through clenched teeth.

"The temple is sealed from the outside world, they can't get down here."

"Then, who mended the table?" asked Raphtune.

"I don't know."

"You go ahead," said Hassa pulling the half done split away from Raphtune, "I'll finish this and follow."

"I'm..." started Shaol.

"Listen," barked Hassa, "you need to climb, sitting here won't help you."

"I'm not going to leave," growled Shaol.

"Then come back for me," snapped Hassa, "I ain't going anywhere."

Hassa continued to wrap the fabric around her leg sealing the cut.

"A tree from the blood," said Shaol looking at Friend, "like the one you made over Tarlnath. Make another."

"No," said Friend.

"Why not?" cursed Shaol.

"Because it will bring the fortress down on our heads," Friend yelled back.

"Wait, wait," interrupted Raphtune quickly, "we're behind the stairs."

"Yes."

"We can knock a hole in the stairs with the vial," laughed Raphtune at the thought, "no one needs to climb."

"No," yelled Friend, "these temples must stay hidden."

"We do it," said Shaol ignoring Friend, "get the vial."

"Go ahead," said Hassa, "I'll follow when I can."

"We'll leave a trail in the sand," nodded Raphtune.

"Here," said Shaol holding out the stone and chain to Hassa, "take this."

"Shaol, what are you doing?" asked Friend.

"If Hassa doesn't make it, neither do you," said Shaol angrily staring into the burning yellow eyes.

Friend vanished as Hassa took the chain without objection.

"The stairs should be closest behind the temple," said Hassa, "I'll find you there."

Shaol nodded as Raphtune took up the lantern in one hand and the wooden box in the other. Hassa pulled her own lantern forward from her belt.

"Go," she hissed at Shaol, "I don't need you here."

Raphtune was already through the pile of goods. Shaol chased after him, his chest creaked as he moved and the bone throbbed as his pulse quickened. He ignored it, he had the treasure, he would have time to rest the wound soon enough.

The deep hum that emanated from Hassa slowly started to fade as he saw the light thrown upon the red men at the entrance. Raphtune stopped at the tunnel and waited for Shaol. As Shaol reached the boy another cough came, the blood coated his mouth.

"We can move slower once we are clear of this place," said Raphtune flatly, "but for now you have to be quick."

Shaol nodded, another cough came, Shaol pushed away the song and it obeyed him. Raphtune moved ahead and Shaol followed as fast as he could while trying to keep his breath steady, he fought the tightness that grew in throat. The red men with their goods marched against him, still weighed down by goods needed to feed the endless hunger of the city.

Raphtune was at the temple entrance when the tunnel went dark, Raphtune had extinguished the lantern. Shaol was stunned by the lose of light and tripped on his feet, he paused, found his balance and moved forward through the darkness until he found the wall. With his hand pressed against the stone, he guided himself towards the entrance. He could hear a piece of metal tap against the side of the tunnel, Shaol moved forward to find Raphtune.

"We need to move without the light," whispered Raphtune now in front of Shaol.

"Why?"

"Outside and above."

Shaol moved forward, found the end of the tunnel and looked up into the black. High above danced a swarm of orange lights that, somehow, swirled in a clump above them, the small amount of light that was given off allowed him to see pieces of sharp black stone that appeared be rolling around on themselves.

"What is that?"

"Guards," Raphtune whispered back.

"We have to warn Hassa."

"Your friend will tell her, she has a way of knowing these things. We have to keep moving. The plan, Shaol, keep to it."

"We can use the temple to guide us to the stairs."

"Good, I'll be behind you."

Shaol pressed his hand against the rough stone of the tunnel and left the temple. The lights above continued to swim in the black as they push past each other. The hard, uneven stone of road underfoot became the soft dust of the dead lands.

The swarm started to crack and clank over head. Shaol looked up, an orange light was slowly descending from the ceiling. Shaol quickened his pace down the wall trying to put as much distance between him and the thing as possible.

The single orange light stopped a few feet above the ground and then a light of pure white shoot from it body. Shaol could see it now, two large, black legs that held a strange monstrous body like a irregular, broken rock with sharp shards that stuck out at odd places. It had two small, skinny arms in front that came forward and steadied the heavy thing as it lent forward into the entrance of the temple.

Shaol froze in place, Raphtune had done the same. The thing groaned loudly as its heavy body lent back from the entrance. A leg lifted into the air and the body, slowly and awkwardly, twisted on the other as its light swung from the entrance and lit the far side of the temple, lighting the dirt and metal pillars that littered the world, far in the distance, Shaol could see the slope of the steps.

It knew they were there, it was looking for them. Shaol grabbed Raphtune, who was still focused on the thing, and pulled him towards the broken pillars that flanked the road.

The beast started to grown as the leg was lifted again and it hissed as it slowly twisted towards them. The pair threw themselves against the pillar as the brilliant light washed over the side of the temple and Shaol saw his mistake. The pair had left tracks in the soft dust and the tracks now led directly to the stone that they crouched behind. The creature kept its light focused on the wall, Shaol held his breath.

Raphtune pulled on Shaol's shirt, Shaol looked down, the boy pulled his bag over his head and pushed it into Shaol's hand. Shaol shook his head.

"I'll find you at the back of the temple," whispered Raphtune, "keep to the plan."

And before Shaol could object Raphtune was out from behind the stone illuminated by the brilliant white, the wooden box firmly in hand. The boy flew down the black road and escaped the light of beast. The cloud above started to crack and scrap as another beam of light shot down from the roof which found Raphtune as he raced down the broken road.

The swarm above began to give chase, Shaol looked up and could now see a handful of black stones of all different sizes rolling over each other as they moved across the space. The one at the tunnel entrance slowly rose into the roof to rejoin the swarm, its legs and arms wrapping around itself as it went, its white beam went out.

Shaol gripped the bag, angrily, he could do nothing but hide and watch Raphtune risk himself. A broken cough bubbled up from his chest, Shaol swallowed and shook his head.

The road became dark as the chattering of the swarm died and the light moved between the two far temples, their yellow stone sparkled in reflected light, Shaol could no longer see Raphtune. With the bag in hand, he stumbled into the dark and found the temple wall again.

A light swept through the air overhead lighting the dust that had been kicked into the air and then it swung away. Shaol spun to see more lights had joined the hunt, all he could do was hope Raphtune had found an escape. He turned away and moved as quickly as he could as his chest continued to tighten and the cough came more frequent than it had before.

The wall vanished from under his hand, he turned with the temple and continued through the darkness. His head started to spin and lights started to dance in darkness, not the white lights, not the orange eyes but spots of red and green. There was something ahead of him.

Shaol pushed forward as the cough came and this time it caused his chest to give an deep thud as blood came up. There was still something ahead, there was someone with him.

Shaol paused and found his breath again, the loose bone did not move when he took short breaths, he pulled himself along the wall. He thought he heard something walking in the darkness, he froze and looked above. There was nothing in the ceiling, no clattering beasts with orange eyes.

The steps, Shaol told himself he had to get to the back wall, he kept moving forward. The sweat was running down his face when his legs buckled from under him. He slipped and fell into the dust and he coughed the blood onto the ground and it sang in the darkness.

The beat was no longer strong, it was still slow and calm but it had lost its force. The melody that sung was so sweet and as Shaol listened it rose and soared away from the city, Shaol wanted to sleep.

But the drum was there with it and even though it was weak it did not want to sleep, it want to move forward in the darkness. The drum had an energy that did not taste of anything like the song, it was a pressure that pushed against his body as he focused on it, it took a shape of the yoke. There was more to be done he could not rest yet. There were pots to be scrubbed and there was water to be pulled.

Shaol felt his body jolt as it was physically pushed through the dirt, blood was running from his mouth, his face was buried in the soft dust. Shaol pulled himself up, the world was still dark, he had no way of know how long he had been asleep, the deep pain was still inside his chest but he had to move, his friends were waiting for him.

The bag was gone.

Shaol swung his hands wildly in dark, the dust flew up around him as he did, then his hand hit the leather and knocked it further away, he grabbed at it desperately and pulled it fiercely into his body. Shaol pulled himself from the dust and continued to let the temple guide him.

The temple gave way again and Shaol let it fall away, he would move forward and find the steps. He coughed again and this time he spat the blood to the ground. He listened to it sing, if he could hear it then so could Friend and she could lead Hassa through the darkness.

Shaol stumbled forward until he collided with a metal pillar in front of him. He worked his way around it and kept moving forward, then he met another and then another, all the while leaving a trail of blood for Friend.

Something shone in the distance, a silver light sat in the distance showing him the metal ropes that tangled between the metal pillars in front. Shaol stopped before he collided into them, the light lit the stone slope of the steps. He looked around for the owner of the light but saw nothing.

Shaol navigated the maze of ropes and pillars until he was at the base of steps. He put his hand up and felt the cold sloping stone. Shaol looked at the silver flame that burnt alone in the dust.

"They cannot see you in the light," came a voice, "it is only for you."

Shaol looked around, something was with him, he saw a heavy shape move between the pillars. He knew what it was and ignored it. Shaol moved between the pillars, away from the light and became tangled in the metal ropes strung between.

"Such struggle," came the voice again.

Something tapped on metal pillars around Shaol, he looked but could not see anything. Shaol coughed and spat the blood to ground. He pushed the song from his mind and again the sounds obeyed him.

Shaol was free of the silver light and in the darkness he found where the stone steps met the earth and placed the powerful vial beneath it, he would light it when his friends were with him.

Shaol sat against a pillar and he looked out at the temple, it had been given an erratic halo as the light beyond continued to chase Raphtune.

"Do you think they will come?" asked the voice.

Shaol did not respond to voice, he sat quietly and waited, as the black mass moved through the pillars, tapping a strange rhythm as it went.

Another silver flame burst alive in front of Shaol casting a strange grey light across the cluster of pillars and cables. But the light was not pure, it was riddled his small, imperfect spots that swam on the surfaces it illuminated, there was no colour, the world of the flame was nothing but grey.

"I do not want your light," snarled Shaol at the thing that tapped as moved amongst the pillars.

"The light is yours, Shaol, send it away if you wish," said the black thing that wandered, "such is the nature of a true gift."

"I will come for you," spat Shaol at the thing.

"Who do you think I am?" asked the voice with an amusement.

"You are the thing that has taken Hassa."

"Hassa is free to do as she wishes," said the thing continuing to tap on the pillars, "but I did ask her to find you."

"I am here now, leave her."

"I told you, Shaol, I do not command anyone, Hassa does as she chooses. Why do you find that so hard to believe? Is it because you have never seen a free man before?"

The thing started to tap a different rhythm on the pillars.

"Then, you will let us walk from this fortress with what we have taken."

"How would I stop you?"

"With your Grey Men."

"Shaol, listen to my song."

The thing started to whistle from beyond the pillars. Shaol went to push the sound that came at him, but he could not stop the song and it sliced straight into his mind, it did not hurt, he knew the song. He had heard it before and many years ago.

The thing kept whistling and in the silver light stood before him alive with colour. They were not fuzzy and distant, they were clear and perfect standing before him as they had been years ago. It was their song. They stood before him, their expressions strong and hard, more real than the madness of the life that had swirled around him since everything was taken.

Mother had her perfectly, straight red hair that fell to her knees and father had his short, ruffled blonde hair. Their bodies both strong and spry, they wore the common clothes that all the farmers wore, a light cotton shirt and sturdy thick leather pants. The very same he should have worn.

Mother lent forward and kissed Shaol on the forehead. The tears welled in his eyes as he felt her touch for the first time since he was a boy.

"What do I do?" asked Shaol.

Father smiled from behind him.

"What is right," said Father.

"You know what is right," said Mother.

"I must fight for those I love," said Shaol as the thought came from the song, "but I can't save you, you are gone, I can't have it back."

Mother nodded.

"That's right," said Father with a smile.

"You always knew what was right," laughed Mother.

She wiped the tears from his cheek.

"They need you, Shaol, do not forget them as they are."

The song stopped and the visions of colour were gone from the silver light. Shaol tried to see them again as clearly as he just did but the faces would not come, clouded by the time that always choked his mind.

The cough came again.

"What do you want?" asked Shaol suddenly exhausted.

"What is right," said the thing, "just like you."

"I will not bring down the city. I will not listen to your poison thoughts."

"Are they dead yet, Shaol?"

Everything is dead in this land. The poison thought came quicker then he could stop it.

"Find another," growled Shaol.

"You are the only one."

"Then the city will stand," said Shaol, "I won't bring it down on them."

"Why do you resist what is right?"

"I don't."

"You cannot hide from me. There are not enough, Shaol, there will never be enough to make it right."

"No."

"There will never be enough to make you harm them. No prize glorious enough, no promise grand enough. If I gave you back your parents, your farmhouse, your youth and innocence, you would never bring Tarlnath down on them. Cutter, Rag, Jarga, Yor, Hassa, Horsuun."

"No."

"Do you know why you were chosen to fetch the box?"

Shaol was quiet.

"Because you are so easily chained."

"And yet, I defy you."

"Am I the one being defied?" said the thing, "there is still time to do what is right."

The dark mass behind the pillar vanished and the world below the fortress became still. The silver flame continued to burn in front of Shaol.

Shaol coughed again and spat the mix of blood and mucus to the ground and as the song rose he remembered, for the first, he had been able to hear the songs as a boy but then they had only come at strange times.

The sickle had sliced into his brother's arm when it had come loose and fallen off the hook in the barn. When his father had been bitten by the wild dog that had jumped the fence and come at them. When the Master that had taken him, the song had cried high, piercing and without rest. A flat, scarred face appeared in the dark and Shaol jumped in fright, he was a boy in a cage again.

Shaol grabbed at his face, he was going mad. He had to leave this city, he had to go before the thoughts finally took him after so many years. Where were his friends? He had to wait for them.

Shaol's breath still hurt as the bone ached, he tried to find a way to sit that did not hurt but his body could not find peace.

Shaol placed the bag on the silver dirt and searched for the flint and stone inside, knocking the contents aside with hard, angry hands. The book wrapped in leather bumped around among the other things in Raphtune's bag. Shaol wished he could read, Shaol wanted to know the secrets this place, he wanted to know why he had lost it all for these stones to stay buried.

Every moment that passed was another moment he became angrier. What was this book? What was this place? What was the thing that spoke? Why did the blood sing to him? Who was Friend? Why was he chosen to fetch a wooden box? Why did this city have to stand?

Friend had dealt in deals and trade. The thing, Hassa, both had dealt with him with nothing but what he knew and what he had seen in his time in the city and then the question came, as the thoughts of what he had learnt swirled together. If he was different, if only he could end it, if Tarlnath had stood since the times no man remembered, if the thing named Sulla with the power over life and death needed him to bring it down. If Shaol left the city behind him, how long would it stand?

The burning eyes of Friend hovered in the air, her body strangely missing in the silver light.

"Hassa is coming," said Friend.

Shaol found the stone and flint he was looking for and closed the bag. At the edge of the silver light he saw a figure limping through the dust.

"Shaol?" whispered Hassa into the darkness.

"I'm here," he called back.

Hassa's became tangled in the ropes as she struggled forward.

"You both need to be back from the wall," said Friend, "the explosion will be violent."

"Get the lantern," said Shaol, "we need to signal to Raphtune."

"Where is he?" whispered Hassa.

"Leading the guards away," said Shaol.

"That's what they were chasing." said Friend to herself.

"Hold the lantern amongst the pillars," said Shaol, "I'll wait here to light the vial."

"Done," said Hassa, she felt for her lantern and then pulled it in front of her.

The light spewed forth returning colour to word and the silver flame became small and died. Friend was no longer a pair of floating lights, her large wings and strange body had returned.

Around the corner of the temple came the swarm of orange eyes as their beams of white flew this way and that trying to keep with the small figure that darted in and out of their sights.

"Friend, help him," ordered Shaol as he fumbled with the flint and stone.

Friend vanished and sparks filled the air as the flint and stone came together. The wick did not light, Shaol flicked the flint and stone again sparks flew and the wick still refused to light. Shaol struck the flint and stone again and again and again, he became frantic, his mind raced with a hundred curses aimed at the damned stones. Another spark and the wick started to burn.

"Hassa, be ready," he shouted at the shadow holding the lantern high for Raphtune.

Shaol pulled himself away from the space, his body protested each movement, he did not care to listen to it. He darted between the ropes and pillars away from the wall.

The explosion rang through the empty, forgotten world beneath Tarlnath as the dust and stone was thrown away, small pieces of rock struck Shaol hard, stinging his flesh.

Shaol looked back as the dust started to settle around the hole. He ran back towards the orange shafts of light that shot through the clouds of dust. Hassa placed the lantern on the ground and limped forward.

A white circle was suddenly on both of them as the two stumbled towards the broken wall. Shaol found the bricks of the steps, they were badly damaged but were still standing. Fist sized holes had been made in the wall, through them he could see the shacks of the scrap city. Unders looked on with shock at the explosion that had rung out from behind the steps.

Shaol rammed himself against the stone and they moved slightly, some stones came free and tumbled to the ground making the holes slightly larger.

Hassa cursed as she saw what remained of the wall. She ran at it with her full weight, crashing into it, more stones crumbled. Shaol looked back the swarm of orange that was now watching both them and Raphtune and Friend who were dodged in and out of the lights.

And then he heard it from beneath. The low hum that had rattled every second tooth and the notes jumped into mind they wanted his attention. Hassa was still ramming against the wall, her wound had reopened as she used the full force of legs against it. The blood was pooling in the dust.

"Get back," yelled Shaol.

Hassa looked at him confused.

"Get as far back as you," he said as he lost himself to the song from Hassa's blood.

Shaol need to bring its strength together, strong like a beast that could tear apart a wall, he saw the beast that had toppled the tower as an army watched on with horror. He felt the hum grow and then it was before him a thing with four strong legs, a body with no head just a wild, mass of arms where a neck should be, the thing was made of nothing but the hum that rose from Hassa's blood because Shaol needed it too exist, then the beast did as Shaol commanded and charged at the wall. The stones scattered as the beast slammed itself against the stone, the hole was now large enough for several man to fit through. The shack behind the wall started to fly through the air as the beast continued its stampede.

Friend yelled behind him. There was a flash of something white and hard and Shaol fell to ground, his head rang and, for a moment, the world was gone.

When Shaol returned there was a wide path in front of him, the shacks of the scrap city were thrown aside, hot coals of an exploded oven scattered and burnt in an open square. Hassa was limping down the path made by the beast.

Shaol pulled himself from the ground and ran through the large hole.

"Follow me," she called back to him.

Hassa then limped into the shacks Shaol ran after her through the winding trails.

"Get out of the city," screamed Hassa to the Unders that stood by stunned and confused at what was happening, "get to the fortress."

He saw Hassa grab a young Under.

"No time, you need to do as I say," she barked and started to make hand gestures.

The Under nodded and made some quick gestures back.

"Thank you," nodded Hassa.

The Under darted off through the shacks.

"Come, we need to get clear," said Hassa grabbing Shaol's arm.

The two started to make their way through the scrap city.

Shaol looked back, Raphtune was through the hole with the box in the hand. Moments later, two of large stone beasts leapt from the hole in the steps and crashed into the shacks. Raphtune ran at the Hassa and Shaol, who hobbled as quickly as they could towards the bend in the fortress. There was the sound of more shacks splintering as several smaller beast leapt into the scrap city.

Each one ignited their white lights and started to sweep over the scrap city. One found Raphtune, the boy disappeared into a shack, a barrel of burning waste flew through the air landed on the shack sending flames across the huts.

Shaol stopped, turned and ran back to find his friend. Smoke started to rise from the leather and wood had been piled up. Shaol coughed up his blood and spat it to the side as he made his way back down the path towards the beasts. Raphtune emerged from the black haze, running straight at him.

Raphtune cursed loudly and angrily.

"Go," he screamed.

Shaol nodded and spun around, Raphtune was safe and that was what he needed to know.

The beasts did not move as quickly on the ground as they did along the roof. Awkwardly, the beasts rocked back before jumping forward through the air, huts and barrels crunched and gave way under their heavy bodies. Then, they would steadied themselves and searched again for the four they hunted. Their lights would catch Shaol as he made his way down the twisted path, but then they would fall away as the creature was force to leap forward again.

The lights started to catch him less frequently as the beasts turned their attention to the shacks of scrap city. Their short arms were tearing open shacks and hurling barrels through the air as black smoke started to choke the space and hide the beasts. Soon, the powerful, white beams of light became the only thing that could be seen through the black clouds.

The steps turned and the clear blue light of midmorning streamed through the arch ahead. The scrap city fell away. Shaol found Hassa and Raphtune waiting in the empty space for him. He looked back at the corner of steps, the black smoke was swirling around the top of the steps.

Raphtune was out of breath, he grunted and nodded towards the arch.

"I have a place," said Hassa.

"What about the beasts?" asked Shaol.

"And what can we do about them?" snapped Raphtune between breaths then quickly rose his hand forcefully as Shaol went to speak.

Raphtune took a few more breaths.

"No more, Shaol, we do what we can."

"Come, we need to get back," said Hassa her voice tired.

Hassa led the way through the first arch. As they passed the steps that rose up to the metal forest a dozen Unders scrambled down steps and towards the burning city.

"Be careful," yelled Hassa at them, "get everyone into the fortress."

The Unders nodded at her as they ran through the arch.

Hassa led them back through the other scrap city and Shaol passed the face he had seen not a day ago. He looked into the shack, the face still smiled from the floor given fake life by the shard of glass that reflected the light.

Hassa reached her hut and pulled back the leather door, an Under rushed up a path at her.

"I need bandages, splints, sap and chewing root," she ordered and the Under vanished.

Raphtune pushed past Shaol and found a place by the far wall of the shack.

"There's a lantern in the back," said Hassa quickly, "wait here. I need to find someone."

Hassa handed the chain and stone to Shaol and, as he took it in from her, he looked into her exhausted eyes.

"I will leave with you," she said simply, "I owe you that."

Shaol did not have time to respond, Hassa was gone. Shaol looked into the small space, Raphtune sat in shadows hunting around for the lantern. Shaol coughed and blood swam in his mouth. He ignored the song as he slowly lowered himself into the space and Raphtune placed the lantern between them.

"How's your chest?" asked Raphtune.

"Painful," grunted Shaol.

"Here," said Raphtune pushing the box across the floor, "it's yours now."

Shaol took the bag from around his neck and gave it back to Raphtune.

"Your prize," he said, "you've earned it."

Raphtune took the bag and put the strap around his neck.

"Its not mine, yet," said Raphtune, "your friend was very clear about that."

"Do you fear her?" asked Shaol.

"There's a lot of things to fear this world," shrugged Raphtune.

"What scares you?"

"Power is always a thing to be wary of, your friend may have a lot of it."

"Do you know who she is?"

"No."

Shaol pushed back on the leather wall.

"Why would you risk yourself for a book?" asked Shaol looking into the lantern's flame.

"Because it's unique."

"Tell me what it's about?" yawned Shaol, the fatigue was taking him as the room became to warm.

"Have you ever heard of the Sparkling Isle?" asked Raphtune.

Shaol shook his head lazily, his head was becoming heavy.

"There are so many things I've never heard of, you're very lucky Raphtune."

Shaol felt something run down his cheek. Raphtune was quiet for a moment.

"You should rest while you can," said Raphtune quietly, "I'll keep watch."

Chapter 20

Hassa pulled back the curtain as Shaol woke, her leg was covered by knee-high boots. Raphtune looked up from his book.

"We need to move," said Hassa, "the enemy is moving towards us."

Raphtune wrapped his book as Shaol pulled himself from the shack with the box in hand.

"We need cloaks," said Shaol.

"I know," said Hassa, "my man are ready to hold the enemy. We go through the store room, there's a way up beyond that."

Hassa started to walk down a path.

"Where are the Grey Men?"

"The towers are lit, they're doing something."

Raphtune was beside Shaol.

"Do you know what?" asked Raphtune

"Something is forming above the fortress, ask Ystari what it is."

"We have to hurry," said Shaol, "how's your leg?"

"I've fought with worse," said Hassa with a nod, "your chest?"

"Seems quiet."

"Good."

The shacks parted and a red square stood in front of them, Unders stood around the oven each had crossbows in hand and weapons hanging from their belts.

"Hulguun," barked Hassa.

A man with pure white skin and a large, broad body turned from the oven and jogged over to Hassa.

"We're going into the tower," yelled Hassa to the crowd, "Hulguun, will lead you now, I will not be returning."

Hulguun grunted and nodded, the others behind silently rose their hands to their chest and nodded.

"Only distract them as long as you can, nothing more," barked Hassa, "no one does anything stupid. Retreat to the store at the first sign they're getting the upper hand, the others are barricaded in the ballroom, get to them through the servant access. Do not go by the main halls, they have been blocked. Do not lead the enemy there."

The crowd looked on silently.

"I love you all," said Hassa and then look at Shaol, "I'm sorry, I could not have done more."

The crowd cheered without words and clapped. Hassa placed her hand on Hulguun's shoulder.

"Do not give up," whispered Hassa to him, "someone is coming."

Hulguun nodded, took Hassa's hand in his and kissed it softly. Hassa smiled and nodded and then pulled her hand away.

"This way," said Hassa quickly to Shaol.

The three moved through the square and back into the shacks.

"I am sorry I am not the one you wanted," said Shaol an anger accidentally coming into his voice.

"I knew what I came back for," said Hassa quietly, "you..."

Hassa struggled with her words.

"I thought there was something I could do about this," she continued, "but you wouldn't leave Pysuun, you won't forget me, you turn back for Raphtune... Sulla knew many thing but he didn't know the strongest man in Tarlnath won't pay the cost that was needed for this to be done."

"You don't have to come with me," said Shaol, "you're free to stay, if you want, I will leave without you."

"There's no reason to stay, no one is coming. Tarlnath will stand another thousand years, at least I will see my family again."

Hassa had lied like he would have to the kids at the water caravan. An empty dream that he hoped would give them one more day of peace. And then another lie and then another until they stopped caring and became the Old Ones who would then beat the kids who needed the same lies.

"There could be another," he lied.

Hassa laughed the broken laughter.

"The Saquaari is right," said Hassa darkly, "it's just a dance. A dance of blood, death and suffering and there will be plenty more before it's done."

A bright beam cut through orange and black of the scrap city. Shaol turned, in the distance a beast was kicked something into the air. Raphtune vanished down the path as fast as he could move. Hassa and Shaol quickened their pace after boy but held back from a run.

"Can you run?" asked Shaol.

"Do not jar your chest," replied Hassa, "my men will keep them back."

More beams cut through the gloom as more rounded the corner and then came the sound of drums, joined by the shouts of the Unders that fought for a dead dream. There was sound of wood breaking and stone grinding as the beasts leapt forward.

Shaol recognised the rough tunnel ahead. The three were through it, leaving the sound of destruction behind them. Raphtune was ahead, scouting the area, the boy had armed himself with another small piece of metal. Hassa and Shaol followed watching the small shadow slip again through the space, peer around the thin pillars and over the piles.

As Shaol looked around at the goods and he saw the space in the temple. After thousands of years, the same had happened here. Why wouldn't they leave this place to rot?

Because Tarlnath must stand. That was the only answer he had even after all he had seen.

The steps turned with the fortress and ahead was another arch, outside the sun burnt a deep orange as smoke rose from the other arch across the opening. And then Shaol saw it, water fell across the stone outside, he had never seen anything like it.

"What is it?" asked Shaol.

"It seems the Clerics have brought a storm," replied Hassa.

"Is it water?"

"Yes."

"Is it poison?"

"I don't know."

The pile of goods ended and the cavern became bare. Raphtune was waiting behind the last pile.

"Are you sure your men have the creatures distracted?" asked Raphtune.

"Yes."

"Do you know how to get to the Clerics?"

"What about the water?" Shaol interrupted.

"It's just rain," said Raphtune.

"It could be poison," said Shaol.

Raphtune stopped.

"What does the water do to you?"

"It burns the colour from your flesh, it dries your insides if you drink it."

"Can it get through leather?"

"No."

"There," said Raphtune pointing at some sheet of leather in a pile, "will they do?"

"Yes."

The three pulled the sheets from the pile and quickly wrapped themselves in the leather. Raphtune pulled a white mask of a long, shrivelled face from his bag and covered his face before wrapping the leather around him like a cloak.

Shaol pulled his leather tight around him, he had felt the sting of the poison water and he did not want to feel it again. He looked at Hassa who held the sheet at her side, she noticed him looking at her.

"I'll use when I need," she said flatly.

The three set out from the piles the water crashed hard against the stone outside the arch.

"Are you able to run with that?" asked Raphtune, his voice muffled behind the grizzly mask.

"Don't worry about me."

"It's not you I'm worried about."

"I can run," insisted Hassa.

"Where are we headed?" asked Shaol.

"There's a servant's entrance just through the forest," said Hassa, "we can get in through there."

"Then we go fast and straight, we don't stop until we are inside," said Raphtune, then a small hand appeared from under the leather and pointed at Shaol, "you don't stop, keeping the box safe is the most important thing now."

"I know that," snapped Shaol.

Raphtune's cloak whipped threw the air as the boy turned and flew towards the arch. Hassa was kept to Shaol side as the two followed behind.

Raphtune was at the arch, the water fell against the leather as he peered out and up the steps. The box slipped under Shaol's leather as he moved across the stone. It was awkward to hold the leather sheet and the box both at once. He got it under his arm, on the side away from the loose bone, and held it tight.

Raphtune became orange as he leapt in the light.

"We should keep with him," said Hassa

Shaol nodded and the two ran for the arch. The water crashed on the stone outside, overhead Shaol could hear the wind howl, he pulled the leather around him and braced himself for the pain of the water. Hassa was through the arch and up the steps, the leather lazily pulled over her head.

Shaol ran after her, from above came the sound of the metal leaves crashing against each other. He felt the water whip against the leather sheet, he pulled it further over his head as some water got under the leather and hit his face, it stung and burnt his cheek as it he knew it would. He bit down on his lips desperate to keep the water away.

As Shaol got to the top of steps, the forest was now a roar of screeching and screaming metal, the wind slapped the leather against Shaol's body.

The small masked figure was waiting for him under a golden tree which burnt in the light of the dying sun.

Shaol ran to meet Raphtune and the leaves above kept most of the water back. Shaol dared to look up, black, dark clouds, larger than he had ever seen swirled overhead, green lights sparked from inside the bubbling mass.

Hassa was coming across the yard after him the leather sheet hung loose around her. Then, Shaol saw the face come from the forest behind her, the green face that had come for him in the mist, its green claws reflected in the gold and silver of the forest but, unlike the other beast, this thing had a body wrapped in tight brown cloth. Its face locked itself onto Shaol, his time was up and the Grey Men had found him.

Somehow, the thing screamed above the roar of the wind and the metal of the trees started to shake at the sound.

"Hurry," cursed Raphtune from under his mask.

Hassa turned and dropped the leather to ground, her hair started to fall to ground as the water fell across her.

"Which way?" yelled Raphtune over the storm.

Hassa was passed them and into forest, her blades drawn and ready. She did not speak, she just swept between the trees and the two kept with her.

Shaol looked back, the creature was closing in one them, its legs were strained under the tight fabric, allowed only to take a single step and no more but at a pace that propelled it forward faster than Shaol could run.

And then it was gone, the fabric of its body started to unravel and a mist escaped the cloth and was swept away in the wind. A black figure in a purple cloak stood in its place, its burning orange eyes locked onto the three. Then something roared above, a bright, green crack appeared in the air and struck the black figure which exploded into a hundred pieces.

"What is that fool doing?" came Friend's voice through the roar.

Shaol spun around the winged woman was looking up at the sky. There was another green face reflected in the metal of the forest. Hassa was opening a door in the side of the fortress and she disappeared inside, Raphtune tumbled in after her. The box bounced under Shaol's arm as he gripped it as best he could as something orange flashed between the trees. There was another roar and a flash of green.

Shaol pulled himself through the door as Raphtune slammed it shut behind him.

"They've come up," said Hassa her grey skin stained with splotches of white where the water had burnt her, half of her wispy hair had fallen away, the rest clumped together in thick strands.

"Which way to the tower?" yelled Raphtune from behind the mask.

Friend was beside them.

"Leave the stone," she barked.

"What?"

Shaol dropped the wet, stained leather to the ground.

"We don't have time," yelled Raphtune, "which way?"

"This way."

"Leave the stone."

"How many levels?"

"We need it."

"Find me at the red stones by the lake."

"Two, three."

There was another scream from the forest outside the door.

"Drop it and go."

Shaol took the stone from from his pocket and dropped it to the ground.

"I will find you soon."

"Good."

The three ran through the hallways of the fortress until they found some stairs. Raphtune kept himself wrapped in the stained leather and white mask.

"Up here," said Hassa and started up the stairs.

Raphtune kept beside Shaol as they both followed Hassa. There was an explosion from below, much larger than the others, the walls shook and the unseen windows rattled.

"Keeping going," ordered Raphtune as Hassa stopped.

The stairs continued for two more flights until they end at a hallway, blue carpet covered the floors, vases holding with green tree with brilliant flowers between heavy, wooden doors. The hallway was lit by the golden light of the setting sun which poured through a window at the far end, water slapped against the glass causing it to sing.

"Where are we going?"

"The forest tower is closest," said Hassa.

"Go then," cursed Raphtune.

A green form was at the end of the corridor throwing a shadow down the hall.

"Back," hissed Raphtune.

"Wait," said Shaol, "it only hunts magic."

The green formed stepped towards with a single, bound step, but it was not quick like the one in the yard. Its bare, green foot took another slow, restricted step. The thing stopped moving, only a few feet from them, it paused for a few moments and then it face twisted and screamed.

"Get in the room," yelled Hassa.

Shaol swung around and saw the orange eyes behind the black stone mask. The green thing ran forward. Shaol jumped aside and as the vicious claws swung forward at the end of bound arms. The green thing grabbed the other and without effort flung the thing in the purple robes through a wooden door into another room, black blades flew through the air as the creature lost its grip on its weapons.

"We can go," said Shaol to Hassa and Raphtune who were in the room.

The three ran down the hallway, leaving the two things to fight in the room at the end of the hall. Shaol looked through the wet glass and onto the metal forest, green and orange lights danced below as the leaves the continued to sway and screeched above them.

"The ones from the temple are winning," said Shaol as the three ran down the hall lined with windows.

"Then, we don't have long," replied Raphtune.

"The base of the forest tower isn't far."

Hassa led the way down another hallway and then another lined with more wooden doors. The corridor ended at a large, circular room with more hallways leading off in all directions. A set of stairs spiralled upwards to the roof, a dense fog started to roll down from the opening and drop slowly down the metal stairs.

Down one of the many hallways Shaol saw a green glow. He looked behind, orange eyes looked back at him. Hassa and Raphtune were already climbing the stairs. Shaol ran after them, taking the steps two at a time.

At the top was another large room, hallways stretch off here as well. A bound, green form struggled past them and down the stairs kicking up the mist with its wild feet. Another scream came from below.

Hassa was off down another hallway. Shaol followed, doors and vases of flowers continued to fly past him in a blur of colour.

Hassa came to a stop in another large, circular room, empty except for a fountain in the centre from which rose a pillar of solid, fog that exploded upwards until it hit the high ceiling. The fog rolled and boiled in on itself while the mists flowed like water from the side of column and across the floor.

The walls were decorated with the green and brown vision of a forest. Beasts of all kinds danced amongst the trees while birds soared across the ceiling in a brightly lit sky filled with clouds made gold and silver by a dawning sun.

Something moved in the mist that flowed from the pillar. Shaol looked closely, he saw the half existence of a small creature shaped that looked like a long, fat dog covered in thick fur with a snout lapping at the pool with its long tongue, the water did not ripple where the misty tongue hit the water.

"What is this?" said Hassa as she laid eyes on the large pillar of fog.

"No more large rooms," snapped Raphtune.

"This is the only way, unless you can scale sheer walls," barked Hassa.

"Hurry, then," order Raphtune as he head towards the only other doorway.

The animal lifted its head and turned to look at Shaol, then it pushed away from the pool with its fat legs and skittered away across the floor as it reached the edge of the mist it turned to strands of nothing. Shaol turned his head to see the orange eyes at the end of the hallway.

"It's coming," barked Shaol.

Hassa ran towards the doorway. The light which came through the windows in the hallway vanished as the sun dipped below the horizon, the torches on the walls burst alive with the green light that sparked and crackled.

The robed figure was in room, Hassa pulled out her knives and spun to meet the black stone blades, her legs whipped up the mist up around her, her clumped, dead hair spun around her body. Hassa's attack knock the creature off balance and with her shoulder she had the creature on the ground as the mist started to rise.

The pillar sparked as something green danced within. The face with claws swam through the fog, it screaming madly as it followed at the robed figure a few feet in front of its prison.

"Hassa," called Shaol, "get it into the fog."

The robed creature was standing again, Hassa dropped her knives and flew at it with all her strength. She let out another cry as she knocked it back with a kick and then, fearlessly, leapt on top of it. The beast stumbled as the Hassa's weight came onto it and pushed it back into the fog, Hassa jumped clear and fell to the ground on the far side of the pool.

The green and black forms became tangled in the mist. Scraps of purple robes flew from mist as the green claws cut deep and fast. The thing made of nothing but black stone struggled as it was held fast in the green claws lifted it in the pillar. The struggle became less and less until finally the stone figure became limp and the blades slipped from it hands and splashed into the water of pool, the green face in the fog was gone.

Hassa was running back to the group collecting her blades as she went. Raphtune was already down the hallway as Shaol and Hassa followed. The tunnel they found themselves in was bare made of rough stone, there were no more vases or doors, only torches that sparked and hissed with the green light that now flooded the world, the mist in tunnel had risen to the waist.

Hassa led them to another room, above a circular tunnel was cut into the roof, a large hole on the floor sat below the tunnel. Hassa walked around the room to a small pillar.

"This'll take us to the top," puffed Hassa, "be ready."

There was the sound of rushing air from above and Shaol felt a strong wind hit him, in the distance he heard a steady beat.

Hassa was next to Shaol, she held out the hilt of the one of her blades.

"You'll need it," she said with nod.

"Thank you, but I have my hands," he said simply.

"Your chest will not let you use your hands this time."

Shaol nodded, Hassa was right. He took the blade, it felt awkward and heavy into his hand, he balance the long blade the best he could. The box started to slip from under his arm but he held it tight with his elbow.

There was a rush of air as a large, flat stone dropped from the roof and lowered itself to sit inside the circle cut into the floor. Shaol stepped onto the stone and felt the beat enter his mind, it was erratic like the chair below the fortress.

Shaol turned and saw the beast of black stone at the doorway without its purple robes, it eyes burnt a brilliant green.

"Pull the lever," shouted Hassa as she tossed her blade between her hands and focused on the creature.

Raphtune ran to the stick that sat on the stone, the steady beat came and stone started to rise. The beast lunged forward, jumped and slid through the small gap between the stone and the roof. The walls of the tower roared around them as the green eyes pulled itself up from the ground.

Hassa charged the beast, it spun dodged out of her way and leapt towards Raphtune, the boy slipped around the space with single motion and when he was clear of the beast he froze in place. Shaol found the beat, it became unfocused as he command and the stone started to drop. Raphtune cursed as the floor fell away. Shaol lost the beat and it regained its focus. The stone started to rise again and all four bodies crunched onto the floor.

Shaol ignored the pain and made the stone drop again and then again. Soon, the circular room was visible. Hassa lunged at the beast and it tumbled from the stone but as it fell back it grabbed her boot in its grip and pulled Hassa from the stone. The stone hover for a moment. The beast had Hassa, it took her head in its hand and crushed it against the stone floor.

The green eyes burnt as the body jerked beneath it. The stone was rising again. The beast leapt across the pool of blood and grabbed the edge of the stone. The stone jolted and stopped as the smooth, stone fingers caught between it and the tower.

Shaol was numb then came the low hum from the blood that jumped for attention and he let it take his thoughts.

Time passed as it and the three pieces of stone fought each other and Shaol waited as he always did. At some point, the fingers cracked, flew through the air and a crack echoed as they hit the far wall. The stone rose swiftly and the walls of the tower roared again.

He had helped another into the pits.

Chapter 21

The stone continued to rise in the well.

"What are we after?" asked Raphtune from behind the white mask, lit only by the dim green light that came from above.

"You know," replied Shaol.

"I want to hear you say it."

"The cloaks."

"And then we're out."

Shaol felt the hilt of knife in his hand, he shifted the weight blade back and forth until it was comfortable.

"Take the box and hide," said Shaol, "I'll deal with the Grey Men."

"Shaol..."

"I don't want to hear what Raphtune the Lucky thinks, you can't understand this."

There was a moment between the two.

"If that's what you want," said Raphtune quietly.

Above the circle of green light grew larger until the stone finally came to a stop. The water that fell from the sky spun around the tower as the wind screamed around the pillars that held the level above.

Shaol looked out, the dead lands of Gart stretched out as far as he could see, even the tallest point in the city could not escape the stone and dirt it stood to protect.

Shaol went to the edge and looked down at the stone city, no water was falling beyond the black wall. He could see red fires burning large and bright in the open squares amongst the buildings, large banners being waved as they were marched through the tangled streets. Shaol knew what the Masters did below as the clouds roared above the fortress.

A stairway stuck out from the side of the tower, circled around the outside and up, the stray water drops splattered against the steps as green light from above danced across the wet stone.

The stone in the centre of the room started to drop.

"Shaol," shouted Raphtune as he leapt from the stone.

"Let it come," said Shaol pulling back from the edge and putting the wooden box on the ground next to some green leaves that were starting to turning to black powder in shallow beds of dirt.

"Don't be a fool," said Raphtune calmly.

"Get behind me."

"Shaol, you need to bring the stone back now."

Shaol took the knife and cut his left palm, the blood seeped through his fingers and drop to floor.

"Raphtune, you need to be behind me."

The white mask looked at Shaol for a moment and then found a place behind. The well started to vibrate as the stone rose inside.

Shaol found the song that took the bolt, it rose louder and faster than it did before and he found a form within it. The green eyes flew from the well, the black form came at Shaol.

There was an explosion of unseen energy as the sound found its life, a beast like Friend, large and winged, flew forward. The two collided, the winged form kept moving forward as the black stone of beast became nothing but a cloud of dust that was quickly scattered by the winds. The form of sound kept going, the columns at the side of the tower became nothing and the roof above cracked as it found there was no longer pillars to support it.

The form disappeared into the distance as it continued to fly straight and true. Shaol fell to his knees, he wanted to be with it, far from all these people he could not save. The stone cracked next to him and Shaol felt something moved against his hand, a small tree of green, curled its way up around his finger.

"Shaol," shouted Raphtune, "get up."

Shaol did not want to listen but he did, there was more to be done. Shaol rose, he felt Raphtune's hand on his as he tried to take the hilt from his hand.

"Not now, Shaol," said the white face calmly, "it's not time."

Shaol grabbed Raphtune's hand, the cut burned as blood slipped between his fingers and the boy's hand. Shaol did not loosen his grip on the blade.

"Keep the box safe," said Shaol, "I'll be back with the cloaks."

Raphtune pulled his hand away.

Shaol found the steps that circled the tower and followed them up and around to the top of tower. There should have been a pain in chest, the water should have stung his skin but he could not feel any of it now.

A green flame danced above a stone table. Grey Men knelt in front of it their heads tipped back to the sky, their hoods dropped exposing their shrunken, drained faces. Their skin pulsed with the same green light that took the rest of land, some of them had collapsed and lay still, motionless, dead at the bottom of the stone table their hands still grasping at creatures with wings and bodies of dogs while the others sat frozen in their place, their eyes open and vacant.

"You have not finished us," said a Grey Man emerging from the darkness into the green light of the flame, "more will come in our place. Zeria will hold against your assault."

"Do you die like normal men?" asked Shaol.

"Yes," replied the Grey Man, "do you?"

Shaol flexed his hand, reopened the cut and threw the blood on the floor, the Grey Man did not move or look away as Shaol found the song and the form. The knife of a butcher made of nothing but the sound flew through the air sliced into the Grey Man and two halves crumpled to ground, organs and blood spilling across the floor.

The blood screamed. It bellowed with a strength that made Shaol stumble back and drop to the floor. There was nothing to the Grey Man's song but the fact that it would not be denied, it would be listened too until it was done with a sound of pure aggression.

"It is a fearsome the song, but it is nothing when matched with yours" came the voice of the thing named Sulla cutting effortlessly over the thunderous wall of noise.

Shaol could not think, he could not speak, the song screamed away all of his thoughts.

The thing stood, motionless, in a stone arch next to the table but even in the light of the green flame, its face was a brilliant white framed by long, colourless hair. It was wrapped in a cloak that was blacker than anything could truly be, but shimmered as it reflected an unseen silver light.

Its face was hideous, a tight skin pulled over a skull that seemed to want to burst out of its restraints, its mouth stretched back making it too long and thin, its eyes invisible inside thin, long slits of black. It gripped its cloak with long fingers that were nothing but bone and skin, the fingertips nothing more than stumps without fingernails.

Shaol went to speak again but the song held back his words.

"Of course, the cloaks," said the spirit, "that one seems a little too bloody for use."

Shaol pulled himself from the floor, his body still worked and with it he moved towards the dead ones that lay sprawled on the ground.

"Death is something that has always come easy to Tarlnath as more are about to learn. But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Shaol pulled at the grey cloak.

"Tarlnath does not give up anything without a price and the price has not yet been paid."

The song of force continued to assault Shaol's mind.

"How many for a cloak, Shaol?"

The body tumbled from the cloak wrapped in nothing but a dirty loincloth, its skin flacked and grey.

"It doesn't matter, there are always more to take."

Shaol needed three, no two, no. This was all he needed now.

"Thumbs will know, will they be poisoned like Loss-Eye or will they be bled like Pysuun or will they be cut a thousand times like Hassa?"

Shaol looked out at the fires that burnt red in the city beyond.

"It must be this way," said Shaol quietly his voice suddenly cut through the sound.

"As a child of the city, you knew it would end this way."

"It couldn't be different."

The boy wept into waters of the lake as his friend hovered beneath the smooth surface, her eyes burning from the depths.

"I'll kill 'em all," the boy had cried hitting the water.

"How many can you kill?"

"Enough."

"There are never enough, Shaol."

"I don't care."

"And when it is done you will be as dead as Loss-Eye."

The boy continued to cry into the water of the lake.

"You need to pull the water."

"No."

"Please, listen to me."

"Why?"

"Because I am your friend."

"Why did he..." the boy cried.

"These are the poison thoughts, Shaol, poison like the water that kills the land. It is easy to give in to them, it is easy to let the hatred take you but you have can't let yourself turn sour like the Old Ones. You can't let this change you, you are too important."

"I want my friend."

"He is gone, Shaol. He has been taken from you and you cannot change that, you cannot control what the Masters do, but you can be stronger than the others. You can keep the poison thoughts away."

"I won't."

"Today is hard but tomorrow will be better," she had told him.

"Drown him, Shaol, remember why you must live," she had told him.

"Only you can protect them," she had told him.

But who was he as stood at the end of it all. Who was Loss-Eye but a broken man powerless to stop the horrors that he knew would come to a boy who had been fed to a city. Who was Pysuun but a man powerless to find a loved son lost within the twisted maze of streets. Who was Hassa but a woman powerless to unearth a man buried in metal and stone.

"There is no way to end this," she had told him.

Who was his friend but a woman powerless to keep him from the madness of a city that stood for nothing.

The song of aggression and force was gone and all that was left was the roar of the wind and a distant song that climbed and all Shaol wanted was to be with it. He looked down at the flames in the city, he knew that if they could hear it they would want to be with it as well.

Shaol brought his hand out and the blood fell on to the stone and as it did he called the song forward and brought it into his mind. He felt something crack beneath him but he was not on top of a tower, he was home in the peace of his kitchen, his friends with him.

Something hit Shaol from behind and he was knocked to the ground. Another blow fell across his back, his legs went limp and his chest became tight.

"Damn you, Shaol," cursed Raphtune coming around from behind.

"Do not lose the song?" barked the spirit, "bring what needs to be."

Shaol saw the tree growing from stone, he tried to command the song but he lost his thoughts as Raphtune kicked him hard in the broken bone causing him to splutter and blood that rose in mouth. The boy jumped on his back and clamped his hand over Shaol's mouth.

"Swallow the blood, Shaol," barked Raphtune.

Shaol found the command, the floor cracked as the tree dug deeper and fruits exploded from its branches. Shaol spat blood onto the boy's hand, Raphtune howled as a thousand tiny roots dug into his hand. Raphtune brought the metal bar across the back of Shaol head with a weak blow, which pulled Shaol away from his demands.

Raphtune rolled to the side, flicked the blood against the stone and started to rubbed his hand, furiously, against his rough shirt. Shaol found the command again the stone started to break away.

"I'm sorry, Shaol," said Raphtune, "I won't hang for you."

Raphtune brought the bar down on the back of Shaol's head. Shaol head rang with a dull pain, he tried to find the song in haze but it fell away.

"Damn you."

There was a moment, the world became dark and the stone gave way to something soft. The pain in his head was gone and Shaol's legs moved again as he pulled himself from the grass. The world around him was black, given form by a silver that danced on the edge of the hills that rolled off into the distance.

A wind caught the silver and black grass that grew to Shaol's ankle. He looked down at his hand, the cut was gone, his skin was bright and clear against the dark world. A howl was carried on the wind.

Dark, grey and black trees erupt from the earth around him, tearing apart the soil and disrupted the silence.

"Come back to the city, Shaol," came the voice of the spirit, "Tarlnath still stands."

Shaol turned in the forest clearing that had engulfed him and there sat a shone a brilliant silver figure draped in red atop a rough stone which rose from the earth.

"Another chance, Shaol," said the spirit, "there is time to make it right."

Something was circling the edge of the clearing.

"You can return and let it be done" said the spirit as it stretched out its white, thin hand, "take my hand, Shaol."

The cloak of red fell like melted wax down the body of the spirit and onto the rock beneath, where it swam amongst the ridges in the stone. A low growl came from edge of the clearing.

"You must come with me now, Shaol. Once the dogs have you, there is nothing I can do."

Slowly, a dog, larger than a man, emerged from between the trees its head low to the ground, its coat shimmered silver as it moved.

"You are the only one who can save them," said the spirit.

Shaol looked at the dog and found the madness was gone. The torturous thoughts, the desire to fight another day, the need to save those he could not, gone and all there was now was a peace.

"No," said Shaol quietly, "no, I won't."

The dog stepped cautiously towards Shaol.

"Tarlnath will stand another thousand years."

"If it must," said Shaol calmly, "if it is to be different then let Raphtune take it, let Aksit take it, let the Grey Men tear it apart with the powers of their god. I have suffered enough, I will have my peace."

Shaol looked into the pure white of the dog's eyes and felt a fear run through him but he did not want to run. The beast pounced forward and with a single bite it took Shaol into its mouth. He was pulled from the ground as the fangs cut into his flesh, but there was no pain just a feeling of warmth that flowed through this body.

The spirit in red and its rough stone chair was gone from the clearing as the dog turned and found a way through the trunks and black leaves. The dog emerged from the small forest and bounded across the dark, barren hills as Shaol was held firm in its mouth.

The gentle slopes gave way to mountains. The dog did not stop, he leapt from one rocky shelf to next ascending the cliff. Soon both, were at the top looking out on the world as a moon of pure white shone from above.

The beast leapt from the top of the mountain and Shaol's vision blurred as the mountain rushed past. The journey continued across an open plain until the dog started to slow its pace to a gentle plod. Ahead, Shaol saw the world bend as the earth sloped inwards.

More dogs were approaching the slope and in their mouths were all manner of others, their colours brilliant against the black of the world. Shaol looked for Pysuun or Hassa or any the others he had led to this place but he did not see any that he knew. The world continue to fall away until it was nothing but a black pit.

This was where his path always led. Shaol had known that from the day he had seen the raiders come to his village, take his family and his life. In his last moments, he hoped for the day the city of stone would fall and the dance was finally done and he wished it would be with the Masters and Unders walking away from the city, together, to a land were none had suffered. But Shaol knew the city better than any and he knew the price it would demand for its an, a suffering that would eclipse all that came before.

The dog lowered its head and Shaol slipped from its jaws. There was nothing below and as Shaol fell he felt himself become nothing within it.

Chapter 22

The wooden box never sat quiet right. Under the arm it cut into the ribs, between both hands it was awkward and off balance, it was far too big for a bag. Raphtune the Missing was glad that he would soon see the last of the damn thing.

Rosin strode behind him, still dressed in the grey cloak Raphtune the Missing had taken from the tower. It had been a terrible few months since the unfortunate but unavoidable end of Shaol. The guardians of the temple had done an effective job at removing, almost, every person from the belly of the fortress though they were not skilled enough to catch Raphtune the Missing, but then few were.

During one of the many nights spent dodging through the hidden passages and forgotten rooms of the fortress Raphtune the Missing had thought to go back to the temple and help himself to another handful of books for his trouble and then realised Shaol had been a terrible influence on him. His plans were working, as they usually did, so he stuck to them.

The white of the midday sun shimmered across the lake, the water caravan was preparing to turn around and head back to the city. Raphtune the Missing had no reason to fear the Orsil, they behaved as he knew they would.

As the pair had walked from the tunnel into the city and as they tried to become lost in streets of Tarlnath on the way to Raphtune's den, a Battlemaster had appeared from a side street and thrown himself at Rosin's feet and started to beg for forgiveness. Until that point Raphtune had not thought about what was happening in the city, but then he realised that no clerk had emerged from the fortress to give a blessing, no cart had come to accept the Orsil's offerings. The Clerics had abandoned them, the Orsil had convinced themselves, refusing them the only love they had in this world. It was unknown to them that the last of clerics had fallen to the black blades months earlier and the fortress was now empty.

Rosin was no fool without any prompting from Raphtune, she turned her face away from the pitiful Orsil with disgust and marched confidently around the sobbing heap. Raphtune swung away from his den and towards the main gate at the edge of the city, waited as the Orsil guards hurried to raise bars for Rosin and the two marched into the surrounding barrens.

There would be more sent to replace the ones that had fallen, no doubt. Zeria would not give up its outpost so easily and the fortress would, most likely, be repopulated with a new guard who will be shocked to find the fortress strip bare.

The guardians from the temple had taken every corpse below the fortress and did their best to clean away trace of blood from the halls and rooms. The stairs smoked for two months as the guardians burnt the city beneath away. When Raphtune had finally decided to leave the safety of the tunnels in the fortress and descend the steps, there was nothing left except the ash and melted metal the guardians had not swept away.

Raphtune the Missing could never quite ascertain if the Clerics knew of the temples that sat buried below the fortress. Someone had found them before Shaol led the doomed trek into the depths, maybe it had been the Clerics that had been chased from temple, maybe it had been another.

Either way, none had been as great as Raphtune the Missing, who now held two of Tarlnath's secrets and walked freely from its walls. Though, he did admit to himself, the city was certainly a worthy adversary and one he would not battle again.

The pillar of red stones sat in a pile by the lakes edge, a curious marker in the empty lands. Raphtune the Missing glanced at the water caravan, a handful of Orsil were nervously watching the pair.

"Your Master will not be watched by you," yelled Raphtune the Missing.

The Orsil quickly scattered and returned to their slaves who were taking up the straps attached to the sled.

Raphtune the Missing put the box on the stones and waited, this was where the Saquaari illusion had told Shaol to meet it and this is where Raphtune the Missing would be done with this leg of his travels.

Rosin shuffled next to him.

"This will be over soon," assured Raphtune the Missing.

"Good," Rosin signed with her hands.

Raphtune nodded and smiled back.

In the distance, a figure approached and as it got closer Raphtune the Missing saw it looked like a man dressed in the common clothes of peasant. It looked young, no older than Shaol, its hair short and black. Raphtune the Missing stiffen, he disliked power, it was always unpredictable, a thought that caused him to rub his swollen and scarred hand against his trousers, it was still purple and red even after all this time.

"Where is Shaol?" asked the illusion when it was close enough to speak.

"Dead," replied Raphtune the Missing flatly.

"Who was responsible?"

"He chose his fate."

"I was hoping you would protect him."

"Raphtune the Missing can do many things but he cannot save a man lost to that place."

"I tried," it said quietly shaking its head.

"You failed."

There were so many questions for this thing, about Tarlnath, about Shaol and his powers, about the awkward box carried through for so many months, but it would never answer such questions and if it did they would likely be lies. Questions would just be a waste of words and the words of Raphtune the Missing were very precious.

"Your box, then."

"Thank you," said the thing with a smile as it took the box in hand.

"You will honour any dealings with Shaol," said Raphtune the Missing a hardness in his voice, "and you will take all the kids from the water caravan."

"I will."

"You are in debt to the all in Tonra's storehouse and in Yor's. And, of course, Rosin here."

"I am."

"And Horsuun is in the fattery, you will give him a place where he will find peace."

"That may be difficult."

"You will do it," said Raphtune the Missing dismissively and then added, "are you able to restore Rosin's speech?"

"No but I have a place where it will not be a burden."

"Then, we are done for today," said Raphtune the Missing with a nod, "where will I find you when I am in need of your magic?"

The illusion looked down at Raphtune the Missing and smiled, Raphtune the Missing simply held its gaze.

"You will find me in the tower to the between of these two lakes. You are always welcome in it walls."

"There is nothing between the lakes."

"There will be."

"Then, I leave you to your debts."

Raphtune the Missing turned to Rosin.

"Thank you for your assistance, it has been a pleasure cowering in the shadows with you," he said with a broad smile and a bow.

Rosin scooped Raphtune the Missing up in her arms and hugged him tightly, Raphtune the Missing grinned to himself as he was lowered back to the ground, then without a word to the two, he turned to the west and looked out across the empty lands of nothing but stone and dirt. He hoped the First Kingdom would not be as trying as his detour through Gart.

The End

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