Temple Palace

Chapter 10: Tek

Tracer was going to come home.

Even as freezing cold as she was, Tek smiled. She had done it. He would finally return to the Realms with her. But over top of Tek's feelings of happiness was another sensation. Her eyes burned and her nose felt like it was trying to hold back the River Sea the pressure was so bad.

She couldn't recognize it, couldn't understand. Could not remember ever feeling this way before.

Tears began to leak out of her eyes but she took no notice. She was crying but she couldn't blame it on the cool breeze.

It had happened before, rarely, but it had never felt like this.

This crying was painful, like a billion salt crystals tearing apart her skin, trying to tear her apart from the inside.

She had never felt like this before and she didn't like it. It was too strong, too unstable.

“Tek?”

“I'm fine,” she reassured Tracer. “It's almost time.”

They had left the base at the changing of the guards, silently slipping out of the gates while an order of supplies entered. Moving quickly out of the city and toward the River Sea they had taken no breaks. They had to reach the River Sea for the right time or they would have to wait another day.

She peeked again over the rocks they were hiding behind to check the bank. The water was rushing back out to sea, the continuous river down to about knee high, if the marker at the edge was accurate. When they had arrived it had been too deep to try to stride out in.

Almost there.

She stood up. “We should start out.”

Tracer slowly got up and checked around him. “Aren't you worried about guards? I though you said they had upped their patrols of the River Sea banks?”

“They can't see us, look.” She wiggled her fingers in the dark and observed the way her hand played with the shadows, absorbing them at times. The hand she was holding up was so dark it was almost invisible, she could faintly see through it to the rocks beyond. It still surprised her.

“What...”

“Do you remember when I told you about the potion Memory? There is another like it. All the Night Wardens drink it. It makes us slip into the shadows better, need less sleep. Look.” She leaned forward and showed him the top of her head where dark roots of hair were coming through. “It alters our appearance to make us blend in better.”

“If that's true why is your hair so light?”

“Because I used to be a priestess and drank Light. It makes us better at understanding people, at seeing things.”

“When did you switch?”

Tek instead ignored his question. It was too nosey. “We need to get out here before dawn comes and they see us.”

Tracer hesitated. “Tek, are you sure we will be able to cross? No one has ever survived the power of the River Sea.”

She sent a short glance back at him. “No one that you know about,” she corrected. “Besides, you've done it before.”

“Yeah, but I don't remember it. I hate going into things unaware,” she heard him mutter.

That reminded her. Quickly she spun around. “You need to remove all your weapons first.”

He frowned. “Why? Will the salt ruin them?”

“No, you can't have weapons in the Realms.”

He hesitated and then Tek watched as he removed numerous knives from all over his body. He had six in total. She shivered. It would take awhile to rehabilitate him from his old ways.

“Lets go.” She began to wade through the water, the strong current pushing at her, making her walk at a diagonal. She didn't mind, she had started upstream on purpose. Tracer kept pace with her, frowning at the salty water.

“Won't people notice a pile of knives on the side of the bank?” he asked.

“The River Sea will wash them away. No one will notice them in time.”

“Halt!” A loud voice called. They both spun to see a line of guards on the banks. Standing in front of them was the Chief.

“You have been found guilty of breaching the border of Matres without proper permission and of conspiring against the empire.” A herald called out. “Return immediately for processing and punishment.”

Beside her Tracer wasn't moving. “Father?' He said questioningly. Tek realized that they had waited until Tracer removed his weapons before advancing to make their presence known. They must have been waiting for awhile. There was maybe twenty paces between them and the current was growing stronger as dawn approached.

“You are not my son,” The Chief said from the bank. He stood still as the soldiers under his command began to advance forward into the water.

“Run!” Tek said, trying to get Tracer to move. He was stuck staring at his foster father. “Tracer!”

His gaze went back to her and then they turned and took off. Tek's feet were surer of the route and so she lead Tracer, pulling him by the hand. She dared not look behind her but she could tell the soldiers were struggling with the current. They were weighted down by their armour and their swords.

So close, almost there.

“I hope you have a boat hidden here somewhere,” Tracer gasped out from beside her.

“A boat would be smashed apart in seconds. Of course not.”

Tracer blanched. “Tek, please don't tell me we are swimming across the River Sea.”

Instead of answering him she stopped and turned to face their followers. They were all at least forty feet away.

“Tek? Why are we stopped?”

His voice quavered at the end. Tek was distracted by the last dregs of the river draining out. All that was left was the salty bottom of the river, covered with large, sharp, crystal formations.

The soldiers with no more resistance to their movements picked up their pace, getting closer and closer.

“Tek?”

But Tek wasn't paying attention to Tracer or the soldiers. She looked south to where the River had run dry. A light rumbling came, followed with a larger one. Into her view came a large wave of water, so big that it ripped apart the banks on either side of it. The water was a white foamy melee, destroying and pulling apart the river bank as it advanced with frightening speed.

All movement stopped as everyone stared at the oncoming tide.