Outcasts of Velrune

by Isaac Crowe

  Max’s training with Tyco had not prepared him for the surrounding chaos of an-all out fight. To his left, Melody struggled to block the path leading down to the plateau with her barrier. Behind Melody, Effie fought to keep a pair of guards from reaching her. To his front right, Callie still engaged Captain Leander while Alexandra searched for a way past them.

  He could hear the rest of the battle raging on behind him and hoped Eve still stood among those fighting. Knowing he couldn’t take the time to check on her, he dodged around Lysander and Thanos to make his way towards Lord Avram. He had a brief glimpse of him standing at the edge of the plateau. He gripped the head of the lacarnian girl with one hand and held the Lifestone with the other. Before he could contemplate what Lord Avram was trying to do, two guards stepped in front of him, raising their weapons to attack.

  A loud scream from behind the guards froze everyone. Other screams from around the plateau joined the first, Eve’s among them. To his right, Callie fell to her knees in agony.

  Max shook off the shock, and stabbed at the guard to his left, striking him below his chest plate. The movement brought the second guard back to the fight. He took a swing that Max blocked with one sword while pulling his other out of the first guard. The guard swung again. This time Max dodged around to his side, striking the back of the guard’s leg. As the guard fell, Max spun, taking a step towards Lord Avram before a painful impact to his back knocked him to the ground. From where he fell he saw Spook scurry across the ground towards Lord Avram.

  A hard kick sent Max rolling onto his back. Above him stood Tyco, breathing heavily and wavering a bit. Claw marks gouged his armor and the left side of his face. Blood flowed from where his ear and eye had once been. With both hands wrapped around the hilt, Tyco raised his sword above his head.

  A yell of pain rose from Lord Avram. “You accursed rodent!”

  Tyco hesitated. “Lord Avram!”

  Tyco’s body jerked then stiffened. He hung there, sword high above his head, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he went limp, the sword falling from his grip. Max used the last of his strength to deflect it inches from his face. Tyco’s body was tugged from behind and fell, leaving Eve standing in clear view. She retracted her bloody, broken claws then stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside Max. Struggling to talk, she lay her head down gently on his chest.

  “Hi, Maxy.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Max lifted his head. Eve had several cuts, bruises and a small tuft of hair missing, but otherwise seemed okay. He lowered his head.

  “Just once, Eve, would you let me save you?”

  “Nope.”

  Lysander’s voice rang out. “Drop your weapons and stay where you are!”

  Max tried to move. “What’s going on?”

  Struggling, Eve pushed herself to a seated position. “Lysander has a knife to Lord Avram’s throat”

  Melody arrived at Eve’s side. “You two are a mess.” Melody checked Eve’s cuts. “Nothing serious. Eve, help me sit Max up.”

  Together Eve and Melody pulled Max upright. He cringed in pain.

  “My back.”

  Melody checked his back and gasped. “This needs immediate attention. Alexandra!”

  “In my pack there are some salves. Do what you can with those. I cannot use any of my strength to help. Callie, untie the girl and use the rope on Lord Avram.”

  Melody ran to retrieve Alexandra’s pack. Max tapped Eve on the shoulder.

  “Can you spin me around so I can see what is happening?”

  Once Eve had him turned the right direction, Max could see Lysander standing behind Lord Avram with a knife next to his throat. In front of them, Callie untied the lacarnian girl and used the rope to bind Lord Avram so tightly that he could barely breathe. Max saw fear in his eyes as he spoke between constricted breaths.

  “This is pointless. My Protectors will not let you leave here alive.”

  Alexandra approached Lord Avram. “They will not be your Protectors for much longer.”

  Melody returned with a jar of salve. Tearing the back of Max’s shirt, she smeared the cool gel over his wound.

  “I’ll do what I can, Max, but, as I’ve said before, healing is not my strong point.”

  Max felt Melody’s hand on his back and the pain slowly lessoned.

  “There, Max, I’ve stopped the bleeding. Hopefully, Alexandra will take care of the rest. Otherwise, you will have to wait until we get back to Moenia.”

  “What about everyone else?”

  Tears filled Melody’s eyes. “We lost Lalita.” She wiped the tears away. “The others have various injuries, but nothing life threatening. They’re helping guard the path onto the plateau.”

  Eve’s head swiveled back and forth frantically. “What about Spook? She ran off while I was fighting Tyco.”

  Max nodded at Lord Avram. “I saw her running his direction after I fell.”

  Melody gave a strained laugh. “Yeah, she bit Lord Avram, stopping whatever he was doing to the girl. It also let Lysander slip in behind him.”

  Eve looked at Melody expectantly. “Well, where is she now?”

  Melody started to sniffle, but stopped herself. “Lysander flung her back towards the mountainside.”

  Eve tried to stand. “Where?”

  Melody held Eve down. “I’ll go look for her. You stay here.”

  As Melody left, Max focused on the events at the edge of the plateau. Alexandra had calmed the lacarnian girl Lord Avram had brought and now studied the girl’s collar.

  “What is your name?”

  “Han…Hannah.”

  “Well, Hannah, I think it is time we got rid of these blasted stones.”

  Lord Avram struggled to free himself. “No, you can’t do that! The lacarna will slaughter us if you remove those stones. Guards!”

  A few of the close Protectors started to move. Lysander inched his knife closer to Lord Avram’s throat. “Stay where you’re at.”

  Alexandra shook her head as she smiled at the girl. “The lacarna will not harm the humans.”

  Lord Avram carefully turned his head to face Max. “Maxwell, you have just seen what these beasts are capable of, don’t make the same mistake as your father. You must not let her do this.”

  “My father did what he thought was right and so do I.” Max smiled at Eve. “I know there is much more to them than their animal side.”

  Alexandra picked up the Lifestone from where Lord Avram had dropped it. With her other hand, she clasped the stone in Hannah’s collar.

  Max looked at her curiously. “What are you doing?”

  “The Lifestone feeds on life and creates it. Lord Avram used it to create the controller stones as living entities; it can also destroy them. Do not worry Max, she is in no danger.”

  Alexandra closed her eyes. A slight glow appeared in the center of the Lifestone. When Alexandra let go of Hannah’s collar, the stone was gone.

  “There, that is better.”

  Max starred at the collar. “It’s gone.” Max shook his head. “But how are you going to get all of them?”

  Remember, the stones were created from one mass and share a link. Destroying one with the Lifestone, destroyed them all.

  “You mean…” Max looked at Eve’s collar, the stone had vanished. Eve, seeing his stare, felt for herself. Her eyes widened.

  “They’re all gone?”

  Lord Avram shouted hysterically. “You’ve doomed us all! The lacarna will not live peacefully with us after what we have done to them. I’m sure they have already started slaughtering humans.”

  Alexandra faced him. “You are right.”

  Max and Lysander’s jaws dropped. “What?”

  “They will live in a place free of humans, but not one brought about from human blood. It will be a new place made solely for them.”

  Lord Avram looked at her nervously. “What do you mean a new place?”

  “I guess it is not really new, I am, after all, only r
estoring what you took away many years ago.”

  Lord Avram’s brow furrowed. Max shared his confusion, but beside him a wave of excitement washed over Melody. “You mean, you’re going to recreate the forest Avram destroyed, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  Lord Avram shook his head. “Impossible. That would take more power than you or anyone else has. How are you…?” Horror filled Lord Avram’s face. “Maxwell, you must stop her, she is going to sacrifice the lives of the Protectors to…to create plants!”

  Alexandra’s face flashed red. “No, I am not like you. I will not use the lives of others so carelessly.” Alexandra fixed her eyes on Max. “I promised your father I would not, nor do I want to.”

  Lord Avram quieted. “Please, Maxwell, do not trust her. The lives of the Protectors are the only way to supply the stone with so much power.”

  Alexandra voice softened. “Maxwell, I am of the original line of humans, the ones unaffected by the disease. I have much more for the Lifestone to feed on.” Her eyes grew cold and hardness entered her voice. “Thanks to Avram’s treachery, I also learned how to channel the energy from others too, namely his.”

  All color drained from Lord Avram’s face, he struggled to speak. “Never! I won’t help you.”

  Alexandra walked over to him. “You have little choice.”

  “My guards will not let this happen.”

  The Protectors on the path began to move forward. Cassia and the others readied to fend them off.

  No, I can’t let them fight. Max raised his arm. “Melody, help me.”

  Melody pulled Max to his feet, keeping an arm around his waist to help steady him.

  “Move me to the edge.”

  Melody helped him walk to where Lord Avram sat bound. Clearing his throat, Max spoke as loud as he could.

  “Lord Avram, I, private Maxwell Laskaris, charge you with having failed in your duty to protect all peoples, lacarna and human as per the Protector’s code. In addition, you ordered the murder of one of our own, Peter Laskaris, my father.”

  Lysander relaxed his knife a little. “And I, Sergeant Lysander Harris, charge you with betraying your brethren, the Immortals, the murder of hundreds of lacarnians and the destruction of their home centuries ago.

  The Sergeant leading the Protectors up the path commanded them to stop.

  “Lord Avram, does this boy speak the truth?”

  “Of course not you fool, they’re mad. Forget about my life, stop them.”

  Alexandra rushed towards Lord Avram. “Melody!”

  Melody let go of Max, who fell to the ground. Running to Cassia she formed her barrier before the guards could reach her.

  Alexandra yelled at Lysander. “Get clear.”

  Holding the Lifestone in one hand, she grabbed Lord Avram’s shoulder with the other. He squirmed beneath her grip.

  “Untie me!”

  The light in the stone intensified until it engulfed them in a bright, blue light. At Alexandra’s feet, grass sprouted, spreading in an outward arc that flowed down into the dead lands like a ripple in a pond.

  Lord Avram screamed in pain. Around Alexandra, flowers rose from the grass. As they did so, Lord Avram’s skin began to shrivel and tighten around his bones. His hair first grayed then fell from his scalp.

  Down in the valley, saplings sprouted from the ground. The Protectors who had gathered there milled about in wonder at the growth. They forgot about Lord Avram, whose body slowly dissolved on the plateau above, one layer at a time. His skin went quickly, then his muscles and finally his bones. Below, the saplings grew into small trees sending the Protectors running in different directions as they tried to avoid them.

  Above, Alexandra fell to her knees as the Lifestone now fed on her. She began to shrivel like Lord Avram. A wide variety of plants, the likes that Max had never seen, sprang up from the ground in the valley. Then the growth slowed. Max shivered as a mournful wail arose from Alexandra.

  “Nooo. It’s not finished.”

  Lysander rushed towards Alexandra. “That thing is going to kill her.”

  Anemone bounded from behind Melody, reaching Alexandra before Lysander. Placing her head against the stone her body disintegrated as a new wave of plants burst forth below before stopping once again.

  Lysander stood frozen in his tracks, but Callie started towards Alexandra. Melody screamed at her.

  “That won’t be enough! The stone is far too powerful for us.”

  Lysander shook himself free. “She won’t stop until the forest is complete or that stone kills her.”

  “Then stay away from the stone. Touch her instead. I think she can act as a valve, keeping it from completely destroying us.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Melody dropped the barrier, no longer concerned about the guards who stood in fascination at the growing forest. She ran to Alexandra, grabbing her hand. Alexandra’s body stopped deteriorating as the color slowly drained from Melody. Below, the plants and trees grew once more.

  After half a minute had passed, Melody went limp, letting go of Alexandra. Lysander ran forward, yanking her away. Melody struggled to stay conscious.

  “She’s so strong. If we can supply her, she can finish it.”

  Lysander turned to the others. “Help her!”

  Without hesitation, Callie, Effie and Eve formed a line, each following Melody’s example. As Alexandra drained them, Lysander pulled them free. Below, the forest grew thick and tall. The tops of the trees reached above the cliffs on either side.

  Then, to their amazement, a few of the Protector’s silently came forward, lending their bodies to Alexandra. However, as fewer volunteers came forward, Lysander tried to wake Alexandra from the trance she had fallen in.

  “Alexandra, you’ve done enough.”

  She did not respond.

  “Alex, I’m the last. You will need me to heal yourself. Let go of the stone.”

  Alexandra drew a small breath. “I can finish it.”

  “Not without dying.”

  Alexandra managed the weakest of shrugs. “I should have died a long time ago.”

  Lysander’s hands clenched. “But you didn’t, and you’re sure not going to now!”

  Lysander grabbed the stone, yanking it from Alexandra’s hand. He jerked in pain as he instantly turned pale. With a guttural yell, he slammed the stone into the ground, shattering it into thousands of glistening shards.

  Lysander sat hard on the ground, catching Alexandra as she slumped over. “Take what you need.”

  Alexandra touched the side of his face just long enough for her body to return to normal. Lysander, with what little strength he had left, wrapped Alexandra in his arms. Max, along with the others, dragged themselves to his side where they sat in wonder at the forest in front of them.

  Several minutes passed before Eve turned to Melody. “Melody, did you find Spook?”

  Melody reached into a pocket inside her robe and pulled out the little mouse. “I found her near a rock. She must have hit it when Lord Avram flung her.”

  Eve cupped her hands so Melody could lay Spook in them. The mouse no longer breathed. Max took Eve in his arms as she sobbed. Feeling a tear roll down his own cheek, he realized how much he had grown attached to their little friend.

  Footsteps came from behind, then Max heard the sergeant speak.

  “What you accused Lord Avram of earlier, is it true?”

  “Yes, though it is a long story.”

  “One you must tell, for you have assisted in the death of our leader.”

  “It was necessary to right a wrong committed long ago. His death has set the lacarna and the Protectors free.”

  “And that is the only reason your story will wait. We are returning to Moenia immediately. We do not know what havoc the lacarna are causing.”

  Alexandra’s eyes fluttered open. “I have put people in place to keep peace. They are being led into the forest as we speak. One of your own, Mr. Penna, is assisting as well. In fact, your
absence will give things a chance to sort out on their own.”

  Max scooted around to face the sergeant. “My father, Lt. Laskaris, knew the lacarna were not the beasts Lord Avram made them out to be. It was he who set this plan into motion years ago. We merely completed the task that he could not. We believed the same as he, that the Protectors purpose is to watch over everyone, human and lacarna alike.”

  “I knew your father. He was a friend to all and well respected among us. We knew he also disagreed with Lord Avram’s control of the lacarnians. Many of us did. It does not surprise me he had the courage to change things when the rest of us did not. It seems you are of the same mold. Sgt. Harris, I assume you believe this boy as well considering your involvement and accusations?”

  “Yes. The lacarna are not as Lord Avram told us. Maxwell, Eve and a few others many years ago have shown me that. In fact, I would trust Eve as I would you. Lord Avram led the Protectors away from their true purpose. With Maxwell’s guidance I would like to see us redeem ourselves.”

  The Sergeant nodded. “We will need to hear the whole story, but the forest the little one has created below will go a long way in your defense. Now, despite your assurances, I am anxious to return to Moenia.”

  “I agree, but we are too weak to move at this time.”

  A female voice came from the cave entrance, startling them.

  “That, I can help with.”

  All turned to see who had spoken. In front of the cave opening stood a woman whose beauty, transfixed Max.

  “Who are you?”

  “I am Rhea, one of the Creators.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Max gave a heavy sigh. He thought he’d figured everything out to this point.

  Now some woman appears and tells us she’s a Creator? I don’t think I can handle much more.

  Max turned to Alexandra. “Uh, Alex?”

  Alexandra gave a light tap on Lysander’s arm. “Let me go, please.”

  Lysander unwrapped Alexandra from his arms and helped her stand. Brushing what dust she could off of her dress, she wobbled a few steps before managing a small curtsy.