by Sarah Lin
"There's no sense in keeping him alive." Fiyu's face was set grimly, but she did dismiss the aura around her hand.
"We have more important things to do. Could we just leave him tied up?"
"In this world, that would be the same as killing him."
One of the Farmguards whirled back to them. "All of you, be quiet! Nothing matters except opening the gate again! Do you have any idea how fast this place will kill us? We all need to work to connect with the Farmguards on the other side."
"How long will that take?" Theo asked. The Farmguard blinked and conferred with her companion, but they didn't seem to know immediately, which was answer enough. If they were worried about dying of thirst, that meant that they were thinking in terms of days, not hours. They didn't have that much time, especially since Magnafor probably had a way to return to Myufuru quickly.
"Do we have another option?" Fiyu asked. Theo rubbed his forehead in frustration, eyes wandering back over what little they had. When he saw Navim's body, he realized that they did.
"We can survive here for a few days, especially if we have water. But Navim might not survive that long, even if this battle doesn't reach us. We need to return him to his school as soon as possible." One of the Farmguards started to object, but Theo spoke over her. "The two of you can keep the mercenary captive and reestablish the gate. We'll make sure Navim survives and catch up to you later."
They couldn't disagree with a plan that focused on saving one of their fellow students, so Theo's group was off. As soon as he made Navim weightless again, they began to run as quickly as they could maintain, rushing into the endless rocky wasteland.
Before they were too far away, Nauda turned to look at him. "I want to help Navim too, but I don't believe those were your real motivations. Why are we doing this?"
"Because Navim said his master was an Authority in possession of many weirkeys. One of them must be for Tatian, which means that he can control where we return." Theo smiled grimly. "It will take Magnafor some time to return to Myufuru, no matter what method he uses. If we can jump directly back, our route might be shorter than his."
"Assuming that his master is willing to give us such a gift, despite being first tier soulcrafters with nothing to offer him."
"But we will return his student," Fiyu said hopefully. "He will wish to repay our kindness."
Nauda seemed to accept that, especially since they really did want to save Navim's life. Privately, Theo wasn't nearly as confident that it would be easy to convince the other Mundhin. On Ichil, most mentorships involved only two people with a close bond, but the philosophical schools of Arbai usually had hundreds of students. What made the decision for him was that at minimum this path might save Navim, which was the one thing he had some control over.
Though it would have been dramatic to sprint all the way to the plateau, they didn't have the stamina for it. His throat felt like it was entirely made out of sand and each breath became painful. When they slowed down to take a break, Fiyu revealed that she had a flask of water and he drank gratefully. It wouldn't be enough for an extended journey, but it would last them long enough.
Behind them, the gate lay dead. To the west, a sandstorm grew as two Rulers did battle. And ahead, a looming monument of dead rock hopefully contained their salvation.
Chapter 28
As if the sun wasn't bad enough, it remained perfectly still overhead, hour after hour. Its burning light continually sapped their will to keep moving, and especially to keep sprinting. When next they slowed down to recover, Fiyu was covered in sweat.
"I thought... the Tatian sun..." She stopped to wipe away sweat beading along her mask. "...was horrible, but this... is it always there?"
"I'm surprised it hasn't set," Nauda agreed. "How long can their day be?"
Theo shook his head as he realized that he would be the bearer of bad news. "I don't think it does. At least, I've never heard anyone from Arbai talk about the sun setting, or it being anywhere other than overhead. I'm not sure if their world is tidally locked or if it doesn't obey any rules I know, but the sun is there to stay."
His use of scientific terminology caught Fiyu's curiosity and led to a discussion of how each of them had understood the term, as well as similar words in their own languages. It was irrelevant and incredibly welcome. With nothing to do but trek across such a huge expanse of dry rock, anything that took their minds from the grim marathon was welcome.
They'd located the gemspires, which cast strange colors on the rocks around them, and used those to direct themselves toward the school's location. In theory, anyway. He strongly suspected that it was housed within the plateau, but if it wasn't in that direction, they'd have a serious problem.
When the sandstorm drew near, they began a final sprint toward the nearest cavern entrance that could provide shelter. Careful to prevent the inertia from Navim's body from overwhelming him, Theo wasn't paying much attention, but he heard gasps from the others. As he turned around, he understood why.
What had appeared to be a small cave from the outside was in actuality the beginning of a long cavern that extended beneath the surface. Looking inward was like gazing into the jaws of a crystalline beast. The stalactites and stalagmites were made from brilliantly colored crystals, and as they stepped deeper in awe, soon the ground and ceiling gained a similar rainbow hue.
Even as they walked further in, the cavern remained bright, shafts of colored light shining from above. When the sandstorm hit, those began to dim, but they were still able to see easily. He heard Fiyu murmuring happily in Ichili and guessed that it was similar to the Moonscape. It was certainly beautiful, but at the moment he couldn't ignore the looming deadline.
After they walked for a time, they turned a corner and suddenly came across a Mundhin. His rocky body looked so dull relative to the rainbow cavern that he leapt out immediately, and Nauda readied her staff. But the Mundhin merely turned to regard them extremely slowly, gemstone core sliding forward in something that might have been puzzlement.
"Uh, hello?" Theo started with a greeting - since this one wasn't hostile, they might as well be polite. The Mundhin flinched, then answered in a quiet voice.
"Foreigners. I did not expect to see foreigners here. Do you want some water?"
Just the reminder made his throat burn worse. "We'd be grateful for some."
"I am not carrying any of this substance. But all foreigners I have met demand water and so I thought I would inquire." The core began to shift away from them, back to the crystal spire in front of the Mundhin, which Theo saw was being dismantled by delicate stone tools. "Are you interested in my monograph about the refracting caverns? I do not have water, but I could give you an early draft."
"We're in a hurry." Nauda stepped forward, lowering her staff from defensive position but looking more irate. "Someone from your world is terribly injured and requires medical attention."
"Ah. Your presence has become less inexplicable." The Mundhin scholar started to turn away, as if to go back to his work, and Theo stepped in again.
"He's a student of the School of Emerald Indulgence, and we need to get there as quickly as possible. It's in the plateau ahead, right?"
"That is correct." The Mundhin stared a while longer, started to turn away, then shifted back. "I deduce that you want more information. The best path to the school, perhaps?"
"Yes. Please."
"These caverns will take you very near the entrance, if you take the central passage and then go left, though you still still need to endure this particular sandstorm for a time. I have read that foreigners do not enjoy sandstorms. However, I must tell you that there is no water at the school."
"We'll be fine." Theo pulled Navim along with them as they headed to follow his instructions. If these caverns took them close to the entrance, they'd made the right decision. He could also put to rest his deep concern that they had been entirely misled and traveling further from their destination.
Though Nauda gave an odd glance
backward as they left the Mundhin scholar behind, she didn't comment on it. They remained silent as they trekked through the shimmering tunnel. Theo found himself staring up at the ceiling, noting the rise and fall of the sandstorm. It was oddly soothing, like a heavy rain while indoors. Of course, they'd soon be going out into it...
For once, they got lucky: the sandstorm died down before they reached the end of the cavern. That most likely meant the battle had ended, or at least moved. Without knowing whether Nanjuma or his opponent had won, he didn't know if that was good or bad, but at least they wouldn't have to risk heading out into a flesh-stripping sandstorm.
As they finally exited the cavern, they found themselves facing nothing but a final stretch of bleak ground leading up to the plateau. Close as it seemed now, it would take them some time. He heard Fiyu sigh as they left the caverns, but there was nothing to do but endure the final stretch.
Just as he was ready for a grim, silent trip, Nauda spoke up. "You think Magnafor is attempting to rob the vault while Nanjuma is distracted."
"Most likely." He hoped she wouldn't pursue it, but a glance back killed that hope.
"Somehow, he's going to break through a barrier that's beyond even Ruler strength, then disappear with a vault-worth of sublime materials. I'm not doubting you, not after he somehow hired mercenaries like this and destroyed the gate. But I think that you need to tell us more about everything."
"That's... complicated." Theo took a deep breath and considered whether or not to lie. Maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe the haze of heat waves in every direction as they trudged on, but he found himself telling the truth. "I told you that Magnafor and I have been here before, but it gets worse than that..."
He told them more than he'd planned. Nothing about his old allies, but he did explain about Vistgil and his near death. Somehow he ended up talking about how long it had taken him to return and how much it meant to him before he resolutely shut his jaw. Revealing those weaknesses would accomplish nothing, not when they still had so much to do.
"You called it an Artifact of Elghiera?" Nauda asked. Theo blinked in surprise, not having expected that question.
"That's right. Have you heard of it?"
"Elghiera was an ancient world traveler. I thought he might be just a legend, but it's possible that he was historical. If so, then he spent a great deal of time on every world, including years on Tatian. There's no information about him leaving behind any artifacts, but he was a soulcrafter, so he might have been able to make armaments."
"Where did you learn that?" Theo turned on Nauda, grabbing her arm harder than he'd intended. "I tried to look up more about him and I never found a single thing."
"It was in a library. Not one near Myufuru." Nauda hesitated to say more, watching him cautiously. He didn't think she was harboring bitterness, but learning more about his past had clearly raised her suspicions. They stared at each other until Fiyu poked them both.
"Theo, Nauda, we must continue. Navim requires our help."
She was right, of course, so they began running again. Theo kept his eyes on Nauda, not saying anything but just focusing on her, and eventually she relented. After coughing a few times in the residual dust, she spoke up quietly.
"You said that you traveled across Tatian, but I don't think you really have. Far to the north, much further than our traveling so far... well, I read the tale I mentioned in a library there. Most legends speak about ancients as having more powerful soulcrafting than we do, and most of them are untrue. But if the ring you mentioned was so useful, perhaps it was true in this case."
"Later, once this is over, we should talk about it." Theo wanted to demand more answers, but he couldn't blame her for keeping secrets when he did the same thing. "But Fiyu is right: we have more important priorities right now. Let's hurry and hope they can help Navim."
Now that the end was in sight, they managed to sprint again. The plateau ate up more and more of the sky as they approached, but seeing the tunnels in greater detail was encouraging. Mundhin moved through some passages or sat on rocky balconies. Only one tunnel opened up on the ground level, at least within sight, and so they headed for it.
Two Mundhin stood guard, both of them Archcrafters and armed with body parts covered in spikes. When Theo and the group approached, one of them stepped into their path, deceptively fast for such a large pile of rock. This might be a school, but Theo realized that these two were warriors, not scholars.
"Why have you come to the School of Emerald Indulgence, foreigners? If you require water, we-"
"Not water!" Fiyu pulled Navim's floating body in front of them and pointed angrily. "This is Navim. He is one of your relatives and he needs your help."
As soon as they realized that the body was still alive, the Mundhin rushed to act. Though a few scholars stared at them curiously or ignored them entirely, they were immediately commanded by Mundhin who wasted no time. Several messengers rolled into spheres and disappeared quickly, while others rapidly took Navim's rubble and guided them further in.
Once they reached their destination, they were allowed to sit down, or rather told to stay out of the way. Tired as he was, Theo didn't object. They weren't given any water, but someone brought them a plate of blue cubes that were a bit rubbery, but filled with a sweet juice. Sitting down and getting something into his stomach made him feel much better.
No one asked them any questions at the beginning, as an atmosphere of tension surrounded the movements. Another Archcrafter appeared and cut open the bundle, examining the rocky fragments. He rolled his core at the sight of the damage, but then rapidly set up a gem platform.
Soon, a column of golden sunlight burned in the chamber. Navim's core was eased inside it and began to float, even without Theo's help. In fact, the raw cantae of the column burned straight through his field, so he released it. The healer and his assistants carefully took the other pieces of rock and placed them into the field as well. Slowly but surely, the damaged rocks began to glow with the light.
Only once all of that was done did the healer turn to regard them. "One of our students will live thanks to you, foreigners. When Navim disappeared, we were unsure if he had departed in pursuit of scholarship or if he had been destroyed by the inter-world disturbance. I am relieved that he endures."
"That is good." The relief in Fiyu's voice spoke for all of them, so Theo let it hang for a moment before he pursued their goal.
"The people who did this to him are still on Tatian, and their actions may soon harm others. We can't help Navim, but we can help them." It wasn't quite true, but now that they were safe, every wasted moment weighed on him. "That is why we're begging for your help: we need Master Uvvah Ulim's assistance to return in time."
"Ah." The healer rocked back onto his hind legs, the glittering gems of his core regarding all of them thoughtfully. "Such a curious group. I would hear your story, one day, but I understand that you feel this is urgent. Please understand that we do not trouble our master without due reason. There are a great many with their own crises that are also very important to them."
"Please, can we at least talk to him?" Theo considered bringing up the fact that they'd saved Navim, but decided that would be too far. They weren't idiots and it might just come across as crudely manipulative.
"You will be given an opportunity. Please follow my martial colleague here."
One of the guards raised a stone toward them and began to move down a corridor. Theo stayed back a moment, looking at Navim's body one more time, but it was obviously on its way to recovery. Repairing his soulhome would no doubt take longer, but at least he would have another chance.
Meanwhile, they were led through a twisting corridor much higher in the plateau. They quickly moved from active areas of scholarship to empty chambers with little ornamentation. Finally they were told to wait in an antechamber while the guard moved forward into a larger room behind. Theo strained to hear the conversation, which sounded like a rare language of Arbai, but could only
make out a few words about guests.
"You may enter." The voice sounded as if dust had gained the ability to speak, swirling past them with the breeze. Since the guard stood at attention by the entrance, the three of them stepped forward into the main chamber.
At first, Theo didn't see anyone at all, just what he thought was a messy floor. But as he noticed several piles of what looked like gravel, he realized that he was entirely wrong. At the center of the broken rocks lay a vast sphere of stone, studded with countless sapphires in intricate patterns. Theo had never seen an old Mundhin before, but it must be Master Uvvah Ulim.
"I am told that you have returned one of my students to me. I am grateful." The gravel trembled as if an earthquake had begun, but then some of it gathered into a mass that lifted the sphere off the floor. Even only some of the rocks pushed the sphere high over their heads, so Uvvah Ulim must have been massive in his prime. "Hmm. A Tatian, an Ichili, and a Lost One from afar. A curious group. Perhaps your story would be of interest."
"With all due respect, there isn't much time," Theo said. "Do you have a weirkey for Tatian? We need to return to a city called Myufuru, bef-"
"With all due respect, Lost One, you have not yet given me any reason to act. Stepping between worlds is no small thing, especially for an elder such as myself. The price my school would require for such a thing is... beyond what I believe first tier soulcrafters could pay. Unless you saved my student solely as coin to use in such a transaction?"
Theo winced, not having expected such a hard refusal. Fortunately, Fiyu saved him by speaking up. "Navim is our ally and we wanted to help him. But we want to help others too."
"I can hear the truth in your words, young one. Less so in your friend." The sapphires turned to fix on Theo and he felt as though a great weight pressed down on him. "I have had little opportunity to speak to Lost Ones. If I do this thing for you, will you be able to tell me tales of worlds beyond the Nine?"
"I..." Though Theo didn't want to say anything about Earth, he supposed that he was already attracting far too much attention. "If that's the only way to pay, I will. I know two: my home, and a realm where the sky is white and the sun is black."
