The Essence Gate War: Book 01 - Adept (77 page)

And, lest he forget, the
re would be the growing scourge of the Nar’ath there, planning the destruction of all.

As comforting as it would be to have friends on the other side, he might well be leading them
directly into death’s gaping maw. The wry thought arose, unbidden:
And how would that differ from everywhere else you have led them?
Next time, however, would he be able to lead them back out again?

He sighed, closing his eyes
. He kept coming back to Halthak’s words, just moments ago.
Caught between worlds just as you are, at home in none
.

He opened his eyes, and looked upon his companions again
. They stared back with quiet resolve. He could see that they knew as well as he did what they all faced, and that they recognized the consequences failure would bring. They did not have a lifetime of battle experience or a newfound wild magic to rely upon, and still they were determined to accompany him.

Amric turned
to face the Essence Gate. Syth and Halthak stepped up to either side of him. They gazed up at the solemn majesty of the ancient device, and its rhythmic pulsing seemed to quicken almost imperceptibly in anticipation. The wind whispered through the forest once more, though whether it spoke encouragement or warning, he could not say. Amric began walking toward the Gate, and the two men matched his pace. He gathered his will as he went, extending it to include the others. The portal shimmered and beckoned before them.

Endings and new beginnings, he thought
to himself as they passed beneath the shadow of the great stone arch. Farewell, and hello again.

He
strode forward and into its embrace.

THE END

Michael J. Arnquist works as a software engineer, mostly because he heard the phrase ‘starving artist’ a few too many times while growing up. His true loves, vocationally speaking at least, have always been fiction writing, cartooning and illustration.

Michael lives in the Pacific Northwest with his lovely wife, two beautiful daughters, and entirely too many dogs and cats for any one household.