“Talon!” Jan’s warning came a second too late. A translucent shield materialized in front of Niercel just as Talon swung her sword. When the blade made contact with the barrier, there was a shower of sparks followed by a blinding explosion.
Disoriented by the bright flash, Jan sought out Talon. That was when she saw that Niercel was holding the same arcane weapon from before, the one she used to kill Morgsten. It was pointed directly at Talon.
Jan shouted an incomprehensible warning and leaped into action. With her sword drawn, she lunged at Niercel, catching her off guard. The arcane weapon discharged a beam of light just before Niercel moved to counter Jan’s attack. Without looking back, Jan kept Niercel on the defensive, driving her away from the injured Talon. It was not until Niercel was backed against the large console beneath the globe of light that Jan realized Niercel wanted to lead her in that direction. The scar on Jan’s chest pulsed brightly as she neared the blue sphere. The usual warmth she felt from the mark became cold, until she was chilled to the bone. Through the window Jan saw an immense light from somewhere below.
“What is that?” she asked.
“The Firebringer,” Niercel replied, with something resembling reverence in her voice.
Jan watched in horror as the light slowly began to build, until it glowed more brightly than the sun. She had to do something to stop the Firebringer, or Astraeyu Nouvi would be reduced to nothing more than ashes adrift on the Harrowing Sea.
“Do whatever you like,” Niercel said. It was almost like she could hear Jan’s unspoken thoughts. “It won’t matter. It is too late to stop the Firebringer.”
“Don’t listen to her.” Talon was on her feet again. Jan noticed her shoulder was bleeding, a fresh wound inflicted by the stray blast from Niercel’s weapon. “You have the power to alter the fate of this world. Just believe in yourself. I know I do.”
“Enough of this nonsense!” Niercel pointed the Ancient weapon at Talon again. Jan saw her finger curl around the trigger. She knew she was standing close enough to Niercel to intercept her, but she did not think she could prevent Niercel from firing. It was too late to reason with Niercel. The only way to stop Niercel was with violence. Her hatred for the arcane had driven her to unspeakable things, even resorting to employing the use of the very thing she hated. The Firebringer was the epitome of Ancient magic and technology. If Niercel was willing to go to such drastic lengths to exact her warped perception of justice on the world, there was simply no other way.
Jan raised her sword and charged forward as Niercel applied pressure to the trigger of her weapon. Another second and it would be too late for Talon. Jan stayed her course, never flinching as her sword pierced the soft mesh adjoining the pieces of Niercel’s armor between arm and chest. Niercel’s eyes opened wide with shock as she realized what was happening. The weapon fell from her hand as her grip loosened. Jan did not look away as a scarlet stain began to spread outward across Niercel’s armor. Niercel put her hand to the wound and inspected the blood that dyed the fingers of her glove red. She raised her gaze to meet Jan’s and smiled.
“It looks like you finally bested me, Jan,” she said. Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the floor.
Jan stared at Niercel’s motionless form unblinkingly. It was the first time she had taken a life. That the life belonged to her former friend did not help matters in the least.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Talon said, taking a step toward Jan. “There was nothing more you could do.” She took another step and staggered to the side. Jan rushed forward and caught Talon in her arms before she could hit the floor. Talon’s injuries were worse than Jan thought. She had already lost a lot of blood and was losing more through her most recent wounds.
“I knew you would be the one to save the world,” Talon continued as Jan held her in her arms. “Astraeyu makes no mistakes.”
“The world isn’t safe yet,” Jan insisted. The blinding aura of light still surrounded the tower—no, the vessel. “According to Niercel, this mark I bear is what activated the Firebringer. How will the world ever be safe as long as such a thing is allowed to exist?”
“Astraeyu’s Light is the key to stopping the Firebringer as well as unleashing its fury. You have the power to decide the fate of this world.”
“How do I stop the Firebringer?” Jan gazed out the window at the otherworldly light that filled the sky. “I don’t know what Niercel did.”
“The console beneath the blue sphere,” Talon said weakly. “From there you can control the Firebringer.”
“How will I know what to do?”
“Trust your instincts.” Talon drew a deep breath as she gripped her side.
“I won’t leave you here unattended.”
“I will be fine. If you don’t stop the Firebringer soon, it might be too late.” In spite of the pain she must surely be in, Talon locked gazes with Jan, the fiery passion still burning within those red-gold eyes as strongly as ever. Jan did not want to leave Talon’s side for even a second, but if she did not listen and Lythril was destroyed by the Firebringer, the Coruscalli would achieve its victory and Talon would never forgive her.
Jan slowly got to her feet and staggered to the control panel. The Ancient technology was foreign to her. She could not even begin to imagine what some of the controls were meant to do. A flashing red light caught her eye. Below it characters in the Ancient language were flashing intermittingly. For some reason Jan felt that the light had something to do with the Firebringer. Next to the display bearing Ancient text she found a set of controls and a lever. She remembered now having seen Niercel push the lever down as far as it would go. Perhaps that was how to stop the Firebringer. Jan grabbed the lever with both hands and pulled with all her might, but the lever would not budge. She ran her hands over the device and discovered a set of buttons on each side. She pushed and held the buttons while pulling up on the lever, and she tried again. This time it was a success. The lever pulled up easily and Jan was able to lock it into place using the panel of buttons. The Ancient text ceased flashing on the display, as did the red light above it.
Jan peered out the window. The intense light dimmed. She did it. She had prevented the Firebringer from cleansing the world in fire. She smiled at her victory as she turned toward Talon. Talon was still on the floor where Jan left her, but she was strangely motionless. Frantic, Jan rushed over and dropped to her knees at Talon’s side. Talon was still breathing, but only barely.
“I did what you asked,” Jan said, taking Talon into her arms and cradling her head in her lap. “It was just as you said. When I saw the Ancient text, I just knew what to do.” Tears were flowing down her cheeks.
“I never doubted you.” Talon surprised Jan by speaking. She did not think that Talon was still conscious. “You are a remarkable woman.”
Jan thought she could feel Talon’s life draining from her. It was the worst feeling in the world, knowing that she could do nothing to help. Jan held tightly to Talon’s limp body as she began to cry. She cried until her eyes burned. Then she realized the heat was not coming from her tears. The scar on her chest was glowing again, only this time it emanated warmth instead of the cold, alien light from before. Bleary-eyed from crying, Jan was vaguely aware that the light was spreading, until it engulfed both of them within a cocoon of warmth.
An indescribable sense of serenity settled over Jan as the light seemed to fill the chamber. Her gaze drifted to the window, and she gasped. There was a shimmering light outside the Ancient vessel, but it was not the same as the Firebringer. Like the light surrounding her and Talon, this light was comforting, peaceful. As Jan stared at its beautiful radiance, a form began to take shape. A large bird hovered just outside the window, its plumage the color of fire and brighter than the light from the sun. Jan’s breath caught in her throat and for several heartbeats she could not breathe. The bird lingered outside the window, the flapping of its great wings more graceful and effortless than anything Ja
n had seen. Flashes of light surrounded the bird, like stars only brighter. For an instant Jan thought the vessel had flown so high that they were among the stars, but then she saw that the lights were not stars. They were tears. The bird was crying, droplets of stardust that glimmered in the night sky falling from its fiery eyes.
“She has come to congratulate you on your victory.”
Jan looked down and saw that Talon’s eyes were open. She appeared stronger than before, almost as though she had suffered no injuries during their battles. Talon surprised Jan again by sitting up.
“Don’t,” Jan said. “You’ll aggravate your injuries.”
“I’ve never felt better,” Talon insisted. Jan could not even look at her without crying. “What’s wrong?” Talon asked.
“I thought I lost you,” Jan managed to choke out between sobs.
“I thought so too. I think maybe she has something to do with my being alive.” Talon gestured to the window where the fiery bird still hovered.
“She?” Jan asked. Then it dawned on her. “Astraeyu! Talon, could that truly be Astraeyu?”
“I know she is. I can feel it.”
Jan stared again at the bird—the Phoenix, Astraeyu—and she could hardly believe what she was seeing. All her life she thought the tales of Astraeyu were no more than legends of a pagan goddess, just as many of the Lythrillian faith believed. What she had witnessed within the Ancient vessel would forever change the world, if word of the events ever reached the citizens of Lythril. Jan did not think the people were ready for such a startling revelation. There was no hiding the enormous sky ship that rose into the sky that day. Anyone looking up would be able to see it, possibly even as far away as Kalvatin. Ancient technology that suddenly came to life was one thing but rewriting the world’s history and religion was another matter entirely.
“Phoenix tears,” Jan said, watching as the twinkling lights from Astraeyu’s eyes fell to the world below. “Does she mean to heal the world’s scars just as she healed your wounds?”
“Now that Astraeyu has returned, I think anything is possible.”
WITH TALON’S HELP, Jan deactivated the device that enabled control of the Firebringer. The blue sphere representing the world of Lythril slowly faded away.
“It’s a shame we don’t have more time to study this place,” Jan said as she watched the light of the globe diminish until it was no longer visible. “I’m certain this vessel is full of secrets of the Ancients, just waiting to be discovered.”
“Some secrets are best left forgotten,” Talon countered.
“The world below will never know just how close it was to being destroyed.” Jan said. “Which brings me to another matter. How are we going to get down from here?” She gazed out the window at the landscape far below.
“I know how to land this vessel,” Talon said. “I think. I’ve never actually flown an Ancient sky ship of this size before. Until today, I thought they only existed in legend.”
“But you’ve flown sky ships before?”
“Only the small ones,” Talon replied.
“That’s more than most can claim.” Jan moved to where Talon stood by the large console. “Do you really believe that what we saw today was Astraeyu?”
“I don’t think I would be alive if it was anything less.”
Jan could not deny the severity of Talon’s injuries, injuries that had somehow miraculously disappeared. Bringing someone back from the dead was a miracle that not even the most accomplished thaumaturgist could perform. If magic hadn’t returned Talon to life, then what did? Such a feat could only be attributed to divine power. How Talon was able to return to life did not really matter. Jan was just thankful that Talon was with her. Even the thought of holding Talon’s lifeless body brought her great sorrow. For a time, Jan truly thought she had lost Talon. It was a feeling of hopelessness she did not want to dwell on. If Astraeyu really had returned and restored Talon’s life, Jan would gladly serve the Phoenix for the rest of her days.
“Whatever we saw, I’m grateful to have you here with me.” Jan smiled as Talon turned away from the console and smiled affectionately at her.
“I am not that easy to get rid of,” Talon said. She leaned forward until their lips were nearly touching. Jan moved to close the remaining distance. Just as her lips brushed Talon’s, she heard voices approaching from behind. Jan stepped back and whirled around in time to see Rhys and Beatrix enter the room.
“Grand Arbiter,” Rhys said. He seemed to sense that they had interrupted something and shifted uncomfortably from one foot the other. Beatrix, on the other hand, had no such reservations.
“We have been searching everywhere for you,” Beatrix continued. “Ever since the earthquake that nearly rattled this tower to pieces, we feared the worst had happened.”
Did Rhys and Beatrix truly not know that the tower was not actually a tower? Jan supposed they had not seen the ground far below. She did not recall seeing any windows in the other parts of the vessel, but when it was partially buried underground, it was too dark to see.
“What manner of sorcery is this?” he demanded, as he gazed out the window.
“It’s no sorcery,” Jan said. “What you see is the world of Lythril, only from a different perspective. This ruin is actually a sky ship, like the ones spoken of in legends of the Ancients.”
“It’s a bird’s eye view,” Beatrix said as she ventured to the window. Unlike Rhys, Beatrix did not seem perturbed by the height. “A sky ship, did you say? It’s unbelievable that such a vessel would still be functional after all these years.”
Rhys had moved away from the window and appeared to be attempting to focus on anything other than the world far below. Jan never would have guessed that the knight was afraid of heights. Of course, it was not everyday that one was able to see the world from the window of an Ancient sky ship.
“We have apprehended the last of the Coruscalli,” Rhys informed Jan.
“Search the vessel for any stragglers,” Jan said. “I don’t expect any remaining cultists to put up much resistance now that their leader is dead.” She glanced at Niercel’s body and quickly averted her eyes. It was not easy for Jan to accept that she had taken the life of her former friend, but there was no other alternative.
“It’s a shame about Niercel,” Rhys said. “When one of our own turns bad like this, I just don’t know what to say. If the people can’t trust the Arbiters, who can they trust?”
“The Arbiters exist to protect,” Jan said. “That hasn’t changed. Niercel must have seen some horrendous things in Kalvatin to cause her to resort to such drastic measures, but the Arbiters were founded to combat such atrocities. We will stand together, and we will win, against the Coruscalli or anyone else who threatens the peace of Lythril.”
“Yes, Arbiter Sterling,” Rhys said. He seemed more at ease just hearing Jan’s bold declaration to defend Lythril and uphold the values of the Arbiters. “I will see to finding any remaining cultists that might be hiding in the shadows.”
“I believe I can be of assistance,” Beatrix said. She joined Rhys and they left. Jan and Talon were alone again.
“We should be on the ground again soon,” Talon said. During Jan’s conversation with Rhys, she had continued to work at the control panel. Talon turned to face Jan, leaning back against the metal console. Her eyes were downcast, as if something were troubling her. “It seems strange, doesn’t it? Now that the Coruscalli is no longer an immediate threat, the world seems less dangerous. I don’t know what I will do now that the Prophecy of Fire has come to a conclusion.”
“Return to being the Black Talon, sword of Astraeyu, I imagine,” Jan said. She understood why Talon was so melancholy after their victory. With the threat of the Firebringer dealt with, Talon had no reason to continue her alliance with the Arbiters. Jan was afraid to ask what Talon intended to do or where she would go now that matters with the Coruscalli were settled.
“I will always be
a sword of Astraeyu,” Talon said. “There is no other life for me. But recent events have made me start thinking that maybe there should be something more to my life than being an Astraeyu’s Talon. I was dead. Astraeyu brought me back to the world of the living through her blessing, Astraeyu’s Light.”
“You mean this mark on my chest?” Jan placed her hand over the mark. It was still warm from earlier.
“This is not the end, but only the beginning,” Talon said.
“The beginning of what?” Jan was not sure where Talon was going with this. She only knew that it was unbearable to imagine life without Talon in it.
“There is no reason why I can’t continue my alliance with the Arbiters while carrying out justice as an Astraeyu’s Talon. In fact, I think Astraeyu herself would want it this way. If I am best suited to serving Astraeyu’s Will by assisting the woman marked with her blessing, I will gladly accompany the Arbiters wherever they are needed.”
Jan wiped at a tear, overjoyed that Talon would be staying with her. Talon’s words reminded her of when she first recruited Talon’s help. Talon claimed that as long as she could hunt the Coruscalli, it did not matter who her allies were. Only this time Talon’s oath sounded more sincere.
“I will be a sword of the Arbiters as well as Astraeyu,” Talon said.
“Will your superiors in Astraeyu’s Will be all right with your decision?”
“As long as I continue to fulfill my duties to Astraeyu, there should be no complaints. What about you?” Talon asked. “Will the High Council of Lythril accept your having an Astraeyu Nouvin serving in your ranks?”
Tears of the Sun Page 32
