The Sword Of Angels (Gollancz S.F.) (77 page)

In the form of a serpent, Sercin still looked like a god. The creature made no sound as it slithered, its great head swaying hypnotically, its eyes filled with black, unblinking life. Its hood fanned out from the side of its head, swirling with colours that rifled along its scales. A creamy under-belly pulsed with breath. The rass stared at Lahkali, looking amused.

‘Sercin . . .’

Sercin, the great god of Torlis, took his time contemplating the Eminence. Lahkali had seen rass before, many times, but they were so different from the thing that rose up now to face her. This rass – the Great Rass – gave her a look of intelligence and pleasure, as if it knew who she was and why she had come. The slits of its eyes fixed on her, unmoving, and Lahkali could not look away, even as the katath began to slacken in her grasp. On her chest, the Eye of God began to burn and flash, and the rass noticed this and grinned, its expression oddly curious. It was certainly the largest living thing Lahkali had ever seen, and yet she was not afraid of it. What she felt instead was awe.

‘I am the Red Eminence of Torlis,’ she declared. ‘I’ve come for your blood, Sercin, to feed the land.’

Her voice sounded small. Sercin replied by opening his mouth and letting out his forked tongue. The long appendage curled unnaturally
through the air, as if greeting Lahkali. In her mind she heard its cool, reptilian voice.

You are a child, and I cannot be beaten by a child. Go now, and bring a father or a brother to challenge me.

‘I have no father and no brother to set against you, Great Rass. I say again – I am the Red Eminence.’

The serpent appeared disappointed.
You are a girl, and a tiny one. I could swallow you whole, like a bird.

Lahkali nodded. ‘That is right, but I have come prepared for you.’

Sercin’s glowing eyes searched the amulet around her neck.
What is that you wear?

‘This is the Eye of God,’ said Lahkali. ‘It is magic, from a place far away. There is a god inside it, a god to protect me.’

Now Lahkali felt the serpent’s enormous pleasure.
So then the challenge is real from you, girl. Summon your protector. Let me see him.

‘I cannot. But he is real, Sercin. He will keep me safe and I will kill you, and then your blood will feed the land.’

As it has always been, replied the rass. The scaly face looked satisfied. I am ready to fight you.

Lahkali drew a breath and brought up her weapon again. The Great Rass acknowledged her signal and tucked back its colourful hood. Then, like a cracking whip, it snapped toward her.

Karoshin watched Lukien’s eyelids flutter as the whites of his eyes rolled back into his head. Lukien’s body, still on the rocks, began to convulse and his throat let out a terrible wail. As consciousness at last slipped away, Lukien’s face slackened. Thick red blood began to pool beneath him as the wound on his back opened, soaking though his wet garments. Karoshin, who along with Niharn had rolled Lukien onto his side, tore more of Lukien’s shirt away as he inspected the wound.

It had come over him like magic, just as Lukien had said it would. At first it had only been a scar, but slowly it had opened, oozing blood and throbbing red around the edges. It was a clean wound, made by a expertly sharpened sword, cutting deep between Lukien’s shoulder blades. Karoshin touched the wound lightly with his finger, then set his other hand atop Lukien’s head, gently stroking his long blond hair.

‘He dies,’ said Niharn. The fencing master looked angry. ‘This is stupid. Now they will both die.’

‘Or Lahkali will live,’ said Karoshin.

Niharn gave a grudging nod. ‘It is not impossible.’

Beside them, Lukien’s body started to shiver. He cried out again, lowly and with great effort, regaining a tiny hold on consciousness.

‘The demon in the amulet should let him go,’ Niharn growled. ‘Look at this cruelty!’

‘It is what he wanted,’ Karoshin reminded him.

‘It frustrates me.’ Niharn studied Lukien’s face with pity. ‘Look – it is like he is dreaming. What is he seeing, do you think?’

Karoshin could not say.

It was only the fangs that Lahkali saw, like a blurring heading toward her. The head of the rass exploded forward, its mouth open wide, its long white teeth dripping venom. A rush of air blew Lahkali backward as she spun to avoid the darting head, which reached her in an instant then rose up fast to corner her. The voice of Sercin had left Lahkali’s mind. She turned fast to keep the beast from her back. Her katath came up high for defense. The long body of the rass curled quickly around her, but she jumped, coming up with a roll on the other side. The cavern was giant, and Lahkali had room to move. So she ran.

The rass watched her, probed her, following her through the cavern without attacking. Lahkali reached a group of rocks and dived behind it. In an instant the rass was overhead, its tail to one side of her, its head coming around for another strike. Choosing the tail, Lahkali slashed to the left and freed herself, out in the open once again. The unscathed tail whipped quickly around to slither back behind the patient rass. The creature’s head drew back, sizing her up. Lahkali raised her weapon. The yellowish scales of the serpent’s underside caught her attention. There were the hearts, beating and ready.

Lahkali’s twin blades twitched as she waited. With plenty of room, she bounced from one foot to the other, ready to spring. The rass came down fast, fangs bared, its long tongue darting out like an arm. Lahkali yelled and moved right, then slashed her blades across the hood, catching it and cutting it. As she spun away she heard the snake’s painful hiss filling the cavern. Angrily it rose up, its black eyes glowing in disbelief. Aliz Nok’s amazing blades had sliced easily through the serpent’s flesh, making two deep rents that gushed bright blood.

You are fast, girl!
complimented Sercin.

Hearing his voice made Lahkali’s head swim. She struggled against its lulling tone. Already she was breathing hard, and all she had done was nick the beast. She had missed its breast entirely.

‘Come and fight me!’ she cried.

The rass obliged, balling its tongue into a tight fist and firing it forward. The blow caught Lahkali’s chest, sending her sprawling. As she hit the ground the breath shot from her lungs. She rolled desperately to get away, scrambling through the water with her katath in one hand. Knowing she was vulnerable, she got to her feet and turned to
see the Great Rass looking down at her. The strange tongue twisted in its mouth.

You are less than I hoped, said the rass. Put your weapon down and I will end this for you. One strike. Death will come quickly.

‘No, I can’t,’ said Lahkali desperately. ‘You have to fight me. I have to kill you!’

You cannot kill me.

‘I must!’

The serpent’s expression grew almost human, with a mix of anger and sorrow. It swayed confidently from side to side, watching Lahkali, sure in its ability to kill her. Lahkali stood her ground, prepared to run or strike or dance away – whatever was needed. Her knuckles were white around her katath. She realized with dread that the rass was blocking the way she had come.

But it didn’t matter. She had come this far, and there really was no turning back. Lahkali raised her katath, knowing that this time there would be no running. This time, she had to fight.

‘Amaraz!’ she cried. ‘Help me!’

The Eye of God flared, sending shards of red light through the chamber. The Great Rass hissed and thrashed its tongue, tasting the venom that dripped from its own fangs. Beneath the shadow of its spreading hood, young Lahkali summoned her courage.

This time the serpent came like thunder, screeching a hiss and tearing forward. Lahkali waited the split-second before the fangs were near, then stepped aside to work her blades. Expecting her to flee, the rass kept on, barreling into her katath. The hooked blades carved through its face and raked along its hood. Lahkali crossed to the side, lowered to a crouch, and watched the stunned creature lift its head. Blood gushed from the wound across its mouth. Its left eye popped with black ooze. Lahkali didn’t wait. She sprang, unloading her katath with a scream and bounding for the serpent’s breast. The weapon’s blades found the beast’s belly, going through its tough skin as easily as air. Lahkali held on, feeling the rass rise up, pulling her from her feet as an angry wail erupted from its throat. It’s whole body rattled, shaking Lahkali loose. She fell, katath in hand, and looked up into the bruised eye of the Great Rass. From the wound in its gut came the most foul-smelling muck, a greenish-black jelly that rolled down its belly. Lahkali cursed, knowing she had not hit the beast’s hearts.

There were no more words from the beast, no more of Sercin’s playful voice in her head. There was only wrath. The long body of the snake snapped around Lahkali, quicker than a blink, wrapping around her and squeezing her instantly. She screamed, finding herself lifted again, locked in the powerful coils. Lahkali fought to hold on to her katath. Already
blood filled her fingers as the pressure within her rose. Her head pounded as higher and higher the creature took her, bringing her face to face and licking its sabre-like fangs.

‘Amaraz, please!’ cried Lahkali. ‘I can’t hold on!’

The hot fire of the amulet burst with dazzling light. A new vigour flooded Lahkali’s muscles. Flexing, she worked the fingers around her katath and straightened the weapon, poising it to strike. The hearts were high, she knew, just feet beneath the head. A little closer and –

Blackness. Lahkali screamed. Burning, spitting venom filled her face. Her eyes caught fire, filling with tears then the most unbearable pain. Blindness came quickly. Lahkali threw her head back, crying out for help. The skin around her eyes began to bubble.

Katath still in hand, she writhed blindly in the serpent’s coils.

Lukien floated. Without a body, he swam effortlessly through a dark, warm sea, searching the endless horizon. Beneath him, somewhere in the world he had left, Karoshin and Niharn stood over him, watching with worry as the shell that had held him breathed its last, shallow breaths. But Lukien knew that he was dead, and the realization gave him peace. He had died once before, and now no longer feared it. To him, death was bliss.

Because he had no feet, he could not walk like a normal man, but could will his mind to take him anywhere, and so he moved through the darkness, searching for Cassandra. She would come to him, he was sure. Death had been the only way for them to be together, and now death had finally claimed him. He was a spirit now, like an Akari, living forever in a place without strife or the pain of physical bodies. Now he had two eyes again. Now he would be whole.

He imagined the orchard where they had made love, and where Cassandra had died. In her death place she had come to him when he himself lay dying. As he imagined it, the orchard bloomed around him, real and perfect in every detail. The sun was high and warm, filling the trees with its orange fingers. Apples fell gently to the mossy ground. In the distance sat Lionkeep, the way it had been on that wonderful day, unpolluted and filled with children, the flag of Liiria snapping overhead. But here in the orchard the noise of the castle was a world away. In the orchard, peace reigned.

Lukien walked the lanes between the apple trees, smiling at the creation his imagination had wrought. He had only to wait, he knew, and Cassandra would find him. Pulling a perfect apple from the nearest tree, he took a bite of the fruit and smiled at its freshness. It was fine to be dead.

Lowering himself against the tree trunk, Lukien sat and patiently ate his apple.

Lahkali screamed against the burning pain, thrashing in the rass’ iron grip as the venom raked her eyes. Angry tears flooded down her face. She could feel the hot breath of the rass as it watched her, pulling her closer. She had somehow managed to hold tightly to the katath, but working the weapon was impossible now. Bound by the snake and unable to see, she could barely keep the katath in her failing hand. On her breast she could still feel the Eye of God, growing hotter and hotter, burning her skin as much as the venom. Her wet garments seemed to catch fire. The rass held her confidently in its tail, toying with her, but no longer squeezed the life from her. Lahkali, refusing to face the end, concentrated on the steady power of the amulet.

The heat grew around her. Even through her acid-laced eyes, she could see its dazzling light. A great burning filled the cavern. The rass hissed against it, shaking her in its grasp. Lahkali cursed the beast, letting the power of the amulet fill her. The pain of her wounds ebbed as hot blood pumped through her body. She could fill Sercin’s disbelief. The glow was everywhere now, red like the sun, beating back the green light of the cavern’s gems. As fire filled the chamber the water below began to hiss and bubble. Sercin tossed her back and forth.

‘Amaraz!’ called Lahkali. ‘Bring your fire!’

She was strong again, strong enough to keep her breath and fight. Sercin swayed, falling back as the magic fires shook the cavern. As she struggled she felt his tail waver, then loosen. Gradually she brought up her katath, inch by inch, hoping blindly for one clear shot.

‘More!’ she cried.

Amaraz obliged, and the shock of his power stunned her. Fire leapt from her hair and dangling feet, burning but not harming her. The scaly hide of the serpent’s tail scorched as it tried to hold her. A burst of flame and smoke erupted off Lahkali’s body, sizzling the reptilian hide. Sercin jerked back, at last opening his coils, dropping Lahkali. She tumbled, blind and on fire, crashing against the flooded earth. Her hand opened and the katath skidded away. Nearby she could hear the serpent’s anguished keen.