Chapter 8 #4
Most started forward, probably glad for a decisive voice that they trusted, so Kai led the way into the next corridor. A few still argued, though it didn’t sound as if Tael was taking any criticism of her decision. As long as they could argue and walk at the same time.
The scholars didn’t go quiet until they reached the first body.
One broke into sobs and tried to drop down beside it, but others caught them and pulled them onward.
The two carrying Highsun were toward the middle of the group, and Tael was in the back, helping one of the weaker ones to keep moving.
“Make sure no one falls behind,” Kai said.
Kaeter added, “Isai, help Tael with Aran.” They lowered their voice and said to Kai, “Ilhanrun is waking.”
It was hard to tell in the flickering shadows, but Highsun, still supported by the two scholars, lifted his head a little.
Someone patted his cheek with a corner of their stole, trying to rouse him.
Kai wasn’t impressed. “Not fast enough, they’ll still have to carry his”—he thought but didn’t say useless carcass—“him out of here.”
Kaeter’s expression was conflicted, as if that hadn’t been their point. Oh, Kai thought, that was a little test to see if I’m afraid of the righteous Immortal Blessed. He managed to keep his sneer mostly internal.
Then Tael called out, “They’re behind us!”
Kai spun to see the far end of the corridor ablaze with fire. It wasn’t the stone walls; a construct engulfed in flame charged toward them. Other constructs, not yet caught by the fire intention, crowded behind it. He snapped, “Run,” and stepped back as the scholars plunged past.
The corridor was wide and open, nothing to block it with. The construct on fire staggered as a limb fell off, the connecting tissue burned away, but the others pushed past it.
As Tael and the last two scholars passed him, Kai took a calming breath, ignoring the stink of burning flesh and fear sweat.
He had two prepared intentions left and a limited amount of pain to make them work, and they still had a good distance to get through with many spots ripe for ambush.
Better to use the intention already in action.
He closed his eyes and reached for the completed design that was weaving itself through the breadth of the stone and dirt of this structure.
He sank into it, drew those tendrils to this half-lit corridor, careful not to rush, not to tug the design out of shape and send the intention wildly exploding everywhere, setting everything on fire …
He felt the design shift into its new configuration and opened his eyes. Just as a construct lunged within arm’s reach and swung a heavy gray limb toward his head.
Kai ducked and flames rushed up over the construct’s patchwork of stolen flesh.
He fell back and scrambled away until he could roll to his feet.
His face felt hot and singed. He pounded out the smoldering bits of flesh that had landed on his coat.
More constructs crowded into the hall, all on fire now, ramming into each other and the walls.
The one that had already been alight fell to bits, charred black chunks dropping away. Kai ran.
He caught up with the mortals and got them past two more turns before more constructs appeared. Then it was a wild scramble to get through the next corridor and a dead garden court.
At the next turn a construct lunged out of a dark corner, too far ahead for Kai to block it. It grabbed a young scholar just as its legs burst into flames. Kai reached it and slammed a hand into its midsection, releasing an intention that would have turned a mortal’s guts to liquid.
The construct’s legs and lower torso collapsed but it didn’t let go of the scholar and Kai didn’t let go of it.
It dragged them both to the floor and Kai struggled, too aware that if he didn’t get away from this thing the rest of the mortals would be caught.
But he was unwilling to leave another crumpled body in this corridor.
Then hands and feet and shouting scholars were all around him, beating at the burning creature, grabbing their friend and trying to wrestle her out of its grip.
Kai managed to pin down one mottled gray arm and stomp on its shoulder until it finally released its prey.
He staggered to his feet. Helping to knock the burning fragments of flesh off everyone’s clothes, Tael gasped, “I was wrong, there’s a lot more than ten! ”
Breathing hard, Kai told her, “We’re almost outside.” The struggle had given him enough pain for his last intention, the one he had let Arnsterath have a taste of.
When they turned into the last corridor, more constructs bore down on them, only a few alight. But there was nothing between the mortals and the door, and Kai shouted, “Go, get outside, run!”
They were holding on to each other to stay together, to keep the injured and weak moving.
The fire intention’s design was set to end at the structure that contained it, and if the constructs followed the mortals out, it wouldn’t be able to reach them.
During the war, civilians would have known to scatter in different directions, hoping at least some would survive.
This group was sure to stay together, and the brush around the tor wasn’t easy to run through; Kai would have to stop the constructs.
Kaeter reached the slab door first and wedged it open for the others as they stumbled through.
Constructs charged the corridor, not burning fast enough.
Kai faced the onslaught, backing up almost to the outer door’s foyer as the mortals carried or pushed or dragged each other to safety.
He spread his hands and waited as the lead construct, with half a torso and limbs stuck into it almost at random, plunged toward him.
Its grasping hands brushed him and Kai let the intention go. Warmth shot through his body, a burning sting that should shatter the thing’s bones, delay it at least enough to let the fire take it.
But then Kai felt the rise of potential in the air, the building power of something horrifying and familiar.
He hadn’t forgotten the Well; the suspended fog of its malign presence hung all through the corridors, but he had been too busy to dwell on it.
But someone was here who could use that power, and the outer door was open now to let it free on the world.
Kai shouted something, a garbled warning.
He turned and flung himself at Kaeter and the last two mortals.
They tumbled out of the door together and rolled into the dirt and brush.
Kai struggled upright, shouting, “Run, it’s coming!
” He reached deep inside himself for the power to impose his will.
He had only ever used it on enemies, like the Nient-arik conspirators who had been with Aclines.
He had no idea if this would work but it was their only chance.
He put all his strength into it and yelled, “Scatter!”
The scholars stumbling away from the door bolted in different directions through the brush.
Kai sensed something behind him and started to turn.
A heavy blow struck him across the back and knocked him forward.
He fell into the flattened brush, tried to push himself up, and something in his shoulder snapped.
Kai gasped at pain like hot nails driven into his skin.
People screamed, shouted; he was certain he heard Dahin and Ramad.
Then something grabbed his foot and dragged him back.
Toward the doorway. Toward the Voice of the Well.
Kai twisted around to see a construct that was mostly torso and rotting limbs looming over him. He curled up and grabbed the pale human hand locked around his ankle and wrenched at it with all his strength.
It let go and stumbled. Kai shoved to his feet and ran to the side, hoping to get far enough out of the path—
The world went black, then gray.
Kai swam up through a haze of pain to realize he lay on his back on broken brush, staring up at a cloudy gray sky.
He tasted blood in his throat. His head rang and everything hurt, like his body was made of shattered glass.
He knew, distantly, that the glass was actually his bones.
Then a shadow leaned over him and the world dropped again into darkness.