by Kay L. Ling
The evil personality moaned, and then fell silent as if all the fight had gone out of it.
The gnomes looked at one another helplessly.
Would this ever make sense? Should she demand an explanation? “Book,” Lana said gently. “You speak in riddles. We don’t understand you. You say the Mistress had to be stopped because the destruction was spreading. That makes sense but explain misery and loss. Are you saying that what the Frentians did to stop her created the misery and loss?”
“Yes. It is so.”
“So, you’re unhappy about whatever happened, but you believe your gnome master did the right thing.”
“Yes.”
The book was answering her questions, but it wasn’t volunteering any information. “You said ‘trapped . . . trapped forever.’ Who was trapped? Please explain.”
The book said sadly, “You are all trapped, here on this side, since the battle of Last Hope.”
Lana felt more confused than ever.
Bazzik placed his hand with hers on the cover. “What do you mean on this side?”
“This place that you call Shadow,” the book replied, “is not what you think. Since The Battle of Last Hope, you have been cut off from the rest of your world.” It paused as if trying to find the right words. “What you see around you is only your world’s Amulet. For generations, you have been trapped inside it.”
Lana’s heart dropped to her stomach.
“Surely that isn’t possible,” Bazzik whispered in a stricken voice. “Haven’t we gnomes suffered enough already?”
It seemed inconceivable. But the book’s good personality wouldn’t make up such a story, Lana told herself, feeling numb. It had to be true.
Chapter 32
“This is just the Amulet?” Lana took her hand from the book.
Jules laid a trembling hand on her arm, and when she looked at him, she saw grief as deep as her own.
Elias said, “Book, are you certain?” His tone was a plea to retract the terrible words.
“I am certain.”
Lana’s shoulders sagged. Misery and loss. It made sense now.
Kerosten’s face seemed to have aged years in the last few seconds. “I’m not sure I fully grasp the situation. The Amulet, as I understand it, forms a protective boundary. It doesn’t let people or objects from another world through. Is that right?”
“Essentially, yes,” Elias agreed heavily.
Bazzik said, “All I know about Amulets comes from tales of the Fair Lands.”
“Who would think Shadow has an Amulet?” Vegmir said.
“Not I,” Morodin muttered, “And now we’re entombed in it.”
Vegmir rubbed his forehead, frowning. “Our world was invaded by mercenaries from another world, and our Amulet did not stop them, but somehow we are trapped inside. How does that make any sense?”
“It does,” Jules said. “At least it’s starting to.”
All eyes turned to him.
“I saw what happened when Sheamathan tried to overcome the Fair Lands Amulet, and this is similar. Long ago, your Amulet would have been a small tract of land like the one in the Fair Lands. But then as Sheamathan tried to—” He broke off, his eyes widening. “Kerosten, where is that parchment—the one with multiple maps.”
“I’ll get it.”
Lana put the spell book on her lap to make room for the parchment.
“Elias,” Jules said, as he unrolled the parchment, “you said the maps were similar and showed increasing amounts of land. That makes sense now, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Elias said, leaning close to compare the individual maps. “These are representations of the Amulet as it expanded. The map with the largest area would be the Amulet as it is now.”
Jules nodded. “The Amulet started out small, as we can see from the smallest map. Then S enlarged it as she did to ours, by corrupting the land with droughts and blights—essentially tricking the Amulet.”
“Tricking it?” Bazzik asked.
“Yes. The land changed so radically that the Amulet no longer identified it as part of itself, and stopped defending it.” Jules paused to let that sink in. “As the amount of diseased land grew, the borders of the Amulet kept moving outward. After a while, what started out as a small tract of land became huge—the world we see now.”
Everyone stared at the parchment, deep in thought.
“I guess that makes sense,” Bazzik said slowly. “But why did she need to make the Amulet larger?”
Lana said, “In our world, she did it because she was a foreigner and couldn’t leave the Amulet. By making the Amulet larger, she had access to more and more of the Fair Lands.”
“That’s right,” Jules said. “And she had a similar motive here. She’s a native of Shadow, but the Mydorians weren’t, and they needed access to more of the land.”
“I see,” Vegmir said, “but why are we trapped inside?”
“That question brings us back to the Frentian clan,” Elias said, taking over the explanation. “According to the spell book, the Frentian plan was the only way to stop the incursion. I think they did something, whether intentionally or not, that trapped gnomes inside the Amulet.” He turned toward Lana. “Book, is that right?”
The book didn’t answer. Lana said softly, “Will you tell us, please? Or is discussing it too painful?”
“It is painful, but I will tell you,” it said at last. “Doyin, the Frentian clan leader, my owner, devised a plan so dangerous that many other leaders argued against it. But in the end, there was no other way.” The book paused, and Lana was afraid the other personality would take over, but the good personality remained in control. “You see, the Mydorians entered our world through a portal within our Amulet, and as the Amulet expanded, Sheamathan and the Mydorians claimed more and more land. The residents fled. Only the militias remained. They used weapons and gem powers, but they did not prevail. Sheamathan was far too powerful, and the Mydorians kept coming through the portal, outnumbering the gnomes.”
Lana could picture it, and it was a depressing scene. This was the most accurate account of the battle she or the gnomes had ever heard.
“The Battle of Last Hope used a two-pronged attack. The Zihaddan clan, armed with conventional weapons, led an attack against the Mydorians. The Frentian clan, leading hundreds of gnomes with gem powers, attempted to destroy the portal.”
Elias gripped the arms of his chair. “Destroy the portal! Is such a thing possible?”
“Doyin and others believed so. If it worked, they would unleash destructive powers that might obliterate a large portion of the Amulet, killing the gnome militias in the process, but if it should it come to that, Mistress and the Mydorians would also be killed.”
Lana said bitterly, “Obviously S survived.”
“Yes. They destroyed the portal, but the damage within the Amulet was not as great as they feared, and there were few fatalities. The Amulet absorbed much of the energy blast. This strengthened the Amulet and made it so powerful that it no longer allowed anything through in either direction. And so it remains to this day.”
The book fell silent.
“Wow,” Lana breathed. “That’s terrible. I’m glad we never tried something like that to protect the Fair Lands.”
“In our case, there was no army. One person sacrificed himself,” Elias said, looking at Jules who shifted uncomfortably when all eyes turned to him.
“So, S ended up ruling over a much smaller region than she had hoped,” Vegmir said. “And the militia survived, but they were cut off from everyone else.”
“What about the Mydorians?” Lana asked. “What became of them?”
Morodin said, “You weren’t here when I read from my ancestors’ scroll. After the war, Sheamathan had no further use for the Mydorians, so she slaughtered them. Gnomes killed any who escaped.”
Lana wasn’t surprised. You could always count on S to eliminate potential threats.
The book spoke again. “Sheamathan did not need
many allies. She had the traitorous gnomes who had fought alongside her, and they became her servants, the breghlin.”
“So that’s how the breghlin came about,” Lana said. “Raenihel told me Sheamathan corrupted a lot of gnomes, but it sounds like they corrupted themselves.”
“Indeed,” Kerosten said, frowning. “It’s hard to believe gnomes would betray their own kind.”
“I can only imagine what S promised them,” Nemit said.
Jules looked around the group and asked hesitantly, “Those gnomes . . . could they have had gem powers?”
The clan leaders looked at one another worriedly, and Vegmir said, “It’s possible. Maybe their transformation began by using dark powers.”
“That does affect one’s morals and judgment,” Elias said, looking down at his hands. “Which could explain why some gnomes were willing to betray their world and help invaders.”
Lana had a different theory. “Gnomes without powers could have been jealous of the gifted gnomes, and if S promised them influential positions in her new regime, they might have agreed to fight on her side.”
“Another good theory,” Morodin said.
“In any case, notice how well S rewarded her allies,” Kerosten said bitterly. “They became hideous mutants. And then they were forced into servitude.”
“I don’t feel sorry for the traitors, but I do feel sorry for their descendants,” Jules said.
“You finally have some sympathy for the breghlin.” Lana smiled to soften her remark. Breghlin weren’t to blame for what S had done to them, but they were to blame for their current lawless behavior.
Vegmir said, “If some of their ancestors had gem powers, could there be breghlin now with latent powers?”
“We’ve discussed that,” Elias said. “From what I understand, S altered them genetically. Knowing her, she made sure they lost their gem powers.”
“I hope you’re right,” Vegmir said. “The thought of breghlin wielding dark powers is frightening.”
“S wouldn’t want competition, however inferior,” Elias assured him.
“Besides, gem powers would improve their lives,” Lana said, “and S wants them to be miserable.”
Kerosten sighed in frustration. “Our lives were finally improving, and now, after what we’ve learned today, all our triumphs seem hollow. Is there any hope of breaking through the Amulet?”
Vegmir muttered, “If it were possible, I imagine Gem Masters from the other side would have done so.”
“Unless they didn’t want to,” Lana said. “Think about it—they’d be giving S another shot at taking over all of Shadow.”
“True. She can’t hurt them now, but they don’t know that, and her defeat is a recent development anyway,” Jules said.
“I didn’t take that into consideration,” Vegmir admitted. “Naturally, they wouldn’t risk letting her return.”
Nemit said, “They’d wait many generations, to make sure she’s dead.”
“She probably couldn’t take over Shadow without outside help, and the Mydorians are dead,” Jules said. “But why take a chance?”
“If only we could let them know she’s harmless now,” Morodin said heavily, “but we have no way to get word to anyone on the other side.”
Kerosten frowned. “If we hope to be rescued, we’ll have to do it ourselves, with help from our human allies.”
The other clan leaders murmured their agreement.
“Rest assured, you can count on us,” Elias said.
Though her heart was heavy, Lana smiled. “We specialize in impossible tasks.”
Chapter 33
Lana’s heart ached for the gnomes. Yesterday they had been on top of the world. Sheamathan was in a cage, the breghlin had no incentive to capture them, and for the first time in generations they could come out of hiding. Clan leaders had gem powers, and thousands of gnomes might have latent powers that would awaken when they touched the activator staffs. Everything seemed wonderful. Then their rosy future had developed thorns.
Even if the gnomes never found a way to go “home,” they could still have a good life in Shadow, Lana told herself, trying to put a positive spin on the situation. But right now, they were too angry and depressed to see it that way, and she couldn’t blame them.
Lana couldn’t remember when she’d been so angry. S would live the rest of her life as a beetle in a cage, but that didn’t seem punishment enough. Lana wanted to pull her legs off, one by one, and listen to her scream.
The gnomes would feel the same way. Despite being nonviolent, they might be tempted to kill S. Doubling the guard wouldn’t help since they were just as likely to murder her as anyone else, and they had the weapons to do it.
“There has to be a way to unseal the Amulet,” Vegmir said, but his tone wasn’t very hopeful.
“While we look for a solution, we must pursue our more immediate goals,” Morodin said. His hands trembled in his lap, and tears glistened in his eyes.
Arlic, who hadn’t uttered a word until now, said, “We will make better lives for our clans, whether here or there.”
“I’ll continue your gem power training,” Elias said, “and we’ll search S’s libraries for more information about the other side.”
Lana put her hand on the spell book. “Book, how many years has it been since the Battle of Last Hope? Do you know?”
“Two hundred and forty-three years,” the book answered promptly.
Lana met Elias’s eyes, and he nodded in confirmation. “S claims she’s over three hundred years old. I never knew whether to believe her. Apparently, it’s true.”
“She was very young during The Great Upheaval. No more than fifty or sixty,” Vegmir said.
“Young!” Kerosten snorted. “Our average lifespan is eighty.”
“My point is that she developed formidable powers early in life.”
Lana sat back in her chair. “Too bad someone so evil has such a long lifespan.”
“Think of the good things she could have accomplished in three hundred years,” Jules said sadly.
A guard walked into the room and cleared his throat. “Excuse me. I know you didn’t want to be disturbed, but I have important news.”
Lana recognized the gnome. Omirin usually stood outside the main library.
“Go ahead,” said Elias. “What is it?”
“Tyla discovered something in the last group of books you sent her. I asked her to come, but she was afraid to disturb you.”
“Send her at once,” Elias said. “We want to hear what she’s found.”
“Even if it’s bad news, it can be no more disturbing than what we’ve just heard,” Morodin said with a hollow laugh.
Tyla arrived a few minutes later, carrying two leather-bound volumes. Judging by her nervous expression, whatever she’d found wasn’t good.
Jules stood. “Take my chair. I’ve sat long enough.”
Tyla gave him a brief, grateful smile and sat down, placing the books on her lap. She took out a cyanistone, and glanced around the circle. Everyone looked back with tense expressions, and she dropped her eyes. “Someone who reads runes should verify what I found. I think my translation is accurate, but I’d feel better if you . . .” her voice trailed off.
“Hand me the books and the gem,” Elias said, sounding surprisingly calm, but worry flickered in his green eyes. “Do both books contain the same information?”
She handed them over. “Yes. That’s why I don’t think I’m mistaken.”
Elias immediately handed one of the books to Morodin, “You read this one and I’ll use the cyanistone; then we’ll compare.”
Opening to the bookmark, Morodin began to read, and Elias opened his book.
Lana watched impatiently, her eyes flicking between Morodin and Elias. It was hard to read Morodin’s expression. He was bent over the book, and his bushy eyebrows hid his eyes. He ran his finger over the lines of runes, his lips moving silently. Vegmir and Kerosten, sitting on either side of him, were trying
to read along.
As for Elias, he looked worried at first, and then his expression shifted to one of utter disbelief. He shook his head and flipped to the next bookmark. Lana felt like shouting, “What? What? Tell us!” She glanced at Tyla who sat, head bowed, her hands twisting in her lap.
An eternity seemed to pass before Morodin and Elias looked up.
“You first,” Elias said. “Your direct translation is more reliable.”
Morodin looked hesitant. He cleared his throat. “It says gnomes and woodspirits coexist peacefully.” He wet his lips and read directly from the text, “Thousands of woodspirits live along the coast of Imeria. Others live nearby on small islands. In the regions of Pashan and Courish, it is common for woodspirits to live in enclaves within gnome communities.” He stopped reading and looked up.
Lana was stunned. “But S was supposed to be the last of her kind!”
“It seems she is . . . here,” Morodin said dryly. “Elias, does your text agree with mine?”
“It does.” Elias shook his head with an air of disbelief. “This is certainly a day for shocking revelations.”
Tyla asked timidly, “Where is Imeria? What is an island?”
Elias sighed, his eyes passing over the clan leaders whose faces suggested they felt nearly as lost and confused as Tyla. “Shall I tell her our news?” When they nodded, he said gently, “We’ve just learned that your ancestors were cut off from the rest of your world. It happened during The Great Upheaval when your people fought S and her allies from another world.”
Tyla’s mouth dropped open. She looked around as if seeking assurance this wasn’t a joke, but no one was smiling.
“Our world has an Amulet, and we’re trapped inside it,” Vegmir said. “We’re not sure what to do about it, but we’ll look for a solution.”
Lana groped for something positive to say. “Maybe your generation will be the first to see the world on other side.”
“I—I should get back to the library,” Tyla said. She rose unsteadily.
“I’ll walk you there.” Jules stood and took her arm. “You’ve had quite a shock.”