Lessers were scattered around the room on sleeping mats on the floor, making any attempt to walk between the sleeping cots very risky. But they could walk the perimeter of the room, and this they did, moving quickly and quietly through the first room, but seeing no one who resembled the huge young warrior or Nakor.
They passed into a second room, and a third, and there was still no sign of either Bek or Nakor. Several times sleeping young Deathknights would stir, but Pug found it remarkable that the Dasati didn’t snore, nor did they seem to move much when sleeping; to a man they all slept on their backs and while there was some variation in position, none of them slept on their sides or stomachs. Pug wondered if it was some sort of survival trait: not moving while you’re asleep lessens the chance of a predator finding you, or perhaps it allowed the sleeper a quicker response time if attacked. He didn’t know, but he found the almost uniform sleeping pose oddly disturbing.
But when they reached the fourth chamber, their fortunes changed. In a far corner they found Bek sitting up on his bunk. Nakor sat on the floor, speaking to him in a very low voice. As they neared, Pug could hear him saying, ‘Soon things will change and you will have a great deal to do in a very short time.’
Bek whispered, ‘Yes, Nakor. I understand.’
‘Good,’ Nakor whispered in return. ‘I may not always be with you so I must be certain you know exactly what it is you’re supposed to do if I’m not there.’
‘I understand,’ repeated the young warrior.
‘Good. Now, go to sleep. I must speak with Pug and Magnus.’
Bek lay back in the same position as all the other Dasati warriors, and Nakor turned, looking right at Pug and Magnus. ‘I was wondering when you’d find me.’
Still invisible, Pug asked, ‘How?’
‘Later,’ said Nakor, standing up. ‘Make me invisible, too. If they find me wandering around, I’ll be killed. There’s something I must show you.’
Soon Nakor was as invisible as Pug and Magnus. He whispered, ‘We must go through that door on the left over there,’ — it was clear which door he indicated — ‘and then down the corridor to the right. I’ll tell you where next when we reach an intersection.’
He moved silently out of the barracks and when they passed through the door, Pug could see that they had left the last of the recruits’ barracks. Nakor’s whisper carried well enough that they didn’t have to strain to hear, for this corridor, like the others, was empty. ‘Something big is going to happen, soon, Pug. Everyone is terrified. Even the Deathknights. I don’t know why. I’ve never seen fear in a Dasati before. I mean, I’ve seen cringing Lessers, but that is as much a part of their role as true fear – any Lesser who thought he had an opportunity to kill a Deathknight or Deathpriest and win status would do so without hesitation – but even Deathknights can barely conceal their trepidation.’
‘I can feel it,’ answered Magnus. ‘Something is making them afraid.’
Pug let out a long sigh. ‘I have been battling disquiet, too, since we left the Grove.’
‘We all have strong minds,’ answered Nakor. ‘Think how it must be to these people, who don’t know fear.’
‘Where’s it coming from?’ asked Pug.
‘That’s what I want to show you.’ They reached the junction and Nakor said, ‘Now we go to the left, and it’s a long way. I’m going to run and I suggest you do the same. When you reach the end, you’ll know where to stop.’
‘Wait,’ said Magnus. ‘I can still fly us if we stay low.’
They rose off the ground again, and sped along the corridor. Pug hoped his son’s control was as precise as it needed to be, for he had no doubt magical skills would be of little aid if they went bouncing off a stone wall.
The corridor went on for what must have been miles; unlike the others it was unlit. Pug now had to completely rely on the illumination from the stones, invisible to the human eye, but providing a low residue of shapes and textures to the Dasati eye. He would miss this ability, he thought, when he got home… and felt a sudden stab of pain, an anxiety he had not experienced.
He knew he would somehow get home. He had been promised that by no less than the Goddess of Death, for she had foretold his fate, and he was doomed to live until he had served the gods’ purpose and that fate also included watching everyone he loved die before him. He would get home, but he had no way of knowing if Magnus or Nakor would.
‘You can slow down now,’ said Nakor. ‘We’re coming to the end.’
They reached the end of the very long corridor, Pug calculating they must have flown more than two miles. ‘I almost got caught here, last time,’ said Nakor. ‘I wasn’t invisible. It’s a trick you’d think I’d have learned by now. I talked my way out of getting killed.’
Pug was amused, and wished he could have heard that exchange, for he had no doubt the Dasati who had been here had been as confused as any human once Nakor got through with one of his confidence tricks. ‘You’ll have to tell me about it some time.’
‘We can get visible now,’ said Nakor.
Pug ended the spell of invisibility.