Chapter 21
Kaos
One Month Ago
The air snapped loudly as I stepped from the ether, my black boot sinking into the wet ground just south of the Crystal Mines, or what used to be the Crystal Mines.
The air was thick with acrid smoke—the scent of burning flesh and charred forest hung stagnant as the faint popping of a still-burning fire sang in the background.
There was no other noise; no birds chirped, no animals moved.
Through the thick fog, I could detect the faintest shred of magic—powerful magic; more so than anything I’d felt since before my imprisonment.
I hummed softly, contemplating what that could mean as I padded through the thick ash and dust covering the scorched grass. I did little to hide my existence, there was no one left alive here to see me.
The closer I drew to the mines, the thicker the smoke became until it was almost unbearable, even for me.
If only I had the power of Air, like my sister, I thought. Fire and Earth were powerful weapons but would do little to dispel this impenetrable haze.
I growled lowly as I walked, my boots periodically slipping on the ash and dust.
My sister, benevolent dictator that she was, sent me here to confirm for ourselves the destruction of the mines.
Her original plans included “liberating” the imprisoned before pressing them into our gradually growing army; Solace also intended to remove as many crystals as possible from the mines before collapsing the tunnels, rendering them inaccessible to my last descendant.
It seems someone has beaten you to it, sister.
To say Solace was unhappy about the rumor was an understatement. While I thoroughly disliked being sent places like her dutiful dog, I was more than happy to escape her misplaced wrath. Last time something went awry, she killed five soldiers just for standing too close.
Temperamental bitch.
Wet grass gave way to rocky ground as I finally approached the mine’s entrance. The magical residue was stronger here; I could practically taste it in the air.
The fog cleared in a small circle, barely wide enough to encompass the collapsed cave’s mouth and the stone I stood upon. I slowly turned my head, begrudgingly impressed by the clever use of magic.
“I’m guessing the fog is not entirely natural,” I called loudly, trying to draw out whoever was lingering in this area.
“No, it’s not,” the simple retort sounded from just in front of me, and I watched as a man with nondescript brown hair and forgettable features appeared from thin air.
Inadvertently, my brows furrowed in thought.
That’s not possible; only I hold the power of teleportation.
“Just a handy trick I’ve developed over the years,” the man said with a shrug as if he read my mind. “I can conceal myself with the minuscule particles that float in even seemingly clear air. It’s quite handy for situations like this.”
I grunted before crossing my arms, the leather of my armor creaking with the movement.
I was slightly unruffled by how at ease this man was in my godly presence.
He hopped onto a fallen boulder before finding a second rock a bit higher up that he utilized as a chair.
The movement put us at relative eye level, and I internally growled at the obvious power move.
“Why are you here, Kaos?” the man asked as he cocked his head to the side, his brown eyes shining with intelligence.
His movements and cadence of speech reminded me of my father—but this couldn’t be him. He was stuck on Meru—a little secret I’d discovered and hidden from my sister.
I stayed silent for a moment, wanting to see the little fucker squirm, but I only succeeded in drawing a mildly amused expression.
“Why I am here is none of your business, mortal,” I growled, and the man’s smile only grew wider.
“How about a little exchange of information, then? A truth for a truth, if you will.”
I crossed my arms tighter, enraged.
A bargain.
Only Fate dealt in bargains, and my hackles rose in suspicion.
“You dare to negotiate with a god?”
The man shrugged his shoulders, that infuriating smirk still plastered to his face.
“I feel like you’d have the advantage here. I”—he placed one average-sized hand on his chest—“cannot determine a lie from a truth. For all I know, you could tell me you’re here to collect rocks. Or that there’s a great bird-watching spot up the mountain.”
Bird-watching? The man’s insane.
“I cannot tell a lie. Not to the great God of Truths especially,” he said sagely, dropping his arm back to his side. “So, what do you say? A little truth for truth?”
I stared unblinking at the enigma on the rock. His booted feet swung in an off-cadence rhythm from where they dangled over the edge of the boulder.
I could just kill him, I thought. But that magical signature . . .
“Fine,” I barked, and the man’s smile widened.
“Fine,” he reiterated and gestured for me to go first.
“Whose magical signature is in the air?”
“I am so glad you asked that question, Kaos. His name is Torin d’Eshu, Lord of Iluul.”
I frowned. The name sounded familiar, but I was unsure as to where I would have heard his mortal name before. The man’s words rang true, but there was a hint of something I couldn’t quite place; not exactly a half-truth, but almost like there was vital missing information.
“Who is Torin d’Eshu, Lord of Iluul?”
“Ah, ah, ah!” the man said with a shake of his head. “The deal was a truth for a truth. If you’d like to devolve further into another deal after I make good on my request, then that is up to you.”
“Ask your question,” I grunted, growing bored of entertaining him, but still feeling like I needed that final piece of information.
“Why are you here, Kaos?”
“To see if the mines really did collapse,” I said, the truth falling from my lips unbidden.
The man cocked his head to the other side and blinked rapidly as if processing the information.
“Shall we play again?”
“Who is Torin d’Eshu, Lord of Iluul?” I asked again.
The man’s grin spread to almost manic proportions before he hopped off the rock, his boots thumping against the rocky ground, producing a cloud of ash in their wake.
“Me first,” he said, walking until he stood a mere foot from me.
He is definitely insane.
“Why are you here, Kaos?”
I frowned. “I just—”
The man cut me off with a quick shake of his head, a frown marring his features.
“No. Why are you here, in Elyria?”
Now it was my turn to pause.
I opened my mouth to give him an answer, but closed it just as quickly. While my gift was to detect lies and truths, I could lie if I wanted to—it was just difficult for me to do.
“I-I’m not sure,” I said. My eyebrows nearly met in the middle of my forehead as I frowned harder.
I knew why Solace returned to Elyria, but I had never shared her affinity for world domination.
At the end of it all, I knew she’d try and kill me simply so she could have the power for herself; until that time, my existence was useful enough for her.
“Something to think about,” he said, his initial ease returning as he slowly backed toward the spot he’d appeared from earlier.
“My question,” I demanded, and he nodded his head once.
“Torin d’Eshu, Lord of Iluul, is the one who was promised. One who will rise as another falls; the heir of Fire and Water, of Earth and Air.” A chill skated down my spine with his words, the very air around me seeming to still.
“The boy who was created millennia ago at the end of the Sundering,” the man came to a stop outside the mouth of the caves before a smile took over his face once more.
This time, it was a terrifying thing, one that held the promise of violence and retribution.
With a flick of his wrist, the air blanketed him from sight once more.
I held my breath, willing him to appear again; his speech had brought more questions than answers.
I stood there for a few minutes, sure that man had disappeared, but just before I stepped through my portal, back to Solace and the inordinate heat of the desert, his whispered voice echoed around once more.
“One who can tip the scales and restore balance . . . a godling. And now, my purpose is fulfilled. May Fate guide and keep you.”
This was dripping with the scent of my father.
If Solace killed five soldiers just because she was feeling rather pissy, I wonder what she’ll do when she hears of our father’s needling . . . and the existence of a godling.