Chapter Fourteen

The Door of Komalie was open.

However, this was not the moment where they felt a thrill for victory, but one when they all felt the bone crushing dread of realizing that they had been betrayed again. This time, by one they were not entirely sure they could beat. Even the Titans ripped through the Fire Ring Islands and killing what was left of the foe that had indirectly and directly caused sorrow did not compare to the sudden sinking feeling Arya Bladedancer had upon seeing Vizier Khilbron turn into the very Lich Lord they had heard about. "Greeting, heroes," he said, laughing. "Oh, I do thank you for doing all the work for me. I needed this Staff, you see, for even if you fell you'd still be my loyal subjects. And now, again, you've done all the work for me in releasing the Titans who will be my personal army to subjugate all of Tyria."

"How could you do this?" shouted Selena. "We trusted you!"

"Indeed, you did, and you will have the honor of being my guards. Now, you have two choices, be my guardians willingly and go back to New Ascalon and await the New Order or stay and die. Either way, you'll be my Guardians," the Lich Lord laughed again before disappearing.

Once he was gone, Lynn Matheri stepped forward, "He can be defeated, if temporarily. I know, I've done it before."

They all turned to him, and Akara asked, "Say what?"

"Before I left Krynn I traveled back in time to defeat a wizard I knew as Fistandantilus, the most powerful of our order, and he was also a lich," explained Lynn. "The only problem was that I had to use a Bloodstone to suck the life from him."

Lynn brought out a pendant; "This is how we recognized each other, for he created this to be able to suck the life out of young mages in order to keep living. It's as if it was a mobile phylactery, but now that I've seen one of your bloodstones, and know that he was mortal in Orr before becoming the lich, I think this is a piece of one of your bloodstones. I think, mind you this is just a theory, that if we destroy him on the Bloodstone, not only will it charge the seals to the Door of Komalie…"

"It will destroy him forever," finished Selena, her eyes lighting up. "And thank you."

"Well, trust me, I have my own reasons for seeing the bastard fall," Lynn shrugged. "Now, is there a Bloodstone near? All I know is that the one in Maguuma is whole and without chips. If we make the one with a chip whole again, we may be able to defeat him once and for all."

"And if not?" asked Akruan.

"Then I have to travel farther back in your timeline to kill him when he is mortal, which means I'll have to go to a time before the fall of Orr."

"I know of a Bloodstone," said Alesia. "It is rumored that there was one in Ascalon, in Nolani, to be exact, one in Maguuma, and one here."

"There's one here!" Arya turned around, as did Selena.

"Yes, it's at the foot of the largest volcano," Mhenlo pointed. "I remember that tale. Everyone in Ashford Abbey thought it mere legend until I saw the one in Maguuma and realized that it was real."

Raistlin looked around then looked at them, "If so, I think that would be where he is headed."

"Why do you say that?" asked Cynn.

"Think about it—why were the White Mantle killing the Chosen on the Bloodstone?" asked Raistlin.

"They were sacrificing them," mused Siuil, remembering the exact circumstances. "I remember Hablion saying that he was the Scythe of the Chosen, or something like it."

Raistlin smiled slightly, "Exactly my point, and he was sacrificing them because the White Mantle knew about the Door of Komalie, knew about the Chosen supposedly opening it. However, unlike us who worry about what this means for everyone, they were merely concerned with the part about the Titans destroying their precious Unseen Gods. That was done, but they were also doing it because it was charging the Seals that keeps the door closed."

"Which means that if we charge the seals, we close the door, and we limit the power of Vizier Khilbron Fistandantilus," said Arya. "So… we're Chosen… we're supposed to sacrifice ourselves to save everyone, right?"

"Not exactly," Raistlin sighed. "Mind you, it might. No, I propose we kill Fistandantilus on the very center of the Bloodstone. And if this is the Bloodstone that is 'chipped', me returning the chip should also destroy him once and for all, and charge the Seals for good. No more Lich Lord, no more needing to sacrifice the Chosen. And the Titan threat should end—of course, we would also have to contain those which have already escaped."

For a moment they looked at him, then Arya nodded her agreement. "We go with his plan," she decided, and then she turned to Selena. "Then, after all this, we head to Sorrow's Furnace and save Rurik."

Selena nodded. "Let's go."

They ran down a small valley, then back up again, and began to climb. Siuil called them to a stop, his face white, "Titans… lots of them."

Arya came up beside him, "We have no choice--we have to go through them.

The Lich Lord turned to his Lesser Lich, "Ah, I can sense them coming. So… the little mage has figured out that there is a Bloodstone here."

"Is that worry I hear in your voice, Khilbron?" asked the Lesser Lich, and for a moment his former living self could almost be seen in a method of rebellion against his master. "Does Lynn Matheri know something you wish he didn't? A way to finally defeat you?"

"Bah, he can do little," Khilbron pointed the Staff of Orr at the Undead Prince who was forced to again kneel before his new master. Khilbron was sure that Rurik was grinding teeth, but the impassive eyes told him nothing. "And you will learn your place. Perhaps I will give your wife to you, eh? What would you think of that?"

"If you hurt her, no power here nor in the Underworld will save you, that I promise," ground out Rurik. "Not that I would have to. In typical La Rune fashion, she has grown far more powerful than you give her credit. And where she falls, more will rise to take her place as leader. If she falls, one day someone will Ascend, and know learn the truth however she did. More will come, and will one day finally defeat you. And on that day, I will have my peace and my revenge for the peace robbed from me, Lich Lord. Mark my words."

"Oh, such a speech! What is with you Princes and Kings that always feel that if you speak people will listen?" Khilbron laughed. "Come now, who do you think will be inspired by your words when all that hear them are mindless undead and the Titans?"

"No one," answered Rurik, the flame eyes looking up at Khilbron with a strange intensity. "But they do not have to. They know it in their hearts—and it is that which you never steal from them. I know… I always did sense something stronger within Rosa… a steel core beneath the silk. You called her a spitfire; I call her my Queen and my sword. And it is that steel blade that will defeat you."

Khilbron laughed, "Empty threats and meaningless words… ah, look they have found me."

The heroes of Ascalon stopped at the carved obsidian ramp that led up to the bloodstone. Arya Bladedancer advanced, with Akruan Soulblesser and Lynn Matheri behind her. "Khilbron Fistandantilus!" called Arya. "We have come to put an end to this."

"So I can see," Khilbron spread the large and creaking wings to the sky. "But, you think to defeat me. I am invincible—there is no way to defeat me."

"I don't think so," pointed out Raistlin. "I can see you remember me, Fistandantilus, in some memory you don't have but can sense you know that you even fear me. It's time to die, once and for all. No more victims to keep you alive, old man."

"Ah… I don't think so, in fact, I think it is time for all of you to bow to me as your new master… or die and do it anyway," he motioned with the Staff of Orr. "After all, if I can make a Prince bow to me, then so shall you—even if I have reanimate you to do it."

Selena cried out, "No! Rurik!"

The silence in the room when the undead, but painfully recognizable Prince Rurik stepped out from behind Khilbron. "Gods, no…" she fell to her knees. "What have you done?"

Siuil stepped forward, "That's unforgivable Khilbron, and you will pay for his desecration."

"Ah, but—and do so love this and it is amusingly ironic, yes?—you will have to defeat him… kill him… to finally come after me," Khilbron laughed as he began to walk away. "Kill them, Rurik. You really have no choice."

"I… will… not…" fought Rurik as he struggled to stop himself from lifting the steel sword in his hand and step forward to face them.

"Do it!" Khilbron lifted the Staff. "You have no choice!"

"Ahh… Gods forgive me…" finally Rurik raised the sword and rushed them while Khilbron laughed as he walked away.

Arya barely lifted her hammer in time as Rurik's sword sliced downward to connect with the handle hard enough to make chips fly from the solid oak handle. If she had not managed to defend herself in time Rurik would have sliced her open from shoulder to hip. Siuil leapt into the fray to give Arya enough time to recover from the shock of being attacked by the Prince. "Stop, Rurik!" shouted Mhenlo. "It's us!"

"I know," came his soft voice, even as he turned on Siuil. "Help me… stop me… please! So long as he has the Staff of Orr I have no choice…"

Siuil parried his sword, but no one stepped forward to attack him. "You have to defeat me!" Rurik cried out. "You have to… I'm already dead… I died in the Shiverpeaks… please… just give me peace… let me finally die."

"Rurik," sobbed Selena. "No…"

For a moment the harsh edge to the glowing eyes softened, "Rosa—you have no idea how much I've missed you. Live on without me. You're strong enough, far stronger than I can ever hope to be. Good bye my love—please just finish this."

Finally, with a nod from Akara, they unleashed into him. Lynn slowed him with a maelstrom while Mhenlo and Akruan cast smite spell after smite spell. Arya, in one clean hit, crushed his ribcage, and then Devona took out his knees. Rurik crashed to the ground in a clatter of broken armor. The undead light in his eyes dimmed, and a whispered, "Thank you my friends…" and then the bones fell to rest on the ground, the unholy power holding them together and holding Rurik's soul to them faded completely.

Selena ran and fell beside them, crying, whispering words that no one could hear. Siuil walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder. For a moment, no one moved until Terrence cleared his throat. "We have a Lich Lord to finish… we'll take his remains with us and bury him properly. I'm sorry Selena."

She shook her head, "But Lynn said…"

"Depending on the actions in the present, the future is always changing," murmured Raistlin sadly. "Perhaps… we have caused our first meeting to be with a Queen only… I'm truly sorry. I should not have said anything."

Selena rested her head on Rurik's helm. "Go on without me. I… I will guard our way out."

"Would you like me to stay behind, Selena?" asked Cynn.

"No… you will all be needed to defeat Khilbron," answered Selena. "Please, just leave me alone for now."

Cynn nodded, and touched her back before following the rest up the ramp to face Khilbron.

"Remember, the very center or all this will be for naught…" said Raistlin as he pulled out the Bloodstone pendant out of his jacket.

Arya nodded as she readied her hammer. Khilbron was brooding just off to the side, and with a nod to Siuil, who said as they all stepped onto the massive Bloodstone, "And now you will pay for everything you have done to us and for Rurik."

Khilbron actually whipped around, shock clearly on his face, "How did you! No matter… I can see that I underestimated your power. When I kill and reanimate you all will be better slaves than Rurik was. I would have allowed you to be in peace had Rurik finished you, allowed a quick death and your souls to enter the Mists, but this defiance will cost you all that. Now, come, try, and then I will kill you!"

"Enough talk, you bastard," Devona snarled as she brought her hammer down, and missed as Khilbron took to the air, moving just to the middle of the Bloodstone.

It was not dead center, so Cynn cast an icicle in between Khilbron and Devona, forcing him to inch slowly towards the center of the Bloodstone. Finally, he was in the very center, and they moved in on all sides, not letting him escape the center of them. Whenever he moved to fly, Siuil and Devona would hammer his wings, and he would fall with a surprised cry to land squarely on the stone. "Damn you all!" he snarled. "I will not allow myself to be defeated by you!"

He raised two Hands of lava, and Arya shouted to Little Thom and Stefan who hung back, "Take out those things somehow! Orion, cast ice on them to take some of the threat away!"

Selena sat up for a moment, "I can remember when I first saw you. You stood up to your father… and you seemed so harsh… then you softened for a moment when you realized that Kasha intended to take me back to Sardelac." She smiled as she cradled his head in her lap, rocking gently. "You wouldn't have anything to do with it. You took me back to the Palace. You were always so gentle with me, as if I was made of fine crystal."

She looked down on the skeletal face, almost seeing the man before he had died. "You led us to a new life and gave your life to protect us. I tried to live up to that legacy… but you left such big shoes to fill… I tried so hard to be the Lady you wanted me to be."

Selena shook her head, looking up to the overcast sky. "But I am not that lady, am I? Look at me, all covered in ash and my hair shorn. I wear Necromancer's Bonelace armor. I'm not even decent, let alone ladylike. I wield your sword—like a warrior. I'm no lady. I don't deserve you or your legacy…"

Running a hand down the breastplate and wincing at the obvious slash in the back of his armor from where Dagnar had sliced open his back; severing his spine and slicing numerous organs open in the process. Selena, due to her Monk training, and to her training as a Necromancer as well, knew to well how badly Rurik had been wounded. His death would have been slow, painful, as he would have suffocated from not being able to breathe. He wouldn't have been able to feel his legs or one arm, but the ghost pain of loss would have also been. She could only imagine the fear and sadness of having to die alone out there would have been like.

"I left you alone," she whispered. "But you still love me. I can only do one thing to maybe make it better…"

She laid his body flat, then with her hands on either side of his shoulders, she lowered herself down until she was nearly nose to nose to him. "I give you this…" she paused for a moment before kissing his teeth—no flesh remained on his bones so it was as close as she had to his lips.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, things went strangely silent. It was as if the volcano itself had paused to hold its breath. It went momentarily dark… then all she was aware of was light.

The three moved in to attack the hands and the other things that Khilbron raised to defend himself. Finally, Akruan cast Bane and Khilbron fell flat on the stone. Lynn raised the chip in the pendant high, "Recognize this, Fistandantilus?"

The lich form faded to be replaced with the mortal looking form, his eyes wide, "No! You cannot!"

"Watch me make this Bloodstone while again, old man," Raistlin smiled, taking the stone out of the setting and dropping to the massive Bloodstone.

It melted and the Bloodstone took on a sheen that it had not had before, but now made it like the others. "Finish him now!" said Raistlin. "For a moment, he is mortal."

Devona brought her hammer crashing down on his head, and a sickening crunch sounded as blood and other bits leaked from below her hammer. Khilbron's body spammed once, twice, then lay still. The Bloodstone glowed green for a moment, then went black again as Siuil pointed to the Door of Komalie, "It's sealed."

At that moment, things went dark, and then the cloud cover broke as one beam of bright light descended from the heavens to a point not one hundred feet away from the Bloodstone. They stopped for a moment as Orion asked, "What is that?"

The healers stepped forward, and then Akruan looked up where in the clouds a form of a woman with wings could barely be seen. It was as if the clouds themselves had shaped into the profile of a woman and the beam came from the eye that faced them. Alesia whispered, "It's the very light of Dwayna. A very powerful spell has just been cast in her name."

The light went out and the mountain began to shake again, "We have to get out of here… Lynn…" Siuil turned to see Akara supported Raistlin.

"He's cast everything he had…" she cried. "He can't cast anything else…"

Selena looked around, and saw the mountain begin to shake. The ground felt like it was trying to reject them. Then she heard the commotion on the Bloodstone as Akara cried out, "He's cast everything he had—he can't cast anything else!"

Looking down on the restored face and body of Rurik, she shook him, "Rurik! Come on, you have to wake up."

His eyes flickered open, then he gradually focused on her one hand feebly trying to touch her face, "Selena… Rosa…"

"Can you stand?" she asked.

Rurik made a few attempts, then collapsed back on the heaving ground. "No… I don't think I can," he whispered.

"You have to," she helped to his feet. "You remember when you cast that portal in Surmia? The one that took you and my father to Nolani?"

"Surmia… yes…" he whispered.

"Cast it quickly!" she urged. "All of our lives depend on it."

"'Lena, don't know if I have that strength…" he murmured, his knees slowly giving out on him.

"Come on, I'll lend it to you…" she said, as she moved around to support him from the front, her left hand interlacing with the fingers of his right and raising it to help him point at where the portal would appear. "Remember Grooble's Gulch?"

"Grooble's... too far…"

"Have you ever been to Droknar's?" she asked.

"No… yes… somehow I know where it is… can make it…" he whispered, smiling as his eyes started to slide shut again and he slowly become dead weight. "So tired…"

"I know…" she cried against his cheek as she allowed them to sink to their knees. "I am too… but you have to concentrate for a little bit more. Come on, I know you have it in you. You can sleep all you want in Droknar's Forge. I promise. In a real bed even, no cots."

She felt him smile against her cheek. "Hrmm…" he sighed. "Mourn not the lost, for they will never grow old…"

Cynn shook her head as they all tried to find one Elementalist that knew how to teleport them, "I never brought that one…"

At that moment, another pale light from off the Bloodstone appeared. "Now what is that?" asked Thom.

Siuil walked forward and looked over the edge. "I don't believe it… it's a Portal! And I can see… I can see Droknar's Forge through it!"

They ran down the ramp to see Selena as she held up Rurik who was dressed only in the ruined remnants of his armor. While all they could see was his back as he cast the spell to lift and hold the Portal. Finally, finished with casting, he slumped and Selena shouted, "Everyone through the portal! Now that he's collapsed it will not hold for long!"

Little Thom lifted Rurik in a fireman's carry as Siuil helped Akara carry Raistlin through the Portal. When all of them were through, the Portal collapsed. Their breath fogged in the chilly air as the dwarves shouted at their sudden arrival on Glint's shrine. "It's the Ascalons! They're back!" cried out Rormak. "I have to notify the King!"

With that he began to run as quickly as his short legs would allow him. His cries alerted the few of Ascalon who were still in Droknar's, and a short moment later a very familiar armored figure appeared from the docks. "Gods above be preserved!" Barradin knelt as he used his cloak to wrap Rurik to protect him from the sudden chill as Rurik had begun to shiver violently. "Prince Rurik… Rurik, can you hear me."

While the man still drew breath, he did not respond. Rurik did not even flicker an eyelid so deeply asleep he had fallen. Mhenlo and Akruan checked him over, and Mhenlo said, "He appears to be fine… but he is completely exhausted. Come on, help me get him inside and into bed."

Selena followed them at a run as Barradin effortlessly carried Rurik to the house the dwarves had lent them and up into a bedroom. Selena pointed out, "We should get him out of that armor as well and into some bedclothes…"

"I completely agree," said Mhenlo. "Duke, could you please? Rurik is a patient for a moment, and I am sure if you were in his place you would appreciate the privacy…"

The rest of the heroes stood around in the common room. Barradin came down with a sigh, "All right, out with it. You obviously have some sort of wild tale to explain this."

"I think we're all in too much shock to really say anything right now," said Arya. "I can look around and see the faces of everyone. We're dirty, chilled now from going from one extreme to the other, and exhausted ourselves. I do not mean to be disrespectful, your Grace, but we need rest, can't this wait?"

Barradin nodded, "Of course it can, my dear lady. I can see you all are exhausted. Please… it can wait until tomorrow morning."

With that Barradin opened the door just as Lord Darrin was about to come in, "Is it true, your Grace? About his royal highness, that is?"

"Rurik, I take your meaning to be," Barradin asked. "Yes, he's sleeping upstairs. Leave him be, Darrin. And leave them be. Come on, I'll buy you a pint of ale. In fact, I'll buy the keg…"

He guided Lord Darrin out and Siuil sighed just as Mhenlo came downstairs. Arya turned to him, "How is he?"

"Selena and I cleaned him up, and she dressed him in some bedclothes…" explained Mhenlo matter of fatly. "He's sleeping right now. My guess is that the dual strain of being mentally tortured by Khilbron, as well as being killed, animated as the undead—not to mention the horror and how emotionally exhausting that must have been—killed again then resurrected has finally caught up with him now that he can actually feel the exhaustion. He needs rest… lots of it… to recover if he ever fully recovers. Selena is with him now. I think she was going to sleep as well. She got dressed that way and she looked just as exhausted. Speaking of rest…"

"We know," said Devona, finally letting herself yawn. "We could all use it."

Waking was a slow process, and he gradually became aware of the warmth of the sun on his skin, the dryness of his eyes and throat as he opened his eyes. Blearily he looked around, yawning deeply. For a few moments, he simply lay there, almost too tired to move. "About time," came a voice beside him and Rurik looked over to see a smiling Rosa. "I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day."

Selena was sitting up in the bed, propped up by pillows and her knees propping open a book she was reading while she lay under the covers. He yawned again. "I'm sorry if I tossed too much last night."

"What are you talking about?" she asked curiously. "You slept like the…" she paused, "never mind."

At that moment he realized the horrid truth and whispered, "It was not a terrible nightmare… Oh Gods… it was real!"

He curled up and put his head in his hands… then looked at his hands, "I'm alive—but how?"

"Rurik… listen to me," she said. "We have to talk."

Hours later after she had caught him up with everything that had happened since he'd died, and been animated, Rurik lay back in his pillows. "So the Charr and Ascalon are now at peace?" the disbelief in his voice was evident.

"Not all the tribes of the Charr," explained Selena. "But more and more are coming around as they realized that one tribe of human kind was responsible for the deaths. In fact, one Charr is a friend of mine."

"I still can't quite wrap my mind around that," said Rurik. "After my entire life was spent fighting them I can't seem to let go of the old hatred. Ros… I mean, Selena, the fact that you can impresses me. So diplomatic… but yet so strong when need be. No wonder Ascalon followed you after I fell."

Selena looked down at his face again. "You're falling asleep."

"I know," Rurik yawned again. "I can't help it."

"Then sleep," she laughed, and the sound was wonderful.

Rolling over to drape an arm over her stomach and breathe in her hair, he sighed once then fell back to sleep. Selena sighed and patted the arm that was draped across her. "Sleep well, love, you need it."