Arcana Universalis: Terminus by Chris J. Randolph

Author:Chris J. Randolph [Chris J. Randolph]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic
Publisher: Feedbooks
Published: 2011-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

Book I — Third Fragment

The two apprentices made good time on their return to the landing site. The sun drifted toward their backs and tinted the world in amber while the air acquired a pleasant chill, and the pixie named Alia Sarkady flitted about, discovering the entire world anew.

Alia’s antics–the way she stalked up on unsuspecting flowers and the occasional hopping mammal like a hunter on safari–were a constant source of amusement for Caleb. These excursions all ended the same way: in surprise and an inordinate amount of fright, after which she sought shelter beneath Caleb’s wide collar. When she was finally calm again, she’d venture out and repeat the entire process beat for beat.

While she was off examining a particularly ordinary rock with the utmost concern, Caleb looked to Bibbs and said, “You don’t like her, do you?”

The truth of it was obvious enough. Whenever she was near, Bibbs’ shoulders drew together and his jaw tightened, and each time she moved out of earshot, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I don’t know,” Bibbs said while watching her with suspicious eyes. “I have a lot of questions.”

“Such as?”

“Why was she locked up like that, and why on this boondock grass ball of all places?” He gave the landscape around them a perfunctory look and continued, “Do you see any ruins, Cabe? Roads, walls, anything at all?”

“Not a thing,” Caleb replied, “but a lot can change in twenty millennia. From what she described, I think something terrible happened on this world. Something positively horrific. Perhaps it was enough to wipe out any trace of civilization.”

“I don’t know,” Bibbs said again. “There are just too many loose pieces and none of them fit together. We… never mind.”

“What were you going to say? Out with it, man.”

Bibbs leaned closer and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “We should leave her behind. Cut her loose.”

“That’s damned heartless.”

Bibbs looked melodramatically wounded. “For her sake. Have you considered Doctrine?”

“What of it?”

“Don’t be dense. Her species is intrinsically potent, and hasn’t been seen in how many thousand years? If she’s discovered aboard the ship, they’ll lock her up in a laboratory and vivisect her… or worse.”

Caleb had trouble imagining what could possibly be worse, but he took Bibbs at his word. Not that it mattered; his mind was already made up. “I’ll just have to make sure no one discovers her.”

Bibbs’ exasperation swelled to epic proportions and began to waft across the landscape, while in the distance, Alia had tired of interrogating her rock and was slowly wandering back in a zig-zag.

“Look,” Caleb said, “I made a promise and I intend to keep it, for better or worse. I thought you of all people would understand that.”

Caleb watched carefully as the words struck his friend, and the reaction was swift. He looked at first like a man splashed with ice cold water, and that was followed by a flash of fury and then begrudging agreement, all in the span of a second. A heavy burden stirred just beneath the surface where Bibbs kept it secret and safe.

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