by K T Munson
His words were met with silence again and he thought he felt her great distress. Jinq stumbled through the woods and toward Mara. He only hoped she had been spared because she had been so far beyond the village. His legs carried him as his mind reeled at what had happened. He nearly tripped over Hibrius’s unmoving body.
Falling to his knees, he gently touched the panther’s head. He nearly choked on his sob, but he could not give into his emotions. He bowed his head and swallowed his pain. When Kerrigan was taken care of and he transferred the Keeper mantle, Jinq would ask that Elisabeth take his soul as well. A life such as this was would not be worth living.
Jinq, Kerrigan whispered. Jinq, you need to keep—
“I know,” he muttered.
Mara, Kerrigan whispered in his mind, and it sounded like she was struggling with her emotions. Mara can take us back. We can warn the Guardian.
“What good will that do?” Jinq said out loud to himself. It was strange not to be able to think without having another mind listening. Despite his deep feelings of hopelessness, he forced himself to stand and not look back. He would come back and bury his friend later.
I am not a mind, Kerrigan corrected him. I am a soul. Once balance returns, Elisabeth will remove my soul, and I shall be free. The darkness will not take me. When we reach the Gate Guardian, we shall warn him about Hipasha and the coming darkness.
It is rising, Jinq confirmed, glancing over his shoulder as he walked through the woods. I can feel the world darkening.
Kerrigan fell silent as he walked through the woods and out into the tall grass of the plains. The tent was flattened, and there were no signs of Mara. His heart fell as he approached it. He began pulling the tent apart to find the mirror. To his surprise, he found two bodies, one with a broken neck and the other one trampled. He crouched down next to them and looked at their lifeless glossy eyes. He pushed one of the bodies to the side a little bit and saw the shattered mirror. He rubbed his head with his palm before standing up.
“Mara?” he called and then stood as he moved toward the other forest. “Mara!”
A sad little trumpeting sound came in response. Relief and worry flooded into him, and he wasn’t sure if they were his own emotions or Kerrigan’s or both. He picked up a few things, throwing them into a pack that he slung over his shoulder. He moved toward the sound, seeking out grey with his eyes. He caught the movement first as he turned.
She seemed apprehensive as he approached, so he put out a hand and said softly, “Mara, it is me.”
By the stars! She isn’t dead, Kerrigan whispered in his mind as a second wave of relief flooded through him and he recognized the emotions were not his own. She had held back her relief until Mara had been found. He realized Kerrigan had suffered under a heavy burden all her life and so expected the worst.
Mara’s trunk wrapped around his outstretched hand. He half expected her to start crying as she got up. He saw her struggle to stand and walked around her, inspecting her legs. Her back leg had a knife buried in it. He pulled it out, and she gave little trumpet of protest. He patted her side as blood leaked out but quickly settled his pack on the ground and rummaged through it for a medical kit.
Jinq undid the salve that worked on cuts and worked it into the wound. Mara put her trunk on him and watched out of the corner of her eye. When he was done, he wiped his hands in the grass as he considered what to do next. The numbing agent would reduce Mara’s pain, but he wasn’t sure she could carry him.
Before he could respond, Mara backed and bowed, waiting for him to get on. The exhaustion of the day’s events hit him all at once, and he sagged as the adrenaline left him. He hesitated but then realized that while he had two souls, he had only one body. It was little weight for Mara to carry back home. He mounted her and rubbed behind her ears. She moved carefully and deliberately but showed no signs of stopping or signs of pain. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one ready to leave this place.
He smiled down at the elephant as he said, “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 59: Netherworld
Ki stood in front of the young Seer as he floated in perpetual sleep. With focused effort, Ki pulled the body of the boy out of the strange substance of the mountain. It moved like gelatin and glittered like gems. When the last of his forty-two was free, he lay on the ground without moving, but for the subtle rise and fall of his chest.
Duke and Nathan had apparently never returned to the Nether. When he told them what needed to happen, they refused at first. They growled and were threatening with their tails, but finally they whimpered until they relented. Ki couldn’t risk the council being able to find him or the boy. With them, the Black King would have everything he needed to take over the worlds. He would be whole again.
Ki glanced back, worried the twin demon dogs had become lost. He shifted from one leg to another as he waited and swung his dagger around his fingers. Shoving the blade back in his hip sheath, he felt the urge to pace but resisted it. When they appeared, Malthael was still unconscious between them. Soon after telling Ki about the knife, the demon had become comatose. Nothing could rouse him, which made Ki worry.
“You know what to do,” he said to the demon dogs.
They moved back into the shadows of the cave. They continued back until he couldn’t see them anymore and he was satisfied no one could. Then he turned back and knelt by the boy’s body. He continued to sleep peacefully as the effects of the mountain wore off. There was a reason it was called the Dreamer’s Range. It made dreams a reality, and it took some time to wake up from.
He reached out and shook the boy. “Time to get up.”
The boy didn’t move, so Ki shook him harder. Finally, his eyes opened and he sat up. “Where am I?”
“I’m hiding you,” Ki replied calmly, trying to keep the urgency from his voice.
“Who are you?” the boy asked wearily as Ki helped him up.
“I need you to pull the knife out of his back,” he replied without answering the boy’s question. “If you do that, this nightmare will be over and you can go back to dreaming.”
He seemed dazed. “I have been enjoying nice dreams.”
“Good,” Ki replied, propelling him forward. “Pull out the knife.”
The boy looked down at Malthael and froze. When his legs stopped moving, Ki nearly knocked him over. His eyes went wide as he pointed and demanded, “What is that?”
“Part of the nightmare,” Ki insisted before pointing. “Can you see the knife?”
“Yes?” the boy replied as he started to look around as though coming out of a fog. “Where are we?”
“This is nightmare,” Ki replied, pushing the boy forward. “What do you fear more than anything?”
“The Netherworld,” the boy whispered. He visibly paled when Duke and Nathan growled.
“I can return you to your dreams,” Ki insisted, taking advantage of his confusion. “Just remove the knife.”
Ki saw him swallow hard before bending down. In one easy yank, the knife that Ki hadn’t been able to see suddenly appeared in the boy’s hand. He looked at the knife and whispered, “This feels so real.”
Ki felt cold steel penetrate his back. He gasped, and so did the boy, who dropped the knife. Ki felt a hand around his throat. When he glanced back, Riku smiled wickedly.
“What have we here?” Riku asked, clicking his tongue.
“What do you want, Riku?” Ki demanded as he felt the knife twist in his back. He gritted his teeth against the pain.
“My keys, but this seems much more entertaining,” Riku replied, looking down at the crumpled body of Malthael, “Who would have thought I wouldn’t need the key to kill Malthael?”
Ki tried to elbow him in the face, but the demon moved out of the path of his swing. The boy tried to run, but Riku shoved him up against one of the hard rock faces that existed within the mountain’s interior. The boy collapsed on the ground, and Ki realized he was running out of time.
Ki saw Duke and Nathan out of t
he corner of his eye. “I have your keys,” Ki told Riku, reaching into his waistband and tossing a small sack at his feet. “Our deal is done.”
Riku waved his hand and the two keys flew out of the sack and into the air. He smiled and took them in his hand. A noise came from the end of the cavern.
“Well, apparently Malthael is just a bonus,” Riku replied. He stepped toward the body before calling out, “Your missing soul is here, too.”
Elder Ra stepped into the light. The man looked tired but alive. His eyes shone with a brightness Ki had never seen. They stared at one another without moving or saying anything. Ki watched him with cold clarity; he now knew what they were.
“Repent,” Elder Ra finally said, breaking the silence. “I shall return you to our fold.”
“I would never return,” Ki retorted, squaring his body as he bent down toward the boy.
“You cannot win here,” Elder Ra replied.
“You’re right,” Ki said between his teeth. He pushed the pain down before calling, “Duke! Nathan!”
The demon dogs leapt from the shadows as Ki picked up the knife. In two quick steps, he buried the knife in Riku’s side. The demon hissed as he crumbled to the ground. He tried to grab the knife, but it was stuck. Ki couldn’t see it anymore, and the demon couldn’t pull it free. The demon shook his head as Duke and Nathan hurried over to Malthael.
Ki kicked Riku over and declared, “You are nothing.”
When Ki turned around, Ra and the boy were gone. Without hesitating, he called to the demon dogs. “Get him out of here!”
He ran through the interior of the mountain, his pulse wild as blood splashed behind him. Pushing away the pain, he sprinted with both daggers primed. When he saw a shadow moving, he called out, “Stop!”
The figure paused and looked back. Elder Ra had the young Seer over his shoulder as though he weighed nothing. Elder Ra was illuminated by the glimmer in the cave, but Ki could see his determination. Ki could see where the cave diverged into two tunnels and Ra stood at their juncture.
“You won’t stop us,” Elder Ra insisted. “Others have tried and failed.”
Ki felt the blood drip down his leg and into his boot. His foot was slick. He was losing blood quickly, but he couldn’t let Elder Ra get away. He kept his breathing carefully even and gripped his weapons tightly.
“I will,” Ki said as he began moving forward.
He felt a sudden and sharp pain his back. His back bowed as he stumbled forward a few steps before another part of his back exploded with pain. He tried to continue to move forward, but when the third blow struck, he fell to his knees. He could see the shafts of the arrows protruding from his back. Tears streamed down Elder Ha’s face as he held up a quiver stocked with arrows for Elder Il to shoot.
Elder Ra stepped up close to Ki and whispered, “I forgive you.”
Then in one violent jerk, Elder Ra slit his throat.
Chapter 60: Croatoan
A great feast was laid out, and Nanette sat beside Elisabeth as she ate a small pastry. It was white with a red teardrop on it. Her eyes were closed as she savored it and the Black King watched her. His fingers gripped the top of a crystal glass. His eyes were dark and thoughtful as she ate.
Nanette very much doubted Elisabeth would approve of what she was wearing. The ball gown had been exchanged for dinner attire. The black capped sleeves and plunging neckline of this dress left little to the imagination. The matching black bodice was tight, and the dress fell in a heavy layer to her feet. It was lace that overlaid a simple black fabric. The result was stunning and matched the silver circlet encircling her head. It shimmered like starlight, and the large black gem twinkled blue in the firelight.
When Elisabeth opened her eyes, she turned to him and asked plainly, “Still don’t trust me?”
“Not a wit,” he replied, but his face betrayed his lust.
Elisabeth laughed softly as she reached for her glass. “I wouldn’t either. You never know who you are dealing with, me or her. At least until you decide what to do, I’m providing you with entertainment.”
Nanette had this peculiar feeling that they moving around each other in a battle of wits. At first Nanette hadn’t been able to decipher their discussions, but now she was catching on. Elisabeth was trying talk the Black King into ruling the planets instead of remaking them.
“Now that we agree on,” he responded with a curl of his lips.
The Black King hadn’t tried to harm Nanette again, but his every glance that was spared in her direction and every word directed at her still put her on edge. He rarely spoke to her directly, and when he did she wanted to make herself as small as possible. Despite everything, she tried to remain strong for Elisabeth. Her friend would need her help.
There was a soft hum, and Nanette lifted her head to look in the direction from which it had come. The gate shimmered a moment before two men in robes stepped through. Nanette tried to stand. Her instinct was to run, but Elisabeth’s hand grasped hers, keeping her from rising all the way. They had with them a boy that they carried in their arms. Nanette swallowed on instinct. She knew something bad was going to happen.
“We found him,” said the younger one, who had two patches of grey at his temples.
The Black King rose and he looked pleased. “Bring him here.”
They came down the stairs and set the boy on one of the stone tables. The fire from the fountain flickered as they walked past as though it was reaching for them. Nanette turned to Elisabeth, who continued to stare without blinking. Her face remained emotionless.
“The Savior tried to stop us,” the man told the Black King as they stepped back from the table and the boy.
“You raised him wrong,” the Black King responded, glancing in his direction. “The behavior of the child should dictate punishment to the parent.”
The Black King’s hand struck the side of the man’s face. His neck snapped back. Nanette put her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. He had struck him, an ally, without hesitation. She glanced at Elisabeth, who shook her head, and Nanette kept silent.
“I punished him,” the man responded, but he didn’t seem bitter about being struck.
“His usefulness had ended,” the Black King responded.
Elisabeth popped a grape in her mouth. “I beg to differ,” Elisabeth called and stood slowly.
“Of course you do,” the Black King responded.
“People need to have a hero to get behind,” Elisabeth explained, her hand trailing on the stone table as she walked toward him. “That way when you crush him, you crush their hope.”
“You want me to kill him after he has established himself as a hero?” he asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“When you go back to the planets, word of your return will spread,” Elisabeth explained as she reached the end of the table. “They will look to a hero, like the Keepers of old, to send you back here and seal you in again. When that happens, Ki will be among them, and he is special. When you kill him and word of his defeat spreads, you will also defeat hope. Without hope, people will turn into cattle and you will rule as the Black King.”
“Clever,” he commented, “but you don’t have the entire picture. Isn’t that right, Ra?”
“That’s right,” Ra replied diligently.
Elisabeth put her hands up in the air. “It was just an idea. Just enjoying the idea of being the Black Queen and thought I’d give it a try.”
The one called Ra looked over at Elisabeth in surprise, and Nanette realized that Elisabeth had said that on purpose. She was trying to do something as she gazed at the Black King. A moment passed as they stared into each other’s eyes, as though trying to peer into each other’s very souls.
“Once I’ve harvested this soul, I believe we should go on a walk through southern Lyreane,” the Black King declared with a smile. “To go and see your old friend.”
“Ki is hardly a friend,” Elisabeth said with a laugh, and Nanette tucked her head down to ke
ep from betraying what she knew. “The man was sent to kill me. Let’s just say I’m happy to join you on your walk.”
“We shall see,” the Black King responded before turning back to the boy.
Nanette looked up at Elisabeth, who watched as the Black King reached into the boy’s body for the last of his missing soul shards. The boy began to struggle. He looked so young and helpless that Nanette had to look away as he begged for mercy. She didn’t understand how Elisabeth could watch such cruelty and do nothing. Perhaps this wasn’t Elisabeth anymore; perhaps this was Elsariel. That would not bode well for Nanette’s fate.
She forced herself to look when the boy went silent, bile rising in her throat. His head was turned toward them, a lifeless arm was extended in a desperate plea for help, and his glossy dead eyes betrayed that it was too late. Nanette’s lip quivered as she fought down the tears. The Black King held a shimmering purple shape in his hands that he drew into himself. He was wrapped in a soft red glow for a moment before it faded and a red gem appeared on the center of the primary spike on his crown.
“Ah,” the Black King said, lifting his hand, which swirled with black shadows, “at last, all my pieces but one insignificant shard. My power is whole.” He turned back and held out his hand to Elisabeth. “Shall we go for that walk?” he asked.
Elisabeth took his offered hand and replied, “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter 61: Ashlad
Malthael came to, and for a moment he thought he was dead. Something was covering his face and was blocking out all light. Blinking, he moved a little and the curtain was lifted. A soft light assaulted his eyes, and he groaned as one of the demon dogs licked his face. With a grunt, he pushed the dog back and realized that curtain had been fur.
Duke lifted his head from where he sat on the floor and leveled it at Malthael. Nathan had been laying his head across Malthael’s. The dogs leapt up, tongues hanging out in excitement as they all but hopped around. Malthael pushed on Duke’s head as he got to his feet. Everything in his memory was a blur, and his back hurt.