Ascension of Death

by Andy Peloquin

  Ennolar looked only marginally less unconvinced, but he nodded. “You get us down from here, and we’ll get you and the others to the palace.”

  “Fair trade.” Kodyn gave the rope one final tug, pulling the knot tight. “Hopefully once we’re in the palace, you’ll find a way to reverse whatever black alchemy is causing all this.” His gesture encompassed the creatures below.

  Ennolar grimaced. “The Secret Keepers I chose to accompany us are those with the greatest knowledge of black alchemy, those most likely to find a way to reverse it. But I can make no promises.”

  Kodyn shrugged. “Sometimes, trying our damnedest is all we can do.” He stood and turned to the rest of their small company. “Let’s go!” he gestured in the Secret Keeper hand language. “We’ve got to get down with as little noise as possible.”

  The ten Secret Keepers exchanged glances and Briana appeared worried. Hailen, however, seemed eager for another thrill, his eyes sparkling with delight.

  “I can go first,” Kodyn signed, “if you think you can get down without my help.”

  Again, another round of exchanged glances. Hesitance flickered across Briana’s face.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Kodyn grinned. “Just watch what I do and copy it exactly.”

  Scooping up the rope, Kodyn began the descent. He moved with the familiar ease attained over nearly a decade running the rooftops of Praamis, walking down the wall and letting the rope support his weight. It took him less than ten seconds to make the descent and reach the alleyway.

  He shot the Secret Keeper hand signal for “All good!” to the people waiting on the roof. Drawing his sword and dagger, he turned to deal with the two Stumblers in sight. His blades made quick work of the pair. The slow-moving creatures barely had time to fix their milky white eyes on him and open their mouths in that horrible rasping, gurgling cry before he cut them down. The debris filling the alley muffled the thump of their bodies hitting the ground.

  The sound of creaking rope echoed loud in the near-silence of the alleyway. Turning, Kodyn found Guardian Thevoris descending. The dark-bearded man moved with confidence, relying on the impressive strength of his arms to climb down the rope. In less than half a minute, the Guardian landed in the mud and shot Kodyn a nod.

  Let’s just hope they’re all as competent.

  His hopes died moments later as Arch-Guardian Ennolar began the descent. The rotund priest was strong, but climbing ropes required more than sheer strength. On the second step, Ennolar’s feet slipped off the wall and he swung wildly, the rope groaning under his weight. He half-slid the rest of the way down, and Kodyn winced at the painful, raw blisters on the man’s hands.

  Yet Ennolar’s face revealed nothing as he stepped away from the rope. He simply looked up and signaled for the next of the company to follow.

  Hailen came next, followed by Uryan, Tianath, and the rest of the Secret Keepers. Finally, only Briana and Lunus remained atop the Temple of Prosperity.

  Kodyn’s gut clenched. One look at Briana’s white face and wide-eyed expression told him that the girl was a heartbeat from panic. He recognized the symptoms of the visceral panic that set in when facing heights. It was the sort of survival instinct every apprentice had to work to overcome. For most Hawks, it took days or weeks. But here, now, they didn’t have that kind of time.

  He turned to Ennolar. “Keep the way clear,” he signed.

  Ennolar nodded. “I’ll have a pair open a path to the nearest tunnels.”

  Satisfied, Kodyn turned back to the rope and scrambled up the side of the building. His muscles protested at the effort—he hadn’t had a proper meal or a night of rest in what felt like years—but for Briana’s sake, he bore the strain. Thirty seconds later, he clambered onto the rooftop beside Briana.

  “Hey,” he said quietly, “you can do this.”

  Briana turned worried eyes on him. “I-I know, but…” She swallowed. “I can’t stop thinking about what happens if I fall.”

  Kodyn smiled. “You know, it took me months to stop thinking that.”

  “You?” Briana’s eyebrows rose. “But you’re so confident on the rooftops. You’re a Hawk, born to the skies, like you always say.”

  Kodyn chuckled. “Sure, but that’s what we always say. Makes us look better than the rest of the Night Guild. Really, though, our first time up on the Hawk’s Highway, we’re as scared as anyone else.”

  Surprise flitted across Briana’s face. “So how do you get past it?”

  Kodyn shrugged. “Everyone’s got their own way of coping. Me, I just always thought of what it would be like to be stuck on the streets like the Foxes and Grubbers. One whiff of those sewers and I knew I’d take the danger of the heights any day.”

  Briana grimaced. “Don’t remind me. Kytos and his Gatherers brought me into Praamis through the sewers, and I remember it being the most horrible part of a truly horrible experience.”

  “There you go.” Kodyn grinned. “But if that doesn’t help, think about what happens if you don’t get down to the ground.”

  Briana’s brow furrowed, and a shadow darkened her face.

  “The only way we’re getting back to the others in one piece is if we get down from here.” Kodyn took her hand. “For their sakes, we’ve got to be brave. For Aisha, Evren, and Issa.”

  As Kodyn had hoped, the names of their friends worked—perhaps Evren’s more than most. The fear didn’t quite fade, but Briana managed to control her nervous trembling long enough to sit on the edge of the roof and lower her legs.

  “Watch,” Kodyn signed. “If you don’t think you can go down like I did the first time, try this.”

  Lowering himself beside her, he wrapped his legs around the rope and began scooting down. With his left foot hooked under the rope, he could use his right foot to control his descent. It was the climbing trick all Hawks learned their first day in the Perch. Halfway down, he removed one hand from the rope to speak to her in the silent hand language. “Your legs do all the work. Your hands just keep you close against the rope so you don’t fall.”

  Briana nodded. “Okay,” she signed back. “I’ll try.”

  “For our friends.” Kodyn’s fingers said. With a grin, he slid the remaining distance to the ground and motioned for her to follow.

  His smile wavered as Briana turned her back to him and began the climb. He glanced away from her descending form only for an instant, long enough to sign to one of the Secret Keepers. “If she falls, we catch her.”

  Thevoris and Tianath moved to stand next to him, and the three of them watched Briana descend, arms ready just in case.

  Halfway down, Briana’s left foot slipped. She gave a little squeak of panic as she slid a few feet, but managed to catch herself. She clutched at the rope, her face as white as her knuckles. Panic filled her eyes and she shook her head. “No, no, no. I can’t do this!”

  “Come on, Briana!” Kodyn called up to her, his voice a loud whisper. “You’ve got this.”

  “You can do it, Briana!” Hailen added his encouragement.

  A loud BOOM echoed from the nearby Temple of Whispers. Secret Keeper heads snapped toward the sound. Startled, Briana gave a little squeak of fright and fell.

  Right into Kodyn’s outstretched arms. Her weight dragged them both to the ground, but Kodyn rolled and cradled her body against his, managing to cushion her fall with his body. Even still, he struck his shoulder painfully against the alley stone.

  “Oh, Kodyn, I’m so sorry!” Briana murmured.

  “I’m fine.” Kodyn forced a grin, hiding his pain. “Just glad you got down.”

  Briana smiled. “That sound, what was it?” she asked as they climbed to their feet.

  Kodyn glanced at Ennolar. The Arch-Guardian looked toward Uryan, who stood at a nearby intersection with the alley that cut between the Temple of Prosperity and the Temple of Derelana. Her eyes were fixed on the Temple of Whispers, and her face had gone pale, more pinched and drawn than usual.

  “Our brethre
n will not relinquish the Mistress’ secrets without a fight,” she signed.

  Worry shone in the eyes of every Secret Keeper. All had friends and comrades fighting for their lives within the temple’s walls, yet they’d chosen to put the needs of Shalandra first. Two sacrifices—fight to their last breath or abandon the temple—Kodyn wasn’t certain which was the more difficult to make.

  The sound of creaking rope heralded Lunus’ descent. He, like all the Secret Keepers, had clung to his burden, refusing to leave behind whatever he carried in the heavy sack slung over his shoulder.

  Kodyn shot a glance at Ennolar. “We can’t have anything slowing us down, if worse comes to worst.”

  Ennolar nodded. “You need not fear for us. We will keep pace.” He patted the satchel hanging at his side. “These supplies are vital for our efforts to reverse whatever black alchemy is responsible for these creatures.”

  Kodyn didn’t press the issue. Instead, he signed, “The nearest tunnel entrance is west of us, near the Path of Sepulture.”

  “Thevoris and Ryneos have already begun clearing a path,” Ennolar responded. “We follow them to safety.”

  Kodyn nodded. “I’ll lead the way.” He pointed to Hailen and Briana. “You, keep them safe.”

  Once again, Hailen had assumed the role of Briana’s protector. He’d drawn his dagger and held it in a firm grip. Kodyn had no doubt the boy would use it, just as he’d used the Serenii artifact to stop Hallar’s Warriors when they invaded the Temple of Whispers.

  Kodyn and Lunus led the way down the alleys, following the twisting, turning maze of narrow lanes away from the Temple District. Thevoris and Ryneos had left a clear path for them to follow, a trail of Stumbler corpses with shattered arms, crushed ribs, and snapped necks.

  Yet for every one the Secret Keepers brought down, a thousand more remained. Most flooded the Artificer’s Courseway and assaulted the temples, but scores still roamed the back alleys. Mindless, they lurched along, with no apparent purpose other than to diminish any chance Kodyn and his companions had of reaching safety.

  The thump of fists striking flesh echoed from a side street just ahead. Kodyn gripped his sword tighter and raced toward the alley, intending to help Thevoris and Ryneos clear a path. Before he reached it, the two Secret Keepers sprinted around the corner.

  “Back!” their fingers signed. “We need to find another way.”

  Stifling a growled curse, Kodyn ran the few paces back to rejoin the rest.

  “Two score of them, just ahead and to the west,” Thevoris signed. “With more beyond.”

  Ryneos, a white-haired priest with a beard that hung down to his waist, nodded. “Our best path is east, toward the entrance just beyond the Temple District.”

  Kodyn gritted his teeth. “That’s twice as far!” he signed.

  Thevoris’ expression grew grim. “Fewer Stumblers in the way, as far as I could see.”

  “We go,” Ennolar signed.

  Damn it! Kodyn glanced up at the sun. Though it hadn’t yet reached its peak, he felt a driving urgency humming within him. The longer their delay in reaching the palace, the worse the situation in the city would become. It was up to him to get the Secret Keepers to safety so they could focus on solving the matter of the Stumblers.

  Without hesitation, he took off at a run, his steps leading east in the direction of the secret tunnel. Ahead and to the south, the sandstone wall loomed high above the Temple District, its golden surface glowing bright in the daylight. It promised safety, if he could just get through the Stumblers between him and the Serenii passages.

  A creature lurched out of the alleys, staggering toward him, swaying as it shuffled through a knee-high pile of debris. Kodyn lashed out with his sword, the tip slashing open the Stumbler’s throat. The Stumbler came on, seeming unaware of the life gushing from the wound. Dodging the outstretched arms, Kodyn drove his dagger into the creature’s skull, piercing bone and slicing brain. The Stumbler crumbled to the alleyway, its body splayed atop a mound of rubbish.

  Kodyn ripped his dagger free and raced on. Farther down the alley, a second Stumbler tottered out of an abandoned hovel, rebounded off a crumbling wall, and careened toward Kodyn. Milk-white eyes fixed on him and claw-tipped hands reached for him, seeking flesh. Kodyn drove his sword into the creature’s chest, knocking it backward.

  A gurgling, gasping sound echoed from behind him, and Kodyn spun. Too late to avoid the Stumbler right on the heels of the one he’d just killed. He had no time to bring his weapons around or even to shift his footing to flee. The creature was on him in an instant, bearing him to the alley floor beneath its bulk. Growling, gurgling, snapping teeth filled his world.

  Panic clutched at Kodyn’s heart with icy fingers. Death stared him in the face once more, a hideous specter of his mortality. He couldn’t die, not like this. Torn apart or chewed to bits by this creature.

  With a snarl of rage, he shoved back against the Stumbler, freeing just enough space to pull his left hand out. Desperate, he drove his dagger into the underside of the Stumbler’s chin. Blood gushed across his hands and arms. The Stumbler’s jaw twitched twice, three times before finally going still.

  The weight suddenly lifted from his chest and Kodyn found Thevoris standing over him. The bearded Guardian offered a hand to help Kodyn up, which Kodyn took with a grateful nod.

  Ryneos finished off the third Stumbler inside the same abandoned house and returned to the alley.

  “We fight together or die alone,” he signed.

  Kodyn nodded. “Thank you,” he said.

  Together, the three of them hurried down the alleys, clearing a path for their companions behind. Kodyn’s sword led the way, sharp steel making quick work of the creatures that blocked their way. Yet he could not do it alone—there were simply too many Stumblers. Thevoris and Ryneos provided the support and assistance that Kodyn now realized he needed.

  From the moment he’d left Praamis, he’d always had Aisha to watch his back. Every time he went off on his own, he’d nearly ended up dead. The truth struck him in that moment: he didn’t just need someone to fight at his side. He needed her.

  The realization staggered him. All his life, he’d fought his own battles. He’d been strong for himself, knowing his mother couldn’t shield him from Bryden’s petty vengeance and the demands of the Night Guild. Yet this journey had taught him that he couldn’t fight the big battles of life alone. Aisha was the one who had gotten him through every difficulty, every challenge alive. Her strength and skill had kept his body from harm, but it was her unshakeable determination, her will, and her tough spirit that made the true difference. She wasn’t just his support; she was the one that kept him going even when he felt ready to give up.

  And he couldn’t imagine a life without her.

  He had no idea what would happen when the battle for Shalandra ended. Her blossoming Spirit Whisperer powers had changed her; she was a far different person than the girl he’d met years ago, even the one that had left Praamis at his side. He had no idea what she planned to do after, where she would go.

  Whatever it was, wherever she went, if she would have him, he would go with her. He needed her in his life.

  Suddenly, a new sense of hope, of purpose flooded Kodyn. The thought of being reunited with Aisha filled him with energy, renewed his determination. A grin broadened his lips as he rushed beside Thevoris and Ryneos, cutting down Stumblers and clearing a path to safety. To Aisha.

  Excitement surged within Kodyn as Thevoris turned south toward the golden sandstone wall. The Secret Keeper had to know the entrance to the tunnels were close.

  Triumph turned to horror as a trio of Stumblers lurched out of a nearby alley. Kodyn and the two Secret Keepers brought them down in the space of two heartbeats, but the rasping, gurgling cries of Stumblers echoed loud in the alley beyond. Scores of creatures flooded the back streets, milk-white eyes now fixed on Kodyn and his companions. They moved in a slow, inexorable tide of claws, snapping teeth, and hideous
flesh.

  Kodyn took in the new threat in an instant. The Stumblers blocked the path to the east, and the way to the west was already obstructed. Their only hope was to race south, toward the narrow lane that ran along the base of the wall, and hope like hell there were fewer Stumblers there.

  The time for silence and stealth had passed.

  Kodyn spun toward Ennolar, Briana, Hailen, and the other Secret Keepers a few dozen paces behind them. “Run!” he shouted. “Before they cut us off!”

  His companions broke into a run, galvanized by the threat of the Stumblers and the urgency in Kodyn’s voice. Kodyn didn’t wait for them to reach him but turned and sprinted ahead, joining Thevoris and Ryneos on the street that ran south. The three of them had to clear a path for the others. It was their only hope of reaching safety.

  No more Stumblers lurched from the alleys they passed, and hope rose in Kodyn’s chest as the wall drew nearer. Yes! He and the two Secret Keepers ducked into the narrow alleyway that stretched east to west along the wall. They were close, he knew from the map he’d memorized, but they had no time to search the wall step by step to find the runes that would open it. He could only hope the Secret Keepers knew where to find the entrance.

  “There!” Thevoris signed, thrusting a finger toward a distant section of the wall.

  Kodyn’s gut clenched as he caught sight of four Stumblers shambling along the alleyway, right where Thevoris indicated.

  “We’ll get rid of them, you just get that door open!” Kodyn called.

  He poured on a fresh burst of speed, racing toward the creatures. A growl burst from his throat as he hacked down the first and drove his dagger into the second’s chest. Ryneos hit the third in a flying leap, driving his knee into the Stumbler’s ribs. Bone snapped audibly and the creature’s chest collapsed. Ryneos’ weight bore it to the ground, where the Secret Keeper seized its neck and, with a quick twist, wrenched its neck.