murdered Valleur,
Valarian and draithen in one foul feat. And ever after I regret not
taking that single moment to save a child, the stupid man who did
not know why he fought, the woman caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time.”
He approached
Elianas on cat’s feet and placed his hands on either side of his
face.
“If you want
Cassiopin to have a second chance, a chance at Aaru or another
realm where the sun will shine for her, then we do it. We single
her out and no regrets.”
Elianas rested
his head on Torrullin’s shoulder. “I do not know what to do.”
“Saska will
listen for us and hopefully give insight. You do not have to decide
now.”
Elianas
retreated. “Four years bypassed us recently, courtesy of the Void.
It has been an actual count of forty days for me, if one counts
hours. A lifetime, Torrullin. Difference has translated into a
lifetime, and the ages between are now like a dream.”
Chapter
7
We are made
for opposites. We are part of the multiverse, after all, and it
cannot function without action and reaction.
Book of
Sages
Akhavar
T he sun was rising when Saska entered the Chamber of
Biers.
She opened her
mind to the messages and stood near Nemisin’s tomb for three hours.
She was unmoving, soundless, while Torrullin, Elianas and Lowen
paced outside glancing through the arch at her. Lowen kept curious
Valleur at bay, and the word soon spread that something strange
happened around the chamber.
Then Saska
moved, and the three froze.
She was slow,
stiff, her skin wet and like alabaster. She made it to the exit and
stepped through. Her eyes were empty, and she could barely
speak.
“Put me into a
deep sleep.”
Her knees
buckled and Torrullin caught her, lifted and carried her back to
her quarters, where he gifted her the period of oblivion and then
left her to wake naturally.
Her
unconscious would achieve greater result than a confused, active
mind.
Saska found
them in a private courtyard.
Wine on the
table, food, candles. She was struck by how still they were. Nobody
appeared to have touched either food or wine.
She stepped
over the flowing canal. “Seal it.”
Torrullin
paled and waved a hand to seal them in. Privacy was assured.
Saska neared
and he rose to pull a chair out. She sat, murmuring her thanks. Her
hands shook visibly as she reached for the wine.
“Let me,”
Torrullin said, and poured for her. He hesitated a moment and then
filled three more glasses.
Saska drank
and chose something sweet from the array on the table and chewed
slowly. She needed the energy.
“Saska, allow
me …”
“I need to fix
myself.”
Torrullin
lifted his glass and drank, eyes on her. Lowen ignored hers, her
hands hidden beneath the table. Elianas knocked his wine back in
one gulp and refilled his glass.
“I was wrong,”
Saska began, and then drank more. Swallowing and swallowing again,
she drew breath. “I am fine now. I was wrong. It wasn’t you who did
this.”
Torrullin’s
hand shook as he drank more, and Elianas again tossed his drink
back.
“It was
Nemisin.”
Saska put her
glass down and folded her hands on her lap.
“All those who
were involved with the Throne’s creation are with him, all those
who might have seen Neolone meld with him, and all those who
planned the massacre on Orb. As he was dying he began to see how
far his fear of you forced him into those three pivotal decisions
and, in spite, he delayed his ultimate death, keeping with him
those involved. But know this, he also started planning the Chamber
of Biers long before his realisation. He intended from the outset
of this mountain city to have at his fingertips the means to best
you sometime, somewhere.
“He hates that
he feared you; he fears you still. Valen remonstrated with Nemisin
on his deathbed and thus was Valen hooked into this scheme, along
with his entire unit. And, of course, Cassiopin is there to drive
Elianas mad. However, it isn’t merely spite and anger that
Valarian and draithen in one foul feat. And ever after I regret not
taking that single moment to save a child, the stupid man who did
not know why he fought, the woman caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time.”
He approached
Elianas on cat’s feet and placed his hands on either side of his
face.
“If you want
Cassiopin to have a second chance, a chance at Aaru or another
realm where the sun will shine for her, then we do it. We single
her out and no regrets.”
Elianas rested
his head on Torrullin’s shoulder. “I do not know what to do.”
“Saska will
listen for us and hopefully give insight. You do not have to decide
now.”
Elianas
retreated. “Four years bypassed us recently, courtesy of the Void.
It has been an actual count of forty days for me, if one counts
hours. A lifetime, Torrullin. Difference has translated into a
lifetime, and the ages between are now like a dream.”
Chapter
7
We are made
for opposites. We are part of the multiverse, after all, and it
cannot function without action and reaction.
Book of
Sages
Akhavar
T he sun was rising when Saska entered the Chamber of
Biers.
She opened her
mind to the messages and stood near Nemisin’s tomb for three hours.
She was unmoving, soundless, while Torrullin, Elianas and Lowen
paced outside glancing through the arch at her. Lowen kept curious
Valleur at bay, and the word soon spread that something strange
happened around the chamber.
Then Saska
moved, and the three froze.
She was slow,
stiff, her skin wet and like alabaster. She made it to the exit and
stepped through. Her eyes were empty, and she could barely
speak.
“Put me into a
deep sleep.”
Her knees
buckled and Torrullin caught her, lifted and carried her back to
her quarters, where he gifted her the period of oblivion and then
left her to wake naturally.
Her
unconscious would achieve greater result than a confused, active
mind.
Saska found
them in a private courtyard.
Wine on the
table, food, candles. She was struck by how still they were. Nobody
appeared to have touched either food or wine.
She stepped
over the flowing canal. “Seal it.”
Torrullin
paled and waved a hand to seal them in. Privacy was assured.
Saska neared
and he rose to pull a chair out. She sat, murmuring her thanks. Her
hands shook visibly as she reached for the wine.
“Let me,”
Torrullin said, and poured for her. He hesitated a moment and then
filled three more glasses.
Saska drank
and chose something sweet from the array on the table and chewed
slowly. She needed the energy.
“Saska, allow
me …”
“I need to fix
myself.”
Torrullin
lifted his glass and drank, eyes on her. Lowen ignored hers, her
hands hidden beneath the table. Elianas knocked his wine back in
one gulp and refilled his glass.
“I was wrong,”
Saska began, and then drank more. Swallowing and swallowing again,
she drew breath. “I am fine now. I was wrong. It wasn’t you who did
this.”
Torrullin’s
hand shook as he drank more, and Elianas again tossed his drink
back.
“It was
Nemisin.”
Saska put her
glass down and folded her hands on her lap.
“All those who
were involved with the Throne’s creation are with him, all those
who might have seen Neolone meld with him, and all those who
planned the massacre on Orb. As he was dying he began to see how
far his fear of you forced him into those three pivotal decisions
and, in spite, he delayed his ultimate death, keeping with him
those involved. But know this, he also started planning the Chamber
of Biers long before his realisation. He intended from the outset
of this mountain city to have at his fingertips the means to best
you sometime, somewhere.
“He hates that
he feared you; he fears you still. Valen remonstrated with Nemisin
on his deathbed and thus was Valen hooked into this scheme, along
with his entire unit. And, of course, Cassiopin is there to drive
Elianas mad. However, it isn’t merely spite and anger that
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