To World's Above: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 5)

by Jason Hamilton

  Jak scanned the skies for the dragon. It hadn’t taken it as far as she took Cain, but it must have lost interest in them. She could not see it anywhere on the horizon. Well that was one thing to check off. Perhaps in the future they could figure out what to do with it. Maybe Seph could figure out what his special connection with the dragon had meant.

  When they were finished, Perchel gave a few orders to the others, who all began flying back to their aerie to begin preparations to leave.

  “Perchel,” she said. “I’d like you to come with me.”

  He paused and looked at her with his brow upturned. “We are going with you.”

  “You personally. You won’t get there as fast as I can.”

  Perchel glanced at the Pillar of Eternity and understanding spread across his face. “Very well. Give me a moment to prepare.”

  Jak nodded, and Perchel flew off, speeding away towards the aerie.

  Seph came nearer, so that he, Marek, and Jak all stood together. “So that thing will take us all...back to the others?” he said, gesturing at the white Pillar.

  “I believe so, if it works anything like the other Pillar of Eternity.” said Jak. “And that reminds me. I should probably retrieve that one before someone wanders off with it.”

  She moved off to the edge of the stone platform, finding the rock that she had hung from and the long, steep slope beneath. She peered over the edge, but could not see any sign of the first Pillar from where they stood.

  “Give me a moment,” she said to Seph and Marek, who had followed her and were looking down themselves.

  She tapped the white Pillar of Eternity on the ground, instinctively calling forth its magic. That natural awareness spread through the space around her, like a web extending in all directions that hung onto every rock, every tree. Below her, far below, she felt something, like a magical signature that called to its mate.

  In the blink of an eye, she was no longer on the mountain top, but beneath. She materialized onto a snow bank and slid forward somewhat before she could catch her footing. But a brief glance at her surroundings told her that the white Pillar, the power of space, had led her to the right place.

  The first Pillar, the power of time, lay a few feet in front of her, stuck point downward in the snow. She waded through the elements until she was close enough to wrap her fingers around its cold, black surface.

  Almost at once she felt something, a wave of euphoria rushing through her. The Pillars recognized each other. They were complete. She was complete, as she wielded their dual power. They could do a lot on their own, but that was nothing compared to what they could do together.

  Where had that thought come from? She knew little about the Pillars, so she didn’t want to assume more than she knew. But something, an instinct, told her that she now held more power than any mortal being had ever wielded since their creation. Why had her ancestors even devised such power? And what about the third Pillar of Eternity? What were its capabilities, and why did she feel like everything was already complete? Was there even more to come?

  She pushed her thoughts aside. She had to get back to the mountain top to take the rest back to the valley.

  Seph and Marek nearly stumbled at their surprise when she appeared right next to them.

  “That’s going to take some getting used to,” said Seph. “I see you found the first Pillar.”

  Marek stared at the two staffs with interest. “So does the second Pillar allow you to move even faster than the first? Is that why we can’t see you move?”

  “No, not exactly,” Jak scrunched up her face. “I’m honestly not sure how it works. She...it described itself as the power of space. And when I use its power, I can sort of fold space to instantly disappear and reappear some distance away.”

  “Can it go anywhere?” Marek asked, bending to further examine the Pillars. “As far as the other side of the planet perhaps?”

  Jak didn’t have an answer, though she had taken Cain a very great distance before she dropped him into the ocean. “Perhaps it can. I’m not really sure.”

  “Imagine what this could do for us,” siad Marek, rising and lifting his eyebrows in wonderment. “Communication, travel, knowledge. This could revolutionize everything we know about the world.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and smiled. “Since when did you become an academic. You’re sounding more like me.”

  He shrugged, “I guess I’m just excited that you managed to retrieve it after all.”

  “It is certainly wondrous.” Seph said. “I wonder, if it could go anywhere on this Earth, could it perhaps go farther?”

  Jak frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if it can go anywhere, perhaps it could take us to the stars. Many have long theorized that there may be other worlds like ours.”

  Jak paused. Cain had once told her of such things. She thought back to his words in Mt. Harafast. He had told her of the Pillars, of what they could do. He wanted to dominate worlds, to even create them, and rule over them. At the time, he had been trying to convince her to join him, though that sentiment was long past.

  “Perhaps it can,” said Jak in wonder, staring at the Pillar with a new light. Just how powerful were they? “I think we should be careful in testing their abilities for now. Perhaps once we reach the others I can link with Yewin. That should help me understand these things.”

  “A very sensible idea,” said Marek. “When do we leave?”

  “As soon as Perchel gets back. I want him to represent his people in front of the council.”

  They both nodded and said no more for the time being. Instead they sat on the stone steps and waited for the Sky Fae to return. Jak climbed the stairs to bid one final farewell to her mother. She was no longer crying. She had long ago accepted her father’s death, and in a way this was no different. She hadn’t even known her mother for very long, yet in that short amount of time she had grown as close to her as to any person. Their early connection had been the basis for her trusting the Fae in the first place. Everything she had done was ultimately a result of Karlona.

  “I love you, mother.” she said in a whisper, staring down at the stone monument erected in the woman’s honor. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. But I will try to honor your legacy, and save lives where I can.”

  A soft brush of wind caressed her face, and she closed her eyes. “And may I one day join you in peace, after all I can do.”

  She did not want to die, both for her own sake and for the sake of those she protected and cared about. But when it came time for her to die, she would welcome it, assuming she had completed her work for the Fae. Everything Seph preached about Illadar, and a place of peace, she would build that for them if it killed her. Of that much, she was now certain.

  With one final, longing stare at Karlona’s final resting place, Jak turned and headed back down the stairs.

  The sun was beginning to light the sky to the east. Perchel arrived just as she reached the platform below, carrying a pouch with some supplies. “I am ready,” he said as she approached.

  “Very well,” she said, in a tone of voice that sounded stronger than she felt. “Let’s be gone.”

  She reached both arms outward, holding the Pillars of Eternity in both hands, twin beacons of time and space, of light and darkness. Marek, Seph, and Perchel, each put one hand on an outstretched arm, connecting themselves to her and her magic. She stretched out her newfound awareness, letting it cover the land in search of the Fae, of her people.

  Then in a flash of power, she moved them from that place.

  In the very next moment, the four of them blinked into existence along a narrow path through a beautiful grove of aspen trees. The morning sun streamed through the fall leaves, casting a golden, yellow hue on the area around them. A small stream ran down to their right, but it was not large, not large enough for a Water Fae to navigate at least.

  But what Jak noticed first was the crowd of people ahead of them. There were dwarves, gnomes, el
ves, humans, and wagons presumably carrying the Water Fae as well as provisions. No one turned to look at them, but they weren’t moving forward either.

  Jak took a deep breath and began walking forward. The others followed, with Perchel hovering in the air above her.

  The others did not realize she was there until she began pushing through them. But as soon as they realized who it was, a path began to form ahead of her as Fae and humans alike made way. She did not have to say anything, and they did not say anything back, though a few expressed words of astonishment at seeing Perchel, a new kind of Fae. Yet most had their eyes on the two staffs that Jak carried, one black, one white.

  She continued forward, through the crowd and the aspen trees. Why wasn’t everyone still moving ahead? Were they on some kind of break?

  Finally, she saw Skellig ahead of her. Someone must have rushed ahead to tell the major of Jak’s coming, because she was already stepping forward to greet her. Gabriel, Yewin, and a handful of others were close behind.

  “You’re back,” Skellig said as they approached each other. Her eyes found the two Pillars in Jak’s hand. Breathlessly, she added, “and you found it.”

  Jak nodded, “Marek was right. And I believe we can trust him. I hope you’ll give him that chance.”

  She didn’t look back to see Marek’s expression, but she could hear him shifting his feet. Hopefully he would stay worthy of her endorsement.

  “Incredible,” said Gabriel, though Jak wasn’t certain if he was talking about Marek’s mysterious circumstances, or about the Pillar of Eternity. From the way he was staring at the staffs in her hand, he must be referring to the latter.

  “Your arrival could not be better timed,” said Skellig, putting forth one hand and guiding Jak forward. Jak followed the gesture and they proceeded forward together. “The valley is just up ahead.”

  “Why were you all waiting back here?” Jak asked, “I’m sure many of the Water Fae, not to mention everyone else, are eager for a place to relax.”

  “Yes, well there’s a problem,” replied Skellig. “You see, there are already people in the valley.”

  Jak stopped and turned to look at the major. “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly what I said. There are people, a lot of them, already camped in the valley. They’ve been there for some time from what we can tell. Remember how I told you we would need to erect a fortress to protect the valley from demons or the queen’s armies?”

  Jak nodded.

  “Well, they’ve already done just that. We can’t get by.”

  “Are they hostile?”

  “Not as far as we can tell. We’ve already had words with some of them, and they say they know you. We don’t dare go in further in case it’s an ambush. But they’ve done nothing to attack or antagonize us.”

  Jak’s eyebrows furrowed. They knew her? How could anyone who knew her already be there? Almost everyone she knew was here, in their little army. The only exception was Naem, who was busy recruiting people in Skyecliff. And there was no way any of his recruits could have made it here before they did.

  “Take me to them,” she said, tightening her grip on the two Pillars. If this was a trap, she might need to use them in a hurry.

  Skellig nodded and led her forward about a half mile before Jak caught sight of the fortresses protecting the entrance to the valley. It was no more than a simple wall with a battlement at the top, and a wooden gate leading from one side to the other. A small grate allowed for the stream to pass through. It was not large, as the pathway narrowed quite a bit so as to make an elaborate defense unnecessary.

  Several people stood on top of the battlement, and they leaned over the edges as Skellig approached with Jak in tow. Not exactly the kind of behavior one would expect from a defendant. Though the next thing Jak noticed was that the men, and a few women, had varying skin colors. Some were dark like those she had seen during her vision of the southern kingdoms, and others looked like they could have been from the eastern kingdoms, Seph’s homeland. What were they all doing here?

  There was a muttering among those along the wall, and a few left, presumably to inform someone that they were coming. At the same time, the large wooden door swung open, inviting them in.

  Skellig hesitated, but Jak put one reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You said these people have shown no signs of hostility?”

  “None whatsoever, but we couldn’t just enter the valley without further proof.”

  “That is good. I think I will see what they have to say.”

  “I would advise against going in there,” Skellig cautioned.

  “It’s okay, Skellig.” Jak brought both Pillars of Eternity to bear. “They could not keep me captive if they tried.”

  She stepped forward, staring up at the men and women gazing back down at her from the battlement. Then she stepped through the door.

  25

  The view from the other side was something out of a dream. The valley was enormous, extending for miles in every direction. A lake lay directly in front of her, and pastures ideal for grazing surrounded it. In fact, there were sheep grazing on those fields. Had these people lived here for so long that they had settled down? That had to be the only explanation. The valley must have been inhabited for a long time. Gabriel had been mistaken about it being empty.

  “You are Jak?” said a heavily accented voice to one side. She turned to see a man from the southern kingdoms climbing down the wall via several stone steps.

  “I am,” said Jak. “How do you know me?

  “We have been waiting for you a long time. Your companions would not believe us. They said they had to wait for you to return to them.”

  “Well I’m here, what do you have to say?”

  “I am to take you to the Triad, our leaders. They will explain.”

  Jak hesitated, but ultimately did as the man said as he began walking away and waved at her to follow.

  The journey wasn’t far. The man led her past a small hill to a camp beyond. No, Jak realized with astonishment. This wasn’t a camp, it was a full town. There was a main road that led through wooden homes and what looked like small trading posts.

  The huts weren’t elaborate but far more robust than Jak would have expected from an army or other temporary camp. These people had been here for a long while.

  The man finally led her to one of the larger buildings. He gestured that she should wait inside while he entered, presumably, to announce her arrival.

  When he returned, he stepped aside and waved one hand towards the doorway with a slight bow. He wanted her to enter.

  She swallowed, tightening her grip on the Pillars of Eternity. If this was a trap, hopefully she could avoid it long enough to use her magic to escape.

  She stepped inside, the wooden floor creaking as she entered the place.

  Inside, she found a room, mostly empty save for a round table in the center. Around that table sat three persons, one an elderly man from the southern kingdoms based on his dark skin and strange garb, a middle-aged woman from the eastern kingdoms, and one other tall man with large blonde dreadlocks and a beard. He looked similar to her own people, though his clothing was of a style she did not recognize, with far more purple than she was used to seeing.

  “It’s you,” said the dark-skinned man, rising from his chair. He gazed at her in wonder, and the others rose to their feet as well.

  “Yes, I would never forget that red lock of hair,” said the blonde man.

  “We are honored,” said the woman, with a slight bow. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn't place it. She did not recognize the others, though the dark one…

  “I know you from somewhere?” she said, narrowing her eyes at the man.

  He smiled and nodded, “I am Mosaial. I was the slave you saved many years ago.”

  “Mosaial?” she said. “But...but Mosaial was young, far younger than you. I killed your master only a matter of days ago.”

  “For me much time has passed,
” he said, though he seemed unsurprised by that fact.

  “Do you remember me?” said the woman.

  Jak turned to regard her. Now that she was thinking about it, the woman did look familiar.

  “You’re Li!” she exclaimed. “I met you in the eastern kingdoms.”

  Li nodded with a smile, “I did not trust you then, especially after Chiang met his end, but your actions created a lasting effect that has all but freed my people. We are grateful for what you did that day. You allowed us to live on.”

  “But how is this possible? It was only a few days ago.” Jak stared around at all three of them.

  The tall, blonde man answered. “Not for us. For some of us it was a lifetime ago.”

  Of course. The visions had brought her to see a younger Yewin after all, not to mention visions of her father and mother. Her interactions with the three in front of her must have taken place in the past. Though of the three, the tall man was the only one she did not recognize.

  He smiled, noting her confusion. “I was the boy you found in the woods many years ago. Bretton.”

  Jak’s eyes widened, and she suddenly had the urge to sit down. A fourth chair at the table would do. She collapsed, still in a daze. “I thought I had left you to die.” Her eyes began to sting at the memory.

  “I nearly did,” he said as the three of them returned to their seats. “I wandered in those woods for three days before I found something to eat. I was half frozen but I finally came across a lost adolescent deer in the same predicament I was. His death was my salvation.”

  “And look at you now.” Jak said, appreciatively. The man looked as strong as a pair of horses.

  “Those days were my rock bottom, but it gave me the foundation to launch myself to a higher destiny. There are many that follow me now, and I would pass them on to you. We are here to join your cause.”

  “All of you?” Jak glanced at the other two. “How did you even know to come here?”