Kingdom: The Xenoworld Saga, #5

By Kyle West

The hunt for Isaru begins.

With the spaceship Odin at their disposal, Shanti and the crew have more tools than ever to stop the coming Xenofall. But powerful new threats have emerged to challenge their advance.

If Isaru reaches the Mindless swarm in Ragnarok Crater, it will spell destruction for the Red Wild and its surrounding kingdoms. Meanwhile, a powerful, ancient being offers his help.

But will it be enough to end the Hyperfold once and for all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kyle West
• Release date: Sep 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781393904533

Kyle West

Kyle West is the author of a growing number of sci-fi and fantasy series: The Starsea Cycle, The Wasteland Chronicles, and The Xenoworld Saga. His goal is to write as many entertaining books as possible, with interesting worlds and characters that hopefully give his readers a break from the mundane. He lives with his lovely wife, son, and two insanely spoiled cats.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Isat in the captain’s seat of the Odin, with Pallos strapped in beside me. Staring out the windshield, the mist hung thickly upon the ground. The tall trees surrounding the meadow seemed ghostly in the pre-dawn. This mist was encroaching into the Hollow further than it ever had, an insult to the sanctity of the Elder Dragons’ home.

The sooner we were gone, the better.

All systems go? I asked.

Pallos cleared his throat. All systems are functioning, yes.

I turned on the intercom. Attention. We’re taking off soon. The sooner you find a seat, the sooner we’re off to find Isaru.

I clicked off the intercom and reached for the throttle to engage the lift thrusters.

There was nothing left but to—

Shanti . . .

The Elder Dragon Queen’s voice entered my mind, urgent. I pulled my hand from the throttle while Pallos looked on in confusion.

Something wrong? he asked.

Maybe, I said.

I sought for Silence to communicate with her. The void surrounded me, coming quickly out of habit. In that void floated another mind, waiting. I forged a link between Quietus and myself.

Quietus . . . is something wrong?

Yes, she said. The Elder King and I must speak to you.

We. She was including Askal, then.

What about?

It is best we meet face to face. Come to the lake.

The dragon severed the connection before I could respond, leaving me with silence . . . and questions.

Power down the ship, Pallos. There’s one last thing I have to attend to.

Power down? What’s going on? At any moment, Isaru could—

I know, I said. Quietus just summoned me. She won’t keep me long.

At least, that was what I hoped.

I see, Pallos said, although his eyes told me that he didn’t see. Powering down, then.

I unstrapped myself from my seat and walked out of the flight deck. I jogged past the conference room and into Odin’s wardroom, where most of my crew sat at the table. Isa and Shara spoke excitedly, probably explaining everything that had happened to the others over the last month. Elders Isandru and Tellor were listening, along with the boys from the Sanctum who had decided to follow me: Ret, Samal, and Nabea. Fiona stood off to the side, listening with a hand under her chin, while Mia sat next to her brother.

All of them were held rapt by the girls’ story, so rapt that only one of them even noticed my entrance.

Shanti? Mia said. What’s going on? I thought we were leaving?

Isa ceased speaking as everyone looked at me.

Quietus and Askal want to see me, I said. I’m not sure about what.

You better not keep them waiting, Elder Isandru said, stroking his long, silvery beard. We’ll be here when you return.

I nodded. Be back soon.

Before any of them could ask anything more, I pressed the exit button for the blast door. As soon as the door hissed open, a few tendrils of fog immediately eddied along the deck. That fog seemed like something alive and altogether unnatural. It was as if the Hollow knew it was to be abandoned soon and searched for any territory to invade. Gazing outside made me feel uneasy. I put my hand on the hilt of my sword. I didn’t think there would be anything out there . . . at least, not until the dragons left.

But it never hurt to be careful.

I ran down the boarding ramp as the door shut behind me.

I reached the spongy turf of the xen below. Already, the fungus was starting to lose its characteristic glow, a sure sign it was dying. The Northern Reversion was spreading at an alarming rate. Above, swirls of leaves fell from the Silverwoods, piling thickly on the forest floor. The air was pungent with autumn, though it was only late summer. This far north, winter arrived sooner . . . but I couldn’t help but feel that come spring, these trees would never regrow their lost leaves.

The lake was about a mile from here. Running, I could make it in less than ten minutes.

I set off, following the trail into the forest.

Chapter 2

Iran as fast as I could through the trees. The path to the lake was straight, flanked on either side by tall, glowing trees. As I got closer to the lake and deeper into the Hollow, signs of life returned. The trees and plants were surrounded by an ethereal aura, while the pink xen glowed with vitality. One wouldn’t think that just a mile in the other direction the rotting of the reversion began. There were still signs, though; the leaves fell thickly here, too, and the wind had a harsh and almost violent quality, stripping even more leaves from the trees. And there always the mist . . . thinner here, but still present.

It wasn’t long before the trees ended that the forest opened onto the shore of the lake. The fog wasn’t as thick here, pushed back by the two dragons waiting on the lake’s shoreline. On the left towered Askal, his form pink and glowing in the night. His wide wings folded behind him, while his round head sat high above on his thick neck, as his all white, glowing eyes stared down. Though I knew he was Elekai like me, I couldn’t help but feel dwarfed and helpless before him.

Quietus stood to the right, smaller but still larger than any other dragon I’d ever seen besides the Elder King. Her characteristics were practically the opposite of her mate: her scales were black as night while her head and body were sharp and angular. Her spinal spikes cut upward like obsidian knives, while a long, cruel spike jutted from the end of her long tail. Likewise, her wide wings contained dozens of sharp points, while her eyes were glowing white slits.

I reached for Silence to communicate with these dragons that were like gods beside me.

I’m here, I said. What would you have me do, Elders?

Forgive us for pulling you here, Shanti, Quietus said. We have information that may be helpful to you.

You’ve found Isaru?

Quietus snorted derisively. I took that to mean no. If only we had. We do know for certain that he has not reached the Crater. Our scouts have reported nothing, and we’re covering every bit of the Crater. They are using all their powers to keep the mists thin to aid in your search.

Askal made a deep sound in his throat that could only be described as a growl, though it wasn’t quite a growl because it made my body shake. The Mindless haven’t changed their flight patterns around the Thought Dome, so he has not reached them.

What would you have me do, Askal? If we capture him . . . do you want us to return him here?

He must be brought with us to Dragonspire, the Elder King said. Dragonspire can only be approached by the air and lies far to the south. Together, we can suppress his powers; however, should he reach the swarm, their numbers will act as a counterbalance to ours, and we won’t be able to keep him subdued.

Subdue him? I asked. You mean, physically?

We can take control of his mind if there are enough of us. Once he is weakened, you can carry him on your ship and fly with us to Dragonspire. There will be enough of us to perhaps heal the darkness festering within him.

That was it, then. That was how we could save him.

Why am I just learning this now? If this could have happened weeks ago . . .

Because our place is still the Hollow, Shanti, Quietus said. But with Isaru awake and controlled by Rakhim Shal, stopping him becomes even more important. Until now, we didn’t know the threat he presented. And we don’t know if healing is even possible, even with all the Elder Dragons combined.

What then? I asked. What if it isn’t possible to heal him?

Then he must be guarded until the Hyperfold can be destroyed. But Isaru on the loose means unleashing Rakhim Shal upon the world. Shal is the chosen agent of the Radaskim. His goal is to join as many Elekai as he can to the Hyperfold in thralldom. For every being that joins the Hyperfold, the Xenofold weakens. When the Radaskim come, there may not be any resistance left should Rakhim have his way.

I was trying to think of how to face Isaru. I knew subduing him would be difficult, even with the dragons’ help.

There was a simpler solution, of course, but that solution was too awful to even think about.

I knew that possibility hadn’t escaped either Askal’s or Quietus’s minds. Yet, it was a possibility we all had to acknowledge.

If we cannot capture him . . . what else? I don’t think I need to say it.

I peered up at their faces, trying to read the thoughts behind their eyes. I could find nothing.

That is a choice we leave to you, Shanti, Askal said. He is your friend. It is . . . a difficult decision to make. It was we who lost him to the mist, we who were fooled into thinking he was getting better.

The mist. The way Askal said it made the mist sound like something alive, capable of its own thoughts and feelings. A counter-consciousness to the Xenofold, perhaps, an extension of the Hyperfold’s malevolent will. If Shal possessed Isaru’s body, then he was a part of the mist, now. Perhaps he even was the mist.

The Hollow will not be safe for long, Askal said. Indeed, its power wanes as it realizes that we will abandon it. It will be days yet before the first of the fell beasts controlled by the Hyperfold dare enter. However, that day will come soon and when it does, far be it for any dragon to remain behind.

When are you leaving? I asked.

Quietus snorted and then stamped her feet. The movement sent vibrations through the xen, tickling my feet through the soles of my boots.

Mere hours after you, she said. It is when the last of us leave that the dying will begin in earnest. As my mate said, within days this place will be all but dead, lost to the mist and the beasts that inhabit it.

There is no chance that it can be saved?

So long as the Hyperfold exists, there is none. Askal, too, stamped a clawed foot, but unlike Quietus, this gesture was unsure and sedated. This presents a problem.

In the form of the Northern Wild becoming completely overrun?

This would happen eventually, Askal said. Now, however, it will happen more quickly. What would have taken years will now happen in mere months.

So, we must be even faster in evacuating Northold.

Northold wasn’t the only settlement in the Northern Wild, of course. There were many others of varying size, although Northold was the largest.

The task, I realized, would prove nearly impossible. People were going to die, no matter what we did. I felt a weight in my heart from the mere thought.

I will try my best, I said. Even if it’s not enough.

Save those you can, Quietus said. In the end, your best will be enough for them. Do not focus on what you can’t do . . . focus on what you can do.

Though it appears impossible, Askal said. This war is far from over. Though the death of the Northern Wild presents a grave danger to anyone living in it, it is only the beginning. The rot and the mist will only spread further south. I cannot say how quickly. The Red Mountains may form a natural break, but that will only be a temporary reprieve.

The Hyperfold must be stopped, I said. Only . . . I don’t know how.

I had thought about how to do that so much that the very words were starting to lose their meaning. Stop the Hyperfold. Stop the Hyperfold. Stop the Hyperfold.

One word always came back.

Impossible.

That is the main reason we called you from your ship, Askal said.

You know how to destroy it?

No, Quietus said, but we know of one who does.

Chapter 3

They knew of one who did ? Why were they telling me this just now?

Who?

Long ago, during the time of the Ragnarok War . . . you, Anna, stopped in this place. We all did. In fact, our Hollow was built here not to hide ourselves from humanity, but to hide the source of power. A source of power so great that it went beyond the Xenofold and the Hyperfold.

What power? Can it destroy the Hyperfold?

Alex—Elekim—came here to learn his purpose, to defeat the Radaskim Xenomind, Askala. There, he discovered what it was he had to do. He had to become one with the Xenofold, to supplant her by sacrificing his humanity to become a god.

Alex . . .

The very name felt like a punch in the gut. These weren’t my feelings, but Anna’s. That didn’t lessen their impact or make them any less real.

Quietus went on nonetheless. He spoke with the Nameless One.

The Nameless One . . . I had written about him in my Prophecy.

I was supposed to find him, I said. Are you saying . . . he’s here?

Yes, Askal said.

Of course. How could I have forgotten? Anna’s memory of the event returned to me, even if the memory was as hazy as the fog that surrounded me.

This was where Alex had learned he was to die.

He spoke with him here, I said. He dove into that lake until he found a light. Beyond that light he found the Nameless One. I looked up at Quietus. Are you saying he’s still here, after all this time?

The Nameless One is ageless, she said. He has been before the Elekai or the Radaskim. If there is anyone with the knowledge that will help us it would be him.

Then why haven’t you spoken to him yourself?

Askal snorted—the sound made me jump. We have tried. But always, when we dive there is no light. It is not to us he wishes to speak.

So, he might talk to me, then.

As the wife of Elekim . . . perhaps, Quietus said. Though it is deep and dangerous. You will dive past the point of no return. You must have faith in the light.

And if the light isn’t there?

Quietus was silent.

One thing was sure, though, the Hyperfold had to be destroyed. If we couldn’t do that, then it was the Xenofold that would be destroyed.

If the Xenofold dies, I said, Alex dies. I’ll go into the lake.

No, Quietus said. If the Xenofold dies . . . we all do. We bear a responsibility not only for Isaru, but for our guardianship of this place. We can no longer protect the Hollow and the secret it hides. Given time, it is possible that Shal or his agents may discover that this is where the Nameless One resides. One of us must meet him first.

Wait. Are you saying the Radaskim want to meet him, too?

Likely, Askal said, they already have. Their leader . . . whose name I shall not utter here . . . has likely reached him through the Xenomatrix. Whatever boon he has received must be repaid in kind to the Elekai.

What do you mean? What boon?

Information, Quietus said. If the Nameless One gives information to one side, he is beholden to give it to the other as well to maintain his neutral status. We already know the dark Xenomind traveling here from the Void has touched our world . . . beginning with Shal, who created the Hyperfold. Since then, none of us have been able to meet with the Nameless One. We believe this is because he has been waiting for you specifically.

My prophecy did mention needing to find him, I said. But I want to know who he is, exactly. Where does he come from? What role does he play in all this?

That is a difficult question to answer, Askal said. The Nameless was before the Radaskim, before even the Elekai, as we said before. He exists outside both of their xenofolds, in an even greater fold that encapsulates us both—the Xenomatrix. Before I could even ask, Askal continued to explain, The Xenomatrix cannot be felt or touched, and it cannot be accessed by Elekai or Radaskim, though thoughts can travel through it. This is how we think the dark Xenomind has reached the Nameless One, though he is not here physically. Think of it as a web that combines any world on which the Radaskim or Elekai are present. If the Xenomatrix is the web that binds all worlds, then the Nameless One is the spider weaving the web.

From that analogy, I got the impression that the Nameless One wasn’t exactly a good person. Person wasn’t the right word . . . he was a being, or even a god. But that didn’t necessarily mean he was evil. Most people, or entities, existed somewhere between the two extremes, and Askal had already mentioned his neutrality.

This . . . being. Where did he come from?

No one knows his origins, Askal said. The Xenomatrix exists on a plane higher than the Xenofold, or any of the folds the Radaskim use. The Xenomatrix is limited in its powers. It cannot directly touch or influence any of the worlds it reaches. All the same, it is unlimited—messages across vast distances can be sent immediately. It is, above all, a neutral entity that favors neither side. The Nameless One is called the Arbiter of Ages. From time immemorial, he has advocated for balance between the Elekai and Radaskim, a balance which he decides.

I was at a loss, taking it all in, and I understood less than half of it. You’re saying he’s down there in the lake right now?

Without a doubt, Quietus said.

Then how do I reach him?

The same way Alex did, she responded. Will you go?

I looked out at the water, on top of which hovered a thin veil of eddying mist. From the chill in the air, I knew the water would be cold. But it wasn’t the cold that worried me . . . it was the dark. I was a good swimmer. Shara and I had spent hot summer days swimming in Colorado. But the desert was bright and hot, and even that water would get cold in the deeper parts. We used to dive to the bottom; sometimes, I couldn’t even reach it before running out of breath.

This was so much more than that. However, if what Askal and Quietus were saying was true . . . meeting with the Nameless One was necessary.

I had to set aside my own reservations and fears for the good of everyone else. I was stronger now than I ever had been.

If Alex did it, I could do it.

I made myself nod, though the action didn’t come easy. I’ll go.

The dragons startled me by moving as soon as I’d answered, backing away to clear a space leading directly to the lake. Quietus bellowed as she flapped her wings, and Askal followed suit. The mist eddied and swirled, parting in front of me. Despite the speed of the wind kicked up by the dragons, the mist was battling for control, seeking to refill the space it had been driven from. With the mist gone, the still surface of the lake was easier to see. It would be clear on a sunny day, but now it was murky, seeming to hide ancient secrets.

At the bottom of the lake shines the light, Quietus said. The entrance to the Nameless One’s sanctum. It is the entry point to the Xenomatrix. There, you can speak to him.

A memory returned to me of Alex diving into that water while all of us watched four hundred years ago, scared to death that he would never reemerge. I reached out and tried to feel whether something was waiting down there for me. I felt nothing, though. A sign, or was that how it was supposed to be?

First the husband, now the wife. A wife who didn’t even remember. I felt a stab in my heart at the mere thought. As much as I hated to admit it, she and I were bound together across time.

Hesitating longer would only make this harder. I walked forward. Already, the dragons had ceased flapping their wings, and the mist rushed to recover what it had lost. It soon swirled around me, so thick that if I held my hand in front of my face, I would have barely been able to see it. Was it trying to stop me, to make me lose heart? It sure felt like it right now, and it seemed to be working.

Be brave, I thought.

It came almost as a surprise when my boots slipped into the cold, murky water. I thought about the crew back on the ship, how they would be wondering where I was.

We will stay here, keeping watch, Quietus said.

I’m afraid.

I heard her move behind me, though I didn’t turn to look. Her wings fell over me, sheltering me from the fog. Though she wasn’t physically touching me, it felt as if I were being hugged.

We believe in you, Shanti, she said. You are strong. And if you cannot reach it . . . do not blame yourself. Come back for breath.

I’ll reach it, I said.

There was nothing left but to dive. With one final deep breath, I let my head sink under the water, ignoring the icy feeling seeping into my skin and making its way to my bones.

I searched for the light in the darkness.

Chapter 4

It was dark and cold under the lake. I felt completely suspended in my own reality. The silence was eerie—there was usually a distinct sound from being underwater that could only be described as a soft whoosh. But here, there was nothing . . . just ominous silence. The only feeling was the cold.

I dove deeper, seeking out the light, but there was nothing but deeper darkness. I reached out with my mind, taking hold of Silence to sense something, anything. Again, there was nothing. No light, no feeling that I was going the right way.

As I swam lower, the pressure intensified and the quietness became more absolute. Even within the warm Silence of the Xenofold, it couldn’t keep out the cold silence of the lake.

I remembered what Quietus had told me. If I couldn’t reach the bottom, then there was no shame in giving up. However, I was determined to make it.

Only, I had been diving down in the deceptively deep lake for over half a minute now. And it was an awfully long way back up.

I peered into the murky black for any sign of light. I thought I might have seen a glimmer, but my head swam with fatigue.

I wasn’t going to make it.

I clawed at the water, trying to make my way back up. It was pitch black, and try as I might, I couldn’t see the surface above. It was taking far longer to get to the surface than it had taken to come down.

My strength was waning.

Help me . . .

I struggled against the water; I had to breathe. I sputtered underneath, and by reflex, sucked in the cold water. Despite the icy cold of the water, both inside and outside, it felt as if I were on fire.

There was not even a speck of light above. I was to die here, in the darkness.

There was then a thunderous crash as my body was pushed even deeper into the lake. Next, I knew nothing.

I was still cold, even though I felt warmth radiating from above. My eyelids fluttered open, only to see further darkness.

Shanti . . .

That voice . . .

Shanti.

I convulsed awake, coughing and sputtering, spewing water from my lungs violently. I inhaled the warm, foggy air, coughing again.

I breathed in and out, air never tasting so sweet.

When I’d finally caught my breath, my voice escaped in a croak. Where am I?

Suddenly, the darkness was gone as something shifted above me, and a rush of cold air hit my clothes, causing my teeth to chatter.

I coughed again, a mixture of water and phlegm hitting the ground below. I looked up to see—through the fog—dragon’s feet. That’s what had moved above me in the lake. Quietus must have dove into the water, grabbing me before I could drown.

Quietus?

I told you to come up, Shanti.

I tried. There was no light, Quietus. Only darkness.

The way is closed to you as well. It isn’t your fault.

Why would it be? What did I do wrong?

Nothing, Quietus said. The Nameless One will not speak to you now.

I could feel nothing but frustration. I need to know how to defeat Shal, Quietus. Why won’t he speak to me?

I don’t know, Shanti. Rest. Askal has gone to the ship to bring the others here.

I lay back down on the ground and was still breathing deeply. My heart was still beating quickly and was only now slowing.

The lake is so deep, I thought. How did you ever reach me?

With everything I had.

It was so cold . . . I thought I would die.

Quietus moved quickly, stepping over me while enclosing me with her massive black wings. The wind was shut out, and I could feel the heat radiating from her midnight scales.

Forgive me, she said. I sometimes forget how cold you humans can get. Rest, Shanti. Warm yourself. They will be here soon.

I closed my eyes and rested while Quietus stood watch. It was so warm beneath her, but even so, I couldn’t stop shivering.

With her guardianship in mind, I faded into sleep. I was woken sometime later by the sound of voices. First came Samal’s shouts, which seemed unbefitting to this hallow place. The sounds of footsteps approached, and Quietus unfolded her wings. This allowed me to see human forms materializing from the foggy darkness.

There she is! Ret said, running forward.

He knelt beside me. I struggled to stand, but I only had the energy to prop myself on one arm. In the next instant, both he and Samal lifted me right off the ground, even as the rest of the crew crowded around.

You’re soaked! Fiona said. What happened?

I . . .

She needs to get to the ship, Pallos said. A warm bed, food and water, a change of clothes . . . the lake like that must be freezing cold on a night like this.

But why? Samal said. Not exactly the time to be swimming . . .

We need to move, Isandru said, ignoring him. Get her to bed, as Pallos wisely said. Plenty of blankets.

And just like that, I was carried away from the dragons and the lake. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I watched them recede into the mist. Two pairs of white glowing eyes stared back at me.

The air became even more chilly once we entered the woods, and my shivering became more severe. Fiona draped her cloak over me, which helped a little. I could only stop my shivering out of sheer force of will. I had to bear the cold long enough to reach the ship. It wouldn’t do for the crew to see their captain weak.

Sometime later, I opened my eyes to see thousands upon thousands of silver leaves spiraling down. I didn’t know whether it was real or whether I had strayed into a dream. They seemed to illumine the very air around in auras, hundreds