The Nemesis Blade (59 page)

“Which realm?”
Sabian drawled.

Elianas met
his eyes. “We do not speak the names of realms.”

Tianoman
pointed out, “We all know of Digilan.”

“And the
Plane,” Teroux added.

Elianas
nodded. “Consider yourselves blessed, then.”

Tianoman
stared at him. “Why do you feel so familiar?”

Torrullin’s
grip tightened on his goblet, but he was careful not to let it
show.

Elianas
grinned. “I do not know - Tian, right? I think we could get on
well.”

“Yes,”
Tianoman smiled.

Torrullin let
out a silent sigh of relief.

Declan, with
lowered eyes, asked, “And when this journey is over? Do you return
to your realm?”

Elianas
shrugged. “Perhaps I shall prove of enough worth to earn a place in
this one.”

On the other
side of Torrullin, Teighlar leaned in to his friend. “Why are you
secretive about this man?”

In the
awareness that Elianas was able to cope with the questions asked of
him, Torrullin spoke to Teighlar. “He is dear to me, and I do not
lay open my feelings.”

“So dear, you
have never spoken of him?”

“Exactly.”

Teighlar was
unbelieving, but let it pass. Then, “He is like the other side of
you, even in appearance.”

“Really? You
flatter both of us.”

“Like Rixile,”
Teighlar said. “An alter ego.”

“It is not
like that.”

Teighlar
leaned in even closer. “Of course it is. I have eyes in the back of
my head, you know.”

Torrullin
forced a smile onto his face. “Now you are like Quilla with the
spooks.”

“The birdman
is sharp, and I trust his judgement.”

Torrullin
snorted.

“Do we really
need him?” Teighlar questioned.

“If the likes
of Sabian and Maple are on this team, why not Elianas?”

“But do we
need him?”

“I need him,”
Torrullin murmured. He looked directly into Teighlar’s blue eyes.
“In truth, he is a brother of the heart. As you are.”

Teighlar was
quiet. “Then I shall regard him as my brother also.”

Torrullin’s
expression was transparent. “Thank you.”

Teighlar
winked and then leaned forward to draw Elianas’ attention on
Torrullin’s other side. When he had it, he said, “Welcome, my
brother, to Grinwallin.”

Elianas
glanced at Torrullin and then smiled. “Thank you.”

Somewhere,
Quilla gave a snort.

Chapter 44

Every journey
is different. Choose wisely before you embark.

~ Book of
Sages

Grinwallin

T
he sun was westerly by the time
they were ready.

A raft was
brought in from the river folk of Tunin and manhandled down to the
cavern where the river rushed through. When the team saw the size
of the thing, they realised the underground river was not a small
stream.

Teighlar held
last minute conclaves with his Elders and then thoroughly checked
everyone’s gear. He was insistent, and had Tianoman throw out heavy
items. Rose was told to dress practically in breeches - found and
borrowed from a Senlu woman, with spare articles - and her pack was
entirely redone. Rose, clearly, had not hiked before. Both Teroux
and Tianoman looked on, feeling protective, while Tristan paced the
Great Hall watching Saska and Caballa in conversation.

Torrullin,
meanwhile, defended Elianas against Declan and Quilla, and Elianas
wandered around gazing at the sights. Dechend watched him
worriedly. Maple attached to Sabian.

When Teighlar
announced all was ready, everyone was relieved to finally move.
Dechend led the way into the mountain, taking a route that was
rough and dark, and brought silence and caution. The raft, clearly
passed this way with the help of a little magic.

Even Teroux’s
optimism suffered when he realised the journey ahead could be
uncomfortable.

Caballa and
Saska brought up the rear, whispering together. Elianas thought the
whispers were about him, and Torrullin wondered if they discussed
Cat’s pregnancy.

Soon they
reached a cavern of rough, sharp stone, a dome of rock. On the one
side a mighty river was a torrent of sound and movement, with spray
filling the space, wetness dripping from walls and ceiling, puddles
underfoot. The noise was overpowering. Only shouting would serve.
Nobody spoke.

Teighlar
gestured towards the raft, a sturdy platform lying beside the
river, and they headed to it. From somewhere natural light filtered
in - the science of the city’s creators - and it shone upon a mad
swirl of deeply dark water.

They watched
the insane currents with unease.

The raft
lifted high off the ground with the aid of airtight containers. It
promised good float. In the centre there was a mast pole and a sail
wrapped around it. The edges were buffered with hessian sacks
filled with a lightweight element that was both waterproof and soft
enough to lean against. Six oars were lashed to the deck and a
rough tiller bolted down on one side. Next to the mast was a chest
filled with rope, and on the deck a number of iron hooks protruded.
A water barrel was lashed to one side.

Teighlar
climbed up onto the wooden platform with Torrullin behind him.
Shouting at each other, they decided to tie their packs to the
hooks and then to tie themselves also. A dangerous ride lay
ahead.

They called
for the packs and, with Tristan and Dechend’s help, secured them,
and also tied off fourteen lengths of rope, the purpose of those
clear to the others waiting on the ground.

Rose clutched
at Teroux, causing Tianoman to scowl. Saska touched him on the arm,
shaking her head. He managed to smile at her.

Torrullin
untied the oars and passed one to Dechend - who likely knew more of
the river than all of them together - and to Tristan, and kept one.
Teighlar took another, grinning at Torrullin’s raised eyebrows, and
then called everyone closer.

As they
stepped aboard, Torrullin handed an oar to Teroux and was about to
give the other to Tianoman when Elianas took it. Sabian seemed put
out.

Teighlar,
Teroux and Dechend took up positions on one side, with Torrullin,
Elianas and Tristan on the other. Everyone made use of the safety
ropes.

They were
ready.

Without
further delay, Teighlar set up an inaudible mutter, the raft lifted
and then moved over the water. A moment later it dropped to the
surface … and the current had them.

Rose squealed
as the vessel hurtled forward out of control.

They were
off.

“HOLD ON!”
Teighlar shouted, his voice tinny above the rushing water.

They held
on.

Teroux lost
his oar to the fury of the current. The rest did not attempt
steering after that.

The cavern
vanished from view swiftly and the raft entered a tunnel of gloom.
Sound was thunderous.

A pack came
undone and hurtled across the tossing deck to smack into Caballa.
She went half over the side, her scream loud, and Tristan dropped
his oar and threw himself at her, dragging her back, face grim with
intent.

Torrullin
caught the skittering oar, his expression as forbidding. Teroux
trapped the pack as it was about to go over. He held it gripped
between his legs and prayed to all gods he could think of. Tristan
wedged between Caballa and the edge, holding on with fingers forced
into a gap in the planking.

Saska was
green and near her Tianoman started retching.

Then it got
worse.

The raft
hurtled towards the tunnel wall. They would be smashed to
pieces.

Torrullin,
white-faced, roughly handed his two oars to Elianas and lifted his
hands to face the approaching wall, the jagged edges highlighted by
swirling shadows. At the point of impact a force field erupted from
his palms and pushed them aside.

He pushed too
hard.

The raft
headed for the opposite wall.

Swearing
foully, Teighlar mimicked Torrullin’s gesture, saving them in time.
From then on the two enchanters took turns at keeping the tunnel at
bay.

Rose was a
sobbing wreck of fear, clutching at Sabian.

Declan swore
continuously and tried to protect his wings as best he could.

They were
drenched from spray and repeated washing of the deck, a deck that
now seemed tiny compared to first embarking.

“RAPIDS
AHEAD!” Dechend shouted, barely making himself heard. “Hold
on!”

They held
on.

Ahead, the
tunnel widened and beyond that a strange blue glow appeared. The
glow went ignored, for boiling white foam in the widening of the
tunnel had their attention.

The raft
bucked towards it and then it was in - Rose screamed - and they
fell, holding onto anything, everything.

They went
under, jerked about, and then the raft’s airtight containers shot
them to the surface and beyond, and they smashed back down. Spines
compressed, and Saska bit through her lip. Rose sobbed.

Her sobbing
was loud … deafening.

They were in a
gigantic cavern and the water was as still as a fishpond on a hot
summer’s day. The water was clear, cool blue and far up the glows
of sunset could be discerned.

The outside
world, now unreachable.

“Hush, Rose,”
Teroux murmured. “We made it.” His murmur reverberated around the
massive space and plinked upon the water.

“For fuck’s
sake, you could’ve warned us!” Torrullin snapped at Teighlar.

The Emperor
merely shrugged.

Torrullin’s
voice echoed about three, four, five times before dying away.

Quilla, tinier
in drenched state, touched Torrullin on the arm and pointed. To the
left a flat shelf beckoned safety.

He nodded and
took an oar from Elianas and they paddled towards and bumped
against it. Sabian jumped off with the mooring rope; a huge iron
ring was cemented into the shelf.

He tied off,
saying, “Someone used to come here often.”

“Not me,”
Teighlar muttered. He clambered off and then helped Rose and
Saska.

“Luvans,”
Dechend informed. “This gauntlet was run down to the exit at the
ocean in the east. Quite a few bones lie in this water.”

“Crazy,”
Teroux muttered. The echoes, mercifully, were now minimal.

“Are you all
right?” Tristan murmured into Caballa’s ear. She nodded as he
helped her rise, and they left the raft together.

Torrullin
threw the oar to the deck, climbed off and headed for Saska. “Let
me see.” Her lip bled profusely.

She stood
there mute without looking at him as he touched a finger to her lip
to close the wound. Her eyes flicked up when his finger lingered
there.

“I am sorry,”
he whispered.

“For what?
Truth?”

“Yes, for
truth.” He removed his hand and moved away.

She nearly bit
through her lip again, furious with herself.

Torrullin
collared Dechend. “How much of this?”

The Senlu
Elder gave a rueful shrug. “I do not know, my Lord, but I would say
it is pointless hauling out dry clothes.”

Teroux
swore.

“It’s
beautiful,” Rose breathed. She stood at the edge of the shelf
gazing with rapt attention into the clear blue depths.

It was
beautiful, of a kind unmarked by man’s influence. The water was
alluring in colour and deceptive in stillness. The current had
descended, and that kind of danger and contradiction was part of
nature’s true beauty.

Teighlar was
all business. “Secure those packs and then we must be off. We have
a way to go.”

Rose glanced
at him. No time for beauty, then. She moved off to Teroux’s side
and watched him tie up the loose pack and check the others.

Torrullin
wandered aside to stare into the distance, attempting to envision
what lay ahead. He sensed Elianas come to rest beside him and felt
a warm shoulder press to his. He did not move away.

“I did not
expect this.”

Elianas
laughed. “It gets worse. The abyss lays a few surprises ahead.”

“Can you see
ahead?”

Another laugh.
“That is one for the philosophers.”

Torrullin
smiled. “The river, idiot.”

“No, I get
distance and danger, but not form.”

“Likewise.”

A
companionable silence followed, and then, “You say nothing about me
to them.”

Torrullin
shrugged. “They do not need to know at this time. It will confuse
them.”

“And the
women?”

“They won’t
talk.”

Elianas
changed the subject. “The heirs appear unfazed by the delay at the
Throne.”

“Secretly
relieved, I think.”

“Delay is a
misnomer, isn’t it? It chose you. Again.”

“I cannot
divide myself into these small pieces, Elianas.”

“I am aware of
that. One day you must turn your back on most things to be one. I
did.”

Torrullin
looked at him. “And are you happy?”

A shrug, a wry
lip twist. “Too early to tell.”

“Will you be
there, or will I turn my back on you also?”

“Do you need
me there?”

“I may.”

“Do you want
me there?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will
be there.”

Torrullin
allowed his gaze to drift over the noble face beside him and was
similarly touched. It was like to a lovers’ study.

Elianas’ eyes
crinkled. “Not lovers. We are more than that. We enter each other
in ways that will ever be beyond physical satisfaction.”

Torrullin
offered an ironic smile. “Gods, how do I explain you to
another?”

“As you said,
it will only confuse them. Allow my actions to explain to them who
I am.”

“You could
prove my undoing.”

A soft laugh
erupted. “Am I not thus named?”