Fifthwind (51 page)

Cobalius
said, "Kyla, thank you for joining us."

Ben
let his mind ease into the now familiar view of the world as seen
through Mindsight. Though dull and colorless as always, he could
instantly make out the room clearly by the constant radiant light of
the Witherscape. The room had been completely cleared of all
furnishings and wall hangings. There was nothing in the room at all
except for Ben, Cobalius, and Kyla, who stood quietly in one corner.

Cobalius
moved to the center of the room. "We're going to need someone to
watch our backs and I can't think of anyone better suited for that
task than Kyla. She's proven herself to be very capable when needed."

Ben
said, "Why all the security?"

"If
you remember the tale of Fahd Phaetalis, then you know that it would
not be a good thing to get a knife in your back while you're
Drifting. It would not be pleasant to be forever disembodied and
wandering the Witherscape. Eventually the lurkers would find you and
feed on your remaining energy. Not the way I'd want to go."

Kyla
said, "Those men outside won't let anyone in here, and I'll be
watching for trouble."

Cobalius
added, "Babbitt has the skills to see us when we're near him. He'll
even be able to detect to some extent where we are Drifting from.
That is why everything has been removed and the room has been made as
nondescript as possible, so even if he catches a glimpse of our point
of origin, he'll not know precisely where we are."

Ben
nodded. "So, even if he detects us, he can't harm us."

"Not
unless he can find this room. Attacking a Drifter is like trying to
fight the wind. If he wants a fight, he'll have to somehow follow us
back here to face us physically, because it's impossible to inflict
harm on our projections. We will be as ghosts to him."

"I'm
ready," Ben said. "Let's go before I change my mind."

"Do
you think you can Drift the distance to his tower?" Cobalius asked.

"Yes,
but I don't think I can Shift that far."

"No
Shifting!" Cobalius said sternly. "And no physical contact. We
don't know the extent of his talents; he might be stronger than we
expect. Understood?"

"Yes."

Cobalius
went and checked that the door was secure, and nodded to Kyla who
knelt down and blew out the tiny candle, removing all light from the
room. The two men then took up spots in the center of the room and
Cobalius closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Ben did the same
and let himself pull free of the tangible world and stepped into the
Witherscape. He followed Cobalius' lead, and immediately passed
through the outer wall of the room and into the alley behind the Gray
Goat.

He
remembered the night he had witnessed the tragic slaying of the girl
in the snow at the hands of a mob of horrible beasts. He had thought
then that what he had seen was merely some kind of vision, but now he
understood the nature of the Witherscape, and confidently moved
through it toward the tower north of town.

He
saw the figure of Cobalius moving through the snowfields ahead of
him, not so much walking, but floating effortlessly over the terrain.
The swirling and churning smoke-like image reminded him of their
first meeting in a meadow south of Kishell Springs. Ben fought
against a constant tugging that tied him to his body, and stretched
that invisible bond to its limits as he pushed forward. Soon, the
tower that they sought loomed before him and the thrall of Murg
gathered at its base was an overwhelming sight. Gordo had not
exaggerated, there were easily three hundred of the dreaded beasts
massing for battle.

He
and Cobalius moved unnoticed through the mass of gathered Murg, like
the wind passing through the trees. The occasional beast seemed to
sense something, and would cower away from the two Drifters. But
there was no danger of being seen as their bodies remained hidden
away in a dark room far from the tower. They walked amidst an ocean
of teeth and claws without fear of their bite.

They
made it to the main citadel and Ben passed through the outer wall. On
the other side of the thick stones, he was surprised to see that the
interior had never been renovated. The ancient stone tower was gutted
and strewn with broken bricks and weeds that crawled on the floor
like blind tentacles searching for water. It was clear that no effort
had ever been made to convert the ruin into a temple.

The
tower was dark and empty except for he and Cobalius, two ghostly
figures who had appeared through a wall of solid stone. Ben wondered
if this is what it would be like to die and haunt a place. He
couldn't imagine an eternity of wandering hallways unseen by the
living, unable to play a role. It was not an appealing thought. He
would prefer that nothing await him on the other side of life, and
that he might simply fall into the void of forever and lose himself.

He
and Fahd Cobalius glided over the debris and to the stairs that
spiraled up to the higher levels. The tower itself was crumbling and
at several points along the steps, gaping holes offered a window to
the outside. From those portals, Ben could make out the watch fires
burning in the northern parts of Kishell Springs, and suddenly felt a
tug when he realized that beyond those fires was the Gray Goat and a
small room where he and Cobalius stood. It took a moment of
concentration to shake the feeling of disorientation and bring his
mind back to his position within Babbitt's tower.

He
looked above and saw Cobalius waiting at a landing, and quickly
drifted up the remaining steps to join him. There was a heavy pine
door and the cracks along the wall and floor radiated a pale
yellow-orange flicker of torchlight. Beyond the door would be
Babbitt's chamber and possibly the holy man himself. It seemed
awkward to even use the word 'holy' when referring to the man who had
brought so much death and suffering to a peaceful community.

A
distant, muffled voice met Ben's ear, "Be prepared. If he has any
skill at all, he will sense us and react to our presence."

Cobalius'
words sounded like they were spoken through a wall from a great
distance, even though Ben knew that Cobalius' body stood only a few
feet away from his own. Ben was suddenly feeling very unsure of
himself. The last time he faced the Man in Gray, he had failed
terribly, outmatched by his superior speed and talent. In fact, he
knew he was lucky to still be alive. Why Babbitt had not killed them
both was still a mystery. Ben swallowed hard. "His skills might be
limited, but they're greater than my own."

"Come
on," Cobalius said and moved toward the door, passing through it
almost effortlessly like thick smoke through cheesecloth.

"A
few encouraging words would have been nice," Ben mumbled to
himself. He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and
stepped forward and through the door.

The
chamber within met with his expectations. It was a large room, but
was crowded with shelves and tables scattered with parchments and
books. There was a simple bed in one corner next to a small
fireplace, that would provide enough warmth for the confined space.
The curve of the stone walls was obscured by the floor-to-ceiling
shelves that lined the room. Several candles burned at spots around
the room and one brazier provided light over a central table where a
collection of documents and dusty tomes received the gaze of a man in
a hooded gray robe.

Ben
stood still next to Cobalius, his pulse was quickening and he was
fighting a ridiculous compulsion to hold his breath. He reminded
himself that even if Babbitt were to see him standing quietly in the
corner of the room, he would be only as a ghost, intangible and safe
from harm. He repeated this to himself several times in an attempt to
calm himself.
I am but a ghost to his eyes
. However, his
racing pulse was quick to tell him that it wasn't working.

William
Babbitt was mumbling to himself and flipping from document to
document in a very casual manner. He did not appear to be the least
bit concerned that his identity as The Man in Gray had been
discovered, or that his impending involvement in the destruction of
Kishell Springs was at hand. His carefree behavior was the embodiment
of either confidence or madness. Ben suspected that it was a little
of both.

Suddenly,
Babbitt stood and turned to face Ben and Cobalius, causing Ben to
stiffen in fear and anticipation. The chubby holy man pulled back his
hood to fully reveal his face, and gazed blankly toward the two
watchers. He made no eye contact and showed no sign of recognition.
Ben realized that Babbitt was looking at the shelves directly behind
where he and Cobalius stood, completely unaware of their presence.

Despite
the childishness of it, Ben literally held his breath as Babbitt
walked toward him and stopped to stare through him to the shelves
beyond. Then, he reached forward, passing his hand directly through
Ben's chest to retrieve a book. It was a cold and discomforting
sensation, but he remained still and tried not to react to the sudden
invasion of his space. A short sideways glance toward Cobalius helped
ease him when he saw his mentor nod briefly indicating all was safe.

Babbitt
pulled the book back through Ben's torso and opened it. He turned
through several pages and stopped on a particular passage that he
softly read aloud.

"After
the Breaking of the Soul, the Fahd themselves diminished in power and
were eventually taken from this world by the turning of the wheel of
time. The Eleven ultimately died and passed into history as all men
do."

He
slammed the book shut and tossed it away. Then, he lifted his eyes
and stared directly at Ben and said, "Did you really think you
could come here and go unnoticed?"

Ben's
heart froze as he locked eyes with the cold stare. Babbitt had known
Ben was there all along and had pretended to not notice. With this
realization, Ben reacted by placing his hand over his chest where
Babbitt had reached through only a moment before.

"It's
freakishly disturbing, isn't it?" Babbitt grinned.

Then
Babbitt turned to face Cobalius and whispered, "I know you cannot
speak to me in your present condition, so I will do the talking."

He
cupped his hands behind his back and slowly paced before the two men.
He did not seem to be concerned with their presence, and showed no
fear. He too, knew that a Drifter could not harm him physically and
therefore he had no reason to worry. Finally he continued, "Why is
it that the two of you think you are worthy to carry the names of
old? Fahd Cobalius was once a great man and even more than that, he
was once a trusted friend. You are not worthy to carry his name."

He
turned scornfully to Ben. "And to think that Fahd Morbis' memory is
to be likewise defiled by this pathetic boy? In our day, the Fahd
were strong... I never would have fallen to the likes of you two."

Cobalius
visibly stiffened. Babbitt's references could imply only one thing.
In a near panic, he reached out to grip Ben's arm.

"Oh,
no you don't!" Babbitt glared, and shot both hands forward,
impacting Ben squarely in the chest and knocked him back hard.

Ben
tumbled backward into the corner of the room, but quickly got to his
feet and drew his sword only to realize that he had been knocked
completely out of the Witherscape and back to the room at the Gray
Goat. Cobalius was there, but was struggling with an unseen force.

"Kyla!
Light!" Ben yelled.

Kyla
lifted her hands and the room brightened with the light of fire as
several lamps magically sprang to life. "What's happening, Ben?"

Ben's
eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. "It's Fahd Phaetalis!"

Cobalius
struggled against a pair of hands that reached through the void and
into the room to grip him by the neck. There was no sign of an
attacker, only arms reaching out of thin air. Cobalius glanced over
his shoulder at Ben and with clenched teeth pulled with every ounce
of strength he could find. He took a full step backward, and pulled
his assailant part way into the room. Now the torso of Babbitt
extended out of the air and the maddened Fahd clawed at Cobalius.

The
air rippled and distorted in waves of energy that crashed against the
walls of the room. Half of Phaetalis clung to Cobalius while his
lower half was still miles away in the tower. The ancient Fahd was
demonstrating skill that far surpassed anything Ben had seen or had
been told about. Phaetalis had, long ago, melded sorcery with the
ways of the Fahd, and Ben was witnessing that result firsthand.

There
was no time. He needed to act quickly. Ben raised his sword and drove
toward the half-exposed attacker, but before he could get there with
his deadly strike, Fahd Phaetalis suddenly stopped and grinned, "Say
goodbye, boy!"

With
a flash of lightning in his eyes, he pulled hard and Cobalius was
sucked out of the room, leaving only a pulsating disturbance in the
air to show he had passed. The room was suddenly quiet and a single
boot fell to the floor where Cobalius had last been.

"Watch
my back!" Ben yelled, and closed his eyes.

"No!"
Kyla yelled, but it was too late. Ben was already away and her voice
was but a distant echo.

In
an instant, Ben made his way back into Babbitt's chamber and quickly
scanned the room. His heart sank. There were obvious signs that a
powerful struggle had occurred. The table in the center of the room
had been overturned, and many books had been knocked from the
shelves, providing ample fuel for a quickly spreading fire, but there
was no sign of Fahd Cobalius or Fahd Phaetalis.

Then
he spotted a sword lying on the floor next to a pool of blood. He
recognized the blade as Cobalius' and for a moment was hopeful that
Cobalius had managed to wound Fahd Phaetalis, but then he noticed
that the blade was clean; Cobalius' sword had not drawn blood... it
had been dropped.