Adept (The Essence Gate War, Book 1) - By Michael Arnquist Page 0,129

the distance. His men’s torches might be seen faintly from the city walls, if the guards there happened to look in this direction, but it was too great a distance to distinguish more than that. He strode forward, passing the front of the carriage where the driver struggled to calm the team of horses. All the soldiers’ mounts were tethered at the rear of the carriage, and they were nervous as well, snorting and prancing in place. A handful of men remained there with them, a hard-bitten lot with torches held high and scarred faces set in grim, impassive silence. None of them sought to make eye contact with the merchant.

Ahead, the remainder of the men formed two standing lines across the road, facing something further down the road. Morland approached with Vorenius at his heels, and the guards parted to allow their passage. As they passed through, a strangled gasp escaped the mercenary.

A large shape waited in the center of the road, a dozen yards away. What little light reached it from the ring of torches was all but absorbed by its dark hide, but Morland was able to discern a hint of its outline. It was a huge form, squatting or perhaps kneeling, with long, thick arms that reached down to knuckle the ground. Its front was smooth and matte black, though a forest of protrusions jutted from its back and shoulders; whether they were spikes or tentacles of some kind, Morland could not tell without getting closer, and he had no intent of doing that. Just being out here was a show of faith on his part, but past a certain point promises and alliances were just empty words without actions to prove them.

Nyar stood several paces ahead of the wide-eyed array of guards, and Morland drew abreast of him. Vorenius halted a pace behind, his face drawn and pale. Nylien stood at the man’s elbow with a smirk twisting his fine Elvaren features.

“I am here,” Morland announced.

An elongated head shifted toward him. He tried to pick out its eyes amid that nightmare countenance, but it was a futile effort. Every bit of the thing was black, just as the previous representatives had been. An eerie, grating sound emanated from the thing in a grotesque parody of human speech.

“A Nar’ath queen speaks through me,” it said.

“Very well,” Morland said. “What has your queen decided of the arrangement I proposed?”

A murmur ran through the men, but the merchant ignored it.

“The arrangement is agreeable,” the creature rumbled.

“And I shall have all that I was promised?” Morland asked, eyes narrowing.

The creature dipped its head and its bulk shifted. “The arrangement is agreeable,” it repeated. “All your conditions shall be met.”

The merchant suppressed a fierce surge of exultation, keeping his tone level. “Then tell your queen that the Nar’ath have an agreement. When is it to be?”

“Tonight,” it responded.

A momentary chill played along Morland’s spine. “I need more time to prepare,” he said. “Can it instead be two nights hence?”

The creature shifted again, torchlight playing along the low ridges that ran along its black skull. The seconds ticked by and Morland quailed inside, though he let not a ripple of his fear show on the surface. They needed him, he reminded himself, just as much as he needed them. Each side would achieve its goals much faster, this way. And so he waited, outwardly calm, though the hands laced before him tightened painfully to keep them from shaking.

“Two nights hence is agreeable,” the thing finally said.

“It shall be done,” Morland said. He heard the faint quaver of relief in his own voice, but he dared not glance around to see if anyone else had noticed. “I bear a word of warning for your queen, however. I spoke with men in the city yesterday who showed knowledge of the Nar’ath. They have seen your kind and somehow survived.”

“It matters not,” came the rumbling reply. “We grow strong now, and the time for concealment is almost done.”

“As you say. I wished only to share the information I had gained, in the spirit of maintaining no secrets between allies. These men are few but dangerous, and if I am not mistaken they have command of some modest magic as well.”

The hulking thing rocked back and forth, but did not respond.

“Very well, is our business concluded, then?” Morland asked.

The creature gave a rolling shrug and leaned forward, the protrusions on its back flexing in some odd movement that was lost to the darkness. The light