Rhydian: The Other Side
Page 34
A New Life
The engines of the twin prop Otter whirred as it moved down the airfield. Rhydian pushed the throttle forward and lifted off. The plane rose into the sky, several nervous passengers behind him. He flipped the switch redirecting the coms to the cabin and addressed them.
“How are you all doing today? My name is Rhydian and I’m your pilot! You’re all very lucky today, because you get the honor of jumping with my wife.” He peered back and smiled at Ellie.
She smiled back, enjoying the sound of the words, “my wife.” They hadn’t let a single opportunity pass since the wedding without introducing each other this way.
Rhydian continued, “She taught me how to fly herself, so you’re in good hands. Until you jump out, of course. She’s a much better pilot than she is a skydiver.”
A few people laughed and Ellie reached forward to shove him playfully. When they reached their desired altitude, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
“I’ll see you on the ground, baby,” she said.
After the passengers left the plane, he circled and looked down at the ground of the human world he now called home. He missed waking up in the Monolith City above the canyon, seeing his mother and visiting with Auram on their days off. But all things change, and he had come to accept his life the way it was. Regardless of the things he’d left behind, he had never been happier than he was with Ellie. They had built a good life there together, but they would never forget where they came from.
Rhydian drove them home that afternoon, downshifting as he pulled onto the dirt road toward home.
“Oh, by the way,” said Ellie, “I invited Dad over for your birthday next week. I hope that’s okay.”
“Sounds great,” he replied. “For dinner, can we have?”
“Chilidogs?” she finished for him with a smile.
“I was going to say ravioli,” he replied.
When they pulled up to the house, a hooded figure stood by the porch. Getting out, they cauthiously approached the person.
“Excuse me,” Ellie said. “Can we help you?”
The figure turned and removed his hood, revealing himself as the old Gatemaker.
“Nicodemus?” Rhydian gasped.
“Hello, Gideonson,” he said. “Hello, Ellie, my child.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Rhydian. “How did you even get here?”
“I came to warn you that soon people will be coming over for ilïmbalm again, and since Ilimíra is no longer a secret to the human world, they will likely not bother with discretion.”
“Wait,” said Ellie, “so we can get back to Ilimíra now?”
Nicodemus nodded. “In the year since the rift, Ilimíra has used up all but the last of our ilïmbalm reserves. The people grow desperate. Up until now, the barrier has been too delicate to risk opening more gateways, but over time, it will heal itself and the thresholds will begin to return on their own, little by little. When they do, people will be desperate to get through.”
“Will the government still regulate who comes and goes?” Rhydian asked.
“Even if they tried, they would not be able to stop the masses. After the incident with Corvus and Redwing, the people rose up against the government. A political uprising has given power back to the people. We have yet to establish a solid government.
“Aside from that, we will not have nearly the control over the thresholds that we once did. They will appear when and where nature allows, and they will be open for anyone to pass through freely, the way they should always have been. Ilimíra will have to accept the natural order of things, and over time, a natural balance will return. We will have prosperity again when this happens, but until such a time, our people will be poor and desperate.”
“Isn’t there something that can be done until then?” Rhydian asked.
“I’m afraid not,” he replied.
“So, by trying to help his people, Corvus brought a famine to Ilimíra,” Rhydian said incredulously.
“Wait,” Ellie said, “I think I have an idea. Rhydian, you told me our stream has ilimbalm in it, right?”
“The highest concentration I’ve ever heard of,” he replied.
“Nicodemus, you came here to us, so I assume you still have some control over the thresholds, right?”
He nodded. “Indeed.”
“Well, would it be possible to direct the flow of the stream through a threshold?”
The old man’s eyes went wide as he thought. “I don’t see why not!”
A few weeks later, Rhydian and Ellie flew side by side through Ilimíra again, their wingtips brushing as they went. The stream flowed continuously into a brand new ilïmbalm reservoir behind the Monolith City, where it was diluted and distributed all over Ilimíra, restoring wealth and prosperity to the people. It was only a temporary solution, as eventually the threshold energy would diminish the water’s ilïmbalm concentration, but until the thresholds returned, it kept Ilimíra happy, healthy, and prosperous.
A beautiful monument had been erected in Auram’s honor on the spot where he died, where Ilimíri and Grimalkin alike came to honor and celebrate his memory. There was even a verse regarding him added to the Grimalkin’s Grim’Nariit, speaking of his valor and sacrifice.
Rhydian’s mother, who had never been more proud of her son, married Mr. Ferro and moved into a beautiful home near the top of the city.
Many of the people wanted to appoint Rhydian as their new Fleet General, but he turned the job down. Instead, he managed the forge, splitting his time between that and flying Ellie’s plane on the other side. He had come to appreciate the simplicity of the work and now had several apprentices of his own.
The Grimalkin threw a feast to celebrate the return of the great Eaglehide, who had led them back to Rim’Ithra at last. As the thresholds began to return, Grimfolk from both sides came and went to visit their long-lost kin. Proditorr inherited the throne over of the seven factions, given his brother’s passing, and ruled his people from within the Grimwood Forest. The Grimwood Faction was rarely seen or heard from thereafter. They seemed to reserve a certain disdain for the Ilimíri people and any who associated with them.
One day, Ellie came to him in the forge with a concerned expression. Rhydian dismissed himself from his work and instructed his students to continue working. The couple stepped outside, where they could see their breath in the brisk, winter air.
“Is everything okay, El?” he asked.
“I heard a rumor from the ground today,” she said in a hushed tone.
“From the Grimalkin? What is it?”
“Humans,” she replied. “Thresholds are starting to emerge all over now and humans have started making their way through to Ilimíra. They’re saying that many of them are angry about what happened on the other side last year and are here seeking revenge.”
Rhydian was shocked. He knew it was bound to happen eventually, but no one had predicted it happening so soon.
“It could just be a rumor,” he pointed out.
Ellie shook her head. “Brighteye came and told me herself. She said the humans’ numbers are growing by the day.”
“Do the Grimalkin think they’ll become hostile?”
“It’s too soon to tell, but I think we need to expect it.”
“Just when I thought the fighting was over,” he sighed.
“It may be,” she said optimistically. “You never know. Besides, I have some good news, too. I may have a new apprentice for you to teach.”
“I don’t know if I can handle another student right now,” he replied.
“Oh, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare,” she said, beaming at him coyly.
“What do you mean? How long?”
“That depends. How long do Ilimíri pregnancies last?”
For a moment, Rhydian just stood there with his mouth hanging open, but as his heart raced with excitement, he lifted Ellie up by the waist and spun her around above him. They both laughed with joy as he lower
ed her into his arms and embraced her with his wings.
Ellie looked up into Rhydian’s eyes and said, “If it’s a boy, I want to name him Auram.”
To be continued...
Pronunciation Guide
Auram – ARE um
Belator – BELL uh tor
Corvus – COR viss
Grimalkin – grim ALL kin
Grim’Nariit – grim nah REET
Ilïmbalm – ILL im balm
Ilimíra – ill ĭm EE ruh
Ilimíri – ill ĭm EE ree
Lümril – LOOM rill
Nicodemus – nic uh DEEM us
Olüri – oh LOO ree
Proditorr – PROD ĭ tor
Rhydian – RID ee in
Rim’Ithra – rim ITH ruh
Rims’gristii – rims GRISS tee
Taya – TAY uh
WATCH FOR BOOK TWO
of the series:
Rhydian
Threshold
By Devan J. Skyles
About the author
Devan J. Skyles was born and raised in California, where he now lives with his two children in the small town of Lucerne Valley. Rhydian: The Other Side is his debut novel, though he has been writing avidly since he was a small child. He attributes his success, in large part, to the encouragement of his fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Laura Butler, who first recognized his skills and ability to create imagery through the written word.
Skyles enjoys life’s simple pleasures in the wide open spaces of his small foothill town, riding horses and motorcycles, skydiving, and teaching historical European longsword fencing (all of which helped inspire certain aspects of his writing).