Knives in the Night

by Nathan A. Thompson

  This will take us to the Hall of Wonders. The palace containing all of our most sacred treasures, all of our powerful artifacts, and—until very recently—the place where we kept the most important pieces of our cultural history. Those items were deemed the least valuable by our invaders, and so were in the greatest danger of being destroyed. I saved as many of those as I could.

  We will help you save the rest, I assured the beautiful woman.

  She turned to smile at me.

  I thank you, Challenger, she said, sweeping her gaze to the rest of us. I thank you all for what you have already done. And know that I am not merely asking you to save a few historical baubles. I am asking you to recover items that will help return the Golden Sands’ magic back to its people, in a way that will help save many lives.

  Some of us once called this world home, Eadric’s voice rumbled through the mindlink. We’re aware of this next mission’s significance.

  Good, then let us begin.

  She gestured to the space between the two ordinary-looking rocks.

  This next Wind Trail is more powerful than the one that the Lord Challenger and I used to get here. This will not only lead directly into the Vault itself, it will allow for more than one or two people to travel it, as long as the first two traveling through can provide mana to power its reactivation.

  So you’ll be taking Wes and Breena with you, Val spoke up.

  Everyone turned to look at her.

  What? she asked. My brother’s got like the largest mana pool, the fastest recovery rate for it, the most number of Ideals to use in case something goes wrong, the strongest body, and he can literally bleed poison now. If nothing goes wrong on the other side, he’ll be able to spend his mana and recover it quickly, unlike the rest of us. If something does go wrong, he’s best equipped to improvise and handle it.

  If he gets ambushed and killed, the whole mission is over, Eadric pointed out.

  If Anahita gets ambushed and killed, the whole thing’s probably over anyway, Val countered. But she still has to activate the magical Trail-thingy, so she still goes first. And if one of us gets ambushed and killed, Wes will still wind up going eventually, because he won’t know what happened, and it sounds like we can’t spare the mana to run people back and forth, like we did the first time we all used the Pathways on Avalon.

  She turned to look at Anahita, who nodded in confirmation.

  She’s right, the Satellite confided. It will be too difficult to do a return trip in the middle of the process.

  Okay then, Val continued, that pretty much proves my point. Besides, Breena should be able to travel along with Wes, because of her size and bond with him. Anahita nodded. So it will actually be three people, and that way they can even have Breena power the trail while Wes and Anahita stand guard.

  That is a good point, Breena replied, us fairies are probably the only ones that can compete with Wes in terms of mana pools. No offense, Karim and Gabin.

  None taken, the dark-skinned and blue-skinned men replied at the same time.

  Just to be clear, I asked, I’m actually being volunteered to do the possibly dangerous thing, instead of being told not to do it, then wind up having to do it anyway, then getting yelled for the method I used to do the thing?

  Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably.

  Just to be clear, Gabin hedged, we’re actually going at this time because it will be the least dangerous.

  Just to be clear, Breyn countered, we found you inside an underwater mountain guarded by a Lesser Wyrm, and they found me inside of an underground and petrified forest, turned into a statue by spider-people. Both discoveries were made with our leader doing the equivalent of investigating his own back yard.

  I wasn’t in the mountain, Gabin retorted. My little brother was inside the mountain. I was inside the dragon…but you have a point… he said, trailing off. We’d better all make what preparations we can.

  Anahita watched the whole exchange with a confused, and slightly disturbed look on her face, but made no comment on the two men’s conversation.

  It is settled then? she asked.

  Everyone nodded reluctantly and began casting their enhancement magics.

  Very well, she said, when they were all finished, Breena, Challenger Malcolm, let us set out.

  The almond-skinned woman wrapped her scarf back over her face, then held the palm of her hand out over the two rocks.

  I had no idea what she was touching, but a moment later, my dragon senses detected a wave of mana leaving her body, and then the air between the rocks shimmered faintly.

  “Catch me if you can,” she whispered playfully to me.

  Then she darted forward and vanished with a shimmer.

  Breena sighed as she flew into my cloak, and then I rushed after her.

  You two are having waaay too much fun together, Breena whispered into my mind as we began to rush over the ground. Now let me out of your cloak so I can—WHEEE!

  The pink-haired fairy managed to roll out of my cape herself, and began leaping, gliding, and squealing with joy as she traveled through the powerful air current.

  I grinned and timed my leaps to chase after Anahita, wondering if I could actually see her while traveling through this special demi-Pathway.

  Playful amusement rolled through the mindlink as I caught her dark, lithe form bound just ahead of me.

  I was hoping you would catch up, she sent as she landed, ran a few feet, and then bounded forward again.

  Glad I didn’t disappoint, I responded as I timed another leap of my own, landed, and broke forward in a sprint. Unlike with the last Wind Trail, this one seemed to allow one to just run very, very fast, if they wanted to do so before another big gust took them off their feet. So, what will be the plan this time? Do we just kill the guards and make a quick grab for the loot, or will you have to poison me and dance again?

  Anahita chuckled, apparently finding that joke far funnier than I expected her to.

  Alas, you have already ingested every single one of my poisons, she replied, and then hesitated. And there is fortunately no reason for me to attempt another dance routine.

  Fortunately? I asked, leaping into the air and gliding through it for several dozen miles. Do you not like dancing? You really seemed like you were having fun before…

  Oh, of course I had fun, Anahita said quickly. I told you. Dancing is one of my favorite things to do…I just do not have the talent for it.

  I almost tripped at those words.

  Are you serious? I demanded, putting a bit of anger into my next aerial lunge. Your performance was absolutely mesmerizing. I was spellbound the entire time you were on the floor. And that was before I was even certain that you were the one dancing.

  Thank you, she replied, sounding pleased and surprised by my compliment. But I had worked very hard on that routine. In fact, I began practicing it decades before the Malus Men invaded. But I am only a Journeyman at Dancing magic itself. That is why I replaced the newest member of their group.

  I get that, I said, jumping over a massive sand dune, but I could tell that everyone thought her joining the most elite troupe, and your ability to temporarily take her place, was a huge accomplishment. And everyone here has an even better understanding of what you pulled off than I do.

  I understand that, Anahita said uncomfortably, as she glided through the air after another powerful leap. It’s just that…ugh. It’s all sort of an accident. And it’s hard to explain.

  Do you mind if I ask you to try anyway? I asked, trying to glide through the air for minutes on end much like she did, and failing miserably. I decided to stick with running and jumping instead. Or is there anything more important to talk about in the time it will take us to get there?

  Fair point, Anahita replied, and I felt her reluctance fading. When my primary body made me, she put all of her energy into giving me talents in Stealth, Gymnastics, Air magic, and a variety of other Skills related to the management of this world. I excelled in all of the
se, growing far faster than she predicted me to. I was never expected to become an Adept in two Skills so quickly.

  But the dancing was a sort of accident, she continued, still gliding high over my head. Much like Merada’s accent, and Via’s passion with languages. It was a passion she did not expect to leak through, so that meant she could not give me any special knack for it, like she had with my other skills. Thus, I came into being with a passion I had almost no talent for whatsoever.

  And yet, you’ve practiced it enough to stand with a group of people who are probably the greatest performers in any of Avalon’s worlds, I countered. Whatever rank you classify as, that’s one heck of an accomplishment.

  I told you, Wes, Anahita muttered, I’ve been practicing it for decades. Anyone can get something right if they practice it for that long. So can people on Earth, without even Rising.

  Yeah, I retorted, if they practice it that long. If they don’t give into the frustration of not being where they want to be yet, after so many tries. That’s supposed to happen. Doesn’t make it any less of a victory. I spent two years of my life having to relearn how to walk, when everyone around me could still do it without even thinking. Does that make my victory any less? Or does it shine more, I persisted, because of the limitations I had to overcome? Even though I had only accomplished the most basic of tasks?

  She did not immediately reply to me.

  My primary body did say that you would argue like this, Anahita finally responded. And that you would claim to have gotten part of it from us. Very well, Challenger Malcolm, I accept your praise and high opinion of all my accomplishments. But beware. I may reciprocate, at a moment when you yourself are very resistant to hearing good things about yourself. Now brace yourself, because we will be arriving soon.

  I took her at her word, even though I had already lost track of how much time had passed. We jumped over a dozen more sand dunes, with Breena whooping and somersaulting over every one, and then the air shimmered again.

  A dark, blurry wall appeared in the distance before me, much like before. A few moments later, it revealed itself to be the massive city wall of white stone.

  Unlike before, however, we did not slow down and land outside of it.

  Instead, we picked up even more speed, to where I couldn’t slow down even if I had wanted to.

  We passed right through the walls as if they were mist, then continued to pass through buildings too quickly to get more than a glimpse of them. We passed through an entire city easily the size of Tajam and Sejmera in nearly the blink of an eye, as if we were ghosts.

  Then the current of air propelled us upward, and we soared over the walls of a palace that was even larger than the one in Sejmera, with much higher and thicker walls, and taller towers.

  We passed directly into the main palace, a massive structure with a beautiful golden dome covering the top of it.

  Anahita and I landed inside a stone room dimly lit by torches, with Breena shrinking and gliding onto my shoulder a moment later. The place looked to be some kind of storeroom, full of basic supplies like sacks of grain and flour, barrels of water, and other necessities.

  Yet another thing we could either secure for the locals, or contaminate with my poison, if enough of our enemies relied on the foodstuffs here.

  But we weren’t here for that, I reminded myself as Anahita cautiously crept forward, catching my eyes with her supple, feline grace…

  Teeth, I warned, realizing why my attention was wandering. We aren’t here for that either.

  I wasn’t even—ugh, my inner dragon grumbled. Fine. I’m not even gonna argue this time. Whatever. Let’s go save the world. Again.

  The Wind Trail has placed us deep within the Vault, as it was intended do, Anahita said in my mind, apparently oblivious to my internal conversation. I will go down the hallway and see if anything has changed. But first, Breena, if you wouldn’t mind?

  I’m on it, the little fairy said as she flew to the spot in the wall we had just exited out of. She placed her hand on the wall and began to concentrate.

  Oof, she sent through the mindlink. You weren’t kidding. This is going to take a whole bunch of mana, and it feels like it will take everybody else much longer to get here, if I’m reading the magic right.

  You are, Anahita replied. But the good news is that they will be able to all use the path at once. Now wait here. I will scout ahead very briefly, and very carefully. Please wait right here. I will use the mindlink to remain in contact with you.

  And with that, the beautiful woman stepped into the shadows and disappeared from my sight.

  This time, however, she let me sense her presence through the mindlink as a courtesy.

  It was still uncanny how she did that.

  In the meantime, I quietly refreshed my spells and stood guard over Breena.

  No one is in sight so far, the dusk-skinned woman sent, after almost a full minute of silence. It appears to be exactly as we have learned. They have either outright abandoned this place, or diminished their presence here significantly. I wonder if we may be able to completely retake the city with just ourselves and the rest of our companions.

  It would be hard for us to hold, I sent, before I remembered that I could literally pull my castle out of the ground if necessary.

  It wasn’t a tool I wished to reveal yet, but depending on just how critical of a location we were in, it just might be worth doing.

  Still nothing, Anahita messaged me again. It is as if they completely abandoned this place…but that should not be right. They would have at least maintained a small presence…

  The hairs on the back of my neck rose up.

  I am returning to you immediately, Anahita sent to me. And I now share your suspicions, despite how illogical they still sound.

  Does anything else look different? I asked. Could there be any traps?

  Not that I can tell, Anahita replied, the most that they have done is to swap their tapestries with some crude Earthborn writing. But I do not have Via’s passion for languages, so I cannot read it. But I can tell that it is non-magical—why are you already moving?

  Shit, I thought, summoning my armor over my body and racing toward Anahita. Shit, shit, shit. Anahita, those are Horde runes. They know you are here.

  The writings do not match any Horde runes I have ever seen, but I will believe you. I am running back.

  I felt her location through the mindlink, and raced to meet her.

  I’m coming, Breena sent to me. I’ve finished activating the trail, they’re all on their way.

  I could feel Anahita come closer and closer to me, until she suddenly stopped moving.

  Hold on, she sent to me, all of the torches just went dark. In the entire complex. There isn’t so much as a single spark of light here.

  As I ran toward her, I could easily see the row of blazing sconces illuminating the hallway, as far as I could see.

  Are you sure? I asked, growing more concerned. The ones in my hallway are still lit. Can you still make it back in the dark, or do you need me to come to you?

  Through the mindlink, I could feel Anahita change her position ever so slightly, as if she was looking down the hallways still lying between us.

  I felt her confusion, and then surprise, and then I felt nothing at all.

  Because she had vanished from the mindlink.

  CHAPTER 37: KNIVES IN THE NIGHT

  Fuck, Teeth and I snarled at the same time. Breena, do you have any idea when the rest of our team will get here?

  Um, she began, a couple of minutes at least? I’m not sure we can wait for them.

  Then we won’t, I stated flatly as I ran toward where I had last sensed Anahita. Worst-case scenario, they’ll follow after us. Val? Breyn? Eadric? Can you guys hear me?

  A weird static noise sounded in the mindlink. But then…

  Wes? Val said, her voice crackling like it was on a bad radio channel.

  Guys, I sent to them, keeping my words short and clear. Trap. Possible Horde.
Possible Malus. Possible Cavus. Get ready.

  I repeated the message over and over, and the Horde writing on the tapestries blazed with green light as I ran past them.

  They once again looked different, with some strange symbols I had never seen before, but vaguely resembled Latin scripts. I could see how Anahita would have mistaken them for Earth scripts.

  It didn’t make me feel any less stupid for falling for a trap like this, however.

  But as I reached the cross-shaped hallway intersection where I had last felt Anahita at, other people were waiting for me.