She Who Has No Name

CHAPTER SIX

They dared not approach Kalid, for the town had a legion of Paatin encamped around it. They learned from the odd villager and huntsman they met on the road that even greater numbers of desert-men had recently returned unsuccessfully from the mountains and had departedagainimmediately. No one could say whether they had gone north or south or simply turned back to the east. The locals had no wish to ask them and the Paatin had no wish to tell.

Samuel and his companionsmadetheir wayalong the back roads and forest paths, heading east to towns that Balten knew well. These lands had once been the Earldoms of Glass, gathered under King Rike,a rich and fertile land high on the steppes of central Amandia, peaceful and quiet for centuries-until the Empire had crossed the mountains. Further east were the Eastern Reaches, which was a wide and barren land that led into the Paatin wastes proper.

It was surprisingly easy for them to make their way, for the Paatin had made no effort to set up roadblocks or checkpoints or other things that the Empire typically employed in times of war. Any settlements not in the direct path of the Paatin were untouched and many of the people they met had no idea their land was now occupied. As such, the party made good time and did not have nearly as much trouble as they feared.

They spent a couple of weeks crossing those lands, hiding on sight of Paatin troops, avoiding the main centres of population, but the time was otherwise uneventful. It was only when they reached Tosah on the very edge of the Earldoms that they saw the effect of the Paatin-for the town was gone,razed to the ground and demolished as if in effort to remove all hint of its existence. It had been the main hub of travel for merchants who had come from the desert and those who lived in the region, but now there was nothing at all but an expanse of flattened rubble. Rumour had it that the Imperial garrison had scoffed at the requests to surrender, and the Paatin host had shown them no mercy.

There was no sign of Lomar or where he could possibly be hiding and so after a half-day’s hiatus,they had no choice but to push on. Balten led them onwards, into the Eastern Reaches, where the trees were sparse and the riverbeds were dry and cracked. They only approached the odd,small settlement that he indicated would be friendly, for the people here were increasingly inhospitable. Some were obviously of mixed blood while others had the same dark skin as the Paatin invaders. It was still a long way to the Paatin capital, so Balten explained, but their influence extended even to these distant reaches of their territory.

Finally, after Samuel had lost count of the days, they found themselves surrounded by lands of baked rock and blowing sands. A few spiny shrubs existed and the occasional lizard scurried across their paths, but otherwise the earth was barren and devoid of life, open and featureless from horizon to horizon. Balten led them across a tiny strip of a stream, with withered sticks jutting up from its pitiful banks. One step and they were over it.

Balten stopped and took note of the landscape. ‘This is the start of the great wastes-the lands of the Paatin. From here,there is little else but rock and endless deserts.’

‘How many deserts are there?’ Ambassador Canyon asked.

Balten was set to answer, but Sir Ferse took his turn to speak and he reeled off his description as if reading from a cartographer’s report. ‘Countless deserts lie to the east, like seas of sand and stone. They stretch into the unknown and beyond, for no one,savethe desert people, has any desire to delve into such unforgiving places. The varieties of desert are as endless as their number: all manner of barren plains, windswept crags, sandy dunes and salty wastes. The most precious treasures of the deserts are the sparse wells and springs. The locations of these secret places are guarded fiercely by the desert folk: nomadic and secretive people, wary of those outside their tribe. Their skins have been made dark by lifetimes under the sun. Their women are rarely seen, but it is said they are treated well and even act as matriarchs in some families. The deserts are many and impenetrable, but their mysteries are even more so.’

Balten was impressed. ‘You surprise me, Sir Ferse, and you seem to have some mysteries of your own. I would not have guessed you knew so much of this land. But,yes, you are correct in your summary,although it is quite a rudimentary account. These lands are vast and dangerous. One small mistake here will see a man wandering and lost, gasping for water upon the scorched earth until the scavengers come to pick at his bones. I don’t know why anyone bothers to persist here.’

‘What do you know of this Desert Queen, then?’ Samuel asked of Balten.

‘Her people called herAlahativa, which means Wondrous One in the most common of Paatin tongues, for they have as many languages as they have tribes,each markedly different and distinct from one another. Nobody knows her full history-only that she came from the desert one day and forged a city in the heart of the Paatin. They sayof all the women upon the earth,she is of unequalled beauty. She is terrible and ruthless,and her people fear her as much as they love her. She is more of a legend than a person, for I first heard tales of her when I was just a boy and she was alreadyrenownedby then. I sometimes doubt that she may even be a single person, but is rather a legacy of queens. There is much we don’t know, but Idare saywe will find out more once we get there.’

‘Can she truly be a witch?’ Eric asked.

‘Again, tales of her powers are common in these parts-but we will be able to make that judgement soon enough.’

Balten led them to a tiny hut, hidden in the crevices of a set of low hills that hugged the side of the desert. He left them waiting outside upon their horses and, while it was evident there were people inside, there was no sound of any conversation. He emerged moments later with an armful of thin,brown cloaks.

‘Put these on, over your underclothes,’ he told them and threw the bundle to Eric. ‘In the desert, you do things in the way of the desert, or you perish.’

They did as they were told, with the magicians discarding their own robes of black for the thinner, brown cloths. Balten demonstrated how to wear them, for the clothes were of a simple cut and needed to be wound around the body and tied with laces and cords. Out of view,Canyon assisted his god to wrap herself in the fabri and,when she re-emerged, she had pulled the hood over her face as tightly as she could.

‘These are clothes of the hill-tribe people. We should not meet any others of such caste here, but they can be quickoftemper. Our disguises will grant us some safety, but it will be even safer to give any others we meet a wide berth.’

He then lifted the heavy lid from a large,flat barrel beside the door,replenished the water bags in their packs and ensured their mounts had drunk their fill. After that, they were quickly away.

They rode along the bleak landscape from landmark to landmark. Sometimes, it seemed Balten had lost his way,but then he would find some tiny feature on the horizon that had them changing direction and setting off again. Nights were spent in the open, and they gathered sticks from the dry scrub that scattered the land to make their fire, eating from their supplies.

Every second or third day, they would spy another encampment or party of travelling desert-men. Sometimes they would change their path to avoid the others entirely and sometimes Balten would speak with them and return with more supplies-the frequency of which seemed impossible to foretell. They only did as they were told, and pulled their hoods up over their heads when he instructed, riding slowlyandwithstraightbacksto avoid attention.

Local food consistedof a high volume of roots and bitter berries, but goat seemed to be the domestic animal of choice and they had that meat as often as they liked, for it was not in short supply. Samuel suspected that some of the flesh they were given was actually horse, for many of the tiny settlements they met had a pen of small strong ponies beside it, with legs and hocks of the preserved meat stored in the shade. He was not bothered after long, for they had little choice in what they ate, and he actually found the tender meat was to his liking,very similar to beef.

‘How do you know these lands so well?’ Eric asked of Balten, as they made for the shadows of a lone cluster of boulders.

‘I come here everyyear orso,’ was the mysterious answer.

‘What business do you have in the desert?’ Sir Ferse asked.

‘The Circle has interest in all the affairs of the world. I go where I am sent,’ was his reply.

It had been weeks since they had entered the wastes and everyone had begun to think the journey would have no end. Each day they rose earlier and slept later. Before noon,they would find whatever shade they could and rest for several hours. In this way, the daytime heat became somewhat more tolerable.

They were leading their horses down a crumbling, red-stoned hill when Samuel felt magic ahead. At the same moment, Balten looked up with alarm and raised his hand for them to stop. He peered down towards the flat land, where dark clots of men were massing like ants, climbing from hidden cracks and crevices. Somewhere down there, magic was being readied.

‘What is it?’ Master Celios asked.

A spell crackled from far away and Samuel suddenly became aware of men on either side. They came chargingat the small group, leaping over the rocks and howling, holding their curved swords above their heads.

Horse was the first to react and he leapt from his horse and ran to meet the men, empty-handed. His strides were like bounds and he covered the distance in a heartbeat, slamming his fists into the first of the men and sending them flying. Others surged around him, but Horse was a blur of fists, ducking their blades and shattering their bones with lightning-fast strokes imbued by his innate magic.

More desert-men were inbound from their right and Eric saw to those with a series of curt spells, thrown from his saddle. In moments, the Paatin on either side had been dispatched, but many more were already scalingthe hilltowards them from below.

‘Leave the horses,’ Balten told them. ‘We run. Back for the top of the hill. We can hold them if we have the high ground.’

He abandoned his mount, then tucked his long,desert-style cloak into his trousers for ease, and began back up the rocky hill as fast as he could. The others did likewise and followed him, dropping from their saddles and scrambling to keep up. Horse climbed faster than everyone. He reached the crest first and stood eyeing the far side with concern. When Samuel finally arrived, panting for breath beside the Koian warrior, it was evident they had been surrounded, for a throng of pale-cloaked Paatin were already halfway up the far side of the rise, some clambering on all fours to come straight up at them, others following the zigzagging path that had been worn into the hill.

‘They are coming from all sides!’ Eric blurted outinalarm.

‘We can hold them,’ Balten said coolly. ‘Just keep the others in the middle to protect them.’ And he turned a grave eye to Samuel. ‘This is no time to hold back, Samuel. We need your strength.’

Master Celios was the first to send out his spells and,although he was not as powerful as the others, he began well by sending showers of loose stones down upon the desert-men, so that they had to cower behind rocks and shield themselves from the bombardment. Eric followed, joining the old Master and lifting great boulders. He sent them bouncing and crashing down the hill, crushing scores of Paatin beneath their weight. Balten faced the other side of the hill, where they had left their horses, and stood calmly holding a Morning Stance while he summoned his power. Samuel took the chance to slip on his ring and he shuddered as the power took hold of him, already smelling the caustic scent of magic in his nostrils. Canyon and Sir Ferse stood warily beside the god-woman, while Horse waited calmly for the attackers to draw nearer.

Balten had finished gathering his power and sent the first of his spells rolling down the hillside. Explosions rattled the slope, sending desert-men and their severedlimbsflying into the air. Their horses fled, frightened by the noise and went galloping awaydownthe steepdecline with their ears pulled back. Samuel joined Eric, tapping the Argum Stone as little as he could. He did not want to tire himself too quickly for,judging by the volume of men that surrounded them, the battle would not be over quickly. He sent waves of fire rolling down the hill that set their attackers rolling and thrashing and slapping at themselves. As they lost their footing,they went toppling down the hill, forming wailing pinwheels that tumbled and bounced and left their fellows diving out of the way. Thisinitial defence seemed successful, but a feeling tugging at his mind had Samuel worried for,on the far side of the hill, below where Balten was defending, Paatin magic was hard at work.

‘Where are they all coming from?’ he heard Eric shout from beside him.

‘They must have been following us for some time,’ Master Celios called back, ‘waiting for an opportune time to attack.’

‘We would have felt so many tracking us,’ Eric responded.

‘They can use our footsteps and subtle signs of the desert to follow us,’ Balten called back, following the conversation as he threw down more bolts of power. ‘Skilled trackers can know our every move from well beyond the horizon, once they have caught our trail.’

‘What is that?’ Canyon then cried, sounding shrill and pointing to Balten’s side of the hill.

Samuel turned his gaze and saw specks of desert-men leaping up the hillside towards them, bounding like fleas.

‘Paatin wizard-work!’ Balten called. He began aiming at the leaping figures with his spells, but the men leapt erratically, bounding over their countrymen and scaling the hill by the drove.

Samuel stood beside him and pointed his fist down the hillside. He called forth the energy of the ether and a screeching gale of magic swept out from within him. It washed down the hill and the first lines of Paatin it met grew incandescent, glowed red and then blew to dust as the spell burnt them to cinders. Leaping desert-men, caught in mid-air, shrieked and vanished as they were caught in the spell.

Balten nodded his approval, but Samuel had no time to savour the victory. A clot of fire was stuck in his chest and he laboured for breath against the pain. He felt a flood of magic building up within him, forcing its way through the passage he had opened, but he refused to be overcome. Inch by inch, he swallowed the magic down and forced closed his connection with the ring. Finally, he could breathe again and he turned away from the others and pulled the Argum Stone from his finger with desperation.

‘You will need to pace yourself, Samuel,’ Balten said. ‘The battle is only just begun.’

Looking down the hill,Samuel saw thatthe effect of his spell had vanished and the leaping desert-men he had defeated had only been replaced by hordes of more such men. Some were getting near and Samuel could see enormous,black, taloned legs jutting out frombeneaththeir pale cloaks, driving them into the air with each leap. They held no swords, but they had no need for,in place of hands,they had razor-sharp,chitinous claws. The men had saucer-likeeyes and came at them without emotion, stinking with the vile magic that had recently transformed them.

‘We need help here!’ Eric called and Samuel lurched around to find that waves of Paatin had nearly reached them from that side of the hill.

There were no bug-menhere, but with swords they were just as dangerous, shouting and trilling as they came, howling for blood. Some had scaled the rise further along and now came charging along the crest. Samuel considering putting his ring on again, but he quivered with hesitation. The thing was intensely painful to use and he needed time before subjecting himself to its punishment once again.

The first Paatin drew near and was coming straight for him, but the ring stayed inches from Samuel’s finger, held tightly in his other hand. He wanted to put it on, but somehow he could not do it,for even the memory of the pain was enough to make him recoil. As the curved sword came down upon him, he finally thought to run, too late-but the blow did not arrive. Horse had flown past him and had shoved a pointed finger into the desert-man’s throat, felling him instantly.

‘What’s wrong,Magician?’ Horse asked him in his cumbersome Old Tongue. ‘If you cannot use your magic, you must find other weapons to defend yourselfwith.’

Other Paatin came howling in and Horse danced around their blades. All the while, with each turn and opportunity, he kept one eye towards his god. The Koian warrior would protect Samuel while he could but,if even one Paatin came nearer to her, Samuel knew he would be left to fend for himself. Horse moved deftly and had three tan-cloaked men dead at his feet as more came rushing in upon him. He leapt high, vaulting from the small mound of bodies and into the pack of surprised desert-men, killing the first two while they still had their mouths open wide at the sight of him. Others continued past and made for Samuel and he wasagainleft wondering whether heshould resumewearing his ring or if he should run. This time Horse was busy, for blades surrounded him like a cage of swords and the man was working hard to defend himself.

Whenthe two first Paatin reached him, Samuel was alone. He pushed the ring deep into his pocket and waited. He was not entirely sure he knew what he was doing, but he could not spell and he could not run. There was only one choice left. Stand and fight.

The two blades cameat himalmost together and Samuel bobbed down and stepped in, just as with a Harvest Stance, and found himself squatting at the men’s feet. They only had time to show their surprise for,in the next instant,he turned and leapt back, throwing his back against the men and sending them sprawling. They snarled and regained their feet, enraged at the weaponless magician, and they came at him again, hurling insults in their tongue. Samuel darted in, squeezing between them. The Paatin followed him with their blades, but they could not finish their movements lest they slice each other in two.

Samuel stepped even closer and slipped behind one of the men, grabbing him by the seat of his pants and spinning him around full circle. He then pushed the fellow away towardsanother, leavingbothdesert-man stumbling and disoriented. The two came at him once again and Samuel now realised these men were not seasoned warriors. Anyone with a sword was dangerous, but their steps were awkward and their movements were untrained. He was no longer afraid of them, for he knew he could defeat them,even unarmed as he was. He could sense their actions from the shifting of their weight and their footsteps pointed out their intent like painted arrows. It seemed a simple task to predict their steps.

Now confident, his movements became easier. Unless the Paatin could catch him, they could not harm him. All he had to do was wait for an opening and an opportunity to strike back.

He skipped away lightly as they came leaping and slashing the air with their swords. Samuel watched their steps carefully and took his chance, dancing in and throwing his fist into one of their chins. The pain that exploded in his wrist was terrible and he howled aloud as he shuffled back away from the Paatin pair. He rubbed his tender joint gingerly and scolded himself for forgetting Horse’s advice, for he had struck with a loose hand. The two Paatin followed after him and Samuel vaulted in. Their second step had barely touched the ground before he collided into them. A solid kick to both sent them toppling head over heels down the hill and he doubted from the way their bodies flopped about that they would be coming up again anytime soon.

Horse had finished off his own cluster of men and came trotting back to Samuel. ‘You hit like a nursemaid, Magician, but you did well in the end. I willlet you spar with my nephew sometime. He is seven, but he is a fair fighter. He would give you a sporting chance.’

Samuel nodded, with little time to return the banter, and Horse boundedoff to return to his god. The desert-men were still coming in swarms up both sides of the hill and Eric was now looking tired, trembling with sweat.

‘We need to do something now,’ Eric shouted. ‘I can’t keep this up much longer.’

Balten heard the call and ceased his spells. He drew something from under his cloak and held it to his lips. All at once, he began to pull more magic from the ether, gathering a cloud of power around himself.

‘What’s he doing?’ Eric asked, looking back with wild eyes.

Samuel stepped to Balten’s side, but he dared not disturb the man, for he was drawing magic around himself in terrible gulps, until he was encased in a brilliant white aura to Samuel’s giftedsight. The object in his hands was a tiny ring and Samuel’s eyes opened wide when he saw it. At first, he thought it was another such relic as the Argum Stone, but it emanated a power that marked it as something entirely different.

Balten opened his eyes and, as if awaking from a dream, he took a moment to recover his senses. He found the ring at his lips and blew upon it, simultaneously sending his entire pool of magic cascading into it. The world swooned around Samuel, as it did when his senses were overcome by great power, but just as quickly the sensation was over. Balten now had the ring balanced on the nail of his middle finger and Samuel was about to ask what the man was intending, when Balten simply flicked it away.

The ring flew-down towards the throng of bug-men and, in mid-flight, the spell took effect. It bounced once, springing high from the hard stone it had struck-higher than one would have expected and it seemed to be gathering momentum, rather than slowing down. It may have been a trick of Samuel’s eye, but the ring also seemed larger. As it bounced again, he realised it was,indeed,growinglarger atevery moment. It was now as wide as a hoop and as thick as his wrist. It sailed high and bounced for the third time and Samuel felt the rocks shudder beneath his feet.

‘Hold well!’ Balten called and shifted his legs apart for stability.

Samuel did the same, for the ring continued growing. It was now as big as a house and the rocks boomed as it struck and bounced once more. End over end it turned and it was only growing larger with each second, swelling to enormous proportions. It struck the Paatin horde and continued through them unabated. Bug-men scrambled to be out of its way, but the enormous ring came crashing down upon them all like an avalanche of ringed steel, shaking the hill with its fury.

‘What is that?’ Samuel asked, struggling to hold his legs as the ground shuddered violently. ‘One of the ancient relics?’

‘Not at all,’ Balten shouted back. ‘It is a simple trinket. It is my spell that is special.’

‘It’s missing most of them!’ Canyon declared, forthoughthe great ring was creating a path of destruction down the hill,those on either side of it went unscathed and climbed back to their feet only a moment after it had passed. Many of the leaping bug-men, caught mid-air, managed to pass through its tumbling centre entirely, remaining unharmed.

‘Have patience,’ said Balten. ‘I’m not interested in them. This is a present for their wizard.’

And Samuel could see his intent for,far below at the base of the hill,was a cluster of tan cloaks, where the Paatin were pushing inwards towards its black core, fighting to be changed into bug-men. The Paatin magic vanished as the ring fell upon them. The cluster of tan scattered and Balten released his spell.

‘Get down,’ hecommanded. Quickly, but carefully, he lowered himself to the ground and put his hands over his head.

The ring exploded and the base of the hill vanished in a cloud of fire. A shimmering wind raced up the slope and Samuel dropped to his chest as the shock wave hit him, striking like a hammer to his ears. The boom passed and echoed amongst the other low hills in the distance and,as the fiery cloud boiled up into the sky, itspewedembers and ash upon everything below it. Streaks of flaming debris flew high from the blast and began to rain down all around. Slowly, the magicians and their party climbed to their feet, cowering from the hot motes that also wafted down.

The bug-men on the near side of the hill were scattered across the rocks, lying still in yellow pools of their own sickly fluid, while the ground at the foot of the hill was veiled behind a thick cloud of dust. On the far side, the Paatin had gathered their wits and had begun to climb again. They had no way to see what had happened, but it had not stopped them from leaping to their bellies and taking cover at the sound of the explosion.

‘Now we will have to take care of this side,’ Balten said. ‘That should not be such a problem.’ Something caught his eye and he had only just turned his head to see when a great shadow crashed into him and sent him sprawling.

To his credit, Balten flung himself away from the great black thing as it thrashed to hang onto him. It rattled about on the stones before it found its legs and raised itself to face them, adjusting its smoking cloak into place. It was swathed in black cloth and shadow, for its features were hidden, but there was no doubt that this was Om-rah, the Paatin arch-wizard. He rose like a column before them, taller than two men, and laboured to breathe, his massive chest expanding and contracting in time to the rattling in his throat. He was a hulking beast of a creature and,as he raised his arm, a claw slipped out from his long black sleeve and pointed towards Balten with a dagger-like finger.

‘Balten!’ it said, in a grinding, unsettling voice. Whether he had been a man once, Samuel did not know, but the thing called Om-rah seemed far from human.

‘So you finally crawl from your lair to face me, Wizard!’ Balten cried out towards the cowled thing. ‘I have crushed your brood upon the rocks. At last we can settle our score.’

Samuel realised his words were true, for the arch-wizard stank of perverted magic andonly hecould have been the source of the bug-men.

Om-rah grunted and spoke again in the guttural tongue of the Paatin. He finished with a mocking laughter that scraped up and out of his throat. Samuel wastensed and readyto move but,before anyone could react, the creature shot forward on chitinous wings and carried Balten away with it. Samuel and Ericgasped and followed the wizard with their gaze, but the pair disappeared into the smoke-ridden sky amongst flashes of tumultuous power and bolts of magic.

‘What do we do?’ Eric cried in alarm.

‘Don’t lose your head, boy,’ Master Celios replied. ‘We have to rid ourselves of these blasted desert-men! Balten will have to take care of himself. We need to save our own skins first!’

It was true;they had no time to worry about Balten as cloaked and snarling desert-men came clambering over the rise.

‘This way!’ Celios called and they beganscramblingdown the hill, following the ruinous path that Balten’s ring had laid behind it.

The Paatin followed them in a roar and cascaded down the mountain behind them. The occasional disoriented bug-man clambered towards them, but they dispatched those with barely a pause and continued down into the cloud of smoke and dust that now enshrouded the foot of the hill.

‘Which way?’ Eric asked, but Master Celiosappeared confused.

‘We cannot outrun them,’ the Emperor stated. ‘We need to stand and face them. Can you magicians not use your powers once again?’

‘We need to rest,’ Eric said.

‘Then we should run,’ the Koian ambassador suggested.

Theyclimbeddown the final length of the hill, with Horse pulling his god-woman by the hand. Smoke and haze consumed the air, and fires still marked the ground here and there-burning shrubs and bodies alike.

‘Take her, Samuel,’ Horse said, passing over the hand of his god. ‘I will guard our escape.’

The girl’s eyes looked out from her hood with fear, but she clutched onto Samuel’s hand for dear life. He nodded to the Koian warrior, who then vanished back into the miasma around them.

They had only justresumed their flightwhen a roar sounded in front of them and something enormous loomed. Dust and smoke swirled around and sand poured from the thing’s domed back as it arose and turned to face them.

‘What is that?’ the Emperor called out, but no one had the capacity to make an answer.

‘Don’t stand their gawking,’ Master Celios called, for once being the only one to keep his senses. ‘Run!’

Heshuffledawayas quickly as he couldand the othershastenedafter him. The beast swivelled, heaving itself in place and bellowing as it followed them with its stalked eyes. Samuel caught sight of crab-like claws extending from it body and could not imagine how any creature could grow to such proportions. Itstartedafter them, but the dust and smoke returned, obscuring the beast from sight as they left it behind.

They ran on blindly, always with the sound of their pursuer just behind. They coughed and struggled in the thick air, with no idea of where they were going or what lay ahead of them. Their only intention was to run.

A figure came bounding towards them but, thankfully,it was only Horse. He ran past them and began picking off the nearest Paatin, striking with sudden deadly blows, appearing and disappearing like a phantom. Samuel pulled the girl on by the hand, both of them barely able to stay on their feet.

‘Samuel!’ Eric spluttered. ‘We can’t go on. Send the others ahead. We have to stop and slow them as much as we can.’

Samuel stopped beside his friend. ‘No, Eric. You go on. I can do it alone.’ He pushed the girl towards him. ‘I haven’t used all my power yet. Keep going. Get as clear as you can.’

Eric took a moment to assess his words. ‘I’ll see you soon.’ With that, he dragged the girl away with him.

She watched Samuel as she was pulled away into the fog,hereyes open wide with alarm. Adozen stepslater andthe pair of them was swallowed into the thick blanket of dust and smoke.

Samuel stood alone,enveloped by the haze. He could hear the impending tide of Paatin soldiers approaching. A first set of feet sounded near and he readied to fight, but it was Horse who came galloping through the haze, bounding like a deer. He looked at Samuel for a moment, but sped on past, following his god.

Samuel again drew the Argum Stone from his pocket and prepared himself. He stood his ground, waiting for the impending multitudes to be upon him. Swallowing hard, he wiped the dust from his eyes, and plunged his finger into the ring. The sudden presence of thundering magic nearly overwhelmed him, but again he managed to swallow it down before it made him altogether giddy. The men were nearly upon him and he was sure he could killmostof them before they overpowered him, but he wanted to draw them all in; somehow guarantee thatEric andthe others would be free to escape. Withthat thought, he realised he was accepting his own death. It was not how he imagined himself meeting his end, but he supposed it could have been worse.

Opening his mind, he gathered the power of the ring and began his work, forging layers of shielding and protection upon himself, cocooning himself in unbreakable bands of magic, crafting the spells as he remembered themwhen theytoresuch impenetrable equivalents from the Emperor three or more years before. The spells fell into place and locked tightly around him.Content with their making, he actually looked forward to creating as much mayhem as he could.

When the first of the Paatin came running out of the haze, Samuel was ready for them and he yelled with fury as they fell upon him. He had first meant to evade as many blows as possible to save his power, but it was impossible, for it was like jumping into a river and trying to avoid the water. Twenty blades came chopping in upon him, then thirty, but they all bounced off his protective spells without effect. The Paatin took no notice and seemed whipped into a frenzy, for they continued chopping at him furiously. At first, he worried they might eventually get through to him, for their very weight had knocked him to the earth, but his spells were empowered by the limitless strength of the Argum Stone and it would take much more than the tapping of steel to worry him.

When the desert-men realised they could dohimno harm, some of themmoved past him, set to pursue the others, and Samuel knew it was time to act. It took only a thought and a pulse of magic blewincineratedthe Paatin around him. Others came running in and Samuel regained his feet and sent up mage-lights and bursts of mage-fire to attract their attention all the more. A hundred came and Samuel dropped them dead with his spells, and a hundred more followed. He felled them by the score with arcs of hissing magic that cut and burned and boiled the men as they ran. It was only when he felt the contents of his stomach rising did he realise he was pushing himself too quickly. He paused from sending out such spells and set about defeating the Paatin by hand.

He leapt forward and struck the incoming men with his balled fists. He remembered more of Horse’s advice and focussed his magic into the tips of his knuckles at the very moment of impact. Paatin screamed and died as he struck them one after another, breaking their bones in two with his blows and sending flesh exploding from their bodies with each strike. The men howled with anger and continued to fall in upon him, chopping and stabbing in vain hope that his magic might fail.

The endless torrent of Paatin angered him,and the endless violence and blood and gore infuriated him. He realised he was screaming and shaking, for the pain was incredible, but it also kept him squarely focussed on his task. He bellowed as he struck them again and again, killing onemanafter the other. Finally, as he dispatched one final foe, he realised he was alone. A carpet of corpses surrounded himand their compatriotshad retreated,fading off into the gloom to be away from him.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ Samuel roared at them, between heaving breaths. ‘Come and face me! Come and die!’ But no one returned to meet his challenge. ‘Come back!’ Samuel screamed at them, feeling blood in his mouth. ‘Come back and die!’

The men were away in the cloud of dust, but Samuel could still see the energy of their life,could still sense them flowing around him, just out of view. He was too exhausted to move and the thought of the Paatin escaping him and reaching the others made him lose all grip of his sanity. ‘No! You can’t get away!’ he babbled, and he began laughing hysterically.

He dropped his shields and gathered the magic back to be used again. He balled his gore-ridden hands together and started pumpingoldand fresh magic between them furiously. He made a tiny point within his hands and pressed his energy into it with glee. He remembered the spell that Goodfellow had released, and he would beat that effort ten, no-a hundred-fold. He would consume the desert with his power and none of the Paatin would survive.

He could smell his flesh burning and his fingers blistering, but he would not be slowed. He fed power into the spell as fast as he could unfurl it from the ring, and it seemed to come to him in endless volumes. He had never used such power and he had neither care nor forethought for the effect on his body, for he had become a conduit of power and the magic fell through him as fast as he could call it, tearing at his flesh as it passed.

The monstrous spell sizzled in his hands and it seemed as if the world was bending in towards him, marking him at the centre of a deepening pit down which the ether itself was warping and draining. A wind sprang up and twisted the smoke and haze into a series of twirling vortices that stretched up into the heavens. Dry lightning shimmered in the dust, flickering and crackling as if with a life of its own.

‘No, Samuel!’ came a voice from behind him. It was Balten and the man was then at his side, somehow contorted and wavering, distorted by the pressing field of magic. He was bloodied, and his clothes were nearly torn from him. ‘This is too much. You will not escape the destruction. Neither will the others. This spell cannot be unleashed.’

Samuel then noticed the thing that he had created, flickering brightly between his hands, and he seemed torecover somesense at Balten’s words. ‘It has already been summoned. I cannot return it.’

‘You can, Samuel. The magic can be returned to the ether. Slowly, carefully; calm yourself.’

Balten clamped his hands onto Samuel’s shoulders and immediately some of the fatigue and pain he felt was replaced with a reassuring warmth. His vision cleared and he suddenly realised the madness of what he had been doing. He thought to dispel the magic, but there was far too much. The ring struggled against his wish to quell it, fighting to push more magic into him, but he now trembled, struggling to stop the spell from releasing altogether. ‘I cannot do it!’

‘Then give it to me,’ Balten told him. ‘I will return the spell.’

‘How can you?’

‘I can do it, Samuel. Have faith in my abilities. If I can defeat the Paatin arch-wizard I can disarm this little treat you have prepared for me.’

‘You killed him?’

‘Unfortunately, no. He fled again. I’m sure he can feel what you are doing and he will be doing his best to be away from here as fast as he can. Now, give it to me.’

Balten clamped a spell of his own around Samuel’s, and it bore incredible strength. Samuel felt the magician’s energies surround him, and allowed his spell to pass over, until Balten was now in possession of the terrible coagulum of power. Despite his earlier assurances, Balten seemed to struggle with the thing as soon as he received it.

‘I must admit, this is much more than I was expecting, Samuel. You are quite the magician, as I have always said. I only wish I was discovering it on better terms.’

‘Can you return it?’ he asked, but Balten shook his head. ‘So what will you do?’

‘Reach into my pocket,’ Balten said and Samuel reached in as indicated and drew out a shiny silver cylinder. There was only a slight feel of magic to it, but its very construction marked it as being remarkable.

‘What is it?’

‘Thisis a relic of the Ancients, Samuel,’ the trembling magician explained. ‘It was to deal with you, if you ever got out of control, but thankfully I have never needed to use it. This seems to be a perfect time to trial it.’

‘What can it do?’ Samuel said, turning the thing over in his hands.

‘It can swallow magic, large amounts of it-although I don’t believe it has ever been tested to quite this extent.’

‘It destroys power?’

‘No. It stores it. The magic can be retrieved later, although I should not think anyone would wish to openitonce your spell is safely inside.’

‘Like a trigger spell?’

‘Something like that, yes.’

‘What do I do?’ Samuel asked.

Balten was now shaking wildly, his hands quivering on either side of the brilliant hissing spell as he struggled to contain it. ‘Drop it gently into the spell. It will do the rest.’

Samuel did as he was told, holding the cylinder above Balten’s hands. It felt like it was made of solid gold, for he struggled to lift it with both hands, despite its small dimensions; although, it could have been his overtired muscles that were to blame.

He looked to the other magician for reassurance and then let go. The thing fell between them and thumped onto the sandy ground, gulping up Samuel’s tremendous spell as it passed, leaving the air between Balten’s hands empty and quiet. The wind and vortices and shimmering lightning around them fell away almost at once and the world seemed deathly silent. Only the dust remained to cloud the air, and it, too, had begun to slowly settle.

Balten sighed and bent, and pickeduphis relic from the sand. It had no more feeling of power to it than before.

‘By the gods!’ Samuel declared.

‘Almost,’ Balten replied, wiping his brow and tucking the cylinder back into his shirt. ‘Now I just have to be careful not to release this thing unexpectedly. The most I have ever put into it was the odd mage-light and Lifting spell. This falls firmly into the category of the unknown.’

‘How does such a relic possibly work?’ Samuel asked.

‘I have no idea. It being a relic of the Ancients, I know almost nothing about it. Let’s hope it can hold your spell indefinitely. It could be a nasty surprise if anyone stumbled upon it. I will have to dispose of it safely when the chance arises. Now, let’s goandfind the others. We will need to keep moving.’

Samuel followed as Balten marched off into the haze and he slipped the ring from his finger as he went and dropped it into his pocket. He noticed the blisters on his hands had healed and the fatigue he should have felt after struggling with so much power was absent. He could only come to the conclusion that Balten had saved him just in time, supplanting him with energy and healing his body before the damage had become irreversible. The man was quite incredible and Samuel wondered how many other surprises Balten had hidden up his sleeves.

They carried on for several more days without incident orany furthersign of the Paatin. Travelling on foot was cruel and slowgoing, but they had little choice, given that their horses had been lost in the battle. Walking became even more difficult when the hard stones of the desert gave way to expanses of soft,white sand. Trudging up and down the great slipping hillsof sandwas exhausting, and they clambered over them for several more days, until some hard earth appeared under their feet once more. Finally, they saw some rock formations in the distance and Balten steered them towards the features, across the shimmering heat haze of the arid waste.

It was only when they nearedthe formationsthat they could see these were enormous pillars of pale stone, jutting from the ground. There was first one here and there, then more, then many-pressing in together-until the party was walking amongst a forest of towering,stone columns. It almost seemed as if a path led between them and some of the stones had markings or engravings on their sides, although they had been weathered away so as to be indiscernible.

They met an even greater surprise when the dense pillars abruptly ceased and the party found themselves in a vast,walled canyon, hidden away from the outside world.

‘What is this place?’ Eric asked, looking around with awe.

Balten replied without emotion, eyeing the high,natural walls around them, all formed of pale,weathered stone. ‘This is not our destination, but I wanted to stop here and show you something. I think you will find it very enlightening.’

They sauntered across the open bowlof the canyon, keeping close to the northern-most edge. Mounds of squared stone blocks were littered about here and there, but most of them had been weathered to the point of crumbling. It seemed that although the valley was natural, it had also been highly quarried, with sporadic cuttings marking the walls all over.

They continued on, following the walls of stone and they soon passed another mound of broken stones. Although this one was only about waist high, it was more than fifty paces wide at the base, as if a platform had been constructed in the middle of nowhere. And,in the distance,was another such construction.

It took them ten minutes to reach the next site but,when they did, they found it had been a building at one time, several storeys high in places, but now weathered away to almost nothing. Following that, they found another such ruin-little more than a mass of fallen pillars and dirt that had been blown in by the wind. These constructions seemed evenlyspaced and each one seemed slightly grander-or perhaps merely more intact-than the last. Some were vast, still standing five or six storeys high, but all were broken in some way; worn down by the Ages.

‘What are these buildings?’ Samuel asked their guide.

‘This is the Valley of the Ancients,’ Balten replied, but he would say no more and led them on in eerie silence.

It took them nearly an hour before they reached a point where the buildings looked less decrepit. They rose up like a series of towers that looked out over the canyon walls and into the desert. Samuel imagined that from the desert these constructions would appear to be only small piles of rock.

A number of black-skinned desert-men were ahead and seemed to be working on one of the structures. It was taller even than the rest and built up in layers, each layer smaller than the other and tapered together so that the top ended in a narrow point. Its design certainly seemed sturdier than the others, forming a square pyramid, with eachleveltaller than a man.

The top of the building bore a great carving of an eye, open and staring, looking to the centre of the valley and surrounding the building witha sphere of shimmering magic. Inside was something or someone immensely powerful,powerful enough to encase the entire structure in magic.

‘They are putting the finishing touches to this temple,’ Balten explained. ‘It has beenunderconstruction for over a hundred years. At times,there were tens of thousands of workerslabouringon it, and towns built all around to house and support them. Now, only these last few artisans are left, finishing their carvings, making the final adjustments.’

‘But why would anyone build such a thing out here?’ Eric asked, but again Balten was silent.

Some dark-skinned boys ran to the tall magician’s side, wearing sandals and short skirts,and they jabbered to Balten excitedly, and he replied to them in their own tongue. Thepartystopped under a canvas at the base of the temple and they all drank from gourds of water that were brought by the Paatin women.

‘Follow me,’ Balten said, after they had each drunk their fill, and he started up the stairs that had been cut directly into the side of the great stone slabs.

The othersfiledafter him, following him into a shadowed opening and into the side of the temple.

Their footsteps echoed in the stone halls. Every inch of wall space was carved with figures: gods and demons battling,people cowering from wild beasts,crops and rivers and symbols of harvest. Passages were written in Old Tongue, with letters hewn large and deep into the stone, but Samuel couldnotread more than a handful of words before Balten’s voice sounded back, hurrying him along.

‘Why do you think they call this the Valley of the Ancients?’ Eric whispered to Samuel.

‘I’m not sure,’ Samuel replied, somewhat louder, for he was trying to resist the strange temptation to whisper. ‘I think we are about to find out.’

They climbed a further set of square stairs that led up into the heart of the temple, passing the odd craftsmansittinghere and there in the dim light, chiselling or hammering at their work. Statues lined the chambers they passed, but the figures they represented were unknownto them. They passed several enormous rooms, several of which were filled with shelves of books and papers. They caught a glimpse of figures standing in the aisles: not the local desert-men, but fair-skinned westerners. Some of them were common folk, but others had the unmistakable aura of magicians.

Balten waited ahead at an open doorway and motioned for them to go in. ‘Please go in and everything will be explained.’

Samuel did as he was told and passed the man by. ‘Who is in there?’ he asked, for the magic that surrounded the pyramid seemed to emanate from within that room, flowing out the door in regular, rhythmical pulses that were immense and stifling.

‘Go in,’ said Balten, ‘and meet my teacher. Don’t worry. He will speak with you and then you will be free to leave.’

Samuel stepped wide-eyed into the room, for not only was it dense with magic, butalsowith precious artefacts: vases, jewels, paintings and sculptures of gold, piled and stacked against the walls and to the ceiling. A small space had been left bare at the centre of the room.Itconsistedof only acircleof padded chairs, crammed amongst the teetering treasures and each facing inwards.

The others had already sat themselves before their host, who had been waiting quietly in his seat. Samuel had to subdue his magician’ssight, for the aura around the man was blinding, as if the blazing sun had fallen across his shoulders andwasfused around his body. Whoever he was, their host had access to unspeakable power and Samuel was eager to see what such a man had to say.

He made his way to the last vacant chair and sat beside Sir Ferse. It was only at this point that he realised Master Celios was now missing, but looking to the rest of the group,he realisedthey had either not noticed or were unworried by the fact.

Their host waited patiently, smiling as they settled themselves. He wore robes of brown, tied with a simple white cord at his waist.Hisbarefeetwereflat on the floor and his hands restedlightly upon his thighs. He was a bald and bony man, brown of skin,although it looked like he had gained his colour from wandering under the sun, rather than from birth. His age was undefinable, for he was smooth and without wrinkles, but his nose was bulbous and his earlobes drooped almost to his shoulders. His bones were knobbly beneath his flesh, yet the knots of his musclesstood outlike clumps of iron.

Samuel knew he should feel worried, but there seemed to be an air of calm in the room that had everyone enthralled. Samuel, too, felt compelled to sit quietly and await the address from their host, although he could not explain the feeling. Only Horse looked unsettled; he had a bead of sweat on his brow and was holding onto his armrests tightly.

After a moment, the old man sitting before them spoke and his voice was composed and welcoming. He oozed compassion, but it was also an uncomfortable feeling, as if it was being impressed upon them without their consent.

‘Welcome to the Valley of the Ancients,’ said the host. ‘This is my home and you now find yourselves in the heart of my Temple of Shadows. I know your journey has been long and you all have much yet to do, but I am glad to see you finally here. I had instructed my student, Balten, to assist in this as required and,once again,he has not disappointed me. You may notice that Master Celios is not present. I have arranged for him to be taken to his room to rest. I will be requiring his unique skills almost immediately, so he will not be continuing with you on your quest.

‘I see before me two young magicians of great fame: Master Pot and Lord Samuel-the Saviour of Cintar, no less.’ Then he looked at the Koians sitting on his left. ‘And here we have some guests from the distant Koian Empire,a very mixed and intriguing group. I am pleased to finally meet one of the fabled Koian warriors. In all the Ages, few cultures have reached such a high order of physical and mental discipline. I am honoured.’ And he gave a small, yet humble,bow of his head, closing his eyes solemnly as he did so. ‘The denizens of Amandia call this language the Old Tongue, for lack of a better name, and it is only practised by magicians and those who wish to cultivate its power, but you have kept this language alive and in everyday use. You should be applauded, for your culture excels in preserving its traditions, while other people have perished altogether or given up their old ways many times over. The Old Tongue, as many of you are aware, is a language of great importance. It is the language of our history and of our forefathers and it has been inscribedupon the walls of this temple to preserve the fruits of our knowledge for future generations.’

Then he turned to the Koian god-woman and gave her a smile that looked truly disturbing. It seemed he was making an attempt to be welcoming, but it did not suit him. His teeth seemed sharpened and feral,and his cordial air was rapidly evaporating. ‘It’s not often that I can welcome a god into my temple, so I am very honoured to be in your presence,ONamelessOne. You will not be staying long, but I hope my hospitality is befitting of one such as you, who has lived a host of remarkable lives.’

‘How do you know of us?’ It was the Emperor who spoke, and he addressed their mysterious host with suspicion.

‘I know many things,’ the gnarled,old man replied. ‘I have many reliable people under my command,a network of the most trusted and powerful men and women that spansevery continent of this world. I have been on this earth for longer than all your natural years combined and, by any measure, I am perhaps the most powerful man in the world. I build empires,then devour them; I raise kings,then destroy them. I control everything of importance that has, and will be-to a point. There is not much upon this world left to interest me, but I must say that such a collection of individuals comes close,’ and he moved his eyes across them all. ‘I doubt that such a feat has been accomplished since the New Ages began. I have been watching and following the progress of each of you for most of your lives. I am Cang, and I am the leader of the Circle of Eyes. Welcome to my humble home.’

Everyone was quiet and Samuel and Eric looked at each other, unsure of their predicament. Nobody seemed willing to break the silence and Cang continued looking at them with his strangely bared teeth, like a cat about to devour a mouse.

‘So what does this have to do with the current state of affairs?’ the Emperor asked, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. ‘Why are we wasting our time here when we could be on our way?’

Cang clasped his hands before him,and he had great,gnarled clumps of hands. He looked like he could tear knots out of tree trunks. ‘This has everything to do with the current state of affairs, especially with your Empress. Patience, Edmond.’ The Emperor however was not worried and did not flinch in the slightest at the sound of his name. ‘I organised for the Empress and her boy to be taken. I even arranged for the Paatin to invade your lands although,admittedly, it would have happened soon enough anyway. I have engineered almost all of the events of all your lives for one ultimate goal. I did all this because I had to, for we have reached a point in time that can no longer be avoided.’

‘What you say is ridiculous,’ the Emperor responded. ‘Such machinations are beyond any one man. How do you expect us to take you seriously?’

It was then that Samuel went to shift his legs and found that he was locked stiff in his seat. The room was so saturated with magic and he had subdued his senses almost to nothing. As such, he had not noticed any Holding spell take effect. They were all stuck fast, until such time as their host decided otherwise. He could not even wriggle his hand into his pocket.

‘Always so self-assured. Then please allow me to illustrate. It was a trivial matter to bring you, in particular, here. You would never have come willingly, being the stubborn goat that youare.So Master Celios, long your faithful friend, planted the notion of an assassination amongst the Order-in the form of a prophecy. This false hope-of a dead emperor and a pliableEmpire-started the self-assured fools out to achieve what they otherwise would never have dared. Finally, through luck and perhaps determination, they succeeded and the Emperor was indeed slain. You certainly proved yourself useful, good Sir Ferse, in those days following the assassination. Master Celios strung you along with his advice and his visions and you never seemed to realise that, most of the time, his wordsveiledmine. From there, I only had to lay some bait to bring you to my door.Stealing away the heir of the Empire was a simple matter. I had the feeling you would come running after him-and I was right.’

The Emperor sat stiffly, as if too angry to even move. It seemed incredible that Cang knew everything about the man. It seemed strange, too, that he curled his words to preserve the Emperor’s true identify, but Samuel was far too enraged to dwell on that. ‘How could you do such a thing?’ he spat out.

With that, Cang’s beady attention shifted over towards him. ‘You, Samuel, were not so simple to procure, but some patience and perseverance haveseen the job done well. From the time my witch hunters found you and had you sent to Cintar, you have been under my control. Did you think you had anything akin to free will? Quite the contrary. Bringing you here was as trivial as asking that it be so, and my servants set to work until the task was complete. I have special plans for you, Samuel. Do not despair. I will need your power in the coming days.’

‘What are you saying?’ Samuel said angrily, ‘-that you have somehow fooled or manipulated us into coming here? That’s nonsense!’

‘It is rare to find a magician with such unique abilities as you, Samuel. One of my closest assistants found you when you were just a child and my witch hunters did the rest. Each step of your path has been carefully crafted-from your uncle to Mr Joshua and Master Kelvin and even your kindly Master Glim. Everyone has served me in one way or another, whether they knew it or not. I know all about Master Ash, of course. He was the catalyst I needed to develop your power beyond anything those Order fools could manage-but even the Order played its role well. Their task was not to make you powerful-they could never manage that-but to make you pliable, and they did achieve that with remarkable success. The result was much better than if I had attempted to force you under my wing. Here you are, exactly as planned.

‘Directing your fate was no more difficult than influencing those around you, and there youwere, dancing at the end of your strings.’ Cang seemed to be revelling in the telling of his tale and he gestured with his handstomimic a dancing puppet, bobbing with his shoulders left and right. It was truly disturbing to witness the jolly look on his face as heenactedhis pantomime. ‘Ash killed your family, didn’t he? He was quite a nasty piece of work. He drove quite a splinter under your nails and I must say I applauded his efforts at the time. How youspurredyourself on just to catch him! It was wonderful how you killed him in the end, and he deserved it, every bit. I thought that was a splendid effort on your part. He was never one for following instructions and he had gotten quite out of hand by that stage. I was glad to be rid of the upstart and you saved me the effort of sending in my agents. You have become exactly the kind of magician that I require: wonderfully powerful and superbly naive-a perfect tool.’

Samuel writhed in his chair furiously. ‘Let me free so I can tear your head off!’

‘Come now. I am only being honest with you, Samuel. No secrets from this point on. This is the promised moment when you willeither join me or die, so please take the moment to consider the decision. You can’t say I have not given you due warning and I’m sure you didn’t think I was only joking. I have a very limited sense of humour, as you may have perceived.’

Cang then shifted his attention towards Eric. ‘Now, Master Pot, I am very glad to see you here andto observewhat potential you also have. It disappoints me that your friend Master Goodfellow did not make it. He could have been useful in the coming days, but it’s true he was little more than a crutch that was holding you back. He was the voice of reason to temper the fire in your bellies, but perhaps he outlived even that usefulness. I would not have thought the two of you would have sacrificed him so easily, but seeingthatyou did, I can only surmise you had realised the same. Even I thought it was a little callous of you to lose your friend for the sake of destroying Ghant, but I can’t say I blame you. Yes, yes. All of you shall have something to offer me.’

Eric was also red-faced with anger, enraged by the comments of their host. ‘Why would you do such a thing? Why are you saying this to us?’

Cang’s gaze shifted back to Eric without any change in his visage. ‘What’s this? Still a little fight left in you, Master Pot? That won’t last much longer, I’m sure. Why did I do all this? To save the world, of course. You have all been made aware of the impending end of this Age, yet all of you chose to ignore my call. The time has come for us to shore up our defences and ready for the return of the demons of legend. Yet, they are not legend,they are real and they will be here very soon to devour the world and everything you find precious. I could not make you believe me, and so I have brought each of you here to see for yourselves what will happen if we do not take action.’

‘Here? To this god-forsaken corner of the world?’ the Emperor said with disdain. ‘Why bring us all the way here to tell us this?’

‘To let you see for yourself. To let you believe. I can conspire and contort your fates all I like, but I can never force you to believe what I have to say. You must make that choice for yourselves. And the things that will decide your minds are here, in this temple and in this valley. You have already seen some of them.

‘The desert itself is the result of the demon’s birth, so many years ago,as all deserts are the results of man’s foolishness, in one way or another. Once rich with forest and pasture, this land has been made inhospitable since that first day when hell was literally unleashed. This valley was the birthplace of the Demon King, Lin, himself, and the violence of his making formed this sunken canyon. With your help, we plan to lure him back here. Those first few moments when he returns to our worldareour only chance to strike. Only then is he vulnerable. Only then can we destroy him. Only then can we be free of this infernal cycle of decimation.’

‘You think that between us we can destroy a god?’ Samuel asked.

‘No. I am not so imbecilic, but I have a plan to destroy him. He must be lured here and we must have our weapons ready. Your roles are to assist with this.’

‘Why should we help you? Why should we even believe you?’ Eric asked.

Cang cocked his neck from left to right, andhisbones played a crescendo of cracks each time. He took his time and seemed more comfortable when it was done. When he was ready, he continued with his explanation. ‘Did you see those temples as you entered the valley, each crumbling and fallen into dust? In each Age since the demon was born,a temple has been built, of varying shapes and design-all built to weather the years, but similar in contents. In each temple is the recorded history and wisdom of mankind. When theDemonKingreturns, almost the entire population of this world will perish, but the temple remains-its knowledge carved into stone, waiting to be found. In this way, the wisdom of the Circle of Eyes is passed along and the Circle can remain unbroken. This is our only hope, that one day the Demon King can be destroyed. Each Age, a new temple is built with the contents of the last painstakingly copied across, and the results of the current Age appended. This temple is now complete and contains all the knowledge of the past Ages and this. The time has come and our hope is preserved. If we fail, we will all die and be consumed, but this temple and the unbroken and ever watchful Circle will be our continuing legacy of hope.’

‘Do you mean to say that those ruins out there were once like this?’ the Emperor asked.

‘Oh, yes. Each temple was once new and complete. Around the circumference of this valley, there is room for twelve such buildings, and this temple you are sitting in is built on the ruins of one before it.’

‘Thirteen thousand years?’ the Emperor said with disbelief, calculating the sum of each building.

‘I presume it is actually much longer, for some Ages are much longer than others. We really have no idea how long this dreaded cycle has been repeatingitself. It is possible that the temples have been built upon each other many times over. We have no way to know with any certainty for,although the knowledge we passonis immense, some is always lost. We only know that some three thousand years ago, the then members of the Circle came up with a plan-or perhaps they,in turn,had found it from somewhere else, we will never know-to kill the Demon King. For that plan to work, we had to find two unique relics that had been created in the time of the Ancients,two sources of power that, when coupled together, act to call the Demon King into being. My servant, Ash, was responsible for finding the first such item.’

Samuel’s thoughts immediately turned to the ring in his pocket. ‘Is that why Ash was sent to Tindal?’ Samuel asked.

‘Partly, yes,’ the bony magician replied knowingly, ‘but he almost destroyed the relic in the process. Luckily, despite Ash’s treachery, we now possess the first precious thing we need.’ And he gestured towards Samuel.

Samuel was horrified that his secret had been given away, but there was little he could do about it now.

‘What is he talking about, Samuel?’ Eric asked.

Desperately, Samuel struggled against his magical bindings, until he finally managed to get his hand into his pocket. On contact with the cold metal of the ring, the spell around his arm seemed to slip free. He gently drew the Argum Stone out of his pocket and held it up for all to see, to which Cang only smiled smugly.

‘So you have found one of the objects then. What of the other?’ the Emperor asked.

‘I know where the second relic now sits, but I am not capable of taming such a force. Despite my knowledge, I am not capable of putting the two together. The secret of such things is beyond me and is something we have yet to discover. This is not just a matter of brute force. If it were, I could have dealt with the matter myself long ago, or summoned the Lions to see to the task.’

‘You’re suggesting the Lions were also involved in your schemes?’ the Emperor asked, incredulously. ‘Ridiculous!’

‘Not directly, my good friend, but they served me just as well as they served you, in one way or another. Very few are actually ever in the knowledge that they are serving the Circle. As you have seen, I have the ways and means to set people to my needs, despite their own intents.

‘Now, the final part of my plan is not far from realisation. Once you arrive at the heart of the desert, you will surely find the second relic in the hands of the Desert Queen herself. I charge you to go there and face her. Then, you must return the two devices back to me in readiness for my plan. Accomplish this, and the people of the world will live. Fail, and everyone will die. This is the only possible way.

‘We magicians do not father young, but we have a very different burden to bear-the very well-being of humanity. The lost souls of the Ages before this have been calling for this moment and now we, for the first time, have the chance to accomplish the impossible. I know you have all been brought here under false pretences, and no doubt you all have grudges to bear, against me and my servants, but there are no choices from this point on. We must act, or perish.’

‘But what about my ring?’ Samuel asked with concern. ‘Are you allowing me to keep it?’

‘Of course. You will need to keep it. I cannot send you out defenceless and you seem to have become rather dependent on the thing.’

The Emperor had been listening intently, but now spoke up. ‘But you said we are supposed to keep these infernal relics apart at all costs. If we go there with the very thing we are supposed to keep separated, won’t we be risking the return of the demons ourselves?’

‘The relics must be put together in a special way. They cannot be forced or coerced so easily. I doubt even the Paatin Queen couldcompel them together, and she is an expert in such convoluted and difficult tasks of trickery. No, it is a subtle secret that requires time and great care. You must go before her and face the trials of her city. Then, before you can return to me, you must wrest her prize from her grip and return with the two devices safe and sound.’

‘We should just destroy the thing now,’ Eric stated. ‘Why take such a risk? If we destroy one relic then the other is useless. How could they possibly be put together then?’

‘The Demon King is much more cunning than that, Master Pot. His aeons of planning are much more capable than your one poorly devised suggestion for,if one is destroyed, the other becomes undone at the same moment-but they will be spontaneously remade again somewhere upon the earth. Perhaps that would gain us some time, but we are here, now, and we are ready. Seeking and destroying the relics has not succeeded in any Age before and it will not save us now. Wewantto bring the relics together. Wewantto open the demon gate, in this, the time and place of our choosing. Then, and only then can we kill the abomination that is Lin.’

‘Then what is my role in this?’ the Emperor asked. ‘And theirs?’ he added, pointing to the Koians.

‘We all have roles to play, my dear friend. I cannot say more, for the very nature of your being will foretell what role that is and,in the telling, I could spoil that precious but fragile potential.’

The Emperor rubbed at his chin. ‘And what will you do while we are busy enacting your master plan?’

‘I mustpreparethe other components. The moment you return here, we will act. Timing is vital and I must have the spells ready for exactly the right moment-vast spells that have taken years of preparation and require many months more.’

‘When is that right moment?’ Eric asked.

‘When you return.’

‘Howwillyou know when we will return?’ he persisted.

‘Because you will arrive,’ Cang answered without humour.

Eric scowled, for the man spoke in the same riddles as Master Celios, but Samuel took the opportunity to speak. ‘So, Master Celios was complicit in your plan all along. Obviously, Balten also knew what was going on. Does the deceit end there? Who else amongst us has been aiding you? If we must help from our own free will, I don’t want any more secrets.’ In that, he looked directly at Canyon, and he was not disappointed in Cang’s reply.

‘Are you looking for someone on which to focus your frustrations, Samuel? Very well, then that serves a purpose, too. Ambassador Canyon is worthy of your attention in that regard,’ said the devious Cang, twirling his intertwined thumbs around each other. ‘Or why else do you suppose he is being so silent? Even now, the events that led up to today are running feverishly through his mind as he desperately thinks of ways to explain his involvement. He had all the little pieces of his plan worked out, but never did he think he would be put on the spot quite like this. Am I right, Ambassador? See how his pulse races and his skinreddens, despite his efforts to keep himself calm. It seems he is not the master of deception that he imagines. Almost, but not quite. He thought he was first in line for infinite riches and power or something of the kind, I presume, for why else would he be complicit in the destruction of his entire nation,of betraying his own god,of bringing her halfway across the world in effort to satisfy his own greed? Perhaps he even thought to gain favours from the Devil King as reward for helping with his return?’ At this, Canyon, shook his head desperately with denial. ‘Even I am not guilty of so much cruelty. I must admit Ambassador, that you are the only one here who has actually met the end of his usefulness. If the others chose to beat you to a bloody pulp with their bare hands, I would not interrupt them.’ Canyon looked broken and began to sob into his hands. The sight was pitiful, and Samuel had never seen the man so disturbed. ‘If you want to lie down and die,I am sure no one will object. Perhaps, your god will assist you to end your life?’

‘But the Circle promised me everything!’ Canyon blurted out. ‘The Circle promised me power!’

‘Of course I did, you fool, and you believed me. And power would have been yours, but I said nothing about murder and treachery and all the terrible things you have done. I said nothing about genocide,about the rampant destruction of your own people and culture. That was all your own vile nature at work. In truth, I regret that you were even recruited, for you have caused more suffering than I can stomach. I am saddened that my envoys in Koia chose so poorly, but at least the final result has been as required. You are here now, and you have done all that you were asked.’

‘That’s enough!’ the Emperor roared. ‘It’s one thing to deceive us and use us like this, but why torture us all the while? You act as if to befriend us, then you set us against each other. You kidnap and kill our loved ones as if their lives meant nothing. We wouldhave helped you if you had been truthful to us. All you needed to do was ask. You are an animal!’

But Cang only smiled dispassionately and shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘No, that is not the way that people behave-not at all. You would never have believed me, and you know it. None of you would. Indeed, with many of you Ihadtried already and Ihaveasked, but you each ignored my beckoning.’

‘Damn you, Cang,’ Samuel cursed. ‘We will get your damned relic. Just let us out of here so we can see to our work!’ Samuel hoped the others would agree with him, if only so they could leave the room.,He wasfilledwith disgust, but the one who spoke next surprised everyone in the room.

‘Magician Cang,’ said the Koian woman for,so far, she had been silent and still in her usual way.But now she pinned the knotty magician with an icy gaze that shone out from beneath her hood. ‘It seems we have been manoeuvred into a place of yourchoice, at a cost beyond description, but I have heard and considered all that you have said. I do not know your full intent, but we will do as you say.

‘Since coming to this land, you have all insisted that I am not a god and perhaps that is even so, but let me just say that Ambassador Canyon is mine to do with as I wish. He will come with us and not die until the time of my choosing. His punishment for his actions willalsobe of my choosing. We will return your trinkets for whatever you intend, and we may even help you destroy this demon that you speak of, but know this-when we are finished, whether we are successful or not, you will die, too.’

Cang actually appeared entertained by her remarks and he clapped his hands with a look of glee. ‘Well done, my girl! I see there are the makings of a woman inside that heartless shell, after all. I accept your terms, but all of you know this in return. Of all the people in the world, I am the only one who can fit the pieces of this plan together. Once we are done and the world is safe, I will be happy to die, for my life will have no meaning once that goal has been achieved. Still, to give you some motivation, there will be a reward waiting for each of you upon your return. I am the only one who can give each of you what you most desire. Each of you has a secret craving,a meaning that you have been seeking your entire lives. When you come back, I will give it to each of you.’

‘There is nothing you have that I would want,’ she spat out with unbridled disgust.

‘That’s not what I have been led to understand, my fine young puppet. I have heard of something you want most beyond anything else in the world. Would you not like to have it back-that thing which you have lost-your name?’

At that, the Koian woman froze. ‘You lie,’ she said. ‘I have no name. I am a god.’

The brown-robed magician sitting before them only sneered. ‘You are not a god, you are a pathetic tool for Canyon and his likes, used to exploit your people and keep them under your ruler’s thumb. You do have a name and not even Canyon had forethought enough to discover it. But I did. You were taken from your mother while she was shouting and screaming,and she called your name for years to come, until she went mad with despair. My ears and eyes are everywhere and I know your name well. Before I die, I may even tell you, but you are charged to complete your task first.’

She looked at her ambassador. Her hard exterior now looked brittle and she was trembling upon her seat. ‘Is it true?’

‘You may have been given a name-I don’t know. You were brought to the temple when you were only a babe. We never asked. It never mattered. Our god has no need of names.’

The woman composed herself and returned her glare to Cang, but he ignored her completely. Instead, he put his back to her and looked at Eric. ‘Master Pot, I know what you desire. Return successfully and it shall be yours.’

‘I want nothing of yours,’ Eric retorted with disgust.

‘As you say, but I know what lies in your heart. Please me, and it is yours. Samuel, yours is the most obvious and easiest of desires to grant, for I know exactly the one who killed your mother.’

‘I have already slain that demon, Cang,’ Samuel stated. ‘I killed Ash long ago.’

‘Of course,Ash was in command that day, and I know you feel you have avenged yourself with his death, but it was not Ash who did all the frightful stabbing on that fateful eve. There is one last living member of Ash’s witch hunters, for all the others have now perished. You slew Bardick, his accomplice, and the others in that band have met their own fates in different ways over the years. I have your mother’s killer squirrelled away safely for you. Only I know his hiding place. Complete your task and I shall give him to you.’

‘You lie,’ Samuel said.

‘Again, believe as you wish. His name is Cadin. He has a particular way with words and a nasty habit of chewing Fiskian tobacco that has since cost him most of his teeth. He was a magician of sorts, with a talent in scrying for magic, but he abandoned that life years ago to pursue a career in petty thuggery.’

Flashes of that evening came back to Samuel,when his family had been killed,when he had witnessed the two men standing over his mother. Samuel had absorbed Bardick’s memories just before he had killed the man, and he knew Cang’s words were true. Cadin,indeed,was the man’s name and somehow his face shone in Samuel’s memory as if he were standing now in the room, standing over the body of Samuel’s mother and drenched in silver moonlight.

‘Suit yourself,’ Cang said upon Samuel’s silence. ‘I am sure he is not enjoying my attention and perhaps he will even be grateful for a quick end at your hands. Whatever you decide, I will keep him safely for your return.’

Despite his attempts to think otherwise, Samuel could not help but relish the idea.

Cang looked at them one by one, as if waiting for any of them to say more. ‘If no one has anything to add, then I shall assume the matter is settled. Balten will continue with you to Hol, the Paatin city. He will assist you however he can. Do not blame him for any ill feelings you may have for me. He is only a humble servant and knows little of my plans-for practical purposes. Master Celios will stay with me and I will use him to keep track of your progress.’

With that, the spell around them dropped away and Samuel found he could move his legs freely.

‘Horse!’ the Koian woman commanded and the warrior exploded from his seat, unleashed like an arrow. Cang made no attempt to move or cast a spell, for he had no need to. The Koian warrior’s fate was sealed as soon as he left his seat-he fell dead at Cang’s feet with his clenched fist still held out before him.

The god-woman hurried up and stood over her fallen protector. Her emotions were hidden within her hood, and she hoveredabove himmotionless.

‘Such foolishness. You see?’ Cang told them as he stoodup, ignoring the ruined corpse. ‘Everyone in this room has a purpose. His was to demonstrate how you should choose carefully from this point on, and not take any rash actions. His life would have been better served in the Desert Queen’s city, but now you will have to make do without him. It would be wise for you to remember your wits whilst within her realm, for she has great power and a short temper. Go now. Return when you are victorious.’

The door opened once again and Balten could be seen, waiting obediently on the other side.

‘Let’s go,’ Eric said and led the way out.

‘Come,’ Samuel said, stopping beside the god-woman. He placed one hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged away from his touch. She stood as if frozen above Horse, staring down at his body as if it could somehow bring him back to life. ‘Suit yourself,’ he said and went on without her.

Not even Cang noticed the tiny,wet drops that had fallen onto the dead warrior’s cheek.

There was little else they could do but continue on their way, riding on a string of horses provided by the temple workers. Although it was apparent they had all been tricked onto their current path, their goal remained the same. If they could retrieve the second relic while saving the Empress and her son, then so be it.

‘Why do you follow him?’ Samuel asked of Balten, as theytraversedacross the waste. ‘I have never met such a repulsive man.’

‘To save the world,’ wasBalten’sresponse.

‘Do you really believe he means for that? He seems more like a heartless devil himself.’

‘Sometimes it takes a devil to beat one, Samuel.’

‘Yes, I think I’ve heard something like that before.’

‘I know, in his own way, Cang still has some form of compassion for us. It’s just that he has walked so long upon the earth that he finds it difficult to remember being human. Every mote of his existence has been directed at freeing us from our fate, so I cannot blame him for being the creature he has become. He sees people in terms of lifetimes and events,and finds relating to us as individuals difficult. In the end, we shall be grateful.’

‘He seems to have forgotten that people dislike being used. If he had really known us so well, we would all be following him willingly, not tricked into submission.’

‘Yet here you are, Samuel. I see little difference.’

‘Then perhaps that is the difference between us,’ Samuel replied. He looked up momentarily and noted the comet was still present in the clear evening sky, grown in brilliance since the last time he remembered examining it. ‘Perhaps this is an omen of what is to come,’ he noted. ‘The comet follows us into the desert.’

Balten barely raised his gaze for a moment. ‘Perhaps-but there are both good omens and bad; we shall see which this turns out to be.’

‘What about him?’ Samuel asked, gesturing back towards Canyon, with his god holdingontightly behind him, her arms wrapped around his belly. ‘What need do we have of him now?’

‘Perhaps, none-I don’t know. I spoke to the woman and she didn’t want him left behind. And I know something about Canyon-if there is one thing he is terrified of, it is that girl. Since his plans have been revealed, he is living in fear. I think that is how she likes it.’

‘So be it,’ said Samuel. ‘He deserves whatever he gets.’

And they rode on in silence after that, into the dark desert night.

The rocks and flats turned back to sand soon after that, and they traded their horses for camels at a small Paatin trading post. Once again, the owner knew Balten and there was no need for payment.

The tall animals handled the uneven terrain with ease, but the ride was lurching and turbulent. Every motion from the beasts had their riders holding on for dear life. Only Balten seemed at ease upon them and he kept his eyes to the horizon. They travelled for many nights, sheltering by day in huts and hovels that marked the way. When the scorching sun went down,they headed due east, lighting their way with mage-lights when required, each throwingitsghoulish light upon the dunes around them. When the sun rose, they sought shelter once again. They measured their travels by flasks of water and the hours until they could next quench their thirsts.

‘I don’t think it’s rained here in a thousand years,’ Eric noted.

Samuel observed the skies. There was not a drop of moisture to be felt and he wondered if he could change the weather here, even with the power of his ring. He doubted it.

The desert soon became great waves and hills of sand, utterly devoid of life. They rode the crests of these dunes when they could, and dipped down into them when required, mindful of all the warnings that Balten recited for them on each occasion.

‘Do you remember what I told you in the mountains, Samuel,’ Balten remarked, ‘that we would miss the cold of the mountains once we entered the desert?’

Samuel smacked his parched lips. ‘Unfortunately, I do and,unfortunately, you were right.’ He rodeonin silence before posing a difficult question to the man riding beside him. ‘How long have you known that I have no power-that I am dependent on the ring?’

‘I am not blind, Samuel. When you first told me the Argum Stone had been destroyed in the battle with Ash, I had no reason to disbelieve you, but I am also not a fool. I can sense the ring in your pocket and I can see it on your finger when you cast your spells. It is not such a feat to work out what is happening.’

‘Then perhaps there are others who know about this?’

‘Perhaps, Samuel, but I would not worry about it if I were you.’

‘Oh?’

‘You are amongst friends here-mostly-and after,our task has been completed,the ring will be destroyed. Perhaps you will have no power when that is done, butultimately,you will have little choice in the matter. We cannot let you keep your power if it costs the lives of the world.’

Samuel knew the words were true, but still they worried him. He could not imagine living without his magic and found himself contemplating his actions if that moment truly arrived. He was not sure that he could face living as a common man. If he was calleduponto destroy his ring for the sake of humanity, he only hoped he would have thecourageto do it.

They passed the days without anyuntowardevent or sign of another soul, until one morning at dawn, as they were just preparing to find shelter, a dark wave began to approach from the east. Balten held his hand over his eyes and peered into the distance. He pulled his scarves tightly around his face and the others mirrored him, ensuring their features were hidden.

‘What shall we do?’ Eric asked.

‘Ride straight past them,’ Balten commanded. ‘Do nothing. They have no wizard.’

The host of black-robed men, all on foot,approached.They marched thirty abreast and five hundred deep. They did not waste energy marching in the regulated manner of the Empire, but sauntered casually beside each other, walking lightly on the shifting sands. True to his word, the entire host of men passed them by as if they did not exist.

Looking back at them, Canyon asked, ‘Are they magicians?’

‘No,’ Balten replied. ‘Black is the colour of the Aalatan,one of the larger tribes. The desert people’s only weakness is that their tribes have always been enemies. But their queen has united them now, and they have reluctantly banded together in vast numbers. They all fight for her.’

‘Where do all these people come from?’ the Emperor asked. ‘How can a land so empty produce so many soldiers?’

‘There are clusters of settlements here and there, but this desert is bigger than ten empires. Moreover, the Paatin are fanatical towards their queen, even more so than the Koians and their god.’

‘And what of their magicians…these wizards. Is all their magic so tainted and strange?’

‘Not at all,’ Balten returned. ‘Their wizards have always had magic akin to our own, but it is Om-rah who has tainted them of late. He has delved into magic of transformation and changed himself piece by piece until he is little more than a monster. I suspect he has found some snippets of the Ancient Lick, for his spells stink of such perversion. He hascreatedspells that change men into abominations of nature-granting them the aspects of other creatures-but the toll on them is high. They only live for minutes once the spell has done its work;then they die. Unfortunately, with the Paatin being more than willing to sacrifice themselves for their queen, he hasunlimitedsubjects willing to give themselves for his rank experiments.’

Samuel nodded in understanding and,as he rode on the back of the heaving animal, he considered ways to combat such a fiend. Slowly, they trod their way across the sands, leaving nothing but footsteps to mark their passing.