knew.”
“No, she
guessed and fooled two of my elders into thinking she knew of their
existence as fact. I learned all this after your visit the other
day, not from Lowen. She spoke to me of the weather and such crap
and I did not see through her ruse. Stupid me.”
“I want to see
the paintings,” Torrullin snapped out.
“I
figured.”
“Well?”
“Not tonight.
Daylight is better.”
“It is dark in
the mountain during daylight, too.”
Teighlar
sighed and rose with a groan, rubbing his behind. “You function
because she is somewhere in this universe, you said. Are you
implying she is no longer?”
“She is beyond
my tracking skills.”
“Gods, to
where? An alternative? Set the Syllvan on it.”
Torrullin rose
as well. “She is lost in Time, my friend. The Syllvan cannot help
her.”
“Holy Mother.
How?”
“Ah, that
would be why I am digging under every stone.”
“Surely you
can retrieve her?”
“I need to
know when. It is a blind search otherwise.”
“How do you
know she is lost to Time?”
“The dream.
Layers of rock.”
“That is a bit
tenuous.”
Torrullin
started climbing upward. “The Syllvan confirmed the connection.
There is no doubt.”
“Gods, then
you really need to see those paintings. I suspect they are almost
as old as the Valleur.”
Chapter
7
To communicate
over distance is not unique. Many do so, employing devices of
various invention and size. To communicate in this manner employing
only the mind, while not without precedent, requires specialised
skills.
~ Steps of the
Magical Condition
Xen III
T ristan, Teroux and Tianoman decided to commence the
search for Caballa on Xen III by conferring with that world’s First
Family, the Dalrish.
The Dalrish
had long been rulers. During the millennia of the domes they ruled,
and still did after the domes were dismantled. A foul world had
risen again, and the Dalrish wrote a large portion of the
history.
They had
connections to the Valleur, and in particular to Torrullin. Le Matt
Dalrish was the pilot who steered a ship stolen from Ceta through
the Forbidden Zone at Torrullin’s behest, and his sister, Catalina
Dalrish, was the navigator on that fateful journey. Along for the
ride as a stowaway was Lowen Dalrish, a child then. Catalina - or
Cat - was Torrullin’s lover for a brief time, but died in the
aftermath of the terrible destruction of Torrke on Valaris, having
miscarried their child.
Le Matt - or
Matt - swore an oath of loyalty to Torrullin and then underwent the
required ten years of sequestered training to take his place amid
Valleur subjects. Upon his return he found Torrullin beyond his
reach in another realm, his sister long buried and his cousin, Le
Moss Mar Dalrish, the new Peacekeeper of a dome-less Xen III. Lowen
had meanwhile grown up to become an accomplished seer.
The Dalrish
sorcerers were born then and were a force in the present, more than
two thousand years later. Cat died, Matt and Moss passed on, but
Lowen chose immortality - for Torrullin. Twenty-five years ago
another Dalrish made connection in the form of a youthful Lucanus -
or Lucan. He inherited Matt’s blood oath to Torrullin and proceeded
to fulfil it, dying in the process far from home and family. The
oath was negated and the Dalrish went on unencumbered, but the
connections would never be severed.
Friendship,
trade and aid continued between Valaris and Xen III, and between
Valleur and Dalrish.
If they knew
of Caballa they would not withhold it from three Valla heirs.
It was late
afternoon, a balmy spring day on the eastern seaboard.
Shanghai
Metrop glittered white in the sunshine and on the rise in the
centre of the massive, bustling city the Peacekeeper Palace shone
brightest white and silver, with mullioned windows and ornate
doors, curiously dainty balconies and extensive, park-like
grounds.
Uniformed
guards stood to attention before gigantic gates. The gates were not
as massive as Grinwallin’s, but
“No, she
guessed and fooled two of my elders into thinking she knew of their
existence as fact. I learned all this after your visit the other
day, not from Lowen. She spoke to me of the weather and such crap
and I did not see through her ruse. Stupid me.”
“I want to see
the paintings,” Torrullin snapped out.
“I
figured.”
“Well?”
“Not tonight.
Daylight is better.”
“It is dark in
the mountain during daylight, too.”
Teighlar
sighed and rose with a groan, rubbing his behind. “You function
because she is somewhere in this universe, you said. Are you
implying she is no longer?”
“She is beyond
my tracking skills.”
“Gods, to
where? An alternative? Set the Syllvan on it.”
Torrullin rose
as well. “She is lost in Time, my friend. The Syllvan cannot help
her.”
“Holy Mother.
How?”
“Ah, that
would be why I am digging under every stone.”
“Surely you
can retrieve her?”
“I need to
know when. It is a blind search otherwise.”
“How do you
know she is lost to Time?”
“The dream.
Layers of rock.”
“That is a bit
tenuous.”
Torrullin
started climbing upward. “The Syllvan confirmed the connection.
There is no doubt.”
“Gods, then
you really need to see those paintings. I suspect they are almost
as old as the Valleur.”
Chapter
7
To communicate
over distance is not unique. Many do so, employing devices of
various invention and size. To communicate in this manner employing
only the mind, while not without precedent, requires specialised
skills.
~ Steps of the
Magical Condition
Xen III
T ristan, Teroux and Tianoman decided to commence the
search for Caballa on Xen III by conferring with that world’s First
Family, the Dalrish.
The Dalrish
had long been rulers. During the millennia of the domes they ruled,
and still did after the domes were dismantled. A foul world had
risen again, and the Dalrish wrote a large portion of the
history.
They had
connections to the Valleur, and in particular to Torrullin. Le Matt
Dalrish was the pilot who steered a ship stolen from Ceta through
the Forbidden Zone at Torrullin’s behest, and his sister, Catalina
Dalrish, was the navigator on that fateful journey. Along for the
ride as a stowaway was Lowen Dalrish, a child then. Catalina - or
Cat - was Torrullin’s lover for a brief time, but died in the
aftermath of the terrible destruction of Torrke on Valaris, having
miscarried their child.
Le Matt - or
Matt - swore an oath of loyalty to Torrullin and then underwent the
required ten years of sequestered training to take his place amid
Valleur subjects. Upon his return he found Torrullin beyond his
reach in another realm, his sister long buried and his cousin, Le
Moss Mar Dalrish, the new Peacekeeper of a dome-less Xen III. Lowen
had meanwhile grown up to become an accomplished seer.
The Dalrish
sorcerers were born then and were a force in the present, more than
two thousand years later. Cat died, Matt and Moss passed on, but
Lowen chose immortality - for Torrullin. Twenty-five years ago
another Dalrish made connection in the form of a youthful Lucanus -
or Lucan. He inherited Matt’s blood oath to Torrullin and proceeded
to fulfil it, dying in the process far from home and family. The
oath was negated and the Dalrish went on unencumbered, but the
connections would never be severed.
Friendship,
trade and aid continued between Valaris and Xen III, and between
Valleur and Dalrish.
If they knew
of Caballa they would not withhold it from three Valla heirs.
It was late
afternoon, a balmy spring day on the eastern seaboard.
Shanghai
Metrop glittered white in the sunshine and on the rise in the
centre of the massive, bustling city the Peacekeeper Palace shone
brightest white and silver, with mullioned windows and ornate
doors, curiously dainty balconies and extensive, park-like
grounds.
Uniformed
guards stood to attention before gigantic gates. The gates were not
as massive as Grinwallin’s, but
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