Everflame: The Complete Series

by Dylan Lee Peters

  “We cannot give up what we never had, Tenturo. Wisdom, knowledge, power, control, these were never possessions of ours, not completely. I have no right to sit here like a king giving charity to lesser creatures.”

  “Why must you see so black and so white, Densa? Is everything all or nothing for you? Is it not enough to hold on to the measure of things that we have?”

  “To what end? For what reason?”

  “For hope… I’ve spent days with him, Densa. I’ve looked into his eyes and beyond.”

  “Enough!” Densa stood from his seat and the black creatures tightened their muscles with wicked anticipation. “Do not attempt to lure me with HOPE! I have looked upon this world with hopeful eyes for far too long, Tenturo! Hope has left me alone, every single time that I have ever had need of it. Hope is a wicked and terrible thing to be plied by, and I want part of it no more.” Densa clenched his teeth, straining against himself. “I know that I am responsible for many terrible things… I cannot help you… Hope has left me surrounded by shadows.”

  Densa turned and took his place upon his throne, once again, and the Farsiders reveled in his malevolence. They howled and barked in repugnant ecstasy, and Tenturo cringed at their vulgar display.

  “It would seem that the shadows do more than surround you, old friend.”

  “Then it is best that you leave me to them, before you find yourself trapped in darkness as well.”

  “No, Densa. I came for your help, and to give you mine. I give to hope another chance, and I will stand here until you leave with me.”

  Densa sneered, “and I had thought you were through being a statue.”

  Chapter 6: Taking to the Road

  King Aplistia of Chreos walked onto the balcony that overlooked the vast courtyard of his kingdom with an air of indifference and superiority. Thousands of faces stared at him, silent and drawn, waiting for him to speak. It had been one week since word had spread through Chreos that, on this day, the King would set forth decree upon the citizens. They were afraid of the news Aplistia would bring to them, and their silence showed their fear as if it hung in the air like a fog. Flanked by two armored guards, the King gripped the edge of the balcony until his knuckles were white. He leaned forward, scowling, and began to speak.

  “Shadows grow long across our Kingdom of Chreos. Shadows that threaten to leave a chill, most permanent, upon our hearts. As I look now upon your faces, I see a crumbling fortitude. I look now and see weakness… It disheartens me.

  “It has been long since the days when all of Chreos flourished; long since the days when you, my subjects, were proud people. It would seem that mighty Chreos has lost its way… But that is where I, your great King, will lend you my strength and pull Chreos from the depths of its darkness. I shall pull you into the light once more.”

  Aplistia paused at this point, as if expecting some sort of applause, but silence met silence in the courtyard this day. The King frowned and continued his speech.

  “Tragic events have brought many of you here today, but it is not through the will of chaos that these events have come to pass. Chreos stands firm in its faith in the benevolent and we have always held to our belief, even in the darkest hours. The Holy has a plan for us all and it is the Holy who now gives us sight in our hour of need. I know, citizens of Chreos, that when I tell you of what my eyes have seen you will know that you stand in the presence of truth, for I give to you the path that the Holy himself has given to me. It is a path that is righteous, infallible, and inescapable.”

  The crowd shuffled with unease. The King had never delivered decree through the foundation of religion before. He had barely even mentioned the Holy in past speeches. Mistrust of Aplistia had been blooming in the hearts of Chreos for some time, and the citizens wondered how this sudden inclusion of faith played to the King’s advantage. Two men in particular, standing, veiled in black hoods, whispered anxious feelings to each other.

  “It would seem that the seer’s warning was correct,” whispered Terrence to his cohort.

  “How long should we stand, listening to this drivel, before we make our escape?” asked Jared.

  “Till the end,” replied Terrence, turning slightly to look at the small woman behind them, dressed in the same hooded, black cloak as he and Jared were. “We cannot afford to raise any suspicion.”

  Members of the King’s guard stared menacingly at the whispering men, and they quickly refocused themselves on King Aplistia as he continued to speak.

  “Yes, my subjects. The Holy himself has given a task to us, and a great warning. An army rises in the south to stand against good Chreos. If we do not take action, they will gain strength and crush us. We must preempt their attack. This was the warning given to me by the Holy. A gift for my faith and for the promise of carrying out his will, and carry out his will we shall. Beginning tomorrow, we will enlist men for our army; for it is the will of the Holy that Chreos should create an army in his honor. Your involvement is not optional. It is a gift to give yourself to Chreos and to the Holy. Defiance of this plan, of his plan, is an affront to all that is good, and will not be tolerated. Every man in Chreos is to report to this courtyard at sunrise to receive his assignment. Tomorrow will be a great day in the history of Chreos. Tomorrow will be a day of destiny. If you stand in defiance… you will pay in blood.”

  With these last words, the King turned and exited his balcony, leaving the citizens of Chreos in confusion.

  “Well, that was cheerful,” uttered Jared.

  “It’s time to go, and not back to Annie’s house,” said Terrence. “We need to leave Chreos.”

  “Where will we go?”

  “It doesn’t matter. We need to get as far away from here, as fast as we can get there.” Terrence turned and motioned to the small woman who stood behind him. She nodded subtly, and the three hooded figures swiftly exited the courtyard. “We’ll devise a plan once we are well beyond the boundaries of Chreos. We are no longer safe here… even through the night.”

  “I can’t believe you were right, Annie,” said Jared to the small woman who moved through the crowd beside him. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

  “You’d be a fool if you hadn’t,” said Annie.

  Outside of the courtyard, the three hooded figures began to move away from the crowd of people, into the alleys and backstreets that led to the outskirts of Chreos. It was strange and eerie how deserted Chreos was. The majority of citizens had been in the courtyard to hear the King. Terrence, Jared and Annie did all they could to be quiet and stealthy, but it was hard, given the fact that they were the only ones bustling along the throughways of Chreos. A few vagrants took notice, but cared little for the group dressed in black, other than to beg for monies as they passed.

  “Anything to spare, for an unfortunate old man?”

  “Neither time, nor gold,” uttered Terrence as he and his partners sped past.

  The group was not far from the gates of Chreos now, and they began to slow their pace as to seem less conspicuous.

  “When we get to the gate, tell the guards that we mean to hunt in the forest for our dinner and return before nightfall,” said Terrence.

  The other two hoods nodded and turned the last corner before the gates of Chreos came into view. It would have aided their purpose if the gate had been busy on this day, however the throughway was utterly abandoned due to the King’s speech. They had armed the gate with only one guard, so that more men could be used to muscle the crowds if necessary. The singular guard stared them down as they approached, and he lifted his spear in warning.

  “We need to enter the forest to hunt for our dinner,” stated Terrence plainly.

  “Odd that you would choose this time to be leaving Chreos, don’t you think?” The guard was unyielding and did not hide the fact that he found the group to be suspicious.

  This was a bad idea, thought Jared.

  “These were plans that had been devised far before we heard the King’s decree,” added Terrence. “I ass
ure you, sir, we are not deserters.”

  The guard considered Terrence and his companions for a moment, wrinkling his nose and narrowing his eyes. Then a smile broke across his cracked lips. “We would find you, even if you tried. You have two hours to find your meal in the forest and return.”

  “Thank you,” said Terrence quickly, and began to usher Jared and Annie through the gate.

  But just as Jared was passing the guard, the man reached out and pulled Jared’s hood back.

  “I thought I had seen you before,” grumbled the guard. “Yeah, I know exactly who you are.”

  “RUN!!” yelled Jared as he turned on the guard, swinging his arms and knocking the man’s spear to the ground. Jared swiftly produced a short blade from his cloak and jabbed at the man, burying the blade deep in his throat. The man gurgled briefly, with his eyes wide and bulging, and then fell to the dusty ground, his body still.

  Jared retrieved his knife and ran as fast as he could, catching up with Terrence and Annie who had already begun sprinting toward the tree line, some hundred yards away. Their lungs burned and their muscles screamed in revolt, but adrenaline kept them flying to the cover of the forest and beyond. As they reached the cover of the first trees, they heard Chreos call its alarm.

  “We may be free of Chreos’ walls,” said Terrence as he and his companions ran through the forest, “but we are far from being safe.”

  Chapter 7: Judgment and Reason

  “Where are Tomas, Ben and Riverpaw?”

  “I thought it would be better if it were just the two us. They can use the room at other times.”

  Evercloud stood in the center of the castle courtroom, facing Iolana. Torches had been lit along the walls, but with the shell around the castle, the room was still far darker than Evercloud had ever recalled it. He didn’t like it. It seemed like all of his memories were being cast in shadows.

  “So what shall I do then?” asked Evercloud with a cynical tone. “Light myself on fire? I suppose you could heal me if I were to damage myself.”

  “First, we need to talk.” Iolana stared deep into Evercloud’s eyes and found that he had a difficult time looking at her for more than a second or two.

  “About what?”

  “About what has been bothering you, about why you’ve been abrasive, about why you’ve been so distant?”

  “And if I don’t want to talk about that?”

  “Then, I am wasting my time with you,” said Iolana, folding her arms and frowning.

  Evercloud bristled. “I don’t know what to say to that… That’s not fair. I… am frustrated.”

  “Why?”

  “This task… Being here. It’s stupid.”

  “Don’t you think that Tenturo has a good reason for asking you to come here and find a reason for yourself?”

  “I have already given my reason to him. I don’t understand why it’s not good enough. It’s the same reason we all have, to stop the Tyrant, to restore harmony to this world. Why is that not enough?”

  “That isn’t enough, because that’s not your reason.”

  “Yes. Yes it is,” yelled Evercloud and threw his arms into the air in frustration.

  “No, you’re not understanding, Evercloud. What will you do when the Tyrant is gone? What will be your purpose when there is no enemy? What will make you continue to fight for good?”

  Evercloud furrowed his brow and clenched his fists. “You mean what will keep me from becoming the Tyrant once he’s gone, don’t you?”

  All at once, Iolana understood what was preying upon Evercloud’s mind so heavily. She tried to reach for his arm. “Evercloud, I didn’t–”

  “No!” said Evercloud, pulling away from her. “I shouldn’t have killed those men, Iolana!” Evercloud’s eyes were red and glassy and he couldn’t help but to raise his voice. “I killed those men with anger in my heart, not purpose, not justice.”

  “We all make mistakes.”

  “Don’t think I don’t know what we’re doing here. We are here so that everyone can make sure that I don’t become a monster like the Tyrant. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed you haven’t given me the power of water, Iolana. I’m not stupid.”

  “Evercloud-” tried Iolana again.

  “I don’t want it! I don’t want the power I have!” Evercloud turned from Iolana and tried to gather himself, tears now falling from his face. “I don’t want to pass judgment…I don’t want to be a monster.”

  This time, when Iolana moved to touch his arm, he did not fight her. He had unburdened himself and exhausted his anger. He felt ashamed.

  “This is exactly why it is important to find your reason, Evercloud. We all must pass judgment; we all must make decisions. We all must maintain strength and purpose. Please, do not lose yourself to the lie that is fate. This is how the Tyrant has poisoned so many. They allow their lives to continue on, undirected, because of him. They place their “faith” in him and he abuses them for their weakness. We have to have the strength to pass judgment on the world and everything in it.”

  “Iolana, I am no fit judge.”

  “You are.” Iolana stared into Evercloud’s eyes and he stared, burning, back into hers. “You will learn to be. We will learn together.”

  “How?”

  “By learning to understand why we feel the way that we do, and why we react in certain ways. If you had understood your anger at the men you had killed, you may have been less inclined to act the way you had. That is a large part of finding your reason and your purpose. Learning to understand yourself.”

  “I was angered by the fact that they wished us harm, but more than that, I was furious that they would stand in the way of what we were trying to accomplish. I was furious that they stood against good.”

  “But you did not know why they aimed their attack at you. You did not know if they knew who you were, or what your goal was. You did not know if they acted out of fear, or hurt.”

  “No,” admitted Evercloud. “I did not. And that’s what is bothering me so much. Those men probably have families and people that care for them. Tenturo had stopped them. I should have mastered my anger. I should have tried another way.”

  “Evercloud,” Iolana paused and considered what she was going to say. “You may be surprised to hear me say this, but I do not believe you acted wrongly.”

  “What?” said Evercloud, sure that he had misunderstood her.

  “When one being decides to eliminate the value of another’s life, a line is crossed. Any rules of society or civilization dissipate when one is forced into a situation that they have to defend their life. You had every right to kill those men who had tried to kill you. What you did was not wrong. What you did was foolish. This is also where your purpose and reason shall come into play.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “By killing those men, you stopped a threat, which you had every right to do. Those men can no longer attack you or those you care for. However, you harmed a greater purpose. You say that harmony is your quest. Did you take a step toward harmony by killing those men?”

  Evercloud’s eyes widened as epiphany washed over him. “No. I didn’t.”

  “Consider this for a moment. Try to assume Tenturo’s perspective, and guess that his current purpose might be to ensure your safety, so that you can defeat the Tyrant. Wasn’t that goal jeopardized by killing those men?”

  “Yes,” said Evercloud, now fully understanding. “I made enemies. I made us targets for vengeance.”

  “Exactly. The best decision is not always a matter of right or wrong, it depends on reason and purpose. That is why reason and purpose are so important. Your reason helps you measure every judgment you make in this world. If your purpose for being is to exact justice without consequence, then you made a very good decision, but that is not your purpose.”

  “I never realized.” Evercloud ran his hands across his head, completely flabbergasted. “If my only reason for being is to end the Tyrant, I sacrifice the security of all
those around me. Everyone I love becomes marginalized.”

  Iolana smiled. “Do you now see why it is important for you to find a greater reason for being?”

  “My head hurts,” said Evercloud, smiling for what seemed like the first time in days.

  “Maybe this has been enough for today,” said Iolana with the glimmer of a laugh. “Let us leave this darkness and get some fresh air.”

  Evercloud and Iolana began walking toward the courtroom door, both feeling a little lighter than when they entered.

  “Iolana,” began Evercloud. “Do you know your reason for being?”

  “Yes. I think that I do.”

  “Would you tell it to me?”

  “Maybe someday.”

  Chapter 8: Eagle Feathers

  “Are you sure this place is safe?” asked Terrence.

  “I am,” assured Jared. “We’re surrounded by hills and trees, so no one will be able to see candlelight at a distance. Even standing upon one of the hills, you can’t tell that you’re looking down at a cabin. The roof is so old and overgrown with moss that it just looks like rock. You wouldn’t know this place was here unless you stumbled directly onto it. That’s how I found it. Don’t worry; I’ve hidden myself here many times. As long as we don’t light a fire, we’ll be fine.”

  Terrence nodded and he, Jared and Annie made their way into the dark, dank cabin, just as the sun was beginning to drain its light from the sky. It had been a long time since anyone had used this cabin as a permanent home. It looked so old, it seemed as if it might collapse in upon itself. There were only three windows, all black with filth, and the chimney had crumbled away enough to be indistinct.

  Jared’s right, thought Terrence. If I weren’t looking specifically for this cabin, I would never know it was here. As they swung the door open, the inside of the cabin revealed much of the same negligence inflicted upon the outside. Grass and toadstools had grown up through the floorboards. Terrence wondered if the floor would even support their weight. The room was stark; no furniture, just walls with cobwebs in their corners. The roof seemed secure enough. At least we’ll be dry if it rains.