‘But how can you be sure?’ Wist asked in desperation. ‘It might not have been Faric. Or he might be wrong.’
Tyla shook his head and said. ‘He was not alone. Eliscius was with him, and he confirmed all that Faric said, and he said that if I stay with you until the end, then our failure is assured.’
Wist exhaled. Eliscius was the reason that Tyla and Faric had abandoned their people. He had helped them break free from Tilden’s spell. Tyla couldn’t refuse him. Not that he could have refused Faric either.
‘But why now? Tyla you are half-way around the world. How the hell can you even hope to get there?’
Tyla shrugged and said ‘Faric said that Enceladus would tell me when to go.’ Then he added. ’Anyway, you do not need me anymore, you said it yourself.’ Wist exploded in laughter. He could not bring himself to be angry.
Then Tyla added, ‘Eliscius said that when the Ghria Duh is high, this creature is invulnerable.’
Wist laughed again. ‘Only a Lyrat would shrug when asked to walk across a world to face an unbeatable foe.’
‘I came here with you,’ said Tyla, and this time Wist could only smile.
‘Yes, you did my friend. Stand up for God’s sake.’ But Tyla did not move. ‘Of course, I release you, I never accepted your damn pledge of service, did I?’
Tyla stood at once and Wist embraced him. The Lyrat did not reciprocate, but Wist didn’t care.
‘Thank you Tyla, for everything you did for me. At least I have the chance to say so to you. I never did to Faric. Without the two of you we wouldn’t have reached here.’
Before he released him, he added,’ You are every bit his equal you know; every bit.’ Then he kissed him on the cheek and let him go. He half expected the Lyrat to start running there and then, but Tyla turned to Aviti. Wist took a few steps away in an attempt to give them some privacy.
‘Find me, Verdin,’ Tyla said to Aviti, using the name he had given her in the deserts of Tapasya. ‘Find me when it is done.’ Then he pressed his lips to hers.
‘Yes, Chaeto,’ she replied with her private name for him, and then he turned and ran, back the way they had come. It only took a few seconds for him to be out of the influence of the glowing wyvern.
Wist knew he would never see him again. ‘Good luck,’ he yelled after him. It was pointless. Tyla wouldn’t hear him, and even if he did, what difference did it make? So, Wist yelled it again, even louder this time.
Then he turned back to his companions: the two Giants, the Intoli and Aviti. Then he looked past them, past the light of the wyvern to the dark mountain. The Giants were formidable and despite his pleas for Tyla to stay, the others were a force themselves, but could they survive going across the mountains?
‘Is there any other way we could go?’ he asked Sevika the Intoli. Aviti translated the request for him and the Intoli replied.
‘She says she does not know. She only knows that the Dhuma lies beyond the mountains.’
‘Couldn’t she be more precise,’ asked Wist.
‘She says something clouds her mind.’
Wist exhaled, then said, ‘And Enceladus or Ravan or whoever he was picks this moment to vanish.’ He wished he had quizzed Tyla about his disappearance. He’d never have the chance now.
Onward then?’ asked Haumea.
‘Yes Haumea, on we go. And if we cannot find Oinoir, then we must hope he returns to us.’
So, they moved past the remaining Ice Wyvern; all of them apart from Aviti. She stared back into the fog.
‘Come on,’ Wist shouted to her. Aviti jerked as if struck by something, then she spun around and joined them.
Beyond the last Wyvern was a thin bridge. The wan light from the torches and the glow of the Wyvern revealed that it was formed from solid rock. Its construction baffled Wist. There was no water in the void on either side. The bridge had not been made by erosion or landslip. It had been constructed; or rather, formed for crossing the gap, as if the stone had risen to meet their need.
Haumea frowned at it. ‘You see it too?’ Wist asked her as they stopped just short of the bridge.
‘I do not trust it,’ she said.
Wist began to shrug and then stopped himself. ‘Did your people do this?’ Wist asked Sevika. With the help of Aviti, the Intoli confirmed it was not their work
Then Wist looked at the Wyvern. The one that Oinoir destroyed had looked fierce. This one looked terrified, if such a thing was possible. One head to look to the past and one to look to the future. He saluted the proud beast and then, feeling ashamed of himself for saluting without a hat, he stepped out onto the bridge.
As Wist’s foot touched the surface, tiny points of light shot out in all directions. He stood there for a second, until he was sure that it would not give way beneath him. Then he ground his teeth together and walked on.
The bridge rippled beneath him as points of light flowed around his feet. It looked like the rock had been impregnated with precious stones.
Behind him, Sevika began to chatter. It sounded like gibberish to Wist, but he did not sense any fear in the words. So, he continued on and Haumea joined him. When her staff touched the bridge, the specks of light settled. They were not motionless, but their random dashing ceased, and instead, they vibrated in place.
So Wist walked on until he reached the midpoint of the span. There the sparkles under his feet began to dance. They rolled in ever-increasing circles, flowing all around. When Wist glanced back, he saw that he wasn’t the centre of the circles; Aviti was. She looked terrified, clutching onto Sevika’s arm. Wist thought that she might even have her eyes closed.
Decheal caught up with him as he resumed walking. ‘Quite the show Wist, but what does it mean?’
‘Why would it have to mean anything?’ he replied, but he was embarrassed at his own evasion.
As they passed from the influence of the Wyvern’s light, a breeze stirred. It was not strong enough that they feared for their safety on the exposed bridge, but it shifted the fog. With a quarter of the span still to go, the Ghria Duh lurched into sight.
Beneath them, the bridge quavered. Wist thought of running, but then he mastered his fear. He realised that the stone wasn’t moving, it was the lights within it. Their movement induced vertigo within him, and as he fought to keep his balance, he heard Aviti shout something, although it sounded more like a scream.
‘It’s OK,’ he shouted back over his shoulder, but he did not stop walking, as he wasn’t sure he could get moving again. ‘The bridge is solid. Ignore your eyes. Reach out and feel it Aviti, I know you can.’ Her ability to connect with the innate magic in this world far surpassed his. If she could concentrate on something else, then she could make it through.
‘Sing something Decheal,’ Wist said on impulse. ‘Something that you and Haumea both know. Belt it out as loud and hard as you can.’
Decheal glanced from the flowing ground to Wist. Then she took a breath and she began to sing.
‘Who can say where we will go?
Who can say if death doth know?
Will time and tide carry me home?
Shall my bones lie here like those before?
May the World save my soul.
As she sang the last line, Haumea joined in
May the World see my flaws and heal my woe
Take me where I need to go.
May my eyes see the dawn.
And my ears hear the wind.
So I may make it home.
May time spare us from grief and shame.
Take my heart and spare the blame.
Let my blood feed the World’s roots
When I need it no more.
But please, not today!
Haumea laughed at the last line and together the Giants roared out the reprise once more
May the World see my flaws and heal my woe
Take me where I need to go
May my eyes see the dawn
And my ears hear the wind.
So I may make it h
ome.
When they finished their song, all of them stood together on the far side of the ravine. Haumea shouted, ‘Nikka!’ into the night and Wist mouthed the Cerni’s name in honour of his fallen friend. Then he went to Aviti.
‘Are you OK?’ he asked her.
Aviti’s face showed the strain of the crossing, and of all the days leading up to it. ‘That word again, “OK”. Please do not use it.’
Wist laughed and said instead, ‘Are you well?’
Aviti shrugged and her eyes filled again with tears that she did not allow to fall.
The five of them formed a semi-circle, with their backs to the strengthening wind. The mild relief of the Wyvern’s warmth had evaporated and the temperature plummeted again.
‘We must find shelter until the Ghria Duh sets,’ said Haumea. Wist knew it was a sensible suggestion, so they set out into the initial slopes of the white mountainside.
Within half an hour, they found what they needed; a shallow cave that would allow them to build a fire. Despite it facing into the wind, it allowed them to dry themselves out and get some much-needed sustenance.
‘The Ghria Duh is higher in the sky than it should be,’ said Decheal. ‘I know we have travelled some distance and the Sun alters as you travel - I am no novice - but it has moved again since we crossed that bridge. It is too high. This is winter. Even in the north of Pyrite, during winter, there is little daylight. There is now no daylight with that thing in the sky, but why is it so high?’
Sevika shifted on her feet and Aviti spoke to her. Then Aviti said, ‘Sevika says that we approach the heart of Prasad, where the Dhuma is. There the Sun, the source as she names it, shines always.’
Decheal snorted, but Wist understood. ‘The closer we get to the Dhuma, the longer we will have to endure the Ghria Duh.’ Then Decheal exhaled, but said nothing. Haumea went to tend to her face, which was still covered in blood from Oinoir’s assault.
‘Can we go around this mountain?’ said Wist. ‘I’d much rather not try to climb the bloody thing.’
‘I doubt it,’ said Decheal between Haumea’s ministrations. With the amount of snow that appears to have gathered at its base, I do not believe that that is an option.’
‘Great,’ said Wist. ‘And what do you think of our chances of climbing over it?’
‘I would not willingly climb over it either,’ said the Giantess as she shooed Haumea away.
‘So, what do you suggest?’ asked Wist.
‘Climb as much as we have to, then work our way around.’
Now it was Wist’s turn to exhale.
‘It is as sensible a suggestion as I have heard so far.’ said Aviti.
‘Yes, I agree,’ said Wist. ‘But how do we climb with only these?’ Wist indicated the ice-grippers on his feet. ‘They are brilliant Aviti, but we need ropes and ice axes. Or perhaps we could fly?’
Aviti smiled and then she said, ’We have ropes. Tyla left us all but one of them.’ Wist saw Aviti flinch when she spoke the Lyrats name, but he didn’t mention it.
‘What are ice axes?’ Aviti asked.
Wist described it as best as he could, sketching in the dirt as he talked.
‘The head is usually made of steel and features a pick end – pointed and slightly curved – and an adze, a flat, wide end used for chopping steps. Then there is the shaft, sometimes wooden and straight or angled with a steel spike at the base of the shaft.’
‘What wood do we have left Haumea?’ asked Aviti.
Haumea pointed to the remainder of the wood.
‘Give me your weapons,’ said Aviti.
‘No, Beira,’ said Decheal and she went to say more, but Aviti silenced her with a glance.
‘You call me that once more and I shall take it as a title.’
A moment later, there was a pile of daggers and a couple of swords before her. Even Decheal put hers down atop the others.
‘I can make you this,’ said Aviti pointing to Wist’s sketch. ‘But it will leave us defenceless.’
‘No,’ said Decheal reaching for her sword on the pile.
‘Decheal,’ said Wist. What use is a sword if we are using both hands to climb? What use will a sword be once you are frozen to death in this cave?’
‘I know,’ snapped Decheal, ‘but it is… special to me.’
‘Special? How can a sword be special?’
‘Brathoir gave it to me. He said I would always be safe with either him or the sword by my side.’
And Brathoir was gone.
Aviti assessed the pile of weapons. ‘There is not enough metal without it Decheal. I am sorry.’
‘Very well, Beira,’ said Decheal. Then she took it in her hand, kissed the blade, then threw it back on the pile, with a tremendous clangour. Then she stormed away to stand at the edge of the cave, though the cave was so shallow, that she was still within earshot.
Aviti looked away and at Wist’s diagram. ‘Haumea,’ she said,’ can you find pieces of wood we can use for the shafts. Keep the sharpest knife we have. Wist, can you show her what to do?’
Wist went with Haumea and they found a few poles that the Giantess had been carrying. They snapped some to about a metre in length for himself and Wist and a few more that were double that length, for the Giants. Then Wist showed Haumea what he needed at both ends, so they would be able to take the head and the spike. He also got her to chip off a few wedges, which they would need to fix the heads in place.
As Wist finished instructing Haumea, the cave began to glow a deep orange, the colour of the summer sunsets of his youth. Wist moved over to watch Aviti work the metal. It softened in her hands, but the heat did not harm her.
Wist realised that it was Decheal’s substantial blade that was cradled in Aviti’s hands. Aviti focused her efforts on its middle, bringing her talent to bear upon it. It brightened and brightened, until it split. Aviti caught the blade end and let the pommel fall to the ground. Wist stepped beside Aviti and lifted it via the pommel. The heat in it was tremendous and he dropped it back to the floor. Then he forced mitts over his hands.
With a clatter, Aviti dropped the completed headpiece to the cavern floor. Wist grabbed it with his numb fingers and took it outside where he dropped it in the shallow snow. He wasn’t even sure if this was necessary, but it felt right. Decheal ignored him as he picked it up. He went to Haumea where she was finishing the handles. He took one and was amazed at the neatness of the fit. Then he showed Haumea how to hammer the locking piece of wood into the handle.
When Aviti finished a second headpiece, she reached for a new blade. Meanwhile Wist reached for the pick-head. Beside it he saw the discarded round pommel of Decheal’s sword, so he lifted it and stuck it in a pocket. Then he dealt with the pick-head as before, cooling it and passing it to Haumea. The fit on this one was not as good as the other and Haumea struggled to get it to stay put.
Aviti produced piece after piece, until all the weapons were gone and Wist had passed them all to Haumea. Then, on a whim, Wist stepped forward and gave Aviti the pommel, which he had rescued from the floor. ‘Could you make something for Decheal with this?’ Aviti nodded absently and accepted the ball.
The Masheshi girl rolled it in her hands over and over again, staring into its depths. Then she held it still between all ten of her fingers. Within seconds, the metal began to deform under her influence. After another moment, she had transformed it to one long, thin strand of metal. Then she began to weave with it. Back and forth the thread went, making impossible angles and bends in the air. Her fingers got faster, but the movements became smaller and more intense.
Then she was done and she dropped it to the floor. She stood and walked to Haumea demanding food and water, which the Giantess hurried to provide.
Wist lifted the finished work from the floor and was surprised to find it cool. It was a work of beauty and delicacy, but it was not meant for him. He took a leather strip that had formed the grip of a sword, and threaded it through one of the eight points of the star.<
br />
Each of its points were different. They were different in a way that Wist believed it had been done on purpose, rather than through lack of skill or error.
When the loop of leather was tied, Wist walked out to Decheal and presented it to her. At first, the Giantess looked upon it with distain clear in her light-brown eyes, but she soon realised what it was and she clutched it to her breast. Then she placed it over her neck, and walked past Wist and embraced Aviti.
15 - Any Place but Here
Aviti ate until her stomach ached, and then she collapsed on the floor and slept. Later, she was woken by a rough shove.
‘I am sorry, but Wist insisted that I woke you,’ said Haumea. ‘I tried to be gentle, but you would not move.’
Aviti grunted and waved her away. Then she blinked at the fire and rubbed her eyes. Haumea came back a moment later with a bowl of water for her to wash her face with, so she went through the motions. As she wiped her face clean, she caught a glimpse of the tools she had created. They were simple and less crafted than she remembered, but she smiled at them.
Find your own path. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind. Perhaps this was it?
‘Are you OK?’ asked Wist.
She smiled at his question and his use of that word again. ‘Yes. I was only tired. Working with metal does not feel the same as... other tasks.’ Other tasks like killing or maiming.
‘I meant... with Tyla being gone.’
A flicker of discomfort passed over her face, but she mastered herself and held back the angry retort that lay ready on her lips. She nodded instead, not trusting herself to speak.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it worse,’ he added.
‘Worse?’ she said. Then the corners of her mouth turned up in spite of herself. She shivered and then walked over to the ice picks that she and Haumea had crafted and picked one up. There was no edge on the blade. She should have given them an edge, she chided herself. She twirled the shaft in her fingers watching the light reflect from the dull surfaces.
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