Rhyn smiled and shook his head. Sloane was so full of surprises, and he wondered what else he would find out about her in the future. He looked up ahead and saw that she had stopped. She was standing with Rowe near the icy wall that reached up between the jagged mountain edges that bordered the ravine.
Rowe’s eyes were filled with determination, while Sloane’s still held some evidence of her own fears. Rhyn knew that despite what she had said to Rowe, Sloane was struggling with the fact that her sister was joining them. But he felt proud that she was strong enough to let her sister make the decision for herself.
Esther gave Rhyn a brief nod before she took Rowe’s arm and guided her towards the doorway that cut through the wall. Sloane fell into step next to Rhyn with ease. He kept sneaking glances at her, and there was still a hint of a smile on his lips after his talk with Esther.
He wanted to celebrate Esther’s news with Sloane but now was hardly the time. He was just glad that their potential future together was no longer something to be feared, but finally something to be embraced. He looked forward to the time when they could rejoice together. Once the rifts were closed, and his people were safe.
‘What is it?’ Sloane asked when she caught Rhyn staring at her yet again.
‘Nothing,’ Rhyn said, his smile growing broader.
‘It’s clearly something,’ she replied, tilting her head as she tried to interpret his expression.
‘I’m just happy to be close to you,’ he said.
She couldn’t help but smile a little in response. ‘Sure you are,’ she replied.
‘And I want you to continue to stay close to me once we’re in the ravine,’ Rhyn added, his light-hearted tone now gone. There was no joking about this; he was deadly serious.
She lifted an eyebrow at his comment but did not complain.
‘You’re our best chance at stopping the Brakys from getting through the rift,’ he continued. ‘I need to keep you safe.’
‘I thought you might say that,’ she said, her hand drifting towards her pocket.
His eyes tracked the movement. ‘You haven’t got the stone around your neck?’
She gave a slight shake of her head. ‘I’m not sure I like being so close to the stone,’ she replied. ‘Its power is so strong it can worry me sometimes. I can feel the energy pulsing from it much more clearly when it’s touching my skin, or is close to my heart, especially now the two shards of the stone are back together.’
They grew quiet as they walked past the large metal door that led through the wall. The happiness Rhyn had felt after his discussion with Esther had diminished, replaced by wariness and caution as they emerged into the ravine. The morning had been bright in the village, but here it was just as dark and cold as ever. No sunlight reached the ground, and deep shadows crawled up the towering rock walls.
The Unfaih warriors in the group had been chatting as they made their way through the village, but now that they were in the ravine they had all gone quiet. All that could be heard was the crunching of boots against the snow that carpeted the ravine floor and the light whistle of wind that brushed against the mountain walls stretched above them.
Rhyn sent two scouts to run ahead and warn them of any danger. They couldn’t be too careful as they ventured towards the Brakys’ territory.
Silence and darkness shadowed their every step as they travelled further beyond the wall. It felt wrong to be walking away from the bright morning light in the village, but the wall quickly disappeared from sight, and all that could be seen in either direction was the desolate landscape of the ravine.
Sloane seemed just as wary as Rhyn as they walked. Her eyes searched the walls high above them, and her hand rested on the pommel of her sword. It hadn’t taken Rhyn long to recognise that the sword at her side was Allirie’s. He was surprised his friend had given Sloane the weapon. The woman cared about the blade like she would a child. It only emphasised to him how much danger they were facing and how critical their mission was. He knew that nothing less than the potential destruction of their world would prompt Allirie to part with her sword.
The small group followed the ravine for most of the morning, only coming to a stop when they reached the point where it was easiest to scale the walls up to the plateau above. The suns were now high in the sky, chasing away even the darkest of shadows from the ravine floor. Rhyn sent two of his warriors to scale the rocky wall and check the way was clear before he directed the rest of the group to follow.
‘Why aren’t we going any further?’ Jack asked, approaching Rhyn while he waited for his fighters to reach the top of the ravine and signal for everyone else to start the climb.
‘There aren’t many places we will be able to climb out of the ravine,’ Rhyn replied. ‘And I don’t think we want to be too close to the Brakys’ lair while we’re doing it.’
Jack nodded as he munched on one of the protein bars he seemed to like so much. He then looked up to watch the warriors who climbed the rock face with such ease. They were already halfway up the wall and even the heavy ropes slung over their shoulders did not seem to slow their ascent.
‘Will the creatures be able to see us from on the top of the ridge?’ Jack asked.
‘If they’re close, then perhaps. But it’s the middle of the day, and the Brakys don’t see quite as well in sunlight. I can’t imagine there will be any of them out in the middle of the bright and open plain that lies above.’
‘How far are we from their lair?’ Jack asked, turning his attention towards the huge mountain peak that towered over the ravine in the distance. It marked both the point where the ravine ended and the entrance to the Brakys’ lair.
‘Nearly half a day’s trek,’ Rhyn said. He turned and focused his attention on the same mountain Jack was looking at. He knew from speaking with Lorian that the rift was located on the other side of it, and they would have to trek around the mountain’s base to reach it. They would be lucky to reach it before nightfall and would have to start moving faster if they wanted to arrive before it became dark. But if they moved too quickly they risked drawing attention to themselves, and they couldn’t afford to encounter any Brakys.
He let out a breath as he considered his options, and his gaze drifted down from the mountain peak to the ravine below it. The walls curved around to the right up ahead so he couldn’t see too far beyond where they were standing. But as he stared into the distance a figure suddenly appeared, running along the ravine floor towards them.
Rhyn cursed when his eyes caught sight of the Unfaih metal on the warrior who ran towards them. It was one of the scouts who had been stationed at the Brakys’ lair, and the pace at which he raced towards them meant he could only be bringing a warning.
Rhyn ran to meet the scout, not bothering to warn the others where he was going. He needed to know if they were in danger and every second could be precious if there were Brakys headed this way.
As Rhyn drew closer to the warrior, he could see the man’s eyes were filled with fear. It was an unusual sight to see in one of his hardened fighters, which only confirmed his worry that whatever news the scout brought couldn’t be good.
‘What is it?’ he asked as the warrior came to a stop before him.
‘They’re leaving the lair,’ he responded. ‘It looks like they’re amassing on the plateau above the ravine.’
Rhyn heard a sharp intake of breath from over his shoulder and turned to find Sloane standing behind him. He’d been so focused on the scout that he hadn’t heard her following, though he wasn’t surprised that she’d come after him.
‘They’re starting their attack,’ she murmured. ‘They must be heading for the rift near their lair to strike the human camp.’
‘How many did you see leaving the cave?’ Rhyn asked, focusing back on the scout.
‘Hundreds,’ he replied. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if it was their whole army.’
Rhyn swore. ‘We have to move quickly,’ he said, his words coming out in a rush.
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��And we need to close that rift,’ Sloane added, her eyes brimming with concern.
But Rhyn shook his head gravely at her. ‘If they’re already on the plateau they’ll reach the rift before us. There’s no way we can get there in time to stop them, and we can’t close the rift, or the Brakys will be trapped on the other side of it with the humans. We can’t even get to the human settlement and warn them in time.’
‘You don’t have to worry about that,’ the scout said. ‘I sent two warriors to the World of the Woods to warn the humans. When we saw the Brakys making their way towards the rift we knew we had to send word so they would not be ambushed by the creatures.’
The news that the settlement would be ready was a relief, but even with an adequate warning, Rhyn was worried that his army still might not be strong enough to stop the full Braky hoard. If he was going to do something to help, he needed to act fast.
‘I want you to return to the Brakys’ lair and find out how many of the creatures still remain,’ Rhyn said to the scout. ‘We will start across the plain towards the rift. Find us once you have an estimate of their numbers.’
The Unfaih warrior nodded and took off in the direction of the lair. Rhyn didn’t like the idea of sending the scout back there, but they needed to know just how many of the creatures they might be facing in the World of the Woods. As the scout disappeared from sight, Rhyn turned to face Sloane.
‘We may not be able to close the rift anymore, but we can still fight,’ Rhyn said, his words coming from deep in his chest. ‘We will pursue them into the World of the Woods, and we will help our fellow Unfaih, and the humans battle the Brakys.’
Sloane nodded as she stared into his eyes. He could see his own determination reflected in hers, and he knew that she would be with him to the end.
‘So we fight,’ she agreed. ‘And we will finish this once and for all.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
As Sloane climbed the rope to the top of the ravine, she felt a sense of urgency pulsing in her veins. It thrummed through her like the rapid beat of a war drum, which drove her to move at such a speed it was bordering on reckless.
They had already lost their chance to close the rift, and there was no way they would reach it in time to stop the Brakys from passing through it, no matter how quickly she climbed. The creatures would probably already be on Aeris and journeying to the human camp to destroy everyone there. She felt powerless, but she held onto the hope that perhaps if they moved quickly enough, they would get to the battle in time to help defeat the creatures.
When she reached the top of the rope, Sloane looked back down the cliff face she’d just scaled, and all thoughts of the battle left her mind as she caught sight of Rowe. Her sister was only a third of the way up the rope Sloane had just climbed and was moving at a worryingly slow pace.
Sloane could see the strain in Rowe’s eyes and the sweat beading on her forehead. She knew that the climb was beyond her sister’s strength, but Rowe had insisted on doing it herself. Sloane had to admire her sister though. Rowe didn’t stop once, and she never looked down. She simply kept on climbing, one hand after another.
Sloane’s heart lurched with worry when Rowe fumbled at the rope or when her face became pulled with tension as she tried to remain strong. Rhyn was right behind Rowe as she climbed, but Sloane worried that even he might not be able to save her should she lose her grip and fall.
Eventually, Rowe made it to the top, and as she stretched her hand up to grab onto the solid ground at the cusp of the ravine, Jack reached past Sloane and gripped onto Rowe’s wrist. He pulled her up the last couple of feet onto the plateau, and she collapsed into his arms as she attempted to recover.
Her whole body was shaking with exertion, and she looked close to tears. Not a single tear dropped from her eyes though, and once she’d caught her breath, she pushed back from Jack and stood tall. He still held onto both her hands and was looking at her with wonder in his eyes.
‘I’m sorry if you thought I doubted you earlier,’ he said, his gaze briefly falling to the ground. ‘I was just worried, that’s all.’
Rowe smiled as she continued to catch her breath and pulled him in for a tight hug. ‘I know,’ she whispered before stepping back again. The two locked eyes for a moment, but suddenly they seemed to realise they were surrounded by Unfaih warriors. They awkwardly took another step away from each other and looked around sheepishly.
Sloane felt a smile spreading across her face as she watched them. Rowe may not have shared the Unfaih’s physical strength, but Sloane could see that something in her sister had changed. There was a sense of resilience and determination that hadn’t been there before, and Sloane’s heart swelled with pride. She couldn’t imagine the same girl who landed on Aeris conquering such a feat by sheer willpower alone.
Rowe had grown so much since she had first arrived on Aeris and travelled to Ellysia. She was far braver and stronger than Sloane ever imagined she could become. And it made Sloane so happy to know that despite the scars Rowe carried from her past, they no longer defined the woman she was today.
Sloane walked towards Rhyn, who had moved away from the cliff edge and was staring out across the barren plain towards the tall mountain in the distance. Deep shadows swirled around the base of it, and dark clouds gathered at the peak. There were no signs of Brakys in the vast and open stretch of land that separated them from the mountain, and Sloane didn’t know whether that made her feel better or worse.
‘Do you think they’re already through the rift?’ she asked as she came to stand beside Rhyn.
He rubbed a hand across his face. ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘They could be.’
Sloane fell silent as she stared across the distance between them and the tall mountain ahead. The Brakys had several hours head start on them, and they’d be lucky to catch up with them at all. But they had to try.
Sloane heard footsteps coming up behind her and turned to see Jack approaching. ‘That’s everyone,’ he said, gesturing towards the last few warriors who were cresting the edge of the ravine.
‘We better get moving then,’ Rhyn replied, glancing past Jack and back towards the group gathered behind him. ‘I almost forgot, Jack,’ he added, looking down at the bag he had strapped across his body. ‘I have something for you.’
Rhyn searched through the bag and removed a metal box, which he passed over to Jack. The man’s eyes were curious, and his brows were scrunched with confusion, but then a small smile started at the corner of his lips.
‘Aw, Rhyn, you got me a gift? You shouldn’t have,’ he said, as he took the box. His grin grew wider when he opened it to see what was inside.
‘I had some made for the humans in the settlement,’ Rhyn responded. ‘But I thought you’d like them too.’
Sloane took a step closer and looked inside the box to find it was filled with the bullets covered in interitus metal.
‘It was your idea,’ Rhyn continued. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t pay it more consideration at the time.’
Jack was shaking his head though, excitement in his eyes. ‘No, this is great. Thanks, Rhyn.’
Rhyn gave him a swift nod, before walking over to the side of the cliff face towards the rest of the group.
Jack smiled at Sloane as he placed the ammunition in his bag. ‘I knew it was only a matter of time before Rhyn started to realise there was something special about our bromance.’
Sloane rolled her eyes at him. ‘He just gave you some bullets.’
‘I’m pretty sure that’s the warrior equivalent of an engagement ring,’ Jack replied.
Sloane couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Probably,’ she admitted, with a warm smile.
Once everyone was ready, Rhyn pressed the group onwards across the open plain. Light from the suns danced blindingly across the fresh white snow, and a light breeze tugged at Sloane’s hair and clothes.
They moved at a fast pace and were making good progress, but Sloane felt like it was not nearly quick enough to catch the B
rakys. A part of her wanted to run ahead of the group, but she wouldn’t be helping anyone if she reached the Brakys only to collapse in an exhausted heap.
Rhyn took the lead, while Sloane stayed close behind him with Lorian and Kai both quietly keeping pace either side of her. Her sisters were a little further back, and Jack was up ahead walking next to Rhyn. The way he kept looking at the Unfaih prince, Sloane wondered if perhaps Jack hadn’t been joking when he’d spoken of their ‘bromance.’
‘You’re still not wearing the stone?’ Kai asked, pulling Sloane’s attention from Rhyn and Jack.
Sloane shook her head and tapped her pocket. ‘Got it safely in here,’ she replied. However, as Kai spoke, Sloane wondered if perhaps it was time to take the stone out and wear it against her chest. They were well within the Brakys' territory now, and if they needed to fight, she could certainly use its power.
Sloane slipped the stone from her pocket before placing it around her neck. The moment it settled against her chest, the buzzing sensation became more pronounced, and she had to resist the urge to rub her skin where it met the stone.
The Oblivion Stone was such a mystery to them, but they didn’t have the time to discover all of its secrets. Even if they did, Sloane felt like it would take lifetimes to truly understand the stone. As she thought of the stone, she remembered the half-formed rifts she’d seen in the Brakys’ lair and turned to Kai.
‘How did the Brakys manage to create rifts?’ Sloane asked. ‘When we went to their lair there were half-formed rifts scattered throughout the cave. I wouldn’t have thought the creatures would be able to get it to work.’
Kai’s eyes grew distant as he considered her question. ‘They have had their piece of the Oblivion Stone for a long time—far longer than I had to work with it.’
‘Or perhaps it wasn’t a Braky who created them,’ Lorian said. ‘You found your brother in that cave. It could have been Ash who tried to open those rifts.’
The Rift War Page 27