At the Gates of Darkness Part 4

'Why?' asked Pug.

'Let me ponder it a while longer before I offer any more speculation,' answered the Warlock.

'Can't we-I mean, you-study the Lifestone now?' asked Jim.

Pug shook his head in the negative. 'It was destroyed before the demon could reach it.'

The High Priest's face took on an expression of distress. 'Destroyed?'

Pug raised his hand in a placating gesture. 'Perhaps that's the wrong word. The elf queen's son, Calis, managed to unbind the confining magic and the trapped life energy within was set free.'

The High Priest appeared delighted at that news. 'A blessing! The souls were freed to resume their journey to Our Mistress!' He looked eagerly at Pug. 'What was it like?'

'It was difficult to describe, Holy Father. The Lifestone looked like a crystal, one that pulsed with green energies, but when it was...unravelled...a flurry of tiny green flames floated away, in all directions.'

The High Priest sat back and said, 'Throughout our temple's history, no such manifestation of the actual act of translation has been doc.u.mented. The best we have are occasional reports that one of our priests, priestesses, or lay brothers and sisters might have glimpsed a tiny green flash.' He sighed in resignation. 'There are so few overt signs of what we do. Those of us who have been blessed by a visitation from our G.o.ddess...' He looked into his wine cup and took a sip. 'At times, it is difficult to convince the faithful. So few actually have experienced the divine.'

Pug resisted the urge to remark that he had experienced more than his fill of the divine. Several encounters with both the death G.o.ddess, Lims-Kragma, and Banath, the G.o.d of Thieves, Liars, and a host of other malfeasances had made it clear to him that the G.o.ds were as real as the chair upon which he sat; his faith was never an issue, but he certainly felt like their creature at times, and that thought left a sour taste in his mouth if he dwelled upon it too long.

The door opened and an elderly woman dressed in the garb of a priestess entered, followed by a younger woman in similar attire. 'You called for me, Holy Father?'

'Sister Makela, we have need of your knowledge.'

'I am at your disposal,' she said as Jim rose to offer the old woman his chair. She smiled, nodded her thanks and took the seat. She was as old as the High Priest, and frail in appearance, but she also shared the same lively gaze.

The High Priest outlined what had already been discussed. When he had finished, he asked, 'Have there been any exhaus-tive studies on the exact nature of necromancy, specifically what use the stolen life force might have to a necromancer?'

Without a moment's hesitation, the old woman said, 'Exhaustive, no. Several volumes of opinion exist, and I can have them brought up from the archives if you wish, Holy Father. The evidence suggests that necromancers usually have one of two goals. The first is to control the dead, harbouring enough life energy to animate corpses and direct them.'

'Why?' asked Jim.

'A dead servant holds several advantages,' suggested the librarian. 'It is impervious to death, obviously, and so can only be stopped by the utter destruction of the body. These "undead" can make prodigious bodyguards or a.s.sa.s.sins, and can be sent to places where the living can not long survive; for example, they can stay under water for a few hours, or in a cursed room, protected by poisonous vapour, or some other trap harmful to the living. Moreover, they can kill with plague or infection as well as weapons.

'The difficulty they present is that they decay, as do all the dead, though life magic can be employed to slow their deterioration for quite some time.'

'What's the other reason to use life magic?' asked Pug.

She sighed, as if she found the subject distasteful. 'They may also use it to extend their own life, even after death; they could preserve their consciousness in their mortal sh.e.l.l, rather than journey on to our mistress to be judged.'

'A lich,' said Amirantha.

'Yes,' agreed Makela. 'It is the ultimate act of defiance against our mistress and the natural order. But the toll is great, for the mind of the magic user who extends his life this way is always the first casualty of such evil; liches are mad from all our reports.'

'Madness does not exclude cunning and purpose,' observed Pug.

'True,' said the High Priest.

Amirantha looked at the librarian and said, 'Is there any mention in the annals about ties between such magic and the summoning or controlling of demons?'

The woman regarded the Warlock in silence for a moment, then said, 'Demons are creatures of the other realms; they are not answerable to the natural laws of our own world. We have had little experience of such practices, they are the province of other orders who serve Sung the Pure, or Dala Shield of the Weak.

'They may possess such knowledge, but I do not.' She looked at the High Priest. 'Is there anything else, Holy Father?'

'I think not, Makela. Thank you for your help.'

She rose, bowed slightly before the High Priest, then moved towards the doorway where her aide waited. As she reached it, she turned and said, 'I have thought of one other thing.'

'What?' asked the High Priest.

'A pa.s.sing reference, nothing more: In ancient times a war was fought against a cabal of necromancers-which was a strange enough occurrence in itself since they tend to be solitary types-but it was their name that was most odd. They called themselves the Demon Brothers.'

Amirantha said, 'Is there more explanation?'

'No, only their name.' She tilted her head slightly as she thought. 'It was something I have always found strange.' She looked from face to face as she said, 'We always a.s.sumed it was simple propa-ganda, a name used to describe the cabal as evil. But the more I think on it, the more I believe it may have been more than this, for the accurate translation of their ancient name would be Brothersto Demons. Demons.

'I hope this helps.' She nodded, as her a.s.sistant opened the door for her, and they departed.

The High Priest said, 'Perhaps this is of some use to you?'

Pug said, 'A great deal, perhaps, thank you.' He rose and Amirantha followed.

Gregori appeared and ushered them from the room, and then left them to their own devices in the large main hall of the temple. Jim asked, 'What next?'

'We go to Sarth,' said Pug. 'The Ishapians are usually accommodating, but not particularly helpful regarding this area, but now we have something specific to investigate.'

'The Brothers to Demons,' said Amirantha. 'A very odd name for a group of necromancers.' To Pug he said, 'Do we need to advise those waiting for us at the island that we're not returning immediately?'

Pug said, 'I'll see to it after we reach Sarth.'

'Good,' said the Warlock. 'Samantha becomes very cross with me when I fail to show up for meals on time.'

For the first time in recent memory, Pug laughed loudly. Everyone in the temple turned to stare at the sound, and several of those before the votive candles glared, for laughter was not frequently heard in the temple hall.

Jim said, 'Now would be a good time to depart, I think.'

'Stand close,' said Pug and he held out his hands. Each man gripped Pug's forearm, one to each side, and suddenly they were in another place.

CHAPTER FIVE - Legacy.

AMIRANTHA GAWKED AT THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

Jim also was astonished by the room but managed to retain a shred of decorum. Pug motioned for them to follow and led them deep into the vault.

'Vault' was the only word Jim could think of to describe the room in which they stood, for the ceiling receded into a gloom that prevented the naked eye from perceiving its exact height. Around them, ma.s.sive columns rose to support the invisible ceiling, and row upon row of shelves joined them in an orderly fashion. The aisles they formed, and the intersecting rows between them, produced a layout like a chess board. At each junction a slender stand had been erected, graceful ironwork that bent, swan-necked, and ended in a hook from which a small crystal hung from a metal chain. The crystal provided just enough illumination to allow those in the room to see to the next lamp.

'Amazing,' said Amirantha, as he regarded the row upon row of books.

Jim echoed his tone when he said, 'I've been to the Royal Archives in Rillanon, but this library dwarfs them in scope. How many volumes are here, Pug?'

'I'm sure I have no idea,' said the magician as they moved between the shelves; some vanished into the gloom above, and most held ladders set on rails along the wall. 'Perhaps the librarian can tell you.'

'This is Sarth?' asked Amirantha.

'That Which Was Sarth,' corrected Pug.

'I don't follow,' said the Warlock.

Turning with a wry smile, Pug said, 'Before the invasion of the Emerald Queen's army, the Ishapians abandoned their abbey near the town of Sarth.'

'I still am not clear,' said Amirantha following Pug down a long narrow pa.s.sage between vaults.

Pug stopped and said, 'The Ishapians have a prophecy, or perhaps had had is a better choice of words. It said that a great upheaval would come upon the land, and after the destruction of the west, only That Which Was Sarth would remain.' is a better choice of words. It said that a great upheaval would come upon the land, and after the destruction of the west, only That Which Was Sarth would remain.'

Amirantha looked at Jim, then Pug, and said, 'Was Sarth destroyed during the Emerald Queen's invasion?'

'Essentially,' said Pug, 'though the old abbey itself survived relatively intact; how it would have fared had the brothers still occupied it...?' He shrugged.

'So, they made the prophecy come true,' said Amirantha, as Pug resumed walking.

As the Warlock and Jim caught up, Pug said, 'Perhaps. Or perhaps there is more destruction headed our way, and only this place, That Which Was Sarth, is destined to survive it.'

'Exactly where are we?' asked Amirantha. 'I a.s.sume somewhere underground, as I did not notice anything resembling a window in the last two vaults we pa.s.sed through.'

'We are very deep underground,' said Pug. 'As to where, I promised the monks I would never reveal their location unless I have their leave. You were transported here by magic outside your understanding, so I can safely a.s.sume that you have no way of returning here after our visit.'

Amirantha chuckled. 'Indeed.'

They reached a large door and Pug pulled it open. The room behind it was small, a table occupied half its area, over which stood a white-haired magician in black robes. 'Father,' said Magnus to Pug as they entered. Then he greeted Amirantha and Jim.

Next to Magnus stood a monk dressed in the simple light brown robes of the Ishapians. He was a nondescript man of middle years, with a round head topped with a thatch of brown hair cut in a tonsure. He inclined his head in greeting and said, 'Pug. You bring us guests?'

'Brother Victor, these are our friends; may I introduce James, Baron of the King's Court in Rillanon, and great grandson of Lord James of Krondor, also known as "Jimmy the Hand".'

The monk smiled. 'We possess a wonderful story about your ancestor that you may not have heard before,' said the monk.

'And this is Amirantha, Warlock of the Satumbria, a people from across the great ocean. He is something of an expert on demons and I have need of his wisdom.'

'Your vouching for them grants an indulgence,' said the monk. 'But the Father Superior may not be so kindly disposed.'

'Which is why I came straight here,' said Pug with a nod.

The monk smiled. 'So I should mention your visit when? An hour or so after you depart?'

'That should be ample time,' said Pug. 'We don't plan to stay long, unless the need arises.'

'Well then,' said the monk wearing a wry expression, 'what do you seek this time?'

Magnus turned to Amirantha and Jim, 'We've been testing Brother Victor's vast knowledge on every subject imaginable.'

The monk held up his hands, palms outward, and said, 'Hardly that.'

'He is the living index of where everything in this vast library is to be found,' said Pug.

Amirantha said, 'Simply, prodigious; but don't you keep some sort of written record here, too?'

'Of course,' said the monk, 'and a dozen of our brothers labour ceaselessly to update our records as new material is gathered, but until they complete their task, we make do with cobbled together notes, and this.' He tapped the side of his head with his forefinger.

'What do you know of the Demon Brothers?' asked Pug.

The monk's expression stilled. After almost a minute, he closed his eyes. 'I believe there has been mention of them...' His eyes widened. 'Wait! I'll be right back.' And Brother Victor hurried from the room.

The four remaining men exchanged curious glances, which became expressions of deeper puzzlement as they continued to wait. Half an hour pa.s.sed before the monk finally returned, a dusty, old, leather-bound volume in his hand.

'It should be in here,' he said as if he had only just stepped out of the room then reappeared.

'What is it?' asked Pug as the monk laid the book down on the table and opened it gently.

'It's the chronicle of oneVaris Logondis, a Quegan trader who lived about four hundred years ago. He was a compulsive journal keeper who believed every detail of his life deserved to be recorded.

'In fact, most of his life was unremarkable, unless you happen to be an aficionado of travelogues, long discourse on mercantile trends, or the state of Varis's digestive health on any given day during his life. But, he does remark in pa.s.sing on many contemporaneous issues, which are useful in providing corroboration or refutation of other histories and accounts of the same period.

'But one of his remarks has stuck with me over the years.' He scanned the page. 'Ah, there it is. Let me read it out loud, the dialect is somewhat antiquated and his spelling is atrocious. "In the evening, we came upon a village, by name, Hamtas on Jaguard, whereupon we were welcomed at an inn by name, The Restful Station. There did we encounter soldiers of the Empire, at their ease after a battle.

'"I remark upon this for two counts,"-I am certain he meansreasons here-'"the first, that they were not of the militia, but were legionaries from Queg that had been haste posted to this region, and the last, that they had struggled mightily against the Demon Brothers and their living dead."' here-'"the first, that they were not of the militia, but were legionaries from Queg that had been haste posted to this region, and the last, that they had struggled mightily against the Demon Brothers and their living dead."'

'Four hundred years ago, most of the Bitter Sea was still under control of the Empire of Great Kesh,' Pug remarked.

'What is truly interesting about this pa.s.sage, Pug, is that its timeline supports two other sources that we are aware of, one of which is in our possession.' He looked at the magician and his two companions with a satisfied smile. 'Varis wrote sixty five volumes over his lifetime, so I had to skim a couple before I could locate this pa.s.sage.' He pointed to the page and said, 'The other source we possess on that struggle is a fairly standard tally of captured goods returned to Queg by the expedition Varis encountered. We know that he was surprised to find Imperial Legionaries in that town instead of local soldiers, and both accounts imply that something significant was being undertaken. Legionaries were only stationed in three garrisons around the Bitter Sea at that time: Durbin, Queg City, and Port Natal. They were not used elsewhere unless there was an uprising or some other menace of equal weight.

'If we look at what that expedition brought back with them, we discover an unusual list: besides a remarkably short inventory of precious metals, livestock and slaves, we also see a very long list of idols, books, and scrolls.'

Pug looked interested, but unsure of what Brother Victor was implying. 'It sounds as if they raided a library.'

The monk smiled. 'There were no libraries nearby, neither imperial, nor any maintained by the religious orders known to us at that time; no libraries existed west of Malac's Cross or north of Queg! Oh, there were perhaps some rooms full of books here and there, but nothing on a scale that would have required a detailed catalogue that the Empire was so famous for at that time.' There was a merry glint in his eyes as Brother Victor's smile broadened.

'What is it?' Pug said, unable to resist returning the man's smile.

'It's your Demon Brothers!'

'According to this inventory of booty, over a score of the volumes seized came from the "frateri demonicus", which is a very bad Quegan spelling for Demon Brothers.'

'The necromancers?' asked Pug.