Indeed, there is. Lingaria answered. I think your friend was right to deter you from trying to fight whatever it is on your own. Since we can’t see it, we don’t even know that it is capable of being defeated.
Fine, Svana finally admitted, taking one last long look back down the hallway. Emmeline was strong, but Svana could tell that it was of upmost importance to help the uncle. After finding out that the young woman’s parents were dead, it could be devastating to her to lose her uncle too.
Don’t worry, Emmeline. I won’t let you down.
Knowing what needed to be done to help the woman, only cemented Svana’s decision to go back into the city. She had not seen Jakobe, Percival or Eloise during that battle. That only encouraged her desire to go to the village, to check on them and reassure herself that they were safe. She would never forgive herself if something had happened to them.
A sobering thought occurred to her, what if they aren’t on my side anymore? After all, it is essentially my fault that so many innocent lives were lost yesterday. If I had not forced myself or pushed. If I hadn’t begged for peace. I should have just killed him the very first moment I saw him when he asked to see my sword that day in the throne room. I should have just driven it into his chest.
It’s true, you should have, Svana. Only, all journey’s go the way they must for a reason. The fact that you didn’t drive your sword into his chest has a purpose. Just like now, as you struggle to go to the village, and he lays dying in the castle, there is a reason for it. I have no doubt that soon we will know why. You must trust that this is all for the best, and it will work out for a reason, Lingaria spoke into Svana’s mind.
Lingaria, again was her voice of reason, and even though she didn’t necessarily believe that it had happened purposely. Knowing that he did, was a comfort to her.
Svana held her head up high and walked forward into the courtyard making her travel once more down the dirt pathway to the gates leading to the Tellurian villages. Jakobe’s handsome face flashed in her mind, encouraging her forward.
No matter what happened, Jakobe had been a rock to her, always waiting for when she returned. She hoped that hadn’t changed.
12
Hekla
Every race believes they are special—that they are unique—that they are better than the other. However, one thing remains true between all races, and even all animals—all bodies burn the same.
Civeress, The Champion, Third Dragon Elder, Fourth Age of Verdil
Hekla stood in the gentle breeze next to her sister, surveying the bodies lying before them. The sun shone down with gentle yellow rays of innocence, unbeknownst of the darkness that happened across the battlefield the previous day. Hekla frowned. It didn’t seem fair that a day after so much devastation and loss that the sun could shine a beautiful day. In her heart, she didn’t feel the sunshine. Instead, a storm raged inside of her. She imagined it would be a lot more fitting to have a dark cloud with lightning and rain. A sense of hopelessness overwhelmed her in the moment. The stench of death permeated the air they breathed in and out, making her feel dirty on the inside.
“We have to do something, now. Before it’s too late,” Hekla whispered.
“I know, Hekla. We have to do what is best for all of our people,” Astrid said sternly.
“Agreed,” she said.
Jetevius stepped closer, putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, even though it was his people that lay dead before her. The act of kindness was not lost on her, as he had always been so reserved.
“What do you suggest, Jetevius? We brought your soldiers with us so that we could do this the right way. Do I use magic to carry them back, if that’s even possible, so that we can send them out to sea?” Hekla asked, curious to know what he expected of her in this situation.
“A word … alone?” he whispered into her ear.
She nodded, following him off to the side so that they could speak privately.
“I know it is wrong, and that the king may have my head for it, but I think we should do as you suggested. I think we should burn them all as one. It is going to anger a lot of people, but we are running out of time. If we leave them here, the smell will be so great, the stench will carry down to the sea after a while. It will attract wild Toveraks for miles around, and there could be more innocent lives lost.”
Hekla stayed quiet as he spoke, thinking about the repercussions of such an action.
“What if the King has me killed?” Hekla asked.
“If he tries to have you killed, he will certainly come after me as well. I won’t let him take either of us. You have to trust me on that.”
Looking up into his brilliant green eyes, she realized there was a part of her, though irritated by his smug attitude at times, that did trust him.
“All right, since you are the general of the Aequoran armies, I trust you. You should send your men away though; I don’t want any of them implicated in anything that we are about to do. If they don’t know our plans, the king can’t possibly blame them.” Her heart quickened its pace, as she realized they were about to go against everything King Renault had told them. There goes my chance of getting in his good graces.
“You make a good point. I’ll send them away, and then we’ll deal with this. Is that all right?” He studied her facial features intensely, the action causing her to feel slightly uncomfortable.
“Yes, of course that’s fine,” she said.
He bowed slightly and left her standing alone for a moment while he went back to his soldiers to speak quietly with them. From nearby, Astrid gave Hekla worried glances. Her sister didn’t understand what was going on. Hekla shrugged her shoulders. Silence embraced them like an unwelcome hug, as they waited for the men to finish, after a few moments the Aequoran soldiers departed from the battlefield as one. Hekla knew they were headed back to the sea, and though none spoke a word, she had to wonder if any of them had caught onto what was about to happen.
“Do you think they will tell the king that we haven’t done what we were asked?”
Jetevius watched them leave, uncertainty etched his face. “Oh, I’ve no doubt some will out us to the king. The question is, do we have enough time to take care of this and hide the evidence before they return?”
“I certainly hope so.”
Astrid approached them, clearly agitated. “What is taking so long? We need to take care of this, and now.”
“I know, Astrid. We’ve decided to burn the bodies together, anyway. It’s the only way to deal with this quickly.”
“You realize, Hekla, that goes against each of the kings wishes?” Astrid’s lips twisted as her head tilted to the side.
“I do, but I think we’re out of options, and if it angers the kings that much, at least they’ll all have something in common.” Hekla smiled. “We have little choice. These dead bodies will only bring disease and more death if left.” Hekla tried to reason with her, hoping that Astrid could see the truth for herself.
Astrid nodded her head.
“Sisters! You’re here! What are you doing?” Svana approached from the path that led to the Tellurian Castle.
“Svana! You’ve returned! What of the king, does he live?” Astrid inquired.
“Indeed, he does. He’s in a deep slumber... no one can wake him. I am on my way to try to find him medicine. Unless, Hekla... can you heal him? Please! I must heal him! If I don’t, my friend will lose the only father she has.”
Hekla shook her head. “My dear sister, you know that I would help you in a heartbeat, but we have more pressing matters at hand, and I have a feeling it’s going to take all the magic I have to make it happen.”
Svana took a step back, eyebrows bunching together. “You won’t help me?”
“It’s not that. Look at all the bodies littering the ground. Smell the stench of death in the air. It’s worse than the smell of days old seafood.” Hekla used her scepter to gesture to the ground, drawing Svana’s attention to the mixture of their people wh
o had died.
“Very well, what do you need me to do?” Svana asked, her face falling in defeat, but her eyes showing understanding.
“I can handle this. Go find medicine. Save your king, it is priority. After I finish with this, I will see what I can do to help.” Hekla walked to her redheaded sister and gave her a hug. “I’m so sorry to fail you.”
“No, no, don’t worry yourself. I’ll figure this out.” Svana touched Hekla’s cheek. “Take care of our dead. If I can’t find a cure, I will seek you out to see if you can help.”
“All right.” Hekla squeezed her sister tight before letting go. “It was good to see you, take care of yourself.”
“You as well,” Svana replied.
“I am so proud of both my sisters this day,” Astrid said, her motherly tone evident. She smiled at them both, then stepped forward to hug Svana as well. “Don’t worry, I’ll make her come help you as soon as we’re done here,” Astrid joked.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. But do take care of her. Make sure she doesn’t strain herself too much.”
Astrid released her, nodding her head, then with one last look to her two sisters, Svana began running toward the Tellurian villages.
“God-speed to her,” Astrid said, “I hope she finds something that can help him.”
“As do I, because if he dies, it will be my fault for not helping him.”
“No, it won’t,” Jetevius interupted. “Your priority is to help our dead right now.”
“It seems an impossible task, give me time, Astrid, Jetevius... I need to consult my magic for what I am about to do.”
They nodded to her and she walked off alone. She needed to speak to Speltus, knowing that what she was about to do could possibly kill her dragon guide. She wished there was another way, any other way to fix this problem, but she couldn’t come up with anything. There were bodies everywhere and if they called on their people, then they would go to their respective kings right after and tell them what happened. There would be no hope for peace then.
“Speltus,” she whispered softly, “can you hear me?”
“Yes,” he replied, the orb of her staff glowing brightly with his voice.
“Do you know what I am to ask of you?” She worried for the effect it would have on him.
“I do,” he answered.
“Can it be done? Can I do a mass levitation of the dead so that we can pile them in one place and burn them?”
Speltus was very quiet for a long time, and she wondered if it would kill him and that is why he delayed his response.
“It can be done, with great consequence. You will not be able to use magic for a long time. I don’t know exactly how long.”
“Will it kill you, Speltus?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so, for I am not just magic. I am flesh and bone and life. It will bring me close, though. That I know for sure, and after you levitate them to one spot, you will not be able to use your magic to light them on fire or heal the land that has been burned as you hoped.”
“Toverak breath,” she cursed. “I was hoping to make the grass grow over the burned spot to cover what had occurred here today.”
“I know. I can see every thought in your mind. Leave it up to your sister and friends to do the rest,” he said.
“All right, so are you saying you’re willing to bring yourself close to death to make this happen?”
He went silent again, and after a time answered very quietly. “Yes, I am willing.”
Hekla knew that she was asking a lot, and after the last levitation spell, she had not wanted to use it ever again, for fear of harming her dragon. Only desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Thank you, Speltus. I am forever in your service. I will do my best not to waste a single moment of this.”
She turned toward the battlefield and focused her attention on the piles of bodies and fallen soldiers that lay strewn about. One section of the battlefield had more bodies than the rest, and she decided to make that the destination of all who had died. It would mean less for her to levitate and gave her a focal point. Then one by one she began chanting, “Levitatum Personae.” One body at a time, they levitated to one pile.
Hekla could feel her dragon weakening with each body she transferred, and she stopped herself to allow him to rest.
“Sister, please do not overdo it, we still need your magic,” Astrid whispered form behind her.
“I know, but this is more important. I don’t think I’ll have anything left after this,” she said honestly, feeling herself drained now. She knew it was just an after effect of using so much of Speltus’s magic. It was as if their life forces were tied together.
She sat on the ground, burying her head in her hands. There was still so many to move, and she was already so tired.
“Hekla, rest. I can move some of the bodies while you do so,” Jetevius said, she could see in his eyes that he was worried for her. “You’ve already done so much in such a short amount of time. This would have taken us days before.”
“Yes, and it’s one of the many, many reasons that we need to make sure that another battle doesn’t occur among the people. Not just because we want peace, but because if there is another battle, we cannot do all this all over again. It is too much for three people,” Astrid folded her arms across her chest.
“I agree with your sister.” Jetevius nodded.
“Very well, I will rest, but we must move quickly. We’re running out of time,” Hekla said, fighting back the urge to cry, she was so overwhelmed with everything that still needed to be done.
“Here, let me help you...” Astrid said to Jetevius, and between the two of them, they managed to gather dozens of bodies, clearing the field, while Hekla rested.
You have a good sister, and Jetevius is a good friend. I feel restored. Let us finish this, Speltus said.
Hekla felt his renewed strength running through her.
It took them well into night, but they finally finished. Once the field was cleared, they lit the bodies with torches, covering their noses with cloth to hide the smell of burning flesh. Hekla used a little bit of her magic to speed up the burning, and to make sure the fire consumed the bodies in their entirety. Just as morning has started to peak over the mountains in the distance, Hekla finished out the event with one last spell.
“Restoratum Unum!” Hekla said, waving her scepter back and forth, and little by little the burnt grass, embers, bloody patches, and all evidence a battle had occurred, vanished. The road returned to its normal dirty ruggedness. Gravel scattered all over the ground, as if it were a normal day. Green grass sprung up fresh where fire had burned the ground.
All was restored.
“My word, Hekla! You’ve done a miracle. It’s as if it never happened.”
“Yes, but it did, Astrid. Let us not forget,” she said, her voice breaking.
Jetevius put his hand on her back softly. “Though you may not believe it, you have done a great service for all of our people and for Telluris. Now, we may rest. Are you ready to return to Aequoris to face the music for what we’ve done?”
“I suppose.” Hekla half-smiled.
“And I will return to my people as well… after I have slept. I feel like I have not rested in days.”
Hekla nodded to her, and they hugged before parting ways again. “Please take care of yourself, Astrid. Your people need you at your best, just as I do.”
“I will, you as well.”
The mid-afternoon sun set on their departure, and Jetevius and Hekla ambled toward Aequoris, both tired from the activities, and dreading what was to come.
13
Astrid
When you’re kind to a friend, you’re a great friend. When you are kind to family, you’re bound by blood. When you are kind to an enemy, you’ve got an ulterior motive. But when you are kind to a stranger, you have a kind heart. And if we had more kind hearts, the world would be a better place.
Ugiotti, The Eternal, Fourth Dr
agon Elder, Fifth Age of Verdil
For the second time in a matter of days, Astrid found herself alone on the battlefield. The weight of the work they had done, the smell of decay in the air and on her, as well as the lack of sleep and nutrients overwhelmed her. She felt herself buckling under all the chaos.
“No, Astrid,” Aronus appeared next to her. “Don’t give in now. Let’s make it to the mountain and then you can rest.”
“Aronus, I’ve not eaten, nor slept for two days…. How much longer do you expect me to go on doing neither. A normal person would have already succumbed.”
“I know that, but just push a little harder for me.” Aronus flapped his wings gently while hovering in front of her.
“Fine,” she grumbled, sounding more like a younger and indignant teenager rather than the mother-like figure Astrid normally was.
“I know you’re tired. I can’t imagine what your human body must be suffering right now. But we need to move forward just a little bit longer.”
Astrid didn’t know how she had gone this long, or fought this hard, just to feel the overflow of it now. Every muscle in her body was aching and sore. Her stomach felt like a knife had run through it for the lack of food she ate. And she was thirsty. So ravenously thirsty—it was all she could think about.
“I’ll fly ahead, Astrid, and find an abandoned camp site. You’re bound to have your fill of their left-over provisions since all the soldiers have returned to the castle. Just keep pressing forward as quick as you can. Can you do that for me?” Aronus asked.
Astrid nodded her head weakly. Her legs and arms ached with cuts—war wounds she hadn’t felt until that moment. Hekla may have been able to erase the site of the battlefield, but she would never be able to erase the scars of what had taken place that day.
“Ugh, what I wouldn’t give for a bath,” she said aloud as she trudged slowly forward, the base of the mountain feeling like a million miles away.
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