by Kyle West
I didn’t know if Isaru or Shara would be in there, or Rakhim for that matter, but it was as good a place to look as any. Perhaps Mia and Isandru were there as well. I didn’t know how I’d react to see them here, and Isandru’s existence was a puzzle in itself. There was no telling with this place.
What I did know, however, was that the Palace was the center of the city, so Isaru and Shara might have gone here, if indeed they were here.
At last, I found myself beneath the high-vaulted entrance of the Cloud Palace. Other peopled streamed in and out of the main hall, the cavernous Dome of the Sky from my dreams. The dome was trimmed with gold and ichorstone, each interlacing with the other, while thick columns of solid ichor provided the support. Milling in the vast space were several dozens of petitioners, which was a lot, but it didn’t seem that much given how much space there was. The floor was tiled with geometric designs, making a shape I couldn’t discern from my position on the floor.
Several of the petitioners looked my way, anyone from rich to poor. There was a man who looked to be a rich merchant or lord, his fat fingers filled with rings, along with someone in dusty clothes who looked like he’d just come from his farm. Several black-armored guards stood at regular intervals between the columns. Sunlight glinted off that armor from the thick sunbeams spilling in through the windows from high above – the Heavenly Windows, if I remember right. The wide, Cerulean Stairway stood before me, glittering like sapphires under the sunlight.
A pair of guards stood to either side of the Stairway, which made it seem as if I couldn’t go that way. I stayed on the periphery of the Dome, trying to find a way deeper into the Palace without any of the guards seeing me. From there, I could find another way up.
There was a wide hallway at the back of the dome, along with several smaller ones at different locations. The large one was guarded, but one of the smaller ones I happened upon was completely empty.
So, I began walking, and no one tried to stop me.
At times, I would pass richly dressed courtiers or servants, but beyond a glance, I was never confronted. The corridor circled past countless doors, halls, and rooms. I considered stopping someone and giving a description of Shara and Isaru, but decided that keeping a low profile was more important. All it would take was a single question to find out that I wasn’t supposed to be here, and I didn’t want things to become more complicated than they had to be.
I noticed then that everyone I passed seemed to be going in a single direction — as if there were something interesting going on. I followed one of these groups, which joined a larger stream of people heading that direction. I overheard voices talking about an announcement in the throne room.
Of everyone, I was the most shabbily dressed; I wouldn’t have passed even as a servant. However, I was already inside the Palace, so to these people, it meant that I had already been cleared, even if all I’d done was walk right in. Better for them to ignore me than to commit a grave error by suggesting I didn’t belong, and I walked in a way that said that I deserved to be there as much as anyone else. Even my sword didn’t get attention, and maybe that was part of the reason why people didn’t bother me. No one that I could see even carried a weapon.
I followed the crowd up a curving staircase following the circumference of one of the many towers of the palace. When I reached the upper landing, things began looking more familiar. The shining, pearlescent floors, the high windows overlooking the vast city, the rich rugs and tapestries and crystalline chandeliers, were all part of the dreams I’d had of this place. I reached the second tier of the Dome, and was probably within moments of seeing the king and queen themselves. Perhaps I was just as close to finding Rakhim Shal and with luck, Shara and Isaru.
I broke into a cold sweat, doing my best to push down my unease. Something told me that this wasn’t merely the Hyperfold. I was inside a memory, something that had actually happened at some point in the past.
And then, I was entering the wide audience chamber, almost completely filled with people, all with their attention on the two empty thrones front and center. I didn’t see anyone I recognized, and I realized that I would have to wait a bit longer.
The crowd stilled and quieted as, from a back room, two people walked in regaled in shining clothing and jewelry. The King and Queen. They looked exactly as they had from my previous dreams.
Both monarchs took their seats with a regal air, and there wasn’t a sound, other than a few coughs and scuffs of boots on the floor. The line of guards behind the thrones stood stock still, bearing sharp, black blades that shone under the light of chandeliers.
“We will begin,” the King called out, in a sonorous tone. He gave a curt nod toward somebody, and to my surprise, Rakhim Shal stepped onto the dais on which the thrones were situated. His cold blue eyes surveyed the room as if he owned it. As he faced the assembly, his eyes seemed to be right on me. I had to be imagining that.
“The Tower of Shal, at last, has been completed,” he began. “At sunset tonight, there will be a ceremony to celebrate its opening. For the first time, there shall be no difference between Xenofold and Hyperfold. The two will be as one, joined forever in power and glory. It is the beginning of a new era, a golden age that will last for centuries to come.”
Excited murmurs greeted this announcement. So that was what this was for, but what Shal described seemed to be impossible. Merging the Xenofold and the Hyperfold? No such thing had ever occurred in history — at least, as far as I knew.
“The Tower makes possible what we once thought to be impossible. No longer will Giftless children afflict our families. In this age, Giftlessness will be as curable as any ailment. The Hyperfold provided an alternative, but it was an imperfect alternative. Now, truly, all of us shall be children of the Xenofold; no longer will purity of blood matter. All blood shall be made pure, and together, we will build — both in this world, and those conceived — the greatest legacy this world has ever produced. Great changes are coming to this city...you have known this for some time, but until this moment, I have kept back the true reason for the Tower’s construction.”
The murmurs grew — all the faces were smiling, and some people were even hugging each other. This was seen as a joyous announcement, but all I could feel was trepidation. Apparently, and perhaps for as long as Hyperborea existed, they had been seeking a way to cure the Fading. According to everything I had learned, it was a condition one was born with that was impossible to change. While those who were Giftless might wish that they weren’t, it wasn’t exactly seen as a disease or something to be ashamed of. Here, in Hyperborea, it seemed to be quite different.
“All one needs is Aether,” Rakhim said. “Aether, which we produce in abundance. Aether, which runs like water. Aether, which is every Hyperborean citizen’s birthright.”
Aether, which is also addictive, I thought.
But apparently, the Hyperborean people didn’t think the same way. It was here that I caught a detail I was surprised I had so far missed: many of their eyes shone with the tell-tale light that they were under the influence of the drug.
If Rakhim was encouraging them to drink more Aether, they certainly didn’t seem as if they would argue against it. I found myself scanning the crowd, hoping to find a familiar face: Isaru, Shara, or even Isandru or Mia. But I found none of them.
Whether this was a vision of the past — or the past in truth — I still couldn’t say. It was so real that I couldn’t tell the difference.
As Shal continued on, there were sudden shouts of exclamation that quickly rose to an excited buzz. Something was happening in the crowd that I couldn’t see — I stood on tiptoes to get a better view, but that did little good. But excited voices did the explaining for me.
“It’s Princess Mia!”
“She’s returned!”
“The Princess is safe!”
And then, climbing onto the dais, was the princess herself. I had never seen what she looked like, because in my dreams, I had only occu
pied her mind. She was pretty, but I could see she was also thin – very thin. She looked as if she had been on a journey, and not an easy one. Her regal cheekbones seemed out of place for one so young, and yet her gray eyes were full of intensity and challenge. And they stared right at Shal.
Her parents stared at her with widened eyes, and for the moment, neither could seem to find their tongues.
“Princess Mia,” Shal said, quickly recovering. “We were all worried that...”
Mia looked as if she wanted to shout, but was only barely restraining herself. Instead, she turned to the crowd, calling out in a powerful voice that seemed impossibly loud for a girl who was so small and frail.
“This man’s lies will be the downfall of this city,” she said. “The Xenofold is dying, and this Tower will be the final stroke!”
Even as the crowd broke into angry murmurs – anger to Mia, not Shal – the Queen rose, her violet eyes burning, while the King continued to stare on in shock. Isandru quickly appeared from the crowd, lending a supporting hand to Mia; indeed, it looked as if she might faint. It was impossible to tell how long she had been gone, but long enough to have everyone worried over her.
Even so, she continued. “In less than ten years, the city of Hyperborea will fall. Its towers will crumble, the Sea of Creation will go dry, and nothing but ghosts will walk its avenues. Instead of ichor, blood will run down its streets. The city will never rise again. You will hate me, revile me, and cast me out. Fine. But I have seen it in the Xenofold; this, and worse, I prophesy!”
As several guards stepped forward to intervene, Shal raised a hand; even if Mia was out of line, no guard could lay hands on the princess, even if everyone knew Shal wielded the real power. Better to make it look as if she were crazy than to give credit to her words. As Shal opened his mouth to respond, Mia continued.
“You know that you are killing everyone here,” Mia said. “You are no better than a murderer. In fact, you are worse. You know what you are doing, even if none of these people do. Speak the truth!”
That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder that nearly made me jump out of my skin. I reached for my blade, even as I turned around to see Shara. My shock was even greater when I saw that her eyes — the eyes that had so often glowed and haunted me — were completely clear and lucid. She was looking at me with sadness, a sadness that let me know that I was seeing the real her and not the Shara I had grown accustomed to. I had no time to wonder at the change, because she was pulling me through the crowd, back toward the doors through which I had entered.
“Shara, what are you...how...?”
“It’s so good to see you, Shanti. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”
“What? I just got here. What are you...?”
“I’ll explain everything in a moment. Wait until we’re outside.”
Mia continued to shout from behind us, but the growing din of the crowd made it hard to hear. Only when we were outside the throne room on the second floor balcony did Shara stop. We stood behind one of the columns where, I noted, we were hidden from the guards now looking into the throne room.
“I...have been here longer than you. Some two months. Isaru and I both.”
“Wait...two months? I literally entered the Hyperfold a couple of minutes after you!”
“And we have been wondering the same thing,” Shara said. “We concluded that either you couldn’t follow, or that time might work differently here. It seems to be the latter, thank the gods.”
“And what have you two been doing? Where is he?”
“He’s in there, too,” she said, nodding toward the throne room. “We’ve been with Mia and Isandru. When Isaru saw that I was back to my old self, he told me about you.” She looked at me seriously. “Everything.”
She knew, then, about me being Anna. It would have taken Isaru a lot of time to decide Shara was worthy of trust. A lot must have happened in that two months.
“I’m reeling,” I said. “I just can’t believe...”
“Believe it,” Shara said. “I know it’s probably not easy, but I’m so glad to see you.”
There were tears in her eyes as she hugged me. I felt as if I’d fall over from the vertigo.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said. “Only...hope you stay like this. That this is permanent.”
“So do I,” Shara said. “Isaru thinks this just might be my temporary state, while I’m in here. I was so afraid we’d be stuck here forever, but you’ve come, and you have the Orb.” She looked at me seriously. “You have the Orb, don’t you?”
“Of course,” I said, patting the cloak.
She closed her eyes in gratefulness.
“What about the Prophecy?” I asked. “Have you spoken to Shal yet? What have you been doing here for two months?”
“We found it,” Shara said, smiling. “At first, I didn’t believe it. Mia was the one who got it.”
“How?” I asked.
“She asked,” Shara said.
It felt as if I was being toyed with. “Asked who? Come on, spit it out. It’s not like we have much time here!”
“Sorry. This is just one of those things where you have to pause for effect.” Then, Shara paused again...maddeningly. It was very like her; the real version of her that would sometimes tease me. “She asked you.”
I hadn’t been expecting that...not at all. But then, Shara didn’t mean that she asked me, but that Mia had asked Anna.
“So let me get this straight,” I said. “Mia asked Anna about the Prophecy, and Anna told her, and now Mia is going to tell me about it?”
“Something like that,” Shara said. “You were right, though.”
“About what?”
“About us not having much time. We really need to...”
“Stop!”
We turned to see a guard, plated in the black hypermail of the Royal Guard. Two others were running up the hall, their armor clinking and their swords drawn.
“I should have mentioned that I’m a bit of a fugitive here,” Shara said. “Kidnapping or some such. We should probably run.”
“Kidnapping?”
There really was no time to explain, because Shara grabbed me by the arm and we were fleeing down the stairs.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
WE RAN FAR TOO QUICKLY for the heavily armored guards.
Unfortunately, there also happened to be a lot of them. As soon as any new one saw us running, they joined the chase, and soon the halls were filled with the clamor of clanking armor, and this was only made worse because Shara and I had no idea where we were going.
“We need to get to a safe spot before I can explain everything. With luck, the others will join us, but not if Rakhim apprehends them...”
The others were in the throne room, where they surely would be apprehended.
I pulled Shara past a corner, and into the nearest open door, just to buy a few seconds before the guards came.
“If they’re in danger, then why are we running? Why are we not fighting?”
Shara’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shanti, there has to be hundreds of the Royal Guard here, all with hypermail and hyperswords. You think you can’t die in this place? You can. You die here, you are gone...forever. Your body just goes cold on the surface. That’s how it’s been explained to me, anyway. They have another Hyperfold here, and apparently it works just the same as this one.”
I didn’t have time to go into the complexities of thinking about that. I could hear the guards approaching, the jangle of their armor signaling that they were just seconds away.
“We’re going back,” I said. “I won’t leave them with Shal. It all goes back to him. Whether we like it or not, the time for running and hiding is over.” I drew my sword, the sound of which caused a few men to shout out in the hallway. “And I’m not leaving until I’ve said my piece.”
“Shanti!”
A second later, I was out in the hall, and just a few feet in front of me stood two guards, barring my pas
sage, looking like giants in their armor. And there I stood, far shorter, far smaller, and unquestionably weaker.
“Stand aside. I don’t want to have to kill you.”
One of the guards chuckled, even taking off his visor and casting it aside, revealing a scar-ridden face, with hollowed, glowing eyes. One of the eyes was wide open while the other was set in a perpetual squint.
“Put down the weapon, girl. You can’t win this fight.”
Shara stepped out from behind me, wielding her own blade.
I tried to see a way around the guards, but they were blocking the passage effectively. That was when Shara charged forward, even as the guards moved slowly – too slowly – to counter. They hadn’t expected her to do that, and for that matter, neither had I.
Even as I ran forward to assist her, Shara was dodging the helmetless guard’s attack, cleanly swiping for the neck he had so foolishly exposed. She cut him there as the other guard gave a guttural yell, calling for aid, as I engaged him.
My blade flashed, but there were no holes in his armor, unlike the first guard. Even as I swiped at it, it had no effect. Shara shook her head at me. I knew then that attacking was useless. Unless I had a blade like his that could cut through hypermail, it wouldn’t work. Apparently, Anna’s blade wasn’t something that could be replicated here...either that, or it wasn’t strong and sharp enough to cut through the guard’s plate.
But then, there was the dead guard’s sword. That was the key.
I assumed Treeform, easily countering any of the guard’s attacks, and as Shara came to my assistance, it gave me enough leeway to move toward the other guard’s discarded blade. I waited for the right time to reach down, and when I picked it up, I was surprised that it was as light as my own, despite being almost twice as large.
