Free Lords Of Existence (Book 8) by Ron Collins Page B

the champions, yes. That is a necessity. But I think the only plane that needs to die is Adruin. It can fill a symbolic place in the hearts of others.”
    Leaxis’s energy dulled as she considered the thought.
    “I can agree to that,” she said. “Remove the creatures who know of Existence, and make an example of Adruin. In the process, remove the cancer that is Braxidane.”
    Agar bowed to her in the truest purple.
    “You will come with us, though, Agar, you will help us remove the stain that Braxidane has set upon us.”
    “Of course I will, Lord Council,” Agar replied.
    They left without hesitation, setting course for the node that Garrick had created, and setting course toward the champions of the Thousand Worlds.

Existence

    It was when Garrick emerged from the world of Nordesta, accompanied by little Ginka, the silver-skinned being with a dark hunger that that easily rivalled Garrick’s own, that he felt the brunt of the Lords’ attention. It burned against him like a brand.
    They knew he was here.
    Garrick created his own node, then. He waited there for his champions to emerge from their assigned worlds. He collected them up as they arrived, feeling their powers burn in the flow, feeling strength as their energy built around him.
    He understood them.
    He understood that they followed him not due to any edict he had made.
    They followed him because he was them.
    They followed him because he understood them as deeply as they loved their home worlds. They were men and women and creatures as strange as any he could recall. But he knew they stood for him because he stood for them.
    “Rest,” he told them as they came into his pod and shed their shells of magestuff this one last time. “Set gates and gather life force. The planewalker council will be here soon, and we must be ready.”

Chapter 16

    From across the street, Will watched Braxidane approach Amanda’s chambers. Upon Braxidane’s entrance, however, he crossed the dirt road and made his way into an alleyway. From there he shimmied up a drain pipe and edged closer to Amanda’s window to get an angle from which he could better hear their discussion. It was harder to hold on to the pipe these days, and he found it more difficult to steady himself against the brick wall. He was out of practice, that was for sure, but he was also getting too big for this kind of skullduggery.
    Still, he was able to wedge himself into a corner and peer into the room.
    He took smug satisfaction in noting the planewalker had arrived at precisely the appointed time, like a hired flunky coming to his patron with his hat in his hand. He couldn’t help but delight in the expression that colored Braxidane’s face. Even the way Braxidane carried himself when he walked showed his disgust at following such customs as keeping appointments. Yet that is exactly what he did.
    When the mighty fall, Will thought, they fall hard.
    Amanda’s “chambers” were made of a room built above the Brass Bottom, an inn in the middle of the city. Having already met with the Freeborn and provided their orders to support Darien, she was steeping tea and reading a manuscript as Braxidane knocked. Now the manuscript sat on a table between them, and Braxidane filled a chair across from her with his back mostly to Will’s view.
    “What do I need to do to help you?” she asked.
    Amanda looked older than she appeared. The shadows of late afternoon brought lines out that weren’t there otherwise. Or, perhaps it was not the lack of light that aged her, but instead the burden of leadership she had been carrying since the night Garrick defeated the planewalker and fled the city. The Freeborn were a frustrating lot during the best of times, and these were nowhere near the best of times. Will doubted Amanda had gotten more than two hours of uninterrupted sleep in days.
    “Join with me,” Braxidane said. “Use your reservoir and cast a link into my essence. Then let me ride along with you. Once we are