The Reach Between Worlds

by Cameron Hayden

  Aris touched the Arclight dais and fire erupted from the platform, larger and brighter than ever. It didn’t just go up, it went out in every direction. It expanded like a bubble around Aris, who stood enveloped in white light.

  Warm light shone into every corner of the city and countryside. Night became day, and the Arclight burned steadily.

  Aris stood like a cracked statue. The flesh on his palm was bloody and burned. Taro watched and waited for the burns to heal themselves, but it never happened. Aris’ skin crackled, and glowing white energy seeped out, like fog on a lakefront. Within seconds, there was nothing left of him but thin smoke.

  “I didn’t think he had it in him,” Vexis said.

  Taro approached her and pressed his foot against her throat. “You deserve to die.”

  “I can’t stop you.”

  “Tell me what Halric did with Nima,” Taro said.

  “Nima?”

  “My sister!” Taro shouted, and ground his heel into her. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  There was no lie in her eyes. Whatever Halric had done to Nima, he’d done so on his own. And with both him and Mathan dead, finding her may be impossible.

  Chapter Forty-five

  The City of the Sun

  It was two days before Kyra and the others returned from Tyrithia. With them, they brought not only a dozen magisters (including Ven’s mother and father), but five hundred warders armed to the teeth.

  They landed the Eventide outside the Midway. All of the ice and snow had melted, leaving behind only moist soil and budding foliage. It was a warm summer’s day, and everything seemed six shades brighter.

  “I was wondering when you’d get here,” Taro said as Kyra marched down the Eventide’s ramp.

  Kyra’s voice was cold. “Vexis?”

  “Locked up with Magister Ross.”

  “You’ll be joining her soon.” Kyra looked to the warders. “Seize him.”

  Taro put palms toward them. “Wait, wait, wait. Please.”

  “Whatever good you think you’ve done, you were a conspirator in the murder of my father. You should’ve left when you had the chance.”

  “Tell me,” a voice called from a distance. “How can you charge someone for the murder of a man who is still alive?” The Sun King strolled on the stone walkway toward them.

  Kyra melted when she saw him. For a moment, she couldn’t even form words, and she settled on running toward him, almost tackling him to the ground. He swept her up and hugged her tight.

  “Vexis said you were dead.”

  She let him go and tried to regain her composure, but the tears in her eyes gave away just how overwhelmed she was.

  “Vexis said many things. She kept me alive to watch the downfall of my kingdom.” The Sun King waved Taro to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “But she didn’t count on the extraordinary bravery of Mr. Taro.”

  The Sun King peeked over Kyra’s shoulder at the small army she’d brought with her. He laughed out loud when he saw it. “Kyra, you’re truly my daughter, through and through.” He kissed her on the forehead.

  Ven’s father approached the Sun King. “Your Majesty, permission to secure the tower?”

  “Please do,” the Sun King said.

  _____

  The searches for Nima seemed unending, and the Sun King was quick to offer resources toward finding her, but after months of searching, Taro began to accept that even if she was alive, Halric could’ve sent her anywhere in the world.

  As the months passed, the city only grew more beautiful. The Arclight scoured the city of the Corruption and cold. Farmers returned to their land, fishers to the lakes surrounding the city, and life slowly returned to normal in the eternally daytime countryside.

  Word of Vexis’ duplicity spread (Leorin was especially helpful in this regard), but many viewed her as a hero, regardless. Still, the hostility to the Magisterium was a dim memory. People had jobs to perform, crops to till, and lives to lead.

  It didn’t take long for life in the Magisterium to return to normal. The artificers had been promised extra work credits and two nobles an hour, if they assisted in tower repairs.

  Magister Briego became imperator without much fanfare, and Kyra took his place as head of Artificing. Briego didn’t see it as a promotion, but rather as an annoyance that kept him away from his tinkering. Kyra, meanwhile, became the youngest magister in history.

  She and Taro hadn’t spoken since that day in the courtyard. Taro ran through what he wanted to say a thousand times in his mind. He imagined every possible outcome. Did she hate him? Did she forgive him? Was that even possible? When he finally got up the nerve to visit her in the Artificium, she barely looked up from her desk. She had a screwdriver out and was tightening a bolt on what looked like one of the constructs from the Arclight hallway.

  “What are you working on?” Taro said.

  Kyra looked away pointedly.

  “Kyra, I...” His voice trailed off.

  “You what?” Kyra said.

  “I know I can never take back what happened.”

  Kyra placed the part down. “Taro, remember what I said when I kicked you off the Eventide?”

  “You said you didn’t love me.” The memory stung.

  “I was lying. I love you more than I ever thought I could.”

  Taro’s heart soared for a moment before crashing down.

  “And I hate myself for it,” Kyra added. “I hate looking at you. I hate seeing you. My father might consider the matter closed, might even consider you a hero, but I know the truth.” Kyra went back to fiddling with the construct.

  Taro left without another word. In retrospect, it was foolish to think that she would forgive him. Despite all reason, he did little things to see her. He volunteered for tower repairs in the same sections she was in, but every time he saw her, it only made things worse.

  Of all the terrible things that had happened, Taro took comfort in the fact that he hadn’t lost Ven and Suri as friends. He told them everything, from beginning to end, expecting them to treat him as Kyra did. After some hard words, all of which Taro rightfully deserved, they forgave him.

  Chapter Forty-six

  The Edges of Arkos

  When Taro heard footsteps in the nearby grass, he didn’t think much of it. These days, the Magisterium courtyard was full of artificers studying, and the ash tree he leaned against was a popular spot. When he heard the Sun King’s voice, he almost dropped his textbook.

  “May I sit?” the Sun King said.

  “Your Majesty. Of course.”

  The Sun King looked rather out of place, sitting cross-legged. Somehow, he’d managed to slip away from his bodyguards, though Taro got the impression that this was quite a common occurrence.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” the Sun King said. “Your family should be arriving within the hour.”

  Taro folded the page of his textbook and set it aside. “I figured this is one place they won’t be able to find me.”

  “You don’t want to see them?”

  “I do. More than anything. But explaining to them what happened to Nima is...well, it’s not going to be easy.”

  The Sun King pressed his back against the tree and fished something from his pocket. “That’s what brings me here. I wanted to deliver this news personally.”

  The Sun King brought out a piece of paper that Taro instantly recognized as one of Mr. Mathan’s two-way parchment. “We recovered this from what was left of Victor Mathan.”

  “Why didn’t you show it to me sooner?”

  “It was blank when they found it. Yesterday, however, a single line of writing appeared on it.”

  Taro unfolded the parchment. Scrawled across it, in Nima’s unmistakable handwriting, were two words: Help me.

  In that instant, Taro knew only two things: that she was out there somewhere, and that he was going to find her.

  Thank you for reading.

>   Please remember to leave a review of this novel on Amazon.

  Also from Arkos

  What is Arkos?

  “Arkos” is the literary universe of Cameron Hayden. It spans several series, and includes novels, comics, novellas, and short stories. Each of these is set in one coherent world.

  Importantly, you don’t need to read one series to understand another. You can start your adventure with the first book of any Arkos series, and you’ll do just fine.

  The current series set on Arkos include: The Arclight Saga, The Corelight Expedition, Dragonlight, and The Aetheract.

  Which book should I read next?

  The next book in The Arclight Saga is The Stars That Form Us.

  To learn more, visit: https://www.amazon.com/Cameron-Hayden/e/B07WQ8M44H/

  Appendices

  (a) The Magisterium

  A magister is a magic-wielding soldier loyal to the Sun King. During peacetime, magisters dedicate themselves to research and development projects for the betterment of their kingdom.

  The Magisterium refers to both the organization of magisters that serve Endra, and the tower which they inhabit. It is led by an Imperator, selected from among the senior magisters, though in theory it ultimately answers to the Endran Sun King.

  The Magisterium is a military arm of Endra first created by Sun King Aldor Termane. The organization’s primary functions include:

  Defending the kingdom from internal and external threats.

  Research and development for the betterment of the Endran people.

  The exploration and understanding of the Magisterium tower, the Arclight, and other Old God devices.

  The training of future magisters and artificers.

  Members who have attained the rank of artificer or higher are considered officers in the Endran military.

  The main disciplines taught at the Magisterium include magistry, alchemy, and templary.

  Ranks the Magisterium

  There are several ranks within the Magisterium. As the organization has endured for so long, these have changed throughout the centuries. As of the most current story, the ranks (ordered from lowest to highest station) stand thus:

  Recruit (New inductees into the Magisterium)

  Artificer

  Sub-rank: Aedile (Those who have passed their first trial)

  Sub-rank: Tribune (Those who have passed their second trial. Tribune-level artificers will often serve as assistants, or even instructors in some cases.)

  Magister (Those who have passed their third and final trial. Among the most elite soldier-sorcerers on Arkos.)

  Magister-General (Those who have ascended into a leadership role, chosen by the Curia, Imperator, or the Sun King.)

  Imperator (The supreme authority of the Magisterium. Depending on the era, of equal, lesser, or greater authority than the Sun King. See below.)

  Technically, ‘Imperator’ is a position and not a rank, and the holder will often continue to be referred to as ‘Magister-General’ (or, more commonly, just ‘Magister’) during their tenure. Imperators usually—though not always—serve until they die. As the Arclight prevents most fragility related to aging, it is very common for Imperators to remain in power for many decades.

  A female Imperator was once referred to as an ‘Imperatrix,’ until Magister-General Anya Reed embraced the former as a gender-neutral title. ‘Imperator’ has been used for both men and women ever since.

  The role of the Imperator has evolved a great deal over the history of Endra. On paper, the Imperator serves at the behest of the Sun King—the absolute sovereign of the Endran people—and for the earlier half of the kingdom’s history, the Sun King played a very direct role in running the Magisterium. Many Sun Kings were also magisters.

  However, as time went by, the line of kings slowly ceded power, until the Imperator had supreme control over the Magisterium. As the organization is the heart of the Endran military and government, this meant that the Imperator had more effective control of the kingdom.

  This delicate balance of power nearly resulted in two civil wars. In both cases, however, the Sun King relented, knowing that his warders stood little chance against an uprising of magisters, who are typically fiercely loyal to their Imperator

  Imperators of the Magisterium

  Format of this list: rank, name (gender, age of ascension to Imperator)

  Magister-General Naton Doriath (Male, 41)

  Magister-General Kasden Cleoren (Male, 49)

  Magister-General Eli Hannes (Male, 33)

  Magister-General Renny Tradon (Male, 53)

  Magister-General Alred Merwin (Male, 66)

  Magister-General Leonce Orvil (Male, 42)

  Magister-General Stirly Roderin (Male, 63)

  Magister-General Jerard Braxton (Male, 56)

  Magister-General Julissa Astley (Female, 64)

  Magister-General Devon Hart (Male, 34)

  Magister-General Arnan Livlea (Male, 80)

  Magister-General Velyria Odell (Female, 55)

  Magister-General Karem Smith (Male, 31)

  Magister-General Rylan Benson (Male, 53)

  Magister-General Camil Bristom (Female, 32)

  Magister-General Kalei Tyndal (Male, 60)

  Magister-General Alidor Landon(Male, 51)

  Magister-General Cathos Landon (Male, 40)

  Magister-General Heathon Landon(Male, 38)

  Magister-General Arin Summer (Female, 71)

  Magister-General Therisia Nottley (Female, 67)

  Magister-General Alesha Gramm (Female, 89)

  Magister-General Edsel Nash (Female, 44)

  Magister-General Anya Reed (Female, 40)

  Magister-General Jarin Soames (Male, 41)

  Magister-General Durrant Silus (Male, 29)

  Magister-General Russel Sullivan (Male, 43)

  Magister-General Jamis Sothor (Male, 37)

  Magister-General Natsin Polirin (Male, 50)

  Magister-General Lomas Cathkaria (Male, 49)

  Magister-General Brandon Laith (Male, 72)

  Magister-General Ruth Daderin (Female, 59)

  Magister-General Jaerin Loramene (Male, 62)

  Magister-General Wilem Sommen (Male, 41)

  Magister-General Alred Cormund (Male, 41)

  Magister-General Aon Merodin (Male, 77)

  Magister-General Mir Cathene (Male, 64)

  Magister-General Emilia Portanian (Female, 33)

  Magister-General Tanneth Goser (Male, 52)

  Magister-General Hesson Claine (Male, 30)

  Magister-General Lorem Crixon (Male, 32)

  Magister-General Tyen Neretos (Male, 73)

  Magister-General Brian Teniton (Male, 51)

  Magister-General Calia Maegin (Female, 55)

  Magister-General Edon Guarn (Male, 46)

  Magister-General Rillian Dresden (Male, 34)

  Magister-General Jyn Faldor (Female, 29)

  Magister-General Lilith Asther (Female, 30)

  Magister-General Walton Cley (Male, 82)

  Magister-General Ruan Segraive (Male, 43)

  Magister-General Demetry Gadavan (Male, 46)

  Magister-General Forian Calego (Male, 33)

  Magister-General Halion Briggs (Male, 35)

  Magister-General Amelia Ross (Female, 56)

  Magister-General Toran Briego (Male, 62)

  (b) The Arkos

  The Arkos (or simply Arkos) is the world-ship and the primary location for the events in the series. Designed and built by the Old Gods (with the aid of the dragonkin and the First Ones) it is a massive superstructure that hosts continental landmasses, oceans, and thousands of species. The inhabitants of the Arkos are unaware that the planet is, in fact, a space-faring vessel.

  From a great distance it appears as a spherical disc with six equidistant pylons and a protruding bottom. The sun and moons are artificial satellites simulating night and day. The Arkos is composed mostly of aventium and is thought to be thousands of years old. The Old Gods aba
ndoned it and its inhabitants many hundreds of years ago. The reason for this is unknown, and many of the systems left behind have begun to malfunction.

  The Arkos runs on templuric energy, such as that given off by the Arclight of the Magisterium. This creation energy adheres to biological entities and is shaped by the thoughts and emotions of those it binds to.

  (c) The Old Gods

  The Old Gods (often called the Old High Gods or the Illithari) are the creators of Arkos and its inhabitants. Their existence is not a matter of debate within the world, though their nature, will, and the method of their worship is a point of great contention. Most are generally believed to be benevolent. Some cultures believe there to be thousands of Old Gods, however, only six are commonly named.

  Lorendamu, who is called the Shipwright. The god of time and circumstance.

  Irenim, who is called the Helmsman. The god of magic and the ever-changing cosmos.

  Sarona, who is called the Navigator. The goddess of life and nature.

  Terithoth, who is called the Cartographer. The god of death.

  Amín, who is called the Quartermaster. The god of fate and order.

  Nuruthil (Ith-Harus) who weaves the darkness and churning chaos of the universe.

  (d) The Servants of Nuruthil

  These abominations were intended to be Nuruthil’s ‘New Gods’, to replace those that betrayed him. Called the Deep Gods by their followers they are creatures of malice, pulled from the deepest fathoms of the Void. Their whispers drive mortal men mad.

  Isaroth, called the Deceiver.

  Suborgath, called the Corruptor.

  Cthurihl, called the Breaker.

  Sith-Narosa, called the Devourer

  (e) Dating

  A year on Arkos typically consists of 365 days, and 12 months. The months are named below, and the dates, for example, are typically rendered as “the fourth day of the Navigator.”