The Nemesis Blade (43 page)

Torrullin
closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he looked at Quilla.
“What tale speaks of this dilemma?”

The birdman
sighed. “The stones tell of a chasm, Torrullin, here, where all
truths begin. The chasm is the opposite entrance of another doorway
found in another city in the mountain.”

Torrullin
bowed his head. “Akhavar.”

“Yes,” Quilla
said. He touched Torrullin on the arm. “Come, this painting tells
more.”

He led the way
to a point opposite the painting of stones. In this artwork was a
tunnel of rock, with light playing in patterns over the stratified
stone. It appeared as if the light flickered, beckoning; the
emotion Quilla previously referred to.

“The tunnel
between two doorways. It travels far, in imagination, in physical
distance, and in time. We must walk this path, my friend. You, me,
Teighlar …” He glanced at the Emperor, knowing his refusal to leave
Grinwallin. “It does not take you away from the city; it takes you
further into its embrace … her embrace.” He glanced at Torrullin.
“Sabian must go also.”

“Lowen entered
on Akhavar - the opposite doorway,” Torrullin understood. “She is
in the tunnel.”

Quilla nodded.
“As Erin said in the Dome - you will know the entrance when it is
before you.”

“Should we not
enter from there?”

“The journey
begins here, for all of us, and especially for you, Teighlar.”

The Senlu
stared hard at the painting. “All truths? Including redress for an
ancient crime?”

“Or a way to
accept, yes,” Quilla murmured. “And freedom.”

“Why
freedom?”

“A way to
separate from Grinwallin, High King,” Torrullin said. “Your
freedom. Your choice returned.”

Teighlar
paled. “And for you? Freedom?”

“Or a way to
accept.”

Teighlar
laughed. “My god, will you look at the pair of us!”

A smile came
and went for Torrullin. “I need you with me on this. No matter what
we find, I am not your enemy.”

Teighlar
swallowed his laughter as abruptly as it came. “We are friends,
yes.”

Quilla was all
business. “Declan will come, naturally. We must put the Dome on
alert …”

Torrullin’s
attention snapped to him. “Why?”

“There is no
telling how long we could be removed from this time. A day, a
thousand years? Yes, it is realm travel, the realm of Time, and it
has not the same rules of this realm of the present. The Kaval must
be prepared to cope with long absence.”

Teighlar
muttered, “Grinwallin must be prepared as well.”

Torrullin
paced away. “I thought we could go now.”

“Do not be so
eager,” Teighlar said.

“We cannot,”
Quilla said. “For one, a Vallorin must be chosen first or your
people will crumble in uncertainty.”

“A Vallorin
must be chosen forthwith. Tianoman is close enough to his Age
ceremony.”

Quilla sighed.
“Agreed.”

“How long must
Lowen wait?” Torrullin cried out. How long before he had real
answers?

“She is
safe.”

“How can you
know?”

“She is in a
place of truth, my friend. Where is the danger?”

Both Teighlar
and Torrullin gave disbelieving snorts, and Teighlar said it,
“Truth is painful, birdman, did you not know?”

Quilla
considered and then, “Lowen is strong. Now, Torrullin, do you know
where the chasm entrance is?”

“Yes, and so
does Teighlar.”

“Then that is
our starting point.” Quilla focused on the Emperor. “Do what you
feel must be done here, as we shall. We meet up soon again.”

“How
soon?”

“How long
before a Vallorin is chosen, Torrullin?”

Elixir ran
both hands through his hair. “A week.”

“Let us put a
ten day preparation period to this.” Quilla drew breath and added,
“Are we agreed this is the path forward?” He pointed at the
tunnel.

Neither man
answered. Which was, in itself, the only way to respond. Teighlar
strode out of the chamber.

After his
leaving, Torrullin said, “There is no dark man in these
images.”

Quilla knew of
Torrullin’s visions and dreams of a dark man, although Torrullin
had never shared any of it with him. Saska spoke of it, and once
Caballa let it slip. He dared to say, “Perhaps the master
manipulator is able to remain unseen.”

“You have no
idea what you just said. You are fishing.”

Quilla threw
his small hands up. Sometimes one needed to take risks, but
sometimes they bit back.

“Do not call
him the master manipulator,” Torrullin snapped and stalked out.

Leaving Quilla
to imprint the artworks into memory; he had the distinct feeling
they would need to refer to the images in the tunnel between worlds
and spaces and time.

He wished
dearly for a mysterious dark man in even one of the paintings,
something to work with, anything.

Akhavar

Prima was more
apprehensive than Saska, and she thought she would die of
anxiety.

The two paced
the ledge glancing often to the east where the sun would rise. The
heavens were clear, star-filled, slowly greying, and both were glad
of it. A clear sky meant they would know whether the sun came … or
not.

“I almost wish
there were masses of clouds,” Saska said in the pre-dawn
stillness.

“Likewise,”
Prima muttered.

Granted then,
they were not that pleased with the clear night sky.

Gradually the
grey intensified and pacing ceased. Eyes glued to the eastern
horizon. Birds began to sing, waking to a new day, and upon the
plains the first stirrings of animals, patterns of behaviour as
ancient as time. A flock of wild geese came winging past the ledge
heading for one of the shallow lakes to the south and a number of
flamingos followed after. The clear honking of geese usually
heralded the sun.

A minute
passed, two, and the sky lightened. The stars could no longer
maintain brightness.

“Any moment
now,” Prima said, feeling the coming of day within, an instinct
that proved man was a mammal always, warm-blooded, a sun
seeker.

Saska said
nothing. She knew the threshold was crossed. She was intimate with
Akhavar’s cycles; the sun was not coming, not this day.

Fearing she
had it wrong, hoping so, she waited a while longer before saying
anything.

Then she could
wait no longer. She pointed. “There, Prima, that is where it should
be and already the rays should be upon this ledge.”

“It is not
coming?” he whispered.

“It’s not
coming.”

Prima slumped
inward. Dear god.

Saska took a
deep breath and released. “Akhavar cannot stay in darkness long; we
must make decisions. We need Caballa.”

“She has a
task.”

“This is more
important.”

“We should
send for him.”

She continued
staring into the east. “Not yet. I need Caballa’s input.”

He understood.
“Yes. Send the call.”

Chapter 33

Can you live
without sun, stranger?

Can you live
in
it, friend?

~ Cèlaver
Sage

Valaris

T
eroux leaned over to his cousin.
“Tris, you’re being obvious.”

“What are you
talking about?”

“Caballa,
idiot. She knows you’re watching her.”

“So? I want to
know when she makes a decision.”

“Please, I’m
no fool.”

Tristan gave
his cousin an irritated look. “Piss off, will you?”

Teroux
laughed. “I was right! And here I thought you were into the
delectable Rose!”

“Gods, will
you keep it down?” Tristan threw his napkin on the table and rose
from the midday meal. He stalked to the windows; outside the sky
lowered ominously. Teroux’s laughter followed him.

Teroux
transferred his gaze to Caballa. He noted, with a jolt of surprise,
she tracked Tristan with her eyes and tried to appear nonchalant.
Well, well, well. Because he studied her instead of his cousin, he
was the first to see her reaction to an outside communication.

She stilled,
listened … and paled. Gasped.

Before she
could say anything another communication was transmitted and she
stared vacantly at Tristan as she listened.

Tristan was in
front of her when she focused.

At that moment
Fuma and Amunti burst in … and stopped.

“Elixir made
contact, Caballa?” Fuma inquired.

She nodded and
had eyes only for Tristan. “Tian’s Coming-of-Age has been brought
forward, as has the choosing of a Vallorin.”

Teroux was out
of his chair. “Say what?”

“To when?”
Tristan’s heart beat wildly.

“Three days to
Tian’s ceremony, a further three to the other,” she whispered. She
stared up at him. “I don’t know why, only that Torrullin has
commanded it. I need to confer with Vanar and Yiddin, and you must
speak to Tian. Fuma and Amunti are to remain with you. Tristan,
this is important; don’t go adventuring, hear?”

Teroux was
beside Tristan, wide-eyed. “What’s going on?”

“My Lord
Elixir has not elaborated,” Fuma supplied.

“The Dome is
on alert again,” Amunti murmured. “The Kaval gather.”

Fuma glared at
his companion. “Big mouth.” He ignored Amunti then and said, “We
are to stay here, gathering or not.”

“Fuma, surely
he can’t recall Chaim from the Lax confrontation?”

“Gods, Amunti!
Of course not!” Fuma was furious.

Caballa spoke.
“Tristan, Teroux, find Tian, talk to him and prepare yourselves.
The next few days will be hectic, especially once the Elders begin
the formalities of pre-coronation.”

“Gods,” Teroux
muttered and somehow found a seat. He sat with his head lowered
into his hands.

Fuma sent him
a sympathetic look.

“I must go,”
Caballa murmured.

Tristan took
her arm and led her over to the window. “What of the other
communication?”

She stared
through the window at the leaden sky. “That was from Saska. There’s
an emergency.”

Tristan said,
“Look at me.” When she did, he added, “You had more reaction to
Saska’s message, I think. What emergency?”

“The sun has
not risen.”

Tristan
frowned. Not what he expected. “I’m sorry?”

“Saska
received a night visitation and the presence she encountered said
the sun would not shine on Akhavar - Nemisin’s world - until a
certain condition is met. It is dawn there now and the sun has not
risen.”

He was
dumbfounded.

“It wants
Torrullin on Akhavar,” Caballa murmured. “Not in a few days, now,
immediately.”

“Is it linked
to the hasty coronation?”

“Maybe; I
really don’t know.” A mighty frown marred her forehead. “But
something bizarre is a-foot. Something extra, I think.”

Tristan
stated, “You are going to Akhavar.”

“Yes, as soon
as I have spoken to Vanar and Yiddin.”

“I want to go
with you.”

“No.”

“Caballa, I
look like him. I could help.”

If anything,
she paled further. “No, I forbid it!” She gripped his arm. “You
must promise me!”

A moment of
quiet and then, “What did you see?”

She let him
go. “Oh, damn it.” She glared. “Heed me this once and I promise I
will tell you everything when I come back.”

They stared at
each other and then Caballa was gone.

Akhavar

The mountain
enclave was abuzz as the other residents realised something
untoward came to pass.

While Prima
calmed nerves, Saska paced impatiently waiting for Caballa. For
once she even wished Lowen was around, Lowen with her extraordinary
gift. While she waited, she examined every word and detail.

Caballa
arrived as soon as she was able, having had a hard time with Vanar.
Yiddin, bless him, was more fatalistic in his approach.

He would bring
Vanar around to the swift coronation.

“Saska?”

“Oh, thank the
Goddess.” Saska embraced her and then nearly dragged her to the
Throne-room. As they went she related the detail.

“The Throne?”
she whispered when Saska was silent. The two stood before the
sacred space. The something extra, Caballa thought.

“Yes, in form
without feature.”

“Torrullin
long said the Throne is sentient.”

“Exactly, and
that is why I don’t doubt what I heard and saw, and the dark
outside proves it.”

Gods, what
would this change? Why now? “How long can Akhavar hold without
sun?” Caballa asked.

“Two, three
weeks for plant life, longer for animals, but, Caballa, even a week
is too long. It will do irreversible damage. This world is
sensitive.”

“Does
Torrullin know?”

A beat.
“No.”

Caballa
frowned. “Thus the two may not be connected. An instant after you
called Torrullin informed me to bring the coronation closer. He
wants a Vallorin on the Throne within six days.”

Saska went weak at the knees. “If he does not know of
this,
that
knows
of his plan for a new Vallorin.” She pointed at the empty
space.

A cold shiver
overcame Caballa. Indeed.

“Caballa, I
don’t know how to approach this.”

That was why
she was summoned first, Caballa understood. “Apparently Torrullin
returned to the Dome and it’s on high alert - well, more so.”
Caballa shrugged. “Once he has said his piece there, he must come
here.”

“Is there no
other way? Don’t you see anything?”

“You are
nervous and it clouds your judgement. It does not matter what I see
- and I don’t see anything - this is for Torrullin to resolve,
especially this. It cannot go another way.”