A shrill whistle from behind pierced his ears and he spun. The doors to the Citadel sat closed and he saw no one who could have made the sound.
“Up here, boy.”
Looking up, he saw Saven, white feathered wings sticking over his head, standing on a strip of stone that jutted out between two spires. Attached to his chest, he wore a series of leather straps. “You need to come up here, boy.” Leaning over, he pointed down at a door on one of the spires. “In there are stairs that will bring you to me.”
Opening the door, Arderi found a spiral stairway much like the one he and Rinear had taken their first time together. Halfway up, he found a small access door cut into the wall that let out onto the platform where Saven waited. Now that he stood up here, he noticed it formed a balcony off one of the rooms in the Citadel. Two glass-paned double doors stood open off a sitting room from quarters similar to those he occupied. Only, this balcony had no handrail around it like the one off his room. A second winged man stood behind Saven, buckling on a leather harness much like the one Saven wore. Looking out over the balcony, Arderi noticed he was now higher than the arrival platform. On top of the platform’s roof sat a low dome of red crystal made of the same substance as the Quay’ka’gana. Just thinking of the Sending Stone reminded him he would be using one again very soon. He cringed inside at the thought. He also noted that the wind had picked up, and this made him uncomfortably aware of how high he stood. “What are we waiting on? Do we not need to leave this plateau soon?”
Laughing, Saven stepped forward and clapped Arderi on the shoulder. “Yes, boy. That we do.” He guided Arderi away from the edge and toward the other winged man. “This is Jinro. He will be…” A big grin split his bird-like features. “…helping you make your descent from Bin’Satsu.”
The man’s statement confused Arderi until he took a closer look at the straps that now hung from both of the men with wings. With hands up in front of him, he backed toward the open sitting room. “Now wait just one moment. If you are planning to use those harnesses as I think you mean to—” He jumped as a hand clapped him on his back.
Larith smiled at him, and with a hand still on his shoulder, guided Arderi back out onto the balcony. “There is nothing to this, Brother.” He indicated to the second winged man. “Jinro is a strong flyer. You will have nothing to do except enjoy the view.”
Still shaking his head, Arderi remained voiceless. There was no way he would allow this to happen. “Master Rine. You cannot expect me to do this?”
The smile on Larith’s face began to broaden. “I am sorry, Brother. There is no other way off Bin’Satsu. You have seen the cliffs that surround this Citadel. They are unclimbable.” Reaching up with his other hand, he turned Arderi around so his back was toward Jinro. “Besides, what man that has ever lived has not dreamt of flying?”
Jinro stepped up and pressed his body against Arderi’s back. Reaching around, he handed several ends of the leather straps to Larith before buckling a few himself. Swallowing the lump lodged in his throat, Arderi looked out over the vast mountain range surrounding them. “Me.” He croaked the word out.
Once all the straps were cinched tight, Larith busied himself, going over each one again, pulling hard before moving to the next. When he finished, he grabbed the sides of Arderi’s head, forcing Arderi to look him in the eyes. “Listen, Brother. Do not struggle once you are in the air. If you do, you will doom both you and Jinro to a messy death on the rocks below. And that will make Jinro’s new wife very upset.” Laughing, he patted one of Arderi’s cheeks. “You will be fine. If it makes you feel any better, Brother Rillion did not like this any more than you.” Turning, he stepped in front of Saven and helped the winged man buckle the straps around him.
“Heed his words, Arderi.” Jinro’s breath blew hot in his ear. “Do not flail about when we are airborne. We do not have far to go. Besides, Larith is wrong. If you make this trip too difficult on me, I will cut you free long before you have a chance to take me to the Aftermore with you.”
Pressing toward the edge of the balcony, Jinro forced Arderi to shuffle forward. Reaching the edge, the full weight of what he faced fell on him. “Wait. I do not think I can do this. There must be—” The ground raced up to meet him. Flinging his arms out before his face, he screamed. The sudden grip of straps biting into his chest told him he no longer fell. He was ascending. Opening his eyes, he relaxed a bit. The brown grass that lined much of the plateau whizzed by just below his reach. They flew no higher than his own height off the ground, until the ground vanished with a stomach-wrenching drop. Hundreds of paces below him, jagged rocks waited to mangle his flesh. The sight made him want to sickup. Pulling his arms and legs in, he attempted to curl into a ball.
A laugh from over him reminded him that he was not alone. “You walkers have no head for heights.”
Arderi felt the winged man chuckling through his back, and his face flushed. This quelled his anxiety somewhat, and he took the chance to look around at the distant mountains. His eyes beheld a truly magical sight. The wind whipped past him, and other than the straps holding him to Jinro, he felt weightless. Never had he felt so free. Allowing himself to relax more, he held his arms out to his sides and soon the pure joy of the flight filled him. “This is not as bad as I thought it would be.”
“There is nothing quite like it. I cannot imagine going through life being trapped on the ground.”
Glancing off to his left, Arderi watched Larith hanging below Saven. “They seem like they do not always get along. Why is that?”
“That is the way of brothers. Sometimes they do not see eye to eye, yet they are still family.”
Jinro’s words shocked Arderi. “Larith and Saven are real brothers? How can that be? Larith does not have any—” The memory of Arderi’s first day in Bin’Satsu bubbled up in his mind. When he and Larith had walked out onto the patio overlooking the mountains he had seen two things twitch on Larith’s back. “Larith lost his wings.” Arderi had not meant to say the words aloud.
“Yes. My heart weeps each time I think on it.”
Banking hard to the left, Arderi and Jinro swooped in behind Saven and Larith. They had flown level since they left the plateau. Now the two pairs dove down at a sharp angle heading for the first trees Arderi had seen since arriving at Bin’Satsu. The trees covered the steep slopes of a small valley, not much larger than his home stead and mayhaps some of its surrounding farmland. A small lake—more of a pond really—sat nestled near the center. From where Arderi lay looking down upon the valley, he could see no path or pass which would allow admittance to the area if one approached by foot.
Skimming just above the jagged rocks that guarded the valley, both flyers pulled up a few score paces above the tree line that blanketed the valley floor. As they raced across to the far side, Arderi saw a large structure carved from the rock itself, running up the face of the far valley wall. What appeared to be statues—now little more than worn boulders on pedestals—lined a large open archway that led into the side of the mountain.
Flaring out their wings, Jinro and Saven pulled up into a vertical stance a pace from the ground, then with one last mighty flap of their wings, came to a stop in midair. They hovered for a moment before dropping to land on their feet.
Larith, already unbuckling himself from his harness, looked over at Arderi. “And how was your first time soaring through the sky?”
Arderi felt Jinro reach around him to unbuckle his own straps. “It was wondrous! It truly was.” He was not certain he wanted to repeat the adventure. Still, he had to admit it was one of the most exhilarating things he had ever done. Reaching down, he helped Jinro release the straps holding them together.
With both unharnessed, Larith headed for the mouth of the building. Knowing what he knew now, Arderi could make out the stubs of wings beneath the older man’s long white robe, and he felt sorry for what the man had lost. Turning, he held out
a hand. “Thank you, Jinro. I hope I was not too much of a burden.”
The young winged man let out a grunt. “I did not cut you loose, did I?” Laughing, he took Arderi’s offered hand, then glanced at the building Larith had disappeared into. “I wish you well on your journeys, young Cor.” With that, he walked over to Saven, who nodded a farewell to Arderi before turning to speak with Jinro.
Returning his nod, Arderi started after Larith. The dirt path leading up to the entrance contained the occasional tuft of grass or a flat stone that looked like it could have been a paverstone long ago. When he entered the side of the mountain, the paverstones became more abundant. Soon he was walking down a wide tiled hallway. The light filtering in from behind him failed to illuminate the passage ahead, though a flickering red glow from within cast enough light for him to at least see where he needed to go. The glow looked very much like a campfire, though he knew it was no fire. He knew he walked toward a Quay’ka’gana like the one in the Undercity of Mocley that had brought him here.
The hall ended in a massive archway. Carved stones, each with a rune etched into it, lined the top of the arch. Arderi did not recognize any of the runes. Still, he recognized them as the same ones as those on the archway that led to the Sending Stone in Mocley. Stepping through, the sight that greeted him looked hauntingly familiar. A raised platform surrounded by stairs sat in the center of the room. Six jet-black pillars, each covered with more runes and glyphs, arched in from the top edge of the platform to grasp a large red Crystal about the size of a child. The Quay’ka’gana pulsed through Arderi, matching the beating rhythm of his own heart. He stood, mesmerized by its call.
“Saven said he saw the storm front as we flew in, so I must be more brief than I intended.” Larith placed a hand on Arderi’s shoulder and turned him so they faced each other. “I am going to give you a Questing. This is something that will allow you to feel when a Mah’Sukai is near.” Reaching up, he placed a hand on either side of Arderi’s face. “This will not hurt, though it will feel…cold. Are you ready?”
As Arderi nodded, he felt the power rush into him. Cold is not how he would have described the sensation. A freezing numbness cascaded from his face and head, to his shoulders, chest and arms in quick succession. Gasping in pain, he grabbed onto Larith’s hands to pry them from his head. The man’s strong grip held firm, however. Then, the feeling receded. Slipping a hand to the back of his head, he tried to rub out a knot he felt at the base of his skull. His fingers found nothing, so he lowered his arm.
“Continue to practice what I have shown you. Much of your skill will come naturally over time if you use it each day.” Larith walked to the base of the stairs and pulled out a small bag from his pouch. Opening it, he swirled two fingers inside, looking for something. Within moments, he pulled out a small red Crystal. “Come, step into the Quay’ka’gana.”
Arderi, not thrilled to comply, shifted his gaze from the large red Crystal to Larith, then back again. Finally, after taking a deep breath, he stepped up onto the center of the platform.
When he reached for his sword, Larith shook his head. “If you unwrap the hilt of your sword, Brother, you will find yourself back in Bin’Satsu.” At the puzzled look from Arderi, he continued. “Each Ka’gana stone can be tuned to only one destination. The one in Dorochi’s hilt is tuned for Bin’Satsu. You can use it at any Sending Stone and it will always send you there.” He held up the red Crystal he had fished out of his pouch, displaying it between his fingers. “This one is tuned to Mocley. Bring it back when you return, for I do not have many to spare.” With that, he tossed the Mocley-tuned Ka’gana stone to Arderi.
Fear lanced through Arderi, and not from the pressure he felt building around his body once he snatched the Crystal from the air. “Wait! How will I find my way out of the Undercity?” He grimaced as his arm bent back.
“You will not have to, Brother. The arrival platform in Mocley is inside the Rillion Villa. You will be safe once you arrive there.”
Pain racked Arderi, forcing him to the floor.
Larith looked at him laying on the floor in pain with a look of pity. “If you find this Mah’Sukai, Brother, do not hesitate. Kill him, or he will most certainly kill you.”
Arderi’s scream blocked out anything else Larith might have said. His vision narrowed, and the cave was crushed out of existence.
The continued jostling of people began to grate on Alant Cor as he shuffled his way along with the multitudes waiting to enter the city of Mocley. Fielders, for the most part—or more accurately, farmers, as these men and women worked their own land and did not live in a stead—with the odd merchant thrown in. Alant looked around, trying to watch everyone without appearing to show interest in anyone.
It was early in the morn and Alant was not only well rested and fed, he was nice and clean thanks to the inn he had stayed at in Gatetown last eve. His Ma may not be from the city, yet she was correct in the value of ta’narians here.
It cost almost a quarter of one for last nights stay alone!
It was worth it, however. The amount of dirt and grime that had accumulated on him in the near two-tenday walk from Hild’alan surprised him. Still, he would have to be more frugal choosing where he stayed or his coin would be gone before the tenday was out.
He wrinkled his nose at the man standing in front of him. The man wore a coat worn through in spots and the cuff of his pants had frayed. Grime covered every piece of his exposed skin.
I may be clean, yet not everyone is!
Guarders meandered around the area, one and all dressed alike in yellow and blue tabards adorned with a talon clutching a wheat stalk—the symbol of Mocley—worn over a mail hauberk. Most carried poleaxes with yellow and blue streamers tied just below the blades of the weapon. The few without poleaxes wore knots of rank on their shoulders. Everything appeared normal except the line of people waiting to enter the city. This struck Alant as odd. From what Alant could remember, the main gates of the city were open to foot traffic and the guards normally did not stop anyone from entering. This time when he approached, a guarder directed him to file in with the others if he wanted admittance. So here he stood, creeping forward for near half an aurn behind a smelly man. Though he was almost next.
The man in front of him stepped up to a guarder captain who eyed him with exaggerated interest. “Well now. Name and business?”
The man reached up, pulled the poorly cut leather cap from his balding head, and started wringing it in his hands. “Names Ranthin Gar. Why all the questions?”
The captain smiled and jotted down the name on a piece of parchment he held on a thin wooden slab. “My thanks to you, Ranthin. And your business inside the walls of Mocley?”
The dirty man glanced side to side before he slammed his cap back on his head. “My business is my own! Mocley is still a free city, is it not?” With a harrumph, he stepped past the captain, then stopped short when two other guarders with poleaxes moved to block his way. “What is the meaning of this? I have done nothing wrong!”
One of the new guarders looked the disheveled man up and down. “Mayhaps nothing you have been caught for.” The other guard chuckled.
The man sputtered and stammered, though, before he said anything, the captain stepped up next to him. “Look…” He glanced down at what he had written. “…Ranthin. This is nothing against you. We have been told to keep on the lookout for a certain person trying to enter the city. Someone the Proctor wants very badly. As you do not fit this man’s description, why do you not go ahead and answer the question and be on your way, huh?” Reaching down with his free hand, the guarder shifted his sword in its scabbard. “Or, if you prefer, you can be on your way out of the city.”
The disheveled man glanced from the two guarders blocking his way to the one taking down names like a mouse trapped between cats. The smelly man pulled his cap off and wrung it in his hands once more. “I…I need to visit
the Bazaar. Looking for a gift for my wife.” He got excited, as if he had just figured out something. “It is her naming day on the morrow!” A big smile split his grimy face.
The captain sighed and shook his head. “See, not so hard. Off with you.”
Neither of the two guards who blocked the man’s way made a move. One even raised his free hand in a gesture of disbelief. The captain just waved a hand. “Let him pass. He is not the one we are looking for.”
Alant had watched the entire exchange with interest, though none of what was said made any impact on him until the guarder captain turned from the smelly man and headed back toward the line of people.
They are not looking for just anyone…they are looking for me!
Terror gripped him and all Alant could think to do was run. Unfortunately, his body would not comply. An awareness fell on him of just how many guarders there were surrounding the area. Where just a few moments ago it seemed like only a handful, now it felt as if there were dozens. And each one appeared to be staring directly at him. Sweat slicked his palms and a wave of nausea hit his stomach. Had he already eaten firstmeal, he knew it would have spewed from him right then and there.
The captain stopped in front of him. “Name and business?”
Alant’s mouth went dry as his mind raced for a response that would not end with him arrested…or dead. “Alant Cor. I am headed to the Chandril’elian.” His heart froze. He could not believe he just blurted that out.
Without so much as a pause, the guarder captain scribbled something onto his parchment and stepped past Alant to the next in line. “Name and business?”
Mortals & Deities Page 13