‘The Ascendants are destroying Lostwell, Sable; all of it. The Second Ascendant…’
‘I already know this, Corthie; I’m in Van’s mind. I may have been wrong about Belinda. Get up there, and break into Old Alea, and together we’ll wreak some havoc. Got it?’
‘Eh, aye, alright.’
‘Bye.’
Van slumped forward and groaned. ‘Sable…’ he muttered; ‘again.’
Corthie crouched by him. ‘Did you hear what she said?’
‘Of course I heard; her voice sounded like a bell ringing through my mind.’
‘Do you know the way?’
He nodded. ‘It’s been stamped into my head like a boot in the face.’
They hurried back to the shelter of the ruined slums that edged the Shinstran district. Waiting for them was the leadership of the mob, made up of gang bosses from the Blue Thumbs and Bloodflies supporters, their enmities forgotten in the chaos and violence of the previous day and night.
Corthie stood before them. ‘Wait here,’ he said. ‘Van and I will open the gates from the inside. When that happens, bring everyone up to Old Alea. Of all the places in the city, it will be the last to be destroyed.’
‘How will you break in?’ said a grizzled old Bloodflies supporter in stolen armour.
‘We have been shown the way. Rest, gather weapons, and collect the strongest force you can. Then, go over the wall and up the ramp, once you see the gates open.’
‘Is this really the end of Tordue?’ said a Blue Thumb.
Corthie gazed at their expectant faces. ‘It is the end of Lostwell.’
* * *
It was three miles from the edge of the Shinstran district to the place at the base of the cliffs that Sable had imprinted into Van’s head, on the southern flank of Old Alea. In the darkness, Corthie could see no way up the steep cliffs, but Van led him to a shallow cave, where a path ascended the slope. Above them stretched a high aqueduct that brought fresh water all the way from the Torduan Mountains to the residences of the gods.
‘The entrance is up there,’ said Van, pointing, ‘where the aqueduct crosses the walls. This path must have been built so that workers could repair the waterway.’
They sat for a moment, resting, and Van lit a cigarette.
Corthie took the salve from his pocket. ‘Should we have some?’
Van eyed the vial, his desire for its contents written into his features. At length, he shook his head.
‘Save it for when we need it.’
Corthie nodded. ‘My battle-vision should last a little bit longer, but after that, I’m going to need to sleep for a month.’
‘If we don’t stop the gods, we’ll be sleeping for a lot longer than that.’ He frowned. ‘How is Sable getting here?’
‘I don’t know. On foot? She said she was a couple of hours away. She knows where Aila and Kelsey are, so our priority is getting a Quadrant.’
‘And what about all of the civilians?’
Corthie lowered his gaze. ‘Pyre knows how many have already died. I don’t know, Van. If we can’t stop the gods from destroying Lostwell, I don’t know how we can save them.’
Van stubbed out his cigarette. ‘When I first heard about this operation, I gambled everything on getting a place on it. I borrowed money from Sohul, and used up every favour that was owed to me. I even bribed a doctor to forge a note saying that I was in good health. I thought we were going to be in and out, a quick operation that would help pay off some of my debts.’ He shook his head. ‘No one on Implacatus will care about the destruction of Lostwell. The Banners will mourn their losses, but none of the gods will raise an eyebrow at the annihilation of an entire world.’
Corthie got to his feet and glanced at the steep path that snaked up the side of the cliff face.
‘It’s our job to stop that happening,’ he said. ‘Come on; let’s pay the gods of Old Alea a visit they’ll never forget.’
Chapter 28
The Gates of Old Alea
S outh of Alea Tanton, Tordue, Western Khatanax – 4th Kolinch 5252
Sanguino glanced down at Sable. ‘Did you find your nephew?’
‘Yes,’ she said, rubbing her temples, ‘and just in time; they were about to charge up the ramp of Old Alea to their deaths.’
‘Then we did the right thing.’
Sable looked up at the dark red dragon. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened, Sanguino. You chose me over Blackrose, and I know how much that decision has cost you.’
‘Do you think they have already left Lostwell?’
‘I don’t know; maybe? It will take them time to transfer all of the iron and gold up to the forecourt, but after that there will be nothing to delay them.’
Sanguino lowered his head. ‘I don’t regret it. I wanted to go to Dragon Eyre, but I’d rather be with you.’
Sable stood and stretched her arms. Looking north from the foothills of the Torduan Mountains, she could see a dull red glow on the horizon. Alea Tanton was burning.
‘Are you ready for the final stretch?’
‘Yes,’ said Sanguino.
‘We’ll follow the line of the aqueduct that crosses the plain. Keep low, in case any god is watching.’
‘And then?’
‘Then, we go to war.’
The ground rumbled under them, and a series of rockslides cascaded down the high slopes to their rear. They had flown over freshly-made ravines that were pulsing out lava into the heart of the mountain range, and had witnessed high, barren peaks collapse as the ground had writhed in torment. Sable hadn’t understood it at the time, but after reading Van’s thoughts, she had realised what was happening.
‘When the sun comes up,’ she said, ‘it will herald Lostwell’s final day.’
‘What do you mean?’ said Sanguino.
‘The Ascendants have destroyed this world; I read it from Van’s mind. By tomorrow night, there will be nothing left. By leaving Blackrose, I may have killed us both.’
The dragon said nothing.
‘I have made many mistakes, Sanguino.’
‘You didn’t know, my rider. It’s not your
