by Matthew Ward
Drystn said, “See. That was good. You did it all in one smooth motion.”
Eidr plopped down on the ground, a pout forming on his face.
He said, “Yeah. But it was hard, and I didn’t have to focus on continuously pulling from the bairsgn, who fights back. I was only able to do it because I could focus on each step, one at a time, without any distractions.”
Conl watched from a distance. He hadn’t quite figured out what to think about the whole thing. It must have been hard to have this going on right under his nose and never once suspecting.
Conl called over, “Eidr, please take a break. I understand you want to do this as soon as possible. The threat is real, but the world isn’t going to end in the next few days.”
Eidr grumbled something. If Drystn didn’t know better, he would have guessed that Eidr had more excitement for challenging himself than fear for what he had to do. The kid had an intense drive to do the impossible. It had led him to manipulating the spior in this way, and now he would learn to kill the bairsgn. Maybe that first experience had desensitized him to how dangerous this could be.
For the next several days, the group spent hours perfecting their technique. It started to seem more and more feasible. Eidr improved his skill with alarming speed. The others figured out how they would arrange the vessels to contain the spior for maximum efficiency. One morning, Eidr got up early and woke everyone and brought them into the main room.
He said, “I’m ready. Let’s go do it.”
Drystn’s heart fluttered in his chest. He hadn’t expected it to come so soon. He hadn’t thought about how they would decide they were ready, but he didn’t think it would be unilateral like this. Now that he saw the seriousness in Eidr’s eyes, he knew they had to do it now. Eidr had the only opinion that mattered. He would do most of the work, and if he had the nerve and confidence now, they had to take advantage of it.
XX
Maedc had begun to think he had hallucinated the feast that first night, because none of those people seemed to exist. Tkz all but vanished from the mountain. Now he showed up unannounced, and Maedc had a bad feeling about it.
Tkz said, “Welcome, Tumr.”
Tumr bowed and said, “It’s an honor.”
Maedc wasn’t sure where he had picked this up. They had never been told to bow to this man. He had figured out much from the text, which he now knew was titled A Brief History of Talamir, but his reading skills weren’t stellar. There was much he still didn’t know, and much of what he did he presumed was myth.
The fall of Talamir had no documentation, but the writer must have known it was coming. The people of the First Age had seen a star fall, and traveled there. Maedc reasoned that this star caused the crater in which all of Talamir existed. Half the people stayed behind, and the settlers never returned. Several generations later, contact was reestablished. The settlers had gained a power. They now knew that it was the ability to move spior.
Everyone in the First Age had the ability to do it, once trained. They used this power to great effect and built a massive city out of the mianl found in the caves. They also seemed to have no limitation in how they could move spior, unlike the people of the Second Age. This great power caused a war in Talamir City, killing enough of the population that the mountain dwellers assumed they’d never hear from there again. They wanted nothing to do with the place that had caused such destruction.
Tkz continued, “The time has come to tell you why you are here.”
Maedc stared back. “But we’re the ones that came here. What do you mean?”
Tkz said, “In the book you brought, there is a prophecy that people of Talamir would return one day. Soon after that day, the ability to move spior would vanish. In fact, all spior would vanish, killing off civilization. The only people who could stop it from happening were the people who came from Talamir.”
Tumr said, “But how? The two of us don’t even have the Talent to move spior.”
“Yes, you do. All people can do it. You just haven’t been taught how. The god that came on the star to Talamir granted the power to all people.”
This went against everything Maedc believed to be true.
Maedc said, “I don’t think I understood the words you just said. What god? What does that mean?”
Tkz said, “Open the book and read for me the beginning.”
Maedc became angry that he was the only one speaking. Wasn’t Tumr curious about any of this? He gave Tumr a harsh look, and Tumr grabbed the book and opened it. They had the passage memorized at this point, but he still made the effort.
Maedc now realized that they had been given the spior at that first feast as a gift for being the saviors of all of civilization. Tumr read the words with awe.
“And then the Gods did put a star in the sky, and three men followed the falling star to the place now known as Talamir, meaning godsend. The food and water were plentiful, and all those who made the journey there lived in harmony. The gods gifted the brave settlers with a power for fulfilling the prophecy. This was the beginning of the fall of Talamir.” Tumr looked up. “Yes. But what does it mean?”
Tkz picked up a nearby rock. He threw it to the ground and said, “Notice how this rock made a small indentation in the dirt. The reason Talamir is in a hole in the ground is because the falling star caused it.” Maedc felt like vomiting as he tried to wrap his head around the idea that something so large fell from the sky to make such a large hole. The world spun, and Maedc crouched to the ground to try to make it stop. Tkz looked over and asked, “Are you all right?”
Maedc said, “I think I need to lie down.” He moved to his bed and rested. He wanted to believe all of this was myth, but it made too much sense. Everyone he knew had been born in a trap and none of them realized it. They went along with it—as if there was nothing strange about living in a crater. “I’m sorry. Please continue. This is all a bit much right now.”
Tkz said, “The star was a vehicle for a god from another planet. He came and gave us what you call spior.”
Tumr stood up and cut Tkz off. He said, “This is the part that doesn’t make sense. What is this god? Is he still alive?”
“Of course. We would all die if he died. At first, the spior was a luxury to make life easier. But as the generations continued, it became more and more a part of our souls. Now it is the force that gives all things life.”
Maedc shot upright. He gasped to get the words out through his heavy breathing.
He said, “I know how the world is going to end.”
Tumr and Tkz gave Maedc a fearful look.
Maedc continued, “The god. It’s the bairsgn. I bet while we’re here, someone at Talamir Center has learned how to kill it. We have to get back as soon as possible.”
Tkz said, “Now it is my turn to not understand. You people have decided to kill the thing that gives you life?”
Tumr tried to explain, “Yes. No. It’s complicated. We didn’t understand what it was. We thought it was draining everything of spior and trying to kill us.”
Tkz stood up. His voice boomed throughout the room with anger. He said, “You fools. You’ll kill everyone. Why would you think that?”
Maedc interjected, “Because we could see that spior was rushing into it from everywhere, and it was growing seemingly without bound.”
Tkz said, “He isn’t draining you of spior. He merely redistributes spior as necessary. He keeps everything in balance. Didn’t you notice that he gave back much of the spior he took? He acts as a—.” Maedc didn’t understand the last word. “We’ll leave today. We must stop them.”
~
A small group of First Age people gathered together at the entrance to the mountain. Utk came to say goodbye but would not be making the journey with them. She still had on her gown from the music, and it fluttered gently in the wind. She stood off to the side, and Maedc walked over to her. A nagging desperation constricted in his chest.
He said, “Please come with us. I’m sure the
y won’t mind. We can live together in Talamir. It is wonderful there. You’ll love it.”
She said, “No. I cannot. My place is here. I will only be a burden for the journey. Do not fear. Return when you are done.”
Maedc couldn’t believe this was happening. Something deep within him said that he would never see her again, and this hurt. He had every intention of returning, but there was no telling what the future would bring with all of civilization on the edge of collapse.
Maedc said, “I will come back. I’ll try my best.”
He leaned in and gave her one last kiss. A tear rolled down her cheek. She turned away and ran back into the mountain. Maedc looked back at the travelers and realized they were waiting on him. The group, together with Maedc and Tumr, began the journey back to Talamir.
The trip was easier with people who knew the terrain and fastest paths. Maedc wanted to use this time with Tkz to get as much information as possible before having to confront the Ruler. The Ruler would probably resist without solid evidence. They had been trying to kill the bairsgn for years.
Maedc started by asking, “Who are we? Do you know where we came from? I understand that the First Age people somehow destroyed themselves. But who are the people of the Second Age? People don’t just magically form out of dirt.”
Tkz said, “That is a very good question. One theory is that there were some survivors that carried on.”
“I thought that, too, but it doesn’t make sense. Why do we have a different language, and why is our theory of spior so different from yours? Wouldn’t all these be the same if there were survivors?”
Tkz spoke in a sage monotone. “Maybe. Languages evolve. The people that survived might not have known much of spior or didn’t care or intentionally tried to live without it because of the destruction it had caused. There’s any number of explanations.”
Maedc thought about this for a while as they walked through the dark forest.
“There’s something else I’ve been wondering about. I know that first day you gave us spior from that boy, because you wanted to welcome us as the prophesied ones. But why did you kill an innocent person to do it?”
Tkz laughed a little.
Tkz said, “No one was killed. I transferred his spior to you. He lives on through you. You have much to learn still. Spior is your life, so as long as it isn’t lost, you do not die. These bodies are merely temporary vessels for the spior.”
Maedc cringed at the thought. He didn’t believe this at all. Nothing about it fit with how he thought of spior. Spior was necessary for life, but life was not only the spior. He needed to push back against this heinous idea.
Maedc said, “I don’t believe that. If that’s the case, no one ever dies, because the spior isn’t lost. It returns to other life and non-life.”
“It is true that we never really die for the reason you give. But there is a difference you don’t understand. When you die naturally, your spior dissipates everywhere. You lose yourself. When your spior is transferred specifically to one or two people, that self is transferred and lives on.”
“How? I see no difference. The thing that made that boy himself is gone. Half of his spior may live within me, but it he no longer exists.”
Tkz calmly said, “The important part still exists. Don’t you feel it within you?”
“No.”
Maedc struggled with the rage boiling inside him. How could Tkz be so casual about killing someone? How could he not see that the important thing had nothing to do with the spior and everything to do with the thoughts, ideas, and love he would bring to the world? Maedc stayed silent while they continued to walk. There would be no changing Tkz’s mind.
Maedc tried to put himself into this frame of mind. Was it possible that he knew so little about spior that what Tkz said was true? Anything was possible, but he had to go with what was probable. It was more likely that spior was like blood. It contained nothing of what made someone human, but without it one would die.
When they built camp for the night, Tkz and one other person began to teach Maedc and Tumr how to see spior. They floundered with the exercises and made no progress. Maedc felt like the whole enterprise was pointless. Only those with the Talent could move spior, but he saw firsthand that everyone in the First Age could do it.
Was it possible everyone from the Second Age also could do it? So many of his questions had been answered, but the answers all raised even more questions.
The next day they moved with less chatter. It seemed some of the travelers had some apprehension about returning to Talamir, the place that would destroy humanity. Despite this looming horror, Maedc couldn’t help but feel some excitement that he would be able to read all those ancient texts in the library back home. He could only imagine the amazing things they contained.
Maedc wondered about this. He asked Tkz, “Why has no one from the mountain ever returned to see what became of Talamir?”
“That is a very good question. I think, after the initial fall, people didn’t want to see it. The carnage was terrible. Everyone believed it was better to just leave it alone. Then there was an assumption that there was nothing to see. The journey is far too long to see nothing. The prophecy said that we were to wait for your return. It felt wrong to go there. So no one went. It does seem strange now that I say it, but I assure you it never seemed strange when we were doing it.”
Maedc didn’t want to press the issue. Surely someone who believed the savior would come from Talamir had to believe that there were people there. How did their curiosity never get to them? But it was easy to criticize. No one from Talamir thought to leave their place either. He had gotten caught up with his own life, and he had forgotten that there might be things bigger than himself at play.
Night after night passed, and neither Maedc nor Tumr gained the ability to see spior. The travelers started to make it into a joke. Moving spior was something everyone did naturally from birth. It looked funny to see two grown men struggle with such a simple task.
Eventually they reached the cliff leading down into Talamir. The men looked out at the view.
Tkz said, “I can’t believe this. Do people really live in all those houses?”
Maedc replied, “Yes.”
“I can’t believe it’s been totally rebuilt. It’s so much bigger than I thought it would be.”
This part worried Maedc. They had made the climb so long ago with special shoes. He had no idea how they would get back down. Tkz pulled out several strange looking pieces of leather and ropes.
Maedc asked, “What is that?”
“Our people have been climbing for a long time. We’ve developed very efficient and safe ways to descend cliffs like these.”
The crew pounded spikes into the top of the cliff and wound the rope through an attached wheel. They all put on the leather clothing, which only went through the legs and around the waist. The rope then tied around the waist through another wheel.
Maedc watched in awe as the first man flung himself down the cliff with ease. He made little jumps off the cliff face and let himself fall until the rope pulled him back in. He would stop for a second and then launch back out.
Tkz showed Maedc and Tumr how it worked. “Go slow. Do not try to imitate him. He’s been doing this a long time.”
Maedc hooked himself into the equipment and carefully lowered himself over the edge. He made no jumps but instead let himself slide with a jerky slow motion. He couldn’t believe he was holding his entire body weight as he did this, because somehow he felt light. They had invented a strange and magnificent device.
As he looked down, he developed an intense anxiety that he’d slip and fall. This developed into a horrible feedback loop; the fear caused his hands to get sweaty which caused him to become even more afraid which caused him to get even sweatier. Luckily, the rope was made of a material that allowed him to keep a tight grip while still allowing the rope to slide easily around the leather clothing.
The traveling group, along wi
th Maedc and Tumr, all made it safely to the ground. Maedc beamed with an exhilaration at having survived such a dangerous stunt. Tkz went last. Midway through his descent the ground began to shake.
Maedc didn’t notice the prequake that everyone in Talamir had come to know. It was violent and sudden. He dropped to the ground and tried to roll away from the rock face from where loose debris would inevitably fall.
After a few seconds, he realized that this was going to be the worst quake in his entire life. It ramped up in intensity, worse and worse. Maedc’s body flopped about on the ground like a fish out of water until he rolled into a more stable position.
The ground cracked. He’d never seen the ground break apart like that, and he stared in shock for a moment. Then Maedc glanced up to see if Tkz was okay.
He appeared to have stopped his descent, and the shaking caused him to fly about on a wild and chaotic trajectory. Several times he flew in toward the wall at enormous speed. At the last second he always managed to get facing the right way and stopped himself with his legs.
The shaking and the scene of horror playing out above him made him heave out a stream of vomit. He couldn’t get away from it, and it started to soak into his clothing. Maedc couldn’t even bring himself to care. He realized he was going to see his friend die in front of his eyes, and there was nothing to do but to watch.
Then it stopped. Tkz swung in one last time, and Maedc realized he wouldn’t get around in time. He had come so close to surviving this terror. He slammed into the wall, but he didn’t drop. Since he had to hold on to keep from falling, he couldn’t have been hurt badly.
Tkz wriggled into position and started his descent much slower now. When he got to the ground he howled in pain and dropped to his knees. The other First Age travelers grimaced, and one who had gotten back to his feet also fell back to the ground. Tumr rushed over to Tkz.