"You have to remember sunlight has not visited the inside of this tunnel for ages." Rhanu saw the walls of the tunnel as they were in the Age of Illumination. The glimmered like burnished mirrors, the exact opposite of the current sooty surface.
I see with the eyes of a dead woman…
The mind of Raakhi, he knew. The bond with Titien included whatever she had stored of herself in the orb. It caught him by surprise when a memory surfaced that was not his. Ayna told him he would be able to access those memories and all the knowledge that went with them in time.
Of course, now would be a convenient time. Unfortunately, that sort of thing never worked out the way one wished. In a way he was relieved. He had always distrusted the mystical arts, so it did not sit well with him that suddenly he was a wielder of such.
He turned to Ayna. "Why did your first command not work?"
"It is the nature of Apokrypy. Every command has several distinct dialects. So not only must you remember the command, you must also memorize the other strains of the command as well."
"Why the difficulty?"
"The Aelon taught us Apokrypy but didn't want it to be easy to master. Commands have different dialects to avoid the overuse of a single expression. Once spoken, the word disappears from the mind. I will have to study the guide I copied for Nyori to memorize the command again."
"Not necessary. I remember the command. It was…" Rhanu frowned. He remembered Ayna speaking two separate words, but what they were had slipped from his mind. No matter how hard he tried to recall, it was impossible.
"You see? It affects anyone who hears the command. It is the nature of Apokrypy to be forgotten. The language is the True Verse, and those words had power. Small wonder it is so fiercely protected."
"Why are the odji not restricted as well?"
"The Co'nane were Aelon once. Their focus is much greater than ours, allowing them direct access to eler and aether, the energies of life and light. They manipulate their Crafts with focus and willpower alone, with no need for language as an aid. When they gifted the Elious with a portion of their powers, the Sects retained the ability to focus the Crafts as the Co'nane do."
Rhanu hesitated. "What you did when fighting the Gorian. I…heard no words. Nor did you form any characters."
A smile touched her lips, and the firelight shimmered in her eyes, making them glow golden. "Does that trouble you, Ludari? Are you afraid I might be one of the akhkharu?"
"I'm not sure what to think. But I can't believe you can be one of the odji."
Her smile widened. "The Sages had such powers. And Nyori told me that Han's guardian, Shiru, could do so as well. His people have honed their skills for ages in a civilization where the Disciplines are lauded instead of feared as they are here. Mine is the blood of the Elious, so I am naturally inclined to master some of their lesser Disciplines. With time and the aid of Titien, you will be able to focus them as well, in time."
"So you keep saying." Rhanu had seen no such hints himself. It was as though the memories of Raakhi had burrowed in his mind so deep that he could not find them. He touched the medallion beneath his tunic, but it provided no answers.
They traveled in the gloom for what seemed a long time. The only sound was their own footsteps, alarmingly loud in the hollowed cavern. It did not make sense, but it appeared as though the odji had left the tunnel unguarded.
Perhaps all were called to battle.
The tunnel opened into a massive chamber. Inside were hideously carved statues of creatures with bat-like wings and terrible features. Rhanu stepped cautiously inside. "The map indicated the gate controls are somewhere in here. Amisi, do you see a hidden door of some sort?"
"No." Her eyes widened with fear. "I see only a trap."
Horrible chittering noises spewed from all around; inhuman garble from bestial throats. The scent of rotted leather nearly overwhelmed Rhanu. The small band froze in their tracks as firefly eyes winked from above. The statues of the creatures came to life around them, leaping from their pedestals in a rush of foul air and piercing screeches. They swooped upon the men like hawks on mice, filling the chamber with their shrieks.
"Ayna, get away!" Rhanu cut down two of the foul-smelling creatures with a single vicious blow. Black blood rained on his face.
He heard her voice call out a command. Electric fire split the air in a searing flash. Rhanu closed his eyes from the glare as the Dhamphir shrieked. When he blinked his eyes open, several winged bodies writhed in flames. He could not see Ayna. He felt something, though. Ripples of Aether energy that quickly dissipated in the darkness. A Shadowmeld. Somehow he recognized the energy signature as though he'd known it his entire life. A dangerous Craft, but one that provided a quick escape.
Dradyn and Nando were missing as well, which was good. At least Ayna had someone to watch her back. Unless Dradyn had somehow betrayed them again. Rhanu pushed the thought away. All he could concentrate on was trying to stay alive. Fighting the Dhamphir was like fighting shadows. They flowed with the darkness, making them difficult to see or strike. Rhanu whirled his wakiza as fast as he could into leathery wings and bristly bodies. His men were not so fortunate. Their screams reverberated in the cavern as they were slaughtered.
A tall, gaunt figure dropped before Rhanu, garbed in all black from cloak to dull armor. His head and face had the pallid resemblance of a half-rotted onion.
"Greetings, Godslayer." His voice was serpentine as he rubbed his abnormally long fingers together. "You address Krolo, master of the Dhamphir. You look surprised. Did you think the one Thrall you discovered was the only in your party? Our Thralls inhabit even your precious Hidden City. They can do so much. Watch your every move. Who you spend time with, how many times you mate like animals." Krolo's grin was stomach turning. "They can even supply you with a map that supposedly marks a vulnerable weakness for you to exploit."
Rhanu exhaled a shuddering breath. "There are no gatehouse controls here."
"Such a wise Sage." Krolo clutched the fringes of his tattered cloak as he crept forward. "Every step you have taken has led you here, to your unmarked tomb. There will be no rise of the Sages, Godslayer. You need not resist. Your men can attest to that."
Rhanu didn't have to turn around to see the truth. He heard the sickening sounds of the creatures feeding, but he did not dare look away from the emaciated figure before him. Krolo appeared almost skeletal, but Rhanu felt the strength emanating from the Dhamphir master.
The remaining Dhamphir shuffled in a semicircle around Rhanu. Many still had blood dripping from their mouths and chins. The chittering sounds filled his ears until he felt he would go mad.
Krolo flicked his abnormally long fingers at them. "Kill the Shama and any with her. Let none leave the lands of Aceldama alive." The Dhamphir shrieked in response and took wing down the tunnel.
Ayna! The thought skittered across Rhanu's consciousness like a spider before he ruthlessly crushed it. He could do nothing for her unless he lived beyond the next few moments.
Krolo tilted his head and grinned. "Your companions have abandoned you. No one will arrive to save you, Godslayer."
Rhanu twirled his wakiza. "The only one who needs deliverance is you, odji."
Krolo snarled and snatched a pair of long katars from his sides. He flew through the air toward Rhanu, who met him with his wakiza. Their weapons joined in a shower of sparks.