“You two truly were meant to be together,” Timoran states with a friendly smirk.
*****
Inching along the slick mountainside, Luke and Fizzle are surprised to find Isaiah talking to Sari behind one of the waterfalls. Not wanting to interrupt, the pair remain precariously balanced on a slippery stone. A thick mist drenches them, which prevents the sleepy drite from flying even if he had the energy. He settles for resting on Luke’s shoulder and slipping his forked tongue out for an invigorating drink. They do their best to ignore their friends, which is made easier by the fact that the roaring waterfalls drown out the distant voices. Noticing the patient adventurers, Isaiah finishes whatever he is saying and tenderly pats the gypsy’s head, her body tensing at his final words. With a nod to the newcomers, the black-scaled fireskin casually walks up the side of the mountain and uses his staff to part the descending water. Once he is out of sight, Luke carefully continues toward Sari, but finds that she is always out of talking range. Pausing for a second to take in his surroundings, the forest tracker sees her get moved by a thin layer of liquid beneath her boots. Not wanting to chase her out of Rhundar, he leans against the damp wall and does his best to make himself comfortable.
“Go away, Luke. I’m not ready to face you,” Sari announces before she realizes that he might not be able to hear her. She notices the sound of flapping wings a moment before Fizzle lands on her head, the drite glaring at his friend who threw him. “Just give me time to deal with this. Phelan may not have really loved me, but I was falling for him. Now he doesn’t remember me and I feel like I’m destined to always have a broken heart. The last thing I need is to deal with you.”
“Well the others are worried and felt that I’d be the best one to talk to you. At least they will when they think about it,” Luke replies as he makes another attempt to reach the gypsy. During his short walk, he suffers several awkward slips and a full dip into one of the waterfalls, a lucky catch on the stone the only thing saving him from being washed away. “Nyx and Delvin are together now, which they fear will make you sad. Dariana doesn’t understand what’s going on and Timoran feels he’s in the same boat as the other three. Also I think he’s scared to get involved in messy, emotional stuff. That leaves me and Fizzle, who is getting very sleepy and may pass out soon. So it’s really only me to cheer you up.”
“You are a terrible liar, Callindor, because Timoran wouldn’t think that way,” the blue-haired woman replies, unable to stop a small chuckle. Spinning around on her toes, she reveals puffy eyes and a shirt collar that is marked with drying teardrops. “I was heading back to the group when I saw you guys return from the plateau, but I decided to stay hidden. Kind of obvious what happened with Nyxie and Delvin. I feel like a terrible friend since I ran away instead of being the first to congratulate them. None of that is why I’m hiding here. After everything I did and now the stuff with Phelan and the Feykin being wiped out . . . why in all of Windemere am I talking to you of all people?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” retorts the half-elf, scratching his head in confusion. With no other idea for an answer, he shrugs and flashes his goofiest smile. “Because I’m here and we need to talk at some point. Might as well be now.”
Sari tosses Fizzle to Luke and leaps into the waterfall, which becomes a winding slide that takes her over the river. She lands behind a house that is slipping into the water that has been steadily eroding the soft, crumbling land. Adjusting her mangled skirts, the gypsy rushes in the opposite direction of her grave-digging friends. She does not get very far before she turns and sees Luke attempt to leap out from behind the waterfalls. With Fizzle curled against his chest, the half-elf is violently shoved into the churning rapids and disappears. Refusing to let go of the drite, he is unable to swim against the current and wildly kicks his legs out of desperation. He is pushed beneath the surface many times until he sucks in a mouthful of water and sinks. Growing from the bottom, an icy hand raises Luke out of the river and flings him to shore where Sari is waiting.
“Stop being annoying and leave me alone,” the gypsy demands as she tries to walk away. A tight grip on the edge of her boot causes her to trip and flop into the muddy ground. “Why do you want to help me? I tried to kill you, Luke. Not only that, but I threatened you, wished painful injuries on you, and drove you away knowing that the Order might take you prisoner. In fact, I was counting on them torturing and killing you. When I was told that the creature in the orchard was a chimera, I wondered if you would become one too. The thought of that made me happy and I hoped I would get another chance to kill you. See the theme here? I’ve spent my time in Rhundar trying to maim and murder you. Out of everybody here, I did the most amount of damage to you. Why is that so hard to understand?”
“But you just saved me from drowning,” Luke points out, rolling onto his back. Fizzle yawns while shaking the mud off his body and crawls into Sari’s lap. “The Barghest had you under a spell. Even if the real Sari knew what was happening, she didn’t have any influence over her body’s actions. It’s like when I change. The spirits are in more control than me when I’m in their form. Being a chimera is even worse because I have nothing more than awareness of what my body is doing with no say in its actions.”
“I can’t just rationalize what I did and let it go,” Sari argues, stubbornly refusing to give up her argument. Taking a look at the empty city around them, a pang of guilt makes her wonder how much of Rhundar’s fate is her fault. “I committed a lot of atrocities here. Many of which I don’t think I’ll be able to forget. By the gods, I wish somebody would hate me because I deserve it so much. If not you or Phelan then the locals who no longer have the orchard. Just . . . I really feel like I need to pay for what I did.”
The half-elf flips backwards to sit next to the gypsy and gives her a friendly nudge to the arm. “Maybe Nyx would be the one to talk to because of Hero’s Gate. There’s also Timoran with Stonehelm, Dariana and her past, Delvin for what he did here, and me for all the people I’ve pissed off. By the way, you’re on the top of that list. My point here is that we’ve all made mistakes. It’s how we handle the aftermath and move on that defines us. If you really want me to hate you then I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.”
“That isn’t how this is supposed to work.”
“How so?”
“You shouldn’t be the one I talk to about a broken heart.”
“Or am I the perfect one to do it?”
“One does not get comfort from the person who robbed them. Not sure which one of us is the thief though.”
Two puffs of rainbow smoke hit the champions in the face, causing them to flutter their eyelids and relax. Stretching his tail, Fizzle crawls around his friends and scratches his head while considering their arguments. The drite stops when he sees that their nervous tics are appearing even through the mild trance. He sniffs at Luke’s hand as it rubs on his saber pommel and then moves on to Sari, her body locked by her immovability. Delivering another round of his magical breath, he removes the enchantment and clears his throat for their attention. The dragon stifles a yawn, which makes his cheeks puff out and he releases a winding plume of rainbow mist that forces his friends to cover their mouths.
“Fizzle understand both,” the drite says, rubbing his chin with his tail. He lifts himself off the ground and paces in the air, his feet moving as if he is walking on solid ground. “Sari hurt over loss of two loves. Luke concerned over friend. Two goals not match. Fizzle think this dance old. Friends need be friends. One worried and one hurt. Both feel better if talk. That what Fizzle think should do.”
“That makes a good amount of sense,” Luke admits, reaching into his bag for an apple to give the drite. He frowns at the soft spots on the fruit, but Fizzle snatches the meal up without a second thought. “I know I wronged you and we’ve had this conversation before. The only way for us to be friends is to act like we are. When you’re hurting then I’m going to be concerned and the same goes if the roles are revers
ed. I forgive you for what you did and promise to help you make amends to everyone you hurt. That’s why I’m not going away and it means I’ll be earning your forgiveness.”
“Damn you, hero,” Sari replies with a genuine smile. Not wanting to ruin her battered clothes, she grabs the half-elf’s arm and uses his sleeve to wipe her tears away. “Just so you know, I find this awkward. My reason for coming here with Delvin was to heal from losing you to Kira. Now I’m broken-hearted over Phelan. The two of us are similar and I have all the memories of my time with him. Not that I loved him like I did you, but there was a spark that could have led to more and, at the very least, made me happy. He doesn’t have any recollection of me. To Phelan, I’m a stranger who can’t look him in the eye.”
“Tell him this?” Fizzle asks with apple dripping from his lips.
“I did, but he only apologized and went to gather more seeds. We’re avoiding each other for different reasons,” the gypsy answers as she draws her stiletto. The weapon glints in the sunlight and she balances it on her finger, years of practice allowing her to juggle the blade without cutting herself. “Does it really matter? We finish here and then we move on. After the last temple is the big battle where any of us can die. Even if I live through everything, I doubt I’ll be able to find Phelan again. He plans on leaving the area soon and wandering aimlessly. There aren’t any other Feykin cities on Windemere, so who knows where he’ll end up. Not really my place to worry or hunt him down later.”
Luke puts an arm around his friend’s shoulders and rubs her elbow, his damp clothes drying at her touch. “You do have a right to check in on him. That’s if you two lose contact in the first place. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that he’s traveled to one of the Sister Cities. He is part river nymph, so I’d bet on Freedom or Gaia. Possibly a small village like Vorgabog if he wants to avoid large crowds. Probably be easy for a man like me to track Phelan down too. That’s only if you want to reconnect. You’re talking from your pain right now, so it’s possible that you’ll get over this. All you need to do is let us help you. We’re your family, Sari, and we all love you too much to let you suffer alone.”
“You’re right. I have to grow up,” the young woman says with a gentle sigh. She removes the forest tracker’s arm and gives him a friendly kiss on the cheek. “The wounds are fresh and I never think clearly when I’m emotionally injured. I need time and should spend it as a champion instead of wallowing in whatever this is. First thing tomorrow, I want to go to the orchard and try to repair the damage. Just the two of us and Dariana since she can convince Silvestris not to hold a grudge against me. On second thought, breakfast followed by pestering Nyx and then we head into the jungle before lunch.”
“Glad to see you smiling again. Should I leave you two alone?”
“Two?”
Phelan sits on the other side of Sari while Luke walks to a distant crate where he can watch without feeling like he is in the way. Fizzle yawns and curls up in the mud, the drite falling asleep near the gypsy’s feet within a minute. The two blue-haired Feykin remain silent, neither knowing what to say to the other. Unable to handle the uncomfortable silence, Phelan reaches toward the river and has a watery rose drift into his hand. He offers it to Sari, who tucks it into her hair and manages to look into his eyes for the first time since they escaped the Barghest’s stomach. A stab of pain hits her heart when she sees the lack of recognition is still within his pupils.
“I’ve been thinking about your situation and I have a solution,” Phelan explains while plucking bubbles out of the river. Releasing them into the air, he tries to coax Sari into manipulating them, but she only pops the floating orbs. “You obviously have memories of us being something more than friends while I have nothing. As far as I’m concerned, we’re strangers, but that isn’t an excuse for avoiding you. Maybe we can spend time together and see what happens. When I delivered the rest of the seeds, your really big friend pointed out that all relationships start as strangers meeting for the first time. So I’m willing to get to know you again if you want to give the real me a chance.”
“Give me a minute,” Sari replies as she hurries over to Luke. Flashing a smile at Phelan, she sits next to the forest tracker and wrings her hands. “I know you were listening. What do you think I should do?”
The half-elf hops off the crate and puts his friend over his shoulder to carry her back to the confused Feykin. “I think you two should help us with the rest of the burials. Then take a walk along or on the river to swap questions. We’re going to be here for a while, Phelan, so you will have plenty of time to figure stuff out. Feel free to talk to the rest of us about her. Good way to learn about the real Sari is to ask her friends. At least make her think you will, so she becomes nervous about embarrassing stories coming to light. Especially if you talk to Nyx about what she was like as a child.”
“I hate you, hero,” the gypsy mutters before getting on her toes to give Luke a kiss on the cheek. “And I love you too. Thanks for being my friend even after everything we’ve gone through. Let’s help the others before Nyx thinks we’re lazy.”
As Luke picks Fizzle up, Sari and Phelan walk ahead and stumble over their questions, neither of them knowing who should speak first. The forest tracker hangs back while his companions lead the way through the crumbling city. They arrive in time to take a handful of seeds and wander Rhundar in pairs to place them into the graves. By the time they finish covering the bodies, the sun has given way to the four moon eclipse. Coated by white light, colorful flowers sprout from the mounds of dirt and release a fog that drifts through the streets in the form of the deceased Feykin. Gathered where the central temple once stood, the only living souls in Rhundar fall asleep watching the eerily beautiful memorial that will gradually become a legend over the ensuing centuries.
*****
“I would appreciate some water,” the Baron whispers, his voice faint after weeks of magical slumber. Struggling to sit up, the warlord graciously accepts the cool drink from Nyder, who is the only other person in the toy-covered room. “Where is Yola and my son?”
“She gave you a bath before taking Walter to pick mushrooms or something,” the gnome replies as he flips down his goggles. Moving with slow precision, the inventor examines his master to make sure there is nothing wrong with his body or aura. “Everything looks to be normal, but I want to check you every hour for the next day or two. Did you accomplish what you wanted?”
“These champions are an interesting group,” the Baron admits before rolling his hand to create an apple. With very little decorum, he takes a bite out of the fruit and greedily licks his lips of the juice. “At first, it was difficult to keep my influence in check. I am surprised my host and his friends did not notice me, especially my daughter. Then again, I went into hiding by the time they reached their destination. You will find this part very interesting. I was able to interact with them by the end by utilizing my host. I feared that I would either kill him or be trapped within, but things worked out better than I imagined.”
Nyder takes out a syringe and cautiously injects a revitalizing liquid into his master’s veins, the warlord barely noticing the pinch. “That’s very good to hear, sir. Needless to say, we were worried about you. Especially when Zaria arrived to ask about why we did something in the jungle. I played ignorant while Yola . . . well, she wasn’t playing. Is it true that something wiped out the Feykin?”
“Sadly, one of Stephen’s toys was still active and it cost us a very beautiful race. I’d always admired those creatures,” the immortal states while swinging his legs out of bed. A rumble in his stomach shakes his entire body, so he summons a basket of apples to devour. “The champions purified the Birthing Land and will be resting for many months. While their bodies are healthy and strong, it seems their time in the jungle has taken a toll on their spirits. My daughter is pushing for them to stay until winter passes. I hope she gets her way because I would thoroughly enjoy a spring victory. More importantly, this gives me som
e time to consider my new knowledge and alter my plans.”
“What new knowledge, sir?” asks the gnome, his curiosity piqued. When he sees the Baron swallow an apple core, the inventor makes a note to do more thorough tests. “Also, I’m surprised you’re not sending us after the last temple. Pardon my forwardness, master, but we can stop them while they’re idle. At the very least, we should find the area and send agents. If they purify that last temple then you may have a harder time claiming victory. That’s if they don’t permanently seal you from afar. Come to think of it, nobody seems to know what will happen when all of the temples and champions are put into play. Since it’s never been done before, I doubt it would simply maintain your curse. Do you know what it will do?”
The Baron ignores his servant’s rambling and approaches a wardrobe to find a pair of fresh pants, the purple scale pattern of one catching his eye. “I believe I can use your ritual to cast my power into the world even from within my imprisonment. Gabriel’s spell has been around so long that a few holes have appeared. The only piece that I need is to locate one of them and find a way to push to the other side. It will be an amusing surprise even though I might only be able to use a fraction of my strength.”
“What about the temple?”
“There is no need to worry, Lord Fortune.”
“But your enemies are one step away from victory.”
“Are they?” replies the Baron with an elegant smile. Taking a big bite of an apple, he crouches in front of Nyder and leans in to whisper. “A little secret, my friend. I’ve had the Spirit Well in my hands for centuries. Just a beautiful present from a daughter to her father. So as you can see, we’ve already won.”
Charms of the Feykin Page 38
