Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (54 page)

Nolli and Jilla both
laughed at Ryla’s chagrined expression.

‘We felt,’ Ryla
began.

‘You felt,’ Nolli
corrected, and earned herself a glare.

‘We felt that the exact
identity of those two would not be generally helpful just at the
moment.’

‘And they were?’
Doochay persisted.

‘The man was a Delver,
Serim, an Elder of the Domain of Asat who followed Rhaki into
Sapphrea.’ Ryla sighed, knowing Doochay too well to believe that
would be sufficient explanation. ‘Rhaki was occupying Serim’s
body.’ She nodded at Doochay’s intake of breath. ‘Where Rhaki’s
spirit might be now, we have no idea. The child was the young son
of Lord Hargon of Return. The boy had become Rhaki’s tool. Clearly
something went badly wrong and neither survived the journey through
the circles. I heard that the bodies were – unpleasantly
damaged?’

Doochay snorted. ‘They
were an obscene mess Ryla.’

‘Rhaki still exists,’
Ryla said softly. ‘His mind signature, distorted though it is, is
still in this world.’

‘We had word from Lady
Emla,’ said Jilla. ‘They forced their way into Rhaki’s tower and
discovered his rotting body.’

Their conversation had
to become more general as other members of the Gather came up to
introduce themselves to the representative of Vagrantia.

Many were also
fascinated to meet the Great Dragon Hani at close quarters, and
were even more delighted when the five young ones came into the
hall. Heads turned as the notes of a stringed instrument began to
float across from Hani’s corner. Hani’s eyes glowed, whirring soft
green with gold sparkles as her head swayed to the music. She had
long secluded herself from other Dragons so that she might listen
to the songs of the world, and here was a male two legs, making
music right in front of her. Her joy resonated through the hall,
her shyness forgotten as the music poured over her.

A Guard entered,
carrying a scroll case and saluted Captain Soran. Soran took the
case and brought it to Ryla. She looked first at the
seal.

‘From Emla,’ she
said.

Several Seniors waited
with interest while Ryla unlatched the straps and slid out the
rolls from within the tube. She read quickly through the first
sheet, passing it to Jilla when she had finished, and immediately
began on the next.

‘All is well?’ Nolli
asked in concern.

Jilla nodded. ‘Emla
says that Tika and Elyssa seemed to recognise each other. That Farn
has also taken to Elyssa and regards her as his own. Farn is soul
bonded I think you called it, is he not, to Tika?’

Jilla handed the page
on to Nolli while Doochay answered the air mage’s
question.

‘We had never known of
such a thing until those two – Tika, and Mim the Nagum boy, became
linked so completely with Farn and Hani’s daughter Ashta. I met
Tika several times when she helped our Healers in the city after
the silver Dragon’s mind caused such havoc among us. Why does Emla
comment on Tika’s attachment to – Elyssa was it?’

Jilla considered
possible answers then opted for the truth.

‘Ryla explained,
partially anyway, the affliction that beset Vagrantia. We had fifty
three cases. Forty one died, their eyes red scaled and their minds
destroyed. Twelve survived, silver scaling on their eyes and their
minds intact. Elyssa was the first case and her eyes are now
silvered. Word reached here a few days ago that Tika’s eyes had
also changed to silver.’

Ryla glanced up from
the page she was studying. ‘Healers in Vagrantia and both Nolli and
myself here, examined Elyssa’s mind. There is an enhancement in
certain areas, but none of us could discover quite why or what the
alteration might mean.'

‘Did Elyssa meet any
others in Vagrantia whose eyes were silver?’ Nolli
queried.

Jilla thought, then
shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. You think there may be some way
they link to each other?’

Nolli shrugged. ‘The
reports from Gaharn suggest there is a possible link with beings
far more distant than any on this land.’ She was rewarded with
another glare from Ryla. ‘No Ryla, your People must know of all
these things now. What can you and I do, stuck here in our
chairs?’

The Seniors around them
settled on pillows and waited, giving Ryla no choice but to tell
them of the recent visitor to the Stronghold.

‘But why did we not
know of this other land?’ asked Senior Payema, staring round the
group. ‘Surely it would have at least been noted when our
predecessors first came here?’

Ryla scowled. ‘There
seems rather a lot that they decided we should remain in ignorance
of. Emla first pointed that out to me when all these events began
to happen. I have had Khalim searching the Archives but he has come
up with nothing at all.’

Another Senior spoke
up. ‘Do you think it likely that Observers may visit the
Stronghold?’

‘It was made very clear
in their messages.’ Nolli rummaged through a pile of scrolls heaped
by her chair. ‘They are deeply concerned at the sudden appearance
of this red eyed madness in their land. Aah.’ She handed a scroll
to Doochay. ‘That is a copy of their messages. It is also clear
that the writers of that message have suspicions about an important
figure in their government. I think they will do their utmost to
send at least one of these Observers here, if they possibly
can.’

‘And you suspect that
Rhaki may have a connection with this other monster in – what is
their land called?’ Doochay pulled her lip between finger and
thumb.

‘Drogoya,’ the Senior
at present reading Babach’s message told her.

‘Emla believes so,’
Ryla agreed.

‘When one of the
councillors of Parima was afflicted with the reddening of the eyes,
the Healers could make no sense of her thoughts or her attempts at
speech,’ Jilla said quietly. ‘At the very end, she said “Grey. Grey
One.” Emla became distraught and told us that was the name given to
Rhaki.’

‘Did Rhaki truly have
so much power in him?’ someone asked doubtfully. ‘To contact a mind
so distant? We cannot mind speak even as far as the
Stronghold.’

Ryla sighed. ‘Rhaki
discovered many things, both from ancient records and, I now
suspect, from the land itself. The Observer Babach refers several
times to the “magic of the land”. I would not think Drogoya alone
holds the magic of this world, so - .’

‘We have long held that
there is magic in our land,’ Nolli said. ‘Our legends tell of old
gods teaching us to live within the mountains. We are taught that
it was they who called us Kraneechay – the Keepers – when first
they gave us the eggs to guard.’

‘Eggs?’ asked
Payema.

‘Like the ones that
both Tika and Mim wore,’ Nolli explained.

‘Why did your people
have to guard those things?’

Nolli gave her wide
pink grin. ‘If we were told, we have long forgotten the reason.’
She rested a gnarled hand on Resh’s back, where he lay snoring on
her lap. ‘We were told to guard them until the coming of a Dragon
Lord. I have shown Mim the place they were hidden and where they
remain.’

Soran came quickly into
the hall and saluted Ryla. ‘Lady Ryla there is some kind of trouble
in the City. Senior Fayet has ordered the City Guard to arms and he
forbids any entry to or exit from the Asataria buildings. Is this
by your command Lady?’

Muttered oaths and
exclamations followed Soran’s question, until Ryla raised her hand
for quiet.

‘The City Guards are
under your orders as are the Lady’s Guards here, Captain Soran. Do
whatever you must to secure the Seniors Fayet and Harak, and any
other fools who have joined with them in this ridiculous
action.’

She looked
questioningly around the Seniors present and was answered with nods
of agreement. Soran left the hall at a trot as Seniors climbed to
their feet to hurry back to the City themselves.

‘Oh stars!’ Doochay
halted the exodus. ‘The circle within the Asataria. Those idiots
wouldn’t try to use it themselves, would they?’

Ren and Chakar were
welcomed into the Stronghold and quickly felt at ease with the
strange beings amongst whom they found themselves: the tiny Delvers
who came scarcely to Ren’s waist, the Great Dragons, Fenj, Ashta
and Jeela, the Snow Dragons, the Kephis, and the immensely tall
thin People of Gaharn. The Guards were the only ones “normal” by
Ren’s standard, being of similar height to most people he had known
in Drogoya.

Food was brought to
them at once and although Chakar fell on her meal in relief, Ren
was too busy staring around him to give the food his full
attention. Kera, Nesh and Mim restrained their avid curiosity until
the two Drogoyans had eaten and Ren at least could drag his eyes
from the Dragons. Finally Kera could wait no longer.

‘Tell us at once,
please. Do you know who is the catalyst of this affliction in your
land and now apparently in ours?’

Chakar reluctantly
refused another honeyed pastry and sat back.

‘We are fairly certain
it is the Sacrifice, Cho Petak, leader of the Order of Sedka, and
thus in reality the most powerful man in Drogoya.’

‘The second question
must be obvious,’ said Mim in his lightly fluting voice. ‘Can you
defeat him?’

Chakar studied Mim
openly, noting the golden scales, the fingernails close to being
talons, and lastly, the pendant he always wore. She unfastened the
top of her shirt and withdrew a chain of obsidian links. Mim’s eyes
narrowed and Ashta pressed close to him as they saw what Chakar
held.

‘I am not sure that
those who follow Myata can defeat him alone. I think there is a
great significance in the fact that this object has begun to awaken
and I believe that yours has done so too. One in Drogoya, one here.
I refuse to let myself think that is just a useless
coincidence.’

Mim held his pendant
towards Chakar’s and no enhancement of vision was needed. All who
watched saw the light flare brighter inside both oval shapes and
beat faster. Mim’s strange eyes met Dessi’s. The Delver girl moved
to stand between Mim and the Observer, staring at the two pendants.
She looked up at Chakar.

‘Are you sure this is
the only one in your land?’

Chakar frowned, then
her face lit up.

‘You mean you have
another here? This is not the only one?’

Mim chuckled. ‘My
dearest friend Tika wears one. She is now on the west coast of this
land. And her eyes have become silver.’ He slipped his pendant back
beneath his jerkin. ‘We should show you to your rooms, I am sure
you are tired from your long travelling.’

Both Chakar and Kera
opened their mouths to object to this suggestion, then closed them,
realising that it was a command rather than a suggestion. Nesh got
to his feet and was about to conduct the visitors to the upper
levels when Fenj rumbled quietly from his usual corner.

‘I feel our guests
might enjoy a small restorative, to help them rest this night, and
to bid them true welcome among us.’

Lorak produced a
leather flask from under a grimy coat and offered it to Ren with
the gap toothed grimace that was his smile. Ren was so bemused at
where he found himself, what he’d already seen and heard, that he
took the flask absently and gulped a mouthful of its contents. He
gasped and Lorak judiciously removed the flask from Ren’s nerveless
fingers. Tears streamed down Ren’s purpling face as he attempted to
breathe again. Chakar glanced quickly around the hall, seeing
stifled grins. Her eyes narrowed and she plucked the flask from
Lorak’s hand. She sniffed at the contents, an eyebrow
rising.

‘I recognise some of
the contents I think,’ she said thoughtfully, and took a careful
sip. She blinked, a smile curving her lips. Nodding she took a
longer swallow.

‘Admirable,’ she
murmured, handing the flask back to Lorak. ‘I make something very
similar – purely for medicinal purposes of course. We must compare
recipes, for that is truly admirable.’

‘Splendid fellow,’ Fenj
said affectionately.

Nesh assisted Ren to
his feet and helped the still breathless Offering from the hall,
Chakar following them. Kera turned at once to Mim.

‘Why did you say
nothing of the cave in the Domain where so many of these eggs are
stored?’

Mim regarded her
calmly. ‘I will take them there tomorrow, but tonight I need to
consider many things.’ He glanced towards the gateway where Baryet
and Syecha slept, heads deep beneath their wings. Past them lay
Jeela, facing out towards the night sky. The ivory Dragon’s head
turned momentarily to Mim, then she looked back at the
sky.

‘What worries you Mim?’
Kera asked quietly.

Mim shook his head.
‘Yet another thing I do not understand Lady Writing Stick. I was
angry when Fenj first mentioned it but he is right I think. Jeela
and the Silver One - ’ he shook his head again.

Kera looked alarmed.
‘Are they linked? Has the Silver One touched Jeela?’