She heard a muffled voice and sensed Jed was calling out to her, but her ears were blocked. Taija made to put a hand to her ear, to check if she was bleeding there too, but instead she fell flat on her face, convulsing.
Chapter 56- Burned
Brooke knew she’d missed Veneseron whilst on her mission, but she didn’t know how much until she was back inside the Fortress walls.
She arrived home whilst Veneseron was still in the heart of winter. Mist pressed against the castle windows and frost made the courtyards and fields beyond glitter. But it was blissfully warm inside the Master’s Citadel as she walked its passageways.
When she arrived back in the portal chamber, it was to see Arantay already at the exit door. He turned back before disappearing through it and their eyes met.
His expression was hard to decipher. Brooke felt like a weight had been lifted from him now that Falawn was gone. Yet she suspected the guilt of killing his own brother would gnaw away at him.
Arantay nodded at her. “Well done, you were a great mission companion, Brooke.” And then he left the chamber.
Tyrell headed to Master Salamander, to give a report on their assignment no doubt, whilst Lok and Lyella left together. Lyella was talking animatedly about something scandalous one of her friends had done, but Lok appeared distant, lost in his own thoughts.
After a brief check up with mission monitors, where they checked she was healthy and not traumatised by all that had happened on her mission. She was free to go.
She left the Master’s citadel now, braving the cold that rushed to meet her.
The courtyard outside the castle was full of Apprentices in Creature-Study training. The android, Master D-7, was showing the class a pair of gargoyles playing a game of chess.
Brooke smiled at the duo of pixies who sat atop a windowsill high above, their legs dangling over the side. They giggled as they threw pebbles at the gargoyles.
Being back at Veneseron was almost enough to forget her worries. But the realisation that all of this could be burned to the ground if Akirandon discovered Veneseron’s location horrified her. From what Brooke knew of the demon queen, she’d certainly try to find Veneseron and destroy it to reclaim her spawn. But she wasn’t even Brooke’s mother. Akirandon would probably take Evan back to Velkarath with her, and kill Brooke on the spot.
Her only hope was that no one would believe Selina. She was the only person to see her demon magic after all. Selina might not be able to convince anyone it was the truth. Even Vanderain hadn’t known if the Demon-Spawn were truly real, so hopefully no one at Velkarath would believe Selina.
Brooke found some of her friends in their favourite rec room. Xavier, Zeke, Emi and Xavier sat in the Oval, watching the latest episode of the popular soap opera. ‘Orcs are us’ when she surprised them.
“Boo,” she shouted, leaning over their sofa.
“Rueda,” Elijah jumped, spilling several durshe jellies out of his bag of sweets.
“No way, you’re back,” Emillia squealed, running to hug her.
After several minutes of hugs, and giving her friends a summary of her mission. Brooke threw herself down on an armchair opposite them.
“So what have I missed around her?” she asked.
“Oh there were another handful of Mid-Realmer trials,” said Xavier. “Zeke completed his trial this time,” he gave Zeke a playful punch. “Tristan and even Jimmy managed to pass theirs too.”
“Ah, so there’s a lot of new Mid-Realmers around now then,” Brooke grinned, tugging the sleeve of Zeke’s new uniform affectionately.
“Ahem,” said Emi. “More importantly, Evan and I got sent on our first mission too, and-”
“Ahem,” Elijah echoed. “Even more importantly, Jed, Joelle and I saved all the kidna-”
This time Elijah cut off mid-sentence, staring over Brooke’s shoulder in concern.
She turned to see Jed and Joelle enter the room, and understood Elijah’s expression. Brooke knew by the looks on their faces that something terrible had happened.
“Guys?” She stood up, calling over to them. “What’s wrong?”
“Two Realmers were killed in front of us,” Jed said. He spoke like a robot, his voice devoid of all emotion. “I think Tarensen’s dead too. And Evan… I don’t know if he’s going to be okay.”
*
Evan couldn’t feel his face. When he awoke, he didn’t care that he was back in Veneseron, laying on a bed in the infirmary. As soon as he opened his eyes, it became apparent that he was blind in his right eye.
He lay there for what felt an eternity, his mind babbling in panic and his breath coming in short and fast as he tried to calm himself down. He saw the black demon fire coming for him, consuming him, again and again.
What he could see out of his left eye was as if he viewed the room underwater. The chamber rippled around him, the edges blurred.
Slowly, some small feeling returned, but now it felt like his face had been encased in stone. Evan realised some sort of material covered the entire right half of his face. He prayed that was the only reason he saw darkness.
The last thing he remembered was the fire, all he remembered was the fire. Then he fell back into darkness.
When he next awoke it was to a commotion in the infirmary, doctors surrounded a bed, He saw Tarensen on the bed. He was white as a sheet and the bed sheets were stained red beneath his side. He appeared delirious and in the throes of a fever, but he was alive.
Relief flooded through Evan, he’d thought Kalkavan had murdered Tarensen. The Master looked to be in a bad way, Evan just hoped he’d survive. The doctors appeared to be performing an emergency operation to save him.
Tarensen convulsed suddenly, and the doctors rushed to pin him to the bed as others tended to sword wound in his side. Evan tried to raise his head, to see what was happening, but the simple act made his vision whirl and he drifted back into the dark.
When Evan awoke for the third time, it was quiet. Blissfully, the cover over half of his face was gone and he could see out of both eyes. His right cheek felt numb however. Evan couldn’t bring himself to touch it, terrified of what he might find.
Sunlight doused the infirmary now and everything felt peaceful, the opposite of the inner turmoil raging through him.
He looked quickly to the bed opposite, beyond pleased to see Tarensen lying there, alive. The Master lay with eyes closed, yet his rhythmic breathing told Evan he was just asleep. Thick bandages covered his entire torso and the place where he’d been stabbed was stained scarlet. Evan’s relief at seeing Tarensen alive faded when he noticed how ghostly pale the master was. Worse, his veins were unnaturally visible, and they were a dark red colour. A tube connected to a beeping machine had been inserted into Tarensen’s mouth, and a second machine had a tube connected to his arm.
Evan raised his head off the pillow, thankful his vision didn’t spin again. With a jolt he saw the occupant on the next bed over.
The girl from the asylum lay there. She was sleeping peacefully, but with a pang of horror he saw dark dried blood by her ears and beneath her eyes. What happened to her?
“I believe she will be okay.”
Evan jumped as he heard Vanderain’s voice. He’d entered the infirmary silently and stood at the end of his bed. At once Evan noticed the change in him. Vanderain’s eyes possessed a hollowness, and exhaustion showed clearly on his face.
“It was close there for a while, though,” said Vanderain. “She used so much of her power. To combat Kalkavan, she had to have used stronger demon magic than any you or Brooke conjured.”
“No kidding,” said Evan. “I knew she must’ve been powerful to create that portal which let all the demons loose. But strong enough to kill a Disciple?”
“Oh, she did not kill him,” said Vanderain. “But she was somehow able to force him away into another world. Her name’s Taija by the way. She told me after I’d saved her.”
“Taija?” Evan mouthed. “Wait, what do you mean? Was she
okay?”
Vanderain shook his head. “The amount of demon sorcery she used to fight Kalkavan nearly killed her. It was too much for her to handle. She suffered internal bleeding and a violent seizure. Jed found Tarensen’s Rambrace and summoned a portal back to Veneseron. Our mission monitors helped him carry all of you here. Taretta informed me as soon as she realised you had left Veneseron. When I arrived here from Del-O-Reth, I was in a realm close enough to sense the immense demon magic being used. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there in time to fight Kalkavan, but I was there to save Taija from her convulsions. The doctors then induced her to sleep, as the pain in her head could not be cured by healing magic. I believe the same would happen to you and Brooke should you ever use that much of your demonic power.”
“You mean the bleeding and seizures?”
Vanderain nodded sadly. “The awful pain in her head is an after-effect. But it too, should pass.”
“What about Tarensen?”
Vanderain’s breath hitched and he wiped at his eyes. “My son came the closest to dying. If Kalkavan’s blade hadn’t missed his vital organs he certainly would be dead. The blade however was of dark magic and it poisoned Taren’s body. You can see the effects.”
“Will…will he be okay?”
“I don’t know,” Vanderain sighed. “Immensely powerful sorcery has been known to put its victims into comas. My friend, Nallador was in a coma for a decade after his battle with the demon Disciple, Halahink. Tarensen has stirred in and out of consciousness, so I believe, or rather hope, he will not slip into an enchanted coma. He will live, but I don’t know in what state. One cannot simply be cured by demon magic.”
Vanderain’s words made Evan voice the question he dreaded asking most. Part of him longed to know, whilst the other just wanted to ignore it forever.
“And…me? Kalkavan threw demon fire at me didn’t he? I think most of it missed, but I know the flames touched part of my face. I can feel it.”
Vanderain nodded silently, heartbreak etched upon his face.
“I want to see?”
Vanderain hesitated. “…Are you sure?”
He nodded. Maybe seeing it will erase the fear?
Slowly, Vanderain walked to the head of Evan’s bed and opened his hand, conjuring a circle of light which solidified into a mirror.
Evan peered back at his reflection in disbelief.
The flesh just under his right eye and across his cheekbone had distorted into a burned black colour. The patch of ruined, charred skin stretched from diagonally from his cheekbone to his ear, two inches long and an inch wide. The scar resembled an ink blotch, and the skin around looked like cracks in stone.
“It’s…it’s permanent isn’t it?”
Vanderain nodded. “The effects of demon magic are believed to be impossible to cure. Jed told me that it would’ve been a lot worse for you, however. Had Taija not put out Kalkavan’s fire with her own demon magic. If that’s any comfort. Our doctors did everything they could to limit the damage, following the procedure as if you had been burned by regular fire magic.”
Evan merely stared himself. It felt like a different boy in the mirror, not him. “Well, I never was that good looking,” he said weakly. He even tried to force a smile, but it would not come.
“My fault,” the whispered voice made both Evan and Vanderain jump.
Vanderain hurried to Tarensen’s bedside as he tried to talk.
“Hush son, do not-”
“I deserve to die,” Tarensen croaked. “I put all of you in danger. Jason and David’s lives are forfeit because of me.”
Tarensen raised a frail hand and gripped Vanderain’s jacket to push himself up so he could see Evan better.
“Your burns are my fault. I knew there was a chance we were going to retrieve a Demon-Spawn. I should’ve realised her sorcery might have been sensed by Dread Lords, but I thought the chance she’d be sensed by a Disciple near impossible. The risks were too great to take you and any other trainee’s. I was in too much of a rush to get there, and all of us could’ve died because of it. I’ll never forgive myself.”
“No, you didn’t know,” said Evan as the guilt hit him. He’d been so wrapped up in his own stupid scars, he hadn’t realised how much he deserved them. “It was my fault Tarensen. I knew Kalkavan was after me. Vanderain told me not to leave Veneseron, but I didn’t tell you in time. I tried to say something, but I let myself get distracted. I’m the one who caused all this.”
Tarensen was silent, at first Evan thought his rage at Evan was so terrible he couldn’t reply, but then he realised the master had slipped back into unconsciousness.
“The fault is mine,” Vanderain said. “I should’ve informed Tarensen myself as soon as I found out about Kalkavan. Regardless if he was away from Veneseron at the time.”
“No, I-“
Vanderain waved away his protest. “Blame will solve nothing now Evan. It is done. I must return to the Republic. I don’t wish to leave, believe me.” He looked back at his son, his eyes glimmering with tears. “I wish to stay by his side until he has made a full recovery, or at least recovered as much as he can. But the Republic is in chaos right now. The Dark-Venators have threatened to invade three of our training Strongholds and… well you don’t need to hear the details on top of everything you’ve been through.”
“I… I thought I saw Jason and Daniel die, but everything happened so fast. Is everyone okay?”
Evan prayed his friends were safe and sound, but he couldn’t erase what he’d seen happen to Daniel and things had looked bad for Jason too. Please, let Jed and Joelle be okay.
Vanderain shook his head. “No, Daniel and Jason perished, slain by Kalkavan and his Asharon. Fortunately, Joelle and Sofia only suffered minor blows to the head and have already recovered. Jed was the most unscathed, and his actions saved all of you.
Sofia is already on her way to Del-o-Reth to inform them of Kalkavan’s interference, and possibly the involvement of other demon Disciples. Don’t worry, Sofia does not know Kalkavan arrived because of you, or anything about the spawn. So your secret will be safe.”
“What do you mean other Disciples?”
“I know only that Kalkavan was the most intelligent of them. The schemer. He often played the Disciples off against one another. I know that he was jealous that Akirandon was the dark god’s favourite, however. I doubt he and Akirandon are allies, but Kalkavan may have some of the other Disciples working with him. I will find out more. I’ll kill Kalkavan for what he has done today.” Vanderain gazed fiercely at Tarensen’s unconscious form.
“So, what now?” Evan asked dully. He felt empty, maybe he’d gone back into shock at seeing the burns on his face.
Vanderain returned to Evan’s side, pulling what looked like stones from his pocket.
“At Del-O-Reth, I managed to retrieve what you and Brooke require.”
He frowned in confusion and stared at the stones in Vanderain’s hand. On closer inspection the circular stones were black crystal, with a red hue trapped in the middle. Each stone was attached to a leather cord, turning them into a necklace.
“Once I learned Kalkavan was aware of your existence, I prayed these stones had not been lost or destroyed. These are Satyne Stones. Whoever wears such a pendant, can go through the realms with their magic undetected. No one should be able to sense even your demon sorcery whilst you wear this. The Stones do nothing to quell demon sorcery, but with increased dosages of Emerald Shade, I’m hoping there won’t be another outbreak of your power.”
“So if I wear that,” Evan said, “I can go out on missions again?” He went cold as he realised he almost wanted Vanderain to say no. How could he leave Veneseron again, even if there was the slightest chance Kalkavan could appear and wreak havoc once more?
“Yes, but more importantly, it will conceal you from any Disciples who may be trying to detect you and Brooke. As I’m sure you’ve learned in training, tremendously powerful outbursts of sorcery, including your demon mag
ic, can be sensed by other powerful magic-users if they are in nearby worlds. Obviously, I have hidden Veneseron realm from all outsiders. But if Disciples or anyone else is actively searching for strange occurrences of power, I want to make absolutely sure they cannot detect you.”
“Thank you,” Evan said, feeling a rush of relief as Vanderain passed him one of the stones.
“Can you please give Brook her stone?” Vanderain asked. “I fear I must depart before getting a chance to see her.”
He nodded, taking Brooke’s necklace too.
“They’re the property of Nallador, the High-Master of Blutopolis,” Vanderain said. “They’re the only two Satyne Stones he had. He has set about making more, but the process can take years. Now I’ll have to ask Nallador to make another for Taija right away. These amulets take immense magic and cost to create. I feared that Nallador might no longer have them. Now, coupled with the Emerald Shade you should be safe. There will be a high-council meeting two months from now. The Republic has to settle fifteen current wars on minor realms before hand, and it takes time to inform and gather all thirty council members to convene. You, Brooke and Taija will be coming with me to the Republic, then. Hopefully to gain more answers.
“Before I go, I shall speak with Taija. Veneseron will train her now, but I must tell her what she is and how she can no longer use her demon powers uncontrollably. The Masters of course will look out for her, but I’d like you and Brooke to take Taija under your wing too.”
“Of course,” he said, some of the numbness leaving him when he realised he could be helpful in some small way. “She… she is my sister then?”
“I have no doubt about it,” said Vanderain. “Her eyes are almost the mirror of yours, and like your eyes, hers also bear Akirandon’s mark.”
Evan knew Vanderain talked about the odd crimson specks in his grey eyes, Taija must’ve had them too.
He nodded, it felt surreal to have a relative all of a sudden. Ever since Gran had died he’d been without any family at all.
Moonlight War- Act II (The Realmers Book 3) Page 36