Revenge Song

by C. K. Rieke

  Gorlen walked over to stand in front of Burr and knelt down to his level. “I see you,” she said in a hissing voice. She puckered up her red lips, and she blew a kiss to him. Only inches from his face, a dark green mist flowed out of her mouth, and it began to waft over towards him.

  “No,” Lilaci said. Kera was silent, as she was scared stiff. “Don’t do this! Leave him alone. It’s me you want.” She watched helplessly as the green mist floated towards him. His mouth was tightly shut, and he refused to breathe it in, but the Witch Queen’s magic was too strong. The green vapors forced themselves up his nostrils, and he instantly began to gag and cough. His bindings of sand faded, and she fell to his side, clutching his chest and stomach.

  “Help,” he coughed. “Help me.”

  Lilaci watched in horror as boils quickly began to form on his face and neck. Bright red bumps appeared all over his skin, and he began to scream.

  “Burr!” Kera yelled out in a voice like she was dying from the same pain. “Burr, no!”

  Gorlen took a step back, seemingly to enjoy her work.

  “Now, bow your head,” Veranor said.

  Lilaci looked down at Burr as he convulsed, his screaming had faded, and he was beginning to choke and gag on his own blood. She looked up at Kera, and she felt a pain she’d never felt before.

  Having Kera being taken from me was a worse pain than I would wish on any other. I felt like a mother having her baby taken from her bosom. Now, with no power at all, I know that I’m going to die here. With all the force of the Sanzoral, I feel as if even it knows this is the end. It’s not fighting to break free, it's not telling me to resist. Is this my fate? Was this how it was always supposed to end. Worse than anything, is the pain knowing that I let her down, again. I let down the only one I care about in this world. I love you with all of my heart Kera. May we find each other in the afterlife, where we can finally be free, and you can be happy.

  Lilaci looked up at Veranor, holding the sword firmly next to her neck. His face was cold, and his eyes dead. Then she looked at Kera, tears streaming down her face. Her silver eyes were red with panic. Lilaci had never seen her so scared, so afraid. “Lilaci,” she muttered, her voice begging for help. Yet, she seemed to know what was about to happen.

  “I’m sorry, girl,” Lilaci said. “I’ve let you down again. I just want you to know that I love you.” Lilaci began to cry. “I love you more than anything.”

  “I love you too,” Kera said, her eyes wet with tears, and her lips quivering as she said that. “I’m sorry too.”

  “Goodbye,” Lilaci said. “It’s going to be okay. It’ll be okay.”

  Lilaci lowered her head and closed her eyes. The world turned dark, and all that rolled through Lilaci’s mind was, what I couldn’t find in life, maybe I will find in death: peace.

  Veranor raised his sword up high above him, ready to send it down onto her neck.

  Then— something zipped through the air. Lilaci grimaced, as she thought it was the sword coming down onto her, then she quickly opened her eyes to see a dagger spinning through the air, which the Witch Queen deflected away with a simple wave of her wrist. Lilaci could see she was surprised by the look in her eyes. Lilaci looked behind her to see Fewn and Roren, both with swords in their hands, emerging from the Hidden Garden behind.

  “Let her go,” Fewn spat.

  The Witch Queen seemed pleased to have more to suffer from her magic. “I don’t listen to mortals, I—”

  Lilaci looked up at Veranor, holding his sword over her, ready to send it crashing down onto her neck, when he did something surprising. He pulled Kera in close and whispered something into her ear that Lilaci couldn’t hear. Kera gave him a surprised and confused look, but then she looked at Lilaci. Her face at first was sad, but then a fire grew in her, and she frowned in hatred. She then looked over at Gorlen, the goddess standing next to her. Kera extended her free hand and wrapped her fingers around the Witch Queen’s hand.

  Gorlen shot down a shocked look at the young girl, as they stood then for a moment, hand in hand. The goddess then looked up at Veranor with what appeared to be . . . Fear.

  Veranor sent his blade roaring down, but the sword didn’t come down onto Lilaci, no, it curved around and up, finally making its way towards the Witch Queen, and lodging itself into her stomach. The sharp steel easily glided through her dress and soft skin. She looked down to find blood pouring from her stomach, and she fell to her knees. She coughed hard, and blood fell from her mouth to the sand.

  “Don’t let go of her,” Veranor said to Kera. “Whatever you do, don’t let her free. Smother her if you must.”

  Kera went and wrapped both her arms around the Witch Queen’s back. It looked as if she was almost trying to console her. Gorlen ripped the sword from her stomach, and flipping it around she shoved it into Kera, trying to kill the girl. But something happened then again, surprising the goddess— the sword couldn’t pierce the young girl’s skin. As Gorlen continued to bleed out on the sands, she tried again, and again— the sword’s tip simply bounced off her skin. She looked up at Veranor, the only expression on his face was that of retribution.

  “Die, you witch,” he said in a cold voice. She sent the blade quickly at him. As sick as she was, the blade traveled quickly, and it lodged itself firmly in his stomach, piercing through his back. Veranor roared in pain as the blade stuck completely through him, shredding his insides.

  “No, no, no!” the Witch Queen howled.

  Lilaci then felt her bindings at her feet melt away, and she felt the fire build quickly up inside her again. Her hands burst with the flames of the Sanzoral. She stood before the Witch Queen, with Kera holding tightly onto her back.

  “Thank you for your gift,” Lilaci said. “Would you like it back?”

  Gorlen looked up at her, her eyes as red as her blood dripping to the sands. Her skin was weathered and wrinkled, and at that moment the Witch Queen showed her real age. She was now a decrepit old woman. “You can’t kill me,” she hissed. “I’m immortal, I can’t die. I’ve lived a thousand lifetimes. I—”

  “You,” Lilaci interrupted, “are going to die. You’re going to die alone and scared, just as so many you’ve killed before. What once was divine and corrupt, let the fires purify. Gorlen, the Witch Queen of the Six . . . I sentence you to death.”

  “No!” the Witch Queen howled.

  Lilaci then sent forth the full power of the flames of the Sanzoral. Its heat ripped into every part of the goddess. It flowed into her mouth and eyes and shot out her fingertips. She was soon enveloped in an inferno. The fires were so violent, Kera was fully engulfed too. As the Witch Queen screamed and moaned in pain, Kera was silent, only holding onto the goddess.

  The screaming died down, and the goddess’ body fell limp to the sands, blackened and burned.

  Fewn ran over and wrapped her arms around Kera. “It’s okay,” she said. “You can let go now. Kera, it’s okay now. You can let go.”

  Untouched by the fire, Kera slowly released the burned corpse, and Lilaci looked into Fewn’s eyes. “You did it,” Fewn said.

  Lilaci then looked over at Veranor, still standing with the sword lodged through his abdomen. Lilaci didn’t know what to say to him, so she said nothing.

  “He—” Kera said. “He told me to grab onto her hand. So I did.”

  “Thank you, Commander,” Fewn said, her voice full of respect.

  Veranor nodded, even low enough to hide his eyes, not at all normal of the commander. He didn’t lift his head again, instead, he fell to his side, and blood spilled from his abdomen.

  “Burr!” Roren said as he rushed to his side. Burr was incoherent, rambling in words they couldn’t recognize. “He’s dying, we’ve got to get him to the fountain. Fewn, give me a hand. Fewn rushed over and grabbed him by his other arm and the two began to drag him back towards the Hidden Garden. “Hurry, he’s not got long. Hold on Burr, hold on Demetrius!”

  Lilaci stood there in front of Kera, the li
ght of the Sanzoral had diminished. “We did it,” Kera said. “We did it Lilaci.”

  Lilaci then looked over at Veranor, as he wheezed and coughed up more blood. Again, she had no idea what to say to him, so she said nothing.

  Veranor gave her up the making of a small smile. “They— they were going to give me a surname, you know.” He coughed up another spat of blood.

  Lilaci paused, then she went and dropped to a knee to look into his eyes. “Did you ask what it was?”

  A full smile crept across his face. “Seph— Sepherophinos. That was to be my name. I was going to become somebody, somebody of importance.”

  She looked down on him with pity for the first time in her life. Here, before me dying, is the man who manipulated me more than anyone ever did. When I was young, I looked up to him as a father figure, then later, he was my mentor, my leader. Then, when I was fully under his spell, I was more like a servant, a toy of his, and I looked at him as some form of wicked lover. Terrible in his ways, and full of lust for power. Under his command, I was taken from my family, and they were slaughtered in cold blood on the sands when I was just a girl. I was only a girl. Now, here he is, looking death in the eyes. He killed her, he killed the goddess, Gorlen. That took a great deal of courage— of fearlessness.

  “That was brave,” she said. “What you did. Thank you, commander.”

  He looked up at her again, his eyes seeming old, and a tear rolled out of the corner of his eye. “If I’m to die here today, you’re the only one I’d want by my side.” Even will all the things he’s done to me, I can’t help but feel pity for him. Even with all the evil in him, all of the evil wrought in every one of the Scaethers, here he lays, dying. He gave up everything to help us . . . to save us. Perhaps there is good in him.

  “You know, I hate you for what you did to me,” she said.

  “I know, and you have every right to,” he said. “I did what I did to make you strong, strong enough to stand here now, unscathed, with a dead god at your feet. I went too far, and for that I am sorry, Lilaci. That has always been my biggest weakness, my biggest regret, my thirst for power.”

  Lilaci didn’t respond. Instead, Kera walked over to her side, and pulled at the side of her pants. “Lilaci, we could save him. There’s still time. If you want to save his life, we could, but we would have to hurry.”

  She looked at Kera with a feeling of shock. “You know he’s the one who sent those Scaethers out after you your whole life. He’s the one who sent them to kill my parents. And you talk about saving his life?”

  “It’s not my decision to make,” Kera said. “The choice is yours. I won’t judge you either way, and I understand if you want him to die. I’ll even stand here with you. But, it is up to you, if he lives or dies.”

  She stood there watching him, as the pool of blood grew wider, and he coughed, and his already pale face was beginning to grow paler still.

  Minutes ago, this thought would never be going through my head. I would’ve done anything to cut him down, instead of the opposite about to happen. I wanted to rip his heart out as he held Kera hostage, and the goddess was killing Burr. Now, so much has changed. Look at him now, pathetic and weak like I’ve never seen him. Why would I save him? Why wouldn’t I let him die as he deserves? But— if I were to let him live, the gods would never forgive him. In fact, they surely want his head more than even mine or Kera’s. He could be a distraction for their gaze, and when he is healthy, he is strong. What am I thinking? Of course I should let him die. It’s what he deserves for all the death he’s caused.

  “You need to make a decision,” Kera said. “Whatever it is. He doesn’t have much longer.”

  “L— Lilaci,” he said. “If you decide to spare my life. I’ll promise to protect her. I’ve seen what the gods are. I know they are corrupt. I’ll give my life for the Dragon’s Breath. I can help you. If you would just give me the chance. I don’t deserve it, after what I’ve done. But I can help. I can help Kera fulfill her prophecy.”

  “What are you going to do, Lilaci?” Kera asked. “Is this how it ends?”

  Lilaci looked down at Kera, then over at Veranor. Lilaci sighed, letting out an angry breath. “Fine. Help me carry him.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  They left a long trail of dark blood on the sands that looked black in the moonlight. The commander was tough, not letting out a single yell of pain as they drug him towards the Hidden Garden. Kera and Lilaci didn’t speak, as much was probably going through the young girl’s head. Lilaci was already second-guessing her decision.

  “Thank—” Veranor started.

  “No,” Lilaci interjected with a harsh tone. “I don’t want to hear your voice.”

  He submitted to the silence then.

  Step by step they trudged on, closer to the garden. To their right was a dark pool, as they got closer Lilaci deduced it was another bodily fluid of Burr.

  “I hope they made it in time,” Kera said. “I really hope they made it.”

  “Me too,” Lilaci said.

  As they approached the garden, they came to its high walls, and as Kera seemed concerned how to get the commander down safely, Lilaci already had her boot on his back. She thrust him down the wall of sand with a stiff and sturdy push. Kera looked up Lilaci in shock.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “He’ll be fine, he’s tough.”

  He rolled down the hill into the bushy gardens below, filled with flowers of brilliant colors under the starlight. Wincing in pain at the bottom, he still refused to cry out, although he did give Lilaci one angry look, she only glared back with a wicked fury. Although he was in a weak state, this was still the man who caused her so much pain over the majority of her life.

  As they strode down the sandy walls into the garden, Lilaci and Kera went and took Veranor by the arms again. The green grass was soft under their feet as they approached the cave. Lilaci looked over at Kera, who almost seemed nervous.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “You think it’s in there still? You think it’s still alive? My whole life has been leading up to this point. I don’t know what I’m going to do if it’s not there. I feel like I’m going to have to start all over again.”

  “You won’t have to start from scratch,” Lilaci said. “You have us, and not to mention one of the Six is finally dead. I’d say that’s a good start.”

  “Whether there’s a dragon down there or not,” Veranor said. “Things are only going to get more treacherous from here on out for you— for us.”

  “What do you know about what we’ve been through?” Lilaci said, spite heavy in her heart.

  Then a loud scream of pain echoed from down in the dark cave.

  Veranor looked up at Lilaci, seemingly wanting to defend himself, but he irked in pain, and blood flew from his mouth to the sands with a wet cough.

  “Let’s go,” Lilaci said reluctantly. I hope this is the right decision. This may be what the Garen Pixie was talking about in that last whisper, about on in the darkness coming to light. Will he become an ally like he promised? One thing’s for sure, if he’s lying, I’m going to enjoy killing him. And I hate to admit it, but he was right, things are probably only going to get tougher for us. The Six— The Five— are going to come at us with everything in the Arr they can muster. There’d better be a dragon down here still.

  They entered the darkness of the tunnel, and a hallowed murmur echoed from the cave, yet no more screaming in pain. Lilaci hoped that Roren and Fewn had gotten Burr to the fountain in time.

  Without even a thought, a dull purple fire lit in Lilaci’s free hand, illuminating the cave in a marvelous light the color of lilacs.

  “You know,” Veranor said, as if in a stooper, “maybe this was our destiny all along. We were supposed to find each other for all of this to unfold like it is.” Again, another harsh bloody cough. “It was destiny that brought you to me, destiny that the Sanzoral was given to you after its slumber for so many years,
and it was destiny that brought Kera into our lives.”

  “Come on,” Lilaci said. “If you moved your feet a little bit, that would help.” Perhaps he’s growing delirious from loss of blood, but those words make me want to drive my sword into him. The thought of fate re-uniting us makes me want to kill him. I thought that part of my life was over, so that I may move on and live my own life. To have Veranor back in my life makes a knot form in my stomach. This is the man who manipulated me for so many of my years. He almost now, seems sorry for the way things happened. He may feel remorse, but I will never forget what he did to me.

  They struggled to carry him further and further down the winding tunnel, until a dull light began to appear from a turn up ahead. Lilaci and Kera mustered their strength and pushed forward, dragging the man down the long tunnel. He weighed more than the two of them combined. His head slunk low, and he was on the brink of death. A shadowy figure appeared ahead, with sword drawn. Slight murmurs were heard of a frantic conversation ahead.

  “Lilaci?” Roren’s voice called out.

  “It’s us,” she replied. He ran up after them, he seemed shocked by Kera and her companion. He looked at Lilaci who looked back with unsurety, “Give me a hand, will ya?”

  He didn’t argue, but took the commander’s arm from Kera, and the two of them began to drag him further down, and closer to the fountain. The light grew brighter from the torch ahead. And as they rounded the corner, the first thing Lilaci saw was the dragon egg, lit in the beauty of the torchlight. It appeared the same as it was the last time she saw it, all that time ago, back when she first met Roren. After he saved her life, and they went out together to find Kera. Then she spotted Burr, leaning against the wall of the cave, the boils seemed to be fading slowly from his skin and face.

  “No, no, no—,” Fewn said, standing up and walking towards Lilaci. “No, no, no! What are you doing? What are you thinking?”

  “He needs to drink from the fountain,” Lilaci said. “Give us a hand.”