Coil of Worlds

She traced the indentations of the coil with her eyes, all too familiar with the twists and turns. “It’s an exact image of the coil I have,” she said, aware the two pakas now stood on the sarcophagus so they could see. “How is this possible? If it is, in fact, the same coil, then it is ancient. And if it’s the same coil, how in the world did it end up on Earth?” Lara glanced at first Chion, then Eiren. “Once we realized the woman had given me the coil on the same night I was first brought to Aradun, Skye and I discussed the possibility the coil originated here. It never crossed our mind that it was so old.”

What I can’t grasp is the significance of the coil etched into the resting place of a woman who died a thousand years ago, Chion said, his deep voice filling the cavern.

“A woman? Are you certain?”

Skye answered with a chuckle, “Eiren says that it is most definitely a woman’s tomb. Do we know the woman’s name? Was it written on the map?”

Lara kicked her legs and switched hands, giving her other arm a chance to rest. Shaking her head, she shared what she remembered, “No. Now that I think about it, the priest never mentioned a name. Which is weird, right? I’m not even sure why he selected this tomb as a possible location for the Lan’Ai. He never said.”

We can look at the map once we return to shore to determine whether the markings for this tomb are similar to the Lan’Ai tomb. Perhaps the priest has a record of the woman buried here. Chion submerged his head, then floated back up. I see no other engravings below the waterline.

Lara pushed herself around the large stone until she could see the back. The name tickled her memory, and she tried to recall where she had heard it last. She whistled a long, low note. “Skye, do you remember the woman from the coffee shop?”

Splashes heralded their approach. “Yes, she made us the delicious drink.”

“Didn’t she call the woman who died Adria,” Lara asked, not daring to believe her eyes. Words were engraved into the back of the tombstone. The water had eroded the outline of the letters over time, making it difficult but not impossible to read the epitaph.

Though the last few words were almost indecipherable, Lara read the inscription aloud, “Adria Blackhorn, apprentice to Lahlan the Prophetess, shall be remembered across the ages for eternity. Her sacrifice in this life will bring forth the destiny of those in the next, so it has been foreseen.”

She was silent for a moment before it dawned on her. “It’s a memorial, not a tombstone. The stone isn’t for the woman buried under the water; it replaces Adria’s body. A memorial for her sacrifice.”

My Lady, Chion cautioned, the name is common among Kurite women. Besides, no woman could live a thousand years.

Skye joined in, “He’s right, we only heard the first name, not the woman’s full name.”

“I know, but how else do you explain the coil etched into the stone? I doubt it’s a coincidence. If Adria is the same woman, and she traveled to my world, then it makes sense the coil is engraved on the stone.”

Lara lost her rhythm and slipped under the water before she could say more. When she came back up for air, Skye interjected, “Let’s return to shore. We can discuss all the information there.”

Reaching the other side of the cavern, Lara crawled out of the water, her arms and legs like jelly. She rolled over onto her back and stared up into the shadows above her, sucking in big gulps of air. With its high-vaulted ceiling, the cavern was designed similar to a cathedral. All that was missing were the pews and the pulpit.

We should set up camp here for the night. We’ve learned much in a short amount of time. We need to discuss it without worrying the magic within these halls will adversely affect us, Chion advised.

Lara groaned as she pushed herself upright. “You have no idea how much I want out of here, but I think I need sleep more. We set a hard pace to reach this cavern, so I’m exhausted. Besides, my stomach is gnawing a hole through itself.”

They had to dry their clothes before they left anyway. Out of the corner of her eyes, Lara could make out Skye’s physique beneath the wet clothes. She tried to act casual about the fact that nothing was left to her imagination, but she couldn’t help casting furtive glances his way every few seconds. With dawning horror, she looked down at herself. She might as well be naked, all the good the clothes did hiding her. Her cheeks hot from embarrassment, Lara kept her gaze down throughout the entire meal.

After they finished eating, Skye broke the comfortable silence, “If we believe Adria Blackhorn is the same woman who gave Lara the coil, then what we’re saying is that Lara was destined to come here.”

“No,” Lara replied adamantly, slicing her hand through the air, “that’s impossible. On my world, I’m no one. I’m completely ordinary in every way. So ordinary I’d describe myself as boring.”

Perhaps on your world, you are. But here, you possess a magic that is only met in strength by Skye’s. Pakas are given one person who can complete our bond as Tal’Ai. My Lady, if not for you, I would never have become one of the blessed, one of the Tal’Ai. Why do you find it so difficult to believe you were chosen for something greater?

She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. Her thoughts too jumbled to reply.

Skye said in a low murmur, “You are no ordinary woman. You have opened our eyes to the possibilities that surround us. Before I attempted to use you as a way to return to my homeland, I never concerned myself with whether another world existed outside of our own. Your ideas lend credence to a better world, a safer world. But if we’re to become Lan’Ai—something long forgotten in even the tomes treasured by both Kurites and Pyrannis, then it was inevitable you come here.”

Each of us were destined to meet. Perhaps we were forced to each experience hardships before we could come together. We’re stronger than we would have been otherwise. Destiny is not a fickle master, but it is, at times, a difficult one to follow.

Skye stroked the small paka’s head and ear. “It is Eiren’s belief that separately we’re ordinary. Together, we tread across the boundaries of ordinary and into the—”

“Extraordinary,” Lara said faintly, seeing Skye and Eiren nod. Skye’s words brought another blush to her face, and she dipped her head to hide her discomfort, though she couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face.

Lara slapped the ground and huffed, “Okay, I accept we’re together in this grand scheme to do only God knows what. We found some answers, but now we have even more questions than before.” Lara pointed back in the direction of the memorial stone. “Let’s say that the woman was tasked with handing me the coil. How the hell did she know to travel to Earth? An even better question is how did she travel to Earth?”

I would imagine in the same way you traveled here. With the coil in your possession, Chion said patiently. As for your first question, a prophetess is extremely rare. To my knowledge, it has been generations since Kureto had a Tal’Ai bond that leant itself to the power of prophecy. The stone mentioned Lahlan the Prophetess. When we return from the House, we should endeavor to learn more about the woman.

Eiren whacked her tail against the ground, looking at Skye in expectation. A long moment passed before Skye shared, “Eiren believes it possible we might come across more information regarding the Lan’Ai bond. If Adria was charged with passing the coil to Lara, Lahlan thought it imperative that the Lan’Ai bond form between the four of us.”

“The Lan’Ai bond and the coil are two big unknowns,” Lara mused aloud.

“What do you mean?”

“Besides not knowing how the Lan’Ai form their bond, we also don’t know why the Lan’Ai bond occurs. Why is it so rare to be almost nonexistent? We’ve no idea how often it occurs throughout history.” She waved her hand toward the Lan’Ai tombs. “We know it has happened at least once before, so are we the second group? Third? Or does the past hide other Lan’Ais, and we simply haven’t recovered evidence of them?” she paused, trying to make sense of her own thoughts running amok. They sat in silence, each sorting through the information and questions they each had.

And the coil? inquired Chion, curiosity radiating from him through their bond.

Skye scratched his chin in thought, then replied, “The coil ties everything together, but I question where the magic that infuses it derives from. How is it possible that an object can let us travel from one world to another?”

Glad she wasn’t the only one thinking along those lines, Lara squeezed his arm in thanks. “Exactly. Where did the coil come from? I depend on the coil to take me home, but at the same time worry about its power. It’s almost as if it has a mind of its own.”

Eiren stood up in excitement, and everyone looked to Skye to explain. Skye slapped his hand on his thigh. “Eiren believes Lara is correct. She has studied the coil since seeing it the first time. The way it glimmers and dims, depending on its location, proves it is an entity all its own.” He turned and looked at Lara in thought. “It does shine brighter here than on your world. It was a dull steel color, hardly shimmering at all. I thought it was because my eyes required firelight, but Eiren is right.”

“Is this a good thing?” Lara asked dubiously. “I’m not certain I want the coil to have its own mind, especially if we’re carrying it around with us.”

“While we search for information regarding the prophetess and Adria, we should also look for anything on the coil. As the coil is etched into the stone, our ancestors could well understand the coil’s purpose.”

Your questions are excellent, though I wonder whether we’ll ever find the answers we seek. We can only prepare ourselves for what the future may hold with the information we can attain. It is entirely possible all records of the coil is lost, Chion cautioned.

“I know, I do.” Lara shook her head and sighed. “I feel as if we collect mere hints to answers, leading us to chase rumors with no idea whether we’ve found anything of importance. I’m beginning to think Skye and I should have returned to the Tal’Ai training school instead of staying to help you search for answers.”

“Eiren says that we can’t turn back time. We can only do what we can in the present. She’s right. We made a choice to stay. Whether we should have stayed or not doesn’t matter. What does is our intention when we take our next step.”

“God, I’m depressing not only myself but you three as well,” Lara said with a scowl.

A deep chuckle erupted from Chion, and the room hummed with the sound of tiny wings. The length of time we’ve spent inside the House of the Dead has plagued us all, invoking in us the darker emotions. You, My Lady, are far more sensitive than the rest of us. You must persevere. But take heart, despite your darker thoughts, you have brought forth questions we had yet to think of.

Slumping forward, Lara picked at the small rocks clinging to her pant legs. “Do you think we’re supposed to stop the Malirrans as believed by the high council?” Lara asked, running her fingers through her drying hair. “The Malirrans are cannibals. What could be worse than that?”

Skye grunted before he admitted, “It is unsettling. Flesh eaters. In Gharra’s archives, I ran across mentions of flesh eaters, but nothing with any substance. I had thought flesh eaters no longer existed; a product of an old god no one worshiped. The scribes didn’t believe the name of the old god was important enough to include in the scrolls. If the Malirrans have invoked one of the old gods, we must be careful.”

“Be careful of what?”

“I’ve read that some of the old gods provided their followers with powers not so different from the Tal’Ai bond. Except, the old gods required something of its followers in return. Based on the little I read, the old gods were nothing like the God and Goddess we worship today. They were petty, cruel, and vengeful, readily discarding their followers whenever the desire struck them. They punished them for minor trespasses, for the simple reason that it gave them pleasure. If an old god has returned, and an entire kingdom worships it, then we must prepare to battle a darker magic.”

Skye stopped, looking at his bondmate. He switched hands and started scratching her chin. The paka stretched her head out, giving Skye more room to maneuver. The look of contentment made Lara grin.

“Eiren reminded me that we’re not the only Tal’Ai in Kureto. I agree we are not alone in the coming war, but joining with other Tal’Ai won’t be enough. Not if the Malirrans also possess magical powers. Both Audren and Tryvor taught us that the number of Tal’Ai has decreased to the point there is no need for more than one school for the entire kingdom.”

Lara interrupted, looking to Chion to see whether she was correct, “We also can’t forget the Tal’Ai whose magic is incapable of assisting them in battle.”

Chion’s affirmation twirled through their bond, filling her with his steady strength. Shooting him a grateful look, Lara continued, “This means some of the Tal’Ai, and we don’t know the exact number, are no better than the men and women without the Tal’Ai bond.”

Skye picked up where she left off, wrapping an arm around his knee. “Lara is the perfect example. In fact, she’s more vulnerable in battle than a warrior without the Tal’Ai bond, especially if her shield drops at the wrong time.” He sent her an apologetic glance, but didn’t stop. “Despite the type of magic I hold, which lends itself to battle, we’ll be unable to battle against them if we don’t learn how to form the Lan’Ai bond. If we do manage to forge the bond, we require time—time that is fast disappearing—to learn how to wield the magic of the Lan’Ai.”

“The clock is definitely ticking,” Lara said. “I think we can all feel it. Its weight pushes at me, prodding me. I catch myself looking over my shoulder. I don’t think I want to know what happens when it reaches zero.”

Chion thrusts his cold nose against her face. She squealed, then elbowed him in retaliation. All three of us are at a loss as to what a clock is, but I think we understand. At his teasing words, Skye and Eiren shared a fond look between them, and Lara murmured an apology. Chion licked her arm. I have also felt the need to hurry, the need to quicken our pace. We should rest. In the morning, we will return as quickly as possible to Areth.

“We cross over treacherous ground before we reach civilization again, which is made all the more difficult by my lack of sight.” Skye shrugged. “The priest’s concern leaves me unwilling to risk using my magic any more than necessary.”

Lara found herself trapped in Skye’s unflinching gaze, and her awareness narrowed to his face. They looked at each other a moment before he blinked, releasing her.

He bowed his head before glancing back up at her. “I ask for your help. I can’t make it through the next few days without your assistance.”

“Of course,” Lara stuttered. Uncertain what had just happened, she watched him as he stood up and stretched.

Humor flooded their bond, and she glanced sideways at Chion. What? she hissed in exasperation. What is so funny?

You and Skye draw closer to each other every day, though you both struggle to deny the inescapable conclusion.

You’re wrong. Chion, we are friends—close friends, but only friends, she objected, looking anywhere but at the infuriating paka.

No, My Lady, it is you who is being dishonest with yourself. You are attracted to him as only a woman can be. Eiren and I have watched you both. You draw near before jumping back, resurrecting a wall of friendship to protect yourself. I do not understand why you fight the inevitable.

Why do you think it is inevitable?

You began as enemies. Next you became wary allies. When mutual respect grew, you became friends. You have built a foundation few individuals have attained. Love will come, how could it not?

And if it doesn’t, she persisted.

The paka pounced on her and proceeded to lick her face with his rough tongue. Lara batted at him, trying to throw him off her. When he at last gave ground, giving her enough room to sit back up, he said mysteriously, You will see. Don’t forget the Lan’Ai bond.

He left her to retrieve both their packs. What did he mean? Confused, she looked around the cavern. Becoming Lan’Ai would only bind them together magically. She loved Skye, but as a friend. She ignored the thoughts that told her otherwise as she helped Chion lay out the blanket before lying down.

Her last thought before she fell asleep was how she could read Skye’s emotions now—a twitch of an eyebrow, the minute tightening of his jaw. It dawned on her that she had spent the majority of her time looking anywhere but Skye. But then again, so had he.