The Kallanon Scales (64 page)

With infinite
care the Darak Or achieved a trance state. He entered the etheric
where he possessed no body, no senses, no movement, merely was, and
he drew the subjugated soul of Tymall into that space with him.

There the
essences of superstitious and ancient mystical belief, as well as
the formulae of the supernatural, had the upper hand and were
highways for those who knew how to enter and exit. Margus was
frighteningly familiar with every super-carriageway and unmarked
path. Waiting for Tymall’s acknowledgement lent him the opportunity
to discover the nuances, time that was in that realm infinite.

“Can you hear,
Tymall?” It was a disembodied whisper, everywhere and nowhere.

Tymall
struggled against the invisible bonds around the fibre that
constituted his inner being.

“Do not fight
it, son. You cannot escape.” Margus’ whisper was amused, and
interested. Clearly, there was not full accord for the
symbiosis.

“What have you
done to me?” Tymall demanded.

“I have become
you.”

“
No!
” The
violence of the denial shuddered through the surrounds. This was
not what Tymall envisioned. It was not what he wanted.

“It matters
not what you want, Tymall. You chose and this is the fruit of your
choice. Am I not like a father to you? Was I not the one who knew
you first?”

“I did not
know I chose this.”

“Then, dear
boy, you should have paid more attention. Ignorance, Tymall, is
rarely a good reason to deny your path.”

“What is it
you want of me?”

“Your body as
host.”

“What about
me
?”

“Ease your
mind; this is temporary. I rebuild the means to reassume my true
form and then you will be free of my long habitation.”

The soul of
Tymall relaxed. “How long?”

“A few days
more in the real world.”

“How?”

“There is no
answer that would satisfy. Ask your father how it is he has his
original body, and he cannot say. Ask Vannis how he hibernated in
essence to reach again for solidity, and he will not know how to
explain. It is of the mind, the will, the need, and when strong
enough, it heralds the desired result.”

“What are you
not telling me?” Tymall whispered.

“Before I
reach for my form I intend to confront your father in your
body.”

“It will …” He
could not say it.

“… destroy
him? I do hope so.”

“Why? He did
what he had to do.”

The essence of Margus grew dark and vengeful, a barbaric
pestilence that was overpoweringly visible even in that sightless
realm. “It was
how
he did what he had to do that he will pay for and he will pay
into all eternity.”

“What did he
do?”

“He
knows!”

Tymall
retreated, cowering.

Margus’
chuckle filled the empty spaces. “I shall not harm you, for you are
like a son to me. You were my future in the cave and will be my
future when I am done with the Enchanter. You will become my legacy
to this universe when I exit to other realms. I shall return your
body to you shortly and then instruct you in all I have learned.
Ah, son, there will be no force greater than you.”

Tymall did not
answer.

“Are you
afraid? I shall guide you well. I always keep my word.”

“I am merely
someone who hates, and imagines slights.”

“You have
assaulted innocent people, you knowingly ruined your brother’s
childhood and you attempted to murder Saska on many occasions.
Those are not the signs of a mixed-up kid, Tymall. Perhaps you were
unprepared for the full force of what you would become and that is
why you deny. I understand that. I once fought my nature. You
cannot undo the past and the past is what shapes us. Accept who you
are and your burden will be light.”

“But my father
…”

“Ah, yes, the
charming Torrullin. He is very difficult to hate, is he not?”

“I turned from
him. He hates me now.”

“He has indeed
turned his back on you. Now you are mine.”

Tymall moaned,
and the Darak Or lost patience.

“You snivelling idiot! He gave you everything, including his
love, and still you betrayed him. Grow up! He never unmasked you,
and again you betrayed him! He has a point of no return. Why should
he love you? I say to you that he has turned his back, for it is
the
only
way he
saves his soul.”

“It was you!
You spoke through me!”

“Remember the clearing? Darklings did not tempt you and
neither did those other creatures you imagined. The dara-witch …
not that she would tempt me. You came to
me
and thus made your choice.
Ignorantly? Maybe, but that is no defence. Your inherent self
knew.”

“Yes,” Tymall
whispered, and the ache was incredible. A realm of no senses and he
experienced hurt that could not be described.

“Accept, and
the aching is no more. Armour yourself. Think on how you have lost
your father and how badly you want to strike back at him for
that.”

“Yes.”
Tymall’s voice strengthened and the etheric world shivered in
recognition. “And Tristamil?”

“You and your
brother have a destiny I am unable to alter, except to choose the
time and place of it carefully. Do you care what happens to your
twin?”

“No.”
Emphatic. “He is a weakling!”

“He will have
your father’s love.”

“And he will
pay dearly for it.”

Margus
laughed. “Good, but do not underestimate him. He is no weakling.” A
pause and then in a preoccupied tone, “He may be the undoing of
us.”

“
Tris?
”
When the Darak Or said nothing, Tymall ventured, “Who will fight
him? You?”

“You expect a
physical battle? Well, perhaps, for I have no control over that
destiny. You will fight him, Tymall, and if you falter I will
finish it. Your twin will not be victorious.”

“Excellent.”
And the vision of smiting Tristamil was so entrancing, so
appealing, that Tymall’s soul was transported into ecstasy, the
kind that left no room for gentler emotion, and in that transport
he lost sight of what he attempted to hold onto.

“Excellent,
indeed,” Margus whispered and was not thinking of Tristamil’s
downfall.

Words of power
should never be underestimated.

~ Book of
Sages

Grinwallin

T
he Murs gathered in disciplined
rows on the great plateau.

It was an
orderly amassing, achieved without confusion and noise, and after
the initial beating of wings settled, it was eerily silent.

From their
vantage, it was impossible to take an accurate count, for the army
blurred into a mass of grey, but Teighlar estimated at least twelve
thousand.

As Tennet
reached its zenith, they saw clearly the arrival of a personage who
had to be the Murs leader. The waiting army bowed and eight
detached from the ranks to confer. It was the first indication the
watchers had that there was indeed a driving force behind the Murs
campaign.

A gesturing
commenced and a large open area was created - a square flanked on
three sides by Murs and on the fourth was the city itself - and
moments later scores of Mysor began to materialise in that
space.

It was a
strange sight, the clumsy swaying of the huge spiders attempting to
organise into disciplined rows, and the resultant confusion
frustrated the leader, for he gestured wildly, and a thin shout
rose over the distant sound of clicking.

“Take him
out,” Teighlar murmured.

Torrullin
shook his head. “There are too many. I must talk to him, find a
weakness.”

“He may not
grant you opportunity,” Vannis stated, standing with arms crossed,
expression unreadable.

“We shall
create opportunity,” Torrullin murmured.

“How can you
be so calm?” Caltian demanded, unaware how unruffled he
appeared.

Bartholamu
paced, anger colouring his pale face.

“Panic causes
fear to spiral,” Abdiah grunted. Her reptilian eyes gleamed. To
smite the Dark was her main mission and she intended to give it all
she had.

“If you go to
him,” Teighlar said, “you place your Dragon within his reach.”

“So he comes
to us,” Torrullin replied.

“
I
would
not,” Abdiah grumbled. “If yon Murs has any intelligence, he will
know not to venture from his army.”

Mysor came to
a compromise of formation, facing Grinwallin’s stairs. Their
irritating clicking died away.

Teighlar
caught a distasteful expression flit over the Vallorin’s unguarded
face. It was swiftly gone, but it resonated.

“You know how
to do this.” He swept an encompassing arm over the plateau.

Torrullin
tensed, marking that gesture. “What do I know, Teighlar?”

“You know how
to annihilate them in one foul swoop.”

Torrullin
glanced at Teighlar, saw something there, and nodded before facing
the plateau again.

“But
foul
is the operative word, is it not?” Teighlar went on, his
voice sorrowful, his gaze hidden to the distance. “There can be no
distinction. Why do you think I am alone here?”

“Your own,
Emperor?”

“I had no
choice.”

Torrullin
could not answer to the guilt in the Emperor’s stricken gaze. He
bounded down the stairs to the next level, seeking to remove
himself from that terrible admission. He vanished into the
ruins.

Teighlar went
into the mountain.

Vannis licked
dry lips and rubbed his face. He did not know his grandson. He
wearily descended the stairs.

Quills said,
“It is a siege. The Murs will not attack yet.” He followed Teighlar
inside.

“Goddess, can
we be sure?” one of the soldiers muttered.

No one
answered, for at that moment hoarse screeching filled the air,
noise that drove everyone to the ground, including a horrified Murs
army.

“Ah,
my
army has come!” Queen Abdiah grated and the sound caused
immense distress in nearby ears.

“What is that?”
Vannis gasped as he came upon Torrullin where he leaned over a low
wall overlooking the adjacent tier.

“The
Kallanon!” Torrullin shouted and burst into appreciative laughter.
“Trust Abdiah!” The noise abated and huge shapes blotted out the
sun overhead. Evidently the Dragon court landed. “She is her own
advisor, that one.” He leaned against the wall, his back to the
lower view. “I should be alone. Neolone is my burden.”

“No one forced
us along with you. We are saving the universe here, together.”

“Saving the
universe?” Torrullin echoed. “I hope to save just Tris at this
stage.”

“Perhaps now
you understand why we are always dogging you, us greybeards.”

Torrullin
snorted. “You will never be grey.”

“No, I want to
die before that.”

“You would
embrace death?”

“Willingly.”

“For
Raken?”

“The Valleur
believe in life Beyond. I would I reach that place before I lose
what qualifies me, yes, to find Raken there waiting for me.”

Torrullin’s
lips twisted in rare self-pity. “Forever is a long time.”

“Which is
why,” a voice sounded behind then, “I deny your offer of
immortality, father.”

Turning,
Torrullin whispered, “By all gods, Tris.” He crossed the space to
embrace his son convulsively and there were tears in his eyes.
Tristamil threw his arms about his father and then Vannis was
there, swallowing hard.

A period of
silly tears and laughter followed, before Torrullin stepped away.
“Let me look at you.”

“Thank the
Goddess. You are just fine,” Vannis muttered, wiping his face with
one hand.

“Thank the
stupid Murs who taunted me all of yesterday,” Tristamil laughed,
wiping his own face. He grinned at his father. “The creature kept
telling me they knew of Grinwallin and I had to fly. I was afraid
it was a trick, but eventually could stomach him no longer. I
transported in.”

Vannis said,
“This is the place and we are all to come here in some way
now.”

“Then I am
doubly glad I heeded him. We have to talk.”

“You sound
ominous,” Vannis said.

“Something happened to me – I am
fine
, don’t worry - and what I
learned isn’t good.” Tristamil’s eyes were silvery the way
Torrullin’s could be when he was in another realm of the
mind.

His father
sighed. So short a reunion. “Tell me.”

Tristamil
glanced at Vannis, unsure.

“That bad,”
Torrullin said.

Tristamil
could only nod.

“Fine, then I
would hear it once. Tell me when we are gathered.”

“You will
prefer privacy.”

Torrullin
stared at his son. The skin on his cheeks tightened in dread.
“Saska?”

“Saska? No,
not … why would you ask that?”

Vannis pinched
the bridge of his nose.

Torrullin
cleared his throat. “Does your news affect the others as well?”

“Well, yes, it
will affect all of us, but …”

“… especially
me.” Torrullin was abrupt. “It is Tymall.” He moved away. “Tell me
when we are gathered.” He missed his son’s despairing gesture, but
nonetheless sensed the young man’s concern. He glanced back. “I
shall contain myself, but we deal with it as a team.”

Vannis
murmured, “What about Taranis?”

“I am about to send for him.”
Taranis. Are you there?