Mortals & Deities (36 page)

Aritian backed away from his sister as he would a bestial monster come to life.
“How…? Where…?”
He glanced between all three as he sputtered.

Sarshia no longer looked at him. Instead, her gaze fell on the Chi’utlan.
“So this is it? The place where the Essence flows onto our Plane. Amazing.”

Only then did Delmith realize he was not going to die. Looking back, he stared at his mate in wonder.

With a coy smile, Melisian strode forward.
“I went to her as soon as the two of you left. I did the right thing, yes?”

Glancing over to their Princess, he nodded.
“Yes, my one. You have done better than I ever have.”

She beamed at his praise. Reaching out, she took his hand.
“Everything will be—”

“You think you can dismiss me!”
Aritian’s screech echoed through the chamber, causing them both to jump.
“This is not over!”
Their Prince took a step toward the dais.

Sarshia pivoted her head in her brother’s direction.
“It is over, Aritian. And when our Father learns what you have done…Well, I hope for your sake that he is lenient with you.”

With a feral hiss, Aritian took another step closer to the Chi’utlan.
“No, sister! This is far from over.”
Spinning on his heels, he ran for the stairs leading to the pool of Essence and the Human Shaper who had managed to get up on his knees.

Delmith’s heart leapt.
“He is going for the Human!”
He could not stomach witnessing this event once more and looked over at Sarshia, hoping she would order her Gralet into action.

She did not, however. Instead, she stood watching her brother—as if waiting for him to perform a trick.

Returning his attention to his Prince, Delmith was relieved to see that he had been wrong. Aritian did not even glance at the Human as he ran up the stairs. He paused once he reached the top, spinning back to face the group.
“You do not know what it is like, sister!”
He made the last word sound like a curse.
“Being the third child. Having no responsibilities. No Purpose!”
He pointed at Sarshia with a long, thin finger.
“You have your duties, as does our brother. Yet, what have I? Nothing!”

Their Princess let out a snort.
“Really, Aritian? This old argument again? When are you going to mature and accept your place in our society?”

“My place?”
His face contorted with rage.
“My place! I have no place. There is no place for a second son in the royal family. Always, there is one Prince and one Princess. Each has their duties. What are mine? To sit quietly to the side. To not interrupt. It is an insult! I should never have been born!”

Twisting his head, Aritian gazed into the pool.
“Yet this! This gives me purpose!”
He shifted his body so that he stood with his back toward the group again and held out his hands.
“With the power of the Mah’Sukai, I will no longer be pushed aside. Forgotten. Unwanted! I will be the savior of our people!”

Delmith, so caught up in his Prince’s actions, had not noticed Sarshia creeping forward toward the dais.
“Brother, come down from there. You do not know all there is to know about what it does. The Chi’utlan, the power it bestows to the Humans, this is not for us.”
Taking another step forward, Sarshia held out one of her hands.
“Come. Do not do what you are about to do. We shall go to our father together. He will understand.”
After lowering her hands, she took another step.
“All shall be forgiven.”

“Forgiven?”
Aritian hissed at Sarshia, though he did not turn to look at her.
“You wish me to ask forgiveness for trying to save our people?”

A tinkling laugh escaped their Princess.
“Save our people from what, Aritian? The War of Power? That will not begin for thousands of turns of the seasons.”
She now stood at the base of the stairs that led up to Aritian.
“We both will have expired long before then. Even our offspring will have as well. Come…”
She held out her hand once more.
“Stop all this foolishness.”
Her voice took on a harder tone.
“It looks bad in front of the Grays.”

Her words gained his attention at last and he glanced over his shoulder.
“Foolishness?”
A wicked grin sprang to his lips.
“We shall see who the fool is.”
And with that, he stepped out onto the thin sheet of Liquid Essence and vanished.

A gasp came from both females, and Sarshia backed away from the dais.
“Delmith! Tell me what has happened to my brother.”
Fear skirted the corners of her words.

“He has stepped between Planes, my Princess. Or, that is what I have gathered happens when someone enters an active Chi’utlan.”
Delmith noticed Melisian shivering and he pulled her close to him. She spared him a small smile before looking back to the platform.

Within moments, the layer of Essence covering the floor gathered itself into one spot. Delmith knew this was the spot were Aritian stopped when he stepped into the pool. Moving forward, he gained both of the females’ attention.
“If this continues as the others—”
A wail of pain ripped through the chamber before he finished his statement, causing the other two to flinch. Delmith raised his voice to be heard over their Prince’s shrieks of agony.
“If this continues as the others, our Prince will start screaming in pain!”
Turning, he watched as the Liquid Essence worked its way up, forming the shape of Aritian, who stood thrashing about as if on fire.
“The screaming will stop as soon as the Liquid Essence covers his head!”

True to his word, once the silvery liquid washed over Aritian’s mouth, the Prince’s shrieks of pain were silenced. An eerie stillness fell upon them all as they watched the silver form of Aritian thrash about in silence. Without warning, their Prince fell up into the pool above. The impact created no splash, just a few weak ripples radiating out to the edges of the pool.

Remembering what came next, Delmith turned back to the others.
“Cover your eyes. There is about to be a blinding flash.”
Following his own instructions, he closed both his shaded inner eyelids and his clear outer protective lids. He then covered his eyes with his hands. The pulse of light flashed so bright, he felt it. Lowering his hands, he found that the room had gone black. Once the Chi’utlan began casting its silvery light once more, he reached out and pulled his mate’s hands down.
“It is over.”
Turning, he edged toward the dais.

The pool overhead stood empty. The black and gnarled roots of the Chandril’chi tree laced across the dome-like area. In the center of the lower platform lay…

Delmith covered his mouth with a palm and stepped back in horror.

Where he expected to see his Prince on the dais, he saw something else. It had the same blue-gray tinged skin that all Blues had, though this creature’s hide looked more like leather than skin. It had the same basic body structure, as well. Although, whatever this monster was, it was not an Elmorr’Antien. Its chest looked bloated, with a ribcage pushed out two or three times further than normal. The creature’s legs, curled up beneath it as it lay in a fetal position, appeared more akin to those of a dog or horse, though bare of any fur. Grotesque, elongated arms, easily twice as long as any animal Delmith had ever seen, snaked away from its body, ending in sharp, claw-like hands. Boney black spikes ran the length of the creature’s hunched spine. And the thing’s head…The thing’s head looked as if someone had grafted a reptilian jaw onto an Elmorr’Antien’s face. A long black tongue lolled from between interlocking rows of jagged teeth and drooled onto the platform.

A twitch. A jerk. The creature stirred. With terrifying slowness, it rose up and looked around. Opening its jaws, it let out a hiss-like ratcheting noise that reverberated off the limestone walls.

In an instant, Sarshia stood next to Delmith and his mate.
“What…is that? What happened to Aritian?”

“I...”
Delmith, truly at a loss, hesitated.
“I…”

Bending low, the creature squatted, then leapt into the air, landing at the foot of the Chi’utlan. Glancing down the length of one of its arms, it bent it as if unsure how it worked. It flexed its claw-like fingers next. The expression on its face could only be described as…curious.

“Gralet, to me!”
Sarshia’s shout snapped both Delmith and the creature from their thoughts.

Letting out another of its clicking hisses, it ran at the three of them. With a scream, Delmith pushed Melisian and his Princess out of the creature’s path. He had time to fling up his arms before the monster slammed into him, driving them both to the ground. Out of sheer desperation, he managed to keep his hands pressed to the creature’s neck and chest. Saliva drooled from the thing’s open mouth as it stared down at him with large black eyes filled with malice. Delmith felt the hate emanating from the beast. Its tongue lapped out. Licking Delmith’s face, it left a thick, gelatinous smear across his cheek. With a jerk, the monster bit down, snapping its jaws less than a hand span from Delmith’s terror-filled eyes. Again and again, it lunged for him, trying to rend flesh with each bite. Yet, each time its jaws found only empty air.

Delmith’s arms grew weary under the strain of keeping the monster from landing a killing blow. He could not hold off this creature’s attacks for much longer. He knew that his panic was the only thing feeding his strength now.

Suddenly, the monster pounced away. As it leapt, a large steel blade whisked through the spot where the creature had just been. Reaching down, the Gralet’nar grabbed Delmith by the shoulder and slid him away. The Warrior Servant kept its sword at the ready and advanced on the monster with a brute-like determination.

Scrambling further back, Delmith regained his footing. He watched as the big warrior pivoted to get within striking range. The monster danced to the side, staying out of the sword’s reach. It maneuvered, and the Gralet followed. Without warning, it lunged at the hulking Warrior Servant. Yet, before it closed, it changed direction and headed once again for Delmith and his group. Reaching out a long thin arm, it raked its claws across Delmith’s chest. Thick blue blood flowed freely from the deep gashes left behind.

Without pressing its advantage, the monster changed direction once more and ran for the door.

That was all Delmith saw before he collapsed to the ground. Melisian fell to his side, cradling his head in her lap.

Sarshia, only a moment behind his mate, also knelt beside him. She held the Sight of the Essence and he felt her healing touch as she went to work on his wounds.

Not stopping her ministrations on Delmith, Sarshia pointed out the door.
“Get after whatever that was. Alert the entire command if you must. I want that monster found and killed!”

Delmith heard the Warrior Servant shuffle out the door and down the hall. Pivoting his head, he smiled up at his mate.
“I am glad you are safe and well, my one. I would not have survived had you expired.”
Weakness gripped him as his strength fled. His vision strained.

“I am unharmed, my one. As you will be soon. There is no better healer than our Princess.”
She sounded calm, controlled. He wanted to believe her.

“Stay with me, Delmith.”
His Princess’ strong, commanding voice filled his ears.
“You mentioned something about the Chi’utlan being a gateway to another Plane. Could that creature have come through when Aritian entered?”

“Mayhaps, my Princess.”
His tongue felt thick. The room dimmed around him.
“I…am not…certain.”

He lied, however. He knew that creature had not come from another Plane of existence. He knew the moment he looked into its hate-filled black eyes as it tried to rip out his throat.

Aritian did not allow some creature into our Plane. That creature is Aritian.

Blackness overtook him, and the last thing he saw was the concerned face of his mate.

Stone columns, so covered by vines and moss that they were not recognizable as being man-made, jutted out from the mire surrounding the relatively flat stretch of land the small party had traversed for most of the morn. The jungle buzzed with the sounds of motion. Birds with brightly colored feathers, long-armed animals swinging from tree to tree, rodents…and bugs. Bugs crawling everywhere. Long thin ones, small fat ones, hard-shelled ones, and squishy ones. Yet, it was the flying ones that were the worst—some were as big as Alant Cor’s palm! He flinched each time one of these monstrosities flitted past his face, though none of the bigger ones had ever landed on anyone.

I wish I could say the same for the smaller ones.

With a quick flick of his arm, he slapped at a sharp biting pain on his neck. The reward for his quick hand—a gooey substance squished between his fingers. Grimacing, he wiped his hand on his already soiled pants. Though they had walked only a few short aurns this morn, mud oozed between his toes inside his boots with every step.

As if his brother read his mind, Arderi looked over and grinned. “At least this path is dry. For now, anyway.”

Rohann, the maniacal glint in his eyes stronger than ever, rubbed his hands together. “This was once the main road into Sar’Xanthia.” He waved a hand at a few indistinct stones. “You can still see the paverstones sticking up.” He had spoken this way for two days now—as if he saw things differently than the rest.

The large Kithian pulled the boy, Charver, closer to him when Rohann spoke. Klain had overcome his feelings of shame for having nearly let the boy drown, and once again kept himself between the boy and his father. Alant, unsure how he felt about the merchant, doubted the man would hurt his own son. Still, other than that brief bout of sanity following the boy’s near drowning, the merchant had lost all interest in Charver, and Alant could not blame the Kith for being protective.

The man is disturbed.

Elith acted as at home here in the muck as she had on the streets of Mocley. Striding along the slippery, uneven path as easily as if the paverstones still lay firmly in place, the gray-skinned woman looked at peace. At least, she would look peaceful had he not known how explosive and violent she was. She used her black onyx staff as a walking stick now. The bottom end had flattened out into a round disk about the size of his palm to stop it from sinking into the damp ground. Alant longed to get his hands on that staff. If only for a moment. He had looked at it with the Sight several times, and the patterns it held took his breath away. Never before had he seen the Essence so—vibrant, as it was inside that staff. He could not figure out how Elith changed the staff into new shapes. He never felt her Melding, if that is what she did. Still, it was a mystery he would love to solve.

Probing her for answers proved a dead end. She claimed she did not know how it changed, just that it did. Her evasiveness frustrated him.

Glancing over her shoulder, she graced him with one of her tight-lipped smiles. It reminded him of a cat smiling at its prey. He suppressed a shudder until he locked onto her silver slit eyes. Her smile looked feral under them.

At a laugh from Arderi, Alant’s face grew hot. His brother was the one smitten with the strange girl, though he delighted in insisting that she only had eyes for
her Mah’Sukai
. Alant, himself, still had no clue why Elith had agreed to come on this journey with them. Her presence scared him almost as much as her protection comforted him. With all her talk of her Priests of Fatint, he still half-expected her to stuff him into a sack and cart him off to Komar. The gods only knew what those fanatical people wanted with him.

“Whatever this strip of land used to be, I am thankful for it.” Even after all their time together, it still shocked Alant to hear the large lion-like creature speak. Alant did not think he could have reached up and touched the top of its fur-covered head. “I have grown weary of mud between my toes.”

“There!” Rohann’s strangled whisper sent a shiver of terror cutting through Alant until he realized the man pointed to a large marble archway surrounded by the remnants of what might have been an outer wall. Wall and archway stood covered in thick vines, rendering them almost invisible. In one spot, a gnarled tree grew through an area of debris that may have been a building long ago. Continuing around the bend in the road, one ancient building after another sprang into view through the canopy of trees. Each damaged structure lay covered in thick jungle growth.

Passing under the main arch, Alant noticed a coin lying in the center of the path. Bending down, he picked it up. Though old, the gold it was made from still shone. It looked about the same size and weight as a ta’narian. On one side, he made out the head of a woman, her long hair flowing toward the edge. The other side showed the picture of an unfamiliar bird. Markings surrounded the edges on both sides, though he did not recognize any of them.

“Hmm. It seems you have found the lost treasure of Sar’Xanthia after all.” His brother peered over his shoulder. When Alant glared up at him, Arderi grinned. “Can we go home now?”

“Here.” Alant handed the coin to Arderi. “You keep this one. I will take the next.”

Shrugging, Arderi took the coin and flipped it in the air. Snatching it as it fell back down, he slipped it into his belt pouch. “Done is done, brother.” Adjusting his sword belt, he pointed deeper into the city. “It seems our party is leaving us.”

Looking up, Alant saw that his brother spoke true. Rohann had picked up his pace in his frantic attempt to get to wherever he was leading them to. It was odd that the man had a destination in a city that had been lost for millennia.

Although, I as well need to find someone now that we have reached this city. Not that I have any idea how to find her.

Waving his brother on, the two moved to catch the rest of the group up. Once they did, Alant found them walking down a street that was surprisingly intact. Large and wide, it wound its way between buildings that had collapsed into ruin. Foliage had grown and taken command of the area. Ornately carved paverstones, however, still lined the way with only an occasional one missing. Planters lined the center of the boulevard, though he doubted the broad-leafed plants that grew in them now were the original decorations.

There was no doubt the city had fallen long ago. Everywhere he looked he saw the massive jungle trees, which created the thick canopy a hundred paces or more overhead. If these trees had had the time to grow that big, who knew how long ago the people of this city abandoned it.

Following the wide boulevard, it first curved in a gentle arc one way then bent back upon itself to curve the other as it weaved its way through the center of what Alant now realized had been a major city.

Mayhaps one even larger than Mocley!

They walked for the better part of an aurn before Charver complained of hunger. Finding what must have been a park—a stone table with one intact and one smashed bench being the only testament to this—they stopped for halfmeal.

As was the norm, Rohann continued without them. He would return, or at least he always had. Klain pulled the boy off from the group, leaving Alant, Elith and Arderi some privacy.

Staring after the merchant, Elith cocked her head to one side. “There is something bad stirring within that man. It has increased these past two days. He will need to be dealt with soon.”

Her statement, said in such a matter-of-fact manner, took Alant aback. “You will do no such thing!” His startled statement caused the lion-man to glance their way, and Alant lowered his voice. “Elith. I do not trust Rohann any more than Klain does. Still, that is no reason to kill someone.”

“She will do as the Mah’Sukai wills.” Her stiff back said that she did not agree. Spinning on her heel, she stalked away, disappearing into a ruined building on the opposite side of the park.

“You better watch yourself, brother.” Mischief laced Arderi’s tone. “That one bites.”

Rounding on Arderi, Alant shook a finger under his brother’s nose. “
You
better watch
yourself
, Arderi!” A shocked look on his face, Arderi threw up his hands. Alant pressed him. “You have been acting the fool. This is serious!” Waving a hand, he indicated the entire jungle. “People have died here and you act like we are on a spring walk around the walls of our stead! Just because you now wear a sword and seem to know how to handle it, is no reason to go off and lose what little brains you have in that head of yours.”

“All right. All right.” Arderi glanced around. “There is no reason to get in an uproar.”

It had not occurred to Alant that he yelled. Now that it was brought to his attention, he cringed at how loud his shouts were against the overall silence of the dead city. Looking around, he noted that everyone else now stared at him. Even Elith had returned to peer out from the building she explored.

Feeling the fool he accused Arderi of being, he pulled his pack off his back and sat down on the stone bench. Keeping his head down, he searched for something to eat.

His brother hovered over him. With a heavy sigh, he sat down next to Alant. “You are correct. I have been acting the fool.” Arderi’s admission came unexpectedly, and Alant paused in his digging to look up. Before he said anything, however, Arderi continued. “I am scared, Alant. Right down to my bones.” Turning his head to the right, he stared out into the jungle. “This place is terrifying. And if I do not laugh at it, I fear I will run off screaming like a little girl.” He chuckled. “Well, not like the little girl who travels with us. I do not think
she
is afraid of anything.”

Despite his anger, his brother’s jest made Alant laugh. “Aye, if I did not believe she was with us, Elith would frighten me more than all the monsters in this jungle.” Pulling out a piece of stale bread, he broke off a hunk and offered it to Arderi. “Still, I do not wish to die because you are joking around and not paying attention.”

“Oh, I am paying attention, brother.” He took the bread and bit into it. “This jungle could not hold any more of my attention if it reached out and slapped my face.”

Looking in the direction Arderi had stared, Alant shivered. “Aye. This place…it is eerie. Too quiet. Have you noticed?”

“Have I noticed that all the sounds of the jungle are behind us, as if nothing living will enter this dead city? It is kind of hard to miss. The further we travel, the further we leave life behind.” Arderi stood. “Aye, brother. I have noticed. And it has my full attention. I promise you.” Stuffing the last of the bread into his mouth, he turned and walked toward the Kithian.

Alant watched him go, trying to force down the awful bread. His brother had grown so much since he had left him at their home stead a few short winters gone. Broad of shoulders, Arderi looked taller and stronger than their papa. And the sword at his side, the one he named Dorochi, did seem as if it belonged there.

The Kith stood and welcomed Arderi as an equal, which Alant saw as another astonishing thing, considering the tension between them just a few short days gone. Even Elith treated his brother with more respect than she showed to him.

How does he do it? He has not even reached his eighteenth naming day and everyone sees him as a man. An equal.

Rohann came trotting up to the group, an excited glee filling him. “We are close! I know the way! Hurry, hurry. We must not wait!”

Standing, Alant snagged his pack just as Elith walked up. Nodding his head toward the others, the two joined the group. “Close to what?”

“The tree! The one I was told to find.” Rotating his upper body, he pointed down the boulevard. “It is not much further!”

Arderi cocked his hand on one hip. “Wait. All this time, you have been leading us to a tree? I thought you were looking for someone.”

Waving a hand to dismiss Arderi, Rohann did not take his eyes from Alant. “Aye, I am here to find true redemption. Yet, it is the tree I was told to bring you to.” Raising an arm, he pointed at Alant. “It is he who will know what to do next.”

Not being able to stop himself, Alant took a step back. “Me? What do I know of trees?”

A wicked smile spread across the merchant’s face. “Oh, I think you will know this one.
‘Black as death with blood red leaves, it reaches to the heavens for forgiveness’
.” He spoke as if reciting something.

Alant felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach.

A Chandril’chi tree? That cannot have been what I have felt! Yet, why would there be one here?