It is hard to say goodbye. It’s even harder being separated when you haven’t been given that opportunity.
The Book of Lost Wisdom, Kalutu
Nineteenth of Learning 1142/October 6th, 2023
Prince Eric of Twyl had had a thorough and varied education. He’d been taught history, geography, how to defend himself, science, even a bit about how magic functioned. And he was well-read, partly because his parents encouraged him to be, but mostly because he liked learning new things. He could discuss any number of topics with a fluency that most adults couldn’t match.
Periodically, he came across a concept that impacted his entire thought process and restructured it in such a way
that everything he knew had to be reconsidered. Learning that his entire world was just a video game on Earth was one of those concepts.
It was hard to understand how Earth and Thysandrika were connected. Was his world a reflection of what had been in the game? The game was only a few years old. Did that mean his world was a few years old as well? What about its long and detailed history? Had he been studying a history that had never occurred? Or had the game been created by someone living on Earth, who had traveled to his world and learned about it. Maybe there was another Thysandrikan like him, who entered the body of someone who lived on Earth when they dreamt. He hoped that was the case, because he could deal with that. Eric understood the process because it was happening to him.
He needed answers, because not having them was driving him mad. In an effort to understand the situation, Suzanna had somehow gotten Mrs. Bradsworth, the mother of the body he currently inhabited, to contact Nylus, the lead developer of the game. Because Mrs. Bradsworth had invested in The Undead Wars, she was able to arrange the meeting, and the three of them, Mrs. Bradsworth, Suzanna and Eric (in Danny’s body) had taken a long drive south to Brooklyn, wherever that was.
Danny sat on a black leather sofa besides Suzanna, while Eric watched from within. An expensive looking table with a glass top sat in front of them and beyond, in two matching leather chairs, sat Mrs. Bradsworth and the man they had come to see. With all that had happened to him in the last month, Eric found it difficult to be surprised. It was yet another insane happening floating in a sea of improbability.
Mrs. Bradsworth and Nylus were chatting amiably as if they were old friends. The conversation was banal, meaningless. Eric wished they would get past the pleasantries so he could get some answers, but he was also aware that polite conversation had to be endured before important matters were discussed. He’d seen it often enough in the throne room. Eventually, the conversation wound down, and Nylus turned his attention to Suzanna.
“So, I understand you play The Undead Wars.”
“I only just started but love it so far. The world seems so real to me.”
Nylus studied her, tilted his head then nodded to himself as if he had come to some sort of decision.
“Would you like to see where the magic happens?”
Eric almost reacted to that, but forced himself to stillness at the last moment. He had been told that magic didn’t exist on Earth, but he couldn’t ask about it at the present moment, so he continued to stare straight ahead, because that’s what Danny would do.
“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
They stood and walked out of the room into a foyer. Nylus opened a door, behind which was a flight of wooden stairs that descended into a fully furnished basement. There were chairs, a coffee table, and several large consoles that Eric would have recognized as classic video games had he been born on Earth.
Opposite the consoles, at the other end of the room, stood a large, curved desk and numerous devices which Eric could only assume were some sort of computers. A pair of enormous double doors adorned the right wall. They looked completely out of place and would have seemed more at home in a larger structure, like a barn. No one commented on them, and Eric wondered if it was a common feature in Earth houses.
“I was working on fixing some of the bugs in the code in our newest expansion,” said Nylus.
“Oh?” asked Suzanna.
“Yes, if you’ve just started you won’t get to it for a while, because the new expansion is predominantly centered around higher level content, particularly dungeons.”
Eric almost reacted again, biting his lower lip to prevent himself from gasping. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to him. The new expansion explained a lot. Dungeons had appeared on Thysandrika, at least two that they knew of, apparently on the same day. He’d never have known about them if they hadn’t been mentioned at the dinner with the Misfits of Karmenon on the night of his wedding.
Dungeons had always been ancient constructs. New ones were discovered rather than constructed, mostly because the skill to create one had been lost to time. But these dungeons seemingly came from the game itself. Once again, Eric found himself wondering if the rest of his world had simply been a Nylus creation all along.
“That’s awesome!” said Suzanna, warming to her role.
“I thought you might like that,” said Nylus. “Tell me, what god did you pick to tether to?”
“Sylinar,” answered Suzanna.
Nylus nodded. “Not surprising. Sylinar is the goddess of healing, and I understand that you’re a nurse. It’s a logical choice.”
Nylus took a seat in the computer chair in front of the main monitor, which was larger than the others, and typed something into a keyboard. He had been in the middle of one of the areas of the game that Eric hadn’t yet seen, which made sense since he’d barely seen any of it.
As Eric watched, a zombie made its way clumsily down a long stone corridor. It didn’t look like a real zombie. It was scary-looking enough, but couldn’t compare to what Eric had faced in the Other Realm.
“Zombie?” asked Suzanna.
“Yes, the weakest undead in this particular dungeon. This is the hardest dungeon in the game right now, located in one of the highest level zones. Obviously zombies are just trash mobs, but some really hard bosses can be found here.”
Eric would have blanched if he were wearing his own body. He wanted to ask specifically where this dungeon was located, because powerful undead bosses sounded really bad.
Nylus’ character made short work of several undead creatures, continuing down the corridor until it turned left and the tunnel opened up into a huge chamber. Eric, staring straight ahead, didn’t get the best look at it, but it looked like a mage’s ritual room, or at least what he thought one might look like. There were ritual circles, and various types of magical apparatus he couldn’t name, and in the center of the room was the largest undead creature he’d ever seen.
It was at least a couple of stories high, making him wonder how it had gotten into the room in the first place. On closer inspection, he realized that it was assembled from body parts to form a much larger creature. Not all of those parts were human, but some were. It seemed to have a dragon’s body, from which jutted long spindly legs made up of various human limbs. It’s very long neck seemed to be assembled from human thighs, attached end to end. Balanced precariously on top was a reptilian head that hadn’t completely finished the process of decaying. It was the most terrifying thing Eric had ever seen. He couldn’t begin to imagine what meeting one in real life would be like. That it might happen at some point chilled him to the bone.
“Meet my favorite boss, a demon lord who calls himself The Hunger. He has some diabolical attacks. My favorite part of the fight is when he shrinks down in size so he can leave the room and move into other areas. The fight takes place in several locations.”
“That sounds awesome,” said Suzanna, staring at the creature in fascination.
“I’m curious,” said Nylus, “when did you learn that Thysandrika is real?”
Suzanna tried to hide her surprise, but Eric knew that her reaction had given her away. She tried to recover, but it was an exercize in futility. However Nylus responded, he knew what he needed to.
“And what about you, Danny. Do you also know that Thysandrika is real?”
Eric didn’t answer. To his surprise, it was Mrs. Bradsworth who spoke next.
“How long did you think you could hide it from me, Suzanna?”
“Hide what?”
“Danny is talking. Why would you keep something like that from me?”
Suzanna met the older woman’s glare but didn’t answer.
“Are you going to pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about?”
Nylus caught Mrs. Bradsworth’s attention and shook his head. Though she had been about to say something else, she clamped her mouth shut. That was interesting. Apparently, Nylus was running this show.
“Suzanna, you can’t hide your class from me. Your class and level are burned into your soul. Anyone who can read souls can see it.”
It took all of Eric’s self-control to not react to that. Class? Level? How could she have either?
“And you can read souls,” said Suzanna.
“Yes.”
A simple answer. No subterfuge. No attempt to disassemble. Eric wondered who this man was, and how he had gotten to Earth.
“You’ve been there, then,” said Suzanna.
“Oh yes. I lived there for a very long time. Tell me what you want from me.”
“Nothing, really. I was just wondering how a video game could show another world in such detail. I guess now I know.”
“Come off it. Who do you work for? What do you want?”
“Work for? I work for Mrs. Bradshaw.
Mrs. Bradshaw couldn’t let that go. “You worked for me, you mean. You kept secrets from me. Important secrets. My son can speak.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Bradshaw, but he can’t. He’s never been able to.”
“Mindy told me she heard you and Danny speaking.”
Suzanna looked like she was about to reply but stopped herself, as if she realized it wasn’t her place to reveal Eric’s existence. Yet keeping it a secret had gotten her in trouble. Had even cost her her job. She had been kind to him. Eric couldn’t let her face this inquisition alone.
“Mrs. Bradsworth, though I am speaking with your son’s mouth, I am not Danny.”
Ida Bradsworth stared at him, eyes wide. “Who are you then?”
“Consider me a passenger. I’m from Thysandrika as well, and sometimes, when I sleep, I end up in Danny’s body, but I don’t know why.”
To Eric’s surprise a grin broke out on Nylus’s face. “Prince Eric, is that you?”
“What? How can you know that?”
“Oh, I know many things. But this is an unexpected surprise. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Yes, it makes sense.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Eric.
“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that neither Suzanna nor Danny can return to their old lives.”
“I won’t let you harm Suzanna,” warned Eric.
Nylus laughed. “I’d expect no less, but no. I would never knowingly harm a servant of Sylinar.”
“Then what will you do with her.”
Nylus gestured and the double doors on the far wall of the room swung open. Behind it was a shimmering purple portal that seemed to glow with arcane energy.
“I thought magic doesn’t exist on Earth,” said Eric.
“It’s admittedly weak, but this close to the portal, there is enough bleed through to perform a few simple tricks.” He looked at Suzanna. “You have a choice. Remain here in this house as my guest for the rest of your life or walk through that portal.”
Suzanna stared at it. “What about Danny?”
“Danny isn’t capable of making that choice, so I’ll leave that up to you.”
“How is this my choice? Danny is not my son.”
“Nor is he mine,” said Mrs. Bradsworth.
“What? But I saw his birth certificate.”
“You saw a birth certificate. Did you really think it would be hard for a person of my means to have one made?”
“And you’re just willing to give him up?”
“Yes, if that is what Nylus requires of me. He is very much my king.”
Suzanna looked stunned. The events of the day had long ago outpaced her ability to wrap her head around them. For a long time, she didn’t speak. When she did, her voice was almost a whisper. “Where will the portal take me?”
“To Thysandrika,” said Nylus, “Do you want to see it?”
Suzanna’s face lit up, but only for a moment. “I have daughters here. I can’t abandon them.”
“I know this. But you’re not allowed to see them either.”
Suzanna looked surprised. “How could you know that?”
“Is it relevant? I swear to you, I will make sure your daughters never want for anything. They will be safe from harm, and they will have all the resources they need to live long and healthy lives.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
Mrs. Bradsworth held up a hand. “Suzanna, you may not know Nylus, but you know me. I swear to you, I will protect and care for your children as if they were my own, as long as you will care for Danny.”
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“I will. You know I will.”
The grin on Nylus’s face sent a shiver down Eric’s spine, but he didn’t interfere. This wasn’t his choice.
“Yes, I do,” said Mrs. Bradsworth.
Suzanna returned her attention to the portal. She stared at it as if hypnotized.
“How will I live there? I have no money. I don’t know much about the world.”
“You will be well provided for, and have the freedom to go anywhere you want. This, at least, I can arrange.”
“How?”
“No. I have shared as much as I am willing to share.”
“Do I just walk through?”
“Yes. Take Danny’s hand and enter the portal. The passage will be instantaneous.”
Suzanna looked at Mrs. Bradsworth for perhaps the last time.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Ida, but it was not my secret to share.”
“I understand, Suzanna. May Sylinar guide you.”
She walked to Suzanna and hugged her, then stepped back.
“It’s time to go,” said Nylus.
“Suzanna, are you sure about this?” asked Eric.
“I’m not sure about anything. But I don’t see we have a choice. Unless you think the two of us can overpower Nylus. We don’t even know what powers he has. And he’s right. I haven’t seen my daughters in years. I don’t even know what they look like. I’ve done all I can for them. If stepping through that portal means that their financial future is guaranteed, that’s more than I could ever give them. It would seem to be the best decision for them, whatever happens to me.”
Suzanna went to take Danny’s hand, but Eric walked to the portal of his own volition. She looked back once, and Mrs. Bradsworth smiled at her. Nylus’s expression was unreadable.
Before they stepped through, Eric had a question of his own.
“This portal. It’s how you got here?”
“Yes, a very long time ago.”
“Fifty years?” asked Eric.
“How did you know?” asked Nylus.
“I didn’t until this moment, but things are starting to make sense.”
“They are?”
Eric nodded, but before Nylus could ask another question, he glanced at Suzanna and stepped into the portal. She entered only a second behind him.
Both Suzanna and Eric vanished, leaving behind a frustrated lead programmer.
“Apparently, things have been moving faster than I’d anticipated. As bad as the timing is, I might have to make a trip home.”
“Is everything all right?” asked Mrs. Bradsworth.
“I don’t know,” said Nylus. “But there are forces at work here I do not understand. And the information I need, I have to get for myself. And just when things had been going so well.”
“What do you wish of me?”
“Fulfill your promise to Suzanna and see to the future of her children. I’m sure you can figure out a creative way to get that done.”
“Of course.”
“Good, then I need to tie up some loose ends here and take a much-needed vacation. I’ll need you to look after things while I’m gone.”
“Yes, My Lord. May I ask a question?”
“Of course.”
“This Prince Eric. Do you know him?”
Nylus grinned. “I do. I’ve watched him grow up. I’m quite proud of him actually. I have no idea how he knew when I’d arrived here. Between him and his mother, I have quite a lot of investigating to do. It may be a while before I return.”
“How long do you think you’ll be?”
Nylus shrugged. “As long as it takes. Go now, I have work to do.”
With that dismissal, Mrs. Bradsworth bowed and left the basement. With the Undead King gone, she’d have a lot on her plate, and she’d have to find a way to explain Danny’s absence to her staff.
She sighed, then chuckled. If that was the price of being reborn, she could live with it.
*
Terrence was in the practice yard, a courtyard the guards used for training, hiding from those who might want to talk to him. Not his subjects, but the curious, who had come from further afield to get a look at or have a word with the high king. They were nobles or even lesser royalty, rich merchants, pretty much anyone who could afford to travel by chirkir.
Terrence wondered how people had found out about his promotion so quickly. Most likely spies in the palace. He hated the idea that he couldn’t trust the people surrounding him but had always known it was the case. Yet he tried to ignore the impulse to mistrust, believing it to be more damaging than the alternative.
The gods had made such a show of his promotion, he couldn’t believe that they wanted it kept secret, so he didn’t complain. He didn’t speak to all of them but granted audiences to a few, particularly the ones he thought he might be able to convince to aid the war effort.
As he saw it, the biggest issues would be keeping everyone supplied and keeping everyone from killing each other. Not every country got along with every other. Another problem was leaving behind the smallest contingent of soldiers he could to defend Rish. He was taking most able-bodied men and woman to fight with him. The young would be left behind. The inexperienced. The foolish. He hoped he’d have a kingdom to come back to. Of course, if he didn’t win, it wouldn’t matter. The only question would be how long it would take for those left behind to either submit to the Undead King or fall to him.
He could imagine caravans of citizens being escorted back to Xarinos to be killed, only to come back as servants of the Undead King. The world would have a single ruler, who controlled everything. Terrence shuddered at the thought. He had to win. There was no choice. The sound of a throat clearing interrupted his reverie.
“Leata, how long have you been there?”
“A while. Lady Mere is doing quite well. I think she’ll be a fine replacement for me.”
Terrence smiled. “I never thought I’d hear those words. I’ve been thinking about your protection on the road, and I’ve come to a suitable arrangement.”
“Arrangement? I thought palace guards would protect me.”
“They’ll be needed elsewhere. You’ll be protected by a pair of very high-level Sarithan assassins.”
Leata’s eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Sheba thinks it is. She’s the one that made the arrangement, so if you have issues with it, take it up with her.”
Terrence winced, having answered more brusquely than he’d intended. “Sorry. There’s a lot on my plate.”
“I know, Your Highness.”
“How are preparations coming?”
“We’ll have to resupply along the way. We’ll buy what we can, but there are problems.”
“Such as?”
“We can buy rations, but a lot of the places we’ll be stopping at will be starting to stockpile food for the winter. They’ll sell us everything they can, but they won’t have enough left over to survive. At least not all of them.”
Terrence frowned. “I see. I’m not sure what we can do about that.”
Leata was about to respond, when a brilliant light illuminated the courtyard, even though the sun was already high in the sky. Leata shielded her eyes, but Terrence didn’t seem to have to. To his surprise, Mitra stood before them, clad in the same brown dress she had worn when she’d visited the throne room.
“Well met, High King Terrence…Leata.”
Leata had started to kneel, but the goddess touched her arm briefly to indicate it wasn’t necessary.
“You should let us know before you come by,” said King Terrence. “If we keep meeting like this people will talk.”
Leata’s mouth dropped open, but Mitra just smiled politely.
“Do not worry, Leata. He is filled with god energy now. He is becoming more like us. Do not expect in him the humility that had once defined him. Those with god energy have less reason to be humble.”
The goddess’s words troubled Terrence. “Isn’t that when we need humility the most?”
“No, High King Terrence. This is not the time for humility. People need to follow you and start thinking of you as a god. There have been rumors since the war of your ascension. Now it’s time to play the role.”
“I wouldn’t mind it, if it were just that. A role. But I feel myself changing.”
“You are, but that is a problem for another day. As for what you had been discussing, I have a solution.”
“Oh?”
She held out her hand, palm up, and a small wooden flute appeared on top of it.
“I can entertain people instead of feeding them?” asked the king.
“You can use this instrument to create as much food as you need to feed your troops. You were told each of the gods would give you and Queen Treya a gift. Take it.”
Terrence reached out and picked it up. It was light as a feather.
“I had forgotten.”
Mitra chuckled. “There are not many that would forget a promise of a gift from a god. And this is something that could be put to good use. It’s a holy object, so you can’t lose it. It can’t be stolen from you. All you have to do is summon it. Different songs will provide different foods. Nothing fancy. No palace feasts here. But the food will be nourishing and should please most palates.”
“Thank you, Mitra.”
“You’re quite welcome. It’s fair to warn you, however, that this won’t solve all your problems. It’s unlikely, for example, to work in the Plains of Xarinos.”
Terrence nodded. “It still solves the problem of feeding the army until we get there, and for that, I thank you. One last question. How do I know what songs to play?”
“You will know when you try it. Farewell, High King Terrence. And good luck on your journey.”
Then she was gone.
“You should try it now,” said Leata, “to make sure you know how to use it.”
Terrance nodded and put the flute to his mouth. A number of “recipes” popped into his head. He did indeed know how to play it. He played the tune for bread and jam and, almost instantaneously, a table appeared near him, set for two, with a loaf of bread and a jar of jam on it. It was a full table setting that included silverware, plates, glasses and even a bottle of wine, which he hadn’t asked for.
Compliments of the house.
Will it always produce the table and setting?
It will adjust to the situation. It’s not creating the food, I am. I assure you, I can figure out what’s needed in most situations. Furthermore, once the meal is done, I’ll reclaim the conjured items, so you won’t leave behind a trail of furniture.
This is…beyond anything I had dreamed of. Thank you again, goddess of lore.
You are most welcome. I believe, by the time this is over, you will have more than earned it.
*
The world blurred as Striker ran, faster than she had ever run before. The grass expanded into streaks of green beneath her feet, as if each individual strand had been stretched into eternity. Everything seemed to have slowed down. A lilac butterfly, wings speckled with tiny black dots, fluttered in slow motion into her path and then out of her way. She’d never experienced anything like this.
Nearby Stalker, probably drawing energy from her, had kept pace the entire time.
Head thrown back in ecstasy, she screamed with the pleasure of it. So much energy. So much power. The only time she’d ever felt this good was after sex, and she hadn’t had that since her tryst with Maynor, if you could call it that.
Perhaps she could call it that, for it was fun for her. Maynor, however, had no clue it had happened, or perhaps he had been told about it later by people who hadn’t been present to witness a coupling so primal, it probably looked like a life and death struggle. And for her, at least, it was.
Striker had been used to locals—men and women without levels. The energy they produced wasn’t like Maynor’s. She had no idea what level he was, but the energy was divine, probably literally. She could go for some of that again, even if she didn’t need it yet. She wondered how long it would last.
She also wondered how long she’d keep running north, when she was supposed to be heading south. Her mind kept telling her she was going the wrong way, but her body wasn’t listening. North, ever north. Toward Karmenon most likely. Admittedly that was still a long way away, many days at the speed she was going. She’d probably run out of energy before then and have to walk the rest of the way, if she didn’t find a suitable partner to recharge herself. Usually, she cursed the fact that she had been reborn defective, but not this time. Nothing bothered her now. She was dead, free and happy, and had no idea why.
The only real problem she had was that she was meant to be meeting Aisha, Eldiss and the princes in the Fellowship, but she was running in the wrong direction. Yet every time she had tried to go south, or east for that matter, she ended up running north. This wasn’t the influence of the Undead King, she knew. She was being controlled by the entity that had leveled her, and had no idea how to stop running.
“Who are you?” she asked.
As she didn’t expect a reply, she wasn’t disappointed.
“What gives you the right to control me this way?”
Again nothing. She growled in frustration, amazed at how easily a good mood could go bad.
“I’m going to stop running and turn around if you don’t answer me.”
No voice in her head. She screamed and threw herself into slowing her forward momentum. As if to make a point, she started running even faster.
“Dammit!”
She ran for the rest of that day and all through the night. And then, shortly after dawn on the next day, she saw a number of dark shapes ahead, approaching fast. She wasn’t sure what they were at first, but as they drew closer, she knew. Somehow, she knew.
She didn’t question the wisdom of charging into their midst. She didn’t even try to slow down. And then they were all around her—Stalker’s pack.
They all came up and sniffed her, and a few rolled onto their backs to show submission. There were so many.
“How is this possible?”
She felt a wave of energy flow through her and knew immediately that she was about to gain another level. This time, however, she only went up one.
Congratulations! You have reached Beast Master Level 2 (Primary Level 11). New skill unlocked, Telepathy.
The voice in her head was deep, melodic, mysterious, and definitely didn’t belong to the Undead King or Sheba. What had she gotten herself into?
Hi.
Stalker? Is that you?
Yes. This is my pack. They’ve been running since I left them behind. It took them a long time to get this far, but like me, they belong to you.
Do you know who provided this gift?
No. But I can tell you when I started to change. It was the day I met the shadow man. He came to talk to me. To warn me off. I had never seen his like before, so I tried to touch him. The first two times, nothing happened, but the third time, there was something else there. It wasn’t the shadow man. It didn’t come from him. It was something powerful, mysterious, and it changed me. Even now, I continue to change.
You change because I’ve leveled, I think. I wish I knew who gave me these levels. I love that I have them, but I can’t help but feel like there’s a price for all of this. A price that I’m eventually going to have to pay. We should probably try to head south if we’re allowed to go that way. As it is, we’re going to be very late.
As you wish.
Striker met no resistance when she tried to head south, so she started running again. She had a long way to go. But she looked at the pack running around her and smiled.
For as long as she could remember, she had been trying to find a place to belong. With the Misfits of Karmenon, she had thought she’d found one, but she knew now that had been wishful thinking. But these kreve, they were hers. Her pack.
After all the years of searching and all the ground covered, Striker had finally come home.
*
Terrence stood in the portal room of the Adventurer’s Guild in Rish. The whiteness of the walls and floor were broken only by the gray stone-like chirkir which made its home in the room’s center. Terrence had been here before to meet foreign dignitaries, but he’d never thought to speak to the chirkir, even though he understood that some people had. He had no idea of the polite way to address a chirkir, so he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and spoke.
“Hello.”
Greetings High King Terrence. You have returned.
Was the chirkir referring to the other times he’d been here? He didn’t know. However, first things first.
“I don’t know how to address you.”
It hardly matters. What matters is that you have come, and we have much to talk about. While you build your armies and prepare for war, other events are afoot. You can’t stop them and shouldn’t try. But you must begin your march before the end of Learning.
“That’s not enough time.”
It is exactly enough time, since I know the date of your departure. But there are other things that concern you as well.
“Such as?”
You are concerned about the mage, Lord Ormund. You think he will not awaken, but he will, when the time is right.
“I betrayed his trust.”
I’m sure you believe that. Would it help if I told you it was untrue?
“No. I know what I’ve done.”
And yet so much is not what it seems. By the time this month ends, Queen Treya will have healed two more veterans of the Undead War of their soul wounds, and the Undead King will return to Thysandrika.
“How can the Undead King return to Thysandrika.”
The Undead King has been away for a very long time. Since long before the Undead War. Prince Eric has precipitated his return.
“How?”
By knowing things he could not possibly know. There are too many things the Undead King does not understand, and so he must return to learn what is going on.
“Will he attack Death’s Doorstep?”
His army will not move from the Plains of Xarinos until you arrive.
King Terrence sighed relief. If the chirkir spoke the truth, they would get there in time, as long as he left by the end of the month.
“May I ask a question?”
Of course.
“George’s Prophecy about Dahr ending the undead threat. Is it true?”
Merck Vanderoth intentionally misquoted the prophecy. Dahr will not end the Undead Threat.
Terrence looked surprised. “What is the true Prophecy?”
There isn’t one. George lied to Merck Vanderoth.
“Why would he do this?”
George is a creature of chaos. What would you expect him to do?
King Terrence felt his anger rising. “He intentionally put my sons in danger for fun?”
George has no concept of danger. He believes that whatever happens, he can protect Dahr.
“We’ve been chasing a false prophecy since the beginning. George has a lot to answer for.”
Will you make a creature that roamed the other realm before the gods appeared pay?
Terrence sighed. “No. Of course not. I just wish I could get word to them somehow.”
There is no need. Even George doesn’t know why he did what he did, but the ultimate result of that false prophecy is exactly what had to happen for destiny to be fulfilled.
“You mean that he lied, but that lie still serves a purpose?”
I do.
Terrence frowned, trying to think of something else to ask. When nothing specific came to mind, he broadened the scope of his questioning. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
Only this. The Undead King is not who or what you think he is. But by the time you learn this, it will be too late.
“Can’t you tell me who he is?”
I cannot. History must proceed apace. I can only offer what I have already offered, as I have ever done.
“Then why tell me at all?”
For the same reasons I can’t tell you more. This conversation has taken place countless times. If I alter it, what must happen might not happen.
“I don’t actually understand that, but I’d like to thank you for the information you’ve given me. I appreciate it.”
Most people are frustrated after talking to me.
“Most people aren’t married to Treya.”
It would be strange if they were.
“Yes, I suppose it would. Thank you again. If I’m to make my deadline, I should be going.”
King Terrence bowed and left the room. Two weeks to get his army moving, and still so much to do. Well, if it had to be, it had to be. Sheba never told him it would be easy.
As he walked from the room, the chirkir contacted Iorana, the goddess of magic.
King Terrence has been here and is now gone. It is time for you to call the meeting.
Iorana did not respond, nor would she. But she would do what was necessary for the future to unfold, as she always had. The chirkir did not know how it would end. They never knew. They could not see their own fate, but that hardly mattered. Nothing mattered to the chirkir except the final realization of that fate.
And if humanity had to perish for that future to unfold, that was an acceptable outcome.
*
Suzanna and Danny stepped out of the portal at the same moment. For a few seconds, she felt dizzy and fell to one knee. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was almost eye to eye with Danny. She looked him over to see if he has suffered the same side effects.
“Are you all right?” asked Eric.
She kept looking at his face, finding comfort in the familiar. She was on another world. Thysandrika, Eric had called it. She almost didn’t want to look up. She had no idea what marvels awaited her. What mystery. What magic. She held her breath as she pushed herself to her feet and, for the first time, turned to look upon a world other than Earth.
For a long time, she remained silent, taking it all in. When she finally spoke, her voice was tinged with disappointment.
“You didn’t tell me you had Starbucks here.”
Eric looked confused. “What’s a starbucks?”