Chapter 25: Until the End

Karigan blinked, how had she got here? She had felt the hoof beats resonating through her and the pull of magic but she had not willingly released any, yet she was standing once again in the centre of the barren plain of the white world. She could not see Mornhavon anywhere but she could feel he was near.

"Kari. Where are we?"

She turned to face Yates, only he no longer seemed like a ghost to her. Am I dead? She quickly assessed her situation. In here anything is possible, she reminded herself. Yates looked so solid, she reached out a hand to touch him, she pulled her arm back shocked, he was solid. He grinned at her and before she could blink he had pulled her in to his arms. She buried her head in to his chest and could not help but smile, he smelt like fresh hay, Karigan knew he was not alive but she let herself have just a moment where she could almost feel that her friend could return back to Sacor City with her.

"Kari... It's not your fault." He murmured.

She suddenly realised she was crying. I missed him, the Rider Wing isn't the same without his lively antics. He's one of my dearest friends, I have to finish this so what he did for me wasn't in vain. She looked up at him with wet eyes.

"Will you stay with me?" She asked.

Yates grinned. "Until the end, I might not be able to stay after you finish this... but I will linger as long as I can manage. I won't leave you alone Kari. I love you."

She was unsure how to respond. Her heart lay with the King... In the end she just smiled weakly back at him, which seemed enough as he gave her one last squeeze before releasing her. She shook herself why did she have to resist the urge to find comfort in her fellow Riders arms. I just want to know he doesn't blame me?

"There's someone who came to meet you." He murmured, softly pushing her forwards. "Go find him; I will wait here for you."

She walked forwards hesitantly, there was something waiting in the distance, a dark figure. A weird sensation washed over her, she felt memories she had never seen before wash over her, a large chasm, Salvistar and an Avatar. She shook herself. I can't be that powerful, I would know if I had done something like that. She frowned as she remembered the Owl feather, if Laurelyn could change her memory who knows what a god could so to her. Karigan was close to the figure now, it was a huge dark horse with fiery eyes that waited patiently for her.

"Salvistar." She murmured.

The horse bowed his head as she reached him. "Greetings Avatar." The voice felt like it was echoing around her head. "We meet again. You know why you are here."

It was not a question. The threat of Mornhavon must be heavy indeed if the Gods are getting involved, she thought.

"The balance between those who are living and those who should remain dead has been broken. We were not quick enough to get to you before you faced Mornhavon, but now you will ride against him as the Avatar of Westrion."

Karigan nodded. She knew this was her destiny, she had been destined to do this since her ancestor Hadraix turned against Mornhavon. She moved to mount the death gods stead and noticed a familiar sword resting on his back, she had wielded the lesser of this sword before.

"Yes that is the sword of your forbearer; Lillian Ambriodhe also rode as an Avatar once. This is her sword, you will wield this against Mornhavon. It carries enchantments long since forgotten by your kind."

Gingerly she picked up the long sword, she was surprised to find that even in her current state she could wield it easily. She nodded to herself and mounted up. This was it; this was the end of the threat to Sacoridia. Without warning she was back in the twisted forest, she heard Mornhavon's twisted laugh welcome her back. She faced him from atop Salvistar; she gripped the long sword tightly suddenly glad that Drent had been so through with her training.

"I had destroyed an Avatar before Westrion, is this the best you can do?" Mornhavon laughed.

She adjusted her grip on the hilt as Salvistar closed the gap between them in one leap. Karigan didn't think as she thrust the sword towards Mornhavon, she felt the blade make contact with something. She screamed as pain shot up her arm, Salvistar turned to where Mornhavon had stood before a mangled body lay on the ground yet she could still feel the darkness of Mornhavon nearby. Her vision started darkening as she realised that yet again Mornhavon was within her mind. She gasped as pain shot across her chest.

As she fell in to darkness a single memory crossed her mind. "To live you must first die."

Fastion grinned as he finally reached the Wall. Karigan could not be too far ahead of him in crossing the Wall, he would be able to catch up with her quickly now. As he rode in to the encampment a confused Dale met him at the paddock where the horses were kept.

"They told me a Black Shield had arrived but I didn't believe them. What brings you to the Wall?" She asked.

He frowned. "Karigan. I'm following Karigan."

Dales confusion dissolved in to panic. "She isn't with the other riders?"

Fastion shook his head.

"She hasn't come through this way. She must have sneaked through while we slept. A few days back there were whispers through the camp of ghosts riding past towards one of the watch towers." Dale paled. "The wild ride. She has been in Blackveil for days!"

Fastion stared at her in disbelief. He remembered how Karigan had first arrived in Sacor City on her first unplanned mission to deliver a dying riders final message. She had appeared out of nowhere on Condor as if a great hand had picked her up from the North Road and put her down at the front steps of the Castle. He had left only hours after her, she could have crossed Sacoridia in minuets as opposed to the week it had taken him. He groaned, she is lost to me, I rode so hard but I lost her.

Dale smiled at him. "Don't lose hope."

A scream so terrible that it felt like it was going to rip his heart out echoed across the camp. Despite the distortion of pain in the voice he knew who he would find. At the centre of the encampment a body of a young woman lay by the side of a fire, her hair was matted and scratches crossed her face but he could not care less. He ran and embraced Karigan's body. Her eyes flickered open briefly and a flash of recognition crossed her face.

"He's gone." She whispered.

Fastion felt a tear fall down his cheek as her eyes slowly closed and she fell still. He gently removed the great sword from her grasp, there would be time to examine it later, he shook her gently hoping that maybe she was only asleep. He checked her pulse, nothing. Her put his cheek near her face but felt no breath on his face nor did her chest rise and fall.

"No!" Behind him he heard Dale sobbing.

Gently he picked up the body of the woman the King loved... the woman I loved... and laid her down on one of the benches around the fire. She looked so peaceful, an expression he doubted she ever wore in normal life, she was always so passionate and fiery such a serene expression seemed alien on her. Trying not to cry in front of the soldiers that were gathering around he brushed her long hair out of her face and gently kissed her forehead. As he raised his head he found himself face to face with someone he never expected to see. A ghostly figure of a Green Rider stood beside Karigan's body openly crying.

"I never wanted this." Yates murmured. "I promised to be with her until the end. I didn't want this to be the end, she gave her life... I have no strength to remain."

Fastion watched as the ghost of the Green Rider faded in to nothingness before looking back down at his friend. They should be celebrating the greatest victory in the history of Sacoridia... but to him it was not a victory, or if it was it was hollow. Such a steep price to pay for peace. He turned to see Dale leading a horse forwards.

"Take her home Fastion."

Don't hate me yet!

Rhii