Mage Prime (Book 2) (13 page)

Karryl proceeded to recount everything that had happened after D’ta had spirited Symon away from the hall. Beginning with the arrival of Evalin, he went into great detail about the enchantment of the children. Symon’s blue eyes turned steely as he listened, then twinkled when he heard of the presence of Redmond in the city. Karryl’s description of Dhoum’s arrival, and the gathering in the snug of the inn drew quite a few chuckles and nods of approval. The thing which surprised Karryl most was Symon’s obvious delight over the heavy warding Dhoum had placed on the apartment before they left.

A wide grin appeared on his little round face as he rested his folded hands on the table. “Very well done! It’s all beginning to fall into place.” Tapping his index finger on the table he looked up into Karryl’s face. “Perhaps it’s just as well I wasn’t there, or Dhoum would have had nowhere to sleep.” He gave a little chuckle as a thought occurred to him. “Or perhaps you wouldn’t! Anyway, it all seems to have worked out for the best and as I said before, Dhoum wouldn’t have brought you if there was any possibility things were going to get out of hand, especially at this late stage. Strange about Redmond though. He must have taken over from D’ta for some reason.”

Karryl nodded, his eyes widening as he remembered something Evalin had said. “Of course! Redmond was supposed to be tutoring me in your absence, but it seems Dhoum had other ideas and I ended up here. I hope Redmond won’t be too put out.” The young magician frowned as he remembered something else. “How old is he by the way? Evalin said he was older than any of us but only looks quite young.”

Symon chuckled and tapped his temple with his forefinger. “There is certainly a mine of information within this old skull of mine, but that is a question I cannot truthfully answer. Perhaps if I see Dhoum I can get him to find out a bit more for us in the next few days. I’m not sure yet if this is his true home, but the word is that he seems to pop up fairly regularly.”

Karryl nodded, grinning as a couple of pretty blonde haired girls walked past the window and smiled at him.

Noticing the exchange, Symon leaned forward. “How’s Aenys these days? You haven’t mentioned her for a while.”

Karryl smiled, not only as he thought of Aenys, but also at the little magician’s transparency. “I haven’t seen her for a week or two, what with everything that’s been going on, although Braen did give me a wave from across the market when I was down there. I’d have probably heard if there was anything amiss. She answered the letter I sent her just after the grelfon incidents and everything was fine then.”

His brow suddenly furrowed, acute concern evident in his dark brown eyes. “Suppose there’s another attack while we’re here. How will we know? Would we be able to go back straight away?”

Symon raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting in a knowing curve. “Don’t worry. I think we can rest assured everything will be taken care of should the necessity arise... which makes me wonder whether there’s more to the arrival of Redmond than we first thought.”

He sat for a moment or two, rubbing his chin, obviously pondering something. Pushing back his chair he stood up. “Excuse me for a few moments Karryl. I’ll... ahh.” Turning to see who or what had stopped Symon in his tracks, Karryl caught sight of Tukrin standing in the doorway.

He began to stand up from the table but Symon placed a hand on his shoulder. “Before you dash off, I’ll just say that I probably won’t see you again until we’re back in Vellethen, unless Dhoum decides to take us back together. At this stage, the things you have to do, and the things that I have to do are completely different. Anyway, you go with Tukrin now. There is something I have to find out, and then I have a tutorial.”

Before Karryl could say anything further, Symon had scuttled off down the length of the dining hall, only pausing to give Tukrin a brief greeting as he stepped outside. Leaving the table, Karryl put aside his used plate and cutlery, and turned his long-legged stride in his master’s wake. He was soon standing beside the purple-robed tutor.

“Master Karryl. Did you enjoy your meal?”

“Yes. Thank you, although some of the dishes looked rather strange, but there were plenty that I recognised, so I don’t think I’ll starve for a while.”

With a satisfied nod, Tukrin started walking towards the far side of the square. Indicating that Karryl should accompany him he led the way through a wide arch into a dimly lit cavern, smaller by far than the one they had just left. As Tukrin led him towards the back of what seemed no more than a large cave, Karryl could see that this was actually the entrance to a wide, dimly lit tunnel.

Just inside, Tukrin stopped, blue eyes twinkling as he indicated the tunnel’s curving length. “I hope you’ve been keeping yourself fit, Master Karryl. We have a long walk ahead of us. Not particularly difficult, but long.”

Karryl gave a wry smile. “Symon would say that the exercise will do me good and he’d probably be right. Thank you, Tukrin. I don’t think you should be calling me Master though. I still have to pass my final test before I’m worthy of that title. Despite what Master Symon and the others might say to the contrary, it’s not a foregone conclusion by any means. The final test is the longest and hardest of all. At present I am still an apprentice.” He made a wry face. “In any other field I would be ranked a journeyman, but I’ve yet to hear of a journeyman magician.”

With a smile, Tukrin nodded his understanding. “Then plain Karryl it will be. Now, there is something I would very much like you to see. Knowledge of it may help you to understand further the workings of the world on which you live, as this is not unique to us. What is unique is the way that we have harnessed it.”

Karryl frowned slightly as he realised that this was the second time Tukrin had used the term. “Harnessed it? What kind of monster is it that needs to be harnessed?”

Karryl lengthened his stride as Tukrin chuckled and increased his pace. “Not a monster. Not in the way you were inferring anyway. But it is certainly large and very powerful. Now, it would be better if we saved our breath for walking.”

The smooth-floored tunnel was wide enough for three to walk comfortably side by side, although Karryl was conscious of the ceiling’s arc only a few hand-spans above the top of his head. For a while they followed the tunnel’s long curving route, until it began to straighten out. Like an arrow, its length disappeared into the dark grey, quartz-speckled rock. Karryl also had the distinct impression that it had a gradual downward gradient, the far end seeming to plunge into a darkness barely relieved by the soft, widely spaced lights which shone un-flickering from high on the tunnel walls.

The pair strode along, the rock-bound silence barely relieved by their soft-booted foot-falls, and occasional murmured question or comment. After about five minutes steady walking, Karryl began to detect a slight increase in the shallow downward gradient. At the same time he became aware of a barely audible humming reaching him through the soles of his feet. The tunnel took a long curve to the right, opening out a few paces later onto a wide, roughly circular area. On the far side of this, the dark yawning mouth of the next section of tunnel could be seen.

The flameless lights, set into regularly spaced niches high along the walls, were beginning to intrigue Karryl. He noticed that they were somewhat larger and brighter here. The steady light revealed a heavy wrought metal gate crafted to fit the height and width of the tunnel. As they crossed the broad area towards it, Karryl felt a strange but recognisable sensation on his skin. He spun round, scanning the space he and Tukrin had just crossed. For the briefest instant he thought he saw a shimmering on a small section of the wall to his right. He began to step quietly towards it.

The mellow sound of Tukrin’s voice inside his head brought him up short. “
Is
there a problem, Karryl?”

It took him a moment to assess what he had just experienced. He replied without turning, concentrating on projecting the thought he wanted to convey, free of extraneous clutter. “I’m sure I sensed something. I’m also fairly certain that a part of the wall shimmered, but it all seems normal now.”

Hearing Tukrin chuckle, Karryl turned round. From a pocket in his purple robe the tutor had drawn a large key which he inserted into a lock set in the gate. It turned easily and the gate swung smoothly back on well oiled hinges until it fitted snugly into the recess carved for it in the rock wall.

Stepping through the gate, Tukrin beckoned Karryl to follow. “You are not the first to say they have seen or heard things in these tunnels. Each report has been investigated but nothing has ever been found. We have long ago come to the conclusion that these phenomena are caused by the powerful and continuous processes taking place far below us and are nothing to be concerned about.”

Not entirely convinced, Karryl gave Tukrin a long look. “Under normal circumstances I have the ability to detect the use of magic, and what I felt was very similar. Even though you say the Talmion discipline cannot be used here, there could possibly be others which may be of some effect.”

He turned and looked back at the spot on the wall. Giving a dismissive shrug, he turned back to Tukrin. “Anyway, there seems to be nothing there now, so we may as well carry on. As you said, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about.”

The purple-robed tutor nodded in tacit agreement. Pushing the heavy gate closed, he locked it behind them and dropped the key back into his deep pocket. “Even if you have strong nerves, I suggest that you still hold on to the handrail. The flight of stairs at the end of this section of tunnel is long and rather steep. There is a landing halfway down where we can sit and rest our legs before we cover the final part of the journey.”

Karryl looked relieved. “I’ll be glad of that. I don’t think I’ve walked that far for a long time, although I have had a fair bit of enforced exercise lately.”

Tukrin’s expression was thoughtful. “You must tell me about that while we rest at the landing. I have been given a broad outline but I would appreciate it if you would fill in some of the details.”

A wry smile crossed Karryl’s face. “It’s not pretty, and I must admit I was terrified at the time. Still, I think it would be good to talk about it again. How far down are we going?”

It was Tukrin’s turn to smile. “Quite a long way. You’ll also find that it’s getting rather warm. By the time we reach our destination, the noise generated by the powers of nature deep below will make normal conversation almost impossible. That’s one of the reasons why the landing was built. Shall we start down?”

As they strode along the tunnel towards the stairway he turned to Karryl. “Do you want to go first? You might find it preferable to staring at my back for the next few hundred feet.”

Despite his normally imperturbable and level headed character, Karryl’s mouth fell open as he realised what Tukrin had just said. “Few hundred feet! Is that to where we’re going, or just to the landing?”

Tukrin gave him a wide grin, seeming highly amused by his young companion’s apparent dismay. “Oh. That’s just to the landing. It’s been placed exactly halfway. Don’t worry. Although the stairs are steeply inclined, it is in fact quite an easy progress. There is no danger of any kind for us to be troubled by.”

Karryl’s expression was abject. “That’s all very well, but there is the small matter of coming back to consider.”

Tukrin patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. “That isn’t a problem. We won’t be returning this way. Look. We’re nearly there.”

He hurried forward, then stopped and gestured to the flight of stone stairs which appeared to thrust endlessly downwards. “After you.”

Grasping the iron handrail, Karryl started downwards. He had soon developing a steady loping rhythm on the evenly spaced steps, taking them two at a time as his confidence increased. Detecting a slight curve in the direction of the stairs he decided to stop and take a look behind him, simply to ask Tukrin how much further it was to the landing. There was no sign of him.

Karryl waited for a few moments, using the opportunity to rub at his over-flexed leg muscles, then started back up the stairway. “Tukrin! Are you up there?”

The tutor’s voice drifted faintly down to him. “It’s all right. You carry on down. I’ve noticed something up here that requires attention. I’ll deal with it and then follow you down.”

Karryl frowned. He couldn’t immediately think of anything they had passed which might require attention. Assuming it was probably something that, being a stranger, he wouldn’t have noticed anyway, he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders and turned round again. The flameless lights set into the walls briefly flickered and dimmed before flaring then settling again to their normal steady glow. Assuming it must have been the lights that Tukrin was going to look at, Karryl started down the stairs again and rounded the curve he had arrived at previously. Far below him he saw the landing which Tukrin had mentioned, where they were to rest and have their talk. Unlike the tunnel and the stairs, the landing was wide and brightly lit, inviting him to relieve his senses of the claustrophobic feeling which threatened to engulf him.

Resuming his two-step lope, he quickly reached the ostensibly more tangible security of the wide stone platform. Gratefully he sank onto the seat which had been carved out of the left-hand rock wall. To his surprise he found the surface pleasantly warm. There was still no sign of Tukrin. Leaning back against the wall, Karryl closed his eyes for a few moments. The quiet humming he had heard during their progress through the tunnel had increased to a steady even rumble which translated itself through his body. With a smile, Karryl compared it to being pressed against a huge purring cat. When he opened his eyes there was still neither sight nor sound of Tukrin. He studied the top of the next flight of stairs, set at a right angle to the first, a few feet away from where he sat.

With a sigh, he stood up and strolled across the few paces to the bottom of the stairs. “Tukrin! Are you coming down?”

There was no reply. Karryl called again, but still there was no answer. Detecting a fluctuation in air pressure, his skin went cold and began to register an unpleasant crawling sensation. Keeping a firm grip on the handrail he turned and looked back up, but the gradual curve of the staircase barred his view to the top. Slowly the flameless lights began to dim, and instinctively Karryl knew something was seriously wrong. Swiftly, he turned and began a hasty retreat, just as the lights went out altogether, stopping him in his tracks as he was plunged into an absolute and almost palpable darkness. There was no access for any vestige of natural light into this deep subterranean chamber. Holding out his hand he sidled to his left until it came into contact once more with the cold iron of the hand-rail. With his shoulder pressed against the wall he started to pull himself slowly hand over hand up the rail. Groping for the steps with his toes, he scanned his memory for even the smallest snippet which could prove helpful in what he felt was a critical situation. Half a dozen fumbling steps further up he stopped, cursing himself for a fool. Gingerly he turned himself round and felt his way back to the level uncluttered surface of the landing, with its high straight walls and distant ceiling.

Uncertain as to what contradictory powers or forces he would undoubtedly have to contend with, but equally certain that nothing would be gained by not trying, he stretched out his arms in front of him, palms upwards, Beginning a deep resonant humming, a single note at first, but gradually ascending thorough a complex series of minor notes, Karryl allowed himself a brief smile as it echoed and re-echoed around the landing. Summoning every ounce of his concentration he fixed an image above the palms of his hands, raised his voice a half octave, and increased the volume. The sounds began to whirl around the chamber as they bounced off the walls, while beads of perspiration seeped out under his hairline to trickle slowly down the sides of his face.

Lifting his chin he raised the note another quarter octave. Hard-pressed not to falter, he suppressed the rush of success as the lines in the palms of his hands became visible. A tiny shining spot of light hovered above them. Shifting to a deeper, softer note, he worked to expand the minute brightness. Swiftly it enlarged, its silvery, shadow-less light filling the chamber. With a smooth even note and the tiniest boost of power, Karryl stabilised the spell, then gradually ceased his soft humming. Giving silent thanks to the long-dead magician Perimus whose light he had just conjured, he started back up the long flight of stairs, the globe of soft white light hovering just above his right shoulder.