He smiled. They’d survived more than they had a right to survive. “I think we are.”
“You protected me,” she said.
“Not me. I needed help.”
She still smiled and squeezed his hand. “We all need help at times.”
Tan looked toward the sky at the small black spot that was the draasin. Overhead, the sky still thundered and lightning crackled.
After resting for a moment, they followed the river, heading south. Toward Ethea. Tan felt the artifact as a heaviness in his pocket. Was everything they’d been through worth it? After losing Nor, the Aeta, and even Velminth, did keeping the artifact away from Incendin matter?
After seeing how little the lisincend cared for others, their fiery violence, he had to think it was. He hoped his mother would have been proud.
Amia touched his arm and a wave of peace washed over him.
Finally, when the thunder died and the last of the lightning went with it, he looked up to the sky. “I wonder who won.”
“There were no winners in any of this.”
“No. But I met you. I spoke to the nymid. And the draasin were freed from ages of suffering. I think some good has come from this.”
Not enough to make up for what was lost, but it was a start.
Amia pulled him close. Then she kissed him. He was startled at first, but he let her full lips envelop his and kissed her back, and felt hope for the future for the first time in as long as he could remember.
Epilogue
They found Roine near the lake.
Tan and Amia had followed the wide river, walking along its shore as it meandered through the forest. Their hands were entwined and he felt reluctant to let her go, enjoying the sensation of her hand in his.
The forest around them gradually returned to life. Insects buzzed, squirrels climbed on trees, and the sun shone brightly overhead. Tan felt more and more relaxed with each step he took, knowing the normalcy of the forest meant the lisincend were truly gone. And the hounds.
He smiled.
Amia looked up at him and smiled back. He sensed her growing ease. There would be grieving later for both of them, but for now, they simply enjoyed each other’s company.
The river crested a small hill before running down and toward the lake. They followed it, moving casually. When they reached the lake, Tan felt a sense of warmth, of welcome, as if the nymid greeted them. He didn’t reach for them.
The bright sun reflected off the calm water of the lake, glittering and reflecting like a thousand stars. They stopped by the edge of the water and took a drink. The water tasted cool and refreshing. Not far down the shore was the cluster of rocks where so many horrible things had happened. The first attack when Tan had nearly died. Roine’s attack on the lisincend. And his rescue of Amia.
Amia saw him staring at the rocks. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, letting the sudden tension leave him. Neither spoke.
They found him near the rocks, lying half in the water.
He lay still, motionless, though his chest rose and fell so they knew he still lived. His face was torn and bleeding. His dark green clothes were tattered and stained with blood. The water washed some of it away.
They knelt next to Roine and Tan touched his forehead. Roine opened his eyes, blinking against the bright light.
“Did you defeat Lacertin?” Tan asked.
Roine shook his head weakly. “No.” But he smiled. “I managed better than I thought I could. For now, he’s gone. Chased away. And we have the artifact.” Roine glanced at Tan, closing his eyes when Tan nodded, patting his pocket. “The lisincend?”
“Gone,” Tan answered.
Roine blinked his eyes open again. “Gone? Even Fur?”
“For now,” Tan answered and smiled, baring his teeth. He didn’t know if Fur managed to escape the draasin, but it didn’t matter right now. “The draasin helped. Fur is now the hunted.”
Roine nodded slowly. “Good. I still wonder if we did the right thing freeing them. The world hasn’t seen their kind in centuries. We can’t know what price we’ll pay.”
“They needed to be freed, Roine,” Tan said. “They suffered. And they hadn’t joined the barrier willingly. Not like the others.”
Roine looked at Tan, slowly shaking his head. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said with a sigh.
“What now?” Tan asked.
Roine pushed himself up and looked down at his tattered clothes streaked with his blood, staring out into the lake before turning his attention to the south. “Now we need to reach Althem. Now we travel to Ethea.”
“You think the artifact will help?” Tan asked.
Roine shook his head. “I don’t even know anymore. It wouldn’t work for me. Perhaps too much time has passed since its creation. The ancient warriors are no more.” He shook his head again. “But I have to think we’ve done well. The lisincend are defeated. And Lacertin has been outed. No more can he hide his plans.”
Tan pulled the artifact out of his pocket and thrust it toward Roine. The silver surface was dull, lifeless, and reflected none of the bright sun. “You should carry it.”
Roine took it and, turning it in his hands, he stared at the surface as he ran a finger along the markings. Slowly, he pulled his attention away from the artifact and handed it back to Tan. “No. You carry it. If not for you, none of this would be possible.”
Tan took it back and held it in his hands, feeling the soft weight of the device. The markings on the surface were meticulously done and he ran his finger along them as Roine had done. A soft pressure built and he looked up, wondering why Roine or Amia would be shaping. Neither gave any sign that they were.
Tan stood and Amia followed. They both helped Roine to stand. He trembled for a moment before steadying himself. And then they started off, walking along the shore of the lake, toward Ethea.
Amia took Tan’s hand and her dark eyes studied him. She brushed her pale hair back from her eyes, tucking it behind her ears. He closed his eyes a moment before letting himself be led, feeling the soft breeze on his face, the earthy scent to the ground, the warmth of the sun, and felt a brief spray of water strike him as well. And he smiled.
Tucking the artifact into his pocket, he didn’t see it begin glowing faintly, pulsing, as they started off toward Ethea.
* * *
Read Book 2 of The Cloud Warrior Saga: Bound by Fire
The powerful draasin – elemental creatures of fire not seen for a thousand years – have returned. Not all are convinced they should have been freed.
As Tan struggles to learn earth shaping, he discovers dangerous fire shapers from Incendin have come to Ethea. When the city is attacked by the draasin, Tan must use his connection with them to learn why. Doing so leads him from the city and forces him to once more face the terrible shapers of Incendin, but this time bound to the draasin for help. If he fails, much more than his life is at stake, for Incendin has stolen the artifact and plans to use its power for unknown destruction.
About the Author
DK Holmberg currently lives in rural Minnesota where the winter cold and the summer mosquitoes keep him inside and writing.
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Also by D.K. Holmberg
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Chased by Fire
Bound by Fire
Changed by Fire
Fortress of Fire
Forged in Fire
Others in the Cloud Warrior Series
Drowned by Water
The Painter Mage
Shifted Agony
Arcane Mark
&n
bsp; Painter For Hire
The Forgotten/The Sighted Assassin
The Painted Girl
The Durven (Part 1)
A Poisoned Deceit (Part 2)
A Forgotten Return (Part 3)
The Lost Garden
Keeper of the Forest
The Desolate Bond
Keeper of Light
Chased by Fire (The Cloud Warrior Saga Book 1) Page 25