The Weirkey Chronicles: Chapters 26-27 (Patreon)

I've paused Patreon charges, as we're closer to the ending than you might think. At minimum for one month, but I'll review that decision later.

That said, I hope everyone will enjoy the climax of the first book and there's some other stuff in store! In addition to the Street Cultivation launch, we might even get some nice blueprints and other soulhome material.

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Chapter 26

After the feast, the three of them began to soulcraft together more frequently, making heavy use of Nauda's telescope. Though Fiyu still kept the majority of her soulhome shrouded in shadow, she seemed much more comfortable inviting them inside, even showing him the chamber that generated the dark cantae that had surrounded her hand.

The chamber was connected to the room of burning light that generated her explosive bursts, but the light was filtered through heavy plates of dark glass and ice. On the other side, the light gleamed dark and sinister. Compared to her bursts, which focused on heavy firepower, the dark aura was an extremely sharp edge. He didn't see any possible way to make the technique less lethal, even with all his experience.

That didn't mean that he couldn't help her at all, though. Since her primary weakness was lack of stamina, he helped her redesign one of her empty chambers to store cantae more effectively. Her relative's blueprint suggested that it would later be used for a support chamber that would improve her burst skill, but since she lacked the sublime materials to soulcraft further, she could at least use it for cantae.

Nauda was a bit more difficult to help. Now that she was more open with them, he saw that her final chamber contained endless inscriptions that were related to a sort of trap-laying skill. Also, a finely-soulcrafted chest that allegedly contained Archcrafter materials she had inherited. Since Nauda clearly didn't want to talk about them, he didn't press further, but that allowed him to guess why she was pushing so hard to ascend.

Her construction on the roof was a good start, but it wasn't going to pierce the clouds, not in the near future. Instead, they discussed potential counters to the technique that had allowed the armament in the last match to drain her. It was some sort of flaw in the binding skill she used, but a knotty one to sort out. With all three of them putting their minds to it, they came up with a few solutions, none of them easy.

In the end, the only immediate suggestion he could offer was building a smaller tower alongside her central square soulhome. Not building a soulhome as a single unit had disadvantages, but it wasn't fundamentally flawed, and it allowed her to soulcraft herself without compromising her progress toward ascending.

With only a week, that was all they could do. Theo felt as though, after so much had changed between them, they should have changed more as well, but they had only the tools remaining to them. Soon enough, it was time for their third match.

~ ~ ~

With no suspicious illnesses and their opponent's leader not participating, it would actually be their first match of the tournament with even numbers: nine against nine. For the first time they had also arrived before the other team, gathering on their side while awaiting Archcrafter Nogibe's group.

"The biggest problems are fairly clear," Nauda was saying. "Navim is the most obvious, simply because he can ignore so many attacks, even some cantae. Theo, can you lift him?" There was something odd about the way she spoke about Navim, but Theo ignored it, because the answer was clear.

"It isn't a matter of lifting. I can make him weightless like anyone else." He considered that Navim still had inertia, but thought that he could either use the Mundhin's momentum against him or manage to push him out of the ring. "You want to hold me in reserve for him?"

"The problem is that they might be anticipating that and send him out against someone else. We need to be flexible or we won't win this."

"Seems clear enough. What about the other problems?"

"Do you see the Farmguard in back? She's from a southern community that has more difficulty with demon attacks, so she has experience and a tested soulhome. Then the Fithan man not far from her... he's a pure ranged fighter, almost like Fiyu." Nauda bit her lip and lowered her voice, eyes flickering behind them. "But the biggest problem might be our other members. I couldn't get much information about the rest of Nogibe's family, but they won't be weak. I don't know how well the others will compete."

Theo glanced back over the group, making eye contact with Javes but still not knowing the others very well. Normally he wouldn't care, but Nauda had been grim about needing to win this competition, so he wanted to find some way to shift the contest in their favor. Unfortunately, the best he might be able to do was win them a single match.

Only Kuber was missing... no, he was approaching now. His eyes had lit up in a different way and he clutched his family's heirloom armament in both hands, as if afraid someone would take it from him. Yet his soulhome didn't seem to have improved... if anything, it had simplified. When he arrived, he brushed past Fiyu - who gave a yelp of consternation - and sat down beside Nauda.

"This time, I can help carry us." Kuber didn't explain why, but the way his knuckles were white around the wooden stick suggested an answer. "If you need someone for a short, explosive match, consider me family."

Though Nauda hesitated, her eyes following the same patterns that Theo's had, in the end she nodded. After Kuber arrived, Nogibe's team soon finished assembling.

That day the instructors were late, but Nanjuma was ready with the bell and most of the audience had arrived. There were more than average, since this was one of the first matches of the third round, and the first to be truly anticipated. Theo's team had fought more unusual matches than any other, while Nogibe's had the best record, with only three losses total.

After today, that number would definitely increase. But as Theo looked over the sturdy soulhomes of the enemy group, he wasn't confident about an overall victory. Maybe it was more important to focus solely on winning his own fight.

"And now, let us finally begin!" Nanjuma smiled broadly at both sides. "The match between Nauda's family and Archcrafter Nogibe's family... Nogibe will begin by selecting one of his students."

Instead of leading with any of their strongest, they sent out a young man covered head to toe in inscribed wooden plates. Armaments of some kind, but Theo was skeptical that they could be that powerful and they didn't look like effective armor physically. Nauda peered at him, then scowled and rubbed her eyes.

"The armaments prevent me from checking his soulhome. Anyone else?"

"I think this is a trap." Fiyu spoke extremely softly, but with confidence. "He wants to appear more dangerous than he is. It is a bluff."

"Then they probably want to lure one of us out, to waste our strength..." Nauda trailed off, considering their options. Before they came to any conclusion, Javes clapped his hands on his knees and levered himself to his feet.

"I'll try to handle it. I know I can't fight their best, so this might be my only chance to help."

When Nauda gave her approval, he walked out into the arena. The bell rang and the opposing fighter immediately began to hum, cantae flowing through the armaments in intricate patterns. Yet for all the light, Theo didn't feel any particular intensity of power.

Javes stepped forward, experimentally jabbing at his opponent's shoulder. The blow struck, but glanced off harmlessly. Though the armored warrior attempted to strike back, he wasn't particularly fast, and all the wooden plates slowed him down, so Javes easily ducked aside. They began trading blows, neither of them particularly effective, and neither looking like they would tire soon.

Since it was likely to go on for a while, Theo turned his attention to Kuber. "Are you going to use your family's armament? Unless you found a way to use it in a weaker form, I don't see how."

To his surprise, Kuber didn't answer, merely shifting his grip and avoiding eye contact.

"I've seen you spending time with Magnafor."

That forced Kuber's attention and he shifted away uncomfortably before speaking. "You told me it was impossible, but... you were wrong. Magnafor showed me how to use the armament."

"Out of the goodness of his heart, was it?" Theo leaned in closer, eyes narrow. "Just what did he demand in return?"

"N-nothing. Well, not to use it against his team. After what he gave me... I had to agree."

Giving an opponent a powerful ability in return for a single forfeited match? Theo couldn't help but be skeptical that Magnafor would make such a bad deal, even before he decided whether or not Kuber's words rang inauthentic. He wanted to push further, but what bothered him more was that he didn't understand how it was possible. Kuber hadn't ascended to Archcrafter, and there shouldn't be a way to support such a powerful armament with a first tier soulhome.

Before he could decide what to ask next, the match ended with a whimper: the exhausted fighters ended up wrestling with one another until they both collapsed. Still within the ring, but Nanjuma stepped forward and created a wall of green fire to separate them.

"Both sides have fought well, and any victory now would be mere luck." Nanjuma picked each man up with one hand. "We'll call this a draw!"

That was new, but probably the best they could have hoped for. Theo made sure to give Javes an approving look for holding out for so long, but his attention turned entirely to the next match. Would Archcrafter Nogibe have prepared specific counters to them, or would he be looking for good matches? The armament trick suggested that he was crafty, but...

"Put me in." Kuber nearly vibrated in his seat, cantae flowing through his armament. "Nauda, let me fight. I'll win for you, I guarantee it."

"Kuber..." Nauda watched him silently, but she seemed to have made a similar calculation as Theo, because she eventually nodded. "Show us what you can do, then."

Instantly Kuber leapt up and rushed to the ring. Though he seemed manic while moving, when he arrived, his body stilled as he clasped the inscribed rod with both hands. It really did seem as though he was capable of using an Archcrafter armament.

After only a brief pause, Nogibe made a small gesture. Navim rumbled to his feet and lurched toward the arena, leading to several gasps from the audience... but not Kuber. Eventually the two faced each other across the ring, which seemed much smaller with Navim's bulky stones occupying it.

Even before the bell rang, Kuber gripped the heirloom tighter and began to flow cantae. Navim waited until the signal, then hefted a cudgel-like limb of dark stone and swept it into his opponent's chest.

It was blocked by a sphere of orange fire.

As Navim recoiled, everyone stared at Kuber as he glowed like the sun. Instead of being blinding, the light was somehow as warm as the Tatian sun... and just as powerful. The sphere didn't dissipate, instead crackling around him as he took a careful step forward.

Feeling the cantae flooding into the armament, Theo suddenly understood Magnafor's solution. All of Kuber's soulhome was devoted to a single enormous chamber that powered the armament. Any rational blueprint would have devoted an Archcrafter-tier chamber to the weapon, but devoting the entire first floor could generate enough cantae to power it. The result had to be unstable, and it meant giving up any physical reinforcement, or other techniques, or...

But apparently it worked. Kuber stood in the center of an overwhelming defensive barrier.

The light flickered low, but not because his control was ebbing. Instead, Kuber needed to weaken the barrier to attack: he raised the rod in one hand, grinning, and forced his cantae into it. This time, the flood of light was blinding.

Navim exploded in a shower of stone and the audience cried out in horror. Even Kuber looked startled, all his cantae fading as he stared at the rubble. Theo ignored most of the broken stones, knowing that they could be healed, and searched for Navim's core. His sphere with the embedded gems was the heart of his body, and so long as it remained intact...

The sphere lay in the center of the rubble, a crack directly through the center.

"This match is over!" Nanjuma's voice thundered over everyone else and he swept forward to the ring. "Everyone remain where you are! Healers, step forward!"

As much as Theo wanted to run to check on Navim, he stayed back enough for the healers to arrive first. Yet the Tatian healers seemed at a loss in all the rubble, only a few properly checking on the gem core. By the time Theo dared to step in, Nanjuma was the only one doing anything useful, his Ruler senses thoroughly examining the area.

"His soul is still intact," Nanjuma said carefully, "but it was severely weakened. I cannot tell if he is dying or not."

"I... I never meant..." Kuber took a step back, staring in horror. One of the Farmguards came and took him by the shoulder, though as support instead of accusation. At most he was guilty of negligence, not understanding the strength of his armament, but it wasn't ultimately his fault.

No, that lay on Magnafor's shoulders. Theo didn't see the other man anywhere, briefly wondering if this could all be part of his plan. He quickly dismissed that theory: he couldn't have predicted that Kuber would end up facing Navim in a match. His real scheme would be something more flexible, so the question was why he had helped Kuber in the first place.

Even that mattered less than Navim's life, which hung in the balance. Theo had never visited Arbai, but he'd seen a few Mundhin in battle and he knew that once their core began to crack, their life was at risk. At first he stood back, hoping someone else would have more expertise, but Fiyu tugged anxiously at his sleeve.

"We must help Navim," she said, barely audible over all the shouting. "Do you know how?"

"I can try." Theo stepped forward, getting the attention of Nanjuma and the healers. "Everyone, listen! Our first response should be gathering all the other stones around his core. That might help him hang on for a while longer."

The healers rapidly began gathering the stones, relieved to be able to help in any way. Theo set up an inverse gravitational field in order to make them weightless, so they could position the rocks all around the core. It started to be more trouble than it was worth, since the rocks kept bouncing apart, but before he could change his mind, one of the Farmguards came up with a net and canvas that they wrapped around the floating rocks... the floating body.

"I do not think that anyone here can heal him," Nanjuma said sadly, placing a hand against the bundle of stone. "I presume that there are techniques to restore him on his own world, but the gate is some distance away, even at my highest speed. Can it be done?"

"You have a chance to save him!" Suddenly Magnafor was standing in the inner circle, speaking with the exact confidence that Tatians liked to follow. "He once told me that his school is not far from the gate, and surely they can help him. So if Theo keeps him stable and Nanjuma takes him as quickly as possible, you can make it."

Of course Magnafor wasn't so foolish as to smirk, but when their eyes met for a split second, he might as well have. This might not have been his plan, but he was adapting perfectly to the situation. If they journeyed to the Arbai gate, that would leave him free to reach the vault. Even if Theo was ruthless enough to abandon Navim, the Tatians would never accept it, and all eyes were on them.

That was the key. Theo gave a relieved smile and put a familial hand on Magnafor's shoulder. "I'm glad we have an expert on the territory with us! With your help, we can save his life."

Everyone around them nodded and grinned, desperate for a sign of hope. Magnafor smiled with hard eyes, but he didn't look panicked. Did he have an accomplice? Or had Theo fundamentally misunderstood his plan? There was no more time to consider, because Nanjuma swept all of them away toward the acorn vessel.

When lives were at stake, Tatians could move with impressive efficiency. Yet as he was pulled along, Theo had a feeling that they were already too late. Not for Navim, but for everyone else.

-

Chapter 27

Soon enough, they hurtled over the Tatian landscape, clinging to the sides of the giant acorn. Their previous trip had been at night, but now that Theo could see the farms and villages blurring underneath them, he was startled by how quickly it moved. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised, as it was fueled by a Ruler's cantae, but the wind against the front end was fierce.

Only Nanjuma stood atop it, fully focused on taking them toward the gate. The rest of their group clung to the back side of the vessel, carrying Navim's body along with them. Fiyu had refused to leave, always keeping one hand on the ropes as if worried he would slip away. Theo and Magnafor had locked each other in place with their statements, so they were obligated to join the group.

Nauda and two Farmguards had come with them, and Theo wasn't sure how to feel about that. If he'd been thinking faster, he could have asked Nauda to stay back, interrogating Kuber and checking if Magnafor had any accomplices in the school. But there hadn't been time, and it was equally possible that Magnafor intended to do everything himself, which meant that having Nauda along would be a good thing.

"We are still some time from the gate," Nanjuma said, making his voice carry despite the wind. "Once we emerge on the other side, where do we go next?"

Though Theo looked to Magnafor, it was actually Fiyu who responded. "He told me that he fell into Tatian while doing a survey of gemspires to the southwest of his school. I do not know where the gate is, but if we can locate the gemspires, we can find our way."

"Good enough." Nanjuma bent down and their speed seemed to increase even more.

For a time they flew in silence, the wind shearing away all attempts at conversation. But eventually Nauda carefully climbed along the side, finding a better seat close to him. She didn't make eye contact, but she slumped in her chair in his direction, speaking so that he could just barely hear her over the wind.

"You think that this is Magnafor's plan?"

"I think he's improvising." Theo resisted the urge to look over at him and just leaned back so their heads were closer together. "What about Kuber? I don't think he intended to hurt Navim, but do you think he would betray us?"

"He feels like he's failing his family." Nauda's sigh was immediately caught in the wind. "Though he didn't say much, communities thrive on rumor. His grandmother was an Archcrafter and there was a Ruler in his distant extended family. If he was promised a path to power, I think he'd take it and not think about the consequences."

"That armament is serious. Do you know anything about it?"

"A great grandparent who became a Ruler spent their life crafting a perfect armament for Archcrafters. But do you really expect that to be relevant? You saw how horrified he was."

"I'm not sure." Theo closed his eyes and tried to think back over everything. None of it made any sense unless there was another piece on the table. In the confusion of the preparations, Magnafor had been able to slip away briefly and could have sent any number of messages. Everything hinged on unknown variables, and he didn't see any way to find them.

Hopefully, at minimum, they would be able to get Navim back home in time. Theo looked over toward the bundle, though he couldn't see the core at the center. It had been more cracked when last he saw it, but not beginning to fall apart. In the past, he'd known a Mundhin warrior who survived for days with a nearly shattered sphere, so he hoped Navim would live.

When at last they reached the gate, it was larger than he expected, an arc apparently made from tree roots that towered over the surrounding villages. Though the surface was clouded by a yellow haze, he could just see a rocky landscape on the other side. He spotted Farmguards on duty below, but they looked relaxed, working more to keep anyone from harming themselves than repelling an attack. Nanjuma swept down to them, explained, and jumped back before their vessel even arrived, so they flew directly through.

Instantly Theo winced as the sun seared straight through him. Unlike the warm sun of Tatian, which glowed softly even when you looked directly into it, the white hot Arbaian sun was blistering. It loomed overhead, scouring his skin even before the first sand stung his face. The air itself felt unbelievably dry, as if water wasn't even a distant memory.

Several of the Farmguards groaned and winced, but Theo had been mostly prepared. More importantly, he thought he saw the bundle of Navim's body shift slightly. Just being back in Arbai would probably help him a bit, as the dry environment was as healthy for Mundhin as it was hostile to most other species.

"The sand is painful, even from up here." Nauda began using a small amount of cantae to defend herself from the stinging particles and Theo followed suit. "What about you, Fiyu? Are you okay?"

"It's awful." Though Fiyu had an arm over her eyes, she hadn't cried out and still looked alert. "If you hadn't helped me soulcraft a window, this would be hell..."

Theo almost wished he had a window of his own, because even to his eyes the light was blinding. He shielded them and peered below, getting a better look at the landscape as his eyes adjusted. It was nothing but rocks, yes, but not just rocks. They floated over a region with great striations of blue and red stone, and ahead of them he saw a massive plateau that appeared to be riddled with tunnels, perhaps even civilization.

Though it was far away on foot, they were still moving at great speed. Theo was just beginning to hope that they would get Navim back safely when a beam of purple fire tore directly through their vessel.

Instantly it tumbled to the side, its momentum sending it spinning violently. It was all Theo could do to grab the side and make sure Navim didn't smash against anything, but they were spiraling downward. Fortunately, Nanjuma acted with great speed, green light wrapping around the acorn and two of the Farmguards who had fallen, guiding them all gently to the ground.

Another line of purple fire struck him directly.

An emerald aura lit up around Nanjuma, deflecting the attack, but the force of it propelled him across the rocky landscape. In the moment he had to look up, Theo didn't see any further beams of purple fire, but he knew they must be under attack by a Ruler, and perhaps other soulcrafters. They wouldn't have attacked from a distance like that if they had overwhelming force, but it still didn't look good.

Then they hit the ground, jarringly but not catastrophically thanks to Nanjuma's aura. Once it faded out, however, there was nothing more forthcoming. Theo felt the ground shudder some distance away and assumed that a battle had begun, but there was no time to think about that.

First, he checked that Navim hadn't broken apart further, but the Farmguards had bundled him well. The sphere had been banged around a bit, but his rapid shifts in the gravitational field had managed to keep it from smashing into anything. Suspecting a threat without having any sense of one, Theo carefully lowered Navim's body to the ground.

Around him, he saw that most of the others had scattered. Nauda was pulling herself up by her staff, apparently unharmed, while Fiyu stood with her hands at her sides, ready for an attack. The Farmguards looked more dazed... and beyond them, Magnafor was fleeing over the rocks.

Theo sprinted after him before he consciously decided to. This couldn't be a master plan or a pure coincidence, which meant that Magnafor had to adapt his schemes to the circumstances. It wouldn't take much to stop him, if he acted at the perfect moment.

As they sprinted over the rocks, Theo realized several things. First, they were definitely running back toward the gate, which suggested that Magnafor intended to make his attempt on the vault now. Second, he'd slipped into thinking that his goal was to stop Magnafor without thinking about it.

If they had been in a direct competition, that would have made sense, but he had the option of just ignoring Magnafor. He didn't really care what the other man did, and it could end up having nothing to do with him. Most likely no one would even be harmed, though if the soulcrafter who had attacked Nanjuma wasn't a coincidence, that suggested hiring mercenaries.

Then there was a man thrusting knives toward his face.

Theo had no time to counterattack, he just threw himself downward. The knives barely missed him and he managed to cancel his weight just before he fell very far, bouncing off the ground at a low speed. Though he wanted to keep sprinting, the rapid shift disoriented him, plus there was still a man racing after him with a pair of cantae knives.

Suddenly that man grunted and froze in place. For a split second Theo was puzzled, not seeing an attack and just looking over him. It was a Fithan soulcrafter wearing ragged leather armor. His motionless knives looked as though they had been well cared-for but heavily used, so possibly a mercenary down on his luck.

"Go!" The call was Nauda, forcing him to focus again. She stood behind them, her staff thrust out to bind the attacker in place. Theo immediately returned to his sprint, doing his best to catch up to Magnafor. He realized that he could move faster if he pushed off the ground and then canceled his gravity, which let him soar over uneven ridges that would otherwise slow him down.

Still, it was going to be close. He started to catch up to Magnafor just as they reached the gate, which was a smooth arch of stone from this side. Theo returned to running normally since he didn't want to blunder into an attack, but Magnafor seemed completely focused on escaping until they both broke into Tatian.

The wet air immediately enveloped him like a mist, but there was no time to think about that. Theo thrust out a hand, slamming a gravitational field down on top of Magnafor. His opponent grunted and his torso folded slightly, but he didn't fall.

"How much of this was your plan?" Theo asked. "Did you really hire mercenaries to attack us?"

"Why would I answer you?" Light flickered around Magnafor's hand, forming the shape of a gauntlet, and he immediately straightened.

Theo's eyes widened as he realized that Magnafor was entirely ignoring his gravitational field. Cracks were beginning to form along the gauntlet, but it held, and he probably had a second on his other hand. When Theo released a burst of pure cantae, it dissipated against a ghostly white breastplate that faded out a moment later.

From that, it was easy to intuit the design of Magnafor's soulhome: every chamber must manifest a piece of armor with a specific purpose. Such designs were inflexible but powerful, a good strategy for a first tier soulcrafter. The question was how many more chambers Magnafor had been able to soulcraft.

"I don't hate you, man. I don't care about you at all." Magnafor raised his other hand and a ghostly sword began forming in it. "If you wanted to steal everything yourself, you didn't move fast enough. Just stay out of my way and I'll ignore you."

Magnafor swung his sword and Theo moved to dodge, realizing too late that it was a distraction. Light flared around his opponent's feet and suddenly a boot formed of cantae smashed into his chest. Theo skidded back through the gate, painfully striking a ridge of stone and tumbling to a halt. He got up his in time to see Magnafor raising his sword again.

But it had never been intended for him: it swept to the side, chopping through the vines that formed the gate. Suddenly Theo no longer faced a view of Tatian, only stared through an empty arch of stone.

Could gates be easily repaired? Destroying a door had always been a good strategy to escape pursuit, but this was a large and well-established gate that had only been slightly damaged. The Farmguards on the other side had been too startled to act, but they'd be moving soon.

When Theo turned around, he discovered that most of the others had followed them. He saw the Farmguards first, stumbling toward the empty gate with panicked expressions, but ignored them. Nauda and Fiyu had disabled the Fithan mercenary and confiscated his weapons, which was a good first step. Theo strode over to them and grabbed the man's collar.

"Did Magnafor hire you? What did he offer?"

"Sublime materials like you wouldn't believe." The mercenary chuckled unpleasantly at him. "Are you Tatians going to kill me now? I don't think you have it in you... but you'd regret it when my boss gets here."

Despite himself, Theo did look up toward the region of rocky spires where Nanjuma had fallen. He saw no flashes of light, but an unnatural column of sand and wind was rising, generating a monstrous sandstorm in all directions. It would take a long time to reach them, not that they didn't have more immediate problems.

To his surprise, Fiyu stepped forward, generating a black aura around her hand. It seemed she intended to answer the mercenary's question with his death, but Nauda put a hand in her way. "There's no sense in killing him. He's just a hireling."

"There's no sense in keeping him alive." Fiyu's face was set grimly, but she did dismiss the aura around her hand.

"We have more important things to do. Could we just leave him tied up?"

"In this world, that would be the same as killing him."

One of the Farmguards whirled back to them. "All of you, be quiet! Nothing matters except opening the gate again! Do you have any idea how fast this place will kill us? We all need to work to connect with the Farmguards on the other side."

"How long will that take?" Theo asked. The Farmguard blinked and conferred with her companion, but they didn't seem to know immediately, which was answer enough. If they were worried about dying of thirst, that meant that they were thinking in terms of days, not hours. They didn't have that much time, especially since Magnafor probably had a way to return to Myufuru quickly.

"Do we have another option?" Fiyu asked. Theo rubbed his forehead in frustration, eyes wandering back over what little they had. When he saw Navim's body, he realized that they did.

"We can survive here for a few days, especially if we have water. But Navim might not survive that long, even if this battle doesn't reach us. We need to return him to his school as soon as possible." One of the Farmguards started to object, but Theo spoke over her. "The two of you can keep the mercenary captive and reestablish the gate. We'll make sure Navim survives and catch up to you later."

They couldn't disagree with a plan that focused on saving one of their fellow students, so Theo's group was off. As soon as he made Navim weightless again, they began to run as quickly as they could maintain, rushing into the endless rocky wasteland.

Before they were too far away, Nauda turned to look at him. "I want to help Navim too, but I don't believe those were your real motivations. Why are we doing this?"

"Because Navim said his master was an Authority in possession of many weirkeys. One of them must be for Tatian, which means that he can control where we return." Theo smiled grimly. "It will take Magnafor some time to return to Myufuru, no matter what method he uses. If we can jump directly back, our route might be shorter than his."

"Assuming that his master is willing to give us such a gift, despite being first tier soulcrafters with nothing to offer him."

"But we will return his student," Fiyu said hopefully. "He will wish to repay our kindness."

Nauda seemed to accept that, especially since they really did want to save Navim's life. Privately, Theo wasn't nearly as confident that it would be easy to convince the other Mundhin. On Ichil, most mentorships involved only two people with a close bond, but the philosophical schools of Arbai usually had hundreds of students.

Though it would have been dramatic to sprint all the way to the plateau, they didn't have the stamina for it. His throat felt like it was entirely made out of sand and each breath became painful. When they slowed down to take a break, Fiyu revealed that she had a flask of water and he drank gratefully. It wouldn't be enough for an extended journey, but it would last them long enough.

Behind them, the gate lay dead. To the west, a sandstorm grew as two Rulers did battle. And ahead, a looming monument of dead rock hopefully contained their salvation.

-

Some of you were likely anticipating a swerve, and there it was. I wanted each book in the series to feel fast and concentrated, but without losing a sense of either place or the diversity of settings. My solution for this book was to set it mostly in Tatian, but to include glimpses of other places in the form of brief visits, characters, and now some time spent in Arbai.

Far into the series, the characters will be able to leap between worlds easily and we'll see many characters coming together in massive climaxes. But for this first book, my goal was to blend several different flavors into a tight finale.