by B. T. Narro
“What’s happening out there?” Jarrel yelled as he started to push through for a look.
No one answered as they backed away, clearly not wanting to fight whatever was tearing through the back end of their army.
A huge beast charged into the entrance room, taking with it the cracked wood around the broken doorway. Pieces of the wall showered down on Jarrel’s men as a dense cloud of dust wafted out.
When it cleared, Darren was revealed on the back of some massive creature with four legs and a long neck. Its reptilian head almost reached the second floor, from where Rygen watched. One of Darren’s legs was burned and covered in dried blood. He jumped down, favoring his other leg, and started hacking away at the shocked soldiers before him. Andar let out a battle cry from the other side as he and Leo charged at the backs of Jarrel’s men. They barely had time to turn, let alone get their weapons up, before they were cut down.
The beast had legs as thick as Darren. It used them to kick soldiers away by the pair and crush others. Rygen had her arrow aimed down near Darren, optimistically hoping she could protect him if he needed it.
He did not. Even though he limped as he fought, his sword weaved around weapons and shields as if they weren’t even there. The presence of him and the beast inspired the men on the other side of the entrance room as they tore through their enemies.
Most enemy soldiers seemed afraid to stand before Darren, looking only to stab him when his gaze was not upon them. But it was as if Darren could see behind him, the expert swordsman ducking and causing two enemies to poke one another as they came from either side. Darren’s blade swept through their armor, sometimes felling two in single blows. He made his enemies look insignificant as he kept pushing on, fighting closer and closer to Jarrel.
Each time the commander lifted his hand for a spell, both Andar and Leo disrupted the energy as they, too, thrust out their palms. Links would not save Jarrel here, with his men quickly perishing as he tried to find an escape route.
It was over an instant later, with only a dozen enemy soldiers left standing. Jarrel spun around in a panic, expecting the fight to go on.
“Attack them!” he yelled. “This is not the end!”
He lifted his hand for a spell, but he gave up as Leo and Andar did the same. His men dropped their weapons and held their hands in the air. Rygen hurried to the stairs as she connected to the mind of the massive beast, telling him to stop. The other beast that she’d spoken to earlier awaited her command as it looked at her with blood dripping from the fur down its front side.
“Jarrel, the punishment for your crimes is death,” Darren announced.
Jarrel’s men cleared a path for Darren to limp toward the commander. Jarrel yelled as he thrust his weapon at Darren, but the larger man swiped it away and stabbed his sword through the center of Jarrel’s chest.
Jarrel fell to his knees and grabbed Darren’s shirt. He had a furious look on his face as if he wanted to take Darren to the afterlife with him.
But then he lost his strength as he keeled over and sprawled on the blood-stained floor.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The battle ended soon after Jarrel was killed. Leo had gone with his father and brother out of the palace and stood beside Darren as he announced Jarrel’s death from the top of the hill. Darren had demanded the surrender of his enemies, telling them their lives would be spared if they ceased fighting now.
“There is no gold to be had,” Darren had announced. “No riches to be stolen. Your leader is dead, as you will be soon if you continue to fight.”
Many had stopped to listen. Given that so many had already perished, unfortunately on both sides, it seemed that these men realized they didn’t have a reason to keep going. That is unless, of course, they planned to kill every last Analyte and rebel here.
Clearly the plan had been for them to hold off the rest of the army while Jarrel and Owen plundered the riches from the palace. With that failed, they would be risking their lives for nothing.
Once one weapon dropped, hundreds followed. Soon every man who stood against Leo’s allies had tossed down their weapons in surrender.
But rather than gather them all, Darren decided to let them leave with their weapons and horses. “You will go west,” he ordered. Both armies, split by a strip of bloody grass and bodies, stared at him in a strange, calm silence. “The brave among you shall rejoin Gavval and fight against the barbarians. Those of you who are cowards shall find a new home in a city that has not fallen to the barbarians yet. Whether the rest of us destroy the rift and kill the kasigerr, you will not return to this land unless you wish to die.”
There was not one man among Leo’s enemies who led this large group of defeated soldiers, for Gavval was nowhere to be seen. He had probably watched the battle unfold while on horseback and rode off to safety. As a slow-moving mass, the soldiers started to head west. Many did not look back but hung their heads in shame. Leo was nervous to see them go free, but he knew his father to be right. There were too many of them to imprison. The Analytes didn’t have dungeons like humans did. There would be nowhere to put them all. And killing them was out of the question. The men would pick up their weapons and fight. Sending them off was the best option, though a bitter one. At least there was a small hope they might join Gavval and fight against the barbarians. It turned Leo’s stomach to think that he might one day need to do the same, when everything was finished here.
Darren could stand no longer when their enemies had finally left. His leg was a horrific sight. It was black and red around an oozing hole where the dagger had been plunged into him. Apparently medics, against their own wishes, had medicated Darren and cauterized his wound. He had demanded they do so, before he ordered KRenn to summon a creature that would take him to the palace.
His leg required a long recovery, but he was otherwise in good shape. Unfortunately, KRenn was not in the same health. The stab wound and the summonings had left him at his weakest stage yet. Teyro had given KRenn the last of his strength and had passed away soon after news of the victory had reached him on his bed. It was terribly sad, for Teyro’s wife was still on her way here from one of the farther Analyte cities. KRenn was made to rest in the room beside Teyro, though Leo had heard that it did not seem likely he would live.
Andar asked their father if KRenn had heard about Andar’s discovery of the wisdom tree in the rift he’d collapsed. According to Darren, Siki had told Dasfis, who had shared it with the master mage. Andar and Leo hoped KRenn would recover enough to speak with them.
It was night when their enemies were finally all gone. Leo helped Rygen into the bed they shared. She worried that her blood would stain the sheets, but Leo said no one would care. The gash in her arm was deep, but it was her hip that troubled her the most. There was a gruesome bruise around a tear in her skin that looked incredibly painful, but at least her hip didn’t seem to be broken.
He would ensure she received proper treatment so that it wouldn’t become infected. She had a number of shallow cuts on her shins and arms, but these were not as much of a concern, for Leo had deeper ones all over his body.
Andar had fared better. He was always the most skilled fighter among the group of trainees, even when he was as young as fourteen, when they’d first joined. He was just so fast and aware that it was impossible to get past his defenses. Leo was glad to see that, even outnumbered by their enemies, Andar had only been cut superficially a few times.
The injured were treated far into the night, Rygen and Leo included. They were so exhausted after the battle that neither had the stamina to speak about any of it.
There was an outdoor feast the next day, a celebration of victory at the camp near the palace. Leo spent the day eating beside Rygen and Andar. Never had he consumed so much delicious food.
Soon Siki came over.
“On behalf of my father and my family, I want to thank the three of you for how bravely you fought. According to some of the soldiers in the battle with you, they
would’ve been killed, and my father’s coin would’ve been taken, if it wasn’t for you. I cannot express my gratitude enough.” She lowered her head.
Leo didn’t know what to say in response, so he just lowered his head as well. He found Andar and Rygen doing the same.
“I’m not sure if this is appropriate,” Siki said, “but Rygen, I found it somewhat amusing that the ornament you used to…defeat Owen Harell was that one.”
“I don’t understand the amusement,” Rygen said with a tilt of her head.
“Do you know what the message says?” Siki asked.
“No.”
“It is an old Analyte saying. Let me think how to translate it.” Siki took a moment. “ ‘Peace is when love defeats greed.’ ” She chuckled. “And you literally beat him over the head with it.”
Some food sprayed out of Andar’s mouth as he laughed, but Rygen just chuckled politely.
“Oh, I apologize,” Siki said. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No, I’m glad to know,” Rygen said. “I’m just still getting used to the idea that I…did that.”
“Rygen,” Leo told her. “Things could’ve gone very differently if you hadn’t. We are all glad you were there and fought to the best of your abilities.”
Rygen smiled up at him.
Siki sat in a nearby chair. She leaned forward toward Rygen. “Please tell me of all the details. There were not very many archers who made it out of the palace alive, so I have heard very little about what happened on the second story walkway.”
Rygen winced as she adjusted herself in her chair for possibly the hundredth time that day because of the discomfort to her hip. “It was Leo and Andar who were the bravest.”
“Yes, but I have already heard the stories about their fight.”
“You have?” Andar asked.
“Of course. You were the first I asked about as soon as it was over.”
“Oh.”
There was a long silence as the two of them smiled at each other.
“I was relieved to hear that you made it through,” Siki said, though there was something behind her words that made Andar finally stop shoving food into his mouth.
He swallowed hard. “Thank you,” he muttered.
“No, thank you.”
Siki seemed to be in a trance as she stared at Andar. But then it was as if she realized it as she leaned back and glanced at Rygen again. “Thank all of you.” She suddenly stood. “I’m sorry to make you uncomfortable, Rygen. I will leave you in the company of your friends.” She bowed.
Leo could almost hear Andar whining in the silent look he gave Rygen.
“No, it’s fine!” Rygen said. “I’d be happy to share. I just have to get used to the idea of speaking about it.”
“Are you sure?” Siki asked, her gaze drifting to Andar.
“I’m sure,” Rygen said.
Siki sat beside Andar and leaned forward to listen to Rygen. Leo could feel the tension between his brother and the princess, but neither looked at the other.
Leo forgot about it as he listened to the tale of the battle through Rygen’s point of view. He was glad Siki had come by. Leo had wanted to ask Rygen about the events of the battle, but he had sensed that it was difficult for her to speak about it. However, it was shortly into her story that her tone smoothed out with pride. Leo hadn’t been aware of just how many good things had happened at Rygen’s hands. He hadn’t noticed the enemy summoner. He had noticed, however, a sudden change in KRenn’s creature, and he didn’t know that Rygen was responsible.
He put his hand on hers when she was done. “Thank you,” he told her.
Her cheeks reddened, though she did squeeze his hand back and kiss his cheek.
Siki stood. “Unfortunately, I must leave the three of you now.”
“You do?” Andar asked as he stood as well.
She nodded, then lowered her head to Rygen, then Leo. “Thank you.” She then faced Andar. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
She turned and walked off, but not without a look back.
Andar sat with a sigh.
Leo felt pity for his brother. He could only imagine how painful it would be not to be able to touch Rygen’s hand or kiss her lips, and Andar could do neither with Siki.
But Andar put on a smile as he glanced at Rygen. “Skyfire and ash, I had no idea you did all that. Impressive!”
“The two of you are far more impressive,” she said.
“Andar’s the one who barely got touched,” Leo said.
Andar shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth. He glanced over to find them staring, but he simply lifted his eyebrows a couple of times in exaggeration, and it was enough for both Leo and Rygen to chuckle.
Leo really was proud of his brother, though. He wondered if Andar would one day be as skilled as their father.
“Gods!” Leo exclaimed. “We haven’t spoken about Father yet.”
“Did you see the way he fought through them?” Andar asked.
“Sards, I did.”
“No wonder there have been so many stories about his exploits as DVend.”
They all looked around in hopes of seeing Darren recovered enough to enjoy the feast, but he still wasn’t here.
The palace rooms were now used by the injured who were too weak to get out of bed, and unfortunately Darren was one of them. Leo and Andar brought him food and drink and kept him company when he wasn’t pestered with questions by Lane, Erisena, and others who Leo didn’t know. There was something, however, about the way that Lane spoke to him that made it clear she cared about him in a deeper way than the others did. Knowing how his father tended to keep secrets, Leo supposed a relationship could’ve already begun between the two of them. He didn’t know what to think of the possibility, though he supposed as long as his father was happy, then he would be as well.
Unfortunately, KRenn was one of the other injured too weak to get out of bed. Leo feared for his health more so than he did for his father, who still seemed strong even though he wouldn’t be able to move his leg for quite some time.
Devastation came when word began circulating that KRenn would perish soon. Leo had figured the expert mage wouldn’t last much longer in this world, but it still broke Leo’s heart to learn that this would be his last day.
KRenn had already spoken to FLip and Mavrim, then to Dasfis and his son, before stating that the Quims would be the last people he spoke to before he took some medicine to put him to sleep.
Leo and Andar carried their father into KRenn’s room and set Darren down on a chair near KRenn’s bed. The mage looked many years older, his skin wrinkled and gray, his eyes dulled. His laborious breathing pulled at Leo’s heart.
“KRenn, sir,” Andar said. “Have you thought anymore about what you heard? About the wisdom tree at the heart of the rift I collapsed?”
“I have nothing to add about that. It is not something…I understand. I don’t have much time, so just…listen,” KRenn said. “I was not alone in the dark realm. I…” He coughed weakly. It almost seemed like he would die right then.
“You had creatures with you,” Leo tried to help him.
“No. There was another man.”
“What?” Darren said as he leaned forward and then grimaced in pain. “Who is this man?”
“I don’t know. Nothing…has been written of a human or Analyte…who…” He winced.
“Everyone who has gone into a rift has come back out and then died,” Darren said.
“Yes,” KRenn agreed. “Perhaps…” He coughed again.
“Did you see what he looked like?” Darren asked.
“No, he was always too far. Always controlling creatures…then the kasigerr.”
“He controlled the kasigerr?” Darren spoke in a tone as if he didn’t believe it.
“Yes,” KRenn answered confidently. “Almost killed me. I hid in a cavern. The kasigerr caved in the ceiling. My cocoon broke…but I lived. That’s when I knew…I had to retur
n. Esitry poisoning.”
Darren looked at Leo and Andar with concern. Then he asked KRenn, “What does this mean for us?”
“I think he…”
“What?” Darren asked.
KRenn shook his head as he tried to get the words out.
“You think he is a mage like you?”
“Yes,” KRenn wheezed. “And…”
Darren didn’t try to help KRenn this time as they let the mage cough. Leo felt tears welling in his eyes to see KRenn in this much pain.
“I think…he made the rift.”
Leo felt chills as he realized what KRenn was saying.
“What rift,” Darren asked in a dark tone, though it sounded as if he already knew.
“The great rift.”
“But how could someone do that?”
“I don’t know.” KRenn motioned for the water at his bedside table. Leo helped pour it for him, though most of it spilled down his neck when he tried to drink.
“He…needs to be stopped, on the other side.”
Leo leaned forward and asked, “How?”
“I have no idea. I…know nothing about him. I would’ve...said something if I knew, but that’s all…I can say. Send in my grandson. I wish…to see him one last time.”
Andar got up and ran out, yelling for FLip.
“There’s nothing else you can tell us?” Darren asked.
“Nothing,” KRenn managed with a wheeze. “I know nothing.”
FLip ran in with Andar.
“Grandfather.” He took Andar’s seat next to KRenn.
“Stay with me…until the end,” KRenn whispered to FLip.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Come on,” Darren said as he put his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “We should give him some time alone with his grandson.”
“Wait,” Leo said as he knelt at KRenn’s side and took the man’s hand. “I have to tell you something. Please.”
“Of course…Leo.”
“I must thank you, KRenn. Without you, my brother and I would have no idea how to destroy the rift. I learned so much from you during our time together, but I wish we could’ve had more. I wish I would’ve known you when you were younger, but I’m so honored to have met you at all. We will not stop what we are doing until everyone is safe from the rift and from the barbarians. We will figure out the meaning of the wisdom tree at the heart of the rift. We will find out who this man is in the dark realm and what to do about him. Rest peacefully knowing we will take care of everything. I promise.”