by Rain Oxford
I always thought being a void was a curse, but if this was what wizards suffered with every day, I didn’t want to have magic.
Creso grabbed my arms, effectively getting my shirt off and restraining me with one move. But I felt my adrenaline kick in and his act to confine me was suddenly an attempt to shield me as the room pretty much exploded. It wasn’t something I was touching; wind was thrashing around and things far out of my reach were shattering. I finally understood.
Creso tried to pull me out of the room, but I was quite a bit stronger than anyone else on this world, so I easily pushed him out and shut the door. I understood; every time I touched someone, I gained a new, destructive power.
I sat on my frozen chair, covered my head, and battled my emotions. The more I feared my new powers, the wilder they became. I told the guards not to let anyone at all in and sat alone in my throne for the rest of the night.
* * *
That was how Dylan and Nano found me. It was Nano who called out to me, asked me what was wrong, and tried to approach me.
“Stay away,” I shouted in English. “I do not want any more.”
“Any more what?” Nano asked, also in English.
I reached out to ward him off and my new power of wind responded to my fear. I heard a little baby cry and Nano moved to protect it, which revealed Dylan. Seeing Dylan, I felt an odd sense of relief, like he could help me. I jumped off my throne and started for him, but another man stepped in front of him.
“Any more what?” the stranger asked, reminding me of my plight.
“Magic,” Dylan said. “You can do magic now. How?”
“I am no void anymore,” I answered.
“Since when?”
“Four days I wake up and guard hand me clothes. I go to open door and it blow off wall. I touch another and food freeze in my hand. Guard grab my arm, I destroy room. I do not want magic. I am void,” I said.
Nano backed away when I looked at him, but a very beautiful woman approached me. She was tall, but had a friendly look about her. “Hello, Nila. I am Nano’s girlfriend, and I have no magic,” she said before hugging me. Nothing happened. I didn’t feel the adrenaline and nothing new happened.
“How does it work? Do you get their powers? Do they lose the power?” Dylan asked. The woman let me go.
“I do not know. I get only one magic from each person.” I desperately wanted to reach him, because I knew somehow that he could help me. The other man pulled him away and Nila wanted me to recount everything that happened since he left. I was explaining to him that nobody tried to assassinate me when I stepped away from him. A sudden pain in my foot made me jump.
Nano tried to reach for me, but I tripped. It was the stranger who caught me, and I felt my adrenaline kick in again. I felt the fire flow through me, bond with the wind, and flood the room.
Everyone is going to die and it’s my fault. The fire became worse.
Dylan grabbed my shoulders and leaned close. “You have to stop it,” he said. And everything was calm. The fire was gone. There was no new magic. I tested, but there was no fire, wind, ice, or exploding.
I was saved.
“Magic is gone. I am void again!” I hugged Nano and Dylan, but let them both go when they couldn’t take any more. It was difficult to be gentle when I was excited. “Thank you, Dylan! You made me void again!”
“I really don’t know how,” he said. The woman helped me clean and bandage my foot. After that, Nano left me alone with Dylan, Vivian, Dylan’s friend, and the baby. I was happy to meet Nano’s new baby, Samhail, but I was more cautious with Dylan’s friend, Mordon. The man was regal, I could tell, but there was something wild about him.
I took them to eat breakfast and everything was great. Dylan was just as friendly and kind as I remembered, but even more powerful. He had a deep friendship with Mordon, which gave me hope in a way. If Dylan could be friends with Mordon, who was obviously royal, he shouldn’t have any problems with my position. Of course, Dylan wasn’t a judgmental man. It was just kind of odd that he couldn’t feel what I felt.
Dylan showed his kindness to the two little creatures that were extinct and originated on Earth. He could see that they were lost and scared and instead of turning them away, he wanted to help them.
Vivian needed a break from everything, since she was new to this planet. Dylan, Mordon, and Sammy stayed behind in one of the libraries and I took Vivian back to Nano’s home. She seemed quiet, almost worried, and since people normally felt safe to talk to me, I decided to ask if anything was wrong.
“No. It’s just that I’ve had Sammy for almost two years and I raised him alone. I was always waiting for Nano to come back for me. He finally did and just left me here.”
“Nano is very busy person.”
“So was I, yesterday. Now I don’t even have a job. What else am I supposed to do now but wait around for the rare occasions when he comes home? I don’t want to be a single mother.”
“Nano miss you, every day. He stare at wall and sigh and give fake smile. Tell him what you want. He love you and try to make you happy. Nano is… private, but caretaker. He wants to make family happy.”
“He does make me happy. I just don’t want to be alone. I’m afraid he’ll be gone all the time.”
“Demand he stay.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You are his mate, like wife but forever. He will obey.”
“What do you mean by mate?”
I sighed and tried to gather my thoughts. English was a very difficult language to learn, and the only reason I put any effort into it was for Dylan. Nano wanted me to learn many languages, but being able to communicate with a friend was far more important than Nano’s reasons.
“Guardians never grow old. Some find woman they love so much they can never lose. Nano ask Zer to make you never die. Zer agree.”
She stopped and turned to me. “Are you saying I’m immortal?”
“No. Must do Guardian ritual on wedding night. Then you immortal. You do not have to make choice now. Just no give up on Nano yet. Warn him when he make you mad.”
“I will.”
As soon as I returned without Vivian, Kseve told me something attacked Dylan, Mordon, and Sammy. There was no sign that they were hurt, but they were most definitely missing. It wasn’t until Nano returned the next morning that Vivian calmed down.
I really hoped Nano never left the woman alone.
* * *
The surface world was definitely on the verge of being habitable. After successfully creating small biomes that were met with pleased citizens, I was sitting through an incredibly boring council meeting. All of the city kings got together and decided to regale me with dull ideas about taxes and laws. It was better when everyone was too afraid to be near me.
This couldn’t be more boring. There must be something better to do, like dying a horrible and painful death.
My body suddenly felt too tight, and I couldn’t make my lungs breathe in. In my desperate struggle to breathe, I must have reaped the attention from the daydreaming kings, for they all at once started shrieking about poisons and assassins. Of course, my brother’s name was mentioned several times, but this was not poison; this was magic.
The world around me filled with bright light until I had to close my eyes. When I reopened them, I was outside and alone with Dylan. I was on the surface. For the first moment, I panicked and my stomach churned until I realized this wasn’t my world.
I threw up and Dylan got me some water, but it really didn’t help. While I could breathe okay, my whole body felt weak and feverish. “What did you do, Dylan?” I asked.
He looked shocked and worried, for he still didn’t understand his power. “I don’t know. I flashed you here on accident, I guess. My magic must have focused on your void magic instead of the actual void and pulled you in.”
“Same thing,” I explained. My body was getting worse and I struggled to remain conscious. Blackness narrowed my vision.
/> “What is?”
I explained to him how I was bonded to the void; my power and lack of power both was because of the very void itself. It was like the void was inside me. He told me he needed to open the void and asked me if I could help him. Of course I couldn’t. Voids and the guardians of the void, who could open a way into the void, were equally bonded to it, but I could no more open a doorway than I could use demon magic.
“Do you remember Mordon? My friend was pulled into the void and I need to find him. Can you tell me how to find him? What to look for or anything?”
He really didn’t understand.
I told him that if his friend was lucky, he would end up in the spirit world. It took the rest of my strength. Dylan tried to heal me, but until he understood his true power, what he truly was, his magic would never work on me. How he was actually able to summon me on accident was a mystery.
What was even more mysterious was the gorgeous woman who appeared next to Dylan, griped at him, and then grabbed my arm. In an instant, I was home in my council chamber. The woman let me go and I climbed into my chair. My stomach stopped churning and my head stopped throbbing.
“How did you do that?” I asked in Dego. Dylan, I understood.
“I am Tiamat, goddess of Earth.”
I stumbled over my words even in my head. She was certainly beautiful enough to be a goddess, with long black hair and deep blue eyes. She was slim but not malnourished, tall but not abnormally so, and beautiful in an ethereal way. “But gods use magic energy, too. Your power should be nullified over me, because I am a void.”
She smirked, and I realized I had been rude. “The void cannot destroy Iadnah energy nearly as fast as it can nominal energy, so I can use certain magics on you with enough energy, but it would only last a moment. As far as Dylan goes---”
“I know he isn’t one of the Iadnah,” I said.
She frowned. “No, he isn’t, but how did you know? He was able to flash you.”
“I know what he is.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Impossible. I don’t even know what he is. None of the gods know what he is. How could you?”
“Because I know what I am. Obviously I don’t understand everything, but I can feel what he is. And I’m not the only one. Any void, demon, or protector of the void will be able to sense him. They will not understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Some of them will turn their confusion into hate, and others will help him without question.”
“Dylan is my mate; I will always protect him.”
What an unlikely combination. “He’s going after his friend who was lost in the void. He isn’t powerful enough yet, and he’s desperate. You have to help him before he tears himself apart,” I said. She vanished.
* * *
The library door slammed against the wall, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. Nano stormed into the room angry, sweating, and with scuffs all over his clothes. “Why are you never where you are supposed to be?!” he yelled.
Inside, I was quivering, because it broke my heart for Nano to be angry with me. However, I was High King. As tranquil as if I were alone, I closed my book and set it aside. “Do you wish to speak with me, uncle? If you do, I expect you to lower your voice and remember that you are speaking to the High King. If you would rather yell and throw things, I’m sure the guards can find you a nice cell to keep you in for the night.”
“Oh, we’re not playing that game. I spanked you when you were a child and I will spank you again if you act like one!”
My shock was surely apparent on my face. “You have never hit me.” Or at least, I didn’t remember it. Of course, I was pretty young with Nano took me in. “What’s this about? I have no idea why you’re angry.”
“You were not at the council meeting.” He was no longer yelling, but he was shaking. This was a new side to the man that had raised me and I didn’t know what to do.
“I skipped it. You’ve never minded before.”
“You never told me you were getting complaints about food rations for the kingdoms.”
“I know you work very hard to provide all the kingdoms with enough food and water. I just assumed we were running low these past few years.”
“I would have told you if we were. Every city was provided with plenty of food and water. Several of the cities have banded together, led by Medreo of Kedif, to monopolize the resources. They have been building a slave network to take effect once the surface is ready to support people.”
I knew it. I knew the darkness had never been eradicated. “So you’re angry with me for not telling you about---”
“I’m not angry with you!” he yelled. I sat back in my chair, confused. I have never had to defend myself against Nano before, and I didn’t really believe I could. I was never more shocked than when Nano grabbed my wrist harshly, pulled me from my chair, and hugged me with a strength I wasn’t used to.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Medreo realized that I was onto him.”
“Is Vivian okay?”
“I have her hidden with a friend. I’ll stay away from her until Medreo has been arrested. Then I went to your meeting to find you…”
“And when I was missing, you got scared?” I asked.
He clutched me tighter, his face hidden in my shoulders. It wasn’t until I felt hot, wet tears soak into my shirt that I realized I had never seen the man show so much emotion.
“Nano…”
“They were all dead. Everyone at the council meeting had been poisoned. I couldn’t find you, so I thought you were dead, too.”
* * *
Now…
I finally accomplished my life’s work. The surface was once again habitable. To my disappointment, but not surprise, only about half the dile population moved aboveground. It was my intention to force everyone out into the open, yet I faced unexpected obstacles. Our school systems, businesses, and supply protocols were all collapsing due to the sudden decrease in citizens, but people still needed them to function for the time being.
Some were adamant on staying underground, some were unsure, and some wanted to leave, but were afraid or couldn’t leave their families. This resulted in ghost towns and raiders.
Several days ago, Dylan gave me the brilliant idea to take a single guard, skilled in both weapons and magic, and go traveling. Everyone knew my face, but maybe I could use a disguise… or just build a reputation like Nano’s. I really liked the idea of a cool disguise.
Of course, when I discussed it with Kseve, he demanded to be the one who went with me. That was fine by me; I trusted him and his looks were scary enough that I shouldn’t be bothered by anyone. Instead of informing anyone of what my plans were, I stole away in the middle of the night, informing the public by way of a note on my door that I would be back whenever I felt like it.
We went through a town, where we had to stop because I was hungry. Of course, this must have been the only town in the world that didn’t have a decent diner. The closest thing they had was a shady tavern, which Kseve was hard pressed to pass on. I begged, pouted, and moaned, clutching my stomach until he gave in. I was very hungry.
Besides, this was exactly the sort of place I wanted to visit on my adventure. Try as Kseve would to keep me from seeing this, it was my world. Nano was the Guardian, and he did a fine job of protecting Dios from the gods and monsters, but I was king; I needed to see what was going on behind my back.
It was dark and dirty, and the man behind the counter couldn’t have been considered friendly by any definition. Kseve wouldn’t let me out of arm’s reach. In fact, he just stood there growling and glaring at anyone who got too close while I ordered. I really hoped he was the reason everyone was staring.
While other patrons had to retrieve their food from the cook himself, a young man brought mine out to me and bowed as he set my plate down. “Are you King Nila?”
“Would you believe me if I said no?” I asked.
He grinne
d widely. “I will believe what my king tells me to.”
I laughed even as Kseve bristled. “Then sit and keep me company,” I said. He shot a nervous glance at Kseve, who I nudged in the chest with my fist. “He will not talk to me, just growls and demands we return home.”
The man sat and told me about his life as I ate. The meat was dry, the bread was hard, and the fruit could have been fresher, but being out of the castle made everything taste better. The young man, who I learned was named Sladi, was a sweet kid who, like all of my people, didn’t have the resources to live a decent life. He never knew anything better; he was never taught to read or told about our history, so he never knew people once lived above ground.
There was public education for a reason, and it was mandated for a reason, even after half the population moved aboveground. Still, people always found a way around it. They always had an excuse, too; they needed their child to work, they couldn’t afford clothes or food, or even that they didn’t believe their child should be taught to think that way.
I wanted my people to believe in a better life than what he had, to strive for it and never accept this misery we suffered, but so many people fought me.
Sladi was not allowed to attend school, and when he had children, he would probably not be allowed to let them go. It was an unending cycle of ignorance and greed. He knew I was the High King, here to protect everyone, but he had no idea what I was actually trying to accomplish. And what was even more frustrating was that he was probably required to protest against me when the time came. Since he couldn’t read, he had little control over what he agreed and disagreed to. The chance of him getting out of the underground any time soon was minimal.
Creating stricter laws would just create more rebels, but they obviously weren’t working as they were. I realized speaking with Sladi was only confirming my doubts. The food suddenly tasted a lot worse. I wanted Nano.
