Edge of reality

I reached the Edge. It was the Edge of the Lace, the Edge of reality, the Edge of everything. The final frontier, the farthest border, beyond which there was only Chaos. The eternal, ever-changing Chaos.

I was standing on the bare rocks of the Last Cliff, looking out into the gray mist that concealed the Great Nothing. A block of stone floated in the mist – it was the Rock of Heroes. The rainbow connected the Edge and the Hero’s Rock like a phantom bridge, both attractive and impossible, like a mirage. It was a mysterious sight, but I had not reached this faraway land to enjoy its sights. On the other side of the rainbow there was Helyswort, the legendary sword of Oel.

I was looking at the Rock of Heroes, trying to figure out how to get there. I didn't see anything that could be used as a bridge, and I wasn't a wizard who could fly.

The glowing ball bounced next to my foot, as if also searching for the right path. Then it rolled to the Edge and moved forward along the rainbow, leaving the golden thread behind. I rubbed my eyes, then scratched my head. Hmm... A long time ago, when I was a schoolboy, I learned that a rainbow was just an optical illusion, the play of the sun's rays on the drops of rain. And what did I see now? Another illusion shattered.

To go or not to go? The Rainbow Bridge looked absolutely unreal. If someone asked my opinion, I'd rather walk across the abyss on the thin wire. But there was no wire over the Edge. I watched the golden ball roll through the rainbow and understood that, according to the rules of the game, there was no way back for me.

Oh, Master! Why am I doing this? Not for the money, right?

I clutched the hilt of my katana, Samurai, and felt a little better. Then I called the name of the God of my world and stepped forward. The rainbow sprang up under my feet, but that was all. I moved along the rainbow, trying not to look down where I could see the swirling mist through the semi-transparent stripes of the rainbow. The guiding thread seemed to be the only real thing in this phantasmagoria.

I found a coin in my pocket and dropped it down. It fell slowly, like a bird's feather, and when it reached the rainbow, it moved through it and continued its fall. I quickened my step as I pondered, a bit not to the point, about the nature of this place. When I crossed the rainbow bridge, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I found myself on a patch of ground directly in front of the dark entrance to the cave. I looked around and made sure that the rock was indeed floating in the mist. The forces holding it in the air obviously had little to do with the laws of physics I knew.

The golden ball kept rolling, leading me into the cave. The curved tunnel, illuminated by the guiding thread, narrowed, then widened again, turning now to the left, now to the right. In the total silence I heard only the sound of my footsteps. The corridor bent for the last time, the guiding thread stopped under the man-made archway and disappeared.

I ducked and went under the archway.

 The hall was made of crystal. Bluish light shone through the transparent ceiling, glittering balls flew around, and there was a stone altar with a sheathed sword on it. I approached. The sheath was covered with ancient runes, and the hilt of the sword was adorned with three large sapphires.

Here it was, the Helyswort, the Blade of Honor. A strange feeling came over me, a kind of awe. Like a touch of wonder.

Now that I saw the legendary sword with my own eyes, I thought, "Do I have the right to interfere with the will of the ancestors, to touch the shrine? To give the Master's creation to a crazy collector?” 

However, I chased away nonconstructive thoughts, reminding myself that it was my job to hunt for artifacts and that I had a mission for my office.

Words, words, words...

I reached out and took the sword from the altar. It was like an electric shock. I felt the power of the magical blade, the primordial power hidden within it. I was tempted to remove the blade from its sheath, but according to elementary logic, I couldn't be the Chosen One. Besides, my Samurai was a really good sword and had never let me down. So I threw my booty over my shoulder and headed back. The balls followed me with a mournful chime.

As I reached the cliff the chime stopped. I looked back and saw the rainbow disappear into the mist. The Hero’s Rock was drowning in the abyss. I felt cold on my back, and my hair stood on end. Perhaps I really had crossed the line this time. However, I couldn't go back and undo it all. So I sighed and turned on my way back, away from the Edge.

The path snaked across the flat, barren plain with various rocks scattered about. Most of them were small, but some were huge. Everything around was black and white, like an old photograph. I had a long way to go before I could enter the Lace, so I was in a hurry. I wanted to get out of the Twilight Zone, the land before the Dark Edge, as soon as possible. I knew this place had a bad reputation.

The sharp sense of danger made me jump behind the nearest rock and crouch against it. At the same moment, an arrow struck the rock. I cursed.

I figured out where the archer could hide and moved slowly around the rock. I heard the rustling of stone rolling off someone's foot. I froze and gripped the hilt of my sword. Time slowed, as it always did in moments of danger. After a few heartbeats, I saw a strip of sharpened metal peeking out from behind a boulder. I stopped breathing. The blade was followed by the hand and finally the head of a stranger.

It wasn't the right time to ask questions, so I silently attacked him and sliced his wrist with my katana. Then I grabbed the man's bleeding arm, pulled him toward me and slit his throat. I turned his body  over to shield myself and looked out.

There were six of them, looking like freebooters from No Man’s Zone. The archer shot as I stepped out, , the arrow sticking in the body of their dead friend. I shoved my katana into the ground and grabbed the throwing knife from my belt. The archer bit the dust, but there were still five of them against me. I threw a smoke ball Aidar had given me; it hit the stone between me and the freebooters and spat out a cloud of thick black smoke. I threw the dead body away, grabbed my sword, and dove into the darkness. I crouched down and listened. The main advantage of Aidar’s smoke balls was that they emitted smoke for a very long time, but didn't harm your breath. Holding my katana close to my ear, I moved forward in a half-crouch like a real ninja. Something rustling to the right, someone running to the left. Someone lunged at me and I slashed my sword diagonally. A scream broke the silence. I slashed again, parallel to the ground. The blade struck a bone and my enemy fell. I quickly rolled aside… and suddenly received a blow to the forehead that knocked me to the ground. I shook my head and crawled away on my back. The next moment, I heard the sound of someone’s cautious footsteps. I swung my katana in the direction of the sound and the blade struck another sword.

"You are dead, Archie," a snide voice was heard. "It's not your lucky day, hunter!"

Here we are! This meant that the meeting was no accident, and the freebooters knew exactly who they were going to kill. Consequently, they had been hired to kill me. Now the name of their boss was all I needed to know.

I swung my sword again, guided by the voice, and the next thing I knew, someone stepped on the katana. I pulled the blade toward me, but I couldn't free it. The enemy hit me in the chest, I rolled over the ground and suddenly saw the gray sky above me. At the same moment, the freebooter stepped out of the smoke. He was a stocky man with a heavy sword in his hand.

Blood flowed from my shattered eyebrow, blurring my vision, but I stood up, somehow wiping the blood from my forehead with my sleeve. My enemy approached me without haste, not doubting his victory.

"Hey, guys, I got him!" he shouted into the space hidden by the black smoke.

I stepped back and shrugged. The wind of death was blowing in my face.

If only I had a weapon with me! A weapon? Damn it! Helyswort! Without a second thought, I ripped the artifact from it’s sheath. I had no time to think about the hero it was intended for. I needed the sword right now.

The blade literally flew out of its sheath, illuminating everything around it with iridescent light.

A dark shadow jumped over a boulder. It took me a few moments to realize that it was a man. He reached the ground right in the middle of my enemies and immediately joined the fight. Together, we knocked out the entire gang, and it looked like we had solved all our problems for the moment.

"I think we're even now," my savior said.

I was really surprised to see Alex.

"Did you come here on purpose, just to pay off your debt?" I asked.

"Would you believe me if I said 'yes'?" he chuckled and put his sword back in its sheath.

"No," I replied and sat down on the nearest rock. Then I pulled out a vial of Tears of the Forest, dropped the potion on my finger, and applied it to the wound on my forehead. My eyebrow tingled, then the burning gave way to a chill, and I was able to see normally.

"You're right," Alex smiled. "I do live nearby."

"Right here?" I didn't understand what he meant.

 "Not really. Listen, Archie, we have to go. Can I tell you everything on the way out?"

"What about them?" I pointed at the dead men.

"Forget about them," he waved his hand. "Come on, let's go! The Edge is not a safe place for human health. There's some kind of radiation or something."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I’ve studied it in school. Are you ready? Let's go!"

As we talked, the smoke ball burned out and the black smog quickly melted. The wind tore it into pieces and carried it away. I sighed and went to look for my Samurai. When I found the sword, it was broken. The blade that could slice thin trees like butter was broken in two, and I couldn't understand how it had happened.

"This is the will of the Great Master," Alex said solemnly.

I raised my eyes to him and met an absolutely serious look.

"You have fulfilled the prophecy, Archie," he declared. "The magic blade will not tolerate competition."

"Who are you, man?" I asked at a loss.

"Alexander Sa-Maste of Irrat," he introduced himself, finally stunning me.

Sa-Maste was the royal dynasty of Irrat, and Alexander, unless I missed something, was the grandson of King Mabert and the only heir to the throne.

"Your Highness... it is an honor for me..." I really had no idea how to talk to a royal person.

The prince grinned wryly.

"Leave 'Highness' for official ceremonies," he replied. "My name is Alex. Let's go. I must introduce you to my grandfather."

"Why are you going to do that?" I suddenly chickened out.

"But it was you who got Helyswort!" the prince explained. "So you can't avoid an audience."

I felt really uncomfortable. My dress was dusty, and my face was covered with blood. What a great hero!

"Can I avoid this somehow?"

"No, you can't," Alex replied, and we set out.

What could I do? There was only one road  to the Gate.

I thought my boss Parsel would be really happy to hear this. The Irrates had broken off relations with the Coordinators a long time ago. So I would be the first of my colleagues to set foot on Irrat land in thirty years. However, if I didn't want to fail the mission, I needed the information. Alex was the one who could give it to me, so I decided to ask him some questions.

"You wanted to tell me something," I reminded him.

"You're right," he agreed. "But I don't know where to start."

"First of all, could you tell me how you knew I was here?"

"Oh, that was easy," he shrugged. "The Dark Edge has only one Gate, and it is guarded all the time. No one can tell who will come the next moment."

"And it was me."

"Not exactly." Alex shook his head. "As for you, we’ve been waiting for you to come."

I raised my eyebrow.

"Me specifically?"

"Okay, we didn't know who would come out of the Lace. But Otrana predicted that Helyswort would get the owner before the Full Circle ends. And there's actually not much time until then. It's really strange," he admitted. "There is probably not a single adult in Irrat who has not tried to take possession of the Blade of Honor. I mean the nobility. Everyone was sure that Helyswort would choose one of the Great Master's descendants."

"Is that what the legend says?" I wondered with annoyance. Just look at this snob, my background doesn't suit him!

"No, but it seemed to go without saying."

I thought that Norn must have felt the same way. Or maybe not? Why did he insist that I not try to take the blade out of its sheath? Was it just a precaution or something else?

"Okay," I said to Alex. "You were waiting for me. But what could happen with an unexpected guest?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone could come here out of curiosity or circumstance. Or a bold thief might try to get the sword. It's a truly priceless artifact, even locked in its sheath."

I said it in a nonchalant tone so that the prince would not guess that his answer was very important to me.

 Alex's carefree laughter eased my tension a little.

"You've just forgotten where you are, Archie! Magic is everywhere in this place."

"So what?"

"The one who came here by accident will be safe. He can go out the same way he came in. The main rule is not to go far from the Gate. Those who are too curious and want to explore the area will be brought back to the Lace by the 'Horned Patrol' ".

The Horned Patrol. I had met him six years ago.  I remembered the fire-breathing horses with their metallic skins. The horned riders on top of the beasts. It was the nightmare I never got rid of. That day changed my life forever.

I was in love and happy. My fiancee's name was Gemma.  We'd been together for six months and it was amazing! We celebrated that date all over the Lace. And I could never understand why we ended up in the Twilight Zone. I didn't like the place and I wanted to leave as soon as possible. But my girlfriend was so curious that I agreed to look around.

We weren't far from the Gate when we saw the horned ones. Their fire-breathing horses headed straight toward us, and the horsemen began shooting without warning.

I shoved Gemma behind my back and the next thing I knew, an arrow pierced my chest. The hellish pain filled my body, darkness veiled my eyes. The last thing I saw was my lover's face, covered in tears.

What a cruel mockery of fate! I was sure I was going to die, but I survived. But Gemma was killed that day, and I didn’t even know where her grave was.

 Gemma still lives in my heart and will forever stay with me.