by C D Tavenor
“Goodbye, River.”
Finale
Ero stands above the Chasm, just like each day since his daughter leapt to her death. Its raging depths have claimed both his lover and their daughter. He can see how the Lord of Light would revel in such symbolism, but . . . he thought so much more would come of her life. She was destined for greatness. To save their people. None of it made sense.
He drops a rose over the edge, watching it flutter and float along the air currents. Looking up, he stares across the kilometer-wide expanse toward the other side. It’s silent, as usual, except . . . out of the trees, a crowd forms.
Impossible.
Hundreds of figures stand on the edge, looking toward him and the fractured bridge. After a moment, they part. He can’t tell for certain, but it looks like one particular figure has approached the ruined, cracked, crystalline end of the old bridge, and they’re holding a staff above their head.
For a moment, Ero considers whether he should sprint along the bridge to the tiny town sprung at its entrance. He takes a few steps back. Is it an enemy army? Has the Holy Empire come up with some new sorcery to cross the Chasm?
Squinting, he notices lights flickering on the far side of the Chasm, beneath the feet of the staff-wielding figure. Wait—no. The figure is walking toward him, crossing above empty space. No—that’s not accurate either. The figure’s forming a bridge beneath their feet, rebuilding the path across the Chasm.
Truly impossible. If it’s the Holy Empire—
It’s not the Holy Empire.
“Wha—”
My love, look more closely.
Ero whips around, searching for the source of the voice. Mono’s voice. Maybe he’d finally cracked, the weight of losing his family too great to handle.
Just look.
Ero turns back toward the Chasm, the empty space rapidly closing. Behind their leader marches a throng of proud yet disheveled figures. People of Light, somehow returning home. And who is their leader?
She—they’re definitely a she—uses the staff . . . no, wait, a spear . . . to paint the bridge across the sky. The woman . . .
Ero falls to his knees. Ermo. His beautiful Ermo, returning across the Chasm, performing the impossible. She’s holding Flame of Maripes, using it to reunite the People of Light with the world.
At her hip, an object. A hammer. Maripes’s hammer, perhaps? No time to contemplate the possibilities. All Ero can see is the smile on her face as she recognizes her father, waiting.
As their faces near, he recognizes not only her features but the visages of people long thought dead. Lost colleagues, former friends, and many others he can’t wait to meet. More importantly—paleskins, walking side-by-side with their green and olive and grey skinned counterparts. Smiling. Laughing.
In harmony, the future begins.
“Welcome home, Daughter of Light.”
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Legacy of Light! I hope you’ve enjoyed your journey through the first part of “The Compendium,” a slowly growing universe of interconnected fantasy stories.
I hope you’ll consider dropping a review on social media or from the venue where you purchased this story!
And I’m always looking to connect. Head to https://www.twodoctorsmedia.com and join my email list to hear all about my writing projects. I hope to hear from you soon!
Other Works published by C. D. Tavenor and Two Doctors Media Collaborative
The Chronicles of Theren
Volume I
First of Their Kind (Book I)
Their Greatest Game (Books II and III)
Stand-Alone Novels
Flight of the 500 (Forthcoming)
The Faction
Dossier Feldgrau
Personnel
Conscription
The Redacted Files
Alligator Season
The Compendium
Legacy of Light