The Legend of Rinth

by Amy Cross

  “I have absolutely no idea,” Bartleby replies, looking around. “These tunnels are so old, there's no way they'd suddenly start to fail, there must be some other explanation.”

  The tunnel shakes again, and this time I realize I can hear a distant boom.

  “We need to get to the surface,” Bartleby says firmly. “Now! Hurry, this way!”

  I turn to follow the others, but suddenly Bartleby puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

  “You have to leave that book behind,” he tells me.”

  “But -”

  “Trust me on this,” he continues. “I've tried taking books out of the Hidden Library before, and they immediately turn to dust once they pass through the arch. Then they're lost forever.”

  I hesitate, before realizing that I can't exactly argue with him. I set the book back in its spot, and then we head off after Cromer and Christian.

  “If we need to read it again,” I say, “will we be able to find it?”

  “I'll make sure I remember the route we took,” he replies, “and -”

  Suddenly the tunnel shakes again, harder than ever, knocking us both off our feet. I gasp as I land hard on the rocky ground, but I immediately start stumbling to my feet as the tremors continue.

  “Whatever's causing this,” Bartleby says, “it's coming from far away, and it's getting worse. We have to get to the surface and figure it out.”

  We quickly reach the bucket, which is still waiting for us near the ruins of the first citadel. As we hurry forward, one of the old pillars is shaken from its spot and crashes down close to us, shattering as it lands. A moment later a statue, which was already on its side, falls to the ground and cracks open, sending chunks of concrete smashing down all around us.

  “Everyone hold tight!” Bartleby yells. “This might be a bumpy ride!”

  Once we're all inside the bucket, he starts manipulating the complex series of weights and pulleys, and we start slowly rising toward the shelves above. Another loud boom causes the entire pit to shudder, and I cling desperately to the side of the bucket as we start swaying in the chasm.

  “It'll be okay,” Christian tells me, “we only -”

  Before he can get another word out, another heavy tremor causes the bucket to swing around wildly. The ropes creak, the pulleys strain, and my sense of sheer panic is only cut short by a sudden burst of nausea in my belly. I lean over the side of the bucket just in time, and I'm powerless to stop myself vomiting.

  “Don't worry,” Christian says, patting my back, “this is a pretty wild ride.”

  “I wasn't made for adventures,” I groan, already feeling as if I'm going to throw up again at any moment. “I was made for sitting at a desk and reading, not for boats in storms and buckets in -”

  Suddenly I vomit again, and a moment later the bucket starts swinging even more wildly than before. I look down and see the ruins far below, but that doesn't help at all and I quickly vomit for a third time, although all that's really left to come up now is bile. I close my eyes, hoping that it'll help if I can't actually see the world tipping and swaying all around me, and after a moment I realize that my stomach feels a little more settled.

  “Not long now,” Christian says calmly, “we're more than halfway.”

  “Let me know when we're at the top,” I mumble, still desperately trying to maintain at least some dignity. “I'm not sure I can stop the -”

  The boom rings out again, and I squeeze my eyes even tighter shut. I can tell that the bucket is swaying more wildly than ever, and I figure it's a very good thing that I'm not letting myself see exactly what's happening. A moment later, however, I hear the sound of somebody else vomiting.

  “Who was that?” I ask, with my eyes still shut.

  “I'm sorry,” Cromer says, sounding distinctly unwell. “This has never happened to me before.”

  “Not long now!” Bartleby shouts. “I'm running us up as fast as I dare!”

  “It's as if something's causing the whole world to shake apart,” Christian says. “It's not just the pit, it's everything. Why do I get the feeling that this has something to do with Darvill?”

  Slithering down into the bottom of the bucket, I try to take a series of slow, deep breaths. I'm terrified that at any moment I'll hear a snapping sound as the ropes break, and that the bucket will plummet back down into the depths and kill us all, but a moment later I hear a heavy clanking sound, and then Christian takes hold of my arm.

  “Alex,” he says firmly, “we're at the top. Let's move!”

  I finally dare to open my eyes, and I see that Bartleby and Cromer are already climbing up onto the shelf that spans the top of the pit. I let Christian help me up, and then together we clamber past the railing, and I roll onto the shelf's top just as another powerful tremor causes the entire world to shake all around us. I cling to one of the wooden posts, and then I turn and see to my horror that the sky itself seems to be splitting in the distance.

  “The Great Barrier,” Bartleby says, his voice filled with awe. “The point where even the Great Library reaches its horizon. It's as if... I think somebody's trying to break through it!”

  “That's impossible,” Cromer replies, but I can hear the uncertainty in his voice. “Why would Darvill want to do something like that?”

  For a moment, I can only watch the vast, bright light that's flickering in the distance. It's as if something is trying to smash through the horizon itself, cleaving open the spot where the ground meets the sky, and all the tremors seem to be coming from that direction. A moment later, another loud boom causes the shelf that we're on to shake wildly, and this time I can't help but look back down into the chasm.

  “We have to move fast,” Cromer says. “Whatever Darvill's doing with Rinth, we have to stop him.”

  “How are we supposed to do that?” I ask.

  “I have absolutely no idea,” he replies, “but if he breaches the Great Barrier, there's no telling what will happen to this world. The barrier marks the limit of the Great Library, the fullest extent of our reality. Nobody knows what's on the other side, or even if there is anything on the other side, but only a madman would try to break his way through. He must have found a way to harness Rinth's powers.”

  “That part of the Great Barrier must be hundreds of miles from here,” Christian points out. “There's no way for us to reach it in time!”

  “Take my horses,” Bartleby says, as another boom shakes the world. “They're from the Shakhasian Steppes, and you know what that means. They can run faster and longer than any other breed in existence. I'm not saying it'll take less than a day for you to get there, but at least you have a chance. I just need you to leave one behind, in case I need it later.”

  “You're not coming with us?” I ask, turning to him.

  “I have to stay and try to safeguard this site,” he explains. “I needed the horses to help me carry equipment, but now I can make do with just one of them. Bring them back if you can, but for now, I'm begging you to hurry!”

  “Let's move!” Cromer says, turning and rushing back along the shelf.

  A moment later, yet another boom shakes the wood beneath our feet. I cling to the railing, and I watch helplessly as Cromer's knocked off his feet. He tumbles over the side of the shelf, but at the very last second he manages to cling onto the side. Just as I'm trying to figure out how we can help him, he manages to haul himself back up.

  “Be careful!” he calls out. “And hurry!”

  “Be careful and hurry,” I say, starting to feel nauseous again. “Great advice. Thanks a lot.”

  “You can do this,” Christian tells me. “Just stay low. Follow my lead.”

  He starts crawling along the shelf, and I realize that's probably our best option. I get down onto my hands and knees, and then I look over my shoulder and see that Bartleby is already climbing back into the bucket.

  “Are you sure you want to stay here?” I ask. “If you come with us -”

  “I have to protect the site!”
he shouts, and he's already starting to lower himself back down. “I won't let all my work go to waste, just because some idiot thinks it's a good idea to try to get through the Great Barrier. Whoever it is, when you catch up to him, tell him from me that he's a stone-cold, cast-iron moron of the highest order! And whatever it takes, please... You have to stop him!”

  “Yeah, sure,” I mutter, “stop the bad guy and save the world. That sounds easy enough.”

  I set off after Christian. After just a few seconds, another powerful shudder causes the shelf to shake violently, but I manage to hang on tight. As I continue to crawl, I see that Cromer is already back on firm ground, but it takes Christian and me a few more minutes before we're able to join him. When I finally climb down onto the ground and stand up, I feel a little wobbly on my legs, and I have to reach out and steady myself against the nearest shelf.

  “This way!” Cromer shouts in the distance. “Hurry!”

  “Have you ever ridden Shakhasian Steppe horses?” Christian asks as we hurry after him.

  “I've never ridden any kind of horse before,” I tell him.

  “Ouch,” he replies, “then you might be a little saddle sore by the time we get to the Great Barrier. I've ridden normal horses, but Shakhasian Steppe horses are supposed to be insanely strong. They're used for carrying heavy burdens, but when they just have riders on them... It's said that they're one of the fastest creatures in the whole of the Great Library.”

  “As long as there's something to hold onto,” I tell him, “I figure I should be okay.”

  As soon as those words have left my mouth, I start to worry that maybe I'm tempting fate. Still, there's no time to ponder that possibility properly, because a moment later we reach a junction and I see that Cromer has already located the horses, which – although tethered to one of the shelves – seem to have been seriously spooked by all the loud booms and heavy tremors.

  “I'll take one,” Cromer says as he pulls a couple of them free, “and you two can share the other. I'll go ahead and lead the way, so your horse should follow mine without any trouble. Just remember to hold on tight, because these creatures can reach absurd speeds.”

  He climbs up onto the horse, and then he hesitates for a moment before removing two of his swords and holding them out toward us.

  “What are those for?” Christian asks.

  “Where we're going...” He pauses. “Darvill has an army, and no doubt his men will be guarding his position at the Great Barrier.”

  “How are we going to get through?” I ask.

  “We'll find a way when we get there. By my calculation, we've got about a day's ride ahead of us, which will include a significant period of darkness. We won't have time to stop and eat, or to drink, so you're both going to have to be resilient. Hopefully, once we reach Darvill's camp I'll have been able to come up with a plan. For all we know, his army is made up of only twenty or thirty men. If we're lucky, I can cut through them, but the pair of you should have your own protection. This is going to be dangerous, and I won't judge either of you if you choose not to come.”

  “Of course we're coming,” Christian says, stepping over to him and taking the swords, then turning and holding one out for me. “Right?”

  “Right,” I say, taking the sword, which immediately feels way too heavy for me to use.

  “It's okay,” Christian tells me, “I understand, this world isn't your home. I'm going because I want to save the Great Library, and because those bastards killed my parents, but you...”

  “I'm going because I want to stop Darvill too,” I reply, “and because I want to save Rinth, and because there might still be a way for me to get back to London. And because I can't just stand around here doing nothing. And because...” I pause for a moment, worried that I might sound too corny. “Well, you guys are my friends, right?” I continue. “I'm sure you'd do the same thing for me if things were reversed.”

  “Damn straight,” he says, reaching out to shake my hand, then pulling back at the last moment. “Sorry, I forgot you don't like that.”

  “Come here,” I reply, grabbing his hand and then pulling him close for a hug. “I'm gonna grab on real tight, okay?” I continue. “I've never been on a horse before, remember? Hell, I've never even been this close to one.”

  “You'll be fine,” he tells me, pulling back a little and looking into my eyes. “We've got this.”

  “You're wasting time!” Cromer says firmly. “Get up onto that thing! Now!”

  Christian helps me onto the horse, and then he climbs up as I struggle to figure out how I'm going to stay on. I quickly grab hold of Christian from behind, figuring that this is my best option, and then Cromer starts riding away along one of the aisles, and I let out a shocked gasp as our horse follows. We're going so fast already, I can only cling onto Christian for dear life and hope that he manages to stay upright.

  “This is insane!” I yell, as the horse starts galloping along the aisle so rapidly that I feel as if I'm going to fall off at any moment. “Please, tell me we're not going to go any faster!”

  Chapter Eighteen

  We go faster. A lot faster. So fast, in fact, that all I can do is grip Christian as tight as possible and pray that we don't come tumbling down. I keep my eyes squeezed tight shut, except for a few moments when I dare to take a look as the bookshelves whiz past in a blur. I'm probably exaggerating a little, but I'm sure we're going at least as fast as a train. Eventually night falls, and we don't stop, we don't even slow down. The hours seem to blend together, and I keep myself somewhat sane by focusing on the fact that we're doing all of this because we have to save a world.

  And because maybe, at the end of it, Rinth might just help me get home.

  Finally, after I don't know how long, I feel the horse starting to slow down. I open my eyes as we come to a stop, and I look around to see that morning light is spreading through the Great Library. A few seconds later, however, I realize that this isn't morning light at all, that it's still night and that the light is coming from up ahead. Peering around the side of Christian's shoulder, I'm shocked to see that the sky up ahead looks to have been cracked open, allowing a thin blast of light to escape into the Great Library as vast crackling bolts of electricity fizz and spark in the air. This really, truly, looks like the end of the world.

  I open my mouth to ask Christian what we're supposed to do next, but at that moment I realize I can feel the ground shuddering beneath us, with the same rumbling intensity that I felt when we were riding. I look ahead again, and I can just about see that Cromer is still on his horse. He's not the source of the loud noise, but a few seconds later I see what's happening.

  Soldiers are coming this way.

  Lots of soldiers, Darvill's men, and they're all riding horses.

  “What do we do?” I stammer, as I see that they're not only in the aisle. Some are even riding on the tops of the shelves as they race straight toward us, and already I can tell that there must be at least a hundred of them. “We can't fight them all!” I scream over the sound of the nearby shelves shaking violently.

  I wait for Cromer or Christian to say something, to tell me how this is all going to be okay, but instead they remain silent. The first soldiers reach us in a flash, thundering straight toward us, and I grip my sword and begin to raise it high, only for soldiers to roar past on top of the bookshelves on either side. They seem to be completely ignoring us as they race away from the Great Barrier, and a moment later I see that the soldiers in the aisle have stopped in front of Cromer. I wait for the fighting to start, but they actually seem to be talking.

  “Come on,” Christian says, patting the side of the horse to get it moving, “you don't need to be scared.”

  The horse edges forward, until we're able to hear what Cromer and the soldier are discussing.

  “He's lost his mind!” the soldier snarls. “Most of the others abandoned their posts long ago, but some of us stayed, we thought Darvill might start to come around. We were fools. He's insa
ne, he's become a rambling lunatic, and he finally started ordering us to charge into the Great Barrier itself. A few did, and they died instantly. The rest of us decided we'd rather desert than commit suicide. If you've got any sense, you'll turn right around and get the hell out of here!”

  With that, he pushes his horse forward, rushing past us, and scores of other soldiers follow. The thunderous racket is intense, but finally the last of them passes and I turn to watch them disappear into the distance. As the sound of their retreat begins to fade, I look ahead again, just as Cromer dismounts.

  The sky is still burning, with a crack of light rippling up from the horizon toward the starts, pulsating and throbbing as if it's holding back an even greater force.

  “Christian?”

  We all turn and see that a few straggling soldiers are still retreating along the tops of the aisles. One of them has stopped, however, and after a moment he removes his helmet

  “Daniel?” Christian says, before suddenly clambering up to join him. “Is it really you?”

  They embrace, and I realize that by some miracle Christian has actually found his brother.

  “I thought you were dead!” Christian says excitedly.

  “I thought you were all long gone to some other part of the land,” Daniel tells him. “Wait, what are you doing with these people? Where are our parents?”

  “They...”

  Christian's voice trails off, and after a few seconds Daniel puts a hand on his shoulder.

  “It's okay,” he says calmly, “I understand. I'm sorry you were left all alone. Did they at least die peaceful deaths?”

  “I tried to save them,” Christian explains, “but I couldn't. It was one of Darvill's soldiers, wearing armor just like yours. He killed them both before I had a chance to do anything!”

  “I'm sure you did everything you could,” Daniel replies. “What about the farm? Is it still there?”

  “I guess so,” Christian says. “We abandoned it a while ago, though. We were going to Mapoor, to start a new life there. We were on the road when we were attacked.”