Correct, the well-city-planet replied. The Planetary Lord and his retinue are all undergoing changes brought out by growth and heroic behavior. Be advised that victory and growth require their own forms of recovery, and that time is a crucial component in these matters. Be also advised that a sizable body of evidence suggests that recovery after victory is even more crucial than recovery after defeat.
I shuddered again, this time from having all my hidden tension suddenly evaporate.
Atlantis… thank you, I replied. Please direct us to our own food and shelter. Though clothing is probably not necessary, I added, then reflexively sniffed myself. Via was still clinging to me, and I thought she smelled better than I did. Belay that last part. Clothing and baths for everyone. The women will all want them and the men will all need them.
Atlantis compliments the Lord on his perception, the planet said to me with absolutely no change in its tone. Providing directions for the Planetary Lord’s hall to all parties’ mindscreens.
I have my own hall? I asked, surprised, until I remembered that there had been a Planetary Lord of the rank of Solar High King on Avalon, and that Atlantis had been the capital and former namesake of the Sun-Jeweled Seas. Of course there would be a place for the planet’s ruler if he or she came to visit.
My mindscreen was brimming with notifications I wasn’t ready to look at yet, thanks to the history it shared with migraines, but a small arrow appeared to indicate the direction I could walk.
As we climbed down the pier and back into the massive city, a small canal filled back up with water. Floating in it was a boat carved to resemble a winged swan, which reminded me of a similar one that Guineve had ridden in with me as part of the journey to collect Breaker’s scabbard.
It was large enough for us all, and there were large benches inside that we could sit down on.
“Thank you,” Via whispered to me as she squeezed my chest, finally letting go. I had been so distracted that I hadn’t realized she was still holding onto me.
I also finally realized that I was tired.
In fact, I couldn’t remember ever feeling this tired.
Breena stirred in my other arm, reminding me that I was still holding on to yet another woman.
Just how many girls am I going to carry around before I finally get to lie down? I wondered with just a hint of irritation.
Stop. Complaining, Teeth urged firmly in my mind.
I seriously needed to have a talk with him about this issue.
“Okay, okay,” the little fairy said, sitting up in my elbow. “I’m up. Did anything happen while I was out?”
“No,” I answered, shaking my head. “I thought we were going to have to direct everyone, but Mithra and Atlantis itself are taking over. Which, now that I think about it, makes way more sense than me trying to direct over a hundred thousand people through a city I do not know at all myself.”
“Mm, right,” the fairy said. “Does make more sense. Means I should go back to bed. Wait, hold on,” she said as her eyes opened wider, putting her tiny hand on my chest. “Good. You didn’t die. No brain explodeys. Definitely going back to bed, then.”
With that, the tiny winged woman nestled back against my chest and closed her eyes.
The ship had no sail or oars, but a tiny wave rippled behind it and propelled us forward. We drifted at a quick but comfortable pace through canals of shimmering water, as towering buildings loomed all around us.
I had not gotten a very good look at the city the first time I had seen it, on account of the Flood turning the entire city into some nightmare realm. The buildings had constantly changed form, either in our minds or in fact itself, looking like decrepit ruins one moment, and giant fanged tentacles the next. The only things with any consistent form at all were the undead bodies of Horde and other monsters.
But now that the Flood had been burned away by Colada’s wrath, the grandest and most powerful city on the planet had been able to display its former glory. Marble and limestone and some blue rock I had never seen before graced my eyes in every direction. I wished I had felt less tired, so that I could admire it more, but the truth was that I just dimly noticed a variety of different architectures passing us by.
“It’s on purpose,” Via said as she caught my gaze. “Our planet has the most Pathways of any world, though they are almost all at sea. Our handful of cities have art and buildings that reflect a bit of every other world in them.” She made a tired, happy smile. “It’s nice to see that our ancestors made the same choices. It’s nice to see them at all, actually. Thank you, Challenger—Wes,” she corrected. “Thank you for too many things.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, stifling a surprise yawn. “Sorry. I am going to think much better after a nap.”
“That is very okay,” the beautiful Latina assured me. “You have given me my entire world back. I can maybe give you a night of rest.”
“I appreciate it,” I said with a wry smile. “Though, to be fair, you and everyone else here helped.”
“A valid point.” The curly-haired woman grinned. “But you are talking yourself out of some sleep.”
“In that case, I’m shutting up right now,” I said quickly, and the tan woman giggled at me. Eadric and Karim shot us annoyed looks from two benches over, then went back to sitting in drowsy silence.
More beautiful scenery that I was far too tired to appreciate passed us all by, until we came at last to a massive palace that somehow made me think of ancient Greek architecture, which mildly annoyed me when I couldn’t figure out how or why. We docked at a pier conveniently built right next to the structure, climbed onto the smooth stone streets, and were immediately greeted by a variety of lights. They floated in front of us and led us up the white marble stairs, down carpeted halls, and to our respective rooms. Beyond that, I couldn’t distinguish any more details, except for the fact that the accommodations put any other dwelling I had ever seen to shame, including my own home on Earth and my manor on Avalon.
Yeah, I told myself as I walked into a room with a giant, feathery bed in the middle. I placed Breena on a large pillow and struggled to remove all my armor before I recalled that I could just send it back into Breaker’s magical storage space. But I bet I can’t pull this place right out of the floor and wreck another place with it.
That thought made me feel immediately better, and I plopped down on the massive bed and fell right to sleep.
CHAPTER 2: WHISPERS FROM FALSE HEIGHTS
It is forbidden, silent voices said to me. Stop. Let them go. They are lost.
I thrashed and turned, trying to ignore the speakers. But they persisted.
Would-be king, they whispered again. Please. Listen. Stay low. Stay quiet. You cannot help her. She is lost.
I growled in irritation. I had something important I needed to be doing, and the frightened, twinkling fools were a distracting annoyance.
Destroyer. Would-be king, please. Listen. You are undoing too much. You are breaking too much. Stop. The worlds are not meant for such things as you wish. She is not meant for such things as you wish. You cannot help her. Let her go. Her fate is fitting. She is lost.
I growled louder.
I had become very, very tired of people who kept forbidding me to do things that they insisted I already couldn’t do anyway.