“Kelos?”
For a moment he thought he was hallucinating. Being in the presence of concentrated magic tended to have strange effects on the human mind; this would certainly account for the vision of Emuel sat atop the black dragon. The vision called his name again and Kelos decided to play along.
“Emuel… why are you riding a dragon?”
“It is you! It really is!”
The eunuch dropped down from his enormous mount and raced to gather up the mage in a very un-Emuel-like bearhug. Feeling the warmth of the young man against him, Kelos realised that this was no vision.
“Good gods, Emuel! We thought you lost when the Llothriall was destroyed.”
“The spell that was supposed to retrieve the ship backfired, and the Faith retrieved only me and Ignacio. The Order of the Swords of Dawn brought us to find the rest of you, but I got parted from the main party. I don’t know what happened to Ignacio or the Swords, but my friends here rescued me from the desert.”
“Your friends? You do realise what these creatures are, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes. Beautiful aren’t they? The black one, that’s Calabash. Piotr is the silver-grey one over there. The azure one… well, I haven’t named it yet. Really, we’ve only just met.”
“I can’t believe I’m seeing this. All my life I’ve read about these creatures — their role in the cycle of magic, theories on their extinction — but I never, ever thought I’d see one, let alone three. There is such… such power here. Any sorcerer would give their right arm to be where I am right now. The possibilities these creatures open up are almost boundless. In fact…”
So lost in his reverie did Kelos become, that it was only when the eunuch shook his shoulder that he realised he was trying to talk to him.
“…I said, where did you come from? Are the others here?”
“What? Oh… yes, yes. The others. Yes, sorry, Emuel, you’re right. We must get back to them, though I’m afraid to say that Ignacio and his new friends are now amongst their number. No matter. It may be that I can use the power of the dragons myself to perform a sorcery that will send us all back home. Just imagine it! The most audacious spell ever performed, breaking down the boundaries of time and space!”
“Old man, you’re babbling.”
“Sorry, sorry. Quite right, Emuel. Quite right.” Kelos looked up at the stars above him. “Right, I must return and inform the others.”
“In that case, hop up beside me.” Emuel said, mounting Calabash.
“Hop up?”
“Yes. It will be far quicker to fly.”
“Oh, I know that you’re going to fly,” Kelos said, and Emuel noticed that the mage had begun to make strange gestures with his hands, a faraway look in his eyes. “But with the magic flowing from your friend here, I can simply weave a spell to send myself back. I must, after all, prepare our companions for what they are to witness. Be the herald of the good news, as it were.”
And Kelos began to fade from before them, until he disappeared completely.
Dunsany stood beside the empty sack, looking at the faces of the expectant audience and wondering what to do.
When they had performed this trick in the past, Kelos had usually re-emerged well before this point, hungry to reap the applause. However, five minutes had now passed with no sign of the mage, and people were beginning to mutter amongst themselves. Dunsany sighed and opened up the sack.
His gut clenched as he saw that the sub-dimensional pocket had collapsed. Had the artefact taken Kelos with it, perhaps trapping him forever on some other plane of reality?
There was a pop of air being displaced, followed by a gasp from the audience. Dunsany looked up, wondering what could have elicited such a response. At first he couldn’t see anything other than the bemused expressions of the people sitting before him, but then there was a tap on his shoulder and he turned around.
“Ta da!” Kelos said, his arms wide, a smug grin on his face.
Dunsany embraced him, relieved to see his friend safe and well. But then, remembering that they were supposed to be performing a trick, he took his partner’s hand and turned to the audience before leading him in a bow.
The applause was thunderous, and once it died down there were many happy faces drifting back through the camp, to tents and bedrolls; the settlers filled with the wonder that the mage and his impromptu show had brought.
When they were alone, Dunsany turned back to Kelos.
“What the hells happened? That certainly was never part of the original trick.”
“You know the magic that made this little show possible? Well, I’ve found the source!”
“And that made you disappear?”
“Yes. Well… no. It’s complicated. But… Dunsany, here’s the thing. We can use that magic to go home. I can perform the spell to send us back; reverse the magic that brought us here. We don’t even need Kerberos. This…” Kelos swallowed, his words starting to run away from him. “This will be the greatest act of sorcery ever performed by a human being. And if I can bring one of the creatures back with us… You have no idea of the possibilities such power presents!”
“No, you’re right. I really don’t. Look, I think we should speak to Silus about this.”
“I agree. Where would we find him at this hour?”
“The last time I saw him he was with Bestion. I think that the priest was preparing him for communion with Kerberos. It may be that he won’t want to be disturbed.”
“Oh, trust me, Dunsany. When he hears what I have to say, he won’t mind at all.”
Silus had hoped for compassion, leniency. After all, didn’t the Final Faith preach that Kerberos forgave those who truly repented? Admittedly, that repentance was often attainted through the use of torture, or posthumously attributed to the heretics who had died in the flames of the naphtha gibbets; but the possibility of forgiveness was still there. A deity could have a change of heart.
Kerberos had not had a change of heart. Instead, Silus was told to gather everybody together to prepare for the final journey. This night he would lead them further into the desert, there to bring Illiun and the settlers into the presence of the creature who would administer the wrath of a wronged god. As to the nature of this creature, Silus had no idea. He only hoped that whatever death the settlers faced, it would be quick and painless.
When they were gathered before him, Silus tried to take reassurance in how few of them there actually were. What are the deaths of tens of people, compared to millions? he had said to Katya. But though he repeated this to himself as he prepared to speak, he didn’t truly believe it. These were people, not monsters, and they trusted him.
“Kerberos has spoken. We are near our journey’s end and your new home awaits. Just a few hours from here, we will come to a place where you can settle. Here, there will be water, land you can farm — everything you will need to survive. Gather up your belongings, and be ready to leave in an hour.”
As he turned to make his own preparations for departure, he saw Kelos and Dunsany hurrying towards him.
“Good news!” the mage said, as he came to a halt.
“Well, I could certainly do with some of that right now.”
“Why, what’s the matter?” Dunsany said.
“Nothing that you need to worry about. I’ll tell you later.”
“This is going to sound crazy…” Kelos began.
“Crazy, you?” Silus said.
“…but I think that I can send us home myself. I can manipulate the threads to reverse the magic that brought us here, sending us all back to Twilight. We can even bring Illiun and his folk with us; they won’t have to live on this harsh world.”
“And what about Ignacio and the Swords? As soon as we get back home, they’ll simply want to bring them to ‘justice.’ They’ll be escaping from one prison and into another.”
“I’m sure that we’ll think of something. Isn’t getting back the most important thing right now?”
“But Kerberos
has promised to send us back.”
“Yes, yes I know that. But… look. It’s not every day that a mage of my standing gets the chance to perform such a spell, and I know that I can do it. Hells, with the access to the power available to me I can do virtually anything! Just give me this chance, Silus, please. You don’t know how important this is to me. You do trust me, don’t you?”
He did. They had fought together on more than one occasion; the mage had risked his life in the fight against the Chadassa and had understood and nurtured Silus’s preternatural powers. More than this, Kelos was a friend. Not only did Silus trust him but, he realised with a start, he trusted him more than his god. If they could return to Twilight with the settlers, then they wouldn’t have to worry about them affecting the past history of this world. Far from being responsible for their deaths, he could actually rescue them.
“What do we have to do?” he said.
“Out there is something that will change everything,” the mage said, pointing into the darkness. “For now, you don’t need to alter your plans at all. Just trust me when the time comes, okay?”
“And just what is out there?”
“Please, Silus. Just give me this one, okay?”
He looked at the anticipation and excitement on Kelos’s face and realised that he couldn’t disappoint him. If there was a chance they could avoid the destruction that Kerberos was planning, then he would take it.
“Still a showman, huh, Kelos?” he said. “Planning for the big reveal?”
“That’s my man,” Dunsany said, throwing an arm around the mage’s shoulders.
“Okay, if you’re sure that it’ll work, I’m happy to go along with it.”
Kelos nodded and embraced Silus, before hurrying away to gather up his possessions.
A S THEY STRUCK out across the desert for the final time, a sense of quiet anticipation settled over the travellers. The few conversations were hushed and brief; most just stared ahead of themselves as they put one foot in front of the other, wondering what they would find over the next rise.
Katya walked beside him, Zac held snugly against her chest. He was fast asleep and, though Silus didn’t want to wake him, he could see that he was weighing his mother down, tiring her quickly.
“Here, let me take him,” he said, and Katya gratefully handed him over.
“Where we going, Daddy?” Zac asked, as he woke to find himself resting against his father’s shoulder.
“Home, Zac. We’re going home.”
“You seem more certain of that now,” Katya said. “It’s almost as if your burden has been lifted.”
He wanted to tell her the good news — wanted to tell everybody — but he didn’t want to deny Kelos his moment.
“I think that everything is going to be alright,” he said.
Katya seemed to accept this and they fell once more into companionable silence.
Though the night was cold, Silus thought that he saw a heat haze shimmering from the sands ahead. Kerberos loomed low in the sky, the bottom edge of the great disk almost touching the horizon. He couldn’t help but feel caught by the gaze of the god. As he stared into the depth of those azure clouds, he saw something silhouetted against them, moving swiftly. Silus turned to Katya, wondering whether she had seen the same thing, but she was looking at the ground, lost in her own thoughts. There was a sound like the screech of an owl, an answering call, and then something else was moving between them and the god. This time, he saw the outline of a vast wing, the tip of a snout. What was that, some kind of bird? He noticed that there were three shapes now and they were flying directly towards them.
“Katya, what do you think those are?”
“What? Oh.”
“What they are,” Kelos said, coming up behind them, “is our way home.”
“Kelos, I’m not sure about this.”
But it was too late. The massive creatures were already wheeling above them, spiralling slowly down.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
As the shadows of the dragons moved across the sand towards them, some drew their swords and others began to back away, ready to make good their escape. Kelos, realising that the expedition was in danger of breaking up before he’d even had the chance to weave his spell, raised his arms.
“Everybody! Do not be afraid, for these creatures are our liberation. They mean you no harm.”
The azure dragon landed first, sinew and muscle creaking as it slowly folded its massive wings. The hairs on the back of Kelos’s arms began to prickle as the creature’s power washed over him. The two other dragons swooped low over the group, causing some of them to stumble and fall, before landing. They sat back on their haunches and watched the azure dragon expectantly.
“Emuel?” Katya said, when she saw the pale figure sliding from the black dragon’s back.
The eunuch raced towards her — ignoring the pointed glare of Ignacio — and threw himself into her arms.
“It’s so good to see you all,” he said.
Silus nodded to the pale young man, seeing how Emuel’s tattoos writhed across his flesh. He could feel the build-up of magic himself, coming from the great winged lizards. He had to hand it to Kelos, he really hadn’t expected this. But there was still that thread of fear; the doubt that the mage really knew what he was doing.
“Are those…?” Katya said.
“Dragons, yes,” Emuel said. “But don’t worry, they rescued me. Kelos thinks that he can use their power to send us all home.”
“I just hope he’s right.” Silus drew his sword.
The grey dragon, Piotr, went sniffing amongst the group of humans, making querying sounds in the back of its throat, occasionally looking back at its larger blue-skinned companion. Calabash sat back on its haunches and looked towards Emuel, its head cocked as though listening out for something.
“Silus,” Illiun said. “What are these things?”
“It’s okay. We’ve had a slight change of plan, that’s all. This way will be better, right Kelos?”
“Oh, yes. Yes indeed.”
The mage turned to the azure dragon, emptying his mind as he reached for the threads. But just as he was about to channel the power of the creature and intone the first words of the spell, it attacked.
From its jaws poured not flames, but tendrils of light.
They flowed slowly, twining around and through each other as they fanned out. Though Kelos was standing in their path, they curled around him, instead seeking others in the group. The light was as fine as gossamer and beautiful, but what happened to those it touched was not.
The man the first tendril alighted on did not appear to be afraid, but that was perhaps because he didn’t fully realise what was happening. It was only as he began to unravel that fear gripped him. There was no blood, no rending of flesh: he simply came apart like a badly woven tapestry, his brief cry quickly snatched away as he spiralled into oblivion. His son, who had watched his father’s appalling dissolution, cried out and charged the azure dragon, his fists clenched and tears streaming from his eyes. However, as he raged against the creature, it simply turned to him, breathed, and he was gone.
Now there was full-blown panic, but Piotr roared and advanced on those attempting escape. Calabash jerked to its feet, but made no further move, instead making an alarmed keening sound as more succumbed to the azure dragon’s wrath. Emuel watched, appalled, as two women dissolved with barely a whisper, forced into the azure light by Piotr. The silver-eyed men tried to protect their masters, swinging crackling staffs. But their weapons were of no use, and they came apart just as easily as the rest.
“Silus, do something!” Illiun shouted.
But Silus was doing precisely what his god had asked of him. The azure dragon was the creature of which Kerberos had spoken. Were he to do nothing more than watch, he would be fulfilling his god’s will. He saw Hannah crying, clutching Rosalind’s hand as the two of them cowered behind Shalim. Silus looked to his own son, and saw the fear and confusion there. He reali
sed what he had to do. This was murder, pure and simple. It didn’t matter that his god has asked it of him, it would end now.
He turned to Katya and Emuel. “Take Zac and run. Don’t stop. Go as far as you can. I will find you.”
Katya clutched Zac to her breast as she and Emuel hurried away, but the press of panicking bodies was growing ever tighter as the dragons hemmed them in, like cattle being driven through the gates of a slaughterhouse. The light of the azure dragon was everywhere, unmaking those it touched. Emuel waited for death to reach them, but then he heard Calabash’s call. Pushing his way through the press of bodies, the stench of fear all around him, he led Katya and Zac to the dragon.
“Emuel, what are you doing?” Katya shouted. “That thing will kill us!”
Calabash brought its head in low and opened its jaws. For a moment, Emuel thought Katya would be proved right, but then the dragon nudged them behind it, shielding them from the slaughter as it stood protectively before them.
Piotr roared as it moved against Shalim, who stood with his fists raised for want of a better weapon. Seeing his friend in danger, Silus ducked under the dragon’s right flank as it swung around, the great sail of its wing soaring over his head and slamming into Shalim’s chest. The man dropped, badly winded, as, behind him, the threads of light sought out his wife and child.
Silus tumbled between Piotr’s hind legs and found himself on his back, looking up at the pale belly of the beast. He drove his sword up, but the blade bowed against the tough flesh, barely making an impression. He was about to try again when the dragon shifted and turned to face him. Now out of the creature’s shadow, Silus saw that Shalim had taken the opportunity to hurry his family away from the site of the massacre, and he urged them to keep going.
Piotr growled, and as it did so Silus saw two great fleshy sacks inflating on either side of its throat; the dragon’s belly might have been armoured by thick hide, but these looked very vulnerable indeed.
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