The Cordral Extent, 106 years after the Fall
‘SO what now?’ Josten asked when he’d finished his story. Ermund looked at him after taking in all he had learned. ‘Nothing has changed,’ he said. ‘We still need to get to Dunrun. You’re still in my charge. You’ll fight for us, or you’ll die.’
‘Same old Harlaw,’ Josten said. ‘Single-minded to the last. You haven’t changed at all.’
Ermund seemed unmoved by the comment. ‘And you have?’
Josten didn’t have an answer for that.
‘Maybe we should get some rest,’ Ctenka said, trying and failing to interrupt the dark mood that had fallen across the camp.
‘Maybe you’re right,’ Ermund said. ‘I’ll keep watch for the rest of the night. That way at least nobody will be sleeping on the job.’
Ctenka opened his mouth to make his excuses but thought better of it. He’d almost got them both killed, best just do as he was told.
After he’d made sure the children were safe, he curled up in a blanket of his own. This time though, sleep refused to come and he lay there for the rest of the night, staring into the dark.
The next day they rose in silence. No washing, no food, just back on those horses and on the road east. They only had five prisoners left now. Ctenka had been hoping he would rise and find the rest of them had run off into the desert too, but no such luck.
Ermund set a good pace, and Ctenka wondered if the prisoners would be able to keep up. There was no doubting that this was a hardy bunch, but Ermund seemed determined to march them into the dirt.
Eventually, Ctenka found himself riding beside Josten. The man walked with a steady stride, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Ctenka wanted to talk to him, to find out who he was and more importantly who Ermund really was. Yes, Ctenka knew his friend used to be a duke, but that meant little now. Since they had begun their journey together Ctenka had learned a lot about the southerner, but there was still so much mystery. How he would have loved to find out from someone who knew the man in his prime. Looking down at Josten though, Ctenka doubted there’d be any conversation. Say one thing for the men of the Suderfeld – they were a surly bunch.
As evening drew in, Ctenka noticed an edifice protruding from the sand. It was a few hundred yards from the road, easily visible, and he pointed, drawing Ermund’s attention to it. Ermund glanced across the sand, not seeming to pay much mind.
‘We must have passed it on the way from Dunrun,’ said Ctenka. ‘How come we didn’t see it then?’
Ermund gave him a long look of disinterest. ‘How do I know? Maybe it was buried in the sand. Maybe there was a storm in the past week that uncovered it.’
Ctenka thought that was possible but unlikely, his curiosity getting the better of him. ‘Night will be drawing in soon,’ he said. ‘Maybe it would be a good place to shelter.’
‘As good a place as any,’ said Ermund. ‘We might not lose as many men tonight if they’re all inside.’
Ctenka ignored the barb as they led the prisoners across the sand to the stone edifice. On closer inspection he could see it was some kind of ancient temple swallowed by the sands. It might have been centuries since anyone had last explored its depths and this made Ctenka nervous. Anything could have made its home inside and there might be jackals or worse lurking within. Perhaps this hadn’t been such a good idea after all.
‘Well? What you waiting for?’
Ctenka looked down to see it was Josten who had spoken. It was clear he and Ermund shared the same impatience, as well as the same gruffness. All eyes were on him now. Ermund, the prisoners, even the children were looking at him expectantly. With some reluctance he climbed down from his horse.
The entrance to the ancient temple was a weathered hole in the stone. Ctenka pulled a torch from his saddlebag and deftly lit it with flint and tinder. Holding it ahead of him, he had no choice but to plunge into the dark. The entrance dipped down. There might once have been stairs, but now there was just a steep ramp of sand beneath his feet, leading down into gods knew what. He picked his way down carefully, until eventually he came out into a massive cave.
Ctenka could see there were carvings on the walls, depictions of ancient figures. On closer examination he saw they were of the Cordral pantheon – Vane the Hunter, Anural the Cupbearer, Karnak the Reaver, all carved into the stone. This was a holy place, or at least it had been. Now it was as dead as the desert.
He had never put much store in the gods before. Maybe if he had worshipped in a place as magnificent as this when he was younger he might have paid them more than mere lip service.
A noise made him turn, his heart beating like a drum. He let out a long breath as the light from his torch showed him it was just the others entering the confines of the cave.
‘We got bored of waiting,’ said Ermund. ‘What have you found?’
‘I think this must have been some kind of temple,’ Ctenka replied, looking back at the walls. ‘A place of worship.’
‘And sacrifice.’
Ctenka turned at Josten’s voice, seeing him lounging atop an altar of some kind. In the light shed by his torch, he could see that gutters had been carved into the stone to let blood run from the altar and puddle in troughs set in the floor.
Thinking about it, perhaps he wouldn’t have liked it so much as a child.
‘Whatever went on here hasn’t happened for a hundred years,’ said Ermund. ‘This is as safe a place as any to make camp. Best get some rest. We’re still at least a day away from Dunrun.’
This time, before they settled for the night, Ermund tied a rope through the manacles of the prisoners. He was taking no chances that any of them would escape, so feeling a little safer, Ctenka settled down to sleep in the dead temple.
He woke to Ermund shaking him like a madman. Ctenka sat up. He could hear a noise like the distraught keening of some trapped animal.
‘What the fuck is that?’ he said.
Ermund shone his torch towards the corner of the cave. Ctenka could see Lena standing, gripping herself tight. The little girl was making a hell of a noise, eyes wide as though she had seen some unspeakable horror.
‘The boy’s gone,’ said Ermund. ‘And so is that prisoner you were having such a romantic talk with the other day.’
Ctenka rose to his feet. The prisoners were all still manacled together apart from one. Daffyd had managed to slip his chains in the night and flee, and it looked like he had taken Castiel with him.
‘How long have they been gone?’ asked Ctenka.
Ermund shook his head. ‘I have no idea. They must have slipped past me in the dark.’
‘Then how the fuck are we going to find them? They could be anywhere.’
Ermund looked like he was about to argue, when Josten stood up, manacles jangling. ‘I can find them,’ he said. ‘Just let me loose.’
‘You must be fucking joking,’ said Ermund. ‘You think I’m just going to set you free?’
‘You know I can track anything that walks. If you want them back you need me.’
Ermund looked defiant, but Ctenka had heard enough. ‘All right. I’ll go with you.’
‘Not a chance,’ said Ermund. ‘You don’t know how dangerous this man is.’
‘And I don’t give a damn,’ said Ctenka. ‘I’m not leaving Castiel out there alone with a complete stranger.’
Ermund wasn’t about to argue with that, and he stayed silent as Ctenka unlocked Josten’s manacles.
‘Cross me and I’ll kill you,’ Ctenka said, trying to sound as convincing as he could.
‘I believe you,’ Josten replied.
That was just the reply Ctenka had wanted, but it did little to bolster his confidence. If it came down to it he wasn’t sure he could kill another man. Not after the innkeeper.
Before they left, Ctenka turned to Ermund. ‘If we’re not back by tomorrow you may as well leave without us.’
Ermund said nothing, and Ctenka realised that was the best he was going to get.
Outside, the sun was just rising, casting a red pall across the desert. Josten checked the ground, laying his hand on the sand. All Ctenka could see was a mass of footprints from the night before. Clearly Josten had a better eye… or at least Ctenka hoped.
‘This way,’ said Josten finally, rising to his feet and pointing back down the road to the west.
‘Wait,’ said Ctenka.
He untethered two horses before offering the reins of one to Josten, who looked at him quizzically. ‘You sure about this? I could just ride off.’
‘I guess I’ll have to trust you then,’ said Ctenka. ‘Try not to let me down.’
Josten mounted the horse without a word, and as Ctenka sat in his own saddle he half expected the man to gallop off into the distance. Instead Josten set a steady pace back along the road.
They travelled for almost the whole morning, occasionally stopping to check for signs on the road. Eventually, Josten veered his mount off the path, following a barely visible set of footprints over the harsh scrub.
‘Tracks are fresh,’ said Josten. ‘I reckon they’re just over that—’
A scream cut the air. It chilled Ctenka to the bone. Josten had no such qualms, kicking his horse and guiding it over the ridge. Ctenka took a deep breath and shook his head, then followed.
When he crested the rise, he saw Josten had dismounted. He was kneeling next to Castiel, who stood silently, staring into space like he always did. Beyond them was a derelict building, not big enough to be a temple, but perhaps some kind of abandoned outpost.
Ctenka kicked his horse forward. ‘Is he all right?’ he asked.
‘Seems to be,’ Josten said. ‘Not a mark on him, from what I can see.’
‘What about Daffyd?’
Josten looked up to the building, then walked towards it with purpose.
‘Wait,’ Ctenka said, about to offer his sword until he realised what a stupid move that would have been.
Josten ignored him anyway, moving to the building. Ctenka dismounted, kneeling beside Castiel.
‘Are you okay?’ Ctenka asked. ‘Did he hurt you?’
Castiel’s eyes were fixed on the horizon, as if he’d spotted something that fascinated him. It was then Ctenka caught the smell, like someone had set fire to horseshit.
Josten reappeared, his expression telling a tale all its own. He clearly hadn’t liked whatever he’d seen inside.
‘What is it?’ Ctenka said.
Josten shook his head. ‘You don’t want to know.’
‘Is that bastard in there?’ Ctenka rose to his feet, feeling his anger rising. ‘I’ll kill the fucker.’
He walked towards the building. ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ Josten said, but Ctenka was too angry to stop himself. As soon as he stepped inside he instantly regretted following his fury.
Daffyd sat in the corner of the room. His leggings were slipped down to his knees, flaccid cock wan and useless. Half his torso and face were burned off, flesh cracked and still smouldering.
Ctenka’s stomach flipped, bile rising in his throat. He made it into the open air before vomiting onto the ground.
‘I tried to tell you,’ said Josten.
Ctenka looked up to see the prisoner had already mounted his horse. Castiel was sitting in front of him, face still blank.
‘Can we go now?’ said Josten. ‘Or do you want to see anything else?’
Ctenka mounted his horse and let Josten lead the way back. On the way east all he could see was that immolated corpse.
Glancing at Castiel he wondered what else the boy was capable of. It seemed Randal truly had given them a gift after all.