{"id":23001,"date":"2020-07-24T07:42:34","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T11:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=23001"},"modified":"2020-07-24T07:42:34","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T11:42:34","slug":"quantum-quest-novelization-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/quantum-quest-novelization-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Quantum Quest Novelization Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter One: One More Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The ground trembled beneath him with every step, and he knew he couldn\u2019t keep up that pace for long.\u00a0 He could hear the roar of the fire all around him, even as the beast roared and charged across that battered landscape.<\/p>\n

Rhys knew that his time was running out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, Virgil,\u201d he whispered as he pushed past the agony in his lungs.\u00a0 \u201cYou told me to be here in these woods.\u00a0 Now show me why.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler was wrenched from that thought when the beast slammed through the nearest copse of trees, knocking down branches and scattering the autumn leaves.\u00a0 Before the creature opened its mouth, Rhys could feel the heat from its body.\u00a0 As soon as he saw the beast\u2019s teeth, those dried leaves burst into flames.<\/p>\n

Only a moment later, a wave of fire came rushing from the creature\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 The villagers had named the beast appropriately, Rhys considered.\u00a0 The Hellhound of Verna had earned its moniker.\u00a0 Soon, he would see if it also lived up to its reputation.<\/p>\n

That blast of heat barreled through the area, and when the fire evaporated into the air, Rhys was no longer in its path.\u00a0 The beast looked to and fro before glancing upward.<\/p>\n

The man had talents of his own, and he wasn\u2019t shy about using them.\u00a0 He walked up the side of the nearest tree, a healthy oak that hadn\u2019t yet been consumed in those flames.\u00a0 He ascended it as though it were a gentle uphill climb, though it sprouted straight up into the air.\u00a0 In time, he reached its lowest bow, and swung up to it with ease.<\/p>\n

Below, the hellhound charged at the tree, attempting its own ascent.\u00a0 The sphere of magic that Rhys enacted was still in place there though.<\/p>\n

Gravity ceased to exist in its truest form wherever Rhys willed it around him.\u00a0 He had long ago learned to control it, manipulating it so that he could walk up walls or perch upside down on a ceiling.<\/p>\n

The hellhound couldn\u2019t comprehend why its huge paws wouldn\u2019t stay on the trunk of that tree.<\/p>\n

That frustration became apparent when the beast opened its mouth again.\u00a0 From his vantage, Rhys saw as the inside of the hound\u2019s mouth radiated shades of red and orange.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t waste another moment, leaping out into the air as another rush of heat and flame tore through the area.\u00a0 Rhys floated down from the bough like a feather caught in a gentle zephyr.\u00a0 It was then, when he was airborne, that he saw his companion.\u00a0 Virgil\u2019s silver body caught the reflection of the starlight, and that sparkle was not lost to the man who tussled with the fire-breathing hellbeast.<\/p>\n

Though he knew that his friend was offering up what was sure to be a brilliant idea, the distraction nearly cost Rhys his life.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t feel as the creature\u2019s weight shifted, but he heard its angry growl, and looked over his shoulder just in time to see it leap into the air.<\/p>\n

As easily as he was able to manipulate that field of gravity, he released his hold on it.\u00a0 Rhys fell to the ground like a stone, landing on his knees and tumbling forward while the hellhound soared overhead.<\/p>\n

The flames in the forest illuminated the unexpected battlefield then, and his terrifying foe.\u00a0 The Hellhound of Verna towered over him, the man only coming up to the monster\u2019s chest.\u00a0 Its fur and markings reminded the man of an oversized wolf, shades of brown and grey accentuating its shape.\u00a0 Crimson eyes stared at him for a moment as the wolf spun about, and though they had caught the man\u2019s attention before, when he first encountered the beast, it was the glimmer of violet on the creature\u2019s forehead that had earned his focus then.<\/p>\n

The shard of the orb was taunting Rhys, it seemed.<\/p>\n

Its owner, that vicious, hungry hellhound, was not so keen on games.\u00a0 Its claws raked into the ground like it was part ornery bull, and it snarled again, gobs of saliva separating and growing thin between those dagger-sized fangs.\u00a0 Each of those was longer than the blade that Rhys had on his hip, he realized.<\/p>\n

The monster hunched low, the fur along its spine standing up as it prepared to make a snack out of the man who dared to enter its woods.<\/p>\n

A shrill whistle entered the air, and the beast\u2019s ears drew back.\u00a0 It turned to its side, trying to make sense of the noise, but just as quickly, its hunger drove its attention back to its quarry.<\/p>\n

Rhys wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0 Already airborne once more, he soared out over the hellhound, until he landed on another branch, though it was considerably less sturdy than the last.\u00a0 He kept his sphere of manipulated gravity moving with him as he went along across the treetops.<\/p>\n

One other boon of his power, he was thankful for\u2014his footfalls were nearly silent.\u00a0 He was already well far away from the monster before it caught his scent on the wind and spun about.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhys, hurry!\u201d Virgil called out.\u00a0 That metallic thrum in his companion\u2019s voice carried across the forest, but it was lost beneath the sense of urgency.<\/p>\n

Once more, the traveler dropped to the ground; that time he remained on his feet, kicking up leaves and dirt as he went.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the hellhound charged through trees, ripping them from the ground at the root.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said to meet you east of the town!\u201d Rhys called out to his companion as he ran.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see that shimmer of starlight then, but he was certain he was heading in the right direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is east, Mister Rhys,\u201d Virgil called out.<\/p>\n

The traveler grumbled as he shifted directions ever-so-slightly.\u00a0 In only a few moments, he ascended a small hill, and saw his ally beside a forked tree up ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet moving, Virgil!\u201d he bade.\u00a0 \u201cIron or not, he\u2019ll tear you in half!\u201d<\/p>\n

His companion did as told, spinning about and climbing up the next hill.\u00a0 \u201cRight through, Rhys,\u201d he bade.\u00a0 \u201cThat thing will keep going long after you\u2019ve collapsed from exhaustion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys growled in contemplation.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t remind me,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

He felt the hot breath of his pursuer, but he was certain he was running as fast as he could.\u00a0 As he neared that strange tree, he leapt into the air\u2014that time without the use of his power.\u00a0 His feet landed in the divide where the trunk split off in two, resonating with a thrum.\u00a0 He hopped down again, turning around just in time to see the beast make one final lunge at him.<\/p>\n

That tree did not fall like so many of the others.\u00a0 That tree endured.<\/p>\n

With his lips parted in amazement, Rhys watched as the twin trunks closed in, tightening around the hellhound\u2019s neck.\u00a0 In a mere moment, the beast was rooted in place, as sure as the tree was.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet on with it!\u201d Virgil called out from up above.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, the hellhound was pawing at the tree, trying to wrench its head from the snare it was in.\u00a0 Rhys took a deep breath, and hopped toward the monster, his eyes fixed on the purple glimmer in the tuft on its brow.\u00a0 Out came the dagger, the beast snarling at the sight of it.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 Rhys knew that it was the only way.\u00a0 It was the only way to put the orb back together.\u00a0\u00a0 It was the only way to draw one step closer to home.<\/p>\n

The tip of the blade slid in just at the bottom of that sliver of what looked like glass.\u00a0 Those snarls gave way to a shocking yelp, and a violet flash burst forth in the area, like a huge bolt of lightning.<\/p>\n

When the light faded, the hulking beast was no longer present.\u00a0 Instead, in the crook of that artificial tree, a much smaller animal stood, very much confused and scared.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what the villagers had seen before,\u201d Rhys surmised.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig enough to bring down some livestock, it would seem,\u201d Virgil stated as he walked back down the hill.<\/p>\n

The closer of those travelers glared at the canine, noticing that those red eyes remained there.\u00a0 The hellhound hunched low, bowing, it seemed.<\/p>\n

Rhys clicked his tongue and lunged at the creature, scaring it out of the tree.\u00a0 It leapt from that unforeseen perch, and took off into the forest, toward the burning, smoldering trees it had left behind moments before.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould we not have disposed of it?\u201d Virgil asked when he drew close enough to hear a sigh escape his friend\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been through enough,\u201d Rhys said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that it was the orb that caused the aggression and the power.\u00a0 It was that piece of the Void that changed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virgil nodded, pulling his hood down a little further past his brow.<\/p>\n

That was never enough to shield the truth from Rhys.\u00a0 He knew what was there beneath the leather cowl.\u00a0 Just enough violet light cast out from that darkness.<\/p>\n

Of course, Virgil knew that it wasn\u2019t quite a secret.\u00a0 Rhys was the first one to find him\u2014the first one to help him understand what life was, and how he had managed to be blessed with it.\u00a0 As long as he traveled with Rhys, it seemed that blessing was set to continue.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t hurt that Virgil had earned his keep during their pilgrimage.<\/p>\n

He drew nearer, merely out of habit at that point, and felt the fluctuation of the shard in his forehead.\u00a0 A subtle hum attuned to another noise from his friend\u2019s hand and another louder one from the pouch by Rhys\u2019 side.<\/p>\n

That odd song stopped all at once, and a much louder sound howled to life behind them.\u00a0 The travelers turned to see the rippling vortex just before them.<\/p>\n

Rhys stepped away from Virgil, and the portal shrunk in size once more.\u00a0 A silver brow arched as the metal fellow considered that decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t it time to move on to the next\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys nodded.\u00a0 \u201cBy all accounts, we should be going.\u00a0 But this last one was draining, don\u2019t you think?\u00a0 I could use a rest before we see what next monster or villain stands before us.\u00a0 Time will be waiting for us no matter what.\u00a0 This is our best chance for a moment of respite.\u00a0 The people of Verna will be very welcoming now that their monster isn\u2019t going to be bothering them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot them, but maybe their livestock,\u201d his companion muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn any case, they\u2019re able to handle the hellhound from here on out.\u00a0 With the orb fragment no longer influencing it, we\u2019ve done our part.\u00a0 Now, if you don\u2019t mind, I wouldn\u2019t mind getting back to Verna before midnight.\u00a0 Perhaps the tavern is still open, and we could get some warm honey mead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virgil followed Rhys back through the forest, the faraway flames dying out in the night breeze.\u00a0 \u201cAs always, I\u2019ll be watching you drink it, and wondering what it\u2019s like to be able to taste something.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the two travelers conversed about their differences, the forest behind them grew quiet\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026except for a small, rippling portal, which started to grow once more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Two: The Mysterious Dungeon<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That warmth on his face had him recoiling, but Rhys was able to placate himself.\u00a0 It was a foreign feeling, the sunlight on his cheek.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t been deprived of daylight since his journey began, but the feeling of a ray of sun shining through a glass window?\u00a0 That was something he hadn\u2019t enjoyed for a long while.\u00a0 The man stretched, enjoying the comfortable bed more than he thought possible.<\/p>\n

He sat up, swinging his legs off the mattress.\u00a0 Off his back, it was as if the rest of his senses were heightened.\u00a0 The scent of some breakfast pastry from the main hall of that lodge nearly pried him from the bed.<\/p>\n

Rhys couldn\u2019t remember going from that deep of a slumber to wide awake in some time.\u00a0 Since his visit to the Void, every night was a sleepless one, always endured rather than enjoyed.<\/p>\n

He half expected the hellhound to be waiting for him on the other side of that door.<\/p>\n

All he found were other content patrons, who raised their morning cups of tea when they saw their savior on that walkway up above.\u00a0 In unison, he raised his fist.<\/p>\n

It was an odd sensation.\u00a0 Rhys was always so eager to move into the next portal, to see what was on the other side.\u00a0 Would it be home?<\/p>\n

After a dozen trips or more, he couldn\u2019t remember waiting to venture forth.\u00a0 He swallowed away the tension building in his throat.\u00a0 Was he losing hope that he would ever find his way back?<\/p>\n

He knocked on the next door, the only way to distract himself from that harrowing thought.\u00a0 Rhys didn\u2019t wait for an answer\u2014he didn\u2019t need to.\u00a0 There would be no interrupting Virgil\u2019s sleep, as he never needed it.<\/p>\n

When the traveler entered his companion\u2019s room, he found him by the window, staring off into the field to the west of town.\u00a0 A far cry from the charred woods in the east, those fields looked inviting and peaceful.\u00a0 Rhys considered that peace that Virgil observed, then.<\/p>\n

It was the first time he had ever encountered it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how it\u2019s supposed to be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Virgil turned around, and without the dark of night or the leather cowl to obscure his face, the truth was more apparent.\u00a0 Shades of silver, grey and black covered his body, except for those two periwinkle orbs that gazed toward Rhys, and the bright violet shine in his brow.<\/p>\n

The human moved to the bed, and swept up the cloak, tossing it to his companion.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t want to frighten the people down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Catching the garment without looking at it, Virgil nodded.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t understand shame, and took no offense to his companion\u2019s warning.\u00a0 Fear had been thoroughly explained to him, though.\u00a0 He was a strange being, even if he didn\u2019t know why.\u00a0 If it made life easier for Rhys, that was all he needed to know.\u00a0 He pulled that cloak in around him, obscuring his metallic face and body.<\/p>\n

Rhys made his way down those steps, and when the woman behind the counter noticed him, she slid over toward the staircase.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can I get for you lads this morning?\u201d she wondered.<\/p>\n

The young man was already shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe couldn\u2019t possibly impose any more than we already have.\u00a0 You put us up when we didn\u2019t have any coin.\u00a0 That\u2019s plenty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s thanks to you that the rest of us will have food in our bellies in the months to come,\u201d one of the other villagers offered.\u00a0 \u201cLeast we can do is share a little of what we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

He raised his hand to placate the people of Verna.\u00a0 \u201cNow I know we were all drinking a lot last night, but I hope you all remember when I said the big Hellhound is gone, but the little one is still out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBah.\u00a0 Let him take a chicken every few weeks if he\u2019s hungry.\u00a0 Now that the big one\u2019s gone, we don\u2019t have to worry about our cows going missing.\u00a0 Geraldine, you get those boys whatever they want a bite of, and I\u2019ll take care of the cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman behind the counter folder her arms over her chest and sent a smile to the saviors of their village.\u00a0 Rhys conceded with a nod and pulled out the nearest seat.<\/p>\n

Before he could find a comfortable position, the door to the lodge slammed open.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of you better come out here to see this,\u201d another villager cried.\u00a0 \u201cThe whole damn forest is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Harold?\u201d the generous patron asked.\u00a0 \u201cThese adventurers told us that some of it caught fire yesterday.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing to be done with about it.\u00a0 Someday, green will come back to those woods, but for now, we should settle with being alive, don\u2019t you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I\u2019m saying, Rolph,\u201d the anxious fellow pressed. \u00a0\u201cThe forest is gone, and something else is in its place.\u00a0 It\u2019s not like anything I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys arched his eyebrow and looked at his companion.\u00a0 Virgil nodded just enough to let that violet shard dip beneath the cowl.<\/p>\n

All the villagers joined the travelers as they exited the lodge.\u00a0 They crossed Verna\u2019s main road, and passed the buildings on the other side, cresting the hill that overlooked the forest where Rhys fought against the hellhound.<\/p>\n

As they neared the peak of that hill though, they found truth in Harold\u2019s words.\u00a0 The forest was gone.\u00a0 Only a few char marks existed to tell the tale of the encounter with the hellhound, and the trees, branches and leaves looked as though they\u2019d never existed in the first place, except for the semi-circle that framed the odd looking stonework that was present in the center of the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is that?\u201d Rolph asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt looks like a\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a crypt,\u201d Geraldine interrupted.<\/p>\n

None of the villagers noticed when Rhys\u2019 eyes flashed.\u00a0 He grabbed Virgil by the crook of his arm, and pulled him away from the crowd, then.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you notice what I do?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cThat building is right where the portal was last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that means\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur way home is gone,\u201d Rhys said.<\/p>\n

Rolph drew close and stepped between the two travelers.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does it mean, stranger?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys took a step closer to the edge of the hill and narrowed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u00a0 It certainly wasn\u2019t here during our confrontation with the hellhound.\u00a0 I suppose we\u2019ll have to investigate it closer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps that is what gave the beast its recent immense stature,\u201d the villager said.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t think it\u2019s coming back, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it does, we\u2019ll send it away once more.\u00a0 Virgil?\u201d Rhys asked as he ventured from that knoll.\u00a0 His companion walked up beside him, and together, they descended the hill, drawing near to that stone edifice.\u00a0 \u201cThere may still be a chance for us to find our way out of this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this time,\u201d the golem added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the portal still remains, it should be right behind those doors.\u00a0 If it is, we\u2019re not going to hesitate a moment later.\u00a0 We\u2019ll go right into the Void, like we should have done last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virgil looked back and peered up the hill.\u00a0 \u201cBut what of the villagers?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cIf our portal is in there, and we escape through it, they\u2019ll think something has happened to us.\u00a0 They mind send people in after us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys was already shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever this place is, it came about because I was too weak-willed to leave.\u00a0 This journey is my punishment, and I was a fool to think that I could find a moment of calm.\u00a0 If we find our way out, I\u2019m positive this place will leave with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moments later, they stood before those two doors.\u00a0 The trees towered over the building, and moss was overgrown amongst the stone that surrounded those heavy slabs of elm.\u00a0 Rhys took a step forward, and reached for the entrance.\u00a0 It slid open before his fingers could land on the grain of the wood.\u00a0 He looked to his companion, who couldn\u2019t understand why such a thing was eerie.<\/p>\n

Rhys sighed, and proceeded on.\u00a0 A single step inside that building was all he needed to take to realize that things were not as he originally suspected.\u00a0 It was not a tomb, he understood, but a tremendous dungeon\u2014and one that defied reality.\u00a0 Corridors led off in either direction to his sides, and stairs before him descended into darkness.\u00a0 He breathed in the scent of sulfur, then, and turned to see that a pair of torches was already alight beside the entrance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you seeing this, Virgil?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

He looked out into the open once more, and was left befuddled.\u00a0 His companion was not there\u2014and neither were the villagers.\u00a0 Even the hill that they once stood upon was gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is this place?\u201d Rhys muttered.<\/p>\n

At once, those doors to the dungeon slammed shut.\u00a0 The man stumbled backward, tumbling off the first of those steps.\u00a0 By reflex alone, he enacted his sphere of magic, but it was a moment too late.\u00a0 His head slapped against the stone, and then all went black.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Virgil tilted his head to his side.\u00a0 As soon as his companion stepped into that place and was engulfed in those shadows within, it was as though he disappeared completely.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhys?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

When he heard no response, he ventured inside.\u00a0 The doors slammed behind him, and he turned about.\u00a0 There was no fear in him, though.\u00a0 He returned to those doors with curiosity taking root in his mind.\u00a0 A light push on it proved that the way through was no longer available to him.<\/p>\n

The golem spun about, looking at the steps forward that had seen been illuminated by the torches in the expansive chamber.\u00a0 He stood there, frozen, as he struggled with the logic that was defied by the place.<\/p>\n

Far beyond that room though, he heard a familiar voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you seeing this, Virgil?\u201d Rhys\u2019 voice quietly echoed.<\/p>\n

With nothing else to latch onto, he focused on that voice, descending the closest flight of stone steps.<\/p>\n

Perhaps he could solve the mysteries of the dungeon and find his lost companion.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Three: A Message from the Void<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He blinked away his stupor, even the darkness seeming overwhelmingly bright.\u00a0 His head throbbed, and even in his muddled state, he considered how different it felt waking up from that trip than from the comfortable bed earlier that morning.<\/p>\n

When Rhys sat up, he was overcome with a sense of vertigo.\u00a0 He gnashed his teeth together and shoved the heel of his hand into his temple.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t good,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 When his vision steadied, he realized that he was no longer at the entrance of the dungeon.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t tumbled down the steps, as far as he could tell, either.\u00a0 Walls closed in around him except for a solitary opened door on the opposite side of the room.<\/p>\n

Grumbling, the man climbed to his feet, and braced against the wall closest to him.\u00a0 \u201cThis really isn\u2019t good,\u201d he adjusted.<\/p>\n

Rhys leaned against the walls leading out to that door until he arrived before it.\u00a0 Looking down the long corridor that was just outside of it, the uneven feeling came back to him.\u00a0 It stretched further than the main road that went through Verna, he supposed, and more doors were situated across from each other at even intervals.<\/p>\n

The traveler steadied himself in the doorway, taking a breath before proceeding down that strange corridor.\u00a0 He winced when the first pair of doors shut beside him upon reaching them.\u00a0 Growling, he was able to at least commend himself for not tumbling backward once more.<\/p>\n

As he proceeded further, each of those doors slammed shut on their own, even as he sped his gait.\u00a0 That journey down the corridor led him to one final door on the far end of the hallway, which remained open.\u00a0 Even from afar, he was able to see the odd presence inside\u2014a familiar, ominous sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Void,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Black and violet mist roiled in the next chamber, static electricity illuminating the floor.\u00a0 That miasma stopped at the open door, as though it had struck glass and rolled back over itself.<\/p>\n

Rhys was reminded of how his tragic journey began.\u00a0 Desperation guided his hand back then\u2014or was it forward in time?\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t begin to make sense of any of it, except for the regret that stung more than ever in that moment.\u00a0 If he had been willing to let the past remain untouched, he would have been in his own time, able to protect his people, instead of cast out into the world of Tellest like a vagrant with no concept of where or when he was.<\/p>\n

Without realizing it, he drew away from that frightening chamber.<\/p>\n

Before he could draw too far, though, the mist separated just enough for him to see another familiar face.\u00a0 On the other side of that room, Virgil had his hood pulled down.\u00a0 Without any of the villagers there to see his face, there was no reason to hide.<\/p>\n

Rhys growled, knowing that he couldn\u2019t allow his friend to encounter the Void alone.\u00a0 Against all of his instincts, he rushed into that room, leaping over the plume of otherworldly mist, and setting his powers at work. \u00a0He hovered in that room and the miasma filtered around the attuned field of gravity.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay over there, Virgil,\u201d he bade.<\/p>\n

The golem did as told, but Rhys learned that he had no choice in the matter.\u00a0 A pane of glass did<\/em> exist in that room, separating the chamber into halves.\u00a0 Virgil leaned up against that glass, and though his mouth moved, no sound was heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Virgil?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe cannot hear you,\u201d a vaguely familiar voice echoed within the chamber.<\/p>\n

Rhys froze as he considered where he had last heard that ethereal voice.\u00a0 It was otherworldly, caught somewhere between soothing and frightening.\u00a0 He adjusted his hold on gravity so that he could spin about.<\/p>\n

She was even more haunting than he could remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cNyrshia,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t send your henchman to come after me this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

The churning miasma flowed back toward that divine being, wrapping around her from the bottom of her robe to the top of her feathered headdress.\u00a0 The smoke made those amber eyes glow all the brighter, and she gazed at him with a look that he was not expecting from her.<\/p>\n

Was it sympathy?<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is beyond Vedas,\u201d the Keeper of the Void spoke.\u00a0 \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t have been able to find this place if he tried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place?\u201d Rhys echoed.\u00a0 \u201cSo, you know where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed,\u201d Nyrshia said.\u00a0 \u201cThis dungeon is fueled by the same thing as the Void: the essence of time and space.\u00a0 When you neglected to travel through the portal, the dungeon seized that opportunity, and came through instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow was I supposed to know?\u201d he grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t have,\u201d she conceded.\u00a0 \u201cEven I couldn\u2019t have.\u00a0 This dungeon\u2014and the one who controls it\u2014lie out of my purview.\u00a0 I\u2019ve long known about this place, but I\u2019ve never seen it.\u00a0 It\u2019s always remained shielded from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys arched his eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cThen how are you able to be here now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fragments of the orb that are in your possession,\u201d she reasoned.\u00a0 \u201cThey represent a strong enough thread in the loom of time.\u00a0 Had you not been here, I might not be either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute,\u201d he uttered.\u00a0 \u201cIf this place also travels through time, could we use it to get me back to my time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nyrshia sent a disarming smile his way.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t presume to know much about this place.\u00a0 I know that it is unpredictable, vast, and evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen it\u2019s beyond time that we escape from here.\u00a0 We\u2019ll get out and let the people of Verna know that it\u2019s no longer safe in their village.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary,\u201d the deity said.\u00a0 \u201cOnce you and Virgil arrived here, it continued its journey to another time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A visage of understanding washed over Rhys.\u00a0 \u201cWe were brought to the time the portal would have brought us to,\u201d he surmised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now, as always, you have a task to unravel before you can move on and complete the repairs to the orb.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go fetch Vir\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Rhys to notice that his companion was no longer on the other side of that glass.\u00a0 He moved along to the right side of the room.\u00a0 For the first time since they arrived there, the traveler noticed that a passageway had been opened.\u00a0 Virgil\u2019s natural curiosity already had him moving in that direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirgil, what are you doing?\u201d\u00a0 Rhys asked as he followed along the glass in that direction.<\/p>\n

He kept moving along until that corridor grew wider, and opened up into a large, circular room.\u00a0 The glass still halved the room, but something existed between the two halves: a large, swirling portal, like the one Rhys should have stepped through, pulsed on both sides of that room.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the portal,\u201d the traveler said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can move along just like you said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is no portal,\u201d Nyrshia protested.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, not in the way you describe it.\u00a0 That thing is the engine to this place, the arcane magic that is letting it travel through time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo why can\u2019t we use it?\u201d Rhys asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat thing would rip you apart if you tried to use it to travel through time.\u00a0 Do not approach it.\u00a0 There must be some way for you to escape this crypt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys found himself nodding in agreement.\u00a0 Perhaps if he\u2019d considered Nyrshia during their previous encounter, he wouldn\u2019t be lost in time.<\/p>\n

He was reminded that when he was in the Void, it was a spur of the moment choice that sent him barreling through different points in Tellest\u2019s history, and across the vastness of the planet.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a choice, he recalled, but a necessity.<\/p>\n

That same necessity drove him again when he saw his companion, the infinitely curious golem, drawing nearer to that churning portal\u2014the engine that powered the dungeon, as Nyrshia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirgil!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cStay away from that thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as before, his words were lost beyond that glass.\u00a0 The golem didn\u2019t acknowledge him in any way, and Rhys found himself sidling along his half of the room in an effort to gain his friend\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhys,\u201d Nyrshia warned.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t need her caution in order to understand how hazardous the situation was.\u00a0 He could feel the pull of that vortex and heard the pulsing wind thrumming in his ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhys, the orb fragment,\u201d the Keeper of the Void said.<\/p>\n

He looked down and noticed that the pouch he kept on his hip was lifting from its secure spot on his belt.\u00a0 A violet glow was visible through the leather material, and it was only by happenstance that the traveler brought his hand down before it tore through that pouch.\u00a0 The fragment of the orb shined as brightly as he had ever seen, and it pushed toward that vortex hard enough for Rhys to feel it cut into his palm.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet away from there,\u201d the deity said, though her voice sounded so distant then.<\/p>\n

Even if she was right beside him, he wouldn\u2019t have been able to focus on her.\u00a0 When cracks started forming on that fused shard of the orb, he couldn\u2019t pay attention to anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot again,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t do this all again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Another bright light glowed from the other half of the room.\u00a0 Virgil still drew nearer to that vortex, though it seemed he struggled against its grasp.\u00a0 He held his iron hands against his head, shielding that shard of the orb of time in his metal skull.<\/p>\n

Rhys looked again to the piece of the orb in his own hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Rhys,\u201d Nyrshia spoke.\u00a0 She was already aware of his thoughts before he had the time to consider them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I do nothing, Virgil will die,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime will be shattered more than it is now!\u201d Nyrshia shouted.<\/p>\n

That loud urgency was not lost to Rhys, but he couldn\u2019t let anything happen to Virgil.\u00a0 For the first time since he discovered the golem, he saw something he did not expect: fear.\u00a0 Virgil understood that he was unsafe.<\/p>\n

Despite the risks, and the dangers, and the very chance that he had at finding a way home, Rhys flung himself into the vortex to save his companion.<\/p>\n

The portal pulsed with tremendous power and ripped the fused fragment of the orb into pieces.\u00a0 The portal expanded at a tremendous rate, then, engulfing Rhys, Virgil, and even Nyrshia.<\/p>\n

Rhys felt that terrible sensation that he hoped he never would again.<\/p>\n

He was being ripped apart and put back together again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter One: One More Time   The ground trembled beneath him with every step, and he knew he couldn\u2019t keep up that pace for long.\u00a0 He could hear the roar of the fire all around him, even as the beast roared and charged across that battered landscape. Rhys knew that his time was running out. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-5YZ","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23001"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23001"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23002,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23001\/revisions\/23002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}