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‘I preferred to chance this over Chaos, yes.’
‘You are too cautious. Why not Shadow, or Tella
‘Too crowded. And eyes are everywhere. Here there are no eyes.’ He gestured the way ahead. The two shuffled along, wincing against the raging storm of energies above.
‘What do you mean, no eyes?’
‘Can't you feel it? This place is wild, feral. It is without a guiding presence.’
‘What of Father Light?’
Cowl raised an arm across his face. ‘Well, if you must cite the first mover, the prime originator, then, yes, I suppose he is here, yes.’ He pinched shut his dazzled eyes, grimacing. ‘If only in spirit.’
‘I mistrust it. I have heard the air is poisoned. That those who come here die of it later.’
‘It's not the air that's poisonous,’ Cowl said, and he took a right-hand turn where the ravine met another, wider cha
‘You said something about crowds?’ Ski
Cowl turned. Ski
They followed the cha
Surprised, Cowl stopped short; obviously, he could not count on his heightened senses and perceptions here in this inimical place. The figures wore a kind of white enamelled armour, now caked in dust, and pale yellow cloaks. Their features reminded him of Tiste Andii, though the hair of each hung white and long. One barked something in their own tongue. Cowl signed his lack of comprehension.
A wave from one and the spokesman tried again, ‘You understand us now, worm?’
Cowl gave a half-bow. ‘Greetings, honored Liosan.’
‘Relinquish your arms and armour, trespassers. You are now our slaves.’
Cowl turned to Ski
Perhaps it was incomprehension, or an inability to accept what was occurring, but Ski
After a time one of the Liosan sat up groggily. He yanked off his helmet and threw it to the dirt. ‘Brother Enias, I am coming dangerously close to losing my faith.’
A second sat up, coughing, and gingerly pressing his chest. ‘Hold on to your faith, Brother Jorrude. These are tests, are they not, of its strength?’
‘Well, I ca
Groans sounded from the other two and Jorrude helped them to their feet. ‘And who were they?’ he demanded of Enias.
‘I know not. Humans yet, though I smell vows, pacts and patronage about them. Enough that they insult us by trespassing with impunity.’
‘We must follow! Bring justice to them!’ said a third.
Jorrude retreived his helmet, brushed dust from it. ‘Perhaps it would be best that we continue our quest… what think you, Brother Enias?’
‘Yes, Brother Jorrude. Satisfying though justice may be, we ought not to neglect our purpose. Father Light has turned his face from us brothers! Some failure or lack within ourselves or our ancestors has severed our co
‘Yes, Brother Enias,’ the other three recited.
Cowl waited until enough distance lay between him and the Liosan – guards, or fellow travellers like themselves, or whoever they may have been – before deciding to try to exit Thyrllan. He did not look forward to it; so abandoned were the energies here that enforcing the control of manipulation would try his skill to its limit.
He was flexing his gloved hands when Ski
He looked ahead, then up. Just visible above the narrow gap of a side ravine rose an ochre-brick tower. Cowl stared. Great Mother Dark – who might possibly… He hurriedly stepped aside into cover. ‘We should go. Now.’
Absently, Ski
‘Do not fool yourself. There are entities here far more powerful than those Liosan.’
‘Then let us go meet these great powers.’
‘Are you insane? I will take us out, now.’
The finger pointed. ‘No. You will accompany me in case you are needed.’
The Avowed High Mage stood silent for a time, stroked the scars that traced a pearly thatching along his neck. Even more imperious than when he left us is our Ski
*
After investigating for a time they could not discover any way up to the tower. It seemed that whoever built or occupied the structure had no use for the sheltered ways all other travellers were forced to walk in order to pass through this deadly reach of the warren. That alone made the sweat cold that soaked Cowl's silk shirt, layered thin hauberk, pocketed vest and many weapon belts. They also had to pause while he renewed each of the layered protections he had woven around them. After this, Ski
Eyes shaded, he waited until his seemingly irresistible commander had almost reached the top then took a breath and launched himself at the rotten wall. A soft moccasin touch within one gap, a deft pull upon a protruding rock, and in an instant he had ascended the wall as if flying up.
Reaching the top and pulling himself erect, Ski
‘No.’
A blasted landscape of harsh shadows and brilliant whites assaulted their vision. The energies pulsing outward felt like a hand thrusting Cowl backwards. The commingled roar of its rush was a thunder almost beyond his capacity to hear. Face averted, he ran for the cover of the tower. Even Ski