[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Keles caught that. We need to find shelter. Tyressa pointed northwest. In the bluff there was light.There, again, see? Flashing. The cartographer nodded. It s not reflecting the lightning, that s for certain.Let s ride.I think we canmake it before the storm catches us. The riders set spur to horse, but beneath their canvas caparisons the animals felt nothing.The horses,however, needed no real urging to flee the storm.Luckily the dry lake bed was flat, so the horses wereable to race across it easily.Moraven pushed past his own fear as best he could to keep Ciras in the saddle, but the storm would notbe ignored.The winds it kicked up began to howl.An oppressive heat built, making him want to strip offhis clothes.All around him, the magic was making the thaumston fabric glow.As riders moved andhorses galloped, as cloth gathered in wrinkles, the edges and peaks would flash with silver or blue, whileiridescent violets filled the darker valleys.The storm would kill them, there was no question of that.But despite his certainty, it wasn t death hefeared.It was something else.It came from the deepest recesses of his mind, a black creature, hulkingand reeking of corruption.It wore armor that clanked, and a mask.An armored battle mask with thescales of a dragon.Its mouth gaped open showing sharp teeth, and from its throat issued a low laugh thatblended into the wind s lupine shrieking.Hoofbeats competed with thunder.Illuminated by the light of the storm s fire, the line of a path becamevisible.Not too steep and fairly wide, it cut up and across the bluff s face, leading to a large dark openingthrough which they would be able to ride without dismounting.Borosan s horse took it first, and theothers followed.Rekarafi cut to the right and just scaled the cliff face, lurking beneath the edge at theopening until the thanaton chased the last of the horses within. Moraven ducked his head to enter the cave, then vaulted from his saddle.Ciras sagged away from him,but clung to the saddle.Before he could fall, Keles and Moraven were able to ease him to the ground.Tyressa herded the horses deeper in and around the corner to the left, and their hoofbeats clicked andechoed from what sounded like the walls of a massive chamber.Moraven tore away his veil and pulled the paired coifs back to a thick roll around his neck. We need toget Ciras deeper into the chamber.Help me. Keles nodded and took the young man beneath the armpits, while Moraven grabbed his ankles.Theymade their way slowly along the passage, relying on sound since the light from the opening faded thedeeper they went.The Viruk s shadow played along the walls, effectively blocking much of the light.Moraven could understand the fascination with the storm, and knew the Viruk would not be so foolish asto linger there when it hit.As they reached the entryway to the next chamber, Borosan ignited the gyanrigot lantern he d broughtalong.Its blue light stabbed deep into the chamber, illuminating the tall, arched opening into yet anotherchamber, but it penetrated no further.As the gyanridin swung it around to the right, splashing it over thechamber s wall, it became obvious that what might once have been a normal rock formation had beenworked long and hard by the hand of Man.Moraven dropped Ciras ankles and straightened up mutely.He wanted to speak, but words would notcome.He found what the light revealed both glorious and terrifying.He knew in an instant that he hadfound the source of his fear.He had found what they had been hunting, what jaecaiserr Jatan had senthim to find.His knees buckled.Borosan s light played over a wall that had been worked smooth, then had square chambers the height,width, and depth of a man carved into the face.Each one of these holes had been plugged by a slab ofstone that had been cemented into place.On these stone slabs had been carved the names and deeds ofthe people entombed behind them.The lettering had been leafed with gold, so the names and legendsglowed in the light.Keles gasped. That one there.It s the grave of Amenis Dukao.He died with the Empress! Before anyone else could offer a comment, the Viruk screamed.Moraven turned, unable to make anysense of his words, but it didn t matter.The storm has finally caught us.The Viruk s silhouette filled the opening.Rekarafi grabbed both edges of the entryway and hung on asthe storm hit.A cloud of dust blasted in first, lifting the Viruk from his feet.His legs trailed out behind him,then a red-gold tongue of flame jetted in, wreathing him.The rock in his right hand crumbled.Rekarafi,still anchored by his left hand, flew back and smashed into the entryway s wall.No longer blocked by the Viruk s presence, a shimmering silver ball of wild magic bounced into thechamber.It floated for a moment, then sent tendrils of black lightning out in four directions.Their forkscracked and popped, moving like arms and legs as the ball crawled forward.For a heartbeat Moraventhought it had modeled itself on thanaton Number Five.Or we made it do that, with our minds.Then a dark hole opened at the ball s center and filled with molten magic.The red dot swung back andforth as the ball came on.It looked.It searched.It focused on him. Then it exploded.An argent wind slammed into Moraven and blew him off his feet.Agony sank into him as he tumbledthrough the air.Every muscle spasmed and locked, then sagged.When he hit the ground he bouncedlimply, his momentum unabated.He slid across the chamber floor, stirring up dust, then smacked upagainst the burial wall.He remained dimly aware of all that was happening to his body, but it was of little consequence.Whenthe magic hit, something entered his mind.It thrust deep, ripping harshly, and filled that wound withcontempt.Moraven s sense of the world faded, until only its voiceremained.Chapter Fifty-seven6th day, Month of the Wolf, Year of the Rat9th Year of Imperial Prince Cyron s Court163rd Year of the Komyr Dynasty737th year since the CataclysmThyrenkun, FelaratiDeseirionPrince Pyrust found Jasai of Helosunde waiting for him in his audience chamber.The hearth containedonly banked coals and produced minimal heat.Despite that, she wore nothing on her feet and only anightshirt to cover her.Woven of thick wool, the nightshirt was not so heavy that he could not see thesharp outline of her erect nipples.She had been given to wearing this type of garment for bed, but hadalways favored the gay colors common in Nalenyr.Now she wore the garment undyed, as did thecommon folk of Deseirion.She knelt as he approached and lowered her head.Her long blonde hair slid down to veil her face, buthe sensed no fear or contrition in her stance.She wanted nothing least of all forgiveness and had noair of remorse about her.This surprised him, but he covered his surprise by slowly reaching up to undothe clasp on his black woolen cloak trimmed with a mantle of wolf fur.It puddled at his feet.Ignoring her for a moment, Pyrust bent to toss several logs onto the coals.They landed with a satisfyingcrunch, spitting a spray of sparks that drifted up the chimney.A burst of heat washed out, then flamesrose, adding light to the dark room.The fire splashed a hint of gold onto Jasai s hair.He drew off his gloves and tossed them onto his cloak.Holding his hands to the fire, he watched flamesdance from between splayed fingers
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]