“You might want to wake up?” someone said through her muddled dreams.

“What?” she mumbled.

“For someone who disdains others for their fears, Foldrin certainly is afraid to wake you, but he will leave you here if you don’t wake up on your own.” Said the voice.

“Who are you?” she woke with a start remembering that she wasn’t in bed.

“Quiet now. Don’t talk. I am going in a bit; I have some business I need to attend to. But please stay with Foldrin. He needs someone to keep his head on his shoulders. I think you suit him very well. Also, I am not a Shegika; no need to worry there, though Foldrin has had his run-ins with those in the past; thank him for that history lesson, by the way. Now be a good girl and make that boy some breakfast. He is going to burn it otherwise.” the voice whispered into her ear.

“What is your name?” Karrina whispered.

“Now you're getting somewhere.” The voice laughed, “Maybe I will tell you, if you let me stay, you might prove more interesting than Foldrin.” Again the voice left as a sigh in a nonexistent breeze.

*****

Foldrin had restarted the fire and was just setting some sausage in his pan when Karrina let out a squawk as the tent collapsed on top of her. He tried to hold back his laughter but thought better of it and let it go.

“WILL YOU HELP ME?” her voice came from beneath the fabric.

“Oh I will,” he said as he pulled the tent off of her, “It just makes me fill better knowing that we both don’t know how to really set a tent.”

She slapped the hand he held out for her as she got to her feet. “At least I know how to cook.” She grumbled.

“Well, that is a point I will happily concede.” He replied as he let her prepare the meal, as he took apart the ‘tent’.

*****

“Why is it so cold,” Karrina complained for the fifth time that morning. The wind had become vicious as the afternoon and dawn closer. Foldrin had seemed to fold into himself growing quieter as the air turned frigid. She pulled her cloak tighter as the wind stung her face, “Why are we going north?” she asked for the seventh time not expecting a reply just trying to forget about the cold.

“I am searching for something that my Clan once protected. I didn’t find anything in the South so here I am. There is nothing but ocean to the south and west hopefully I can find something here.” Foldrin said without turning around. They walked further when Foldrin stopped, “Careful there is ice.”

She looked up and saw an expanse of white, “Is that snow.”

“No, packed ice. The ground is underneath, but you could fall.” He said as he made a careful step forward.

When she got to it she didn’t find it overly slick but that might have been because she was used to walking on ice.

“What are you hoping to find?” she asked.

“Not exactly sure, but I will know it when I see it,” Foldrin said as he continued to pick his way over the ice, she followed along wishing that she could go back to the week before when things were simpler.

She was lost in thought some hours later when Foldrin spoke again from behind her, “You might want to stop.”

“What?” she said as she woke from her thoughts, turning around to look back at him.

“You need to pay attention to your surroundings.” He said while pointing.

She followed his gaze and gasped. The land fell away before them, the wind howling over the sheer drop. “What is that?”

“The Edge of the World,” Foldrin stated as he carefully looked over.

“But isn’t the world round?” she asked dumbfounded.

“Obviously it’s not. Well, I now know that we won’t need to go further north.” He said as he slipped his pack to the ground.

“What are you doing now?”

“I am going to head down.” He said as he pulled out some rope and a large hook.

“You are going to climb down with that?” she asked looking at the rather thin rope, she doubted whether it would hold his weight.

“It’s Western make. Spent the last of my silver on this exploring gear. If it doesn’t work then I am going to make the trader who sold it to me take it over this edge.” He said as he stomped the hook into the ground. “The best tools come from Zenziril or so I have been told, so far I haven’t complained.”

"Zenziril? Is that a city? She asked, seeking to confirm she was not crazy and was hearing somebody’s voice speaking to her.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Yes, I have been considering going there for some time, they say it is marvel of technology.” He said as he made his way carefully over the edge after attaching the rope to the belt which he had fastened across his chest.

“If you come back at all.” She stated, still skeptical over his ‘safety device’.

*****

Foldrin lowered himself down, glad the man who had sold him the gear had shown him how to use it. There were clips and knots he would never have figured out otherwise. He had noticed the edge of what he had thought was a cliff hours ago. Seeing that it seemed to come to a point he had steered them toward it. If there was anything special in this land it had to be here. After leaving the Center some weeks ago he had felt a pull to go north. He still didn’t know exactly what he was searching for, but the feeling had lessened in the last few days. The climb wasn’t too difficult and the gear gave him a sense of safety for which he was grateful. There was a cave of some sort as if a bowl had been carved out near the bottom. The rope was long enough, barely. Unhooking himself he inspected the cavity. In the center was a stone altar, which was cracked down the middle. Stepping closer he could see a stone slab with writing on it.

I leave this here for those who follow me. I could not stand the horror that was perpetrated upon these stones, so I broke them. No longer shall they drink the blood of innocents. There are four such altars all of them broken by my hand. They will no longer open the doors between Worlds, if you wonder how I left, it was by my power which I carry with me. Kelmu has done his work well sealing the Shegika and the Apoterach, any who enter will not be able to leave, unfortunately, any others who enter are sealed also. Beyond having a Maftak I doubt any would be able to leave. There is a mechanism to rearrange the seal which I found in the Eastern Mountain range, I have left another document in the young city of Zenziril dictating where to find it. There is a well in the city in which I have left a stone similar to this one. I hope if you do not have a Maftak that you may find your way out of this Land of Dreams. Beware, the Shegika have a greater degree of control in this land of their making, I dare not consider what the Apoterach could accomplish if they were free. May the Creator watch over you always. Kallmundi

Foldrin read the inscription with growing wonder, he had found it! He had not expected to find a clear set of directions, much less the words of Kallmundi, whom he had thought a legend. Finally, no more wondering with aimless hope, he had a goal. Getting out a pen and paper he wrote down the words. He sat there for a moment considering what he had learned. The Father of Rebellion, the Sower of Chaos, Ruler of Shadows, the one sealed deepest in the tomb of his pride, he knew all this about Lemorbeck, but he had never heard of an Apoterach before. Maybe that is what Lemorbeck was, he was told that he was stronger than the Shegika.

Closing his eyes he stretched out his sense. He could feel Karrina’s frustration above, but nothing else living. He felt the old stones of this place and a felt a sense of greatness, no that was the wrong word, a sense of mass potential, of a terrible evil. Yes, he could feel the souls of the innocents that had perished here, and something closed, no one was leaving through here, he knew that a soul was the cost, the key, but the lock had been broken.

Getting up he went again to the edge. Glancing down he saw something like smoke or fog, billowing in the half-light that was the void. Looking he knew that there was nothing beyond that dark, it was unnatural but he felt that it was right, nothing should exist here. “The Land of Dreams?” he said recalling the words on the stone. The name felt right in this place of half-truths where nothing was right, here on the Edge of the World he felt what he could only describe as wrong. After his family had died he had felt like a stranger but here he knew he was right, it was the world that had become wrong. It unnerved him, threatening to unravel who he was, feeling as if the world were incorporeal. Letting out a shaky breath he reattached the belt and ropes and began to climb from the pit of Dreams.

*****

Foldrin had climbed back over the edge a couple of hours after he had left, she had tried talking with him but he wouldn’t even look at her as he had packed his things. She had built a fire as she waited and he had just stomped it out and started walking the way they had come. It wasn’t until night had fallen that he had stopped, he hadn’t even taken out a blanket just falling to the ground in his old cloak. She had grown concerned for him but nothing she had done had pulled him out of his mood. Struggling with the half-light of nightfall she pulled out a blanket for him and her and set a cold half loaf with cheese for him as she had eaten her own.

Now they were walking again the frigid air not as harsh as it had been previously as they made their way south. After another cold meal, Foldrin had just started walking again.

She had given him his silence the day before, “what did you find down there?” she prodded when she felt he was starting to think again.

“I am not sure.” He said after a long silence.

“What got you so spooked?” she asked

“I can’t rightly remember, it gets fuzzy each time I try. I get this horrible sinking feeling. I,” he broke off.

She waited for him to continue.

“I think I saw the end of the world, not as a vision or anything but where the world physically ended.” He looked back at her for the first time since going over the edge. “I know that I never want to go back. At first, it was fine but the longer I stayed the worse it got, I. I think it started to follow me. I couldn’t shake it till I got over the Edge.” He took a shaky breath.

“That sounds terrible.” She said trying to commiserate.

“I’ve seen worse.” He said as he resumed walking, now at a much smoother pace. “I am sorry if I haven’t been responsive lately.”

“Are you hungry?” she asked as she felt her stomach rumble, she wanted something warm and they were running low on water.

“No,” he said without turning back, “We will need to find some sort of shelter for the night I have a feeling that the Worngers will pay us a visit.”

*****

Amakelli was exhausted after her battle with the Apoterach. She had tried to stop it from coming near Foldrin, but it was too strong. It was Eveleamek the fourth betrayer. If she had known it was loose she would never have allowed Foldrin to come here. There was a sunrise on the horizon as some say, well not in this place, Foldrin had taken her advice and copied Kallmundi’s note, she had been worried he would actually hear her but he hadn’t. She was proud of Foldrin, not many aside from Kelmu had been able to feel her thoughts.

But she was so tired, Eveleamek had been far away when Foldrin had entered the Koroach, it was as he tried to leave that she had struck. That wound was still painful it would take a while for her to recover from that, Kallmundi was right, no Rushomer had that kind of influence on the worlds. She thought back to when Kelmu had sealed them, there had been no time for them to fight, such was Kelmu’s wrath and power. The wrath she had, it had been too long.

She connected to herself again, she could see Foldrin and Karrina close by, Foldrin wasn’t doing well. His mind had been damaged by the conflict, he was moving by instinct trying to get as far from Eveleamek as possible but her influence was still hanging around him. That wouldn’t do. Reaching along her connection to him she stimulated his cells around the damaged part. She wasn’t supposed to be able to do this, not without express permission but he had given his oath. The knot of worry that had grown within her dissipated as his shoulders relaxed and his gaze softened. Karrina picked up on it and asked him a question, she was a good fit for him, she would be able to help her Alduva where she couldn’t.