are we?'
'I was just trying to help!'
'Well you're not!' Kelos's voice rose to a shriek and Emuel woke up again and began adding his own cries to the cacophony.
Kelos barged his way out of the room only to barge his way back in several seconds later. Muttering a few words he broke what looked like a silver bird egg over the eunuch's brow, sending him into an instant, deep sleep.
'He'll be out for several hours and he won't be in any pain.'
'Who did this?' Katya said.
'I've been stupid.' Kelos said. 'Very, very stupid. I should have realised that the symbol on Emuel's chest was not a part of the script that covers his body. It must have been inked there to ensure that if the eunuch ever fell into the wrong hands — for example, ours — then the Faith would be able to render him useless through the use of remote magic.'
'So, how can we fix him?' Dunsany said.
'I'm afraid we can't. It looks like the voyage is over.'
Chapter Twelve
Findol snapped out of his reverie and raced for the stairs.
Behind him the five other Chadassa that had made up their circle began to wake, the sharp ozone tang of their meditation fading as they came to full consciousness.
In the library Belck was transcribing a set of symbols from ancient metal tablets. He didn't look up as Findol rushed into the room. Instead, he held up one finger as the Chadassa youngling made to speak, forestalling the news that he was clearly so desperate to relate.
Once he had completed the final symbol Belck looked up from his work.
'My lord. The humans' vessel has been sighted.'
'Where?'
'Moored above Fandor, my Lord.'
'The Calma citadel? That one was sacked before your time, I believe. It was a most joyous battle. Remind me to relate it to you one day. For now, I think that a visit to the ruroth pens is in order.'
The Chadassa ancient rose to his feet with the aid of his staff, waving away Findol's attempts to help. As Belck straightened a tight band of fire seemed to encircle his waist and he waited for the pain to pass as he regained his breath. He knew what it meant, of course. He only hoped that he would live long enough to see his God's will done and the Land Walkers striding victorious over the human realm.
Belck let Findol lead the way to the enclosures. As they neared the creatures' pens the rumblings of the ruroth thundered down the tunnels towards them. Occasionally there would be a plaintive, keening cry as the creatures called to one another, but these were quickly silenced only to be replaced — seconds later — with screeches of pain.
Belck and Findol entered an enormous circular chamber ringed by the portals that led to the leviathans' pens. These shimmered as the handlers moved through them, providing the diffuse light that danced about the room.
Belck was pleased to discover that Throot — the Chief Handler — had already picked up on the news of the sighting of the humans' ship and had begun to prepare one of the deep water juggernauts.
As Throot and Belck talked, a handler burst through one of the portals and fell at Belck's feet, his blood misting the water around him. Throot quickly dragged the battered Chadassa to his feet, only to throw him down again before the ancient one.
'Apologise for your interruption!' Throot barked.
The handler managed to mime apology, before expiring.
'I can assure you, Throot, that that wasn't necessary.' Belck said. 'However, it does show that the creature is in a most agitated state. This is good. I presume that it knows not to harm Silus or his woman?'
'Indeed, my Lord. They will be taken unharmed.'
'Excellent, perhaps we can see the ruroth?'
'Of course, follow me.'
Together with the Chief Handler, Belck stepped through one of the portals.
They stood at the bottom of a deep shaft, far above them a pin prick of sunlight filtered through the surface. In front of them, held in its stone pen by the will of the Chadassa that moved slowly across its hide, lay the vast form of a ruroth.
Long before the Chadassa, the ruroth had been the rulers of the sea. Though they were not as populous as some of the other marine animals, their size meant that they had very few predators. The creatures had once been peaceful grazers, who spent most of their time trawling the seabed, but the Chadassa had turned them into weapons.
Despite their gargantuan size, the ruroth possessed an almost child-like intelligence and, because of this, the Chadassa had found it easy enough — through psychic manipulation — to bring their aggression to the fore.
The result was a devastating weapon that could break through the strongest of enemy defences.
Belck swam up to one of the great eyes that peered from the creature's head. Looking at the dark pupil, he saw beyond his reflection to where the leviathan's rage boiled. He basked in the heat of its anger.
The handlers swam away from the leviathan after removing its restraints, but Belck remained where he was. The calls of the other ruroth around him stopped then and a tense stillness pervaded the corral. Belck could see the creature's pulse increase as a great vein throbbed in its temple.
And then, it raised its head and let loose a long, ululating cry. Around it, its brethren responded with their own calls and the leviathan rose quickly to the surface far above, buoyed by the song of its kin.
Belck was caught up in its wake and he rode the current until the ruroth was lost from sight, marvelling all the while in its raw animal power and the fact that such a thing was in their control.
Chapter Thirteen
Emuel's fever finally broke, but without his song to empower it the magic of the gem waned and the stormy waters began to take hold of the Llothriall.
Dunsany rushed to the main deck to cut the rope that still moored them to the tower, fearing that a sudden wave could dash them against the stone. Once he slashed the tether the ship drifted into the centre of the ring of towers and Dunsany watched as the jagged stone peaks swayed threateningly around them. But then the Llothriall was beyond the towers and caught up by a current that bore it quickly away.
Dunsany staggered below before he was thrown from the deck by the next strong surge.
In the galley Maylan was throwing up as he tried to steady himself against a wall. When he looked up Dunsany could see that his features were ashen.
'Gods Dunsany, what are we going to do?' The priest managed to say, before another spasm gripped him and his shoulders heaved.
'I don't know. Where are the others?'
'Emuel is still in his bunk, but the rest of them are in the day room.'
As Dunsany made his way up the corridor the ship gave a sudden lurch and there was the sound of plates smashing in the galley, followed by Maylan's cries of pain and then retching as his sea-sickness gripped him once more.
The lamps suspended from the day room ceiling were swaying wildly as Dunsany entered, throwing shadows spinning around the room. Waves crashed against the ship with a sound like the beating of a vast drum and spray exploded across the windows.
