Jak nodded, “I was happy to help, though I wish he did not have to die.”
“If you had not interrupted, he might have killed me. I am not sorry.”
“Why was he beating you like that?” Jak asked.
“I was late in bringing him water. Because of how long it took to feed the camels,” he waved a hand at the strange creatures Jak had noticed earlier. So that’s what they were called.
“That seems like an odd reason to punish a person.” Jak remarked.
The man shook his head. “Not for him. I should have known better than to delay.”
“So what will you do now?”
“I must run. He has companions who will return soon, and once they learn that a slave has killed his master, I will be hunted until they find and execute me.”
Jak felt her heart sink. Were these people really that cruel? Slavery aside, beating someone to death certainly deserved some kind of retaliation. Jak would not blame the slave for reacting the way he did. But perhaps that was wishful thinking. What bothered her more was the idea that there were worse things in the world than the prejudice of Queen Telma and others. Slavery hadn’t even occurred to her as a thing that people would do. Perhaps there was a lesson to be learned here.
“My name is Mosaial,” he said, with a slight bow.
“I’m Jak.” she said, with a slight nod of her head. “I’m glad I could help you, but I’m sorry that you will need to run. Perhaps you could join us in the north.”
“I understand we are not often treated well in your country. Only merchants are permitted, and then only a select few.”
“I and the others that follow me are somewhat of a special circumstance,” Jak admitted. “We’re not associated with the central government.”
“Then I will follow you there,” he said, with hope in his eyes.
“Oh,” Jak hesitated. “I’m not sure it will be that simple. I didn’t exactly come here by conventional means. You will probably have to find me.”
“The trial is over,” said a voice behind her. It was Perchel. The bright sunlight began to grow brighter.
Jak’s eyes widened and she hastened her speech. “Mosaial. You’ll find us in the mountains to the north. There is a path that leads through them, near their center, where you’ll find a large valley. If you want sanctuary, you’ll find it…”
But her last comment was cut off as the world went white again.
11
This time she was not transported to another land, but she was back in that strange, white corridor.
“What was that?” she asked aloud, knowing that Perchel and Harglim were listening.
“The test is over,” said Perchel’s voice.
“What test? I didn’t really do anything?”
“You saved that man’s life.”
“I distracted the man who was beating him. He saved his own life.”
“Often our destiny is not that of a battering ram, but of a sculptor’s chisel, removing one small piece at a time, yet culminating in a magnificent work.”
“I don’t understand what that has to do with…”
“It was your destiny to interfere with the injustices rained down on that man. Just as it was his destiny to take his fate into his own hands.”
“So you’re saying I followed destiny by stopping his oppressor? But of course I would stop that, he was beating the man.”
“Yet you still had a choice. You could have left them alone, could have gone on your own way.”
“I wouldn’t do that, how could I?”
“Indeed, and such is your destiny.”
Jak thought that through. “I think I understand. This was a lesson about destiny. You’re saying I still had a choice, but I chose to take the path I was meant to take. Something or someone put me there to save that man’s life, and even though I could have chosen otherwise, whatever put me there knew I would follow through.”
“That is correct.”
“So how is that different from forcing my destiny, if it was known beforehand what I would do.”
“Because you always had the freedom to choose otherwise. Many others, including him who came before you, choose to go against their destinies. That is why the Pillar of Eternity refused him.”
Jak frowned, staring aimlessly down the white corridor. “You mentioned someone before. Who was he? Cain?”
“It is not our purpose to share such things. Suffice it to say, you have passed the first test.”
And Jak knew no more.
When she came back to her senses, she was on the mountainside again, lying on the ground next to a tall pine tree. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the light, and raised herself up onto her elbows.
Beside her lay Seph, Marek, and Karlona. All three of them were lying in a row, as if placed there. And all three did not move, though Jak noted with some relief that they still breathed. They were alive, and sound asleep.
On her other side lay her provisions, including her spear and the Pillar of Eternity, lying parallel to her and the others in a neat row. Well at least they still had the Pillar, though Jak could see no sign of another Pillar of Eternity. But the strange voices had told her she passed the first test. That implied that there were more. Well so be it. This first test hadn’t really been much of a test, but more of a lesson, though from the sound of it, not everyone passed the test. Whoever had tried last had failed. But who was it?
She rose to her feet and took in the area around her. She didn’t recognize it. If anything they were even further up the mountain than they had been when she fell unconscious. Had the others carried her here? And why were they asleep in broad daylight?
Jak listened closely for any sign of demons, but only the wind howled around her. Karlona stirred nearby, her green eyes fluttering open. It didn’t take long before she rose to her feet, scanning the area around them.
“What happened?” she asked, staring around confused. “Did you carry me here?”
Jak shook her head. Both Seph and Marek began to stir as well, blinking and taking deep breaths.
“Last thing I remember, the Pillar of Eternity began acting strangely,” said Karlona, taking an extra step or two towards Jak. “Then you tripped and I...well I don’t remember anything after that. Are you hurt at all?”
Again, Jak shook her head. “No, but something did happen. It’s a long story but I can tell you on the way.”
“So you mean to keep going?” asked her mother.
“Of course she does,” Marek stepped up beside the Shadow Elf. “We are only closer to our goal.”
Jak frowned at Marek. “Did you see something while we were all out?” “I know we were carried here,” Marek confirmed. “Though I do not know why, or by whom. A strange spell came over all of us, but I remember seeing faces before I lost consciousness. Did none of you see it?” He swiveled his head to look at all three of them. Seph and Karlona shook their heads.
“I don’t like this, Jak.” Karlona swung around to face her. “Anything that can get the drop on me is not something I trust.”
“I am sure they mean us no harm,” said Marek.
“Yes, then why don’t they show themselves, whoever these people of yours are.”
“Maybe we’re supposed to make our way on our own,” said Jak, softly, almost to herself.
Karlona met her daughter’s pensive face. “Then why help us at all?”
“They gave us just enough of a push for us to fulfill our goals.” Jak said, feeling a measure of confidence begin to take hold. She was beginning to have an idea of who these people were that deposited them further up the mountainside. “They’re making up for their interference, the time spent talking to me.”
Karlona paused, “You saw these people? I thought you were unconscious with the rest of us.”
“I woke up in the same place, but I was not unconscious,” said Jak. “Not in the way you were. And I didn’t exactly see them. Again, it’s a long story.”
“I see no reason not to contin
ue on,” said Seph, checking his bag to make sure everything was still there. “We should stop to gather some edibles before we get high enough. Nothing lives up there, but it shouldn’t take more than a day or so to reach the top. Less if we hurry. We can be back before our supplies wear out.”
“Then let’s do it,” said Jak, feeling a sudden rush of energy. “The sooner we finish, the sooner we can find the Pillar of Eternity.”
“Yes, and once we get back on the path you can tell us what happened from your perspective,” said Karlona.
They spent the next hour gathering what they could. There were still some trees nearby, some of which had soft, edible bark. Seph also managed to shoot a few rabbits, stringing them up by their feet and strapping them to his pack, ready for cooking and eating later. Even Marek pitched in, collecting leaves and berries of the non-poisonous variety.
Eventually they were ready to set out again. Jak felt strangely refreshed since she had awoken, and the others expressed similar feelings. Yet while they travelled, she told them of the vision she’d received while they were unconscious. She told them of her first vision of Karlona, and the turning of the Shadow Elves. That quickly got her mother’s attention, and she asked a few pointed questions to clarify what Jak saw.
“Yes, that pretty much describes what happened. The leader you spoke of was Amaram. He led our expedition until he died, killed by a Watcher on the same day that I gave you to your father.”
“I thought something like that must have been the case, because I didn’t recognize him,” Jak replied.
“So you’re saying this was just a vision?” said Marek. “You couldn’t interact?”
“Well, not yet, but after that I was transported somewhere else.”
And she proceeded to talk about her encounter with Yewin and the others in the north, about how she and the Pillar of Eternity were somehow responsible for their change. She also told them of the odd encounter with the slave in the southern kingdoms, Mosaial.
“Ultimately I think the whole thing was meant to teach me a lesson,” she concluded. “That we all have a destiny, chosen by some divine power or something, that wasn’t exactly clear. But not everyone fulfills it, because we still have a choice. In this case, I was placed in the north, and by that slave, to shape him into something he would eventually become. I guess that was part of my destiny.”
“What troubles me is how you were somehow able to jump backward in time,” said Seph. “No one has ever been able to do something like that before, even in vision.”
“What about the prophecies in your book?” Jak asked. “Aren’t they looking ahead to the future?”
“The prophecies aren’t set in stone, they’re more like probabilities laid out by those with more foreknowledge than we have. Granted, they are very strong possibilities, reaching a level of prediction that we cannot understand, but they are not visions of the future. The future has yet to be written. And they can go wrong.”
“How do you know that?” said Jak, blinking at Seph. He hadn’t said much on this topic before, but it sounded a lot like what those mysterious voices had said.
Seph glanced at the others. “I learned it in my travels. Certain experiences.”
Jak nodded and did not probe further. By ‘certain experiences’ he meant his vision of that woman, whoever she was. But what he said sounded similar to what she had learned from her own visions. Prophecy, like destiny, could be broken. What would happen if everyone fulfilled their destiny? Would the world somehow be a perfect place? Or was destiny also flawed, just like people were? How was she to trust this “Guiding Hand” the voices had spoken of, or whatever it was that crafted her destiny?
That thought nagged at her throughout the rest of the day as they continued scaling the mountain. They actually made pretty good time at first. While there were no more man-made paths this far up, at least none that were traveled enough to see, they still managed to find an easy route up the side of the mountain, occasionally traveling sideways in order to find a better route up.
The others continued to ask her questions about what she’d seen, but eventually all of them began to stay silent as the climb increased in its challenge.
Years ago, she would have thought of the grewling hike as a nuisance, but now, thanks to her brands, she managed to do alright. But that could not be said for the others. They had to stop several times for rests, and it was all Jak could do not to keep pressing on herself.
At one such stop, she drifted back a few paces to stare in the direction they had come, looking for any sign of demons. Just then, her mother stepped up beside her, nearly causing Jak to jump. The Shadow Elves could move with astonishing silence.
“You must be tired, after using the Pillar and then going through whatever test that was,” Karlona said, looking her daughter up and down with concern.
Jak shrugged. “I’ll be alright. We can rest once we’ve lost the demons.”
Yes, she was tired, but she still had the Strength and Sleeplessness brands to help her out. Though her past use of the Pillar of Eternity had drained her of energy, and that was beginning to take its toll. If they pushed hard for the rest of the day, as they would probably need to, she might even have to sleep tonight.
Jak almost chuckled at how inconvenient that seemed to her. Just a few weeks ago, she would have gawked at the idea of not getting sleep every night. Now, thanks to her Sleeplessness brand, it was common not to sleep for one or two weeks straight. Now, all that sleep seemed like such a waste of time.
“So, tell me about Seph,” Karlona said, suddenly.
Jak turned slightly to see her mother. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, don’t fool with me.” Her mother bore a slight smile. “I saw the way you two were looking at each other back at the camp. And the way you reacted when he decided to go behind your back to join us…”
Her face heated slightly. “Well, we might have something going on.”
“Something good, I hope.”
Jak thought it through. “Yes, it’s good.” Then her smile widened unintentionally.
“Very good it seems,” Karlona said, noting her smile. “Well, I’m happy for you. He’s a good man, if not a bit different from what I might have expected for you.”
“And what would you expect for me?” Jak said, curious.
“Well...I don’t know, to be honest,” said Karlona with a slight laugh. “I guess I just expected someone like your father was for me, but younger of course. Like Naem before...well before everything happened with him.”
“Right,” Jak shrugged and peeked over her shoulder to see what Seph and Marek were doing. They were far enough away that they probably weren’t listening. At least she hoped not. “Do we have to talk about this right now?”
Her mother continued as if she hadn’t heard. “And you’re still young, you have time to figure things out for yourself, and make sure you have the right guy before...”
“Okay, next topic, mother.” Jak said, a bit more insistently.
Karlona smiled, but to Jak’s relief, she didn’t say anything more about Seph.
“I’m proud of what you’ve become,” said Karlona after a while. “I think your father would be too.”
Something welled up inside of Jak. A good something, but she wasn’t sure how to put it into words. “Thank you,” was all that came out. “If you would have told me a year ago about all the things I can do now…”
“It’s not just your abilities, Jak. I’ve watched you interact with us, the other Fae, and the humans that follow you. You care for them, Jak. That’s more than a lot of people can say.”
Jak stared at the ground. “That was father’s influence I think. He was seclusive but if anyone ever needed him…”
“I know,” said Karlona. “That’s why I married him.”
A reminiscent smile spread over her dark face, her green eyes staring into empty space.
“We’re ready to keep going,” a tired-looking Seph shouted at them from be
hind.
Jak acknowledged him and exchanged a nod with her mother. She liked talking to Karlona about her father. They would have to resume this conversation later.
They continued on after that, but stopped far more often than Jak liked. Every time, she was reminded of the demons in pursuit. While they seemed to have lost them when she had her vision, and they were all miraculously transported partially up the mountain, she was sure they would catch up eventually.
Demons could climb a mountain fast, far faster than a human. They never tired, and with someone like Cain pressing them on, they could go for days without stopping. She had learned that long before, when some demons had carried her up a mountain, never stopping for food, drink, or rest.
They would find them eventually. Cain would find them eventually. Their only course of action was to get to the top and find that Pillar of Eternity before he could.
12
Once night came, they continued in the dark, with Karlona leading them, for some time. But eventually Seph and Marek began to fall behind. As much as Jak hated to admit it, they needed to stop for the night, and allow her comrades to get some sleep. Even Karlona’s eyelids were beginning to droop.
They came to a minor plateau, perched next to a cliff wall that appeared to be their only way up. They definitely weren’t going to have any luck scaling that tonight, and Jak was too tired to use her Telekinesis to lift everyone up.
“Let’s stop here,” said Jak. “We can continue in the morning.”
Grateful for the chance to stop and rest, Seph and Marek unloaded their packs off their backs, and began to set up their small camp. Jak began by clearing away the snow in the immediate area by brandishing her Flamedancer brand. She spewed hot jets of flame all around them, watching as the snow quickly melted to liquid, then rose as steam. At least they could have a dry campsite.
Unfortunately, there was one small problem. They were high enough now, that there were few trees or other sources of wood. Seph had some tinder stowed away, but they didn’t have enough to keep the fire going for long. There was nothing around them but rock and snow. Eventually, they managed to backtrack and gather what they could, but it would only be enough to last for an hour or two. And they wouldn’t find any more wood ahead. That meant they would have to either find the Pillar of Eternity in the next day and return, or they would be left stranded with nothing to keep them warm or cook their food.
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