by Leyton, Bisi
“There is one nucleus in each realm, but not pocket realms like Jarthan and the Deep,” Robinia replied.
“How many dimensions are there?” Garfield wondered. “Are there people living in thousands of different realms?”
“Including the hell dimensions there are two hundred discovered realms, but I do not have the maps. They are stored in another archive. Some realms have people, but most cannot support human life. Ajana is among the harshest,” Robinia continued.
“And if I want to seal the thresholds to make travel between realms impossible, I can do that?” Wisteria speculated.
“Yes, but you will have to do that from the Nucleus and you will not be able to return back if you do that. Do you wish to seal the threshold to Earth now?” Robinia asked.
“Has it ever been done before?” Wisteria inquired.
“Yes, once. The thresholds to Orad have been permanently sealed.”
“Once Garfield’s back home, I’ll seal it.” Wisteria nodded and approached to her best friend.
“I said I wasn’t leaving you to face this alone and I meant it!” He was livid
“This isn’t an argument.” She was glad Garfield here, but she couldn’t let him throw his life away for her. “How do I open the threshold to send him back to—?”
“You just make it happen. You’re hardwired into this room. It will obey your instincts,” Robinia answered.
“No, Wisteria,” Garfield yelled.
“Mistress, there is a problem. Your friends are attacking the sentry again. Should I order it to destroy them?” Robinia asked.
“No, don’t harm them, but take us back. Take us back,” Wisteria commanded. “We’ve got what we need.”
Chapter Eighteen
Purple Pulse
Wisteria, Garfield and Robinia returned to the atrium.
“Stay back,” Enric warned as Wisteria approached. “Get away now!” He and the other Famila were on their knees covered in bruises.
Three stone sentries pointed four swords each, all trained on the Famila. Amazingly, the archives inventory looked untouched. Wisteria could scarcely believe there’d been a fight there.
“We’re good,” Garfield shouted back. “But seems like you all got into a bit of trouble.”
“Shut up, Terran.” Alba sneered at Garfield. “I cannot wait to see these things crush you and the fat girl.”
“Silence Alba! Is it not obvious we are alive because Wisteria wants this?” Felip scolded, but then changed his tone as he turned to Wisteria. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“We’re leaving.” Wisteria wasn’t going to tell him anything.
“No.” Enric jumped up, but was smacked down by a sentry who then pinned him down with a foot.
“Robinia, make sure they leave, but do not let them back inside,” Wisteria continued.
“You must be the avatar,” Felip said to Robinia.
“How did you know that?” Garfield asked.
“She is mentioned in my book. Very powerful avatars were used by the First Pillar to manage their network of Halls and Rooms of Ages. There was supposed to be one in the Room of Ages in Jarthan, but it was never completed.”
“Wisteria, you are not going to be able to do this without my help.” Enric struggled underneath the grip of the sentry
“Release him,” Wisteria commanded the sentry.
It didn’t move.
“I order you.” She repeated as she hurried to the stone guard and waved in front of it, but nothing happened.
“Robinia controls the sentries. She is the interface between you and the archive itself. As long as what you ask for is in line with the First Pillar’s best interests and beliefs, she will obey you. It stops you from ordering the sentries to destroy this place or send a bomb to another realm,” Felip told her. “Not that you would do that.”
“Is that true?” Wisteria asked Robinia.
“Yes.” Robinia nodded. “My purpose is to prevent confusion and chaos, but ensure your needs are met while you are here, Mistress.”
“Have the sentry release Enric…The big guy.” Wisteria pointed at him.
Immediately, the stone sentry lifted its foot from Enric and he crawled out.
“Thank you.” He wiped blood from his lip as he neared Wisteria. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Wisteria stared at the cuts down the side of his face and arms. “How badly are you hurt?”
“I am fine.” He limped forward. He clearly felt pain, but kept coming until he stood a few inches away from her. “Did you find something?”
Glancing behind him at Felip and Alba, she nodded slightly, so they wouldn’t see her response.
“Did you get the prax?” Alba called out.
“Wait, you knew about the prax? I thought you didn’t know what we were looking for?” Wisteria frowned at Felip.
“I did not.” Felip turned to Alba in horror. “What do you know?”
“My father taught me more than you will ever understand.” Alba smirked. “If you are going to murder Dy’obeths, poison Bach first. He is devoted to you and in his near primal state he will hunt you down, so infecting him will be child’s play. Once you infect him, he will take down all the Dy’obeths.”
“Bloody Vadda.” Felip seethed. “Wisteria will no sooner do that to Bach than I would to her.”
“Can you not see she hates you?” Alba scoffed. “Why do you keep on trying to earn her respect by acting like her fool? You will never get it.”
“Alba, what happened to you?” Enric turned to his sister.
“She’s a Drone,” Wisteria muttered to herself.
“Felip is my life,” Alba continued. “I believe in him and even if he made a mistake and we went down the wrong path it is because he was deceived by the Rat.” She pointed at Wisteria.
“We cannot talk here,” Wisteria said to Enric.
“Up there?” Robinia pointed to a series of glass rooms above the atrium. “They will not be able to hear you in there.”
That room gave her the perfect line of sight to Felip and Alba.
“That could work.” Wisteria headed up. Inside, she found it filled with piles of books and maps about a place called Orad.
Enric and Garfield entered behind her.
“Was Alba right? You got a poison?” Enric asked her as he closed the door. “And Bach can spread it to the other blood thirsties?”
“More like a disease,” Wisteria answered.
“Felip and Alba are not aware of this, but we captured a wounded Dy’obeth. We could infect her with the artifact you have and she can spread it to the others,” Enric suggested.
“Where?” she asked.
“In the Jade Ocean with Turia and a few empirics who I trust are guarding her. Turia did not give me the exact location because we agreed the less people who knew the better. Once we are ready to leave, we will open a threshold outside the Hall of Ages and join them,” Enric said.
“We could open a threshold from in here.” Garfield pointed out.
“No, if we do that, there is a risk of someone could come back through here.” Enric explained. “After a threshold is closed, it is possible to get it to reopen to the last location.”
“We have to hope that your Dy’obeth doesn’t escape first,” Garfield remarked. “From what I hear, it’s pretty hard keeping Dy’obeths contained.”
“Bach is my friend and not like the blood thirsties. We can at least try before poisoning—” Enric protested.
“Bach should to pass this disease to his people.” Garfield noted. “Because even if you don’t infect him what’s to stop him from getting sick anyway?”
“And what happens to your people when he finishes her off?” Enric seethed.
“Since when have you cared about the humans?” Garfield retorted, just as fiercely.
“Wisteria, you promised Bach you would help him. Instead of giving up at the first obstacle,” Enric pointed out.
“The first
obstacle? My stepfather died. Steven is gone. I’ll probably never return home again and if I did what I’d face is a town overrun with biters, draug and whatever else Didan sent there.” Wisteria marched up to Enric. “The humans here are probably going to be slaughtered in no small part because of your people, so, don’t tell me I just gave up!”
“Then do something,” Enric implored. “You are the only one.”
“What? What can I do to free Bach from the darkness? Tell me?” she demanded.
“Mistress, I can help you reverse the darkness.” Robinia materialized in their midst. Holding out her hand, she offered Wisteria a tiny leather bag.
“What is it?” Taking the bag, Wisteria peeked inside. “Needles?”
“They are beadle pins. The Family can use them to break renewal. It should set your friend free,” Robinia explained.
“He wasn’t renewed by the Family. He was renewed by a Dy’obeths.” Enric spoke up.
“Dy’obeths are the Family,” Wisteria answered.
“Impossible, they—” Enric protested.
“It’s a long story and we don’t have the time to get into it. How does the beadle pin work?” Wisteria examined the thick needle.
Taking the pin, Robinia drove it deep into Wisteria’s arm.
“Robinia!” Wisteria jerked her arm away from the stone girl and leather bag containing the remaining pins fell to the ground. “Why did you do that? I’m not a Thayn or a Drone.”
Robinia caught all the pins and the bag before they reached the ground. “I know.”
“Tell me how this works,” Enric stepped up to the small stone girl.
Ignoring Enric, Robinia answered Wisteria’s question, “I had to implant it in you, so you could generate a purple pulse to break the renewal.”
“Humans cannot generate pulses,” Enric insisted.
“Robinia, I thought only the Family could generate a pulse,” Garfield interjected.
“Garfield, the purple pulse is temporary, but will allow Mistress three or four chances to unlock the mind of her friend,” Robinia related. “Or one chance to unlock the minds of three people.”
“And then I recharge?” Wisteria examined the spot where the needle entered her arm. The tips of her fingers sparked for a second, but she felt nothing.
“Not right away. The beadle pin is poisonous in high doses, so you will have to wait nine months from now, before you can absorb another,” Robinia replied.
“No, give me a beadle pin.” Enric reached for the bag.
Robinia moved it out of his grasp and sucked the bag into her stone body.
“Robinia, I said give it to me,” Enric demanded.
“She doesn’t listen to you. She obeys me and Wisteria.” Garfield smirked. “Ask nicely and I’ll get her to help you.”
“Why would she obey you and not me?” Enric seethed.
Garfield smiled. “I’m more important big guy, but I’ll tell you what. After she’s given me the booster shot, I’ll ask her to give you one.”
Enric became red faced, but contained his anger.
“Robinia, give me a needle?” Garfield asked cockily.
“No,” the avatar answered calmly.
“Very interesting,” Enric quipped.
“Robinia, Wisteria told you to obey me.” Garfield frowned as he walked over to the avatar.
“Mistress said I was to answer your questions,” Robinia retorted. “The answer to your question about the beadle pin is…no.”
“Can Garfield be implanted with the needle too?” Wisteria wondered.
“Like everything else here, you alone can use it. Mistress, if I gave it to him, he’d react badly.”
“How badly?” Garfield inquired.
“You would hear voices at first, followed by violent and vivid hallucinations and eventually death. Mistress, would you like me to proceed?” Robinia asked.
“No,” Garfield declared.
“Mistress, shall I proceed?” Robinia repeated.
“Wisteria?,” Garfield called.
“No, don’t,” Wisteria answered distracted as she stared down at Felip and Alba who were still under the watch of the sentries. “So, I could use this pulse to undo whatever Felip did to Alba?”
“Very easily Mistress,” Robinia assured.
“Wait, you sure you want to do this?” Enric’s voice became lighter. “You want to help my sister?”
“After everything that girl put you and Bach through?” Garfield exclaimed. “You can’t be serious?”
“She didn’t have a choice. Like Piper, Alba is a Drone. She deserves to be free.” Turning to Enric, Wisteria nodded. “Robinia, make the sentries release Alba to Enric.”
“Yes, Mistress,” Robinia stated.
Enric bolted out of the room.
“You sure?” Garfield shook his head.
“No.” She watched Enric speak to his sister. “But we need to test the pulse. If I’m going face to face with Bach again, I should make sure it works.”
Garfield chuckled.
“You think that’s heartless?” Wisteria asked.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d do the same thing,” Garfield concurred. “But it is a little heartless. There’s a little more of your mother in you than you realize.”
“Right now, that might be a good thing.” Wisteria’s gaze didn’t waver.
Enric returned, carrying Alba kicking and screaming.
“Release me,” Alba shrieked as Enric put her down in the center of the room. “If you do not let me be with Felip, then you can kill me.”
“What do we do now Robinia?” Wisteria felt nervous. “How do I help her?”
“Place your hands on her temples,” Robinia instructed.
“Do not touch me Terran jaga,” Alba cursed as she lunged for Wisteria.
“Hold her still.” Wisteria asked Enric as she approached Alba.
“Okay.” Enric placed his arms around his sister’s arms and torso to prevent her from moving. “Alba, relax. We are not going to hurt you.”
“Enric, stop,” Alba screamed.
“This will make you feel better,” he tried to assure her.
Alba’s reaction was to scream and yell even louder.
Cautiously, Wisteria put her hands on Alba’s hot temples. “Now what?”
“Release a purple pulse into her,” Robinia said.
“How?” Wisteria yelled over Alba’s wails.
“Focus on the purple light,” Robinia replied.
After a few seconds, Wisteria felt no change. “It’s not working.”
“Get away from me. Felip help me,” Alba shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Really, concentrate on unlocking her mind,” Robinia added. “Instinctively, you will understand what to do.”
Closing her eyes again, Wisteria kept her hands against Alba’s head. She saw streaks of purple light shooting through the blackness. Her fingertips tingled and a strange sensation slowly took over her whole hand.
“Bloody hell,” Garfield expressed.
“D’cara.” Enric swore.
Opening her eyes, Wisteria was stunned to see her hands were pure white and emanated a lilac light, which lit up Alba’s whole head.
Dropping to her knees, Alba stared back at Wisteria blankly with her mouth wide open.
“When should I stop?” Wisteria called out.
“When the light turns dark,” Robinia replied.
“How long is that going to take? I—” As Wisteria spoke, her lilac light turned deep purple and almost black. She removed her hands.
Alba slumped back and was caught by Enric.
Trembling from exhaustion, Wisteria took a seat on a pile of books about Tirranna City. “Did it work?”
“It should have worked.” Robinia answered.
Enric lifted his sister onto a dusty table.
“Alba, can you hear me?” Enric brushed her flaxen hair out of her face.
“Brother,” Alba muttered and opened her eyes. “What is going on?
”
“How do you feel?” Enric asked.
Alba blinked rapidly. “What are you doing back so soon?”
“Back from where?” Enric responded.
“From the Great Walk? You were supposed to be in Terra with Bach and Felip. Has something happened to Bach?”
“Alba, the Great Walk ended years ago. You do not remember?” Enric asked.
“What are you talking about? You left eighty-nine or ninety days ago.” Alba struggled to her feet. “Enric, why are Terrans here? Have you got new Thayns?” Bewildered, she stared at Wisteria and Garfield.
Wisteria felt her heart beat pick up. Chances were this version of Alba would still hate humans. Wisteria hoped Enric would be able to convince her they were on the same side—for now.
“Come to think of it, where are we? Why are we in such an old and disgusting place?” Alba wiped the dust off her dress.
“Listen a lot has happened that I cannot explain right now, but—” Enric started.
“What is this?” Curiously, Alba fixated on the large glass window with the view of stacks of books and artifacts in the atrium. “Enric this isn’t Jarthan. Where are we?”
“We are in the Moon Desert,” he revealed.
“You have abandoned the Great Walk and returned to our realm?” Alba’s eyes widened. “You have to leave before Father discovers this or he will be furious. Bach will definitely cover for you, so we—”
“Father is dead,” Enric whispered solemnly.
Alba rolled her eyes. “No, I saw him this morning. Are you sure you are all right?”
“He died over two years ago. You just do not remember.” Approaching her, Enric took her hands. “You were renewed.”
“I am not Terran,” Alba scoffed. “I cannot be renewed.”
“I do not understand it myself, but your mind was not your own when our father died,” Enric continued.
Wisteria couldn’t imagine the pain of having to explain something so devastating.
“Please say this is a joke?” Tears rolled down from Alba’s pale green eyes.
“I wish I could.” Enric shook his head.
“He is gone?” Alba buried her head against her brother’s chest. “What happened to him? Was he sick?”
