Chapter 9
Shaol eyes snapped open, the morning had come and the world was dark as the water caravan moved from the city.
The air in the small space under the leather had become hot and crushing. Aksit’s house was over the wide street, down the alley, after the turn there was an alley to the left, then a right, passed the red door was another left, down the alley to the street. There was the house and the one who had Pysuun.
Shaol pulled himself from the stall looked across into the marketplace. The lanterns above were still not lit, the windows of the buildings were dark.
Shaol quietly moved through the handful streets between the marketplace and the road, listening for the sound of the guards armour but none came. No lantern light fell across the walls, his confidence grew and Shaol started to move quicker.
The lights above the road burnt a pale green as a light mist rolled down the stone towards the inner wall. Shaol looked up the road at the large iron mouth, the gate was closed. The moon sat low in the sky, it also gave off a strange, green glow. Shaol looked for the guards, there were none he could see, the lanterns above hissed and crackled to themselves. Shaol did not have time to think on it, he had to reach Pysuun.
Shaol ran across the road and the mist kicked up in his wake. He was through the alleys and now looked across the street at front of Aksit’s house, the colourful lanterns in the windows had been extinguished.
Shaol looked again for the guards, there was no one in the street. He across the street to the grate that led to the cellar. Inside he saw the bodies under blankets. Four, one was missing. Pysuun was missing. Next to Shaol, the mist danced on the hot air that rose from the cellar.
Shaol went to the backdoor, his boots crunched on salt that had been scattered on the back step. Shaol tried the handle, as he expected it was locked. He removed his leather shirt and wrapped it around his fist and punched the frail glass of the window and brushed the shards from the sill. He pulled himself through the window and into the familiar kitchen.
Shaol tried the door to that led to the house. It was locked, he descended the steps to the cellar door and banged on the door.
There was the sound of a key began to scratching against the door and then came the hard clank of the lock turning. The door open a small way and Shaol barged it with his full weight. A body behind tumbled back into the dark. The keys rang out as they collided with the stone floor, the others kicked awake under their blanket.
Faun was on the ground. Shaol jumped on the Old One, took him by the throat and started to squeeze.
“Pysuun,” growled Shaol.
“Master took ‘im,” choked Faun.
Shaol felt Faun’s face crack as his fist came down onto it. The Old One fell back as Shaol released his gripped and snatched the keys from the ground. Shaol left the cellar, slammed the door behind, took out the keys and locked the Unders inside.
Shaol opened the door to the house and made his way to the stairs, throwing his shirt to the ground in the hall as he went. The first level was where the younger children slept, Shaol went to the doors and locked each from the outside. Then the second level, where the older children slept and he did the same.
With the doors secured, Shaol moved to the third level where Aksit and Revra slept. A single hall which ended with a single wooden door carved with trees, beast and flowers, all the things not found in the city. Aksit loved the door more than anything else he had taken.
The lanterns on the wall of burnt low and orange. A vase sat on an ornate wooden cabinet, long dead flowers sat inside, their once colourful petals littered the top of the cabinet, dry, brown and lifeless.
Shaol stepped up the hall, the shadows falling hard across his face, he turned the handle of the precious door and it swung open.
In the room sat the stone bed where Aksit and Revra laid together. The sheets of the bed flecked in the light from the hallway.
The slender, short form of Shaol cast a dark shadow into the room, neither of the bodies stirred under the fabric. Shoal moved to end of the bed and kicked it with his boot, the hard metal boot cut into his feet as it banged and shook the bed.
Revra cried as she jumped awake, the sheet slipped exposing her naked body. Then, she saw the form over the bed she screamed pushed herself up against the back of the bed.
Aksit rolled from under the sheet and rounded the bed. The hunched, naked form of the Master was still large and fearsome in the half light.
Aksit did not speak he just lunged forward at Shaol. The Master was strong, stronger than Shaol had thought, the Master picked up the small frame of the Under, ran it across the room and crushed it against the stone wall of the bedroom.
Shaol brought his fist down on the fat face of Aksit, it did not break as easily as the ones he had known, Shaol brought it down again, as strong as he could. Aksit tried to grab at the arm with his free hand as the elbow that held Shaol dug harder into his chest but as Aksit tried Shaol felt the weight of the Master shift to the left giving the chance to push away and slip to the right, his back scrapped painfully against the stone wall as he went, but Shaol was now free.
Shaol spun around to face Aksit and as he did he brought his foot up and slammed it into the Master's gut, Aksit stumbled back into the wardrobe. Shaol took the moment to steadied himself and found a position in the centre of the room. Aksit pulled himself from the wardrobe and as he did Shaol heard the wood crack and splinter as Aksit tore off a metal pole attached to the piece of furniture.
Aksit started to circle, Shaol waited for an opening as Aksit started to whip the piece of metal through the air. The pole swung flew through the air as the Master lunged forward, Shaol tried to jump forward to grab the arm but he was too slow, the pole connected, hard, hitting Shaol in his side, a sicken crack came from inside his chest. Shaol grabbed the weapon and held it fast under his arm, wrapped his hand around it and wrenched it back with all his strength.
Aksit stumbled forward and the pole slipped from of his hand. Aksit was close enough, the pole rang as it dropped to the ground as Shaol brought his head down. Both heads cracked together as Shaol brow found Aksit’s flat nose. Aksit legs buckled as the blow took his senses.
Shaol brought his knee up to meet the Master's chin, Aksit howled as his teeth cracked together and the Master fell to the floor. Shaol kicked the face on the ground with full force of his metal boot. Blood started to pool on the stone floor.
Aksit grabbed Shaol’s leg with his large hand and Shaol started to loose his balance. Aksit had the other hand against the ground and then his shoulder was in Shaol’s gut. Shaol stumbled back, the world spun for moment, his chest screamed and then he felt an unfocused punch hit his face, it still had enough force to make him stumble across the room. Then another punch, more forceful this time, Shaol hit something wooden and then he fell back and through through a mirror, the glass shattered and cut deep into his shoulder.
Two hands grabbed Shaol, spun him around and threw him into the carved, wooden door. Shaol head hit the door with a force that made him see red and then black. Shaol pushed himself from the door and into the hallway. He turned just in time to see Aksit again, metal pole in hand. Aksit swung the pole down at Shaol, but it caught on the roof instead of its true target. Shaol picked up the vase of flowers and hurled it at Aksit, it flew wide and shatter agains the floor in the bedroom.
Aksit threw away the pole and jumped on top of Shaol. Aksit had him pinned against the rug. Shaol brought his knee up and dug it into the Master’s crotch, Aksit screamed. Shaol grabbed the head above him and made the already shattered nose of Aksit to meet his forehead again. Shaol then managed a short short hard blow to Aksit temple.
Aksit started to drool from his mouth, his eyes were empty and glazed and Shaol push the hulk of flesh to the side and sprung free. Aksit shook his head and started to pull himself along the ground toward Shaol. Shaol grabbed the wooden cabinet and it toppled from the wall and onto the Master, trapping his foot underneath. A lantern t
hat had sat on top of the cabinet, fell to the stone, the glass in it shattered and the flame died.
Aksit began to squirm, trying to free of the cabinet, but his foot was too slow. Shaol jumped on top of the cabinet and felt the bones start to give way underneath as he hopped up and down on the wood. Aksit screamed like Shaol had never heard a man scream and the walls shook. Shaol snatched the broken lantern from the ground and whipped it across Aksit's face.
“Where’s Pysuun?” shouted Shaol at the twisted, bloodied face.
Aksit spat blood at the tattooed face that screamed down at him.
Shaol brought the lantern back across Aksit face.
“Tell me.”
Aksit pulled himself up and grabbed Shaol by the neck trying to choke. Shaol brought the lantern down again and Aksit lost his grip. Shaol tossed the lantern aside and seized the face in his hands, Shaol placed his thumbs on the eyes of the thing and started to push into the cavity. He heard it scream and Shaol was happy.
“Stop,” something screamed from beyond the world where there was only Shaol and the other.
“Nothing comes from this,” came Friend’s stern voice.
Shaol was back in the hallway, Aksit’s head bloodied in his hand. Shaol looked around for the burning yellow eyes, but there was only Revra looking down at him.
“He’s at the guardhouse,” yelled Revra from door, “Aksit, stop. Shaol, please no more.”
Shaol let go of the Master, Aksit fell back to the ground panting and defeated, blood had started to flow from his eyes.
Shaol look at Revra wrapped in the bed sheet.
“Where’s the guardhouse?”
“At the inner gate, next to the water station.”
“Get him up, into the cellar.”
Shaol stepped back and watched as Revra got her husband up from underneath the heavy cabinet. As Aksit lifted his head, beyond the broken face, Shaol saw the poison thoughts burning away at the Master from the inside.
Shaol turned away and went into the bedroom.
Helped by his wife, Aksit limped broken and naked to the cellar. Shaol locked them in and returned to the bedroom with two leather bags from the kitchen. There was fabric here. Grey fabric. It was not rough like the cloaks of the Grey Men, but it would do. He filled them with grey and also the white cloth from the cupboards and windows.
When the bags were full, Shaol went back to the ground floor and peered out the window of the front room. The street beyond had becoming obscured by the rising mist, now at waist height, the street lanterns burnt brighter than before, still sparking and hissing as the their flames danced large and green.
Shaol brushed the small flecks of glass from his shirt and put it back on, his back screamed as the leather made contact with cuts he had taken from the mirror. Shaol ignored it and turned his attention to the streets.
The city was still empty, he could get to the guardhouse but then Shaol shook his head at the thought of entering the guardhouse alone. The guards would run him through with their swords the moment he entered, unless he could find some armour for himself. There were always guards who watched the inner gate, the Masters would never leave it unattended, he would just wait for one to be alone then he could take the armour he needed.
Shaol felt his nose throb under the skin, it was broken but he would fix it later. His ribs ached a deep and low pain, it too would need rest, but not until Pysuun was safe.
The bags of fabric were thrown in the corner of the room and the front door was unlocked, Shaol stepped across the salt scattered at the doorway and made his way through the streets towards the inner gate.
The guardhouse passed and Shaol thought of Pysuun as looked at the stone walls of the building, the large doors in front were closed and unguarded.
Shaol came to the inner gate, beyond sat the brick buildings Shaol knew well, made green in the strange light. There were no guards here either, the gate was lowered, the Master had left the inner gate unguarded. Then he saw the water tanks still sat in the shed next to the barracks, the caravan had not that morning as it must every morning. Braziers next to the inner gate burnt on each side of the closed gate giving off the same unnatural light.
The streets had been abandoned. The Masters hid in their stone buildings. The moon now lit the city with a green light that seemed to invade even the deepest shadow. Shaol had ignored the mist for as long as he could. Aksit’s house was his until morning. He should return there and wait out this mist and the green light that came with it. But Pysuun still sat in the guardhouse, tomorrow may be too late for him.
Shaol felt the cold chain in his pocket, he wondered for a moment where Friend had gone and then he turned and headed back to the guardhouse, he could not leave Pysuun to the mercy of the Masters, he was the only one who could save his friend and it must be tonight.
The guardhouse stood silent in the mist, its stone walls reflected the strange green. The few windows that looked into front room had been shuttered. Shaol got close and saw orange light leak between the gaps, large shadows moved beyond the metal slates. Past the main doors was an alley with another small door leading into the back. Shaol approach the small door, listened and heard nothing, he turned the handle and it opened.
The back room was full of cots set up for the guards. One was occupied, next to it sat a discarded set of armour, a sword lent against the wall next to it. Beyond the cots, an open door led to the front room, within sat a handful of guards, some sat at tables, others paced the large room, one paced the room with his sword drawn but lose in his hand. They all fidgeted with different objects as they silently waited out the night.
Shaol crossed the room and took the sword from the wall. He had never used a blade before and it felt wrong in his hand, but it killed quicker than his bare hands and that was what he needed now.
Shaol put his hand over the guards mouth and held the blade to his throat. The guard squirmed and woke.
“Quiet,” hissed Shaol, “or I’ll cut.”
The guard lay still.
“I want the Under, Pysuun,” explained Shaol quietly, “he’s in the guardhouse, you will have the guards bring him to me and I’ll not kill you. Do you understand?”
The guard nodded from under the hand. Shaol let the guard’s mouth go and kept the blade firmly against pointed at the throat.
“Stand,” whispered Shaol.
The guard swung off the cot and stood up. Shaol moved around to the guard’s back and place blade between his shoulders.
“Into the room.”
The guard stepped forward into bright light of the front room.
“What?” called the guard who was been pacing with the drawn sword, then he saw Shaol behind and it became strong in his hand.
“Hold, Azga,” shouted another in a different type of armour, “what do you want, Under?”
“The Under that belonged to Aksit,” said Shaol, “he’ll come with me.”
“Get the Under from the last cell.”
The room was quite and still as the guards watched Shaol.
“You think you’re a clever one, ha,” spat one guard.
Shaol did not respond focused on the sword pressed he held at the guards back.
A guard returned with Pysuun followed, heavy chains retrained his hands.
“Remove the chains,” ordered Shaol.
The guard nodded and the chains were removed. They clanked the ground and Pysuun crossed the floor as the guards kept their eyes trained on Shaol.
“You won’t escape tonight,” hissed the same guard that had spoken before, “I’ll have you both hung by midday.”
“Stay where you are,” said Shaol ignoring the threat, “Pysuun, get the backdoor.”
Pysuun went to the backdoor and opened it. The mist had now become as high as the door, the moonlight pierced through and made the world outside glow. Shaol brought the guard back towards the door and when he was only a few feet from it Shaol looked at Pysuun.
“Run.”
The t
wo ran through the door into the alley and after a few turns the pair found themselves in the street that ran along the inner wall, it was now shrouded in thick mist. They heard a door of the guardhouse slam shut somewhere beyond the green veil. Shaol felt something grab him.
“Shaol,” came Pysuun’s voice, “what is going on?”
“I don’t know, but you’re safe, that’s what matters.”
“We have to get out of the city, they’ll find us tomorrow if we stay.”
“The gates are shut. We’re here til morning.”
“Why is the fog green?” asked Pysuun to himself.
“Something’s wrong,” replied Shaol not sure himself, “I think we need to be indoors.”
“Where?”
“Aksit’s house. We can hide there til this passes.”
“What about Aksit?”
“The house is safe,” said Shaol.