Trident's Forge, page 33
Then, Benson started swinging on the ropes.
Next to zer, Kuul grunted mightily with the exertion of staying stuck to the rockface.
“Hurry!” Kexx shouted down to Benson in human.
In answer, Benson cursed and pumped zer legs, hard, swinging for the rockface beyond the overhang. The tension finally proved too much for Kexx’s grip. One of zer fingers peeled free of the thinseam ze’d clung to, then another. Before Kexx even had time to scream, ze was slidding down the rock, frantically clawing at the rock trying to regain purchase, but finding only fresh scrapes instead.
Then, zer feet left the rock behind and floated free in the air. With one last, desperate lunge, Kexx thrust zer hands at the rock. Zer right hand found nothing. But, right at the edge of the overhang, zer left hand caught a knobbly hold jutting out into the air. Zer fingers clamped down around it, contouring to match it precisely and gain the maximum grip.
Zer momentum carried Kexx over the edge and into open air. With a painful jerk that threatened to rip zer arm clean out of zer shoulder, Kexx came to a stop. Zer shoulder, the muscles in zer forearm, and zer hand all wailed in pain, but zer grip held as ze dangled by one hand over the drop.
It was only then that ze realized the rope connecting zer to Benson had gone slack. Kexx looked down, expecting to see a frayed rope and zer friend freefalling through the air. But instead, Benson looked back up at zer, clinging to the rock beneath the overhang, laughing.
“Not funny, Benson!” Kexx shouted as ze found another hold for zer other hand.
“Sorry, Kexx. I’m just relieved you’re OK.”
“We have a long climb yet before we can say that.”
Miraculously, they reached the bottom of the cliff without further incident. Kexx, Kuul, and Benson walked at the head of the convoy across the flat basin. Although it had been carved by a great river now dry, the valley floor was far from featureless. Immense stones protruded from the ground, worn around their bases by windblown sand until their tops bulged. It was like walking through a forest of stone trees. Nor were they alone.
“We’re being shadowed,” Kexx said casually to Benson in zer language.
“I know. I’ve seen three of them. Are they preparing an ambush do you think?”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
“You keep saying that…”
Kexx ignored the comment and focused on trying to spot the scouts. Ze’d seen at least seven of them, devilishly well camouflaged with body paint mixed from the surrounding rock and sand. For every one Kexx had spotted, ze expected there were another four or five hiding among the stones. Which was rather large for a scouting party. Kexx picked up the pace.
Ahead, the stone trees thinned out, then disappeared entirely. In their place, a line of enormous statues carved from black rock dominated the edge of a chasm that held the remnants of the river that had carved the valley. Each stood four times taller than an adult G’tel, and had been carved into exaggerated representations of great Dwellers of their past, mostly warriors, so their memories could continue to defend the city even after their return. They were impressive, imposing monuments, meant to intimidate anyone who dared to enter Dweller territory with ill intent. But still, none of them were as impressive as the Black Bridge.
A single, unbroken piece of the same dark stone as the statues arched across the chasm to connect both sides of the valley. It was as long as thirty G’tel, and so old that no one could remember who had carved it, or how they’d dropped it into place. Centuries, perhaps millennia of feet had worn a shiny path along the centerline of the bridge, while heat ripples rose from its surface into the air. Kexx had heard it described by traders returning to the village, but had expected it was just another exaggeration. For once, they’d undersold it.
“That’s a big slab of rock,” Benson said.
“You have a gift for understatement,” Kexx said. Looking back over their party, Kexx could see the resolve wavering on many faces. Ze hardly blamed them. This was the definitive, no-turning-back moment. But, it had to be done. Swallowing zer own trepidations, Kexx stepped boldly forward and put a foot on the black stone ramp. It was warm on the sole of zer foot, almost uncomfortably so. Ze walked resolutely forward, daring the rest to follow with zer silence.
Kuul went next, then Benson, Mei. Soon, the entire caravan was walking single file across the Black Bridge, the first in living memory to do so who weren’t traders. Behind them, the scouts who had shadowed them through the rocks emerged from their hiding places. Three fullhands of them, no, five fullhands. It was a none-too-subtle warning. Act up inside our city, and there will be no escape.
Ahead, the far wall of the canyon came into view.
The Dweller city entrance had been carved into stunning reliefs over the centuries. Temples to Xis, Varr, and even a small shrine for offerings to Cuut had been chiseled out of the soft rock layers. Multiple small caves and hollows had been dug out and expanded into homes and marketplaces. Shouts went out up and down the wall. Curious faces turned to take in the strangers. The shouting grew, and was quickly followed by footsteps as everyone ran to get a closer look. Children screamed at the sight of Benson and Mei. Adults shielded their eyes, cursing the humans as demons or deadskins, much to Kuul’s amusement.
“See, it’s not just me,” ze said.
“Not now, Kuul. Stay alert.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
A few of the bolder adolescents broke from the ranks of their parents and elders to run up and lay a hand on the humans, then run back either screaming or laughing. Mei took the abuse in stride, but it was making Benson very nervous.
“Can you please tell them to stop that?” ze asked.
“I can ask,” Kexx said. “Whether they’ll listen is another matter.”
Benson grumbled, but said no more. The largest and most adorned entrance, and the one Kexx could only assume led to the bulk of the city below ground, lay just ahead, guarded by a line of warriors who looked to be more than a match for anyone Kuul had under zer command. Here and there, Kexx noticed fleeting flashes of recognition on some of the warrior’s faces.
“I believe some of these guards were part of the attack on my village,” ze whispered to Benson.
“I’m sure of it,” Benson said. “See how they’re all pretending not to notice my gun? They recognize it. They’ve either seen one before, or they’ve heard the story. Only one place that could’ve come from.”
Kexx nodded. “Let me do the talking.”
“Fine with me.” Benson pointed at his head. “Can’t understand a thing they’re saying anyway.”
Kexx made eye contact with Kuul. “Stay sharp. And don’t let our guest out of your sight.”
“Count on it.”
Kexx squeezed the warrior’s forearm approvingly. Their faces shared a rippling pattern of friendship Kexx had never expected to display for Kuul, nor expected to see displayed in return. Without further ceremony, Kexx turned to the entrance and strode forward until ze was finally ordered to stop. Revealing zerself, the senior guard stepped forward.
“What is your business here, Cuut spawn?”
Zer accent was harsh, guttural, and exactly like the warrior ze’d encountered in the forest days earlier. Coming from a Dweller, Cuut spawn was not a compliment, but Kexx let the transgression pass without notice. “My name is Kexx. I am a truth-digger representing many villages. And it is with regret that I come to lay accusation before your chief.”
“You dare to come here to our sanctum, among our temples, and–”
“Forgive me,” Kexx cut off the brewing diatribe. “But we have traveled many days and lost lives to bring our claims before your chief. So unless you are ze, I have no further need of you.” Before the stunned guard could reply, Kexx pushed past zer toward the entrance and was immediately met by a fullhand of leveled spear points.
Kexx’s eyes narrowed. Zer speech took on the angry tones of the Dwellers. “Have you fallen so far that you would interrupt a truth-digger in zer duties? Is so much evil hidden here that the light must be blocked?”
“Xis’s warmth sustains us here, Cuut spawn. Not light,” answered the guard.
“Since when does Xis fear the truth?”
The guard’s crests flared and darkened, but Kexx held zer ground.
“Xis fears nothing,” the guard said through strained teeth.
“Good, then you can lead us to your chief.”
“No.” The guard made a cutting motion with zer hand. “Just you, truth-digger.”
“And my friend here.” Kexx pointed at Benson.
“Absolutely not!” the guard bellowed.
“Ze is a truth-digger among zer people, just as I am. Ze has accusation to lay, just as I do. Under Xis’s law, ze must be allowed to pass.”
“But ze is not of Xis’s womb!”
“Probably not,” Kexx agreed. “In fact, I have no idea whose womb they come from. But humans were among the dead, so ze comes.”
The guard thrust a finger at Benson’s gun. “Fine, but that stays here.”
“Why?” Kexx asked innocently.
“Because it is too powerful.”
“So, you’ve seen a gun before.”
The guard was about to answer when ze realized ze’d been backed into a trap. “Rumors have reached us,” ze said instead.
“What’s the matter,” Benson asked.
“They don’t want you to bring your gun.”
“But you can bring your spear?”
“It is traditional that a truth-digger be allowed to carry a weapon for self-defense.”
“Then why can’t I bring my gun?”
“They’re scared of it.”
Benson smiled. “Good. Tell them it’s not my fault they don’t make better weapons.”
Kexx smirked and relayed the message, which was about as well received as ze’d expected the insult to be, but left without any options and on the verge of self-incrimination, the guard relented.
“You two, follow me. The rest stay here. And we’ll take your prisoner now.”
Kuul gripped zer spear tighter. “No. You won’t.”
“Ze means it,” Kexx said. “I wouldn’t want to be the first to test zer word. Or the second, for that matter. Our… guest ambushed us with caleb, er, with very large uliks. We have an accusation to lay against zer as well. Ze remains with us until the truth is known.”
The guard leaned in, close enough to Kexx’s face that ze could smell the rotting bits of fungus stuck between zer teeth. “You make a lot of demands for someone so far from help, Cuut spawn.”
Kexx leaned in just fractionally closer. “I ask only for the courtesies I am due, the same courtesies I would extend if our situations were reversed. Now, is it your intention to delay us all day?”
The guard’s face twisted up, and for a moment Kexx tensed up in preparation for a violent outburst. But instead, ze spun around on zer toes and stalked off down to the entrance to the caves. “Try to keep up, truth-digger. I wouldn’t want to delay you.”
Kexx grabbed Benson’s shoulder. “Stay close to me. Move as I move. And keep your eyes open for trouble.”
“You do remember that I can’t actually fire this thing, yes?” Benson lifted zer gun apologetically.
“Then try to look mean.”
“I don’t look mean now?”
“Not really. Too pale.”
“First time I’ve heard that.”
They took off after their reluctant guide into the mouth of the caverns. The light of day quickly faded into the dim light cast off from the shine worms, fungal mats, and the body glow of the Dwellers themselves. It took a while for Kexx’s eyes to adjust from the bright of day to the dark of the cave. Benson had even more trouble.
“Kexx, can you do that glowing thing on your back so I can follow? I can’t see my hand in front of my face.”
Kexx obliged, expanding three parallel spots of light across zer shoulders so that zer human friend could gauge zer distance and orientation. “Does that help?”
“A bit. Thanks.”
Above them, Kexx could see that the Dwellers had carved positively enormous caverns into the side of the cliff. The natural caves had been expanded manyfold in every direction. What everyone had assumed were underground cities actually extended far upwards as well, maybe all the way to the top of the cliffs. Even now, the drumbeat of hammer and chisel echoed through the space as Dweller rock workers toiled to expand their city. The scale of it all was simply staggering.
Overhead, Kexx heard the odd clicking of an injri flock hanging from the ceiling. Ze looked up just in time to receive fresh fertilizer on zer forehead.
“Are those injri?” Benson asked.
“Yes.”
“And did one just–”
“Yes.”
Benson chuckled. “Sorry.”
Kexx wiped the guano off with the back of zer hand, then smeared it on Benson’s shirt.
“Ugh, gross!”
“Sorry.”
Their guide led them ever deeper, down into Xis’s womb. It wasn’t long before the cold started to bite into Kexx’s skin. It wasn’t unbearable, but it would start to effect zer mind before long, slowing zer thoughts, muddling zer perception.
“Benson. I am… cooling. Watch me closely. If I look confused, or lost, remind me what we’re doing, where we are. Will you do this for me?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
“Kexx?”
“Yes?”
“I still can’t see a fucking thing.”
Kexx laughed easily. Their guide did not approve. “What are you saying to zer?”
“I’m sorry. My friend speaks only zer own language. We were joking about the cold down here.”
“Quiet,” ze barked. It was only then that Kexx realized just how quiet the caves had become. Kexx’s eyes had adjusted fully by then, revealing enormous patches, fields really, of a fullhand of different types of fungus being cultivated and tended by many fullhands of Dwellers. The ceiling here was low, and even more varieties of fungus clung to it. The sharp smell of urine grew with each step deeper into the fields until Kexx balled up zer hands to avoid tasting it on zer fingers. The tenders did not speak aloud. Instead, they used incredibly intricate patterns of skin glow to relay not only emotion and simple commands, but entire complex thoughts, whole sentences, entire conversations.
Kexx immediately understood why. Surrounded by a low rock roof stretching off in every direction, the echoes of a hundred shouted discussions would quickly break down into echoing chaos. They passed through another identical level. Another. Another still. The amount of food being grown down here in the damp, cold darkness rivaled the fields surrounding Kexx’s village. Probably exceeded it in terms of edible mass being grown.
“This must seem very strange to you, Benson,” Kexx whispered.
“Actually, you’d be surprised. Mei would feel right at home.”
“Well, it’s very strange to me.”
“I said quiet!” their guide shouted, sending an echo through the fields and drawing the attention of every farmer within earshot. “Mind your mushrooms,” ze commanded them. They returned to their work.
Everything changed on the next level. The roughly hewn walls, ceiling, and floors gave way to intricately carved patterning underfoot that mimicked tilework. Columns of rock formed into arms with their fingers arched to connect with their neighbors kept the crushing weight of the stone above at bay.
And it was warm. Heat radiated up from the floor through Kexx’s toes. Something was fighting against the cold, and winning. Fires? Kexx couldn’t see how. There was nowhere for the smoke to go, and no obvious mechanism delivering fresh air this far down. Yet ze could feel the warmth from the soles of zer feet moving up through zer bloodways. The warmth soon suffused the air, revitalizing zer body and mind.
A ramp, carved into the impression of a flowing river, the crests of the waves shining with the polish of centuries, led down into a new chamber at a steep angle. On either side, a forest of perfectly clear, white crystals each as thick as a tree trunk reached out from the floor at all angles as if they’d been grown specifically for the purpose. A warm, orange glow leaked out from the entrance. It was the glow of torches, although not nearly bright enough to account for the heat.
“Wait here,” their guide instructed. Kexx complied, having no desire to wander off into the maze of tunnels. The guide entered the chamber and a brief, loud conversation followed. Many voices all speaking the same dialect their prisoner had shouted at Kexx in the tunnel.
The conversation died down as their guide reemerged. “You may enter. But do not forget where you are, Cuut spawn. I suggest you make your accusation brief.”
Once inside, Kexx was struck by just how closely the sanctum mimicked the temple to Xis back in zer village. Perhaps theirs was the mimic, for this room felt much, much older. Soot stains streaked the curving wall from each torch mount up to a small central chimney which let the smoke escape to who knew where.
The room wasn’t the only unsettlingly familiar thing present. Even in the flickering torchlight, Kexx immediately recognized the warrior sitting to the left, staring at Kexx open-mouthed, as if one of zer long-returned ancestors had just walked through the door. Wrappings around the warrior’s leg where Kexx’s spear had skewered it just days earlier confirmed zer identity. This was the Dweller who had led the ambush. Ze wasn’t alone. A trio of advisors sat sprinkled around the room, while bearers filled in the rest of the circle. Probably the chief’s private harem.
“Surprised to see me again so soon?” Kexx asked.
“I don’t know you,” ze said flatly, eyes darting around to zer circle of bearers.
“We weren’t properly introduced. But I can see your leg remembers my spear. My name is Kexx. What is your name, Chief of the Dwellers?”
An angry chorus of voices rose up from the circle, the skin of the assembled advisors and bearers a swirl of patterns and light. Only one of them, a small bearer two seats down from the warrior kept zer calm. Ze even smiled faintly.
