by Kyle West
I knew he was dead.
And then, a dark presence entered my mind, uninvited.
Soon, Elekai. Soon…
The voice filled my mind, dark and ominous. It had come from out there.
Who are you? What did you to do to Isaru?
I felt myself filled with dread, a dread that came from beyond me.
I have waited long for this moment, Elekai. Not yet, though. Soon…
The stars faded until there was nothing.
* * *
I opened my eyes to find myself on top of the Tower of Shal. I stood and looked around, to find Isa still kneeling beside Isaru.
“Is he all right?”
Isa looked at me, shock registering on her face. She stood and ran to me, giving me a fierce hug.
“His body is cold,” she said. “I’m afraid…”
I walked toward him and knelt down, but already, I could sense that he wasn’t there. He wasn’t sleeping. He wasn’t moving. It was just his form.
“No…” I said, tears coming to my eyes. “I tried. I tried everything.”
Shara came to join us. The three of us looked down on his immobile body.
“He should be awake,” I said.
I remembered what Shal had told me: people couldn’t leave the Hyperfold without losing a part of themselves.
That much had been true, then, at least for Isaru.
And yet…nothing had happened to Shara. I looked at her, just to see if she had remained the same. She was as she had been in the Hyperfold, seeming to be completely herself. Tears filled her eyes, falling on Isaru’s shirt.
“He’s…gone, isn’t he? How did he get so far away from us?”
My face lowered. I couldn’t bring myself to respond. I grabbed his hand – his cold hand – and completely broke down. It felt as if something were ripping me apart, I was crying so loud. We were all like that.
“Isaru…” I said. “Forgive me.”
I found Silence, reaching out. On the slimmest of hopes, I wanted him to be there. I wanted there to be some sign that perhaps I couldn’t see. Any chance…
But there was nothing. Just a giant wall. It was like trying to connect to a rock.
Perhaps I had come back, and so had Shara, but there was nothing but the pain of loss.
And then, a high, inhuman scream sounded on the air, followed by several more. I turned to see, through the broken wall, a line of Radaska dragons bearing down on the Tower. Two dragons were ahead of the pack, and would be upon us within a minute.
We had escaped the Hyperfold only for it to end like this.
The two dragons that were approaching were much closer, now – close enough to clearly see that they were smaller than the others flying behind them.
And each of them bore a rider.
All of us stood in front of Isaru’s body, swords drawn, just as each of the Askaleen landed on the floor in front. Each bore a familiar figure, the first being Elder Tellor, his swarthy frame and hard face unmistakable.
The other was Elder Isandru.
I was so shocked that I just stood there, speechless. Seeing Isandru after seeing him disappear in the Hyperfold was surreal. His wrinkled face was hardly recognizable, although those light gray eyes were the same. He looked out at me, his expression unreadable, his form slumped and exhausted.
“We came as fast as we could,” Isandru said, at last, “and I am glad it isn’t too late.”
Shara, Isa, and I moved out of the way, revealing Isaru’s prone body. Isandru’s eyes widened, and then his face became grieved. Even Tellor’s face, which was normally like stone, softened.
“He is dead?” Tellor asked.
I made myself nod, and started sobbing.
Isandru’s eyes next went to the Orb, completely forgotten by the three of us. It was dark and clouded. He gave no sign of recognizing what it was, though surely that couldn’t be the case.
Looking into his eyes, though, there was no sense that he remembered anything about our time in the Hyperfold. All I had were questions, but still, the Radaska swarm was flying toward us from the city.
“We must hasten to the Sanctum,” Tellor said. “I can bear the prince and one other.”
“I will fly with you,” Isa said, her voice quavering.
“Yes, we must make haste,” Isandru said. “But not to the Sanctum. The only path left to us is north.”
“North?” Tellor said. “There is nothing but an endless waste!”
“Yes, but the dragons are behind. They will be upon us should we tarry here.”
“He’s right,” I said. “North is where we’ll find the Elder Dragons and the True Hyperborea. That was where they were supposed to go, back then. It’s our only hope now.”
“If this is Elder Isandru’s wish…” Tellor said, in his slow, calculating way, “then I will not oppose it. He will need me if it turns out to be dangerous.”
The three of us first lifted Isaru’s limp body onto Elder Tellor’s dragon. Isa held onto him, keeping him stable, even as tears coursed down her face. Shara and I got on behind Elder Isandru. Altogether, our weights might be too much for the dragons, but there was little other choice. And we needed to move now, because the other dragons were less than a minute away.
I held on tightly with my legs while Shara wrapped her hands around my torso. It reminded me of when I first flew on a dragon, because she held on far too tightly.
And the dragons backed away, and with a spread of wings, soared off the Tower. It took longer than it should have for them to slow their descent and begin to climb in altitude because of the weight they bore.
Shara’s grip tightened, her nails digging into my flesh.
“It’ll be all right,” I said. “They won’t let you fall.”
I looked back at the broken Tower to see, to my surprise, that a bright light now shone from its spire, marking a straight line up into the dark sky. Wherever we had been before this and after the Hyperfold…it had done something to light that Beacon.
And it had also killed Isaru.
Forgive me.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
BY THE TIME WE REACHED the rim of the Crater, known in the time of Hyperborea as the Ragnawall, the Radaska behind us had turned back, as if barred. Or perhaps even they didn’t want to follow us into the wasted lands of the north.
It was dark, and the ground below impossible to see. I closed my eyes and fell into a fitful sleep. I was only woken by the pale sunrise, which failed to impart any warmth.
When I looked at the land below, it was completely obscured in a thick veil of fog. I would have thought we were flying above the clouds, if it weren’t for the fact that I could see the tops of twisted trees every now and again.
Shara, too, was awake, and was still latched onto me as if she would never let go.
“You don’t have to hold on so tight,” I said. “You won’t fall.”
I felt her grip lighten. “Sorry.”
Her hold loosened, slightly, and there was a soreness on my torso from where she’d grabbed on. I massaged the feeling back into my muscles there.
Elder Isandru concentrated on the journey ahead. There was nothing to see, however, but more fog. And as the sun rose higher, that fog didn’t dissipate. It merely glowed brighter, looking altogether unnatural. I looked over at Elder Tellor’s dragon. Isa’s eyes were closed, but she still held onto Isaru tightly; a sign that she was awake. Both dragons flapped their wings steadily with no signs of tiring.
I couldn’t bring myself to speak. The pain of everything was beyond description. He had been alive just minutes ago. If I had just grabbed the Orb before he did, in the beginning, then he would still be alive.
“It’s all my fault,” I said. “I could have stopped it.”
Shara hugged me, but that just made me break down even more.
And to my surprise, Isandru reached a hand back, gripping my arm tightly. I couldn’t have said, but he might have been crying, too.
“How did
you know where to find us, Elder?”
It was a moment before he spoke. “Isa sent us a letter from Northold, disclosing what you intended to do.”
“She…did?”
“It found me late, but it did come. I was unable to track you from Colonia, so I returned to the Sanctum in the hopes of finding news. As soon as I read that letter, Elder Tellor and I were flying dragons north. We had hoped – and expected – to find you west of the mountains. But as we continued to fly, it was clear you had gotten much further.”
There was a silence after that – a silence that signaled that Isandru was not ready to speak. Not yet.
I turned to look at Shara. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel back to normal. I think whatever happened in there…” I realized she wasn’t sure she should mention, in front of Isandru, that we had been in the Hyperfold. “I think I’m cured now. At least, I feel like I am.”
A bit of good news, then. I needed every bit of that I could get.
“Do you think it will last?”
“I…think so. If I can just stay away…” Again, she looked at Isandru. “As long as I keep myself clean, I shouldn’t get sick again.”
Aether might cause her to go back, then.
“Even now, I’m thinking about it,” she said. “I feel empty, like everything will be better if I just try it. I know what it will do to me, but still…it’s there, like a promise. A false promise.”
“Do you have it with you now?”
Silence. And, then, very quietly: “It’s in my pocket.”
“Drop it,” I said. “Just let it go entirely.”
“Withdrawals can kill,” Shara whispered. “Chills, sickness…even death.”
Part of me wanted to disagree with Shara, but I knew that she was right. Going cold turkey might endanger her.
“Give it to me, then. If you need it, and it comes to that…I can give it back.”
I thought Shara was going to protest, but she surprised me by handing me two vials.
“Here,” Shara said. “Before I change my mind.”
They were surprisingly small, bright and glowing. I grabbed the vials quickly and pocketed them.
“Is that everything?”
“All of it.”
I nodded. “Good. I’m not letting you go back to the way you were. That’s a promise I intend to keep.”
I waited for her to respond, but she didn’t say anything. I hoped that silence was agreement.
“The fog is clearing up ahead,” she said, at last.
I looked to see that she was right. The fog did seem thinner where three hills rose, shining gold in the morning light. As we neared, a large forest below became visible, covering the ground and the hills ahead in autumnal hues.
“This has to be it,” I said.
We flew past the hills until we came to a series of lakes, all shining pink in the morning light. It was more ichor than I had ever seen, and surrounding the lakes was more forest, from which rose Great Silverwoods that basked in the morning light. And ahead was the largest tree I had ever seen, a tree that grew in the center of the three largest lakes, rising for what seemed to be miles into the sky, and from branch to branch flew dragons, small with distance.
“It exists,” Isandru said, his voice wondering. “It really exists.”
I was about to respond, when a voice entered my mind.
Welcome home, Anna. We have waited so long for your return.
It was an old, yet familiar voice…one which I myself didn’t know, but Anna did.
Quietus?
You remember. Come then, into the trees. There is much we have to speak of.
I don’t know why, but I broke down and wept all over again. It felt like I was hearing the voice of a dear friend for the first time in years, even if I couldn’t exactly remember everything about that friend. So many things that had seemed clear in the Hyperfold were suddenly fading again, although I remembered talking about them. The Radaskim. Xenofall.
I couldn’t save him, Quietus. It’s just like how I couldn’t save…
Peace, Shanti, Quietus said. I felt surprise at hearing my own name. The one called Isaru is not dead, but he is in grave danger. He must be brought to me and the Elders without a moment’s delay. I have instructed the Askaleen you fly on where to find us.
Isaru wasn’t dead?
But he was so cold, with no heartbeat…how could that be?”
He must be healed by us. Make no mistake; he very well could die, but do not lose hope.
Isaru was not dead. I could almost weep for joy, even if Quietus had said he still could die.
“He’s alive,” I said. “Isaru’s alive!”
I had practically shouted it, so loud that Isa was now looking at me as if I were crazy.
“What do you mean, Shanti?” Isandru asked.
“It’s true! Quietus has just spoken to me. She says he’s alive!”
“Quietus?” Isandru asked.
“Just now, in my mind. But she also says that he is still in danger. The dragons are leading us to her now.”
Elder Isandru’s eyes were questioning, but he soon nodded. “Let us hope, then.”
Even if Isaru was still in danger. When there was hope, anything was possible. There was a reason to keep going.
If he died on us now, after everything…I could never forgive myself.
“Come on,” I said. “Almost there. Please, Isaru…stay alive.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle West is the author of The Wasteland Chronicles, a seven-book post-apocalyptic series, and is currently writing The Xenoworld Saga. From a young age, Kyle has always been a voracious reader of sci-fi and fantasy. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Professional Writing and lives in Oklahoma City.
Also by Kyle West
Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian
The Wasteland Chronicles
Apocalypse
Origins
Evolution
Revelation
Darkness
Extinction
Xenofall
Post-Apocalyptic/Fantasy
The Xenworld Saga
Prophecy
Bastion
Beacon
GLOSSARY
A.R.: After Ragnarok. The date usually used by the Elekai to denote the year. It’s a bit of a misnomer, because it really means after the Ragnarok War, and not after the impact of Ragnarok itself. The Xenoworld Saga begins in 398 A.R.
F.C.: Founding of the Covenant. The date used by the Covenant to denote the year, and it signifies how many years have passed since the Covenant ousted the Elekai from Colonia. The Xenoworld Saga begins in the year 248 F.C.
P.Y. Precursor Year. Corresponds to the Gregorian Calendar. The Xenoworld Saga begins in the year 2458 P.Y. – or 2458 A.D. It’s rare to use Precursor Years to denote anything beyond the year 2060, and even then is only used among academics and historians.
Annajen, The: One of the Three Tribes of the Elekai, the Annajen are the descendants of the gods Elekim and Annara. Their capital is Haven, a Great Silverwood growing in the Grand Canyon.
Annara: Annara is the matron goddess of both the Annajen Tribe and the Colonian Covenant; however, depending on the side, her character is entirely different. Among the Annajen, Annara is the wife of Elekim; she established Colonia and the Seekers and wrote the Prophecy of Annara, which has been lost, but predicts the eventual ascendency of the Elekai over its enemies – namely the Covenant. Among the Covenant, Annara is the goddess of pure-blooded humanity, and seeks to destroy all that is Elekai, promising her chosen people – the Annarans – that they will one day destroy the demon Elekai, who waged war against humanity during the First Darkness. According to prophecies on both sides, Annara is to lead her Army of the Dawn to destroy the other side.
Army of the Dawn: Annara’s army during the Second Darkness that is to destroy either the Elekai or the Annaran Covenant, depending on which version of the story one believes.<
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Askala: The Radaskim Xenomind that nearly enslaved the world using the xenovirus during the time of the Ragnarok War. These events have been almost forgotten in recent times, but the Covenant remembers Askala as the Elekai’s demon goddess. Among the Elekai, her true nature is better remembered as the Radaskim goddess who was imprisoned by Elekim in the Xenofold at the end of the Ragnarok War.
Askaleen: A male dragon. They are pink, with tiny scales, and a smooth, rounded frame. They are also rarer than Radaska, the female variety. Because they are the only kind of dragons that the Covenant can tame, they are jealously guarded by the Radaska.
Atlantea: An Eastern Kingdom situated in the southeast. Its capital is of the same name.
Augurs, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in the art of diplomacy. They serve as advisers for kings and rulers, not only in the Red Wild, but in the Eastern Kingdoms. In times of old, they also interpreted signs given by the Xenofold, though this responsibility has fallen by the wayside in recent centuries. They also recruit new initiates for the Seekers’ Sanctum among the nobility of different lands.
Bloodless: The collective term Elekai use to describe all non-Elekai. It’s not pejorative, though it can be used in that way.
Brevia: A city on the western coast, in southern California. Once a colony of Colonia, it was conquered by the Shen in 348 A.R. It is the only Shen city that outsiders are allowed to enter, and even then, permission is granted only sparingly. A large collection of books has been gathered there, in what is known as the Brevian Archives – the main reason for which anyone would want to visit the city.
Clerics, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in ministry to the local Elekai population, anthropology, and Xenohealing. They are also responsible for recruiting initiates for the Seekers’ Sanctum among the general population.
Champions, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in the art of combat. In times of old, they fought in battles to defend the Elekai from Covenant encroachment, but in more recent times, they serve as bodyguards for other Seekers, such as Augurs, Scholars, or Sages, whose duties take them far afield in places that might be dangerous.