Soul Taker's Redemption

by A. S. Hamilton

  I received this lecture in silence and remained so as I thought over her proposal. It seemed impossible.

  As if reading my mind, Rua said, 'What other options do ye have, child?'

  I tried to shrug, abandoned the effort, she was right about all the broken bones, and I met her gaze. 'You really think you can make something that will allow me to move.'

  'Ye will hafta heal up some, but once ye do, it should give ye enough support to move on your own. The only other option is to try an' drag ye out on a sled and while I might be able to move ye great mass of muscle an' feathers a few meters, I don't fancy ma chances dragging yer all the way out of this here crevasse.' She sighed, then said, 'The world willna be lost by trying, child.'

  Slowly, I nodded.

  'Right ye are then. I'll rest up and then start on that sled. Ye should try an' get some practice using that pulley so ye can do it afore I leave. Like as not, I expect ye'll pass out the first few times. Ye think yer god coulda left some bones unbroken when he deposited ye here, vindictive, craven, feathered-lizard that he is.'

  I laughed inwardly, her insults were not just colourful, but would rile Ceri-talen enormously— he would hate being called a lizard. Her fearlessness of his retribution elevated my spirit. Rua reminded me of Bastien, who was equally disdainful of the telari, despite their power, and I found that unexpectedly comforting.

  [Breathe no More – Evanescence]

  Rua was sleeping when I came to, the embers of her fire casting a soft orange glow across her features. The scent of her spirit was divine, but centuries of living on low rations under Aurealis had benefitted me in a way I did not expect and the ache of hunger was so familiar I was quite used to its background hum. As she suggested, I had practiced pulling myself out into the open. Several times I thought I'd pass out from the pain, but the splints Rua put in place helped, although she had needed to adjust them. I was reluctant to admit that all the torture Ulyn put me through had built up my tolerance for pain and my ability to function despite it. When someone cuts into you without anaesthetic and twists and warps your body on a regular basis, most other injuries seem almost negligible. Still, after managing to move myself back and forth with the pulley system, I'd dropped into an exhausted unconsciousness.

  I could see behind Rua that she'd constructed the sled and the beginnings of a forge were taking shape off to one side. She was quite remarkable. I could see why Ceri-talen had kept her alive. He liked beings like her, those who created through destruction. As a forge-smith and inventor, Rua took materials, destroyed their original shape and created new ones. If she'd been any other kind of being, he would have killed her for daring to enter his realm, not to forget her plans to kill him after she stole what he would have considered rightfully his. Ceri-talen liked to collect beings like her. He did not consider them a credible threat and he often said that such beings always proved useful eventually. It was this thought that made me realise his purpose in setting Rua free. He wanted her to take me, broken, essentially destroyed, and re-make me. That the experience was going to be excruciating was my punishment, the rest he probably considered a gift. After that, once I'd developed a bond with the dwarven forge-smith, he'd arrange her death; that would be considered a lesson.

  'Tell me about this Jayden.'

  I let my eyes focus and considered Rua. She had obviously woken at some point, but I'd been so lost in my thoughts, I had not registered it.

  'How do you know of Jayden?'

  'Ye speak her name in ye sleep.'

  'Jayden is why I am here,' I finally answered.

  'If ye care to relate the tale, I would appreciate the companionship while I finish reinforcing the sled.'

  I almost decided not to, but I found, once I started to speak, a kind of peace settled over me. By the time I finished, the shadows had lightened, indicating that it was daytime above. Rua had finished a little while before and was sorting her pack. For the first time, I saw she had an axe. Not as impressive a weapon as Foe Hammer, but beautifully crafted none-the-less. It was a double handed weapon to give her greater reach. It had a long, wide blade on one side and a hammer-like head on the other, with a spear point at the top of the handle. There was a blue gem below the spear point and the blade and hammer had engraving along their borders. Gold encircled the black handle and another dark-blue gem was flanked by diamonds at the pommel end. As I watched, she wrapped the gems in a black material, concealing them.

  'It sounds like ye need to have the same faith in ye self as ye have in Jayden. Just as ye believe she is strong enough to get through this ordeal, ye should see the same qualities in ye tormented self. Canna I ask, when ye changed sides, did ye imagine it would be easy?'

  I grunted. 'Far from it.'

  'Yet ye did it anyway.'

  She did not need to say anything more. She was right. I already knew all she said but had forgotten it in my grief.

  Rua rose, hefted her pack and stepped out into the open. Just as she did, it started to rain.

  She gave me a look of exasperation. 'Of course, ye god would call down the rain as soon as I needed to step out in it. Couldna left it until I reached the caverns, could ye?' she called up at the sliver of sky. Then she addressed me again. 'I'll pull ye out, to save ye the suffering, but ye'll need to pull ye self in if ye want for shelter.'

  I gave a slight shake of my head. 'As you said. I'm strong enough for this.'

  The dwarven looked on as I leaned my head down, taking up the wood she had provided me to bite on in my mouth. As soon as I gripped the rope of the pulley she had constructed, I bit down. Even though the action only required my arms, the muscles in my chest, back, and abdomen let their objections be known, but I did not stop until I was out in the rain. Once there, I spat out the piece of wood and let my head drop, tears streaming down my cheeks as the rain pelted me, each strike like a needle of fire piercing my wings.

  I felt Rua's hand touch the top of my head. 'Ye'll be fine, child. I'll return as soon as I can.'

  I heard the sled scraping against the ground. Long after it was out of hearing the rain stopped. I found myself sighing and realised that it didn't hurt as much to breath. I was, indeed, healing. Hope sparked, dimly and far off, but there.

  [Lost Within – Fivefold]

  It wasn't so much that I heard something as that I scented a spirit. I opened my eyes. Rua's fire had died out. It was colder without it, but I preferred the darkness, I could see farther. Whatever was out there was well-hidden. It made me suspect it was a shadow creature, for only those capable of enshrouding themselves in shadow could conceal themselves so well from a being like me.

  A faint glow of a spirit appeared. It moved in a very cat-like manner, scurrying forward soundlessly a meter or so at a time before pausing and checking for danger. I tried to assess if I could kill it outright and take its spirit. Anything, even vermin, would boost my healing.

  Cobalt-blue eyes with a bright teal rim about the irises suddenly lit up and I could discern a shape.

  'Leya!'

  The shadows seemed to drop away from her, and she stalked forward, full sized at first, which would put her head at my hip, and then diminishing to her more familiar size, like that of a domestic cat in the earthly realm. That made me frown, together with her ability to manipulate the shadows, it suggested she was not a matagot, but I had no notion of the kind of creature she might be. I'd thought only creatures of the Dark Realm could manipulate the shadow plane, but Leya was not naturally of this realm, Ulyn said as much when she originally brought the pair into the laboratory for study. It explained how she could be here, a creature capable of using the shadow plane could move through this realm unnoticed.

  I felt her sympathy as she looked me over. Strangely enough, I could see myself as an image of what she saw appeared in my mind. I was flat on my stomach, splints attached to my limbs, ropes and pulleys everywhere, it seemed. I still had my gold markings. I considered that. Of course, he would want me branded so there would be no hiding
my shame and all would know me for the traitor I was.

  Bastien had asked her to find me.

  'That is not wise, if my master catches you here, I cannot get you out again. You must leave. Immediately. Tell Bastien not to send any others. My life, the life I had, is no more. I belong to Ceri-talen now.'

  I looked away from her, surprised at how much it hurt to say it, to acknowledge it out loud.

  That may well be, Leya said, but the life I was sacrificing would not so easily abandon me. Whether I liked it or not, she was here and intended to remain. Whether I liked it or not, Bastien would continue to be my ally and do what he could for me.

  I felt fury flare through me. I was starving. Had been starving for a long time now. My injuries sharpened my hunger. I could smell her spirit, strong and vibrant and so, so close. It might not be enough to heal me, but it would be enough to repair a significant part of the damage I had sustained—

  Something fell to the ground in front of me.

  I turned my head to identify the source of the metal sound.

  It was a locket, open. Jayden's beautiful face looked at me.

  I ground my teeth and pushed back the fury. I had done this for her. To keep her safe.

  I looked at Leya. 'I did this for her. You must understand, if I do anything, anything, to jeopardise the contract I made with Ceri-talen, he will have all the permission he needs to go after her and keep me. Please, Leya. Leave.'

  Was there anything in my oath that forbid me from communicating with non-Dark Realm inhabitants?

  Well, no, there had not been.

  As long as they're aiding me to achieve my goals and honour my oath to Ceri-talen as well as the oath Ceri-talen made, no breach could occur by interacting with those loyal to me.

  I considered Leya's assertion. That was true, too.

  She dropped a pouch, then, using her teeth, tipped it up, gently shaking out the contents; several sunlight gems, known as thirlmeer, a number of miniature MP3 players, some headphones, and a folded note. The thirlmeer stood out. Gems that held sunlight from the Light Realm. A source of sustenance that would require no death. They were very rare due to the difficulty involved in creating them. If these came from Aurealis, they were a gift from her and could be considered a betrayal of my master if I accepted it.

  The thirlmeer did not come from the dragon of the Light Realm. The vampire acquired them through other sources.

  I grunted, well, that was something. Clumsily, I fumbled the items back into the pouch. The note would be no surprise, just that he would be there to help if I needed him. I would read it when I was alone. The thirlmeer. A rare gift. One I had to consider how to use with great care. Of course, I could just use them now, but I had several decades to survive here, it was possible I would have a greater need for them later. I would discuss it with Rua before I used any, I decided. Speaking of Rua, she could use help. I looked at Leya.

  'Thank you. If you insist on staying, there is a dwarven forge-smith who has gone to the caverns to scavenge supplies to aid me. Her scent will be strongest there,' I slowly gestured with my chin to where Rua had sat near the fire. 'Find her, help her, please.'

  Leya walked up to me and touched her nose to my forehead. Then she jumped to the place I had indicated and sniffed around the area. After a long, backwards glance, she bounded off in the direction Rua had left.

  I looked down at the one item I had not put away. The locket with Jayden's photo. I would find a way to thank Bastien, although it might take me some time to do so.

  Once, my life was simple, I had one task, one directive I needed to achieve. My purpose was to kill. I'd felt not the reins of conscience, nor the ache of regret. I was not hindered by memory or the destruction I left in my wake.

  Until a god whispered in my dreams.

  I learned of freedom, yearned for it enough to change my path.

  I will survive this. I may have to bow my head to the yoke of enslavement. I might suffer the agony of my master's retribution.

  But I will not yield.

  It will cost me blood, and dignity, and love, but…

  I will be free.

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