Chapter Forty-Two: We Lived Happily, So the Story Goes

“His name is Ledze. He was a student of mine long, long ago.” Rynan explained.

“Why? Why are you asking me to go with you?” Marc whined.

Rynan looked down at him, confused.

“Why are you trying to take me to them? To the Tower?”

Her expression locked in place. Wheels turning in her head.

Marc felt himself breaking. Rynan was going to turn him over to the Tower. She betrayed the Guild and she was going to betray him as well.

《Snap out of it, Drama queen.》

Rynan looked sadly at Marc.

“Ba’eth spoke with you?” She asked simply.

Marc nodded.

“About Johvi.” She said in a quiet defeated tone that hurt Marc to hear.

He nodded again.

“You want an explanation?”

He took a deep breath. Then he nodded his head slowly.

“Perhaps it would be better if I show you?”

He looked at her questioningly. Then she waved her hand and the doorway to her personal space appeared.

Marc understood what she wanted to do. He thought it over. Realistically if she wanted to take him hostage and sell him to the Tower there was nothing he could do to stop her. Her power was so vastly above his that she was always completely in charge.

At the same time, she had made a contract that she would protect him. He was confused and conflicted. But he knew one thing for certain. He didn’t want to live like this anymore. He needed to know. He didn’t want to stay like this, arm’s length away. Not trusting.

Marc stepped through the doorway.

Again the space was the clearing outside the cabin. But there were differences. It was night, and winter, although Marc wasn’t cold. He could see the snow on the ground, but it was just a creation of Rynan’s personal space ability.

The cabin was different as well. It was more dilapidated. The door was knocked off and it was not clean or maintained. Even the garden was gone, replaced with more bushes and trees. Outside the cabin were about thirty rough-looking adventurers. At the front were Ba’eth, Rynan, Meservi, and a much younger-looking Grenn.

“Come out Johvi!” Ba’eth called into the cabin. “You are trapped. There is no way out.”

“Johvi! Why? Why did you do it? What are you planning?” Rynan was nearly hysterical. Meservi and Grenn both stared ahead with distraught expressions on their faces.

“Oh, you know. I always have a plan.” A deep male voice came from within the cabin.

“Stop it. It’s over. We will work it out, but you have to come out now.” Rynan pleaded, tears on her face but fire in her eyes.

“No can do. Gotta see this one through.” The voice called out again.

“Johvi. This is no negotiation. You will come out now and explain yourself or we will pull you out.” Ba’eth yelled.

“Sorry Guild Head. Too late for that. But that’s why there is always plan B. You know, for when things go upside down.”

Marc looked at the younger Rynan’s face. She seemed to recognize something. Meservi and Grenn also stirred. There was something in what he just said that bothered them.

“I’m going to have to decline your kind invitation. I’m finally going to be able to pull a Grenn. Rynan, I’m sorry. This is how it has to be.” The voice called out one last time.

Several things happened at once. Ba’eth looked over at Rynan with her eyebrows pinched in a question. Rynan’s face twisted in horror as she stared into the cabin, and the cabin exploded.

Rynan threw her hands out and erected a giant wall of ice, completely blocking out the blast path. The explosion completely eradicated the cabin and most of the trees surrounding it.

Ba’eth ran over to Rynan.

“What have you done Rynan? We need to question him.”

Meservi and Grenn had already moved to intercept the Dwarf. Rynan had collapsed to the ground.

The real Rynan walked over and looked down at her younger self.

“It took a while to clear the ice and get to the cabin. Of course, he wasn’t there.”

Marc looked confused.

“Johvi was a Master Earth Mage. He tunneled out of the Witch’s Den long before anyone made it through the ice.” She smiled.

“He had the whole area rigged with traps and artifacts to confuse anything that Ba’eth brought to track him down. Oh, she was so mad.” A wicked smile crossed her lips.

“I knew where he went of course. As soon as I could get away I chased after him.”

The scene changed to a new place. A small hut in the mountains somewhere. The younger Rynan slowly approached the hut, a candle was still burning inside.

As her younger self cautiously opened the door Rynan, the real Rynan held Marc’s shoulder and pulled him back from following.

The sound that came from the shed was not completely unfamiliar to Marc. He had heard similar things in the trailer park in the past. The wailing of a neighbor woman when she had been told her son had been killed in a car accident. Or another woman who had lost her sister in a bad freebirth because they couldn’t afford even a midwife.

But this sound cut him far harder than those terrible cries. This was the voice of his teacher. His mentor and friend and she cried out in so much pain and suffering, all alone up here in the mountains.

The real Rynan stared at the scene with a stone mask, but her eyes were locked onto the scene as though she was trapped.

Marc immediately regretted having made her replay this memory.

“Enough. Let’s go.” He whispered quietly.

Rynan slowly turned to him. Then she smiled weakly and the scene evaporated into a new place.

They had moved to the pond with the waterfall where he would swim. Rynan moved over and sat on a rock by the water, then looked back at him.

“It was my fault. All of it.”

Marc was confused. What did she mean?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Johvi was of course a spy. I knew it, we all knew it. But we also trusted him. He never did anything to compromise any of us, the Guild or the City.” She explained.

“He confessed to us soon after joining the Clan. Who hasn’t made mistakes in their past? He was a part of us, our family.” She let her breath out slowly. Then inhaled deeply.

“He somehow found out that people who had been looking for me had found evidence that I was in Clearwater. He had been communicating with them. Feeding them false information that I had left the Republic.”

“Why were they looking for you? Who was looking for you?” Marc asked.

“The Tower. Not everyone has forgotten about my case. My mysterious disappearance. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a point of scholarly interest to some.” She put her hand down into the water and splashed it around.

“When they found out that Johvi was compromised as an agent, they followed standard protocol. He knew what was waiting for him in that shack.”

“Then why-“

“Because he was a fool. A romantic, arrogant, beautiful, fool.” She said with a weak smile.

“When he said he was pulling a ‘Grenn’”

“It was a term we used in the Clan.” She explained. “For doing something stupid and suicidal to save someone else.”

“If that is all true, why did you leave Clearwater? When all the doubt was on you?” Marc asked.

“I had to finish things, didn’t I? It took a while. But I found them. The ones who killed him. And the ones who sent them.”

“And?”

“And what?” Her cold expression and icy glare told him everything he needed to know.

“But that leaves one problem.” She said.

“What?” Marc tried to think if there was anything else.

“How do you know I didn’t make this all up?” She said.

He stared at her confused.

“After all, this is my space. I can make anything real here. This could be all my own creation.”

Suddenly a large pink unicorn walked to the side of the pond and took a drink of water.

“How did you do that?” Marc asked, staring at the mythical beast.

“Ok, one more lesson.” She said.

Marc nodded.

“I know you can feel the energy of my space. Even if you can’t control it.” She said. “It’s what caused you so much discomfort the first time you entered it.”

Since then I have tried to keep the strongest effects of the space away from you. But if you come into more direct contact you should be able to feel how the energy moves.” She explained.

“Try touching the unicorn.” She ordered. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt you.”

Marc nodded, then reached out to touch the mane of the ridiculous horned horse.

Suddenly the animal morphed into something else. A winged Tiger.

Marc’s instinct was to pull away, but he forced himself to stay calm and the beast did not move in any aggressive manner.

He could feel the energy as the animal shifted form. Like a static field. As that energy ran up his arm Kira chimed in.

《Wow! That worked!》

“What?” He asked her.

《Your Space Mana. It’s awakened.》

“What?!”

With the awakening of his Space Mana while inside this space he suddenly knew how to use his own Personal Space properly as though it were an instinctual memory that had just awakened. Not only that, but he recognized something else that was related to that power.

With that understanding flooding into his mind, Marc knew what to do.

“We need to get out of your space.” He said.

“Why?”

“I know how to resolve all this.” He said confidently.

“How?”

He pointed to the door to the personal space.

“First we need to go out.”

After they had exited the space and stepped back into the cabin Marc explained to Rynan his idea.

“Ba’eth gave me something. If you use it, Kira will be able to communicate with you. She will see your thoughts plainly. She will be able to say with 100% certainty if we can trust you.” He explained.

He handed Rynan the Catalyst.

“Do you know what this is?” He asked.

She examined the small box. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the six crystals embedded into the casing, now the five gems on the outside forming a pentagram were glowing dimly.

“It had a similar feel. It’s different, but it feels like that stone. The Altairan artifact.” She said.

“I got it from Ba’eth. She said it was made by a Traveler. It also allows the holder to speak with Kira.” He paused a moment, then added. “And me. Try it.”

She looked down at the object, then Marc felt himself falling. For a split second, he felt that dropping sensation, then he was standing in the white space with Rynan and Kira.

“Remarkable! It’s just like-“

“Like the place you were trapped?” He asked, concerned she would be upset.

“Exactly! It’s exactly like that.” She seemed more excited than upset.

“According to Ba’eth, time doesn’t pass while we are in here. Not only that, but we can communicate this way, even if we are separated by great distances.” He added.

“Truly remarkable. I never thought…” Rynan seemed stunned.

“And now that I have my Space magic unlocked I think I can do this here.” He said, still some nervousness in his voice.

“Kira? Can you do it?” He asked his interface to use what he had just learned from Rynan.

“I think so. Just a second. Oh, Hi Rynan, I’m Kira!” She said giving the tall woman a cute wave.

The white space faded away and gradually a new scene took its place. It was the clearing and cabin. They now stood in the middle of the clearing, facing towards Rynan’s home.

“When you were showing me how to do this I instinctively knew that it would work in this space. As long as you have the Catalyst.”

Rynan stared down at the small metal shape in her hand.

“Amazing. If only…” She whispered, then she looked at Kira.

“Did it work? You know everything now?”

“Oh no! That’s not how it works. I don’t know anything you don’t want me to know.” Kira said quickly, hands waving in front of her.

Rynan looked confused. “But I thought,”

“You do want us to know that what you showed us was the truth, so I know that. I also know it is not a lie. You can hide from yourself, but you can’t lie to yourself.” Kira explained.

“It’s enough. Kira trusts you, I trust you. I never should have doubted you. I will never doubt you again.” Marc lowered his head in apology.

Kira smiled and nodded.

“Now we can talk anytime! Didn’t you say you wanted to talk to me directly? Now we can talk. I don’t even have to bring him along!” Kira said animatedly. “GIRL TALK TIME! I have so much to tell you!”

“Kira? Seriously?” Marc complained.

Rynan looked at the Catalyst again. “You mean?”

“I want you to keep it. For now. There is no one else I trust as much as you to be able to talk to us anytime, anywhere. Take it with you. Whether or not we go with you to Sobric, this way it will be like you never left.” Marc confirmed, pushing her hand and clutching the box towards her.

“If? You would still consider going? Knowing what kind of place it is?” She asked.

“I don’t know. I’m still thinking about it. It does sound cold after all. But I did survive the winter here with no problem.”

Both Rynan and Kira laughed heartily at that.

“So you know, it is MUCH colder in Sobric.”

“Stop selling me on the idea. I said I’m thinking about it.” Marc joked.

Rynan smiled and looked around.

“It’s truly remarkable, It’s perfect. I don’t think even I could replicate it so perfectly.” She said leaning down to see the detail in the grass and dirt.

“Kira does the hard work. She has a full record of anywhere I have been.” The scene shifted and in a moment they were in the marketplace at Clearwater. There were no people however which made it feel strange and alien somehow.

“Can’t do people. Just the environment. Well, not yet at least.” Kira explained.

The scene shifted once more and they were atop the watchtower, looking out at the scene above the city.

“Oh Marc, this is amazing! Can you show me anywhere?” Rynan was practically giddy, reminding Marc a bit of Sateem, Grenn’s youngest daughter.

“Yeah, I think so. But I haven’t been anywhere but the Den and Clearwater,” he said with a hint of regret.

“What about your world? Can you show me your world?”

Marc thought about it for a second.

“Kira?”

The scene shifted again. Suddenly he was back at the trailer park. Standing in front of his old double-wide.

Rynan’s eyes went wide.

“This? This is another world? Really?”

She walked around, looking at everything.

Marc was getting self-conscious. This was far from the most impressive of locations on Earth he could be showing off.

The view shifted to the WMNU Campus. It wasn’t that impressive either, but it beat the trailer park.

Rynan gawked at the faux adobe-cladded building with the red roofs. Trees giving it a more traditional university feel.

“It’s so… big! She exclaimed.” He laughed, remembering his reaction to the differences he had noticed when he first arrived in this world.

They spent the next hour visiting places that Marc had been to in his own world. Regrettably a small list there as well. He took her to Juarez and Albuquerque. The desert where he used to shoot at road signs and rattlesnakes with a 22. To Roswell where Aliens from space had landed.

“Travelers have visited your world as well?” She asked seriously.

He laughed. Then he thought about it. He didn’t have a good answer to that question.

Finally, he had Rynan end the connection and they returned to the cabin.

“I can really keep this?” Rynan seemed to be hesitant. “You must have an idea how important and powerful this device is.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Marc said, doing his best impression of a Meservi wink.

He still hadn’t made his decision about what to do going forward.

Should he stay in Clearwater? Or should he go with Rynan to Sobric? For the first time in his life, he faced a single decision that he knew would shape the rest of his life. His whole life he had been pushed from one situation to the next. School, work, and even coming to Another World. Never did he have a sense that he could choose his path. Now he had two completely different roads ahead, but he could only choose one.

“What should I do?” He asked Kira.

《Why are you asking me?》 She shot back.

“You have to come with me regardless of which way I decide. It’s not like we can split up.” He pointed out.

《Good point. Let’s go to Sobric.》

“Huh? Why?” Surprised by her quick answer.

《I don’t know. Seems like it would be more exciting.》 She said in a bored voice.

“Exciting? That’s a stupid reason. Why would I want excitement? Exciting is all the bad stuff. Isn’t that some kind of Chinese curse?”

《Hey, I was just answered you. Why are you yelling at me? Just flip a coin then.》

Marc blew out a slow breath. “You’re right.” He told her.

《I am?》 Kira answered, surprise in her voice.

“Yes. It was a stupid idea to ask you.” He smiled. He had made up his mind.

《Idiot.》

Marc looked up at Rynan and told her his decision.