They made camp in a cleared grove at the foot of the mountain range. Using the casting glove, Kairos precisely traced the glyph for fire, and then struck a spark from his flint and steel. The spark landed on the tinder and started to glow.
‘Why are you using the glove?’ Althea asked, slightly annoyed. ‘There’s no one out here to convince.’
He had known that would distract her. He gestured vaguely into the falling gloom. ‘You never know,’ he said airily. ‘And if no one’s out here, how would the Knighthood know if I defeated the air elemental? I could just as easily conjure up a story and lie.’
‘Remember the Trial of the Chair?’ Althea said. ‘It reads our thoughts and motives. Well, we have to sit on it again after returning and making our report. The Council verifies the validity of our story with the chair… And refusal to sit on the chair counts as failure.’
‘So if you assisted me, they would find out?’ Kairos asked.
‘Yes.’ Althea forced a smile. ‘But there’s no rule saying I can’t accompany you prior to taking on your Test. I just cannot assist you during your Test.’ She gave him a mischievous wink. ‘Hence my plan that we talked about earlier.’
Kairos nodded. It was a good plan, but if this air elemental was as powerful as everyone claimed, he doubted that any plan would work. It was no use worrying about that now, however. He was hungry. He sat down wearily and pulled out rations from his rucksack, sharing some with Althea. They ate in silence, and afterwards, Althea cast a few alarm spells around the perimeter of the camp should an intruder stumble upon them during the night.
The next morning they awakened to find themselves in the midst of a thick fog.
Kairos wanted to leave immediately. The fog was no ordinary fog. He could hear spoken voices in the ghostly mists and an eerie melody in the distance. The Einar associated the fog as Rudras’s way of collecting the souls of the dead, and Kairos knew that those voices were no longer living. Though he couldn’t understand them clearly, they seemed to be warning him to leave.
He and Althea broke down the camp and gathered their belongings in terrified silence. Althea was extremely pale, appearing on the verge of fainting at any moment. Kairos regarded the impenetrable fog warily, summoning every ounce of his courage, as the mist seemingly parted in one direction, forming a clear path that led towards the source of the haunting melody.
Althea attempted to follow, but the whispers of the fog paralysed her. The voices hissed in anger. Her courage faltered, and she stopped, almost stumbled. ‘Kairos!’ she cried out.
Kairos turned. Seeing Althea’s pallid face, he reached out and took her hand. ‘I’m here, Althea.’
Hand in hand, they walked through the fog together. After a week of searching, they had finally found the ruined city, or rather it found them.
* * *
Kairos and Althea walked cautiously between the tumble-down, ivy-covered remains of the squat, dwarven stone houses of Shatteraxe. The midmorning light was obscured by the thick blanket of fog enshrouding the city. Here the many voices echoed across the alleys and streets but whenever Kairos looked for the source of one of them, he could see nothing. He could only think of the souls of thousands of dwarves unable to find eternal rest.
Althea had told him earlier that Shatteraxe was the site where two gods had battled during the Celestial War. No one knew which gods fought or why, but historians concluded from the devastation that only a god could have destroyed an entire city so quickly. An entire population of dwarves were decimated; no survivors and no one to tell what happened, only the crumbled buildings of proud dwarven architects told their story.
Shatteraxe, with its elusive location and the fact that it was covered in perpetual fog, had earned the reputation of being cursed. Grave robbers and treasure hunters alike had sought to plunder the dead to seek dwarven wealth, lost to the centuries. However, many who attempted to find Shatteraxe often found themselves turned around and headed back the way they came, and those who entered were never heard from again. Only the most powerful of the Knighthood were able to roam its streets and leave alive, Grandmaster Eribus being one of them. Even then, rumour told that he barely survived the journey, and refused to ever go back again.
The city itself had an oppressing and sinister air, as if the souls of its denizens roamed about in an afterlife of limbo. Every time Kairos passed a building, he thought he glimpsed movement in the doorway or a window. When he turned, nothing was there. The sound of disjointed whispers came from all directions now. His surroundings combined with the knowledge of his vision deeply unsettled him; the ruined city only reaffirmed that the vision actually happened. He expected the ghost of the dwarven child to leap out at any moment.
Then there was the song.
‘What’s wrong? You keep looking around as if something’s out there,’ Althea said softly.
‘Something is here!’ Kairos said in a terrified whisper. ‘Don’t you hear it?’
Althea looked very afraid. ‘Hear what?’
‘It’s a song. It sounds like it’s coming from the heart of the city, beckoning us to come.’
‘We should leave.’ Althea looked around fearfully, for Kairos’s words unnerved her. ‘There is more at stake than your life out here. There is a feeling of dread in the air. I don’t like it.’
Kairos’s steps faltered. The idea was tempting.
‘No one would fault you for abandoning this quest,’ Althea continued. ‘We don’t have to throw away our lives, Kairos.’
Kairos thought about the outcome of giving up on the Knighthood. He could turn back now. He could return to Vadost and find another way to make a living. It would be so easy in this rich land! He would have to forget about the Einar, the Blight in Logres, and all of those lives sacrificed in vain…
He shook his head, knowing there would be no way he could live with himself. He had come so far, and he had a duty and an obligation to fulfil – the end was so close that it would be a shame to admit defeat on the threshold of his dream. The Mana Knights were the only ones fighting Malus, and he could not abandon his people. He needed a ship and the backing of a powerful force, and this way was his only option. It always had been.
‘I cannot,’ he said, looking at her.
He ignored the wails of torment and pleas for help coming from the mists, concentrating his focus on the song.
Althea said nothing. Only swallowed and nodded.
As they continued, the fog surrounding them became darker, the air colder. Althea and Kairos had quit talking, for fear that their voices would disturb whatever lurked here. The former city plaza of Shatteraxe came into view as they crept across the broken flagstones.
Though the light was dim due to the enshrouding fog, they could see the plaza was empty. There was only a crumbled fountain in the centre of the square, its features long-since eroded to shapeless lumps. Kairos could still hear the song, the sad haunting melody seemed to be coming from the other side of the plaza. He had no clue where to find the air elemental. He only had the song to follow. He focused on it, hoping it would lead him to where he needed to be.
Just as they were about to enter the plaza, a strong wind gusted. Althea clutched Kairos’s arm in a death grip. Kairos could not see far ahead, but he felt the presence of something else. The tension of hostility rent the air.
‘Althea, your spell,’ Kairos said, just loud enough for her to hear. He attached the staff to the baldric on his back and drew his sword.
Althea nodded in understanding. She traced a glyph, aimed at the sword. Blue sparkles of light gathered around the blade, causing it to glow. Frost began to form on the weapon, and Kairos could feel his hands becoming cold as he clutched the handle. He stared at his sword in wonder, momentarily forgetting his surroundings. ‘Are you sure your plan will work?’
‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘Air elementals are prone to ice magic. It can freeze their essence, making them fragile like glass. I’ve seen one shatter under an ice spell before.
I don’t know about this one... But this is the best plan I have.’
‘It’s worth a try,’ Kairos said, taking a step towards the plaza. ‘You should stay here.’
Althea shook her head. ‘No, I’m going to–’
Whatever she had planned to say was lost in a roar of wind. The fog around them coalesced, forming into a large, semi-transparent being.
It was five metres tall, with a head that was nearly level with its hulking shoulders, because it had no neck. Massive, reaching arms ended in thick hands, and its body ended in a tail of sorts instead of legs. This body was pale blue and white, as if cloud and sky had coalesced to constitute its flesh, which Kairos supposed is exactly what had happened. Its eyes were violent sparks fixed on Kairos. It hovered about a foot off the ground, roaring like a storm as it charged him.
Kairos raised his sword – enchanted with Althea’s ice spell – and slashed at what he assumed was the air elemental’s left arm. The sword cut through a small portion of vapour, leaving a trail of ice in its wake. Without pausing the creature tried to swipe at Kairos, but he had darted beyond its range and continued running across the plaza. Once he felt he was far enough away, he turned to face towards the elemental to survey the damage.
To his dismay, the small cut he had made only left an icy line on the elemental’s arm. The ice quickly broke off, and the air elemental turned towards him unfazed and unharmed. Kairos did not need to be an expert on elementals to realise that he had no chance at winning this fight. He took a defensive stance as he tried to gauge his opponent from a distance. There was the staff and gnome powder, but Althea had told him that fire would have little effect.
The air elemental made a punching motion at Kairos, which seemed odd because it was still facing him from across the plaza. The column of air that the elemental threw out hit Kairos like a giant pillow across his entire body. His breath whooshed from his lungs as he flew back through the air. He landed with a bone-jarring jolt, rolling a few times before skidding to a halt. His sword clattered against the fountain. Black spots danced before his eyes as he tried to focus on the air elemental, and each breath caused him to wince in pain. He was vaguely aware of the music nearby, though he ignored it. He had other more pressing concerns.
Althea shouted something he couldn’t understand. He saw a flash of light in his blurred vision, and realised with horror that she had joined the fight. There was another flash of light.
Kairos struggled to his feet in time to watch Althea complete an ice spell, which struck the air elemental on the centre of its body. He saw two frozen patches of ice on the creature’s torso where Althea’s spells had struck. Kairos’s hopes sank when the ice shattered away, as though the elemental was shedding off an unwanted patch of skin.
‘No, Althea!’ Kairos shouted. ‘Run!’
Althea either did not hear, or she ignored the command. Instead, she skipped forward and slashed with her mana lance. The glowing tip bit deeply into the elemental’s side, passing through without effect. The air elemental turned to her and lashed out with a fist, but she had already leapt back. Its fist passed through where she had been. She circled around, trying to stab it in the back, but as she sprang in, it reared back; Althea was fast, but the elemental was faster. There was no way for her to avoid the fist this time.
The blow caught Althea on her left side, causing her to spin as she crashed to the ground. She did not get up.
‘No!’ Kairos cried hoarsely. This was supposed to be his fight. His Test of Valour. And Althea had to get herself involved to save him. He no longer cared whether he passed or failed. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Althea. He should have never brought her here.
As the air elemental drifted towards her inert form, Kairos unslung his staff and launched a fireball. It struck the creature, the flaming ball erupting in a shower of sparks. The elemental didn’t even notice. Still shaking his head to clear his vision, Kairos sprinted towards Althea and the elemental. He spun the staff around and ignited the end that extended a two-foot bar of flame.
When the air elemental raised its fist again, Kairos slashed the elemental across the torso with the bar of gnomish fire. The large mass of mist affixed its gaze – two glowing orbs – on Kairos, leaving Althea forgotten. Kairos lifted the staff, ensuring that the bar of flame waved in front of those lifeless eyes. Then he threw the staff across the plaza. The violet sparks followed the fiery arc, watching as the staff clanged against the flagstone, bright, orange flame still spewing from the end.
As the air elemental glided toward the staff, Kairos ran to Althea and knelt down by her. The strange music sounded louder than ever. It was coming from a nearby, ascending, staircase.
‘Althea!’ he whispered, not wanting to draw attention to himself from the air elemental.
Althea did not answer. Only the song called out. There were words in its melody, beckoning him.
Without hesitation, Kairos hoisted her up and ran towards the stairs as fast as he could. He did not bother to check if the air elemental was pursuing. He no longer cared about the Test of Valour. His actions were centred on survival now.
He climbed up the stairs that led towards the music.
Chapter twelve
Murasa
There are many gods of Alban, but only three are known as ‘Creators.’ The first is Zemus, who fashioned the humans in his own image. Thelos produced the dwarves and gnomes from his realm in the underworld. The radiant Dia created the light and dark elves. One god, jealous of this power of creation, was Murasa the Devourer. He could only consume, so he sought to steal what he could not create.
‘The Celestial Pantheon’, Professor Coleridge
T
he staircase was long and wide, much longer than Kairos had anticipated, leading up the mountain and away from the city. The stairs were carved of stone, and rocky outcropping extended on both sides. He shifted his grip on Althea as he moved as quickly as he could upwards. The climb was treacherous due to missing steps that had long since crumbled away. His leg muscles screamed in agony. His sides hurt with each breath. More than once he lost his footing, almost dropping Althea and tumbling down the mountainside himself.
But he did not stop. He dared not face that monstrosity below again.
At last his foot touched the top of the stairs. He chanced a look back down, to see the fog-enshrouded city looking small and diminished, a far distance away, almost as if he were looking at a painting of another realm. He could see a few buildings jutting above the fog, but there were no signs of the air elemental. It had not pursued him.
It was strangely quiet at the top of the stairs. Kairos gently set Althea down and checked her for vital signs. She was breathing and her pulse was strong. She had some scrapes that he treated with an ointment he carried in one of his pouches. Satisfied, he collapsed next to her. He needed to rest his weary legs and catch his breath. As he lay on the cold, hard ground, he surveyed his surroundings.
They were above the clouds. He had climbed higher than he had imagined. Strong winds battered the mountainside, but Kairos was relieved to know that these winds were not from the air elemental. The path before him led to a shrine, which was oddly intact considering the condition of the rest of Shatteraxe. Perhaps this shrine was far enough away to escape the carnage that he saw in his vision. Several statues and carvings lined the shrine, but their details had long since withered away from the tests of time. As he was studying the outside of the shrine, Kairos was startled to hear the eerie melody flowing outwards from the building.
Fear tingled throughout Kairos’s body. He wanted to flee, but he forced himself to be calm about the matter. Whatever was making that song, he decided, had not hurt him yet, and, indeed, it had led him here away from the danger below. He could not turn back, because the air elemental was lurking at the bottom of the long staircase. There was only one way he could go, and that was forward into the shrine. Maybe there was a reason for the song.
A low moan interr
upted his thoughts.
‘Althea,’ Kairos said. Despite trying to keep his voice low, it echoed unnaturally on the nearby rocks.
Althea opened her eyes and looked about with a dazed expression. Her eyes found Kairos and lingered on him. ‘Kairos…’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘We are safe for now. The air elemental is far away.’
At the mention of the air elemental, Althea tried to rise. Kairos rushed to stop her.
‘Easy there,’ he said, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. ‘How do you feel?’
Althea obeyed, though she held a hand to her head and winced. ‘My head hurts,’ she complained, shivering from the cold wind. ‘I feel nauseous…’
‘A concussion,’ Kairos answered. He had experienced a few himself from the severe beatings his father had given him. ‘Rest here. I’ll see if we can take shelter from the wind in that shrine.’
Althea nodded and managed – with some effort – to sit in an upright position.
‘Maybe there’s someone inside,’ Kairos continued. ‘Do you hear that music?’
Althea wore a puzzled expression. ‘I don’t hear any music, Kairos.’
‘Never mind.’ Kairos tried to hide his unease. ‘Wait here. I’ll see if it’s safe for us.’
‘Don’t do anything reckless,’ Althea said. ‘I don’t think anyone would be inside there.’
Kairos looked down at her and forced a smile. He could hear the distinct melody emanating from the shrine, but he said nothing else. He did not want to frighten Althea any further. She had been through a lot today, and her fear would only feed into his own.
As he left her behind and approached the shrine, he noted that it contrasted to the temple ruins of Zemus near Valour Keep. The few images that were still legible depicted fearsome and cruel expressions. They did not bother Kairos, because they were similar to the roaring serpentine visage of Rudras. Most Einar loved images that portrayed power, war, and violence.
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