Book of Kayal: Strength of Unity Read online

  Ganis offered him a hand and eased his struggle. When he had completely emerged, she asked, “What possible use can you have for these?”

  He smiled at her and raised one finger, pointing it towards the sky. “I’ll tell you one secret in exchange for one of your own.”

  “I hope this counts.” She gestured at the pit.

  “Aye, it counts.” spreading the uniforms on the ground, Prometh said, “I’m part of an underground resistance here in Initium Keep. You just gave us what we needed to infiltrate the guards.”

  An opportunity. “And a good hideout, it seems.”

  Prometh eyed the rubble. “Only if we can fix this mess.” He then took a moment to himself, staring at the spread uniforms. “I’ve an idea. Stay here.” Prometh hasted back to where Ganis and he had come from, towards the quarry.

  For some time Ganis waited, feeling at ease knowing that the guards would not appear. She had grown accustomed to the prisoners around her, walking idly, minding their own.

  Once more Prometh returned, with two other prisoners and a large iron-reinforced wooden plank, an exact replica of the one she destroyed, with a few differences from the natural patterns and spots the wood bore.

  “Who are these?” she asked.

  “They’re with the resistance.”

  The men huddled to cover the opening, it was badly damaged, but they quickly produced tools and material to repair it.

  Prometh stood still, watching the two prisoners work, giving them directions every once in a while. He turned to look at Ganis and noticed her expression, she was surprised. “The men here have been working with stone and wood everyday for years. We’ve become quite adept at working the material.”

  Quite adept indeed, Ganis thought. “It will still look different, you know.”

  “The guards do not care much about what happens here. They’ll keep to themselves unless something’s broken, or they’ve been explicitly ordered to do so. All we need to ensure is that it doesn’t look too different and that it functions.”

  “Tell me, Prometh, do you know anything about a man called Naa’tas?”

  Prometh smiled and shrugged.

  “I forgot the agreement: a secret for a secret.” She hesitated for a moment. I wonder what happened with the Parthans. I hope I do not reveal too much from whatever part of the plan they have not executed yet. “I came here with nine outsiders from Nosgard, a land far from here, with the intention of finding Naa’tas.”

  “If what you say is true, perhaps we can help one another.”

  The other two men slowed the pace of their work. They were listening.

  “Naa’tas,” said Prometh, “arrived to Scyldur three dozen seasons ago. He claimed to be a high priest of Rayogin. After proving that he possessed the gift of the god, he declared that his resurrection could be attained with the completion of a two-part ritual. The first was to build a keep fit for Rayogin, and the second was to purge the lands from the non-believers. Naa’tas claimed that the god would return once the ritual was completed to his satisfaction.

  “The men who captured us are followers of Rayogin, and they believe Naa’tas’ claim and that they can only attain salvation from their forefathers’ sins against Rayogin by allowing him to exact his punishment directly on them. By sacrificing themselves in his service they allow themselves into Gehenna, the afterlife where the faithful go.”

  “Have your people always been so pious?” asked Ganis.

  “My people?” Prometh was offended at the confusion. “I’m not a Scyld, most of those who were sent here died many seasons ago, when the incarceration of non-believers began.” He stood proudly as he announced, “I’m a Forhavener.” He pointed at the two men digging. “And so are they.”

  “My apologies for the confusion, Prometh.”

  “No apologies necessary, Ganis from Nosgard.”

  Once the two Forhaveners completed their task, repairing the hatch and concealing the damage Ganis had caused with impressive craftsmanship, they changed into the Guardsmen’s attire, cleaning the blood from Ganis’ assault as best as they could by rubbing some dirt and water on the stained areas.

  They claimed that it would not be difficult to explain the stains by some disciplinary act they administered on a rebelling prisoner, or one who simply crossed paths with them at a bad time.

  Five more men, with wood and cloth for torches were summoned and asked to enter the Pits of Carcer, to ensure that none of the prisoners sent there would emerge and alert the real guards about the situation. They were told to take any action necessary, but encouraged to keep the banished unharmed.

  Then it was time for night, and for Prometh to return to his supposed duties. Promises to introduce her to the resistance convinced Ganis to join him, even though her mind wandered at the prospect of finding a suitable meal.

  3

  Prometh had some duties to attend to, an excuse he used to part from Ganis before taking her to meet the resistance. The hunger she felt relieved her with his absence, yet his behavior made her mind wander to places of distrust and betrayal.

  Carrying her pickaxe, Ganis proceeded to quarry some stone and get some wooden coins for herself, a currency she might find useful, but had no real need for.

  Quarrying gave her an excuse to be close enough to some prisoners to eavesdrop on their conversations, and close enough to observe the guards. She knew how necessary it was for her to understand the order or work to be able to blend in.

  In time, far longer than it took the other able prisoners, Ganis had prepared a slab to present to the officer. When it was ready to transport, she grabbed some of the ropes which lay around and tied them together to pull her slab to the officer.

  Her enhanced constitution and strength made the endeavor easy, yet she needed to demonstrate how much she struggled not to attract attention. She slowed her act and tried to seem struggling. The poor act was sufficient to fool the uninterested guards and workers.

  As she headed towards the officer’s desk, a conversation between two guards caught her interest.

  “You heard about the last regiment?” a deep sounded guard asked.

  “Let me guess,” another replied, “they raided the village and killed some heretics, but on their way back, they came across some difficulties and suffered a few casualties.”

  “This time it was an all out skirmish, I hear, against an organized force. The nerve of these heretics surprises me.”

  “Careful Vaide, thoughts of admiration risk sowing the seeds of faithlessness. You know the teachings of Rayogin well enough not to make such mistakes.”

  Vaide hesitated. He wiped his forehead clean from the sweat that had gathered from the guard’s accusation. “You know me. I’m among the most devoted, loving and fearing followers of Rayogin. You have witnessed me pray and know how committed I become when I do so.”

  Laughing menacingly, the guard said, “Don’t worry, Vaide, I was simply joking. We all know how strong your faith is.” He roughly patted Vaide on the back, producing three loud thumps.

  “The incidents in the south concern me, Zelo. We’re losing some good Rayogin-fearing men to the heathens. I hear that even their hounds crave the flesh of our faithful brothers and don’t hesitate to hunt a lost soldier of Rayogin. Only he can save us now.” Vaide looked at the sky and gestured a brief ritual, patting his head twice then kissing his index finger.

  “I share your worries regarding the southern people, brother. Your resolve must not falter. The more you endure and suffer in the name of Rayogin, the better you are rewarded. Remember this and your worries will turn into a much needed anger to strike down those godless bastards,” Zelo said, his tone thickened with anger at the mention of the ‘godless bastards’.

  “Let’s return our attention to the worldly matters which we neglect far too often. Have you seen the two new recruits guarding the Pits of Carcer? Their replacements were supposed to relieve them by now.”

  “I suppose the new commander is testing th
eir conviction.”

  “Brother, do not allow your misfortunate assignment here to affect your sense of compassion towards your brothers and sisters. I’ll go check on them once my shift ends in an hour.”

  Having known that the guard called Vaide intended to check on the two new recruits and knowing that there was a chance that he had been previously acquainted with them, Ganis rushed to find Prometh and inform him about the untimely inspection.

  Prometh was nowhere to be seen. She followed Vaide to the Pits of Carcer, and kept a watchful eye on him as he engaged the two imposters. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they shook hands and Vaide returned to his duties. Her worries were misplaced. Prometh’s men, it seemed to her, were far more capable than she judged them to be.

  She then returned to her slab and, unexpectedly, found no trace of it. At the realization that it was stolen, Ganis lowered her head and cracked a chuckle. So many things had gone wrong in these past many seasons that such a misfortune seemed to be nothing more than a laughing matter.

  Her pickaxe, at least, lay where she had left it. She picked it up and returned to quarry yet another slab. This time she did not leave it until she exchanged it for a wooden coin. She looked at the coin disappointed at the cheap cost of her labor, and tucked it in her sleeve.

  4

  For two more days Ganis had not heard of Prometh. She continued to quarry stones and collect coin, at least twice a day, and tried to acquaint herself with Initium Keep, and was more intent on doing so with the prisoners, yet she failed on the later.

  She would return to the Pits of Carcer from time to time to see if the two imposter prisoners had returned. Only two days later, after her mind started wandering with many things that made her doubt Prometh’s claims, did she know what had become of Prometh’s fate.

  From the Pits of Carcer, once the imposter prisoners returned, Prometh appeared. It seemed that he had gone underneath for some reason without informing Ganis of his actions. She knew that it would take him time to convene with the resistance so keen on maintaining secrecy.

  Ganis approached the two prisoners, greeting them with a nod, and said, “Prometh, for a moment there I thought you intended to betray me. What happened?”

  He dusted himself, producing a generous grey cloud, smiled at Ganis and said, “The men below hadn’t been given sufficient food to last them long enough until Aliis and Aliud returned.” He pointed at the two disguised prisoners as he called their names. “I had to make certain that they wouldn’t starve before then, and barely managed to enter before the shifts changed.”

  “You did well.” She reached into her sleeve, produced seven wooden coins and tossed them to Aliis, the thinner Forhavener. He caught them with ease and stowed them in his pocket. “I have no need for those. Use them to make certain whoever remains within the Pits of Carcer gets food.”

  Aliis nodded in approval. “I’ll let them know it came from you, Ganis from Nosgard.”

  “You do that.” She returned her attention to Prometh. “Have you spoken to the others about me?”

  “Aye. They weren’t entirely keen on trusting you, but you cannot blame those damned scorpions for what they are.”

  “Scorpions?”

  Prometh rubbed his head. He remembered that Ganis was an outsider, not only from Forhaven, but also from Utyirth, something that lost more meaning the longer he kept in Initium Keep. “It‘s an old saying of ours. The nature of the scorpion to sting makes him blameless for the act, even if the scorpion stings one who helped him.”

  “I see.” If the use of such idioms continued, Ganis knew she would have trouble hiding her identity when addressed by strangers unsympathetic to the case of the resistance. “What else did they say?”

  “They agreed, upon the condition that I bear the responsibility of your actions, a bargain I gladly struck. What about you? Have you discovered anything of note?”

  How could I? “No. I spent the last days worrying about you revealing my identity. I was mistaken.”

  Prometh laughed, Aliis and Aliud joining him. “This, Ganis from Nosgard, was entirely my mistake. It could’ve been prevented with a little more foresight from my part.” He then looked at the other two prisoners. “What have you discovered?”

  Aliud, coarse voice indicating years of smoking, said, “Luck was with us. The guards you disposed of were among a batch of new recruits, and we were quickly assumed to be them. They made introductions yesterday, allowing us to fabricate whatever story we told them of our past, but nothing more.”

  “So things do go well every once in a while. Have you found anything we can use? Perhaps plans or a conversation you overheard?”

  “Not yet. We were preoccupied with trying to maintain our identities secret and hoped not to get too much attention, knowing that we already stood out because of our Forhaven heritage. We do look different from the Scylds, you know.”

  It was true. Ganis had noticed some of the prisoners shared common characteristics, some in the way they looked and others by their accents, but what gave away the Forhaveners the most was the way they carried themselves, walking with a sense of pride in spite of their situation.

  ”Prometh,” Ganis said, interrupting his interrogation of the two Forhaveners, “there is one request I would like to make.”

  “Aye.” All three looked at her intently.

  “In the Pits of Carcer lies an ancient library. I did my best to hide it, at least the entrance I made, and I am certain that you will find it, even if I was not to tell you about it. I ask that the resistance protect it, perhaps it is too much for me to ask now, but it will be important once it is time to rebuild.”

  “We Midlanders live simple lives. Seldom do we attempt a scholarly path, or even that of war, but our time here in Initium Keep led us to understand just how valuable knowledge is against a stronger foe. It’s the way we continue to survive given the impossible odds stacked against us. If you, Ganis from Nosgard, believe that this library you speak of is of value, then we’ll protect it until the day you come back, or die trying.”

  “I will trust that you keep it safe, Prometh.” Ganis opened the hatch, ignoring off the tensing of the two Forhavener guards behind her. “Come, let me show you.”

  The prisoners did their work well. Tilted holes in the cavern’s stone were carved as placeholders for torches providing illumination. The lighting only revealed the horror of the contents within the cave. Countless bones of victims lay scattered on the ground, some in poorer condition than others, but all pushed out of the paths the prisoners cleared.

  Some dried blood marked the grey stone next to the hatch, whatever was not blown away from it by Ganis’ deed, marked the failed attempts of prisoners to claw their way out, grazing their bloodied nails and fingers on the wall.

  And endless twisted tunnels of all sizes were produced from many different segments of the walls, some tunnels started and ended below Ganis’ knee, while others were far high, beyond her reach without aid. In spite of all the time she spent there, even after discovering the hidden library, she had never tried to discover the caverns beyond her initial attempt. It made her wonder.

  “Where’s this library?” Prometh asked, interrupting Ganis’ observation.

  “Follow me.” Ganis walked towards the wall she had covered. Rubble and a large stone blocked the path, covering the library better than Ganis had remembered it was. She pushed the obstruction, a feat requiring strength Prometh had thought was beyond Ganis, and revealed the dark hall.

  “It must take four strong men to do what you just did alone.” Prometh walked towards the large stone, keenly examining its proportions. He pushed on it twice using both arms and the strength of his feet, but it never bulged. He looked at Ganis, suspiciously, and said, “You haven’t told me how you managed to escape?”

  “My people are resourceful, Prometh. As I am certain you still guard some secrets from me, I wish you to respect my own secrecy.”

  “I haven’t done any such thing.�
��

  “Then how come I have not yet met any of the resistance’s leaders?”

  Prometh smiled, swinging his head twice, saying, “Is it really that surprising. We met but a few days ago, Ganis from Nosgard. We haven’t survived this long here in Initium Keep by being so trusting.”

  “I understand.” As Ganis was about to walk into the hall, she caught a strange feeling. A current of air that should not be touched the bare skin of her neck. She looked back and followed the source, ignoring Prometh’s inquiries.

  “What is it?” Prometh asked.

  Ganis raised a finger, as if requesting silence, and crouched towards the source. The current led her out of the hall and into one of the dark tunnels with unlit torches, but with torches nonetheless. She walked, Prometh’s pleas growing more anxious. What is he hiding from me?

  “Where are you going? The library is the other way.”

  Ganis continued to walk and came to an abrupt halt. A tunnel she has not seen before - or at least the beginning of one. Five pickaxes lay ready, resting on the wall, and a large wooden bucket, half filled with rubble. “You are trying to dig your way out of here.”

  Prometh’s eyes widened, the two Forhaven guards behind him, arms falling on the maces hanging from their belts. “I guess this is one secret I’ll not be able to keep from you,” he said.

  Ganis nodded. She eyed the two guards wearily, knowing that even unarmed the odds favored her.

  “The resistance is, indeed, alive and well, but it’s also quite small. We number less than twenty.” Prometh raised his arm to relieve the guards. They eagerly complied. It appeared that they feared Ganis, but only stood against her out of loyalty to Prometh.

  “Well I believe it will do little harm for me to reveal that there is a plot to destroy Scyldur.” She pointed towards the exit. “You must have overheard the guards speak of trouble in the south.”