The rational part of my mind expected to be drenched as we walked through the water, but not a drop touched us. An illusion, or perhaps something else entirely. I decided to stick with illusion because whatever else was going to give me a headache.
I had passed through many portals in my travels, even within the past month. It was always a strange sensation, but not unpleasant. Passing through the gateway was another experience entirely.
For a blink that seemed to last an eternity, I was intensely aware that I was not in any realm.
I was between. I was ethereal. I was nothing. I was both omnipresent as a god and insignificant as an ant.
Behind me I could feel the odd yet gentle presence of Wilhelm, as well as the something else that existed in and around him. Farther back was Morpheus, warm and familiar, parts of his essence reaching for me through the nothingness. I briefly wondered if mine was reaching for him as well.
Then, as soon as it started, it was over. I was once more within myself with feet on solid ground, keenly aware that I was still soaked up to my knees from walking through the river. I leaned forward, placing my hands on my knees, breathing deep, trying to reorientate myself. Morpheus groaned behind me, a nauseated sound.
“Is it normal to feel like your insides have been turned outside? I can’t even tell which way is up…”
“Magic like that has a way of...scrambling your senses. It's hitting me too. Just focus on breathing and it should go away,” I said, fighting through the nausea resulting from the strange wobbling sensation starting to become more persistent.
“So, it's the aftereffects of the gateway that are causing the world to spin around me. That’s good to know,” Wilhelm mused.
Of course, he was still coherent, I thought bitterly. The old magic was in him in some way, and it kept him balanced. I focused on my own magic, trying to tether myself to something solid while the energy in me tried to balance itself out.
Poor Morpheus, being of different magic, had no such thing to cling to, leaving him nothing to do but ride it out. He was still gagging as I slowly straightened. I would be feeling the effects of that trip for a while. We all would.
Eventually the heaving stopped, and the breathing slowed, and I became intensely aware of another source of energy nearby.
The waves coming off it shoved the distortion aside, rippling through all of us like water around stones. It was a familiar sensation to me, as this was not my first time being near the door to another realm.
Yet there was something a little different about it. A tinge of something else that was also familiar yet separate from the usual magic coming from the between places.
The strangeness of it all was messing with my head.
“Well, I guess we can skip past the question of how to get to the Veil. Either that or we did something to upset the one who controls the gate,” Morpheus quipped. Color was beginning to return to his face, and he was once again steady on his feet.
His eyes were firmly locked on the Veil. It pulsed and rippled slightly, vacillating colors and transparency, as if its essence was trying to defy definition or explanation.
“It’s something else, isn’t it?” I asked, mesmerized. “I have been to similar passages between realms and each one is astounding.”
“That’s an understatement,” Morpheus scoffed. "Now, how do we get through it?”
“We don’t. I do,” Wilhelm stated.
“What do you mean?" Morpheus turned to face Wilhelm. "When we agreed to escort you, I assumed it would be all the way.”
“He’s right, Morpheus. None but a Seer born can enter or exit the Veil, or at least the legends say,” I explained. "There is not much known about it, or what lies beyond, but most Seers have some level of awareness of it. Many refer to the Veil as the source of the Seers’ magic.”
“That may well be.” Wilhelm turned back to face us. "Either way, this is where I leave you. My place for now is beyond, until the day comes when I can return home.”
“You sound so certain that we will win,” Morpheus commented.
“I have every faith in you. Tell Jacob the next time you see him that he made the right choice, and that I will be home by sunset.”
Before either of us could respond, Wilhelm stepped through the Veil.
The world around us rippled and pulsed and then it was as if we were plunged into what could only be referred to as a dream world. The sensation was hauntingly familiar indeed.
***
Morpheus
Morpheus found himself floating in a vast nothingness devoid of sensation beyond that of being watched. He briefly pondered his own existence, if it still was or if he had also become as nothing. There was no pain, indeed no sensation, and so he felt no desire to open his eyes. He knew there would be nothing to see, as the only other thing that could be did not desire to be seen.
How curious.
“Your presence here is interesting." The voice came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, with no origin though Morpheus knew it came from the entity that watched him. " A princeling from another world, leaving aside duty to pursue something you have held secret in your heart from the second you laid eyes on the strange little girl and her mother. You forged the thread connecting you to this fate, a fate that was never meant to be yours. Why?”
Magic rolled over him and through him, laying his existence out like a map and inspecting every inch of it. It was a strange sensation, yet it did not feel threatening. Just curious.
“You seem to know much about what is going on in the world,” Morpheus said. " You have a power I could not begin to comprehend. I can feel you reading me like a book, and yet you say there is no thread connecting me to these circumstances. I say there is. It is a very important thread. Perhaps more important than I realized until very recently." It was not lost on him that he meant this on a personal level as well. "Her mother arrived in our kingdom, sought refuge with my mother, and you say this was not meant to be my fate? I have been drawn to that girl since the first time I laid eyes on her. Whatever may come, I will stand by her side. " His tone left no doubt as to his earnestness. "And before you accuse me of shirking my duty, I beg to differ. This threat could threaten all the kingdoms. Helping these people will help my people.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
There was a pause as his words were contemplated. Morpheus did not worry, for there was no point in worrying. Instead, his mind went to Alice, wondering if she was experiencing something similar.
“She will need that strength in the days to come. There will be challenges unlike anything you have faced so far. Unlike anything she has faced so far. Threats the likes of which this world has not seen for an age." The voice paused. "Her opponent is already steps ahead and you will all need to move quickly if you want to have a chance of stopping what is to come.”
These words did not come as a shock, not really, but they still settled heavy on his shoulders. Perhaps it was the confirmation of his fears stirring up self-doubts. There was no time for that, though. He had work to do. They all did. There was no room for doubt in what was to come, not if they wanted to have a chance of succeeding.
“Things have been escalating in the past few months, signs of the oncoming storm. I fear we may soon reach the point of no return, the point where the storm becomes inescapable,” Morpheus said carefully. "As you say, I am not meant to be a part of this, so I know you may not be able to answer this, but I have to ask. What can I do to help stop whatever is coming from destroying everything? Is there anything I can do to help Alice, to make sure we all live to see the end?”
“Such a possibility has been seen but I am afraid that is a question that cannot be answered, not in the way you wish. There are many unknowns and things unseen that prevent us from knowing which path leads to the end you seek.”
“Then what can you tell me?”
There was a pause that stretched on to the point Morpheus worried his host had left. The lack of an answer did not concern him so much as his inability to find a way out of the strange existence he found himself in.
The tension continued to build until the voice spoke once more, melting the worries away replacing them with more questions.
“In the end, there is but one who will decide the fate of the world. Two are chasing the same goal but one does not know that which she seeks. She will need to know the truth of her mystery if she is to stand a chance at reaching this end. She knows who to go to for this, but she may not be able to handle it on her own." Morpheus’ breath caught in his chest. "Nor should anyone be forced to face something such as this on their own. She will need guidance as she is faced with impossible decisions as well as strength to lean on to make them." The voice almost sounded apologetic. "Wish as you might, you cannot carry this weight for her.”
“Then I will stand by her side, come what may,” Morpheus interjected. “I will stand with all of them. There is too much at stake here. I will not let my friends down.”
“You show courage that is both rare and true. Perhaps a heart so pure as yours will tip the scales in our favor. Only time will tell.”
The floating nothingness faded to naught as the voice receded from whence it came.
***
Alice
It was not until I was once again in the nothing space that I realized I had been there before. It was where I went when I chose the chalice, yet most of that memory remained hidden to me. The time was still not yet right.
“You are recognized here." The words slammed into me with an invisible weight that nearly sent me to my knees. "You are known. You are in the center of a story generations in the making, a tale whose end no one can know for sure until it arrives. Try as you and others might, your fate cannot be avoided. It cannot be prevented. It can only be accepted.”
This was not one, this was many, and they sought a conversation with me. There was a truth to what they said that tugged at some unknown thing in my mind, but that thing was a knot, and I did not know how to untangle it.
So, I remained silent, letting them speak.
“You have many questions about many things. In repayment for the service you have provided to one you just met, the weight of which you cannot know, we offer some answers. You may speak now, and we will endeavor to provide the answers you seek.”
This time the words caught in my throat as my lungs forgot how to breathe.
This was impossible. Improbable. It could not actually be happening and yet it was, and I could not keep silent.
The Mystics always kept to their word, and they rarely made such offers to any. There were legends of course, fairytales of majestic heroes seeking an audience with the Mystics and gaining insight into their quests.
They were just that, though. Stories. There was no fact to them, yet perhaps there was a kernel of truth in them, as with all stories.
They were waiting for an answer. And they would not wait for long. This opportunity was not one to be offered twice, and it was not offered lightly. But what to ask about? How many questions could I ask? How many questions would they answer? Would I even know what to do with the answers?
In that moment I became painfully aware of how small my perspective was. How small I was. This was big. Bigger than me. And I could not afford to mess this up.
“I am afraid I do not know enough about the things that I do not know to be able to make an inquiry with any amount of confidence. I am also aware that there are rules around what you can and cannot say. So, instead of posing my own inquiries, I defer to your judgment as to what information you give me.”
My voice shook slightly, whether due to nerves or anticipation, I could not tell for sure. The raw, ethereal energy surrounding me did not clear my mind in the slightest.
Instead, it seemed to be seeking and searching and tugging at something intangible deep within my subconscious.
I caught glimpses of things, memories both familiar and foreign. Glimpses of worlds long gone, or maybe they never existed at all. Much as I would like to do otherwise, I let the images slip through my fingers like water.
This was beyond my comprehension. It was not something that required comprehending. Perhaps it could not be comprehended.
Perhaps I was seeing myself.
“A bold but wise answer, skirting around the edges of an ancient thing you cannot comprehend. There are many things you could have asked, many mysteries dancing about in your mind you are dying to understand. Yet you put the needs of the world first and submit to those more powerful than you.”
“I submit to your judgment for you are wiser than I,” I said. "You see, a bigger picture than I could ever begin to imagine. I am also willing to wager you do not wish to see the might and compulsion of the old king return. That was a dangerous time for everyone, and perhaps if the book returns even the realms beyond will not be safe from its control.”
There was no obvious shift in the magic surrounding me, yet I felt a faint sense of pride emanating from somewhere.
“The truth you speak is closer to reality than you may realize. That is why I am here, to deliver a message, or a ‘lead’, if you will. There are many who do not wish to see the power of the old king return, but few who can ensure it does not. Such is the way of the old world, from which the book came." I had suspected this, but hearing the confirmation only made the fact feel more real. "The rest will help as we can, but ultimately the burden falls on this group you have gathered. " Guilt started to creep into my chest. "I can tell you a few things. You are on the right path. Many obstacles will appear in your way as the one who hides in the shadows seeks to hamper your progress. This fight will not be an easy one, but you must hold strong.”
“Will you help us? Will others?”
“Those who can, will where they can, for the price of such a failure will not be carried easily. But ultimately, this is not our fight. This will be the last time we speak in such a way until the time has come. You are right to bring this young Seer to us, for his gift was given for such a time as this." It soothed a fear I hadn’t noticed was building in the pit of my stomach to hear I had not once again made a mistake in trying to protect a charge. "Now that he is safe, turn your attention upon your opponent, for his attention has been on you for some time now. Remember his face and you will know him when you see him.”
“I have seen a glimpse of the one I face, through the young Seer who now resides among you,” I said shakily. “He is familiar to me, yet the memories remain out of reach. He is important, not just in this situation, but to my personal story. I know it, but I don’t know how.”
“It is not our place to reveal another’s story. We can only share the truths of your story.”
“Is there another who could help me understand?”
There was a pause and for a second, I worried I had reached the limit of what I could ask. The magic was not receding, though, so there was still a chance.
“Speak to your mentor and bring her these questions. She will be able to answer that which we cannot. Though some of it, you will need to discover on your own. There are many things for you to remember, and more for you to discover." The nothingness began to fade as the voice pulled away. "Remember that you are not alone in this endeavor. The possibility of your success has been seen. Stand fast. Stand strong. And see this through until the end.”
