“I am truly amazed that you figured it out so quickly.”
“Just for that, I’m going to give myself a treat when I get home. Bye-bye!”
The Baron nods his head as the former goddess disappears in a burst of green smoke that slithers into the distance. A snap of his fingers creates a blast of ivory light, which scares the all of the curious demons back into their lairs. Sure that he is alone, the warlord grabs the first telepath by the shoulders and lifts the man into the air. A thin fingernail splits the muted mortal’s head down the middle, allowing the Baron to carefully part the skull. The warlord whispers a spell of his own design, which conjures hundreds of needle-like tendrils that plunge into the telepath’s exposed brain. As the man cries and whimpers, a mirror of glistening silver appears to show the Baron an image of his daughter’s dirt-covered face.
12
“Remember when Luke charged the Lich and nearly got himself killed?” Nyx asks as they relax at a long table. She watches the celebration around them, most of the people unfamiliar even though they yell greetings to the champions. The half-elf notices that she forgets the faces of the crowd whenever she turns away, but guesses the reason is because she is drinking alcohol for the first time in months. “You weren’t there for the time I’m thinking about, Sari. It was when we were trying to rescue you, but then we found out Stephen really had you and the whole temple thing started.”
“Not sure that’s a good story to tell,” the gypsy replies, noticing that Kira is drunkenly glaring at her. Taking a sip of her medicine, she does her best to enjoy her water while staring forlornly at the collection of decanters. “Though my favorite is when he cut Stephen. Things were pretty scary for a while and then he proved the monster could be hurt. Really made that bastard mad too.”
“So mad that he slaughtered my family,” Kira mutters, plunging the conversation into an awkward silence. The heiress grabs two full decanters and wobbles to her feet, the chair falling onto its side. “I’m going somewhere else. Personally, my favorite story about Luke is when he killed the Baron. Wait, I mean the one where he was killed with him. Isn’t that one of your favorites, Lady Nyx?”
Most of those at the table and a few of the nearby partiers groan at the question while Nyx shrinks into her seat. Annoyed by everyone’s disapproval and how they look at the channeler with sympathy, Kira kicks her fallen chair onto the nearest dance floor. The young woman curses under her breath as she storms across the party and randomly stops to take a long swig of alcohol. She is almost to the trees when a lustful partygoer attempts to give her a flower and whispers what everyone assumes is a crude proposal. Whatever the man’s words are, they are enough to earn him a solid kick to the groin. Satisfied that she has made her point, Kira holds up her bottles to the crowd and leaves the celebration behind.
Worried about her housemate, Sari reaches into her pocket in search of a set of strings. She fumbles for a bit to make sure she only has four and casts an illusion that spins around the white cords. The spell continues until she has confused her senses, preventing the gypsy from knowing which piece ends in red. Holding out her arm, Sari swiftly smacks Nyx’s hand away and waves for the others to choose. Unhappy with the results, Tigris growls at the sight of the altered string and leaves to check on their runaway friend. A whistle from the gypsy stops the Snow Tiger Queen, who easily catches the large turkey leg that used to be in her husband’s hand. The food makes her task slightly more bearable, but she is still determined to take her time finding the runaway woman.
“Kira is relentless when it comes to holding a grudge,” Delvin mentions, pulling his wife’s chair closer. He puts a comforting arm around the half-elf’s shoulders and plants a few kisses on her cheek until she unfurls her body. “Though I think you’re much harder on yourself. Just let the past go and you’ll feel better. I love you too much to let you keep torturing yourself over this. I know there are times when you accept what happened, but you always get knocked back down.”
“I remember taking Luke griffin riding soon after we met,” Nyx says as she pulls a bowl of grapes closer. Instead of eating the one in her hand, she pushes it into her husband’s mouth and pats him on the chin. “He nearly fell off because I gave him one that liked playing games. Never thought one day he could become one of them. Part of me wonders if I sensed it, which is why I made sure he got a chance to ride one. Then again, he had told me about his first encounter with Lucy and I probably wanted to help him get over his guilt. Anybody ever feel strange now that our adventures are over?”
“As if we are either been cast adrift in life or tossed aside for fresher heroes?” Timoran responds, leaning back in his chair. The wicker creaks and threatens to break beneath his weight, so he goes back to leaning over the table. “I admit that there are times I wish my path was more defined. Ruling a kingdom is stressful and my actions are always being watched. Some days I worry that the wrong words will start a war, which may be something Gabriel wishes for. Yet I know he has rewarded me with a simpler life than one where the future of Windemere is in danger with every step I take.”
“Not sure if I would call it simpler,” Sari interjects, rubbing at the cold spot on her chest. A sudden pang of discomfort courses through her veins, forcing her to strengthen the ice around her heart. “Maybe it’s the constantly looming death from my injuries speaking, but I used to have a sense of peace knowing my life was kind of planned. I didn’t realize it at the time, which is something I regret. I’d have enjoyed our adventures more if I knew the aftermath was going to be filled with so much unknown. This is probably different for all of you since you’re married and can sleep knowing for a fact that you’ll wake up in the morning. For me, I never know what’s really coming or if I’m on my last day, but it is never exciting. There are no more grand adventures, complicated heists, or big battles for me to look forward to.”
“Sorry, but I don’t miss any of that,” Nyx declares with a half-hearted smile. Lightning dances along her hair, leaving faint burn marks on the wooden chair. “I spent my entire life being aimed at the Baron. Now it feels like I can live beyond my destiny. If an adventure wants to find me then it knows where I live, but I’m not going to hunt for one. Those days are over, little sister. Maybe you only need to take a trip and wander for a little while.”
Rolling his tongue along his teeth, Delvin raps his knuckles on the table and nods his head in agreement. “Nyx does have a point. You’re a gypsy, so you might be feeling contained. Your condition prevents you from doing anything strenuous, which means you can have a quest to reverse that. Magic has already failed due to the Baron’s lingering aura. Have you considered going to Nevra Coil and asking Catarina for help?”
“Did you notice that she recently put some type of flight magic on Aedyn’s legs?” Sari counters, her voice sharp and aggressive. Softening her expression and sipping at her medicine, the blue-haired woman struggles to ease her nerves. “Sorry about the outburst. I don’t like the idea of a crazy invention replacing part of me. Something could go wrong and make my life even more difficult. Not to mention one never knows what a gnome will do on a whim. I could go in for a new heart and walk out with the ability to spit magical chocolate sauce out of my mouth. Did I mention that I bought a new dispenser that’s shaped like the head of a dragon and roars when the kids push the plunger? By the way, I don’t see either of you telling Timoran to get a new arm.”
The barbarian shudders as if coming out of a trance and briefly forgets about his missing limb. The moment of confusion causes him to reach for his drink, but all that happens is a subtle movement of the stump. Timoran sighs before getting the goblet with his remaining arm, his body stiff from embarrassment. He pauses with the cup to his lips when he tries to remember more about his injury. Finishing the wine in one gulp, the noble ruler leans forward and waves for his friends to do the same.
“I have an odd confession to make, my friends,” Timoran admits, his senses paying more attention to their surroundings. Nothing appears out of place
, but he cannot shake the eerie feeling that creeps along his spine. “Maybe it is only me, but I do not recall the details of how I lost my arm. Even though I know the Baron cut it off, I do not remember the exact situation. Did I charge him or was he the aggressor? In the same respect, I cannot remember how we cleansed the Spirit Well or how the final battle started. All I know is that it happened and two of our friends are no longer with us. Do any of you know the details?”
“Well I remember in the Spirit Well-” Delvin begins to answer. The warrior stops when his mind goes blank and he is left scratching his stubbled chin. “There was a swamp and a telepathic enemy captured us. I think Luke was the last one standing and saved us. After that . . . I have no idea. It’s possible that everything was so traumatic that we’ve blocked it.”
“Or Dariana erased our memories before she passed,” Nyx suggests while struggling to recall the details of the silver-haired woman’s death. All she knows is that Delvin delivered the killing blow, an attack that was caused by Dariana controlling his actions. “Kind of like a final gift that relieves us of the pain. I do know it was a destructive and brutal battle. It spilled into places where innocent lives were lost even though we tried to protect them. There’s a . . . I assume there are ruins or something at the battle site.”
“Wherever that is,” Sari adds as she notices the celebration is getting louder. A pulse of energy ripples out of the crowd, snaring all of their minds with a sense of carefree bliss. “You know, we aren’t here for any of that. Today is Luke’s birthday and we should continue telling stories of all his great deeds and more memorable mistakes. Maybe his ghost will appear if we embarrass him enough. I promise not to make an illusion of him this time. Especially since Kira nearly destroyed the house after that stunt. She always manages to find sharp objects or start fires at the worst possible moments.”
While the others laugh and go back to their drinks, Timoran finds that a needle of doubt is burrowing into his mind. He is not sure what he is questioning, but the sensation is enough to break whatever spell is trying to snare his attention. Not wanting to ruin the party and having a sudden desire for quiet, the barbarian shifts in his chair to make it look like he has to go to the bathroom. Grabbing a handful of sauce-covered meat, Timoran leaves the table and heads in the opposite direction of Tigris. Several people stop him, their hands outstretched for a shake that never comes due to the large man’s greasy, solitary fist. Most are content to receive a warm greeting and a small nod, but a few drunken partiers take offense and attempt to pick a fight with the barbarian. Each encounter ends with a single blow from the retired champion, who uses only enough strength to knock out his would be challenger. It takes longer than he planned, but soon Timoran is surrounded by aromatic pines and a growing sense that he is not as alone as he believes.
*****
“Guess one dance was too much for her,” Delvin whispers as he gently tucks Sari into her bed. With Nyx waiting in the doorway, the warrior checks their friend’s pulse to find it pounding like a blacksmith’s hammer. “Wish there was a way I could help Sari. Me and her nearly died the last time I tried to heal her. Don’t argue that things will be different this time because I refuse to risk her life again. Maybe we should talk downstairs. Get some privacy before the others come home and this one wakes up.”
The pair slip out of the room and leave the door open enough so that they will hear if Sari moves or talks. Having had several months of practice walking without making a sound, they tiptoe down the stairs and claim a couch on the far side of the main room. The smell of chocolate has permeated the house, so they find themselves getting hungry even though they ate their fill at the celebration. Ignoring the desire to eat several nearby treats, Nyx and Delvin kick off their boots to curl up against the pillows and stare out the window. There is still enough sunlight to give them a clear view of the town and forest, both of which are silent before the nighttime festivities begin. A lone deer is grazing at the edge of the nearest house, but the animal is startled by the howl of a wolf. Peering into the shadows, Delvin swears he sees the large beast lurking among the trees before it chases after the retreating prey.
Neither of the retired adventurers dare to speak, but it is more because they are not sure what to talk about. Part of them hopes to preserve the silence for as long as possible, such a moment having been elusive for years. Furrowing his brow, Delvin can barely remember a day where he has not been busy at the academy or tending to the baby. From her pensive expression, the warrior guesses that his wife is sharing his thoughts and desire to remain silent. The infectious quiet is enough to make their eyelids heavy and they start to fall asleep until a drunken neighbor slams his door.
“I think we’ve become boring,” Nyx states, making herself comfortable in her husband’s arms. Unable to find the perfect position, she pats his leg and twists her head to steal a kiss on his jaw. “Before you get defensive, I just mean we’re in a rut. Work, baby, and sleep is all we do these days. Our jobs are important and Luke is very young, so I can see how the routine falls into place. I only worry that we’re growing stale and it’s going to take a toll on us.”
“You keep me on my toes enough that I’ll never get bored,” Delvin softly replies with a smirk. A gentle elbow to his side makes him wince, but the expression is more to let his wife know he understands than of pain. “This happens to all couples. Once Luke is old enough to travel and stops waking up every three hours, we’ll escape the rut. For now, this is where we stay and gather our energy. More adventurers are in our future, Mrs. Cunningham, and I’m looking forward to them.”
“Like a second kid,” the half-elf says before she can stop herself. The tension that ripples through the warrior’s body makes her spine tingle and she does her best not to laugh. “I’m not pregnant, dummy. Another one so close after the first would kill us. Bad enough I have to use invigoration spells to get through some nights. I was only pointing out another adventure that we’ll be taking some day. Besides, not all of them have to be that far from home. Visindor has a lot to offer and the most dangerous thing in our area are bears.”
“Those are pretty deadly.”
“Compared to a Weapon Dragon, Ifrit, or undead sea serpent?”
“No, but I still wouldn’t let Luke play with one.”
“Sometimes you make me sound like a horrible mother.”
Knowing that she is not entirely joking, Delvin kisses Nyx on the top of the head and wraps his arms around her. “You’re a terrific mother. After all, you took care of all the champions during our travels. We could always depend on you to be there for us and keep the family together. The others would agree if they were here. Though I prefer the privacy. This was always hard to come by back then, especially when Fizzle was around.”
Nyx sits up with a jolt and gives Delvin a quizzical look, which the warrior returns as if his words did not make sense to him. Sitting next to each other, the pair struggle to figure out what was said to change the mood. Nothing in the room gives them a clue and matching headaches begin to form in the back of their skulls. The pain rolls over their brains and churns behind their eyes, but the couple refuses to ignore the fact that something is wrong. As if the cause of their suffering has given up, the agony disappears and they are left to get comfortable on the couch once again.
Soon after Nyx puts her head on Delvin’s chest, she picks up on a gap within the core of her aura. At first, the channeler assumes it is because of her inability to use fire magic and it is part of her imagination. Thousands of dreams over the years have revolved around the loss, so Nyx assumes she has fallen asleep. This idea is erased when the dark gap becomes a purple, scaly form that zips around her insides. Whatever is beneath the half-elf’s skin can be seen as a dragonfly-shaped form that is pushing against her skin. Delvin’s yelp of surprise at the sight of the hidden creature removes any doubt that this is in her head. Focusing on what she assumes is a magical bug, Nyx coaxes it into her throat and hacks it up like a fluttering hairb
all. The featureless creature thumps on the floorboards and remains still before combusting into a pile of purple ashes.
“Fizzle was the drite that followed us!” Delvin exclaims while handing his wife a cloth to clean her face. Stretching his arm over his head, he grabs a few chocolates for her to chew on in case there is a bad taste in her mouth. “I can’t believe I forgot about the little guy. He loved apples and even battled Stephen a few times. We never would have survived without him. I wonder what happened to Fizzle.”
“Or how we forgot about him,” Nyx adds as more memories flow back into her mind. A sneeze wipes many of them away, leaving her with only basic knowledge of the drite. “Thinking about it, Fizzle was more involved early on when we were starting our adventures. I only remember him fighting Stephen once and not much else after that. There was the time we fought the Dark Wind, which nearly killed Luke. He did something to help, but that might have been it for him. Not being a champion, Fizzle might have gone back to Visindor Forest after that. I wouldn’t blame him for doing so.”
Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Delvin finds his energy steadily fading away. “Then we live at his doorstep and I work in the middle of his territory. Why haven’t we heard from him in all these years?”
“I don’t know,” Nyx says in a faint voice. Wanting to sleep, she has a nearby blanket float over to cover them. “We’d remember if he died. Then again, drites can be fickle, so maybe he forgot about us and is staying away. Not only from us, but the academy where everything began. That’s where he met Luke after all.”
“That doesn’t explain how we forgot about him.”
“Dariana probably did something.”
“Yeah. She was like that at times.”
“Always safe to blame Dariana.”
The exhausted couple is barely aware of Kira and Tigris walking into the house, their heavy eyelids drooping. For a surreal second, Delvin thinks the two women are flickering in and out of existence like ghosts. He chuckles gently at the ridiculous idea, the illusion probably caused by a childish attempt to stave off sleep. Seeing that Nyx is already snoring, Delvin decides to stop fighting his fatigue and falls into a dreamless slumber.
The Spirit Well Page 23
