Deliverance

by Brittany Comeaux

  Bogdan, it seemed, was inactive. Too inactive. Crystal knew that Bogdan would never give up on this goal of his, and so she couldn’t help but feel like he was up to something beneath the shadows, so that none of the rebels could even detect him. She was also starting to worry that Bogdan may have already found the last two shards.

  Crystal realized that Gavril shared her concerns, because he sat down with her one day and said, “Bogdan has to be planning something.” After he had just finished training, he sat on the ground in front of a crumbling wall, wiping his sweaty forehead with an old rag. He then continued, “If he were just looking for the shards like we are, we would have run into him by now. Ever since that incident with the first shard, we haven’t heard a peep out of Bogdan or anyone else from Daldussa. We now have two shards, after all, and so far, we only know of one that he has.”

  Crystal sat on the ground beside Gavril. She held her legs up to her chest and said, “I know, and I fear he may have found the other two and may be planning an attack to gather the ones we have.”

  Gavril gave her a concerned look and asked her, “You don’t think he knows where the hideout is, do you?”

  “I don’t believe so. He would have attacked us by now if he did,” replied Crystal, who was looking forward at the rebels who were still training.

  “That’s true, but we did drive off his troops at the City of Magi.” Gavril pointed out, “So maybe he knows not to attack directly. Then again, since you knew he was going to sneak in somehow, he could attack directly just to throw you off.”

  “True, but attacking us directly just to make us think he has something else planned doesn’t really seem like something he would do. He knows we would prepare well for any kind of attack, so it seems like it would be a lazy effort on his part. Besides, how could he know where the hideout is anyway?” Crystal responded.

  “I suppose you’re right,” replied Gavril.

  “We will just have to keep our eyes peeled for any signs of trickery,” Crystal stated.

  Gavril nodded in agreement and smiled. Crystal then stood up and after telling Gavril goodbye, she headed off.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Crystal tried to get her mind off of her uneasiness, but to no avail. She sat under a tree near the training grounds and tried to read more of the books of holy magic. She even attempted a few of the spells, but unfortunately, she never got any closer to successfully casting holy magic than when Malcolm told her to do it before he died.

  She was startled when she heard a voice behind her say, “Still reading those books?”

  She recognized Blaze’s voice before she even turned to see him and she couldn’t help but feel upbeat by his presence. She turned around, smiled, and said, “Can’t I sit under any tree in this place without you finding me?”

  Blaze grinned and muttered, “Afraid not. You can’t hide from me.”

  Crystal smiled again and was pleased to see that he was fully recovered. She turned back to the book she was reading and then Blaze then sat down beside her, peeking over her shoulder out of curiosity.

  “Self-regeneration?” Blaze read aloud after glancing at the heading on the page.

  “Yes.” Crystal replied, “It’s a special healing spell driven by emotion. When a holy mage is gravely injured, if they are conscious enough, a surge of emotion will give the strength back to their body so that they are fully recovered. It’s only actually occurred a few times in history, according to this book.”

  “So can’t a holy mage just use a simple healing spell on themself?” Blaze asked.

  “No, holy mages can only control spells that heal others. The self-regeneration is an automatic response from the caster’s emotions that heals the body, and therefore, it cannot be controlled,” Crystal replied.

  Blaze sighed, “You know, I’ve never believed in any of this ‘holy’ stuff, but after being through the crap we’ve been through lately, I have to wonder if there is some holy goddess keeping us alive.”

  Crystal looked up momentarily, and then at Blaze and muttered, “Us?”

  Blaze blinked and replied, “Yeah, you know, all of us the rebels. I am considered one, right?”

  Crystal turned away quick to hide her embarrassment and replied, “Of course! I just meant . . . uh, I wasn’t actually sure you considered yourself to be one of us.”

  “I guess I might as well be.” Blaze replied, “It’s not like I have any other place to call ‘home’ anymore.”

  Crystal was just about to turn to face Blaze when she saw Taryn trotting towards her. He stopped just a few feet before them and stopped to catch his breath.

  Crystal closed the book, set it aside, and asked, “Taryn, what’s wrong?”

  “‘Nother . . . shard . . . in temple!” Taryn gasped out.

  “Another shard?” Blaze asked.

  “In a Caris temple!” Taryn added.

  “A Caris temple? But the only Caris temple I can think of is the one that I used to visit with my mother—” Crystal had begun talking and then stopped.

  “What is it?” asked Blaze.

  Crystal looked at him nervously and finished, “The one I used to visit with me mother, which is only ten miles west of Cartigo.”

  “So?” asked Blaze.

  “So isn’t it a little risky to be traveling so close to Cartigo with Bogdan hunting us down? And don’t you find it odd that he hasn’t found that one yet?” Crystal asked him.

  “I don’t know, but we need to go after that shard, remember?” Blaze replied.

  Crystal turned to Taryn and asked him, “Did anyone actually see it?”

  “We didn’t, but a couple of travelers passed through a town we were in and told us they saw it.” replied Taryn, “They said they got a bad feeling from it and left, so when we heard that, we came straight back here.”

  Crystal’s gut feeling that made her guard rise up returned. Something about this story didn’t seem right.

  “Well then let’s go before someone else finds it!” Blaze blurted out. After Crystal remained silent, Blaze then said, “Don’t you think we should? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know about this. Something seems suspicious about this story . . .” Crystal muttered.

  Taryn frowned and said, “Don’t you believe me?”

  “Of course I do, Taryn! It’s not you I am worried about, it’s just the location of this shard,” replied Crystal.

  “Oh. Geez boss, I thought you were calling me a liar for a second! Well, I’ll let everyone else know about the shard. Do you want me to tell everyone to meet up in the hall?” Taryn replied.

  “Yes, go ahead.” replied Crystal, “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  “Gotcha!” Taryn said, darting off.

  “So what’s up with you?” asked Blaze.

  “Nothing, I just . . . I guess I am just tired from reading all these books,” replied Crystal.

  “Probably so,” Blaze said while rising to his feet. He then held out his hand and said, “Come on, let’s get going to the meeting.”

  Crystal gathered her books and took Blaze’s hand. After he pulled her to her feet, she said, “All right, let’s go.”

  After briefing everyone about the shard, Crystal set her usual team up. Gavril, Blaze, Thaddeus, Sigurd, Kerali, Maryn, and Taryn would all accompany her to the Caris temple. Though neither she nor Gavril were thrilled with the idea of traveling so close to Cartigo, they inevitably agreed that it had to be obtained before Bogdan could get it. After setting out, the team first traveled northwest toward Ordale and then turned northward after traveling about twenty-five miles. This way, they could avoid having to cross Typhoon Canyon.

  For five days, the rebels traveled far north of Cierith. Thankfully summer had come, so there was no snow they had to navigate through as they did when they went to the City of Magi. It wasn’t until the team had reached the river that runs from Daldussa that they actually had to wear their cloaks. Whenever the team crossed one of the bridges that stretched acro
ss the river, Crystal couldn’t help but notice Gavril’s expression of anxiety and sorrow, for obvious reasons.

  Finally the ruins of the Caris temple came into view. The old building was set against the horizon that was littered with dark storm clouds that indicated it would begin pouring within an hour. The ruins were set on a tall, steep cliff set against the mountains that ran along the border between Cierith and Daldussa. Another river ran on the northwest foot of the cliff and into Dwyp, and as the team reached the top of the cliff, they could still barely hear the water trickling below.

  The outer walls of the building were set right on the edge of the cliff, making it impossible to walk along the sides. The walls crumbled with age, and as the team ventured through the old, wooden doors of the temple, the smell of dust assaulted their nostrils.

  The first thing everyone saw upon entering the temple was the altar built in front of a crumbling Caris statue and the Gaull shard sitting on top of it.

  “There it is!” exclaimed Maryn.

  Blaze then stepped toward the shard, but Gavril then said, “Blaze wait!”

  Blaze stopped in his tracks and turned around and asked, “What is it?”

  “Something isn’t right,” Gavril replied.

  “What the hell do you mean? The shard is right there in front of us! Our job doesn’t get much easier than this,” replied Blaze.

  “Exactly, Blaze.” Crystal replied, “This is too easy.”

  “Look, I know Bogdan. If he knew about this shard, it would be at the castle, not sitting here in this decrepit place. He doesn’t waste time getting what he wants, so we can’t waste time either,” Blaze replied. He then trotted up to the altar against the protests of the other rebels and grabbed the shard.

  The second Blaze’s hand touched the gem, the front doors slammed shut behind the others. Sigurd and Gavril tried to open them by slamming into them several times, but they were sealed shut and would not budge. Then, without warning, dozens of Daldussan soldiers came pouring out of various hiding places and pointed their weapons at the rebels.

  Crystal tried to shoot fire balls at the soldiers, but she was suddenly surrounded by a force field and none of her spells would work. She didn’t have to see Saitar standing a few feet from her to know that it was he who had trapped her. She then glanced at Thaddeus and saw the same force field around him as well. The two mages then watched helplessly as their friends were taken prisoner.

  All except for Blaze.

  “Wonderful job, Blaze,” said a voice from the shadows. Bogdan then walked towards Blaze and laughed.

  “What?” Blaze asked, confused and in shock.

  “You did a splendid job! Without your help, I never would have caught the rebels!” Bogdan said.

  “What?!” Gavril shouted.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Blaze shouted at Bogdan. He then glanced frantically back and forth towards the rebels.

  “Don’t be so modest, Blaze! It isn’t like you to not take credit for your work! Our plan to infiltrate the rebel base was a success! I never thought the rebels would be stupid enough to believe you, but they all fell for your little act!” Bogdan gloated.

  “You liar! I had nothing to do with this and you know it!” Blaze screamed.

  “I KNEW you couldn’t be trusted!” Sigurd yelled. The dwarf then roared and charged at Blaze, but he was held back by several soldiers. He continued to yell as he was lifted up and his feet dangled above the ground.

  “He’s lying!” Blaze yelled. He looked frantically at Crystal, but his heart sunk when he saw her face. He saw a look of complete and utter betrayal. A lone tear streaked down her cheek, and for a moment, the whole world seemed to stop before Blaze. The look she gave him absolutely killed him, and he wanted nothing more than to grab her, hold her and swear on his own life that he was innocent. Blaze could no longer speak; his heart felt like it was lodged into his throat.

  Bogdan then grabbed the shard from Blaze’s hand, but the prince was still staring at Crystal and didn’t even notice.

  “And what about my part of the bargain?”

  Suddenly, the rebels gasped when they saw Lord Valamar step from behind a group of soldiers and approached Crystal.

  “Hello, Darling,” he said seductively to her. She then tried to back away, but the force field stopped her from moving more than a few inches.

  “Ah yes, Lord Valamar.” Bogdan responded, “Because of your help, you are now free to marry Crystal, or should I say, Princess Amelia Atteberry.”

  Suddenly, Crystal’s head snapped into Bogdan’s direction, who was smiling smugly and staring right at her. When he saw her shocked face, he howled with laughter.

  “Yes, my dear, Blaze told me your little secret,” Bogdan said.

  “Crystal please! You must believe me!” Blaze cried.

  Bogdan laughed again and said, “It’s time to leave with these fools. Saitar, transport Valamar and his fiancée back to the castle.”

  “NO!” Gavril yelled. He then elbowed the soldier who held onto him in the face and charged toward Crystal with an outstretched hand to reach for her. Blaze too charged forward to grab her, but they were both too late. Saitar had grabbed ahold of Valamar and Crystal and disappeared just as Gavril’s hand came within inches of the barrier. The force field surrounding Thaddeus disappeared after Saitar was gone but before he could cast a single spell, several soldiers disarmed him and tied his hands behind his back.

  Enraged, Gavril then charged at Blaze and yelled, “You traitor!”

  Blaze braced himself for the impact, but Gavril was still able to knock him to the floor and land on top of him. The general gripped Blaze’s neck and began punching him unmercifully with his free hand.

  Blaze tried in vain to defend himself when he suddenly felt the weight lifting off of his body. He looked up to see Gavril being pulled away by a couple of soldiers and fighting them off. Blaze got to his feet and tried to reason with Gavril after he fought off the soldiers, but the former general immediately charged at him again. This time, instead falling to the ground again, Blaze felt glass breaking against his back. Blaze then realized that he was falling through the air and so was Gavril. He fell and fell for what seemed like an eternity and then he finally felt a sharp pain on the side of his body. He then realized he not only had fallen off of the cliff and into the river below, but he was also submerged under water.

  Blaze struggled with all of his strength to find air, but the strong current of the dark river kept pulling him under as if an anchor was tied to his legs. He couldn’t breathe, and it was so dark that even though he could open his eyes, he could not see the surface. As his lungs burned, he could hear rain starting to pound onto the surface of the water, and so he tried to use his ears to find it. By some miracle, it seemed, something pulled Blaze to the surface.

  However, just when Blaze gasped for air, something hard hit him in the face. He realized it was a fist when Gavril screamed, “I trusted you!” Another hit to his face, “We all trusted you!” Another hit, “I should have known you would never change!”

  Gavril then somehow got onto land and dragged Blaze with him. He then started punching Blaze again, and even when he tried putting his hands up in self-defense, Gavril started punching his ribs and chest too. Every single hit became more and more painful, but eventually, they stopped after Blaze stopped struggling.

  “Get up you piece of shit!” Gavril yelled. When Blaze still didn’t move, Gavril picked him up by the collar of his shirt and repeated, “Get up!”

  “Just leave me alone! I didn’t do a damned thing, but apparently, my word will never be enough for you!” Blaze cried.

  Gavril replied by punching Blaze yet again. He released his grip on Blaze and the prince fell hard to the ground. Blaze didn’t even bother to move. No one believed him. No one would ever believe him again. He had nowhere to go and no one to care about anymore, so even when he heard Gavril’s sword being removed from its sheath, he didn’t care about dying anymore
. I give up, he decided. I’ll just let him kill me.

  And yet, his heart still wanted to live.

  Blaze finally understood what that mysterious force that overpowered his mind was. It was one of those things that Crystal was always talking about. A heart . . .

  Blaze was starting to actually feel like he had one after all. It was a shame that he could never share it, because now he stared death in the face, and frankly, he welcomed its sweet release. The seconds ticked by at an impossibly slow rate, and finally and without thinking, Blaze muttered, “Just do it, already.”

  After that, he suddenly heard the sword being plunged into something, but he felt no pain. Did he die already? He knew his body couldn't be numb, because after all, he still felt the rain beating down on his face. He opened his eyes to see Gavril kneeling over him. The general had plunged his sword into the ground next to Blaze’s chest.

  Blaze looked Gavril in the eyes and said, “Why the hesitation?”

  Gavril pulled the sword out of the mud and stood up. Then Blaze saw something he never though he would see; Gavril seemed to be crying. Even through the pouring rain, he could see the anguish and despair on the general’s usual stone face.

  When he realized that Blaze saw this, Gavril then turned around to face the other direction and called back to Blaze, “Get out of here. I never want to see you again.”

  Blaze sat up and said, “What the hell do you mean?”

  Gavril turned back to Blaze and yelled, “I said LEAVE! Leave before I change my mind! If I ever see you again, I will NOT hesitate to kill you!”

  Even though he had no idea why Gavril was letting him go, Blaze summoned all of his strength to stand up and then without another word, he ran.

  For what seemed like hours, all Blaze could think about doing was running and even when his chest and his legs burned tremendously, he didn’t stop. Through the pouring rain he went, and he had no idea where he was heading. Despite everything that had just happened, the one thing that caused him the most pain was the look he saw on Crystal’s face. It was forever burned into his mind and he never in his life wanted to see it again.