Demiourgos (47 page)

“How? I don’t understand.” Rose said while simultaneously looking around all three paths then at the door behind them. “I thought you said you could detect them.”

“The ones grouped to the right and left were out of my reach and the ones behind us are incorporeal so they must have been hiding just out of reach as well. Undead are not usually this intelligent, I feel influence of an unseen hand at work.” Avreel touched something underneath her tunic and whispered a prayer.

“The sorcerer lord? He could not affect so many this far could he?” Liostro asked Rose more than Avreel.

“No, it cannot be. For all of his power he would have to be close to call down more than a few undead upon us.” Rose tapped into the divine magic at her command and whispered a light prayer to assist them against the dead. “How many do you think Avreel?”

“At least a score probably more behind that and they’re advancing slowly.” Avreel indicated the doorway behind them with her hand. “It would be wise to back ourselves into a corner and prepare for a heavy fight. The dead are my area of expertise; many of them are attracted to living beings like flies are to offal.”

“I don’t want to get any closer to the door; I can feel something tugging me.” Rose replied as she backed away with them anyway. She had a feeling that whatever was controlling the creatures wanted her to get closer to the fallen city of the naarabi. Her thoughts were pulled away from that as the first of the creatures shambled into view. It had patches of fur clinging to wispy age-old flesh that was nearly decayed all the way. From its bone structure she could tell that it was a naarabian female. “Oh my god, they’re the remnants of my people.”

“The corpses left slain by the betrayer no doubt.” Avreel said with a nod as she suddenly found her back pressed against the door. Liostro did the same but Rose had stopped moving. There were so many of the undead humanoids she knew that not even she could banish or turn them all away. Without Rose having her full power to command there was no way they were going to walk away from this unscathed. “Rose back up and draw your weapon.”

“No I don’t want to get any closer!” She shouted.

Whispers could be heard in the cavern around them, flitting bits of conversation it seemed, but Avreel knew better. She had only read about undead called whisperers, undead creatures created in violent deaths involving several creatures in the same locale. If listened to for too long they could cause madness or worse. “Rose! Back up quickly.”

It was then that the doors parted behind them causing both Liostro and Avreel to stumble a bit and turn around. As the doors slowly swung open they gasped and Rose almost fell to her knees in resignation. Behind the door was another host of the dead naarabians. Liostro brought his blade to bear and watched the group behind them while Avreel and Rose watched the ones pouring in from the commerce road. The coming attack did not happen though. The undead creatures all stopped midstride and stood frozen for a moment. Avreel was confused until they all knelt down before the three of them. Many tried to grunt something but it was unintelligible.

Only the whispers of the shadowy ghosts in the rear could be understood. “All hail the queen.”

Rose was shocked yet again as she gazed down upon the host of creatures all kneeling before her. None of them moved, not one as much as stirred as they knelt down showing their fealty to her. The three of them walked among the dead through a path they had left open. In the center of the main chamber of the large room was a door not unlike the main entrance but smaller and this one was already open. They followed the open walkway toward the room and all kept wary of the bodies kneeling around them. The walk to the open door was excruciating and slow but once they reached it the torches along the walls lit and wavered in a stale breeze that swept through the city’s dead-cluttered streets.

This room had once been a grand throne room. The floor and walls were all carved of a black stone Rose knew to be granolith. The kurenai had prized the stone above even the best gems. As they walked along the pre-carved path all eyes fell on the set of thrones up at the top of the raised platform. Both of them were seemingly carved out of a bluish glass-like material. The seats were tattered and ragged but they looked to have been of the utmost comfort once. The thrones crackled with contained electricity. Sitting upon the left throne was a creature in a long black and gold robe. At its side sheathed in the handles of the throne were a sword and scepter, both of which it clutched in its bony hands.

“Long have I slept.” The mouth of the creature moved slowly, it was obviously stiff from not being moved often. Two bright golden points of light ignited in its eye sockets as he gazed upon the three visitors. “Long have I dreamed and remained silent in the dead city.”

“You are the last king of…” Rose began before she was cut off by an outstretched hand of the decaying creature.

“Do not utter the name of this city before me. This is the city of the dead and the home of sacrifice, the center of the betrayal.” The creature was obviously angry from its tone. “The dead of this city owe fealty to your blood, as do I my granddaughter.”

“You are my grandfather?” She said softly, eyeing the undead monster warily. “I can’t believe that, why would you walk the halls of our people as this thing, what happened to you and what happened to the rest of my family?”

“I choose to remain in this city of my own free will. I would not leave our legacy unguarded for treasure hunters and pilfering grave-defiling interlopers to loot freely. As to what happened we were betrayed by a man we trusted with our lives. The elven sage Leonidus came to us seemingly in friendship and then slew everyone alive within these city walls. Those lucky enough to flee escaped out into the world but because of his treachery our people are all but gone from the face of this continent, once our seat of power.” The old creature stopped for a moment and its eyes faded a little before it continued on with its story. “My daughter and son-in-law fled this place and that is the last I saw of any living naarabi.”

“My sisters and brothers defended the throne to the last breath while our people fled into the deepingway and out into the world. Your brother Xyroxyss visits from time to time when he is able but it has been an age since I have last seen him.” The creature paused again and then continued. “When you came so close to our city last time I called to you but you did not come. I feared you had been harmed but then I felt your presence again and now you are standing before me. I would know your name granddaughter.”

“Alethia Rose.” She said softly, still unable to believe this creature was one of her long dead relatives. “And yours grandfather?”

“I am, was, Lor’Makkar Tembin Nalfys. Last unliving son of the bloodline that founded this city and if not for you and precious few others that line would have been lost. I am glad to have met you Alethia Rose Nalfys.” The creature almost seemed to be smiling at her and the look was disturbing. “Your brother left a message with me if I were ever to fall into a meeting with one of our bloodline, which is why I summoned you.”

“Tell me.” Rose almost pleaded with him stepping forward a bit.

“His ability to sustain the red fever is waning. He had hoped one from our line would take over for him so as to keep the sorcerer lords at bay.” The creature eyed her for a moment. “I can tell from your aura that your destiny is for something grander.”

“It is and right now I must depart grandfather. An elf under my charge has been taken away and I must save her.” Rose said almost apologetically.

“Traitor!” It cried loudly, growling within its rotten throat. The hands at its sides clenched as it stood and stepped forward onto the stairs before the throne and simultaneously unsheathing the sword wedged into the arm of his throne. “You would protect one of those who betrayed us?”

“The elves did not betray you, it was Leonidus and he has been slain!” Rose cried, stepping back a few paces only to find the undead behind her standing up shakily. “Grandfather you must believe me. The elves regret the actions of one they revered as a trusted elder. I destroyed Leonidus myself and I have proof.”

“Show me.” It said menacingly as it approached.

Rose made Avreel and Liostro stand down as she walked up to the shambling creature and held out her hand that held the signet ring of the sunmane line, the one she had taken from the betrayer’s own hand. She let the skeletal hand take hers and inspect the ring on her finger. When it was satisfied it dropped her hand and glowered a bit at the three of them.

“You killed the one that betrayed us, but old hatreds run deep dear Rose.” It turned its back to her and began climbing the steps back to the throne. Once it had taken a seat and put the sword back in its sheath the former king dropped its bony head down into an outstretched hand and sighed in a puff of dust and dead skin flakes. “So you will not stay with us then? Restore the city of the naarabi?”

“I cannot grandfather. I fear our legacy will be all we have. Our people are not plentiful enough to restore the city to its past splendor.” Rose looked around at the once great hall and sighed. “I ask for your assistance if you are indeed of my bloodline.”

“I will do what I can but my powers, though great, are not what they used to be.” It croaked in reply grasping the hilt and blade of the sword at the throne as if he felt it would be taken away from him.

“Send the remains of our people out into the caverns; help the elves save the last forest on this continent. My brother almost gave his life to protect it from the wrath of the sorcerer lords. If he was willing to sacrifice himself to save it there must be some merit to the elven people.” Rose reasoned, hoping to plead to his sense of family. When the creature began laughing madly she feared the worst.

His laughter died down after a minute. “You wish me to come to the aid of those who destroyed us? Even with the betrayer dead how can you ask this of me?”

“You said yourself that you can see my destiny is something grand.” Rose refused to back down; regardless of what had been done to her people she could not hold the entire elven nation responsible. Looking around at the shambling corpses around her she felt herself disgusted. “You sit on a throne of death guarding a city of bones and blood. That may be fine for you but if someone doesn’t act the rest of the world will suffer our fate.”

“Why should I care about the rest of the world?” The creature countered coolly, leaning forward on its throne. “I have my city of bone and blood and that has sufficed for me through the centuries.”

“Our people suffered at the hands of the sorcerer lords, would you let others follow suit? You may be a creature born of death and destruction but if you are of my blood, my relative, I have to believe there was something good in you at one time.” Pausing for effect she let that sink in before she pushed her luck and as an afterthought she decided to make an offer in return. “If you help us I will return to you when I can. If for any reason to hear more about our people and know the family I was never able to meet.”

For a long time the creature was silent. The tense hush that held in the large throne room was simultaneously physical and mental at the same time, an odd sensation for all but the undead creature. “I ask for one other boon.”

“Name it.” Rose replied without hesitation.

“When these old bones expire I want you to take over as guardian of our lost city and shepherd of our people and bastion of reprieve in the desert lands.” It croaked in an almost reverent tone. “As an added windfall I shall also tell you truth of our demise.”

“Rose I don’t like this.” Liostro said before she could even begin pondering the choice.

“I must make this decision on my own, both of you.” Her mind worked slowly. She knew from Leonidus and his teachings that this type of commitment was binding and would hold firm if he was truly of her bloodline. Rose had picked up a little bit of knowledge about pact and blood magic during her lessons. In hindsight she realized that he, in his own way, was preparing her for such a problem in the future. Part of her wondered if he had actually known what was going to happen to him and to her. With a sigh she looked at her companions and nodded her head finally, meeting eyes with the undead creature. It approached her and held out an ancient dagger then indicating her hand. She swept her palm across the blade and allowed her blood to drip down to the stones. “I accept the terms of the agreement.”

“Good, you are now one with this city and its former people and you are free to command them as you see fit. I will pledge our service to you, the last queen of the dead city.” With an imperious wave of his hand the undead creatures all stood up simultaneously and shambled their way out of the throne room presumably toward the battle.

Rose eyed her dead ancestor warily. “No elves are to be harmed unless they fight for the enemy.”

“Agreed.” He said almost reluctantly.

“Few alive remember the truth of our betrayal or the motives behind it. Now the grim tale will come to light and you might understand my hostile attitude toward your pointy-eared friends.” The undead former king drew himself up looking all the part of royalty as he began. “I remember the day more vividly than one of my condition should. The elves of the Varsewood were long our allies and friends. Indeed our diplomatic relations with them were better than any other race.”

“Our empire stretched across three of the known continents and our cities were the envy of all. Though magic we flourished and thrived. Our artisans and weapon smiths were second to only the dwarven lords but our arcane might was unmatched. Or so we thought.” Clearing his throat with a hacking cob-web filled burst the king continued, it was obvious he did not speak often. “In secret the rat-men of the far wastes envied our power and scorned us for our pride and success. Unlike the tales tell the sorcerer lords were not the first to manifest the Spellrage, it was the Nypthian Empire.”