Chapter Twenty-One
Temptations
Lina sighed as she stepped onto the balcony. She stretched as she looked out over the city, still somewhat disbelieving. When she had first arrived here, she had never expected to take part in a rebellion, overthrow a tyrant, and be named regent.
She could understand how Shabarra had become such a despot. The power the throne offered was intoxicating and immense. The Helio Imperium was perhaps the biggest nation in the world, one of the richest and most powerful.
There had been moments when Lina had wondered what it would be like to sit upon that throne, her words decrees which would affect so many lives.
Would Mirana really treat them any better than Lina could? She'd had no complaints thus far.
Lina sighed and stepped away from the balcony. The politics were tiresome, but necessary. She was glad that she had people like Drysi and Kashurra to lean on. The frequent squabbles in the Senate were irritating her beyond reason and patience.
She was glad to be away from it all, just for a little while. There was still half a bottle of wine from Quath on her table. Drysi had made good on her promise the other day, visiting her new chambers to share a drink with her. Maybe when Mirana returned, they could do so again, reminisce a little more about the more pleasant moments in their old lives, and think about what they might do next.
The knock on the door made her sigh again. 'Yes?'
It did not surprise her that her visitor was Kashurra. She wondered if he only stopped working to sleep. Did he even sleep?
'Viceroy,' Lina poured herself some wine. 'Do you have need of me?'
'Senator Draxius wishes to speak with you, in private.'
'Now?'
'No, my lady. He is at a meeting. He says he will call upon you this evening, if that is acceptable.'
Lina could think of better things to be doing, but this was the price of being in a position of responsibility: making time for matters she would rather not deal with. 'I suppose I can't deflect him forever.'
'It may be better to get it over with, yes.' Kashurra agreed.
Lina lowered the goblet. Kashurra seemed to be in good cheer. She still found him hard to read, everybody did. But it was there in his voice, and in his eyes. She could think of something which might lift his spirits. 'Is there news of the Princess?'
'Rumour has it that the Princess and her companions are south of Kestren, possibly heading towards the coast. If so, Sir Donté will find them sooner rather than later.'
'Good!' Lina grinned. 'You must be happy.'
'Happier than I have been for years.' Kashurra admitted. He so rarely spoke of himself. He was an enigma even to people who had known him for years. She was curious what Mirana might know about him. 'I'll be happier when they're actually here, safe and sound.'
'Any idea what Draxius wants?'
'It's difficult to say exactly, but I'd imagine that he wants power.'
'Really?'
'Before the rebellion, he was a minor member of the Senate. Between the reorganisation of the Senate and Shabarra's persecution of Senators he suspected, he's found himself in a more influential position. He's on the Treasury Council.'
'Not a man we want to annoy then.' Lina was still grappling with the intricacies of the system here. Misrulian politics were simpler, and governance was easier. Small wonder since most rulers in Misrule were warriors.
'You are the regent, my lady.'
'True, but I'd like to think that I'm not Shabarra.'
Kashurra shook his head. 'You are nothing like him, Lina, that much I know for certain.'
'What about Shabarra? Has there been any news?'
'No, my lady. I still have men searching for him.'
'He's been harder to catch than I thought.'
'He'd never have escaped without Callardis' help. Shabarra chose well for once.'
'I see. Was there anything else?'
'The Ursa are becoming more receptive in the negotiations.' Kashurra told her. 'We're making progress. I predict that we should be able to withdraw the Legions safely from Icewrack within two weeks.'
'Good work, Viceroy. Was there anything else.'
'Nothing vital, my lady. The other matters are ones I can see to personally.'
Lina indicated the bottle. 'Would you like a drink before you go?'
'No, thank you, my lady.'
'It's good. Drysi gets it from Quath. She doesn't need to smuggle it now.'
'Her new position agrees with her.' Kashurra mused.
'She wanted a second chance. Do you think Mirana will let her keep the position?'
'I believe that the Princess will see the benefits of her skills.'
'I'm glad. I'll let you get back to work now, Viceroy.'
'I live to serve, my lady.' Kashurra bowed, turned on his heel and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Lina considered pouring herself some more wine, then thought better of it. She would probably need some before and after meeting Senator Draxius. Right now, she needed a clear head, even if the paperwork was boring.
Weirdly, she sometimes found herself missing the early days of the rebellion. They'd got little done, they'd been under threat of torture and death on a daily basis, but it had been more exciting.
She didn't want to go back to those days though, not truly. Too many good people had died. Too many friends.
Lina reached into the bookcase and withdrew one of the books Gavenus had given her. She wished he was here. He'd be a great help in dealing with the likes of Draxius.
She didn't really have time to read the book though. With a sigh, she placed it on the desk, hoping for maybe an hour or two to start it later. 'You had better have something interesting to tell me this evening, Draxius.' Lina murmured as she sat at the desk and withdrew a lengthy scroll she had yet to read. 'Or I'll throw something at you.'
'Now what?' Shabarra demanded.
'According to Kashurra, there's a path, your majesty.' Callardis recalled. 'Uldros, keep an eye on the rear. We're not that far from the Iron Fog. The last thing we want is one of those Altered creeping up on us.'
Uldros drew his sword and kept glancing over his shoulder as they rode onwards. The Sovereign Peaks towered over them, their pale stone passages and paths full of myths and legends.
It was said that the first Prince of the Sun, the founder of the Helio Imperium, had emerged from these mountains millennia ago, in an age lost to time and recounted only in stories.
They were also close to the Iron Fog. Too close for comfort.
He could see it in the distance, not far away from the foot of the Sovereign Peaks: a vast cloud the colour of old rust, low to the ground and undulating smoothly.
It had appeared long before Callardis had been born. Maybe a century ago. Nobody knew where it had come from, what it really was or why it was there, or how it had come to be.
All that was known was that it was dangerous. Any living creature which strayed into it would not emerge as they had entered. They were vanish for a few days, maybe weeks, or even months. When they reappeared, it was as a monstrosity—a blend of living flesh and metal. It would seek to capture other living things and drag them into the Fog, to be changed as it had.
Callardis had no intention of going anywhere near it. Beside the obvious danger, the Iron Fog was watched over by three elite Legions, collectively known as the Iron Guard. They maintained a constant vigil, making sure that it did not expand without being noticed, killing any abominations which strayed from the Fog.
'How much longer is this going to take?' Shabarra demanded.
'Not long now, your majesty.' Callardis answered. 'We should be safe from the Altered.'
'And the Iron Guard?'
'They will be more concerned about the Fog, your majesty.' It was true. It was their sworn duty above all else to keep the denizens of the Iron Fog from sowing havoc. If Kashurra could be trusted, he would likely keep the Iron Guard from joining the hunt.
Callardis allowed himself a sip from his waterskin as they finally reached the narrow path. They would be able to take the horses up, which was fortunate. Leaving them down here, out in the open, was begging for misfortune, especially with the Iron Fog in the vicinity.
He led the way, one hand on the hilt of Kholit's sword. He had taken the weapon from the dead man, seeing no point in letting it go to waste. In the narrow confines of the mountain ravines and canyons, it would be more practical than his labrys.
Shabarra rode just behind him, the other two Sun Guard behind him. The Sovereign Peaks were not well travelled. Dangerous beasts had been known to frequent their heights, and the Iron Fog put off most travellers. Ever since its appearance, the few traders from the Keening Canyons, the Wastes of Desolation and Baridunar had decided to take longer, safer routes to reach the Imperium.
That suited Callardis though. There would be little risk of being seen.
Eyes alert for any sign of movement or light, Callardis led the way up the narrow mountain paths. Radiant dragons had been seen around here. He knew that they were usually not aggressive, but like every dragon they disliked interlopers in their territory.
He had no illusions. They would likely all die if they stumbled upon an angry dragon.
They would hear it before they saw it, he knew that much.
They carried on in silence, Callardis tense and wary. Shabarra's fear was somewhat checked by his impatience and eagerness to find whatever Kashurra had sent them after.
Callardis held up his hand and they stopped. He had heard something, a distant screech.
'Sounds distant,' Uldros noted, looking over his shoulder. 'Altered?'
'Might be a dragon.' Callardis turned his head. 'Let's keep moving.'
Shabarra exhaled. 'Where's a Dragon Knight when you need one.' He seemed to remember that the bitch of the Princess had Dragon Knight allies. Renegades, Kashurra had theorised. More people he would be glad to have executed.
Shabarra had to wonder how the lost Princess had hired them, renegades or not. Janulus and his fellow conspirators must have somehow managed to send her money. Either that, or she had won them over by other means.
'Sir!' Uldros hissed, pointing at something in the distance.
There it was. Undulating in mid-air, glowing even in the sunlight, flying without wings. A radiant dragon, probably hunting, patrolling, maybe seeking new territory.
Shabarra stared as the dragon opened its mouth, a beam of searing light shooting out of its maw and scorching the sand, turning it to glass.
Callardis was no Dragon Knight or scholar, but he had been a Centurion. Given how radiant dragons were commonly seen out here, he had heard plenty about them and their ways.
'It's marking territory.' Callardis stated. 'We'll just have to avoid it when we leave.'
Radiant dragons were not subtle when setting boundaries. They stayed away from settlements, but it was never a good idea to stray into their homes.
'It's incredible!' Tarius, the third bodyguard, murmured reverently.
'It's dangerous.' Callardis warned.
'There was this poem I read a while back which mentioned them. The poet said they reflected the nature of light itself: beautiful and terrible in equal measure.'
'Since when did you read poetry, Tarius?' Uldros inquired.
'I read a few poems now and then.' Tarius admitted. 'There was this woman I wanted to court a few years ago. She found dragons fascinating, so I tried to learn some dragon-related poems to impress her. There was this one poet she really admired, somebody called Auroth, I think.'
'Tarius,' Callardis rumbled. 'Stay focused. If that dragons heads this way, the last thing you'll be doing is admiring it.'
Tarius kept his eye on the dragon, which did not seem to bother him. Callardis was a little surprised that he'd remained loyal to Shabarra. He wasn't known for being ruthless. But like Callardis, he did believe that Shabarra was one of the few willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure prosperity for the Imperium. He also believed in the man's divine right, and he was good with a sword.
They rode on, slowly and cautiously. They had to be sparing with their water, for up here there were no springs or pools to speak of. Only rainfall would bring water to these parched peaks, and the sky was devoid of clouds today.
Callardis had to wonder how dragons and wild sphinxes which apparently nested in the peaks coped. Then again, they could fly. Finding water would be easy from the sky.
He kept his eyes peeled, and not just for threats. If Kashurra was right…
'Here,' Callardis swung his leg over the saddle and dropped down, pulling his axe free. 'This is it.'
'You're certain?' Shabarra frowned. 'It's… not what I expected.'
Callardis peered at their objective. Shabarra had a point. He too had expected something grander. But if Kashurra was right, this secret place had been abandoned for centuries, perhaps even a millennia, and time had not been kind to it.
The entrance had been carved into the side of the cliff, but it was so heavily worn by the wind that it was nigh indistinguishable from the naturally shaped rock around it. Only up close could the subtle differences be seen.
It was still smaller than Callardis had expected though. The entryway couldn't have been more then eight feet in height, and there was little left of it. It looked like it had collapsed at some point, but something, or someone, had cleared the way.
Above the entryway, Callardis could see what appeared to be a symbol of some kind. But it was too badly weathered to make out. It looked like an oddly shaped oval, longer than it was tall, maybe with a circle inside.
Callardis took his horse's reins as the others dismounted. They followed him inside.
The first chamber was circular, and it too had seen better days. Here, they secured their horses' reins to one of the few intact pillars.
'Commander?' Tarius called. 'What do you make of this?'
Callardis marched over to where Tarius was crouched. A skeleton lay against the wall, more dust than bone now. The collapsed ribcage had failed to support the scale armour around it. That too was barely intact, but still possessed of a bright shine.
Callardis plucked a scale from the ground and examined it, running his thumb around the edges. It looked like gold, but it was too rough. 'Dragon scales. Radiant dragon scales.'
'A Dragon Knight?'
'Maybe.' Callardis murmured. 'They used to have outposts out here, and dragons live in these mountains.' He reached down and lifted up what had been a blade of some kind. This made him frown. It was hard to tell since it was so badly degraded, but it looked almost like a khopesh, or perhaps a shotel. Both were blades which had been used long ago in the Imperium. Some were still made today, but rarely. The Legionaries preferred variants of the gladius and spatha these days.
The Dragon Knights had been founded after the turn of the tenth century, well after such a blade would have been used by Imperium soldiers.
Maybe it had been a gift, Callardis thought as he put the blade down. Maybe it had been a special commission. Some mercenaries still favoured such swords. One of Garrisan's loyalist fools had used a shotel—not that it had served him well during the Bloody Dance.
'Come on,' Callardis stood. 'The dead won't give us answers.'
Curious Tarius stood too, no doubt still wondering what had brought a Dragon Knight out so far, and how he had met his end.
'What is this place?' Uldros muttered.
'Kashurra said that it was a hideout.' Callardis recalled. 'An archive of some kind.'
'How did he find this place?'
'Who knows?' Shabarra waved a hand dismissively. 'But if what he implied if true, then it will prove beyond all doubt that I should rule the Imperium, not the exiled wench or that Misrulian whore.'
Callardis was of the same mind. It mattered more that Kashurra had told them about the place, not how he had found it. He just knew things. He was a knowledgable man, and his penchant for finding obscure knowledge was well known.
Callardis stepped across the rubble-strewn stone floor, the clanking of his sabatons and the heavy thudding of his boots echoing around him. Uldros and Tarius walked with Shabarra, their weapons drawn. Shabarra was armed with Kholit's dagger—it wasn't like Kholit needed it now.
Callardis stopped when he detected the scent of iron and blood, and decaying flesh.
'Uldros, stay here with the God Emperor.' Callardis instructed. 'Tarius, your with me.'
Though he did not want to let his charge out of his sight here, in this possibly dangerous place, he did not want to drag him into danger either. Better that they clear the complex of potential threats first.
'As you command,' Uldros acknowledged. Callardis knew that he could trust the man to defend the Emperor or die trying. He was a good fighter, and also fanatically loyal. If something did attack them, he would at least buy Shabarra enough time to escape.
Callardis and Tarius stepped over a fallen pillar and moved down the corridor. It was dark beyond the first chamber. Tarius paused to light the lantern he had brought, then caught up to Callardis.
The stench of rotting flesh was closer now, and Callardis thought he could hear an odd sound through his arming cap and helm. It sounded like shuffling merged with a metallic scraping, accompanied by a rasping sound. Breathing?
Tarius swallowed and gripped his sword tightly. Callardis kept his labrys ready for a quick swing.
The rasping grew more intense and they both halted. Callardis tensed as the shuffling scrapes came closer, now faster than before. Whatever was making those sounds, it was aware of them. It must have heard them.
Callardis stood his ground. Better to assume that the incoming creature was hostile. He didn't want to leave witnesses of their presence anyway.
Behind him, Tarius was breathing quickly. He was keeping his fear under control though, holding his ground too, sword at the ready.
When it entered the radius of the lantern's light, Callardis neither hesitated nor bothered to examine the creature. He simply swing his labrys.
The scorching metal blade carved into yielding flesh, carved through bone and bit deep into rusted metal. He yanked the axe free as the creature dropped, ready to strike again. The blow should have been fatal, but the creature was still moving. Callardis brought the axe down again, stilling the creature.
'What was that?' Tarius whispered. 'It looks… it's not human.'
Callardis now took the time to examine it more closely. It might have been human, once. It had a humanoid shape and features which betrayed its origins.
It had been a woman, he noted coolly. The remnants of clothes suited for travel in the desert still clung to what remained of her emaciated human frame. But one half of her head had been replaced by a metal orb, a crude facsimile of a skull. From the right side of her neck, her flesh had been placed with metal, which was fused into the skin around it. Her right arm was entirely metal, pistons ending with a grasping claw instead of a hand. The left leg was also made of metal. It must have been damaged by something, hence the scraping. The gears sticking out of the flesh on the torso had stopped moving.
'One of the Altered.' Callardis declared. A scholar, perhaps, who had wandered too close to the Iron Fog and been snatched by one its denizens. Or perhaps she had been foolhardy enough to venture in of her own volition.
It did not matter. She had been a threat. She was dead. But there could be more of them here. It was unusual for Altered to roam alone.
'They will be more of them.' Callardis stated. 'Maybe three or four, with a leader.'
Tarius nodded slowly, his grip on both sword and lantern tight. Callardis shouldered his labrys. This was what he was good at: killing the God Emperor's enemies.
Callardis did not question why there were Altered here. They turned up in all sorts of places. The Iron Guard were extremely vigilant, but they were only mortal.
What did they want? Callardis didn't care. They were in the way, he and Tarius would kill them.
The lantern in Tarius' hand illuminated the stonework around them, stonework which Callardis noticed was not entirely bare now.
In the next chamber, they found that the walls actually mosaics. They appeared to depict the legend almost everybody in the Imperium was familiar with: how the enigmatic founder of the Helio Imperium had emerged from the Sovereign Peaks and had ascended, becoming the first Prince of the Sun.
Callardis spared it little thought, unmoved by the dedicated put into the artwork, the bright colours which had survived the passage of hundreds of years. It was irrelevant.
'Tarius!' Callardis hissed, noticing the man peering at the mosaic. 'Stay focused.'
'Sorry, Commander.' Tarius mumbled. His lantern moved away from the section he had been examining.
Callardis felt something crunch under his boot and glanced down. He'd stepped on a tiny mosaic tile. Not all of it had survived. A section had fallen from the walls, or been knocked loose. Many of the tiles had been destroyed.
The Altered were known for seemingly random acts of destruction. Nobody knew what their motivations were, but they did wreck things on a whim.
Callardis peered around, noticing that the piece was just before the emergence of the Prince of the Sun. There were no Altered in here though.
In the next chamber, a vast, vaulted area containing a strange contraption, they found the other Altered. As Callardis had expected, there were some smaller ones—one humanoid and two anubi—and a leader, larger than the rest.
The biggest of the group had been a centaur. The centaur's original legs ended at the knees, replaced by longer metal legs with twice as many joints. The arms too had been changed. From the elbows down, they were long, segmented and tipped with rotating blades. Instead of a human-like head, it had a boxy replacement spotted with various pieces of coloured glass.
The Altered anubi still had their wings. But instead of legs, they possessed long, thin metal cords, whip-like and tipped with barbs. The humanoid Altered was similar to its compatriot, but with spiked balls attached to its arms by short lengths of chain.
Callardis assessed them calmly. Though he had never served in the Iron Guard, he knew of the Altered. They turned up in unlikely places, and he endeavoured to be prepared to combat any threat to the God Emperor.
'Take the anubi,' he whispered to Tarius. 'I'll take the other two.' He did not doubt Tarius' skill, he simply knew that he would be fast enough with his blade to defeat the anubi. With his axe, Callardis had a better chance against the Altered centaur.
Tarius nodded. They moved in together. If Callardis could kill the Altered centaur quickly enough, it would throw the others into disarray, at least for a few seconds until they chose another leader. How this worked, nobody knew, and Callardis did not need to know.
The Altered centaur made a strange grinding noise and the other Altered turned to face them. Tarius moved ahead and waved the lantern, drawing the attention of the Altered. They could see in the dark, so they knew that Callardis was there, but they tended to go for anything which moved quickly first.
The anubi made straight for Tarius, taking wing and trailing their whips. Callardis moved to flank them, going to the Altered centaur. As he moved, the first Altered anubi reached Tarius.
Taruis swiped one of the whips, cutting through it with his sword. The second skittered off his armour, and he speared the Altered anubis with his sword. The second anubi caught his cheek with one of the whips. It was not a deep wound, but Tarius jolted and almost fell as a current surged through him.
Tarius spun round, slashing through the second anubi's wing. It dropped, yet still tried to catch Tarius with one of its whips. Grimacing, his cheek sliced open and bleeding, Tarius stabbed it in the neck.
The Altered centaur rushed at Callardis, swinging its blades at him. Callardis swung his axe, the superheated blade carving through one of the arms. The centaur reared back, the other arm coming around at an angle which would have been impossible for an organic arm.
The edge of the spinning blades scratched across Callardis helm, one blade slipping through the visor and slicing a chunk of his nose off. Callardis yelled, but did not relent, swinging the labrys overhead and burying it in the centaur's chest.
The Altered centaur staggered, steam rising from its cleaved chest. He yanked the labrys free and swung it through the torso, cutting straight through. The torso fell away. The centaur's legs jerked and the rest of the body fell, twitching madly. For good measure, Callardis buried the axe in the body again.
The humanoid, which had been about to attack Tarius, and had started to lurch in Callardis' direction to protect its leader, had frozen in place. It was twitching, helpless as it adjusted.
Tarius stepped up behind it and drove his blade through its chest. It jerked and spun round, yanking his sword out his grasp before swinging a spiked ball at his head. Tarius ducked just in time, but now he was unarmed.
Callardis stepped in and swung his axe downwards. The scorching blade sheared through flesh, bone and metal, bifurcating the Altered in one blow.
Callardis grimaced as the matter steamed off the head of his axe. It was all over his armour, and his nose was aflame with pain and gushing blood. He ignored it, as well as the oil-tainted blood coating his armour. 'Tarius?'
'I'm fine, Commander,' Tarius cupped hand to his sliced cheek. 'I owe you my life.'
'Keep the God Emperor safe, slay his enemies, and we will consider the debt settled.'
'Yes, Commander. That, I will do.'
They checked the rest of the chambers and the rooms which branched off it, but found no more Altered within. But there were a couple more skeletons. One was clad in golden scales similar to the one they had found in the first chamber. There was no weapon next to this one, but unlike the first there was a golden chain around his neck, also broken.
The others lacked the golden scale, and there were five of them in total. Two of them seemed to have been wearing an early form of mail, armed with curved swords. If the others had been wearing armour, it had degraded completely or had been taken.
'Were they guardians of some kind?' Tarius wondered aloud.
'Some of them might have been. These others seem more like intruders.' Callardis mused. 'It doesn't matter now.'
They left the dead behind to find Shabarra and Uldros. Even with the Altered dead, they kept their weapons at the ready. The safety of their God Emperor was in their hands, and they would remain vigilant at all times.
'How old is this place?' Uldros murmured. 'And what could the Altered want with it?'
'What matters more is finding what Kashurra sent us for.' Shabarra reminded him. 'Where is it?'
In truth, Callardis wasn't sure what they sought, save that it would prove Shabarra's right to the Solar Throne beyond all doubt.
Callardis suspected that he knew where it might though.
They returned to the room with the strange contraption. Now that it was free of ambulatory Altered, they could examine the device more closely. It seemed to be a series of golden loops, not quite interlocked, nor did they seem to be attached to anything. Strange protrusions were attached to the loops, like four-sided grippers.
'Is this a keen thing?' Uldros muttered.
'Maybe.' Tarius answered. 'It's the sort of thing they'd build. But it looks old. Really old. Older than Rasolir, perhaps.'
'This is all well and good,' Shabarra said, sounding less than interested, 'but what does this have to do with our mission?'
'I think this is what the Viceroy sent us for.' Callardis replied. 'The question is: how do we use it?'
'Commander,' Uldros pointed up at the walls above the device. 'See those slots in the walls?'
Callardis looked up, now noticing the oddly shaped indentations in the walls. He doubted that they contained mundane scrolls, they would never have survived for so long. But there were hundreds of slots. Which one should they pick? And how did they get to it? Climbing wasn't an option.
The device had to be crucial. Callardis waved Tarius over and they examined it carefully. Eventually, Tarius noticed what appeared to be levers poking out of one of the walls, along with a wheel.
'There's markings on the walls, near those slots.' Tarius noted. 'I think this wheel… or is that lever?' He spun the wheel. A small protuberance in a long slot, underscored by the odd symbols, moved to the right. 'Yes, it's the wheel. Did the Viceroy tell you what we needed, sire?'
Shabarra handed over a scroll to Callardis. Kashurra said that he had found it hidden deep within the palace catacombs, during his search for hidden tunnels. Neither of them had questioned this. Kashurra had taken a huge risk helping them to escape, his loyalty was beyond question.
As far as Callardis was concerned, it did not matter how Kashurra had happened upon this information. It only mattered that he had.
Callardis approached Tarius and opened the scroll. Most of it was gibberish to him, old Imperium script which only a few bothered to learn. He knew a few words, but not enough to make sense of it. The odd one jumped out, "chosen", "gaze", "royalty", "Watchers", "sunlight", but none of them made sense alone.
Kashurra had made notes, tiny scrawls on the edges, the odd word circled. There was also a row of symbols at the bottom of the scroll, some of them also circled.
Kashurra had been a very busy man. How had he found the time to decipher this? Callardis had to admire the man for juggling so many tasks so successfully. He'd even gone so far as to chase myths to prove that Shabarra was the rightful monarch.
'This one,' Callardis showed one of the circled symbols to Tarius. It had a vague resemblance to a worm or maybe a centipede, it was hard to tell.
Tarius spun the wheel, then tried some of the levers. Most refused to move, but two of them yielded.
The device in the middle of the chamber clanked and the circles started to reform, some of them becoming straight, attaching to other circles and moving around like an insect's antennae. The lengths of metal joined together until they reached the slot. As they watched, one of the grippers reached in and withdrew…
...nothing.
'Damn it!' Uldros hissed. 'Is this some sort of fool's errand?'
'Try this one.' Callardis instructed. Tarius complied, this time choosing the symbol which resembled an eye. Again, the arms withdrew nothing whatsoever. They tried again with the symbol of a circlet.
This time, the arms withdrew a sealed cylinder. The arms came about in a long, overhead arc until the cylinder was held just above Tarius' head. Callardis snatched it and presented it to Shabarra. Shabarra quickly unsealed it, withdrew the scroll, and handed the cylinder back to Callardis.
Callardis waited patiently, turning the cylinder in his hand. It was in remarkably good condition, maybe protected by magic, though he would have expected it to wane over the years.
It now seemed obvious to him that this place had been a repository of some kind. Whoever had guarded it had been attacked. Whatever they had been protecting—knowledge, it seemed—had been taken away. But the thieves had missed one item—this must be what Kashurra had wanted them to find.
Shabarra's hands started to quiver.
'Divine majesty?' Callardis inquired. 'Are you unwell?'
'No,' Shabarra breathed. 'No, Commander,' he lowered the scroll, revealing a broad grin spreading across his face. 'I have never felt better.'
The heat coming out of the Forge was an intense, woolly fist which made sweat cascade down Bram's brow even at the end of the tunnel.
Unlike most of Dragon Keep's tunnels and corridors, these walls were rough-hewn.
Bram mopped his brow with his sleeve, lugging the sack of scales with him. He had enough for an empowered set of armour, a rare occurrence for a new Dragon Knight. Not that they always lasted. Davion's old armour had been wrecked in a fight against a chaos dragon—his first chaos dragon, no less—which was why he'd made do with a steel cuirass against the earth dragon outside of Barreltown.
Bram stepped into the wide, boiling cavern which was known simply as "the Forge". The cavern was lit by the warm, orange glow of fires which were never quenched.
This cavern was older than Dragon Keep itself, excavated in the earliest days of the Order. Here, they had found a perpetual source of heat, a fissure which bled warmth from the earth itself. They had found ways to channel it and use it, and this had become the place to forge their weapons and armours. The Forge Masters practically lived down here, though Bram could not understand how they coped.
Soaked by his own sweat, Bram stepped past thrumming pipes which ran in bizarre arrangements around the chamber. Barrels, vats and churning chambers fed some of these pipes. Piston driven hammers pounded deafening tempos.
Long before Bram had joined the Order, a number of grateful colleges run by the keen had sent some of their best and brightest over to help however they could. They had chosen to modify the Forge, and the results were the envy of many nations' smithys and crafting halls.
'Our new Knight,' Forge Master Grores, a massive oglodi who looked like he could have wrestled with a void dragon, marched out of the orange haze, carrying a huge forge hammer. 'I take it that you've come to have armour forged. Or do you want a new weapon?'
Bram considered briefly. 'Armour, please.'
'Good choice, Sir.' It still felt weird from Bram to be called "Sir". No wonder Davion had asked him not to do the same for him. 'Let's see what you have.' Bram handed over the heavy sack and Grores peered inside. 'Ionic dragon scales. Marvellous! I do like these ones. Very shiny. Very potent. Not many Squires fare so well against such a foe. Let's talk about the composition.' He chivvied Bram into an alcove shielded by a thick curtain, where another keen contraption kept the air within cool. There, they discussed the form Bram's armour would take. He opted for something relatively light, allowing him full mobility in combat, but with enough protection around vital areas to be of use in sustained combat.
'Now for the fancy part: the armour's ability. It's "power" if you like.' Grores opened a thick tome and leafed through it. 'As most Dragon Knights know, the scales will enhance your strength, and these ionic scales will protect you against shocks. But you can only have one "active power", as some call it.'
'Like reality phasing?' Bram asked, remembering how Kaden had used his armour's ability.
Grores nodded. 'Yes,' he grunted. 'I do worry about the ones who go for that. Some reckon that jumping in and out of the unreal takes a toll on the mind. That's a place no being from this world should go, but it does come in useful. Sir Kaden certainly put it to good use.'
Bram frowned slightly. Had using the power of a chaos dragon affected Kaden's mind? He'd already been a little unstable thanks to Slyrak. Had phasing in and out of reality made things worse? Even before Marci had smashed a mace into his head?
'So,' Grores pushed a tome towards Bram. 'What do you want from your armour, Sir Bram?'
Bram was glad to get away from the Forge. The sweltering heat and almighty din had left him with a headache, and his clothes were soaked through.
'Bram.' To the former squire's surprised, Jorsen was waiting for him atop the steps. 'I'd ask where you've been, but I can guess.'
Was it the sweat rolling down his skin? Or the odour? Both, he assumed.
Jorsen seemed unusually grave. He would have made some sort of comment by now, yet he was utterly serious.
'Can I help you, Sir?' Bram asked.
'We're brothers in arms now.' Jorsen reminded him. 'Which is why I'm here. How soon will your armour be ready?'
'A day.' Bram answered warily.
Jorsen glanced around, then nodded once. 'Good.' He descended the steps and lowered his voice. 'I'm being sent out again, and I want you to accompany me.'
'To hunt a dragon?'
Jorsen shook his head. 'They're sending me to capture Davion, Bram. I'm going to need your help.'
Bram bristled. 'I am not going to fight him for you, Jorsen.'
Jorsen sighed. 'I'm not asking you to, Bram. Look, what we saw—that thing which attack Indrak—it must have something to do with what happened to Davion.' He reached out and placed his hand on Bram's shoulder. 'I think you're right, Bram. Vylgranox has been possessed, and I think that he's killed other Eldwurms. I think that's why Slyrak bound himself to Davion. I think it's in our best interests to bring Davion here. Alive.'
'And what about the Fathers?'
'They want him alive too.' Jorsen withdrew his hand, then leaned closer and spoke in a low murmur. 'But I think they want something else from him, and maybe from his mute companion.'
'Why are you telling me this?' Bram whispered.
Jorsen looked over his shoulder, then turned back to Bram. 'Because I'm not sure if we can trust them any longer, Bram.'
'Are you sure we trust Jorsen?' Carliven asked, looking down at the courtyard from the window of his study.
'He will obey his orders.' Ritterfau answered, noticeably uneasy. The mood in Dragon Keep was tense. Word had spread of what Jorsen and Bram had witnessed, and Ritterfau had ordered all sentries to stand at their posts. 'But is this course of action wise, Brother?'
Carliven did not turn around. Behind him, lying open on the desk, was a hefty tome penned by the very first founders of the Order. Within its pages lay dark musings which had tempted him for so long. But never before had such an opportunity been within reach. 'We have all heard what Davion has become. Kaden was blinded by his desire for vengeance, and he paid for his narrow-mindedness. We would be foolish to do the same.'
'It is our duty to destroy dragons and their ilk.'
'Yes,' Carliven agreed. 'But every year, our numbers diminish. Though we have culled many dragons, they continue to breed, and we continue to die. They live for untold years, we are mortal. And now chaos is overtaking the world. You have seen the Bleeding Moon, Brother.'
Ritterfau hesitated. 'That might not have anything to do with the dragons.'
'Yet it has happened now. I do not believe in coincidence, Ritterfau. Nor do I believe in squandering opportunities.'
'But this… this will divide the Order. How can we become that which we swore to destroy?'
'We will not.' Carliven vowed. 'We will remain mortal, but we will become something more.' He finally turned to face Ritterfau, staggering on his unwilling leg, his paralysed hand useless at his side. 'We will become stronger. We will use the power of our enemies to destroy them once and for all, and the world will thank us for our sacrifices.' He fixed Ritterfau with such a fierce stare that the man shuddered. 'A wurm-forged has emerged and confirmed the old legends, Brother. We have heard of her power, and hers is the blood of a lesser dragon. Imagine what we could do with the blood of an Eldwurm.'
Ritterfau dared to imagine. What he thought of scared him, shaking him to his core.
What he thought of also thrilled him. The power of an Eldwurm within their blood…
They would become unstoppable.
Lina considered pouring herself some more wine, then thought better of it. She had drunk enough for one day. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep. Her bed had never seemed more tempting.
But there was one more chore left to finish.
Lina sighed, ran a hand through her fiery hair, and waited. The knock came a moment later and invited him in.
Senator Draxius was less like many of his peers. He was young for a Senator, and energetic. Lina found him somewhat handsome, though something about him made her wary. He had something of a reputation as a schemer, somebody who followed in the wakes of those who had aspirations, or power, or both.
He was also not the richest of Senators. He was not poor either, perhaps a little more affluent than many of the middle districts, but he had a rapport with the common folk in particular. With his background, easy smiles and generally pleasing appearance, Lina could understand why.
Draxius stood before her, an inch or so over average height, trim build, with thick, brown curly hair, a cleft chin and keen grey eyes. He bowed respectfully, still smiling. 'My lady,' his voice was confident, but not loud. 'It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.'
Bearing in mind what Kashurra had told her, Lina decided to be diplomatic rather than blunt. 'The feeling is mutual, Senator. How can I help you?'
Draxius straightened, his brief smile displaying even rows of pearly teeth. He wasn't about to suggest that he marry the Princess, was he? A bold move, and the Princess wasn't even here yet!
'Actually, I would like to help you, my lady.' Draxius purred.
Lina wondered if he somehow had information about Shabarra. She doubted it. If Kashurra couldn't find him, she doubted that Draxius could. She gestured at the bottle of wine. 'Would you like a drink, Senator?'
'I would be glad to share some wine with you, my lady. And please, call me Draxius. Or Drax. Most of my friends do.'
Lina poured him some wine, and some for herself, though mostly for the sake of appearances. 'Very well,' dropping the formalities mellowed her a little. 'You can use my name if you wish.'
'Gladly,' Draxius accepted the goblet. 'I won't take up too much of your time.' He strode to the balcony and gestured at the city below. 'We're rebuilding. Despite everything Shabarra has done to us, we have survived. You have my admiration and gratitude for deposing him.'
'Thank you. But he is still a threat.'
'True. And he is not the only one.'
Lina frowned, holding her goblet but not drinking from it. 'What do you mean, Draxius?'
Draxius took a sip from his goblet. 'You have a good taste in wine, Lina.'
'It's a gift from a friend.' Lina said. 'You were speaking of another threat.'
'Yes, indeed. I understand that we are waiting for the long lost Princess Mirana to return and claim the Solar Throne.'
'Yes,' Lina was growing uneasy again. What was Draxius getting at? 'Do you know something? Is there a threat to her?'
'Not that I know of. But what I wonder is whether she is a threat.'
Lina stiffened. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Draxius did not turn around, seemingly at ease with what was effectively a treasonous statement.
Lina put her goblet down on the edge of the desk. 'Senator, I'm going to pretend that you did not say that. And I'm going to ask you to leave now.'
'You can do that.' Draxius sipped from his goblet again. 'Or you can hear me out.'
'I don't think I need to hear anything more.'
'Shabarra was not the first royal to act cruelly. I very much doubt that he will be the last. How do you know that Mirana will be any different?'
'Kashurra knew her. So did Garrisan. They both think highly of her.'
'Yes, they knew her. But it has been six years since the Bloody Dance. She's spent five years in the service of Selemene. Who's to say that she might not have changed? And if she takes the throne, perhaps she may change again?' He drained his goblet. 'She was once just like Shabarra, you know.'
'She was a child at the time.'
'But for a fluke of fortune, she may have turned out just like Shabarra,' Draxius gestured at the city below, pointing at some of the craters and ruined buildings they had yet to mend. 'And she could have done this.'
Lina frowned. 'You don't know that.'
'You're right. I don't.' Draxius turned to face her. 'But should we take that chance?' He placed his empty goblet on the desk. 'I want what is best for the Imperium. So do you.'
'I want Misrule to be free.'
'That too.' Draxius allowed. 'And I admire that. So far, you have done an excellent job of managing the Imperium. Who says that you must stop?'
'It's what was agreed. I am only a temporary leader. When Mirana returns, I will give her the throne. It's rightfully hers. Draxius, if you are suggesting what I think you are suggesting, it's treason.'
'Technically, it isn't.' Draxius stated easily. 'Mirana was declared dead and posthumously exiled and stripped of her titles. She is no more a member of the royal family than I am. And until she is reinstated as the Princess, she is no more than, say, a peasant. I don't think that she even has any money to speak of.' He shrugged. 'Well, she is a Princess of a sort. I've heard that she is the Princess of the Moon now, consort to Selemene. Will she even want the throne?'
'She's heading this way.'
'Then perhaps it would be better if she was convinced to turn back, or if she were not to arrive at all.'
Lina glowered at him. 'I am not Shabarra, Draxius. But if you say anything like that again, I will have you thrown into a cell and tried for treason.'
'Such is your right, as regent.' Draxius seemed unperturbed by the threat. 'But look at what royalty has done to us. Would it not be better if somebody like you led us?'
'Me?'
'You've seen what Shabarra was capable of. I am sure that you would not allow such a thing to happen again. And the people admire you, Lina. They would be willing to follow you.' He smiled warmly at her. 'I am most certainly willing to follow you.'
Lina scoffed. 'And is this the part where you propose marriage? That would work out well for you, wouldn't it?'
Draxius chuckled. 'I have no such illusions, Lina. Please don't misunderstand me. You are a beautiful, brave and strong-willed woman, but I know that you have no interest in marriage. Besides, my wife would be most aggrieved if I tried to wed you.' He became a little more serious. 'What I am saying is that I would support you, and I am not alone in the Senate, and there are many out there who would gladly follow you rather than Mirana or some other royal who has lived with their heads in the clouds.
I know that Kashurra and Garrisan have lofty opinions of Mirana. They were sworn to serve her. And she did show compassion, but only to one person.'
'Her handmaiden.'
'Yes. And perhaps there was an ulterior motive behind that compassion in later years. According to some rumours, she may have taken a fancy to her handmaiden.' Draxius shrugged. 'How would that work for the Imperium if she returned? There'd be no royal dynasty. And if she is Selemene's consort, then it would seem that there may be some truth to those rumours, wouldn't you agree?'
'She may not favour women exclusively.' Lina muttered.
'Maybe. Maybe not. But Lina, what you have to ask yourself is this: is Princess Mirana really the right person to rule the Imperium?' He let the question hang in the air for a moment before continuing. 'You have already proven yourself, Lina. She has not, and I doubt that she ever will. And there are many citizens who no longer wish to be led by those who claim to be worthy or rulership, just because they were born into a certain bloodline. Personally, I think that the right person to lead us is standing before me, here and now.'
Lina stared at him. She wanted to call for the guards and have him dragged off to a cell. She wanted to send him running. And yet…
What if he was right?
Lina had fought to free the Imperium from Shabarra. And what would her reward be when Mirana returned? A pat on the back? "Well done, Lina. You can go back to Misrule now."
And though Kashurra had known Mirana before, maybe she had changed. Even if she had not, who was to say that sitting on the throne with such power in her grasp would not make her something worse.
She might end up becoming just like Shabarra.
What if he was wrong though? Mirana had been well loved. She couldn't have been as terrible as Shabarra, but…
Lina did not know what to think. Without much thought, she picked up her goblet and drank. It didn't help. 'Draxius… I… I think you should leave now.'
Draxius nodded. 'It's a lot to process, my lady. I understand.' He strode past her and stopped at the door. 'Thank you, for hearing my words. Please, think on them. I trust you to make the right choice, for all of us.' He opened the door, stepped through, and shut it behind him.
Lina poured herself more wine, draining the bottle, and drank again.
She was going to need a lot more wine.
Time for a loooong footnote:
I have some news, good readers: my ever-helpful fellow Dragon's Blood fanfiction writer, Annbe11, is setting up a Discord channel for a viewing party of the first episode of Book Three. We'll be talking as it goes, trying to spot things, poking fun (you should probably expect this from me in particular), enjoying the show and sharing the story, stuff like that. If you'd like to join us, let me know and I'll pass the word onto Annbe11. Hope to see some, if not all of you, there for the premier.
As for me, I thought I might be stuck on a hiatus. Once again, my gratitude goes to Annbe11 for lifting my flagging spirits. We should all be so lucky to have such good friends. Expect more of this in future chapters, since we've been brainstorming ideas recently, and between us we've come up with some great ones. I am very eager to unleash them!
Onto story-based notes: I decided somewhere along the line that in Ascension, a suit of dragon scale armour can only have one "special ability", so to speak, which is why Kaden only phases as a chaos dragon would, even though he has scales from every dragon in his armour. What these extra scales do is basically make his armour resistant to other elements. The armour and its occupant are harder to burn, crush, electrocute, etc. And as Grores states, the armour also makes its user stronger, which is why Kaden can manage his overlarge greatsword easily.
