The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 15

Ahna gave one strong tug at the iron grate. With a shudder and screech it fell flat.

Kydd applauded, "Well done!" while Ahna flexed.

They entered a long corridor, off which were numerous rooms. Light found its way in through iron braced skylights. Decades of disuse left this place dilapidated and dangerous. Bits that weren't meant to move twisted and cracked, and bits that were meant to move, were stiff and solid, making a puzzle of a straight path. It was a dank place, even in its heyday. From what she could tell, this this was one of the two squat towers that guarded the upper city. Visible from her vigil, they were part of the main fortifications complimenting the keep. They had always seemed to share the keeps discontent of the Sounds, like two stout henchmen watching from behind.

Ahna jumped to the sound of debris settling, when her nerves calmed, she spoke, "So was that thing a pyronaut?"

Kydd wasn't sure himself, "Kind of. But not like any I've ever seen."

"It had orfolk inside it though."

"There was something very strange about them." He said, "None of them looked, right. And they all spoke at the same time."

"Isn't that the aether?"

"It's not that controlling," he said, "Not normally. I've heard of some diseases that can do that, take over all the orfolk at once."

"Diseases?" Ahna frowned, "Better wash your hands then!"

Kydd looked to his palms, and then wiped them on her shoulder.

"Not on me!" she cried.

"And, and," she cried excitedly, "Did you see how that thing moved? It was pretty much floating."

"Yes, and the shadows! I've never seen anything like that before."

"That could be magic," said Ahna.

"Magic?" Kydd frowned.

"You know, the Strange Power." She gave a long, menacing look, for added theatrics.

He laughed, "Are you serious?"

"Maybe!" she shrugged, "I don't know I've never seen real magic before."

"Do you believe in it?"

"Of course, the empire tried to destroy it. They said it was evil; but they said that about a lot of things."

"Really?" Kydd asked, he was not as convinced as Ahna.

"Yep, there's loads of people in the Sounds who knew someone who could do magic. Tizeal's dad used to do it, that's why she knows about it."

Ahna paused suddenly, "Hey, what if that monster was Dolroch. Maybe that was his ghost?"

"His ghost?" Kydd asked.

"Yeah, trapped in the aether." Ahna said.

Kydd frowned, "I've never heard of a human getting into the aether before."

"Well apparently I'm doing it," she mindlessly fed Kydd some grains, "how hard can it be?"

The corridor ended at a tall tower. Wooden flooring and furnishings had once separated it into floors, but it had long been hollowed out and replaced with strung up ladders and knotted ropes – a very spartan redesign.

"There was something else weird." Kydd added, hopping down from Ahna's shoulder to join her in searching the room, "When I was inside that machine, there was a moment when another memory came back."