The Ghosts of Blood and Innocence

by Constantine, Storm

  Lileem folded her arms. ‘Ta Ke, there are other beings above us here. Perhaps we should go to a different city, somewhere isolated.’

  Ta Ke shook his head. ‘I can only work with my own tower. We are attuned.’

  ‘Are you sure? Have you ever tried?’

  Ta Ke regarded Lileem disapprovingly. ‘Feel free to explore. If you go through that doorway over there and keep heading straight on, you should come to the farms. They are unmistakable.’

  Lileem stood her ground. ‘I question the wisdom of waking a tower when there might be agents of the Aasp around it. It doesn’t make sense.’

  Ta Ke sighed; it was clear his patience was wearing thin. ‘Lileem, you speak in ignorance. It will take me some time to reactivate the tower, and I intend to be discreet. I know my job.’

  ‘And if you succeed, what then?’

  ‘I will use it to try and track down others of my kind, or seek alternative aid. It is possible a higher power might assist me, although they usually regard the antics of lesser beings as inconsequential.’

  ‘You don’t say!’ Lileem shook her head. ‘I’ll go and look for food.’

  Lileem found the farms quite easily, as they were recognizable by their glass exteriors. They looked in fact like enormous greenhouses. At first, Lileem was concerned she’d find only a barren desert of dried up stalks within them, but was relieved to discover the opposite was true. The farms had been neglected, but the mechanisms that provided light and nutrients had obviously remained functional since, inside, the greenhouses resembled impenetrable jungle.

  Lileem had to force her way in, and it took several tries, with different greenhouses, before she found one where she had the strength to push the door against the tangled growth within. She clawed her way through the vegetation and was pleased to discover large pale yellow fruits hanging amid enormous wide leaves. There was a strong smell of over-ripeness in the air, like sickly sweet honey. But for the first time in ages, her stomach growled in anticipation of food.

  The plants had originally grown in raised beds between wide aisles, but now grew rampantly all over the place. Lileem progressed down one of the aisles, picking fruit as she did so, and laying them on the floor in piles. Although the smell the fruit left on her hands was strong, it was not unpleasant, and this indicated to her that they were unlikely to be toxic to her body. Back in the earthly realm, Lileem had often used her heightened senses to identify consumable foods in this way, but she decided to err on the side of caution and take everything she found back to Ta Ke before sampling it. Her body had waited years to feed; it could wait a short while longer now.

  As she pulled the fruits down, she let her mind drift over pleasant memories: living with Flick, Ulaume and Mima on the riverboat Esmeraldarine; her first days in Shilalama; her love for Terez har Aralis. When she got to that part, Lileem decided she’d gathered enough to eat. She’d come to a work station, where panniers were stacked in a pile, just visible but mostly covered by leaves. She dragged one of the panniers free and retraced her steps up the aisle gathering the fruits she’d left on the floor. She supposed that different fruits and vegetables might grow in the other aisles; another time she’d investigate further.

  When she returned to Ta Ke, he was not at all happy. She’d been gone for longer than she’d realised because he’d had time not only to inspect his tower on the surface, but also to scan the ethers for traces of his people.

  ‘They are gone,’ he told Lileem in bewilderment. ‘I cannot find any sign of them. They have either died out or have been hidden somewhere so distant they might as well be dead.’

  Lileem put down her basket. Ta Ke barely glanced at it. ‘I’m sorry,’ Lileem said. ‘Can you do this alone?’

  Ta Ke sighed heavily. ‘The towers are badly damaged,’ he said. ‘Time has taken its toll on them. I do not even think the Aasp harmed them. Natural dissolution has gnawed at their fabric.’

  ‘Does that mean you can’t do anything here?’

  Ta Ke’s eyes took on a fierce expression. ‘I will attempt to rebuild Mutandis. It will be a start. As to whether one tower is enough, I cannot yet say. I have no choice but to try.’

  ‘Eat something,’ Lileem said. ‘This fruit smells edible.’

  ‘They are goyani, yes,’ Ta Ke said, in a wistful tone. He bent to take a fruit from the pannier, then held it to his nose. ‘Once, I feasted on this delight with my loved ones.’

  ‘I really am sorry,’ Lileem said. ‘It must be terrible for you. You said it felt like you only went to sleep yesterday. The grief…’ She shook her head.

  ‘In some ways, yes, there is much grief,’ Ta Ke said, ‘but in others, I am numb. I feel as if I lost everything a long time ago, even though it also feels recent. Strange. It must be an effect of what Hagak did to me.’ He was silent for a moment, then bit into the fruit he held, chewed it slowly. He swallowed, blinked a few times and sighed. Then, almost sadly, he smiled. ‘Try the goyani, Lileem. Enjoy this experience for the new and rare thing it is for you, and I will enjoy it for the happy memories it invokes. There are many other delights to be found in the farms.’

  ‘You haven’t seen the state of the farms,’ Lileem said dryly. ‘They are jungles now.’

  ‘But still fertile,’ Ta Ke said. ‘We must be thankful for that. You will need something to occupy your time as I am working. You can concentrate on clearing an area in the farms for us.’

  Lileem laughed. ‘All right. It’ll be like old times for me. But if there’s anything I can do to help you with your work, please let me assist.’

  Ta Ke inclined his head. ‘I will bear that in mind.’

  Lileem could tell he didn’t think a lower being of her type could do anything to help him. She sighed. She had a feeling she’d be in this place for a long time.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ookami set up his black pavilion in the field opposite Phade’s Tower. It appeared overnight, and Darq first saw it when he rose from his bed and looked out of his window. Ground mist swirled around the graceful folds of fabric; it looked somehow mystical, as if a magician lived within. There was no sign of life, because Ookami wasn’t in it. He was elsewhere, breathing in the morning. Darq did not yet know the name of this har but nonetheless was aware that his fate had come to meet him. His time at Samway was nearly over.

  A fleeting twinge of wistfulness nibbled at his heart and he turned to face the bed where Thiede lay sleeping. For two weeks since Darq’s feybraiha, he and Thiede had been together almost constantly. They had kept themselves apart from other hara, either walking in the woods where they had long conversations, or else exploring the delights of aruna. Darq had accepted this exotic lover, as if it was a privilege he’d earned or deserved. It seemed he’d always known Thiede, deep in his blood, and maybe he had.

  Since they’d been physically close, Darq had noticed that his own abilities had strengthened. He knew it would take very little to extend a seeking tendril now and insert it into Thiede’s mind. Was the har so deeply asleep he wouldn’t notice? Thiede knew everything. Darq was impatient with the notion that ignorance was protection. He wanted to know everything too.

  But don’t you realise? his own conscience whispered, once you’re away from here and away from Thiede, you’ll have more freedom. You’ll be free to explore in your own way. Whatever har they’ve sent to train you doesn’t matter. Pretend, as you’ve always pretended. You know there are other creatures and hara out there who have the information you need.

  As if these thoughts were too loud and had roused him, Thiede awoke, and stretched. Then he fixed Darq with a stare. ‘Your new mentor is here,’ he said. ‘I can feel it. His name is Ookami.’

  ‘There’s a black pavilion in the field opposite,’ Darq said. ‘I suppose that’s his.’

  Thiede narrowed his eyes. ‘He will not be what you expect, Darq.’ Which could have meant anything.

  Darq shrugged. He didn’t care.

  Thiede clearly thought Darq should care. ‘
Don’t you want to know how I found him?’

  Again, Darq shrugged. ‘How did you find him?’ he asked, deadpan.

  ‘His master is known to me, a Nahir-Nuri of the Far East. I know his students are particularly useful as both bodyguards and teachers. I communicated with him, and he told me Ookami was fairly close to us here. He recommended this har as of exceptional talent.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ Darq said.

  The new mentor did not appear at breakfast, as Darq had expected. Phade seemed almost forlorn, now that he truly realised that Darq would soon be leaving. Darq winced as Phade attempted a farewell speech. ‘I haven’t always been the best guardian to you. But know that Samway is always home for you, Darq. If you ever need to, come back, or call to me.’

  Darq had no intention of doing any such thing. He supposed that, in a dim way, he was slightly fond of Phade, but now that Amelza had gone, and her family was cut off from him, there was little to keep him in Samway. There would be other landscapes, other forests. The world was full of them.

  After breakfast, Thiede went to find Ookami, which Darq thought was rather unusual. Surely, this har should have presented himself to Phade before anything else, and Thiede was important and shouldn’t have to go looking for anyhar. For the first time, Darq felt a worm of trepidation concerning this individual.

  Thiede told Darq to wait for him in the tower, and thus Darq was forced to endure further attempts by Phade to say goodbye. Clearly, the har felt guilty that Darq’s removal was necessary.

  ‘I hope in some measure what you’ve learned here will help protect you,’ Phade said, and then drew in his breath, as if a weightier speech was about to emerge.

  ‘Will you excuse me?’ Darq interrupted. ‘I’d like to take a bath.’ He wasn’t sure which of them was the more relieved when he left the room.

  Darq looked up and down the empty corridor beyond the dining room. He closed his eyes briefly and scanned for living presences with his senses. Everyhar was engaged in morning work. In the yard, a few guards discussed another, who wasn’t present. It seemed this har had offended them. Darq listened to their rather heated exchange for a few moments, then got bored of it. He thought himself into a quiet space and went outside the tower. In the yard, he walked right past the guards who did not see or even sense him. Darq headed towards the fields.

  The pavilion was still empty. Darq could perceive that wards had been placed about its entrance to deter intruders. He could also tell that the har who owned the tent traveled light. A well-bred black horse was tethered nearby. It was not a large creature, but very beautiful. Darq went up to the horse and stroked its long nose. It sniffed him in a skittish manner, whites showing around the edges of its eyes, ears flicking back and forth. ‘So where is your master, hey?’ Darq whispered to it.

  Thiede had left a shimmering trail, visible only to Darq. It was easy to follow. The trail led into the forest beyond the fields, lying like sparkling mist over the damp grass. It wound between the trees, beckoning Darq onward. Eventually, it led to a glade, where Darq could see Thiede standing in the shadows of the oaks and birches that surrounded it. Thiede was in a quiet place too, silently observing the har who moved upon the grass. Darq skirted the glade and took up a similar position some distance from Thiede. He took care to wrap himself in deceits, to blend in with the surroundings. He was sure Thiede could not sense him.

  A har, clad in trousers and shirt of loose black silk, danced a ballet of swords in the early sun. His dark hair hung like a sheet of unraveled silk also, swinging with his movements. His feet were bare and the two swords he brandished flashed like silver fire. Darq considered that this har knew perfectly well he was being watched. He expected the performance would end with one of the blades being flung, perhaps to spear a tree at Darq or Thiede’s shoulder. It might be best to leave now, to deny the har this final flourish. But the dance was hypnotic and Darq was reluctant to leave, without being consciously aware of it.

  ‘He could teach you this art,’ murmured a voice. ‘The dance… and the death that goes with it.’

  Darq wheeled round, and all his concealing devices evaporated.

  Thiede stood smiling behind him. ‘I thought I told you to wait for me.’

  ‘You did. I was curious.’

  The dancing har had ceased his practice and now stood in the center of the glade staring expressionlessly. His eyes were slanted. He looked nothing like any har that Darq had seen before.

  ‘Ookami,’ Thiede said, his voice louder. ‘This is Darquiel, who is impatient to meet you.’

  The har bowed to Thiede and approached. He still held the silver blades in each hand. Darq had the distinct impression Ookami was offended that he had been interrupted. He would not show it though. Darq was sure this har rarely showed anything that lay inside him. That was something Darq could admire.

  The har inclined his head to Darq, his eyes full of an expression that implied he understood what Darq was about, all too clearly. ‘I am honored to serve you, tiahaar,’ he said to Thiede. Could he possibly mean that?

  Darq laughed aloud, and the sound fractured the morning air harshly. He regretted it at once.

  ‘The exuberance of youth,’ Thiede said airily, as if by apology, and now he seemed distant, an adult far removed from Darq’s life, not the har Darq had lain with for two weeks. Darq felt stung and moved to rebellion. He pushed past Thiede and ran back towards the tower. He felt young again; this was the morning he had woken up to a strange feeling and later he would notice Amelza for the first time.

  Back in his room, Darq lay on his back on the bed, blinking at the ceiling. He would go so far into himself, nohar would find him. And then there was a voice in his head that said, Not even me, sweet thing?

  Not even you, Darq answered at once, although he had a feeling that wasn’t true.

  Very shortly, Phade knocked on Darq’s door and entered the room without waiting for a response. ‘You should come and meet this har, Ookami,’ he said.

  Darq propped himself up on his elbows. ‘I have met him,’ he said.

  ‘Properly, Darq. Formally.’

  ‘He looks different.’

  ‘He’s from a tribe that lives far away,’ Phade said. ‘From the Orientis. Thiede has chosen him to be your new guardian, because he has the skills to protect you, and also to teach you. Your caste training must begin at once.’

  Darq knew vaguely about this training, and that he was supposed to aim for progression through the various levels. Privately, he scorned the concept. He knew what he had to know and would teach himself more. It was just a question of application and attention. ‘Where will he take me?’

  ‘I won’t be informed of that, for obvious reasons. Somewhere safe. Come along, now. Be polite.’

  Darq stood up. He felt as if his life had become a series of unconnected present moments.

  Phade had installed Ookami in a formal reception room on the first floor of the tower. Househara had brought to him a late breakfast, and he now sat drinking tea with Thiede. When Darq entered the room, their conversation ceased. Thiede has told him I am trouble, Darq thought.

  ‘Darquiel,’ Thiede said in a cool greeting. ‘You’ll be leaving today, after you’ve prepared what items you wish to take with you. It would be best if you were stern with yourself about that. Too much luggage will be awkward.’

  ‘I have nothing to take with me,’ Darq said, ‘apart from clothes.’

  ‘Choose a horse for yourself from the stables,’ Phade said. ‘Take your pick, apart from my own.’

  ‘I will choose a mount for him,’ said Ookami, in a serene yet commanding tone.

  ‘Of course,’ Phade said hurriedly. ‘My staff can walk the best ones out for you.’

  Ookami inclined his head, sipped tea. So far, he had not yet glanced at Darq, which Darq knew was deliberate. He was being treated like an animal that needed careful handling to be tamed. Perhaps, if he was ignored, Ookami expected Darq ultimately to edge forward and sniff the taming h
and. It would be best for now to let him believe such a ploy might work.

  ‘Look on this as an adventure,’ Thiede said.

  Darq gave him a withering look, hoping also to inject a small measure of disappointment in the expression. Don’t treat me like a harling. I’m not stupid.

  Thiede held Darq’s gaze, but let no information slip from his eyes. ‘We’ll meet again, Darquiel. Trust my judgment for now.’

  Darq said nothing. He felt nothing.

  The Olopade occupied a myth-soaked landscape. Darq had seen little of it, because Phade had kept him close to home, and the Olopade had little contact with other hara in the country. Soon Darq would see that the forests appeared to go on forever, that the mountains were full of silent, brooding power. The remains of ancient castles had been taken over by various Wraeththu factions, comprising the indigenous incepted, known collectively as the Anakhai, which was also the name by which the region was now known, with many sub-tribes and groups within it and, in the western territories at least, also hara who had traveled east from Megalithica during the Gelaming purge of the Uigenna/Varr alliance. Phade’s Tower itself was one of these structures, and had undergone radical reconstruction once Phade had been installed there by Thiede, long before Pellaz had been taken to Immanion. Many of the towns and cities of Anakhai had fallen to ruin, yet a few had been claimed by Wraeththu. Ookami intended to avoid these settlements. Humans had badly polluted much of the landscape, but since their demise the world had tidied up the debris of human depredation. Anakhai was a wild and beautiful place. Most of the old roads had long gone, but it was still possible to ride along the overgrown railway tracks in places. Not that Ookami intended to take any such risks; he preferred to follow the deer trails.

  On the first afternoon of their journey, neither Ookami nor Darq spoke much at all. Darq was content simply to drink in the sights that unfolded along their path. He could feel the power of the landscape rising around him like green-gold steam. He fancied the spectral hunters of the forest observed their progress from the shadows; weak ghosts in the afternoon. Ookami had chosen a fleet yet sturdy mount for Darq: a bay gelded colt named Follet. Darq was pleased, because he especially liked the creature. Follet was known for his stubbornness, which suited Darq perfectly. Sometimes, the colt was filled with an urge to run, when there was no stopping him, save by breaking his knees. Like Darq, Follet had learned early the advantages of taking the bit between his teeth. But today, the colt was calm, his head hung low, as they ambled along the forest path, with sunlight coming down in hot yet narrow cascades through the canopy of foliage.