OrbSoul (Book 6)

by Martin Ash

  Midway through the morning slooths were seen beating their way in straggled groups away from the capital, towards the far southwest and the hidden mountains of Enchantment. Uncommanded, they plied their way through the heavy air with no discernible formation, sometimes as lone individuals, obeying only the primordial instinct to return to the distant peaks that were their home.

  Inside the city-castle groups of war-trolls became a hazard. Like their companion slooth's they were, with Anzejarl's death, cut suddenly adrift, abandoned within the great maze of Enchantment's Reach. They turned with brute, fearful savagery upon humans and Karai alike. But though deadly, they now lacked discipline and coordination, and were relatively few in number. In all they were much reduced from the devastatingly effective military shock-force they had been only hours ago.

  As the Karai departed, the units of special forces that Pader Luminis had ordered under cover when he had announced the capital's surrender stole forth. Swiftly and efficiently they moved against the soldier-fanatics of the True Sept who had revealed themselves in the conflict and who, still above ground, now found themselves like Enchantment's brutes, lost and exposed as their former allies deserted them.

  In the meantime Pader Luminis, Sir Grenyard and other close and trusted advisors brought Leth up to date on all that had transpired in his absence. Thus he learned not only of the Karai infiltration and assault, but of Mawnie's murder, the disappearance of her infant daughter Lir, and the subsequent vanishing of the traitor, the Lord High Invigilate, Fectur, who had gone, as he had put it, 'below', and of whom there had since been no sign.

  Had he been taken by the True Sept? Leth wondered. Plainly he had had no pact with Anzejarl, but could he, by some extraordinary arrangement, have joined ranks with Grey Venger's fanatics? It seemed improbable. Incredible. So was he in hiding somewhere within Overlip or elsewhere in the city-castle, awaiting a moment to strike or escape?

  Leth thought of Orbelon's sentiments, of a secret that lay beneath Orbia, of magical apparatus and a link between his world and this one, and he was not easy in his mind.

  Leth shook with cold rage at the thought of the betrayal that had been visited upon him and his realm in his absence. To his mind it made little sense that Fectur should act with such vicious irresponsibility at a time when he was himself as threatened by the Karai menace as any other inhabitant of Enchantment's Reach. Fectur could have no secret compact, for surely if he had he would have shown himself in his true colours when the Karai and the True Sept first emerged triumphant? And his Security Cadre - would it not have turned against the King's loyal troops? This had not happened. The Security Cadre, by all reports, had fought unerringly alongside the men of Enchantment's Reach and had incurred major losses. The implication was that their overall loyalty to Sovereign and Crown was not impaired, which brought much relief to Leth. But, if Fectur was to command otherwise now, would the Cadre rise against Leth?

  Leth reasoned not. Without support Fectur could hardly hope to overthrow the throne by such direct means. Subterfuge and deceit were his customary and most effective weapons, but he had now been undone and exposed in the employment of these. So was he simply seeking to absent himself entirely? Or had he intimations of the secret that lay hidden beneath Orbia?

  'Do you suspect him of murdering Mawnie and kidnapping Lir?' he enquired of Pader. 'But why?'

  'I am far from certain that that is the case,' said Pader. His look was deeply troubled.

  'Is there something you are keeping from me, Pader?'

  'I have had thoughts. I would rather discuss them with you at another time.'

  Leth regarded him curiously, but did not demur. 'I would have said it is possible, Lir being the mischievous imp that she is, that she has simply hidden herself away in some nook. Yet you say days have passed now. She would surely, if she were able, have shown herself.'

  He looked enquiringly at Pader, who remained strained and uncomfortably silent. Leth shook his head. The situation was complex and utterly perplexing. But he determined that he too must now go below, to seek out this secret.

  He was equally anxious to send a force to find and rescue Issul. His heart ached with fear for her, but he did not know where she was. No word had come from Triune. Issul could be anywhere in the cold wilderness, in the hands of Grey Venger and the Legendary Child.

  Leth feared too for the wellbeing of his children. He had to assume they had been taken back to Triune's tower. At his earliest opportunity he intended to journey to the Karai camp and step through the Farplace Opening again, to bring them home. But too many immediate concerns demanded his attention now. Moreover, the region, as well as the camp, would still be rife with hostile Karai, for word of events here would take days or longer to penetrate to the furthest flung elements of Anzejarl's army.

  By mid-morning Orbia Palace was wholly free of Karai. The few trolls that remained had been isolated and contained by Palace troops. There were losses among Leth's troops, for the brutes fought to the bitter end, but one by one they were slaughtered. By mid-afternoon the Karai withdrawal from the city-castle was more than two-thirds complete. Still visited by a sense of the unreal, Leth retired to his study where he locked the door, then opened the lid of the blue casket to enter the blue domain.

  'Orbelon, has Urch-Malmain's Portal been dismantled and the entities dispersed?'

  'It has and they have.'

  'Then this world and yours are no longer under threat from the Portal?'

  'Its unnatural energies have been harmlessly dispersed throughout the Unity of Dimensions.'

  'Then we succeeded.'

  Orbelon nodded solemnly.

  'And Urch-Malmain?'

  'Returned to Enchantment.'

  'What of Issul, Orbelon? Do you know?'

  'Alas, Leth, we lost her. I am sorry. Triune's seeking-eye was spotted and destroyed by the Child.'

  Leth winced, numbed by the thought of what Issul might now be undergoing. 'Is there nothing you or Triune can do?'

  'Without knowing where she is? Triune is wholly involved with Strymnia and Urch-Malmain. She cannot divert herself. But do not give up hope, Leth. Issul is strong and resourceful. I believe in her.'

  Leth hung his head, then said, 'The children?'

  'Are safe with Triune, waiting for you.'

  Leth cast his eye above, to the far black writhing thing that was Strymnia's projection.

  Orbelon followed the direction of his gaze. 'It is good, I think, that a little of her is within me now. I can learn from this, and so must she. And now, perhaps, we each have ample time to do so.'

  'Orbelon, I must go below, beneath Orbia, to find the link that you spoke of between our worlds, and whatever else lies there. An enemy has gone before me: Fectur, who was responsible for my overthrow. I know he harbours great ambitions. He may have knowledge of what lies there. Can you guide me? I do not know where to look.'

  'I will do what I can. I must unearth memories that have long been buried. And . . . Leth. Leth. Leth.' Orbelon turned to face him, his arms half-raised, then suddenly stepped forward and embraced him. 'Leth, take heart! A surprise awaits you.'

  He raised his staff, returning Leth to his study without another word. Leth secreted the blue casket in its hidden cavity and left. He stepped into the passage outside and closed the door. Turning to leave, he halted abruptly, choking back a sob as his eyes fell upon the figure resting in a window seat a short way along the passage.

  Throwing wide her arms, Issul rose and ran to embrace him.

  ii

  She fell into his arms and they kissed and clung to each other as if to life itself. And when at last they drew back, they looked into each other's eyes, and both saw the strain and hardship reflected there, both recognized that, in essence, they had in so short a time become immeasurably different people. At once they both began to speak, then halted, and Issul said, 'No, my love, you first. Tell me all that has happened since we were parted. Did you succeed? Did you find the Souls? What of the
Karai? It is too fantastic!'

  She was incredulous as Leth told of the recovery of Triune's Soul and the tri-partite god's subsequent transformation, then his journey onto the Shore of Nothing and into the End of the World that lay beyond, through the World's Agony into the Orb of the Godworld, where Orbelon's Soul was hidden. Finally he came to his return to Orbia, and his extraordinary encounter with Prince Anzejarl and Olmana.

  'And he had ordered his troops to withdraw? Without provocation?' asked Issul incredulously.

  'There was provocation, but not from us,' replied Leth. 'He spoke of his enemy, but it was she who had controlled him all this time who he truly wished to strike at. He considered himself defeated but believed, rightly, that withdrawal was the means to thwart her intentions, for she was not powerful enough to stand alone. As it happened, he had underestimated her capacity to influence him still. We were lucky; he was not. Except . . .'

  'Except what?'

  'Except that he gave me the clear impression that death was what he most desired.'

  Issul, recalling her liberation of the Karai camp and the two prisoners who had died in her custody, said, 'Karai have an innate ability to induce their own deaths.'

  Leth shrugged. 'I have heard as much. In Urch-Malmain's tower there was a prisoner, a Karai officer, who almost certainly took his own life by such means. Perhaps Olmana/Strymnia had deprived Anzejarl of that. I don't know. Much remains a mystery, but the Anzejarl I met was a strange and, as I perceived it, broken creature. He was consumed by inner conflict and was not the enemy I had expected. And he spoke as though he faced another enemy. Not me, not Olmana, but something he could not wholly articulate, but from which death could be his only liberation. But Iss, you are here and it so gladdens my heart. I feared once again that I had lost you. Tell me what happened, and how you escaped.'

  She told her tale of her time with Moscul and Grey Venger, her rescue and how, in the latter hours with Sir Cathbo and his force they had come within sight of Enchantment's Reach and had witnessed the incredible sight of the Karai leaving the city-castle in their thousands. 'We did not know what to make of it, it was so unexpected a sight. Eventually, to test them, Cathbo sent a small mounted unit forward. The Karai observed them but made no attempt to engage them. Then a Karai herald rode forward from the roadside to meet them. They returned to report his words: The Karai nation no longer held animosity towards Enchantment's Reach, nor coveted it either. On the condition that we offered no provocation to the Karai troops, we were permitted to pass on our way unmolested - as were all soldiers and citizens of Enchantment's Reach. Even so, Sir Cathbo advised caution. He sent a larger unit forward, then another, but both passed among the Karai untroubled. Eventually we came forward ourselves and began to ascend the scarp with thousands of our enemies passing alongside us in the snow. It was an uncanny experience. And for all that it appeared our home was liberated, I was troubled. I feared that Strymnia had found what she sought here, and hence Enchantment's Reach was no longer of any account. Yet I find now that that is not so.'

  Leth nodded gravely to himself. He was still absorbing the full impact of the astonishing tale she had told him, and he mused to himself, out loud, 'Both Grey Venger and the Legendary Child are dead . . . I can scarcely believe it.'

  At this a cloud passed across Issul's bruised, haggard face, and she shook her head emphatically. 'No, Leth, I said Moscul is dead, not the Legendary Child.'

  Leth frowned. 'What do you mean?'

  She expelled a quick, fraught breath. 'There is a second Child, Leth. That is what Moscul told me. We have all been fooled.' Abruptly she stiffened, then pulled away. 'Mawnie! I must see Mawnie. She is in grave danger!'

  Leth grasped her arm to restrain her. 'Iss . . . I am sorry. I have terrible news. Mawnie is dead.'

  The colour drained further from Issul's face. 'H- how?'

  'She was murdered in her bed. It was senseless, and no one knows quite how it was done without detection. We suspect Fectur, who has since disappeared.'

  Issul closed her eyes and put her hands to her face, steadying herself.

  'I'm so sorry, Iss.'

  She dropped her hands and stared bleakly back at Leth. 'What of Lir?'

  'Disappeared also. Fectur may be implicated in her abduction, though the motive is unknown. Nothing is clear.'

  Issul was shaking her head. 'Fectur has not abducted her, Leth. Neither did he murder Mawnie. Rather, Lir has taken herself away, and who knows, perhaps it is she who has abducted him.'

  'What?'

  Issul had begun to tremble. 'It is Lir who has murdered Mawnie, Leth. Lir, her own daughter. It is she, not Moscul, who is the Legendary Child.'

  iii

  They returned in haste to the reception chamber of their apartment and, with Pader Luminis present, Issul revealed in full what Moscul had told her. 'He was a decoy, a child of power but not the Child. It all makes sense. Moscul told me: "there is a second Soul. A second flame burns most brightly".'

  Leth looked intently at Pader, who was pale and nodding to himself with grim conviction. 'This is what I had feared, but I could not risk speaking of it earlier.'

  'What? Do you suspect Sir Grenyard or others of the Advisory Council . . suspect them of complicity?'

  'No, but I feared their response and was loath to speak out without consulting you first.'

  Leth's eyes darted from one to the other. 'Speak on, Iss!'

  'Two children were sent,' Issul said. 'Ressa was not the only one to be raped by that monstrous thing on Sentinel's Peak. It took Mawnie also. She never spoke of it - almost certainly she couldn't, was too traumatized by it and by Ressa's death. She pushed it all away from her conscious recollection. It only came out in her madness, her hysteria, all tangled up with her confusion and depression over her rejection by Hugo. Oh Mawnie, poor Mawnie.' Issul broke down. Leth held her to him, kissing and stroking her hair, and when she had recovered sufficiently she went on, choking on her grief and bitter anger. 'Do you understand? That creature on Sentinel's Peak, it took-- it took them both. And its spawn-- its spawn was my own niece and nephew - gestated at different times, to be born at different times into our family. One was the decoy, to be spirited away by me; the other, the 'legitimate' child, Lir, was the true Legendary Child, who was raised by us, knowing itself at all times for what it truly was.'

  She was shuddering violently. Leth held her tightly, trying to soothe her. 'Iss, is there any possibility that you are mistaken in this? Could Moscul have been trying to trick you?'

  'And allowing me to kill him? The Legendary Child would not have permitted that. No, Leth, the trickery was done long ago. The Legendary Child is still here, somewhere in our midst.'

  Pader Luminis sat himself down, his hand to his brow. 'That is the very thought that came to me, days ago. I wanted to dismiss it, for it seemed too far-fetched, but it would not leave me. But then I had Fectur to deal with, and the Karai assault . . . events overtook me. It was too late anyway. Mawnie was dead; Lir gone. There was nothing I could have done.'

  'Urch-Malmain . . .' breathed Leth, finally accepting the awful veracity of Issul's words.

  Issul looked up through bloodshot, tear-filled eyes. 'What of him?'

  'In the Tower of Glancing Memory he told me of the origin of the reptilian-creature on Sentinel's Peak. It was sent by Strymnia, but Urch intercepted it. He told me he performed subtle 'alterations' upon it. I suspect now that he did more than he confessed to. Possibly not even Strymnia knew of the second Child. It was another of Urch-Malmain's vile mischiefs.'

  'Where is Urch-Malmain now?' enquired Issul, becoming strangely calm.

  Leth looked at her and remembered that Urch-Malmain had claimed that it was she who had been the original target, she who Strymnia had intended should in ignorance bear the Legendary Child as her own. But he said nothing of this. 'Gone. Returned to Enchantment. He is untouchable. We could never bring him to any form of justice.'

  'But Lir, the Legendary Child?'


  'Is still here, somewhere. And if she is what you say, then I suspect she knows that somewhere beneath Orbia there lies a link to Orbelon's World. If that’s so, and we don’t find her before she finds it, she may yet undo everything that has been achieved.'

  iv

  Without further delay Leth consulted once more, hurriedly, with Orbelon.

  'It is not Fectur who is the greatest enemy, though we believe he may be controlled now by the Child. She is there, somewhere, almost certainly seeking the link between worlds. Can you help us, Orbelon? Can you take us to it?'

  The ragged god lifted one arm and scratched at his bundled head. 'My memory is not what it was, and it was all so long ago. Everything has changed, so I perceive. But I believe I should be able to guide you at least some of the way. I am limited, though. I may manifest in the formed world, but have virtually no power there.'

  'Should I take the blue casket and try to bring her here, like I brought Olmana?'

  'Unlike Olmana, Lir is an unknown. It may not be wise to bring her here under uncontrolled conditions. She may have powers I know nothing of. So no, leave the casket where it is.'

  'But if, as you say, there is a link, what then if she enters?'

  'This Child may know how to disrupt or sever the link. That is most probably what she intends. Our worlds could be parted forever. Who knows what else. You must prevent her, Leth. That is your task.'

  'Can she be killed?'

  'We do not know. Now, when do you go?'

  'Immediately. There is no better time. The True Sept is in disarray in the wake of the Karais' surprise departure. Many of its members have been arrested or slain. My troops have moved swiftly to take control of all known entrances to Overlip. A powerful force has seized the moment and gone on ahead into the burrows, to clear the way of all resistance. Overlip has never been so open to us.'