by P R Glazier
Chapter 29. The Long Climb
They climbed and climbed, the stairs seemingly never ending. Nar’Allia lost count of how many flights they had walked up and how many short landings they had crossed only to find yet more stairs going ever upward. Jonas asked to rest after what had seemed like hours. Nar’Allia went to the hand rail and looked down. The stairway disappeared into a haze caused by years of dust and sand being disturbed by the vibrations of their feet in their ascent. She looked up only to be presented with a similar view. They decided that it was safe to take a rest, she sat down along with the other two.
Jonas sighed and said, “master Keeper, can you not help to reduce the distance to the top of these stairs? Make it quicker for us to reach our goal?”
“Amndo chuckled. “Alas Jonas, I need to know our destination. Need the coordinates of where we wish to go to be able to do that. I can get that information by having been to the destination once before, or at least being able to see it with my own eyes. Or I can get my destination through some kind of map or navigational beacon able to send the necessary information I need. I have never been to the top of these stairs, alas I do not know the coordinates of the top, so alas I cannot help.”
Nar’Allia’s mind was on other things. “What were those creatures, the hairy things that tried to attack us?”
“I don’t know, was Amndo’s reply, “I have not seen them anywhere else in all my travels. I have been thinking about them. I have studied many books on the subject of ancient times, but again I have found no books in any library anywhere that mentions this place, let alone the inhabitants. All I have to go on are the tales and stories told by the nomads and some humans I have met.” He frowned as he said, “JDC would be better positioned to answer such questions I feel, for he has inhabited these lands for a long time and is much more familiar with the peoples that live here.”
“At the mention of the Pnook’s name Nar’Allia felt a pang of sadness and some anger. They had lost an important member of their company, in her thoughts she agreed with Amndo, JDC and his knowledge would have been invaluable, she couldn’t help a feeling of foreboding at his loss. She gazed up into Amndo’s face, “I pray to the Maker that JDC will be alright and we will see him again before this is over.”
“Amndo added, “I pray to the Maker that JDC will remain true to our cause and not be tempted away, for I also feel we will need him yet before this is over.”
Jonas nodded in agreement.
Nar’Allia found she was becoming more and more annoyed at Amndo’s insistence in maintaining a degree of mistrust as far as their Pnook companion was concerned. She clenched her fists tightly and snapped back a response, “you’re fears are misplaced Amndo, I believe JDC is more than what you suspect, you will see, I do not believe he will let us down.”
Amndo studied her features for some moments before saying, “I hope that you are right Nar’Allia, more than anything I hope you are right.”
“I’m sorry Amndo; I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m tired and frustrated. Tired of these exertions and frustrated that all this work seems to be getting us nowhere in our finding Minervar is all.”
They all stood without any prompt from any of them and proceeded to climb. None spoke, better to save their breath for the exertions of climbing these seemingly endless stairs. As she stood Nar’Allia picked up the metal quiver of arrows that she had removed from her belt to sit. She found herself wishing that her arrow had exploded as did the first one she had fired back in the Leviathan hall, for the first one had possibly killed a number of the hairy beasts yet the second one she fired just about managed to stun one. She looked down at the arrows, she wondered if perhaps it would have been wiser to bring along a few more if some of them proved to be faulty.
Amndo watched her finger the arrow flights in the quiver. “I believe Nar’Allia that to effectively work these arrows must strike something solid, for only when the bulbous tip is fractured will the energy within be released and do its damage, perhaps that is a clue to the purpose of their original design.”
Nar’Allia then remembered how the black bow fought with her for a target; it seemed to want to fire the arrow at the rock wall rather than any flesh and blood target. Perhaps if she had given into it then her arrow may have been far more effective. She looked at the black bow in her hand, marvelled at its …. its, she was trying to find a word to describe what she felt, its character, yes it seemed to have a character all of its own somehow. She vowed to let the bow have its way next time, should the opportunity arise again. She became lost in thought staring at the black runes etched into its surface, as she stared the runes seemed to take on a glow, they appeared to move fluidly across the dark wood, move aside somehow to reveal something bright. She looked closely unable to take her eyes from the spot upon the bow, she saw a face, a female face, very pretty with high cheek bones and full lips, obviously T’Iea because of the pointed ears. The face seemingly stared straight into her eyes, the eyes were piercing green, with smiling mouth the face took on a soft expression. Nar’Allia thought she heard a mischievous giggle. Then thought she heard a melodious voice say, “trust me next time Nar’Allia.”
The face, still smiling faded gently from view; again all that appeared upon the black wood of the bow were the ancient runes, returned to their original positions. Nar’Allia remembered Minervar telling of how the bow had been in her friend Serinae’s family for generations past. Nar’Allia found herself wondering if all the past owners of the bow had been female and just how many generations there had been.
Amndo was still watching her carefully as she gazed at the runes. “I believe that what you hold is very special.” He indicated towards the black bow. You know Nar’Allia, there are many objects that reside both in this world and in the world of the void planes. I believe your people would call that other void place Elit G’fedrel. We the Keepers learnt long ago to access the voids and use them as roadways to and from different destinations. The ability is akin to what I tried to explain earlier, the ability to bend dimensional space and time. Even my home, the city of TeraT’Inu’Itil resides in the dimensional voids and can only be accessed via these special routes. But it is not only places that can be affected in this way. Some items Nar’Allia, are imbued with special attributes that allow them to bridge the gaps between this world and other dimensional spaces, voids that is. Some even bridge void to void, not even touching this world.” He thought for a moment then added, “that long bow, I can detect connections within it and around it.” He held his hand out asking for the bow. Nar’Allia hesitated but gave it to him, but eventually she relented and held it out. He carried on walking up the stairs as he scrutinised the bow, holding it in both hands. Then he said, “someone has placed pathways to this bow from other places. Some are a permanent feature, but others are now dormant, just a fading signature remains. You know Nar’Allia it is possible that although this bow appears to reside here, the greater part of it resides within the voids, in some other space/time. It is also possible that even though you have command over the bow here in this world, it could also be influenced by someone or something else that resides not here but in an entirely different place, perhaps in the same place as the second component of the bow, the piece that is elsewhere.” He again scrutinised the bow and the runes etched upon its surface. “It is certainly of ancient making, who knows what arts and knowledge went into making it, who knows where in fact it was made. Not within this world I suspect.” He held the bow up so she could take it back. “I wonder Nar’Allia, how much knowledge has been lost and forgotten over the years by your people.”
Nar’Allia looked at the bow, she said under her breath, “Serinae”. Then she also thought of the quiver at her belt, the one she had brought from home, it still remained empty, yet what Amndo was saying reminded her of Minervar telling the twins about the quiver and the bow, some old story that she had learnt from Serinae many years ago. “Amndo, what about this quiver, I was told once that it too had s
uch an effect, it also bridged the gap between worlds, its previous owner described it akin to a garden gate, where one who had the knowledge could reach through and although not be able to go into the garden at least be able to reach in and pluck things from it.”
Amndo nodded, “it is a good analogy, typical of your people Nar’Allia. I think with the help of the bow, by listening to it, you may be able to learn much; maybe you would be able to fill your quiver with arrows. I have watched you when you draw upon the bow, sometimes you hesitate as if listening to something and perhaps not understanding. Perhaps you should try opening your heart to it, try listening harder, it is obvious to me that the bow communicates with you when in dire need, maybe it will communicate with you at other times to, if you’d listen.” He moved towards her returning the bow to her keeping, his hand remained outstretched this time he asked for the quiver. “May I?”
Nar’Allia nodded her agreement and unhooked the quiver from where it hung from her waist.
Amndo took hold of the quiver and scrutinised it closely. “This item is similar. It too has a connection, just one, but one that is very strong. There is a permanent link, the destination I cannot say for I have no experience of being there. Yet” …… he frowned in deep concentration. “I cannot be sure, but something about this connection reminds me of something, some place perhaps that although I have not been to physically, never the less I seem to detect a close association to. A Deep routed memory.” He shrugged and handed the quiver back to her. “Keep these items close Nar’Allia, they should not fall into the wrong hands. Not because they could be used, although that would give anyone a distinct advantage, but more to do with where they may lead.”
He smiled. “Have faith Nar’Allia, faith is a powerful thing, once gained, never lost, once you learn to trust in it, well, you will see I’m sure.” He smiled at her and nodded slowly.
Nar’Allia remained deep in thought as they continued their upward passage. Her thoughts were shattered though as suddenly they heard a clatter from above, several times something made a clanging, crashing noise, it got louder. Nar’Allia went over to the hand rail to lean out and look up, Jonas however grabbed her arm and held her back. Something hit the flight of stairs above them and bounced over the hand rail plummeting past them as it fell down towards the bottom of the staircase. They rushed to the hand rail and looked over, but nothing could be seen. Nar’Allia thought she saw a reflection off something shiny as the clattering sounds could be heard below them now. The clamour seemed to go on forever but eventually a faraway metallic ringing noise filled the stairwell as whatever had fallen had obviously come to a halt on the floor at the bottom and was bouncing around and eventually rolling to a halt at the foot of the stairwell. They all looked up again; Nar’Allia was sure she saw something overhanging the edge above them but it was gone in less than the time it took her to blink.
“Hmmm, said Jonas, “seems we may not be alone in here either. Guess our next job is to climb and find out for sure.”
They both followed him as he lifted his foot to take the first of many more steps.
Amndo had a black look about him as he said, “I have read many tales that described an old human civilisation, a city that spanned the globe in time immemorial. Reported to have been called Ferma Monopolis, in a time far back in the pre-history of this world. It is said that factions of this civilisation disagreed and eventually this disagreement grew into arrogance and mistrust, suspicions grew, accusations flew, the opposing sides forgot what the original disagreement was about, they were consumed with the surety that their particular take on things was the right one and all others were incorrect. Other emotions took over, arrogance, self-righteousness, hate, even greed perhaps. Minor things festered until they became an all-consuming focused hatred. The seeded paranoia resulted in a war. Such is the way of men.”
He looked up at Jonas’s back. But if the man had heard he said nothing.
Amndo looked at Nar’Allia and said, “a cataclysmic war, a war where neither side could possibly be the victor, a war that would inevitably result in the downfall and total destruction of the whole civilisation of man. It is said that the Rust Desert is all that is left of Ferma Monopolis, a desert formed of the ruin and oxidised remains of that once great city.”
Nar’Allia thought about what he said, how it kind of fitted in with what JDC had said on their first day’s travel across the sands on the Duagnuats. Obviously there must be some truth in the tale.
Then Amndo looked up at the stairs winding around into the heights above before saying, “but what if deep in the earth the most important parts of the civilisation remained hidden, deep enough to be unaffected by the war that raged above. If you were in a war that you knew you could not stop and would lead inevitably to your death, what would be the most important things for you to protect?”
Nar’Allia thought for a moment, she thought of Solin and her house in Amentura before answering, “I, I err don’t know, perhaps my races history, something that would be discovered and remembered perhaps, something to warn of what happened so that lessons may be learnt?”
Suddenly Jonas stopped and turning to face them responded, he said, “ah milady Nar’Allia, you do not know my kind. If only what you say were true. Perhaps once they did think like that, at least some of them. But I fear in the madness of war, in the despairing of their hatred for each other, in the total misery of knowing that they were as good as extinct, wiped out from the face of the world. No, I’m afraid what they would have wanted to protect was their weaponry the machines and other devices of destruction so that in their arrogance they could insure that they could carry on fighting and destroying each other for as long as possible. Even perhaps long after the last human on the earth had perished and passed into dust.”
Nar’Allia was aghast. This was a surprising thing to say especially from a human man whose ancestors were supposed to be the perpetrators of such a global catastrophe. She began to see Jonas in a different light.
Amndo then said, “yes, Jonas, you may be right. What have we seen so far down here? Books, manuscripts? Histories of a race gone by steeped in culture and learning? Alas No. All we have seen are the appliances of war, engines of destruction. That is all we will find here I fear. This whole place was built with one thing in mind, destruction, automated, clinically raw and unstoppable. It has been countless years beyond memory since this place, this facility, was constructed, yet most of the machinery still runs, it was built to survive, built to wreak havoc even after its human builders had all been destroyed.”
Amndo leant on the railing of the stair and looked over the edge looking downward to the invisible floor below. “It is also said that some of the civilisation by knowing this, saved themselves. To escape the inevitable destruction they came below ground, deep within the earth seeking refuge from the cataclysmic events above. It is said that the race of men survived in this way and after many millions of years of being down here they found their way to the surface again and finding a world much changed, but recovered, they started to build all over again.”
Nar’Allia shivered at the thought of all that had just been suggested to her. “The nomads, Vaughnal and Alicshea’s people, they as good as admitted to being descendants of the people who once again sort the surface.” As an afterthought she added, but some elected to stay down below hidden beneath the sands. She was thinking aloud. Do you think …..?”
Amndo nodded, “who knows what they may have evolved into. I feel that is a fair argument yes, but one that does not explain where our friend Jonas here came from, for if the nomads stayed in the desert and did not seek to travel elsewhere, then I wonder where the humans that inhabit Amentura and the rest of Dahl’Ambronis today originated from.”
Jonas thought for a moment then said, “well maybe I can help there. I don’t know our full history, but I was told once by a wise old sage that the humans on Dahl’Ambronis originated in the east of the continent and over many thousands of years sl
owly migrated west. They were delayed by the mountains of the Great Spine for many, many ages of years, but gradually the world’s climate changed for the warmer, the mountains sank back into the earth slowly, for wind and erosion took their toll on the landscape, the snows became less severe and the humans found themselves able to cross this natural barrier.”
Nar’Allia then said, “yes, that would fit with what Minervar told me. She said that Serinae had told her once that her father had gone to teach humans the arts of fletching and archery at a frontier town, I can’t remember its name now, but that is where he was killed sadly. But the story does suggest that the humans had crossed the Tolle’Fornosse’Veetri, the mountains you call the Great Spine, and had already made contact with the T’Iea, my people whom you would call the elves in the west of Dahl’Ambronis.”
Then thinking some more Nar’Allia added, “also Serinae’s companion, Teouso who went missing after they had left the Ognod city, he was a human from the east of the Tolle’Fornosse’Veetri, that is where Serinae had met him, they escaped imprisonment together.”
“You are a font of knowledge milady, that is plain.” Jonas smiled at Nar’Allia. “So if my ancestors inhabiting Dahl’Ambronis originated in the east of that continent, then maybe they were a separate race of humans. Or perhaps even the original race but for some reason they may well have managed to navigate across the sea’s that lie to the west of the Rust Desert, the Sea of Beadreas I believe is the name. They may also be descendants of the humans who once lived here.”
“Well it may be yet that our journey takes us there, into the west, across the Beadreas, but for now we have no choice but to follow the path in front of us.” Amndo took a deep breath, turned and started to climb the stairs once more.