Chapter 471 - Beyond the Veil (End of Book 6)

It is done!

Book 7 begins Tuesday 2nd September. Authors note at the end of this post with more details.

The darkness swallowed Hump. His senses fell away—no light, no smell, no sound. Even the essence of the world was gone. All he had was his touch. His friends were with him, holding onto each other tightly. Vines bound them, holding them tight.

Hump tried to speak but no sound came out. It was then he realised a more serious problem—he couldn’t breathe. For him and the others, they would be fine for a few minutes. Hump possessed the weakest body out of all of them, but even he was enhanced by dragon blood.

More concerning was Nisha. She was young, and already starting to panic. Her terror was visceral. This darkness was even stranger for her than him. Her body was attuned to the essence of the world, and here, there was none. It was like she’d lost another sense. He tried to sooth her, speaking through their bond.

“It’ll be alright, Nisha,” Hump said, clinging to her with all his strength with one arm, while holding tightly to Celaine’s hand with the other. “I won’t let you go. We’re together even if you can’t see me.”

She sent an image of darkness. Of nothing. Fear filled her and it broke Hump’s heart.

I know, girl. Don’t be scared. We’ll find a way out of this.

Hump said as much, though he wasn’t sure how convincing he was. They were stuck in darkness and unable to use essence. Would this be how they died? Suffocating in this place of nothing? He forced himself not to think about the worst case scenario and cast such doubts to the River and Waves. They would only make things worse.

He had to figure something out.

Already his lungs were burning, straining with being here. He felt as if he’d been tossed into the deepest pit of the sea. No sense of up or down. No light or dark. Just nothingness all around.

Heart racing, Hump called upon his own essence to cast Wizard Light, but his power was drained almost instantly. He caught flashes of light or essence nearby and assumed the others were trying to do the same. Whether blessings or spells, it seemed neither worked here.

Not good, Hump thought. His mind raced, searching for any solution. He couldn’t even reach for his spellbook without letting go of Celaine or Nisha, but what good would it do in this place where magic didn’t function? He called in his mind for Owalyn, but there was no answer. He expanded his sensed, searching for anything around them. Anything he could latch onto.

But there was nothing in the empty space.

Seconds dragged on. Nisha’s panic increased as she fought to breathe. Her pain was his, but he was helpless to stop it. Helpless to do anything.

Then there was light.

A flash of essence in the dark, blazing like the sun. A gaping tear ripped apart the black, outlined in shimmering blue essence. Through the tear was a rocky landscape that reminded Hump of the Remnant Realm. He tried to reach for it but couldn’t move closer. A moment later another tear appeared close by, this one an expanse of endless sea. Then another, a mountain concealed by fog. Eight more appeared, each of them like a hole in a curtain. Each of them could have been his own world—hells, they might all be, though Hump’s gut said otherwise.

He felt a hand touch his chest and glanced down.

The Heartseeker amulet was glowing around his neck, rising toward one of the portals—a world of towering trees in every colour, and islands floating in the sky. He’d taken it back from the Royal Armoury without much thought. Was it reacting to the tears, or losing essence like everything else in here?

His breath quickly running out, Hump didn’t think on it further. He poured what little essence he had left into its runes. And there, on the other side, he sensed something else instead.

That same terrifying force from before returned—the intent of a god, and an angry one at that. It surged through Hump’s body, taking the breath from him. He didn’t have essence this time to fight back. He was overwhelmed, the furious intent burning through him, lacing itself into his being, ensuring that this time he couldn’t escape.

Pain surged.

“I did not kill the owner of the amulet,” Hump screamed in his mind.

The pain lessened. The enraged intent simmered down a little, some of that fury turning to logic.

Hump’s heart hammered, but he didn’t stop.

“My party and I found the amulet in the lair of a gorger in the Remnant Realm. The owner was preserved as one of his trophies but has since been given proper funeral rites. I am no enemy.”

Silence came.

Then Hump felt himself ripped through the abyss. Or rather, the abyss churned around him. A portal appeared before him, light beyond it. He fell through completely without intention. The world turned.

His mind span. Nausea overwhelmed him. He flailed with his arms and legs, then felt something solid beneath him. It felt like cold stone, but the room was too dark to see. He collapsed on it, gasping for air. Relief flooded through him. For a few seconds, he lay there catching his breath. Around him, his party did the same.

“Is everyone… alive?” Hump wheezed.

A round of affirmations followed, but nothing from Dylan.

“Shit,” Hump said, pushing himself up. “Dylan? Dylan can you hear me?”

“Give me light,” Bud said.

Hump held up his staff. “Light.”

The room was illuminated in a white glow. They were on a black stone floor and inside a large chamber. Hump scrambled over to Bud’s side, Dylan on the ground before him, lying on his back. Sweat beaded across his face and essence glowed across his body, and Hump quickly realised why—blood was leaking from a dozen wounds where Godfrey’s spears had found him. Worst of all, he was missing an arm at the elbow, a bloody stump left in its place, the cut clean.

Emilia gasped. “Gods, Dylan.”

They had pierced his razorclaw armour with ease, and the barkskin of his guardian aspect. Somehow, the druid had managed to slow the bleeding with his essence, but it wasn’t looking good.

“Dylan, can you hear me?” Hump asked.

Still no answer. The druid whimpered faintly, the kind of sound a feverish man made in his sleep, yet some part of him had to be conscious to be channelling this essence.

“The Silver Sprig,” Celaine said.

“Gone,” Hump said. “Owalyn used it to heal me.”

“We have none of those elixir’s left either.” Bud’s voice was heavy with guilt. “It’s my fault. I knew it shouldn’t have been used on me.”

“We’d have never made it without you, you idiot,” Emilia said softly. “Don’t say that.”

“What we don’t have isn’t helpful,” Hump snapped. “We need to get his clothes off. Bud, help me. Celaine, Emilia, secure the area.”

Together they pulled off his armour. The wounds looked even worse now. His torso had been pierced in three places, an inch wide hole in his side, left collar, and right by his heart. His right thigh was pierced in two places, and his left calf. Blood oozed from each, the skin seemed to be patching itself together, but Hump didn’t trust it would be enough.

Nisha whined and rested her chin gently on Dylan’s good arm.

Hump sifted through his potion pouch, glad he’d stocked up on the more expensive stuff as much as he did, but even that might not be enough. Not from wounds like this. He hadn’t felt around the wounds as he didn’t want to disrupt Dylan’s essence at work, but if an artery had been severed in his leg or chest, there might be nothing they could do. Gently, he forced Dylan to drink a healing elixir, then he removed a couple more from his bag and began pouring them on the wounds directly. Realising Dylan had to be almost out of essence too, he gave him a powerful Essence Elixir too—anything to keep him going—then opened the Book of Infinite Pages.

He had little affinity for healing magic, but at the very least he had some spells.

SPELLBOOK

Healing Hands

Evocation | Healing | Tier 2 | Range: Touch

Description

Channel the caster’s essence into restorative energy that accelerates the natural healing process. When applied, it mends minor wounds such as cuts, bruisers, and shallow lacerations. When provided with enough essence, it can stabilise more serious injuries to prevent further deterioration.

Hump had only practiced the spell a few times. It was the most powerful healing magic he could use, and not much good for someone in Dylan’s state, but perhaps it would help. He drank an Essence Elixir of his own and got to work.

The cold of essence overuse was icy now, but Hump didn’t stop. He continued to pour his power into Dylan. Slowly, surely, he knew it was a wasted effort. Bud tied off the stump of Dylan’s arm, so at least that was under control, but it wasn’t enough. The blood was flowing more profusely from the wound in his arm and side.

Tears of frustration welled in Hump’s eyes. “Come on, buddy. Please.”

Hump collapsed to the side. He had nothing left to give. His body was heavy as stone and far, far colder.

“That’s it,” Bud said, Frostfire in his hands. “I’ll freeze the wounds. Give him more time.”

“It won’t work,” Hump said. “The ice will kill him.”

“Then what do we do?” Bud shouted.

“I… I’m not sure there’s anything we can do.”

Nisha stepped over Dylan, whining softly. Her eyes sparkled with that same golden light. Her scales hadn’t changed back to their normal shade yet. Hump could feel her thinking. He felt essence surge through her body. For a heartbeat, he thought it was for him…

Then she opened her mouth and a small jet of golden flames poured out, bathing Dylan’s side.

“Nisha, no!” Bud snapped, reaching to throw her off.

With the last of his strength, Hump grabbed his arm to stop her. “Wait!”

He recognised this essence. It had flowed through him once, though it had been far more powerful at the time. Both terrifying destruction and cleansing warmth—the flames of a phoenix. Hump’s eyes were wide as the bleeding in Dylan’s side slowed and then stopped. The wound sealed over, red flesh in its place.

Nisha moved over to his leg and did the same. Bit by bit, the gold in her scales faded to black, and then she slumped to the ground, legs splayed.

Hump inspected the two wounds—they were the worst of them, but she’d healed them.

“Gods above!” Bud said, then laughed. “Good girl, Nisha. Very good girl.”

Hump laughed too. The girls returned, confused at their cheer, each of them shocked as they explained what happened.

“Will he live?” Emilia asked.

Hump nodded quickly, excitement building. He looked over Dylan’s other injuries. With the worst two dealt with, Dylan’s own essence was making more progress.

“Is everyone else okay?” Hump asked.

“Emilia’s shoulder is quite bad,” Celaine said. “One of those spears caught her.”

“I’ll live,” Emilia said. “I’ve taken a potion. Don’t worry about me. What about you, Bud? Those were nasty hits.”

Bud shook his head. “Dylan saved me.” He clenched his jaw, frustration on his face. “I should have been the one to take the blows.”

“If you had, you’d be dead,” Hump said.

He struggled to his feet, feeling weaker than he had in a long time. Celaine helped him to stand. “Any sign of where we are?”

He held up his staff, illuminating the room. They were in a towering chamber of dark stone, but it was desolate. Dust covered every surface. There were skeletons everywhere, so decayed that they must be hundreds of years old. Rusted armour still clung to them, and their weapons lay nearby. Everything else had been turned to dust.

“These bodies are old,” Emilia said. “There must have been a great battle here. We’ve found piles over them elsewhere.”

“And it looks like one of the Wizard Temples in the Remnant Realm,” Celaine said. “Only the essence here doesn’t feel the same. It feels like ours, but I can’t sense Owalyn.”

Bud let out a nervous sigh. “I cannot feel Kelisia either, but my blessings are still working. We must still be in our world. Surely.”

“Godfrey can use his blessings even after betraying Lady Light,” Hump said. “Why couldn’t you without Kelisia?”

“Damn it.” Bud slammed his fist into the wall and roared. “This cannot be! What of the city? What of Baelkor? We must find our way back!”

“We’re lucky to even be together,” Emilia said softly. “We could have ended up anyway.”

“Where’s Prince Gregory?” Bud asked. “And Godfrey for that matter.”

Hump looked around sharply.

“He didn’t get into the group,” Celaine said softly.

Hump swallowed.

“Then he’s likely still in that abyss. Or somewhere nearby,” Emilia said. “How did we get out?”

“The Heartseeker amulet started to glow,” Hump said. “I think we followed its connection to here. Likely, whoever is on the other end of it is nearby.”

“Well that’s just great,” Bud said. “A traitor Chosen to an evil god.”

“What makes you think he’s evil?”

Bud gave him a look. “They are not of the Pantheon. They attacked you. What do you think?”

Hump shrugged. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Come look at this,” Celaine said, leading them farther into the chamber. I found some runes that might clue you in. I can’t tell if they’re your language.”

Nisha perked up as Hump stepped away, but didn’t move. Hump could sense her exhaustion.

“I’ll stay with Dylan and Nisha,” Emilia said. “Call me if you need me.”

Dylan suddenly coughed, his eyes snapping open. He looked around wildly, panicked eyes only relaxing as he saw them nearby. “What happened?” He groaned. “Why does everything hurt so bad.”

They all breathed a sigh of relief. Nisha whined happily and shimmied over to lick Dylan’s face, her entire body rumbling.

“You did it, Nisha,” Hump said softly.

“Go,” Emilia told them. “I’ll catch him up.”

Celaine led them to a central array, much like the one that created the rift in the Wizard Temples. In fact, as Hump inspected it more closely, it seemed identical in all but the script etched into the walls. “It’s definitely not Alveronian. I think I recognise them from somewhere though.”

“What does that mean?” Bud asked.

“Most likely, it means that the people who built this had likely been to the Remnant Realm but were not from Alveron. Perhaps the Seal of Elenvine was placed over another connection point like the Wizard Temples.”

“A connection point to a third realm?”

Hump shrugged. “You saw those portals, didn’t you? There were many realms.”

His gaze climbed the chamber walls. Instead of runes, these were etched with images—massive circles filled with intricate landscapes. Cities, sprawling forests, towers stretching into the clouds. And then it hit him, these weren’t just pictures.

“Those are maps,” Hump said under his breath. “Twelve of them.”

One sat higher than the rest, above the central arch of the other eleven. While another at the end had a deep gash straight through it in the shape of an X, carved into the wall as if by the angry stroke of a sword.

“That’s… I think that’s our world,” Hump said. “Look at that landmass to the left. That’s Alveron, isn’t it?”

“It is,” came a deep voice from the shadows behind them.

The words stopped Hump’s breath. He turned sharply.

A towering figure stood in the darkness, twice as tall as Bud. A thick beard on his chin and a shaggy head of hair. His muscles looked like they’d been carved from stone. No sound had warned of his arrival. No whisper of displaced air or flicker of magic. One moment the space had been empty, the next, he was there.

Bud stepped ahead of them. Celaine unshouldered her bow, an arrow finding its way to her string. Hump readied his staff, though he had hardly enough essence left for the Wizard Light cantrip, let alone a fight.

The world faded away. His presence swallowed everything. Hump sensed nothing else—just the man, and the vast, raging aura that pressed on the air. It weighed down on Hump’s spirit, drowning him in an overwhelming intent.

“You are in my domain now,” the figure said.

“Who are you?” Bud demanded, stepping forward, blade drawn, shield raised.

The man didn’t even glance at him.

His gaze was fixed solely on Hump, a deep white shining from within, swirling like mist. Ancient and unblinking. “Speak, mortal. You who hold my Heart. You say you did not slay my beloved, yet you carry her amulet. And you bear a staff with my runes.” His voice deepened to a rumble. “Explain yourself. And speak quickly, for my patience is thin.”

Hump’s heart thundered in his chest. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to look as honest as he could as he met the eyes of the god before him.

This wasn’t good.

“A staff with your runes?” Hump echoed, his words barely a whisper. He glanced at his staff with a frown, trying to process those words. His eyes widened, stunned that he’d missed it.

“What is it?” Celaine asked.

“I realise where I recognise the runes etched into the array from,” Hump said. “They are the Runes of Loften.”

He looked up at the man again, a dozen puzzle pieces clicking into place in his mind—his power, his presence, the godly essence that filled the chamber.

This was not just a god.

This was, Loften, God of Craft, and one of the Twelve.

Bud dropped to one knee, his head bowed. Celaine lowered her bow, a firm frown on her face. And Hump… well, the Heartseeker amulet suddenly felt very heavy around his neck.

Author's Note

Another book finished! Hope that leaves you for what's coming up in Book 7. I've already got a big chunk of the outline done and I'm really looking forward to what comes next. We take a break from some of the warlock focus in the most recent books and focus more on the adventure side of things again in the next one.

Thanks for all the support for the series. There's been some really helpful feedback on this one that I'll incorporate into the edits I make before the final release on Amazon.

I'll take the next week or so off to outline, so Book 7 will likely begin on Tuesday the 2nd.