The Nemisin Star by Elaina J Davidson

words?”
    Caltian
whispered, “ The Lifegiver is the Architect. ”
    Vannis said
not a word. He was incapable.
    “Right, that
was my reaction,” Caltian said. “The sites do not control that
city, because the city was conceived by …”
    Vannis gripped
Caltian’s shoulder. “You will not tell him this!”
    Caltian
blinked.
    “Torrullin
already questions whether or not Nemisin actually created the
Throne. He has linked Nemisin’s runes to Teighlar, and the Valleur
tongue links the Kallanon to a far past. If you tell him there is a
sacred site that states he built Grinwallin, I fear we may lose
him.”
    “I do not
follow,” Caltian whispered. He moved uncomfortably under Vannis’
tight hold.
    Vannis swore
and let go. “You tell him that and you are saying he is as old as
time. Caltian, it will push him over the edge. He is not
ready.”
    “Gods, you
believe he is as old as time.”
    Vannis sighed,
“I would not like to put it to the test.”
    Caltian sucked
thoughtfully at his teeth. “If there is truth to any of this, he
will find out eventually.”
    “And then he
will be ready. For now, allow him his illusions.” Vannis strode to
the Pyramid’s entrance and entered, forcing Caltian to follow, his
mind a-whirl.
    Inside were
the Retrogressive Spheres. These were globes containing animated
pictorials of Valleur history - they activated by a finger pointed
upward to summon spheres from the ceiling. Vannis did so
immediately to still Caltian’s tongue. As suspected, once Caltian
saw what the Spheres were, he was so entranced he forgot about the
sundial and where his thoughts led him.
    Not for
long.
    The Spheres
were recently updated, and now included the creation of Linir, the
Place Where Stars Meet. Caltian unluckily beckoned to that
particular globe, and within Torrullin could be seen overseeing the
building process. Perhaps it was not about luck - perhaps fate
intervened.
    “Torrullin
designed this temple?”
    Vannis peered
over his shoulder. “Linir. Yes.” Vannis paled. “It was created
according to the visions in the twin's scrying bowl.” He jabbed at
the Sphere. “That image is in both their futures. Gods. Catalyst,
all right. He unknowingly prepared the way. Architect, for certain
- he had his hand in every detail. And he linked the far
past to this present - Nemisin’s star.”
    Caltian stared
at him.
    “Tonight is
the night that star shines. Tonight is the only night it will shine
for another year. I am willing to wager you my Palace that tonight
the twins meet in Linir with swords in hand.” He rubbed a hand over
his chest. “Tonight is about destiny, and he wants to keep me out
of it.”
    “Why would he
do that?”
    “Because I
welcome death.”
    Caltian
blinked.
    “Wishing Well.
Gods, the Wishing People.” Vannis gripped Caltian by the shoulders
again, both hands this time. He shook the man. “You were sent this
night, my friend, with your life-altering ideas. When we world
hopped we were briefly on the homeworld of the Wishing People, and
they swore an oath against the Valleur. If Margus followed us, he
found an army ripe for the picking.”
    “What are you
saying?”
    “Dinor. He
will bring those wild ones to the fray and while Torrullin is
engaged in war, Tymall will go after Saska.”
    Caltian was
astonished. “How do you get all that from …?” He spoke to empty
space. Vannis had vanished. “Gods!”
    Now he would
have to figure out how to cloak this site, while his mind was all
over the place.
    While Vannis
got to fight.

Chapter
10
     
    Never can
another truly know your soul. You could name this as a defence
against the unscrupulous, but the real truth is this, no one will
know your true self.
    ~ Unknown
     
     
    The Keep
     
    T he
Keep was silent - particularly after Menllik - but not empty.
    The same ranks
of folk there in support before the transport to the city was in
place, but their silence now possessed an eerie quality.
    Torrullin
halted