by A F Kay
The last of Ruwen’s chalk disappeared as he finished the final line of the fifth gate rune. The brilliant blue petal shimmered, and what looked like thousands of rainbows moved across the surface. He stepped back, amazed,
It had worked. They were going home.
They all stumbled as the ground rocked again.
Ruwen turned to Kaylin. “Get everyone through. I’ll get the others.”
Ruwen stepped out from in front of the portal and turned east toward the wall of stone that temporarily kept Tickles and whatever it fought at bay. Sift, Hamma, and Lylan walked along the ravine, and Ruwen created a clone next to them.
“The portal’s open,” Ruwen said. “It’s time to go.”
Hamma and Lylan looked up from the ground, but when Sift didn’t move, they stayed as well.
“Run!” Ruwen screamed, and both women dashed toward the lake.
Sift continued to look at the ground. This close to the rock wall Ruwen had created, the battle sounded even more intense. What was out there?
Ruwen stepped up to Sift. “I’m sorry. We have to go.”
Sift kept his eyes on the ground. “But I can’t leave Shelly.”
Ruwen wanted desperately to tell Sift that Shelly had already left, that looking was pointless. But he didn’t. His friend had suffered enough. “We’re out of time, Sift. This is my fault, and I’m sorry. Truly.”
“I just want to look a little longer,” Sift said, his voice full of despair.
“Then I’ll stay trapped here with you.”
Sift looked up at Ruwen. “What?”
“I don’t know how long that portal stays open or how much time we have before Tickles makes it through that wall. It might already be too late. But I’m not leaving here without you.”
“That’s stupid,” Sift said.
“You’re stupid,” Ruwen replied.
You’re both stupid, Rami said.
Rami was probably right.
“I really liked that little turtle,” Sift said. His shoulders dropped, and he sighed. “Okay. Let’s go.”
“The last one to the portal does laundry for a week,” Ruwen said.
“Deal,” Sift replied, and then sprinted toward the lake.
The fighting behind the wall instantly stopped, and the sudden silence seemed worse than the sound of battle. Ruwen looked up to see Tickles rise above the rock wall that had sealed the valley.
Tickles stood on a column of water. As soon as the squid cleared the wall, thin ropes of water arced from the distant waterfalls, gathering under Tickles and forming another column of water on this side of the barrier.
Ruwen turned to see Sift enter the smaller flowers. Tickles might still beat Sift to the portal, and Ruwen needed to make sure that didn’t happen.
Tickles moved from the far water column to the one it had constructed on this side. The squid had large chunks missing from its head and tentacles, and Ruwen wondered again what it had encountered. Had Ruwen uncovered some type of monster when he’d moved all the rock?
The squid locked eyes with Ruwen, and without waiting any longer, Ruwen ran northwest, angling away from the lake. Tickles pursued Ruwen, the water acting like a stream propelling Tickles across the stone.
Tickles slowed when it saw it had Ruwen cornered against the western wall of the valley. Its water column rotated in a tight circle, growing thicker by the second as the distant waterfalls fed it.
Slowly Tickles raised a tentacle and pointed it at Ruwen. Ruwen had nowhere else to run, and happiness filled him that this ordeal had ended. He could finally go back home. They all could.
Tickles launched a spear of water ten feet long. It struck Ruwen in the chest, destroying half his body. As the clone dissipated, Ruwen raised his hand and waved at Tickles.
Ruwen returned to his body and watched Sift run toward him. Kaylin stood next to the portal, but everyone else had disappeared. A thundering scream of rage echoed in the valley.
“How did you beat me?” Sift gasped.
Ruwen shrugged. “You’re getting slow. Now hurry up. Tickles is coming.”
Sift stepped up to the portal and then stopped. “How sure are–”
Ruwen shoved Sift through the portal and then looked at Kaylin. “Is everyone else through?”
Kaylin nodded.
“Then let’s go home,” Ruwen said.
Kaylin grinned and stepped through the portal.
Crashing vegetation from behind him meant Tickles had arrived.
But it was too late.
Ruwen stepped through the portal.
Chapter 43
Ruwen stepped into a field of brown grass, the thin stalks covering his boots. The wind made his cloak billow and pushed his shirt against his chest. It appeared the Scarecrow Aspect hadn’t survived the trip between realms. His interface remained dark, but he recognized this place, and he let out a sigh of relief.
Tremine hadn’t misled him after all.
Are you okay, Rami?
Yes, it felt like walking into another room.
Ruwen turned to find a familiar tree directly behind him. Thirty feet tall, its branches were bare, the trunk twisted, and it leaned away from the ocean. The light blue sea stretched to the horizon, and Ruwen heard waves crashing in the distance.
The entire group moved on the other side of the tree, and they formed a semi-circle around a young woman. Despite being the last to arrive, it appeared only seconds had passed here. Uru looked identical to the last time Ruwen had been here. Her braided red hair hung across her chest, and freckles sprinkled her nose and cheeks. Her face beamed with happiness.
This really was a view worth dying for.
Ruwen walked around the tree and stood at the end, next to Sift. Hamma, Slib, and Juva had kneeled, and all the Champions had tears on their cheeks. Uru motioned at those kneeling to stand, stepped up to Kaylin and hugged her, and then hugged Mica and Una. When she came to Jagen, she touched his arm and spoke for the first time.
“You are a complication I did not expect,” Uru said. “We will need the Adjudicator.” Uru took a step back and looked into the sky. “Miranda, I wish council on the Pact.”
A loud gong sounded directly behind Ruwen, and Blapy stepped into view from behind him.
“Hi, Uru,” Blapy said.
“Thank you for coming, Mira. Per the Pact, I am informing you that the foreign Champion Jagen has entered my realm.”
Blapy looked at Jagen. “Champion of Izac, what is your intent? Are you a messenger? Are you here to declare war?”
Jagen shook his head. He faced Uru, crossed his arms over his chest, and bowed. “Goddess, I love Una and wish to stay with her. I will do whatever you ask.”
“And Izac?” Uru asked.
“He doesn’t know I’m here,” Jagen said.
Blapy tapped her chin. “Well, that’s a new one. The Pact never planned for love.”
“What options do I have?” Uru asked.
Blapy narrowed her eyes. “Since Jagen arrived without the blessing of Izac, there are no official repercussions regardless of your actions, up to and including death.”
Jagen’s jaw tightened and Una gasped. Kaylin and Mica looked uncomfortable.
Uru held up her hands. “I do not want to kill anyone. But, Jagen, I will be honest, you have seen things that the world is not yet ready for.”
“Then block those memories,” Jagen said.
Uru stepped up to Jagen. “Blocking won’t work. Izac will detect it and destroy your mind to break it. The only way you survive is if I remove your Spirit Realm memories.”
Jagen looked at Una and then back at Uru. “I will not lose her. Keep me here.”
Uru shook her head. “Izac would come for you.”
Jagen put his arm around Una. “I would rather die than lose her forever.”
Ruwen cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him. “Ugh, sorry to interrupt. But couldn’t you Lylan him?” No one responded, so he continued. “You could store the memories in something, and wh
en its safe, give them back.”
Uru frowned. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
Ruwen pointed at Blapy. “She did it.”
Uru studied Blapy. “That is very interesting.”
Blapy looked up at Ruwen and glared at him. “Way to go, big mouth.” Then she turned to Uru. “While possible, I can’t help you. It would violate the Pact.”
No one spoke, and the sound of crashing waves filled the silence.
“Maybe you can help me,” Lylan said.
Everyone looked at Lylan. She had a coin resting on top of her thumb, and she flicked it into the air.
Blapy strode over and caught the falling coin. “How romantic. But what about your brother?”
Lylan let out a sigh. “I don’t need you for that.”
Blapy smiled. “Time will tell. So you wish to use your coin,” Blapy paused and looked at Ruwen, “to Lylan Jagen’s memories?”
Lylan looked at Jagen. “You will feel the emptiness. Your soul knows it is incomplete, and happiness will be impossible.” Lylan grabbed Sift’s hand. “You will suffer until your memories return.”
Jagen strode over and kneeled before Lylan, bowing his head. “I will repay this kindness. I swear it.”
Una, tears streaming down her face, walked over and hugged Lylan. “Thank you so much. We used our coins to learn how we could be together, but we didn’t know about this Pact. Thank you.”
Blapy looked up at Lylan. “Once Jagen leaves here, his last memory will be entering the Spirit Realm. His extracted memories will follow him like an invisible cloud, and when he hears the phrase, ‘Lylan’s choice,’ they will instantly return. Agreed?”
Lylan nodded at Blapy as Jagen stood. Una walked over and hugged Lylan.
Blapy pointed at Jagen and Una. “Say your goodbyes. Izac has already summoned me. He must feel the return of his Champion.”
“What will you tell him?” Uru asked.
Blapy smiled. “A truth. You summoned me as soon as Jagen entered your realm. When informed of your options under the Pact, you spared Jagen’s life, and allow him to return to Izac.”
“Thank you, Mira,” Uru said.
Jagen and Una walked away to say their goodbyes.
Blapy pointed up at Ruwen and Sift. “You two are like quicksand. The more I resist you, the faster I drown in your messes.”
“What did I do?” Sift asked.
Blapy narrowed her eyes. “Trace that Lylan sequence backward, and who do you find? ‘Lylaning’ only exists because of you.”
Rami whispered in Ruwen’s mind as if scared her mom might hear. She has no one to blame but herself. She has such a soft spot for Sift. You too, actually.
It didn’t feel that way to Ruwen.
Blapy turned her gaze on Ruwen. “Lylaning? A thousand years of secret research, and you just blab it to the first deity you see.”
“I didn’t know it was a secret,” Ruwen said.
“You of all people need to learn everything is a secret. The wise know knowledge can be dangerous. We’ll finish this discussion later.” Blapy walked toward Jagen. “Time to go. Your boss is impatient.”
Uru walked over to Slib and Juva. Both had kept their heads bowed and seemed overwhelmed at meeting their goddess. She looked up at the pair. “You have each learned much about yourselves while traveling with Ruwen, and I don’t want to take that growth from you. But, some of the details of your trip could destroy us all if accidentally overheard by the wrong people. With your permission, I’d like to make those details fuzzy in your memories. In time, I will restore them.”
They both nodded.
Una rejoined the group, her cheeks wet, and Kaylin put an arm around her. Jagen and Blapy had disappeared.
Uru faced the three older Champions. “My heart brims with joy at this sight. I’m only sorry that it took so long. I will return you to your families for a well-earned respite, but know it can’t be for long. War is coming, and we have little time to prepare.”
Kaylin bowed. “Thank you for keeping your promise.”
Uru turned to face Ruwen and his friends. “Hamma, Sift, Lylan, and Rami, thank you for helping Ruwen with his difficult task. He is lucky to have found such friends.”
Rami vibrated behind Ruwen’s right ear. I like her.
You should wait to see if she throws us off this cliff. Again.
Uru continued. “But there is more to do. A critical task necessary for the coming war.”
Ruwen bit his tongue. The last thing he wanted was another task. He needed to find his parents, and he deserved some time off to do that.
“I want to help,” Hamma said. “Maybe Juva could take a message to my mom, letting her know I’m okay.”
“Of course,” Juva said.
Hamma smiled and then looked at Ruwen. “Then I’m in.”
“Thank you, Hamma,” Ruwen said and then faced Uru. “But I’m going to the Grey Canyon. I’ve put off the search for my parents long enough. No task is more important than that.”
Uru raised an eyebrow.
“What more is there to do?” Sift asked.
“If our country, our way of life, and our families have any hope of surviving the coming war, then you must restore my third temple.”
“Third temple?” Ruwen asked. “I thought you only had two.”
Uru shook her head. “My third temple didn’t survive the chaotic times before the Pact. It has taken thousands of years to repair. I need you to bring the temple into service, rebuild the city, and defend our southern border.”
Chapter 44
“What! I don’t know how to do any of that,” Ruwen said.
“I know, but I believe you’ll succeed anyway,” Uru said.
Ruwen’s thoughts swirled. Uru had basically said if he didn’t do this, the entire country would suffer and possibly be destroyed. How could he justify looking for his parents when compared with that? His stomach burned, and he felt nauseated. Why couldn’t Uru leave him alone?
As he came to grips with Uru’s request, some obvious problems surfaced. “Defend it how?”
“Take it one step at a time,” Uru said.
That didn’t help at all.
“I’ll come too,” Sift said. “Ruwen gets into trouble without me.”
Lylan frowned. “I have to report to Kysandra. She is probably furious with me for disappearing.”
“Ky knows what happened,” Uru said. “I’m sure she would love one of her Shades in our new city.”
“Plus,” Sift added, “Ky can find us with that ring Ruwen married Hamma with.”
“Will you stop saying that,” Ruwen said.
Hamma blushed and glanced at the ring on her finger.
Lylan smiled. “Then count me in.”
Uru returned the smile. “Then it’s settled. Let me take care of Slib and Juva.”
As Uru walked away, Sift pointed at Ruwen. “Don’t think I forgot you pushed me through that rainbow petal of death.”
“Nobody died,” Ruwen said.
“I–” Sift started, but then his face froze.
“What’s wrong?” Lylan asked.
Sift slowly looked down at his hip, opened the inner pocket, and then gasped.
“What?” Hamma asked.
Sift gently pulled a tiny turtle from the pocket. It was half a thumb long and colored grey-white like a bank of storm clouds. “Shelly?”
Shelly looked up at Sift as it munched on a sliver of bluish fiber the identical color of Tickles.
“Shelly?” Sift said again and then held her up to his grinning face. “How did you get in there!”
Lylan and Hamma both clapped, and mirrored Sift’s grin. A mixture of relief, joy, and suspicion swirled inside Ruwen. Sift had first let Shelly go in the Spirit Realm’s Frigid Sea. As they floated down the coast, they’d moved closer to shore because of a gigantic creature swimming below them. After Stone Harbor, Shelly had reappeared in Sift’s pocket. When Ruwen had sealed Tickles outside the valley, a violent figh
t had erupted, which had ended exactly when Sift started toward the portal. When Tickles had reappeared, large gouges covered its body like bites.
Looking back on it, only one thing made sense. Shelly had kept Tickles busy while Ruwen made the portal, and she was munching on the evidence.
Ruwen leaned down. “Thank you for protecting us. We wouldn’t have made it here without you.”
Shelly stopped chewing and gave Ruwen a slow blink. Ruwen laughed and stood, patting Sift on the shoulder. “Congrats, buddy. I don’t think you need to worry about Cultivators making fun of you. That is a special turtle.”
“Of course she’s special,” Sift said.
Kaylin, Mica, and Una joined them and congratulated Sift.
“Uru is sending us off next,” Kaylin said. “We just wanted to say thank you.” Kaylin paused and swallowed hard. “I’ll never forget what you did for us.”
Everyone started hugging each other and laughing now that the horror of the Spirit Realm was behind them.
As Kaylin hugged Ruwen, she whispered in his ear. “You have good instincts, and you’re a great leader. I should never have doubted Uru’s choice. We owe you our lives, Ruwen, and I hope someday I can repay you.”
Kaylin let Ruwen go, and he locked eyes with her. “You held your team together for hundreds of years, and that is inspiring. I hope we meet again soon.”
The Champions, one by one, went and stood with Uru near the cliff. They talked for a bit, and then as Uru hugged them, they disappeared. Ruwen missed them already.
“Sister Blakrock?” Uru called.
Hamma twisted her hands and then hurried over to Uru. Ruwen wondered if the goddess had changed her mind and meant to send Hamma away. He bit his lip as anxiety filled him. Everything seemed better with Hamma around, and he realized doing this without her would be miserable.
Ruwen stopped staring at them and faced Sift and Lylan, who were both rubbing Shelly’s shell. Sift kneeled, pulled a few blades of grass, and then offered them to Shelly.
“Is that a good idea?” Ruwen asked.
“Unlike you, all my ideas are good,” Sift said. “Maybe eating grass from Uru’s Realm will make her bigger.”
Ruwen thought again about the gigantic creature that had swum under them in the Frigid Sea. If his suspicions were right, it might not be a good idea to make her bigger. But he couldn’t prove it, so he kept quiet.
