Krondor the Betrayal (42 page)

What we were is lost in time, but there is time for you to save your
people from our fate.

‘‘Our world?’’ said Owyn. ‘‘The Valheru have been dead on my world for ages. They can’t pose any threat to us.’’

A feeling of disinterest washed over Owyn, as if what he was saying was of no consequence to this being.
The one you
know as Pug of Stardock will tell you more when the time comes
for you and your companion to make your choices. For now, you
must bring to this place the Cup of Rlynn Skrr. Do this and we will
free Pug from his captivity.

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‘‘What do gods need of mortals to fetch and carry for them?’’

demanded Owyn.

A sense of amusement came over Owyn as the voice replied,
You are wise to question, young savani, but it is for me alone to
know the truth. Seek the cup in the far caves on the southeast corner
of the island. You will have to kill the Panath-Tiandn who has it.

Bring it to me or else perish in the desolation of Timirianya. The
choice is yours. I warn you, do not attempt to use the cup. Pug has
already learned the harsh lesson of trying to utilize its power without
my guidance. Go.

Owyn said, ‘‘We must fetch a magic item from the farside of this island. And it seems we must battle some creatures of the Valheru to do so.’’

Gorath said, ‘‘It’s been a long day. Let us return to that tent down the way and rest. A little food and sleep will help prepare us.’’

Following Gorath, Owyn hoped that was true.

It had taken half a day to find the corner of the island where the frozen god had told Owyn they’d find the cup. Now they rested on a ridge above what looked to be a village, or at least a collection of huts in front of a large cave.

They had been watching for a half hour or more and seen no sign of movement. ‘‘Well,’’ said Owyn. ‘‘Maybe they’re deserted.’’

‘‘No,’’ said Gorath. He pointed to a pile of firewood. Then he pointed out a set of covered urns. ‘‘Water, I think.’’ Then he pointed at what could only be scraps of food thrown into a trench near the edge of the village. ‘‘There may not be many of these creatures left on this world, but this area is not abandoned.’’

‘‘Well, maybe they’ve all gone off somewhere.’’

‘‘Or maybe they sleep during the heat of the day and they’re all inside?’’ suggested Gorath. He stood up. ‘‘We won’t know until we go down and see what is there.’’

Owyn followed the dark elf down the hillside, and when Gorath reached the first tent, Owyn said, ‘‘The cup is in that cave.’’

Gorath had taken one step when the leather covering of the 291

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hut he was about to enter swung open and a creature started to emerge.

Owyn’s very skin crawled at the sight of it. An upright lizard, swathed in dark clothing, stood blinking in the sunlight.

He had no opportunity to raise alarm, as Gorath thrust with his sword, running him through.

‘‘Three,’’ said Gorath.

‘‘Three what?’’ said Owyn.

‘‘There are three more left if this is one of the four who were tracking Pug.’’

‘‘Or there may be a dozen left, if they’re not the ones,’’

whispered Owyn. ‘‘Let’s be quick!’’

They hurried to the cave, and as Owyn started to move aside a large curtain hung across the entrance, it moved. He jumped back as a serpent man hurled himself at Gorath. Gorath barely avoided a club strike to the head, and dodged back.

Owyn turned as another serpent creature snarled and leaped upon him, knocking him back. Owyn rolled on the ground, barely hanging on to the staff of crystal. The creature’s face was painted with yellow symbols, and Owyn knew he was struggling with some sort of Panath-Tiandn shaman. Owyn saw claws above his face and locked gaze with the creature.

Suddenly symbols of fire burned in Owyn’s mind’s eye and he sent out a mental blast which rocked the creature back.

Owyn spun out from under it and jumped to his feet. The creature struggled to recover from Owyn’s assault. Owyn kicked the creature as hard as he could in the head, and it collapsed.

Two other serpent men appeared as Gorath killed the one he faced. Owyn reached into his memory for another spell and felt the staff grow warm in his hand. A sphere of fiery energy exploded from his hand and struck the first creature, engulfing it in flames. The second was splashed by flame, and its robe was set afire.

The first fell to the ground, dying in seconds, but the second fell and rolled, screaming as it tried to put out the flames.

Gorath hurried over and put it out of its misery.

Owyn looked about and waited to see if any other of these creatures were present. All was quiet.

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Finally, Gorath put up his sword, and said, ‘‘Let’s find this damned cup.’’

Owyn went inside the dark cave, illuminated by only a single flame in a tiny brazier, and his skin crawled. The place was a center of dark magic and while he couldn’t read the symbols painted on the walls, the shapes were alien and he could sense their evil. He glanced around and saw what looked to be a small shrine. Upon it rested a cup carved out of some unknown stone.

He reached out and took it, feeling energy rush up his arm as he gripped it. Once outside the hut, he said, ‘‘This is it, no doubt.’’

‘‘What does it do?’’

‘‘I don’t know, but I was told that it harmed Pug, and if that’s so, I will not risk trying to unravel its mystery.’’

‘‘Then let’s get it back to those so-called gods and see if they live up to their part of the bargain.’’ Gorath looked around. ‘‘I doubt these are the only members of this tribe on this island, and when they see what we’ve done, I think they’ll be on our trail.’’

‘‘Can we reach the pillars by sundown?’’

‘‘If we start now and don’t stop,’’ said Gorath, turning and setting off without waiting to see if Owyn was with him.

Owyn hesitated a moment, then set out after Gorath.

293

Seventeen

•

C OLD WINDS SWEPT THE BATTLEMENTS.

James signaled the archers to be ready to offer covering fire to the approaching horsemen. Two scouts raced up the incline to the drawbridge, whipping their lathered horses to get them to the gate before it rose too far to reach. James hoped he had timed it right because too early and those riders were stranded outside the walls, and too late and enemy riders might gain the barbican, and with the small band of defenders at his disposal, any enemies inside the castle posed a serious threat.

The first rider reached the bridge as it started to rise, and the second had to kick his horse hard to make it leap aboard the rising bridge, but they made it as James gave the order for covering fire.

Bowmen launched a flight of arrows at the pursuers, who fell back as three in their van were knocked from their horses. They were almost entirely human renegades, with two moredhel horsemen in the mix. They milled around just out of bow range, until James gave the signal for the firing of a single catapult, which showered them with stones, killing another half dozen.

The rest retreated down the road from the castle.

James was down to the barbican before the cheering on the walls had faded, asking, ‘‘What did you see?’’

The lead rider, a young corporal, said, ‘‘No sign of help to the south and too damn many of the enemy coming down from the north.’’

KRONDOR THE BETRAYAL

‘‘What does it look like to the north?’’

The young corporal rewarded James’s faith in one so young by reporting calmly, despite the close call. ‘‘Screening cavalry, who didn’t take kindly to us pokin’ about, Squire. I could see a lot of dust and some of those siege engines you told us about in the distance. Looks like they’ll be at the base of the road before nightfall.’’

‘‘You did well,’’ said James. ‘‘Go get something to eat and some rest. We’re going to have a busy morning.’’

James went looking for Locklear, whom he had placed in charge of stores and weapons. When James found him, Locklear was in the middle of one of the storerooms looking disgusted at what he had found inside a barrel.

‘‘What is it, Locky?’’

‘‘The meat’s full of maggots. I think those Nighthawks got down here and did some mischief before they set about killing the officers. They didn’t want the men to have a lot of reason for staying here, I think.’’

‘‘How bad is it?’’

‘‘All of the stored meat is bad. Most of the flour has bugs.

We can sift those out, I guess, but I wouldn’t want to be eating the bread unless I was starving. The hard bread looks all right, and most of the dried fruit is still edible. We can last a while.’’

‘‘I don’t think food is our worry.’’

Locklear looked at James. ‘‘They’re coming?’’

‘‘Tomorrow.’’

‘‘Then we’d better be ready.’’

James nodded. He knew that he could expect the best of the men; they were all veterans of the border wars, but none of them had been tested in a full-blown defense of the castle. He knew the theory, he had studied with Prince Arutha, and he knew the reality, he had fought at Armengar and Highcastle, and he knew that the attackers needed ten men for each of his defenders on the wall. What had James fretting was his concern about what would happen if Delekhan brought more than ten to one against his position.

Owyn carried the cup to stand before the column. He touched it to the crystal spire.

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Dhatsavan’s voice sounded in his head:
You have returned
with the cup. That is good.

‘‘Why do you need this?’’ asked Owyn.

I do not
need
it. I needed to keep it out of the hands of the
Panath-Tiandn.

‘‘Why?’’

It is many things, an item of immense power, but one of its uses
is that of a key. It allows access to other worlds. The abandoned
children of Alma-Lodaka will be confined to this world for the time
being. They are by themselves nothing more than a nuisance. Under
the guidance of their Pantathian cousins, they are a dangerous tool.

Eventually someone may fetch them from our blasted world, but for
now the rest of the universe is safe from them. Take the cup with
you and keep it safe.

‘‘Pug’s welfare is our concern. We have fetched this cup for you from the other side of the island. Where is Pug?’’

He is safe within a structure constructed by the Panath-Tiandn.

The protective barriers that keep him isolated within that structure
will be removed once you locate him. He misapprehended the scope
of the cup’s powers. When he awakened its powers to seek the mind
of his lost daughter, it overwhelmed him and reduced him to little
more than a helpless child.

‘‘You imprisoned him to protect him?’’

The former god’s reply was tinged with amusement, though Owyn wondered if human terms did justice to what he felt.

As an individual he is of little interest to us, but he was useful in
preventing the Panath-Tiandn from possessing the cup for a while.

They had been involved in a long process of unraveling the mystery
of the cup and were close to understanding it. Pug interrupted that
process and set them back years. That alone warranted our thanks.

Now that you are here, we can see the cup gone from this world, and
as payment for your service, we shall grant your friend’s freedom.

Pug has regained most of his identity and memory, but his abilities
will yet be impaired for many days to come. Go to a hut to the west
of the one in which you found the cup; there you will find Pug.

‘‘How will we return home?’’ asked Owyn.

The way is now opened to a place in the mountains, caves that
lead to a cavern in which the Valheru dwelled. Take Pug from the
hut and to the north you will find an entrance in the mountains;
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there you will find artifacts that will aid you in returning home.

Use the cup to teach Pug what you know and take the cup with you
for safekeeping.
Suddenly the knowledge of how to use the cup came to Owyn.
Then seek his daughter in a place near the mountains, where the Panath-Tiandn guard her, thinking she is an omen
from Alma-Lodaka. Free her and return to your own world. But do
not tarry, for I can only keep the gate to your world open for a
limited time. My powers are not what they once were.

Go now.

‘‘Thank you,’’ said Owyn, and he motioned for Gorath to accompany him.

‘‘Where now?’’ asked the dark elf.

Pointing back the way they had come, Owyn said, ‘‘From where we found this cup, we head west, and there we will find Pug. And when he is free, we find our way home.’’

Gorath said, ‘‘Then let us hurry. I tire of this harsh and desolate land.’’

Owyn agreed.

James raced up the steps to the wall as the bugles sounded.

Drums thundered outside the walls, and he heard the sound of crossbows and short bows being fired before he crested the battlements. Locklear shouted, ‘‘They’re coming up from the north face!’’

James nodded and glanced eastward and saw the large siege towers being rolled up the road. He hurried to the north wall and saw goblins climbing up the slope of the hillside below the wall, all of them carrying coils of rope and grappling hooks. Slightly smaller than humans, the goblins were almost comic figures when they weren’t trying to kill you, James thought. Black hair formed a heavy thatch above thick brow-ridges. Their skin was blue-tinged, as if a fair-skinned human had been lightly stained with dye, and their eyes were black irises on yellow. They carried small buckler shields on their arms and short swords on their hips.

Defenders began shooting at the goblins, who started moving in shifts. Crawl a few feet upward, raise the small shields over their heads, then as soon as a shield was struck they scampered a few more feet upward.