They seek to multiply my fears.
But I whirl my blade with a swish and hiss
Because I’ve been there and I’ve done this;
I’ve seen the sand that hides the stains,
I’ve seen the corpses bound with chains,
I’ve seen the demon lord called Hob,
And I’ve heard the falling virgins sob.
For I know the pit where his mother lies,
Smelled the blood, heard the drone of flies,
Seen the vultures haunt the skies.
And I know this dance,
I know its pattern well,
Even better than the path to hell!
So I lift my blade and lick my lips
Until six eyes pop like orange pips
And I shuffle left and I shuffle right
And weave strange patterns in the night.
First blood to me as I take a head
With a blow so swift it outspeeds dread.
Then quick as thought, I strike again,
And two heads roll now as a pair,
And squelch and bounce from stair to stair
Deep down in the bowels of the shatek’s lair.
O boastful lord of this ancient tree,
What a fool you be to mess with me!
For I’ve tortured sharks in the deepest seas
And made them vomit boggarts’ knees;
I’ve savaged eagles in their nests
And bit the bones from ogres’ chests;
I’ve hunted vampires in the east
And laughed in the face of Satan’s priest.
O boastful lord of this ancient tree,
This is what Nessa swore to me:
That our love was like a petal tree,
And ere the sun falls in the sea
I’ve promised Nessa she’ll be free!
But he tries once more to cut me down
With a twist, a leer, and an evil frown.
But I shuffle left and I shuffle right,
And strike a blow with all my might.
And through helmet, hauberk, shield, and breast,
My blade it cuts from east to west.
Faster than falcon stoops to prey
My blade it cuts that fiend away.
O boastful lord of this ancient tree,
What a fool you were to mess with me,
For even in death I’m bound to win
Despite my darkest secret sin,
For I’ll go to a world called Kinderquest,
A sphere where even the damned are blest.
Where they can rest for a thousand years
In a deep warm sleep beyond all fears,
Until when bored with safe and dark
They spread new wings and soar with the lark
High into a heaven of the deepest blue
Where all their secret dreams come true.
The battle’s over, the victory’s won
But the final deed is not yet done.
For little Nessa I do see
Still tapping on her silken knee!
So I carve her flesh in succulent slices
And add a pinch of pungent spices.
Then boil her up to make a broth
And soothe away my latent wrath.
For although I loved our downy bed
I’m happier still when I’ve been fed!
An Extract from the Notebooks of Nicholas Browne, a Spook from Ancient Times
GLOSSARY OF THE KOBALOS WORLD
Anchiette: A burrowing mammal found in northern forests on the edge of the snow line. The Kobalos consider them a delicacy eaten raw. There is little meat on the creature, but the leg bones are chewed with relish.
Askana: This is the dwelling place of the Kobalos gods. Probably just another term for the dark.
Baelic: The ordinary low tongue of the Kobalos people, used only in informal situations between family members or to show friendship. The true language of the Kobalos is Losta, which is also spoken by the humans who border their territory. For a stranger to speak to another Kobalos in Baelic implies warmth, but it is sometimes used before a trade is made.
Balkai: The first and most powerful of the three Kobalos high mages who formed the triumvirate after the slaying of the king and now rule Valkarky.
Berserkers: Kobalos warriors sworn to die in battle.
Boska: The breath of a Kobalos mage, which can be used to induce sudden unconsciousness, paralysis, or terror within a human victim. The mage varies the effects of boska by altering the chemical composition of his breath. It is also sometimes used to change the mood of animals.
Bindos: Bindos is the Kobalos law that demands each citizen sell at least one purra in the slave markets every forty years. Failure to do so makes the perpetrator of the crime an outcast, shunned by his fellows.
Bychon: The Kobalos name for the spirit known in the County as a boggart.
Chaal: A substance used by a haizda mage to control the responses of his human victim.
Cumular Mountains: A high mountain range that marks the northwestern boundary of the southern peninsula.
Dendar Mountains: The high mountain range about seventy leagues southwest of Valkarky. In its foothills is the large kulad known as Karpotha. More slaves are bought and sold here than in all the other fortresses put together.
Dexturai: Kobalos changelings that are born of human females. Such creatures, although totally human in appearance, are easily susceptible to the will of any Kobalos. They are extremely strong and hardy and have the ability to become great warriors.
Eblis: Foremost of the Shaiksa, the Kobalos brotherhood of assassins. He slew the last king of Valkarky using a magical lance called the Kangadon. It is believed that he is more than two thousand years old, and it is certain that he has never been bested in combat. The brotherhood refers to him by two other designations: He Who Cannot Be Defeated and He Who Can Never Die.
Erestaba: The Plain of Erestaba lies just north of the Shanna River, within the territory of the Kobalos.
Fittzanda Fissure: Also known as the Great Fissure, this is an area of earthquakes and instability that marks the southern boundary of the Kobalos territories.
Galena Sea: The sea southeast of Combesarke. It lies between that kingdom and Pennade.
Gannar Glacier: The great ice flow whose source is the Cumular Mountains.
Ghanabalsam: A resinous material bled from a ghanbala tree by a haizda mage and used as a base for ointments such as chaal.
Ghanbala: The deciduous gum tree most favored as a dwelling by a Kobalos haizda mage.
Haggenbrood: A warrior entity bred from the flesh of a human female. Its function is one of ritual combat. It has three selves that share a common mind; they are, to all intents and purposes, one creature.
Haizda: This is the territory of a haizda mage; here he hunts and farms the human beings he owns. He takes blood from them, and occasionally their souls.
Haizda mage: A rare type of Kobalos mage, who dwells in his own territory far from Valkarky and gathers wisdom from territory he has marked as his own.
Homunculus: A small creature bred from the purrai in the skleech pens. Like the haggenbrood, these often have several selves controlled by a single mind. However, rather than being identical, each self has a specialized function, and only one of them is capable of speaking Losta.
Hubris: The sin of pride against the gods. The full wrath of the gods is likely to be directed against one who persists in this sin in the face of repeated warnings. The very act of becoming a mage is in itself an act of hubris, and few live to progress beyond the period of novitiate.
Hybuski: Hybuski (commonly known as hyb) are a special type of warrior created and employed in battle by the Kobalos. They are a hybrid of Kobalos and horse but possess other attributes designed for combat. Their upper body is hairy and muscular, combining exceptional strength with speed. They are capable of ripping an opponent to pieces. Their hands are also specially adapted for fighting.
&nb
sp; Kangadon: This is the Lance That Cannot Be Broken, also known as the King Slayer, a lance of power crafted by the Kobalos high mages—although some believe that it was forged by their blacksmith god, Olkie.
Karpotha: The kulad in the foothills of the Dendar Mountains, which holds the largest purrai slave markets. Markets are generally held early in the spring.
Kashilowa: The gatekeeper of Valkarky, responsible for allowing or refusing admittance to the city. It is a huge creature with one thousand legs and was created by mage magic to carry out its function.
Kastarand: This is the word for the Kobalos holy war. They will wage it to rid the land of the humans, whom they believe to be the descendants of escaped slaves. It cannot begin until Talkus, the god of the Kobalos, is born.
Kirrhos: This is the tawny death that comes to victims of the haggenbrood.
Kulad: A defensive tower built by the Kobalos that marks strategic positions on the border of their territories. Others deeper within their territory are used as slave markets.
League: The distance a galloping horse can cover in five minutes.
Lenklewth: The second of the three Kobalos high mages who form the triumvirate.
Losta: The language spoken by all who inhabit the southern peninsula. This includes the Kobalos, who claim that the language was stolen and degraded by mankind. The Kobalos version of Losta contains a lexicon almost one third larger than that used by humans, perhaps giving some credence to their claims. It is certainly a linguistic anomaly that two distinct species should share a common language.
Mages: There are many types of human mage; the same is also true of the Kobalos. But for an outsider they are difficult to describe and categorize. However, the highest rank is nominally that of a high mage. There is also one type, the haizda mage, that does not fit within that hierarchy, for these are outsiders who dwell in their own individual territories far from Valkarky. Their powers are hard to quantify.
Mandrake: Sometimes called mandragora, this is a root that resembles the human form and is sometimes used by a Kobalos mage to give focus to the power that dwells within his mind.
Meljann: The third of three Kobalos high mages who form the triumvirate.
Northern Kingdoms: This is the collective name sometimes given to the small kingdoms, such as Pwodente and Wayaland, which lie south of the Great Fissure. More usually it refers to all the kingdoms north of Shallotte and Serwentia.
Novitiate: This is the first stage of the learning process undertaken by a haizda mage, which lasts approximately thirty years. The candidate studies under one of the older and most powerful mages. If the novitiate is completed satisfactorily, the mage must then go off alone to study and develop his craft.
Oscher: A substance that can be used as emergency food for horses. Made from oats, it has special chemical additives that can sustain a beast of burden for the duration of a long journey. Unfortunately, it results in a severe shortening of the animal’s life.
Olkie: The god of Kobalos blacksmiths. He has four arms and teeth made of brass. It is believed that he crafted the Kangadon, the magical lance that cannot be deflected from its target.
Oussa: The elite guard that serves and defends the triumvirate; also used to guard parties of slaves taken from Valkarky to the kulads to be bought and sold.
Triumvirate: The ruling body of Valkarky, composed of the three most powerful high mages in the city. It was first formed after the king of Valkarky was slain by Eblis, the Shaiksa assassin. It is essentially a dictatorship that uses ruthless means to hold on to power. Others are always waiting in the wings to replace the three high mages.
Plunder room: This is the vault where the triumvirate store the items they have confiscated by the power of magic, force of arms, or legal process. It is the most secure place in Valkarky.
Purra (pl. purrai): The term used to denote one of the female humans bred into slavery by the Kobalos. The term is also applicable to those females who dwell within a haizda.
Salamander: A fire dragon tulpa.
Shaiksa: This is the highest order of Kobalos assassins. If one is slain, the remainder of the brotherhood are honor bound to hunt down his killer.
Shakamure: The magecraft of haizda mages, which draws its power from the taking of human blood and the borrowing of souls.
Shanna River: The Shanna marks the old border between the northern human kingdoms and the territory of the Kobalos. Now Kobalos are often to be found south of this line. The treaty that agreed upon this border has long been disregarded by both sides.
Shatek (also known as a djinn): A warrior entity with three selves and a single controlling mind. It differs from the haggenbrood in that it was created to be deployed in battle. A number of shatek have rebelled and are no longer subject to Kobalos authority. They dwell far from Valkarky, bringing death and terror to the lands surrounding their lairs.
Shudru: The Kobalos term for the harsh winter of the northern kingdoms.
Skaiium: A time when a haizda mage faces a dangerous softening of his predatory nature.
Skapien: A small secret group of Kobalos within Valkarky who are opposed to the trade in purra.
Skelt: A creature that lives near water and kills its victims by inserting its long snout into their bodies and draining their blood. The Kobalos believe it is the shape that their god Talkus will assume at his birth.
Skleech pens: Pens within Valkarky where the Kobalos keep human female slaves, using them for food or to breed other new species and hybrid forms to do their bidding.
Sklutch: A type of creature employed by the Kobalos as servants. Its speciality is cleaning the rapidly growing fungus from the walls and ceilings of the dwellings within Valkarky.
Skoya: The material, formed within the bodies of whoskor, of which Valkarky is constructed.
Skulka: A poisonous water snake whose bite induces instant paralysis. It is much favored by Kobalos assassins, who use it to render their victims helpless before slaying them. After death, its toxins are impossible to detect in the victim’s blood.
Slarinda: These are the females of the Kobalos. They have been extinct for over three thousand years. They were murdered by a cult of Kobalos males who hated women. Now Kobalos males are born of purrai, human females held prisoner in the skleech pens.
Talkus: The god of the Kobalos who is not yet born. In form he will resemble the creature known as a skelt. Talkus means the God Who Is Yet to Be. He is sometimes also referred to as the Unborn.
Therskold: A threshold upon which a word of interdiction or harming has been laid. This is a potent area of haizda strength, and it is dangerous to cross such a portal, even for a human mage.
Trade: Although the unit of currency is the valcron, many Kobalos, particularly haizda mages, rely on what they call trade. This implies an exchange of goods or services, but it is much more than that. It is a question of honor, and each party must keep its word, even if to do so means death.
Tulpa: A creature created within the mind of a mage and occasionally given form in the outer world.
Ulska: A deadly but rare Kobalos poison that burns its victim from within. It is also excreted from glands at the base of the claws of the haggenbrood. It results in kirrhos, which is known as the tawny death.
Unktus: A minor Kobalos deity, worshipped only by the lowest menials of the city. He is depicted with very small horns curving backward from the crown of his head.
Valkarky: The chief city of the Kobalos, which lies just within the Arctic Circle. Valkarky means the City of the Petrified Tree.
Valcron: A small coin, often referred to as a valc, accepted throughout the southern peninsula. Made of an alloy that is one-tenth silver, a valcron is the wage paid daily to a Kobalos foot soldier.
Whalakai: Known as a vision of what is, this is an instant of perception that comes to either a high mage or a haizda mage. It is an epiphany, a moment of revelation, when the totality of a situation, with all the complexities that have led to it, are known to him in a flash of ins
ight. The Kobalos believe this is a vision given to the mage by Talkus, their God Who Is Yet to Be, its purpose being to facilitate the path to his birth.
Whoskor: The collective name for the creatures subservient to the Kobalos who are engaged in the never-ending task of extending the city of Valkarky. They have sixteen legs, eight of which also function as arms and are used to shape the skoya, the soft stone which they exude from their mouths.
Widdershins: A movement that is counterclockwise, or against the sun. Seen as counter to the natural order of things, it is sometimes employed by a Kobalos mage to assert his will upon the cosmos. Filled with hubris, it holds within it great risk.
CREDITS
COVER ART © 2013 BY PATRICK ARRASMITH
COVER DESIGN BY CHAD W. BECKERMAN AND PAUL ZAKRIS
COPYRIGHT
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
The Last Apprentice: Slither
Copyright © 2013 by Joseph Delaney
First published in 2012 in Great Britain by The Bodley Head, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, under the title Slither’s Tale.
First published in 2013 in the United States by Greenwillow Books.
The right of Joseph Delaney to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Patrick Arrasmith
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