Chapter Thirteen

Siuil opened his eyes and looked around. Unlike most portals or teleports, Vizier Khilbron's had been abrupt and dizzying. So much so that they had all passed out. Thankfully, Devona and Barradin who had arrived days earlier than any of them oversaw the Ember Light Camp.

He sat up slowly and looked around. On bedrolls all around the camp was the members of his party. Siuil took an immediate head count to figure out who was where. Selena was not even an arms length from him, and neither was Terryann. Arya Bladedancer was sleeping a bit farther, with Akruan Soulblesser beside her. Lynn Matheri was the only other one awake, and even he seemed groggy, as if he was just waking. Akara Nikhiora lay passed out on her bedroll which almost touched Lynn's. Looking around, he found Orion Elek, Evennia, Alesia, Little Thom, Stephan, Claude, Reyna and Dunham. Terrence was leaning against a rock, also shaking the grogginess from his head. He blinked and also looked around as if doing the same as Siuil, and Siuil said, "We're all here. I can hear the dwarves snoring."

"That's good to know," said Terrence. "Why is it that this time we pass out during a teleport? We never did before with Matheri's."

"That's because mine are obviously smoother," came a soft voice as Lynn rubbed his face. "Khilbron's are not."

Wakened by the sounds of their voices, everyone else began to awaken. Terryann looked around, "Where are we?"

"The Ember Light Camp," answered Devona as she walked over. "The confused and dizzy feeling should go away shortly. At least it did with us. Somehow, when we were on our way here, Khilbron teleported us. We also woke up here."

Siuil turned to the beach, "There's no ships… how are we going to leave?"

"My guess—the same way we came," answered Selena as she stood up.

"Great," drawled Arya. "So, how do we know we were even meant to leave?"

"Because…" Selena quietly turned to the water, then back to them. "Because Glint said so, because Lynn, somehow, moved back in time from when he first appeared on Tyria to a time before the Searing."

"And that means what, exactly," asked Akruan.

They looked at Lynn, who sighed, "When I first found myself on Tyria, I woke in the courtyard of the palace in a obviously rebuilt Rin. I was taken before the King of Ascalon at that time, and his Queen was there."

"So?' asked Mhenlo. "Adelburn could have been…"

"It was not Adelburn," Selena pointed out.

"No, as she said, the King was not Adelburn, nor was the Queen Adelburn's Queen Farina. It was King Rurik and Queen Selena," there was a collective gasp from around him. "Yes, somehow, in the future, as Glint said, Selena would be Queen 'together with her King', that being Rurik. And considering the powerful gift given to Selena, we know whom she will likely raise, unless, of course, he has been a prisoner of war this entire time in the Shiverpeaks… which is also possible… and we eventually rescue him."

"But that would also mean that some way we manage to leave this place," answered Selena. "For Glint said that our path lays past this, and Lynn also met others during that time that plainly made him realize that most of us, if not all of us, will survive this, and eventually we will return to a rebuilt Ascalon. A greater Ascalon."

"But it seems so strange, did you not watch Rurik die by Dagnar's hands, Siuil?" asked Akruan.

"I did," answered Siuil. "Or at least, I thought I did. I heard him cry out, I heard the sickening crunch of bone and I saw the axe fall. I am sure he was killed as we went through the Frost Gate."

"But what if we were wrong?" whispered Alesia. "What if he's still alive somewhere, still a prisoner? Perhaps a slave… we have to find him. Lynn says he becomes the King, that means he's still alive… somewhere… somehow… and we have to save him. We have to. We can't just leave him!"

"We're here now, and we have a mission to finish," said Selena. "Splitting us up will get us no where. Brechnar, did you see any slaves in the Stone Summit lands?"

"Aye… there is… and human men they are," answered Brechnar Ironhammer. "But as you said, now is not the time to run after ghosts and such. But I can tell ye, the prisoners I saw were indeed men of Ascalon, and a few were fighting men. My men and I have found your fiery dragon swords and the rarer ones, ones like Prince Rurik kept spare—the icy dragon swords—near a place called Sorrow's Furnace where these men are made to work under the heavy hand of the Stone Summit. If your Rurik be still alive, that would be where he is. After this is said and done, I will take ye there."

"Thank you," Selena sighed and then turned around. "Now, we have to get to the Door of Komalie, so somehow we have to find a way to do so. Anyone have any ideas?"

Arya looked around, "Well, I've adventured here before. There are valuable deposits around the Ember Isles and people trying to stake claims always try… so I know my way around. The first place I'd look is to the North slightly. There is a volcano… maybe the door is there."

After setting themselves up and making sure nothing had gone missing, they headed to the North. Once they left, Brechnar turned, and then looked at Selena, "My lady, do not follow me, go the other way."

"What… why?" Selena sputtered as Brechnar began to run in another direction.

Soon the sound of a battle ensued. They were about to aid him, when the other dwarves began to run after them. One turned, "Don't let our deaths be in vain. We will draw them away from you. Now go!"

With that they all disappeared around the corner.

Turning to the rest of them, Selena looked almost sick. Arya said, "Come on, do as they ask for we will all die. We must go."

They ran up another path and soon the sound of the battle with the dwarves fell silent. Arya called a halt and said, "Wait, there is a patrol that is about to come from behind. They are small enough that we should be able to take them down without anyone noticing."

All except for Siuil and Devona, they hid, waiting for the patrol to come around the corner. Devona said, "Did you ever think it would come to this?"

"No, I did not," admitted Siuil. "By far. Did not."

"We may not survive this."

"You're right," agreed Siuil. "And your point?"

"Remember what Rurik said a few years ago when we were in Yak's Bend? About not waiting because you never know what is around the corner, shortly before he married Rosa… I mean Selena?" Devona seemed to have a point she was leading into. "What if I said I didn't want to wait anymore?"

"Then don't," Siuil took a breath. "I've not really had the time to really slow down enough to think about it. And if I did have the time, well, it's not like we were anywhere near each other. I'd be in New Ascalon and you'd be in the Settlement in Northern Kryta."

"So you did think about us?" she lifted a brow, then her hammer as the first Jade armor came around the corner, spotted them, then began to head to them.

"Yes, I did," he answered.

"And?"

"You're right," Siuil raised his hammer. "No more waiting. Devona will you…"

He didn't really get the chance to finish before the Jade Armors attacked and the battle was joined. Siuil ducked low to bash it in the lower torso before following it with a sweep to take off one arm. Swinging the massive hammer over his head to gain momentum he finished it with a blow to the side of where the head would have been. As it fell, he used the momentum gained to use a two handed swing to the left side of a torso to the next. Unfortunately, there were no corpses to exploit for any of the Necromancers, but he could feel the healing surges by the monks, and ice spells were slowing the Armors down.

Arya came out, and also armed with a hammer. No corpses went no blood and no bleeding targets. Hammers were the only way to kill them. At least they could knock them down.

The Armors fell and then Arya sighed, "There are more patrols. Come on, we have to get to Abaddon's Mouth somehow, and I guess the only way is through the front door…"

"Actually, no it is not," and everyone turned to face Vizier Khilbron. "There is also a back way, but is has its own risks."

"Is it any easier?" asked Selena.

"Not really, no," answered Khilbron. "There is no easy path. Every step you now take will be more difficult than the last, but if you survive this you will have a strength that no one can counter. In effect, you will all be the strongest and most powerful people living in all of Tyria."

"Then we take the front path," said Siuil. "And down their throats to choke them all out."

"Apt analogy," pointed out Akara dryly.

After taking out the Mursaat in a chamber, Selena said, "We've made it. Now for Abaddon's Mouth."

"So what?" asked Akara. "So we have it, but this can't be it. The Mursaat are still crawling all over the damn place!"

With a sigh, Selena shrugged, "I guess we wait for now. Arya, can you set up a watch. I think Lynn is out of spells and exhausted. So are we all. We need the rest."

"You have no time!" chided Khilbron as he materialized in the center of the room.

"And we'll melt if we don't rest," Selena retorted. "Look at us. Out of magic and needing a solid sleep to be able to cast them again. You're the only one not affected by this. Give us enough time to recover."

"Very well," Khilbron was quiet. "But you cannot stay here for long."

"Duly noted," said Arya. "All right, Selena, sleep. Siuil, Akruan and I will take turns tonight. Everyone else sleep."

Getting to Abaddon's Mouth was the greatest challenge they'd had so far. Not only did they have to break seals to even get in, but Selena took a side challenge as she and Akara guided a ghost named Leah to an island and set the ghost free. They joined their companions after, but no one would forget what was coming next.

It would change all of our lives forever.