In Creation's Heart

by Jason Hamilton

  Once the dead were buried and burned, Seph insisted that Jak take the animals to Illadar. Most of them had simply taken up residence alongside the fortress, somehow prevented from attacking the humans or each other by a command from Seph. Though even the dragon shifter had to admit that some of the carnivores would have to eat eventually. They would have to bring extra deer, rabbits, and other animals for that purpose. But they could worry about that later.

  Jak had to admit, she needed her rest as well. Taking that many animals to Illadar was going to be nearly as hard as bringing her army back to Earth. There were a lot of them.

  “Seph,” she said when it became time. “I need you to tell them all to group together, preferably so they are touching.”

  “Okay,” he said. “That shouldn’t be too much trouble.” He stepped forward, then reached one foot ahead of the other, dragged it in a half-circle along the ground in front of the nearest animals. Then he took that foot and smashed it to the ground. The earth rumbled at an impact that would not have been possible from a normal human’s strength. But Seph was a dragon, and the animals understood this even while he was in his human form.

  Moving as one, the beasts gathered closer and closer together, until all were side by side and touching. All of the birds landed so they were perched on a stag’s antlers, or the spine of a bear.

  Jak raised her eyebrows. “Well that will do.”

  She stepped forward and took Seph’s hand as she did so. Then she knelt down next to the nearest wolf. Several wolves had tried to kill her once, when she had been all but helpless. The Shadow Elves had saved her then, and now she was going to save these wolves, among countless other animals.

  Reaching for the magic of the Pillar of Space, she tightened her grip on the staff and concentrated. The magic came to her, eager to participate in such a deed. Somehow she could tell it wanted to bring these creatures to Illadar. Unlike death and destruction, this was something it saw as right.

  Jak reached out to touch the wolf’s head. Instantly she, it, and the entire host of animals vanished from Earth and reappeared on Illadar.

  Jak swayed in place, but her vision quickly adjusted this time as she leaned for support on the Pillar of Space and thanked the ancestors for Seph, who steadied her from behind.

  Ahead of them stood the Brandless. Many were out working, tilling fields they had only recently planted but were already bursting with life. Others stood outside of the makeshift houses. But almost all of them turned to see the newcomers as they arrived.

  Jak expected them to yell or at least act surprised at seeing so many traditionally aggressive animals appear on their doorstep. But to the contrary, many inched forward curiously. There was a look of fascination in their eyes that Jak had seen before, when Seph had stepped forward to meet the newly arrived dragon.

  “You were right, Seph,” she said, as some of the animals also moved forward to meet their companions. “The Brandless were meant for this. Though I still don’t know why having a brand would have prevented them from becoming shifters like you.”

  “I’m not sure it would have,” he said with a shrug. “But there’s more to this particular species of Fae than any of the others. This one requires a literal bond with another creature. No one else experienced anything like that. And the brands, I believe they have the power to distract you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean,” Seph stumbled like he was trying to find the right words. “I mean that a brand is already a connection of sorts. You form a bond with it. So that could prevent you from forming a bond with an animal.”

  Jak slowly nodded. “I think I understand.” She stared back at the Brandless as they met with their animals counterparts, some of them finding each other instantly, others searching for a time before they found a creature who shared their mutual attraction. She watched as many of them joined together, seeming to meld with one another as Seph had with the dragon. Though in some of their cases, like those with the eagles, the animals were swallowed into the people, rather than the other way around.

  “Isn’t it beautiful, Jak,” said Seph beside her.

  She had to admit that it was. This was life living at its full potential. Humans and animals coexisting in the more literal sense.

  “There’s still one thing that puzzles me though,” Seph went on. “For most of the Fae, they only turned after encountering a Relic of some kind. The Shadow Elves were changed by the original copy of the Annals of Adam. The Water Fae by some kind of Water Relic. And the Pillars of Eternity are responsible for almost all of the rest. Except for three.”

  “The Ice Fae, the Nature Fae, and Shifters,” Jak confirmed with a nod.

  “So how did we change when we had no Relic to speak of? We have the Pillar of Space, now but the Ice and Nature Fae evolved on Illadar before we had that.”

  “Well they were exposed before arriving on Illadar, but I don’t think that’s the reason. I think it’s this place,” said Jak, staring around at the rich, multi-colored plant species, augmented by the light of the lowering sun. “Illadar was created by magic. That could, essentially, make it one giant Relic.”

  Seph nodded, putting his arm around Jak and watching as more animals bonded with the Brandless, and the sun set in the distance. “That would explain why the Ice Fae formed first. They were in their element upon arrival. But we Shifters and the Nature Fae had to wait for a third ingredient before our change could be complete.”

  “Yes, Li had already transformed from what we could tell, which is why she seemed so sick until I took her back to Earth and she came in contact with actual plant life. She had been sick up to that point because there was no plant life here.”

  “And perhaps that’s why the Brandless instinctively knew that they couldn’t accept a brand. Some part of them knew they were already Shifters. But they needed to find an animal to bond.”

  “I wonder if a brand would have even worked on one of them,” Jak mused. “All other Fae lost their brands when they transformed. Perhaps the Brandless had already undergone that transformation and we didn’t even know it.”

  She leaned her head against Seph’s shoulder, watching as wolves howled at Illadar’s two moons, eagles soared into the sky, and bears roared triumphantly as each successfully completed the transformation. Now Seph was not alone, there were more shifters of all varieties.

  Not all the animals joined with the Brandless. Some scampered off into the woods. Jak imagined there would always be some animals that remained unbonded. They would have to bring more over from Earth if they wanted a stable ecology. But they would ever after need to be careful when hunting. They couldn’t risk accidentally killing a shifter in animal form. Perhaps there would have to be a law of some kind to prevent hunters from using lethal force, instead focusing on traps only. If they continued hunting at all. Maybe it would be better to farm and raise cattle and sheep instead. It would be safer.

  The thoughts darkened her mind, and she nuzzled into Seph’s warm, protective embrace even further, watching the sun continue to set.

  “Seph,” she said, her voice more timid than she intended. “What do you want to do when this is all over?”

  “You mean once Cain is defeated?” he asked. She nodded, and he sat back, thinking. “I’m not altogether sure. At first I would want to help with the transition, bringing more animals to this side, and recruiting as many from Earth as want to join us. But after that, I don’t know.”

  “I want to go back to sheep farming,” she said.

  He nodded slowly. “I can see why that would be your desire.”

  “Some of my best memories are of learning how to be a shepherd with my father. All those hours spent roaming our grazing lands, with Grettle our sheep dog helping us round up the sheep, spending much of our time looking for any stragglers.”

  “Sounds soothing,” Seph agreed.

  “It was. But something tells me that I will never enjoy that kind of quiet life again.”

  Se
ph said nothing to that, only pulled her in tighter. He knew she was right. If she lived to see the end of Cain, there was no way the people would ever leave her in peace. They would be looking for a leader, someone to make the laws and keep them. And as much as Jak wished for someone like Skellig or Naem to take up those reins, there was no way the people would respect them as they did her.

  “We should head back to Earth now,” said Jak, wiping a bead of moisture from her eye.

  “Are you sure you’re ready?” Seph asked, leaving his arm around her. “Bringing all those animals here must have cost you.”

  “I’m fine, it was easier than the last time.” That was partly because there had been fewer bodies to transport, but also because Jak was pretty sure each use of the Pillar of Space built her up, like using a muscle. “Cain is still there, and who knows what his plan is, now that all his demons are gone.”

  “Alright,” he said, standing and stretching. “Then let’s make sure he doesn’t do anything while we’re gone.”

  Jak stood as well, feeling some of her old confidence returning. “I have a few things to take care of first, but then we can go.”

  She strayed to the nearby cave, the one that had been a source of such contention back when the air was cold, and the cave was the only shelter they had. Now very few even used it, preferring to be out in the open air, and in houses they had built themselves.

  Inside, Jak found several of those same metal sheets that she had used before. She had to finish work on this place now or never. She wouldn’t get another chance before her final battle with Cain. Picking up the nearest metal sheet, she set about branding it.

  When they arrived back at Foothold, everyone there was only too eager to see her. Well, her and Seph. Cheers erupted around them as they strode through Foothold’s streets, and into the square. They were encouraged by their victory over the demons, and Seph got several requests to demonstrate his transformation into a dragon.

  They pushed by the onlookers, however, and made their way to the base of Foothold’s tower. Skellig was there, along with Naem, Yewin, Viona, and all other members of the council except for Amelia and the Water Fae. Most of them were still on Illadar.

  “I take it your journey went well?” asked Yewin.

  “It is as we suspected,” said Jak. “Most of the Brandless were actually Shifters. They just needed a creature to bond.”

  “Fascinating,” replied Yewin, though Skellig looked troubled.

  “What is it, Skellig?” Jak asked.

  “I can’t help but feel like we did something wrong, in leaving them on Illadar, or even suggesting that they take a brand.”

  “You had no idea what would eventually happen,” Jak offered.

  “Seph did,” said Skellig, waving at Seph. “Perhaps we should have paid more attention. If it weren’t for the fact that we had a battle to fight, things might have escalated like they did with Vander.”

  “I don’t know if it would have reached that point,” said Jak.

  “You didn’t see some of the reactions I witnessed. Some of the men and women were extremely upset that their comrades would not fight for them. I can’t help but wonder if there will be some lingering distrust of the shifters from now on.”

  “We can’t assume that,” said Seph. “Humans are adaptable above all. We will find a way to coexist.”

  “In any case, it’s the least of our problems,” said Viona, her arms folded.

  “Yes, I agree,” said Li. “We have to take this one problem at a time.”

  Girwirt spoke up next. “Or it’ll be like trying to juggle helomushrooms.”

  As was often the case when Girwirt spoke, Jak narrowed her eyes at the gnome. “What are helomushrooms and how do you juggle them?”

  “You can’t, they’re too big,” said Girwirt. “That’s what I’m saying.”

  Oh, well that made sense then. Turning to take in every member of the council, she spoke in a slightly elevated tone. “We have a lot to do, but Viona, Li, and Girwirt are right. We have one primary obstacle that we have to deal with before we can think of anything else.”

  “How do you propose we take out Cain,” asked Skellig, leaning in to hear Jak’s plan.

  “I know where he lives,” she said. “Or at least one place where he hides, up inside one of the Hollow Peaks west of here.”

  “You want to ambush him there?”

  “We can’t take too many,” said Jak. “Perhaps a handful of elites, including Seph and I.”

  “And what about our little plan that we set up earlier?” said Skellig with a glance around at the others. Not all of them knew about their plan.

  “That is still an option,” Jak confirmed. “I finished work on it just recently. But we don’t know if it will work. I would have to transport Cain to get there. I’ve done it before, but there’s no guarantee that I could do that.”

  “Very well, what are our other options.”

  “There’s Marek,” Jak offered. Skellig’s face darkened at that possibility. “I know he works for Cain, currently, but I think I could convince him to turn on his master.”

  “If that’s true, then why hasn’t he done so already?” asked Girwirt.

  “Because Cain is still more powerful. He might still have some kind of hold on Marek. He’s waiting for the right opportunity.”

  “Still not a guarantee, though,” said Yewin, which was true. “Do you have anything else?”

  Jak hesitated. Marek would not like the other option that sprang into her mind. “Well, Cain has a lot of...I might call them super Relics in his cave. I’m told they aren’t dangerous, but we could use them against Cain.”

  “How so?” asked Skellig.

  “Well, because he doesn’t want them to be harmed. If we were to destroy them, it could unhinge him enough that he might attack out of desperation, or turn his back on us in order to save them, which could give us the advantage.”

  “I say we just overwhelm him,” said Naem. “We’ve proven that his seemingly boundless power is nothing more than a few extra brands. We have that now too, plus a Pillar of Eternity. If we bring some of our best, equipped with even more brands, he’ll be powerless against us.”

  “Don’t underestimate him,” said Jak, remembering the trap Cain had sprung on her at Tradehall.

  “Of course, but it couldn’t hurt.”

  “I agree,” said Skellig. “I think brute force is perhaps the best option.”

  “Alright,” said Jak, thinking it through. “But let’s make sure to bring Naman and Jamilla. They’re Marek’s parents, and if anyone can get through to him, they will. Otherwise we’ll be fighting both Cain and Marek.”

  “That sounds sensible enough,” said Skellig.

  “Ultimately,” said Jak. “I will try to stick to our first plan, using the Pillar of Space to take him away. But if that doesn’t work, we’ll have to rely on some of these other ideas.”

  “Backups of our backups,” said Naem with a slight shake of his head.

  “And yet we have no true guarantee of success.” Skellig put one hand to her mouth and massaged it, thoughtfully.

  A wave of unease passed among the council. They were scared of Cain, that much was evident, though maybe it was more like they didn’t trust themselves. Jak could understand that. There was a time when she hadn’t trusted herself with anything, let alone the fate of several races of people and two planets.

  “I know what you’re all feeling,” she said. All eyes in the circle turned to regard her. “And I completely understand. Cain once held me at his mercy, in such a way that escape seemed impossible. But I did escape, and I learned, and I’ve grown. Because there’s a simple solution to fear of the unknown. You make it known.”

  The corner of Skellig’s mouth turned up, as did Naem’s. They had both served in the military, and they knew what she was doing.

  “We now know more about Cain than we are ever likely to know. I myself am nearly his equal. Together, we far outmatch the man. An
d that’s not to mention the fact that we just took out every demon he had.”

  “Only because we had the dragon,” grumbled Girwirt under his breath.

  “It doesn’t matter how we did it, it only matters that we beat them. All of them. Compared to that, Cain should be a small matter.”

  Girwirt and Noralim took deep breaths, as did several others within earshot. Jak never fancied herself for speech giving. But maybe it was her status, for the people seemed to hear her, and trust what she was saying.

  And what was more, she believed what she was saying. Cain really could be defeated, and she knew it. She knew it better than she knew the back of her Gifter-branded hand.

  16

  They waited a day to figure out who would go with them, not to mention giving even more brands to those elite. Seph was the obvious choice, but he was the only member of the Fae that was allowed to go. Most of the Fae abilities were powerful, but they could not achieve the full potential of someone with dozens of brands on them. Other than Seph that is, since a dragon was essentially equal to someone like Cain.

  Skellig and Naem also volunteered. But they would need more, Jak was sure. She spent a few hours debating among the council on who they could trust, or would be the most useful when going up against Cain. In the end, Jak had narrowed it down to two individuals in particular.

  “Naman, Jamilla,” she said as she finally found the couple. They were in one of Foothold’s barracks, which had been converted into a small hospital for the wounded. Jak glanced around the room. Thankfully there weren’t many wounded, thanks to the Healing brands Jak and Naem had previously handed out. It had been among their top priority brands, and it looked like that had paid off. Naman and Jamilla stood at one end, helping one man walk a few feeble steps across the room. The man’s legs looked like they had been nearly torn off, but were healing thanks to his brand.

  “What is it, Jak?” asked Naman as she approached.

  “I need to talk to you in private, if that’s alright.” Jak planted the tip of the Pillar of Space next to her, trying to portray an air of confidence in front of all the wounded.