The Call of Kerberos

by Jonathan Oliver

  "There is a lot more to the Llothriall that you can't see. The elf magic has been seamlessly integrated into the design of the vessel. This empowers many of the ship's unique abilities; its ability to negotiate the angriest of maelstroms, or its ability to sail beneath the sea, for example." Dunsany said. "And talking of elf magic..."

  Emuel had joined them and Dunsany put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. The tattooed eunuch returned the mage's expression with a weak smile of his own.

  "Emuel, would you like to show us to the gem room?"

  Emuel nodded and led them down a short flight of steps and into a room buzzing with magical energy. The hairs on the back of Silus's neck rose as he entered and there was a sour taste in his mouth.

  The stone sat in its housing in the centre of the room, veins of power rippling across its surface. The slightly cowed expression on Emuel's face was replaced by a look of affection as he ran his hand over the surface of the gem, almost as though he were stroking a much-loved pet.

  "And this is why we need Emuel," Kelos said. "It is his song that unlocks the power within the stone and enables the Llothriall to handle the roughest of seas. This power will enable us to sail through the Storm Wall unharmed. Entire elf fleets used to venture forth in ships such as this. Unfortunately we have found no record of what they discovered."

  "A good reason why we should set out on a voyage of discovery ourselves." Father Maylan said. "Why, we could map anything we find and sell copies to the highest bidder on our return. We could become very wealthy men."

  "Ah, but this voyage is not just about money, Father." Dunsany said.

  "Speak for yourself," said Ignacio.

  "We are going to be paid, right?" Jacquinto said, his hand dangerously close to his dagger.

  "Gentlemen, of course you will be paid." Dunsany said. "Have I not already given you a little taster? But, trust me, you will gain so much more from this than a full purse."

  Silus led Katya to the main deck, leaving the rest of the crew to argue it out amongst themselves. They stood at the prow of the Llothriall, looking towards the mouth of the lagoon and beyond to where the angry ocean stretched to the horizon. The masthead of the ship followed their gazes, the violet eyes of the wooden elf maiden reflecting and somehow enhancing the glow of Kerberos. The wind blew strong and fresh in their faces and the ship swayed gently in its natural harbour.

  "I remember that look," Katya said, turning to her husband.

  "What look?"

  "It wasn't just for me was it, that first night beneath the gaze of Kerberos on the subterranean lake? I know how you dream."

  Silus embraced her. Sometimes he regretted the fact that he was so easy to read. "Katya, you know that I love you."

  "I do know, Silus. But something like this... it's not going to happen every day. You deserve this, no matter how much I'd like to just return to our old lives."

  "But what about our child?"

  "We'll be safe enough, safer when you guys set sail. Then our son or daughter won't have to be born in the company of fugitives from the Faith. Besides, I have a friend on Sarcre who will look after me and I would rather not give birth in the confines of an inquisition cell or on a ship. So you see, it's probably for the best." Katya looked back up at the sails. "And she is a beautiful ship. When you return we can go somewhere quiet, live off the money and you can raise our son or daughter on stirring tales of the sea."

  "You know that that this voyage is probably going to be dangerous?"

  "Yes, but you face danger every day, out on the Ocean Lily. There's something about you Silus, Kelos was right. I think that your veins run not just with blood but also seawater. Like I said, you can't take the sea out of the boy. And nor would I want to. It's who you are."

  "I'm worried Katya, worried about what I may be becoming. Those creatures called me half-breed and Kelos seems to think there's something unique about me, but what? Why did those standing stones seem to scream at me? Why do I suddenly feel like a player in a game I don't understand?"

  Katya didn't answer, instead she put her arm around her husband.

  The Llothriall seemed to be straining beneath them, towards the horizon, and - despite his fear - Silus felt that same tug himself, deep within his breast.

  After their tour of the ship they returned to the tunnel, following it back to Maladrak's Cauldron.

  Before they reached the cave that led out of the side of the volcano, Dunsany put a hand out to them, gesturing for them to stop. Kelos joined his colleague at the head of the group, straining to hear whatever it was that had brought them to a halt.

  After listening for a moment he ran his tongue over dry lips and said: "There's no mistaking that taste is there?"

  Dunsany shook his head.

  Behind them the rest of the crew exchanged confused glances. Silus thought that he could hear a repetitive thumping sound, but that could have just been the waves crashing against the island.

  "What's happening?" he said.

  "Someone up there is using a lot of rather powerful magic." Kelos said. "Can you not taste that strange metallic taste?"

  "Is it the Faith?" The panic in Katya's voice was clear to everybody and they too began to feel an edge of hysteria creeping up on them in the dark confines of the tunnel.

  "No, it's not their style." Dunsany said.

  "Well, in that case it's probably just some dabbler in the esoteric arts. You do tend to get the odd mage on the Sarcre archipelago." Father Maylan said. "Apparently the peace of the islands is conducive to magical practice."

  "Whoever it is, it pays to be careful." Dunsany said. "Those with weapons, I suggest you ready them."

  A short distance from the mouth of the cave, a shimmering blue light painted the walls. The taste that Kelos had detected earlier was now heavy in their mouths, drying up their saliva and making it difficult to swallow.

  Jacquinto and his comrades drew their swords and pushed past Dunsany and Kelos to look out.

  Silus didn't like the expressions of sheer terror that contracted the faces of the smugglers or the way they stumbled back, but something else, something like the siren song of the sea-maidens of legend, made him push his way past them.

  The entire island was cloaked in the sheets of indigo fire that poured from the standing stones, creating a dome that extended far above him. Silus realised that it was shielding the island from the creatures which stood on the shore, their wet scales reflecting the light of the magical barrier that crackled and hissed only metres before them.

  The Chadassa were chanting something in their guttural language and each syllable, echoing in Silus's mind, made him take another step towards them.

  Behind him he was vaguely aware of the sounds of more weapons being unsheathed and his hand strayed to his own sword, a part of him screaming its awareness that now was the time to fight.

  But the chanting blocked out all thought and his hand fell away.

  At the centre of the line of Chadassa stood Belck. The gem at the tip of his staff burned with an angry scarlet light and the creatures that flanked him were gesturing with their hands as they tore into the magical energy of the barrier. There was a sound like the heart of a thunderstorm and a hole started to open up in front of Belck.

  Silus saw Kelos rush past him. The mage reached into a pocket in his jerkin and threw a handful of glittering shards into the air. These raced towards the barrier and began stitching lines of fire across the gap that was rapidly widening there.

  Belck raised his hand and the arcane threads crumbled.

  From behind the ancient creature, a Chadassa twice as wide and at least a foot taller than he stepped in front of Belck and thrust a misshapen, trunk-like arm through the hole in the barrier. The warped limb ended not with a clawed hand, but with a hole from which dripped strands of green slime. Two fleshy sacks on the underside of the arm collapsed as something erupted from the barrel of the creature's limb.

  Kelos staggered back under the force of the impact and loo
ked down at the thing that was now embedded in the flesh of his chest. It pulsed there for a moment - emitting a sound like a small animal being tortured - before it suddenly contracted, hundreds of thread like filaments whipping out of its body and around the screaming mage. Dark red lines crisscrossed Kelos's torso as he fell, the threads seared into his flesh. Dunsany and Father Maylan rushed over and started to tug at the thing attached to their friend.

  As the two of them struggled, Silus watched with only mild interest.

  In front of Belck the hole in the barrier continued to widen and he began to speak, his gaze fixed on Silus.

  "The Chadassa have long awaited your coming, Silus. Stories of you were told to me when I was barely a hatchling, tales that I have told my own broodkin. We all know of the half-breed. And you know, Silus, that your place is amongst us. You know that it is your seed that will produce the Land Walkers. You know that this reality needs to be bathed in the waters of the Great Flood. Only then will we be able to swim the oceans of time and space together."

  Katya stepped into Silus's line of vision and he smiled briefly at her - as though he were imparting a greeting to a passing friend on the street - before returning his attention to the Chadassa ancient.

  Silus remembered the vista that had greeted him through the transparent tunnel walls, how the ocean there had seemed so endless, stretching away into the midnight blue of the distance. He wondered what it would be like to swim there.

  "You could swim forever with us, Silus."

  And he would swim forever with his brethren. Entire worlds would turn, suspended in the waters of the infinite ocean. They would be masters of all life, all matter.

  Katya was shaking him now, but he barely felt her touch. Beyond her Dunsany had begun to pry the strange creature free of Kelos.

  The hole in front of Belck was now almost big enough for the creature to step through, or for Silus to step out of.

  "Come to us Silus. Be with us."

  Silus could see tears running down Katya's face. The words that she was saying failed to reach his ears. All he could hear was Belck.

  Kelos sat upright, pulling the last of the vicious tendrils from his flesh. He was pale, sweating and covered in blood but he still managed to regain his feet with Dunsany's help.

  And even though Belck's words began to fill his mind once more, Silus didn't fail to notice Kelos's finger pointing his way.

  A cacophony of sound rushed in on him and Silus flailed back at the aural assault.

  There was Katya screaming his name as she repeatedly pummelled his chest with her fists; Kelos's words of power pounding through his consciousness; the growl of rage from Belck as he realised that his hold had been broken, and a sound like a thousand summer storms as the barrier surrounding the island began to fail.

  Silus's hand went to his sword as he looked at Katya's frightened face. She stepped back from him, as though expecting him to lash out, but when he put a hand on her arm she saw that he had come back to her.

  With a gibbering scream something leapt through the hole in the barrier. It was smaller and faster than any of the Chadassa Silus had seen so far, and it launched itself at Katya with a feral cry. Silus was quicker, however, and the edge of his blade caught the thing across the skull as Katya fell back behind him.

  The creature howled in pain but quickly found its feet and came after him instead. This time it cleared the arc of Silus's blade and was about to rake its talons across his face when Dunsany barrelled into it from the side, bringing the creature to ground.

  The pinned Chadassa thrashed wildly beneath him as Dunsany gripped its skull. Silus could see the strain in his arms as he prevented the creature struggling against his grasp. Then, he wrenched the thing's head violently to the side and it stopped moving as its neck broke.

  Kelos, panting with the strain of his injuries, rushed over and helped Dunsany to his feet.

  Silus looked back to where Jacquinto and his comrades were cowering in the mouth of the tunnel, Emuel just visible behind them. They caught his gaze for a moment and seemed to be about to steal themselves to advance when the chanting of the Chadassa stopped.

  "I suggest that we go, now." Father Maylan said, already backing towards the cave.

  But before they could begin their retreat a shiver passed through the stones surrounding the island and the ground seemed to sway beneath their feet.

  With a noise like a great door slamming the curtain of magical energy fell. Belck raised his staff and cried out a word that no human mouth could ever have formulated as the standing stones began to explode, one by one.

  As burning fragments of rock showered them, the crew turned and ran for the shelter of the tunnel, Silus shielding Katya's body with his own, crying out in agony as shrapnel scored his shoulders. He saw Kelos turn and start to gesture with his hands as he attempted to weave the beginnings of a defensive spell. But when the Chadassa started to swarm across the island towards them, he too turned and fled.

  Dunsany and Father Maylan were the last to the tunnel and, turning, they saw that the Chadassa were closing the distance to them fast.

  "Kelos, is there anything that you can do?" Dunsany shouted, above the roar of the advancing creatures.

  "Get clear of the entrance." Kelos said, his hands on the rock walls, his fingers seeming to sink into the stone. "Go!"

  Dunsany joined the rest of the crew as they fled and, as the darkness of the tunnel swallowed them, a great wave of force slammed them to the floor as the roof of the cave collapsed. They covered their heads as a hot wind rolled over them and the sound of falling rock filled the tunnel.

  And then the thunder of stones stopped and there was just the creak and groan of rock settling into new configurations.

  For a moment they lay in absolute darkness, listening to each other's breathing. Silus reached out and found Katya's hand, a sigh of relief escaping his lips when she returned his grasp. Behind him he could hear Jacquinto and his friends swearing as they checked themselves for injuries. Emuel was sobbing to himself and muttering prayers.

  "Kelos?" Dunsany called.

  And they all listened, hoping for the sound of footsteps that would tell them that the mage was safe, but Dunsany's voice echoed away into emptiness.

  "Kelos?" Dunsany called again, the threat of tears now in his voice.

  From out of the darkness a light bobbed towards them and Silus was reminded of the corpse lamps that haunted the swamps on the borders of Nürn, for the face that the unreal glow illuminated certainly seemed to be that of a ghast or revenant. The lined features that drifted down the tunnel were a spectral white and a groan escaped from the cracked lips of the unholy vision. An icy chill touched Silus as the ghastly creature drew near.

  "Dunsany?" It said, and a pale hand reached out towards him. "Water."

  Dunsany handed the pallid vision his flask and, as it poured the water over its features, the rock dust was washed away and Kelos stood before them, shaking.

  Dunsany embraced him with a fierce hug.

  Kelos smiled weakly and sipped from the flask. "The tunnel entrance has been sealed. I'm afraid that leaves us with only one means of escape."

  "The Llothriall?" Dunsany said.

  Kelos nodded and the crew began to prepare themselves for the voyage.

  The Final Faith ship was skirting Sarcre when a thunderous boom echoed through the channels of the archipelago. Brother Philip noted that the dome of magical energy that he had observed covering one of the smaller islands had come down. He passed the telescope to Inquisitor Mandrias and signalled for the First Mate.

  "Can you ask the Captain whether he can take us closer to the island with the volcano?"

  "I'll relay your instructions at once Father, though some of the channels here may be too narrow for the ship."

  "I'm sure that men of your calibre will be able handle it." Brother Philip said before turning to the short, dark haired man at his side. "You think that the disturbances point to the source of our fu
gitives?"

  "I wouldn't be surprised." Inquisitor Mandrias said. "Fitch's investigations suggested that it was towards Sarcre that Kelos was last seen heading."

  The ship groaned as it leaned hard to starboard. As it cleared a jagged bluff the island came fully into view and Mandrias leaned into the side of the vessel as he strained forward with the telescope.

  Even without the aid of the glass, Brother Philip could see a multitude of dark shapes swarming across the island and he thought he knew what they were. He had seen such creatures before, observed them tearing into a band of thieves at the Turnitia docks. It had been Brother Philip who had helped to secure one of those same creatures for the Faith's dungeons at Scholten.

  "Chadassa?" he said.

  "Yes," Inquistor Mandrias breathed. "A lot of them. But why on earth would they be going after Kelos and Dunsany?"

  "It seems that they have made more enemies than just the Faith."

  There was another explosion and the side of the volcano spat out a cascade of rocks.

  Inquisitor Mandrias passed the telescope back to Brother Philip. "It looks like the Chadassa have them trapped. Should we call in the attack ships? We can pick off the creatures and then go after the fugitives. The Llothriall must be somewhere nearby. We could have this all wrapped up by evensong."

  As Brother Philip considered his options there was the sound of claws on wood as something clambered up the side of the ship. Above him the rigging creaked and he saw a dark shape leap from one rope to the next. He turned as a shipmate screamed, his cry cut off by a wet gurgle as dark claws punched through his torso. The mariner's body fell as the creature behind him rose to its full height. An overpowering smell of rotting fish and sulphur washed across the ship as more Chadassa stepped onto deck, their clawed feet gouging rough channels into the wood.

  Neither Brother Philip nor Inquisitor Mandrias had time to go for their swords before the creatures were upon them.