Ian Irvine - Alchymist

'I can't imagine they'd see much from such an altitude.'

'It must be good for old-human morale.'

'Unfortunately for us, it'll make the lyrinx more watchful than ever,' said Malien.

'It may draw them away from us, at least.'

Their fliers will be looking down as well as up.'

Then we'll just have to be even more careful,' Forgre said arily.

'Ah, I'm done in,' he said on his return from another mission. It was around midday on their fifth day of watching, and they were still camped by the lookout. The weather was cold and gloomy, with driven rain-showers, a chilly wind and occa-signal breaks of a watery sun that silvered the metal domes of Alcifer, far below.

Tiaan took up the spyglass and, as she had done a hundred times in the past days, swept it around and over the city. When the scudding showers passed, she could see slaves toiling in the lower gardens.

'Did you find him?' said Malien.

'No, though I know he's there.' Forgre looked down at his wiry hands, which were shaking. 'I'll have to rest awhile — my aftersickness is bad here.'

Tiaan looked through the spyglass again. 'He's there.' 'Forgre just said that,' Malien reminded her. There! Look!' Tiaan rose to her feet, pointing to a ridge east of theirs, which was rather lower. Its point, bare of trees, was momentarily exposed through the drifting mist.

Malien snatched the glass. 'I see six slaves, no, eight. They appear to be making readings of the field, at the direction of a very tall man. There could be more slaves in the shade of the trees.'

'It's Gilhaelith!' Tiaan whispered. 'Are you sure?' 'Positive.'

'How long have they been there?' 'I don't know. The mist has only just cleared.' 'They'll probably be taking readings for a while,' said Malien. 'This is the best chance we'll ever get. But how to do it?'

'Why not just fly there and grab him?' said Tiaan.

'The guards will hear the thapter long before we get there.

I can't conceal that. Once they do, the illusion will break and they'll vanish into the forest with him. We'll have to get to Gilhaelith on foot. Tiaan, slip back to the thapter and take it across, but hang further up the ridge, in the mist. My concealment will hold as long as you don't get too close.'

'What are you going to do?'

'We'll go across, also under concealment, and hide near the wall of the lowest terrace. I'll know when you're coming and take Gilhaelith. The instant I signal, race down and pick us up.'

'Are you sure you can do it?'

'Yes. You'd better get going.'

It all seemed suspiciously easy, but it would be presumptuous of her to challenge Malien's plan. As the Aachim disappeared beneath her concealment it occurred to Tiaan that Forgre's aftersickness had seemed really bad. She hoped he was up to it, because he certainly didn't look it.

Tiaan headed up along the ridge and, with every step, the blockage in her chest seemed to grow. What if the lyrinx called down their fliers? What if the enemy had already found the thapter?

By the time she reached its hiding place, the clot had grown to half the size of her chest and fire was radiating from the point where she had broken her back. She clung to a tree, panting. She could not see the thapter anywhere.

She tried to remain calm. It was under a concealment, even from her. Malien had forgotten this, in the excitement at discovering Gilhaelith. It wasn't like her, and Tiaan's uneasiness grew. What if she couldn't find it?

She moved back towards the cliff, sweeping her head from side to side. Near the edge, from the very corner of her eye, a blocky shape appeared and disappeared between the trees, where there had been no shape previously. It was there.

She patted it with outstretched hands. It even felt like rock but, as Tiaan concentrated, the gritty surface smoothed out under her fingers. She went up the side in a rush, inserted the crystal in its socket and closed the hatch. Only then did she feel safe.

Bringing the thapter up to just below the tops of the trees, she wove her way between them, heading upslope of the exposed point where Gilhaelith had been, towards the terraces. It took a lot of concentration, and it was hard to be sure she was in the right place.

Tiaan circled for half an hour, feeling increasingly anxious about the mist, which might prevent Malien from seeing her;

the delay, and how well the concealment was holding. If Malien was signalling, how could she tell?

As the thapter eased up the terrace again, the screen began to fog over and Tiaan had to flip the hatch open to see. Strands of drifting mist swirled about her. She went higher but that made it worse. Holding her spyglass in one hand, she curved downhill again.

Edging the thapter over an outcrop of black rock furred with brilliantly green moss, she spotted a group of raggedly dressed people in the clearing, waving madly. The concealment must have parted. She turned away, hoping distance would renew it. There were violent movements in the undergrowth, then one of the slaves staggered out onto the rocks, bleeding from the belly. The attack had started, but where was the signal?

Tiaan made a tight circle, wondering what to do. Mist swept up the ridge, concealing everything, and when it broke some minutes later she saw Malien confronting a huge dark lyrinx. Neither looked up; the concealment had re-formed. Tiaan took the thapter sideways. Several bodies lay on the other side of the clearing, red and broken. She could not tell if they were Aachim, slaves or Gilhaelith. She went lower, turning in mid-air but not knowing what to do. She dared not land until she saw him.

And there he was, staggering across the rocks with two human slaves clinging to his arms. That didn't make sense either, though it was clear Malien's attack had failed. If she didn't do something, both Malien and Gilhaelith would be lost.

Tiaan sideslipped towards the point. The great lyrinx looked around, hearing the noise but unable to hold Malien and break the concealment at the same time. As Tiaan touched down, the lyrinx hurled Malien into the rocks, spun on the sole of one foot, its crest shimmering iridescently in the misty gloom, and raised its fist.

The thapter sang like a bundle of taut wires. Everyone on the ridge spun around, staring as it materialised in mid-air.

The creature raised its right arm and lyrinx burst out of the rocks, not stone-formed but camouflaged so perfectly there had been no trace of them. Tiaan's intuition had been right -it was a trap and it had already closed on Forgre. She recognised his broken body near the edge of the cliff.

She couldn't see Talis but Malien was on her feet, swaying as she worked her fingers in the air. The two slaves fell down. Gilhaelith tore the cords from around his wrists and raced for the trees.

'Gilhaelith!' Tiaan screamed. 'This way!'

His head whipped around. 'Tiaan?'

He took one step towards her, puzzled but not looking pleased. She was wondering why when a flying lyrinx swooped out of the mist, clamped its claws into his ribs and lifted him bodily.

Gilhaelith thrashed and it almost fell out of the air. Darting its open jaws at him, it gripped him around the top of the head until its teeth broke the skin. Tiaan was so close she could see the spots of blood. He went still and it pulled him in under the trees, out of sight, labouring under his weight.

Malien's attacker now rushed Tiaan, its spread wings darkening the sky. Its armour was as black as coal, its mighty crest a luminous gold. Many other lyrinx followed. They'd been after her, and the thapter, all along. The intelligence that Gilhaelith was at Alcifer must have been planted to lure her here, but it had been Malien who had taken the bait.

Tiaan slammed the hatch, twisting the lock as the first creature thudded onto the roof. Its claws tore at the metal but could find no grip, the seams were too perfect. Another lyrinx leapt onto the thapter, then half a dozen more, until the roof creaked under their weight. Between them she saw the black mancer-lyrinx, carrying a great bar with which to prise the hatch open. They could not use their Art, for the thapter was proof against it, but nothing could protect her from sheer physical force.