Ricardo Pinto - The Third God

A columned cavern opened before them, haunted by the echoes of their arrival. Smoke hung like mist above fires whose light revealed the trunks of stalagmites. Pools cast spangles up onto the rough arches between the stalactites. Though this place bore a resemblance to the Labyrinth, its far humbler proportions made it seem a wood they were entering, a living place.

Krow and Poppy led the aquar that carried Fern. They chose a spot between a fire and a pool to coax the creature to kneel. Carnelian helped them lift Fern out and lay him on a shelf of rock. As they tended to him they became aware of shades crowding the edge of the firelight.

‘Lepers,’ Carnelian said in a low voice. ‘They won’t hurt us.’

Some of the shrouded figures edged closer. They huddled, peering at Carnelian, pulling away when he looked at them.

‘They’ll not have seen the face of one of the Standing Dead before,’ whispered Poppy.

Carnelian nodded, then noticed one Leper approaching boldly. He rose to meet it.

‘We need to talk, Carnie.’ It was Lily, as he had hoped. ‘You and us, the other Master, the Marula leader.’

He glanced at Poppy. ‘You’ll stay with Fern?’

When she nodded, Carnelian followed Lily off into the limestone forest.

When they reached a secluded spot Carnelian reached out to touch Lily’s shoulder. ‘Why are you helping us?’

The figure in front of him could have been a shrouded post. ‘You must realize that Aurum would’ve easily destroyed the Marula and then left for the Mountain, taking me and the other Master with him.’

Lily turned and her bandaged hands went up to her brow to push back her cowl. The snow of her face and hair, her ruby eyes, were almost as much of a surprise to Carnelian as they had been the first time he had seen them. ‘We know that, in searching for you, Au-rum will wreak more destruction upon us. We fear this more than words can describe. We’re a traumatized people, terrified, but I believe and have persuaded others to believe that the only hope for us is resistance; that we must seek to restore the dignity we have lost.’

‘You seek this through vengeance?’

Lily’s eyes darkened. ‘Through justice.’

Having his words thrown back at him made Carnelian pause.

Lily grimaced and her face lost its fierceness. ‘Most of my people will pursue this as vengeance though, in time, this may change. What I’ve come to believe, however, is that this hope of justice alone can unite my people, can give them back strength enough to save them from being broken. This is the only way I can see to heal them, to heal our land.’

Carnelian’s heart responded to her plea. He wanted to give her his support, but there was a part of him that feared how much it might cost her people, cost her in the end. ‘Even with dragons we might not be able to overcome Aurum. Even if we do, even if we give him to you, our rebellion will be put down by the Masters. Once they restore their dominion they’ll pursue everyone they consider responsible. It’s unlikely they won’t discover the part you and your people have played.’

Lily’s eyes, for a moment, seemed to become colourless. ‘That is a risk we must be prepared to take. Will we not be in much the same position as your Plainsmen?’ She put on a smile, affecting confidence. ‘Besides, what more can they do to us?’

Carnelian gazed at her long enough to allow his silence to answer that. She reached out and took his hand. ‘Nevertheless, I believe we’ve no other choice.’ She frowned. ‘Besides, my heart tells me you were sent to us.’

They both watched the reflections of the Marula dance in a pool like black flames. Carnelian felt dread threatening to overcome him. Her faith was too close to that Akaisha and so many others of the Ochre had put in him. The faith his weakness had betrayed. Still, he could not dash her hope. He believed what she said, that her people needed hope. Perhaps they needed her hope.

He put his free hand over hers. ‘Lily, you must not trust Osidian.’

‘The other Master?’

‘It’s doubtful he’d give you Aurum even were he in his power.’

Lily shrugged. ‘I’m not sure that matters. For now it’s enough that my people can play a part in bringing our enemy down. As for the other Master, it is not him I trust, but you.’

Osidian stood before a tapering pillar of limestone, Morunasa at his side, Lepers keeping their distance. He was asking them something about plague.

‘Carnelian, they seem to know nothing of the Lord of Plagues,’ he said, his Quya populating the cavern with ghostly Masters. ‘Though I should wonder at my own surprise. Still, it has struck me that the ability to spread leprosy by touch is an attribute of that avatar. He in turn is, I believe, merely an aspect of the Black God. Of whom,’ he said, shifting into Vulgate and nodding towards Morunasa, ‘the Darkness-under-the-Trees is another aspect.’

Morunasa turned away to stare into the shadows. Carnelian could sense by the cast of his shoulders how affronted the man was. He gazed at Osidian, hoping his own contempt was not soaking through into his face. Osidian’s need for divine sanction seemed at that moment the most pathetic superstition. Carnelian wondered how Osidian might respond to discovering that, perhaps, every one of the Lepers before him was free of the disease.

‘Now that you’re here…’ Osidian turned on the Lepers, among whom Lily was now lost. ‘Describe to me this secret way.’

It was her voice that answered him. ‘There’s a city east of here built upon the very edge of the Landabove. This city controls seven ladders-’

‘Qunoth,’ Osidian said, a fierce hunger brightening in his eyes.

‘ – steep ways up to gates in the Ringwall, but there’s an eighth ladder known only to the Lep-’

Osidian interrupted again. ‘This ladder, this Lepers’ Ladder, it comes up into Qunoth?’

‘It does, Master.’

‘And you say that only your kind know of its existence?’

‘We’re certain of this, Master.’

‘How would we get there?’

‘With Au-rum hunting you, we dare not take a route across the Valleys. Instead we must follow trails that run along the foot of the Landabove.’

Morunasa spoke for the first time. ‘Can we ride along these trails?’

‘No. They’re difficult enough even on foot.’

Morunasa shook his head. ‘This will take too long.’

Lily’s shrouded figure emerged from the others. ‘We’ll have reason to count the days more than you, Maruli, for it’s upon my people that Au-rum will prey as he searches for you.’

‘How can we hope to remain supplied during such a journey?’ asked Osidian.

Lily shrugged. ‘My people have sought refuge in caves all along the margin of the Landabove. I believe they’ll share what they have with you and your men.’

Osidian frowned. ‘This has been arranged?’

‘No, Master, but I believe they will help anyone who has promised to deliver our enemy to our justice.’

Carnelian sensed how distasteful Osidian considered the notion of handing one of the Great over to such vermin. ‘Do you swear you’ll give him up, Osidian? Will you swear it upon your blood, upon your faith in your god?’

The eyes Osidian turned on him were those of an eagle.

‘Unless you do, Master, we’ll not help you,’ said Lily.

Carnelian could see that Osidian was calculating how he might achieve what he wanted without the Lepers’ willing help. ‘My Lord, forget not how Aurum has treated you. To save himself he seeks to take you back to Osrakum to your death. Why forgo the chance these people offer you, in order to save such a one?’

Osidian looked down for some moments, then, raising his head, he swore the oath.