Heartrender, page 26
A soft hum glided through the air as they lifted the green spikes from the water. After a few tugs, a white bulb appeared at the end. Once they plucked the bulb from the ends, the people placed them in their baskets and repeated the process until the baskets were full.
As the people continued their humming, they strode back down the stone path where I followed. After battling Master Pisc and Mistress Umbra, I didn’t want to be too quick to announce my presence. However, even when I made noise, they didn’t seem to notice I was there. Either that, or they didn’t care.
The stone path continued until it spread out into a large stone area floating atop another squared lake. Several wooden buildings sat along the perimeter of the hard foundation. More shaved people strode casually around, all cloaked in brown robes with matching belts tied around their waists. I squeezed my alme, unsure of the identical clothing, but brushed it off as a village trend. One of the people I had seen before shuffled by, their baskets now empty.
Deciding that I needed to find out where the Magister was, I said, “Excuse me.”
The person turned, revealing the relaxed features of a young boy. His eyelids drooped slightly as his lips curled into a soft smile. He didn’t respond, so I continued.
“Would you mind telling me where I am?”
The boy continued his aloof stare. “I don’t really care to,” he replied, and continued on.
I pursed my lips. What was that about? The boy disappeared into one of the wooden buildings. Leaning on my rod, I continued to study the people before me. Though there were many of them, and I was in plain sight, no one came to greet or attack me. I was thankful not to be mauled, but it was still strange.
After a few more moments of being ignored, I decided to explore on my own. In the center was a round, wooden hut where a steady stream of white smoke puffed into the gray, clouded sky. Around the main building were identical huts with smoke streaming from their roofs. Focusing back on the central hut, I decided to start there.
Yet, walking toward the hut proved more of a hassle than I expected. No one moved out of the way or noticed when I stood in front of them. Several people ran straight into me. When I asked if they were okay, they all held the same lethargic stare. My nerves stood on end as I rubbed my arm from where a large woman had rammed into me. Something was definitely wrong here.
Finally, I reached the entrance of the building where a piece of thick, brown fabric hung as a doorway. Taking my alme, I lifted the fabric with the tip and slipped inside. Numerous bodies curled on the ground before me. Luckily, they were still breathing.
Unease crawled up my neck as I made my way around the perimeter of the building, searching for the Magister. A flash of bright yellow brought my attention to the fire in the center. Wrapped in a yellow Magister’s robe sat a bald man, feeding the white bulbs from the lakes into the flames. With each toss, the flames grew angrier.
I let out a sigh of relief and worked my way around the people until I reached the Magister. Clutching my alme, I waited for him to acknowledge me. But as I suspected from the people before, none came.
I tried to think about what Lyle would do before crouching down next to the man.
“I’m glad to have found you,” I started, then bit my lip. “You’re the Magister of Chalda, right?”
I winced. Probably a little more forward than Lyle, but at least I got to the point.
Without ceasing his movements, nor taking his eyes off the flames, the Magister replied, “Whether I am or not, it does not matter.”
“Yes, it does,” I replied too quickly.
My pulse heightened, and I took a breath to stifle my irritation. I was so close to finishing. If Decim could hold on just a little longer, we would be able to defeat Ophidian once and for all.
“Nothing matters,” the man replied. His words weren’t laced with a depressed undertone, but with an apathetic one.
I studied the man and his mindless motion before rearing back. He actually believed what he was saying.
“Yes, it does,” I repeated. “There are many things that matter.” I scooted closer. “Your help matters to me. There’s a battle that will take place very soon, and if we don’t work together, our homes will be destroyed and evil will reign.”
“I don’t really care,” the man replied as soon as I finished. He lowered his arm to move the empty basket out of the way, replacing it with one filled with more white bulbs.
I eyed the basket, wondering if the bulbs had something to do with the apathy in this village. “Why don’t you care?”
The Magister paused his movements and slowly turned toward me. His face, unlike the others, did not appear to be pleasantly ignorant. Harsh, dark circles rimmed his lower lids, matching his dark gaze. Though he blinked, his eyes stayed fixated in a wide state. His lips barely moved from their firm line as he spoke.
“I do not care why I do not care. I do not care that you are the Bellata. I do not care that Ophidian will destroy our Land in less time than I care to say.”
He knew what was happening in the other Lands? Maybe he wasn’t as far gone as I had assumed. An idea pumped from my heart to my mind.
“Why don’t you care about those?” I pointed to the small white bulbs.
The man stared unblinkingly at me, sending chills through my body before turning back toward the fire to throw more bulbs in.
“I do not care about these bulbs or that they are toxic when burned. I do not care that I have no control over my body. I do not care that the fumes from the flames are poisoning my people and sucking their spirits dry. I do not care that they do not care. Because nothing matters.”
I studied the man as he continued his work without another word. The Magister was still in there, feeding me the exact information I needed.
Standing, I stepped over the layer of bodies and left the building.
As I stood outside the building, the same people as before were still bustling about. It wasn’t until then that I noticed they had no purpose. I watched a woman walk in countless circles with the same expressionless face. Another man paced back in forth in a straight line just the same.
Goosebumps pricked my skin, reminding me of the people in Valde. Rubbing my arms, I wove through the apathetic people toward the stone pathway. While there was a concentration of hairless, robed citizens near the wooden buildings, there was no one on the path.
I peered down into the murky water. The green spikes of the plants pointed back at me. I rolled my alme between my palms. Maybe, if I could find a bucket, I might be able to collect water and douse the flames.
Taking my alme, I dipped it in the muddy waves. A quick bite of pain zapped my fingertips, and I pulled it back out.
Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. I growled at the plants.
I began to retreat to think of something else when a hard surface in my satchel hit my side. Hope lit my chest. Maybe it was that easy. Remembering the gift Alesig had given me, I pulled out the beautiful glass vase. The blue and purple swirls were a welcome sight against the bland backdrop of Chalda.
Placing my alme in one hand, I held the colored glass vase in the other and peered down at the water. Could it really be so simple?
Crouching, I scooped the dark water into the vase without any pain. I held the glass vase in my hands and watched, amazed, as the brown filth disappeared from the liquid, leaving golden water in its stead.
As I held the vase steady, the murky water from the lake rose up in the form of Master Pisc.
“What are you doing here?” I growled, growing more annoyed than terrified of these surprise Elder attacks. “Lyle told you not to return.”
“That filthy mortal could never defeat me,” Master Pisc burbled, murky bubbles rolling from his lips.
Before I could respond, the dark waves crashed upon me, sweeping Alesig’s ollam from my grip. Flinging my arms, I tried to break free, but Master Pisc sent another tsunami. My body flailed back and forth as I reached out for something to grab.
The tsunami barreled into the village, sweeping the apathetic people with it. None of them cried out in pain or terror. They just let themselves sink beneath the waves.
Kicking my legs, I tried to keep myself above the raging water until Master Pisc punched his fist forward, forcing me into the central hut. I slammed against the wall and smacked onto the ground. Saltwater stung my eyes as I coughed, my lungs begging for fresh air.
“The Bellata can’t handle a harmless shower?” a wheezy voice asked.
I jolted up from the ground to find Mistress Umbra.
Before I could react, the shadowed Elder cackled and wrapped her black tendrils around my torso.
Squirming, I prayed that the Magister of Chalda would help me, but he continuously threw the white bulbs into the fire. Foul-smelling water dripped down my hair and into my eyes. This couldn’t be the end. I had come so far.
Just then, a cloud of black smoke erupted from the smoldering embers, filling the round building until it was engulfed in darkness. The screams and cries of the now attentive people consumed the air until a voice flushed them out entirely.
“Hello, Adelaide,” Ophidian slithered. “The time has finally come.”
I didn’t have time to scream before the smoke wrapped around my head, shrouding my vision. The last image I saw was the Magister of Chalda being thrown through the wall of the hut, failing to save me from the Beast.
CHAPTER 36
SILAS
“This is absolute insanity,” Lyle whined as they strode through the doorway toward the shadow-stricken Land of Regno.
Silas chuckled before trudging on, checking the strings of the pouch tied to his belt. He only had one chance to finish what he started. Hopefully, it would be enough.
“It wouldn’t be so insane if you could have opened a door a bit closer to Regno,” Silas countered.
Lyle made a face, twisting his hand around the shining armor on his forearm. “I think I liked you better when you didn’t have emotions.”
Silas laughed as they trekked through the white sand of Ratcha. The only way to Regno was through Decim and on foot. And their plan was simple: distract Ophidian, buy Addie more time, unite the Magisters, and win the war.
Within the next few feet, the crashing waves of the Patet ocean greeted them before Silas’s eyes fell upon two familiar faces.
“Silas!” Brand shouted, running toward him. Silas grasped his older cousin in a hug.
“Brand, it’s good to see you again.” Silas smiled, thankful for the memories of his cousin.
Brand laughed. “I’m glad I can remember you again! I was wondering why you seemed so familiar before.” He faced Lyle, holding out a hand. “The future queen’s brother, right?”
Lyle shot Silas a suspicious look as Brand shrugged and grabbed Lyle’s forearm in greeting.
“Come on,” Brand said, wrapping his arms around each of their shoulders. “I’ll take you to Gaius.”
They followed Brand to the shore where four canoes lay. In between the middle two stood Silas’s eldest cousin.
“Gaius.” Silas grinned, remembering how his cousin tried so hard to find him when they were first sent to Decim.
“Silas, after so long, I finally have my memories back. And I know I have you to thank for that.” The usually stern man flashed a quick smile before it slipped away. “Now, I’m not sure if this is what you wanted, but we asked a few of the other metal workers from Obesque to help us with your request.” He gestured to the canoe below him. “The workers named them linters.”
Placing his shield and helmet down, Silas strode toward the linter, his armor chiming with each step. The canoe wasn’t like others. Instead of a large open space, the linter was made for one person, and one alone. Leaning forward, Silas noticed a small latch on the inside.
As he went to pull it, Gaius yelled. “Careful!”
Silas immediately jerked back.
Gaius let out a shaky breath. “That lever controls the glass dome that will protect you from the ocean and help you breathe. However, if you press it when you’re not in the linter, the force of the dome will chop your wrist right off.”
Silas cradled his wrist to his chest. “Thanks for the warning,” he breathed. Silas then motioned to the four canoes. “I thought I only asked for two.”
Brand jumped on Silas’s back and rubbed his shaved head. “We weren’t going to let our baby cousin go fight the monster who destroyed our home all by himself.”
Silas chuckled and batted Brand away.
“You’ll be able to get into Regno a lot faster if we provide the distraction instead,” Gaius explained, shaking his head at Brand. “You are our king but also our family. We will follow you wherever you lead. You can’t stop us.”
Silas’s chest swelled, and tears pricked his eyes. Clearing his throat, Silas gave a curt nod and headed toward the linters. “Once we hit the shore, Lyle and I are going in search of Ophidian. We need to give Addie enough time to unite the Magisters of Decim before we can think to start this battle.”
“About that ...” Lyle began, keeping his gaze on the linter.
Silas’s hand paused over the canoe. “What?”
Lyle rubbed his forehead and turned toward the shadowed island. “There’s still Magister Auso, who no one has heard from in almost a decade. When I left Addie, she was on her way to Chalda. I’m not sure how she’ll make it all the way back to Regno.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about Magister Auso,” Brand said as he sat in his linter. They all looked at him with question. He shrugged. “Some guy with a million blades and creepy gold eyes came a few days ago and demanded passage to Regno. One of the other fishermen tried to stop him, but he stole his boat.”
“Three guesses who that could be,” Lyle murmured.
“I was wondering what happened to Romen,” Silas replied.
Lyle snorted, sliding into his linter. “It’s a long story.”
“You’ll have to tell me once this is finished,” Silas said as he lowered into the small canoe.
“I hope I get to,” Lyle sighed before the clear covering flew over his head.
Placing his helmet and shield beside him, Silas burrowed into the linter, spying a rectangular space in the floor to place his sword. Looking to the left, he saw a small, metal lever. Silas reached over and pulled it, causing a clear covering to dome over his canoe. Taking a deep breath, Silas calmed Addie’s racing heart before taking his sword and plunging the tip into the rectangular shape. The linter immediately came to life as his power flew from Addie’s heart into his alme. Silas shot off into the waves.
“Whoa!” he cried. It took him a few moments to adjust the speed, but eventually, he found a good rhythm.
The Patet Ocean created a breathtaking scene as the linter soared through the waves. But there was no time to savor the view, so he picked up his speed.
As Silas steered the canoe toward Regno, he noticed strange beings in the water just beyond the island shore. Slowing his speed and pressing his blade down, Silas guided the linter so that it sunk into the water. Beneath the surface, all was pitch black. Thankfully, the linter was crafted from dark metal. It easily blended into the murky ocean.
As Silas drew closer, a multitude of beings with blue skin and webbed fingers came into view. Judging by their jagged weapons and sharp teeth, they weren’t there to welcome guests.
Silas maneuvered the canoe back toward the surface, hoping he could make his entrance into Regno a different way. He kept the linter shy of breaking the surface but stayed high enough that the blue beings wouldn’t notice him. Retracting his alme, Silas let the canoe bob in the waves before the steady tide gently pulled it toward Regno.
Once the shore came into view, Silas breathed a bit easier. He wasn’t afraid of the blue beings or what lay ahead. No, it was the image of Addie turning to ash, the future that might be.
Steering the linter onto land, Silas hit the inside lever and crawled out. He quietly dragged the canoe further in, hiding it behind a giant boulder on the shore.
Gripping his sword tight, Silas’s armor made no sound as he crept across the pebbled beach. Silas quieted his breathing and waited behind another rock for Lyle to arrive. Within a matter of moments, the dome of another linter appeared. He assisted Lyle in coming ashore before they spoke.
“Does something seem odd to you?” Silas whispered once they were hidden behind the rock.
Lyle nodded. “It’s extremely quiet.”
They searched around before proceeding further into the Land. When no other creature or Brand and Gaius arrived, they continued on.
Suddenly, a large explosion sounded from where Silas had seen the blue beings swimming beneath the surface. Silas and Lyle jumped, drawing their weapons.
“Brand and Gaius,” Lyle breathed, lowering his sword and axe after they heard the brothers’ cheers. A thick puff of gray smoke billowed from the dark waters before a series of blue heads emerged.
Silas turned to see his cousins’ canoes bobbing just above the surface. He spun back to Lyle. “You were right. A distraction is quite effective. Let’s use it to our advantage.”
They hurried up the shore until they entered a small village. Disheveled buildings scattered the barren ground. What happened here?
Silas and Lyle continued in silence, their armor echoing against the chunks of stone as they trudged through the burned and broken homes. Where were all the people?
“Silas,” Lyle said, a sliver of fear lacing his voice. “You need to come see this.”
Silas found Lyle in one of the half-crumpled homes, staring at an open doorway.
“What is it?”
Lyle pointed, his finger shaking. Silas maneuvered around him before pausing. The lifeless eyes of a small family stared back at him. Terror contorted their features. But it was strange. They didn’t seem alive or dead, just frozen.
Silas’s mind reached back to when he had spoken with Sirhc and Bocaj and the legend Asenav had shared. Ophidian’s goal was to gain control of Time and become the Rexus. With both of these powers, the Beast would be able to exact his revenge and become immortal. He would be unstoppable.
