The Call of Kerberos Part 10

As flesh began to sizzle under the onslaught of burning oil and the screams of the condemned men rose to an almost girlish pitch, Querilous pulled another lever and the fans set into the walls began to suck the human smoke from the room. It would rise through the many levels of Scholten cathedral to pour from the great chimneys that extended high above the church. Pilgrims making their way to prayer would pause and think that this smoke was from the incense of Makennon's devotions, and give thanks that they had witnessed the smallest part of such a holy rite.

The naphtha did its job quickly and the heretics were soon silent. However, their part in the ritual was far from over. Querilous began to manipulate the levers and the cages in which the heretics burned began to revolve around Brother Sequilious. The flames reached high as the cages spun faster and faster, adding their light to the glow of the magic that suffused the sorcerer. Sequilious threw up his arms and his pupils were suddenly full of the azure light of Kerberos. Threads of dark energy began to extend towards him from the circle of flame and, as they touched him, a strange cry filled the room, like the whimpering of whipped dogs. A dark aura began to weave itself around Sequilious and he was soon lost in the folds of a strange black caul.

Querilous pulled another lever and the spinning cages came to a sudden stop, the blackened bones within rattling against the bars.

The black aura surrounding the sorcerer began to grow until there was a dark column reaching to the ceiling. As it towered above Querilous it seemed to lean forward and he was suddenly fearful that it would fall on and consume him. But then a shudder pa.s.sed through the column as the air in the room was sucked toward it with a great rus.h.i.+ng of wind.

Above the keening of the maelstrom Querilous could hear the beating of his own heart and, as he struggled to breathe, he prayed to the Lord of All that the spell would soon be over. Through the blur of tears, he saw the dark column give a great shudder before it exploded outwards, bringing with it the smell of burning stone and cherry blossoms.

Querilous would have expected Sequilious to be flattened by the force of the magic he had just woven, but he stood in the last flickers of the dissipating energy, untouched. Brus.h.i.+ng down his robes he stepped from the circle and bowed before Makennon.

"Anointed One, it is finished."

"Are you sure that it has been effective?"

"Oh yes. Somewhere on the Twilight seas Emuel will be in a great deal of pain."

Emuel cried out as Katya applied the wet cloth to his forehead. The s.h.i.+p's eunuch had collapsed shortly after the rest of the crew had departed, convulsing as he frothed at the mouth, his eyes rolling so far back in his head that only the whites showed. Katya had managed to bring him out of the seizure gradually, but now he was burning up and the skin that showed in the gaps between his tattoos was deathly white.

After putting him in his bunk Katya had thrown open the porthole, hoping that the fresh sea air would help cool him down. But now it seemed that all she could do was wait for him to ride out the fever.

Emuel arched his back until only the back of his head and heels were in contact with the bunk. Katya held his hand as the eunuch screamed, but he didn't return her grip, conscious as he was of nothing but the pain that wracked his body. She began to undress him, hoping that, out of his clothes, Emuel would be a little cooler and more comfortable.

As she unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt, the extent of his tattoos became clearer. Katya had been aware that the cryptic patterns and swirls of elvish script covered most of Emuel's body but, up to now, she hadn't realised to what extent.

Katya removed his s.h.i.+rt and gasped at the sight of the living script that ran over the arches of his shoulders to cascade down his chest. Every time she thought that she had picked out a recognisable shape in the dark mora.s.s it would s.h.i.+ft and warp, flowing into the indecipherable calligraphy that surrounded it.

Katya felt dizzy just looking at Emuel's ill.u.s.trated flesh but it wasn't this that most disturbed her, it was the sound that the tattoos made.

It was so low that she had to still her breathing to even attempt to make it out. When she did, however, the soft murmur would disappear, and it was only when Katya shook her head and told herself that she had been imagining things that it would return; sounding like someone talking low, yet urgently, in the next room.

No wonder Emuel looked to be constantly on the verge of panic, Katya considered. He had to cope with this maddening background chatter every day.

Katya dropped Emuel's s.h.i.+rt on the floor and began to remove his breeches. She stopped after she had tugged them halfway down, unable to take her eyes off the ridges of scar tissue that covered the wounds of his emasculation.

"Oh G.o.ds Emuel, I'm so sorry."

The wounds had healed but the flesh there still looked red raw. Katya wondered at what manner of boy Emuel had been, to trust so much in his faith and the church that he had let them do this to him.

Katya closed her eyes and sent up a prayer to the ancestors, calling on them to send their blessings and guide the eunuch through the ravages of this vicious fever.

When she opened her eyes there was a strange glow emanating from the tattoo on Emuel's chest. The black spiral that was inked there glowed a deep maroon and she could feel an intense heat rising from it.

Emuel tried to scream but only a desperate keening hiss escaped his mouth. He looked at Katya then with eyes full of frightened panic as his flesh began to burn.

After Silus had collapsed, Dunsany and Jacquinto had carried him back to the room in the tower through which they had entered the citadel. Silus had raved about the Chada.s.sa until a few slaps from Jacquinto had roused him from his waking nightmare. Silus had got unsteadily to his feet and Kelos had suggested that they return to the Llothriall Llothriall. Silus had feared something rising from the depths to overtake them as they ascended to the s.h.i.+p - some spectre of the death that had befallen the citadel - but they made it back on board without further incident.

Their sense of relief, however, was soon shattered by the sounds of Emuel's pain.

Kelos was the first to the eunuch's cabin, with Silus close behind, rus.h.i.+ng to the side of his wife as she tried to comfort Emuel. There was a smell like cooking meat as they entered the room and Silus noticed thin skeins of smoke drifting through the shaft of light pouring in through the porthole.

As Kelos went to the eunuch the boy fell back onto his bunk and was silent. The mage felt for a pulse on his wrist and then looked more closely at the maze of tattoos that covered his torso.

In the centre of Emuel's chest, where there had previously been inked a black spiral, there was now a patch of burned flesh.

"We're in trouble." Kelos said.

"Trouble how?" Dunsany said, entering the room. Behind him the three smugglers and Father Maylan crowded into the doorway.

"The script is broken. Emuel won't be able to sing to the gem anymore. Therefore, we're stuck; with no way to negotiate these stormy seas, no magical defences and no invisibility s.h.i.+eld."

"If it helps, I know how to do tattoos." Jacquinto said. "In fact, I did all of Ignacio's myself. All I need is a needle, a candle and some ink."

"And you know how magical tattoos work do you?" Kelos snapped. "Familiar with the elven runes of power are we?"

"I was just trying to help!"

"Well you're not!" Kelos's voice rose to a shriek and Emuel woke up again and began adding his own cries to the cacophony.

Kelos barged his way out of the room only to barge his way back in several seconds later. Muttering a few words he broke what looked like a silver bird egg over the eunuch's brow, sending him into an instant, deep sleep.

"He'll be out for several hours and he won't be in any pain."

"Who did this?" Katya said.

"I've been stupid." Kelos said. "Very, very stupid. I should have realised that the symbol on Emuel's chest was not a part of the script that covers his body. It must have been inked there to ensure that if the eunuch ever fell into the wrong hands - for example, ours - then the Faith would be able to render him useless through the use of remote magic."

"So, how can we fix him?" Dunsany said.

"I'm afraid we can't. It looks like the voyage is over."

Chapter Twelve.

Findol snapped out of his reverie and raced for the stairs.

Behind him the five other Chada.s.sa that had made up their circle began to wake, the sharp ozone tang of their meditation fading as they came to full consciousness.

In the library Belck was transcribing a set of symbols from ancient metal tablets. He didn't look up as Findol rushed into the room. Instead, he held up one finger as the Chada.s.sa youngling made to speak, forestalling the news that he was clearly so desperate to relate.

Once he had completed the final symbol Belck looked up from his work.

"My lord. The humans' vessel has been sighted."

"Where?"

"Moored above Fandor, my Lord."

"The Calma citadel? That one was sacked before your time, I believe. It was a most joyous battle. Remind me to relate it to you one day. For now, I think that a visit to the ruroth pens is in order."

The Chada.s.sa ancient rose to his feet with the aid of his staff, waving away Findol's attempts to help. As Belck straightened a tight band of fire seemed to encircle his waist and he waited for the pain to pa.s.s as he regained his breath. He knew what it meant, of course. He only hoped that he would live long enough to see his G.o.d's will done and the Land Walkers striding victorious over the human realm.

Belck let Findol lead the way to the enclosures. As they neared the creatures' pens the rumblings of the ruroth thundered down the tunnels towards them. Occasionally there would be a plaintive, keening cry as the creatures called to one another, but these were quickly silenced only to be replaced - seconds later - with screeches of pain.

Belck and Findol entered an enormous circular chamber ringed by the portals that led to the leviathans' pens. These s.h.i.+mmered as the handlers moved through them, providing the diffuse light that danced about the room.

Belck was pleased to discover that Throot - the Chief Handler - had already picked up on the news of the sighting of the humans' s.h.i.+p and had begun to prepare one of the deep water juggernauts.

As Throot and Belck talked, a handler burst through one of the portals and fell at Belck's feet, his blood misting the water around him. Throot quickly dragged the battered Chada.s.sa to his feet, only to throw him down again before the ancient one.

"Apologise for your interruption!" Throot barked.

The handler managed to mime apology, before expiring.

"I can a.s.sure you, Throot, that that wasn't necessary." Belck said. "However, it does show that the creature is in a most agitated state. This is good. I presume that it knows not to harm Silus or his woman?"

"Indeed, my Lord. They will be taken unharmed."

"Excellent, perhaps we can see the ruroth?"

"Of course, follow me."

Together with the Chief Handler, Belck stepped through one of the portals.

They stood at the bottom of a deep shaft, far above them a pin p.r.i.c.k of sunlight filtered through the surface. In front of them, held in its stone pen by the will of the Chada.s.sa that moved slowly across its hide, lay the vast form of a ruroth.

Long before the Chada.s.sa, the ruroth had been the rulers of the sea. Though they were not as populous as some of the other marine animals, their size meant that they had very few predators. The creatures had once been peaceful grazers, who spent most of their time trawling the seabed, but the Chada.s.sa had turned them into weapons.

Despite their gargantuan size, the ruroth possessed an almost child-like intelligence and, because of this, the Chada.s.sa had found it easy enough - through psychic manipulation - to bring their aggression to the fore.

The result was a devastating weapon that could break through the strongest of enemy defences.

Belck swam up to one of the great eyes that peered from the creature's head. Looking at the dark pupil, he saw beyond his reflection to where the leviathan's rage boiled. He basked in the heat of its anger.

The handlers swam away from the leviathan after removing its restraints, but Belck remained where he was. The calls of the other ruroth around him stopped then and a tense stillness pervaded the corral. Belck could see the creature's pulse increase as a great vein throbbed in its temple.

And then, it raised its head and let loose a long, ululating cry. Around it, its brethren responded with their own calls and the leviathan rose quickly to the surface far above, buoyed by the song of its kin.

Belck was caught up in its wake and he rode the current until the ruroth was lost from sight, marvelling all the while in its raw animal power and the fact that such a thing was in their control.

Chapter Thirteen.

Emuel's fever finally broke, but without his song to empower it the magic of the gem waned and the stormy waters began to take hold of the Llothriall Llothriall.

Dunsany rushed to the main deck to cut the rope that still moored them to the tower, fearing that a sudden wave could dash them against the stone. Once he slashed the tether the s.h.i.+p drifted into the centre of the ring of towers and Dunsany watched as the jagged stone peaks swayed threateningly around them. But then the Llothriall Llothriall was beyond the towers and caught up by a current that bore it quickly away. was beyond the towers and caught up by a current that bore it quickly away.

Dunsany staggered below before he was thrown from the deck by the next strong surge.

In the galley Maylan was throwing up as he tried to steady himself against a wall. When he looked up Dunsany could see that his features were ashen.

"G.o.ds Dunsany, what are we going to do?" The priest managed to say, before another spasm gripped him and his shoulders heaved.

"I don't know. Where are the others?"

"Emuel is still in his bunk, but the rest of them are in the day room."

As Dunsany made his way up the corridor the s.h.i.+p gave a sudden lurch and there was the sound of plates smas.h.i.+ng in the galley, followed by Maylan's cries of pain and then retching as his sea-sickness gripped him once more.

The lamps suspended from the day room ceiling were swaying wildly as Dunsany entered, throwing shadows spinning around the room. Waves crashed against the s.h.i.+p with a sound like the beating of a vast drum and spray exploded across the windows.

"We're f.u.c.ked." Ioannis said as Dunsany managed to hold down a chair long enough to sit on it.

"Now, let's not panic quite yet." He said.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Silus hissed. "Without Emuel we can't empower the stone and without the power of the stone this s.h.i.+p's no better than a ragged merchant barque trading out of Allantia."

"Actually, that's not quite true." Kelos said. "As you know, the Llothriall Llothriall has remarkable healing abilities. Despite the rough ride we are currently having, the hull is unlikely to be breached." has remarkable healing abilities. Despite the rough ride we are currently having, the hull is unlikely to be breached."

"Yeah, but one of us is is. How many days of being thrown around in here do you think we can cope with? Have you seen Maylan? He already looks not long for this world and I don't think that the rest of us are going to fair much better."

As if to ill.u.s.trate Silus's point one of the lamps suddenly snapped from the ceiling and caught Ignacio's head a glancing blow, before shattering on the boards. Dunsany rushed to stamp out the flames as Ignacio dabbed at the blood now trickling from his scalp.

"Are you alright?" Kelos said.

"I think so. I've suffered heavier blows to the head, believe it or not."