A Twist of the Tale by P R Glazier

Chapter 15. Master Amndo Comes Clean – Once Again.

  Nar’Allia felt the Land Train jerk to a sudden halt, with a loud retort and a cloud of dense black smoke ejected from the chimney of the machine, unfortunately the prevailing breeze blew the thick black smoke into her face it made her eyes water. JDC had parked his machine just inside the gates of Scienocropolis after driving up the long ramp that served as the main entrance into the city. Up close, the city walls through which they had just travelled could be seen. These were some twenty metres thick and rose high above her head, even though she stood on the viewing platform at the very top of the Landtrain. After wiping her tears away on the sleeve of her tunic Nar’Allia could see the silver metal and glass city within, yet the outer wall was entirely constructed of brick, it seemed a strange contrast. JDC explained that these walls had been built right around the city for its defence. Not so much through fear of an invading army, although that was one consideration of course, but more as protection against the powerful desert winds that blew without warning. 

  It seemed to Nar’Allia Scienocropolis matched exactly Minervar’s descriptions, at least what she could see of the streets and buildings as they entered the city. The city was also obviously much smaller now. The suburbs beyond the great gulf caused by the destruction of the great engines had completely gone. Minervar’s friend and one time travelling companion, a Pnook named Tnie, had masterminded the plan, a plan designed to destroy a circular ring around the city both to counter the invasion force that threatened the city and also as a barrier to any forward movement of the remaining invading force of the army of constructs. All that now remained of the great flying city was that part Minervar would have known in her time as the central, habitable districts of the city. What remained of the outer reaches of the city had been destroyed in the Pnook’s attempts to decrease the overall mass of the city and therefore reduce the load on the great engines, a last ditch attempt to keep the sky city high up in the clouds. But no amount of effort or design on the part of the Pnook could keep the city aloft. It seemed destined by fate to descend slowly and gently down to earth, eventually settling onto the desert sands. 

  Nar’Allia looked behind her, back down the long ramp necessary to gain access to the cities street level, which now stood some one hundred or so metres above the surrounding desert. The whole city now stood upon a plateau of its own making. As they exited the tunnel through the wall they came out upon a large open area. She perceived a lot of activity going on here. Many Pnook walked around the area, also many wheeled vehicles of various designs, these either moved slowly about, or were stationary, parked neatly side by side waiting for the next time they were needed. The Landtrain changed direction, slowly turning at right angles to its original course and Nar’Allia could pick out the obvious place for which it was headed, for across to one side of the open area was a large parking bay, obviously created with this particular size requirement in mind.

  Nar’Allia looked around her in a wide ark, the city streets and the buildings started at the edge of the open area, she could see they all ran straight as far as the eye could see, wide and majestic between the massively tall buildings. She again remembered Minervar’s descriptions of the city and found she was looking forward to seeing the CaRTS system, the underground transport system that Minervar had described in such detail in her stories. But then her nose was assaulted by a familiar scent, one she had not been assaulted with for a very long time, but she smiled even as she wrinkled her nose. She looked about her and sure enough there to one side she found what she was looking for. She could see several pens, these were quite large and the ground within each had been filled with sand from the desert. A thick metal fence surrounded each. But it was the creatures within that Nar’Allia smiled at, for there in the pens she could make out the unmistakable outline of a number of Duagnuats. The only creatures that Nar’Allia knew of that were native to the desert. They were used as beasts of burden and could be saddled up and ridden. Nar’Allia had that pleasure once, she winced at the reminder of the aches and pains that journey caused. But she knew these creatures well, they looked dim-witted and somewhat absurd, but Nar’Allia knew this bellied their true nature. For Nar’Allia knew them to be completely at home in the desert, they had a strange intelligence about them, she also knew they were deeply affectionate, especially to each other and they communicated in a series of audible and non-audible clicking noises that they could hear for many miles across the sands. She was sure that any desert traveller would not survive in the open desert without a Duagnuats. 

  But something else sparked in her mind. The last time she was here in the desert she had met with mixed emotions. She remembered the nomads, the humans that inhabited the desert, how they were a hospitable people, yet underneath they were also perhaps mistrusting, even jealous of their domain. There was something missing here. She looked once more at the city. She saw sterility in the place, a purely constructed place; nothing natural was to be seen, no trees, no grass, not a plane or insect or bird to be seen. Yet the desert itself was empty to, so no surprises there perhaps. But then it struck her, what was missing. It was a presence, a loving presence. The God of all, the Maker, Eny’Nin’Rel himself was missing. He seemed to have no presence here, well very little presence; at least she couldn’t feel him in her surroundings. As far as she knew neither the Pnook or the desert nomads ever mentioned Eny’Nin’Rel, he did not seem to be present in their lives, very little understanding in their being. She frowned, here there was nothing left of his creation, everything, even the desert itself, was something made by unnatural causes. It was a most empty, barren feeling. She shivered.

  She heard her name being called from below, it was Amndo. She looked down and could see him waving up to here, inviting her to join him outside the Landtrain. She smiled, yes it would be good to feel the earth once more under her feet, perhaps that would chase away this melancholy feeling. She made to descend the ladder to see what would happen next.

  Soon they all stood outside the Landtrain. JDC had lowered the large doors at the rear of the machine and many Pnook where engaged in emptying crates from the rear of the vehicle and taking them into a large low building, a warehouse of sorts the two T’Iea suspected. When Solvienne, a little suspiciously asked what these crates contained, JDC replied in a slightly hurt tone of voice that it was food supplies and other provisions for the city, nothing more sinister than that. He went on to explain that most of his livelihood came from shipping such items into the city. For as the city settled upon the sand the caverns within it that used to grow the Pnook food source were also crushed and could no longer be used.

   “What is it then that the Pnook eat?” Asked Solvienne.

  “Well, we grow a sort of plant, or plants, for there are several varieties, each having its own particular flavour and texture, depending on how it is prepared of course. These plants are collectively called Trotteen in the tongue of the my people, I’m afraid there probably is no translation into any other language as I have not seen Trotteen anywhere else in the world. Not even the desert nomads know of it, or if they do they do not use it as a source of food. Trotteen is highly nutritious. It is also very adaptable; the various varieties of the plant can be processed into many different forms and flavours to give variety. Its smallest form is a kind of lichen, the largest looks akin to a kind of leafy cabbage. But whatever the form or variety they all grow in the dark, in caves. It is also very hardy and very fast growing, there is nothing, at least as far as we Pnook know that attacks it or eats it, apart from us. In its uncooked or unprocessed form Trotteen contains natural toxins that protect it, these toxins must be removed or rendered harmless of course before it becomes edible. As I said the Pnook grew enough Trotteen to sustain them, there were many farms within caverns deep in the floating rock. But now of course that is no longer possible, all were destroyed when the crushing weight of the city came to slowly settle upon the desert sands. Pnook engineers are experimenting with mining techniques
to recreate the caverns, but we Pnook are no miners and the machines we once used to cut the tunnels for the CaRTS system we no longer have. Unfortunately to further the problem some of the materials required to build such machines and devices are not present here in the Rust Desert, or at least not in an easily refined state. So it is proving a long and difficult task. In anticipation of what may happen once the city settled onto the desert, the Pnook had the foresight to harvest Trotteen from the caverns to sustain us for a few months and at the same time our scientists set about trying to recreate the genetic material of the Trotteen plants to enable us to recreate an alternative food source. At the same time we sent out airships to try and find a suitable spots to site new Trotteen farms. Luckily one such airship was successful. In the northern reaches of the continent they found caves in the sea cliffs that are ideal for the cultivation of Trotteen. Immediately scientists took the genetic material they were able to reproduce to the sea caves and they discovered much to our relief that it grew well there. They pay me well to take the Land Train back and forth to transport the harvested Trotteen back here. But that is not the only reason I do this.”

  “Nar’Allia looked questioningly at JDC.

  JDC shrugged. “I try to aid my people Narny, they have suffered greatly over the years, they have suffered too much. Once we lived in peace in the east of the world. That place was taken from us and we fled here to the Rust Desert. We thought our technology would save us. Thought we would be safe high in the sky, unreachable by our enemies, inaccessible to all but our own people. But even there we were doomed. Now we live back on the ground, but we have nothing to eat at least nothing locally. My people have suffered. They begin to lose hope, they begin to give up. There is a sickness Narny, an illness of the mind. It eats away at us, chipping away at our resolve; it threatens to destroy us from within. Our scientists try to find the problem. As I said, the Trotteen that we used to eat grew beneath the city it was of plant stock that we brought with us from our home in the east when we fled. But all of that stock has been destroyed now. So they think the illness we suffer is partially due to the genetically recreated Trotteen that is harvested in the north, yet we have no choice but to eat it, without it we would starve. Our hope is that if we dug under the city once more we would find some original genetically pure stock of Trotteen still surviving and growing and would then be able to use this for more healthy stock. Trotteen does not need light just the minerals and other chemical compounds that it extracts from the rock on which it grows. But we no longer have the necessary machinery to dig.”

  Nar’Allia looked at JDC, she had never seen him despair like this before, she was shocked.

  “Many who suffered in the past could be cured by careful treatment and consideration, but lately these treatments seem to fail and individuals fall into a living death, they seem to give up on themselves, give up on everything, drop into a trance like state where they live but they are not here with us.”

  In an effort perhaps to change the subject and lighten JDC’s mood Nar’Allia asked about the CaRTS system, she explained that she was looking forward to riding upon it. But she was to be disappointed. It turned out that as the city settled into the sands the entire tunnel system through which the CaRTS system travelled had caved in. Like the subterranean Trotteen farms, all destroyed by the great weight of the city as it settled into the sands. But, explained JDC in a lighter tone, now the city was so much smaller it didn’t really need any mechanised transport system to get around, just a stout pair of boots and a fondness for walking!

  But something had sparked in Nar’Allia’s mind JDC had mentioned the Pnook need of mining machinery. Machinery to dig below the city and to recreate the tunnels and underground farms that grew the Trotteen. She remembered her days in Tent Town, living outside the Grûndén  tower and fort that stood sentinel there. She remembered her many conversations with the stout little men, how they told her of the riches that could be found below ground. She knew the Grûndén to be miners at heart, for they had a great love of the minerals and worth of the various gems and metals they dug out of their mines. So she asked, “why don’t you go and see the Grûndén? Ask them for aid.”

  JDC looked at her questioningly.

  “I mean the Grûndén are miners, they know how to dig in the rock, how to create great caverns and tunnels, I’m sure they could send a delegation here to Scienocropolis to investigate how to recreate the caverns below the city. They may even agree to help dig the necessary caverns out for you, at least help you.”

  JDC thought for a while, his face brightened with a broad smile and he said, “you know Narny you may have a point there. Yes, they would be able to guide us, give us advice, maybe as you suggest even help with the mining process itself. In fact I will suggest the idea to the grand counsel.” He nodded somewhat enthusiastically. “What an excellent idea, thank you Narny. Now you have suggested it I’m surprised we haven’t thought of it before.”

  Nar’Allia smiled and nodded, she was not surprised, the Pnook had lived in isolation for so long, she supposed they had never had the opportunity to ask any other race for help, it probably wouldn’t even occur to them. She looked at JDC’s smiling face, she thought of a Pnook long ago, high in the skies above the Rust Desert on board the Leviathan machine, a Pnook who was more than ready to turn the machines dreadful weaponry upon his own people. Yet that same Pnook now talked as if he had always been a citizen of this city. She took great pleasure in these thoughts and smiled even more.

  So they walked through the city streets until they came to a building that JDC described as a government administration centre. He indicated that Amndo could most probably be found here. They entered through the glass doors of the building into a vast open reception. They were welcomed by two Pnook in uniform and were then led to a seating area in the centre of the large entrance hall. 

  JDC said, “I will send for Amndo, in the meantime please make yourselves at home, I will also call for some refreshment.”

  After fifteen minutes or so of waiting, Nar’Allia gasped as there, standing in a doorway, was someone she recognised. She gave a little cry of delight and immediately standing she rushed across and took Amndo’s hand, she stood in tip toes and hugged him close, Amndo had his arms out as if he didn’t know what to do with them. But then as if coming to some decision he suddenly grasped Nar’Allia and lifted her off the floor. They stood like this for a while, Solvienne giggling behind them, for it looked most amusing, Nar’Allia held aloft in the awkward arms of this keeper who didn’t seem to know quite what to do. Amndo gently lowered Nar’Allia to the floor and stood back after Nar’Allia had released him from her embrace. He coughed nervously and looked at the floor with an air of embarrassment, if he was human or T’Iea Solvienne was sure that he would be blushing bright red at this moment, but of course his race did not have that capability.

  He said almost as a whisper, “ah, I had forgotten how emotional T’Iea can be my lady Nar’Allia.” He then looked her directly in the eye and added, “but I must admit I am overjoyed to see you once again.”

  Nar’Allia scanned his face, his hood was pulled down, unusual for one of his race when they were in mixed race company, another change to the world she thought. But he looked the same as he did all those years before when they had first met that day in the house in Amentura.

  Nar’Allia stood and walking back she took Solvienne by the hand she said with a slight quiver in her voice, “Solvi, I’d like you to meet Amndo, a friend of whom I am sure you have heard.”

  Solvienne stepped forward and taking Amndo’s outstretched hand shook it. “Hello Amndo, indeed my sister has told me much about you. I remember well the stories she told of your bravery and guidance.”

  “I am pleased to make your acquaintance my lady,” he stared at her eyes, “it seems we may have similar interests, I look forward to having many discussions with you should the opportunity arise.”

  Nar’Allia shook her head slowly smiling all the w
hile. “So why Amndo are you here in the city of the Pnook, aren’t you missing your books?”

  Amndo laughed, “well I promised JDC that I’d keep an eye on the Leviathan machine. Then as if with some unvoiced understanding he stood upright as if to attention and said, “you will be pleased to hear Nar’Allia that JDC guards it jealously, he will not allow anyone access to the machine unless he is with them.” As to your second question, well I have found the Pnook here have many interesting volumes, many I have not seen or even knew existed, a testament to the remoteness of the Pnook city I’m sure. They have much that vies for my interest almost as much as that kept in the house in Amentura. For they have kept their history and the knowledge goes back further than most libraries I have seen.”

  Nar’Allia felt satisfaction at Amndo’s words, she had not realised it, but she had been worried about the Leviathan. In fact, in truth, she was filled with a feeling of foreboding at the ever-present risk that it may fall into the wrong hands. But then who exactly were ‘the wrong hands’? As if to satisfy her inner suspicions she asked, “So the Pnook have no interest in the Leviathan Amndo?”

  “Well I wouldn’t say that. But the Pnook are a peace loving people. They do not desire war or conquest, but they do have an interest in advanced technology, so I have no doubt they would relish the opportunity to investigate what may be contained within the machine, but only to discover what they may from a scientific stand point. We have allowed groups and individuals aboard with either JDC or myself present to allow them a look at the machines many systems, on the understanding I might add, that they regard the weapons systems as out of bounds. We also steered them away from the bays in the belly of the machine where the Startmektoken are housed. Be assured Nar’Allia, we have not allowed anything to be removed.”

  Nar’Allia nodded. She felt relieved, at least a little. But she was still uneasy, for the Leviathan posed a threat to the world, it didn’t matter who had control over it, the fact that it existed meant that the threat remained. She knew that she would never feel truly happy until the Leviathan was hidden or perhaps even destroyed.

  As if he knew her thoughts and wanted to somehow quell her concerns further Amndo asked, “would you all like to see the Leviathan, maybe to satisfy yourself? I would be happy to show you.”

  Before Nar’Allia could respond, Solvienne said, “why yes, that would be good, I’d love to see this thing first hand. Oh, sorry Narny, it should be your decision. It’s just that I’d heard so much about it I’m curious to see it for myself.”

  Nar’Allia smiled at her sister and giggled, “Lead on Amndo. Why not.”

  They exited the building and walked for some thirty minutes or so through the city boulevards. Both Nar’Allia and Solvienne were astounded at the size and height of some of the buildings in this district. The T’Iea race had built cities with large buildings. They had even constructed homes and towns high in the trees of Gel’Te’Ertenya. But no T’Iea architecture came even close in size or height compared to these enormous architectural edifices. Both Nar’Allia and Solvienne were getting cricks in their necks for looking up so much. Eventually they turned a sharp corner and quite refreshingly there in front of them stood a relatively low building, probably only a mere twenty or so stories high, for in height it was dwarfed by the buildings that surrounded it. It was big however; the footprint of this building was enormous in fact, and by the looks of it roughly circular in shape. Nar’Allia had been wondering where the great machine must be hidden. Not underground for anything below them would have been destroyed or rendered inaccessible during the cities impact with the ground and subsequent slow descent as the underside of the city slowly settled into the sands. All the other buildings they had seen so far would have only contained the Leviathan machine if it stood upright upon its tail. This building however, which they now stood outside, was the first and only structure they had seen with a floor area easily large enough to be able to possibly house the machine.

  Amndo explained, “This building was once the central station and maintenance centre for the cities rapid transport system, the CaRTS system as the Pnook nicknamed it. It used to be the central hub for all the tunnels that once spread out around the city. With the CaRTS system rendered inoperative, the building was rendered unused. That is until we turned up in the Leviathan. After we managed to persuade the King and the Grand Counsel to let us hide the machine within Scienocropolis, they kindly gave us this building for that purpose. The Pnook made the modifications necessary and cleared the building of debris; they then built opening doors into the roof to gain access and cleared the interior to make way for the bulk of the machine. I have placed wards around the building to ensure the machines security.”

  Here he stepped forward and placed both hands upon the outside of the building, following a few moments of concentration he pushed upon two glass panels that proved to be entrance doors. They walked into the darkened interior. Amndo closed the doors and carefully replaced his arcane ward.

  Solvienne looked into the gloom, she could feel this was a vast place, she could just make out in front of her about twenty five metres or so away, there loomed a dark shape although the actual size of the shape could not be made out in this low light. All of a sudden lights flickered on; she turned detecting a movement behind her just in time to see Amndo touching a number of buttons set into the wall just inside the doors through which they had just passed. When she turned back what she saw took her breath away. The vast machine hung there in the air in front of her, nothing could have prepared her for its size was far larger than she imagined even with Nar’Allia’s descriptions. Its lower body stretched back into the building for a long way. The hull curved up and over, the upper half of the hull could not be seen from where she stood. About halfway down the hull, a gantry had been erected, dust in the air showed up in the bright light and looked like a fine mist slightly obscuring the view. Solvienne had difficulty imagining how anyone could build anything quite so large; it was beyond anything she had experienced before. She had heard the tale that Nar’Allia told of the military facility beneath the desert sands, the story told of the vastness of the place, but seeing this machine here now brought it home to Solvienne just how massive the facility must have been to hold not just one of these machines but a number of them.

  They walked forward down the length of the machine until they came to the gantry. Solvienne could see that a set of metal stairs wound their way up the interior of the structure, Amndo was already climbing and he beckoned for them to follow.

  Nar’Allia hung back, she remembered the Leviathan, she remembered her first view of the machine deep beneath the Rust Desert. Similarly there it sat within its lair, dormant, waiting. Not a hint of the extreme offensive power that lay within. She recalled all the events that led to that point. Then after escaping the facility beneath the sands she remembered how she and her companions had spent many weeks flying in the Leviathan. Halfway around the world they had taken the machine; she had seen and learnt much during her travels within it. She walked slowly forward towards the gantry. So here it was again, even likened to an old friend in some ways for it held a certain familiarity. An old friend with a very shady and violent past though, for she also remembered the great power of the machine, its weaponry and the army of construct warriors it hosted within. She looked at the underside of the machine, she knew that inside there an indestructible army was housed, asleep perhaps, but also ready to do the bidding of whoever controlled them. Her mood and attitude towards the Leviathan changed suddenly. She shivered, she still held a deep dread. It was the most powerfully destructive thing she knew of, possibly anyone knew of. She believed it represented the knowledge of a long lost civilisation that had all but destroyed itself using these machines and others like them. She looked suspiciously at the beast as she climbed the stairs.

  They had reached a platform on top of the gantry; this platform extended forward and seemed to rest against the outside hull of the machine. They followed
Amndo until they stood right in front of the hull. Nar’Allia again recalled how many years before she had stood in this same position but not here in this building within the relative safety of a friendly city, no, then it was back in the hall of the Leviathan, within the original ancient military facility deep beneath the sands of the Rust Desert. She looked down, there was the same serpent design painted onto the side of the hull of the machine, in the self-same pose that she had seen it depicted the first time around. Amndo extended a hand and laid it palm down on the hull. There was a hiss and a section of the hull sank back inside the machine, once it had cleared the armoured thickness of the hull, it slid sideways. At the same time lights flickered on inside illuminating the interior of the Leviathan. Nar’Allia shivered; it was like someone was expecting them, welcoming them aboard. She knew the machine was almost self-maintained, it didn’t need a crew to fly it, in fact JDC had flown the thing single handed for much of the time she was on board and presumably continued to do so after she had left. She remembered feeling amazed at how quickly he had learnt all of the secrets that the Leviathan held, it was almost as if he was recalling some long forgotten memory. They followed Amndo inside. Amndo touched a section of wall just inside the doorway with his outstretched hand and the external door hissed closed, at the same time a door at the other end of the short corridor in which they found themselves opened and they perceived lights illuminating further inside the machine. Solvienne in her enthusiasm went to walk down the corridor towards this other now open door.

  “Wait my lady please.” Amndo motioned to Nar’Allia to approach where he stood. “We activated a security feature that we did not know about. A Pnook expert we allowed on board discovered it, he said it was similar to many such security locks that the Pnook use in the city. He then asked Nar’Allia to place her palm on the same area he had touched. When she had done so he touched a series of buttons on a small control that had slid out from the wall by the side of her hand. Several coloured lights flashed in sequence. Then a bleep sound was heard. “I have just instructed the security feature of the machine to accept the unique pattern of your hand as the key to opening and closing the external doors Nar’Allia. That way I don’t have to be around should you wish to access the machine at any time. I will also instruct you on the key phrases to lower and raise the wards I have set upon the building. I can do the same for Solvienne if you wish? But at the moment the mechanism that controls such access will not allow a repeat of the process for a period of time. It is another inbuilt security feature, one that neither JDC nor I can override it seems.”

  So for now they stepped through into one of the main corridors that ran the length of the deck they were on. Nar’Allia recognised the place where they stood, she had stood here a thousand times before. She even recognised the aromas within the machine. The air smelt, well…… too clean to her, it always had. She knew that the machines mechanisms cleaned the air from outside, sterilised it. For she also knew of the designers of the machine, the humans that called themselves the A’Kath. The race of men that lived in the great city that covered most of the world in the far ancient past. A people that had cut themselves off from the natural world and therefore could not breathe the natural air upon the surface because their natural immunity to all types of dust, dirt and biological organisms had been diminished to nothing. A result of their living within a sterile environment and their no longer needing such a biological defence mechanism and they had evolved into beings without an immune system and were doomed to live out their existences within the artificial environment in which they created. An environment of course that the machines internal mechanisms replicated.

  But the three soon found themselves in the main control room. Nar’Allia had been in here many times. She was used to JDC sitting there at the controls navigating and learning at the same time. It all came flooding back to her, memories reminding her of Minervar and the reason why they were here. She determined to restart that process without any further delay. Then it occurred to her that in all the time they flew in the Leviathan she had not learnt half of what JDC had learnt and now it seemed that Amndo also had become very familiar with the functions of the machine. She understood that she did not have the same incentives to discover and she was also happy for JDC to take on the responsibility for learning how to fly and navigate the machine.

  Then something niggled at her, she recalled how quickly JDC had been able to learn the finer details of the machines functionality. She also remembered how Amndo had explained that this new discovery of the security feature had been described as being similar to other mechanisms used by the Pnook within the city. Was this just coincidence? “Amndo you said that the Pnook kept historic records, have you discovered anything? Also we know that you spent time in Solin’s house in Amentura in secret. Solin sent us to her house in Amentura, she hinted that much may be discovered there but what we discovered is very confusing and disjointed. We found her hidden room. We also found out that you go there occasionally in secret, preferring to have the house to yourself.” Then before she could stop herself in her haste she made an accusation, “Amndo you are obviously in league with Solin over something, a lot of what we learnt causes suspicion in my mind that the two of you know a lot more than you lead us to believe. Perhaps master Amndo that some explanations are needed. Tell us please, do you know anything more? Have you learnt anything else that may bring us closer to finding Minervar?”

  Amndo indicated that the two women should sit.

  He himself sat upon one of the stools in front of the desk that Nar’Allia remembered as being the weapons control desk. None of the desks were powered up at the moment, only the interior room lights illuminated where they sat, the Leviathan continued to sleep. Then clasping his hands together on his lap he thought for a few minutes before he spoke. “Nar’Allia, yes I spent time in the lady Solin’s house from time to time, for much may be learnt there. I have never heard mention or have seen any secret room however; although on a number of occasions I admit to searching for certain things in the house and have many times looked for any hidden places. It may also surprise you to know that the lady Solin and I, well we have never actually met. All our messaging and correspondence have been through written accounts or through a third party. I cannot of course say anything on behalf of the lady Solin either in her defence or in accusation. But be assured, although I concede that I may appear to have acted in a clandestine way, I assure you that I have always acted for the good of all and at no time were any of my actions meant to cause harm or place any dangers upon the world.”

  He paused here; no one spoke but remained silent in anticipation of what he may say next.

  “I remember that we discussed much before Nar’Allia, but as Solvienne is also here and some of what I said was, well perhaps somewhat inaccurate due to my previous ignorance of the truth, I will start from the beginning if you will humour me.”

  Both women looked at him intently and both nodded their consent to his request.

  “Only before I begin I wish to make it clear to you now that I still do not know for sure where the lady Minervar may be. However, I feel an absolute surety that she yet lives and possibly the easterner mage also, although Deanola is human and she was perhaps already advanced in age at the time we met her, so death by old age may have overtaken her long before now. But much of what I have read here in Scienocropolis leads me to suspect otherwise.”

  Nar’Allia wanted to say something, add what she knew from her conversation with Serinae, but she kept quiet, preferring to hear Amndo’s version of events and not insert anything that may cause him to change his views and leave something of importance out. 

  “But if I may begin,” continued Amndo. “I want to take you back. Much of this you may already know, this I understand, but the course of events may be slightly different than that we had heard when last we travelled together.”

  Nar’Allia nodded in acceptance of what Amndo was going to say, she felt excited, expectant
.

  “You know of course of the race of humans that lived in the world back in the distant past. You know that a devastating war raged, a civil war. The true reasons for this conflict are perhaps lost or jaded by time, events disputed by both sides, that is clear. But that is not important, the folly of mankind is done. We can but hope that they may have learned from their mistakes.

  Human kind had split into two factions, I will call them the men of the west and the men of the east, the names they called themselves are now unimportant. But these two factions battled for supremacy over the world. The men of the west had advanced technologies at their disposal.” Here he gestured with his hand indicating the obvious technology within the Leviathan. “The men of the east shared in the knowledge of these technologies, but they lacked the basic resources or facilities to construct such things. As a result the men of the east sort alternatives to counter the war machines sent by the men of the west. So it was they discovered something else. A way of harnessing a powerful natural energy present in nature. They learnt to gather and bend the greatest forces natural to the world. In effect they learnt how to adapt the once benign, into a destructive force used to destroy their enemies.”

  “This most prevalent energy was the naturally occurring energy known to the humans as gravity, a natural source of energy one that the T’Iea are very familiar with, the energy you call the arcane. This energy is present everywhere in the universe, it was there at the beginning, at the creation and so it will remain until the end of time. Everything is affected by it and in many ways relies upon these forces of gravity or arcane; it is the very essence that holds everything together. Well the men of the east found a point in the world’s surface where the forces of gravity gathered and were concentrated. Why I do not know, it may be because of the mineral deposits below ground; it may be that the world’s central core is nearest the surface at that point, but whatever the reason they found that some of their race were susceptible to influences derived from this concentration of gravitational forces and also in turn able to influence it themselves, convert the gravitational energy into other forms. Well they experimented with the harnessing of these forces. They found after much experimenting that they were able to harness energy and form it at will.”

  Nar’Allia said under her breath, “they found the Rift. I have heard a similar tale before Amndo, form Master Alonso, he came to visit us in the great wood.”

  Amndo looked curious, “did he indeed.”

  Nar’Allia continued, “he returned Serinae’s quiver Amndo, I left it there in the east. Once it was back in my possession Serinae made the link, she spoke to me from wherever she resides at the moment.”

  Amndo nodded his head. “That is most encouraging my lady, most encouraging. This is good news indeed. But if I may continue?”

  “But you are right. The Rift was created, but it was not controlled. Over time it grew beyond the control of the men who had opened it. They had set something in motion that they could not contain, as a result a great threat to the safety of the world was allowed to fester and grow without hindrance. But something quite beyond the comprehension of any man occurred. The race of the ancient fathers came to this world with the promise of reconciliation. The remaining humans of the west hiding deep in their hiding places within the Rust Desert and the men of the east forever wandering as nomads to keep from discovery, well neither race of humans were in a strong position to negotiate. So the ancient fathers built their great machine. This machine had numerous functions. But one of its main capabilities in design was to control the massive release of arcane energy that the men of the east had released upon the world. The Rift at that time was large, much larger than it is today even. The ancient father’s great machine was designed to interconnect with the Rift energies and act as a vehicle to first stop the flow then over time slow the flow of raw energy and even stop it all together.”

  At this time few records exist apart from direct history of the Pnook. They record how they constructed machinery to contain the Rift and how a city was built over the point in the world where the Rift was exposed. The Pnook it seemed were tasked by the ancient fathers to oversee the recovery and control of the Rift energy, possibly because they also maintained the technology that restrained it. I think the Pnook became isolated from the other elder races for some reason, for the other races seem to disappear and have no mention in the written history of the Pnook from this point forward. The Pnook also record several other events, but real detail seems to have been glossed over, almost as if the Pnook who had written the accounts had only heard such second hand or through devious means. But it seemed that the machines of war that mankind had created had already turned on their masters. Something else controlled them, something that belonged to neither side but had a will and an agenda of its own. The Pnook hinted at a discovery they had made. They spoke of some kind of intelligence within the Rift, for this intelligence they were also tasked to keep at bay. They called it something unpronounceable; I will call this thing the Rift Entity. The Pnook discovered that this intelligence controlled what machines of war remained within the world.”

  Solvienne asked, “so what happened to the intellect as you call it, the Rift Entity, the controller of the machines once the great machine was built?”

  Here Amndo frowned, “oh in some form it is still there, it remains within the Rift. I know, for I have felt it, in fact it almost took me.” He fell silent deep in thought.

  Nar’Allia was thinking of what she had heard from Serinae that time when they communicated through the quiver back in her home in the great wood. Suddenly what Serinae had said took on a complete new and fresh meaning. “But Serinae was able to help, she intervened didn’t she?” It was Nar’Allia that spoke.

  Amndo sighed, “yes she saved me. If not for her then the Rift entity would have my intellect by now, just as it has the intellects of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran your evil cousins. I would have joined the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran as a pawn of that evil intelligence if not for Serinae’s intervention.” Amndo looked curiously at Nar’Allia. “But I have a feeling you know all this my lady Nar’Allia.”

  Nar’Allia smiled then she related the conversation that she had with Serinae through the medium of the quiver.

  When she had finished Amndo nodded slowly, then as if confirming what Serinae had told Nar’Allia he said. “Wherever Serinae is, she had access to the Rift; she also had access to an unlimited source of power, a source that made her well able to control the Rift Entity. She saved me by utilising that power.

  Nar’Allia made to ask a question but Amndo held his hand up asking for silence.

  Amndo took a deep breath. “I believe Nar’Allia that the ancient fathers have left a legacy behind that is far more powerful than we can ever have imagined. Their great machine is key, the same machine that Minervar and Serinae along with their companions put to rights. I think the ancient fathers designed the machine not only to control the unchecked energy emanating from within the Rift, but also to keep the intelligence, the Rift Entity under control, to somehow limit its effects and capabilities. But I also believe that they have left something else behind. They have hidden it well, somewhere in the voids I suspect, something that makes the power of their great machine seem like a child’s toy in comparison. I believe it is this place, within this void and whatever it hides, this is where the lady Serinae may be found.”

  Solvienne was thinking something, she was next to speak. “Then how does the Rift Entity manage to control the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran if its capabilities were reduced?”

  Amndo sighed. “I do not know My Lady. But what I do know is that it is gaining strength, somehow it has managed to start to escape the influences of the ancient fathers machine. If you want me to guess at how and why, then I would have to suspect the efforts of the spy Tezrin all those years ago, even though he was not entirely successful because of the efforts of your mother and Serinae and their companions. Even so I think the influence of the great
machine at that time was greatly reduced and this is why the Rift Entity was able to weaken its bonds and now is able to slowly overcome whatever holds it, the Rift Entity knows that it is gaining the upper hand. If it ever breaks free completely and manages to once again exploit the Rift energy to its full extent, then the world will once again be plunged into grave danger, perhaps an even greater danger. For there is a possibility that not only this world will be affected. My greatest fear Nar’Allia is that it may discover the greater part of the ancient father’s legacy of which I speak. Should this happen then I believe the Rift Entity will be able it to escape this world and be free to go out into the voids. Once free of the confines of this world it may be impossible to stop. If that ever happens the results will be unthinkable.”

  “Serinae shares that view Amndo, she expressed similar fears when we spoke. So, The Rift Entity must be halted somehow. Whatever it takes it must be stopped.” Amndo then looked at each of their faces carefully as if weighing something up in his mind. He seemed to reach a decision. So he leaned back and said, “there is something else. Part of this you know, that is why I have decided to tell you. I discovered the details of what I am to tell you from the meticulous records kept by the Pnook here in their city. You know that each of our races was allied to the ancient fathers. We each add to the overall skills that enabled the ancient fathers to undertake these great tasks. We did this I’m sure long ago in an ancient age, a time long since lost to us. Well, when we first came here the world was still at war and much of it remained uninhabitable for long periods of time. The elder races needed somewhere to live whilst construction of the great machine was undertaken, so the ancient fathers created homes for each of the races in the voids. These sanctuaries had connections to the machine hall. To enable access to and from that place whilst construction was going on. It may well be that Minervar and Deanola may be found in one of these places. Such a network of travel between the voids may have utilised an already available energy source, that of the Rift. I also believe that the ancient fathers intended to return at some stage, once the world had made this recovery perhaps, return and take us back to wherever it was that we originated from. But they didn’t come, many ages passed, still they did not come. My guess is with the passing of time our races migrated from the sanctuaries and spilled out into the world. The result was that we forgot these Rift connections, we became as much at home on this world as the race of men. It is apparent that for whatever reason the ancient fathers stopped visiting this world long ago, they marooned us here and as a result all of us, all our races settled here permanently.”

  Nar’Allia remembered what Solin had written as a note in the Book of Truths in Amentura. “Amndo, Solin must have known more than you think. When we were in Amentura but a few days ago we came across what seemed to be an original manuscript, a tome it was the Book of Truths. Serinae had translated much of what was written within, Solin had made notes, she hinted that the ancient fathers, may have never left the world, but she does not say what may have happened to them, whether they survive or not I do not know.”

  Amndo nodded in response, he didn’t look surprised. He remained in thought for a while. He looked at Nar’Allia, almost suspiciously. She squirmed under his gaze. But he seemed to snap out of it, give a mental shrug and then carried on speaking. “I often suspected that the lady Solin may have had something of great interest, her views and opinions on many subjects were very informed it always seemed to me.” He seemed to be thinking for a while before he continued. “If the lady Solin had access to such information then she had a major advantage. I also think that the Lady Serinae now has access to much more than we understand at present. In fact I think she may be somewhere perhaps that also links to the sanctuaries of which I spoke and also to the machine hall perhaps.”

  Nar’Allia became excited, “so Amndo, then Minervar may well be in one of these sanctuaries as we speak. If what you say about the Rifts is true then she may have been able to gain access to these sanctuaries via the Rift into which she fell.” 

  “I have no answer Nar’Allia, I’m sorry. But you have voiced my own thoughts most eloquently. If we are to look once more for the lady Minervar, then yes, I believe it is to these Rifts or even to the machine hall we should go. I firmly believe it is in these places that we will either find her or find information that may yet lead to her whereabouts. Of this I am sure.”

  Before Nar’Allia could respond Solvienne asked, “Rifts, as in plural Amndo?” 

  “Yes. The obvious Rift is the one in the east where the eastern men perverted the power that emanates from the worlds core. But using the information in this city of the Pnook, I have carefully thought about this, I suspect that there may have been other rift connections at strategic places around the world that would grant the ancient fathers and the elder races secret access into the world of men. There is strong evidence that some of these other Rift vents may still survive.”

  Solvienne was astonished. “How many exactly?”

  But Amndo continued. “As I said, I strongly believe that the other Rift vents formed access points for the elder races to spill out upon the globe. I believe that if you look to where the elder races inhabit the world then you may find a Rift vent there also.”

  Nar’Allia then thought of another question. “What do you think became of the ancient fathers Amndo?”

  “Amndo sighed, “Such difficult questions Nar’Allia, I don’t think I can answer that either I’m afraid, there is not much I have found on the subject. Perhaps something happened to keep them away. What it was I do not know. But if they were as technologically advanced enough to travel across the great void then I doubt that any sudden disaster befell them. They must have spread themselves throughout the universe. To destroy them completely would involve the complete and systematic search of the universe itself. No, I feel, and this is only my own thoughts you understand, I feel that either something of great importance occurred within their society that required all their attentions for a long time and perhaps we were forgotten, or perhaps the ancient fathers chose not to rescue us from this world.”

  Then Solvienne thought about the last question she had burning in her mind. She was a little loathe to ask it, but she needed to know never the less. “What of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran Amndo, they are T’Iea the same as us, why do you think that they were taken in by the Rift entity?”

  Solvienne looked up with some expectancy.

  Amndo frowned. “ Well, something happened, I cannot be sure what, but I am willing to hazard a guess. The Rift entity became powerful. Well at some stage the T’Iea experts that must have been studying the Rift energies, well some of them or perhaps just an individual must have been affected in some way, maybe even infected themselves for the T’Iea out of all the races are closer to the arcane and perhaps can be more influenced by it. Perhaps the Rift entity itself found a weakness in such an individual or group and subjected them to its will. Remember that the Rift entity was wholly concerned with destruction, perhaps for a thousand years it had fed upon war, conflict was all it knew. So it is logical that it should try to continue along that destructive path by any means it could find. If it found a way to subdue servants of a kind to its will I am in no doubt that it would have jumped at that opportunity. Thus I believe that the race of T’Iea called the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran was conceived.”

  The two T’Iea sat in silence for many minutes, each in their own thoughts.

  Then Solvienne spoke. “If the Rift Entity is destroyed Amndo, will it free our brothers and sisters of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran?”

  Amndo looked into her eyes. “I believe that there is a good chance Solvienne. But it has been many ages that the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran have been within the control of the Rift entity. There is also a chance that they may not be able to survive without it.”

  Once again the two T’Iea sat in silence pondering what Amndo had said.

  Then he spoke again. “I do not believe that the Rift i
tself is malevolent, it is only the Rift entity within the Rift in the east that exerts and evil influence. I believe Nar’Allia that the Rift itself and the other Rift vents will still be as they originally were. Remember they were not created by human kind rather they were created by the elder races as part of the function of the great machine and to provide thoroughfares to access different locations. I do not believe that the Rift Entity in all its intelligence has discovered that the Rift has other access points. I believe that the restrictions placed upon it by the ancient fathers machine have limited its view, luckily it focuses most of its efforts in gaining its freedom. If this were not the case, then I certainly believe we would all be in a far more precarious position than we actually find ourselves. My deepest fear is that the Rift entity may make such a discovery. This fear is even greater than the fear I have of the Rift entity itself.” Here he took a deep breath. “I believe that the ancient fathers great machine is the link. I also believe that the machine itself has done its work. The Rift entity now has the upper hand and the machine if anything is now just compounding the situation and also there is a great risk that it may provide a link to the place where Serinae is. In my view the machine should be destroyed; to leave it intact is a greater risk. 

  Nar’Allia was about to question this logic but Solvienne spoke before she could say anything. “Then quite possibly there may be other Rift vents that may be entry points into the machine hall, we may be able to gain access to the machine hall via these other Rifts, if this is indeed the case it may be the answer to all our prayers.”

  “Ah, my lady Solvienne you are astute in your thinking. But the geographical area populated by each of the elder races is quite large and an accurate guess at each Rifts position is impossible. I would need a much more accurate fix on more Rifts if I was going to calculate the position of all the others. But, If my suspicions are correct, then I believe a good place to start would be by asking the other elder races perhaps? If any of the other Rifts are still working, then it may be that the other races know of their existence. Even if the exact location is kept a tight secret by a few within each society.”

  Nar’Allia nodded. “If any of the races know about the possible locations of other Rift vents then surely it would more than likely be your race of the keepers”.

  Amndo nodded, but he looked worried, “yes Nar’Allia you may be right, but remember out of all the elder races the keepers were the only ones not to live in the world. Even now we remain within the voids in our city of TeraT’Inu’Itil. For some reason we did not spill out upon the world and make it our home.”

  Solvienne brightened up. “Then let us start there in your home city master Amndo.”

  Amndo seemed to be in some kind of inner turmoil. But he composed himself and continued, “it is the logical suggestion my lady but I fear something is not as it seems there, I don’t know any more than that, just a suspicion. Perhaps I am being paranoid, but the fact that the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran spy Tezrin was able to infiltrate the keeper’s innermost secrets this makes me feel uneasy. I feel dread at going there and divulging our plans such as they are to anyone in TeraT’Inu’Itil, for I fear something there, I know not what, but something is not as it should be. I would not advise going to TeraT’Inu’Itil, at least not yet. I fear any investigations made there concerning any of this may awaken something that I would wish to remain dormant.”

  However hard Nar’Allia and Solvienne tried to get him to say more Amndo would not. All he would say was in the way of a warning to the T’Iea to be watchful and careful about who they divulged any of this information to, especially those that they would normally automatically trust.”

  Nar’Allia didn’t voice her thoughts, but regardless of what Amndo had said, his words of warning and mention of Tezrin struck a chord. She still found herself thinking of Solin and Serinae, how they seemed to have known more than they were willing to divulge and how perhaps they still seemed to influence events even though neither of them was present in person. She also remembered Serinae’s last words to her, she had suggested there maybe such another Rift entry. Serinae had started to try to tell her the location, but something had gone wrong and their connection through the quiver had been terminated. For some reason she did not voice her thoughts to Amndo.