REALM'S END (BOOK OF FEY 1) (31 page)

Pit could see that the boy was very nearly through his journey. He would be a strong lad and well balanced.

Suddenly the cavern rocked with a giant blast. The crystalline walls began to shift and crumble around them. The crystals stopped transmitting love and instead began to try and stop the ripple of damaging energy from being transmitted through to the boy.

Everyone, but Lisl was torn from where they stood. The hand clasp was broken; as everyone was thrown off their feet by the blast, the energy to Briok was severed. The sisters struggled, barely able to maintain an unbroken circle of energy around the two.

The roof began to rain down small shards of sharp crystal. James turned his thoughts upward and stopped most of the dangerous shards from landing among the group.

Suddenly they all heard an ominous crack. Looking up everyone could see a large stalactite directly above Lisl and Briok wobble. The witches watched in horror, their magic of no use in this world as the crystal broke loose and fell straight down, like an arrow. Pit let go of the wall and turned all of his formidable power towards the falling crystal. James slowed the arrow’s descent. Pit changed the stalactites trajectory and the giant crystal crashed just beyond where the two Fey were still standing, caught as they were deep within the dream world of Fey. The stalactite’s sharp point buried itself deep in the heart of the cavern floor.

Everyone hurried to help Lisl and Briok. Lisl was tired but somehow managed to maintain her concentration. She had already begun the song to bring Briok back from the trance, for she could not chance taking him further. If she lost him in the tonal forest, he would have no hope of finding his way home.

The sisters rejoined hands lending whatever energy they could to the Fey. James bent his energy to surrounding the inner cavern walls in a tightly woven mesh of magical strands that held everything still while Lisl worked to bring Briok home.

Gwenth held the baby and hoped Briok would be fine.

Pit no longer needed for his energetic love, wandered over and examined the crystal arrow.

Suddenly a second crack rang out through the crystalline structure of the cavern. This time while the walls held, the floor began undulating wildly.

Gwenth screamed and crouched down to protect her sister.

Lisl doubted Briok was quite ready, but fearing for the boy’s life she gave his spirit a great yank and pulled the boy directly from the Fey homeland back into consciousness.

Briok woke coughing. His head hurt and he groaned, as he reached up to massage his skull. As his hand moved in front of his face he saw something different. He stopped reaching up and brought his hand back down in front of his eyes. His mouth fell open as he saw the bright peacock colored skin flash in front of his face. “I’m finally awake,” his voice called out gently. Briok looked around and saw that his friends were all gathered around and though the floor was reeling, his wings held him just off the ground, safely away from the danger. To his left he saw his mother’s tired face smiling gently up at him. Her own eyes were filled with fluid and it was leaking down her cheeks. He flitted easily to her and wrapped her in his embrace. “Mother, it’s alright I’m here.”

Lisl laughed. “I see that son and I see you made some new friends.” In delight, Lisl hugged her grown son close.

Briok smiled brightly as she held him close. “It feels good to be awake at last.”

“Yes I knew you would like it. It is like having your eyes opened for the first time, to the all-ness of our world, and to the all-ness of ourselves as well,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “I am lucky to get to be the first to welcome you into your new life.” She reached out and touched the skin over his heart gently.

“Thank you mother, you have been a good teacher for me. I heard your song leading me through the forests of the homeland,” Briok said, taking his mother’s hand gently from where it lay against his heart and kissed her open palm.

Everyone stood quietly watching mesmerized by Briok’s transformation. All eyes were turned towards the Fey; his body sparkled and seemed as if it too were part of the cavern, because it to glow from within.

Then the floor began to shake and roll. Both James and Pit turned their attention towards stabilizing the room.

“I’m afraid it’s no use. Unless I restore the Dembys to the walls, the cavern will be lost to us,” Pit said, quietly to James. “We might have stayed here unobserved if we hadn’t built up so much energy for the boy, but now I’m afraid the enemy has brought the war to us.”

Rowan’s Last Breath

Above the cavern in the chambers of the Rowan, Sephoria watched as the Rowan’s breath came hard. Whatever had happened below had, had a devastating outcome within the great tree. Sephoria’s eyes leaked tears and they fell like rain onto the hard packed floor of the chamber. Her palms touched the great seat, the very heart of the great tree; she could feel the great tree’s life ebbing away. She fought against the tree’s death will all her might. She sent healing energy deep into the trees energy fields, trying to shore up the tree’s reserves of energy so it could overcome whatever had befallen it.

“It is no use my dear. I cannot be saved in this way. You must let me go.”

“No! No,” she sobbed. “I won’t let you go without me. I won’t. You said we would always be together. You said even in our passing we would not be separated,” her voice broke with her grief.

The Rowan’s breath faltered as the chamber walls began to crack. The great wooden cornices at the center of the room, fell shattering into dust as they hit the chamber floor. The Rowan chuckled, “And so we shall, my dear. I am forever with you, and you will always have my council and my great undying love, but you must go on for now, and help the children escape. The magic that holds Lillith in place will falter soon and you must rescue her.” The Rowan’s voice faltered as she broke off into a fit of coughing. “Remember there are those among the tribes who do not yet believe the world will end. You must help them understand and at the same time keep Lillith safe.”

Sephoria threw her body upon the Rowan’s heart seat, wrapping her arms around it; she could save the Rowan, she knew that and so she strove to bend her will and steal the magic of her world to save the Rowan. Her mind reached out taking energy from everything as she went. She began to systematically strip everything nearby of its magical energy, her grief was great, and her need was great. It had to work!

“No, Sephoria,” the Rowan’s voice rang out! “You must not turn toward the dark to save the light. It doesn’t work that way, even for you my darling. Let me go, now. We will meet in the grove soon I promise you.” Then Rowan’s melodic voice failed and suddenly she fell silent.

Sephoria lay where she had fallen on the Rowan’s great seat, her sobs filling the chamber. Then a great crack roared out and the land began to shift, the walls began to undulate, as if the tree itself were not made of the solidness of wood. Sephoria saw the walls begin to fade in and out. She caught a glimpse of the secret chamber and saw Lillith balled up in the corner crying. Sephoria pushed herself upright, which was no easy task for the part tree, part Fey and then she connected herself to the energy of the inner sanctum and she was through the magical door kneeling down to comfort the frightened young Fey. “There now child, it’s going to be alright. The Rowan has seen fit to set you free.” Sephoria said, as she sat patting the girl’s hair.

“She’s gone!” Lillith cried as she looked up at the wise woman. “She was my friend and now she’s gone. I can’t hear her any more in my mind,” and she lowered her head, and sobbed.

Sephoria’s own grief rose up and felt as if it would choke and kill her. She felt the great emptiness too and she knew the child’s grief. The Rowan had been all the girl had known for many, many years. “Yes, she is gone, but she asked me to help you escape. Please come away child. We can’t let our grief ruin all her plans now, please.” Sephoria straightened herself up and waited as the girl tried to pull herself together.

Lillith stood slowly and reached out to touch the inner chamber wall. It continued fading in and out, but she could feel it solidly under her palm, even when it faded. Tears still streamed down her face as she touched the now lifeless body of her companion, her guardian, her keeper. Lillith sniffled, trying to withhold her tears, she turned back towards Sephoria, “She loved me,” she said. Tears continued running down her cheeks.

Sephoria nodded, as she stepped forward and took the young Fey within her embrace. “Yes, child she loved you deeply. She knew this time would come long before you were born and she strove to prepare herself and you for this change. Now all I can say is try and take all she has given you and use it to create a new world that she would approved of.”

Lillith sobbed into the wise woman’s tunic. “But why if she knew it was coming, why didn’t she just change it?”

“We can talk more about this later, but please trust me when I say I need to get you safely away from here now, while there is a chance. Come now,” Sephoria said. “Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we must not waste the opportunity the Rowan has given us.” Lillith nodded, and Sephoria whisked them away just as the next wave of energy hit.

Safe Haven

James looked at Pit. “Why can’t we stay? We can prop up the walls and ceiling, fortify them with our magic. This is an easy thing.”

Pit shook his head. “No you don’t understand this room is under the great Rowan, she is the keeper the depository of all knowledge and time in this world, and when that stalactite fell it drove itself into the very heart of the Rowan. The Rowan’s energy center was torn, all the energy that held this world together is flowing away and the Rowan is dying. We are at the center of that damage and the world will fail here first and then slowly move outward. She will collapse in upon herself before long. We have to get everyone away.”

James’ head shot up. He looked about himself. He remembered when he created this world he had planted a great cedar tree that rooted the world in place, it would hold all the energy of the world while he was away. “But that can’t be I left a cedar here, not a rowan.”

Pit rung his hands, “Yes but time flows differently here and you were gone a long time, a very long time. We have had a forest full of Time Keepers since you left.”

“Wait, time is slower here; Briok said so, so how could as much time have passed as you claim?”

Pit’s felt his agitation getting the better of him. The Dembys were anxious to be a way as well. “Please just trust me for now, I can explain it later. Right now we need desperately to get out of here,” Pit begged.

The rest of the group stood a little ways apart, stared on as the two argued.

“If we need to get away, I have a safe place we can go, but I can’t take you all at once,” Lisl said, breaking in on their argument.

James and Pit both turned to look at the group.

“Good, we just need to go now. Everyone run to me and take hands,” Pit motioned! “I have enough power to take us all.”

Briok and Lisl flitted across and the three sisters were right behind them. Meredith had the child and Gwenth came hurrying over. Everyone hurriedly reached out and grabbed the hand closest to them. The room began to undulate and another great rumble came from overhead. The ceiling began to give way, the air glittered with crystal. Dust and stone began to fall upon the group. There was no time even to protect themselves. Their mouths were filled with the dust of a million shards of falling crystal.

“Now,” yelled Pit, as he opened himself to Lisl’s mind.

               Suddenly the room was still, the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers in full bloom. Everyone opened their eyes and found that they were standing within what seemed to be a tree. Everyone could see the walls were living wood.

Lisl broke the hand hold and stepped away. “Welcome to our home,” she said, as she shook the dust from her wings.

Gwenth looked around. It looked much like the Rowan when she had visited the girl imprisoned there. “Are we prisoners then?”

Lisl looked at the young woman. “What? Oh no child. You are our guests. Though our tree is not large it can accommodate us till we find better quarters for you all.”

Briok flitted through a doorway into an adjoining room and then returned with clay cups and a pitcher of clear water. Going from person to person he offered water to each.

The witches were instantly taken in by the lovely room within the tree. Here was a magic they could never have dreamt off. They explored the curves of the wall, including the leaf covered entrance to the outside.

“Be careful there,” Lisl said to the three sisters. “If you stand too close the tree will interpret that as a desire to leave and the leaves will pull back, you may expose us all to our neighbors. Something I think we should avoid, at least for now.”

The sisters stepped carefully and quickly away from the entrance; they wanted to stay safely hidden as well.

Meredith left her two sisters and hurried to James’ side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her and the baby closer.

“I think I owe you an apology,” she whispered in his ear.

James looked down at his lovely wife, a twinkle shone in his eyes as he replied. “Yes you do, I think as well. I mean for goodness sake, letting me believe all that time that you were a good cook!”

Meredith listened to his gentle chiding and then reached out ever so quickly and gave James a good poke in the ribs.

“Ouch,” he said, laughing. “Darling, it’s I who owe you an apology. I should have had better control over the Dembys magic, and not allowed myself to forget who I was and I shouldn’t have hidden it from you.”

Meredith’s eyes twinkled as well. “Yes well I haven’t been completely honest either. Though he isn’t Kronos the God of time, my father too is a minor deity.”

James’ mouth dropped open as he heard Meredith’s words. “What? Wait, you mean you are the daughter of a minor God?”

It was Meredith’s turn to laugh as her head moved up and down. “Yes and my mother was a God too, so the babe will be a God as well.”

“That’s right brother in law, all three of us are of the lineage of Corvine, the God of sacred law.

James looked over at Hectain where she stood near the wall of Lisl’s home. Then he threw his head back and laughed. “Well I guess the joke really is on me! After all this time instead of a second human wife, I’ve managed to be snagged by a Goddess.” James then slowly and reverently bowed low before his wife. “My lady, I hope that I may serve you now and till eternity itself falls away.” Reaching up from where he knelt on bended knee he took Meredith’s hand and gently pressed his lips to her palm.

Meredith smiled and grasped James’ hand and pulled him upright. “Don’t you forget it either husband, for my father is not an easy God to appease,” she said, her voice full of teasing as she smiled.

“Wait a minute,” Gwenth’s voice called out. “So what now you three,” she said pointing to James, Meredith and the child in her arms, “are just going to go off and be happy Gods and forget about the rest of us?”

Meredith and James turned to see Gwenth across the room watching them; her face was screwed up tight, as she tried to keep from crying. It was clear from her stance and her words she was deeply hurt.

James crossed the room and reaching out pulled Gwenth into his arms. “No daughter, never,” he said, motioning to Meredith and the child, “We will never leave you behind. You are my first born, and though you are half human, you will always be my heart’s favorite.”

Meredith crossed to where the two stood. “Gwenth, you are the direct lineage from the fey, and you are powerful in your own right. You are the daughter of my heart too, if not of my womb,” she said, embracing all of them.

Gwenth let herself be embraced and some of her fear she felt melted away as they gave their love to her. Opening her eyes she saw Briok and Lisl across the room watching as her family held one another close. Breaking off the hug, she stepped a little back from her family. “Alright, I guess I’m ready for the rest of this to unfold. How do we save Lillith,” she asked?

All at once a rustling sound came from outside the tree, and then the leaf parted to reveal Lindel. He hovered a moment, surprised to see all the people within his living chambers, but Lisl beckoned him forward, so he flitted in and the leaves closed softly behind him.

“You’re back,” he said, as he flew across the room to land next to Lisl. He gave the others only a cursory glance as he flew pass each person, for his eyes were drawn to the young Fey who shone bright as a peacock. Suddenly he leaned forward; looking closely at the Fey in front of him. There was something familiar about him.

Lisl burst out laughing. “Yes, dear it is the son of your heart.”

Lindel’s eyes grew wide. He looked the Fey over from head to toe. Never had any Fey been clothed in such fantastic colors before, usually a Fey would gain one or two colors, but here was his son in so many shades of blue and green as to boggle the mind. “Son?”

Briok laughed as he stepped forward. “Yes father, it is me,” he said, drawing his father into his warm embrace.

Lindel allowed himself to be hugged by the boy before he took a step back and looked in awe at his son. “I don’t know what to say, I never imagined that you would travel so deeply into the inner forests.” “I am so happy for you son,” he said, his voice cracking, with emotion.

Briok’s deep baritone voice rang out in laughter. “I don’t think I would have either, but mother kept insisting that I go further and further and so here I am, grown into my adult hood at last,” he said, as he released Lindel from his grasp. “I could not have done it Father, even with Mother’s help if it were not for all these people,” he said, motioning to the group standing quietly behind Lindel.

Lindel turned around and took both Briok and Lisl’s hand within his own and smiled at the group standing before him.  Lindel bowed to the group and his eyes shone with unshed tears as he raised his head. “Thank you all, for bringing my son home and thank you for helping at his awakening.”

The group stood smiling upon the Fey family and murmurs rose up from them all as the heard Lindel’s thanks.

Lindel turned back to Lisl. “The time is nearing then.”

Lisl nodded, “Yes my love, Lillith is already free from the tree and safely hidden away with Sephoria. It is time we go to her, and send these children home.”

Lindel hugged Lisl close and roughly pulled Briok into his embrace again. His body shook with emotion as he held the two of them close.

Gwenth wiped her tears away as she watched the family. “Will the world really end? Can’t we save it papa,” she asked, turning to where James stood?

James hung his head in a moment’s realization of his own culpability. “No daughter, I’m afraid we can’t save this world. With the passing of the great Rowan, there is no one to keep time in line. Time was already breaking down even before the Rowan died. I originally stole some of two separate timelines, tying them together to make energy for this world. Now even with all my strength I’m not able to save them. I’m not sure I will even be able to save the lot of us.”

Lisl and Lindel turned to the human child. “It’s true what your father says. Even the creator of a world cannot stop its eventual destruction. All of life must pass away; it is the way of an ever evolving universe. Change is the foundational law of the Universe. It is the only constant, all life must evolve and to do so there must be death and transformation. In the beginning, your father was a young brash God, but as you’ve seen even Gods evolve. Wisdom has finally come to live within him during this last awakening. So while it breaks our hearts to pass away, as it would for anyone, we understand and accept the law of change.

Gwenth stepped away from her family and made her way too Briok’s side. She looked up at the beautiful Fey. She barely recognized him now, the transformation was so great. Gwenth wiped her tears away and smiled bashfully up into Briok’s glowing face. “I guess you and I need to finish this then.”

Briok reached out his hand and Gwenth took it. She looked up at the pair of yellow eyes twinkling back at her.

“Trust me?”

Gwenth smiled up at Briok. “Of course, only promise not to flit nervously upward toward any ceiling. Ok?”

Briok laughed, “Don’t worry I’m nervous anymore,” and the two blinked suddenly out of sight.