26 New Horizons

THREADFIN tried to speak. The words formed in his mind, resting on the tip of his shrivelled tongue, but he couldn’t get them out.

Podral Pole was kneeling by his left side, shivering, and cursing. Grudge was doing something similar on the other, although it sounded like he was praying to his Ma. Both looked odd as though they’d aged while remaining youthful. It took him a moment to realise it was frost coating hair, brows, and unshaven skin.

It took him another few moments, as he watched the clouds pass by overhead, to figure out they were not kneeling. They were carrying him. A short time later, they set him on the ground and not too gently.

Then he saw Striga striding towards him. All horns and muscles, and no frost on her. He imagined her blood was a furnace to dispel the most frigid temperatures. When she lay down beside him, and put her arms and legs around him, he almost choked on those words he couldn’t utter. An awful fright to get, having a horny giant of a woman wrap her legs around him. Podral Pole would not let him forget this. Was that a snigger he heard?

The viral attempted to move an arm, a leg, anything at all. Oh, he thought realising what was going on. I’m frozen solid. Oops. Well, at least it explained Striga’s onset of unwanted affection.

‘Calm down, undead one,’ she hissed in his ear, as though reading his mind. ‘This will help. Don’t get any funny ideas or I will break both arms.’

As if!

Several minutes later, seemingly all it took in the embrace of Hell’s own, he got to his feet. Well, the others gave him a little help. Like some three-thousand-year-old mage getting up from a nap. He remained stiff, but otherwise functional. No missing bits. He double checked.

When he glanced at his Darken, the man remained straight-faced. Then again, considering all that had happened, perhaps he hadn’t been laughing. You’re getting paranoid, Todder. Get a grip on yourself.

‘Not the first time we’ve had a rough journey,’ he mumbled, by way of an apology. It was all they were getting. Magic was unpredictable and they’d just have to get over it.

‘You landed us in ice,’ said Pole. ‘Not on it. In it.’ He jerked a thumb at the Torment. ‘If not for her we’d never have gotten free. I will admit you’re mixing it up a little. You were unconscious the whole time. Myself and Grudge here near froze to death carrying you.’

‘With a bone monster trying to squash us all, I didn’t have time to prepare properly,’ Threadfin replied. ‘We got away and we’re in one piece, aren’t we?’

Pole grunted in what sounded like acceptance. ‘Where are we anyway?’

‘Where do you think we are?’ asked Threadfin, with a nod at the snow and ice. His Darken raised an eyebrow at his tone.

‘Somewhere on Zalanthya,’ announced Striga striding ahead a few paces. The Torment stared ahead at the undulating white mounds. ‘You did well undead one, getting us here at all. The Spectrum guides us as we are just a few hours from the Tower’s final location. We must walk the rest of the way. I assume you are not capable of more magic?’ she added with a questioning glance over her shoulder.

‘No,’ said Threadfin with a shake of his head. ‘Afraid not, at least for a while. Not unless you want Grudge and Pole incapacitated?’

‘Wait, did you say something about the tower’s final location?’ Pole was scratching at the frost on his beard. ‘You suggestin’ the bloody thing moves about now?’

The Grim’s servant turned and gave him an eyeful, and Pole visibly withdrew the question.

‘Last time we met,’ said the viral mage as he stepped up to join Striga, ‘you were trying to tear me to pieces. Now you’re full of warm hugs and leg wraps. Don’t think I’ll ever get over that last one, by the way.’

The Torment laughed and everyone was so startled, no one dared speak. The sound was just ... wrong. Striga’s silver hair splayed about her bare shoulders, horns glistening in the frigid air. Hot steaming breath wafted upwards as she spoke. ‘As I recall, you began the argument. It was a good fight. You are a dangerous and worthy opponent.

Threadfin shifted his feet, examining the air. ‘Don’t recall it like that. I’m certain it was your fault.’

‘You were in my way. I was there to destroy the soul fragment, not to harm you. You were protecting it. What was I supposed to do?’

‘Her, not it, and yes I was protecting Lorn.’

‘Not just her. She was already dead.’

‘From the Grim and from you,’ he continued ignoring her comment. ‘You might as well know I’m going to throttle your master once I get hold of him.’

Pole reached out and grabbed his arm. ‘What are you doing? She may be our one chance of finding it. You trying to get us killed, or worse, abandoned?’

‘You need to get your priorities straight, Pod.’

‘There is no need to whisper, Darken,’ said the Torment with an odd smile at the corner of her mouth. She looked rather pretty when she smiled. Threadfin shook his head dispelling the thought. I’m a lecher, is what I am.

‘I hear everything,’ she went on, oblivious. ‘At times, when it grows quiet enough, I hear your thoughts.’ She stared at the mage who wilted.

Pole let go of Threadfin’s arm. He was mumbling something, but cut it short.

‘Striga,’ said Threadfin, trying to recover. ‘You helped us in Atlantis, and it’s not that we’re ungrateful, but Dessa is a zorast. They serve your master. I thought you two would be on the same side. I’m confused as to why you’re helping us.’

The Torment turned and stared off into the distance. ‘Much has changed and much has not. Let us just say, you seek the Tower of Babel and I can lead you to it. My master and I no longer have the same purpose, at least in this.’

‘It’s a trap,’ Pole said, seemingly uncaring if she heard and going against earlier advice. ‘A Torment would never turn on the Grim.’

Threadfin eyed him. ‘How would you know?’

Pole shrugged, beating his arms to try and keep warm. ‘Makes sense, don’t it? They blindly serve. They’re slaves to their master, aren’t they?’

‘What would I have to gain,’ Striga asked over her shoulder, ‘by helping you find the Tower if this was true?’

‘Not you I’m worried about,’ said Pole. ‘It’s your master what’s got my undies in a bunch. He’s a tricky bugger and this could be part of some elaborate plot.’

‘The zorasts are gathering to release him upon this world. You seek to stop him. Why would I help you find it if not also to stop him?’

‘How should I know?’

‘One of your own whom you trusted, betrayed you. Now, one you don’t trust will keep faith. The Spectrum has a sense of humour, I think.’

‘She’s got a point, Pod.’ The mage noted the scout was sitting, enfolded in his cloak, and stabbing at the packed snow with a dagger. His sword had been left in Atlantis. The man looked addled. Since Vilt had vanished inside the kraken the scout had become, weirder.

‘Never said I trusted Dessa,’ Pole grumbled. ‘Warned you about her, in fact.’

Threadfin patted his Darken on the shoulder. ‘Sorry, Pod, honest I am. I thought she was ... someone better. You’re right, I should’ve listened to you.’

The ex-thief nodded. ‘It was that someone better I went and married, you know. I don’t know what happened to her.’

‘We must go,’ said the Torment. ‘The Atlantian will not be far behind.’

‘Not possible,’ said Pole, ‘not unless she can do what he does.’ He jerked his head at Threadfin before his face soured. ‘She can’t, can she? I mean, I know she’s got spectralic magic in that machine of hers, but ...’

The Torment pointed back the way they’d come. At first Threadfin couldn’t see anything, but then he noticed a dark webbing in the sky. ‘You, undead one, brought us through there.’ A hint of blue permeated the cracks. ‘The kraken has prevented the vortex from fully closing behind us. We have perhaps one hour.’

‘Best get moving then,’ suggested Pole. He strode over to Grudge and kicked him. The scout leapt up with dagger in hand.

‘I thought he was wounded,’ said Threadfin.

Pole nodded at the Torment. ‘She’s got a range of talents, she does. Still don’t trust her though.’ He slapped the scout on the shoulder. ‘Time to move, soldier. We stay here, we’ll freeze to death.’

‘That one is broken inside,’ the Torment observed. ‘I did what I could, but his healing will come when they are reunited.’

Grudge ignored everyone, although he seemed to relax a little. He didn’t sheathe the blade, and never said a word, not even about his Ma.

The silence made Threadfin shiver as the Grim’s Torment led them deeper into the cold wastelands of Zalanthya.