“Father, it’s Dack. Where are you?” Dack shouted as he dismounted his horse.
“I’m coming. Please wait by the table under the tree,” Theterm said from inside the keep.
“I am in a hurry,” Dack said as he cleared the fallen leaves and debris from the table. “You won’t be long?”
Theterm emerged from the keep carrying a tray. “Please sit down,” Theterm insisted as he placed the tray on the table. “I know you are in a hurry, but we haven’t talked since you left. I miss you so much. Can you stay?”
“They are all after me,” Dack said sadly, hanging his head.
“Sit and tell me everything I need to know,” Theterm said as he hugged Dack and sat down.
“No one wants me to open the portal area, so they are all gathering against me to stop me from doing it,” Dack said as he sat down.
“Portal area?” Theterm asked nervously as he poured Dack a drink and handed it to him. “What does the Brotherhood have to do with that?”
“Most of the Brotherhood are dead by now,” Dack said quietly.
“You had better tell me what’s going on, son. This wasn’t the plan when you left,” Theterm said, trying to be patient.
“I worked with the Brotherhood to get the king’s scepter, but I failed. The king wanted me dead, but I thought I had a good plan to get out of it. I told him who I am. He told me if I got the portal area keys from the other kings, he would give me his, and I would be able to rule the Central Territory until the King’s Tournament started again,” Dack said before taking a drink.
“You believed him?”
“I was glad to be alive, and yes, I really wanted the power. I truly believed I could do some good. It has cost everyone, including my family and the friends that I’ve met,” Dack said sadly, thinking of Fixx.
“So you traveled around the island and got the keys. Then what?”
“I tried to take the last one from the king of the Northern Territory, but he had spies in the Brotherhood’s ranks. I was captured, and the Brotherhood sacrificed themselves to get me out and on my way to the portal area. The Shadow Cult agreed to stop the army from the north if they could, but I fear they will be wiped out too. I’ve also betrayed the only one who was willing to help that I could call a friend. Everyone is paying,” Dack finished as tears streamed down his face.
“I’m still not sure how the portal area comes into this whole story,” Theterm asked as he handed Dack a handkerchief.
Dack composed himself and said, “I thought it would be the only way to show everyone that I should be the one to rule the Central Territory, that I had the power, that I had the right.”
Theterm sliced a piece of cake and put it on a dish and slid it to Dack. “Do you want me to tell you what I think it shows everyone?” Theterm asked calmly, smiling.
“I really do value your opinion, and this time I am lost without your help,” Dack said honestly.
“Good,” Theterm said. “I think the only thing people will remember about this whole mess is that you are good at lying, cheating, stealing, and sneaking around!”
“But—” Dack tried.
“No, not this time,” Theterm said, waving Dack into silence. “If I knew this is what was going to happen, you would have never been allowed to go. I raised you better than to become a common thief and a puppet of others. Tell me why you’ve decided to turn your back on all the good I’ve taught you to gain a little power.”
“I don’t have an answer,” Dack said sheepishly.
“That’s right, you shouldn’t have one, but you had better be willing to do whatever it takes to fix this,” Theterm said, locking eyes with Dack.
“I will do whatever it takes,” Dack said commandingly.
“What were you planning to do once you got into the fortress that they built over the area?”
“I’m not sure, but I was going to try to figure out how it worked and see if I could open Ways myself,” Dack said, realizing he hadn’t really thought it through yet. “I guess I was hoping to display power that I controlled by showing it to the kings.”
“So you’ve never opened a Way before. Do you know anyone who can?”
“Lucan,” Dack answered humbly.
“Since the time that Lucan opened Ways, no one else has come forward to claim that they, too, can do it; that doesn’t deter you?”
“I know I can do it. It doesn’t matter that others have failed or haven’t even tried, I am willing to learn.” Dack ate some cake and finished his drink.
“You realize that the only reason they put up a fortress over the area is because they didn’t know how it worked. They couldn’t do what Lucan could do, so they boxed it up, hoping that everyone would forget about it. Everyone is afraid of it, but the fortress itself is empty; it contains no secrets or clues,” Theterm said as he filled Dack’s cup.
“Then I am a fool. I let my lust for power leave a path of death and destruction behind me. The way before me is more of the same. What should I do, Father?”
Theterm sat up straight and looked at Dack. “Why do you think I can help? What do I know?” Theterm said with a smile.
“Well, according to everyone I’ve met, a lot more than you are willing to say. But as we all know, unless you are willing to help, all is lost.” Dack smirked.
Theterm sat in silence, looking at the cake on the tray. “I need to tell you some things, Dack, but you must not push me past them, is that clear?” Theterm said, locking eyes with Dack.
“Agreed,” Dack said seriously.
“I had hoped this trip would have turned out differently, but regardless, I was planning to tell you these things. It is important that you remember what I tell you, but even more so, that you do not let this knowledge change you.” Theterm cut himself a slice of cake, put it on a dish, and then continued, “Lucan was trained how to open Ways, but the one thing he lacked was accountability. He lacked a sense of responsibility for the power he controlled, so he never bothered to tell anyone what he was doing. In his defense, however, no one cared enough about him or what he was doing.”
“Father, you always talk about Lucan like you knew him, like you were there. Tell me, is that true?” Dack asked.
“I want to teach you something that will give you power beyond your wildest imagination, but you must vow that you will only use it to solve this problem and to help the entire island,” Theterm continued, ignoring Dack’s question.
“Were you the one who taught Lucan?” Dack demanded.
“Will you make the vow?” Theterm shouted, pounding both fists on the table.
Dack looked at Theterm differently. “I vow to do only what is in the best interest of this island.”
“Good.” Theterm smiled. “Yes, I trained Lucan how to open Ways. He is a Whisperer of Lore, as I am, as you are. On this island there are only two who can open them, you and I. I am not allowed to open them to other worlds; that is your responsibility, as it was Lucan’s. My purpose is to teach, observe, and then leave. The only Way to another world is the one I will open when I leave. There are rules and a hierarchy, but that’s not important now. If one is not born a Whisperer, one cannot open Ways. If one is born a Whisperer and is not trained, one cannot open Ways. If you do not know the name of the Way, you cannot open it. Do you understand so far?” Theterm asked, filling his cup.
Dack nodded.
“Good. All Whisperers of Lore have a bond with each other, so they know each other on sight and where they are.”
“I’ve experienced that with you all my life,” Dack said happily.
“That’s why you have cake today, because I knew you were coming,” Theterm said, laughing. “It’s a bond that grows with time and concentration but diminishes with distance and emotion.”
“Emotion?” Dack asked, not understanding.
“Apathy toward another will kill the bond. Other emotions, while strong, can help our link stay strong, but can also lead to a break when the feelings fade. The bond helps us find each other since we are often separated by great distances,” Theterm concluded.
“How do you open Ways?” Dack asked excitedly.
“Normally, I would show you my books, but Lucan stole them and tried to burn down the keep to hide his treachery. I have been without them since the war,” Theterm said sadly.
“Books? There’s a Book Two in the Southern Territory, in the king’s museum in his castle. Did you know that?” Dack asked excitedly.
“You have seen it?” Theterm said, echoing Dack’s enthusiasm.
“I looked through it, but it was too big to carry when I was getting the portal area key. Do we need it?”
Theterm rubbed his chin. Maybe Lucan needed that one, he thought, but I wonder how it managed to get there. “Not now, but we can use it later to teach you more. That’s good. So, I lost only two books. Well, now to teach you how to open a Way.” Theterm smiled.
“Do we have to go to the portal area?” Dack asked.
“You have to go to the portal area to do this, but I’m teaching you the technique here.”
“Aren’t you going to come with me?” Dack asked nervously.
“No, you will do fine if you pay attention and stop thinking it’s hard. Ready?” Theterm asked, hoping Dack was ready to learn. Dack nodded and Theterm continued. “Put your hands out in front of you and tell me what you feel.”
“I feel a slight breeze, nothing else,” Dack said, hoping that was the right answer.
“When you get close to where a Way opens, you will feel a tingling through your body. A feeling, almost like fear, when your body gets cold and clammy is the closest I’ve experienced. I’m not sure if everyone feels it, but that is probably why most people don’t want anything to do with the area. When you feel that, your hands will get very warm when you put them into a Way. You can even feel its edges—”
“—what if I don’t feel it? I didn’t feel anything when I was there before,” Dack interrupted, concerned.
“You weren’t close enough, that’s all I can say. Are you sure you want this power? If you doubt it or don’t want it, walk away now. I’ll wait for the next Whisperer if you are having second thoughts,” Theterm said sternly.
“I do want this, and maybe that’s why I’ve been feeling pushed toward opening Ways as the only solution. I know there are a lot of people counting on me to make things better, and I’ve already done a lot of harm. I don’t want to mess this up too,” Dack concluded.
“Trust me when I tell you that I don’t want another one of my trainees ending in failure. That’s why I didn’t tell you until I knew for sure you would succeed. May I continue?” Theterm smiled.
“Thanks. I’m ready again,” Dack said confidently.
“With your hands in the Way you can do three things— three ways to open one. You can push away from you to open it so that you cannot enter, but creatures from the other world may cross. You can pull toward you so that you can cross but they can’t. And lastly, you can spread out your arms so that both sides can cross. Each method has its advantages, but for now you will only need to remember to push away from you. The world you will open will definitely display power, so you only have to open it a small bit. Ways will stay open until you close them, so once you have proven your point, close it,” Theterm said emphatically. “Understand?”
“For now I put my hands in the Way and push away a little and close it when I’m finished,” Dack recited.
“Good. There is only one thing left to teach: the name of the world and when to use it. As you have your hands ready, whisper the name of the world as you push away.” Theterm leaned forward and whispered a word into Dack’s ear. “Repeat it back to me,” Theterm said. Dack whispered it back. “You are ready.”
“Are you sure you won’t come with me?” Dack asked, hoping Theterm would.
“I will be here when you return triumphantly,” Theterm said, wishing it were already so. “I will prepare some things so that your training can continue when this is over. Don’t let anyone or anything distract you from bringing this island together again,” Theterm said as he and Dack stood.
“Thank you for the help,” Dack said as he hugged Theterm. “I will return and learn everything I can, you have my word.” Dack packed his belongings, prepared his horse, and headed quickly toward the portal area fortress.
“I hope he can handle that world, because if he can’t, I’ve just doomed this one again,” Theterm said as he cleared the table and headed for the keep.