“I’m going to Gaia to help with the evacuation,” Kira says as she joins her friend. Draping an arm over the gypsy’s shoulders, the heiress does her best to fake a smile. “Don’t be too hard on Luke or me. All three of us have suffered the same tragedy. Each of us have lost our families and had to rebuild our lives. He’s at the beginning of that agony, which is something I only recently got out of myself.”
“And I haven’t?” Sari snaps, regretting her tone.
“No, but you’ve always been stronger than Luke and myself when it comes to handling this kind of pain,” the heiress freely admits, placing her head on her former rival’s chin. Tears fall off her cheeks and she takes in a shuddering breath to maintain her control. “I envy your ability to endure, Sari. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. You keep it under control when you have to and focus on living a happy life. Luke and I tend to lash out like children when we’re upset. Maybe it’s because we grew up sheltered and you were raised to be loved while knowing that the world can be harsh. I’m sorry if I’m making assumptions about your past since I know very little about your childhood.”
“You’re remarkably insightful,” the gypsy claims with a chuckle. Slipping from Kira’s grasp, she spins to the center of the roof and gazes at the cloudy sky. “I’ll find a way to let you know if anything changes with Luke. Communication magic isn’t something I’m experienced in, but I know the basics. Worst case scenario, I’ll send an illusionary bird. A red hawk means he is doing better, a black owl will mean he’s sorry, and a blue pelican can be used if things are getting worse.”
“Fizzle can travel too!” the drite proudly declares.
“Just ask Dariana to tell me,” Kira sighs before whispering into Fizzle’s ear. The drite darts into the air and flies in a circle with enough speed to create a hazy frame around a blooming portal. “If Luke does feel bad about this then tell him what I’m doing. Both of us have roles to play in what’s coming and mine doesn’t require that I go to Shayd. Even now, he should understand that. Good luck and I promise not to let his words get to me. I have faith that he’ll recover and come back to me alive and well.”
Weapon tightly gripped in her hand, Kira waits for the gateway to reveal the rooftop of Rainbow Tower. A flock of startled gulls erupt into the cloudy sky, the largest one soaring by to squawk at the unexpected portal. The colorful stones are covered in a thin layer of water from the torrential downpour that is awaiting the tired heiress. A gust of wind comes through and brings a smell that is a pleasant mix of fresh rain and salty ocean. Crowds of people can be seen in the distance, the thick mob either the beginning of the evacuation or the regular traffic of the marketplace. Unwilling to return to Luke’s room and retrieve the rest of her belongings, Kira waves to her friends and steps into the portal. With a gentle hiss, the gateway closes and Fizzle swallows a glowing drop of magic before it can hit the ground.
“I can’t believe she would leave at a time like this,” Sari mutters, kicking at a rock that bounces off the roof. Turning to leave, she nearly draws a dagger at the sight of Timoran standing in the doorway. “How in all of Windemere does a man so big move so quietly when he wants to? Not even a footfall from you. I take it you heard everything with that barbarian hearing of yours.”
“I am sorry for eavesdropping, my friend, but you ran by me and I thought you needed some help,” Timoran apologizes as he joins the gypsy. Bending to the ground, he pulls his hand back at the touch of warmth that emanates from the enchanted stone. “It is good to hear that Luke is awake and able to speak, especially since we have a difficult path to follow. Dariana says we must travel to the island of Xan the Time God and gain permission to use his portal. Our hope is that we can leave tomorrow morning, which will give Luke a little more time to regain his senses. She has already gone to work with him, so I am hoping to share a drink with my dear friend by dinnertime.”
“Fizzle have apples,” the drite interjects while flying to the barbarian’s head. He sniffs at the air and licks his lips at the aroma of fresh desserts. “Chef make apple pie. Fizzle be nice and not eat all. Save for later. Share with Luke too.”
“You want to lecture us about the situation and how we are acting so calmly,” Timoran says when Sari opens her mouth to speak. Pulling the gypsy into a one-armed hug, the barbarian effortlessly hoists her onto his shoulder. “I know you care about Luke and want him to be surrounded by his loved ones. That is how it should be, but life is rarely ideal. Kira worries that he will eventually feel guilty about his words and she would rather they have only one incident to discuss. Imagine if she stayed and he continued to berate and insult her in an attempt to drive her away. It could destroy both of them. Truth be told, I do not think there is a clean solution here. Recovering from trauma like this usually takes months or years, but we can only give him a day. It is cruel and breaking all of our hearts.”
“I hate this stupid prophecy,” Sari whispers while she is carried back to the doorway. She grabs the frame and backflips off Timoran to quietly land behind him. “We need Luke at full strength for this fight. The Baron might not have any agents left, so why can’t we take our time with this? It isn’t like he’ll personally come for us. There’s no reason to rush.”
With a tired sigh, the barbarian faces the gypsy and crouches to stare into her eyes. “People are starting to remember the Baron’s place in history, which means we need to act soon. Do not believe for a second that only the good-hearted will rise up and act against him. Those with evil in their hearts will join the fight on his behalf. He may very well have more agents than before thanks to the curse losing its power. The sooner we defeat the Baron, the less likely that Windemere will get torn apart. As much as we want to do it, we cannot put Luke ahead of everyone else.”
“That sounds so cruel and heartless.”
“I am forced to agree.”
“Then, why are we doing this?”
“Because the alternative is to risk more lives that Luke will feel responsible for.”
Unhappy with Timoran’s response, Sari heads back to the roof and casually steps off the edge. Arms crossed and hair billowing behind her, the gypsy floats towards the moat where she lands like a leaf on the water. Only a handful of citizens watch her, but they keep their distance when they sense her looming temper. Walking to the opposite shore, she climbs to solid land and disappears into the nearest tavern. Timoran considers following until he hears music from below, the noise mixing with the rapid stomping of feet on a wooden floor.
“We will check on her later,” the barbarian says, patting the anxious drite on the head. “All of us need to heal in our own way.”
*****
Luke’s back arches at the sensation of keen steel slicing across his stomach, the thin blade hidden by the shadows. Feeling around his body, the half-elf is convinced that he has been gutted even though he cannot find the wound. A hot pain runs across his neck and he drops to the floor, his hands scrambling to hold the fresh gash closed. Like before, his flesh is intact and the phantasmal agony vanishes completely after a few seconds. He refuses to move out of fear of being attacked again and depends on his sound sight to locate his enemies. Nothing appears even when he hears the flapping of wings and faint footsteps. An explosive boom rattles Luke’s senses and sends him crawling toward a corner that grows out of the darkness. Curling into a ball, he shields his face from the ghostly forms that materialize around him.
“This is pathetic,” the Sword Dragon growls, his metallic head hovering over the forest tracker. The rest of its body remaining in the shadows, the creature’s solid tail can be heard thudding against the ground. “Even in a dream, he is crumbling. I understand that he has suffered greatly, but now is not the time to be so weak. How can he defeat his enemies if he is going to cry at the sight of his own shadow?”
“Feed him a rat,” Pike suggests, the snake fiend slithering across the floor. His forked tongue lances out to taste a familiar scent in the air. “Think someone out there
. Might not have much time in here.”
“Both of you be quiet,” Lucy says as she lands next to Luke. The griffin puts a wing over the warrior while Stiletto appears to comfort his old friend with a few licks to the face. “We need to be patient and recover our own energies. It is not like any of us are at full strength after what we went through. Luke will need our power when he faces the Baron. Possibly even the nameless beast who refuses to stay in his cage.”
The Sword Dragon bares his teeth at the griffin and lets a trickle of molten rock fall from his mouth. “A sparrow should not mouth off to a hungry falcon. Besides, I will only help if I see a reason to and this child has proven he can handle me. My interest in this fight has nothing to do with the Baron, but with my host’s strength. If he fails to impress me then I will take over and show all of you what real power can do.”
“All well and good, but you still need to let him heal,” Lucy argues as her body grows large enough to dwarf the construct. Spreading her wings and rearing back, she creates a circle of light that reveals the ruined village surrounding them. “Always remember that we die with Luke Callindor. Bluster and brag as much as you want, but never put us at risk. Be thankful that you are allowed to roam instead of being locked away again.”
“I will share my utter joy at being in a slightly larger birdcage when that pesky telepath returns,” the dragon retorts with a smoke-spewing snort. Moving back into the remaining shadows, the narrow-bodied creature runs its golden wings across a crumbled wall. “Do you truly believe he can recover? The one who holds his heart has been pushed away. The one who understands his pain is unsure of his sanity. You can sense that he has changed and may turn on the others just as easily. Imagine the disaster that will occur if he upsets the one who truly knows him.”
“Then we will endure.”
“You repeatedly let him make mistakes.”
Lucy flaps her wings and unleashes a shrieking roar before saying, “We are not the ones in control! Luke Callindor is our friend and master!”
“Only to those who are too weak to stand up for themselves.”
“Host waking up!” Pike screams before burrowing into the stone.
A flash of emerald light engulfs the mindscape, revealing thousands of silhouettes that are frozen in time. Luke is vaguely aware that the spirits are starting to sink back into his subconscious, the Sword Dragon disappearing within a minute. Perching herself on top of an abandoned blacksmith shop, Lucy folds her wings to her side and keeps her head high. Golden tendrils of energy weave from her feathers and fur to attach to hundreds of holes that are hidden within the blackened sky. She freezes in place and becomes a glistening statue that continues to pump its magic into the darkness that threatens to consume them all. The faint swirling motion of the sky gradually comes to a stop, but the griffin is unable to gain any ground against the thick shadows. Remaining silent, Stiletto stays by the half-elf’s side until the final second of the trance. The dog’s tender lick to the cheek remains as a ghostly sensation on the warrior’s face as his eyes open.
Luke finds himself covered in sweat and sprawled on the floor, the thick blanket wrapped around his legs. Panic sets in at the sensation of being bound, so he tears at the fabric until he can wriggle free. Gasping for air, the half-elf staggers to the nearest window and throws it open in order to vomit into the moat. Tears stream down his face as he gets a look at Spellstream for the first time, the city dotted with colorful lights. Sliding down to the floor, Luke tries to keep his head high enough to see outside. Feeling sun on his skin, a part of him fears that it is the start of a fire spell that will burn off his flesh. Struggling against his fear, the city helps remind him that he is no longer the Baron’s prisoner and he pinches himself to make sure he is not trapped in one of Yola’s illusions. Calm enough to return to his bed, the half-elf turns around and nearly screams when he sees an orange-eyed elf standing behind him.
“I had a baby, but I lost it,” Alyssa Goldheart says in a monotone voice. Her blonde hair goes down to her pointy ears, but there is a large patch missing from her scab-covered scalp. “It turned to stone in my belly and I nearly died. Everyone in Haven is dead. Why aren’t you dead? I had a baby, but I lost it.”
“I saw and I’m sorry,” Luke replies, falling to his knees in front of his former fiancée. He is unable to look at her face even when she sits down and gets uncomfortably close. “The Baron went after all of you because of me. Haven’s destruction is all my fault. I don’t know if I should ask you for forgiveness. Part of me wants to, but I know you have every right to deny me. You should despise me and curse the day I was born. I’m so sorry, Alyssa, and I’d take everyone’s place if I could.”
The elf cocks her head to the side and reaches out to touch Luke’s ear, her rough fingers making him cringe. “I had a baby, but I lost it. If it was a boy, I would have named him Jasper after my grandfather. If it was a girl, I would have named her Daffodil because I love those flowers. The baby is gone and I had to bury it. Do you want to go with me to see the grave and help me make a marker?”
Body shivering, Luke crawls to his bed and climbs up to hide his head beneath the only pillow that is free of bite marks. For the first time, he notices that his shirt is torn, so he tosses the destroyed garment away. The sweat drenched sheets are uncomfortable against his bare skin, but he refuses to face Alyssa again. Knowing she is still in the room makes it impossible for him to fall into a trance, so he clenches his eyes shut as hard as he can. The closing of a door helps him relax, which is undone by the clicking of a lock. To Luke’s horror, the mattress sinks and a slender figure settles behind him. Opening his eyes, he sees Alyssa’s arm drape over him, which reveals a faint scar along her wrist. The wound makes his heart ache and he begins to cry, his guilt forcing him to roll over.
“I’m so sorry, Alyssa.”
“I had a baby, but I lost it.”
“Please tell me what I can do to make you happy again.”
“I had a baby, but I lost it.”
“Stop saying that.”
“I had a baby, but I lost it.”
“What do I have to do to make you stop saying that?”
Alyssa’s voice cracks and she holds Luke tight, her tears flowing onto his face. “I had a baby, but I lost it.”
3
“Thank you for giving me an extra day to work with Luke,” Dariana says as she follows Delvin through the hallways. Hoping to get their bearings, they stop at an intersection that has a central table adorned with candy-filled jars. “He has not fully recovered and there are still some mysteries about his condition. For example, I can’t probe his mind too deeply because it risks setting off a violent episode. In my experience, this is a sign of something being repressed and the outburst is a natural way of fending off an invading telepath. At least if the person is within reach.”
“We needed time to gather our thoughts anyway,” Delvin replies before choosing the left-hand path. Coming to a circular window, he sighs and turns back around. “Why did Nyx make this place such a maze? It shouldn’t be this hard to find the front door. Have you heard anything from Trinity’s group? Also, how bad are we talking in regards to Luke?”
“Trinity’s hunt for those crests is progressing, but she repeatedly enters areas that are difficult for me to reach,” the telepath replies while reaching out to their friends. Taking Delvin by the wrist, she guides him through the hallways and two ballrooms. “I think Nyx remade some areas and forgot to remove the originals. This place is like its own city once you get through the door. I’ve had to help so many guards and workers, especially at night when things shift around while she sleeps. Ask her to erase the duplicates and the castle should become simpler. I saw that she set fire to the hedge maze this morning.”
The warrior shivers as he tries his best not to laugh, the memory of the accident still fresh in his mind. “She tried to put candles in there to make sure it wasn’t too dark and things got out of control when she sneezed. Can’t say I’m go
ing to miss that oversized eyesore and I’m not entirely convinced Nyx destroyed it by accident. Something tells me she wanted to save face and avoid admitting that it was a bad idea. You didn’t answer my question about Luke.”
Slowing down, Dariana pulls Delvin into a nearby broom closet that she swears was a lounge a few hours ago. She is momentarily confused by the strange look on her companion’s face, a brief glimpse of his thoughts making her blush. Returning to the hallway, she scans the area to make sure nobody is around to overhear their conversation. Easing her friend onto a nearby chair, the telepath leans against the wall and tries to think of the nicest way to voice her concerns. A distant argument distracts her for a second, the familiar voices making what she has to say more difficult. Gulping down the lump in her throat, Dariana holds out her hands and makes Delvin believe there is a tiny Luke on each fingertip.
“My father succeeded in shattering him and I could only repair some of the damage,” she explains while making the ten forest trackers wrestle across her palms. Blades are drawn and the small images repeatedly stab each other to no avail. “There are many emotions at war within him. Mostly, he is angry and sad, but there are flickers of unbridled fear at times. It’s strange that he is not afraid of going into battle against my father, but I could be wrong. His fear comes from the depths that I can’t reach without great risk. I won’t discount the idea that he’s become self-destructive too. As expected, Luke feels responsible for Haven being destroyed, which is what led to his tryst with Alyssa. I apologize for letting that happen. I should have kept a closer eye on both of them.”
“It’s nobody’s fault and I don’t want to look down on either of them. Luke and Alyssa did what they did while not in their right minds and she seems happier now,” Delvin states, waving away the conversation. He draws his bastard sword and runs his hand along the glistening blade, his thumb testing the perfect edge. “There is still something about Luke’s capture that I don’t understand. Why do it at all when we were heading to Shayd and a rescue would only cause a delay? It isn’t like the Baron wants to avoid the fight. At first, I thought it was to remove one threat from the battle, but he doesn’t seem to be afraid of us. Not to mention, it would make more sense to eliminate you, myself, or Nyx. Luke is dangerous, but he doesn’t wield the same level of power as any of us. We’re missing a piece of information and I don’t like it.”
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 5
