Sighing, he lowered his fist. “But it was not to be. As Alaph said, the Creator allows the innocent to suffer. Why?” He shook his head. “I never received an answer.”
Koren sat quietly. With no answers available, why ask more questions?
“This much I do know,” her father said, raising a finger, “although you suffered as an innocent babe, you were still in heaven’s embrace. No one is born alienated from the Creator. Alienation results from a choice to serve evil. Although we both wept and wailed in the throes of disease, this truth brought comfort: Suffering is measured by days or weeks or months, but heaven lasts for an eternity.”
Koren stared at her bare feet again. His words made a lot of sense, but an answer to the biggest question still lay just out of reach. If she was supposed to suffer to rescue the slaves, how could she do so without giving in to Taushin? Maybe that was a question she had to answer herself.
“Well, I had better get started,” she said. “I have to begin a journey back to the Southlands. Maybe while I’m traveling I can figure out a way to get the slaves to participate in their rescue.”
“How will you get there quickly enough?”
“Since the curse has been broken, I will ask Alaph to take us.”
“Us?”
“Of course. You have to cook up the cure for as many as possible.”
“Yes. I suppose you’re right, assuming it is working.”
Koren lifted her tunic again. The sores had receded, slowly but surely. “I see definite improvement.”
“Your symptoms are fading, but that is not proof of a cure.” He looked at the crucible. “I wonder if a topical ointment is sufficient. It occurred to me that swallowing it might be an option, but consuming the flesh and blood of another person seemed rather cannibalistic.”
Koren shuddered. “I agree. I could never do that. The Code forbids it.”
“True, and absorption into the bloodstream through your skin is safer to the medicine itself. Your stomach acids might deteriorate the bonding between the genetic structure and the energizing crystals.”
Koren sniffed her wrist. The ointment carried a familiar smell—a blend of sulfur and charcoal along with the odor of burnt flesh.
“I suspected this would happen.” Her father scratched the front of his tunic. “It seems that I have contracted the disease.”
She slid her arms around him and pressed close. “You’re risking your life for me.”
“Oh, Little K! You are more than worth the risk.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “We’ll both survive this somehow, and we’ll rescue as many slaves as we can.”
She drew back. Tears blurred her view of the man who had been, in her eyes, the eccentric Uriel Blackstone. Now Orson lived again, her father, her dreams reborn. It was amazing how things could change so quickly, in the blink of an eye. Maybe more miracles awaited on the horizon. “Then let’s see if Alaph will take us south. We’ll find Exodus and collect more energy. At least we can cure slaves until the finger is gone.”
“And have you determined not to submit to Taushin?” His face paled. “I lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll come up with some way to fulfill the prophecy. Who knows? Maybe the army from Darksphere will conquer Taushin, and we won’t have to worry about it.” Koren closed the velvet-lined box and slid it into her pocket. “For now, let’s concentrate on stopping the disease. People are dying as we speak.”
“Right, but first we have to retrieve some weapons Arxad told me about. They are in a storage area near where Exodus used to reside.”
“That will take a long time,” Koren said. “You’ve been there. You know how long that staircase is.”
“Indeed. I have climbed it twice now, once with a load of books—a few research journals and histories of Starlight.” He patted her on the back. “Don’t worry. I hope to persuade Alaph to retrieve the weapons. Arxad said that if the curse were to be lifted, Alaph might help us in many ways.”
“I think he will.” Koren imagined the staircase and the globules of light that whispered fragments of tales in her ear as she descended. Although Exodus was no longer below, the depths still held tales of the past—books that revealed mysteries perhaps even Cassabrie couldn’t probe. Maybe soon even those would come to light.
Ten
When the soldiers drew near, Jason rose to his feet and helped Elyssa to hers. Edison Masters and a captain led the way, both wet with rain and sweat but marching with vigor. The company seemed small, no more than fifty men.
“Your father looks strong,” Elyssa said. “He’s hardly limping at all.”
Jason smiled, barely able to keep himself from jumping up and down like an excited toddler. “It’s amazing what preparing for battle can do. He just forgets about his own pain.”
“You warriors are all alike.” Elyssa took in a breath and straightened her shoulders. “I’ll do my best to be one.”
Jason strode forward, then broke into a jog. Edison called for a halt and met him with open arms. After the two embraced, Jason nodded back at Elyssa, who walked quickly, although obviously disguising a limp.
“Are you two coming with us?” Edison asked.
“I’m not sure yet. We’ve been looking for Koren, so —”
“I have news about Koren, but I’ll wait for Elyssa. I think you’ll decide to join us.”
“That’s fine,” Jason whispered. “I just hope she can keep up. She just expended more energy in an hour than Solarus does in a day, but I know she’ll give it all she’s got.”
“We were hoping to have air transport.” Edison looked northward and Jason’s eyes followed, but the mist made it hard to see beyond a hundred paces. “Magnar said he would join us at some point. If he does, Elyssa can ride.”
“Magnar will allow her to ride?” Jason whistled. “A lot has changed.”
“Indeed, though our alliance is tenuous. We don’t trust him, and he doesn’t trust us.”
When Elyssa joined them, they quickly exchanged stories, including the river’s breaching of the wall, Orion’s hiding of the portal crystal, the rapid snowmelt in the Northlands, and Edison and Wallace’s rescue of Koren. Now that everyone had been exposed to the disease, time was short. The soldiers had marched all morning after only three hours of sleep, and no one wanted to delay the journey more than necessary. In spite of the amount of energy Elyssa expended while traveling northward, she indicated her willingness to continue, no matter what.
“We’ll have to let Uriel and Alaph worry about Koren,” Jason concluded. “Let’s all head south.”
Elyssa touched Jason’s arm. “I sense a dragon approaching.”
“Magnar?” Jason looked toward the north again. “It’s still too foggy to see.”
“Not that way.” She turned him around. “He’s coming from the south.”
The cloudy sky appeared to be empty. “Any emotions?”
“He is melancholy, brooding.” Elyssa closed her eyes tightly. “I sense no hostility, just resignation.”
“Arxad,” Jason and Elyssa said at the same time.
“We were hoping for his help.” Edison lifted a hand and called out. “Expect a dragon to arrive in a moment. Lower your swords and bows, but keep a firm grip on them.”
A few seconds later, Arxad dove below the clouds and landed several paces in front of the company. His wing beats fanned the wet grass and flowers, sending a spray of fine droplets across the gathered humans.
Jason stepped forward, intentionally keeping his hand away from his sword. “Arxad! What news do you bring?”
“Dire news.” Arxad’s head swayed as he scanned the soldiers. “Are these all you could muster?”
“We had more earlier, but —”
“I care not for excuses. I counted forty-eight, and an army of forty-eight men with ten thousand excuses will not conquer the menace that lies beyond the barrier wall.” Arxad’s head lifted, and he searched through the army again. “And
where are the weapons I asked to be brought? Uriel was supposed to retrieve them for you.”
Edison joined Jason at his side. “We didn’t consult with Uriel before we left. With people dying of the disease, we hoped to make haste and —”
“Haste!” Arxad roared. “More excuses! I thought your world would provide wiser commanders!”
Edison took a hard step and looked Arxad in the eye. “Don’t lecture me about wisdom, slave master. What were you doing while our children carried heavy stones on bent and bleeding backs? Did you rebel against Magnar? No. You enjoyed the fruits of slavery and—”
“I was plotting against my own kind!” Sparks-tinged smoke boiled from Arxad’s snout. “I have waited many years for this day, and this attack would never have come about if not for my rebellion against my race. I will not be lectured by the leader of a ragtag flock of flightless bipeds who think a few dozen spears and swords are enough to conquer the most powerful dragons of Starlight. I have risked too much for too long to endure such ignorant squawking.”
“You speak of ignorance, but you didn’t even ask if we had reinforcements ready to —”
“Stop!” Jason stepped between them, a hand on his father’s shoulder. “We could argue all day about the past, but it’s gone. Everyone here has made mistakes. Let’s just figure out what to do now. People are dying.”
Arxad and Edison each took a deep breath, their postures becoming less aggressive. “Very well,” Arxad said. “You asked for news, and I shall deliver it. The Benefile have arrived in the village, and their presence might help or hurt our cause. They will likely want to aid us in destroying Taushin’s forces, but they are unpredictable. They employ a form of law and logic that often escapes me, so we will have to be wary. Still, I am highly doubtful. I flew here to give you aid, but I fear that my aid will not be enough. Your numbers are a great concern to me.”
“We have more,” Edison said. “Orion closed the portal before they could come through, and he hid the peg. We left a few men to guard him, thinking he might go back to our world and spread falsehoods among the soldiers still waiting to pass through.”
“So you decided to march without them?” Arxad asked.
Edison nodded. “Waiting equals death. Even now my heart longs to continue the march.”
“Your courage is a garland.” Arxad bowed his head. “I apologize for my outburst.”
“And I do as well.” Edison sighed. “But our mutual apologies won’t multiply our ranks.”
“No, but this will.” Arxad motioned with a claw toward his underbelly. “I have another peg that will open the portal. I will inform the others of your whereabouts, but with your numbers, perhaps you should wait until I return with your reinforcements.”
“We want to continue on and infiltrate by stealth,” Edison said. “If you would suggest a way to breach the wall and a place to hide while we see what we’re up against —”
“Your stealth will be discovered. You have no hope of evading the Benefile.” Arxad gazed toward the south, his ears twitching. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. His head swayed, and the tip of his tail flicked from side to side. Then he muttered, “They probably already know you are coming. They have a seer among them.”
“If evasion is impossible,” Edison said, “what should we do?”
“Go forth boldly.” Arxad swung his head back toward them. “They are here to punish the Southlands dragons, not to hurt humans. If you try to enter with stealth, they will perceive malice, and their response will likely be aggressive. If you go openly, they will welcome you as allies against a common enemy. Once you are safely past the barrier wall, I suggest going to the wilderness to locate Frederick. He has gathered quite a number of escaped children. From there, you can lead them to my cave. No infected humans are there, and Xenith and I burned everything Madam Orley came into contact with.”
Edison nodded thoughtfully. “One moment please. Allow me to consult with the commanding officer.”
“Where is Madam Orley?” Elyssa asked Arxad as Edison walked back to the soldiers.
“With the sick and dying who are gathering in the Zodiac’s portico. Because the Benefile were watching the humans gather, I could risk only a glance as I peeked out of the clouds, but I assume they chose that place because it has a covering and is easy to access.”
Biting her lip, Elyssa slid her hand into Jason’s and squeezed it. He looked at her, reading her pensive expression. “What is it?” he whispered.
She matched his low tone. “If the Benefile want help from our soldiers, they’ll do whatever they can to make it safe for them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Eliminating the host of the contagion.”
Jason nodded. “Pretty drastic, though.”
“It’s worth asking about.” Elyssa gave Jason a nudge. “There’s only one way to find out.”
“Arxad,” Jason said, taking a step toward him, “how sure are you that the Benefile know we’re coming?”
“Quite sure.”
Jason glanced at Elyssa, She bobbed her head forward as if to urge him to continue. “If that’s true, would they kill the infected humans to clear the way for us to invade?”
Arxad eyed him for a moment, then his ears flattened. “Without a doubt. I should have considered that option. We must all make haste.”
“How do we get past the barrier wall?” Jason gestured with his head toward the south. “We opened the gate, but with the river flowing, it won’t be easy to get everyone through it.”
Arxad’s tail twitched nervously. “I have heard that there is a walkway at the base of the wall leading to the gate, but I do not know how sturdy it is. Perhaps you can walk on it. Perhaps you must swim. Do not count on any easy steps along the way.”
“Especially without a dragon around to help. We thought Magnar would join us after he took Koren to the Northlands, but he hasn’t shown up.”
“If I see him during my flight northward,” Arxad said, “I will remind him of your need for dragon aid.”
“That will help.” Jason bent his face into a skeptical frown. “But I’m still not sure we can trust him.”
Arxad snorted a puff of smoke. “Your quandary is reasonable. I am sure we are all waiting to learn where Maganar’s loyalties lie.”
When Edison and Captain Reed rejoined Jason and Elyssa, Jason explained the situation, including the possible passageway at the barrier wall.
Edison lifted a water flask from his belt and gave it a shake. “We’ll march double time and stop only for water until we arrive.”
“What about your leg?” Jason asked.
“Ever since the healing tree, it’s been fine.” He pushed the flask back to its harness. “I’ve never felt better.”
Jason touched Elyssa’s back. “We know another route that won’t accommodate an army, and it might be faster, so we’ll meet you at the barrier wall.”
“Perhaps one of you should accompany me to the portal,” Arxad said. “I would not blame your men there if they mistrusted my word that I am a friend.”
Captain Reed raised a hand. “I might be able to give you something they will respect.”
“And that is?”
Reed lifted his thumb, revealing a pattern of thin ridges intermixed with the print lines. “I once worked as a dungeon guard, and my torch got too close to a framed medallion at the side of the entry door. When the frame caught on fire, I grabbed the medallion to keep it safe, but it was hot, and the insignia burned into my thumb. It’s been there ever since. I have used it in the past to signal my men that I have given someone authority.”
Arxad drew his snout close to the captain’s thumb.
“How so?”
“Usually with ink on a document, but since I have no ink …” He withdrew a dagger from a belt sheath and rubbed his thumb along the blade. As blood leaked from the wound, he spread it across the insignia. “This will have to do.”
Arxad lifted a foreleg. “The idea has great
merit. You may apply it here.”
“Very well.” Captain Reed pressed his thumb against a scale on the back of Arxad’s clawed hand, but the blood soaked into the dry outer layer and faded. “Hmm. This isn’t clear at all.”
“Perhaps this will work better.” Arxad reared up, revealing his underbelly. The crystalline peg wedged between two scales glimmered, as did a circular object that replaced a scale next to his vulnerable spot.
Jason leaned closer. “A mirror?”
“A gift from Marcelle, but I have not the time to explain.”
“That should do fine.” Captain Reed pressed his thumb on the mirror’s surface, leaving a red replica of the insignia, then backed away. “It’s perfect.”
“Excellent. I will take my leave now. Farewell!” Arxad leaped. His wings beat the air, lifting him into an upward spiral. Within seconds, he disappeared in the clouds.
Jason tightened his belt and checked his sword. “I suppose we should be going as well.”
“Son, you know this world better than I do, so I won’t question your judgment regarding the alternative route.” Edison hiked up his own belt and refastened it. “May the Creator guide your way.” After hugging Jason and Elyssa, he nodded at the commanding officer. “Captain Reed, if you’ll give the order, we’ll see if an old goat like me can keep up with your stallions.”
Captain Reed waved an arm and shouted, “Double time! March!” He and Edison took off in a quick jog toward the south. The other men ran behind them, sidestepping to avoid Jason and Elyssa.
When the tromping of feet subsided, Elyssa cocked her head at Jason. “This route you mentioned. Are you just trying to keep me safe?”
“Hardly. You expended a lot of energy making the river flow backwards, so I thought you could use a rest and ride the raft back to the south.”
“The current’s really moving fast now. Snowmelt, I suppose.”
“Exactly. It should be a ride to remember.” He pulled her hand, prompting her to walk with him toward the west. “While the soldiers are marching double time, we’ll take it easy.”