Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series # 1)

Chapter 30 - Kane's Nasks

Shadowkeep

Kane descended the lower stairs of Shadowkeep in a flourish, circling around and around, deeper and farther underground. Down he went into the bowels of the fortress, into the darkness of the mountain. Along the way, he heard anguished cries, wails of despair from the cells within the rocky depths of his stronghold. Tools were useful until they weren't, and his magic required vast resources.

Somewhere beyond, a bat cried out. Its screech echoed down the tunnel, warning other beasties of his approach. The creatures beneath Shadowkeep dwelt in darkness their whole lives, but they did not mind. They were drawn to the magic of the place, to the evil that oozed from the walls, just as he was.

Before him, torchlight sent a mischief of rats scurrying and squeaking as they hurried to flee from his quick step. Behind him, failure nipped at his heels. There were too many to count. Five hundred years of meticulous planning, and for what?!

Gone were the days of old when the Asarlaí ruled. Ruined were their plans to remove all those of non-magic descent. The Five had seen to that by creating dragons. Dragonwall belonged to his people, not the humans, not the Drengr, and certainly not the dragons, beasts forged from rock and stone out of pure stupidity.

He alone could restore the great destiny intended for his world. Everything rested upon a fragile point, as if battling for balance at the pentacle of Shadowkeep's tallest turret. It seemed that now his plans tilted in the wrong direction. It simply would not do!

The face of the golden-haired woman swam into his mind's eye. Who was she? How much did she know? What might her knowledge cost him? These questions gobbled him up the way the creatures beneath Shadowkeep devoured a dead carcass.

He had seen her, oh yes, he knew her face. He scried her in his Dragon's Eye. Mind you, the basin wasn't truly the eye from a dragon. It was the bowl-portion of a dragon's skull, the place where its brain once rested, hollowed out and upturned. Dragon skulls were rare in these times, difficult to find, harder still to transport. They were immensely important, as they were useful for a number of magical spells and potions.

His Dragon's Eye was filled with the magical water that allowed him to view anyone, provided he had some of that person to call upon. Fortunately for him, he had obtained what he needed from the woman named Claire. His Vodar wraiths wounded her during their fight. Initially he was furious that his assassins had failed again—he was still quite angry—but he soon realized how to turn the situation to good use.

After Claire and her companions made their way south, he visited the place of the fight. Once there, he found bits of dried blood—Claire's blood. He scooped it up, dirt and all, every bit that he could find. What a prize! Claire's blood was his only consolation now that she had slipped through his fingers. He could no longer count on his wraiths. With three of the king's own protecting her, and the Gable Forest at her back, it was too risky. Fortunately he had other contingency plans, one of which he was about to implement.

Coming to a halt deep within the lowest cavern of the mountain, he stood before a waterfall. This was not merely any waterfall. It was special—he had made it so. Now it would serve him well, as did the many slaves it cost him to build it.

Icy water cascaded down from a rock ledge far above, disappearing into a narrow slit in the floor and the caverns below. He watched the water for several moments before sending his consciousness outward. He felt his mind stretch across the mountains, forcing it to push past the planes in the North and well around the Gable Forest as it moved southward. Only when his awareness reached its target in the capital did he allow it to settle. Two minds he penetrated, and two minds he led, until they were alone and positioned where he desired them to be. Then he withdrew.

They were ready. Concentrating on what he needed to see, he waved a hand before the sheet of falling water. Its surface rippled, beginning from the middle and moving outward, like a stone tossed upon the flat surface of a pond. Lights emerged. The scene before him materialized. Two men stood within a dimly lit room inside the Great Keep of Kastali Dun. They faced the transparent portal he had created.

Upon seeing him through the rippling surface, they bowed. "Greetings, my lord." His Nasks had answered his summons. "What does our lord command?"

"Many things," he replied. "But first tell me, have you succeeded in your venture? Have you convinced the king to kill this woman—this outsider?"

The one on the left spoke first, "We have planted deep mistrust, my lord."

The other added, "The king has not yet agreed to kill her. A vote will be taken. It is likely there will be a trial."

He considered their words. A trial would not guarantee the outcome he desired. "My orders to you were simple—the woman must be eliminated."

"Of course, my lord, of course. We have, and will continue to poison the king's mind against her. The remainder of the Council is already in agreement, she is a threat to our kingdom and guilty of a great crime."

"Very well. There is still time to convince the king of this. He must believe that she killed his guard." He did not wish to send his Vodar into the capital just yet, so for now, he relied on his Nasks. "I hope you understand what must be done, should the king spare her life." His narrowed eyes made them nervously twitch.

"We do, my lord. The woman will be eliminated if the king should fail."

"I certainly hope so. Now, I have another task for you." This one was nearly as important.

"Anything, my lord."

A new threat had emerged. This one was long on his mind, growing more meddlesome as the years passed. "The king's seer—eliminate her." He could no longer risk his plans to this young mage. He knew of her visions, and with each report, he grew angrier. She was beginning to anticipate his every move.

"The Lady Saffra, my lord?"

"Yes, you imbecile, the Lady Saffra, unless you know of another seer who requires death?"

"No, my lord, but she is a powerful mage. We—"

"I know what you are." Their argument was predictable. He did not tolerate defiance. "Do you expect me to come down there and perform the task myself?"

"Of—of course not, my lord."

"If you fail me in this, I will walk through this sheet of water and kill you myself, do you understand?" It was an empty threat. He could not risk placing himself in Kastali Dun.

"Yes. Yes, my lord. We will not fail."

He did not care how they did it, so long as the job was done. But these Nasks were incompetent. That was partly why he had chosen them. Smarter minds were harder to control. "The poison maker in the city. William Collier. He remains a servant to my cause. Find him." He looked at the man on the left, giving him a knowing stare.

"We will do as you bid, my lord."

"Good. Then go, both of you." They looked relieved to be dismissed, and he was happy to be rid of them. Waving his hand once more, the scene before him disappeared, and the portal became nothing more than a sheet of water.  

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