Chapter 11: Centaurs
Chapter 12: Further Exploring
Chapter 13: Conclusion
***
Chapter 11: Centaurs
Horus suddenly lifted his head up and sniffed the air, then trotted
forward closer out into the wind and sniffed again.
Amen-Ra looked at him curiously then tried as well, nostrils dilating.
“What is it?” Zak asked, glancing at the herd. Most of the adults
were doing the same – the rest were looking around nervously.
“Centaurs,” Amen-Ra said.
“They are coming here to speak with Kiel, I believe,” Zak said.
Horus snorted derisively. “Centaurs and Hrayalin do not get along,
and centaurs have arrows. We had better leave.”
“And if Azrael has any sense at all, he would leave too,” Amen-Ra said
quietly.
Raven walked up to Zak. “The herd wants t’ go,” she said uncertainly,
“Ah reckon we should go an’ talk t’ these centaurs.”
“Right,” Horus said, with a playful bite that carefully missed Zak’s
shoulder, “I’d see you about that service later.” Then the large
black trotted off, though waiting at intervals for his aged parent to catch
up.
“Service?” Raven asked.
Zak shrugged. “I’d like to ride, though I am not sure about Horus
being my choice. He is rather unpredictable.”
“Many Hrayalin are,” Raven said. “Let’s go.”
They picked their way back up to the exit, then walked in, while the
stallions in the herd started to organize everyone as they moved off.
“Do ye reckon they’re still playin’ chess?” Raven asked.
Zak smiled. “If none have won, I would think so.”
Kara clambered swiftly down the maze of statues to the front door, with
Janus taking up the rear. They stopped vaguely near the center of
the entrance and looked at the approaching centaurs.
There were about twenty or so of them, with mixed sex, all wearing armor
and carrying assorted weapons.
Janus carefully planted his staff in front of himself as the lead centaur
called for a halt at a respective distance and trotted forward.
“What is your business?” Janus asked.
The centaur looked at him with a cold and imperious stare. “We
would speak with the goddess Kiel’aeya, second disciple.”
“And what makes you think she wants to speak with you?” Janus asked
with a hint of belligerence.
“Janus!” Kara hissed in warning, “What are you doing?”
Janus ignored her.
The lead centaur’s face took on an affronted look. “You dare insult
me, human?”
“Now, what is going on?” Zaknafein, followed by Raven, wandered out
from the entrance.
“None of your business, drow,” Janus said.
Zak raised an eyebrow with massive dignity. “I should say it is.
We’d take representatives from your group to see Kiel’aeya. The rest
of you stay put.”
“I see you are better trained in manners,” the centaur rumbled.
Janus opened his mouth to retort, but Raven prodded him in the back, and
he closed it. “Very well. Karin, Carmen and Char shall come
with me.
“Four?” Janus muttered, with a sharp look at Zak. The dark elf
ignored him, and inclined his head sharply to the entrance, leading the
way in. As he passed Kara, he told her softly, “Keep an eye on Janus.
You too, Raven.”
Kara and Raven nodded, and pulled Janus into the sleeping area as they
passed it.
Zak navigated the stairs with his normal agile grace, while the centaurs
had a little more difficulty, as they admired the mosaic.
When he reached the entrance to the large hall, he turned around.
“Wait while I call her.”
Enjoying yourself, Zaknafein?
Why would you say that, Kiel? He inquired.
“The centaurs, Kiel’aeya,” he walked in, with a wide grin on his face.
Kiel was seated on the throne, though she had thoughtfully added a soft
cushion on the hard throne, which was now made of what looked like a rather
deformed tree shaped with a throne-hollow. Impossible for trees to
grow indoors without sufficient sun, but there it was. Its roots
snaked over the ground.
Azrael was no where to be found.
Send them in.
Kiel winked at Zak, and from the small gasps behind him he knew the
centaurs had ‘heard’ it as well.
Zak turned and beckoned to the centaurs, and they filed slowly in, then
bowed to the throne.
Kiel raised an eyebrow at Zak, and he grinned behind the centaurs and
left quietly.
“Enjoy, Kiel,” he whispered, then looked up the stairs. Shrugging,
he decided to explore that portion of the place. It wasn’t as if
he had anything better to do.
***
“Now, what’s this about centaurs?” Kara asked.
Janus glared at her. “I just don’t like them,” he said ungraciously.
“Ah think he’s tellin’ the truth,” Raven said.
“You can tell?” Kara asked with interest.
“Yes,” Raven said, “Listen carefully.”
“Can you two stop speaking as though I’m not here?” Janus said irritably.
“Until ye start thinking sense, ye prejudiced bugger, nae.” Raven grinned.
“So I’m prejudiced,” Janus said, “So?”
“It’s a nasty habit,” Kara said.
“Uh huh,” Janus shrugged.
“Unpopular,” Raven said, “Whut d’ ye think aboot satyrs?”
Janus looked at Raven, whose hands were crossed firmly on her chest.
“Well...” he began.
“Yes?” Kara asked.
“I think that satyrs are ok,” he said cautiously.
“Huh,” Raven smiled.
“That is,” Janus added, brightening, “Beautiful female satyrs with long
black hair are ok.”
Kara stared at Janus, and then burst out laughing while Raven grabbed
a pillow and threw it at him.
***
As he neared the top, Zak noted that the steps were smooth from use,
and smiled to himself. Either there was something interesting like
a treasury, or this was the public privy. He fairly doubted it was
the latter, unless the builders of this place had a morbid humor of building
only one privy so high up. And there was always the problem about
drainage...
Sure enough, the stairs opened up again to another room, then continued
upwards. Zak looked up, then at the door, then up again. He
shrugged and tried the doorknob.
It was locked. Zak looked more closely at the door, noting that
it was stout oak, with a metal decoration on it in the shape of a shield
and a sword.
It wasn’t magical. He felt the grains of the wood with sensitive
fingers, and decided not to risk a sprained ankle or shoulder.
Muffled noise emitted from inside and Zak froze, then put his ear to
the door. Relaxing, he knocked on it.
Another muffled crash and footsteps that paused behind the door then
opened it. Zak grinned at Azrael. “Am I disturbing something?”
Azrael sighed. “No. Welcome to the armory. I melted
the lock device to prevent the things from being stolen.”
Zak pondered briefly over the last, seemingly unrelated bit of information,
and then the thought flew out of his head when he looked in.
The armory was stocked with weapons of all types.
“None are magical, I’m afraid,” Azrael said.
“Who in the Nine Hells is that, Azrael?” a strange voice demanded from
a corner as Azrael closed the door.
Zak turned to see an adamantite birdcage in the shape of a steep dome,
hung on a rod that protruded from the wall. The cage was about eye
level, with no apparent door, and the bottom rim was a metal band about
three and a half inches wide, ornately carved and fitted with emeralds
and sapphires. The bottom of the cage was of thin, wide spaced bars
of adamantite fused into the rim.
Inside the cage was a remarkable occupant – a parrot that sat on the
only perch in the cage – a low metal one. Its sharp, intelligent
orange eyes were set in a large white marking that extended to the beak,
with small black streaks that ran below the eye across the white.
Its feathers were emerald and blue, though with a strange black marking
on its chest. It had a broad white crest that curved backwards over
the head, of five long feathers.
“A flamboyant pet,” Zak said, looking at the bird.
“Drow!” the parrot exclaimed, then cocked its head at Zak as if wondering
if he’d look better in another angle. “Bloody hell.”
“Barb is not a pet,” Azrael said dryly, “He’s a friend. Sort of.”
“No friend of yours,” Barb said, and chuckled harshly. “I’m not
a parrot at all.”
“Barb is... was some kind of demon,” Azrael shrugged, “Or entity.
He was summoned here a very long time ago by one of my people, and for
a lark changed into a parrot and put in this impenetrable cage.”
“I haven’t been fed for years,” Barb complained, “Azrael is lax about
feeding me, but not about feeding those bloody Hrayalin.”
“Barb knows a lot about things,” Azrael said.
“My ultimate downfall,” the parrot lamented, “Stuck in a bloody metal
cage that gets damn cold in the winter and damn hot in the summer, in a
damn musty room with only this damn...”
“I get it,” Zak said solemnly, then started to laugh.
Barb eyed him with irritation. “Up yours.”
“I think he likes you,” Azrael said blithely, “He hasn’t called you
a son of a...”
“You’re encouraging me,” Barb sang in an off-tune, high-pitched voice.
“Not much company, is he?” Zak inquired.
“No,” Azrael admitted, “But he is company.”
“Can he ever get out?” Zak asked.
“No,” Azrael said, smugly.
“Damn you,” Barb chimed in, with the air of an old veteran.
***
Chapter 12: Further Exploring
"What do centaurs have against you?" Zak inquired as Azrael showed
him to an ancient wooden bench.
"How did you know?" Azrael asked, closing the door.
"Amen-Ra told me," Zak shrugged.
"Centaurs don’t like undead," Azrael said flatly.
"’Specially this one," Barb said.
"Is he called Barb because of his tongue?" Zak asked dryly.
"Very funny, drow," Barb said, "’Barb’ is a short-form of my true name."
"Which he says we cannot pronounce, but I think it’s actually because
he’s forgotten it," Azrael said with a mirthless grin.
"Have not." Barb said.
"Did too," Azrael continued in the same deadpan manner, "And he’s still
incredibly childish."
"I can see that," Zak said.
"Shut up, drow," Barb glared at Zak.
"Don’t the centaurs know you are here?" Zak asked.
"Probably," Azrael shrugged, "They claim to be able to read the ‘Book
of the Stars’ or something, which allows them to predict lots of things.
They probably know I’m one of Kiel’s disciples."
"I see," Zak said in a disinterested manner, "Are there any other rooms
like this? What is higher up?"
"The Observatory," Azrael said, with a faraway look in his eyes, "Would
you like to see it? It is one of the achievements of my people."
"We might as well," Zak said, "But no flashbacks."
Azrael glanced at him, startled. "What does this have to do with flashbacks?"
"I hate them," Zak said dryly, "Unless I’m the one having them, of course.
The look you have in your eye is a prerogative to a flashback."
Azrael laughed shortly. "I give you my word."
***
They climbed up the stairs, which seemed to become steeper and steeper,
till they reached the very top.
The room was circular with a domed roof, with a large mosaic on the
ground that depicted the stars. There was a large model of Toril that was
held by a large stand, with its moon. Some clockwork was keyed into it,
with a plaque below.
"It shows Toril and its moon’s exact position," Azrael said, "Hasn’t
broken down yet."
The walls were rather plain, though there was an oak table at one side
with a few chairs in poor condition, and other exhibits.
In the very center of the room was a high chair, which was behind the
eyepiece of an immense telescope, which reached through the ceiling itself.
"What you see of the telescope here is only half of its length," Azrael
said, beginning to animate, "If you turn this thing here in an anti clockwise
direction it would retract, and if you turned it in a clockwise direction
it would become longer. We used this to see the stars."
Zak sat himself in the chair, and Azrael helpfully adjusted the controls
until he could look comfortably in the eyepiece.
After a few more adjustments, Zak stiffened.
Azrael looked sharply at him. "What’s wrong?"
"A giant spider!" Zak exclaimed.
Azrael gestured to him and he obligingly left the seat. Azrael adjusted
the controls, then also stiffened. Then he started to laugh.
"What do you find funny about it?" Zak asked.
"There’s probably a spider crawling on the lens," Azrael grinned, "Why,
if a spider that size existed, this building would be crushed underfoot."
"For a moment I did feel rather shocked," Zak admitted. "And where does
that go?" He pointed to stairs that formed on the wall of the room to a
door high up, eight feet from the top of the dome.
"The observatory’s balcony," Azrael said, walking up the steep steps
with Zak following closely. He opened the door and stepped out.
"Beautiful," Zak murmured.
They were on a windy walkway four feet across, with a sturdy railing.
The walkway hugged the dome closely, and looked very ordinary except for
the wondrous view of the Unreal. Zak pulled his hood more firmly over his
head.
"It is, isn’t it?" Azrael said, "I like this place best of all."
Zak turned his gaze from the forest and the gathered centaurs outside
the door, which resembled odd-shaped ants from the walkway, looking southwards
to the treacherous terrain that eventually opened to a lush valley, a river
snaking its iridescent blue way through it.
Many black dots were near the river in the valley, and Zak looked hard
at them. "Hrayalin?" he asked.
"Oh yes," Azrael said, "Frankly I don’t understand why they come up
here at all, since they have so much that they can want in that valley,
except for the various predators. Which can also be found up here."
Another gust of wind whipped Zak’s hair into his face, but he smiled
to himself.
***
Later all of the disciples met in the sleeping area. Zak raised his
eyebrow at the mess of pillows strewn randomly around, and several patches
of feathers.
"Looks like a war zone," Azrael murmured.
Janus grinned at him. "Maybe it is."
"Yer goin’ tae take back yer remark?" Raven asked.
"Nae," Janus said, in a fair imitation of Raven’s accent.
Kara chuckled at Raven’s expression.
"How are you, Kara?" Zak asked.
"Fine, thank you," Kara said, "I get the occasional craving, but otherwise
I’m fine."
"Thank Kiel," Azrael told her.
"Somehow I didn’t know that," Kara said sarcastically, though a faint
smile took out most of the bite.
"Did you see how the centaurs are going on?" Janus asked, sobering.
"They’re camping outside," Azrael said, "No space in here for them,
and they don’t want to stay in the stables. Kiel’s reached some sort of
agreement with them, and they’re going to ask her a few more questions,
then leave, I think."
"Huh." Janus sniffed.
"Janus." Kara said warningly.
"However, one of us has to go and see the centaurs," Zak continued.
"Ah can volunteer," Raven said, "Ah don’t mind ‘em."
"Thank you, Raven." Zak said solemnly.
"I’d go and see Barb," Azrael said.
"Who’s that?" Kara asked.
"A parrot," Azrael grinned, "Like to see him?"
"Sure," Kara said.
"I think I’d clean up," Janus said.
Zak raised his eyebrow.
"Before anyone sets me to worse chores," he added.
"Good show," Zak shrugged, "I would be going to the Hrayalin. See you
tonight, everyone."
***
Kiel looks around, and notes that she is alone. She glances at the closed
door, and waits until the footsteps fade away.
She clasps her hands and closes her eyes, and sends out a prayer to
her mother, then holds on to the hand rests of the ‘throne’, and slowly
spreads her powers out over the lands until she is drained.
When she looks up, her face is pale and drawn. She nods at the air in
front of her, and it suddenly solidifies in a sheet of flame into a semi-transparent
figure of a grizzled, gray-haired man, outlined in a sickly red glow.
"A clever move, Kiel." He said calmly. "I may not now gain much power
from killing you, but by killing a goddess I bring myself a step closer
to immortality!"
Kiel continues to stare at him.
"You know you cannot kill me," he said, a trifle hurriedly, "For you
also know I am in one of your disciples. If you kill me, the one I inhabit
would also die."
Kiel nodded gravely.
"It was so easy," the man gloated, "Just to reach out through dreams
and pull – so easy... and your disciple wanted it, wanted more power...
like me."
Kiel’s eyes burned as the man approached, then she bit her mouth against
a cry as the throne twists to hold her painfully in place.
***
Zaknafein strolled down the steep slope, following the tracks of the
herd, which wound in and out in erratic patterns in an effort to throw
off pursuit. He grimaced – he’d been wandering for more than half an hour,
and it seemed like forever.
He wondered briefly how his son was doing, and made a mental note to
ask Kiel later. The Underdark was quite a dangerous place... and Drizzt
couldn’t have come to the surface, which was even more alien.
Zak stopped briefly to look at a large boulder, split into two angular
fragments, his fingers gently touching the edge, then continued downwards,
never slipping; though he took some time.
A loud pattering and the sound of rocks tumbling down reached his ears,
and he automatically ducked behind the boulder, drawing both his swords.
When the thing started to pass the boulder, he moved into a crouch,
then relaxed and sheathed his swords when he realized it was Raven.
The satyr looked very excited, flushed and quivering. She jumped when
he stepped out.
"What’s wrong, Raven?" Zak asked.
Raven turned two grief-filled eyes on him. "Kiel’s dead!"
***
Chapter 13: Conclusion
"What!" Zak could not believe his ears, and for a moment thought the
satyr was playing an incredibly tasteless joke on him.
"She’s on the throne," Raven stuttered, "An’ she’s nae breathin’! An’
she’s cold! An’ the centaurs say she’s dead!"
"Slow down," Zak said forcefully, and Raven gulped, closing her eyes,
and took several deep breaths.
"Ah’m sorry," Raven said, looking at him, "Ah mean..."
"I know," Zak said numbly, "Have you told the others?"
"Only Janus ‘cos he was on the way. A centaur’s gone t’ tell the other
two." Raven took in a deep, sobbing breath; "Ah looked at her, Zak. The
centaurs say dis yis fated..."
Zak took her by the hand, and led her back up.
"One more thing, Zak," Raven took another deep breath, "She was murdered."
Zak raised an eyebrow. "How can you murder a goddess?"
"The centaurs say that she hadn’t developed much yet," Raven replied,
calming down somewhat, then just as abruptly burst into tears. Zak awkwardly
patted her shoulder comfortingly, and she made another convulsive effort
to calm down.
"The throne somehow had... thorns in her flesh... pulling tight," Raven
said.
Zak saw there was no way she was going to calm down enough, so he continued
to pull her grimly to the entrance of the stables, and through, then up
to the throne room.
The others were already there, as was the lead centaur. Zak stared at
the throne in shock.
Kiel’s limp form was sprawled in a painful position on the throne. Thorns
had somehow grown out and dug into her flesh, and vines held her so tightly
in place that they had cut into her.
A familiar feeling of blankness was creeping into Zak, and he welcomed
it. It was his ‘guard’ against ‘trauma’ – he felt the same when he had
been tempted to kill Drizzt... and on many other instances. The life of
a male drow is not an easy one.
Azrael looked at Zak. "My father’s spirit did this," he said softly,
"I recognize his mark."
"You are correct," the centaur said.
Raven looked sharply at the centaur. "Ye know who did it?"
The centaur shook his head. "Only that I know the spirit resides in
one of you. I also know that whoever of you did it, the spirit came out
of your body here, in which you did not need to be here. Lastly, if the
person does not die the rest of us are in danger."
"He’d die all right," Zak said as quietly, though his tone was filled
with a steely menace.
"You sound like you know what’s going on, centaur," Kara said, "Why
are you here?"
"I am fated to be a catalyst in this reaction, to use a metaphor," the
centaur said, a little proudly. "I am to see it that the murderer gets
caught."
"How comforting," Janus said dryly, looking hard at the centaur. "One
of us, you say?"
The centaur nodded.
"Cards on the table," Zak agreed, "Raven, you were with the centaurs?"
"She was with us when it should have happened," the centaur said.
"Kara?" Zak asked.
"I was with Azrael." Kara said, then frowned. "Actually, when Azrael
left me with Barb he went to the observatory."
"Where I watched Zak stumble his way down to the Hrayalin," Azrael said.
"I think I saw you," Zak said. "Janus?"
"I joined Kara to try and talk her to helping me," Janus said, "Then
went back down where she refused."
"What time did ye do this?" Raven asked.
"I don’t know," Janus said, "I don’t have a watch."
"But the spirit can probably act independently no matter what the person
is doing," Azrael said gloomily. "And no one can tell – not even myself."
"Then we’re back where we started," Kara said. "Someone must have gotten
into that tomb. Azrael, do you check it every night?"
"Yes," he said, then brightened. "The person must have come in on the
night you came!"
"Who’s been sleepwalking?" Kara asked.
"I went to explore early," Zak said.
"Ah went after him around six," Raven said.
"Then it’s obvious, isn’t it?" Janus said coldly, "Give it up, Zaknafein.
You’re a good actor, actually – that look of shock nearly took me in."
Zak stared at Janus. "What?"
"You’re the only one missing," Janus said, "You’re a drow, besides."
"Because of my race you accuse me of murder?" Zak demanded.
"Your race is synonymous with murder," Janus said. "You were the only
one walking around. You were alone when the murder was done with only one
person looking who was so far away he probably only could see you as a
mere speck."
Zak looked at Janus in horror, then at Kara, who looked very tired.
Then he looked at Raven, who turned away her head. Finally at Azrael, whose
eyes looked very dead.
"I don’t believe you’re saying this, Janus," Zak said, "You could have
done it yourself. Your alibi is even more shaky."
"Trying to put the blame on me?" Janus sneered, "I think we had better
kill you. Or would you want to kill us now?"
"Zaknafein, I can’t believe it..." Kara said quietly.
"I didn’t do it," Zak said in an anguished voice.
Raven looked up suddenly. "Janus, you were also sleepwalking," she said
slowly, "When I woke up at six you were gone."
Azrael started as if he had been slapped. "And you’ve never been to
the Observatory – so how did you know that Zak would look like a speck
from up there?"
"The spirit’s influencing..." Janus began, then suddenly started speaking
in another voice. "No use," he snarled, "Bloody satyrs!" He lunged at Raven,
eyes glowing a bright red, but Kara quickly pushed Raven aside, and he
missed.
"Father!" Azrael cried.
"You won’t get me again, Ranath." Janus growled at Azrael. "I’m more
powerful than you now. The seeds of a god flow in my veins!" He curled
his hand into a claw, and all of them were flung back forcefully against
the walls as he burst into a maniacal laugh.
"Stop this," the centaur began.
"Shut up!" Janus roared, "Your cursed kind will be wiped from the Unreal
when I’m finished here."
"My kind helped Azrael stop you," the centaur began, and his hand flew
to his lips, and a shrill whistle sounded. "We can do it again."
Janus laughed, and there were cries of dismay below as the entrance
collapsed. "Again?" he mocked, "Again, weak creatures? I will eat from
you and drink from you and take your lives into my hands."
A dagger stopped several feet from Janus’ head, and he turned slowly,
his movements mechanical, and his eyes fixed on Azrael, whose hand was
at a dagger scabbard.
"Again, my son?" Janus smiled, "Not so." He raised his hand, and Azrael
was bodily picked up and slammed into the wall. "Not so." Azrael was hurled
onto the ground, such that Kara and Raven winced.
Zak had drawn his weapons, and moved smoothly forward, in such an unnoticeable
manner that he nearly reached Janus when the possessed man turned around.
Zak froze as Janus’ eye twitched, then Janus swung with his staff, knocking
the elf onto the ground.
"I always hated elves," Janus breathed, "Especially dark ones!"
"You’d think you’d prefer the darkness," Zak growled, struggling in
the magical grip, through the haze of pain as Janus rained blows down on
him with the staff, which crackled with fiery power.
"Narath!" the centaur roared, "Narath!"
Janus-Narath turned around to look at the centaur. "You will be next."
He promised, "As my name is Narath."
Kara and Raven, taking advantage of the distraction, suddenly leaped
on Janus, pushing him over and down, as Zak got up, biting his lip against
the pain until he drew blood, and looked in Janus’ eyes even as he pushed
his sword in with all his might.
As for Janus-Narath, he looking into the ice-cold, burning hatred in
the elf’s eyes, and knew fear for the first and last time as Zak drove
the sword through the hurriedly flung up flaming shield, burning his hand,
but driving the sword home through Janus’ heart.
The red glow abruptly ceased.
***
They painfully dragged the body towards the tomb, where they dumped
him in and the centaur muttered a spell, the fire consuming the body into
ashes. They pulled the lid over and walked out, Azrael closing the doors
and renewing the spells.
"You’d all need some aid," the centaur said, "The entrance is blocked..."
So saying, the entrance abruptly blew open, all five of them diving
back into the room-cum-passage to avoid the flung debris, then came out
again to see the centaurs pouring into Val Maren.
The centaur nodded gravely at his kin, as if telling them that what
had to happen had already done so.
***
Epilogue
Why did you agree, Horus?" Zak asked.
Horus was trotting easily along the river, with Zak seated on a saddle
on his back, two saddlebags containing several essentials. "Pardon?"
"You agreed incredibly fast," Zak said dryly.
"I would like to see more of the Unreal...and possibly the world," Horus
shrugged, "I am not exactly young anymore, and my sire and dam have been
bugging me for a mate. We cannot mate in our own herd."
"I see," Zak said.
"Why did you leave, Zaknafein?" Horus asked gravely.
"There’s nothing much for me left at Val Maren," Zak said, "And I like
to wander."
"Did you tell the others?" Horus inquired.
"I told Azrael," Zak admitted.
"Raven will not be very happy," Horus mused.
"Raven’s like a mother hen," Zak said calmly. He had a vague feeling
he missed the satyr, but he pushed it back down.
"You still owe me a favor," Horus pointed out.
"I suppose so," Zak said amicably, looking around. The valley stretched
on as far as he could see, all lush grass and shady trees and the wide
blue river.
"Really owe me a favor," Horus said meaningfully.
"What do you want, then?" Zak asked.
Horus seemed taken aback, as if he had expected Zak to bargain. "Well..."
"You don’t know yourself," Zak smiled, "Therefore I am not obliged to
do anything now..."
"You can comb my tail and my mane," Horus said. Zak could feel the Hrayalin’s
powerful muscles under his velvet black coat.
"What, now?" Zak said.
"Well, no," Horus agreed. "Later. Do you have any destination in mind?"
Zak shrugged. "Not really."
"Neither do I," Horus said, "I am not sure if my herd is the only one
in the Unreal. I know the rest of them are in the Underdark."
"Maybe we’d go to the Underdark, then," Zak said, "I think I have someone
I can find in there – though it’s a remote chance. Have you been to the
Underdark?"
"Only to see the ‘rest’," Horus said.
"Then we’d learn together," Zak shrugged, "It’s a dangerous place."
"So is the Unreal, if you’re not careful," Horus remarked. "Can I go
faster?"
"I may fall off," Zak said, holding on to the saddle horn.
Horus grinned. "Can I go faster?"
Zak sighed. He still felt the residue of shock and pain, though he had
to admit that killing Janus... or Narath, helped. Still, he knew there
should be a hollow, biting itch in his soul, and he did not exactly feel
it.
"Did you know that you can’t kill a goddess?" Horus said.
"Tell that to Kiel," Zak said quietly.
"I meant, you can’t kill a goddess that way," Horus said imperturbably,
"You just can’t. The spirit would remain."
"Really?" Zak felt he was grasping at strands of hope, but he subsided.
"Stop it, Horus."
"Very well," the stallion said, and trotted on.
They passed a tree next to the river, and Zak spotted a raven on a weathered
boulder next to it, and recognized it as Dale.
"Stop for a while, Horus," Zak murmured, and looked at Dale. It looked
back at him with beady eyes. "You certainly missed a lot," Zak told it
with a bitter smile.
The raven looked at him again, then opened its beak. To Zak’s astonishment,
what sounded like Kiel’s voice when it spoke in his mind came out.
Follow me.
End
Lledrith RavenWolf
**
© 1998-1999 Dragon's Library & Ulrike Großmann