Stone heard the commotion long before he reached the valley. Alarmed shouts, sharp commands, and loud cracks and crashes emanated from far below. He quickened his pace, and the noises solidified into the unmistakable sounds of battle. His heart raced. What had happened? Were Trinity and the others all right?
He shot down the steep path at full speed. Several times, he almost lost his footing but managed to remain upright. A fall down the steep, rocky face of the volcano could be deadly, but he did not consider the risk. He’d left his friends alone and now he feared they were paying the price.
He topped a rise and Ogygia came into view. Down below, the Ogygians battled the caveman-like Varri. Stone searched the chaos for signs of his friends and quickly spotted Moses, who had presumably emptied his pistol and now fought with a cudgel in one hand and his machete in the other, battering and slashing the powerful but slow Varri. Nearby, Alex had found a spear and was desperately trying to keep a determined Varri at bay.
He saw no sign of Trinity.
It felt like an eternity before he finally burst into the city and into the midst of the battle. He drew his Webley, dropped to one knee, and selected his target—a brute of a warrior, armed with two clubs, who was driving Alex backward, in Stone’s direction. He took careful aim and squeezed off a single shot that whizzed past Alex’s ear and took the huge Varri in the eye socket.
Alex whirled about and a relieved grin spread across his face.
“Stone! Thank God. We’re being pressed hard here, and Moses and I are out of bullets. Not to mention, I’m no great shakes at hand-to-hand fighting.” For emphasis, he shook the spear he carried.
“Just stay alive. Where’s Trinity?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t seen her since the attack began. We were at the pyramid, meeting with the council. All of a sudden, people started crying out, and the next thing we knew, the Varri were among us. Moses and I drew our pistols and ran outside. Samman followed us, and for a moment, I was sure he was going to attack me; there was something in his eyes. He gave my pistol an odd look, like he was about to be sick, and then the Varri were on us, and I lost sight of him.”
“And you don’t know what happened to Trinity?”
“When the Varri closed in, Samman shouted something about the council keeping her safe.”
Stone immediately took off for the pyramid, weaving around the combatants who dueled all around him. A Varri occasionally blocked his path, but they all fell to Stone’s bullets. By the time he reached the pyramid, he’d reloaded twice and was down to four bullets in the revolver.
The battle raged hottest at the foot of the pyramid. Malik and Akente fought like cornered tigers, slashing and thrusting their spears at every Varri that came within reach. Stone prayed Trinity was safe inside, but he’d have to fight through the throng in order to find out.
Forsaking his Webley in the close quarters, he took up a club dropped by a fallen Varri, drew his knife, and drove forward. The Varri fell back before his furious attack. He killed a few, but most shied away.
He heard a cry in the distance and saw Moses leading a group of Ogygians. Their line swept in behind the Varri, who were attacking the pyramid. On the pyramid’s heights, a group of young men armed with bows seemed to take heart from this new turn of events, and began loosing arrows at a rapid clip.
The Varri assault crumbled, and soon the brutes were in full retreat. Stone, Moses, and Akente held back as the Ogygians drove their enemies from the valley, taking down as many of the fleeing primitives as they could.
Stone watched the retreat for a few seconds, and then turned to Akente.
“Where is Trinity? Is she inside?”
Akente’s brow furrowed. “She retreated toward the back of the city when the attack began.” He pointed his lips in the direction from which Stone had come. “I believe Samman was with her.”
“I came from that direction and I didn’t see her.” Stone paused. “Why would Samman take her? Why wouldn’t he stay and fight?”
“At the time, I thought he wanted to keep her safe. Of course, I was busy battling for my life, so I did not think about it for very long. Now, it seems odd. The pyramid would have been the safest place for her.”
“Samman is a traitor!” a voice called. Stone turned to see four Ogygian warriors escorting a bound Varri in their direction. “This one,” he prodded the Varri with his spear, “says Samman let them in.”
Akente muttered something that must have been an Ogygian curse and stamped his foot.
A heavy feeling hung in the pit of Stone’s stomach. “Do you have any idea where he might have taken her?”
Akente shook his head.
“We’ll just have to find her, then,” Moses said.
“Find who?” Alex, still clutching the spear, appeared around the corner of the temple. Other than a bruised cheek and a few cuts in his forearms, he appeared unscathed.
“Trinity,” Stone said. “Samman took her.”
“Where? Why?” Alex asked.
“I know where,” a small voice from somewhere above them said.
Stone looked up to see one of the young archers looking down at them. “I saw Samman running away with the white woman.”
“Did you see where they went?” Akente demanded.
“Yes.” The dark-skinned youth paused and swallowed hard. He turned and pointed with his lips. “They went that way. He took her down the Path of the Dead.”
“No.” Akente took a step back. “It is forbidden.”
The youth shrugged.
“The Path of the Dead? What does that mean?” Stone asked.
“It means.” Akente took a deep breath. “That Samman has taken Trinity into the Arena of Souls.”