by J D Franx
Kael gently slid his arm under Eva's shoulders, but the ground heaved as he did, throwing him onto her body.
“Go!” he yelled. “I'll bring her.”
The earth shook a second time, and the Animus seal cracked down the middle. As he struggled to get his footing, another heave split the seal wide in the opposite direction. Grabbing Eva's legs, he lifted her clear of the seal and scrambled after Ember. The seal crumbled under his feet as he ran and black smoke poured from the hole. He recognized the essence pouring from the hole.—
It was the Ether.
Kael stopped and watched as the dark smoke slowly faded. A black surface formed over the hole. As it did, the figure of a man lay unconscious on the remains of the Animus seal.
Kael carefully placed Eva's body on the grass and went with Ember to the seal.
“He's still alive,” she gasped.
“Where did he come from, Kael?” Max asked. “You know, don't you?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “That was the Ether.”
Yrlissa limped to the seal, shaking her head. “That is not possible. Is it?”
“It would seem so,” Kael mumbled, taking a closer look at the new arrival.
Ember rubbed her head. It was obvious the frustration was getting to her. “But you said the Ether was a place beyond our multi-verse.”
“It is,” he agreed.
Yrlissa’s expression turned flabbergasted as she visibly processed what he had said. “That means...” she began but could not seem to finish. The man moaned as he regained consciousness.
“Yeah,” Kael answered, agreeing. “It means he might be an old god.”
Rolling onto his back the new arrival groaned a second time. “Kai no vai,” the man said. “Kai no vai.”
“That's a dialect of Ancient that the Lost used,” Yrlissa said. Disbelief rode her every word.
“It is.” Kael nodded. “It means death of the soul.”
“Not quite.” Yrlissa corrected him. “He's asking if he's alive or a ghost.” Slowly bending over, she held up her hand and the man placed his against it.
“Kin?” he asked, nodding as if he already knew the answer.
“Yes,” she said smiling. Using her other hand to gently touch his chest she added, “You, alive.”
“You?” he repeated. Putting his hand to his mouth and opening it palm out, he repeated, “You? Alive?”
“Fast learner,” Nekrosa muttered under his breath.
Tapping the man's chest, Yrlissa tried, again. “Kin? Old god?”
“Old god?”
“He is learning,” Ember offered. Bending closer she smiled and put her hand on her chest. “Ember.” Touching the assassin beside her, she said, “Yrlissa,” she continued pointing to the others, “Kael. Max. Sephi. Nekrosa.”
At the end, she touched the man's shoulder, prompting an understanding frown.
The man tapped his own chest. “Treach. Kin gone.” He stopped, clearly frustrated. Again, he put his hand to his mouth and opened it.
“Holy fuck.” Kael gasped as the reality of who and what the man was hit home. “Did he say Treach?”
“Treach!” the man exclaimed and repeatedly tapped his chest.
Kael shook his head as his mind itched with disbelief. He turned to Yrlissa. If the situation had not been so bizarre, he would have laughed at her bug-eyed stare of incredulity.
“Th... that’s... holy… shit” she stuttered. “Holy shit...”
“What?” Ember demanded.
“Fuck me…” Max let out. “Treach was the father of the old gods. The creator of this world.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Changes in the world happen often, as with people. Being able to deal with change as it happens is what creates a strength in people that we will need in the coming years. Talohna is on the verge of one of its biggest changes ever in history. The race of beings credited with all we are have returned and instead of inciting war over lost territories, or demanding cities and lands be returned, they have instead offered to risk everything by attempting to cross the Black Kasym. Their only desire is to settle within the lands north of the magical scar and then hopefully heal the Kasym from their side. It is as if everything in the myths and legends that refer to them is true. As an experienced world traveler and celebrated minstrel, this concerns me greatly. Truth is rarely found in the days of yester-year and I firmly believe that to worship these returning ‘heroes’ is to court disaster for the entire known world and perhaps even beyond.”
Garren Sallus, Memoirs of a Hidden Past.
Year One of the Ancients’ Return, AR
MIDNIGHT CANOPY FOREST
GARETT'S VALE, DORMASAI
“I will never get used to that,” Kael muttered, referring to Max’s wealth of information about Talohna and true past.
“I know, brother,” Max replied softly.
Treach had been following the conversation and quickly seemed to be absorbing every word they said.
“He watches us talk,” Max stated. “That must be how he learns.”
Treach pointed his index finger at Max and nodded.
“Good,” Kael said. “He can listen to us, and hopefully, he can pick up the common tongue... but what now? What the hell do we do now?”
Nekrosa cleared his throat. “I vote we head back to Drae'Kahn. We can do little here. We need to contact Queen WhiteScale and find out what happened to the DragonKin...”
“But,” Kael prompted when the King stopped mid-sentence.
“If this really is an old god, then perhaps taking him with us is not the wisest decision,” Nekrosa told them. “We are in a country full of magic.”
“I agree,” Yrlissa said. “But we also need to know how the Ri'Tek plan to get home. It will be their primary goal now, and he might be able to help us.”
“It’s actually irrelevant. Only one man can get them home. We just have to find him,” Kael replied.
“Of course. It has to be him.” Yrlissa nodded her agreement, but her voice held an edge of pain Kael recognized. “No one else has sailed the Jaws and returned except Dominique Havarrow and Cassel Morena. And Cass died years ago.”
“I don’t like either idea.”
“Yeah, I get it Nekrosa.” Kael sighed. “But we need to find one of Talohna's most notorious pirates, and soon. Maybe sooner with Treach’s help. Besides,” Kael added as he glanced around the battlefield, “we cannot let him fall into the hands of the enemy.”
“Gods, no,” Sephi snapped. She quickly apologized for her tone, “Sorry.”
“Settled?” Nekrosa asked, eliciting a smile from his wife.
“Home, then?” she asked and earned a nod from Kael. Leaning over, she hugged Ember, adding, “You, my friend, need some time to relax, and you both need to find out who you have become. My and Nekrosa's home is the best and safest place for you to do that while we locate Captain Havarrow.”
“I will meet you there,” Kael told them, kissing Ember on the cheek. Turning to the blonde vampire waiting patiently at the forest's edge, he smiled. “I have to say hi to an old friend first.”
“You good alone, brother?” Max asked. “There is a whole lot of ass-nasty standing behind that ‘friend’ of yours. You sure?”
“No worries,” Kael replied, laughing. “I promise you I’m in no danger here. It’s the opposite in fact.”
“Don’t be long,” Max said, slapping his shoulder.
“See you soon, love,” Ember quipped as her realm jump activated behind him.
The vampire walked toward him and he could hardly believe his eyes.
“You are a hard man to find, Kael Symes.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I just got back, you could say.”
“I heard,” she replied, coming to a stop just outside of arm’s reach.
“You died,” he whispered, trying not to choke on the lump in his throat. “I couldn't find you on the other side.”
She laughed. It was a laugh that always seemed to c
alm him. “Ah, Kael. You can't kill true DemonKind with silver,” Lycori reminded him as she grabbed him in a hug.
“I thought I'd never see you again, sister.”
“Me neither, brother. When Havarrow told me you had been killed.”
“I know,” he said. He felt her struggle to let go of him as if it took all her will power to do so. To help, he eased her away. “I need your help, Lycori.”
“I know. I didn’t know if I’d find you here or not. Galen told me to come here and use the forest to help you. I’m sorry they got away.”
“It doesn’t matter now. We have to focus on finding Dominique.”
“Havarrow? The pirate?” she asked. He gave her a nod. “He’ll be taking the Ancients home, eventually. Now that they are free, they will be home long before we could travel to Havarrow’s hideout.”
“Maybe not,” he said, laughing. “We travel a bit differently now.”
“You found Ember and Max?” she asked.
He nodded and could not stop the smile from creeping onto his face.
“It really is time you introduced me to them, no?” she asked
“Yeah,” he agreed, pulling her closer. “Hang on tight, and I’ll show you that travel by magic thing we do.”
Her arm wrapped around his waist, and he tightened his own grip on her as he stepped into the blaze of white from the jump. Clouds of black and purple swirled into the brightness, and they vanished.
CASCADE CITADEL
CORYNTH, 2 DAYS LATER
Queen Corleya Bale sat on her throne and took several deep breaths. Her Knight stood to her right and the new Wizard of Rule stood to her left. Taking one last breath, she nodded to her wizard.
“Kalmar, please, show them in,” she ordered.
Kalmar Ibess had volunteered to attempt the ritual to become the Third Pillar after two others had died during the process. Corleya knew he offered in the hope that what Kael had done to him at Arkum Zul would keep him alive. He was right to hope, and he would stand as the Queen’s Third Pillar until one of them died. Corleya could not help but wonder why anyone would volunteer for the positions of Pillar. However, there never seemed to be a shortage.
Seconds passed before Kalmar returned with the Ancient contingent sent to make the first official contact. Even though she was ready, her stomach still went cold at the sight of the Vikress and her retinue. It was difficult for her to sit still and play the diplomat when she knew the vile truth about those she was meeting.
“Vikress Illara,” she said, feigning a smile. “Welcome to the Cascade Citadel. I hope your accommodations are suitable.”
“Of course, they are, my dear,” the Vikress purred. “You surrendered the royal bed chamber to myself and the royal wing to my fellow Ancients.” Corleya failed to stop her cheek from twitching with irritation at the deliberate use of the word surrender.
“They were once my quarters, you know,” the Vikress continued, “at a time when I sat on a throne very different than the one you now occupy.”
“I am glad it pleased you,” Corleya offered.
“I would imagine you are, my dear, seeing as how my people rid your city of the pests that nearly destroyed it. I have heard that your citizens have been singing praises to my people for two days.”
“Most are, yes,” Corleya quipped. ‘However, there are those who steadfastly believe that you turned those creatures loose on our city for the sole purpose of coming to the rescue. I must wonder myself. I have inspected the bodies of the dead and nothing like them have ever been seen in Talohna.”
The Vikress laughed lightly. “Conspiracy theories always run amok among the rich and powerful,” she answered. “For they are at risk to lose the most. Do you not agree, Queen Bale?”
Corleya nodded and changed the subject. “I was told you wish to make an official declaration now that you’ve returned.”
The Vikress titled her head but said nothing. It irritated Corleya and some of those who stood with her. With the Cascade Citadel fully awakened, she could feel her Pillars emotions and intentions. Four of the five had an insane urge to attack. Her mental restraint was the only thing holding them back. Only Kalmar remained calm. Along with the anger of her Pillars, hundreds of stone gargoyles growled inside her head as they, too, itched to neutralize the threat. It was as if the stone effigies and the Pillars mirrored her own hatred of the woman standing before her.
“I must make my people’s intentions known to all of Talohna,” Vikress Illara finally said. “I merely desired to begin here. You need not worry, Queen Bale. We will not be making demands for any lands south of the magical nightmare to the north. We will be returning to our own homelands as soon as we are able and once settled, we will heal the disastrous wound your kind have made to our world. I do have two concessions to ask, however.”
“And they are?” Corleya demanded, barely managing to avoid scoffing at the boast.
“My people and I ask for official sanctuary here in Corynth for the next two or three weeks. It is the seat of our old capitol, and its name has remained the same since our time. My people are scattered throughout Talohna. They will be confused and disoriented by the land shifts. Once they learn Corynth still exists, they will make the pilgrimage here. I ask that you make them welcome at the first gate they come across and protect us all until we are ready to depart for Tai Se Neban—our true home far north of the magical breach you call the Black Kasym.”
Corleya coughed to cover her indignant snort at the near demand for protection. Unfortunately, with nearly all of Cethos praising the Ancients as returning heroes, she had no choice.
“Of course,” she replied. “Until such time as you are ready to return home, your people are welcome to gather in Corynth. I warn you, though, Vikress Illara, the behavior of your people while in my city will be your responsibility. They will be subject to our laws.” The Vikress’ cheek twitched with anger, and Corleya offered her a cool smile.
“Agreed, Queen Bale,” Illara answered. “I promise you, that after so long, the only thing my people are concerned about will be finding family and friends who may still live.”
“Perhaps so,” Corleya said. “But your previous representative touched the lives of many people, Vikress. I suggest your people stay on the castle grounds while you are here. I cannot promise you that those who suffered at Sythrnax’s hands will not attempt retribution. Any crimes committed by my people will be punished accordingly, but your people will also be subject to the laws of this land as if they were citizens.”
Again, the Vikress’ cheek tugged at her mask in irritation. “My people and I are not responsible for my brother’s actions, Queen Bale. As our military commander, Sythrnax did what he thought was right—to free our people. I do not agree with his methods, and he paid the price with his very soul at the hands of a magical war criminal that should have been executed at birth, by the decree of your own laws. Yet I do not stand before you demanding retribution for his life. Perhaps the people of Talohna are not as enlightened as I had hoped.”
Corleya sat taller in her throne and took a breath. “If you give them a chance, Vikress, you will find the people of Talohna are very open and accepting to those who offer the hand of friendship. But when that hand is slapped away or bit… well, let’s just say nothing brings people together faster than a common enemy.”
The Vikress smiled. “Then Talohna and the Ancients will become the closest of allies,” she said. “I promise you, Queen Bale, my people and I are of one mind. We want nothing more than to recover our home, and then, we want to heal the Black Kasym. It is an affront to the memory of this world’s creators and doing so will open new trade routes to our lands.”
“Fair enough,” Corleya replied. “We are in agreement. If your people can heal the Kasym, then Cethos will be happy to arrange and facilitate trade, if you so desire. And your second concession?” The Vikress offered a slight bow, an action that drove a cold shiver up Corleya’s spine.
“An easy concessi
on,” Vikress Illara said. “We ask that you continue to execute any and all of the creatures you call DeathWizards at birth or at the first possible chance.”
“Why?” Corleya asked as her ears burned with fury.
“In my time they were called the Kai’Sar and were the scourge of our world,” she offered. “Death walked behind them, and everything they touched suffered or died. Your scholars are very intuitive. A wizard of death is a proper name.”
Corleya shook her head. “I am not in the position to make that promise, Vikress,” she said. “Countries like DormaSai in the south rule their countries as they see fit.”
“I understand the idea of independent rule, Queen Bale,” Vikress Illara said, nearly snapping at her. “It is already law. I only ask that is enforced. Once the Kasym is healed or we find a secure route across, we will be more than happy to enforce this law ourselves. In fact, I will insist upon it during our first round of trade talks with every country we deal with.”
On the verge of losing her temper and the castle resources at her disposal, Corleya smiled tightly at the Vikress and nodded. “As will be your right, Vikress,” she answered. “Now, I must deal with several matters of state. I look forward to dining with you tonight.”
“Thank you, Queen Bale,” The Vikress replied and offered the slightest bow.
“Kalmar,” Corleya said. “Please, show our guests to their accommodations.” As he led the Ancient contingent away, she exhaled slowly.
“Patience,” the Priestess stated as she offered her council. “You did well.”
“For now,” Corleya whispered. “Summon Giddeon and Galen, please.” The Priestess bowed and left as she continued. “It is time Cethos and DormaSai set aside our differences.”
“You’re to send Giddeon to King Kohl?” Alia asked. “He will not survive this, Your Highness. The Dead King’s intentions have been clear for years.”
“Noted,” Corleya quipped and nodded to the guards at her left. They stepped out the door and returned several seconds later with a thin grimy man. “This time, we have a peace offering. But if he dies, then Galen will be there, and Kael will never harm him.”