Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (55 page)

Ashta rattled her wings
and wound her neck over Mim’s shoulder. He pressed his face briefly
against the pale green Dragon.

‘I think not in the way
you mean, but I cannot be absolutely sure.’ He turned and started
for the upper levels, leaving Kera with yet something else to worry
over.

Next morning, Berri,
acting Wise One of the Delvers in Nolli’s absence, appeared in the
great hall with an escort of Elders. Introductions were brief then
Mim and Kera went with the Delvers to guide Chakar and Ren into the
Domain of Asat. The Drogoyans were greatly impressed with the
Delvers’ ingenuity in adapting to life deep inside the mountains,
with the settlement of Akan, nearest to the Stronghold, and with
the fields of crops. Ren was enraptured at sight of the hot pools
and was only dragged away from them with the greatest reluctance
and the promise that he could soak in them on the way back.
Finally, Mim and Berri led the way down an ever narrowing passage
until they came to an apparently dead end.

The Dragon Lord and the
Delver fell silent and a surge of power bloomed in the enclosed
space. The rock wall slid aside and Mim lifted the lantern he had
brought. Chakar and Ren moved up beside Mim. A mosaic circle
covered all the floor of the small room in front of them, inlaid
with gold, crystal and jet. And in niches all around the walls, sat
hundreds of the egg shapes.

Kera had never seen
this cave before and she was as speechless as the Drogoyans. Light
from Mim’s lantern was reflected back from the patterned floor and
from the eggs above. But the light gradually seemed to intensify,
until Mim extinguished his lantern and they could see the pulsing
of light from within the eggs. Chakar suddenly winced and pulled
her pendant out of her shirt, holding it away from her body by its
chain.

They all became aware
of a sound just out of audibility which swelled, then faded to
silence again. Mim stepped back and Chakar, Ren and Kera squeezed
past him down the narrow passage. Mim and Berri resealed the door
before joining the others. Still in silence, they retraced their
steps to the settlement of Akan where the Elder, Monna, gave them
hot tea and a belated midday meal.

‘Have they all only
just awoken?’ Chakar asked eventually.

‘I have not looked at
them,’ Mim admitted. He touched the pendant he wore. ‘I do not feel
heat from it, which you obviously do, so I was slower to realise
there was any change in them.’

Chakar sipped at her
spice tea. ‘Have you any idea yet what they are?’

Mim moved uneasily in
his chair. ‘Let us discuss that more fully once we are back in the
Stronghold,’ he said.

Chakar nodded.
‘Clearly, you have your suspicions, as I now have
myself.’

It took some time to
persuade Ren to leave the hot pools but he was finally forced out,
dressed and ready for the considerable walk to the Stronghold.
Dessi walked at his side.

‘Did you truly prefer
the pools to seeing the cave which my people have guarded for
generations?’ she asked with a grin on her face.

Ren smiled down at the
tiny Delver. ‘You must think I am quite stupid,’ he said. ‘But no.
I was shocked and amazed at the sight of all those eggs. I have
thought of nothing else since I saw them. A hot bath has become a
scarce luxury of late though.’ He joined in Dessi’s laughter,
walking under the archway between the Domain and the great hall of
the Stronghold.

Jal hurried to meet
them as they emerged from the Domain, a scroll case held against
his chest.

‘This came a short time
ago Sir. The seals are Vagrantian.’

Kera took the case from
him, unlatched it and tipped out a single sheet of paper. Before
she could read it, Fenj came hurrying through the outer gateway,
his eyes whirring slate gray in distress.

‘What is it?’ Mim
called at once, crossing to the black Dragon’s side.

‘Jeela,’ Fenj’s
mindvoice was greatly agitated. ‘Jeela is gone!’

‘Gone?’ Mim repeated
helplessly. ‘Gone where?’

Nesh had taken the
paper from Kera’s hand as she listened to the exchange between Mim
and Fenj.

‘Oh stars!’ he
muttered, and stepped forward, waving the paper. ‘The Speaker of
Vagrantia writes to warn us – the Silver One has left her
Circle.’

Chapter
Thirty-Six

The day after Chakar
and Ren departed for the Night Lands, Babach received disturbing
news. Chakar had identified three Observers working within the
Oblaka, supposedly researching the marine life within a league of
the shore but actually spying for the Sacrifice.

A pigeon landed on the
viewing ledge when Voron was enjoying his early morning breath of
air. It was some moments before he saw that it had a small
container fastened to one leg. Sava snapped his beak crossly when
Voron brought the pigeon into the main room but Babach was glad to
see the bird. He removed the container and showed Voron yet another
cubby hole where several cages were stacked, some occupied, some
empty.

‘How have I missed
seeing this room?’ Voron demanded. ‘I walk past here every day – I
think.’

Babach smiled gently
and did not answer. The container held a surprisingly large sheet
of very thin paper, folded and refolded until it fitted inside.
Babach read it carefully, then he sighed.

‘It is from Finn Rah.
She reports a disturbance in the Menedula two nights past.’ He
tugged his braided beard. ‘She says it emanated without doubt from
the top floor, Cho’s quarters. And she has not seen him since. Four
Observers have died most unexpectedly.’ He grunted. ‘The death of
an Observer is not an unusual event in itself I know. But four so
close together and more particularly, four who are known to have
strong links with the Oblaka.’

Voron frowned. ‘Do you
usually use birds to carry messages? Surely you could reach Finn
Rah’s mind from here?’

‘And who else might
notice my mind wandering the halls of the Menedula?’ Babach
retorted. ‘Do you not yet understand how powerful Cho Petak is,
boy?’

Voron blushed. ‘I think
I accepted that something was very wrong far better than Ren did,
but at times I still forget. I have revered the Sacrifice for most
of my life.’

Babach smiled. ‘And in
the last hundred years, students and Aspirants have been most
firmly discouraged from entertaining any independence of thought.’
He sat in silent consideration. ‘I must go up to the Oblaka and see
what I can find out there,’ he said. ‘Read Finn’s letter and then
do as you wish until I return. I will be back for the noon meal.’
He paused at the door. ‘Do not go outside these rooms Voron, I
believe the “disturbances” Finn writes of may well be repeated
here.’

Voron made some tea and
settled in Chakar’s armchair to read the letter. Some names
mentioned in the small, closely written script he had never heard
of. Others he recognised as teachers of both students and
Aspirants. Finn wrote of Krolik, obliquely referring to a change of
his rooms in the Menedula. Although only of Kooshak rank, he now
occupied rooms directly below Cho Petak, along the corridor from
Finn Rah herself.

The more Voron read the
letter over, the more a sense of apprehension crept over him. The
morning hours passed unnoticed as Voron immersed himself in Finn’s
words, and he jumped when Babach came into the room.

‘I’m sorry – I haven’t
made a meal yet Babach. I’ll start now.’ Voron hurried off to the
storage cave while Babach made some fresh tea. Voron stirred
various ingredients into a pot and tried to explain his increased
forebodings over Finn Rah’s letter. Babach listened, making no
comment on Voron’s conclusions. Voron glanced across at the old
Observer.

‘Am I talking
nonsense?’ he asked finally.

‘No, no,’ Babach smiled
faintly. ‘You are right I think as far as you go. There will be bad
trouble here very shortly unless I miss the mark.’

Voron sat back on his
heels by the hearth, a spoon forgotten in his hand.

‘Trouble?’ he asked
nervously.

Babach pulled at his
beard. ‘The three Observers Chakar believed to be sent here by Cho
to spy on this community are agitated today. They are making no
effort to disguise their nervousness. They have been ordered to
take some sort of action I believe. I have warned certain others of
my suspicions – I can do no more for now. But whatever happens
Voron, you are safe down here. You are shielded and protected. No
matter what Voron, you must remain here until Chakar
returns.’

Voron paled. ‘You speak
as though you were leaving me here!’

‘No, not yet.’ Babach
suddenly looked very old and weary. ‘I will stay here with you at
least until the morning.’

Babach spent the rest
of the day instructing Voron, just as he had on most of the
previous days, although Voron was aware of a certain amount of
distraction in the old man’s manner.

Next morning, Voron
rose, washed, and went along the passages to the viewing ledge.
After a moment, he became aware of shouts from somewhere above him
and to his left – the direction of the Oblaka. His heart began to
pound as he caught a sudden smell of burning that gusted to him on
the wind. Voron ran back through the passages and stood with his
ear pressed to the door of the tiny cellar which led up into the
cottage.

Babach and Chakar had
always slept in the cottage, lest anyone needed them from the
Oblaka, and Babach continued to do so in Chakar’s absence. Voron
swore. He could hear nothing at all from above. His hand was
stretching for the panel in the wall when Sava let out an
ear-splitting screech. Voron nearly jumped out of his skin,
spinning round to face the owl. Sava stared back at him, great
golden eyes unblinking, while his beak snapped and clicked. There
was no doubt in Voron’s mind that Sava was warning him not to open
the door.

Voron hurried back to
the viewing ledge but heard no more cries although he could still
smell smoke. The sun had passed midday when Babach came back to the
underground rooms. His clothes were soot-blackened and so were his
hands and his face. He sank into Chakar’s armchair with a
groan.

‘There are so many dead
Voron. Lyeto – one of Chakar’s most promising students – came for
me just before dawn, but the fires were set too well. Many were
trapped in the dormitories.’ He closed his eyes. ‘What is happening
Voron – is our world gone mad?’

Death stalked the
corridors and halls of the Menedula. Students and Aspirants, eyes
burning red coals, fell on anyone who ventured into their path. Two
Offerings were caught and their bodies ripped apart. The four
remaining Offerings and several Observers sent their mindsight to
check what was happening. When they saw the carnage, they fled or
hid themselves. Many Observers had suspected and feared such a
nightmare coming to pass, and had made plans
accordingly.

As Ren had discovered,
and many other students in their time, the Menedula was riddled
with a honeycomb of passages, forgotten rooms, and equally
forgotten exits. Fleeing through those exits, Observers discovered
the red eyed killers were patiently awaiting their appearance.
Powerful as most of the Observers were, their skills and spells
availed them naught.

Rhaki drifted through
the corridors, vastly entertained by the slaughter. Cho Petak had
told him he would be able to enjoy himself as well unbodied as
trapped in a clumsy human form. He was right, Rhaki decided,
watching a maid servant’s head torn from her shoulders. He could
move through any substance, walls of rock offered no difficulties.
He did so now, just because he could, and was delighted to find a
woman, crammed into a hidey hole. He debated with himself whether
to betray her position and decided he might find something more
amusing to arrange for her later. Rhaki drifted on.

Finn Rah, on the level
below Cho Petak, had already destroyed or hidden certain documents
which laid out all the evidence that had been discovered against
the Sacrifice. Finally, she released a pigeon from the window,
carrying a last hurried message to Babach. She drew a long
steadying breath and sent her mind deep to touch the great strength
of the earth’s powers.

Moments later, her door
burst open. Two maddened students ransacked the room, howling with
rage at finding no trace of the Offering. The door swung on one
hinge when they left, and a small spider quivered on top of a
cupboard.

Cho Petak walked slowly
from his apartments, down the broad staircase. He left red
footprints: he saw no need to avoid walking through blood. He felt
Rhaki close by and smiled.

‘A pleasant evening’s
work, my friend, and most satisfactory, don’t you
think?’

Rhaki’s laugh whispered
through the air.

‘Most enjoyable,’ he
agreed.

‘Come,’ Cho Petak
invited. ‘There is a balcony along here. We can watch them start on
the town from there.’

The Sacrifice moved
down another, wider, corridor which ended in tall double doors of
glass. Opening them he stepped onto a balcony overlooking the huge
stairway leading from the town of Syet up to the Menedula. Flames
flickered in Cho Petak’s pupils when he glanced up at the star
speckled sky. Rhaki chuckled as buildings burst into fire below and
the Sacrifice smiled and nodded in approval.