The Sworn Defender

by The Ranger

  "Finn would probably call that a divine sign, wouldn't he?" Eren laughed to himself as the statue bathed in the newfound light.

  "Have you thought of something?" Edmund inquired.

  He nodded slightly and looked across the vast darkness between them and their friend.

  "Richard!" he shouted. "Tear down the tower!"

  "Have you lost your mind?" Khora growled, grabbing his arm roughly. "We are in the tower!"

  "Yes, I understand that, but tearing this thing down was the plan from the start. Assuming he does his job right, it'll fall forward, and we'll be able to leap into the building in front of us. Once we're out of the way, he can cut through these things without worrying about us."

  "An intriguing concept, but have you forgotten that there is a wall between us and what you're proposing?" she pointed out.

  "Well, just give me a second; maybe we can try-" he began.

  A slight tug in his hand kept him from speaking further, and he looked down at the Viper. The blue light that illuminated its handle drifted upwards and encircled the flail's ball— coating each and every spike that laid atop it in a thin layer of powerful magic.

  "I think this will take care of the wall," Eren whispered, turning back to glance at Khora. "You trust me, don't you?"

  She looked at him cautiously and took a deep breath as she trudged to the edge of the platform.

  "You'd best not kill us here," she told him, turning to look in Richard's direction. "Tear the tower down!"

  Khora pointed at the building across from them and gripped the railing with her other hand.

  "Wait, wha-what's happening?" the boy that had let them in questioned. "What's he going to do to the tow-"

  "I see his vines!" Edmund announced, peeking over the opposite edge. "There's a lot of them!"

  Eren joined him and saw they had sprouted from the dirt on the other side of the wall and were now climbing the tower steadily. There were dozens of thin, bundled vines, and he wondered if Richard had changed his approach to assure their safety. There was not much time to think, however, as the structure began to buckle and groan, attacked from within and without until it started to collapse.

  It spilled forward, errant stones crashing onto the Seekers gathered below, and the bulk of the tower descending onto the building in front of it. Eren and the others were whipped away against the back of the platform as it caved forward; every ache he had felt in the last few days returned to his mind while he flew into the rail. It took every speck of energy he had left within him to burst forward and raise the Viper, slamming it ahead through the air. It exploded in a surge of potent magic and demolished the obstacles in its path. They crashed through the tear in the wall and poured across the hard floor that was ready to meet them. The entire structure shook for a moment as the tower's debris settled outside, but for the moment— it appeared they were safe from the Seekers.

  Eren raised his head and tried to move but felt a deep bite in his shoulder when he attempted to do so. He glanced at it and saw a thin piece of Torfir's arm had split and cut into his shoulder.

  "One last crack from beyond the grave, eh, spriggan?" he groaned, scanning the wound.

  Besides that, the rest of his injuries were less severe, although he could already sense a bruise forming on his stomach, where landing on his breastplate had pulled the air from his lungs. He thought of staying on the floor for a while longer, but Khora approached and held her hand out for him.

  "Is anyone hurt?" he muttered, accepting her help and looking towards the others.

  "Just a few scratches," the oldest boy called back as he looked over the other two, although there was a bloody scrape above his own eye.

  "I was just tossed around a bit, but I'm fine," Edmund answered, his body seemingly devoid of all injury. "Wait… Khora… you're bleeding."

  Eren looked at her and saw her hand slowly hover towards her face, where a long gash on her chin oozed crimson down her neck.

  "It's merely a scratch," she brushed aside, pulling a soft cloth from her pocket. "A flesh wound."

  She wiped at it gingerly and scraped the blood from her skin while Eren looked at her.

  "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a daring escape without an injury or two," he groaned, finding an almost-untouched chair to plop onto.

  "Yes, well, luck was very clearly on our side," she added. "I don't know what madness drove you to think of this… 'daring escape,' but I'm glad you did."

  "Oh, you wouldn't believe the coincidence of it all; I managed to get a glimpse into this place and-" he started to explain but quickly lost his voice as he scanned the room.

  It took him a few glances to realize it, but the statue that had glimmered brightly before was gone, as well as the small pedestal it had been sitting atop. A second look revealed that they were sitting in a storehouse stocked with a few crates of salt, wine, and other commodities. Not at all the sort of place that would possess a silver idol.

  "You've got to be joking," the young man murmured, furrowing his brow as he wondered if he had indeed seen the bright statue.

  Before anyone could ask any further questions, Richard burst into the room and looked them over intently.

  "How did you break through the wall?" he asked, turning to stare at Eren.

  "The Viper," he presented, holding the flail limply. "It did a thing, but it looks like the magic reserve, or whatever Khora called it, is hollow now."

  "That's… good, I think," he sighed, sparing a glance at the boys huddled in the corner.

  He tilted his head and slowly approached them, eyeing them intently.

  "There's six of you here," he muttered after a moment.

  "Why wouldn't there be?" Eren returned. "It's Khora, Ed, and myself, and the three we rescued from the tower."

  "Rescued?" the middling boy repeated.

  "Quiet," he hissed.

  "Yes, I realize," Richard continued. "But Finn mentioned two boys, not three. And when in our lives have you known him to be anything other than painfully particular?"

  "I suppose you're not wrong."

  "Actually, I noticed it too," Edmund murmured. "I didn't think it mattered much, though."

  The oldest of the boys nudged the youngest forward before beginning to speak.

  "It's him: his name is Jonathan, and he wasn't posted with us," the older boy started. "He's carrying a message for the Captain but ran to the tower instead when he crossed paths with those monsters."

  "What was the message?" Richard poked, looking the young boy square in the eyes.

  Jonathan was short, with a chubby face and a pale, rosy complexion. Dark curls of hair nearly clouded his eyes, which seemed to hold a bit of trepidation within them. Eren thought he could almost see guilt within them as well.

  "I-I was passing by the temple, and I saw that it was fu-full of people," Jonathan stammered, tugging on the edges of his shirt as he talked. "I thought I could try to get them to follow me back, but I realized it would just be best to tell the battlemaster what I saw. B-but before I cou-could find him, I was surrounded by the Soul Seekers."

  "At the temple?" Richard repeated. "How many?"

  "Wait, can't you… sense that sort of thing?" Edmund questioned.

  "N-no, I suppose I can't right now. Not really. With the Seekers everywhere, it's become a bit difficult to see things within the darkness. I only managed to pinpoint their master because he… he's like a beacon of dark power."

  They turned back to look at Jonathan, who had been watching their exchange intently.

  "So, answer the question, Jon," Eren requested. "How many of them were there?"

  "I'm… not sure," the boy replied. "Perhaps two hundred or so? Two-hundred-and-a-half? There were still a handful of empty pews. I'm just not sure how safe it is."

  "Well… maybe safe enough," Richard added. "It may be the best place for them right now. The temple is a sturdy thing; even if the Seekers begin an attack, I can't imagine it being breached."

  "We should stil
l see to them," Khora joined. "If matters with the sorcerer grow grim, we don't want them to be trapped within."

  "I understand, but I can't do it now. The sky is growing darker, and I need to head to the castle. I can't turn my attention elsewhere anymore."

  "They shouldn't be left behind," Jonathan whispered, stepping closer to them. "No one should be abandoned in a place they aren't meant to be."

  Eren observed the boy carefully and saw that he had turned his eyes to look directly at Khora. Then, he saw resolve cross her face once more.

  "I will go," she volunteered. "You will need time to clear the path for Finnegan, and while you do that— I will see to the temple. If it's manageable, I'll initiate their escape myself."

  "Are you sure?" Eren questioned. "I had thought you were set on going with Richard to the castle."

  "I am, but I can't leave these people to their fate," she murmured, turning to look at Richard carefully. "So, with that in mind, I ask that you stay your hand until my return. Do what Finnegan needs of you, and I will be swift, and I will be precise— and I will be there to stand at your side once our people are safe."

  "As much as I'd like to sit here and wait for you, there is no more time for hesitation," he countered, crossing his arms over his breastplate.

  "That is why I will have none," she replied. "And I will be ready to fight."

  Khora looked at him expectantly, a glimmer of optimism shining through her slight smile. He seemed to drift away for a moment as he thought about her words. Finally, he looked back at her, with acceptance clear on his face.

  "Fine," he muttered. "Take only as long as you need, and I'll be here with Finnegan, ready for your return."

  She clapped her hand on his forearm and grinned for a moment, almost as if her worry had been vanquished by his soft words.

  "I'll go with you too," Edmund joined. "It wouldn't be right for me to let you go alone."

  "Then let us go do what we must," she said, walking towards the door Richard had come in from.

  "Wait," he called back, stopping her in her tracks. "There are stairs behind that door in the corner— they lead to an alley, and it'll let you avoid the main road."

  He pointed to a door nearly hidden by the room's junk, and she marched towards it.

  "Thank you," she nodded. "We'll see you soon."

  He nodded back at her as the pair trudged out of the room and waited a few moments while their steps receded down the staircase. There was silence, and some seconds after that, Richard turned to look at Eren.

  "I need you to take these boys back to Finn," he murmured. "I'm going to the castle."

  Eren almost cocked his head back in surprise as he looked at his friend.

  "Wait, but you just told them-" he tried to say.

  "I know what I said to her," he cut. "It had to be said. Those people may need her, and it's better that she not be with me when my battle begins."

  Shock fell away, replaced by a fledgling anger that reached into Eren's throat.

  "Well, what about us, then?" he whispered. "You'll leave us behind to fend off these damned gatekeepers ourselves?"

  "I've already defeated the Seekers outside," Richard revealed. "Once I was sure my attacks would not touch you, I let my fire fly free. The road has been cleared for Finn and the rest; all you need to do is meet him and let him know."

  Eren seemed taken aback as he looked at his friend's face and saw the unflinching determination upon it.

  "And I had always thought you were a terrible liar."

  "So did Lucian," his friend replied. "He used to always tell me that when he'd catch me in a fib. But, times have changed."

  "They have," he repeated. "They have…"

  Richard trudged forward and held out his hand towards him. It lingered there for a moment before Eren moved forward and stretched his arms around his friend, holding him tightly for a moment.

  "You'd best not die, you damned idiot.".

  "I won't," Richard promised before stepping away. "Now, it's time we go do what we're meant to."

  He showed him a determined grin as he went back the way he had come, but it felt hollow. Where he was going, there would be no such sentiment. Eren knew it, and he knew Richard did as well.

  He stared at the open door for a moment too long, and Jonathan approached him quietly.

  "Shouldn't we go find Finnegan?" he questioned, looking up at him.

  "Ah, yes," the young man sighed. "I suppose we should get moving. Come now, boys. Follow me."

  He led them out of the room and turned to shut the door, yet his eyes scanned the place one last time as they searched for the elusive dragon idol. It was nowhere to be found.

  It was not long before they managed to rejoin the rest of the procession, although it had felt like quite a stretch of time for Eren. He hadn't bothered to run or even jog as they made their way back. His thoughts were not on the people he hoped to save or even on the boys that harped at him curiously. His mind dwelled on his friends and the missions they had set out to complete, on the dangers that he could only begin to imagine.

  Soon enough, though, Eren was forced from his absent thinking as he led the boys to Finnegan, and the battlemaster turned to meet them.

  "Your sleeve is soaked in blood," the captain pointed out to him.

  "Yes, I know, but, more importantly— the path is clear, Finn," Eren told him, allowing a curt bow. "It's time we get these people moving."

  "And Richard?" the captain inquired. "Did he stay behind to keep watch?"

  "No, he… he's already gone ahead to the castle. It looks like the real fight's about to start."

  His former battlemaster seemed to grimace for an instant before returning to a more neutral disposition.

  "There was no stopping that, I suppose," he whispered. "And what of Edmund and — uh — Khora? Did they accompany him?"

  "No, one of your boys actually brought a message back to us," he murmured, turning back to them. "It looks like the temple-"

  He found himself falling silent as he glanced at the two boys that stood behind him. They, too, seemed confused as they spared a cursory look at their surroundings. Jonathan was no longer among them, and Eren strained himself attempting to remember when he had split off from the group.

  "What was the message?" Finn prodded, his eyebrow slightly raised.

  "Yes, um…" Eren trailed, facing him once more. "It seems the temple's crowded with people, so Khora and Edmund have gone to see what's happening there."

  "No, that's absurd," the battlemaster rejected. "I personally went to the temple when this whole mess began. It seemed empty."

  "Seemed?" he repeated, staring at his mentor. "Well, did you go inside?"

  "Why would I go-" Finn began to say before a look of bewilderment sprang across his face. "No, I… I didn't go inside. I… I don't remember… why didn't I go inside?"

  The older man's face was creased with confusion as he attempted to focus, but it did not appear as if an answer would come to him.

  "Well, no matter what you did or didn't do before. You can berate yourself later," his former student told him. "But for now, we've got to get these people out of the city, and then we can focus on what's next."

  "Yes… yes, you're right," Finnegan murmured. "We'll get them through the gate, and then you and I can head to the temple to help your friends. High Priest Kota has always seemed a bit zealous, but I have faith that he'll manage until we arrive."

  "Excellent, let's get this herd moving, then," Eren suggested, gesturing ahead.

  The pair quickly sprung into action, relaying orders and organizing their peoples' movement— yet no matter what he distracted himself with, Eren could not discard the unsettling feeling that murmured in his chest. A quiet anxiety that slithered deeper into his heart with every breath.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Khora

  The Temple of Azra loomed high in front of them; it was the only building of its kind within the entire territory. It sat at the edge of
both the commons and the illustrious avenues that resided deeper in the city.

  As the evening grew fuller, dark shadows cast themselves across every crack and crevice that found itself within the prestigious structure's hallowed form. It was similarly designed to Castle Azra, bearing ominous gray stone and simple carved accents, but it was perhaps a third of its size, and at its head had been sculpted the terrifying face of, what Khora presumed to be, the dragon Izkar. She watched it intently as she marched towards the massive structure.

  "I've never actually set foot within this place," she murmured as she and Edmund approached the temple, attempting to peer through its scarlet stained glass.

  "Did you know that it's called a basilisk?" he proudly informed her.

  Khora could not help but whip around to face him when he said that.

  "Wh… what did you just say?"

  "A basilisk," he repeated. "I met a few traders from Syvon who had come to deliver something for the priests, and they told me that, while we call this a temple, 'basilisk' is their word for it."

  "Edmund," she whispered, trying hard to stifle a laugh. "A basilisk is a predatory creature, a monstrous thing that I hope neither you nor I ever have the misfortune of encountering."

  "Oh," he replied, sounding a bit befuddled. "Well, they said something like that… basilikar? Varsika? They taught me some elf words, but I don't remember them…"

  "That is understandable… Mirin is not a very well-known tongue outside of elven settlements," she explained. "It intrigued me when I was a girl, but I never made an attempt to learn more. For that, I am a bit remorseful."

  "Well, there's still plenty of time to do that once this whole mess is behind us," he told her, a smile bright on his face.

  "Yes, as if there is someone in Azra that could teach me elvish. I'm more likely to find a basilisk in a school hall than someone here who speaks Mirin."

  "Well, I didn't mean Azra, specifically. As great as it is having you around, I thought you wanted to leave? To go back to the Norva?"