by T J Marquis
Ess emerged from her tunnel onto the hard-packed road in front of Sugar's Tavern. She had seen from a distance that no trouble had yet fallen upon Cypha, so she knew it was safe to fold out there. A few passersby jolted in surprise at her sudden appearance, and Ess held up empty hands to set them at ease. They all scurried away anyhow, clutching travel bags and possessions hastily wrapped up in blankets.
There was none of the usual ruckus emanating from Sugar's Tavern. Ess entered the open door, and could hear Sugar rooting around back in the kitchen.
"Sugar," she called out. "It is Ess."
The noises stopped, and Sugar emerged, brushing dust off her apron with one hand. In the other, she held a very long ladle.
"Nuisance," she grumbled. "Nothing but a waste of cliff-licking time."
"I beg your pardon," said Ess, smirking. "I shall return the way I came."
"Oh pah!" Sugar spat. "Not you, wizard woman. The invasion."
"I can see that word has reached you already. Your brother sent me to make sure of the fact."
"Yes, yes, we've heard," said Sugar. Her brilliant red hair in all its great volume belied the gravity of her tone. "Holy mages that escaped Grondell came - folded in and out. Just enough information to ruin our week. I doubt Kash will even bother with Cypha, but I guess there's no sense in taking chances."
Sugar had moved behind the bar. She fetched a large stein and began to fill it from a tap. She handed the product to Ess, who knew better than to refuse. She sipped at it gingerly and Sugar's cheeks grew red, even as she poured a drink for herself.
"Come on, woman! It's likely the end of Overland, this is no time for the dainty sips of a princess. Drink up!"
There was no denying the woman. Ess took a stool, downed her mead in time with Sugar and felt its pleasant burn. Perhaps the woman was right.
"How's my brother?" she asked, wiping a light froth from her lips.
"He is well."
"And that cutie you picked up?"
"We all are well," said Ess. "The others are en route to the home of my master. Pierce had an insane plan that just might work. We wanted to make sure you had a plan too."
"What plan?" Sugar asked. "Is there anywhere the Underlanders can't emerge?"
"I do not know."
"So what does it matter?"
"Honestly," said Ess, "I am not sure that it does."
Sugar grinned suddenly, peering into Ess's dark eyes.
"I always liked that about you," she said. "No messing around. No pandering lies. Just the truth."
Ess smiled back around the stein as she finished her drink. How it warmed the belly.
Sugar scanned her empty tavern. She must be missing all the ruckus, but Ess didn't mind the stillness at all. She'd always found the peace of abandoned places refreshing.
Sugar sighed and inspected the ladle she'd brought out of the kitchen. "Alright, well, I guess it's time to give in and head out."
Ess stood and said, "Would you happen to know if Deathgripz is still around? Agrathor wanted to make sure she got the message personally."
"That old dog," Sugar laughed. "Well, an unconventional man for an unconventional woman, I suppose."
"She has really got him under her thumbs," Ess said coyly.
Sugar hesitated, then gave in to the snicker. "It sounds as if you've been saving that one."
Ess shrugged.
"Yeah, she's still around," Sugar said. "She'd better be. We agreed to caravan together."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Really hit it off after my brother sent her in here for a free pie. A little sweet for a little bitter. Come on, let's go find her."
They left the tavern shortly, Ess floating along at Sugar's side. As expected, Deathgripz was working in her stables. Most of her livestock had been harnessed or saddled and arranged into formation, hitched to wagons of various sizes. Her groomsmen bustled about, finalizing their preparations.
Deathgripz looked up as the other women approached. She raised one eyebrow by a hair's breadth.
"Get your mounts killed already?" she asked.
"Ess came to warn us," said Sugar.
"About what we already knew," said the tamer.
"Not that it cost me much time," said Ess. "I came by Agrathor's request."
"The bone man?" Deathgripz said. "How sweet."
Ess turned to Sugar and asked, "Where will you go?"
"Not many cities up in the Flood Rush, right?" Sugar answered. "We figured we'd head up that way, set up camp in the wilderness, hope it all blows over."
"Or Gorgonbane puts that sicko Underlord out of his misery," Deathgripz added.
"We will do our best," said Ess. "Please, take care of yourselves. If you can send a message, do, and I will come and see that you are okay. Be ready for anything though. Something substantial may be changing in the near future."
"Well that's cryptic," said Sugar.
"It will not be if you see it," said Ess. "Farewell."
Flaila's end was still on Ess's mind, and she wondered how some of the continent's more far-flung lands had fared thus far. Not that their current state spoke reliably to their impending future. Her curiosity demanded that she check.
Ess focused inward, felt the pull toward Konta in the northeast, and collapsed into an endless tunnel.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Road to the Chasm's Verge
"By the Chasm's shadow, boy, don't you ever tire?"
Axebourne had dropped back to check on Pierce, his raptorion side-eying the younger man as they loped along through a sparse forest.
"Not yet, sir," Pierce answered. He was hungry, but far from fatigued. He might seriously consider giving up a finger for one of Sugar's meat pies right about now.
Axebourne grunted. "Well, I don't want to imagine what it smells like under all that plate."
"I bathe when I can, sir. A good warrior always maintains his weapon," Pierce said.
Axebourne laughed, his thick red beard shaking.
"Well, I just wanted to check in on you. We'll be coming up on Shiv soon, but I don't want to stop there unless it's absolutely necessary. If you don't need the rest, can we grab you a bite to eat at least?"
Pierce was tempted to say yes - he could always eat and run. Still, it would be better to get to the First as quickly as possible. Any moment, another city could be overwhelmed. He shook his head.
"I'll be okay, sir. Thanks for checking."
"Good man," Axebourne said. He slapped Pierce on the back before pulling up ahead. Pierce missed a step, but caught his balance.
Not long after, the members of Gorgonbane at the head of the column slowed to a halt and moved to the side of the road. Pierce caught up, the Grondellian riders close behind him.
"What is it?" he asked Scythia.
"Caravan, evacuating from the south," she said, pointing down the road with her chin.
A line of covered wagons rumbled up the road, wheels throwing up dust that wafted between the scattered trees. When the lead wagon reached Gorgonbane, the driver waved and came to a stop.
"No sense going that way," he said. The driver was a rotund man with a bald pate and a long, narrow beard. "Shiv'll be emptying out soon too I reckon."
"Hail, caravan master," Axebourne greeted. "From where do you come?"
"Just the old farm," said the man. He scanned the large group halted at the roadside. "You might as well turn back. Ain't none of us down here can afford mercenaries. Just the First, but he don't need 'em."
"Can't afford to brush their teeth either," Agrathor murmured.
"Agrathor," Scythia said.
"Thank you for the news, caravan master," Axebourne said. "We will see what there is to be seen. Why are you evacuating?"
"I guess you ain't heard yet," said the man. "Big band of gen come in from the west. They sacked Ruska and the Palatoi farm, squatted there and haven't moved since. No one wants to wait around and see what they do next."
"Gen you say," Axebourne mused. "No Mons
trosities?"
"Smith's beard, no!" the man cried. "My heart might have burst in my chest at that news. Just gen."
"Do they fly a banner?"
The man nodded. "The Unified banner, as the tales go. You come to root 'em out?"
"Well," Axebourne seemed to think on it. "Yes."
The caravan master looked impressed. "You have our gratitude then. But you'll forgive us for going on our way."
"It's probably for the best," Axebourne said. "More may be coming. Listen, do you have any rations to sell? We could use some supplies."
After a hasty transaction, the caravan passed on up the road, and Gorgonbane resumed their journey. Axebourne joined Pierce at his side again and tossed him a small burlap bag.
"Fuel, lad. Enjoy it!"
Pierce was pleased to find it stuffed with jerky.
Pierce was still chewing when Gorgonbane came to the fork in the road that split off toward Shiv and Ruska. They took the latter fork.
They had discussed the plan before starting out again, and agreed to put some fear at least into the squatting band of gen. If they could be eliminated, all the better.
Ruska showed signs of life when it came into view over the crest of a hill. Its chimneys smoked, and the dust of movement hung in the air. Gen were out working the fields of the nearby farm. Kash's Unified banner flew from a single post at the center of town.
"It's not sacked at all," said Scythia. The gems at her temples flashed. "Nothing is amiss - no one's been killed. They simply scared everyone off and moved in."
"What's the point?" Agrathor said. Pierce could see the ire in his green flaming eyes.
"I think they mean to be here to stay," said Axebourne. "The Underlanders aren't just attacking us, they're colonizing."
"So these aren't killers?" Pierce asked. "At least not yet?"
"It doesn't appear so," said Scythia. "But there is still the question of how they got up here. I see no signs of rising Monstrosities."
"Could be a convergence in the area," said Axebourne. "We'll have to ask Ess when she returns."
"Doesn't matter," said Agrathor, starting forward. "Let's move. They'll never see us coming. I can fry half of them before..."
"No," said Axebourne quietly, and Agrathor fell back a pace. "They don't belong there, but they're not hurting anyone. If we attack, we might just call attention to ourselves. The last thing we need is Kash sending an army after us. We'll leave a sentry, a spy."
"One of us, or one of the Grondellites?" Pierce said.
"We need someone else who can fold," said Agrathor.
"I may have something better," said Scythia. She fished in a pouch on her belt for a few choice gems, producing a silver oval and a square of clear crystal. "Wire please, Axie."
Axebourne's eyes lit with understanding and he fetched a spool of Scythia's wire from his own pack. It had a dull metallic sheen, but brightened when Scythia touched it. Sev cocked his head in interest.
With deft fingers Scythia wound the wire into a setting for the silver gem, with another setting in a second tier for the crystal square. She noticed Sev's curiosity.
"The silver one detects threats, among other things. This one is already bound to my circlet, so the moment it is triggered, I'll know. The crystal pane captures images. It will route an image to my mind when the silver gem is set off. There is a slight chance of a false positive," she glanced around, "but it should be reliable out here, away from people."
"Brilliant," Sev said, smiling flatly. His eyes sparkled.
Axebourne gave his wife a boost, and Scythia secured the threat detector high up in a tree.
Gorgonbane all stood around looking at it for a few minutes, glancing at the occupied town of Ruska every now and then. All warriors but Sev, they were reluctant to walk away from battle.
"Bah!" Agrathor growled. "It's the right thing to do. Let's get moving before my grip on the lightning slips."
Calmly they withdrew from the high hill, returning to the Grondellite warriors below.
Back on the road, they flew by Shiv, eager to make the Chasm's verge by nightfall.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The First
The home of the First Great Master of Convergent Reality Theory really was perched on the very edge of Overland, and was appropriately called Chasmverge.
The high tower looked every bit the counterpart to Ess's Brackenverge, dark stone blocks crawling with luminescent mist, many spires reaching toward the black sky. As Gorgonbane approached from the northwest, they could see that the main tower was connected by a bridge to a smaller structure that hung out over the void. Pierce assumed it must be anchored to the Chasm wall.
Gorgonbane stopped at the tower's closed gates, and Ess stepped up to call out, "Master! Foul things are afoot! I come seeking your aid!"
Pierce didn't see how Eff would be able to hear her through the massive doors. And what if he was out in the tower's annex, or even a storey above? He'd never hear then.
Yet shortly the doors swung open of their own accord, and Gorgonbane was admitted inside. Axebourne left his new men to guard the gate, with strict orders to blow the signal horn if there were trouble.
The inside of Chasmverge was much like the foyer of Ess's tower, which made sense. Both places had presumably been built by the First. Eff had seen fit to install a railing for the spiral staircase, but otherwise, the place was just as stark as Ess's home.
Ess led the way across the bottom floor, and a double door on the far wall swung outward as she approached. It opened up on the bridge that led to the tower's annex. Ess seemed to know that her master would be out there. Pierce supposed he couldn't be bothered to meet her halfway.
Stepping out onto the narrow bridge was unnerving. Suspension cables ran up to the tower, and beams jutting out from the Chasm wall added further support, but there was no denying the dark, open space beneath them. If a strong wind blew, or a banshee swooped in to gnash its terrible teeth at them, only an endless fall awaited. You could drop things into the Chasm all day, and you'd never hear them hit the bottom.
Pierce was relieved when they had crossed the bridge, and were surrounded by the walls of the smaller tower suspended over the void. He could still sense the pull of the blackness, like a mad invitation to just jump in. The walls provided a measure of security, however false it might be. Even Agrathor made a sound of relief to be off the bridge.
Ess was unperturbed of course. Gravity wasn't a problem for her. She called up to the small tower for her master. Each story was no more than a mezzanine with a low rail. If he was up above, he should be able to hear. The response was delayed, but it did come.
"Is that my Second?" came the voice of an older man. Pierce heard his footsteps descending the stairs. "What day is it? If you're here, either time has slipped away from me, or something is very wrong."
"Both, really," said Ess.
"Well that doesn't sound promising," said the First. His feet came into view, the rest followed.
"It's not, Master," Ess affirmed.
Eff was a stick of a man, and unlike the Second he was dressed in a loose, tan shirt and trousers that revealed his lankiness. He wore no shoes. His silver hair was grown long, and it looked unwashed. His face had a look of perpetual puzzlement, and he blinked too often.
"And you've brought along a merry band," Eff said. "This must be your Gorgonbane." He stopped at the foot of the stairs, but did not approach the group to greet them. "Even out here, I've heard the tales."
He pivoted to move back up the stairs.
"Come," he said, "I think there's a sitting room with chairs up here. You can tell me what's going on."
Gorgonbane followed him up a couple of levels, past landings leading to halls full of closed doors. There was indeed a sitting room, and it was indeed furnished, though everything was dusty. Everyone took a seat, deferring to Ess to give the news.
"So, what brings you to the very edge of the Chasm itself, young one?" Eff asked.
"
The Underlord has found a way to invade Overland," Ess said. "Pierce was able to warn us of the timing of the initial attack, but we don't know how Kash has done it. Grondell has fallen. The Everlasting Temple is in ruins."
She told him the tale of Testadel's emergence in the heart of Grondell, how they had barely escaped with their lives.
Eff didn't look shocked, but he gave out a little sigh and seemed to deflate with disappointment.
"Did you know?" Ess asked lowly.
Eff seemed surprised she would ask this. "No, by the Beard. I have not been monitoring distant events lately. I've been otherwise engaged. The, uh, structure of our world is not what I thought it was..."
Ess shook her head. "I didn't mean whether you knew the news. Did you know this would happen."
"Ah," Eff said. "It is a reflection that I have seen, yes. But you know that does not denote knowledge. I cannot predict the future any more than you can."
Ess sighed and leaned back. "But you did have a hint. Why wouldn't you warn anyone?"
The First turned his head in the direction of the Chasm. His gaze may have pierced the wall of the tower.
"It doesn't matter who controls Overland," he said distantly. "The battle of import does not occur here."
"What does that mean?" Axebourne protested. Pierce had seen him striving to hold his tongue through all of this. He couldn't stand it anymore. "Of course it matters! We humans have lived here for... well who knows how long? The surface world is our home."
"My Second is not human," the First said cooly. "Shall we deport her to Underland?"
Axebourne balked and huffed.
"Unfair, Master," Ess said. "You understand his meaning. And I agree. It is clear that humans were born under the light of the sun. Gen, and all the monsters and mutants that Kash commands, are children of the dark. Each race was given their estate. Perhaps I should return to the land of my people. Yet I no longer consider myself gen. I am only your Second."