by D N Meinster
"Neither," Rikki insisted. "Neanthal – "
"Is a child's fable," Kuwain interrupted. "A story meant to explain why things are the way they are. He's not real."
"We wouldn't come if he wasn't – "
"Enough," Kuwain cut off Rikki again. "You've interrupted my prayers for nonsense. Leave now before I have my men slit your throats."
Aros, Doren, and Rikki, all glanced at one another unsure of how to proceed.
"Surely you – "
"Surely I what?" Kuwain disrupted Doren. "Do you not see I am in the middle of a war? I have not gathered these men here for a picnic. You come here from your far-off land to what? Make a mockery of us Fauns? You, who would declare Kytheras the First Kingdom, even though Faunli was founded first. You, who would pretend Neanthal exists to take the most valuable item in the empire? Away with you, outsiders."
"What do you think that key is for, if not to unlock the Door?" Rikki asked. "The Goddess has sent us – "
"Oh please," Kuwain said. "I've heard enough of your fabrications. I know Kytheras lies beyond Oblivion. As does Terrastream and Belliore. There is much beyond the blackness, but it is not unknown to me. I know. I am not the fool you had expected."
"B-but," Rikki stuttered.
"Sarin has returned," Aros spat out. "Sin mages have resurrected him."
"More fairy tales," Kuwain sighed. "There have been other killers in Faunli, but I do not expect Kytherans to know that."
"Why do you think Oblivion exists, if not for Neanthal?" Doren shouted.
"It is how our world is," Kuwain said, as he rounded up a few of his men. "They'll escort you out. Do not return, or you will die."
Kuwain turned his back on them, and Aros was pushed back toward where they came from. Doren scooped up the scroll before he was forced away as well.
But Rikki would not be so easily removed. In spite of the two men pushing against her, she remained in place.
"How is it you can so easily deny reality?" She raised up her arm, and within moments, her staff flew into it.
Kuwain did not look back at her nor respond. He was done with them.
Rikki scowled before turning about and thrusting her staff into the pack of soldiers. They were, all at once, moved out of the way, so that a clear path to leave the camp was formed.
None of the soldiers knew how to react, and before they could, the trio had made it to the edge of their encampment.
Aros and Doren retrieved their weapons, and quite hastily, they all went about their way.
Chapter Fourteen
Practice
"We have to go back," Doren said. "We can't let him keep the Key."
"And how do you suggest we get it?" Rikki asked.
"Since diplomacy failed, there's only one way." Doren eyed Aros. "We fight."
"Oh, so now you look to Aros, when you know he'd be on your side."
"I don't understand why you didn't take it from him just now," Doren complained.
"Do you realize how many soldiers there are?" Rikki said.
"Aros believes we can take them."
"But do you think you'd be able to take them on without magic?" Rikki retorted. "Without me?"
Aros could hear his friends squabbling, but he wasn't paying much attention to it. He was still dumbfounded by Kuwain's ignorance. The proof of Neanthal's existence was right around the Emperor's neck, but he refused to see its historical significance. How could he be so blind? Were there many like him in Faunli? They hadn't interrogated too many Fauns, so there was no way to really know.
If Aros had not grown up with the Door so close by, would he doubt Neanthal's existence too? But the Beast was not some fable. He was in the history books. The events of the Dark Reign were well documented. If he didn't believe Neanthal was real, did he feel the same about Amelia? Or Hatswick?
This was an entirely separate kingdom. They must have been taught different subjects here. But all of Ghumai shared a history. They couldn't simply change that, could they?
"Aros?" Doren said.
Rikki and Doren both had their eyes on him. Aros scratched his head. "Um...what?"
"Ughh," Rikki grumbled. "Why couldn't the Goddess have sent me along with two women?"
When neither of them filled Aros in, he asked, "What's going on?"
Rikki only glared at him, while Doren once again refused to look at him. This journey was not turning out well. He had lost control of his emotions, fought and alienated both of his friends, and now failed to obtain the Key. The way it was headed, he was never going to be able to eliminate Sarin.
"So, are we going to fight?" Aros asked, hoping to spur an answer from them.
Aros wasn't prepared for what happened next. Both of his friends started giggling. He pivoted from one to the other, unsure what to make of it. What exactly was going on?
"No," Doren answered, having apparently come around to Rikki's side. "There are too many soldiers between us and the Key." He smiled at Rikki, and she grinned right back.
"I'm going to shift into the camp at nightfall," Rikki said. "So I've got a few hours to practice. Let's head back toward that town we saw. We don't want to even hint to these soldiers what we might be doing."
"I don't think they believe in magic, though," Aros replied.
"That gives us the advantage," Rikki said.
Rikki locked arms with both Aros and Doren as they headed further from Kuwain's camp. Aros gazed awkwardly at their two interlocked arms. She had never done this before. Doren, however, seemed much more at ease with it.
"Shifting can be dangerous," Rikki stated. "There are stories about mages who didn't know how to properly shift, and they wound up disappearing entirely. But even if I pull it off, I'm putting myself right in the middle of thousands of armed men and assaulting their leader. I want to make sure that before I even start this, you two can get by without me."
Aros and Doren both paused in their tracks. They were horrified to even consider going on without Rikki.
"You're going to be fine," Doren said, assuring himself as much as her.
"The Goddess will make sure of it," Aros responded.
Rikki nodded. "Still, I don't want to leave you alone for even a minute if you can't trust each other." She looked specifically at Doren.
Doren shot a look at Aros before gazing into Rikki's eyes. It wasn't that he didn't trust him at all. He knew he could count on the Aros he had met in Kytheras. But that Aros wasn't with them at the moment.
"I don't blame you," Aros said. "I can barely trust myself right now."
"Doren, when it comes down to it, Aros will have your back," Rikki stated with confidence.
Doren wanted to believe this was the case. But he still had his doubts. Rikki could speak up for him all she wanted. That didn't change what had happened, or who he had become.
Rikki started walking again, dragging her two friends with her. "Aros, I can't use my magic to make your pain go away. I know you're still struggling inside. But as long as you remember who your friends are, and who your enemies are, you'll make it through."
"Oh," she wiggled the arm that Doren was latched onto. "And Doren will have your back too. Right?"
"Of course," Doren replied. Though he may lack faith in Aros, he wasn't about to let him come to harm.
"See? As long as you two care about each other, I know you will be alright."
Doren didn't appreciate the way Rikki was talking. He couldn't fathom going on without her. Was she just being cautious, or did she know something?
"Rikki, I – "
Doren was unable to finish his sentence. Up ahead was an exotic beauty he had beheld only once before. His arm went limp in Rikki's grasp, and his heart sped up with sheer excitement. Lady Simma was headed right toward them.
She was wrapped in a fine ivory shawl, with the wind occasionally ruffling it along with her hair. When she came up to them, she pushed a few stray hairs from her forehead and gave them a pleasant smile.
Rikki tugged her ar
ms out from her companions and crossed them in front of her. She did not look pleased to see her.
"I am glad you are all alive," Simma said. "Have you been to see him yet?"
"We just came from there," Doren eagerly replied.
Simma gave them all a once-over. "And you emerged unmarked."
"But without the Key," Rikki added.
"So it would seem you did not listen to me," Simma stated. "I should have realized from your appearance. Not a single wound. You simply asked for it."
"We weren't ready to start a war," Rikki replied with a hint of malice.
"My kingdom is already at war," Simma said. "It is good we do not depend on you to fight for us."
Doren was taken aback by Simma's hostile remarks. "How can three of us take on an army?"
"You needn't fight an army," Simma replied. She looked at Doren with disappointment. "Only him."
"Is that where you're going?" Aros asked.
Simma was startled to hear from the guardian. "Not exactly. I may wish my brother dead, but I can't do it. I'm merely trying to get the two emperors on speaking terms."
"Kuwain doesn't even believe in Neanthal," Rikki barked at her. "He's not worth speaking to."
"His belief is not so odd in Faunli," Simma replied. "I do not go to make him believe in things he chooses not to. I go to make peace."
"What do you suggest we do?" Doren asked while he stared at Simma's face.
"I already told you what to do," Simma replied. "Whether you listen or not is your choice."
Doren pulled his eyes off her, slightly disappointed. She had been more helpful in Radite.
"Until we meet again," Simma said, and she took off before any of them could say a proper farewell.
Doren watched her leave, wishing she had stayed with them longer. He recalled how fierce a warrior she was, and figured with her at their side, Kuwain's entire army would have fallen. But now they were just three again, and dependent on stealth.
Rikki cleared her throat, taking Doren's focus off the rapidly diminishing Simma. "Here's as good a place as any I suppose," she said.
Rikki did not appreciate Doren's apparent infatuation with Simma. He stared at her so blatantly. Did he not realize that everyone around them was going to notice? Except maybe for Aros.
The sooner they got the Key, the better. They could leave this land, along with Lady Simma and the civil war, far behind. And Doren could go back to focusing on what really mattered, not this Faun princess.
She was way older than him, anyway. And she wasn't that beautiful. Sure, there was no one in Kytheras that looked like that, but who would assume there would be. She was a Faun! Was that what Doren was so attracted to? Well, there weren't many Kytherans with magenta hair either, but Doren didn't seem to stare at her like that. Maybe if she gave herself golden eyes, he might...
Rikki shook her head, intending to focus on what she was about to do. How far should she try shifting? Probably within eyesight, so Doren and Aros wouldn't worry too much.
She scanned the horizon. "Do you see that?" Rikki pointed to a hut right on the edge of the nearby village. "I'm gonna try shifting right in front of that."
Aros grabbed onto her arm. "Maybe fighting thousands of soldiers is the safer course."
"Don't worry," she said, patting Aros' hand. She looked at Doren, but neither of them said anything. Was he still thinking about Simma?
Aros loosened his grip before letting go. "I'll head over there," he said, and he ran off toward the hut.
"I don't think he wants to lose anyone else," Doren suggested.
Rikki turned her head toward him.
"I don't want to lose you either," he added.
"I should hope not," Rikki sharply stated. She focused on the location Aros was nearing.
"I believe in you, Rikki. You'll be fine."
Rikki remained concentrating on the hut. "Magenine, point me true," she whispered to herself. Taking in a few deep breaths, she pulled a specific memory to the forefront of her mind. Was it even a deck since she had first shifted with Hatswick? He had saved them that day, but it was all an act. Yet she couldn't fixate on who he truly was and the horrors he had committed. No, she had to remember how it felt when she had shifted with him.
She had been paralyzed when it happened. Her body succumbed to a numbness unlike any she had experienced. Yes, she vividly recalled the feeling. And then, the tomb they had been in faded away, and it was replaced with their destination: Castle Tornis.
Rikki took a few deep breaths and grabbed onto her staff with both hands. As she recalled the sensations of shifting, she tried to will her surroundings to fade away. They needed to be replaced; replaced by what was still in sight.
Doren watched as Rikki stood in place, but nothing appeared to be happening. He urged himself not to say anything. It could disrupt her, assuming she was doing something. A few minutes passed, and then a few more, yet Rikki remained in the same place.
Doren glanced over toward Aros, who was waiting for her at the hut. When he looked back at Rikki, he was astonished to see that she had become transparent. She was doing it! She was actually shifting!
Within another few seconds, she had completely vanished from the area.
Doren started clapping, even though he knew she couldn't hear. Her abilities were incredibly impressive. He wondered if she could one day be as powerful as Amelia herself.
He looked for her near Aros, but she still hadn't arrived. She wasn't even fading back into view. Doren moved toward the hut, expecting Rikki to be back as soon as he made it over there.
But by the time he was within a few feet of the place, she still hadn't reappeared. Doren spun about, expecting her to perhaps show up back where he had started from. But she wasn't there either.
"Rikki!" Doren started shouting. "Rikki!"
Aros started shivering while Doren called out her name.
"Where could she have gone?" Doren asked, spinning around and hoping he'd see her. He got a glimpse of Aros' face as he twirled about. His friend looked like he was about to be sick.
Chapter Fifteen
Betwixt and Between
Darkness.
No matter where Rikki looked, that was all she saw.
Unending blackness.
She had to blink several times, just to convince herself her eyes were still open. They were.
Rikki lit the channeling crystal on her staff, illuminating the vicinity. She could see her dress now, and her staff. Beyond that, it was only darkness.
She swung her staff in every direction, hoping there might be something to give her an idea where she was. But light only showed how far the darkness went. There wasn't even a ground beneath her. So what exactly was she standing on?
There was only one place where she had seen a blackness like this. It was when they had entered Faunli. Could she have accidently shifted into Oblivion? Then how was she still alive? The way the Fauns made it sound, if you ever touched Oblivion, you would be irreparably damaged.
However, Fauns didn't seem to know anything about magic. Maybe there was more to Oblivion that they couldn't understand.
"Hello?" Rikki said, wondering if there were legions of Fauns out there, all of whom had once fallen into Oblivion.
Despite the seemingly endless open space, her voice did not carry. There wasn't even an echo.
"Is anyone in here?" Rikki shouted as loud as she could.
There was no response.
Well, Rikki had gotten herself here. She could probably come up with a way to get herself out. In fact, as she was no longer in Faunli, it seemed that she was capable of shifting. She merely needed to practice where she would wind up. At the very least, she knew she could get one part of it right.
Rikki tightened her fingers on the staff and called up those memories that had brought her here. Hatswick. The tomb. That numbness. As soon as she forced herself into those memories, she rapidly changed the focus to where she wanted to go: back to Faunli. Back to Doren. She u
rged the void around her to fade and Faunli to come into view. She could do this. She'd already done it.
But her surroundings did not change. They remained bleak and empty even while she willed them away and wished herself to another land. Why wasn't it working?
She dismissed the light from her channeling crystal and tried again. For a second, she was gone from the void, as those few recollections flashed before her eyes. But as soon as they ended, the darkness was back.
Rikki whimpered as she stared into the endless abyss. She was doing it the exact same way! She should've shifted out of here by now.
Maybe Faunli was too foreign to her. She was only vaguely familiar with the land. Perhaps she could try to go where she had first shifted with Hatswick. Not only was she bringing up the memories of shifting there to begin with, but she was intimately familiar with the locale. She'd lived in Castle Tornis for her entire life, and knew it better than any place in all of Ghumai. From the frigid black stone that caused her skin to prickle to the excess sand that found itself in every nook and cranny of the place, she could easily transport herself there in her mind. Now she just had to physically make herself go there.
Rikki brought up those memories, but this time lingered in the tomb. Hatswick had just shown up, trilby hat on his head and magnificent staff in his hand. For just a second, she got to touch it. But she lost all feeling in her fingers, and the tomb faded away and Castle Tornis came into view.
She compelled her staff to mimic what she was reliving. That Castle Tornis may fade back into view, and replace her current location.
But her body refused to go numb, and when she focused on where she was, there was still only black.
"Shit," Rikki groaned, and with a flick of her staff, she relit the channeling crystal.
This place was completely empty, except, somehow, for the air she continued to breathe. She recalled another place that was incredibly dark, but she had easily illuminated. Holding her staff high, she imagined the light making hundreds of copies of itself and shooting out in all directions. No sooner had she thought of it than it actually happened, with balls of light zooming out into the darkness.