​​​​2 A little girl

IN A SNARLING eruption of brick and dust, the creature burst through the wall. It swung a gigantic paw, striking the viral mage. Threadfin managed to release his magic before colliding with the opposite wall. The corrosive wave of power dissipated as it struck the beast. Nothing happened.

Threadfin shoved himself upright, testing for anything broken. Once, such a blow would’ve caused damage. Since mastering his magic, his body was stronger although not invincible.

A hulking mass of pale skin stretched over muscle loomed above the girl. Its sabre-like teeth gleamed, jaws opening. Threadfin wanted to act, but his reserves were low. He’d used up a lot in one attack, which hadn’t done anything. For what he needed, the girl wouldn’t survive. Instead, he reached for a sheath strapped to his right leg and an iron dagger he never used. Where are the others? Damn them to Hell’s Teeth and back, he thought, knowing they would be of no use. He could not let the girl die this way.

The gorgon whimpered.

The viral’s head snapped up, as he quit fumbling for the weapon. He watched in disbelief as the beast retreated. Astra slid off the broken bed and stood on thin legs. She kept both hands to her sides as she walked towards the creature. Her movements were methodical, inhuman. The gorgon began to roar as it backed against the wall it had come through. It turned, and was about to flee back through the jagged hole.

The beast’s flesh disintegrated. Its body devoured itself from the core outward, leaving nothing but bones. The massive skeleton remained upright for a moment longer, before dissolving into dust.

The girl turned her cold visage on the mage. He snatched his hand away from the dagger’s hilt and tried a smile. Her face softened, and she lowered her eyes as though shy. She still clutched the wrapped object in one dirty hand, fidgeting with her woollen dress.

Threadfin got to his feet, but was afraid to go near her at first. Oh, get a grip, he chided himself, mentally forcing courage. If the others saw him cowed by a child, he’d never recover whatever remained of his reputation. He tugged at his silver-grey cloak, straightening himself and tried to look something like a mage. She seemed to be waiting for him to speak. What do I say after seeing ... that?

‘Yes, well,’ he said after an overlong pause, ‘you did a good job there. Little rough about the edges but nice technique, I mean, overall. I would’ve gone a different way about it.’ Like running as fast as his legs could carry him. Who in the name of the Spectrum above had he discovered? Her name rose in his mind, but he buried it. A coincidence. It had to be.

They stared at one another in another awkward silence. A shouting Podral Pole stumbled through the gap, tripping over rubble, short sword waving. Grudge came next, with Vilt who had an arrow to her bow, close behind. The two corporals, Tope, and Sind, who were a brother and sister from Frayle, followed next. Nevet came last, his one milky eye unblinking.

The Darken halted on seeing the girl. The others fanned out to search the other rooms and corridors. The child didn’t turn to acknowledge any of them, but watched Threadfin with a look of calculation.

‘Nice timing,’ said the mage to his Darken, trying to pretend a child wasn’t studying him. Could he trust her words? Had he understood them? ‘Next time, get here before the beast with the huge teeth almost eats us whole.’

‘Us?’ Pole prompted, with a questioning look. When he got no answer, he spread his hands. ‘It wiped out most of the building, on the north side. Was near impossible to find a safe route up. As you can see, we managed.’

‘Always with the excuses.’

‘What’s left of this place looks ready to collapse. In case you don’t want to get buried alive. Or, in your case, just buried.’

‘Your undead jokes are getting worse, Pod.’

‘Where’d it get to?’ demanded Vilt. She had returned from a scan of the room, sheathing her sword.

‘Turned to dust,’ said Threadfin, offering Astra a smile. He had to admire her ability. She returned his smile, warmly, and he felt a connection. He’d never met her before, but something ...

‘Dust?’ asked Grudge. He kicked at some on the floor as though he’d never seen any before.

‘Yeah,’ said Nevet from behind him, ‘you know, the stuff your dirty ol’ Ma used to sweep up and put in your mornin’ porridge.’

‘Kept a clean home did my Ma. Blood soaks deep, and you can’t never get rid of it proper, but was ne’er a speck o’ dust in my Ma’s house. Anyhow, dust and dirt is good for the bowels.’

‘Please don’t,’ said Tope, with his twin, Sind, nodding agreement. They’d all gathered close, the danger gone. They stared at the girl who appeared oblivious to the attention.

‘Um,’ grunted Pole scratching his head, ‘did I mention this place is going to collapse any minute?’

‘Don’t be scared,’ said Astra. ‘This building will not fall for many decades. After, they will knock it down. It will be rebuilt, larger and better.’

‘Never said nothin’ about being scared, lass,’ Pole muttered.

‘Then why are you shaking?’ asked Threadfin with a grin. ‘Are you feeling chilly? Want a blanket? Cup of tea?’

‘Fifty families will live here,’ the child continued, ‘most of them refugees from Ancyra and Tarsus, and other places too. The fat man, who is not fat and not a man, but the number eleven, he will send them here so they don’t vanish like the others. They won’t be too happy. It’s got big rats.’

‘Okay, who is she?’ asked Nevet. The others looked uncomfortable. All except Grudge, who appeared disinterested. Probably thinking about his Ma.

How do I explain this one? Threadfin wondered. ‘Listen, Astra, how would you like to come with me, away from here?’

She nodded, and moving closer, took his hand. Her fingers were small and cold and they felt fragile. A shiver passed through the viral. Her touch was sad, but something about it calmed him.

‘I know what you are,’ she said, glancing up at him. ‘I’ve been waiting for you. You took a long time. Do you always arrive late?’

Threadfin felt more alarmed than before. This child was no viral. Perhaps an Aidari student? No, she was too powerful for those magi wannabes, her age aside. He felt an odd flutter of pride at the thought. ‘Ah, how long have you been ... waiting?’

‘A thousand years, I think. My memory isn’t what it was.’

‘No, I suppose it wouldn’t be.’

‘I know you don’t believe me, but it doesn’t matter. You will know, one day. I like you. You’re nice.’

He didn’t want to ask the obvious question, but he had to know. ‘Astra, why were you waiting for me?’

‘To give you this,’ she said, holding up the bundle and placing it into his other hand. It felt like it might be a dagger, though it was too short. ‘You will go in search of her. You will need this by the end. The dark light burns brightest. In my dreams, it burns!’

The shiver he’d felt earlier became an icy chill. He bent closer, almost nose to nose, still holding her hand. She felt brittle in his grip, but after what he’d witnessed, he knew better. ‘Speak it plain, please. I’m not clever, you see. No matter what you think you know of me. Now, who is it you say I must find?’ He needed to hear her say the name. He needed certainty.

The girl laughed, and the sound conveyed such arrogance, for a moment he wasn’t certain she was a girl. Though, if she was a thousand years old, how could she be? The Astra of old? Nah, it couldn’t be. He gave himself a mental shake.

‘You must hurry,’ she said. ‘Someone follows her. You must find her before he does.’

‘I don’t know if I understand. This Fetch, or whatever?’

She laughed again, and for some reason the sound delighted him ... until she said, ‘He is you, Threadfin Todder, and not you. You know him and he knows you, but neither of you knows the other. In the end, we must all face ourselves and the darkness within. You will destroy the Fetch, won’t you? It’s important, and the one task that matters right now.’

And, we’re back to Grim-forsaken riddles. ‘Well, yes, of course I will.’ What am I doing? Babysitting little girls and having my rotting brains fried with conundrums. He wished Aiyana was there. His sister would make sense of it. She’d always had her nose in dusty old books and parchments.

He glanced at the others who were resting, checking weapons, waiting. Grudge was scratching between his legs again. Probably had fleas. Pole was watching the girl, frowning.

‘You will be going to the capital, Icarthya,’ said Threadfin to the girl. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll send others to look after you.’

‘I know.’

Of course you do. He clutched the wrapped object in his hand. She’d said he would need it to find Lorn. At least, it’s what he believed she’d said. His grip tightened, and he felt sharp cold edges through the cloth. A knife? The girl had known who he was, had known his name. No, stop it. Lorn is long gone as is the Shathra Stone.

‘My sister lives there,’ he said calm as he could, trying to ground himself, ‘in a great big palace. She will be delighted to meet you.’

‘No, she won’t. She won’t like me and I won’t like her. It doesn’t matter though. One day, you’ll understand why.’

‘Well, she’ll make sure you won’t go hungry at least.’ He didn’t know what else to say.

‘Is she a ghost too?’ asked Astra. ‘Sometimes I see her, but afterwards she’s not there, or when she is, she looks different. A little girl, but she looks undead like you. Can ghosts be undead? Although, sometimes, she’s a strange man with a big nose, or an old woman missing her right arm, or a thin man with no hair and face, and ...’

She listed out several others. Threadfin felt shock thrill through him until he was numb, and his mind drifted. She was speaking of Tezcat and the others. Viralic souls linked to his sister, Aiyana.

‘I’ve seen the girl following you,’ she continued, louder than before. ‘Mostly it’s her. I don’t mind. I’ve got nothing against ghosts. Some of my best friends are ghosts. You won’t make mistakes like those other times, will you? I don’t want to be turned incorporeal or burned up by blue fire.’ She glanced at the Darken, and Threadfin spotted the fool giving her a wink. The others had the audacity to grin, while Nevet was snickering. They just thought her an addled little girl.

Threadfin uttered a low curse, careful Astra didn’t hear, and gritted his teeth. ‘Where’d you hear all that stuff?’ Thinking of Tezcat, he wondered if this girl wasn’t one of his sister’s souls too. An elaborate prank with all of them in on it.

‘You and I,’ Astra said in a cryptic voice, ‘we will do great things. Terrible things but great. You and I, Threadfin Todder. You will see.’

A short time later, as they picked their way out of the shattered building, he glanced at the cloth covered object in his hand, and wondered what in the pit of Grim’s own bowels was going on?