23

Convergence

Cricket's shadow wrestled on the ground with Nageksi, wrapping both his legs around the dhampir's throat, struggling to cut off his air. Slowly, the dhampir stopped struggling. Cricket held on with a vice grip for another minute, before he rose to the wide-eyed stares of half a dozen goblins. He scratched his neck and they watched him uncomfortably, as if asking what they should do next. Cricket looked over the group thoughtfully and shooed them away with his hands. Only one goblin ran off. And, giddy as he seemed, he headed deeper into Agoth where he was certain to be eaten.

After some reflection, Cricket pointed back the way he'd come, suggesting that route to the remaining goblins, but none of them moved, except for one, who began to dig into his nose with the pointy end of his pickaxe. It drew a bit of blood, and the shadow wondered why the goblin didn't just use one of his fingers. The goblin's claws were all filed down, except for the pinky claw, which it mysteriously left at full length.

Gad plopped down on the ground, looking traumatized, and the shadow decided to investigate the vertical ring of stones that the slaves had erected.

He recognized the runes, at least vaguely, but could only guess at the intended use. Which is exactly what he was doing when three of the runes began to glow and hum.

*****

After he ran out of energy to practice conjuring a shadow dagger, Cricket watched the gnome work with fascination. Unlike the troll blood, he did not use Bale's claw as an instrument, but simply placed it near him on the ground. Every now and then he would look at the limb and scratch his straggly beard. But for the most part he stared at the portal, mumbling to himself.

Across the room, Scorpion lay his arm across his chest, pretending to nap. The insect knew he wasn't really asleep because his tail was still. The mimic curled up at the ratling's feet, looking very pale and lifeless.

Eventually, the gnome shouted in triumph and began to create numerous illusions around him. Versions of the runed stones appeared across the room, laid out in a circle with some distance between each one. The gnome ran happily from one to the next, as if connecting dots, then finally plopped down in the middle, with Bale's arm on his lap.

"Don't let his claws cut you," Cricket warned. "Not... not even a nick."

Bax ignored him. He focused on the portal then rubbed his eyes and peered again, intently.

Gradually, the portal began to billow and darken until it was pitch black.

"Did you break it?" Cricket asked in alarm.

The gnome held Bale's arm up to his ear. Cricket cocked his head, trying to listen, though he knew he would hear nothing. He did, he thought, remember feeling a very faint vibration when he held Bale's claw. Almost like the pulse of a heart, but much faster and much weaker.

The portal changed suddenly, revealing Agoth. This time, however, Cricket saw himself standing on the other side.

He jumped up to get a better view and stood next to the gnome.

"What is that? Are we seeing into the future?"

Bax shrugged.

The Cricket on the other side of the portal had both of his antennae. He wore a ruby ring on a string around his neck and held a bone spear, a buckler, and a whip.

Cricket placed a hand over his eyes to block out some of the light and peered behind the other Cricket.

"Oh, he's fighting the trollblood."

Several goblins gathered on the far side of the portal, looking back at him.

"Wait, I think that's Gad. But he's gone. Maybe this is the past?" Cricket scratched his chin. "Yeah, I think I remember that fight. Can they see us too?"

In response, a brave goblin stepped up and leapt through the portal. He materialized in the tower and turned to his friends to celebrate, evidently surprised to be in one piece. Some of the goblins on the other side clapped.

Gad rose and stared through the portal longingly. Hesitantly, he walked past the Cricket on the other side and approached the rift. He reached up a hand, his palm facing the portal.

Cricket watched as the Cricket with the bone spear grabbed Gad and turned him around, but only long enough to give him a quick hug. Then, as the half troll turned to leave, the other Cricket quickly took the necklace from around his own neck and placed it over Gad's bulbous head. The dangling ring only made it halfway down his fat neck.

Gad stepped through the portal.

"Oh!" Cricket practically screamed, as if having an epiphany. "That's where Gad has been. He's been missing because he came here to the future from the past. I'll... I'll explain it to Oydd. Oh, by the way... we need to find Oydd."

Scorpion said something to Bax, but Cricket couldn't make it out.

The gnome waited a moment to see if the other Cricket might come through, then shifted the image to a new location with a wave of his hand from where he sat halfway across the room. His other hand rested on Bale's claw like a witch caressing a crystal ball.

The portal appeared pitch black again, but this time the others seemed to hear a sound from the other side of the portal. Scorpion's ears perked up, and the gnome panicked, quickly changing the image with a wave of his hand.

Next Cricket saw the aftermath of a battle, lit by the blinding—for Cricket—light of magma.

Oydd knelt nearby with his back to the portal. Between them, a mutilated body somewhat resembling a dethkirok obscured half his view.

"Is this the past or the future?" Cricket asked.

Scorpion simply shook his head.

Surprisingly, the rudra turned to face the portal.

"Oh, can you hear me?"

Oydd, his eyes wide in amazement, replied, but Cricket found his words more difficult to guess than any of the others, due to his beak and tentacles. The rudra's face looked haggard.

Cricket shook his head and pointed at his antennae.

A solemn look crossed Oydd's face, and he seemed to reach out with his mind, but the telepathy could not penetrate the portal.

Cricket shouted louder, "Can you hear me?!"

Oydd scowled and mouthed slowly,"I can hear you."

"Right... right..." Cricket nodded.

Oydd looked behind him and stood to approach the portal. He lifted his metal staff and plunged the tip through the magical gate. Seeing it appear whole on the far side, he reached out with a hand.

Cricket, ever cautious, raised his own missing finger and called out to Oydd far too loudly, "It can melt you!"

Oydd hesitated only momentarily, but stuck his hand through regardless of the insect's warning. Seeing no harm, he stepped through.

Instantly, Cricket felt the rudra's voice enter his mind.

Were you successful?

Um... Cricket looked over his shoulder. More or less. You?

Yes, but at a heavy price. What do you mean more or less?

Well, we took care of the trollblood's tongue, and... he pointed behind him, we also got Bale's left hand.

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The rudra's eyes opened wide with curiosity as he stared back at the still-glowing fragment of Bale—a divine trophy.

I see, he said hungrily. His eyes stalled momentarily on Gad, but glossed over the half troll's presence for the moment.

You know, it's really great to hear your voice, Cricket thought. Everyone has been maddeningly quiet.

The insect heard Scorpion's voice, And though he can't hear us, he asks just as many questions.

Oh, you're here too? Cricket asked.

Oydd answered, Everyone should be able to hear. It sounds like you've been very successful.

Oh, Cricket said gravely. We lost Ty'lek.

Oydd actually looked sad—an emotion Cricket couldn't remember seeing in the rudra.

I'm sorry, Oydd replied. Licephus is dead as well. Jeshu is gravely injured. We've been trapped in that room for over a day. The mouseling, he added, had one of her paws crushed by rubble and we had to amputate. She is, surprisingly, in fine spirits.

Licephus is dead, Scorpion stated in amazement. What happened?

Our enemy was far more powerful than we expected. We are... fortunate to have survived. However, the entryway collapsed after his battle with a fomorian, trapping us in. Oydd looked over his shoulder. I do not believe we could retrieve the body.

Jeshu couldn't move the fallen rock? Cricket suggested.

The rudra shook his head. He is entirely spent. He must recharge. In truth, we are all weak from thirst. Suddenly Oydd remembered something that alarmed him. The others are not safe. I should get them, but we don't know how to transport Bale's forgehammer.

What do you mean? Scorpion asked.

It burns if you get within several feet of it. I cannot even reach out with my mind without... a sort of burning. However, we can't abandon it. It would have been impossible to drag it back, but for now we just need to pull it through the portal, which helps. Is this room safe?

Cricket thought a moment. No. Well, we've had our ups and downs in this room. But it’s probably safe right now.

The insect felt Oydd reach out with his mind in all directions. It is safe enough for now. I believe Skunk could carry the hammer for a minute and recover, but I'm not sure.

Why are you looking at me? Cricket stammered.

He's your friend. I don't want...

Oh... I... really don't think he's the same person, Cricket admitted with a frown. But I see what you mean. I think we need to get the hammer or this was all for nothing.

Oydd nodded and walked back through the portal into Fomoria.

Cricket watched as he retrieved the others. Jeshu walked with the head of his ice hammer on the ground, using it like a walking stick. Oydd propped him up by the other shoulder, helping the druid limp toward the portal.

Patches ran past them and jumped through. She turned back and held up her paw for Pip. The ladybug penetrated the gate without so much as a ripple and lighted on her extended finger. She ran to Cricket’s feet and began babbling excitedly, though the insect could only guess what she was saying.

After Jeshu made it through into the tower, he called Orth, and the worm bumbled along the ground cooing after him.

The worm had grown several feet in the few days since Cricket had seen him. It was now as thick around as the druid and nearly twice as long.

Lastly, the whole room gathered to watch Skunk retrieve the forgehammer. When he reached for it, the skin of his hand instantly blackened, blasted by heat, and the blackness spread quickly up his arm. By the time he was halfway to the portal, the greyish skin beneath bubbled up, parting the charred flesh.

When he reached the gate, his hand was unrecognizable, and the boiling, melting flesh reached past his elbow. The others stepped aside, giving him room to pass. Oydd had the mutant drag the hammer far enough from the portal that the gate would not be unusable, and then left it on the floor off to the side of the room. The stones beneath the hammer blackened and cracked.

When Skunk stepped away, Oydd spoke again to the group, using telepathy.

He regenerates quickly. Much faster than a troll. I assume his metabolism is quicker.

Jeshu smiled to see Cricket, but the insect had to suppress a look of horror at the shredded druid. He had lost nearly half the bark on one side of his body, and hideous scars covered both of his arms. Like a tree, the edges of the wounds rounded and hardened, revealing a raw wood-like flesh beneath. And like a tree, it looked like it would never heal.

Don't worry, Cricket, the druid thought. I can hear your feelings. It is okay. Your concern is... kind. You don't need to hide your thoughts from me.

What happened? Cricket asked aghast.

An adamantine golem, the druid answered. We could not destroy it. We managed to trap it in the cave-in... but, Cricket felt a sense of horror he would not expect from the dryad. We could still hear it, beneath the rock, constantly clawing its way out. It... can't ever be stopped, he added.

But it will not find us here, Oydd responded and turned to the portal. Brax, can you close it?

No one answered.

Brax?

Who are you talking to? Cricket asked.

The gnome, you idiot, Scorpion replied.

Oh, weird. Bax?

Yes?

Can you close it? Cricket repeated.

Yes, but I think the rudra has someone else on it.

Oydd sighed. Will you do it, Bax?

Oh, sure thing. Um... I mean I'll try. Getting rid of magic isn't my strong suit.

I did once, Patches chimed in happily. Cricket caught a glance of her missing paw, severed at the wrist. Once-white bandages covered the stump, now stained with a dried, brownish-yellow substance.

No! Oydd replied forcefully, but he calmed seeing the hurt in the mouseling's eyes. You need your rest, he lied. Let me do it. He turned to the gnome and nodded, as he approached the portal. Oydd held up his palm and breathed in the energy. He exhaled slowly, breathing in again. This time, as he exhaled, the portal shimmered and dimmed at a slow, constant rate until the image was gone and the sea of silver followed.

After closing the portal, the rudra inspected the stones at its base. This is the main gate?

Bax nodded enthusiastically.

How do you know? Cricket asked.

Nothing very interesting. The keystone, Oydd said, is marked with a rune of mastery. On the other gate it was bare. I do see that the rune of measure is lower in the circle, which may simply be a location configuration. Meaning, the same runes in a different sequence lead to other locations.

The rudra made sure to include the meaning behind each of his words.

He turned to Bax. Have you seen any other locations?

Yes! the gnome's voice sang in Cricket's mind. We saw Agoth, the gnome said. I got it pretty close. And a black place. At first, I thought it was simply not channeling properly, but... then we heard a terrible noise from the other side, so now I think it was just —

Oh, right! Cricket interrupted. Gad came here from the past. He's been time traveling.

...very dark, Bax finished.

That's not what happened, Oydd replied evenly. He's aged since I last saw him.

He could age while he was in the past, right?

Oydd sighed. There's actually no flaw with that logic, but for now I choose to believe otherwise. He studied the trollblood. I sense... pain in him. I believe... he is slowly regaining... life? But how is that possible? You said you saw him in the Warrens? He had protected the mouseling.

Is that weird?

Yes. I did not animate him. He is not... undead. And he is clearly not dead. So... I say that he seems alive.

Which is weird?

Yes, Cricket, it is weird. Due to their regenerative nature, full trolls cannot usually be turned undead. But I must admit I know no precedent for half trolls. It seems, even while undead, he managed to... heal.

Gad moaned in response to the stares directed at him and lifted his arm, displaying one of the rusted iron sheets Oydd had attached long ago.

I think he wants it removed. Oydd concentrated, sending a calming and assuring feeling toward Gad, and the half troll moaned again complacently.

I will tend to him. For now, however, we have a lot to do, and many more pressing matters.