by Thomas Green
An innocent question, one which reminded Zerae that, despite all their common past, Beatrice was an enemy commander, one who would use any information Zerae revealed against her. She realized she should have cared more about that. “Mathilde’s obsession to find the Faceless Goddess has progressed. She sold us all to the demon princes for empty promises.” She hated the mere thought. Yes, the purebloods proved that the Goddess had to exist, but they had no indication of how could they ever find her.
To pivot the topic, Zerae pointed at a framed picture of two children standing on the cabinet. “Hmm?”
“My kids, Layla and Nikki, twelve, and fourteen. They live in Xona with my husband.”
Zerae’s heart sunk, but she did her best to hide it. “I had never thought you would be the family type.”
“Me neither. I would say I’m not, but my husband thought otherwise, and well, here I am, a mother of two. Quite the change from running an assassination squad.”
“Don’t tell me you stopped doing that.”
Beatrice’s face twisted into a vicious smile. “Officially.”
“Come to think of it, I saw Connie around.”
“All the original members are still in it, all aside from Astril. Did the admiral give you the amulet?”
Zerae arched an eyebrow. “What amulet?”
Beatrice rose to return to the cabinet and grabbed a Palai amulet from a pile of ten other amulets, all the same as the one she took. She studied its rear for a moment before handing it to Zerae. “Wear this when you sleep, for it’s how the Dreamwalker will find you.”
Zerae’s mouth gaped. “How?”
“Oh, and as you focus on it before sleep, you need to say the activation phrase, For my battle ends at dawn, the last dawn of my soul, the dawn of the thousand suns.”
“Right. Do you have a quill and paper? I have to write you the passphrase for my soul chamber defenses.”
Beatrice handed her what she asked for. Zerae stared at the empty sheet for a moment. The soul chamber was the place that held all the owner’s memories, dreams, and imagination. A skilled enough dream walker could view all of that without her knowing. She had no desire of revealing all of herself to a stranger. But the lives of her sisters were more critical. She closed her eyes and scribbled down the passphrase.
Beatrice took the paper and sat down by a report-filled table. “Feel free to use the bed. I will need to work through most of the night, but I will wake you up at dawn.”
“Before I do, how many Sil Haen serve in the Order’s armies? I have seen quite a few.”
“About eighty in my legion alone, few hundreds around the fleet, likely more in the entire Order. It suits us well.”
“I can see why. Captain… that would make you the highest ranked Sil Haen in the Palai Order.”
Beatrice formed a playful smile. “Nice try, but no, I cannot tell any details about the others.”
So there is someone higher. “I suppose you aren’t allowed to tell me her name.”
“No, sorry.”
Zerae smiled. “I understand. I guess a bath would be too much to ask.”
“The sea is all around us, but if you meant one with non-salty water, well, that’s not happening. Being salty gets a whole new meaning in the fleet.”
Zerae laughed.
Beatrice shook her head. “Good night. It’s nice to see not all the Sil Haen have lost their heart.”
“Not for the lack of trying,” Zerae whispered as she walked to the bed. Her coat fell to the ground with a heavy thud. She moved the messed-up duvets not to drench them before she crashed onto the sheets, falling asleep in the next second.
***
In the morning, as Beatrice led Zerae to the boat to take her back to the other Sil Haen, she saw broken pieces of ships filled the surrounding sea. On those fragments lay hundreds of bodies of the Sil Haen while the Palai soldiers were dragging them onto the boats where they passed them to the healers to either verify death or help pump the water out of their lungs.
Did she do that… alone? Zerae found no words. As she descended the net to reach the rowing boat where the giant of an Alnil priest awaited her, she glimpsed Luna lying among the bodies, asleep.
15
Lucas
Lucas stood atop the watchtower of the town where they killed the demon champion, gazing at the ravine splitting the plains half a mile east from the walls. The city itself has been turned into a fort. Barricades, shelters, ballistae, and nets lay spread all over the streets and houses, borrowing it the feeling of a fortress.
Zoey stepped to his side, her thick braid of black hair weaving around her neck. “You don’t know what to do with gold, do you?”
Lucas smiled as he scanned the heavy chainmail she wore while she held a poleaxe over her shoulder. “How’s the new armor?”
“The mail is riveted, so it’s not the worst I could get, but it’s also not a plate. The gambeson is tolerable though. Are you sure the defenses will do anything?”
“Depends on who comes. I’m expecting the Ebilezerhar to make a move to catch us, in which case the fortifications will be a significant help.”
Zoey raised an eyebrow. “And what if the prince himself shows up?”
“He won’t. Ebilezerhar is too proud to go do the dirty work when he has enough minions to do it for him.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I am not even surprised that you know him so well. What if Kayleanne appears?”
His heart jumped at the mention of the name. He kept his face impassive, and by Zoey’s lack of reaction, she didn’t notice. “She should be too busy in the east.”
“Nice try, but you aren’t avoiding the question that easily.”
“Depends.” He shrugged. “How is Raven for a sparring partner?”
“Entertaining, though I cannot miss you use him to get rid of me.”
She was far too perceptive for him to spend too much time around her. “There are things only Palai knows.”
“Like your main aether manifestation?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
She laughed. “We both know the soulstep isn’t your main manifestation. But I suppose I won’t see the real thing unless I make you use it myself.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That sounded like a challenge.”
“No. I can’t fight you seriously without revealing my identity, so we need to postpone our duel for later.”
Lucas leaned onto the railing, motioning to the horizon where a dark cloud marred the azure sky. “You should be more worried about those.”
Zoey took his side, letting the wind carry the scent of her lilac perfume to Lucas. “Kayleanne’s demons?”
“Yes. Her forces will attack tonight.”
***
Lucas stood within the watchtower, listening to the raging storm. The heavy raindrops pummeled a strange tune onto the roof above his head while the occasional thunder deafened his ears. The lights of the town were all but drowned while thick clouds devoured the sky, making the night as dark as nights got.
A beating of wings echoed through the air. One pair, then another, and then many more. A swarm of flying monsters soon circled around the city, filling his nose with the foul stench of demons. Lucas lit a lantern within the watchtower to signal the others and soulstepped to the next watchtower, hearing the demons fluttering to the place he left.
Lightning crossed the sky, and he saw Raven walking upon the roof of the town hall, his snow-white armor visible even in the minimum light.
“You come to fight me alone? Have you lost your mind?” a sharp, female voice shouted from above. Another lightning slashed the heavens, revealing a woman dressed in blue robes sitting atop a gargantuan, albino griffin.
Kayleanne. Lucas’ heart jumped within his chest. He searched through his memory to remember the mark next to which he left Zoey and soulstepped into the shelter. “We need to run. Plan F, exit three.”
A boom echoed from the side. He leapt out to see Raven
crawling to his feet behind a wooden house he flew through.
Kayleanne’s laugh pierced the air. “That was it? Kill them!”
The swarm of wings descended upon the city. Horrendous beasts, twisted blends of birds and demons, attacked from all sides.
Lucas summoned his spear to stab the first four demons that approached and soulstepped to Raven. “Plan F, exit three.”
With glazed eyes, Raven stood dazed, staring into nowhere with drops of blood staining his armor at the side of his chest.
Lucas smacked him between the ribs. “Focus!”
He nodded, his eyes refocused as if he awoke into reality.
The bird demons descended upon them. Lucas cleared the surrounding demons, his spear but a blur of death, and soulstepped to Zoey, who was trying to slash her way to the exit they had prepared.
Over his shoulder, he saw Raven weaving through the swarm of demons, cutting whatever crossed his path.
A massive harpy dove onto Lucas. He slid away from its talons to stab its ankle. The harpy screeched, releasing a swift blast of force at him, throwing him back into another demon.
Lucas whirled mid-air to kick a twisted eagle, soulstepped to Zoey and caught a javelin an inch before her face. He turned to Kayleanne who flew on her mount in front of him while Zoey slid beyond, disappearing in the hidden door within the wall. “Javelins, really?”
Kayleanne smiled. “Works well on the small fry. Which reminds me—” she motioned her hand and two giants harpies dove at Lucas. He dodged the talons, stabbing at their legs.
Over his shoulder, he glimpsed Kayleanne grabbing a lance from behind her saddle and descending toward Raven in a gliding charge. A smaller snake demon dug from the ground and bit Lucas above the ankle. Pain burst from his leg.
He kicked around, but the snake demon’s fangs held firm in his calf. I have to kill this to soulstep. He whirled to avoid the harpy talons and grabbed the snake.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Raven planting his kite shield to block Kayleanne’s charge. Her lance bent the shield and pierced his pauldron. The impact lifted Raven into the air, making him shout out with pain. Lucas tore the demon from his leg and soulstepped to Kayleanne’s side to stab at her hand.
She let go of her lance to avoid the strike, throwing him a smug smile while drawing her blade, a longsword with a blade crafted out of a single sapphire. She slashed at Lucas, her swing but a blur of blue light.
He weaved away, soulstepped to Raven and pulled the lance out of him, releasing a fountain of blood from his shoulder while giving him a stern look. “Plan F, exit three.”
Raven nodded, his face twisted with pain.
Kayleanne flew up to turn her griffin, readying for another charge while her demons swarmed around them.
Raven beelined for the exit, cutting only what stood straight in front of him.
Lucas soulstepped to a roof of a house on the side. He released a chain from the barricade to fix its end by the chimney.
As Kayleanne flew past him, he threw the free end of the chain into the air, soulstepped to it, grabbed it and caught the back leg of the griffin, tying a loop.
The chain stretched, making the beast stop, throwing Kayleanne from the saddle. She whirled midair, splashing around mud as she landed on her feet, and instantly charged Raven.
He took a stance and readied himself. As she approached, he slashed at her face. Kayleanne ducked beneath the swing and rammed her shoulder into him.
Raven flew away as if hit by a two-ton bull, smashing onto town walls with his back. Kayleanne was at him within an instant, swinging her blade in a full arc. He parried the strike. She turned the slash into a spin and kicked him in the chest, pinning him to the wall while her steel heel bent his breastplate, digging into the flesh straight above his heart.
Lucas soulstepped to the griffin and stabbed its back knee, making the beast shriek with pain.
Kayleanne whirled, letting go of Raven, and dashed toward Lucas, mud splashing around her as she blasted through the distance between them.
When she was almost at him, Lucas soulstepped to Raven, grabbed him by the good shoulder and pushed him through the exit, bumping into Zoey. “We need to fight our way to the river east before Kayleanne gets her griffin from the chain.”
Zoey raised an eyebrow. “Fight?”
Lightning split the sky, revealing hundreds of snake demons that surrounded the town, making Zoey’s face freeze.
Raven coughed out blood as he tried to say something.
“Take him, and I will clear the path.” Lucas pushed Raven to Zoey and soulstepped to the snake demons, spreading death everywhere his spear touched.
While the bird demons flocked out of the city to pursue them, Zoey dashed after him, carrying Raven over her shoulder. Lucas’ world turned into a whirlwind of fangs, beaks, claws, scales, blood, and pain, lots of pain. He lost time of how many hits he received, focusing on carving the path ahead and nothing else.
The edge of the ravine opened before them. Lucas whirled, grabbed Zoey by her arm and threw her down together with Raven before leaping down himself. The snake demons followed.
Zoey turned her head toward him as they fell. “Can’t the snakes swim?”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “And?”
They landed, ice-cold water devouring them like a hungry beast. The river’s current swept them as if they weighed nothing.
The demons swam toward them. Lucas soulstepped the spear into his soul chamber and withdrew a broken sword, a mere hilt with an inch of the blade. He focused and an edge of pure darkness formed from the hilt.
The first snake demon approached. Lucas spun to cut the monster in two, the darkness passing through the water as if it wasn’t there.
He soulstepped to the next snake demon to end its misery, continuing until wiped out their pursuers and soulstepped to Zoey.
She held Raven’s unconscious body, maneuvering between the rocks scattered through the river while trying to reach the surface to draw air.
Lucas grabbed her by the armor to jerk her up, allowing her to catch her breath. “Aim for the crack.”
“The what?”
The river ended by a waterfall dropping into a chasm, catapulting them into a free fall. Below them lay a pond while from the top, Kayleanne was descending on her griffon, lance in hand.
Lucas focused his aether on marking the water in the pond, forming a hexagonal shape out of the marks he used for soulsteps. They fell fast, but Kayleanne was faster.
When his mind was done measuring the area, he flicked his wrist. The water from the pond disappeared and reappeared in the space between them and Kayleanne.
She crashed into the block of liquid, ending her charge.
Lucas soulstepped to Zoey to straighten Raven’s body, aiming at the crack at the bottom of the now-waterless pond.
Zoey tried to copy his move, eyes wide. “You’re kidding, right?”
Lucas soulstepped to her to push her so she would hit the crack. They fell through into an underground river. The water greeted them with an icy grasp, its current sweeping them like dolls made of straws.
Zoey reached the surface, gasping for air. “Tell me this was the last waterfall.”
He shook his head.
The river carried them through the caverns before reaching a massive waterfall. The humongous cavern hosting a lake opened before them, and the river threw them into free fall. Lucas straightened his body to soften the landing, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness.
The impact into the lake felt routine. He turned and saw Zoey and Raven sinking, unconscious from hitting the water. Lucas gritted his teeth, soulstepped to them, grabbed one into each of his hands and kicked his legs to surface. He dragged them to the shore.
Without a shred of gentleness, Lucas tossed their bodies onto the stone floor of the cavern. He removed Raven’s breastplate and started pressing his chest. The prince soon spat out water, catching his breath with a grunt of pain.
Lucas
moved to Zoey and repeated the process, bringing her back to consciousness by making her spit the water out of her lungs. Both Raven and Zoey kept coughing and spitting water. Lucas’ entire body burned while his muscles were sore. “We need to move, for the snake demons will be soon upon us.”
Raven and Zoey stared at him, eyes wide.
Lucas shrugged. “What?”
Raven and Zoey looked at each other and then forced their way to their feet. In awkward silence, Lucas led them through the caverns, passing through the endless sea of mushroom-covered stalactites until they reached a side cavern with only one, smaller entrance.
“Hide here, and I will get something to block this room off.”
They obeyed without a word.
Lucas dashed through the cavern until he found a large-enough rock. He returned to where he left Zoey with Raven and soulstepped the stone to the entrance, sealing it. “They will need time to find us and get through that, so we should be able to catch sleep.”
Raven’s eyes focused on Lucas. “Who was that?”
“Kayleanne, one of the demon princes we are about to kill.”
“And who was she before?”
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“I had a vision when I saw her, one of a woman similar to her, yet that one bore a sapphire glaive instead of a sword and had feathery wings on her back.”
“Is that why you spaced out?”
“Yes.”
Lucas shrugged. “I’m afraid I do not possess the answers you seek.”
Zoey’s eyes narrowed. “You do, but you won’t say it before me, will you?”
“No. Some things cannot be told, for they need to be found.” Lucas reached into his soul chamber to pull a sealed jar. The stench of rotten flesh filled the air when he unsealed it.
Zoey caught her nose. “This again?”
Lucas took off his bloodied tunic, revealing the bandages that were wrapped around his entire body. He dipped his fingers into the red-brown mixture in the jar and started applying it wherever his skin was pierced or cut. The balm was cold, but his body was so frozen from the water it felt warm.