have their own particular strengths."
"We are no longer Cevarros," Pellaz said, "we are har Aralis. But not Dorado. He went to the Uigenna. He cannot be part of what we are. He can only be part of our lingering problems in Megalithica."
"Listen to yourself. What scorn! And from which tribe does your beloved Cal derive? Who incepted Terez?"
"That is different."
Cobweb laughed. "Of course. When you finally start using your brain, Pell, come and see me."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll know."
Cobweb would say no more on the matter, but the conversation had a profound effect upon Pellaz. He had slept badly that night and his dreams had been disturbing, even though he could barely remember the details when he woke up. Now, as he rode through north Almagabra towards home, he contemplated the delights of running away into the wilderness and shunning all responsibility. He was tired. He needed a holiday, not the simmering cauldron of intrigue that comprised the Phaonican court. In his mind, he spoke to Thiede: have we come to this? No wonder you opted out.
There was, as he expected, no response.
Pellaz directed a command to his sedu : "Open a portal, Peridot. Let's go home."
The sedu shuddered with power and around them space and time became unstable. Peridot leapt into the spaces between the worlds. Pellaz thought he knew the otherlanes well. He knew their dangers and their delights. In some ways, they were the back alleys of creation, for in these places lost and desperate spirits gathered and lurked, their clawed and icy fingers ready to pinch a healthy living soul to grab some of its essence. Pellaz did not fear these sad entities: they were no more threat to him than tiny insects. But what he did fear was the yawning black hole that opened up unexpectedly in front of Peridot, like a bandit in their path.
It was a portal, but it was also an entity. Pell sensed Peridot's panic as the sedu struggled to veer past the manifestation. Pellaz could feel a strong force emanating from it that sought to suck them from their path. It was malign and it possessed intention. It had come for them specifically.
Pellaz thrust his hands deep into Peridot's astral being, reaching for his organs of energy. He fed the sedu with as much strength as he could muster. Their combined power was just enough to allow them to scrape past the danger. As they passed it, dark tendrils whipped out from it, like stinging vines.
"Out!" Pellaz directed the sedu . "Now."
Peridot needed no further encouragement. He burst from the otherlanes into earthly reality, transforming as he did so, back into a white horse. Pellaz saw that Peridot's neck was streaked with blood. Something had gouged him in the otherlanes. His own cheeks were stinging and the back of his hands looked burned.
Once Pellaz reached his apartment in Phaonica, he went to his bathroom and he immersed himself in scented water to soothe his hurts away. There was no longer any sign of injury on his body, but he ached inside as if his entire being was frozen. The journey home had unsettled him greatly, although now, back in the real world, he did not think the manifestation in the otherlanes could have been a deliberate attack. The otherlanes were infinite Pellaz realized that even with his experience he really knew so little of them. It was probably an isolated incident, but in future, he'd take precautions before travelling. He saw no reason to confide in anyhar else about this.
Relaxing in
"We are no longer Cevarros," Pellaz said, "we are har Aralis. But not Dorado. He went to the Uigenna. He cannot be part of what we are. He can only be part of our lingering problems in Megalithica."
"Listen to yourself. What scorn! And from which tribe does your beloved Cal derive? Who incepted Terez?"
"That is different."
Cobweb laughed. "Of course. When you finally start using your brain, Pell, come and see me."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll know."
Cobweb would say no more on the matter, but the conversation had a profound effect upon Pellaz. He had slept badly that night and his dreams had been disturbing, even though he could barely remember the details when he woke up. Now, as he rode through north Almagabra towards home, he contemplated the delights of running away into the wilderness and shunning all responsibility. He was tired. He needed a holiday, not the simmering cauldron of intrigue that comprised the Phaonican court. In his mind, he spoke to Thiede: have we come to this? No wonder you opted out.
There was, as he expected, no response.
Pellaz directed a command to his sedu : "Open a portal, Peridot. Let's go home."
The sedu shuddered with power and around them space and time became unstable. Peridot leapt into the spaces between the worlds. Pellaz thought he knew the otherlanes well. He knew their dangers and their delights. In some ways, they were the back alleys of creation, for in these places lost and desperate spirits gathered and lurked, their clawed and icy fingers ready to pinch a healthy living soul to grab some of its essence. Pellaz did not fear these sad entities: they were no more threat to him than tiny insects. But what he did fear was the yawning black hole that opened up unexpectedly in front of Peridot, like a bandit in their path.
It was a portal, but it was also an entity. Pell sensed Peridot's panic as the sedu struggled to veer past the manifestation. Pellaz could feel a strong force emanating from it that sought to suck them from their path. It was malign and it possessed intention. It had come for them specifically.
Pellaz thrust his hands deep into Peridot's astral being, reaching for his organs of energy. He fed the sedu with as much strength as he could muster. Their combined power was just enough to allow them to scrape past the danger. As they passed it, dark tendrils whipped out from it, like stinging vines.
"Out!" Pellaz directed the sedu . "Now."
Peridot needed no further encouragement. He burst from the otherlanes into earthly reality, transforming as he did so, back into a white horse. Pellaz saw that Peridot's neck was streaked with blood. Something had gouged him in the otherlanes. His own cheeks were stinging and the back of his hands looked burned.
Once Pellaz reached his apartment in Phaonica, he went to his bathroom and he immersed himself in scented water to soothe his hurts away. There was no longer any sign of injury on his body, but he ached inside as if his entire being was frozen. The journey home had unsettled him greatly, although now, back in the real world, he did not think the manifestation in the otherlanes could have been a deliberate attack. The otherlanes were infinite Pellaz realized that even with his experience he really knew so little of them. It was probably an isolated incident, but in future, he'd take precautions before travelling. He saw no reason to confide in anyhar else about this.
Relaxing in
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