The Aether of Night Page 9

  As soon as Nahan stood, the other women began to rise as well, whispering quietly to one another. D’Naa waited nervously as they prepared to go, pulling shawls around themselves and replacing their shoes. She kept expecting some of the dark creatures to come slinking out of a side alley, but for some reason the city seemed to have become quiet. There were no more yells or sounds of fighting—only occasional gusts of hollow wind.

  Eventually, the women gathered in a small huddle outside the tent. The solitary guard watched them, his face growing increasingly pale, his hands twitching nervously. He was beginning to realize he was the sole remaining protector of Aedinor’s most precious daughters.

  D’Naa pulled the young man aside. “Where do you think we should go?” she asked quietly.

  The man shook his head, an overwhelmed look in his eyes. “I don’t know,” he said.

  “Where will we find others?” she pressed. “Where would people retreat?”

  He thought for a moment. “The Sending platform,” he decided.

  “Which way is it?”

  He paused, then pointed an uncertain finger down a street. “That way. I think.”

  D’Naa frowned at the soldier’s lack of conviction. Still, she couldn’t blame him—she felt overwhelmed herself. “Let’s go then,” she said, patting his arm reassuringly. “You lead. I don’t think they’ll listen to me.”

  He nodded sickly, then turned. “We need to get to the Sending platform,” he said to the women.

  “What about the Courtyard?” Alean demanded. “We should go where the Emperor is.”

  The soldier paused, then he drew himself up a little straighter. “My job is to protect you. If you are in danger, my lady, then I must see you transported back to Vae Annitor. If I am wrong, then you may punish me later.”

  Alean frowned, but eventually she just sighed. “Very well, then.”

  The soldier turned down the street, leading the way, one hand holding the tent’s lantern, the other held out in front of him, his Verdant vines wiggling in anticipation. The women followed quietly. Or, at least, they did until the group ran across its first body.

  “By the Twins!” the Shorriken girl said with a slight gasp, pointing at a slumped form beside the road.

  The soldier stopped, then walked over to check for signs of life. “Dead,” he announced.

  The women froze, as if finally realizing that they might actually be in danger. The pulled closely together, staying near to their only other lantern, which was being carried by Nahan.

  “We should keep moving,” D’Naa prodded. If you think that body’s disturbing, what would you think of a Kavir village after a Harrmen raid? There, the dead ones are fortunate.

  For once, the others didn’t object to D’Naa’s prompting. A chill wind helped them on their way, carrying with it the smell of smoke. D’Naa shivered, wishing she had a shawl like the others. Walking in the dark streets was eerie—she almost missed the yelling from before.

  The soldier paused suddenly. “Merciful Ancestors,” he breathed in relief. “I think someone’s found us.”

  D’Naa frowned, edging toward the front of the group. Figures were moving out of a side street. Dark, man-shaped figures. “Oh, no,” she whispered.

  The soldier raised his lantern higher, but the light didn’t illuminate the dark creatures. They crept froward, long swords held before them.

  “Twins!” Nahan cursed. “What are they?”

  “Run!” D’Naa said, shoving several of the women toward a side street. Her sudden motion prompted a reaction from both women and creatures. The girls began to dash in the direction she’d indicated, but their gowns slowed them considerably.

  The soldier retreated slowly, keeping his eye on the enemy, sweat trickling down his brow despite the chill wind. D’Naa held back, watching as the first creature attacked. The young man raised his hand, and a single Verdant vine whipped from his palm, entangling the creature’s legs and dropping it to the ground. The creature began to hack at the vines with its sword as five of its companions jumped at the young soldier. The man cried out, managing to whip his vine around to attack a second creature as the others fell on him. He fell back, ducking as the swords fell.

  D’Naa took a deep breath, raised her hand, and sent forth a torrent of vines. They exploded forward, twisting through the air and slamming into the creatures, wrapping them completely, from foot to forehead, in Verdant.

  The six creatures toppled to the ground, and D’Naa whipped what was left of her vine into the shadows and released it.

  The young soldier stopped cringing and opened his eyes with a surprised look. He regarded the creatures for a moment, then looked around for other soldiers. Finally, he glanced down at his palm, then shot D’Naa a confused look.

  “Come on!” D’Naa said, noticing as another group of dark creatures slunk out of an alley.

  The soldier turned and began to run after the women—moving so fast, in fact, that D’Naa had to struggle to keep up with him. She kicked off her shoes, wishing for a good pair of highland boots, and ran barefoot over the rough ground. They found the women ahead, standing at an intersection, looking with confusion at their choices.

  All the streets looked the same to D’Naa. She picked one at random and pointed, but then paused. A glimmer of light caught her eye. She looked up with surprise, joining several of the other girls who had already noticed it. A bright beacon of light hung in the air above the rooftops a short distance away. It floated in the air, like a glorious star that dropped down to hang just above the city.

  “What is it?” Frana, the Khur woman, asked.

  “I don’t know,” D’Naa said. “But whatever it is, that’s where we need to go.”

  #

  Raeth stood atop the lumbering Corpate walker, Darro and the Bestarin general Taenen at his side. Behind them, a Corpate lighting pillar glowed so brightly that Raeth couldn’t turn around without shielding his eyes. Below, fifty soldiers walked nervously, and teams ran down side alleys searching for survivors. A few wounded already lay atop some blankets on the walker’s platform. None of them were Vo-Dari.

  “See anything?” Raeth asked.

  The general regarded the dark city, his human eye closed as he peered beyond the Corpate’s light. “Nothing, my lord. No, wait… .” he leaned forward, staring at something Raeth couldn’t see. “Slaughter and Despair!” the general cursed quietly. “There are thousands of them!”

  “What?” Raeth asked with concern, following the general’s line of sight. The man was looking at the center of the city, toward the courtyard.

  “The shadow monsters, my lord,” Taenen said. “There are thousands of them standing in area around the courtyard. I didn’t notice them at first—they seem like just another piece of darkness. The only difference is, my eye can’t see through them.”

  “What are they doing?” Raeth asked anxiously. To him, it all looked like darkness. The Corpate’s light was bright, but far too unconcentrated to illuminate more than the surrounding buildings.

  “They’re just standing there, sir,” Taenen said. “I see a few patches of them moving through the city, but most of them are just sitting in the courtyard. Like they’re waiting for something.”

  Raeth frowned in frustration.

  “This isn’t good,” Darro noted.

  “Thank you, brother, for pointing out the obvious,” Raeth said, raising his arm before his eyes and turning slightly. “Turn left at the next intersection,” he told the Ferrous Nurturer who stood beside the walker’s pillar. “I don’t want to get too close to the center of the city.

  The man nodded. His eyes were covered against the light of the lighting pillar, which sat a short distance away. Raeth turned away, his eyes watering. Hopefully a Vo-Dari still lived, and hopefully he would see their beacon and move toward them. Otherwise… .

  “There!” Darro suddenly exclaimed.

  “What?” Raeth asked, turning.

  Darro pointed at a fallen building
with a mostly intact roof. “In there!” he called to the men below. “Send a team in there!”

  “What did you see?” Raeth asked, watching anxiously as a squad of soldiers entered the fallen building, their lanterns shining through the cracked walls and ceiling. A moment later they returned, and they brought with them a white-robed form.

  “The Ancestors be blessed!” Raeth said with a whoop, leaping over the side of the Corpate and sliding down the swinging cloth ladder. The Vo-Dari shaded his eyes against the sudden light, his face harried but relieved. He was a younger Shorriken man, probably a newer Vo-Dari, and he lowered his arm as Raeth approached.

  “My lord,” he said joyfully, his eyes shaken. He looked happy to see them, but he flinched at every movement, as if he wanted to dash away and hide again.

  “Where are the others?” Raeth asked as he approached. “The other Vo-Dari. What happened to them?”

  “Gone, my lord,” the man said with a sad voice. “The monsters…they came after us first, as if they knew about us. The Vo-Dari scattered. I just ran and hid, sir, since we can’t Send ourselves… .”

  Raeth frowned at the loss. One was enough, however. He turned, intending to climb back up on his perch to wait a few minutes for any other stragglers. His step was interrupted by a call from above.

  “Lord Hern!” Taenen said urgently. “They’re moving!”

  “What?” Raeth demanded.

  “The shadow creatures!” Taenen said. “Their ranks are moving this direction.”

  “Fall back, men!” Raeth said, running over to grab the ladder, Darro at his heals. “Retreat to the Sending platform!”

  Raeth began to climb, but then he paused as he noticed Taenen’s surprised face, looking out over the city.

  “What is it?” Raeth called from halfway up the ladder.

  “I see people, my Lord,” Taenen said urgently. “A group of them, close to the city’s center. They’re coming this way, but they’re moving slowly.”

  Raeth paused, hanging on the rope ladder as the Corpate began to move, walking back the direction they had come. Away from the survivors, whoever they were.

  We can’t abandon them, Raeth thought. He let go of the ladder, dropping to the uneven stones below.

  “Hern?” Darro asked with a frown, jogging up beside him.

  “You!” Raeth said, pointing at the Vo-Dari as the troops retreated around them. “Come here.”

  Several squads of soldiers paused around Raeth, the rest slowing their retreat.

  “Darro,” Raeth said turning to his brother in the dark night, “when you arrive I want you to send as many Vo-Dari back here as you can find. Tell them to begin Sending people home immediately.”

  “What?” Darro asked with a frown. “I’m not leaving you—”

  “Send him to Vae Annitor,” Raeth said to the Vo-Dari.

  Darro opened his mouth to object, but the Vo-Dari did as commanded, touching Darro and mumbling a whispered prayer to the Ancestors. Darro shot Raeth an angry look as he lurched, then dissolved into light and shot into the air, leaving a bright streak in the night sky. Several of the soldiers shouted in joy at the sight.

  Raeth turned to the men. “Half of you are with me. General Taenen, take the rest with you back to the platform and hold it until everyone has been Sent home. Don’t wait for me.”

  “Yes, sir,” the tall Bestarin man said from above.

  “You,” Raeth said, grabbing the Vo-Dari by the arm. “Come with me.”

  #

  D’Naa could see figures moving in front of the ball of light in the air, and she quickly realized what it must be. A Corpate with some sort of light on top of it.

  The monsters wouldn’t use a Corpate, she thought to herself as she jogged. Would they?

  The other women weren’t in as good a shape as herself and the soldier, and they were moving pitifully slow. Kallana had stopped running altogether, and was limp-walking instead. D’Naa hung back, watching worriedly for signs of pursuit.

  “It’s moving away from us!” the normally stoic Tae exclaimed, prompting D’Naa to turn around with worry. The Ferrous woman was right—the light had begun to retreat away from them.

  “Keep going,” D’Naa said. “Maybe we can still catch it!”

  “Merciful Ancestors… .” the soldier whispered behind her, the fear in his voice sending a shiver through D’Naa’s body.

  She turned apprehensively. The shadows at the end of the street seemed to be lengthening, the darkness creeping along the street like spilled water. The blackness began to resolve into distinct forms—hundreds of them, all running toward D’Naa and the others, their weapons raised into the air.

  D’Naa froze, her eyes widening at the sight. There were too many, far too many. Even if her Aether hadn’t been tired, she couldn’t have stopped them. As it was, both her body and her Aether fatigued… .

  She groaned, breathing deeply, and raised her arm anyway.

  One of the women yelled behind her, and D’Naa turned with horror. Only then did she realize the yell wasn’t one of fear or of pain—but of joy. Two dozen soldiers in bright red Imperium uniforms burst out of a side street, bright torches raised high. The lead figure pointed at the oncoming hoard of darkness, yelling for his men to attack. With surprise, D’Naa realized she recognized the leader. Prince Hern.

  The women began to sigh in relief, but D’Naa turned worried eyes toward the dark warriors. There were far more of them than there were soldiers. The women wouldn’t be able to move quickly enough to escape. They were still in trouble—Prince Hern’s sacrifice was a noble one, but it was hardly what one would term a rescue.

  And then she heard mumbling. Her heart leapt as she turned and saw Alean dissolve into a burst of light and shoot into the air, toward the south. A white robed Vo-Dari stood at the back of the group, and was beginning to Send the women with his mystical touch.

  Prince Hern’s soldiers crashed into the dark warriors, blades swinging furiously. “Hold this line, men!” Hern yelled, attacking with his Amberite sword. D’Naa watched, transfixed, as Hern decapitated a dark warrior—the blow creating an odd hissing sound from the creature’s body—then expertly swung to completely sheer off the arm of another one. Hern fought well—far better than the rumors had lead her to believe. And, he didn’t use much Amberite, just the sword. Why was that? Where were the fabulous suits of Amberite armor she had heard so much about?

  Hern felled another warrior, but the hoard continued to advance, pushing his men back. They didn’t have much time. D’Naa turned, watching the Vo-Dari anxiously. He was trying to Send Frana, but the Khur woman avoided his touch, her eyes wide with horror. Eventually, the Vo-Dari rolled his eyes and reached over to touch D’Naa instead. She turned, catching one final glimpse of Hern before she felt herself begin to accelerate away from Saeris Va and its dark streets.

  #

  Wounds made by Raeth’s sword hissed angrily, but the dark warriors stayed on their feet after taking incredible amounts of punishment. They obviously didn’t feel pain; they just kept fighting until they grew too weak to stand.

  Raeth’s men fought desperately, trying to hold the creatures back long enough for the Vo-Dari to do his work. They were quickly being overrun, however. The street was narrow enough to give them a slight advantage, but they wouldn’t be able to hold for long.

  Once the women are gone, then we can move.

  Raeth dared a look behind him, checking on the Vo-Dari’s work. Only one bride remained—the tan-skinned Khur woman—but she was backing away from the Vo-Dari in fear.

  Slaughter and Despair! Raeth thought with anger, falling out of the line. He rushed forward and snatched the Khur woman’s arm in his hand. “Send her!” he snapped.

  “No!” the woman screamed, squirming in his hands. “It is forbidden! Your superstitious magics are—” her voice cut off mid-sentence as she dissolved into light.

  “Hold a moment longer!” Raeth shouted at the men. Then he turned to the Vo-Dari. “Y
ou, Send the wounded,” Raeth said, pointing at several fallen soldiers. Then he leapt back into the conflict.

  This is going to be rough, he realized. The creatures were quickly moving to surround them.

  “Fall back!” he ordered as soon as the wounded had been Sent. The men responded, disengaging and dashing backwards. The Vo-Dari’s chanting began to grow anxious as soldiers ran toward him. Raeth grabbed the priest by the arm. “Come on!” he shouted, dashing around a corner.

  Right into a wall of the dark creatures. His men attacked immediately, fighting desperately. Raeth turned in anxiety, looking for options. The creatures had already blocked off their retreat.

  “Twins!” Raeth cursed quietly. Up? He looked at the ruins around them, but the walls around them were still mostly standing. No, it wasn’t possible. Gritting his teeth, Raeth threw himself into the conflict, fighting beside his men. Perhaps they could break through to the other side… .

  Streaks of light began to launch up into the air. Raeth turned with surprise. The young Vo-Dari was touching soldiers from behind, Sending them even as they fought.

  A way out, Raeth realized, for all of us but one. Vo-Dari could not send themselves.

  Suddenly, a dark warrior dropped its weapon and tried a new tactic—it grabbed for Raeth’s sword arm. Raeth turned from the Vo-Dari, cursing and trying to shake the creature free. A second creature jumped for him, and Raeth barely managed to dodge the blow. The dark warrior’s backhand, however, delivered the pommel of its weapon into the side of Raeth’s head.

  Raeth stumbled back, lurching free of his captor’s grip but stumbling to the ground. The dark sky swum in front of him.

  And then, he felt a light touch on his forehead. He lurched to the side, his body falling against the pull of the planet, a strange sudden pain wracking his body. He turned as his body began to accelerate and dissolve into light.

  As he shot away, Raeth’s vision cleared slightly despite the pain. He caught sight of the Vo-Dari, standing morosely among the bodies of several dead soldiers, the dark warriors surrounding him. Alone.

  The strange pain mounted—it wasn’t from his wound, but it laced through Raeth’s entire body. He lost consciousness from the pain somewhere between Saeris Va and Vae Annitor.