A World of Secrets (The Firewall Trilogy)

by James Maxwell

  “We’ve come to trade,” Taimin said, finding his voice. “We have fresh raptor and lizard meat, and the skins of five raptors and two rock lizards.”

  “Six lizards,” Lars corrected, “including four big ones.” Seeing Taimin’s puzzled expression, Lars nodded in Selena’s direction. “These two didn’t just find water.”

  “And what do you seek in return?” the skalen asked.

  “Herbs, if you have them,” Taimin said. “A few other necessities, but more than anything, information. We want to know about the lands beyond the mountain.”

  The skalen thought for a moment and then nodded. “Wait here.”

  He returned to the dark interior of his mountain home, a mine that doubled as a place to live in the darkness that skalen craved. The skalen wasn’t gone for long before he came back out again, this time carrying a sack.

  “We should talk inside. It is safer.” His lips parted in a toothy grin. “And now that the suns have set, you may be tired. I know you humans prefer to move about in bright light, though I will never understand it. We can offer you sanctuary while you rest,” he displayed the sack, “but you must surrender your weapons.”

  Taimin hesitated. He glanced at Selena and then Ruth; the grapples around their waists wouldn’t be noticed. He, Lars, and Vance, on the other hand, openly carried weapons.

  “What is your name?” Lars asked the skalen.

  “I am Wielan of Haruth Watch.”

  Lars introduced each member of the group, then spoke in a firm voice. “Are you offering trade rights, Wielan of Haruth Watch?”

  “You know our customs, human.” Wielan smiled. “Yes, I am.”

  Taimin removed his scabbard when Lars nodded at him. He also gathered his bow and handed both to the skalen.

  “Never fear,” Wielan said when his sack was full. His tilted eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “At Blue Mountain, you will be safe from harm.” The skalen indicated the immense entrance and then called out. “Move aside, younglings. You will have plenty of time to look at the humans.”

  Taimin realized that the small figures he had seen before were skalen young, half the size of Wielan. The cluster of little ones hugged the rock walls but continued to watch the five travelers with wide, curious eyes.

  As Taimin followed Wielan into deepening darkness the skalen pulled a short rod out of his pocket. The rod was barely the length of Taimin’s hand, but it splashed bright green light onto the rocky walls.

  Wielan glanced back to make sure everyone was with him. “This way,” the skalen said in his soft, sibilant voice. He lifted his guiding light high as he walked.

  Taimin cast his mind back to the time when he, Lars, and Selena had been captives of Group Leader Vail. He remembered seeing glowing prisms of aurelium mounted to the tips of javelins and arrows, and recalled Lars saying that when struck with force, the aurelium would detonate in smoke and flame. Skalen might not be as physically strong as the other races, but their weapons were feared. They chose to live in places where aurelium was always in supply.

  Wielan led the group down a long, winding tunnel. Once or twice he glanced over his shoulder, but with no side passages there was little chance of becoming lost. The tunnel sloped downward as it burrowed into the mountain’s heart. Embraced by rock, the path was dark and still, with the walls and ceiling close enough to feel stifling. Ruth murmured something to Selena, and even though her voice was low it echoed throughout the tunnel. After a time, no one tried to talk.

  Taimin felt the air around him becoming cooler. He shivered; after the heat outside it was strange to be rubbing his arms. Wielan stopped near some steps cut into a natural fissure—a chimney that led down into a narrow void. He waited for the group to gather and then led the way down the precarious stairway. All Taimin could hear was the sound of trudging feet and panting. He winced as he clambered down, and as soon as the stairway ended, took a few nettles out of his pocket and put them into his mouth. The taste was unpleasant, but he knew from experience that the pain would fade away.

  Another passage wound along a natural seam in the rock. The ceiling rose and fell, along with the ground, forcing even Wielan to duck at times. Just when Taimin was wondering how long the tunnel could continue, Wielan put the rod back into his pocket. It was only then that Taimin realized the guiding light wasn’t needed anymore.

  The walls drew apart to form a much wider tunnel, but that wasn’t what made Taimin’s mouth drop open. He saw thin veins that crept along the rock on all sides. The tendrils of green filament traveled in strange directions, branching and forking like the upper sections of a tree. Long gouges showed where the aurelium had been chiseled from the surrounding rock, but many veins remained. Even as Taimin walked along the tunnel, he gazed around in awe. The aurelium provided a cool light, easily enough to see by. He glanced back and saw his companions all reacting the same way, with the exception of Selena, whose expression was tight.

  “It may be colder here than you are accustomed to,” Wielan said, speaking over his shoulder. “We can offer you blankets for the night.”

  Their guide rounded another bend to reach a vast area. The walls were distant and the ceiling was an expanse of black overhead. The aurelium veins weren’t everywhere, but appeared in sections. Perhaps the skalen inhabiting the mountain had left them where they were to provide light.

  Taimin saw more passing skalen, navigating through the immense cavern to enter one of several branching tunnels. Males walked with females; they all looked much the same as Wielan, and glanced curiously at Taimin’s group. Most carried tools: small pickaxes, chisels, and hammers. Buckets dangled from their hands.

  Wielan took a tunnel with a smooth floor worn by the passage of many feet. It was only short, a hole burrowed through a thick wall of rock to connect the vast cavern with another that was even bigger. One by one, the five humans stepped out before stopping to stare.

  This time the ceiling was so high, Taimin couldn’t even see it. The walls curved back and forth to form alcoves, each with a distinct purpose. The smell of smoke and cooking odors filled the air along with the buzz of conversation. Taimin saw skalen everywhere. Fire pits glowed red in some of the alcoves, surrounded by skalen tending to skewers resting on stands. Fat dripped from meat and hissed when it struck coals. Smoke rose up to disperse into the natural chimneys within the mountain.

  In other alcoves skins hung to dry on tall frames. Skalen sat in circles, working with needle and thread to fashion garments or equipment. Woven mats made of plant fiber furnished the communal areas along with stools of polished stone and plump cushions. Younglings in a distant corner pounded with mortar and pestle. Tall looms displayed half-finished cloth.

  “Come,” Wielan said.

  He led the group to an alcove in a corner, far from the others. Taimin guessed that he and his four companions weren’t the first guests these skalen had hosted.

  “You may sleep here,” Wielan said. “If you need to make water, follow that passage.”

  The alcove designated for their use was a near-circular area, large enough for everyone to sleep in his or her own space. Rectangular mats woven with a diamond pattern meant they wouldn’t need to lay their blankets on the hard stone. A circle of rocks in the center surrounded a patch of blackened ground; clearly they were allowed to have their own fire.

  As packs slid from weary shoulders and tumbled to the ground, Wielan watched for a time and then cleared his throat. “I hope this is to your satisfaction. I will take the meat and skins now.”

  “This is perfect, you have our thanks,” Taimin said. The idea of spending the night in safety filled him with more pleasure than he could have imagined. But he also had to think about the journey ahead. “And the information?”

  “Ah, of course,” Wielan said. “Forgive me. Wait here.” He hoisted the sack containing their weapons. “I will take this away, but your weapons will be returned to you when you leave.”

  Taimin watched the skalen depart. As soon as Wielan w
as gone, he heard Selena’s voice.

  “I don’t like it here,” she said. Rather than lay out her blanket, she peered askance up the wall, following it with her eyes to a series of aurelium veins that glowed and pulsed.

  Lars glanced over at her while he rummaged in his pack. “Wielan will keep his word.”

  “It isn’t the skalen,” Selena said. “It’s this place. It’s cold.” Her jaw was clenched tightly as she rubbed her arms. “I feel like I’m inside someone’s body, looking out at the blood flowing along the veins.”

  Taimin opened his mouth, hoping to comfort her in some way, when he heard footsteps and turned to see Wielan returning.

  “One of you, please come with me and we will give you whatever information we can.”

  Taimin watched as his companions’ eyes moved until they rested on him. “I’ll go,” he said.

  12

  Wielan guided Taimin along more uneven tunnels. Some looked naturally formed, while others appeared to have been chiseled to widen seams already there. In places the walls had a texture like clay, softer than the stone that made up the bulk of the mountain’s interior. Taimin passed through more living chambers, divided by walls of rock to create separate rooms. The aurelium veins faded until they were gone altogether, but clay bowls containing the mineral rested in niches to provide light.

  Taimin saw that Wielan was taking him toward a distant opening, carved into the form of a decorated archway. He had no idea where he was in relation to the mine’s main entrance, and was surprised to see the night sky through the archway. The temperature climbed, and he no longer felt cold. As he approached, a puff of warm, fresh air caressed his skin. Twinkling stars surrounded the pale face of the crescent moon.

  Wielan came to a halt. “Please, go through. I will wait here.”

  As he walked through the archway, Taimin came to a small ledge, high on the side of the mountain with a clear view of the surrounding landscape. A solitary skalen stood on the ledge.

  The skalen turned. She wore a brown shawl draped over her stooped shoulders. Her skin was faded, mottled like moss on a smooth rock, and only three white feathers sprouted from her scalp. The tilted eyes that regarded Taimin had seen many years.

  “I am Leeska, the oldest member of this clan, and you are Taimin. Wielan tells me that you require information. What is it you wish to know?”

  Taimin gathered his thoughts. “We are traveling beyond this mountain, to a desert,” he began.

  Leeska stretched out a thin arm to point. “That desert?”

  Taimin turned and his breath caught. Past the mountain’s foothills, perhaps another few days’ travel, bright moonlight revealed an expanse of pale sand dunes. He couldn’t see much, but the knowledge that he had almost reached his destination filled him with both excitement and apprehension.

  Leeska noticed his reaction. “Why journey to a desert? I cannot think why you would venture to a place so barren.”

  He hesitated. “We believe we might find something where the desert meets the firewall. Is there anything you can tell me?”

  She tilted her head. “About the desert? We have no reason to go there. I do know that there is another group of skalen you might visit. They live in some caves by the edge of the sands. They may know more.”

  Taimin thought about the practicalities of the journey. “Are they friendly?”

  “I do not know them. They keep to themselves.” She stared out at the landscape of hills and sand. “It is a strange place to live. There is at least one other inhabitant we know about. A mystic. The mystics in my clan avoid farcasting the area because they fear this other mystic’s power.”

  “Is this mystic human? Is there danger?”

  Leeska shrugged. “Human, yes. Danger? That depends on the human.” She regarded Taimin with curiosity. “You say you want to travel to the firewall. To what end? Surely I must be lacking in comprehension. The desert is barren and the firewall marks the limits of our world. The suns burn everything beyond.”

  Taimin kept his face blank. “We’re following an ancient mystery.” As he saw Leeska’s look of skepticism, he decided to keep his explanation short. “If we find something worth sharing, you’ll be among the first to know.”

  Leeska waited for a time, thinking, then gave another shrug. “Your plans are yours to share or keep to yourself. I am afraid, human, that there is nothing more I can tell you.” Leeska’s soft voice turned ominous. “I can, however, give you a word of warning. The time of the sandstorms is near. Even from this distance the winds scour the face of the mountain. You are traveling at a dangerous time.”

  Taimin returned his attention to the desert. Of course he couldn’t see anything from so far away, but he had to believe there was a path through the firewall.

  He thought again about Zorn. Someone had made the map. Someone had built the city. Then they vanished without a trace, long before Zorn came to be occupied by humans. Perhaps they were outside the firewall, living in a paradise, ready to welcome those trapped inside.

  There had to be a way to reach the green lands beyond the wasteland.

  Taimin was pensive as he thanked Leeska and left to rejoin Wielan.

  “What did you learn?” Ruth asked.

  Taimin sat down on one of the mats outside the circle of rocks. “Not much, but it’s something.” He explained about the mystic in the desert, the skalen living at its edge, and the coming sandstorms. When he was done, he looked over at Lars. “Any problems with the trade?”

  “I’ve learned that skalen do like raptor meat,” Lars said, glancing sidelong at Vance. “It’s one of their favorite foods.”

  “My point was that you didn’t know at the time,” Vance said.

  Lars ignored Vance. “We’ve paid for our night’s stay and traded for some aurelium and kindling. We’ve got plenty of water. There isn’t much more we can do before we enter the desert.” He displayed a leather pouch to Taimin and opened it to show the contents. Glowing green shards peeked out from within. “Watch this.”

  The skinner poured a few shards from the pouch, each the size of Taimin’s fingernail. When a small pile had formed on the blackened ground within the circle of stones, Lars then picked up a fist-sized stone and began to rub it in his hands.

  Vance looked askance at Lars. In contrast, Ruth leaned forward, intrigued. Selena watched, tight-lipped and silent, as she had been since they entered the mine. Lars rubbed the stone vigorously, creating friction with his hands.

  After a few moments Lars leaned forward to smash the stone down onto the aurelium shards. Vance jumped as Taimin heard a crackle. Red flames speared the air even as Lars whisked his hand away. Lars had a small pile of twigs on the floor beside him. He placed a twig over the flames, and then another, until a bright fire warmed the alcove and shadows danced on the walls.

  Lars grinned. “Better than using a bow.”

  Selena spoke in a low murmur. “I still don’t like it.”

  “Someone’s coming,” Vance said.

  Taimin turned and saw a skalen approaching. The skalen came to a halt and waited expectantly a short distance from the alcove. He was youthful, with clothing far dirtier than the other skalen Taimin had seen. Some accident must have befallen him in the past, for one of his eyes was missing, leaving behind a puckered hole, but it hadn’t affected his smile.

  “It’s fine,” Taimin said. He climbed to his feet and walked over to Selena. He held out his hand. “Selena?” She glanced up at him, surprised. “Please. Come.”

  She was too startled to resist as Taimin took her hand and pulled her to her feet. But there was anxiety in her eyes as he led her to where the one-eyed skalen waited.

  “Taimin?” the skalen asked, giving a small bow. “I am Marus. Wielan asked me to see you.”

  “Taimin . . . What are you up to?” Selena asked.

  Taimin smiled at her. “I asked Wielan for a favor after I saw Leeska. Knowledge helps us banish fear. We might never get this opportunity again.” He nodde
d at the one-eyed skalen. “Marus is going to tell us about aurelium.”

  Selena was even deeper in the mine. She had never liked dark places, nor feeling trapped, and couldn’t escape the sensation that the walls were closing in on her. She was in a confined space, a cavern that would have been utterly dark if it weren’t for the thick green veins that spread long, grasping fingers along the walls and over her head. She knew Taimin’s eyes were on her, and his expression was concerned, but she didn’t look his way. Instead, she tried to focus on her breathing to fight the gnawing fear. She knew it wasn’t real, but she couldn’t help imagining the green veins pulsing with every beat of her heart.

  “Take a close look,” Marus said. He ran his reptilian fingertips along a wandering green line. Selena saw that chisel marks surrounded a place where the vein abruptly terminated. “What does it remind you of?”

  “Blood moving through a body,” Selena said flatly.

  “Anything else?” Marus asked.

  Selena glanced at Marus, who was waiting with his one eye sparkling. He was clearly pleased to be explaining his passion to newcomers.

  “Dried waterways,” Taimin said.

  Selena tried to think clearly. “Sometimes on cliffs you see veins like it. Often they’re blue, or gray. It’s a mineral deposit.”

  “Actually,” Marus said, “it is not.” He grinned at their reaction, revealing rows of small pointed teeth. “Metals do not glow. Aurelium is not a mineral at all.”

  Taimin’s eyes went wide and then his brow furrowed. “So what is it?”

  “Aurelium is an organism. A life form,” Marus said.

  Selena saw Taimin staring at the veins as if seeing them for the first time.

  “Or in truth,” Marus continued, “a collection of tiny life forms, each so small you can barely see the individuals. Try to look as close as you can.” He indicated an area.

  Taimin stepped forward and put his eyes close to the wall. Biting her lip, Selena copied him. She peered into the green vein, but the strange light so close to her eyes made her dizzy. She had to pull her head away.