Two (The Godslayer Cycle Book 2) (12 page)

“
Bracken, please” cautioned Nathaniel.

The side of the dwarf's face crinkled.  “As ya will,” he said before resuming his explanation.  “Trees o' life're s'posed to 'ave their roots shoot all the way down ta the cen'er of Na'Ril, all linked t'gether.  They's said ta shoot up from the roots, no' from seeds like other trees.”

“So why the berries, if not for seeds?” asked Brea.

“
Fer life, priestess,” answered the dwarf.  “The fruit's 'sposed ta be how some races live so long.  E'en the tree's roots un'erground grow 'em, so's e'en dwarves 'ave the legend of 'em.”

In spite of the excitement that Bracken seemed to display, Nathaniel could not help but notice how the dwarf's eyes darted around him anxiously.  “So what's the problem?  What's got you so worried about this?”

Bracken grinned fiendishly.  “'Cause fusang're the province of elves.  And elves don't much 'bide anyone else near their trees.”

Bracken ran his hand lightly across the pale bark of the tree.  “This is a young'un, p'rhaps twen'y spans tall.  Fusang grow up ta a hun'ert spans.  Mayhaps no elves've foun' this one yet, bu' I'd no' be trustin' that.”

Brea folded her arms in frustration.  “Look, first of all, I've never heard of this so-called tree of life, this fusang.  But even if elves were about, nothing in the lore I know about them suggest they are any concern of ours.  But if you're worried about it, let's just leave the tree and go on.  It's not like we don't have other things to do besides...”

Bracken licked his lips, looking longingly at the low-hanging berries in the tree.  “Ya don' un'erstand, priestess,” he said.  “E'en if the fruit o' this tree weren't worth more'n any of those God forsaken blades we're huntin', if elves be 'bout, they won' be lettin' us leave so lightly.  If they e'en
think
we knows 'bout this tree, we won' leave these woods 'live.”

Nathaniel joined Bracken in glancing about nervously.  “So what do we do?  Leave or continue on?  We can't very well
un
-discover the tree.”

Bracken walked around the base of the tree, moving his head from side to side as he looked into the branches.  “We nee' to fin' one o' the suns,” me muttered.  “Then we can fin' out who claims the tree.”

“Suns?” asked Brea.

Bracken lowered his gaze to glare at the priestess, his face displaying the distaste he held for the ignorance displayed by the priestess.  “A fusang is said ta 'ave as many as ten suns per tree, tha' they live in the branches an' are carried inta the sky each day by a bird.  'Course, tha's jus' superstition, bu' there are suns...  well, creatures o' light, tha' live in the trees.  They act as pr'tectors, o' a sort fer the tree.  They pr'tect the tree a' night, an' they can leave an' go fer help if they feel the tree is in danger.”

“So a sun can go for help from the elves, is what you're saying?” demanded Brea.  “So why are we still here?  Let's go before one of these things sees us.”

“
Oh, we've been seen 'ready,” said Bracken as he resumed his search of the branches.  “We jus' have'ta catch the beastie 'fore it runs off to tell on us, maybe convince it ta le' us go wi'out tellin' the elves.”

“
And how do you intend to do that?” asked Brea as she joined the search.

“
No' a clue,” grunted the dwarf.  “Bu' the point's moot if'n we don' find one.”

“
There!” called Nathaniel.  A slight glow could be seen behind a branch some distance up the tree.

Bracken rushed to Nathaniel's side, but the being hidden in the tree did not wait for the dwarf to reach the man's side.  In a burst of speed akin to the light it appeared to be, a glowing ball of energy fell from the tree and darted off into the woods.  Inexplicably, it stopped several feet away, hovering perhaps three feet from the ground, perhaps examining the people who had rousted it from its seclusion.

“A'fer it!” called Bracken, pushing as much speed out of his legs as he could manage.

“
How are we supposed to catch a ball of light?” called Brea, but Nathaniel did not wait for the dwarf's answer.  Without any further hesitation, Nathaniel raced into the trees.

Whether it saw the man rushing toward it or sensed his approach in some other way, the energy sphere responded instantly itself.  Darting amongst the trees and shrubs of the forest, the light managed to keep ahead of Nathaniel as he chased after it.

Nathaniel lost all sense of time as he pursued the mysterious light.  He dimly perceived himself dodging around saplings and leaping over fallen lumber.  Vaguely he was aware that he was traveling much faster than he had ever run before, that somehow he was managing to keep pace with the enigmatic globule as it dodged through the maze of vegetation.  Yet it was not something he dwelled upon – the more important task of eluding whatever consequences would follow should it successfully reach the elves who guarded its tree.

Nathaniel sidestepped a root that appeared in his path as he circumvented yet another trunk.  As he shifted to avoid a fall, his eyes left the path of his query for only a moment, but it was enough time for the creature to completely vanish from sight.

The hunter stopped, trying to calm his breath as he strained for any sound that might reveal the direction the ball of light had fled.  Not that the creature had displayed any kind of noise up to his point.

Nathaniel closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath.  Acting more on instinct more than any other logical reason, he reached behind him and drew
One
from its sheath, willing himself to become unseen.  An ambiguous thought came to him that perhaps if the being he chased could not see him, it might reveal itself, and so he did not resist when he recognized what was now a familiar feeling as the magic masked him. 

Yet this time, there was something else.  The more Nathaniel used the sword's magic, the more in tune he became with it and how it operated.  Some intuition seemed to take over when he released the divine magic, somehow guiding to a more intimate connection to its energy. On this occasion however, he sensed the magic bleeding outward from his body in such a way that he could now feel how the magic integrated with the world around him.  

Innately, he now understood how the sword's power worked.  It did not so much hide
him
as change reality
around
him.  He was not physically being altered, but he could definitely feel the changes in the air and vegetation around him.

And something more – he could discern another presence whose senses were being altered.  And since he could not see the entity as it was being manipulated, he could only presume that it was the missing sphere he had been chasing.

Focusing on the feeling, Nathaniel opened his eyes and looked in the direction from whence it came.  Tracking along his line of sight, he at first only saw more trees.  Nothing distinctive caught his eye.

But something was there.  The man could still sense it.  Something hiding, waiting. 

Slowly, Nathaniel moved sideways, looking around objects as he did so.  He recalled how the glow had suffused the boundary of the branches in the fusang tree and sought this glimmer effect again.  And soon enough he saw it – several hundred feet ahead, barely visible through several closely clustered trees, a light halo could be seen behind one of the larger trunks.

Now that he had a destination, Nathaniel set off through the trees, careful to not approach too quickly.  The light behind the tree remained steady.  Clearly, the creature believed itself safe.

“How exactly do you intend to catch an ignis fatuus?” came a man's voice.

Nathaniel whirled around, startled by the sudden voice.  “Who's there?” he asked, before remembering he was hidden from sight.

“You are chasing a faerie creature through the woods, and who I am is your more pressing concern? Of course, I have already told you – or will tell you – and for me, it would only be repeating myself.”

Nathaniel reached out with his newfound senses, yet could not detect where the voice's owner could be. 

“Sorry, this is a bit disconcerting, but since you won't say anything for several minutes, I won't know what to say.”

Nathaniel thought he could determine the direction the voice came from, but whoever it was who spoke remained hidden from his eyes.  Cautiously, Nathaniel backed away, leveling his sword in the direction of the voice.

Silence fell over the wood. Nothing moved as Nathaniel stood tensely, waiting for the voice to materialize in mortal form.  It then occurred to him that it might not be a mortal at all.  And yet, was he not supposed to be invisible to the Gods when he held one of the swords?

“
I keep forgetting that you don't know the rules,” came the voice again.  “You can't see me when you are using the sword.”

“
What are you talking about?  What rules?” answered Nathaniel.  It was clear that whomever the voice belonged to knew he was there, and if what the stranger said was true, he could not be able to see the newcomer with the sword out.  Nathaniel struggled internally for a moment, but finally willed the sword's magic to withdraw.

Without warning, an elderly man stepped from between a pair of trees a few feet away.  From his gait, it looked as though he had already been walking when Nathaniel saw him, but he was sure the man had not been there a few moments before.

“This is the first time we have met.”  That it was stated as something of significance rather than a simple fact did not escape Nathaniel's notice.

Nathaniel nodded his head, looking back the way he had come in hopes of seeing Bracken or Brea.  Unfortunately, he appeared to have lost them in his chase.

“This is going to be hard to navigate for you, but let me explain something right up front.  I will not know what we have talked about for what you will perceive as more than a few minutes ago.”

“
And why is that?”

“
Because, from your perspective, I am moving backwards in time.”

“
You're what?  What do you mean
backwards
?  How is that even possible?” demanded Nathaniel incredulously.

The old man stopped in front of Nathaniel and sighed.  “This is hard, because I don't know all of what has been said to you yet.  I move back through time in the same way you move forward.  Unlike you, I can see a few minutes ahead of where I move, which gives me a chance to interact with people like yourself.  It helps me frame responses to what is being said, since I know what you will be saying and how my answers must fit.”

“I am not so sure you have thought this through,” Nathaniel laughed.  “If you were backwards, I wouldn't be able to understand anything you said.  So why are you not talking backwards?”

“
It took me a very long time, but I learned to reverse my speech.  It is much like learning a new language, like if you for instance were to learn dwarvish.  It is also very different, because I have to start my sentences at the end.”

Nathaniel must have looked dumbfounded, since the old man continued.  “People have called me many things, from fenhuang to phoenix to garuda.  But I have always preferred being known as the Eternal.  It is what you have always called me, as well.”

“I have always...  I just met you!”

“
Yes, I can see we have already settled that.  For you, this is the first time we have met.  But for me, we have met many times already.  I am the Eternal, which means what for you is yet to come, I have already lived.  This is why I am called that – because to mortals, I always endure.  My life cannot end until the point arrives in your future when I began to move backwards.”

Nathaniel began to argue, then stopped himself. 
Is it coincidence that both this man and the stranger this morning are both talking about time? 
After a moment's consideration, he said, “Okay, prove what you say is true.  If you know the future, do I ever find my son?”

“
Yes,” the man said simply.

“
So where is he?  Where do I go to find him?”

The Eternal shook his head.  “I cannot tell you specifics of your future.  You must live them through on your own.”

“Why?” demanded Nathaniel.

The stranger shrugged.  “I have already lived through your future and know all of what you and I will talk about.  And there will come a time when you will instruct me
not
to tell you your future.  There will come a time when you will gain the wisdom to know that everything in your life moved as it needed to.”

Nathaniel clenched his fists.  “What kind of a fool do you take me for?  I don't know how you saw me when I was disguised, or why I could not see you when I was...”

The Eternal held up his hand.  “You don't know the rules yet, do you?”

“
You already said something about the rules.”

“
Hasn't happened for me yet, remember?  For me, I have just told you that I won't remember, so I know I will tell you, which means you already know.” 

The man clapped his hands together.  “Right.  Rules.  First rule, most magic won't affect me.  As best I have been able to guess, magic has to attune to the forward travel of time, and since I am moving backwards, it does not affect me.  At least, that's the best explanation I have.  Because magic does not work on me, your sword cannot change my perceptions or hide you from me.  But it will hide me from you, because when you draw the sword, you are using the sword's awareness, not your own, and since it is magic and it cannot affect me, it also cannot see me.  Ergo, you cannot see me.”

“Seems like a complicated rule just to say that magic doesn't work for you,” Nathaniel grumped.

“
Oh, magic can work
for
me.  It just doesn't work
on
me.”  The Eternal waved his hands back and forth in front of him.  “I know, I know.  It's confusing.  But before I lose track, second rule: I am part of a trinity of powers – the Eternal, the Constant and the Infinite.  None of us can be changed from how you see us, and likewise we are forbidden to change the world around us unless we act together.  And even then, there will only be twice that we do so.”

“
And you all three move backwards through time?”

“
No, only I do that.  It is what makes me the Eternal, since to the world, I cannot be changed by anything that has not happened to me already.  And since I have existed for millenia, it is not possible for me to cease to exist.  So, eternal.”

“
But how do you know me?” 

“
To me, we have met several times.  For you, those meetings have not yet happened.  I have come here now with a warning for you and your friends to cease your search for what has fallen from the sky.  You come too close to the First City, and as you will come to realize, this is not a place for mortals to find.”

“
First City?  And why should we not find it?”

“
I will be leading you to the amber shortly, and you will see for yourself.  Suffice it to say that if the Gods learned of men finding it, they would only revisit the city's fate upon the finders.  There are secrets the Gods wish to keep, and those that you must learn.

“
So long as you hold that in hand,” the Eternal gestured to
One
, “the Gods cannot see you, but your friends do not share your protection.  I can safely show you, but your friends must return to the road and resume your quest for the Nine.  And you must keep what I show you from your friends, as well.  Should they become aware of what is here, then the Pantheon will eventually learn what they know.    They will discover what has fallen in time, but that time is not today.

“
Now, if you will follow me?”  The man turned and motioned for Nathaniel to join him.  “It is necessary for you to walk ahead of me, so that I can follow your steps.  That's another rule.  To help your perspective, I will actually be walking backwards, since I am just now coming to this place.”

“
And why would I follow you at all?”

What humor had animated the Eternal's face dropped away.  “As I have said, there are things you need to know about the Gods you have allied yourself with, and only showing you evidence of what has come before will convince you of the gravity of what I say.”

Nathaniel started to balk, then changed his mind.  He woodenly walked over to stand in front of the man.  The Eternal only smiled and motioned for him to move forward.

“
I don't know where I'm going,” said Nathaniel.

“
Don't worry.  It's not far in this direction.  And the Constant will meet with us soon.”  Again, the Eternal motioned for Nathaniel to begin walking.

“
What about my friends who were following me?”

“
I honestly cannot tell you, Nathaniel, since they do not meet with us today.  But I do know that you will find them later, since by the time we meet again, you will tell me so.  And our meeting will not be long this day, as you will leave shortly to go find them.”

Nathaniel shrugged and began walking.  “You realize how insane all of this sounds?”

The Eternal nodded.  “I do.  In your quest for the Nine, you will encounter far stranger, though.”

“
Believe me, you get used to it,” came a voice from slightly ahead. 

Nathaniel instinctively reached back for his sword, yet somehow the Eternal had moved alongside him and intercepted his arm in motion. 

“There is no need for that,” said the old man.  “We are expecting the Constant, remember?”

Before Nathaniel could respond further, a dark skinned man stepped from behind a tree and stood rigidly in their path.  “I wish you would not always introduce me like that.”

“You are the Constant, El'ba,” shrugged the Eternal.  “And there will be a time that you accept that.  For me, I have lived beside you longer as the Constant than I have by your given name.”

The man stepped forward and extended his hand to Nathaniel.  “I am El'ba Ilitro.  I come from the other side of the world, from a place called Loru.”  The dark man's voice had a rich accent that Nathaniel could not recognize.  At least the part of his being from a distant land proved true enough, by Nathaniel's estimate. 

El'ba's eyes darted to the elder.  “The Eternal says I am part of some magical set of three, but I guess I just can't get my mind around that.”

“
Nathaniel, you need evidence to accept what we say is true,” said the Eternal.  “Take out your blade and swing it at El'ba.  You will see the truth for yourself.”

Nathaniel stepped back.  “I'm not going to attack this man!  You are insane!”

“No, he's not,” insisted El'ba.  “You should do as he says.  You won't hurt me.  I promise.”

Nathaniel looked incredulously between the two.  His hand tightened on
One
, though it was more a defensive act than any intention to deliver an attack.  “Is this some kind of suicide thing?  You're trying to convince me to kill you?”

The Eternal sighed.  “We don't have time for this,” he said.  Drawing a dagger, the old man threw it at El'ba.

Nathaniel tried to reach out and intercept the blade with his own, but his reaction was too slow.  He had simply been too startled by the sudden act.  Yet when he turned to see what damage had been caused, he was startled to see the dagger hit the ground at El'ba's feet.

“
You missed?” blurted Nathaniel.

Before anyone could respond, El'ba bent down and retrieved the knife.  “No, he didn't.”  Without warning, El'ba stabbed himself in the chest with it.  However, the dagger did little more than press against the fabric of the man's tunic before being stopped in its path.

“He is the Constant,” repeated the Eternal.  “Nothing can change his physical existence.”

The Eternal turned his iron gaze onto Nathaniel.  “Now swing your blade and see for yourself that what I have said is true.”

Numbly, Nathaniel reached out with
One
, poking at El'ba's chest, feeling an odd resistance when he did.  It was not like the blade had encountered stone nor some other uncuttable substance – it was more that the blade simply stopped at a certain point.

Encouraged, Nathaniel drew back the sword and made a light swing at the dark man's side.  Again, the strange feeling of being stopped took over as soon as the blade came in contact with where the man's arm would be.

“Swing true,” said El'ba, lifting the fabric of his clothes to provide Nathaniel with an unobstructed path to his trunk.

Nathaniel barely hesitated, drawing back
One
and swinging with his full strength.  Yet again, he met the odd resistance that stopped his stroke the moment it came into contact with the other man's body.  However, in spite of the suddenness of the arrested movement, Nathaniel felt no jar nor impact from the blow.

“
I can't be hurt or moved by any outside force,” explained El'ba, lowering his shirt back into place. 

“
He is constant, incapable of changing,” added the Eternal.  “Like myself, he exists separate from the world around him.”

Nathaniel slowly stepped back.  “How does it work?” he asked.

“His body does not exist as yours does,” said the Eternal.  “For myself, I have a small area around my body that moves with me, lets me see a little ahead of my own place in time, but it moves differently than everything outside of myself.  The Constant's ability is a little different, but it's the same principle.  He has an area around his body that keeps his body separate from the rest of the world, and nothing can penetrate it.”

“
How does he breathe or eat?” asked Nathaniel.

The Eternal looked to his companion.  “I don't,” said El'ba, bowing his head slightly.  “Not really.  I mean, I somehow have air in my lungs to speak, but I don't smell the air and if I try to eat, the food doesn't...  do anything.  Eventually, it gets really uncomfortable and I have to... force it back up.”

The Eternal clapped his hands.  “Now we must continue on to the amber, for there are things you must know and now is the time for you to learn them.” 

“
Wait,” said Nathaniel.  “You said there were three of you.  Where is your other friend?”

“
The Infinite exists but has not come to join us yet, as you know time,” explained the Eternal.  “Her being exists in all times at once, though of course not all places.  She will know when it is time to join us, which will not be for many years yet.”

Again, the old man waved his hand solicitously to indicate the others should lead.  El'ba set off instantly, and Nathaniel fell in step behind him.

Nathaniel could not help but to ask questions of his curious escorts as they walked.  “What did you mean earlier by the ignis...  whatever it was you called that light?”

El'ba turned his head back curiously as the Eternal responded.  “You must remember that we have not met yet by my perceptions, so I do not know what it was I said to you.  But if you mean the ignis fatuus, we have talked about that in the future.  You always remind me that we first met while you were chasing a wisp.”