“What do I do with them?” she called down.
“Drop them on the air cushion.”
“The what?”
Ma΄Vastor motioned toward the membrane surrounding the ship. “Throw them over the side. Then go back for more. Continue until I say otherwise.”
Stacked around the opening leading back to the witan were rows of shelves containing fist-sized metal balls filled with pebbles, and tubes containing blue liquid. Ma΄Vastor removed several tubes and carefully poured liquid in each round container. The cork stoppers were replaced and Ma΄Vastor vigorously shook the balls before throwing them. Explosions rocked the tunnel. Ma΄Vastor aimed the crossbow and unleashed a barrage of suppressive fire. Pursuing aurora-hunters fell back.
“Vas, what’s happening?” Elinor was in full-on panic as the ship was beginning to rise. The membrane had become saturated by the jars’ sparkling contents. Jagged energy waves rippling along the surface turned from crusty brown to bright red. Rudders concealed within the hull dropped at both ends. Anchor ropes went taut.
“Cut the ropes.”
“What?”
“You must. It is the only way.” Ma΄Vastor threw more explosives down the corridor, followed by another barrage of bolts. “Hurry, bearer. I cannot hold them much longer.” Ma΄Vastor unclipped the crossbow’s reservoir and reloaded.
Elinor pulled a dagger sheathed in her left gauntlet. She ran down the bulkhead cutting away the anchors. The ship lurched to one side. Thrown off balance, Elinor stumbled across the deck to free the ship from the other side. When the last anchor was cut Elinor was catapulted to the opposite side again as the ship rebalanced. She clutched the railing, feeling woozy. A green tint was creeping up her face. She screamed, “Vas, hurry. Get to the ladder.”
Ma΄Vastor turned to see the Ma΄Ranie ship rapidly rising. More bolts were released down the corridor. Aurora-hunters wailed as carcasses piled up. Ma΄Vastor walked backward while keeping an eye trained on the advancing threat. “Once you breach the opening you must unfurl the sails.”
“What are you talking about? Grab the ladder. Hurry.”
“I have faith in you, bearer. You are wise beyond your youth.” More bolts were fired. “I must hold them from here.” Ma΄Vastor’s voice was strained. “Hear my words. The Lancians are not to be trusted. I beg of you—do not look for them.”
Elinor peered over the side looking sickly. Tears hovered in her unsteady eyes. The last ladder rung rose off the cave floor. “Don’t leave me,” she begged. “I don’t know what to do.” Her pendant glowed profusely.
Ma΄Vastor responded to the pendant’s intense light. “Your amulet is a great weapon. It cannot fall into the wrong hands. Protect it with your life. Destroy it if you must.” Ma΄Vastor fired a last salvo of bolts. A dull trigger click signaled the reservoir was empty. The crossbow clattered to the floor. Ma΄Vastor unsheathed curved daggers from a duel scabbard. “Light must return, Elinor, Daughter of Morbis.” Ma΄Vastor glanced up. “One’s true path resides within the heart. Listen to yours, wisely.” Mandibles emerged from the opening. They snapped closed around Ma΄Vastor’s ankles, pulling the lower chief into darkness.
“Vas!” Elinor screamed. Her hand reached out. Energy surged through her body. A pulse materialized from Elinor’s palm and slammed into the stone and timber blockade built to make a large opening a smaller one. The choke point designed to defend the Ma΄Ranie’s fallback position collapsed. A debris cloud formed as timbers shattered and walls crumbled. Elinor tumbled back, landing faceup. The opening above spun while her vision clouded. “Vas,” she whispered. Her gaze turned to a spindle attached to a wheel. She recalled that she needed to release the sails. Elinor tried to get up. She rolled onto her stomach and attempted to pull herself across the deck. In desperation her fingernails scraped against the varnished wood. Her strength failed. The ship breached the cavity, slowly rising into a merciless sky. “Vas,” Elinor repeated.
Home. But not how Elinor remembered it from stories. Under radiant skies, flourishing trees reached for the heavens in braid-like fashion. They wound upward, bent perpendicular to the ground, grew upside down, and then rose skyward again, twisting and turning to form complex forests. Green waters merged with a purple horizon. In the distance, gargan song was carried aloft by a northerly breeze. Their harmonic clicks and deep-toned whistles had a cathartic effect.
Elinor stood on the shore of a lake that surrounded her tribe’s temple; a tree that appeared to float on water. The tree had an intricate stem system that grew deep. Thick roots raised the trunk above the surface, creating a gap. Without giving it much thought, Elinor proceeded across an arched bridge that was connected to the tree. Artistic iron spindles supported stone rails that matched the bridge’s decking. She peered over the side, realizing her fear of heights had vanished. Colorful buoys marked the placement of eel traps and sunlight sparkled across the water. Her attention then returned to the tree. Something was summoning her from inside. It was a force that pulled at her, called to her in silence. As she stood there, Elinor became aware of a presence. A lasting foundation of unconditional love. She was consumed by kindred energy that rippled through her body. With a giddy smile Elinor darted forward. Her skin glowed profusely.
She entered a captivating space aglow in enthralling light. Hundreds of candles placed in hanging paper lanterns lined a curved pathway and guided Elinor to the center of her tribe’s stronghold. Elinor turned a corner. She climbed winding stairs that led to an antechamber. Inside, a spring teaming with crystalline dust gurgled from within the tree and flowed into a shallow fountain bowl. Water spilled over a containment wall into a narrow trench that channeled the tree’s essence to an adjacent room. Elinor burst through the room’s circular entry.
Flowering vines crept across the natural floor and sloped walls. Candles floated in midair, burning upside down. They rotated around a birthing pool, casting subtle light from flames that defied gravity. Elinor stared at the water. She knelt beside it. Her hand felt silky as it breached the surface. There was no resistance. No buoyancy. The water was as weightless as the air around her. Her afterglow filled the room in fluid light and merged with light coming from the water, creating a unified radiance that occupied the room. In response to the blending of light the tree trembled, followed by a chorus of voices that whispered in unison, “Free him. Return her heart.”
The scene of an ancient one being dragged across the ground with her arms and legs bound by flaming ropes cycled over the pool’s plane. Dark hair with a purple sheen was matted against a heavily bruised face. She was forced into a hollowed-out tree and surrounded by those she once called friends. A Lancian light spear was used to set the tree ablaze. And then without resistance the prisoner was burned alive. The plane shifted to images of darkness. A lone Lancian stood in a protective beam of light swinging a glowing sword as he moved in a circle. Aurora-hunters snapped at the edges. The perimeter was shrinking under a thickening dark mist. The man stopped when the beam began to falter. He lowered his sword and closed his eyes.
“Through the grace of Kalloire, we will be together again,” he breathed. Then the sword was forcefully driven against the floor. Aysgarth vanished in an explosion of light.
Elinor staggered back. Her eyes stung and white spots dotted her vision. She heard dull thumping. It sounded like someone pounding against ice. “Is someone there?” she asked. Her vision remained blurry as the pounding got louder. “Who’s there?”
Light-bearer.
Elinor heard Aysgarth’s voice. She walked forward again toward the pool, squinting against the burning aftermath caused by Aysgarth’s sword striking the floor. As she once again came poolside, silhouettes of past light-bearers emerged around her. Hundreds of them. They were gathered around the pool and on spiraling stairs that curved along the hollow trunk. They were wearing similar attire to hers. Each held a polearm weapon with one end resting against the ground. Simultaneously they pointed to the birthing pool. Elinor watched another scene
unfold.
A woman lay in the pool, held from behind by Morbis. “Our Elinor will be the last,” she huffed. The woman grunted. “What have we done?”
“Breathe. You are almost there,” replied Morbis. “She will not be the last, dear. Now push.”
Squealing aurora-hunters could be heard in the distance. The temple was rocked by thunder. Lightning streaked across a tainted sky.
Elinor’s mother sobbed. “She will be born into a dying world. Oh Morbis, what have we done?” she repeated. Elinor’s mother wailed. She reached back in agony, grasping Morbis’s chest for support. Her blouse got snagged on the pendant hanging from his neck as she writhed in pain. The chain attached to it snapped, causing the pendant to drop into the water.
“Push,” Morbis encouraged under the strain of chaos.
Around them the temple was being evacuated. Ancient scrolls and leather-bound parchments littered the floor. Panic-stricken cries carried down corridors, amplified by the empty space. A Lancian appeared poolside. His cape was heavily battered from a lifetime of war. The bottom was serrated and torn. Red threads hung loosely from pulled stitching. With an unceremonious, final howl Elinor came into being. She was snatched from the water by the Lancian and tightly wrapped in a blanket.
“Take her,” Morbis instructed. “We will meet by the caves as planned. No one can see you. Your presence here must remain a secret.” Morbis kissed Elinor’s forehead. “Take care of our little mouse.” The man nodded and fled with Kalloire’s last born light-bearer.
Tears dripped down Elinor’s face. Seeing her own birth along with her mother for the first time caused ecstatic joy, and deep pain. Her stomach was twisted in knots. The water’s surface rippled as muffled pounding returned. The recollection of her birth disappeared. Elinor once again heard Aysgarth’s voice.
Light-bearer.
“Free him. Return her heart,” echoed the gathering.
A sword pierced the water. Ethereal light spilled from the blade. Mesmerized, Elinor felt uncanny warmth cover the room. Her body glowed under its brilliant glare.
Light-bearer, again called Aysgarth.
Pressure built in Elinor’s head and her pendant pulsed. The pain was so powerful that she lurched at the waist. She held her face, feeling as though she would explode. Elinor gritted her teeth. She tried to withstand the eruption that was occurring within her. It was futile. Energy surged through her body. She lost control and felt herself rising off the ground while her arms opened to the side. And then she let go. With wave after wave, a swell of power was released from her body. Light appeared through fractures in the tree. The trunk fell away, and she felt the sun against her skin.
Gargans circled above. A black raven appeared in the sky. It dove. Elinor’s eyes widened as it approached. Its avian body transformed into a falling sphere. Within the comet-like ball Elinor saw a sea wolf holding a trident above its head, streaking across the sky in a vengeance of fury. Its menacing red eyes leered into Elinor’s. She gasped from the immense pull they exerted over her. She was drawn to them, unable to break eye contact. Then the light slammed against her. And she burst into particles of glistening light.
CHAPTER TEN
Meek light filled the sky. The ship’s sails had been deployed, forming a giant X that crisscrossed at the hull’s center. Fabric with colorfully sewn patches bulged under a steady wind. Elinor opened her eyes to gentle rocking. The pain of Ma΄Vastor’s loss returned. She felt alone again.
“It seems you have an affinity for vessels,” said the ancient one dryly. In alarm Elinor sat upright. “Every time we cross paths, we are floating,” she continued.
Elinor ignored her sarcasm. She scooted across the deck to lean back against the bulkhead. Her head throbbed viciously. “I was coming to find you,” muttered Elinor.
The ancient one raised an eyebrow. “Were you now?”
“How did you find me?”
“We are drawn to light. Right now, you happen to be Kalloire’s brightest.”
“If you’re so drawn to it then why did you leave? Light has been destroyed. I was told your kind protected light.” Elinor stared ahead. Her eyes were heavy and glassy.
“It is not our charge to interfere. We but embrace light. As a light-bearer it is your role to nourish it.” Elinor moaned as she shifted her weight against the railing. Her entire body ached. The ancient one continued, “Light is both bright and dark. There is still much light here. All is not lost. Look around you. You cannot remove light from an entire place. There is no power capable of such a task. Now what do you see, child?” The ancient one pointed to the sky. She smiled at Elinor, exposing grooved fangs. She sensed Elinor’s anguish and felt her emptiness. “Look,” she commanded. Elinor raised her head. Her melancholy disappeared. She leapt to her feet.
“It’s brighter. There’s light.” Elinor tried to understand. “How is this possible?” she asked. “What’s changed?”
Bleak streaks were visible through heavy cloud cover. The shadow dome that concealed the sky showed signs of weakening. To the east, snowcapped peaks were visible along a ridgeline that bordered the sea. The Ma΄Ranie ship was flying straight for them. Elinor cautiously peered over the railing. She was still fearful of heights, but was unable to contain her curiosity. Plants with pulsating leaves of pink and blue, red and violet, appeared through the fog sweeping across the marshes. A faint layer of light stretched in every direction. Elinor ran to the other side. She focused her attention south. To her home. To where she had grown up. And to where she had lost so many. The veiled silhouettes of dead trees were visible from Lower Lightendom’s southern shoreline to the border with Gargan Mount in the north. The devastation was extensive, on a scale that Elinor had never imagined. With a bird’s-eye view she was able to see how destructive the war had been. An entire world had been transformed. Her eyes watered in realization of what had been lost.
“You,” replied the ancient one. “You are what has changed.”
Elinor slumped. She shuffled across the deck and sat on the edge of a cast-iron trough that extended down the middle of the hull. It was coated with soot and contained remnants of burnt logs. “Do you know what’s happening to me?” she asked. Elinor was desperate. “I keep losing time. I’m traveling to strange places. Experiencing things that are impossible. Am I losing my mind?”
The ancient one admired the sky again. Her eyes studied thin fissures along the dome where light was shining through. “We tried to explain to you once before,” she answered, and then gestured to Elinor’s pendant. “You have been given a great gift. A coruscant. It wields a power not meant for you.”
Elinor fondled the pendant around her neck, recalling her childhood. “It’s always been with our kind. It’s tradition to hand it down from one generation to the next.”
“That coruscant belongs to another we are afraid.” The ancient one paused. “What do you know of it?”
Elinor shrugged. “Not much. All I know is it holds fire and light. It’s stored inside to be used when needed.”
“Is that all?”
“No. My poddy says—” Elinor stopped. “Said,” she continued, “that when a light-bearer dies their light goes into it.” She shrugged again. “I didn’t know what that meant until I watched him die. We were the only two left. I had never seen it happen before.” She looked into the ancient one’s yellowish eyes. Her fingers stroked the pendant. “He’s in here, isn’t he?” The ancient one nodded. “I killed a hunter. Its light too flowed into it. That’s never happened either.”
“That’s because the coruscant was previously in the possession of your father.”
“What’s different about me?”
“Unlike other light-bearers who wielded this coruscant, you were bonded with it at birth. In the past when one of your kind perished, their light was consumed by all. That changed when your people came into possession of a coruscant. Their light is now stored in it. Not shared as before. The combined power of your ancestors gathers in wait, child
.”
“What about the hunters’ light?”
“They are unnatural, therefore do not possess their own. Their light is stolen. But you have the ability to harness it. With help from a coruscant,” she added. “This is what you experienced.” She got up. “You are the answer to the great imbalance,” stated the ancient one with absolution. Her voice displayed an unusual passion for one so disciplined. “Light-bearers were able to create fire long before having a coruscant in their possession. You have forgotten who you are. Your role is so much more than the simple task you have created for yourself. Forget about sharing fire. The force of the Eternal Tree flows through you.”
“This still doesn’t explain what’s happening to me.” Elinor walked aft. She was restless. There were still many questions to be answered. Her heart was heavy with Ma΄Vastor’s death, and she was growing weary of endless complications. She needed direction, but the ancient one was furthering her frustration. A glimmer below caught her eye. Elinor stared at the ground. She laughed. “I’m afraid of heights. Some tree-dweller, huh?” The light source grew. A greenish glow became visible through the mist. “What do you know of the Lancians?” The ancient one leered at her. “What about Aysgarth?”
“Lord Aysgarth? What do you know of him?” Elinor saw a visible change come over the ancient one. Anger flashed across her eyes. She gripped her staff tightly.
“I’ve seen him. I’ve spoken with him.”
“Not possible.”
The ship was rocked by a blast. An energy pulse hit the hull where the ancient one stood. Elinor gripped the bulkhead for balance as the ship keeled. Another burst struck the center. Planks disintegrated. The masts buckled and the aft section separated from the ship’s main body, with Elinor still on it. She would have screamed if able to. The speed at which she fell made breathing difficult. Fear gripped her soul like an iron fist. Her stomach reeled, and she grew faint. All she could focus on was her pounding chest. The ground drew nearer. What seemed from above as weeds were now the size of adolescent trees. She was helpless. Her thoughts drifted to Ma΄Vastor and to her father. Elinor recalled all that had been good in her life. She grasped for peace in her moment of death. A final combative shriek emerged between her gritted teeth as the ground closed in.
Shadow Kalloire Page 6