City of IF

[Shady Stoat]

The vote went with accepting the Oracle's gift and asking about a significant milestone that could be achieved towards defeating Itharien's influence on the world. Here's what follows.

Chapter Twelve

Keli shook her head, feeling lost.

“But I don’t know where to go. I don’t know what to do!”

Erath eyed her, calmly. “Shakal can teach you and guide you. I have left the task to her. Our time together is fading. You must ask the question that rises up within your mind. Ask it while you still have the chance.”

The girl’s head was whirling. Ask the question, Erath had said. There were dozens of questions! What did her dreams mean? Why did she have magic at all? What could she do against Itharien that the Oracle and all the combined Weres of the city could not? Did she have other dormant powers that could be brought to the surface? Would she even live through this?

She forced the panic away with a ruthless effort of will. She would never survive this ordeal without knowing what she was aiming towards. That was the question that rose above all the others.

“I need a goal,” she said, only a faint hint of a quiver in her voice. “You say I can remove Itharien’s influence? Then what milestone marks a significant step towards that end?

Erath’s lips curved in satisfaction. “Well chosen.”

With that, she reached out a long-taloned hand and touched it to Keli’s cheek. Their eyes widened simultaneously as both felt the thread of raw magic running through the contact. Then, Erath’s eyes began to glow with a subtle green light.

“In the Imperial Gardens there is an enclosure. Thick stone walls hide the Garden of Visions. Moss and ivy cover the stone and the wooden door that allows access. No gardener, no custodian, no living soul has ventured far within those walls for many a year.”

The werecat breathed harshly. “In the centre of the enclosure is a statue. A guardian that wards off those with no right to claim what it protects. You must prove your powers and take the Stone of Oracles. It has been waiting for you. Much that has been clouded from you will become clear. Find the Stone of Oracles…”

The magical bond between them snapped as suddenly as an overstretched piece of elastic. Erath’s head rocked backwards. When he looked at her again, his eyes were clear.

“Good luck, Seer,” he said. “I know we will not meet again, but you give me hope.”

With those simple words, he trod lightly to the door and opened it. Beyond, Keli could just see the corner of the throne, where, in her vision, the blurred figure had been sitting. The Golden Hall – the massacre – the meeting with Shakal. It was all coming true, just as her other visions did. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to escape the burden that had been set upon her.

There is no safe path for you to take.

Erath’s words haunted her. No safe path, perhaps, but how about the one that she was following right now? Could that possibly end well, or would she die with her belly slit open, screaming out her agony as her flesh burnt?

She closed her eyes briefly. If she didn’t take on the task, who would? According to the Oracle, she was all that stood between Itharien and world conquest. There was no hope either way, so she might as well go out trying to do as much damage to the Beast Cult as she could.

Erath returned with Shakal trailing behind her. The young wolf shot Keli a vaguely accusatory look before returning her attention to the Oracle. Keli wondered, once again, what she had done to make Shakal so antagonistic towards her – and why Erath had chosen such an obviously unwilling guide. She was given no time to consider, however, before Erath gestured her to get up.

“You must go now,” she said, pointing to where Keli’s belongings were piled. The library catacombs will lead you into the streets. Shakal will take you to a safe house, where you may stay for a short while.

“B-but… I thought…” stammered Keli. “I mean… if it’s so easy to get out, why don’t you all just escape?”

Erath moved to the far corner of the room and lifted a rug, revealing a trap-door beneath. He grunted as he lifted its obviously heavy weight.

“We stay here by choice, human. Itharien must think he has won. His complacency is your greatest boon. Our fate is ours to endure, you must deal with your own future now.”

Keli eyed the rung ladder, uncertainly. “I don’t…”

“Now!” snapped Shakal, giving her a slight shove towards the ladder. “Obey the Oracle.”

Keli stumbled forward a pace and gave Shakal a hurt look. The Were stared stonily back at her. Sighing, Keli began to lower herself down the ladder, into the darkness below. Almost immediately, Shakal’s feet appeared a rung or two above her head.

A rectangle of light was their only illumination as they descended. Then the trapdoor closed and even that was gone. Keli gripped the damp wooden rungs and forced herself to continue descending. Her heart was beating too fast and sweat from her palms was making her grip even more precarious.

How would they find their way in the darkness? Keli heard the sound of her own breath, unnaturally loud in her ears. An occasional ‘plink!’ of dripping water was her only accompaniment. Shakal made no noise, although she was much closer than the water. The lack of sound from the rungs above was eerie. Keli tried to take her mind off it by counting the steps of the ladder.

‘Eleven… twelve… thirteen… fourteen…”

Finally, she spoke, just to relieve the pressure of the silence.

“Shakal, how far…?”

“Be quiet – and speed up. We need to get away from here, as quickly as possible.”

She flushed hot in the darkness. Anger began to curl its flames around her. Shakal had left her to fend for herself in the city, and now she acted like Keli was the one who had done the abandoning! Maybe there was no trusting her. Maybe there was no trusting any of them!

The thought rose that Shakal had saved her life only a few hours ago. She shrugged it away sulkily. It would never have been necessary if the wolf had not run off in the first place!

Erath had seemed to be nothing but kindness. What if all of that was just a setup, though, to lead her to a greater betrayal at Shakal’s hands? Would they really allow themselves to die, just so that she could escape? Or was she just the decoy, meant to delay a strike on the remaining Weres?

Her thoughts were interrupted as her foot hit solid stone. She felt the answers to her questions slipping away from her. There was a light thump to her side as Shakal’s feet landed lightly on the rock below them.

Keli opened her mouth to ask what would happen next. Then she shut it again. If Shakal didn’t want to talk to her, then she would keep her silence, and damn the wolf!

As it turned out, there was no need for speech. Shakal simply grabbed Keli’s sleeve and began to lead her, blind, through the twists and turns of the cold tunnels. Either the wolf’s night-vision was superb, or she had other senses with which she navigated. Keli stumbled and bumped her way through the blackness for nearly ten minutes. Throughout that time, not a word was spoken.

Finally, Shakal stopped. “We must go up now,” she said, simply. “Follow me – and be careful.”

Keli heard the creak of wood as Shakal started to clamber up the ladder. There was the vague suggestion of a shadow to her left. She felt around and found the steps. This time the wood was dry and much easier to climb, although each rung creaked alarmingly as she stepped on it. The noise was amplified, bouncing off stone walls, no doubt rousing the attention of anyone who was waiting at the top.

If she could trust the Oracle, there would be nobody waiting. But could she? Keli’s stomach twisted in knots as she wrestled with the question. By now, though, she was committed. If it was a trap, then it was too late to run.

Light appeared above her, lantern-bright, but still a little dazzling after her spell in the dark. She smelled hay and the strong scent of horses. Shakal hoisted herself out of the trapdoor and stood back while Keli did the same.

The girl looked around, a little bewildered, as Shakal lowered the trap-door. They were inside one of a long row of stable stalls. This one was empty, but she could see the horses on either side of her, eyeing her with wary attention. Three lanterns flickered at even intervals, warding away the darkness outside.

It was still night-time. Keli gazed around, aware that she had lost track of the time since the attack. Only a few hours must have passed, although it seemed longer.

“Put your hood back up,” ordered Shakal. Keli looked back to see that a bale of hay had been shoved on top of the trapdoor again. Shakal was tapping her clawed fingers against her belt, an impatient look in her eyes.

She put the hood up, obediently enough. “Now what?”

“Head for the river bridge. I will be following,” answered the wolf. Before Keli had a chance to question her, the Were began to fade into invisibility. She gaped. In all her journeying with the wolf, it had been easy to forget that this was a magical creature, with defences of her own. It was a reminder of how different the two of them were – and how little she knew about Shakal, or about any of her kindred.

“To the bridge,” came the curt command from nowhere. Keli sighed and made her way cautiously out of the barn. One of the horses whinnied softly, but there seemed nobody about to hear its complaint. She slipped across the yard and made her way out to the gates and lane beyond. Having no idea where she was, Keli hesitated, only to hear the growl of instructions from an invisible voice behind her. In that way, she crossed streets and junctions until she once again stood by the river.

The paths were dotted with travellers and night-traders again. There was no sign of the Guards who had been so busy during the Call of the Evening. Nevertheless, Keli was on edge. She jumped when Shakal commanded:

“Now cross.”

“The bridge?”

“Of course the bridge!”

Keli shuddered involuntarily. The words blurted out, even though she hated herself for saying them.

“I – I’m scared!”

She tensed, waiting for anger or scorn. Surprisingly, Shakal’s voice held a note of compassion, for the first time since they had been reunited.

“No harm will come to you. We must cross.”

No alternative. Always no alternative. Keli walked across the bridge with dread. As if to confirm her fears, she felt an immediate rumble from the ground. Buzzing pressed in against her ears, for a brief moment. Then it was gone.

Afterwards, she tried not to remember the journey across the east side of the city. Nothing assaulted her, but there were always shapes, always shadows. After the last time, she felt sick with dread. Shakal was no guarantee of her not being hurt again. The wolf’s presence had not prevented anything more than her descent into slavery last time. The wounds in her body had healed easily enough, but her mind quivered with injuries that were barely scabbed over.

After an endless labyrinth of dark and stinking streets, Shakal put a paw on Keli’s shoulder.

“We are here,” she said, softly. To Keli, it looked exactly the same as every other narrow dirt-track she had plodded through. The same fetid stench, the same crooked shacks, the same outlines in the shadows.

Shakal re-appeared, in the recess of a doorway. She rapped softly on the door. Keli watched as a thin flicker of light showed behind the curtains. She heard a shuffling. It seemed slow and unhurried.

A few moments later, the door opened. A tiny man answered the door. His head was misshapen and seemed too large for his body. His brow and eyes were huge, trailing off to a narrow mouth and chin. Only just over four feet tall, he looked up at them and gave a tight smile.

“C’min,” he croaked, gesturing into the single room beyond. Shakal pushed Keli forward and she went, willing herself not to stare at this wizened gnome of a man.

She soon found other things to stare at. The room was cluttered with dirty clothes, pots and pans, greasy dishes and large brown ceramic jugs with stoppers in them. Taking up a large portion of the remaining space, there was a huge copper kettle. An overpowering smell of yeast was emanating from it, making her eyes water. The only other furniture was a thick-beamed wooden table and a mattress on the floor. Keli hoped she would not be asked to sleep there. It looked filthy.

“Down there,” the man ordered, hoarsely. He pointed to a rickety set of steps in the darkest corner of the room. Keli strained her eyes, trying to see what lay down there, but could see no further than the first three stairs.

“Thank you, Maurice,” said Shakal. She lit a candle from the little man’s flame and started down the steps. Keli hesitated, then followed. No alternative.

There were only twelve steps. At the bottom, she found herself in a cellar of sorts. It seemed more of a cave, dug out of the dirt and shored up with wood beams and pillars. Straw, layered with a sprinkling of fallen earth, covered the floor and there were six piles of blankets, folded neatly in contrast to the room above. Three wooden shelves held long tubes of packages wrapped in paper and more of the brown ceramic jugs. It looked like the sort of place that people holed up in for a long time.

Shakal turned to her. “What do you need? Food, water, rest?”

“I’m hungry,” replied Keli, without having to think about it. “How long are we staying here?”

“We have tonight,” said Shakal, unwrapping one of the packages to reveal rather hard-looking biscuits. She handed them over to the girl. “Then tomorrow and the night after. We must leave after that.”

“Why?”

“Do you need rest?” asked Shakal, ignoring her question.

“I’m not tired.” Keli bit into one of the biscuits and found it tough but tasty.

“Then you need to learn. We have only a short time.” Shakal sat down in the straw, opposite Keli. “The Oracle told me to instruct you in the arts of spirit-travel, psychometry and vision control.”

Keli frowned. “I don’t understand what any of that means.”

“The first is the ability to free your spirit from your body and go on a voyage of discovery,” said Shakal, her face unreadable. “Insubstantial as a ghost, there are no bounds that you cannot cross, no secrets that are safe from you. As you master the skill, you will be able to range farther and farther from your body.

“The second is the power of gaining your visions from items. One touch and you will see the history and the people connected to the object. With practice, you will be able to concentrate your mind on what aspects of its past you wish to see.

“The third is the ability to explore the dreams and visions you already have.” Here Shakal’s voice became a little colder again. “Rather than being a helpless spectator, you will be able to close in on details, follow different paths of exploration, discover whether you dream past, present or future, perhaps even make the dream-subjects aware of your presence.

“However, I doubt whether you will be able to master any of the skills, being what you are,” she added with deliberate roughness. “It is unlikely that we will have time to do any more than scrape the surface of one such magic, in the time we have here. Which one will it be?”

Keli hesitated, going over options in her mind.

==========

Open decision point here. All suggestions and comments will be taken on board when I write the next chapter.

Does Keli choose one of the magics that Shakal has listed? Does she ignore the wolf and go talk to the man upstairs? Does she decide to try and make her own way, demand answers from Shakal, ask to be taught a different skill, or ask for a deeper explanation of what is going on?

What I'm trying to say is that, while the three 'spell options' seem more likely paths than the others, there are a lot of side-issues going on as well. Feel free to discuss or debate them if you want to influence the way the plot runs in the future :)

[Ingrothechundyer]

I think as as scared of her dreams as she is she'll choose to explore how to control them.

[DukeReg]

"Why did she have magical at all?" is a typo I think, Stoat. Just pointing it out.

I agree with Ingro. I think from her perspective spirit travel and psychometry would be kind of academic, while vision control would seem very important. She's been haunted by dreams endlessly, and has seemingly had no exposure to the other arts.

[Shady Stoat]

Thanks DukeReg. Didn't spot that one.

Fixed now :D

[Chinaren]

Nice chapter old Stoaty! Now we are moving a bit.

As curious about her dreams as she is, I think the out of body thingy would be the most useful.

She may be able to spare a little time to have a chat to the shorty upstairs.

[Smee]

Great Chapter Stoaty :D

I think she should learn Spirit-Travel - Being able to scout around and learn things without endangering herself will no doubt be vital. Her dreams she is slowly piecing together anyway, and now she knows that such ability could be hers then she can work on that herself.

Spirit-Travel, she probably doesn't even know where to begin trying and will need much guidence to get through it. If nothing else it'll be handy for looking around the Garden of Visions before risking going in.

Happy Writing :D

Smauna ;)

[Tazgirl180992]

Brilliant Chapter Stoat!
Smee:
Quote:

I think she should learn Spirit-Travel - Being able to scout around and learn things without endangering herself will no doubt be vital. Her dreams she is slowly piecing together anyway, and now she knows that such ability could be hers then she can work on that herself.

Spirit-Travel, she probably doesn't even know where to begin trying and will need much guidence to get through it. If nothing else it'll be handy for looking around the Garden of Visions before risking going in.

I agree with smee, it would be useful to learn things without having a risk of being caught!

[D-Lotus]

Yet if she does that, she will be still plagued with nightmares she doesn't understand. It seems as if anybody can do the other things, but not everyone can control dreams because they don't have her dreams, so she should learn to control her greatest power.

[LadyK]

I agree that she needs to control the dreams first.She will probably be able to learn things from her dreams that she can explore later with the other lessons.

[Mother Goose]

If time is short for learning, the dream interpretation has another advantage in that she already has a start on it. This is her personal ability and she should be able to use it to the maximum. Many other things can become clear through the dreams if she can control and interpret them.

[Suneila]

I think Keli should try to prove Shakal wrong and master all three magics. But to start, I think Keli would choose the dream one. Her nightmares are awful to her and like D said, I think she would want to master them first.

I also think that she should ask Shakal why she abandoned her when they first got to the city. Pending a reasonable and apologetic answer, she should determine to trust Shakal. The werewolf is the closest ally (and only possible friend) she has right now: Keli needs to be able to trust her. So far, (apart from the abandoning thing) Shakal has done nothing to harm Keli, or lead her into harm. Once the abandonment issue is cleared up, she will have no reason to distrust her.

~sunny

[D-Lotus]

That's true. Keli needs to understand, is Shakal a willing or unwilling helper? Can she trust him?

[Kalanna Rai]

I'd like to speak up for option two. Learning from items has useful sides that both the others do not. For instance...touch the hem of Shakal's cloak and find out what Shakal has done while wearing it...this might include conversations she had while wearing it and those might give greater insight into the nature of her companion...

Also wouldn't it be the best choice to have a firm grip on when you first encounter the Stone of Oracles? That Stone might possibly be able to teach you the other two magics on the spot...if you know how to listen to it...

Just a suggestion...

[Tazgirl180992]

by the way stoat I noticed your link on you signature(sp?) leads to chapter 7 not chapter 12. did you realise that?

[Shady Stoat]

*grins* Nope, I had no idea. Thanks for letting me know, I'll fix it :)

[Shady Stoat]

I'll be putting the poll up for this one tomorrow. Thanks for the great comments so far. Chapter 13 should prove interesting, whichever way it goes :D

[Shady Stoat]

Poll's up. 3 days again. Votes please :)

[Shady Stoat]

Dream control wins it. Thanks for your votes everyone :)

[Shady Stoat]

Forgot to mention it before but - chapter 13 is up everybody :D