Naiel… That name was Dokkalfari.
Ahna wondered, just for a minute, what Cedric’s tormented past could have been, and who Naiel had been to him. The shrike had fought during the Uprising and, in the end, he blamed himself for its failure. He blamed his foolishness for letting the Resistance be betrayed. Ahna understood his pain. Guilt was a sentiment that shackled even the bravest of soldiers. Cedric’s guilt had made him the troubled man he was today. Despite his heroic acts, this man could not look at himself in the mirror without seeing the shadow of guilt.
The silence resounded in the chapel. Cedric took another deep breath. “Lately I’ve heard the whispers again.” He passed his hand in his hair.
“They’ve come to claim your soul,” Ahna inferred, and Cedric gave her a distant nod.
He kept nodding pensively. “I guess it’s finally my time to die.”
“Cedric...” Ahna did not have any words.
“When I die, that’s it for me.” He stared at his feet. “I consorted with darkness, and I will die in darkness.”
He kept his gaze on the ground. He brought his hand above his knee, then turned it around. Ahna observed his motion, and his hand began to fade. Cedric clenched a fist. His hand slowly returned to flesh.
“You made the greatest sacrifice to keep living for the cause. That is not unholy, that is heroic!” As Ahna spoke, Cedric shook his head, dismissing the words she had said.
The glimpse of a crazy idea then passed between her thoughts. Maybe she could do something. The idea sparked an impulse in her mind. She had to go make a deal. She rose to her feet and told him to wait. He searched for her eyes, but she had already left the room. He wanted to run after her, but he was more confused than anything else. Ahna then rushed toward the lowest level of the barracks, the dungeon. At the end of the hallway of the third level below ground, there was a small secluded chamber, a room probably designed to store items.
Perfect.
The chamber was empty and in total darkness. Ahna raced inside and locked the door behind her.
The threads of fate were sewn into the tapestry of the tangible world, the world of mortals. Each mortal followed their own thread woven by ethereal beings called fateweavers, older than the dragon-gods themselves. Dark fateweavers were banished to the shadows long ago, as they had begun to strike unholy deals with the unknowing mortals, most of the time in exchange for their souls. These beings had the power to manipulate the threads of fate, shorten or elongate them, or exchange one for another. Cedric must have had his fate exchanged with Naiel’s and the claim was now due. The Shadow Realm existed because of the soul of mortals the Shadows consumed.
Absolute darkness. No lights, no windows, just complete shadows and Ahna. The elf undid her linen wraps. She held the soft pieces of cloth in one hand as she rubbed her wrists together. She closed her eyes, focused on the silence of the room. Where light did not ray, one could always find dark creatures in the corners, lurking. One just needed to focus their voice and speak to the Shadows, something Ahna had not done in many, many years.
“Gadir Nos’ Trugū Nos’ Trugū Douëh”
She repeated the incantation twice. “Born of shadows, of shadows you are. Reveal yourself!” she called.
Then came the whispers. Indistinguishable voices fluttered near Ahna’s pointy ears. The darkness suddenly seemed to move in front of her. It dashed, danced, swirled around. Twirled around her and faded in and out of her reach.
“Born of shadows, of shadows you are!” she called once more.
The whispers became clearer. It called to the elf. It implored her to vanish with them. One last mantra in Shadow Speech and a chill breezed in front of Ahna. She could not see it, but it was definitely there. She felt the cold wind of a short breath brush her face.
“Oh, my my, a magic-user,” a dark and sinister voice had spoken.
Ahna froze. An incomprehensible sense of fear crawled down her spine. The being whirled around her, she could feel the cold of its silent movements.
She gathered enough courage to finally speak. “I’m here to make a deal.”
The dark figure laughed hysterically. “Your soul, for the voidwalker’s?” The shadow seemed to chortle at its own words. Ahna felt a sudden brisk touch on her shoulder. “Your soul is tempting.” It inhaled intensely, close to her neck as if to take in her whole scent. “But wouldn’t that be too easy?” The uncontrollable laughter resounded in the room again. “His soul must be worth a lot to you that you’d trade it so quickly for your own. We could ask for so much more… We want more!” And it laughed again, a loud, coarse, twisted sound that pierced through Ahna’s eardrums. “You don’t have a soul worthy of the shrike’s, Archmage.”
“Not my soul,” she declared, unmoved by the shadow’s tirade. The figure stood in front of her again, expectantly, waiting for her to make the ultimate proposal. She looked at it, in the darkness, knowing this would be the deal to be sealed. “Xandor Kun Sharr’s.”
Three words she pronounced that rung like music to the shadow’s ears. Its tone grew more intrigued. “The Despot’s soul? For the shrike’s? How fascinating...How do you plan on killing the unkillable? Remember, Archmage, the shrike must be the one to serve the killing blow.”
Ahna held her stance. “He will.”
“We have a deal, mortal.”
The shadow laughed maniacally again. It laughed some more as Ahna turned around to leave the chamber. She suddenly felt a grip around her arm. The obscure claws invisibly cut through her skin.
The dark voice finally spoke its last words. “If you fail, the shrike is ours.” The shape disappeared into absolute darkness.
Ahna dashed out of the chamber and headed back to the coiled stairway. As she picked up the pace, she discarded her black linen bands in the pouch attached to her belt. Xandor Kun Sharr. She had struck an abominable deal with the Shadows: the Dark Lord’s soul and Cedric would be free. But how could Cedric kill Sharr? They would need to get to the capital, into the fortified castle armed to the teeth.
And not get killed.
She was about to reach the stairs when Cedric rejoined her. “Follow me,” she urged. “We need to talk to the Council.”
The shrike shook his head in confusion. “Ahna, what were you doing here?” She raced back upstairs, and he followed her. “Ahna, tell me what’s going on!” he had almost shouted.
They were already back to the ground floor. Ahna swiftly turned around and laid her hands on his arms. “I made a deal: your soul for Sharr’s.”
She almost chuckled at the foolishness of her words, but Cedric remained stern. His eyes had suddenly changed to the dark indigo of resolution.
“We’d have to get to Sharr,” the shrike inferred. “How in Hell do we do that?” Ahna had to think for a moment, and with her determination, the semblance of an idea was born.
Cedric interrupted her boiling thoughts. “As much as I appreciate this, I’m fine with my soul as is.”
“Well, I’m not. We’re going to save your soul.”
She had said these words as though she had declared this foolish task her personal mission. As they headed to the council room, Ahna divulged the outline of the plan she had been concocting for the past moments.
When they reached the chamber, the door was already opened, and High Commander Sand sat there with Jade Lark by his side. The Shrike Wing leader had a grim look over her face, something was not right with her.
“Ahna, Rover” the commander greeted them as they entered. “What’s this about?”
Ahna let Cedric in, and she closed the door behind him. The shrike took a step forward. “I request permission to speak freely, High Commander.” After Joshua granted his request, Cedric proceeded. “Sharr has an army at least ten times the size of ours. He’s planning a battle to annihilate us.” As he spoke, Jade’s look became even darker. Cedric noticed it and turned to her briefly. “Are you alright there, Jade?” he asked, concerned for her, but she motioned for him to continue. �
��I don’t think we have a choice but to act, with another preemptive strike.”
Joshua looked perplexed. “Sharr is consuming our envoys in Bravoure like blood-red meat,” he began with a grave tone. “He’s killing citizens, some who have nothing to do with the Resistance. We’re losing souls every day, innocent souls.” Jade looked to the ground as the commander spoke. Lord Sharr had recently begun to purge the underground markets, the ones below the city, where many Resistance fighters were based. “I fear we don’t have much longer.” Joshua leaned back in his chair and covered his face.
He passed both his hands in his black mane. The proud man seemed too concerned, as though he had begun to lose hope. The leader of the Shrike Wing sat by him, silent. She tried to wear a false mask of courage, but her captain noticed her distress.
She stood up and looked to Cedric with pleading eyes. “I’m not feeling so well,” she said with a faint voice. Her skin was too pallid, almost unhealthily. “I’ll be in the guest quarters.” She waved to the high commander and left the council room.
After she was gone, Joshua exhaled slowly and spoke again. “We’ve been fighting this war for half a century. If the false king finds Orgna, it’s over. Ten years of building an army to fight him just go up in smoke, like that.” The high commander mimed the movements of smoke vanishing into the air with his hand.
“Well, maybe that’s exactly it,” Cedric retorted. “Our position is made, and Sharr’s just making us quiver and wait for his own sick game!”
After another distant sigh, Joshua looked at Cedric, his lips folded in concern. “What do you suggest, Rover?”
“We kill Sharr,” Cedric declared.
Joshua scoffed. “An assassination?” he asked unbelievingly. “Forgive my cynicism, Rover, but we’ve tried that a dozen times! His castle is armed to the teeth. None of our assassins ever made it close to him, not even within a sixty-feet radius.”
Cedric signed to Ahna, as an invitation to explain the details of her crazy idea. The elf stepped forward and prepared to speak to the high commander. She pursed her lips in hesitation. She looked at Joshua Sand and discerned a doubtful shadow for the very first time. The virtuous task of leading a doomed rebellion had now weighed just too much on his shoulders. Ahna understood the pain the Resistance leaders were in. She still felt some sense of responsibility for the failures of the war. The Dark Lord may be this close to eradicating the rebellion, and she could not let that happen. They had to do something, no matter how dangerous, even if it were a crazy idea.
“I can get close to Sharr,” she declared with the certainty most needed right now. The silence settled in the room. Both Joshua and Cedric waited for Ahna to continue. Where was she getting at? How could she get close to him? “Sharr will let me get close. I have something he wants.” Joshua raised his eyebrows. Cedric waited for more. In order to explain, Ahna had to reveal a detail about her forgotten past. “A long time ago, I wasn’t just a Dwellunder citizen, I was military. I know how to talk to a dokkalfar man when it comes to soldiers and weapons.” Joshua looked at the dark elf, uncertain of the intricate plan that was unfolding. “Sharr wants a battle? I’ll give him an army, my army. I will pose as a Dwellunder duchess, one who wants to ally with Sharr.”
The high commander remained still, attentive to Ahna’s elaborate plan. Cedric, on the other hand, scoffed at her words. He had not expected this, and he would not let Ahna resort to such dangerous measures to get close to Sharr. This would be a silly farce the Dark Lord would definitely see through. The moment he doubts her, she would be killed instantly. Joshua most certainly shared his concern.
“Alright, you get close to him, and then what?” Cedric questioned, referring back to the assassination plan. The shrike captain looked to Ahna expectantly. Joshua’s eyes joined.
“We use the oldest trick in the magi history,” she announced with a smirk. “The sleight of hand.”
The dark elf then spoke of the complex idea of a two-spell ritual, which could create a state of abstract entanglement, as she called it, and allow Cedric to switch places with her. As soon as she would step into the castle, Sharr would have all his marksmen’s weapons aimed at her. She would be dead the moment she made a sudden move. But not if Cedric intervened.
“I will bind Cedric to me, then to the Abstract Plane. When the time is right, Cedric will physically switch places with me with the strike of a sword.”
“I’m not sure I follow, Ahna. What do you mean you switch places?” Joshua asked, puzzled by this talk of magic tricks.
Ahna took a deep breath. “The Abstract Plane is what lies beyond the Fabric of Realms. The clerics call it the Chaos Dimension. It resides outside time and space as we know it. If I bind Cedric to me, we will be entangled as one. He will see everything I see. And if I create a bond with the Abstract Plane, it will also enable him to swap positions with me freely.”
Cedric was at a loss for words. He seemed hesitant and majorly concerned about the risk Ahna would take. “How will you even do this?” he eventually asked.
“A binding spell, and a planar ritual. It takes a bit of work, and we need to remain in proximity to each other. Cedric will see Sharr’s exact position through my eyes and will be able to deliver the final blow. Sharr and his marksmen will not even see him. They will only realize what happened after the kill.”
Joshua, although intrigued by the plan, still had strong concerns. “What’s your extraction plan?”
“As we will be bound to the Abstract Plane, Cedric will fade back to me as soon as the deed is done. One strike of the sword, and he will be back to safety.”
Joshua’s eyes lightened and he spoke softly. “If that works, the Resistance wins. Do you realize what you’re saying, Ahna?” The elf nodded determinedly. “If you fail, we lose you both,” the commander stated, concerned for them. “At best, he kills you,” he sternly declared.
Cedric’s shoulders fell. He pondered for a short moment on the idea, then adopted a more secure stance. “I am willing to take that risk, Commander. We don’t have much of a choice anyway.”
“I can’t send you to your deaths,” the high commander said with sad honesty.
Joshua remained uncertain, but a dim light of aspiration shone in his eyes. He called for a recess. He needed some time to discuss with the rest of the Council, especially with Commander Falco.
While Ahna and Cedric waited, they saw David be fetched by one of the guards and enter the council room, then Luk Ma, then Jade returned. The leader of the Shrike Wing looked a little better. The door remained closed for a very long time. Ahna and Cedric stayed silent, anxious of what would come next.
“The Shadows said you have to be the one to kill Sharr,” Ahna said with a distant voice.
Cedric listened distantly. He could not exactly figure out what to say. He wanted to thank her, but he had to admit that, for the first time, he was dead afraid.
Three members of the Council joined the high commander and seated themselves at their assigned place. Joshua took a deep breath and laid out Ahna and Cedric’s proposed mission, as best as he could.
“This is a stupid idea!” Luk Ma exclaimed.
David joined him. “Hang on, switch places? How will she even get close to Sharr?”
“She wants to pose as a Dwellunder duchess and offer him an army.” Joshua proceeded to explain. He shrugged as he deemed the idea to be way beyond reason.
Luk Ma scoffed. “She’s going to get killed.”
Jade stayed silent as the three others debated the idea and attempted to untangle Ahna’s magical plan. A shadow of hesitation rested over her face, but she cleared her throat to speak out. “This might actually work. Sharr spent the last years trying to rally Dwellunder forces to the surface. He wanted support from his peers to crush us deep into the ground, and perhaps expand his domain.” As the other members of the Council remained silent, Jade continued. “None of them ever actually responded to his request.”
“I don’t approve,” Luk
Ma retorted. “She might put us all in jeopardy—”
“What choice do we have, Luk Ma?” Jade interrupted him. “Sharr is assembling all his soldiers scattered across the kingdom as we speak. He pulled his troops to the capital and is preparing for a massive assault. All points to him having found Orgna. If that is the case, it’s over for us.”
After a long moment of silence, David finally divulged what he thought of the whole situation. “I agree with Jade. All points to our position being compromised. We must do something before it’s too late. The archmage’s plan might be the best we’ve got at this point.”
Luk Ma leaned back into his chair. The truth of Jade’s words rang in his head and, no matter how much he disagreed with the plan, he agreed with their desperation. The rebels may be on the brink of extinction. Joshua fiddled with his beard as he meditated on what to do.
“Joshua,” Jade began again. “Start the evacuation, slowly. Let them go on the mission and hope it succeeds in time.”
The high commander still remained pensive.
“I will have my scouts figure out exactly where these troops are going,” Luk Ma declared. “Jade’s spies are being executed one by one, perhaps we can conclude something from a distance.”
After a long pause, Joshua started to nod distantly. “The best we’ve got?” he murmured rhetorically, looking at a fixed point on the table. He then took another deep breath and signaled the guard to fetch the two rebels outside. “Gods be with them.”
When the guard led Ahna and Cedric back in the council room, Joshua had a determined look on his face.
“You have our go. If something goes wrong, if he doesn’t let you get close somehow, you come back immediately” the high commander ordered. “Then we’ll brace for whatever comes next. We can get you an escort of our own dokkalfar soldiers.”
“Got it, and no,” Ahna immediately retorted. “If I walk in there with guards, Sharr will never let me get close. Alone, I have more chances.” Joshua acknowledged Ahna’s reasoning.
Tempest of Bravoure: Kingdom Ascent Page 11
