by Logan Byrne
“Thank you for entrusting me to enter your sacred chambers,” I said.
“Is it true? About the wand?” he asked.
I unclasped my sheath, pulling out the wand. His eyes lit up. “So it is true,” he gasped, in awe.
The golden streaks inside the crystal glimmered as I turned it for him to see. “I almost died getting this,” I said.
“Even though most of our people are not mages, we have always revered the master Merlin for his work and the progress he put towards the magical race as a whole. We have in turn replicated him, turning our kingdom into one that is technologically advanced and prosperous,” Rafael said.
“I could tell coming inside that this kingdom is different from anything I’ve seen before,” I said.
“The thought of it crumbling into ruin has always kept me up at night, even before I heard about this man, Kiren Nightstorm,” he said, walking to the altar. “I pray here every single day, to my ancestors, hoping that they will spare us just one extra day. It always comes, but I fear for the day it doesn’t.”
“He seeks to destroy everything, Rafael. I know you believe your walls are safe, but any fortress can only take so much abuse before it crumbles. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t let your legacy be tainted by the actions of this man,” I said.
I could tell I was getting through to him; his heart seemed more pure than I would’ve thought. I knew he wanted the best for his people, and that was honorable, but I thought Mirian and Pote had him all wrong. I didn’t think he only cared about his people—I thought he did care, at least a little, for other magical creatures—but he couldn’t show that weakness in front of the council. They would never allow it.
“What would you need from us if we were to agree?” Rafael asked, looking out the stained glass windows.
“You would have to discuss terms with Mirian and Pote, I’m not the best for that. I know they would never ask of you what they weren’t willing to put up in return,” I said.
“They do have pure hearts, those two. I believe you,” he said.
“I hope that you will accept our offer, and I hope that you will save not only your people, but all our people,” I said. He considered my words for a moment before turning around and nodding.
“We will make it happen. First, though, I need one thing,” he said, walking closer.
“Name it,” I said.
“Show me the mark. I’ve only read about it, long ago, but I never thought I would meet somebody who possesses it,” he said.
I calmed my mind, slowing my breathing, as I concentrated on the mark. My hands began to glow, faintly at first, and then brightly, and Rafael’s eyes lit up as if he’d seen a ghost.
“It’s beautiful,” he gasped, as tears began to form in his eyes.
“I will fight beside your people. We will vanquish Kiren to the darkest depths of Hell,” I said.
“My king,” the council said, as we walked back into the high council chambers.
“Be seated,” Rafael said as the doors closed behind us.
Mirian nodded at me and I slyly nodded back, letting him know that the deed had been done.
“We have come to a resolution, Lexa and I. We will help the magical realm defeat the tyranny known as Kiren Nightstorm,” Rafael said.
“And you’re sure of this, my king?” a woman asked.
“Yes, I’m sure. I know our people haven’t seen war in centuries, but the time has come to once again don our weapons and armor and ride valiantly into battle, like our forefathers before us. Kiren Nightstorm threatens to topple our kingdom, murder our people, and destroy our culture. It’s true, we might lose some warriors, but we would stand to lose so much more if he came into full power,” Rafael said.
“We cannot let him take what is rightfully ours. Our ancestors have worked tirelessly through the ages to ensure our people stay strong and our gene pool stays pure. If he were to invade, everything would be lost,” a man said, standing up, his tone and expression quite serious.
“We will be with you, Rafael. I promise you that we will be by your side,” Mirian said.
“I know, Mirian, and I thank you for that. Your protégé let me know that your people and my people will coexist and fight as one. Our resources are open to you, all of you,” Rafael said.
“We will get back to our camp and start working on things at once,” Pote said, nodding.
“When are we leading the charge?” Rafael asked.
“We must rally our troops and we need to visit a few more races before we partake in battle. It is imperative that we have as many forces as we can gather. Kiren and his duskhowlers are practitioners of the darkest magic, and we don’t know what he will summon or use to try to destroy us,” Mirian said.
“You can never be too careful with a rune mage, let alone one who has ulterior motives. Do you believe he is going to use dark magic?” Rafael asked.
“I believe so, yes. It is in his nature to use it in one way or another. I’m not sure what they have up their sleeves, but we can assume it will not be good,” Mirian said.
“Alert us at once when you have news. Otherwise, we will arm ourselves and ready our troops. Until we meet again,” Rafael said.
“Until we meet again,” Pote and Mirian said in unison.
We left their chambers and went back into the majestic hallway, and the guards escorted us back outside to the moving platform. “Why aren’t we leaving?” I asked.
“We are. The high elves have teleportation dampened so that nobody can invade their kingdom. That means we must be outside the walls to come or go,” Mirian said.
“It’s kind of like Filtonshire,” I said, getting the shivers.
“Are we going to be okay?” a woman asked, as we came off the platform. A crowd gathered around us, many of them women and children holding onto one another, as they looked at us intently.
“We wouldn’t have outsiders inside our walls unless the situation was dire,” a man said, holding a broom.
I looked around at them, at their scared and nervous faces, trying to figure out what to say. It wasn’t our place to tell Rafael’s people the truth, or what was coming their way. He might break his deal with us if he knew we meddled with his people and his ruling.
“Everything will be fine,” Mirian said, holding his hands out. “We are old friends of King Rafael and want to create a trade agreement to bring prosperity to your kingdom.” He smiled and the people began chatting and smiling, all of them obviously happy with the thought of their kingdom growing in wealth and prosperity.
Mirian looked at me, a sort of “I had to say that” expression on his face, before we started moving again. It felt bad, lying, but it was the only way. As I looked at little girls and boys holding onto their mothers, watching us walk by, I realized that they didn’t need to know, at least not yet.
We were still weeks away from mounting our major attack, and there was no need for anybody else to be stressed out. I knew I was stressed out enough for all of us. The gates opened once more, the massive metal hinges roaring as we left, the gates quickly closing once more as the magic barrier was restored.
“Let’s go,” Mirian said, before pulling out his wand. We teleported back, but not before I caught one last glimpse of the kingdom. In awe, I stared as the vision was sucked away from me, and I was standing in Pote’s tent once more. I wondered if I’d ever go back.
18
“What happened?” Charlie asked, as I sat around with my friends later that night.
“It’s going to happen, we convinced them to help us and they agreed,” I said.
“Wait, it was just that easy?” Britta asked. “I thought the high elves were stubborn and hostile towards outsiders.”
“Well, they are a little stubborn, some of them, anyway, but overall King Rafael was a delight. He took me out one-on-one and we talked. We went to his sacred prayer chambers to talk, and we were able to broker a deal. I think he’s just too scared at the thought of losing everything,
” I said.
“I’m still in shock. I wonder what this war is going to be like,” Faus said.
“It’s going to be war, that’s what it’s going to be. The real question is what we do when we get to Kiren,” Charlie said.
“That isn’t our job,” Blake said.
“Why not?” Charlie asked.
“It’s Lexa’s job to finish him. It’s the only way,” Blake said.
“I’m not going to finish him,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Lexa, you have to finish the job once that time comes. Kiren has caused too much strife and hardship throughout the realm to let him just walk free,” Blake said.
“I’m not going to let him walk free and say see you later or something. He will stand trial and go to prison, like he should,” I said.
“So what, he can bide his time and escape like you did? Or maybe he can gain supporters from the inside? Lexa, that’s stupid,” Blake said.
“Justice is stupid? You’d rather me kill him and stand over his still warm corpse? Maybe I could put my boot on his chest, too, like he’s a trophy hunt?” I asked.
“Okay, that’s enough, both of you. We can’t plan what will happen when the final battle starts. Things change in the moment, and besides, it’s a while away still,” Britta said.
“No, I’m sorry, Britta, but that’s stupid. If you don’t finish the job, then I will. I’ll rip his damn throat out and spit it out all over him,” Blake said, getting angry.
“I guess you really get to know somebody in times of crisis,” I said, crossing my arms.
“This is what he’s doing to us. You guys need to get over yourselves and realize that the final moment isn’t as important as you both think. Just defeating him is the priority, not what happens after. Whatever the council and leaders think is best is what will happen. It’s not Lexa’s, or Blake’s, or any of our responsibilities to take him out or arrest him or anything,” Faus said. “Don’t let him tear you apart.”
“I agree with Faus. Kiren isn’t even here and he’s already tearing a rift between you two. Don’t let him do that,” Charlie said.
“I need some air,” I said, getting up and walking out of the tent.
I didn’t understand why arresting Kiren would be such a bad thing. That was what we did with criminals—we locked them up and gave them a trial. I knew what Kiren was doing and had done was terrible—he’d committed crimes against humanity and genocide, but I thought every single person, no matter the crimes they committed, deserved a fair trial. That was one of the reasons why I loved being an auditor, because I was able to serve justice without being some kind of vigilante out there in the streets killing anybody who stole something.
“Lexa,” Blake said, running up to me.
“Go away, you’re the last person I want to talk to right now,” I snapped.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing my arm. “I’m sorry, okay? I just got heated in the moment.”
“And so you think it’s okay to bully me like that in front of everybody? What do you think it’s like, being the person who has to do all this? Do you think it’s easy to be chosen and have all eyes on you? For people to thank you and tell you in the street how happy they are that you’ll restore peace and justice to the realm? No, you don’t think about that, or the immense pressure that gets put on me,” I said, as tears started rolling down my cheeks.
I broke down, the weight of it all finally cracking down on me. I wanted to help people, and I wanted to defeat Kiren, but sometimes I felt like it was all up to me, alone. I never meant for things to escalate this far.
“No, baby, I’m so sorry. You’re right, I never stopped to think about you and how this affects you. All I thought about was defeating him. When I saw what he did to you, and how he tried to have you killed and imprisoned and left to die, I don’t know, an anger built up inside me that I couldn’t control. All I dreamt about was fighting him, and defeating him, and killing him so that he couldn’t hurt you or anybody else ever again. Maybe I took it too far, and pushed those thoughts and feelings onto you, even though you didn’t deserve them. Please forgive me,” he said, in a calm, sensitive tone.
“I just don’t want to feel like I’m doing this alone,” I said, leaning my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as I calmed down.
“You’ll never have to do anything alone. You have an entire camp, an entire realm, that will stand by your side. I can promise you that,” Blake said, kissing my forehead.
The tears soon stopped and I wiped my cheeks, erasing any evidence of my doubts, before I looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. He was right—I wasn’t alone, even if it sometimes felt like it. I had Blake, Charlie, Britta, Faus, Mirian, Pote, and Rosie. I had an entire camp that supported me no matter what.
I didn’t know what would happen in those final moments, as Kiren and I fought our last battle, but I knew that the mark and my conscience would help me deliver what was right, true, and just in that moment.
“Do you want to go back in?” Blake asked.
“I think I’m going to go for a walk. I just need some alone time to process everything that’s happened,” I said.
“Okay, I understand. Find me again later?” he asked.
“Definitely,” I replied, kissing him.
I walked down the main corridor of the camp, lamps lighting up the tents as workers still walked around, repairing damage to old tents and buildings that had been damaged during the attack.
There was a small hill in this camp, high enough to feel like you were away. I walked up it, a gentle breeze blowing the grass around as it swayed back and forth in the wind.
I looked up at the moon, shining brightly on my face as I breathed in the chilly air and let it cool my lungs. I felt alone, but the good kind of alone, for the first time in a while. I closed my eyes, feeling calm, crossing my legs and resting my hands in my lap, as I meditated and allowed myself to feel free.
I felt my mind transported, going back to Kaia as she sat sipping tea beneath her small pagoda. “It’s good to see you, Lexa,” she said, smiling, as I drifted over to her.
“Have you been watching?” I asked, still unsure what she could and could not see of my life.
“I did. We felt the power when you grasped the crystal wand. You did what none of us before you have ever been able to do—you conquered the golems and became the rightful owner of the crystal wand. We are so proud of you,” she said, as a few more bearers appeared.
“Good job,” one said, smiling through his thick mustache, as he tipped his bowler hat.
“We are honored to have come before you, child,” an older woman said, the wrap around her head as colorful as her smile.
“What do I do next?” I asked.
“Is it not clear?” Kaia asked.
“I know what’s expected of me, but it all seems too much to handle. If I kill Kiren, aren’t I just as bad as he is?” I asked, as I felt the struggle and strife within me.
“You are asking if one kills the killer, are they now just as bad as the killer? After all, if you murder a murderer, there are still the same number of murderers in the world,” Kaia said.
“I think people are expecting me to end it all right then and there. I know I have the power to, but I’m not sure I can mutter the words to make it happen,” I said, looking down at the bamboo floor beneath us.
“What do you think, Randall?” Kaia asked, looking at the man with the mustache.
“I killed many men during my tenure on the mortal Earth. It was never easy, knowing I had the power and ability to take a life, but it was necessary for the greater good. Sometimes you must do what is hardest in life to make a true change,” Randall said.
“Mona?” Kaia asked, looking at the woman beside me.
“I killed one, and it wasn’t easy. I took the trouble to my grave, never forgiving myself for what I had to do in that stressful moment,” she said.
“So you regret doing it?” I asked.
; “No, I do not. What I did saved an entire group of people and stopped genocide. It wasn’t easy, but I knew that my tribe and people forgave me and were honored that I would do something so difficult to save them. Sometimes you have to do things that hurt your heart, but save the souls of many,” Mona said, giving me even more to weigh.
“Lexa,” I heard, before turning around, not expecting anybody else.
“M—mom?” I asked, as tears started to well in my eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Your mother and father have always been inside you, just as the rest of us have,” Kaia said.
“Lexa, my sweet girl,” a man said, and I turned and saw my dad. I stood up, running to them both, before hugging them, or at least what was there of them.
“I’m lost, I don’t know what to do,” I said, wiping away the tears.
“You might feel lost, but the answers have been within you all along, my darling baby girl. You just don’t know it yet,” my mother said, brushing back my hair.
“What if I make the wrong choice?” I asked.
“You will never make the wrong choice. Your mother and I knew you were special the moment you were born. It doesn’t surprise us that our daughter is the only person besides Merlin himself to wield the crystal wand. We are so proud to call you our daughter,” my father said, rubbing my back.
“I just want to make you, and everyone, proud. I don’t want people to regret my choices, no matter what they are,” I said.
“We know people will accept whatever you choose, Lexa. Remember, you’re the one they look to for answers. I know it might not seem like it now, and you might be so overwhelmed with the decisions that you cannot see through the haze, but the answers you seek will be in front of you if you just turn on the lights,” my mother said, before drifting slowly backwards.
“Where are you guys going?” I asked, panicked, as my parents started to fade away.
“Stay strong, baby, things will get better,” my mother said.