by Bryant Reil
“They said the sun was a secondary concern. How stupid is that? The sun is secondary? A bunch of stones were taken from sites around the world, but nobody seems to know why. Yet that's their only concern. What a stupid thing to worry about.”
Eunoe suspected they must be stones like Kyla's, intended somehow to awaken Chaos. It was indeed more urgent than retaking the sun. She didn't say so, as she felt it might inflame Phaethusa's fury.
“You are worried about your family.” Eunoe stood up and stretched. She could hear her joints pop. “We need to get to the sun.” Eunoe still wasn't convinced Kyla's plan would work, but Aias urged her to help and Eunoe couldn't figure out how to explain to him how ridiculous it was.
“Yes. I can pilot the Steeds but the hangar is guarded. I do not wish to slay the soldiers posted there, yet they will not allow me passage without force.”
“We can handle that. Got your staff, Aspen?”
Aspen held up the finely engraved hickory. The design was more elaborate than before. Eunoe had learned through years of experience that this indicated a growing respect that the tree had for the dryad.
Eunoe nodded. “Let me get changed and find a safe place for Castor. I'll meet you out front.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Hot Stuff
Kyla peeled her sweaty shirt from her skin. The heat of the forge wasn't the refreshing warmth of summer. It wasn't the comforting heat of a bonfire on a chilly night, or tasty spoonful of soup on a cold winter day. No, it was a stinky, suffocating, oppressive heat, like the underground magma rivers packed in a smaller space.
If only Aura were here to spread a refreshing breeze. The Daughter of the Air had whisked off before they even arrived at the door. Now Kyla was left suffering on her own. She wondered what type of person would be willing to spend day after day imprisoned in this infernal chamber.
The answer was not what Kyla expected. A gnome woman, facing the far wall and paying no notice of Kyla's entry, pounded rhythmically against a metal rod. The clang-clang of the hammer was followed by a hiss as the gnome dipped the red-hot iron into a barrel of water and rolled the tongs in her hand several times before pulling it out and dropping it into a box. Stepping forward Kyla could see she was making nails. Hundreds of them. She suffered a moment of involuntary spasms as she contemplated the nightmare of this sort of work.
The gnome turned as Kyla approached. She was smiling. Smiling despite the heat, the stink, the darkness, the war.
Her age was difficult to guess. Her eyes were bright and youthful, but hard lines in her face and the leathery texture of her skin made her look older. Yet she was strong, and lively, and though her hair was dusted with ash there was no natural gray in its strawberry tresses.
“Hi! I'm almost finished, if you don't mind waiting. Just one more to make!”
The gnome spun around and resumed her work and drew a long rod from the forge. One end was red, which the gnome pounded into a point before gripping it with some sort of disc, severed the hot end, and pounded a head onto the nail before dipping it hissing into the water and tossing it into the box. She then closed the box, dropped it on the table next to Kyla, and pulled out a sheet of paper and pencil.
“Not many people can do that in one heat!” the gnome smiled.
Kyla didn't understand and was therefore unimpressed. Confused, she took the pencil.
“Sign here,” the gnome ordered as she pressed the paper onto a table. “Of course you can count the nails first if you like. There are three hundred.”
Kyla stared at the box. She didn't know why she would want so many nails.
“You can just keep that,” she finally said. “Are you Inda?”
The gnome looked surprised. “I'm Exema. Call me Exa. Inda's my father. He hasn't worked in the forge in years. I'm sorry – you aren't with Ardisil?”
“No. I came with my friend Aura. I need to find Inda.”
Exa removed her heavy leather gloves and dipped her hands in a bucket of water with a small ring of suds around the edges. She grabbed a towel and spoke as she wiped her hands and face.
“He's in his jewelry shop. Became a goldsmith as soon as I was old enough to take over.”
“Oh. Is he still in High Haven?”
“Yeah, he's on the other side of the grounds. Would you like me to take you to him?”
“Yes, please.”
Exa stepped through a swinging door at the side of the room. “Be back in half an hour!” she shouted, though no voice shouted back and Kyla thought the gnome might be madly conversing with herself. Exa led the way out of the forge and Kyla enjoyed a delicious breath as they stepped outside.
“So what do you need to see my father for?” she asked.
“I need him to make something for me.”
“Oh? What is it? I can probably make it for you. I'm no goldsmith but his hands can't do fine work anymore, you see.”
“I'll tell you when we get there.”
It was about a ten-minute walk to the goldsmith. The yard was well-manicured, with varieties of gold and blue flowers set in gilded boxes under the windows and around the front door. It was clean and looked freshly washed and painted. Instead of the sooty metallic stench of the forge, the aroma of mint tea drifted from the door as Exa opened it and stepped inside.
“Allonisimari!” Exa called as she stepped inside. Kyla stopped outside the door but followed when the gnome gestured for her to follow. “Iginlii amarasien avaliliemina!”
The Gnomish language flowed in melodic tones that reminded Kyla of Elvish, though the words bore no similarity and seemed longer than necessary.
An older gnome hobbled into the entry room. His gray beard still had streaks of black, and he walked with a cane. One leg was deformed, or perhaps injured. His dress was very fine and brightly colored. He kissed Exa and looked over at Kyla with a smile.
“Oshi im islana?” he asked in Elvish with only a trace of an accent.
“Verin,” Kyla replied.
“I used to have an Elvish apprentice, you know. He didn't last long. He loved the craft but elves don't seem to like working in the Forge.”
Kyla nodded but didn't say anything so as not to offend. Exa had to spend all day in there, after all.
“Would you like some tea?” Exa offered. Kyla nodded, though she was barely listening. She was busy looking at the house interior. It was clean and finely decorated with clocks and statuettes of all sorts, and some crafted pieces of machinery that made her think of Saul. It was all trimmed with gold and finely detailed. If the room were not so small, it could be mistaken for the home of a King. Or so Kyla supposed, as she had yet to see inside the King's palace.
“You made all this?” Kyla asked.
“Most of it. Here, let's have a seat. As you can see my leg doesn't carry much weight. Burnt in molten steel, if you were wondering.”
Kyla shuddered. She needed no more reasons to not want to become a blacksmith, yet reasons kept coming.
The old man – who Kyla supposed must be Inda – led her into a sitting room lined with bookshelves. It too was small but finely decorated. One piece of note was a round ball contained in a gilded support.
“That globe is of human make. It marks their own national boundaries. Old now, so likely out of date. I made the stand. You can touch it, if you like.”
The globe spun on an axis. A map in the shape of a ball. It made sense; she knew the earth was round. She had seen it from space.
“Have a seat, when you're done.”
There were two seats, both made of cherry wood, which made Kyla think of Aspen. They were padded and lined with a shiny white material, which wasn't leather but similar to, and lined with gold detailing. Inda sat and stared at Kyla until she sat too.
“So what brings you here?” the old gnome asked.
“I need something made from aurichalcum. A small ball, with a door on a hinge.” She drew the aurichalcum from her pocket. Inda looked at it and grinned. She held it out for him, and watche
d with some trepidation as he took it and looked it over. Exa entered the room with two cups of tea. She gave Kyla the first, and seeing her father's hands full, placed the other cup on a small table and sat on the floor next to his chair, much like Aspen often sat next to Eunoe's bed.
“Don't get this too often anymore,” Exa sighed. “Good metal but we had”—he paused to think a moment— “problems getting new supplies.”
“Yeah. The Digans went crazy.” Kyla took a sip of her tea.
“Yes. I suppose you probably know better than me. What's it for, may I ask?”
Kyla looked around nervously. “I'm not sure I want to tell you.”
Kyla expected some resistance, or at least more questions, but Inda simply nodded. “I've done my share of clandestine work, of course, but my hands aren't what they used to be.” He held one up which was shaking slightly. “A small ball with a hinged door might be too much for me to take on but it would be a good opportunity to teach Exa.”
Exa looked up with a big smile. “Really? Now? Not ten years ago when we still had some supply?”
“Well, I had Grevik back then. By the time you mastered iron, the aurichalcum stores were gone. Not much different to work with, anyway.”
Kyla raised an eyebrow. Not so different from working iron? “I thought you were the only one who could do this. I came all the way to High Haven. And any old blacksmith could make this for me?”
The old man chuckled. “It wasn't a waste of your time. True, any old smith can work aurichalcum. It doesn't come pure, however, and there aren't many people who can smelt it. That's the hard part, you see. One of the most beautiful and strongest metals in the world but it's a tremendous chore to purify. Like guiding termites to carve a statue from a tree trunk.”
Kyla furrowed her brow.
“That expression sounds better in Gnomish,” Exa assured her.
***
Eunoe stopped as she spotted the guard at the hangar door. Was that a satyr? She clenched her fists, frowned, and stomped forward. But as she approached she softened. He had no horns, but rather the ears, legs, and tail of a horse. An ipotane. He stood with the butt of his long pike planted on the ground, his horse-ears turned in Eunoe's direction.
“Hello.” Eunoe greeted the guard.
“Hangar is closed.”
“Yes. I just have a question for you.”
The ipotane repeated himself with more emphasis. “Hangar is closed.”
Eunoe stepped in front and locked him in her gaze. “Do you know when the hangar will be open?” She didn't care, as she planned to break in anyway, but her voice strengthened the trance.
The ipotane's muscles relaxed. “I have received no word, but the Steeds are to be kept under guard until we have retaken the Sun and civilians will not be allowed in the hangar until we receive further orders from General Agrimarch.”
With a sudden strike Aspen hit the guard in the back of the head and Eunoe grabbed him under the armpits to ease him to the ground. She placed him against the wall, and felt some guilt at hurting the poor creature. She wished he had been a satyr.
“Ready!” she called back, and Phaethusa ran around the corner.
“Well done,” she boomed.
The guard held no keys, but Phaethusa pressed a stone in the wall and the metal door rumbled open. The hangar was well-lit, as the Steeds each had a corona much like Phaethusa's. They were restless, but as she entered she clicked her tongue and one of the Steeds trotted toward her. She hugged it around the neck and kissed it on the nose. “Pilio if Janim.” She turned to Eunoe and Aspen. “This is Janim. He has guided me to and from my home for many years. He will not allow you to ride on his back; we will need to yolk him to a chariot. Grab that one there, with the blue trim. I shall brush him down.”
Phaethusa brushed and sang to Janim as Eunoe and Aspen hauled the chariot and yoked the Steed.
***
Inda's jewelry workshop wasn't as hot and stuffy as the iron forge, but despite being cleaner and shinier it quickly became boring as Kyla wasn't allowed to touch anything or do anything and couldn't even talk to them as Inda was busy explaining to Exa the different – well, Kyla didn’t really understand. The process was complicated and full of nonsense words. Kyla sifted through her bag for her yo-yo but to her chagrin realized she must have lost it somewhere in Alfheim. Probably left it in the Digan caverns after that jerk took all her clothing.
Kyla had to describe the design of the ball several times as Inda sketched and made adjustments. Despite the idea being so simple they were rather concerned over measurements, thickness, and other details that she didn't understand and seemed to be getting in the way of just getting the job done. Yet without knowing the purpose of the ball, they said, it was more difficult to determine a proper design.
In the end, Kyla broke down and told them about her plans to capture Erebus. This gave them a moment's pause, and she worried they might renege, and worse, keep the aurichalcum. At least they might be able to get the idea to King Oberon and see it through. Yet after a brief consult in the next room, they returned and continued working.
“The door has to be perfectly flush to keep Erebus inside. We also have to consider expansion and contraction of the ball in heat.” Contractions? Heat? Kyla recalled an uncomfortable chat with her mother when she hit puberty. “We'll do what we can, but do try and keep the ball as close to room temperature as possible. I don't know much about Erebus' abilities but we don't want to leave him the smallest opening.”
“Are you sure this will work?” Exa asked.
Kyla wasn't sure whom she was addressing, but when Inda didn't respond she decided it was herself. “I think so. I got the idea from a human boy's fridge.”
“Interesting. And you knew to bring the aurichalcum to us?”
“Yeah.” Kyla thought about it a moment. “Someone must have mentioned it in class.”
“I see.”
“How do you plan to get Erebus inside the ball?” Inda didn't look up as he spoke.
Kyla thought a moment. “I hadn't planned that far ahead. He's bound to come looking for me, sooner or later. I have something he wants.”
This made Inda look, and Exa frowned. Finally, Inda spoke again. “It's not that. He may well come to you. The problem is, how will you get him inside the ball when he does appear?”
Kyla shrugged. “I have a few ideas. I'm still hammering out the details but I'm sure it'll come to me.”
“I wouldn't count on that. You need to make a plan.”
“Will do, caribou.”
Once Inda was satisfied with the sketch, the two got to work fashioning the parts. The main body of the ball and the latch had to be hammered, and the work took longer than Kyla had hoped. She thought she might go for a walk, but felt the aurichalcum was too important to leave.
The ball came out much rougher than Kyla had expected, pocked with hammer marks on the outside. The inside was hollowed and had to be set on a special pommel for hammering into a sphere, and had to be done in halves and welded together. Kyla frowned when she saw the rough product. She thought she could have done a better job herself. But once the latch was fitted, and the metal smoothed and polished, Kyla had to admit it was a beautiful piece and worth the wait. Exa had even etched some fancy designs on the surface. An unnecessary expenditure of time, but Kyla was too pleased with the look to complain.
“We had a bit of trouble fitting the latch, but it's perfectly flush now.” Exa snapped it shut and pressed one end of the latch with her thumb to pop it back open. “Pops open when you press this end, and then snaps shut when you press it here.”
“Thank you so much!” Kyla took the orb and rotated it in her hand. It was beautiful, and seemed a shame it would be used to trap an evil villain. Perhaps, once she had Erebus, she could commission another one to be made.
Inda wiped his hands on a rag. “Now, about our fee!”
“Fee?” Kyla's heart broke its rhythm. She hadn't thought about paying for anything. �
�I don't have any money, but I can go get Aura and—”
The old gnome laughed. “No. We don't need your money. We are well taken care of by the King. Some day we may need your help, and we'll be sure to call in a favor.”
Kyla gave a sigh of relief. “Oh, you scared the pine nuts out of me!”
***
The sun was much closer than Eunoe had expected. It was less than ten minutes before the hangar bays came into view. Of course, the Steeds of Light were faster than Castor. Much faster than Eunoe had thought possible.
“There should be Steeds everywhere.” Phaethusa's expressionless face and thunderous voice made it difficult to determine if she was afraid or angry.
The sun was not only bright, but rather warm, and Eunoe soon found herself squirming as her clothes stuck uncomfortably to her sweaty skin. Aias didn't feel too bothered by it, and was preoccupied with showing Eunoe different combat techniques.
Aspen sat silently, but she too was sweating. Eunoe sensed a combination of fear and focus.
Phaethusa let out a loud cry as they approached a hangar. On the floor lay several dead Steeds, their lights extinguished and golden blood flowing. “Though I loathe doling death I shall bring rays of vengeance upon the wretches responsible!” The line rose in crescendo until it sounded like a thousand shouts, and Eunoe had to cover her ears. Phaethusa brought Janim to a stop in the hangar.
“Go!” she commanded once they had exited the chariot. The Steed, obviously frightened by the sight of his dead brethren and sisters, turned and flew from the hangar.
“How are we going to get back?” Eunoe asked, trying not to shout.
“We shall find a way, but I won't endanger Janim by leaving him here alone. Come. Be ready to spill blood. I hope you can defend yourself.”
Eunoe hoped so, too. Last night at Equinox it had been a battle with many on both sides. Now it was three against who-knows-how-many of Erebus' forces. Aspen could hold her own with her bonded staff, but Eunoe doubted she could contribute much without Castor and for Aspen's sake hoped she could escape with her life.
Phaethusa was brisk but cautious, poking her head through the door before stepping into the corridor. Erebus did not have complete control over the sun just yet. Though not visible from earth, the surface was brilliantly lit so that it would be impossible for any shadows to exist at all. The walls, ceiling, and floor of the corridor appeared almost as a backdrop of infinite whiteness.