The ground rumbled again, and smaller waves, hundreds in all, appeared within the cavernous Travelshaft. They grew along the walls. Pebbles, small rocks, and dirt rained down. Stefan cast his gaze up to the roof high above them. There, the humps in the stone existed also.
Mouth agape, he stared as the humps formed into smaller versions of the Svenzar-their young counterparts, the Sven. They inhabited the walls, standing sideways or hanging upside down from the roof like bats made of stone.
Stefan raised a hand to signal to his men. They knew to fire as soon as the creatures opened their eyes. He focused on the Svenzar.
The Svenzar’s eyes did not open. A voice like musical notes put to speech but at the same time, a basso rumble, said, “Put away your weapons, Knight Commander Dorn. We seek an audience.”
CHAPTER 5
How, in all that’s righteous, does the creature know my name? Stefan wondered
“Don’t trust them,” Garrick cautioned as he stepped up next to Stefan, his bow drawn, fletching to ear.
“Look around us, Garrick.” Stefan lowered his bow. “Even if we wanted to try hold out until the infantry and the scorpios arrived, we couldn’t. Not without Alzari or Ashishin.”
“What if they decided to take you?” Kasimir’s weapon still pointed at the stoneform creatures.
“We wouldn’t be able to stop them if that was their wish.”
“I hate being helpless,” Garrick said.
Stefan nodded. “Me too. Me too.” He raised his voice. “Men, lower your weapons.” Exhalations and the creak of strained wood easing on either side of him confirmed Kasimir and Garrick followed the order. Stefan glanced behind to make sure the rest of the cavalry complied, and then he faced the Svenzar once more. Fissures and cracks were appearing on the creature’s body in patterns he couldn’t quite place. “Svenzar, how do we do this?”
Stony chips fell away from the Svenzar’s eyes as they opened to reveal emerald pools. The eyes reminded Stefan of his own. “I wish to speak to you alone, Knight Commander Dorn. Come to me. Leave your men behind.”
“How do I know you don’t mean me harm?”
“You do not.”
“I’m supposed to trust such an answer?”
Voice tinkling in those musical notes, the Svenzar gave what sounded like a chuckle, “What choice do you have?” The Svenzar gestured a massive rocky hand to the Sven surrounding Stefan’s men. “Our young are more than enough to handle your men. Within the stone, we hold power. All you see here is ours to do with as we will.”
As if in emphasis, the creature waved its hand, and the ground shook. Walls grew from the earth, spouting up until they blocked off any possible retreat. For the first time Stefan also noted the sense of motion that persisted inside the Travelshafts had come to a complete stop. The sensation was as if the entire world paused and waited for a command.
“Point taken,” Stefan said aloud. Under his breath he said, “Should they do anything to me, fight to the death.”
“Yes, sir,” both men replied solemnly.
Stefan exhaled, let his bow drop to the ground, and strode forward. He refused to unsheathe his sword. A measure of command was necessary. Feet crunching on smaller portions of rubble, he picked his way through the rock chips and debris littering the floor until he found a clear path along the metal tracks. As he strode to the Svenzar, he kept his back straight, his chest out and paced himself with an easy grace. In this situation, he would show no fear.
When he drew within a dozen feet of the creature, Stefan realized the fissures and cracks on its body did form lines and patterns. In fact, they appeared to be more like tattoos. He strained his eyes and was able to pick out images of men, creatures he’d never seen before, landscapes, scenes of great battles, and sparkling celestial bodies. The intricacy of the artwork made him gasp. Even the murals along the walls in the Royal Palace paled by comparison. This was the first time he ever witnessed such a vibrant tapestry.
“I have watched you and your people for years.” The Svenzar’s voice was softer now, more musical than before, and conversational.
Stefan stopped. The Svenzar’s stoneform body stretched so high Stefan needed to crane his neck to peer into its face. Up close, the tattoos wormed and shifted. They gave off the impression the men and creatures watched his every move. “Why?”
The Svenzar chuckled. “So impatient your race is. You often want answers to questions you already know and to those well beyond you. It must be a trait of having a shorter life span.”
“If I knew the answer I wouldn’t ask.”
With a sigh that drifted upon the windless air, the creature said, “I have monitored you because you shape the future. Your decisions and choices affect all around you.”
“Isn’t that the same for everyone?” Stefan frowned. The conversation somehow felt off, a little odd.
“Yes, but for your kind more so than any other. Look at what your conquering of Ostanian lands has done. In Granadia you have changed the life patterns of countless millions.”
“I almost get the sense you aren’t pleased,” Stefan said.
“Upheaval, instability, fates in constant change ….” The Svenzar cocked its head. Boulders fell from its face in a rumble, but when they struck the shoulders and chest, they clung as if snagged in mud and were absorbed into its body. “I would not say I am not pleased … more … concerned. Such events take thousands of years to occur among the Svenzar. For you, it takes hundreds.”
Stefan shrugged. “So is this the reason you hindered my passage? To inquire about my race and how we live?”
“No. I am here to give you a choice to change the course your people are set upon.”
“My people? The Setian?”
“Who else could I mean?”
“I’m not sure. For a moment there I got the strange sense you meant all of Denestia.”
The Svenzar smiled, mouth a maw of jagged stone teeth.
“So what’s this choice,” Stefan asked. “My people’s future has never been brighter.” He focused on the creatures eyes, trying his best not to cringe as the mouth eased shut.
“I would disagree about the future, but arguing is pointless. We need you to serve the Svenzar. In so doing you serve your people.”
Stefan gave a cynical chuckle. He shook his head at the absurdity of the Svenzar’s statement. “Even if I considered such a thing … not that I am … why would I want to serve you?” He brought his hand up with the thumb and forefinger almost touching. “We were this close to defeating you and the Harnan.”
“If that is what you believe.” Again, the creature gave a jagged smile. “Your choices here may doom your people.”
“Really? How so?”
“Power seeping into the world from the Nether. Unstable Mater … well, at least for your kind it is unstable. I am sure you have encountered such already.”
“The same Nether where the gods are supposed to be imprisoned?” Stefan tilted his head as he regarded the creature.
“Yes. The very same one.” The Svenzar frowned. “You do not believe in the gods?”
Stefan raised his brows. “Of course I do. I have seen enough to believe they exist. I simply doubt their ability to affect anything in this world.”
“A shame,” the Svenzar said. “You have seen their power at work. A young Matii and several others are now dead because of it. Choosing to serve us can help prevent some of what is to come.”
Stefan kept his face smooth to hide his shock at the Svenzar’s knowledge. “Tell me, Svenzar-”
“Call me Kalvor.”
“Tell me, Kalvor, why did you choose me for this news or this offer?”
“Because that is the way of things. The fate of your people rests with you. It is a chance before a step is made from which there is no return.”