“Who are you?” she asked.
The old man looked aghast for an instant, “Oh my, where are my manners. Oh my, oh my indeed,” he continued, seeming to have been caught off guard and acting flustered. “It has been so very long since I’ve talked face to face with anyone, you see. How rude of me.”
He seemed to give himself a shake, smiled warmly again and bowed deeply before her. “Please forgive an old man’s ramblings my dear. My name is Olumé.”
Katheryne reeled in shock. Derren and Krista had told her of the legends and the name most prevalent and revered above all others was Olumé. He it had been who had hidden the magic and halted Tenybris’s first assault on the universe.
Her expression must have betrayed her thoughts as Olumé chuckled warmly.
“I suppose I should be glad some people remember me after such a long time,” he said still smiling. “Now let me look at you. Stand up straight dear, stand up...it’s not every day that I get to see my greatest ever creation.”
Katheryne stood straight and still on reflex, but the shock caused her head to swim and she staggered. Olumé was there holding her hand to steady her. He may have looked ancient but the hand was as firm as a rock as Katheryne felt his strength support her.
“I’m sorry Katheryne,” he said, embarrassed, “I had quite forgotten about the correct use of timing and tact.” Olumé managed to be bashful and mischievous at the same time and Katheryne delighted in his ability to make the contradictions seem totally natural.
“I had no right to confront you with this before ‘preparing the ground’, as they say. Please sit down.” He waved, his wrist twisting in another extravagant flourish.
The fallen tree trunk appeared from nowhere and Katheryne sat carefully, still feeling a faint dizziness.
She looked up at him as another similar trunk appeared and he too sat down. He seemed ancient but his movements belied his appearance as his bearing upon the trunk was almost regal. It might have been a gold leafed throne; such was the serenity he possessed.
“I don’t understand,” she said in wonder, “What do you mean? How can I be your greatest creation?”
Olumé pondered where to begin for a second. He had his directness under control now and was obviously careful about how to continue.
“Hmm, well, creation may have been a bit presumptuous of me,” he joked, “Of course I didn’t ‘actually’ create you...it’s more that you are the culmination of a plan I put in place thousands of years ago.”
This made Katheryne only slightly less confused.
“How can that be possible?” she asked, incredulously. “How can you plan for one person to be born at the right time after thousands of years have passed?”
Olumé smiled smugly and laughed his impossibly childish laugh. The sound could only be described as magical and Katheryne was caught up in it as she smiled also.
“It was a very good plan,” he said, chuckling again. “One of my best, and even if I say so myself, I’ve made some fine plans over the years, even before my death.”
Katheryne’s jaw dropped open. How could all the power she could sense be coming from someone that wasn’t even alive?
“Yes, Katheryne. I’m dead,” confirmed the being who had been Olumé, however the smile remained on his face.
“Oh, I’m still me,” he said mischievously, “but what you see before you is the remnant of my soul, left here for the sole...if you’ll pardon the pun...for the sole purpose of assisting you with your current dilemma.”
All these revelations were too much for Katheryne to take, but she made herself concentrate and gradually her head stopped trying to explode. But as her mind calmed, other questions came to her, ones that she never in a thousand years had expected to be able to ask.
Olumé’s remnant sat still but could clearly see the curiosity fighting to get free.
“Ask your questions Katheryne. We have a short time before we need to go.”
Katheryne couldn’t quite believe she was here, talking to a being, even the remnant of one, who had been dead for millennia. She had so many questions but time was short so she sought the one which had bothered her for so long.
“Why did you let Tenybris win?” she asked, “I mean, it’s obvious to me that when you were alive you were so much more powerful than he was. Why didn’t you stop him when you had the chance to?”
The being sighed, as if he had been dreading this very question, and it was with a hint of sadness that he looked at Katheryne and spoke.
“Yes, I was more powerful than Tenybris, you are correct in that observation Katheryne,” he said quietly. “But to stop him…to kill a friend, even one who had fallen so far as he had, would have left its mark on me. Even though I would have done it with the very best of intentions I would have awakened a beast inside of me which would eventually have grown to make what Tenybris has become seem like a kitten beside a lion.”
“You see, our race…The People we simply called ourselves, we are…were, I should say, the embodiment of innocence. Before Tenybris’s fall we had existed for thousands of years in peace, as the Land gave us everything we needed. There was no greed, for why should there be when you had everything that your heart desired? But our desires were pure and unselfish, and unfortunately open to exploitation.”
“Outsiders came,” he continued, “and though the vast majority were friendly to the People and respected the Land, there were those who were unscrupulous and greedy. They began to use the People’s bond with the Land to grow rich and powerful on their own worlds. The balance of peace in the universe was in danger of being interrupted so I knew I had to act.”
Katheryne sat with a look of wonder on her face as he went on with the tale.
“My father and I created a simple enough spell, one which was completely harmless to the visitors to the Land, but one which halted the exploitation of my simple people instantly. You see Katheryne; I knew that the driving force behind these crimes was greed. So without greed they were no longer a danger.”
Katheryne gaped, “You took away their greed?”
“No…no that would have been…un-neighbourly of me,” he grinned. “No I simply masked their greed while they were on my world. They could travel there with the worst of intentions, but as soon as they stepped foot in the Lands they no longer wanted anything more than they absolutely needed.”
Katheryne smiled as what he had said caused her to laugh.
“That’s brilliant,” she giggled, “God, you must have pissed them off.”
Olumé’s remnant laughed along with her.
“Yes, I do recall some resentment being directed toward me as they departed,” he chuckled, “I can’t for a second think why, can you?”
Katheryne was still smiling but felt another question coming so she calmed herself before speaking.
“So, what happened? It seems like you had everything in hand.” she asked.
The being was suddenly sombre.
“Yes, it did appear that way, and for many years it was.” He sighed, as if what he was about to say was incredibly hard for him to admit.
“The People did not travel beyond the Lands Katheryne, for obvious reasons. We were bound to it and we loved it.”
Katheryne could clearly see moisture in Olumé’s eyes.
“But there were times when it was necessary to leave and it was during one of these journeys that the seed of corruption was planted in Tenybris’s soul. And this selfish act was carried out in revenge for my spell to stop the greed of certain outsiders exploiting my people.”
Katheryne looked at him in shock, “These people did this? I can’t believe that anyone could have been so spiteful and stupid to unleash him on the universe.”
“Oh, I don’t think they had any idea of how far their little plan would get out of control,” said Olumé, grimly, “No, I think they were simply trying to engineer a…change of management as it were, so they might be able to negotiate better terms with Tenybris.”
&nbs
p; Olumé grew sorrowful again as he continued.
“The seed they planted within Tenybris lay dormant for years. I doubt he even became aware of his growing dissatisfaction until over a century had passed,” said Olumé bitterly.
“If only I had been more vigilant I might have been able to save him, but by the time I perceived how much he had changed it was too late to help him.”
“But I couldn’t kill him Katheryne, because don’t you see?” he was clearly pleading for her to understand, “In a way I was responsible for what had happened to him. It was my spell that drove those others to carry out this act.”
Katheryne balked at this, “There’s no way you’re to blame for the evil and jealously of others...you couldn’t have known what they would do.”
Olumé smiled back in gratitude, “Thank you my dear. You may be right, but the deed was done and it was too late for me to stop it. So I had to do my best to mitigate the unfolding disaster…which is where you come in.”
“This big plan of yours again, huh?” she asked.
“Yes, my plan, although the plan to bring about your existence is only one of many that are slowly coming together.” He hinted but gave nothing more away.
“The plan to shape humanity was as I have said one of my better ones. Even in the beginning of your evolution your race was a contradiction.” Olumé smiled as he teased Katheryne.
“You are capable of so many differing levels of emotion. With love and hate at either end, you are one of the only races in the universe that can feel both at the same time.”
“Well there’s a thin line between love and hate,” Katheryne said smiling.
Olumé chuckled.
“Do you realise that you are probably the only race in existence who would even understand that phrase?” asked Olumé smiling.
“The People are a race of purity and innocence as I have said, but they are a race capable of vast extremes,” explained Olumé.
“Indeed until Tenybris’s fall, my entire race had been utterly pure, with no evil thoughts ever having entered their lives. A lot of that was because of the rarity of travel beyond the Lands. The Lands themselves were the source of the purity so while the People resided there, their innocence was incorruptible.”
“But once a seed of evil has entered into one of, us as it did with Tenybris whilst off world, the path to the other end of the extreme is irresistible. The can be no halting the fall until hatred has taken the soul and twisted it to evil.”
He turned and looked intensely at Katheryne as he spoke.
“And that is why I could not kill Tenybris, Katheryne, even if I had wanted to. I couldn’t do it because if I had I would have set myself on the path toward hatred. I would have been terrible Katheryne, believe me when I say that Tenybris’s atrocities would have paled into insignificance when compared to mine.”
As she looked at Olumé she was frightened but was certain what he said was true.
“And I didn’t want to, because he had been my friend for centuries before the fall. We had been closer than brothers so at the end of my life I rejoiced, because if everything I had planned came to fruition, my friend’s soul would be released to the oblivion of the Never, to be reborn as all of us eventually are.”
As Katheryne watched, a tear ran down Olumé’s face and he sat there on the fallen trunk clinging onto a hope he had no way of knowing would ever end in success. She began to stand but he moved first.
“But for now, we have a soul to save.” He snapped his fingers, and as he stood up the island was gone and they were again in the void of blackness.
Katheryne felt as if she had more to say, as if more remained unsaid but Olumé’s actions had made her remember the purpose of this meeting.
“So you can tell me how to travel in time?” Katheryne asked hopefully.
Olumé looked back in amusement, “No my dear, you already know how to do that…look,” he gestured as the globe of the Never appeared before them and she was drawn deep inside it, flying faster and faster until she abruptly stopped.
Before her was her mother’s soul, floating serenely through the Never as it prepared to pass on and become one with the void, her essence to be reborn in new life.
Olumé was there at her side watching her closely as she reached out and touched the globe of light and energy, feeling the confusion within, but receiving back a flood of love as it seemed to know who was there.
“Mum.” Katheryne’s eyes were wet with fresh tears as she poured her own love back into the sphere. She turned to Olumé. “What do I do? Can I hide her somehow from B’ran before he feeds her to Tenybris?”
Olumé’s features grew dark as a shadow seemed to pass over them, but he brightened as he spoke.
“You don’t understand Katheryne,” said Olumé gently, as if he spoke to a child who needed gentle guidance to come to the right conclusion.
“B’ran has already done this.” he said indicating the globe of essence, “The accident your father witnessed was no such accident. It was the being Dwenn who reached in and ripped your mother from you all.”
Katheryne’s whole being reeled in shock and she felt like she couldn’t breathe as Olumé made this revelation, but she made an effort and slowly recovered as he continued, seemingly unaware of the effect his last sentence had had on her.
“True, the experiment your father was carrying out at the time provided her with a clearer, more accessible victim. I’m sure Dwenn was delighted when your mother was lit up like a nova by the unfortunate side effects of it.” He almost cackled at this point but managed to stop, and as he searched Katheryne’s face he became saddened as he saw the effect the news was having on her.
“He could never have suspected anything like this would have happened, my dear, so don’t judge him harshly,” he said. “As a matter of fact his experiment was a total success, except for the unfortunate consequences of course.”
His bright manner angered Katheryne but he laid his hand on her arm as he realised that yet again he had gone just a little bit too far.
“I’m sorry Katheryne; I need to mind what I say. I apologise for being so...flippant.”
Katheryne felt the sincerity and regret flowing from him, so she reached and patted the hand smiling.
“So,” she said, “Now what? If I’m too late to stop B’ran and Dwenn now, can’t I go back further?”
“There is no need,” Olumé explained, “Everything we need is in place now. I just have to show you what to do.” He continued in his bright voice but Katheryne sensed something change.
She had a brief glimpse of something she didn’t understand. Olumé was hiding something from her but she couldn’t imagine what or why he would do so. But she had a task ahead of her so she decided to let it go for now.
“OK...show me what I have to do,” she said, hesitantly.
There was no hint of deception on Olumé’s part as he continued, so Katheryne thought she must have been imagining something.
“First you have to understand that if your mother’s soul stays in the Never, it will eventually be found by Tenybris. Part of Dwenn’s spell is causing it to linger for much longer than it normally would.”
“So I have to hide it? The same way that Derren hid me?” she asked.
“No,” replied Olumé, “No trick of concealment would be enough to fool Tenybris. We have to send the soul somewhere else.”
Katheryne looked at Olumé, confusion on her face.
“But there is nowhere else,” she said. “The Never is all of existence isn’t it?”
Olumé paused. He had a thoughtful enigmatic look on his face now.
“It...used to be.” He was smiling that smug smile again.
“Ah, is this another of your plans?” Katheryne smiled back at him.
“Yes, and another of my better ones again,” he laughed as he rubbed his hands together. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the Veiled Lands?”
She nodded. “The place where you hid the magic from Tenybr
is, right?”
“Yes, yes...well in a few moments, if I have...planned it right,” another chuckle, “a rift will open in the Veil and you will have the opportunity to transport your mother there.”
“We’re going to send her to the Veiled lands?” Katheryne’s heart soared as she saw a way to save her mother, “You mean she’ll be alive?”
“She will survive yes,” said Olumé, his tone not conveying total confidence, and the feeling he was hiding something reawakened inside her.
“But she will be unaware of who she is until much later in her life. She needs to be mature enough to accept the tasks before her at the proper time, which is why we have to send her back in time at the same time as we transport her through the rift.”
“But isn’t that dangerous?” asked Katheryne, remembering the conversation with Krista back in the Chapel, “What about the risk to the future if she does something wrong?”
Olumé swelled with smugness, “All planned for my dear. She’ll not be in this universe so any action she takes there will have no effect here, you see?”
“Right...I think,” said Katheryne doubtfully, but another question arose urgently.
“OK, you say that whatever she does won’t affect this universe,” she pondered, “but what about the Veiled Lands? Couldn’t she somehow damage them?”
Olumé smiled and looked on Katheryne with an expression of the utmost pride.
“You have exceeded even my greatest expectations my dear,” he beamed. “Yes of course, you are right, but that is also something I have planned for.”
He might have been about to say more but Olumé expectedly looked around as if he tasted the Never, before fixing Katheryne with an intense stare.
“It’s time, are you ready?” he asked.
“But I don’t know what to do,” she said panicking.
“I told you, that’s what I’m here for,” laughed Olumé as he reached out and took her hands, grinning and somehow managing yet again to take her concerns and worries away.
He took her hand and guided her as she used her mind to search for the image he painted in her head. She began to see it, a slight tear in the fabric of the Never and as she concentrated, it expanded outwards. Before her a window in the void opened into a green and bright world.
Souls of the Never: A Fantasy Scifi Romance Time Travel series, with Dragons, Elves and Faeries. (Tales of the Neverwar Series Book 1) Page 17
