Chapter 18

She had cried herself out.

Dolanna knelt on the harsh, bare rock of the plateau, kneeling within the center of the Conduit which was the Heart of this new Weave, her arms hugging herself about the ribs as she looked down on the dark stone. The skies above were clearing of their pall of ash, and the sun was starting to rise, the dawning of a new day…the dawning of a new age. But there was little joy in it for her.

It seemed surreal. Never, never in her wildest dreams, did she believe that this could happen. Tarrin had always seemed…indestructible. He was such a towering figure, so strong, and always so powerful, so powerful, even against the most dangerous adversaries, even in the face of great odds. He always found a way to win, even when he was overmatched…it was one of his defining qualities, a cunning resourcefulness that was even more dangerous than his formidable magical powers, more of a weapon than his divine powers had ever been. Even when he died on Sennadar, destroying Val, that was a death by his own choice, a conscious decision. He had always been so powerful, an almost mythical figure, a titan that could withstand almost anything. It was almost unbelievable that he could be dead. He had faced so many obstacles, had overcome so much, only to die here? Only to die now, but one step away from returning home? It seemed, well, so unfair!

She almost didn’t want to believe it. No, Tarrin knew that this might happen, he had to have known…and when Tarrin knew, Tarrin planned. He had saved himself after dying against Val because he knew that his death was coming, and he prepared. He knew that there was a very good chance of dying here, so he had to have prepared for it. But how? What did he do? What was she supposed to do? That was what had her so confused. He had never told her what to do in the event that she ended up here, and that was why she was in shock now…she hadn’t expected it. She was here as insurance, nothing more. It had her so confused. He had to know that he might die, but she had been so surprised when he did.

His body was an example. She didn’t know what to do with him. Should she bury him? Should she preserve his body? After all, it was unharmed. The power of Druidic magic drained the energy out of him, nothing more. If that energy replaced, the soul restored inside the body—

Soul. Tarrin’s soul!

No! He had died within the mortal plane! That meant that his soul, released from his body, had nowhere to go! His soul was still divine, the soul of a god, and that meant that it could not exist trapped within the confines of a mortal plane without a body to protect it!

The soultrap! Did it work? Had it pulled his soul back into itself across the dimensions? It was still on Sennadar…would it still work, even now? Had his soul been captured and protected? Or had it been torn apart, as a soul that existed in the higher dimensions been trapped within the confines of mortal comprehension, an environment in which it could not survive?

She was so confused. She didn’t know what to do.

Calm down, daughter, a voice drifted to her from an unimaginable distance. You should know the kitten better than that.

“Mother!” she gasped, looking around. “Oh, Mother! What am I to do? I do not know what to do!”

First things first, my child, this stretches even the bounds of my power, and I can’t do this for long. Is Tarrin’s body there?

“Yes, Mother! Fireflash has gone back for our travel pack, but Tarrin—“ she choked up. “I did not know what to do with his body. It is here.”

Listen to me carefully, daughter. Destroy it.

“What?” she gasped.

You heard me. Destroy it immediately. It’s interfering with what I am trying to do. Destroy it right now.

Confused she might be, but she was not about to disobey a direct command from her goddess. She touched on this new Weave, felt it respond to her call, and turned that power against the body of her oldest friend. The Weave struck at that mortal form, infusing it with its power. It couldn’t destroy it by fire, for its immunity to fire remained even after death, so Dolanna ordered the Weave to strike the body with the power of the ages, causing it to decay into dust within the blink of an eye. The body wavered, and then it was gone, nothing but greyish dust on the rocky ground.

“It is done, Mother,” she called, trying to suppress a sob.

Very good. Is that creation of his still there?

“The shadow? Mother, how did you know about it?”

I touched his mind just before he died, when he reached out to me. I saw everything in his mind, I know what he had planned, and what we have to do now.

“Really? Oh, Mother! Can we get him back?”

We…we’ll have to see, she answered. He placed all of his power into the sword and then broke it both to force the hand of the Demon Lord, but also as a means to try to get my mother to permit him to come home. He was going to come home as a mortal and leave the sword behind, locked away from his power. But when he injured the Demon Lord, he saw a chance to deliver a crippling blow to his plans, and he took it. And, unfortunately, touching the All of that world was too much for him.

“But, but, he died in the mortal plane. His soul—“

I know, but his soul is intact. That’s what’s causing the problem. I can’t find it. Something protected it when he died, it still exists, but I don’t know what, and I don’t know where. That’s what I’m trying to do right now, find his soul. If I can find it, I can retrieve it, and we can work from there.

“So there is hope?”

Daughter, there is always hope, she answered. He didn’t die on Sennadar, the twins of Death didn’t lock away his soul. If I can find it, I can restore it into a new body, just as I did before. When Tarrin died, he knew that I had that ability. In a way, he’s gambling that I can do it again.

“How will we recover his soul, Mother?”

Leave that to me, she said confidently. Now, answer my question, quickly. Is the shadow there?

“No, Mother, its gone after the Demons.”

I rather thought it would, that’s what it was meant to do, she said thoughtfully. What about his sword? Are the pieces still there?

She looked around, then remembered what had happened. “No, Mother,” she answered. “When Tarrin—when he created this new Weave, it created a tornado that picked everything up and cast it to the winds. I was nearly swept away.”

Damn, she growled. Listen carefully, daughter. You are in control of that Weave, and for right now, I can’t help you. You must master it. You need to find that shadow, and find the two pieces of Tarrin’s sword. You must find them quickly.

“Mother, what importance do they have?”

They mean everything, daughter, she said seriously. Tarrin’s power still exists. He placed it all within the sword, and then he broke it, trapping that power within it. When Tarrin died, his power didn’t fade away, because his soul still continues on. Remember, daughter, in some ways, he is a god, and his power will remain so long as his soul lives, even if his mortal body is dead. It lives on within the sword, and within that shadow. In a way, that shadow is now Tarrin, it is everything that he represented. The reason that Weave has not unravelled is because of the shadow. There is no sui’kun there, daughter. The shadow represents that power, and together, with you, it helps retain the Weave. You must find the shadow, child, find it quickly, and help it in any way you can. Do not let it be destroyed, under any circumstances. I’m sending a sui’kun to Pyrosia as quickly as I can manage to help take up the burden, and prevent that Weave from being destroyed if the shadow does fall.

“But, but how can I help it from here? I cannot leave this Conduit, Mother.”

Daughter, she chided, I thought you better than that. You are a Sorcerer, and you have a Weave. Use it.

Dolanna’s eyes widened, and she both chuckled and sniffled. “I am sorry, Mother. I am still not thinking clearly. I will find the shadow, and I will look for the pieces of the sword.”

Quickly, daughter. The shadow is important, but the sword means everything. With Tarrin dead, that means that the power within the sword no longer calls one man its master. Anyone who finds both pieces and joins them together is going to command that power. Anyone who gets both pieces will have all of Tarrin’s power at his command. And I’m positive that your Demon Lord even now has his minions searching for them, even as he runs away. You have to find them first, daughter. I’m arranging to send people from here to help, soldiers to fight the Demons, and Sorcerers and others to recover the sword.

I can’t stress it enough, daughter. Find the pieces of the sword. You must find the pieces of the sword, and you must do it as quickly as you can, but don’t become so engrossed in it that you allow the shadow to fall. You are now the eyes and the ears of your world, Dolanna. There is nothing that you cannot see, nothing that you cannot hear, if you only take the time to learn how it is done. There is no one on that world who can do this better than you. Make me proud, my daughter.

“I will not fail you, Mother.”

I know. Whenever I need someone I can depend on, you’re always high up on my list, Dolanna. You are one of my very best, and I’m proud of you. That you can hold that Weave together and still be able to talk says everything that needs to be said.

Dolanna flushed, but said nothing.

Now bend yourself to your tasks, child, and I’ll get started on mine. Expect to feel a sui’kun enter Pyrosia as soon as I can kick one in the rump and get him or her to the gate. Until one does, keep that shadow alive, no matter what it takes. Do you understand?

“I will make sure of it, Mother,” she said.

Look for the sword as much as you can while protecting the shadow, and when a sui’kun gets there, your only mission is to find the pieces of the sword. We’re going to need them. If we have any chance of recovering Tarrin and somehow restoring him, we must have that sword.

“I will start immediately, Mother.”

Do me proud, daughter, the voice of the Goddess said, and then it retreated.

“I will make you proud of me, Mother,” Dolanna whispered, wiping at her cheek. She looked around, heard nothing but the rush of the warm summer wind, and then she settled herself in a comfortable seat upon the hard, unforgiving ground.

Her mind was a whirlwind of fear, and doubt, but she brushed all that aside. She now had a mission, she now had something to do. What she was doing was important, and no one else could do it. She did not wish for this duty, did not want it, but she would carry it out to the best of her ability.

With the ease of a master of her craft, Dolanna’s consciousness rose up into the Weave, joined with it, and began. There was much she had to learn, much she had to discover, for this was an alien Weave, it was not the Weave of the Goddess, and she had to use it in ways she had never tried before. She had to find the shadow, she had to find the two pieces of the sword, and she had to do it using nothing more than the Weave itself.

She would not fail her Goddess. And she would not fail Tarrin.

Haven. A small, verdant valley nestled between two towering mountain ranges and the Bay of Sharadar, a tiny belt of green clinging to the side of the mountains, protected from the rest of Arathorn by those mountains, and protected from ships landing by sea from the north by a dangerous reef that lurked just offshore. Nobody would come there anyway, for it was well known throughout the entire continent that the lands of Haven were cursed, they were haunted, that no one who set foot upon them ever returned.

This was the domain of Spyder, the Guardian, and it was the location of the only gate that opened into the world of Sennadar. Haven had been the domain of this enigmatic Urzani for thousands of years, as she carried out her solitary task of defending the gate against incursion from beyond, defending it against Demons, against the Avatars of gods, against hapless mortals, and against planar entities that had stumbled across the location of the gateway, one of the most elusive portals in the Astral. Not just anyone could find the gate of Sennadar. It could not be seen, it could not be located with magic, and it could not be tracked. Only those who had the fortune—or misfortune—of stumbling across it by random chance could find it, and only those who paid attention could find it again after being ejected by Spyder back into the Astral. Those rare few that did not heed the warnings of the mortal guardian, by either arrogance or stupidity, did not live to return to the Astral a second time.

She had lived in the rather modest mansion built over the gate for millenia, and until recently, she had lived alone. But now she had company, she had guests. Two Were-cats had taken up residence with her, and all in all, she had not been entirely displeased by their presence. One of them was Triana, and the other Jasana. Jasana was here to continue her training, tutoring both under her grandmother in the arts of Druidic magic, and under Spyder in matters magical and martial.

Truth be told, Spyder was rather amused with Jasana. She had awesome potential, and she had tremendous intelligence. She was a gifted Sorcerer, in both power and ability. But, she was much like the child that she appeared to be to Spyder, but desperately tried to pretend she was not. She had a refreshing view of the world, and her youth and sincere enthusiasm was almost infectious. She was independent, she was stubborn, and she was almost arrogantly convinced that she was right almost all of the time, even when thousands of years of experience that represented the background of her teacher told her that she was wrong. Jasana was the future, she was a piece of clay to be molded, even when she resented such molding, and Spyder had taken sincere pleasure in her role as Jasana’s mentor.

The time spent with Triana was equally enjoyable. Triana was wise, and had a respect for the years that Spyder had lived. In Triana, Spyder had a companion that understood her, someone that she could talk to about things that younger ones like Jasana could never understand. A solid friendship had developed between the two, based on mutual respect.

As it was spring in Suld, it was fall in Haven. The trees around the modest home of the most powerful mortal on Sennadar had begun to change colors, but the flowers still bloomed in the garden behind her manor. It was in this garden that Triana did most of her training with Jasana, favoring the outdoors, to bring her into closer touch with the forces of nature that, in their own way, fueled the power of the All. As this world thrived, so did the might of Ayise, the Allmother, which made the All that much stronger. For years, Triana had trained Jasana in the use of Druidic magic, but her ability to use Druidic magic was not very far along. This was because of the dangerous nature of the magic, and the need to thoroughly educate the girl about it before she actually used it. This was the one thing that drove Jasana crazy more than anything else. Jasana was not the kind that could sit patiently and learn. She learned by doing, she wanted to know now, wanted to do now. Tomorrow was just a misty, intangible thing to her, and this was her greatest failing. Jasana was a Were-cat, and her Were half greatly influenced this inability to plan for the future. Just about the only time Jasana showed any kind of ability to plan for the future was when she was denied what she wanted, and her cunning, manipulative nature came into the forefront.

Teaching Jasana patience was a monumental task, and a task that required both Spyder and Triana to perform it. And it was a task in which they had not quite succeeded yet.

They sat on a bench by Spyder’s prized roses, as Jasana listened only half-heartedly as Triana explained the use of the Druidic spell that allowed communication over great distances, explained the theory of it to her. Jasana was more interested in the bee that kept buzzing lightly over the tops of the red flowers, and then flitted to another bush, where white roses climbed up a trellis that covered the path back to the manor house.

“Owww!” Jasana complained, putting her paw to her head to cover the place just between her ears, where Triana had smacked her.

“I’m over here, girl,” Triana stated in that gruff voice. “Would you like a scar on your left to match the one on your right?”

The Were-cat put a paw to the side of her neck, where a trio of faint white lines ran along her skin. It was a reminder that not paying attention to Triana when she demanded that attention could be…painful. “I can’t believe you did that,” she sulked. “Jeri will think—“

“Jeri should be the last thing on your mind right now,” she warned with steely eyes.

Spyder, leaning on the trellis with her black cloak shimmering and flowing despite the lack of wind, could only inwardly smile. Triana certainly had ways of keeping one’s attention, and they were frightfully direct. She was about to leave them to their training and return to the library, but the arrival of a presence that all three of them could feel delayed her intention. That presence arrived quickly in the garden, and manifested itself behind the hedge wall.

The Goddess stepped out from behind that wall, and she looked as she always looked. She wore a shimmering gown that looked spun from starlight, and her eyes glowed with a strong amber radiance. Her hair was thick and lush and long, and it was colored in the seven colors of the rainbow, the seven colors of Sorcery.

“Mother,” Spyder said with a bow. “It is good of you to visit my home. May I make you comfortable?”

“It’ll have to wait, daughter,” she said seriously, putting her hand on the Urzani’s shoulder. “How ready is she, Triana?”

“Not nearly,” the matron replied honestly. “She might have been much further along, but she doesn’t want to listen.”

“You don’t want to teach,” Jasana muttered under her breath. “Owww!” she sucked in her breath when Triana slapped her across the back of the head. And she was not gentle.

“See?” Triana said with a telling sigh.

“I, see,” the Goddess said with a straight face.

“What troubles you, Mother?” Spyder asked.

“I could never hide anything from you, my daughter,” the Goddess sighed. “I’m afraid I bear bad tidings, my children. And I’m here to collect this one. I need her.”

She pointed at Jasana.

“Me? You need me, Mother?” Jasana asked with barely contained enthusiasm. “Yes! Um, er, what do you need me to do?”

“You, daughter, are going to go take the place of your father,” she said directly.

Jasana’s expression turned horrified.

“Tarrin?” Triana asked.

The Goddess shook her head. “He used Druidic magic in that other world, Triana, and he did something beyond his ability. You know what happens.”

Triana’s reaction was unusual. She simply put her elbows on her knees and leaned into her paws. She did not cry, she did not scream. She simply took a long, private moment.

“What do you mean? What happened to my father?” Jasana demanded.

“He is dead, girl,” Spyder announced flatly. “Were you to pay more attention to your teacher, you would have known that.”

“My, my father, dead? No,” she said in a weak voice, her paws beginning to tremble.

“No, girl,” the Goddess said quickly, reaching out and snatching up her paws into her hands. “Don’t do this to me, not now. You can’t break down. You have to get to that other world, and you have to get there fast. Dolanna’s there all by herself, and she needs your help.”

“B-But, my father—“

“Your father would beat you senseless if you let your emotions overwhelm your duty,” the Goddess said harshly, squeezing her paws. “And your father is a crafty, wily Were-cat who knows how to get himself out of bad situations. He cheated death once before, and he can do it again, but not if you fall apart on me. Do you understand?”

“I—“ she sniffled, then she winced when the Goddess squeezed her hands again.

“I said do you understand?”

“I, yes, Mother, I understand,” she said, on the verge of tears.

“Good,” she stated. “Spyder.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“How many friends do you have among the Deva?”

“Some, not many,” she answered.

“Think you can wrangle a favor?”

“I might, Mother. I can make no guarantees. What do you need?”

“When Tarrin died, I lost touch with his soul,” she answered. “I can’t find it. It’s beyond my ability to touch. All I know is that something is protecting it, or he found some way to move his soul into the Astral. Finding his soul is the first step to figuring out what to do. If Tarrin found some way to shift his soul into the Astral before he died, the Deva can find it.”

“I will ask about, Mother. As I said, I can make no promises. As you know, they answer only to Him. If they do this, it would be of their own volition, and they would ask Him for permission beforehand.”

“All I can ask is that you try, my daughter.”

“It will be ask you ask, Mother. I will see to it immediately, if you have no other tasks for me.”

“Later, but not at the moment.”

Spyder bowed to the Goddess, then turned and hurried off towards the manor house.

“Now,” the Goddess said, sitting down on a bench facing Triana. “Sit.”

Jasana did so, her eyes brimming with tears.

“I know you’ve talked to Koran Dar, and Haley. You know what was going on there, don’t you?” Jasana nodded to her. “Good. What you must understand is that what Tarrin did has changed everything in that other world,” she began. “He used his Druidic power to touch the All of that world, and he used it to build a Weave. A complete, entire Weave.”

Jasana gaped at her.

“The only thing holding that Weave together right now is your father’s forward thinking, and Dolanna. You have to get there quickly, daughter. You are sui’kun, and your presence is needed to give that Weave continuity. Dolanna can hold it together, but she needs your presence there to form the foundation. If that Weave unravels, then the Demon Lord wins, and your father sacrificed himself for nothing. Can I make it any clearer to you?”

“N-No, Mother,” she said shudderingly.

“Good. Now, when you get there, you have a task, daughter. Before Tarrin died, he placed all of his divine power into his sword, and then he broke it.”

“B-Broke it? Why did he do that?”

“His reason for doing so at that particular moment was very sound, girl, trust me,” she told her bluntly. “Since his soul survived his death, and his soul is that of a god, then—“

“Then that power still exists!” Triana gasped.

The Goddess nodded. “It’s still there, trapped in the pieces of his sword. And because your father died, it no longer has a master. It’s going to serve whoever finds those two fragments and joins them back together. It’s power without direction, and it’s going to obey whoever commands it. Your job, daughter, is to find those pieces. You have to find them quickly, and above all else, you must keep them out of the hands of the Demons. That matters more right now than anything else, even the possibility of recovering your father. If the Demons get hold of that power, they will use it against the mortals, and they will win. I’m not going to let my kitten’s sacrifice be in vain. He died to give that world a chance to get rid of the Demons, and I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything in my power to honor that sacrifice.”

“But, but won’t that power obey father’s will? I mean, if his soul is that of a god, and he found a way to protect his soul after he died, then doesn’t that mean that he’s still there?”

“If he was a true god, yes, daughter, you’d be right,” the Goddess told her. “But he’s not a god. Not that way. His soul is divine, but it’s not in an Outer Plane, and he has no icon on that world to channel his power. In a way, that sword was his icon, the focus of his power in the mortal world.”

“Well, if we put it back together, then that means he’ll have control of it, right?” Jasana asked.

The Goddess smiled. “So much intuition, but so little wisdom,” she announced. “Yes, if we restore the sword, then Tarrin will be aware of it, but the sword and Tarrin are separate. He’ll be aware of the sword, but because he’s not a true god, he won’t have complete control over it. That kind of control required him to be in contact with it, for his soul to be right there to command it. If the sword was restored and Tarrin not there, then he’d only be dimly aware that the sword’s power was restored, but have very little ability to direct it. The sword itself would command that power.”

“Well, father wouldn’t let any Demon use it.”

“Yes, but you underestimate the power of a Demon Lord, girl. It can force obedience out of the sword. Any Demon that finds that sword is going to take it to its master, and he will be the one to use it. In fact, the Demon Lord could use the sword to capture Tarrin’s soul.”

“That’s also why you want it,” Triana reasoned.

The Goddess nodded. “I can use the sword to make direct contact with your father’s soul, and then we’ll work from there.”

“You mean you’ll bring him back?” she asked.

“I mean I’ll find out what he wants us to do,” she said firmly. “I won’t force anything upon my kitten, girl, never again. I forced him to become Were, and the pain I feel over that decision still haunts me. When he made this sacrifice, he did it willingly. He chose to die, and I will not now nor ever again counteract the wishes of my kitten over a matter that does not literally threaten the Balance. I won’t bring him back unless that’s what he wants. I want the sword so I can find his soul, so I can make sure that it’s safe. If he chooses to live again, and I’m fairly sure he will, I will do everything I can to see that it happens. But, in the unlikely event that he chooses not to live again, then I will use the sword to find his soul, then bring it to my realm in the Outer Planes, and bring him to his reward.”

“But—“

“There are no buts, daughter, not in this,” the Goddess said adamantly. “Do not even think to connive your way into what you want, girl,” she said with all of her divine authority levelled on the Were-cat youth. “You will do as I have commanded. Exactly as I have commanded. I want Tarrin back as much as you, but none of us, and I mean none of us, will go against his wishes in this matter. Remember the last time you did something like that? Well, I assure you that my punishment will make what you endured at the hands of your mother and grandmother seem like a reward by comparison.”

Jasana paled.

“I’m so glad you could grasp the situation so quickly,” she said with a flinty tone.

“I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t want to come back,” Jasana said in a small tone.

“You’re too quick to latch onto the negative, daughter,” she said with compassion. “Dwell on the hope that he will, not the fear that he won’t.”

“I’ll try, Mother.”

“Good. Now, listen. I’m going to take you to the gate. I want you to go through, and when you’re through, I want you to wait. Dolanna needs your presence in that other world, but I also need to organize a search party to help you find the pieces of the sword. When you get through to the other world, I want you to immediately try to contact Dolanna. If you can, then I want you to wait at the gateway for others to arrive, but wait no longer than two days. Two,” she said, holding up two fingers to emphasize her command. “If no one comes through the gate after two days, then go try to find the sword pieces.

“If you can’t make initial contact with Dolanna, I want you to immediately go to the Heart on that world, because if Dolanna can’t contact you, then that means she might be in trouble and will need your help. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it. Once you get there, you’ll receive further instructions. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Mother.”

“Good. Now go pack..”

“Yes, Mother,” she said, looking up at her with trepidation, then rushing off to get ready.

Triana looked at the Goddess. “You know that promise not to meddle will last as long as she’s in your sight.”

“I know, but that’s the risk I’m taking. Besides, Jasana would be a convenient scapegoat if Tarrin were brought back against his wishes,” she added slyly.

Triana snorted, but it was with a wry smile. “What more to it is there, Mother?”

The Goddess quickly explained what she had learned. “He fears coming home, but it is all he wants to do,” she surmised. “He had the right idea when he broke the sword, but he didn’t think things through. He should have broken it after he trapped the Demon Lord in the Ward, as he originally planned. Instead, he threw his plan out the window and winged it. It worked, but this time it killed him.”

“He wouldn’t even have done that if there was no other choice. Does he have a plan?”

The Goddess smiled. “Ever to the point of the matter,” she said.

“I know my son.”

“You know him well. Yes, he had a plan, but his own part of it is complete. Now it’s up to us to finish it for him.”

“What’s the goal of this plan? If I may ask, Mother.”

“Simple, daughter,” she smiled. “Tarrin knows about a certain little secret I’ve been keeping. I was going to use it to circumvent my mother’s edict against him coming home, but now I’ll have to use it just to keep him alive.” She stood up. “Come with me, I’ll show you.”

Curious, Triana followed the Avatar of Niami along the garden path, and then into the manor house. They traveled up the main stairs, and then into the east wing. “Wait a minute,” Triana realized.

“Yes, that’s where we’re going,” she smiled. “The room that Spyder told you was off limits. It’s off limits because I told her to make it so. My secret is inside.”

“So, he peeked.”

The Goddess laughed. “You know Tarrin, Triana. Once he gets curious, nothing can get in his way, not even a closed door and a direct command by someone like Spyder.”

They reached the door quickly, and it opened at a mere gesture of the Goddess’ hand. Beyond the door was a large room, the only furnishing a single elegant wooden stand, upon which sat a small black metal sculpture of a cat, seated, with emeralds for eyes. There was a single window that was blocked by a heavy curtain. On the far side, beside the little stand, resting within a glowing circle of magical power that was on the floor that cast a bright light upwards, was Tarrin Kael. He was suspended in a magical light, his eyes closed, rotating within the light with deliberate slowness.

Triana gasped, rushing into the room. “Tarrin?”

“Just a body,” the Goddess said quickly. “A shell. When I rebuilt his body, I…made a duplicate. Just in case, you understand,” she said, rather quickly. “Spyder has been keeping it for me.”

Triana came up to the edge of the light, looking carefully at this image of her son. “Will this work, Mother?” she asked.

“Of course it will,” she scoffed. “It worked the first time, didn’t it? Once I get the sword, I can use it to summon Tarrin’s soul, and I can put it in this body. If that’s what he wants,” she added quickly, coming over and stroking the black metal of the statue fondly, lovingly. “This was the original soultrap, Triana, already primed and ready to capture his soul. I was ready, just in case.”

“I take it it didn’t work?”

She shook her head. “It can’t capture a soul that’s not in the same dimension, and it wouldn’t work now anyway,” she answered. “It only activates at the instant of death, and, well, Tarrin has already died. This was for the eventuality that my kitten got into a fight with my mother. I didn’t really expect to have to use it to restore him from being killed in that other world, but it will work. All we need is his soul.” The Avatar picked up the statuette and cradled it, stroking its engraved sides as if it were a real cat. “So you see, Triana, I was ready for this, and Tarrin knew it. All he had to do was ensure that his soul survived his death, and he did. Now it’s just a matter of finding him.”

“A simple plan.”

“Simplicity is always best,” the Goddess stated. “It’s also why I’m not going insane with mourning. I cried when he died, but that was just for the moment, of feeling him slip away from me. I won’t cry again. After all, my kitten isn’t lost to me…we just have to do some work to get him back, that’s all. We just have to get the sword, and when my kitten is ready, I can restore him.”

“Ready?” Triana asked.

She was quiet a moment. “I’m not sure, Triana, but something tells me that Tarrin means to do something. That’s why I sent Spyder to see if the Deva can find his soul in the Astral. I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s where he is. Call it a hunch. If he hasn’t finished what he’s doing before I have everything I need, we might have to wait.”

“What could he possibly do?” she asked. “He’s dead, for crying out loud.”

“Death is only the beginning, Triana Du’Prae,” the Goddess said in a mysterious voice. “And freed of his mortal form, his soul is the soul of a god. That means that he has formidable power in the Astral, and elsewhere, even without his sword.”

“But, what could he possibly do?” she asked.

“More than you can imagine.”

Triana gave her a slightly annoyed look. “So, that explains the warning to Jasana about meddling. Now, what of Dolanna? You said she was trapped there.”

“Dolanna is holding the Weave Tarrin created together. She’s doing my job there, providing the Weave its conscious direction. And she’s doing a damn good job,” she said proudly.

“I didn’t think a mortal could do that.”

“Yes, a mortal could do what she’s doing,” she answered. “She’s not fueling it all by herself, she’s just providing a binding force that prevents it from unravelling. The Demons are going to come after her, and they will come soon, after they find a way to stop Tarrin’s shadow.”

“Shadow? I think you need to explain some things to me, Mother.”

“Yes, I do believe you’re right. Walk with me, daughter, and I’ll tell you everything I know. Then we’ll take Jasana to the gate. She needs to get there with all due haste. I need to go to Suld anyway, I have to talk to Kang. He’s going back to that world with an army, and I’m going to make sure he has a big one.”

“How big?”

“Every soldier I can find big,” she answered. “Call in every favor I have big. From what I saw in my kitten’s mind, the Dwarves there and their allies might not have enough manpower to fight the Demons, because they’re not trapped in the Ward as originally planned. So, they’re going to need reinforcements, and I’m going to make sure they get them. Kang is going back to that other world in two days, and I’m sending with him an army more than capable of taking on the forces of the Demon Lord. And I’m ordering a very large contingent of Sorcerers to go as well. Tarrin killed himself to put a Weave on that world, so we may as well use it.”

“We need to get in touch with Keritanima.”

“I’m one step ahead of you. I’m talking to her as we speak. And Allia, and Jenna, and Regent Alexis of Sharadar, and Empress Shiika, and King Andos, and King Arren of Sulasia, and Denrak Whiteaxe of Tarrin’s Ungardt clan, and the Hierarchs of the Heartwood, and I’m also currently talking very fast to my mother, because she disapproves of what I intend to do.”

Triana laughed. “You sound very overextended.”

“No, not just ten conversations,” she smiled. “One hundred would be a stretch. I can do ten in my sleep.”

“I think it best that I go with Jasana,” Triana announced. “I can keep her on a straight path.”

“You won’t have your Druidic powers,” the Goddess warned.

“Phaugh,” she snorted. “Anyone who relies on something will just get herself killed. I’ll be fine.”

“Well, I can’t say that I’m not unhappy to hear that, Triana.” She turned her head slightly. “You’re going to have company.”

“What do you mean?”

“Allia is coming with you,” she answered. “And so is Keritanima. Oh my.”

“What?”

“It seems that Tara and Rina somehow found out, and now they’re demanding to go. They’re having quite a row about it with Kimmie.”

“That should be interesting,” Triana chuckled.

“This is going to take some ironing out,” the Goddess said. “I’ll take you and Jasana to the gate, and I’ll arrange to have supplies ready for you. I’m sure you remember my instructions to Jasana.”

“Of course.”

“Excellent. Just keep to them. If you can’t contact Dolanna, go to her. If you can, just wait for the others. They’ll be bringing further instructions. I hope to have them organized and along by tomorrow, I want them to be out of the area before Kang starts arriving with the army.”

“I’ll make sure of it, Mother.”

“Good. I know I can count on you, Triana. I’m very glad you’re going to go with Jasana.”

“Someone had better. That girl is a walking natural disaster,” Triana grunted. “She knows just enough to be dangerous, not enough to keep from being dangerous, and she’s arrogant enough to think that she can’t be dangerous.”

“That’s certainly true,” the Goddess said with a light smile. “Tell me what you want to take, Triana. I’ll have it packed for you. And I hope you won’t mind riding.”

“We’ll need pack horses,” she nodded.

“Not horses,” the Goddess said with a sly smile. “They brought home Pegasi. We’ll use those, they can travel great distances.”

“I heard. Sounds like a plan. I’ll just have to learn how to ride one.”

“It’s not that difficult,” she assured the Were-cat matron.

Within the confines of the Tower in Suld, another conference was taking place, in a council chamber down the hall from the Keeper’s office. It was a large chamber lit with several glowglobes, and the large round table was filled all the way around, upon whose surface was laminated the emblem of the katzh-dashi, the shaeram, in full color. The Keeper, Jenna Kael, sat at what might be called the head of that table, with the triangle representing the power of Divine pointing directly at her, the triangle at the top of the shaeram. To her immediate right sat Ianelle, and to her left sat Mist. Also present there were most of those who had been in that other world: Camara and Koran Tal, Binter and Sisska, Haley, Ulger, and Azakar, and Miranda. Phandebrass and Kimmie sat opposite the Keeper at the table. Also present were Keritanima-Chan Eram, Queen of Wikuna, Ariana of the Aeradalla, Queen of her people, and Lord General Darvon, commander of the Knights of Karas. Holding a place of honor was the Sashka, the ruler of Vendaka, and beside him sat Anayi. Kang, Marshall of the Legions, sat to the Sashka’s right, and beside him was Tsukatta. Sarraya hovered by the Keeper’s shoulder, and behind her stood both Tara and Rina, there by specific command, wearing Initiate blue. Hovering in the center of the table, floating in the air facing the Keeper, was an image, a spectral apparation. It was the Goddess, her image dressed as her material form would be dressed, and she had just rather tersely informed them of what had happened to Tarrin at Pyros.

She gave them a moment to absorb that, but she didn’t give them any time to break down. Much as she had with Jasana, she immediately moved on, to try to divert them from that heavy news, and give them a reason not to grieve too much.

“Listen to me!” she barked. “Yes, Tarrin died. Accept it. But what he did before he died now demands our immediate action. And, if we move quickly enough, we can accomplish the tasks he laid out for us and still have a chance to get him back. I brought him back from the dead once before, if you don’t recall. I can do it again, but only if you listen to me here and now, and pay attention!”

Keritanima sniffled. “Yes, you’re right, Mother,” she said. “You did bring him back from the dead. Do you really think you can do it again?”

“That’s a stupid question, daughter, and I’m in no mood for stupid questions,” she said with uncharacteristic harshness.

“Forgive me, Mother,” she said meekly. There were few beings on Sennadar to which the Queen of Wikuna would submit…a goddess just happened to be one of them.

The Goddess fixed Keritanima with a long stare, then turned to another. “Kang.”

“Yes, Mistress Goddess?” he asked with the most profound respect in his voice, and not a little disbelief. He was having trouble accepting the fact that he was directly speaking to a god.

“You were going back to that other world with whatever army you could raise, right?”

“That was my intent, Mistress Goddess,” he nodded. “Bragg can accomplish his objective, but his numbers don’t guarantee that victory. I was going to return and help as much as possible.”

“Good. That’s what we’re here to do. Now listen to me carefully.”

The Goddess meticulously went over everything that she knew with them, leaving no detail out. She explained the situation with the sword, the condition of Dolanna—which made Haley’s face light up immediately—and the changing conditions concerning the Demons and the plan to defeat them. “Tarrin didn’t trap them in a Ward, he instead used his power to deny them their magic on the entire world,” she said. “This actually will help more in the long run, but in the short run it means that that Demon Lord is running around with a sizable army at his disposal. They weren’t trapped in Pyros as originally planned, and they could conceivably move north and hit Bragg from the flank when he comes out of the mountains. What the Demon Lord has to do right now is run, because if he hangs around Pyros, Dolanna can destroy him. He’ll have to go back there and kill her, but he’s not in a position to do that right now, not with him injured, her at full power, and Tarrin’s shadow running amok on his troops. He has to pull back and regroup, find some way to get rid of the shadow, and then come back to Pyros and try to kill Dolanna and destroy the Weave. Right now, Dolanna is his main objective, but my clever kitten put something on his tail that he can’t ignore, something that will prevent him from simply turning around and going back when he has a plan. He has to find a way to destroy the shadow now. He can’t put it off. The more Demons that shadow kills, the stronger it becomes. Just like the shadow of Val, if it’s left to grow, it can become strong enough to kill the Demon Lord. He must deal with that threat immediately. Tarrin’s shadow will give us time to regroup and prepare, because right now, that shadow is at the top of the Demon Lord’s list.”

“Begging your pardon, Mistress Goddess, but how will this slow him down?” Kang asked.

“Oh, yes, I forgot. Silly of me, I supposed. The shadow blocks a Demon from using its innate magical powers, it can use the powers of any Demon that it kills and consumes, and they can only harm it with magic and weapons that are not Demonic in nature. Oh, and they can’t sense it. It’s like a ghost to them, a ghost that can kill. There are only a very few Demons that use weapons that aren’t Demonic in origin, and the Demon Lord will be forced to transport as much of his army as he can to a safe place. It also can’t afford to allow the shadow to kill any Demon with formidable powers. If the shadow somehow got its hands on a marilith, or a balor, it would absorb their powers and become a walking terror. The Demon Lord will pull his troops back, sacrifice those within the area of effect of the shadow’s blocking ability, and try to find a way to get at Dolanna while it sends those Demons that can fight the shadow out to draw it out and try to kill it.”

“Alus and Cambions,” Anayi said aloud, then her face flushed greyish from her black blood.

“Yes, half-breed Demons that fight with mortal weapons,” the Goddess nodded. “They’re best suited for the task of trying to kill the shadow, because any Demon that fights with its claws or hands will be instantly destroyed. They’ll have a very hard time of it, though. Its very touch means death to a Demon. They have to kill it without ever allowing it to touch them.” She looked at Kang. “You have two days to prepare to return, Kang. Jenna, I want you to organize a supply train for the army, so they can operate. I want you to prepare to send at least half of the order to the other world, and I want you to plan to supply an army of at least half a million.”

“Half a million?” Jenna gasped, then she flushed and nodded. Now was not the time to get on the bad side of the Goddess, and she knew it. “It will be as you command, Mother.”

“Anayi.”

“Y-Yes, Goddess?” she stammered.

“I want you to stay here. You can’t go back to Pyros, because of the Demon Lord.”

“I-I already knew that, Goddess,” she said.

“Good. You can help Jenna, she’s going to need it. Now, while the army gets ready, we need to send people ahead of them. I need three groups. One group is going to go straight to Pyros, to Dolanna, to help protect her and help her. Right now all she has is Fireflash to provide for her. She can’t leave the Heart, not even for a second, and she’s depending on the drake to bring her food and water. I trust Fireflash’s ability, but if something were to happen to him, Dolanna would be in serious trouble, so he needs help. Now. The other two groups are going to find the two pieces of Tarrin’s sword. Those are more important than anything else. The army is needed to help fight the Demons, but we have to find those pieces of the sword, and we have to find them fast. The power locked in them can be used against us if the Demons find them first and get them back to the Demon Lord. And without that sword, I can’t find and recover Tarrin’s soul. I need that sword.”

“I wish to be part of the group that returns to Dolanna,” Haley announced.

“You’re in charge of it,” the Goddess informed him. “I want that group to be large, because it might be called upon to fight. Every Pegasus not involved with finding the two pieces of the sword are going with you, Haley, and I want a backside in almost every saddle.”

Haley laughed in spite of himself, and Darvon cleared his throat. “That’s our duty, My Lady Goddess,” he stated. “Dolanna is a katzh-dashi, and it is our solemn duty to protect her. Those that go with Haley will be my Knights.”

“Fine. Darvon, Haley, work it out. Keritanima.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“Pick a group and be ready to leave tomorrow. You’re going to join Jasana and Triana, who’s passing through the gate as we speak, and you’ll be going after one of those pieces. Make sure you have a good balance of magicians and warriors, and also remember that Triana and Jasana will be part of it.”

“Me? But, my kingdom—“

The Goddess fixed with with an unholy look.

Keritanima’s face fur puffed out immediately. “I’ll see to it, Mother,” she said in a mollifying tone.

“I’ll tell Triana you’re coming,” she said, turning. Kimmie.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“Put together a party, you’re leading the other team.”

“Not without us,” Tara stated defiantly. “We’re going.”

“You’d better rethink that,” Kimmie said with sudden heat, jumping up to a stand and slamming her paws on the table. “You two—“

“Are going,” the Goddess stated. Kimmie gave the Goddess a look of surprising heat, but her ears folded back and she quickly regained her seat when the Goddess cast a baleful glare upon her. “They’ll be safe enough with you, Kimmie, with you there to keep an eye on them. Besides, something tells me that you’re going to need those two.”

“As you command, Mother,” Kimmie said obediently.

“So, build a party,” the Goddess ordered, as the twins held paws and jumped up and down in excitement. “Remember, a good mix of steel and magic. Mist, I want you to go with them. I don’t think the twins will be half as inclined to disobey if you’re there.”

“As you say, Mother,” Mist said with a nod, as the twins jumped just a little less joyously.

“Jasana will be with Kerri’s team, so Sorcery will be covered. Kimmie, you should pick at least one or two trained Sorcerers to go with you.”

“I’d be more than happy to be one of those Sorcerers, Mother,” Koran Tal announced.

“No, something tells me that Camara wants to go with Triana, so you’re going that way. I think Sevren would be a good choice, and maybe Ianelle.”

“I was thinking of Jula, Mother.”

“You can’t have Jula,” she announced. “I have something for her to do. Sevren crossed over last winter, he’s da’shar, and Ianelle’s skills in Sorcery are well documented. They’ll do fine.”

“Mother, Koran doesn’t have to go with me,” Camara Tal said. “He’s an adult, and I trust him. If he—“

“No, you two need to stay together,” the Goddess said. “But Forge and Ember have to stay behind. They can’t come close to the Demon Lord, or he’ll control them. They may be dogs, but they are part Demon. Jenna can watch them. They know her and like her, and she’ll take good care of them. Tsukatta.”

The samurai immediately stood and bowed. “Yes, my Lady Goddess?”

“I have…a special favor to ask of you. It will be very dangerous, but you’re the only one who can do it.”

“Danger does not concern me, my Lady Goddess. Tarrin is my friend, and among my people, friendship matters more than life. I will do whatever you ask.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she said with a smile. “Meet me tomorrow at sunrise in Jenna’s office. You and Jula are going to do something very, very important.”

Tsukatta bowed once again, then returned to his seat.

“Very well. I have no other orders to give out, so this conference is concluded. All of you know what to do, so get busy.”

With muted voices, they all got up and filed out. The image of the Goddess in the center of the table hovered there, watching…at least until Sarraya came flitting up to her, to look at her. “Umm, Madam Goddess, what can I do to help?” she asked. “I can’t go back to Pyrosia because Tarrin has my medallion, but I want to do something.”

The Goddess smiled. “Well, yours was the last offer of help I expected, Sarraya,” she said honestly. “Yes, there is something that you can do for me. Something that’s very important. In fact, you are the only one that can do it.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to make more of those medallions. As many as you can make in a month.”

“A month? Umm, I think I could make six. Maybe seven, I’m not sure. Will that be enough?”

“That should be fine.”

Her little blue face brightened. “At least I can go back!” she said with enthusiasm.

The Goddess shook her head. “They’re not for you, my dear. I’m sorry.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I can help, I really can!” she said. “I helped before, a lot!”

“Yes, you were a great help to Tarrin,” she agreed. “But, if I only have so many medallions, and we both know there’s a war coming, then it’s best we put those medallions to the best use. You were a great deal of help, but you’re not much good in a big battle, Sarraya. Not as much help as, say…a dragon.”

“I—ohh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh,” Sarraya said, an evil little smile spreading across her face. “By the trees, Goddess, that’s an idea almost befitting a Faerie.”

“I’m so glad you approve,” she said dryly.

“Do you think Sapphire and her brood will help?”

“I know she will,” she said confidently. She knew so because a different projection of the Goddess was in the lair of Sapphire in the Desert of Swirling Sands at that very moment, securing that promise. “Now, you have lots of work to do, and you don’t have much time. I think you’d better get started.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said gushingly.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” the Goddess said gravely.

The wind that blew through the gorge was cold, almost bitterly cold, carrying the sting of blowing ice. Though it was spring in Sulasia, here in the mountains, it was still winter. Snow still covered the ground, and though it was clear, there was an icy wind blowing through the pass that made being there distinctly uncomfortable.

Not that the three beings there would care all that much. Two of them were partially covered in fur, and the third was a divine being.

As the three Pegasi fidgeted, Triana and Jasana found themselves looking at the blue swirling energy that was the gate that led to that other world…that world where the One had ruled, where Tarrin had fought him, and where he had sacrificed his life to stop a mad god and a Demon Lord.

Everything was prepared. The Pegasi were ready, and the pack animal carried enough provisions to last the two of them for quite a while. Triana was calm and unruffled, even despite the fact that she was about to leave the world she knew, a world where her power was uncontested, leaving for a world where her Druidic magic would not function. Jasana was excited, almost to the point where she couldn’t think straight. For her, this wasn’t just a chance to help her father, it was something to do, something better than sitting around day after day and listen to her grandmother prattle on about things she already knew about. It was also a chance to get out an use her power…she loved her power so much, any chance to use it was a good thing. And to get to use her power in a mission to save her father? There could be nothng better in all the world. This, this was a day she had dreamed about.

“Remember, children, your first order of business is to contact Dolanna. If you do, and if she’s alright, remain at the gateway and wait for the others. If she needs you at the Heart, or if you don’t make contact with her, go there immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mother,” Triana answered.

“I’ll send any further instructions in with the others. Remember, Dolanna is the one that will be guiding you to the pieces of the sword. Be careful, and keep your eyes open. Remember, there are Demons running loose in that world, so watch yourself.”

“We’ll be careful, Mother,” Jasana told her.

“You’d better,” she warned, then she held her hand out. Jasana took it, and the young female was a bit surprised when the Goddess pulled her close, put her hands on the girl’s shoulders, then kissed her on the forehead. “This is not a game, daughter,” she said seriously, looking down into her eyes. “I want you to be careful. I’ve already lost one of my children, please don’t have me lose any more. Do you understand?”

Jasana looked up into her glowing amber eyes, and nodded silently.

“Good. Now, be careful, good luck, and know that I love you.”

“I love you too, Mother,” she answered. The Goddess let her go, and she collected up the reins of her Pegasus. She gave the Goddess a long, sober look, then she boldly stepped into the gate.

“I’ll keep her under control,” Triana promised after the Pegasus vanished into the swirling energy.

“Just be careful, my friend,” she warned. “Keritanima is bringing a group with her to help.”

“The mouse?”

The Goddess nodded. “You won’t find a better person to lead this mission, Triana. She’s very clever. Please remember that she’s the one in command.”

Triana actually laughed. “I’ll do my best to control my impulses,” she promised.

“Control, yes. Quash, no. She could benefit from your wisdom, my friend.