by Lexy Wolfe
He waved towards Storm and Skyfire. "Two Githalin Swordanzen, the best of Desantiva's own, came to us. They, too, sought to begin healing the rifts that had grown between the four lands. But we failed. Every one of us bearing the Timeless One's blessing failed Her, the Sundered Lands, and ourselves. We Guardians of Time have neglected our duties to help the world heal because we neglected the most fundamental principle beyond lip service. We are the union of the lands. When we give ourselves to the Timeless One, we swear to protect the balance of all the lands. Not all of them except this one or that one. All of them!
"The archives of Fortress reach into the past, so we of the present can know who came before us. What struggles had come before, the victories and the failures, throughout time. They allow us to see the past because we have not the power to move freely through the rivers of time. To knowingly damage the archives is one of the gravest of sins." He looked at Turyd. "To knowingly destroy the past, to murder the souls of our brothers and sisters past, is perhaps the greatest of all sins.
"But to do so in an attempt to cast doubt on those who have offered their hands to us in friendship, who seek healing. To perpetuate the dormant war that lies beneath ignorance and falsehoods. That is unforgiveable." Tyrsan drew the heavy sword at his side grimly. "Turyd has been examined repeatedly, and the conclusion is irrefutable. While there may have been outside influence to fan his prejudice against the Desanti, he did not act out of insanity nor was he controlled or forced into the disgraceful actions he took. He freely chose to betray the Timeless One."
Closing his eyes, Tyrsan paused a moment to grieve before speaking again. "The laws are absolute in this matter. Turyd may be one of the eldest among us, but no one is outside our laws. His sentence is not the revocation of our mistress's blessing, but forfeiting his life in dishonor." He raised the sword over his head.
Mureln's eyes widened as he stared into the distance past Tyrsan, Nikkan's thoughts finally coalescing into clarity. The other na'Zhekali looked at him sharply when he whispered, "Assassin!" He reached out impotently. "Dulain!"
No sooner had Mureln cried out than Ash responded as well, holding both hands out and everything and everyone on the platform froze, as time itself stopped. Storm leapt onto the platform, snatching an arrow from the air just inches from Tyrsan's back and rolling into a crouch to look around with a glare.
Terrence caught Ash as the man staggered a step once the spell was released. The older Illaini looked up dizzily to watch Tyrsan's sword cleanly cleave Turyd's head from his shoulders as Storm caught another arrow. Looking bewildered, the Dulain staggered when Storm shoved him away with one hand, snatching yet another arrow from the air.
Lyra climbed onto the platform, ignoring the screams of panic around her as she drew her silkwood longbow, calmly pulling a single arrow back. As Storm caught a fourth arrow, Lyra released her shot. The arrows stopped coming towards them.
"You didn't kill her," Storm stated flatly, looking at the familiarly fletched arrows in her hand.
Lyra stared into the distance. "No. Something is not right. She is better than that. There should have been three times as many arrows in the span of those." She could not meet Storm's eyes. "Forgive me. I know you do not like leaving those who attack able to do so again, but only she can answer for her actions."
"You need not apologize." Storm rested her hand on Lyra's shoulder, a smile finally showing through the hardness from moments earlier. "You stopped her attack. You did well." She looked at the Dulain sharply when he snatched the arrows out of her hand.
Tyrsan's face was flushed with a tangle of emotions as he stared at the distinctive fletching. "Bella did this? But this makes no sense! She is one of my faction. I trusted her!" He bellowed towards a cluster of stunned Unsvet guards. "Bring her to me! Alive!!" He turned his furious gaze on the na'Zhekali. "The rest of you come with me." Throwing the blade aside in disgust, he stated to the dumbfounded guards on the platform, "Clear this area."
"Yes, sir," they chorused before hurriedly jumping to the grisly task. They averted their eyes from the ancient body of the former Archivist as it caught up to its actual age and began to disintegrate. The wind gusted and blew the dust into the sky, as if it, too, wished to obliterate the stain on Fortress's history.
Chapter 19
The group rose or turned as the pair of guardsmen entered the single-room building, Bella hanging limply in their arms. Without ceremony, they released her to let her drop heavily to the floor. Closest, Skyfire caught her before her head cracked against the stone floor. The two Unsvet guardsmen paled at the dark look he gave them.
Lyra's bleached wood arrow still protruded from Bella's shoulder. One of the guardsmen started to block Taylin from approaching the delirious woman but withered under her glare and backed away wordlessly. Both men quickly withdrew at Tyrsan's mute gesture of dismissal.
Removing the carry pack and handing Izkynder to his father, Taylin knelt by the archer, putting her hand around the arrow. Closing her eyes in concentration, she pulled the arrow out, focusing on healing the injury.
Storm frowned. "Something is wrong. Even at my worst, it did not take her this long to heal me."
Mureln hushed Izkynder unnecessarily, bouncing the boy in his arms. "Actually, there was one time it did. During the journey to the mainland from Desantiva when the dark water from the kraken had gotten in you. She can only heal the damage poisons cause, not purge the poisons themselves."
The others traded alarmed looks, Tyrsan scowling. "Bella has been poisoned?"
Eventually, Taylin sat back on her heels with a sigh. "She may be able to use her arm again. Eventually." The Sevmanan woman looked up at the Dulain. "If she survives. I barely managed to close the wound so she doesn't bleed to death. I am not sure what else the toxins in her system right now will do to her. I have too little experience to recognize any or their effects."
Lyra looked up sharply when Tyrsan glowered at her. "I do not use poisoned arrows!" She held up one of her arrows for proof.
Tyrsan squinted as he took the bloody arrow from Taylin, examining the arrowhead. "Crysalin... Where did you get these arrowheads, Adept Lyra?" He rubbed his thumb along the edge of the bloody stone. "I thought full Guardians were the only ones who used crysalin tips. I know they are the only ones who can find the stone and carve them."
Biting her lower lip, Lyra looked at the unconscious woman. "Bella gave them to me. She said the stone has a natural property that disrupts time shifters on this plane, especially when the archer focuses on his shot. And... she thought I would need them... b-before I earned my colors."
The Desanti Unsvet looked intently at Bella, talking aloud to himself. "This must have been what she was dreaming about... but why would she try to guard against herself unless..." Frowning as he stared at the fallen woman, Jaison knelt by Bella and gathered her into his arms. "She's 'touched,' Dulain," he stated flatly. "And not willingly. Get a holding jar!" Putting his hand over her chest, he spoke harshly. Bella twitched, face twisting in pain until Jaison jerked his hand away and she went completely limp. In his hand, an amorphous shadow twisted grotesquely like an angry snake trying to escape.
"What is that?" Mureln asked as he held Izkynder well away from them, the boy silent and wide-eyed.
"It's a time shifter called a ha'shadow," Jaison growled as he laid Bella down as gently as he could with one arm, Skyfire pillowing her head with his hands. He went to Tyrsan, putting the creature in the jar the Dulain brought. After the ha’shadow was placed in the smoked glass vessel, Tyrsan capped it securely. The jar rocked from the efforts of the entity imprisoned within.
"Why do you not banish it?" Storm asked. "Or kill it. It tried to kill you."
Tyrsan shook his head once. "A ha'shadow is not like other time shifters. They are normally relatively harmless. Barely sentient. They think well enough to know when they are in danger to try to escape. But they are easily manipulated, for those who know how." He scowled darkly. "They are used by others to
puppet their victims."
Growling, Tyrsan punched the wall in frustration, the plaster fracturing around the point of impact. "Someone tried to use Bella to kill me. Whether the attempt succeeded or failed, if Adept Lyra had not disrupted the ha'shadow before it could escape or be retrieved by its users, Bella would have taken the blame." He moved the jar to sit in a box that prevented it from rocking off the table's edge. "I will need the ha'shadow to trace back who is behind this. Though I suspect they have already blurred their tracks."
Petal emerged from Terrence's pocket, flying down to sit on Bella's chest. The tiny creature knelt, laying her ear against the woman's breast to listen. Fluttering to Bella's head, she reached down and pulled out a wicked looking thorn. Sniffing the bloody point, she took wing in fright. "Is bad bad! Someone poison twice." Shaking the thorn, she said, "This new. Slow. But--"
Bella gasped, eyes wild as she suddenly began struggling to breathe. Jaison caught her hand, looking alarmed. "She is suffocating."
Catching the fluttering sprite, Terrence asked, "Can you stop the poisons?"
"If I can finding beetle with poison does opposite this one, yes," Petal confirmed. She squeaked as he tossed her through the open window.
Terrence's eyes were dark with worry. "Go, quickly! Bella does not have much time!" The sprite needed no other encouragement, disappearing. "Taylin, can you at least mend the damage the poison is doing until she can return? Like you had with Storm and Ash when they suffered black water poisoning?"
"I'm trying. But this is worse. There are multiple toxins I must fight." Taylin bit her lip, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she focused on combating the poison's effects. "The deterioration is happening too fast," she managed to say. "I cannot keep up."
Still weary from holding back time to save Tyrsan's life from Bella's arrows, Ash wordlessly dropped to his knees at Bella's feet, closing his eyes as he held his hands towards the struggling woman, murmuring under his breath. Taylin relaxed a little as she healed, looking up at Ash with awe-touched gratitude. "He is slowing time around her. It will buy more time for Petal."
"He cannot keep it up for too long." Storm watched Ash with worry. "Holding back time is like trying to hold back the ragewinds."
Nearly a half hour passed before Petal returned, wrestling a large, evil looking insect that was half her size, its mandibles clacking loudly. Petal's scolding was high pitched and loud, making everyone cringe. The insect's stinger sank deeply into Bella's neck before it broke free of Petal's grip to fly towards the ceiling.
As the insect swooped towards Mureln and Izkynder, the chitan crawled out of Izkynder's baby pack and intercepted the insect, killing it quickly. Petal was incensed. "Buggy was only scared. Killing buggy not nice!" Chitta hissed balefully in response, circling around to offer his prize to Izkynder.
Mureln swatted the creature off his shoulder. "No, no sharing venomous prey with my son, you little beast." Chitta chattered reproachfully and landed on the top of the door frame to eat the dead insect. The humans just shuddered at the happy chirring, and quite loud, crunching.
Pushing himself to his feet dazedly, Ash staggered backwards a few steps. "Ash!" Storm caught him and eased him back down to his knees. The mage was barely conscious, his head on her shoulder. She patted his cheek lightly, trying to rouse him. "Ash?" she repeated urgently. "Ash, please be okay. Ash!"
Weakly, Ash put one arm around her shoulders, grabbing her opposite shoulder to help keep upright. He managed a tired, pain-filled smile. "What? No scolding me for pushing myself too far?"
"Scold you? Should I? Would it make you feel better? I will if it will help," Storm asked with such innocent sincerity those around them could not help but laugh.
Closing his eyes, Ash leaned against Storm as he laughed weakly. "Oh, beloved. What am I going to do with you?" The Desanti woman's bewilderment only made their laughter more relieved.
As both time began to flow normally and the insect's venom countered the poison, Bella gasped and flailed like someone who had been drowning, taking deep breaths. Jaison helped her sit up against his legs, the elevation easing her efforts to breathe. Tyrsan knelt by the woman as she finally began to relax. "Do you remember what happened to you?" he asked her pointedly.
Bella squinted up at Tyrsan, having trouble focusing her vision. "I shot you?" she asked. He nodded, expression grim. A trembling hand rested on Tyrsan's wrist, Bella's expression contorted with regret and despair. "I don't know... what happened exactly. Was... was coming in from patrol for execution. Something... something stung me and I... I couldn't move. Then some... someone put that... that ha'shadow in me and--" The horror of the experience filled her expression as she fumbled for his hand. "I didn't... I didn't want t-to... was like watching... someone else. I tried to stop... but I couldn't..." She hissed, trying to reach for her wounded shoulder. "Gods, hurts. Can't move my arm."
"She had been poisoned twice. My guess, the second was given before the guards reached her. The second poison reacted with the first," Taylin reported, her voice without inflection. "It was literally trying to eat her from within until Petal found that bug to counter the effects." She put her hand on Bella's head gently, her voice apologetic. "The damage from the injury from Lyra's arrow may be permanent. I will not be able to say with any certainty until the toxins are fully purged. I am sorry."
Bella blinked at Taylin, then closed her eyes. "I may not be able to use my arm?" Her words were less a question than a statement of fact, spoken with so little inflection, the others looked away in grief for the Vodani archer. "A just punishment then." Opening her eyes, Bella looked at Tyrsan again. "Lyra shot me?" the fallen Unsvet asked weakly. She followed Tyrsan's glance towards the Forentan archer Adept. Bella squinted up at Lyra for a long moment then smiled encouragingly. "Good shot, Adept. I knew you had it in you." Lyra closed her eyes, managing to return the smile.
"Now what?" Emil asked sourly. "Whoe'er did this still be out there. Likely will be tryin' again, too. Maybe do worse." Tyrsan did not have an answer, crossing his arms as he thought silently. Looking down at Bella, he opened his mouth to speak when he was abruptly interrupted.
"Bella stays with us," Skyfire stated flatly. He stood behind Lyra, his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "We na'Zhekali will protect her until the enemy is found."
Bella shook her head. "I-I could not burden you... Not one of you--"
"You are one of us," Jaison said soothingly, taking her good hand and drawing it to his lips to kiss lightly. "You are our friend."
"I do not understand these Guardian factions or how to know who belongs to them. But the na'Zhekali protect their allies as much as their tribe." Storm's words were firm, though her gaze was on Tyrsan rather than Bella. "She is not at fault for this."
Tyrsan smiled grimly. "The ha'shadow is proof enough Bella was not acting of her own accord. I do not assign any guilt to her." His expression tightened when the Vodani woman cried out in pain as Jaison got her in his arms to carry.
Terrence traded a look with Ophilia, both concerned. The woman stated boldly, "You are in as much danger as she is. She may have been the weapon, but you were the target."
The Dulain shook his head, raising a hand to forestall arguments. "Bella needs protection more than I. I can guard myself against treachery, but if I were to hide away now, whoever is threatening Sanctuary will be emboldened." He met Storm's glare steadily, arching an eyebrow when she turned that glare towards the gypsies who both smirked and nodded, as though answering her.
"Eh, we'll hang 'round," Emil announced casually, indicating Emaris with a thumb. "Jus' in case ye need any help, what wi' Jaison bein' distracted an' Bella out o' commission."
The gypsy's statement mollified Storm, who turned her attention back to Ash, her fury melting into worry for him. "Now it is you who needs to rest for pushing against your limits." Ash nodded, putting his arm around Terrence as the other Illaini moved to help Storm get the man to his feet. She paused and leveled a look on Emil and
Emaris, her voice chilling. "This stinks of Dremmen. Find me proof so when I next see him, I can rip his beating heart from his chest and show it to him before he knows the oblivion that is hell beyond death. Just as I had done with Sumalen."
A swell of horrified revulsion by those who had witnessed Storm's ruthless dispatching of the darkborn Sumalen rippled through the bayuli-volsha to the others. Even Tyrsan was shaken by the depth of Storm's visceral hatred.
Chapter 20
Emil glanced over his shoulder as he walked into the grotto by the na'Zhekali's quarters when he felt a hand on his arm and one covering his mouth. Familiar with Itena's presence, he turned to frown at her. "Where were ye?" he whispered harshly. "I been lookin' fer ye fer days! I began thinkin' Dremmen or someone done found th' grotto and drove ye out. Or worse!"
Itena looked over his shoulder furtively, pulling him behind the thick, treelike ferns near the cavern wall. "The wandering clan has left on the journey back into Sevmanan territory. I could not come seek you out until I saw them off. They must travel while the weather holds." She hugged him unexpectedly. "All of Fortress has been up in arms since the execution." Beneath her naturally dark complexion, she was pale with fear. "I used to watch over all of you by scrying, but that had become increasingly difficult until recently it has been utterly impossible." Anxiously, she looked into his eyes searchingly. "What happened to you?! I have not been able to see anyone of the Dusvet's students or even the remaining members of the Dulain's faction in my visions for many days!" She clasped his hand, pressing it against her cheek as if to reassure he was real and alive. "I was worried the shadows swallowed you all."
Emil blinked, startled. "Ye could na scry any of us?"
"It is as if you did not exist at all," Itena said softly. "I risked discovery telling you where to meet me while helping bring breakfast. I just had to reassure myself you were unharmed." He could not help but put a protective arm around her when she began trembling. "That I did not even foresee the Dulain being attacked frightens me to my core." She closed her eyes. "I cannot serve my gods if I am blind to the dangers."