The Baldari (Book 3) (48 page)

“What are you suggesting?” Rigo asked.  “Those rods are very dangerous.”

Ash’urn nodded.  “Yes they are.  I know that better than anyone.  Yet, dangerous is what we need, and we cannot afford to pass by anything that might aid us.  As has been pointed out, our options are extremely limited.  I want to work with the rods and see if we can find anything that might be useful against this chamber where Mitty sees the woman, or against the Brryn directly.  I have a feeling both will have to be destroyed before this is over.”

Rigo was uncomfortable with the idea, but he knew Ash’urn was right.  He also knew that nothing would stop his friend from pursuing something he felt necessary.  They were all going to have to take risks they didn’t want in the coming days.  For once he wished for a vision from Mos’pera, hopefully one that showed them coming through what lay ahead.

As the meeting broke up, Nycoh and Tara were eager to act.  Nycoh had lost three close friends at the Repository, Casters who had helped her when she was first trying to learn the symbolic magic.  She intended to see them avenged.  Tara, on the other hand, was fully focused on freeing Burke.  That meant that the valley needed to be found, which meant her team had to move faster.  Perhaps that would mean accepting some risk, but they would push forward at first light and travel to the last hint of daylight each day until they reached the mountains.

Kytra couldn’t help being immensely pleased with how well the destruction of the ancient library had gone.  When she had first learned of its existence, she had wondered if someone clever was setting a trap.  It was almost inconceivable that such a place had been successfully hidden and survived the Brryn efforts to destroy such places.  But after a time she had come to understand that it was real, and while the inept rebel wizards of this time weren’t able to utilize it as intended, it was still apparently helping them in some way she had yet to understand.  No longer.  It was gone forever, and these amateurs wouldn’t have access to any of the information they shouldn’t.  Who knew what was stored in the place?  Perhaps even some of the secret magic that had helped undo the great plan the Brryn had put in place so many years ago.  While it had been readily apparent with the quick check her
helot
had made that the wizards hadn’t managed to access the materials stored in the place, they had been intent on using the translation abilities to study something.  She wondered what.

All had gone smoothly.  She had expected somewhat of a battle, given the increased abilities the wizards were showing of late.  Had they been more astute, they would have guarded the entrance, possibly making her attempt fail.  She’d worried about that.  Her own
helot
had been upgraded thanks to the recent addition to her stable.  That would have meant a fairly matched encounter had a fight broken out.  She had been prepared to sacrifice all but the leader of the group if necessary.  She had been prepared to augment his personal protective barrier to ensure his survival.  After the loss of the woman, he was her favorite and seemed to have more knowledge of the workings of the kingdoms than the others.  She had been confident that with help her
helot
could hold their own until the devices were set up and activated. 

Much of the delay in dealing with the facility after she had determined it was real was based on getting the special crystal-based cells constructed and properly charged.  Had she been free, that would have been a simple task, although not really necessary.  Her personal magic would have served to end the problem.  Since she couldn’t perform such tasks herself, she’d needed to rely on the halfmen, the
Duneriders
as the wizards colorfully called them.  They were well versed in working with crystals of all sorts, and those she had available had crafted the two devices from the supplies of crystal that had been captured in the earlier raids.  Charging the devices once they were constructed had required her to disable one of the layers of protection to the chamber and allow the halfmen inside where they could place the devices in the vicinity of the amplifier.  She’d disliked doing that, but it was the only option, and the halfmen were not a threat to her.  Even attempting to enter this area of the chamber would result in their being wiped from existence.  The real problem was her remote abilities with the amplifier were limited, and until she was able to move about freely, she wouldn’t be able to raise the protective block once again.  Whatever Nyk had done before he’d left had altered how she could interact with the device.  She wondered that she had any control at all. 

Kytra was also pleased with how she’d managed to hide the upcoming attack from the annoying white haired woman who spent so much time spying on her.  Once she was free, she would personally see to the elimination of that one.  Kytra had acted as though nothing much was happening while she directed the construction, charging, and finally the deployment of the device.  She knew she’d given them no warning of what was coming.

She spared a glance toward Hyndl and Tryll.  They were finally breaking free of the long sleep that Kytra was certain that Nyk had instrumented when he had escaped the chamber.  Kytra believed he had intended that those of them who had remained behind wouldn’t awaken for a very long time, if at all.  Something had gone wrong, and allowed the device to act improperly, which had let her awaken, and now was doing the same to the others.  Whatever had happened, Kytra wondered if it had also taken down Nyk.  If he were still alive, he would have noticed her manipulations long ago and come to deal with her.  The destruction of the Hoplani would have enraged him, and he would have repaired what had been done.  That hadn’t happened, so he was most likely dead.  Dead, or trapped himself somewhere.  Kytra almost hoped it was the latter.  She’d like to encounter him and deal with him herself.

Kytra was using what power she could tap to help fight against the forces that were holding her friends.  She needed their help and was eager for them to awaken.  Hyndl had long been most interested in her, and would willing join her against Nyk or any others. The man was powerful, although not quite as strong as her, and saw most things as she did.  Tryll was also a supporter, and best of all had no ambitions of leadership.  The two women had been excited when they entered the chamber expecting to have a world at their command when they emerged once the world had mended.

Kytra could sense she would be freed before much longer.  Once that happened and she could move about, she would be able to free her friends.  Once she could physically access the amplifier, she would be able to control all of its functions.  She would take them away from here while they all recovered.  That would be a relatively short period, but after so long denied their normal powers and having to rely on the strengthening provided by the amplifier, their inherent abilities would have atrophied.  Kytra dreaded those days when she would be capable of producing only a fraction of her normal power, and when she would have to refrain from tapping the amplifier if she wished to rehabilitate her own skills.  She knew her inherent abilities would return within a month once freed and away from here.  She would simply have to exercise patience, not a strong Brryn trait.

Kytra knew exactly where to go.  She expected her residence on the eastern islands would have survived.  Clearly none of the inhabitants had discovered the islands far off the eastern shores.  She and her friends would recover there.  Then they would deal with this land and the pitiful wizards that existed.  The memories she was extracting from her
helot
could be used to move freely around the modern lands.  The process was slow if she wished them to survive, and they were her main weapon and had to be preserved until she was freed.  Their Guild and Outpost would be among her first targets.  Her goal would be to destroy all of the wizards and Casters in these lands.  After that she would destroy the homes of the current rulers.  The people would learn quickly who was really in charge. 

Kytra wasn’t yet certain what she would do about the remaining two Brryn who hadn’t yet showed signs of waking.  Smmt and Nldt were dead, of course, something that wasn’t supposed to be possible in the chamber and which she was certain was a spiteful act by Nyk before he had left.  He had had some fierce disagreements with the pair just before they’d entered the chamber all those eons ago.  Kytra had her own issues with the remaining pair, who were loyal to one another, and often saw things differently than she did.  Perhaps she would leave them here.  Between herself, Hyndl and Tryll, they could handle everyone in this current existence.  She had seen more than enough to know they simply lacked the magic to be a problem.

Pressed hard by Tara and Nycoh, the expedition had reached the base of the second mountain range two days earlier than anyone had thought possible.  The mountains here were huge, nearly as large as the Great Whites to the far distant north, and from the map and what little they could see, seemed to extend to the ends of the continent.  Without something to guide them, they could easily spend a lifetime searching for the single valley that was hidden somewhere in this maze.  Fortunately, S’erom had provided them with a clue, if only they could locate the necessary reference point, the odd mountain he had seen twice in his lifetime.

“
You don’t recognize anything?”
Nycoh asked S’erom.  Her ability to focus her thoughts and even show emotion had improved immensely during the trip.  S’erom was able to detect a touch of frustration in her communication.

“
It was a long time ago and I was just a child
,” S’erom protested defensively.  “
I was not paying attention to such things at the time.  You can see that the mountains are all very similar.  How would a boy know to distinguish one from another
?”

Nycoh could sympathize.  One look at the mountains that stretched across the horizon east to west and disappeared south was more than a little daunting.

“
Your father must have known some way to tell them apart
,” she said.

“
That is most likely the case, but he was an experienced traveler, and he never lived long enough to pass those skills to me
,” S’erom replied.  “
You can see how alike the mountains are.  Perhaps if we use your magic to get high enough on one of the nearby peaks we can search the horizon for some sign of the mountain we seek.  It is different enough that it should stand out
.”

It was a reasonable suggestion, if not the most direct path to the solution they needed.  They had discovered no obvious trails anywhere nearby to follow, and wouldn’t have known if any trail they stumble upon were the correct one anyway.  Given the extent of the mountain range, they could be many day’s ride from where S’erom and his father had entered the mountain range.  They would simply have to make a
Bypass
to one of the nearby peaks, and begin a systematic search.  Debi and Tara were already mapping out a plan, dividing up the wizards into groups of five to explore different areas.  They would find a base, and spread out from there.

Now that they had arrived, there would be no further need for the U’nydyn.  The beasts had served them well, and Nycoh had actually become fond of the strange pony-like creatures.  She realized they would not be so accommodating if the Baldari were to release them from control, but even so they had carried them tirelessly over a vast distance.  They probably should allow them to return to the jungle, but Tara had insisted the five other Baldari take them back to the oasis and keep them in reserve until they were certain they wouldn’t be needed again.  One of the wizards would take them back, then report to the Outpost that they had arrived.  It was midday, and if time weren’t so critical they would have taken the rest of the day off.  As it was, Tara insisted they get a preliminary start and at least establish a workable base up in the mountains before nightfall.

A base was easy enough to establish.  They found a comfortable meadow high among the nearby mountains that offered everything they would need.  By dark they had set up a semi-permanent base of operations.  Neither Nycoh nor Tara was happy about the base as it implied a prolonged stay, and they both hoped this matter would come to a conclusion quickly.  Debi rightly believed they should be comfortable. And protected against the weather.  She expected the search to last a number of days.

Debi’s assessment proved correct.  It took the team several days to locate the flattened mountain with the distinctive flat face and streak upon the vertical side.  That was after Daim had sent an additional thirty wizards to aid in the search.  S’erom’s description had been very accurate, and the mountain was easily recognized once it had been located.  It was more than a day’s ride to the east, and unfortunately had been hidden because the distinctive flat face was facing toward the south, away from the team.

With the mountain located, they began the search for the small hidden pocket valley that S’erom indicated wasn’t too far away.  They started by finding a high peak with the approximate angle S’erom recalled, then began checking each valley and depression they could find.  There were far more of such places than one might have suspected along the possible path.  Many were filled with broken rock from the frequent landslides common in these high and steep mountains.  More than a half dozen tiny valleys that might match the description were all deserted.  It took only a moment to make a
Bypass
down into each and verify that no one had been there in a very long time, if ever.  In addition to the small pocket valleys, there were many of the more classic V-shaped valleys, most with a small river running down the middle.  None of these looked occupied either.  Two days later they had surveyed all possible locations that faced the mountain as S’erom had described.

“There’s nothing here,” Debi said to Nycoh that night, disgusted.  “Your buddy must be wrong.  Either that or he has some reason to lead us to the wrong place.”

Nycoh was certain that S’erom wasn’t misleading them.  She could sense the frustration in his mind each time they had come up empty.  He wished revenge as much as she did.  That meant they must have missed something.

“Admit it,” Ardra said, supporting Debi’s conclusion.  She had come after a messenger had informed her of the lack of progress.  “We’ve been fooled.  We’re no closer than we were before this whole thing started.  It would be impossible to hide something as big as a valley.”

As soon as Nycoh heard the words that Ardra had spoken she cursed herself for not considering the idea discussed earlier more carefully.  “Perhaps it isn’t,” she said thoughtfully.  “We don’t know what capabilities the Brryn possess.”

“What are you thinking?” Tara asked.

“An illusion,” Nycoh said.  “We would have not thought it possible to create an illusion as extensive as the one that hid the Repository, yet it existed.  Perhaps we aren’t finding what we seek because it is hidden in a similar manner.”

Ardra scoffed.  “It would take an illusion far bigger than the one at the Repository to hide an entire valley.  It simply couldn’t be done.”

“You couldn’t do it,” Nycoh agreed.  “Neither could I.  But maybe the Brryn could.  I think we need to have a careful look in the morning.  You need to get past your anger toward the Baldari.  Despite the many years you have fought them, they aren’t really your enemy.  No more than the Casters who have been taken and now fight against you.”

Nycoh’s words struck home.  Ardra had been forced to kill one of the Caster’s who had attacked the Guild area some weeks before. The Caster had been a classmate and good friend.  The act had gnawed at Ardra for some time now.

At first light the following morning, Nycoh, Tara, Ardra, S’erom, and Debi were all out early, standing atop the tallest mountain on a line with S’erom’s best guess for what he had observed from the valley floor.

“How will you know where to start?” Tara asked as they surveyed the numerous peaks extending in all directions.

“It will have to look like a natural contour between the surrounding mountains.  It might look a little odd, because it has to change what is really a valley into something far less deep.  It might appear as if a mountain is out of place.  I would guess it will appear rocky, barren, and inhospitable. Not the kind of place that would entice one to go and investigate.  The goal would be to discourage interest.  It is also likely to lack any sign of a river.”

“Why no river?” Ardra asked, still not convinced this would lead anywhere.

“A river would be more difficult to formulate into an illusion.  It would have to change with seasons, and making it consistent with the water in nearby canyons from year to year as the snowfall varies would be difficult.  It would be far wiser to simply avoid such a complication.”

The group searched the area, moving between several high peaks.  They found a couple of places that might be possibilities.

“What are you doing?” Tara asked at one of the locations they stopped.  Debi had pointed out a possible candidate between three large mountains off to their right.

“I’m making a
Bypass
,” Nycoh said, as she completed the attempt.  She shook her head as the arch formed normally.

“I don’t understand,” Debi said.

“If something is an illusion, then it is really not as we are seeing it.  Attempting to make a
Bypass
to a location that doesn’t really exist will fail.  If I can successfully open the
Bypass
, then the location must be as it appears, and not an illusion.”

“So this isn’t the place?” Debi asked disappointed.  She had hoped to have found it.

“It looked promising,” Nycoh agreed, “but this isn’t the place.”

The third location they tried resulted in a failure of the
Bypass
. 

“There,” Nycoh said pointing.  “That might be what we are seeking.”

The others looked closely where Nycoh was pointing.  The group had almost passed the location by.  It was simply impossible to accept the rocky valley with the twin landslides could be the place they sought.  It had been S’erom who had tugged at Nycoh’s mind and asked that she test the spot.

“How do we verify it’s fake?” Debi asked.

Nycoh pointed to a peak with a possible access to the lower areas.

“The peak will be real.  It would be foolish to add a peak that might be used by someone seeking to spot the illusion.  We can go there, and then carefully make our way down and see if we can find where the illusion begins.”

The
Bypass
to the higher elevations worked normally, which supported Nycoh’s theory.  Carefully the group started down the side of the mountain, watching for any sign of the illusion.  Nycoh warned them if they encountered the interface, their feet would likely seem to disappear.

Three glass after they started down the side of the mountain, Debi spotted the first discontinuity.  The area ahead appeared to be solid and natural, but upon close examination, the ground didn’t match exactly with the surrounding hillside.  It might have been the illusion wasn’t perfect, and it might have been the result of subtle changes in the hillside over thousands of years.

S’erom warned Nycoh, reminding her of the sheerness of the cliff he recalled.

“We need to move very slowly now,” Nycoh said, passing along the warning.  “The illusion could mask the beginning of the drop into the valley.  We need to pass through it so we can see what it is hiding.”

“Is it safe to touch?”   Tara asked.

“I’ve never known of an illusion that was harmful,” Nycoh said.  “With our protective shields, I doubt there will be any danger.  I’ll go first, but we should get some ropes first.”

Ardra returned to camp while the others waited.  When she returned she brought along a dozen additional wizards and several long sections of rope.

“Let Jery go,” Ardra said.  “He is a bit of a mountain climber, and Rigo would never forgive us if we allowed you to do something so foolish.”

Nycoh was about to protest, but could see the others nodding in agreement.  Frustrated, she said angrily, “Fine.  He can go.”

They tied the rope around Jery, and then secured the other end to a large tree nearby.  Then watched as he got down on all fours, and looking somewhat foolish he moved slowly forward.  Just beyond where Debi had spotted the anomaly, Jery’s hand disappeared up to his wrist when he tried to place it on the ground that seemed to be in front of him.  Tara gasped, and Jery quickly pulled his hand back. 

“I couldn’t sense a thing,” he said. 

Then he started forward cautiously.  Slowly his entire body disappeared as he crawled forward.  If it weren’t for the rope which continued to play out, they wouldn’t have known he was there, or that something hadn’t happened to him.  After a few moments the rope stopped moving.

Everyone was starting to get nervous when Jery suddenly stood up, his upper half standing clear of the illusion, his lower half obscured.

“It’s a good thing you approached this carefully,” he said.

“What’s under there?” Nycoh asked.

“The valley is there,” Jery confirmed.  “There are structures down at the bottom.  However, this natural path down the mountain that looks so very safe and normal is on the edge of a very steep drop.  About four paces that way,” and he pointed away from where they were standing, “is a sudden drop-off.  It’s at least a couple of thousand paces to the bottom.”

“Where are you standing?” Tara asked nervously, backing away a little.

“I’m on a flat close to the edge.”

Jery pointed off to one side. 

“Over there is a much safer place to proceed.  It looks rough from here, but you can pass through the illusion, and there is a large area that will be safe enough.  It is somewhat hidden by a number of rocks, and affords a good view of what is below.  I’ll go over there under the illusion, and come up where you can safely walk down.  Just watch your feet as you head over that way and make sure they don’t disappear.  That would indicate you are crossing into the area masked by the illusion.”