The Infernal Lands (The Aionach Saga Book 1) Read Online Free

convinced of that, Laagon,” Raith said. But
Myriad’s words echoed once again in his mind. There are mysteries trapped in
the innermost places, and in the farthest places. There are wonders to behold,
and secrets fathomless, and horrors beyond horror beneath the Aionach. Yet of all these dangers, mankind’s will is
the greatest. “Myriad held great power and wisdom, and we would all
be at our best to heed those words as Hastle urges, though they’re long-since
spoken. I don’t intend to lead thousands of innocents blindly into the
below-world with little thought toward the potentials.”
    “And even so, you claim it must be done,” said Laagon.
    Raith remembered a time when his sister’s husband was a
bolder man, focused only on the success of his hunters. His faith in them is
biased, and it’s made him more hard-nosed in his dealings than is good for him.
Authority has not had a positive effect on Laagon Dent , Raith decided. The
council needed conflict at times, but Laagon stirred it up with such disregard
that it often served only to alienate him from the other councilors.
    “This is not a decision I take lightly, Laagon,” Raith said,
“nor would I expect any of you to do so. A solution can’t be reached without
considering every option first. Whatever is decided, the clans must act in
solidarity. Our choices stand before us: we send hunters to explore the surface
for a new home, or we send a host to Belmond to gather raw materials for the
expansion of our current facility. We can only spare enough people for one
option or the other, as we’ve already agreed. We must never leave our gates
unguarded, and that means some must always stay behind. Now… go home to your
families. Rest, and think on these things. Tomorrow, we vote.”
    With that, Raith left them. The council carried on, their voices
diminishing behind him as he strode down the long hall and turned the corner. The
Head Councilor found himself alone with his thoughts as he made his way home,
stopping every now and then to replenish the lightbeams that were running low.
At last he came to the thick metal door that led into his hab unit. Clinical
and bare as that door was, it was as welcoming a sight as any he’d ever seen.
    The hab unit held a collection of clean, simple furniture
spread through three rectangular spaces. The plush white brengen skin rug in
the center of the entry space was a comfort to his weary feet. In the old days,
factories would’ve spat out thousands of rugs exactly like this one. In
Decylum, it was a luxury. The chair and table were black upholstery and
machine-cut wood, stained the color of dark coffee and polished to a shine.
Both pieces of furniture still looked brand-new, as though they’d been
preserved against time itself.
    In the next room, Raith touched the lightbeam, and it filled
the chamber with its bluish glow. He unclasped his heavy nyleen vest, then
stripped off his brown synthtex suit and flopped into bed. He was tired. He’d
spent most of the day training the children whose hands were turning black. A
blackhand’s gift can kill him if he doesn’t know how to use it , he’d told
them. And it was the truth.
    Raith’s breathing slowed as he stared up at the blank white
ceiling. The lightbeam danced and dimmed, but no matter how hard he wished for
sleep, it wouldn’t come. As was usually the case, the day’s activities were
weighing on his mind. What was more, lying still had made him realize how much
his hands hurt.
    He roused himself with a grunt and lumbered into the third
room, where he filled the sink and tempered the water with a few drops of Theodar
Urial’s soothing formula. The old apothecary had taken great pains to get the
mixture right. Fight through the discomfort, and a measured dose will take
away the day’s strains , Theodar had told him. As Raith slouched over the
sink and plunged both hands beneath the water, his skin began to tingle. There
was a stinging, but he held fast until the