Eyes of the Alchemist (26 page)

 She felt slightly intimidated, and disappointed by the small deceit. “I’m surprised Javros used my mind.”

“An easy trick, but dangerous in the hands of the layman. Go back to him, I wish to observe his reaction.”

Javros was rubbing his neck. He stared at her, pale-faced and contrite. Examining the reproachful expression she wore he knelt to kiss the hem of her cloak. “Your pardon, lady. Kavan wouldn’t have liked you to go in unguarded on this occasion
.
What did Santo mean about genetic link? Related in what way?”

Startled when Santo materialized before them, Javros leaped to his feet, shielded her body and drew his sword.

Tiana pushed him aside. “It’s not necessary to attack everything that moves, Javros.”

Javros was subjected to a slim smile from Santo. “Tiana has nothing to fear from me, but if you do that to her again I’ll send you somewhere you won’t enjoy.”

“I didn’t know it was dangerous until you ejected me. That was a powerful jolt you gave me. My ears nearly exploded from it. I think I’d rather have you as friend than foe.”

The two touched hands and smiled.

“You feel the pull of kinship, but you cannot believe what your eyes and heart tell you. You must ask your mother the truth of your relationship.”

“If I wait that long I may never know. I’m here to rescue my Lord and protect his lady. It’s possible I may perish in the process.”

Santo grinned. “Probable, if you stay in that spot.” Ignoring the sword he pulled them forward. A hole opened up where they’d been standing. Joined, their combined high sense was powerful force that surged back and forth between them. Thoughts darted between them like quicksilver until it became a contest. Soon, they were all laughing.

“If only we were one body,” Tiana said.

They exchanged glances and grinned when Santo mused. “It wouldn’t be hard, but whose body? Finn will know I’m his adversary by now and will be watching out for me so he can regain control.”

“Kavan doesn’t trust me and he has a mighty sword arm.” Javros winced at the thought. “He will welcome Tiana, though, and strive to defend her.”

“Finn has a sneaking regard for her, he’d not expect physical force from her.”

“That cringing cur left me to die,” she snapped.

“Finn could have killed you with one spell. He knew Kavan would eventually rescue you. Yours will be the best body to use. It will give us the element of surprise. Join hands and close your eyes. It won’t hurt.”

Tiana found herself standing alone, her body experiencing a strength it had never possessed. Clearly in her head, three minds operated. It was a novelty.

  
Which way do we go, Santo?

 To the left, always go to the left.

She started out, taking long strides that covered the ground quickly, but which soon robbed her of breath. After a while she called a halt and bent double to ease the stitch in her side. She laughed.
You must remember this is a smaller body than you’re used to, Javros. Slow down, we’ve had no practice at being one and I've had no practice at being a trooper and cannot stride as fast as you. You are wearing me out.

* * * *

Kavan washed the blood from his face in a nearby stream. He gazed around him. The road he’d travelled had decayed and the gap was too wide to cross. To his left, his dreaming mountain loomed upwards. It was reputed to be unassailable. He grinned to himself. He’d scaled it on several occasions when he’d been growing up. His stepfather had known the secret ways of it, and had revealed both the dreaming place and his quest to him.

As was usual, he reveled in the exercise of climbing, but when he had reason to look down he quaked at the sight of the mountain crumbling behind him. The darkness rotated into a core so dense the pressure of it crushed heavily against his body. Redoubling his efforts, he reached the summit and scrambled recklessly down the other side, side-stepping the decay with an adroitness born from necessity. He reached a crossroad and as he took the road to the left the mountain disappeared into the void. It sucked at his heels like the mouth of a hungry leech.

The road curved to the left, and soon the chasm was left behind. The gap to the next world was taken in one stride. He paused to take a breath. In front of him stretched the northern reaches, stark and beautiful. Here, was where his toughest troops patrolled.

His anger against the youth all but spent, Kavan thought. A shame to send Javros here. It was natural he would feel upset about his sire’s death – and a coward wouldn’t have even thought of challenging him. He shrugged. To overlook such a flagrant act would be bad for discipline. The rest of the troop would resent it and might carry out retribution on the recalcitrant trooper. Banishment would not be forever, and like Torma had said, it would make a man of Javros.

He took another left fork and broke into a comfortable jog. All the same, Javros had made a good impression on the Truarc with his fine ways – impression enough to be accepted as an advisor to
The High One
from what he’d overheard when they’d come through the portal. A frown furrowed his forehead. The youth’s vanity was still intact and he had become almost intolerable. Guided by his mother, Javros had formed too high an opinion of himself.

Deep in thought, Kavan didn’t see the dark patch in the road ahead until his leg gave under him. Pitching forward, he sprawled across the gap. His leg felt as though it was being twisted from his body. Without much effect he pitted his strength against the gravity. Small pieces broke away from under him to fly off into the darkness. He swore loudly.

A mocking cackle came from above him. “You’re not so strong as you thought, are you, my mighty Lord?”

Gritting his teeth, Kavan pushed his hands against the surface of the road. Blood pumped into his arms, his muscles swelled but his trapped leg remained firmly gripped in the void. His boot was gradually inching down his calf, too.

Finn came to squat beside him. Beard-bells jingling, he cocked his head to one side and regarded him gravely. Gravity pulled at his beard, so it was tugged towards the hole. “You really are a nuisance, Kavan. I wasn’t quite ready to leave Cabrilan, but now I shall have to.”

Risking his tenuous grip, Kavan grabbed the end of the beard and pulled Finn’s head down. He stared into Finn’s eyes with all the ferocity he could muster, impervious to the other’s attempt to gain control of his will.

“What manner of man are you?” Finn whispered.

Kavan ignored his question . . .
that
the augur had yet to reveal to him. “You leave and you’ll take me with you. I’ll follow you until the end of time.”

Fear flickered in Finn’s eyes, then his nails lengthened into sharpened claws. They hooked towards Kavan’s eyes.”

“Don’t you dare,” Tiana shouted, and her sword slashed down across Finn’s wrist. The severed hands crawled towards her and started to claw their way up her legs. She shuddered and danced backwards, slapping at them. The hands disintegrated into shreds of slime. Finn cackled with laughter and sprouted a new pair.

She looked wonderful, but fear for her safety pushed the smile from Kavan’s face. “What are you doing abroad dressed as one of my troopers? Go home, woman. It’s dangerous here.”

Her body still shuddered at the act she’d just performed. Her face was bone-white. “Javros,” she whispered, “You shouldn’t have done that, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Javros?” Kavan glanced about him. Either she was hallucinating or she was a figment of Finn’s mind brought in to distract him.

But Finn seemed to be just as confused as he. A pink tongue darted out to lick nervously at his lips when Tiana seemed to split into three. Santo and Javros appeared and Tiana dry retched.

A small glass of liquid appeared in Santo’s hand. “Drink this. It will strengthen you.”

She swallowed it in one gulp. Suddenly her eyes widened, she gasped and gave a violent shudder. Color returned to her face in a rush.
“Son of a mud-sucking toad! Sting of a rapier wasp!
That was the most disgusting concoction I’ve ever tasted,” she shouted at Santo. “You could have warned me.”

Santo grinned, and Kavan, glad he wasn’t on the receiving end for once, grinned twice as widely, until his boot slid from his leg and went flying off into the darkness.

 He felt as though his leg was being torn off from the hip, as well. The beard grasped in his hand gave way. Under his body a piece of road broke off.  His other leg was sucked into the hole. He began to slide. Finn did a backwards flip and disappeared. Javros threw himself flat on his stomach and caught him under the arms, stopping his downward motion. “What the hell are you doing here?” Kavan growled. “You’re supposed to be on your way to the north.”

“My lady mother wanted me to present a petition before I left.”

“A petition?” he yelled. “I’m sliding down into bane-knows-where and you want to present a poxy petition?” His other boot jerked off and he roared. “Get me out of here.”

Javros gave him a companionable smile. “Easier said than done, lord. The road seems to be crumbling and I can’t get a solid foothold. Now, about that petition? If you could just hear it before you get torn apart it would mean so much to my mother. You know how much stock she sets on such practices.”

Kavan knew when he was licked, and so, it seemed, did Tiana. She stifled a giggle when he glared at her, though her eyes remained bright. “Read the poxy thing - then when you pull me out of here I’m going to rip your flapping tongue out by the roots.”

“Yes Lord, “Javros said with feigned patience. The youth turned to Tiana and winked, inflaming Kavan even more. “Perhaps you’d be so kind as to remove the petition from my tunic pocket and read it, little trooper.”

Little trooper
? Kavan grinned at the pleasure of her appearance until the material of his pants tore away at the knees. “Hurry up and read it, then,” he huffed.

“Yes, master,” she murmured with such exquisite, whip-like delicacy he gritted his teeth, and knew he’d make her beg for mercy the next time he got her alone.

“Kavan, greatest Lord of the Cabrilan,”
When an eyebrow rose and her mouth twitched he mentally doubled her punishment.
“I beg the indulgence –”

“Skip that or we’ll be here all day. What’s the petition?”

Her eyes scanned down the page, stopped for a few moments, then shifted back up. Obviously stunned, her gazed flitted across to Javros. The affection with which they regarded each other made him uneasy. Surely she could not have fallen for the charm of such a silver-tongued scallywag.

“Do you know the contents of this petition, Javros?” she said, and Kavan felt the pulse in Javros’ wrist leap.
He most certainly knew, he’d probably written it.

Javros nodded and placed a palm over his heart, leaving Kavan dangling precariously by the other. “Not for sure, until this moment, but I’m not surprised. Our minds are too well synchronized for us to be anything less than kin.”

“Kin?” Kavan roared, eaten up with impatience to get after his quarry, and feeling his breeches begin to tear. “This petition was addressed to me. Is someone going to tell me what’s in it?”

 She blew him a kiss. “It seems that Javros was sired by the Truarc
High One
. His mother was promised to him, and was already with child when Vandrew captured her to bring to Cabrilan. She passed the child off as Vandrew’s because she feared for his future. She asks that you respect the feelings of his sire and sister in this matter, and allow him remain in your service.”

“Chrisany had the gall to plead on your behalf?”

“No Kavan. I added that myself.” The smile she bestowed on Javros was infinitely tender. “So . . . we are brother and sister, Javros. Welcome news.”

“Welcome indeed.” Kavan rolled his eyes when Javros beamed a smug-looking smile at him. If Javros thought he was kin, he’d be impossible – and Kavan wasn’t convinced.

“Your lord needs your help,” he snarled, feeling infinitesimally safer when Javros resumed his double grip on him.

“Of course you do,” she drawled. He tried to ignore the mischief in her eyes. “Pull Kavan out of there, Javros. You’ve had your fun.”

Javros exerted his strength, then turned sickly pale. “The gravity has too firm grip. I have not the strength to do it alone. Santo, will you give me a hand.”

Santo didn’t even touch him, just pointed a finger. He shot from the decayed patch like a cork from a bottle and Javros went sprawling on his back. Springing to his feet he grabbed the young trooper by the scruff of the neck and shook him vigorously back and forth.

Tiana placed a hand on his arm to protest. “Javros has been my protector and guide and I demand . . .
great Christos!
” she shrieked, for Kavan had plucked her from her feet with the other hand and she dangled opposite Javros.

“The pair of you deserve to have your backsides walloped,” he roared.

Her eyes assumed a reproachful look. It touched the special place he’d reserved for her in his heart, especially when combined with her softly spoken plea. “You would not do that to me again, Lord. You promised.”

“Aye, you’re right, but by my beard, I’m sorely tempted.” He dropped Javros, but lowered her to the ground like the precious baggage she was. He jerked his head at the two men. When they turned discreetly aside he took Tiana’s face between his palms. Gently, he kissed her. “Woman, I’m so glad you’re mine.”

Her eager response and her smile afterwards was all he needed to boost his resolve. Elated, he tapped Santo on the shoulder. “Can you kit me out in my war gear? It’s time to take the gloves off and put an end to this dangerous situation.

 Javros stepped forward. “You’ll need someone to watch your back, Lord.”

A few minitix later both of them looked suitably warlike in leather battle-gear and face stripes. Kavan nodded. It was obvious Javros had the high sense required to successfully negotiate the shifting terrain of these chimera worlds. He’d give him the benefit of the doubt, but could not afford to show him favour. “This does not mean you’ll avoid going to the north.”