by Clark Bolton
“You have the means, master,” Gang suggested.
“Don’t tell me what is mine, Gang,” Dtu-Ru said dismissively. “One of you take this girl and find our little brother! He is a young man…threaten to sacrifice her dignity if you must. Draw him out.”
“Our methods are not yours,” Gang said humbly.
“Hmm…” Dtu-Ru growled. “…I’ll send means!”
__________________________
“Could Master Dtu-Ru be a dracomon?” Yi-La asked the two brothers as she sat brooding over this possibility.
The question brought both brothers to a standstill, which was an accomplishment in and of itself she thought. They had hardly taken their noses out of the rune volumes since she had arrived; Narween neither. They had all asked her aid several times with what they were studying, and she had finally started refusing due to feigned fatigue. She couldn’t take her mind off the dragon-mage, who appeared every bit as nasty as Imperial-Chancellors, and skuts.
“Not a noble one,” Rau-Nap said after serious consideration. “It would explain his love of Yuu province…I never thought of the possibility, Fu-Sa.”
“You would if you had to talk to him!” Yi-La assured him. “Something odd he claimed,” she mused aloud, “or wouldn’t admit to failing at. Could he already have found Ich-Mek?” The thought made her fearful for a moment.
“You’re suggesting he is keeping it a secret?” Rau-Nap asked.
“Nooo! That wouldn’t make sense, would it?”
“You tell us, Fu-Sa. You were the only one present.”
“He wants my master to use a powerful scrying bowl. It’s in Shrindala Temple, I think. But if he knows where Ich-Mek is, why would he have suggested it?”
“Dracomons are devious,” Bua-Nap chimed in, “and he is sounding like such.”
Yi-La gave Bua-Nap an unfocused stare for a few moments. “Who becomes the next emperor?” she asked. “There is no empress, so whose son takes the throne?”
“You are widening an already fragile conspiracy, Fu-Sa,” Rau-Nap told her when he appeared to have followed her reasoning. “All noble dracomon are accounted for, as far as I know. None live outside the cloud.”
“Are you sure, my lord?” she pressed.
Rua-Nap shook his head slowly, letting her know he wasn’t. That made her wonder who would know, outside of the dracomon, that is. Again she arrived at Dtu-Ru. Shaking her head, she then thought of librarians, then yellow-robes, but these also seemed like uncooperative sources. Except, maybe, for those above them in the Forbidden-Gardens, she thought; a couple of eunuchs in particular.
“There is no way into the gardens from here?” she asked with a frown, knowing they would say no, which the brothers promptly did.
She wanted to pace around a bit and consider doing what seemed inevitable now. The space was too cramped, so she settled for opening the door to the supply room and staring at the stacks of notes. There were secrets there, she was sure, but she hadn’t the time. The brothers were adamant about the effort it takes to sift through huge amounts of mundane information to find even a tiny bit of treasured knowledge.
“Show me the wards, please!” she said as she threw her hands up in frustration.
She directed her request at Bua-Nap, who seemed the more pliable of the brothers, but before he could respond the other brother spoke up. “I will show you, Fu-Sa.”
She nodded her head thankfully at him and stood aside so he could squeeze into the supply room. Opening the panels he then slowly inserted a leg into the darkness, turned toward her before backing the rest of the way into the hole. Moments later she heard arcane-script being muttered, followed by a bright, steady light coming from within.
“Be careful, Fu-Sa,” Narween told Yi-La as she held her friend steady as she climbed out onto the only inches-wide ledge to stand next to Rau-Nap.
“Where do the fish come from?” Yi-La asked as she looked down into the clear water. They were of the type commonly found in the fountains of the Forbidden-Gardens, making her hope for some connecting tunnel to such places.
“We put them there,” he told her as they began crawling along the ledge.
Disappointed, she resisted the urge to ask if they ate these fish, but decided she really didn’t want to know. Skeletons were becoming more abundant below the surface, and the indifference the fish showed brought bile to her throat.
It took them only a few minutes to traverse the chamber, during which time her feet had become soaked as parts of the ledge were below water level. The temperature of the water was chilling her, and she was thankful when Rau-Nap motioned for her to sit on what looked like steps leading up. Here they removed their soaked sandals, and squeezed out the bottoms of their robes.
Climbing the few steps left her disappointed as she could see now where the wards lay. A line of small stones had been placed across the narrow corridor as a line of demarcation, and countless markings and odd sketches were inscribed along the walls. Clearly many different authors had been at work over a long period of time. A small bamboo mat occupied the small space between the steps and the wards.
“Our place of solitude from one another, Fu-Sa,” Rau-Nap said humbly as he gestured to the mat.
She nodded her understanding as she looked past the neatly arranged line of rubble. There, only a blackness existed that seemed to eat the light coming from behind them.
“A light spell?” she suggested.
“No, Fu-Sa,” Rau-Nap replied quickly. “The notes warn against calling too much arcane-energy here.”
Having warned her, Rau-Nap then cast a simple glow cantrip on the wall, which gave out much less light, but it was enough. He then reached down to retrieve a small pouch of something he had apparently stashed here earlier. He pulled out a small handful of powder, and she watched hesitantly as he cast it the direction of the blackness.
The whole section of the corridor gave off a glow as the dust drifted into the dark void, and was gone. Squatting down to examine the powder, she found it familiar.
“Gypsum salt?” she asked.
“Yes, Fu-Sa. It absorbs energies here after a time, and, as you can see, highlights the wards.”
Yi-La hardly noticed when Narween came near, but Rau-Nap seemed nervous. “Narween is not welcome?” she asked curiously.
“Ah…no, Fu-Sa,” he replied apologetically as he pointed to the ceiling. “It’s just that the notes warn of too much male chi near the wards. But of course…” His voice trailed off as he motioned toward her, then Narween.
The ceiling was low enough for Rau-Nap to touch, and he did so with an extended finger to trace out a tiny line of silver. It was as if someone had incorporated a silver thread into the stone itself, and as Yi-La looked closer he traced other lines. All led back the way they had come.
“Our last secret, Fu-Sa,” he said somberly. “Please pardon the need to go back to the common room.”
Reluctant to leave the now glowing wards that ran along the walls, ceilings, and floor, she followed Narween, who was not so reluctant to follow Rau-Nap. The re-crossing went quickly, and when she and Narween got to the common room they found a nervous-looking Bua-Nap, who was standing behind his kneeling brother.
“This is Pen-Ot-Obey,” Rau-Nap told them in a reverent tone as he ran his hand kindly over the small statue built into the wall. The two brothers had moved some furniture to expose the barely knee-high figurine that exposed a feminine face, along with large breasts. It took the two girls a moment to realize what was odd about the statute, for it also had male parts.
Streaming out from the figure were thick lines of silver, just like the ones back near the wards. They fanned out quickly into smaller and smaller threads along the walls and ceiling, which was why, she realized, she had not noticed them before – this plus the fact the ceiling of the common room was adorned with countless tiny artifacts of wood, wicker, and even metal.
Casting several cantrips quickly, Yi-La then bent down to have a look at the idol. I
t glowed not at all, which surprised her, nor did the threads of silver embedded in the stone walls show any signs of arcane-energy.
“Male chi is channeled here to Pen-Ot-Obey,” Rau-Nap explained. “She or he…depending on your view…converts this chi energy to that of a woman.”
Yi-La realized this was why the wards above in the Forbidden-Gardens never detected the men living down here. “How far do these threads go?” she asked as she stood back.
“They stop at the wards,” Bua-Nap informed her. “That’s why we can’t go beyond them, even if we were able to dispel them.”
“But you could, Fu-Sa,” Rau-Nap said in an ominous tone. “The wards, however, do kill those who try.”
__________________________
“Master, will there be wards at the temple?” Yi-La had asked as matter-of-factly as she could muster.
Surprisingly to her, this scheme to learn more about protective wards actually worked. Master Gang had admitted there would be powerful wards there, though also made the comment that traveling there was not his intent. Nevertheless, instruction on how to deal with simple wards followed.
“You are never to try this with the wards of Dtu-Ru!” Gang had commanded as they worked. “He has spent a lifetime intertwining rune-sets, just so the unfortunate encounter them.”
She had promised sincerely never to touch such, as she scribbled notes. The lesson went on for several hours, which was not unusual for Master Gang. It was simply difficult to get his time in the first place, but once that was accomplished he would teach vigorously until one or both of them was exhausted.
She was very pleased with herself when the thorough lesson was complete. And now that several trivial wards had been vanquished under her master’s watchful eye, she waited patiently for him to dismiss her for the time being. This never formally came; instead, he entered one of his open-eyed trances, and so she excused herself. It was with great disappointment when she found a Seechen lurking outside the door to the study, eager to inform her the Mage-Chancellor needed her time.
Pesnu-Jok looked a bit haggard, though he had recovered largely from his injuries, giving her the impression some outside influence was responsible. She couldn’t refuse the summons, she had felt, for the messenger considered it urgent. Running back to the library seemed foolish anyway, since she knew he would be told immediately.
“A visitor awaits you, Fu-Sa,” Pesnu-Jok said almost cheerfully. “He may be of a nature…you should not engage unskillfully.”
His drawn out words were his signature way to both warn and take delight in her predicaments at the same time. It made her wonder who could possibly be waiting to see her. If it was someone of importance, she doubted he would be standing here patiently.
“Can it wait, Lord Chancellor?” she dared to ask, mainly to stall a little and perhaps learn more.
He smiled from ear to ear. “Of course. They are a patient sort when need be.”
She doubted he was being truthful as she looked out into the corridor and down toward the great hall, where she was pretty sure this person was being attend to. Several Seechen came hurrying by, having just come from the hall, and she couldn’t say for sure, due to their veils, whether or not they were fleeing in some way.
She was about to make her way toward the hall when he told her, “He is here to see Master Gang, but I told him you are the…gatekeeper…Fu-Sa.”
“How should I address him, Lord Chancellor?” she asked with just a hint of impatience in her voice.
“Carefully, I suggest,” he replied with another grin.
With a sinking feeling, Yi-La began walking toward the hall where a Seechen was anxiously waiting to announce her. As soon as he did, he scurried away, much like a little frightened squirrel. She was at a loss to understand why as she got her first view of the handsome, tall man waiting patiently.
“I’m sorry, master…” she said, trying to get him to identify himself, as the Seechen had failed to properly do so.
“Lu-Pok, master of Shen-rock,” the man replied with a grin not unlike Pesnu-Jok’s, she noted.
Yi-La was distracted by the wide collar he wore, which looked to be adorned with precious stones that dangled from tiny chains as he stepped toward her; she got the impression it wasn’t easily attached or removed. Furthermore, he was not dressed like anyone from the inner-city, nor in a manner familiar to her at all.
“Master, please forgive me when I say Master Gang is not available today.” She was confident that it wouldn’t be until well into the night that her master would choose to come out of his rejuvenating trace, and perhaps later than that. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Hm,” he replied as he stood several paces away. “I’m sure dragon-mages can’t always be bothered.”
She found herself absently rubbing her ring a– then stepping back when she suddenly realized who she might be talking to. The man was a dracomon, she feared; it was the eyes that gave him away. She had missed it at first, having been distracted by the collar, which she was sure now was an important aspect of the man. Setting her teeth, she refrained from screaming insults back down the hall toward Pesnu-Jok, as her heart raced.
“You look troubled, apprentice,” he said almost kindly. “No need…I’m patient.”
“Umm…yes, master,” she stumbled verbally. “Can I get you something…or find somewhere for you to rest?”
“I could rest at time with you, apprentice,” he smirked as he slowly took another step toward her.
She almost lost herself in those eyes as the now-familiar voice in her head instructed her to think only of it. Yi-La took several steps in retreat with eyes closed, before falling. Opening her eyes, she avoided looking his way as she gathered herself up and sprinted out of the hall.
“He was laughing at me,” Yi-La fumed as she sat with Narween at the cramped table.
“The dracomon?” Narween asked incredulously.
“Nooo! The Chancellor!”
She was almost positive she had heard Pesnu-Jok laughing when she had ran by his chamber in order to put distance between her and Lu-Pok. Not caring a wit about the ramifications of hiding from the dracomon, she had sought to take refuge here in the lower-library. The entire humiliating series of events had been whispered to Narween now, which, Yi-La admitted, was making her feel better.
Yi-La still couldn’t get this Lu-Pok out of her head though, and kept thinking about what he had suggested; it made her blush even now. Try as she may, she couldn’t think of it as dreadful like she knew she should.
“He is so damn handsome…arrrrr!” she hissed in frustration at Narween, forgetting for the moment the two brothers sitting not far away.
“Realllyyyyy!” Narween said with wide eyes, and a lot more interest than Yi-La thought she should have.
“I can’t stop thinking about him,” Yi-La admitted in a whisper as she laid her head on the table and pouted.
She was sure such thoughts violated every principle taught to her at Key-Tar-Om concerning ladylike behavior. This only made it more wickedly appealing for some reason, which was starting to really distract her, in turn irking her more than even the dracomon. Turning sixteen a few days ago didn’t help, and for some silly reason she couldn’t help but wonder if she was getting old. Her betrothal to Ich-Mek had assured her marriage by now.
“I’m going to bypass the wards!” she announced suddenly, head still on the table. Looking up she could see the two men suppressing smirks. It was at her unladylike behavior, she guessed. The smirks soon turned to frowns when they realized she just might be serious.
She’d had the presence of mind to grab her recent notes on ward-breaking, and a few helpful spell-scrolls, before coming here. These she gathered up, then waited silently for the men to start moving, with a look on her face that left no room for argument.
With Rau-Nap at the water’s edge, and a very attentive Narween beside her, Yi-La cast the first cantrip in her prepared stash. “This pocket cantrip will warp th
e distance a little,” she explained to the two behind her.
She then nervously reached out her ring hand toward the glowing lines of arcane-energy in front of her. “Like drawing a curtain,” Master Gang had put it. First, though, she needed to separate out the critical threads, each of which would look different and distinct, she prayed.
There was a buzzing azure thread, which she found fairly easy to separate out. “Azure…thick!” she called out to Rau-Nap.
There was a pause as he consulted her notes, then called back, “Regenerative, I think.”
“Makes sense,” she muttered to Narween. “It needs to regrow itself after being triggered, or it wouldn’t still be here.”
She would use this one as her base, she decided, and so chose another. “A little bit dark-red…but also black.”
“You need to avoid breaking this one” came Rau-Nap’s concerned reply. “Negative-energy likely!”
The third thread that presented itself was emerald, and she knew it to be dissolution. Rau-Nap confirmed this when she told him. She guessed it was here to slowly dissolve away debris, and anything else that threatened the ward – like dead bodies.
Letting a set of the three repeating threads rest across her ring, she then slowly braided them into a single big thread, and then brought them into contact with the area affected by the pocket cantrip. As expected, the small extra-dimensional space greatly distorted the curtain now, leaving a gap – big enough, she hoped, for her to slip past.
SNAP!
A voice kept calling out “Yi-La…Yi-La” over and over until she recalled that this was her name. She also recalled that whatever foul liquid was running down her throat tasted truly horrible.
“Sppppffff!” She spat at Narween’s face, which was hovering over her. “God, that’s awful.”
Despite her efforts to swat away the vial of the nasty stuff, Narween kept feeding it back into her mouth. “You need to drink it all! Now drink!”