Sword of Wrath (Kormak Book Eight) (10 page)

“What in the name of the Light happened here?” Terves said. “Sorcery? It’s the only explanation.”

“Sorcery that cast huge stones at the walls, and uprooted trees, and caused everyone to vanish?” Kormak said.

“I suppose it’s possible,” Terves said, in the voice of a man who hoped to be contradicted.

“It’s possible, but where was that tree uprooted from? The forest? This courtyard is warded and there is no sign of a garden or an arboretum.”

“Search the buildings of the keep,” Terves shouted to the soldiers. “Keep within hailing distance. If you find anything, anything at all, holler.”

Like men walking to their own hanging, the soldiers made their way into the buildings. Kormak proceeded further into the keep. A small tower lay tumbled before him; the stones heaped around it. A man’s hand protruded from them. It was corpse-cold; bone glinted through strips of flesh where crows had pecked it.

“Something brought those buildings down,” Rhiana said. “I’ve seen the like before in the Southlands. Sometimes the earth shakes, and the walls of cities dance and crumble.”

“A sorcerer would have to be fantastically powerful to summon an earthquake,” Kormak said.

“I notice you haven’t said it’s impossible.”

“Few things are impossible to a sufficiently powerful mage, but usually they try and work with local conditions. Is this island known for its earthquakes or tidal waves?”

“No,” said Rhiana.

“If this was done with magic, that would mean we were dealing with someone with the strength of an archmage. Or a cabal working a ritual that would take days.”

“Such things have happened in the past,” said Terves. “I have heard it said that some of the cults that plot against the king have worked similar magic.”

“But why here?” Kormak said. “Why some tiny island in the middle of nowhere? If you were going to expend such sorcerous strength, why choose this place?”

“I do not know, Guardian,” said Terves. “That’s more your line than mine.”

“And what about the corpse we saw down in the town? Bones broken, arms torn from sockets. It would be a strange sorcerer who did that.”

“A familiar, a demon, I don’t know,” said Terves. His face was pale. His hands clenched. He was clearly struggling to keep calm. Kormak clapped him on the shoulder.

“Do not worry. We will get to the bottom of this.”

“That’s what I am afraid of, Guardian. That’s what I am afraid of.”

A soldier came to them and led them towards another partially tumbled stone structure. The bars of a steel door had been bent. The chains set in the walls had been snapped, except one which held a body. Its head was missing and its neck was mutilated. There was no sign of a skull anywhere.

“Whatever it was took most of the prisoners and the guards, except this one. I wonder why?” said Terves.

“Maybe it wanted a snack,” said Rhiana.

“Maybe it was making an example,” said Kormak.

“Trying to convince the others to get moving, you mean?” Terves said.

“Exactly.”

“Biting off someone’s head. That’s a pretty convincing argument,” the sergeant said.

Kormak nodded. He was thinking about the sort of creatures who could bite off a human head, or tear one off by sheer strength. There were Shadow demons who could do that, and Old Ones. Some moonchildren too.

What had happened here? Where were the population of the town? He looked up at the sky. The sun would soon be down. Nightfall would be the most likely time for whatever had done this to return.

“Terves, tell the men we’ll continue the search until the sun is a few fingers above the horizon, and then we shall return to the ship.”

Terves looked at him for a moment. He seemed grateful not to have to take responsibility for ordering a retreat.

“As you say, Guardian.”

Kormak prayed to the Holy Sun he was not making a mistake. There had been too many of those recently and other people, like Gerd, had paid for them. He looked at Rhiana. She smiled at him. He studied the headless body and did his best to keep from imagining the same thing happening to her.

T
hey moved
out towards the edge of the town, where the fields edged up to the forest. Great dark trees drooped over broken buildings. One had been toppled so that its roots showed, and its branches had smashed through the slate of a roof.

Something had smashed a passage through the trees and undergrowth. The earth was churned by the passage of many feet. Kormak knelt and found human footprints in the soft loam, the first sign of living people they had found since they reached Fort Wrath.

“It will be dark soon,” Terves said. His voice was level. His tone resigned. Kormak knew that if he ordered the man to follow this trail into the forest, he would. A company of soldiers blundering around in the darkness would not help anybody under these circumstances.

He looked over at Rhiana. She tilted her head. He felt almost as if she could read what he was thinking.

“No matter,” Kormak said. “We shall go back to the ship.”

“There might be survivors,” Rhiana said. “Look at the tracks.”

“We won’t help anybody, if whatever did this can see in the dark and we can’t.” Kormak’s voice was gruff. He was caught in a cleft stick. He should follow the trail. If he had been on his own, he would have, but he did not want to put Rhiana and the others at risk.

Rhiana produced the green pearl she used when diving. A glimmer of green glowed within it even in the daylight. By night, it would provide enough light to see by.

“We can follow the tracks,” she said. Grumbles sounded from among the soldiers. Terves might be willing to chance the dark and the forest, but many of them were not. They were brave men, but their nerves were frayed thin, and darkness was approaching. Their fears would be their worst enemies.

“We’ll follow the tracks a ways then,” said Kormak. “You and me. The rest of you head back to the ship. Tell Admiral Zamara we’ll find our own way back before midnight.”

“I can’t let you do that, Guardian,” Terves said. “Admiral Zamara told me specifically to see to your safety.”

Kormak stared at him. “There are people out there who are in the hands of monsters. We might be able to save them.”

“I’ve been given my orders, sir,” said Terves. His shoulders squared defiantly but his face was miserable. “The admiral says it’s of the utmost importance to the king that you reach Terra Nova.”

“You think you can stop me?” Kormak asked. He rose to his full height and stared at Terves. The old soldier was not intimidated.

“I don’t rightly know, sir. But I reckon me and the lads will have to try.”

Kormak stared at Terves. He could cut his way free of the soldiers and vanish into the woods if he had to, but what then? There would be no way off the island. And Terves and the marines were not his enemies.

Kormak shrugged. “Very well then, let’s head back to the
Pride of Siderea
. It seems I will need to have words with Admiral Zamara.”

“As you say, sir. As you say.”

Kormak felt relief. He would not have to test himself again today. No one else would die because of a failure on his part. Then came the guilt. People might die because he did nothing. Any path looked bad in that light.

He cursed silently. He had too many doubts. They could be fatal as blades for a man in his line of work.

* * *

“
I
have
orders direct from Prince Taran to see you safe to Terra Nova, Sir Kormak,” Zamara said, adjusting the wick of the lantern. He kept his voice low. He wanted no one outside this cramped cabin to hear their argument. “I feel sorry for the people of Fort Wrath and I want to do all that I can to save them, but those orders supersede any concerns I might have about them.”

Zamara’s desk lay between them. His logbook was open in front of him; he had been updating it when Kormak entered. He had not risen to confront Kormak. He seemed more embarrassed than anything else.

“You know why I am going to Terra Nova?” There was more anger in Kormak’s voice than he intended, most of it directed at himself. All the way back to the
Pride of Siderea
, he had been assailed by the thought that he should have followed the tracks.

“Something to do with the Old One let loose in the palace. And a threat to the Kingdom.”

“You know what this is?” Kormak took the ring from within his tunic. It hung there on a silver chain along with his elder sign.

“It’s the ring you took from the Kraken’s finger after you killed him.”

“You know what it signifies?”

“It is a royal seal that belonged to the king’s father. Frater Jonas told me on the return trip.”

“Read this.” Kormak produced the letter of authority the king had given him.

Zamara unwound it, studied it carefully.

“Recognise the signature?”

“It is the king’s. I have seen it many times on royal warrants.”

“Tomorrow you will put me ashore with a group of volunteers and await my return to the ship.”

“Sir Kormak, I can hardly believe this is the reason why the king gave you this letter of authority. You are supposed to use it finding the source of Vorkhul’s coffin.”

“Maybe so, but are you going to disobey it?”

Zamara rose from the chair and leant forward on the desk, bracing himself on both arms. He took a deep breath as if he was about to bellow a curse. He resented the order, and was at that moment prepared to fight. Kormak hoped he did not. Royal warrant or no, he doubted he could get the crew to go against the orders of an admiral.

“Think about this, man,” Kormak said. “Are you going to abandon to a whole town of innocent people to the forces of the Shadow?”

Zamara exhaled slowly. He stared down at the desk, smoothed out the parchment with the king’s letter and handed it back to Kormak. “Of course not. It shall be as you say. But if you get yourself killed, you will be signing my death warrant. Prince Taran is not a forgiving man.”

“I’d best not get myself killed then,” said Kormak.

“And I’d best go with you to make sure you get back. If you don’t, I might as well not myself.”

“Thank you,” said Kormak.

Zamara smiled. “My last adventure with you left me a wealthy man. Let’s hope this one affects my fortunes in the same way.”

He sounded as if he doubted it.

* * *

“
Y
ou heard what
?” Orson Waters asked. He kept his voice down to a low rumble. The rest of the ship were asleep, but that was no reason not to take precautions against eavesdroppers. The creature in front of him was proof enough of that. He was almost glad that Urag stood guard outside the cabin; at least Balthazar’s lackey was a potential ally in this situation.

“The Guardian is seeking the source of Vorkhul’s coffin. That is his mission in Terra Nova.”

“You are sure?”

The changeling’s smile remained in place. “I listened at the door. My hearing is very good. The guardian and the admiral argued. Sir Kormak produced a warrant from the king and a royal signet ring and forced the admiral to obey him.”

“Now that is interesting. A man with such a signet and such a warrant could do almost anything in the name of the king.”

“Perhaps only if he looked like the guardian,” said the changeling. His tone was insinuating. His features flowed and his form lengthened until he looked like Kormak’s twin. “We do not know exactly what it says on the parchment—maybe it says only to obey Sir Kormak.”

Orson Waters lounged back in his chair and poured himself some fortified wine. He turned over the possibilities in his head. “Could you carry off the imposture?”

“Yes. I have studied him.” His voice was a perfect copy of Kormak’s, right down to the faint Aquilean burr in his Sunlander accent. When he moved, he managed a perfect facsimile of the guardian’s lethal grace.

“You would need his sword and his amulets.”

“Yes.”

“And someone who knows him well might be a problem.”

“The merwoman?”

Orson Waters nodded.

“She can be removed at the same time as he is. A tragic accident perhaps.”

“How? We can’t exactly drop her over the side of the ship. She would just swim back.”

“Unless I miss my guess, she and the Guardian will be going back to the island tomorrow. We should go with them.”

“That might be dangerous. I do not like the sound of what has happened there.”

“It is a risk worth taking. You need not go. I can infiltrate the group myself if you wish.”

“You must be very confident in your abilities. The guardian is amongst the deadliest swordsmen in the world.”

“Anyone can be killed if they are taken by surprise.”

“You will need to kill him in secret. And the two of them are always together.”

“There are ways of doing such things.”

Orson Waters stroked his chin. “I do not like it. What if something goes wrong? What if you are discovered?”

“That will not happen.”

“But if it does?”

“You will just disclaim all knowledge of me. A changeling infiltrated the retinue of the richest man in Siderea. It is quite plausible the ruse was aimed at you.”

“Is it?”

“If I wanted to replace you, I would already have done so.”

Orson Water’s face blanched. “You will find I am not so easy to kill.”

The changeling smiled, and features flowed around that smile until he was Burk once more. He eyed his supposed master complacently. “Of course, Goodman Waters. Of course.”

“I will let Urag know about your plan. I am sure he would be only too happy to help you. He is not fond of the Solar religion. He’ll need to know what you are though.”

“He’s tight-lipped enough,” said Burk. “I’ll trust him. For now.”

His tone did not bode well for Urag’s future health.

* * *

T
here were
protests when the ship did not raise anchor the next morning. Many of the passengers were not happy with the idea of staying in the harbour when the fate of the townspeople was unknown. A deputation arrived to ask the admiral what was going on.

“We are going to find out what happened to the king’s subjects,” Zamara said. “Someone attacked the people of Siderea here. Such a challenge cannot go unanswered.”

It was exactly the tone needed to pacify the nobles. The well-dressed men preened and put their hands on their swords. The merchants were less pleased.

“How long is this going to take?” Orson asked. As the richest man on board, he was their spokesman by default.

“As long as is necessary,” said Zamara. He clearly enjoyed the power being admiral gave him. Cousin of the king or not, Kormak doubted he would have spoken to Orson in quite that tone in the past.

“Of course, of course,” the big man said. “I meant, do you have any idea how many days that might be? The tides wait for no man, nor do the trade winds, and some of us here have urgent business for the king in Terra Nova.” Orson looked straight at Kormak when he said this. Perhaps he expected support from that quarter.

“We have a windcaller on board, so there is no need to worry about the wind,” said Zamara. “I think it’s safe to say Sir Kormak agrees with me on this. Don’t you Sir Kormak?”