Sacrifice

by Christopher Mitchell

  The Creator strode from the platform and approached them. He waved his hand and, grunting, the Kellach fell to their knees before him, as if a weight had fallen on their shoulders. He walked to the end of the line, and placed his hand on the forehead of a Kellach woman. Her face seemed to shrink into itself, and she choked, but her body remained frozen to the spot where she knelt. Her eyes melted, and blood flowed down from the sockets. The Creator lifted his hand, and she toppled to the ground. The other Kellach stared in horror, straining against the invisible force keeping them on their knees.

  Daphne stared, unable to pull her eyes away as the Creator flung the body of the woman over the edge of the parapet and moved on to the next prisoner. One by one he drained them of their lives, and each time he seemed to grow a little taller, his shoulders and arms thicker and stronger, while sparks seemed to fly across the surface of his armour as he threw each body from the top of the Great Fortress. When he had drained the last of the prisoners, the Creator turned to Arnault.

  ‘You have been a most incompetent servant,’ he said.

  The Lord Vicar raised his eyes.

  ‘Still,’ the Creator went on, ‘it would be a shame to waste your remaining vision power.’

  He placed his hand round Arnault’s throat, and watched as the life was drained from him. The Lord Vicar’s body hung limp, his eyes hollow and empty. With a flick of his wrist, the Creator sent Arnault’s body flying over the rooftop parapet, where it disappeared into the darkness.

  The Creator stood in silence, staring up at the night sky with a look of ecstasy on his face, his eyes shining.

  Daphne glanced at Shella. The Rakanese woman was looking with disgust at the Creator, contempt dripping from her.

  ‘You’re a coward,’ Daphne yelled at him.

  ‘Fucking right,’ said Shella. ‘Everyone hates you. Why don’t you kill yourself, and leave this world to those who love it?’

  ‘You, love it?’ said the Creator. ‘You’re a cynical, bitter woman with a heart full of murderous deeds that you feel no shame or regret for.’ He gazed at the mages, ‘Each of you has been responsible for evil acts. Murder, torture, the death of children and the slaughter of innocents.’ His eyes stopped at Dean. ‘Except the boy here, but that is more due to his youth than to anything good within him. If he were a better fire mage, then no doubt he would have killed many by now.’

  He shook his head at them.

  ‘This world was my mistake,’ he said, ‘and tonight, one year from when I came down to inhabit this material form, I will end it.’

  He stood up onto the platform, and raised his hands.

  The black clouds of smoke above the city began to swirl around, and everyone on the roof stared upwards as a tight whirling vortex was created.

  Daphne felt a firm grip envelop her mind, as the Emperor entered. At once, she sensed the links reaching out from him to the other mages, and could see inside all of their minds at the same time. Fear, panic and awe rolled in waves through her from the others, and she could pick out the individual terrors that held them in his grasp.

  He lowered his arms, and Daphne’s head fell forwards, released. She took a breath, and gazed around. The other mages were doing the same, and she caught Laodoc’s eye.

  They looked up at the Emperor. He was frowning.

  ‘It’s still not enough,’ he said. ‘The three strong should balance out the two weak, but something else is missing.’

  ‘Might as well give up then,’ gasped Shella. ‘Break out the gin and call it a night.’

  The Creator ignored her, instead turning to stare at Agang.

  ‘That thought you just had,’ he said. ‘Interesting.’

  Agang widened his eyes.

  ‘A sparker and a thrower?’ the Creator said. ‘Very perceptive, Agang. Thank you.’

  He turned to a soldier. ‘Have someone fetch Killop.’

  ‘He’s alive?’ Daphne said, her heart soaring.

  ‘Of course he is,’ said the Creator, as the soldier ran off to the stairs. ‘A little bruised, perhaps.’

  ‘You bastard,’ she said. ‘You’re going to fail.’

  The Creator smiled. ‘My crippled little Holdfast, defiant to the end? I expected no less.’

  He turned, and walked to the edge of the parapet, gazing down at the city. Daphne watched him, then heard sounds coming from below. Steel striking steel, and cries of agony filtered up to the roof. She drew on her reserves, and flew a line of vision to the top of the parapet. The streets below in the Kellach quarter were filled with movement. Imperial soldiers were battling a mixture of Holdings peasants and Kellach Brigdomin around barricades, and through the main square. She zipped her vision back to her head, and glanced at Shella.

  ‘There’s fighting in the Kellach quarter.’

  ‘Good,’ she said. ‘Who’s winning?’

  ‘Couldn’t tell.’

  The Creator turned. ‘There are hundreds of soldiers inside this fortress, and no one has ever broken into it by force in all the years it has stood here. I have also wrapped the building in false visions, enough to blind anyone who gets too close, and also to alert me if a mage approaches. No one will be interrupting us, so calm yourselves.’

  Shella smirked. ‘It’s not us who’s freaking out.’

  There was movement by the stairwell. Daphne’s eyes narrowed as she watched a squad of Rahain carry Killop up the steps. His arms were trailing on the ground, and his head hung down.

  ‘Here he is,’ said the Creator. ‘The sparker. At times I almost forgot I made them, but now they prove their worth.’ He gestured to the soldiers. ‘Set him down, then leave the rooftop. All of you. Your presence is required below, to ensure I am not disturbed.’

  The soldiers carried Killop onto the roof and put him down by the platform. They bowed low, then filed back down the steps, leaving the Creator alone with the mages.

  Daphne stared at Killop’s unconscious body. His face had been beaten, and his leathers were torn and bloody. She felt for him with her dream-vision, and found his mind wounded but intact. She sensed where their daughter’s protections were already starting to rebuild scoured areas of his mind. A tear escaped her eye.

  She re-focussed as the Creator raised his arms.

  ‘Goodbye,’ he said.

  The clouds of dark smoke begin to rotate again, gaining speed as they whirled and spun. Flames from the burning city were sucked up into the vortex, which began to glow, the clouds on fire.

  Daphne felt him in her mind again, clamping it down and holding her tight. She retreated to a safe space, from where she watched as his presence filled her body from head to toe. Around her, she could feel the other mages bound to him as she was, and she sensed Killop too, his body possessed by the Creator’s spirit.

  The Creator drew on them, and she felt her life being drained out of her. At the same time the vortex above them grew brighter, and spun faster, blurring in a circle of fire. Her eyes began to close. She tried to dream-vision out to Karalyn, heedless of the risk; her desire to see her daughter one final time over-powering her caution, but her energy was disappearing.

  She was weakening, as were Killop and the others, and the Creator exalted in his power.

  Daphne struggled, resisting with all her strength, fighting to the end.

  Chapter 37

  Hacked Off

  P lateau City, Imperial Plateau – 19 th Day, Second Third Winter 507

  Keira kicked the chair where Kallie was sleeping.

  ‘Wake up, ya lazy cow.’

  The Kell woman grunted, her red hair falling over her face. Next to her, Karalyn was sleeping on a low mattress, her form lit by the glow of a flickering oil lamp, hung against the damp walls of the deep cavern where they were hiding.

  ‘Get up,’ Keira said, kicking the chair again.

  Kallie opened her eyes, grimacing. ‘What’s happening?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Keira said. ‘Just been sitting on my own for fucking hours, watching you two get
yer beauty sleep. I’m bored.’

  ‘Why don’t ye get some rest?’ Kallie said, rubbing her face.

  ‘I cannae sleep,’ Keira said. ‘My head’s buzzing.’

  Kallie shrugged. ‘There’s plenty of booze that’ll knock ye out.’

  ‘I cannae get wasted. Not when I’m looking after her.’

  She flicked her eyes over to the sleeping child.

  Kallie reached down and picked up a bottle. ‘Well, I’m having another one. My head’s splitting.’

  ‘No fucking wonder,’ Keira said. ‘Ye put a barrel-load away earlier. ’

  ‘So?’ Kallie said, filling a mug with spirits. ‘Flora’s dead, Keira. And the Emperor… well, maybe you can stay sober after going through that, but I couldnae handle it.’

  ‘Ye did alright at the time.’

  ‘Aye,’ Kallie said, ‘but my nerves were shredded. I thought he was going to kill us, I really did.’

  Keira rummaged in her pouch, and lit a stick of keenweed.

  ‘Is that how ye’ve managed to stay awake?’ said Kallie. ‘Have ye been smoking all day?’ She looked around. ‘What time is it anyway?’

  ‘How the fuck should I know?’ Keira said, taking a draw. ‘Evening? Night? And anyway, there was another reason I had to stay awake.’

  ‘Daphne?’

  ‘Aye?’

  ‘Has she been in contact?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Shit. Ye got any dreamweed?’

  ‘Aye. Ye’re not getting any, but.’

  Kallie frowned. ‘Why not?’

  ‘I need ye ready, ya daft cow,’ Keira said.

  ‘Ready for what? I thought we were going to hide down here until it was safe to leave the city?’

  ‘Something’s wrong, Kallie. Daphne should have sent a message hours ago. If something happens tonight, I need ye able to shoot yer fucking longbow. Ye’ll be useless if yer wasted.’

  Kallie sipped from her mug, and coughed. ‘Shit, this stuff’s rough. Alright, give me some fucking keenweed then.’

  Keira narrowed her eyes.

  ‘Ye’ll get some when ye need it.’

  ‘Fucksake,’ Kallie said. ‘Yer treating me like I’m a bairn. Nothing’s going to happen tonight, anyway. Hopefully Daphne’s just waiting to see how things settle down, and then we’ll be on our way.’

  ‘You still drunk?’ Keira said. ‘Yer fucking delusional. You saw what the Emperor did, right? How exactly do ye think things are going to settle down? ’

  Kallie gazed around at the damp walls of the small cavern.

  ‘Alright,’ she said, ‘things are fucked up, I admit it. The Emperor’s no doubt still searching for you, but I think we’re safe down here for now. Hang on,’ she said, frowning, ‘if the Emperor can’t see us down here, then maybe Daphne can’t either. Maybe she’s been trying to find us.’

  Keira felt annoyed that Kallie had thought of this before her.

  ‘She’s the best fucking vision mage going,’ she said. ‘She’d find us.’

  Kallie said nothing, sitting back in her chair and nursing her mug. Keira shifted in her seat, the leathers digging into her skin. She longed to be able to wash and clean herself, but there were no toilets or baths that deep in the caverns. Already the smell coming from the bucket in the small cave behind her was starting to reach her nostrils. They had no food, and little water, and she was keeping what they had for Karalyn.

  She watched as Kallie’s eyes began to close. She stubbed out her weedstick and got to her feet, stretching her limbs, and gazing down at the sleeping child. Her dark skin shone in the lamplight, and Keira smiled. She reached down and spread the twisted blanket back over the girl’s legs, covering her, then went to the entrance of the cavern. It opened onto a long, low tunnel, which stretched into darkness on either side. There were other caverns close by. Some were empty, while others were sealed with iron grilles, and locked up.

  She needed a plan.

  Flora would have known what to do. Or, rather, Flora would have told her the right thing to do. For a long time Keira had allowed the young Holdings woman to act as her conscience, her moral filter. It had given her free rein to behave any way she wanted, always knowing that Flora would still be there, no matter what crazy shit she had just done.

  But she had lost Flora, and gained Karalyn. And the child, her blood, needed protecting. Keira would fight like a bear to stop anyone from hurting her, and that simple truth had shifted her priorities. She tried to imagine a time in the future, long after this was all over, when Karalyn was back with Killop and Daphne, and she was free to… do what exactly? Go back to being the town drunk at the World’s End in Do mm? Or, if she wanted to, she could rule the world. She smirked. She knew there was a joke in there somewhere.

  What did she want? To see her brother again. To be free from the fear that the Emperor was trying to kill her would be nice as well. She realised that she would never be free while the Emperor lived. Even if she hid alone in the most remote corner of Domm, every morning when she awoke she would wonder if she was witnessing her last sunrise, if that would be the day the Emperor would find her.

  But how could she kill him? She had already tried, and had been lucky to escape with her life. Fuck, the first time she had faced him, she hadn’t even managed that. And now he was more powerful than ever. She gazed up at the tunnel ceiling, glistening with moisture. Somewhere above her head, through hundreds of feet of earth, was the Emperor. What was he doing? She remembered him saying that he would be able to see her wherever she went, but they had been in the cavern all day, and through the evening, and there had been no sign that she had been discovered.

  Maybe Kallie was right. Maybe nothing was going to happen that night. She should have a drink, and switch to dreamweed, and get a good night’s sleep, so she was fresh for the morning. The idea tugged at her, but her mind was already made up. She was Karalyn’s aunt and guardian, and that was that. Losing her would be… fuck, it wasn’t something she could bring herself to imagine. She thought about how Killop and Daphne must have been feeling, all this time without their daughter, the worry must have tormented their every moment. How could they bear it? All the Kell knew loss. She and Killop had seen friends torn apart by crossbows bolts and swords, yet if Karalyn were to die, Keira knew that everything she had ever felt would be dust and ashes.

  What should she do? What would Flora say?

  The white witch would tell her that she had to get Karalyn out of the city, no matter what it took.

  Keira felt her eyes begin to well up, and she shook her head. No time for that. She turned, and walked back into the cavern. She knelt by her chair and packed her bag, stuffing it with their things. She took two sticks of keenweed from her pouch, then slipped it onto her belt.

  She nudged Kallie.

  ‘Not again,’ she groaned. ‘What is it this time?’

  ‘We’re going,’ she said. ‘Time to leave.’

  Kallie rubbed her eyes. ‘What? Now? Is it morning?’

  ‘I’ve no idea. I think it’s probably the middle of the night, but fuck knows.’

  ‘What about her? You going to wake her?’

  ‘Not if I can help it. We’ll carry her up to the caverns closer to the surface, see if we can pick up some food for her, and find out what’s been going on.’

  ‘And then?’ she yawned.

  ‘And then we get out of the city. Maybe you were right about Daphne not being able to see us down here. Either way, if we get a good pace going, we can put some distance between us and the Emperor before dawn.’

  Kallie sat in silence, her eyelids heavy.

  ‘What if the exits to the city are guarded?’

  ‘We fight our way out.’

  ‘Huh.’

  ‘Here,’ Keira said, holding out a weedstick. ‘Smoke this.’

  Kallie took it from Keira’s fingers, and lit a match.

  ‘Light mine as well,’ Keira said, holding up her own.

  Kallie lit both, and took a long
draw.

  ‘It’s a terrible plan,’ she said. ‘The Emperor could be searching the Kellach quarter for you right now, and we’re just going to oblige him by emerging from our hiding place? How do you know he’s not waiting for us to make this very mistake, eh?’

  ‘That’s why we find out what the fuck’s been going on first,’ Keira said. ‘When we get to the upper caverns, there’ll be folk there we can ask. If the Emperor’s searching for me, they’ll know.’

  ‘And then we call it off?’

  ‘Fucksake. Let’s wait to see what they have to say first. ’

  ‘And how are you going to fight, if you’re carrying Karalyn? I mean, I can’t shoot everybody.’

  Keira frowned. ‘Let’s worry about that shit when we step in it.’

  ‘Alright,’ Kallie said, standing. She stretched her arms. ‘Fuck, we’re manky. We’re still stinking of smoke from the fires, and covered in dirt, blood, and fuck knows what else. And yer hair, it stinks from when it got singed.’

  ‘It’s like being back in the war.’

  Kallie smirked. ‘Which one?’

  ‘Any of the fuckers,’ Keira laughed. ‘I’ve fought in three so far.’

  ‘Come on, then,’ said Kallie, picking up the pack and slinging it over her shoulder. ‘Let’s get on with it.’

  Keira shook her head and stood. She strapped her sword to her belt, and crouched down by Karalyn, watching her sleep for a moment. She gathered up the girl, wrapped in the blanket, and stood holding her in both arms.

  Kallie smirked.

  ‘Don’t start,’ Keira frowned.

  She shifted Karalyn onto her left hip, her head nestled onto her shoulder. The girl groaned and wriggled, but her eyes stayed closed. Keira smirked back at Kallie, and strode to the cavern entrance. Kallie unhooked the lamp, and followed.

  They walked up the tunnel, lowering their heads to avoid hitting the ceiling. Pools of water had collected along the path, and Karalyn stirred against Keira’s side as she stooped through the tunnel. Kallie’s lamp lit the way, and after a few minutes the passage widened, and began to slope upwards. They clambered up the steep path until it levelled out onto a short landing. At its end was a rope ladder, disappearing up into the darkness.