Greywolf - The raid begins

"Why does time move so slowly through the Shadowlands?"

I glance up at Karl and shrug as we walk along the bridge leading to the gates of Bukhara. "Why do the Shadowlands exist at all? Were they created when the world was formed, or did they appear later? For that matter, what created not only our world, but all the other worlds connected to each other by the Grey?"

"Tengri did," one of the Tartaros warriors walking behind us says, his Artifact Great-axe resting against his shoulder. "Everything came into existence by his word when he flew over that which was not, which has to include any other worlds, if they truly do exist, and the Shadowlands as well."

It's Karl's turn to shrug. "If you say so. Has anyone ever asked Ghostdog?"

I give him a derisive snort. "Of course I asked him. Papa said he learned all the secrets of the Shadowlands years before I was born, but hated the answers so much that now he won't tell them to anyone."

Karl laughs. "Your father sounds like quite the character." He scratches his nose as he regards the approaching walls. "I used to wonder why more rulers didn't create and use Shadow-walkers to make surprise attacks on their enemies. But after seeing that mercenary..." Karl shudders as his words trail off.

"I once asked father if he'd ever rescued a Celestial, but he said they're hard to kill even in the Grey."

"So am I," Lys says, looking down from Karl's shoulder, "since the Grey is where I draw my power from."

My eyes go wide. "I thought you used mana like a normal mage."

Lys shakes her head. "Mana powers the magic of the natural world, but necromancy, being an unnatural art, has to draw its power from an unnatural source. Why do you think the temples of Ghash-Kimil are all located around sites where the dead, grey trees exist?"

"I'd never even heard of Ghash-Kimil before we reached Bukhara."

"That is because Asena kept you sheltered. Their religion is based on death and necromancy, with all of their priests adepts of varying degrees of aptitude and depravity."

"Which means," Karl says, "that the nastier they are, the more powerful they become. Rape, torture, cannibalism, all of those are a part of their religion."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. "And the Sasnayams allow it?"

As we reach the open gate, passing by the shadows of the guards who are leaning against their spears and drinking from cups, Karl shrugs. "They used to be a minor cult until they threw in with Yun-Kax, and began doing the dirty work Muzen wanted done, so his temple could keep their hands clean. Now, everyone goes in fear of Ghash-Kimil's power."

"Not everyone," Lys says as we lead the column towards the hill where the closed gate of the temple district is. In the square beside the stone fountain, a half dozen shadows of men with musical pipes and small drums, seem to be playing together, while throngs of shadow people with jugs and cups in their hands are stopped in mid-step. Many of them are whirling each other around as if dancing. Even though it makes no difference, I tend to step around shadow people, and glancing back, everyone behind me is doing the same.

The smaller road we take immediately ascends up an incline until it reaches a high stone wall, with its thick wooden gate banded with iron. The gate is closed and likely barred, and as we approach, Karl slows his pace. "If I walk into that gate and bounce off it, I swear I'm going to paddle you with your own sword."

I roll my eyes and stride through the ghostly gate. Shadow creatures dislike passing through smoke people, papa once told me, and usually stay away from cities. However, the space just past the gate's wide open, with an area of four pyramids facing a central platform just ahead of me at an angle, and more pyramids beyond. No Shadow creatures so far, but I'm not taking any chances by letting down my guard. Movement from the corner of my eye and I turn my head.

Karl's walking through the shadow gate with a sheepish expression on his face as Lys raps the top of his head with her knuckles. I motion towards the pyramids. "I'm sensing a weak spot between the worlds somewhere ahead of us."

He nods. "Just beyond the temple of Yun-Kax is the High Priest's house, and beyond that's the temple of Ghash-Kimil, where the grey tree is supposed to be constantly guarded."

"And the entrance's not blocked by stone? We won't be able to lay hands upon even a small slab, if it's barring our way."

He shakes his head. "Wide open, just like I told the great Khan. No guards either, unless you count the skeletons arranged artistically around the entrance."

A sinking feeling hits me in the pit of my stomach as Lys raps him on the head again. "Your idea of art involves flinging the entrails of pigs onto wet clay."

"You can get some interesting effects-"

"Karl," I say, interrupting him, "why didn't you tell me this?"

He and Lys stop bickering and stare at me. "I didn't think it was important. I mean, it's the temple of Ghash-Kimil, right?"

I put the heels of my palms to my eyes. He didn't know because you didn't think to ask. Idiot! "All right," I say in a deliberate voice as I lower my hands, "how many skeletons and where are they placed?"

All traces of humor are gone from his face. "Perhaps a dozen are arranged around the entrance. Rumor says there are more inside, but those who wander into the temple rarely wander back out again." Karl gives me an incredulous look. "You seriously know nothing about this?"

"He told you he never heard of them before coming here" Lys says, turning her head to look at me. "The worship of Ghash-Kimil involves sacrificing the people they had their fun with on blood encrusted altars, tearing out their hearts with stone knives. Occasionally they will reanimate a body, but usually they just throw the remains into the charnel pits located underneath the temple. Now, why are these skeletons a problem?"

"Papa told me in Xian, where the temples of the True God guard the weak spots between the worlds, that when the best fighting monks die, their flesh is boiled off their bones and arranged around the dead tree. Since in the Shadowlands the dead are alive, and the Grey provides sinews to their bones, the dead monks will fight with any Shadow creature trying to break through. Or Shadow-walker, for that matter."

"So if these skeletons are dead priests of Ghash-Kimil, they will attack us?" I nod, and as soldiers begin hesitantly walking through the shadow gate to join us, Lys frowns. "What happens if they do attack, and our warriors defeat them?"

"The bones crumble both here and in the real world." We move away from the Khanda swordsman as they continue moving inside. "The area around the dead tree is known as Twilight space, existing in both worlds at once, and if a living priest's keeping an eye on the skeletons, when it crumbles into dust they'll know a Shadow-walker's close by."

Karl exhales a blast of air. "Right, so what do we do? Attack them first?"

"Idiot," Lys replies, rapping the top of his head, "we talk to them first. Human necromancers cannot speak to the dead like I can, and even if they could I doubt they would bother."

I blink. "You think they may not be priests." Lys nods, and I feel that I have to say, "They might still attack us."

"Then we must be ready," Kula's deep voice says from behind us. Turning around, the War-leader is standing a few feet away as Prince Timur begins getting his Khanda swordsmen in formation as the Chosen start walking through the shadow gate. "Before making my final plans, I consulted the Keeper about any lore concerning the Shadowlands, and she mentioned the dead coming alive here. Lys, if you command the dead to speak, can you convince them not to attack us?"

"In the Shadowlands, I cannot command the dead to do anything. What I can do is give us the ability to hear what they say. Karl and I can speak to them-"

"I should be the one to do it." Kula's giving you a dark look, keep talking. "Sir, I'm the strongest here, and the fastest runner if they decide to be hostile. I won't try to be a hero, I promise."

"Greywolf's got a valid point," Karl argues.

"We shall discuss it once we reach the temple," Kula replies. "For now, keep watching for Shadow creatures and be ready to lead us forward once again."