Xenofall (The Wasteland Chronicles, Book 7) (24 page)

“Even for Askala?”

“Yes,” the Nameless One said. “Even for her. But my counsels with her are secret, just as ours are secret. And even the sum of all knowledge and wisdom cannot predict future events.”

“You are like a recording device,” I said. “A storyteller. Recording the history of...everything.”

“Ah,” the Nameless One said, clearly pleased. “A very human thing, stories. All races have a love for them, but none have been as enraptured by them as yours. Tell a good story and a human will believe you, contrary to all reason and evidence. Very few can escape that trap. Indeed, you see
everything
in terms of stories, so much so that without them, you are soulless. Stories are more necessary to humanity than air, than water, than gravity. Do not think we didn’t watch your stories – we watched with great enjoyment. We knew you better than you even knew yourselves. We came as gardeners; we came as conquerors. There are those who sow, and those who reap.
Elekai. Radaskim.
They are merely opposite thoughts expressed by the same mind.”

“And you are that mind?”

“Am
I
the mind? No,
Elekim...
I am not. I am merely an expression of that mind...a small part indeed of the vast panorama of consciousness.”

I wasn’t going to get anywhere by asking this Nameless One questions; that much was clear. Every question I asked led to a thousand more, as he had so helpfully pointed out earlier. What I knew for sure was that this Nameless One had access to both the
Radaskim
Xenominds and the
Elekai
ones, and if he didn’t drive me completely crazy with his philosophy, he might even tell me how to get to Ragnarok Crater.

“How do I reach Askala?” I asked. “How do I defeat her?”

“Your Wanderer was right,
Elekim.
It requires the greatest sacrifice, by the releasing of your power, to defeat Askala. A most curious choice of words, though. To defeat her. Because you wouldn’t in fact be defeating Askala. You would be replacing her. In a sense, you would
become
her.”

I wasn’t sure I’d heard the Nameless One correctly.

“I’m sorry.
Become
her?”

“A Xenomind cannot be destroyed, but it can be converted. Her consciousness would only join yours. This would require your physical death, of course. And that immortality that you said you’d never take? That would be your fate. That is the price,
Elekim.
You will die and lose your humanity. Suddenly, the war of the
Radaskim
makes much more sense. Askala’s goal is self-preservation. She cares not for the life of the universe. Those who dwell merely in the physical realm have it easy. They merely die and are no more. But Askala...she must endure, for all of eternity. Only pain, until the end of time, until the end of all existence...”

The Nameless One ceased speaking, at least for the moment. My mind was reeling from what he’d told me. I wouldn’t merely be dying, as I thought. I’d be doomed to live for the rest of time, until the end of the universe. How could
anyone
bear that? Suddenly, I saw the Nameless One’s point. It might be better for us
all
to die...

My sacrifice had become all the more difficult to fathom. Who could have imagined, or guessed, that my sacrifice would be accepting
immortality?
I had no idea what that even meant, or even looked like. Askala’s consciousness would be absorbed by mine, making all xenolife on Earth
Elekai.
Humanity would live on, only I wouldn’t get to live among them. I’d have to watch, from a distance, unable to reclaim my former self.

“You know of what I speak,” the Nameless One said. “I can now sense your hesitation; it is a difficult question to ponder. Indeed, no champion has lived so far as to even answer it. Though a thousand worlds shall fall, one will remain. A prophecy I revealed to your Wanderer. There is one thing you should note: the prophecy says nothing about the nature of the world that remains. You have the freedom to choose, and you may find that the war has much less to do with Askala, and more with yourself. With such untold power, what will you do,
Elekim?
What will you decide, deep in the heart of darkness of Ragnarok? What is to be the world’s fate?”

“I’ll stop the
Radaskim,”
I said. “No matter what happens. No matter how hopeless. I will never quit, and I will never back down.”

Despite the brightness, I opened my eyes and peered into the light. Somewhere in there, the Nameless One stood, masked in a coronal wreath of luminescence. I walked forward, but impeded by some invisible wall, as if the light itself was holding me back.

“You would fight,” the Nameless One said, his voice fading as I forced myself forward. “You would fight, knowing what you must become?”

“I have to do this,” I said. “I’ve come too far to give up now. I need to get to Ragnarok Crater, and I need your help to do it.”

The Nameless One seemed disappointed. Maybe he thought my choice was foolish.

“So be it,
Elekim,”
the Nameless One said. “Walk forward, into the light. Your answer waits above.”

I walked forward, the light no longer restraining me. I half-expected to see the Nameless One standing there, in human form. But there was nothing – nothing but the light that began to dim as I walked forward. Soon, it was dim enough to open my eyes fully. I looked behind to see a ball of light floating in the air like a miniature sun.

“Go,
Elekim,”
the Nameless One said. “You haven’t a moment to waste. And think about what I’ve told you. There is still time to reconsider.”

“That won’t be happening.”

“I am merely the voice of wisdom. Do with my words as you will.”

I entered a tunnel that sloped upward. I began to ascend, the tunnel curving into the darkness. The light faded behind, so I felt my way along the wall. After another few minutes of darkness, the tunnel ceased its curving, and daylight shone at the end. I increased my speed.

I reached the exit, finding myself a good way up the northernmost hill. The lake spread out below, a clear blue-green in the early morning light. Samuel, Makara, Ruth, and Michael stood on the lake’s shoreline. I noticed Anna was missing, but her head resurfaced in the center of the pond.

“Hey!”

My voice echoed off the surrounding hills and forest. All of them began looking around, not able to pinpoint the source of my voice. As I walked downhill, I waved my arms. Makara was the first to spot me, pointing me out to the others.

When the slope evened out, I increased my speed to a jog. The others were running to the other side of the lake in order to meet me at the foot of the hill. Anna swam toward the shoreline, emerging from the water soaked and shivering.

Finally, I made it to the bottom. Anna ran forward and wrapped her arms around me, her body wet and cold.

“What
happened?”

“I found him,” I said. “We...talked for a while.”

“He was underwater?” Anna asked.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“What did he say?” Makara asked.

“Well,” I said. “We talked about philosophy, death, and resurrection.”

“Seriously?”

“Actually, yeah.” I remembered everything he had told me, about having to not only die, but take Askala’s place and live forever. “I don’t really want to go any deeper than that.”

Anna could see that I was troubled, but we couldn’t focus on how I was feeling at the moment.

“He said the answer would be out here, somewhere...”

“You mean over there?” Ruth asked, pointing.

We followed her gesture to the treetops above, where two dragons were flying toward us. Even with the distance, their familiar shapes told me immediately that it was Quietus and Askal.

“Where did they come from?” I asked.

“I think they were here all along,” Samuel said. “Maybe that Nameless One kept them somewhere nearby.”

“You mean, imprisoned?” Ruth asked.

“I think he wanted to talk to me first,” I said. “Now that he’s had his say, we’re free to do what we want.”

Both dragons landed on the far side of the lake. I wondered why they didn’t land closer, but I realized I had left all my stuff over there, anyway. We walked along the lake until we reached the other side. I grabbed my belt, putting it on, along with putting on my jacket and picking up my pack.

I went to stand in front of the dragons. Something about the both of them looked haggard and worn. They’d had to fly hundreds of miles.

Forgive me,
Elekim, Askal said as I stood before him.
The Nameless One prevented me from speaking to you until now.

I know,
I said.
It’s good to see you, but I thought you were at the battle.

The rest of the
Elekai
are, but the real battle is here. Even as they flew west, I flew north.

I’m glad you came,
I said.
Because we need your help to get to the Crater.

I turned to Quietus, whose movements were slow and lethargic. Her white eyes didn’t seem as bright as usual. Her large wings wilted, dragging against the ground. She closed her eyes, as if in pain.

Quietus?

Yes,
Elekim?

Are you alright?

Her eyes seemed to look deeply into mine, filled with a pain that was haunting to see. It was hard to believe that Quietus, before she had become
Elekai,
was a creature of violence. Now, she was a gentle giant.

I...just returned from the Crater. Askala, of course, knows you’re here, and I barely managed to escape once she discovered me. Before that, I succeeded in convincing her to send much of her swarm to the battle, so it is too late for her to recall them. She is proud,
Elekim.
She believes that you will never make it to the Two Seas. Askal and I can at least see you as far as the Crater.

The Two Seas?

Yes,
Quietus said.
The Two Seas lie in the deepest part of the Warrens, far below the surface. At their joining is the Point of Origin, the entrance to Askala’s sanctum.
Quietus looked at me, sadly.
I would take this cup from you, but I believe you shall drink it in full, in due time. I could not bear the hypocrisy of telling you that you will win. There is little to no hope,
Elekim.
Despite my persuasion, great monstrosities still lurk in the shadows of Ragnarok – Askala’s most dear pets, raised with a cruel love only she can instill. It is best not to comprehend such darkness,
Elekim
– but you will know this darkness better than even I, Quietus, who endured it for untold eons. You must ask – is it worth it? If you understood even a fraction of this question’s implications, you would cower in fear.

I could say nothing in response. Maybe the only reason I could go on was because I didn’t know what I had to face. I couldn’t imagine what I was risking, or the pain I would feel.

But I couldn’t turn back. Not now. Too many had died to get me here. I had to fight, no matter the cost.

“We’ve come too far,” I said. “Whatever happens to me...I need to be at the Crater. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Then come,
Quietus said.
Askal and I will fly you to Ragnarok, to the deepest darkness of the world.

I turned to my friends, looking each of them in the eye. Makara. Samuel. Anna. Ruth. And finally, Michael.

“This is our last chance,” I said. “Our final battle. Nothing but death or worse is ahead. There’s no turning back. There’s no one I’d rather be here with than you. Without all of you, I would have never made it this far. We’ll need each other every step of the way. We lost Julian today. We’ll lose more. I can almost guarantee that. This might sound weird, but...it might be best if we consider ourselves dead already. When we go down into the Crater, there’ll be no coming back up.”

“If we are dead,” Anna said. “We have nothing more to lose. There’s nothing more Askala can take from us.”

“I have no regrets,” Ruth said. “Let’s get moving.”

“For Julian,” Michael said.

“For Julian,” Makara agreed.

“Let’s not forget Ashton, too,” Anna said, “and Grudge, and everyone who has died to get us here.”

“This is the moment,” Samuel said. “I know none of us asked for this. When we first found the Black Files, I never imagined our road would lead here. Some doors, once opened, can never be closed. Our only choice is to go through them. And right now, we’re walking through the wide-open door of Hell. Whatever may be said of us, if anyone lives to tell our stories – it’s been a hell of a ride. All of us should have died a long time ago.” He cracked a rare smile. “Maybe we can surprise ourselves one more time.”

It was time to get moving. The longer we dragged this out, the harder it would be. Everyone became focused, determined, maybe even defiant.

“Anna and I can take Askal,” I said. “Everyone else can go on Quietus. She’ll be able to carry four easily.”

Everyone agreed, so Anna and I went to mount Askal. He lowered his wings as we climbed onto his back. Meanwhile, Samuel, Makara, Ruth, and Michael got on Quietus. Each of them had plenty of room, occupying a different spot between Quietus’s spikes, the spikes themselves serving as natural handholds.

When everyone was seated, I gave the order.

Go.

As Askal lifted into the air, the grove below dropped away. The wind cooled as we rose up into the sky, leaving the grass, forest, and pond behind. From above the grove, I could see the bright light shining from deep within the pool. I wondered if the Nameless One was watching us.

It wasn’t long before we had passed out of the hills and over the surface of the Great Blight. The morning sky was surprisingly clear – still red, but the clouds weren’t so thick. In the distance, I could see the northern perimeter of the xenoforest. It was hard to believe we had run all that distance through the night. Even now, I was weary, and could have fallen asleep on Askal’s back if I had wanted to.