Free Alchymist by Ian Irvine Page A

too much power
and the workings were burning out.
    To
her right stood the main encampment of the human armies, their command post
perched on a flat-topped hill. A little closer to her left, Tiaan glimpsed the
seven-sided command area of the Aachim, next to thousands of motionless
constructs. She wasn't going that way.
    White
fumes came up the steps from the lower level. Merryl cried out something she
could not hear. There were yells and screams from below.
    'Tiaan,'
Merryl yelled. 'We're on fire! Put it down, anywhere!
    Better
that humanity have the secret of flight than that the Aachim get it. She cut
the power and turned right, skimming across the brown grass. The whine failed.
The construct hit the ground, bounced like a stone on water, bounced again and
skidded around in a circle, before thumping into a rock and toppling on its
side.
    Tiaan
hit her head, hard enough to daze her. She hung onto the binnacle, gasping, as
the people below scrambled for the ladder.
    'Get
out!' screamed Merryl.
    Tiaan
hit the release, snatched the amplimet and pulled herself out through the torn
and tarry hatch, tumbling a short distance to the muddy ground. The underside
of the construct must have been red hot — she could feel the heat from here
because the brown grass began to smoulder, then burst into flame.
    Two people
emerged from the hatch, coughing so hard that they doubled over. They were
freed slaves; Tiaan did not know their names. After them came Tirior, still
bound and gagged, two more slaves, then Minis, dragging the fifth. Nish, whose
hands were free, crawled out last. He untied Tirior and they hauled the others
away from the fire. The burning grass was expanding away from the other side of
the construct, which was now enveloped in flames and smoke. Where was Merryl?
    White
smoke puffed through the hatch. Tiaan thought she saw a shadow move inside.
'Merryl!' she yelled.
    She
dragged herself back to the hatch and sat up, stretching out her useless legs.
The sixth slave lay unconscious in the hatchway. Merryl was behind her, pushing
ineffectually.
    Seizing
the woman by the front of her shirt, Tiaan pulled her out and they fell
together on the grass. Merryl flopped beside Tiaan, coughing so hard she could
see specks of blood on his tongue.
    'The
grass is burning,' Tiaan said. 'We've got to get away from here.'
    Tirior
wrenched her gag off before carrying the unconscious slave to safety.
    Merryl
stood up, his eyes watering. 'I'm all right,' he said hoarsely. He picked Tiaan
up and lurched away.
    As
they emerged from behind the construct, Tiaan saw a squad of soldiers racing
down from the human command area. Behind them were uniformed officers, as well
as shadowy figures in robes — the scrutators.
    To
her left, and closer, a small band of Aachim were sprinting towards her, Vithis
at their head. Even from this distance she could see the angry set of his face.
Tiaan let out an involuntary gasp.
    'What's
the matter?' said Merryl.
    'That
Aachim is my worst enemy.'
    'Then
he mustn't get you.'
    He
began to stagger the other way, towards the human lines. Tiaan looked over her
shoulder. It would be a close thing. They went by Minis, who had freed his
hands. He stared at Tiaan as she passed, his eyes tragic black holes.
    'Minis!'
roared Vithis, his robes flapping. 'You're alive!'
    'Yes,
Foster-father, I am.'
    'Stop
her!'
    Minis,
who looked as if he was about to cry, said, 'Foster-father, I will not,' and
threw himself face-down on the grass.
    Merryl
kept going, lurching blindly from side to side. His red eyes were streaming. He
looked around wildly then ran, not for the human camp but back towards Snizort.
    'Merryl,'
cried Tiaan, 'you're going the wrong way.'
    He
turned around, his eyes watering so badly that everything must have been a
blur. Vithis was racing towards them but the scrutators were going to get there
first.
    In
the confusion of the moment, Nish must have thought that Merryl was trying to
carry Tiaan off. He roared, 'You're not