“It’s there, I promise you,” Be’naj said, ignoring Dyphina’s last question. “Even if I’m the only one who can see it,” she said more softly.
“I trust you,” Saffron said. “We cannot have come all this way for nothing. Perhaps your god can help us.”
Be’naj knew she no longer had lips, but it felt like she was smiling. All she wanted was a chance to share with Saffron some of what she’d felt since she was a young Eladrin, back in the Mystic’s shrine in Gilsage. If Saffron would give her a chance, she could show her the blessings of Shecclad were real.
Time was difficult to track with no actions to fill it. It stretched on and on, but the beacon grew ever larger. At last, the pulsing stopped and the light began stretching toward her, expanding as it did until all the darkness was brightened. Once the overwhelming radiance washed over her, it blinked out existence. In its place, filling her entire frontal visual field, was a mind-sphere similar to hers, only significantly larger.
“Where did that come from?” Dyphina exclaimed.
“Are we in danger?” Saffron added.
“It’s … Shecclad,” Be’naj answered, somehow sure of it.
“Yes, my Chosen. You have found me at last.” The voice was male, strong yet reassuring. Be’naj realized she’d been waiting most of her life for the feeling of acceptance that was now washing over her. This was more than a voice speaking to her. With the entire remainder of her being, she felt a presence joining with her. She welcomed it.
“We have traveled through much to be here, my Lord. We come seeking answers.”
Saffron’s persistence had not perished with her body. “Pardon my intrusion … Shecclad, but we have lost much,” she said. “Is there anything you can do to restore us to our former state?”
Shecclad’s mind-sphere remained still and silent, worrying Be’naj that Saffron had offended him with her request. At last, though, he answered, “I have watched you alongside my Chosen, fire-singer. You have a part yet to play. Each of you do, but none so important as the daughter of Celestia.
“What you do not understand is that you exist now because I saved you. The pressure here is too much for corporeal figures, for we dwell far beneath the surface of Ishmere. I preserved your essences when your bodies could not survive.”
“So you don’t have a body, either?” Saffron asked.
“I have no need of one. Not in this realm, at least. I create other forms when visiting other Planes. All of the Juda-cai do.”
Thaelios made a sound like he was clearing his throat, though of course at the moment such a gesture seemed ridiculous. “If you don’t mind my asking, your Lordship, why do you live here if the depths cannot support physical life? Why not go to the surface?”
“Because bodies can be destroyed by numerous means,” Shecclad explained. “We used to live above, but learned our lesson when a pair of nearby stars collided. Everything we’d built was wiped away in an instant. But now, here, without bodies, we have nothing left to lose. Nothing others can take.”
“I’m sorry if I seem simple,” Dyphina interjected, “but isn’t life without a body boring?”
Once again, a pause left Be’naj nervous. Her friends seemed to be asking all the wrong questions.
“Our passions play out across the cosmos, little one, which brings us to why you are here …”
Be’naj was unsure if she was supposed to offer an explanation, or wait to be told.
“Conversations might be easier if you felt more at home.” With that, Shecclad’s huge sphere raced toward them, and Be’naj braced for an impact she only partially realized she shouldn’t feel. A moment later, she was her old self, standing near the peak of a mountain.
The air was fresh and cool, blowing her long her from her shoulders while the sunlight played its soft warmth upon her skin. Low clouds created a blanket further down the slope, concealing the true altitude, though she felt it must be significant.
Saffron, Dyphina, and Thaelios all stood nearby, looking over their own bodies as if they belonged to strangers. Be’naj smiled and threw her arms around Saffron’s neck, nuzzling her soft hair and inhaling her sorely missed scent: lavender and sage.
A shadow passed over them and Be’naj looked up to see a huge bird diving toward the peak. Like a giant eagle, but with two extra pairs of eyes down its neck and wearing a halo of miniature blue stars, it circled once, then landed upon a twisted, windblown tree that clung almost sideways to the mountainside.
“Is that better?” The voice was still Shecclad’s, but it seemed audible beyond their minds, coming from the bird though its beak never opened.
“Much,” Dyphina replied, nodding and running her fingers over the bare skin of her arms. She wore a seafoam colored dress that flowed outward below a fitted bodice.
Noticing the change in clothing, Be’naj looked down at what she was wearing. Though it didn’t seem to carry the weight she associated with iron alloys, she was adorned in a silvery breastplate also fitted to her form. Complete with greaves and gauntlets, it more than rivalled the Celestial armor worn by the Seraph.
“Is this real?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Shecclad replied. “For now, you all exist within the creation of my mind, though I have the power to grant you physical bodies again. Alas, doing so now, you would lose them again instantly. But the armor is my first gift to you, Chosen. It shall protect you even from fiends of shadow, for whom steel is no barrier. ”
“I have done nothing to deserve it, but I thank you.” Be’naj found it difficult to speak further, so thankfully Saffron stepped in.
“Mighty Shecclad, we are all thankful to have your audience. Indeed, we risked our lives …” Saffron swallowed before continuing, “as did others, to reach you. We believe there is a deadly threat to the Eladrin on our world, and that it has something to do with your kind.”
Shecclad laughed sardonically. “The Eladrin have a history of thinking my kind’s very presence is a threat to them,” he boomed. The eagle turned its head so that three sets of eyes could stare at Thaelios simultaneously. “That’s why your ancestor, Trigilas, had us banished, no?” The monstrous bird’s sharp talons tightened against the tree trunk, which crackled under the pressure.
Thaelios wilted under the intense stare, which relented soon after its achievement.
Saffron, however, did not. “Your pardon, Shecclad, but the threat I speak of comes from something called the Spawn of Raug. Does that mean anything to you? Is Raug not one of your people?”
Shecclad lifted his wings and took a moment to clean his feathers before responding. “Raug is one of the Juda-cai, yes.” He sounded almost disinterested. “He has many progeny, for Raug has a strange proclivity for mating with numerous mortal species. It is a desire I don’t quite understand.”
Saffron visibly shook off his digression. “What about the Name of the Beast? They are the ones plotting against the Eladrin, and seem to have Abyssal ties.”
“Yes,” Shecclad replied with more certainty, “I have been watching their development and now realize what they are. You would do well to remain vigilant against this cult, for their true power comes not from your Plane.”
“What can you tell us, my Lord?” Be’naj asked, eager to finally receive an answer.
“Long before you were born, my Chosen, a human Shaper used an ancient elwise portal, abandoned by the firstborn, to summon a fiend well beyond his capacity to control. She was a Marilith, but instead of smiting the Shaper immediately for his insolence, she mated with him, and passed his sorcerous blood to a set of twins – half-fiends who were free to travel between worlds.”
“I think we met one of them in the Doomwait,” Be’naj said.
“Excaliana?” Saffron supplied.
Be’naj nodded, then turned back to the giant eagle on his perch. “Please, my Lord, go on.”
“Unlike most of the Tanar-ri, Mariliths tend to be patient. I have no doubt she’s long had plans to corrupt the world of the mortal w
ho dared summon her all those years ago, and they are finally coming to fruition.”
Thaelios took a step forward, and Be’naj noticed he was dressed in a fine blue tunic, decorated with silver embellishments that played off the tone of his metallic-colored skin. “So, the Spawn of Raug are real?”
Shecclad stretched his neck. “I have no doubt my brethren has left dangerous progeny behind wherever he visits, but I don’t have knowledge of the specific threat you speak of.”
Thaelios’s eyes and lips tightened pensively. “I think we should seek out Rinn-Rhulian to get to the bottom of this.”
“But Raug is not the Juda-cai you should now be most concerned with. Indeed, while I have been concerned with the Name of the Beast and wished to warn you of them, I have become aware of a more subtle but insidious plot.
“Before I reveal it, however, I have a proposal for my Chosen.” Shecclad stared straight at Be’naj before continuing. “I have tested you for many of your years, Be’naj, knowing you would one day seek me out.” The eagle lowered its head in her direction. “You are unique, and I would have you as my Champion, if you accept.”
Be’naj could hardly believe it. Of course she would be his Champion! The Sky Lord had spoken to her for years, had guided her steps toward protecting the vulnerable ... and yet, before now, he’d always been so cryptic. Doubt started crawling up Be’naj’s insides, expanding from her stomach. If Shecclad knew of the peril they’d journeyed so far to stop, why had he not simply communicated what she needed to know while she was still on Elisahd? If he truly wanted to join with her, could he not have decided to do so without placing her friends in danger?
Be’naj bowed her head, partly to hide her trembling. “I have always trusted your guidance, my Lord. I would be proud to fight for you, back on my world or upon others. But before I accept this great honor, might you allow me to ask one question?”
The eagle’s various pairs of eyes blinked, though disconcertingly not in unison. “What would you know?”
“Could you not have told me what I needed to know in a vision?” Be’naj brought a hand to her mouth, dismayed at the truth she had just realized. “Don’t get me wrong, I am awestruck to be in your presence – but others are lost now because of the journey here, and they are so for trying to help me. That is a heavy weight to carry.”
“I am sorry you have suffered, but you must stiffen, for there is more to come. Once I learned what Luprak was up to, I knew time was short and I had to test you more directly. The vision I bestowed was purposefully unclear because I needed you to take the precise journey you did.”
Be’naj shook her head, feeling bewildered. “I don’t understand.”
“Luprak already has a Champion on Elisahd, and you have heard of him: The Dread Lich himself, Hadrian No More. Even now, they are working to cast Elisahd into eternal Shadow.”
“What does that mean, ‘eternal Shadow’?” Dyphina asked.
Saffron had told Be’naj that the ghast she fought in the desert was one of Hadrian No More’s lieutenants, and she’d heard frightful bedtime stories about the mad lich when she was a child. He was not an adversary they could take lightly.
Shecclad answered, but Be’naj interpreted his tone as waning in patience, “Elisahd, the Prime Material Plane you dwell upon, is connected to the Prime Elemental Planes of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. They each shaped its creation, and that connection is maintained through the Touchstones – sites brimming with the power of those elements. Each Touchstone is attuned to one of the elements – for now. Luprak, through Hadrian No More, is attempting to realign the Touchstones to the Plane of Shadow. The Touchstones are intended to secure balance; if all four were attuned to the same Plane, it would merge with the Prime Material. In this case, Elisahd would be cast in Shadow. Your days would be dimmed and the nights darker. Plants would die off, and most of life would follow.”
“Why would he do such a thing?” Be’naj asked aloud, though the thought was intended for herself.
“Because the undead thrive upon shadow,” Shecclad answered, “and Luprak is obsessed with bringing night and doom upon all worlds.”
“So what do we do to stop them?” Saffron asked, her voice more demanding than Be’naj thought appropriate.
The great eagle fluttered its wings and turned its head until all four mortals met its gaze. “Changing the alignment of a Touchstone is not an easy thing. A mortal alone cannot do it – the power required is too great. The Juda-cai can affect such a change, but only through our Champion; only the favored bond is strong enough for that much Channeling. That is why it is imperative for you to agree to become mine, Be’naj.”
She nodded, but he wasn’t done.
“Furthermore, the Champion must be properly attuned to the Plane they seek to realign the Touchstone to. You see, I needed you to drink of the Celestial Fountain to attune yourself to another Plane, Be’naj, and prove you were worthy through your resourcefulness. Not just any person can handle the burden of being a Champion of the Juda-cai.”
Be’naj’s head spun with all this new information. How was she supposed to re-align these Touchstones and stop the Name of the Beast at the same time? She looked to Saffron. No matter where she had to go next, she didn’t think she could bear it if Saffron could not go with her. Returning her gaze to the Sky Lord, she summoned the courage necessary to speak, afraid of what would come next. “I will become your Champion, Shecclad, though I still require guidance. How do I reach the Touchstones?”
Shecclad dipped his feathery head, his halo of blue stars swirling faster with the movement. “Their location is unknown to me, for I can only see through the eyes of my faithful. Trigilas’s spell has closed the Veil of Nessus between our worlds, and I cannot send you home. I can transport you elsewhere, but returning to Elisahd and locating the Touchstones are tasks you must undertake.”
Be’naj nodded. “If you return us to Mount Celestia, Hiruth Jeshu can send us home.”
“That would be best,” Saffron agreed, placing her hand upon Be’naj’s shoulder guard. “We must report Palomar’s fate to the Celestials. Perhaps they will have a way to find him.”
“I will make these bodies real upon your departure from Ishmere,” Shecclad announced as he stretched his wings to their full, impressive length, “but there is more about the Touchstones. Immediately after changing their alignment, one has a momentary window to lock the connection against future tampering. The mechanism to do so exists on the Ethereal Plane, however. Should you find a way to lock the Touchstone, it would prevent Hadrian No More from coming behind you and changing it again for a millennium.”
Saffron still hadn’t moved her hand. “Changing the Touchstones and dealing with the Name of the Beast seem too difficult to do at once,” she said. “I think we could use help, and I just had a crazy idea as to where we could find it.”
“Ooh, this sounds promising,” Dyphina cooed. “Do tell.”
“You are not the only Champion of the Juda-cai I know, Be’naj.”
“What do you mean?” Thaelios gave voice to Be’naj’s own confusion.
“In the war against the King-priest, I fought with the Order of the Rising Moon. Their Grandmaster is the Champion of Criesha. Perhaps if we visit, we can convince her to mobilize Jaiden toward our cause. More than the Eladrin are at risk from the Spawn of Raug, after all.”
“Do you think he would do it?” Dyphina asked.
Saffron shrugged. “He would if Criesha asked. Or, more likely, commanded. Convincing her is our true obstacle.”
Be’naj’s heart seized upon the news. The more help they received, the more likely Saffron would be able to stay by her side. “Sky Lord, would you be able to send us to speak with Criesha?”
“We are not unfriendly,” he replied, his tone suggesting interest at the development. “I could send your mind-spheres to her, and she could create physical bodies for you from the images I deliver. Give me a moment to inquire as to her amenability.” All six of the eagle�
��s eyes closed, and the halo of stars pulsed above his head. “She has agreed,” he said as his eyes reopened. “Before I send you on your way, I have one last gift for you, Be’naj.”
She fell to one knee, separating from Saffron, and bowed her head. “I do not ask for anything further, My Lord. I am forever blessed by being in your presence now, and this armor is already a boon beyond my deserving.”
“Nevertheless, my Champion, this final gift seals our bond.”
Be’naj felt a strange invigoration coursing through her wings, and when Shecclad said nothing further, she lifted her head to gaze upon them. She looked in time to see them still expanding, their white and brass feathers lengthening as the bones supporting them did likewise. They stretched on, not stopping until the tips were further away than she would have been able to reach had her arms doubled as well. Her mouth fell agape, and she turned to Saffron to see her friend’s eyes wide as they lingered upon Be’naj’s wings.
“Go on, use them,” Shecclad boomed. He flapped his own wings, rising from the perch of his tree trunk into the thin mountain air.
Be’naj’s imaginary heart was beating so quickly she thought it would burst, but Saffron was now smiling and nodding at her, and with a few mighty thrusts up and down, Be’naj’s wings carried her aloft. She continued gaining altitude, rising higher until she had cleared the peak. Shecclad was circling not far above her, and with previously unused muscles, she pivoted the angle of her wings, beating them to rush forward into the growing wind.
Joy threatened to consume her as she turned again to follow the great eagle, looking briefly at the ground far below while wishing this feeling would last forever.
Chapter 13
Starlight
and Waterfalls
E ventually, Be’naj had to come down, though her wings felt strong enough to fly forever. The others were waiting for her upon the mountainside as she descended, no doubt eager to continue their journey. It seemed like a lifetime since she’d last seen the hot springs at Skywatch Haven, and she imagined her companions suffered at least a twinge of homesickness, too.
The Hall of Doors Page 19
