Air Keep

by J. Scott Savage

When midnight arrived, Kyja was actually sad to leave. She wanted to learn so much more. And hopefully, one day, she might be able to teach Ty about Farworld.

  “We’d better go,” she said.

  “Yeah.”

  She gently shook Marcus, wishing she didn’t have to wake him up.

  “Is it time?” He reached up to rub his eyes and moaned in pain.

  “Thank you for everything,” she told Ty. “Maybe we’ll see you again sometime.”

  “Maybe.” Ty ran his hands across the top of the steering wheel. “That thing the magician told you, about having magic inside you?”

  “Yes?”

  “The dude was right. You got so much magic inside, I think it rubs off on other people just from being around ’em.”

  Kyja smiled and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.” She took a breath and looked at Marcus. “Are you ready?”

  He nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Good-bye,” she told Ty. Then, closing her eyes, she found herself floating in the gray place between Earth and Farworld, and pushed. A moment later, she found herself floating in the strange half air, half water atmosphere of Water Keep.

  But something was wrong. The blue city was dark, almost black, even though it was the middle of the day there. The sky that should have been blue-green was a sludgy brown, and the water on which buildings, statues, and trees normally floated in a constant parade of movement was still. The air had an odd stale smell to it.

  A little girl with long, green hair turned around. She put a hand to her mouth—eyes wide. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

  Chapter 38

  The Trap

  Sitting in the Great Hall, with all the water elementals but Tide, Marcus stretched out his leg, enjoying the weightlessness that made his pain almost bearable. Above him—or was it below him? It was hard to tell—Riph Raph flapped his wings crazily, trying to keep from spinning in a slow circle.

  Cascade hunched on a sandstone bench, head resting in his hands. “Does Master Therapass know you’re here?”

  “No,” Marcus said, realizing it had been a mistake not to tell the wizard where they were going. He had to be panicked by now.

  “Can you see what’s happening at Terra ne Staric?” Kyja asked.

  “We can’t see anything,” said Mist, a thin woman with a silvery sparkle that now looked gray and dull. Every Fontasian in the room appeared defeated, their bodies slumped and heads hanging. Even Morning Dew, the little girl who was always laughing and playing, barely cracked a smile.

  Marcus couldn’t imagine how anything could keep the water elementals from seeing; their vision had always been so incredible, they could stare right through mountains. “I thought you could see out of anything that had water.”

  “Not anymore,” Cascade said. “Ever since Nizgar-Gharat encased us in this land barrier, we can’t leave Water Keep or see anything outside of it.”

  Nizgar-Gharat had to be the land elementals who had attacked them outside Land Keep.

  “Can’t you wash it away?” Kyja asked. “It looks like dirt.”

  “It’s not just dirt,” said Raindrop, a chubby woman whose color-changing robe was washed out and lifeless. “It’s pure land magic—a prison we can’t escape.”

  “But we can,” Marcus said. “Kyja and I can jump to Earth, go outside the city walls, jump back, and—”

  Cascade sighed. “You don’t understand. The barrier was made using the land elementals’ scepter of permanence. Anything created with it is unchangeable. You three can leave anytime you want, but we’re locked in here forever.”

  “No!” Kyja jumped up too quickly and began floating away until Raindrop reached out and pulled her back. “We’ll find a way to get the scepter and reverse the spell,” Kyja said. “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll destroy the scepter.”

  “That’s one of the things I find most interesting about you humans,” Cascade said with a sad smile. “Your unwillingness to admit defeat in the face of impossible odds. Even if you could defeat Nizgar-Gharat and wrest away the scepter—which you can’t—you could not undo this magic. You cannot break the spell without destroying the scepter first, and the scepter is indestructible.”

  Marcus hung his head. Then their quest was over. Even if they found a way to stop the Dark Circle’s attacks, they couldn’t open a drift without a water elemental.

  “How did this happen?” Kyja asked.

  “Tide,” Mist said, her face contorted with anger. “He’s been working with the Dark Circle all along.”

  “He’s the one who pushed me outside the wall the first time you came here,” Dew said, stomping her foot.

  “It’s my fault,” Cascade said. “When Master Therapass sent me to find the traitor, I was so convinced it was the land elementals, I never considered it might be one of us. When I discovered Nizgar-Gharat’s treachery, I came straight to our king. Not once did it cross my mind that he might be working side by side with the foul land elementals. He convinced me he had a plan to catch Nizgar-Gharat and any other land elementals cooperating with the Dark Circle.

  “When I flooded Land Keep, I thought I was trapping the traitors, when, in fact, what I was doing was giving them a chance to steal the scepter and lock us in here. Now the only land or water elementals not trapped are Nizgar-Gharat, Tide, and Lanctrus-Darnoc.”

  Marcus slammed his fist against his leg. Pain flared in his knee and hip. If there was any way out of this, he couldn’t see it.

  “There has to be something we can do,” Kyja said. “The Aerisians have given us the ability to go back in time. What if we went into the past and warned you about Tide?”

  “Time travel? Interesting.” Cascade thought for a minute before sighing. “No. That won’t work either. It’s hard to explain. You see, magic done with the scepter of permanence is impervious to time. If you went back in time, you would still find all of us trapped in Water Keep, even though the spell hadn’t yet been cast.”

  Marcus shook his head in frustration. “What I don’t understand is why Tide would agree to work with the Dark Circle in the first place. Doesn’t he realize their goal is to destroy Farworld?”

  “We are creatures of logic,” Cascade said. “For Tide to choose an action this extreme, he must have been promised something of great value—although I can’t imagine what.”

  “You’re giving up?” Riph Raph squawked at the Fontasians. “I told Kyja we shouldn’t expect anything from a bunch of fish farmers.”

  “What choice do we have?” Cascade pounded his fist on the bench, cracking the sandstone slab.

  Marcus racked his brain, trying to come up with a solution. Whatever they did, the Dark Circle got there first. At least they’d been able to say they’d gathered half the elementals they needed to open the drift. But now even that accomplishment had been negated.

  Kyja smiled sadly at Cascade. “It almost makes me wish we’d never started this quest in the first place. At least then you wouldn’t be stuck here.”

  Something about Kyja’s words struck a chord in Marcus’s head, as if a flame had just been lit—burning, but so far away he couldn’t make it out. He tried to follow the feeling through by talking it out. “Sure, if we hadn’t started this quest, the Dark Circle wouldn’t have trapped you here. And it’s too late to go back and change it, because it wouldn’t make any difference.”

  “No matter what you do, the barrier will still be there,” Cascade agreed.

  “Because it was created with the scepter. And the scepter can’t be destroyed.” It sounded completely hopeless. So why did he suddenly feel hope? He sat up straight. “We saw Nizgar-Gharat with the scepter only a few hours ago. When we swam out of Land Keep. If only . . .”

  “What are you thinking?” Kyja asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Marcus rubbed his temples. A solution was there. He knew it was. Something he had missed. If only he could see it. He went through all the facts he knew one more time. “The spell can’t be broken as l
ong as the scepter exists. And the scepter can’t be destroyed. But even if we went back in time, the barrier would still be in place. So the only way to get rid of the barrier would be . . .”

  Marcus jumped up, ignoring the pain in his body. That was it. The only way to break the spell was to get rid of the scepter. And there was only one way he knew of to get rid of the scepter. He turned to Cascade, “If we can take away the barrier, how quickly can you clear the water from Land Keep?”

  “There would still be Tide to deal with, but we’d have him outnumbered. However, Nizgar-Gharat is all but invincible with the scepter. It’s pointless though because removing the barrier is impossible.”

  “Isn’t that what you said you liked about humans—that we don’t understand impossible odds?” Marcus looked around at the Fontasians. “Kyja and I are going away for a few minutes. If nothing goes wrong, the barrier should disappear a few minutes after we leave. As soon as it does, free Land Keep. Then get to Terra ne Staric as quickly as you can. They’re going to need your help against the golems. It might be too late already.”

  For the first time, Cascade lost his defeated look. “I don’t know how you’re going to do it. But, if you manage to free us, I will do everything in my power to save your people.”

  “We’ll need to return to Terra ne Staric too,” Marcus said. “How fast can we get there by frost pinnois?”

  Cascade shook his head. “Zhethar is fast. But perhaps not fast enough.”

  “He would be if I created a storm,” Raindrop said. “I could make a hurricane that would get you there in no time.”

  “What are you thinking?” Kyja asked Marcus.

  “I’m thinking it’s time to call Mr. Z again,” Marcus said. “Where are you, you lovable little snail jockey?” he shouted.

  Mr. Z appeared in front of them, holding a half-eaten sandwich. He was about to take another bite when he looked around and realized where he was. “What is this?” he cried. “I thought we agreed that you were done with my help.”

  “We didn’t agree to that,” Kyja said.

  “Besides,” Marcus said, clapping him on the back and sending the little man’s sandwich flying. “You have to make up for nearly drowning us in Land Keep.”

  “Drowning? What is this about drowning? Preposterous. I only did what you asked. How was I to know that . . .” He eyed his sandwich as it slowly floated away. “Fine. Where do you want to go?”

  “To the Abyss of Time,” Marcus said.

  “Too dangerous!” Mr. Z squeaked. He grabbed his glasses and rubbed them furiously with a handkerchief. “The spindle. The cracks. The whole thing could come down on our heads.”

  Marcus gave the little man a menacing look. “Do we need to talk to the Aerisians about this?”

  Mr. Z rolled his eyes, but a moment later, the three of them stood on the tilted floor of the Abyss. As soon as he returned to normal gravity, Marcus’s legs collapsed, and he slammed to the hard stone floor.

  He had been hoping that the waterfall of the Was had frozen over again. But if anything, it looked even worse than before. A steady stream of water ran from the crack and down its face.

  “I thought we decided going back in time wouldn’t help,” Kyja said, helping Marcus up.

  “I’m going into the Was,” Marcus said. “But I need you to go somewhere else.” He took her hand. “This might be dangerous, so listen carefully. You’re going into another portal. It’s called the Never Was. It’s extremely dangerous. No matter what happens, do not look at or talk to the woman in black. And don’t go anywhere near the void.”

  “The Void of Unbecoming?” Kyja asked. “The one the air elementals told us about?”

  “Yes. Stay far away from it.” He turned to Mr. Z. “You stay with Kyja in the Never Was. Don’t leave her, or I swear I’ll make sure the air elementals hang you from your heels for the rest of your life.”

  “What are you going to do in the Was?” Kyja asked.

  “I’m getting the scepter,” Marcus said. “As soon as I do, I need you to pull me into the Never Was, just like you pulled me out of it before.”

  “No!” Mr. Z grabbed his gray hair and yanked so hard a tuft of it came out in his hand. “Are you crazy? Demented? Mad? Didn’t you see what happened when you knocked over a shovel? This—this could bring the whole thing down on our heads.”

  “I know,” Marcus said. “But there’s no other way. Which is why, as soon as Kyja pulls me into the Never Was, you’re going to get her out of there.”

  “I’m not leaving the Abyss without you,” Kyja said.

  “Maybe you should rethink this,” Riph Raph said. “Larry the leprechaun here seems to be pretty sure this whole place is going to go kaboom!”

  “No. I won’t go without him.” She turned to Marcus. “How will I know when you have the scepter?”

  Marcus squeezed her hand. “If Mr. Z is right, I’m pretty sure you’ll know.”

  Chapter 39

  The Never Was

  Good luck,” Marcus said. “Don’t forget—do not listen to the woman. Don’t even look at her if you can help it.”

  “I won’t. You be careful too.” Kyja watched as Marcus dropped to the floor and scooted toward the Was. The waterfall roared to life, startling her, and Marcus disappeared into the mist.

  “Most irresponsible,” Mr. Z muttered under his breath. “No idea of consequences. No consideration of repercussions. No respect for laws of time and space.”

  “Which way is the Never Was?” she asked.

  Mr. Z trembled, and for a moment, she thought the little man was going to run. Instead he pointed a shaking finger at the waterfall to their right. Kyja glanced around the Abyss. The Is, the Was, the Never Was. Her eyes stopped on the fourth wall—the one Marcus had never named. Is that what he was so afraid of? For the tiniest moment, she considered seeing what was behind it before going into the Never Was. If she knew what was scaring Marcus, she could help him deal with it.

  Just a peek.

  But they didn’t have time for that now. “Take me into the Never Was,” she told Mr. Z.

  He pulled his hat down until it nearly covered his eyes, gave a deep sigh, and led her into the mist.

  The first thing she noticed was the woman in black, sitting near an empty fireplace. The second thing was the intense feeling of despair which filled the room. If one could collect every failed plan, every shattered dream, every lost love, and put them all in one place, this was what it would feel like.

  “You are alone,” the woman said, without getting up.

  “No, I—” Kyja began, before remembering she wasn’t supposed to talk. Instead she studied the floor, shiny black, speckled with flecks of gold and silver.

  “No parents. No brothers. No sisters. It must be very lonely.”

  Kyja glanced quickly at the woman, expecting some kind of monster. Instead, she saw the most astonishing blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to understand everything she’d ever been through.

  “It must have been hard having no friends,” the woman whispered. “Growing up as an outcast.”

  Kyja trembled. “I had Riph Raph. And Master Therapass. And the Goodnuffs.”

  “‘Parents’ who had real children who slept in their house. While you slept in the barn with the livestock. An old wizard who made you painfully aware of your own lack of magic. No children who would play with you, and your only friend a flying lizard.”

  “He’s not a lizard.” Kyja managed to pull her eyes away from the woman’s gaze, feeling a small flame of anger.

  But the woman quickly doused the anger, like a burbling stream putting out a fire. “You must have felt so alone. So unloved.” Her words flowed into every crack of doubt and insecurity Kyja had, leaving her feeling cold and bleak. Why had Marcus sent her here, knowing what this woman could do?

  Suddenly, the woman was at her side. “He’s deserted you, like everyone else.”

  “I . . .”

  Cold fingers traced her cheek. “The old man k
new you were incapable of magic. He despised you. Your parents never wanted you in the first place. They were glad to see you go. And the boy sent you here—the home of lost souls, broken hearts, and miserable endings.”

  “No . . .” Kyja said. But could it be true? Marcus had told her not to listen to the woman. But maybe that was because he was afraid of her learning the truth.

  Icy hands turned her head until she was looking at a swirling black pool. “He’s not coming back. He left you here. But I understand. I know what you need.”

  Marcus stepped into the Was, and water roared as mist filled his vision. Was this a mistake? Things had reached the point where almost any decision he made could be something that caused Kyja to get killed. But waiting and doing nothing could be even worse. He just had to hope that he was doing the right thing and try not to second-guess himself.

  A second later, he entered the hallway—this time with only two walls, thank goodness. The last time, the three walls had made him a little queasy. He rubbed his sweaty hands on the front of his shirt.

  “You’re back!” a cheerful voice called.

  Marcus turned to see the little boy from the first time he’d entered the Was, hopping on one foot toward him. Ignoring the boy, Marcus gripped his staff in one hand and raced down the hallway, his two legs whole again.

  He didn’t want to leave Kyja in the Never Was any longer than he had to. She didn’t have the reason for wanting to throw herself into the void like he’d had. But he could still remember the way the place had made him feel—the way he’d been so convinced that unmaking himself was the only answer.

  “You didn’t bring the gunky man with you this time,” the boy said, skipping beside him.

  Marcus glanced at the paintings on the wall. They showed him and Kyja getting on the bus; he was nearly to the door he was looking for. “The gunky man?”

  “The gunky man, the gunky man. The gunky man, the gunky man,” the boy sang, still skipping. “I don’t like him.”

  “Why not?” Marcus asked. He hadn’t liked Mr. Z at first either, but he was getting used to little man’s odd behavior.