Skycities of Arhosa Read online

“Just remember to issue them real armour. Having any crippled this early on would set back the whole class.”

  Ira nodded. “I understand. Was planning on bringing my homemade bow as a just in case.”

  Vendol sighed. “That monstrosity? Fine. But if you break your back carrying that thing through the brush, it’s all on you.”

  “Always is, chief.” Sketching a rather jaunty salute, Ira trotted off towards her home.

  ***

  Ira met up with her trainees at the portal, one of the last functioning pieces of high magic in Yn Dref. A vast ring bolted to the ground in the central square of the skycity, through it could be seen the huts and shelters of the village below them, and the people going about their day. But between her group and the portal stood both a fence and other guards, alert and skittish.

  While the gateway might be a vast artefact, it still drew magical energy from its surroundings. Magic that would otherwise be used to help keep the skycity afloat. Thus it was that anyone seeking to travel from Yn Dref to the ground below needed to get approved for the travel, although there was enough leeway in the process that only truly unnecessary trips tended to be withheld.

  A quick command set her squad of eight into two ragged lines, their armour pitted with age, their weapons likewise. Given that the worst the trainees should find today was a band of wolves, that would not pose much of a problem.

  “I know some of you haven’t spent time on the ground, but it isn’t much different from here in Yn Dref. And the people we’ll see are Hanians, so you’re among friends. First things first – I know it’ll be different, but never stare. That’s as rude as can be. Secondly, we’re going into the outlands, on the very edge of the settlement and maybe beyond. You won’t know how to deal with terrain like that, unless you were born down there, so make sure to follow what I say exactly, and to keep others in sight at all times. Now, any questions before we go down?”

  The blacksmith’s lad raised his hand, which drew an acknowledgement from Ira.

  “What is that… thing you’re carrying?”

  A genuine chuckle escaped before Ira remembered she was supposed to be stern.

  “It’s a crossbow, of sorts. I’ve been building and designing it myself.”

  “But it’s over six feet long!”

  “If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see me use it when we go down. Now form up!”

  Obediently, the trainees shifted formation as Ira strode forward to the guards, who gestured her past with a quick wave. Her students jogged through behind her.

  “This is going to be a little disorienting, so when you step through, try not to vomit on anyone.” Which Ira had done as a trainee, and at great amusement to the rest of the squad, since she’d covered her squad leader right after stepping through the portal. Not one of her finest moments as a member of the Yn Dref guards.

  Standing tall, she marched through the portal at a fast trot, taking pains to be several steps clear before the first of the trainees was dumped out onto the ground below. And then collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath, as the aftereffects of the magic caught her. The best description of it she’d ever heard was that it felt like being kicked in the balls while all the air was sucked from your lungs. Now, she didn’t know exactly what that was like, but given how many of the male soldiers had agreed with it, it must be pretty close to true.

  It was certainly unpleasant, and within moments there were trainees scattered about, retching or nearly so as they felt the impact of the transition. Only one of the women stayed standing, although the grimace on her face said that was more an act of willpower than anything else.

  After several long breaths steadied her, Ira rose to her feet and looked over the motley and somewhat vomit spattered group. “On your feet! The one thing I’m sure of is the creatures we’ve come to visit aren’t going to hang around and wait for you to recover. And make sure to clean one another off. You smell enough already.”

  Once the squad had composed themselves, Ira led onward. Might as well take them on a tour of the village before nightfall, when the real work would begin.

  ***

  Canere, having been able to pawn off his teaching duties on a kindly friend, had left the archives around the time of the morning meal, and collapsed into bed until the chimes sounded for the first bell after noon. He then spent the next hour sitting up in bed, reading the notes he had created.

  Which led to much muttering about the quality of his handwriting. It was, in a word, shocking.

  “If only I could use magic for something so basic. But I just can’t…”

  As the next bell reminded him. Sighing to himself, Canere made his way to the remaining headquarters of the arcanists of Yn Dref, a rather forlorn building that sagged around the edges. Once, it had no doubt looked majestic, but with the colour faded and the architecture in dire need of repairs, there was little of that former grandeur left.

  A nod from the apprentice sitting in the entrance way let Canere in, and a few turns later, he was heading into the depths of the skycity, towards the mystical centre, the artefact that kept everything afloat.

  The chamber in which the artefact rested was vast, hewn from the rock of this former mountaintop by the energies of his long-ago forefathers. The artefact itself manifested visually as a sphere of unblemished crystal, rotating at a slow pace. Somehow, it was supposedly tied to the movements of the heavens, but no Hanian of recent days had ever been able to explain how or why.

  Around the edges of the sphere were smaller lumps of unformed crystal, each sitting atop a little plinth. It was to one of those plinths that the young mage was going, for they allowed arcanists to channel their energy into the artefact, burning their personal force in return for keeping the skycity afloat.

  Surprisingly, the chamber wasn’t empty, as it usually was at this time of day. Instead, another mage was kneeling before one of the plinths, face drawn in concentration as sweat beaded on her brow. Dumping the vast majority of one’s daily energy at a single go was a taxing affair, and so some amongst the Hanian arcanists liked to visit multiple times a day, reducing the effort.

  Canere, on the other hand, preferred to deal with it all at once. And knowing the strain it took, waited quietly at the entrance to the chamber until his compatriot shuddered, rising on unsteady legs from where she had knelt.

  “Morning, Canere. Or rather, afternoon. I heard you were off on one of your jaunts through the archives again last night.”

  There was nothing Canere could do but laugh. Raiztae always knew what was going on in Yn Dref. Always. She was the queen of all gossip, and rumoured to spend some of her magical energy eavesdropping on every petty conversation. Although Canere, like most people, assumed that wasn’t true.

  “The font of knowledge, as always. Who told you this time?”

  “That young lad who runs messages from the archives to the guild and back. Blonde hair, scrawny.”

  “Doesn’t that describe half the children around here?”

  “Birthmark under his left eye.”

  “Oh, that one. I hope you gave him a trinket for his efforts.”

  “I was able to sneak him a little something. You know me, I help where I can.”

  Which was true, and the reason no one ever really disliked Raiztae – she always had a kind word and a small token for the least fortunate in the skycity.

  Canere gestured to acknowledge the comment. “So what’s the juiciest titbit you’ve got today? Aside from animals harassing the pastures. Ira beat you to that one.”

  A frown swept across Raiztae’s features. “Blast, that was what I had. Hmm. There’s supposedly an affair or two going on within the senior arcanists, but that’s been wandering around for months now. Other than that it’s the doom and gloom about the coming weather you’ve no doubt heard yourself.”

  “Oh yes, the big storm that will rain thunder and hail down upon Yn Dref. We get those every year. Why should this be any different?”

  She shrugged. “Be
cause it gives people something to talk about. To look forward to in a way. Not much else of that, around here. You know I’d love to be able to research, but I’m not allowed to.”

  With all the energy of the arcanists being needed to keep the skycity in the air, they had precious little effort to expend in other areas. Some of which might have helped resolve the current situation.

  “You’re suggesting that Yn Dref is an anchor on our people.” Canere had heard this mentioned before, but only obliquely.

  He was met with a sigh. “We use all our talents keeping a rotting hulk flying. Why not move the rest of the people to the ground and let the skycity fall into an empty valley? That way, we could at least use our talents to help the rest of Hania more directly. Today, the best I can do is give away the spare bits and pieces I don’t need. Maybe then I could actually make a difference.”

  Canere could understand the sentiment. “That’s why I spend so much time in the archives. There has to be something in there that can help, but I’ve not found it yet. Maybe I never will. But I think I’ve hit on a new idea.”

  “You always do have one of those.” Raiztae chuckled. “But if you don’t mind, I need to rest after feeding the demon.”

  The young mage swept a shallow bow to Raiztae as she departed, then went to do his part for keeping the skycity afloat.

  ***

  By the time Ira finished taking her trainees around the village, the sun had begun to set. It was with a fair amount of trepidation that she followed one of the stock keepers out towards the farthest of the pastures, for despite her brave words to her squad earlier, she had barely been off the skycity herself, and knew only what woodcraft she had been taught.

  What she did know, however, was that most animals hunted by scent, especially those who came in the night.

  “Alright you lot, I want people spaced fifteen paces apart around the edge of this pasture. And once you’re there, cover yourself in some of the animal leavings. It’ll disguise you from the wolves. Make them think you’re cattle.”

  The response she got was as expected. Which meant a collection of stunned faces and shaking heads.

  “Are you sure we have to do that?” One of the young lads asked.

  “Quite sure. Otherwise the wolves won’t bother coming and we’ll have done all this for nothing. One thing I will say, though. Try and get it on the armour, instead of cloth. Armour cleans off more easily.”

  Armed with such a helpful piece of advice, the recruits fanned out into the field, all of them tossing glances at their apparently slightly insane commander.

  The gazes didn’t stop being incredulous when Ira finally unlimbered the monstrous contraption that hung across her back, and settled it onto a small stool she had borrowed from the shepherd who kept watch over these fields.

  Thus positioned, the machine was revealed as a heavily strengthened and massive crossbow. One that looked more than capable of putting a bolt through a stone wall, never mind flesh. And one that was so cumbersome it could barely be used.

  Admittedly, both of those things were true. The arbalest had the power to punch through damn near any target, usually killing them on the first shot. On the other hand, it was a bitch to aim, needed a stand, and reloading it took a heavy duty crank and a lot of time. As a weapon, it was impractical at best. But it had the advantage of firing almost perfectly level, unlike normal ranged weaponry, and even a glancing blow was more than enough to finish whatever was being shot at.

  Underneath all that, Ira just thought using it was fun.

  What wasn’t fun was the waiting. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the chill of night began to seep into bones that weren’t moving, her mood grew short, and she snapped at those trainees that shifted about or called out to one another. Learning to hold a post was a crucial component of being a guard, but damn if it wasn’t a boring one.

  And one that became more boring as the moon rose, a thin glimmer in the sky, partially blocked by the clouds. Perhaps the wolves weren’t going to come tonight, no matter their hunger. It should have been the right evening, since the pack apparently hunted every third day, but despite leaving a few choice cattle in the field, now currently dozing placidly amongst the recruits, there had been no movement spotted from the verge of the forest.

  The quiet of the night was split by a sound like a saw being drawn across stone. Which, after it repeated itself a few moments later, Ira identified as snoring. “Some bloody lout is getting a foot in his arse in a moment.”

  Just as the squad leader began to rise from her post behind the arbalest, her eyes, by now thoroughly accustomed to the gloom of night, caught a glimpse of movement amidst the trees, followed by the shine of light from two golden eyes.

  “Of course the wolves arrive just as that fool starts snoring. Of course.”

  The wolves padded out of the trees, grey shadows in the moonlight. Uncertain of whether her trainees had seen the oncoming creatures, but not wanting to startle the predators until they were within range of the spears and swords of the guards, Ira instead kicked the steer that had fallen asleep a pace from her.

  The steer snorted, loudly, an edge of panic in its call, and then levered itself to its four hooves, clearly trying to figure out what had struck it. The shattering bellow that followed moments later as the animal caught the scent of a predator did exactly what Ira hoped it would – spurred the wolves on to charge.

  And charge they did, loping one after the other through the long grasses outside the fencing of the pasture, angling into an extended line that was clearly meant to encircle and trap the now-panicked steer.

  Unfortunately, her soldiers appeared equally panicked, either unable to see the creatures, waking from a sleep they should never have entered, or overcome by nervous energy. Thankfully, their shouting and fumbling did nothing to discourage the onrushing predators, although by the repeated sounds of incompetence, if her trainees met their opposite number at this precise moment, the Hanian half was going to come off much the worst for wear.

  So Ira sighted along the iron markings across the top of her creation, leading the first of the wolves by only half a bound, such was the speed of a bolt from the arbalest. Once certain of her shot, she pulled on the triggering lever, cursing as the recoil slammed the butt of the weapon into her shoulder.

  But the shot had been good and true, and the wolf struck by it bowled over backwards in a spray of blood and fur, able to emit only a brief whimper as it tumbled through the air.

  So sudden was the death that the other wolves didn’t notice and continued their onslaught, the leaders leaping over the fence and into the pasture with the cattle. Things quickly began to devolve into a fractured melee, as the trainees screamed, yelled, and hacked away at shapes moving in the night, most of them having nothing to do with the wolves, while the cattle bellowed in the background, and the predators slipped around and through the thin human line in search of more substantial prey.

  Which turned out to be the steer whose startled awakening had been the beginning of the whole mess. Harassed by a wolf nipping at its ankles, it spun first left and right, and then, bitten again hard on the buttocks, sprinted forward, hoping that speed could free it from its entanglements.

  Before it could gather too much momentum, however, a large shape rose in front of it, causing the animal to spin away, panic filling its voice. The large shape resolved itself into one of the trainees, able to catch the trailing wolf with a sharp jab from his spear. It wasn’t a killing blow, but the stab caused the struck limb to collapse under the wolf, sending the predator to the ground, where it was soon finished off.

  All this time, Ira was attempting to shout orders, but in the noise and tumult, her voice did little more than add to the confusion, and so she waded in, leaving the arbalest where it lay and hoping it survived the night undamaged. Now with her sword in hand, she tried to pick her moments carefully, swinging only at things that came within reach and she was sure were members of the pack.

&nb
sp; Moments later, there came the consistent sound of yelping, and the sinuous shapes of the wolves could be seen breaking away, sprinting into the long brush that verged the forest. They left behind two of their number, although from the glistening of the grass, perhaps another few had been wounded. Likely, the Hanians would never know, since the wolves would presumably move on to other prey for the time being.

  ***

  It was late the following day, after dealing with the various reports, minor injuries, and other detritus of being a “commander”, that Ira was able to track down Yaden and Canere. Who were engaged, as often, in an argument.

  “Look, I need you to come help me with the research. You’re the only other person who’s been willing to help.”

  Yaden snorted. “That’s because everyone else has seen you do this kind of crazy thing for years and has figured out that helping you is a waste of their time. So no, I think you need to get one of the archivists to give you a hand. Or to work on it yourself. Me, I have better things to do than be stuck in a library.”

  Quirking an eyebrow, Canere gazed at Yaden. “And what, pray tell, are those? Chasing women you can’t catch? Drinking yourself under the table on cheap whiskey? Gambling away what little money you can make for even smaller trinkets? Do tell me, I’ve always wondered what the famous roustabout of Yn Dref actually did in his free time.”

  Met with a truly thunderous glare, Canere let his needling die off. There was always the chance of pushing Yaden too far, although his temper had been mostly in abeyance since childhood.

  “Does it matter? It’s something I enjoy. I should be allowed to live my life so that it’s worth living, not always at the beck and call of everyone else in this damn skycity.”

  It was at this point that Ira decided enough was enough. “Are you two arguing about Canere’s plan from yesterday? Why?”

  After shooting daggers at one another, Canere and Yaden both stepped forward to explain. Which led to the two of them stumbling over one another’s words, and more angry looks.

  Finally, after they had settled down, Yaden continued. “Canere thinks he’s found a reference that might prove helpful. But he needs to spend more time digging through the archives in order to expand on it. And he wants me to go along with him. I’ve already wasted a night and a day on this fruitless quest, and we’ve chased vapours on the wind the whole time.”