"And so Krinir was driven insane," she said.
"A simplistic explanation, but it will suffice."
"And now Darien Warrick is the Creator."
"In a sense," Rador said. "He is the Creator, but that doesn't quite make him like us. For that, you must go to the Source. You must become a god in truth."
"This is a lot to take in," Kara said, "and you still haven't answered my second question. Did you bring me here?" She shifted her stance nervously, worried she'd been too bold.
"It's the way your magic interacted with the magic of the Lightning Temple. You have the magic of another world in the universe, a place you briefly visited. It's known as Sunweaving." He smiled. "Have you ever noticed how you gain magical energy? It comes from standing in the sun, absorbing its energy."
Now that Kara thought about that, it did make sense. That also explained why she'd never developed her magic in the Shadowed Land, not until she'd stepped into the room with those strange lamps that reminded her of the sun.
"Two types of magic are not meant to mix like that," he said. "The overwhelming power of the Lightning Temple met your powerful Sunweaving, and it was a contradiction in the very fabric of reality. That's why the interaction sent you here, outside reality as you know it."
"You still haven't told me what this place is."
"This place is the God Realm," he said. "Or at least that is what we've come to call it. Some believe it is a planet like any other. Others believe it's outside reality as we know it. I personally believe it is much like the Shadowed Land."
"But you don't know? I thought you were a god."
He laughed. "I may be a god, but I am not omniscient. None of us are." He leaned against a nearby boulder. "In fact, we were once humans. We had the gift of magic, but otherwise we were normal. But there was a great war between our people and another race of people. In that war, we discovered how to make ourselves into gods, and that helped us win."
Kara felt more confused than ever. "Another race? What do you mean?"
"It's not important. They are known as the Itari, but they belong to the past. You need not worry about them."
That didn't feel like a sufficient explanation, but Kara could tell he didn't want to discuss the matter further. And he was a god. Even if he'd been friendly so far, there was no telling how he'd respond if she pushed too hard with her questions.
She decided to change the subject. "Do others gods live here?"
"Not here, precisely. It's difficult to explain. There are three different realms, you could say. There's the Physical Realm, the one in which you live. There's the Shadowed Land, which connects all the worlds. Then there's the God Realm. Each section of the God Realm is tethered to its corresponding Physical Realm and Shadowed Land."
Kara felt as if her thoughts were tying themselves into knots. "I don't understand any of this. Are you sure I'm not dreaming?"
"If this were a dream, would it matter what I told you?"
"No. I'd still think I was dreaming." She glanced around the grassy plain, squinting against the bright orange light. "Can I return home, or am I stuck here?"
"That's a difficult question to answer."
"How is it difficult? Yes or no."
"You can return," he said. "But you will never belong to just that world anymore. By going through the Nexus, you took the first step toward becoming a god." He held up a hand. "No, you are not a god yet. That's probably not even the right term to describe it. It's merely the term that makes the most sense to you." He paused a moment. "If I had to give my own terms, I'd say people like you are Travelers, those with the capability of going between worlds."
"Can Krinir and Lionar do this?" she asked.
"No, they are chained to this world, along with its God Realm and Shadowed Land. You are not."
"Is this the case for everyone who goes through the Nexus?" she asked.
"No, it is only for those who are born to one world but possess the magic of another. It is one of the great mysteries of the universe."
"Then you can go wherever you want?" she asked.
"I can travel between different God Realms, but I cannot set foot in the Physical Realm or in the Shadowed Land. I can only watch events as they unfold there."
"Why can't you leave this place?"
His gaze became distant, his expression pained. "When I gave up my status as Creator, I did it in this place. I did not realize that I would lose the ability to leave the God Realm."
Kara wanted to reach out and comfort him, but he was a god, and she had no idea if that was the right thing to do. Instead, she stood there awkwardly, trying to think of something to say.
"I'm sorry," she said. It was the best she could come up with.
"Don't worry about it. The important thing is that you're free to go wherever you wish. But first you must understand your true nature. Learning to do this will not be easy. There may not be enough time."
"Enough time for what?" she asked.
"To save your world."
Chapter 27: Windhaven
Berig had enjoyed his best sleep in a long time. After so much exertion, it had been easy to sleep in Rey's home. Some might have said the place was small and cramped, but Berig was used to meager accommodations.
The next morning, they all assembled in the main room on the lower level. Markus, Nadia, Klint, and Travin were all there.
Rey stood in the corner of the room, his expression grave. "I have a plan, but it won't be easy. There are all kinds of ways it could go wrong."
Everyone leaned toward him with interest.
He grabbed two sets of green clothing from a nearby table. "These are the uniforms of the servants of Windhaven. You're gonna pretend to be servants. From inside, you'll make your way down to the dungeons, where you'll free Brandin."
"Why're there only two uniforms?" Markus asked.
"Because only Berig and Klint are going."
Berig's stomach lurched. "Why us?"
"You told me enough of your stories for me to get a good idea who'd be best suited. Both of you have been thieves, people used to living in the shadows. I'm sure Markus and Nadia could do well, but not as well as you two."
"It makes sense," Nadia said. "But what are we doing instead?"
"Don't worry. You'll be going inside, too. Berig's gonna open up a secret passage to get you inside. It opens only to a sorcerer's wind magic." He handed a scroll to Berig. "This scroll contains a map of the palace, marking the places you need to go. After you free Brandin, you'll head to the docks, where Travin and I will have an airship waiting for you."
Berig felt sick. "You sure we'll be able to do this?"
"No, you'll probably die, but it's the best option we have."
"Don't worry, Berig," Markus said. "You'll make it through."
That damn time travel again, Berig thought. In a way, he almost looked forward to his death. At least then he would no longer feel like fate was controlling him. The others had their own issues with the Webs of Fate, but they couldn't understand how he felt. Trapped.
"So the plan seems pretty simple," Berig said. "Klint and I dress up as servants. We open this secret passage. Then we break this Brandin guy outta prison."
Rey chuckled. "It seems simple on the surface, but I’m sure you'll run into problems."
"Yeah, our plans don't really go according to plan," Berig said.
Rey frowned impatiently. "You ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be," Markus said.
Less than an hour later, Berig and Klint were dressed in the green servant uniforms, and were making their way toward the fortress. The scroll containing the map sat securely in one of Berig's pockets. Klint had strapped his staff across his back, and it was mostly hidden beneath the loose-fitting robes.
"I've also got a knife in my boot," Klint said. "The pocket's sewn in there so well you'd never think to check it." He shrugged. "Got me through some tough scrapes back in Seaside. Figure it might help out again."
"
Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Berig said.
As they approached the open fortress gate, Berig's stomach churned. The guards at the gate watched them with frowns but didn't stop them. Recalling his time as a thief, Berig kept his pace natural, while Klint managed the same beside him.
Soon they stood inside, where blue magical torches cast eerie light upon everything. The halls were bustling with people, most of them dressed in neatly tailored clothing in all kinds of colors. With their clean-shaven faces and haughty expressions, they reminded Berig of nobles back home. None of them spared a second glance for a couple of lowly servants.
Berig and Klint didn't talk as they traveled through the crowded halls, passing more nobles, as well as some guards. No one seemed suspicious of them.
But how long would that last?
Soon they made their way to a less crowded area. Once they'd concealed themselves in a corner, Berig pulled the scroll from his robes and examined it. The secret passage was two floors below the main level and far at the other side of the fortress.
"Hope that's a place servants are allowed to go," Berig said.
Klint said nothing, his expression grave as they began walking again. The farther they traveled, the emptier the corridors became. Berig could hear only their steps echoing in the mostly empty corridors. From time to time, they passed a guard.
"Shouldn't you be working," said one guard.
"Someone said there was a mess a floor down," Berig said. "We're headed there."
The guard narrowed his eyes. "With no broom or any other cleaning instrument."
"We'll find what we need down there," Klint said.
"I don't believe you."
Berig's heart climbed into his throat. He had to think of something, and fast. Glancing around in panic, he found nothing that could help them.
Klint took matters into his own hands. He pulled his staff out of his robes and sent a burst of lightning at the guard. The man raised his sword as if that could protect him, but the lightning crackled all around him, a field of glowing yellow. He screamed, hitting the floor, twisting in pain. Berig felt sick watching it, but there was nothing he could do. The man fell still.
"That's taken care of," Klint said.
"Did you have to kill him?"
"He wasn't gonna let us go."
"Somebody must have heard the screams," Berig said. "It's so quiet around here."
"It's possible," Klint said. "Just to be safe, let's get him outta the way." He pointed toward a nearby closet door, and together he and Berig pulled the guard into the closet. Afterward, they grabbed a couple of brooms sitting in the closet, then closed the wooden door. The corridor outside remained deserted. Berig felt as if he couldn't breathe.
Somebody must have heard the commotion.
Brooms in hand, Berig and Klint continued along the corridor, following the map Rey had drawn for them. The corridors were deserted at first, but soon Berig heard steps coming from ahead of them. Heart pounding, he glanced at Klint.
"Sweep," Klint said.
Berig and Klint took up spots a good distance from each other and started sweeping the stone floor, trying to look busy. The floor didn't look too dirty or dusty, though, so Berig was sure someone would see through the ruse.
The people who passed them were dressed in the fine robes of nobles. They didn't even spare a second glance for servants. That was part of the reason Rey had come up with the idea. Berig knew, from his time in the Empire, that servants were often invisible. In fact, he'd once posed as a servant to rob a wealthy noble. That was how he'd ended up in prison one time.
It had almost worked.
Once the nobles passed, Berig and Klint stopped sweeping and continued on through the branching corridors. With every step, Berig felt like throwing up as he remembered all the times his nerves had been his downfall as a thief. Would he ever get past that problem?
They found the stairs indicated on the map, then followed them down two levels. In the windowless fortress, one corridor looked much like another, but Berig couldn't shake the feeling that people would find their presence here suspicious.
Once again, the halls seemed deserted, but Berig thought he heard distant footsteps. Klint didn't hear a thing, of course, but Berig knew his senses were better because of his magic.
They didn't speak as they walked. Any sounds would echo through the corridors and potentially alert a guard. The air felt heavy and oppressive, and Berig expected a guard to jump out of a doorway at any second, and expose them for the imposters they were.
Berig and Klint were almost to the secret passage when the guard approached. This guard carried a staff, so he was probably a channeler. Klint couldn't catch him by surprise.
"What're you doing down here?" the guard asked. "Who assigned you to this level?"
Berig felt as if his insides had turned to ice. He couldn't think of a response.
"We're new here," Klint said. "Don't know all the names yet."
The guard narrowed his eyes. "You should know the names of your masters."
"We'll head back and get his name," Klint said. "Sorry if we weren't supposed to be here."
"The only person you'd take orders from is a woman. Her name's Anna."
"See?" Berig said. "We're new here. We'll go talk to Anna."
"New servants would not be permitted on this level," the guard said.
Berig shook his head, feeling sick. "Oh, we must have gone one level too low, then."
"Likely story."
Klint pulled his staff from his robes and tried the same tactic he'd used before, but the guard raised a shield, and the lightning crackled around it harmlessly. Berig tried to get through the shield with a shard of ice launched from his fingertips, but the ice melted as soon as it hit the fire shield. He should have known it wouldn't work.
But surely a shield wouldn't stop a great wind gust. Berig hadn't tested his wind magic yet, but drawing on it felt natural, as if it had always been a part of him. The wind he produced, however, was only a gentle breeze.
"That the best you've got?" the guard asked with a mocking smile.
Berig tried a whirlwind next, but the air swirled uselessly for a few seconds before dying. Damn. What could he do that would work? He focused on the ice magic he'd gained, testing out how it felt within him. He believed he could use it to reduce the temperature, but he doubted it would be enough to freeze the guard's blood or slow him down in any way.
Still, Berig had to try. He focused on the feeling of the magic within him, but when the cold flew out from him, it barely cooled the air. Damn. This wouldn't work either.
The guard shouted for help, keeping his shield up. Klint had tried all kinds of spells, but nothing had penetrated the shield, and it appeared Berig's magic was too weak to do anything. He could only produce powerful magic when he joined with Markus and Nadia. In all honesty, he figured most of that power came from Markus.
Another three guards appeared. One carried a staff, but the others had only swords. The channeler sent a blast of fire at Berig and Klint. Berig shouted a warning, and Klint raised a shield just in time to shield both of them.
"You need to run," Klint said. "I'll protect you."
"No, I have to stay with you." Berig took a deep breath, focusing on his earth magic as Klint's shield protected them from a barrage of spells.
Berig sent a spike of rock at one of the guards, but one of the channelers raised a shield, and the rock disintegrated.
The man barked a laugh. "Pathetic!"
Summoning boulders from the sky wouldn't work here, and Berig didn't think he was powerful enough to shift the rock around them. It would also take too long. That left him with only one choice. He could make the ground shake.
Focusing his thoughts, he gathered his magical energy. A few seconds later, the ground trembled beneath everyone else, including Klint, and they all fell.
Still on his feet, Berig hesitated as he kept the spell going.
Amidst the shaking, Klint lo
oked up at him. "You need to open the passage. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself."
Berig still hesitated, looking into Klint's eyes. Klint gave him an encouraging nod, and though Berig hated it, he had to trust Klint. The smuggler had been in a lot of tight places, and he'd always found a way out. Besides, Berig couldn't keep the spell going much longer.
It was strange to watch the ground tremble and yet not feel it himself. He scrambled over the guards as they struggled to their feet. One of them grabbed Berig's foot as he ran past, but when he slashed at the man's hand with a dagger, the man released him.
Berig still had the map. He glanced at it, praying he was going the right way. It was surprising that he could keep the spell going so long, but he did feel his energy waning.
After he rounded a few corners, he let the magic die, knowing the secret passage was only a couple of corridors away. He kept glancing back, expecting pursuit. Footsteps and voices sounded in the distance, coming closer with every second.
His heart pounded in his ears as he sprinted through the corridors. When he finally reached the dead end where the secret passage was located, he brought forth some of his wind magic, sending it at the wall. Though he produced only a gentle breeze, it was enough.
The passage rumbled open ahead of him. Nadia and Markus stood there, smiling when they saw him.
"Where's Klint?" Markus asked.
"Had to leave him behind," Berig said, feeling a twinge of guilt.
"I'm sure he can handle himself," Markus said.
"Can I see the map?" Nadia asked.
"We need to get moving," Berig said. "The guards are closing in on us." As if to prove his point, the guards' voices echoed louder. Dozens of hurried footsteps approached.
"Yeah, I think we should start running," Markus said.
"Sorry," Berig said. "Our part of the plan didn't go so well."
Nadia gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't worry about it."
They took off, and Berig said, "Follow me. I think I remember the way. I've looked at the map enough, or at least I think I have."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 150
