A pinpoint of light appeared in the shadows, glowing bigger and brighter, an intense blue glow that nearly blinded her. The light exploded, sending a cascade of stars shooting across the darkness, filling the emptiness with glimmering light. Deep in the void, bathed in a cloak of stars, something moved, too vast to comprehend.
“Pawn of Riel. There is no stopping this.”
A clawed hand reached through the stars, wrapping around her body and squeezing tight. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t fight against the overwhelming, terrible energy suffocating her.
“The end is as I willed it to be. It begins when I desire, and it will end when this world is purged of its filth. The unworthy. The tainted.”
The clawed fingers squeezed tighter, and fractures arced across Kirheen’s barriers, her mind breaking under the pressure. There was no golden glow, no radiant light cutting through the dark to save her, to free her from the wrath of Zekar.
“And you, insignificant, bursting with a stolen gift. You are no better. You will face the same end, and the world will follow.”
Sharp, talon like nails dug into her body, her thoughts, severing muscle, bone, and the barriers guarding her mind. Into memories, cutting deeper and deeper, pulling out the essence of her being. What would be left when he was done?
Nothing.
Nothing.
As dark and empty as the space between stars.
“Zekar!” a voice cried out, burning with rage. “This world is not meant for you!”
Kirheen’s body filled with warmth, driving away the cold that had seeped in with Zekar’s touch. Weeping crimson blood turned golden, dripping over clawed fingers, burning where it touched. With an enraged cry, the hand retracted, releasing her from a crushing grip. The air exploded with light, and she was ripped from a realm of stars and thrown back into her own body.
Disoriented, she slumped to the ground, unable to focus as the world spun before her eyes, streaks of color that made her sick to her stomach. Invisible wounds screamed, her fractured mind trying and failing to repair the damage that had been done. A warm hand pressed against her skin, power flowing through the contact, aiding in the mending.
The contact broke far too quickly, but the world had settled, and Kirheen was able to roll onto her stomach, to see with her own eyes the being known as Zekar. He wore an armor of corruption, shifting and changing, a dark void rippling with power. A cloak, alive with a thousand stars, floated behind him, carried on a phantom wind. Clutched in a clawed grip, a black crystalline sword glimmered. A sword to end the unworthy, a sword to end them all. Opposite him stood Riel, golden spear crackling with power.
With a lithe step, she jolted forward, spear slashing through the air. An arc of light shot forward, but Zekar deflected it with ease. “I will not let you destroy this world, my love. Not again.”
“And what is so different now that you would dare stand in my way? You, who has watched in silence as I wiped this world clean time and time again.”
“Because my children have shown me another path, have filled me with the resolve to put an end to this. You may have created this world, but it will not be by your hand that it is destroyed. I won’t let it happen,” Riel said, her voice unwavering. The light around her flared brighter, daring him to act.
Zekar shook his head, dark eyes glinting dangerously. “This foolish act will not last long. You do not have the power to stand against me, and you will see this world cleansed once again.” Raising a hand, the corruption rose, swirling around him, waiting to strike.
Riel did not hesitate, taking up her spear and leaping towards Zekar. His sword rose to greet her, and the clash of their weapons sent a flurry of golden sparks into the air. The corruption danced towards her, splitting apart and condensing into spikes. Riel broke free, leaping back and forming a barrier in time to avoid being impaled, retaliating with a slice of energy that ripped through the encroaching corruption. Even as she held her ground, Kirheen could see the difference between them, could see why she’d never dared to stand in his way. His power was absolute, a power that could make and destroy worlds at will.
Even knowing the futility of their struggle, even knowing they’d lose to Zekar, she’d give it everything she had. She would not let Riel fight for her world alone. Kirheen got to her feet, gathering the power that Riel had filled her with. Her crystals flared, glowing white hot, blinding to see. Leaping across a chasm churning with corruption, she launched a wave of energy at the shadowy shapes diving towards Riel, driving them back and throwing Zekar off balance. He hadn’t expected her intrusion, and it gave Riel a moment to strike.
Her spear shot out, biting deep into his side, the wound bright as the sun. A clawed hand wrapped around the shaft of the spear, and with a burst of power, it turned into glimmering dust. Riel withdrew and gathered her strength, another radiant spear forming in her grasp. Kirheen kept on the move, sending bolts of energy at Zekar, hoping to keep him distracted enough for Riel to get another strike.
With a growl, he swept his hand through the air and corruption rose from all sides, falling towards Kirheen. She only managed to get half a barrier in place before it struck, and it quickly wrapped around her body, pinning her right leg in place. Pain radiated upwards, and her barrier broke apart, the corruption squirming around her limbs, trapping her.
“I’ve got you,” called a familiar voice. A wave of energy washed over Kirheen, breaking apart the corruption holding her. She leapt back just as a blade came hurtling towards where she’d been, slicing through the air, leaving a trail of stars.
Samira landed next to Kirheen, crystals as bright as her own. “Samira! What are you doing here? How?”
“Ask your goddess,” she spat. “She got us in to this whole mess, but don’t you dare think for a second that I’m just going to let it end like this. If this is the end, then we go down fighting – together! This smug bastard is going to have to work to take this world from us.”
Sword and spear clashed once more, light and dark waging war, sending out shockwaves of energy strong enough to nearly knock Kirheen off her feet. Something glowing caught her eye from a nearby rooftop, and she looked to see Keha’ro creeping low, energy gathering in the palm of his hand.
Kirheen struggled to contain her emotions, filled with pride that her fellow awakened would stand at her side, that they’d stand against a god even knowing they might fail. That bond strengthened her resolve, and she readied herself for another attack.
“Let’s finish this, Kirheen,” Samira said, and she darted forward, leveling an attack at Zekar just as Keha’ro jumped from the rooftops, bearing down with an attack of his own. Kirheen joined the fray, and with each strike, Riel was able to press her advantage. Golden gashes appeared in dark armor, glowing bright against the darkness.
His agitation grew, his blade swinging wildly through the air, corruption around him faltering. They were wearing him down bit by bit, sapping him of his strength, and it was starting to show. He stumbled as a blow from Riel’s spear slammed into his shoulder, and he dropped to one knee, trembling as her power burned through him.
“Enough!” he howled. Grabbing the spear, he yanked it towards himself, drawing Riel close and catching her off guard. His hand found her throat and in one swift movement, he threw her to the ground. His sword followed, trailing her body, and Kirheen watched in horror as the blade embedded in her chest.
The crystalline blade absorbed her light, dimming her glow, adding fire to the stars shining bright within the blade. As her power faded, fire erupted in Kirheen’s veins, the ferocity of it dropping her to her knees. Zekar glanced in her direction, raised a hand, and sent a swathe of corruption snaking towards her. She stumbled back, trying to get out of his reach, but the pain echoing through her body kept her from fleeing. The Darkness wrapped around her limbs, dragging her up and into the air where she floated helplessly. Samira and Keha’ro dangled in a similar state, no longer able to withstand the corruption, drowning in a pai
n they all seemed to share.
“The powers you possess were never hers to give,” he said coldly, the chill of his words settling deep in her bones. A pressure spread across Kirheen’s chest, growing in intensity until she felt like she was being torn in two. Cracks webbed across the surface of her crystals, and as Zekar snapped his hand into a fist, they shattered, a flurry of glittering fragments shimmering in the air before sinking into the corruption below.
All that remained was a dark hollow where her power had been. Everything she’d been, everything she was, felt like it had been ripped out of her. The corruption wrapped around her limbs loosened, and she was dropped to the ground, the pain terrible and all-consuming as the impact rattled her bones, the gaping wound in her chest bleeding black.
It’s not the end, she told herself, struggling to move, to get to her feet, to fight, to do anything to stop the looming form of Zekar, readying himself for his crusade. Fighting through the pain, she dragged herself through the muck, over shattered stone, and broken crystal. Not like this.
Dark eyes turned to her, cold and unyielding. “And still you struggle.”
Kirheen managed to drag herself onto her knees, and she met the gaze of the god that would destroy everything she loved, everything she cared about, the very memories of the world she called home. “Not like this,” she said through clenched teeth. “Not this world.”
Zekar approached, his cloak of stars billowing behind him, shining with thousands of lights, thousands of worlds to create and destroy as he willed. He knelt in front of her, clawed hand reaching out to grip her chin, just as her hand tightened on a shard of crystal buried in the corruption.
“Your determination is admirable. Riel chose her champions well, but there will be no end to this.”
Fingers barely able to grip the crystal, she raised it out of the corruption, shoved it towards Zekar. It bounced weakly off his armor, and though it hadn’t wounded him, he still had the decency to look surprised. Dark, empty eyes bore into her, looking deep into the very depths of her soul.
“Why do you still fight against this?” he demanded to know, fingers clamping down tighter on her chin. “Why do you insist on stopping me?”
“Because this world is not a failed creation. The people are not. And we should not pay the price for your failure. Not this time. Never again.”
Weak and trembling, Kirheen expected the rage of a god to tear her asunder. To her surprise, his grip loosened instead. “You think the power of creation so trivial, so easy. To wield such power, the responsibility of worlds, of life. Then wield it yourself, pawn of Riel. Wield it and shape it as you see fit and live with the price of your own failure.”
Power flooded her body, her mind, and she found herself drifting in a sea of stars. All at once she could see everything, and all the nothingness in between. The brightest of lights, the darkest of voids, a canvas waiting to be painted, her fingers holding the brush. And in that moment, in the silence of creation, she knew the choice she’d make, knew what she’d sacrifice to save her world, what they’d all sacrifice. And should they fail, should their world still crumble, the burden of that failure would be hers to bear for as long as she lived to carry it.
CHAPTER 38
The chilled air of the cave wrapped around her shoulders, seeped through her robes, the cold embrace of old memories settling into her skin, her mind. The cave was dark and eerily quiet. What little had remained of Akra had been silenced by time, and while that voice had once frightened her, the absence of it now filled her with sorrow.
Kirheen picked her path carefully, the flickering glow of a torch guiding her steps. It felt like ages had passed since they’d fled through those very corridors, running from a lie, not knowing what they’d find on the other side. And now she was returning after so long.
She lost herself in memories, sifting through them as she wound her way through the cave. Sanctuary had been the start of everything, the catalyst that had set her life in motion. Now she was stuck standing still while the world passed her by, while friends aged and turned to dust, claimed by time one by one. When will I know rest?
When Kirheen saw daylight pouring through a hole in the cave walls, she breathed a sigh of relief. While there was nothing in the cave that could harm her, she was still happy to leave the cramped confines and the memories of that place behind her.
From the rocky outcrop on which she stood, she could see the valley stretching out below her, a vast forest of glowing trees standing tall in a sea of green. The beauty of it nearly took her breath away. She’d almost forgotten what it looked like, that beautiful forest from her youth. She allowed herself a moment to take in the sight, to reform the memory so she could carry it with her a little further, and then she was winding down the rocky hillside, lithely leaping from rock to rock.
The air changed when she reached the forest floor, the misty coolness comforting as it caressed her warmed skin. She slowed her pace, boots kicking up glowing leaves that left sparks in the air as they fluttered away. Giant wraith wood trees loomed all around her, glowing brightly, welcoming her back after so many years. She brushed her fingers against their smooth, glass-like surface, marveling in the icy sheen glimmering beneath her fingertips.
As the sun began to descend, the glow of the trees grew brighter, and by their light she was able to find the path that would lead her to her destination. The closer she got, the harder her heart thumped within her chest, the pulsating sound of each frantic beat pounding in her ears.
Through the trees, she could see the glow of a fire, the orange flicker of flames clashing against the blue glow of the forest. Kirheen crept closer, staying as quiet as possible as she peered out into the clearing. A man sat by a crackling fire, eyes glued to a book spread open across his lap. His face was weathered and wrinkled, his hair fighting a losing battle against time, dark waves streaked with gray. A neglected beard hung past his chin, and he stroked it absentmindedly, twirling the end of it between his fingers.
Kirheen took a step and a twig snapped loudly beneath her heel. The sound carried through the clearing, startling the man. His head snapped up and he closed his book, trading it for a dagger. “Hello?” he called, dark eyes peering into the shadows.
“Hello, old friend,” Kirheen said, stepping out from the trees and into the light of the fire. The man stared at her for a long time, barely able to suppress the quivering of his lips. His hand rose to stifle a sob, brown eyes reflecting the tears in her own eyes. He rose as quickly as his old bones would allow, straightening his robes as he got to his feet.
“Kirheen, is that – of course it is. You haven’t aged a day. I couldn’t possibly mistake you for anyone else,” the man said. He took a step towards her, hesitant and unsteady as a fawn. “How long has it been?”
She tried to think back, to remember the last time she’d seen him. Her life had been a blur, years spent traveling, trying to keep peace alive in a world that had changed overnight, a world that had changed because of her choice. “Too long. It’s been too long.”
“That it has.”
She crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her friend and pulling him close. His head resting against her shoulder, they stood in silence for a time, holding each other tightly. “I’ve missed you, Garild.”
“I’m glad you can still recognize me, even as an old man,” he chuckled, pulling away from her embrace. “Come, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’ve been waiting all these years to hear your story, to finally put this all down on paper.”
She smiled. Ever the scholar, her friend hadn’t changed a bit. She followed him into the clearing, settling down next to the roaring fire. Wood crackled and popped, sending a shower of sparks shooting into the air. She held out her hands and let the flames warm her chilled skin.
Garild huffed and lowered himself to the ground, propping himself up against a fallen tree. He shuffled through his pack and retrieved a thick tome out of the depths, the leather cover embel
lished with delicate etches and swirls that formed a tree. She was amazed to watch him move, to see how he’d adapted to life without his hand. There was no hesitation anymore. It had all become second nature, as natural as breathing.
He balanced the tome in his lap, flipping to a blank page. It was strange knowing that in a few hours, that tome would be filled with her story, that every struggle, every triumph, and every heartbreak would live on, carefully written down by Garild. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long,” she said softly.
His eyes flicked to her, his expression softening. “Don’t be. You’ve had a lot to deal with over the years. I must admit, I was getting a bit worried I’d perish before you found the time,” he teased, but she could hear the sadness behind his words, could see it lurking in his lingering gaze. How long would it be before he was also taken from her, until there was no one left? “Kir, where have you been all this time? Where did you go? Tell me everything.”
“I’m not even sure where to begin,” she admitted. “So much has happened since Zekar, since he gave me a way to save this world. I sacrificed our gift. I sacrificed our power, because I thought it would change things, that without it the problems that had plagued us all for so long would go away, that it would diminish.”
“But it didn’t.”
“No. I kept my power, my immortality, choosing to use it to keep things in check, and I let Samira and Keha’ro do the same. Riel had entrusted us to make a better world, and by some miracle, Zekar allowed us that chance. What we soon realized was that chaos and strife do not rest, they do not stop. We’ve all enjoyed moments of peace, years of silence, but they were temporary, fleeting. When we chose to remain as guardians of this world, I don’t think any of us could have foreseen what that would entail, how all-consuming it would become. I may have been blessed by a goddess, but I am not one myself, and after all this time…I am tired.”
The Allseer Trilogy Page 90
