Web of Deceit

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “What is it?” Rejji asked.

  Mistake held a finger to her lips and pointed. Rejji and Bakhai peeked around the bend and saw a colossal beast in a large chamber. They stood frozen as Mistake inched forward towards the large chamber. After a few moments, she returned and pushed them back around the bend.

  “There is a huge opening in the ceiling,” she whispered, “and another tunnel across the chamber. That is all I could see. The opening in the ceiling goes to the surface because that is where the light is coming from, but there is no way we will be able to reach it. I am going to try to sneak across the chamber and check out the other tunnel.”

  “Not without us,” interjected Rejji. “This is no time to get separated.”

  “Then we should go one at a time,” retorted Mistake. “If that thing wakes up, it looks like it could swallow us whole.”

  “What is it?” repeated Rejji.

  “It looks like a dragon,” Mistake whispered. “I thought they were mythical and used to excite children in the villages, but I can’t imagine what else it could be.”

  “After the Qubari Jungle, I am ready to believe almost anything,” added Bakhai. “Maybe I should try talking to it.”

  “I would rather it remained sleeping,” frowned Mistake. “Suppose it is hungry?”

  Mistake turned and rounded the bend again. Bakhai and Rejji peered around the corner as Mistake moved silently into the chamber. Rejji stared at the huge dragon that rested upon a pile of debris. While he could see the glint of metal sparkling in places, the vast majority of matter appeared to be bones, a lot of bones. Mistake was almost half way across the chamber when the dragon popped open an eye and stared at her. She froze hoping it would close its eye again, but instead it opened both eyes and raised its head. As its mouth opened, Mistake dashed behind a column. The dragon spit flames from its mouth that showered the column with fire and Mistake screamed.

  Bakhai immediately started making noises that sounded strange to Rejji. The dragon turned its head towards Bakhai and peered into the gloomy tunnel.

  “A talker?” the dragon said. “What is a talker doing out of the jungle?”

  Bakhai shook his head and walked forward towards the chamber. Rejji tried to grab him and pull him back, but he was too late.

  “We are on a quest,” Bakhai said. “We seek the Sage of the Mountain. Do you know the way to him?”

  The dragon appeared to laugh and sent a tongue of flame at Bakhai. The talker didn’t move and the flame fell short of him.

  “We mean you no harm,” continued Bakhai. “We just seek to gain the summit of this mountain.”

  “No harm?” laughed the dragon. “I suppose not. Talkers are meant to aid the animals, not harm them, but why do you travel with a thief?”

  “I am not a thief,” shouted Mistake. “Or at least I don’t mean to steal anything you have.”

  “A thief is a thief,” snorted the dragon, “and I know a thief when I smell one. Imagine a thief suddenly appears in my treasure room sneaking about and then claims she doesn’t want anything. Do you think everyone but yourself is a fool?”

  “I only stole to eat,” yelled Mistake. “I am not currently hungry and I wouldn’t eat anything I found in here anyway. The stench is horrible.”

  “Oh, well excuse me,” burped the dragon. “Perhaps I should come and inspect your home to see if it meets with my approval. How did you get in here?”

  Bakhai explained their quest and described the Jiadin army pursuing them. When he mentioned the wizard’s shaking of the mountain, the dragon was clearly annoyed.

  “He blew a hole in my mountain?” scowled the dragon.

  “Yes,” answered Bakhai, “and they may be pursuing us yet. You should be prepared for them coming.”

  “The three of you come and stand before me,” demanded the dragon.

  “So you can eat us?” growled Mistake. “I don’t think so.”

  “You would hardly make much of a snack,” sighed the dragon. “If you want me to trust you, then you must trust me. Come and stand before me.”

  Mistake didn’t move, but Bakhai marched into the chamber and stood before the dragon. Rejji looked back at the tunnel they had come through and sighed. He walked into the chamber and stood beside Bakhai. The dragon started tapping a claw against the floor and Rejji called for Mistake to join them. Several minutes of silence filled the chamber before Mistake gave in and joined her friends. She did not look very trusting of the dragon.

  “That is better,” smiled the dragon. “The talker is smart enough to know that dragons like a challenge with their meal. Eating you now would be too easy. You may call me Myka. I will allow you to pass this time. That is not an invitation to return. What do you call yourselves?”

  Bakhai did the introductions and the dragon nodded.

  “Mistake is certainly an odd name,” chuckled the dragon, “but then it is odd that I should let a thief pass through my chamber unmolested. The small tunnel on the other side will lead you out. I would move quickly along if I were you. I am expecting dinner at any moment.”

  Bakhai bowed to the dragon. “Thank you for your understanding, Myka. I hope we can do you a favor someday to repay this debt.”

  The trio moved swiftly, before Myka changed her mind, and entered the tunnel. The exit tunnel was similar to the one they had been in before, in that it was large at first and kept getting smaller as they progressed. It also had a fairly step incline to it and when they exited the tunnel, they could see the summit a couple of hundred feet above them. There was no path to follow as the tunnel just ended at the surface. The trio climbed the rest of the way to the summit and they were fairly exhausted when they reached it.

  “Well here we are,” Rejji declared as he looked around.

  The summit consisted of a fairly flat area with a pyramid-shaped pointy tip that extended upwards another twenty feet. The view was spectacular and they could see for miles in every direction.

  “What do we do now?” asked Bakhai as he tried to peer down to locate the Jiadin army.

  “I do not know,” sighed Mistake. “Could the Qubari have been wrong about the location? I don’t see how there could be anyone up here.”

  “I don’t think they would give us the wrong location,” responded Bakhai. “Perhaps you need to call to him or something like that.”

  Mistake tried shouting for the Sage to appear, but nothing happened. The summit was bitter cold and the wind occasionally whipped cruelly across the open surface. As the sun began to dip below the western mountains, the mood of the trio fell with it. Exhausted and cold, they huddled together for warmth. As the stars grew bright upon the black sky, the trio drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  Mistake’s head swam and her lungs felt like they were going to burst. She opened her eyes and saw bubbles floating upward. She felt lighter than air as she floated freely, but there was a feeling of despair and fear that permeated her soul. Suddenly, her head broke the surface and she gasped for breath. Cruel waves washed over her head and she shook the salty water from her eyes. She heard voices then, distant voices. The voices were full of fear and they called out to somebody. She could not make out the name that was called, but Mistake knew that the name was hers, but it was not Mistake. She tried moving towards the voices, but the savage waves continued to crash down upon her and the voices grew more distant. Another wave came unexpectedly, but this one carried the weight of something heavier, a body, a log, she could not remember. Her mind swam from the crushing blow and stars danced in her vision as everything turned to black.

  Mistake’s eyes popped open and she stared at the stars in the inky sky. She felt perspiration on her brow and a harsh cold wind attempting to turn the droplets to ice. She sat up and put her head in her hands and tried to force the horrible nightmare from her mind. As she opened her eyes and wiped the sweat from her brow, she saw a ghostly blue light cascading over the ground of the summit. She turned to find the source of the eerie light and her mo
uth hung open. The pyramid-shaped peak was throwing a blue hue over the rock as if the light emanated from within the stone. She rose and walked towards the pyramid leaving Rejji and Bakhai to their slumbers.

  As she approached the peak, she saw not a wall of stone, but a room fashioned solidly on only three sides. The fourth side was open and spoke of warmth and happiness. She walked in.

  The inside of the pyramid was warm and the ground was covered with large pillows. The walls were lined with the finest silks that undulated in an unfelt breeze and everything in the room was framed in a blue glow that shimmered. The wall opposite the entrance contained a small alcove bordered in diamonds and sapphires. Mistake’s eyes rose to look at the peak of the pyramid and, instead of seeing the small cone she expected to, saw the vastness of the heavens in an endless view of stars and planets, which gave the sense of traveling among the stars. Her gaze was transfixed on the stellar journey and she was not sure how long she remained watching.

  “Sit.”

  The voice startled Mistake and she felt her legs involuntarily buckling. She landed on a large cushion and her eyes scanned the room again. In the alcove she saw a head floating in space. The face was ageless, but the long white beard gave it a sense of wisdom. The eyes were not eyes at all, but merely white orbs within the sockets of the face.

  “What knowledge do you seek?”

  “Are you the Sage of the Mountain?” asked Mistake nervously.

  “I am whatever you call me,” answered the voice. “What matter do names have? Tell me of what brings you here.”

  “I seek to know the truth of myself,” responded Mistake.

  “You do not need my wisdom to know yourself,” declared the voice. “You need only to look within your self. The truth of your being is what you allow it to be. Your actions and your thoughts will define it.”

  “I guess I mean to ask about my past,” frowned Mistake. “You can see things in the past, can’t you?”

  “The past and the future are but different sides of the same wall,” stated the voice.

  “I need to know about my family,” requested Mistake. “I don’t mean the fisherman I grew up with, but my real family. Do they still live? Will I ever see them again?”

  After a moment of hesitation, a small stick floated through the air and was suspended before Mistake. The stick had two metal balls attached by strings to one end.

  “Take this stick,” prompted the voice. “Members of your family still exist at this time, but the paths of the future are many. Whether you shall meet them again or not depends upon the actions of a great number of people. When turned upside down, the stick will alert you to their closeness.”

  “Thank you,” Mistake said as she reached out and captured the stick. “Can you tell me about my family? Who they are? Where I can find them?”

  “The search for your family should not be the quest of your life,” replied the voice. “It will not help you find them any sooner. Gather your friends and bring them here.”

  Mistake nodded and rose to fetch Bakhai and Rejji. She woke them up and they returned to the warmth of the pyramid. Rejji and Bakhai began examining the room as Mistake had done, but the Sage allowed them little time to satisfy their curiosity.

  “Sit.”

  The trio sat on cushions promptly as if a giant hand had forced them down. They focused their attention on the floating head whose lips had turned upward at the corners.

  “The forces have gathered you together to serve a purpose,” declared the voice. “Be true to each other and lend strength and guidance where it is needed. Many trials await you and you shall spend many a day in despair, yet much depends upon your perseverance. Should one of you fall, the others must pick him up again.”

  “Each of you seeks that which has been denied you,” the voice continued, “but the fates have chosen a different path for your future. Put aside your desires for now. You may find that which you seek along the way, but whether or not it will please you is not clear to me.”

  “If we put aside our quests,” interrupted Mistake, “then what are we to do with our lives? What is this path that has been chosen for us?”

  “Seek out the ancient city of Angragar,” instructed the voice. “Your fate lies within its walls.”

  “Where shall we look for this ancient city?” asked Rejji.

  “What do we do when we find it?” questioned Bakhai.

  “The ancient city has lain dormant for thousands of years,” instructed the voice. “Return to your people, Qubari. They are responsible for its safety. They know the signs of the times and have waited for this moment for eternity. Discover the mysteries of Angragar and you shall learn the mysteries within yourselves.”

  Mistake started to ask a question, but the floating head disappeared. Mistake tried to rise but her legs refused to obey. Her eyelids grew heavy and she fought to keep them open, but her control over her body was nonexistent. She slumped against the cushion and fell asleep.

  Mistake awoke to the glare of the rising sun in her face. She sat up and looked around. She was nestled next to Rejji as she had been the night before and Bakhai was still sleeping on the other side of Rejji. She turned to look for the pyramid room, but only the rock peak was there. She shook Rejji and Bakhai and woke them up.

  Rejji and Bakhai sat up. Rejji yawned and looked around as Mistake had done.

  “I had the strangest dream,” commented Rejji.

  “Did it involve a talking head?” queried Bakhai.

  “Yes,” nodded Rejji. “How did you know?”

  “Because I had it too,” he frowned.

  Rejji looked over at Mistake and she sat there staring at a stick in her hands. A stick, which had two balls attached to it by strings.

  “It wasn’t a dream,” declared Mistake as she turned the stick upside down.

  The two balls repelled each other until they were standing straight out, opposite of each other.

  “What is that?” asked Bakhai.

  “Something the Sage gave me,” answered Mistake. “It will help me find my family. I guess it means that we are far apart right now.”

  “Let me try it,” requested Bakhai.

  Mistake handed it to Bakhai as she rose and stretched. Bakhai turned the stick upside down and the balls clanged together.

  “It doesn’t do anything for me,” frowned Bakhai.

  “I guess it only works for me,” Mistake said as she retrieved it.

  “Or that we are not too far from the Qubari Jungle,” added Rejji as he stretched and looked out at the panoramic view. “I can actually see it from here. How are we going to get down from here?”

  “That is something we should have asked the Sage,” sighed Mistake. “I can see the path down, but we will not be able to jump that break in the ledge.”

  “We could go back the way we came,” offered Bakhai.

  “We could try,” Rejji shook his head, “but we will not be able to jump out of that hole and reach the ledge. It just won’t work. Besides, Myka made a point of not inviting us back.”

  “Let’s split up and see if we can find another path down,” suggested Mistake.

  “Yltar said there was only one path,” reminded Bakhai. “He has been right in everything else. We can search, but I fear I already know the results.”

  Chapter 22

  Myka

  Rejji and Mistake waved to Bakhai as he climbed back up to the peak.

  “Nothing,” Bakhai reported as he strode over to his friends. “Our only option is back through the dragon’s cave.”

  “That is not much of an option,” frowned Rejji. “I almost fell getting off that broken ledge and I know I won’t be able to get back onto it.”

  “I agree,” nodded Bakhai, “but we have no other choice. Perhaps Myka knows of another way down the mountain. I think asking her is our only chance off this mountain.”

  “Couldn’t you just go and ask her, Bakhai,” questioned Mistake. “She doesn’t like me and I don’t like tha
t hungry look in her eyes.”

  “I will do that,” agreed Bakhai. “There is no sense in all of us being placed in danger. I will try to be back by dark.”

  “I will go with you,” offered Rejji.

  “No,” stated Bakhai. “Two of us going is no better than one. I will go alone.”

  Bakhai turned and started climbing down the mountain towards the small tunnel that led to the dragon’s lair. He had trouble locating the small entrance at first because it was concealed by brush, but he eventually remembered where it was and began crawling down the tunnel. It took him several hours but he finally entered Myka’s chamber. There was a new smell present in the air, the aroma of burning flesh, and Bakhai spied a few new skeletons on the pile that still had bits of muscle on them.

  “I thought the thief would be the one to sneak back,” growled Myka. “You disappoint me talker.”

  “I have come to talk,” bowed Bakhai, “not to steal. I need your advice.”

  “Really?” grinned the dragon. “That is more like what I would expect of Qubari. What advice do you seek?”

  “The trail from the peak of the mountain is broken,” stated Bakhai. “Even if you were to allow my friends and I to transit your home again, we still could not get down this mountain. I am hoping that you know of another why down.”

  “There is no other way,” declared Myka. “The Sage has seen to that. One path goes up, the same path goes down. There is no other way.”

  Bakhai detected the twinkle in Myka’s eye and was willing to bet that there was another way, but the dragon was enjoying the human’s predicament too much to disclose it. He didn’t think the dragon would actually lie about there being another path, so Bakhai figured he was missing something. Leaving and coming back again to ask, would be in poor taste and the dragon might not find the next visit amusing, so Bakhai decided to stall while he tried to figure out what solution had occurred to the dragon that had not come to his mind.

  “You don’t care much for humans do you?” Bakhai asked.