Her history wasn't wrong, not the facts anyway, but her unique perspective had led to a twisted interpretation. She viewed the mass exodus from earth not as an exciting adventure to a brave new world full of wondrous new peoples. To her, it was the naked power and ambition of one man, Merlyn, raping the old world of its dying embers of magic and bending the new world to his will. She wanted to emulate her vision of what her father did.
Eilidh's friends were speechless. This was almost too much for them to cope with and she couldn't blame them, but she was seeing beyond the obvious to a revelation even more profound, in her view. Merlyn was significant enough in Niltsiar's world view to be worth listening to and challenging, but it was clear she had no intention of being swayed by him.
Yet still she waited for Kismet. Why? Kismet was just playing games, like moving pieces on a chessboard. The last time they had talked, Eilidh had said his tricks were getting old and he'd promised to have some new ones ready that might surprise her. If these were his new tricks, if Artemis, Ganieda and Merlyn were simply part of Kismet's latest game, then even they were irrelevant.
Maybe this whole thing has been a game from the start, Eilidh considered.It wouldn’t surprise me if it was Kismet who arranged to have Gamaliel’s Enforcers grab me off the street that day, like the first roll of the dice.
Niltsiar had hinted at a ritual. A ritual had rules. Kismet was making the ritual into a game and they, too, had rules. Niltsiar hadn't got to where she was by following the rules. If she was reticent to trample over these rules then they must be very important.
Eilidh remembered something else, too - something Mystaya had told her: `It's all about you`. The Catalyst finally accepted that the princess was right. She loved Phaer and Toli and Rochelle, and she'd do anything she could to save them. They had all been invaluable to her, and she could never have come this far without them, or Bunny or Loric or Calandra or poor Hannah - even Granite in his own perverse way. But none of that mattered now. They couldn't help her any more than could Artemis, Ganieda or Merlyn - the very people who had founded the world she knew. It seemed this was a game for three players: Niltsiar, Kismet and the Du y Kharia.
Trouble is, she worried, I'm the only one who doesn't know the rules.
Chapter 32
Eilidh let her flip tongue have its way for a moment to relieve a bit of tension and give herself time to think. “What, you mean that's it?” she demanded. “No more grand revelations, Kismet?” His diary fluttered out of nowhere and flicked through its own pages. “Let me look in here,” he muttered. “I've been making notes as I go, you see. Ah yes, here we are: Ganieda we've done; Artisho is really Artemis; The Wise One is really Merlyn...” a few more pages flicked over “...Professor Quirrell is really Voldemort. No, sorry, that's something else. Erm...Saruman is really evil and working for Sauron but His Boniness has been reborn as Gandalf the White...No, that's not important, either. That’s it, then. All done.” The diary disappeared. “I did make one tiny little mistake, though.”
“Oh? What’s that?” “I've only got myself to blame, I suppose,” Kismet grumbled, conjuring up a full length mirror and admiring his own reflection, still in pirate costume. “I just didn't think of it soon enough. Should have, though. I mean, a bus - what was I thinking? I should have sent a tall ship and a star to steer her by. That would have been so much grander, don't you think? Egad! The Great Merlyn, Founder of Mythallen coming to the Source of all Magic on a double decker bus. Sink me, but it's not very dramatic is it? No, a great sailing ship, that's what I should have sent. A pirate ship! Ahaaargh!”
He paused and eyed Niltsiar, thoughtfully. “I don't suppose we could, sort of, do this bit again so I can have an exciting pirate ship to go with my outfit?” At last Niltsiar's patience ran out. “Kismet! Stop acting the fool and get on with what we're here for! No more props, no more costumes, no more cheap gags. I want Life Infinity and you either give it to me or I'll take it for myself and to the abyss with your rules!
Kismet waited a beat and with a straight face and perfect comic timing, he said, “I'll take that as a no, then, shall I?” Niltsiar's eyes flashed, but Kismet held up his arms in surrender. “Alright! Alright!” His costume was instantly replaced by his usual multi-coloured attire and the bus shelter and mirror vanished.
There was, once more, nothing there. Nothing but pure magic, devoid of all nature, all substance and Eilidh found she was getting used to it. It was what it was meant to be: The source of all magic on Majaos. The Well of Life. And like a snappy, bad tempered child - an image of Niltsiar that Eilidh simply couldn't shake from her mind - she was going to stamp her feet and throw a world-shattering tantrum if she didn't get her own way NOW!
* * * * *
Kismet was deadly serious - a state of being that Eilidh had previously considered completely alien to him.
“If you will indulge me with just one, final prop,” he said, “I would like to symbolise what you seek. It's difficult to properly grasp the power that’s at stake here when all that exists is a void.”
Niltsiar nodded her assent. “Very well, but no tricks,” she warned. Kismet waved his hand in a complex pattern and there appeared a glowing, multicoloured representation of all Life Flow on Majaos, with the Well of Life at its centre, like a beating heart, pumping Life around the body of the world. In just a moment, Niltsiar would have all of that and Eilidh knew she was powerless to stop her from getting what she wanted.
“Appropriate,” Niltsiar conceded.
“Glad you like it. Now then, if you would please state your name for the record.” Raising her voice in proclamation, she declared, “I am Niltsiar, Faerie daughter of Ganieda and Merlyn.”
Rules again, Eilidh thought to herself. And she's content to obey them as long as she's getting what
she wants. Interesting.
“And why do you come here?” Kismet asked, ritualistically.
“I claim the world of Majaos as my inheritance, my birthright. I seek, I insist - no, I demand that you give me Life Infinity!”
“Are you sure that's what you want?” Kismet asked. “Life Infinity is not a thing to be taken lightly. With great power comes great responsibility. Are you ready for that, Niltsiar?”
“I am ready to accept the power,” she answered. “What I do with it once I join with it is my choice, not yours.”
“For the final time, then, I must ask you to name your heart's desire.”
“Life Infinity,” Niltsiar stated.
“Thank you,” said Kismet. “Your request is submitted for consideration. Now, this is not a thing that I hand out to just anyone, so you will understand that there is a due process.”
“I will abide by your process, but I will accept only one ultimate answer.”
“Duly noted,” Kismet acknowledged.
Eilidh was amazed. This was not at all what she had expected. She had thought there would be fireworks, and great battles, but of course the war was being waged at the edge of the Maelstrom...and that
was just window dressing. And another thing: Kismet said ‘I’.
‘I don't hand it out to just anyone`.
Who was he that he should have the right to give such a thing as he chose?
Addressing the Faerie Ancients - Niltsiar's family Kismet said, “You know this individual better than anyone. Therefore I ask: Do you have anythingto say in regard to Niltsiar's request?” “I've got something to say!” Artemis growled, shedding the years and centuries before their eyes. “I've seen the way she moves through the world like a natural disaster - excuse me - a magical disaster! Nature doesn't stand a chance against her. She carves up the world like a Sunday roast, and more often than not, it gets burnt. With Life Infinity, she'll just crack open our beautiful world like deshelling nuts to roast over her fire. You can't give it to her! You just can't!”
Ganieda was next. “You say that I know her, but you're wrong. She’s the fruit of my womb, aye she is, but I'm sorry to say, Kismet, I don't know her at al
l.”
“And yet, Mother, you practically led me here. All those stories you read to me as a child. Stories of the Du y Kharia and the Seeker of Infinite Magic.”
“They were meant to inspire you.”
“And they did! But then I grew up and you tried to take them away from me. Hide them from me!”
“Only some of them.” Ganieda objected.
“Yes,” Ganieda agreed, “and that’s how I knew they were important. Isn’t it interesting that those stories all told of endgame rituals that were so close to this one?”
“Not the ones I’ve read!” Eilidh put in.
“That’s because you were only born yesterday!” Niltsiar shot back. “It's at least true that in our early days in Mythallen, it was more common for adventure stories to conclude with puzzles and tests, or ceremonies and rituals,” Ganieda admitted, trying to smooth things over. “Whereas modern era stories tend to finish with a huge battle of powerful magic,”
“Probably because they aren’t capable of any such thing these days, thanks to you and Father!” Niltsiar returned, hotly.
Toli practically exploded. “Tell that to the mages fighting your pet monsters out there by the Maelstrom!” Niltsiar made dismissive gesture. “Pah! That little diversionary war your Council is fighting is nothing compared to when I fought the Mage Wars. When I was young we didn’t need to dream of great and powerful magic – we were living it.”
“Was murdering the population of Merlyon your idea of `great and powerful magic`?” the hobbit demanded, eyes brimming with tears. “If so, you can keep it! I-” she choked, “I’d rather…rather stick to…cooking spells!” With that she broke down and buried her face in Eilidh’s robes.
Eilidh sympathised but knew she couldn’t afford to get distracted. Thankfully a glance at Phaer was enough for him to take the hint and, with Rochelle’s help, gently drew her aside where they did their best to console their friend.
Niltsiar was unmoved. “Cooking spells are about all anyone’s capable of these days, as far as I can see. Merlyon stood as a symbol of your Life magic and its destruction will serve as demonstration of its pitiful weakness. It had to be done so that I can replace it with powerful new magic. Old magic. Real magic. Father ripped the last of the magic away from the old world. That was no different.”
“It was very different!” Artemis insisted. “Your father’s Great Endeavour didn’t involve mass murder!” Niltsiar shrugged. “A bit of collateral damage, that’s all. Turning back to Ganieda, she concluded, “You can disown me all you want, Mother, but all I’m doing is following father’s example and your instructions.”
“You see, Kismet?” Ganieda said. “It's like the stories of changelings back in the old world, so it is. Stories that told of mischievous elves - no offence, Phaer - that snatched babies from their cribs and replaced them with their own offspring who would grow up to wreak havoc over the land. But this is no fairytale, and if you give her LifeInfinity, then I’m certain that no-one will live Happily Ever After.”
Merlyn was last, but he had little more to add. “I've already said my piece. I've tried and tried to make her see reason, make her understand, but she won't listen. I'm afraid that if she gets Life Infinity, the consequences will be plain enough for even her to see, but by then it will be too late. Truth be told, I think it's probably too late already.”
Kismet listened in silence to all three, making no comment, passing no judgement, asking no questions. It seemed the time for tricks and playacting was truly over. There had been times, these past few months when Eilidh found Kismet to be annoying beyond her ability to tolerate, but right at that moment, she really wanted the old Kismet back, driving her mad with his repartee.
“That's three naysayers from the family,” he said at last. “Hardly a glowing reference, but still, let's move on.” He turned to Eilidh's three companions. “What about you, companions of the Du y Kharia? What do you say?Should I give Niltsiar Life Infinity?”
There it is again, Eilidh noted. How is Life Infinity his to give? “No!” Phaer answered immediately. “I once ran back to my people because I was afraid of what Niltsiar would do to me if I dared stand against her. It was a mistake. Well, I'm not running anymore. I'm standing here and I'm saying no. No! I'm new to magic and I don't really know what Life Infinity is, but I know I don'twant her to have it.”
Rochelle was next. “I've studied the Ancient text books, I've done the research and even if she doesn't destroy the world directly, spreading the use of raw magic will lead to an environmental disaster of cataclysmic proportions, making whatever creatures that survive wish they hadn't. But the worst thing is, she could do all that already. With the power of Life Infinity, the scale of the destruction is incalculable.”
At last it came to Toli. “I haven't done any research and my peo ple don't know the first thing about the legend of Niltsiar, but it doesn't matter. Never mind the Ancient past, never mind the future. Just look at what she's done in just the last two centuries: She was the catalyst behind the Tech Wars - sorry Eilidh, not your kind of Catalyst, obviously. That cost I don't know how many lives - individual lives, people with hopes and dreams snuffed out like that.” She snapped her fingers. “Through her agent Akar-Sel, she caused so much damage to Life magic of all types, and the seed of distrust between Techmagic and the other Secrets still hasn't gone away. She wiped out necromancy entirely, just because she didn't like it, because she can. Then, less than a year ago, she slaughtered the Higher Council in what should have been a bloodless leadership challenge, with Gamaliel only just escaping with his life so he could stop Drizdar from taking control of the Council. That, by the way, might just be the second worst thing that could happen to this world right now. And then, just to finish off, she brings a million chaos creatures from who knows where, forcing Mythallen into yet another pointless war costing yet more lives and causing I don't know how much damage to magic AGAIN! Don’t do it, Kismet. Please!” she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks in terror and misery. “We've all seen you do amazing things, impossible things. Please, if you can, do the impossible one more time: put an end to this madness. Even if you can't stop her, if there's nothing else you can do, even if she just takes it anyway: just tell her no!”
But Kismet didn't respond to her pleas or to any of the other arguments. He can't, Eilidh realised. He can't act directly in this. It's against the rules.
“And so, finally, we come to the Du y Kharia,” Kismet said, continuing the formalities. “Du y Kharia, please identify yourself.”
Princess Mystaya's voice sang in her head. `It's all about you, Du y Kharia`. “I am the Du y Kharia,” the young woman stated. “My name is Eilidh Louise Hagram, daughter of Ahlidh Hagram. Father unknown,” she added, for completion's sake, and to give herself a few more seconds to think. Come on, Eilidh, she told herself in encouragement. Last chance. Think! Figure it out. It's what you do.
“Very well,” Kismet continued. “Does everyone accept Eilidh Hagram as the Du y Kharia?”
Her friends, naturally, gave an emphatic `yes`, gathering around her in support. Merlyn, Ganieda and Artemis also answered in the affirmative.
“Niltsiar?” Kismet prompted.
She paused for a moment, and then gave a sharp nod.
“For the record, the seeker of Life Infinity chooses to recognise the Du y Kharia,” Kismet said for the benefit of the rules.
Du y Kharia, Du y Kharia, Du y Kharia. Something about that was bothering Eilidh. It had been bothering her since she'd first used it in connection with herself, and not just for that reason alone.
“Du y Kharia,” Kismet began. Eilidh knew what was coming. “Is it your wish that I should give Niltsiar...” he paused for dramatic effect, “Life Infinity?” This was it. This was the moment. If she was ever going to shove her staff in the works, it would have to be now. Her friends were around her, pressing close, touching her, prodding her, prompting her, their chatter incessant, their words a blur. She couldn't concentrate,
didn't they realise she had to think?
It was all just too much. Her frustration boiled over and with a long scream of, “STOP!” she finally snapped.
“Shut up!” she cried.“Just shut up all of you!” Pulling roughly, angrily away from them, she
stepped a few paces forward. “I'm sick of this!” she spat. “I'm sick of all the games and the puzzles and the traps and these stupid, stupid rules that nobody's even bothered to tell me! I am the Du y Kharia; that much I know. It doesn't matter what her Dad says or her Mum says or her adoptive brother says. Niltsiar's a big girl now and doesn't need them telling her what to do! As for my three, they've been useful enough these past months, but they might as well notbe here for all the use they are to me now!”
Her friends gasped and looked at her like she was a complete stranger. “Why look so shocked?” she demanded when she saw her friends' reactions. “You know me; you know who I am, what I am. I'm an asocial, practical Catalyst who's never had much use for people. Did you really expect me to change? Did you? Well tough! I am what I am, reality is reality and that's that! The reality is you're just not important anymore."
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