Remnant Pages Spearhead

by J.B. Kleynhans

  Elmira blinked in surprise.

  ‘He made Stelinger Commander! He sanctioned a war we are now likely to lose! He manipulated you, me, Vanapha and Lidayel!’ said Cid.

  ‘Don’t shout at me Cid!’ said Elmira.

  ‘I-’

  ‘Remember, whatever Bennam was doing, whatever he was planning, it haunted him so much, and was so important that he willingly died to set up all of this. Who knows Cid, maybe he knew something, for all we know he might’ve been trying to save the Kingdom. And do you know what? I visited Rebecca when the news came to Lanston that he was dead. Do you know what she said?’

  Cid gaped, Elmira not giving him chance.

  ‘She admitted to me that Bennam considered you as a son, that you were an idea of what he was trying to achieve with the army. As it is Rebecca told me that they were preoccupied with our happiness Cid, that she was dealing with Bennam’s death by hoping for the best for us!’ she said, turning her head away.

  ‘Elmira, I’m… I’m sor-’

  Cid never got to his apology. The room door burst open, Alex and Brunick crossing the threshold like conjoined twins.

  ‘Cid! If you can get up I’d suggest you come quick,’ Brunick managed to say first. Cid and Elmira found their feet, Cid doing so tentatively. A telltale on Brunick’s face worried Cid, motioning that it either got to do with heights or…

  ‘What is it!?’

  ‘It’s Lidayel, he‘s down in the Basin. I dunno what the hell he thinks he’s doing but it sure isn’t looking good!’

  Cid gave the stone back to Elmira, while she pleaded with him to consider his condition. He escaped her warning and without a further word Cid ran from the building, knowing he would have to see for himself. He was barely outside when the shockwave hit the mountain, fine dirt dancing as it made obscene waves across the landscape.

  They stopped in their tracks, Cid shooting a questioning look at Brunick.

  ‘That’s Lidayel all right.’

  ‘See if you can get hold of Vanapha, we might need her. I’ll go down and ask him what’s going on. He might’ve lost control of his power like he feared.’

  ‘Be careful Cid,’ grumbled Brunick, turning and charging uphill after Alex to find Vanapha.

  Vanapha bounded gracefully to the next rock, a satchel tied across her shoulder and rested on her hip, her bow left at Oldeloft. Even above Oldeloft Mount Hashur kept its rounded nature, creating natural scaffoldings and walkways of rock. Up here they were actually a bit narrow for human use, but Vanapha was no stranger to treacherous elevations, the golden wastes of Rade’Remar having similar projections.

  The grey lizard scrambled at the impact of Vanapha’s boots, vanishing into the many cavities of the rock constellations. She had seen a few of the creatures by now, but only one of them was mature enough to have the fire scales. Without it they looked quite normal, their scales uniformly flat and grey.

  The ones that did catch the sun were bright and bloated, their scales appearing as yellow studs randomly placed among the grey ones.

  Frustrated at the chase Vanapha realized they were smaller here than on Rade’Remar. A difference in diet maybe?

  To the point it would have been easier to shot one of them and poach the scales. Vanapha knew though that they were already hunted all over the world for their alchemical uses and thinning their numbers unnecessarily wasn’t something she was going to take up for convenience sake.

  She would have her way though, for the creatures had an odd way of being reckless, which is maybe why they stayed up here where the eagles could catch them in the first place. Even after Vanapha had frightened them, some of the lizards came back to the surface, planting themselves on a flat table of rock to catch the sun.

  Vanapha made a full revolution around the base of the peak, seeing her friends of only a moment ago reappearing. One of them, seemingly somewhat larger than the others, was already studded with bright yellow. It would not stay long until it was satisfied it had enough sun for days to come.

  Watching them crawling tentatively to get a better spot, Vanapha hunkered down in silence, allowing them a false sense of safety.

  Finding the moment had come she approached quietly for the next few steps and then burst into a run, leaping again and clearing the gap. Her thudding boots stirred a panic once more, but this time they did not find their way fast enough.

  Ignoring the pale ones underfoot Vanapha grabbed her prey by the tail. Hissing and twitching she brought it up, holding it far out so that she could avoid that bite. Taking her knife from the pouch she waited for the creature to surrender and stop its spasms. The flailing exhausted it eventually and Vanapha, as gently as she could, slid the knife in underneath the bloated scales, prying them loose.

  The creature slowed down to a periodical hiss, almost as though to remind Vanapha that it was being defiant. She knew it hardly felt the knife, probably more pissed off than anything for losing its efforts of spending a day in the sun.

  Seven scales she pried loose, letting them drop at her feet. Satisfied, Vanapha swung the lizard slightly, wary of its bite, and let it go, allowing it to fall harmlessly onto the dust trails circumventing the rocks. On its own feet again the lizard scurried for its tiny cave, hissing furiously.

  Smiling, Vanapha picked up the scales, putting them into the satchel. They were hot to the touch, but not enough to inflict any harm. The scales isolated from the lizard’s body looked fragile as they appeared as nothing but a thin membrane enclosed on a swirling globule of fire trying to escape, like a translucent peach seed glowing from the inside. Using her Insight she focused on the encapsulated flame, its slow churning hypnotizing as she blocked out every other sense.

  A tremor hit the mountain, the sudden disturbance enough to scare all the lizards into hiding. Vanapha almost lost her footing, her Sights instinctively peering into all directions. She frowned as she saw a man down in the Basin, the water up to his waist. A moment later she saw Alex and Brunick waving at her some way down. Alerted, she started to make her way down, sure that she would have to get her bow from Oldeloft.

  Chapter 46

  Calamity

 

  Whatever restraint or limitation Lidayel might’ve had before it was all gone now. He was standing with his arms spread over his head, his fingers and hands the epicentre of a great aura of light. He was bathed in a sphere of steam and a halo of fire revolved above him, circling itself like a giant serpent. At his command the earth rocked, sending tremors far beyond both Jacanta to the north and the narrows to the south. This was why Summoners were feared, why they were hated enough to inspire hunts, persecution and murder.

  Cid was wading toward him, the growing heat of the water putting a scare into the Colonel. As the distance closed an angry wind became known to Cid, strong enough to halt him.

  ‘Lidayel! What are you doing!?’ shouted Cid over the howl of the wind.

  Cid was sure the Summoner could not hear him, but to his surprise Lidayel removed his stare from the heavens and locked it onto Cid’s.

  There was madness about him, it was clear enough to see. He didn’t respond to Cid, his face tight, his eyes raging.

  ‘Lidayel have you lost your mind!?’ Cid yelled at top of the lungs.

  Still no response other than a murderous stare.

  ‘Damn it!’ shouted Cid, retreating a hundred yards back to the trail as the knee deep water started to burn at his legs.

  Cid converged with the party, all of them huffing from the quick descent.

  ‘He isn’t in his right mind!’ lamented Cid.

  ‘If he keeps this up he’ll create a landslide, we have no trouble where we stand, but the entire Lanston army is still in the narrows and will be buried underneath a mountain of rocks!’ said Olexion.

  Cid tried to weigh the costs carefully, but he found the choice eerily easy to make, nodding at Vanapha.

  For the second time in days Vanapha readied to shoot at a friend. The arrow flew, destined to h
it his midriff, piercing the veil of steam. It was about to struck Lidayel when the halo of fire surrounding him lashed out like a guardian and incinerated the shaft instantly, only to continue its spiralling path.

  In response, Lidayel’s magic intensified, sending stronger tremors still, and the peaks and cliff faces of the land around crumbled as the weakest of the rocks started tumbling. The Summoner didn’t leave it at that, as soon the entire expanse of water in the Basin became a giant cauldron of steam, so thick that they could barely see Lidayel and his halo.

  ‘This is a pointless vantage. We’ll have to attack him from the air,’ said Olexion. ‘Valkyrie, come with me!’

  They ran up the trail, disappearing to Oldeloft where the Volje were kept.

  Cid turned to Alex, ‘go back to Oldeloft with them, I am too weak still to run the distance uphill, bring me Mindevhier and make sure you keep Elmira locked inside, she must not leave the house!’

  Alex nodded and was on his way without question.

  ‘What do you think we should do?’ asked Brunick apprehensively.

  ‘Hope Lidayel comes to his senses before we have to kill him,’ answered Cid soberly.

 

  Olexion assembled the Rangers at Oldeloft, the Volje soon taking to the air, Vanapha mounted right behind the Ranger. Vanapha had never before experienced anything quite like this, revelling in the sensation of flight despite their situation.

  ‘I am going to fly in sideways so that you can have a clear shot,’ shouted Olexion.

  They floated high, the heat from below creating such strong convection that the Volje struggled to close in.

  ‘Hold on!’ cried Olexion, using his magic to drive through the steam and the convection. Olexion suddenly banked and Vanapha saw her shot. She released again, the arrow diving like a bird and struck Lidayel in the hip. The Summoner cringed, but kept to his feet, taking the pain, his magic raging once more. Reactively Lidayel called upon his halo of fire and it breathed great lengths of flame into the sky at the Rangers.

  Olexion instinctually braced and created a barrier around him and Vanapha, the flames folding fearsomely around the sphere of Calophrites before relenting.

  They were unscathed, for now. Olexion knew though Lidayel's power would soon become overwhelming.

  Down below Cid tampered with his spear. Alex had run furiously to return within minutes with his weapon.

  ‘You still have the wings?’ asked Cid urgently.

  Without answer Alex took them from his holster on his back and handed them to Cid. Alex looked grave. They had real trouble.

  Looking up, Cid saw Vanapha’s arrow hit Lidayel, and in reaction a shockwave so great hit the canyon that Cid lost his footing momentarily. Alex helped up the weak-legged Colonel.

  Cursing, Cid set to work on Mindevhier, adding the ornamental wings, a thing he thought he would never do. Right now however he knew that no weapon other than Mindevhier would work. He proceeded into the waters again. Vanapha’s attack might have angered Lidayel, but with his focus broken the wall of steam that had masked him was dissipating. The tremors in the meanwhile were getting worse.

  Enraged Lidayel held fast his magic, the Basin an absurd display of the elements. Cid was able to approach, the spear held in his hands. Ideally Mindevhier was never crafted to be a throwing weapon, but Cid knew his skill with javelins would not fail him. On the other hand, he would have one go at it.

  The Rangers continually tried to get closer, eager to have one of their numbers strike unharnessed. Yet Lidayel attacked without relent, throwing streaks of fire into the sky, mercilessly trying to incinerate them, the barriers just holding and ultimately pushing the Rangers away again. That last blast, almost knocked Olexion and Vanapha out of the sky.

  It was then that Cid knew there was no other choice; he could no longer prioritize Lidayel. The water deepened and he kept speed by lifting his knees high. Even with the spear in his hands the wind was pressing, whipping the surface of the water into his face. It grew harder until he realized he had to act before he was overwhelmed, or before Lidayel could grew wary of the Rangers’ distraction.

  With his heart in his throat, Cid made his run up and flung Mindevhier with all his strength, the spear sailing mystically through the fading sphere of steam, shearing a path, the Hethellean blade effortlessly piercing the halo of fire, and struck Lidayel right in his chest.

  He went down dramatically, hitting the water as his concentric patterns of magic crashed and faded in chaos. A moment later Lidayel became the epicentre of a great wave of water, surging upright and branching out as a complete circle. Cid could do nothing but brace as the wave toppled him from his feet.

  Spluttering he came up, determined still to get to Lidayel. He splashed forward, the absurdness of the situation and what he had just done eating away at him. He became bone tired again, but pressed through to the spot where his spear struck out of the water, marked by a blotch of blood.

  His hands grabbed into the water and he lifted Lidayel’s head and shoulders from under the surface, resting the Summoner’s back on his knee. Lidayel coughed, pinkish water spewing from his mouth.

  There wasn’t much they could do for him now.

  ‘Why Lidayel?’ asked Cid, disturbed by what he was seeing.

  ‘Why did you do it!?’ repeated Cid.

  Lidayel’s lolling eyes tried to focus, already glazed over in reality, yet he managed a struggling utterance.

  ‘Yarea… Yarea… I remembered,’ said Lidayel.

  ‘Yes, what of her?’ whispered Cid.

  ‘She was never… my wife, Cid… married to my brother… my memories… so broken… that I… so in love… that I was fooled by my own… I am sorry…’ Lidayel’s face showed defeat and sorrow.

  ‘It’s okay, I understand,’ said Cid softly.

  ‘I failed Cid… hatred did not break you… but I… never let hatred get to you Cid… don’t fail anyone in spite of bitterness… you were stronger than me… you are stronger…’

  From above the Rangers watched apprehensively as Brunick and Alex stayed at the edge of the Basin, muscles tensed in preparation to charge in and help Cid should the need arise.

  Everything became quiet again as the winds disappeared and the deep tremors of the earth came to nothing, as though they all were hushed to listen as the water wallowed and weaved, splashing faintly against the rock faces.

  Cid stayed hunched on the balls of his feet, content to strain his muscles in order to keep Lidayel comfortable. As Lidayel’s’ face grew tired so did Cid’s sorrow grow. He now saw into a man who had been dealt a terrible ordeal, a man’s whose mind was as wounded as his body.

  It was hypnotic, waiting for a passing, waiting for death, listening to nothing but the flapping wings of Volje above and sloshing water that would not come to a rest.

  Cid saw Lidayel’s eyes go halfway closed and felt the man’s body go limp.

  Lidayel’s last sight was the spread wings of a black Volj overhead against the backdrop of the sun.

  He died.

  For moments more Cid cradled the man’s body, suddenly struck by a great regret for Lidayel. It was then that he saw the fate of a Summoner, even a noble one, cursed by power and notoriety. Here he held a man he owed so much, yet was forced to kill him.

  Then came the magic, Lidayel’s last act of power.

  Cid’s eyes grew wide as the body began to glow, the blood on his face and arms peeling away like morning dew surrendering to sunrise. Lidayel’s skin became golden, a soft pulse of light emanating all around. Cid did not wish to panic, to toss the man’s body back into the water and run. Rather he steeled himself to be calm and to hold the man respectably as the light grew more intense.

  ‘Cid, get away from there!’ he heard Brunick bellow from behind.

  Cid could not, the light was gentle and glorious, inviting, bathing Lidayel in a golden glow. His face became peaceful, the lines and depressions fading and his once greying hair becoming strands of fire.
Somehow the magic was not lost on Cid; he could feel it soothing his muscles and giving renewed strength to his limbs.

  Then, as though Lidayel’s body could no longer contain the light, his frame swelled and disintegrated, Cid’s hands peeling through nothingness as flesh and fabric turned into a dust, bright and golden, scattering like fireflies.

  Adalophrites...

  They flew in a regal revolution all around Cid, and then came to a slow, solemn rest onto the waters like yellow petals, drifting. The light faded with time, leaving no remains of the Summoner.

  Cid stood up, surprised to find his eyes teary. Gravely he reached for Mindevhier beneath the waters. There was no trace of Lidayel’s blood left on the blade and a strange strength ran along the shaft and into Cid’s arms, tingling his innards.

  Cid turned, walking slowly back to the edge, the Rangers overhead turning back and disappearing beyond sight to land at Oldeloft. It was a lonesome walk back and Cid felt an unfound gratitude at the fact that he had Alex and Brunick waiting for him like glum statues. On their way up Cid could not help but tell Brunick and Alex of Lidayel’s plight, how his life had caught up with him and why he gave in to rage.

  ‘So all this time, he thought Yarea was his…?’ said Alex, voice trailing.

  ‘What happened to his body though, did it disappear?’ asked Brunick.

  Cid nodded. ‘I guess that is how they die. They aren’t human, remember? Maybe he has returned from where he came.’

  ‘I never thought he was that powerful though,’ said Brunick.

  ‘It’s like he said, magic comes down to emotions and what he felt must’ve given him enormous strength,’ said Cid.

  ‘Poor guy, he was so helpful. Wish we could have saved him,’ said Alex.

  ‘Yeah, yet with or without Lidayel we still have the responsibility of saving Lanston, otherwise this Basin is going to become a grave to many more, and their bodies won’t disappear so readily,’ said Cid.

  Chapter 47

  Ruin

 

  As night approached they made a small fire just outside Oldeloft. Mourning Lidayel, they did not talk much. The Summoner had left a painful hole in their ranks, regardless of how briefly they had known him.

  Brunick was poking unnecessarily at the fire and not far off Cid was trying to occupy himself as Elmira introduced him to the tied-down Volje. It turned out to be quite soothing stroking and touching the obscenely large creatures, and even more so with Elmira by his side.