Gathering Storm (The Salvation of Tempestria Book 2) - Gary Stringer (read e book TXT) 📗

Instead, she asked something that had always puzzled her about his kind.

“You’ve explained how, when you and Kullos came down to our mortal plane, you had to leave part of yourselves behind, but you haven’t explained what that means for that part of you.” Convinced she was once again failing to make any sense, she tried again. “What I’m asking is: while this part of you is running around down here, is the other part of you still running around up there?”

Daelen shook his head. “When my people used to do this all the time – before they were cut off – it was like going to sleep. In fact, once upon a time, long ago, before our understanding grew, my people used to believe the mortal realm wasn’t real.”

“What?” his companions demanded.

Daelen smiled reassuringly. “It was a very long time ago, but they honestly used to think their dimensional control devices were dream enhancers and the mortal realm was just some kind of shared dreamscape.” He chuckled, as he continued, “Even when they began to accept that this was a real place they were travelling to, there was a school of thought that suggested we’d dreamed you into existence.”

“Maybe you did,” Mandalee considered. “There are a few creation myths on Tempestria that say the world was dreamed into being. Maybe your people were the dreamers.”

“Philosophy aside,” Cat put in, “in the case of you and Kullos, you’ve both been asleep for a very long time.”

“Once again, putting it in mortal terms, we’d both be classed as being in a coma.”

“Can your people survive being in a coma for that long?” Mandalee wondered.

“I honestly don’t know,” Daelen admitted. “Nor do I know how long the part of me that’s ‘running around down here’ as you put it, can survive without the part that should be ‘running around up there.’ Plus, you know time works differently on Tempestria compared to Earth, so imagine trying to relate either of those to how it works on my home plane of existence.”

“I imagine you can’t,” Cat replied.

“Exactly,” Daelen confirmed. “All I can do – all anyone can do – is live my life for as long as I’m alive. My people call you ‘mortals’ and I use the term out of habit myself, even though I know it’s a misnomer. After all, it’s not as if shadow warriors are immortal. The nature of our existence is different, but still, we are born, we live, we age, and we die, just like you.”

Once again choosing practicalities over philosophy, Cat pressed, “Anyway, going back to Heaven’s Surrender, what can we do about it?”

“Well, I’m the only one who knows enough about the weapon to shield your world from the overspill of power.”

“How?” Cat asked.

“I was working on a different angle in our war because Kullos wasn’t the only Champion of our people with technical expertise. Not a weapon, but a shield. Some way to keep our enemy out of our plane of reality forever. I can adapt that shield to contain the power of Heaven’s Surrender and protect your world.”

“But how can you access it, if you can’t reach your home plane of reality?” Mandalee wondered.

It was Cat who answered, “Because it’s already here, isn’t it?” she realised. “In Michael’s Tomb.”

Daelen gasped in astonishment, “How on Earth did you figure that one out? Oh, no, don’t tell me: You used your special ability of paying attention.”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? That place is full of technology. Some of it keeps Michael in…what’s that word again…stasis? But that wasn’t its original purpose. It couldn’t be. It was built before Michael even existed. Besides, there’s an entire lower level to the place. I’m guessing that’s where this shield of yours is kept, yes?”

Daelen confirmed it. “In a way, Kullos was partly right all those centuries ago: there was a sort of weapon being built down here. It seemed like the best way to keep it out of enemy hands. She was too busy with our war to even notice the mortal realm. In fact, I don’t believe she even knows it exists.”

“And what fancy name did you give this shield power of yours?” Mandalee asked.

“The only thing I could call it. To my mind, it was a final roll of the dice. There was no way to know if it would be successful in keeping the enemy out. When I came to deploy it against her, in mortal terms, I was just going to close my eyes and make a Wish.”

“So, in a nutshell,” Cat recapped, “you’re planning to steal this ultimate weapon from Kullos, use it against him, and protect our world with a Wish?”

Daelen nodded pensively.

To Mandalee, she remarked, “And you think I have ridiculous radical plans.”

There followed a profound silence, penetrated only when the assassin declared, “Dear gods, I need a drink.”

“Me, too,” Catriona agreed.

“I think we could all use one.” Daelen approved. “Let’s take a break from our mission. We’ve been through a lot already, and there’s plenty more to do, but for now, for the next few hours, I officially veto any conversation about wars, our fight against Kullos and higher planes of reality. There’s loads to do in this place, so let’s just try to forget about it for a while, agreed?”

The two young women glanced at each other, then looked back at Daelen.

“Agreed,” they chimed in unison.

Chapter 19

The three companions spent the next few hours eating, drinking, and shopping. Mandalee was more interested in the clothing and jewellery stores, than was Catriona. She was especially pleased that there didn’t seem to be any issues relating to her gender identity while she was shopping.

“Well, I’m not going to stand here and say there’s no such prejudice in this world,” Daelen sighed. “Sadly, that would be a lie. But in a big city shopping mall like this, frankly, you’re nothing people haven’t seen before.”

The only slight incident was when Mandalee helpfully told a sales assistant that a pair of jeans