A Twist of the Tale by P R Glazier
Chapter 37. Cheating Death
Together they watched as fires spread ever wider across the machine hall below them. They had sort the portal that would have allowed their escape but the search was in vain. As they suspected, the machine on reacting to an emergency situation had shut down all access into the hall, a safety measure perhaps. But they were already in the hall and now without escape. The last of the great globes crashed downwards. As it hit the floor a blast of searing hot air touched their faces and stung their skin. The spreading devastation going on below them was frightening; the heat was unbearable even at their high vantage point on the control platform, the noise deafening. The machine it seemed was not going to die easily. The four women were forced to walk backwards shielding their faces from the rising temperature around them a breeze blew ever stronger from behind them as the fires below sucked all the oxygen from the atmosphere. Explosions increased in intensity and regularity from the machine floor far below. A dense fume caught in their throats, an acrid smell of a pungent mix of chemicals from the burning materials that threatened to kill by poisoning them; that is if the heat or reduced oxygen did not suffocate them first. They stared in horror and wonder at the destruction they had caused. Fire, dark smoke and flames now spread faster and faster towards them until the many square kilometres of floor area in the machine hall became a vast cauldron of flaming heat and pawls of dense choking smoke.
The four women were forced to step as farther away from the edge as they possibly could and eventually seek shelter against the wall of the cavern to escape the intensity of the conflagration below and to find the last pockets of breathable air. They huddled, their backs against the wall where moments before the portal to the anteroom once stood open. The flames rose up now ever hungry for oxygen on which to feed, the towers of fire became tall enough to be seen above the edge of the parapet. The vibrations of the shuddering ground could be felt increasing in intensity. The women lay prostrate coughing violently, tears streaming down each of their faces; they writhed on the floor as choking pain burned in their lungs and throats.
Then something started to happen in the very centre of the machine hall where the fires must have been at their hottest and the destructive forces most violent. Everything seemed to start to move, to rotate, only at the very centre to start with. It looked to be some kind of whirlpool at the centre of which was a tiny black dot. The whirling increased and widened, the centre started to spin faster and faster and also started to expand the spread the swirling mass ever farther outwards. Rock and other matter on the very edge of the whirling mass was ripped apart and dragged inwards increasing in speed and also decreasing in size as if two great hands were crushing it into an ever smaller space until it was whirling around and around at a rate that was almost faster than the eye could see. In the very centre the tiny black dot started to drop downwards. It now appeared as if everything swirling around was being sucked into this vast funnel disappearing from sight down the relatively tiny black centre. The parapet upon which the women crouched shook violently and started to tilt downwards towards what remained of the machine hall. Rock and material from below the parapet was being pulverised and sucked into the black funnel. The women gasped, for now they caught sight of the black hole threatening to suck them into its deathly embrace.
Serinae screamed above the din, a look of anxiety in her eyes, “THE DARK CORE.”
Minervar gaped as she regarded the look of fear on Serinae’s face, never had she seen the T’Iea ranger exhibit fear, it chilled her to the centre of her being.
The funnel towards the very centre, just before it disappeared into the dark core took on the look of a swirling oily mass; it looked just like the Rift. But this was different; whereas the Rift seemed just to swirl and broil around itself, here the Rift itself was also disappearing down the dark core in the very centre of the funnel. Minervar let out a cry as she imagined then that the Rift was here, it was groping for them, it wanted to draw them in with it, to smother them and destroy them. The last action of its own demise.
Nar’Allia heard a loud scream. She looked around in alarm wondering who it was that had made the noise, fearful that one of them had lost their footing as was now plunging headlong into the dark core, but the others did not seem to have made a sound, she realised then that it was she who had screamed.
Eventually the floor was undermined by the amount of material that had already disappeared and on its way into the dark core, it now sloped so much that it threatened to pitch them into the ugly blackness below. Then something else appeared, the rock and other material that was being sucked into the centre seemed to clear and become less dense, they could see ever more clearly between the mass of rock and other matter swirling around at incredible speeds. They gasped as one, for there between the spinning mass they could see many points of light, bright pinpoints. Stars, they could see a myriad of stars beyond where the dark core sucked on everything it could reach like a hungry animal. The women looked on in fear and wonder, the stars were beautiful and they could not take their eyes from the vista that spread out before them. The view was widening, within minutes a billion stars shone all around as if they stared up at the night sky. They were shocked back into the present by the rock shelf on which they stood starting to move. It started to follow the edge of the spinning mass; it was as if they rode on the deck of a ship in an ocean of swirling matter surrounded by the stars of the universe. The rock beneath them pitched and started to spin around its own centre like a wheel. If they slid over the edge it would be to a briefly painful death, crushed to an infinitely small space. They lay there prostrate upon the stone floor trying to get a grip on whatever they could to stop the centrifugal force from spinning them off the platform into oblivion. Solvienne drew her knees up to her chest, Minervar tried to console her by holding her arm tightly.
Serinae closed her eyes. She fought the panic that rose within her, beat it back. Never before had she felt such fear, it was that thing, the Dark Core, it was coming for her. She would have rather met the Maker at the point of a sword, than via this unearthly thing. At least if she died fighting she had a degree of control. This thing she could not fight or even control in any way, it would always have the upper hand and she knew it.
Something else vied for her attention, she felt a tug on her arm, she looked around to see Nar’Allia shouting something at her, Nar’Allia was coughing, blood dribbled over her bottom lip and down her chin, but she held onto Serinae’s arm and was pulling hard. Serinae felt sorrowful, she was the cause of so much hurt, now she was hurting those she loved, she watched Nar’Allia’s once beautiful face now a mass of contorted features, wanted to apologise to her for causing her such pain. Then Serinae’s attention went to something over Nar’Allia’s shoulder. It was an odd looking area in what was left of the wall to their right, her heart leapt in recognition, for there she saw an open portal through which a figure, a hooded figure had appeared. She suddenly realised it was not pain that contorted Nar’Allia’s features it was the effort of trying to get her attention.
The figure was standing by the open portal, his or her hand upon the rim keeping it open and also stopping the figure from sliding down the sloping, spinning floor and out into the starry blackness of the outer voids below. The figures hood was still up obscuring the face, but the figure itself was gesturing towards them with some urgency, waving at them to come forth, the figure was shouting at them, but nothing could be heard above the din. Something clicked in Serinae’s mind, she was reaching towards the other huddled women; Serinae was already tugging at Minervar’s hand.
Minervar turned but could not hear what either Nar’Allia or Serinae was saying, the din of many millions of tons of swirling matter colliding was now so loud it was difficult to hear voices. But Serinae was indicating something across the rocky platform. Then Minervar saw the open portal, she grabbed at Solvienne’s offered hand and eventually all four women slowly made their way across the tilting, spinning floor. Ano
“The portal, get to the portal Solvi, do not wait, go now.” Shouted Serinae between hacking coughs, her green eyes aflame.
So still looking behind her Solvienne scrambled on her hands and knees towards the open portal. The figure that waited there stretched out a hand and as soon as Solvienne felt their fingers grip she was dragged up and tossed through the open portal.
Solvienne lay upon the floor of the anteroom; it was so incredibly silent. No more the deafening sound, the only sound her heavy, rasping breathing. It seemed like hours passed but eventually Minervar appeared, she gasped in lungful’s of fresh air, staggered across the floor and fell onto all fours coughing and gasping, blood specs shone on the stone beneath her. The next through were Serinae and Nar’Allia almost together, their faces were black with dust and dirt, but they were alive. They joined Minervar in coughing violently and vomiting black filthy looking liquid.
Serinae after recovering, other than from the odd cough, instinctively had one of her short swords, held up defensively. They waited and soon the hooded figure stood in front of them and with a whoosh the portal closed. There was utter silence, apart from the sound of pulsating blood rushing in through their inner ears. Serinae raised her sword, but she did not attack yet. For both Solvienne and Nar’Allia were holding onto one another and approaching the hooded figure, they both grabbed the figure in a hug, the figure laughed out loud in glee. Minervar, a broad smile on her face walked to where Serinae stood. She grasped Serinae’s arm and smiled into her face.
They watched as Solvienne and Nar’Allia both laughing with joy as they stood back from the figure who reached up and removed the hood from its head.
Serinae pursed her lips, a keeper then, not a T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran, she breathed a sigh and lowering her blade walked forward as did Minervar.
Nar’Allia calmed herself and smiling at Serinae and Minervar said, “Momma, Seri please meet an old and trusted friend, this is Master Amndo.”
Serinae took the hand of the keeper and shook it. “We have to thank you for a very timely rescue master keeper.”
Amndo nodded at Serinae. “I am sorry I was not earlier in coming, I was ummm, delayed I’m afraid. The silence on this side of the portal seemed incredible, their ears still rang with the percussion of the last few explosions of cracking, tortured stone. Amndo looked at the T’Iea women and smiled. Then he looked beyond them, two bodies lay upon the ground. No one had noticed them in the confusion; they all turned and were shocked to see them there. Amndo strode over and gently removed the robe that had fallen over one face.
Minervar gasped, for there staring opened eyed in death was a face she recognised, “the Grand Master?” She asked questioningly.
“Yes,” said Amndo, “it seems we were not completely rid of the old priesthood after all. The Grand Master kept his true identity and intent hidden from us for all these years. He was in league with the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran. But only to feed his own dark ends.” Amndo looked at Serinae and said, “I’m sorry my lady Serinae, he was also in league with one you know, the former Gatekeeper, the one named Tezrin.”
Suddenly lots of pieces fell into place in Serinae’s mind, the pieces of a puzzle that had long lain untouched upon a table, now they were formed, finished, placed in the right order. Serinae smiled, at last the final twists in the tale had straightened, for there on the table of her imagination the completed puzzle formed a picture, as she looked at what she saw, she felt no emotion, she was too tired for that. She thought she should feel something, for there in her mind’s eye was a picture of a young T’Iea male, his hand extended offering a goblet of T’Iea wine, his long dark hair tied behind his head in a ponytail, his wide grin just as she remembered it, his eyes smiling, the left one slightly closed as if in a cheeky wink. She thought of Tezrin, his companionship, hunting by her side, she thought of their sitting together singing in the light of a campfire, just the two of them somewhere in the wilds. She thought of his stern concentration as he wielded his sword and aimed his bow. She thought of the two of them in a tight embrace deep in the labyrinth below the Grûndén city, a stolen time of intimacy, a personal moment grasped within a life of servitude to their masters. She wiped a tear from her dirt stained cheek as she remembered the two of them, both slightly embarrassed, sitting in the cool garden room of Tezrin’s parents house in Ter’Fin’Ealle as the hot summer sun lit the multi-coloured hues within the garden outside. The voices of their parents talking and laughing. A time that seemed like a million years ago, a moment lost in the vastness and the innocence of the past. She smiled her eyes still slightly moist as she felt with absolute surety and whispered as she felt awash with the most incredible feeling of release and peace. She had finally after all this time felt able to forgive. “I will see you once more yet my love and my brother the Maker willing.”
Amndo went across to the second huddled form that still lay on the floor, not the one that was surrounded in a pool of crimson, but the one that was huddled into a ball, her arms gripped tightly around her knees as she lay on her side breathing heavily. He took her in his arms; she shook and moaned, she was obviously in some discomfort. But another stood by his side; the lady Minervar. She looked sorrowful, she indicated that Amndo should lay Shak’Ee’Roe gently to the floor, this he did.
Minervar felt a deep sorrow, the T’Iea girl that Amndo so obviously cared for was in great distress, Minervar looked at her features, she exhibited the beauty of their race. Minervar knew she had to do everything she could to ease her pain. She felt it was the least she could do for her own salvation, a form of repentance for her own cruelty to these people, her own people. She felt an old anger rise within her, why should these people carry on suffering; even in their salvation they still felt pain. She cradled the young T’Iea in her arms and rocked her back and forth. She held a hand to the girl’s forehead. She made soothing noises and was rewarded for the young girl opened her eyes and stared into Minervar’s. At first the she struggled against Minervar, both physically and mentally. Minervar closed her eyes and projected soothing thoughts. It worked, the young girl relaxed a little. Minervar projected thoughts of a soft bed a soft down pillow, a white roo
Minervar’s concentration was broken by a voice, “thank you mistress.” It was Shak’Ee’Roe’s shaky voice deep in Minervar’s mind. The young girl then seemed to sigh and relax.
Minervar smiled as she gently stroked the forehead of the T’Iea girl, brushing her hair away from her eyes, she whispered, “be free child, be free of it at last. It has gone, you can return, return to your people. Rejoice in the truth for you are now free to do so.” Minervar lay Shak’Ee’Roe’s now sleeping form onto the ground. She stood and looked at Serinae. The two women embraced. Minervar with a feeling of absolute surety, whispered into Serinae’s ear, “we can save them Seri. Now the Rift entity has gone we can save them. It is simple, as simple as a word of kindness, a single act of love, we can bring them back even after all this time, the creator’s presence remains within, even after all that has happened, after all this time. We can return them to their true home.”
Serinae smiled at Minervar, “I never doubted Mini.” She looked around her, “the trouble is we are here somewhere in the voids and they are far away in the world of men, to the east of the great spine, I don’t know how we can get there in time. I fear that if their return from the Rift’s influence leaves them vulnerable this may be viewed as a weakness by those who do not understand. None may survive to be welcomed home if we cannot do something soon.” She then looked towards Amndo and said, “Am I right Master keeper that we are in one of the anti-rooms that accesses the machine hall?”
Amndo nodded his affirmation. “Yes my lady, the anteroom that leads from my city. It is part of the void that hosts TeraT’Inu’Itil thankfully, for the void that held the machine room has been completely destroyed by now. Alas with the machine gone the portal system that utilised the Rift is now also gone.”
Solvienne then asked, “how is it Amndo you managed to use a portal into the machine room after we had destroyed all access?”
“Ah well Solvienne, you see I managed to get hold of the grand Masters personal key stone, possibly the same one that Tezrin had fashioned a long time ago. But this key stone is independent of the Rift so is still usable.”
Serinae said, “hmmm,” whilst she nodded her head. But then she asked, “am I right in thinking that this room then may enable access to the voids? Even to the sanctuary places the ancient fathers built to house our peoples whilst the construction of the machine was being undertaken?”
Amndo looked sad as he replied, “alas mylady, with the machine gone we would need the means to open a portal to that place, the key stone I acquired from the Grand Master is locked and cannot be modified. But yes, if a portal was opened then access should be possible.”
Serinae reached down to her old quiver, she grasped something that hung from the rim and tugged sharply upon it. Whatever she held came away in her hand. She offered it to Amndo. He looked into her face questioningly. She nodded to him in affirmation. He extended his hand and looking down saw there upon his palm lay a black shiny pebble. He said, “a keystone?”
“Aye master keeper, these have served me well, they link to a place I only recently found out about, at least its true identity. A place where the old ways still exist, a place long forgotten by the T’Iea because we abandoned it in madness too long ago.” She sighed then said, “I think you will find it has imbued within it the signature of a place we T’Iea call it Elit G’fedrel, if you can use it then we can get to that place of safety and from there perhaps we can go elsewhere.”
Amndo stared at the stone and held it tightly gripped in his palm. He closed his eyes and before long there before them appeared an open portal. They could see beyond the portals entrance a land full of trees, large trees.
Serinae helped Minervar to carry the prone form of Shak’Ee’Roe, Amndo ushered them through and before long they all stood on a hillock overlooking the forest of great trees. Serinae and Minervar carefully lowered Shak’Ee’Roe to the ground.
“I did not think I would be seeing this place again, it gladdens my heart to return. More than you can imagine master keeper. Thank you.”
Amndo looked at Serinae, “it is your resourcefulness we need to thank My Lady, it was the portal stone from that quiver of yours that enabled the connection to here.”
“Come,” Serinae grasped onto Amndo’s arm, “there is someone I would like you to meet, someone who I believe you know.”
Shak’Ee’Roe stirred and Minervar helped her to her feet, she stood there shakily. But the party made their way down the slope and entered beneath the trees. After a little while a figure approached them. An old human women, rough animal skins adorned her but it was warm here and the cloak she wore was off her shoulders. Amndo looked at the woman, her unadorned shoulders and bear arms were covered in tattoos.
Amndo whispered, “Deanola.” He bowed to the old mage. Deanola bowed back.
Serinae continued with a smile. “I see you remember.”
“Yes, many years ago, we were allied once there in the east. We fought together, as did you My Lady.”
Serinae smiled, she remembered the three of them, but she also remembered that she was not actually there, at least not physically, but she had still met Amndo, at least she knew his presence. He was trapped within the grasp of the evil intelligence within the Rift, the Rift entity. She had used the resources and connections offered by the ancient fathers great ship of the stars to counter the Rift entity. It was an artificial intelligence, a creation of mankind, she had found a way of countering it, introducing damaging sub-routines to get around its defences and make it release Amndo. She could not have done it on her own, only with the resources within the star ship had she proved successful. She smiled at Amndo. “Well there will be time to reminisce I am sure, but that time is not now. We need to get to the eastern lands of which you speak the lands from where Deanola originally comes from. With the machine destroyed and with it the Rift, the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran are made vulnerable, they will be confused I think like this young girl,” she gestured towards Shak’Ee’Roe being supported by Minervar. “Many others may take advantage of this vulnerability and attack, worse still take control of whatever lay within the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran city. There is weaponry there that should be feared greatly for they control an army that is practically invincible.”
Amndo sighed. “When the ancient fathers designed the machine to control the Rift they only thought to bring the Rift back under control, they did not intend that the Rift be destroyed, after all it was not theirs to destroy. So the ancient fathers machine supported the Rift, kept the Rift going. But now the destruction of the machine would have upset the controlling nodes of the Rift, it should be dissipating as we speak if it has not done so already.” The Rift entity is now destroyed my lady He looked towards Shak’Ee’Roe, the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran will indeed be made temporarily vulnerable, the further physically from the Rift the sooner they will feel it fade and dissipate. That is why the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran very rarely left their city and even then for only limited periods of time.”
Minervar lowered Shak’Ee’Roe’s carefully down onto the soft grass at her feet, she stirred slowly and eventually awoke. She didn’t seem to fear where she was, didn’t even seem surprised. Instead she stood and glanced all around her, she then giggled like a small girl and
Serinae laughed, “indeed welcome home my sister, welcome to your true home. May you live in peace, love and light for the rest of your days.” She watched as Shak’Ee’Roe wandered about under the trees looking up at the sunlight streaming through the boughs alighting upon the greenery beneath. It was like looking at a child awakened to the wondrous beauty. “You see Amndo, how we must gather them, all of them and bring them here to be healed as Shak’Ee’Roe has so surely proven.”
Deanola stepped forward, she said, “perhaps I can aid you, this is a task for me, do not fear. There is something else that the elves taught me, well one in particular. If he yet lives and is still there, in the east, he will aid us. But you will need to get me back into my world, into the same space and time as he if I am to deliver a message.”
Serinae asked, “Master Amndo can you take us there, take us back into the world of men?”
Amndo looked disappointed as he said, “alas with the Rift gone, any links that once existed between this system and the world of men will also be destroyed and I’m afraid that many, if not all of the nodes have also been destroyed. I would have to investigate what portal capability we have from here, this could take many weeks’ even months.”
Serinae looked downhearted, Minervar came to her side and gently grasped her hand. “Are we to be thwarted sister, here at the last, finally robbed of our goal because we have become prisoners here in this place and unable to undertake the last and final task to save our people.”
Minervar said, “there must be a way yet Seri, we have all come too far to give up now. So much has been done; I will not accept that we shall fail. Not now.”
Nar’Allia and Solvienne clustered around the two older T’Iea a sorrowful look in their eyes, they were talking consoling each other, soft words were being spoken.
Amndo looked at them, he felt unworthy, rejected, unable to take part in what was being said.
The women started to walk in the direction of the village in which they had been living. Deanola grabbed his hand for a few moments and tried to persuade him to follow them. But he took his hand away and turned his back on her.
Later that day Serinae was out searching for Amndo, she was worried as were the rest of them for they hadn’t seen him since they left him to return to the cave where the portal system once could be found, he wanted to see what was left. She was calling his name occasionally but so far no sign of him could be seen. Then suddenly she heard a crashing noise, as if a wild boar charged through the undergrowth intent upon attacking its aggressor. She turned to see Amndo running headlong towards her, he had gathered up his robes above the knee so that he could run as fast as possible, he was shouting something illegible between gasps of air. Eventually he stooped by her side gasping in lungful’s of air and at the same time trying to say something, explain something. All Serinae could make out between sobs and gasps where “dullard” and “idiot”. She allowed him to lean upon her shoulder and they began to walk back to the city in the trees. After a cool drink of water Amndo eventually found his voice. “I have been a complete fool, an absolute idiot, but I have thought of something, why it did not occur to me before I shall never know. But my ladies I think I may have it. I have the answer to getting to the east.” He looked at each of them a broad smile upon his lips. He nodded, “but, it relies on the other side of a portal being there in the east but I suspect that is where it lies, it will greatly surprise me if it does not. But the good thing is that if it does not lie there then we will have the means to get anywhere in the world within a few days at most, of that I am sure.”
“Then take us master keeper and quickly if you please.”
Minervar stepped forward. “Let us all go, I would like to see if access back into the world is possible, if there is a chance I would like to return. ”She went over to Nar’Allia and holding her hand and smiling she said, “we each have a son and a husband there that we would dearly like to see once more.”
Amndo nodded, “perhaps then my lady you will step back here and also the rest of my ladies if you please we will go there to this place and we shall see.”
So it was that they all clustered around Amndo he held out a hand and Serinae grasped it, she in turn held out her other hand and Nar’Allia held that one. Shak’Ee’Roe went to grasp Serinae’s other hand but she seemed reticent to do so; the ranger smiled at her and said, “sister, you have seen enough in your life, you need rest and I see you would like to remain here and I can’t say I blame you for that. Amndo no longer is your responsibility; you are free to do what you will. So I would ask a favour of you?”
Shak’Ee’Roe nodded and smiling cocked her head to one side listening.
“I would ask you remain here. If we are successful then you will be able to welcome all of your people home.” Shak’Ee’Roe seemed to weigh these words, but without a word she stepped back and turning walked back in the direction of the city. Serinae and the others watched her go. So it was that all the remaining women made a physical link to Amndo once again. He looked at them all and smiling reached inside his robes. When he withdrew his hand he held a portal stone. He looked at it as it lay there in the palm of his hand. The T’Iea company also looked at the stone. In the silence a number of prayers were said in earnest.
Amndo closed his eyes in concentration.