by D. M. Almond
“I’m not an elf,” Corbin said.
“Who said the fair folk were the only ones that could possess the gift?” Isaac said.
“But Siribel...”
“Is an elf who possesses true mastery over the gift of precognition,” Isaac said. “And you are a human who has the makings of a master psionicist. It is rare, but not impossible, for acolytes of your order to dreamwalk.”
“Sleepwalking?” Logan asked.
“Don’t be daft, boy,” Isaac said, tapping the base of his staff against Logan’s calf, “and get a move on. It’s not like we can’t discuss this while we march.”
Logan nodded, and they walked under a heavy archway where one of the crystals had cracked off and was balanced between two others.
“So you think I could be one of these dreamwalkers?” Corbin asked.
“It would make sense, if you are having visions through other people’s dreams.”
“But how…” Corbin’s fingers brushed the Svalin around his earlobe, lingering on the cold metal surface. The Svalin was gifted to him by Lady Cassandra as a way to both ward off unwanted psychic probing and muffle the cacophony of thoughts that flooded his mind from all those around him.
At first he had desperately needed it just to feel a sense of normality, but later, after his control over the ebbs and flows of psionic energy grew stronger, he had grown less dependent on the mystical item. In fact, most of the time they were on the surface, he had forgotten to wear it at all. It was only as they began making their journey back toward Vanidriell that he thought to fix it in place. The idea of being near the ever-powerful Baetylus, who had snuffed out Corbin’s life force through a psychic assault, terrified him.
“It would appear you have already answered that question for yourself,” Isaac said.
Logan let the lodestone swing and pointed to a path past a crystal that grew sideways from a nearby rocky wall. Nero quickly climbed over it, and Logan helped Bipp get a foothold.
“Okay, I get that maybe I stumbled across one of Logan’s dreams,” Corbin said, using his voulge to pole vault over the barrier. “But then doesn’t that still leave the question of how Logan had a premonition?”
“That’s not how it works,” Isaac said as he levitated past the crystal. “Dreamwalkers do not just enter the Morpheus realm. They also bend the channel of time to see its many possibilities, latching onto the most likely and bringing it to the forefront of the host’s mind.”
“So you’re saying I made that vision happen?”
“He’s saying you gave me a nightmare,” Logan said. “Thanks for that.”
Corbin shrugged apologetically and mulled over the concept.
“You want to hear about a bad dream?” Bipp said. “One time I dreamed I was a mole, and I found myself headed in the wrong direction, late for my job. So I started digging and digging and digging into a different tunnel. But every time I got to a new one, it was even farther from where I was supposed to be. Well, eventually I arrived at a party. It was one of those real fine ones too, with a long table overflowing with a delicious spread of all my favorite foods. So I said to hell with work, I’m going to sit right here and eat until I roll over and pass out. So I started eating. I mean, I dug in hard, and then some other moles arrived with a big lizard. Boy, were they mad at me. They started shouting and shaking their grubby little claws. I knew I was in for it, so I grabbed a handful of mushrooms and bolted right out of there.”
Corbin followed his brother, squeezing through a gap where the crystal grew right up against a wall. “Wow…uh, a nightmare about moles. That must have been pretty bad, huh?”
“What? It wasn’t the moles that made it bad,” Bipp said. “It was all that honeyed ham I had to leave behind.”
Corbin pursed his lips. He was not sure if Bipp was trying to lighten the mood or if he was being serious. They entered a smaller tunnel, leaving the crystal cavern behind.
“I see,” Nero said. “So the joke is that Bipp was having a nightmare about food?”
Corbin did not miss the disgusted look Isaac threw at the android. The mage never hid his distaste for the robotic creature.
“What about you, Nero? Tell us about your worst dream,” Corbin said, trying to keep the conversation moving.
“Androids do not dream,” Nero said.
“Really?” Logan said, crouching down to get past a cluster of small crystals growing from the tunnel ceiling. “Not even when you recharge for the evening?”
Nero shook his head. “I do not dream,” he said adamantly.
Corbin felt that they had touched on a sore subject and made a face at his brother, telling him to let it go. Logan nodded, frowning at Nero. Corbin could see Logan had grown attached to the android since their journey together to retrieve the Aegis. With Bipp, that made two friends for his older brother. Corbin thought that was good. He liked the idea of Logan caring about someone more than himself for a change.
As he thought about it he almost tripped over Bipp, who stood stiff as a board in his path. “By Óðinn’s ghost, Bipp, watch what you’re doing,” he snapped. “You could’ve made me fall right over the edge…” Corbin’s voice trailed off as he took in the yawning chasm in front of them.
The tunnel had opened up, turning into a tight peninsula that jutted over a wide ravine of squirming black bodies. Corbin gazed at the odd formations in bafflement, trying to place where he had seen them before.
“Now that is a nightmare,” Bipp whispered.
Corbin gasped and felt dizzy as recognition gripped him by the throat. Below them, only twenty feet away, was a hive of skex.
Chapter 7
Skex. Bile rose in the back of Logan’s throat at the mere mention of the vile insects, the same species that inexplicably swarmed New Fal and devastated his village, tearing apart the fabric of his life, his community, and worst of all, bringing about the untimely death of his surrogate mother, Morgana. Logan could think of few things he despised more than the skex.
Part scorpion, part dragonfly, they were formidable predators, with pincer claws that could sheer a grown man in half, black plated exoskeletons, and long translucent wings. To any Falian, the name skex conjured up the stuff of nightmares.
While his companions gasped at the sight of the canyon below, which was teeming with the sleeping horrors, Logan clenched his jaw tight. He lost count trying to tally up the sheer number of them and turned his back to the ravine. He stared at his mechanical hand, flexing his fingers. The painful memory of a skex crushing his real hand to a pulp threatened to bubble to the surface. Rage boiled inside him as he wished he could summon enough power into that artificial appendage to lay waste to the entire valley.
Corbin’s hand clamped down on his shoulder, and Logan looked up to meet his gaze. There were fewer things in the world stronger than the bond between siblings, a fact confirmed by the look Corbin gave him. He did not need to put his own thoughts into words, nor to use his telepathic prowess to convey his message. Logan understood.
He closed his eyes for a moment, finding the strength to hold it together, before turning back to face the valley.
Bipp was crouched down, rubbing his bulbous nose and muttering, “How is it that we always end up in these situations?”
Isaac had snuffed the halo of light around his staff the moment they came upon the horde of insects. He had never seen a skex before, but anyone with common sense could tell the slumbering monsters were deadly.
“What are they doing down there?’ Logan asked, coming up beside them.
“Damned if I know,” Bipp said. “Always did wonder what kind of hive these insects crawled out of.”
“It would appear these creatures are in a state of hibernation,” Nero said.
“Ah, I see,” Logan said, though he had no idea what the android meant.
“What’s that now?” Bipp asked.
“In Agarta there is a mammal called a bear,” Nero explained. “During the warm weather, they like to roam the forest
s, catching fish in the streams, eating eucalyptus, and playing with each other, among other things. However, when winter comes, they retreat to their dens, grow their fur thicker, and sleep for the entire season. We call that state of deep sleep hibernation.”
“Wow,” Logan said. “They really sleep for months at a time?”
“Indeed,” Nero said, “and they are not the only Acadian species able to do so.”
Bipp chuckled. “Bet Logan wishes he could hibernate, huh?”
Logan smirked, though his eyes were still cold and transfixed on the narrow valley. “Exactly how deep is this sleep they’re in?”
“It’s hard to calculate,” Nero said. “Perhaps if I had more data to go off of…”
“Great, we’ll just perform a little experiment and see how difficult it is to wake one up,” Logan deadpanned. “Then after you say my funeral rites, you’ll know how easy it’ll be to sneak past them.”
“I could try to probe their minds,” Corbin said.
“Best not take that course,” Isaac said sternly. “Let’s not forget what happened last time you tried to use your power under pressure.”
“Are you talking about those two guards in Belikar? That was the first time I tried to use telepathic suggestion over such a long distance,” Corbin said, sounding slightly wounded.
“And it almost cost us our lives. Then there’s also the matter of the Battle of Belikar,” Isaac said.
Corbin shook his head. “Huh? I didn’t even use psionic magic during that battle.”
“That’s exactly the point. You were so caught up during the whole war that you never once used your abilities.”
Corbin shook his head again, not ready to give in. “That was before. You know I’ve been practicing every chance we get. I can do this.”
“Are you willing to risk the lives of your brother and friends to test that theory?” Isaac asked calmly.
Logan felt bad for his little brother, who looked down at the scores of black armored insects and slowly shook his head. He wanted to comfort Corbin, but the reality was that Isaac was probably correct in his estimation. And it was better Corbin be mad at the mage than make Logan admit he felt the same way.
“Then what do we do?” Logan asked.
“I have an idea,” Bipp said, turning around with a wolfish smile. “Why don’t we just have Isaac send an illusion of a skex in heat down there and lure them all out of the tunnel?”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Corbin said.
“Hey!” Bipp’s smile turned to a scowl. “No need to take a shot at me just ‘cause you can’t show off with all your psychic flim flam.”
“I would advise everyone to keep your voices down,” Nero said calmly. “There is no telling what the auditory capabilities of these insects are and now is not the ideal time for that manner of speculation.”
Bipp folded his arms over his chest and glowered at Corbin, who silently nodded at Nero. Logan looked at Isaac hopefully.
“An illusion would not work without a better understanding of how these skex’s senses work.” The mage stared thoughtfully out across the shallow ravine. “There really is no other way down here from Miradùr. Perhaps we could circle back and try for a different route through the Citadel after all. Maybe there is a path the Acadians missed?”
“I don’t think so,” Logan said. “Once we lost the bridge to Ul’kor, it became a one way trip to the Citadel.”
“And Kyra was confident that there was no other way out of the base that would lead us back to Vanidriel,” Bipp said.
“Bipp is quite right on that account,” Nero said.
Logan looked at his brother, who stood silently with his back to them. “Corbin?”
Corbin’s broad shoulders sagged and he bowed his head. “If we leave now, there’s no telling how long it will be before we get home again.”
“With Elise safe in Malbec, a couple more weeks isn’t going to hurt anyone.”
“That’s just it. A lot can happen in a couple of weeks. And what of those less fortunate, those unsuspecting souls being brainwashed and fed upon by Baetylus? And who is to say what that maniacal being is cooking up next? Last time he was willing to wipe out thousands of Falians to increase his strength. It’s only a matter of time before he does it again.”
“So we risk our lives for those people who tried to murder our entire village?” Logan said.
Corbin turned around, his eyes filled with steely resolve. “I’ll not turn my back on all those innocents in New Fal. They should not pay for the sins of a corrupt few.”
Logan knew his brother well enough not to argue with that. In his heart he agreed with the sentiment, but it made his skin crawl no less to think about facing the horde of skex below. “So we try to sneak past a quarter of a mile of sleeping skex?” he said, pointing past Corbin to the far end of the ravine.
Corbin nodded without taking his eyes off his brother.
“There is an opening almost at the end of the chasm,” Nero said.
“You can see it from this distance?” Corbin asked dubiously.
“Hell, Nero, can see all sorts of things we can’t,” Bipp said.
“Then what are we doing up here except wasting time?” Corbin asked, immediately dropping to his knees and shimmying backward to the edge of the cliff.
“Bipp,” Nero said as they walked to the cliff’s edge, “would you like to hang onto my back while I climb down?”
“Bugger off,” Bipp said through gritted teeth, his ego still bruised by Corbin’s insensitive remark. “I’m perfectly capable of making it down on my own.”
Logan would have pointed out the time Bipp took turns riding on his and Corbin’s back as they climbed the shaft into the Citadel, but he decided against further wounding the gnome’s pride. He went down after them but quickly outpaced even his brother, using his mechanical hand to firmly grip the rocky edifice in a way none of them could.
Logan heard the sliding dirt and Bipp’s yelp before he felt the pebbles tumbling onto his head. He had to shake his head to clear some of the dirt from his hair and spit it out of his mouth. When he opened his eyes, he watched in horror as the debris tumbled down the tapered cliff and bounced off the sleeping body of a skex directly below.
Logan held his breath as the behemoth stirred, shuffling its long body and curling its barbed tail close to its body. He waited for long moments until it finally lay still once more before letting out his air.
He looked up. Bipp was biting his fist to keep from yelping while Nero held onto his other forearm.
“You wanna maybe ride on Nero’s back now?”
Bipp scrambled over the android’s body without objection, wrapping his arms around Nero’s neck for support.
“Everyone good?” Logan asked. Bipp shot him a thumbs up. “Great, then shut up and get moving.”
Logan was the first to touch down, traversing the cliff around the bottom until he was a good five feet away from the nearest skex. He helped his brother touch down silently, supporting his weight, and then they both worked to balance Nero, who was heavier than he looked. Isaac was quite impressive, floating down the face of the cliff like a feather. Logan decided that when they got out of this mess, he needed to ask the mage how he pulled that off.
The ravine was black as a starless night, darker even than the residents of Vanidriell were used to. Fal was lit by the floating crystal, Malbec by the volcano Kahô, and Dudje by gnome ingenuity. So no matter how dark the underground lands were, those who lived there still depended on light for a great many things. They had never had much trouble seeing in the caves around their homeland, but this canyon was absolutely devoid of light, almost as if the skex’s black exoskeletons absorbed any residual trace.
Logan could see maybe six feet ahead and depended on the cavern ceiling above to gauge the direction they needed to travel. It was even more eerie that the roof of the place and upper walls, or cliffs, had a ghostly pall of green light coming from some unknown
source. The whole thing had a dizzying effect that left him feeling imbalanced.
Logan motioned to Isaac’s staff and pointed in front of them. The mage shook his head. Logan shrugged and pointed two fingers at his eyes.
Twin beams of light projected from Nero’s eyes, forcing Logan to wince and throw his hand up. His muscles suddenly tensed when all around them hulking armored bodies of skex began to stir.
Corbin jumped forward and covered Nero’s eyes with his hands. “Cut the light,” he hissed through gritted teeth.
A mirage of fading yellow stayed burned into Logan’s vision even after the lights were snuffed. Corbin let go of the android, who was clearly getting ready to apologize. Logan held up a hand and pressed a finger to his own lips.
One of the skex which had had light shining directly on it was still squirming. Its legs worked sideways, and the monster settled down in a new spot, lowering its face to the dirt floor. Logan did not dare move even a fraction of an inch while the man-eating insect rubbed its tentacled maw against the ground.
Finally the beast stopped moving except for the steady rise and fall of its armored back. Logan waited a few minutes more then motioned for everyone to move. Their vision might be murky at best, but they were going to need to make the best of it to get past the skex.
I gotta get the Hel away from this place before one of these knuckleheads gets me killed, Logan thought.
He worked his way through the tightly packed bodies of skex with more care than he had put into anything his whole life. He literally walked on tiptoes, carefully balancing his weight and slowly feeling out each step before he took it. It would do no good to be sneaking about if he just ended up stepping on one of the sleeping insects’ appendages. Sometimes he was so fixated on watching the ground that he would find himself facing a dead end, where skex were lying piled against each other to keep warm.
When this happened they were forced to circle back and find a new route. Everyone, except Isaac, marched with weapons in hand: Bipp with his small hammer, Corbin his voulge, Logan white-knuckling Gandiva, and Nero his short bow. They were only halfway through the canyon when Logan’s muscles began to grow tight. Normally he could walk for miles before such a thing, but he was so tense that each step began to drain him, almost as if moving slower was more work.