by David Ekrut
“So,” Elwin said, “When more of this faction Awakens, the elementalists will have aid against the other factions?”
“Yes, but as I said, they are the smallest group. And smaller now, I would imagine.”
“That’s not what I saw,” Jax said. “It looked to me as if they were fighting over who would get to eat Elwin’s essence. Speaking of which, you thumping tamed. You promised you wouldn’t. How can I possibly trust you now?”
“It was the only way,” Elwin said. “Had I not tamed, Daren would have been killed. You would have been taken. What would you have me do?”
“Anything else.” Jax aimed a finger in Elwin’s face. “Never again. Understood? Not one more time.”
“He saved us,” Daren argued. “I saw my death. I was surrounded. You had been thrown aside like a child’s toy. If not for him, I would have died.”
“And we are safe now,” Daki added.
Jax threw his arms wide and looked up. “Am I the only sane one of us? Not one but three thumping dragons came for him. They knew who he was, Daren. Oh, by the way, Elwin is Bain Thumping Solsec’s son. That’s why they want him.”
Daren crossed his thick arms over his broad chest, looking down at Jax in deep disapproval. “I know. I saw the bounty postings. But neither of us can judge another man by his father’s actions.”
Jax flinched. He stared at Daren for several seconds. He turned east and marched off, muttering, “Un-thumping-believable.”
“He is not wrong,” Elwin said to Daren. “About any of it. I should not have tamed, but I could not let you die.”
“You do not owe me an explanation. You have honor, Elwin; therefore, you have my trust.” The large warrior held his hand out.
Elwin grasped his wrist. Daren gave a gentle squeeze and released him.
“Will he be alright?” Elwin nodded toward Jax. Even from here, he could hear his string of curses.
“Aye. He will come around.”
“Let’s catch him.”
His legs protested, but he forced himself to jog, until reaching Jax. The other man frowned as Elwin slowed to match his pace. Daren fell in step on the other side. Daki and Taego joined, following only a few paces behind.
Jax faced forward without acknowledging any of them, but his mutterings became inaudible. Then he was quiet for a time. They marched east.
He considered asking if anyone knew how far they were from a city, but it was unlikely any of them would know. For all he knew, they could be a hundred miles on the other side of Abadaria. He had wanted them to go east.
“Hey,” Jax said, picking up his pace. “I know this place. Dragons take me. I’ve been here.”
Just up the road, a great mill moved in the wind. A dirt path wound its way to a picket fence, which surrounded a modest home. There were goats in a pen next to the wooden structure.
“Where are we?” Elwin asked.
“We are almost to Churwood. By the Seeker, this must be a hundred leagues from Iremine.”
“One hundred leagues?” Daki asked. “Are you certain?”
“Aye,” Jax insisted. “My father made this journey several times a year when I was younger. My sister and I always wanted to play on the mill. Churwood is a mile, no more than two, southeast from here.”
“That is why we feel so ill,” Daki said. “If I was not certain before, I am now. Your affinity will be in temporal manipulation, but you should never try to transport an entire group so far with the dimensional folding, especially to a place you do not know. It should not have worked at all.”
“I wasn’t exactly trying to come so far. I just wanted to go east and away from the dragons.”
“You need to be more cautious in the future. You could have destroyed your body or mind completely. The rest of ours as well.”
Jax’s scowl deepened. “Why is he telling you how to use your magick as if you don’t know what you’re about?”
“I’m still learning, and they are incantations. Magick is what jesters do to entertain children.”
“I don’t give a monotooth’s droppings what you call it, how could you whisk us about like that, not knowing the risks?”
“I could have left you with the thumping dragons.”
“Aye,” Daki added. “You are the one who asked him to incant the dimensional folding.”
“Before I knew I could have been stuck in that abyss.”
“It is not the abyss,” Daki explained. “It is a higher dimensional plane than this physical realm. It connects each point of the physical dimensions to one another, hence the term dimensional folding. To will oneself from one place to another, one must fold his path through the higher plane to connect the two distant points. It allows a jaunter to go around the world to his destination rather than straight through.”
Daren and Jax exchanged a doubtful glance.
Elwin raised an eyebrow at the description. “That doesn’t feel like what I am doing.”
“Never mind,” Daki said. “Suffice to say, it is not the abyss.”
“Reanya’s Darkness,” Daren muttered.
“How do you know so much?” Jax asked. “Wait. Don’t tell me. All of your people are magi as well?”
“Not all,” Daki answered. “Only the elders and those training to become elders. I know very little, only a bit of the theory all my people must learn.”
“From all the stories,” Jax said, “the magi are historians and librarians. I’ve never heard whispers of these incantations. Now everyone seems to know them. Where’d all these thumping people come from?”
“After the Great Slumber began,” Daki said, “many of the magi went into hiding or stepped outside the flow of time to return at some point in the future. That time is now. We are no longer hiding.”
“Outside of time?” Jax asked. “You know how that sounds, right?”
Daren said, “Knowledge beyond self is often difficult to fathom to those who remain ignorant.”
“Can you teach others?” Jax asked, pointedly not looking at Daren. “Or does it have something to do with the Elements.”
Elwin frowned. “It has nothing to do with the Elements.”
“Then you can teach me?”
Thinking about it for a few seconds, Elwin shook his head. “I do not think that would be wise. I’m still learning, and as you have seen, it is dangerous.”
“Aye,” Jax said, “but as you mentioned, it is a might less dangerous than being eaten by a dragon.”
“Do you think Tessaryn will come after us?” Elwin asked, hoping Jax would let him change the subject. “We still have the …”
Elwin suddenly realized he no longer held the tome. It was still back there with the thumping dragons. How could he have lost their only chance to get past the wards and traps in Abadaria.
“Drop something?” Jax asked.
“The tome. I must have—”
“It’s safe in my pack. I’ll hold onto it until we get to Abadaria. After all, you can’t study the incantations and unlock the secrets of the traps, can you?”
Elwin tried to think of a diplomatic reason he should hold onto the tome instead of Jax, but nothing came to mind. After all, they were allies.
“Fine,” he said.
In the distance, he saw a clump of houses alongside the road. Beyond was a walled city. In the fields to the south, there was a horde of figures marching, bearing a standard he’d never seen, the symbol of a fist clutching a red dragon.
A war horn sounded, echoed by others. People fled from the western gate, just before it slammed closed. A woman and a dozen children ran toward the forest. They were all armed, even the smallest girl. Each carried a heavy pack or sack. The twin blades moved in sync with the woman’s strides. Black-feathered arrows jutted over her shoulder.
“Thump me,” Jax said. “Jesnia?”
&
nbsp; Chapter 52
To Death
Galivant,
It is likely our fellow amongst the jaunters has been compromised. Though the portal still resides in Wiltshire, they have moved their compound. I would venture to guess it is no longer in this realm. Yarnia is against us, and there is no sign of Nimbar.
However, my time here observing them is not wasted. I saw an elementalist and one of the children enter their hall. The pair was gone for exactly fifteen hours. When they returned to Wiltshire, they spoke of a sojourn to join the Order of the Sun and Stars.
We may be able to use him for our cause, but you need not seek him out. I believe the initiate will come to you. Once you capture him, you can hear the truth from his own lips and decide if he can be an agent. In the meantime, I patiently await your orders.
~Encari Barisoto
~
Feffer pulled himself up the short cliff and reached down. Zarah took his hand and let him pull her up. Neither had slept well since leaving the ship, and the few supplies they’d gotten from Captain Tanderton would be gone soon.
If only they could have gotten into Delcoa, they wouldn’t be in this mess. But no, the roads had been crawling with Kalicodian warriors. The mountains had been their only way to get around and going back to the road would have been too dangerous. Still, he couldn’t help but wish for better gear. Their wool cloaks did little to fight the steady breeze of mountain air.
Zarah grimaced as a gush of wind battered them. On impulse, he hugged her against him, using their body warmth to fight the chill. When the wind lessened, he held on for a few more minutes.
She had been right. They would die out here.
Zarah pulled away to arm’s length. Chestnut eyes looked up at him. Her gaze was determined, but he could see the worry on her brow. He wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek.
“We’ll make it,” he promised her.
She only nodded. “We need to keep moving.”
He followed her gaze down the rocky slope. The boulders were large and stacked close enough to step across. This path would lead them down into a valley, stretching miles across. That would give them a nice reprieve. Maybe there would be a way around that large mountain covered in white peaks. If they had to traverse that, they would run out of food. He was not half the hunter Daki was. It would take Feffer half-a-day just to find a good trail. The Chai Tu Naruo could hunt, skin, and cook a rabbit within an hour. Life, he missed his friends.
Feffer went first. He tested each boulder. If any shifted, he would choose a different path. After an hour, the slope flattened out. He moved between the large rocks where he could. Zarah followed without complaint. She wouldn’t, of course. The girl was more stubborn than a mule.
She would have done this journey alone.
Had he left her, Zaak would have beheaded him for sure. Feffer would do his duty. She should know that by now. He needed to keep her safe. He would, at any cost.
“Do you see that?”
Zarah was pointing southwest. He saw nothing at first and was about to say as much. Then, he noticed the chimney smoke. His heart leapt. A hundred paces ahead, the rocky path gave way to sparse trees with green needles instead of leaves. Wooden cones in the shape of pears hung from the branches. Many had fallen, lying atop brown straw. Beyond the edge of the line of trees, a modest cabin rested in the clearing. Light snow covered the field around the home. A hefty supply of logs was stacked under a lean-to, built alongside the cabin.
“Who in the abyss would live way out here?” he asked.
“I do not know, but maybe they know an easier path.”
“We should approach with caution.”
“Do not be so paranoid,” she said.
“I’m just saying that there is probably a reason they are hiding way out here.”
“Maybe they just prefer the solitude. Come.”
She marched ahead, forcing him to jog to catch up. He gripped the hilt of his blade, hoping she was right.
“Stop that,” she said. “We do not wish to project hostility. Just relax.”
He took a deep breath and loosed his grip. Holding the hilt would only save a fraction of a second anyway.
As they neared, he saw a pen on the other side of the cabin with several mountain goats. They leapt about, bleating as they ran in and out of the open barn at the other end. He could see no other livestock, but there was fishing gear on racks in the barn.
Zarah walked up the steps to the covered porch. A pile of discarded limbs sat beside a wooden chair. Whittling tools hung on hooks just above it. She knocked on the door. A few seconds later, boots walked across a hollow floor.
The door opened, releasing a wave of warmth. An old man with thick silver hair stood in the opening. His eyes were a light purple. He wore thick tans beneath a fur cloak, lined with leather. He scratched at his thin beard. His bushy eyebrows fluttered as his brow creased.
“Oh,” he said, as if waking up. “Hello there.”
“Hello,” Zarah said. “I understand this is not proper, but would you mind terribly if we came in for a few minutes?”
“Come in? Yes. Please, come in!”
He moved aside and gestured toward the cushioned sofa beside the fireplace. Feffer followed Zarah into the cabin. Books and scrolls filled the shelves on either side of a large desk. Stacks of papers cluttered the surface, weighted down by empty inkwells.
Feffer sat on the sofa made for two, picking the seat farthest from the fire. Zarah’s cheeks were rosy from the cold. He imagined her fingers were as numb as his and would need the heat. She sat and stretched her hands toward the fire.
The old man placed a kettle on the rack. “I was just about to make tea,” he said. “Would you care for some?”
“That is most kind,” Zarah said.
He waved a hand, as if swatting at a gnat. “It is nothing.”
“If I may ask,” she said. “Do you live here by yourself?”
“Not at all,” he said, sitting in the armchair across from them. “I have my goats and my books. If you have good stories to keep you company, you are never alone.”
“I am Zarah, and this is Feffer.”
He smiled. “I am Asianda. We are well-met, Zarah.”
The weariness beneath her eyes could not diminish the beauty in her smile. “We are. Thank you again, Asianda.”
“It is no bother. I get so few visitors. You are going to Abadaria then?”
How could he know that? Feffer exchanged a glance with Zarah.
“There is nothing else near here,” he reasoned. “Either you are lost, or you are trying to reach the city of dragons.”
“What do you know of the ruins?” Zarah asked.
“Of ruins, I know very little. Of Abadaria, I know much.”
He stood just before the kettle whistled. He removed it from the fire and set it on the wooden table beside his chair.
“Honey?” he asked.
“Please,” Zarah said. Feffer heard the forced patience in her voice as she added, “For both of us.”
Asianda pulled three cups and saucers from a cabinet, filled them with tea leaves then added the hot water. He spooned honey from a jar and stirred it into each.
“I recommend letting it stew for short while,” he said, handing them each a cup.
He grabbed his own tea and retook his chair.
“What can you tell us of Abadaria?” she asked.
“Much and more.” His voice turned wistful. “Once upon a time, Abadaria was the grandest city in all of Arinth. In a time before memory, dragons lived amongst us in peace. Of course, in those times, the dragons were only awake a few during an age. When the dracons abandoned them, we became their stewards. People have forgotten this detail. It is not the dracons who gave us the Words. It was the dragons. We would groom their stony scales as they slumbered. We wou
ld keep the dust from their caves, passing the honor of their care to our children. Lifetimes would go by as each dragon slept. A family would care for their dragon, never seeing the magnificence of their patron. Still, they would serve. For this reason, the dragons shared their secrets with us. With their incantations, we could protect them while they were vulnerable.
“Of all the orders, only the Keepers of the Dragonkin remain loyal to this cause. However, their values have changed. Where they once strove to maintain peace, they now make war upon the elementalists. This is why the order fractured into many shards. The magi could not hope to defeat the powers of the Elements. Many of our clairvoyants looked into the futures and saw this truth. Still, the Keepers insisted they would fight. They have plotted their battles for nearly three thousand years. So great was their dedication to vengeance, many of the Keepers left families or lovers. They entered a stasis, allowing time to flow by without touching them. When they stepped from the shore, back into the ever-flowing river, their ire had not abated. For these magi, only days had passed.
“They emerged in a time where our powers had become legend. Our enemies forgot we ever existed. This is not a coincidence. Entering in this time was planned. Those within the order who remained behind used the Guardians of Life to cull out the elemental gifts by killing as many elementalists as they could. Bloodlines died out due to their work. They act now because they believe they can win. It has been foreseen. There is only a small chance the elementalists can be saved. A heavy weight rests upon the shoulders of one child and the resilience of his closest companions. If they fail, the world will fall to Abaddon’s rule. Even though they do not wish to aid him, the Keepers have cleared the path for his return. This cannot be avoided, but he can still be defeated.”
He took a sip of his tea. “Ow. Still too hot.”
Several times, Zarah had opened her mouth to speak but said nothing. She had listened to the old magus with rapt attention. Now that he was quiet, she only stared.
“Who are you?” she asked at last.
