The Kallanon Scales (51 page)

“Well,
Torrullin,” Matt grinned. “From the frying pan into the fire,
huh?”

Caltian twitched.
Torrullin?
He stared at the Vallorin, daring him to deny
what that meant. Torrullin grimaced. “You are not the only one with
a revealing name.” He faced Matt. “Have a care with my name from
now on, will you?”

“I don’t
understand.”

“You are the
lucky one. Have Krikian explain it, but tell him I will know if he
expounds too far. Fare you well, my friend, and stay healthy.” They
gripped hands, human style, and Matt ambled away.

“Skye?”
Torrullin opened his arms and she walked into them and held him,
burying her face in his chest. He stroked her hair. “Take care,
please,” he whispered in her ear. “Your father, rest his soul, will
haunt me from beyond if anything happens to you.”

She giggled
and looked up. “He probably would.” She kissed him on the lips.
“You take care, godfather.”

“I think Matt
will slay a Dragon for you.”

“I would
prefer another did it.”

He touched her
face. “He won’t. Let him go.”

She smiled.
“I’m close. Be careful, hear me?” She stood to one side to wait for
Lowen, who peered earnestly up.

“Will you kill
this Dragon?”

Torrullin sank
to his haunches. “I aim to try.”

“Is he like
the ones that took Tris and Ty?”

“I would say
so.”

“Is it
dangerous for you?”

“It’s not
good.”

She nodded and
placed a hand on his cheek. A warm, grubby hand, filled with
emotion. He could feel her trying to speak to him through touch,
and he blinked. “Torrullin, they will come back to you.”

“Lowen?” He
did not move from that hand, receiving more than comfort from
it.

She leaned
forward. “My father calls it my special gift. Sometimes I know
things and they come true.”

He put his
hand over hers. “What do you know now?”

The connection
was intensified. She was the one who blinked; it had never happened
before. “They are being given swords and then they will be back.
They are not in danger.” She blinked again. “You have the special
gift, too, don’t you?”

“Sometimes,”
he whispered. “I have told no one.”

She smiled. “I
won’t tell.” She kissed his other cheek. “Happiness is inside, you
know.”

He drew a
ragged breath and stared at her.

“He has the
answer you seek.”

“Who?” His
heart skipped.

“The dark
man.”

He stared at
her, his skin clammy under her fingers. “You see him?”

“I feel him.
As if I know him also.”

He forced
himself not to shake her. She did not deserve his demons foisted
upon her. “You will be an extraordinary woman, Lowen Dalrish.”

She blushed,
grinned and skipped away to join Skye, dragging her by the hand to
Matt, Key-ler and the crew. He had the abrupt insight she employed
a youthful action to cover an adult thought.

He stared
after her as he rose.

Whatever else lay ahead, she spoke truth. There was no danger
to the twins, other than what lay in their minds. That particular
burden fell away. They would return with the swords of their
scrying.
The Dragons could not ask, thus
they took.
Now he could concentrate on
Neolone.

He watched
Lowen a moment longer, intrigued by her, and caught a glimpse of
the future. Perhaps she opened his mind to it or perhaps he needed
to know and it was given him.

She, adult
Lowen, was in that future. Along with a dark man.

By all
gods.

They would
destroy each other.

She has a
gift, Enchanter.

Torrullin jerked, wondering if anyone could read his
shock.
Seems so, Phet.

Caltian said,
“Phet, is it? I see your companion gesturing.” Quilla indeed
fluttered hand signals somewhere and Phet tried to ignore them. He
sighed and went with Caltian.

Vannis and
Taranis moved further away.

Cat smiled.
“We part. Perhaps it’s best.”

He did not
want to keep her long. Taranis was suspicious. “Cat, I must tell
you something.”

“No need,
Torrullin.”

“Saska is
here.”

She paled and
he moved to block her from view.

“I am sorry,
but you must know.”

“Are you
sure?”

“Yes.”

“That explains
your moods on the ship.”

“Somewhat.”

She stared at
him for long moments. “I take it the others don’t know?”

“No.” He
rubbed his short hair in frustration. “Will you be all right?”

She was angry
then, but held it in check. “Sure.”

“Take
care.”

“A last kiss?”
Taunting.

He did not
answer.

She walked
away.

Levin
dispatched four Feet to accompany Key-ler and his charges.

The soldiers
would remain with them as protectors, and warders. They left soon
after the sun rose, and Camot and his troop melted away with a
guide and Levin’s blessings, in another direction.

The wilderness
in daylight revealed as a hard land. Red, rocky soil with hardy
scrub, low outcrops of jumbled boulders. It was autumn in the north
and summer was dry - there were watercourses, but no water. It was
a thirsty land in which to make a stand, but supplies came in and
two units sank bore-holes.

Shelters went
up, camouflaged to the surroundings, and latrine pits already saw
custom.

Difficult as
conditions were, order emerged from chaos. There was more space as
Force spread out and the Overlords took position further a-field to
hold the Web down. As the sun rose, four fresh units of Force
arrived. Over the next few days, that number would escalate.

Torrullin and
Quilla held swift conference and the birdman went away relieved. He
agreed with the plan to find the Taliesman, as he agreed to remain
and keep Creed happy, and saw the wisdom in Phet tagging along. His
relief, however, was for hearing Lowen’s remarks about the
twins.

In the melee
of supplies arriving, Caltian vanished to a stand of trees beyond
the wilderness. Phet went next.

Taranis
deployed uncharacteristic duplicity. He complained about his
leather clothing, begging a robe against the sun from the supply
bundles. He threw it over his clothes, drawing the hood up, and
ambled off ostensibly to relieve himself. He vanished and Vannis
grinned. Trust Taranis not to waste time. His grin faded when he
noticed Levin approach.

Not far away
he saw Torrullin get lost amid the bundles, hunker down, look
around … and disappear. Just him, then, with Levin on his case.
Quilla, nearby, threw his hands in the air.

“Lord Vannis,”
Levin smiled as he came to a stop. “A moment, if you do not
mind?”

“Lord
Levin.”

“Levin. We do
nott hold with titles of that nature. Overlord is as close as we
came and no position is hereditary.”

“The Valleur
ever believed in able management. And thank all gods Nemisin
specified the Dragon was not to abide in anything other than worthy
goodness.”

Levin’s lips
twitched, surprised. “Really?”

“Nemisin
desired the power of the Kallanon, but was not about to subjugate
his people. He had a failsafe or two, one being that his heirs be
lumin kindred.”

Levin was
thoughtful. “This Vallorin is to be trusted?”

“I know trust
is something not lightly given and I admit my grandson is contrary,
but if you never believe anything else in your life again, Levin,
believe in him. He will not fail the Valleur. Not on Valaris and
not on Atrudis. Even when you doubt his methods, trust in him.”

Levin was
silent before that intensity. “I felt it, yes. Your grandson, you
say? You love him?”

“More than
life. He is my sole reason for going on.”

“I sense
loss.”

“My wife. She
was murdered to keep the prophecy safe.”

“I am
sorry.”

“In a sense
vengeance brought us, but it is more than that. When we knew there
are Valleur here, nothing stopped us.”

“We lost
contact with those of you out there.”

“And we lost
everything until my grandson came. He brought the last of the
Valleur back to Valaris and he created a safe haven for all races.
We owe him everything. Every last Valleur on Valaris would
willingly give up life for him.”

“That is a
terrible burden.”

“He does not
see it that way and he will not abandon you either.”

“Are you
immortal, Lord Vannis?”

“Vannis. I was
once. My duty to the universe was done with the Darak Or.”

“Darak Or? Ah,
we heard rumours … another time?”

“Suffice to
say Margus was the schooling of my grandson.”

“And what do
you consider your duty now?”

“My
Vallorin.”

“No one has
given his name.”

“I see why you
are Creed Controller. His name is Torrullin.”

Like Caltian
earlier, Levin was shocked.

“He is
Lifegiver and Destroyer. He is the Enchanter and only he is able to
separate Dragon and host and live to control it long enough to kill
it. The prophecy is about him. Torrullin is known universe over as
the One.”

“Goddess.” Levin started to shake. “We heard of the One, he
is Nemisin’s foretelling!
One such as I
will come, ages hence
.”

“He will do
what must be done and you must remember you are Valleur and he is
Vallorin, with a bloodline to continue the Valla heritage. Atrudis
will need to acknowledge him as supreme ruler, for he will not cast
you adrift. He does not expect automatic loyalty, he will wait for
you to discover it yourselves. Despite what I revealed, do not fear
him, not as his name implies.”

“So we should
fear him?”

Vannis frowned
and scrubbed at his face in irritation. “I am not explaining
well.”

“Perhaps the
Vallorin can do so. Where is he?”

Vannis sighed.
“Gone.”

“Taranis has
gone, too.”

“Taranis is
his father, and, yes, he has gone. And Caltian and Phet.”

“And you will
join them.”

“Yes. They are
waiting.”

“Why, Vannis?
Why do you leave to do this thing?”

“Is the coin
here, Levin? Can you say where it is? Can we recall it to us? I
thought not. We go to find it and we go to deal with the Dragon.
You keep under wraps here for us to move towards that goal.”

“This will not
go down well.”

“Rather that,
than have Torrullin enforce his will, Levin.”

“We should
fear him, right?”

Vannis
laughed. “You are sharp. Yes, fear him, but not because he will
destroy you if you thwart him, but because his destruction of the
Dragon could be far-reaching.”

“Like with
this Margus?”

“Valaris was
almost destroyed in that battle. I hope it does not happen
here.”

“That is the
true war, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for
this honesty. I will not stand in your way.”

“You are a
good man, Levin.”

“Thank
you.”

“We shall
return as soon as possible.”

“No, the final
battle will not take place here. The moment the Taliesman is found
is the moment every interested party gravitates to the place of its
discovery. Perhaps that is as meant. We shall fight here, yes, but
one day soon we shall look up at empty heavens, for Murs, Mysor and
Dragons will go to the Enchanter and the real battle will commence
wherever he is. Find an empty place to do this thing, please.”

“Grinwallin.”

Levin’s head twitched. “Well, isn’t that the oddest
thing?
A legend, a king,
and
where else but
Grinwallin?” He stared at Vannis. “Grinwallin is ancient, older
than any occupying race on Atrudis and there is a whispered legend
about a king haunting those vaulted halls. It fits, it really
fits.”

“Gods,” Vannis
muttered. “What is going on here?”

“Grinwallin is
a good place to war. In fact, Atrudis now has a greater chance at
surviving. Yes, this is good.”

“I must
go.”

“Go. We shall
do our part here.”

“Good man.”
Vannis hesitated a moment longer and then found he did not want to
hear more, nor could he in good conscience reveal more.

He
vanished.

Redemption
will come in a form

Unknown to us
and it will

Be a living
sentient thing

~ Kallanon
Prophecy

Atrudis

F
our hours after sunrise, the Murs
attacked.