Chapter 13
*
The Dean was worried. Liara had been due back twelve days ago. For her to be this late, something must have happened. And, as she did not have her whites, the Heralds would not even learn of her death via the Death bell.
Why had he sent her, a trainee, into danger experienced Heralds failed to defeat? She had got information that could save Valdemar - and in fact, probably would in only a few days. But there was one girl who might never return to the colegium, and it would be his fault.
:Chosen!: It was Seren, excited and jubilant. :Deilan is returning!:
Gareth sat up. This was news indeed. :With Liara?: He asked urgently.
There was a pause. :Deilan says yes, but there's something wrong.: Seren's voice faltered, and the Dean felt sure that the 'something wrong' was very serious indeed. :He says that she was about to leave, when she was caught - they tortured her - they wanted to know what she had found out . . .:
Gareth ground his teeth. He could not let sentimentality take away his perspective. :Did she tell them anything?:
:No.: Seren said sadly. :She didn't say anything.:
How many full Heralds could stand twelve days of torture? It seemed that Valdemar owed Liara a great debt.
*
Daven was hurrying to the House of Healing. They had told him 'come back tomorrow' for the past five days, but today he was determined to get in. His companion, Terrisse, had said that Liara hadn't regained consciousness, but he still wanted to see her.
Daven stopped outside the door, and listened intently. He didn't think there was anyone inside, and he pushed the door open.
Liara was lying on the bed. She looked ordinary, like she was asleep, and Daven could see her chest moving. So she was alive.
A green robed man was seated beside the bed. He seemed to be in some sort of trance. Daven crept closer, seeing that the man was holding Liara's left hand. Daven's heart twisted as he remembered the grotesque cut, and how Robern had failed, spectacularly, to heal her.
The Healer looked up, and frowned at Daven.
"How did you get in here?" he asked in exasperation. He seemed familiar with people sneaking in to visit patients.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Daven, voice hushed, and raw-edged with fear.
"She won't wake." Sighed the Healer. "I just finished fixing her hand. Now she's completely healed, but she still won't wake."
Her hand? He was able to fix her hand? Oh, Gods, no . . .
"I . . . have some work to do." Said Daven, not taking his eyes from Liara's face as he left the room.
*
Daven sat in his room, trying to push away his treacherous thoughts, as they relentlessly replayed something she had said.
"No healer can ever do anything with me - and in any case, that cut never could heal. It's there until I die."
The thought burned in his mind.
" . . . there until I die . . . "
Daven tried to deny the fact that Liara was dead, but it was no use. The world was empty without her, just an unceasing round of pointless duties.
His eyes burned. He just wanted to talk to her, tell her that without her, the world was nothing to him, and now he couldn't.
Unless . . .
He didn't even consider Terrisse as he bolted the door and found his knife. She would understand. He barely felt the pain as he slit his wrists, and found weakness filling him.
Liara, I'm coming to you . . .
*
Daven floated in emptiness, surrounded by darkness. He could see the Havens ahead, a bright, glowing promise of peace and joy, and he started forward through the empty dark.
He was moving as fast as his mind could conceive, and he almost missed the flame of despair that hung in the darkness, but it hummed in his mind, impossible to ignore. Daven knew, instinctively, to whom that flame belonged.
Liara!
He threw out lines of power, anchoring himself to her, against the relentless tug of the Havens. He had died to find her; surely he could stay in the emptiness to be with her.
"Daven!" Her voice was a mere suggestion, a wind-blown whisper of what it could be, but it heralded the reunification of a lifebond, as two souls met in an empty Void.
"What happened, Liara?" Daven asked. "You are lying in the healers; you wouldn't wake. I wanted to follow you to the Havens."
Their amorphous forms were solidifying into a sketch of life, and Daven could see that, even here, the wounds had left her hand.
Liara told her story, of her mind being flicked from her still-breathing body with a careless blow of poisonous magic.
"What will we do?" Liara's voice was a wailed whisper. "I cannot go with you to the Havens; I still live! There is no hope, there are no gods to pray to. I found that out a long time ago."
"There is always hope, if you look hard enough." The voice was a whisper and a shout, lightly whispering into their minds, yet strumming a triumphant chord that shook their souls.
A light approached, blindingly pure and white, bringing with it warmth and comfort.
"The Bright Lady," Daven whispered, staring into the glow that hid the Goddess' face. "The keeper of the Havens."
Liara felt shame, and fear, it was overwhelming, choking her. The Goddess would be angry, at her disbelief and anger. The shame and fear were crowding close - but suddenly they were washed away, with comfort and forgiveness.
"We knew your pain," said the Bright Lady, "And we were sorry. But interfering directly with mortal affairs is beyond us. To find our help, one must wander between the worlds, where the gods reside."
Daven stepped forward. "Can you see a solution to our problem, Bright Lady?" He asked respectfully, hope filling his voice.
The Goddess sighed. "Your problem is this: Daven cannot return to the living world, and Liara cannot go to the Havens." She told the two gently. "The solution is this; Liara must return to the living world, and try to heal Daven before he passes over completely."
"How?" asked Liara. She seemed to be succumbing to hopelessness again.
"It will require energy," said the Bright Lady. "But energy is something you have in plenty, my daughter."
Liara seemed confused, but then she realised what the Lady meant. "My elemental magics! They are still with me - I can use them to return to my body!"
"Yes, daughter," agreed the Goddess. "But, once you use it this way, the magic will never return."
"I can do it." Liara declared firmly. "I will do it, Daven."
With that promise, she launched every bit of the power she had. The Bright Lady focused the wild magic, and directed it . . .
*
The Dean was worried. Liara had been due back twelve days ago. For her to be this late, something must have happened. And, as she did not have her whites, the Heralds would not even learn of her death via the Death bell.
Why had he sent her, a trainee, into danger experienced Heralds failed to defeat? She had got information that could save Valdemar - and in fact, probably would in only a few days. But there was one girl who might never return to the colegium, and it would be his fault.
:Chosen!: It was Seren, excited and jubilant. :Deilan is returning!:
Gareth sat up. This was news indeed. :With Liara?: He asked urgently.
There was a pause. :Deilan says yes, but there's something wrong.: Seren's voice faltered, and the Dean felt sure that the 'something wrong' was very serious indeed. :He says that she was about to leave, when she was caught - they tortured her - they wanted to know what she had found out . . .:
Gareth ground his teeth. He could not let sentimentality take away his perspective. :Did she tell them anything?:
:No.: Seren said sadly. :She didn't say anything.:
How many full Heralds could stand twelve days of torture? It seemed that Valdemar owed Liara a great debt.
*
Daven was hurrying to the House of Healing. They had told him 'come back tomorrow' for the past five days, but today he was determined to get in. His companion, Terrisse, had said that Liara hadn't regained consciousness, but he still wanted to see her.
Daven stopped outside the door, and listened intently. He didn't think there was anyone inside, and he pushed the door open.
Liara was lying on the bed. She looked ordinary, like she was asleep, and Daven could see her chest moving. So she was alive.
A green robed man was seated beside the bed. He seemed to be in some sort of trance. Daven crept closer, seeing that the man was holding Liara's left hand. Daven's heart twisted as he remembered the grotesque cut, and how Robern had failed, spectacularly, to heal her.
The Healer looked up, and frowned at Daven.
"How did you get in here?" he asked in exasperation. He seemed familiar with people sneaking in to visit patients.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Daven, voice hushed, and raw-edged with fear.
"She won't wake." Sighed the Healer. "I just finished fixing her hand. Now she's completely healed, but she still won't wake."
Her hand? He was able to fix her hand? Oh, Gods, no . . .
"I . . . have some work to do." Said Daven, not taking his eyes from Liara's face as he left the room.
*
Daven sat in his room, trying to push away his treacherous thoughts, as they relentlessly replayed something she had said.
"No healer can ever do anything with me - and in any case, that cut never could heal. It's there until I die."
The thought burned in his mind.
" . . . there until I die . . . "
Daven tried to deny the fact that Liara was dead, but it was no use. The world was empty without her, just an unceasing round of pointless duties.
His eyes burned. He just wanted to talk to her, tell her that without her, the world was nothing to him, and now he couldn't.
Unless . . .
He didn't even consider Terrisse as he bolted the door and found his knife. She would understand. He barely felt the pain as he slit his wrists, and found weakness filling him.
Liara, I'm coming to you . . .
*
Daven floated in emptiness, surrounded by darkness. He could see the Havens ahead, a bright, glowing promise of peace and joy, and he started forward through the empty dark.
He was moving as fast as his mind could conceive, and he almost missed the flame of despair that hung in the darkness, but it hummed in his mind, impossible to ignore. Daven knew, instinctively, to whom that flame belonged.
Liara!
He threw out lines of power, anchoring himself to her, against the relentless tug of the Havens. He had died to find her; surely he could stay in the emptiness to be with her.
"Daven!" Her voice was a mere suggestion, a wind-blown whisper of what it could be, but it heralded the reunification of a lifebond, as two souls met in an empty Void.
"What happened, Liara?" Daven asked. "You are lying in the healers; you wouldn't wake. I wanted to follow you to the Havens."
Their amorphous forms were solidifying into a sketch of life, and Daven could see that, even here, the wounds had left her hand.
Liara told her story, of her mind being flicked from her still-breathing body with a careless blow of poisonous magic.
"What will we do?" Liara's voice was a wailed whisper. "I cannot go with you to the Havens; I still live! There is no hope, there are no gods to pray to. I found that out a long time ago."
"There is always hope, if you look hard enough." The voice was a whisper and a shout, lightly whispering into their minds, yet strumming a triumphant chord that shook their souls.
A light approached, blindingly pure and white, bringing with it warmth and comfort.
"The Bright Lady," Daven whispered, staring into the glow that hid the Goddess' face. "The keeper of the Havens."
Liara felt shame, and fear, it was overwhelming, choking her. The Goddess would be angry, at her disbelief and anger. The shame and fear were crowding close - but suddenly they were washed away, with comfort and forgiveness.
"We knew your pain," said the Bright Lady, "And we were sorry. But interfering directly with mortal affairs is beyond us. To find our help, one must wander between the worlds, where the gods reside."
Daven stepped forward. "Can you see a solution to our problem, Bright Lady?" He asked respectfully, hope filling his voice.
The Goddess sighed. "Your problem is this: Daven cannot return to the living world, and Liara cannot go to the Havens." She told the two gently. "The solution is this; Liara must return to the living world, and try to heal Daven before he passes over completely."
"How?" asked Liara. She seemed to be succumbing to hopelessness again.
"It will require energy," said the Bright Lady. "But energy is something you have in plenty, my daughter."
Liara seemed confused, but then she realised what the Lady meant. "My elemental magics! They are still with me - I can use them to return to my body!"
"Yes, daughter," agreed the Goddess. "But, once you use it this way, the magic will never return."
"I can do it." Liara declared firmly. "I will do it, Daven."
With that promise, she launched every bit of the power she had. The Bright Lady focused the wild magic, and directed it . . .