Fallen Sepulchre

by J D Franx

  “Gods,” Sephi whispered, but it did not slow Yrlissa's story.

  “Eight months later the first six were born. There was just enough magic left to trigger the black sun a second time—or so the gods thought. Eight months after, another six weapons were born. Only three survived from each set of births. But we never could have predicted the black suns would continue or that the children would be born with an innate connection to all the sources of the magic used to create them: life, death, the Void, Fae, Dragon, Demon, and even the gods’ own magic. With these connections a part of them, a DeathWizard's magic is not a foreign force like ours. It is a part of who and what they are. It is them. Like an arm or a leg, it's just there.”

  Yrlissa paused as she lifted her head. Ember could see the weight of history in the assassin's eyes, so she said nothing and let her continue. “Once a DeathWizard figures that out? There is almost no way of stopping them. The first three born are buried here in the Field of the Fallen. I laid each to rest here with my own hands, but not before they claimed over a hundred innocent lives. We quickly realized the danger of what we had created—the wizards were easily corrupted. By what exactly, we never figured out. By death, too much power, or perhaps it was just the effects of the new magic we created... it mattered not. Watchers were nominated to monitor these new wizards, to keep them in check. My twin sister and I were the first of many Guardians. For our service, we were granted immortality by the gods, but we are not invincible. Our numbers have died off even though we can pass our immortality on to our children in a ritual.” Yrlissa took a deep breath and rubbed the small flower-like tattoo at her right temple. “This flower marks a Guardian and ties us to these wizards. The flower thrives or dies depending on whether a wizard is alive.”

  “You knew,” Ember whispered, her tone accusatory. “You goddamn knew. You knew Kael was dead the moment Sephi and Nekrosa woke us in Kazzador. Your mark was smaller then. Aravae noticed it.”

  The Elvehn sorceress nodded. “I did, yes.”

  “I suspected, but I wasn't sure,” Yrlissa replied. “The last wizard of Kael’s kind I Guarded was different than Kael. She fought the corruption better than any other I had watched over. Still, she did horrible things to accomplish her goals right up until she nearly destroyed our world with the Cataclysm. After that, the gods stopped caring, and we Guardians became a dying breed.”

  “Why did the gods turn from Talohna?” Aravae asked.

  “Once the threat from the Ri'Tek had been dealt with, the gods tasked the Guardians with killing every DeathWizard still alive and those born from then on—they decided they were too dangerous. Even the gods can't unmake magical creatures, and that's exactly what a DeathWizard is. Like the Fae or the Dragon Behemoths, the DeathWizard was born of magic. A decree from the gods fractured the Guardian Pact and those of us who were also Broken Blades. We had friends and family, all very young DeathWizards, who fought the corruption every single day. They desired nothing more than to grow up and do good, to help people. They didn't deserve to die. The gods believed those who tried to protect their charges betrayed the pantheon. After the Cataclysm, they blamed us and said it was proof of how dangerous they were. Apparently, we betrayed Talohna because we didn’t stop it. They turned their backs on us and on everyone else.”

  “Then why was Kael so different?” Ember interrupted. “Kael never hurt anyone who was innocent. You told me that Sister of Mylla was lying, that your spell showed him tied up.”

  “It did, and I don't know why.” Yrlissa sighed. “Perhaps because Giddeon sent him to your world? Kael developed his morals and beliefs without the magic's corrupting force or without any influence of magic at all. It matters little, Ember. I have watched countless DeathWizard's lose the struggle for their Humanity or their Elvehnhood, and in some frightening circumstances, their Fae essence. The corruption was still there with Kael. We saw the aftermath. He still pulled demons into our world when he was threatened. During the Ri’Tek war, doing so was considered a horrendous crime punishable by death. We heard the stories from when Kael first arrived in Talohna compared to those leading to when we caught up with him. It was becoming easier and easier for him to kill. He was losing the fight against the corruption.”

  “That's everything? Everything important?”

  “Yes, Ember.”

  “No. It’s not.” Nekrosa interrupted her. “You are forgetting the most important part going forward.” Yrlissa frowned but said nothing.

  “How the war ended?” Sephi prompted. “And could the Ri’Tek possibly return?”

  Yrlissa sighed as if weary of reliving a past so old it might as well have been a campfire story.

  “We knew we couldn’t beat the Ri’Tek with the resources we had,” Yrlissa began, again, “the six DeathWizards alive and under our control came close to balancing our power against theirs, but we were still losing. To make a very long story short, the oldest of them, Asa Nahai, discovered a DeathWizard can crack dimensional barriers if they’re strong enough and focused, if they’re disciplined enough.”

  “Like the Fae,” Sephi stated.

  “Yes. The Still dimension was the first one he found. But where the Fae used finesse and inherent magic to open a dimensional doorway, the DeathWizard clawed his way through. It left a scar. One easily reopened. Asa worked closely with the god of death to design a lock to ensure that once the Ri’Tek had been forced into a stasis type of dimension, the scar would be sealed. We hoped that would be enough until there were enough DeathWizards alive to force a peace or win the war.”

  “They created the Animus Seals?” Ember asked.

  “Asa and Dathac, yes. Asa then taught the others of his kind how to open a door to the Still dimension. We were engaged in battle with the Ri’Tek as they pushed at us from all sides. Asa believed if we lured the Ri’Tek into six different battles, his people could open a doorway at each location. The Dragons and Fae used blood from Ri’Tek prisoners of war and designed a spell using the Still dimension’s energy to pull the Ri’Tek in. It worked, but the price paid was horrendous. Each DeathWizard was killed using their own life force to activate the Animus Seals.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Ember cursed quietly.

  “You have to remember, we were fighting a war against an enemy who wanted to eradicate our very existence. No price was too large and studying the new magic from when we created them wasn't an option. Even Asa had no idea how to keep himself alive, and he was the strongest of his kind. Like Kael, his vines had nearly spread across his entire body. Every race of Talohna fought against the Ri'Tek and stopping the Ri’Tek was the only priority we all had. The probability of another chance was scarce.”

  Ember could not believe her ears. “All races fought against the Ri’Tek and still you nearly...”

  “All but the Lost,” Yrlissa said, nodding.

  “The Lost?” Nekrosa prompted. “That’s new.”

  “The Lost are Talohna's other original race—all of our ancestors who were blessed with magic by the old gods, and those Ri'Tek who had no interest in creating the Vascuul. Some of the Lost you know as the gods we worship. Mylla, Dathac, and Inara were the first three Lost to use magic to ascend to godhood. Several others followed and the pantheon as we know it was created.”

  “The gods of Talohna were once mortal?” Aravae asked, disbelief riding every word from her lips.

  “Yes, but they have none of their mortal essence, or Elvehnhood or humanity left. Like the Ri'Tek, the Lost worshiped the Old Gods and wanted to be like them, but they studied ascension magic instead. It took countless centuries, but eventually... well, some succeeded and ascended to godhood. Remember, the old gods were gone. They were destroyed sealing away the Ri'Tek's magic. The pantheon was empty, and there was no structured afterlife, just a pocket dimension created when the old gods sealed away the Ri’Tek’s magic.”

  “How does that work?” Nekrosa asked.

  Yrlissa smiled. “From what I know, the old gods were merely caretakers of t
he world they created. With no afterlife, upon death, souls—life energy—were absorbed by magical artifacts and gifted to family to use as they needed. Mylla, Dathac, and Inara created the afterlife we have now from the pocket dimension and the Tree of Life they found there. Only they know why or how beyond that.”

  “Incredible,” Sephi said. “To have seen and to know so much.”

  “None of that matters,” Ember snapped, again. “None of it! You should have told me, Yrlissa. I would never have stayed with Giddeon had I known what I know now. Max and I would have purposely stayed ahead of them... or… you... you could have told me how to jump to him, like you did to get us here.”

  “Told you,” Max quipped, but Ember never even slowed.

  “Kael would still be alive if not for you,” she growled. “I swear to every god in existence, old or new, in your world and mine... I will never forgive you for that any more than I will forgive Giddeon Zirakus for his role in Kael’s death!”

  “I know, Ember,” Yrlissa said quietly. “I understand. Giddeon will be paying for his mistakes, I promise you.”

  Ember stood. “And when do you pay for yours?” Shaking her head, she turned and walked away into the dark.

  “Ember, wait!” Yrlissa yelled after her and got up to chase after her.

  “Stop,” Max said and groaned as he struggled to stand. “I’ll go. You’ll just make it worse.”

  “It wasn’t my intention, Max. You have to know that.”

  “But I don’t,” he said and went after her the best he could. Ember was moving away too fast for him to catch her. “Ember!” he called. “Stop, please.”

  She turned and waited for him to catch up. “What?”

  “Easy,” he replied and held up his hands. “Not the enemy here.”

  “I… I know,” she said and frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  “You all right?” he asked and took her into his arms.

  She tried to resist, but quickly gave in. “I can’t do this, Max. She betrayed everything we stand for. We could have caught up to him with one jump. One goddamn jump.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, and it was impossible to stop them.

  “I know, girl,” he said. His arms squeezed her and for a single second she felt a bit better.

  “I don’t trust her, Max. She knows more than she’s telling us.”

  “I doubt we know Sephi and Nekrosa’s full agenda either.”

  “They haven’t lied to us, yet,” Ember offered.

  “Yet,” he repeated. “It seems like this world thrives on the idea of betrayal.”

  “Then, we have to watch our own backs from now on,” she said.

  “Always, but—”

  “I mean it, Max,” Ember snapped, speaking over him. “The next time some ones does this, I want them dead.”

  “Jesus, Ember. I know you’re hurt.”

  “I mean it,” she said. “I am tired of being pulled along in this world and following others. It stops right now. From now on we make our own decisions, you and I.”

  “I can live with that.”

  “Good,” Ember said. “Then, we will leave this god forsaken forest when I am ready, not when any of them wish to.”

  “You are the only way out of here,” Max added.

  “Yes,” Ember growled. “I am.”

  Chapter Five

  ‘A sword must remain sharp, even when it lies harmless within a sheath. Even more so, the mind and soul must always be sharp when sitting idle within the body. A dull mind or soul will bring more devastation to oneself than a dull sword ever could.’

  Northman Proverb, author and date unknown.

  THE AFTERLIFE

  YEAR UNKNOWN

  Kael woke screaming from a nightmare. The images of demons tearing him apart slowly faded as he opened his eyes. Ember stared down at him and smiled.

  “Bad dreams?” she asked as she caressed his cheek.

  He nodded. “I guess even the afterlife can’t wipe the mind clean of some horrors.”

  “It will, love. I promise. When we first arrived here, Tydariel said the mind heals slower and that it will just take time.” Ember snuggled closer in the bed and pulled the blankets higher. Turning over, he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her.

  As Kael held her, he wondered if this paradise would last forever. Months, or maybe even years, or decades had passed since had first found Ember in the meadow of Heaven’s third paradise realm. She was right. Time meant little when things were happy and safe. He hoped it would last eternity. The days passed easily as he and Ember settled into the strange existence of Talohna’s afterlife. It did not take long for him to realize that all souls shared each realm’s reality. Ember explained that the small village where her and Max had been staying was one of many and that the first city—for those who wanted to spend eternity in a city-paradise—was only a two hour walk down the trail. It was a walk where feet never got sore and there was no such thing as growing tired from miles of traveling. In the village where they lived, everything they could ever need was provided. Their home, food, water, and even clothing. The communal lifestyle was stress-free and relaxing. Farmers farmed, tailors made clothes, and there was no violence. It made him smile, and inside, he was bursting with happiness, with bliss.

  It was Heaven after all.

  “You’d better get moving, hun,” Ember said as she ran her finger along his chest. “I need you to stop by the market before you meet Max, so I can make supper tonight. I need some spices. The list is on the kitchen table.”

  Kael sighed. “All right,” he said. Leaning over, he kissed her forehead, again. “See you later.”

  As she rolled over and went back to sleep, he hopped out of bed and dressed in a pair of brown leather pants and set his Orotaq cloak on a chair. He had not worn his beat-up chainmail armor in months. There was no need. It hung in the closet with their other, more comfortable clothing. Pulling on a soft shirt made from a cotton-like material, he slipped on his boots and kissed Ember’s head once again.

  As he left their house with the list in his pocket, the sun was up high and he guessed it was close to noon. Turning toward the town’s market, Kael inhaled the fresh mountain air and picked up his pace. The market was busy as always, so he spent time wandering to look at merchandise on the quieter side of the circular set up. Stopping at one of the jewelry stalls, he noticed a young woman watching him from the side of the clothing merchant’s stall. She kept an eye on him from beneath a heavy wool hood. It was the fourth time he had noticed her watching him that week. Studying her without making it obvious, he struggled to make out her face through shadows of the hood. Her features were vaguely familiar, but he could not place where he had seen her before. Without access to his magic in the afterlife, the mundane tasks of normal life were inconvenient. Glancing back to the woman, he saw she had vanished among the crowd.

  He made his way through the market to the far eastern side of the town and slipped between two houses. The simple route led to one of the town’s most incredible views—a cliff’s edge over a wide, imposing valley. Sitting on a rocky outcrop, he stared out over the miles of green valley floor. The awe-inspiring sight always made his day all the better than it already was. The greatest thing about Paradise was the lack of hurry to be anywhere, and Max always knew exactly where to find him no matter what part of Paradise he wandered to.

  Kael smiled. A crunch on the grass let him know his friend had found him quicker than he expected.

  “Ember’s making supper tonight,” he said. “Supposed to ask you if you want to eat with us.”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” a female voice replied from behind him. Sliding off the rocks, Kael spun and immediately recognized the woman in the heavy hood.

  “Have you been following me?” he demanded.

  Shaking her head, the woman took several steps before answering. “Following, no. Watching... perhaps.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?” she answered flippantly.r />
  “Because it’s bloody creepy,” Kael retorted. “Creepy things aren’t supposed to happen in Heaven. I’m pretty sure of that.”

  “Heaven?” she repeated. He heard the incredible surprise in her voice. “Heaven?” she repeated, stepping back. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone call it that.” Her hood caught the mountain breeze and lifted for a split second, giving him a better look at her face. A cold chill burst to life inside his stomach—the woman was beyond familiar.

  He knew her. The dark hair, the pale skin, the startling beauty, and her Elvehn features... he had seen it before but had no idea when or where.

  “Well, what do you call it then?” he asked.

  A hint of a sly smile crept out from under the hood. “You are dead. You know that much, right?”

  “Uh... yes...”

  “Then, if you’re dead and this isn’t Heaven or Paradise, what’s left?” She scoffed and shook her head as if she was dealing with an imbecile.

  Kael laughed as he wondered if Max had put this woman up to pulling a practical joke on him. “If this is Hell, miss, then I’ll burn here for all eternity. Happily, in fact. Compared to real life, this is Paradise for me.” Shaking his head, he turned to leave but glanced back over his shoulder. “You’ll have to tell Max to do better next time.” Turning to leave, he had not made it two steps when her voice stopped him hard.

  “Kael? Please, look at me.” The cold spot in his stomach returned and he turned to look at her. “Why can you not sense what or who I am?”

  “Uh... because there’s no need for magic in the afterlife. Our magic doesn’t work here because there is no need for it. Tydariel told me that when I first came to this town.”

  “Of course, she did,” the woman said. Shaking her head, she massaged her temples in frustration. “Your magic will work just fine if you believe it will.”