Sienna tripped on a pile of rubble, cursing her clumsiness as she tried to catch up with the rangy Borderlander. Finn put his arm out to stop her falling, and she smiled up at him. "You said we were going to the Tophet. What is that?"
Finn's face darkened. "It's not something I would want you to see, but it's the only way to get to the relics." He met her eyes, and she saw anger there. "The gods pushed into the Borderlands demand blood, and the darkest rituals you Earth-siders banished now exist here. Chaos suits a certain type of person. Unfortunately one of those people is my father."
They walked out of the city, and the broken buildings soon gave way to the edge of a desert. The stars were high in the sky, and as Sienna looked up, she didn't recognize the constellations. It was a completely different view, as if the sky were inverted somehow. Finn led the way and as people passed on the road, many nodded at him, dipping their heads in respect.
Mila came back to walk beside Sienna. "Finn walks a fine line. Not for us, but for his people. He has respect as the son of his father, one of the most powerful warlords and certainly the most bloody. But now he works with the Resistance."
The sound of chanting came on a hot wind, a low rumble of voices repeating the name of a long-dead god.
They reached a sacred precinct, a circular area ringed with stones, topped with tiny skulls. At first, Sienna thought they might be animal bones. Some were so tiny that she could curl her fist around them. But as she looked closer, she realized they were babies and young children. A sense of foreboding filled her as they walked on.
In the center of the precinct, a crowd of people knelt in front of a large stone altar in the shape of the hungry god Moloch. His mouth was open to devour the sacrifice, and he held a basin of fire in his outstretched arms. The rhythmic chanting of the crowd grew stronger as a huge man walked forward, holding the wrist of a child of around four years old wearing a smiling mask.
"The mask hides their tears from the god," Mila said, her voice low.
The man dragged the child forward, and Sienna watched in rising horror, but they could do nothing as the place was surrounded by the warlord's men. They beat drums either side of the god to accompany the chants of the crowd.
"Why do the people allow this?" She looked up at Finn, shaking her head.
"They ask Moloch to grant them more than this life," he said. "They ask the god to break down the border. If you were trapped here in this hell, ruled by this tyrant, wouldn't you want that too? Besides, human sacrifice is a legacy from your Earth-side. Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his own son, and in Homer's Iliad, King Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia for fair winds. Many of your ancient cultures had child sacrifice, and as it was banished, it ended up here."
Finn pointed around the back of the crowd. "This way. My father keeps the relics nearby, ready to be blessed with the fresh blood of the sacrifice. We have a little time before it's done."
They ducked down and ran around the edge of the crowd, keeping to the shadows amongst the grave markers. A small temple stood out the back of the main complex. Two guards stood in front of it. They nodded their heads at Finn's approach.
"Stand aside," he said. "My father wishes me to take these pilgrims to the relics."
One of the guards looked confused. "I'm sorry, my Lord, but your father said not to let anyone in here tonight."
Finn stepped forward, pulling back his cloak to reveal a long sword at his side, the blade shining silver in the torchlight. "I'm not anyone."
The guard nodded and stepped aside. Finn led the Mapwalkers into the stone chamber. Sculptures of the god surrounded an altar where a number of objects lay on a white cloth. A ceremonial fire burned in front of the altar and Perry walked to it, putting his hand in the flames. He turned his hand as if coaxing the fire into his palm. His eyes reflected the fire, and it was as if his skin became burnished copper.
Mila walked to the altar. "These objects are considered relics, because they come from Earth-side. They have the energy of our civilization and act as anchors. Those Borderlanders with the right magic cross over using these objects. Do you recognize anything?"
Sienna looked closely and for a moment, she thought her father's compass lay on the cloth in front of her. Her heart beat faster, but then, she saw it had different engravings. She picked it up to look more closely.
Finn stepped close to her. "You can't touch it. Put it down." His voice was low and urgent. "The guards are watching, and we can't have them tell my father you were here. It jeopardizes my position."
Mila looked up at him. "It's a Mapwalker compass. You know we can't leave it here. We're taking it with us."
Finn's face turned to thunder. "You said you just wanted to look."
"I did, but it belonged to one of the group we're looking for." Mila shook her head. "It's time, Finn. You have to decide which side you're on."
The drums and chanting stopped. A single wail rose above the quiet, the piercing cry of a mother losing her child. The crowd roared as they celebrated the sacrifice. Sienna imagined the blood of the child shed for the hungry god, knowing it would never be enough.
The sound of running feet suddenly came from outside, then shouts as more guards arrived. Mila looked at the door and then over at Finn. "Time to make your choice."
Finn hesitated for a moment, then drew his sword.
Xander took the folded map from his pocket, laid it on the floor. The lion, Asada, stepped from the page. He roared, charging forward as guards ran into the room, swords held high, some with crossbows at the ready, arrows nocked.
Perry pulled his hand from the flame and threw a ball of fire at the guards. It exploded in the air above their heads, raining down shards of soot. The guards turned in pain, some of them on fire, running for the doorway. The lion leapt in with huge hooked paws, slicing at the guards nearest him.
"We can't hold them for long," Mila shouted. "We need to get out of here."
Sienna put the compass securely inside her jacket pocket, and they began to back away towards the far archway as Finn fought with the remaining guards.
A booming voice echoed out across the temple. "You dare to cross the god of the Tophet, my son? You would let these Earth-bastards take my relics like they have stolen our land?"
Finn turned towards his father's voice, momentarily distracted. One of the guards swooped in and slashed at him with a sword, drawing blood. Finn spun and with one sweep finished off the guard with a slice across his neck. He held his arm, blood running between his fingers, as the warlord spoke.
"You're a traitor. If you stay, I'll forgive you. But if you go with them, I will hunt you all down and your skulls will ring the pit along with the other firstborn."
Finn's face was set in a grim glare, his features carved from ebony. He took a deep breath, then turned and strode towards the Mapwalker team.
Perry summoned new life into the fire, creating a wall of flame between them and their pursuers.
"Asada, come." Xander put the map down and the lion leapt into it. Xander folded the scrap and put it back in his pocket.
Finn took the lead, running down the corridor as he shouted back at the team. "We need to get back to the souk. We'll lose them in the labyrinth. I have friends in the Resistance who will get us out the city, but we have a long way to go tonight."
They ran through narrow streets, surrounded on both sides by ruined buildings. Sounds of pursuit soon faded behind them. Finn ducked through the warren of tiny streets, turning left and right until Sienna wasn't sure which way they were going anymore, only that they had to trust this man who had turned against his father for them.
The compass seemed to pulse in her pocket. It occurred to her that she could put her hand on it and transport the Mapwalkers somewhere else. But then she looked at Finn running ahead. He had risked his life for them, walked away from his father and his life. She took her hand away from the compass.
Finn ducked into one of the many derelict houses, led them out the back and then down an underground passage. The walls dripped with water and smelled of rot and mold, the air chill. After walking for what seemed like too long in the cold darkness, they finally emerged into an ancient cistern. Two men and a woman greeted them, faces wrapped in scarves to cover their features, voices low as they talked in a language Sienna didn't recognize.
Finn turned back to the Mapwalkers. "We can stay here for now, lie low and eat. We'll continue the journey after some rest."
The woman brought them sleeping mats and a bowl of soup each. Mila took crackers from within her ration pack, handed them out, and they shared a meal together by the fire.
Perry gazed into the flames, the reflection turning his eyes a golden hue. Sienna wondered what he saw there. Could he find a way out through the fire?
Mila came and sat next to Sienna. "You still have the compass, right?"
"Of course." She looked over the fire at Finn. He was whittling a tiny horse from acacia wood, his movements graceful and precise. "What did you promise Finn in exchange for his help?"
Before Mila could speak, Finn looked over. "My sister was taken for the Halbrasse. My father exchanged her for power in this city. She's in the castle of the Shadow Cartographers." He narrowed his eyes at Mila. "And you will take me there as promised."