Kelos looked back to see Seras and his companions struggling to get ahead of the group. "They certainly seem keen to keep an eye on you."
Two Chadassa raced down the corridor towards them, wielding thin metal staffs. They stumbled to a stop when they saw Silus, seemingly unsure as to whether they should attack. Their indecision gave Kelos time to take a small ball of what looked like matted fur from his robe and throw it to the ground, shouting a many-syllabled word as he did so.
Silus experienced a moment of disorientation - an instance of pure darkness - before he suddenly found himself standing behind the Chadassa, further up the corridor from his companions. He didn't question what had just happened, instead he rammed his bone shard into back of the neck of the Chadassa on his right, before felling the creature on his left.
Kelos smiled as he stepped over the fallen bodies. "Just a minor teleportation spell. Thought that it might come in handy."
"I'd save your power for now," Silus said. "I think that the Chadassa have orders to capture rather than kill me and that's going to give us something of an advantage."
"Nevertheless," Seras said, finally pushing his way to the front of the group, "I would be happier if you would allow us to provide you with some protection."
They followed the Calma up the corridor. From close by they could hear the sound of battle and at one point they were thrown to the floor as the corridor shook.
"It seems that the first of the charges has been prematurely detonated," Seras said, regaining his feet. "I only hope this doesn't mean that Belck is attempting to escape."
Silus was more worried about the prospect of Katya and Zac being injured, but he said nothing as they left the corridor and entered a long low passage that reminded him of the cloisters of a monastery. Through arches of bone and sinew he could see more Calma and Chadassa engaged in battle. None of the combatants appeared to notice the humans led by the group of Calma in their midst, and they proceeded unchallenged to a huge set of labial double doors.
Seras used his flail on the barrier and the curtains of flesh withdrew slowly, strings of mucus dripping from the parting folds. Through them Silus could see into a vast chamber, one wall of which was entirely translucent, showing the underwater vista beyond.
"If you think I'm going through that slime, you've got another think coming." Jacquinto said.
At that moment another explosion shook the ship and a wall of black smoke billowed swiftly towards them, forcing the group into the room.
Silus immediately scanned the room for Katya and Zac, but the only occupants were two Chadassa. One stood not far from the door and did nothing to stop them, even appearing to view their approach with disinterest. He only looked mildly pained when Dunsany ran him through. The other Chadassa standing by the window only moved as his brethren fell.
As he turned, Silus recognised the gnarled and aged form of Belck.
"I'm afraid that you have missed her, Silus," he said. "When the Calma attack began I sent her away. You will not see her again."
With a yell Silus charged Belck. The creature gestured with a hand and the bone shard flew out of his grasp. However, this did nothing to slow his progress. If it came to it, he was willing to pummel this abomination to death with his bare hands. Behind him he was vaguely aware of his comrades following in the wake of his charge. But then there was a sensation like he had stepped through a sheet of ice-cold water, and the only sound he could now hear was the clicking of Belck's talons on the floor as he walked towards him. As Silus continued to rush forwards his legs grew heavy and he slowed.
Looking down, he realised that he wasn't moving at all.
"All this, and for what? A woman and child." Belck said. "I have seen how the human race have proliferated across Twilight, their numbers swelling each year, your cities growing more crowded. It always amazes me that you get so attached to each other when there are so many of you around and more are easily created. What's two lives amongst so many, Silus? They are nothing to you. You, however, are unique. Does that not give you a certain pride? Does that not make the lives of your family seem insignificant?"
Silus tried to speak, but he couldn't even move his jaw. His thoughts began to trickle away until he wasn't aware of any anger or hatred, any emotion at all. There were just Belck's words.
"Turn."
Silus did so. In front of him a glistening membrane divided the room, separating him from his companions. They tried to cut at it with their knives but failed to penetrate it. Even when Seras applied his flail nothing happened. In desperation they looked back at the entrance to the chamber, but a bone carapace had grown over the door, sealing them in.
"Ineffective creatures are they not Silus? Ultimately weak. And see where they have got you. All this pain and death is very much their doing. If they hadn't entangled you in their plans it would have been so much easier. If you had just given yourself to us willingly, then you would have had time to say goodbye to Katya and Zac."
Now that Belck mentioned it Silus could indeed see how foolish his companions were. Dunsany's face was flushed with rage and Kelos was trying to pull him away from the barrier as he pounded on it with his fists. Silus laughed at the look of frustration and concern on the mage's face. And there was Emuel, the boy's pale skin marked with the symbols of a forgotten, mongrel race; used like a doll, perhaps the most useless of them all.
Belck laughed along with Silus and Silus laughed until his chest hurt, disarmed by the sheer uselessness of it all.
"None of this matters, Silus. In the end not even I matter. Once the Great Ocean embraces us in its infinite waters, all will see the beauty of those endless seas. Reality will be remade to the glory of His name. Only you can make that happen. I have looked into those dark waters and the peace to be found there is everlasting. But there are those who do not share our vision, those who would make every single day a meaningless struggle."
Silus began to share in Belck's frustration. How pointless were these mayfly existences that drove themselves gladly onto the points of each other's swords to prove their god was the true god. How could Silus even have thought he was their kin?
"You aren't their kin Silus. You can feel what you truly are. Even as you have fought it, it has begun to waken within you. That jagged anger that you feel, that's not for the Chadassa. That's for those you have, for so long, called your kind. Those who have held you back all this time from the realisation of your true potential."
The anger rose from the pit of Silus's stomach, burning like bile. He turned to Belck and saw himself reflected in the black orbs of the creature's eyes. In the darkness that surrounded his reflection he could feel the call of the Great Ocean; that wonderful infinite peace. And the thought of being denied that - being denied the chance to swim forever in those cool, dark waters - inflamed his rage and drove him, snarling, against the barrier that separated him from the humans.
"You are Chadassa, Silus. These creatures are nothing. Take them apart."
Silus's hands dug into the barrier and Dunsany started to reach for him, trying to help him break through. But when he saw the look on Silus's face he backed away. The slippery surface refused to give for a moment and this enraged Silus further. He started to scrabble furiously at the slick membrane, the growl in the back of his throat growing to an inhuman wail. He pushed his face against the barrier and it suddenly gave way.
Silus stumbled, but he used the momentum of the trip to take him barrelling into one of the Calma. He grabbed the glowing nodules that hung from either side of the creature's jaw and pulled as hard as he could. As they tore away a part of him wondered why their strange light didn't die. It was, however, a momentary distraction, and Silus tore into the struggling beast, marvelling at how easily its flesh gave way under his hands, appalled at the vivid blue coil of its guts as they fell to the floor.
He barely felt the flails of the other Calma as they brought them to bear. Something tickled, and there was the smell of cooking flesh, but then there were more bodies lying at his feet and those that he had called his friends were backing away from the spreading pool of blood.
Sera was screaming something at him, but he ignored the foolish creature. Instead, he turned back to Belck, seeking approval, but the Chadassa ancient was no longer there. The hatred that Belck had inspired in him, however, was.
"Silus, listen to me. Belck has placed some kind of glamour on you," said Kelos. "We're going to get you out of this but it's very important that you listen to me."
This ridiculous mage with his cantrips and charms, what good would they prove against the might of the Great Ocean? Silus wanted to hurt Kelos. But he didn't want him to suffer just physical pain, he wanted first for him to feel the torture of grief. Silus wanted the mage to taste that profound despair.
Dunsany held his bone shard before him as Silus approached, Jacquinto and Ignacio moved to flank him, their own weapons raised.
Kelos had seen the look in Silus's eyes and he realised what was about to happen.
"Silus, please don't."
"I'm warning you," Jacquinto said. "Don't make me have to kill you."
Silus's hand shot out, grabbed Jacquinto's face and pushed. The smuggler tumbled across the room and came up hard against a bone arch, his skull connecting with an audible crack. There was a cry of rage as Ignacio slammed into Silus's side, but he didn't shift, even under the weight of the heavier man. Instead Silus turned and twisted Ignacio's hand until he dropped his blade with a cry of pain. Then Silus turned back to Dunsany.
"Silus come back to us," said Father Maylan, but he didn't approach. "This isn't you."
Silus ignored the priest and looked into Dunsany's eyes.
Kelos ran at him and started pummelling him with his fists, but he knocked him aside and reached for Dunsany's weapon.
"You don't need this."
Dunsany's face was slack as Silus held his gaze, and he knew that the mariner was looking into the darkness that burned in his eyes, the call of the Great Ocean reaching out to him.
Silus ran his hand over Dunsany's head and cradled the back of his skull.
"This isn't so bad really, is it Dunsany?"
"No," Dunsany's voice was dead. "This isn't so bad."
"It's just like going to sleep really. It will be easy."
"Just like sleep."
Silus looked back at Kelos. The mage was picking himself up from where he had been thrown. As he gained his feet, Silus put the knife to Dunsany's throat. Then, when he was sure that Kelos was watching, he drew the blade across the flesh.
There was an explosion and spray hit Silus's face. It was too cold for blood though, and he soon found himself standing ankle deep in water.
Silus wondered why the bone shard in his right hand was covered in blood, and then he looked, in horror, at Dunsany choking as scarlet liquid welled from between his fingers.
Silus tried to reach out to his friend, help him staunch the flow, but the sea finally found its way into the Chadassa ship and pulled him into its cold embrace.
Chapter Twenty
Silus tried to roll over on to his side as something tickled his stomach, but found that he was hemmed in. The tickling sensation continued and he brushed it away with his arm.
"Katya stop it. I'm trying to sleep."
Suddenly there was a sharp, jabbing pain and he woke up fully.
Silus looked down to see two giant trilobites crawling over his torso, probing the wounds that he had sustained in the destruction of the Chadassa craft. There was another burst of pain as one of them worked at a deep cut on his chest. Silus tried to drag the giant insect off, but it hung on tight as a limpet and pulling at it only caused him more pain.
All Silus could see from the confines of the narrow, coffin-like box he lay in was part of one wall and the moist ceiling above him.
"Katya? Dunsany? Kelos?"
There was no reply and he tried to climb over the side of the box. The trilobites stubbornly clung to him as he raised himself. He staggered towards an archway before a rapidly approaching shadow drove him back into the room.
Belck caught Silus before he hit the floor.
"You shouldn't be up and about before the creatures have finished their work," the Chadassa said, helping Silus sit. "Ah, there you go."
With a high-pitched twitter, the trilobites scurried down Silus's torso and out through the archway. He looked down at himself and saw that the wounds that criss-crossed his chest had been expertly stitched shut. When he touched them they weren't even sore.
"We are not interested in hurting you, Silus." Belck said.
"What happened to Katya and Zac?"
"They are safe, but they need not concern you now."
"And the crew, my friends?"
"No doubt killed in the inept attack launched by the Calma."
Silus couldn't remember the attack. The last thing he remembered was following the Calma as they fought their way through the Chadassa ship.
"Those creatures, the Calma, you used them, changed them," he said. "The Great Ocean showed me how your race was grown from their kind."
"That is true, but we changed for the better. Just as you have been changing, Silus."
"What do you mean?"
"You really don't understand how different you are, do you?"
Silus struggled to his feet and shrugged off Belck's touch. He was sick of ancient prophecy, sick of being the chosen one to a twisted aquatic race that had done nothing but bring pain and death into his life.
"If I cooperate, will you let Katya and Zac go?"
"If you do, then they will be well looked after, yes," Belck said.
"And what will happen to me?"
"You are to be prepared for the Queen. By breeding with her you will father the Land Walkers."
"Will it hurt?"
"Your body will be consumed but you will find it to be a joyous and fulfilling experience."