The Sword that Binds (Book of Worlds 1) (23 page)

“Hey, Tyrus, what’s wrong?” She asked.

Still, there was no reply.

“What’s going on Uckey? Did something happen while I was out?” She asked worriedly.

Uckey snorted before answering. “Not just something! Tyrus had to weaken the enchantment to stop those creatures from killing you. It’s probably entered the final stages of its breakdown. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s trying to hold it together himself! Not that it will work, but there’s nothing else he can do.”

“What? Why didn’t you say something earlier!” Sarena yelled in surprise. How could they have just ignored something so important?

“There’s nothing we can do about it! It’s still two more days to reach Stewrix. If we hurry we can still make it in time, so instead of worrying focus on getting there as fast as we can!” Uckey said.

“Seven hells Uckey! I wouldn’t have been just walking along this whole time if I had known we were so short on time!” Sarena said as she drew on her wind and started dashing down the stairs. Strangely there was no sign of the Hungry at all, but Sarena put it out of her mind. She would take any blessing she could at this point.

The dull thudding of Uckey’s hooves rang out behind her as she went, but fell away as she pulled further ahead. Uckey could beat her in stamina easily, but he could never match her speed. She sprinted down the winding staircase at full speed, until eventually the only sound she could hear was the rushing of the wind.

This is too slow.

She slowed to a stop, panting heavily. Each step in the staircase was huge, making it take forever to wind down to the bottom. A voice in the back of her mind told her that it didn’t matter how fast she was, she still had to wait for Uckey. But the panic that had set in made her ignore it.

Running to the outer wall, she looked out the window. The view faced out towards a faint shimmering blue wall. It was barely visible from far away, but at this range it was impossible to miss.
Must be the barrier Uckey was talking about.

Not wasting any time, Sarena stabbed Tyrus into the wall slightly above the window. His blade easily slipped into the wood all the way to the hilt. It didn’t take longer for her to finish her work.

When she pulled Tyrus out she placed her foot on the wall below the window, then pushed outward. The wood resisted slightly before making a small grating noise and popping out. A hole large enough for Sarena to fit through was made, and she immediately stuck her upper body through it. She had never been very good with heights, but when she used her wind that fear completely disappeared.

Glancing upward she realize that she had run almost halfway down the tree before stopping. She might have been able to reach the bottom in the same amount of time if she kept running, but by that point she would have been exhausted. And she couldn’t let that happen. There was too much more ground to cover.

Without any more hesitation she plunged out of the hole, falling straight toward the ground far below. Even only halfway to the canopy, the houses below looked like the tiny models she had seen in the Garland Keep war room. They didn’t stay that way for long though. The ground was growing closer shockingly fast, the wind roaring loader than ever in her ears, and even with the enhanced grace of her body she almost fumbled when she stabbed Tyrus into the Sky tree’s bark.

She had been planning on using him to slow her descent, but she hadn’t counted on how easily he cut through the bark. Frantically she twisted him, causing him to slice through at an angle. A normal sword would have snapped instantly, and she actually heard a terrifying creaking noise come from Tyrus, but he held out in the end. The panic that had been setting in washed away as they slid down the side of the tree.

Soon enough the Sky tree started to flare outward as they reached the roots, and Sarena withdrew Tyrus when she judged she was close enough to survive the fall. It was still high enough to kill any normal human, but her wind magic made it simple. Unexpectedly, when she was only a few feet from the ground her body slowed and landed gracefully.

Her heart was pounding so fast and loud that she wouldn’t be surprised if one of the nearby treants could hear it. She hadn’t exactly been subtle when she leaped from the Sky tree. A quick glance around showed her that she had landed in a small clearing on the back side of the tree. There was a huge pit in the ground near her that she assumed must have been from when one of the treants woke up.

She fell to her hands and knees and gulped down as much air as she could, releasing her power as she did so. Her mind and body slowly began to calm down.

Wait, would my power have done that from any height? I didn’t even need to use Tyrus? Why can’t Uckey be of any use for teaching me to use my own magic!
She shook her head.
How stupid am I? I don’t even know how to get to Stewrix without Uckey! I need to find the entrance to this tree and wait for him.

Standing back up, she nearly stumbled and fell to the ground again. Her legs were still shaking. She frowned and drew on her wind again, using it to balance herself as she dashed around the Sky tree. Immense roots stretched out from its base, but it didn’t take much effort to leap over them. Soon enough she had circled around to the opposite side of the tree and found the entrance.

When Uckey finally caught up with her he simply snorted and walked past. Sarena felt her cheeks burn and hurried to jump on his back.

“The barrier is behind the tree. Don’t worry about the treants. I haven’t seen any of them over here. I don’t think they like being this close to the barrier,” Sarena said quietly. The silence from Uckey was somehow worse than if he had scolded her.

Uckey started moving at a fast trot, heading away from the door. They couldn’t jump over the roots to reach the other side quickly, and instead were forced to travel all the way around them. It took much longer than Sarena was expecting, and by the time they were at the edge of the barrier she was yawning constantly and could barely keep her eyes open. There was no way to tell how long it had been since she last slept, but she suspected it had been at least two days.

“I doubt there are any elves around here, so use Tyrus to cut an opening in the barrier. It should heal on its own in a couple of days afterward,” Uckey finally spoke.

Sarena jumped slightly at his words. He had been silent ever since she met up with him, and it caught her especially off guard with how tired she was.

Maybe he’s not as angry as I thought.
She thought as she jumped to the ground.

“I’m not sure how it will compare to cutting through the Sky tree, but I guess you’ll be able to tell,” he said.

Nope, definitely still angry.

No vegetation grew near the wall, at least on their side. The glow obscured their vision and made it difficult to see through it. She drew Tyrus and thrust him forward into the shimmering blue wall, dragging him down toward the ground. At first it felt like she was trying to swing her sword while underwater, but the further she went the more difficult it became.

Throwing her full weight into it, she managed to finish the first cut and moved onto the next one. When the last stroke connected with the first, the barrier in the middle blinked out of existence with a pop. Her body was drenched with sweat, causing every little cut to sting as the droplets touched them.

She ducked her head to step through the hole. At first glance the area was no different from where they had come from, except that there was no light aside from the barrier itself. Sarena looked above her, expecting to see stars winking in the sky.

Her mind went blank at the sight.

“W
ha-What in the seven hells is going on?” She stuttered.

She couldn’t see any stars in the sky above her, not because they weren’t there, but because
something
was floating in the sky above them. It looked someone had taken a small mountain and turned it upside down. It was high enough in the sky that not even the barrier could reach it. There were no trees anywhere near the barrier edge, giving her a full view of the flying mountain. From what she could see it had to have been at least several miles long. And it was moving.

Sarena heard a quick intake of breath behind her. “What in the name of Nurazor is that?” Uckey yelled.

“That was the city of the Radiants,” A light melodious voice spoke from just a few feet to their right, almost making Sarena jump out of her skin.

She drew Tyrus right away while cursing. When she looked back down she was welcomed with the sight of at least a dozen men and women surrounding them, all of which were holding bows pointed directly at them. They were dressed in tight fitting brown and green tunic and trousers, and every single one of them had pale white skin. Their hair ranged from blonde to light brown, and even the men wore it tied back into a braid down to their waist.

What caught her attention the most, though, was their ears. They stretched back into points, and looked like they were quivering constantly. The way they moved reminded her of a cat’s ears, but less exaggerated.

They must be elves.

“Please, there’s no need for us to fight. We are simply curious. How does a lone shavren come from the depths of our fallen city, and in the company of not one, but two misplaced souls?” the woman who first spoke said.

Sarena thought she might be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was slightly taller than Sarena, with ruby red hair that was only long enough to touch her shoulders. Her delicate features made her seem soft and out of place with the others. Until Sarena saw her eyes. They were a solid, glowing, brilliant emerald green.

She had grown used to the shavren eyes that left no iris or pupil, but this women’s eyes were different. They gave her the impression that they could see every secret she had, staring straight at her soul.

“What? How did you know -” Sarena said.

“Of course we can tell, no life escapes our notice. Especially one as tormented as the soul in your hand,” the melodious voice said again.

Sarena lowered Tyrus slightly. Something was pushing her to lower her guard and trust the woman.

“It’s alright, Sarena,” Uckey said. “They will not harm us.”

“Good. It is always much better to speak without the threat of battle,” the woman said while motioning for the others to lower their weapons.

“Why should I tell you anything?” Sarena asked, struggling to maintain her wariness. She knew she shouldn’t be relaxing her guard so easily, but
something
was insisting she do so.

“Because we are the ones who will decide if you leave here alive. We would prefer not to fight if we can avoid it, but if you mean us ill then we will not hesitate,” the elf said. “This is
our
land, in case your kind has forgotten. Shavren have not been allowed here for over five thousand years.”

“What does she mean city of the Radiants! You must find out for me, Sarena!” Uckey shouted, finally speaking up. “How could anything have enough power to make an entire city fly?”

“It is as I said. Legends state that the city of the Radiants has traveled the world since before even the downfall of Felaenahona. Within it resides the rulers of magic, the Radiants themselves, as well as their gryphon servants. Of course, no one has ever actually reached the city. Attempts have been made, but the barrier surrounding it prevents entrance. The last reported sighting of a Radiant was when the Teroban was created,” the woman said.

Sarena saw Uckey stiffen out of the corner of her eye. Nobody aside from herself should be able to hear Uckey. The only reason Uckey could speak to her in the first place is because of Ankaros.

The elf smiled mischievously at their reaction. “Soul speech is not unknown to us. It is rare that we are able to make use of it, but it is necessary at times,” she said.

“Who are you?” Sarena asked when she had recovered.

“You may call me Allannia. I presume you are the Sarena that your partner spoke of?” Allannia said.

Sarena caught herself before she could do more than open her mouth, frowning and nodded instead.
I don’t know what she is doing to make me act like this, but it needs to stop.

“I am called Uckey, it’s a pleasure to meet you Allannia,” Uckey interjected. “Is it really necessary to have us surrounded like this? Surely you can keep an eye on us without making us feel so threatened?”

Sarena turned her eyes to Uckey and stared. Why was he being so polite suddenly?

“Such manners! It is good to see that some of your kind still remember how to be courteous,” she said while glancing towards the elves around them. They instantly vanished, leaving them alone with Allannia in the clearing.

The feeling of camaraderie lessen immediately. She gritted her teeth and sheathed Tyrus reluctantly, glaring at Allannia.

“How-” Sarena began.

“I must know!” Uckey blurted out. “How did it come to be? How is such a massive construct able to fly? When was it made? Did the Radiants create it themselves? Is it still inhabited?”

Sarena sighed. They weren’t going anywhere until Uckey had his answers.

“Such a thirst for knowledge! One might even think you were a gnome with so many questions! Be careful that your curiosity does not doom you as it did them,” Allannia said.

“What-what do you mean?” Uckey asked hesitantly. His voice was sober, losing the high-pitch luster that it always had. “What happened to the gnomes?”

“Oh? You have heard of them, have you? They were once a powerful, ancient race that lived deep within the White Mountains to the west. In their prime they were known as the greatest scholars of the world; they had no enemies and were sought after by all for their wisdom and skill with magic. Even the Eniat were unwilling to harm them, afraid that their spirits would turn against them for betraying an ally that had always been willing to help, even when they warred against all others,” Allannia began.

“It was nearly five thousand years ago, shortly after the fall of Felaenahona. The gnomes sent out a call for all of their brethren to return to their ancestral home, the great city of Stewrix. A great discovery had been made and was to be announced to the world when they had all gathered. Unfortunately, whatever that discovery was became lost in the catastrophe that followed. A great mana explosion erupted from the heart of the city, wiping out all of the gnomes and even spreading beyond the city. To this day there is still a mana storm surrounding Stewrix,” She shook her head. “Whatever caused the mana explosion has not been able to recover itself, and until it does the city will remain empty. It stands as a testament to the dangers of seeking knowledge best left unknown.”