I held the vial in my fingers and shook the red liquid inside. Less than half of the Benus Tincture remained. There was enough for one, perhaps two doses. And then there would be no more room for mistakes.
As I stood upon the lower ramparts of the Border Wall, I watched my ice skimmer being prepared for its long journey. A dozen men worked the craft, outfitting it with everything I would need to cross the Great Ice Plain.
There were many great terraces and wharfs and piers upon the other side of the Border Wall, most of which were mere stone scaffolding, built after the fact. This immense harbor had then fallen into disrepair, and only a small section of it was still in use. The great ships languished at their mores, rotting carcasses of vessels. Only ice skimmers, the smallest of craft, still launched out into the Great Ice Plain.
Of the twisting and improvised and ruined foundations, half the time I was treading over rubble as I did great structures of old. The harbor had been built, fallen into disrepair, and built again. There was no rhyme or reason anymore. The towering stairwells were as in equal use as the rope ladders thrown over collapsed ruin. Cranes and other such equipment were scattered haphazardly across the harbor, making a jagged ascent to the top of the Border Wall. In all, I would say a few hundred ice skimmers made port here, in this harbor designed for giants. We were but mere ants, crawling over the works of greater men.
As I shivered in the wind, again I felt a twinge of paranoia. I checked my belongings once more. Ever since Messalina had stolen my manuscript, I found myself often taking such unnecessary precautions.
I still had the gift from the strange Glassmaker. The four mirrored marbles were tucked safely away in a small pouch I had purchased for them. In my satchel, I also possessed my golden astrolabe, which I used for navigation. On my cloak, I had fastened the pin of the silver fish I had purchased when I first arrived in this city. Whether the trinket would come into use, I hoped not. I had my chipped and battered sword, which I would’ve replaced had I the coin to do so. I had thought about relying upon Berenice’s generosity again, but it seemed inappropriate for all I have already spent from her.
And of course, I had the Historiae Astrologus, secured in a bundle of cloth. Penned by Master Gnomon, the tome was the last of an art that had long since been dismissed as impractical and vain. But when I looked upon its immaculate script, I saw no conceit that blemished its pages. Only a fool decries every work of beauty vain, as if he would prefer to live in an ugly world. No, beauty ought to be pursued because it is beautiful, and it is only when turned to praise of oneself that it becomes destitute.
Hearing footsteps on the stonework, I looked up, and I saw Gereon approaching. He had been inspecting the ice skimmer, making sure that the city had not been too frugal with the supplies and equipment they provided me. I was grateful for his help, and I was sad it was finally time for us to part ways.
“The ice skimmer isn’t the best, but it’ll get you across all right,” Gereon told me with a begrudging nod. “They’re loading up your spear drill now. Normally, you would want two people to operate, but it can be done by one.”
“Thank you for your help, Gereon. I mean that.” I shook his hand. The time of parting always hurts, but even especially more, since I knew I would never see him again.
Gereon saw the unasked question in my eyes, and he sighed. We hadn’t had the chance to talk of his “death”.
“I did not lie about my identity. I am the man they spoke of who was betrayed by his men.”
“Then?” I asked, trying to understand.
Gereon shook his head. “I am sorry to say I don’t have the answers for you, Sirius. All I know is that I awoke, and when I went outside, I saw two sets of footprints that were neither my own. I did not disclose that information to you because I myself do not know what to make of it. I only revealed it to the court because I was pressed on it, and I thought they would not so easily deny me as Elagabalus would’ve.”
That was unsettling information, but I did not know what I could do with it.
The soldier clapped me on the arm. “Strange portents follow in your wake, Sirius. But I wish you fortune for your journey ahead.”
We began walking towards the ice skimmer, nested in the not too busy port. My blue cloak billowed in the frigid wind as we walked down the steps to the small mooring below.
“Some last pieces of advice,” Gereon said. “There are tribesmen who live out on the Great Ice Plain. Keep your possessions close and always camouflauge the ice skimmer come nightfall. You do not want to fall prey to a band of robbers. Secondly, do not delve too deeply into the ice. There are a great many things and creatures buried deep, and they are best left undisturbed. Thirdly, should you find the body of a man who has committed suicide, burn it. Make sure it is destroyed utterly. And failing that, flee as fast as you can.”
I paused in my step. “Why?”
“Nothing attracts the Ghost Men more quickly than such a corpse. It is from those bodies that they fashion more of their kind. Do not ask me why or how. No one knows the secrets of their blasphemies.”
I nodded as we stepped down onto the wharf. It was the lowest and humblest of piers, little more than a stack of stone on the charnel ice. A small plank provided passage onto the ice skimmer. There were no great machines of industry. Those were long rusting in their bitter emplacements. All I had were very simple men on a very simple dock loading a frightfully small vessel compared to the heaps that lay battered across the distance.
Instead of boarding, I crouched over the edge and jumped down onto the ice. My boots crunched on this new surface, and I walked out a distance, gazing at this new land before me. Here, I had at last crossed the line of separation, from the last bastion of humanity and into something more foreign. The Great Ice Plain was not merely wilderness. It was the absence of life, a desert of a different kind. Here was a new world and with it came new challenges.
I tugged on my right-hand glove, pulling it off. Pressing my palm into the ice, I closed my fist around a ball of snow and frost. I waited for this thing, this great landscape, to become knowable. If only I could climb a tall peak and survey all that was before me. But even atop the Border Wall, the Great Ice Plain extended beyond sight, beyond knowing. This was not a place for a man to conquer. It was a place for a man to be devoured, lost amongst the endless ice.
Here was an ocean, frozen in time. The flat, rolling landscape seemed to depart into infinity, trapped in its own deathless beauty. And yet, I knew this world had its end, despite what my eyes told me. It ended in Myz, the lost land, the barren land. There, the ice gave way to great mountains, and beyond lay a world older than despair.
There lay domed Calrathia, in its endless majesty. There lay things older than mankind. There lay horrors beyond reckoning. I stood up and felt the moment, wondering just where my path would end in this endless of winters. There was no telling, and there was no point in telling. The future would be disclosed in its proper course. All I could do was see it through.
I turned to my vessel, inspecting my newest companion. The ice skimmer was shaped much like the sailboats that darted across the oceans of Zodiak. A tall mast was raised into the sky, and a great sail flapped loosely in the wind. Its curved metal hull was sleek to the touch. Its practicality was an artistry all of its own. As much was done to reduce weight as possible, for the secret of the craft were two rods fastened on either side. They were forged of a lighter than air alloy, and they held the vessel aloft so as to buoy and glide across the ice.
The ship was big enough to comfortably seat at least five people, as well as all the provisions one would need for such a group. With just myself, it was more than adequate. It was a positive luxury, and I wished I had this vessel when I first set out for Terminus all those weeks ago. However, this craft was not suited for rocky or rough terrain. Once I reached Myz, I would doubtlessly need to abandon it to cross the mountains. The hardest part of the journey would have to be taken on foot.
As I was inspecting the vessel, I noticed Berenice standing quietly on the stone pier. She was dressed in a silver furs and once again bearing up her great sword. Her golden hair was braided into a crown on her head. But while beautiful, she was visibly exhausted from trudging up and back down the Border Wall with such a heavy burden. It astonished me that after such a tremendous undertaking, she had not approached me, deigning instead to quietly wait.
I climbed back onto the pier and greeted her. “It is good to see you again before I leave.”
Her eyes were downcast. “If only that I would go with you.”
If only. It broke my heart to say goodbye to her. But I was heading to my death, and I could not bear to bring her with me. If harm should ever come to her, I did not know what I would do. I have suffered enough heartbreak to last a lifetime, and I did not want to add that terrible sorrow to the rest.
“If you wish to honor me, live long and happy,” I told her. “Find a good husband and spend the rest of your days with him. That is what I want most.”
I lied. That is most assuredly not what I wanted most. I wanted to stay in Terminus and spend the rest of my days with her. But I took an oath to forswear eros. There have been only a few times in my life where my vows of celibacy felt like shackles. It was not that I was disinterested in women, but rather my love for the School of Astronomers was always greater. It still was, even after the torment. But Berenice was Berenice.
And yet, I was strangely glad. She was never a tempter, and I knew she would refuse me for the sake of my vows and my honor. She would never accept the proposition that I might be a lesser man. And that was what I loved most about her.
Berenice quietly accepted my words, speaking no protest. There was nothing else she could say to relieve my torment. Therefore, she accepted my words as thus, and I knew she would endeavor to live by them for the rest of her days.
“It is ready.” One of the boatmen came forward as the others lounged on the stone pier.
I nodded, looking at the vessel. While I was no master of sail, gauging from the mechanisms, I knew I could handle well enough. It was not a complicated ship, and I did have some experience with the similar craft in Zodiak.
Turning to Berenice once more, I gave her a farewell hug. “Goodbye.”
I walked aboard and pulled up the plank. The ship bobbed and swayed under my feet like it was in water. Taking a moment to gain balance, I then cut the rope tying the ice skimmer to the pier. I went over to sit near the rudder, both which and the keel were the only parts of the ship to touch the ground. I pulled tight the mainsail, and the canvas caught the wind. The ice skimmer began to draw out of the pier, faster than I liked, but I was still getting used to this vessel.
Turning back to the Border Wall, I didn’t know what I was expecting. Perhaps more fanfare? I always thought some of the nobility might see me off. But there was no one. Save for the dozen or so laborers and Gereon and Berenice, no one took an interest in this last of pilgrimages. It was a heartrending thing, to see the death of tradition.
The ice skimmer was picking up speed now. I was now hurtling further and further out onto the expanse. Sharp, biting wind stung at my face, and I buried myself in my cloak. I turned towards the horizon, its vast stretch extending beyond what I thought possible. And I spurred the ship faster.
Link to Chapter Seventeen
I was surprised his companions didn't come with him. You manage to keep me guessing and that's good.