Ascendant's Rite (The Moontide Quartet) (2 page)

‘Not the “morality versus pragmatism” argument again,’ Dubrayle sighed. ‘Haven’t we done it to death yet?’

‘I don’t think you should go back over our old disagreements on my or Bel’s behalf,’ Gurvon drawled.
As my father used to say: if you’re going to blow with the wind, hoist your mainsail
.

Wurther threw him a dirty look, then sat down ponderously. ‘You all know I respect the collegial nature of these meetings,’ he grumbled. ‘Of course I’ll support the will of this group from the moment I leave this chamber, if it is the will of my Lord Emperor.’

‘I support this proposal absolutely,’ Constant declared, after a glance at his mother.

And so that’s that
.

The Dokken, Delta, bowed to the emperor, then turned and left, calling the falcon to his hand as he went. Naxius took a seat while a pair of guards bustled in and removed the body of the thief, their faces impassive.

So Naxius stays . . . ?
Gurvon wasn’t happy with that; this plan was his and Vult’s; he didn’t want that old snake stealing their glory.

‘Make yourself comfortable, Magister Naxius,’ Lucia said drily. ‘You have been apprised of our intentions concerning Javon and the Duke of Argundy?’

‘I have been briefed by Governor Vult, your Holiness,’ Naxius replied obsequiously. ‘I commend his plan wholeheartedly.’

Kaltus Korion raised a hand. ‘A moment. What is he doing here? I have always held that a traitor is a traitor, even if that treachery benefits the empire. How can we trust him?’

Constant went to reply, but had no ready answer and as he stammered into silence Belonius Vult stepped in. ‘Magister Naxius’ knowledge of the Leviathan Bridge was vital. Gurvon found him, and I made the approach.’

‘And that is enough for me,’ Lucia said firmly, and the moment passed.

I don’t like the man, but involving Naxius was unavoidable
, Gurvon reflected. The plan required someone who knew the workings of the Bridge intimately but who hated the Ordo Costruo, and they’d not found anyone who filled those criteria who was not also committed to the East – except for Ervyn Naxius.

Twenty-three years ago, in 904, as the Leviathan Bridge rose from the sea, Constant’s father Magnus had marched his armies across it to plunder Antiopia. Antonin Meiros, the founder of the Ordo Costruo, could have destroyed the Bridge then, but he’d hesitated and the moment was lost – for this, Meiros was reviled in the East. But few knew that Ervyn Naxius had been behind the founder’s confusion.

Naxius was a gnostic researcher, once a humane man, but his centuries of research into the extreme possibilities of the gnosis had eroded his empathy; he had long since stopped paying any attention to the constraints of morality. He had fallen out with Meiros and the Order, and the First Crusade had presented him with an opportunity to gain a patron with almost bottomless resources. He threw in his lot with the emperor, misinformed Meiros about the troop build-up outside Pontus, then betrayed the Order to Magnus’ Imperial Magi, enabling them to seize control of the Bridge. By the time Meiros had worked out what was happening, it was largely too late: the Crusade was proceeding, his reputation was destroyed and control of his Bridge was lost.

Naxius got his reward: Imperial approval to research without constraint. Gurvon had come across his handiwork during the Noros Revolt – some particularly vicious spells hidden in trinkets and talismans – and after the Revolt, he’d tracked down the source of these devices. The trail led in the end to Naxius’ secret base, and eventually to this moment.

Gurvon turned his attention back to Vult, who was saying, ‘Let’s discuss the final part of our strategy. Provided all runs to plan, we’ll have control of Javon and its resources, which will mean we’ll be able to provision General Korion’s armies in the field well beyond the end of the Moontide. Duke Echor of Argundy will be severely weakened, leaving him no choice but to retreat. Our new gnosis-beasts will ensure battlefield supremacy. So all that remains is to deal with the Bridge itself.’

Everyone sat up a little at his words. Though the Pallas Imperial Magi hated the Leviathan Bridge, the wider gnostic community were divided on the subject. Through the Bridge, the Merchant Guild had become fabulously wealthy, buying land, status and magi spouses, much to the annoyance of the Crown. Imperial control of the Bridge had not changed this: the boom-bust nature of the Moontide economy – two years of harvest and ten years of waiting – was worse than ever.

‘We all know that the Second Crusade was a financial failure,’ Vult went on. ‘I understand this group debated whether to destroy the Bridge after that crusade?’

‘The Bridge is a necessary evil,’ Betillon growled. Hebusalim was the greatest city in western Antiopia, and his governorship had been
immensely
enriching. ‘Destroying it would be cutting our own throats.’

Cutting yours, anyway
, Gurvon thought.

Vult sailed on serenely, ignoring the choppy undercurrents. ‘The objections to the destruction of the Bridge still apply. Though the Crusades grow more costly each Moontide, with less reward, they still paralyse trade, which hurts the merchants far more than the Crown. The Crusades allow us to dominate and weaken Antiopia. It isn’t in our interests to let dangerous men like Rashid Mubarak grow more powerful.’

‘Exactly,’ Korion put in. ‘We must keep our foot on their throats.’

‘Quite,’ said Vult, ‘and thanks to Magister Naxius and his intimate knowledge of the Bridge, we have a new solution to propose.’

‘Which is?’ Betillon asked impatiently.

‘Are you familiar with the concept that Urte is made up of massive landmasses called tectonic plates, a bit like an egg with a cracked shell?’ He looked around, saw nodding heads and continued, ‘And you know that the Leviathan Bridge is built upon an undersea ridge that runs from Pontus to the coast of Dhassa, yes? But what you might not realise is that the ridge is the remains of an isthmus that once linked Yuros and Antiopia. Well, the Ordo Costruo have studied the drowned isthmus. They believe that it was swept beneath the sea no more than two thousand years ago, when it was struck by a meteor, causing massive earthquakes and floods, something that is reflected in the mythology of both Dhassa and Sydia. The impact caused the isthmus to collapse into the sea and separated the two continents.’

‘An Act of Kore,’ Grand Prelate Wurther commented devoutly.

‘Perhaps,’ Vult agreed, ‘but it is also an inconvenience. Rondelmar has the power to subjugate all of Antiopia, but the Bridge is open for only two years in twelve, and we don’t have enough windships to supply an occupying army that is large enough to subdue the Noorish races, who outnumber us vastly. We can hold Hebusalim, and that is all. So you can see that it would be far better if the isthmus were to rise once more from the sea, enabling permanent access and occupation. My Lord Emperor would then be able to seize Antiopia and rule the known world.’

‘You want to haul the isthmus up from the ocean depths?’ Korion scoffed. ‘You’re mad! An Earth mage can lift a boulder: he can’t lift mountains from beneath the ocean! You could assemble every mage on Urte and not have enough power to do such a thing—’

‘On the contrary,’ Naxius interrupted, his creaking voice oozing smugness, ‘we do have such power. The Bridge itself has that power.’

‘The Bridge? It’s just a lump of stone—’

‘Actually, General, the Leviathan Bridge is a repository for the greatest reservoir of gnostic power ever created,’ Naxius replied. ‘The five towers are each topped with massive clusters of the same crystal that you saw Delta use a few moments ago. They convert the energy of light, which we call
solarus
, to gnostic energy. That energy is required to keep the Bridge intact whilst it is under the ocean – if released, it could raze a city.’

Korion no longer looked dismissive. ‘Is this true?’

‘Everything we know supports it,’ Vult replied.

‘Then why aren’t we building weapons using solarus crystals?’ the general demanded.

Gurvon glanced at Dubrayle and Betillon, who were probably wondering how solarus could be used to make money. Wurther was likely speculating whether he could cook with it.

‘It’s a matter of logistics,’ Vult replied. ‘The crystals are only effective for short bursts unless clustered in masses too large to transport – on top of that, the materials are complex and rare, and using them is dangerous and debilitating – long-term use can be fatal without protection.’

‘Magister Vult is correct,’ Naxius agreed, ‘but the solarus energy can be unlocked. The nexus where the power is gathered, stored and distributed is Midpoint Tower, halfway along the Bridge. It’s controlled from thrones in each of the five Bridge towers. These are manned by senior pure-bloods of the Ordo Costruo, ensuring the flow of energy, converting solarus to Earth-gnosis, is maintained. Without it, the Bridge would be destroyed whilst it is submerged. It requires training and great power to control and maintain the flows – I myself have performed this duty,’ he added, preening.

The counsellors were staring at the ancient magus with unease, until Lucia asked, ‘So what exactly are you proposing, Magister Naxius?’ as if she didn’t already know.

Naxius showed some political instinct and handed the floor to his sponsor. ‘That is for Magister Vult to relate, for it is his idea. I merely supplied my expertise, my knowledge of the Bridge and the land beneath.’

Smart enough to share the glory
,
Gurvon noted.
And, of course, the risk.

Vult resumed eagerly, ‘Those on the Tower thrones have the ability to rip the energy free of the Bridge and convert it to any form of the gnosis, though it can only be used within a narrow range. It could not, for example, be used to rain fire down on Hebusalim, three hundred miles away. But what we intend lies within its ambit: beneath Midpoint, wedged between the tectonic plates, is a rock the size of a hill: the heavenly body that destroyed the isthmus. If it were destroyed, the isthmus would rise again.’

Calan Dubrayle leaned forward. ‘Say that again, Magister?’

‘If the heavenly body were to be destroyed, the isthmus would rise again from the seas, permanently.’

‘A new, permanent link between Yuros and Antiopia? A road from Pontus to Dhassa, always above water?’

‘Allowing one empire to rule every known realm on Urte,’ Lucia added in a soft voice. ‘My son’s empire –
our
homeland.’

Gurvon raised a hand. ‘If we do this, there will be an earthquake like nothing ever seen before. It will destroy every building in Pontus and Dhassa, and likely cause damage all the way to the Brekaellen Vale in Yuros, and to the ranges dividing Dhassa and Kesh in the East. Tidal waves will swamp Dhassa and Pontus. It is unlikely that anyone in either place will survive. Millions will die, many of them people of Yuros.’

Even Kaltus Korion looked vaguely appalled at his words.
Good
, Gurvon thought.
You need to know and understand the full extent of what you are considering. These are the decisions that Gods make.

And remember to pay my fee afterwards.

‘Let’s do it now,’ grunted Betillon, who had never been accused of having a conscience.

Naxius shook his head. ‘That is impossible: while the Bridge is beneath the waves, the solarus crystals are locked into sustaining it and are steadily drained of energy. They are virtually inert by the time the Moontide comes. Only when the Bridge is above water can the solarus energy reserves be rebuilt. We need that power to be at its zenith to be certain the meteor jammed into the tectonic fault-line is destroyed. That moment will come at the
end
of the next Moontide, Junesse 930, three years hence.’

Korion raised a hand. ‘What of my army? Where will my forces be when the hammer falls?’

‘My advice would be not return to Yuros at the end of the Moontide: if you remain east in Zhassi or Kesh, say – no further west than Ebensar Ridge – you will be on another tectonic plate and safe, barring some minor tremors. Provided your supply lines to Javon remain intact, you will be perfectly placed to weather the cataclysm and seize control of northern Antiopia afterwards.’

‘Fair enough.’ Korion frowned, then asked, ‘What of Echor’s army?’

‘They will have been mauled by the Keshi, thanks to the other arrangements we have in place,’ Gurvon answered. ‘He’ll probably be retreating across the bridge itself when we strike, or already in Pontus licking his wounds.’

‘Until the sea washes them away.’ Betillon guffawed.

‘Then afterwards,’ Vult added, ‘there would be nothing to prevent Rondelmar from invading all of Antiopia, and this time staying permanently – in fact, my Lord Emperor could send his armies all over the known world. The only limits would be our manpower.’

‘And after such destruction, and with the promise of untold plunder to come, I have no doubt our vassal states will be cowed into permanent submission,’ Lucia concluded, a quiet smile on her face. ‘At a stroke the Ordo Costruo will cease to matter, and the Merchants’ ability to leverage the Bridge to their own benefit would be gone. All tribute and plunder will go through our Imperial Governors and the heathen will be utterly subjugated and brought to their knees before the throne of Kore. Rondelmar will rule all of Urte in a new and never-ending Golden Age.’

We don’t make small plans
, Gurvon reflected.
We’re here to change the world.

1

The Messiah’s Murderess

The Murder of Corineus

Alas! One thousand times, Alas! How did we not see the snake which had nested amongst us, the evil viper in female form who had slithered into our midst and awaited the perfect moment to commit her crime. Imagine the Paradise on Urte that would have been, had Corineus but lived!

T
HE
B
OOK OF
K
ORE