Another bed had been brought to their chambers to make room for Cyrilo. When night finally fell, he pulled on his cloak and beckoned for the other two to follow him. Together the three of them snuck their way out of the sanctum and into the streets of Emerald Deep. Cyrilo took them west towards the shore. Once they’d reached the snow covered beaches, he abruptly turned north and began to follow the edge of the lake.
The night was freezing cold. The skies had opened up and all the heavens shone brightly above them with Gartha filling a large portion of the sky. Dusk kept his neck craned skyward for the majority of the walk that took them beyond the edge of Emerald Deep and into the plains. Behind them Dusk could see the lights of the city glowing on the horizon. After some time, Cyrilo finally called them to a halt near a small stand of trees. He pulled Dusk over to a blackened patch near the trees that had been partially covered in fresh snow. Here and there Dusk could see the remains of a large fire, pieces of charcoal left behind, and he knew they’d found the right spot.
“This is it,” Cyrilo said as Dusk stepped up beside him. “We brought him out here and sent him back to the gods like a king.” His voice hitched and he paused. Bending down he rested his hand over a piece of charcoal on the ground. After a moment he stood back up, “Take your time.”
Cyrilo turned and headed back over to Lex who was standing closer to the lake. Lex wrapped his arm about Cyrilo’s shoulders and they turned away from Dusk, stepping down to the beach.
Dusk stood there for a long moment, wrapped in his cloak and trying not to shiver. He’d spent weeks thinking about all the things he wanted to say to Eiran, how to apologize to him properly if he should ever get the chance. But now that he was standing at the last place Eiran’s body had ever been, he felt foolish and lost.
“I… I don’t really know how to do this,” he whispered, afraid he would be overheard on the breeze. “Do I just talk to you like you’re here, Eiran? I really don’t know.” Silence hovered around him with no hint of a reply. For some reason he’d been half expecting one. “I just wanted to come out here to tell you I’m sorry. If you’d never met me, you might still be alive. I’m trying to believe my friends when they tell me it’s not my fault, but I can’t help but blame myself. You didn’t deserve to have your life cut short.” Dusk could feel the tears forming at the corner of his eyes. “You were so good to me that night. You showed me so much kindness and understanding. You didn’t push me to tell you things. You made me feel special for a single moment. Maybe it’s stupid to feel so much about it when I know you were just doing your job, but you seemed so genuine. I don’t know if you meant it, but you’ll never know how much it affected me.
“My life hasn’t been very happy, but you gave me a taste of what it could be. You showed me what it was to be heard and cared for. We did everything on my terms and you didn’t force me. Even though it was business, I’ll never forget you because of the gentleness you showed me.” Dusk reached up and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “And I came here to say I’m going to go get the life I want and I’m not gonna let anyone convince me to stop. Maybe I can do some good in this world, even if it’s just a little.”
The breeze died down suddenly, dropping everything into silence. Dusk shivered in the cold, glancing up at the stars once more. Thoughts flowed through his mind of all the things he wanted to do in his life, the things he wanted to accomplish. He’d never been much of a dreamer, but he had some ideas to start with. Somehow, coming to talk to Eiran had rekindled the spark inside him once more.
“Thank you Eiran, for your kindness. I’ll miss you. And I’ll make sure Cyrilo gets somewhere safe, that he can have the life you wished for him. It’s the least I can do.” Dusk crouched down and put his hand over the remaining charcoal, feeling the cold snow bite his skin. “Goodbye.”
With that, Dusk pushed himself back to his feet and walked towards the lake. It took him a moment to find Cyrilo and Lex as they had walked further down the beach. He crunched through the snow until he was beside them, wrapping his cloak tightly around the three of them and pulling them in. Looking out over the water Dusk saw small patches of fog rolling over the smooth surface. Turning to the other two he saw that both of them had turned and were staring off towards the north.
“What are you two looking at?” he asked, following their gaze.
In the distance Dusk could just make out the Crystal Gate, the massive purple crystal catching the moonlight and reflecting it across the snowy hills. However, at the base of the gate there was a large gathering of orange lights, as if he were looking at the city, but on the wrong horizon. Dusk swiveled to glance back south, seeing that Emerald Deep was still where they had left it.
“I don’t remember lights up there when we passed through,” Dusk said, taking a step forward.
“I can’t make it out either,” Lex replied.
“Rhyka are gifted with good sight in the dark,” Cyrilo murmured in his thick accent. “I can see the flags above the tents. That’s the Ditanian army.”
Ten
The moment Dusk, Lex, and Cyrilo walked back into the guild, they made a beeline for Diana’s office. Within moments of delivering the news of the Ditanian army camped less than a day away from Emerald Deep, the guild was in an uproar. Diana was gone in a flash, moving from room to room waking up her followers and shouting orders at the late hour. In less than a half hour the sanctum was completely empty except for the three of them and Tara who had been summoned from her room. They all sat at a table, staring at one another in the dim light. Tara’s eyes looked puffy, but she put on a tough visage as always. Dusk knew she wasn’t the kind of person to show vulnerability, and decided he wouldn't speak on the subject again until she brought it up herself. As the four of them looked to one another, Diana came back down a set of stairs and over to the table to join them, her footsteps echoing in the empty chamber.
“Sorry, I had to take care of the city first,” Diana huffed, leaning down to put her palms flat on the table. She took a deep breath to steady herself. “I’ve sent men to all corners of the city to round up any kind of defense we can muster. I’m not sure when the army plans to march, but I’d rather be prepared now than risk the city for one last night’s rest.” She lifted her head, looking at the four of them. “But you’ll need to leave as soon as the sun rises.”
“Shouldn’t we stay and help?” Dusk asked, looking around the table. “We’re capable fighters.”
“More than capable,” Tara said, fingering the greatsword at her side.
“I’m going to be very honest with you all right now and you’re not to say a word to anyone in the guild. Do I make myself clear?”
They all nodded slowly, leaning forward.
“The city will fall to Ditanian control.”
“You’re giving up already?” Tara scoffed. “That doesn’t sound like you, Diana.”
“I’m looking at the facts.” Diana took a deep breath. “There is no established guard in Emerald Deep. What little law and order that’s carried out is done by the guild and we can’t keep up with it most of the time. There is no unification and no defensible positions. The city sits at the crux of two great bodies of water. All they need to do is flank the city and we’ll be done. There are no soldiers here. Even if they are a small band, which it sounds like they aren't, Emerald Deep will fall to Ditanian reign.” She glanced at Tara, a sad look painted on her face. “It was only a matter of time before one of the two took the city, but it looks like Ditania got here first.”
“What do we do?” Lex asked, the worry clear in his voice.
“You will be up before dawn and at the docks ready to board The Zephyr tomorrow with Captain Ciaran Duillearga. I’ve already sent someone to give him a warning of what’s about to happen.” She turned her gaze to Cyrilo. “I managed to secure your passage aboard The Zephyr as well. The captain has agreed to take all of you to the shores of Inahan just beyond where the Dorsum Mountains cascade into the sea. He’ll be dropping
you off at a small fishing village. You’ll have to make the rest of the journey on foot. Inhandrian waters are no place for a Ditanian ship, even if Captain Ciaran is well liked in Greencoast.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing we can do to help?” Dusk pleaded, rubbing his hands together anxiously.
“Make it to Inahan safe. You’ve done more than you know. We’ve stomped out the Circle’s largest presence in Emerald Deep and you’ve helped me take care of a traitor who killed my men. This is my way of repaying my debt to you.” Diana pushed herself upright, brushing her hair out of her face. “Go pack your things and be ready to fly. The ocean docks are on the southeastern side of town. I’ll escort you myself to make sure you arrive unharmed.”
Tara pushed her chair back and stood up. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Diana. “Thank you for all of your help.” Pulling her back by the shoulders Tara glared into her eyes. “When I come back here you’d better be alive.”
“That fond of me already?” Diana teased, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll do my best to be here when you return. If only to spend one more night together.” She leaned forward and planted a small kiss on Tara’s lips, her fingers grasping Tara’s chin.
“Ooooh,” Lex giggled.
“Shut the fuck up, twink,” Tara hissed before pulling Diana in for another kiss.
When Diana finally pulled away she put her fingers to her lips. “Alright, enough of that. I have a city to save,” she said a bit breathlessly. “Go pack your things.”
With that she turned and jogged off to one of the many passages leading out of the sanctum. After she disappeared around a corner, Tara turned on her heel to face Lex, glaring down at him.
“I swear to the gods,” she growled, “If you ever interrupt a kiss with a beautiful woman again I will snap your arm like a twig and force feed it to you.”
“Look how red you are!” Lex chided back. “I’ve never seen this side of you before Tara! I didn’t know you were such a softie.”
Tara began to call Lex any name she could think of and Dusk just sat at the table, shaking his head. Whenever the stress ran high, Tara and Lex always found a way to get under each other’s skin. Tara continued to yell as Lex smiled like a fool back at her, pleased with how easily he’d gotten her riled up. After a few seconds Dusk felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Are they always this annoying?” Cyrilo asked, leaning down beside him.
“This is actually pretty tame,” Dusk sighed.
“This is going to be a long boat ride…”
“Absolutely.”
◆◆◆
Just as planned, the four companions were woken by Diana before the sun had risen. Gathering their things she led them up the stairway to the boarded-up barn where Maribel was being kept. After a couple days locked up in the stables, she was ready to go. Dusk didn’t have to coax her away from her comfortable bedding in the least. Tying their bags over her back, Dusk slipped on her halter and grabbed the rope, leading her to the door. Diana let them out and quickly closed the door behind them, locking it back into place.
The early morning air was frigid, even colder than it had been the night before when they travelled north to visit Eiran’s pyre. Dark clouds were gathering off to the west and a cold wind blew down from across the lake. There was a blizzard approaching. Already the peaks of the mountains were hidden from view by what looked like thick fog, but Dusk knew it was blowing snow. They had maybe an hour or two at the most before it hit.
“Follow me and keep quiet,” Diana whispered. “We’ll be there before the sun rises.”
Following Diana, the group made their way around the black iron fence that surrounded the temple graveyard. Dusk took one last look at the snow-covered headstones. He’d wanted to visit the temple again to see the statues, but it seemed he wouldn’t get the chance. Maybe there would be another temple in Inahan. He didn’t know much about religion in general, but it was a mystery he wanted to know more about, that had nothing to do with the dragons or the Circle.
The streets, to everyone’s surprise, were empty. It seemed overnight that Diana and her men had cleared the city in preparation for the attack. Lanterns were doused and the streets sat abandoned in the dim cold gray before dawn. The group had travelled no more than a few hundred feet when a horn blast split the air behind them. Dusk whipped around to look back down the street. Even in the dim light he could see torches at the end of the main road as it exited the northern gate of the city. The soldiers were already there. Another quick succession of bugles broke through the stillness followed immediately by the cries of what sounded like a thousand men.
“Cowards!” Diana screamed. “Attacking people while they still lie in their beds!”
Tara lifted a hand to the hilt of her sword that was now strapped to her back. “We need to hurry. We won’t stand long against an ambush of that size.”
Diana drew her own sword from its scabbard. “Quick! Follow me!”
Dusk gave Maribel’s halter a tug as they took off after Diana, following her as she pounded down the main street. The others did their best to keep up as house and after house flashed by. The sound of cries and the thundering of hundreds of footsteps behind them drove the group forward. Dusk wasn’t sure if they were keeping ahead or if the soldiers were gaining, but he didn’t dare look back. He glanced to the side to see Tara and Lex keeping pace, but Cyrilo was far ahead, running alongside Diana with relative ease.
As they passed the center of the city, Dusk swore the footsteps were getting closer. Daring a quick glance back, he saw the soldiers had closed the gap between them to less than a hundred feet. Adrenaline surged through Dusk’s body at the sight of them, but as he turned back he felt his boot catch on a stray piece of ice. Before he knew what was happening he was airborne and falling towards the ground. He slammed into the frozen earth, knocking the wind out of himself. The footsteps were still approaching. Gasping for air he scrambled on the slippery surface until he felt a hand on his arm pulling him to his feet. It was Lex.
“Are you okay?”
Dusk gave a quick nod and together they took off once more knowing full well that the soldiers had closed the distance between them. With a renewed sense of urgency, they pushed themselves forward.
No more than two minutes later they found themselves at the docks, a few large ships moored there. Gasping for air they glanced around, looking for Diana. Shouts pulled their gaze to the ship furthest left that was in the process of dropping its main sail. Dusk could see men on the docks loading the final supplies onto the ship in a rush while others were setting the sails that were already starting to catch the growing breeze. Snow began to fall softly around them signalling the oncoming storm.
Off to their right Dusk heard a man’s cry. Spinning in place he saw a soldier rushing towards them, his solid black tunic flapping under thick leather armor. Without a second thought he slapped Maribel on the behind and sent her careening down towards the docks. Dusk dove out of the way and into the snow, not having time to do much else. He rolled over, pushing himself to his feet in a flash. He heard the clang of metal and looked up to see Lex and the soldier crossing blades, both swinging at one another with fury in their eyes.
Pulling his bow from his back and nocking an arrow, Dusk steadied his breath and took aim, waiting for an opening. He only had to wait a moment. With a strong two handed blow, Lex sent the soldier’s weapon flying and Dusk saw his chance. He let the arrow loose and with a dull thunk it sunk into the soldiers neck. The soldier’s hands flew up and wrapped around the shaft of the arrow, but blood was already pouring down his uniform. Before he hit the ground more cries filled the air as soldiers streamed down the main road towards them.
“There’s too many!” Lex cried, rushing over to Dusk and grabbing him by the arm. “Come on!”
Dusk pulled his arm free and nocked another arrow. He glanced down to the glove on his hand, remembering the fight with the serpent of the lake.
“I on
ly need one shot,” he said, knowing full well he’d probably be unconscious a few seconds if he followed through.
“Dusk,” Lex said gently, grabbing him by the arm again. “Don’t.”
But the soldiers were closing in too fast. In that moment Dusk let the arrow loose and it flew true, striking one of the soldiers in the chest, but nothing else happened. Lex’s intervention had pulled the glyph from his mind at the last possible second.
With one final pull from Lex, the pair of them raced down the street towards the far dock. As their feet hit the slick wood Dusk looked up to see Maribel being pulled by Tara across the gangplank and onto the ship. Cyrilo was on the railing, leaning over and calling out to them to hurry up. Diana pulled the last mooring line free and tossed it up onto the deck of the ship that began to move slowly through the water.
“Run!” she cried out to them, her sword still in hand.
Dusk and Lex ran past her, skidding on the wet boards. The gangplank was already lilting to one side and getting worse with every passing second. Without a moment to hesitate, the pair of them pounded their way up. Feeling the plank twist underneath him, Dusk reached back to grab Lex by the hand before they jumped the last few feet.
The plank fell away, splashing into the water below as the pair of them landed in a heap on the deck of the ship. Dusk felt the bruises forming on his arms and legs already, but pushed himself back to his feet and ran to the railing, throwing his body against it. From his new position he looked back to see hundreds of soldiers streaming through the streets of Emerald Deep. They were breaking down doors, smashing lanterns, and setting fires to anything they could reach. He glanced down to Diana who was still standing on the dock.
“Safe travels and fair winds on your journey!” she called up, waving with her sword in hand.
Dusk called back, “Thank you for everything. Get to safety!”
With one last nod, Diana turned on her heel and raced back into town, striking out at unsuspecting soldiers as she went. Dusk remained at the rail with Cyrilo and Lex, watching the destruction of the town they’d left behind. For the first time Dusk didn’t feel like the destruction was his fault, but he wished it wasn’t happening just the same.
The Crystal Key: An LGBTQ+ Fantasy Series (The Crystalline Chronicles Book 3) Page 8