Gods of Shadow and Flame

by M. H. Johnson

  Latif boldly held their leader's gaze, even as Malek, oddly sensitive at that moment, shuddered and looked away. “Say what you are going to say, Morlekai. I will hear you out, but I make no promises.”

  Malek heard the warm jingle of coins splashing everywhere. Only then did he look back up at the table, noting the contents of the bag negligently splayed upon the finely polished surface. Having been filled near to bursting, the strings had come undone, coins pouring out in a pile that sparkled with a rich golden luster in the reflected light.

  Nadia gasped and shook in her husband’s arms. Little Belle began to fuss, yet the mother’s haunted gaze was fixed firmly on the outrageous display of wealth tossed so negligently upon the table. “By all the gods!” she hoarsely whispered.

  Latif himself was speechless, silently swallowing, as if looking for words to say.

  “You wonder, how much? You ask yourself, what terrible price do we ask you to pay for this boon?” Morlekai flashed a knowing smile. “Five hundred gold crowns. Yours, as of this very moment. And in return? I ask only that you accompany me on one single Delve. No more. With adventurers who you yourself acknowledged are among the deadliest, unlikely to fall to any single mission, even as we all risk our final fate with our endless questing.”

  "And perhaps, dear Latif," Lucienda interjected smoothly, sensual voice soothing the shaking pair before them. "This will be our final quest as well. Certainly it is the last one you ever need worry over, in return for a purse fivefold more than every gold coin put into this farm, these lands, this house and all the care you have invested already. Imagine how many generations this gold could feed and care for your family, how many centuries, should you do naught but hoard it, even if all else falls to rack and ruin."

  Lucienda's warm smile seemed to light up the room every bit as much as the pile gold. "And if your grove prospers? Imagine how much land you could buy to build a fiefdom of your own one day, elevated to the status of a lesser lord, I have no doubt, and with Guildfriends as well to call upon to make life's burly path a smoother road for your own journey towards happiness."

  Morlekai grinned. "Imagine it, my friend, an empire of apples! I have no doubt that the Guildhalls themselves would pay an old adventurer top coin for your Sunsets, nobility as well. And I know a certain mutual acquaintance who will be happy in knowing that her apples prosper and begin to sprout nationwide, so you will have her blessing as well."

  Poor Latif's eyes were locked firmly upon the bag of gold even as Nadia closed her eyes, tears silently running down her cheeks. "Morlekai. By the gods, Morlekai. Yours really is the wealthiest group ever to have traveled the Shadowlands. I believe it now." Latif shook his head. "I've heard rumors of the mad quests you've taken, stories as so many are. But to so casually pour an unspeakable fortune as if it were dross upon my table… by the gods, Morlekai! What do you want of me for this amount of coin? Are we to dare to journey into the bowels of Hell itself?" He grimaced, haunted gaze locked firmly upon the gold, even as he slowly shook his head. "I dare not, Morlekai. I dare not. For I have no doubt you and yours could survive the journey, but I could feel the cold weight of Shadow pressing against me, even those few trips I took exploring but the shallowest depths of the Dreaming Realms."

  Malek couldn’t hide his surprised stare, nonplussed, never having heard such a confession before. “I don’t understand. You felt the weight of Shadow?”

  Latif's hauntingly beautiful gaze locked upon Malek and he had to turn away, flushed and shamed by his sudden mad desire to kiss the beautiful lad. To bask in his warmth, his smile, his innocence. And more the fool Malek felt, the gentle healer gazing at him with such candor, wife and child in his arms.

  "Yes. Malek, is it not?" He let a dry chuckle escape his lips. "It doesn't surprise me that you haven't heard the expression before. For it is not something to trouble the strongest Delvers, natural hellions that you all are. And I have no doubt good Morlekai senses within you the same spring steel of which his own soul is forged, capable of becoming the brilliantly sharp weapons able to slice through the mad apparitions of Shadow that you all no doubt are."

  Latif sighed, shaking his head. “Most Delvers are not that strong, Malek. Most of us feel the weight of Shadow pressing against us ever so slightly when we enter those Dreamrealms, and the deeper we go, the worse it gets. And most of us, those of us who survive anyway, intuitively sense when we are at risk of going too deep.”

  He gazed forlornly at the pile of shimmering gold spilled so casually upon his table. "Even I have heard the tales of a certain artifact that might allow Erovering to peer upon the face of the world as if it were a map splayed perfectly before one; all the nations and all their peoples and all their armies in perfect display." He nodded to himself. "It is a rumor that was allowed to gain a certain traction in our circles, if no other. The king himself was desperate for this artifact, offering through the Guild an unspeakable bounty of twenty thousand gold crowns to the party that actually managed to bring it back."

  He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing even to look at the pile upon the table. "I heard that one band was so mad with daring that they actually managed to retrieve the artifact, fetch it from the deepest seas of soul-crushing Shadow, like the inhuman titans of legend they have already become." His gaze, when he fastened it upon Morlekai once more, was haunted. "Why do I suspect I am looking upon the faces of those very Delvers?"

  Morlekai gazed calmly back at the trembling healer. "Because you are."

  Malek blinked, surprised at Morlekai’s candor. He had always had the impression without anything being said that this was the most closely held of secrets. Sure, the king's prize as it had been called, had been hungrily sought after by many. Fully one adventurer in three had been enticed by that mad quest, few making it past even the first key, and lucky the Guild was not to have lost dozens to that fool's venture. Foolish because Malek was all too aware, from bards tale and Morlekai's own far more accurate accounts, of just how close he himself had come to death, he and his band somehow surviving against terrible odds, yet again.

  Yet when rumor had it that the prize had at last been found, all eyes had turned to them. Morlekai had just grinned his mad little grin and would confirm nothing. And as for the terrible weight of Shadow, all Malek had ever felt when immersed in the darkest visions of those twisted realms caught between nightmare and dream was utterly and fiercely alive. Bursting with power, as if his soul drank deeply of those nightmares. Drank deeply, and found them sweet. He had reveled in fighting for his life against the hideous guardians of Shadow striving to keep them from their prize, at least in such flashes as he remembered, all too aware of the mad euphoria he had felt while immersed in the terrible wonder of it all.

  Latif gave a helpless little laugh. "Well, there you have it, then. I am sorry my friend, for though splayed upon the table is a prize sufficient to entice many a noble to unholy acts, and is far beyond what I could dream of otherwise, I dare not accept. For the weight of the Shadowlands your group treads so offhandedly, resonating with the very nightmares of Hell itself, I suspect, would see my poor soul ruptured as I sink into oblivion." He gave a pale, shaky smile. "I would like to live, if I could, and see my children grow up and savor life's sweetness for themselves."

  Lucienda’s captivating smile held Latif’s own, even as she gently pressed her finger against the young man’s lips, despite an outraged wife’s angry curse. “Shush, lad. You see pitfalls where there is only promise. You think we wish to shove you kicking and screaming into the deepest corners of Hades with us? Far from it! It is a higher realm we seek. Light and gentle as an angel’s wings, soaring with beauty and potential.” Her smile turned infinitely tender as she gazed deeply into the young man’s eyes. “We don’t seek damnation in our quest for glory, dear Latif. What we seek is nothing less than our own salvation! Ours, and perhaps the salvation of Dawn itself. And you, dear boy, just might be the key to succeeding where all else has failed.”

  Blinking, Lat
if stepped back. Breaking eye contact, but enticed nonetheless, even as his gaze locked once more upon the wonderful silken sack spilling over with priceless wealth. “What are you saying then? Please, speak plainly.”

  Lucienda turned to Morlekai, who sighed and nodded. “I will show you, but on one condition. If you still choose to decline, you will allow Lucienda to fade this afternoon’s memories to that of a dream. For both you and your houseman Gerd, who even now I fear is listening in.”

  Latif grimaced at that. “Gerd, come in here at once!” And instantly Gerd was there, shamefaced and bowing before the man of the house who was younger in years but obviously in command of the house and all its servitors.

  “Pardon me, my lord. I wanted only to be on call to serve you.” Malek felt his nostrils flare, feeling the sharp tang of fear and... something he couldn’t quite place. Latif sighed, before turning to Lucienda.

  “Do what you must,” he allowed, and Lucienda smiled even as Gerd quailed. “My lord, please forgive me! I serve you faithfully and love your family, I would never…” And in that moment Lucienda had gently placed her finger upon the man’s lips.

  “Forget, dear Gerd.” Malek’s sensitive ears heard her soft whisper even as the man shuddered and closed his eyes, seeming to sink into a euphoric doze. “Forget. This day has been but a fever dream as you rest and recover in your quarters, to awaken refreshed upon the morrow, mind clear of all, save how best to serve your masters.”

  "Don't feel well," mumbled the suddenly stumbling man. Lucienda gave a slow approving nod. "No, you don't. Go, Gerd. Go to your quarters. Rest. And awaken refreshed on the morrow, mind wiped clean of this day that for you, never was."

  "Never was," The man mumbled, rubbing his eyes and cracking a fierce yawn. He turned to Latif and Nadia, seeming blind to Delvers and gold alike. "My apologies to you both. I don't feel well."

  "Get some rest, then, Gerd," Nadia said, voice only shaking slightly. "You're free for the day.”

  With that the man stumbled his way back to his quarters, Nadia accompanying him. Morlekai and Lucienda exchanged a glance, at which point Morlekai unrolled a piece of finely preserved vellum, placing it with reverence on top of the pile of gold. "Do you recognize this?" he asked quietly.

  Latif turned visibly pale, and seemed ready to collapse before Malek instinctively sprang up to catch him. “By all the gods! Is that, is that what I think it is?”

  Morlekai nodded solemnly. “The Horn, my friend. You already know its true name. You already know kings would surrender their thrones to possess it.” Eyes twinkling in fierce delight, he flashed a smile that invited instant camaraderie. “Think of it! A priceless relic, safely sealed away in the most sacred regions of Shadow. A treasure of such divine beauty it might help to save even our bloodstained souls. Can you imagine the glory of it, my friend? The joy to fill one’s heart, as its song lets us catch just a glimpse of the heavenly planes above!”

  Latif seemed to shake with the sheer wonder of it. “By the gods, Morlekai. By all the gods above!” His painful little laugh was filled with an odd mixture of hope and bitterness. “It is for such dreams as this that compelled me upon the adventurer’s path in the first place! Ah, friend Morlekai. Had you shown me this? You might not have even needed to show me that gold.”

  Morlekai's rich chuckle seemed to resonate through the house entire, even as Lucienda quickly rolled up the vellum once more. "Oh my friend, there is no way I would not give you this fortune. It is my thanks to you for coming to my aid, my blessing to you and yours to help smooth life's troubles in generations to come. I would see your family safe and prosperous, whatever the Fates have in store for us. But I promise you this. We seek not to lose ourselves in the mad depths of crushing Shadow, but the aerie lightness of the sweetest mists of the Dreamrealms, our compass being the golden light that is our horn in all its glory, its keys at last found, we needing only a healer with us to help unlock the final seals barring our way.”

  Latif nodded, his smile beatific as Morlekai shared his vision, even as his eyes alighted upon the pile of gold before him with a desperate hunger he could no longer deny.

  Morlekai's own grin was all too knowing, a wolf ready to pounce upon prey shaking with exhaustion; temptation and hunger having eroded away all resistance at last. "The gold is yours as of this very moment. Say you will join us, my friend. All you have to do is clasp my hand to seal the deal.”

  Morlekai held out his hand, Latif clasping it almost without thought, forging a pact among Delvers as strong as any oath to king and Crown, his entranced gaze feasting upon the beautiful sight of hundreds of gold coins spilled across his table.

  39

  Morlekai’s satisfied chuckle rang out, melodious and gentle. “Excellent! You have chosen well, my friend. Wealth and security for those you love, even as we quest for that most sacred of prizes, weaving together the final threads of a grand tapestry of glory and wonder!”

  “Latif, no!” Nadia, now free of her baby, lurched back into the room at that very moment, shaking her head in futile denial, crying bitterly as if her safe and comfortable world was about to be torn asunder. Latif gave a heartfelt sigh, holding her close.

  “It will be okay, my love. I promise,” he soothed a furiously sobbing Nadia. “Morlekai's quest is nothing like I had feared. It is one that will deliver us closer to salvation, not damnation, and I shall say no more on it than that. Oh my love, I beg you not to fret so! No matter what the fates have in store, this will see us through any number of lean years. God knows I will be far more prudent with these funds than I was on how foolishly I gambled it all on our orchards. Shush, my love. I’m putting it all in the Guild Bank. You and Belle will have security for generations to come. Thus, even should all other ventures end in folly for us, laughter at life’s foibles and not tears for Belle's suffering will be how we end our days.” He gently gazed down, smiling into his wife’s teary eyes. “Sweetly, my love. Sweetly in each other’s arms. All I need do is survive this one journey into the most beauteous realms of Shadow, closer to the Heavens above than all the nightmares below. It is, in truth, the sort of journey every Delver dreams of.”

  Morlekai gave a solemn nod. “Fret not, dear Nadia. We shall do our utmost to keep him safe. He has but one role in unlocking the final piece of the grand puzzle before us. One thing we shall ask of him, and nothing more.”

  Nadia gave her husband a desperate squeeze. “Promise me, Morlekai! Latif is all I have.”

  “I swear by the Divine Horn itself that I will do my utmost to keep him safe in our journey through Shadow. That I shall do my utmost to see him safely brought back to your arms once more.”

  Nadia's eyes flared wide with horror, trembling at those words. Secrets revealed that she knew in darker company would result in her instant death, a former courtesan's instincts alerting her to plots she wanted to avoid at all costs. Somehow Malek could smell her terror, the thoughts roiling within her mind.

  "We fight with honor, Nadia. We would not betray one of our own." Nadia flinched at Malek's words. He grimaced and looked away.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll look after him,” Lucienda soothed.

  Their parting was long and bittersweet, Nadia refusing to let Latif go without one final goodbye, and Malek couldn't help grinning as their new friend rejoined them sometime later at the stables with a somewhat dreamy expression upon his gentle features.

  “I think she wants to make sure I know exactly what I’ll be missing, if I dare let myself become lost in Shadow.”

  Malek nodded with fond reminiscence. “My lover was the same way. Always claimed it was to entice my spirit with something worth living for, so I’d always find my way back to his side. But I knew it was just his way of saying he loved me one last time, should I never return.”

  Latif sighed. "And hopefully I will be able to return to her, never to part again." He blinked then, registering the massive red-haired figure near as broad shouldered as he was tall, his bristling red beard grinnin
g happily at the young man, ignoring the braying of the nervous horses behind him.

  “Latif, this is Alacabar, the final companion in our expedition.” Morlekai introduced Latif to Alacabar who had joined them at last, waiting patiently and without complaint by the horses while his companions had been busy luring out the young man.

  “Well met, lad. I hope you didn’t mind me admiring your stable. I would have joined you all, but I didn’t want to terrify your servants and have us all banned from the house!”

  Latif shook the man’s offered hand, his palm lost in the massive grip. “No worries there, friend Alacabar. My house staff knows I am formerly of the Guild, and sometimes my visitors are a bit unusual in one way or another.”

  Alacabar grinned. “I’m sure you’ll be exactly what we need to get this journey on the way! Fine horseflesh you have as well, boy.”

  Latif smiled. “My wife helped me pick them. Her father was a renowned horse trader before folly cost her family their fortune."

  Alacabar gave a knowing nod. “Politics is a lot like picking horseflesh in a race; back the wrong steed and you risk your purse entire.”

  Latif nodded. "An astute guess, good Alacabar. Her father was indeed seeking political favor to expand his ventures. Alas, his man was assassinated and his replacement a vindictive sort, determined to ruin if not conveniently eliminate anyone who had dared to show his enemy favor. Honestly, I think Nadia's father was lucky to get out with his life, even if his fortune was sadly lacking."

  Malek grimaced as he helped Latif tack and mount his horse, glad the young healer hadn’t wondered too closely as to how Alacabar had known even that detail regarding Nadia’s past. He gazed at the mare with a professional soldier’s eye. “She’s a strong one. Looks like she’ll be calm under pressure. She isn’t flinching away from me, at least.”

  Latif grinned. "I am grateful to have my wife help me with the stables, young Malek. Without her, I doubt I'd know the difference between a horse's head and its ass!" Malek chuckled even as they made their way out the stables, Latif looking about the vast snow-covered fields, near empty of any life, before gazing curiously back at his companions. "I didn't see any extra horses in the stables. Where are your own mounts, my friends?"