Ascension of Death

by Andy Peloquin

  His face grew solemn. “For too long, the Necroseti have controlled our city, used their influence and power to line their pockets. No more will the Keeper’s Priests grow fat on the suffering of our people. They shall be given equal voice in the organization and reconstruction of Shalandra, but there must be balance.” He clenched a fist. “There must be balance!”

  The fervor and intensity of the Pharus’ voice surprised Evren. Most men in the monarch’s position would take advantage of their newfound freedom from the Necroseti yoke and seize full power for himself. Yet it seemed this particular monarch cared more about his people than Evren had given him credit for.

  “The Long Keeper has blessed us with the gift of rebirth.” The Pharus’ words rang out in the luxurious chamber. “He has blessed us with a new beginning. Even now, land that was barren now flourishes. The Four-Bladed Winds carry seeds of hope that fill the once-desolate ground with life. That which was dead lives anew. And we must embrace that newness, for the sake of our city, our people.”

  His eyes roved over each person in turn. “No longer will we seek divisions, the disparities that set us apart and drive a wedge between our good people. No longer will one lavish in luxury while others die of hunger and thirst. Shalandra was destroyed, but from the ashes will rise a new Shalandra, a better Shalandra. When we stand before the god of death to give answer for our lives, we will meet his gaze and stand tall, saying, ‘Your gift was received and heeded. From the fires of destruction came the flame-hardened steel of unity.’ We will stand together, a proud people of a glorious city. Out of this tragedy, let a new unity be born!”

  “We stand with you, Bright One,” Ennolar signed.

  “All of us.” Lady Callista said. Beside her, Issa and Hykos saluted, fists clanging off their breastplates. Even Killian stood, a look of admiration in his eyes.

  The Pharus turned to Ennolar. “So you will serve on my Council of the People’s Voice?” he asked.

  “I am honored, my Pharus,” Ennolar’s fingers replied, “but I believe there is one better-suited to such an endeavor.” He turned to Briana. “You, Lady Briana, daughter of Arch-Guardian Suroth.”

  Evren’s eyes flew wide, but his surprise paled next to Briana’s. The Shalandran took a shaky step back. “M-Me?”

  A part of Evren rejoiced at hearing her voice—she hadn’t yet undergone the mutilation to become a Secret Keeper—yet the rest of him was too stunned to spare it a second thought.

  “Yes, my lady.” A beaming smile broadened Ennolar’s rotund face, making his bald head appear perfectly circular. “What the Pharus proposes will require drastic changes, a complete retooling of life in Shalandra as it has been for centuries, millennia. I am old and set in my ways. Age has made me stubborn, my mind far less flexible than the intellect of one as young as you.”

  “B-But—” Briana began.

  “What you believe you lack in experience,” Ennolar cut her off with a shake of his head, “you more than compensate with nobility, resolve, and strength of spirit.” He stepped close and fixed her with a kindly gaze. “You are every inch your father’s daughter, and you have your mother’s courage, her heart. You faced loss, heartbreak, death, and destruction, yet you never wavered, never doubted. Anyone who could sacrifice as much as you have for the sake of Shalandra is someone I believe is capable of shepherding us into the new, better Shalandra of which the Pharus speaks. In tandem with the wise counsel of your elders, of course.”

  Tears sparkled in Briana’s eyes. She seemed taken aback by his words. “Ennolar, I…” She swallowed. “I don’t know what to s-say.”

  “Bright One?” Ennolar turned to the Pharus. “What say you, my Pharus?”

  For a long moment, the Pharus’ expression remained solemn, his eyes fixed on the two brown-robed Secret Keepers. Then his thoughtfulness gave way to a brilliant smile. “As always,” he said, inclining his head, “I heed the word of my Arch-Guardian.”

  Briana seemed at a loss for words, too stunned to react.

  “My lady, I have only one regret in this life,” Ennolar signed. “That your father and mother were not here to see who you have become. They would be as proud of you as I and all in the Temple of Whispers are.”

  Briana finally found her voice. “But my oath…I swore to the Mistress…”

  A sly smile played on the Arch-Guardian’s face. “They were not witnessed by another Secret Keeper, so they cannot be binding.”

  Briana threw her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. Evren had to swallow hard to push down the lump rising to his throat.

  Ennolar’s face seemed to melt, warmth spreading from his smile to his eyes, and he wrapped his arms around Briana. When the girl finally pulled away, Ennolar spoke in the silent hand language. “Live your life, Briana. As your father and mother would have wanted.” He placed a gentle, paternal kiss on her forehead and, with a bow to the Pharus and Lady Callista, turned to stride from the chamber.

  Evren was too stunned to move, to react. What in the bloody hell just happened? Had it all been his imagination? Had he truly witnessed the thing he hadn’t believed possible? Suddenly, his dread gave way to something new: hope, faint, barely a glimmer, but there.

  Kodyn said everything Evren was thinking. “Thank you.” He held out a hand to the Secret Keeper.

  With a nod, Ennolar shook Kodyn’s hand. “Until we meet again.” Evren’s gut clenched as Ennolar turned to Hailen, but the pudgy Secret Keeper only gave Hailen an enigmatic smile. “Shall I be seeing you soon, young man?”

  “I-I don’t know. I…” Hailen’s eyes darted toward Evren, a shadow filling his gaze. “I haven’t had a chance yet.”

  “Ahh.” A knowing look flashed across Ennolar’s face. “Our offer stands, from now until the end of your days.”

  “Thank you, Arch-Guardian.” Hailen bowed.

  Ennolar glanced once at Evren, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Then he turned and strode from the chamber, the door clicking shut behind him.

  Evren’s mind whirled, his heart hammering a furious beat in his chest. Ennolar’s cryptic exchange with Hailen filled him with concern, left him perplexed. Yet it faded beneath the emotions that swirled within him at the Arch-Guardian’s words to Briana. He thought he’d found something special with her, a chance at a spark of happiness in their lives, lives that had been filled with suffering, loss, and hardship. That chance had been ripped away from him the moment he heard of Briana’s oath to join the Secret Keepers. But now…

  His eyes went to Briana. What would she say? What would she do with her newfound freedom from the priesthood? A fist of iron gripped Evren’s chest, and his breath caught in his lungs as he waited for her to speak.

  “I thank you for the honor, Bright One.” Briana’s voice was quiet, almost strangled. She didn’t look at Evren, Hailen, or any of the others, but kept her eyes fixed on the Pharus. “And I accept, gladly.”

  The Pharus’ smile glowed bright. “We are pleased to know that you will work beside us to usher in a new era of unity and prosperity in Shalandra. And that you will once again reside in the mansion that once belonged to your father, and which will now belong to you.”

  Briana seemed taken aback. “M-My father’s…”

  “I owe Suroth my life and more.” Pharus Amhoset Nephelcheres inclined his head. “The least I can do is ensure his daughter has a roof over her head.”

  “Thank you, my Pharus.” Briana swallowed and hesitated a moment, her lips pressed into a tight line. Slowly, the uncertainty faded from her face. “But I have a request to make of the Crown.” She stood straighter, her voice growing stronger. “A request that I believe is well within your power and graciousness to grant.”

  Lady Callista’s eyes narrowed, but the Pharus cocked a perfectly-plucked eyebrow. “Speak, Lady Briana. We are listening.”

  “I would ask for the dagger from the Tomb of Hallar to be given to Evren.” Now she turned, her eyes locking on Evren’s face. “As a reward for his courage and the in
strumental role he played in bringing down the Ybrazhe Syndicate.”

  The words froze Evren in place. He hadn’t known what to expect from her, but not this. Surprise rooted him to the ground, clamped his lips tight. For a heartbeat, as the Pharus cast a questioning glance at Lady Callista, Evren seemed unable to draw breath. The world seemed to stand still around him.

  “The Blade of Hallar belongs to Shalandra,” Briana continued. “Handed down by the founder of our great city from Proxenos to Proxenos, to be wielded in defense of Shalandra whenever it is needed.”

  She seemed to grow taller, stand straighter, her head lifting and her voice ringing with confidence. Once again, she was the Dhukari Evren had met all those weeks ago, and she met the Pharus’ gaze without hesitation.

  “But the Im’tasi dagger recovered from the Tomb of Hallar has no such purpose, no such value to our city.” Steel and determination edged her tone. “Evren came to Shalandra to steal the Blade of Hallar, but you have seen for yourself the reason, the threat that drove him to such extremes. You came face to face with the very creatures of darkness he has dedicated his life to eradicating, and in doing so, protect all of Einan from a danger that until a week ago, we had no idea existed.”

  The Pharus and Lady Callista’s expressions shifted, just a fraction, but softened from stubborn refusal to a hint of contemplation.

  “That dagger could very well be the key to our survival,” Briana continued. “We have not seen the Great Devourer with our own eyes—”

  “I have,” Hailen whispered, though thankfully quiet enough he didn’t cut off the flow of Briana’s words.

  “—but we have seen the threat of demons, the power they wield in our world.” Briana fixed the Pharus with a stern gaze. “You have in your hands the weapon that could balance the scale in our favor, give our world a fighting chance against forces ancient and evil. I humbly request that you honor his sacrifice and loyal service to Shalandra, a city to which he owes no allegiance.” She swept a bow. “That is, I believe, a fitting reward.”

  From the corner of his eye, Evren caught a flash of movement. Aisha stepped forward. “You promised me a reward, Bright One, for saving your life in the Stumbler attack. I ask not for myself, but for Evren.”

  “Without Evren,” Kodyn put in, moving to stand beside Aisha, “we would never have learned of the threat of the Keeper’s Council, or defeated the Iron Warlord.”

  “I’d be dead if it weren’t for him,” Killian added, inclining his head. “So would my Mumblers and half of Shalandra with us.”

  “He came to our aid,” Aleema added, “when the odds were hopeless and death certain, yet he stood beside my Nytano without hesitation.”

  “I’d still be locked in the Hall of the Beyond if it weren’t for Evren.” Issa’s voice rang with a strength to match her mother’s. “Without Evren, our city would be ashes and corpses.”

  “We are all here because of him.” Hykos turned to Evren with a broad smile. “Loyal, courageous, and stubborn as a Voramian mule—precisely the qualities needed to bring us through the Final Destruction alive.”

  Evren wanted to speak, even opened his mouth to say something, but he found he could not. His throat thickened and emotions cascaded over him with such force that words failed him.

  A hand gripped his, small yet filled with strength. Glancing down, he found Hailen at his side, beaming up at him. Confidence, reassurance, and love gleamed in his violet eyes.

  Tears brimmed and heat burned within Evren’s cheeks. All his life, he had felt alone. An only child to a mother that had died and left him an orphan. An apprentice forced to fight, a street rat stealing and scrounging to survive. He had only had himself to count on, his strength, tenacity, and willpower.

  But that was no longer true. He wasn’t alone. He had friends. Friends who had battled at his side, impossible odds be damned. Friends who stood up for him. Friends who had become like the family he’d always dreamed of having.

  No matter what happened, no matter what came next or where he went, he would never be alone again.

  The Pharus’ solemn expression never changed as he turned to a nearby table and picked up a long, slim wooden box. With a nod, he held it out to Briana.

  Puzzled, Briana took the box, opened it, and gasped. Smiling, she turned and held it out to Evren.

  Evren nearly wept as he saw the dagger lying in a velvet cushion within the wooden box. Long, with a curved blade and a solid steel crossguard, it bore a transparent gemstone set in its hilt.

  The Im’tasi dagger from the Tomb of Hallar.

  With trembling hands, he reached out to lift the dagger from the box. He scarcely dared to believe the evidence of his eyes, yet excitement burned bright and hot within him. All the effort, all the hardships he’d endured, it had all led to this moment.

  He had fulfilled his mission. Unexpected outcome or not, he had succeeded.

  A broad smile spread his face and joy blossomed in his chest, lifting the burden from his shoulders. Yet as his gaze lifted to Briana’s face, he found sorrow glimmering in her eyes.

  His brow furrowed in confusion. He thought she’d be happy for him, happy to see him succeed at the mission that had brought him from a thousand leagues away to Shalandra. The mission that had caused their paths to cross, had led them to find each other.

  Suddenly, the truth struck him. He understood the reason for her sorrow. That same mission would take him away from her.

  Once again, Evren was at a loss for words, his breath caught in his lungs. She knows that, he realized. She knows that I will leave once I have this, and yet she made certain I got it anyway.

  In that instant, Evren felt torn between two all-consuming desires. He knew his mission to help the Hunter hunt demons and sustain Kharna was important; the entire world was counting on them to succeed. And yet the thought of leaving Briana, of traveling away from her, of risking never being able to see her again, it felt as if it would rip his heart from his chest.

  His eyes locked with Briana’s. Those beautiful eyes, dark as the richest Vothmoti kaffe, eyes that held the promise of hope, of happiness, of a future he’d never dared to dream of. He saw his feelings mirrored there, yet the same acceptance that he’d felt when he thought of her becoming a Secret Keeper. She knew he had a purpose and was determined to be happy for him, no matter the pain it brought her.

  “You know,” Hailen spoke in a quiet voice beside him, “we can’t exactly leave Shalandra today. Probably not for a few more weeks at least.”

  Confusion twisted Evren’s brow. His mind struggled to comprehend the meaning to Hailen’s words.

  “The Iron Warlord might be locked away in the Chamber of Sustenance for now, but it might not be safe to leave him there.”

  Evren turned to Hailen, his face twisting into a frown.

  “We should probably send a message to the Hunter, let him know what we’ve found.” Hailen’s expression appeared pensive, but the ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “That means we’ve got to send a messenger to Voramis, which will take ten days. Then we’ve got to wait for the Hunter to get here, and who knows how long that will take, or when he’ll return from his trip to Praamis.”

  Suddenly, the meaning behind Hailen’s words became clear in Evren’s sluggish mind. “You’re right!” Excitement surged in his chest. “And we definitely don’t want to leave until we’re sure Tethum isn’t going to wake up.”

  “Definitely!” Hailen gave an emphatic nod. “These Keeper’s Blades are fine warriors and all, but they’re new to the whole demon-hunting thing. That’s our area of expertise.” He turned to Lady Callista. “I’m sure you don’t mind us giving you a few pointers on how to deal with demons, just in case they come back in the future, right?”

  Lady Callista inclined her head. “We welcome your sage advice, blood of ancients.” Her expression was solemn, but humor sparkled in her eyes.

  “Then there’s the fact that Briana’s going to need me to help her write out everything we
learned from her father’s journal and all the Serenii runes from within the vault and the tomb. And Ennolar’s offered to share his knowledge of the Serenii in exchange for a chance to study my blood and learn what I know.” Hailen shook his head. “As much as I’m just dying to get locked up in the House of Need again, we’ve also got to rewrite the Prophecy of Hallar and leave records of what exactly it means so future generations of Shalandrans will be able to carry on Hallar’s legacy. That could take weeks, maybe even months!”

  “Damn!” Kodyn grimaced. “That sounds like you’re going to be stuck here a while.” He clapped Evren on the back. “Might as well make the most of it. I just hope you can find something to keep you occupied.”

  Evren turned to Briana. For the first time, he saw the hope that burned in his chest reflected in her eyes. He scarcely dared to speak, yet he had to. He had to know if she felt the same way as him.

  “I’d like that,” he said. “If you’re up for having me around a bit longer, it might be nice to—”

  Briana threw her arms around his neck and pressed a fierce, passionate kiss to his lips. The world faded around Evren until only he and Briana remained, locked in an embrace that, he hoped against hope, would last forever.

  * * *

  “Good for them.” Aisha chuckled quietly as she slipped through the double doors and into the hall beside Kodyn. “They both deserve that bit of happiness in their lives.”

  Kodyn nodded. “After everything they’ve been through, I’d say they could use each other.”

  A sudden shadow darkened his eyes, his expression growing somber as they strode through the palace, away from the Pharus’ suite.

  The change surprised Aisha. “You okay?” she asked.

  “Huh?” The question seemed to catch Kodyn off-guard. He recovered, giving her a clearly forced smile. “Oh, yeah, totally. Just, you know, tired from—”