Keith Baker - The Gates of Night

They had crested a hill. In the small valley below, Xu’sasar could see a ring of trees surrounding a pool of still water. As they rode down the hill, Xu’sasar caught sight of a stone slab next to the pool-the bier from which the grove took its name. At first Xu’sasar thought that a man was laid out upon the stone, but as they drew closer, she saw that the figure was a statue carved from black marble. Kin dismounted at the edge of the trees, and the others followed suit.

Xu’sasar darted forward to examine the statue. It was the figure of a warrior, clad in chainmail, with a longsword by his side. Muscular arms crossed over his chest. Strangely, she found that she couldn’t see his face. At first she thought it was unsculpted, yet the longer she studied the statue, the more strongly she felt that some force was turning her eyes away, that the detail was there, just beyond her grasp.

“Who is this?” she said.

“The Sleeper’s far older than I am,” Kin said. “I’m afraid I don’t know the full tale. A soldier of your world, favored by the queen. When he died, the monument was erected to honor his memory and guide future travelers.”

“Where’s his sword?” Daine said, examining the bier. Only now did Xu’sasar see that the scabbard lying next to the warrior was empty. For a moment she thought of her own empty sheaths, and the daggers given to her by her mother, lying next to the corpse of her father in the monolith of Karul’tash.

“A fine question, Master Daine, and one I will explain. Please gather around the pool and bring your horses.” Kin produced a pouch from his own pack, and proceeded to sprinkle a sour-smelling dust over the companions and himself. “Now, Daine, if you will touch that empty scabbard-”

“What?” Daine said. “Why?”

“A gate can take many forms, as I would think you’d have learned from your time beneath the Hunter’s Moon,” Kin said. “The scabbard is the portal.”

“You’re going to make us small enough to walk through it?” Daine said.

“Not at all,” Kin replied. “Please, just do as I ask.”

As Daine laid his hand on the stone scabbard, Kin threw another handful of powder into the air above the water, and suddenly they were falling . The earth rose up, tumbling them down into the pool …

… and just as quickly, flinging them out onto dry land. They were standing by a pool of water. The trees were gone. The bier was gone. And there was no sun. Four moons could be seen in the sky, along with the faint glow of the Dragon’s Ring. They had returned to Eberron, although the stars and the Ring told Xu’sasar that they were far from the land of her birth.

“Was this supposed to happen?” Daine said. The others turned to look. Daine was holding a scabbard in his hand, and it wasn’t made of stone. The sheath was black leather, studded with purple dragonshards and chased in silver.

“Fascinating!” Kin said. “I wonder what effect that will have on the journey back. No matter.”

“I thought you said we’d go through the scabbard,” Lei said. “It seemed to me the pool was the portal.”

“Yes, it did,” Kin said. He shrugged. “We appear to be in the proper place, and that’s all that concerns me.”

“Are we?” Lei pointed to the sky. “I’ve never seen that before.”

There was a new moon in the sky, and it was a moon Xu’sasar had never seen. Or was it? It seemed hazy, indistinct, and Xu’sasar felt that she could see the stars shining through its heart.

“That’s your moon, Lady Lei,” Kin said. “Let us move swiftly before it arrives in full glory. Mount up while I change into something more appropriate to our new surroundings.”

With that, his face rippled . Darkness flowed out across his hair like smoke across a fire, transforming golden blond to coal black, and his hair pulled in on itself. A tan spread across his skin. His clothing followed suit, as the velvet and silk of the courtier turned into a black robe hemmed in silver, with a silver veil beneath a deep hood.

“What manner of creature are you?” Xu’sasar said. She held the bone wheel in her hand, ready to throw, and the points were sweating venom in response to her anger. She knew Kin was a trickster. This power alone was no proof of treachery, but she held herself ready to strike.

“Oh, did you not know?” Kin said. His voice was deeper, slower. He pulled back the hood, and now his skin faded to dull gray, and his eyes became as white as Xu’sasar’s own.

“You’re a changeling?” Lei said.

“Yes,” Kin replied. “I was born in the land you know as the Eldeen Reaches. The people of my village follow the ways of the Greensinger druids and have close ties to the faerie court. As a child, I caught the eye of my mistress, and she brought me to Thelanis to serve as her envoy.” As he spoke, he resumed his Riedran guise.

“Wait,” Lei said, considering this. “So you’re a … changeling?”

“I suppose so,” Kin said. “Yet what I am now is your guide. The monolith we seek is a few leagues to the north. The lords of this land have impressive supernatural powers, and I suggest that we move quickly.”

“What about this?” Daine said, gesturing with the scabbard.

“Keep it, if you want,” Kin said. “Otherwise, I’ll hold onto it.”

“Fine.” Daine tossed the jeweled sheath to the changeling and mounted his horse.

“What dangers can we expect?” Xu’sasar said.

“The people of this land prefer not to travel,” Kin said. “With luck, the only challenge will be the guards at the monolith itself. If we do encounter anyone, let me speak on our behalf. I can be quite convincing, when I need to be.”

“I don’t think any of us speak Riedran anyway,” Lei said.

“You are mistaken, Lady Lei. My mistress fed you knowledge as well as food. Thanks to the waters of Dusk, you will understand all languages, and all who hear you speak will know the meaning of your words. The effect will fade, but it should suffice for the task you must accomplish-here and in Dal Quor. Now follow me.”

Xu’sasar considered the Queen of Dusk. She disliked Kin, all the more now that she had seen his true face. This Thelania … it was obvious that she was one of the great spirits, and she had been most generous in her gifts. Yet she too concealed her nature behind an elven face. Vulkoor was the great scorpion, the deadly hunter who strikes unseen. What primal nature was Thelania hiding?

They rode across a vast plain. Xu’sasar was born in rolling jungle, and this flatland was strange to her eyes, so empty, lacking even the hills or tors of the Huntsman’s realm in Thelanis. The fields were filled with tall grasses, and rodents and insects scattered as the fey horses pounded across the plains.

Daine rode next to Lei, and the two spoke quietly. Though Xu’sasar was still learning the customs of the outlanders, she could see that they did not wish her company, so she stayed close to Kin, keeping an eye on the changeling and the shadowy landscape.

“What’s that?” she said, pointing to the west. She could see a slight break in the silhouette of the grasslands, a sharp edge rising above the swaying plants.

“Ruins, I should think,” Kin replied. “This land has a long history of war, and when the current overlords took power, they razed the old cities and built anew. There are ruins scattered across Sarlona, usually far from any current village.”

This thought brought some small comfort to Xu’sasar. Xen’drik was a land of ruins, and the Qaltiar used these remnants of giant civilization as shelter, moving from one shattered city to the next. Surely these ruins differed greatly from what she was used to. Nonetheless, it was comforting to know that there was shelter in the wilds, if they should need it.