Chapter 732: Ever Moving

Chapter 732: Ever Moving

Three months.

Three months had passed since Alex, Bjorgrund and Birger had begun their search for Keldas sanctum. Three long months of cold, danger, frustration, and disappointment.

Time was running short.

Only a few weeks remained until Toraka was out of golems.

According to Claygon, her agitation was giving way to panic.

That feeling was no stranger to either Alex or the two giants lately.

It now felt like the church had become expert at tracking them. A night rarely passed without Birgers wards being breached, and hardly a day went by without the trio having to elude churchsentries lying in wait.

It felt like a noose was tightening around their necks.

Gradually, it would strangle the three of them.

Theyd grown increasingly desperate, resting less so they could search more.

The giants were staying awake longer and Alex was sleeping less, harvesting less, mindful of what a church ambush would mean while he was gathering his soul substance. The amount of time he could spend harvesting was limited, but hed been able to half fill the bottle ValRok had given him. Each day they teleported from location to location, combing through different areas obsessively. So far, theyd searched every circled spot on the map three times over, even while dodging dogged pursuers.

And still, theyd found nothing that could lead them to what they sought.

No sanctum.

No hidden doors.

Not even a single clue hinting at where it might be.

Even using Restful Slumber, the Fool of Thameland was having trouble sleeping for the two short hours he needed. His dreams were rarely peaceful, plagued by endless tundras, sinister forests with twisting trees as tall as mountains, and mountain ranges that seemed to warp and twist around him, confusing his every path.

And always, there was the church, hunting him, even in his dreams.

During every waking momentwhen he and his companions werent searchinghis thoughts were filled with a single problem.

Tonight was no different.

He and the two giants had camped in a makeshift snow cave dug in the side of a mountain pass. Bjorgrund and Birger were busy wolfing down a quick supper of dried salmon and porridge made from pilfered wheat cooked over a campfire, while Alex paced back-and-forth outside the burrow.

His hands were clasped behind his back as he muttered to himself, breath misting in the chill night air. What am I missing? What am I missing? What am I missing? What am I missing?

He repeated the question over and over as he had day in and day out.

Kelda wanted to hide her sanctum. She wanted to be sure that only she and whoever else she wanted, knew where no, that's not right. He shook his head. She wanted to make sure that she was the only one who could enter the sanctum. She never told anyone where it was. She wasnt even specific about its whereabouts with members of her own organisation. She only told them it was located in one of four places.

He chewed his lower lip. Did she bury it underground? Uhmthat's not likely. I had earth and ice elementals go deep into the earth, checking layers of stone, soil, frozen dirt, glaciers, everything below ground, and they found nothing, no matter how deep they went. Maybe they haven't looked deep enough yet? Or maybe I didn't send them to the right places? Ugh. Im sure the Guild must have sent earth elementals looking underground at some point. Why wouldnt they? If I had that idea, then somebody else mustve had the same idea in the last three hundred years.

The young wizard glanced around the mountain pass, remembering the church, his nerves twitching. Maybe I should go back inside so Im near Bjorgrund, Birger and our supplies if they show up suddenly.

But, he didnt go inside, he remained where he was, thinking. Just taking a few precious moments to be alone and think. To really think.

Maybe Birgers right? Maybe the Guild did lie to usor, hells, maybe theyre just plain wrong. Maybe they have no clue where her sanctum is, he wondered aloud. Okay stop, don't focus on that, focus on what you knowwhich isnt much. He thought about what Birger had said a week or so ago, about who Kelda trusted. Over time, those words had played in his mind over and over.

They were significant, he felt that in his bones, but he couldnt put together why.

Who Kelda trustedwho Kelda trusted he repeated. She was supposed to trust Birger and the Guild, but it seems not enough to share the location of her sanctum with them. So, I guess she couldn't have trusted them that much. Maybe there was someone else she trusted more, someone whod helped her. Hannah had mentioned people helping her sowait! Oh wait!

Think about it! The thieves travel to their Guild house through a portal, a portal Kelda set up, whathundreds of years ago? Longer? he said. There was also the portal in Hannahs cave;that one was around until recently! If she could do that, what else could she do with that power?

He bent down, poking four holes in the snow with his index finger. Keldas sanctum is supposed to be in one of four places, right? Yet weand who knows how many other people over the centuries have been looking for ithave never found it.

So, are you thinking it's not in any of those four places? Bjorgrund asked.

No! Quite the opposite, I think it's in all of those places! Alex shouted. What if the sanctum moves?

The giants looked at each other.

Like a wagon? Birgers eyes narrowed.

No, not like a wagon. What if it moves like we move? What if it moves by teleporting from place to place? One time it's in the forest He pointed to the first indentation. His finger shifted to another. the next, it's in the mountains, then on the tundra, and then it's on the island! It could move to another place every time someone's getting too close to it, or maybe it just moves constantly!

Like a bird in flight, avoiding the eyes of the falcon, Bjorgrund murmured.

Well said, son, well said Birger ran his fingers through his beard. Like an albatross does, spending most of its life on the move. Or all of its life on the move! But if what you say is right, then how do we find it?

I can sense anything that uses the Travellers power, if its near, Alex said. But I didnt sense anything when we were searching the four spots on the map, individually.

Maybe we were just unlucky, and it wasn't there when we were. Or maybe it felt us and moved, Bjorgrund suggested.

Or maybe it's moving so constantly, that I just couldn't feel it It's harder to see something thats moving really fast, right? And with the Travellers power, you can be gone in an instant. In a heartbeat, it could be in a different place in any one of those locations.

How will you find it, then? Bjorgrund asked.

Ill have to reach for it.

Alex sat cross legged on the snow, his eyes closed. By feeling the four locations at once.

He reached into himself, touching Hannah's power, reaching across distances, spreading the power like the fingers of a hand. He teleportedfocusing on where he was and where he wanted to be. Alex focused on all four locations.

His proficiency with Hannah's power had grown; what would have been impossible three months ago, was easy now. He spread the power over the forest, feeling nothing. At the same time, he spread it over the island, still feeling nothing. Then, over the tundra, lastly, over the southern mountains, and

Alex gasped.

Touching the four spots on the map simultaneously, something reached back, moving so rapidly it felt as though it was in each location at onceand yet in none of them.

Whatever was there was immenseblazing with the Travellers power. Hed never felt it so strongly before.

I got it! he screamed.

What? Birger cried.

Grab the gear then touch me! Alex cried. I found it!

The giants scrambled to break camp, gathering everything theyd unpacked, throwing it all back in their bags. Shouldering the packs, they nodded to each other and touched Alex's broad shoulders.

The young wizard took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.

He vanished.

The cold faded.

The wind died.

His eyes flicked open.

Two pairs of burning red eyes watched him.