Chapter 1

Endings

“You could have helped them.” I accused Eof as we walked away from the mostly ruined town. Eof had teleported us directly back there, which was appreciated. Galbus had been in no condition to travel. He’d emerged from his stupor just long enough to tell the family of his betrothed about what had happened before slumping back into the bottomless depths of despair. “You could have warned the town, gotten me to help them earlier. Or you could have teleported me and Galbus straight to the enemy. You could even have rescued the townspeople yourself!”

Eof walked in silence for a moment. “You’re right.” He finally said. “I could have saved them. But should I have?” His words struck a tense chord within me. “Of course you should have!” I snapped. “Don’t start spouting some nonsense about the story being more important than their lives!” Eof snorted. “I won’t.” He said simply. “It’s understandable why the thought would come to your mind, but I do care about those people. I speak of choices. For all my power, I cannot be everywhere.” He sighed. “I once tried to gain the power I would need to prevent all suffering. You know how that turned out. Now I do what I can. I still have a plan, but I hold myself back. I do not seek omnipotence to complement my omniscience, no matter how much it hurts to see the evils I cannot prevent.” He waved a hand, and in a moment we were standing back in my workshop. “I abide by the constraints of the Authors. But I do help where I can. When it is necessary. This is why I have come to you.” I set down my pack, hanging my sword back on its mount on the wall. “Alright. What is it you want me to do? You mentioned something about fixing my mistakes? Changing my ending? And saving the Thread, of course. What do you see in the future that’s so terrible?”

“It is not what I see that is terrible. It is what I do not see.” Eof closed his eyes and exhaled. “The future is clouded from my sight. I see that great danger looms. But I cannot see what that danger is.” He shrugged, looking far too calm for a god who’d just admitted to mortality. If Eof’s vision could be clouded… “How?” My voice did not shake, but it felt as though it should have. “How is it possible? I thought you had a plan. Even when I was a Narrator, I couldn’t break free of it.” Eof shook his head. “My memories have been altered. I cannot say for how long, but I think…” He paused. “No, I hope that it was me who did it.” I blinked. “Erase your own memory? Why would you do that?” He merely shrugged. “Because I saw that it was the only way to achieve the best outcome. But still, I… worry. If it was someone else who did this to me… even if it was me, this action rankles of the man I used to be. The man who would do anything for his plan.” His brow furrowed, and he drummed his fingers on his leg. “Regardless. I have seen a great threat to the Thread. It is coming, and I can see only a few, limited things about it. One of those is that you will be involved.” He looked at me grimly. “I see many possibilities around you. You might help prevent the darkness, or you may usher in its coming. You may die, or you may live. Even if you do die, you may still play a part in the coming events. So I have come to give you what advice I can. To help you find the right path. Will you accept my advice?” I hesitated. Was this all some manipulation? Was his story about clouded vision just a lie to make me accept his help? My fingers drummed on my leg as I stared deeply into Eof’s iridescent eyes. They glowed with power. They were mysterious, all-knowing, unknowable. But also… uncertain. Perhaps even afraid. No. This is not a lie. “I will listen to what you have to say.” I sat down in a chair and gestured for him to do the say. “What is it you want me to do?”

He sat down as well, eyes alight. “You once fought the Witherlord. You were closer to slaying him than any in recent memory.”  I frowned. “Yes. I… hesitated. Allowed time for the binding to fail. It was over in a heartbeat. The Mordite blade I was using to fight him melted away at his command, leaving me with no way to kill him.” Eof nodded. “One of the reasons the Witherlord is so fearsome is his control over every weapon capable of killing him.” He said softly. “The end of the Luxsprites was also the end of Luxite, the only material besides Mordite that could threaten his life. Until recently.” I frowned. What was he tal-my breath caught in my throat. “The Plotblades?” Eof nodded again. “Most would be helpful against his power, but there is one that could bring about his end.” My eyes widened. “Endings?” With a weapon like that… I could face the Witherlord and defeat him once and for all. I could defeat any threat to the Thread. “You know where Endings is?” I asked eagerly. Eof leaned towards me, eyes pulsing with light. Then he nodded once more.