And Eleanon realised, as more and more columns reared up before plunging back under the surface of the water, that all the Skraelings had transformed themselves into these terrifying creatures, and that there were millions upon millions of these things in the water, and they would undoubtedly attack him as Inardle had once attacked.
With stunning, deadly force.
Ozll, or whatever he was now, had tricked him. He had only claimed to be peaceable so that Eleanon would grant the Skraelings free access to the lake.
No, they would attack, and they would do it within moments.
Eleanon panicked.
The One, watching, almost panicked himself. He realised what Eleanon was about to do, and knew that it would be the death of him if he were caught.
Damn it! Why hadn’t he killed Eleanon a long time ago, when he’d had the chance? The man was incapable of responsible action!
The One had no choice now but to leave the comfort and safety of the Dark Spire. It was earlier than he’d planned, but needs must.
His hands pressed against the tip of the spire, bringing the full force of Infinity to bear on the structure.
He may as well make a grand entrance.
Chapter 19
Elcho Falling
Eleanon stumbled backward, one small part of his mind petrified that the water creatures would murder him as Inardle had murdered his fellows, but the major part engaged in the one activity he was certain would save him and the rest of the Lealfast.
He communicated with the Dark Spire, screaming at it, demanding that it attack the creatures now within the lake surrounding Elcho Falling.
Ozll might want to murder the Lealfast, but the Skraeling had severely underestimated the power now at Eleanon’s disposal.
The Skraelings had always been stupid.
The River Angels frolicked in the water. They had been reborn only a short while, but they felt that their life as the Skraelings was so far behind them it was scarcely a distant memory.
The lake was deep and wide, and it contained the millions of River Angels easily, but even so, the River Angels began to whisper among themselves about perhaps investigating some of the small streams that fed into the lake . . . and if those streams might somewhere connect with larger rivers .
Their reborn lives were filled only with happiness and relief and hope, and that was all they desired.
Until something rose from the lake bed.
At first the River Angels ignored it, this dark-tentacled creature that reached toward the sunlight, but then the tentacles began to snatch at the River Angels and squeeze them and pain them.
Many of the River Angels so caught managed to slither free, but some did not, and they died crushed within tightening dark coils and then left to drift broken and lifeless in the lake’s currents.
The reaction of the River Angels was instant and it was as if they acted as one entity. They were under attack for no other reason, it seemed, than that they existed and this dark creature wanted them dead. They had done nothing to provoke or warrant such an attack.
And so, they defended themselves.
Tens of thousands of them clung to each of the Dark Spire’s roots. The roots cracked through the water, trying to dislodge the River Angels, but to no avail. The River Angels clung with tenacious purpose, running their strangely-shaped hands along the surface of the dark roots, further and further along, and everywhere those hands touched, so the dark root crumbled.
As the dark roots crumbled one by one, so the River Angels slithered further along, seeking as yet untouched parts of the roots to destroy.
“What is happening?” Maximilian said, leaning as far as he dared over the edge of the balcony. “What in the gods’ names is happening?”
Below, the surface of the lake churned. The roots of the Dark Spire broke the surface, each covered with some sort of gelatinous substance. As those within Elcho Falling watched, it seemed that every time the roots broke the surface, they were just that little less . . . intact.
“Eleanon commanded the Dark Spire to attack the River Angels,” Inardle said. “He panicked. He remembered the time I had attacked his group and thought the River Angels would thus attack the Lealfast.”
Axis stared at her, then actually grinned. “He thought what? He had no idea that the River Angels were harmless?”
Inardle shook her head. “I don’t think so. They must not have told him.”
“Maximilian!”
Everyone turned. It was Ravenna, breathing heavily from her rush to reach Maximilian.
“The One is on the move,” she said. “If you want this plan to succeed, Maximilian, then Ishbel needs to —”
She was interrupted by the arrival of Ishbel herself, who put a hand on Ravenna’s shoulder.
“Get down to the spire,” she said. “I will do what needs to be done while you run down the staircase. Go, Ravenna, go!”
Ravenna gave Ishbel one hard look, then turned and ran.
“Gods pray we can trust her,” Ishbel muttered. She walked over to Maximilian and put her hands on his shoulders. “I am sorry this can’t be done with more ceremony, my love.”
Then her hands tightened on his shoulders, and her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Axis, watching, thought that Ishbel would weave some mighty spell, speak words of heavy portent and bleak enchantment. But all that he saw or heard was Maximilian’s widened eyes, his staggering backward a step before catching his balance.
Tears welled in Ishbel’s eyes and she caught Maximilian in a brief, tight embrace before she whipped about to Axis.
“Axis,” she said, “I will need to be the one to transfer you and your men now and it comes with a condition. I am coming with you.”
“Ishbel!” Maximilian and Axis said together, but Ishbel forestalled any further protest.
“I must go with him!” she said to Maximilian. “If you have any sense, Maxel, you’ll damned well know why!”
The River Angels seethed along the roots, their determination only growing the more they destroyed. They understood now that these tentacles were only a small part of something much larger and darker, and it was this larger entity they now attacked.
They wanted to live their lives in peace in the water, and to achieve that, this jealous, hateful creature which had launched such an unprovoked attack upon them needed to be negated. So they seethed up the roots, millions of them, covering every available surface of every last one of the roots, and as they destroyed the roots, so they worked their way into the unprotected underbelly of the Dark Spire.
Ravenna came to a breathless halt, grabbing at a piece of broken handrail just before her momentum plummeted her into the space just above the tip of the Dark Spire.
The Dark Spire was slowly collapsing in on itself as if it were being destroyed from within. Its sides were deflating inward, and the very tip of the spire tilted to one side, as if it were losing whatever structural support was needed to keep it upright.
But that tip was also bulging and glowing ominously red, and Ravenna felt a pang of true dread.
The One.
For a moment she considered running, but then she forced herself to tighten her hands on the handrail and to summon forth every last piece of power she commanded as a marsh witch.
It was almost time, The baby within her now throbbed with the power of Elcho Falling,
Ravenna closed her eyes briefly, visualising the paths into the Land of Nightmares, then she opened them again, concentrating on the very tip of the collapsing spire.
It was now seething with dark shadows.
The One was not far distant.
What is happening, friend Axis?
Axis’ head whipped up. I am about to need you very badly, friend eagle, Are you ready?
I am, Axis,
Axis lowered his eyes. “Ishbel, I need to move now. And I hope you can look after yourself, because I cannot spare a single man.”
“I will not need your help, Axis.” Ishbel and Maximilian exchanged a brief glance, sharing in that glance all they needed to say, then Ishbel turned back to Axis and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“It is time for us to move.”
Chapter 20
Elcho Falling
Axis bounded up several flights of stairs, moving through the massive gathering of fighting men.
Ishbel followed close behind, her movements sure and certain.
“We go in a few minutes,” Axis shouted, the shout being taken up and passed further and further up the stairwell. “Prepare! Prepare!”
He ran up two more flights of stairs. “Egalion?”
Egalion shouldered his way through the packed soldiers. “The Emerald Guard stand ready, StarMan.” He gave Ishbel, standing a few paces behind Axis, a curious glance but Axis ignored it.
“Ishbel will transfer a thousand Lealfast into the Common Room. Are you —”