by Alyssa Breck
Chapter 29
Alayah and Silver Wind led their troops north. The motorcycles passed large groups of refugees, likely with hopes they’d find safety in the north. Unfortunately, nowhere was truly safe for the nomads. They hadn’t always been nomads, but once their villages and kingdoms were destroyed, they’d had no choice but to gather whatever belongings they could carry on their backs and seek alternative lodging.
Alayah’s heart hurt for the children forced to walk without shoes. She knew they weren’t getting enough to eat while they clung to their desperate parents’ hands. That was no way to live, and it solidified her need to find the Legacy Stone and end the suffering.
Silver slipped his hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze as if he heard the gloomy thoughts circling inside her head.
“It’ll be okay, Alay.”
She nodded in response. “It has to be. It just has to.”
The blue sky was, suddenly, interrupted by dark plumes of smoke and the smell of something burning. Alayah sat forward to look down and find where the smoke was coming from.
“What is that strange smell?” she asked.
Silver furrowed his brow. “Sulfur.”
“What?”
“It’s sulfur.” He shook his head. “The smell of burning sulfur only means one thing.”
“And what is that,” Alayah inquired.
“Titans.” Silver angled the motorcycle to the left and parked it on the side of the road. He climbed off the bike and waved at the others who followed them. They all followed suit and parked their bikes one after the other behind Silver’s.
Dawes was the first to approach. “Do you smell that?” he asked.
Silver nodded. “Our rides make too much noise, especially with all of us convoying. We need to stay grounded, so the Titans can’t pinpoint our location.”
“Agreed, sir. I’ll inform the others.” Dawes walked back to his bike and took Rose by the hand. They talked with the others.
“What do we do now?” Alayah asked.
Silver licked his lips. Distant shrieking became apparent.
“We need to do something, Silver.”
“Yes, we do.” He ran toward Dawes and then came back. “We have to hide our transportation. It’s a wyvern. We can’t risk him seeing us.” Silver jumped back and moved his bike into the dark cover of the forest. The other riders did the same.
Her stomach twisted. “Silver, the refugees. They will be sitting ducks on that road.”
A pained expression crossed his face. “I’m sorry, Alayah. We can’t go back. It’s too dangerous. It will put the entire group in mortal peril.”
“I don’t care. Those people are completely helpless. We can’t just let them die.” Her voice raised an octave involuntarily.
“Shh. Do you want to get us all killed?”
“No, but I can’t stand here knowing those people are about to die.”
Silver stepped closer and got in her face. “You’re on a quest—a quest to find the Legacy Stone. That’s for the greater good, right?”
Alayah put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “Yes.”
“So, if you go back and get killed, what then? Just screw the world because you had a pang of conscience? If you die, the world can’t be saved. You know this, right? We can’t go back.”
“Stop patronizing me, Silver. I’m not a child. And you don’t have to go with me.”
“I’ll go with you.”
They both turned around at the sudden intrusion in their conversation.
Xavier stood a few feet behind them. “You’re right, Alayah. We can’t let them die.”
Silver narrowed his eyes. “It’s none of your business.”
“Of course, it is. It’s all of our business. So, Alayah and I will go back. You stay here and keep the troops safe. Deal?”
“No,” Silver replied. “She’s not going.”
Alayah raised her eyebrows. “You don’t command me. I decide for myself, and I’m going.” She stomped away from Silver and joined Xavier. “Let’s do this.”
Even if Silver was against it, he still allowed Xavier to use one of his bikes to transport Alayah to the caravan of refugees.
Two red-colored wyverns had flown over the forest without noticing Silver and his men moments before Alayah and Xavier left to help the refugees.
“We need to go faster,” Alayah urged Xavier.
“I’m going as fast as I can, but the beasts are flying fast and … I don’t think we’ll be able to help them. You need to be prepared for what we are about to see.”
“Shit,” Alayah muttered and held on to him tighter.
“Do you want to go back?” Xavier asked.
“Maybe there’ll be survivors.”
“We’ll keep going then.”
Alayah and Xavier saw the smoke a few miles before they emerged on the scene; wreckage was more like it. The smell of burnt hair and charred flesh was almost overpowering. Alayah pulled her shirt over her nose and mouth.
Xavier stood beside her. “The Titans don’t usually come this far north looking for food. They must have been what attacked Scythe.”
Smoldering body parts were scattered across the road. The fire had already burned through the tree line and was moving farther inward. Blood ran like a small stream down the gutter. “We should’ve come back sooner.”
Xavier touched her shoulder. “There’s nothing we could’ve done, Alayah. Mages aren’t immune to wyvern attacks. We all could’ve been killed. Silver was right about that.”
“All of these people are dead, Xavier. This has to stop.”
Alayah pulled the pin from her hair, and the trident manifested in her grasp. She pulled liquid from the trees and as far up as the clouds. Once the water was coiled above the trident, she aimed it at the fires. The flames hissed as the water sprayed over them, leaving only white mist in its wake.
“It will stop when you find the Legacy Stone. And you will find it. I’ll make sure of that,” Xavier said.
Tears burned her eyes when she aimed the water cyclone at the bodies still burning on the ground. While Alayah remained cold most of the time, the sight of a dead woman clutching her child caused a deep pain in the pit of Alayah’s stomach. No one should have to die like that.
“Where do you think they were heading?” She blinked back the tears and looked at Xavier.
“My guess would be they were heading to the monastery to seek sanctuary. There’s not much else up this way that would take in a caravan this size.”
There was a sound from the woods. Alayah touched Xavier’s arm. “Shh. Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
She started to walk toward the tree line. “It sounds like a baby; like a baby crying.”
“Hush,” a woman’s voice whispered. “Please, baby, hush.”
Alayah waved to Xavier to follow her. The dried grass was burnt black and crunched under her boots.
“Hello?” Her call was met with silence. Then, more crying. This time, from a child, not an infant.
“Hello?” Alayah called again. “We mean you no harm. We’re here to help.”
Just then, she spied a small girl with blonde pigtails. Tears streamed down her soot-covered face. A woman stepped in front of the child.
Alayah held up her hand. “Are you okay?”
The woman nodded but kept the child tucked behind her hip in a defensive gesture. “We will move on from here.”
“Are there more of you?”
Another woman with black hair and plump lips stepped out from behind a tree. A swaddled infant was held to her chest. Two small boys held hands beside her. “Just us. We are the only ones who survived.”
Xavier extended his hand. “We are headed toward the monastery. We can help you get there safely.”
“What are you?” the little girl asked as she peeked around her mother’s skirts.
Alayah cocked her head and smiled. “We’re friends, little one. We want to help you.”
The road was harder with little children to take care of and women who were terrified of the monsters showing up again.
Xavier had the idea of attaching a carriage to the bike they had. Though it worked, they had to drive slower and didn’t stop to sleep.
The movement of the carriage hushed the crying children and soothed the women. It was only when the gate of the monastery opened to let them in that Alayah felt that she had saved those people with Xavier’s help. That small adventure together had shown Alayah another side of him: the one that wasn’t always telling a joke or trying to get under Silver’s skin. A kinder side. Seeing him talk to the children and cradle a baby said more about him than she could have ever found out by talking with Xavier. He had a good heart, and it was impossible to fake the kindness in his smile in that moment.
Her heart stopped beating when she saw Silver appearing from inside a tower and running toward her.
He made no attempt to conceal his feelings when he grabbed her in his arms and hugged her tight. “What took you so long? I was worried sick and about to leave to look for you.”
Alayah could hardly breathe in his embrace. “We found the survivors and led them here.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to argue with you. I should have gone with you.”
“I understand. It was reckless of me. You didn’t want me to see what I did.”
Silver kissed her cheek and hugged her again. “I won’t let you leave on your own ever again. Promise.”
“I’ll just go inside,” Xavier said beside them.
Silver ignored him, but Alayah opened her eyes to watch him leave. He appeared serious and didn’t look back as he climbed the stairs.
“I’m okay,” she whispered in Silver’s ear. “You can let me go now.”
“How can I protect you if you want to put yourself in danger?” he asked, caressing the hair from her face and kissing her lips.
“I can take care of myself. Plus, Xavier also helped. He’s a mage, you know. He’s resourceful.”
“Did he do something to upset you?”
“No. He actually helped a lot. He was the one who found a way to bring everybody here with the help of the motorcycle and a carriage. He’s not as bad as you might think.”
“Let’s go inside. You must be tired and hungry.”
Alayah nodded and laced her arms around his neck. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you more.” Leaning down, he grabbed her under her legs and carried her to the tower.
“I can walk on my own.”
“I want to carry you.”
“When did you get here? Were you able to talk with someone?”
“We have a meeting with the High Priest later in the afternoon. Don’t worry about anything. You need to rest, and I’ll take good care of you.”
Smiling, Alayah nodded. “Okay.”
The room had high ceilings with intricate carvings painted in gold. The swirls were an embellishment to accent the gold and platinum statues of saints. Alayah wasn’t too familiar with the old religions, but she’d heard stories of how people prayed to certain saints for guidance on particular needs in their lives. It all seemed a bit silly to her, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
Silver took her hand as they walked through the granite-walled room. Alayah had only seen such extravagance in the City of Elys and in the palace of her king. Small clusters of people retained their wealth. Funny how a religious institution held such monetary value.
“I don’t know what these saints represent,” she remarked. “Do you?” Alayah looked up at Silver.
He pointed to one. “St. Christopher. He was a martyr killed by a Roman emperor in the third century, I believe. He’s the patron saint of protection for travelers and soldiers. Fitting, right? Seeing as we’re both.”
Alayah raised an eyebrow. “Interesting coincidence.”
“There are no coincidences, Alayah. Only fate.” Silver brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles.
Heat spread from her belly and bloomed in her cheeks.
They moved around the room to another saint.
Silver began, “This one is St. Anthony. Patron saint for the lost. Lost things and lost people. People pray to him when they can’t find what they’re looking for. Another saint we need in our pocket to find the Legacy Stone.”
“St. Anthony and St. Christopher. A little help would be nice, gentlemen,” Alayah joked.
The room shined as if it had just been polished. There were no fingerprints on anything, and the scent of lemon oil hung in the air. When they turned around to peruse more statues, a man in a white robe stood silently behind them.
Alayah gasped, and her hand flew to her chest. “You startled me.”
The man blinked. “My apologies.”
Alayah hoped her joke about the saints hadn’t offended the high priest.
“Come, sit,” the priest instructed.
A dark wood table was positioned in the corner overlooked by a statue of the Virgin Mary. Everyone knew who that iconic religious figure was.
A gold chalice sat in the center of the table. Red, blue and green jewels adorned the rim. Surely no one actually drank from that goblet. The jewels would probably cut open her lips. But it was a stunning centerpiece.
“That’s a beautiful necklace,” the priest said once they were seated across from each other.
Alayah instinctively touched the red stone. “Thank you. It belonged to my mother.”
“Do you know where she got it?” he asked.
“No. I just know that it was left for me.”
“Interesting,” the priest said, caressing his chin. “I was reluctant to talk with you, but it’s apparent that this was fate.”
“What do you mean?” Alayah asked.
“My acolytes told me that you were looking for a powerful stone that can save our world from the Titans.”
Alayah nodded. “We’ve been traveling for a long time and were hoping that you had a clue as to where we could find the Legacy Stone.”
He grinned and looked at Silver. “You are a mage, right?”
Silver nodded.
“Your kind isn’t normally welcomed here.” He raised his hand to speak. “We are on the same side this time. I have no reason not to help you. Especially now that I’m certain that it was the Lord who brought you all here.”
“Which lord?” Alayah asked.
“God,” Silver explained, pointed at the ceiling.
“Oh.” She leaned forward. “Actually, it was one of Silver’s contacts that told us to come here.”
Grinning with the priest’s shocked face, Silver spoke. “Alayah is from the sea. It’s not her intention to insult your beliefs.”
“I understand.” He folded his hands on the table. “If you let me speak, I can tell you a little bit about where that stone around your neck came from, young lady.”
Silver and Alayah glanced at each other.
“Okay,” she replied.
The priest leaned back in his seat. “First, I need to tell you a story that will help you understand how special that stone is.”
“We are listening,” Alayah assured.
The priest narrated, “A few decades ago, in the lost city of Vyjil, some villagers found a glowing red stone. It was soon discovered that it held remarkable power.”
“What kind of power?” Silver asked.
“Healing. Whoever touched it was instantly cured of any ailments they suffered. A local bishop called it the Bloody Tear of Christ. It was sent here to the monastery to be studied.”
“The Bloody Tear of Christ?” Alayah enquired.
“It’s a long story,” Silver said. “But Christians believe in a deity called Jesus who came to Earth to save us from sin.”
Nodding, the priest added, “There were reports through the centuries of other artifacts that had belonged to Christ and could heal. Jesus was a powerful healer. Since the stone was red, the scholars who studied it
believed that it was made from the blood of Christ, the only living god that we know roamed the earth.”
“What happened to that stone? Is it here?” Silver questioned.
“It was here for a few years. We used it to cure people. Still, when the word got out, the Vatican demanded that we prove its worth. Since we didn’t want to lose such a powerful relic, we told our artisans to cut a small portion of it and send it to the Holy Priest.”
“A small piece, then where’s the bigger piece?” Alayah asked.
The priest raised his hand. “You are all so impatient. I said I would tell you a story and explain how important the stone you have been carrying around is.”
Alayah nodded. “Though it’s red, it doesn’t have any healing abilities.”
“Not anymore, it seems. But it did when we sent it away.”
“Then how did it end up with Alayah?” Silver asked.
“It never arrived at the Vatican. It was stolen and sold on the black market. That’s all we could find about it.” He leaned forward. “For all we know, someone in Alayah’s family might have bought it and believed to be just a normal stone.”
Alayah’s mouth dropped open. “Are you telling me that this pendant is the piece that was stolen?”
The priest nodded. His eyes were a piercing blue and his skin alabaster white. He looked … holy.
“And where’s the other bigger part?” Silver asked.
“Gone. A few years back, we were attacked, and some priests gathered our most treasured relics and ran from here in search of a safe place. We never heard from them again.”
“We’ve reached another dead end,” Alayah mumbled with a defeated sigh.
Silver grinned at her. “No, we didn’t.”
The priest smiled. “Your friend is a mage, young lady. You have a piece of the stone. He can track it and find out where it ended up.”
Silver inclined his head to a surprised Alayah.
“Track the stone with my stone,” Alayah said.
“We have a room with all sorts of books and plants if you need any to cast your spell,” the priest said to Silver.
“That will be most helpful. But I’ll need help from another mage.”