Frost - 02 Skull Gate by Robin Wayne Bailey

Author:Robin Wayne Bailey [Bailey, Robin Wayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Favorites, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy Series, Series - Frost, Sword & Sorcery
ISBN: 9780812531398
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 1985-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

He turned his back to her, unable to meet her accusing gaze. "I bargained with him, expecting to see my Kalynda play and laugh and sing again, to see her happy, to hold her in my arms as she slept, to hear her sweet voice, to have her bring me flowers still kissed with morning dew as she used to." Tears came again unbidden, dripped to the table, splashed on the book.

"And Gath answered your prayer," she urged him, when he didn't continue. "But not as you expected."

He shook his head. "Not immediately," he answered. "First, there was a price."

He told her of a dream that came the night Kalynda died. The chaos lord, night's master, the thousand-named, dark and awesome in his terrible beauty, spoke, and his voice was the voice of the earth and air, a rumble and a whisper all at once. The ransom of Kalynda's life was a small price: one pure and uncorrupted soul to take his daughter's place, not in the land of the dead, but in the abyss of chaos that was Gath's realm. When such a soul was offered, Kalynda might again walk the earth at her father's side. So promised the voice of the spider god. Then the dream melted into the common nightmares of mortal sleep.

"But it was a true vision," he insisted, "a visitation from the leveler of all."

To meet Gath's price, though, he needed more than the simple acumen his small business required of him. He needed the special knowledge that only a few special books contained, that only a select few individuals could teach him. He sought out the wise elders of the villages for miles around; Some saw through the lies he told and turned him away. Others not so perceptive embraced him as a student, taught him the secrets of element and ether. He learned fast and left his teachers when they could teach him no more.

Years passed. Onokratos sought out ancient libraries and rare books in all the civilized nations, learning mysteries, vile esotery. His soul hovered on the brink of damnation.

"Who's to say if I went too far." He paused, looked thoughtful, and sighed. "Then, I learned of a large private library practically under my nose in nearby Endymia. I'd heard of Thogrin Sin'tell, of course. I knew he was related to the royal family. But of his collection I knew nothing."

He went to Endymia, to Thogrin's castle, as a common prestidigitator, an entertainer. Thogrin Sin'tell lived alone with only his retainers for companionship. Any new diver-

sion was welcome, and the baron invited Onokratos to stay awhile as a guest. As the days went by it proved easy to win the nobleman's friendship, an accomplishment made easier with a few simple, subtle spells.

Though the library was impressive, it offered none of the knowledge Onokratos thirsted for. Still, the journey was not wasted. It was Thogrin who opened his eyes, convinced him the purest, most uncorrupted soul in the kingdom must belong to the young Korkyran queen.

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