Broken Earth

by C M Blackwood

  Their time had expired. Whether this had been his end (and at that time Lila did not know), Jonathan Payton had certainly managed to achieve it; and the Sorceress was at that very instant leading her armies to Eredor.

  XLIV: The March

  The halls of Grénha were alive with movement. Dain Aerca had had to propel a great number of Narken from the main fortress, and down into the tunnels which led to the remaining seven; for just that morning, there had arrived from Death Rock a force of several hundred Lumaria, who came at the bidding of Edrich, and stood behind him as their leader. Once within the fortress, of course, Zana claimed title over them all, and sallied them into a great dark hall, where she proceeded to inform them of the plans of the march.

  Dain occupied herself during this time by visiting each fortress (for it had so happened that, in that time wherein she waited upon orders from the Master, she was able to fill the last three – so that there were, before the arrival of the Lumaria and the clearing of Grénha, eight great underground edifices which were filled with wolves). With nearly a thousand Narken housed in each fortress, her army would have been formidable, even without the assistance of any others. Yet there were also those aforementioned Lumaria; as well as a great host of men from the South (which consisted of several thousand), who waited in a rigid formation at that very moment on the ground above Grénha. Dain was no longer concerned for the secrecy of her fortress – for she knew well enough, of course, that Lila Bier had already found it out.

  The Southerners were Dain’s most expendable weapon. They fought under her command, and would do so till the death – but they still were only men, and fought with nothing but the influence of their hand-made arms. The Narken needed no arms; for their strength was unerring, and they needed nothing save for the crushing abilities of their great paws, and the razor-like effects of their fangs.

  Though they were indeed the smallest host that would set forth that day, the Night People were nevertheless the most indispensable force which Dain possessed. They could scarcely be killed; their speed was unmatched; they were aware of their enemies movements, while those movements were little more than unformed thoughts in the brain; and their strength outmatched even the Narken (however much some of those beastly creatures, most especially Kellin, liked to disbelieve).

  The Master had come only the previous afternoon, to alert Dain that the time was ripe. He ordered that all be made ready in the night, so that the march might begin just before dawn; and so she had spent every moment since she awoke (from a rather short, shallow and sullied sleep) in the formation of the ranks.

  And now that all indeed had been prepared to the utmost, Dain called to her Zana, for the final meeting before the fact. Then she retired for the time to her own chamber, where she awaited the arrival of the Lumarian woman – who, for all intents and purposes, had become Queen to those of the Night People who had chosen to join in the fight. Edrich and Biscayne sat below her in the hall, and listened just as intently to her words as did all the others.

  Dain was gazing into her Sphere, and taking note of the positions of the high officers of Eredor (but most particularly that of the Princess, who so happened to be, at that moment, asleep in one of the towers) when there came a knock at the door.

  “Come, Zana,” she said, putting away her Sphere.

  The door swung open, and in stepped Zana; behind whom stood another person. Dain squinted towards them, but they were concealed by the tall figure of the Lumarian.

  “Who do you bring unbidden to my chamber?” asked Dain.

  Zana stepped aside, and made visible her accompaniment.

  “Well, well!” exclaimed Dain, rising from her seat. “I do say, Zana! Very good work, I grant you.”

  The Auren took a step forward, so as to stand level with Zana. She stood strong, and tall (nearly as tall as Zana herself), and looked into Dain’s face without fear. She was dressed much the same as her companion, in black gown and crimson mantle. Dain stared a moment into her face; saw the whiteness there, and the utter lack of flush or blood; and she smiled.

  “You have done it, Zana,” she said. “All the hours of work I put in – and you bring her here to me, with the very thing achieved which I did try to do! Perhaps I underestimated you.”

  “Perhaps?” said Zana.

  “I am afraid that is the best you will get from me, my good woman.”

  “Then I suppose I am inclined to accept it.”

  Dain returned her gaze to the Auren, and saw that she was staring at her, with a murderous gleam in her eye.

  “Surely you do not begrudge me my efforts, dear girl?” asked Dain. “They were all in your best interest, I assure you.”

  The Auren answered her nothing; but refused to drop her eyes.

  “I should be careful, my dear, if I were you,” said Dain softly.

  Zana placed her hand on the woman’s arm, and murmured something into her ear. Only then did the woman avert her eyes, and fall back behind Zana.

  “You have trained her well,” said Dain. “Long you have assumed her, I believe, as your pet – but finally she does act the part!”

  Zana raised her eyes, and held Dain’s for a long moment. “I should also be rather careful, dear Sorceress,” said she, “if I were you.”

  “Very well, Zana. Today is not a day for arguments! I have called you here for a last meeting with the Master. After he has departed, so shall we.”

  Zana nodded curtly, and led the Auren to the pair of chairs beside Dain’s table. Dain took her own seat again, and fell to looking upon the Auren; half in wonderment, and half in displeasure. She was, indeed, a fine specimen, and her Power was no doubt immense. But there was an air of rebellion about her, that most matched Zana’s own; and it was perfectly clear, that the Lumarian had culled this creature to a likeness of herself. She even came again, after a little time had passed, to glaring at Dain – and Zana made this time no attempt to discourage her.

  They waited for perhaps a quarter of an hour, before the Master arrived. Dain knew not whether he had anticipated the Auren’s presence there; but he came in his human guise, and did appear quite handsome there before them, with a smile upon his face that would have been deemed charming by most anyone. Dain became even more convinced of the reason for his mask, by the fact that his very first glance went to the Auren, and remained there with her a long while before he spoke.

  “I see that you have been working hard, Sorceress,” said he. “I do believe that there was much doubt, and much cause for speculation, as to the fate of this beautiful young woman I see before me?”

  “There was indeed,” said Dain. “But I feel I must point out, that they were Zana’s own efforts which accomplished the feat.”

  “Very good. Now, although it was not my own design to create this creature who has been made, I do verily believe that she will come to good use. Her old friends, I think, will be most affected by her newer – and darker – tendencies.”

  “Most certainly,” said Dain.

  The mask of the man stepped forth, the better to look into the face of the Auren. “How spirited you look!” he exclaimed. “And very powerful, I should assume.”

  The woman said nothing; but only looked upon the Master, with much the same anger and disrespect as she had offered to Dain. At this, even Zana appeared concerned.

  “You shall do many great things, shan’t you, my girl?” asked the Master.

  “I suppose that would depend,” answered the Auren.

  “Upon what?”

  “Upon what you consider great.”

  The Master clapped his hands together. “Oh, how wonderful!” he said. “I like this one very much. But I am most curious – and I insist upon being satisfied in my curiosity

  – about her strength.” He looked down upon the Auren, and assumed a tone of command. “Rise up,” said he, “and show me your Power.”

  The girl stood without hesitation. She held out her hand, and called to the Sphere, which hovered presently just
above the table. As it drifted near to her, she passed a hand over it; and then sent it to hang in the air before the others. The white mist cleared, and there came an image into its centre, which spread to take the space of the whole. It was at first very dark, and could not be made out, but very quickly took upon a hue of clarity. Three faces looked into it; and three faces beheld a rather disturbing scene, as came the image of Dain into the Sphere, standing alone in an open field. A strange look of fear came upon her face, just before there flashed a brilliant light. An instant later, she dropped down to the ground; and upon the focusing of the Sphere on her face, it was clear that the life had gone out of her; and her eyes lay open to the sky.

  Dain drew a deep breath, and snatched the Sphere out of the air.

  “What is this?” asked the Master. “What is this that you show us? Do you call upon the future?”

  The Auren grinned. “I know nothing of the future,” she said.

  “Then what do you play at?” demanded Dain, striding forth so as to lean her own face down close to the other’s. “What do you play at?”

  “Calm yourself, Sorceress,” said the Master. “Though it seems that your new charge has little liking for you, you must still look upon the greatness of what you have just seen.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Dain.

  “Do you not see, Sorceress? Do you not see what she has done? The Sphere is your own; and by all rights and purposes, should not be of use to any but yourself. It depicts, to your own eyes, future events. Do you not see what it means, that the girl can call images into it?”

  “I am afraid that I have missed the wonder of this particular experiment.”

  “That girl,” said the Master, gesturing to the Auren, “possesses now what no other creature upon this earth does possess. She has the ability to write the future.”

  “Certainly not,” said Dain. “Certainly it is only a cheap trick.”

  “It is nothing of the sort. I assure you, Sorceress, that what you see is genuine.”

  Dain looked to the Auren; and then back to the Master. “But – but that is not possible. No such Power accompanies the transformation! She would have only what Power she had before, in addition to the rights of all the Lumaria.”

  The Master stepped forward towards the Auren, and put a hand to her face. “What a wonderful creature you are!” said he. “I’ve not seen anything like you, in all my thousands of years upon earth.”

  “But certainly,” said Dain, “what she calls into the Sphere is not true? She does not show my true death?”

  “Certainly not!” said the Master. “I am sure that she meant no harm. You meant no harm, did you, dear girl?”

  The Auren said nothing.

  “Erase what you have written,” ordered the Master.

  Dain looked down into the Sphere, and saw there still her own lifeless body. But then the Auren offered another wave of her hand; and the image disappeared.

  “Magnificent!” said the Master. “Absolutely magnificent!”

  “It is more of a danger,” said Dain, “than it is anything else. She cannot be trusted!”

  “Hold your tongue,” said Zana. “You only resent that the Power is not yours!”

  “And you do not?” asked Dain. “It would have done the more good, in the hands of either you or I. In hers, it shall lead to nothing but ill things.”

  “Show me more,” said the Master to the Auren. “Show me more of what you can do.”

  The Auren took a step back from the table. She looked into each face present, as if preparing for some great feat.

  And then she disappeared.

  ~

  Jade knew almost not what she did, when she called forth the image of a dead Sorceress into the Sphere. She knew not about the future, or about the Power to alter such a thing; but it only occurred to her that she might project into that mysterious ball, what she envisioned in her own mind. From the moment she set eyes upon the Sorceress, she desired her death; and so did project this thing, into the Sphere. She knew not if it bespoke of any greater Power than she had already possessed. She knew not at all what it meant, aside from the fact that it seemed to sate the man who appeared in the Sorceress’ chamber.

  She took a great risk in shifting from the fortress. But she knew that battle was nigh; and she knew that she had little time left. No doubt, both Zana and the Sorceress were fully aware of where she was going – but she did hope, while the latter would certainly be too afraid to enter the abode of the Princess alone, that Zana would grant her at least a few moments in her errand.

  She worried that, perhaps, the completion of the transformation would hinder her previous ability to shift within the walls of Eredor. She nearly expected to strike face-first against the wall of stone; and so was rather surprised, when she came after only several moments to the very place she had sought.

  It was early morning (or perhaps very late at night), and the dawn was yet to break. When she arrived in Heidi’s chamber, the place was full dark; but she could see, with the newfound power of her eyes, the sleeping form upon the bed. She needed not even speak, to call forth a radiance that set the room aglow. Yet the light which she summoned was no longer blue. It burnt red as fire, and made the chamber appear as if it had all been stained with blood. So it was, even with the beautiful sight of Heidi’s sleeping face.

  This effect, though wholly applicable to that unearthly glow, could not be so simply assigned in Jade’s own mind. She looked upon Heidi, and was stricken with guilt; for all of that blood which appeared to her, was more a result of what seemed, still, to stain her hands; and what seemed, still, to roll over her tongue. The flesh was cold, and raw; and stuck in her throat like dry bread. She retched many times, as she tried to devour it, but in the end could not be deterred, for even as she ate she felt those broken bones begin to heal, and those separations of her skin begin to close. She would have taken death – oh, how she would have wished for it! But death was not to be got. There was only pain, unending pain and misery.

  She swallowed thickly as she approached the bed. She walked as one weighted down with great chains, and sat down beside Heidi with the sorrow of a warrant of death what has already been issued. So it was, really, for Jade; and she looked with eyes full of tears upon the face of her greatest friend. She knew not if she even had the strength to wake her, but was helped in the end, by something that seemed to have alerted Heidi to her presence. Her eyes fluttered open; and she looked upon Jade as one who has just left a dream, and is not altogether certain whether what they see is real.

  “Jade!”

  “Oh, Heidi,” said Jade, peering as best she could through the tears that had finally run over. “I’m so sorry, Heidi.”

  Heidi lifted herself up, and took Jade into her arms. “What happened to you?” she cried, running her hands wildly through Jade’s hair. “What happened to you, Jade?”

  “It’s no use, Heidi,” sobbed Jade, laying her head against Heidi’s breast. “It’s all over.”

  “Oh, Jade – won’t you tell me? Won’t you tell me what happened?”

  “I was weak,” Jade whispered, turning her face into the folds of Heidi’s gown. “I was weak, Heidi. Don’t you see? Don’t you see what I am?”

  Heidi put a hand to her cheek, and lifted up her face. She looked searchingly into her eyes; and saw the monster there. She drew a sharp breath, and shivered; but she did not move away.

  “What has she done to you? Oh, gods – what did she do to you? You were well again! You were finally – and then –”

  Her voice broke, and she dropped her head down to Jade’s shoulder.

  “I cannot stay,” said Jade. “They will be coming soon – coming to the castle! They have planned an attack. If they find me here, they will kill you. I cannot stay with you!”

  “Of course you can,” said Heidi, clinging desperately to her. “You only just came back. You won’t leave me again!”

  Jade knew not how she managed to speak those next words; for
the power of her tears was so great, she felt that perhaps, if she only lay there long enough, she would become again what she had been. She would be monster no more – and she would lay there forever, beside Heidi.

  But she knew far better than to think that was to be.

  “It is over for me,” she whispered, putting her hand to Heidi’s face. “To stay would only cause you hurt. They know that I have gone; and they will come for me. I came only – to say goodbye.”

  Had she still been human, she was sure that the look of pain upon Heidi’s face would have struck her dead. Her heart would have broken verily in two; and she would have died. What with the completion of the change, she could now see into the dense multitude of Heidi’s thoughts. She had no practise in sifting through them, so that she might understand them as singular entities; but their power was in itself quite enough to render her helpless.

  “You cannot leave me,” said Heidi. “You cannot leave me, Jade. I will stand with you – I will do whatever it takes! Don’t you know how I love you? You cannot leave!”

  “What has been done,” said Jade, “cannot be undone. Don’t you see, Heidi? There is no life for you, with something like me.”

  “Something like you? What are you, Jade? You are only you! You are as ever you were – and nothing else matters. We will leave, just you and I. We will hide!”

  “There is no hiding from them,” said Jade. “Even now, they know where I am. Why they have not come for me, I know nothing – and for that, I must end this now. I must go.”

  She tried to pull away from Heidi, and to stand; but Heidi would have none of it. She held tightly to her, and pulled her back down to the bed. It had taken so much resolve, even to make that single attempt – Jade did not know if she could find the will to break wholly away.

  Heidi looked now into her eyes, with desperation writ all over her face. “I’ll not lose you,” she whispered. “She made you what you are. She made you – and you can make me. Then we will be stronger, you and I, than any of them!”