CHAPTER XVII
DO WE HAVE A TRADE?
I was a mage who had studied the occult for many years. However, I had no experience at all of entities that could function in bodies that were essentially dead. In that moment I realized how big a place the world was and how much I had yet to learn. We Kobalos have a history of fighting humans, but we believed them to be far more numerous. It was perhaps fortunate that they were divided into many conflicting kingdoms, but we had little knowledge of any who used magic in those more distant places. Thus I knew nothing of human witches and their powers. How, I wondered, could I kill something that was already dead?
I drew a dagger with my free hand and plunged it into the witch’s throat. It had no effect, and again her claws lunged toward my face. I spun away, still gripped by the witch, our bodies stretched taut.
Then I brought logic to bear upon the situation. I whirled the dagger across in a fast arc. The blade cut straight through the witch’s wrist, severing it from her body. She fell back into the slime, leaving her left hand behind, still gripping my wrist. But it began to twitch and slowly relax its hold, and it was the work of a moment to pull it off and cast it aside. By the time the dead witch had regained her feet, the saber was back in my left hand and I was ready.
I had no choice but to cut her into pieces. How else could I terminate her attack?
Soon she had no arms or legs and could not even crawl. There was no blood—just a trickle of vile black fluid. To be sure, I sliced off her head and held it up by the hair. Her eyes gazed back at me, full of fury, and her lips twitched as if she would speak. In disgust, I flung her head as far away as possible. Then I picked up the leather sack, retrieved my saber, wiping it clean on the torso of the dismembered witch, and went back toward the ladder with Hom scampering at my heels.
Soon I was safely back in my quarters. First I checked on the three sisters. They were sleeping with their arms around each other.
Next I examined the sack and weighed it carefully in my hands. It was certainly extremely large. I remembered the warning given by the witch with pointed teeth, but I was curious to see such a head—that of the most powerful of their gods. Also, despite the report given to me by Hom, the head did not stink. So I undid the string and reached inside.
I felt something sharp; something made of bone—two coiled objects. I peered into the sack. They were horns. This was a horned god. One of our own horned gods was called Unktus, but he was a relatively minor deity, worshipped only by the lowest menials of the city. I lifted the head out of the sack, put it on the chair opposite me, and studied it carefully.
No wonder they had chosen it to be the chief of their gods. It was much more impressive than depictions of Unktus in the grottoes of worship. There was no sign of putrefaction, and the horns were not unlike those of a ram. Once it had surely been lordly and handsome despite its close approximation to the human form. However, it had been cruelly mutilated. One eye was missing and the other stitched shut. The mouth was stuffed with brambles and nettles.
My curiosity satisfied, I was about to return it to the sack when the stitched lids over the remaining eye twitched. Immediately I heard a deep groan. The sound did not emanate from the head, but from the floor beneath the chair. That was odd—could it be that the head was still conscious? And perhaps the essence of the god was not just confined to its head? In some entities, consciousness can be diffuse and not merely trapped within the flesh.
The mouth was being forced open by the nettles and brambles, so I began to tug them out, dropping them onto the floor beneath the chair. I then saw further evidence of violence: the teeth had been smashed; only yellow stumps remained. As I tugged out the last of the bramble twigs, there was another groan. This time it came from the mouth, not the floor.
The jaw began to move and the lips to tremble. At first all that came out was a sigh and a croak, but then the head spoke clearly and eloquently.
“I forgive you for what you did to my servants. It was understandable, as they were interlopers in your city. But do as I say now, and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams. Disobey me, and I will inflict upon you an eternity of pain!”
I took a deep breath to calm myself and took stock of the situation before replying. Perhaps the witch had been correct and I had been foolish to open the sack and subject myself to unnecessary risk. She was certainly right about my curiosity, though. It was part of what I was. Sometimes danger had to be faced in order to gain knowledge. I knew I must be bold and face down this maimed god.
“You are in no position to reward anyone,” I told the head. “I have been informed that you were once a powerful god but are now helpless. It must be difficult for one so high and mighty to have been brought so low.”
Then, before the mutilated god could bother me further with its threats, I thrust the nettles and brambles back into the mouth and returned the head to the sack.
Once again I visited district Yaksa Central, level thirteen, cell forty-two.
I made myself very small and slithered under the dungeon door. I looked up and met the malevolent gaze of the human witch, then quickly grew until we were looking at each other eye to eye.
“Did you retrieve my property?” she asked coldly.
“I have the leather sack with the severed head of your god,” I told her. “It is back in my quarters. Additionally, I know the location of your blades and the star stone, but you’ll have to manage without them. They are in the most secure place in the city. But these”—I placed two of my own blades on the floor before her—“may serve you just as well.”
“Do we have a trade?” she asked.
“Yes, it is a trade. You have my word.”
Thus the bargain was struck, and I was pleased. Fighting alongside the witch, I would have a real chance against the haggenbrood. But there were obstacles yet to be overcome. Could she really complete her escape and make her way safely to my quarters?
“Well, mage, I thank you for the loan of the blades, and you have the head—that’s the most important thing. To begin with, all you have to do is ease the tightness of the chain about my neck.”
“I can do more than that.” And I released her from the chain so that now she was held only by the four silver pins.
She smiled, showing her pointed teeth. “Thank you,” she said. “The only further thing that I require is a guide to take me to my other possessions. Send me the busybody rat.”
“Put such thoughts from your mind!” I said angrily. “They are in the plunder room of the triumvirate. Any attempt to penetrate that stronghold will result in your certain death.”
“The triumvirate—that sounds very grand. What is it?”
“It is the ruling body of Valkarky, composed of the three most powerful high mages in the city.”
“No doubt replacements will be found if anything untoward were to happen to them. I would hate to see such a fine city without proper governance,” she said, her voice filled with sarcasm. “Send me the little rat! Will you do it? Then I will stand by your side in the arena. Go now! It would be wise to be well clear of this dungeon before I escape.”
Filled with anger at her presumption, I made myself small and left the cell.
Once back in my quarters, I seethed with anger at her foolishness. But as the trial approached, I found myself growing more desperate. So I summoned Hom and ordered him to send one of his rat selves to guide the witch.
No doubt it was futile. I did not see how she could even free herself from the silver pins, let alone storm the plunder room.
I blew myself up to my favorite fighting size, which was a head taller than Nessa, and made my preparations. First I brushed my long, thick black overcoat—something I would not entrust to a servant—and polished its thirteen bone buttons. The saber I thrust into my belt; my two favorite blades, newly sharpened, went into the scabbards on my chest. A third dagger I hid in my coat pocket.
After about half an hour the homunculus scurried out of his hole
and clambered up onto the chair to face me. He seemed somewhat breathless, and his brow was flushed with excitement.
“There is news!” he exclaimed. “The purra escaped and then breached the defenses of the plunder room. One of the triumvirate is dead!”
I looked at Hom in astonishment. How had she managed to do such a thing? “Where is the witch now?” I demanded.
“Gone, master. The murderess fled Valkarky and is heading south. A large band of Oussa has been sent after her, with orders to catch her quickly but kill her slowly.”
I was filled with anger. No doubt she had always planned to make her escape. She had used me. I had been a fool to trust her. And why had she not taken the head of the horned god with her? She had claimed it was important to her. No doubt she had lied about that too.
It was time to go and wake up Nessa and her sisters. In less than an hour, we had to face the teeth and claws of the haggenbrood.
As I stepped into the corridor between the two rooms, I suddenly sensed danger and reached for my saber.
“Sheathe your blade, mage,” said a voice that I recognized. “Save it for the arena!”
The witch assassin stepped out of the shadows and smiled widely at me, showing her full set of pointed teeth. She was wearing leather straps that crisscrossed her body, and in the attached scabbards she carried her blades. “Where is the leather sack?” she demanded.
“It is safe,” I told her.
“Safe? Nothing is safe in this city. I opened your most secure vault with ease and took what was mine. What I have done, others can emulate. I have human enemies—witches and mages who serve the Fiend. It is only a matter of time before they follow me here!”
“Two witches have been here already. They had the sack in their possession when I encountered them. I killed the live one and chopped the dead witch into six pieces. She is somewhat inconvenienced and poses no threat.”
“Then you have done well, mage. But there will be others. They will never stop. Show me the sack.”
I led her back into the room and handed her the leather bag. She quickly opened it, peered inside, and sniffed three times. She did not draw forth the god’s head.
“Now leave me alone for a few moments. I need to hide this from prying eyes.”
Her words offended me. Had we not made a trade that meant we were allies? I pushed the affront to the back of my mind. The room was sparsely furnished with just a couch, two chairs, and a table. There was nowhere the sack could be hidden unless she used magic. I did as she requested and returned five minutes later.
“Try and find it,” she said softly.
I tried briefly but without success, using a little of my magic. That did not mean that, given enough time, I could not employ more and discover its whereabouts. But it was well hidden by her powerful magic. I was impressed.
“It would not be found easily,” I admitted. “I did not expect to see you again and thought you had deceived me. Reports say that you have escaped the city and are being pursued by the Oussa.”
“We have a trade. Like you, I always keep my word. I promised to aid you in the arena, and yes, I will fight alongside you. It was easy to lay a false trail. And now to business—when do we face the haggenbrood?”
“Within the hour. We need to tell the eldest of the three sisters that you will be replacing her.”
“Yes, I would like to talk to all three girls. We are humans and alien to this city. I would like to reassure them that all will be well, so I must speak to them alone.”
“If you wish. It is customary to keep one’s purrai in separate rooms, but as a special concession, because of the danger we will soon face, I have allowed them to be together. Come. I will take you to them.”
CHAPTER XVIII
A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION
I had been doing my best to console Susan and Bryony, but they were scared and tearful. As a result it was a long time before I could bring myself to tell them something of what they faced in the arena. I felt like crying too, but what good would that do? So I bit my bottom lip hard, to stop it from trembling, and said what had to be said.
“Once there, we are to be bound to stakes,” I began. It was better to forewarn them, so that they could prepare themselves.
“What did you say? We are going to be tied to stakes?” Susan said, her pretty face twisting in alarm. “And watched by an audience of those beasts?”
I nodded. “It is the way things are done here. It would be a good idea to keep your eyes tight closed so you don’t have to see what happens. But it won’t be for long—Slither will slay his enemies quickly. You’ve seen how he fights. Then it will be over and you’ll be cut free. Soon we’ll be on our way to our aunt and uncle, and all will be well. This will just seem like a very bad dream.”
“All won’t be well if you can’t stay with us, Nessa,” Bryony said, her voice wobbly with emotion.
“We can only hope that one day I’ll be free and able to return to you,” I told them, doing my best to sound confident. “Somehow I’ll find a way to escape so that we can be together again, don’t you fear.”
For all my brave words, it seemed likely that we’d all be dead very soon. Even if by some miracle we survived the arena, there would be no safe haven in our aunt and uncle’s house for me. The beast would sell me in the slave market. That’s if he didn’t kill me himself first. I’d seen the way he looked at all three of us. He was finding it increasingly difficult not to sink his teeth into our throats.
I heard footsteps, and we all turned toward the door. In walked Slither, but he was not alone. To my astonishment, he was accompanied by a human; a tall, severe woman was by his side. Her body was crisscrossed with leather straps holding sheathed blades, and her skirt was divided and strapped to her thighs. Was this another of the fierce slaves that we’d encountered in the tower? What was she doing here? Why had Slither allowed her to enter his quarters? I wondered.
That was bad enough. Then she smiled, and I saw that her cruel mouth was filled with sharp, pointed teeth. I took a step back, startled and afraid. Both Susan and Bryony ran behind me.
“This is Grimalkin, and she is here to help us,” Slither said. “She is a witch, and one of your people.”
He left us without saying anything more. We were alone with the woman, and for a moment or two she simply stared into my eyes. Was the beast telling the truth? Was this strange woman really here to help us? And if so, how?
She pointed to the floor. “Let us sit and talk,” she said. “We have much to discuss.”
Why was she here? What could there be to talk about with this fearsome stranger?
There were five chairs in the room, but she sat down cross-legged on the floor, then looked up at us and beckoned. “We have little time. Sit now!”
There was command in her voice—she seemed like someone who was used to getting her own way, so we sat down on the floor facing her. Susan began to cry softly, but the woman ignored her.
“Tell me what happened and how you came to be in the possession of Slither,” she demanded, staring hard at me. “Tell me also what you hope for in the future.”
I did as she asked, beginning with my father’s death and the trade that he had made with Slither.
“So you are to be sold in the slave market, but your two sisters are to go free? How do you feel about that?”
“Better that than all three of us dying,” I replied. “But I would also like to join my sisters at my aunt and uncle’s house. The life of a slave is brutal. I have seen the cuts the beasts inflict upon them.”
“Now tell me about your journey here.”
While my sisters looked on in silence, I gave a full account of our visit to the tower and how we had escaped. After a brief description of Slither’s fight with the horse creature, I told her of our terror on arriving at Valkarky.
“Without doubt this Kobalos called Slither is a formidable warrior,” the witch said. “I will fight alongside him in the arena, and then you will be free
to leave this city.”
“Will that be allowed?” I asked.
“What they don’t know will hurt them,” she said with a grim smile. “Nessa, I will take your place in the arena.”
I opened my mouth, but before I could get the words out, there was a shimmer in the air, and the body and face of the witch became strangely blurred. Then, to my utter astonishment, I was staring at myself. It was as though I was looking into a mirror. Bryony and Susan both gasped, and their eyes flicked back and forth between me and the transformed Grimalkin.
Seconds later, there was another shimmer and the witch was there again, glaring back at us. “Now do you see how it may be accomplished?”
All three of us nodded. I was too stunned to speak.
“She became just like you, Nessa!” Bryony suddenly exclaimed, finding her tongue. “She could have been your identical twin.”
“But it’s magic!” Susan protested. “It’s wrong to do such things. No good can come of it.”
“No?” asked the witch. “Would you rather die in the arena, then?”
Susan didn’t answer. She looked down at the floor and started weeping again.
“I will do my best to slay the haggenbrood and to protect your two sisters,” the witch continued, staring straight into my eyes. “I’ll also do my best to ensure that all three of you stay together and are taken to live with your relatives. I do not promise that it will happen. But I will try.”
“Thank you,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face. For the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope. For some reason, fearsome as she was, I trusted this witch. “Will I stay here while you take my place?”
“Yes,” Grimalkin answered. “As I understand it, these are private quarters and no one would think to enter without permission from a haizda mage. And why should they suspect anything, anyway? You will be safe here. And now,” she continued, “I would like to ask you a question. They enslave human females, whom they call purrai. Most are the daughters of slaves who are born here in captivity. Others, very much the minority, are captured and enslaved. But I have seen no sign at all of their own females. Why are they hidden away?”
The Last Apprentice: Complete Collection Page 223