"We never did get to talk about your staff," Icefire said as we ascended the mountain, approaching Wallala, the caves of the dwarfs. We all rode on washas--me and Icefire in the front, trailed behind us by Lozhor Lank and Nuzzle Cobra. Behind us, was the full procession of the Knights of Aramus. It had been my personal request that Nuzzle ride with us. After what Lozhor had said to me yesterday, I wanted to make sure that me and Nuzzle at least got off on the right foot. I wanted him to understand what I was doing. Why it was the right thing.
But it seemed like Nuzzle just got more angry that I had done that. Every time I went back to talk to him, he would try and convince me to leave. "Listen, Katto," he said. "I still see it in you. You still need Basil. You don't have to do this."
"I don't need anyone," I spat. Who did Nuzzle think he was? I literally spared his life from Icefire, and now he was acting like I owed him something. That's what I hated. Him and Basil, just because they were, like, six years older than me, thought they knew so much more than me. Yet all they really knew how to do was treat me like a kid. Well, I wouldn't be a kid forever, and Icefire knew that.
"I still don't really know how to use the staff," I said.
"I can show you tonight when we camp," Icefire said. "After the dwarfs here at Wallala, we'll be heading over to Albion. The pixies will have much to teach you about the forests here in Aramus. Then we will meet with the giants. Soon, we will approach the Bridge. We will cross our new army over into the Land Under the Bridge, find the final blue sty, and then rise up to the Beating Heart of Aramus, where we will make our final stand, and recreate the magic in Aramus once and for all. When you step into that city, Katto, with so much magic in you, you will have the power to do anything you want to. This world will be yours, and you will be in true control of magic. After all, that is all we really want for you."
"Sounds like a plan," I said.
"You all will be killing the last blue sty left in Aramus," Nuzzle said from his spot in the back. "Remember that."
"Silence, fool!" screeched Lozhor Lank.
"No," I said. "Listen to what he has to say."
"You show compassion," said Icefire. "That makes you very strong, indeed, Katto. Lozhor, let Nuzzle speak. He may offer valuable insight on our plight."
"You talked about recreating the blue stys once you had full control of the Beating Heart of Aramus," said Nuzzle.
"Yes, Nuzzle, because that is exactly what I plan to do," said Icefire. "What, do you think I'm a liar or something?"
"You're rebuilding this world in your image," Nuzzle hissed. "You think you're helping this world, but really you're bringing about its destruction."
"Well, you can say that about anything," Icefire said coolly. "There's a very fine line between helping and hurting. Actually, it astounds me how well you understand my exact line of thinking. I'm so glad Katto spared your life. You never fail to amaze me, Nuzzle."
I still didn't really get what Icefire's goal was once he reached the Beating Heart of Aramus, but I didn't even think it sounded that bad. To me, it really sounded like he was trying to bring even more life and beauty to a place he already loved. Basil had said as much. You would think Basil hated Icefire, but he actually spent a fair amount of time praising him. Plus, now that I knew that Basil was a murderer, he was just a hypocrite and a liar. Actually, it made no sense to me why he hadn't already joined Icefire.
"Now, Katto, when we arrive in Wallala, the dwarves will no doubt join us on our quest," said Icefire. "They may act harsh, but it's all an act. When you learn to handle these situations more like I do, your character will grow greatly. We may not be spending as much time there as you wish. We will make them think we are limited by time. That will increase our urgency, and their chances of joining us in our assault on the Beating Heart of Aramus."
"Makes sense to me," I said. Icefire, for all of his flaws, was a pretty well-spoken man, and incredibly intelligent. He knew how to get what he wanted. Basil always seemed to be lost in his own world. Even though he said he always had a plan, he was never truly in control. Not like Icefire was. Or else he'd be stopping Icefire now, like he always said he was going to do.
As we reached the peak of the snow-capped mountain, Icefire and I led our washas into the pitch-black mouth of a cave. The rest of the procession remained outside, unable to enter the narrow mouth that led to Wallala. At first, the light from the suns outside lit up the inside of the cave, lighting up the stone stairs that led us down, but once that was gone, it was like we were just turning in circles. A few times, I had to call out to Icefire just to make sure that he was still there. Soon, the dark night of the cave transformed into the red glow of underground lanterns. We broke out onto a long bridge that stretched across open air. Rails connected the various mines to one another, with dwarfs riding in minecarts across, sailing between the various platforms of land. Some held hammers, some held pickaxes. But all were short, bearded, and men. It was truly a beautiful sight. Looking at Icefire, I knew he felt the same. But he had work to do.
"Dwarfs of Wallala, I do not come to hurt you!" exclaimed Icefire. "I am Willius Icefire, and I come to return magic to the lands of Aramus."
The dwarfs that passed by on their minecarts looked at him curiously, but didn't stop. In fact, the closer I looked at them, I realized that they looked desolate, hurt, abandoned.
"Send a dwarf here to speak with me, now!" screamed Icefire, realizing exactly what I had.
Slowly, a minecart approached the platform me and Icefire stood on. Out of it hopped a short bearded dwarf. Well, they were all short and bearded, so that didn't really matter. He pulled a mask off of his mouth. Looking up at Icefire on the back of a washa from the height of a dwarf was a serious feat, and looked like it took some serious neck strain. Yet his eyes were filled with pain.
"You come at the wrong time, sir," said the dwarf. Despite his stature, it was the deepest voice I had ever heard. "Beginning a day or two ago, our mines started giving no returns. None of the magical crystals we seek are appearing. No treal. No yaka. It is all disappearing."
"Terrible," murmured Icefire. "Is this throughout all of Wallala?"
"Yes, sir," said the dwarf. He seemed to grow sadder the more he talked. "There is no magic here in Wallala. It is quickly fading away. We fear that our world is dying."
"Impossible," said Icefire. Usually he was calm and collected, but looking at his face, he seemed lost and confused. That made me feel lost and confused. No magic in Wallala? What could that mean? How could that have happened? It sent a wave of thoughts in my brain that I wasn't sure I wanted to think about right now, especially with how good I had been feeling over the past few days. "We came to ask your help with a task. We wish to strengthen the world of Aramus, and we require your magic. But, as I understand, you have none?"
"There is no magic here in Wallala," said the dwarf. "You will find nothing from our people."
Icefire looked completely flabbergasted. "This is unprecedented," he said.
"Unprecedented, yes," said the dwarf. "But it is happening."
"How?" asked Icefire.
"I don't know," the dwarf replied. "Magic is slowly draining from the world of Aramus. I will not be surprised if soon, this world is lost. I know it is not what you want to here."
"Thank you for our help. We're running low on time." Suddenly stressed, Icefire pulled his washa around to climb back up the stairs. "Come on, Katto. Lozhor needs to know of this."
As we broke out of the cave, my thoughts were going at a million miles per hour. Icefire broke forward to the front of the ranks, his lips pursed, trotting on his washa faster than ever.
"Icefire? What happened in Wallala?" asked Lozhor.
"Nothing good," Icefire spat back, anger edging his voice. "Magic has left the world of Wallala. They have nothing for us."
"Impossible," said Lozhor. "That's unprecedented."
"Unprecedented, yes. But it's happening." Icefire looked to me. "This boy may be our only hope yet. If magic disappears from the land of Aramus, we are left with two options. Either he is just an ordinary boy. Or he is truly something special. A subject of prophecy."
Icefire looked unsettled. Lozhor looked unsettled. Even Nuzzle looked unsettled. And everyone looking unsettled made me feel really unsettled. Clearly something was going on that was really bad. "Our time is truly running short," said Icefire. "We must find that last blue sty before it disappears from this world. Or else we may never see one again. We must find a way to get to the Land Under the Bridge."
"There might be a way," Nuzzle pointed out. It was the first time he had spoken in a long while.
"Silence, fool," spat Lozhor.
"Silence, Lozhor," Icefire responded. "I wish to hear what Nuzzle says."
"Katto may be able to open a portal to the Land Under the Bridge," said Nuzzle. "Yes, it takes effort, but only a truly powerful magician has the power to break holes in space. This is more than teleportation between different worlds. This requires true skill."
Icefire looked back at me, smiling curiously. "Yes..." he realized, fingering his chin carefully. "Yes, that may work. Nuzzle, my curiosity gets the better of you. My understanding was that you wanted the blue sty to live. Why do you help us?"
"If my land is losing magic, I need to be there," said Nuzzle. "This is more than preserving the blue stys. This is about preserving all of Aramus now."
"Katto, you made the right choice when you spared the life of this man," said Icefire. "It seems as if we agree on more than one point. I haven't a clue why magic is draining from Aramus, but whatever or whoever is causing this is all of our enemies. In times like this, our quest to reform Aramus is more important than ever. I have no doubt that wherever this sickness is coming from, it stems from the Land Under the Bridge, the center of the rarest magic here in Aramus. Going there will give us answers."
"Yes," said Lozhor Lank. "If we do not find the source of this corruption, all our training will be for naught, and the Knights will cease to follow us."
"Now, Katto," said Nuzzle. I looked back at him, confused. "I know this is confusing for you. But you need to understand. This is an unprecedented situation, and you are an unprecedented boy. Your help could save all of Aramus. This is a greater evil than what Icefire wants to do to Aramus. Me and him might disagree on how Aramus should be controlled, but on saving this land, we both agree."
It seemed as if Nuzzle had finally grown a spine. Quickly, I dismounted from my washa as Icefire called the troops to stop. He dismounted from his own washa and stood in front of me as I stared at my surroundings. We still stood on the cold mountains of Wallala. I grabbed my staff as I stood, prepared to use it. However I was going to use this magic, I was prepared to use it. I was their only solution. And that thought felt good.
"Have you done this before, Nuzzle?" Icefire asked.
"No, not really," he responded. "It was just an idea."
"He's a useless fool," said Lozhor Lank. "He's making up ideas."
"No," said Icefire. "I will wring every ounce of magic out of this little boy like he is water from a rag. We need to get to the Land Under the Bridge and we need to find out what is going on here. If the blue stys have no magic, that means blue sty blood has no power. That means we have no immortality."
"Wait, was that all you cared about?" asked Nuzzle.
"I care about many things, none of which you understand," said Icefire coldly. "You agree with me here that Katto, the Ruler of the Horizon, must tap into his inner magic in a way that has never been done before."
"Well, yeah, that seems to be the idea."
"You speak to me like I'm fond of you," said Icefire. "Now, Katto. Worrying about us will only serve to impede your magical abilities. You need to focus on that staff and that sword, the two most magical items in your possession. You need to close your eyes and picture the Land Under the Bridge in your mind's eye. You will need to create a portal large enough for a large procession of knights to travel through. I fear for what this effort may do to you, or if you are strong enough to undergo the effort at all, but if you are as strong as the prophecy claims you are, it should be done."
"Creating a magical portal at any place where it is not meant to exist is nearly impossible," said Nuzzle. "And yet, I somehow trust that this boy can do it."
Their words gave me confidence. If I had learned one thing from all my studying of Old Magic, that would be the one thing I needed. Confidence. Closing my eyes, I held onto my staff and onto my sword, praying that they would do something. In my mind's eye, I envisioned the Land Under the Bridge. I envisioned its beaches and its forests, the stables where Figgis had been attacked. I pictured my fight with Lozhor Lank. I pictured Basil, and how he had snapped at me. All that anger and rage, I channeled into my mind, imagining myself forming a portal between lands. I imagined my power channeling through the staff, through the sword, pulsing with magic, creating an aura that could transport hundreds of people.
The more I thought of it, the more it became reality.
All at once, the words came to me. I knew what to say. No one had taught me, of course, and yet, I had heard the words so many times before. They were so obvious. What I needed to say to access this power, to create this bridge between lands, to truly grow and accept the power that was inside me.
My father had said it, Icefire had said it, people had said it to me before I had even arrived in Aramus or Zyaka. And now, if I said it aloud, if I screamed it, it would be reality, and magic would return to a dying world.
So I screamed.
"I AM THE RULER OF THE HORIZON!"
And everything went dark.
Slowly, I felt my body shape into something that was not its true form. It was more like I was a speck of dust, floating along the astral highways of the galaxy, feeling magic pulse within me because magic was me. I saw a thousand sunsets and sunrises, a thousand battles and a thousand wars, a thousand deaths and a thousand births. All of this I saw in what felt like a fraction of a second. I felt so free, my brain loosed, like I could do anything I wanted. Euphoria spread through my body from tip to toe. I was floating in a golden sunset, suspended in a beam of light, being called up to heaven. That feeling resonated within me, deep inside of me, calling for the use of magic in a world where magic was dying. I understood what everyone meant when they said you could feel your power. Here was it. But this was more. I could tell. This was me, stronger than everyone else. I was every age at once, living every life, and experiencing everything. That was magic. That was what we needed to keep in this world. In my eyes, I saw a thousand faces, whispering... You are the Ruler of the Horizon. A title everyone knew I had, but no one knew how to use. Until I reached inside myself, unlocked the key, and brought it out of myself.
I felt like I was in that plane of existence for a thousand years, experiencing everything, and yet it had only been a second. And then I was brought back to reality, my memories gone, only remembering that I had been trying to make a portal to the Land Under the Bridge. I looked up to spot the same waters lapping against the shore, the same crescent moon shining, the same hut on the edge of the beach. And Icefire, smiling at me.
"Ruler of the Horizon," he said. "This boy will save Aramus."