The Portal Sundered, by Sarah Barnard

Hiann held the torch closer to the huge stone slabs of the wall. The writing was old and worn, difficult to read in the flickering light and spattered with images. His brow furrowed as he peered at the text. His lips moved silently as he slowly deciphered their meaning and a look of first puzzlement and then a dawning horror passed across his face. He took a slow step away from the wall, his head shaking in mute disbelief.

Following the familiar passage Hiann slowly walked along the wall and laid his hand on an ornate panel. The name he spoke was feared and yet when he spoke, it resonated with power.

"Ametsam. Master. Father. I have come." Hiann's deep voice echoed along the passage and a section of wall swung away to reveal a dark passage. He stepped through the opening and the wall alongside him glowed softly. He paid it little attention but extinguished his torch. At the end of the short passage was a plain wooden door with a simple latch. There was no lock but the latch and door were warped and stiff from disuse. Hiann gripped the latch and pushed. The door shifted a little and then stuck. He placed a broad shoulder against the door and shoved hard, lending his weight and strength to the effort. The door grated a little further open and stuck against something. Another shove and there was just enough room for Hiann to squeeze through.

The room was devastated. Rubble was strewn across the floor and the ceiling mostly collapsed. Large cracks ran through the walls. Everything was covered with a thick layer of stone dust. Hiann gazed about in horrified fascination. Ametsam's great hall was destroyed. The ancient laws and writings carved into the stones lost forever. Hiann picked his way carefully across the room.

Eventually he stood facing the wall where Ametsam was imprisoned. The outline of his form was clear and the fingers of one hand protruded from the stone. Hiann hesitatingly reached out to touch the stone fingertips. As his warm flesh brushed the cold stone he almost expected a reaction but there was none. Hiann sank to his knees in front of his father and former master.

"How could she have allowed this to happen?" he asked the floor by his knees. He cradled his head in his hands. "She knew. She must have known. She read the writings. I know she did. How could she let the mantle pass to one from that dead world?" The wall and Ametsam was silent. Hiann raised his head to gaze at the stone face towering over him. "Master." He began, his voice faltering. "Father." He took a breath and remained on his knees. "I will find a way. The bloodline will be restored to rule here. If there is no way to restore you to life then I will take it for myself."

Ametsam continued to be silently frozen in the stone. If he even heard Hiann's words there was no sign. Hiann rose, reached out again to touch the cold fingertips and lowering his eyes slowly walked away.

***

Sam stood at the edge of the trees and gazed out on the twisted trunks and withered leaves. She breathed in deeply, taking the smell of corruption deep inside herself. As she let the breath go she closed her eyes briefly and let her mind reach out to see beneath the damage. The Naiad stood behind her, watching. Sam dropped to one knee on the brown dry grass. She reached out a hand took a handful of dry soil and crumbled it in her fingers. She watched the dust fall back to the earth.

"Respected Naiad." The tone of command was firm and Sam's voice soft but yet she phrased it as a question. "May I use some of your water?" The Naiad smiled and approached with her hands held out, palms uppermost and cupped. As she reached Sam the Naiads' hands began to flow with clear spring water, forming a pool around them both. Sam placed a hand into the water and let the power free. Ripples fled from her fingertips and burrowed into the soil. Radiating out from her hand the grass became greener and the water spread. The Naiad carried on pouring water. They had done this many times before over the past few weeks. Between them they were slowly restoring the land to fertile green. Ametsam's destruction was steadily being reversed.

The Naiad watched carefully as Sam poured energy into the process and as she saw Sam's shoulders begin to sag the water stopped. Sam's head drooped and she was breathing heavily. The Naiad placed a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Mistress?" she asked quietly. "You have done enough. The trees will take care of themselves now. You must stop." Sam's hand still lay in the water, energy rippling from her fingers.

"I can't." Sam whispered. "It's out of control." With that she toppled over into the Naiads waiting arms. The Naiad dragged Sam from the water and simply held her until her eyes flickered open again.

"You put too much into this." The Naiad's tone was sharp. "You will kill yourself if you keep this up." She held out a hand so Sam could drink from her palm. "I have no wish to lose you and the land needs you." Sam shook her head slowly as she sat up.

"Oh Naiad." Sam began "I have to do this, you know I do. The land falters without it and the decay creeps back. He did so much harm before he was imprisoned and it runs so deep." Sam lowered her head into her hands exhausted. She and the Naiad sat in companionable silence for a long while until Sam began to recover. "It's time." Sam startled the Naiad as she spoke. The sun was sinking below the horizon and the trees were beginning to straighten and return to lush green. "It's time to go home." The Naiad looked afraid at the weary determination in Sam's voice, before Sam carried on "Back to the cottage. I need to eat and sleep." The Naiads face relaxed, even though more than a full cycle of seasons had passed since Sam became Mistress, the Naiad still felt Sam hankered after her other life. She rose and offered her hand to Sam to pull her to her feet. Hand in hand they walked back to the cottage that Sam had come to call home here.