At last my eyes found it. Beyond the city, heading towards the ocean, there was a single bridge that spanned the river after its two branches re-joined. That was also missing from the map, so I noted its position carefully.
This bridge gave direct access to a huge bronze gate set in the High Wall. So, assuming that the bridge was still intact when the army arrived, it would be possible to bypass the city. The gate itself looked formidable, but at least it was a gate rather than solid stone; gates could be rammed or torn from their hinges.
It had been well worth coming all this way, even though I’d got here as a captive. I had established the existence of the High Wall and the gate, and knew that a Genthai army could get here, tear down that gate and advance northwards. But I would like to take a closer look at the gate …
Once I’d learned its secrets I would escape. If I ventured further north, I would have little chance of returning unaided. Of course, in escaping I would be breaking my word to Shalatan, but she was my enemy. She and others of her kind had slain billions of humans and confined the rest within the Barrier. Our survival was at stake.
I would have to set my ‘honour’ aside.
BARSK AND ORL
Barsk and orl were created one for the other; the first has a higher mind and is dominant, yet is still dependent upon the orl that carries it.
Such binary djinn born of a shatek lack the power to be born again of her love. By this limitation were they shaped as warriors, for those who can die but once fight most fiercely to hold onto life.
The History of the Conflict by Eitel the Pessimist
LEIF
It was almost a week after we had taken up residence in the city that I saw a mounted barsk.
There was something chilling about the sighting, as if I’d glimpsed the agent of my death, and in a sudden moment of intuition I realized that none of us were safe here – not even Shalatan herself.
I had been feeling at ease during the preceding days. Shalatan had been given the most northwesterly of the thirteen quadrants. All that area, including the gardens, the lake and the buildings, had been placed at her disposal. In addition, there was a vast subterranean area, to which I alone was denied access. It was a dark zone into which Shalatan and her warriors and the thirteen wagons had descended on arrival.
A wide, steep path paved with red stones led down into a circular hollow in the earth, but it was barred by a huge rusty metal gate. I’d been witness to the slow opening of the gate, but then an escort had led me away to my quarters; later I was told that even my mare had been taken down into the darkness there.
However, to my surprise, I was no longer guarded, and they had left me my round shield and short sword; my quarters were far more comfortable than in the krie-kore, consisting of a hollow cube of stones set in an extensive hedged garden close to the city wall. Later I learned it was called a hansha, which roughly translated into ‘the strangers’ house’, built to accommodate visiting representatives of other djinn.
It had no windows, and only one small metal door, which could be closed properly only from inside by sliding it across on metal tracks. In addition, there were a number of heavy iron bolts to secure it.
The apparently small exterior belied the generous space within. Above ground was a single, austere room with simple wooden chairs and a round wooden table polished to such a sheen that the surface was like a mirror. On the walls hung small torches, each set in a conical copper holder embellished with coiled serpents and lizards, their eyes made of green and yellow gems.
At the room’s centre was a spiral staircase; as soon as my guards had left, I wasted no time in making the descent. There I found five large underground rooms, two furnished with curtains, tapestries and soft leather couches; the third was a bedroom, and the fourth provided washing and sanitary facilities. The fifth was almost identical to the underground cell which had served as my home within the krie-kore.
Again, there were the recesses in the walls, and a deep well in the floor where a staircase spiralled down further; beside this were two chairs and a table covered with a green cloth. It even had a similar pit running along the far wall.
I had not investigated either the well or the pit at the krie-kore, but now the time was approaching when I needed to escape and return home. They might lead to a way out and I resolved to explore them.
I sat down at the table and waited patiently. No more than a few minutes had elapsed before I heard familiar footsteps and Peri’s smiling face rose into view carrying a tray laden with food and drink.
‘I didn’t see you on the journey,’ I said as she transferred the items to the table. ‘At first I thought you’d been left behind, but I wondered if you were hidden away in one of the wagons. Was it one of those with brass sides?’
Peri smiled but did not answer; instead she offered me a glass of wine, and I took a mouthful. It began to warm my belly immediately.
‘Are we going to continue with the lessons now?’ I asked.
‘Well, there are lots of new words for you to learn – some of them very important for anyone who stays in this city. I shall also begin teaching you the High Tongue, which is used for formal communications. But I’m going to leave further lessons until tomorrow so you can rest after the journey. You’ll be quite safe – as long as you don’t venture beyond the boundaries of the garden.’
‘Why should I want to do that,’ I asked, ‘when I’ve everything I need here? Surely I’m perfectly safe within these walls.’
‘Each of the thirteen zones in the city is given to one such as my lady,’ Peri told me, ‘but there is intense rivalry between the zones; any weakness could result in expulsion or worse. Those who entered the city most recently are the most vulnerable. Our intention is to go north, but we must earn that right. Only those of the strongest of the thirteen zones may pass through the bronze gate at will. And, at this moment, we are probably the weakest. So stay within the confines of house and garden and do nothing that may make my lady’s position more difficult.’
‘I’d like to see the bronze gate. Would that be possible?’ I asked.
‘Certainly not,’ Peri said, frowning. ‘You are a stranger here. Once you stray beyond the garden my lady can no longer protect you.’
I was eager to see the gate and then make my escape, but I hid my disappointment, and we ate in silence. Soon Peri took her leave, once more bidding me rest and promising to tell me more in the morning.
But before retiring for the night I climbed back up to ground level and carried one of the chairs out into the garden. It was cold but, despite the chill, I sat there in the dark for almost an hour watching the stars wheel slowly across the sky. They were the same stars that were visible within the Barrier and I began to feel the pull of home.
I was missing Kwin.
The following morning the news brought by Peri couldn’t have been worse.
She began by elaborating further on the dangers within the city. In order to pass northwards through the bronze gate, Shalatan would have to demonstrate her worthiness through the combat skills of her warriors. It seemed that the large building at the centre of the city contained a great arena and that, in ten days, the Games would begin – contests fought to the death between representatives of the thirteen djinn. To come last would mean immediate expulsion from the city; to come first would earn Shalatan the key to the bronze gate.
It seemed clear to me that this was where Midgard’s Wheel, with its thirteen arenas, originated. But that wooden building was a poor imitation of the dome at the centre of this city of the djinn.
‘Then, if we’re unable to proceed northwards,’ I asked, ‘can I not be judged?’
‘There are none here who have sufficient knowledge to question you. And if such questioning and judgement cannot take place, then my lady must take your life. That is the law.’
‘It’s good of her to go to such lengths to get me a hearing,’ I said.
Peri smiled. ‘She does it more for herself than
for you. Here, south of the High Wall, dwell the weak. To the north, beyond it, dwell the strong; those who compete to leave this isolated island.’
‘We are on an island?’ I asked in surprise.
‘Yes, this city lies on this little island created by the course of the river; but we are also on a larger island surrounded by an ocean, with another island to the south. There are larger masses of land beyond us – continents where the most powerful djinn dwell. That is what my lady desires – to be with the strong rather than the weak. You have given her a reason to renew her struggle for position.’
A sudden chill gripped me as I realized the implications of what Peri was saying.
‘The djinn to the north are more formidable than those I have seen so far?’ I asked. Ada had mentioned other types of djinn, and warned of the evolution by which means they had probably become even more powerful than in the days of Empire. I was now facing the reality of what that actually meant. We were just a few thousand humans, and the world beyond our island teemed with djinn.
‘Oh, yes,’ answered Peri. ‘That is certainly so. They are called asscka, and their selves form great armies mounted upon rasires. They also employ barska and orla, which are binary djinn, to fight alongside them and also function as warrior ambassadors. A barsk rides an orl, which runs upon two legs, faster than agnwana. They are fearsome dual beasts, and are terrible to behold. They serve asscka to police the lesser djinn and bring an end to conflicts.’
‘I’d like to see one of those mighty djinn, Peri,’ I said.
‘If you survive, one day your wish to see asscka will be granted. But soon you will see barska and orla. Three binary djinn are on their way here now to oversee the Games that will decide our future.’
‘Will I be able to visit the arena and watch them?’ I asked.
I expected a firm refusal, but to my surprise Peri said she was certain that Shalatan would wish me to be there.
After this she started on my lessons in the High Tongue, but I found it hard to concentrate.
After she’d left me I had much to ponder. The latest information didn’t bode well for an invading Genthai army and I wondered what further bad news awaited me to the north.
My first sight of a barsk was chilling indeed, but it was the orl that filled me with the greatest alarm.
One day I was walking briskly along the edge of the lake, shivering in the chill air. That hedge that bordered it was low and did not obstruct my view. I was looking at the great red-stone arena at the centre of the city. The Games were scheduled to begin within days and I was curious about the contests.
Would they follow the rules of the Trigladius fought in Arena 13?
Suddenly I heard a strange metallic boom that lingered long upon the air. It came from the west, from the ocean. In my mind was an image of the bronze gate in the High Wall, and I realized that it had just slammed shut after admitting the barska and orla, who were due to arrive that day.
I continued walking; surely they wouldn’t come anywhere near the lake – they would be accommodated in the arena building – and in any case, never once had I met anyone on my walks. Peri had told me that it was safe on this side of the hedge during daylight; but on no account was I to go through the gap and cross the central bridge over the lake which led towards the arena.
When I finally turned to make my way back, all was quiet and still. There was a light powdering of snow on the ground – the first of the winter – but the sky was clear and the setting sun was reflected in the calm waters of the lake. On approaching the city, I’d seen boats on some of the lakes, but this one was empty.
I was walking away from the bridge when I heard a light, rhythmical drumming far behind me, carrying clearly through the still, silent air. It sounded like hooves – though not horses’ hooves.
I glanced round – and saw something crossing the bridge towards me. For a moment I stared, and then the blood in my veins began to freeze.
It was a rider on the back of something that looked no larger than a horse – though there was something very strange about its gait. When I saw that it had only two legs, I turned and headed away from the lake towards my hansha. I walked as fast as I dared without breaking into a run. My sword and shield had been left behind – why should I carry them on a lakeside walk? But now I felt desperately vulnerable.
I risked another backward look and saw that the creature and its rider had reached the end of the bridge. They’d halted there, and seemed to be staring in my direction.
I hurried on, almost breaking into a run. Another glance told me that the pair were following me. So far, I’d been retracing my footsteps in the snow; now I veered left towards the city wall, away from my dwelling.
I told myself that I was being foolish: the barsk and orl weren’t following me at all – just making their way to the entrance to the underground area, to confer with Shalatan and discuss the imminent Games.
However, another glance confirmed beyond all doubt that I was their target. On my left was a small postern gate in the wall, one that I’d often surreptitiously examined – only to find it sealed tight. It was another five hundred paces from there to the hansha.
I realized I couldn’t escape, so I stopped. There was no way I could outrun the beast and its rider. Besides, to flee gave licence to the djinn to mark me as prey; Peri had promised that I’d be safe so long as I didn’t venture out into the garden after dark. As the sun was still above the horizon, I should have nothing to fear.
I turned to face my pursuers, trying to control my breathing, imagining how Garrett would have reacted to this situation. Garrett had been the bravest of warriors. I could hear his laughter now, and the wild words that were always more than mere bravado: Only one, Leif? Hardly worth my trouble. I’ll leave him to you!
The barsk brought his orl to a halt about ten human paces short of me.
The barsk was terrifying to look upon, but the creature it rode was even more intimidating. It was natural to assume that the rider controlled the mount, but for a few seconds I wasn’t sure. The orl regarded me with malice, its almond-shaped eyes glittering with intelligence.
I’d seen a similar intelligence in the eyes of the rasire, but nothing that compared to this. I noted that the creature was slightly larger than the mount of a Genthai warrior, but not quite as bulky as the heavy dray horses used in Gindeen. In some ways it was not unlike a bird: it had the same swift, staccato, purposeful movements. But its legs were muscular and covered in green scales like those of a swamp lizard, and its body was bulky, ending in a long tail that twisted behind it like a fifth limb.
Its arms were wiry, and its hands had four fingers and an opposable thumb. The fingers curled and straightened rhythmically, and the nails were sharp and pointed and shone like small silver daggers. Each broad foot had three toes that ended in claws and, protruding backwards from the heel, a sharp triangular spur of white bone.
Its neck was longer than a horse’s; this was the only part protected by armour – overlapping plates that resembled those worn by the rasire.
The head was massive, like a block of granite, with very small ears that twitched and moved in all directions, as if attempting to listen to all points of the compass simultaneously. The scales that covered its face and shoulders were somewhat darker than on the rest of its body and were edged with black. Even more terrifying than the malevolent eyes were the teeth: double rows of razor-edged incisors angled backwards into a mouth that hung open, as if ready to bite.
I saw how fearsome such a creature might prove in close combat: the legs being used to kick and disembowel; the hands to rip and tear or wield weapons; and the mouth to bite and twist, tearing flesh or even crunching through bone. What chance would a horse have against such an entity?
I tore my gaze away from the orl and looked up at its rider. The barsk was shaped like a human, but there was one difference: it had four arms. Two of them held onto arcs of what looked like black bone protruding from the armoured neck of the or
l, while the others held weapons – one a long barbed spear that was attached to the orl by a coil of chain; the other an axe, the blade balanced by a murderous spike.
Instantly I recognized the combat advantage afforded by the extra limbs. The arms holding the protrusions of bone were very muscular, far thicker than the two that wielded weapons. Genthai were difficult to unseat, but I judged that only in death would a barsk ever fall from its mount.
The creature was clad in black armour formed from small, overlapping plates that rippled as it breathed, and upon its chest was the insignia of a triple barb, filigreed in silver. The hands were sheathed in gloves of soft brown leather, and the only visible area of skin was on the face. A conical helmet covered the head, with a thin nose guard that stretched down towards the elongated chin. The nose must also be thin, I thought, for it was obscured by the metal, and the close-set eyes regarded me with a mixture of disdain and loathing.
Then the barsk spoke. Its accent was different to Peri’s and Shalatan’s and its syntax was extremely formal. It was using what Peri had termed the High Tongue, but by now I was able to understand most of what was said to me.
The barsk seemed to know who I was. It made no attempt to question me, but neither did it show any sign of attacking. No doubt, for this barsk warrior, it was unusual to encounter a human barbarian within the walls of a city; and it would be aware that its enemy was protected.
‘Your presence here deeply offends me,’ said the barsk. ‘From this moment I command you to stay hidden within your dwelling. Unless chained, you are no longer free to wander outside.’
I smiled and spoke to it in the High Tongue. ‘But is this not a place given to my lady? And do you not know that permission has already been granted for me to wander freely between the hansha and the hedge?’
The barsk seemed to stiffen, and gave a low hiss. The orl hissed in unison, and seemed to growl deep in its throat, making the armoured plates on its neck vibrate. The creature had understood my words and they had angered it.