The Gates of Night: The Dreaming Dark - Book 3 (33 page)

The mystic fire lasted for only a second, fading as swiftly as it had struck. Xu’sasar was already in motion, the point of her blade leveled at the demon-woman in purple. The initial thrust slammed through her opponent’s breast, piercing the woman’s heart. Violet eyes flew open, filled with shock and pain. Xu’sasar kicked her in the chest, using the force of the blow to pull her weapon free. Before anyone in the chamber could react, Xu’sasar spun to the side, lashing out with the Tooth. Both blades flashed across the woman’s neck, cutting flesh and muscle with ease. The woman never made a sound. She simply fell to the ground as blood flowed across the floor.

Would that she had time to savor the triumph. Xu’sasar turned, taking in her surroundings. The human soldiers lay scattered around the floor, and though a few still twitched and feebly reached toward their weapons, the stench of burnt flesh and smoldering cloth told her all she needed to know.

But where was the giant? The horned creature was nowhere to be seen.

There!
Floating in the air, shimmering into view as the spell of invisibility faded. He was drawing his great bow, preparing to loose a second arrow. The first ripped across Xu’sasar’s ribs, and even the magic of the fey amulet couldn’t turn this bolt.

Fire flowed through Xu’sasar’s veins—excitement, not fear. A worthy foe at last! She rolled to the side, and the second arrow slammed into the ground just behind her feet. Clearly he thought to wear her down, using his power of flight to his advantage. But Xu’sasar
had fought the firesleds of the sulatar, and no mere bowman could get the best of her. As the beast drew a third arrow to his bow, Xu’sasar
leapt
, the strength of the spirits flowing through and carrying her across the air. Her blades flashed in the green light, sundering the giant’s bow and scattering shards of wood across the chamber.

“Dark spirit!” the beast cried, his booming voice echoing throughout the empty tower. And with that, he disappeared again.

Xu’sasar felt pleasure. This one still had much to learn. She set her back against the crystal pillar, brought her weapon into a cross guard, and closed her eyes. Darkness was one of the weapons of the Qaltiar, and every child of her tribe was taught to fight without the benefit of sight. Sound, scent, even the pressure of the air combined to paint a picture of her surroundings. She heard the greatsword slide from its sheath, the sword cutting through air on the backstroke. She could
see
the enemy in her mind, and even as he swung at what he thought a helpless foe, she dove forward, rolling down and under the blow.

The giant came into view again as his sword
crashed
into the crystal pillar, sparks and shards of glass flying through the air. Already in motion, Xu’sasar felt a thrill as her blades pierced leather and steel and sank deep into blue flesh. The creature grunted in pain as he turned to face her.

The battle began in earnest.

This giant was no fool, save for the arrogance that led him to fight instead of flee. He learned from each wound, and he fought more carefully, using his size and reach to hold her at bay. His strength was formidable. One clean blow with the greatsword
would be devastating, and he knew it. Worse still, his wounds were healing. As they circled one another, Xu’sasar saw that the cuts on his back had vanished. The skin beneath the armor was smooth and unblemished.

Xu’sasar felt the first touches of fear. She was not afraid to die. But for the last of the Qaltiar to die at the hands of a giant, without even harming her foe? This was shame indeed. Surely there was a weakness she could exploit. As she danced away from the giant’s sword, she realized that his face was burned, that he had recovered from the stroke of her sword, but not the blast of fire.

Then Pierce arrived.

The warforged swung, the whirling chain singing in the air, the golden ball ablaze with light, nearly as bright as the sun itself. The giant turned to face this new foe; it seemed that Xu’sasar was unworthy of his attention, having proved unable to inflict any true injury.

It was a fatal mistake. With a thought, Xu’sasar shifted the form of her weapon. The hard haft of the polearm divided into a hundred links of chain. One swift motion, and she caught the giant’s leg with a coil of razor-edged bone. For all his strength, the creature was unprepared for the attack, and he tumbled to the ground. As he started to rise, Pierce’s flail smashed into the giant’s face. Bone snapped beneath the golden ball, but physical force was only part of the blow. The flail’s glow was the result of terrible heat, and the stroke seared the flesh even as it tore through the skin. Two more blows, and the giant fell still.

“My apologies,” Pierce said. “I know you wished to battle this one, yet—”

“The pack is stronger than the one who hunts alone,” Xu’sasar replied. As she spoke, she returned the Tooth of the Wanderer to the shape of the bone wheel. “I thank you for your aid.”

The others arrived within moments. Daine looked down at the burnt corpses and shook his head. “A bad way to die,” he said.

“I assure you, there would be no reasoning with the likes of these,” Kin said. He looked down at the woman in violet. “We’re lucky. This one was only a vessel in training, not a host to one of our true foes.” Kin placed his hand on the crystal pillar and closed his eyes. “Yes, this will do,” he said. “All you need to do is sleep.”

“Now if only I was tired,” Daine said.

“Look in the pack my mistress gave you,” Kin replied. “The vial of green fluid is a powerful sleeping draught. Drink it, and you will sleep. Pierce, Lei … you’ll be relying on Pierce’s companion to provide you with a passage into Daine’s dream.”

“Yes,” Pierce said. “She says to place your hand upon my chest, my lady.”

Xu’sasar approached Daine, who was rummaging through the pack. “I am sorry that I cannot accompany you,” she said.

“You’ve done your part, Xu,” Daine said, without looking up. “You did well. Aureon only knows what that woman would have unleashed if you hadn’t brought her down.”

“Any of you would have done the same.”

“You’re right,” he said, and he looked up. “But none of us could. I’m glad you’re with us, Xu. It’s good to know someone will be watching over us while we sleep.”

Xu’sasar closed her eyes, inclined her head, and let
him go about his work. Lei pulled blankets from her magic satchel, and soon Daine and Lei lay on the ground with Pierce between them. Lei laid a hand on Pierce’s chest, and for a moment she stiffened. Then she relaxed.

“Whenever you are ready, captain,” Pierce said.

Xu’sasar knelt next to Daine as he swallowed the potion. His eyes unfocused, and his eyelids began to flutter.

“Return,” Xu’sasar said, touching her palm to his. “Do not leave me alone.”

Daine smiled at her.

And then he fell asleep.

P
erhaps you’d introduce me to my new guests, Master Daine. I dislike surprises in my house.”

Daine felt dizzy, disoriented. The world was a blur of color and noise, conversation and laughter. And the woman’s voice, terribly familiar.

Alina Lorridan Lyrris.

The surroundings pulled into sharp focus. Alina’s hall in Metrol, the walls lined with stained glass, revelers dancing to the strains of ghostly music. The gnome woman stood before him, staring up into his face. Illusions were woven into the fabric of her gown, so that it too appeared to be made from stained glass. Crystal shards were pinned within her pale golden hair. Barely three feet in height, still she had the charisma of a queen—a stronger presence, in fact, than the young queen of Cyre whom Daine had seen near the end of the War. And there, at his side, stood Jode, dressed for a celebration in a doublet of red and brown. His dragonmark was unusually vivid, an even deeper blue than the glass panes in the windows.

“My apologies, Lady Lyrris.” Another voice, just as familiar. “May I introduce the Lady Lei d’Cannith,
and her bodyguard, Pierce. My name is Jode, personal physician to the Lady Lei. It was never our intention to take undue advantage of your hospitality. My lady has swift business to conduct with your servant Daine, and then we will depart.”

“How intriguing.” Alina said, raising a perfect eyebrow. “I’ll expect a full report this evening, Daine—after our own swift business, of course.” Her smile was cold and predatory, and she departed without another word.

“You know, I’ve always wondered,” Jode said. “Did she reduce you or enlarge—”

“Leave it be,” Daine said.

“Jode?” Lei said, a note of wonder in her voice.

Pierce and Lei stood just behind Daine, and both appeared just as they had in the Riedran monolith. Pierce held his golden flail, and spots of ogre’s blood were still spattered across his armor.

“That would be me,” Jode said, with the brilliant smile that was forever fixed in Daine’s memory. He darted around Daine, and Lei knelt to embrace him.

“This is just a dream. You’re not—” Her words faded as she gazed into his eyes. “It really is you, isn’t it? How is this possible?”

“Doesn’t Daine tell you anything?” Jode said. “Blue bottle?”

“Yes,” Lei said. “The essence of your dragonmark.” Now her eyes became distant. “When I tried to touch your spirit, there was nothing there at all. You’re saying that they bound your soul to the dragonmark? And Daine
drank
it?”

“That’s about it,” Jode said. “Things are very vague before that, but once Daine drank the potion … it’s hard to explain. I was alive again. And I could feel Daine.
I think our souls are merged, somehow.” He looked at Daine. “Is something wrong with our back?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Daine said. He looked around the hall. It was much the same as the dream he’d had in Thelanis, and yet there was a fundamental difference. Everything was sharper, more focused. More than that, he felt completely aware. More often than not, he watched his dreams from a distance, the world and people changing around him. But now … if anything, this felt
more
real than the world he had left behind.

Jode looked up at Pierce. “As much as I’m thrilled to have this little reunion, the fact that you’re here suggests there’s something very odd going on,” Jode said. “Care to fill me in?”

Lei spoke first. “It seems that the natives of this place …” She paused, looking around at the party. “Well, not
this
place, but this plane—”

“I understand,” Jode said. “I’ve been here longer than you have. Trust me, you’ll know the difference.”

“It seems the natives of this place are preparing to invade Eberron. We inadvertently provided them with the key needed to restore passage between the planes. Now we must destroy it, and it seems that time is of the essence.” Lei looked around the party. “We were told that a guide would be waiting for us, but they said nothing about the form it would take.”

Jode cleared his throat.

“What?” Daine said.
“You’re
our guide? But you said you were barely conscious before I … drank you.”

“You wound me,” Jode said. “Haven’t I always made it my business to know the lay of the land? And as for time, you’ll find it’s not what you’re used to. It’s been over three months since our first conversation in
dreams, Daine, and I’ve made quite a few friends in the fringes. Your story explains a lot of things. There’ve been rumors flying around about activity in the core. And I do mean flying around.”

“You have been to the heart of this realm?” Pierce said, a hint of surprise in his normally impassive voice.

“No, no,” Jode said. “But I’ve talked to a few who have. Archetypes, mainly—ideas that draw strength from multiple dreams. You know, like when you dream you’re supposed to be taking the Test of Siberys, and you suddenly realize you’re not wearing any clothing? I’ve met the anxiety that generates. Edgy, easily embarrassed, but not a bad fellow.”

“Hey, Daine!” It was another voice he hadn’t heard for years—the voice of a man he’d killed. Morim d’Deneith, another of Alina’s guards. Unlike Daine, Morim enjoyed his work. A cruel grin split his face, and there were spots of blood on the leather of his gauntlets. “One of the guests had an accident in the foyer. Lady Lyrris wants you to clean up the mess.”

“In a moment,” Daine said. The sudden appearance of the dead man was a jolt, bringing back memories Daine had tried to forget. “I’m in the middle of something right now.”

“And you can get back to it when you’re done,” Morim said, taking Daine’s arm. He was a stocky, powerful man, and his hand felt like a manacle around Daine’s wrist.

“Let go, Morim,” Daine said. He pulled at the guard’s grip, but his rival simply grinned.

“So you’re saying you have other business? Something more important than Lyrris’s orders?”

“That’s right,” Daine said.

“Too bad.”

Everything fell into slow motion. Morim raised his hand to smash Daine in the face, but there was a long blade of energy where his fist should have been. As this spike flashed toward Daine’s eyes, he ducked beneath the blow, using his momentum to pull at Morim’s wrist and fling the thug to the ground. For a moment Morin was suspended in the air, caught by the strange flow of time. As soon as his hand slipped away from Daine’s wrist, everything sped up. Morim slammed into the ground, and Daine staggered away from him.