Michael Foster - She Who Has No Name

Cang was foremost there, with his simple smock hanging on his skeletal frame and tied tightly around at the waist. Lomar and Eric also waited beside Balten,and they all turned to see the visitors arrive. Cang called out on sight of the new-comers’ approach and three Paatin women came scurrying from a side chamber and began beckoning Samuel over. He took the Koian woman past them to find a bedded room, stocked with linen and a washbasin, obviously prepared for their arrival.

‘Come, lady,’ one of the women spoke in a Paatin dialect and helped the pregnant woman from Samuel’s arms and into the bed.

No sooner had she lain back than she screamed, with her pained face turning beetroot red, and the women rushed to her side, pushing Samuel out of the way.

‘Come, Samuel,’ Balten said, waiting at the door. ‘They will care for her. We need to speak.’

Samuel reluctantly followed the man across the echoing chamber, where the others waited at its middle.

‘What happened to all the relics here? The books and shelves? The temple was full the last time I was here,’ he noted.

‘Plans have changed, Samuel,’ Balten said. ‘Everything has been carefully packed and removed, sent to other Circle hiding places around the world. The temples have always served as insurance, to pass future generations the knowledge to combat the Demon King. Now, we will not be needing it. Tonight we will achieve victory. Let Cang explain the rest.’

They reached the centre of the room and Samuel stepped up onto the raised stone circle with the others.

‘Samuel!’ Lomar said. ‘You are alive! It is good to see you.’ And he gave him a great engulfing hug. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t save them. Because of my failure, you had to endure all this time in your prison.’

‘I’m glad to see you, too,’ Samuel tried to return, but the words were lost in the crush. ‘It doesn’t matter about before. You did what you could. We are well, now.’

When Samuel could tear the man away, he saw Eric waiting beside and shook his friend’s hand warmly,and then, too, gave him a great friendly hug.

‘It’s good to see you,’ he said. ‘I bet you thought I was dead.’

Eric smiled sheepishly. ‘No. Cang seemed confident the whole time that you were alive, until just before. Then, Celios was stricken as if blinded and could not see anything. There was a great light shining to the east. We ran outside to see it. What happened?’

‘Hol is destroyed: the Paatin Queen and all her people with it. Only the Emperor escaped.’

‘He was here, not long ago, but he looked…different.’

Samuel nodded. ‘There is much more to his story than we will probably ever know.’

‘When we told him we had seen the Empress and Leopold safely to Cintar,he rushed after them before we could stop him. I don’t know how he will manage crossing the wastes by himself.’

‘I don’t think he will have any trouble,’ Samuel suggested.

‘Cang sent her back months ago with a squad of his Circle agents. Word returned later that they had arrived without too much trouble. She wanted to wait here until you and her husband were saved or released, but it was just too dangerous. We did not want to risk a rescue until the time was right. Somehow, the time just never became right.’

‘I can understand. I managed by myself.’

‘Master Celios has also been filling us in on the occasional events in the palace, but mostly he has been focussed on the rest of the world. He has kept us busy cataloguing and dispersing all his treasures and relics.’

‘Why? What has been happening?’ Samuel asked.

‘Lin’s return,’ Cang said, stepping up and baring his jagged teeth. ‘The Demon God’s coming is always heralded by a time of war upon the earth. There are few places now untouched by violence and it will only worsen with each day.’

‘What about Cintar?’ Samuel asked.

‘Under siege for many months, but the city still stands,’ Lomar said. ‘Alahativa’s forces are black around it, but the city is holding well. Since the Empress’ return, the will of the people has rallied. They have access to the sea and more than enough stores to survive many months more. The city has lived up to its reputation, even after its dreadful loss.’

‘What loss is that?’ Samuel asked the dark-skinned man.

‘Forgive me, Samuel. I forget you have been away from us for so long. The Council of Magicians is no more. All the Lords have fallen. Still, the great city perseveres. General Ruardin and his men, along with the remnants of the Order, are holding their ground. You and I are last of the magician Lords.’

Samuel accepted the news without any hint of emotion. ‘Then that is why Alahativa forged her alliance with the Grand Master,’ he mused. ‘No matter what efforts she made, she could not take Cintar. She lured us here to thin the ranks in the city, but still it was not enough.’

‘What’s that?’ Eric asked with interest, picking up on the mention of the old Lion.

‘Anthem was here, in the Queen’s city.’

‘And what else, Samuel?’ Cang said with a toothy, knowing smile. ‘What happened to your old teacher and friend?’

‘I see you already have some idea,’ Samuel replied darkly. He then turned back to Eric. ‘Anthem had made a pact with the Paatin Queen. He was going to give her Cintar.’

‘Nonsense,’ Eric said. ‘Even if it were true, how would he accomplish such a thing?’

‘I don’t know. Perhaps he knows its weaknesses, or some secret that would get them within the walls. The Grand Master and I had something of a disagreement. We fought and he performed a spell of Summoning. In the end, the spell engulfed him and he was lost within it.’

‘He’s gone?’ Eric said with disbelief.

‘Yes. He’s dead.’

Cang ran his tongue over his teeth. ‘I always thought the old fool would meet such a bitter end. Perhaps that is one of the worst deaths, if,indeed,he had the luxury of dying. In some realms, the things that live there would be feasting on him for centuries to come.’

‘But why would he do such a thing?’ Eric asked. ‘I thought he had been in Garteny all this time, seeking a treaty with King Otgart?’

‘We did not have time to discuss his journey to the north, but it seemed he had only just arrived when I met him. As you can see, the Koian woman and I are having a child. Anthem wanted that child and,to that end, he made his pact.’

‘That’s your child?’ Eric said with interest.

‘Of course it is.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ Eric said. ‘It’s just that you are a magician.’

‘The Koian god-woman and Samuel are both unique,’ Balten explained. ‘Joined to any other, they will not produce offspring, but together it seems they are both fertile. A rare and momentous coincidence.’

‘Yes,’ Cang said. ‘So it seems the upstart Anthem has been hard at work with his own plot. Shame on him and his Order for pointing their figures at me so many times over the years! They could not resist themselves when the woman appeared, for it was obvious that the two of you were made from the same mould. They began at oncetoconsider what would happen if it turned out you could generate young. While all magicians eventually lose their eagerness for the opposite gender, it was obvious that you were not similarly affected, Samuel-a thing unheard of amongst magic-wielders of every description.’

Samuel went on. ‘Anthem wanted to takeour sonand raisehim. He believed the mixing of our blood would result in a child powerful enough to end these wars-to end all wars.’

Cang looked pleased. As always, his expressions were not well suited for the situation. ‘He did, did he? See what happens when someone only reads half the story? Did Balten not warn you of the meddling nature of the Order? They cannot help it. They are eternally meddlesome and curious, beyond even good sense. They sent you on this perilous journey, with Grand Master Tudor as your protector, knowing full well that the sultry Paatin witch was curious to see you for herself. I would not be surprised if she was thinking of using you to gain a child for herself.’ To which Samuel did his best not to react.