The World Walkers: Athare: Riordan: The First World Walker (part 2)

[k_a_webb]

Part 1

Bethan’s two races both had magical abilities. Almost all the races that had been created had been given some form of magic, which was probably a mistake, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Riordan wasn’t sure exactly what magical abilities they were. It was hard to keep track of all the races they’d created, considering the number of them and the number of newly created worlds. To help Tegan he was going to have to learn about all the things he had never bothered with before, in part because he really didn’t want to think about what they’d done.

Riordan thought it was possible that Tegan was one of the Imber Lilium, although she could also be one of the Amethystus Ustrina. He hated that he didn’t know enough about the races who shared his world to be able to tell which one the little girl holding his hand came from. Even if he didn’t end up helping her he was going to learn about them, no matter what. It was his fault the elders at the time had come up with the idea of creating new worlds, so the least he could do was care about the races that lived on those worlds.

“We moved here,” Tegan said, startling Riordan because he was certain she wasn’t going to say anything, “about a year ago. My older brother died and my parents wanted a new start, so we packed up everything we owned. They didn’t feel any connection to our home, because…” She took a deep breath. “We know what we are. I was born, but my parents were created by fae magic, like all of the races who live on one of the worlds of the web.”

“How do you know that?” Riordan asked, just managing to keep the surprise out of his voice.

“We knew all about the fae, and the World Creation Council, even though I’m certain that you know nothing about the people you share a world with. Once it became obvious that we have no history we realised that we were another one of your experiments.” Tegan shrugged. “Some hate you for what you’ve done, but I… well, grateful may be too strong a word, but if if wasn’t for your experiments I wouldn’t be alive, so have no reason to be angry. I just think you should care more and become a part of this world rather than shutting yourselves away.”

“I know we should care more,” Riordan replied, guilt warring with self-hatred for the emotion that filled him. “We just…” He shook his head. “I hate saying this, but we have trouble viewing you as people because we created you. It’s wrong, especially as the next generation of all the races we created will be born instead of created, and I’m sorry that I felt that way.” Gently he squeezed Tegan’s hand. “Meeting you has made me realise that I need to change.”

There was a long silence as they walked through a settlement that had been built by at least one of the races of Athare. It was obvious that they didn’t have magic they could use to make the buildings, because they all looked like they were about to fall down, and all Riordan could do was hope that Tegan didn’t live there. She was right about the fae needing to be a part of the world, when they had done very little to help the races they had created. On every world they had created a couple of towns, but seeing the settlement made him realise that it wasn’t enough.

“Words are easy. I hope you do change, and that your changes spill over onto more of the fae, but you abandoned us. We didn’t matter to you, because we aren’t real people, and all we’ve had to rely on is each other.”

“Tegan…” Riordan stopped, knowing that what he was about to do was something the Council weren’t going to be happy with, but he decided he didn’t care. “A fae’s word is his bond. I wouldn’t be surprised right now if you don’t believe that and I understand why you wouldn’t, but I’m telling you the truth. If I break my word then the magic that is a part of me will punish me.” He wasn’t entirely sure what that punishment would be and that made him even more unlikely to break his word. “I promise you that I will do everything I can to help the races we created, especially those that were placed on worlds I made.”

With the final word of Riordan’s promise he felt the back of his wrist burn and knew that it had been burnt into his skin. Every fae who made a promise to someone had a symbol somewhere on their body, if it was a true promise. The promise he’d made would be one he’d have to work to fulfil for his entire life. He was actually happy that he’d done it, because the end of the World Creation Council was coming and until that moment he’d had no idea what he was going to do with the time that had once been taken up with creating new worlds for the web.

Tegan looked up at Riordan, just for a moment, and for the first time their eyes met. Hers seemed much older than they should be, but it was understandable. Losing her brother and moving from one continent to another would have aged any child. Knowing that she was a part of the fae’s experiments… He couldn’t imagine what that would do to someone older, so for a child that understanding must have transformed everything. There probably had been another way, a less selfish way, to create the magic they needed in order to keep living their lives the way they were accustomed, but no one had cared enough to find and, and Tegan was only one of the many people it was affecting.

“What’s your name?” Tegan asked.

“Riordan,” he replied, wondering if he was the first of the fae to give their true name to one of the created races.

“My parents aren’t going to like you, Riordan, because of what you are, but they will listen.” Tegan smiled. “They always thought I was different and I believed that was just something all parents said about their children. Maybe they knew something I didn’t.”

That was when Riordan realised they were stood next to one of the most ramshackled of all the ramshackled huts in the settlement. “You live here?”

“It’s better than nothing,” Tegan said, shrugging as she pushed open the thing that served as a door.

Riordan was thankful that many years on the Council had taught him when to keep his mouth shut. Personally he’d rather have nothing than a hut that looked like it was going to fall on his head at any moment, but he was lucky enough to be able to create any building he wanted, so he’d never had that choice to make.

“Mum,” Tegan called, drawing Riordan into the hut, “Dad, I need to talk to you about something.”

It took Riordan’s eyes a few moments to get used to the change in light, because the inside of the hut was much darker than outside, and by then the two people Tegan had called were standing in front of them. Looking at them didn’t give him any more of any idea which race they were, which made him feel even more guilty. He should have taken the time to at least get to know the races he was sharing a world with, instead of being just like all the other fae. By the way they both looked at him, and then worriedly at Tegan, they knew exactly what he was.

“This is Riordan,” Tegan said. “He helped me and now we need to talk to you about something because…” She sighed and Riordan was almost certain she was making use of the time to find the right words to say. “I can walk through the fae created doors to other worlds. Until Riordan followed me I had no idea what I’d done and I’m certain that if he hadn’t I’d still be lost.”

Tegan’s mother looked at Riordan again. She didn’t seem surprised, and he couldn’t help wondering if her son really was dead or if something else had happened to him, but he wasn’t going to ask. As their eyes met he could see her dislike of him, which was more because of what he was than who he was. Seeing that dislike made him even more certain he was going to do everything he could to change the way the fae viewed the people they had created.

“I want to help your daughter,” Riordan said, keeping his eyes on Tegan’s mother’s. “She is going to need to learn about the other worlds, even if she isn’t going to travel them, and it’s time we took responsibility for what we’ve done.”

“You know the magic you used better than we do,” Tegan’s mother replied, thoughtfully, “so I’d like the answer to one question before I accept that what you’re saying is true.” She sighed. “Would it be possible for Tegan to step through one of those doors and never come back?”

The answer was one the Council wouldn’t like Riordan giving, but that didn’t matter. He knew why the question had been asked and giving a grieving mother an honest answer was more important that the Council.

“It has happened before and it may happen again, but we don’t know the magic we used as well as we should do, and for that I apologise.” Riordan took a deep breath before continuing. “We sent watchers through to the newly created worlds, to make sure that things worked the way we hoped they would, and three doors failed. One group managed to return to Athare while the other two are still on the worlds they were sent to watch over. It’s impossible for us to get to any of those three worlds now.” He glanced down at Tegan, wondering if she knew her brother might not be dead. “There have been reports of doors being where we didn’t place them, doors leading to unexpected places, and even occasionally doors that send people through time. We don’t know if any of them are true, but if we give Tegan all the information we can then she’ll be safe no matter where she ends up. The fae are the only people who can teach her and any other children like her.”

“Is it going to be the fae or will it just be you?” Tegan’s father asked, surprising Riordan with his understanding of the situation.

“I hope it will a group of the fae, but it won’t be all of us.” Riordan couldn’t help smiling. “Normally we don’t get on very well and there are very few things that bring us together. However I have made a promise to Tegan that I will do everything I can to help her and all the other races, so I will be teaching her about the worlds of the web.”

“Even if the other fae don’t like the idea?”

“They should come to understand why it’s important to teach children like Tegan about the web, even if they don’t like what has happened.”

“Will Tegan have to leave us?” Tegan’s mother asked.

“I don’t know. It’s likely that she will, but I will do everything I can to make sure that you can see her whenever you want.”

Both Tegan’s parents nodded as Tegan looked up at Riordan, glanced at her parents, and then looked at him again. “Do you think we’ll ever be able to find my brother?” she asked.

Riordan was beginning to hate questions he didn’t have the answers to. “Possibly, but if those doors do exist then we have no control over them and I won’t even know where to begin looking for him.”

“I promise you,” Tegan said, turning to her parents, “that I will do everything I can to find Bran.”

“If I have to take you in to talk to the Council, Tegan, it would be best if you keep to the story that your brother is dead. Your existence will be enough of a problem and knowing that there may already be people out there who can travel to different worlds they can’t control may make them come to a conclusion I don’t want them to come to.”

Tegan nodded. “What happens now?”

“I’ll go and talk to the Council about what I’ve found out. As soon as I know anything I’ll visit, but it will take them some time to make a decision.” Riordan squeezed Tegan’s hand before letting go. “The Council may not think that training children like you is a good idea, so you need to have an escape plan. I’m almost certain they’ll agree with me, and I’m not keeping something like this to myself because people have already lost children when we should have been watching more closely, but there is a possibility that they may view things differently.”

“Thank you, Riordan.” Tegan smiled at him. “Keep your promise, even if something happens to me. I’m not the only child who will need your help.”

“I will, Tegan. Keep safe.”

Riordan left the family, certain they needed to talk, and walked back through the settlement. As he looked at each of the huts he knew that he’d made the right decisions for him, even if the Council wasn’t happy. He’d spent too long doing what they wanted and it was time to do what he wanted. That might mean going against the Council, but he didn’t care, because there were people who needed his help, and he was going to do everything he could to make things right.

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.

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[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Wow, Tegan really nailed it, telling Riordan what's what!

>>to fulfil for his entire life<<

That should say "fulfill" above.