The Bone Mask Trilogy: (An Epic Fantasy Boxed Set), page 105
Notch was nodding in agreement.
Flir set the sentry back down, turning to Sofia. “Here? You think they chased you out of the forest?”
She nodded. “If Catrin survived, she’d want revenge.”
“Gods be damned,” Flir said. “Haven’t we earned some respite?” She resumed pacing; only now her footfalls had a violence about them. Satisfying. She slammed her boots down on the stone.
“Dilar, this may be a blessing,” Pevin said.
“Enlighten us, Pevin.”
“The Ecsoli will go to meet them. It will be the perfect time to strike – and for Lady Sofia to pursue Marinus.”
Flir stopped. “True.”
“Let me be certain,” Sofia said. She raised the Greatmask and stood still, her attention clearly elsewhere. It did not take long for her to move again. “It is Catrin and Mor. They’ve driven the Sap-Born and other warriors from the Bloodwood and are gathering on the plain before the gates. The amount of Sap-Born...I can’t be sure but there would be scores, I doubt a single Sap-Born is left in the forest. The Ecsoli are already forming up. That might be why their scrying has lessened,” she added, as if half-to herself.
“Will the Sap-Born be able to do much damage?” Holindo asked.
Sofia exchanged glances with Notch and Emilio before answering. “You remember what we said about them?”
“Their veins run with amber and they can freeze and then shatter an enemy in amber, just by touch,” he said. “Usually supported by a Braonn wielding a hammer.”
“Yes. If they can get close enough I think they will make trouble for the Ecsoli,” Sofia said.
“Whether they are successful or not, we need to strike when they’ve bloodied the Ecsoli,” Emilio added. “Wait until the right moment – we need to end up on top here, let them kill each other as much as possible.”
“We can help them inside with acor if needed,” Holindo said. “I’ve recruited near to a thousand men so far. It’s not much against a Greatmask, but we’ll cause them trouble. Give Lady Sofia time.”
Flir clapped her hands together. “Quickly then. I want Sofia, Notch and Emilio supplied. With luck, they’ll find Seto up there and that’s two masks to take on Marinus.” She pointed to Pevin. “After that, get Metti, Mayla, Alcina and the children ready to flee into the mountain at a moment’s notice. Holindo, with me – I want sentries on every second corner with line of sight. I want to know when and if the Sap-Born breach the city. One barrel of acor to a team near the Plains Gate, ready to fire it. Another here, another at the palace walls in case we want to let them in. The rest I’ll figure out. Move!”
The hall emptied, all save for Notch. She smiled. “You shouldn’t waste time.”
“I know.” He hesitated. “Part of me wants you with me and Sofia. But the other part is glad the city’s in your hands.”
“I don’t trust anyone else to do the job.”
A soft laugh. “True.” He lingered.
“Go, Notch. I know you feel you have to.” She shrugged. “We all have dreams that we’ve had to cast aside. Look after her.”
He swallowed. “What about you?”
“You know all my dreams I left behind the day I set sail from Renovar.”
He stepped forward and clasped her by the arms. “Be here when I return.”
She grinned. “Return.”
Notch squeezed, then turned to leave. She stopped him at the stair to the room where they’d stashed their stolen provisions. “Notch, wait.”
He walked back and she handed him a heavy cleaver with a bone handle, carved with a pattern of circles. “For Vinezi,” she said.
“Luik’s knife.”
“He’d want one of us to use it. And one more thing...”
“About Kanis?”
“Yes. If you see him, tell that fool he has to survive. He owes me an apology.”
Chapter 41.
Sofia burst into Metti’s room.
Guingera shot to his feet, but relaxed when he recognised her. He sat back down beside the cot where the old woman reclined. Her eyes were closed but she clutched her usual piece of bone, thin trails of smoke rising from between her knuckles.
“Metti, the Sap-Born are attacking. I’m going after Marinus and Vinezi, Flir is staying to cause chaos. Can you cloak the others?”
“For as long as I am able,” she said. “Fewer are searching, due to the attack.”
Sofia took the woman’s hand. Heat radiated from Metti, but Sofia didn’t flinch. “Thank you for everything.”
“It is nothing. Now go, put an end to this.”
“I will.” Sofia swallowed. At the least, she would try. But whether trying mattered was for the Gods to decide. She owed the people of the city, her friends, she owed them more. She glanced at Guingera, who nodded to her, and left the room.
Back in the hallway, Sofia leant against a wall.
“Argeon.”
His presence swung to her as if from far away, but as of late, he remained open to her. Communication was near-instant. The pictures she needed to give were received without confusion. This time it was dozens of tendrils of smoke snaking from the cloud – both her decoy and the larger area protecting the Temple – that targeted the watching Ecsoli. There’d been too much happening before but it was clear now – fewer watchers, as Metti had said. And enough were repulsed or killed by her attack that when Metti replaced the screen, few returned.
Their own attention was on the Sap-Born.
“Sofia?” Alcina stood before her. She’d drawn her silver-streaked hair back into a tail and her face bore few traces of her ordeal in the Bloodwood.
“Alcina, are you well?”
“As can be expected.” She stepped closer. “I simply wanted to wish you luck. I will pray for you.”
“We need your prayers. Stay safe here.”
“I will.” Alcina kissed her cheek and then moved back down the hall, passing Emilio as she did.
Emilio held a pack for Sofia. She slung it over her shoulder and paused. She met his eyes. Worry lurked within – he did not attempt to hide it. His deep voice filled the corridor.
“My Lady...will you permit me to speak boldly?”
She swallowed, her pulse quickening. “Emilio...I, of course. I think I know what you will say – but please do not give up hope; I draw strength from you.”
He offered a gentle smile. “It is not that. I would not lie about my fear – though it is there, I will face it down. No, I wanted to tell you something else.” He paused and drew in a breath before continuing, his words a little rushed. “That is...I hope you know that I will protect you with my life and that I wish to do so now and thereafter, that I care for you deeply, My Lady.”
She blushed – once again, glad for Argeon. Hadn’t she meant to say similar words herself? Now that Emilio had offered them, she cursed herself for a fool. With the invasion and then Father...there hadn’t been a suitable time – but that was only an excuse, wasn’t it? They were about to head into the mountains to chase down two of the most powerful and cruel enemies the city had known and despite the moments she and Emilio had been able to steal together, she’d been too practiced at pushing her feelings down perhaps. Because they were a risk – what if she admitted to him what she’d felt, only to lose him?
What if she said nothing and lost him?
Sofia took his hand, the warmth, the firmness of his grip infusing her with strength. “You are most welcome, protector. I would want no other,” she said. “When this is all finished...”
“A ceremony by the sea perhaps?”
She laughed softly. “Well, yes...but...don’t you want to simply spend time alone first? There’s so much to talk about, so much that circumstance has denied us.”
He beamed, opening his mouth to continue when footsteps interrupted.
Notch appeared. “Ready?” His face was set, expression preoccupied, and he had one hand on his father’s blade, the long handle set with the mountain insignia. Notch rubbed it as he strode toward them. He also wore a pair of long daggers and carried a short bow and quiver along with his pack.
“We are,” Sofia said as she released Emilio’s hand, and started past the cells and the faces within.
“They’re half a day ahead of us,” Emilio said as they walked. “But if they’re travelling atop the mountain, we may have an advantage.”
“Flir said that the flights of steps continued up and up. They didn’t follow them all the way – this would be more direct, wouldn’t it?” she asked.
Emilio agreed. “There’s no reason why Marinus wouldn’t have used the same path.”
“I’ll be searching for him,” Sofia said as they passed through the decrepit room above and waited with the guard to unlock the bolts on the door leading into the mountain.
Notch glanced out the window, then turned to the black passage as the door swung open. “If Marinus has Kanis prisoner we free him if we can. I might not like him but he’s dilar, same as Flir; he could help us.”
“Right.” Sofia took the first step, accepting the lamp Emilio gave her. He packed away a small canister of oil and a stack of torches.
When you find him, target Rael.
Sofia tripped on the first step. Tantos? Or was it Argeon? If it was her brother, much had changed about his voice. It had grown less sardonic. Even, not unlike the Mascare, but with additional depth.
“Who is Rael?” Sofia asked.
But the voice did not respond.
“My Lady?” Emilio’s voice was full of confusion.
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
The dust-covered stairs led up through the darkness. And up. On they climbed and Sofia soon called a halt to take water. She continued, monotonous step after step in bobbing lamplight, until hours later, they reached the first landing Flir mentioned – that with three exits and strange, man-shaped alcoves.
Onward, down or up.
“Our path is up,” she said, lowering her pack to the ground. “We should eat first.”
Notch followed her example, pausing to rub at his calves before removing bread and cheese taken from the temple supplies gathered by Seto’s men. Emilio crossed the landing several times, finally stopping with a sigh.
“I’d wager a group of men have been this way recently.”
“More recently than Flir?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” Sofia said. “We’re on the right path.” She wanted to continue her conversation with Emilio but it seemed the moment had passed.
Notch added nothing but his expression darkened.
“Better that we know they’re ahead of us than to have them surprise us from our backtrail,” she said.
“I know, I know,” Notch replied. “But we need to be just as careful. This stair would be a good place for an ambush.”
She nodded. “I’ll be watching.”
After they’d eaten, Sofia led them on another long hike, until they reached the landing with twin doors – the one in silver and the other black beneath the lamplight. Both bore masks of bone, affixed in their centres.
Both lay ajar. Only darkness beyond the black door and another set of stairs led up behind the silver. The door represented the furthest point Flir had climbed. Only the unknown beyond. Marinus and his fellow Ecsoli. Probably Vinezi too.
Mascare secrets.
She removed Argeon. “Can you find father for me?”
But there was no answering pulse from the mask. She’d tried and failed, dozens of times now, to find him. And Seto for that matter. If Father survived, he was hiding himself from all masks, just as Notch suggested. Emilio topped up the lamps and then it was back to climbing.
The steps tunnelled up and up. They maintained the same width and breadth – wide enough that the Gigansi would be able to climb. Had Marinus taken many with him? He probably didn’t need them but the Ecsoli was no doubt cautious. Who knew what Vinezi had been up to, if he lived? The idea of regeneration...it was hard to fathom. Even after everything she’d seen the masks do.
On the next landing, she stopped again.
“I just want to scout ahead,” she explained and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, for just a moment, the steps appeared before her in a double-overlay. She ran forward, fleet in spirit-form. The silver stairway continued, one more landing, this one with more strange, man-shaped alcoves and then yet more stairs before another door. She passed through into a shadowed mountainside, rock walls climbing around her. She floated forward, slowing where wind tugged at thin trees clinging to the edges of a winding path. It dropped down to a twisted ravine, sharp rocks below.
Ahead, the trail continued up the mountain and her view widened as the stone walls fell away and opened to a plateau where three trails met. There she found ashes in a fire-pit and spaces where the stony earth had been swept free of pebbles.
Marinus.
Sofia returned – and when she opened her eyes, she was blind. The lamplight quickly resolved from dark shadows and she found Notch and Emilio standing near her, swords drawn.
“The stair ends soon and I found...” she trailed off when Notch put a finger to his lips, gesturing down the stairs.
A purple glow bloomed, joined by a tiny clicking.
The ring on her finger tingled.
Wait...
“Padin?”
The tiny figure climbed onto the landing, his glow casting patterns on the walls. “Young Falco, I am glad to have found you.”
“Sofia?” Emilio asked.
Notch had not lowered his blade.
Sofia waved a hand at them. “It’s fine. Padin is Protector of the land.” She introduced the men, who sheathed their blades.
Padin gave tiny bows to each. “The Payvesa Foothills for the most part. Padin Di Mente, pleased to meet you both.” He paused. “This is not ideal, is it?” He snapped a finger and in his place stood a man in archaic clothing beneath a long coat covered in buttons. His beard and moustache were ornate and his eyes remained glowing purple, maintaining his otherworldly appearance. “There. Now, tell me, Young Falco, have you come to clear your debt?”
Her debt? He had said something about a price she might pay but she’d been so exhausted in his cave... “We are hunting a killer,” she said. “But maybe we can help as we search?”
He smiled. “That is agreeable. My price is not a burden, I trust? It should take no more than a day at the most.”
“A day? Padin, our task is urgent,” Notch said, keeping his voice respectful. The sense of Padin’s power radiated from him, clearly Notch didn’t want to antagonise the being. “Is there no way for us to act in a swifter manner?”
“Perhaps. The task itself is simple – and you do carry one of the Old Masks.”
“What is this task, Wise-One?” Emilio asked.
“A poison seeps into my hills from the mountains. The mountains are not my realm. A Di Mente watches the hills – up here, Fy ought to be Guarding the land. Yet I have not heard from him in generations and I am not strong enough to stop the poison, so far from my home.” He looked to Sofia. “You and your mask will be able.”
“What can you tell us of this poison?” Sofia asked.
“It pours from the mountain into the earth, staining and twisting all it touches. Stone, earth, plant and animal. Unabated, I fear it may reach even the city below, in time. I cannot have this and so I have traced the source to the mountain. Somewhere nearby.”
Sofia drew in a breath. “And you saying it will take no more than a day?”
He nodded.
Emilio exchanged a glance with Notch. Sofia didn’t need to guess what they were thinking. A day would put them too far behind Marinus. He might have found the Crucible by then – if there was ever a chance to stop him, it was when he was isolated from the rest of his forces.
“Padin, is there no way you can transport us to the source of the poison?”
He shook his head. “Alas, this is not my realm. My power is lessened.”
“We will help you,” she said. “But our task is most urgent, once we complete it, we will assist you.”
He frowned. “This is not acceptable, Falco. Your debt is to be paid now; the poison must be stopped before it spreads further.”
“Padin, please. The entire city depends on us.”
The glow in his eyes intensified as Padin straightened. “You have accepted the assistance of a Guardian, you are bound, Falco. I may not be able to stop the poison, but your debt will hold you to my course, if I choose, wherever you seek to go. Via the ring you wear I have found you now, I can find you again.”
Sofia glanced at the ring and attempted to remove it. Hopeless – it was stuck fast. She stepped closer. “Padin, it’s not our intent to avoid the debt, but we are desperate.”
“Then when you leave this passage, head east on the trail. You will come to the source, I am certain of it. Prevent it from reaching the city and the hills below.”
“I swear on the honour of my House,” she said. “I will fulfil my obligation, Padin, but I cannot abandon my friends or my people. I must serve them first.”
“An admirable desire but one which cannot be met this time. Good luck, Falco. I trust you will succeed,” Padin said, and then he winked into nothing. Gone was his purple glow, old clothing and walking stick yet a pressure remained from the ring, as if he watched.
“Are we free to leave?” Notch asked.
“I suppose so,” Sofia answered, without taking her eyes from the spot where Padin had stood.
Emilio lifted the lamp and slung his pack onto his shoulder. “We should make haste.”
Sofia led them up again. Had Padin finished with her? Was he actually letting her track down Marinus first? His words had been vague. By the time she reached the door and exited into the soft afternoon light, deep purple shadows between the walls of stone, she was confident. He’d let them go. Perhaps Padin was more flexible than she first thought.
She pointed. “The trail reaches a plateau soon enough. Marinus likely camped there; we can track him to be sure of his path.”
“No promises on this terrain,” Notch said. His mood was black again and he frowned when he thought no-one was watching. What was wrong? It seemed worse than in the Bloodwood. Sofia let Notch take the lead and held back a little with Emilio.
Flir set the sentry back down, turning to Sofia. “Here? You think they chased you out of the forest?”
She nodded. “If Catrin survived, she’d want revenge.”
“Gods be damned,” Flir said. “Haven’t we earned some respite?” She resumed pacing; only now her footfalls had a violence about them. Satisfying. She slammed her boots down on the stone.
“Dilar, this may be a blessing,” Pevin said.
“Enlighten us, Pevin.”
“The Ecsoli will go to meet them. It will be the perfect time to strike – and for Lady Sofia to pursue Marinus.”
Flir stopped. “True.”
“Let me be certain,” Sofia said. She raised the Greatmask and stood still, her attention clearly elsewhere. It did not take long for her to move again. “It is Catrin and Mor. They’ve driven the Sap-Born and other warriors from the Bloodwood and are gathering on the plain before the gates. The amount of Sap-Born...I can’t be sure but there would be scores, I doubt a single Sap-Born is left in the forest. The Ecsoli are already forming up. That might be why their scrying has lessened,” she added, as if half-to herself.
“Will the Sap-Born be able to do much damage?” Holindo asked.
Sofia exchanged glances with Notch and Emilio before answering. “You remember what we said about them?”
“Their veins run with amber and they can freeze and then shatter an enemy in amber, just by touch,” he said. “Usually supported by a Braonn wielding a hammer.”
“Yes. If they can get close enough I think they will make trouble for the Ecsoli,” Sofia said.
“Whether they are successful or not, we need to strike when they’ve bloodied the Ecsoli,” Emilio added. “Wait until the right moment – we need to end up on top here, let them kill each other as much as possible.”
“We can help them inside with acor if needed,” Holindo said. “I’ve recruited near to a thousand men so far. It’s not much against a Greatmask, but we’ll cause them trouble. Give Lady Sofia time.”
Flir clapped her hands together. “Quickly then. I want Sofia, Notch and Emilio supplied. With luck, they’ll find Seto up there and that’s two masks to take on Marinus.” She pointed to Pevin. “After that, get Metti, Mayla, Alcina and the children ready to flee into the mountain at a moment’s notice. Holindo, with me – I want sentries on every second corner with line of sight. I want to know when and if the Sap-Born breach the city. One barrel of acor to a team near the Plains Gate, ready to fire it. Another here, another at the palace walls in case we want to let them in. The rest I’ll figure out. Move!”
The hall emptied, all save for Notch. She smiled. “You shouldn’t waste time.”
“I know.” He hesitated. “Part of me wants you with me and Sofia. But the other part is glad the city’s in your hands.”
“I don’t trust anyone else to do the job.”
A soft laugh. “True.” He lingered.
“Go, Notch. I know you feel you have to.” She shrugged. “We all have dreams that we’ve had to cast aside. Look after her.”
He swallowed. “What about you?”
“You know all my dreams I left behind the day I set sail from Renovar.”
He stepped forward and clasped her by the arms. “Be here when I return.”
She grinned. “Return.”
Notch squeezed, then turned to leave. She stopped him at the stair to the room where they’d stashed their stolen provisions. “Notch, wait.”
He walked back and she handed him a heavy cleaver with a bone handle, carved with a pattern of circles. “For Vinezi,” she said.
“Luik’s knife.”
“He’d want one of us to use it. And one more thing...”
“About Kanis?”
“Yes. If you see him, tell that fool he has to survive. He owes me an apology.”
Chapter 41.
Sofia burst into Metti’s room.
Guingera shot to his feet, but relaxed when he recognised her. He sat back down beside the cot where the old woman reclined. Her eyes were closed but she clutched her usual piece of bone, thin trails of smoke rising from between her knuckles.
“Metti, the Sap-Born are attacking. I’m going after Marinus and Vinezi, Flir is staying to cause chaos. Can you cloak the others?”
“For as long as I am able,” she said. “Fewer are searching, due to the attack.”
Sofia took the woman’s hand. Heat radiated from Metti, but Sofia didn’t flinch. “Thank you for everything.”
“It is nothing. Now go, put an end to this.”
“I will.” Sofia swallowed. At the least, she would try. But whether trying mattered was for the Gods to decide. She owed the people of the city, her friends, she owed them more. She glanced at Guingera, who nodded to her, and left the room.
Back in the hallway, Sofia leant against a wall.
“Argeon.”
His presence swung to her as if from far away, but as of late, he remained open to her. Communication was near-instant. The pictures she needed to give were received without confusion. This time it was dozens of tendrils of smoke snaking from the cloud – both her decoy and the larger area protecting the Temple – that targeted the watching Ecsoli. There’d been too much happening before but it was clear now – fewer watchers, as Metti had said. And enough were repulsed or killed by her attack that when Metti replaced the screen, few returned.
Their own attention was on the Sap-Born.
“Sofia?” Alcina stood before her. She’d drawn her silver-streaked hair back into a tail and her face bore few traces of her ordeal in the Bloodwood.
“Alcina, are you well?”
“As can be expected.” She stepped closer. “I simply wanted to wish you luck. I will pray for you.”
“We need your prayers. Stay safe here.”
“I will.” Alcina kissed her cheek and then moved back down the hall, passing Emilio as she did.
Emilio held a pack for Sofia. She slung it over her shoulder and paused. She met his eyes. Worry lurked within – he did not attempt to hide it. His deep voice filled the corridor.
“My Lady...will you permit me to speak boldly?”
She swallowed, her pulse quickening. “Emilio...I, of course. I think I know what you will say – but please do not give up hope; I draw strength from you.”
He offered a gentle smile. “It is not that. I would not lie about my fear – though it is there, I will face it down. No, I wanted to tell you something else.” He paused and drew in a breath before continuing, his words a little rushed. “That is...I hope you know that I will protect you with my life and that I wish to do so now and thereafter, that I care for you deeply, My Lady.”
She blushed – once again, glad for Argeon. Hadn’t she meant to say similar words herself? Now that Emilio had offered them, she cursed herself for a fool. With the invasion and then Father...there hadn’t been a suitable time – but that was only an excuse, wasn’t it? They were about to head into the mountains to chase down two of the most powerful and cruel enemies the city had known and despite the moments she and Emilio had been able to steal together, she’d been too practiced at pushing her feelings down perhaps. Because they were a risk – what if she admitted to him what she’d felt, only to lose him?
What if she said nothing and lost him?
Sofia took his hand, the warmth, the firmness of his grip infusing her with strength. “You are most welcome, protector. I would want no other,” she said. “When this is all finished...”
“A ceremony by the sea perhaps?”
She laughed softly. “Well, yes...but...don’t you want to simply spend time alone first? There’s so much to talk about, so much that circumstance has denied us.”
He beamed, opening his mouth to continue when footsteps interrupted.
Notch appeared. “Ready?” His face was set, expression preoccupied, and he had one hand on his father’s blade, the long handle set with the mountain insignia. Notch rubbed it as he strode toward them. He also wore a pair of long daggers and carried a short bow and quiver along with his pack.
“We are,” Sofia said as she released Emilio’s hand, and started past the cells and the faces within.
“They’re half a day ahead of us,” Emilio said as they walked. “But if they’re travelling atop the mountain, we may have an advantage.”
“Flir said that the flights of steps continued up and up. They didn’t follow them all the way – this would be more direct, wouldn’t it?” she asked.
Emilio agreed. “There’s no reason why Marinus wouldn’t have used the same path.”
“I’ll be searching for him,” Sofia said as they passed through the decrepit room above and waited with the guard to unlock the bolts on the door leading into the mountain.
Notch glanced out the window, then turned to the black passage as the door swung open. “If Marinus has Kanis prisoner we free him if we can. I might not like him but he’s dilar, same as Flir; he could help us.”
“Right.” Sofia took the first step, accepting the lamp Emilio gave her. He packed away a small canister of oil and a stack of torches.
When you find him, target Rael.
Sofia tripped on the first step. Tantos? Or was it Argeon? If it was her brother, much had changed about his voice. It had grown less sardonic. Even, not unlike the Mascare, but with additional depth.
“Who is Rael?” Sofia asked.
But the voice did not respond.
“My Lady?” Emilio’s voice was full of confusion.
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
The dust-covered stairs led up through the darkness. And up. On they climbed and Sofia soon called a halt to take water. She continued, monotonous step after step in bobbing lamplight, until hours later, they reached the first landing Flir mentioned – that with three exits and strange, man-shaped alcoves.
Onward, down or up.
“Our path is up,” she said, lowering her pack to the ground. “We should eat first.”
Notch followed her example, pausing to rub at his calves before removing bread and cheese taken from the temple supplies gathered by Seto’s men. Emilio crossed the landing several times, finally stopping with a sigh.
“I’d wager a group of men have been this way recently.”
“More recently than Flir?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” Sofia said. “We’re on the right path.” She wanted to continue her conversation with Emilio but it seemed the moment had passed.
Notch added nothing but his expression darkened.
“Better that we know they’re ahead of us than to have them surprise us from our backtrail,” she said.
“I know, I know,” Notch replied. “But we need to be just as careful. This stair would be a good place for an ambush.”
She nodded. “I’ll be watching.”
After they’d eaten, Sofia led them on another long hike, until they reached the landing with twin doors – the one in silver and the other black beneath the lamplight. Both bore masks of bone, affixed in their centres.
Both lay ajar. Only darkness beyond the black door and another set of stairs led up behind the silver. The door represented the furthest point Flir had climbed. Only the unknown beyond. Marinus and his fellow Ecsoli. Probably Vinezi too.
Mascare secrets.
She removed Argeon. “Can you find father for me?”
But there was no answering pulse from the mask. She’d tried and failed, dozens of times now, to find him. And Seto for that matter. If Father survived, he was hiding himself from all masks, just as Notch suggested. Emilio topped up the lamps and then it was back to climbing.
The steps tunnelled up and up. They maintained the same width and breadth – wide enough that the Gigansi would be able to climb. Had Marinus taken many with him? He probably didn’t need them but the Ecsoli was no doubt cautious. Who knew what Vinezi had been up to, if he lived? The idea of regeneration...it was hard to fathom. Even after everything she’d seen the masks do.
On the next landing, she stopped again.
“I just want to scout ahead,” she explained and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, for just a moment, the steps appeared before her in a double-overlay. She ran forward, fleet in spirit-form. The silver stairway continued, one more landing, this one with more strange, man-shaped alcoves and then yet more stairs before another door. She passed through into a shadowed mountainside, rock walls climbing around her. She floated forward, slowing where wind tugged at thin trees clinging to the edges of a winding path. It dropped down to a twisted ravine, sharp rocks below.
Ahead, the trail continued up the mountain and her view widened as the stone walls fell away and opened to a plateau where three trails met. There she found ashes in a fire-pit and spaces where the stony earth had been swept free of pebbles.
Marinus.
Sofia returned – and when she opened her eyes, she was blind. The lamplight quickly resolved from dark shadows and she found Notch and Emilio standing near her, swords drawn.
“The stair ends soon and I found...” she trailed off when Notch put a finger to his lips, gesturing down the stairs.
A purple glow bloomed, joined by a tiny clicking.
The ring on her finger tingled.
Wait...
“Padin?”
The tiny figure climbed onto the landing, his glow casting patterns on the walls. “Young Falco, I am glad to have found you.”
“Sofia?” Emilio asked.
Notch had not lowered his blade.
Sofia waved a hand at them. “It’s fine. Padin is Protector of the land.” She introduced the men, who sheathed their blades.
Padin gave tiny bows to each. “The Payvesa Foothills for the most part. Padin Di Mente, pleased to meet you both.” He paused. “This is not ideal, is it?” He snapped a finger and in his place stood a man in archaic clothing beneath a long coat covered in buttons. His beard and moustache were ornate and his eyes remained glowing purple, maintaining his otherworldly appearance. “There. Now, tell me, Young Falco, have you come to clear your debt?”
Her debt? He had said something about a price she might pay but she’d been so exhausted in his cave... “We are hunting a killer,” she said. “But maybe we can help as we search?”
He smiled. “That is agreeable. My price is not a burden, I trust? It should take no more than a day at the most.”
“A day? Padin, our task is urgent,” Notch said, keeping his voice respectful. The sense of Padin’s power radiated from him, clearly Notch didn’t want to antagonise the being. “Is there no way for us to act in a swifter manner?”
“Perhaps. The task itself is simple – and you do carry one of the Old Masks.”
“What is this task, Wise-One?” Emilio asked.
“A poison seeps into my hills from the mountains. The mountains are not my realm. A Di Mente watches the hills – up here, Fy ought to be Guarding the land. Yet I have not heard from him in generations and I am not strong enough to stop the poison, so far from my home.” He looked to Sofia. “You and your mask will be able.”
“What can you tell us of this poison?” Sofia asked.
“It pours from the mountain into the earth, staining and twisting all it touches. Stone, earth, plant and animal. Unabated, I fear it may reach even the city below, in time. I cannot have this and so I have traced the source to the mountain. Somewhere nearby.”
Sofia drew in a breath. “And you saying it will take no more than a day?”
He nodded.
Emilio exchanged a glance with Notch. Sofia didn’t need to guess what they were thinking. A day would put them too far behind Marinus. He might have found the Crucible by then – if there was ever a chance to stop him, it was when he was isolated from the rest of his forces.
“Padin, is there no way you can transport us to the source of the poison?”
He shook his head. “Alas, this is not my realm. My power is lessened.”
“We will help you,” she said. “But our task is most urgent, once we complete it, we will assist you.”
He frowned. “This is not acceptable, Falco. Your debt is to be paid now; the poison must be stopped before it spreads further.”
“Padin, please. The entire city depends on us.”
The glow in his eyes intensified as Padin straightened. “You have accepted the assistance of a Guardian, you are bound, Falco. I may not be able to stop the poison, but your debt will hold you to my course, if I choose, wherever you seek to go. Via the ring you wear I have found you now, I can find you again.”
Sofia glanced at the ring and attempted to remove it. Hopeless – it was stuck fast. She stepped closer. “Padin, it’s not our intent to avoid the debt, but we are desperate.”
“Then when you leave this passage, head east on the trail. You will come to the source, I am certain of it. Prevent it from reaching the city and the hills below.”
“I swear on the honour of my House,” she said. “I will fulfil my obligation, Padin, but I cannot abandon my friends or my people. I must serve them first.”
“An admirable desire but one which cannot be met this time. Good luck, Falco. I trust you will succeed,” Padin said, and then he winked into nothing. Gone was his purple glow, old clothing and walking stick yet a pressure remained from the ring, as if he watched.
“Are we free to leave?” Notch asked.
“I suppose so,” Sofia answered, without taking her eyes from the spot where Padin had stood.
Emilio lifted the lamp and slung his pack onto his shoulder. “We should make haste.”
Sofia led them up again. Had Padin finished with her? Was he actually letting her track down Marinus first? His words had been vague. By the time she reached the door and exited into the soft afternoon light, deep purple shadows between the walls of stone, she was confident. He’d let them go. Perhaps Padin was more flexible than she first thought.
She pointed. “The trail reaches a plateau soon enough. Marinus likely camped there; we can track him to be sure of his path.”
“No promises on this terrain,” Notch said. His mood was black again and he frowned when he thought no-one was watching. What was wrong? It seemed worse than in the Bloodwood. Sofia let Notch take the lead and held back a little with Emilio.
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