Kingdom

by Kyle West

  My prophecy did mention needing to find him, I said. But I want to know who he is, exactly. Where does he come from? What role does he play in all this?

  That is a difficult question to answer, Askal said. The Nameless was before the Radaskim, before even the Elekai, as we said before. He exists outside both of their xenofolds, in an even greater fold that encapsulates us both—the Xenomatrix. Before I could even ask, Askal continued to explain, The Xenomatrix cannot be felt or touched, and it cannot be accessed by Elekai or Radaskim, though thoughts can travel through it. This is how we think the dark Xenomind has reached the Nameless One, though he is not here physically. Think of it as a web that combines any world on which the Radaskim or Elekai are present. If the Xenomatrix is the web that binds all worlds, then the Nameless One is the spider weaving the web.

  From that analogy, I got the impression that the Nameless One wasn’t exactly a good person. Person wasn’t the right word . . . he was a being, or even a god. But that didn’t necessarily mean he was evil. Most people, or entities, existed somewhere between the two extremes, and Askal had already mentioned his neutrality.

  This . . . being. Where did he come from?

  No one knows his origins, Askal said. The Xenomatrix exists on a plane higher than the Xenofold, or any of the folds the Radaskim use. The Xenomatrix is limited in its powers. It cannot directly touch or influence any of the worlds it reaches. All the same, it is unlimited—messages across vast distances can be sent immediately. It is, above all, a neutral entity that favors neither side. The Nameless One is called the Arbiter of Ages. From time immemorial, he has advocated for balance between the Elekai and Radaskim, a balance which he decides.

  I was at a loss, taking it all in, and I understood less than half of it. You’re saying he’s down there in the lake right now?

  Without a doubt, Quietus said.

  Then how do I reach him?

  The same way Alex did, she responded. Will you go?

  I looked out at the water, on top of which hovered a thin veil of eddying mist. From the chill in the air, I knew the water would be cold. But it wasn’t the cold that worried me . . . it was the dark. I was a good swimmer. Shara and I had spent hot summer days swimming in Colorado. But the desert was bright and hot, and even that water would get cold in the deeper parts. We used to dive to the bottom; sometimes, I couldn’t even reach it before running out of breath.

  This was so much more than that. However, if what Askal and Quietus were saying was true . . . meeting with the Nameless One was necessary.

  I had to set aside my own reservations and fears for the good of everyone else. I was stronger now than I ever had been.

  If Alex did it, I could do it.

  I made myself nod, though the action didn’t come easy. I’ll go.

  The dragons startled me by moving as soon as I’d answered, backing away to clear a space leading directly to the lake. Quietus bellowed as she flapped her wings, and Askal followed suit. The mist eddied and swirled, parting in front of me. Despite the speed of the wind kicked up by the dragons, the mist was battling for control, seeking to refill the space it had been driven from. With the mist gone, the still surface of the lake was easier to see. It would be clear on a sunny day, but now it was murky, seeming to hide ancient secrets.

  At the bottom of the lake shines the light, Quietus said. The entrance to the Nameless One’s sanctum. It is the entry point to the Xenomatrix. There, you can speak to him.

  A memory returned to me of Alex diving into that water while all of us watched four hundred years ago, scared to death that he would never reemerge. I reached out and tried to feel whether something was waiting down there for me. I felt nothing, though. A sign, or was that how it was supposed to be?

  First the husband, now the wife. A wife who didn’t even remember. I felt a stab in my heart at the mere thought. As much as I hated to admit it, she and I were bound together across time.

  Hesitating longer would only make this harder. I walked forward. Already, the dragons had ceased flapping their wings, and the mist rushed to recover what it had lost. It soon swirled around me, so thick that if I held my hand in front of my face, I would have barely been able to see it. Was it trying to stop me, to make me lose heart? It sure felt like it right now, and it seemed to be working.

  Be brave, I thought.

  It came almost as a surprise when my boots slipped into the cold, murky water. I thought about the crew back on the ship, how they would be wondering where I was.

  We will stay here, keeping watch, Quietus said.

  I’m afraid.

  I heard her move behind me, though I didn’t turn to look. Her wings fell over me, sheltering me from the fog. Though she wasn’t physically touching me, it felt as if I were being hugged.

  We believe in you, Shanti, she said. You are strong. And if you cannot reach it . . . do not blame yourself. Come back for breath.

  “I’ll reach it,” I said.

  There was nothing left but to dive. With one final deep breath, I let my head sink under the water, ignoring the icy feeling seeping into my skin and making its way to my bones.

  I searched for the light in the darkness.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  IT WAS DARK AND COLD under the lake. I felt completely suspended in my own reality. The silence was eerie—there was usually a distinct sound from being underwater that could only be described as a soft whoosh. But here, there was nothing . . . just ominous silence. The only feeling was the cold.

  I dove deeper, seeking out the light, but there was nothing but deeper darkness. I reached out with my mind, taking hold of Silence to sense something, anything. Again, there was nothing. No light, no feeling that I was going the right way.

  As I swam lower, the pressure intensified and the quietness became more absolute. Even within the warm Silence of the Xenofold, it couldn’t keep out the cold silence of the lake.

  I remembered what Quietus had told me. If I couldn’t reach the bottom, then there was no shame in giving up. However, I was determined to make it.

  Only, I had been diving down in the deceptively deep lake for over half a minute now. And it was an awfully long way back up.

  I peered into the murky black for any sign of light. I thought I might have seen a glimmer, but my head swam with fatigue.

  I wasn’t going to make it.

  I clawed at the water, trying to make my way back up. It was pitch black, and try as I might, I couldn’t see the surface above. It was taking far longer to get to the surface than it had taken to come down.

  My strength was waning.

  Help me . . .

  I struggled against the water; I had to breathe. I sputtered underneath, and by reflex, sucked in the cold water. Despite the icy cold of the water, both inside and outside, it felt as if I were on fire.

  There was not even a speck of light above. I was to die here, in the darkness.

  There was then a thunderous crash as my body was pushed even deeper into the lake. Next, I knew nothing.

  * * *

  I was still cold, even though I felt warmth radiating from above. My eyelids fluttered open, only to see further darkness.

  Shanti . . .

  That voice . . .

  Shanti.

  I convulsed awake, coughing and sputtering, spewing water from my lungs violently. I inhaled the warm, foggy air, coughing again.

  I breathed in and out, air never tasting so sweet.

  When I’d finally caught my breath, my voice escaped in a croak. “Where am I?”

  Suddenly, the darkness was gone as something shifted above me, and a rush of cold air hit my clothes, causing my teeth to chatter.

  I coughed again, a mixture of water and phlegm hitting the ground below. I looked up to see—through the fog—dragon’s feet. That’s what had moved above me in the lake. Quietus must have dove into the water, grabbing me before I could drown.

  Quietus?

  I told you to come up, Shanti.

  I trie
d. There was no light, Quietus. Only darkness.

  The way is closed to you as well. It isn’t your fault.

  Why would it be? What did I do wrong?

  Nothing, Quietus said. The Nameless One will not speak to you now.

  I could feel nothing but frustration. I need to know how to defeat Shal, Quietus. Why won’t he speak to me?

  I don’t know, Shanti. Rest. Askal has gone to the ship to bring the others here.

  I lay back down on the ground and was still breathing deeply. My heart was still beating quickly and was only now slowing.

  The lake is so deep, I thought. How did you ever reach me?

  With everything I had.

  It was so cold . . . I thought I would die.

  Quietus moved quickly, stepping over me while enclosing me with her massive black wings. The wind was shut out, and I could feel the heat radiating from her midnight scales.

  Forgive me, she said. I sometimes forget how cold you humans can get. Rest, Shanti. Warm yourself. They will be here soon.

  I closed my eyes and rested while Quietus stood watch. It was so warm beneath her, but even so, I couldn’t stop shivering.

  With her guardianship in mind, I faded into sleep. I was woken sometime later by the sound of voices. First came Samal’s shouts, which seemed unbefitting to this hallow place. The sounds of footsteps approached, and Quietus unfolded her wings. This allowed me to see human forms materializing from the foggy darkness.

  “There she is!” Ret said, running forward.

  He knelt beside me. I struggled to stand, but I only had the energy to prop myself on one arm. In the next instant, both he and Samal lifted me right off the ground, even as the rest of the crew crowded around.

  “You’re soaked!” Fiona said. “What happened?”

  “I . . .”

  “She needs to get to the ship,” Pallos said. “A warm bed, food and water, a change of clothes . . . the lake like that must be freezing cold on a night like this.”

  “But why?” Samal said. “Not exactly the time to be swimming . . .”

  “We need to move,” Isandru said, ignoring him. “Get her to bed, as Pallos wisely said. Plenty of blankets.”

  And just like that, I was carried away from the dragons and the lake. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I watched them recede into the mist. Two pairs of white glowing eyes stared back at me.

  The air became even more chilly once we entered the woods, and my shivering became more severe. Fiona draped her cloak over me, which helped a little. I could only stop my shivering out of sheer force of will. I had to bear the cold long enough to reach the ship. It wouldn’t do for the crew to see their captain weak.

  Sometime later, I opened my eyes to see thousands upon thousands of silver leaves spiraling down. I didn’t know whether it was real or whether I had strayed into a dream. They seemed to illumine the very air around in auras, hundreds of falling fires swirling.

  I only knew it was real when I saw that everyone else was looking, too.

  “The Hollow is dying,” I said.

  “Dying,” Samal said. “It’s sad.”

  “Without the power of the Elder Dragons, this place cannot exist,” Isandru explained. “They are returning to the world.”

  “Not yet,” I managed, my voice raspy.

  Everyone turned their heads to listen.

  “I’ll explain everything better when I’ve rested. I just can’t . . .”

  “Don’t strain yourself,” Elder Tellor said gruffly. “We’re nearly there.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE WARMTH OF THE SHIP was a bit startling after the damp cold of the outdoors. Samal and Ret carried me to my cabin as if I weighed nothing, laying me on a bunk, and throwing covers over me.

  “You two, go,” Fiona said. “I need to help her into new clothes.”

  I could see Fiona’s point. Already, I was getting the sheets and mattress wet.

  “Is that any way to treat two heroes?” Ret asked.

  “Off you go,” Fiona said. “And thank you for your help.”

  “Thank you,” I managed.

  They shared an annoyed glance before vacating the cabin, leaving me alone with Fiona.

  “They both have a lot to learn,” she said.

  “They were helping.”

  Her cheeks colored. “Maybe so. Those boys were bickering all the while you were gone. It was getting under my skin.”

  “They are still growing up,” I said. “I don’t think they realize the sacrifice they made by following me.”

  Fiona nodded. “Maybe so.”

  Everyone’s going to learn about that, I thought, and sooner than they might think.

  “Sorry. Just a minute on the clothes . . . Pallos told me earlier that there were spare clothes in each room, for both men and women. Let’s see if I can find some in the trunk . . .”

  A moment later, I heard the trunk sliding out from under the bed. Fiona unclasped it and opened the lid. Indeed, there were clothes inside, of a very plain fashion—mostly whites, grays, and blacks, both shirts and pants, but the quality looked good, at least from where I lay on the bed.

  “Pants and a shirt that look like they would fit,” Fiona said. “Dresses, too, but I think the former two would be more useful.”

  “They’ll do,” I said.

  Fiona helped me out of the bed, but by this point, I was warm enough to do it myself.

  “I think I’ll have a shower first,” I said.

  “Shower,” Fiona said. “You mean, the bathing stall in the restroom?”

  Bathing stall. It occurred to me that Fiona had never heard of a shower before. People bathed in tubs, almost without exception.

  “It’s something people used in the Old World for bathing.”

  “I see. I don’t think anyone’s used it, yet.”

  “Can you help me there?”

  “Of course,” she said, grabbing my new clothes.

  Fiona helped. I turned left, passing all the cabins, until I came to a final door.

  “Lavatory,” I said, reading the sign.

  “English word?” Fiona asked.

  I nodded. “Means it’s a restroom. Not something we would find in any old manuscripts, I’m afraid.”

  I opened the door to see a small sink, a toilet, and a shower stall at the end. It was hard to see this place servicing a crew of twelve, but I supposed we’d have to make do. Coming up with some sort of schedule might be a good idea.

  Fiona brushed past me, gasping as she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her green eyes widened as her hand went to her flaming red hair. “It’s a mess!” She reached a hand forward. “The mirror is so . . . clear. It’s even better quality than at Castle Sylva.”

  “In those days, in the Old World, a commoner lived better than a king today.”

  Fiona turned. “You remember those times?”

  “Not really,” I said. “Just flashes. There are some things I know intrinsically, even if I can’t explain why.”

  “I see.”

  I stepped past Fiona even as she was looking in the mirror, fixing her hair. I avoided looking at it, knowing that it would only reveal someone who was dirty and hadn’t bathed in weeks. Even the lake hadn’t washed away all the filth.

  “I must reek,” I said, turning on the shower and waiting for it to warm. “Mia and I had to travel through the wild just to find this ship. And since then, it’s been nonstop.”

  “When was your last rest?”

  I thought back. “Had a short nap after coming here. Just fell on the bed and passed out. Before that . . . I don’t know. I suppose it was the tent on top of the mountain where the ship was buried.”

  It seemed ages ago, even if it had only been just this morning.

  “Let me have a shower, then,” I said. “I’ll warm up here.”

  “I’ll set your clothes here,” Fiona said, finishing up with her wavy red hair that still refused to behave.

  “I’ll be in the conference room in fif
teen minutes,” I said. “Have everyone assembled.” I thought for a moment. “And food and drinks for anyone who hasn’t eaten.”

  “I’ll try to get all that done.”

  “Let the boys do it,” I said. “You’re a Seeker, after all; you’re probably out of practice with getting a meal ready for a crowd.”

  Fiona chuckled. “That’ll give them something to do other than argue, I suppose. I’ll see to it right away.”

  When the door was shut, I locked the door and stripped naked. I threw my nasty old clothes in the corner to be washed later. By the time I stepped into the stall, the water was steaming hot and felt like heaven. Some dirt ran down into the drain, but less than I had originally thought. Despite the warm water, I still felt a chill deep in my bones. I needed food and sleep, but with Isaru on the loose, there’d only be time for the former.

  I showered for about ten minutes before making myself turn it off. When I opened the stall door, steam billowed out. I dried off and dressed in the nondescript gray pants and shirt Fiona had laid out. I still didn’t have my boots—hopefully, someone remembered to bring them to my cabin. The clothes were a style unfamiliar to me. They fit well, but were quite plain . . . something Shen people would wear, perhaps.

  I looked in the mirror, wishing I had a comb to run through my hair. I spent about a minute straightening it until I realized I was fighting a losing battle. It had grown long and thick over the months and was in dire need of a cut. My green eyes stared back at me with alarming clarity despite the fogged mirror. I had never seen my face so clearly before, and like Fiona, my appearance was a bit of a shock. My face was thinner, for one, as were my arms and legs. I’d never had the time to recover from the long journey Isaru and I had made through the wilderness to Hyperborea.

  Despite that, every inch of me was hard with muscle. My hands were calloused, while gunk was stuck under my fingernails. Inexplicable bruises and scratches covered my arms and legs, a testament to the many days I’d spent trudging through the wild.