Reckoning

by David Adams

  “Stay here,” Uesra said as she raced toward the others, her scimitars held ready before her.

  Xanar struggled to prop himself up on his good leg, trying to steady himself enough that he could take another good shot with his bow.

  “Trust me,” Adrianna said. She spoke with her eyes closed, in a soft voice as if in a dream. “One chance. I’ll get you there.”

  “But—”

  “Please,” she said. She managed to crack her left eyelid open fractionally. “Now.”

  Darius heard a roar, the bellow of some great beast, and so it was. Kaelesh flew at him. Darius let out a yell of his own, and met the demon’s charge, Gabriel shining before him. He yelled for Luke, for Barlow, for Sasha and his family and all of Corterra brought to pain and ruin by the monster coming for him. Even with such a weapon as Gabriel he thought this charge likely to be his last act.

  Adrianna lifted a trembling hand and whispered…

  Kaelesh saw there was nothing that could come between him and Darius now, save the wretched sword. But that he could take care of as easily as before, and then Darius would find he simply raced to his own death. He sprang for the kill and uttered the command word to separate the sword from the man.

  The word caught in his throat, something stopping it. The power of it, having no release, made him shudder even as he flew through the air, and for that moment he was beyond the ability to control his own movements. Far too late he realized the sorceress had not yet passed away, and that she had bound his ability to speak. It was a fairly simple spell, and one he could have easily overcome, but in mid-leap there was no time. There was only the sword, and the light, blinding now…

  The sheer weight of Kaelesh fell upon Darius for a third time, but the young man now accepted it willingly. Gabriel, still firmly in his grip, had penetrated the demon’s chest and impaled him, exiting out his back.

  Kaelesh gave a silent scream, his voice still bound by Adrianna’s spell. His eyes were wild with fear as the white light of the sword consumed him, the tentacles that covered his body standing erect as if electrified. Then with one final flash the light winked out and Kaelesh was gone.

  The tower emitted a low groan, its walls bending as it wilted like a dying flower. Its color faded a bit, more charcoal than black now, and for a moment the companions feared it might crack and fall. But it settled with one final creak and stayed upright, at least for the time being.

  Silas moved past Darius, pausing long enough to put a strong hand on Darius’ shoulder while they exchanged a nod—they were both okay. He went to Adrianna and knelt beside her, and then slowly reached out with trembling fingers and stroked her grey hair away from her right temple. He saw the ghost of a smile on her lips. “It’s over,” he whispered. He could barely see the subtle rise and fall of her body as she drew in long, shallow breaths. He took her hand in his and noticed how frail it seemed, how fragile, and realized how fleeting a thing life could be. He felt the slightest pressure on his hand, a small squeeze, and then Adrianna fell still forever.

  The others gathered around and said nothing, knowing they’d be unable to ease the pain with mere words. For a time the rest of the world was far away, and they privately faced their own grief, grief not only for Adrianna but for all that they had lost.

  After a few moments Silas stirred himself. “Thank you, my friends, for your patience. I realize we should be moving on.”

  “When we’re ready,” Darius said. He held Gabriel out, and noting the complete lack of light coming from it said, “It seems the enemy is no more.”

  “We should see to your wound,” Uesra said to the cleric.

  Silas glanced down at his shredded arm as if he had forgotten it. “In time. It can wait until we’re out of this city.”

  “At the least it must be washed and wrapped,” Uesra said in a firm tone. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

  Silas sighed and agreed that she was right.

  Darius and Uesra tended the wound as best as they could, and while Darius was finishing the binding Uesra turned to her brother. “Can you walk on that knee?”

  “Do I have a choice?” he asked in reply.

  “You could crawl,” she told him, “but that’d slow us down quite a bit.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll keep up, even if I have to hop. Any extra cloth? A brace of sorts might help.”

  Xanar found with his knee tightly bound he could hobble along well enough. When Silas noticed the elf’s limp he told him, “Later on I’ll see if I can help with that injury.” Silas saw then that his friends were ready to depart, and so answered the question none of them would ask. “I’ll carry her, until we reach an adequate spot for burial. I’ll not leave her here, nor bury her in this city.”

  “Wouldn’t think of asking you to,” Darius said. “But I can help, and you’re hurt. We could use her cloak to—”

  “No. You need to be ready with Gabriel, just in case. And she is no burden to me. My effort will be an honor.”

  With that the others acquiesced, and Silas lifted her gently and cradled her in his arms. “Ready.”

  The tower door was not locked or barred from the outside, and to their great relief they found a blue sky above them once outside. The streets were empty and all was quiet. It appeared to be close to midday, though what day it might be they could not easily guess. There was a bit of a chill in the air, but the sun shone brightly and warmed their faces. Once they had moved a short way down the road they looked back, and saw that the tower was indeed bent to one side, stooped and to all appearances dead. They turned from it without further comment, each wondering how long it might yet stand, an ugly monument to the evil of Kaelesh and his brothers.

  Nothing opposed them as they returned to the north gate of Old Bern, the city now a haunted place bereft of its ghosts. Once they had crossed the bridge—the crimson sword remained where it had fallen but none of them wanted to touch it—they paused to look back.

  “Do you think any of your people will ever return to the place?” Xanar asked.

  “Only the curious and those seeking treasure,” Silas said. “No one will dwell there, I would guess, and one day it will likely be torn down.”

  “I’d like to help with that,” Darius said, “although I’d probably have to stand in line to do so.”

  Chapter 20: Reunions and Farewells

  They followed the Coast Road, deciding they’d go north for now, if for no other reason than that was the direction Uesra and Xanar would need to go to get home. Darius also wanted to see how far the devastation of the blasted lands stretched in that direction. “I’m sure my home is no more, but I have to be sure.” They all understood it was his family he sought, answers to questions he had had to put off until their business with the brothers was complete.

  They camped that night under the stars for the first time in what seemed an age, the heavens fresh and new and clear even when viewed from the blasted lands. Silas applied his healing touch to Xanar’s injured knee, then with help from Uesra saw to his own wounds. She put a hand reflexively before her nose as the bandages were removed; such was the strength of the odor that came from his torn flesh.

  “Guess I should have seen to this earlier,” Silas said.

  Uesra couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or frightened, but when he asked for his water bottle she brought her own as well. “Just in case.”

  He blessed the water and then cleaned the wound with it, grimacing in pain as he did so. Something left behind by the demon reacted with the holy water and the cleansing process was therefore accompanied by such hissing and gurgling in the wound that Uesra wondered just how much agony Silas could take. By the time he was done sweat had beaded on his bald head despite the chilly night air. “Might be best if you wrap it,” he said, a slight tremor in his voice revealing how much he was struggling with the pain.

  After she had finished bandaging the wound she got him to lie down. He fell asleep almost immediately, and did not fully wake until late morn
ing. He was feverish through the night, and sometimes cried out from somewhere in a haunted dream. The others joined Uesra in keeping vigil over him, and none slept that night, too worried about Silas to think of rest.

  When Silas finally awoke the fever was gone. He washed the wound once more, this time with considerably less suffering, and once it was rewrapped he had a small bite to eat and proclaimed himself fit to go. “The worst is past. Thank you, my friends, for watching over me.”

  The blasted lands did not give way that day, although their path was not nearly as hard as it had been coming from the west. The road itself was broken or sundered in places, but nearer the sea the land had been less affected by the power that had rent the earth. Near sunset Silas called them to a stop, and the others thought he might be weary and would suggest they set camp. Instead he pointed to a small copse of trees that had remained intact through the recent changes in the world in these parts. “That looks to be a likely resting place for our friend.”

  They went to work without debate, even the injured Xanar and Silas taking turns with the elves’ small shovels. When they were done Silas stepped into the grave and asked Darius to bring Adrianna to him. As he held her one last time he said a prayer, kissed her forehead, and then laid her down, pulling her cloak tightly about her. When this was done he hopped back up to ground level and gave a nod to the others, not wanting to watch as the first few shovels of dirt fell upon her.

  When the work was complete Silas knelt by the grave and wept openly. His anguish was so real and heartfelt that the others were soon crying as well, and though no words passed between them there was a cathartic effect to their group mourning. For the most part they had had to keep their deeper emotions in check through the extreme highs and lows of the last few weeks, and there was a certain symbolism to this latest burial that went beyond the simple act of laying a loved one to her final rest. Forever intertwined with their victory over the brothers would be the deaths of Luke, Barlow, and Adrianna, and here in the midst of the ruined land the price seemed an extraordinarily high one.

  Their march the next day was methodical and efficient, and while their hearts were no lighter their injuries were healing, and they had sufficient food and water for several more days. That evening Darius stood at the edge of the Coast Road and stared into the distance over the sea, taking in the vastness of it rather than searching for anything in particular.

  “Mind some company?” Xanar asked.

  “Plenty of room,” he replied, gesturing at the wide expanse around them

  “I’ve always liked the sea, even though we’re forest dwellers. It has a quiet power, an ageless beauty.”

  Darius nodded. “I’ve always found its rhythm soothing. I feel like I could go down to that beach and sleep for a month.”

  “That goes for all of us. But I thought you’d be looking inland. When will we be reaching your parents’ farm? Is it near the road?”

  “Not the Coast Road,” Darius replied, shaking his head. “But we’re well past it now. We would have had to turn west sometime around noon today.”

  Xanar didn’t bother to ask why Darius hadn’t bothered to speak up at the time. The blasted lands had yet to give way to good ground. “I’m sorry, Darius. But what befell the land doesn’t mean your family isn’t safe.”

  “I know. We found no bodies or bones as we moved south, nor have we made such a discovery now moving north. I’m hoping we’ll find refugees further north and then…” He turned to his friend with a grim smile. “And then there’s always hope.”

  “Always,” Xanar agreed.

  Hope did grow over the next few days. Slowly the blasted lands faded and gave way to more normal terrain, and now there were scattered farms and homes, abandoned at first but eventually found to be occupied. Another two days brought, to both the companions’ delight and dismay, refugees in greater and greater numbers. These people had escaped the worst of Kaelesh’s wrath apparent further south, but here they were hungry and thirsty and lived in makeshift camps where tattered cloths and tree limbs provided inadequate shelter. The companions were eyed warily—too much had happened for the Ice Elves to be embraced here—but not challenged. Their weapons, never drawn but visible, were enough to frighten away most that might think to waylay them. But more telling was the way they carried themselves and the hard looks on their faces and in their eyes. It was a reflection of how their journey had molded them, a slow tempering unnoticed over time to the party but apparent to the strangers that watched them pass.

  As the number of refugees grew the party’s progress slowed, not due to congestion on the road, but to give Darius time to search out his family. With so much need obvious all around them there was little the companions could do to alleviate such widespread suffering, though they helped out as they could with small tasks or chores—assuming their help was accepted, not a given where pride or fear might get in the way. For the most part Silas, Xanar, and Uesra waited patiently some way off from the camps while Darius looked for familiar faces. They all knew they had at least one more item to take care of before they could call their quest complete, but for now Darius’ need was more pressing, and they were content to rest and wait.

  A week after they had left Old Bern Darius came back from one of the smaller camps with an excited and anxious look on his face. “I found someone who knows my father. He said he thinks my parents went further north along the road a few days ago. If nothing else, I know they’re alive.”

  Uesra hugged him while Xanar clapped him on the back and Silas said, “That’s wonderful news.”

  After accepting their congratulations Darius looked west, where the sun was rapidly sinking. He sighed, not meaning for it to be as audible to his friends as it was.

  “Moon’s nearly full,” Xanar said, “and the road’s in good shape. Probably a nice night for a hike.”

  The others followed Xanar’s lead and grabbed their gear.

  The smile that graced Darius’ face was as warm as they had seen in some time. “Thanks,” he said.

  They arrived at a larger camp the next day, and the three stayed back as Darius waded in, making the usual inquiries. They couldn’t help but watch as he spoke to one person, then another, then an older woman, who nodded several times and pointed somewhere deeper in the camp. Darius shook her hand and moved off at a pace closer to a run than a walk.

  “I hope he finds more joy than pain in the reunion,” said Xanar. “He has longed for and dreaded this day at the same time.”

  “Luke,” Uesra said.

  Xanar nodded and turned away, and then busied himself rearranging his pack just to pass the time.

  Several hours passed before Darius returned, and Silas and the elves would learn later that little of that time was needed for Darius to find his parents. It was, in fact, a bittersweet reunion, one son returning but doing so with news confirming another’s death, and no one having any news to share about Sasha. Darius told them then of all that had come to pass, though he wasn’t sure how much they really absorbed. The shock of Luke’s death, long feared but now confirmed to shatter what faint hopes they had had, weighed heavily on their minds. Eventually Darius introduced his parents to his traveling companions, and given the recent news there was a distinct amount of discomfort for all involved. To Kevin and Marissa Stoneman these people might be named friends of their eldest son, but they were still strangers mixed up in Luke’s death and the odd journey just described to them by Darius. Having no real hospitality to offer save some scant food which was quickly and politely declined, the Stonemans excused themselves. After a few steps Kevin paused and turned back toward his son. “What are your plans, Darius? Will you stay here with us?”

  The question and its tone surprised Darius, and not just because he hadn’t considered what his plans were beyond finding his parents. His father had aged poorly over the last year, all the uncertainty and troubles wearing on him. He spoke to his son as an equal, or perhaps something more. “I don’t know,” he replied
honestly. “I’ll stay today and tonight, certainly. But my friends and I will need to talk.”

  His father nodded in acknowledgment and said, “We’ll be waiting when you’re ready.” With that he gently took his wife’s hand and they returned to what passed as their home.

  When the four companions were alone once more Silas asked, “Do you want to stay? Or maybe I should ask: ‘Are you going to stay?’ ”

  Darius’ look was a perplexed one. “You sound as if you have somewhere else in mind. Do you think we need to escort Uesra and Xanar further north?”

  “Not necessarily, and that’s not what I’m referring to. We have a decision to make and then…who knows.”

  “A decision about what?”

  Silas pointed to Darius’ pack. “Surely you’ve not forgotten what started all this.”

  Darius seemed to wilt. “I suppose I had, at least for a little while. What should we do with it?”

  “I wish I had the answer,” Silas said. “Right or wrong, it is something our band of four will have to work out and decide.”

  With the approach of night they put off further discussion for a time. They made a small fire and took a meager supper, each of them lost in thought and little interested in food at the moment. Finally they turned to the subject at hand.

  “It seems every attempt to find a way to destroy the thing has been useless,” Darius began. “I wouldn’t even know where to try to go next to find another clue to that riddle.”

  “I agree,” Uesra said. “I don’t think the book’s destruction is possible, especially given that neither Aerlos nor Belzlak thought it could be done.”

  “Maybe Kaelesh knew a way,” Xanar said. “We should have asked him.”

  “Sorry,” Darius quipped. “Next demon that comes along I’ll make sure we can question before I kill him.”

  “All joking aside,” Silas said, “Kaelesh would have said nothing on the subject of destroying the book, other than that it can’t be done. It’s a portal for him to enter Corterra. He would want it whole.”