Free The Missing Kin by Michael Pryor

say any more
than that.'
    Adalon stared over the sea toward the far-off
Fiery Isles. Yes , he thought. It makes sense . 'It's a
tunnel,' he declared. 'The A'ak used it to get to and
from the Fiery Isles.'
    'Why wouldn't they just sail across?' Simangee
asked.
    'Reefs,' Targesh said. He pointed at the sea.
'Doesn't look safe.'
    Adalon shrugged. 'None of the stories I've heard
speak of the A'ak as great sailors. Maybe they're like
Horned Ones – afraid of water.'
    'I'm not afraid of water,' Targesh said. 'Cautious,
is all. And don't say Horned Ones are like the A'ak.'
    Adalon laughed. 'I won't. Now, let's see what's
down there.'
    'It's too dark to see much,' Targesh rumbled.
    Simangee patted the leather pouch at her waist.
'I have light potions.'
    'Forward then.'
    Adalon stepped over the knee-high rubble and
onto the down-slope. For a few paces, sunlight kept
him company. He turned and saw his friends outlined
against the blue sky. 'Time for your light potion,' he
called to Simangee.
    'I don't think we need it,' she said, pointing.
'Look ahead.'
    Adalon swivelled. The darkness had vanished.
Soft, violet light came from the walls of the tunnel.
He turned a full circle, staring at what it revealed.
    The tunnel was broad enough for two wagons
to pass each other and so high that Adalon doubted
if he could reach it with a jump. The rock walls were
smooth as mirrors and betrayed no sign of toolwork
at all.
    'I think we've found our way to the Fiery Isles,'
he said.

Twelve
    The rest of the day passed as they laboured through
the magic tunnel, bathed in the soft violet light
as they went. Their journey was an odd mixture of
boredom and concern about the weight that must be
bearing down on the tunnel. Adalon found himself
worrying about its age and kept looking for ominous
trickles of water.
    Finally, after a steep, uphill stretch, they reached a
stone arch in much better condition than the ruins of
the mainland entrance. A'ak script stretched around
it, sharp and angular.
    'If only we could read it,' murmured Simangee.
    They paused at the mouth of the tunnel and gazed
out over the Fiery Isles at night.
    Not far away, a large mountain thrust up out of
the sea like a fist punched through silk. The mountain
rumbled and belched red light and smoke. In the
near distance, Adalon counted five other islands,
each with a prominent peak smoking and groaning
away, and countless smaller islands scattered across
the midnight sea. Adalon shuddered. It was an angry
place.
    The night air was tropically hot. A riot of bushes,
creepers and trees grew among boulders on the broad
and rocky area that surrounded the tunnel mouth.
In front of them the land tumbled away into dark
and shrouded valleys. The spicy smell of damp earth
and rot mingled with the tang of ash and sulphur.
A jungle animal shrieked from the darkness – a
cackling, demented sound.
    'Who would live here?' Simangee wondered.
'A land of ash and jungle?'
    'Our allies,' Adalon answered. I hope , he
thought.
    He stepped out of the tunnel. Simangee and
Targesh followed and, as soon as they left, the violet
light went out behind them.
    Adalon blinked, his vision awry from the sudden
change. As he did, the night came alive. Dark shapes
swooped through the air. Adalon whirled and drew
his sword. 'Targesh! Simangee! Beware!' he cried,
but then he cursed as he was jerked from his feet
by ropes. He fell and rolled, but whirling cords
weighted with stones wrapped around his legs.
He slashed with his sword, but the attackers dived
and darted, easily evading his blade. More of the
twirling, weighted cords spun at him. The stones
pummelled and the ropes tripped, until he was
tangled and helpless, with weighted cords pinning
his arms to his body.
    He lay with his cheek resting against the root
of a jungle tree. A curious beetle stared at him then
scurried away. Adalon hoped Simangee and Targesh
had managed to escape, but these hopes vanished
when two heavy shapes thudded next to him.
    'This is