Soulseeker’s Descent

by Pablo Andrés Wunderlich Padilla

  The queen bowed her head in greeting. The insects prostrated themselves. The men in green togas stepped forward with open hands and said something nobody understood.

  “They say they are honored to be here in the presence of the King of Mandrake, the most powerful nation in the Meridian,” Balthazar translated. “These are the priests of Gardak and they come in peace and friendship.”

  “Another world. You mean as—? That’s quite a surprise,” Garamond said, flabbergasted.

  The fat philosopher managed to stand up and with the help of his staff, went up to the priests. He took a good look at them and they did the same with him. Then, he walked toward the queen, which made the insects stand to attention and line themselves up in front of her.

  The philosopher had overcome his initial reticence. “Six eyes,” he said. “Jaws like ants. Fascinating… You must be from another world.”

  A melodious sound filled the hall. It was the voice of the queen, which silenced everybody and relaxed the tension, even among the dukes. Her beauty, her gentleness, that strange silver hair, and her purple eyes were points in her favor.

  “Queen Meromérila says she wishes to form an alliance between her nation and yours which, although they may seem different, are very similar. Mórgomiel has visited her world and taken on more power. The Times of Chaos are closing in.”

  “So it is true,” murmured many dukes. Even the philosopher found it awe-inspiring.

  “How did you manage to come in without being stopped?” Góndola asked.

  Mérdmerén, too, was intrigued by this.

  “I am a sorcerer with many skills,” Balthazar said. “Lord Góndola of the House of Petrosa, father of Samantha and husband of Fernanda.”

  He pushed back his hood and revealed his face. Mérdmerén took a sharp breath. His hair was completely white. His eyes had taken on an intimidating sharpness but had an air of eternal wisdom. The tattoo on the left side of his chest shone like burning coals. It now stretched down his arm as far as his hand.

  “We must gather as large a force as possible, be they nations, armies, or other worlds. Mérdmerén, you must speak to the Baron, urgently.”

  “Eh? What d’you know about him?”

  “More than you can imagine.”

  “How long do we have?”

  “Mórgomiel advances unceasingly. He has been planning his return for thousands of years. There is no time to be lost. Summon the neighboring nations, warn Empress Sokomonoko, the new King of Moragald’Burg, Othus the Benevolent, Dül Donn of Doolm-Ondor, and Haziiz Farçia of the Divine Providence. Your journey and your efforts have been worthwhile; now it is time to reap what you sowed.”

  Mérdmerén smiled. The dukes could not get over their astonishment. He might have doubted the respect they had for him before, but now he was certain he had just gained it. A new era was beginning with Mérdmerén on the throne.

  Turi was expectant, too. Queen Meromérila was lovely, and he wondered whether the other female beings of her world would be equally beautiful. He felt the urge to get to know other worlds and other cultures. Perhaps he could become an emissary between worlds and use his skills to find out information. Sometimes, he sensed that fate had great surprises in store for him.

  Mérdmerén went up to Meromérila. The queen sank to her knees, as did the priests and the insects. The king looked long and hard at those creatures; he was beginning to accept them as a possible reality. Other worlds. If things like the Times of Chaos are real, then other worlds and other nations must be real too, reflected the king.

  He offered his hand to the queen and helped her to her feet.

  “Welcome to the Mandrake Empire. Please accept my invitation to stay at my palace for a few days. I’ll make sure my servants guarantee your comfort.”

  She nodded in agreement as if she understood, but did not say a word.

  “Ahem!”

  Mérdmerén turned. Behind him stood Gáramond.

  “Yes?”

  “Your Majesty, allow me to express my concerns. As your right hand, or left as you wish, I would like to meet with this person.” He indicated one of the priests. “I would like to speak to him and find out the structure of their language so that we can learn it.”

  “I think that’s a great idea, Gáramond. And when the time comes to visit other worlds you’ll come with me. Leandro?”

  The general sat, waiting. He did not look as if he had any desire for more adventures.

  “When the time comes, you’ll be my left hand and we’ll travel wherever we need to.”

  Gáramond, immersed in his task, discovered that the people of Gardak spoke a little of the common language of the Empire. This must have been Balthazar’s work. How did he manage to travel through the universe? The question made him shiver.

  ***

  Ajedrea of the Recesses was sitting in the Park of the Kings. It was a sunny day, and she could feel the warmth on her face. She was happy about her father’s return and the satisfaction she had guessed in his eyes. It had been a pleasure to listen to him talking about his adventures. She particularly enjoyed the visit to Grizna and the description of the empress. The night before, Mérdmerén had told her about beings from other worlds who had interrupted the council session that might have caused a major conflict but, in the end, had turned out very profitably.

  During her father’s absence of almost six months, many things had happened. Most of them were good and one of them was unbelievable for Ajedrea. After a year of going steady, Lombardo had proposed to her the night before.

  “My precious daughter,” the king said, sitting down on the same bench as Ajedrea.

  A warm breath slipped between the branches of the trees, creating a delightful symphony. Children were playing nearby among the passers-by who were also enjoying the day. Mérdmerén had come without an escort in his black leather clothes. That was her father, a simple man who had no desire to pretend and this fascinated her. He carried his courage within him, in his heart.

  “Lombardo is a great lad. I always thought so, and I wasn’t wrong. In less than a year he’s had a fine crop of coffee, and I’m sure that in a few years he’ll be a great trader.”

  His smile vanished. A sadness came to his eyes. Ajedrea noticed a fleeting tear.

  “Daddy? What’s wrong?”

  “He’s asked for your hand and I couldn’t deny him. Lombardo may be a great lad, but you’re my little sun and accepting that another man’s coming into your life, well… it hurts. That’s all. But Lombardo’ll take good care of you, I do not doubt that. You have my blessing.”

  Ajedrea hugged her father, and they both remained like that for a long while without saying a word.

  “These are strange times, my daughter. Although there’s been peace and prosperity, things will soon change, and violence will be unleashed again.”

  “But didn’t we win?”

  “No. We amputated one of the monster’s fingers, but he’ll be back with renewed strength. We need to be prepared.”

  “There’ll be time enough for a wedding, won’t there?”

  “And it’s going to be a wedding and a half, my dear!” the king cried. “Princess Ajedrea of the Recesses is getting married! It’s going to be a feast, my daughter. A feast.”

  It would be the perfect moment to bring the leaders of the other nations together and strengthen the ties between them.

  Chapter XXVIII – Fruitful Smile

  The estate, finally, was flourishing. The abundance of the harvests brought to mind the times of Eromes the Perpetuator, although Lulita swore that they would never reach that level of prosperity. Luchy replied that the Holy Comment had now become the most successful ranch in the entire region.

  Lulita had proved an excellent administrator and businesswoman. With the profits, she had bought several neighboring areas of land so that the estate and its production expanded.

  Luchy offered to find new workers. When the rumor spread that the Holy Comment was hiring, hundreds
of applicants began to arrive in the hope of being able to work those lands. Tomasa chose the best ones after testing them. In all, there were forty and Tomasa became the new administrator. The ranch paid good wages, offered lunch, and gave economic support for the workers’ families.

  Its fame began to spread. There was talk of Lulita the Benevolent, widow of Eromes the Perpetuator, who was working miracles with the land.

  Profits increased. With the surplus, they enlarged the house and bought more cattle. They now had a flock of sheep, two milk cows, laying hens, and pigs. And they had more time to relax and watch the growth of what the three women had sowed together with Manchego. Luchy turned to reading as she never had before. She often went to Cauda Poltos-Par’s library to ask for books on literature, science, and philosophy, though they took months to arrive. She came upon a curious volume. It was entitled Conjuring Arts by Rummbold Fagraz. Luchy found it fascinating.

  Apart from reading, the girl also spent time thinking about Manchego. She attracted the attention of several businessmen, but her heart remained faithful to him. Every day when she woke, she looked at the jewel in her ring and its peaceful glow. It soothed her to know that Manchego was safe and sound, still fighting, and this encouraged her to go on.

  “I want lots of grandchildren,” the grandmother had told her once when she saw her rapt in contemplation of the engagement ring.

  “But if you’re my grandmother and Manchego’s, then you’ll be grandmother twice over,” the girl joked.

  “Oh my, how strange it sounds. That’s certainly a way of making me feel old. First, you need to get married, Luchy. Before that, no. You know what I mean. That’s not godly.”

  “Lulita! How can you believe—! You know I couldn’t!”

  As the months went by, she imagined her wedding a thousand times. She wanted an intimate celebration with only the closest guests. Would Manchego have to invite his divine friends? She would like Balthazar to be there. Perhaps the king should come, although in that case, the wedding would turn into a grand event, which was something she did not want.

  At other times, she mused on the names she would give her children and even imagined them with wings. The fact that their father was a demigod would be sure to have consequences. All these reflections occupied many hours of the girl’s time; she was almost seventeen by now. She grew impatient. How long would she have to wait with Manchego far away? How could she help him? What she was sure of was that sooner or later she would do something to support her beloved.

  “Hello there, sweetheart!” Lulita greeted her when she went into the house.

  It was almost six in the evening. The grandmother was carrying a basket full of tamales that smelt wonderful.

  “Did you know the new tamales shop sells cured meat and cheeses from the North as well? He’s smart, that man.”

  “What’s that you’ve got there?”

  “Chorizo. One of the ranges of cured meats they make up there in the North. And this.”

  Luchy tried it. “It tastes of smoke.”

  “And look, this is smoked cheese. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  “Smoked?”

  “They put it in a wood fire so it absorbs the smell of the smoke. Now try it with the chorizo. Exquisite, isn’t it?”

  Luchy swallowed. It was true, the mixture of flavors was interesting.

  “And this has arrived,” Lulita said, handing the girl a very elegant envelope.

  The envelope was sealed with red wax with the crest of the King of Mandrake. It was made of fibers like tulle, a deep purple.

  “What can it be?” Luchy wondered as she opened it.

  Lulita went to set the table. Tomasa was sleeping to recover from so many years of forced labor.

  Luchy took out a slab. On it was an inscription engraved with an iron point.

  “Princess Ajedrea is getting married!” she cried. “And you’ll never guess who to!”

  “Who is it, love?”

  “Our very own Lombardo.”

  Lulita’s face lit up.

  “We’re invited to the religious ceremony, the reception, and the party. How wonderful! I’ll go and pack right away!”

  Lulita smiled to herself. It would be good for both of them to spend a few days away from work while Tomasa took charge of running the estate.

  Northwards once again. It would be a pleasure to see the faces of her old friends.

  Part IV – The Grand Alliance

  Chapter XXIX – ArD’Buror

  Alac expected to end up on another planet but when he came out, he found himself in a yellow nebula. The space around him was black and empty. Inside the nebula, three red stars, intense and immense, orbited around each other at great speed, creating a knot surrounded by numerous asteroids.

  “The environment is hostile,” the dragon warned him. “High temperatures and toxic gases. I don’t like it. Thousands of years ago, ArD’Buror lived on a benevolent, prosperous planet with beings derived from fire, but this… this is madness. Those suns look insane as if they’ve been manipulated.”

  Alac remained silent. He preferred to watch the phenomenon that aroused as much admiration in him as fear.

  “Something awaits us in one of those asteroids,” Róganok announced. “That is where we’re heading.”

  The beast passed near the knot of stars. Thanks to his protective cloak, the gravitational forces of that whirlpool did not swallow them. They were now better able to notice the dense red ball. Alac allowed his inner child, Manchego, to come forth and drink in the details.

  The nebula thickened and several dots of light appeared. The giant asteroids floated everywhere, moving aimlessly at the mercy of gravity. On one of the largest sat a being on a throne of flames.

  The dragon recognized it at once and immediately showed his discontent. Alac began to understand that Róganok possessed a special sensitivity that could perceive the turbulences of the soul. The being had neither arms nor legs. It was a sphere that changed shape at will.

  They landed on the asteroid with a croak from Róganok that the being heard.

  “ArD’Buror,” the dragon asked. “What is this madness which is occupying the solar system you inhabited?”

  “Róganok, Alac… You have come at the right moment.”

  The being transformed itself. From it emerged arms, legs, and a face. Alac said nothing; Róganok had clearly taken over.

  “Do you enjoy Chaos, then, God of Fire?”

  “I see that the beast is in charge and the god is shielded by silence. You wretched lizard, you don’t speak to me like that. And you, God of Light, are you a coward now?”

  Alac felt Róganok’s rage. He touched his neck in a conspiratorial sign and dismounted.

  Don’t stray far from me, child, Róganok said to him through a thought.

  It annoyed Alac to be called a child. But he soon realized that he had better do as he was told. He returned to the dragon’s neck.

  If you leave the magic field that protects us, the void will destroy you, thought the dragon.

  “What has happened here, ArD’Buror? That’s all Róganok asked,” said Alac.

  Alac looked closely at the God of Fire, whose nature fascinated him. A sphere went on shining in the center of his being, sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, and sometimes red.

  “This star system has been destroyed.”

  “Mórgomiel?”

  “Myself,” the God of Fire replied with a strange smile.

  “And your dragon?”

  “Folfiri… A small sacrifice in exchange for great powers.”

  Róganok roared. “You succumbed to Mórgomiel’s temptations!”

  “You’re imbeciles, both of you. Ever since the Times of Chaos finished, it was obvious that Mórgomiel would come back and that he would win. We could not finish him off, but on the other hand, he killed several of our brothers. I have not succumbed to anybody. Mórgomiel absorbed Folfiri’s powers to increase his strength. You cannot stop him; he is too powerful. Thi
s is the destiny of the universe. We must prepare to welcome Chaos. Times have changed and it is inevitable. Join us and you will be able to go on with your pathetic lives. If not, you will suffer for all eternity when Mórgomiel’s sword robs you of your essence.”

  Alac did not know what to do. The elves of Allündel had assured him that the Gods would play a role in the confrontation, but he had not imagined that the first of them would already be on the opposing side. Mórgomiel had not wasted time. Not only had he busied himself propagating Chaos while he regained his powers, but he had also already made new allies. He was more powerful than ever.

  “You sacrificed my brother in exchange for nothing!” Róganok yelled. “Those powers will be no use to you when the universe collapses. You would have done better dying with honor.”

  The white dragon straightened himself to his full height, spreading his formidable wings. In his forepaws, he gathered together a spiral of blue energy.

  ArD’Buror shivered but did not flinch. He caused a sword of fire to appear. The God of Light reacted at once and armed himself in turn. A duel to the death now began.

  Alac hurled himself forward, leaving the protective cloak as he did so. He was instantly frozen. Róganok ran to envelop him in his magic and the boy soon awoke. Then, he clung to the beast’s neck, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness.

  The God of Fire attacked with a downward slash of his fiery sword. Róganok answered with a beam of light that caught the God of Fire in the chest and unbalanced him.

  “Can a dragon fight against a god?” Alac asked.

  “It’s because you’re with me. We unite our powers thus and we emerge strengthened. You have little experience, and I cannot allow that to kill you. You froze and nearly died! Do not leave my protective cloak, you hear!? We have to win, do you understand?”

  ArD’Buror was recovering. He sucked energy from a star, concentrating it in his hands to generate flames of liquid plasma. With a simple gesture, he launched multiple attacks. The fire flew in an expansive wave which caught Róganok in the side, but the beast of Light cast a spell, gathered those flames together and concentrated them into a sphere. He divided it into three and, as if those balls had a will of their own, they began to swirl around the dragon and the God of Light. Róganok hurled himself at ArD’Buror and with a bite, tore him in half.