by Kyle West
“I am releasing you from the Hyperfold, Prince Imrahil,” Shal said. “There will be no real world for you to return to . . . this place no longer has the power for that. To the Xenofold I release you. Only touch that tree. I forgive all the crimes you’ve committed against me.”
The man looked at us, as if for permission or confirmation.
I nodded. “Go.”
The man, seizing his chance as if it wouldn’t come again, touched the tree, and was gone. I felt his presence leave this place, and the entire world seemed to wink and fade a bit.
“The Hyperfold is now collapsing on itself, without his soul’s energy, Rakhim said. “We must hurry with the rest. The more that leave, the faster it will collapse.”
Then, others left the door, Rakhim “forgiving” each of them and telling them to touch the tree. There were men and women, old and young. My heart nearly broke as a child of no more than eight walked out. What could a child have done for Rakhim to keep her here as one of the last ones he couldn’t do without?
As each person passed through the tree, the world around us diminished. The ground was translucent, showing inky blackness beyond. We began to float as gravity itself diminished, and the air thinned as it, too, disappeared. And still, they came on, one after the other. Rakhim’s words even quieted, as sound itself disappeared from the Hyperfold.
I counted until there were only ten left. Nothing of the world existed, only the tree, the door, Isaru, Rakhim, myself, and the last souls trapped in the Hyperfold. Six more came out, people I didn’t know or recognize, who gratefully went for the tree.
Then, there were four left. There was a hesitation on Rakhim’s part as a portly man floated out of the door, looking stunned and confused. I recognized him as the man in my visions of long ago, King Farl of Hyperborea. Rakhim bitterly nodded toward the tree, which the king understood and touched. A snap of thunder sounded, and the tree glowed bright, pushing back the darkness.
Next came a beautiful stately woman . . . the queen whose cold blue eyes I remembered. She stared angrily at Shal, defiantly, as if remembering some past betrayal. Rakhim looked at her without expression. Then, she left him behind and touched the tree, and was gone.
That left two. We waited a long while, but then, Mia stepped out, looking at both us and Isaru. I fought to hold back my tears, but they came anyway.
I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, I said.
Mia nodded, showing that she understood. Your world is not mine, anyway. I should have died many years ago, though fate wanted me here. Now, at last, I go on to peace.
She smiled, and touched the tree, as Shal watched with anger clouding his face.
There was only one left. The darkness deepened, so much that even the tree was having trouble fighting against it. I clung to the tree, feeding it all the power I could draw from the Xenofold. I felt the power of all the dead that now rested there, aiding me for the saving of the last soul.
Rakhim’s expression became twisted by rage and bitterness. His mouth screamed, though there was no sound. Out of the door came Elder Isandru . . . not in his old age, but as was in the days of his youth . . . a tall, handsome man of long gray hair not unlike Isaru’s, a sign of his power and strength in the Xenofold.
He looked angrily at Rakhim, as if he wanted to spit. Somehow, though both Mia and Isandru had escaped from the Hyperfold, some form of them had remained behind.
Touch the tree, Isandru, I said. All is done.
Relinquishing his bitterness, Isandru instead nodded, a tear coming down his eye.
Thank you, Elekim. Thank you, Anna.
But as he reached for the tree, Rakhim could not restrain himself. His face became a mask of anger, and he reached out to strike Isandru down with a sword suddenly conjured of light.
I shouted, but no sound issued forth in the darkness. Isandru was powerless, unable to dodge or turn in time.
But then the tree came to life, suddenly shining the power of all the Xenofold in defense of Isandru, all the power of the long-trapped souls defiantly fighting back against Rakhim Shal. A blinding ray of light shot out of the tree, the goodness against all the bitterness and power Rakhim Shal had fostered in this final moment, his final choice of betrayal. There was sound again as Rakhim screamed wretchedly, the light piercing him in an unending line as his body melted away and was claimed by darkness, his howling face and widened eyes staring at me with loathing all the while. There had been nothing but hatred in those eyes the entire time, and the eyes were last part of him to fade as all went dark, save the tree.
All of his hatred, as deep as it was, was as nothing compared to the souls of love now joined in the Xenofold.
But we didn’t have any more time to waste. The tree wouldn’t exist for long in this place of darkness.
Let’s go! I said to Isaru.
We took hands and went toward the tree. When we touched it, we were pulled from the void.
CHAPTER FIFTY
WE WOKE ON THE SHORES of the Sea of Creation some time later. I opened my eyes to see Isaru lying beside me. Our old clothes were gone, replaced with shimmering, silver robes crafted by the power of the Sea.
I stood and looked out to the Sea, more a pond at this point. But there was one change. For the first time in two centuries, the Xenofont delving into the Sea was dark and silent. It was no longer pulling life and robbing the Elekai of their future.
“It’s done, then,” Isaru said. “I can no longer feel Shal’s presence in my mind. And I escaped the Hyperfold without becoming ensnared.”
“It’s done,” I said, hardly believing the words as they left my lips.
I reached out to the Sea and felt its power. I felt hope, for the first time in a long while. “It’s growing. Slowly. It’ll take years, decades, for it to recover. But it’s growing.”
“Now, we must protect it,” Isaru said. “It gets stronger each passing moment. But the war isn’t over.”
The sickness was gone from the Sea, but it was still weak. Likely, its increasing strength wouldn’t even be detectable for a while. But with Shal gone, destroyed by his own wrath and bitterness, it meant we only had one enemy to contend with, an enemy that wouldn’t have the benefit of the Hyperfold to aid him.
“We need to get out of here,” I said. “Gather whatever strength we have and challenge Odium directly.”
Isaru nodded his agreement. “Yes. But how?”
I didn’t know the answer to that. I reached out with my mind, and the entirety of what the Xenofold reached was ready to access. I sought out Isa and Shara and found that I could detect them somewhere above in the city.
Isa . . . Shara . . .
Isa’s voice entered my mind. Shanti? You’re alive! The Hyperfold is gone! It went dark. We were afraid that you went with it . . .
No, I said. We are very much alive.
Where are you?
We’re at the Sea of Creation, I said. Come with the dragons. They’ll know the way. Once you’re here, I’ll explain everything.
Almost a month has passed since you went in, Isa said. We were talking today about leaving. If you hadn’t Called to us . . .
We’ll talk about all that soon, I said. Isaru and I’ll be waiting here, by the Sea.
I closed the connection and waited.
* * *
A few hours later, the forms of four dragons approached from the ceiling of the Caverns of Creation. Their wings billowed as they sighted us and let out mighty roars that echoed throughout the cavern.
Within a couple of minutes, they were landing on the rocky shoreline of the beach.
Isa and Shara dismounted, running forward to embrace Isaru and me. Upon seeing them, tears came to my eyes. Even if it was only a few hours for me, for them, they had truly believed we were dead.
We told them everything that had happened, of Alex’s battle with Rakhim that had left him almost completely spent, along with Shal’s story and his agreement that had broken at the last, and how the Xenofold overpowered h
im in the end, destroying him and the Hyperfold once and for all.
After I was done explaining, Isa was the first to speak. “I can’t believe you gave him a chance to redeem himself.”
“I think a part of him wanted to,” I said, “but he couldn’t bear the thought of Isandru going free. At that moment, his hatred betrayed him. It destroyed him.”
“But why Elder Isandru?”
“He blames him most of all,” Isaru said. “In life, and in the Hyperfold, he tried to stop him from achieving his aims. Mia started the resistance and won Isandru to her side, so he hated her for that. But between the two, his hatred of Isandru knew no bounds.”
“How long have you guys been waiting here?” Isa asked. “Those are the fanciest clothes I’ve ever seen!”
“We haven’t been waiting long,” I said. “But we should go. There’s a lot to do.” Then, I remembered Alex, and his sacrifice. “What happened to Alex?”
“We felt it was best to return him to the Xenofold immediately,” Shara said. “We laid him in an ichor lake not far from here. His body was absorbed and became one with the Xenofold.”
I nodded, and felt my throat clench. “That’s as it should be.”
We stood together there for a long while, admiring the beauty of the Sea. Even as small as it was, we were still struck with wonder.
“We’ll come back someday,” Isa said. “When we’re old, maybe. I imagine it’ll fill this entire space by then.”
It was a nice thought. “I hope so, Isa.”
“Where to now?” Shara asked.
I wasn’t sure. I looked out to the Sea, as if to find the answer. Somewhere in there, through the entrance to the Xenofold, was Alex, who had given his short resurrection to defeat the evil that was destroying all Elekai. His sacrifice meant hope for the rest of us, as did Isandru’s.
Thank you for all you’ve done, I said, in something like a prayer. I promise that Anna will return to you, which is only right. I’ll do everything I can to ensure that.
Though Alex didn’t speak back, it seemed his approval emanated from the Sea.
I turned to the others. “Everyone who was trapped in the Hyperfold is now free. They’re in the Xenofold where they belong. But all that’s for nothing if the Xenofold is attacked and destroyed before it can regain its strength. All that’s left is to challenge Odium directly. To gather our forces and strike before he can do more harm.”
If it had been one month, as Isa said, then I feared what we’d find when we returned to civilization. But when we returned, it would be with new hope and new strength. For all of Odium’s power, we had dealt him an important blow today. One that was sure to strike fear and doubt into his heart.
“Does anyone else feel like this is the turn of the tide?” Isa asked.
It did feel that way, but nothing was secure yet. I wanted to take nothing for granted.
“Before we go,” I said. “Follow me. Into the Sea.”
I walked into the Sea of Creation, the ichor glowing around my feet as I entered. The others tentatively followed, but the ichor did them no harm.
“Reach for the Xenofold,” I said. “Feel its power.”
All did as they were told.
“You will leave this Sea changed,” I said. “Baptized with its power. You will leave as full-blooded Elekai, as strong as the first human Elekai four hundred years ago. You will need that power. We will need that power to challenge Odium. I won’t be able to defeat him alone.”
“You won’t have to,” Shara said.
I turned to face her and the others. All their eyes were glowing, their faces shining with the Sea’s radiance. The dragons watched from the shoreline impassively. We stood like that as the Sea poured its strength into them.
“It’s too much,” Isa said. “I can’t control it.”
“Have faith in yourself,” I said. “The Xenofold is accepting you.”
She nodded, and after a short time, the Sea had no power left to give them; they were filled to their full potential. The glow on their skin faded, and their eyes returned to their normal colors.
We mounted and flew out of the Sea, sparing it one final glance as it fell away below, a small lake that had once filled this entire cavern.
One day, with luck, the Sea might fill it again.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
IN THE COMING WEEKS, THEY gathered. Wars were put to an end. Rivalries set aside. They gathered on the fields south of Haven at the southern rim of the Grand Canyon. They gathered from the southern and northern fiefs, Seekers of the Sphere and Seekers of the Sanctum, the Makai in exile who were fast losing their lands to the southern scourge . . . even the surviving Novans who had been cut off from their forces by the expanding tide of Radaskim.
Though the Sea was beginning to heal, it was still too weak to affect all the Wild. Anything south of Sylva had fallen to Odium, coming under his direct influence. Refugees flooded north as the mists caused by the Hyperfold began to lift.
The dragons rallied to Elekim, Elder and Generational, knowing that the final battle for Earth was drawing near. And at their head was Tiamat, son of Quietus and Askal, with new resolve and a desire for vengeance. They came by the hundreds into an army that was larger than this part of the world had seen since the fall of Ragnarok.
But Odium’s forces were stronger yet, and the source of his power, just outside Dragonspire, became the great Southern Reversion.
All were being gathered for a final fight to save the world. A hopeless fight, perhaps, but if life was to be protected, if freedom was to be preserved, if evil was to be turned, then it would have to be a fight.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle West is the author of The Wasteland Chronicles, a seven-book post-apocalyptic series, and is currently writing The Xenoworld Saga. Kyle has always been a voracious reader of sci-fi and fantasy. He lives in West Palm Beach with his wife.
Also by Kyle West
Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian
The Wasteland Chronicles
Apocalypse
Origins
Evolution
Revelation
Darkness
Extinction
Xenofall
Post-Apocalyptic/Fantasy
The Xenoworld Saga
Prophecy
Bastion
Beacon
Sanctum
Kingdom
Dissolution
GLOSSARY
A.R.: After Ragnarok. The date usually used by the Elekai to denote the year. It’s a bit of a misnomer, because it really means after the Ragnarok War, and not after the impact of Ragnarok itself. The Xenoworld Saga begins in 398 A.R.
F.C.: Founding of the Covenant. The date used by the Covenant to denote the year, and it signifies how many years have passed since the Covenant ousted the Elekai from Colonia. The Xenoworld Saga begins in the year 248 F.C.
P.Y. Precursor Year. Corresponds to the Gregorian Calendar. The Xenoworld Saga begins in the year 2458 P.Y. – or 2458 A.D. It’s rare to use Precursor Years to denote anything beyond the year 2060, and even then is only used among academics and historians.
Annajen, The: One of the Three Tribes of the Elekai, the Annajen are the descendants of the gods Elekim and Annara. Their capital is Haven, a Great Silverwood growing in the Grand Canyon.
Annara: Annara is the matron goddess of both the Annajen Tribe and the Colonian Covenant; however, depending on the side, her character is entirely different. Among the Annajen, Annara is the wife of Elekim; she established Colonia and the Seekers and wrote the Prophecy of Annara, which has been lost, but predicts the eventual ascendency of the Elekai over its enemies – namely the Covenant. Among the Covenant, Annara is the goddess of pure-blooded humanity, and seeks to destroy all that is Elekai, promising her chosen people – the Annarans – that they will one day destroy the demon Elekai, who waged war against humanity during the First Darkness. According to prophecies on both sides, Annara is to lead her Army of the Dawn to destroy the other
side.
Army of the Dawn: Annara’s army during the Second Darkness that is to destroy either the Elekai or the Annaran Covenant, depending on which version of the story one believes.
Askala: The Radaskim Xenomind that nearly enslaved the world using the xenovirus during the time of the Ragnarok War. These events have been almost forgotten in recent times, but the Covenant remembers Askala as the Elekai’s demon goddess. Among the Elekai, her true nature is better remembered as the Radaskim goddess who was imprisoned by Elekim in the Xenofold at the end of the Ragnarok War.
Askaleen: A male dragon. They are pink, with tiny scales, and a smooth, rounded frame. They are also rarer than Radaska, the female variety. Because they are the only kind of dragons that the Covenant or Elekai can tame, they are jealously guarded by the Radaska.
Atlantea: An Eastern Kingdom situated in the southeast. Its capital is of the same name.
Augurs, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in the art of diplomacy. They serve as advisers for kings and rulers, not only in the Red Wild, but in the Eastern Kingdoms. In times of old, they also interpreted signs given by the Xenofold, though this responsibility has fallen by the wayside in recent centuries. They also recruit new initiates for the Seekers’ Sanctum among the nobility of different lands.
Bloodless: The collective term Elekai use to describe all non-Elekai. It’s not pejorative, though it can be used in that way.
Brevia: A city on the western coast, in southern California. Once a colony of Colonia, it was conquered by the Shen in 348 A.R. It is the only Shen city that outsiders are allowed to enter, and even then, permission is granted only sparingly. A large collection of books has been gathered there, in what is known as the Brevian Archives – the main reason for which anyone would want to visit the city.