The Orphans' Promise (41 page)

Like his friends, the actor was bleeding from many wounds on his arms, legs, and face. A rat carcass still clung to his calf. With a curse, Rey painfully ripped the tenacious rat from his skin and tossed it toward its brethren.

The surviving vampires sniffed at the carcasses and then violently seized them, slurping the blood of the dying and injured—a horrible sucking sound coming from the piles of dead rats.

“There are more coming,” Léti warned in a broken voice.

Grigán had seen them too. They had fought off an army of fifty rats, but there were at least two hundred more climbing the hill, galvanized by the smell of a feast.

“They won’t be satisfied with the carcasses,” Bowbaq commented, surprisingly calm.

Grigán grabbed the lantern and lit the second one.

“Try to light a fire,” he said as he grabbed a dead vampire rat. “A large circle of flames around you.”

“Grigán, what are you doing?” Corenn asked, worried.

“I’m going to buy us some time!”

And he walked away with slow strides, carrying the lantern in one hand and the carcass and his scimitar in the other. The rats smelled the blood as he walked by and turned their heads toward him. Two beasts took off after him, and then ten, thirty, and then nearly the whole vampire swarm followed behind, enticed by the chase.

“Come back, Grigán! I beg you!” Corenn pleaded, almost in tears.

But the warrior was already out of earshot.

What is your first question, young human?

Yan reflected on his choices, his heart racing. He didn’t want Usul to reveal anything too important about his future. He decided to start with a simple question, to judge how dangerous Usul’s responses would be; the question that had brought them to the Sacred Island in the first place.

Where is the journal of Maz Achem of Ith, Maz Lana’s ancestor?

Easy. The answer won’t be extremely useful to you, so I’m only going to reveal some minor event about your existence. You will take your friend Léti in Union.

Yan had difficulty managing the shock. All sorts of emotions flooded his mind. That was a minor event? What would the other revelations be! Take Léti in Union? The future changed once it was revealed! Would this happen or not?

He now understood Usul’s curse perfectly well. He had an urge to swim back up to his friends right then, to carry on a normal life with a future full of the unexpected. These same friends were counting on him, though. Usul was their only chance at finding the information that could help them survive. Survive, yes, but with a tortured mind…

Where is Maz Achem’s journal?
Yan repeated, trying to master his emotions.

In the secret archives under the Grand Temple of Eurydis, my sister, in the Holy City of Ith. I could give you the exact location, but I’m sure you’ll find it if you go there.

How ironic! Lana had traveled thousands of leagues looking for it, and the whole time it was right under her nose. Ith would definitely be one of their next stops.

Yan considered asking if the journal really did contain valuable information, but decided against it. He had to be more direct. The price for answers was too high. He decided he would ask just two more questions.

Where does the portal on Ji lead to?

An important question!
the god commented, to Yan’s despair.
“Since the answer concerns all humans, I’m going to reveal an event that involves the future of many. But don’t think I’m letting you off the hook: Your future is inextricably tied to this event. Your actions could profoundly alter it. I’ve rarely met a human with such an influential destiny.

So what is this important revelation?
Yan quickly asked. The shark’s proximity was making him increasingly nervous and impatient. He couldn’t understand how a god could get any entertainment from taking such a form, but it was clear that Usul tried to amuse himself however he could.

What you call the known world will soon be torn apart by a bloody war. None of your peoples will be spared from it. Both the Kaul Matriarchy and the Upper Kingdoms in general will bear the brunt of it. It will happen in less than a year.

A year! But a war between who? And why?

Are those questions you really want to ask?

No.

This conversation was agonizing. Yan felt a furious urge to hurt this spiteful messenger. Then he remembered where he was, who he was, and who was swimming in front of him.

Here’s your answer
, Usul continued.
What lies on the other side of the portal is Jal’dara. Or Jal’karu, if you prefer.

And? That’s hardly any information!

The answer is more than sufficient. I warn you. In asking about portals, you’re asking me to directly reveal the secrets of the gods. We have no tolerance for sacrilege. I promised I would answer, and I have. Do not push me.

Yan didn’t need him to repeat it. Maybe it really was sufficient after all. Lana had mentioned Jal’karu before as the land where demons are born and grow up. Their quest was taking a hopeless turn.

I have only one more question. But before I ask, I would like to know what you’re going to do to me afterward.

I’ve decided to let you go back up. You’ve been insolent several times; however, the role you will play in determining the future is significant enough to have sparked my interest. I’m even going to offer you a gift. Do you accept?

What is it?

You won’t know until the moment is right. Do you accept?

Is it a revelation?

No.

All right, I accept
, Yan stated, nevertheless worried he might regret it immediately.

The shark approached him slowly, as he had done several times before. This time he didn’t swerve around him, though. The young man forced himself to not move. The predator did nothing more than brush against him, sliding his whole body along the young man’s left arm.

There. It’s done.

What did you do to me? I don’t feel any different.

You won’t know until the moment is right, I said. Ask your last question.

The young man gathered his courage. It was his most important question.
Who sent the Züu after us?

Hmm… that’s too easy. My answer will help you a lot. It will cost you dearly, very dearly. Are you sure you want to know?

You aren’t going to announce my own death, are you?

No, no. That lost its fun a long time ago. It’s something else. Do you accept?

Go ahead
, Yan answered, his heart beating out of his chest.

Your friend Grigán will die within a year. Now that you know, what will the future be? I wonder…

The news floored Yan. He hardly heard Usul when he announced their enemy’s name. It suddenly seemed much less important.

Bowbaq helped the exhausted young man climb out of the well. Léti, Rey, Corenn, and Lana circled around him, anxiously waiting to hear his revelations. Yan saw the circle of flames they had lit, the rat carcasses, and the red eyes shining on the other side of the protective fire.

“Where’s Grigán?” he asked, worried.

Léti burst into tears, and Lana brought Yan over to the inanimate warrior. He suffered from several cuts, a few that were frighteningly deep. They covered his body and even his face.

“Is he dead?”

“Only unconscious,” Corenn answered in a trembling voice. “He practically sacrificed himself for us.”

“He’s sick,” Rey added. “A few of those beasts had strange eyes. The wounds won’t kill him, but we must bring him to a healer as quickly as possible to be treated for poison.”

Yan nodded his head sadly, knowledge already cursing him.

Corenn finally asked, “Did you see Usul?”

“Yes. Our enemy is Saat the Treasurer.”

“One of the original wise emissaries to Ji?” the Mother gasped, in shock. “He’s still alive…”

Yan sat next to the warrior and stared at his body, saddened by the sight. He didn’t feel like talking now. But he had so much to tell them…

SHORT ANECDOTAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE KNOWN WORLD

Alt –
The largest river in the known world. Its headwaters are located in the highest of the Curtain Mountains. It crosses the Ithare Kingdom and the Grand Empire before reaching its delta in the Ocean of Mirrors.

A Goranese legend claims that when the time has come, the dead will float down the river in gigantic phantom boats and take revenge upon those who have committed atrocities toward their living kin. Every once in a while, someone claims they’ve seen the vanguard of the dark army. Some harbors even refuse all embarkations after nightfall.

Apogee –
The moment when the sun is at its highest point: noon, in our world. It’s commonly accepted that the end of the third deciday marks the apogee.

Arque –
Native of the Arkary Kingdom. It’s also the main language spoken in this land.

Bells (of Leem) –
At one point in time, Leem experienced such a crime wave that the city seemed to be completely overrun by thieves, pillagers, arsonists, and murderers of all shapes and colors. Although the city doubled the guards’ night rounds, and then tripled them, the criminals remained untouchable, since they were too well organized.

The provost at the time then came up with the idea of installing a bell in the house of each of the most prominent people in the city. When these important people were threatened by or witness to a crime, they could ring the bell and the city guard would come right away. Most of the time it wasn’t quickly enough, with the villains fleeing the scene the moment the first strike sounded. But it was still better than before.

More modest citizens followed this example, and soon there were quite a few artisans and merchants who had equipped their shops with a bell. After a few years, there were so many bells in Leem that crime nearly disappeared.

Unfortunately, the criminals found a countermeasure: setting fire to each house that dared to ring its bell, as an act of vengeance and as a warning.

Today, there are still more than six hundred houses in Leem fitted with bells, but now the bronze only rings during the occasional festivity.

Brosda –
A divinity whose cult is especially widespread in the Kaul Matriarchy. Brosda is the son of Xéfalis, and Echora’s reflection.

Brothers (of the night) –
What the members of the Grand Guild call themselves, as do members of any guild of thugs in general. Some of them even go as far as renaming their new members, creating fake “families,” etc.

Calendar –
The one used in the Upper Kingdoms is the Ithare calendar. It contains 338 days, which are divided into
thirty-four dékades and four seasons. The year begins with the Day of Water, which also marks the first day of spring. There are two dékades that contain only nine days instead of the usual ten: those preceding the Day of the Earth and the Day of Fire. Each day on the calendar begins with the sunrise.

Every day, as well as every dékade, carries a meaningful name originating from the cult of the goddess Eurydis; the moralist priests of the Wise One brought their nomenclature to the furthest reaches of the known world. But time and use brought about changes of varying degrees depending on the region. The Day of the Dog, for example, which the Grand Empire doesn’t observe with any particular importance, was renamed the Day of the Wolf in the area around Tolensk, and corresponds to a feast day that all the locals really look forward to. Similarly, the Dékade of Fairs, kicked off by the Day of the Merchant, is well-known and will ever be so to the Loreliens, whereas it represents nothing to the Mémissiens.

Few know all the days of the calendar, and even fewer know what they represent for the cult of Eurydis—priests aside, of course. In the Upper Kingdoms, they use it very naturally, as they would talk of the day or the night, yet a lot of people are completely unaware of its religious origin.