The Deathless

by Peter Newman

  She could see them now, like white ghosts on the edge of her vision, each a match in size for Glider, but leaner, wilder, hungrier.

  Varg unveiled his chunk of tanzanite, holding it high. As the aura of violet-blue brushed against the nearest Dogkin, there was a unified howl, and the startled pack recoiled to the safety of the shadows. Though the illumination was comforting, its glow was often snagged on its way to the ground by leaf and branch, making shadows that jumped, confusing.

  They stumbled on as best they could, slowing to a more measured pace. ‘Not far to Sorn now,’ said Varg.

  ‘Will the light hold them off?’

  ‘I bloody hope so.’

  ‘How long before we get there?’

  ‘I dunno, maybe an hour.’

  ‘And how long before the light fades?’

  ‘Longer, at least two or three hours.’

  ‘Good.’

  They continued in silence for a while, the pack stalking them at a distance. Chandni was unable to keep her eyes from the edge of the light, certain that the radius of its protection was already shrinking.

  She was pinning her hopes on getting to Sorn but it occurred to her that it was no longer a place of safety. The Wild had taken it. What if they got there and the Dogkin followed them in? Or worse, what if they encountered the Corpseman?

  Because they were working so hard on not falling over, and because the pack was no longer announcing itself, they nearly walked straight into the two Dogkin blocking their path.

  Glider came to an abrupt halt, pulling Chandni to a stop next to her, Varg carrying on another pace before realizing the danger. She felt as much as heard Glider’s growl as two sets of sharp teeth gleamed where they touched the violet-blue light ahead.

  ‘Keep eye contact,’ whispered Varg. ‘Whatever you do, don’t look scared.’

  Chandni thought that Varg could do with taking his own advice on the fear front. If they couldn’t smell it on him, they’d certainly hear it in his voice. Nevertheless, she did what he said, falling back on her lifetime of training, composing her features, drawing on every ounce of her Sapphire pride.

  Keeping eye contact was more difficult. Which one of these monsters should I look at? Now that they had stopped, she could see they were surrounded, the rest of the pack closing the circle around them – to look at one meant turning her back to another.

  She decided that it was better to attend to one or two of the Dogkin than none, and focused on those in front of her, straining her senses for any sign of the others making a move.

  But none did. She had the horrible sense that they were waiting for something, even if it was just for Varg’s light to fail.

  ‘Do you think we should try walking forward?’ she asked. ‘They might make way for us.’

  Varg licked his lips as if about to speak but didn’t answer straight away.

  ‘Well?’ she prompted.

  ‘Wait. Let’s just hold a bit.’

  ‘I think that’s what they’re doing, waiting on us. We should take the initiative while we can.’

  The crystal in Varg’s hand started to hum, softly at first, then louder. As it trembled, the light around them shook, and then, on the edge of it, Chandni saw a Dogkin approaching. It was no larger than the others and yet it seemed larger, drawing her gaze to it effortlessly. Like the rest of the pack, its fur was white and sleek, and she had a sense of it being old, for it moved with a deliberate step. Unlike the others, this one had only four legs and a single tail, but what caught Chandni’s attention most of all was its eyes. Like all Dogkin, it had mismatched eyes, one human, and one canine. Unlike them however, the human eye was a clear blue, unclouded, and when she met it, she felt a shiver deep in her soul.

  Suddenly, vividly, the memory of having despatched Fiya came into Chandni’s mind. For a second it was as if she were there, and then it passed, leaving her staring at a snarling face.

  Before the leader of the pack could move, Glider shrugged off Chandni’s grip and surged forward to meet it, growling low. The other Dogkin tensed but did not spring, their collective attention going from Varg and Chandni to the confrontation.

  In that moment, she felt a great love for Glider. She has such courage, such devotion. In her own way she is as loyal and true as any of the great heroes in Sapphire history. Does she see us as her pack, I wonder, or as her masters, or even as friends?

  The two Dogkin faced off, each growling at the other, but neither moved to strike. Chandni saw them like duellists before a match and was sure that the winner of this psychological battle would also win the physical one.

  ‘Chand,’ said Varg, with a hint of desperation. ‘I can’t hold on.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘The tanzanite. It’s shaking so much I can feel it digging through my hand wraps and into the skin. If it cuts me out here I’m finished.’

  ‘Then put it down.’

  ‘If I do that, it’ll go out.’

  Chandni looked at the pack. She was no longer sure that it was the crystal holding the other Dogkin at bay anyway. ‘Put it down, Varg.’

  He bent and placed the tanzanite at his feet. Immediately, the humming began to ease, and its aura faded. Chandni took Varg’s hand. It was down to Glider now.

  In the last of the gemslight, they watched as the two Dogkin continued to growl at each other, making tiny shuffles left, then right, each moving to check the other, but neither quite committing themselves to full combat. And then, to Chandni’s horror, she saw there was to be no combat, that the contest between them had already happened. The growling simply stopped, as did the movements, and Glider dipped her head. The older Dogkin padded forward, opened her jaws wide, and slowly, carefully, bit down on Glider’s skull. Instantly, Glider’s legs and body went limp.

  Chandni wanted to cry out, to express her sadness, to let Glider know in her last moments that someone cared, but she feared doing so might break the spell and bring the rest of the pack down on them. Poor Glider, you were so good to us. You didn’t deserve to die like this. She thought about the family back in Sagan, who had been killed by the assassins, of the guards slaughtered at Lord Rochant’s castle, of her poor Mohit. So many had suffered that Satyendra might live. Was it all for nothing? Will my sacrifice be for nothing too?

  The pack leader lowered Glider’s head towards the floor until her body flopped sideways into the dirt, motionless. The leader stood straight again, raised her head skywards, and howled, long and deep. The other Dogkin howled with her, shaking the trees with their dirge. To Chandni it felt like it went on forever. When at last they were done, their heads came down as one, all of their mismatched eyes fixed on the humans.

  ‘Varg,’ Chandni whispered.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I think it’s time to pick up the tanzanite again.’

  ‘Right.’

  As Varg started to crouch, the Dogkin snarled, and as he reached out for the crystal, they charged forward. A violet-blue glow briefly flared into life, and then went out again, as one of the pack knocked into Varg, sending him spinning to the ground.

  Chandni held Satyendra close, straining her eyes to see where the crystal had landed. Before she could find it, one Dogkin was snapping at her front, another at her back. She twisted and jumped away, hearing fabric tear and come loose. Varg was calling for her, the Dogkin were barking, and yet Satyendra stayed quiet and small, squeezing his little body as close to hers as he could.

  Then, from above, something burst through the canopy, and her world exploded into light, sharp, clear and blue, the kind of light that made her spirits soar with relief.

  Lord Vasin Sapphire came down on the nearest Dogkin like a comet, his gauntleted fists striking its body so hard that she heard bones snap. As she and the rest of the pack gaped, astounded, he was landing in a crouch, his Sky-legs bending, gathering energy, and then he was leaping up again, taking another Dogkin by the throat and lifting it. The action seemed foolhardy, the monster at least as big as him, bu
t somehow, impossibly, he lifted it with ease, hurling it backwards to spin into a nearby tree.

  By the time she registered the sound of impact, Lord Vasin was in the air once more, twisting, diving to come down on another hapless Dogkin. Yelps and snarls sounded around her, and she could see that in each place he touched them, their fur had burnt away, leaving black handprints on muzzles and necks.

  When he landed a third time the pack fled, and it occurred to her that she hadn’t seen their leader since his arrival. Varg was struggling to get up, and Chandni went to help, though only enough to get him to one knee. Once he was steady, she joined him, bowing her head in deference to the glowing Deathless.

  Her blood sang as he turned towards them. ‘When I saw your light shining through the Wild I came at once. You are Honoured Mother Chandni?’

  ‘Yes, my lord.’

  ‘And the babe in your arms carries the blood of Mohit, child of Rochant, lord of the Sapphire Everlasting?’

  She tried to ignore the way Satyendra was whimpering in her arms. ‘Yes, my lord.’

  The sound of his hands clapping together were like the chiming of bells. ‘Then we have cause to celebrate. I imagine you have quite the story to tell, when you are suitably rested, of course.’

  She tried to keep the sadness from her voice. ‘That we do, my lord.’

  ‘Good. My people are hungry for stories of our glory and I tire of telling mine. I assume this man is Varg.’

  ‘I am,’ said Varg.

  ‘Come then, Lady Pari awaits you in Sorn, and I must return the Honoured Mother and her child to their rightful place in the sky.’

  ‘My lord,’ asked Chandni, ‘might I beg a moment?’

  ‘What for?’

  ‘To check on Glider, a beast that belongs to Lady Pari. She has helped keep us safe all this time. Without her, it would have been our corpses that you’d have found just now.’

  ‘All right, but be quick. There are other things lurking in the dark.’

  She nodded her thanks before helping Varg to stand. He made a grunt as he came upright.

  ‘Are you hurt?’

  In the light of Vasin’s armour she saw his eyes twinkle. ‘Just bruises.’

  She smiled and they went over to where Glider lay.

  ‘Well I’ll be …’ murmured Varg. ‘She’s still breathing.’

  One side of the Dogkin’s face was swollen, with blood congealing around two puncture wounds, one above her eyebrow, the other under her jaw. Not human blood, thought Chandni, though she still found herself checking over her shoulder. While the demons may not come running for Dogkin blood, there were plenty of regular predators that might. The Dogkin’s left eye was swollen shut, a puffy egg in a fur nest, but her right one regarded them weakly.

  ‘Glider!’ said Chandni, crouching down to stroke a paw. ‘Do you think you can stand? Please try. We can’t stay here and I can’t bear to leave you behind.’

  The Dogkin slowly rose, her head swaying slightly from side to side, like a giant drunkard.

  ‘Good girl! I knew you could do it. It’s not far to Sorn, we’ll be safe there. If you just go a little further I’ll get you more of that sausage you like.’

  Glider’s lips smacked together and she stared at Chandni with her canine eye.

  ‘I don’t have any now but I’ll get you some, I promise. Now come along, we have to go.’

  She and Varg led Glider over to where Vasin was waiting. As soon as he saw them approach, he turned and strode away, his easy pace deceptively fast.

  While they hurried after him, Varg’s hand crept into Chandni’s. Though she couldn’t feel the contact, she urged her fingers to curl round his.

  ‘I think this is it.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

  ‘Pari will have work for me, she always does, and that Lord Vasin just said he was going to take you away.’

  ‘Take me home, you mean.’

  ‘Yeah, but I won’t be coming with you.’

  ‘No.’

  They were both quiet a while. She found she did not want Varg to go, and certainly not so quickly. I’ve become used to having him around. Could I ask for him to stay with me? She dismissed the idea almost immediately. They’d never trust a servant from another house, particularly one with Varg’s background. Besides, it was clear that House Tanzanite needed him, and his skills would be wasted in Lord Rochant’s castle. And I’ll be dead. When Lord Vasin hears I have dealt with the Wild, not once, but twice, he will have me ended. I’m not even good enough for exile. When she thought about the reality, really thought about it, she knew it wouldn’t work.

  But then he said: ‘I’m going to ask Pari to let me go. When I’ve finished this job, whatever it is, I’m going to come back for you.’

  She replied: ‘Good.’ And she meant it.

  Pari lay in the back of Varg’s wagon, trying to think about the future, trying in fact to think about anything other than the way her body felt. Now that Lord Vasin was taking Rochant’s grandchild back to house Sapphire and its High Lord, she hoped things would calm down.

  As soon as her armour had come off, and she’d come down from that elevated state, the injuries inflicted by the Corpseman coupled with the cost of yet another ill-advised adventure nearly reduced her to tears.

  When she thought about the risks she had taken, and what she had endured for Rochant, only to find out he was a traitor and a monster, well, she had cried about that several times. I have displeased my High Lord, made an enemy of Lady Yadva Sapphire, nearly caused great embarrassment to myself and my house, and for what?

  She sighed, doing her best to ignore the rattling that accompanied the movement of air in her lungs. At least I know the truth now. If not for this debacle, I would have been connected to Rochant when he was found out, and then no amount of charm would spare me from High Lord Tanzanite’s wrath.

  The brief burst of positivity was soon drowned out again.

  How did I not see it sooner? I pride myself on my ability to read people and he played me like a child in her first lifecycle. And curse it all, I had feelings for the man. He excited me in a way that I haven’t been excited in a long time.

  Of course, she knew that in truth he hadn’t played her on every front. She believed him when he said he loved her. A twisted love, but powerful, like a drug. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t think to question the rest. She swore she wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  The wagon had slowed down, and she could hear Varg swearing at Glider. After it became unbearable, about two minutes later, Pari unwrapped herself and crawled up to the front. She regretted leaving her warm cocoon the moment she did so, then regretted it all over again when her joints began shrieking.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she demanded.

  ‘It’s Glider. She’s not up to it.’

  ‘Neither am I but we do what we must.’

  ‘Yeah, what are you doing out here? You should be resting.’

  ‘There is no resting when Glider is like this. Ridiculous animal!’

  Glider had not been herself since the Dogkin bit her, though physically, she was fine. One of her eyes was still gummed shut but it wasn’t as if she used that one to see. However, despite her ears being perfectly intact, she was sluggish to respond to commands, and had the tendency to drift off or even stop if not attended to constantly.

  The two of them took turns to order the Dogkin to hurry up, leading to a rather enjoyable game of trying to come up with the most outrageous curse. Swearing had always come naturally to Varg, and she was quite impressed with his efforts. In the end however, her extra lifecycles of travel, coupled with the fact that he remained shockable, enabled her to carry the day.

  ‘You know,’ Pari said once Glider had picked up the pace again. ‘We might have to get a new Dogkin.’

  Varg looked genuinely upset. ‘Don’t say that! She’s just hurt is all, she’ll soon pick up. And anyway, she’d never forgive me if anything happened to Glider.’


  Pari looked at Varg. His attention was on the Godroad, and he seemed oblivious to what he’d just said. Her eyes narrowed. ‘She? You are referring to Honoured Mother Chandni, I presume?’

  A sudden burst of colour suffused his face. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Tell me, Varg, what would a brood mother of another house have to do with the animals I keep, and the decisions I make regarding their future?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he muttered.

  ‘Exactly. If Glider keeps up a good pace for the rest of the journey and refrains from making such an awful racket when I’m trying to sleep at night, then I’ll keep her on. If not, she’s going. Understood?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Good.’

  He’d been tense since they’d left Sorn, and not, she suspected because House Sapphire had patrols on the Godroad.

  Varg awkwardly cleared his throat.

  Ah, here it comes.

  ‘Pari?’

  ‘Yes, Varg?’

  ‘When I’ve got you over the border and back to your castle …’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I was wondering …’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Well …’

  ‘Do get to the point. I’ll be between lives before you finish at this rate.’

  He cleared his throat a second time. ‘If you’d let me go.’ When she didn’t reply immediately, he added: ‘I can take Glider with me if you like.’

  ‘Let you go? You know that isn’t how it works.’

  ‘Yeah, but—’

  ‘It’s out of the question. I have need of you.’ She saw the stubborn set of his jaw and sighed. ‘Do your duties well, and I’ll make sure you’re sent back to Lord Rochant’s castle from time to time. That’s what you want, isn’t it? To see her.’

  ‘What duties? You’re not going to travel again are you?’

  ‘Not in this lifecycle, no. I intend to spend what little time I have left in this body either sitting, sleeping, or indulging. But as I am doing that, my dear Varg, the world will still be turning. While my weary bones rest, and after, while my soul drifts, you will need to act in my stead.’

  ‘Is something up?’

  ‘Something is always up. Now, after you have smuggled me back inside the castle you will be required to travel to Lord Taraka’s domain. Discreetly.’