Dusk Falling (Book 1) (44 page)

When the path in which they walked began to widen and the walls were tapering as they grew steadily higher, Genlo was forced to drop to the ground. The torches light began to fade but they found they no longer needed it.

Ahead, the way was lit by the bright light of the GoldenSphere for ahead lay the exit to the Sigilarian Stairwell.

Chapter 31

Stepping out blinking in the sphereshine, it was not difficult for the team of five to surmise they no longer stood upon the lands of Demaria, that they had passed by way of the Stairwell to come to a place that rarely held footsteps such as theirs. Everywhere the eye turned, the grounds were lush with green clover and fern. Saplings grew alongside grand towering trees with leaves larger than a man’s handspread. The wind blew with it the scent of fresh water and foliage. Butterflies of blue and yellow flit about flowers of every color of the rainbow.

The exit to the Stairwell was a single spire that lay behind them. The spire was clear of moss or creeping vines, in much better condition than the entrance that lay on Demarian soil.

“This way…” SkyRift directed, knowing they should not tarry in the Sigil’s lands. He felt a pull on his mind and knew where he should lead them. He kept his eyes averted from the splendor.

“It is more magnificent than I could ever have imagined.” Agemeer spoke, his awe coming across through his mindspeech.

“Truly told.” Serrtin said. Even she was moved by its perfection.

Aya could feel the life-force around her. It was everywhere and nowhere was there any sign of wilt, any taint to its beauty. She breathed it in, feeling refreshed at being outside once again. Time had passed within the walls of the Sigilarian Stairwell. Without the GoldenSphere it was difficult to pinpoint how many days it took to find their way through the floors to the Sigil but Aya speculated it could be as many as a half-dozen days. In truth, it was closer to three weeks. Not only was the Stairwell capable of bending the surroundings into optical illusion, time held within its bespelled stone was stretched or thinned depending on non-sentient whim.

“Please hurry. We are close but still have a trek before us and these lands are not as inviting as one might think. Remember, this is the home of the Divinari and they do not take kindly to anyone other than their own- even those who pass by way of the Stairwell.” SkyRift informed them, sweeping the immediate area with his senses. He decided to keep his mental shields down, hoping that should they draw unwanted attention, his being a Kiyomouri would be something the Divinari would notice though he held little doubt it would not help them much in gaining leeway with his greater more powerful cousins. Not that SkyRift needed to but it also let
Him
know they were close.

With his shields lowered, he could feel the minds of his companions. Their closeness prompted him to bring the shields back up just a little, having temporarily forgotten that two were mage-trained and would find it easy to enter those boundaries. Not that he thought they would invade his privacy but he worried for what they might find should they come across accidentally. The Kiyomouri felt a small tug at his mind and followed it, knowing what awaited him and his friends.

SkyRift steered them as far around the strongest life-forces he could without adding unwanted length to their walk. The four trailed him without question, trusting him to lead them to where they should go. They were still in awe of the world in which they found themselves, having put out of their minds temporarily the gravity of their situation and what they planned to do having now completed the Stairwell’s trial. They wanted to post their questions to one of the greatest creatures inhabiting Selnaria, that task should not ever be taken lightly. As his eyes drifted up to the canopy high above them, he wondered if they would get the chance to do just that. Would
He
allow it?

The leaves of the trees chimed a song of their own, accompanying them down a gentle grade. Their steps led them along side a green mountain. SkyRift moved around to the east side and then up the decline. The going was fairly easy, the ground looked to have been smoothed of rough edges by the passage of something very large.

Within a candlemark’s time, the team found themselves standing before a yawning cavern. The shadows were thick, making it impossible to see inside. The plantlife that hung down moved as if stirred by a breeze.
Inside
, SkyRift’s mind beckoned. “Here, you will have your answers.” He said, turning to face them. “Please show them respect in your questioning for the Divinari do not hold any compunctions about killing creatures they believe are insignificant. Expect little if you offend…”

SkyRift was satisfied when their expressions paled as they came to terms with what lie beyond this doorway. He wanted to impress upon them further as he stood there observing them tight-lipped but he felt the tug on his mind becoming impatient. With deep breaths filling their lungs and spines straight, the team prepared to head in. None other than SkyRift had spoken since their first words on stepping out onto the Sigil; none spoke now but for reasons other than wonderment.

The darkness inside the cavern slid over them like oil, enveloping them and making it difficult even for those with the ability to see in low light. Aya and Genlo knew the light to be unnatural, having to focus more than
normal on their energies to see the way in front of them. It was quiet except for the breeze that ruffled their hair and clothing.

The cavern was dry and warm without being stifling. The air was fresh so there must be a second entrance to the cave somewhere else. Twenty feet in, the cavern grew even larger. It was as if the mountain itself had been carved out. The walls glistened with sheer rock and crystal.

Even the majesty of the Sigil itself could not prepare them for what lay before them. Raw veins of metal decorated the smooth walls but it was the floor that drew the eye for it was made of pure gold. Flattened and polished by the breath of a Divinari, the gold twinkled and beckoned, its worth easy a kings ransom. The golden floor swept up gracefully to form a ledge that overlooked the chamber and atop that ledge laid the master of such a lofty domain. The Divinari’s head rested upon a pillow of unrefined ruby, his tail encircled a scepter of the deepest onyx. He was larger, much larger, than any of the team could have expected. All of them had seen SkyRift in his dragon form; this dragon could have bitten clean through the Kiyomouri’s torso.

The Divinari’s eyes of richest emerald were resting on them long before they reached the inner chamber for he knew what transpired the moment the non-kind stepped out of the Stairwell. Vermarryn reigned in his energy and waited with a patience he did not always exhibit. He was not a forgiving creature; he did not have to be. Something stayed his claw. But that did not mean he would welcome such weak creatures who blithely walk into his lair. Vermarryn’s sensitive nostrils sniffed, breathing in the scent of their lifeforces and he was not impressed. A low growl issued from his throat, rumbling through the floor on which the mortals walked.

The sight and sound froze them fast, pinning them where they stood as the Divinari rose to his feet. Slinking down from his ledge with an elegance that seemed unfathomable in something so gigantic, the dragon breathed out and the gust nearly knocked the five to the ground. From his right, a fire burst into being as his thoughts lit the kindling in a large silver vat that could fit two full grown Larren standing boot-to-shoulder. The light shed brought his body into clear view.

His scales were each roughly the size of a knight’s shield and were a gradated shade of pale green. Where the light hit, each scale shined prismatic in a multitude of colors. His sleek muscling rippled and flowed when he moved. The twisting horns that graced his head were clear as glass. His unblinking eyes missed nothing and gave in return only cold contempt. “Your false form irritates me (irritates me). Do you enjoy hiding behind a treacherous façade, Kiyomouri (treacherous façade, Kiyomouri)?”

His commanding voice was painful in their minds, leaving echoes of displeasure that rebounded in their ears. They could not block it out. SkyRift visibly shook as the brunt of the Divinari’s attention focused solely on him. He tried to speak and failed. With eyes that shined in the brilliance of the fire, all he could manage was a truthful shake of his head. Vermarryn growled and wrung a gasp from the mortals who stood before him when he released a portion of his soul and let it whip across their minds. Mage-trained shields or not, its effects were felt for this was a Divinari- one of the near-immortal beings that were left to guard the Realm if not its people.

“Why is it you choose to stand before me, mortals (stand before me, mortals)?” Vermarryn drew back his energies and allowed them to take shaking breaths. He swept them with his imperious gaze. “The Sigilarian Stairwell may have passed you (may have passed you) but I, Vermarryn, do not (do not). Humans, lizard-folk, lesser dragons and demons (and demons)- despicable and unforgivable for daring to enter here (daring to enter here).”

“P-please, Great D-Divinari of the S-Sigil” Aya stammered out, fighting for control over her voice and her body. Willing her feet to listen, she forced herself to step away from her companions. She closed her dark eyes, fell back into her role as Circuit Hunter and remembered all the times she needed to quell the concerns of townsfolk, to settle fires that burned for revenge. She had been the team’s spokesperson.
Shecoulddothis
. “W-we journeyed here from the lands of Demaria to seek your wisdom. Only the wisdom of a Divinari can see us through this difficult time.”

Vermarryn did not respond right away as he stared down at the small girl. When she opened her eyes, he looked directly into her soul. “I will impart my thoughts only if you pass my test (pass my test).”

“Test? Wasn’t that what the Stairwell was about? To test for worthiness?” Genlo spouted, the hold the Divinari had on him fading. He did not enjoy being lorded over.

“Yes, a test (a test). The Stairwell chooses who are worthy to step foot upon our sacred grounds (our sacred grounds). It does not judge worth to speak to or be spoken to by us (spoken to by us).” Vermarryn said silkily, iron behind his tone. “Keep watch on that tongue of yours, demon (of yours, demon). Your kind are rarely tolerated here (rarely tolerated here).”

Aya turned fearful eyes to the Jrahda-trethen, afraid he might offend the Divinari further. His amber eyes flicked to her. “Then tell me what is involved in this test.”

“Not you (not you).” Vermarryn said abruptly.

“Then me? If it is a test of strength-” Serrtin said.

“Neither will it be you (be you).” The Divinari’s eyes slid to meet Aya’s.

“M-me?” Aya squeaked, hand unconsciously rising to rest at her throat. Her grandmother’s necklace was warm to the touch.

“If I do not like your answers or you attempt to deceive me (deceive me), none of you will be leaving here alive (leaving here alive).” Vermarryn lowered his snout, sending a tendril toward the Bren mage. He encountered the mental barrier that shielded her mind from him, still exhibiting patience, he waited till the barrier hesitantly slipped before going on. Human minds (and all other non-kind) were messy; their thoughts were scattered and uncollected, full of uncontrolled feelings and passions. Vermarryn was not there to pry or to defile, he only needed the direct contact. “Why are you here (here)?”

He watched the pictures unfold in her mind. They told the story. There was no duplicity in the retelling nor did the mage try to alter what Vermarryn saw. She stood quietly until the great dragon decided he had seen enough. “Why would you seek to do this (seek to do this)?”

The girl’s head ducked slightly, eyes shifting to the right and Vermarryn followed the suggestion. His eyes fell on the demon. She would seek to do this for him? A demon? No, the demons were gone now. That was a long time ago. This was the offspring of the Daemons who were gifted with the souls the Serrhnafae had taken from Terrena.

“What knowledge do you believe I possess that could assist you in helping this one (helping this one)?”

Then Vermarryn knew what they hoped he knew how to do. The Divinari drew back with a hiss, his long neck forming an ‘S’. “You wish to make mortal a
Deity
(You wish to make mortal a
Deity
)?! You wish to
kill
a
God
(You wish to
kill
a
God
)?!” The residual echo was overwhelming, causing them to cringe as their minds were assaulted with no restraint. “It is the Deities we serve (It is the Deities we serve). They are the only ones to command a Divinari (They are the only ones to command a Divinari) and yet you come here and expect us to tell you their secrets (and yet you come here and expect us to tell you their secrets)? Their weaknesses (Their weaknesses)? I should melt your bones where you stand for your insolence (I should melt your bones where you stand for your insolence).”

“Come now, Vermarryn, you are going to kill them if you don’t rein in your temper. Then where would that leave me..?”

Footsteps accompanied the voice from the tunnel leading out, drawing all the eyes, the Divinari’s as well.

The boy’s hair was the shade of a night-blooming star-orchid. His eyes were the color of mountain shale, as flat and cold as the stone itself. He was dressed in simple spun clothing beneath an engulfing cloak, hood thrown back. The boy could not have been much older than eight or ten but the aura, the very spirit, he projected was that of a very old soul. This was no simple child, no matter the strangeness of seeing a boy his age alone in the Sigil. But it was Vermarryn’s reaction that struck home most. The Divinari drew up abruptly as if someone hit him on the snout and he took a hesitant step back.

The team only saw a boy not even in his teenage years with strange eyes. Vermarryn however Saw something entirely different. The proud near-immortal being straightened his neck and bent it low, inches above the ground, knee bent in a position that could only be described as… homage, respect.