The Balance of Power (Godsland Series: Books Four, Five, and Six) (29 page)

Aboard, he saw salted fish and casks of water as well as the ropes that he suddenly remembered he was supposed to pull on. Looking over at Kendra, he saw she had wrapped the ropes around her hands, and he did his best to do the same. With one last glance at her, Sinjin expected to see a look of fearful excitement, but instead all he saw was her mother's boot as it landed on his face.

Chapter 4

Accountability is rarely reciprocal.

--Greggor Faulk, conscript

* * *

When Catrin woke, even the pale light was more than her eyes could bear. Every part of her body ached, and she thought her hair might shatter if the wind blew. An itch in her throat made her swallow, and her parched mouth and throat were raw. Coughing, she drew herself up and pushed the tent flap aside, hoping the Arghast would never have to care for her unconscious form again. It was a very uncomfortable feeling to wake up somewhere strange, knowing you did not get there under your own power.

Outside, night had fallen, but comets lit the skies, and the beauty of the goddess caressed the world. Moonlight from a nearly full moon in a cloudless sky added to the preternatural glow that bathed the hushed crowd.

Having regained her breath, Catrin felt compelled to silence. All faces were turned toward the saddle, where Mikala was strapped in and moving within its confines. The rest of the Arghast stood in awestruck silence. As had happened before, the gathered group had swelled while Catrin rested, and it lightened her heart to see more of the Arghast. For the moment, she didn't feel as if she would be the death of them all. It was a fleeting moment. An unmistakable sound of wings came from above, and Catrin was afraid the watching feral had finally decided to attack, but the reality was actually much worse. When Catrin looked up, she saw feral dragons alighting on the tallest peaks until they ringed the valley. Once again Catrin was trapped within the valley that now bore her name. Striking the well, all those years ago, she had created the lake, which gave birth to the lush oasis they currently enjoyed. Verdant grasses felt cool under Catrin's feet, and she felt as if she could lie down on them and sleep once again, but the nightmares above would make sure no one slept well this night.

The minds of the Arghast were so consumed with the fulfillment of their destiny that none of them had seen the additional dragons arrive. Not wanting to cause undue alarm, Catrin approached a man she did not recognize and gently laid her hand on his arm. "Pardon me," she said.

The man jumped and turned in surprise.

"I'm sorry," Catrin said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

The man's eyes went wide, and several tribesmen around him turned to see what was happening.

"I'm very thirsty," Catrin said when no one else spoke. The crowd effectively blocked her off from the water's edge.

"Yes, most honored Herald of Istra and rider of dragons!" the man said a bit too loudly, and it echoed in the otherwise silent valley. Above, dragons shifted, but still the Arghast did not see. Catrin accepted a proffered flask and drank deeply. She took a deep breath before drinking again. Her body felt as if it were made of glass and were being rung like a bell, but the desert mist restored at least some of her strength.

After handing the flask back to the awestruck man, Catrin walked toward Mikala, who had stopped what she was doing to watch Catrin's progress. Like magic, the crowd opened before her and closed behind her, leaving Catrin moving through the Arghast in a bubble of open space.

Mikala unstrapped herself and climbed down. When Catrin cleared the last of the crowd, the girl stood in front of her, weeping.

"What's wrong?" Catrin asked.

For a moment, the girl simply stood, trembling, but then she raised reddened eyes to meet Catrin's. "You honor me too much."

Confused, Catrin waited for the girl to continue, but when she didn't, Catrin said, "I don't understand."

"You chose me," Mikala said. "I am no one."

Catrin smiled a sad smile, understanding better than perhaps anyone else in the world could, "You have always been
someone;
I just helped them to see it. I'm proud of you for figuring out how the saddle works on your own."

Mikala dropped her eyes. "I did not, Catrin. Kyrien has been instructing me. I thought you knew. I'm so sorry, my lady. Please forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," Catrin said with a smile and a hand on Mikala's shoulder, which only seemed to further unnerve the girl. "Kyrien is a free creature with a mind of his own. If he speaks to you, then it is he that honors you, though I think you are deserving of the honor."

Tears streamed down Mikala's face, and her hands trembled. "It is too much, my lady. I mean no disrespect, but already everyone looks at me differently, and Arakhan--" Her throat constricted around the name, and tears dropped to the grass.

"Is Arakhan your betrothed?"

The girl shook her head and lowered her gaze further.

"Is he the one you wish to be your betrothed?"

The girl nodded slowly as if admitting to some terrible crime. "When he looks at me now, there is fear in his eyes… and hurt. He won't even look at me for more than a breath."

Catrin nodded knowingly. "Was he one of the young men you selected to move the saddle?"

Now the girl's shoulders shook, and her words were barely more than a whisper. "No, my lady. I did not want it to seem that I was favoring him, but instead I betrayed him."

"Can you point him out to me?"

For a moment, Mikala looked up with hope in her eyes, and she nodded, pointing to a group of young men who huddled around one who looked despondent.

It took almost no effort to convey a message to Kyrien. Catrin knew that her direct interference might only create more hurt feelings, but the Arghast would not question Kyrien; he was above reproach. Though he had been resting with his eyes closed, Kyrien now stirred. The sound turned many gazes in his direction, and the silence took on an extra note of excitement. The crowd parted like waves before a prow as Kyrien swung his massive head toward where Arakhan stood, whose eyes went wider as Kyrien drew closer. His gaze focused on Arakhan, Kyrien sent his thoughts loudly enough for Catrin to hear.

You must protect them both.

The words sent Arakhan stumbling backward, and he landed on his rear. As he did, his eyes shot upward, and he saw then that the mountains writhed with dragons, like angry hornets ready to protect their nest. He looked as if he wanted to scream but his lungs could not find enough air.

You must act now.

If the words had not been enough to spur Arakhan into action, then the sudden change in air pressure was. Dragons rained from above, impossibly close to one another in the confined valley. Kyrien thrust himself back into the water. One instant, a mighty dragon stood along the shores of the Herald's Lake, and in the next, only
V
-shaped ripples gave any evidence that he'd been there.

"Defend the Herald and Mikala!" Arakhan cried when he finally found his voice, and chaos erupted within the valley.

* * *

There were few things Sinjin regretted more than their escape attempt. Now he was back where he started, except he was pretty sure he had a broken nose. His bonds were tighter, and he couldn't reach to scratch his face. This might not have been that great of a problem if not for the fact that Kendra was now bound right next to him, and her long, brown hair that he had once found so attractive tickled his face incessantly.

"This is all your fault," Kendra said from beside him. She, too, was cut and bruised.

"I don't see how," Sinjin replied, wishing he had the freedom to kick her.

"You were slow getting up the ladder, then you were slow getting across the deck, and then you fell down, and then--"

"And then I got kicked in the face. By my guess, it was someone who knew what you were planning all along."

"That's ridiculous," Kendra said. "I told no one."

"Where did you get the supplies?"

Silence.

"I appreciated the thought, to tell the truth, but this is a pretty small ship, and that much stolen food won't go unnoticed."

"I still say it's because you were too slow," Kendra added.

Sinjin considered saying a few other things, but then he did perhaps the wisest thing and kept his mouth shut. The creaking of the cargo filled the silence.

Chapter 5

Intent cannot alter physics.

--Brother Vaughn, Cathuran monk

* * *

Darkness enveloped the valley as wings blotted out the sky. Catrin remembered seeing the valley from the sky and could not imagine a single dragon trying to enter from above, let alone what looked like dozens.

If I fight now, I die.

Guilt and fear echoed in Kyrien's words. Catrin knew he was right. There were too many feral dragons falling on them, and there was nowhere for Catrin and the Arghast to hide. Still, she knew that escape from the valley on Kyrien would be nearly impossible, and she decided what Kyrien had done was best. Taking a deep breath and doing her best to center herself, Catrin gathered her might and allowed the waves of raw energy to flood her senses. When open to the energy, she could taste it and smell it, and it was the most intoxicating thing she'd ever experienced. The darkness would not allow her to enjoy the sensations for more than the briefest instant, but she felt as if she were achieving her life's purpose when she released the energy. It left her in a rush that she directed upward. The valley trembled with her might, and it rained stone and flesh. For the Arghast, there was nowhere to run; it was as if the mountains themselves lunged down at them, mouths full of daggers to make certain they all died.

Cries filled the air. Dragons swooped in low and sent crowds of Arghast tumbling before their outstretched claws. Horses charged through the valley, broken free from the lines and panic showing in their eyes, but Arghast horses weren't like most horses. Gleaming in what comet- and moonlight still shone through the dust and dragons that clogged the air, they defended the people around them; these horses were trained to fight. As Catrin drew sharp breaths between attacks, she saw a chestnut stallion with a thick white blaze galloping along the waterline, headed toward a group of young women who stood with their backs to one another in defensive position. Black wings sent a massive moon shadow across the water's edge, steadily catching up with the horse. The girls changed to a straight-line formation and prepared as best they could to face the dragon. They were not armed with spears, and Catrin knew that a knife or staff was no defense against a dragon.

Another group of older men faced a similar fate, and Catrin was torn. There was only enough time to launch a single attack, and any time she spent deciding made it less likely that her attack would save any of those in dire jeopardy. With a cry of anguish, she turned back to the girls, only to see the feral bear down on the chestnut stallion. The valiant animal threw its weight forward and launched its iron-shod hooves at the flying beast. Both hooves connected with the dragon's lower jaw and snapped its mouth shut. Without another thought, Catrin launched her attack on the dragon attacking the older men. Her attack came an instant too late. Mighty claws raked through the men and sent them flying, and Catrin's attack slammed into the dragon from behind, driving the dragon forward like a hurricane wind. Unable to stop, the feral struck the stone with so much force, the valley trembled, and it rolled unceremoniously to the valley floor.

It quickly became apparent that even a dead dragon was dangerous when it fell from the sky, especially in such a tight valley.

Catrin was forced to not only attack the dragons, but then bend the air to hurl their bodies to where there were no people. With the valley consumed in utter chaos, it was a nearly impossible task. There were too many Arghast for her to protect and too many dragons attacking them. Picking and choosing whom to save was among the most painful things Catrin had ever done, and tears streamed down her face as she saw a group of men fall to a swooping dragon. Some of the Arghast were armed with long spears, and those men rallied, doing their best to inflict harm on any feral that came close. A loud snap split the air as one of those men impaled a swooping feral, and the spear dug into the rich, black soil then snapped off from the force of the dragon's inertia.

Feeling guilty for doing so, Catrin looked for Mikala and Arakhan, but it didn't take her long to locate them. Catrin's heart nearly burst in pride when she saw the girl carrying a spear and doing her best to rally her people. Arakhan approached from behind her, riding a roan mare bareback. Two dragons swooped down at him and Mikala screamed. Arakhan turned in the saddle and watched the dragons' final approach with defiance. He raised his spear and yelled out a furious battle cry. With only one spear against two dragons, there was no doubt Arakhan would die, and he faced death with no fear.

There came another battle cry, this one higher in pitch but no less terrifying. Mikala ran toward Arakhan and his mount with all the speed she could find with her long legs. Even her mighty strides would do no good, save to allow Mikala and her love to die together, each with honor.

Drawing a deep breath, Catrin took a step back with one foot to catch her balance as vertigo threatened to take her from the fight. Her eyes landed once again on Mikala, not wanting to see her die but unable to look away. It was then that she saw something she'd never thought to see. Mikala reached Arakhan's side. He lowered his gaze from the dragons, lowered his spear, and reached out to Mikala, pulling her up behind him in a single smooth motion. While Mikala was still in mid air, the dragons struck. Crying out, Catrin gathered what energy she could, but before she could unleash her desperate attack, Mikala exploded; at least that was what it looked like. A pulse of energy raced away from the girl in all directions, a living thing with mass and form, filled with patterns amid the light that seemed like things Catrin recognized. The energy struck the dragons with a force even Catrin had difficulty achieving. Both dragons folded up and were crushed against the valley walls. Arakhan, his mount, and other Arghast nearby were mostly untouched. Mikala, though, slammed into the side of Arakhan's mount, unconscious, and she slid to the ground.

The light had grown brighter with most of the dragons down or fled. Though there was no wind where Catrin stood, winds twisted within the tall peaks, and she watched as one dragon nearly escaped the valley but was dashed against the rocks by violent winds, and she did her best to keep its falling corpse from landing on anyone. Exhausted, Catrin fell to her knees, her body tingling and glistening with sweat.

Arakhan was nearby, and Catrin could hear him shouting for Mikala to wake up. Despite the edge of desperation in his voice, Catrin could not get her body to move; all she could do was breathe. The bodies of feral dragons littered the valley floor, and some protruded from the water. Taking one last deep breath before trying to move again, Catrin heard the sound of wings billowing like the sails of a ship. Most of her body still failed to respond, but her eyes did open, and she saw a large feral swooping back in for an unexpected attack.

The energy from this beast assaulted Catrin and everyone else in the valley. No one moved and the dragon could pick its targets. It aimed for Catrin and, following its course, would also take out Mikala and Arakhan. Blinking slowly, Catrin tried to clear her mind as well as her vision, but she was spent. All she managed to do was raise an arm up to protect herself. Like death on wings, it sped toward her, focused solely on her, and it never saw the bulging wave that raced toward it. Just before the beast snapped up Catrin in its jaws, Kyrien burst from the water and struck it in the side of the head. It was a massive collision, and a hail of soil and wind sent Catrin tumbling. The feral's tail slammed the ground not far from where she lay, a parting shot that nearly succeeded. Kyrien took advantage of the distraction and wrapped his tail around the feral's wing. All at once, he contracted his tail and squeezed hard, which caused the feral to make a very sudden turn and dive. Adding his weight, Kyrien used the momentum to drive the feral's head into the sand in the shallows. Water filled the giant beast's nostrils, and after it finally slammed to a stop with a sickening crunch, the feral did not stir.

This time, when Catrin tried to stand, she succeeded. Though far from steady on her feet, Catrin made her way to where Mikala lay. Arakhan shook her then slapped her face.

"Stop," Catrin said.

Arakhan looked up, his hand poised to strike her again and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"She'll be fine. What she needs is rest and quiet. And when she wakes up, she'll have a terrible headache. Give her cool water and a bit of humrus root."

His face flushed, Arakhan laid Mikala's head gently back to the sand with exaggerated care. "How do you know this?" Arakhan asked, doing his best to be polite.

Catrin understood his anxiety. "I saw what happened," she said. "That is how it started for me, I think. It looked different from a distance, but it felt much the same."

Arakhan looked startled at first, but then a look of pride came to his face and his chest stuck out a bit farther. "Thank you, most honored Herald of Istra."

Catrin accepted the title and did not try to dissuade him. In this instance, the title served her well. It would not hurt Mikala if she was seen to be tied to Catrin in some way, and now that was done in more than one way.

Nearby, Kyrien rested. Catrin walked to his side and laid a hand on his shoulder. She did not lend him energy since she had nothing she could safely give at that moment, but she did send her love, respect, and friendship into the bond they shared. It was a small thing, but it helped to get him to sleep, and rest was what he needed most at that moment.

At Catrin's request, a tent was erected next to Kyrien, and Catrin slept by his side, knowing the Arghast would watch over her.

* * *

Crouched behind a bush, Brother Vaughn watched a pack of demons move through the valley. It appeared that most of the enemy forces had retreated to their ships and fled, but these roving packs were proof that the dangers of the black army remained on the Godfist. He was no match for even one of these creatures, and if he were spotted by one of these packs, he would almost surely be lost. So many things had happened, and now he had so few choices, and he did not like any of them.

He could try to make for the main entrance of Dragonhold, where the primary assault had been, and he already saw that it would be a mistake. Too many of the demons had decided not to make the return trip. Perhaps it was by design, but at that moment, the cause did not matter. The back entrance of Dragonhold was guarded by the God's Eye, and Dragonhold was another place he would likely encounter the demons. The only other option he considered was to go south, over Edling's Wall and into Harborton, but he knew there would be little help to be found. Even if he could get some of the people behind him, he would need the council's approval to take a force of any size north of the Wall. He'd met Master Edling on a couple of occasions, and the man did not make a very good impression. A bit of study on the history of the man's rule, and Brother Vaughn had more than enough information to know that Edling would never cooperate unless there was a way for him to gain power as a result. His price would be too high.

The demons sniffed the air and scanned the tree line, and Brother Vaughn froze. The luxury of time was no longer his. For tense moments, he stood, his heart beating fast, waiting until the demons finally turned and continued south. Even standing still, he risked being discovered. The biggest concern he had was crossing open ground. The Pinook Valley was wider and had more open grasslands than the Chinawpa Valley. He would still have to figure out how to get across the God's Eye and back to the kitchens, but the back entrance appeared to be a far more likely route to salvation. It seemed an impossible task at first, but he kept moving, never losing hold of the hope that there was a chance he would make it, a chance that Mirta would be waiting for him, unharmed and well. Those were the thoughts that kept him moving when the larger part of him just wanted to hide.

Signs of the demons were everywhere. Grasses and roots lay crushed against the ground. Tree trunks marked with their claws made it look as if there were hundreds of them wandering around. It made the hair on his neck stand, and he couldn't help but wonder if any of the giants remained on the Godfist. He very much regretted having had that thought, especially when he heard a thump that sounded like muted thunder then another and another. Farther south in the valley, farther than Brother Vaughn would have guessed based on how loud the steps were, a giant walked. That just confirmed how monstrous these creatures were and that they were wandering loose on the Godfist. This one still had chains hanging from the collar around its throat, each one sheared off at a different length. When the beast stood and turned suddenly, the chains whipped through the air and cut through the treetops, sending them tumbling to the valley floor. Brother Vaughn felt as if he'd been transported to another, far more frightening world. He had lived here for years and had hiked in these forests dozens of times, but now these woods were filled with monsters, and his mind was having difficulty reconciling that fact. So many of the things he saw that normally would have caught his interest or sparked his imagination now only reminded him of how everything had changed and that he was not safe.

After seeing Trinda and Strom and Durin at the top of the mountain, Brother Vaughn had begun to question his mental health, and then he'd seen Catrin riding Kyrien with a saddle that shone like the comets above. Now he was trying to figure out how to climb over a dead feral dragon. Part of him wasn't certain the dragon was really dead, and he was just waiting for it to turn and snap him up in its jaws. It would have been easiest to climb over the beast’s head, but the thought of seeing those eyes open while he was on top of its head drove him to the more difficult task of climbing over the shoulders since the rest of the body was surrounded by thick brush.