by Nhys Glover
The vortex inside the fiery ring was building. It swirled so fiercely that it whipped at my body, as if it were the wind buffeting me as it did when I flew the skies with my lover. If I had still had long hair it would have been an even more matted mess in that wind.
Oddly, I began to glory in what Sky was creating. I exalted in it; in the power of it!
That’s when I felt the rumbling overhead. I looked skyward at the dome and saw it shatter.
I screamed.
Fear overtook me. Would my cry distract Sky?
I couldn’t let it.
I intensified the energy I was channelling into him. My love and strength and essence. I wouldn’t let this monster win. I wouldn’t.
The water cascaded down onto the mountaintop, which was no longer a mountaintop but a huge open maw, a sucking, pulsing portal that led downward into the earth.
The wave surged into it. I felt splashes of water soaking my clothes and stinging my eyes. But I couldn’t tear my eyes from what was happening.
It was caught. The Jayger was caught and was being sucked down into the open portal to the underworld. As fast as the shattered dome had happened, the wave disappeared.
But I knew it wasn’t over. It was not enough to get it inside. It had to be sealed in there.
It had taken so much for Sky to open the portal. Did he have enough left to close it again?
I slumped to the ground, beginning to feel the effect of my depleted energy. But I continued to watch my lover work. Willing him to finish his task.
In what might have been a few moments or a quarter turn, the portal closed. Sky fell back onto the ground, panting hard. All around us was still. The sky above was again filled with stars and the moon had risen. A full moon.
He’d done it. My love had saved the world for a second time. Tears coursed down my face, and I did not try to stop them. He lived! I could see by his panting chest that he lived.
I turned to stare up at the sky. All those twinkling lights. I had been taught that each one was a soul of the worthy. When you died your spark of life would journey up and join those others in the sky. One day there would be so many sparks of light that the night sky would be as bright as the day. As bright as the dome The Five had created, mayhap.
“Shardra... beloved!” Sky croaked, and I sensed more than saw him crawling over to me.
“What did you do?” he cried, dragging me into his arms. “What did you do?!”
He was sobbing, deep, racking sobs that must have hurt his chest. Why was he crying? He had done it. And he had survived. What distressed him so?
“Look at the stars, my comforter! There seem to be so many more than before. Are they not beautiful?”
He nodded and gulped, as his tears rained down on my face. Why was he crying?
“You should not have done it. I... I could have managed on my own. You did not have to drain yourself to aid me. That was never the plan!”
I gave a little laugh. “Never your plan. If you had bothered to consult me, I would have told you I was never going to just sit around and watch you kill yourself to save the world.”
“Instead you killed yourself?!” he exploded, fury replacing grief.
“I... I am not dead. See, I am talking to you. I... I am just a little... tired. That is all. Let us lie here and stare at the stars while we rest. Both of us need to... rest.”
And with that last thought I heard him wail as darkness claimed me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
FLAME
I lay staring up at the night sky. There seemed to be billions of stars dusted across the inky blackness tonight. I wondered if it was true, what they said, that we became stars when we died. Luckily, it seemed I wouldn’t be finding out firsthand anytime soon.
It had worked. The con had worked. The Jayger had crashed into our dome, thinking it was a harmless loving energy field. It hadn’t realised until the moment the dome shattered what lay beneath. By then it was being sucked into the underworld once more. Sky had opened the portal just as required and succeeded in closing it afterward. Now the top of the mountain looked as it has always had since we came here. Although there was no column of smoke snaking upward anymore.
I looked around me. The forest seemed untouched by the tidal wave that had shattered our dome.
‘Are you there?’ I asked into the silence, using what little energy I had left to confirm my husbands had survived as I had.
‘Good to hear from you,’ Zem said with relief.
‘I second that,’ Landor announced, sighing mentally as if he’d been holding his breath for a long time.
‘I’m here,’ Prior said, although he sounded a little rocky.
We waited for Laric to check in. There was nothing but silence.
My heart turned over in my chest. It hurt. I gasped as the realisation struck me. Laric... Laric hadn’t made it.
‘Don’t panic, Flame. Just because he didn’t answer doesn’t mean he’s dead. He may just have passed out,’ Zem said, the voice of reason as always.
I wanted to believe him. But the silence felt... wrong... bad...
Something was very wrong.
Clambering to my feet, I looked around me. I had to get to him. My mind was foggy with exertion as I tried to remember where he was placed in our circle. He was on the western side, the opposite to me. Maybe the wave hit him? Maybe he wasn’t shielded by the dome?
I needed to get to him. But where was Spot? Oh, I’d sent him away. He was on the ship. I tried to call him up, but I couldn’t reach him. Why? Because I didn’t have the strength after my exertion or because I was short one husband?
Gods, I hated to think that way. Laric wasn’t just an energy source, he was a man I loved!
I began to panic again. But before I got out of control I saw Spot circling overhead. I might not have reached him, but he’d come to check I was all right.
With relief, I watched him land in the small clearing. I raced over to him, wrapping my arms around his warm, furry neck. He smelled so good! Like air and warm, clean airling. Like home.
I clambered up onto his back and we took to the still, star-filled sky. I was the farthest away. Would the others get to Laric before me? Had their airlings come for them as Spot had come for me? My brain wasn’t working.
I had my answer as I landed in the midst of the devastation on the west side of the island. It had taken the brunt of the Devourer’s fury, it would seem. Trees were upended everywhere, their roots reaching skyward instead of their branches. Everything was covered in water and seaweed. It smelled like rotting fish.
And it scared me!
That’s when I saw them—three muscular forms leaning over a fourth. It reminded me of when Landor had fallen from his airling. We had saved him when that happened. Surely we could do the same now.
But even as I thought it, I wondered if any of us had the energy to heal him. We had put everything we had into the dome. It was amazing we’d been able to contact each other afterward. Especially without Laric.
I pushed through until I was at Laric’s side. He looked broken and pale, and wet through. His black hair shone wetly and reminded me of the seaweed strewn about us. Had he drowned?
“We found him with a tree on him,” Zem answered my unspoken question.
“Then he can be healed. Right? He can be healed!”
Zem looked at me with pity in his eyes, which were more black than brown in the darkness. “None of us have the energy. Landor tried...”
I thought quickly, desperately. This wasn’t happening. I wouldn’t let it happen!
“Then we do it together. We just found out how well we can blend our energy. Gods’ balls, we created a monstrous great dome of healing light! We can do this!”
I knew they didn’t believe it was possible, but none was brave enough to tell me so. Quickly, I issued orders for us to all place our hands on Laric at once and to think about love and healing. To remember how incredible it had felt to be inside the Goddess. How incredib
le it had felt to make love that night in the ocean afterward. How we had felt invincible!
I was not channelling the Goddess, but in that moment I wanted to be, needed to be. I drew up the memory of following Airsha’s silver cord and willed myself to connect.
The moment I did so I felt it: so much loving energy. But not directly from the Goddess. Airsha was sending it. Gods, Airsha was there and she was channelling her vast reservoir of energy our way. It surged across the distance and into us. We jerked as it hit us and our hands began to glow brightly.
Tears coursed down my cheeks. We could do this. We could save him!
When the glow faded away, I looked down at my fallen husband. I had to blink a few times to clear my eyes of tears. But once I had, it seemed as if he was much better.
Landor looked up from studying him and smiled in relief. “He’s sleeping the healing sleep. He will survive.”
I fell into the closest arms, and burst into relieved sobs. It had been so close. So very close. I couldn’t have stood it if I’d lost him.
A shadow fell over us and we looked skyward. The halfling daemon who had saved the world was circling above us. In his arms was a limp form. Shardra? Why would Shardra be hurt?
We watched as he landed in the spot where the airlings had come down. It was not an elegant landing. He fell to his knees as he crashed into the sandy, waterlogged debris.
“Shardra!” he cried out in anguish. “She... She channelled her essence into me when I was running low. She depleted herself. Goddess! She did it for me!”
I looked at my husbands.
“Airsha!” was all I said, and they knew exactly what I meant.
We gathered around the broken, doll-like woman, gently easing Sky out of the way.
“Sorry, Airsha, we need you again,” I said aloud as I let my mind follow familiar paths to get to her. How we did it with one of us missing, I don’t know. It was amazing what you could do in a crisis. And this was a crisis. Sky had saved the world for one reason only—this woman. The Goddess couldn’t let her die! She couldn’t take away what she had promised this halfling.
Airsha’s energy poured into us again. This time there was no healing to be done. We were simply siphoning in life-force or essence. It took no more than a few heartbeats to do.
“Thank you, sister. All is well,” I said, although I wasn’t sure if she could have heard my words.
Shardra began to stir, and we parted so Sky could kneel at her side and draw her into his arms once more. I could see the doubt in his eyes as he stared down at her. Was that all it took? How could she have been so close to death one moment and full of life the next?
“Wh...Where are we? I just shut my eyes for a moment...” Shardra said weakly, looking around at us.
“You deserved a bit of a nap,” I told her with a laugh. “Sky is mad at you for nearly killing yourself. So am I. But I’m glad you did it. Without you, he couldn’t have done it.”
She frowned, as if trying to remember what had happened. Then a tired smile transformed her face and she looked up at Sky. “I thought you would die. I thought you would leave me. I would not let you. Not after you stayed hidden for an eon waiting for me.”
Sky laughed and cried and covered her face with kisses. We were all crying by the time he stopped.
“We did it,” I said into the lull. “I keep feeling like there’s more to be done. But there isn’t. We did it. The monster is gone and likely dreaming pleasant dreams in the underworld.”
“Now we can go home,” Prior said with relief.
“You don’t like this island?” I asked in surprise.
“It’s lovely. But I will always think of it as the place we almost died. I want to go home.”
I couldn’t agree with him more.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I stood at the start of the long aisle leading to the dais. Around me the grand and gilded audience hall of the capital was filled to capacity with dignitaries from all over the realm. They were packed in so tightly that some had been forced to stand along the walls.
In that moment, I wished I was one of those with my back to the wall. I wouldn’t be able to feel the caustic eyes boring into my back that way.
At the very front Airsha sat on what had once been the Godling’s throne, flanked on both sides and behind by her husbands, all of whom looked fierce and protective in that moment. It was as if they were ready to jump down and tear the heads off any fool who offered a word of dissent. I doubted any would do so. They were fools, but not complete fools.
Brass instruments hidden in the tier above us began to trumpet, bringing everyone’s attention to us. With one anxious glance behind me to one side and then the other, I noted the tense but encouraging faces of my husbands. They were ready. So, like it or not, I had to be ready too.
Lifting my chin, I began to lead them forward. We would put as much pride and confidence into our strides as we could manage. After all, we were The Five, the Goddess’ champions. And along with Her Key, the halfling daemon, we had saved the world.
Our story had been spread across the realm long before we landed back on our home shores. Airsha had insisted on it, so her people could calm down and return to their homes. It had taken almost as much planning and execution to get them home as it had taken getting them all to safety.
Some didn’t believe it had been necessary. Many of those here today for our ceremony felt that way. After all, except for some severe coastal storms, what evidence was there that a monster had existed at all, no less one that was determined to destroy us all.
But more did believe us, thank the Goddess. And they were the ones that mattered. They were the ones for whom I’d agreed to put myself though this piece of pomp and spectacle. Being dressed in finery and paraded around like prize beastlings in a show was the last thing I’d ever wanted to do. But I’d done worse for the Goddess. And this was important to Airsha and the Goddess, and to Her loyal subjects. So here I was, leading my men forward to play our part in this celebratory ceremony.
Our strides finally brought us to the dais and Airsha rose from her throne and came forward. She looked resplendent in a rich purple gown, her white blonde hair falling loose to her waist. Her eyes seemed to glow even more blue-violet than usual. The Goddess was in residence.
I lowered my head in subservience. Airsha/Goddess smiled Her understanding and accepted my gratitude and obeisance.
When we were lined up in a row before her, the trumpets were silenced. I fought the urge to scratch the spot on my back where eyes were glaring into me. Intentionally, I closed down my mind-reading skills. I didn’t want to hear their nasty thoughts. I didn’t want to hear them calling this a performance to cover the Chosen One’s mistake.
Those eyes didn’t believe we saved the world. They didn’t even believe there was an island beyond the seas and possibly other worlds like our own out there. Fools!
Maybe it would have been proof enough if we’d brought Sky back with us. It was hard to doubt when a halfling daemon was flying about. But Sky and Shardra had decided to remain on the island. They said the world was not ready for either of them, and they were content to be on their own. After all, that is how they had been most of Shardra’s life, anyway.
I wondered what their childlings would be like. Would they be able to fly? It made sense that they could produce offspring, as fire elementals had been able to impregnate air elementals eons ago. And humans were earth elementals, after all—as was Sky, in his way. So, aye, I was sure they would produce lovely, magical babes to fill their lives with even more joy and happiness.
My eyes teared up as I remembered them standing on the shore, waving us off. Both of them had literally glowed with love and happiness now they were safe and together. I hoped that glow remained with them for many, many long suns, and that they would see their grandchildlings and great-grandchildlings grow up and live happy and fulfilled lives. They deserved all that and more.
“My people,” Airsha/Goddess began
. “We have suffered and overcome the worst threat the world has ever known. I promised you we would. I promised you that my champions, called The Five, would use the Key created millennia ago to fight and win the battle to return the monster to its prison. A monster released by the greedy arrogance of the so-called Godling.”
“These four brave men and one woman, none past their twenty-sixth sun, overcame challenge after challenge to become the mages you see before you. Their ingenuity and power had to be great to beat a creature such as The Jayger. His other name, the Devourer, describes his only true purpose. To devour the land and kill all that lived upon it. None would have survived his destructive rage.
“What does one use against such a creature? Not swords or arrows. Not even fury and vengeance. What was required was the ability to understand and tempt; the ability to create an illusion such a monster would believe; to work together in love and respect to build a dome of light filled with elements and fuelled by the Jayger’s opposite force: Love. And to use that dome to both hide the opening of the portal back to the underworld and to attempt to heal that energy as it was sucked into its prison once more.
“Had that healing been attempted the last time, mayhap this terrible period in history would never have come to pass. But there is learning in this for all of us.”
Airsha/Goddess looked a little sad at that moment, as if She was remembering the creator force who had shared this world with Her at the very beginning.
After a moment, She shook off her regret and smiled brightly. “Today we are here to celebrate life and victory. We are here to look forward instead of backward. And, most of all, we are here to show our gratitude to these five young people who overcame all obstacles to save the world. To save each of you.
“I wish I could give them something of equal value for their sacrifice and heroism, but I cannot. All I can do is show our thanks with these gold medallions. From this point on The Five will be known as the Champions of the Realm. No mere mages, they exemplify the power of synergy. They show us that together we are stronger than each of us alone, that five mages working as one can achieve anything.