General Rolnir stood looking down into what remained of the ruins. His burly arms were folded across his chest. Confusion stitched across his brow. Nothing in the last few moments had made any sense. An ill feeling clung to his nerves.
“Have the scouts reported anything yet?” Aurec asked from Rolnir’s side.
“Nothing. I fear Bahr’s group has met their doom.”
Aurec wasn’t so sure. There was no explanation of the gathered darkness nor the purity of light immediately following. Rather than waiting for his mind to conjure ghouls and stark images, he struggled to find conversation. “What do you suppose that was? All the light and dark?”
“Hard to say. I almost felt…a divine presence in the world,” Rolnir admitted. The notion proved particularly disturbing. He’d never placed much faith in gods, light or dark, and to have come within the presence of so many at once threatened to tear the fragile constructs of his mind. “And now this,” he gestured to the haunting glow in the sky. “It should be the middle of the night yet we stand in an ethereal landscape void of either light or dark. Are we dead?”
“I don’t feel dead,” Aurec said. “This is…something else. Maybe Bahr succeeded after all? The wizard seemed convinced this was the day of reckoning. They might have won.”
“Perhaps. We’ll find out soon enough. Dawn is approaching,” Rolnir added. “I figure if the dark gods were freed we won’t see the dawn.”
They waited in silence for a time, apprehensive towards the dawn. Aurec’s eyes stayed focused on the ruins. All friendly forces had been pulled back to form a perimeter once it was established what remained of the enemy was gone. Aurec wasn’t willing to risk any further casualties without need. Sending Mahn and Raste in to find Bahr went against his better judgment but he needed to know.
Aurec spied movement amidst the rubble. It took a few moments before he was able to make out his scouts. Instant relief washed through him but was quickly replaced by excitement. Several others follow Mahn and Raste, the largest towering over them all. He tapped Rolnir’s forearm and gestured. Without a word between them the duo headed towards the perimeter to greet the incoming.
Excitement instantly turned into panic the moment Aurec saw Groge carrying Maleela’s limp body. He rushed to them with cold dread in his heart. The others continued to limp his way, oblivious to his silent concern. They were exhausted and near broken. All bore haunting stares that saw past what was before them. They struggled to accept what they’d just been through and, for some, it was a reckoning that would take years to accomplish.
Mahn cleared his throat. “Sire, it’s finished. The enemy has been defeated. Delranan is safe again.”
“Maleela? Is she….” He let the thought trail off, suddenly afraid of asking.
Bahr stepped forward, limping heavily on his right side. “She lives. I had to knock her out to keep her from getting hurt. She’ll be fine soon enough.”
Aurec was speechless. So many questions bothered him. What had happened beneath the ground? Where were the others? Was this war truly finished? As if sensing his confusion, Rolnir stepped in to shake Bahr’s hand.
“You look terrible,” the general offered. “I trust you did what needed to be done?”
He scanned the group, noting how a few of them were missing from the ranks.
Bahr nodded. “It is. The dark gods are gone. The Dae’shan dead. We lost a few friends along the way but the deed is finished. We can finally move on with our lives.”
Even as he said it Bahr knew it was easier said than done. Personally he’d never be the same again. He was irrevocably changed. Bahr turned his gaze to the breaking dawn and said no more.
Rolnir sympathized with him. He’d lost thousands of soldiers in the past day, over a fifth of the Wolfsreik. While the army could be rebuilt, the sheer amount of quality veteran lost was irreplaceable. His kingdom was another matter. Kingless, Delranan would struggle for generations. No matter which way he looked at the problem, Rolnir found no easily obtainable solution. His life would be dedicated to rebuilding all that was lost.
“Where do we go from here?” he asked to no one in particular.
Only the wind replied.
Maleela awoke slowly. She winced as the pain in her head instantly assaulted her. Her eyes took awhile to focus and when they did she found Aurec staring longingly back at her. Her first instinct was to recoil, thinking he’d come to do her harm. Vague memories of her deeds in the service of the dark mocked who she was. The Dae’shan influence dissolved the instant Amar Kit’han was destroyed, freeing her mind and soul.
“Aurec…I….” She fell into tears, ashamed of what she’d done.
He swept in to take her sobbing figure in his strong arms and pulled her close. Aurec whispered into her hair, “It’s all right. You’re back with me now and I swear I will never allow harm to befall you again. I love you, Maleela.”
She gripped him tightly, as if afraid to let go. “I love you too.”
* * * * *
Ingrid clutched Orlek’s hand. The fighter had recovered from his wounds well enough to hobble about. He insisted on limping to an audience with King Aurec. She suspected he was withholding information but couldn’t pry it out of him. The smug look he bore was proof enough as they entered Aurec’s pavilion.
Aurec let them stand for a moment before speaking. He still claimed to not be ready to wear the crown but was growing accustomed to the idea of being in charge. “Ingrid, out of respect for your actions and your losses I think it only fitting that you are bestowed a proper gift. One worthy of a regent.”
“Sire, I don’t need any…excuse me?” she said, changing direction mid-sentence.
Both he and Maleela smiled warmly. “You heard me right. We are making you Regent of Delranan. I can think of no better person to lead this kingdom out of the dark hole it is now in. But there is more.”
Ingrid struggled to maintain her composure. “Go on. I’m listening.”
“Delranan will no longer be an independent kingdom, nor will Rogscroft. Maleela and I are combining our two kingdoms into one. Together it is our hope that we will maintain peace and order throughout northern Malweir for many long days to come. Rolnir has already been appointed General of the Army and plans are being fleshed out for permanent bases across the kingdoms. Never again will evil be allowed to thrive in the north. Are you comfortable with this decision?”
She pursed her lips. Ingrid was a natural leader, but a regent in what amounted to a small empire? She didn’t know if she could handle that or not. Of course, with Orlek at her side, she felt as if she was ready to take on the world. “Yes sire, I believe I am. Thank you for this opportunity.”
“No, it is we who owe you the thanks. Without your guidance all that was good in Delranan might already have been lost,” Maleela told her.
The two embraced as sisters, leaving a smug Orlek grinning like a child.
* * * * *
Groge tilted his head back, enjoying the brisk spring breeze. The snows had melted and life was returning to Delranan. His hand was still wrapped in heavy bandages, though he doubted it needed the care. Burned to the bone, Groge accepted the wound and pain for services rendered. The Blud Hamr had flared with burning magic as it struck the Olagath Stone. Both Stone and Hamr exploded, their purpose in this world accomplished. Groge had been burned in the process but it was a small price.
The surviving Giants unanimously elected him their new leader. It was an unexpected role he wasn’t prepared to accept but they wouldn’t allow him to back away. He was a proven warrior now and it was his right to rule. The savior of the free world deserved no less.
“Feels strange, doesn’t it?”
Groge looked down with a fond smile as Ironfoot strode up to him. The Dwarf brandished a fresh set of rank epaulettes denoting his promotion. “It makes me wonder what the world is coming to. I never wanted to be a leader, just a forge master.”
“Huh, I guess I never wanted to be a general. There’s no
way King Thord will let me scamper off on any quests or missions again,” the stalwart Dwarf replied with a hint of disdain.
“I shall miss you, my friend,” Groge told him. “It has been an honor to fight alongside you. Dwarves and Giants once shared their knowledge of the forge. I believe the time has come to do so once again.”
“What do you mean?” Ironfoot asked. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Groge broke into a grin. His massive teeth, crooked and stained, reflected sunlight. “Thord has agreed to exchange smiths in order to regain what was lost. You are going to escort the Dwarves of Drimmen Delf to Venheim and remain until he calls you home.”
Ironfoot opened and closed his mouth before barking a deep laugh. “It looks as if I’ll have myself another adventure after all!”
Together, Dwarf and Giant returned to their camp. They had much to plan before leaving.
* * * * *
Thord was the last Dwarf to leave the battlefield. He watched, assisting when the mood struck, as the dead and wounded were removed to either be taken to the massive funeral pyres constructed on the edge of the camp site, or to the overflowing surgeon’s tents. Great sorrow settled upon him, for he had lost much.
The army of Drimmen Delf accounted themselves as only Dwarves could. They reaped a terrible harvest of Goblin lives but at great cost. Close to half of the army was dead or wounded. It would take generations for the community to recover.
“What is to become of us?”
He turned to look up into Faeldrin’s eyes. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“Of course it does. This war has changed everything. The world we knew is already fading. Tomorrow presents a brand new challenge for all peoples to accept. I do not enjoy the thought of returning to Elvenara with this news. The old ways are dead.”
“Some old ways should have died long ago,” Thord replied.
“Indeed. I shall have my Aeldruin attend the funeral services of your Dwarves. It was an honor to fight alongside you…friend.”
“The honor was ours. Dwarf and Elf. We’ve never been stalwart friends.”
He grinned through his beard, brownish teeth clashing with his hair.
Faeldrin’s thin lips remained pressed for a moment. “Perhaps it is time to end that. Change is, after all, coming whether we wish it or not.”
“I can live with that,” Thord said, making a show of running fat fingers through his beard.
“My Elves depart after the wedding. If you’ll have us, we will accompany you back to Drimmen Delf. I admit to having an affection for your ale.”
“Ha! It takes you Elves far too long to get drunk,” Thord replied, “But I accept the challenge.”
Elf and Dwarf stood for a moment longer, their minds trying to forget the horrors conducted on the battlefield.
* * * * *
No one ever saw Inaella again. Some say she went mad and was lost to the last winter storm, her body devoured by wolves. Search parties scoured the kingdom, for she was a severe threat. Life would go on in Delranan, her memory slowly fading into obscurity. The fate of Inaella, once noble-born, devolved into mystery.
On cold winter nights, the coldest of course, travelers came to bear witness to a terrible wraith-like creature stalking the countryside. Emaciated, dressed in tattered robes, the creature strode across the snow covered fields moaning like a banshee. Future legends would name it a witch-woman and a warning to avoid the frozen wastes of western Delranan spread.
* * * * *
Dorl Theed knelt beside the freshly dug grave. He was speechless. Nothol Coll was his best friend and it had nearly broken his heart to return to Arlevon Gale to collect the remains. What little remained of Nothol had been hard to view. No one deserved to die in such a manner and it was all Dorl could do to keep his stomach. Rekka Jel had helped. Her impassive demeanor made the task easier.
They gathered Nothol’s remains and brought them home to a sleepy village south of Chadra where Nothol had grown up. He was given a quiet funeral with but a handful of guests to bear witness. Bahr and the others were there, as were Aurec and Rolnir, Ingrid, Thord, and Krek. It seemed only fitting for the leaders to be present.
That was days ago and only Dorl and Rekka remained. Their bags were packed. Horses were saddled in preparation for the long trip southeast.
Rekka’s slender hand offered just enough pressure to his shoulder to reassure him of her presence. “He was a good man. One of honor.”
“He was my friend,” Dorl replied. “I will miss him.”
“That is good since you will have to explain to little Nothol how he got his name,” Rekka said with a smile.
Dorl’s head snapped up in confusion. “What are you…what do you mean?”
She laughed and hugged him fiercely. “I believe it is time for me to put down my sword and look to starting a family. A son would be a fitting tribute to Nothol Coll.”
Dorl Theed spun her around three times before setting her back down. The ride south wasn’t going to be half as bad as he imagined.
* * * * *
Trumpets blared out across the land. After nearly a year of continued hardship and warfare, peace had settled across the north. Thousands of citizens from Rogscroft, Delranan, and the Pell Darga clans converged on the growing city of Grunmarrow for the wedding of Aurec and Maleela. Their union would cement the bonds of fellowship between kingdoms and usher in a new age of prosperity. Envoys had already been sent south to Averon and the King was in attendance. Seldom were the times when such grand affairs kissed the world.
Pacing nervously in her chambers behind the wedding chapel, Maleela wrung her hands. She’d loved Aurec from the moment they’d met. This day never seemed like it would arrive. She was scared and excited. The combination of emotions threatened to make her go crazy before stepping out in front of so many people.
“Relax, you’re already queen in all but name,” Bahr told her.
He was the one person allowed in her chambers before the wedding once she’d succeeded in shooing away her attendants. Being the only family she had left, he was her rock during this storm. That didn’t do much to ease her nerves.
“I’m trying to but it’s not every day one gets married and crowned at the same time,” she told him.
He chuckled softly, admiring the way this young lady had grown into a responsible individual. Through no part of my own, nor her father’s.
“If anyone deserves this moment it is you,” he said.
She stopped and looked him in the eyes. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
Letting out a deep breath, Bahr replied, “After the wedding. I’ve done all that was asked of me and it is time to move on. Don’t think I won’t return to check up on you from time to time, though. You may be a queen but you’ve not a quarter of the experience I do.”
“I’ve only just now gotten you into my life, Uncle. I don’t know what to say,” Maleela said while trying to keep the tears from coming.
Bahr embraced his niece for the last time. Sadness clung to the corners of his eyes. “I love you, child. Your mother would have been proud of you. Now go, before you make this old man cry. You’ve a husband to accept.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” Maleela said and hugged him fiercely around the neck.
EPILOGUE
The roads wound across the face of the world, stretching endlessly in sheer amazement for Skuld. Born a street rat in Chadra, he was now a hero of the realm, whatever that meant, and a valuable friend to some of the most important people in Malweir. Never in his wildest imaginations did he think he’d live long enough to see the end of the war much less the dawn of a new chapter in his life.
Youthful eyes stared out across the landscape, absorbing all he could in passing. The world was wide and far and he’d live several lifetimes before seeing it all. Skuld wasn’t too keen on spending so much time wandering the back roads and using his years collecting knowledge. His travelling companion felt otherwise.
Anienam Keiss, once
last descendant of the order of Mages, had been granted life eternal by the gods of light and made custodian of Malweir until they deemed it necessary to return. His battle with the Dae’shan had left him near death, perhaps making it easier for him to pass into this new life. Now he was the only Dae’shan. His role was to replace Artiss Gran as the defender of Trennaron and to replenish the ranks to four. The quest would last long after his friends and companions were dust in the ground, but time no longer concerned him. Eternal, Anienam meant to right all of the wrongs committed through the years out of his lack of vision.
“Anienam, what is Ipn Shal like?” Skuld asked when the tedium of endless roads grew too much.
“Naught more than well-preserved ruins these days I’m afraid. Time has not been kind to magic users,” the wizard replied.
“Can it be made great again?”
Anienam smiled from within his gossamer hood. His flowing white robes were pristine in their innocence. “I’ve dreamed of the day when Ipn Shal returned to its former glory and became a place for the wealth of knowledge of all races. Those days are returning. I can feel it in my soul. Others will soon come to join you, Skuld. It will not stand empty for long.”
“But the magic failed before. What can prevent it from doing so again?” the boy asked.
Anienam was both pleased and impressed with his train of thought. “The gods are gone now, Skuld, both light and dark. Their influences are removed from the world and they have given us all free will to make what we will of the future. I cannot promise the road ahead will be easy, nor should it be. With great wisdom comes even greater responsibility. You are now charged with rebuilding all that was lost. I think your hardest task will be in convincing the leaders of the world to allow their subjects free practice of magic. The Mage Wars were long ago but many kingdoms continue to maintain…protective policies designed to prevent another war.
“This is an exciting time, young Skuld. No matter how difficult you find the road ahead, always remember that I shall never be far away. As the guardian of Trennaron it is my responsibility to ensure the world uses magic wisely. It would not do well to squander the gifts of the gods. Together I believe we can forge a better world.”
Even Gods Must Fall Page 35