Again, Selene and Helios spent a considerable part of the day chanting and casting spells. With each spell they cast, another rune was removed. When they dispelled the last rune, they stood before their Master and bowed.
Slowly, Grimsor came to life. Slowly, his skin heated up, turning from tan-red to a rich blood-red. His arms and wings stretched out. A flame suddenly burst to light between his horns. This fire glowed over the room, and made the sunlight obsolete. Selene and Helios looked up to see Grimsor open his eyes and scream. His voice was its own chorus, sounding like three people speaking at once. One of the voices sounded like bricks rubbing against each other.
“Rise, my faithful,” Grimsor said, “For you will be rewarded.”
Helios and Selene stood.
“There were three of you, when last I moved about this world,” Grimsor said. “I see Selene and Helios here. Where is Argos?”
“My Lord,” Selene said, “It was regrettable, but Argos veered from the path of fire. He had to be sacrificed for the cause.”
“So be it,” he said. “You two shall work harder to make up for his absence. What of Frost?”
Selene hesitated, and Helios, sensing she did not know how to proceed, stepped forward. “Your Lordship,” he said, “Frost has escaped beyond our reach.”
“There is no place beyond my reach,” Grimsor howled. “Tell me where he hides, and that is where I will destroy him. That is where I will make him pay for betraying me.”
Book 3
Redemption Sought
Chapter 23: Kraken D’l Grimsor
Vye and Frost drank tea by the fireplace. Vye could tell that her mentor was shaken by having encountered Selene in the Dreamscape.
“Selene was the first to discover the Dreamscape,” he said. “She told her closest colleagues about it. That includes myself, but also Argos and Helios. We started to practice at weaving our ways into the Dreamscape. We learned how to manipulate it, and how to manipulate people who were dreaming. Very powerful stuff.
“Eventually, however, some of us started to experience strange encounters in our dreams. Nightmares is too gentle a word for them. We’d had nightmares before, and these weren’t them. We found that the Dreamscape was shared with other places. Not just other Kingdoms, far away. Places that exist beyond the reality that we know. Other dimensions. Finally, we learned about the Abyss.”
“Nothing called, ‘The Abyss’ has ever been a good thing,” Vye commented.
“No,” Frost had said. “And so it was here. Helios was the first to make contact with Him.”
“Who?” Vye had asked.
“Grimsor,” he had answered.
“Who?” she had asked again.
“I’ll show you.”
And so they once again meditated around the crystal ball. And they came to another distant land. Vye could tell it was distant, even though there were no stars or signs of civilization.
They were deep under a mountain, but a very different mountain. The cavern they were in was enormous. The stalagmites and stalactites seemed to act as pillars for the vast hollow under the stone. The space was perhaps a kilometer in diameter, and taller than any indoor structure Vye could think of, including the Grand Hall in the Castle Zenith.
“We must remain out of sight,” Frost said, “There’s a chance they won’t be dreaming now, but if they are, they know to look for us.”
Vye could see now that entering the cavern from a small opening on the perimeter were the younger Frost, Argos, Helios, and Selene.
“Helios and Selene had many conversations with the creature who called himself Grimsor. Grimsor was of the Abyss. As such, he claimed to have access to vast powers. Powers we had never dreamt of.
“He promised us all great things,” Frost continued, “And we were too young and too ambitious to think that it would come with a price.”
The four casters went to the center of the room and formed a circle, holding hands. They started to chant. As they chanted, they let go of each others’ hands, and started to back up, making the circle larger and larger.
Vye could see a large gem, the size of a tower shield, embedded in the roof of the structure. It started to glow. The chanting got louder, and the gem shot a continuous beam of white energy straight down into the center of the dome. It made a sound like a harsh wind blowing over a hilltop as it crackled with energy.
The chanting got louder and louder, and the beam of energy changed. It was no longer a beam at the bottom, but was widening in two dimensions. It was creating a standing disc, with the white energy on the outline, but a strange purple mist in the center. Vye was reminded of the smoke door used in Shadow Travel.
“This was the worst mistake I would make in in my life,” the modern-day Frost said to Vye. “When we decided to gain access to this energy that Grimsor promised us. When we started researching how to summon him to us. How to open a portal from the Abyss. The amount of planning, the amount of energy. Finding the cave. Buying the gem. Preparing the spell. We should have stopped at any of these steps, but we didn’t. Still, it is the day we opened the portal that shall count as my worst crime against the world.”
Vye watched in awe as a deep, booming voice resonated throughout the cave.
“The door has been opened!” it bellowed, causing dust to fall from the cavern’s ceiling. “Someone must invite me across!”
“We do summon you,” the four young mages answered in chorus.
“You do not summon the Kraken D’l Grimsor!” the voice bellowed through the portal. “One must be named! Who will invite me across the bridge of our two worlds!”
There was a moment’s hesitation, while none of the young mages knew what to do. Finally, it was young Frost who spoke.
“I invite you!” the young Frost said. “I, Johann Frost of the Order of Starfall, calls you to our world!”
The older Frost bowed his head.
“Would that I had been wiser then,” Frost said, “Perhaps if I had been less eager to please my peers.”
“If you didn’t, someone else would have,” Vye tried to comfort him.
“Perhaps,” Frost said. “But I’m still the one who did it.”
The howling of the energy subsided a little as a large leg stepped through the portal. It was a blood-red color, leathery skin, and the leg alone was taller than Vye. He stepped through, and she beheld his terrifying presence.
“We can’t stay long,” Frost said. “Grimsor will know we’re here.”
“He’s a demon!” Vye said, frozen in terror.
“Yes,” Frost said. “The most dangerous creature ever to walk our world. And I’m the one who brought him here.”
“What happened?” Vye said.
Suddenly, she was in a different place. They were back in the Golden City, though not in the Tower. They were just in the marketplace.
“Grimsor is a terrible beast,” Frost explained as they strolled through the crowd, “The sword he carries is real, and he doesn’t need to cleave you with it. One touch of its blade on your bare skin and you die instantly, no matter your constitution. He can fly. He can cast magic the likes of which you have only experienced with Argos. And he is immune to everything mortal made of our world. No arrow or blade can ever break his skin. You could fire a catapult directly at him and the rock would bounce off him.”
“How do you know?”
“We tried,” Frost said. “But none of these things is the most terrifying thing about him. He practically controls the Dreamscape. He can manipulate people in the Dreamscape so that when they wake, they are convinced that they should do a certain thing. He can get information out of people in their dreams, because in your dreams, you are not as guarded. Torture someone for information, they’ll tell you eventually. But catch them in a dream, they’ll give it up readily. In our dreams, our most vulnerable sides come out.”
“What happened to this place?” Vye said. “There were more people here when we checked last.”
“Very percept
ive,” Frost said. “The people missing are called The Turned. If your mind is weak enough in your dreams, Grimsor can find you there. Then you truly become his slave. He can take over your mind, and then you are forced to do his will. Slowly, after his release from the Abyss, he started to turn people. He caught them when they were very tired, and when their defenses were down. They would fall into a dream, and Grimsor would turn them.”
Again, they changed location, now back in the room with the fireplace.
“Eventually,” Frost said, standing now, “Grimsor had the entirety of our land on his side. Those who fought against the Turned were either killed or turned themselves. Forming a strategy against Grimsor was impossible, since each night he would turn one person in any resistance camp. He would always try to find the leader, and more often than not, he would gain access to someone who knew what the plans were.
“Chaos ensued, but only until Grimsor conquered the entire country. Then he moved onto the next. And the next. Selene, Helios, Argos, and I became his generals. We led vast armies of the Turned against the other countries. It never mattered who won the battles. So long as their numbers were depleted, Grimsor could take over the minds of those who had fought long, hard campaigns. There was no stopping us.”
“But someone finally did?”
“Yes. Me.”
Chapter 24: The Laughter of Children
Sarah tossed and turned.
The night was growing long, and still she couldn’t sleep. Perhaps she had fallen asleep for a moment here or a moment there. But then she was awake again. Sweating in the sheets despite the chill. Uncomfortable. Uneasy.
She wasn’t used to sleeping alone. It had been years since she had done so. It felt strange to reach across the bed and feel only the cold sheets. It felt weird to wear her nightgown, now actually afraid of catching cold.
She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, loosening her bun. Perhaps if she retied her hair, that would help. Maybe she was just resting on it at an odd angle.
“Mommy?” she heard, from the balcony.
“William?” she whispered back. It was probably just the wind. The wind and her sleep-deprived mind, that made her think she had heard her son. And she didn’t want to alarm the guards.
“Mommy?” the voice called again.
“Dear,” she said, shuffling out of bed and padding to the window. The same window Landos used on those mornings when he lingered too long. She hugged her robe against her body as the chill wind whipped at her.
And there, on the balcony, was William. And he was climbing over the side of the balcony...
“Will!” she shouted, running to him. But he descended the side of the building with great ease, escaping her grasping hands. He clung to the vines, looking up at her and giggling, “William! Get back up here, now! Guards! Guards!”
The Guards stormed into the bedroom.
“The Prince! He’s climbing the side of the Castle!” she shouted.
The Guards looked over the railing.
“Where do you suppose he got that idea?” one of the Guards asked, a rude suggestion in his voice.
“Who cares where he got the idea?” Sarah pleaded. “Get him back.”
“He’s out of reach,” the Guard complained. “I can’t get him from here.”
“William!” she shouted, “Please, come back up to Mommy. I know you’re having fun, but this is very dangerous.”
The little boy only giggled.
Sarah ran back into the bedroom, scrambling into the corridor. If nobody else was going to save her son, she was going to...
But she got lost. It must have been late. She must have gone down the wrong staircase. Or turned at the wrong corridor. And at night, without the lanterns lit, she was confused. Occasionally, she could hear William laughing from the windows, but she couldn’t see him.
She ran into the next room...
It was only then that she realized she was dreaming.
Standing before her was, well, her. A younger her. And Michael. They faced one another, arm’s length apart, hands linked between them. This wasn’t the Castle Anuen. This was the House of Vye. This was the night she had spent with Michael, six years ago. The night he died.
And then Landos was beside her. It didn’t make sense. For her to see herself, from years ago, from outside her body. For Landos to be there, in that room, with her.
“So this is where you go?” Landos commented. “I’ve always wondered what you think of, when we make love...”
“No,” Sarah objected, “Landos, please, I need you. I need your love to survive this.”
“You threw me out of your bedroom,” Landos commented. “Rejected me. The only other person who knows your sins. The only person who knows the real you.”
The younger version of Sarah was kissing Michael, and the two were undressing right before her eyes. Just as she remembered from years ago.
“Did he know the real you?” Landos taunted. “Did Michael know what kind of person you really are?”
The younger Sarah and Michael whispered to each other. Secrets passing between lovers on the most dangerous of nights...
“Did he know that, even as you kissed him, my child was already growing in your belly?” Landos whispered to the older Sarah. The one who was experiencing the dream. The one who was remembering...
And then she was the younger Sarah, the one embracing Michael. And she remembered the kisses, and the passion, and the feel of his hands, and the draft coming in from the window, and the desire in her body...
“Oh my!” Michael exclaimed, seeing Landos over her shoulder. And Sarah turned, and saw Landos staring at them. They felt like lovers caught in an affair. Landos was the jealous husband. Michael the illicit lover. But it was all wrong. Sarah was married to Michael. This shouldn’t have felt wrong at all. It should have been the other way around.
She ran back into the Castle. She remembered that William was in trouble somehow, but she couldn’t remember where she’d left him. She found herself in the throne room.
It was the throne room of Hartstone Castle. But instead of the usual dais, with the throne and the steps, there was a gallows. A single man stood, hands bound behind his back, neck in a noose, upon the platform. It was Jareld.
“I came to you for help,” Jareld said. “I came to you as a friend.”
And even though it wasn’t what she wanted to do, Sarah felt herself climbing the steps to the platform.
“I know,” Sarah said, “And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“I could have told the world first and let you deal with it,” Jareld said. “But I told you first, because I trusted you.”
Sarah couldn’t stop herself, moving towards the lever, even as Jareld kept pleading.
“And then you killed me.” Jareld said. And just as he finished saying it, Sarah’s hand pulled the lever. The trapdoor opened and Jareld collapsed through the floor, his neck snapping...
And Sarah found herself alone. In the middle of the throne room. No dais, no gallows, nothing. There were no lights, but a soft, red glow covered the room.
“Sarah Rone,” a voice boomed through her dream. Sarah realized with horror that the doors were missing. She was in this cage alone. Well, not alone. Grimsor stood before her, a smirk on his face, enjoying the show.
“Landos...help...” she called out, falling to her knees before the fell beast.
“You have cast aside Landos. He casts you aside as well.”
“Leave me alone.”
“Sarah Rone, your fears and sins are your undoing.”
“I am sinful,” she shouted, “But I am not undone.”
“You lie. Your mind has been ravaged by guilt. For years, you have kept secrets and lies from your friends. And you know not how to face their judgement.”
“Nobody can judge me harsher than I judge myself.”
“You lie still,” Grimsor said, and he waved his hand across the room. Sarah turned to see William. Pointing at her and laughing. “Your son
will never forgive you for your lies...”
“Great Halinor!” she cried, falling to her knees, “What have I done?”
“Your mind is destroyed. You have been Turned.”
And he placed his leathery hand over her skull. Sarah felt the burning of a thousand years rush through her mind...
Chapter 25: The Right Tools For The Job
The bags were packed and the guards counted. The Turin were prepared to attend the Peace Festival in the capital city of the Rone Kingdom. Regent Rajani would command the procession, accompanied by her translator, Orlean, and the head of the Turin-Guarde, Eric. His two remaining students, the Twins, would tag along. Also, thirty guards. Just to keep the Rone honest.
And while Rajani thought all that would be left would be to wait for the hour to come, it was then that Landora and the Rone visitors returned. She took council with them and Eric on the second balcony.
“Do you believe,” Rajani paced around the company, “That this creature represents a threat to the Turin people?”
“It represents a threat to all mortal people,” Landora answered. “And I’m terrified to learn what influence it has already had on our people.”
She glared at her mentor, Eric. Landora might be loyal, but she wasn’t the kind to keep her mouth shut.
“I have never communed with this being,” Eric protested.
“No, but it is clear that Argos did,” Landora retorted.
“He taught me to use magic, not where he got it from,” Eric argued, but then sighed. “Though I have suspected, of late, that there was something sinister in his teachings.”
“In any case,” Rajani settled the matter, “No doubt it played some part in Argos’ treachery, for that is what we must call it.”
A Dagger of the Mind (The Imperial Metals) Page 12