by Ben Hale
From within the Necrolith cell he’d used the Gate to escape, and continued preparing for the upcoming battle as Jack. He’d retrieved the anti-magic entity and dispatched his final summons, bringing together an army he knew could stop Skorn’s forces.
“When did he get the hand Gate from you?” Beauty asked.
“He caught me returning and I had to give it to him,” Jack said. “Skorn laughed, thinking Ero had brought the hand Gate as a means of escape. He still had no idea that I had stolen it from the Vault of the Eternals when I took the beacon.”
“Is there anything you won’t steal?” Ursana asked with a laugh.
Jack grinned. “Everything can be stolen.”
“Even Le Runtáriel’s affection?” Beauty asked shrewdly. “I still don’t know how you managed that. The moment she touched your mind she would have known your identity.”
“I’d spoken to her before,” Jack admitted, “and knew she liked me. When I told her about Skorn she agreed to help.”
“Her integrity will take a hit for supporting a false Ero,” Ursana said.
“She didn’t seem to mind,” Jack said. “Like every woman, she has her mischievous side.”
“But how?” Gordon asked. “How could you possibly pull off two personas at once?”
“A question I’d like to know as well,” Beauty mused. “All it would have taken was one person getting suspicious when you didn’t answer a door.”
Jack cast her a sly grin. “Just because I wasn’t there, doesn’t mean I didn’t answer the door.”
Ursana shook her head in confusion. “However did you manage that?”
Jack reached to his gauntlet and removed a star shaped rune hidden beneath a secret pocket in the leather. Then he tossed it to Beauty. She caught it and held it aloft, and flinched when Jack’s voice came from it.
“You never got suspicious,” the object said. Jack’s spoke on the other side of the fire, his voice carried through the magic to the charm in Beauty’s hand.
“You spoke as Ero when you were Jack?” Roarthin asked.
“When you all thought I was going to beseech Ero to join our cause, I was preparing my persona. That,” Jack pointed to the disc, “cost me a fortune, but it’s what allowed me to be in two places. When Beauty knocked on the door in the Temple of Light I would hear it in Talinor. All I had to do was step away and answer.”
Ursana laughed first, and it quickly spread to the others, the sound echoing off the rocky walls around them. They had made camp in an isolated ravine, and their fire cast flickering shadows onto the walls of stone. After a brief meal they urged him to finish the tale, so Jack leaned against a dead tree and spoke of the final battle in the Necrolith. Beauty added several elements, filling in the gaps. Then Jack gestured to them and they shared the tale of the battle on the beach. When the silence fell Ursana stabbed a finger at him.
“We kept you in the guild because we thought it would protect you,” she said. “But you were out protecting us.”
“Guilty,” Jack said.
“I understand your reasons in withholding the truth,” Gordon said. “But I still wish I would have known.”
Thalidon grunted sourly. “I look forward to destroying each and every listening charm Skorn left at the guild.”
Beauty flashed a chagrined smile. “Who knew that Jack Myst, the wayward scoundrel, would be such a good guildmaster?”
“Not I,” they chorused together.
Jack did not join the ensuing laughter. The extended duration of the ruse had taken its toll, and Jack had never been so weary. It had almost done the unthinkable, and robbed his occupation of its pleasure. As they quieted he gestured to them.
“I hope your new guildmaster will do as well.”
They stared at him, their humor evaporating. Before they could argue Jack yawned.
“I officially resign.”
Chapter 47: Parting
“Why?” Ursana demanded.
“Because I hate it,” Jack said fervently.
“But you performed admirably,” Thalidon said.
Jack jerked his head. “No. I didn’t. We may have defeated Skorn, but I did not inspire, teach, or grow the guild. If anything, I left us in a worse position than before—especially now that the Woodhaven guildhall is destroyed.”
“We were at war,” Roarthin said. “Without you we would have lost far more than a single guildhall.”
“Perhaps,” Jack said. “But the guild needs a guildmaster that understands leadership.”
“You brought an army together on a whim,” Gordon said.
“I stole an army,” Jack corrected. “Half of those that came received forged orders, and only a handful came at my request.”
Thalidon opened his mouth to argue but Beauty cut him off. “You are certain?”
Jack affected a languid pose. “As of this moment, I’m done.” He grinned as he said it.
“Are you leaving the guild as well?” Ursana asked.
“Of course not,” Jack said, “But I think from now on I’ll choose my own assignments.”
Gordon released a bark of laughter. “You want to be part of the guild, but do as you please?”
“Yes.”
“You think the new guildmaster will allow that?” Thalidon asked.
“I don’t really care,” Jack said, closing his eyes.
Beauty sighed. “I think it’s also time I admit my own departure.”
“You as well?” Ursana asked, dismayed.
“My brother is right,” she said. “My father is gone and my sister’s killer is dead. My oath is fulfilled. It’s time I returned to my homeland.”
Jack opened his eyes and found Beauty looking at him. “How soon?” he asked.
“A few days,” she said. “I’ll return to the guildhall and say goodbye.”
“Beauty,” Thalidon began, but she jerked her head.
“Not anymore,” Beauty said. “Skorn gave me that name, and it dies with him. I’m Thera now.”
“We won,” Ursana said with a scowl, “but this feels like we lost.”
With that she stood and reclined on her bedroll, rolling away from the group. The motion signaled an end to the conversation and Jack unrolled his own bedroll. He uncoiled his body on it and was asleep in seconds. For the first time in months he slept without dreams and woke rested.
He scratched the itch on his arm and stood, joining the others as they broke camp. As they made their way back onto the road the others continued to pepper him with questions about his two personas, and he resigned himself to answering.
The journey home was long, but none of them seemed to mind. For the first time in years they had nothing to fear. Word had yet to spread that the bounty on Jack’s head was over, but few dared to come for him. Three weeks after the battle at the Necrolith they reached the Evermist and returned to the guildhall.
Jack endured the praise of the thieves but chose the first opportunity to name Forlana as his replacement. With Kuraltus at her side Jack was confident she could handle the fallout from the war with Skorn. The furor of their victory descended into drinking and laughter, and Jack caught Thera’s arm, motioning her to follow.
He exited the fortress and entered the Evermist. With the moon high, the mist veritably glowed as it swirled about them. Jack came to a clearing and turned, but for several moments simply regarded her.
“I still cannot believe you stole a god,” she said.
Jack smiled. “I’m rescinding my question.”
“Why would you do that?” Thera asked. “Are you afraid of the answer?”
“No.” he said. “I already know the answer. But your heart is divided, and I know which you will choose.”
“You could join me,” she asked, her voice soft.
“I can’t,” Jack said. “I’m not a warrior, and I would just be a distraction in the barbarian revolution.”
“Where will you go?” Thera asked, and a knowing smile played across her features. “I suspect you
will not be content to steal from normal strongrooms.”
“I saw places in the Mind Vault that I want to see,” he said. “Other lands, other kingdoms, and even other races.”
She released a long breath and stepped in, reaching up to draw him into a kiss. He returned it with passion, but sensed a note of finality in the contact. When she withdrew, Jack knew it was the last time.
“Find someone to love, Jack,” she murmured.
She turned and departed, leaving Jack in the Evermist. For several minutes Jack remained rooted in place, staring up at the fortress. Wreathed in light from the celebrating thieves, the guildhall veritably glowed, a beacon in the swamp.
He spotted Ursana and Gwen on a balcony, talking and laughing. The battle at the Necrolith had forged them into friends, and he saw the glimmerings of a sisterhood between them. Whatever course Gordon’s family took, the fissure in the group was healed. Jack sighed, grateful he’d managed to repair Ursana’s relationship with Gordon, yet regretting he could not do the same with Thera.
He loved Thera, but the fact that he could say goodbye spoke volumes. She was his first love. She was not his last. A smile spread on his face as he turned his thoughts to the future. He’d met many women that appealed to him, and wondered if any were capable of capturing his soul.
His thoughts turned to what he’d learned in the Mind Vault. The world had far more to explore than the five kingdoms knew, and with Skorn and Gallow dead the guild was headed for an era of prosperity and peace. He instinctively jerked his head, disliking that fate. He craved conflict, and after what he’d learned he knew where to find it.
“Let the adventure begin,” he said.
Epilogue: The Living Gate
Forty Years Later
Jack hiked through the endless sands of the desert, the bright moon casting the expanse into shades of shadow. He crested a rise and the sand troll village came into view. Nestled beneath a massive ancient barrier, the village slumbered in the depths of night. Jack slipped past the sentries and used his shadowhook to ascend to the Irilian Shield. Alone in the moonlight, he advanced up the curve to the summit of the ancient structure, to the hidden Gate leading to the Vault of the Eternals.
He reached the top and paused, breathing deep of the crisp autumn air. In the forty years since he’d defeated Skorn, Jack had returned to the Irilian shield eight times, but each attempt to enter the Vault of the Eternals had ended in failure.
He considered what he’d learned in the Mind Vault, and his decision to keep it secret. He’d told no one about the krey, their realms, or their power. Jack had even kept the secret from his beloved.
He smiled as he thought of her. After Thera he’d never thought to love another, but his beloved had stolen his soul with a glance, and never relinquished it. Of anyone else, Jack wished he could tell her about the krey.
“Not until I know the truth,” he murmured, withdrawing a pair of daggers from his pack.
He’d made the first attempt to enter the Vault a month after Skorn’s demise, and taken the original keys that had opened the Gate. To his dismay the keys had failed, leaving him standing on a barren surface. Unable to dismiss the nagging desire to learn about the krey, he’d employed smiths from across Lumineia, each contracted to replicate the daggers. Then Draeken had unleashed his mighty army, plunging the world into The Second Draeken War. In the aftermath Jack had been distracted, and several years had passed before he could make another attempt to enter the Vault.
Jack approached the location of the Gate. The surface of the Irilian Shield began to glow and the daggers brightened, the glow illuminating his features. Jack kept his excitement in check, and reminded himself that it had happened before. He slid the first dagger home and then moved to the second lock, driving the second key into place. The surface between the two keys shimmered silver, and then abruptly darkened.
Jack scowled in disappointment and yanked the daggers free. Shoving them into his pack, he turned and trudged away. He came to an abrupt halt when light blossomed behind him. He whirled, and watched a geyser fall into a shimmering pool of silver.
Jack looked to the keys in his hand and back to the portal, foreboding spiking in his gut. The keys hadn’t opened the Gate, indicating someone within the Vault had activated the portal. His curiosity overcame his caution, and he strode to the portal and dropped through.
The view shifted to that of a flawless corridor, the wide windows depicting a scene of the stars. Walls curved to an arched ceiling, while the floor contained a subtle texture. The corridor appeared identical to his previous visit to the Vault of the Eternals. Except it was not empty.
Ero stood at the end of the hallway. Dressed in a flowing robe over slacks and a tunic, he hadn’t changed. His white hair framed his features, while his startlingly blue eyes settled on Jack. At Ero’s side stood Myra, the construct of lightning.
“Jack Myst,” Ero said. “Did you enjoy your time carrying my mantle?”
“Skorn and then Draeken,” Jack said. “How many mistakes will I clean up for you?”
Ero released a pained sigh. “I did not know of Draeken’s attempt until the war had already ended.”
“I thought you were supposed to protect Lumineia,” Jack said, folding his arms. “Your exiled Eternal nearly destroyed it.”
“You dare to speak so harshly?” Myra growled.
“Myra,” Jack said, his eyes shifting to woman. “Has anyone else stolen from you while I was away? I hate to think another has bested you.”
Her features darkened and she looked away. Ero smiled at her response and stepped forward, clearly attempting to change the subject.
“I wasn’t certain you were going to make another attempt to return.”
“You knew I had tried to enter the Vault before?” Jack asked.
“I did,” Ero replied. “But I saw no reason to permit your entry.”
Jack folded his arms. “I wasn’t coming to steal.”
“Liar,” Myra said, blue lightning arcing up her arms.
“I missed you too,” Jack said, winking at her.
Ero raised a hand to forestall Myra’s outburst. “Why did you come, Jack?”
Jack regarded Ero for some time. His question had seared into his mind for four decades, but now that he stood before Ero, he found himself uncertain if he wanted the answer. Then he shrugged and stabbed a finger at the ancient.
“I want to know about the krey.”
Ero’s eyes widened imperceptibly. “Where did you hear that name?”
“From the Mind Vault.”
Ero stared at him for long enough that Myra began to fidget. Then he gestured to Jack. “I will answer your questions if you answer mine.”
“Agreed,” Jack said.
“You are human,” Ero said. “I am krey.”
“What is man to the krey?”
“A slave,” Ero admitted, his features tightening with bitterness and regret.
“And the other races of Lumineia?” Jack said. “The Mind Vault called them specimens, and said the krey do not know of their existence.”
Ero sidestepped the question and asked his own. “Why have you not aged?”
“Druids age slower than normal men,” Jack said.
“Not that slow,” Ero said.
Jack noticed the curiosity in Ero’s eyes and realized the truth. “You let me through the beacon to ask why I haven’t aged?”
Ero’s lips twitched, confirming Jack’s suspicions. Then he glanced at Myra. “Scan him.”
Myra floated forward and raised a hand, sending a current of power into Jack’s body. He recoiled but the magic did not hurt, but sent a warm tingle through his torso, expanding into his extremities.
“It appears I cannot protest,” Jack said dryly.
“Be glad I’m not shredding your heart,” Myra muttered. Then she frowned, her energy focusing on Jack’s arm. “It’s not possible.”
“Myra?” Ero asked.
She extinguished her power and
looked to him. “Shards of a portal have embedded into his body, halting the aging of his flesh.”
“It should have killed him,” Ero said, his voice surprised.
“Luck has always been my ally,” Jack said, looking between the two of them.
Ero turned to him, regarding Jack with new eyes. “My people have tried many times to create one like you, and you accomplish it by accident. I can only assume it was due to your bond to your panther that helped you survive.”
“Create what like me?” Jack asked.
“One that can portal without a Gate,” Ero said. “With the shards in your flesh, you’ve become a living Gate.”
Jack felt a chill and looked at his arm, to the scars left from when the pocket Gate had exploded. Jack touched the white skin but it felt no different than his other scars. Ero then released an irritated sigh, drawing Jack’s gaze.
“The element has prevented your aging,” Ero said, clearly annoyed, “and you have proven that you protect Lumineia. As much as I am loath to admit it, you have met the qualifications to become an Eternal.”
Jack realized what he was saying and smirked. “An Eternal thief. I like the sound of that.”
Ero scowled. “I would tell you the rest myself, but in this case there is another you should speak to.”
“Who?” Jack asked, but his attention was on his arm. Now that he knew what to look for, he could feel a flicker of power in his hand, and it swelled when he mentally reached for it.
“Your beloved.”
Jack snapped to look at him. “How would she know about the Eternals?”
“Because she is one.”
Jack stared at him, confused and uncertain. Was it possible? She always had her secrets, but he hadn’t realized she carried one of such magnitude. His confusion turned to anger when he considered how much she’d kept from him.
“Before you depart,” Ero said, “you must take the oath. If you’ll follow me.”
Jack met his gaze and shook his head. “Perhaps another day.”
Myra realized what he was doing and raised a hand, power arcing on her fingertips, but Jack had already harnessed the energy in his arm. Jack evaporated from view, reappearing an instant later on the Irilian shield.