The Beginning After The End 08

by Turtle Me

  ‘The big guy doesn’t realize we can see him,’ Regis thought. ‘What now?’

  Slowly rising until I was standing straight, my hands still held above my head, I locked eyes with the creature—or least, I looked where I thought its eyes were. “We’re not going to hurt you,” I said, keeping my tone even and unthreatening.

  The bear-like beast stayed motionless. I knew if I couldn’t see aether, it would be completely invisible and silent. I couldn’t help but wonder what other sorts of aether beasts inhabited the snowy zone if a creature so large and imposing had developed such an impressive defense mechanism.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Caera hissed.

  “I’m not sure yet,” I said out of the corner of my mouth. I stepped sideways toward the stairs, never taking my eyes off the aether-shielded bear, then felt around with my foot at the edge of the platform until I touched the stair below. Cautiously, I went down one step at a time.

  At the bottom of the stairs, I took a single step forward. Instantly, a roar that drowned out even the blizzard outside filled the vast dome. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Caera whirling into action, her red blade drawn.

  Dropping to all fours, the aetheric beast charged at me.

  I raised an arm, signaling for Caera to stay back while shrouding myself in a condensed layer of aether. I could feel the drain on my reserves, but it was better to take safety measures against enemies of unknown strength.

  I lowered my stance to meet it head on, expecting it to rear up and attack or to veer away, but instead it lowered its broad head and the aether surrounding it flared as it ran straight into me.

  Sidestepping at the last moment, I thrust my palm at its side, hoping to push it off balance. However, the beast shifted its weight at the moment of contact and used the force of my blow to whirl in place. The invisible beast lashed out mid-spin with a paw the size of a dinner plate.

  I blocked the blow, catching its giant paw in my hands before pivoting my stance and throwing its arm over my shoulder. Aether flared from my core as I summoned the strength to shoulder toss the two-ton behemoth onto the stairs, shaking the entire dome.

  The shell of aether shimmered and faded, and suddenly I could see the thing hidden underneath, strewn across the base of the stairs.

  It had thick, brilliantly white fur, which shimmered with a pinkish pearlescence when the creature moved. A flat ridge of steel-gray bone protruded from its broad forehead, like horns that had been sawed off a few inches from its skull, and a plate of bone wrapped around each shoulder like armor.

  “Did you just… throw this giant beast?” Caera asked, slowly making her way down the stairs.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” I said to the bear, which had been stunned by the impact. I had seen it leave something on the pile of objects at the foot of the dais stairs; there had to be some meaning behind that.

  I walked closer to the white, bear-like beast when its eyes suddenly shot open and it burst at me with a blurring speed.

  My eyes widened in surprise but my reaction speed wasn’t any slower than the bear’s. I spun on my heels just as the bear attempted to tackle me and tried to grab a hold of its thick fur. Unfortunately, the bear had surrounded itself in aetheric armor once more and my hands slipped off.

  I tumbled to the ground before catching myself. By then, Caera had already gone after the beast’s fading form, her blade in hand.

  “Stop! Don’t kill it—”

  I felt the tingle in my spine as she summoned her Vritra-born power and caused a curtain of black fire to burst to life within the doorway, just ahead of the escaping aether beast.

  It wasn’t enough. The bear roared again and burst through the dark wall of fire, leaving behind the scent of singed hair.

  Channeling aether into the rune, I ignited God Step but was met with a sharp pain. With my aether reserves already low because of Regis and the amount I had spent in the short span of our battle, I didn’t have enough aether to use God Step.

  “Don’t lose it, Regis!” I ordered, cursing inwardly.

  ‘Aye aye.’ Regis emerged, now the size of a large hound, and raced off after the bear in a blur of black and violet.

  “Grey, it’s not worth it—”

  “You saw it feign unconsciousness,” I snapped, cutting Caera off. “It’s intelligent, and if we can find out where it came from, we might be able to find the missing pieces of the arch.”

  Even without Caera’s uncertain gaze, I knew it was a long shot. Still, the creature could manipulate aether in ways even I couldn’t.

  There had to be some greater meaning to its presence within the dome. It hadn’t wandered in by accident, and it had seemed surprised to find us there, which meant that it didn’t come because of us.

  The djinn had designed every aspect of the Relictombs to challenge all those who entered it. The fact that relics didn’t work in this zone, the broken exit portal, the invisible bear: It all had to be connected.

  Caera gave me a hard, piercing look. “I don’t know what keeps you from freezing solid out there, but I won’t last forever. I can give myself a little time, but…”

  She didn’t need to finish the thought. I knew what she meant. If we followed after the aether beast but got lost in the storm, she could die.

  “If we’re not willing to take risks, we’ll never get out of here,” I said earnestly, meeting the gaze of her scarlet eyes. She only nodded, then took a step back and gathered her power. Ghostly flames flickered to life all over her body.

  ‘Where the hell are you?’ Regis shouted in my head.

  On our way. Just don’t lose it!

  I flashed past the door and sprinted along the exterior of the dome, Caera just behind me. By the time we turned away from the wall, Regis was well ahead of us, nipping at the giant bear’s heels.

  I could see where it had rubbed against the sides of the tunnel as it ran, its shoulders gouging thick trenches into the snowy walls, causing a partial collapse of the tunnel so that Caera and I had no choice but to dig our way through, losing valuable time.

  We climbed up the hill of snow leading to the surface while I continued to replenish my aether reserves. The bear galloped nimbly through the powdery snow, its purple mass indistinguishable from the aether-laced snowstorm where even Regis’s black form was almost entirely shrouded.

  Still, it left heavy tracks, and I followed it without hesitation.

  Then Regis’s voice was ringing in my head. ‘I’m losing it, Arthur! It's swimming through the snow like a big, angry fish. I can’t keep up!’

  Just hang on for a few more minutes, I urged, my aether reserves almost replenished enough to use God Step.

  Utilizing all the strength of my asuran body, I used the compacted snowprints of the beast as stepping stones to continue the chase. Caera struggled along behind me, the fiery aura keeping her warm and eating away at the flakes that whipped past us on the aether-laden winds.

  Skidding to a halt, I turned to Caera, who was still catching up. “Keep following this trail!” I barked. “I’m going on ahead.”

  Caera’s eyes widened but I couldn’t wait for a response. Turning my back to her, I ignited my rune.

  I let my eyes unfocus as I searched through the vibrations in the aether that I could slip into using God Step.

  But the aetheric blizzard blazed with violet light, obscuring everything, even the vibrations and the destinations that they led to. My heart pounded as I felt for the path around me while seconds continued to tick away. Knowing that I couldn’t waste any more time, I locked on to a shimmering vibration.

  Then I stepped forward.

  311

  Victory

  ELEANOR LEYWIN

  The night was brisk. Low-hanging mists had seeped northward from the Elshire forest, floating just over the ground and making it look like we were walking on clouds. It was quiet except for the cry of some distant nightbird.

 
The wide ring of clear-cut forest was just ahead, the round tops of the tree stumps jutting out above the gray mist like stepping stones leading to the still-sleeping village.

  A strong hand rested on my shoulder, and I turned to meet Curtis’s eyes.

  “Fight well, Ellie.”

  “F-fight well,” I echoed, the tremor in my voice obvious.

  Hornfels grinned at us all. “See you on the other side, aye?”

  Tessia gave them a small wave. “Whatever happens, remember the plan.”

  Tessia, Albold, and I stayed where we were while the others turned and headed around the village to where the prisoners were being held.

  We were giving them fifteen minutes before Tessia and Albold launched the attack.

  Tessia spent the time mussing her hair and clothes, and dirtying her skin. She stripped dozens of tiny twigs from a low branch and rubbed them into her hair, then, with a small knife that Albold carried, gave herself a tiny cut an inch from her left eye and smeared blood across half her face.

  I winced as I watched, but the cut healed in seconds. The blood that stained her fair skin remained.

  “It’s going to take you forever to get those twigs out of your hair,” I said with a smirk.

  “A small price to pay,” she replied with a soft smile. “Do you need to go over your part again?”

  I nodded my head firmly. “I stay out of sight and watch. Once I’ve confirmed that the retainer takes the bait, I send the signal to the others to move in, then make my way through the forest to their location. Once the prisoners have been freed and everyone has teleported back to the sanctuary, I send you the signal to fall back.”

  “Perfect,” she said, her expression turning firm. “You’re strong, Ellie. More than you realize.”

  I tucked a stray piece of hair back behind my ear as an excuse to hide my burning cheeks, turning back to Tessia only when I’d been able to regain control of my face.

  “Thank you.” I let out a shuddering sigh before mustering a smile. “And I’m not sure I ever said this to you, but… I forgive you, Tessia.”

  Our leader’s eyes widened, her mouth opening just a bit as if she were about to say something when Albold stepped into our view.

  “It’s time,” he muttered, his appearance equally disheveled as Tessia’s.

  She nodded, then looked at me and twisted her facial features so her eyes were wide and glazed while her mouth hung a bit crookedly.

  “Yeah, that’s definitely going to scare some people,” I told her seriously.

  Letting the mask fall for just a second, she reached out and squeezed my hand. “Stay safe.”

  Then they were gone, rushing quietly through the forest toward the village. They had broken free of the treeline and were halfway across the misty clearing before a guard noticed them.

  “Intruders!”

  The yell cut through the silent night, but that was part of the plan. Tessia gave the man just enough time to shout out a second time before a condensed gust of wind hurled him through a nearby wall with a crunch.

  Shouts went up throughout the village as the rest of the guards were alerted.

  Three, all mages, came running from the east, bursting out between two short buildings and almost colliding with my companions.

  Albold’s bow was already up, and, with a guttural roar, he let loose an arrow at the closest Alacryan. Dozens of small panels of stone burst from the ground, deflecting the arrow as they began to spin around the Alacryans.

  The biggest of the three had icy gauntlets around his huge hands, and he lunged at Albold and threw a punch. The stone plates shifted to avoid striking him as they spun round and round.

  Albold jumped back, and Tessia’s swordstaff was already cutting toward the Alacryan in an arc. One of the flat stones moved to intercept, but the blade sheared through it, then through the Alacryan’s outstretched arm.

  His hoarse scream was cut short an instant later when an arrow struck him in the heart.

  The mage still being protected by the shield-caster, a broad-shouldered man in a green robe, had been gathering his power and hadn’t yet cast a spell.

  As Tessia began hacking at the spinning disks of stone, the mage held up both hands, and a billowing cloud of yellow vapor poured out of him, engulfing Tessia and Albold, as well as his dying companion.

  Layers of mana shimmered around my companions as their protection fought against the caustic cloud, but I could tell the spell must be strong by the way Albold slumped under the weight of it.

  Tessia spun her swordstaff like the blade of a fan, using it to focus a jet of wind that pushed the gas spell back over the Alacryan mages. The caster seemed immune to his own magic, but the one holding up the shields wasn’t.

  He screamed in pain as his flesh began to run like hot wax, and within moments he was dead.

  I glanced away for a moment, trying not to throw up. When I looked back, the last mage was dead too, but six non-mage warriors had appeared from the west. They might as well have been children with sticks instead of swords.

  Alarms continued to be shouted throughout the village. I activated my beast will to better hear what was happening.

  My senses were instantly overwhelmed with the scent of rot, decay, and death. I spun around, looking for anyone nearby, but Boo and I were alone in the forest.

  I turned my attention back to the village, trying to made sense of the jumble of shouted orders and questions:

  “—from the east!”

  “—a mad elf woman—”

  “—tearing our men apart!”

  “—Bilal! Where is Bilal?”

  Then Tessia’s voice boomed over them all. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all for what you’ve done to my home! Justice for the elves! For Elenoir!”

  She’s overacting a bit, I thought to myself. I could tell by the sudden hush that fell over Eidelholm that it had been effective, however.

  I reached out to pat my bond, but my hand froze halfway. Boo stiffened, ceasing his pacing. An aura of black fear enveloped me, gripping my insides in an icy fist. I couldn’t move, I wasn’t even sure if I was still breathing.

  The retainer stepped out of the shadows not ten feet from Tessia, suddenly appearing from nothing. It was his murderous intent I was feeling, even so far away in the safety of the forest.

  Albold flinched back from him, but Tessia took a confident step toward the retainer, her face twisting into a snarl.

  “Oh my, it’s the lost princess, daughter of the betrayer king and queen,” Bilal said, quiet and mocking as his eyes probed Tessia up and down. “She appears to have gone well and truly mad.”

  Without replying, Tessia activated her beast will. Emerald light infused the air around her, and the weight of the retainer’s presence vanished from my chest. I took a deep, shuddering breath, and Boo growled next to me.

  Emerald vines burst from the ground in a ring around Tessia, Albold, and Bilal.

  Sickly green mana extended from the retainer’s arms into two long blades that dragged across the ground, causing it to sizzle and pop and stink.

  As Albold nocked an arrow, I found myself already trying to get away from the fight as much as possible.

  Not yet, I told myself, planting my feet. I need to make sure that Bilal is fully engaged before I go signal the others.

  “This will be interesting, elf,” the retainer said in his harsh, dead voice. “I’m quite curious to see what the famed Tessia Eralith can do. I have heard the stories of your glorious failure to push back our assault on this land.”

  Tessia glowered. “And I’ve heard the word retainer spoken in fear so many times since this war began. Honestly, I expected something more from the one who replaced Jagrette. Or are you really the best they could do?”

  She must’ve struck a nerve with her taunt, because the retainer’s arrogant sneer wrinkled into one of rage.

  “I’ve earned the title of retainer through my ski
lls, ignorant princess,” he growled. “Self-assured stupidity truly is the trademark of you Dicathians, isn’t it?”

  Tessia opened her mouth to reply, but the retainer lunged forward, the mana blade around his right hand extending forward until it was several feet long. The sickly green mana swept toward Tessia’s neck, but she easily dodged, and countered with a swing of her glowing swordstaff.

  Bilal brought his other toxic blade up in time to block the swing, creating a small shockwave from the mere impact.

  Tessia’s attack had been just a diversion, though, as the earth exploded upward under the retainer’s feet, releasing dozens of thorny emerald vines around him.

  With a grimace, the retainer retracted his mana blade and the sickly green energy dispersed around him like a suit of toxic armor that Tessia’s attack couldn’t penetrate.

  The retainer jumped with such incredible strength that he broke free of the vines and flew fifteen feet in the air. Two arrows sizzled against the energy shield, then both blades extended again until they were each several feet long, and he plummeted toward Albold.

  Tessia’s form blurred across a framework of the vines before leaping between the pale Alacryan and Albold. She swung her swordstaff once more, and it forced Bilal to use both of his mana blades to block her swing.

  The retainer followed up with a mana-clad kick, sweeping Tessia’s legs from underneath her, but the vines pulled her to safety before he could take advantage of the opening. When he tried to reform his blade, Albold fired at the exposed parts of his body, forcing Bilal to stay on the defensive.

  Tessia didn’t give the retainer a chance to focus on Albold as she launched a barrage of piercing stabs with her swordstaff. Her emerald vines seemed to each have a life of its own, serving to either attack Bilal or grab onto his arms and legs to make it more difficult for him to deflect her blows.

  Still, while Tessia was able to put a few bloody gashes on the retainer, she hadn’t managed to land a deciding blow. The layer of pale green mana that flowed around his angular body held strong, dampening Tessia’s attacks while dissolving Albold’s mana-clad arrows.

  I need to send the signal now! I thought to myself, stepping away from the fierce battle.