by J. M. Topp
Dorma craned his neck at the ball of light and then stood up. -Stand back, Elymiah.-
A bright flash surged from the ball of light. The earth shook, and four finger-like rocks in the shape of a hand rose on Artus’s sides, covering him up. Elymiah stood back as the fingers made of soil and rock fully enclosed around Artus’s body. She fell on her knees and touched the rock formation around him.
‘I promised to save you, Father,’ she said, placing her face on his chest. ‘You told me once that I was not alone. That I was alive and that it had to count for something. It does count for something, Father. You gave me a second chance to live. A second chance to learn. I wish I could have thanked you.’
-We must leave, Hunter. The spirit of the Mother of Giants has become impatient.- Dorma ruffled his wings. Elymiah stood up and set the broken hilt of Alamánd on the grave.
‘Farewell, Father.’
Dorma shook his neck.
-I don’t think I can fly, Hunter,- said the wyvern, lifting his broken wing.
‘We don’t need to now. Can you carry me?’
Dorma snorted but then nodded. Elymiah walked up to his side and jumped on. Like a horse, Dorma turned around and trotted down the path that led out of the cavern. Elymiah rested her head on the neck of the wyvern. The creature bobbed up and down, but again, like a warm blanket, exhaustion crept onto her. She winced at the swelling in her right eye, the burning in her shoulder and neck, and the pain in her side, but then, her body fell silent as she slipped into a deep sleep once more. The wyvern trotted for miles and miles, but to Elymiah, mere moments passed.
A STRANGE CHILL brushed itself lightly against Elymiah’s face. She opened her eye to see that they were just out of the Caves of Vammar Sanctum. The swelling above her other eye was beginning to go down, and she could see out of it, though she was sure she had a purple mark around it. She couldn’t imagine where else she had purple marks. Dorma, however, wasn’t moving.
‘Is something the matter, Dorma?’ she asked.
-I smell something. I smell meat made of man. I smell fire.-
Elymiah blinked the sleep from her eyes, and she let herself down from Dorma’s back, careful not to touch his broken wing. Her foot ached, but at least she could walk on it for now. The Havari had done the trick. Elymiah saw a small abandoned fire that was still smoking in a clearing just before the caves.
‘Theodric? Coda?’ She called out. At first, there was no response. Then a man walked out into view from behind a large oak tree with an arrow notched in his bow.
‘Elymiah, is that you?’ asked Theodric. Coda walked up beside him, seeming to not comprehend what he was looking at. Then a woman walked up behind him. It was Amelinne.
‘We were just about to enter the caves once more and look for you, but when we saw that creature emerge, we took cover,’ said Coda. He walked up to Elymiah and hugged her. Elymiah grimaced but sighed in the presence of a friend.
‘I am glad you did not go in after me,’ she said. ‘I still don’t know how I made it out.’
‘I knew it,’ said Amelinne. ‘I knew she would return.’
‘How long has it been?’ asked Elymiah.
‘A week nearly,’ said Coda. ‘I had almost given up hope.’
‘A week?’ Elymiah was stunned. Time passed differently in the world beneath the Isles of Brume. Dorma ruffled his wings and snorted. Coda, Theodric, and Amelinne took a step back from the creature.
‘He isn’t going to hurt you. At least, I don’t think he is.’
‘You’ve tamed a dragon?’ asked Theodric.
-Hrmmm-
‘No, I didn’t tame him, but consider him an ally for now.’
‘Did you see Kveikur?’ asked Theodric.
Elymiah glanced at Dorma and then back at Theodric. ‘Kveikur is dead.’
‘You killed her?’ asked Coda, dropping his jaw.
‘Not just me. Dorma helped,’ said Elymiah. ‘No giant or cyclops will trouble anyone any longer.’
Amelinne walked up to Elymiah and hugged her. ‘Theodric told me what happened to Tsoryg. Thank you…for avenging my beautiful husband.’
Elymiah hugged her back. Amelinne sniffed and let go of her. Theodric sighed. ‘I am glad you’re alive, Elymiah. Is Commandant Farnesse behind you?’
‘Artus fell on the dirt path. The spirit of the Mother of Giants swallowed him.’
‘I’m sorry. Truly, I am,’ said Theodric.
‘His death and the deaths of your fellow daemon hunters have been avenged,’ said Elymiah. ‘Let's go home.’
‘No, Elymiah. You avenged the deaths of your fellow daemon hunters. You are one of us now,’ said Theodric. He knelt before her. ‘I would follow you to the grave and beyond, Elymiah. Please count me as you would your sword hand. I will not let you down, Commandant Farnesse.’
Elymiah stared at Theodric. ‘You need not kneel to me. I do not count you as my sword but as my friend. Rise, Theodric.’ But then Amelinne and even Coda knelt before her.
‘Seriously, stop,’ said Elymiah. Amelinne glanced at Coda, and they stood at once.
Elymiah embraced Coda.
‘I would follow you,’ said Coda, rubbing her shoulder.
‘So would I,’ said Amelinne with a nod and a reassuring smile.
Elymiah let go of Coda and looked to the other two Veledred. Their eyes glistened in admiration and love.
Perhaps what I lost can be found here. Among friends.
They stared up at her. ‘You are our new commandant,’ said Amelinne.
-I would follow you too.-
Elymiah turned to Dorma and rested her hand on his side. He lifted his wings and spread them to catch the rays of light as the sun rose in the sky. He yawned and stretched his claws.
DORMA STROLLED ALONG the road leading from the Moonlit Valley, his wide paws clawing at the soft ground. Elymiah had decided against going up the mountain pass. She could still see the blue eyes of the snow lions in her mind. Instead, they would circle around the mountain, taking the longer route. She rode on Dorma’s back, and Coda, Theodric, and Amelinne walked beside the wyvern, scanning their surroundings. If there were any other creatures in the Moonlit Valley, they stayed their ground with Dorma lumbering through. Elymiah’s right eye finally opened up, and she could finally see through it. Theodric insisted on her wearing his fur coat, and she gratefully accepted it. She realised she missed wearing armour. Perhaps when she arrived at Saltkire Hold, she would ask Lord Bearohd for some of their stone armour. She wondered if she would even be able to stand in it.
The road wound through the forest, leading Dorma and Elymiah and the others through gorges and over barren fields. Twice, they stopped on the road to rest when the moon came down in the sky. The cool night air seemed to have a crispness that Elymiah could almost taste. The very fog that permeated the entirety of the Isles of Brume seemed to have lost the darkness that had been in the back of Elymiah’s mind from the moment she arrived in the Moonlit Valley. It was as if the presence of Gulch had somehow brought a daemonic presence to the isles, but now, the land breathed in relief.
They made camp by a small creek, and while Dorma slept, Elymiah cleaned and deboned a few fish they had caught. Coda prepared camp while Theodric and Amelinne hunted in the forest. The fish weren’t large, but there were enough for half a meal, that is if Theodric and Amelinne came back empty-handed. Coda struggled with the fire and threw the sticks in frustration.
‘Couldn’t we have the wyvern use his…’ He pointed at Dorma and then back at the pile of sticks. Elymiah shook her head.
‘I don’t think so, Coda. He is not to be used on a whim.’ She glanced over at Dorma. His back rose and fell as he slept. Elymiah had cleaned his wounds, but it was clear that the wyvern didn’t need her help. The Havari had completely mended his bones, and the tears in his wings would soon heal.
‘Well, this will take some time then,’ said Coda, returning to his job. ‘I am a fighter and a soldier, but not a firekeeper.’
‘You should learn from them, Coda. Firekeepers have an important role to fulfil,’ said Elymiah. A spark flew from the pile of sticks that Coda was trying so hard to light. He smirked and struck the flint-stone once more. Small flames began to eat away at the kindling. He turned to look at Elymiah and tilted his head, putting the flint-stone into his pocket.
‘I once knew a firekeeper. She was silent and blind, but she was wise and strong,’ said Coda as he sat back in the dirt and put his hands to the slowly growing flames. ‘She taught me that—’
‘How was she a firekeeper if she was blind?’ interrupted Elymiah.
‘She could always sense the fire, even if it was miles away. She could feel the heat before anyone else could see it. She always told me that, in the darkness, when the light shines, all you have to do is reach out and feel it. The light is always there.’
An urge Elymiah couldn’t explain began to swell in her throat. She looked down and dropped the kindling in her hands.
‘Elymiah?’ asked Coda, standing up.
‘I need…I need a moment alone.’ She hurriedly turned around before Coda could see her cheeks turning red, and she then walked beside the creek. The crystal blue waters flowed quietly beside her. She looked around for Theodric and Amelinne, but she was alone. Dorma remained where she could see him by the campsite, a large sleeping shadow.
The feeling was a sudden impulse she could not control. Like a pot of water boiling over, she fell to her knees and allowed the rush of emotions to cascade over her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she put up her hands to cover her mouth, screaming silently. She clutched at the muddy bank of the creek and sobbed as quietly as she could. The stream was alive, with little insects zipping over the surface of the waters. Small shadows swam, but Elymiah could barely see them through the tears clouding her eyes.
‘Robyn…’ Even uttering his name reminded her of the sharp edge of who she remembered him to be. She recalled the memory of the Protector jabbing his face and tearing his eyes out. Her mind flashed to Robyn’s last words to her.
‘You have returned my sight to me, but I cannot bear to look at you.’
But then, Elymiah’s tears stopped. Those hadn’t been his last words, had they? He’d spoken something just before he jumped. What had he said?
She heard a movement behind her and jumped, wiping tears from her eyes.
Dorma’s scales ruffled like feathers, and he sniffed the air, but he remained silent as he sat beside her like a dog with his neck arched.
‘Oh, it’s you, Dorma,’ said Elymiah, dropping the clump of mud from her hands. Then, without wanting to, she stood, ran to Dorma, and hugged his neck. The wyvern gave off a soft grunt of surprise, but she hugged him anyway. This time she couldn’t stop the sobbing. Tears streamed down her face as she cried into his warm black scales. All the memories that clung to her began to fade, if only for a moment. Dorma brought up his wing to cover her, and the warmth of his body began to comfort her.
‘Oh, Dorma. What have I done?’
His heartbeat sounded in her ear.
‘The beast responds well to you.’
Dorma snorted and hissed as he turned to Coda, who had been staring at them next to a tree. He leaned on it with arms crossed over his chest.
-How long has he been standing there?-
‘It’s okay, Dorma, he is a friend,’ said Elymiah, patting the wyvern’s wing.
‘May I approach, oh, wyvern?’ asked Coda, walking forward with head bent low and arms outstretched. Dorma snorted again and turned his back to Coda.
-I smell a rabbit.-
Elymiah wiped tears from her eyes and smiled at Coda.
‘I wasn’t interrupting something, was I?’ said Coda, looking at the wyvern’s back as Dorma plodded into the forest.
Elymiah shook her head, wiping more tear trails from her cheeks. ‘I just needed some air. I don’t know when the last time was I had time to think. Everything is such a rush.’
Coda nodded. ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.’
‘One of the things my father told me was that everything would be all right. I didn’t believe him. I didn’t believe I deserved it to happen, and now, I feel as if it has. I wish I could have enjoyed the time I spent with him.’
Coda bowed his head, remaining silent.
‘Artus is my middle name, the name of my father. Why was I the one to remain alive?’ Elymiah looked at the water running in the creek. ‘I don’t expect you to understand, Coda. I do apologise.’
‘No need,’ was all Coda said. He wrapped his arms around Elymiah, hugging her close to his chest. Her eyes shot wide open. For the first time in recent memory, she felt a strange warmth radiate down her spine. She felt Coda’s heartbeat close to her own. Staring off into the forest, she rested her head on his shoulders. She closed her eyes, allowing the warmth to swallow her. Elymiah didn’t know how much time passed before she finally looked into Coda’s face. His eyes were warm and inviting.
Robyn…
She stiffened, and she pushed herself away from him.
‘What’s the matter?’ asked Coda, a confused expression crossing his face.
‘I…I don’t know… I haven’t been with someone since…’
‘It’s okay…’ began Coda, scratching his elbow and turning red. He looked around, making sure Theodric and Amelinne were still out hunting. Elymiah immediately regretted her words.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that, Coda. I…I just need time before you and I do anything...’
‘Mischievous?’ said Coda with a grin. ‘I suppose it’s time to return to camp. Amelinne and Theodric should have returned by now.’
Relief washed over Elymiah, and she hugged Coda, putting her head on his chest. Perhaps everything could be made right once more.
WHEN ELYMIAH AND Coda returned to camp, Amelinne and Theodric were there. They had placed two skinned rabbits on spits over Coda’s fire. Theodric glanced up at Elymiah but remained silent. Amelinne grinned at her.
‘We found some food!’ said Amelinne. ‘And someone hid a stash of goods too.’
‘An old merchant stash,’ said Theodric. ‘Long ago, the Moonlit Valley was rich with goods of all kinds. Saltkire Hold was an outpost before it turned into a city. Merchants would hide some of their goods for rainy days. Looks like we found some. Though most of the goods were rotten through, some of it was salvageable, lucky for us.’
Amelinne held two sacks by her side. One of them had pots and pans, judging from Amelinne’s shaking of the sack, and the other had spices, according to Theodric. Elymiah sighed and sat down beside them.
‘You okay?’ asked Theodric once they had had their fill and Coda and Amelinne had fallen asleep.
‘I’m fine.’ Elymiah smiled.
For once, I actually mean that.
FINALLY, THERE IT stood. Saltkire Hold towered above the trees. Heat permeated the air as the cool forest turned to dense and humid jungle. Coda walked up beside Elymiah and Dorma. ‘The dragonling would not do very well near my people, Elymiah. Most have never seen a tamed wyvern. It is probably best for him to stay back.’
Dorma hissed at Coda but then looked at Elymiah. She could tell there was doubt in the way he tilted his head. ‘He’s right, Dorma,’ she said.
-I am not tamed. I don’t like it.-
‘He didn’t mean it like that. We won’t be here long,’ said Elymiah as she lifted herself off his back. She grabbed the pack of spices and slung it over her shoulder. Amelinne and Theodric walked up beside her and Coda. With a curt nod, Elymiah led them up the path as Dorma begrudgingly melted into the forest.
-I’m going to find something to eat.-
Elymiah knew he wouldn’t go too far.
As they entered Saltkire Hold, something seemed off. A child no more than three or four squatted in the road. A woman grabbed the child and rushed into a straw hut, slamming the door shut behind her. Besides that, the village was empty.
‘What’s going on?’ a
sked Elymiah, turning to Coda.
His face was pale.
‘I never would have thought he would do it,’ he murmured, wide-eyed. He rushed into the village. Elymiah, Theodric, and Amelinne ran after him. He made it through the dirt roads and finally stopped once he entered the grand hall. The throne lay empty, and not a soul stirred in the hall, not even the concubines.
‘Why are you running, Coda?’ asked Theodric, panting behind him. Amelinne and Elymiah entered behind him. Coda turned, white-faced.
Then a boy with a rusted piece of steel armour and a shark tattoo on his face emerged from behind the throne with an old crone in tow. Elymiah knew them well.
Skigg stood with his chest puffed out, holding a broken sword in his hand. His blue eyes sparkled as he spoke to Coda in the strange language and held his sword out defiantly, but then the old crone stepped in between them and bowed.
‘I wondered when you would show up again,’ said the old crone.
‘Lord Bearohd is gone. He has always wanted Karagh Muín for himself. Now with the leadership gone and his best fighters in the Moonlit Valley, he’s decided to attack the castle,’ said Coda. ‘He’s gone.’
‘Ha! Zigi will hold him off. The castle is impenetrable.’ Theodric snorted.
‘Don’t be so cocky, Theodric. We of Saltkire Hold know of entrances that are secret even to someone like the castellan. The Veledred are in danger. I don’t know how much time we have left, but if we are to stop him, we must go now,’ said Coda.
Theodric drew a dagger from his belt and kicked Coda’s legs from beneath him. He put the blade to his neck. ‘Bearohd is your lord, Coda. What makes you think we will let you come with us? I will not let you endanger any Veledred or our new commandant.’
Coda swallowed hard and glared at Theodric. ‘I am a free man of the village of Saltkire Hold. I am sworn to Elymiah Farnesse. She is my lord. I will follow no other.’
‘Theodric, enough,’ said Elymiah as she grabbed his hand and pushed his blade away from Coda’s neck. She stood before Coda, staring down at him. ‘If you betray me, I will let Dorma bite a chunk out of you, but only a chunk. Think about how your life will be after that.’