by Sanders, Dan
Xavier and the Faoir howled and conjured a shield just before the blast hit them. It catapulted them through the air far from the tracks. Xavier dropped Daimon’s CBlade.
Emily saw an opportunity and hopped wildly towards Daimon, not caring what they would do to her. She stared up at them as the fire beings approached. Xavier suddenly stopped mid-flight, looked towards the desert, then whispered to the Faoir. They lifted into the sky and disappeared in twin flames.
Emily grabbed Daimon and screamed for help. Zane had vanished. From the corner of her eye she spotted him lightly jumping onto the carriage, as though heading out for lunch with friends.
“Daimon, please stay with us.”
Daimon moaned and fell to his side. Rupurt hopped to help. They tried to lift Daimon but he was too heavy. Emily saw the shallow rise and fall of Daimon’s chest and was surprised he wasn’t already dead.
She gazed at the shimmering horizon in the direction of Kato and Lupi. From the dust she saw a black and gold dot emerging from the distance. Her heart leapt when she realised it was Kato. They soon reached her. Lupi’s left arm and face were blackened, her silky wings and lilac tunic covered in red dust.
“Clouds alive, we did it,” she puffed.
“Don’t just stand there,” Emily yelled, “help me with the boy.”
“But how did Daimon get—?” Lupi said.
“I’ll explain later.”
Lupi grabbed Daimon’s CBlade and lifted him by the shoulders and laid him across Kato’s back. Emily bounded onto the train and yelled for the cowering driver to get going, watching the horizon through the window, expecting Xavier’s return.
The PowerPlanks connected with the crystal track again, hummed to screaming point, and buzzed away in a cloud of Greydell dust.
They tended to Daimon’s wounds as best they could. Rupurt washed Daimon’s deathly face while they told their respective stories.
“In all my years, Lupita,” Kato said proudly, “your connection with Air Lore has no equal.”
“That is why she must have been chosen to be a member of the Circle of Six,” Rupurt said matter-of-factly.
They all stared at the blue rabbit and laughed.
“Did it work?” Emily asked.
Lupi was too tired to speak. She deferred to Kato.
“Lupi created a storm of fury that literally rained lunations worth of water onto the land in their path. There is a line of quicksand nearly the width of the Orena River. It won’t stop them but it will certainly slow them down.”
“Why are you so blackened?” Rupurt said.
“Try dodging flames from giant fire-breathing ants.” Lupi folded her arms and nodded.
The red sunlight faded with the onset of dusk. Their hearts were heavy and their bodies weary. They sat in silence and watched out the train windows as the scenery changed from desert to the lush verdant plains of Galdiel.
The train suddenly slowed. They all clenched in preparation for another fight. Emily and Rupurt hopped onto the roof. Lupi held a limp Daimon on Kato’s back. The train eased to a stop. The sun was at their backs.
Emily scratched her long ears in confusion. The rail tracks arrived at a dead end, a mountainous stone wall that stretched high and wide. Looming on the tracks directly before knelt a gargantuan Reven statue. Its head was bowed low and both hands held a Reven blade upright in the earth. She realised the statue was guarding a crevice where the rail tracks disappeared.
“Havendel is beyond this guard,” Kato said.
“A guard? Why didn’t you say so?” Lupi said, throwing her arms up in bewilderment. “How do we get in now?”
Emily pondered the rock being before her. She hopped straight over the roof railing of the A-Rail and landed on the ground. The cool soft grass soothed her footpads. She hopped around the stone blade blocking her path and bowed directly before the Reven. Her ears tickled on the grass.
She closed her eyes and connected with the earth, pushing her will into the ground particles, and used the Reven tongue. She reached out in Thoughtspeak to the Reven before her. “Hail, Reven Protector of Havendel.”
Nothing happened initially. Slowly the ground rumbled, the giant statue shook and spoke back to Emily, “Eama, you now come as one who knows the way of the Reven. What is it you seek?”
“I seek an audience with Eostra.” Emily wasn’t quite sure why she said those words. She didn’t even know that Eostra would be here. Her heart beat faster at the thought.
Emily thought she saw the Reven smile. The rock being stood and small boulders fell away nearly hitting her. She was energised at the thought of meeting Eostra. Using a powerful jump she glided up onto the carriage where her companions looked on with awe. Rupurt scrambled out of the way where Emily landed.
“Move on, driver,” Emily said, smiling.
“Good to see you’re back,” Lupi said, patting Emily’s ears.
The A-Rail carriage hummed and moved slowly through the small crack in the mountain wall. Cool mist washed over them. Emily felt cleansed as the pure water washed the dust off her fur. She and Rupurt let the water fall onto their dry and dusty tongues.
The mist cleared and Emily’s heart pounded. She had seen nothing more beautiful, more profoundly exhilarating, than what lay here now. Stretched out before her, surrounded by dark-blue and orange mountains, was a turquoise lake. Hovering high above the lake was an imposing building in the shape of a crystal egg. Red, blue, gold, pink, purple and yellow swirled within the pearlescent crystal icon. The Egg was so tall that a mist of clouds covered the point of the building.
She held her paw to her eyes and saw a hive of activity on the other side of the lake. While she couldn’t make out the beings buzzing about in their daily lives, she saw golden-domed buildings of all shapes and sizes sprawled along the foreshore. The homes stretched back up along the valley between ancient trees to the crystal mountains behind. She realised she was in her own lush enclave, set apart from the world. It reminded her of Springton Forest but hidden in a mountainous ring of crystal and stone. Music sang in her head. The land was excited to see her. For a moment all her troubles vanished as she bathed in the warm love of the land surging through her blood and bone.
Emily glanced at her friends and saw their mouths also open. Rupurt squealed in delight and hopped around the carriage rooftop. Lupi was sniffing the air and buzzing in loops. Emily smelled the candied fragrances as the mountain air washed into their lungs.
Kato too was moved. From the window below Emily saw her pointing her paw to the floating egg building. She growled reverently, “That is Kalen-Na. The centre of Annwyn.”
“Hate to break up the party,” Lupi said, “but how do you get up there?”
Emily followed Lupi’s finger. The train had stopped at the edge of the mist-covered lake.
Emily turned to the driver and asked, “What now?”
The driver said rather proudly, “We are not finished.” He removed a crystal horn from his robes and blew hard three times.
As the last note from the horn faded, the mist on the lake parted to reveal an even more astonishing sight. Under the Egg, a fountain of water rose from the centre of the lake, spraying a thick beam of water that seemed to hold the Egg in the air.
“But how do we get from here up there?” Emily said.
“Look there,” Rupurt said with glee.
The tracks had not ended as they first thought. At the edge of the lake the tracks, the only visible way into the building, wound into the air creating a bridge from the ground to the majestic crystal egg before them.
The train hummed and throbbed as it carried the passengers through the air. Emily dashed below the roof of the carriage just in time to avoid being doused by the fountain of water connected to the bottom of the building. Zane remained on the roof, dry.
As the rushing turquoise water cleared, they emerged into an A-Rail station, much like the one in Storven, but Emily thought this one much finer. They stepped off the carriage and Emily f
elt the smooth touch of the highly polished dark-blue marble on her footpads. Kato carried Daimon on her back.
As their eyes adjusted to the light, Emily saw the curved chamber walls, glowing with soft yellow light. She glanced at the high black ceiling and saw it was flat. She thought it strange that the ceiling did not end in a point as she expected of an egg-shaped building. There must be other levels above her.
Emily was relieved when she saw Magas standing near the entry of the massive chamber, leaning on his staff. Tired and stiff, the travellers hobbled to the ancient Melder.
“My dear Emily and friends, welcome to Kalen Na.” The smooth voice of Magas echoed across the rail chamber. He ran his gaze over the travellers as they approached.
Emily didn’t leap into his arms. She saw Magas differently now. She was no longer a young bird or rabbit. He looked frail. She said to Magas, “Daimon needs help fast.”
Magas laid his staff on Daimon’s shoulders and closed his eyes. Daimon briefly glowed before the lime green light winked out. Magas said, “He is strong and lucky to be with us but he needs attention.” He waved his hand to a door behind them. Lupi stroked Daimon’s matted hair and kissed his cheek.
Emily looked around Magas and saw Bevan, tall and imposing in royal blue robes, stride through the door. The Prince saw Daimon’s dangling arm and ran forward and lifted his head. He yelled, “He’s alive. Where did you find him?”
“He found us, in a manner of speaking–” Lupi said.
“Later,” Emily interrupted. “Torek and his army are marching on Havendel as we speak. We… I mean, Lupi and Kato slowed them down, but not for–”
“We know, Emily,” Bevan said.
It was the first time he’d used her name.
“But you don’t know that—”
“There are tales from all,” Magas silenced her gently, “but we must make preparations.”
Emily wasn’t being silenced this time. “No Magas, please listen.” She ignored their stares and said, “I know how they are deharmonising the land. Gorgos is using Torek and the Zora Stone.”
Magas looked genuinely surprised. She was glad and folded her paws. He rubbed his beard and pulled on his lip while he thought.
“Thank you, Chosen One. We will talk very soon.”
Emily nodded in satisfaction.
“Where is Sabina?” Rupurt asked.
Emily felt bad she hadn’t noticed Sabina’s absence.
Bevan pulled Daimon closer and rocked him in his arms. He said through a choked voice, “She’s not with me now.”
Emily reeled. “What happened? Is she…?” Emily couldn’t say the words.
Seeing the distress on Emily’s face, Magas said, “She is alive. I’m confident she will be here on time. But first there is another small surprise for you.”
Hopping sheepishly through the large door to the station were two rabbits, one, a pale lime green and the other a pale orange. Rupurt had already recognised them and bounded over to them, sliding into them when his pads slipped on the highly polished floors.
Emily looked up to Magas and smiled. She had forgotten completely that he had given them a mission. She had no idea it would be in Havendel. He saw her curious look and smiled cheekily.
“Emily, how wonderful to see you,” said the orange rabbit. He was slightly larger than Rupurt but much smaller than Emily. He bowed before her.
“We are beyond that, Bently,” she said. She bent down and picked him up. His little hind legs kicked in excitement.
Emily put him down and hopped over to the lime green rabbit. “Alecia, I am so pleased you are here. How is your family?”
Alecia smiled and said sadly, “They are well, but I miss them. Thank you for remembering.”
Emily looked up at Magas who was speaking with Kato. She pulled on Magas’ robes and pointed to Bevan patiently holding Daimon’s body. She said to Magas, “I will stay with Daimon while he is tended to.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Magas said. “I will tend to Daimon. You must rest; for tomorrow you have an audience with Eostra.”
Chapter 45
The Elementals
THE CELESTIAL ROOM OF KALEN-NA,
HAVENDEL,
ANNWYN
The first being in the room, a woman, appeared in a deafening thunderclap. She stood rigidly, and peered around the room, as if for the first time. Running her fingers down her body she felt her pale cheeks, cupped her breasts, and explored the earthy green silk dress that covered her belly and her pointy hips. She smiled and nodded with satisfaction at her creation.
It was only a moment before the whooshing sound of a furnace roared into the room; and in a flash the hot flames were replaced by a man standing unsteadily, grasping for a non-existent rail. He steadied himself and smoothed his hand over his dark red hair and gazed with admiration over his broad chest and thick brown legs.
He spotted the woman and walked over to her. He touched his black skin vest and pressed his palm in salute.
“Hail, Arwin,” the man said.
“Good to see you Lagan,” Arwin said. “Where are the others?”
Lagan shrugged his shoulders and pulled at his nose. “These bodies certainly are strange. So limiting.”
“Yes, yes,” Arwin said, “but I don’t mind it, really. It gives us a chance to experience what the life forms live with every day. Besides, I think they are rather, how do you say, cute.”
“But why are we assuming them now?” Lagan said, admiring Arwin’s body.
“Melder Whiteoak had the notion that humans do best when they meet with their own kind.”
“But these feelings they have dominate the body. I need to focus my will just to control my basic functions and feelings.”
Arwin nodded. “Their evolution is slower than first thought. The physical constraints will dominate their life forms for another eon or two.”
“Well, it is frustrating when we have to rely on them to get things done in the physical world.”
“Quite. Unfortunately, they are the most advanced life form we have to work with.”
Two other beings appeared in the room. The first, a woman, replaced a rushing waterfall that poured from a blank space in the air. The second was a man formed from a pile of sand pouring onto the cavern floor.
Both Elementals followed the same ritual as the first two beings, stroking and pulling at various body parts as they became acquainted with their new forms. They joined the others, forming a circle as they spoke. Their voices echoed around the empty, clinical chamber.
Arwin welcomed the newcomers. “Hail, Ur,” she said to the Water Elemental. “Hail, Enki,” she said to the Earth Elemental.
“Have we missed much?” said Enki.
Arwin nodded and said, “I was explaining to Lagan here why Magas has requested us to take Annwynian form.”
“Totally inappropriate if you ask me,” said Ur, flicking back her silver hair. “We are beyond people. I thought we agreed not to have any contact with them. That’s why we made Eostra, isn’t it?”
Lagan said, “I agree.”
“These are exceptional times,” Arwin soothed, “and, if I remember correctly, Eostra was created to bring balance and harmony to our creation.”
“You are always defending the people,” Enki said. His deep voice filled the room with mellow smoothness. “But in this case, I agree with you.”
“Do you think the Circle of Six will overcome Gorgos?” Ur asked Arwin.
“The future is unclear to me,” said Arwin. “These nexi in the prolepsis are always bound to surprising outcomes. I see both joy and pain for the Circle.”
“Are you saying one of them will rejoin?” Enki asked.
“That much is clear.”
“It is inevitable,” said Ur.
“While it may be inevitable,” Arwin said, hiding her annoyance at Ur’s flippant response, “the timing of the death poses a risk to the outcome we are seeking to view. If the rejoining happens before
harmony is restored and the Egg is laid, another being must step in to rectify the outcome in the prolepsis, and see that harmony is achieved. If the rejoining happens after the Egg is laid, the outcome we seek will not be affected. It will be sad for a few, but the Twin Worlds will still be saved.”
“Can you see which one it is?” Enki asked.
“Too many will be close to death to see which one will rejoin during this process.”
“Should we tell them?”
“No, primitive sentient beings need confidence they can control, or at least influence, their own destinies. If we tell them that one life force will cease, they will lose hope.”
“What shall we do if they fail?” Ur asked. “This has taken us two millennia to put in motion.”
“It was our fault to begin with,” said Arwin. “If we didn’t create Eostra, we wouldn’t have Gorgos.”
“How were we to know Gorgos would be created as Eostra’s opposite?” said Lagan, carelessly tossing a ball of flames in his hand.
“We cannot be totally blamed,” said Ur in agreement. “If the human from Earth hadn’t fallen through the energy fabric between the worlds three millennia ago, Gorgos would still be trapped between the energy lattices.”
“Ultimately, the fault is our own,” Enki said. “We nearly destroyed our own creation with our bickering. I know you have seen what deharmonisation is doing to the land. Overnight, the spreading darkness destroys a nation. Most of the north-west regions have been deharmonised. You said we cannot be totally blamed for this. Well, I say the fault is ours alone. If we could agree in the beginning, we would not need Eostra to harmonise our own powers of creation.”
The Elementals looked at the ground.
“What about the other worlds?” Lagan said, offering a new perspective. “We can start over again with them. Call these Twin Worlds an experiment.”
“The other worlds are even more primitive in their cycle of development than these Twin Worlds,” Enki said dismissively. “Besides, I am not ready to give up on our creation yet.”
“I agree with Enki,” said Arwin.
“It wouldn’t be beginning again. We could transfer some of the more advanced beings from this world to one of those worlds, when the land has developed enough to be habitable.”
