by Den Patrick
‘This place is stranger than anywhere else I’ve been,’ said Steiner.
‘Anywhere?’ said Tomasz, his tone incredulous.
‘Almost anywhere,’ said Steiner, remembering the horde of cinderwraiths in the forges beneath Vladibogdan. They hurried down another flight of stairs where yet more rooms of books waited.
Felgenhauer was waiting in the courtyard when Tomasz finally led them outside. The Vigilant was flanked by her cadre and a handful of porters hefting crates. Many of Arkiv’s academics strolled the edges of the courtyard in conversation with their colleagues. All took note of the soldiers in their midst. ‘That was a total waste of time,’ said Kristofine before anyone could say anything. ‘He didn’t tell us anything useful.’
‘That’s not true,’ replied Steiner. ‘Ving told us the Emperor is near invulnerable to everything except a weapon called the Ashen Blade.’
Felgenhauer nodded. ‘We can’t worry about that now. We have to leave. I’ve had word from one of my spies at the Imperial Court. Orlov and Silverdust are en route to Arkiv.’
Steiner smiled widely at the familiar name. ‘Silverdust! Shouldn’t we wait for him to arrive?’
Felgenhauer shook her head. ‘The Emperor himself has charged an Envoy and the two Vigilants to hunt us down—’
‘What? Silverdust would never …’ Steiner lowered his voice, keeping a watchful eye for the academics in the courtyard. ‘Silverdust wants the Emperor dead as much as we do.’
‘We can waste time speculating about Silverdust’s motivation once we’re off the island,’ replied Felgenhauer. ‘Come on.’
It took some time to drag and carry the soldiers’ possessions to a waiting cart. Kristofine slipped an arm around Steiner’s waist, sensing his hurt.
‘Silverdust,’ she said simply.
‘I trusted him. Frejna’s teeth, I trusted him. He knows all of it, the whole story. He knows about Kjellrunn and my Spriggani friends and Kimi.’
‘I’m sorry, Steiner.’ She let him go and addressed Felgenhauer. ‘Can I get my sword back? I don’t fancy being unarmed if we get caught.’
‘I’m not sure how useful it will be against two Vigilants and an Envoy,’ replied Felgenhauer, handing Kristofine her weapon.
‘More useful than not having it, I imagine.’
Finally they were ready to depart. The soldiers followed behind the cart and kept a brisk pace despite the weight of their armour. Steiner stared in wonder at the buildings and the wide cobbled thoroughfares.
‘How did I miss all of this the first time?’ he said.
‘I think you were suffering from exhaustion,’ replied Kristofine. ‘You slept most of the journey from the docks to the library.’
‘She’s right,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘You looked like a ghole when you arrived.’ The cart continued on its way, bumping and jolting along the roads. People stood aside at the sight of the Vigilant and the many soldiers following behind.
‘I don’t understand why Silverdust is working against us,’ said Steiner, feeling another pang of betrayal. ‘After everything that happened on Vladibogdan.’
‘The Emperor can be very persuasive,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘It’s why I went rogue before I reached Khlystburg. Besides, Silverdust has always been a mystery. Even on Vladibogdan I never had the full measure of him.’
‘But you know he’s a cinderwraith?’ said Steiner.
Felgenhauer went very still. ‘What?’
‘That’s why he’s so old, immortal, or undead.’
Felgenhauer breathed out slowly. ‘All this time and I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.’ She pondered on what Steiner had said as the cart creaked and bounced through the city. ‘But the other cinderwraiths passed on when you destroyed the Ashen Torment. Why didn’t Silverdust go with them?’
‘I’m not sure any more,’ said Steiner. ‘I thought I could trust him.’
‘Perhaps you could, for a while,’ said Felgenhauer.
‘But not any more,’ said Kristofine as the cart arrived at the docks. Steiner jumped down and stared out to sea.
‘When did the message arrive?’ he asked.
‘While you were in the Great Library,’ said Felgenhauer. She followed his gaze out to sea.
‘And when did your contact say the ship left the Imperial Court?’
‘She didn’t give me a precise time,’ admitted Felgenhauer. ‘She simply said she had heard a rumour of the Emperor’s command.’ Steiner, Kristofine and Felgenhauer all looked at a small speck of darkness on the horizon, far out to sea in the Ashen Gulf.
‘There’s no way they could have arrived here already,’ said Kristofine. ‘Khlystburg is miles away.’
‘But with a good wind the journey could be made in a fraction of the time,’ said Steiner. ‘And Silverdust studied at Vozdukha Academy.’
‘You mean like Mistress Kamalov?’ Kristofine stared out to sea. ‘Oh, no.’
Felgenhauer swore in Solska and slammed a fist against the side of the cart. A few of the soldiers ceased unloading and watched the oncoming ship.
‘Why are we waiting?’ said Kristofine. ‘The sooner we board a ship the sooner we can leave.’
‘Silverdust also has a mastery over fire,’ said Felgenhauer, ‘and his mastery over the sight is greater still.’
‘No one ever detected witchsign at such distances,’ said Steiner.
‘He will,’ replied Felgenhauer. ‘And then they will give chase and burn any ship we board while we’re helpless at sea. We have to stay on the island.’
The ship was closer now. Steiner could see the sails billowing at their fullest, yet no breeze troubled the docks at Arkiv.
‘We stay and hide, and hope to sneak away later,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘Or we fight and hope the gods smile on us.’
‘We don’t know that that ship is from Khlystburg,’ said Kristofine. ‘We should go while we have the chance.’ By now the soldiers had realised that something was amiss. They stood nearby, chatting and gesturing at the oncoming ship. Tomasz approached Felgenhauer.
‘It has Khlystburg markings. I fear the worst. We should head back to the city. It’s the best way to remain safe.’
‘But I have to find my father,’ said Steiner.
‘No,’ replied Felgenhauer. ‘Right now we need to stay alive. That’s all.’
Steiner shook his head, a disappointment settling on his chest. ‘Damn you, Silverdust,’ he said from gritted teeth. ‘I’ll kill him myself when we find him.’
‘Come on,’ urged Tomasz from the cart. ‘Let’s not attract any more attention than we already have.’
Steiner was not so impressed with the Great Library as they returned.
‘This is madness,’ he said, scowling. ‘How are ten soldiers and a Vigilant going to survive all the resources of the Empire?’
‘Silverdust is a graduate of Academy Plamya,’ replied Felgehauer, ‘but he wouldn’t dare use fire in the Great Library. He’d need a pardon from the Emperor himself for damaging the books.’ They headed into the darkness and several students flinched at the sight of so many soldiers marching side by side.
‘We stick together,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘There are basements and catacombs here that people barely remember.’
They wound their way into the Great Library and Tomasz gestured that they stop in a clearing between the many shelves.
‘We get some rest and stay quiet,’ said the sergeant. ‘They may pass us by.’ Soldiers were posted as lookouts elsewhere in the endless avenues of bookshelves. A deep sound reverberated through the stacks, as much felt as heard. The soldiers roused themselves and Felgenhauer paused to listen. The sound came again, a peal of bells rung in unison.
‘They’ve sounded the alarm,’ said Felgenhauer, rubbing her forehead wearily. ‘I had hoped they would hunt us quietly.’
‘The whole island will have heard that,’ said Steiner. ‘Nowhere is safe to us now.’
‘We move,’ said Tomasz. He nodded to his soldiers and they pai
red off, taking moments to tie bandages around each other’s arms.
‘What’s that for?’ said Kristofine.
‘So they can tell friend from foe in the next few hours,’ replied Steiner. ‘One soldier looks much like another in armour.’
Tomasz gestured to a nearby doorway. ‘Through here, we’ll go deeper.’
Kristofine and Steiner headed off but a shadow moved in the gloomy doorway. Kristofine gasped and stumbled backwards as a soldier lunged out, mace raised and black cloak swirling behind him. Steiner stepped forward, dropped to one knee and swung in one motion. The sledgehammer took the Imperial soldier across the shin and Kristofine dived sideways just in time to avoid the armoured man collapsing on top of her.
‘Careful!’ she chided.
‘Not much room to manoeuvre,’ said Steiner, rising to meet the next soldier who emerged from the doorway.
‘I’ve found them!’ shouted the loyal soldier. A backswing from the sledgehammer smashed into the books and the Imperial soldier took advantage of Steiner’s hesitation.
‘These shelves are pissing me off.’
Other Imperial soldiers rushed towards Felgenhauer’s cadre and sounds of combat rang out in the library behind them. The soldier attacked Steiner but the mace embedded itself in the shelf near Steiner’s face. Kristofine swung her blade and caused a din as the pauldron took the worst of the strike, yet the soldier’s head snapped to one side on instinct. Steiner slammed the butt of the sledgehammer handle against the soldier’s faceplate, knocking him off balance. Kristofine raised her sword and cleft the man’s hand from his wrist. The man folded in on himself, cradling the maimed limb, making strangled noises of shock.
There was a dull thump from behind as an entire shelf was knocked sideways and a holler of alarm as one of Felgenhauer’s followers was lost beneath it. More Imperial soldiers emerged from the gloom.
‘Felgenhauer!’ shouted Steiner. ‘We’re outnumbered!’ The way behind them was blocked with the wreckage of the vast bookshelf. The sounds of men dying filled the air and no help came.
‘Strike for the face,’ Steiner told Kristofine, ‘one, two, three.’ They dived forward as one, Kristofine’s blade a shimmer of steel in the lantern-lit gloom. The soldier instinctively raised his mace to block her strike, and that’s when Steiner jabbed the black iron head of the sledgehammer at the man’s faceplate.
‘What are you doing?’ shouted Kristofine.
The soldier’s head snapped back and Steiner jabbed down twice, connecting with one knee and then the other. Space opened between the two fighters and Steiner gritted his teeth and unleashed an underhand strike that took the soldier under the chin, felling him instantly.
‘Difficult to swing side to side in here,’ he replied, eyeing the next two soldiers. A great commotion sounded behind them and the Imperial soldiers paused. Steiner dared a glance over his shoulder to see Felgenhauer lifting the bookshelves with the arcane, gesturing the the wood and books to levitate. Tomasz emerged from his place of entrapment and swore in Solska.
‘Steiner, Kristofine! Get down!’ barked Felgenhauer. Kristofine grabbed Steiner’s arm and pulled him sideways and down as the wrecked shelves and dozens of heavy tomes sped forward as if fired by a catapult. The Imperial soldiers fell back as an avalanche of literature hit them. When Steiner dared to look up he saw the doorway was now thoroughly blocked with the wreckage of the bookshelves.
‘We go a different way,’ said Tomasz, grabbing Kristofine by the arm and pulling her up. Steiner looked around to see the bodies of fallen men, though it was difficult to tell which casualties belonged to which side. Three of the corpses were not corpses at all but statues from where Felgenhauer had petrified them with her arcane gaze.
‘Run,’ said the Vigilant, pointing along a main avenue between the shelves. ‘Back to Ving if you have to.’
‘Would he help us?’ asked Steiner.
‘You’d have to get him out of the tower first,’ said Felgenhauer, ‘and I trust him less than I trust Silverdust.’
Steiner nodded and headed towards the centre of the library, the sounds of fighting fierce and deafening behind him.
‘We can’t leave her now,’ he said, gesturing back to where Felgenhauer was using the arcane to punch, smash, petrify and maim any enemy soldiers who came close.
‘I think she can hold her own,’ said Kristofine, watching the carnage with growing horror. ‘Come on.’ They fled into the darkness with only Kristofine’s lantern to light their way, turning left and right until nothing made sense.
‘We’re lost,’ she complained.
‘Over there!’ said Steiner, pointing to where the curve of the black iron spiral staircase could be seen. A figure waited, silhouetted by a shaft of pale light from the floor above.
‘That can’t be Ving,’ said Steiner. ‘He couldn’t tolerate standing on the iron stairs.’ They drew closer and the lantern light revealed a Vigilant’s garb, the mask a handsome face with nine stars down one side.
‘I am Father Orlov,’ said the Vigilant calmly. He stood on the bottom step with his fingers laced. ‘Your actions killed many of my colleagues on Vladibogdan. You will surrender to me now.’
‘Steiner,’ said Kristofine, her eyes darting from side to side. Imperial soldiers emerged from behind the shelves nearby.
‘Felgenhauer,’ said Steiner under his breath. ‘Where are you?’
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Kimi
‘Taiga!’ The word had barely left Tief’s lips before Veles plunged into the tunnel where his sister had appeared just moments before.
‘What the Hel is she doing?’ said Marozvolk. There was no way Frøya’s priestess could survive the charging serpent.
‘Wait!’ Kimi laid a hand on Tief’s shoulder as they watched Veles disappear from view, scuttling up the tunnel in a fury of claws and tail. Three gholes had arrived just moments before Taiga had appeared, almost knocked aside by their draconic master. One of the wretched creatures was missing an arm, but the nearest of the gholes turned to Kimi and hissed, flexing black talons. In life the man had been tall and heavyset, and the ghole was his dark mirror.
‘I think we’re in trouble,’ said Marozvolk, moving behind the nearest brazier.
‘But I’m a guest,’ said Kimi. ‘I’m Veles’ guest. Surely they won’t—’
‘I don’t think they care.’ Marozvolk took a breath and whispered gently. Nothing happened and her eyes widened in shock. The gholes hissed louder and the largest of them took a step closer.
‘I’m not changing!’ said Marozvolk. ‘My skin. The arcane. It’s not working!’
Kimi led her friends to the flat ledge at the side of the cavern, pausing to pull the old dagger from where she’d concealed it in her boot. No sooner had she drawn the blunt blade than two of the gholes sprinted towards them. Kimi settled into a low stance, knife held out before her, heart pounding in fear. The larger ghole gave a terrible roar that pierced the frantic silence. Kimi watched in confusion as the second creature attacked its kin from behind, catching the larger ghole around the throat with a sickle. A silver dagger was held high, gleaming with a light all of its own.
‘What in Frøya’s name?’ said Tief.
The second ghole stabbed the larger one with the dagger, over and over until the creature fell to its knees, then pulled hard on the sickle. The larger ghole’s cowled head came free, smacking against the cavern floor. A gout of black ichor burst from the severed neck and the air was filled with an unholy stench. The second ghole turned the sickle on itself, cutting through the cowl and hacking off the robes to reveal a familiar face.
‘Taiga?’ said Tief.
‘I can’t believe that worked,’ she said, kicking off the mouldering fabric. ‘They really are quite stupid.’ The remaining ghole fled from the cavern, still clutching its severed arm. Tief ran forward and embraced his sister.
‘What? I don’t understand … How?’ Kimi and Marozvolk stared in wonder before Kimi had the sens
e to ask.
‘Who was that in the tunnel mouth?’
‘Oh.’ Taiga smiled. ‘That was an illusion. I haven’t done one of those for a long time.’ She chuckled.
‘But you’re just an initiate of Frøya,’ said Tief, eyes wide.
‘Yes, when we were first taken to Vladibogdan I was just an initiate. Things change, big brother. Now come on. Veles will be back before you know it.’ They ran, with questions burning on their lips, barely believing their fate could change so quickly. Taiga led the way, a nimbus of light glowing from the silver sickle and dagger she carried.
‘This way!’ Taiga led them into the tunnel, then turned left into a smaller cavern, not much more than a dead end in the rock. All manner of gear had been stacked up against the walls, much of it wrapped in oilcloth.
‘What’s this?’ asked Marozvolk.
‘Weapons,’ said Kimi with a smile as she unwrapped the first oilcloth. ‘Lots of weapons. Veles is quite the collector.’
‘I can’t believe you’re alive,’ said Tief, holding his sister by the shoulders. Tears shone at the corners of his eyes.
‘No time for that now. Find a weapon or something useful and let’s be gone.’ Taiga narrowed her eyes. ‘There’s something not right about those braziers. That smell …’
‘There’ll be no outrunning him,’ said Kimi. ‘We need the best weapons we can lay our hands on.’
‘We can’t possibly fight a creature that size,’ said Tief. ‘Have you lost your mind?’
‘We don’t have a choice,’ replied Kimi, lifting a two-handed, double-edged sword from the pile. It was as fine craftsmanship as she had ever seen.
‘Pah! Are you going to be able to wield that thing?’
‘I was head blacksmith in the harshest forge in Vinterkveld,’ replied Kimi. She twirled the great blade backwards, making a figure of eight in the air. ‘I think I can handle it.’
‘I know a place we can hide,’ said Taiga, ‘above this very cavern, but we’ll need to be quick.’
No sooner had they emerged into daylight than Taiga was pointing to the top of the hill. Rain sheeted down, falling diagonally, a fierce wind chasing it across the swamps.