All Times Must End, Part 1

Hendat and Cormac had not ceased bickering in days. Nor had they given Erieri a moment’s peace. If she tried wandering off one direction across the ever-increasing expanse of the Planes of Time, they followed. In body and argument.

Their arguing no longer surprised Erieri. They had done nothing but since Cormac had returned to the planes. No, the surprise was their incessant need to stick with Erieri.

Whirling about she cried, “Enough!” The two paused for a moment and peered at her quizzically blinking. “Could you please take your argument elsewhere.”

They glanced at each other, shrugged, and turned back to Erieri. “No.”

Erieri took a step back at the unified flatness in their answer. She couldn’t recall them every agreeing so before. At least not so readily. And never so vehemently.

“No?” she repeated, recoiling from her shock. “No?”

“The last time we let you wander off–” Cormac began.

“That happened!” Hendat interrupted, gesturing at the thin glowing ribbon which trailed behind Erieri. A trickle of time, the thin strand connecting Erieri’s time to that of the Allurer. She hadn’t seen him in the weeks since they had saved each other’s time from the death clock. But the band connecting them had not dissipated.

The permeance had been the point.

Turning back to Hendat and Cormac, Erieri scoffed. “Would you prefer I have let our time die?”

Hendat stood silent, obviously without a good verbal response. He crossed his arms and glowered at her grumpily. “Harumph.” He made clear his displeasure though.

Cormac, as was his way, waited a bit more thoughtful in his response, allowing Hendat to express his annoyance first. After the last grumble faded from Hendat, Cormac spoke, “All times must end.”

Erieri’s mouth dropped open. All times must end? That had not been the answer she was expecting from either Hendat or Cormac.

Both had been, as she was, the Guardian of Time. Their very purpose was to guard and maintain the order of time within their sphere.

All times must end.

Erieri shook her head vigorously, backing from the sympathetic appraisals of the pair. “No! All times do not have to end.” She didn’t give either the time to protest her refusal. Instead, she spun on her heal and stomped deliberately across the plains, abandoning her random wandering to see what the area would bring. She strode purposely to the clock.

Her time’s clock, which stood at the center of the Plains of Time. Ticking away in its ever forward rhythm, it waited for Erieri.

“Erieri, what are you doing?” Hendat demanded behind her.

“Getting privacy!” she snarled. “And since you two won’t allow me that here…” Reaching out, she stretched her hand toward the clock. Her clock. Erieri was the guardian of time now. For all Hendat had proceeded her, and Cormac before him. Neither could mind their retirements and find some when else to be, but they did not command the clock. She did.

A sliver of light appeared at the base of the clock, extending halfway up its face. The sliver widened into an arched portal. Beyond the portal, Erieri saw a village. The streets were divided by a river running down the middle. A bridge curved gracefully over the waters.

Erieri’s heart ached at the sight. She hadn’t intended to summon that time. Hadn’t let herself even contemplate venturing there. All she had known was she wanted to go. However, staring at the village beyond, she could not think of a better time or place to be.

“That way lies pain.” Cormac said, quietly behind her. She turned back and found them at the edge of the clock area. Cormac had a hand on Hendat’s arm, restraining him from proceeding. Even if his dark glower said he wanted to pull Erieri back.

Cormac merely looked at her with his eyes slightly stretched. Not from the glare of light but concerned, she realized.

“All times are open to me,” Erieri said. “Even this one.”

“But not all times.” Cormac paused, closing his eyes tightly and breathing. Opening them again, he smiled at Erieri wanly. “All times are open to you, but that does not mean you should walk through all times.”

Hendat stepped forward, raising his hand and pointing the finger at the portal as to accuse her of some error. If he thought her so foolish, she could not fathom why he’d handed the guardianship to her. Before he spoke, Cormack restrained him again, yanking him back. The two men stared at each other.

Huffing, Hendat crossed his arm and turned aside. Erieri supposed that even though he looked the elder of the two, Cormac having been his predecessor still granted the man respect, for his role and his training.

Cormac turned back to her. “Not all time should be walked, but the choice is yours.”

Erieri stood still at the threshold of time. Cormac’s quiet and willingness to allow her the choice gave her pause.

Should she go?

Should she stay?

The thin ribbon of time connecting Erieri’s time to the Allurer’s drifted, crossing her vision. Hendat broke his gaze from her to glower at the ribbon. Their displeasure with her choice had not dissipated.

Erieri’s jaw tightened. If she stayed, she would surrender herself to their continuing expression of their opinions. Their disapproval.

No. She needed room. She needed to breathe.

Glancing over her shoulder, she looked again at the village. She needed that time. She didn’t glance at the men again. Erieri stepped over the threshold of time.