by David Ekrut
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Perhaps I simply enjoy reveling in my pending victory.”
“You’ve won nothing yet,” Elwin said. “You must know I will do all within my power to stop you.”
“Will you? Like a kitten hissing at a lion. Did you know, I can see the future? All paths lead to my success. Your actions can only ensure my goals come to fruition faster.”
“I will find a way.”
“I see.” Abaddon mumbled a few words. Elwin recognized some of the syllables as an incantation. The reflection became clearer in Abaddon’s eyes. A clear scene unfolded. It started at this forest and expanded outward. The images flew across the ocean to another place.
Elwin saw himself standing on a large stone in the sky. The images surged forward, then he saw himself traveling through a valley with Daki and Taego. They walked along a river. Just as they reached a city, Abaddon closed his eyes, cutting off the images.
After several seconds, the Seeker nodded. “Hmm. Well, it seems to me, you will have enough trouble escaping the guardians without your powers. And what is this? Oh, poor child. Abandon your quest while you can. For Feffer’s sake and that of others you have yet to meet but will grow to love. They will suffer if you persist.”
“What did you see?” Elwin found himself asking. He wanted to take the question back the moment it left his lips. After all, he could trust nothing Abaddon told him.
“Death and sorrow in your wake. You cannot save her. Your mentor is lost to this world. However, you will find a group of magi capable of giving you the knowledge you seek, far removed from the dangers hunting you. But, they will not teach you. Instead, they will give you an impossible quest. Ah, but you do learn a few of the words, so that is some consolation to losing all you hold dear.”
Elwin could only stare. None of this could be true. He considered asking for details, but he couldn’t make himself speak.
“Do as you will, child. If you survive the guardians and dragons, perhaps we will meet again.” Abaddon turned back to digging his toes in the sand. “You may go. I wish to be alone for a time.”
Elwin did not go. He watched the Seeker’s contented smile with increasing dread. Abaddon never so much as glanced at him again.
“We are here,” Daki said.
Elwin looked at the large lake. The still water reminded him of his encounter with Abaddon six days ago. He’d not spoken to Daki of his conversation with the Seeker. Even if he could trust Abaddon’s words, Elwin could not bring himself to admit his rash actions to Daki.
The quiet surface of the lake reflected every detail of their surroundings, making it difficult to see where the water ended and the mountains on the horizon began. There was no sign of civilization. There were deer tracks and other animals, but no boots had seen this area in some time.
“Where is here?” Elwin asked.
“The entrance to my city.”
He looked more closely at the cliffs on the far side of the lake. Surely, there was an opening.
“Do we need a boat?”
Taego’s bellow sounded much like laughter.
“Be nice,” Daki said, then to Elwin, “No. Come closer.”
As Daki’s hands emitted a green glow, Elwin flinched and stepped backward. He could not keep his gaze from the sky.
“What are you doing?” Elwin demanded.
“Do not be alarmed. As I told you when I healed your ankle and finger, my people do not tame as you do. Our gifts come from the realm of the Lady Nature, beyond the reach of even the mighty dragons. We cannot fly or move mountains, but Her aid is still beyond measure. Do not move.”
Elwin complied. “What is this for?”
His skin tingled beneath Daki’s touch. When Daki stepped back, breathing became difficult.
“Jump into the water and wait for me,” Daki replied. “Your breaths will come more easily when you are beneath the surface of the lake. The only way into my city is beneath the lake.”
Elwin tried to give a retort, but he couldn’t suck in a breath. Forcing the panic aside, he dove into the water. Once beneath the surface, he held his breath until his vision blurred from lack of air. Against all instincts to the contrary, he was forced to breathe. Despite his trust and respect for Daki, he expected water to flood into his mouth.
Instead, precious air filled his lungs. When he exhaled, bubbles escaped, but he could see no movement in the water when he breathed in. Using his essence, he tried to study whatever it was Daki had done to him, but failed. He sensed a change in the water and air. Beyond that, he could only guess as to how this was possible.
He felt more than heard Daki dive in next to him.
“You could have warned me,” Elwin tried to say, but his voice was muted by the water. Then he realized his tome was fully immersed, and his irritation turned to anger. He tried to express his outrage, but his shouts were no more effective.
Daki placed a finger over his lips in a silencing gesture then pointed away from the shore. Elwin kicked the water, furious to follow as Daki swam way. But he didn’t move.
What in the abyss?
Watching Daki, he realized his friend wasn’t actually swimming. He moved through the water, swaying back and forth. Elwin stopped kicking. Instead, he willed himself forward, much like he did when flying. He surged after Daki. Even though he hadn’t made a conscious decision to do so, he felt his body swaying back and forth in the water.
After a time, the movement felt more natural. They swam deeper.
Streaks of light pierced all around him, providing a clear view of the underwater foliage. Schools of small fish dodged or swam around them, but the large fish, some as long as they, seemed unbothered by their presence.
As they continued to descend, Elwin’s ears popped. The sound was similar to how it felt when he flew too high. Though, unlike with flying at great heights, breathing did not become more difficult with the depth. Whatever Daki had done worked just as well at the bottom of the lake.
Daki swam wide of a patch of long, red weeds, turning west. After another hour, there was a similar patch of yellow weeds. Daki shifted north again.
In the distance, the rocky floor ended in an abrupt cliff, covered in moss or seaweed. As Daki neared, his hand began to glow. The greenery parted, revealing a dark cavern. Daki swam inside. Elwin followed Daki’s glowing fist, their only source of light. The cavern opened to a narrow corridor stretching up two hundred paces.
Once Elwin broke the water’s surface, breathing became difficult once more, until Daki took hold of Elwin’s head and face. Once Daki released him, he could breathe normally again.
“You could have warned me,” Elwin said again, climbing into the cavern as quickly as possible.
“Oh. Sorry. Taego does not particularly care for this either.”
Once Elwin reached the flat of the cave, he pulled off his pack and opened it. All of his gear was dry. His clothes were as well. “What in the abyss?”
“You were worried about the tome? You should know I would never endanger such knowledge.”
“Right. Well. I thought I would drown. When that feeling passed, I was afraid the incantations would be ruined. Maybe tell me before you do anything else like that?”
“Of course. My apologies.”
“Forget it.” Elwin waved a dismissive hand. “What is this place?”
He turned to see ever-torches ensconced along the walls. The cavern was perfectly square-shaped. A hundred paces from the pool was an intricate double-door, spanning the entirety of the space.
“Come.”
As they neared, the designs on the stone doors became clear. Though Elwin had studied eloiglyphs, none had ever been quite like this. They were beautifully made. Whoever had placed these was an artist. The patterns covered every inch of stone in measured strokes.
“
Did your people do this?” Elwin asked.
“My ancestors. Yes.”
“You have elementalists here as well?”
“We did. Before the Lady Nature showed us a better path.”
“Before?”
“Yes. Come.”
Daki stepped up to the doors. There were no knobs or latches to open them. Instead, there were two matching plates, each with the symbol of a hand-shaped tree. When Daki placed his palms on the carvings, the foliage atop the fingertips illuminated. Seconds later, the doors groaned and cracked, then moved slowly outward.
Blinding light filled the corridor. By the time the doors were wide enough to step through, Elwin could see a row of men with features similar to Daki. Though their loincloths varied in color and style, each wore raqii dath, the same twin blades Daki favored. Upon seeing Elwin, several eyes widened in obvious alarm, but no one reached for a weapon.
Beyond the warriors, a road of red stones cut through a large field of green, surrounded by high mountains. Redwood trees, more than Elwin could begin to count, rose alongside the expansive street. Windows and doors were carved into them. He thought them ornaments until he saw a face peering out of one.
“How—” Elwin began.
A man of middle age, the oldest amongst the group, stepped forward.
The only words Elwin understood were, “Da kairo wut Whudin,” Daki’s full name, but the tone was unmistakably agitated. The way the man gestured at Elwin, he feared the others would attack him any moment.
When the man finished, his voice turned up as if he’d asked a question. Daki did not immediately speak, so the man repeated the phrase.
Daki spoke in a subdued voice, also pointing at Elwin many times, albeit in a much gentler manner. Daki never looked up or met the other man’s gaze. When Daki stopped speaking, the older Chai only stared, color flooding his tan cheeks. The others looked to one another with obvious concern.
Finally, the older Chai’s gaze fell on Elwin with an expression as though he’d eaten something grotesque and wished to spit. He spoke in the same foreign tongue, and the others surrounded Elwin and Daki.
On instinct, Elwin readied his essence and moved closer to Daki. He stopped himself short of reaching for the Elements.
He could not see the top of the mountain, and he could not fly without placing these people in danger. He would not do that. Whatever happened, these were Daki’s people. He would not place them in danger by taming.
The man spat a few more terse words. With a pained expression, Daki unfastened the scabbards from his belt and handed over his swords to the man.
“What are you doing?” Elwin asked.
Daki gave a weak smile. “It will be fine. Trust me.”
The man yanked the weapons from Daki’s grasp. No one asked for Elwin’s pack, which was probably for the best. He had given up much for the incantations and wouldn’t be giving them to anyone without a fight.
“Come,” the man said to Elwin in a pleasant voice. “Please. You must speak with our elders.”
“Of course,” Elwin said, bowing his head. “I am honored.”
“It is we who are honored,” he said, returning the bow. “This way.”
The man turned with the same grace Daki possessed and marched up the road. Elwin’s escort moved in step, forcing Elwin to go with them or be trampled. He opted to go with them.
Behind him, the way to the corridor closed. The bang it made when the twin doors slammed into place sounded very final.
People lined the streets, not bothering to hide their stares. They did not look at him with fear, but confusion and anger. Several spoke in Daki’s tongue. The word “onchata” was repeated many times, cast in Elwin’s direction.
“I am sorry,” Daki whispered. “This is not the reception I had hoped to give you, but the elders will set this right. I promise. My patwah is complete. They will give you the knowledge you seek.”
When Elwin had met Daki, the other man had been released into the forest for his Plauo Tu Patwah, path of proving. At the time, Elwin had thought this a cruelty. After all, Daki was not much older than he, and he’d been left in the wilderness to survive alone. He had since come to realize his companion was more than capable of caring after himself, but it still seemed barbarous. He was reminded of that fact, looking into the angry faces of those surrounding him. The guards formed two rows and moved to either side of the path. He and Daki walked between them.
The road led to a colossal redwood. Its base spanned a hundred paces across. Thick branches ended with orange and golden leaves left in loose patches. Even craning his neck, he could not see the top. Steps wound up the broad roots to a double-door made of bark at the center of the trunk. The doors were propped open by two guards. A corridor tunneled into the tree.
“This is amazing,” Elwin breathed.
He could see the pride in Daki’s smile. “The Lady truly blesses us.”
“Quiet,” the lead guard said. He gestured for him and Daki to go first up the steps.
Elwin obeyed.
Inside, an anteroom opened to a hallway, which wound deep into the tree. He’d expected the inside to smell of dirt and mold, but a sweet scent, like honey, hung in the air. Every inch of the walls along the corridor were painted with exquisite detail. Following along the scene on his side, he could see a story being told. Elwin wanted to stop and marvel at this wonder, but one glance at his escort spurred him onward. He contented himself by studying the tale on his side.
For many generations, people in exile searched for a home, facing many hardships. They crossed the oceans to settle in the forest of a hostile land. They fought dragons, giants, and a creature Elwin had never seen. It stood on two feet but had four arms and red skin. Ram’s horns protruded from its wide skull. With the guidance of a woman with green skin, they defeated the creature and found their home, which could only be this place. Here, they prospered and gained knowledge, storing their secrets in a vast library.
The wall ended with a single Chai Tu Naruo. Her hands were raised in offering to the green woman, who could only be the Lady Nature. In the Chai’s palms were the symbols for the Elements. In return, the Lady Nature handed the Chai a leaf with six points. Each point held a different eloiglyph which Elwin had never seen.
Elwin stumbled, but Daki’s firm grip kept him from falling as the hallway opened into a vast room. Looking down, he saw the step he’d missed from staring at the mural. More stories covered the walls of this chamber as well, flowing onto the ceiling. A chandelier of emeralds hung high above. Each shard reflected light from ever-torches on the walls. There were no furnishings in the empty room. The only way out was the corridor behind him. For the first time, Elwin realized their escort had turned back.
“Thanks,” Elwin whispered, releasing Daki’s arm. “Where are they?”
“Do not speak until they ask for your name.”
“But we are alone.”
“Shh. This place is sacred.”
Elwin took a deep breath. Before he’d fully exhaled, a large section of the wall protruded inward and slid away. Several women of elder years entered the hall in single file, encircling Daki and Elwin. After the last woman settled in place, a voice reverberated around him. Elwin could not be sure of the source.
“Who comes before us?”
Daki did not speak. His eyes widened and lips thinned into a white line. After a few seconds, Daki gave him an urgent nod.
“Uh. I am Elwin Escari.”
“You are untested,” another voice said.
“You do not belong here.”
“You are forbidden.”
“Your ways are ignorance.”
“Your ways are folly.”
“You are onchata.”
“Who owns this child’s folly?”
“I do,” Daki said in a sure voice.
“Is he worthy of your faith?”
“Yes. He is one who is true.”
The women exchanged glances. There was a long silence, but he could see a conversation in their eyes.
“He has come too late,” a voice said at last.
“The dragons have returned.”
“He will doom us all.”
“Too late.”
“They have not all awakened,” Daki protested. “The one that is true can set the world on its rightful path. It is written.”
“He is too late.”
“We have seen.”
“The future is known.”
“The future will soon be set.”
“You have failed.”
Their echoing words reminded him of his conversation with Abaddon. Had the Seeker told him the truth after all? No. They were wrong. Nothing was fated to come true. His decisions mattered. If they would not lend aid, he would find a way on his own.
One woman stepped forward, and the others vanished. Elwin heard echoes of their whispers. They had all spoken the incantation of dimensional folding. He’d been speaking the final syllable incorrectly. As much as he wanted to repeat the sound, he forced himself to be silent beneath the woman’s harsh gaze.
Her expression softened when she turned to regard Daki. She placed a hand on Daki’s shoulder. “You know what this means for you, my child?”
“No,” Daki said. “You said the future is never certain.”
“It is not, and it is. Our actions follow our nature. And our purpose is to see to the protection of our people and Her truths, above all. Do you agree?”
Daki looked at Elwin for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, he nodded. “I do.”
“And do you also agree that our knowledge must be protected. At any cost?”
Again he nodded. “I will obey the Lady in all my deeds.”
“Good. Then there is yet one divergence, one choice which might change what has been foreseen.” Her warm smile felt a drastic contrast to her tone. “Take these blades and do what must be done. Our halls must be cleansed.”