An Elegy of Heroes

by K. S. Villoso

  Sume wrapped her cloak tighter around her neck. She didn’t want to be here. She had tried to ask the woman called Sapphire to release Enosh from his duties, but she had refused.

  “He is needed,” she had said.

  “Here, chasing after something that is already safely sealed from the world?”

  “Sealed? Yes. Safely sealed? You know that won’t remain for very long, if Yn Garr has his way.”

  “But Enosh is needed out there, where that other thing is. He knows how to subdue it. Let him go, please. Every day he stays here is another day my daughter remains in danger.”

  Sapphire’s face grew serious. “If you want my opinion…” she said.

  “I don’t, particularly.”

  “If your daughter has survived this long, she can do so a little longer. She can be taught how to cope, how to protect herself from the thing. Or a spell can be cast, making it more difficult for the beast to track her through the agan. As for the creature’s physical whereabouts...rest assured, we will focus on that as soon as we’re done here. Enosh can more easily locate it if he works with us than if he were to do it alone.” She paused, then. “Unless. You already know where it is, don’t you?”

  “I told you it attacked Shirrokaru.”

  “Yes, but then you say it took flight after. Why are you so convinced you can find it without our help?”

  She swallowed before she replied. “The creature didn’t just randomly attack the city,” she said. She told her about Oren-yaro, and the prince’s obsession.

  “I don’t understand,” Sapphire said, when she was done.

  “There was no body,” Sume repeated. “Not a drop of blood. I assumed Rysaran was dead when it took to the air. But when I was standing there, watching the carnage at Shirrokaru, I glanced at its spine and thought I saw a shadow. I asked myself why it went straight for Shirrokaru—how could it have flown straight to the city, instead of tearing through the countryside first? You see—Rysaran wanted it because he thought it was a dragon. He wanted to ride a dragon of his own, the way the old Dragonlords of Jin-Sayeng used to. The way his father once did.”

  “You’re saying he isn’t dead?”

  “I don’t know. It was just a shadow. Maybe it was the thing’s tendril. But it makes sense, doesn’t it? If Rysaran was riding it, he might have steered it towards Shirrokaru to subdue it on the old dragon-towers. They used to rope dragons from them. And then it proved more powerful than he bargained, and it attacked the city. But it didn’t stay for very long. He must have been able to draw it aside somehow.”

  “Let’s say that scenario happened,” Sapphire said. “I don’t believe it could have, because you need to be trained in the agan to be that close to that cursed thing without losing your mind, but let’s say it did. Where could he have gone?”

  “They trained wild dragons in the mountains east of the city,” she said. “There are outposts and villages, if you can find them. There used to be trade routes, but only certain families would know for sure.”

  Sapphire became silent after this, thinking. “Did you tell Enosh?” she asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “Don’t. Not until this is all over.”

  “You still don’t trust him?”

  Sapphire smirked. “Do you?”

  Sume didn’t know. She hadn’t answered, and now, staring up at the mountains rising like spires before them, she had the nagging feeling that perhaps staying with Rosha might have been the better decision.

  The argument stopped. The wind started. She saw Sapphire pointing to a fork between a grove of trees, and she kicked her heels into the pony to catch up with the group.

  They travelled this way another two hours. The mountains loomed closer. They reached the foot of a trail, half-blocked by boulders, and they left the ponies and most of their packs to continue on foot. It was difficult to walk through the snow, even with the thick boots they had lent her at Kazfian. She sank to her ankles every few steps while she struggled to maintain balance. The whole group plodded on, dealing with the same dilemma. If not for the threat of death awaiting anyone who slipped from the trail and to the cliff below, it was almost serene.

  Sume was one of the first to reach the marked bend, leading to a flat portion of ground that had looked like a white sheet from the distance. Kefier had been ahead of her, but when she got there, he was nowhere to be seen. She sat down to rub her ankles. Minutes later, he appeared beside her.

  “Where have you been?” she asked.

  “Taking a leak.”

  “Don’t stray too far. You remember what they said about this place.”

  “They say that about every place as far as I can tell. You know what they don’t say? That mages walk really slow. Must be all those robes, or those sticks up their asses. We could be halfway up the mountain by the time they get here.” He looked at her. “Sume…” he started.

  “I haven’t forgiven you,” she said.

  He turned away. “I don’t expect you to.”

  “I want to be angry. I just can’t. I’m too tired. I can’t deal with you and him at the same time.” She looked down at the trail and the figure of Enosh struggling up that last steep climb, the snow so thick on his hair that from above, he looked like an old man.

  “We’re here for Rosha, anyway,” she murmured. “Whatever mess we’ve made of things, we shouldn’t forget that.”

  “Getting chatty, are we?” Enosh called, his face appearing at the end of the trail. Frost clung to his beard, which he wiped away with his gloves.

  “We’ve been chatting freely the last five years,” Kefier said. “I don’t think we need your permission for that.”

  “Is that why she travelled all the way across the continent just to see me? She got tired of chatting with you?”

  Sume made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat and started ahead.

  “See,” Enosh called after her. “Now you’ve made her mad. Where the hell is Daro?”

  “He went ahead,” she called out, her voice a little higher than it should be. “Said he didn’t want to deal with your petty horseshit.”

  Enosh snorted. “It’s not just mine.”

  She ignored him and continued walking. A moment later, she heard Kefier trudging behind her.

  They continued walking for several hours, stopping to allow the slower people to catch up. Eventually, they reached a meadow overlooking a glacial lake, framed by stunted trees. There were structures etched against the mountain on the far side of the lake, so entrenched in ice that at first glance they seemed part of the mountain itself.

  Enosh cleared his throat. There was a figure sitting by the lake. It was too tall to be the woman. They drew closer and saw Bannal.

  Kefier’s hands dropped to the sword on his belt. Enosh raised his and began to clap.

  Bannal looked up at them, but only for a moment. Daro had reached the other end of the shore and before Bannal could turn to him, he smashed his fist into his face. Kefier and Enosh ran. They reached him before he could land a second blow.

  “We need him to talk!” Enosh cried. He grabbed Daro’s arm.

  Daro pulled back. “So talk!” he snarled, kicking the snow by Bannal’s face.

  Bannal got up. His features were contorted with rage, but he held himself. He dusted snow from his robe before he spoke. “I’m guessing you came after the woman.”

  Daro swore and tried to push Enosh away from him. Kefier grabbed his shoulder.

  “If you’d give me a moment …” Bannal moaned.

  Sapphire, Ceres, and Tachya had appeared at the end of the trail, now, and the man heaved a great sigh. “I couldn’t leave a message to any of you. She wanted to go alone. She promised she’d help me access the tomb, but only if we came alone. I assumed without you,” he added, staring at Daro.

  “What are you saying? That this was her idea?”

  “Yes. Her idea. What else did you think it was? She had me help her transcribe the runes on the tomb over there—”
He jerked a finger back. “And then when we figured it out and broke the spell, she went through without me. That was two hours ago. I can’t get in, and I didn’t know if I wanted to leave her behind.”

  Daro glanced at the mountain. “Show me the entrance,” he said.

  Bannal shrugged. “I could. But what good would it do? You wouldn’t know a damn thing about it.”

  “Why would Mahe?” Sapphire spoke up.

  Bannal drew his shoulders back. “She’s Hyougen’s heir.”

  “The old king? The king who made this never-ending winter?”

  Bannal glanced at Daro. “You don’t look surprised.”

  “You don’t, either. Was this why you spoke up on our behalf? Why you requested we accompany your circle, instead of returning to Drusgaya?” When Bannal didn’t reply, he shook his head. “I need to speak with her.”

  He pulled his sleeve back and held out his bracelet to Sapphire. “Let me open the barrier.”

  “The spell will only allow Hyougen’s heir through,” Bannal said. “It was clear on the runes. It works on the agan inside her. Unless she undoes the spell herself…”

  Sapphire tapped the bracelet. It dropped to the ground. Daro flexed his wrist. A cloud of fog formed around his arm. “Show me,” he said again.

  Bannal’s face tightened, but he murmured, “Very well.” He got up and led them up the path.

  Interlude

  Izo steps through the barrier and does not hang around long enough to hear what the rest of them have to say about that. He walks towards the etched door and touches it. The runes glow and the door unhinges from the inside.

  He steps through. It is too cold to smell much, but he catches the faint whiff of dust and mold. The passageway is dark, but he murmurs something, and the vapours rising from his arms begin to glow.

  There is a room at the end of the passage, a streak of light shining from a crack in the caverns above. His eyes adjust. He sees pots and old armour strewn along the edges. Rusty weapons. And then he sees her, sitting in a corner, a frayed leather belt in her hands.

  He knows the belt, as it happened. Can see it in his mind’s eye even now. He turns away from her and sees another figure at the far end, frozen stiff from the cold. His throat tightens. He looks at her again and bends his knee so he can see her face.

  “I remember the belt,” Mahe murmurs. “When I saw the body, I thought I did…and then…” She shivers, pulling her knees up to her chest. “I wanted to see for myself.”

  “I’m surprised the barrier let you through,” he says.

  “You didn’t take it all from me. You couldn’t have. I’ve always known that.” She doesn’t move, even when he reaches out to touch her shoulder.

  “I remember the belt,” she repeats, “but not much else. What did my mother look like, Izo? I cannot recall.”

  “She was beautiful,” Izo murmurs. “I don’t think there was a man or boy on the island who wasn’t a little in love with her back then. Just look in a mirror, Mahe—you carry a lot of her look.”

  “And my father. He laughed a lot, didn’t he?”

  “He did. He was a happy man. Oh, my king.” He looks at the frozen body in the corner.

  When Mahe doesn’t reply, he gets up, removes his cloak, and drapes it over the withered thing. “If I could turn back time, I would’ve died with him here. Or with the queen, on the shore, with the others.”

  “Don’t say that,” Mahe murmurs.

  He walks back to her. She glances up at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wasn’t sure if you would let me go. When we docked, and I saw the palace, it was all I could think of.”

  “I understand.” He sits down beside her. “But you should’ve known that I would understand and spoken to me first. Now they all know who you are.”

  “It doesn’t make a difference,” she says. “What use would I be to them? My link to the agan is all but gone. I wouldn’t be able to undo this spell.” Izo touches her hand, and she weaves her fingers through his. “And they don’t know about you, do they? About you taking most of it into yourself?”

  “Maybe they’ll figure it out. They’re smart enough. Why was I allowed through, when they weren’t?” He picks up her hand and holds it against his lips. “Or maybe they’ll think I’m King Hyougen’s bastard.”

  “Oh, stop. That’s disgusting.”

  He smirks. “It doesn’t matter what they think right now.”

  “No,” she agrees. She puts the belt in her lap and traces her finger over the etching.

  “We’re home, anyway,” she says. “Welcome home, Mahe. Welcome home, Izo. Funny, but I don’t feel any different.”

  “That’s because it’s not really home anymore. It never looked like this. In the old days…”

  “I know what you mean. But for me—I remember none of that, so you would think…” She draws a deep breath. “You would think I would feel something? But I’m just drawing a blank.”

  She closes her eyes. “I think I miss my father. I think I want to hear his laughter. But I also think if I did, I would spend too much time trying to figure out if it was really his. I wouldn’t know. You’ve all told me stories, growing up, but I don’t know any of it.”

  She is silent for a breath and then longer. After a while, he asks, “What are you thinking of?”

  “Home,” she replies.

  “We are home.”

  “Not here. Your apartment in Drusgaya. Cooking for you in the morning on our free days. Strolling in the marketplace. Visiting the others, Grandma, at the docks. Or maybe even those years we spent in Gaspar, away from…from all of this.”

  “Maybe I’m confused,” she continues, noticing his silence. “I’m sorry if that wasn’t the answer you were looking for.”

  “You’ve apologized twice, now. You’re my senior officer, remember?” Izo tries to laugh, but the sound is hollow and echoes through Hyougen’s tomb like the howling wind outside. Beside him, Mahe stirs, pulling herself up over him to kiss him before laying her head on his chest and listening, so it seems, to his beating heart.

  Mahe traces the runes on the wall, watching the few that glow in response to her touch. “I wish I knew how this all worked.”

  “You could spend years and years studying it and barely scratch the surface. Why?”

  Izo face assumes that cautious look, the one he thinks he never makes, but by now she can read him like a book. Sometimes she thinks he is frightened of her. “Do you regret what I did? Taking it all away from you?”

  She shakes her head. “It would have consumed me. If not for that, I would be a mage-thrall now. How was a child to deal with so much power?”

  She draws her fingers away. “And you didn’t take all of it, anyway. I still feel it drumming along the surface, only I can’t quite reach it, like a wisp of dandelion floating in the wind.”

  “Will it be enough?” he asks.

  She glances back at him. “For what?”

  “You promised Bannal what he came for. He was convinced you knew how.”

  “Oh, that old man and his cabbage-breath.” She shrugs. “If we do not help him, do you think he will talk?”

  “There is something here at stake for him. Something personal. I’m not sure what, but I saw it in his eyes. Going out here alone, without his mages...I don’t buy it.”

  “This quest of theirs is frightening. Father never spoke of this beast, or of Farg?”

  “Once, maybe. A quick tale, to send young ones off to bed.” Izo looks around the tomb. “But this...this is a place of power, here, and there are too many runes here for a mere vault or even King Hyougen’s winter-spell. It must all be connected. How, I don’t know, but I doubt Bannal will drop it.”

  “Let’s forget about them for a moment. Say it’s just us, Izo. What would you have us do?”

  He drops his shoulders. “I don’t know, Mahe.”

  “Izo…” She touches his face. Even after twelve years, the feel of his skin still sends shivers up her fing
ertips. He looks at her strangely, and she wonders if he is suddenly reminded that she is his king’s daughter. That she has always been.

  “I would break this spell, if I could,” he says. “See sunlight in the island. Drive the Dageians out and restore Hyougen’s bloodline to the throne.”

  “Such ambition,” she murmurs. “We are only two soldiers, you and I. No one else to rally to our cause.”

  “We can try,” he says. “The barriers saw us through. By all rights, this is our land, our spells. What can they do to us, Mahe, that they haven’t already done?”

  She pretends to consider his words. It is all she can do. She has never understood his fervour, nor share his belief that the Shi-uin may rise again. She knows better. But she also knows, with a surprising pang of pain—even now, after all these years—that she loves him. She cannot remember a time when she didn’t.

  He gives her that look again. She hesitates. Does he see the king he lost, or the woman who would follow him to the ends of the earth and back? Another moment passes, and she realizes it doesn’t matter. It never did. You take what you are given and you run with it.

  She nods. He puts her hand in his and they leave the tomb to meet the others, together.

  Chapter Seven

  It was the eighteenth day since they had decided to set up camp at the edge of the lake. The eighteenth day since Izo As’ondaro and Mahe Shirahe-sa-Shi-uin walked out of their old king’s tomb and began to work with the mages in deciphering the rest of the runes scribbled on the surrounding granite. Since then, it had been nothing but arguing, and reading, and spells; a flurry of discussion that Kefier had never had the desire to understand. In that time, he had gone up and down the trail several times to retrieve the rest of their equipment and set up a temporary pasture for the ponies to stop them from wandering off.

  He was returning from one of these trips, having gone down in the dark before anyone else had left their tents. The snow made the trail easy to see even before the sun came out. It was becoming difficult to sleep soundly lately, and he found he functioned a lot better when he was exhausted before the day began. Also, he was withdrawing from the group, preferring the company of the ponies.