'Yes, Sha-Kaan. That your melde will soon be shattered, that the Kaan will dwindle. That I need not spill one more drop of Naik blood to beat you. Merely bide my time.'
Sha-Kaan feathered his tongue in humour. 'All these things are true. But can you fly a little further?'
'Where else do I need to travel? I will have achieved the Naik's destiny. I will rule Beshara unopposed.'
'Idiot youngster,' snapped Sha-Kaan. 'Think.'
'About what? You have promised me victory.'
Sha-Kaan sampled Yasal-Naik's tone, smelled the odours of his body, faint in the wind. He was sure he was being toyed with but the Naik's bearing suggested interested neutrality.
'Should the Balaian dimension fall, the Arakhe will have everything they want. Doorways to this dimension, the dead, and thence to everywhere. Your melde, every brood's melde. You have heard the prophecies and the warnings. They are as much Naik lore as they are Kaan or Gost or Veret. They have to be stopped now.'
'You have controlled your melde dimension poorly,' said Yasal.
Sha-Kaan spat fire in sudden anger.
'Skies curse you, Yasal, I wonder why I haven't stayed at home to watch you die.'
'Because, old Kaan, you need the strength of my brood; or at least to know that your lands are safe while you sort out the problems you say have afflicted your melde. You deny your lack of attention caused what you say we now face?'
'You know the birthing cycle of the Kaan. Your attacks over my skies were not random events, after all. You know what happens around the time of our birthings. So, it appears, do the Arakhe. What they did, to use a human phrase, was give mages enough rope to hang themselves with, then sit and wait until we were not guarding Balaia's fabric. Mages ripped the fabric and we were not there. The Arakhe were.'
'You should have controlled your subjects more effectively.'
Sha-Kaan let the comment ride for a while. He wasn't being goaded now. There was a gulf in the understanding between the two broods. It was as fundamental as their hatred for one another. After a long pause, he responded.
'That is why you will never be the dominant brood.'
'How so?'
'Because you do not understand the relationship between your vitality and the independence of the minds in your melde dimension. '
'You've lost me.'
'I expect so.'
'Dragons rule dimensional space. We take what we need,' said Yasal.
'I agree with the latter statement. I take issue with the former purely because if you don't help me now, it will soon no longer be true.'
'So you say.'
'Kill me and find out for yourself,' said Sha-Kaan.
It was a challenge but he knew Yasal could not afford to take him up on it. The Naik gave something approximating a laugh.
'You intrigue me, Great Kaan. And I respect the risk you have taken travelling here alone. Foolhardy but still . . . Tell me exactly what it is you want the Naik to do. Agree a truce perhaps.'
'You and every brood,' said Sha-Kaan. 'And I am afraid a truce on its own will not be enough. The invasion of Balaia is far more advanced than you realise.'
'Accepted. State your plea.'
Sha-Kaan told him and watched all that arrogance and humour fall from his scent, his eyes and his attitude on the glide. He saw genuine uncertainty and abrupt realisation. When he had finished speaking, Sha-Kaan waited as he knew he must. Yasal's wings were twitching slightly, the skin around his eyes pinched.
'Land with me,' he said eventually. 'I would take food and water. And so should you.'
Hirad landed hard on his backside and laughter rang out across the deck again. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked round at Denser.
'Fancy a swim, Xetesk-man?'
'Sorry, Hirad,' said Denser, plainly nothing of the kind.
'You should try having him as your practice demon,' said the barbarian. 'See how far you get.'
In front of him, Auum reached out a hand. Hirad pulled himself to his feet.
'You saw my move,' said Auum.
It was as close to a compliment as the TaiGethen leader ever came.
'Seeing is one thing, reacting is another,' said Hirad, the elvish easy on his tongue.
'You are faster than the rest.'
'That is small comfort.'
'What's he saying?' asked Denser.
'That you should take a turn and he'd wipe that smile off your face,' said Hirad.
'All right, enough,' said The Unknown. 'It doesn't matter that Auum is faster than any demon, he's found a flaw in the tactics. We've left a gap in the defence and it means we can't make the space between us big enough for Denser to cast.'
'How much does that matter?' asked Hirad. 'Assuming our souls really are safe.'
'Just because a demon can't take your soul doesn't mean it can't rip your arms off while I'm helpless to cast,' said Denser.
'Good point. So what do we do?' asked Hirad.
The Unknown looked at Darrick. 'Any ideas?'
'I have,' said Rebraal.
He along with Auum's Tai and four former Protectors had been playing the part of demons, unarmed but carrying thick wooden crate lids to deflect The Raven's blades - scabbarded though they were.
'And?'
'It has nothing to do with your tactics. The pushing roll is fine. The line defence is effective enough and tricky to pierce. The problem is there aren't enough of you to repel eight of us.'
'There is more, though,' said Darrick. 'The nature of what you are trying to have us achieve leaves us vulnerable. We aren't going for killing thrusts, we're going for weighted blows to drive them back. Swords aren't balanced for that and our follow-throughs leave us exposed as Auum is so good at demonstrating.'
The Unknown nodded. 'Agreed, I was wondering about our weapons. Should be relatively easy to accommodate. Blackthorne should have maces enough for us. Rebraal's point, though, is more difficult, I fear.'
'No it isn't,' said Rebraal. 'Some of us will have to come with you.'
'That won't work,' said Hirad. 'We've already agreed we need you in Julatsa and Ark and his people in Xetesk. We have to have people in place to motivate and who know what is going on.'
'And what is the point of that if you are overwhelmed by demons before you can achieve what you must?' Rebraal shrugged.
'You are only six,' said Auum in halting, heavily accented Balaian. 'Two mages, four warriors. It is too few.'
The Raven looked at each other. Thraun inscrutable as always, The Unknown calmly weighing up all he was hearing, and Darrick nodding. Hirad knew the elves were right. And it wasn't as if The Raven hadn't fought with others countless times before. Gods burning, they'd spent ten years fighting in mercenary lines. But this felt different. It was admitting before they really began that they weren't up to the task. It left an unpleasant taste.
'We can't afford to be taken out,' said Darrick.
'Thanks, General, I had worked that part out,' said Hirad.
'I mean we have to be as prepared as we can be. Part of that is going in with the right numbers.'
'Well let's take an army,' said Hirad. 'Do the job right.'
'What's got into you all of a sudden?' The Unknown was frowning.
'Nothing.' Hirad spat over the side of the ship.
'The problem is,' continued Darrick carefully, 'that we haven't sat and really thought this all through. The Unknown's tactics play here has demonstrated that we can't realistically hope to beat significant numbers of demons without Erienne to strip their protection from them. And we don't have the time to raise an army. And if we did, their souls would have no protection.'
'We could ask the demons only to come at us in groups of eight or less,' said Denser.
The Unknown spared Denser a brief bleak look before turning to Hirad.
'Well?'
'You are our heart,' added Thraun.
'But none of you think we can do this alone, do you?' said Hirad.
'That's about the size of it,' said Darrick. 'But ultimately, if you believe otherwise, we'll be with you.'
'So, no pressure then,' said Denser.
Hirad smiled thinly at him. 'Funny.' But bad taste or not, he couldn't blind himself to reality. He looked over at Rebraal. 'What do you have in mind?'
'My heart says we should all go with you. I would consider it an honour to fight with you to save my brother's soul. But my people are in Julatsa. I lead the Al-Arynaar. What other choice do I have but to be with them?'
'Fine. So you're going to do exactly what we agreed all along.'
'Hirad, what is wrong with you?' asked The Unknown. 'This is impatient even for you. Just listen.'
Hirad closed his mouth. He hadn't meant it to sound like it did. His mind felt unsettled. Like he was about to lose control. He nodded an apology. Rebraal acknowledged it.
'The same is true to a certain extent of Ark and his men. Some of them have to remain in Xetesk to organise what must be done. But you need more blades. Auum's Tai will come with you and, if they are agreeable, a pair of the Protectors.'
'You're practically doubling our numbers,' said Hirad.
'It isn't meant to be a slur on The Raven,' said Rebraal. 'But the fact is, not all who go will come back. We have to give ourselves the best chance. You're at the centre of this. The Raven, I mean. But even you need support and dragons can't give you that on the ground hand to hand. Without it, one mistake and the demons win. We can't take an army, as Darrick has said, or we leave Balaia defenceless. But we do have us.'
'Spoken like Ilkar,' said Hirad. 'I know you're right. It's just hard to admit.'
'None here would do The Raven disservice and you are still its core. While you burn, we can win. Don't let pride extinguish you.'
Hirad breathed deep. He didn't have to look back at his friends to know what they were thinking.
'Right,' he said. 'We'll do it your way. Now I'm going to rest. I don't feel quite right.'
Hirad walked as quickly as he was able to his cabin, his mind aflame. It made him nauseous and unsteady. For a moment he wondered if he was seasick but the ship was making serene progress and it was not an affliction to which he was prone. Entering his cabin, he splashed water on his face and towelled it dry before lying on his bunk and closing his eyes.
He felt detached from his body though he could still feel it; as if touching it from a distance. His mouth was dry and his forehead lined with sweat. He swallowed hard, his heart racing in his chest. He'd have cried out but he wasn't sure anyone would hear him.
The cabin was dim but behind his eyelids stark lights danced. Hirad felt himself slipping away from the creaking of ship's timbers, the call of orders across the deck and the screech of gulls far from shore. He didn't fight it, he had no defence. The last coherent thought he had was one of relief that he hadn't collapsed on deck. He didn't want anyone to worry.
There was a battering sound. It accompanied the lights that were so bright that Hirad couldn't see beyond them though he was aware something was out there. The battering was frenzied and constant, the work of countless rams and cudgels desperate to break in. He didn't pause to consider where. The tumult was accompanied by screaming. Faint at first but gaining in volume, getting closer.
He had heard the like before. It was the sound of a routed population driving headlong away from danger. It was disordered, panicked and terrified. He fancied he could see shadows behind the lights but it might just as easily have been a trick of his mind.
Pressure built behind his eyes. It grew quickly, in harmony with the screaming which dragged painfully in his head and the battering which dulled to a background clamour by comparison. Like the incoming tide it was inexorable and like rising flood waters it threatened to engulf him, drag him under.
Pain grew, blossomed across his consciousness. He thought he might have screamed but he couldn't hear the sound over those of the masses behind the light. But with the pain was the warmth of recognition. A touching of minds like the meeting of old friends.
Could it be Sha-Kaan? Hirad opened his mouth to bid him welcome but then the spirit passed through him on the crest of a scream and he was shovelled to wakefulness. He blinked at the half-light of the cabin, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He carried with him the tender feelings of the encounter; all the energy, life and love of his oldest friend. Yet beneath it, the fear of oblivion. Real, almost tangible, shouting from each of his muscles and the dulling thud in his head like a warning siren.
He sat up quickly, felt darkness threaten to close on him and a hand on his shoulder.
'Hey, not so fast,' said Erienne. 'Take your time.'
Hirad focused on her slowly. 'How long have you been here?'
'Ever since you shouted Ilkar's name the first time.'
'I knew it!'
Hirad swung his feet out of the bunk and stood up, letting Erienne guide him.
'Where are you going?'
'On deck. Rebraal must have felt this.'
'Felt what?'