Wolves of the Gods tott-2

by Allan Cole

  When he reached the steps leading up to the throne he stopped and bowed low, tugging at Khysmet's reins, who dipped like a veteran parade horse. Palimak surprised himself by instinctively going with the current and he made his own pretty bow from the saddle.

  Hantilia applauded, saying, "My! What manners! You must have been an elegant sight at Iraj Protarus'

  court, Safar Timura!"

  She nodded at her whisper/singing acolytes. "I wish you had time to teach them what real manners are,"

  she said. "Unfortunately, my court has always been so small and unimportant that my subjects never received much practice."

  Safar made a small bow, but said nothing. It was the sort of royal statement wanting no comment.

  Hantilia was merely setting him at ease and it would be the height of rudeness-an implied insult to her people-to agree.

  The Queen turned to Palimak who was not used to royalty at all and was a little frightened by this imperious being. Moreover, with Khysmet between him and the ground he was nearly at eye level with Hantilia and he had shyness to add to his fears for being such an obvious target of scrutiny.

  The Queen said, "You must be Palimak. I've been looking forward to this meeting for quite some time."

  Her smile broadened. "For one so young," she said, "you cut quite a dashing figure on that horse."

  Palimak just stared at her, blushing and feeling like a goggle-eyed, frozen-tongued babe. Her voice was warm and friendly, her manner seemed genuine. But the atmosphere had unnerved him-all those beings whisper/chanting, " … We take the sin, we take the sin,/Holy One." Except they stretched out the

  "Holy One" so it was "Hoo-llyy Won-ahh." With a long hum stretching the "ahh" even more so itall sounded like a funeral.

  He felt a stir in his tunic pocket and Gundara piped up, using his magical voice that could be heard by no other. "Don't be stupid, Little Master. She's only a queen. And not a very important queen at that!"

  "Our queen was much grander," Gundaree added. "Much, much grander."

  "Even she had to get someone to wash her dirty underwear," Gundara said. "Just like any normal being."

  "No one is so royal," Gundaree put in, "they don't need to change their underwear."

  Palimak started to giggle, then came unstuck. He dipped his head, and in the manner of a courtier he touched fingertips to his brow, then his breast, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind!"

  Delivered in his high boy's voice, feet dangling many inches from Khysmet's stirrups, his little speech stirred laughter in the Queen. She covered with a cough, so as not to embarrass the child.

  "Fine manners seem to run in the family, My Lord," she said to Safar. "You raised him well."

  "Thank you, Majesty," Safar murmured.

  The Queen's attention was still fixed on Palimak so Safar said nothing more. The exchange between them gave him time to cast a few sniffing spells to see what Hantilia was up to. So far he'd had little success.

  "It's a pity your mother couldn't see you now," she said to the boy. "She'd be very proud."

  Once again Palimak's tongue froze. He gaped at her a moment, then managed to stammer, "Y-y-you kn-kn-knew my mother?"

  "I believe so, my dear," Hantilia said, demon eyes glowing softly. "Although I can't be certain, the resemblance is amazing."

  Safar forgot about his spells. He was as riveted as the child. Neither one noticed that the voices of the chanters had risen slightly. Singing, " On our souls, on our souls/Sweet Lady, Lady, Lady."

  And Palimak blurted-"My mother was human?" For some reason he'd always imagined his real mother was a demon.

  The queen shook her head. "No, but even so, my dear, you are quite like her. Your eyes … the shape of your face … all very much the same. The more I look at you-even though she was pure demon-the more certain I become."

  Hantilia leaned forward, examining him closer. She settled back in her throne. "Yes, I'm quite sure of it,"

  she said. Then: "We called her Baalina."

  "Baalina," Palimak said, rolling the name around, fixing it in his mind. "Baalina," he said again-but firmer.

  Then he looked at the Queen, expectant.

  "She was the daughter of one of my royal attendants," Hantilia continued. "Everyone knew and admired Baalina. She was not only a great beauty, with many suitors for her hand, but she was also a very powerful and promising young sorceress."

  She turned to Safar. "She was with us when the Oracle appeared and bade us to begin this journey." She sighed. "We had no experience with the road, you understand. Many of my people were lost during those early days. Including the Princess Baalina."

  "Then you don't know what happened to her," Safar said. Although he was intensely curious-Baalina's talent for sorcery explained much about Palimak's extraordinary abilities-Safar asked the question more for his adopted son than for himself. The boy clearly wanted to know, but was afraid to ask.

  "I can't say," Hantilia replied. "Although we heard several rumors. The most reliable was that she had been rescued by a young soldier. A human soldier. The story was that they fell in love. A child was conceived and born." She nodded at Palimak. "You, my dear." She frowned, trying to remember if there were any other details. Finally, she shook her head. "That's all I know."

  "You mean, they could still be alive?" Palimak asked, voice trembling.

  "No, my dear," Hantilia said, kindly as she could. "I don't mean that. All the tales I heard agreed on at least one thing-they died in some tragic incident. That, and the fact that the child was somehow rescued."

  She smiled at Palimak, saying, "And now we know that's true, don't we, my dear?" Palimak nodded. To say more would have burst a dam of tears.

  Safar eyed Hantilia. Why was she bringing this up now? Why hadn't she told him this tale before so he could break the news to Palimak gently, instead of possibly unnerving the boy on the very day when he needed all of his strength and concentration.

  "We'll never be able to repay Your Majesty for this kindness," he said to the Queen. "My son has long wondered about the mystery of his birth. Now he knows for certain what all of the people who love him have guessed for many years. That his mother was the kindest and sweetest of beings. A princess admired by all."

  Then, to Palimak, "Maybe when we get back from seeing the Oracle you can have a longer visit with the Queen and she can tell you more."

  Hantilia gazed at the two. It was a touching scene-father comforting son as best he could under the most trying of circumstances. She sensed Safar was suspicious of her motives. She was sorry for that. She wished she could tell him that all she'd done and said had been either ordained or commanded. But she couldn't.

  Meanwhile, the boy was looking at her expectantly. And so the Queen said, "Your father's right, my dear. We can have a nice long chat when you return. And that's a promise."

  At that moment the first of Iraj's scouts reached the entrance to the Caluzian Pass. There were six of them, all demons, and all hand-picked for their magical skills as well as for their tracking abilities.

  Like Dario and Leiria they instantly saw the danger of ambush. They could also sense the strong magic emanating from somewhere deep within the bowels of the passage. This time, however, instead of the spell of humor and giddy well-being that had greeted the Kyranians, a tremendous sense of dread and certain doom radiated out at them. The spell was so strong it leaked through the shields Fari and his wizards had cast to protect them.

  Shivering and gnashing their fangs in fear, the scouts drew back until they were out of range. They regrouped, repaired their shields and considered. Courage regained, several of the younger scouts wanted to continue on. Huge rewards had been offered to the first scouts who picked up the trail of Safar and the Kyranians.

  Their leader, however, was a scarred veteran of similar encounters when golden bounties had outweighed common sense.

  "All the gold in Esmir," he said, "won't buy us a drink in the taverns of the Hells. Let some other fiend get rich, if he
dares."

  With that, he unsaddled his mount and settled down to wait for the rest of the army to catch up. He broke out a package of rations and started to eat, calmly ignoring the others who were heatedly debating the pros and cons.

  In the end, rare common sense prevailed over greed. Grumbling about missed opportunities, they followed his example.

  Deep within the passage hollow eyes peered out at the scouts. Pale lips parted in a ghastly smile of anticipation at all the blood that would soon flow.

  Then the Guardian warrior lifted his spectral horn and blew.

  Hantilia shivered. The warning was for her ears only and so no one else heard the Guardian trumpeting news of Iraj Protarus' approach. The Queen signaled her assistant, who was posted at the far end of the courtyard. Then she turned to Safar and Palimak, hiding her concern with a broad smile.

  "It is time, my dear ones," she said "for us to bid you farewell."

  Despite her efforts to hide it, Palimak caught the eddy of magic emanating from the Queen as she gathered her powers.

  At the same moment Gundara whispered a warning, "Watch out, Little Master. Something's going to happen!"

  Khysmet shifted under him, snorting and swishing his tail. Alarmed, Palimak glanced at his father, who gave him a slight nod-he'd noticed too. The boy felt something soft fall over him as Safar cast a shielding spell to protect them from betrayal. Nerves tingling, the boy glanced over at the Queen. The flame in her eyes burned brighter. Whether there was good or evil there, he couldn't say.

  Then the acolytes lifted their voices higher, singing, " … It is our fault, it is our fault,/Sweet Lady,Lady, Lady…"

  And Hantilia intoned, "In the name of the Mother of us all, I command the Way be opened!"

  She gestured and the far wall of the courtyard dissolved before their eyes. Beyond was a flower-lined pathway leading down a graceful hill to where the two rivers met. And where the Temple of Hadin waited.

  The Queen pointed a long claw at the temple. "Go!" she commanded. "The Oracle awaits!"

  Safar didn't hesitate. It was too late in the game for doubts, or for second-guessing Hantilia's motives. He grabbed the reins and swung into the saddle behind Palimak.

  He saluted the Queen. "Until we meet again, Majesty," he said.

  Hantilia smiled at him and he saw tears gathering in her eyes. "Yes, Safar Timura," she said, forcing one last lie. "Until we meet again."

  Safar flipped the reins and Khysmet started forward-the chanting crowd parting to let them through. He felt Palimak shudder.

  "Are you sure you want to do this, son?" He whispered. "Say the word and we'll turn back now."

  Palimak shook his head. "I'm not afraid for us, father," he said. "Just for them."

  From her throne Queen Hantilia watched Safar and Palimak ride toward the gateway-and the flowered path beyond. Unlike Leiria, she didn't have to stop and wonder if she'd ever see them again. She knew better. The Oracle had been quite clear on this subject from the very beginning.

  They reached the gate and Khysmet hesitated a moment, then pressed forward. The air shimmered and there was a faint pop! like a bubble bursting, and then the horse and its riders were gone. But she could still hear the clip, clop of Khysmet's hooves on the seemingly empty pathway.

  The Queen gestured and the gateway closed. She turned to her red-robed acolytes.

  "Let the Great Sacrifice begin," she commanded.

  Their voices rose in a loud chorus and she joined them in song:

  "It is our fault, it is our fault,

  Sweet Lady, Lady, Lady.

  We take the sin, we take the sin,

  Holy One.

  On our souls, on our souls,

  Sweet Lady, Lady, Lady.

  No one else, no one else,

  Holy One.

  It is our fault, it is our fault,

  Sweet Lady, Lady, Lady … "

  Behind her the snake of Asper stirred into life, two pairs of eyes glowing blood red. Tongues flickering out to taste the air.

  In the Kyranian encampment everyone heard the singing and stopped what they were doing, turning toward the city to listen.

  "What in the Hells are they up to?" Leiria said to the group gathered about the airship.

  The ship, which was straining against the strong cables that kept it earthbound, was crowded with crates of equipment that Leiria, Biner and the others had already loaded.

  The muscular dwarf scratched his head. "Singing, I guess," he said.

  Arlain, who was passing up a crate to Kairo, snorted. "Of courth, they're thinging!" she said. "Anyone with ear'th on hith head can tell that! The quethtion ith, why are they thinging?"

  "I hope Safar and Palimak are all right," Khadji said. "I still think we should have sent a good strong force along with them … just in case."

  Leiria sighed. "Once Safar gets a plan set in mind," she said, "there's no moving him from his course."

  "Maybe it still isn't too late," Khadji said. "I could get Dario to gather up a few soldiers and go investigate."

  "You won't hear me arguin'," Biner said. "For all we know those Asper heads have finally dropped their sand bags and gone starkers. He could be surrounded by a whole slaverin' bunch of them for all we know."

  Leiria shook her head. "Much as I'd like to," she said, "we'd best stick to what we all agreed on. Which is to get everybody ready to run like the winds when Safar gets back." She pointed at the airship. "Plus, get that thing off the ground and do a little snooping to see what Iraj is up to."

  "I thuppoth you're right," Arlain said, starting to hand up another crate to Kairo. "If we thtray from the plan now, we might all be real thorry later."

  "I still don't like it," Khadji said. He looked around at the others, but they'd all returned to work, lifting and stacking and stowing the gear.

  "I wish I could say something to make you feel better," Leiria told him. "But anything I said would be a damned lie."

  Safar heard the gates crash shut and suddenly he was enveloped in darkness. There was a blast of heat, the choking smell of sulfur and long tongues of flame snaked out to devour them. Khysmet whinnied in pain and alarm, but Safar tightened his grip on the reins to steady him, at the same time throwing his cloak over Palimak.

  He dug in his knees and the great horse charged forward. There was a feeling of resistance, a thick, oily stickiness dragging at them-then they burst through and found themselves charging down a rocky path, the Demon Moon gibbering overhead. Wild spells rushing in from every side with hungry mouths to devour them.

  They were in a nightmare reversal of Caluz-a barren valley with black rocks ripping through hard, blood-red dirt where gentle fields filled with fat grains and fruited orchards had once reigned. The flower-bordered pathway was now a ruined roadway filled with razor sharp pebbles and limb-threatening potholes.

  Ahead loomed the huge stone turtle that was the Temple of Hadin, straddling two roiling streams of inky water-a veritable sewer of greasy liquid spouting from its beaked mouth.

  Drawing on Palimak's powers, as well as his own, Safar hurled up a shield to protect them from the insane magic of the Black Lands. Then he chanced a quick look behind and saw a blasted ruin where the Queen's palace had once stood-columns of foul-smelling smoke rising from the rubble.

  The ground heaved under them and Khysmet nearly lost his footing, hooves scrabbling on loosened rock.

  Safar threw his weight forward and the stallion broke through, hurling himself down the steep roadway toward the temple.

  Palimak peered through the folds of Safar's cloak and saw the temple growing larger as they raced toward it.

  Then from somewhere a great horn trumpeted and suddenly the temple seemed to retreat.

  He heard his father urge Khysmet on and he felt the stallion strain with effort for still more speed. But the faster he ran, the farther away the temple seemed to be. Retreating across the valley-rivers and all-until it was a mere pinpoint lying against the black mountains forming the m
ost distant wall of the valley.

  "It's a trick, Little Master!" Gundara squeaked from his pocket.

  "To the right! Go to the right!" Gundaree urged.

  Palimak nudged his father. "That way, father!" he shouted, pointing to the right of the distant temple.

  Instantly, Safar veered Khysmet off the path and down a boulder-strewn slope. Now they were heading across the valley floor-appearing to angle away from the temple. They had gone no more than a few yards when the landscape shifted and once again they were closing on the huge stone turtle.

  On either side of them the ground erupted like boils bursting and hot, oily liquid spewed out, flowing across their path.

  Safar pressed his knees into Khysmet's sides and the stallion gathered himself like a giant spring, then leaped across the smoking streams. He landed with barely a jolt and sped onward.

  Huge gray boulders hunched up in their path. Khysmet gathered himself to leap, then reared back as the boulders came alive. Rising up on saw-toothed insect legs-vicious heads beetling out from under the gray shells, pincer jaws scissoring wide.

  Safar drew his sword, hacking at the nearest. There was a terrible shriek as he cut into the creature, splitting its shell. Khysmet trumpeted defiance, striking out with his front legs, crushing the attacking insect with his hard hooves.

  Palimak struggled to free his own small weapon, but as it came out of its sheath a nightmare face reared up and mighty jaws snatched the sword from his hand. Safar slashed and Palimak heard another shriek, then the creature was gone.

  He had time to see several other giant insects fall on their wounded brothers, tearing hungrily at the shells to get at the flesh beneath.

  Khysmet carried them out of the bloody chaos and they were free, racing toward the temple-now only a few hundred yards away.

  Just then the ground opened up under them and they were falling, Khysmet shrilling in fear and flailing his legs.

  Below a huge mouth yawned wide and a long tongue lined with fangs shot out to take them.

  In Hantilia's courtyard, the Queen came to her feet, throwing her hands high to beseech the heavens.