by Martin Ash
At the opposite end of this chamber the Elders of the Revenants of Claine waited.
They were three in number. All were female but, despite their designation, only one was of advanced age. She, the crone, withered and hunched, sat behind a long table of heavy, dark cedar. Seated to her left side was a much younger woman, aged between twenty-five and thirty. At her right was a young girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, hardly more than a child. The shifting smoky light made it difficult to distinguish their features in any detail.
The group was permitted to approach to a point some fifteen paces or so from where the Elders sat. Queen Lermeone’s litter was set down upon the floor. Armed fighters, more than half of them women, stood in a double row before the Elders. Others occupied the natural alcoves between the columns.
The crone spoke. ‘Who is King Lalvi?’
‘I,’ replied the Tulmu king, standing tall.
‘Why do you persecute us?’
‘It is not persecution. You have broken the bonds of your confinement.’
‘Out of necessity!’
‘I have no evidence of that. I see only your persistent delinquency, your refusal to conform to the law, the brutal and unprovoked murders of officials sent here to meet with you.’
‘It is not we who are guilty of those murders,’ the Elder replied. ‘The followers of Sko-ulatun infiltrated our ranks and deliberately brought about this conflict.’
King Lalvi blinked. ‘Sko-ulatun?’
Prince Enlos took a step forward and said, loudly, ‘Where is he, Sko-ulatun?’
The old Revenant frowned. ‘Who is it that addresses us?’
‘I am Enlos, crown prince of Darch.’
‘Ah, Prince Enlos. Be welcome. We understand that your mother, the Queen, is also one of this party?’
‘That’s so. Now, I ask again, where is Sko-ulatun?’
‘Seeking. He was here. We held him, but he escaped. He seeks what he has always sought. We have tried to warn you but you have no ears to hear. Perhaps he has already found it.’
Enlos glanced across at Dinbig, then Sildemund behind him, then spoke again to the Elders. ‘It is true, I regret. We did not listen because we did not believe. Now we listen, if you are willing to tell.’
The Revenant crone shifted in her seat. ‘And what of us? Are we to die, here, for defying your laws?’
‘You must let us hear your tale so that a fair and proper judgement can be made.’
‘Our tale is simple. We are the Revenants of the Great Mother, Claine, Ancestress of us all. Claine, the First Woman, whose spirit resides in all her many daughters. We exist to ensure that the disaster whose seeds were sewn millennia past when Claine was betrayed and eventually brought low by Sko-ulatun, does not come to pass. Claine witnessed Sko-ulatun’s villainy and the abominations he inflicted upon the world, and she took his heart and buried it where it could never be found, believing that he would perish. But he did not. He has searched ever since. Only a few among us knew where it lay.’
‘You knew?’ said Enlos. ‘All this time, you knew the resting-place of the Heart of Shadows?’
‘Within our ranks it is known. It is part of the secret we live to preserve. The location was known to one of us, and the knowledge was passed on with each rebirth. We have always known, too, that Sko-ulatun would infiltrate our ranks with his own followers in the hope of discovering the secret.’
‘Did he ever do so?’ enquired Dinbig, bringing himself to the fore.
‘He did so only recently,’ said the crone. ‘But it is true that his followers have been among us and have forced us to ever greater diligence in the custody of our knowledge.’
‘How did he do so? And, if this is so, why does he not have it now?’
‘How do you know that he does not?’
‘I know little. I am here in the hope of learning more, and of providing help if I am able.’
‘And who are you, that addresses us without introduction?’
‘I am Ronbas Dinbig, Realm Adept of the Zan-Chassin of Khimmur.’
The ancient Revenant sat back and surveyed him. Her two colleagues inclined their heads towards her and the three conferred in brief whispers, the girl-child apparently on an equal footing with the other two. Then she said, ‘We know of your ways. You gather knowledge. You endeavour to manipulate forces you know little of.’
‘In order that we might extend the boundaries of what might be known.’
‘Perhaps, but beware that you are not the ones who are manipulated.’
The Revenant spoke portentously, and Sildemund, watching Dinbig, thought to see a fleeting, uncharacteristic shadow pass across his features, as though her words had, for an instant, disquieted him.
‘You were speaking of the Heart, and of Sko-ulatun,’ prompted Prince Enlos.
The Revenant nodded slowly, her rheumy eyes leaving the Khimmurian to address all assembled. ‘Thousands of years ago there were changes in the land. There were great eruptions and upheaval. Mountains and uplands that had never before existed were pushed up into the world. Others vanished. Forests, rivers, lakes were swallowed by the earth, others were formed. Cities were destroyed, countless thousands of people lost their lives. No one knows the cause. Some believe it was brought about by the violent disruption of the Enchanter Wars, others that it was the will of the Great Moving Spirit, Moban, expressing dissatisfaction with its Creation. Others hold that it was subterranean gods warring… We can but wonder. But in this upheaval the secret place where the Heart of Shadows rested was thrust to the surface – in your land, Prince Enlos: Darch. The place was remote and uninhabited, which was fortunate, for none knew of the event, nor were likely to suspect anything of the secret that the new land contained.
‘But the one among us who held the secret knew – and knew also the danger that Sko-ulatun might now detect the Heart. And so that knowledge was at last shared among select members of our Hierarchy, that we might decide the most appropriate action to take.
‘We recognized that the greater danger could lie in our trying to move the Heart to another location. After all, there was nothing that would ordinarily have drawn Sko-ulatun to such a place. Even should he go there and discover the Heart, he could not touch it. It was protected with pure exigen, which he cannot endure. It remained hidden within a cavern, underground and undetectable to the normal eye. Thus, as Sko-ulatun, or at least his followers, was known to be among us, we left the Heart where it was.
‘We placed a permanent vigil over that place. One of us dwelt there at all times, living as an anchorite. At the slightest indication that Sko-ulatun might have gained knowledge of the secret of that place, we were ready to act.’
Sildemund, listening intently, thought back to their discovery of the grotto where they had found the Heart of Shadows. It was Picadus who had pointed out the ancient, almost invisible foundations of a building, long gone. Sildemund recalled brief discussions over who might have lived there, and why. He looked across at Picadus now, but Pic stood stiff, with blazing eyes fixed upon the three Revenants at the table. If he had heard what had just been said it plainly had not aroused his interest.
‘That is, until you imprisoned us here!’ continued the Revenant, her voice suddenly harsh. She jabbed a gnarled finger at King Lalvi and Queen Lermeone. ‘With that one blow you deprived us of the ability to properly guard the Heart.’
‘You speak of events that took place more than a century ago,’ replied King Lalvi. ‘We are not responsible for the acts of our forefathers.’
‘You are as guilty! You have done nothing to repeal the law. You have kept us here, refusing to hear us, and when we have tried to break free you have persecuted us! You are fools who do not know what you do!’
The King bristled at the insult, as did members of the Darch entourage. But they held silence, constrained by their circumstances.
Prince Enlos spoke. ‘You say you held Sko-ulatun here.’
The Revenant nodded. ‘By a stroke of fort
une he came to us after our incarceration. He believed, correctly, that we had the secret of the whereabouts of the Heart of Shadows. He believed that if he could mingle with us he would discover it.’
‘You did not know him?’
‘Not at first. He was disguised. He is a shapechanger, do you not know? He feeds upon living hearts and can assume the semblance, or a foul mix of forms, man or beast, of any whose heart he has devoured. It causes him discomfort to do so, and he must reassume his own form after a limited period if he’s to avoid permanent assumption of that guise. But it is an effective means of concealment. Think: he could be you. He could be I. No one would know.’
The Revenant smiled to herself. The assembly exchanged uneasy glances.
‘How, then, did you discover him?’
‘We suspected something, for his behaviour drew our attention. We watched him – watched the person he had become. One night he was observed –re-forming himself. We laid a trap then, tricked him into entering a dungeon deep in the rock beneath this place, and there imprisoned him. We held him for many years. He escaped a year ago. We had grown complacent. Sko-ulatun’s followers were among us. We believe one sacrificed herself that he might take her form and walk free.’
‘A year ago,’ said Enlos. ‘That’s when your people began to reappear.’
‘To give warning, though of course you still refused to listen. And more recently, with the coming of the troops, we have striven to impress upon you how imperative it is that we, the followers of Claine, be allowed to go free.’
‘But Sko-ulatun did not find the Heart, did he?’
The Revenant frowned. ‘You seem so sure.’
‘I merely enquire.’
‘Sko-ulatun discovered the Heart’s resting place, but he could not touch it. He had to find another who would do it.’
‘One of his followers?’
‘No. He would put his trust in no one, save perhaps a handful of those who had been fully inducted into his way. Their induction requires an infusion of the diabolic stuff that drives him, and that in turn makes them vulnerable to exigen. So his problem was to get someone to this lonely locale, that he might disinter the Heart for him and remove it from its cage. Equally, he had to prevent our intervention. The murders of the Tulmu delegates sent to reason with us was the means he used to achieve that.’
‘And the killings at the border…’ mused Dinbig.
‘Sko-ulatun. He made the border virtually impassable, in the knowledge that some, at least, would have reason to avoid it and thus travel overland.’
Dinbig glanced across at Sildemund and Gully. ‘At Dharsoul you mentioned a man who gave you advice at an inn.’
Gully nodded, his face pale and drawn. ‘Aye. I see now that we were guided to that place.’
‘Who was that man?’
‘As I told you, I didn’t know him. The exchange was brief and he kept his face in shadow. But the information he gave me ensured that we would pass by the place where the hidden cave lay. He emphasized that it was the most suitable spot to rest up overnight.’
‘Gully, you’ve not spoken of this before!’ hissed Sildemund.
Gully shrugged. ‘It seemed of no importance.’
The Revenants were staring intently at the two. ‘Are you saying that the Heart was found?’
‘Aye,’ said Gully. ‘We found it.’
‘And removed it?’
‘Aye.’
For a moment they scrutinized him in stunned silence. ‘And did Sko-ulatun gain it from you?’
‘He did not,’ said Sildemund. ‘But he followed us, that is certain.’
‘Did you remove the Heart from its cage?’
‘My father did, when we arrived home at Volm. He tried to do it in the cavern, but the metal was inflexible. Yet when he came to try again at home it almost fell away in his hands.’
‘Exigen possesses uncommon properties. It briefly undergoes transformation when subjected to varying levels of temperature. Bringing it from the cool of the cave would have had that effect. For a short time it would have become malleable, then set again. It’s unfortunate, no, catastrophic, that your father discovered this. Where is the Heart now?’
Sildemund looked nervously at Prince Enlos. The Prince nodded. Sweat broke out upon Sildemund’s brow. He was here! He was about to relinquish the Heart of Shadows!
He turned imploringly to Dinbig. The Khimmurian also gave a nod, and Sildemund knew that he had no choice. If he did not speak up, another would. He took a deep breath, clutching his satchel in both hands. ‘It is here.’
The three Revenants sat forward as one, their eyes upon the satchel. ‘Bring it forward!’
He did so, taking the bundle from the satchel and laying it upon the table before the three. Carefully he unbound it, and laid naked the purple-red stone.
The three Revenants rose from their seats. They stared down at the stone, which now – there was no mistaking it – pulsed. The shadows upon its surface rippled. It was alive!
The girl-child looked at the other two, her young features set in a questioning frown.
‘Take them away!’ the crone shouted. The guards strode forward, weapons drawn, to throw a cordon around the company.
There were loud protests, from Enlos, King Lalvi and the Supreme Haruspices.
The Revenant threw up her arms. ‘You will be lodged in chambers. We must consider what is to be done. Go peacefully and you will suffer no harm. This is too important. You do not know what you have done. Go now, leave us!’
They were surrounded. To fight would have been hopeless. Sildemund glanced back at the vile stone lying on the table. Again, he was sure, it pulsed like a living thing. The Revenant guards pushed forward, bustling them unceremoniously towards the door. Reluctantly, they allowed themselves to be marched from the chamber.
XXIII
Meglan had ridden until common sense, driving through her hysteria, brought her to the realization that if she did not cease she would exhaust the roan mare. Skalatin had not pursued her, at least not immediately. He had no need, for he could find her at will. In a brazen display of contempt he had chosen to stay behind and amuse himself on the cart.
Drawing to a halt, it came to herself that his vile and cruel behaviour on the road had been like that of a child or, more, an immature man. He could not bear to be outplayed by a mere girl, but nor, as I’d suspected and hoped, was he willing to harm me. So he enacted violence on others to demonstrate his power over me.
It somehow helped to slot him into such a category, making him human, pathetic and ridiculous.
But what is his power? What is it that both protects me from him and at the same time makes me his victim?
She stroked the hot shoulder of the panting horse and looked back down the road. She realized she was shaking. Her mind welled again with the horror of what she had just witnessed. She forced her eyes closed, shaking her head, crying to herself as she tried to free herself of the images. Memories of the dreadful events of the previous days came crowding in on her until she felt, again, that she would lose her sanity. But she somehow willed herself to calm, reminding herself of her mission, and focused on the journey ahead.
The roan’s breathing had returned to normal. Meglan urged her into a brisk trot.
Sometime later they came upon a caravanserai and Meglan stopped briefly to take water and let the mare drink and rest. Questioning a serving-lad, she learned that the royal party had passed through earlier in the day.
Towards evening Meglan found herself approaching the intersection with the northern road which led to the border with Tulmua. For miles the landscape had consisted of little more than wilderness, all signs of civilization diminishing the further she rode from Dharsoul. She had seen no one on the road for some hours, nor were there fields, farm animals or other signs of cultivation to give reassurance of a human presence. The loneliness of it oppressed her. She felt vulnerable, ever conscious of Skalatin padding somewhere unseen in her wake. Far from calming
her, the knowledge that he would not harm her – at least not yet – began to make his presence even more menacing. He followed her, with certainty, a dark and malevolent shadow, his intentions unknown.
Did he lack the ability to find the Heart without her? Perhaps that’s all it was. The questions went round and around in her head.
She came upon a chilling sight. At the side of the road in a low pass flanked by boulder-strewn elevations was the burned-out hulk of a wagon. Meglan recalled that bandits were at large in this area.
She felt a sudden disorientation. How did she know this? She cast her mind back and remembered a merchant and his guard returning along the road closer to Volm. The merchant had told her about the brigand, Fagmar the Angelic, who was ambushing traffic along the way.
She had been with Jans then. Poor Jans. Her eyes stung as she remembered. They had clashed because of her insistence on continuing along the road. Loyal Jans had physically prevented her, arguing that it would lead to certain death. Now she lived, and he was dead.
Meglan closed her eyes. Through her grief came a susurration of unease, whispering in the back of her consciousness. There was something else. She was certain of it. Her memory was fogged, but… After meeting that merchant – she could not recall. What had happened? They must have left the road, though she had no memory of doing so. She only recalled finding herself on the edge of the grove, in Dazdun’s Despair, on the Serpentine Path.
The Serpentine Path!
Meglan opened her eyes and stared at the strange little talisman that dangled at her wrist. Where had this come from?
She was startled suddenly by the sound of a voice.
‘Halt!’
A man had stepped from behind a boulder in front of her. Meglan’s hand went to her sabre. Then a second appeared, and she became aware of several other men watching from the rocks above the road. They were soldiers, from Darch. She gave a sigh of relief, then tensed again. Soldiers did not mean safety, particularly for a young woman alone.