The Shattered Land

CHAPTER 12

Daine’s first vision of Xen’drik was Shargon’s Teeth-a chain of islands rising out of the water, surrounded by sharp peaks of black basalt.

“Teeth of the Devourer,” Thaask said, stepping up to the rail next to Daine. “When he hungers, the Teeth shatter the hulls and bring the ships down.”

“I thought you were here to keep that from happening,” Daine said.

“As he wills.” Thaask ran a claw across his teeth; to Daine it looked like a ritual gesture. “Should he call storms, my path would not save you.”

“Where would that leave you?”

“I and mine scavenge the ships that sink to the bottom. We are the children of the Devourer, and we claim what he leaves behind.”

“So you want us to sink? And we’re paying you to be our guide?”

Thaask gave a croaking rasp, which Daine had come to believe was a laugh. “What has this little ship to offer? If the elders wished it, sea and stone alike would rise to shatter this vessel. Nothing travels the waves save by our leave. There are those beneath the sea who take their pleasure in pulling down your vessels, but those of my school have no wish for war between the land above and the deep water, not now. We serve as guides across the water. If the Devourer wishes to claim your ship, we will take what he leaves. If not, we take what you give and build the trust between our kind. We gain by either path.”

“You said you didn’t want war between the surface and the water now. …”

Daine let the sentence hang, and there was a moment of silence. Thaask turned to face him fully, and the sunlight gleamed across his scales. “As he wills,” he said, drawing a claw across his teeth.

The sahuagin dove off the edge of the ship, returning to the sea to scout the waters ahead. There was a creature waiting for him there, a huge ray with fins that made Daine think of wings. This beast served as Thaask’s mount, sliding through the water with speed that hinted at supernatural origins; Thaask clung to the ray’s back and it darted forward, making it seem as if the Kraken’s Wake was standing still. Daine watched the shadowy shape disappear into the depths, and wondered what lay hidden in the deep waters.

The attack came without warning. One moment Daine was standing at the railing of the ship, an instant later, he was engulfed in cold shadows that drew the heat from the world. He was weightless, falling, and though he could see nothing, every instinct screamed that he could strike deadly ground at any moment.

Let me take you from this place. The voice was calm, soothing … Tashana. Don’t fight it. Take my hand and you can have refuge in your memories, safe from the death that awaits you here.

Daine could feel her fingers just beyond his own, warm and welcoming. He clenched his fist. “None of this is real.”

Perhaps, but it is deadly all the same.

The wind grew louder, and Daine felt that he was falling faster, though darkness was still the only thing he could see.

Surrender to me. Tashana’s thoughts were cold fingers drifting across his skin. Let us return to your past. It’s the only way you’ll ever know the truth of that night-the only way you’ll know if you were really to blame for the fate of your soldiers.

Faces flashed across Daine’s mind. Jode. Donal. For a moment he heard Krazhal cursing just behind him. Marshalling his thoughts, he forced the images away. “I know all I need. Now get out of my mind.”

Are you certain that’s what you want? Do you know what you left behind?

Impact. Not earth or stone, but water, even colder than the chilling wind. Daine’s limbs were still frozen, and salt water flowed into his nose as the weight of his armor pulled him down.

It seems I pushed too hard when I seized your mind, Tashana said. You’ve fallen from the railing. You don’t have much time. Do you really want to spend it choking in the cold? Wouldn’t you prefer to die in the company of friends?

“I’m not dying!” Daine snarled. Then it struck him. He could feel the water flowing into his lungs, the paralysis gripping his body-yet he could still speak, still hear his own voice. “This isn’t real!” he hissed.

Though Daine couldn’t move his arms, he could imagine moving them. As his body slipped deeper and deeper beneath the sea, Daine pretended to reach down to his belt. One hand gripped the hilt of his sword. The other slipped into his belt pouch-and even as his belongings drifted out into the water, he wrapped his hand around the shard of green crystal.

Strength flowed into him, fire moving up through his hands and burning away the cold. A blazing green light consumed the darkness and Daine heard a keening howl as Tashana faded from his mind.

He opened his eyes.

His clothes were dry, and the air was as warm as it ever got on the Kraken’s Wake. Light came from the everburning lantern on the wall. He was lying on his bunk, and Lei and Lakashtai were staring down at him.

“Daine?” Lei said quietly.

His left hand ached, and he realized he was clutching the crystal shard Lakashtai had given him so long ago-squeezing it so tightly he’d probably drawn blood. He opened his mouth to speak and choked on the empty air, words catching in his throat.

“Relax,” Lakashtai said, placing her right hand over his. Warmth and relief spread through his blood. “You are safe now. Your will is strong, and we are with you.”

“Safe?” hissed Lei, turning on Lakashtai. “You call this safe? You said that you could protect us-protect him. Is this your idea of protection?”

“Ur,” Daine began, but words were still awkward.

Lakashtai released Daine’s hand and turned to fully face Lei. Dazed as he was, Daine was struck by the contrast in their appearance: Lei was fire and gold, red hair and green leather, and he could feel her anger and passion. Lakashtai was cold, stark black and white, night and snow.

“I underestimated Tashana,” Lakashtai said coolly. “She should not have recovered from our battle so swiftly.”

“You said you could stop this,” Lei replied.

“I can.” Lakashtai passed her hand over Daine’s left fist, still clenched tight around the crystal shard. He felt the stone grow warmer as her hand drew near. “The channeling stone is a shield. I just need to pour more of my strength into it-to spend more time in meditation. I can build a wall. I just didn’t realize how high it needed to be.”

Struggling, Daine managed to find the strength to raise his fist, touching Lakashtai’s hand. “Thhh … Thank you,” he finally muttered through numb lips.

Lakashtai looked down at him and shook her head. “No, Daine. I have failed: it was your strength that saved this day.”

“Ours,” he said, opening his hand to reveal the sparkling crystal shard.

Lei scowled and looked away. Lakashtai simply nodded.

“Keep the stone close,” she said. “I must stay with you to protect your sleep, but I will do all that I can to ensure that they cannot strike again so long as you are awake.”

Daine nodded, and rubbed his fingertips across the crystal. He turned toward Lei, trying to frame words in his mind. There had been a part of him that had wanted to let the world slip away … to stop fighting, to join Jode and the others. It may have been Lakashtai’s stone that drove back the spirit, but it was thoughts of Pierce and Lei that gave him the strength to reach for the stone.

Lei had already left the room.