by Chris Miller
“You traded our friendship for freedom,” I said angrily. “How could you when you knew how important our mission was?”
“I didn’t mean to turn you in; I wanted to find you first and warn you of the danger, but when you showed up at the docks I knew they were still watching me. At that point I knew you was as good as gone; they had their eyes on ya already. As crazy as it sounds it seemed like turning you in was the only way to protect the Flame. I thought that maybe I could find some way to save ya, or that maybe I’d be the one to continue the mission for you…that I would carry the Flame in your place.”
As his story unfolded, Stoney explained how, after he learned we would be taken away to Dolor, he felt unbearable remorse over what he had done. In his moment of weakness, he had betrayed his closest friends to a torturous fate and denied his own faith in the process. Driven by the grief, he tried desperately to gain an audience with King Zagzabarz for help, but his frantic story never got past the palace guardpost. No doubt, Stoney’s temper didn’t help avoid the scuffle that followed. Provoked to use force, the Torporian guards dragged Stoney outside town and left him severely beaten as punishment for his public insubordination. But more than his body, his spirit was wounded the deepest.
“Who had I been foolin’?” Stoney’s voice trembled. “What with sayin’ I was a Codebearer, but actin’ like a low-life scum—the way I was living when Petrov found me. I mean, it got me thinkin’ what good was I really to the Author? If there was one thing I’d proved to myself, it was that it didn’t take much for me to fall back to me old ways. It shames me now to say that all I could think of was somehow draggin’ my sorry self back into town and leavin’ it all in a bottle of burum…that is, until Rob here found me.”
Rob placed a comforting hand on the humbled man’s shoulders and softly offered, “There’s not one of us who could ever go too far from the Author’s reach.”
The rest of the story revealed how Rob had been anxiously searching the back alleys of the town for any sign of Trista or me, when he happened across the guilt-ridden Stoney. Eventually, Stoney made his way back to the Codebearer’s hideout. There, with Philan’s help, Rob nursed Stoney back to his senses and helped restore him to the fellowship.
There was only restoration left to be made. I found it hard to look at Stoney when he finally spoke into the awkward silence that had momentarily settled over our group. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve done to ya. I let you all down, I let the Author down and I even let me own self down. Can you…can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”
Trista didn’t hesitate to step forward, climbing the gangplank that separated Stoney from the rest of us, to embrace the humbled man in a hug.
“If the Author can forgive me for my doubts, I can forgive you for yours,” she said.
In that moment, I saw a glimmer of the forgiveness I had felt in the very presence of the Author when he rewrote my life. This truly was the way of truth and life. Climbing the gangplank, I left my grievances behind and joyously joined her in restoring Stoney as our friend.
“Thank you both,” the big man sniffed, drying his wet cheeks with his shirt sleeve. “I was so worried about you guys. I thought you’d be goners for sure.”
“As it turns out,” Philan said, “your being sent here was exactly what the Resistance of Torpor needed to reunite in our fight against the Shadow. When they heard of your mission and your faith in the Flame, they committed themselves to getting you back whatever the cost. The raid on Dolor has given us new strength in both heart and numbers. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of this day, we will have doubled the number of Resistance faithful.”
It was one of those rare moments when a glimpse of the Author’s hand could be seen clearly. By coming to Dolor not only had our fate helped to awaken the Codebearers in Torpor, but it had also provided a way of escape for those who had been held prisoner in Dolor for far too long.
“All things for a purpose,” Trista smiled at me, recognizing the truth in the words now.
The clouds of Dolor had all but vanished, revealing the full view of the sky for the first time since we had arrived. The sun was setting in a magnificent display of fiery reds and oranges throughout the atmosphere. The prisoners were freed, the Scourge were no more. It was a place of celebration.
Sam joined Trista and me aboard the Bridesmaid to share a meal of joyful fellowship with our reunited friends. We were famished from our stay in Dolor and the deckhouse table held a stack of thickly cut bread, strangely shaped potatoes and a variety of vegetables. There was also a portion of freshly caught sky serpent that was leftover from a previous meal. We ate it all without question, savoring every bite.
The other Codebearers had all been safely taken aboard other ships to be transported back to their home shards. Soon they would be strengthened and reunited with grateful family and friends. Only two ships remained: the Bridesmaid and the Koinos, a transport returning to Torpor. After supper Philan intended to head back home and finish his job of leading the faithful of Torpor in their new struggle against the Shadow. We would leave on the Bridesmaid and finish the quest before us.
Philan was especially pleased to see that Sam was alive and well. We both had been trained under Sam’s watchful eye and having him with us was like having a father figure in my life again—at least what I imagined a father to be like…strong, good, encouraging and selfless.
“What did I tell ya, Philan?” Sam boasted, “I always knew you’d be a leader one day. Look at you, all grown up now and a lot stronger, I might add.”
“Thanks,” Philan replied. “You were always a great teacher. From what I’ve heard you never stopped teaching others, even here on Dolor. There’s even some crazy rumor about you breaking Sceleris’ tower?”
At this Sam shook his head, “Bah, I didn’t do nothing, there was another man,” he explained. “I don’t know where he came from or where he went, but he was the one who inspired us to fight back.”
“I wish he were here now so we could all thank him,” Philan said with amazement. “He should be rewarded for his bravery.”
Suddenly stepping into the light, Four-one-two-six appeared before us. “I am here,” he said simply.
Somehow, in the time since his disappearance, he had managed to clean up. His face was no longer dirty, his clothes were unblemished and his beard neatly trimmed.
“There is no reward you can give. I did what I came to do,” he said mysteriously. “Only one thing remains yet to be done.”
No one said a word or even questioned what he meant. The man commanded both respect and awe as he stood before the table. The medallion on my neck began to warm and rise from my chest on its own. The spark within emerged once more and glided over to the mysterious prisoner, who held it in his outstretched palm.
“Two marks have been revealed in your quest for the seven,” he said, stating plainly our mission as if it were known fully to him. “Three more will be marked this night.”
A hush fell over the table.
“A heart of stone…” the man said casting his gaze over the gathering, pausing for a moment as he glanced at me. Was he talking about me? Something within his brilliant blue eyes reminded me of someone from my past…but who exactly it was I could not decide.
His gaze shifted away and fell on Stoney, who was sitting near the end of the table. “Stone-Eye Sterling.”
“Aye,” the large man answered reservedly.
“You have been given much by the Codebearers, but have not taken it to heart. Your actions have been noble at times, but your intentions do not always match your words. Do not let your sight be limited to the eyes of this world. You must look at life through the Author’s eyes.”
Stoney looked away from the man, ashamed of his own lack of vision when confronted with danger. Even as the words were said, I felt a twinge of shame. I had been guilty of the same crime on many
occasions. The words easily could have been said of me.
“A precious seed…” he continued after a brief pause. “Trista Nicole Golden.”
At the sound of her name, Trista looked up with wide-eyed wonder.
“Today true faith was born in you. The seed is small, but growing strong. Keep the faith. Nourish it, and it will grow. Keep the memory of this day in your mind; let it anchor you for the trials ahead.”
“I’ll try to,” she said, respectfully bowing her head for good measure, unsure if the man was royalty. He nodded back with a smile, took a deep breath and looked over the gathering once more, capturing each of us in his gaze as it circled the table. At last his sight landed on Sam.
“A faithful captive…” he said at last. “Samryee Thordin.”
Rob, Trista and I all exchanged surprised looks upon hearing Sam’s familiar last name for the first time. Certainly, we all wanted to know if Sam was related to the brothers back on Galacia, but this solemn moment was not the time to ask.
“Sir?” Sam responded to his name, almost questioning the validity of the statement.
Four-one-two-six continued, “The trials you have endured have proven your faith to be true. Your strength amidst the suffering has inspired others to hold on when they might have otherwise given up. Even in the jaws of death itself, you showed no fear. Well done, my friend.”
Sam said nothing; he just looked at the man, hanging on his every word with eager anticipation of what was to come.
“The three of you are very different from each other in many ways, but in the most important of ways you are the same. You are part of the seven. You must go to Sanctuary, restore Hope and tell the Resistance that I…Aviad…am alive.”
As he spoke the last word, the Flame in his hand began to stir and grow. It became brighter and brighter, until the entire room was enveloped in a sea of light too bright for my eyes. I shut them tightly to shield them from the searing glare. Even with my eyes closed, the light of the blaze glowed through my eyelids with a pinkish hue. The voice of the Flame echoed the commission we had been given.
Go to Sanctuary. Restore Hope!
In an instant, it was over. When at last I could bear to open my eyes, I found the table and deckhouse to be exactly as they once were. But Aviad, Prisoner Four-one-two-six, was nowhere to be seen and our prisoner numbers had been erased.
“I’ve been marked,” Trista said excitedly, her right arm pressed against her left collarbone. Sure enough, at the base of her neck was a golden symbol, the gleaming mark of a three-tongued flame. Sam and Stoney had also received a mark and were examining theirs as well.
As exciting as the news of the marks was, however, the bigger news was the appearance of Aviad himself.
“I still can’t believe it was really him!” I said. “To think, all this time we were fighting beside Aviad and we didn’t even know it.”
“I should have known it was him,” Sam pointed out. “My heart was burning when he spoke.”
“Mine too,” Rob added.
“But he’s so young!” I blurted out. “The last time I met him, he looked old and frail. How is it possible?”
Sam explained, “You see him as he intends for you to see him. Aviad is no ordinary man.”
“True,” Philan added, “and even though he may appear in different forms to you and me, he is the same, of that you can be sure. His character never changes.”
We reveled in the joy of the moment. We had seen him with our own eyes. This was a great day for the Resistance.
“So, when do we leave?” I asked.
“At once,” Philan said. “I will go back to Torpor and spread the word about Aviad’s arrival among the Resistance. The five of you can finish the quest together.”
With that Philan shook our hands and waved goodbye as he carried the amazing news of Aviad to the other ship. In all of the excitement I hardly realized a change had come over me as well. Trista was the first to notice.
“Hunter, your arm!” she said. I looked down, half expecting to find the wound from Xaul’s sword had spread even further, but instead the blackened cut was gone. Not only was it healed, it was gone completely as if it never happened. I was amazed.
“Only the Author can heal the wound of a Veritas,” I recalled aloud. Aviad had healed me. The only question that remained was, would he choose to heal Hope as well?
“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s fly!” Rob shouted, surprising us all with his eagerness to take to the air.
“Rob?” Trista questioned. “I thought you were afraid of flying.”
“Oh yeah, terrified. But I figure, what’s the worst that could happen? I’m with my friends and we have the Flame to lead us. What could be better?”
“So then,” Stoney said chuckling, “shall I be getting out the barf-bags for ya before we shove off?”
Rob jokingly put his hand over his mouth and puffed his cheeks out in reply, giving us all a good laugh.
“Well then,” Sam shouted at last, “we’re off to Sanctuary!”
Chapter 25
Return to Sanctuary
The Bridesmaid was buzzing with excitement as we sailed on course to Sanctuary in search of Hope. There was a lot to catch up on with Sam. We learned that he was, indeed, related to the Thordin brothers (second cousins once removed). While it was news to him that they were now settled on the shard of Galacia instead of his home Shard of Sinos where they had all grown up, he was not at all surprised that they had chosen the severe climate conditions.
“We Thordins are a hearty breed,” he boasted. “It’s me mum’s snake stew that’s the secret to our strength, eh, Hunter?” He nudged me with his elbow in jest, knowing full well I’d had difficulty stomaching the bitter, stringy concoction the last (and only) time he was allowed to cook for me.
The conversation eventually steered to more important topics, with Sam trying to catch up on all he had missed during his years in captivity. Surprisingly, he had been able to piece together most of what happened from various tidbits of news that arrived with each new prisoner, but the complete story was never fully known. He was still anxious to hear a full telling of it first-hand for a change.
“Sounds like ya had quite an adventure there, Hunter!” Sam beamed after hearing of my fight with Venator. His dark skin and flashing white smile were a welcome sight. “I jus’ wish I coulda been with you fer it.”
“You were, Sam!” I explained. “The lessons you taught me never left my mind!”
“Then I musta done somethin’ right. So, let me get this straight now. We’re going to Sanctuary to find Hope?”
“Yeah, something like that. I’ve had visions of her lately, and I think Faldyn may have hid her in one of the Revealing Room environments.”
“Well, that’s no good,” Sam said with a groan.
“Why?” Trista asked.
“Well, assuming the Revealing Room even still exists after the siege, there must be at least a hundred-thousand different environments for ya to dial up. It’s a clever hiding place, to be sure—probably too clever. How are we going ta guess which one she’s in?”
“We don’t have to guess!” I announced, digging in my pocket and producing the small metal cipher that Gabby had given me. I tossed it to Sam who caught it midair. “Look familiar?”
“Why, sure, it’s a cipher for the Revealing Room dials,” he replied. “Where did you get it?”
“It used to be Gerwyn’s. Gabby gave it to me as a gift, as a sort of tribute to his life and the sacrifice he made for me.”
“That’s pretty special then…but how exactly do you know this’ll be the room Hope’s been hidden in?” Sam asked.
“Because in my visions, there was a dragon guarding the entrance. And if memory serves me right, you, Hope and I visited there once before by accident, remember?”
“Oh yeah,
the final exam,” he said ominously. “But uh…there’s something I should tell you about that one.”
“What?”
“Nobody’s exactly ever passed it before. That dragon, she’s…uh…different! Now, I’m not one to say the Author makes mistakes but she’s as close to one as he could have made. Why he created her, I’ll never know. Impenetrable scales, thicker than the armor of any known to man, covered in razor sharp spikes that can pierce your heart by just looking at ’em. Why, if her fiery breath doesn’t roast you, the spikes on her tail or snout will certainly stab you to death. She’s a killer that one. No, we never took any of our students to see her, least not on purpose that is! Especially after we lost one kid in there…what was his name again? Brady, no…Barty…that’s not it either…uh…”
“Bobby,” Rob said confidently.
“Yes, that’s right, Bobby. He wasn’t supposed to be in there in the first place. ’Course some of the kids called him Bobby Bungle because he was so clumsy. He…uh…oh, my…” Sam stopped his thought midsentence and glanced over at Rob. “What did you say your name was again?”
“Rob…but you can call me Bobby, if you’d like.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Sam said happily. “You’re him alright, the boy we lost in the final exam. I guess I never lost a student after all! You were my only exception, me boy! How did you make it out of there anyway?”
Rob shared his side of the story, a riveting tale of his youthful desire to impress his friends. Even back then, he was as awkward with a Veritas Sword as he was today. He explained how one evening, while everyone else was leaving the Academy for the day, he entered the Revealing Room alone, determined to prove that he wasn’t a klutz.
The first room he dialed ended up being the final exam, and he quickly found himself in more trouble than he bargained for. Rob tried to escape but the dials wouldn’t turn back. Soon, he was running through the cavern, dodging the attacks of the massive beast and scared out of his wits. Just then, Sam entered the Revealing Room in hopes of retrieving a book he had left behind. When he saw the final exam already dialed up and Bobby Bungle in trouble, he raced in to save him, catching the beast’s attention and drawing it away from the boy.
