You can read the previous chapter here!
Two weeks ago, Asp would have been frustrated. Earlier that day, she and her friends had marched toward the Summer City for what felt like hours, and it had never appeared any closer than it did when they first saw it. But with Trinlias guiding them in a straight, unerring line, they reached it in thirty minutes. But instead of being frustrated, Asp was content. The plan had worked so far, and they were about to arrive at the gates to the city. We get Kast, we get the prisoners, we go home. Simple as that.
“We’ve arrived,” announced Trinlias as they reached the city. “Follow me.”
He headed down the road that led into the Summer City. It was somewhat disorienting. The city was laid out in a way that was distinctly familiar–the streets, the buildings, even the people were oddly recognizable. It was only once they reached the marketplace that Asp realized why: It’s Lo’Alarai. It’s like a duplicate without the trees. Trinlias led them past wandering elves and homes and businesses, and they were soon at the steps up to the palace, which lay in the same place Norasynia’s palace had rested in Lo’Alarai. Asp looked at the faces of her friends–they saw it too. Sash seemed relieved, Larkin unsure, and Steel-Eyes as blank as ever, though he seemed to anticipate the landscape in a way he hadn’t when they’d been in Lo’Alarai.
“I’ll go to the Summer Queen,” said Trinlias, turning at the top step. “You’ll need an invitation. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“We have an invit–” began Asp.
“Hello,” said the voice that had spoken to them on their way. A tall, slender elven woman with a beautiful smile swept out from the doors at the top of the stairs. She wore a flowing green dress and flowers in her hair, and her deep green eyes shone brightly as she greeted the group.
“Summer Queen,” uttered Trinlias, falling to his knees.
Asp, Sash, and Larkin knelt beside Trinlias, and Steel-Eyes stood and gazed at the Summer Queen.
“Thank you, but we haven’t time,” said the Queen. “Please, follow me.” She went back through the front doors of the palace, whisked them down a short hallway, and ducked into a room full of brightly-colored decorations–bundles of flowers, stalks of vegetables and wheat, colored paper, fine wooden sculptures, and vibrant candles adorned the room. At its center was a long wooden table covered in a feast; every vegetable dish Asp had ever seen or heard of and more lay on fine plates up and down the table. “Please, sit.”
The group took seats along the sides of the table, and the Summer Queen took a seat at the head of it. Larkin began grabbing food and gobbling it down, shoving some of every dish within reach into her mouth and pausing to breathe only briefly between bites. Trinlias watched, mortified, as Larkin ate.
The Summer Queen smiled. “Trinlias! You’ve served your role beautifully. Truly. Magnificent work.”
Trinlias blushed a deep crimson and looked to the floor.
Part of Asp wanted to address the Queen. But there was something about her that the royalty in Afira did not possess. Even Leonarra and Haellica, and to some extent Arokosiel, possessed an innate power that radiated from them, but they also seemed mundane. Practical. They were people, and people have flaws. But the Summer Queen was different. She seemed perfect. Her olive skin was flawless, and not a single blond hair on her head was out of place. She didn’t seem real. Even Ronaan had seemed gruff and rough around the edges, and he was a god, but the Summer Queen was refined and sublime in ways that Asp had never seen before.
Asp realized with a start that Penelope as a character had always meant to emulate what she saw in the Summer Queen now. Asp had tried to channel calm and sweetness and dignity. But now, Penelope seemed a crude caricature of what the Summer Queen simply was. Some small part of Asp felt embarrassed for her past attempts to embody Penelope, but something about the Queen’s presence soothed her mind.
“You are from the mundane world,” said the Summer Queen easily. “How have you come to join us in the In-Between?”
Larkin continued to devour food. Steel-Eyes lightly grunted. Asp and Sash looked at one another, waiting to see who would answer. Sash bowed their head. Asp licked her lips and spoke.
“How we have come to join you has a cause and a method,” she said carefully, making as much eye contact with the Queen as she could manage. “Our friend, Kastark Fayedd, who was accompanying and assisting us in an important mission, was brought here by a vampire. We sought out the only way we knew to come to the In-Between–a portal from the mundane world located in the mountains of the elven lands. We have worked since our arrival to find our friend and return him to the mundane world so that we can finish our mission.” Asp swallowed hard, unsure of whether what she had said pleased the Summer Queen, which she badly wanted to do.
“A portal,” repeated the Queen pleasantly. “Yes, you have come to us through magical means for a mundane purpose. What is the mission you seek so heartily to complete?”
Asp managed to not sigh, staring as much as she could at the Summer Queen. “In our world, the elves and Ronan’el are at war. Many are dying, and unnecessarily. We do not know how many have perished since we began or since we left. We possess a treaty, a treaty to end the war. The Ronan’el have agreed to cease hostilities. We have the consent of some of the elves to do the same. But Kast, our friend, is a vital part of our mission. He is . . .” She looked away to recover her nerve and then back. “He is half-elf, half-Ronan’el. He represents a bond between the enemies. Without him, our chances of convincing the remaining two elven leaders is diminished. And we cannot risk approaching them without our best chance at success.”
The Summer Queen nodded. “Perilous. You,” she said, turning to Sash. “What stake have you in this mission?”
Sash’s eyes widened. “It is just to end the war. It is right. And if the war ravages Afira, my home and all I protect will be threatened.”
The Summer Queen nodded again. “And you?” she asked Steel-Eyes.
Steel-Eyes met her gaze. “Elves in our world are bullies. They try to take over world. Must be stopped.”
“Our mundane brethren are indeed vicious at times,” said the Summer Queen knowingly. “War is for self-defense, not conquest.” She turned to Larkin. “What about you, child?”
Larkin looked up, chewing a mouthful of mushroom casserole. She swallowed and smiled. “Like they say, it’s just the right thing to do. The Ronan’el didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Summer Queen smiled. “You want to defend innocent people. That’s a good cause.” She turned to Asp. “You. Why do you commit to this struggle? Isn’t your home far from that of the elves and Ronan’el?”
Asp raised her eyebrows. “I don’t really . . . have a home. To be honest,” she began, then paused. Huh. Usually when I say, “to be honest,” I’m not. But this is the truth. “I started for a different reason than I have now.”
The Summer Queen smiled. “Tell me more.”
Asp shrugged. “We got captured by the Ronan’el. I was trying to . . . talk my way out of it. But the more we did for the mission, the more I realized it was just . . . like they said, the right thing to do.”
The Summer Queen looked back in quiet delight. “The right thing to do,” she repeated.
Asp sighed. “I didn’t want to get killed in a war camp. So I helped. And it felt good to help. So I kept helping. And somewhere along the line, I realized that I like helping. So, you know, I–” She broke off. She was gently crying. She breathed deeply. “I decided to change.” She smiled at the Summer Queen, who was smiling radiantly back. “I decided that this mission, saving more people than I’ll ever meet, is important enough to fight for. To die for.”
The Summer Queen nodded. “Good things must be fought for.”
Asp inhaled, wiped her tears, and exhaled heavily. “Do you have Kast?”
The Summer Queen smiled sweetly. “Your friend is here. And he is safe. I will return him to you if you will serve me.”
“Serve you,” repeated Steel-Eyes, a touch of suspicion in his voice.
“Not forever,” said the Summer Queen. “My realm is unstable right now. If you can stabilize it, I would be happy to give you your friend.”
“Stabilize how,” muttered Steel-Eyes.
The Summer Queen relaxed back into her high-backed chair. “There is someone in the In-Between who does not belong. Whose very presence is a threat to all that exists here.”
“The Baron of Chaos,” said Larkin between bites of brown bread.
“Not quite,” replied the Summer Queen. “The In-Between is a realm of chaos. My city represents the good that could be found in chaos. We appeal to nature and its unordered ways to create bounty. We tap into magic, the most innate form of chaos, to help and heal. Chaos, when collaborated with, can be a source of great good.” She blinked a few times. “The Baron of Chaos is different, but still a form of chaos. He takes the pure disorder of this realm and creates confusion, madness, wildness that cannot be tamed. He and I are rivals, but we are not precisely enemies.”
“Then who,” half-asked Steel-Eyes.
“The Ronan’el imprisoned in the cave,” said the Summer Queen with a neutral expression. “He is law. He is order. He is everything that this realm is not. He destroys all he touches. Getting him into the cave was all we could do to protect ourselves. I’m sure you saw the scar?”
They nodded.
“Imagine what he would do if let loose in our fair city,” said the Summer Queen. “He may not mean to be, but he is a threat. Even detained, he does damage to our world every passing day. If you could return him to the realm that he belongs in, I would be more than happy to reward you with your friend.”
“Why not give him now,” muttered Steel-Eyes.
The Summer Queen smiled, but Asp saw a glimmer in her eyes that she was afraid of. “You are uniquely in a position to help me, and I am uniquely in a position to help you.”
She traded her own people for Kast, thought Asp. She wanted Kast to have leverage to make us do this. This is a grift. Be careful with her. She smiled sweetly at the Queen. “We’d be happy to help.”
“Oh, good,” gushed the Summer Queen. “Please, eat. And when you are done, rest. I’m sure you are tired.”
Asp realized suddenly she did feel tired. Very tired. “The sun hasn’t moved since we got here,” she said. “I thought it had only been a few hours, but I’m exhausted like I’ve been up for days.”
The Summer Queen smiled. “Time is order imposed on nature. It cannot exist here.”
“What about Jarn?” asked Larkin, putting down a stalk of asparagus. “Do you know where he is?”
“We rescued him from the Baron of Chaos,” replied the Queen. “He is with your friend. But please, rest. Your friends will be waiting for you in the library. For now, I have duties to attend to. But I will be available for questions as you plan how to remove the Ronan’el. Come with me, Trinlias.” She stood, her green dress fluttering as she did, and left the room through the door they had come through, Trinlias following close behind like a puppy.
“We found Kast!” cried Larkin.
“We need to plan,” said Steel-Eyes.
“We can plan with Kast and Jarn,” replied Asp. “The Summer Queen is right. We need to eat and rest.” She looked back at the door and then lowered her voice. “Be careful. She’s put herself in a position where we basically have to help.”
“She seems ready to help us,” said Sash. “She may have helped save Kast and Jarn because it was the right thing to do.”
Asp nodded, closing her eyes. “I hear you. But she just told us that she imprisoned Ronaan, and we know she gave up four of her most trusted soldiers to get Kast, and I get the impression she knows more than she was letting on. I’m not saying don’t trust her. I’m saying be careful.”
“Careful is good idea,” muttered Steel-Eyes. He grabbed a bowl of pumpkin stew and began to eat.
Sash nodded gravely. “Careful can’t hurt, I suppose.” They fixed a plate of lentil pasta and ate quietly.
Asp sighed. “I’m not trying to put a damper on things. It’s just– we’ve made it this far. Let’s not make a mistake now.” She selected some roasted sweet potatoes and dug in.
They ate in silence. As they finished, a group of elven servants entered the room and showed them to private quarters with fine beds. Asp fell onto the stuffed mattress and was asleep before she hit the pillow.
—
Asp stirred. She experienced a moment of disorientation, unsure of where she was. After a moment, she recalled the events of the last day–few days?–and tried to relax. I’m in the In-Between. I’m in the Summer City. I’m in a room where I just slept. Kast and Jarn are here. I need to go find them. Shit, I need to find Sash and Larkin and Steel-Eyes. I need to–
“I’m in the library,” said the Summer Queen’s voice inside Asp’s head. “I am with your friends.”
After a moment’s surprise at hearing the voice, Asp blinked a few times and breathed deeply. She went to the door and stepped outside. She looked to the right and saw no one and nothing but a stretching hallway. She looked to the left. Trinlias was walking towards her.
“Trinlias!” she called. “Can you tell me how to get to the library?”
Trinlias nodded. “Sure, it’s down this way. Follow me.” He continued walking the way he had been, leading Asp to the hallway to her right.
“Did you sleep well?” asked Trinlias.
“Very well, actually,” replied Asp. “That was a very nice bed. How long was I out?”
Trinlias chuckled. “Time does not exist here.”
Asp sighed. “Right. No time.” She looked up at him. “So, uh, I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I kinda tricked you into leaving the prison, and then I kinda tricked you into bringing us here. I’m sure it doesn’t feel good to be manipulated, and I didn’t mean to abuse your trust. It was just a desperate situation, and you were our only way here, and–”
“All is forgiven,” interrupted Trinlias. “You were right. I’m more good to the Summer Queen here than in that cell. I don’t know how you convinced me to leave, but you were right. I belong here.”
Asp studied him, surprised. “You don’t have to forgive me, you know. I did something I shouldn’t have, and–”
“All is forgiven,” he repeated. “Think no more of it. Left here.” He took a sharp left down another hallway.
“So, this library,” said Asp. “You have a lot of books?”
Trinlias chuckled. “The Summer Queen has books on every topic under the sun.”
“Does she have books on religions from the mundane world?” asked Asp.
Trinlias nodded. “Definitely. Not as many as you’d find in a temple of a specific deity, but enough to educate you on most any topic. Why?”
Asp chuckled. “I may or may not have pledged myself to serve a goddess I know basically nothing about. I was hoping to learn a little more about her.”
Trinlias looked oddly down at her. “You threw yourself at the feet of a deity you’re unfamiliar with? Why?”
Asp shrugged. “It’s worked out fine so far. She’s the one who helped me convince you to leave the castle of the Baron of Chaos.”
Trinlias laughed and shook his head. “Of course. A servant of a mundane world goddess who doesn’t know anything about who she serves charms an Ana’Hiel and servant to the Summer Queen.”
Asp laughed too. “You gotta admit, it’s not the least likely thing that’s ever happened in the In-Between.”
Trinlias’s shoulders shook with laughter. “You are not like the other servants of gods I’ve met.”
Asp raised her eyebrows and smiled. “I’m not like much of anyone I’ve ever met.”
Trinlias pushed open a set of double doors that revealed a massive library. Shelves of books went for what seemed like miles, and Asp could see the many-colored spines of tomes upon them that looked like they numbered in the millions. “The Library of the Summer Queen,” he announced.
Asp scanned the rows of shelves, and at the end of a row, she spotted Jarn and Kast with the Summer Queen. “Thanks, Trinlias,” she said and took off at a sprint. She reached them and leapt at Kast, hugging him around his waist.
Kast chuckled and hugged her lightly back. “Hey, Penelope. Good to see you.”
Asp smiled and pulled Kast’s talisman from her pocket. “I think you forgot this.”
Kast smiled back and donned the talisman. “Thanks. I left in a hurry and must’ve forgot to grab it.”
Asp laughed. “How are you? Are you okay?”
Kast shrugged. “Things were a little rough with the Baron of Chaos. He isn’t the best host. But they’ve been better here.”
“Well, I’m glad we have you back,” said Asp. She turned to Jarn. “You okay, big guy?”
Jarn nodded. “A little shaken up by the kidnapping, but the second kidnapping was much smoother.”
“As I said, your friends are safe,” said the Summer Queen. “Your other friends are here, searching the bookstacks. As I told them, there is one complication I did not mention. Half of the barrier holding the Ronan’el is my work. The other half is that of the Baron of Chaos. Unless you can discover a way to destroy the Baron’s handiwork, you will need to cooperate with him to lower his portion of the barrier.”
“I’ve looked a bit for a way to destroy the barrier,” said Jarn. “I’m going to keep looking. Larkin’s looking, too. I was just checking in with the Summer Queen about some details before getting back to work.”
“Anything you need to research?” asked Kast. “Or do you want to help Jarn and Larkin? I may join in in a second.”
Asp nodded. “I need to do some reading on Idunna. I think knowing more about her might help me to serve her better.”
Kast furrowed his brow. “Serving Idunna?”
Asp slapped her forehead. “Right! You had already been kidnapped. I, um, kinda pledged myself to be a servant of Idunna. She’s the goddess of spring and fresh starts and luck and love, if I recall correctly.”
Kast chuckled. “If you recall correctly?”
Asp shrugged. “That’s why I’m gonna go read about her! And it’s not like she hasn’t been helping. I can bless people now, and heal them, and it seems like other magic stuff too.”
Still laughing, Kast shrugged too. “You wouldn’t be Penelope without the surprises.”
Asp smiled mischievously. “I’ll do some quick reading and then help with the barrier thing.”
“Take the time you need,” said the Summer Queen. “But don’t take too long. The Ronan’el does more harm every moment he’s here.”
“I’ll be quick,” replied Asp. “Be right back!”
She dashed through the shelves, reading the subject lines on the ends as she went. Agriculture, history, magic items. No discernible organization, thought Asp. Of course. It’s the In-Between. At least the books are in categories. She looked down the magic aisle and saw Steel-Eyes and Guy poring over a series of books, even Bird looking down at the pages from Steel-Eyes’s shoulder. Steel-Eyes rustled through the pages quickly, moving from book to book. Asp hurried forward.
Astronomy, medicine, portals. Larkin was pulling a thick book down from this aisle, riffling through its pages with her tongue outside her mouth in concentration. Asp smiled and kept going.
Animals, blacksmithing, elven gods. Sash sat cross-legged in this aisle, reading quietly from an open tome. They carefully turned a page and scanned its contents. Asp continued on.
Geography, warfare, the In-Between. Jarn was glaring down at a page in a book that was Asp’s size. He frowned and set his jaw, returning it to the shelf and grabbed another book which was somehow even larger. Asp resumed her journey through the library.
Chemistry, fine art, human religion. Jackpot. Asp scurried down the aisle and inspected the spines of the books. Representations of Hrega, The Path of Weylanna, The Origin of Fjad, Tales of Kolkrabba, Weylanna’s Way, Sursa’s Sacrifice, Clerics of Northreach, The White Mammoth: Weylanna’s Chosen. Shit, why are they so into Weylanna? She chuckled. Goddess of Summer, Summer City. Of course. Okay. The Life of Human Clerics. Hmm. That might work. Asp grabbed the blue leatherbound book and leafed through it. Lots of stuff about the origins of Northreach deities, some basic information on organization of temples, oooh! The Northern Four: Goddesses of the Seasons. She smiled and began to read.
“While the populace of the Myriad generally believe in the same pantheon, the relatively small region of the Northreach follow an entirely separate path. In the Northreach, the goddesses follow a cycle that matches the seasons. Just as the calendar moves through a pattern, so does the relative dominance of the Northern Four. In the summer, the high holidays of Weylanna predominate. The summer solstice is the foremost of these holy days, when followers of Weylanna celebrate their early harvest and the hard work it took to obtain it by drinking their classic beer and sending messages to loved ones. As the calendar shifts to fall, Sursa’s holidays become the focus, and at the autumn equinox, followers mark the day by practicing and teaching combat skills, particularly those that are meant to protect allies; it is also common to create things, particularly crafts and buildings. When the year shifts to winter, followers celebrate Hrega and the winter solstice. Subdued festivals are held beneath the moon, people pay honor to their deceased ancestors and friends, and many hold belated funerals for those who died in the approach to the solstice. And when the spring comes, followers turn to Idunna; they mark the spring equinox with the planting of crops and flowers, elaborate fertility ceremonies, and games of chance meant to determine who luck resides with in the coming year. Idunna’s holidays are vital to those in the Northreach, as Idunna is held to be the head of these goddesses, and love found during spring is considered to be more true than in other parts of the year. Because Idunna is depicted as a white doe, hunting deer is strictly off-limits during spring, and healers associated with Idunna–the most respected in the Northreach–are often seen wearing their classic white and pink garb with symbols of a white doe upon them.”
Okay, so I should do some planting when I’m stable, and I need to celebrate the spring equinox when it comes around. Those are long-term goals, though. For now, I need to figure out a way to get a pink-and-white robe, and maybe a white doe symbol. I can do that. Asp frowned. The excitement of learning about Idunna passed, and she realized she still knew no more about how to serve her in a consistent way. There’s gotta be a book about her here somewhere.
Asp began to rummage through the shelves again. There was a preponderance of books about Weylanna and a good number of texts that summarized Northreach beliefs from an outsider perspective, but she struggled to find something that actually dictated service to a Northern goddess. After minutes of frantic searching, she spotted something. An Analysis of Idunna, Goddess of Spring. She smiled and slipped the book, a pale pink clothbound volume with white lettering, from the shelf. She leafed through its pages. The meaning of the seasons, a healing tradition–all history, no instruction–pregnancy in the Northreach, the Chant. The Chant! Asp grinned and began to read.
“Idunna is many things to those in the Northreach: she is a goddess of love, romantic and platonic, but also of nature and the world around us. She is emblematic of the spring, an embodiment of the very notion of the season, and she thereby allows us the ability to take a barren, frigid wasteland and turn it into something blossoming, rich, and vibrant. Her form of rebirth is not one of energy-for-energy; in fact, Idunna refuses material offerings in the way the other goddesses welcome them. Rather, she creates life from nothing, meaning that rebirth through Idunna is an act of shedding away what will not give new life and meaning, instead giving rise to growth and re-creation through inspiration and hope. She represents too fertility, not just of human reproduction, but also of the earth itself–some farmers in the Northreach ask Idunna’s servants to bless their crop fields before planting as a way to reinvigorate the land. And as an extension of the hope that all of this includes–hope for love and nourishment, hope for something new and better, hope for an extension of life and growth–she also gives hope over what cannot be controlled. On the devout side, worship of Idunna means having hope that blessings will come as a reward for faith, and on the more profane side, gamblers in the Northreach pray to Idunna in the hopes that her luck will bless their wagers. Understanding these domains is vital to the Chant, which pertains to them all:
Idunna, love, spring, rebirth
Give us life to fill this earth
Send us peace where once was strife
Bless our hearts and bring us life
Idunna, luck, fertility
We thank you for prosperity
Allow us faith and help us cope
Fill our souls with zeal and hope
"These words are a common blessing for followers and servants of Idunna in a variety of situations–they are sometimes used to seal a marriage, bless a field, or lend aid to others–but they are most frequently employed in healing. Servants of Idunna are the foremost healers in the Northreach, and essentially all holy healing in the realm is performed with this chant. Learning to recite the Chant is considered an important first step for healers aligned with Idunna, and many of her followers speak the Chant in times of doubt or fear. Many in the Northreach believe the Chant itself can bolster one’s spirits when in need, and servants of Idunna are known to recite the chant many times a day, even for non-magical purposes.”
Asp lowered the book and smiled. She felt lighter, calmer, more energetic. She chuckled. She reached into her bag and pulled out her notepad and inkpen. Carefully, in her best handwriting, she copied the Chant onto a page, and then another, and then another. She closed her eyes and tried to recite it in her mind.
Idunna, love, spring, rebirth
Give us life to bless this earth
Give us faith where once was strife
Bless our hearts to give us life
Idunna, luck, fertility
We thank you for prosperity
Give us faith and let us cope
Fill our souls with zeal and hope
She looked at the page and frowned. I got a couple phrases wrong. Nothing major, but I need to get this right. She copied it again on another page, then again, and again, and again. She was about to try reciting it once more, then shook her head. She copied yet again, and again, and again. She breathed deeply and began to recite it quietly.
“Idunna, love, spring, rebirth
Give us life to fill this earth
Send us peace where once was strife
Bless our hearts and bring us life
Idunna, luck, fertility
We thank you for prosperity
Allow us faith and help us cope
Fill our souls with zeal and hope”
She smelled the familiar scent of cherry blossoms and saw the simple daisy before her eyes. She laughed to herself. She was filled with joy. She could feel her breathing come easy, her shoulders straighten, her skin tingle. She smiled and closed the book, returning it to its shelf. She went back to the main aisle and walked back to where she had found Kast and Jarn. They were there, and they were joined by Sash, Larkin, and Steel-Eyes.
“Where have you been?” asked Kast. “You were gone for a while. We think we have everything we need.”
Asp smiled mischievously. “Time does not exist here,” she said playfully.
“Did you find any good books?” asked Larkin.
“I did,” said Asp. “I found exactly what I was looking for.”
—
“You understand what you are to do,” said the Summer Queen. They were all gathered at the front door of the palace.
“We do,” affirmed Steel-Eyes.
“Do you plan to bargain with the Baron of Chaos?” asked the Queen.
“We’re gonna blow that barrier up,” said Jarn. “You’re gonna lower your half, right?”
The Summer Queen nodded. “I will allow you to take your friends with you. But if you fail, my Ana’Hiel will come to retrieve you.”
“We understand,” said Kast.
“Good luck,” said the Summer Queen. “Be swift.”
The group nodded and waved as they descended the steps down into the Summer City. They hurried through the streets and to the city gates wordlessly and passed into the plains beyond.
“So, to review,” said Jarn as they marched toward the scar, “she’s lowering her part of the barrier. That should weaken it, if the books we found in the library can be trusted. We read something that said that divine magic is especially good at destroying a barrier like that, so if we can get Ronaan to cooperate, we should be able to destroy what’s left. Then we use the portal spell that Larkin found to open a door back to the mundane world, and we get everybody through it. We should come out back in the portal room in Lo’Thalas. From there, it’s just doing the rest of your mission.”
“Just doing the rest of our mission won’t be exactly easy,” said Sash.
“It’s gotta be easier than breaking out of the In-Between,” replied Jarn.
“So, we have the word of a couple of books that this part of the plan should work,” said Asp. “But we also know that the Summer Queen has manipulated the situation to get our help. Then, assuming everything does go to plan, we still have to convince the two nastiest elves in the mundane world to do something they’re entirely opposed to.”
“Do you think we can’t do it?” asked Larkin.
“No,” said Asp, “it’s not that. I think it’s possible. It’s just that, I mean, I trust plans where I have to do something to succeed. But we need the Summer Queen to do her part, and we need Ronaan to do his part, and we need the Baron of Chaos to not screw things up, and then we need Farboriel and Eerith to cooperate. That’s a lot of people we don’t necessarily trust who have to do as we want them to.”
“I hate to throw this into the mix,” added Kast, “but the Summer City is filled with elves. The Summer Queen is a proper elf. If they want the same thing as the elves back in the mundane world, this could all be a ploy. They might be looking to get us killed here in the In-Between so that we don’t have a chance to come back with the treaty at all.”
“Stop.” Steel-Eyes’s voice was hard and fierce. Everyone but him stopped walking. “Not stop walking,” he went on. “Stop doubting.”
“Do these doubts seem unreasonable to you?” asked Asp as everyone caught up with Steel-Eyes.
He shook his head. “No. You might be right. But we must stop doubting.”
Asp cocked an eyebrow. “Umm . . . Why?”
Steel-Eyes sighed. “The hero does it.”
Sash furrowed their brow. “What?”
Steel-Eyes spoke again, exasperated. “The hero does it.”
Larkin smiled. “You mean like, it doesn’t matter what the odds are. If something needs to be done, a hero does what they have to do. Right?”
Steel-Eyes nodded. “The hero does it.”
They walked on in silence for a time. Asp thought about what she had read, about how Idunna cares about hope for something better, hope for something new. She smiled.
“Steel-Eyes is right,” said Asp. “We have foiled kidnappers hidden in the government. We have gotten the Ronan’el to agree to end a millennia-old war. We have gone all across Afira and now the In-Between. We’ve slain vampires and saved an orphan and discovered hidden civilizations. We’ve gotten every single person we’ve talked to to agree to help us, even when they clearly didn’t want to. We’ve freed two dozen prisoners from a chaotic psychopath, and we’ve only been slowed down–never stopped. We are a group of weirdos, misfits, outsiders to everyone around us, and huge organizations of military and royalty and undead monsters have fallen in line. I’m not gonna call myself a hero, but Larkin, you are a brave, kind, clever person who made a bad past into something good. You brighten every situation you’re in, and I admire the daylights out of you.”
Larkin smiled and blushed. “Thank you, Penelope!”
Asp smiled back. “Sash, you are an absolute rock of a person with grace and faith and wisdom to spare. You’ve opened so many doors for us, and you will keep doing so as long as you choose to.”
Sash nodded graciously.
“Steel-Eyes, you are a brilliant inventor and a constantly surprising man, and you have kept us from despairing at every turn. I know we butt heads sometimes, but you are so stubbornly good that I’ve been inspired to be less of a selfish asshole because of you.”
Steel-Eyes just barely smiled and kept marching.
“Jarn, I barely know you, but you seem like a crazy genius who refuses to be swayed by any threat or obstacles. You are terrifying when you mean to be, and you genuinely are the only person who can help us now.”
Jarn chuckled. “I do enjoy being stubborn.”
Asp laughed. “Kast, you are–”
“Don’t,” interrupted Kast. “There’s no need–”
“Shut up,” said Asp. “You are a person who has been given the heaviest burden I think I’ve ever heard of. You were a kid when you found out your life would never be about what you wanted it to be. You have been alone for most of your life. And none of that turned you into a bitter person. None of that ever made you proud. You are a decent, humble person who is capable of more than you give yourself credit for. You can say it’s your duty, but handling duty with honor is a thing most people can’t handle, and you do it with grace.”
Kast shrugged, but his eyes told Asp that he appreciated it.
“You are all capable of what we’re about to try,” said Asp. “You are all good and strong and principled. You are all heroes, and you know what? The hero does it.”
Larkin threw up a fist. “Yeah! We got this!”
“Prepare for the worst,” said Kast, “hope for the best.”
“Exactly!” cried Asp. “Now let’s go in that cave and get back home. We have work to do.”
They continued along the scar, and as they drew near the mouth of the cave, Asp could tell they were ready.
—
They climbed to the mouth of the cave and passed inside. Inside sat Ronaan on his stone chair, the prisoners huddled against the opposite wall. When the prisoners saw the group enter, they began to cheer. They called out, saying that their saviors had come and that they would be home any minute now. Asp studied Ronaan. He sat quietly and contentedly away from the prisoners. He seemed different. Stronger, healthier, even a bit younger.
“Something has changed,” said the god. “I feel it.”
“Half the barrier is down,” said Jarn. “Think you can help us break through the rest?”
Ronaan rose from the chair and smiled. “I can try.” He grabbed a massive pickaxe from the wall and walked to the mouth of the cave.
“Everybody form up behind him!” called Asp. The prisoners ran and stood behind the group, who stood behind Ronaan.
“On three,” said Jarn. “One . . .”
“Three,” said Ronaan. He swung the pickaxe hard in an arc over his head. The pick stuck in the air at the mouth of the cave. Terrible winds began to howl around the group. It was all they could do to not be blown back. The pickaxe was still stuck in midair, and visible cracks formed around its point. The barrier at the cave’s mouth became visible, a pulsating wall of swirling blue energy. Ronaan jerked the pick back, and the wall of energy cracked. The blue light of the barrier swirled in the wind, which suddenly stopped, and the light flew out of the cave.
Ronaan grew taller. His muscles rippled. His beard grew longer, and most of the hairs turned a hearty black. He turned to the group. “You’ll want to hurry. I’ve just attracted a lot of attention.”
Jarn dashed out in front of Ronaan. He held up a piece of parchment and began to read an incantation. Slowly, before him grew a widening orb of purple light. It spread and spread, almost to the size of a book.
In the distance, there was a battlecry. Fae soldiers wearing the uniform of the Baron of Chaos sprinted across the landscape towards them.
“Hurry,” said Larkin.
Jarn narrowed his eyes and kept reading. The portal grew larger–the size of a slightkin-sized door.
The Fae soldiers grew closer. They were almost to the edge of the scar where it curved up into the cave. Their armor and weaponry clattered and clashed as they ran.
Jarn was shouting now. The arcane words of the incantation spread the portal wider. It was the size of an ordinary door. Jarn yelled faster and faster. The portal expanded to a broad circle. “Get in!” screamed Jarn.
Together, the group began to throw the prisoners into the portal. The Fae bore down on them, charging up the hill. They tossed in the last of the prisoners and started to jump through. Larkin threw Asp in, then dove in herself. Asp landed on a stone floor. She looked around. It was dark, and she could barely see. None of the portals were lit. Vaguely, she could make out the prisoners standing around the room, terrified. Larkin popped out behind her, her ears surrounded by tufts of fur. Sash came through next, their skin glittering in the low light. Steel-Eyes rushed in, his armor clinging to him like the shell of a beetle. Kast followed, his hair like dancing flames. Jarn crashed through, his eyes iridescent. Ronaan stepped through last with a smile and vanished.
The portal on the wall closed. The adventurers looked among each other and tried to catch their breath.
“Anybody hurt?” asked Kast.
No one answered.
Asp exhaled deeply. “So nobody’s hurt, or are we just too mixed-up to talk?”
“I’m fine,” said Sash.
“Me too!” cried Larkin.
“Steel-Eyes is okay,” replied the dwarf.
“Prisoners?” asked Asp. “I mean, former prisoners?”
The rescued prisoners variously shook their heads and mumbled in the negative.
“It’s dusty in here,” complained Jarn. “And the torches are out. Something’s off.”
“Is this room normally used?” asked Sash.
“By me, yeah,” said Jarn. He scowled. “Let’s get to Lady Leonarra and Lady Haellica. They can probably explain.” He led the way to the door and fumbled to open it in the low light. He eventually opened the door and headed down the hallway and out of the Old Palace.
In the city, everything was as it had been. Elves milled through the streets, businesses operated as normal, the low light of the glowing orbs illuminated Lo’Thalas. They led the freed prisoners through the city and reached the Palace. Jarn led them down a few hallways and into the throne room. Leonarra and Haellica sat on their thrones. They turned to face the adventurers and the rescued prisoners with surprise on their faces.
“You’ve returned,” said Leonarra, her brow furrowed.
“We’ve found our ally,” said Asp, gesturing to Kast. “We thank you for your assistance.”
“That’s good,” said Leonarra uncertainly. “But you’ve been gone a while.”
“Really?” said Larkin. “It seemed like maybe a couple of days.”
Jarn scowled. “Time doesn’t exist there like it does here. How long has it been?”
Leonarra nodded. “It’s been over ten years.”
Asp froze. Ten years. Ten years. We’ve been gone for . . . ten years? She sank to her knees. How long has the war gone on? How many people have died? Oh, gods . . . we’ve failed. The treaty’s gone unsigned for ten years.
Around her, the freed prisoners began to panic.
“We were there for even longer!” howled a rescued dwarf.
“My family!” cried the slightkin teenager. “They must think I’m dead!”
“My wife!” shouted a freed human man. “She was sick when I was taken–she might be long dead!”
Asp felt the panic and despair within her and saw it magnified on the rescued prisoners. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face, and began to pray.
Idunna, please soothe our emotions. Send us peace where once was strife. Bless our hearts and bring us life. Allow us faith and help us cope. Fill our souls with zeal and hope. I love you.
In a moment, she felt herself calm down. The anguished and fearful cries around her diminished. She smelled her cherry blossoms and saw the familiar daisy. She smiled and rose to her feet.
Haellica bit her lower lip. “I understand this must be hard,” she said gently. “But your mission is not for nothing. You can still help.”
Leonarra nodded sadly. “I will sign your treaty. Lady Haellica cannot. For the sundered elves to remain safe, for things have worsened since you left, she and her people must remain a secret. And you must swear yourselves to secrecy about the undercity.”
Asp produced the treaty and carried it to Leonarra. “I swear I will not speak to anyone of this place,” she said as Leonarra signed. “And thank you.” She returned the treaty to her bag.
“I swear,” said Sash.
“Steel-Eyes swears,” uttered the dwarf.
“Me too,” said Larkin solemnly. “I swear.”
Kast held a hand over his heart. “I swear on my life.”
“Thank you,” said Leonarra. “You may rest here and prepare as long as you need before you resume your mission. Our footman will take you to private quarters you may use as you require.”
Asp and the others turned to leave the throne room. A sundered elf in an official outfit met them at the door. “This way,” he said. He began to lead them down a hallway of the palace.
“You seemed pretty upset back there. You okay, Penelope?” asked Larkin.
Asp turned to her. Larkin looked worried. Asp forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just surprised. I’ll be okay.” She sighed. “Oh, and please don’t call me Penelope anymore.” She turned to the others. “Nobody call me Penelope anymore, please.”
Larkin cocked an eyebrow. “What should we call you?”
Asp chuckled to herself. “Please call me Daisy.”
You can read the next chapter here!
No comments:
Post a Comment