Six Celestial Swords (44 page)

Alere’s eyes narrowed, as if in consideration. And then he said, “I told you once before; you’re a terrible liar.”

Bastien smirked at the elf and his unflagging arrogance. “All right, I wanted to watch all of you. What are you going to do? Kill me over distrust? That seems to be a prominent art form with you, and you’re not even selective.” The blade slipped against Bastien’s throat, and he panicked. “Wait! Wait...just...”

The elf drew back slightly, and Bastien sighed. He started thinking, wondering how long Alere had been on to him. He didn’t dare tell him everything, but he had to tell him something. It had to be something he would believe.

“Xu Liang isn’t the only one looking for those Swords,” he hissed, more from pain than out of anger. His leg throbbed terribly, and the blood was soaking his pant leg, making him shiver. “There are other scholars, other factions, seeking them…seeking to understand them!”

“The term gypsy scholar is an absurd contradiction in words,” Alere told him icily. “Whatever made you think I would believe...”

“It’s true!” Bastien cried out, feeling the cold bite of the elf’s magic blade. “I’m no scholar. You’re right about that, but many of my superiors are very learned men and women.” Because Alere failed to kill him just then, Bastien continued. “Chaos is rising in the world. Those Phoenix Elves feel it, Xu Liang knows it...and you feel it yourself. Something must be done, but not just anything. I am member of a brotherhood that is committed to ensuring that Dryth maintains a balance. The forces of darkness are cleverer than you know. Sometimes what seems a good or just solution is actually the worst possible answer. Such matters have to be researched. We cannot have deluded and desperate people running about waking up ancient powers before anyone even truly knows which end of the spectrum they serve.”

Alere regarded him with little expression beyond disgust. He said, “
Aerkiren
slays the shadows. That is all I need to know to be convinced as to its function in this world.”

“And so you use the blade to slay evil, thus far without consequence.” Bastien spoke quickly, feeling the elf’s patience slipping away, like grains of sand in an hour glass. “But what of the others? What do you know about those weapons? Or the people who wield them, for that matter?”

“I know more of them than I care to know of you. This conversation is at an end, Bastien Crowe.” The elf moved quicker than thought. The blade slid away from the gypsy’s neck less than a second before the pommel struck the side of his head. A blackness deeper than the fear-spell of the Keirveshen fell over him.

THE STAIRS CAME to a flat span. The companions followed without straying from the general path created by Shirisae’s lead, uncertain as to whether or not they were in a great hall or on a bridge not much wider than the reach of their limited light. It didn’t help that Tarfan grumbled about tumbling or being thrown into the Abyss every time he thought he heard something he didn’t like.

“There it is again!” Tarfan hissed. “Do you hear that?”

“All I hear is you,” Fu Ran answered.

“You great lummox! Shut up and listen! It’s a skittering, scurrying noise, like rain or...”

“Rain?” Fu Ran laughed. It was a tense sound. “I don’t hear anything. I don’t feel anything either.”

“Now, look here, you...”

“Does it matter, Tarfan?” Tristus intervened, his voice hinting impatience though he tried to maintain a calm, even tone. “Let me know if you see something. Otherwise put up with the noises, and let’s try to keep up with Shirisae. This isn’t the kind of place I want to be lost in.”

“I don’t trust D’mitri either,” Fu Ran whispered, after Tristus unintentionally failed to mention the elf behind them.

He’d actually forgotten about him. Now he wanted to look back to see if Shirisae’s brother was still there, but he refrained. They could have killed them at any time. What reason would they have for not doing so earlier, if that was their intention? The thought didn’t comfort him anymore than it would have comforted his friends. Following blindly didn’t feel quite so foolish when he’d been following Xu Liang. They were lacking leadership now. Not someone to physically lead them along, but someone to keep them calm and even uplifted, as Xu Liang had. The mystic had rallied them to his cause, made them all determined to stay with it.

I fear I’m a poor substitute for an imperial tactician
, Tristus thought to himself. The thoughts that followed were interrupted by the sight of a great doorway—it was clearly several stories high—glowing a fiery orange. Tristus wanted to stop and gawk, but he kept onward, following Shirisae into the light that somehow failed to illuminate the space around them. As soon as he entered the doorway the cold of the mountains abandoned him, and he felt as if he’d entered a furnace. A quick look around let him know that he had.

“By the blasted hells,” Tarfan murmured in awe.

“By them?” Fu Ran said. “We’re in them!”

It certainly seemed that way. All around them, the smoothly sculpted walls were aglow with the constant light from a great pit of flame, its depth unfathomable. It seemed to span more than a mile ahead of them and untold miles in either direction, through two archways of equal grandeur to the first, though the latter seemed inaccessible by foot. Their purpose would likely remain a mystery. Beneath the first arch, the companions stood upon a wide ledge that narrowed into a bridge of stone spanning across the flaming chasm. The heat was incredible, but somehow no one complained of burning or sickness.

“You are safe from the shadows now,” Shirisae told them, turning to face the companions before proceeding onto the bridge.

“The shadows?” Taya asked, looking back to where D’mitri was just coming through the doorway.

“They followed us this far, but they will not enter here,” Shirisae continued, speaking over Tarfan’s ‘I told you so’ to Fu Ran. “Our armor blinds them to our souls, but none of you are so protected.”

She looked at Tristus. “It was the light of the blade you call
Dawnfire
that held them at bay. They fear it, just as they fear this fire.”

Tristus glanced at the platinum spear still glowing in his grasp. “The demon I first encountered didn’t seem so wary of it, and the bearer at the time was surely far more skilled than I can hope to be.”

“Nevertheless, here the shadows fear fire. The lower passages are infested with them, and it would have been almost impossible to lead you by this route if not for
Dawnfire
. We would have been forced to climb the exterior mountain paths. The time saved should benefit your friend.”

Before Tristus could respond, Shirisae turned back toward the bridge. “Know that the path is still dangerous and that we still have far to go before we reach the city of Vilciel, New Home to my people.”

“Why aren’t we melted to the bone yet?” Fu Ran asked. “I’m hardly sweating.”

“Dwarven architecture, my friend,” Tarfan said, proudly but also irritably. “You’ll find none better. Even the dragons knew that. The great lizards didn’t take well to cold, but it was about the only place in Dryth they could exist in relative peace, and so they constructed furnaces to keep their cold blood pumping. Since the arrogant reptiles didn’t want their slaves roasted—and the slaves didn’t want to roast—a ventilation system was devised to draw the heat where they needed it, and away from those they needed working.”

“Ventilation?” Tristus said. “This can’t be attributed simply to tunnels and shafts. It seems as if you could touch the flames themselves and still not get burned.”

“Yes, well don’t,” Tarfan advised. “Dragons have been known to lay down an enchantment here and there, but I guarantee that a lot of the coolness has to do with the structure of this chamber and the ones surrounding it.”

“Doesn’t anyone else wonder why the pit is still on fire if the dragons occupied this place hundreds of years ago?” Taya asked.

“Let’s not worry about that just at the moment,” Tristus said, before Tarfan could blurt one of the alarmist ideas undoubtedly crossing his mind. “Our priority is getting to Vilciel, quickly, before we lose Xu Liang.”

With that enforced, Tristus started after Shirisae.

The others followed in somber silence.

TAYA FROWNED UNSEEN, disliking these fire elves more by the second. If Tristus wasn’t blinded by friendship and his knightly duty to save an ally, maybe he wouldn’t have been so quick to trot after the proud, strong, elegant—and taller than a dwarf—Shirisae.

“The way she looks at him is really beginning to burn me,” Taya complained to Gai Ping, who naturally said nothing, since he wasn’t linguistically equipped to carry on a conversation that wasn’t in Fanese. “I thought elves were supposed to be attracted to other elves! Not that I’m interested. Of course, I’m not. He’s a human, after all, and much too stretched out for one of my perfect stature, but someone’s got to look out for him and it may as well be me! You know I’m right, Gai Ping, so just sit there and be quiet.”

The bodyguard glanced down at her upon hearing his name, but said nothing.

“I’m getting a really bad feeling about this place,” Taya concluded, gazing warily into the sea of fire they were crossing.

THE END OF the bridge proved only a brief reprieve. Another ocean of flame followed with another bridge to cross, just as narrow as the first. Tristus was beginning to have serious misgivings about this place, but there was nowhere else to go. Perhaps, if he’d been in Andaria, there might have been a master cleric to take Xu Liang to, one who knew something of more than surface wounds, who knew which prayers were most appropriate and how to speak them properly. Tristus’ training and skill lacked considerably since he’d abandoned his mother’s plans for the clergy in favor of knighthood. He hadn’t asked Taya, and because she hadn’t volunteered information that would contradict him, he doubted any herb was going to repair whatever damage had been done to Xu Liang as a result of his extreme exertion.

“Do not be troubled, knight,” Shirisae said, looking back at him, slowing her mount to let Blue Crane catch up. “You are proving yourself worthy of our god’s attention. You passed through shadows and left them cowering in your wake. You cross fire and do not panic.”

“I didn’t know the shadows were there.” Tristus said. “Not demons, at any rate. And I’ve a little too much on my mind for panicking.”

“These flames have been known to drive humans mad,” Shirisae informed. “Many have thrown themselves in, simply because they could not take waiting to fall.”

“Waiting can be difficult,” Tristus answered, glancing nervously at the erratic dance of the great fire. He thought of treasure seekers finding the endless gold of these flames and being driven to hysterics just from the disappointment. Tristus could not have imagined going through all that he’d gone through just for riches. To a greedy person, finding that those riches were non-existent must have been the felling blow. He shifted his focus momentarily to Xu Liang and considered that he might have a worse disappointment ahead of him.

“He will be restored,” Shirisae promised and he looked at her, wondering if restored was the proper word. Before he could say anything, the lady elf resumed her place at the front of the line.