The Pilgrims: Book One (The Pendulum Trilogy)

by Elliott, Will

  ‘To take you to Anfen. If you kill me or leave me here, do you think you’ll find him? Especially with angry magpies on your tail, armies all over the roads? Grunt troops wouldn’t know what to do with you. You talk strange, you look strange, you know nothing. They’d put you through the usual, beat confessions out of you or kill you. Grandpa here would not survive long as prisoner, believe me. And you don’t look that sturdy yourself. Listen. Here’s our plan. We stop off in Hane. We get fed, new clothes. See this?’ Kiown thumbed down his shirt, showing his collarbone tattoo, which only appeared when he flexed the muscle there. It was a little tower, simply drawn of thinly inked red lines. ‘I show this to my contacts, I get the resources of any Aligned city thrown open to me. Anything we want, take it. Women, food, rooms at the best inns. With me you are above the law. Your pick of the stores, the smiths. Fine clothes, swords better than that one. Can get us a horse-drawn wagon on loan, even drakes to ride, if you’re game and if they have any. No more walking. We’ll rest up a few days, live like princes, enjoy every second, then ride the rest of the way at our leisure. What say you?’

  Despite what he knew, after all this rough travelling, the offer was more than a little tempting. ‘Is lying one of the skills you hunters need to be good at?’ said Eric.

  Kiown waved this away angrily. ‘Of course it is! But so is knowing when to tell the truth.’

  ‘Then maybe you can admit what you did to the band you were meant to lead.’

  Kiown spread his hands. ‘Must you do this to me? Do you think all my orders fill me with joy? Fine, I did it. I helped kill the giant. Led the others to the patrol, who knew we came. Thanks to me they knew, all right? There. I betrayed them because my mission was compromised and I had to. It was not my idea of fun. Had Anfen not separated us it wouldn’t have happened.’

  A thread of magic like a crimson ribbon twisted languidly across the platform, passing through Kiown and parting around his body the way smoke would, some thin tendrils hanging for a moment around his neck and shoulders. Glimmering strands could be seen more thickly in the distant skies, but over towards the city, there were none at all. ‘What about when we catch up with Anfen?’ said Eric. ‘What will you tell them?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Kiown snapped. ‘Think I’ll run with that group again? I’ll get you close, point you to him then flee. You can tell him who and what I am, for all I care. I’ll have done my mission, I’ll be paid. I’ll retire in the new cities, since I’ll be known as a Hunter and never be able to go undercover again.’

  ‘Something I don’t understand,’ said Case. ‘It helps us out, sure, if you get us back with Anfen. Helps you out too. Even helps out your bosses. So everybody’s happy. There are no mutually beneficial moves in chess. Who’s worse off? You say the high-ups don’t tell you everything, I bet you’re right. But you know them better than us. So you can probably make a good guess.’

  Kiown frowned, thinking. ‘The Tormentors,’ he said at last. ‘The castle’s trying to use Anfen. And you, I assume. How I’ve no idea. That’s how two sides can be happy in war: when there’s a third entering the fray.’

  ‘Tormentors?’ said Eric.

  ‘You told me of monsters in the woods,’ said Kiown. ‘That’s what they’re called. Yes, I knew of them, but not what they look like, nor that they’d come so far north. I don’t know how many there are. Maybe a few dozen. Or hundreds, maybe thousands. The castle bosses are scared to death of them. So should everyone be. But guess what? The Free Cities are in more immediate peril.’

  ‘What are they? Where are they from?’

  ‘I’ve never seen them,’ said Kiown, shifting uncomfortably. ‘They come from beyond the Wall at World’s End. The castle fears the Free Cities will find a way to use them, maybe tame them as pets or soldiers. Both sides have lost men and resources to them.’

  ‘Beyond the Wall,’ Eric said, thinking aloud. ‘So they come from the other half of Levaal even though the Wall stops everything else from getting through. So how do they get through?’

  Kiown shrugged. ‘Grandpa here told me to guess, so I’m guessing.’

  ‘Keep guessing.’

  ‘Fine. Underground. Far underground. There must be a point down there where things can pass beneath the Wall. In the groundmen tunnels, when Sharfy was oh-so-baffled at all the pit devils? I knew why.’ He laughed. ‘Something’s entered the southern tunnels, something bigger and meaner than them. It’s driving the devils north. And I tell you this, there must be a lot of those fuckers down there, to drive that many devils that far north. Now can we please end this chitchat and come to a decision? I’ve told you all I know. Whether you bring me along or not, time matters. Do you want a guide and protector or am I more useful to you as a corpse?’

  42

  Eric and Case went to the top of the winding steps, where Eric quickly told Case about the scales and visions. Kiown stayed put, hands linked around his knees, head slumped like he was defeated and lonely. Despite what he knew, a touch of pity stirred in Eric, to see that lively figure brought low like this. ‘What do you think?’ he asked Case.

  ‘I won’t lie to you, I never liked the sonofabitch. In that little talk he was being sometimes honest, sometimes not, but there’s no knowing what part’s not true. He’s not telling us all we’d want to know, that’s for damn sure. As for being treated like princes in that city, I doubt it. If I was in his shoes, I’d say that kind of thing. We can risk our lives to find out, if we want. I’ll leave this one to you.’

  Eric gazed at where the road wound past ahead, dividing just at the edge of sight, one part curling to the right, around the base of hillsides and towards Hane. He still saw streaks of colour glimmering on the wind, streaks of magic, and they kept distracting his thoughts. ‘Can we trust the road if we’re on our own, is the question.’

  ‘We can try. Better than going to bed with a known snake,’ said Case. ‘With the charm and the gun, one of us is invisible, the other dangerous. Could be worse.’

  ‘So. Here’s the fun part, I guess. What do we do with him?’

  Case chuckled grimly. ‘When you tell me what you saw, he’s led five people to their deaths. Five who made the mistake of trusting him, like we’re talking about doing. If he gets one-fifth done to him of what he done to others, he’s getting off lightly.’ Case sighed. ‘I’m willing to fire the shot. You decide if I should: you got more at stake here than me, more years of life to lose if we fuck up.’

  Eric looked back at Kiown, who’d turned his head their way. Again he remembered what he’d seen in the vision, made himself see the betrayed, surprised look in the half-giant’s eyes as he was killed. Hard to kill quickly, half-giants, and so much pain to go through before they finally died. Siel’s accusing words came back to him, and in fact had never left him: What do we have that they don’t? What weapon, what tool to use, what thing to fall back on, what map to guide them are they missing?

  Survival — was that not a principle too? Justice … would killing him not be just? And yet … ‘No. We won’t do it. For your sake and mine, more than his. He’s not worth carrying that burden for.’

  ‘A shot to his foot, maybe. That way if he wants to follow us, it’ll be hard work.’

  ‘What about that rope tying up the grass bundles?’

  ‘Better yet. Not a bad idea to save a bullet. Mind you, he says he’s some crack trooper. Few knots won’t stop him for long.’

  Case’s invisible hands expertly tying the knots was an eerie thing to watch, especially as little sections of rope vanished when grabbed and brought into the charm’s spell. Kiown was cooperative enough, sensing that being bound meant he wasn’t going to be slain. It seemed Case was right — the ropes wouldn’t hold him long, for he didn’t seem concerned about starving up here. ‘Look after that sword,’ he told Eric. ‘Take the scabbard off me and keep it in there, out of the weather. And be warned — when I see you again, I will take it back, maybe with a finger or two.’

  ‘You seem pretty sure yo
u’ll see us again,’ said Eric, already doubting the wisdom of letting him live. He took the sheath from Kiown’s belt and fixed it to his own.

  ‘I was joking about the fingers, but not the sword. A very good smith made it and he’s no longer alive. An Engineer, actually, though the sword’s not magical. Look. I’ll be honest with you. I will come and find you. But not for revenge. I have a mission, that hasn’t changed. I must bring you safely back to Anfen. They — my bosses — don’t like Hunters who fail.’

  Case said, ‘You can start by telling us which way the road forks ahead, down there.’

  ‘Middle road goes to Elvury. That’s where the Council of Free Cities meets. That’s where you’ll find Anfen, if you hurry. And if he makes it there. I am telling you, there are so many patrols right now you probably won’t make it far without me. War mages, magpies, Lesser Spirits …’ he sighed. ‘As you like. I hope your luck holds. Stick to the main path but stay off road until you’re out of Aligned country. The road’s right fork goes to Hane. Stay away from there. The whole city is a prison and there’s no food. Ah yes, you’ve seen woods full of nice meat running about, waiting for Siel to stick arrows in its butt, haven’t you? No good if you’re not allowed out to hunt it. If you’re not with me you won’t last long at all. Listen, the pouch on my belt. There’s a green and a blue scale there. Worth more than the ones you have left, the green especially. My share from the dirt cart. Take them, they’ll help you along. Take the coins too.’

  Eric did so, knowing full well Kiown had expected them to rob him anyway. ‘Very generous of you.’

  ‘Isn’t it? You can do something for me now, Eric. Please. Something happened between this morning and last night. What was it? No one came up here and spoke to you. Or did they? It can’t have been a scale vision Loup took you on, or you’d have been wary of me back at the inn. Did you have a vivid dream last night? Something else? Some device from Otherworld? Can you tell me how you knew?’

  ‘Goodbye, Kiown. I’ll look after the sword. Good to know there’s something you care about. I won’t even stain it with my companions’ blood.’

  ‘Was it Nightmare?’ Kiown struggled in his bonds. ‘OK, maybe I believe what you said, he reached down. He blessed you? Or did he just tell you what had happened? Come, you can tell me that much. I helped you get past the devils, remember? I helped you get here from the inn. That sword, those scales I gave you. Tell me!’

  Eric and Case began their way down the steps, Kiown’s voice eventually fading from earshot. They both held their palms to the tower’s cool flank and tried not to look down, and the view gradually got less dizzying. On the road below, no soldiers passed, just a few travellers eager to keep their eyes low. Eric tried to see in these people any sense of the glory Kiown had expressed, any pride to lay just ‘one brick’ in the grand project. There was only weariness and fear.

  43

  Panting, they stopped. At last Faul had quit chasing. Luckily the company hadn’t scattered too far — time spent fucking around finding people was the last thing Anfen needed.

  The house was now just visible set against the northern horizon’s whitening sky. Faul’s booming threats and admonitions faded with distance as she ambled back there, weeping.

  Anfen shook his head, watching her go. She’d had a long association with the Mayors’ Command, and owed them far more allegiance than a dead Invia. That was surely something she’d remember soon, but once roused, giants did not quickly calm down and see reason. As it was, Anfen couldn’t tell if Faul had really meant to catch them or just scare them away.

  He sighed. The day had just begun and already he’d twice nearly been killed. At one time, such excitement would have stirred his blood with joy.

  Siel had had the sense to stick close to Lalie. Good. Sense had been a touch lacking in this bunch, just lately. The girl looked cagey again, examining the surrounds like she was ready to bolt. She’d been lying low, he sensed, trying to lull them after the insult of being tied to the porch. They’d have to keep her tied from here on lest she stab them while they slept. She would already know how to kill, however young she was; Inferno cultists didn’t go long without performing their first Offering. Nor did they change back to normal people overnight, if ever.

  He counted heads. Oh, shit. ‘Loup! Where are the Pilgrims?’

  ‘Ehhh,’ gasped Loup. He lay splayed on the ground, sucking deep breaths like he might soon expire from the run. And, just a second — who had the charm? Anfen did. He felt his pockets. Correction — he should have it. ‘By Nightmare,’ he muttered, sinking to his heels.

  Loup sat up. ‘You upset for the reason I think you are?’

  ‘Why not try a scale vision and see?’ Anfen walked off, running a hand through his hair. That had been part of this, he knew it, their games with visions. Idiots. In controlled conditions, their own lives at stake, they were welcome to their fun, not in Aligned country with the hornets’ nest kicked. Sharfy should have known better. He himself should have, too; foolish, to think the band had meant it when agreeing to his rules … Calm down. It’s done. Look forwards.

  He’d look forwards all right, until they were safely at the Council of Free Cities. But he’d never trust this crew with any missions of importance ever again, and he’d warn the Mayors’ Command not to either, if not get them brought up on charges.

  ‘Far Gaze’ll find them,’ said Sharfy, referring to the Pilgrims.

  ‘No, we will.’ Anfen’s voice was harsh as his anger threatened to boil over. It’s all unravelling. Stay calm, or they won’t. ‘First we go back for the charm. It fell from my pocket during the fight.’

  Whether or not Faul had meant to catch them last time, she really meant it this time. Lut was digging in the yard’s stony turf with a shovel, making a grave for the Invia, whose body lay nearby under a draped sheet. ‘COME TO ADMIRE YOUR HANDIWORK?’ Faul roared, thundering down the steps, dress rucking up around shins and knees like pillars as Siel neared the Invia’s corpse.

  As they’d planned, Siel being the fastest of them tried to lead Faul around while the others hid, but the half-giant’s speed made it risky. If not for her head start, Siel would have been easily caught. Thankfully Faul, already puffed from the last chase, couldn’t keep up her long-striding bursts of speed.

  It bought Anfen just enough time to run past the ground where he’d fought the Invia — where he’d marched with relief to his own death, or so he’d thought at the time. The charm had to have slipped from his pocket there. He knew he’d taken it from the house.

  Nothing but rocks and soil. Faul or one of the Pilgrims had taken it. It had to have been Case … maybe he’d felt all along the charm was rightfully his. With so much at stake, all of history had been set on a different course thanks to one petty old man. Anfen could only sigh.

  For hours they could ill afford they combed through the scrub, calling the Pilgrims’ names and seeking tracks. The day was halfway through when they gave up, and Anfen, eyes nervously on the sky seeking shapes in the clouds, had no more time to search.

  ‘I don’t fathom it,’ he said, despairing and trying not to show it. The group laid out their mats as night fell on an afternoon’s travel. Two or three hours of sleep was all they could afford — another aspect of life on the road which was wearing very thin on him, as was needing to confide in a crew he was tremendously angry with. ‘The old man wasn’t happy with us, but Eric seemed an ally.’

  ‘Eric was,’ said Sharfy, sucking the smoke of a reed pipe then coughing horribly. ‘If he wanted to leave, he had plenty of chances before today.’

  ‘Better country to do it in, too,’ said Siel. ‘They won’t last long here without a guide.’

  ‘Perhaps the mage called Stranger will be their guide,’ said Anfen. ‘What did she have to do with this? And where’s Far Gaze? Loup, is either of them close?’

  ‘You keep asking, I keep telling. Neither’s close,’ Loup said sullenly. He sensed he was being blamed for much of this, ‘unfair
ly’ no doubt. ‘Ain’t been close since Far Gaze chased our Stranger into the woods. They’re still dancing in there, I’d reckon. When mages that level get in a scrap it can go on a while. They get lost in the games and tricks of it. Powers they use start playing with them, not just the other way around.’

  ‘One mage alive could give Far Gaze that kind of fight,’ Anfen muttered.

  ‘That you know of,’ said Loup. ‘But he wouldn’t give that kind of fight. Why play around? He’d kill Far Gaze in a minute tops, dance on his bones. Then on to whoever’s next to kill. You think he’d let a folk mage like Far Gaze roam free?’

  ‘We know less of the Arch Mage than we think.’ But Anfen knew Loup was probably right. Anfen had seen the Arch Mage up close, one of the only free men to have done so. He had taken personal orders from him, had felt the terrible gaze lingering on him from that half-melted mess of a face, the intensity of its mind weighing and considering him. He hadn’t known much about the Arch Mage but even back then, not knowing half of what he’d soon learn of the castle and its designs, he’d known evil when he saw it. It had been the first seed of doubt: this is the face of those you serve …

  ‘We’ll see,’ said Loup. ‘If Far Gaze is still alive, we’ll know Stranger’s nothing to do with him, or the castle.’

  ‘You may be right.’

  ‘Sometimes I am,’ Loup said bitterly. ‘She’s not him in a dress or disguise. I pondered that chance back at the hilltop when I first felt her close by. I know what he feels like to be near. And he doesn’t leave his rat’s nest to help out sworn enemies like you and me.’

  ‘So you do believe she helped us?’ said Anfen. Stranger had helped, it seemed … but he badly wanted to speak with Far Gaze and know why he’d attacked her. On the other hand, mages were not renowned for their powers of reason …

  Loup said, ‘She tried to help us. Far Gaze saw her starting casting and didn’t trust her enough to let her.’