Fortress Draconis (51 page)

Kerrigan rubbed a hand across his belly as it rumbled. The oilskins he wore over his robe didn’t do much to keep out the cold. He shivered and sniffed, then snaked a hand out from beneath his cloak to wipe his nose on his sleeve. The wet wool stunk, but snorting the scent back out would just make his nose run more.

Then his horse stopped. He heard a gasp from the rider in front of him. Frowning sourly, Kerrigan opened his eyes. He blinked once while they focused, then he, too, gasped.

The trail had curled up and around a small rise, then continued snaking on down and toward the west. Another branch curved off to the right and opened a dozen yards on into a huge arch. Two towering figures, both male, had been carved from the stone and formed the arch’s sides. They faced forward, staring forbiddingly out and down toward the riders. Their wings, spread behind them, formed the arch itself on the interior, and pointed east and west externally.

The horse before his moved again, and Kerrigan followed. His mind reeled. He knew the legend of the Gyrkyme. Kirun had captured an elven prince and his retinue, then used magick to make them mate withAraftü— mythical, bestial bird-women. The resulting offspring had been the first of the Gyrkyme. The Gyrkyme had bred true, but were viewed by the elves as rapeget and beasts. The elves would have nothing to do with them, and for their own reasons, the urZrethi created Gyrvirgul as a homeland for the Gyrkyme.

Until seeing the artistry of the arch, those facts had been sterile and lifeless. The urZrethi created mountain strongholds—Kerrigan knew that as certainly as he knew there were ten days in a week, three weeks to a month. But seeing the arch, it hammered home the effort necessary to raise such a place from nothing. He recalled that many men felt the urZrethi had created Gyrvirgul out of some animosity for the elves, but that arch alone suggested to him that there was something greater that had motivated the urZrethi.

The arch rose to a great height above him, and for a half second he thought it terribly inefficient. Looking up, tracking the lines of little torrents dripping down, he spotted shadowed archways high in the passage’s ceiling vaults. A smile blossomed on his face when he realized that among men such height would have been an extravagance, but this arch served awinged people. That there was a level path suited to the passage of horses should have been more the surprise than the height.

The pathway continued on into the mountain, switching back several times. Flames danced in sconces just above eye level and did little to reveal any color on the walls. Their swaying shadows and golden light did teasingly conceal and display the friezes that had been worked into the walls nearest ground level. They appeared quite idyllic, with Gyrkyme figures soaring together, or gathering fruit and hunting. Clearly more scenes had been worked above, and the lack of light in those upper reaches suggested to him that the Gyrkyme had superior night vision.

He almost passed a hand over his own eyes to invoke a spell and let him see what they saw, but he hesitated. Oddly enough he found himself completely indifferent to what Orla might say about his using magick to let him see in the dark. Instead, he refrained because until he’d seen the entrance to Gyrvirgul, it had been nothing but a name, a fact. It had lacked life and majesty and mystery. By using magick he could easily reveal its secrets, but in doing so he would once again relegate it to the realm of facts.In knowing too much I can kill it and I don’t want to do that.

That realization surprised him. His entire life had been centered aroundunderstanding. To opt out of wanting to understand something ran counter to everything he had learned or done. Even so, it felt right on a level he’d not experienced before.

The passageway leveled out and ended in a massive conical chamber alive with light. The room could have easily housed the entire Grand Magister’s tower. Dark archways swirled around in a helix on the walls, while a massive fire guttered in the chamber’s heart. //each of those archways leads to a home…

Gyrvirgul, using that measure, did not house as many people as a metropolis like Yslin, but certainly was home to several thousands.Which is far more Gyrkyme than I had any idea existed.

Flames leaped skyward from the balefire. Kerrigan watched a fiery tentacle twist and curl upward, then smiled despite having his vision momentarily stolen by the darkness it left after its collapse. When he could see again he caught sight of Orla waving him over to where she waited with Will Norrington and the others. He reined his horse in their direction, then found Lombo loping beside him.

Kerrigan dismounted as best he could, and knew enough to still cling to the saddle so his legs wouldn’t collapse. “Magister, this is incredible.”

The grey-haired combat mage nodded. “It is indeed. I had no idea.”

Kerrigan caught a quizzical note in her voice. “Did you know we were coming here?”

Orla shook her head as Crow came walking over. “None of us did. We were passing through Gyrvirgul because to go around the mountains would have added days to the journey. I was riding with Princess Alexia, scouting out our route, when Perrine found us. Originally she had come here to gather the company of Warhawks who will join our force. When she related all that had happened in Yslin, including the presence of General Adrogans and the Norrington in our party, Ausai Tirigo dictated that the expedition should be brought here, housed, welcomed, and feasted.”

Kerrigans stomach rumbled at the last bit of news.

Orla glanced reprovingly at her charge for a moment, then away again. “You’ve been here before, in your travels, Crow?”

The old man shook his head. “Me, no. The urZrethi hid this place very well. Had the Tirigo not wished us to find it, we would have continued on by none the wiser. As nearly as I know, our host will be fifty times the number of men who have seen this place before. Princess Alexia was raised here, but prior to her arrival, it had been at least a century before a man walked in the heart of Gyrvirgul. Since then, the few other men brought here were her tutors.”

The man hastily added, “And I only know this because I was present when Peri extended the invitation to the princess. She filled me in on the details as we rode.”

Will smiled and puffed himself up a bit. “Well, we are a pretty special company. Not really a wonder they wanted to meet us.”

Crow laughed. “Ah, I didn’t make myself clear. The Tirigo wanted us here not to honor us. They’re planning to honor the princess, and we are here to bear witness to that honor. They are very proud of her and they want no question left of that fact in anyone’s mind.”

Once within the massive domed chamber of Gyrvirgul’s heart, Alyx tossed Valor’s reins to Captain Agitare and vaulted from the saddle. She stripped off her oilskins and tossed them to one of the chirping fledglings that huddled in the shadows. The youngsters caught the cloak and began to tussle over it. From the corner of her eye she saw one of the Talons emerge victorious, and that surprised her not at all.

She laughed aloud, once and sharply, molding it as well as she could to match the Talon’s victory shriek. She was less concerned that her Wolves might have heard her make such a sound than she was by embarrassing the Gyrkyme by not making it. Had she been alone, she would have abandoned human deco’rum entirely, stripped herself down to a sword-harness, and have begun the ascent to her family home. Not having that option, she flicked off her gloves, tugged off her boots, then climbed up the stonework decorating a column supporting the hollow’s vaulted roof.

Her climb did bring a burn to muscles too long removed from such exertion, but that only made her smile. Alyx had been two years away from Gyrvirgul. She’d been aware of missing it, but until she rode into the grand chamber again, she didn’t realize how fierce the ache in her heart had been.So many other things filled my time and attention, but none of it could fill the want of my home.

She swung off the column on the highest of the Talon levels and ran down the narrow ledge to a big round hole. She ducked into it, shrieking a greeting. She dropped to a squat there, just inside the entrance, then smiled happily down at the quintet of Gyrkyme waiting for her.

Perrine stood there, flanked by her mother, Lanlitgri, and her father, Preyknosery. Her parents, Talons both, had bred true in her and in her brother, Octras. Both siblings shared their parents’ dark brown down over their backs, the dappled brown-and-white down on their breasts, and the striking dark design around their eyes and down their cheeks. Octras, being male, was larger than Peri, but gave nothing away to her in martial skill or fierce splendor.

Alyx was pretty certain she’d never seen the fifth Gyrkyme before. Female, obviously, and jet-black save for bright red fletching on her shoulders and the forward joint on her wings. That coloration, and her slender, slighter build, marked her as being from the Swift caste. Seeing Octras hold her closely, Alyx had no doubt certain Talon mavens were regretting his loss to the next generation of warriors.

Alyx leaped to the chamber floor and found herself smothered in hugs and kisses. She wished she’d torn her clothes off before, and had to content herself with the warm caress of down over her face and hands.

“I have been away too long.” She wanted to say more, but emotion choked her. She pulled back to wipe away tears. Preyknosery helped her, leaving talons sheathed as he brushed his thumb over her left cheek. She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her cheek, then turned and kissed his palm.

The elder Gyrkyme smiled. “This nest will always have room for you, Alexia.”

“Thank you.”

Octras stroked Alyx’s shoulder, then squired the Swift forward with his other hand. “Sister, this is Sergrai, she who will be my wife.”

The Swift smiled shyly and extended a hand to Alyx. The princess clutched the hand delicately, then drew Sergrai into a hug. She felt an initial stiffness, but it melted quickly. Sergrai gave her a quick peck on the neck, then they parted.

Alyx nodded. “Pleased to meet you, Sergrai. Octras, I see, is still very lucky.”

Sergrai nodded, then tucked herself under Octras’ arm.

Strong hands grasped Alyx’s shoulders and spun her around. Taking a step back, Lanlitgri studied her for a moment with a sharp amber eye. “You look well, as near as I can see.”

“Yes, Mother, I am very well.” Alyx smiled. “Better now, and honored at the invitation to return.”

Peri keened quickly. “I was going to kidnap you if they didn’t agree to your return.”

Preyknosery shook his head. “Her intention, which echoed through Gyrvirgul, sparked quite a debate among the Plumes and the Wise. Perrine told many a tale of your adventures.”

“She told of the Norrington, and fighting asullanciri and the dragon!” Sergrai’s dark eyes widened. “And she told the stories very well.”

Alyx nodded. “Lauded by a Swift for your taletelling, sister? High praise indeed.”

Peri smiled proudly. “I even was called to tell the stories to the Tirigo himself. He ended the debate and said he would make you a Wing.”

The princess blinked. “But…”

Preyknosery settled a hand on her left shoulder. “Yes, it is awkward to be given that title when you have no wings.”

Alyx held her hands up. “No, no, it’s not that. It’s that ‘ I’ve done nothing to deserve such an honor. You, you earned the title Ironwing a hundred times over. What I’ve done is nothing.”

“No, daughter, what you have done is to make all of us proud.” Preyknosery pressed a three-fingered hand to his breast. “I am a Talon, not a Swift nor a Plume, but even I understand what you and your success mean to us. Because Kirun was responsible for our creation, we have always been tainted. When your father entrusted you to us, for your raising, and when Augustus convinced others that you should be left here, they began to see us differently. Not the elves, surely, but men. Augustus and others sent their best to teach you what we could not. What they saw changed how men see us.”

“That’s not anything I did, but what was here and seen when outsiders came in.”

“A point debated among the Wise, to be sure.” Ironwing smiled. “You might say you have done nothing. You have missed all you did to grow up here. We are not men. We do not treat our young as do men. You survived here. You thrived here. There were those who saw you as being a sneakbird—placed in a nest to be raised over our own. You proved them wrong, all without having wings. You’ve earned your title. Your life proclaims it.”

Alyx started to renew her protest, but Peri grabbed her by the shoulders. “Sister, you’ll sputter and wonder and protest, but it’s done and done. Now we have to get you ready for the ceremony.”

“Urn, sister, I only have road clothes with me. Between us we have the fashion sense of a grub-worm.”

Peri winked. “That’s why Sergrai here has offered to help us get ready.”

“It would be my honor, Princess.”

Alyx hesitated only for a heartbeat, then nodded. “You’ll make it so I give the Gyrkyme all due honor?”

“Wings alive, dead, and yet in shell shall be proud.”

“Good.” She glanced at Peri. “What will the Wolves think?”

“Who cares? They are only walkers.” Peri slid an arm around Alyx’s shoulders and guided her to the wallhole leading to her old sleeping chamber. “You are one of us, and that is all that matters.”

Will smiled, largely because he could straighten to his full height in the little room he’d been given, and Crow could not. It wasn’t Crow’s discomfiture that gave him cause to smile, but that he didn’t have to worry about bashing his brains out on the ceiling. The Gyrkyme had led his little company into a corridor that circled the main area, but at a distance. Off it branched other smaller corridors, and dark holes dotted their walls. Beyond the holes, which were small enough to force Will to duck his head, lay small, cylindrical rooms with bedsteads carved from the rock, and a series of small niches where gear and lit lamps could be stowed.

Will remained silent until the black-and-red-winged Gyrkyme left them. She’d been no taller than Will, and her wings had been half formed. In fact, he just assumed she was female because her build was so slight, though she exhibited no breasts, nor the curves of even someone like Alexia’s aide. Will assumed she’d just not hit puberty, when her body and wings would develop.