Chareos looked deeply into the man's eyes. 'Will you betray us, Harokas? Will you sell us for Nadir gold?'
The assassin's face darkened, but he bit back an angry response. Instead he said, 'I say this for your ears only, Blademaster; I love Tanaki. I would die for her. You understand me? I would sell you in an instant, but not her. Never her.'
'I believe you,' said Chareos. 'We will meet as you say.'
Harokas eased past the Blademaster and climbed down the ridge. Chareos watched him, but the dark-garbed figure was soon lost among the shadows.
Tar be it from me to criticise a leader's decision,' said Chien-tsu, bowing low, 'but I do not believe he is to be trusted.'
'You move silently, ambassador.'
'Sometimes it is better so to do. Will we truly meet him at the place you agreed?'
'No. To get there he must pass the trail to the south. We will wait there.'
'Excellent. It may be, Chareos, that I will not be accompanying you. If that proves to be true, would you be so kind as to look after my servant, Oshi? See him safely to a port. I will leave him coin to pay his passage to Kiatze.'
'You intend to kill Jungir Khan? Alone?'
'Such is my intention. The barbarian mistreated the daughter of my Emperor. Quite rightly she took her own life. Now, I must take his. It is a question of harmony and balance.'
Chareos looked down at the small warrior, noting the steadiness of his gaze and the proud, stern set of his features.
'It seems to me, ambassador, that the life of a man like Jungir Khan would not compensate for the loss of Chien-tsu.'
'A graceful compliment,' said the Kiatze, surprised. He bowed low. 'And yet the deed must be done. I will journey with you into the bowels of the earth, and I will wait until the woman is rescued. After that, I shall seek out the Khan.'
Asta Khan led the questors down to the edge of a fissure, a jagged tear in the land's surface. Kiall leaned over and gazed down into the inky depths.
This is the entrance,' said Asta. 'Now we climb.' The old man nimbly dropped to his haunches and slithered over the edge. Kiall shook his head and looked to Chareos.
The Blademaster unbuckled his sword-belt and hung it over his shoulders before bellying down and following the shaman.
'Wait here, Oshi,' said Chien-tsu. 'And if I do not return, take note of the man Chareos. Serve him as you would me. You understand?'
'Yes, lord,' answered the servant miserably.
Tanaki and Kiall were the last to begin the dark climb. The hand- and foot-holds were good, and the descent less perilous than first appeared. Asta Khan reached the lowest level, raised his arms, and a soft yellow light glowed on the walls of the cavern.
'A heavily pregnant woman will not be able to make that climb,' said Chareos.
'Nor will she need to,' Asta told him. 'I have made preparations.' Moving to the wall, he reached down behind a jutting rock and lifted a coil of hemp rope. 'When we have her, we will climb back to the surface and then haul her up.'
Draping the rope over the rock, he set off across the dimly glowing cavern. The others followed him through a honeycomb of tunnels until, after about half an hour, they reached a point where the glowing light did not penetrate.
Asta pointed to the forbidding wall of darkness. 'You all know what is beyond this point: it is the Void. I shall pass through, with the woman Tanaki and the warrior Chien-tsu. You, Chareos, and your friend, will remain here.'
'What purpose will that serve?' asked Chareos.
'If we are pursued, you will cover our retreat. Many of them will be killed in the Void, but others might get through. Also, much could go wrong for us beyond this barrier. You will be able to hear us — and give us aid if necessary.'
'You said there was no Silver Pathway,' said Kiall. 'How then will you cross safely?'
'I am not without power, child,' snapped Asta. 'But all life is perilously fragile. A man cannot live without danger, no matter how much he may desire it.' He turned to Chien and Tanaki. 'Draw your swords and be ready to use them.'
Kiall touched Tanaki's arm. 'Be careful,' he said, knowing the words were ludicrous but unable to find others. She smiled, leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
'Now stand close to me,' ordered Asta, 'placing your hands on my shoulders.' Chien stood on the shaman's left, Tanaki on his right. Slowly they moved into the darkness.
Once inside, a circle of fire leapt around them like a wall. The heat was incredible and the light burned at their eyes.
'I can hold this for moments only,' said Asta. 'Be ready!' He began to run, the others loping alongside him. The circle of fire remained constantly with them, no matter their speed.
From beyond the silent flames came the sounds of padding feet, talons on stone and the chilling cries of hunting beasts. Still Asta ran on, seemingly tireless.
The flames grew thinner and Tanaki began to see shapeless forms beyond the fire, keeping pace with them. When she glanced at Chien his dark eyes met her gaze and he gave a tight smile.
A scaled arm lashed at the flames. The skin shrivelled and a ghastly scream sounded.
'Almost there!' called Asta.
Suddenly the fire flared — and died.
Asta screamed. A huge creature swooped down from above them, its leather wings knocking him from his feet. Tanaki plunged a sword into the beast's belly and pulled Asta to his feet; he tore clear of her grasp and sprinted away.
A scaled monster leapt from the darkness. Chien's sword flashed out and down and the beast fell writhing to the ground.
'As you value your lives, RUN!' came the voice of Asta. Risking a glance back, Chien saw giant white wolves bearing down on them. The small warrior took to his heels. He saw Asta vanish ahead of him, followed by Tanaki. For a moment Chien experienced panic, feeling the hot breath of a beast upon his neck.
A great weight landed on his back and he fell and rolled. As the wolf beast scrambled up, twisting to attack, Chien's sword slashed through its throat. The pack howled and charged. Chien spun on his heel and flung himself forward through the opening — falling to his knees before Tanaki and the shaman.
Tanaki offered a hand and Chien accepted it, pulling himself to his feet. He glanced back. 'How is it the creatures do not follow us?' he asked.
'They cannot pass through. Think of it as a lake,' said Asta. 'We can dive through the surface, but the fish cannot leave; that is their world. It is possible to make a Gateway for them, but the power needed is great and would require many hundreds of souls.'
T would not wish to sound defeatist, shaman,' said Chien, 'but upon our return I cannot see the woman Ravenna sprinting away from those wolves. It would be a great pity to rescue her, only to see her die in the Void.'
'She will not die there,' said Asta. 'But my power is finite and I gave you all I could spare. With her I will hold the circle. Now let us move on.'
The tunnel widened, and for the first time it was possible to see the works of men here — the walls smoothed, reinforced with timbers. There was a stairway carved into the rock and Asta mounted it, moving up to squat beneath a low ceiling. He signalled for silence and called Chien and Tanaki to him.
'Above us,' he whispered, 'is the throne room. It is now almost midnight. There should be no one there. Are you ready, Princess?'
'Yes.'
'If the throne room is not empty — we are doomed,' said Asta, for once seeming nervous and unsure.
Chien chuckled softly. 'No life is without peril, shaman,' he reminded him. Asta muttered an obscene curse and lifted the flagstone above his head. It creaked and juddered. Chien helped him with the weight and they twisted the stone to lay it alongside the opening. Tanaki levered herself up into the darkness of the throne room and Chien followed her.