'Who I visit and what I ask and listen to is my business and not yours, all right? And yes, I do listen to him because he is smart despite his unfortunate views in some areas. And one thing we do agree on is that we don't know what more good you can really do. The dead as a whole, that is.'
Hirad reached across the table and hauled Denser from his chair by the collars of his shirt.
'I'll tell you what we can do. We can stop you from signing away the lives and deaths of everyone who ever came from Balaia. We can help you find a place where we can all start again.'
Hirad's breath fired into his face. Denser's face deepened into a scowl.
'You will unhand me, Hirad. Right now.'
Hirad did not.
'You have to listen to him, Denser,' said Ilkar, coming to his feet also. 'There is only one way to delay the Garonin and give us the time and chance to find a way out of here. Surrender the Heart. Do a deal.'
Denser stiffened. 'Surrender the Heart of Xetesk? Never.'
'Then they will take it from you,' said Ilkar.
'That you could utter such . . . heresy, here in this tower,' said Denser, his face blazing with his rage. 'I am the Lord of the Mount and you will release me, Hirad. Perhaps Dystran was right. Guards!'
The door opened but it was not guards who entered, it was Sol.
'Fantastic,' he said. 'This is the face of unity, is it? Gods drowning, Hirad, put him down. And all of you calm down. I could hear you half way down The Thread.'
Hirad shoved Denser back into his chair.
'I want-'
'Denser, shut up. We're in big trouble but there might just, just be a way out. We need to talk to Septern. I presume you've verified it is him by now. And first you need to hear an old friend.'
Sol pushed open the door. Hirad sat back in his chair, unable to believe his eyes.
Standing in the doorway was Auum.
Chapter 17.
Auum stared at the humans, the living and the dead, as they bickered their way towards catastrophe. At first it had been fascinating. The legendary mage Septern had spoken at length about the history of his dimensional discoveries but had not been allowed to discuss what he was here to discuss. Hirad Coldheart, whose shadow adorned the wall to Auum's left, had brought to the table all the raging belief that had at first irritated but now endeared him to Auum and indeed all the elves. And Ilkar had spoken carefully and tactfully about what had happened to the dead of Balaia. Yet still they fought, and in the middle Denser appeared not to know who to believe.
Auum himself had remained silent, answering only direct questions thus far, and there had been few enough of them. He had been content to rest a little, eat a little and drink a good amount of water. The mages who had carried him and his Tai from the ship and all the way north to Xetesk on flickering Freedom Wings were exhausted and sleeping. He had no time for that. Not yet.
'I'm not going to repeat myself again,' said Denser. 'No one else is leaving because there is nowhere to go. Here we stand and here we fight. As for you and your dead, Hirad, you do what you like.'
'That is a shameful statement,' said Hirad. 'We exist in pain every heartbeat yet we endure it because we desire only to help the living survive and so secure ourselves a new place of rest. Or we hope that. The fact is, we have no certainty whatever about the outcome. We're here because of those we love. I had counted you among those people. Perhaps I was mistaken.'
'But you have no answers!' Denser was practically screaming in his frustration. 'Your best gambits so far are: give them the Heart and hope they stop, or get us all to the west and some mythical Wesmen-organised escape route. You are talking about the end of magic on Balaia at the very least and an abandonment of our home dimension at the ridiculous worst.'
'We are talking about a return to a more natural state of magic,' said Ilkar. 'And is that not better than certain extinction?'
'I will not relinquish our only true chance of beating these bastards, Ilkar.'
'No, what you won't relinquish is Xetesk's power over Balaia. And it'll do you no good because they will simply come in here and take it. They make the demons look like a bunch of apple scrumpers. Why won't you understand that?'
Denser was on his feet again and Ilkar stood opposite him. Both jabbed fingers and puffed out chests. Auum watched Ilkar with discomfort, the elf's words coming from a youthful human mouth.
'You fear that, don't you, Ilkar? Xetesk being the only magical power remaining on Balaia. It's pathetic.'
'I'm dead, in case you hadn't noticed. I couldn't care less who is left and who isn't so long as it means I can return to my rest. But you, you and your Circle Seven and that bastard snake Dystran, you desire dominion, don't you? And that should scare us all. Because you'll sacrifice the lot of us pursuing this folly. But you have to listen to what everyone bar your inner circle of power-mongers tells you: we have to run.'
'Where, damn you, where? What do I advise my people? Follow these dead west but I don't know where or why? Dear Gods falling, please throw me a scrap here.'
'I know where,' said Auum.
For a moment the noise of the argument continued but Auum's voice had a way of leaching through even the most sewn-down of ears. One by one, they turned to him. He waited until he had the attention of them all.
'And so do the Wesmen.'
'You could have said so before,' said Hirad. 'Told you, Denser.'
'But then, like all of you, I would have been speaking before I was truly ready,' said Auum. He was staring at Denser. 'I will speak without interruption.'
Denser spread his hands. 'Help yourself.'
'Then sit, all of you, and hear me because time runs short and your complaining brings all of our deaths closer. Denser, you are wrong. The Garonin are unstoppable but they are escapable. Their resources are stretched but this dimension is so dense with mana that they will pour what they must into it to gain it all. And they will come back time and again when the density builds. This world is no longer viable for man or elf.
'Ilkar, you are wrong too. They will not stop after gaining the Hearts. The mana held in the soul of each man living and in each dead soul is too much to ignore. This is still a populous country. They will annihilate everyone while collecting their verrian. You should have read the lore of the Ynissul more closely while you still lived.'
Auum gestured at Septern. 'And you, great mage returned, you have many of the answers but your memories are flawed. You have been dead too long. But even you are aware of the cost to some of our survival, as are all of the dead around this table though they hesitate to admit what they truly need. I see it in your eyes. In a moment you shall speak of Ulandeneth but first I shall say this: 'Any who wish to escape the Garonin, and that is the only way to survive them, have two choices. The first and infinitely preferable, though terribly dangerous, is to travel west to the Charanacks, the Wesmen. They and their Shamen can open the first door. It is dangerous because such a concentration of souls will attract the Garonin and you will be beset.
'The second choice is to try and hold the fastnesses of Julatsa, Xetesk and Korina for long enough to allow those who travel the first door to find the new home and open escape routes there for all remaining souls in this dimension. However, the Garonin are already too close and will overwhelm your cities within days. Far too quickly in any event for the corridors to be opened.'
Sol raised a hand. 'Auum, if I may speak before you call on Septern?'
Auum nodded.
'Thank you. One point of interest you raise is the concentration of souls. Surely if we break up those concentrations, we deflect Garonin interest or certainly dilute their attack front by spreading ourselves more thinly.'
Auum smiled. 'That may be so but it merely delays the inevitable. The Garonin means of travel and detection of mana will bring them to their quarry in time.'
'But surely worth a try,' said Denser, staring squarely at Hirad. 'Anyone who wants to run and hide in the Blackthorne Mountains and the Wesman Heartlands can do so. That will draw attention from those dedicated to the service and defence of Xetesk and Balaia.'
'I may be dead, Denser, but I'm still quicker than you, all right?' said Hirad.
'Spare me, Hirad.'
'You are betraying The Raven.'
'I am trying to save my people,' said Denser.
'We are your people.'
'Were.'
'Enough,' said Sol, resting a restraining hand on Hirad's bunched arm. 'Auum.'
'You demonstrate further ignorance, Denser,' said Auum.
Denser shook his head and sighed. 'I will beat myself later. What is it this time?'
'None of the dead around this table have the luxury of running to hide. Do they, Septern? Do they, Hirad, Ilkar?'
'What is he talking about?' asked Denser.
'Ulandeneth,' said Septern. 'It is the place through which all souls are said to pass on their way to birth, and on their way to death. It is the only place that links every dimension in every dimensional cluster. If we are to escape the Garonin, those tasked with opening the corridors must travel there to seek the new home. I searched for it all my life. I found so many places and all spoke of it. But I never found Ulandeneth. That is the elven term by the way. The Soul Home. There are many others but it is perhaps the one that sits most easily on the tongue.'
'Can we go back a bit?' asked Denser. 'Dimensional clusters?'
Septern nodded at Sharyr, another so-far-silent presence. 'Go on. I like your explanation of it. You'd have made a fine student of mine, you know.'
Sharyr blushed. 'When Sol described how the dragons were under attack, it led me to thinking. The demons have been destroyed, so we understand from souls claiming to have escaped them. The dead dimension has also been torn apart; Balaia is under attack; every place that we know, simultaneously invaded. To me, it means that the Garonin found them all at once.'
Sharyr crabbed his hand. 'Imagine this to be Ulandeneth. It sits at the top of everything. It's the hub of all life, like this tower is the hub of Xeteskian magic. Then imagine lines coming out of Ulandeneth, countless lines probably and each one leading to a cluster of dimensions.
'What I think is that each cluster is self-contained. It has a place for the dead and a number, probably variable, of places for various living species. It's a way of organising the vastness of creation, if you like. If you are able to travel dimensions, even in a limited sense like dragons and demons can, it is because you can sense some of the lines that lead between dimensions. And when you die, you are channelled back up to Ulandeneth and then down to your particular place of rest.'
'You're sure there is a place for the dead in each cluster, are you?' asked Denser.
'It's just a theory,' said Sharyr. 'Nothing is certain.'
'And Auum, you cannot confirm absolutely that your dead travelled to a different place in your former home than they do now, am I right?'
Auum inclined his head.
Denser glared briefly at Ilkar. 'Go on, Sharyr.'
'Thank you. Now because for every soul there is no pause, the transit through Ulandeneth is brief indeed. Rumours of seeing light, sensing others around you, helping hands, fleeting fear just as you die . . . all these things make sense if you believe in Ulandeneth. It provides for them all. And it is a safe haven. The only trouble is, it appears the Garonin have learned how to stop there.
'And not only that, they have begun to detect the lines that lead out to other dimensional clusters. I think they do this by following the souls of the dead because, as we know, the barrier between the dead and the living dimensions is actually very thin. It is a short step from communicating with the dead across the barrier to crossing it physically. All the Garonin had to do was rip open the dead dimension and then follow the dead to whichever home was theirs.
'Simple, really.'
Sharyr leaned back and took a long draught of water from a goblet held in a slightly shaking hand.
'Yeah,' said Hirad. 'Really, really basic stuff. I just soak up dimensional theory, I do.'
Denser was considering all that Sharyr had said. 'So, in effect, you could argue that the dead have brought all this trouble on us.'
Ilkar's shoulders sagged. 'Oh dear Gods falling, is that really the way your mind has started to work?'
'Stands to reason. If you don't come back, the Garonin don't follow you,' said Denser.
'You really don't see what a prat you're making of yourself, do you?' said Sirendor. 'And to think I died to save you and they all spoke so highly of you. We didn't have a damn choice, Denser. It wasn't like we could drift in the void and decide whether to return here or whether to carry on drifting. If we felt the pull of Balaia, that's where we went. I hate all this apportioning of blame shit. We're in trouble. Let's deal with it if we can, all right?'
'I can't help feeling that a solution is near but that a couple of crucial pieces are being left out, possibly deliberately,' said Sol. 'Because at the moment it is clear that the most sensible thing to do is to head west, get the Shamen to open the door and people like Hirad and the rest of The Raven dead go through and we wait for them to open the door to our new home while we fight off the Garonin if we can. So, where are the snags and why do I feel I am going to be directly affected?'
There was silence for the first time since the meeting convened. Auum studied them all. None of the dead could face Sol. Denser looked perplexed now as well as angry and Sharyr, who had done his part, seemed lost in his own thoughts.
'Anyone?' Sol spread his hands. 'Hirad, you're looking embarrassed. What are you hiding?'
'I'm so sorry, Unknown. When I came back, I did not know it would lead to this.'
'To what? Come on, I've got an inn to run. Special ale to offer the Garonin when they come a-knocking.'
'We're here because we were attracted to your soul. You're the reason we made it across the void. You and Denser, to be accurate, but you mainly. Fortunately. Anyway, without you we are just a loose collection of souls again. Without cohesion or direction. We'll be lost.'
'Fine, so I'll take you to the doorway myself before I wave goodbye. So what?'
'Don't make me say it, Unknown, please.'
'I'm afraid I must insist,' said Sol.
Hirad swallowed. 'We need you with us all the way, Unknown. To Ulandeneth and beyond. The Garonin know your influence. Why do you think they took you? This cannot be done without you.'
'Terrific,' said Sol. 'Fucking terrific. And how do I travel there with you alive?'
'You do not,' said Auum. 'If my memory serves, the ritual to open the door to Ulandeneth requires the sacrifice of a man of free will because the soul must be pure in order to seek and to lead.'
'I see,' said Sol. 'Does anyone here want to volunteer how I explain my imminent and voluntary demise to my wife?'
Chapter 18.
'I should have beaten you with the cudgel while I had the chance,' said Sol.
'I'm sorry, Unknown. Truly. We all are.'
Denser had largely cleared the room. Sharyr and Septern had returned to the catacombs. Auum had gone to rest. The Raven, such as they were, were alone in the dining chamber.
'Why did I let you in and listen to you?'