by D N Meinster
Hatswick looked at each of them before handing the Keys off to Aros. “You only need drop this in Wingless River. When that’s done, the world will be as it once was.”
Aros gawked at the totem before he hung it on his waist.
“Hatswick,” Rikki quietly recited his name. Was she grateful? Did she finally understand who he’d once been?
“Let us not waste time,” Hatswick said. “Neanthal will move quickly to conquer Ghumai. He already has Castle Tornis, which means Kytheras is lost. You will need to drive him out, just like we did once so long ago.”
Hatswick took his staff in both hands. “Before I weaken any further.”
“Right.” Rikki got her staff ready.
“Do as I do,” Hatswick directed. His channeling crystal became a bright yellow, and he whirled the staff out in front of him.
Rikki repeated his actions, though as she danced with the rod, the orbs of light that encircled them on the dark plane moved with her.
As they pranced and swayed together, the plane itself came alive, rocking them as they enacted their magic, and knocking Aros and Doren onto their backs.
Hatswick and Rikki’s lights appeared to become one in their luminosity, and they shot off into the dark until they illuminated the unseen Door.
The Door glowed and then began to shudder. Its trembling only worsened as they watched, until it finally fell away in an avalanche of sparkling dust. It left behind a hole in its wake; one with which sunlight and sand could be made out on the other side.
“Hurry,” Hatswick said, falling to his knees.
Doren and Aros shot past the mages as they ran for the opening.
“You’re not coming?” Rikki asked.
Hatswick could barely hold onto his staff, but he wasn’t sure he’d make the journey even if he had his strength. “I shall stay and die in this prison. It’s not like I have much time left, but it is where I belong.”
Rikki’s mouth opened and closed without any words coming out. It was like she didn’t know what to say.
“You can defeat him,” Hatswick encouraged her.
“How?” Rikki asked. “Neither you nor Amelia were capable.”
“We tried locking him up here,” Hatswick said. “I suggest you try something else.”
Rikki’s turned to her friends, who were closing in on the hole. “I don’t think I can ever forgive you. But thank you for this.”
“I wish I could do more,” Hatswick replied. “Try to remember that the Hatswick you read about in your history books was more real than the Hatswick you knew in person. That’s the man I was. And I am glad I get to die being that man. Now, go.”
Hatswick shooed her off, and Rikki hurried after her friends.
He watched as the three of them departed the plane through an exit he could see but would never pass through. He remembered the day he’d made this place with Amelia. He’d never thought it was where he’d die.
But there was nothing left to do but wait for his body to finally give out. Then he would get what he’d always wanted: the chance to see his beloved king again.
Chapter Eighteen
Reunion
There was no longer any door in the Absentia Desert. Instead, there was a gaping black hole, eerily suspended in midair and aesthetically similar to the Oblivion found in other kingdoms.
Rikki was the last of her friends to emerge from it. She fell into the sand and took her time getting back up.
“You alright?” Doren asked, extending a hand toward her.
Rikki took hold of it as she got back on her feet. She looked back at the gaping maw, almost expecting Hatswick to follow her out and reveal that he’d tricked them all again. He had so many years of practice deceiving them, it was not so easy to believe he was being honest. But as the minutes passed and the former Grand Mage failed to appear, Rikki was finally able to accept that he had told them all the truth. And that he was going to die beyond the Door.
She could feel a tear forming in her eye, and she tensed up as she tried to keep it from falling. Yet the sensation of water dribbling down her cheek alerted her to her latest failure.
Hatswick had been the closest thing to a parent that she ever had. He’d taught her all she knew, not only about magic, but of the history of Ghumai. He’d lived through so much of it, and he’d never been reluctant to share his own stories.
Finding out he’d been working against the Goddess and the kingdom had shattered their relationship and any positive feelings she had for a man she sort of blamed for keeping her locked in a castle. Their subsequent duels only clarified their antagonism. She never suspected they’d end up on the same side again or that she’d end up being able to trust in his words.
But the remorse he expressed was as genuine as the help he offered. Hatswick was done with tricks as soon as Neanthal turned on him. Or was it because Neanthal removed the corruption from within him?
What would Hatswick have been like if he had never been corrupted? She supposed only Amelia and others alive hundreds of years ago really knew. Rikki had always known him as a sin mage. And, despite his request, it was probably how she’d remember him.
“We should close it,” Aros said, staring at the entrance to Hatswick’s plane.
“Do you think Hatswick was lying?” Doren asked.
“No,” Rikki said, trying to preempt any doubts they might have about him. “Hatswick lived three hundred years as a sin mage. But he will die a Magenite.”
“Then let’s get to Wingless River,” Doren said.
“Not yet,” Rikki said. “Aros is right. We should close it.”
“Why?”
Rikki looked up at it. The plane it led to was created as a prison for Neanthal. Now, it would be Hatswick’s final resting place.
“Because he could change his mind,” Aros stated.
“No,” Rikki responded. “Because this is not how we’re going to beat Neanthal. We can’t just send him back to this plane. Amelia and Hatswick already tried it, and, ultimately, it was in vain. However we’re gonna do it, we’ll find a new way.”
“Also, we probably don’t want anyone accidently falling in after we reunite the lands,” Doren added.
“Also, Hatswick,” Aros said, unable to let it go.
Rikki rolled her eyes before raising her staff into position. It was strange that she was suddenly on a path that would undo all the work her great-grandmother had prepared in countering Neanthal. First, the Door went. Next, the entrance to her very own plane would be eliminated. And then, she’d reverse the Great Parting and bring the lands back together. Prior to Neanthal’s release, they would all be acts more likely to originate from a Thalian. Now, it was all in an attempt to save Ghumai from the Beast.
Nevertheless, removing the last of Amelia’s magic from the world felt to Rikki like she was disrespecting her legacy. They were all of them the last remnants of the most powerful mage to ever live. And their enduring existence were monuments to that and her mark on history.
As the channeling crystal lit up on her staff, Rikki realized that she was omitting other relics Amelia had left behind. Rikki’s staff and necklace, for one, had belonged to her. The silver cloak she wore had been made by her. And there were still Roamers out there, sent to this time period by her magic. Not to mention, Amelia’s blood flowed through her great-granddaughter.
This act wouldn’t erase Amelia from the world. It would only emphasize everything else that still remained.
Feeling more confident, Rikki directed her urges to close the entrance to the plane down her arms and through her staff. The channeling crystal reacted by blinking and shining brighter, and the wings on her staff seemed to come alive. With every flap, the hovering hole appeared to shrink.
Her necklace subsequently lit up as well, and those wings joined the staff’s, with both flapping in tandem.
It shrunk down to the size of a man. Then to the size of a bonball. And then it was gone. The Absentia Desert was unmarred, and the plane was out
of reach.
Her staff and necklace went still as the lights of the crystals dimmed.
“Should we say something?” Aros asked.
“Do you think he commemorated my father?” Doren replied. “Or Leidess?”
Aros’ head drooped down.
“No words, then,” Rikki said. But she would not let the area go unmarked. The sand beneath where the hole had been began to spiral in place. A lump started rising from the desert floor, taking shape only once it’d reached its full height. It had a pointed top, along with an encircled orb, and beneath it was the rest of the staff’s body, imbued with the symbols of former kings. The duplicate of Hatswick’s staff turned to stone, though it had been firmly planted so it remained upright.
There was a time when Rikki had been particularly envious of that staff. It was a glorious design compared to her old bronze stick, wielded by a mage she thought she could never match. She hadn’t thought well of it since its master turned out to be a Thalian. But she could think of no more fitting an object to mark his plane and his death.
“Can you add one more thing to it?” Aros requested.
“What?” Rikki asked, curious what it could be.
“An image of the Door.”
Rikki nodded. It only made sense to do it. With a light flick, an image of the Door formed in the stone channeling crystal.
“Thank you,” Aros said, and he stuck out his clawblade toward the stone monument.
Rikki reached her staff toward his weapon until they met.
And Doren, clearly reluctant, edged his shield in so it touched gold and silver.
They stood in their position for a while, drawing strength from each other and squashing any internal doubts about what they were about to undertake.
The Door had been Leidess’ favorite place in all of Kytheras. So much of Aros’ life with her had been spent in its presence. This was where they’d grown close and had their most intimate conversations. This was where they’d fallen in love.
Was it really some ancient connection inside of her that had drawn her to this place? Aros still didn’t like to think that she had some inherent tie to Neanthal. He preferred his original supposition: the Door was unique, as she was, and it stood as a reminder of the history that Leidess has been so interested in. It didn’t matter what her soul looked like or who she’d descended from. He knew her better than most, maybe anyone, and she was nothing like Neanthal or even Hatswick.
He missed Leidess every day; her voice, her laugh, her wisdom, and her beauty had all been taken away. But he’d noticed he’d started thinking about her less since he’d met Loraya. He couldn’t help feeling guilty about this. It was like he was disrespecting her somehow. Worse than that, it was almost like he was erasing her from his mind.
The eradication of the Door compounded these feelings. Her favorite place was now gone forever. That enormous white monument would never again stand on the outskirts. The plane was sealed away, and the Beast would never again occupy it.
That sense of loss he felt shortly after she’d been taken from him stirred within his heart. It almost felt like another piece of him had been cut out and destroyed before his eyes. Everything that reminded him of Leidess was being whisked away. The feelings he had for her were being supplanted by Loraya. The places he’d spent with her were being altered or eradicated entirely.
The only good to come from their return to Kytheras was Hatswick’s death. Leidess’ murderer would never kill another again. He didn’t care about the excuses Hatswick offered or even the remorse he shared. He was hardly even grateful for his help. Hatswick deserved to wither away in isolation, though Aros would have liked to see it.
“Why the Door?” Doren asked, staring at the newly constructed memorial.
Had he never shared Leidess’ attachment to it with his friends? Or had they forgotten?
“For Leidess,” Aros answered. “We came here a lot.”
Doren solemnly nodded.
“What’s going to happen to the Absentia Desert when we reunite the lands?” Aros asked. Was he going to have to say goodbye to the desert too?
Rikki gazed around at the seemingly endless sands. “It only came to be after the Parting. I suppose the other kingdoms will take their rightful place, and the desert will be gone.”
Aros would’ve guessed that was the likely outcome. “So this may be our last time here. Ever.”
Aros’ despondence seemed to momentarily strike his friends. They looked around at the golden dunes and scooped some of the granules into their hands.
“I can’t imagine a Kytheras without sand,” Doren said, rubbing the particles between his fingers.
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that for a while,” Rikki replied. “There’s too much to even magic away.”
Aros closed his eyes and dropped back into the sand. As he lied there as he used to with Leidess, he could feel her presence with him, slipping from his memories and into his imagination. This was his last chance to be here; to feel the drifting desert beneath and the scalding sun above. If he were to open his eyes, he’d almost expect her to be beside him.
“Aros!” his friends called to him. He could feel hands on each of his arms, yanking him upward.
He was back on his feet before he opened his eyes.
“We should get going,” Doren urged.
“Before Neanthal realizes what’s transpired,” Rikki stated.
Aros studied the vicinity one last time. It felt like he was losing Leidess all over again. But his friends were right to hurry him. The delay was putting them all at risk. Neanthal could show up before they had a chance to reunite the lands, and they were in no position to fight him.
“Wingless River?” Aros asked.
“Can you manage to get there yourself?” Rikki checked.
Aros wanted to say he could, but inside he was an emotional mess. Any thought of Leidess or Loraya could easily send him off course.
“I think you better take me,” Aros replied.
Rikki extended her staff toward him, and he slapped his palm onto the silver. As they began to fade away, Doren spun in place.
Absentia Desert was replaced by green stalks and middling trees. They arrived in the only area of Kytheras where vegetation grew and the sound of rushing water spread.
After seeing Faunli and Terrastream, this part of Kytheras was no longer as remarkable as it used to be. The farmland seemed puny, and the crops rather small. The fruits had all been picked from trees that weren’t even half as high as the ones in other kingdoms. Only the mud was more prevalent here.
Something was missing, though. Aros couldn’t determine what it was, but when Doren joined them, he noticed immediately.
“Where is everybody?”
Aros gasped. “Guardians.” When he’d last been there, the place was protected by at least a hundred guardians. Now, it was empty. Aros was the only guardian in sight.
“He’s either killed them, imprisoned them, or reassigned them,” Rikki spat.
“No bodies,” Doren replied. “If he killed them, it wasn’t here.”
“Let’s do this,” Aros said, and he started toward the river. His friends followed, trying to stay in his footprints to avoid deeper mud.
Along the way, Aros made a bad step and his right foot sank into the muck until it was up to his knee. But together, his friends pulled him out and they continued to the river’s banks without further incident.
He put a hand to his cheek as he recalled being made a guardian right where he was standing. King Halstrom had been sent to the Bastion along with Leidess, all because of Neanthal. They wouldn’t let him conquer Ghumai again. Every kingdom would stand against him. There would not be a second Dark Reign.
Aros pulled the Five Keys from his waist and stretched them toward the waters. “Now should we say something?”
Rikki ogled the Keys. “Three hundred years after the Parting, it is time for the Parting to be undone.”
“Ghumai will b
e whole once more,” Doren added. “May it stay that way for the rest of time.”
Aros wasn’t satisfied. “For Leidess. For Halstrom. For Amelia. For the Lettes. For the Roamers. For Magenine.” He let go of the Keys, and they fell into the waters of Wingless River.
Nothing seemed to happen as they sank beneath the current. Aros, Rikki, and Doren continued staring even as their concern grew. What if Hatswick had misled them again? What if nothing happened?
As their doubts swelled, a shimmer beneath the water gave them all a spark of hope. A brilliant dazzle seemed to be growing from within the river. At first, it was but a column of light. And then it became so much more.
Wingless River was transformed into a stream of luminous white. And it stretched beyond its banks and into the Absentia Desert, where it wound along the same path it had taken when all the kingdoms had been there, and where they would all be again.
Chapter Nineteen
At the End of Oblivion
“Lady Yveen!”
Her shadow had barely crossed the horizon and already General Kortermos was announcing her arrival. He had a keen eye, that one, which was probably why he got stuck guarding the very edge of Faunli. Behind him and his troop was the boundless black void that disappeared any that dare cross its path. Any except for three Kytherans which had emerged from it decks ago and changed the kingdom forever.
Yveen’s velizard strutted beneath her, the scaly creature uneager to return to the border which she had visited every three days since her Kytheran friends departed. It occasionally snarled and snapped at the air as they got closer to their destination, but never did it freeze up on her or try to turn around. It was too loyal to her. Sometimes, she even considered that it knew she’d saved its life.
The air cooled as they approached the flowing waters, and a nasty breeze tried to tug the wide-brimmed hat from her head. But it was too used to its place atop her tied-back black hair and refused to budge.