Chapter 31: Selfless Sacrifice
The morning sun rose over the Banther Lodge. It hadn't been a restful, consistent sleep for the trio within, but it had been sleep.
Callum rose up from the bed, and Rayla, stirred by his movement, woke up as well.
"Any pain dreams?" She asked.
Callum yawned, then shook his head.
"Nah. Not this time. I really didn't need another one of those headaches."
"Or to start leakin blood all over the sheets." Rayla added, walking toward a dresser in the corner. "This was your room, right?"
"Yeah." Callum replied. "Whatcha doin?"
"Tryin to find ya somethin with sleeves, birdboy." Rayla replied with a light chuckle.
Callum sighed, opening his sketchbook, he began drawing, as the morning sun poured in the upstairs window.
"Awwwww would ya lookit that." Rayla said, pulling out a tiny blue jacket.
Callum looked up at it, and his cheeks flushed red.
"Yeah that's...I outgrew that."
"I wish I coulda met little baby Callum. Ya must've been so adorable." She cooed.
Callum squirmed with embarrassment.
"There's a portrait somewhere in the castle if you...really want to see." He said, looking down at the floor.
"There it is! Perfect!" Rayla exclaimed, turning and tossing a familiar looking blue jacket onto the bed. "How many of those do ya have?"
Callum looked at it, and his eyes widened with surprise.
"I didn't know I had any more!" He replied, inspecting the jacket carefully. "After I shredded the last one at the storm spire, I just figured I was done wearing blue."
Rayla lifted up the back of her elven armor, to readjust it, and as Callum turned, he did a double take.
He could see her exposed back. And her stomach.
More specifically, the big purple bruises, and jagged gashes across her skin.
"Rayla!" He exclaimed, jumping up off the bed as fast as a feverish human could manage. "Rayla, who did that to you? What did that to you?"
Rayla swiftly yanked the armor back down, covering the wounds. She bowed her head, and her shoulders slumped.
"Callum..."
Callum walked up slowly, and put his hands on her shoulders.
"It's me, Rayla. You can tell me."
Rayla closed her eyes, shame and anger flaring through her.
But she knew he deserved to know.
She turned around, and leaned forward, resting the top of her head against his chest.
"Azrael's assassin. The one who tried to kill Ezran in Etheros. We fought. And I...I lost."
Callum didn't know what to say. He held her hand, but Rayla pulled it away.
"I was trained by the best moonshadow elves, to BE the best moonshadow elf, and he made me look like a fool. He toyed with me." She turned and punched the wall, sending splinters of wood flying.
Callum rushed over, and grabbed her hand, to stop her from doing it again.
"Hey. It's one fight, you're okay."
"It shoulda killed me. He threw me off a cliff. Ah don't know how I survived the fall, but eventually I made it to the moon nexus. Lujanne saved me, she's the only reason I'm still alive. I shouldn't have made it, Callum."
Callum held her hands, and squeezed gently, looking into her eyes.
"But you did. And that's all that matters." He said, touching his forehead to hers. "You get back up Rayla. It's what you do."
The door creaked open.
"Hey I know you guys are probably having a moment..." Ezran said, walking in, and nodding as he saw them. "Yeah. Cuz, ya know, you're always having moments. But um...I'm hungry. And I don't know if you guys are too, but there's no food in the lodge. Who wants to go foraging?"
Rayla smiled, exchanging a look with Callum, before making her way to the door.
"I'll help."
"Same." Callum agreed.
"Absolutely not." Rayla replied, holding up a defiant finger.
"Aren't you sick?" Ezran added.
"Yeah. So?"
"So you're not goin out in the cold, get in bed." Rayla commanded.
"Guys, not to be the negative one here but...we may be dead tomorrow." He said, pointing at the sun shining through the window. "I'm not spending my last day alive indoors. Not happening."
Rayla sighed, looking at Ezran.
"You're the king. Do with him as you please. Ah don't have the energy to fight him on this." She said, walking past, and down the stairs.
Ezran watched her go, then turned to a smug looking Callum, who sniffled, then walked out as well.
They walked out of the front door, and as they made their way around the lodge, Ezran's eyes were drawn to one object in particular.
A wooden sled. It sat in the snow. Untouched since last winter.
And his mind flew back to the last time they'd used it.
He'd shared this sled with Callum. And with his father.
They'd ridden it together.
And as he stepped towards it, tears began to gather in his eyes.
"Ez..." Callum said, following his gaze, and walking up behind him.
Ezran placed his hand on the wood, and ran it along the surface.
Sniffling as he did. He wanted to cry.
He was trying very hard not to.
Callum walked up behind him, and put a hand on his shoulder.
Ezran turned to look at him, his face wrinkling with sadness as he did.
"I miss him Callum. I really miss him." He said, before letting out a single sob. He clenched his fists. "No. No, come on..." he grumbled to himself.
"It's okay. It's okay." Callum assured him, leaning down and hugging his little brother. "I miss him too. It's okay to cry."
Rayla watched from afar, sadness in her eyes, as she saw the two mourn together.
Her mind still racing, as she pondered just how impossible it would be to force them to go back to the castle.
They couldn't be part of this fight. They could not be here when Azrael's army arrived.
The forage into the woods was a quiet one. The snow had stopped falling, and the sun was shining down, making the snowy ground glisten.
"Are these moon berries?" Ezran asked, gesturing to a branch covered in bright red berries.
"Oh no. Those are false moonberries. You can never eat those." Rayla warned. "For elves, all it does is give ya a wicked tummy ache. But humans..." she trailed off, a look of horror in her eyes.
"What? What happens?!" Ezran asked. "I'm not saying I ate a couple, but I...I might have."
Rayla's wide eyes turned to him.
"They make ya jelly filled. I hear it's quite a nightmare."
Ezran frowned.
"W-What?"
"They make ya jelly filled. They turn your insides to jelly. And then a hippo made outta taffy chases after ya." She paused, looking at Callum with a smirk. "Am I doin this right?"
"You forgot the crimes against dessert part. And the baker.." Callum replied. Yeah
Ezran's terrified expression went flat.
"You guys are so funny." He said, turning and grabbing a handful of the berries, and eating them in one bite.
Rayla chuckled, before pausing as she noticed a steep downward slope before her.
Very steep. It looked like it would be almost impossible to climb back up.
She looked up at the sky, noticing the star positions, and her eyes brightened when she realized the slope was heading toward Katolis Castle.
Her expression changed to one of determination, a slight smirk appearing on her face as she figured it all out.
She turned, to see a smug looking Callum staring back at her, arms crossed.
"You're going to try and push us down that hill, so you can stay here and take on Azrael by yourself, and we have no choice but to go home."
Rayla opened her mouth, and tilted her head to the side.
"Whaaat? Nooo...you're gettin a bit paranoid Callum, ah think it's the fever."
"And you're getting a bit predictable. I can literally see it in your face." Callum said, turning to Ezran. "Hey, stay away from that slope, she's gonna try and push you down it."
Ezran burped, red jelly from the berries lining his mouth. "Wait, what? Why?"
"What face? I'm not makin a face." Rayla stammered.
Callum nodded back at her.
"What face is it then? Tell me, oh master of Rayla expressions." She asked, rolling her eyes.
"You know how I have that dumb idea face? You've got that same face right now. That 'hey, I sense an opportunity to make yet another selfless hero sacrifice play' face."
"Pffft what nooo...don't believe him, mah king. He's just bein weird." Rayla assured.
"Oh, yeah I kinda see what you're talking about. That's that face she had when she went back to defend Pyrrah. And the face she had when she said she was okay with losing her hand."
"Is it that obvious?" Rayla asked.
"Woah, who's Pyrrah?" Callum asked.
"Pyrrah! Dragon, big, red, lets me ride her sometimes. You know, the one you freed with dark magic?"
"Oh yeah. I remember it." Rayla agreed, crossing her own arms parallel to Callum's, and giving him a judgmental look.
"Oh yeah. How do you know her name?" Callum asked.
"She told me." Ezran replied with a shrug.
"Didja forget your brother can talk to animals Callum?" Rayla asked. "Anyway, now that we're all adequately distracted...down the slope!" She exclaimed, grabbing Callum by his scarf.
"Hey, woah, can we not?!" Callum exclaimed.
"Rayla, what are you doing?!" Ezran demanded.
"I'm doing a heroic sacrifice play, what else is new? Come on, you too, get over here." She said, snapping her fingers. "Ya need to go home, you've got a throne waitin for you. I gotta sort out this Azrael nonsense."
"Rayla, stop." Callum said, trying to plant his feet in the snow, as she tugged him toward the slopes edge. "Stop!"
Rayla paused. She closed her eyes, then looked at him.
"Ah have to do this Callum. I love you. So much. But you can't be here. I'm not gonna watch you die. Neither of you!"
"Well that's unfortunate. Because you're about to watch at least one die." A voice hissed.
Rayla turned, eyes wide, as Talon drew his blades, and lunged at Callum.
Rayla swiftly pulled out her blades, and blocked his attack, before shoving Callum out of the way, and narrowing her eyes.
"You are one annoying elf." Talon hissed, swinging his blades. "How many times must I kill you?"
Rayla scoffed.
"It's not mah fault you're a sucky assassin."
Talon let out a roar and charged at her.
She deflected his attacks, sparks flying from their blades.
"Rayla, move out of the way!" Callum shouted, drawing a lightning rune in the air.
"Get your brother outta here! He's mine!" Rayla shouted, a rage in her voice that neither sibling was used to hearing.
"Rayla..." Ezran began.
"Rayla, move! I can hit him!" Callum insisted, the rune still sparking in front of him.
Talon brought the back handle of his blade around, and hit Rayla in the left shoulder.
"Ow! What kinda move was that?!" Rayla demanded.
"I was just trying to find out which shoulder you landed on." Talon replied with a smirk. Rayla gritted her teeth, and swung hard, but he jumped up, doing a flip in the air, and landed behind her, before spinning and punching her right shoulder.
She let out a piercing cry of pain, immediately grabbing at it, and dropping one of her blades.
As Talon collected his blades, and swung again, Rayla managed to push away the two blades with the one she had left.
"Did that hurt, elf?" Talon asked, driving both of his blades toward her stomach.
She shunted them aside with her blade, holding them away from his body, as he tugged to regain control of them.
"I dunno. Does this?" She asked, rearing back and punching him across the face.
He backed away in surprise, as she quickly reeled back and punched him again, before bringing the handle of her blade against his cheek.
He was dazed now. As he shook his head, she sliced her blade across his stomach, drawing blood, eliciting an angry cry from the assassin.
He charged at her, raising his blades above his head.
And bring them down at once.
She waited patiently for the blades to arrive.
Then with one swipe of her own, send them both flying out of his hands.
One dropped at his feet. He reached down for it, and she kicked his hand away, before using the same leg to kick him under the chin.
"Callum. Now." She said, grabbing his dazed form, and kicking him in the chest, sending him staggering into the open.
Callum nodded, anger in his face as he glared at the assassin.
"FULMINUS."
The lighting bolt shot out, and hit Talon in the chest, launching him back across the snow.
Rayla folded her sword away, as Callum walked over and collected the one she had lost.
"Careful with that. It's sharp." She warned, as she circled around the downed assassin.
"You think you've won?" Talon asked, grimacing in pain, blood running down his chin.
"Yes. I have." Rayla replied bluntly.
"Then finish it." Talon spat.
"Ah already did." Rayla replied, grabbing his swords, and hurling them over the edge of the slope. "It's over, Talon."
Talon struggled to get up, looking over at Ezran.
"On the contrary..." he darted over, grabbing Ezran by his royal robe, and pulling him in front of him.
And reaching behind his back for a jagged knife.
"This isn't over. Not while I have the king." He said, pressing the blade against Ezran's throat.
Rayla reached behind her back for her blade, but Talon pressed the knife against Ezran's throat harder, hard enough to elicit a gasp of pain from the young king, and draw some blood.
"See, I wouldn't do that. I have nothing to lose. What greater death is there than ending a dynasty with my final breath?" Talon asked. "Now, you can let me leave with the child king. Or I can kill him here. The choice is yours. If you go for your blade, he dies."
"He's ten years old!" Callum shouted, rage in his face. "Let him go! Take me instead!"
"Sadly, you hold considerably less value alive. Azrael wants the king, not the prince." Talon replied. "You see Rayla, this is what happens when you hesitate. You could've killed me so many times, I left you so many openings, but you wouldn't take them!"
Callum walked up behind Rayla, angry eyes locked with Talon's.
As he did, he handed Rayla her folded blade, behind her back.
"All that self righteousness, that refusal to get your hands dirty? That cowardice? It doesn't cost you anything. But it will cost your king everything."
Ezran shook his head.
"Rayla it's okay. It's okay, you didn't fail. You beat him. He just didn't play fair."
"Fair?" Talon scoffed. "Tell your king to close his eyes, Rayla. I tire of keeping him alive." He said, putting the blade on the far end of his throat.
Rayla gritted her teeth, and deployed the blade behind her back.
"Ezran. Close your eyes." She commanded.
Ezran did. Fear written on his features as he closed his eyes tightly.
Rayla gripped the sword hard, and spun around, keeping the blade level.
And with a backhanded flick, hurled the blade across the cold winter air.
Ezran felt the wind as it passed by him. The sound of a muffled impact behind him, followed by a gasp.
Then the sound of the knife falling to the snow.
Ezran opened his eyes, breathing heavy, as blood trickled down from his neck.
Rayla stood before him. Frozen in place. Arm still outstretched.
Eyes wide. Callum stood behind her, looking almost as shocked.
He turned, to see Rayla's blade sticking out of the assassin's chest.
He staggered back, blood pouring onto the snow below him.
His eyes wide as well.
"See?" Talon asked weakly, looking at Rayla's shocked face. "That easy."
He collapsed to the snow.
Callum ran up, and embraced Ezran tightly, before pulling him away from the motionless assassin.
He swiftly, desperately began wiping the blood away from his brother's neck.
As Rayla slowly walked past him. And stared down at Talon's body.
His eyes still open. Empty. Staring up at the sky.
And she reached down, and yanked her blade out of his chest, then dropped down into the snow.
Staring at the blood on her blade. Eyes still wide as the moment she threw it.