Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 96
Uther stalked along gripping his axe and spinning the blade round and round without ceasing. It seemed to Sekali that Uther was about to burst, and he knew that the Battle Rage of the Kithrin was upon him; he could feel it. He could feel his lust for blood about to rage in its fury in his own veins as his vision dimmed to a blood-red haze.
Finyat wept, mourning the loss of Aria. He was cursing the Veleighen, vehemently, through his tears. And even though Finyat led them, Sekali doubted his senses, at this point, to guide them safely through the cave if there were unseen traps and hidden measures to stop trespassers from entering into the Sister City. But he said nothing to his companions. He would suffer what they suffered, for Aria’s sake. He would see them through this nightmare and raise the Sister City to its former glory . . . or die in the attempt.
The cries of many voices distantly echoed far behind them, to which Finyat laughed darkly amidst his sobs and shook his fist high in the air back the way they had come, not even looking back. Uther bellowed out in laughter in a manner that caused much alarm to spread through Sekali’s heart, breaking the hour of silence that had accompanied their travel through the now-upward slope of the cave.
As they neared their goal, they no longer trudged through the waters that numbed their legs. As they neared the end of the tunnel, a truly astounding sight began to reveal itself before them. Unfolding before their eyes, lay a city in magnificence and splendor. They could not see far, for the darkness of the cave obscured the range of their light. But Sekali saw further than they and gripped the cave’s entrance to balance himself and his mind at the scene before him, for it was not the roof of a cavern that barred all light, but sea water, held back as if it were by some great force.
Looking at Sekali’s reaction, Finyat held the bauble high. “Vessen!” Light, brighter than ever blazed forth, revealing more of what Sekali was seeing.
Uther’s mouth opened as he looked up at the great deep above him, involuntarily backing up a step, overwhelmed. Finyat laughed nervously and scanned the area above as if fearing the waters might suddenly fall. He looked at Sekali, speechless.
Sekali gathered his senses as he heard the distant shouts of the Veleighen within the tunnel behind them. “Come, come, our enemy is upon us!”
Sekali descended a small embankment and down onto a broken and shattered cobblestone road. They passed through the once grand streets of a mighty city, grand spires ascending upward toward the ocean bottom, as if reaching desperately for the light of the outside world.
As they ran toward its center, Sekali felt dread begin to creep into his heart. He could not place his dread; it was more than just the Veleighen in pursuit. The other two must have felt it also, for they slowed, drawing their weapons.
Cautiously, they slowed to a jog, Uther leading them through the main avenue with its many cross streets branching off this way and that. Shops and structures of many varieties arrayed the city. Sekali guessed that once, long ago, this must have been a grand city where many came to trade and deal one with another; where an Elfin king sat upon a grand throne, in a grand palace of exquisite workmanship . . . where the glorious race of the Eldishar once dwelt in peace and harmony. On they ran for quite some time before they neared what Sekali thought to be the city’s center.
A reverence settled within him, coupled with a growing dread as they broke out into a large public square before what looked like a grand palace with doors flung wide.
Before them, lay the long-since dead bodies of hundreds of armored elves and men, their skeletal remains filling the great doors of a grand castle pierced with weapons and arrows.
Finyat touched an arrow shaft as they approached the great double doors riddled with hundreds of arrows, most of which were warped and decayed with the passing of ages. The moment Finyat’s hand gripped the arrow shaft, it crumbled in his hand, followed by a section of the skull which it had pierced long ago. The bones which they trod upon, crumbled beneath their feet with little resistance. It felt as though they desecrated a tomb as they made their way into a large hall filled with a sea of dead defenders and offenders of the Sister City. Uther stopped.
“A shrine; we seek a shrine,” he grunted uncomfortably as he walked into the midst of the dead and turned a complete circle.
“And where do we look for a shrine in a city unknown to three strangers.”
Finyat shrugged and lifted a foot, wiping tears from his eyes. “Well, we must be in the right place, Uther, why else would there be such a host of dead here?”
Uther nodded in agreement. “Let us hope in our search they don’t still defend this city.”
Finyat’s face paled. “Don’t say that. Why did you have to say that?”
Uther laughed nervously and shrugged, “Sorry.”
Sekali scanned the entire chamber, that feeling of dread now turning to a presence of doom as the two double doors crumbled before their eyes. A presence filled the area that stole the beating of their hearts. Into the chamber silently stalked the skeletal remains of a dragon. Upon its back rode the robed figure of a skeleton, hand raised high. A ball of green fire came springing from its skeletal hand as it hissed unnaturally, “Who dares enter the Sister City!” It held its fire, and waited . . . motionless.
Sekali glanced at Uther and Finyat, who stood speechless, gaping in fear at the terrible presence of the dead. Sekali heard the rushing of many iron-clad feet outside the palace in the distance, and the loud-voiced commands of the Veleighen. How they had gotten there so quickly, he could not imagine. But they were upon them once again, and this terror before them seemed about to do the work of the Veleighen for them. Sekali withdrew his piece of the amulet, showing it openly to the dead rider.
“We come to raise this blessed city, with the blessing of the Queen of the Eldishar! Stand aside that we may accomplish its rebirth and oneness with the City of Knowledge!”
That was all Sekali could think of, other than attacking it. But he drew his blade nonetheless and readied himself for battle once again against the dead. His heart felt not the paralyzing fear that the dead held mortals bound by, and he was ready to lay low this horror . . . just as he had done before.
Leaning forward in its rotten, wasted dragon saddle, the dead lowered its hand . . . for only a moment it looked down upon him, motionless once again. Then it laughed a ghastly laugh and raised itself up in worn stirrups and pointed past them.
“Take the far stairs that ascend into the center tower.” Its voice echoed like a battalion of the dead, whispering in unison.
“My sister has sent you to redeem this blessed city, and to finally redeem my soul . . . go!”
Sekali wasted no time in grabbing Finyat and Uther, who seemed mesmerized by the presence of the dead. Pulling them toward some distant marble stairs at the back of the chamber, the sound of the dead magician's voice echoed through, followed by a concussion blast of energy that threw them forward into the dead lying on the palace floor.
As they scrambled to their feet, they heard the hissing of many arrows and dove to the ground, once again amidst a sea of disintegrating bones. Up they leapt as the arrows struck the stairs over them; they rushed up the ancient stairwell as arrows bit the marble all about them.
Sekali felt one pierce his right arm below the elbow and staggered. A ghastly moan filled the chamber behind them, followed by an intense feeling of being cursed and forgotten, if Sekali could have described the feeling of the spell the dead mage cast. A rumble shook them to the stairs and the arrows ceased as men behind them screamed and died. Up they sprang and ascended the stairs which spiraled steadily to the left and upwards. The battle raged below them as they ascended.
Sekali took the head of the arrow in his arm and pulled it through, freeing it with a cry. Blood began to seep steadily into his gauntlet as they ascended onto a floor also littered with the dead. They stopped to catch their breath, looking about. The dead seemed deeper in this chamber of dust than below.
“There at the center!” bellowed Uther, and ran toward a pedestal set deep with the slain about it.
The chamber was large, almost the magnitude of the first, but at the far end were steps all about a massive oval structure, etched deeply with runes upon its entire surface. One could simply walk up the stairs, through it, and down the steps on the other side. Sekali sprinted to the center of the room.
“Your amulets!” He cried. “Quickly!” Sekali pulled his free, as did Uther and Finyat, as a great moan was heard echoing about them.
The floor beneath them shook, driving them to the ground. There was a great cheer and a battle cry that followed. Then to their great fear, the sounds of many iron-clad feet began to fill the halls.
Sekali pulled himself to the shrine, and quickly wiped away the dust of twenty ages from its marble surface. He looked at his piece and then at the surface, where it was plain to see where his part of the amulet would be placed. As he fit his section of the amulet into its place, there was a great noise that sounded as though a giant had struck an anvil with a great hammer. The entire structure heaved, as though . . . Sekali could have sworn the whole place expanded once, as if struggling for breath.
He pushed himself away from the pedestal and unsheathed his blade as he leapt to his feet. A quiet began to settle upon him, and the tinge of violet began to overtake his visual senses. He began to walk toward the exit to the chamber, and as he approached the grand doors leading into this chamber, there was a shimmer to his right, as if a cluster of fireflies had suddenly shed their light. Mahkaia fell in step beside him, wielding a flaming sword, but he did not see it, for in his blood lust he knew only that battle was upon him. The clear iron-shod footsteps of his enemy were near at hand. As he neared the door, Mahkaia silently passed into Sekali, vanishing.
Something had touched him; that he knew. Spinning around in a full circle, Sekali screamed out in rage, thinking the enemy was upon him. But there was nothing there. His sword began to illuminate as he stopped just within the doorway to the chamber. Sekali heard Uther bellow behind him, “Just turn it that way, Shallant! You’d think you were a master thief, but you can’t even fit it in!” Finyat replied, “I’m trying, I’m trying! There! Got it!
Again the structure expanded, accompanied by that same deafening sound that threatened to shake Sekali off his feet. A great dust instantly arose from the floor of the entire structure as the second piece was fit into its place, obscuring Sekali’s vision. In a shrill voice, Finyat screamed, “Your turn Uther, hurry!”
Within the space of a heartbeat, there was a deepening groan all about Sekali that followed as the first of the Veleighen, who was two heads taller than Sekali, entered through the opening, weapon drawn and ready to conquer. Waving his hand, he beckoned his comrades into the chamber as he charged. But he never made it. With the sure stroke of Sekali’s glowing blade, the Veleighen’s head fell to the ground even as the next that followed after was pierced through the chest. Sekali had never known such a fluency of motion, as an energy filled him he could not describe. Within a breath he was out and in the midst of the Veleighen, hacking and slashing with deadly accuracy. They fell back before him, taken off guard by the sudden assault. But they were the Veleighen, and not easily swayed to flee. Without command, the foremost among them knelt, shields held defensively against Sekali, and through the dimness of the dust about them arose bowmen who quickly nocked arrows and bent their bows in a fluidity of motion that rivaled the greatest of soldiers known to Utaemia.
“Shrakka! (lightning)” Sekali screamed at them, holding out a hand, fingers splayed wide. Sekali felt the very fabric of the air about him as energy filled his being; unbelievable power! The air instantly came to life all about him and many bolts of lightning shot from the palm of his hand, striking down all before him with a terrific thundering boom. The silent throes of his foes lasted but a moment as their bodies charred and blackened. The metal of their armors carried the lightning among them and down the stairs where the Veleighen marched up in their ranks. They fell back before him, only to be overrun by more pressing fearlessly up the ancient steps. An arrow pierced his shoulder and side, but the blood-lust was upon him, and he did not feel it.
Then a third deafening sound hammered through the structure, louder than ever, and the structure expanded once again and contracted. All fell to their knees and covered their ears with their hands as the long and drawn-out gasp of a woman’s voice filled the air. Then there came a scream that caused all to cry out in pain. Like the legendary and dreaded banshee, her cry split the air throughout the city. A movement could then be felt, an uprising, a lifting sensation. It felt as though the quaking of the earth would swallow the city whole.
Sekali fought to stand, but could not. A weariness washed over him, overwhelming him as his vision began to fail, collapsing in on him like an unstable earthen tunnel.