Kaval turned to Jardir. "Search the village for signs of survivors," he said. Jardir bowed and turned to his nie'Sharum, breaking them into groups of two and sending each to a different level. The boys darted up the uneven stairs as easily as they ran the walltops of the Maze.
It quickly became apparent that Abban had been right. There were signs of demons in almost every building, claw marks on walls and furniture and signs of struggle everywhere.
"No bodies, though," Abban noted.
"Eaten," Jardir said, pointing to what appeared to be black stone with a few bits of white sticking from it, sitting on the floor.
"What's that?" Abban asked.
"Demon dung," Jardir said. "Alagai eat their victims whole and shit out the bones." Abban slapped a hand to his mouth, but it was not enough. He ran to the side of the room to retch.
They reported their findings to Drillmaster Kaval, who nodded as if this were no surprise. "Walk at my back, Nie Ka," he said, and Jardir followed him as the drillmaster walked over to where Dama Khevat stood with the kai'Sharum.
They reported their findings to Drillmaster Kaval, who nodded as if this were no surprise. "Walk at my back, Nie Ka," he said, and Jardir followed him as the drillmaster walked over to where Dama Khevat stood with the kai'Sharum.
"The nie'Sharum confirm there are no survivors, Dama," Kaval said. The kai'Sharum outranked him, but Kaval was a drillmaster and had likely trained every warrior on the expedition, including the kai'Sharum. As it was said, The words of the red veil carry more weight than the white.
Dama Khevat nodded. "The alagai cursed the ground when they broke through the wards, trapping the spirits of the dead khaffit in this world. I can feel their screams in the air." He looked up at Kaval. "A Waning is upon us. We will spend the first two days and nights preparing the village and praying."
"And on the third night of Waning?" Kaval asked.
"On the third night, we will dance alagai'sharak," Khevat said, "to hallow the ground and set their spirits free, that they might be reincarnated in hope of a better caste."
Kaval bowed. "Of course, Dama." He looked up at the stairs and buildings built into the cliff face, and the wide courtyard beneath leading down to the riverbank. "It will be mostly clay demons here," he guessed, "though likely a few wind and sand as well." He turned to the kai'Sharum. "With your permission, I will have the dal'Sharum dig warded demon pits in the courtyard, and set ambush points on the stairs to drive the alagai off the cliff and into the pits to await the sun."
The kai'Sharum nodded, and the drillmaster turned to Jardir. "Set the nie'Sharum to clearing the buildings of any debris we can make into barricades." Jardir nodded and turned to go, but Kaval caught his arm. "See that they loot nothing," he warned. "All must go as sacrifice to alagai'sharak." "You and I will clear the first level," Jardir told Abban.
"Seven is a luckier number," Abban said. "Let Jurim and Shanjat clear the first."
Jardir looked at Abban's leg skeptically. Abban had managed to keep up with the march, but his limp had not gone away, and Jardir often saw him massaging the limb when he thought no one was watching.
"I thought the first would be an easier ascent, with your leg not fully healed," Jardir said.
Abban put his hands on his hips. "My friend, you wound me!" he said. "I am fit as the finest camel in the bazaar. You were right to push me to exceed myself each day, and a climb to the seventh level will only help."
Jardir shrugged. "As you wish," he said, and they set off climbing the steps after he had given instructions to the other nie'Sharum.
The irregular stone steps of Baha were cut into the cliff face, shored at key points with sandstone and clay. They were sometimes as narrow as a man's foot, and other times required many paces to the next step. Worn stone showed the passage of many laden wagons pulled by beasts of burden. The steps changed direction with each tier, branching off a path to the buildings of that level.
They had not gone far before Abban's breath labored, his round face beading with sweat. His limp grew worse, and by the fifth level he was hissing in pain with every step.
"Perhaps we've gone far enough for one day," Jardir ventured.
"Nonsense, my friend," Abban said. "I am" he groaned and blew out a breath, "strong as a camel."
Jardir smiled and slapped him on the back. "We'll make a warrior of you yet."
They reached the seventh level at last, and Jardir turned to look out over the low wall. Far below, the dal'Sharum bent their backs, digging wide demon pits with short spades. The pits were set right at the edge of the first tier, so that a demon hurled from the very wall Jardir looked over would land within. Jardir felt a flash of excitement for the battle to come, even though he and the other nie'Sharum would not be allowed to fight.
He turned to Abban, but his friend had moved on down the terrace, ignoring the view.
"We should start clearing the buildings," Jardir said, but Abban seemed not to hear, limping purposefully away. Jardir caught up just as Abban stopped in front of a great archway, breaking into a wide smile as he looked up at the symbols carved into the arch.
"Level seven, I knew it!" Abban said. "The same as the number of pillars between Heaven and Ala."
"I've never seen wards like those," Jardir said, looking at the symbols.
"Those aren't wards, they are drawn words," Abban said.
Jardir looked at him curiously. "Like those written in the Evejah?"
Abban nodded. "They read: 'Here, seven tiers from Ala to honor He who is Everything, is the humble workshop of Master Dravazi.' "
"The potter you spoke of," Jardir growled. Abban nodded, moving to push back the bright curtain that hung in the doorway, but Jardir grabbed his arm, pulling Abban to face him.
"So you can embrace pain when it comes to profit, but not to honor?" he demanded.
Abban smiled. "I am merely practical, my friend. You cannot spend honor."
"You can in Heaven," Jardir said.
Abban snorted. "We cannot clothe our mothers and sisters from Heaven." He pulled his arm free and entered the shop. Jardir had no choice but to follow, walking right into Abban, who had stopped short just within the doorway, his mouth hanging open.
"The shipment is intact," Abban whispered, his eyes taking on a covetous gleam. Jardir followed his gaze, and his own eyes widened as well. There, stacked neatly upon great pallets, was the most exquisite pottery he had ever seen. It filled the room-pots and vases and chalices, lamps and plates and bowls. All of it painted in bright color and gold leaf, fire-glazed to a pristine shine.
Abban rubbed his hands together with excitement. "Do you have any idea what this is worth, my friend?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter," Jardir said. "It isn't ours."
Abban looked at him as if he were a fool. "It isn't stealing if the owners are dead, Ahmann."
"It is worse than stealing, to loot from the dead," Jardir said. "It is desecration."
"Desecration would be casting a master artisan's life's work into a rubbish pile," Abban said. "There is plenty of other debris to use in the barricades."
Jardir considered the pottery. "Very well," he said at last. "We will leave it here. Let it tell the story of the craft of this greatest of khaffit, that Everam may look down upon his works and reincarnate his spirit to a higher caste."
"What need to tell tales to Everam, if He is all-knowing?" Abban asked.
Jardir balled a fist, and Abban took a step back. "I will not hear Everam blasphemed," he growled. "Not even from you."
Abban held his hands up in supplication. "No blasphemy intended. I merely meant Everam could see the pottery as well in a Damaji's palace as in this forgotten workshop."
"That may be," Jardir conceded, "but Kaval said everything must be sacrificed to alagai'sharak, and that means this, too."
Abban's eyes flicked to Jardir's fist, still tightly closed, and he nodded. "Of course, my friend," he agreed. "But if we are truly to honor this great khaffit and recommend him to Heaven, let us use his fine pots to carry dirt for the dal'Sharum digging the demon pits. It will put the pottery to work in fighting alagai'sharak, and show Dravazi's worth to Everam."
Jardir relaxed, his fist falling into five loose fingers once more. He smiled at Abban and nodded. "That is a fine idea." They selected the pieces most suited to the task and carried them back to the camp. The rest they left neatly stacked, just as they had found them. Jardir and the others fell into their work, and the two full days and nights passed quickly as the battlefield for alagai'sharak began to form. Each night they took shelter behind their circles, studying the demons and laying their plans. The terraced tiers of the village became a maze of debris piles hiding warded alcoves the dal'Sharum would use as ambush points, leaping out to drive the alagai over the sides into the demon pits, or to net them long enough to trap them in portable circles. Supply depots were warded on every level; there the nie'Sharum would wait, ready to run fresh spears or nets to the warriors.
"Stay behind the wards until you are called for," Kaval instructed the novices, "and when you must cross them, do so quickly, heading directly from one warded area to the next until you reach your destination. Keep ducked low behind the wall, using every bit of cover." He made the boys memorize the makeshift maze until they could find the warded alcoves with their eyes closed, if need be. The warriors would set bonfires to see and fight by, driving off the cold of the desert night, but there would still be great pockets of shadow where the demons, which could see in the dark, would hold every advantage.
Before long Jardir and Abban were waiting in a supply depot on the third level as the sun set. The cliff wall faced east, so they watched as its shadow reached out to envelop the river valley, creeping up the far cliff wall like an inky stain. And in the shadow of the valley, the alagai began to rise.
The mist seeped from the clay and sandstone, coalescing into demonic form. Jardir and Abban watched in fascination as the demons rose in the courtyard thirty feet below, illuminated by the great bonfires as the dal'Sharum put everything flammable in Baha to the torch.