by Kyle West
Looking at the priests that had remained, I could see what she meant. All had the same, stony demeanors, and all watched impassively as they leaned back against the far wall. It was as if they were guarding the great hall rather than participating in the revelry.
“They are doing what they do best,” I said. “There probably isn’t much dancing where they come from.”
My mother nodded; apparently, she had learned about the Sphere Priests already, probably from Markas himself, but only wanted my opinion on them.
My mother was about to speak again when two women walked into the hall from the open doors. They both wore Seeker’s white with hoods pulled up. I watched, feeling a shock go through me. There were Seekers here? The shock only increased when they pulled down their hoods, revealing two faces I hadn’t seen in months.
I was about to shout across the hall, before realizing that the music would drown out my voice. They both looked up, recognizing me despite my lack of hair, just as a third figure joined them; a woman also who dropped her hood.
They were Seekers Deanna, Aela, and Amalia.
I felt two things; excitement at seeing them, even though Amalia had tried to capture me in Haven not too long ago, while the other feeling was fear. Why were they here? And if they were here, were there any other Seekers?
I stood. “Stop the music!”
Only a few people heard me, their eyes widening upon seeing my demeanor. Within a moment, the band had ceased its playing, leaving a confused murmuring in its wake. During this time, the three Seekers never took their eyes off me. It was hard to gauge just what they were thinking from their neutral expressions, though Aela couldn’t hide a small smile that certainly didn’t seem threatening.
Already, the Sphere Priests were fanning out, getting between the crowd and the new arrivals. While their hands went to their blades, they made no move to unsheathe them.
But I knew with one order from me, they most definitely would.
“There is no need to stop the celebration,” Deanna called out in a booming voice. Her features were handsome rather than beautiful, and the brown hair was cut short, barely reaching her chin. “We’ve come in peace.”
“We’ll speak out in the yard,” I called back. I motioned for my friends to join me, and nodded back to the band to continue playing. They did, tentatively, though no one was dancing now.
Perhaps I reacted too harshly, I thought. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel a nervous weight form in my stomach. I didn’t know where the Seekers stood as a group, for Isaru or against him, though I trusted Deanna and Aela individually. Amalia was more of a wild card.
My mother followed me as I strode down from the dais, while the others fell in beside me.
When we reached the front of the hall, I nodded toward the doors. I could already feel the cool air outside, despite the heat of the two blazing sconces on either side of the door.
The courtyard was quiet and cold. I nodded to the two priests that were posted as guards, and they shut the doors, cutting off the music from within. Unbidden, and probably ordered by Markas, a group of four older priests followed the rest of us outside. Even if they were unnecessary, I appreciated the gesture.
Above, thousands of stars shone in the sky, while on the walls, only a few dark-garbed sentinels kept watch. I knew them to be priests as well; apparently, they changed their clothing to match the situation.
The Seekers faced us, about ten feet between us, and we stared at each other for a long moment. Back in the Sanctum, Deanna and Aela had been my friends, but more than that, mentors. Deanna’s no-nonsense approach to life and Aela’s willingness to train me in my early days both helped make me who I was, but their joining with Amalia made me doubt their intentions.
Amalia was one of the strongest Champions in the Sanctum, and only three months ago, she’d been part of a team sent by the Sanctum to arrest me and take me back for judgment. The cause of that trouble had been the blade I now kept at my side, but Aela wasn’t looking at the blade now. Her appearance was as beautiful as it was severe. There was not a funny bone in her body, though if anything, she looked older and more mature than before . . . as if she had seen things, as much as the rest of us had.
“Welcome to Kalear,” I said. “It’s good to see you all. I assume you’ve just arrived?”
Deanna must have sensed the terseness in my voice, and responded bluntly. “We don’t blame you for doubting us. We’ve had plenty of time to think about how you might react to us on our long road here.”
“You walked?” Shara asked, in disbelief.
“And were let in as well,” Fiona said.
“As messengers,” Deanna said.
“I’ve long had orders to let messengers from the Sanctum in and brought to me immediately,” my mother said, looking at me. “I hope this wasn’t wrong.”
“No,” I said. “But Seekers are very dangerous. I would not wish for anything bad to happen if our sides are opposed.”
“Then you shouldn’t be afraid on that account,” Deanna said. “Outside these walls, there are about thirty Sanctum-dwellers camped. The three of us are the only Seekers, sadly, but among them you’ll find equal numbers of Initiates and Apprentices. A few of us died to get here . . . but we knew we couldn’t stay in the Sanctum a moment longer.”
“You’ve come to join me,” I said, in realization.
Aela nodded, and so did Amalia. The two could have been sisters, with their good looks, brown hair, and brown eyes. The main difference was in those eyes; Aela’s were soft and friendly, while Amalia’s were hard and determined.
“The place has gone to hell,” Amalia said, sadly. “Many have reason to doubt the Elders’ motives, especially Elder Haris. As for myself, I’ve doubted him ever since the Elders Isandru and Tellor left to join you. Since then, there has been a lot of talk in the air. We left while we still could, though several of the apprentices had to pay with their lives, despite the protection we gave them.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It saddens me that they died on my account.”
“We’ve been named traitors and exiles,” Deanna said. “We’ve been traveling hard for well over a month, going by back roads and through the country just to get here. If at the end of this road, I discover that you’re truly not Anna, not the one who has been prophesied, then I’ll punch you so hard that you’ll turn into Anna.”
“She is Anna, rest assured,” Fiona said. “I was with her in the reversion of the Xenofold. Elder Isandru . . .” Fiona trailed off, steeling herself to continue. “He accepted her, and so does Elder Tellor. She has proven herself in countless other ways that I simply can’t explain all at once.” Fiona gave each of the women a hard look. “Your struggles to get here have not been in vain, my friends. We need all the help we can get.”
I nodded. “Thank you for coming. It would have been easier to stay and follow orders. If you fear you’ve broken your vows, you’ve actually done the opposite. Anna was the founder and leader of the Seekers, and their purpose was to seek her when she returned to the world. Now, you’ve found me and have truly fulfilled your oath.” I looked them all over, realizing just how haggard and thin they were. “But all this can wait for later. Come inside where it’s warm, along with everyone who’s come with you. I’ve only arrived today myself, but I’m sure there’s enough room in the hall for everyone to sleep warmly tonight.”
“We would appreciate that,” Deanna said. “I’m afraid we have a lot to tell you about the Sanctum and Elder Haris. None of it good.”
I felt my heart drop at that. I swallowed before responding. “I will hear it all, then.”
“Forgive me,” Aela said. “But Fiona said Elder Isandru accepted her . . .”
I paused, not sure how to respond, but my hesitation told all.
“We’ll speak about it inside,” Deanna said grimly.
CHAPTER NINE
I USHERED THE SANCTUM REFUGEES into the Great Hall and had my mother make sure they were fed with the lef
tovers from the feast, of which there was plenty. They warmed their hands by the fire gratefully while they waited for their food.
After Deanna, Aela, and Amalia had scarfed down a quick meal, I led them upstairs, where it would be quieter, with Shara, Fiona, and Isa accompanying me. I took them to my mother’s room, where we gathered chairs around the fireplace.
Despite the fire’s warmth and seeing old friends once again, it did little to improve my mood, because the news they had to share was dire.
“Tell me what’s going on with Haris,” I said. “I had some worrying dreams about him.”
“The man is mad,” Amalia said, with a scowl. “He acts like he runs the place, not knowing his station below Chief Elder Arminius.”
“Acts like he runs the place is putting it mildly,” Aela said. “He actually does run the place in truth, and has gotten enough of the Seekers’ support to be Chief Elder in all but name. Such was the state of the Sanctum when we left it one month ago. Who knows where it’s at now?”
“We were hoping you might know something,” Deanna said. “We haven’t had any news since we set out. We headed this way, not really sure what we’d find . . . even if we’d find anything at all. More than once, I thought we were chasing a rumor that there was a resistance growing against Isaru’s rule.”
“I know nothing more than you about the Sanctum,” I said. “I literally just got here today and haven’t been part of the events of the Red Wild for the past three months.”
“Where were you?” Aela asked. “The only thing we’ve heard is rumors, almost all of them not good.”
I looked at her seriously. “I, along with everyone else here, was in Hyperborea.”
They stared at me blankly, the news clearly not registering. Finally, when they realized I was serious, Amalia spoke. “Whatever were you doing there? That place is real?”
I nodded. “It’s very real, unfortunately. And it’s the cause of most of the evils plaguing the Red Wild and the Elekai today, including Isaru’s change of allegiance.”
“You’re going to have to explain all this,” Deanna said.
“I’ll try,” I said. “Much has happened since we’ve parted ways. In Hyperborea, we fought against an evil man named Rakhim Shal, who lives inside an evil place called the Hyperfold, which is outside the city of Hyperborea. From there, he is controlling Isaru with a form of mind control, called tethering.”
“Tethering?” Amalia asked, blankly. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“It is a Lost Gift, not well-known,” Fiona explained. “I know most Seekers are skeptical of the existence of the so-called Lost Gifts, but tethering is one of them. It describes a Seeker’s ability to maintain control of another being that also shares a connection to the Xenofold. In this case, however, the tether connects Isaru not to the Xenofold, but the Hyperfold, which stands in direct opposition to the Xenofold.”
“I would have never guessed,” Deanna said. “Isaru, under control of this . . . Rakhim Shal? A man as powerful as that must be important, but I’ve never heard his name.”
“Who is he?” Amalia asked. “Is he Elekai? I’ve never heard of him, either. And what exactly is this Hyperfold?”
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how best to explain this.
“Rakhim Shal is from the past, and he doesn’t exist in this world in the same way we do,” I said. “It will be difficult to explain . . . very difficult, and I can tell by your faces that none of this makes sense. But you need to bear with me, because everything hinges on defeating him and the source of his power. That source of power is known as the Hyperfold.”
Then, I explained who Rakhim Shal was, how he served as an advisor to the last king and queen of Hyperborea, and how he had created the Hyperfold as a solution to end the Fading . . . the Elekai losing their Gifts over successive generations. I also explained how Elder Isandru was their son and heir, and how his life had been extended by Aether given to him by Rakhim Shal.
“The Hyperfold was created by Shal as an alternative to the Xenofold. It allowed unwholesome things to be done which the Xenofold wouldn’t allow, and it was powered by the ichor of the Sea of Creation. Aether, which you know of as a highly addictive drug and sometimes a medicine, also works as a bonding agent. One who takes Aether has the potential to be connected to the Hyperfold and tap into its powers as well. While the Hyperfold gives great power to those who forsake the Xenofold, it comes at a great cost – madness, addiction, and perhaps worst of all, it’s causing slow death of the Xenofold itself as the Sea of Creation is drained of all its vital energy, at a rate that’s too much for it to replenish itself.”
I could already see that this was a lot for them to take in. I answered a few of their questions, but in the end, I had to press on with my explanation.
“Shal housed the Hyperfold in a place called the Thought Dome, located in Hyperborea. The city itself is long dead, its towers crumbling into dust and its streets and canals empty of life. But the Hyperfold lives on, sucking the energy out of the Sea, an almost unstoppable force.” I paused, reflecting on the events of the last few days . . . or rather, the last few months. “For three months, we fought Shal in the Hyperfold, but in the end we were defeated. Shal was rescued by Isaru at the last minute. In the fight, one of my friends, Mia, died.” I didn’t mention that she was Isandru’s sister; that would have taken even more explanation, and they just needed the basics for now. “Isandru went after her, and we don’t know what’s happened to him. We hope he’s still alive, but if that’s so, it means he’s trapped inside the Hyperfold, because the portal leading into it has closed.”
* * *
There was a long silence as everyone digested this information.
“A terrible shame,” Aela said. “Elder Isandru was wise and powerful. I have no doubt that if he had remained in the Sanctum, then things would not have gotten to this point.”
Deanna and Amalia nodded their agreement.
“I’ve never heard of this Hyperfold,” Deanna said. “But it strikes me as the truth. I haven’t seen Isaru since that day both you and he left the Sanctum, Shanti, but everything has been happening too fast to make sense of it. All I know is, none of it feels right. All of us would agree with that, along with everyone who decided to brave the long journey here. We don’t believe anything Isaru is saying about you, Shanti. I have no idea why you stole Annara’s blade . . .”
“Not stealing,” Isa said. “It is hers by right.”
Deanna nodded, as if she conceded that point. “I suppose that much is true. I sometimes forget the Initiate I mentored is Anna Reborn . . . it is difficult to fathom, just as it is difficult to say Anna instead of Annara, as our teachings dictate. Things change over time, but it is hard to imagine the past meeting the future in such a way. Not just you, Shanti, but in the form of this Rakhim Shal.” She paused, as if what she was about to say was important. “The point is, your visit to the Sanctum three months ago got a lot of us thinking. Everything changed after that visit, as all of us discussed what you mean by your words, usually out of earshot of the Elders and other Seekers. Haris became more overt in his power grab . . . without Isandru and Tellor to back Elder Arminius, there was no one willing to stand up to him. You have been named exile and traitor, Shanti. Seekers and Annajen agents alike have been seeking you throughout the Wild, but to no avail.”
“Isaru knew where we were,” I said. “Perhaps all that is a show. After all, we are the supposed murderers of his father.”
“I could never believe that of you,” Aela said. “But neither could I believe it of Isaru. But after hearing the news of how Isaru plans to attack Colonia, how he blames you for his father’s death . . . I knew he never liked his father, but I had no doubt he loved him, even if I don’t know Isaru as well as you do. Something isn’t right, but I couldn’t stand by and let your name be slandered, even if it meant giving up my post at the Sanctum. At the very least, I wanted to discover the truth for myself. Since there has
been no news of you anywhere, all of us feared the worst.”
The Seekers had long been hunting me, though now it was for a different reason. Seeker Amalia, who sat across me even now, had been one of the Champions ordered to hunt me down and bring me back to the Sanctum, along with Anna’s blade. When I returned to the Sanctum a few weeks later, only Elder Arminius’ judgment had allowed me to leave the Sanctum freely, granting me the time to prove my identity.
Time had passed. Over three months of time . . . and it seemed that Elder Haris’s arguments had won over mine.
Only, there was nothing more I could do. I had proclaimed myself, and now, people either believed me or they didn’t.
Those who hadn’t chosen a side yet were waiting for me to prove myself further.
But I was still curious about one thing. “What turned you around, Seeker Amalia?”
“I believed shortly after you announced yourself,” she said. “You fought like no Initiate I’d ever seen when we found you in Haven. Four Champions against one, and you held your own. Granted, you fled in the end, but the point still stands. And the fact that Elder Tellor himself followed you has divided our sect in half. Most who have proclaimed themselves for him, and for you, have left by now, most going east to join him in Atlantea. Those who have stayed stand behind Champion Garin. With Elder Isandru gone, the Prophets are all but dead as a sect . . . its only members are here right now, or their locations remain unknown.”
Kachar, the advisor to the king and queen of Atlantea, had been one such prophet who had given himself over to the Radaskim. That was one of the missing prophets, and I had no idea about any of the others.
“So, Haris runs the place now in all but name,” I said. “I had a dream about him, and I believe it’s true. He has sided with the Radaskim.”
Amalia’s eyes widened, as if I had said something taboo. I realized I’d been away from the Sanctum too long; saying things about the Radaskim wasn’t done casually.
