The Gods Awaken

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The moment Safar plunged into the jungle he knew he'd made a potentially fatal error.

Biting insects swarmed up all around him. Above, there was an explosion of wings and a chorus of shrill warning cries as birds took flight.

There was a scatter of motion in the trees, like errant winds bursting forth in every direction and he saw enormous apes swinging away from his entry point, jabbering simian curses.

A huge snake fell in his path, rising up on threatening coils, spitting poison at his eyes.

But all his alarm bells were already ringing and he brought his shield up just in time for the poison to splatter against it.

Jooli shouted something he couldn't make out, but he instinctively leaped to the side and an arrow from her bow pinned the snake to the ground.

Leiria rushed in, severing the snake's head with her sword. It fell on the black leafy ground, hissing and spitting its poisonous hate.

Safar heard shouts of dismay from the soldiers and whirled around to see thorny vines and branches shooting forth to bar the entrance into the jungle.

Somewhere not far off an ape hooted in triumphant glee.

Safar raced to the closing gap, hacking at the vines with his sword. Leiria and Jooli crowded in to help.

But as fast as they cut, the vines grew back at double the speed and thickness.

Then he heard an explosive pop! and two large insect eyes appeared out of nowhere, only inches from his face.

Crying a warning to the others he stumbled back, only to find himself caught in the sticky tendrils of a frighteningly strong web.

He fought his way out, then slashed at the thick strands entangling Leiria and Jooli.

Freed, they dashed out of the gap, which healed itself with such blinding speed that soon there was no sign of the path by which they'd entered.

Instead, Safar found himself confronted by an enormous black spider-big as a royal banquet platter.

Poison oozed from large fangs set in a mouth large enough to grip a child's head.

Several strands of web shot out of tubes along its bloated body. The thick threads wrapped around branches on either side of Safar and the spider rushed along them to attack.

Jooli's arrow hissed past Safar's ear, knocking the spider to the ground and killing it. But then other spiders-just as big and fierce-popped out of nothingness and scuttled toward them.

Safar ordered a hasty but orderly retreat along the narrow path. The squad of soldiers led the way, wary of new dangers. Jooli acted as rearguard, firing arrow after arrow into the spiders, while Leiria and Safar used their swords on those that got through.

Gradually, the number of spiders diminished and then they seemed to vanish altogether. Safar called a halt to reconnoiter but, as far as he or any of the others could tell, there were no other paths except the one they'd taken.

The trees were so tall and dense it seemed like twilight under their canopy instead of the middle of the day. The forest was strangely silent. There were no bird or insect sounds. Even the apes were quiet. It was hot and humid and the air smelled of rotting things.

The Kyranians moved on, treading lightly and keeping their voices to a whisper.

Then Sergeant Hamyr, who was a bit older than the other soldiers and a skilled tracker, found Palimak's footprints in the carpet of decaying leaves.

"At least we know we're on the right trail," Leiria observed.

"The question, of course," Jooli said, "is whether it'll eventually take us out of this place. After we find Palimak, that is."

Safar shrugged. "If we can't find a way to walk out," he said, "all we have to do is start climbing." He gestured at the towering trees. "Biner is ready to pick us up with the airship anytime we're ready."

There were murmurs of relief from Sergeant Hamyr and the others. Rattled by the events of the past hour, they'd forgotten the fall-back plan.

"We can also rely on Biner to send us reinforcements if we need them," Safar added-further comforting his soldiers.

He patted a hefty pouch on his belt. "I have plenty of signal powder. So I only have to find an open space, or get high enough into the trees, to let Biner know what's happening."

Everyone felt much better after that, talking in normal voices and enjoying a quick meal of parched corn and dried goat flesh which they washed down with good Kyranian wine mixed with honey and water.

Refreshed and with their spirits restored, the expedition continued-following the narrow path that wound through the gloom like an uncoiling snake.

However, Safar was not as unconcerned about their situation as he'd made out. Dead magic permeated the forest. Rather than coming from a single source, the magic seemed to radiate from all sides as if the very trees were inhabited by unfriendly spirit folk.

Quietly, he cast some warding spells and hoped for the best. Moments after he'd finished, Jooli slipped up to his side.

"You can feel it, too?" she whispered so the others wouldn't hear.

Safar nodded. "But I've taken some precautions," he said.

"As have I," Jooli said. "Except I don't think any of our spells are strong enough."

"That's because we don't know who or what we're guarding against," Safar said. "We're both working blind."

He gestured ahead, where the path curved around a vine-choked tree, saying, "Unless I'm well off my mark, I think we'll find out soon enough. There's something waiting for us just past that point."

Jooli's eyes narrowed as she concentrated. Then she nodded. "You're right," she said. "But I can't make out what it is. Everything seems … I don't know, scattered."

That was exactly how Safar would have described the strange waves of magic he sensed. It was as if they were made up of many sorcerous particles with no particular center or purpose, but had only been brought together by coincidence.

"We'd better investigate before we walk right into some sort of trap," Safar said.

"Why don't I go ahead," Jooli asked, "while you watch my back?"

Safar agreed and called another halt. He told the group there were some unexplained disturbances he and Jooli needed to investigate, playing down the danger and making it seem like a routine precaution.

Leiria knew what he was up to. They'd fought together so many times that even the subtle system of signals they'd worked out over the years was unnecessary. She sensed what was happening before he had a chance to tug his earlobe or straighten his sword belt.

Instantly, she took appropriate action. "If Jooli's going to play witch when she takes point," she said,

"we'll need plenty of hard steel behind her, not just more magic."

Leiria spread the men out along the trail, spears and swords at ready. When Jooli signaled to begin, they all moved forward-Safar lagging back, alert to magical attack from both the front and the rear.

When she reached the tree that marked the bend in the trail Safar saw Jooli hesitate, then lean forward to concentrate. He'd become familiar with her sorcerous spoor and caught the tingle of her magic as she probed the area beyond.

Safar added his own powers to her work and found nothing to be alarmed about.

The he saw her shrug and step forward.

Immediately, the air around her began to glow. Although he caught no scent of magic-threatening or otherwise-Safar opened his mouth to call a warning.

Then the glow became a cloud of colorful butterflies that circled her for a moment, then swept along the path just above the soldiersa€™ heads. Except for quick glances, no one paid them the slightest attention-not even pausing to admire this swirling rainbow of flying insects.

Leiria and the soldiers were so tensed for possible danger that the butterfliesa€™ beauty escaped them.

Jooli turned her head and called back, "Everything's fine. I'm going on." Then she disappeared around the bend.

Leiria was the next to cross and once again a cloud of butterflies appeared, circling her briefly before flying down the trail. She too signaled that all was well and that she was proceeding.

Sergeant Hamyr followed, leading the soldiers around the bend, absently brushing at a third swarm of the marvelous butterflies.

Safar paused at the tree. He studied the ground, then examined the massive roots that rose twenty feet or more before they joined the trunk.

He saw a large snake, thick as a man's body, moving slowly up one of the roots. But its attention was fixed on a monkey, sitting silently and peacefully on a limb, grooming itself.

Other than the snake, he could see nothing that might endanger him. Nor could he see where the butterflies had come from.

He heard Leiria call to him, her voice calm and reassuring. So he stepped forward, alert for the slightest disturbance.

And nothing happened. No odd shimmer of the atmosphere. Not even a single butterfly rising up, much less a colorful swarm.

He went around the bend and some distance away saw Leiria and the others squatting on the trail, peacefully munching on rations and slaking their thirst.

Leiria waved to him. "It's all right, Safar," she cried. "Come and have something to eat and drink."

Then Jooli called out. "We found more of Palimak's footprints."

Safar hurried forward, anxious to see.

Without warning, the ground shifted under him. He fell heavily, hands shooting out to catch himself.

But when he landed, instead of the leafy jungle trail he found himself gripping hot, bare ground.

And all around him he heard hundreds of voices roar: "Kill, kill, kill! Death to Safar Timura!"

Safar came up, bewildered-but automatically reaching for his sword. He found himself standing in a large arena made of hard-packed red earth.

And instead of the jungle and his waiting friends he saw hundreds upon hundreds of shouting, painted savages-all pounding the ground with the butts of their spears. Horns blared, drums thundered and somewhere a big cat screamed in fury.

From behind he heard the heavy slap of feet racing toward him and he whirled, sword coming up. But then he froze, gaping.

For charging toward him was a half-naked youth. Brandishing a long spear aimed straight at Safar's heart.

It was Palimak!

And the crowd roared: "Kill, kill, kill! Death to Safar Timura!"