Travels Beyond Tortall
Chapter 10 – The Battle Begins
Written by Silent Serenade
This story is nearing its end - there's only one chapter to go, and an epilogue if I find it necessary (which won't be likely). Thank you very much for putting up with me, and I hope you enjoy these latest developements. My ongoing assessments for a university admission index are coming to a close, which means a series of larger examinations, resulting in potential delay for the completion of this story. I apologise in advance.
Exhilarating. Soaring the velvet skies, feeling just that bit closer to the stars. Bathed in silver moonlight, Gabriel led the way as an icy blue aura surrounded her body, lifting her up to the heavens. A fragile looking bond with power that amazed Numair held the mages and dragon, following Gabriel in her journey in this stunning way.
Eyeing Daine's limp body, hair blowing slightly within the magical influence, Numair's spirits were deflated as he was reminded of the reason behind this exquisite experience.
"If only you could feel this too, the wind softly ruffling your curls and kissing your cheeks," he whispered into her ear and placed his lips tenderly against her cool skin.
Looking downwards, he could barely make out the hints of rugged hills and vegetation, blurred by the speed of which they moved. Beside him, Kitten flexed her developing wings in an imitation of flapping, wistfully glancing around her, and let out something similar to a sigh.
"You want to fly, don't you?" Numair questioned softly after observing her movements.
Kitten fixed her intelligent eyes on Numair and nodded slowly. Her sad gaze turned towards Daine, and she let out a trembling chirp.
"And you want her to get better..." He trailed off, as the dragonet turned away. He swallowed, and tried to sound convincing, "Don't worry, she will."
He knew time was running out for them. Despite Gabriel's mysterious source of overwhelming raw power acting as a temporary barrier to protect Daine's inner self, there wouldn't be enough time for them to rid the poison. The Mortal Realm would soon be controlled by the powerful witch behind this – it was only a matter of time before chaos is unleashed upon all the innocent creatures of the land. All his dearest friends in Tortall who stood by him, by her, would have to suffer before they could recover from the recent war. And he would be the first to be affected.
Why bother fighting? He thought to himself, suddenly feeling a need to explode into the silent night. It is futile. Why don't we simply give up? Once the poison spreads, we will not feel anything. Let it go.
The end of the world as he knew it – it was incomprehensible. He would willingly sacrifice himself, but what of the others? Could he let go his companionship with Jonathan and Thayet, the rulers who accepted him as their friend? Could he let go the guardianship of Kitten, who he watched with a tender pride as the dragonet matured? Could he let go what he had with Daine, which they only recently started to realise and nurture? Could he let the Daine he love die away, and let the terrible force controlling her channel evil through her body?
No... For the sake of Daine, he would not allow such a thing to happen, and would lend all his power to this stranger who he must come to trust. Lost in his thoughts, he barely realised his feet landing on the soft earth, Gabriel's blue Gift dissipating into the night air.
Faint footsteps captured his attention, and a woman emerged from the nearby cottage. Flames from her torch cast eerie shadows across her face, and Numair noticed a flicker of recognition as her eyes fixed briefly on Kitten.
"Welcome home, mother," she spoke timidly. "I see you bring visitors."
"Is there a bed prepared?" Gabriel asked, receiving a nod in response. She turned to Numair. "Please make yourself comfortable in our humble abode."
The polite formality did not hide the grim expression she wore, and Numair followed her daughter into the house without question. Kitten trod obediently behind them, her intelligent eyes casting an inquisitive glance at the younger woman. Reaching a simple, freshly made bed, Numair set down his precious bundle as numerous candles around the room were magically lit. Observing Daine's peaceful face under this new light, he noticed with a bitter pang that nothing seemed to be out of ordinary, her slightly coloured cheeks giving the appearance of one in deep slumber.
He heard shuffling feet behind him, followed by Gabriel's clear, authoritative voice. "Please excuse my daughter and I for a moment."
Numair gave a small nod and turned to thank her, and barely caught the glimpse of the emerald on the younger woman's neck catching the light as she walked out the room.
"It's her," the girl whispered urgently, grasping her mother's hand with fear. They sat around a small table, and a dimming candle was the only source of light in the confined room. "It's the Wildmage."
"I know, Isabelle." Though Gabriel's calm tone betrayed no sense of fear, her hand tightened around Isabelle's.
"Then... Does it mean she has also come? It is too soon! We are not ready—"
"No, not yet," Gabriel's interruption was followed by a sigh of relief. "But not for long. We have only a few hours left – perhaps a day, if they have lost our trail. She can feel herself in the girl, and feel our presence through her. Although, she might take awhile to realise who I am..."
"What will she do when she finds out?"
"Try to destroy me." She smiled sadly at her daughter's calm acceptance after coming to terms with the consequences long ago, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "My power has diminished in the last few days, and hers has increased by absorbing my magic. And if she manages to gain complete control over Veralidaine... She is our only hope now."
"Do you think her magic is strong enough to counter Uusoae?" Isabelle asked doubtfully, remembering their encounter in the woods not so long ago.
"Wild magic was never meant to be a great source of power," Gabriel replied softly, "but magic alone is powerless in this battle. Only her inner strength is a defence in the struggle against Chaos."
"If she overcomes the poison, do you think we can convince her off...?" Isabelle trailed off, too afraid to voice her thoughts yet desperate to know the answer. Her soft brown eyes pleaded with her mother, willing her to give the answer she wanted to hear, even if it was a lie.
I don't know. Gabriel's timeless voice surrounded her, and Isabelle glanced nervously at the entrance of the secluded room. But that is where Salmalín will come into use.
She was alone. It was the one thing Daine had hated through her life – alone when the other children excluded her from their games, alone when she returned to her burning village. But those times, she had her animal companions, and the comforting presence of the copper fire within, allowing her to share her thoughts and feelings with those friends. Without it, she was empty, a being with no soul who ceased to exist, a feeling which was a result of the kind of loneliness engulfing her now.
You can still choose. The strange, whirling voice echoed throughout the place, and Daine jumped up, instinctively forming a defensive stance.
Daine looked around, searching for the source of the voice which was vaguely familiar.
I know how it feels to be shunned, the speaker continued, and Daine felt a strange force closing in on her. Join with me, and you will never feel loneliness again.
The vibration of sound echoing around her seemed to reflect a pulse from within. Uncertainly, she reached into her core and gingerly tested the foreign magic. It flared suddenly, and she felt the black fire humming in response to her surroundings before she hastily withdrew the contact.
Yes, that's it... The voice seemed closer now, and she could almost feel herself swirling with the whirlpool. My power is yours to take. Together, we will not be alone.
She resisted even as she felt herself succumb to the mysterious force, but stubbornly clung onto the thought she fought to express.
Who are you?
She felt soft chuckles of cold amusement enveloping her, and the inviting, taunting voice of the reply beating in time to her pulse. I am you.
For a moment, Daine almost gave in to the promises of escape from solitude, but something indefinable, something warm and soothing filled her heart, holding her back.
Let me think about it. A flood of terror, agony and hatred swept through her, and she instantly regretted giving her response. Yet there was nothing she could do but wait until the presence returned; she was alone again.
"It is nearly time." Gabriel's decisive tone lifted a slight amount of pressure on Numair, as he nodded to the speaker.
"But before we do anything, there is something you should know." Numair gave Isabelle a quick glance, before his attention focused on Gabriel again. "Uusoae has nearly reached her goal, and once Daine is within her power, she will not stop with the Mortal Realm."
"Sarra," he whispered, feeling his heart churn. "And Weiryn."
"No." Gabriel's short, firm reply sent a chill through Numair's spine. He lifted his head, peered into the treacherous depths of her eyes, and found he knew the answer. "She will infect the gods through me, and the magic I have already fed her with the barrier I built."
There was a slight pause as he absorbed the information, desperately needing to understand the situation. Taking a deep breath, he asked the inevitable.
"Who are you?"
"This is my daughter, Isabelle. I believe you have already met." Gabriel gestured for her to move forward, and she politely bowed to Numair. The emerald pendant caught the candlelight again, sending green sparkles dancing around the room. So he had guessed correctly after all. Feeling impatience stir within him, Numair rose to his feet. "Why are you—?"
"Do you know why she bowed instead of curtsy?" Gabriel interrupted, cerulean eyes commanding him to remain silent. "It was the belief of our ancestors that all women of our line be treated equal to men. Though this allowed us more independence, it also stripped us of our identity.
"I defied the traditions, and experimented with creating witchfire. I also gave my daughter a feminine name. It angered the tribe, but then again, they had accepted that I was different..."
Though some of Numair's questions were answered, more had risen to the surface with Gabriel's revelation. Again, he tried to search for answers through one simple question. "Who are you?"
Gabriel smiled, and fixed her gaze on Daine's unmoving form. "I am Gainel's daughter, and a protector of the Northern territories which lie here."
Numair nodded. Finally, he understood the source of her powers, the extensive knowledge, and the supply of witchfire.
As Isabelle added the final preparations to the room and Gabriel began chanting the spells which would once again connect Daine to the physical world, both their bodies starting to glow a light blue, Numair knew that he had to trust her. For now.
Daine felt a serene, steady flow of power enter this place of nothingness, and at first, thought it was the return of the strange presence. On second thought, she concluded this came from another source, someone who was with her before.
Veralidaine, it is time to return. The calming voice, so different to the harsh tone from moments ago, echoed in her mind.
Hesitantly she stood up, searching for the owner of the gentle voice. Where am I? Where do you wish to take me?
I will bring you back to the Mortal Realm, the voice resonated again, and Daine could make out a faint blue aura starting to surround her. I will bring you back to Master Salmalín.
Joy and concern coursed through her at the mention of him, and the aura brightened. Numair is with you? Is he all right?
He is fine, the voice replied, and Daine detected an element of motherly tenderness. We'll make sure that you are too.
The urgent undertone following that last statement scared her, and she realised there was more to the situation than was revealed. What must I do?
Resist the pain. Confused, Daine tried seeking for answers, but was not given an opportunity to project her thoughts. There is no time for further explanation – we must move before she returns!
The desperation frightened and angered Daine, her trust wavering as she realised the absurdity of the situation. Did she not have a right to know what was going on? And why, after all this time, did someone decide to make their abrupt appearance? She did not know this person despite their friendliness, which could possibly be a façade used to trick her into something for their own purposes. They had also known that the mentioning of Numair would have affected her – it was all too coincidental, too well planned, and even held a hint of manipulation. She would not co-operate with this new enemy.
The blue light around her dimmed as all previous hope and joy left her, replaced with the whirling feelings which had become all too familiar.
She is going nowhere, the dark, cruelly comforting voice whispered maliciously as the terror, agony and hatred slowly seeped into Daine's being, becoming a part of her. We are one now, my darling. It's time to rid the nuisance.
Black fire blazed, hurling the presence out of the dimension. An overwhelming sense of victory took hold of her momentarily, and Daine revelled in feel of the swirling force that replaced the empty void within her. She lowered her hands, her scarlet eyes staring in slight disbelief at the black tinted nails, and instantly missed the feel of the raw power which flowed through those hands only moments ago. The blue aura disappeared completely.
Taking a desperate gulp of air, Gabriel opened her frantic eyes, shivering uncontrollably as sweat rolled down her temple. Shakily, she gestured for a cup of water, Isabelle complying instantly, and tried clearing her mind by focusing on the sweet, clean taste.
"Did it work?" Numair spoke coarsely, her haunting eyes giving him enough of an answer.
"I can still reverse the poison," Gabriel replied slowly, her breath still quivering, "but I would have to do it by force."
Numair shuddered, unwilling to cause more pain to his lover. Taking a thorough look at Daine, he noticed all signs of warmth disappeared from her face. He lifted a trembling finger to her cheek, and found her impossibly cold to the touch.
His eyes bore questioningly into Gabriel's, demanding the answer he didn't want to hear. She gave it to him.
"Chaos has taken over her."