Then cold, damp air surrounded them and they began to fall.
He laughed and quickly created a platform of stilled air under their feet to catch and support them. Warming the air about them to ward off the chill, he looked around.
Clouds, he thought. Just clouds.
He began to lower them – judging the direction only by the pull of gravity. The swirling mist darkened, then abruptly thinned and released them into clear, rain-filled, air. He extended the stilled air of the platform to form a sheltering sphere. The landscape he’d expected was now visible, or at least a diminished view of it. He could not see the top of the cliff as it was shrouded with cloud. Curtains of rain veiled the distant plains, but below…
“Ah,” Rielle said. “The tower.”
Below, Spirecastle still thrusted up from the plain below, but now half the height it had been before he’d left his world. It was clear by the texture of its stone that the tower’s base had once been a rock spire, perhaps isolated from the cliffs by erosion. He recalled how the windows and walls had been shaped in a way that appeared natural, hiding where the spire ended and building began. All he could see now was the top, however. It was an uneven mound of rubble but for the centre, where a hole gaped. The darkness within revealed nothing but the faint first steps of a staircase.
Tyen moved them downwards. As they neared the ruins, he chose a relatively flat area to land on. Rielle caught her balance, then closed her eyes briefly.
“There’s magic here, but not a great deal.” She picked her way to the edge. “There’s still a thriving city below.”
He followed. The city at the base of the spire was larger than the one he remembered. Knowing that people still lived there made him feel a little better. At least Kilraker’s actions hadn’t destroyed the Sselt civilisation entirely. He’d seen the ruins of cities on other worlds that had died after smaller calamities than this.
But as he looked closer, he felt his heart lodge in his throat. Vast chunks of rock interrupted the pattern of streets and houses. When Spirecastle had fallen, the top half had rained down upon the city. More people had died then than those who hadn’t escaped the tower’s fall. He silently cursed Kilraker yet again.
He did not want to go closer, but they needed to be near people if they were to release magic and read minds. He took Rielle’s hand again and pushed them out of the world so they could descend more easily. He chose the top of a large chunk of fallen rock to land on. Once they emerged into the world again, he released magic, feeling it spill out to gently embrace the area.
Seeking minds, he found plenty.
“Are you going to look for people you know?” Rielle asked.
“No. Most of those I met probably died in the fall.” A memory of Mig and Ysser climbing into their flying contraption returned. They had made it out of the building before it fell. He still hoped they landed safely. “There’s a chance that the survivors blame me for what happened or suspect I played some part in it.” He sighed. “Look for officials. It will be useful to find out whether the south is in contact with the north and, if so, whether anything has changed in my homeland.”
They both stood silently for some time, occasionally murmuring information they had discovered and thought the other might want to know. Eventually Rielle drew his attention to the mind of a general who, while watching the training of new recruits to the Sseltee army, wondered if his work was really necessary. If the threat from the north had truly diminished, as their spies claimed, the south had no need for a large army any more.
Tyen added that to what he had learned so far. The Leratian Empire had sent sorcerers to investigate the disappearance of the professors who had died during Spirecastle’s fall, then a year later, to offer terms for trade. The latter sounded more like the instructions of an occupying force, and were rejected by the southerners. The departing Leratians had warned that a larger delegation would arrive to negotiate an agreement if the terms were not accepted.
The general had been hired to oversee the building of an army strong enough to defend the south. Another had been set the task of giving the creators who had not died in Spirecastle’s fall new homes among those living at the base. All were given the resources they needed to train more apprentices and start collectives in order to generate more magic. Sorcerers were ordered to take and store magic so that as little as possible drifted towards the north for the enemy to use.
That larger delegation never came. Spies in the north had reported magic diminishing to almost nothing in the empire, but described sophisticated weaponry that did not require magic, so the southerners did not relax.
The recruits the general was now about to start training were fresh from the Sseltee School of Sorcery. They knew how to use magic, but not how to apply it in battle. Though they had been taught much about the north by the two foreigners who had joined the school years before, they had a lot to learn.
I’d wager those two are Sezee and Veroo, Tyen thought. Sure enough, two familiar faces flashed through the general’s memory. Sselt spies had confirmed all the information the pair had given was true. He thought them trustworthy. They had grievances against the empire and did not want the south subjugated in the same way their own homeland had been.
“The school is to the west,” Rielle said. “One of his students just traced the journey in his mind, as seen from a flying contraption.”
“An aircart?” Tyen asked. “Does it have a large inflated capsule on top?”
“No. It has rigid boards on top. It flies fast and needs a long length of flat ground to land upon.” She chuckled. “It was a memorable ride, at least to him.”
Tyen wanted to seek out the young man and see his memories for himself, but Rielle was holding out her hand. “Wait. Vella contains a map of the south,” he told her. Drawing the pouch from under his shirt, he slipped Vella out and opened her cover.
Hello again, Tyen.
Hello Vella. Could you draw the map Ysser showed you, with less detail so we can read it easily?
Lines formed on the open pages. Rielle’s finger hovered over Vella as she traced the student’s path back to the school.
“There,” she said. “Where that river emerges from the cliffs and splits in three. I’ll transport us if you like.”
He nodded. Holding Vella open with one hand, he took Rielle’s hand in the other. The world faded a little, then Spirecastle dropped below them and they glided away to the west.
Soon it was clear that Rielle was following the main road marked on the map. It wound through the hills, moving away from the cliffs and creeping ever westward. For a time it hugged the side of a river. All along it were towns of various sizes, some nearly as large as the one below Spirecastle. Rielle brought them back into the world twice so she could breathe. Not long after the second stop, their direction of travel turned abruptly and she headed back towards the cliff.
As it neared, Tyen examined it closely, wondering if Spirecastle hadn’t been the only city carved into rock. He saw plenty of holes that might have been windows, and ledges that could have been part of trails if they had linked up with others, but no sign of people.
Then, when they were about twenty strides from the cliff face, it was suddenly apparent that it wasn’t as flat as his eyes had first told him. One side of a crevasse overlapped the other, the gap between barely large enough for a person to squeeze through. The entrance was wider at the base of the cliff, allowing two carts to pass.
Rielle guided them into the shadows within. Here were the windows and ledges he’d expected, carved into elaborate designs. Numerous bridges crossed the gap, most made of rope, but some built of stone. It was to one of the highest of the latter that Rielle now took them, stopping at the apex and emerging into the world.
“Thank you, Vella,” Tyen thought. He closed her and slipped her back into her pouch, then as his feet touched firm ground he looked around. Two nervous guards stared at them from openings in the cliff at either side.
“We
mean you no harm,” Rielle assured them in the local language.
Tyen blinked in surprise, then realised that she had already released magic and the guards’ minds were readable. One had sent word of the strangers’ approach to their superiors. They watched the newcomers, frightened but determined to hold out as long as possible if they were attacked.
“Wait here or look for your friends?” Rielle asked Tyen.
“Both,” he replied. She smiled in understanding. If they continued on into the crevasse, the Sselts might think they were invading, so it was better to search by mind. The magic Rielle had released hadn’t spread far, so he released more. The minds of teachers and students bloomed before his senses. The news of the ghostly strangers who’d flown into the ravine had spread quickly, and procedures established for emergencies had been initiated. Tyen had to admire the Sselts’ efficiency. They were as ready as they could be for a sorcerous invasion.
But they would not attack without provocation. They believed avoiding conflict was best. These visitors would be given a chance to show their intentions were benign.
Tyen glanced at Rielle, then walked to the end of the bridge, where another nervous guard regarded him.
“I wish to meet with the leaders of your school of sorcery,” Tyen told him. “Tell them I am Tyen Ironsmelter, a friend of Sezee and Veroo. This is Rielle Lazuli, a sorcerer of another world. We intend no harm.”
The man nodded briskly, then brought out a whistle and let out a piercing blast. Immediately a young guard appeared, the whites of his eyes flashing as he saw Tyen and Rielle. He memorised the message he was to deliver and raced away without comment.
It was not long before a woman arrived. She was uneasy, but not frightened. Veroo had been found and confirmed that the messenger’s description matched her memory of Tyen, though she did not recognise his companion.
“Follow me,” the woman instructed.
The corridor she led Tyen and Rielle down was surprisingly bright, a cool light illuminating it from glass discs set into the ceiling at regular intervals. The guard had taken up a position at their rear and, seeing Tyen look up at them, thought that the light holes, lined with mirrors to reflect sunlight downwards, must be a mystery to these strangers.
After several turns, they arrived at a room with an open door. The guide stopped on the other side of it and gestured to the room within. “Please make yourselves comfortable.”
Tyen stepped through and found himself in a long, narrow space. On one side, windows looked into the crevasse, which allowed in so little light that the windows looked more like pieces of black glass set into the walls. Chairs had been arranged in circles, small tables set between. Tyen debated whether he should sit down now or wait. He looked over to Rielle, who was peering out of a window, shading her eyes in the hopes of seeing more detail.
Then a sound from the doorway drew their attention. A woman stepped into the room. For a moment he didn’t recognise her. Her hair was grey and long, and the skin around her face and mouth wrinkled deeply as she smiled. Then he felt a jolt as he realised who it was.
“Veroo!”
“Tyen,” she replied. Striding to him, she placed a hand on each of his shoulders. Her eyes roved over him, then she shook her head. “You’ve not changed at all. Except…” Her gaze bored into his own. “Your eyes are older.”
He did not know what to say to that. “Because I am older?” he ventured.
She chuckled. “That must be it.” Releasing him, she turned to Rielle. “Welcome to our world… Ree-el? I apologise if I have your name wrong. The message was rather garbled.”
“I am Rielle Lazuli,” Rielle replied. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Veroo.”
The older woman smiled again. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“Some small refreshments would be welcome,” Rielle replied. Tyen doubted she was hungry since they’d eaten not long ago, ensuring that such necessities would not be a problem for some time after they arrived, but it was a common ritual in many worlds to offer food to guests and in many it was rude to refuse. Tyen hadn’t realised on his earlier visit that this was also true here. He’d never refused any meals – so far as he could recall.
Veroo took a step towards the door. “I will send someone to fetch them. I have so many questions and I don’t want to miss any of your answers, though I will have to wait for our leaders to ask theirs first.” She paused. “That sounds like them now.”
Sure enough, as Veroo opened the door several men and women entered. She made the introductions and ushered all to a ring of chairs, which grew larger as more were added to cater for everyone. Two of the Sselts were members of a small council that ran the school; the other was an expert in security and diplomacy. One of the last people to arrive was a younger man, who stared at Tyen intently, then nodded.
“It is you,” he said.
“Forgive me, but did we know each other before?” Tyen asked.
“Briefly. I am Mig. I was Ysser’s apprentice.”
“Ah!” Tyen exclaimed as he remembered the boy. “Yes, I remember. You had made an air craft!”
“Which worked, thankfully.” Mig grimaced. “I was able to save Ysser.”
“I am relieved to hear that,” Tyen said with feeling. “How is he?”
“He died two years go,” Mig replied sadly. “He was very old.”
Tyen sighed. “I am sorry to hear of his death. I would have enjoyed telling him what happened to me after that day.”
“He would have liked that,” Mig replied. “He did wonder what had become of you, and hoped you hadn’t perished in the fall.”
Tyen opened his mouth to assure Mig that he’d had nothing to do with the tower’s ruin, then paused and glanced at the others. “I expect you all wish to know what happened that day.”
Mig’s mouth twitched to one side. “Indeed we do.”
And so Tyen joined the circle of sitters, of which there were now seven, and told his tale. “I could not return to this world, as there would be no magic for me to use to prevent my falling, so I had to push on to the next,” he said as he finished. “Since then I have travelled the worlds, learning to use magic, and surviving in what proved to be a time of great upheaval.”
“You have not returned home since then?” one of the council members asked.
“No.”
“Why have you now?”
Tyen drew in a deep breath. “Many reasons. At the most personal, I wish to see my father. I also have a small group of young sorcerers I am teaching and thought I might be able to base myself here. In return,” he glanced at Rielle, “my friend has the means to restore this world’s magic. She is a Maker of great strength – perhaps the most powerful the worlds have ever produced.”
Silence followed his answer, as the Sselts and Veroo exchanged glances and considered the implications of what this might mean.
“Do you wish to base yourself here?” Veroo asked.
Tyen shrugged. “If the Academy proves too much of an obstacle, I will return here and ask if you will allow us to join you.”
“You will first offer power to our enemy, but not us,” the adviser pointed out.
“No,” Rielle replied. “I will fill the entire world with magic. If what Tyen told me is still true, the Leratians will put most of it to use running machines, so they will soon be magically weaker.”
“And the magic will flow towards them,” the other council member said.
Rielle merely nodded in reply.
The Sselts exchanged glances. Some looked excited; some worried. Veroo shrugged and looked at Tyen.
“You will do what you wish to,” she told him. “We cannot stop you. However, the Tyen I knew would not willingly bring harm to others, and I trust that this has not changed.”
“It has not,” he assured her. Then he met each of the Sselts’ gazes. “I am returning to my homeland seeking a safe and peaceful place to teach, not out of loyalty or obligation to Leratia. If I see that establishing a school and re
storing this world will lead to warfare or conquest, I will abandon my plans and look elsewhere.” He glanced at Veroo, then back to the adviser. “If it is not too much to ask, I would appreciate any information you have on the state of the Leratian Empire, so that I am as prepared as I can be when I arrive there and do not trigger any strife. Would you tell me what your spies have learned?”
More glances were exchanged. The first council member shook her head. “We need to discuss this with the King first.”
“I understand,” Tyen replied. “And I am relieved to learn he and many others escaped Spirecastle before it fell. I wish all had. I wish it had never fallen. I wish, too, that I had never visited, or come south. I’d rather have been imprisoned in Beltonia than bring such destruction and grief to you.”
The first council member shook her head. “Those who met you did not believe you were the type to be so careless, whereas the men who pursued you did not give such a good impression. You could not know what they were going to do, or prevent it when they did, so do not blame yourself.”
“Ah, but I always will in some part,” Tyen replied quietly, bowing his head.
“Is there anything you wish to ask us?” Veroo asked.
Tyen nodded, then smiled. “How is Sezee?”
The woman chuckled. “Well and happy. Married, with six children.”
“Six!”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I’m glad to escape to the school for the day.” Her gaze flickered towards Rielle, who smiled knowingly. “And you?”
“I’ve been… too busy,” he said. “The worlds are full of endless distractions.” Rielle chuckled in agreement but said nothing. “I could tell you some tales but,” he continued, then nodded at the rest of the listeners, “it would take days so perhaps I should save them for another time.”
Veroo turned back to the Sselts. “It will take a day for a message to reach the King and return, so we have plenty of time.” The door opened and all turned to see two young men carrying trays laden with food and drink. “And here are your refreshments.” Veroo raised an eyebrow at Tyen. “Would you accept our hospitality in exchange for your tales?”
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