“I don’t have it. There was never a stone in the hilt.”
“LIAR!” Lilith’s jaw clenched, her brow furrowed. "Shame. You could have known so much. Death it shall be.” Her mount shuttered, and its snake-like head moved into a striking position. “Give my best to your mother for me.” The dragon’s throat began to glow like bright color. Billy and Elise could feel temperate in the air rise around them as the oxygen in the air disappeared.
“Wait!” Billy said. “I have it. I have it.”
Elise turned. Stunned. “What’re doing?”
Billy’s freckled hand dug a red jasper from his pocket and held it overhead. “This is what you want. Take it. But spare her life.”
Lilith smiled in an evil type of delight. “It appears someone values their life. Tell me boy, why you dare steal what is mine?”
“To bring it to you personally. I want to help you.” Billy looked into Elise’s eyes giving off a small nod.
Betrayed, she slapped him across the face. “How could you?”
“Not all are as foolish as you. Toss it to me.”
Billy brought the red jasper close to his lips and whispered into it. “Here,” he said as he tossed the jasper to her dragon. Lilith’s beast caught it in his mouth and twisted its long neck to give it to her. She held it delicately in her hands as if filled her with power, but then the jasper exploded like a bomb of combustible fire in her face. It licked up the side of her body. She let out a scream of terror.
“Yah!” Billy yelled, slapping Moonlight’s rear.
The dagger in the dragon’s neck fell from its wound as Lilith tried to extinguish the flames on her engulfed body. She wailed in an unknown tongue to end the fire but the jasper continued to burn hotter with each minute like an endless inferno of flames.
“How’d you do that?” Elise asked, astonished. "You know magic?"
“I didn’t,” Billy confessed. “But I’d seen Rose do it enough times when lighting a campfire. I just remembered the words she said. That was my first try.”
“Brillant!”
Blood rushed to Billy’s winter worn cheeks, “Thanks. I didn’t particularly relish the idea of being burnt to a crisp by that thing.” The dragon’s glare still haunted his mind. It was an unsettling idea to think a person could by force take control of another being. He found himself offering pity to the being who fell victim to such torment. “Where will she flee to?”
“The Archway. She’s going to destroy the barrier before the night is up. She’ll stop at nothing until she gets there. Her entire army will be there.”
“We can’t let her do that. We’ll have to get there first. How fast does Moonlight run?”
Elise ran her hand alongside her mount’s mane. “She’s still got more speed in her. Don’t you?”
Moonlight nickered in agreement.
36
Carrying his father’s body, exhausted his strength. He’d nearly made it within eyesight of the ruins on the cliffside when he collapsed into the muddy warmth. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Quinn and Frostbite did not dare persuade him to change his mind. He was as thick as stone. By night's end, he would arrive back in Woolbury to live out the rest of his days with what normalcy granted. Evinar was not his home. These weren’t his battles to handle.
The milky crowns of the mountain summits darkened as the storm proceeded to roll in. The little hairs on the back of his neck stood as a force of some kind progressed southernly. That was where he was headed. The ruins were a blur, but he could see the eye of the storm nestled overhead like a swirl of cotton.
“Why me?” he turned to the origin, beating his fist against the dirt. “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”
As if acknowledged by his agony, the gloomy canopy spread open, and a bolt of lightning stabbed the landscape in the foreground. Rainwater sprinkled Abbott’s salty brow, mixing with his tears.
He spread a layer of cloth over his father and resumed his tears. The hollowness in his chest persisted. Was this how he’d feel the rest of his life? An existence absent of sunshine, a riverbed vacant of water, or a breeze missing the winds to carry it? He found himself thinking back to the memories of his childhood. He thought of his father reading to him before bed. The sheep he’d sacrificed in order to buy him his beloved book. And all the quick-witted sentences strung along in perfect harmony. His heart weighed. These were the moments he’d always have, but things had changed.
He blamed this all on himself. If only he would have faced his enemy rather than run and hide, denying in fear, perhaps he’d still be alive beside him and he could resume trying to find a cure for his illness. He kicked himself time after time. It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. I’m the reason he’s dead. He'd told himself enough times he believed it.
Breathless, he tried to stand amidst the sadness of the falling rain but found himself rooted to the earth. His feet would not budge. His legs would not obey. The weeds wrapped around his ankles, holding him near. When he went to place a hand on his father’s arm, it faded.
He gasped.
The skies cleared and the darkness fled. A beam of sunlight danced over his damped skin. The stars of the day were brighter than ever before and abruptly, Abbott heard the gentle hum of a hymn ringing through his soul.
A rush of happiness engulfed his grieving body. His fingers drummed to the beat of the tune. A forthcoming excitement unforeseen to his green eyes. The assault of his thoughts retreated. “What’s going on?” he asked as the warmth of the sun lifted his spirits.
Gliding down from above, a phenomenon unfolded before his eyes. A golden figure cloaked in linens of white descended towards him. He felt no fear. The closer the gold drew, the sensation of grace deepened, washing him clean of worry. He looked around him. Trees far away bowed in obedience. The hidden predators and their prey surfaced to catch a peaceful glimpse at the unraveling of pure serenity. Mountains waited with bated breath. And the winds came to a halt. Before he knew it, Abbott and the entirety of Evinar lie in suspense. Something of magical importance was happening, and they could not miss it.
A mist of Gold came within Abbott’s reach, but he dared not grasp it. When it revealed its appearance, those in observance grew quiet. “Abbott, son of Edmund and Angela of name Bradbury, I come forth to bestow upon you the earnest pledge of protector of the lands.” The gold fluttered whimsically like a cloud of dust in absence of wind. The soils quivered when Gold vocalized.
“How do you know my name?”
“I have known you all your life, and I will know you beyond it. I am the creator. I was here at the beginning and I will be here at the end. I’ve been known by many names in my time. Father. Esshir. But in these lands, I am known as Soren, Father of the Light.”
Quinn’s story was called to mind. Soren, the author of the world story. The mountains, the grass, and the seas. Suddenly, Abbott developed the sense he’d known him all his life as a boy who knows his mother. He was peaceful inside.
The storm inside his heart calmed.
“You have suffered a great calamity. Evinar morns. The murder of your father was never meant to be. I morn with you. Yet your father has been yearned by your mother. She has received him well. They smile from faraway with beholden hearts gazing down on their heroic son.”
“It’s all my fault he’s dead. I—“
“Death is not a preventable path, even for you, Abbott. Your father’s time has come and soon, so may yours. He will always be with you wherever you go. But the uprising of wickedness is a foul weed that corrupts the very earth around you. That is a preventable path, and it's one that you have been called. You, Abbott, have a part to play in this. It is not a role you can escape. Evil will always find a way unless your bravery confronts it.”
Abbott searched his soul for courage. “And what if I fail? What becomes of this path then? I’ve already abandoned those who could help. I don’t want anyone else to die for me. Quinn lost her father. Frostbite nearly died trying to save us. How man
y more have to risk themselves?”
“They have done so willingly. Did you ask for them to risk their lives for you? Did you force them to enter into the belly of the beast for you? No. They choose to help you willingly and risked the consequences evil would present them. You cannot hold yourself responsible for the wicked attacks of others. Evil abandons logic and plays by a different set of rules if any. The greater importance is to accept the help you are offered while you still can.”
Foolishness fell upon Abbott. He was ashamed of the words he said while he’d left Quinn. She’d lost as much as he had and by chance a whole lot more, yet she continued to fight. Quinn was far stronger than he’d credited. She’d saved his life more times than she was obligated, and he knew deep down, she’d always do so. Quinn was a far better friend than he was in return.
“You have been marked as the protector. It is you and you alone who must face the threat before Evinar. But time is winding down. Lilith needs only the sacred blade Inedal and her plans to destroy the very fabric between both worlds, will be completed. The fate of the Divine Kingdoms lies in your hands.”
“But can’t you stop her?” Abbott asked, regretting the words once out from his lips. “Surely you can put an end to this all.”
“In some way, I could but I have long since vowed to remain absent from the dealings of these worldly matters. It is not my place to demand free will from those who wish not to give it. This was chosen for you. Make haste and defend your father's honor. The darkness will inevitably pass away, and a truer light will begin to shine. The prophecy will not be if you choose to act.”
The tree trunks curled back up into their normal stature, followed by the voice of the wind. The Gold ascended back into the land above the clouds with a trail of mist. All appeared as it was before Soren’s presence. The only evidence that remained of where Edmund’s body lie, was the flattened grass that kissed his backside.
Abbott sat on the edge of the crossing, deep in thought.
He had to find Quinn.
He needed her.
Overwhelmed, he rose from the chains of grief with a brand new fire burning inside him. He would face his fears. He wouldn’t hide anymore. He would do what Soren tasked him to do. He would protect the Divine Kingdoms against Lilith.
At all costs.
Even if that meant death.
Gusts of wind came hurtling down the mountainside and coiled through the trenches of Abbott’s blond hair while he sprinted towards his forgiveness. Breaking from the clouds, a flock of dark birds rushed overhead like the neighboring the Winding River. The sun and stars of the day sunk into oblivion. Strange things were still afoot. Evinar's beauty was hidden as it prepared for the uncertainty of the future.
Wildlife from the nearby woodland retreated into their protected homes, a doe with her young fawn dashed to their den, wary of predators, and the silver trouts of the water channels buried themselves deep beneath the murky soil of the riverbeds. Abbott caught a family of rabbits diving headfirst into their holes as the winds continued to howl around him. The display of anxious worry gave him a deepening sense of responsibility. Was it his actions directly putting these creatures in harm's way? If he would have faced his fears sooner, would the lives of the innocent be spared? Abbott was left with a collar of guilt to bear around his neck.
He dashed through the marshlands and did not bother stopping for breath. He had to make it all right again. Soren had chosen him to make things right again. All those yearnings for adventures far beyond Woolbury commenced into a greater calling. His home wouldn’t exist anymore if Lilith had her way. He pitied the world that would become of her evil.
He jumped over a pond, tripped face first into the waters, and pulled himself to the edge. Keep going. He tore through mud, slipping on his backside from the speed. Keep going. Thunderbolts broke around him, preventing his path. Keep going. His lungs stung like ice, and his feet throbbed to the bone.
“Wait!” he bellowed from the depths of his soul.
Quinn and Frostbite turned with hung jaws as he limped breathlessly towards them, gasping for air. It burnt the far reaches of his lungs like a burning fire. But he was worthy of such torment.
Quinn’s eyes had widened. Her cheeks began to fill with blood, she was blushing. He had come back. She dismounted from the griffin’s feathery spine and ran to collide with him. “I thought you were going back to Woolbury.”
Full of guilt and shame, Abbott peered down at his boots before locking eyes with Quinn. “You were right. About it all. I can’t run from this. And my father’s death isn’t anyone's fault. You’re not to blame. I’m not to blame.” He paused, choking on the truth of his words. “I got so caught up in trying to prevent something inevitable. And I failed to remember your loss. I’ve been selfish. I said things I wish I could take back. If it wasn’t for you, I would have died three times already. I own a lot to you Quinn.”
She giggled, taken back by the comment.
“I owe you an apology and an even bigger thank you for all you’ve done. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you. I’d probably still be in that cell with the dryads or worse.”
Her brow furrowed. The lines of Quinn’s forehead deepened, but they quickly vanished as she bound towards an embrace. “You are darn right,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I forgive you.”
They were the words he desperately wanted to hear. And hearing them roll off her red lips made them all the sweeter. “I can be a bit thick-headed sometimes,” he confessed. “I think I get that from my father.”
“Where is your father?” she asked timidly.
“At peace.” A tear broke from his eyes, but it was accompanied by a warmth filling his chest as he confessed what he knew to be true. His father was at peace with his mother. Somehow that made his loss feel less painful— knowing he was not alone. Soren was with him.
They held each other tightly for what felt like ages. Abbott sensed the strong rhythmic drumming of Quinn’s heartbeat on his chest. Neither of them wanted the moment to end. It was the only form of comfort they’d had in so long. It was safe for them both. So far the journey had come with more twists and turns than either could handle on their own. But despite that, they had each other, and they’d only survived because of that.
Quinn pulled away. Her glared pierced through the eyes of rolling hills and her breath caught in her throat. The places where their bodies joined reverberated with something she’d yet to feel before. It was unexpected and more so unexplainable.
“W-we should get moving. Lilith could be at the Archway by now,” Abbott said, breaking the tension. Even he could not comprehend what force was brewing between them.
“You’re right, yes,” she said, exiting from her trance and letting go of his arms.
“I’m going to need all the help I can get to defeat her. Do you have any other hidden abilities you’d like to reveal?” he said to Frostbite half smirking.
“At least we have the advantage. She can’t get what she wants unless she gets this back.” Quinn handed Abbott Inedal and he gasped as the cold iron touched his hands. “I believe this belongs to you.”
The sword hummed in his grip. It was a part of him now. No longer was it foreign in his hands and he no longer did he feel hopeless or the boy back from Woolbury who’d lost his father. He was a warrior. And he’d fight like one.
He swiped the blade, cutting through the winds. It was lighter than he remembered. His thumb brushed against the lower vacancy in the pommel. It reminded him that Lilith possessed the Guardian. Inedal would be nothing more than a sharp blade without it.
“Why’d you come back?” Quinn asked as they mounted the griffin.
Abbott grinned as he recalled Soren’s message. “I had help from something unbelievable— a helpful nudge in the right direction. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Quinn’s lip lifted. She could only imagine what he truly meant.
“Where are we off to now?” Frostbite asked, turning his
three-feathered head.
“South. That’s where danger will be.”
The bluish tint ignited in his eyes and they began to glow. “Straight into the heat of battle, count me in!”
37
When the flames choked out, the riders of the pale horse were nowhere in sight. Rage seeped through locked teeth as Lilith regained dominance of her beast. “Vonik un der risen!” she chanted. The beast fought tooth and nail to gain its freedom. “VONIK UN DER RISEN!” she said once more, sinking her dagger into the beast’s neck opening a fresh wound. Submit to me. Submit to me.
The dragon’s leathery wings flapped to circumvent the distress brought upon them, but it was too late. Lilith’s chanting spells were final. She’d regained the will of her fiery ally with new vigor. The dragon's halo eyes filled with blackened matter.
Its soul was hers.
Lilith held the remaining shards of jasper and crushed them in her hand. She was tricked. The very thought of which twisted her wicked heart. The unfired pale flesh around her eyes fractured. She sank the blade into a fresh wound, and the beast screamed. “Vornak!” said ordered. Fly!
The order was followed as the beast collected a gust of wind and spiked into the skies. They rushed towards the place she needed to be. By this time, her men would have gathered at the base of the mountains awaiting orders.
The ritual needed to begin soon.
Time was winding down.
Lilith swore once more. Inedal, her men had lost it.
She analyzed the stars from the barrel of her spyglass, pleading for an interpretation. “Where is he now?” Two glowing balls of gas shot over the sky northern. She’d received her answer.
He was headed to her.
She landed inside the perimeter of ancient stones, surrounded by black crystals.
“Fytr camit logvine!” Her men chanted. Kill them slowly. Kill them slowly. Kill them slowly. Their shields dropped to the ground with the carved Vailïc sigil painted on the fronts of them— the moon with the three towers of Unduk Validur. “Fytr camit logvine. Fytr camit logvine. Fytr camit logvine.”
The Shadow of Our Stars: The Tales of Evinar Page 29