Call of Kerberos: Twilight of Kerberos, The - Jonathan Oliver Page 0,65

of the chamber, before exiting through a second archway. On the dais four brass censers were set at the corners of a carpet woven with symbols not unlike the songlines that had been inked onto Emuel's body. Above the dais, a wide circular hole in the roof let in the light of Kerberos.

Bestion led Silus over the bridge crossing the moat and gestured for him to be seated on the carpet.

As he sat, Silus looked up and was reminded of that first night with Katya; how they had moored the boat on the subterranean lake beneath the gaze of Kerberos, how he had shared his dreams and fantasies with her. Now that he was actually to come into the presence of Kerberos more directly, Silus wondered whether any of his visions would turn out to be true.

Bestion poured a sparkling powder into each of the censers before lighting them. The smoke that poured from them was bitter and Silus choked as it wreathed itself around him.

"Don't fight it," Bestion said. "Otherwise this isn't going to work. Breathe."

The first lungful burned as deeply and painfully as a knife to the ribs and, as Silus fought a growing sense of panic, Bestion put his hands on his shoulders and forced him to be still.

"Breathe, Silus, breathe."

Eventually, the pain subsided and Silus found himself able to breathe without gagging on each inhalation. There was a taste in his mouth that was vaguely metallic, but also sweet. Bestion sat opposite Silus and he noticed that the smoke didn't go near him. Instead, it seemed to be pouring from the censers and streaming directly into his nostrils.

When the censers were empty Bestion began to chant.

His voice was low and resonated deep within Silus's chest.

Silus didn't understand the words, but they seemed to be doing something to him. The taste in his mouth grew more pronounced and he felt as though he was going to be sick. He folded himself over the centre of his sickness - trying to hold it in - but a great shudder wracked his body, forcing him upright. When he opened his mouth what came forth, however, was not bile but smoke. It felt like he was being drawn inside-out. Silus tried to scream but he couldn't. The smoke pouring from his mouth felt like something solid, something living. He looked up and saw the column of smoke reach the hole in the temple ceiling, and he suddenly found himself following it. As he tumbled towards Kerberos he looked down and could see his body below, kneeling with its head thrown back. And as Silus looked at himself, he prayed to the Lord of All that he would be able to return so that life would once more shine behind those eyes.

Chapter Seventeen

The sound of Bestion's chanting followed him as the thread tying him to his body unravelled.

Silus rose through the temple roof and, looking up, he could see the great disk of Kerberos expanding as he hurtled towards it.

As the last few words of Bestion's mantra faded away, Silus found himself moving over the azure planet, the clouds just inches from the soles of his feet.

This silence was bigger than himself, bigger than the stars that blazed above him like a multitude of jewels strewn across black velvet. Ahead of him, one jewel burned brighter than all the others - its blue-green light reaching him in brilliant cold shards - and Silus knew that he was looking at Twilight. It seemed so fragile, as though if he could reach out and touch it it would shatter.

Remembering his dream, he stared into the clouds below him, expecting to see the spirits of all those who had left Twilight behind, but there was nothing. Just the odd flicker of lightning gave life to the roiling mass.

Silus felt disappointed. He had expected this to be a profound, spiritual revelation but, instead, he had found that, even close-to, Kerberos refused to give up its secrets.

He felt anger burn through him. Below him the clouds darkened.

Lightning lit the planet from horizon to horizon in a blaze of blinding light.

Silus understood then that Kerberos had just blinked.

Tendrils of cloud rose up around him, caressing him as they drew him down towards the surface.

Silus closed his eyes and sank into Kerberos.

Silus wasn't sure how much time he had spent in Kerberos's presence before he found himself rising back up, but he felt as though he might have been conversing for hours. However, he found he could remember