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Authors: Ryk E Spoor
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strode out to rejoin the Justiciars.
Chapter 7
“You know, I really hate to say goodbye,” Poplock said, as he shook Hiriista’s extended claw between his forepaws.
“As do I, more than I can express. We make excellent teammates, all of us, do we not?”
“Beyond any doubt,” Kalshae said with a laugh. “I learned this to my sorrow…and my joy. A strange yet satisfying end to many things, despite our losses.”
“And one that’s resolved so many of our questions,” Tobimar said. “Not just my quest, but some of Kyri’s as well.”
Poplock bounce-nodded. “Including where all those monsters came from.”
The experimental laboratory where Wieran had worked on his life-shaping had been—as Poplock had suspected—down the third portion of the underground portion of the Valatar Palace, the branch to the right as one came down the stairs from the Throneroom. Shae and Miri had both verified that it was a place that contained almost uncounted monstrous things—both “successes,” like the enhanced itrichel they’d encountered in Jenten’s Mill, and far more failures—which were the things that had come through the gateway at Thornfalcon’s estate.
“Wieran had some way of controlling them, preventing them from tearing each other apart—mostly,” Miri had said. “I asked him once why he didn’t just destroy them, and he looked at me—as he often did—as if I were an idiot, and gave two reasons: first, that they represented data that he might want to reexamine, and second, that even the failures might serve a purpose.”
“Yeah, like being cannon fodder, as Xavier once put it, for someone like Thornfalcon,” Poplock had responded.
But whatever might have been down there before, it was no more. The third corridor, and whatever lay beyond, had collapsed. Uncounted thousands of tons of rock had obliterated Wieran’s third laboratory.
Poplock bounced again, shaking off the memory. “Definitely good to have those answers, but now that we’ve got the one answer about who the Big Bad is, we really need to get moving.”
“I’m sorry we have to go—” Kyri began.
“ Light , will you stop apologizing?” Miri said with exasperated fondness. “You came to our country, woke me to the light, defeated our enemies—including the Elderwyrm himself—and helped us get back on our feet. You’ve got to take care of your own people. Of course I wish you could stay—so does all Kaizatenzei. But you need to go.”
“Shame old Wieran’s upper workshop got ruined,” Poplock said. “We might’ve been able to get a couple of those teleport gems and cut weeks off the trip.”
Tobimar shook his head. “Do either of you really think you could have figured out how he did all that—even if his lab was intact?”
After a hesitation, Hiriista shook his head and hissed a sigh. “No. No, he was far, far ahead of us. He had clearly mastered aspects of magic that I have not an inkling of.”
“Shame he was a total nutcase,” Poplock said. Then he sat up higher on Tobimar’s shoulder. “I guess you guys let everyone else know we were leaving?”
Kyri stopped dead on the top step of the mansion they had been staying in while part of Valatar Castle was restored, and stared in consternation.
A cheer so loud and deep that it became a roar shook the air, and the gathered people of Sha Kaizatenzei Valatar waved and cheered again. “Kyri! Tobimar! Poplock!”
Miri and Shae laughed at Kyri’s expression. Poplock had to admit that she looked pretty funny. “Oh, how, now?” Shae said with a broad grin, and then gave Kyri a sisterly hug that almost tipped her over—Shae being significantly taller and bigger than Kyri. “Did you think we would let you leave our city without the people knowing, and at least telling you with their voices how much you will be missed?”
Her face three shades darker than normal, Kyri muttered, “I had hoped you would…”
“Come on , Kyri!” Miri grabbed her hand and
Chapter 7
“You know, I really hate to say goodbye,” Poplock said, as he shook Hiriista’s extended claw between his forepaws.
“As do I, more than I can express. We make excellent teammates, all of us, do we not?”
“Beyond any doubt,” Kalshae said with a laugh. “I learned this to my sorrow…and my joy. A strange yet satisfying end to many things, despite our losses.”
“And one that’s resolved so many of our questions,” Tobimar said. “Not just my quest, but some of Kyri’s as well.”
Poplock bounce-nodded. “Including where all those monsters came from.”
The experimental laboratory where Wieran had worked on his life-shaping had been—as Poplock had suspected—down the third portion of the underground portion of the Valatar Palace, the branch to the right as one came down the stairs from the Throneroom. Shae and Miri had both verified that it was a place that contained almost uncounted monstrous things—both “successes,” like the enhanced itrichel they’d encountered in Jenten’s Mill, and far more failures—which were the things that had come through the gateway at Thornfalcon’s estate.
“Wieran had some way of controlling them, preventing them from tearing each other apart—mostly,” Miri had said. “I asked him once why he didn’t just destroy them, and he looked at me—as he often did—as if I were an idiot, and gave two reasons: first, that they represented data that he might want to reexamine, and second, that even the failures might serve a purpose.”
“Yeah, like being cannon fodder, as Xavier once put it, for someone like Thornfalcon,” Poplock had responded.
But whatever might have been down there before, it was no more. The third corridor, and whatever lay beyond, had collapsed. Uncounted thousands of tons of rock had obliterated Wieran’s third laboratory.
Poplock bounced again, shaking off the memory. “Definitely good to have those answers, but now that we’ve got the one answer about who the Big Bad is, we really need to get moving.”
“I’m sorry we have to go—” Kyri began.
“ Light , will you stop apologizing?” Miri said with exasperated fondness. “You came to our country, woke me to the light, defeated our enemies—including the Elderwyrm himself—and helped us get back on our feet. You’ve got to take care of your own people. Of course I wish you could stay—so does all Kaizatenzei. But you need to go.”
“Shame old Wieran’s upper workshop got ruined,” Poplock said. “We might’ve been able to get a couple of those teleport gems and cut weeks off the trip.”
Tobimar shook his head. “Do either of you really think you could have figured out how he did all that—even if his lab was intact?”
After a hesitation, Hiriista shook his head and hissed a sigh. “No. No, he was far, far ahead of us. He had clearly mastered aspects of magic that I have not an inkling of.”
“Shame he was a total nutcase,” Poplock said. Then he sat up higher on Tobimar’s shoulder. “I guess you guys let everyone else know we were leaving?”
Kyri stopped dead on the top step of the mansion they had been staying in while part of Valatar Castle was restored, and stared in consternation.
A cheer so loud and deep that it became a roar shook the air, and the gathered people of Sha Kaizatenzei Valatar waved and cheered again. “Kyri! Tobimar! Poplock!”
Miri and Shae laughed at Kyri’s expression. Poplock had to admit that she looked pretty funny. “Oh, how, now?” Shae said with a broad grin, and then gave Kyri a sisterly hug that almost tipped her over—Shae being significantly taller and bigger than Kyri. “Did you think we would let you leave our city without the people knowing, and at least telling you with their voices how much you will be missed?”
Her face three shades darker than normal, Kyri muttered, “I had hoped you would…”
“Come on , Kyri!” Miri grabbed her hand and
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