Darklight

by Greg L. Turnquist

  Glantham’s features relaxed. “You knew you could free me.”

  “My magic isn't tied to the purple dimension. Instead, it’s from a different realm. There are traces of purple, but I can learn to filter those out.”

  Glantham clenched her hand as he stared at her. He opened his mouth, and his face shifted.

  “Duck!” He pushed Snitch to the floor.

  The cry of Warex from behind drew her attention. A huge energy bolt ripped through the air at them.

  A glowing disk appeared in front of Glantham’s hands and blocked the attack.

  Three Warex approached. The attacker held his position while the other two circled the room.

  “Any more ideas?” Glantham pivoted his shield between the Warex.

  Snitch pulled herself to her feet behind him. Staring across the room, it sunk in that they couldn’t reach the door. Shifting her focus to the wall behind them, she quirked a brow. “Follow me.” She slid back.

  Glantham shuffled his feet, angling the shield to avoid getting flanked.

  The Warex shot several more bolts.

  Glantham blocked them, but not without the force shoving him into Snitch. “I can't retaliate.”

  “No need. Watch this.”

  She waved her hands, and a dim line drew itself on the wall in the shape of a door. Opening it, she stepped through. “Let's go.”

  Glantham followed while holding up their defense.

  As soon as he was through, the door vanished.

  He dropped the shield. “Good work. But I don't think we should hang around.”

  Snitch pointed in the direction she had come. “Use tunnel walking, and we might get out of here.” She lifted up her arms, ready to turn them invisible.

  Glantham's face contorted into a look of horror.

  Snitch spun around and spotted a Warex scout in a tall tower releasing a bolt of purple energy. With Glantham’s shield down, they were as good as dead.

  However, the book in Snitch’s pocket suddenly leapt out and flew into her hands, bearing the brunt of the attack. The residual shock slammed them to the ground.

  “Eyah!” Still on her back, Snitch threw a dagger of wispy white light. It knocked the scout off his perch, and he crashed to the ground. Snitch’s eyes shifted to the book, somehow still in her other hand. Her mouth fell open.

  “Wow,” Glantham uttered.

  Nodding along, Snitch shoved it back into her pocket and finished turning them invisible. Then they headed toward her exit of the city.

  Passing by Glantham’s prison, he waved his hands and shackled the door with purple chains and a lock.

  Seconds later, clanging bells filled the streets, and dozens of Warex flooded the area.

  Snitch and Glantham cleared the area. Another minute and they’d have been discovered. They continued as fast as possible toward the main wall, seeking escape from this evil place.

  It had taken Snitch half an hour to find Glantham, yet it took twice as long to double back along the same route. While irritating, it wasn’t Glantham’s fault. He was a good tunnel walker. Two people silently avoiding contact was the challenge.

  They ducked behind carts, tiptoed past shop keepers, and once pressed themselves against a wall when surprised by a Warex at a corner.

  The huge stature of the beasts had its advantages. At one point, two of those brutish creatures walked past. One rubbed against Snitch’s arm, and the creature brushed its leg as if scratching an itch.

  Snitch let out a sigh of relief.

  They were within a hundred yards of the giant wall when Snitch pointed off to the left of the main gate.

  Glantham shrugged his shoulders but followed.

  Standing at the end of the wall where it met the rock outcroppings, he looked at her and squinted. He waved his hands asking, “Are we climbing?”

  Snitch shook her head. She traced out a magical doorway and opened it.

  Glantham's face lit up with a smile.

  They slipped through, and with a quick wave, the magical door was gone.

  Snitch headed toward her cave and Glantham followed.

  With no Warex hunting parties on their tail, Snitch breathed a sigh of relief. She picked up the pace, not worried about making noise.

  Glantham kept close behind.

  After about ten minutes, the fear of a chase had vanished. “I'll bet the Warex who were chasing me earlier have gone back to look for you.”

  “And when they don't find me, I'm sure they will comb these surrounding areas. We may be ahead for now, but we're not in the clear.”

  “Is it a waste of time to go back to the cave I hid in?”

  “I didn’t say that. I don’t have anything better. How far away was it?”

  “Hour and a half. Maybe less with no search teams.”

  “Okay. Let's go there for now and decide what to do next,” Glantham said.

  With a slight smirk, Snitch continued on their present path but faster. Nothing motivated her more than increasing the distance between her and the Warex city.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  A Way Out

  Another hour of walking and Snitch’s feet throbbed. She had been ready to stop thirty minutes ago, but something drove her to continue.

  Tunnel walking underneath Kelmar was never this exhausting. Dragging her feet forward, she glanced up and spied that familiar cliff from before. Pointing it out to Glantham, she felt a new burst of energy.

  Snitch climbed the loose rock with Glantham close behind. At the entrance, she chuckled. It had been tight for her. No way could Glantham fit through that narrow crack. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “It's okay. This ledge is good enough.” He dropped to the ground. His face drooped, and his arms slumped.

  Snitch joined him, sprawled out on her back.

  “I think it's safe to drop the invisibility. You must be drained.”

  With a brief flash of light, she let go. “Whew.”

  “Got any ration packs?”

  “Uh, I kind of ate them all.” Snitch stretched her lips wide with that confession. “But I have an alternative.” She fished out a giant seed from her pack and handed it to him.

  His eyes shifted from the seed to her before he took a bite. A few more and it was gone.

  She held out another and he grabbed it.

  Stopping halfway, he sat back. “Not as bad as I expected.”

  “They provided me with a lot of energy. So, what’s next?”

  “Good question.” Glantham wiped his mouth. “I may have flown a considerable distance, but you have walked more of this realm than me. And you wield a safer version of magic.” He toasted the canteen in her direction.

  Snitch gave a thumbs-up, still sprawled out. “About that. I can turn invisible and create doors, but I wouldn't consider it wielding magic. Let’s say using. It was handy to break you free, but how will it get us home?” Sitting up, she focused on Glantham. She had done plenty of tough jobs, but those were situations in which she held some sense of control. Not this time.

  “There is something you aren't aware of. While torturing me, the Warex mistakenly revealed their key strategy. They plant bits of magic in other realms as traps. Books, scrolls, and other things. People discover purple magic, begin to use it, and get pulled in. The Warex use them as servants, sport, even food.”

  Snitch’s face winced. “What are you saying?”

  “What I have is tainted and dangerous. I knew that for a long time and I’ve been careful, but I didn’t know it would pull us into this predicament. I also thought you were doomed when you tried to free me. The truth is, you may have what we need to escape.”

  “I knocked out a guard. That's it.” Snitch shrugged her shoulders. “I haven't taken out any soldiers, and I haven’t defeated a pack of Warex. I’d probably be dead if it wasn't for this book.” Her hand touched the exterior of the pocket holding it. A warmth graced her fingertips.

  Glantham shook his head. “You aren't bound by the limits
of purple magic. Together we might figure a way out. And maybe . . . you could teach me your white magic? But first things first. What was that book that defended you?”

  Snitch drew the tome from her pocket. “Yesterday, I woke from a terrible dream, and it was sitting next to me.”

  Glantham’s eyebrows rose. “Tell me more.”

  “I flipped through it, but it has thousands of pages. Then I figured out . . . how to talk to it. It drew me to a specific page that mentioned white magic. Says the purple dimension isn’t the only one. In fact, there are dozens, with white being the purest, least corrupted. It included some recitations to limit the amount of purple magic.”

  Glantham glanced at the cover. “You found the scroll of Adasan?”

  “The what?”

  “This is the scroll of Adasan!” Glantham shouted as he tripped over his words.

  “I saw that on the cover. What is Adasan?”

  “Not what, who. According to legend, Adasan was the first mentalist of our world. He supposedly journaled about his discoveries of bending mental energy. Then one day he vanished. No one knows why, but his notes survived. Over time other mentalists added to it. Years later, someone bound them into a book and wrapped it with powerful spells. The legend says it only appears to a mentalist if the book deems he or she worthy.”

  Glantham grinned as he handed it back to her.

  Snitch stared at the cover, turning it over in her hands. Not a hint of being singed by the attack that almost killed her. “You’ve practiced magic for ages, and yet you’ve never seen it?”

  “It would appear I’m not worthy.” Glantham nodded at her. “But you are.”

  She rolled her eyes. Being worthy sounded a little over the top. “You know, two days ago, all of this would have sounded crazy. Today, not so much.”

  “The stories I share were given to me by my former master. I never knew what happened to him. One day, he was gone. Perhaps he succumbed to the same temptations as me. Snitch, if I had been dragged here by myself, I would still be prisoner. It's you who has given us both a chance.”

  “The mind I communicated with inside the book. Do you think—”

  “That it can help us? Perhaps. The scroll knew you were ready. It appeared and provided the lesson you needed, as well as defending you from that surprise attack. Do not take this gift lightly.” Glantham patted her on the shoulder. “I'm exhausted. It must be close to midnight. Let's get as much sleep as possible and figure out our next move in the morning.”

  With those words, Glantham stretched out, yawned, and fell asleep.

  Snitch stared at the scroll in her hands for a few minutes before slipping it back into her pocket.

  She lay down, and it wasn't long before both of them were sleeping.

  Snitch stirred, and her eyes drifted opened as dawn broke.

  Glantham slept on.

  Snitch sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Would she ever adjust to no sun in the sky, to the awkward ambient light that arrived in the morning and evaporated at dusk?

  Glantham stirred and blinked at Snitch while scratching his arms.

  “Get some sleep? I don’t think I slept any the night before.” Snitch stretched her legs.

  He looked around and locked his eyes on Snitch's pack. Pulling out a couple big seeds, he extended one to Snitch.

  They both nibbled at their breakfast.

  “How are we supposed to get back? We can't hide here forever,” Snitch said.

  “I've thought about that. The only thing I know regarding travel is flight and astral projection. And that won’t work. You may have the key.”

  “How?”

  “The scroll of Adasan.”

  “You think there might be a spell?” Snitch pulled out the book, fingering it gently.

  “It's worth investigating.” Glantham chewed his last bite. “It's very important we coordinate our efforts. The amount of purple dimension energy to cast such a spell would probably draw a hundred Warex before we finished, but your magic may give us a chance.”

  “You believe I can do that?” She stared at Glantham, trying to read his confidence.

  “You can't keep thinking like that. Didn’t you talk to that book somehow? Why don’t you try again.” Glantham looked at her with the same trusting eyes as before.

  Snitch squinted, an idea planted in her thoughts. She put the book in front of herself and sat in a meditative pose. Closing her eyes, she focused all of her thoughts on the leathery tome.

  Thinking about the book didn’t seem like much until something touched her mind. The connection became much more solid, not just a stray thought. Her mind clutched tight and a warmth filled her. It was like meeting an old friend again and seeing their reaction when you remember their name.

  The book opened and floated up into the air. Pages flew. For twenty minutes, she scrolled through it until she found the end. Then it closed up and dropped to the ground.

  Snitch opened her eyes and looked at Glantham.

  “Did you find anything?”

  “No. But I may have rushed through it too quickly.”

  “Too quickly? Didn’t seem fast to me. How many pages are in it?”

  “A lot. I think I was a bit rough. I need to try again, but this time I'm going to try something different.” She was apologizing, but not to Glantham. To the book.

  She closed her eyes again, and the scroll floated into the air. Pages flipped around, but this time not so fast. The book bobbed and weaved around. Sometimes the pages turned slowly. Other times, whole chapters flew by in quick bursts. Snitch's eyes opened, and a soft glow of white light filled them. Reaching out, the scroll floated into her hands. The aura of light faded.

  “I think I found what we need. You see, I sort of—explained our situation to the book, and it looked for me.” Snitch showed her find to Glantham.

  His eyes lit up.

  The page had handwritten notes and a rough sketch. On it, the sketch included a circle with arcane symbols etched along the edges. Waving her hand, they transformed into readable words. Snitch read out loud.

  “On the third day of the eighth month of the year 3417, is the account of Balthalamus. I awoke this morning with a powerful vision—a beautiful city, encrusted with gems and jewels amidst large towers. The roads were built of polished marble tiles, and an image of a magical circle. I sketched out the shape as well as the eldritch symbols on the floor, large enough for me to sit inside. A copy of the circle is captured in this journal, so it could be repeated if necessary. As I began to utter the words of the vision, an incredible sensation, stronger than anything before, filled me. While focusing on the image of that city, a strong voice inside told me to stop. At that moment, a huge battle arose within. One part of me pressed hard to continue the spell so I could discover this amazing land. Another warned of deception. I mustered enough magical fortitude to protect my mind, and the temptation vanished. Attempts to tear out this page, physically and magically, were impossible. It appears this information is commanded by someone else, so the best I can do is issue a warning to anyone reading this to never use this spell or symbol.”

  Snitch stopped and looked up at Glantham, her lips pressed tight.

  “I saw the same vision Balthalamus described when the Warex attacked me through you,” Snitch said. “The same gleaming jewels and polished marble. But when I got there, I saw what it truly was. I wasn’t sure what to make of it until I read this. It’s another part of their deception used to lure mentalists.”

  “Balthalamus almost cast a spell that would surely have pulled him into the purple dimension. What value is that to us?”

  “Don't you see?” Snitch said, excitement in her voice. “The Warex created a symbol designed to travel between worlds and filled it with magic. I only hope it still has the energy. This was written over three hundred years ago.”

  “You think with white magic, we might command it to send us home?”

  “I’m real nervous, but maybe you could use a lit
tle purple magic to help me focus.”

  Glantham grinned. “Since I won’t be divining Warex knowledge or attacking, it might work.”

  Snitch moved along the ledge to find a spot wide enough for the circle. Then she hunted for a piece of slate rock and scratched out a circle with the same eldritch shapes shown on the page. She sat with her legs crossed in the center as Glantham stood behind her.

  “Balthalamus focused on a vision of the Warex city. What should I use?” Snitch asked.

  “It needs to be something personal and unique to you.”

  The edges of Snitch’s mouth turned upward. “Then help me focus on Rat's Nest.”

  “You're kidding, right?”

  “Who else knows that place like me?”

  With those words, Snitch took in a deep breath. This would be bigger than opening a magical door in a wall.

  She concentrated on every trip taken through that mind-boggling creation. How Gavin once took a wrong turn. The last time they had passed through it and barely escaped Melicose’s soldiers.

  A white glow emanated from her body. It stretched out and touched the circle, causing it and its symbols to glow as well.

  She could feel each symbol, as if they yearned to contribute to the portal she was attempting.

  A thin tendril of purple light slipped through every one, linking them together, and led back to a larger presence right behind her. Glantham.

  A ripple moved through this connection, and suddenly, mystical drops of purple rain began to fall.

  A gentle hand of magic propped her up. Images of Rat's Nest burst into her mind and flooded her thoughts. At the same time, she radiated a stronger glow of pure white.

  The symbols on the circle flickered and danced before they leapt off the ground and orbited in the air. It was working!

  An image of Glantham in purple chains slipped into her mind. The sound of a dozen Warex howling intruded into her thoughts. Bolts of energy flew at her, and the scene transitioned to the city with beautiful, glitzy surroundings. Polished marble roads, gold and silver lined buildings, and jewel encrusted towers flitted by.