Maa woke long before reaching the city. When the floating island passed between her and the sun, the shadow and the danger it represented stirred her from a peaceful slumber.
Her right eye remained bandaged, and her head throbbed. Risking sitting up, she was correct in her worries. Wetlands surrounded them. The wagon should reach the city gates soon. The men who once shadowed the wagon fell in behind. The look on their faces told Maa they were scared witless. If she’d jumped up and screamed, more than half would break and run.
The current circumstances didn’t bode well for her continued survival. Action was called for. She spoke with a clear voice, “We need to pick up the pace, or we might not make it.”
“Shut up,” the driver growled with false bravado.
Maa was correct. These peasants had no clue what waited for them. Now was not the time to fight. Instead, she lay back down and closed her one good eye. Better to be rested. Once the dying started, she would need to act quickly.
If these idiots didn’t speed up, they would be caught at night surrounded by swamp. The last time she was in this unfortunate situation, only three of them escaped. Herself, the mage Wurn, and the unfortunate guard whose corpse still stood watch over Mel’ock’s book. When the dead moved, these cowards would certainly soil their trousers.
Zoe whispered in her mind, “Don’t tell them the dead will rise. They will think you are crazy.”
Maa replied quickly, “Ever stop to consider we are insane? After all, I am talking to myself.”
“You forget. I am not you.”
“It will do no good to argue with me… or myself, will it? We are both strong-willed. Is the correct word individual?”
“No matter how many times you repeat or reword the thought, we are not one. We are individual. We need to be strong. A woman must be resilient to survive in this male-dominated world.”
“At least on that, we can agree.” Maa smiled, her eyes still closed.
Zoe asked, “Tell me whatever happened to the mage?”
“What mage?” So many had died in Haven. The Necro needed to be more specific.
“The one who took you to the book… who summoned Mel’ock.”
“My former head mage Wurn… I sent him out after that creature with orders to only return when he had him under control.”
“If he tangled with Mel’ock, he is probably dead. Pity, I could have used him to put the monster back.”
“I assumed as much. Too bad, the man seemed at least competent. I never asked, what is the relationship between you and Mel’ock?”
“What do you mean?” Zoe asked with an innocence that stirred Maa’s doubt.
“After we freed him, he destroyed the fog you created and went after you. Called after you by name.”
“Well… I guess he might still be upset. I was with the group of Necromancers that banished him to the book.”
“I understand. Yes, that might cause him to hold a grudge.”
“I never understood why you freed him. The book was more powerful with the creature locked inside. Your husband understood that. He and your father used the book to great effect.”
“But…”
“Oh, yes, your father never told you the truth, did he?”
“That they used the book to lord over the other clans? No, that slipped their minds. I understand this total mess is their doing. They toyed with powers they didn’t understand.”
“And now they are dead.”
“Are you sure Wurn is dead? Did you kill him?”
“I never saw him.”
“Did Mel’ock attack you?”
“Again, I never saw him.”
“Is anything I think I know the truth?”
“I’m sorry to say it, but… I seriously doubt it. That reminds me… I have a slight confession… I never sent the firebugs against your city.”
“But…”
“I created the fog and the effects it created. That provided wonderful cover for the insects to spawn and swarm from, but no, the fireflies were not my doing. After they ran their course, I was going to extort some coin from you.”
“You are nothing but a confidence artist, a hustler?”
“Sorry, some situations are too good to pass up. That was why you couldn’t find me. Why, I never answered your messengers’ calls. How could I accept your peace agreement and not call off the attacks?”
Maa found words failed her.
“Listen, a girl has needs… I was just looking out for myself. The ploy was mostly perfect.”
“Except for the loss of life, my empire, and now I can’t pay you.”
“Yes, there is that, of course.”
“I should kill you when we meet again.”
The wagon came to a halt.
“I’d think twice about that. I seem to be your only friend now.”
“No… there is always Nanny.”
“Aren’t you a little old for a nanny?”
Maa had no time to explain her relationship to the old woman who cared for her. This Zoe must not be part of her, or she would know how important the old woman was. “You make me sick. When this is all over, you and I are going to sit down for a long bloody talk.”
“Get up, wench.” The male’s voice cut off the critical conversation.
To keep from snapping at the driver, Maa bit her lower lip till she tasted blood. She sat up.
The island was fully overhead now. They sat in darkness. However, the sounds of the night remained absent. None of the familiar animal sounds greeted them. Not even the bark of a guard dog broke the silence.
The men gathered before the wagon. Left on her own, Maa slipped from the bed. It took some concentration to pull the wayward straw from her long braids. Lacking any weapon or royal guard, she picked her position next to the off horse. Time to see what the city had in store for the looters.
The ruined gates of Haven hung partially open. Maa imagined the terrified citizens pouring from the city. Yet, that made little sense. If a great many escaped, why had the word of Haven’s demise not reached Ra? Maa missed something.
The city remained black, with no lights, no sign of life. Death, however, was everywhere.
“Go on then.” The driver remained seated, reins in hand. She sensed he would flee with little warning.
In the dark, Maa counted at least thirteen men moving to search the nearest bodies. Each squealed with delight when they found some unique treasure.
Each robber would return with an armload, only to dart back into the city.
These dead might be meaningless to the thieves who escorted her, but each plundered body represented a life cut short—dreams unfulfilled by an enemy with no name, for reasons that eluded Maa. The waste angered her more than she ever thought possible.
To stand near the wagon and team meant risking being crushed if they were attacked. Instead, she made her way to the gates and watched as the beggars stripped the dead. The sight made Maa sick.
“Time to go.” The driver of the wagon grunted.
“No… we can’t… there is a great deal of treasure inside. I know a place.”
“What good is treasure to a dead man?”
“And what will Draco say if you failed to investigate this city? The cannibals have obviously fled, leaving this booty unprotected. Are you too cowardly to take the prize? Give me two men and the wagon, and I will do it for you, coward.”
The man reached out and grabbed Maa’s throat.
At one time, an attack like that might have frightened her, but she’d been choked by better men than this, her dead father and brother included.
Her words must have struck a chord. One of the looters stepped up and said, “She has a point. If there is a great treasure waiting, I’ll go with her.”
“As will I…”
Soon two more came forward.
Her attacker tossed Maa to the ground.
Another man stepped up.
The driver growled, “Go if you want, but the wagon stays here with me.”
Faceless hands helped Maa to her feet. If she had a weapon, she would have killed the noxious male where he stood. Instead, he would need to wait a while longer for the death he deserved.
“I’m not waiting long,” the driver called after them as they entered the city.
“Yes, that man needs to die,” Zoe confirmed the death sentence while they walked through the dark and deserted streets towards the citadel and the summoning room.
<=OO=>
Morgan and the others shared a drink from Kai’s flask. They stood in silence before what had to be the golden machine of Asterreon. Morgan forced her mouth closed rather than blather on about the mysterious structure before them.
This construction was no less marvelous than the stone edifice that housed the questing beast. However, this building, if it could be called that, was completely different. Everything about the creation was unusual. Morgan had seen nothing like this in her travels or studies.
The best word that came to her mind was alien.
Kai stopped a stone’s throw away from the first upright megalith. “Please don’t cross the outer perimeter until I search for danger.”
Gia asked, “Do you suspect any?”
“After the last stop, of course. But right now, I sense nothing. There is powerful magic at work around this… temple. Just stay outside the main stones for now. If there is a trap, I would suspect it to be inside.”
Kai was right. It looked like a temple.
“I can look for mechanical traps…” Gia offered.
Tsu asked, “Can you?”
“I can do more than kill dragons, you know.” Gia followed Kai toward the outer wall.
Despite the lack of a roof, Morgan marveled at the layout. A circle of monumental stones stood upright, arranged to form a circle encompassing a square plaza of marble inlaid in a green and white check pattern. In the center sat a tetrahedron much taller than Tuck. On top of which balanced a gold globe. The metal alone must be priceless, but Morgan marveled at the perfect craftsmanship. The composition must be about art as much as function. “Somebody loves their geometry.”
She did as Kai instructed and remained outside the upright stones. Tuck waited with her, the ever-present La’nora strangely quiet. The bird’s body remained tense, ready to run from some unseen danger.
The three men discussed something in hushed tones, too quiet for Morgan to hear. Now she wished she’d gone with them, but to desert Tuck now would be rude.
Some agreement reached, Tsu and Gia took off in opposite directions. Morgan assumed they circumnavigated the structure. After their last disastrous encounter, it made sense to study this place as much as possible—anything to keep from blindly falling into another trap.
Kai remained nearby what Morgan considered the entrance. After consulting his book, his hands weaved patterns in the air. Then he would pace to another spot and repeat the process.
“This is going to take forever. Do we have enough food for this?” Morgan asked. She hated the thought of being forced into a support role, but there was little she and her staff could do right now.
Tuck nodded, rumbling, “Yes,” keeping any deeper concerns to herself. The process seemed to engross the large female.
Kai reached down and picked up a small stone. Holding his hands close to his mouth, he spoke to the rock before tossing it into the circle.
It skittered across the patterned courtyard.
Nothing happened.
Kai shook his head.
Tsu and Gia finally returned from the trip around the building. Kai waved to both. They joined him, standing together, each taking a turn to speak. Their voices didn’t travel the distance. Morgan wanted to know what they talked about. Once more, they decided something without her input. Being left out annoyed her to no end.
The three men finished the discussion before turning their way. Approaching the females, she spotted each man wore a long face.
Their lack of consideration for Morgan and Tuck caused an irritation she didn’t expect. There was no logical reason to leave the pair out of the discussion. Gritting her teeth, Morgan decided now was not the time to speak up. She would work as best she could to help. They needed to work together on this. Later, the boys would learn the error of their ways by excluding half the group.
Tuck finally broke the silence. “Was this made by magic?”
Kai said, “I’m not sure. I can’t see any magic coming from it. I find no wards or protections of any kind. When I cast into the ring, my spell didn’t work. Yet it makes me nervous.”
Tsu stood, stroking his unshaved chin. “There might be mechanical traps. Maybe intricately built into the layout. This was created with great attention to detail. Chances are the builders would want to protect it.”
Morgan asked, “Why would Asterreon or anyone build this?”
“Without knowing the creature, I can’t begin to fathom a reason…” Tuck shook her head. “I doubt any human hands formed this.”
Gia motioned back toward the construct. “Perhaps it is from the gods?”
Tsu cut off the half-elf. “Just because you don’t have the skill to make something doesn’t mean others don’t. The unexplained isn’t necessarily the work of the divine.”
Kai turned his attention back to the puzzle. “I’m sorry. I find no traps. Regardless of the original builders or purpose, this matches the description of the golden machine.”
“The building looks the same the entire way around,” Gia added.
Morgan tired of having little discussion to add. She blurted, “Not much of a hidden back door if you think about it.”
Kai’s focus remained unchanged. “We have three choices. Turn back, travel the remaining distance to the tower, or try this. I wish I had the right answer.”
“Turning back is not an option.” Morgan’s words shocked herself.
Tuck asked Gia, “What do you think?”
“Sorry, not a clue.” His answer came just as quickly.
Morgan said, “I say, we are here. We should at least get a closer look.”
“Any volunteers?” Gia laughed.
Tsu took a step toward the nearest opening. “I’ll do it. If there are traps, I’m more likely to find them.”
Kai stopped him with a hand to his arm. “Yes, but if there is magic, you will never see it.”
“You can’t see any magic now…” Gia grumbled.
“You two could work together,” Tuck added. The creature motioned between Gia and Kai.
“I’m not staying back here.” Morgan stepped toward the passage.
“Nor am I…” Tuck pulled on La’nora’s lead, guiding the animal closer to the outer wall. “Besides, we work better when combined, don’t you think? No one here can complete this journey on their own.”
Morgan noticed the side glances the three men shared, but they proved wise enough to keep their mouths shut. Morgan was certain Tuck could take all three in a fistfight.
As a group, they moved closer to the first opening. The closer they came, the more impressive the construction. The outer stones had to be three times taller than Tuck. How someone or something moved such an impossible weight escaped reason.
Morgan grabbed Tsu’s arm. “Your place is by my side.”
Her guard didn’t argue.
If the others had any complaints about Morgan’s decision, they decided not to voice them. This was good. The princess wasn’t ready to lose the last connection to her old life.
Gia and Kai stepped through the opening side by side.
Morgan didn’t realize she held her breath until she became lightheaded.
“I can see something,” Gia called out, pulling Kai by the arm. They stood next to the stone courtyard now, but Morgan couldn’t see what they looked at. She nearly entered the circle out of curiosity.
“There is a plaque… In elvish,” Kai said.
Gia read the words aloud, “Stɛp ˈsmɑːtli.”
Tsu cursed, “Step smartly? What in all Infernum is that supposed to mean?”
Morgan watched as the two men stood at the edge, quietly discussing who would take the risk and step forward first.
Kai finally pulled a coin from his pouch and flipped it.
Gia stepped onto the green stone without further discussion, touching lightly with a toe before eventually adding his full weight. “Seems the green is safe at least…” He chuckled.
Kai added, “Or the first one is.”
Step by step, Gia worked his way to the three-sided pyramid. He called out, “There is another plaque. Men ðə laɪt ɒv ðə muːnz ɪnˈlaɪtn jɔː pɑːθ.”
“What’s it mean in common, not elvish…?” Morgan asked.
Tsu translated, “May the light of the moons enlighten your path.”
Tuck said, “That makes no sense.”
“Must be a riddle. Let me think.” Kai stepped on a green stone. “If anyone has an idea, please feel free to call it out.”
Once more, Morgan held her breath as Kai stepped on the green stones. The mage reached Gia’s side, and she sucked in a deep lungful of air.
Kai turned to face Morgan, a look of surprise plastered over his face. “I’m not sure why, but I feel a tingling in my body…”
Gia stepped away from Kai. “Are you sure? I feel nothing…”
Kai glared at Gia. “Of course, I’m sure.”
“Stupid mage caught in a magical trap.”
“I never said it was a trap.”
Morgan shouted to break up the growing disagreement. “Kai, you are from Ra. What clan are you?”
Kai shook his head. “I never knew my parents. Family had little meaning on the docks unless you came from money, which I didn’t.”
Tsu stepped on to the green stone. “I need to try something.”
“Tsu, wait!” Morgan followed her guard.
“Infernum, why don’t we all just scamper over the possibly deadly stepping-stones?” Tuck growled.
As Tsu approached Kai, he said, “I feel something as well.”
Gia shifted his glance between the two men standing near him. “That means…”
Morgan said, “The two of you are related.”
Tsu nodded. “Maybe, I am a Moon…”
“In service of a Wu emperor?” Gia asked.
“Stranger things have happened. I moved up through the ranks. Princess, your mother picked me as your guard and weapons master. I never knew why, though I had my questions. It was never my place to speculate.”
Gia warned, “You should stand back.”
Morgan stepped closer. “No, if something is going to happen, let it happen to all of us this time.”
“I agree,” Tuck said from the sand.
Morgan stepped closer. The bizarre construction fascinated her. They cried out for a closer examination. “I… I feel something as well.” Before she could say another word, assorted musical instruments sounded from overhead. The sound pulled her eyes skyward, expecting to see rays of magic raining down on them.
Her exhilaration and rapt anticipation proved short-lived.
What started as a harmonious flourish morphed into a chaotic blast of horns, the pressure of which threw Morgan to the stones. Under assault, she rolled into the fetal position—anything to escape the pressure that washed over her.
No matter how hard she covered her ears, the sound reverberated in her skull. Through watering eyes, she spotted Tuck and La’nora still at the edge, lying in the sand, writhing in agony.
Morgan screamed, but the blare absorbed any sound her feeble voice made. Her vision narrowed to a pinhole before all went black.