The Gate Beyond Oblivion, page 32
part #1 of Oblivion's Gate Series
Brandt didn’t see Azaleth’s attack. He thought he saw something small hovering in the air next to the young man, but then he blinked and it was gone. He glanced over toward the Lolani in time to see one of the warriors collapse.
Brandt turned back to Azaleth, his mind searching for an explanation of what he’d just seen.
Azaleth grimaced in concentration, and when Brandt looked toward the valley’s mouth, both Lolani warriors were lying motionless upon the rocks.
Behind them, Alena and Ana stood and approached. Azaleth sagged for a moment before regaining his strength. “That was close. The second warrior realized what was happening a moment too late. He still almost stopped me.”
Brandt tried to hide his surprise, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded.
How?
A small voice in the back of his head complained. Those Lolani had been his responsibility. How dare Azaleth assume that burden?
When Ana and Alena reached them, a small celebration began. Alena, in particular, beamed at the young man.
The group traveled to the mouth of the valley, and Brandt looked down at the bodies motionless on the rocks. They each had small holes in their heads. One was perfectly centered, and the other looked like it had almost missed.
Brandt looked up at Azaleth.
So this was the power of the Etari.
Still, there was more work to be done.
Azaleth seemed to feel the same. He was crouched over a pile of stone. A moment after Brandt noticed the behavior, the Etari called them to him.
Azaleth brushed small stone to the side with his hand, and Brandt saw what had attracted his attention.
There was a path, buried by generations of neglect.
It led straight up the valley.
There were no coincidences.
Someone, long ago, had built a path to the gate.
58
Alena crouched, remaining well out of view of the mouth of the cave. About a dozen paces ahead, the other three were hiding behind a boulder, strategizing an approach to the cave where another four Lolani stood guard. Alena didn’t possess a military mind, but she could guess the problem easily enough. Azaleth’s same trick wouldn’t work twice. Their very presence meant they had fought and killed the Lolani down the valley.
Alena had taken one glance at the cave entrance and retreated away from the others. The cave was a tall slit in an enormous granite wall. The darkness within seemed absolute, and the four Lolani men standing guard looked serious about their task.
All of that frightened her, but none of it bothered her as much as the paved stones they had followed up the valley. The path had been broken by roots and rubble, the ravages of time taking their toll, but its existence wasn’t in doubt.
Someone, long ago, had built a path up to the cave they were seeking. That path had been destroyed, not just by time, but by someone.
The thought that itched at her, though, was that she had no idea who had built the path or why. She knew the history of this area. The academy had drilled it into her throughout her childhood.
They had always been taught no one had been here before the empire arrived around two hundred years ago. Anders I built Landow, which was said to be the first true civilization this far north.
But this path spoke another truth. A path like this required months, if not years, of effort. The sections of the path that remained unbroken revealed excellent craftsmanship, a care that echoed down through the years.
This path hadn’t been made by the empire. Hunters and trappers traveled occasionally in these mountains, but that was about all. The terrain was too rough except for the pass the road out of Landow followed.
She had been lied to, and not for the first time.
When she had first learned of the Lolani and the second continent, she believed it was a mistake. After all, Azaleth made Palagia sound very far away. Perhaps even the emperor hadn’t known about it.
But there was no excuse for this. There was no way the emperor hadn’t known about whoever came here before. This wasn’t a mistake, but a deliberate lie. And the lie had attracted the Lolani across an ocean. Her family was in danger, and Alena wasn’t even sure why.
She had put together enough information to have some idea what transpired before her. Kye had found a gate in the mountains, the source of gatestones, which provided those with affinities some additional strength. But was that enough of a reason to risk crossing an ocean, to invade a foreign land with only a small force? It couldn’t be. There had to be more, but she couldn’t guess what.
Unlike the others, she looked down the valley they had climbed up. So she was the only one who saw the wolf padding toward them. It stared at them with undisguised curiosity, but it took Alena a few moments to realize the wolf’s behavior wasn’t natural.
“Azaleth.” She spoke just loud enough for him to hear her. When he turned, she pointed to the wolf.
He understood faster than she did. He tapped Brandt on the shoulder. “We’ve been spotted by one of their soulwalkers.” He dug a stone out of his bag just as the wolf sprinted forward.
Alena froze. Without preparation she had no way to defend herself. Her knife was a poor weapon against the wolf’s fangs. She leaped out of the wolf’s way as Azaleth launched a rock at the charging beast. In his hurry he missed.
The wolf turned to follow Alena, and Azaleth tried again as Alena scrambled back. The Etari hunter had a full view of the wolf, but his hurry again affected his aim, the rock spinning off high. But it still cut into the wolf, near its backbone.
The wolf went stiff, limbs flailing as it fell over, growling.
Slowly, Alena’s senses returned to her. Though the wolf was dying, it stared at her with unnatural hatred. It was a wolf, and yet not a wolf.
The soulwalker remained in the wolf’s body. But why? It was crippled and dying. Surely it didn’t serve a purpose any longer.
A shout from Ana tore Alena’s attention away from the animal. The Lolani were coming down from the cave. Somehow, they knew where Alena and the others hid.
Brandt swore. “At least four against four is a fair fight.”
Azaleth made a negative hand gesture. “Alena should remain behind.”
Brandt gave Azaleth a skeptical look, then glanced to Alena. She nodded. “I’m more a hindrance than a help in a fight.”
He made the decision quickly. “Fine. Stay out of sight. If the worst comes to pass, maybe they’ll forget you were here.”
Alena didn’t think that was likely, but she nodded. If it made him feel better, who was she to take that from him?
The three stepped out from behind the boulder. Alena thought she saw a rock pass back and forth between the Lolani and Azaleth, but they were prepared, and his Etari techniques wouldn’t work. Swords were drawn, and the fight would be decided with steel.
Alena watched from cover for a few moments. Brandt was one of the best swordsmen she had ever seen. In her years with the Etari, she had seen any number of strong warriors, but Brandt’s skill was something beyond those. Even the Lolani, strong as they were, fell back before the speed and accuracy of his blade.
She turned back to the wolf, her natural curiosity too strong to be ignored. The soulwalker was still in there, but the wolf had gone perfectly still. Alena assumed Azaleth’s errant aim had shattered the animal’s backbone.
Her curiosity pulled her forward. She took one hesitant step, then another. When she came within three paces the wolf snapped at her and growled, but it couldn’t move its legs. She stepped around it until she was near its hindquarters. She took another step, growing more confident that it couldn’t attack her.
Alena squatted down next to the wolf, laying her hand on it. She couldn’t say why she did. Curiosity, perhaps, or something deeper.
As soon as her hand touched the wolf’s pelt, she felt her.
The soulwalker.
The sensation was unfamiliar to Alena, but when she touched the wolf, the world unfolded like a flower before her, lines of interconnectedness spreading throughout the land. For a few heartbeats, she swore she could see the web with her eyes open.
One strand of the web was stronger than the others, more vivid to her senses. It ran from the wolf to the caves, deep within.
An invisible hand shoved at her, pushing her away from the wolf. The web between her and the wolf flared to life for a moment and she fell back, the connection severed.
But something still lingered, a knowledge she felt deep within her bones, an awareness she’d always had but never noticed. She blinked, catching movement in the corner of her eye.
One of the Lolani guards lay unmoving on the rocks, and another collapsed as Azaleth cut deep across his stomach. Her friends appeared to be winning, even though she saw several cuts on Azaleth’s arms. They would be fine, she hoped.
Alena turned back to the wolf. She steeled herself and put her hand in the wolf’s fur, grabbing tight.
Her world shifted again, the web reappearing. The attack came faster this time, a wave of pressure washing over her. Alena grimaced but imagined rooting herself like a tree. The wave passed.
For a moment, her mental landscape was silent. She still felt the Lolani soulwalker’s presence, quiet and ominous somewhere in the distance. There was a third presence, completely unfamiliar. She turned to study it, reason failing her.
She allowed herself to approach the final presence, noticing a white-hot pain radiating from it.
It was the wolf.
In agony from Azaleth’s weapon.
Alena’s heart went out to the beast, and in that moment, the Lolani soulwalker attacked again.
This time, Alena was even more prepared. She felt herself rooted, then used those roots to push against the soulwalker. She knew how the attack felt and responded in kind. But while Alena couldn’t be moved, she couldn’t budge the other woman. She breathed deep, trying to push harder, but to no avail.
A faint warmth spread through her abdomen, gradually growing in intensity.
Her gatestone.
She focused her will on the stone, letting her inner energy flow through. As soon as she did, a new well of power opened itself to her. Effortless energy.
Still engaged in a mental battle, she gently shoved at the Lolani soulwalker. The other presence disappeared as quickly as she could snap her fingers. Alena hadn’t expected that. Now it was just her and the wolf.
Tentatively, she reached out and touched the wolf’s presence.
Her world shifted wildly. She was lying on her side, needles of pain stabbing up and down her body. Colors weren’t what they should be, but the smells, the smells were richer than anything she’d ever experienced.
Alena tore herself away and let go of the wolf. She still felt that invisible web, but her awareness was her own. In front of her, the wolf let out a whimper.
Alena drew her knife across its throat. Better it not know pain any longer. She wiped the blade on the wolf’s fur and sheathed it. She looked up and saw Brandt finish off the last of the Lolani.
The other three stood there, victorious and tired. They had hiked quickly all day, only to fight in vicious combat. But none of them knew what she had just been through.
Looking at Brandt, she suddenly felt ashamed. This skill was something similar to what had destroyed him for years, which still haunted him today. The Etari looked upon it as a curse.
She wouldn’t tell them. What happened would never be repeated.
Azaleth motioned for her to join them, which she did eagerly. Her companions appeared tired but whole. Azaleth had taken the worst of it with a cut on his left arm and one on his back. Fortunately, neither were deep.
Brandt looked up to the cave. “We’ve killed over half their warriors. We need to find the rest before they can complete whatever ritual they plan. I’ll take the lead.” Without even leaving time for an argument, he walked up to the cave mouth and disappeared inside.
Ana looked worried, but she squared her shoulders and followed him.
Azaleth walked with her to the mouth of the cave. Brandt and Ana stood inside, each holding an ancient torch. They were shuffling forward, torches held high above their heads. The crack became so narrow it squeezed them on either side. Alena swore.
Her hands became slick with sweat and her heart pounded in her chest.
Her brother was in there, along with a man of unbelievable strength, five strong warriors, and three soulwalkers. They’d been fortunate thus far, but their luck couldn’t hold forever. If she descended into that absolute darkness, she was certain she would never see the light again.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Then she opened them and stepped into the dark.
59
The crack widened after about a hundred paces, opening up into a dark tunnel of broken rock. The passage was barely tall enough for Brandt, and he had to carefully pick his way over the sharp stone. The path angled down, turning at random intervals. It didn’t take long for him to feel completely lost. But there was only the one tunnel, so he for now he could dismiss his disorientation.
The group remained silent except for their heavy breathing and the sound of their feet against the stone. An occasional curse washed over him as one of their party slipped or stubbed their toes against the uneven ground.
They needed rest. They’d gained elevation all day, and this path before them was anything but easy going. But they didn’t have time. His only comfort was knowing that those they pursued had made the same hike. When they met, exhaustion would be a factor for them all.
The tunnel abruptly leveled out, surprising them. Brandt stumbled, caught himself, then noticed the darkness ahead of him had a different quality to what he had seen before. He kept walking, his torchlight finally finding the end of the tunnel.
When he stepped out of the tunnel, he stopped in surprise. The tunnel let out into a long chamber of smooth stone.
When Ana came through with the second torch, more details revealed themselves. The chamber wasn’t a single room, but a hallway. The walls were smooth and even, demonstrating a skill even modern masons would be challenged to display.
For a few moments, their wonder halted their progress.
What was this?
He’d never heard any stories of people dwelling underneath the mountains, or any legends of this type of work. But the evidence was right in front of him.
He shook his head, clearing the thoughts away. The hallway opened up in both directions, and they needed to find the Lolani and Kye before they reached the gate. But which way did they go? He looked down the hallway, but the smooth floor evidenced no marks of passage.
Alena closed her eyes. Brandt wondered if she’d become too tired to continue. Then her eyes opened, a fresh determination within. She pointed. “This way.”
Brandt didn’t know how she was so certain, but he had trusted her this far. He would continue to do so. He took the lead, torch held off to the side so as not to completely blind him from any dangers ahead. Alena and Azaleth followed, with Ana taking the rear with the other torch.
The hallway opened up into another room, larger than the average room in a house. Like the hallway, the stone was smooth.
The greater problem was that several hallways were connected to the room. Alena closed her eyes again and pointed.
Brandt didn’t like being forced to trust someone this much, but lacking better options, he agreed. They turned down the hallway Alena indicated, their footsteps echoing in their ears.
When they turned a corner they came upon a woman, pale even in the light of the torches. She lay on her back, her eyes open and glassy, staring at the ceiling. She made no movement as they neared, even when they approached closer.
“She’s one of the soulwalkers,” Alena said.
Brandt turned to her, surprised. Something in Alena’s tone implied she knew more than she said. He took a guess. “Did you do this?”
She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.
The woman was breathing, and despite her complete stillness, seemed healthy enough.
But she was an enemy, too dangerous to leave behind them. Brandt didn’t like his decision, but it was necessary. He ran his sword over her throat. She died without even a grimace.
They should all be so lucky to travel to the gates unburdened.
Alena gasped, but no one else made any comment. It was an ugly thing, but the risk was too high. He couldn’t allow the soulwalker to wake behind them.
They continued on. His stomach felt queasy.
Killing someone who was actively trying to kill you was one thing. But slitting the throat of a woman lying prone on the floor? His body told him that was murder, no matter how he justified it.
He pushed the thoughts down. He could worry about his soul later, after the empire was safe.
However, the presence of the soulwalker did make one fact clear: Alena’s information was good. Brandt still didn’t know how, but she knew, or at least had some clue, about where they were going. That, at least, was one burden off his shoulders. Even if he couldn’t explain it.
Wonder after wonder unfolded before them. Not every hallway or chamber was smooth stone. Whoever had built these structures also made use of a natural cave system. They came upon one room in particular where the ceiling stood far above them, so high the torches barely illuminated the stalactites hanging above. Another room had built a space for a natural pool. At times, slivers of light filtered down from high above.
The size of the place confounded his imagination. Either this had taken a great number of people many years, or several lifetimes had gone into this construction. The complex was a maze he could spend months exploring. Thankfully, Azaleth regularly left one of his stones behind, marking a path they could return on. He was grateful the Etari possessed such foresight. He hadn’t thought about it until too late.
Alena kept guiding them, stopping on occasion to close her eyes and perform whatever technique she used to track them. Brandt guessed it had something to do with the dead soulwalker behind them, but couldn’t say more.
