‘Then I must go to him,’ said Nakor. ‘You have means?’
Martuch nodded. ‘We have agents in the palace, and I know others there as well who will not think it strange that I am there. As his mentor I can bid him farewell.’
‘And I, as his instructor,’ added Hirea. ‘But once he enters training for the TeKarana’s personal guard, he will be unreachable. If we are to speak with him, it must be today’
Nakor nodded and stood up. ‘Then we must go now. For if I do not reach him and, tell him what to do, all our plans may come to naught.’
‘Nakor looks the part of a Lesser,’ said Pug.
‘A family retainer, who comes to fetch and carry, nothing more,’ answered Martuch. ‘He will attract far less attention than if a third warrior appeared to bid farewell to a mere student.’
Valko said to Pug, ‘I will accompany you to the Mountains of Skellar-tok.’
Pug glanced at Macros, who merely nodded. ‘Sooner is better than later,’ said the former human magician. He really did not look well.
As if aware of Pug’s regard, he said, ‘I fear I may have only a short time left.’
Hirea was visibly distressed to hear that. ‘For the service we’ve shared and the love I bear you as my leader, I caution you never to repeat such a thing outside this room. It is taking all my will not to cut you down for showing such weakness.’
Valko was also showing signs of conflict. ‘Yes, that is sage advice.’
Only Martuch seemed untroubled. ‘It is too deeply in our blood, I fear. Yet I still hope we can save our progeny.’
‘Then we must all be on our way,’ said Pug. To Magnus he said, ‘Again, you bear the burden, while I will mask us from sight. But this time we shall not merely traverse a city, but go halfway around the world, so be prepared, my son.’ Magnus nodded solemnly.
Macros said, ‘I shall work to keep us hidden from sight, but indeed we have a long way to go. It will not be a quick journey. I just hope we can gain the knowledge we need before the Dark One makes his intentions clear.’
‘Then we must not linger,’ said Pug, To Nakor he added, ‘I hope to see you again, soon, old friend.’
Grinning through his mask of troubles, Nakor said, ‘If the gods will it, then it will happen. Be well.’
‘And you,’ said Pug. He turned to Martuch. ‘Go first, and we shall follow quickly behind you, but out of sight.’
Martuch nodded, and turned without further discussion, leading his companions up the wooden stairs to the surface. Pug thought to warn Valko not to be unnerved by the lack of visibility or the flying, but thought better of it. He was Dasati and if he was frightened to death he would not show such weakness, and Pug didn’t have time to deal with a young lord of the Dasati who felt insulted. All he said was, ‘Put your hand upon Magnus’s waist and do not let go, for you will not see him.’ Then Pug turned everyone in his party invisible.
They slowly made their way up the stairs after Hirea, and the Lessers remaining below to shut the trapdoor. The morning sun now climbed to the mid-heaven, and Pug felt Magnus’s spell lift them all quickly upwards. Magnus’s voice could be heard, ‘Which way?’
‘First to the west, for many hours, then when we pause to rest, I will tell you the next direction,’ said Macros. ‘We shall see half this world before we are done. Now, conserve your strength and let us be away as quickly as you can manage.’
Magnus turned his full will to moving them as fast as he possibly could, and soon they were speeding across the skies of Omadrabar as fast as the swiftest hawk back home. Even so, Pug knew it would be a long and arduous journey, and one he hoped was over in time to forestall whatever evil was being plotted in a deep cavern not too distant from where they flew.
Not for the first time he wondered if there was even a shred of sanity in his choices, for he could not even properly call what he had done so far a plan. Rather it was a frantic attempt to respond to a horrific threat and he had to rely on his own wits, the talents of his son and Nakor, and a very disturbing young man possessed by far more than mere madness. And a series of cryptic notes from some future version of himself. Pug kept his attention fixed on maintaining their invisibility, but part of him wished he could pray. But in this alien sky, he wondered to whom should he be praying.