The World of a Lesser God Ch8

Ch 8 - Old memories – new enemies.1

The day was hot, the sky unusually clear for late spring. Yane loved the clear sky but the sun could make ridding uncomfortable when it was this clear.2

They reached the border within an hour of leaving the inn but the only way they could tell was the empty sentry-box; there was not even a sign to acknowledge the fact.3

To all intents and purpose the three countries were run by Sylvan, the other two had their own Kings and military, but the Kings always deferred to Sylvan and their armies were no match for even the regulars, let alone the Elite Guard.  It had been like that since Tartigan the Great's campaign and because there was not great shortage of anything important, the peace had been maintained - with only the occasional minor dispute.4

Just over the border they crossed the Sharm River and entered the forest of Leam. Another of Tartigan's reorganisations had been the husbandry of the forests, instead of the random felling of trees he had instigated a proper forestry plan and Leam (named for his mother) had been planted. Once established, everybody could see the common sense of replanting and the system had continued until the present. The first edge of the forest was small trees that the riders could look over, but soon they reached older trees who’s branches spread across the road and within an hour they were into the old forest; giant old trees that were too far away from the river to make it worth the trouble to harvest.5

The air was cool and the road a green carpet, even the sound of their passing seemed to die in the still, damp, moss scented air. 6

"Do you know anything of this place Slyne? It's said that if you stray from the road the trees move and you can't find your way back, people have been lost… I think." Prince Kargan asked, with a backward glance.7

Slyne looked up and turned his head thoughtfully. "Before your great grandfather, this forest was called Ellard, it means elusive, there are no walking trees but there is a power in the land. It's a very ancient place, there are places on the earth that are strong in power, they were called nexus by the ancients, this is not one of the great ones yet it remains the same; the great nexus wax and wane in cycles."8

"What kind of power?" Yane asked from the other side of the wagon.9

Slyne chuckled. "Magic, gravitrino waves, superelectro static charge, call it what you like, power is power."10

"Would that affect people?" Prince Karon asked.11

Slyne smiled and shrugged. "It can confuse, but tales lose nothing in the telling so..."12

Yane was not fully convinced; Slyne was either telling them the truth and leaving a lot out or deliberately misleading them.13

"We could make a slight detour to the site if you wish?" Slyne suggested.14

"My Lord - No!" 15

The company turned to look at Darg; it was so seldom that he spoke it was almost as if a stranger had sneaked up among them.16

Slyne looked over at Darg for a moment, Darg would not meet his eyes but it was as if something more had passed between them.17

"Perhaps you are right Darg Methalik, it is too soon, maybe on the way back then."18

Yane found it almost impossible to read Darg, for he seemed to have no normal body language or moods but she felt he must have been hard pressed to question Slyne and he now looked much relived. It was just another enigma to add to her growing list. 19

Yane twisted her shoulders and stretched. This was the second day she hadn't worked out and she missed the exercise, the short bout at the inn did not even constitute a warm up.  She would have to practise with the twins for an hour or so tonight if they got the opportunity. Yane smiled to herself, she was the only solo swordsman who had ever beaten the twins since they had won their first doubles title and she had done it twice. 20

In a solo versus pair match, the singleton only had to score a hit on one of the pair but usually the twins fought as if they were one, always covering each other. The left/right handed combination helped, but the twins moved as if they were one person with two sword arms. They had not been beaten by a pair in the doubles contest, since they had first taken the title eleven years before. 21

Yane shrugged mentally, she didn't feel she had beaten them as much as they had lost to her. Her first victory had been when she had been very green and she had since put it down to blind luck. 22

Yane's father had been a duellist and quiet a fair swordsman, he had always wanted a son but Yane's mother had died when she was still young, so he had started teaching her how to use a sword and fight instead. Her father had been a hard taskmaster, realising that once started down that path, her life would depend on her skill. So by the time Yane reached her early teens she could beat her father nine out of ten times and when soon after her father died of a fever, rather than stay with an uncle, Yane left for Fairwell to seek her fortune.23

Whenever she thought back on those early days she was amazed she had stayed alive. She had been no more than a fair swordsman, her reflexes had always been very good but if she had ever met a real swordsman… Of course as a young girl she had often been underestimated and even when she had won a few rounds in the competitions, none of the adults wanted to look bad by thrashing a girl. Then she had run into Sword-Master Fallon. 24

Yane chuckled to herself; it was only in recent years she could think about the meeting without blushing. He had beaten her with ease and then rubbing salt into the wound, had told her if she practised she might make a fair swordsman. She had lost her temper and called him out. Even as she thought of it now she could feel warmth in her cheeks. 25

The Sword-Master had played with her and every time she had made the slightest error had scored a hit or pricked her. Her temper had sustained her for half an hour but in the end she had collapsed with fatigue and burst into tears. Despite everything, Fallon had been very impressed with her raw talent and had taken her back to the Elite Guard barracks, initially for a meal, then for a week's trial and finally the Sword-Master had allowed her to join the guard. 26

Yane awoke from her daydreaming and realised that she had dropped a little behind the wagon but as she glanced back she saw Cleo had stopped to look at something at the side of the road.27

“Something of interest?” Yane asked, having ridden back to her.28

“False trilliom, not much use for anything,” Cleothele sighed. “It’s just me, I can’t pass a clump without checking, I’m always thinking that I might find a clump of real trilliom – I never have yet though.” she chuckled, and then her face became serious, “Are we alright now?”29

Yane gave her one of her thin smiles. “You mean after that last ear bashing you gave me?”30

Cleothele felt uncomfortable but still refused to back down. “I don’t approve, that was all I said.”31

“We are falling a bit behind – we can talk as we ride.” Yane waited until Cleothele was mounted. “How many do you think died or were injured in Tartigan’s wars?”32

Cleo shrugged. “Quite a few - but look what he achieved.”33

“And you think they beat the bandits without any training?”34

“Oh, I see what you’re getting at but there aren’t any bandits now.”35

Yane sniffed. “So who were the tax collectors last night? If there was no militia they’d be back before you could turn around.” Yane gestured with an open hand. “And if you have soldiers you have to have training.”36

“I see you’re point but I try to save life, you try to take them.” Cleothele challenged.37

“I think you have been listening to too much gossip – do you think I’m really the red spinster?”38

Cleothele blushed. “I didn’t say that…”39

“How many men do you think I’ve killed then?”40

Cleothele looked embarrassed, but didn’t speak.41

“Four - and one of those was an accident.”42

“But I thought…”43

“I know; I heard the story from Haag. That I would bed anyone who could beat me but if they failed, I killed them. I don’t know who started the story, probably one of the young guardsmen. I was wild at first but soon saw the funny side and it’s kind of flattering when you think about it, that anyone would bother to try with those odds.”44

“But you have to admit that people are injured quite often in training.”45

“True enough, swords are dangerous. We try to avoid accidents but they happen. Would you rather live before Tartigan?”46

“I guess not, it must have been very hard.”47

“So why did you agree to come on this little jaunt then? I though you were always hard at work.”48

“Are you kidding! I once found a small plant of king’s gold, I dug it up and tried to grow it but something was wrong, it just got weaker and weaker. In the end I took the few leaves that were left on it and made the infusion, not more than thirty drops and they saved at least ten lives, probably more – a bag, he said.” Cleothele nodded at the wagon. “That would be priceless.”49

“And crow root?”50

Cleo chuckled. “You were paying attention – I have never found it, it’s supposed to be a cure for child ague. You know how many are left with scars from that but I think it must only grow back in the old land.” Cleothele’s voice was wistful.51

“It’s something we share you know.” Yane said softly. “We both love our work and want to know more.”52

Cleothele looked at Yane, almost as if seeing her for the first time. “Yes, I suppose so – what do you think of him?” Cleothele nodded at the wagon.53

“I don’t know what to make of him, he looks like a kid but have you ever met anyone who knows so much? And very odd things seem to happen around him, if even half of the stories the guards that were at Saptor told are true.”54

“I hadn’t thought about that, not many people would have ever heard of crow root, I only found a reference to it in some of the very old note books.” Cleo said, thoughtfully.55

Yane nodded. 56

“It’s odd the way he speaks of magic - as if it were a real thing, do you believe in magic?” Cleothele asked.57

“I didn’t.” Yane sighed. “But he did something at Fairwell that looked very much like it. Now – well I’m not so sure.”58

“What was that?”59

Yane thought for a moment. She wasn’t sure she had been right to let Slyne leave the door and didn’t fancy telling Cleothele about it.  “I’m not sure I could describe it, but if it wasn’t magic I’m not sure what it was.” Yane told her evasively.60

“Are you planning on staying in Linton tonight?” Yane asked when they had caught up with the wagon.61

“I thought we would have a little look at the town but camp the night a few hours beyond.” Slyne answered thoughtfully.62

Yane nodded, Linton was not the most trusting of places. It was not so much a town as a collection of small villages, Linton being the largest of them. They had grown up in the area because of the mines, much of the finest metal for tools and weapons came from this area, nearly all the swords they carried were made from ore dug here.63

They spent awhile in the town, looking through the trading posts at the metals and gems that were dug up with the ore. Then after a meal at an inn continued their journey for another couple of hours, before camping for the night in a clearing just off to the side of the road.64

Salom had made a very pleasant supper and they were sitting around the fire chatting.65

"Beware, we have company." Slyne cut across the conversation.66

A moment later three figures crashed through the bushes on the right and four more on the left, but even as Yane, Haarg and Taarg drew their swords the men seemed to lose their footing, as if they were on ice, sliding and crashing into one another. In the space of a few breaths the surprise attack had turned into a complete fiasco. 67

A last figure came through the bushes. "Stop it! Get up you fools!" he shouted, but his command was undermined by the whine in his voice.68

Yane circled to the right and nodded to the Teen brothers to circle left.69

"No, this one's mine." Slyne's foil appeared in his hand.70

Yane and the brothers nodded in unison and covered the men who were still struggling to get back on their feet.71

"So what have we here?" Slyne mused as he moved on the leader.72

The man backed up a few steps and drew his sword.73

"Give it up! Don't be any more stupid than you have been already." Slyne shook his head and grimaced.74

Yane, Haag and Taarg had relived the men of their swords and dragged them roughly over to one side of the camp, but they still could not get to their feet, sliding about on rubber legs.75

"Come on then." Slyne sighed as if bored, when the leader still refused to put up his sword.76

Yane watched as Slyne touched the tip of his foil to the sword and realised what was coming, it was the same stance Slyne had used at Fairwell. The backswing took the man by complete surprise and Yane expected to see the blade of the sword scythed off.  Instead there was screech almost like an animal in pain, followed all most instantly by a scream from the leader as the sword spun unscathed from his hand. The leader slumped to his knees, holding his sword hand to his chest and howling.77

"Well, well, what have we here?" Slyne walked over and picked up the sword, completely ignoring the leader. "See to his hand if you would Cleo - treat it like a burn." Slyne muttered half to himself. 78

To Yane it looked as if Slyne had lost interest in everything but the sword. He sat down by the fire and took out a small gold piece of cloth from one of the seemingly endless pockets below his robes. The cloth gleamed brightly in the firelight as Slyne slowly began to stroke the blade of the sword with it. For a few moments nothing seemed to happen, and then it looked to Yane as if the metal of the blade was peeling away. In a short time the sword had been transformed, the blade was now deep blue but had a high shine that glistened in the dim light of the fire and moon. The blade looked as if it was made from polished stone or glass. The hilt, which had been matt white, was now so dark its shape was unclear in the shadows; the only clear thing was a single silver band at the blade end of the hilt, which now shone as if new.79

"Yane, bring me the scabbard would you?"80

Cleothele was putting a salve on the man's hand. "Excuse me," Yane smiled, as she bent forward and undid the man's belt buckle. The sheath of the sword was quite ornate but looked as if it had also been badly painted with thick whitewash.81

Slyne's cloth soon removed the white from the scabbard to reveal a deep blue base, the same as the blade, overlaid with a beautiful network of silver, that glowed copper in the fire light.82

Slyne was shaking his head. "This country is a constant source of surprises; who'd have thought we would be set on by such a fine class of bandit? You know what this is Yane?"83

Yane shook her head. "It looks a rare blade."84

Slyne chuckled. "You could say that - try it's weight." Slyne very carefully held the hilt out to her.85

Yane took it and was startled by how light the sword was; it felt more like a foil in her hand. 86

"Try it on one of those small trees." Slyne urged. "You won't damage the edge.” he added, when she still hesitated.87

Yane tried out a few swift passes then a diagonal down slice at a wrist thick sapling. She almost lost her balance as the blade passed through it with hardly any resistance. "Holy Sastach!" she cursed under her breath.88

"Now that is the blade of a Sword-Master. It's yours Yane." Slyne told her.89

"Now wait a minute!" the former owner started. "That's my blade; it's been in my family for years! I…"90

"What's its name?" Slyne asked - his voice hard and cutting across the man’s protests.91

"What do you mean?" the man almost squeaked, his voice breaking in alarm.92

"You claim it as yours, speak its name or lose it!"93

"I don't…. it doesn't have a name! You're just trying to trick me!" The whine again undermined the man’s apparent defiance. 94

Slyne got to his feet and walked over to the leader. "One last chance, the name is plainly written, speak it and you can keep it, fail and you forfeit it." Slyne poked the man in the midriff with the scabbard.95

The man turned the scabbard over in his hand, he could see the runes even in the dim light, formed by part of the sliver filigree, but they meant nothing to him. He shook his head and with a hard swallow, handed the scabbard back to Slyne.96

"A’Harrash!" Slyne's voice sent shivers through everyone around the fire, the word was hard and guttural, like a curse. "It means  -The Scourge. It was the blade of Yannin the Black. He was one of the leaders of the Night forces in the Day Wars, his skill was legendary and the blade was crafted for him by Illand, last of the sorcerer-smiths. I think it is his finest work." Slyne sighed broadly.97

"How do you know all this?" Karon asked.98

"Ah!" Slyne had a wry smile on his face. "Some places are not the historical wasteland that this is - we have vast libraries that chart the old languages and histories, we learn them as part of our education. Why do you think I called your father a peasant? Just to annoy him? Half our school children are better educated than your best scholars."99

Yane frowned, for some reason Slyne was not telling the truth - or at least, not the whole truth.100

"Ask our new friends what they were after Yane."101

"Well!" Yane challenged the man whose sword she now held.102

For a moment he hesitated then seemed to think better of it. "Taarg and Haag were recognised in Linton, my father, Duke Chatten sent us to find out who you were spying on." 103

"Your father is as stupid as you then - eight men and you knew two of our number were Taarg and Haag." Yane snorted. "The brothers could have taken them all on and Slyne could have spit roasted you all by himself."104

Slyne moved over to Yane's side and stared down at the man. Yane could see the man visibly cringe under his gaze.105

"Go back to your father and tell him we are not spies. We have our reasons for taking this journey and our cover but it has nothing to do with you or your people. We are just passing through and mean you no harm - you understand that?"106

The man didn't speak but nodded sulkily.107

"Then you can take your men and leave - we will retain your weapons including A’Harrash - as a friendly warning." Slyne's smile did nothing to put the man at ease. "Should you try anything to impede us again I will retain your heads as a less friendly warning, do you understand that!" 108

No one around the camp doubted that Slyne was speaking anything but truth; it wasn't an idle threat, just a statement of fact.109

"Now go, before I change my mind."110

None of the men hesitated but beat a hasty retreat.111

Yane tried a few more passes with her new sword; it felt as if it had been made for her hand. The grip was just the right shape and size, the balance perfect.112

"It suits you, it was made for a master but there are things you should know of it." Slyne looked to make sure Yane was paying attention. "Never use it in anything but battle. It was made as a killing tool not a practise sword, it has a power of its own but it cannot tell friend from foe. It is from the nightside, it will never miss if it can hit, never wound if it can kill. While your aims are the same you will be truly formidable, but if you used it in practise against a friend then… " Slyne shrugged. "It maybe that if you carry it for long enough you will come to understand one another and it will know your intent but until that day….." Slyne smiled, he could see Yane had taken in his warning. "Besides, you should practise with an ordinary blade or you will lose your edge."113

"It's a black magic sword?"  Karon asked nervously.114

Slyne chuckled, "Black magic? Night magic? Yes I suppose so - does that scare you then farmer?"115

"I… I… thought black magic was evil."116

Slyne snorted. "The Day Wars were fought for just that reason and they were wrong… so very, very wrong" Slyne shook his head sadly. "Take this place - it would look a bit different in the daylight -yes?"117

Karon shrugged. "Yes, a lot."118

"But it is still the same place - it's your perception of it that has changed, magic's the same, night or day, whatever."119

"In the old stories, night spells are supposed to be quite different to day spells." Cleothele interrupted.120

"There are differences yes, you're right. That’s why they thought they fought wars; but the truth is the power is the same - the moons have no light of their own, they reflect the sun - it changes the perception of the nexus but it's the same source, the same power. Millions died and even the instigators never realised the truth - if that isn't evil I don't know what is."  Slyne gestured and shook his head again. "But it wasn't the magic it was the people."121

"Did that many people really die in the Day Wars? It doesn't seem possible." Yane was struggling to imagine that wildly outrageous number of people – two thousand times the total Elite Guard to make a million and Slyne was talking about multiples of that, it was more than she could take in.122

Slyne let out a long sigh. "Oh yes, there was a City called Varrag – more than ten times the size of Fairwell, in the centre of what is now called the Larg." 123

Slyne looked up. To Yane the firelight in his amber eyes made them look like smouldering coals. 124

"They used the same power," Slyne paused as if this was the most important point. "To attack and defend, magic began to feed in on its-self and even then they didn't realise. Both sides just kept feeding in more power." Slyne took a long slow swallow from his cup. "When it was over, there was nothing left of Varrag above ankle height. A city that had many spires to rival Saptor’s, nor the attackers, nor any wild animal, no bird, no insect, not even a blade of grass for a days march in any direction." Slyne gestured. “And that was but one battle.” 125

The silence grew around the camp in the wake of Slyne's revelations. As the listeners tried to imagine forces that could destroy a town, two armies and everything for a days march around it. It had almost reached intolerable proportions when Slyne spoke again. "Cleo's right though, there are differences." 126

"Like what?"  Yane asked softly, for it seemed Slyne was not going to explain.127

Slyne shrugged. "Subtlety - day magic has more power, night magic more echo's." He paused for a moment in thought realising Yane had not understood. "Say a door had been closed with a day spell - for instance. The spell would be harder to break than a night spell but once broken it would leave almost nothing behind, just faint traces to show where it had been. A night spell would be much easier to break but would leave echoes, so the hinges would be stiff or rusted, the bottom of the door would bind against the floor, the catch would jam and so on. With a decent night spell you would probably have to smash the door down even after you had broken the spell."128

“So magic is a real thing?” Cleo asked.129

“Ah ha! Now that is a question worthy of a sage.” Slyne snorted. “The accurate answer, although not the one you are looking for, is sometimes.”130

Darg had moved a little closer to the fire, as if for once he wanted to hear the exchange taking place. 131

“Come Brother Methalik, give us your thoughts on this.” Slyne urged.132

Yane didn’t think Darg was going to speak as the pause drew on but after he had taken a drink from his cup he recited in his gruff bass:133

“Magic binds the world to star, light of light and all we are.134

Magic time and space may bend - Magic endo-matter friend.135

If logic is the symphony, then magic is the harmony;136

Science the writing in the book - for magic between the letters look.137

Research and learn with wisest schemes, but magic still transcends your dreams.”138

Like most things Darg said - Yane didn’t understand more than one word in three and even the ones she did understand - didn’t make any sense in the context but Slyne clapped his hands.139

“Well said Darg Methalik, well said indeed! Do you know what that rhyme is called?”140

Darg shook his head. “It was written in the book of Phloorus, my Lord.” he said softly.141

“Ah yes, the fellow was sharp, but it’s not his. That little ditty comes from the earliest ancients, at the time of The Great Schism. It is called ‘Defile’, because it was written to annoy the Scientists in their fight against the Enchanters. That little piece will soon be celebrating its ten thousandth birthday.”142

Yane swallowed hard, she hadn’t realised that written history went back more than a few hundred years. She had never seen anything written about the Day Wars, even.143

Slyne turned to Yane. “I don’t expect you understood much of that but it holds many truths and half truths. I can’t explain it all now, you need to learn a lot more first, but I guarantee by the time we get back to Fairwell you will have at least some idea what it is about.”144

After what Slyne had told them about the Day Wars Yane was no longer quiet so sure she craved knowledge – powers that could destroy towns and armies, it even made her head ache to think about it. 145