The Fourth World

by Marina Sandoval

  Everyone spoke at once, thinking they had heard him wrong.

  Lorne raised his hand for silence. “I realize it's not great news, but if we want to get out of here, we have to tread familiar ground. It may take months to find another portal—if they even still exist.”

  “I know little about this place, but I've learned enough to ask—how do you plan to get into Sermeria without being killed at the same time?” inquired Thomas.

  “It's risky, but it's not impossible. We just need to be careful and know where to walk. Azura has lived there; she knows how to move.” Lorne glanced at the skeptical faces around the table and proceeded, “I honestly do not see what other option you have. You can accept my offer, or you can leave right now and run away—until the day they capture you. I will not force anyone to join me; it's a decision that each one of you must make alone—including you two.” He pointed at Kyla and Habel.

  “We cannot cross the portal with you!” Kyla said.

  “If you want to, you can.”

  “But, we cannot live in your world... we are different.”

  “It will work. You will not be the first ones to cross over; trust me. We can hide your wings, and you can go live somewhere far from civilization. Remember that the sermerios are also after you. If you do not want to come with us, you’d better leave now, because from now on, it will only get worse.”

  Kyla and Habel exchanged glances; they’d never considered leaving their world.

  Everyone became absorbed in their inner reflections, and the only noise was the water slapping the ship.

  “You fooled us. You did not mention we'd have to go there...” Steven said after a while.

  “I claimed I could get you out of here, and I can,” Lorne said. “I fooled no one.”

  “Hell, I'll do it,” Thomas announced.

  “Me, too,” Hubert said.

  “I want to help.” Habel was uncertain. She was exhausted, and now, she had to decide what to do. “But... I still do not know if I'm leaving with you.” She thought of Theo; she did not want to leave him.

  “If Rhod trusted you, I guess I can trust you, too,” said Virginia.

  Steven stared at her in surprise. “Looks like you've won. I'll go see how Richard is, and as soon as he wakes up, I'll inform him of what's been said.” Steven stood up and left the cabin.

  Now, the pressure was on Kyla and Chad. It was implied to everyone that Azura would go where Lorne was going, so the two of them needed to manifest themselves.

  “I'll go with you,” Kyla said, sounding unsure.

  “I'll go wherever you go,” Chad answered with a significant smile and a strange excitement, considering what they were about to undertake.

  They each retired to their rooms, but when Thomas was about to leave, Lorne told him to stop. “What happened in the prison?” Lorne asked.

  “I slipped. It was not intentional; I assure you. If I had done it on purpose, I would not have come inside to help.”

  Lorne considered this for a minute. “Maybe... be more careful next time.”

  The pirate grinned at him and left the room, leaving Lorne and Azura alone.

  Chapter XII - Deviation

  A few days went by, and Richard and Theo had healed, but they still remained in the cabin most of the time. Lorne told them it was best to get back into shape quickly, for they would soon have to leave the ship.

  With each passing day, Lorne was more anxious. He could feel they were being followed; it was only a matter of time. He could not say how they had not yet been found, but he wanted to think that luck was on their side. At least, Azura was there, and that made him feel better.

  They had met in Gullveig, the City of Dragons. The sermerios were the only ones who’d learned to tame the animals, and this only happened because of Azura. They had hired her to recover a lost scroll that contained instructions on how to master this art. As she entered the cave where the scroll should have been, she discovered that someone else had already taken it.

  That someone was Lorne. She found him and tried to steal the scroll from him, but he caught her in the act. Azura convinced him she could help read the scroll, since it was written in Runic, and she knew the language better than he. Lorne accepted the offer, and they worked together for months. In the meantime, they became romantically involved—until they finished the translation and tried to do a practical test with a real dragon.

  They sailed to the rocks, with the intention of approaching while the animal was resting away from its nest, but the dragon found them first. The assault came fast; they saw a blast of fire and threw themselves into the sea. In the confusion, they’d gotten separated.

  Azura returned to Lorne's hiding place, but he was not there. She gathered everything she had of value and was about to flee, but her feelings for him spoke louder. She turned back, finding Lorne hurt and senseless. The sea had thrown him onto the beach, and half of his leg was burned. She took him home, took care of him, waited until he was no longer in danger, and then left for Sermeria, taking her things and the scroll with her.

  Azura’s presence on the ship made Kyla nervous. Kyla admired Lorne with her whole being; she could not help being jealous when she saw them together. For so long, they’d lived on that ship alone, planning and researching the best alternative to invade the prison. She’d never speculated about what would happen after they saved Azura. Now, there were so many people that he did not even seem to remember she existed. At least, she considered the humans to be nice—especially Hubert, who constantly made her laugh with his questions.

  Richard accepted Lorne's plan without hesitation. Theo, on the other hand, had agreed only because he had no alternative.

  Someone always came into the room to keep them company, and Hubert brought a pile of books for them to read. “Lorne gave me this magnifying glass; it’s unbelievable, and with it, you can read everything—even if it's not in your native tongue. You place a drop of your blood in the cable compartment...” Hubert showed them a tiny drawer on the handle of the magnifying glass. “Look through the lens, and you can read everything. I've read a few; they're very interesting, and they were all in Lorne's library. Some talk about the history of this place, others about magic or geography… anyway, I think you'll have fun.”

  Richard had never seen Hubert so enthusiastic about anything. He understood this must be the real Hubert, not that unhappy person on the ship. He was positive, chatty, and very determined.

  The others spent their days working on the ship's tasks, planning to enter Sermeria, and studying the place. Azura told them everything she knew about them. She startled them a little; whenever someone asked if they would have to face the sermerios, she would respond that if she had the excuse to kill one of them on the way, she would do so with pleasure. Her relationship with Lorne was evident to everyone, although they never showed affection when they were with the others. She slept in Lorne's cabin, and they always exchanged conspiratorial glances.

  Azura thanked Habel as soon as she had the opportunity and promised that she would help her if she chose to cross with them, but it was with Virginia that the wizard spent most of her time. Lorne asked her to teach the woman how to handle the weapons, for the sermerios had only taught her to use the bow. It was during these lessons that the two became confidants.

  “He will not give up, you know,” Azura said one day as they trained with the sword.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Steven.”

  Virginia blushed, and Azura knocked her down, but then reached out to help her up and changed the subject.

  It was not just the two women who trained; everyone practiced, including Chad. At night, they relaxed and often talked and danced. The best dancer was Richard, and Habel was not far behind. But, not everyone could forget their problems. Steven was always troubled and did not interact much. The strange thing was that the person he talked to most was Thomas, who preferred to observe everything from a distance. The pirate felt good on the s
hip; it was his natural environment. Although he did not like that he wasn’t the captain, he was clever enough to accept Lorne's terms and not get into senseless quarrels.

  “You know, when we get back, I'll still be a pirate, and the captain you should have executed,” Thomas said to Steven.

  Steven swallowed dryly before replying, “I never had to kill anyone before; it's not the doctor's responsibility.”

  Thomas smiled. “You're not a lost cause; I could give you a place on my ship.”

  This time, it was Steven who laughed. “I said, I will not kill you; I did not suggest I wanted to become a pirate.”

  “Pirates also need doctors.”

  Steven just kept laughing, but Thomas continued, “Then, answer me something else—why are you here talking with the pirate without virtue, instead of helping Virginia with the sword? Not that you are good with the sword, but it is always a good way to get a woman into bed.”

  The doctor looked at him sharply.

  “Calm down!” Thomas continued. “I'm just saying. After all, we both know this is what you want.”

  Steven did not answer, and they proceeded to talk about other things.

  ****

  One night, the sky was violet, with many clouds and much lightning. Kyla rushed into the cabin, giving herself a shock when she saw Lorne and Azura, lying together in bed. She forgot what she wanted to say and just stood there.

  “Has anything happened?” Lorne asked calmly as he sat up.

  “The... the river is getting narrow, and I've seen rocks ahead.”

  Lorne stood up and got dressed, and they left the room.

  Thomas and Steven were practicing with the swords in the bow, while the others admired the dazzling sky. They soon realized that the caravel was entering a place that had not been made for such a large ship. The water was not deep; there were too many rocks and waterfalls.

  “He can’t be considering sailing here!” Steven spoke.

  “I'm sure he has a plan,” Thomas replied.

  He was right. A short time later, they felt the ship rise like a balloon. They all moved to the edge and saw that the water underneath the ship was also rising to support the caravel in the air. They continued to move forward as if they were sailing normally.

  “Look,” Chad said, pointing up. Lorne was on the topmost mast, his eyes closed, his expression serious, and his arms raised.

  “That gives me the shivers,” Thomas commented.

  Steven said nothing, for he was truly astonished at the sight. On the horizon, he could see the tops of the trees, and the whole length of the river.

  The ship was faster now than it had been when it was in the water. Hubert, who had been taking an interest in magic, was questioning Azura. “Why are we going so fast? Doesn’t this drain his energy? Will he not faint?”

  Azura laughed kindly. “You are becoming a specialist. You have the answer to your own question. He cannot continue it for long; it's terribly exhausting. That's why he needs to get out of the cascades as quickly as possible. It's not far; he can do it, and I can help him if he needs to, but my domain is not to command the elements of nature.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to go the other way?”

  “Lorne thinks the sermerios and the desert people will be expecting us. By going around, we have a chance to get away from them.”

  “They do not know what Lorne can do?”

  “I do not expect they know much about any of us.”

  They had already crossed half the rapids, and now approached a waterfall. Richard was staring at the trees that swayed in the wind, when he saw something strange coming out of the forest. He took some time to realize what it was.

  “Get down!” he shouted and threw himself onto the ground.

  A huge stone collided with the masthead. Lorne nearly fell off the mast. He lost concentration, and the ship landed in the middle of the rocks. The prow fell apart, the mainmast hung, and it tossed Lorne aside. Habel flew to hold him, cushioning his fall. The two were still on the ground when another rock hit the stern of the ship.

  Chad fell into the water. Hubert was the only one who saw him and jumped into the water to rescue him. It was not long before he found him, but the current dragged them both away from the ship.

  Virginia bent down with her hands on her head, trying to protect herself from the flying fragments of wood. As she peered ahead, she saw Steven underneath one of the masts. She dragged herself to him and tried to get him out of there, but the mast was heavy and was smashing Steven's right leg. She glanced around, desperate for help, but saw no one, only heard the noise of devastation.

  Lorne and Habel found themselves on top of a broad piece of the ship that was being carried away by the current.

  “Hubert!” shouted Habel. She flew to them. Hubert was holding onto a rock with one hand and Chad with the other. Habel took Chad to the makeshift raft, and then came back to take Hubert, but it was challenging for her to fly while carrying someone so much heavier than she.

  “I cannot! Hold my hand; I must drag you. Do not let go!”

  Half of Hubert's body was in the water. He felt his arm slip away. His leg hit the submerged rocks, and his hand was about to come loose as Habel lifted him onto the wooden plank.

  “Are you all right?” Lorne asked. The response was positive, and he continued, “Good, because we have a complication. We're heading towards the waterfall, and I do not see the others!”

  “I'll go look for them,” Habel said, still panting, and flew away.

  ****

  Azura was in the cabin at the moment of the first impact. As she stepped out into the corridor, she saw Theo, Richard, and Kyla, looking alarmed. When they arrived at the bow, Richard saw Virginia next to Steven. They passed by the debris that flew over the second impact and got to them. They raised the mast enough for Virginia to pull Steven out. As they dropped the mast, it shattered, and the current carried them on a piece of wood the five of them could barely fit on. Kyla was already flying, in search of the others.

  Lorne was considering what to do to save them from certain death, when Hubert caught sight of a person holding a rock. It was Thomas, who had fallen into the water at the first impact.

  “Can you get any closer to that rock?” Hubert asked.

  “I can try.”

  Thomas sighted the boat and understood they were trying to get closer. Hubert lay down and stretched his arm as hard as he could. Thomas dropped one of his hands to grab Hubert, but he slipped and was taken by the river.

  “No!” Hubert shouted.

  They were a few feet from the waterfall. Lorne placed his palms in the water, whispered, “Snáiws,” and everything went so white that it overwhelmed them.

  When they opened their eyes, there was no more water; it was all snow.

  Chapter XIII - Chad’s Hiding Place

  Thomas was the first to slip into the snowy waterfall and fall on the soft, white rug below. Even sore, he laughed loudly at how glad he was to be alive. Their comrades fell soon after, forming a snowy wave that covered them all.

  Habel flew into the woods to find out who was attacking them, and how many there were. The stones kept coming, but with less frequency and at random. It was obvious that they could not see them, and so, they should keep moving. In the middle of the trees, she saw a battalion of trolls, elves, and sermerios. We won’t make it, she thought. They moved toward them, and from time to time, they stopped to shoot more stones at them with a catapult.

  Kyla approached her.

  “We're doomed,” Habel whispered.

  They flew back to the river. Everyone was already there, so Habel told them what she saw.

  “We cannot run away with him like this!” Thomas spoke, pointing at Steven, whose right leg was covered in blood, with a bone jutting out.

  Lorne was weak; he could barely stand. The magic to raise the ship between the waterfalls had already sucked all his energy, and turning the water into snow had drained what strength he had lef
t. He looked like he would faint at any moment.

  “Let's hide in the woods. I'll take care of him,” Azura said. Luckily, the forest surrounding the river was extremely dense, and the soldiers still didn’t have a visual of the group.

  Richard and Thomas carried the doctor out of the snow. It was impossible to move with speed. They could hear the noise of the soldiers; aimless arrows flew across the sky. They continued to flee without a safe destination. Azura had to help Lorne because he felt his legs were about to give up. Habel and Kyla flew in front of them, trying desperately to locate a refuge.

  Little by little, Chad remembered the forest; he had once crossed there while still on his mission. “I know where we can go!” No one heard him; he repeated yet another time, and no one heard him again, so he shouted, “I KNOW WHERE WE CAN HIDE!” They stopped and stared at him in confusion. Chad regretted yelling, for the soldiers behind them had probably heard it, too. “Come with me,” he murmured and ran confidently to the west.

  They could already see the first soldiers approaching.

  “Hubert, help Thomas with Steven,” Richard said.

  “Where are you going?” Hubert said as he swapped places with him.

  “I'll stop them from seeing where we're going.”

  “You cannot fight everyone alone!” Thomas shouted, but there was no response; Richard was already running ahead.

  With the rest of his awareness, Lorne whispered to Azura, “Have Kyla throw this in front of the soldiers.” He took a small sphere from his pocket and handed it to Azura, who called Kyla over right away.

  Richard encountered four elves who had reached them before the others. They ran with their bows in their hands, but they were not ready to fight. Richard stuck his sword into the first one who emerged; the others surrounded him and attacked with vigor. Richard was a fine fighter, but he recognized he could not continue for long; they were faster than any man he had ever fought. He felt a pain in his back, and the warmth of blood dripping. His vision darkened, and his body moved on instinct.