The Passing Of Time: Chapter 22...
Sorry about the lack of regular updates lately, got all sorts of work etc. going on so I'm writing when I can around the edges of my original work. I love this fic so I'll be continuing even if I don't always manage to roll chapters out super quick. Anyway here's the next one!
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"How're you doing, kid?" Valkyrie entered the large tent and sat beside her son. Eyren was laid back against the rough pillow staring up at the fabric roof with a frown on his face.
"I'm fine," he answered.
"You don't look fine. Aster says you're avoiding everyone. What's the matter?" In the flickering lamp light her eyes were hooded by shadows. Eyren turned his head to watch them dance across her cheeks for a moment before answering.
"You saw what I did in that cave."
"I saw the aftermath. Whatever you did saved your dad's life."
"It's hard to draw all that power back in," he replied softly, knowing she'd understand how he felt. Skulduggery had conquered his demons. Lord Vile was under his control and Eyren knew with certainty that his father would never lose himself again. Valkyrie, on the other hand? She'd battled tooth and nail against Darquesse. She knew how hard it was for him to resist because she still felt it sometimes herself.
"Yeah, power like that is insane," she sighed. "Are you in here because you're ashamed that you enjoyed being strong for a minute?" He nodded. She chuckled and patted his leg gently. "You can't help that. It's something I never managed to get over, and even though Skul can pull it back when Lord Vile comes out, it's still something that fills him with the urge to let go."
"It is?" Eyren propped himself up on his elbows to raise his eyebrows at his mother. She nodded.
"Of course it is. Power is addicting no matter who you are or what kind of magic you possess. You shouldn't feel shame for wanting to let go. You should be proud that you didn't. You have more magic in you than me and your father. You have more magic than Grimm did. But you also have a cool head on your shoulders. You have all of our knowledge and experiences and you have the hindsight to make better choices than we did."
"You didn't choose to destroy everything. That was Grimm's fault."
"No, but I chose to follow Skulduggery into the world of magic and even when I found out who I was, I chose to stay in it. I chose to live. I could have told the truth and had myself killed or sent to the Gaol for life. I could have chosen to step away from magic altogether, but I didn't." She smiled faintly. "Now I have you and I'll always be grateful for that, but I don't deserve you. They were still choices I made for selfish reasons and that resulted in a lot of destruction and death further down the line that I'm yet to repay."
"What if I make the wrong choice?"
"Everybody makes mistakes," she shrugged. "I have faith in you, kid. Don't worry so much." She nudged him and he sat up properly, crossing his long legs on the thin bed roll. "You'll make the right choice when it comes down to it."
"I hope so." He looked down at his hands where they rested in his lap. "I still feel so young sometimes," he said quietly. Valkyrie's brow furrowed at the wavering in his voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Physically and mentally I'm an adult but sometimes I just get...overwhelmed." She was surprised to see the glisten of tears in his dark eyes. "I was adjusting. Learning. I was growing and I was getting used to what I am. I thought maybe I could be left alone until I'd actually been alive long enough to be comfortable with having my childhood stolen from me." His fists clenched and Valkyrie fought the urge to hug him. "I love Aster more than I ever thought I could, but since he came to the mansion my entire life has been complete chaos and sometimes...sometimes I hate it. Is that selfish of me?" Valkyrie swallowed the lump in her throat, her face softening as she watched the tears spill over and roll slowly down his cheeks. She scooted closer and pulled him into a hug, resting his head against her shoulder and stroking his hair like she had when he was very young and the world became too much.
"It isn't selfish, Eyren. It's normal. You went through so much trauma when you were still just a newborn. You took on and continue to take on unlimited quantities of knowledge and magic. You've been hurt a lot recently and so much is being asked of you and it's more than okay for you to be afraid of that. You don't always have to be so strong if you don't feel like it. Even if you have to keep it together for everyone else, I'm your mum. You can come to me just like you used to." She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he buried his face in the collar of her jacket, holding her as tight as he had when he was new. It made her sad to see how much pressure he'd put himself under. All his life he'd had to hide for fear that someone might try to take him and manipulate him. Ten years without ever leaving the mansion grounds, and now all that effort was wasted. His identity was revealed and straight away somebody had come to whisk him away to another dimension on a life-threatening mission. She couldn't imagine how hard it must be to process so much information all the time and still have more constantly being poured into his mind. And now he'd been pulled away from his life to help save a world he never even knew existed.
"I'm sorry that I was never the child you and Skulduggery wanted," he said softly. She pulled back quickly, her eyes widening as she lifted his chin to make him look at her.
"Don't ever say that." Her thumb stroked his cheek, wiping away the moisture. "You're everything we ever wanted and you will always be everything to us. You're our boy, Eyren. Whether you spent time as a baby or not is irrelevant to us. We're so incredibly proud of everything about you and I don't ever want you to think otherwise. I love you more than life itself." She hugged him tight for a moment and when he pulled back he was smiling.
"I love you too mum," he mumbled, scrubbing his eyes with his sleeve. "This is weird. I don't cry."
"Everybody needs a good cry now and then," she grinned. "Except your dad because, y'know, he has no tear ducts." Eyren laughed and his smile brightened, the warmth returning to his face at last.
"Thanks, mum. I feel better knowing that whatever's coming, I've got you and dad with me." She touched his cheek once more and stood.
"Come on. Everybody will think we've run away if we don't go to them soon." She held her hand out to him and he took it, letting her tug him to his feet. He followed her back outside into the night. The air was cool and fresh, drying the last of the tears on his skin. "They're over this way." Valkyrie wandered between multiple rows of large sturdy tents identical to the one they'd been assigned to sleep in.
There were very few concrete buildings within the city of tents, and those that still stood were reserved for storage, military planning, medical treatment and a mess hall. The tents themselves looked like they were made to stay put for extended lengths of time. Many of them had wooden structures underneath to add a solid floor and prevent mud ruining the fabric, and the sides were reinforced by wooden lattices.
In the middle of the buildings and tents was a wide space divided between a training area, an outdoor social area with a fire pit and a track for running. Eyren saw Skulduggery near the fire with the Dead Men that had joined him and Aster was sat nearby with his alternate siblings. Meritorious, Serpine and Calamity were nowhere to be seen and Art and Fletcher sat together away from the others.
Eyren and Valkyrie made their way over to the Teleporter and the Elder, choosing to leave the others to their conversations. Art looked up and smiled as they arrived, his bright eyes lingering on Eyren long enough to make it clear that he knew something was wrong. Eyren glanced at him before clapping Fletcher on the back.
"How are you coping without your hair gel?" he asked.
"Not well. I hate it here. The showers are outside," Fletcher grumbled, wrinkling his nose.
"That's what happens when your entire world is at war for centuries," Art replied. "This is a military outpost for the rebellion, not a holiday resort."
"I know that, I just prefer my showers to be indoors where it isn't freezing," Fletcher muttered.
"When do we leave?" Eyren asked Art.
"Tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun rises. If Meritorious had his way we'd be leaving already but even he admits that the Necromancers make travelling at night far too risky."
"How far do we have to travel?" Fletcher asked.
"We'll be walking for the whole day and some of the area we cross will be dangerous. Meritorious plans to make a camp for the night and then continue on again at dawn. We should reach Mevolent's palace the following day."
"That's soon," Eyren said quietly. The expression on his face made Valkyrie wonder if he knew he'd spoken aloud.
"We'll be going over our plan of attack before we leave so I suggest everyone gets whatever rest they can. Eat something too," Art said. "Especially you, Eyren. They plan on using you to get to our next stop."
"Using me how?" Art's brow furrowed and Eyren felt a sick twist in his stomach.
"From what I've heard, you're their offensive weapon."
"I never agreed to that. I said I'd help stop Mevolent. I never said they could decide how." Eyren stood. "Where are they?"
"In the small building to the rear of the camp, closest to the back wall. Be careful." Eyren nodded and strode away before anything else could be said. Skulduggery saw his son leave and stood, following quickly.
"Where are you storming off to?" he asked as he caught up.
"The war room."
"Why?"
"Apparently Meritorious and Serpine intend to use me as a battering ram to get them across the country." Eyren ground out his words, clearly furious, but Skulduggery could see something else in the brown of his eyes. Fear.
"I'm coming with you. We can discuss this together." Eyren stopped.
"You don't discuss things. You shoot people."
"I do, but in this case I'd like to hear what it is they've decided on. I'd also like to know why, when it involves you so heavily, they thought it alright to leave you and your parents out of their planning." He paused. "Then I might also shoot Serpine. It depends on what mood I'm in after."
"I won't stop you." Eyren started walking again but his father caught his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
"Are you going to tell me what's really wrong or will you make me guess?"
"I know you enjoy puzzling it out," Eyren answered sullenly.
"I do. Let's see." He cocked his head to the side, thinking it over for barely a second before continuing. "Am I right in assuming your mood is partially down to what happened in the cave?"
"You wouldn't be wrong."
"And obviously the current situation with Meritorious and Serpine is stressful." He let go of Eyren's wrist, placing a hand on his shoulder instead. "How are you handling it all, son?"
"I thought I could do it." Eyren frowned at the dirt, unable to look at Skulduggery. "I thought I could handle it all but I don't think I can."
"What makes you say that?"
"In the caves I wanted to continue. I wanted to destroy things. I don't know if I'm ready to do what Meritorious is asking." He looked up at his father at last. "Mum says she trusts me but what if I can't pull it back? If I kill Mevolent and I have to fight Lord Vile I know I'll need to use my magic."
"That's why you're so angry," Skulduggery said softly. "You're afraid that if you're used to fight our way to Mevolent's palace you'll lose control before you even get there."
"I'm terrified, dad." Skulduggery pulled him into a gentle hug.
"I lost myself and I came back. If you lose yourself I will bring you back too. You have my word." He let go of his son and cocked his head to the side. "I might have to kick you around a bit to do it, but I'll manage. Don't shoulder everything on your own, alright?" Eyren nodded. "Now lets go discuss this ridiculous plan of theirs." Eyren nodded and fell into step beside him. Skulduggery cast subtle glances at him as they walked through the deepening night, watching how Eyren's shoulders tensed and his brow furrowed. It worried him to see his son so caught up in his thoughts.
They entered the building without knocking and walked straight into the war room without waiting to be admitted. Meritorious looked up in surprise. Serpine pushed away from the wall he was leaning on to shoot an irritated glare at the two intruders.
"Skulduggery, Eyren," Eachan said. "What brings you here?"
"I want to know why you're planning on risking my son's life without even asking him if it's alright," the skeleton replied. "You formulated plans in the presence of our Elder and didn't think to consult him or include any of the people whose help you enlisted."
"This rebellion is led by me. It's my job to plan the next move," Eachan replied.
"It's not your job to put my son in the firing line to suit your needs," Skulduggery snapped.
"I don't plan to be used by you," Eyren said. The Detective fell silent, letting him continue. "I don't like that you think I'm so easily led."
"We weren't using you," Serpine answered, rolling his eyes. "We were...playing to your advantages."
"What advantages?" Eyren asked. "You don't know anything about my advantages because you never asked. You know I have the capabilities of a Sensitive. You know I squashed some cave bugs. What else do you know?"
"Calamity heard how Grimm was destroyed," Meritorious replied, holding up a hand to silence Nefarian.
"What exactly did Calamity tell you?" Skulduggery asked.
"That there was a person born of two of the most powerful sorcerers in your world, sustained by the magic of a third and able to absorb new abilities through touch. She told us the stories of the boy who killed Notorious Grimm for taking away his childhood."
"That's ridiculous," Eyren snorted. "I killed Grimm because he was trying to destroy the world again. And I didn't do it alone. I had the help of my parents."
"And yet you're the one who carries the power of Grimm, Lord Vile and Darquesse all in one body," Serpine said, his green eyes flashing.
"How do you know I came into contact with Lord Vile?" Eyren asked.
"Because he's standing right next to you." Skulduggery's head tilted but that was the only reaction he gave to the news that Serpine was aware of his history. "You don't seem surprised."
"It's not exactly a new discovery," the skeleton shrugged. "The people of my dimension are already well aware of my existence and of Valkyrie's. They weren't aware of my son, though. Calamity wouldn't have known about him unless she was right there, which she definitely wasn't." Skulduggery's head tilted further. "But you were, weren't you?"
"We've been keeping tabs on your dimension for some time," Meritorious said calmly. "We needed to know what our options would be when it came to stopping Mevolent. Serpine worked alongside Mevolent and his generals long enough for him to finally figure out who was under that suit of armour. Once he told me who it was we decided it was best to send him to your dimension, since Calamity said Lord Vile donning the armour was where our two worlds stopped running parallel to one another."
"So your intention was to get the good Lord Vile on your side in the hope that I'd kill the bad one for you?" The skeleton sounded sceptical. Eachan's lip twitched, fighting a smile.
"Something like that."
"You do realise that sending Serpine to try and win me over would have been an awful idea, yes? I want nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes."
"How did you go from recruiting Lord Vile to going after me?" Eyren asked.
"I saw the fall of Grimm," Serpine answered, shrugging carelessly. "I was sent to observe Skulduggery from time to time and that's exactly what I did. Because none of you were expecting me to be alive you never looked for me. I got away with it surprisingly easily. China's wards made it difficult to breach your perimeter undetected, but in our world she was far more accomplished than she is in yours. I'm well practiced at dismantling her protection sigils." Serpine's thin lips curved into a smile as he boasted. "Imagine my surprise when I pop over to keep an eye on the skeleton and I see Notorious Grimm attacking instead."
"You saw it happen? You were there when he died?" Eyren felt his eyes widen.
"I saw everything. All it took was a nice hidden spot in the trees and a good view through the windows. I watched Darquesse snap your neck and you got up like nothing happened. She tried to fight Grimm and she was losing until you came and absorbed all that energy." The Necromancer managed to look vaguely impressed.
"Nefarian told me that, while Darquesse and Lord Vile tipped the scales, the true power had lain with you all along," Eachan continued. "We knew then that we needed you, but we needed an army as well. We chose now because we have the soldiers. We have the support. We're ready. Once Mevolent falls we can sweep the city and flush out the rest of his army. All we needed was you."
"And when exactly did you intend to ask for my help?" Eyren replied.
"We asked for it when we came to your dimension," Serpine snapped.
"And after that you thought I'd become a chess piece for you to move across your board wherever you saw fit? I don't think you understand what could happen if you tried to control me and made the wrong move." Skulduggery's head swivelled to look at his son. Eyren's back was straight, his chin up and his arms hung calmly by his sides. The fear Skulduggery had seen in his eyes was gone, replaced by a sense of calm acceptance. "I want the truth. Is Mevolent really planning on attacking our dimension?"
"Yes. He has a collection of Shunters preparing to take his soldiers through in the next few weeks," Meritorious said.
"And you really can't kill him without my help?"
"We've tried everything," Serpine said begrudgingly.
"Alright. I can help you but you need to know something about me." Skulduggery watched his fists clench slowly. "I won't be told what to do like a child. The power I possess is volatile and corrupting and dangerous. I've hidden since the day I was born because of it. If I lose control of myself you won't be able to stop me and you'll all die. I'll be a worse threat than Vile or Mevolent or Grimm. I hope you understand that." His brow furrowed. "Once the lid comes off it gets harder and harder to put it back on. If I do too much I'll crack and I'll kill everything in the process. Are you willing to risk that?"
"You didn't think of warning us before you came here?" Serpine muttered.
"I didn't know. I've barely scratched the surface of what I can do. That stuff in the caves was the first real expression of what I'm capable of since I was very young, and it was as easy as blowing out a candle. My powers have done nothing but grow and adapt."
"You can do it," Skulduggery cut in casually. Eyren turned to look at him. "You're more than capable of doing this, you just don't know it yet."
"You sound confident," his son answered, folding his arms across his chest.
"I am. But there's one thing I want you to do before you agree to help anybody." Skulduggery's head cocked to the side again, watching his only child with those hollow eye sockets. "I want you to take a name."
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