by Eve Forward
Creeping through the shadows and smoke, Sam almost bumped into Arcie before he saw him. They quickly ducked down in the shadows for a moment of silent rogue-speak.
“Weapons?” signed Sam.
“Leader/king house, maybe,” Arcie replied wordlessly.
“Certain?”
“Nowhere else.” Arcie shrugged. Sam sighed, and nodded.
“Lead.”
The two rogues crept through the smoke and shadows.
Valerie’s aim had been excellent The chiefs tent was in flames, and everywhere barbarians went running with buckets of water to try to extinguish the fire. A priestess of Mula had summoned a fountain of water similar to the one the shaman on their march had created, and this was helping somewhat. The main center tent seemed to be a lost cause, but two smaller adjoining were relatively undamaged, and both were guarded. Sam motioned: “You left, I right.” They split up, heading for the side rooms.
Sam sneaked around the right building, avoiding the eyes of the guard, and crept through a smoldering corner of the tent. Within were stacks of fine furs, some casks, and, their weapons. Sam hastily rearmed himself, then, slinging Blackmail’s sword onto his back and wielding Robin’s longsword, he grabbed Arcie’s morning star in his off hand and crept out again. As he did so, he looked at the casks and raised an eyebrow. No wonder the Plainsmen were working so hard to keep this tent from going up in flames.
He made his way to the far side of the center of confusion, and soon found Arcie lighting his pipe from a smoldering shelter. The Barigan winked at him as he accepted his morning star back.
“What was in the other tent?” Sam asked curiously.
Arcie leered.
“Chiefs harem,” he answered. “Och! What a fine set of...”
“Later, Arcie. Come on, we’ve got to find Kaylana.”
Kaylana walked through the last archway, the most elaborately carved and decorated yet. Here, along with the ever-present turquoise, were set blue topaz and aquamarine stones. She scarcely noticed, however, for before her was the blue pool, glowing bright as the moon and seeming almost as large. There was no one around. She walked up to the edge and stopped. Before her, across the glass-still water, rose the statue of the Goddess Mula, illuminated by the blue light of the pool.
The blue light of the pool seemed to draw her even closer. She looked up, unsure, and into the eyes of the statue. They were two perfect star sapphires, and the sixpointed stars in them seemed real. The blue starlight reflected back in the green depths of the Druid’s eyes, back and forth, back and forth, into a flowing, weaving world of aquamarine, and the pool’s light grew and grew until it was a pulsing azure sun ... Up on the hill, Valerie saw it, and pointed, grabbing Robin’s arm.
“Look!” she hissed. “What is the fool tree-wench up to now? That blue light is going to have every barbarian in the place down around her head!”
“Blue?” asked Robin, looking down. “It doesn’t look like a flower to me ... just a lot of white light...”
Kaylana stepped forward ... off the edge of the pool.
There was a flash of light... but not even a splash. And the pool’s radiance again dropped to a dim glow. There was no sign of Kaylana. Valerie and Robin exchanged confused glances.
Kaylana found herself floating in a blue dream. She felt the powerful presence of light all around her, making her uneasy. It was like a wild drug, too out of control, too strong; the sheer power of life seemed almost fatal. She could feel her heart racing and every nerve tingling and each faint breath like pure oxygen ... This, she realized, was what the sublimation of the world would be like; a glorious but final transcendence, as the world lost its reality to become one with the perfection of Light it had achieved. All boundaries and negatives would be stripped away, all corruptible flesh and minds would give up materiality for pure light energy as the dimension of Light flooded into the world and claimed it for its own, increasing its own infinite size.
But, what if there were other worlds, like their own, such as thai which the Elves had traveled to? If they drew on the same dimensions of Light and Darkness as this world, and the dimensions of Light gained in size by claiming this world, then the other worlds would have that much more pressure from the Light. That tiny, tiny amount that would still disrupt the balance of those worlds...
With a sudden shock, Kaylana realized that the outcome of their quest would affect not only their own world, but possibly infinite numbers of others worlds.
The entire scope of a multiverse of creation might be at stake... Poor misinformed child, said a gentle voice in her mind.
It was as deep and clear as mountain lakes, and soothed her mind and body even as it terrified her innermost spirit. She knew who the voice was even before the image swirled into shape.
Before her appeared a figure that could only be the Goddess Mula. A woman of unearthly beauty, taller than Blackmail but slender and fair as the most legendary Elf maiden, with long dark hair that shimmered with rainbow mist. She was clad in a long gown made of pure water, clear as snowmelt and yet ever so faintly reflected blue. Her eyes were like star sapphires, but Kaylana could not look directly at them. The Goddess smiled, and’ it was like the sun on a river at dawn.
The Goddess seemed to recline upon some wave or shape of the azure dream that surrounded them; she looked at the small, scruffy form of the Druid before her, in her plain dun robes and carrying a staff too big for her.
In the blue light, Kaylana’s hair had turned an ugly muddy color. But her eyes were still green, still burning.
You came seeking that which might lead to the disruption of the perfect Light we have worked so hard to achieve, said the Goddess sternly. Her words seemed to arrive in Kaylana’s mind directly, without hearing, but she could still feel the voice. So I called you here, as I must.
“Must?” echoed Kaylana. “Do you mean that this is the Test?”
As you might think of it, came the response. Yes. Ki’kartha knew that no simple preset challenge or battle could test the true faith of a one such as you ... especially one who knew she was being tested. Therefore, she passed the task to me.
“But even if I should pass,” said Kaylana, “you are of Light and will never give me that which I seek.”
As I am of Light, so am I of honesty and truth. And I am bound by the laws of the Test and the Victory. If you are able to convince me of the strength of your misguided, ignorant faith, then I shall give you the Segment that you seek.
It is so decreed by the conditions of the Test.
“And death, if I should fail?”
The Goddess laughed, a sound like falling raindrops.
Of course not! I am, after all, of Light and Healing, the infinite mercy of fresh water... when you fail, you shall be granted, not death, but new life and new faith in my service.
And your companions, as well, shall be saved from darkness.
You will be brought into the way of the Light and blessed.
Kaylana squared her shoulders, and stilled her mind.
The warm wood of the staff was comforting under her fingers. “Then let the Test begin.”
In the encampment, Sam had ducked and weaved his way through the shadows, skillfully avoiding the Plainspeople as they hurried about. The fires were almost all out now, but the smoke was still thick in the night air and reeked of charred leather. He saw barbarians running back and forth with wounded, and the blue-robed priests helping with the injured and the smoulder.
Very well, came the Goddess’s voice, with a hint of amusement. As I understand it, you are a Druidess .. of the dead religion from the days before the Victory?
“While one who follows a faith lives, that faith is not dead,” replied Kaylana smoothly. “Yes, I am of the sect known as the Druids.”
But child, surely you know that your faith is dead? That by its own tenets and beliefs, it is no longer valid?
“I do not understand,” Kaylana said, unable to help herself.
I will be ha
ppy to explain. Listen closely. Your faith follows, among other things, that the balance of nature and existence is paramount. Conflict allows the strong to survive and continue, while the weak die and provide sustenance ... am I correct?
“Yes ...” agreed Kaylana cautiously.
Your people were destroyed in the battles of the War, and the forces of Light, being stronger, came into Victory and dominion. Your people, your faith, being weaker, being less fitting to survive, were destroyed. Was this not, then, the natural outcome? Has not your religion been made extinct by the forces of conflict and survival that it itself held important?
“But your logic is flawed,” replied Kaylana, slightly confused. “As I said, my faith is not vanished ... I survive, and the power of my people survives in me and the staff that was given to me. And while I live, there is hope for the balance. I may teach and gather others to believe, and the ways of Druidism will be known and followed once more.”
Your religion was destroyed by destiny and superior power.
“My religion was destroyed by ignorance,” said Kaylana. “Because of that ignorance now, this world you fought so hard to save may be destroyed.”
Sam ended up along the outer edge of the camp and here found a trail of prostrate and groaning warriors. He followed these along until he came to Blackmail stalking along the perimeter of the camp, swinging the Plainsman’s Sword meaningfully. Several of the sharp obsidian points had broken off the wooden club. He approached the knight, a bit too stealthily, and nearly got a faceful of sword for his troubles. Blackmail hastily checked his blow and touched his helmet in apology; Sam gratefully unslung the huge heavy black sword from his back and gave it to the Knight who took it graciously and dropped the Plainsman’s sword with evident disdain.
The fate of the world, came the voice in Kaylana’s mind, gentle and patronizing. How can you, a mere uneducated mortal, think you know more about the fate of the world than the gods?
“Gods are biased,” she answered. “Gods do only what their natures define ... like animals. If a god is good, it must do good ... if a god is evil, it will do evil. I cannot even blame you for your ignorance, for you are only doing what your nature defines.”
Ignorance? You, who worship such foolish things as trees and the stellar objects, can dare speak to me of ignorance?
You do not even know that the sun you worship is only a huge ball of burning chemicals, and the moon only a chunk of cold, dead rock ... that the solstices and seasons you hold holy are nothing to do with the working of any religion. that they have no power over your prayers, but are simply the effects of logical sciences, orbits, eclipses, physics?
“But I have powers,” said Kaylana, confused. What the goddess was saying must be true, she knew, and yet it was as though the divine being spoke another language ... burning chemicals? Orbits? “I can make the plants grow or die, I can feel the minds of men and beast and plant and stone...”
Any wizard or sorcerer could do the same, with study.
You, like your people, have certain talents in magical directions
... and you yourself know that, without the staff you carry, your powers are curtailed. The staff is a magical focus for your own energy.
“If anything is the focus for my energy, it is my faith,” replied Kaylana. “Whether you speak the truth, or simply what you think is the truth ... I know I have faith in what I believe, and that faith allows me to use my powers. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, my faith is as real and valid as any that your worshipers follow.”
Can you understand nothing, child? cried the voice in exasperation. Kaylana felt the hot-cold winds of the Goddess’s impatience whip around her, but she stood firm.
“Any sign of Kaylana?” Sam asked Blackmail worriedly.
The helmet shook from side to side as the knight flexed his grip on the sword and unslung his shield from his back. The black plumes on the helmet, Sam noticed, had gotten slightly singed in the fires, but seemed to be holding up remarkably well. The knight had already discarded his leather cloak disguise.
“Well, keep going round the edge, I guess ... and if you find her, get her away... It’ll be dawn soon.” Blackmail nodded, and Sam headed back into the city, searching frantically.
... and you have powers of healing, Mula was saying. She seemed to be trying to make a point. Kaylana nodded.
And you have healed people... and yet, is healing not an act of good, of Light?
“Yes, normally,” said Kaylana, “But I heal only my companions, who are of darkness, who help me on my quest to restore the balance.”
Then, if you saw a child injured, dying, would you not heal it?
Kaylana shook her head. “Not now.”
If you turn the world back to the “balance,” as you call it, there will be wars again, such as your people died in.
Your animals that you seem so concerned with, your trees, would be killed and killed again.
“That is the way of things,” said the Druid calmly.
“The strong will survive, and continue ... the weak will not. I must heal my companions, despite their weaknesses, because they are vital to the survival of the world as a whole...”
The thought that war might kill you as well is no test.
Any follower should be glad to give up their lives for their cause ... as I see you would. But what of others, close to you? Suppose the balance was shifted. Suppose, suddenly, darkness was in power ... would you then kill your companions to preserve the balance? The knight, the sorceress, the young centaur, the small thief?
“It would be difficult physically,” said the Druid, “but if that was the case, I would have no qualms.”
The burning gaze of the Goddess bored into her mind.
And the assassin? The one who gives you wreaths of pixyclovers... would you kill him?
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in Kaylana’s voice.
Do you have no caring, no emotion, no soul? Have you no compassion? came the voice, tinged with shock as the Goddess’s gaze saw the complete truth of Kaylana’s answer.
“I have those. But stronger than those, I have my faith.”
Arcie was having worse luck than Sam. He’d managed to hide in a group of Plains children huddled near the center of the camp and watching the fires with wide eyes, but when an adult suddenly appeared to shoo them back to their mothers, Arcie was left standing sheepishly in the open. A barbarian grabbed him with a roar and picked him up by one arm. Arcie tensed himself and muttered quick prayers to Baris and Bella ... he knew what would follow.
The man swung him around and hurled him into the air, to cheers from watching Plainsfolk. As he flew through the air, he shut his eyes, cursing his small size while blessing his Barigan resilience and rotundity ... he hit the ground so hard he actually bounced and was immediately grabbed again by another warrior. This man took him by an arm and a leg. As he swung, Arcie could see another Plainsman shouting and motioning, his face in a big grin. No muscle-balled lot will be playing at catch-the-catty with me, he thought furiously, and as the barbarian released him he twisted in the man’s grasp, sending himself spinning up over the tents in; stead of across to the waiting Plainsman. He just had time to notice a faint lightening of the sky before he fell heavily onto a tent, bringing it crashing down. Whatever was in it was wriggling and shouting. An obsidian spearhead ripped through the leather next to his ear, and he jumped like a rabbit to take himself away.
“Tell me of the fate of the world, then. Goddess,”
Kaylana asked. “Tell me, in your omnipotence, what you see in the future.”
Mula seemed annoyed at this presumption. Such knowledge is forbidden to mortals.
“Speak truth to me as I speak to you ... can you, in fact, see what will happen in a month’s time?”
Mula seemed almost sulky. Her righteous annoyance prickled on Kaylana’s skin. The people of the world were created with free will, and even in this day and age a mortal may have the power to affect all creation ... ev
en as the Heroes did. Thus, when the future hangs upon a free will ... the outcome is uncertain.
“Free will, you say,” said Kaylana. “But free will allows the possibility for evil... how can you and the other gods, divine beings of Good, allow this potential for evil to exist?”
Your own fellow mortals are dealing with that. Light wizards are removing the desire to do evil while still allowing the people to have free will...
“But is it free will?” interrupted Kaylana. “If you deprive a man of the potential to do evil, does anything good that he does make any difference? If a contest is set with no way to lose, does winning mean anything?”
This is your Test, not mine. How can your insane, indiscriminate faith make any sense? You would heal one instant and kill the next... how can you stand to live with the knowledge that your beliefs will cause so much pain and suffering, so many people, perhaps even yourself, dying?
How much ugliness and evil and conflict would be rereleased into the world, if you would have your way?
“That is the way of nature,” Kaylana explained. “And the way of nature is balance and conflict... that is the way of my faith.”
Up on their hillside, Robin and Valerie were also noticing the lightening sky.
“Fools,” hissed Valerie under her breath. “We can’t escape in the daylight! They would be on us in an instant, mounts or no! Where are those idiots?”
Robin, ears flickering, caught a sound. At first he thought it was distant thunder, but the pre-dawn sky was clear all the way to the horizon, and anyway, it was too steady, too even, for thunder. It was a low, growly, rumbling noise that seemed to come ... his ears turned, pinpointing the sound. From the east. He looked in that direction, but the Plains were still too deep and dark to show their secrets. He was certain, however, that the noise was growing louder.
Angry waves of exasperation and frustration whipped around Kaylana, and she clutched her staff for support.
Your own ignorance and lack of comprehension blind you! You cannot see the truth, see how foolish and useless your faith is... I cannot teach you if you do not understand my words, I cannot help you if you will not understand my concepts. You are misguided and uneducated in even the most basic of decent thinking, and will die on your senseless quest... and despite my Light, I cannot help but know the world will be well-rid of your callous and blind heart! Take the Segment, and go ... I tire of your stupidity, and my worshipers need me.