The Awakening of Dreams, page 8
part #3 of Averot'h Series
Well, here we are, getting to the merit of things…
“Not in detail,” Ammes replied. “But she mentioned some plans, yes.”
The minister was not a fool. If a wizard risked facing him directly, he wanted answers.
And I have to give him some meat, or I might die.
Ammes considered such a possibility before. He collected his notes and several specimens of the weapon into a strongbox in House Riverre palace, which was to open in the case of his sudden death, so that his knowledge was not lost forever. In fact, he was already training his successor secretly, a woman from a loyal House, not so bright as Rohan, but still smart and dedicated to their common aim.
But, for now, he was not wishing to die.
“I know she and Rohan inspected all the places where missing people were reported.”
That was true, but hardly any news for the wizard opposite him.
“They found nothing. We still have no idea where our missing people are, but our guards are searching around the clock.”
That was true as well.
“Her Grace mentioned her meetings with Gileon and Izran, and some other wizard I cannot remember. She got a tip to look closely at a wizard called, I think, Ta'rik, whom I've never met, so, I'm afraid I don't know any particulars.”
That was true again.
Haris nodded slightly.
Ammes carefully prepared to initiate a final blast, an ultimate and blatant lie. “She said she considered engaging Martell,” Ammes said, and held his breath.
Haris' eyes went wide briefly. Whoever was sitting before him, he was frightened to death by the Burned.
No wonder. Everyone fears Martell, wizards, humans, birds, flies, and even grass wished to be buried deep under the ground when he was flying above on his tephir.
The false Captain got on his feet.
“I must return to my duties,” he said.
“Dismissed,” replied Ammes and reached for a stack of papers to pretend usual busyness, hoping his hands were not trembling too much.
After the doors closed, the Minister returned the weapon back to his drawer and knocked on the pipe three times.
If they were lucky enough, the guardsman would follow the fake Captain and find his true identity.
CHAPTER 12
FOR two days, I was not able to leave my apartment.
After sunset, I was lying in my bed, depressing thoughts whirling. I couldn't sleep. Guilt tortured and haunted me. Finally, my body succumbed to a nightmarish sleep.
The second night I woke up past midnight, my brain on alert. But in my room, everything was fine. It was just a feeble feeling…
I struggled to grasp it for a while.
And then it struck me.
There was a solution!
Rohan's face appeared, whispering.
Use a new kind of magic, Leisha. Use science...
~
Mum's and Dad's stories made it clear the Ka'tans were arrogant and overconfident creatures. They considered themselves superior to any human or wizard. I was pretty sure they wouldn't hide underground. They would run their business almost unconcerned, as there was no resistance to their intentions and plans yet.
But that’s gonna change soon.
I put together a possible list of needs for their secret site.
They need space, an abandoned building, large enough for a dozen human captives and several hungry tephirs, far enough away from residential quarters so no one can hear the screams of their victims.
Then I unrolled the city map onto my table. Averot'h was a large city, but my idea could narrow the search.
I marked the locations of the eight missing people we went after with red crosses. I recalled from Rohan’s description that the average of two points was a new point in the middle. I connected the two outer-most red marks on opposite sides of the map, then another two, and continued until all pairs were connected. They intersected in an area not larger than my thumb.
My fingers ran across the area furiously for several minutes and came to a sudden halt at its northern edge.
There was a large, deserted building that once served to provide inhabitants of the city with loads of fresh meat.
A slaughterhouse.
~
I went there after the dusk. For two nights, nothing happened and I slowly began to doubt the location I had chosen.
But the third night, I got lucky.
A light, weak and obscure, emerged through shattered window panes.
I sneaked inside and cast two spells. The first veiled me into the darkness, the second one absorbed the sound of my footsteps.
The interior of the slaughterhouse was largely empty, the vast space divided only by ropes and hooks hanging down from the girder some twenty feet above my head.
Instinct led me to the opposite side of the building immersed in the dark.
When a heart-rendering cry ripped the still air, I flinched.
It was a man. A human.
I quickened my pace.
As I approached the scene, the murk dispersed.
I recognized a wizard standing in a triangle of candles and facing his victim, an unfortunate man with a bald head and chubby belly impaled by a hook at his right side, his feet swinging hopelessly in the air.
I sucked in a breath.
It had to be awfully painful, but the man just hung there silently, his head on his chest. He probably made that shriek and fell unconscious afterwards.
Fortunate for him.
Taking into account a large pool of blood under his shoes, he could be dead now.
Suddenly, a slight breeze touched my hair, and a large shadow descended on the man. A tephir passed by not an inch from me, luckily unaware of my presence.
But I did notice when he turned upside down and took a bite from fat man's left leg.
Enough!
My heart accelerated. I was going to confront a Ka'tan…
I charged from my cover. From my right fist a bouncing spell exploded and hit the tephir with a thunderous force that sent it crashing into a wall, breaking its bones.
Alarmed, the tephir's lord made a quarter turn, releasing spells in the process. I immediately registered at least six lethal spells zipping through the air.
I blocked them with a stopping spell from my index finger and responded with a battery of attacking spells of my own. The energy of my assault was much higher, and the wizard staggered, candles falling to the ground and extinguishing.
While he was struggling for stability, I focused on his appearance. I didn't recognize his face, and his black casual attire revealed nothing regarding his identity.
I knocked him down with another powerful spell. He wailed and turned his face to me, finally recognizing me.
His lips twisted with pain as he hissed. His eyes widened and turned the color of death. He made a last attempt to harm me, but in vain. His power didn't reach the heights of mine.
“Who are you!?” I asked as I leaned over him.
He gave me a piercing look and closed his eyes.
With a shudder, I realized I was terribly wrong.
The only answer was a fizz of sand spilling around my shoes.
He was not a Ka'tan, but only his servant. And he chose nonexistence over disclosing the identity of his Master.
Damn, I was so close!
Well, at least it's now one less bad guy.
I examined my surroundings, but there was nothing except dust and rats.
I released the deceased man from the hook.
I will call someone to bury him.
When I went to leave, I spotted a faded stain under the hook next to the one holding the fat man. It was dried up blood. Human blood. Under the next hook there was a similar smudge.
I counted eight stains altogether. Eight victims.
I have to tell Ammes I found the place where his people were tortured and killed.
I shook my head.
He won't be pleased.
Before I left the dreadful place, I rearranged the sand into four ominous words.
I AM AFTER YOU
~
When I got home, it was already past midnight. Yet, I decided to send a spec to Sari. I needed someone to talk with, a distraction from my Ka'tan obsession.
Sari, come to our place at noon, please. It is important.
With love
Leisha
CHAPTER 13
IN the morning, a reply from Sari arrived.
Honey, looking forward to it.
Sunbathing again?
Kisses, Sari.
I smiled and walked onto my balcony. The Shallows could be seen on the horizon, glittering such that I had to shade my eyes. The sun was burning, so I feared Sari might be serious about the sunbathing.
I must find something to prevent her from undressing me again.
I retreated inside the apartment to the mirror. I looked at myself with a crooked smile. “This time I'm not going to fall prey to her. This time I will be prepared.”
~
I left my apartment one hour before noon to enjoy a slow walk along the river. The Shallows were barely half an hour away from my flat at a normal pace. Several people passed me by, one runner with a dog and a trio of school children who likely skipped their lessons.
It happened when a small cloud blocked the sun.
My heart started beating fast without a reason. I looked around, alarmed, but I was alone. There was no visible danger in my surroundings
Then a premonition struck me.
Sari!
I started to run, the Shallows were only a few minutes away.
I got there even faster, panting and trying to slow down my heartbeat.
False alarm!
There was nobody on the bank, and the opposite bank was deserted as well.
Relieved, I approached the river to chill down. Even in the high summer, the water in the river remained cold.
I splashed my burning face with the water, not caring my top would get wet as well. The chill was simply reinvigorating.
I glanced around and froze. Five steps away, dark strands rippled under the water. It was hair. Female hair.
I jumped into the water and waded through the strong stream.
There was not only hair, but an entire body.
Goose bumps rose along my arms.
The body lying in the water belonged to Sari.
I pulled her head above the surface. With her face blue and eyes closed, I checked for a pulse.
She is alive!
I dragged her to the shore and let her lie on her side, with one of my hands under her head. Her pulse was weak, but I could feel it. I slapped her face. Again. She finally responded with a grunt and vomited water from her lungs.
She moaned, holding her chest. She had to be in immense pain.
“Leisha?” She growled.
I conjured a spell that lifted her head up, and a small heap of grass formed under her head making it more comfortable for her.
When she turned, I saw fresh blood in her hair.
“I'm so dizzy,” Sari muttered.
Blood flowed faster now.
I began to panic. For the first time in my life I regretted leaving my tephir at home. Out of despair, I looked around. A wizard flew above the water, roughly in our direction.
I jumped to my feet.
“Hey!” I yelled. “Please!” I gestured wildly. “Please, come here!”
The wizard slowed down. She was older than me by a few years and wore a long, yellow skirt.
“What happened?” She asked, her gaze turned to the girl lying on the grass.
“She is injured on her head, and bleeding,” I said hurriedly. “May I ask you to get her to a healer?”
The woman nodded. “Sure. Which healer you have in mind?”
“Elisa.”
Sari groaned.
“I know Elisa. My name is Tanya,” the woman said. “I guess we should hurry. Help me get her on my tephir.”
~
“How is she?!” I blurted when I reached my mom's garden. I jumped off my tephir and ran to mom who was standing in front of the main door.
“She told me she is your friend,” my mom said, staring at me cautiously. “I stopped the bleeding and cleaned the wound. She suffered a mild concussion. She had too much water in her lungs. I took care of it as well. She will be fine.”
I gave a sigh of relief.
“Mom, you are priceless!”
I embraced her, and she finally allowed a smile to light her face.
“Honey, what dangerous things were the two of you doing?”
I shrugged. “Nothing. We were supposed to meet at the Shallows. When I arrived, I found her lying under the water. I have no idea what happened.”
“You saved her life,” my mom said gravely. “Be cautious, honey. I have heard about that boy who accompanied you.”
I frowned.
“There is no connection between them,” I objected. “They never met.”
“But one is dead and the other could be, if not for you.”
That was true. I needed time to think it over. Yet, I didn't feel like that right now. My legs trembled, and my stomach threatened to reject my breakfast.
“Mom,” I ventured guiltily, “My birthday is approaching, and I have no gift for you.”
My mom smiled. “Don't worry about it, honey.” She tapped her finger on her lips as something came to her mind suddenly.
“You know what?” She made a mischievous face. “You can accompany me to the market tomorrow morning, if you want.”
I nodded, excited. “Sure, mom!”
“And, once we are there, I can look for something nice and not so expensive,” she winked at me.
I grinned. “Perfect!”
“Meanwhile, I will take care of your friend,” she said.
I gave a her a hug. “You are the best mom in the world!”
~
I couldn't sleep that night. I was lying on my bed with both arms folded under my head, looking right into the depth of the galaxy.
My mind brimmed over with thoughts.
Yesterday, if I didn’t leave early for the Shallows, Sari would be dead. She was lucky, unlike Rohan.
I reflected upon my mom's remark about the connection between Sari and Rohan.
Actually, there was one. They both were my friends. So, maybe, someone aimed to weaken me, or distract me, by attacking those close to me?
It's quite possible.
Let's change the point of view. What would I do if I were a Ka'tan?
I rubbed my forehead.
Though powerful, a Ka'tan won't be able to achieve anything meaningful on his own. He would be in a severe numerical disadvantage, I estimated around five thousand wizards resided in the city, and majority of them wouldn't be keen to supporting a new order, I was certain about it.
One against a thousand was not particularly encouraging odds.
So, a Ka'tan would probably attempt to establish the Council, which consisted of twelve men, or even to win favor of a larger group of wizards.
That goal couldn't be achieved in one day or night. To become a Ka'tan, rituals including The Trial of the Three Elements had to be performed. Eight human sacrifices meant there were eight candidates to the Council. If Gileon were right about their chances, three or four succeeded in the Trial. I killed one, which left two or three Ka'tans, not including their Master, a Supreme, the ring holder. To complete their ranks, they needed to promote an additional eight or nine.
And that required time.
I sat up, lucid as ever.
Time!
It was the key factor.
The Supreme knew I would, at last, reveal his identity. But he wouldn't risk an open conflict until the Council was established.
Therefore, he had to stick to a delaying tactic.
By attacking people around me…
That meant my mother, my brother, and perhaps my grandfather.
Without hesitating, I wrote specks with warnings and sent them to all three.
But I felt relieved no more.
CHAPTER 14
I VISITED Sari before sunrise. My mom moved her into a room for emergency cases adjacent to her own living quarters.
Sari was already up, her head wrapped in a white swathe.
She smiled at me.
“Hey, does this mean you feel well?” I asked, kneeling next to her bed.
She seized my hand.
“Yeah. Thank you, Leisha.”
“Better thank my mom.”
“I did.”
We both smiled.
“Sari, do you remember who assaulted you?”
She frowned. “Not at all. I wanted to be at the Shallows before you. You know, I'm almost always late, so I thought, at least once, I would be there first,” she smiled faintly. “And I was. At one moment, I turned to the sun, and during the next, the world went dark.”
She grew somber. “I wish I could help you, Leisha.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “You are alive and will be fit soon, that is important,” I assured her.
I gave her an encouraging squeeze. “Here, you are safe. Get well soon.”
~
After I left Sari, I helped my mom to gather and load her products on a handcart for the marketplace. Before we left, I tripled the magic defense of my mom's residence, though it was already protected by enormously strong spells of my father.
Breaking them was close to impossible.
At the market, we paid for a wooden stall with a table, arranged our products on it, mainly herbs and fruits, and waited for customers. Due to my mom's reputation, a queue soon appeared. I picked up the knack for selling quickly and sent my mom to check out other sellers with the promise of my paying for her purchase. She returned after an hour with an amazing dress patterned with flowers over blue water.
I gasped. “It's beautiful, mom!”
She looked content. “You think so?”
“Definitely.”
