And so he had this time discovered the presence of Kentril Dumon and the others, already within the very walls of the city.
"You cannot imagine my delight at finding you! Brave explorers in the heart of my own realm! I knew that I could not pass up this chance, this one hope. I had to bring you to me!"
Kentril saw in his mind the legions of ghostly figures guiding his group from street to street. "You could've chosen a better manner…"
"My father did what he could, captain," Atanna interjected apologetically. "He could not come to you. He had to do it."
"Those were your people?" Zayl asked in a tone that indicated he required no answer. "They are like the dead… and yet they are not."
The master of Ureh nodded grimly. "Being trappedbetween Heaven and the mortal plane has taken its toll. We are not quite alive anymore, not quite dead, either. Atanna and I and those others who serve in the palace suffer less so, for the spells that protect and bind this place have helped us, yet even we will eventually turn as they if someone does not help us soon."
"Someone," the fiery—tressed beauty at Kentril's side murmured, gazing at him.
"But what can we do?" the mercenary leader blurted to her.
The smile she gave him seemed to swallow his heart whole. "You can replace the Key to Light."
"Replace the crystal?" snapped Quov Tsin. "You said it was destroyed!"
Khan nodded politely to the Vizjerei. "So we had thought. So Gregus had thought. But one time in the past, when I sought help from such as you, I found instead that the Key to Light had not been shattered with the mountaintop. Instead, it had been cast far from its intended location, thrown down the other side of the mountain by the force of the blast."
The diminutive sorcerer rubbed his bony chin. "And you've not retrieved it? Surely during night, when all is in shadow—"
"But not the shadow. That first time when we once again beheld our homeland, the very eve after the victims of the sun, I sent a small band out to get the lay of the land, discover what might have occurred. Under cover of night, that surely would have been no difficult task. All I sought was some little knowledge, some hope of a nearby settlement." He bared his teeth. "The moment the first stepped beyond where Nymyr's shade would have ended, he, too, burned to death."
Atanna placed her hand on Kentril's own, her eyes asking for understanding and assistance. "We're well and truly trapped, captain. Our world ends just beyond the walls of the city. Were I to step one inch farther, I wouldrisk the flesh melting from my bones, my bones incinerating to ash."
Against those eyes, that face, Captain Dumon could not struggle. He slipped his hand on top of hers, then faced Juris Khan. "Can we reach the crystal? Can we get it in place in time?"
Hope lit the elder man's expression. "You will do this for us? You will help us? I promise a king's reward for each if you can do this!"
Jodas nearly choked on his wine. The moods of the other fighters brightened. Here seemed a quest harsh but doable and with much gain to be made. At once, each volunteered, leaving only Zayl and Tsin silent.
"We don't all need to go," Kentril told the others. "Gorst, I need you definitely. Jodas, you can climb well. Brek, Orlif, you come with us also. Albord, you're in charge of the rest."
Some of those to be left behind started to complain, but Khan silenced their concerns by stating, "If this miracle is done for us, all shall share in the reward, I promise."
Kentril asked again about the time factor and where the gem might be found. In response to the first question, Juris Khan assured him that if they left within the hour, there would be time enough. A path cut along the mountain centuries past would serve them well in that respect.
In regard to the second question, the lord of Ureh requested that his daughter retrieve a box. Moments later, when Atanna had returned with the small silver container and given it to him, Khan produced for the captain a small stone of brilliant clarity upon whose top had been etched a single rune.
"This is a piece left from the shaping of the original. The rune spell ties it to the other. Hold it before you, and it'll guide your way."
"You should depart now," his daughter informed them. She touched Kentril's hand again. "Go with my blessing."
Zayl confronted him. "Captain Dumon, I would like togo with you. My skills could be of use, and I know this area well. It would speed matters up some, I believe."
"A sage suggestion," Juris Khan declared. "I thank you."
"Well if he goes, you've no need of me up on that chill mountain," snapped Tsin. "I prefer to wait here."
Their host accepted this decision also. "You would do me a boon by being here, master sorcerer. Perhaps with you to aid me, I can be freed of Gregus's wicked magic. I offer you all the books, scrolls, and other works gathered in my sanctum as a start for your research, and in exchange for my freedom, afterward you may keep any that you wish."
If the talk of gold and riches had stirred the hearts of Kentril's men, the mention of so much magical knowledge did the same for the Vizjerei. "You're—you're most generous, my Lord Khan."
"I would give anything to end this nightmare," the elder responded, his gaze turning to Captain Dumon. "Is that not so, Atanna?"
"Anything," she agreed, also looking at Kentril.
The tiny gem glowed bright, an encouraging sign.
Quickly folding his hand so as not to risk losing the small stone, Kentril deposited it in the same pouch in which he also carried the brooch. He had not told Atanna about finding the latter but swore he would return it to her once the Key to Light had been set in its proper place.
Juris Khan had given them explicit instructions about what they needed to do once they had obtained the magical gem. Kentril knew exactly where to place it, not only to make certain that the wind did not blow it off but also so as to catch the very first hint of sun. Only by following the instructions to the letter could he hope to keep Ureh—and Atanna—from vanishing from his life.
The five men struggled their way around the mountain. While the path had been well carved, time had taken its toll. More than once, they had been forced to leap overbreaks or climb above rock falls. Orlif had nearly slipped once, but Gorst and Jodas had pulled him back before anything could happen.
Much to the mercenaries' surprise, Zayl proved an excellent guide. He had spoken truth when he said he knew the area well. True, the necromancer had never climbed to the top of Nymyr, but he seemed to have a sense for how the mountain had been shaped.
Torch in hand, Kentril now followed Zayl, which meant that as the fierce, cold wind blew the necromancer's cloak about, the captain had a good look every once in a while at the mysterious pouch. Something about its contents still bothered him; he almost felt that the bag stared back at him. The notion struck Kentril as ludicrous, but still he could not shake off the sensation of being watched.
"There is an outcropping here that we must go over," Zayl informed him.
"Gorst." The brawny fighter, now clad in a simple cloak of his own, slipped ahead with a length of rope. With Kentril's aid, the pair secured the rope, then, one by one, each man worked his way up.