When Heroes Fall Read online

“Some, but tell me all you know. It won’t hurt me to hear something twice.”

  “A wise answer.” She smiled, but it lacked warmth. “This begins with a foolish shaman, new to his power. Despite the warnings from his elders, he attempted a task beyond his years and training.”

  Farrell nodded. “He opened a Door.”

  “Correct. In the Endless Snows there is a confluence of energies that make it difficult even for the skilled to create a Door. The young shaman tried to open a portal to the sea. Instead he arrived here.

  “He knew the moment he looked through the opening he hadn’t succeeded. The extent of his failure, however, wouldn’t be known until later. Since he had made the attempt without permission, he closed the Door and told no one. Later that day it reappeared without warning.”

  “Who opened it?”

  “We don’t know. None of the creatures who came through the Door had the power. Nor have we found anyone capable of the feat on this side.”

  “Could the being have died with the opening?”

  Jafaga shook her head. “Unlikely, but possible.”

  “Have you tried to shut again?”

  “Twice. And we protected the site, but it reappeared both times.”

  “You mean you put a shield on the spot itself and it still opened?”

  “Yes and no. We created a spell that would surround the Door in a shield, but it opened a few feet away from where we tried to contain it.”

  “How…?” By all he knew, none of this was possible.

  “I see you grasp the depth of the mystery. That is why we didn’t close it a fourth time. So far it has remained where it opened.”

  Which meant whoever controlled it didn’t want to shut their access to Nendor. Or couldn’t. They reached the summit, and the Bendari camp sprawled from the base of the hill. Only a small portion of the camp was behind the shield.

  In the center of the protected area, the open Door stood a stubborn and defiant watch. Between the lines, he could see inside the Shaman’s tent. From this distance he didn’t notice any activity, but his angle wasn’t the best either.

  “I assume you spoke to the shaman who opened it.”

  “We did. He was sent to this side to close the Door.”

  They walked sideways in the shifting sand to descend the hill. “Had he succeeded, he would have been trapped.”

  “It was not out of spite,” she said. “He who committed the error needed to correct his mistake.”

  “What happened when he couldn’t close it?”

  “Having failed to seal the breach, he remained to secure the area and give us time to decide what to do next.”

  “Is he still alive? I would like to talk to him.”

  She shook her head. “The first attack on our position happened before we could move enough warriors and shamans to defend our camp. He and three warriors engaged the enemy to give us time to set up. In the end he redeemed his honor and that of his tribe.”

  Farrell nodded. Talking to him might not have yielded any answers, but the shaman knew best what he had done. Now he’d have to piece things together without him.

  Jafaga led them to the edge of the shield and touched the energy. A gap appeared and everyone moved inside. Dozens of shamans sat cross-legged at regular intervals. They chanted and Farrell felt the energy come from them.

  “There are a lot of shamans to maintain one shield,” he said.

  “Every attack is stronger than the last. Though they have been quiet for some time, we know they are massing for a new assault. It is unlikely even this will hold for long.”

  Hundreds of Bendari warriors watched the small procession. Once someone recognized the Shaman, a murmur spread around the camp. Armed men and women lined their path as Jafaga led them toward a large tent next to the Door.

  “It won’t matter how many demons attack if we shut the Door for good.”

  “Agreed. That is why the Shaman brought you here. Together he expected to close it forever. With his death, that seems unlikely.”

  “Before you decide I can’t do it, allow me the chance to try. I have an affinity for closing Doors other people created.” Farrell broke away from the warriors carrying Basje.

  As he approached the Door, Farrell was struck by the contradiction it presented. Visually it appeared open, but the energy felt dormant. The energy lines pulsated angrily, as if it fought to keep its integrity against an opposing force.

  Tuning out the activity around him, Farrell studied the two warring strains of energy that struggled for dominance. Their conflict was so violent he didn’t understand how the spells hadn’t unraveled by now. But since it worked, there had to be an explanation. The trick was finding it.

  He pushed past the surface and into the substance of the magic. Only at the most basic level could he sort the familiar Door spells from whatever else was there. That in itself was remarkable. He’d never seen anyone add a subspell to Door magic. Finally he found something.

  “What kind of dark magic is this?”

  “Does it surprise you to find dark magic, Favored One?” Jafaga asked.

  Until she spoke, Farrell hadn’t known she’d come with him. “That I found it? No. How it corrupted the Door lines? Yes.”

  “Before we speak further, let me gather those of my brethren who can be spared from the defenses.” She gestured toward the main tent. “Better to have this conversation once.”

  Farrell nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay here while you assemble the others. Send someone to fetch me when you’re ready.”

  Without waiting for an answer, he returned to contradiction in front of him. It was as if two different Doors had been created in one place. What he saw shouldn’t be possible, but as Kel liked to say, if it existed, it was not impossible.

  “Two Doors cannot occupy the same space.” He said it out loud to help him focus. “Either that theory is wrong, or there are not two Doors in front of me.”

  Heminaltose taught him to start with accepted wisdom. Only after exhausting all possible explanations should he dismiss it as wrong.

  Tightening his focus, he searched for the threads of the spell. The dark energy clouded his vision and seemed to shift itself to impede his progress. Finally, when the strain from his efforts made his head throb, he found his answer.

  The shock caused him to lose the image. “Incredible.”

  Chapter 8

  “YOU FOUND something?” Jafaga asked anxiously.

  Farrell turned to find a group of shamans surrounding him. “I did. Though I don’t know how it can be true.”

  Jafaga stood amid nine other shamans of varying ages. None were as young as Farrell, though most looked younger than Jafaga.

  “Maybe it is not?” said a middle-aged man with a skeptical expression. “We’ve been studying this monstrosity for weeks. You’ve only taken the barest glance.”

  “Enough, brother.” Jafaga scowled at the man. “The Shaman believed the Favored One was sent by the Six to help us. If you wish to dispute his wisdom, I will ask you to leave.”

  From the looks the other shamans gave the one who spoke, Basje’s word still controlled. Farrell wasn’t sure which irked him more, the lack of respect for his abilities or the blind trust of the others that he was their savior.

  “My apologies, Favored One.” The man crossed his arms and bowed. “As my sister said, the Shaman died to bring you here. If he believed you would end our nightmare, I will not question you.”

  There was an unspoken yet in the man’s words, but Farrell couldn’t blame any of them for having doubts. He kept that thought quiet and nodded. “No offense taken.”

  “Come,” Jafaga said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Unless you need us to remain here, it would be better to continue our discussion in a more private place.”

  Farrell rubbed his temples. “We can go. I’m finished here for now.”

  On the way to their destination, Jafaga motioned for Dresmun to join them. At the entrance to the tent, s
he stopped and looked at the guards on either side.

  “None may enter without my permission.”

  They nodded and pulled the flaps aside. A long table in the center of the tent took up most of the space. There were only two chairs and another shorter table at the back. Food appeared, and the servers left as soon as they set it down.

  “We thought you might be hungry.” Jafaga pointed toward the plate of warm bread and what appeared to be salted fish. “Take what you require.”

  Farrell took a large hunk of bread and two slices of meat. He poured himself some water and waited until the others had a chance to get their food.

  “As you understand it”—Farrell set his plate down—“the young shaman who opened this Door failed to secure it against future use.”

  “He said he did, but the fact it exists says he did not,” Jafaga said. “We believe he failed to dispel the energy properly and inadvertently created a permanent Door.”

  Farrell took a drink and stared into the water for a moment. “I’m fairly certain that is not accurate.”

  The room got quiet as everyone stopped eating. He hadn’t meant to pause, but he couldn’t find the right words to continue.

  “Why do you say that?” a man asked.

  “I apologize, but I have some questions I’d like to ask before I answer.” He looked at Jafaga. “If you’ll indulge my curiosity, I think it will be clear when I’m finished.”

  The shaman nodded. “Of course, Favored One. Ask your questions.”

  “The area around the gate, who barred it from trespass?”

  “We don’t know,” she said. “That is how we found this place.”

  “Could the shaman who opened the Door have done it?” Farrell was certain he could not have, but asking was part of leading them to his conclusion.

  “Unlikely,” another female said. “This entire place, for as far as we have roamed, is proof against intrusions.”

  “The same being or beings hold control of the entire area,” Jafaga said.

  “If that’s so, how could any of us, let alone an untrained shaman, open a Door here?” He glanced around the room, letting his question sink in. “There are only two explanations I can think of and neither is simple. Either he was attuned to this place, or the one who barred this place permitted the intrusion. Since it is nearly impossible he had permission in advance, I ruled that out to start. I believe the creatures that live here secretly aided your shaman.”

  “Ridiculous.” An older shaman slammed his plate down, sending food across the table. “Why are you subjecting us to this absurd drivel, Jafaga? How could some creature, that we don’t have a shred of proof exists, have helped a shaman on a different world, who it had never met? Oh, and all without the shaman knowing it was happening? Favored One or not, this explanation is a waste of time. Magic doesn’t work that way.”

  Farrell picked up his plate and took a bite of bread. He stared at the shaman and waited. At first the Bendari mystic met his gaze but then turned away and looked at Jafaga.

  “Favored One,” she said. “Despite his gruff ways, Shaman Vittel voices what we all believe. Your suggestion sounds all but impossible.”

  “As my old masters used to tell me, nothing is impossible. Unlikely perhaps, improbable maybe, but not impossible.” Farrell waited for someone else to intrude, but Jafaga had control of her shamans. “Initially when I examined the Door, it appeared it had been created with dark magic. If I hadn’t been looking for more, I’d have stopped there.

  “Delving deeper, however, I found two Door spells occupying the same space.” Farrell held up his hand to quell the expected disagreement. “I agree, that shouldn’t be possible. By all we know, two Doors can’t exist in one spot. Upon further inspection, I determined my first impression was wrong. There was only one spell.”

  Though no one made a sound, the room exhaled a collective sigh. The reprieve wouldn’t last, but it was one less truth he was about to shatter.

  “What confused me is the dark magic melded with the Door energy. That alone shouldn’t have corrupted the shaman’s spell. But it did. The spell that keeps others from opening a Door here, will permit one if it could be usurped by the being who controlled this area. Meaning only if created by someone who didn’t know how to ensure the security of the Door they created.”

  “How can you know that?” This came from a woman standing to his right.

  “I located the component of the spell that controls ownership.”

  “You can see the different parts of a spell?” Vittel asked. There was a hint of incredulousness in his voice.

  “Yes.” Though he tried not to, he sounded like he’d asked, “Can’t you?”

  “The Shaman must have known you possessed this talent.” Jafaga cast her gaze around the tent.

  Farrell shook his head. “I doubt that. He trusted that I could find an answer because I was the one the Six had sent.”

  “Sometimes faith in the Six is all we have,” Jafaga said. “Assume your explanation is correct. How could that have happened?”

  “I don’t know, and while I could speculate, I don’t think it matters.”

  “Now I asked you to indulge us. I think we would like to hear your thoughts.” She smiled and gestured around the tent.

  He repressed a sigh. “Opening a Door requires magic to use the void to find the other place we want to go. If someone created the right spell, they could send it into the void to find a Door spell and divert it here.”

  Two of the shamans rolled their eyes and the others didn’t look much more convinced. Farrell thought quickly to find an explanation in terms they’d understand more. “Think of it like a net you cast into the sea hoping to catch a very particular type of fish. If it was large, you’d create openings to let the smaller fish swim through. You might also catch things you don’t want and toss them back. It might take days to get what you want, or you might never catch the particular fish you seek. But if you wanted it bad enough, you’d keep at it until you got it.”

  “Or you died,” Vittel said.

  “True. But so long as what you sought existed, you might find it given enough time.”

  “So you believe some being cast its net into the void hoping to find an unprotected Door spell?” Jafaga sounded as skeptical as the others appeared.

  “You asked me to speculate.” He shrugged. “That is the only explanation I could come up with without more information.”

  “Why not open a Door to somewhere you know?” Vittel asked. “It would be easier than trying to find a fish in the ocean.”

  “Again, I don’t know. But I couldn’t find any energy when I searched. If the whole planet is like this area, I’d need to find someplace I’d never been to before if I wanted to survive.”

  Vittel nodded and glance at his fellow shamans. “An interesting theory. One you’ll never be able to prove.”

  “Or you disprove.” Farrell smirked and the older man smiled. “But the point is there is a plausible explanation for what I found.”

  “Can you close it?” Jafaga asked.

  “Now that I know what it is, I should be able to dissolve it.”

  “Good, then you can teach me,” she said.

  “No. You’ll be trapped here.”

  “Whomever closes it will be stuck here. The Shaman meant to do it, but with him gone, it falls to me.”

  “No disrespect, Shaman Jafaga, but dissolving a Door is very high magic. I doubt even the Shaman could have done it.” Whether Basje knew that when he brought Farrell here was a different issue.

  “You sell our skills short.” She met his skeptical gaze with a determined stare. In that moment he understood.

  “One to close the Door, one to hold the demons at bay for as long as you could.”

  “Once a solution was found, we planned to send everyone home.”

  “And you and he would have died together.”

  She nodded. “A Bendari never fights alone. The plan is still sound. Instead of teac
hing the Shaman how to close the Door, you will me. Another will stay with me to protect me until I’ve finished.”

  He admired her courage, but that alone wouldn’t solve the problem. “Can you see the components of a spell?”

  Jafaga’s expression answered him before she spoke. “No.”

  “Then I can’t teach you how to do it.” He doubted the Shaman had the talent either. “I’ll have to do it myself.”

  THE MEETING devolved into several side arguments. Farrell ignored them and concentrated on what to do next. Basje might have intended to sacrifice himself and Jafaga to shut the Door, but that was no longer possible. It never was, but now it wasn’t even an option.

  “I need someone to take a message back to Bendar.” He waited until everyone stopped talking. “Tell them I want to speak to Kel.”

  Farrell didn’t wait for an answer before heading for the exit. Something about this situation eluded him. But though he couldn’t say what, he knew he was missing something. Hopefully Kel would know what to do. While he waited, he wanted to see what happened when he arrived on this world.

  He walked around the Door and stopped after making a full circle. Since the Bendari would need to use the entry, he positioned himself at the back and lifted his legs.

  If Kel knew he was going to look back in time without an anchor, he’d encase Farrell in solid rock. Having used the spell a few times now, he knew a second wizard was a luxury, not a necessity. He’d have to go slower, but since he didn’t need to look back far, it wouldn’t take long.

  Once he settled himself and tethered himself to the present, he began the spell. In his mind, the image around him froze and then started in reverse. He checked his anchor each time he increased the speed. Because he made fractional changes, it took longer than he expected. When he moved backward fast enough, he stopped tweaking and watched.

  Minutes of the past rushed by, and Farrell waited to slow time when he saw what he wanted. Without the second wizard, he didn’t want to make any sudden stops and starts.

  He kept his focus on the top of the dune he’d crossed to reach the camp. When the Bendari warriors ran backward over the crest, he prepared to slow time. The image was comical. Moving in reverse was vastly different from someone running backward. He ignored the humorous element and waited.