Kelfor (The Orthomancers)

Chapter 16

Kalyka, who is now awake, follows me. "Do you understand what they mean?"

"Not yet. But I will."

"I know. I believe in you. So did Grandfather."

"Did he? Is that why you came?"

"Of course. He said that thousands of years of useless passivity was about to end. He firmly believed that you would be the one to lead us out of slavery."

"But he died."

"He didn't care about that." Tears stand out in her eyes. "He said the only thing that mattered was that I should survive."

"Did he?"

"He said he was old. Too old to make a difference."

Now I am crying. "He was wrong. He made a huge difference."

Kalyka nods. "He just couldn't see it. He meant more to me than my parents."

"He didn't like the timeworn."

"He was angry with them. He blamed them. Yet he died holding Quondam Azrial's hand."

"That must have been hard for him."

"I don't think so. He looked happy. They fell together. They weren't scared." She swallows. "At least they didn't die alone. And they were both Inmuri when all is said and done."

"He wanted change. I can understand that."

"He said that change had already come. He said he had been ready all his life to recognize it. And he said that you were the ... cata ... catal ..."

"Catalyst. Did he?"

"He did. He said right away that we had to come with you. He told me that the lines of many lives had come together. That you were the focus. That you had no idea, but that you would need us."

"And I did. Do."

Kalyka looks smug. "He knew. He said that if we didn't go with you, then you wouldn't be successful. He said that it is never about one person, it is always about many links in a chain."

I am surprised to be having this conversation with such a young girl. She makes me feel rather stupid. I have underestimated her. Then, too, Doven was right. A week can be a very, very long time.

Zivan has been standing quietly to one side. I look over at her. "Did you realize how important this journey might be?"

She shakes her head. "Not at first. It was important for me because it represented a chance for Torch. It was the only sign that he might have a future. But then, as the journey progressed, I saw that the whole fabric of the Inmuri society could be about to disintegrate. I hope it does."

"So do I."

We break our fast there, sitting beside the spheres that represent the worlds we have never seen. We are all anxious, all eager yet also wary. The roots we are eating are now past their best; they are difficult to chew, hard to swallow. And there is only a little water left. We do not have very much time.

When we have all finished, we pack our supplies up again. Nobody knows if we will be here later or not. It seems prudent to keep everything as ready to go as we can.

We leave the provisions and walk back along the tree bridge toward the vortex of the small invertebrates – the ones the ancients named firehorns. The buzz, as yesterday, gets louder and louder as we approach. We shuffle as close as we can, standing almost in line facing millions and millions of them as they swirl in front of us in the whirlpool.