Path of the Traitors

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “I didn’t realize I was doing it,” the channeler admits, refusing to look up at the smiling goddess. Laying the body down, she snaps her fingers and watches a hazy figure fade into the darkness. “She wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. I had one too, but was too scared to tell her or Quail the truth. They were the embodiment of what I wanted for our people. A chaos elf and an outsider in love and willing to make a future. It already happens now, but they would have been the first to do so openly in the new world.”

  Ambrosine embraces her favorite chosen and strokes the mortal’s hair, her fingers leaving shimmering trails. “You really don’t understand love. All of your confidence and willpower crumbles in the face of a broken heart. Guess that makes you more of a hero than you ever realized. Don’t you see that you shouldn’t be sad about them being separated? Cherish the fact that they happened in the first place. Quail will hurt for a long time, but he will endure and that means Altia will live on in some fashion. A symbol’s real power isn’t in its form, but in its longevity. Tell their story and use it to promote peace. An elf fell in love with a chaos elf and sacrificed herself for a leader who was not truly hers. That has to be worth a memorial painting or two.”

  “I can’t tell if you’re being callous or hiding your pain with humor,” Trinity mentions while wiping at her tears. Returning to the fire, she is about to get some soup, but snaps and hurls the meal into the forest. “This is ridiculous! How much suffering do I have to endure before you let me rest? You expect me to cherish Quail and Altia as a symbol, but that doesn’t change the fact that they never had a chance to be together. They were living creatures, Ambrosine, which means they deserved happiness. If I wanted a symbol, I’d sit down and draw one! Do you have to make everything come with tears and pain? Tell me, what my people have left to hold onto, especially if the champions lose against the Baron?”

  “They have you.”

  “Not good enough!”

  “You inspire people to fight with all of their strength. This is done with little effort on your part, which is something most leaders can only dream of.”

  “Then why-”

  “Be your own damn symbol, child, and get the job done.”

  Stunned by the anger dripping from the goddess’s voice, Trinity stands at attention and refuses to move. She relaxes when Ambrosine puts a cool finger against her forehead and runs it down her face. The powerful being’s hand grips her chin and pulls her close for a kiss to the cheek, the pressure barely felt. A tremble runs through Trinity’s body as she feels a swirling mix of happiness and sorrow grip her heart. Holding her chest, the channeler backs away and nearly trips over the small fire.

  “Chaos elves are different from all others,” Ambrosine declares as she vanishes. Hands rise from the earth to claim Altia’s body, which becomes whole and clothed in a white gown. “We retain some of the active demon taint that created the Hejinn. Unlike the other elves, we have suffered in the shadows. This has made us grow stronger because it is where we thrive. Very few things are more dangerous than a suffering and cornered chaos elf. Gather all of your pain and anguish into your heart, Queen Trinity, and show Windemere what you are capable of. As I said, it’s time for you to be a symbol. Not only for our people like you have always been, but for the entire world. Everyone must see you as the face of Shayd. Now, stop moping in the woods and get to Gaia. Your army will be there soon.”

  The fire dies, leaving only a faint glow around Trinity’s body, which acts as the sole light source. She remains in the clearing in the hopes of Ambrosine returning, but knows that she is merely wasting time. Holding out her hands, she sprouts feathers and her face stretches until it ends in a beak. She shrinks to the size of a small cat while her arms become wings and her feet grow silver talons. Crystalline tail feathers wind from her rear and spread out into a fan that sends her into the sky with a single flap. With a high-pitched shriek, Trinity rockets across the kingdom of Serab like a glittering comet.

  17

  “No pushing and try to help those who are having trouble!” Kira Grasdon shouts from the top of Gaia’s outer wall. The raven-haired heiress waves her chain and sickle to direct a pair of griffin riders to help with the evacuation. “I know the Baron can arrive any minute, but stampeding only gets people hurt and killed. Make room for carts! Those on foot can use the smaller doors, but the carts can only fit through the main entrances. Can somebody get those infants off that rooftop?”

  “Fizzle save babies!” the drite shouts before darting toward the baskets. He divides into a swarm of copies that grab the wicker handles and a surprised nurse with their tails. “Fizzle sorry, nice lady. Need you safe too. Bad man coming. Friends need space for fight. Get all far away from Gaia.”

  “Thanks, Fizzle!” Kira shouts while the purple-scaled dragons fly overhead. She stops at the sight of a strange bird in the distance, the creature’s crystalline tail feathers reflecting the rising sun. “What in all of Windemere is that? Hey, Skyblade and Karwyn, I think we have a message coming, but I can’t tell from who.”

  Kira hurries down the stairs and is met by Daniel Skyblade, the bald swordsman already covered in sweat from hours of work. His silk clothes remain clean and faintly smell of chocolate, which gives his companion a slight pause. He hands the young woman a waterskin, which she empties in seconds and tosses to a soldier carrying a barrel. Seeing that Aedyn is already leaving his post, the two warriors hurry to catch up to the priest. They slow down to a cautious walk when they see the half-elf spin his staff and lift it over his head, the sun-shaped top shining like a tiny star. Fizzle lands on Aedyn’s shoulder to whisper in his ear, causing him to lower his weapon and reduce his attack spell to a subtle glow. Rubbing at where his metal legs meet his flesh and bone, he waits patiently for the others to catch up and gestures for them to put their weapons away.

  “Do not do anything that will cause a riot,” Aedyn whispers, his blue eyes never straying from the bird. A hissing voice to his left threatens to break his concentration, but the sound disappears within seconds. “Fizzle checked the animal and says it is friendly. I just heard from Kellia, which confirms that this person is now on our side. We should tell Mayor Highrider that Queen Trinity is about to arrive and should not be attacked. Though, I think we should remain cautious. Last I heard, she was on a journey with Ni . . . two rather untrustworthy individuals that might have turned her again.”

  “I think she’ll be fine,” Kira interjects with a smile. Taking advantage of the break, she stuffs a slice of bread into her mouth and beats her chest to make sure it goes down. “You two have more political ties than me, so I’ll do the vouching. This way only the adventure-addicted merchant puts her neck and reputation on the line.”

  “Thank you, but you can stop being so aggressive, Lady Grasdon,” Daniel says, frowning at the brown-skinned woman. Wiping his head with a handkerchief, the nobleman squints at Gaia and points at one of the griffins. “Why is that one turning away from the city? I don’t think it has a rider either. Is something wrong with the colors too?”

  Other people notice the griffin and shout at the shadowy creature, which soars toward the approaching bird. A blast of wind washes over the land as the two beasts collide, the gales knocking anyone not wearing heavy armor down. Nobody moves as they watch the figures rise higher in the sky and transform into silhouettes that vanish among the clouds. Thunder rumbles from the emerging storm, but streams of flowers are released instead of the lightning that dances around the edges. Children dance in the bizarre rain until their parents drag them away and run in the opposite direction of the unseen battle. A knight forms from the clouds and raises its fists, but a javelin of solidified air impales its wide chest. Deflating with a pathetic whimper, the construct drips to the ground to create a pool of mist. Fire streams across the storm and converges on a single point that explodes and gives a crimson hue to the exposed sky. Echoing gasps can be heard as the combatants tire and appear to take a break from fighting. The pause only lasts
a minute before those below hear the crack of an impact and watch a solitary figure sail toward the city. Yola hits the earth and skids until her head gets stuck under Gaia’s wall, the immortal’s body releasing wisps of steam.

  “For the last time, I’ve had it with this game!” Trinity screams, landing a few steps away from the immortal. She ignores the screams that ensue as most of the evacuating locals head back into the city for safety. “Now I have this mess to deal with. Sorry, everyone! I’m not here to cause trouble. Wanted to help with the fight and was going to make a subtler entrance. Keep running for your lives, but not from me. Please don’t go back into the city! Are you happy now, Yola?”

  The black and white woman’s legs transform into those of a mule in order to kick the chaos elf away. Crashing into one of the gathered armies’ tents, Trinity gets tangled in the striped fabric and has to transform into a butterfly to escape. Darting to the side, she narrowly avoids Yola’s head, which has become a fanged net. Returning to normal, the channeler coats her fist in a churning spell that even she is not entirely sure of. Delivering a stunning punch unleashes a geyser of water that knocks both women into the air and slams them into the mud. Before she can stand up, Trinity feels a tight grip on the back of her neck and is dragged to where her old friend has become an enormous mouth with arms. She hurls a lightning bolt that the immortal swallows, which sets off another spell that returns the immortal to her true form.

  “I can’t go home without you. I tried and they drove me away,” Yola cries, her body sprouting fresh wounds. Still trying to reel in the chaos elf, she grows more arms that wrap around her prey. “You owe me for everything I did. Those mercenaries were going to execute you no matter what. I turned them into useful tools who protected you. If it wasn’t for me, you would have died in Ashkeep and the crests would have been lost. All I want for my reward is to eat you and return home. It’s a fair trade. I made sure that you wouldn’t suffer and you’ll do the same for me like a real friend.”

  Lashing out with a blade-like tongue, Trinity frees herself and leaps away from a final pair of grabbing limbs. “That receptacle army tried to kill me. Not to mention you put a spell on them that nearly crippled me. You betrayed me even more than this whole devouring me for power thing. I can’t trust your words or actions, Yola.”

  “What spell?”

  “The shared suffering reactive spell or whatever you want to call it.”

  “I didn’t do that.”

  “Well, somebody did and you were the one who made the receptacles.”

  Holding up her hand, Yola rips a hole in thin air and pokes her head through to look at the ruins of Ashkeep. The whispers of a conversation can be heard, but none of the words are clear from the portal’s Gaian side. With a gasp of shock, the immortal closes the opening and stands with her hands behind her back. The sheepish, innocent expression on her face makes Trinity more cautious than ever, so she leaps away when Yola advances. Confused by the chaos elf’s response, the green-haired woman tries to charge forward only to be knocked to the ground by a large hand of grass and mud.

  “I made a mistake,” the former goddess admits, her face still down in the muck. Reversing her body, she sits up and wrings the dirty water from her arms. “The receptacles were supposed to make their attackers feel pain, but I guess it became mental instead of physical. It was like that at the beginning. Maybe something about you caused the spell to change. Don’t you want a release from your suffering?”

  “Yes, but on my terms and not by dying,” Trinity replies as the soldiers and citizens inch closer. Not wanting them to be in danger, she creates a towering bear of acid that scares them back to their original positions. “All that time in Shayd and away from the gods, you never figured out what suffering really is. Of course not since you’re always happy and shrug off negative emotions before you can understand them. Damn it, Yola, you always make it hard for me to stay angry at you.”

  “Are we friends again?” the immortal excitedly asks with a smile. She pulls a knife and fork out from behind her back, but tosses them aside when the chaos elf frowns. “The bad stuff never seemed important when there was so much fun for me to have. It’s a shame that I won’t get to see the world, but I want to go home. My heart hurts and I want it to stop. Returning to Ambervale might stop that.”

  “You’re homesick and feeling abandoned,” the channeler softly explains. Seeing Yola’s chest start to open, she grips her friend by the shoulders to stop the disturbing reveal. “There are children watching and that will scare them. Did you ever consider that being away from Ambervale and Shayd is a good thing? Not that you won’t be allowed back if the Baron falls and I take over. This might be the perfect opportunity for you to grow, Yola. How about this? Spend time with mortals and return to me from time to time. We can talk and I’ll help you figure out any mysteries that you come across. When I’m on my deathbed, we can discuss the whole devouring thing again. Maybe we’ll have found another way to get you home by then. Besides, what’s a few decades to an immortal?”

  “I do want to see the Canst’s Fields ruins and poke at the Ice Crown,” Yola admits with a smirk. An idea pops in her head and she snaps her fingers repeatedly, the action distracting her for a few seconds. “Those who ascended to godhood all remember being mortal, so that’s all I have to do before you agree to help me. I only have to find people who perfectly embody each emotion and taste their experience. Why spend decades when I can simply see the world in a few weeks by taking a shortcut? I can start with you and learn what sorrow is really like. This won’t hurt a bit.”

  “That sounds like a bad-”

  Trinity’s body locks to the point where she is barely able to breathe and her joints ache from the pressure. She starts to free herself from the paralysis when she is engulfed by Yola’s hair, which enters every pore of her body. All she can hear is the immortal humming while thoughts and emotions blur through her mind. It does not take long for the images to slow down and reveal all of her painful experiences. One by one, they sink into a green void where they are chewed by unseen teeth. Voices come out of the gloom, many of them begging for mercy or praising Trinity for trying to save them. It takes her a moment to recognize the words of her people, which reminds her of how many chaos elves she failed to protect. Curling into a ball, the channeler waits for the misery and sorrow to consume her completely. In the back of her mind, she can feel an urge to survive, but the memories are too crushing for her to hold onto the defiance that has kept her alive for so long.

  The crunching gets slower with every memory, Yola’s gasps and heaving sobs creating cracks in the void. Unable to take any more, the immortal releases Trinity and stumbles back with her hair whipping in every direction. A horrifying chill runs through her body, which she tries to erase by setting her body on fire. Yola unleashes a scream that shatters all of the glass in Gaia and lifts the shards into the sky. She whimpers and makes the giant orb explode, the pieces returning to their proper place. The former goddess stares blankly at Trinity and holds up her hand, which is gradually turning into ice.

  “I didn’t know a mortal could hold so much pain,” Yola says, limping toward her friend. She collapses to her knees, which start to freeze to the ground. “So cold and scary. I’m sorry I tried to eat you, Trinity. This isn’t going away like I want it to. Just makes more ice and keeps making me feel cold. How can creatures survive like this?”

  “Don’t overreact, Yola,” Trinity nervously replies while reaching out with hands of flame. A burst of cold freezes the fire, which shatters into a crystal curtain. “All is forgiven, so stop goofing off. I told you we can find another way home or you can get your wish when I’ve already lived my life. This isn’t making any sense.”

  “Of course it does. My head is clear now,” Yola whispers as she stands. Holding out her arms and facing the sky, she adjusts her hair into a flare before the tresses turn to ice. “While not as old as Gola or the Four Moons, I’m a primordial deity. Losing my standing
is one thing, but I was never meant to have these emotions. Not unless I had my true power to help counteract them. Guess you devoured me in the end. Sorry about causing you so much trouble. Think I’ll go somewhere warm and think about what I did. Good luck, your majesty. Hopefully, we’ll get to meet again and do real friend stuff like shopping, pillow fights, shark wrestling, bake ice cream, and-”

  With an ear-wrenching creak, Yola freezes completely and falls forward. Trinity tries to catch her friend, but the statue passes through her and vanishes into the mud. A wave of sadness and desire for roasted mutton overtakes the chaos elf, who stares ahead even when she is surrounded by soldiers. She is barely aware of Fizzle landing on her shoulder and Kira taking her by the arm. For an instant, Trinity sees a black and white figure dancing on the edge of her vision, which makes her smile and fight back a handful of the tears.

  *****

  “They’re ready for you,” Kira says, her head sticking out of the pavilion tent. She sighs at a small outburst from inside and bites her lower lip until she calms down. “As ready as they’re going to be. Aedyn is cautious since you were traveling with Nimby and the Lich. Mayor Highrider and Lord Skyblade are arguing because one thinks you’re going to betray everyone. It switches depending on the discussion. You probably want to avoid eye contact with the dwarves, Zarian priest, and the orc representative. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Trinity stops twirling her fingers to create snowflake patterns above her head and slowly gets to her feet. Looking at her clothes, she notices for the first time that they are covered in dirt and blood. Wiping the mess off, she changes her shirt and pants into a sleeveless suit of leather armor. Grabbing a nearby dagger from a table, Trinity puts it on her belt and enchants it with a simple acid spell that creates false emeralds in the hilt. She pulls a cape out of her pocket, but tosses it aside when Kira shakes her head and scowls. Running her fingers through her hair leaves a mystical shimmer and wipes her exhaustion away. Unable to stall any longer, Trinity straightens her back and marches into the tent. She stops immediately due to a metal hammer swinging within an inch of her nose.