by Bob Blink
“Here’s where they are,” Koess said with a confidence Rigo had not heard from him since they’d entered the Void.
Rigo looked around, but he couldn’t really see how anything was different. The tunnels still wandered off in all directions and the walls and rocks still looked like a double image.
“Where?” Rigo asked.
Koess turned toward him and smiled. He looked strange to Rigo. Koess, and himself he supposed, were the only things down here that looked sharp and distinct.
“Take a step down that tunnel,” he said, as he pointed toward one of the dozen or so that formed depending on where Rigo looked.
Rigo stepped in the direction Koess pointed, feeling the pseudo walls form on either side of him. He knew the walls would cease to be there if he turned and looked that way, but he continued onward. Suddenly, so close he wondered how he could have missed seeing it down the short distance he had walked, a different kind of wall formed in front of him. He tried to go around it, expecting it to fade like the others, but this one stayed firm and solid. It was also distinct, without the blurring he had become accustomed to. Like himself and Koess, it didn’t really belong here.
The wall was some kind of crystal, but with the lack of color here, he couldn’t tell what. He wasn’t familiar enough with the crystal shapes to make a guess, although he was sure Ash’urn would have known right off. He laid his hand against it, relieved to find it solid and substantial.
“Just like I told you,” Koess said. “This is what forms where one of us who becomes trapped here finally passes. Can’t you sense the personality locked within the crystal?”
Rigo couldn’t feel anything, beyond the crystal smoothness. He assumed the crystal formed to encapsulate the foreign body to prevent contamination of the entire area. He didn’t know why that idea came to mind. It suggested an awareness, or at least that the Void was alive in some way. Nonetheless, he was certain he was right.
“Nothing,” he told Koess after several minutes of trying various spots.
“No,” Koess said. “It’s right here. Place your hands here. I can sense the combat magic you want. I can’t access it, but I know the information is there. I got the Greenfire magic from this very spot.”
Rigo tried again, but still he sensed nothing. He couldn’t help wondering if this was another skill that Koess had developed over a long time in here. Rigo felt himself compelled to ask.
“When did you first notice there was information stored in the crystal?” he proved, not tackling the issue head on.
Koess frowned.
“I don’t know. You’ve seen it’s very hard to judge time down here. If I had to guess, I’d say maybe a half a year. Perhaps a bit longer.”
“Suddenly you just were able to read the crystals?”
“It wasn’t like that. I wasn’t really looking. One day I just realized there was something there. It took some doing, but I got better at it with time.”
There it was. Exactly what he had done wrong. Rigo should have questioned Koess more closely on this before they had come here, but he had made it sound so easy. It was unlikely that Rigo would be able to access the memories stored in any reasonable time. He needed another way.
“I can’t do it,” Rigo said bluntly. “I believe it’s a skill that comes with exposure. You have to help me.”
“I’ve told you. I can’t read those memories. I’m not a high enough level.”
“We need to Link. Once we have done that, I can use your skills to access through you.”
“I showed you earlier,” Koess said as he shook his head. “Magic doesn’t work down here.”
He had indeed. He had triggered beams of Brightfire and Greenfire. They splashed against the walls and bounced off doing no more damage than normal lantern light would have. Rigo had a sense that things were slipping away. He should have planned ahead. He should have Linked with Koess before they had come here and learned everything he could before they had entered the Void. His mind had been too focused on Mitty and other worries. Now they might have to go back, make their way out of the Void, and try all over again. He hated to think they might have to do that. It was almost certain the delay would be too much for Mitty.
“What’s delaying them? Daria asked as she stared at the opening of the Bypass that Nycoh had just created a short time before. They had hoped that Rigo and Koess would be waiting on the far side, ready to escape back to the real world. Those hopes had proved fruitless, and now they waited and hoped that the two men would arrive before a glass was up. If not, they would close the Bypass, and try again in a day. “Something has gone wrong. I shouldn’t have let him pull that stunt and keep me away. Perhaps if Kaler and I had gone, they would be back by now.”
Lyes, who hadn’t been in favor of the attempt from the beginning grunted and said, “It’s more likely, all four of you would be lost in there. It’s doubtful we will ever see them again.” They had lost too many friends in the past two weeks, and he didn’t like Rigo risking himself this way. He was one of two, Nycoh being the other, who had the potential to match the power of the Brryn. If he failed, something Lyes feared greatly, that would leave only Nycoh, and Lyes was fearful that she would make an attempt alone that would get her killed as well. He had argued with Nycoh about Rigo’s going, and lost. He was still unhappy how that discussion had gone.
Shortly after Rigo and Koess had headed away from the portal opening, those waiting behind had been forced to shut down the opening. Jeen had sensed the rod becoming unstable, and feared it would self-destruct violently the way the other had when exposed to too much stress. As she explained, they had only the one rod. If something happened to it, they would lose any chance of getting Rigo and Koess back. They had switched to the backup plan, returning and activating the portal for a glass each afternoon. It was unlikely that Rigo would know the time in the Void, but they would be able to wait until the portal returned. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the safest route.
Jeen wasn’t present today. Just the other four. All of them watched the hazy view under the unusual arch, hoping for some kind of movement that would indicate that their friends were returning. The constant staring was hard on the eyes, and after a while, each of them was forced to look away. All but Daria. Somehow she managed to remain focused on the opening into the Void without needing to avert her eyes. Now, the glass was almost over, and they would soon close the portal and have to wait another day. Another day where they all would worry and wonder what was going on in the Void.
Suddenly Daria cursed. “I’m going after them,” she said.
Kaler laid a restraining hand on her shoulder.
“You’d never find them,” Nycoh warned. “From the descriptions Koess has provided, you could pass right by one another and not realize it. They might return, and then we would have to try and locate you.”
“Give him time,” Kaler said softly. “He is more resourceful than most. It has only been a little longer than he initially estimated. Probably tomorrow.”
Daria wasn’t used to waiting by helplessly while events unfolded. Direct action suited her better, and therefore it was stressful for her to watch as Nycoh shut down the portal a short time later. They wrapped up the rod and Nycoh protected it with a shield. Then Lyes removed the barrier that surrounded the cave, and they made a single portal away from here. It would be a long night for all of them.
Sadly, the next day went no better. They waited patiently, or in Daria’s case impatiently, but once again there was no sign of movement beyond the cloudy mists. With less than a quarter glass remaining, Daria suddenly perked up. The protective shield was very effective at blocking most magical energies from reaching them, but it did not block normal things like sound. She had heard something. Very little escaped her attention. Someone was outside. She pointed and mouthed what she suspected. It most likely had to be one or more of the Brryn. The odds of anyone else coming to this place were small.
Nycoh didn’t hesitate. They had to move quick
ly. The shield wouldn’t stand up against any Brryn attack. She had no idea how the Brryn could have found them, but guessed they must have somehow detected the corrupted Bypass created by using the rod. A Bypass was one of those things that wasn’t hidden even if shielded, and perhaps the Brryn had reason to be sensitive to the rod and any magical constructs made with it. That would be especially true of an active Bypass since even if it was created inside a shield, it extended to some point far beyond, thereby making it detectable. Even if there was the smallest chance it was just some curious individual, she couldn’t take the risk. She immediately closed the Bypass portal to the Void. Then she wrapped the rod in a protective barrier that would effectively mask it from whoever was outside and also allow her to make an unaffected normal Bypass away from here. Fortunately the inactive rod could be shielded, and once shielded wouldn’t be detected nor would it interact in any way and affect any portals created around it. She pointed toward the new arch indicating to the others it was time to leave.
Lyes and Kaler were moving as the protective barrier suddenly faltered and then collapsed. Lyes took Nycoh’s hand and Kaler turned to see what was keeping Daria. She had crossed the floor of the cave and now had the rod in her hands. Nycoh and Lyes watched to be certain she was now headed toward the opening. The walls of the cave started to glow, indicating mere seconds remained. Lyes pulled Nycoh through, while Kaler waited anxiously for Daria. She leaped, landing just short, but Kaler was ready and grabbed her hand and pulled her through just as a bright flash flared around them. Fortunately, magical energies didn’t pass through a portal and they landed on the exit side protected from the blast that had certainly destroyed the cave.
Nycoh was urging them onward. “They will follow almost immediately, she urged. “We must go.”
Daria was surprised to see a dozen open portals arranged in a semicircle around them. Nycoh pointed toward one and they all jumped through, the portals all closing as they did so. Even as they stepped clear, somewhere in northern Branid was Daria’s best guess, Nycoh was already making a dozen more portals that led to different locations. Daria had never seen anything like it, but then recalled Rigo saying that both he and Nycoh were no longer restricted to a single active spell like most wizards. The transformation that had changed them had given them additional abilities. She had accepted that without thought, and had never considered that multiple spells might mean multiple execution of the same spell. Nycoh was making a number of portals the Brryn would have to choose from. They would be able to tell that all of the portals had existed and where they went, but wouldn’t know which one they had used. Since there were only three Brryn, they would have to guess.
Nycoh pointed and they quickly stepped through the indicated Bypass. On the far side, Nycoh repeated the process a third time. When they stepped out of the third portal, they were in a poor district in Sulen. Daria recognized it from certain activities in the past. Just ahead was an opening that led into the sewers of the city. She didn’t know how Nycoh had been aware of this place or that Daria was very familiar with it, but took the hint and led the group into the semidarkness and into the maze of tunnels. The Brryn would never be able to follow even if they guessed correctly three times in a row and found their way here.
“What are we going to do?” Lyes asked when it was clear they had successfully eluded the Brryn. “The cave is gone and they will be watching the area. Even the remains of the old farmhouse would be too close. They would spot us.”
“We will have to be very careful. They can’t know what we are doing, but as Lyes says they will be watching. We will have to hope another location will work as well. You and Kaler spent days in the area. We need someplace else. Someplace within a day’s ride would be best.”
“That far,” Lyes asked. “How will Rigo find us?”
“Think how far the Great Chasm is from the cave, yet Koess was able to find the portal. I think distances are different in the Void. We’ll have to hope that is the case. I think it would be wise to limit the time the portal is active, and most likely we will have to move to a new location each day. That will have to suffice. We also need to warn Jeen. It would be unwise for anyone to return to the cave.”
It occurred to Rigo he was approaching this situation all wrong. They had been lucky in the valley against the Brryn. In fact, he had been lucky quite often in the past. It dawned on him that might be part of what Ash’urn had tried to tell him. Rigo counted on his luck and magic to get him through all too often. He had other abilities. In fact, Ash’urn had passed him a great deal of knowledge, as well as his ability to think through a problem. Rigo suspected that Ash’urn wouldn’t let the apparent impossibilities stop him from accomplishing his goal. Rigo couldn’t think of a single case where the scholar hadn’t been able to offer some kind of help when they were in trouble.
Koess had led them through the Void to the right place. He had found the information, and said it was at Rigo’s fingertips. Rigo couldn’t let his fear for Mitty make him rash and careless. He had to use that concern to focus himself and make certain he didn’t fail.
Koess had made it clear that none of his magic worked here. He had said as much when he had been recovered the first time, and his demonstration shortly after they had entered the Void was very conclusive. But, Rigo was stronger than Koess. Not only that, he was something more. Koess was a wizard. Rigo was now a mage. He had extensive ability in both disciplines of magic. In addition, he had a high concentration of Brryn blood, activated by contact with the strange amplifier the Brryn had created. His abilities should be far greater. It was possible, maybe even likely, that he could do more than Koess even in this prohibitive environment.
“Keep trying,” Koess was urging. “It takes a little time to get the knack of it.”
From what Koess had told him, Rigo was certain it took more than a little time. He pushed back from the crystal he had been attempting to probe and looked at Koess. He reached inside and triggered the Linking spell, feeling the power of it grow and expand towards the other. He was so certain it was going to work, that the failure for the Link to form came as a physical shock.
Koess had guessed what he was attempting, and said, “I told you it wouldn’t work. You will need to learn to do this yourself.”
Rigo’s mind spun. He had been so certain his additional capability would overcome the limitations posed by the Void. Koess had been right. His magic was blocked. Then he recalled how it had been in the valley. Their magic had been blocked then as well. Ash’urn was mortally wounded, and there was no way to heal him. Yet he had managed to somehow pass on to Rigo the knowledge that had helped them succeed.
What was it Ash’urn had said? It’s not exactly magic. That was it. He had taken Rigo’s arm and then acted. Rigo knew somehow that the intimate contact had been necessary. Somehow the skin to skin link had made the transfer possible. Maybe, just maybe, he could do something similar here. Rigo reached out and grabbed Koess’s left arm in his hand.
“You try and read the crystal,” Rigo ordered. “Find the spell we need and see what happens.”
“I can’t . . ,” Koess started to argue, but Rigo squeezed his arm tighter.
“Try,” he urged.
Koess shrugged and moved over to the wall of crystal. He placed his hand where he had showed Rigo to put his own, and concentrated. Rigo wasn’t sure what he expected or exactly what he was supposed to do, but let his mind focus on its own. Ash’urn’s memories were in there somewhere. Hopefully they would take control.
Then he felt it. He could see what Koess was getting from the wall. Koess sensed it as well.
“How?” he asked, but Rigo said nothing, fearing speaking might disturb the connection.
It wasn’t a true Link. This was something else, and unlike the connection with Ash’urn, it was horribly slow and draining. Knowing the importance of what they were getting, Rigo gritted his teeth and forced his mind to stay focused. After what seemed forever, he realized they had done it. He h
ad acquired the spell. He broke contact and stepped back from Koess.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Koess said as he too stepped back from the wall.
“I got the one spell,” Rigo agreed. “I don’t know if I can execute it.”
“Try it,” Koess urged. “It can’t do any damage.”
Rigo nodded, but turned away from the wall where he had acquired the knowledge. There was more there he hoped to get, assuming this worked. It took a moment to get the sense of the new magic. It was different somehow, and combined more things than he was accustomed to. Then it clicked into place. As he watched, the spiral beam of complex energies flowed out of his hands toward the wall he had targeted.
Each spiral twisted and changed in color as it flowed across the space between himself and the targeted wall. It seemed to rotate as it moved. Linked with it, and out of phase color-wise, were two additional spirals. Each flowed along with the first, and each passed through the full color spectrum, but at any location the three were distinctly different. The beam struck the wall and did nothing, just like all the other magic down here. Rigo had to assume it would work like the beams the Brryn used in the real world. He wouldn’t be able to test to be sure until they returned.
Koess whooped with enthusiasm. “I told you. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Let’s try again,” he said. “There is more to be had.”
Once again they formed a connected pair, and for an even longer time Rigo forced his attention on the trickle of knowledge that flowed from the wall, through Koess, and into his mind. When he had gained everything of immediate use the wall contained, he broke the contact, and suggested they examine other locations. There was far more magic locked in the crystal, but Rigo had learned how to direct his searching even though it was Koess who was making the contact. The magic was not something that would be of immediate use against the Brryn, and given the time it took to recover it, he simply couldn’t make the attempt. He needed specific abilities, and then he needed to get back.
