“And there you have the problem before you,” Undrasi answers, pausing to sprout clusters of nuts for the parrots. Patches of bark fall off the creature as it makes sure to hold back the poison from its pets’ favorite food. “As I said, I lack the energy to administer a true test. Yet there is one before us. The plateau is dying and a fount would be able to revive it. Unfortunately, it appears this one has squandered his energy. Casters, holy followers, and channelers have something that his kind lacks. They have an innate ability to transfer focuses without losing power during the switch. For a fount to change from healing to attack to support to whatever else they imagine, they must expend more energy than what becomes the intended effect. So they have a history of aging and dying quickly. This champion has reached his current age because he only recently discovered his true self. Though I saw that the children tricked you into sprinting toward your demise, young man. A near constant push of your powers with moments of extreme usage has done great damage to you.”
“Can I be saved?” Delvin asks as he pulls Nyx closer. His attention is stolen by Fizzle and the griffin circling the tree, the two beasts diving back into their battle with the trolls. “I saw the others wielding great power without a care. So I followed their example after a lifetime of being cautious. Now I’ve put the world in danger and possibly made all of our previous victories go to waste. The Baron will either stay in his cage until a new set arrives or he’ll be free and my friends won’t be ready. Is that the situation?”
With a tired sigh that leads to a hacking cough, Undrasi parts his roots to allow the champions to get within reach of his trunk. “Not as dire as you believe, but it depends on your decision. The Birthing Land can still be purified by your power. This will revive the temple and allow your friends to move on in their journey. Yet the sacrifice will be your life. If you had time to go into dormancy for a month then it would be different, but your enemies will take full advantage of your absence. In fact, I know they are already aware of your condition and hope for you to delay your victory. It would give them an opportunity to solidify the superior position that they have always held over the champions. The Baron knows that there is no way for you to do this deed and survive. You always have the choice of walking away, but I already know you will refuse to do so.”
“No, no, no, no,” Nyx mutters while fire races along her hair and limbs. She releases Delvin and rubs her head while struggling to think of another way to save the plateau. “I don’t believe you. There’s always a second option. Gabriel said all of us would make it to the final battle. That god promised us!”
“Even a deity can be wrong since free will exists.”
“I didn’t confess to Delvin only to lose him the same day.”
“Such things happen, channeler.”
“Only if we let them.”
Delvin pulls Nyx back a few steps and gives her a kiss on the cheek, which makes her more upset. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to argue. This is my temple and it’s the only way to continue on. Maybe if I knew more about magic and founts and energy, I’d be able to think of something. Nothing I can do about that now. Remember that Luke and Fizzle are holding off the trolls while the others could be climbing to the plateau. They need us to finish this before they walk into danger. I love you and wish it didn’t have to be this way, but the Baron’s side kind of won this round.”
“I love you too,” Nyx whispers, wiping at her eyes. She steps away and avoids looking at Delvin’s face, his smiling visage burning into her memory. “Just so you know, I haven’t given up. Do what you think you have to, but I’m stepping in once I think of another way.”
“That’s why I trust you with my life.”
With a charming grin, Delvin nods to the channeler and kneels in front of Undrasi. The oozing tree places several of its limbs on the warrior, who shines with a white light that flows from his chest. Removing his shirt, the champion notices that the bird-shaped brand on his skin is pulsing and has gained the mottled brown it would have if completed. He can feel his aura flow into the floor and ripple toward the Tree of Creation’s roots, the natural pathways helping him cover the entire plateau. The dead land begins to regain its color as grasses and flowers punch through the dusty earth. Birds and other small animals reappear, their skeletal remains regenerating at Delvin’s healing influence. To his relief, he can sense that the surviving trolls are retreating toward an area of swampland on the southern side of the plateau. Scents from the garden below fill his nose as his consciousness stutters and a cold darkness envelopes him. For a moment, the warrior wonders what is happening, but the drifting sensation makes him realize that he is about to die.
A jolt of heat and the touch of callused hands on his shoulders yanks Delvin back into his body, his shining eyes flying open. The look on Undrasi’s shifting face is one of amusement and wonder, the ancient tree sprouting ivory leaves as he is purged of the poison. Slender arms wrap around the warrior’s neck and soft lips touch to tip of his ear, sensitive nerves making his body quiver. Nyx convulses and growls when her power surges, the raw aura threatening to consume both champions. Delvin reaches up to touch her hands and considers breaking contact, but a spark of hope causes him to do nothing more than tighten his hold. The warrior closes his eyes to focus his power and assumes more control over the swirling energies that are coursing through his body.
“I told you I’d find a second option,” Nyx says, her voice echoing in Delvin’s ears. Without releasing her grip, she moves to kneel in front of the warrior and puts her warm forehead against his chest. “I’m a channeler. I might not have known that for most of my life, but it doesn’t change what I am. My kind absorbs and uses aura better than any other living thing. We have no limits. So if I say there’s another way to get the job done then you and this tree need to believe me. If you don’t have the strength to succeed then I’m giving you mine. So purify your temple and then we can finally get some much needed sleep, dear.”
With the addition of Nyx’s power pouring into his core, Delvin finds it easy to purge the Birthing Land of its corruption. The Akota roars while returning to flesh and bone, its scaly heads rising higher than the Tree of Creation. Forests erupt from the ground to send the old stumps hurtling toward the distant swamp where they will become homes to the insects and reptiles of the area. A smile appears on Delvin’s face when he hears the long contained water explode and flood toward Binhadar Falls where it will purge the corrupted river below. Larger animals return from the dead to wander among the lush landscape, none of them aware that they have been skeletal remains for several years. Not sensing any more of the Barghest’s energy, the champions work together to reign in their power before collapsing against each other. They are acutely aware of the steam and light wafting off their bodies, but the pair are more interested in the fact that they are both alive.
“That was impressive,” Undrasi says, rustling his ivory leaves. He stretches his branches and roots, the old layer of bark falling away to reveal a healthy brown skin that is smooth to the touch. “You are truly the strongest channeler since the days of Casandra. I would even say that you are more powerful than her since you are willing and able to work with others. I tasted a touch of necromancy in your actions, which I’ve never seen from your kind before. Although the downside to including that is the two of you are now permanently bonded.”
“What does that mean?” Delvin asks while experimentally holding Nyx away. He wiggles his fingers to see if they are fused to her body, the half-elf wriggling due to her smoking skin being extra sensitive to his touch. “I don’t feel any different. Though I’m not dead, which is a good thing. I do feel exhausted.”
“Both of you should be since you pushed your powers beyond their limits. Contrary to what the channeler said, she does have those,” the Tree of Knowledge declares while lowering several of its branches over the edge of the room. Touching the repaired furniture below, he relaxes and smiles at the champions. “Your life energies have become one
. Yes, you are separate beings and retain your individuality. It is possible that your enemy could use this bond to harm you at the same time, but that would leave him open to attack from the both of you. This is all guesswork, which is how knowledge first appears. The only definite change is that when one of you dies, the other will soon follow. It could be minutes or days, but you two cannot exist on this side of the afterlife without each other.”
With an impish smile, Nyx gives Delvin a kiss on the lips that lasts for several minutes. “I can certainly live with that. How about you?”
“I know I’ll be saying this for the rest of my life, but I do too.”
The pair move to kiss again, but their eyes start to close and all they manage to do is yawn in unison. When they try again, the couple slump against Undrasi and fall asleep with their lips barely touching. The Compass Key gently lands on Delvin’s lap and rolls into his hand, the relic refusing to be left behind. Not wanting to disturb them, the tree raises a crystalline orb from the floor and gently places the champions inside. The strange liquid that surrounds them cushions their unconscious bodies like the perfect bed while it floats towards Rhundar. The Tree of Knowledge laughs at the sight of Fizzle and the griffin joining the globe, the winged creatures knocking on the sides to no avail.
“Oh the things I will learn from them,” Undrasi happily claims, patting the Tree of Creation with his roots. The giant oak rustles while the Akota wanders toward the swamp to make sure the trolls remain in their territory. “It’s good to finally be in the game. Not to mention all the ones that are on the horizon.”
19
“Let me see if I understand this,” Dariana says while she finishes digging another grave. The sweat-covered woman hoists herself out of the hole and crouches between the ones that Nyx and Delvin are working on. “You two are bonded and cannot live very long without the other. Yet, you are entirely satisfied with this situation. Neither of you want to do anything to remove the risk of my father being able to kill two champions in one blow.”
“I told you we should have kept this a secret until after our long nap,” Nyx states, flinging a handful of dirt at the brown-haired warrior. He blocks it with his shovel and grins, but has to duck when she tries again. “We’ve decided to look on the positive side of things. Instead of our deaths being tied together, we focus on our lives being united. Honestly, I feel happy knowing that I won’t be alone for long on the other side or here. Depends on which of us goes first. That means no stupid stunts, Mr. Cunningham.”
“Right back at you, Ms. Masterson,” Delvin replies with a smirk. Finished with his work, he crawls out of the hole and does his best to wipe the dirt off his hands. “I understand your concern, Dariana. The Baron might have an easier time eliminating us, but we’re fine with that. It doesn’t make much of a difference since the final battle will be brutal and destructive no matter our situation. How do we know this isn’t a victory in disguise? One of us gets killed and the other fights back with all they have to finish your father off. Knowing you’re going to die can be an amazing motivator to find extra strength that you never knew you had. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“I, for one, am happy that you two have decided to take the next step,” Timoran states from where he is working. The barbarian gently lowers one of the dead Feykin into a grave and places a seed in the woman’s mouth like Phelan has instructed. “Perhaps this is not the best place to talk of happy tidings. Rhundar is about to become a memorial garden for its citizens. We should show respect to the deceased and survivors. Does anybody know where Phelan has wandered off to?”
“He went to get more seeds from the jungle,” Nyx answers while she is helped out of the grave. A large yawn causes her to nearly fall back into the hole, but she manages to catch Dariana by the arm. “Sorry about that. I don’t have my magic right now and it’s really starting to wear on me. The short nap in the crystal orb is why I’m still awake, so I might have to go back to that thing soon. Undrasi said Delvin needs to be in dormancy for a few days to regain his power and reverse the damage done by pushing himself. Think I’ll do the same because I’ve never felt this tired before. Sorry about not being much help.”
Timoran smiles as he joins the others and politely guides them toward a table with pitchers of water and some food. “Do not worry, my friends. Rest and the rest of us will handle everything here. I suspect that we will soon be joining you on the plateau since Rhundar is no longer a place to live. We may even stay longer than expected since the time a champion needs to connect with their temple is typically a season. That means we can avoid traveling during winter. What do you think, Dariana, since it is only your temple that remains?”
The telepath takes a sip of her water and picks out a red grape to roll around her mouth while she thinks. Dariana takes in the sight of the graves that run through the streets and how some of the buildings are already starting to decay. There is nothing at the top of the remaining elemental towers, their interiors already crumbling to dust. She wonders how much of Rhundar had been maintained by the Barghest, but she imagines that the eradication of the Feykin has had a bigger hand in the city’s deterioration. Swallowing the grape, Dariana turns her attention to the wall of waterfalls that plunges into the river. She can already see that the current is stronger and expects that it will not be long before the area is flooded, the city sinking to reveal an ancient basin. Many questions come to her mind such as how Rhundar replaced the original lake and what will happen to the memorial seeds once they are submerged. A melancholic sigh slips from her mouth when she realizes that Phelan is the only one with the answers, making him a living archive of a lost culture.
“I agree with Timoran and feel that a long rest is needed,” the telepath replies while watching a bulky figure wander through the trees. For a brief moment, she catches a clear view of Isaiah before he disappears behind the falls. “All of us have much to think about. Timoran and Delvin need time to explore their abilities while the rest of us get over our exhaustion. Not just physical fatigue, but we have weathered many mental and emotional beating over the last few months. The plateau is the perfect place for an extended break since it has enough food, water, and space for us. My temple is the last piece and can wait a little longer. Even my father doesn’t know where it is. Then again, I don’t think I know either and the Compass Key has always been rather elusive with me.”
“I’m still worried that your father will do something,” Delvin argues, the warrior barely able to keep his eyes open. He fumbles with his glass, getting only half of the water into his mouth and the rest on his chest. “It being the last temple makes me nervous. This is going to be the last chance he has to stop us, which means he won’t hold back. Are we really going to let something like the winter slow us down?”
“How about we focus on our current problems and leave when we feel comfortable?” Nyx suggests with her head on the table. The half-elf snores for a moment before she shakes herself awake and gently pats her cheeks. “Delvin and I need to recover and then there’s him deciding on how to use his powers without dying. From my time in the crystal orb, I think we can talk to Undrasi while we’re asleep, so we can come up with a training plan that doesn’t involve me constantly recharging my boyfriend. Well I could do that and I love the charge I get from touching his aura, but I’d rather Delvin find a method that can work without me being nailed to his side. Anyway, Timoran can practice during the month that we’re slumbering and maybe even talk with Fortunatos through the portal chamber. Come to think of it, Fizzle can take that time to get his rest too. We also need to do something about Phelan because I don’t want to leave him alone in the jungle. It isn’t right after he lost everything. My vote is to bring him to the plateau and help him heal. There’s just so much to do now.”
“In other words, we should not make a real plan and leave use we settle all of our current problems. That way we do not carry them with us or make our situation worse,” Timoran states while rubbing his sore shoul
ders. The barbarian nurses his drink and pats the Compass Key, which is hanging around his neck again. “That is a better plan since we do not know how quickly we will heal. I notice that all of us are avoiding mentioning a specific issue. What are we going to do about Sari? None of us have seen her since she killed the Barghest. It is a delicate situation that I do not want to push for fear of doing more damage.”
Delvin winces when he tries to locate the gypsy’s energy, stopping when Nyx smacks his arm and points to a growing patch of gray hair. “Her heart is broken and she’s plagued by guilt, so she wants to be alone. That’s probably for the best since Nyx and I becoming more than friends may feel like a slap in her face. Sari is hiding under one of the waterfalls, but we don’t have to worry about her disappearing or wandering into the jungle. More importantly, she’s not alone and about to get even more company. Whether she likes it or not.”
“What do you mean?” Nyx asks before she rolls her eyes. Forcing herself to stand, the half-elf reclaims her shovel and stretches her legs. “I was starting wonder where he went. Here I thought he was being lazy or getting into trouble. Then again, there really isn’t anyone else who can get through to her, which is fairly worrisome. Now let’s get back to work, so Delvin and I can sleep together.”
“Thought we were waiting for our wedding night.”
The channeler blushes and waves her hand as if to create a gust of wind, but only hits Delvin with the breeze from her moving arm. Even more embarrassed, Nyx turns on her heels and stiffly marches toward the next grave marking. She peeks over her shoulder to playfully scowl at the warrior, who happily smiles and waves.
“I think I’m going to miss that part of our relationship,” Delvin admits, earning quizzical looks from the others. It takes him a minute to realize what they must be thinking and holds his head in his hands. “Not the magical blasts and punches. I meant, I think she’s really cute when she’s flustered. That won’t happen very often since I can’t get a rise out of her with compliments any more. I don’t enjoy being hit because of a strange pain fetish or something. And denying it like that makes it sound like I really do. Can we get back to work?”
Charms of the Feykin Page 37
