Chapter 29: Visions

Callum was still shivering as he sat down on the warm bench, in front of the fire. Rayla came down the main staircase, blanket in hand, and draped it over his shoulders. He gave her a weak smile, and she winked back, before turning to Ezran.

The young king stood in front of the fire.

"Okay. Let's talk about this." Callum began.

"Callum, there's nothing to talk about. You're going home."

"What about you?!" Rayla demanded.

Ezran sighed.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here. Whenever Azrael comes...we'll figure this out."

Rayla's eyes were wide. Callum felt anger rising in his chest.

"Ezran, that's insane. He'll kill you!" He snapped.

"Yeah. Yeah he probably will." Ezran agreed. "And maybe that'll be enough for him. I don't know. He wants the king of Katolis dead. Here I am."

"Ezran, this is so stupid..." Callum grumbled.

"Callum!" Rayla exclaimed.

"What?! This is! Why do you want to die, Ez?!"

"This isn't about me dying, this is about saving lives!" Ezran argued, eyebrows flared. "It's my decision, as king!"

"And that's why I'm here Ez, to keep you from making stupid decisions! That's what dad wanted from me, and that's what I'm gonna do! I'm your advisor! You're going back to the castle, Rayla, you'll make sure he gets there, I'll stay and stall Azrael!"

"Hold up a sec..." Rayla began, waving her arms around in confusion, eyes shifting from one sibling to the other

"No you won't!" Ezran shouted. "Go back to the castle, tell Opeli and Corvus what's coming, make sure they're ready. And I'll...I'll do what I can to stop it. Slow it down. Something."

Callum stared back at him, shoulders heaving, the chills continuing to eat at him.

"What would dad say right now?"

Ezran turned to look into the flames.

"He would understand." He said, folding his hands behind his back. "He knew as well as anyone that part of being king meant...facing death."

"Ezran, you're ten years old!" Callum shouted.

"Go back to the castle." Ezran commanded.

"You think you can talk some sense into that guy? You think you can call him off, you can't! I've seen what he is!" Callum shouted.

"Go back to the castle." Ezran repeated.

"No!" Callum firmly responded, standing up off the bench.

"I am asking you, as my brother."

"No."

Ezran whipped around.

"Then I'm commanding you, as your king!"

Callum stepped towards him, the two glaring into each other's eyes.

"We're far away from thrones and crowns right now, Ez. If you're staying here, fine. I'm staying too."

Ezran's angry face glared up at him, his little shoulders heaving.

"You're sick. You can't face him like this."

"I also can't be moved." Callum replied with a sniffle and a shrug. "Better to stay here and rest."

Ezran turned and looked at Rayla.

"I can't go, Ezran. I'm wanted for desertion, remember?" She reminded him.

Ezran sighed again, then nodded with understanding.

"And even if I wasn't." Rayla clarified, stepping towards him, and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're mah friend. And mah king. I'm not leavin."

"Rayla, you don't have to be my bodyguard anymore..." Ezran began.

"Oh yes I do." She replied sternly, arms folded. "Mah parents were dragonguard. They were responsible for making sure the egg wasn't destroyed when Viren took it. Their sacrifice was what allowed us to bring Zym home." She stepped towards him, then got down on one knee and embraced him. "I will gladly make that sacrifice to keep you safe."

Ezran smiled weakly back at her.

"I really hope you don't have to." He said, before looking at Callum. "I hope neither of you have to."

Callum nodded, refusing to look up, before curling into the blanket.

"Come on." Rayla said, helping him to his feet. "Let's get you to bed." She turned, looking back at Ezran. "And it's well past your bed time too. Don't stay up too late."

Ezran nodded, looking back into the crackling fire.

"I won't."

"Guard the doors!"

The ornate palace walls were darkly lit, as armored elves crowded around a massive wooden door, weapons in hand.

Behind them, staring at the door, and dressed in similarly ornate robes, was a masked female elf.

As she stared listlessly from under the mask, a dark skinned, very lightly bearded moonshadow elf stormed up to her.

"Lady Astrid. It's time. We have an exit carved out. We can escape this."

Astrid turned, to look at the moonshadow elf, her eyes saddened as she looked into his.

"My dear Revyn. I'm afraid I cannot go with you."

Revyn frowned.

"We have an escape. It is my duty to keep you safe..."

"No, Revyn. That is not the duty the Xadian senate gave you. The duty they gave you was to serve my will." Astrid clarified. "My will is to face my fate here. To see my attacker, and to speak to him. But you are our finest warrior. You cannot die here. Go. Tell your moonshadow elves to withdraw."

Revyn's face wrinkled with sadness.

"Milady...your story need not end here."

The door buckled behind them, sending some of the elves skidding across the stone floor.

"I'm afraid...it does." Astrid replied, reaching out and holding the elven warrior's cheek. "Go."

Revyn bowed his head. Then he turned to a young, lighter skinned moonshadow elf to his side.

"Pull the moonshadow elves back. We're leaving."

"What?!" He exclaimed. "What of Arch Mage Astrid?"

"Do as I command, Runaan!" Revyn replied angrily.

Runaan turned to the handful of moonshadow elves that stood around them.

"Fall back." He commanded. "Now."

The elven assassins exchanged looks, then turned for and stormed down the exit hallway.

Astrid nodded to Revyn, before turning back to the door.

And waiting for the inevitable.

It splintered. The two massive wooden doors coming crashing down.

A swarm of arrows following.

The elven guards had no time to respond. The arrows struck them down one by one.

And those who were closer to the back found themselves swiftly dispatched by a hooded assassin, who effortlessly jumped from soldier to soldier, his blades slicing through them with ease.

As he did so, a brightly armored figure strode into the room.

An elf charged at him from the side, but a fireball from his hand swiftly turned the elf to ash.

"Excellent work, Talon." Azrael said, nodding to the hooded assassin. He turned his attention to Astrid. "Leave us."

Talon looked to him with concerned eyes.

"Are you sure, my king?"

"Yes. Go." Azrael insisted.

Talon backed away, turning and walking toward the open door.

"Tell me, battlemage, what is it you think you will find here?" Astrid asked.

Azrael smirked, as he stepped towards her.

"Conquest." He replied simply. "The thrill of victory. I feel it now."

Astrid nodded.

"I shall try not to impede upon this feeling then." She stated, eliciting a confused frown from the warrior king.

There was a tense silence.

"Well...go on." Astrid insisted. "I am here. Strike me down."

"I...wished for more of a...a fight." Azrael admitted.

Astrid stared at him a moment, then shrugged.

"I haven't the energy for a fight, I fear. I cannot grant you the sporting victory you wish for. Get on with it, conqueror."

Azrael frowned.

"It is not only about conquest." He insisted. "We must become a powerful figure amongst the human kingdoms in order to survive. This is something I must do. I have no choice."

"I do not intend to dissect your reasons, conqueror. Merely to accept them."

"You say it...but the way you say it...hurts me. How?" Azrael asked.

"Hmm. Have you never spoken with the conquered before?" Astrid asked, walking around him.

"They don't give me the chance." Azrael replied. "This is the first time an enemy has given me the chance to speak to them."

"Am I your enemy? I have never met you before. Of this, I am certain." Astrid stated.

Azrael paused a moment, then shook his head.

"You are an elf. I am a human. This is our world. You exiled us from it. You are my enemy." Anger appeared in his eyes. "Do not attempt trickery upon me."

"I attempt nothing." Astrid replied. "Merely to understand."

Azrael sighed.

"There is nothing to understand. It is simpler than life itself. Now...raise your hand, arch mage. Let us do battle."

Astrid looked into his eyes from under her mask.

"I sense goodness in you, human battlemage. Dark magic has not fully corrupted you yet. But I will not give you what you seek. The glory of battle...I fear you must settle for this." She said, standing before him. "I wish you luck, human."

Azrael sighed in disappointment, before a nod of acceptance.

"Let this bring you some comfort, elf." He said, stepping towards her. "You are...truly the bravest opponent I have ever faced." He pulled a jagged blade from his belt.

Then he drove it into her stomach. The elf let out a low gagging sound.

Azrael's eyes softened. "Forgive me." He begged, as he watched the life leave her eyes.

As she fell to the ground, he turned his eyes to the stand, next to her throne.

A black orb sat there. In an ornate pillow. Dark clouds swirled within it. It looked almost like a Primal stone.

Azrael reached out, and touched it, grimacing as he did.

He felt pain. True pain. Deep, emotional, heartfelt pain.

And he realized what this orb was. And what he had just acquired.

He stowed it away, then looked down at the arch mage's still form.

"I will take this as well...as a token of my respect." He spoke, removing the mask, to reveal her middle aged, surprisingly calm face.

He looked into the mask, then walked out of the throne room.

Callum awakened with a start. His head throbbing.

"I felt it. I felt some of his pain." He said aloud, sweat pouring from his feverish body.

Rayla, who was sitting by the window, looked over at him, and frowned.

"What?"

Callum held up a hand, as he tried to catch his breath. He bowed his head, as he tried to focus. Hearing his mother's words.

And hearing them overlap with Rayla's.

"Breathe, Callum. You're okay. I'm here." The moonshadow elf said, leaning in and embracing his shaking form. "You're safe, just focus on breathin."

Callum did just that, slowing his breaths down steadily.

He turned, his eyes getting momentarily lost in those big, purple, and very concerned eyes of his love.

"He has some kind of...of orb. Like a Primal stone." Callum began.

"Ah know." Rayla replied. "He used it to...take somethin from me. When I found him in Etheros. He said it was...mah pain."

"It was." Callum replied with a nod. "It collects pain. Everyone he's ever hurt. Including himself."

Rayla frowned.

"How do ya know all this?"

Callum sighed, trying desperately to warm his bare arms.

"Because he made me...feel it. He fed it to me. All this pain. All these people. I just saw him kill someone. Just now. Some...elf mage. She was wearing his mask."

Rayla's eyes widened. She knew who he was referring to. Her eyebrows flared in anger.

Her hands shook slightly.

First at the murder of Arch Mage Astrid. That rage dwarfed by her anger at the violation of Callum's mind.

"I'll tear him apart." She snarled. But she forced herself to calm down, when she looked upon him, the concern flowing back to overwhelm the anger. "Alright, come on, lie down." She insisted, pushing him down onto the bed. She raised the blanket and laid down next to him, wrapping her arms around his feverish frame.

"Are you okay? Did it...hurt?" She asked.

"It...was agony." Callum replied, staring down at the sheets. "I can't describe it. It was...terror. And fear. And anger. All at once. It was...I think it was death. I felt death." He looked up at her, and his eyes softened.

She was so beautiful. It cost him his train of thought. He reached out and stroked her white hair.

She managed a slight smile, turning to kiss his hand.

"You're not dead Callum. You're not gonna die. Ah won't let you." She said, leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

"Wait...Rayla. We need to talk." Callum said, backing off.

Rayla frowned, as he pulled away.

"What? What's wrong?" Rayla asked, eyes wide, wondering if she'd made a mistake.

Callum let out a sigh.

"I felt your pain. All of it." He said, looking up into her eyes. "Everything that I was too...stupid, and self centered, and distracted, to see myself. I felt it."

Rayla bowed her head, pain spreading across her face. Shame. Embarrassment. A touch of fear.

"Callum, I'm so sorry..." she said, bowing her head. "I don't mean to feel how I..."

"No. I'm glad. I'm glad I felt it. I needed to." Callum said, reaching under her chin, and tilting it up so she could look at him. "Rayla. I didn't understand. And I...I was too selfish to understand. You're suffering. You've been suffering."

Rayla began to shake her head, tears pooling, as her deepest, darkest feelings were said aloud. "Callum, you don't have to..."

"Rayla. You have to go home." Callum stated.

Rayla's eyes widened with surprise.

"What?"

Callum pulled himself closer to her, and it was as though they were staring into each other's bare souls.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk when you suggested it. I was thinking about me. When I should've been seeing what was happening to you." He said, wiping one of the tears from her cheek, as he too began to cry. "But you're hurting. And I can't fix it. And I don't...I want you to be happy, Rayla." He said, reaching down to grip her four fingered hand tightly. "I need you to be happy. And the only way you can do that, is to go home and find your parents."

Rayla stared back into his eyes, tears continuing to pool.

She knew he was right. Because she felt it. And now he had too. Her deepest feelings, spoken aloud.

Azrael had forced it upon him. As he did everything, to everyone else.

She bowed her head again.

"I'm...im sorry, I know that was probably too much..." Callum began.

"Shut up." Rayla replied. Callum felt his spirits sink.

"Im...I'm sorry Rayla..." he begged.

"No. No. Shut up." Rayla replied, looking back up, and swiftly kissing him. "I love you, Callum. And you have nothin to be sorry for." She said, putting her hand on his cheek. "I wish...I wish having you, loving you...I wish that was enough. It should be enough."

"But I'm not. And that's no ones fault, Rayla. Least of all yours. You feel how you feel." He said, pressing his forehead against hers. "So...go home. Find them. Next time you go to the Silvergrove, you make sure they have faces." He said, closing his eyes tightly. Then opening them again, slowly. "Just please...try to come back?"

Rayla closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around the back of his head, pulling his weak form inward, to rest against her.

"I'll do everything I can." She said, as confidently as she could manage. "I'll find a way back to you."