Chapter 42

When Avan awoke, he did not seek out Marrow Tend. There was no point in saying goodbye; they understood each other well enough. He had told two of the Nul about what was happening. They would each tell two others who did not know, until all of them had been notified.

Feeling refreshed, he returned to Lor-Neron Alarast so he could send his new followers through to Image Valley.

Most were waiting for him, jittery with nerves. Some had fled, or were perhaps still gathering equipment. Those who fled would spread the word, perhaps shaking from the cracks any hazeshapers who heard.

“Is this everyone who is willing?” He asked the nearest priest. Soldier. They weren't priests any longer.

“My Lord, no. There are others still gathering supplies.”

“What are you going then? Go help them!” He looked around the room. There wasn't much in the way of supplies. It was likely that most of their supplies had vanished into the ravenous mouths of the sinistrals. “Wait. A better idea is to get them to stop and come back! Things are getting urgent!”

Those in the room clambered up, stumbling over each other in the mixed fear, obligation and eagerness that made up their devotion.

Avan opened a tunnel to the town of image in Image Valley. He pieced together a rudimentary wagon to carry the goods. He would need something to pull it. He considered piecing together a mulish animal, but he remembered he had one already - Furgin! He opened a second tunnel to wherever the beast was located. Still the mudflats, he hadn't wandered far then. He pulled the stupid animal through. It was chewing on a crab, of all things, the scratching sound of teeth on shell like nails on a chalkboard. Well, he would be finished soon.

He hitched Furgin up to the wagon and began loading it with the supplies. Not long after he started loading the wagon, the soldiers began reappearing. A few helped load the wagon, but most hung back, unsure what to do. There wasn't enough room for a chain of people between the pile and the wagon.

They made quick work of the goods, all piled on. A few people looked at the mule and wagon, wondering how they had been brought inside. Most were starting into the tunnel.

“Is this everyone?” Avan asked.

Murmured agreement. He took that as a yes.

Furgin began pulling the wagon towards the tunnel. Avan forced it open a little wider to accommodate the wagon's width.

“Follow me!”

They followed him into the tunnel, not without some trepidation.

There were murmurings of wonder as they went through. The most similar thing any of them had done was extract the painfree elixir or, for a few, tear a Jinrae across from Vinidan Same. But this was different. This was a tunnel between worlds!

They emerged into an unusual village. Clearly emptied of its usual residents, it had been transformed into a sort of war camp. The Watchers had taken no time in beginning preparations. It was not known what would come out of the rift this time, what transformations would be forced onto the people and creatures of the land. A wooden wall was being constructed, surrounding the village. A separate, smaller construction had begun around the monastery, and it was clear that a path was being intentionally cleared between them.

If any of the ex-priests wondered why a keep that stood on the cliffs overlooking the valley was not being used they didn't voice their question. There would be some reason.

Soldiers immediately came up to lead the mule and wagon away, presumably to unload their meagre supplies. The new recruits didn't know whether to feel like fighters or refugees.

Once they were all through, the tunnel closed off again and Avan turned to address them.

“Thank you for committing to this. Those of you who will fight or work with medicine should head to the centre of the village and wait for one of the Brade brothers. Pushers should go to the monastery in that direction and just speak to anyone there. It's hard to miss.” He pointed it out. “ I'm not sure who is in charge of the Pushers yet – that type likes to self-organise. The intrusion seems to have been pushed back, but we can expect another attempt soon.”

They shuffled away, the import of their decision only now dawning on them. There was, quite literally, no going back now.

Avan was left standing alone. The Watchers knew what needed doing, he would most likely only get in the way if he tried to help. He still needed to contact Rain, she would help out. He hoped. He would use this opportunity to contact Rain.

He opened another tunnel, setting the other end to fall in Rain's rooms; that was where she was most likely to be.

As he journeyed through the tunnel, he remarked to himself at the turnout the other Nul had produced. In just the few hours since he had begun sending word, the size of the army had more than tripled to over one hundred people, and these were not normal people. With the exception of his ex-priests, each member was in their own right a force to be reckoned with. He could expect quite a boost in numbers in the future. Given the shortness of time available on a cosmic scale, Garon had prepared himself for Cennon's second strike.

Avan emerged from the tunnel to see the door of Rain's rooms closing. He concentrated for a second and jumped through the wall, leaving a purplish shadow behind which followed a second after. He could draw on sufficient willpower, experience, and energy to cross the physical wall without hurting himself.

He knocked Rajin over. In a blur, the beast righted itself and swung a long arm around, taloned hand embedding deeply in Avan's chest, straight into his heart. Avan threw Rajin against the wall with a burst of Haze, the almost physical bludgeon dazing the animal for a second. Avan allowed the Shar running through him to heal the damage to his chest. He could recover effortlessly from much worse.

Rain and Hammer were still processing the information that something had entered the corridor between them. Avan hated to think how they would cope if that creature turned on them. Then again, they weren't without defences, and it seemed somehow protective of them.

Rajin was ready to pounce again, but checked herself when she saw that her friends recognised this newcomer. Avan had only surprised her, not actually hurt her, which was good. He saw and evaluated this within a split second, then turned to Rain and Hammer.

Rain beat him to it. “If you're asking for help again, I don't like your chances.”

Avan grimaced. “I was going to ask for help again. Why are my chances bad?”

“I am exhausted. I want to go back to living my life.”

“That's not going to happen. You have changed. Your abilities mean things will never be the same again. For any of you.” That last was directed at Hammer and Rajin. “Additionally, the world has changed. Electronics will no longer work. Most of the culture you are used to will disappear. The economy will need to be rebuilt. People will have to figure out how to use Shar, the use of which has been historically regarded by many as magic.”

Rain smiled faintly at this for some reason he couldn't understand. “I want to help with that process of recovery.”

An honourable goal, Avan credited her that, but ultimately useless if she wouldn't help fend off Cennon.

“That's not going to be any use. If Cennon isn't beaten off, then Garon will die. These coupled realms – Neron Alarast – will be the first to be destroyed.”

“That's a bit of a coincidence – that it's my home world.”

“Not really. That's the anthropic theory at work – if it had been somewhere else, I'd be asking someone else, and they'd be making that accusation.”

“Accusation! I wasn't accusing you of anything!”

“Weren't you?”

“Well, perhaps.”

“How about you come and see what's going on, then make a judgement.”

Rain turned to Hammer, “What do you think?”

“Hmm, I don't think our research is headed anywhere any longer. I'm happy to look. That can't hurt, can it?”

Avan was not inconsiderate. “What about, uh.. this?” He gestured to Rajin and was surprised to receive a reply directly into his head.

Rajin. Yes. I will come.

“Ah, good.” This Rajin creature could possibly make a good warrior or a pusher. Those in this realm generally weren't capable of direct mind communication, but he shouldn't be surprised; this thing really did not fit in in this world. Avan could not really account for that thing's presence. It must have come through when Tera was freed. Was it, in fact, Tera? It was possible. He didn't know where Tera had gone, but this thing didn't feel like Tera. He would have to keep an eye on it nonetheless.

“Shall we go take a look then?” Avan was impatient and really did need more rest. He had been working non-stop for a while, and though Shar kept him moving, he still needed regular sleep.

Rain nodded curtly. She was clearly the leader of this band. The others would follow what she did, out of loyalty, or possibly just the unwillingness to make a decision for themselves. Some people were like that. Avan understood, in his own way; he was as much a prisoner of Garon as these people were, and if Garon worked through them that way, it wasn't for him to judge.

He led them back through to Neron Alarast.