Chapter Eighteen

Mhenlo had once told Devona that each divine "touch" from a monk felt different… as the spirit of each healer or protector added a slightly different sensation to whatever prayer was being beseeched for.

That had not been Devona's experience, at least from the few times that someone other than Mhenlo had applied whatever boon litanies to her aid… until now, at any rate.

Being blessed by Mhenlo had always brought a serene sort of well-being to her spirit, a gentle soothing spiritual "hand" to massage away her wounds or shield her from further ones. This touch had that same soothing feeling… but a little more personal, more sensual, as if it was caressing rather than massaging.

The prayer manifested itself in the form of a protective shield that blocked the ember approaching her, and then Devona was abruptly released, falling onto a soft pillow of energy that escorted her gently to the ground.

As she propped herself up onto her elbows, Yuu burst into her vision, wrist blades slashing with violent swiftness, two silvery blurs that forced back the Charr Lord, right into Grazz's shoulder tackle.

The bodies of two Stalkers then crumpled at both sides of Devona, both pierced unerringly in their foreheads with one dual shot. The ground in front of her then burst into flame, forcing back the remainder of the Charr warband from the warrior.

The healing touch then fell onto her mind again, it's near scandalous sensations easing away the pain, and the tingle of her flesh being mended and repaired. For a brief moment, she literally blushed, somewhat ashamed that Mhenlo's healing was feeling the way it was, until she saw the monk in question appear in her line of sight, his attention clearly on the fight with the Charr Lord, and not on her.

Devona was then confused, for unless Mhenlo had somehow stumbled upon a method of double casting in the last ten some odd minutes, then he certainly wasn't responsible for the repairs being done to her. Then who could possibly be doing it? Idori? No… he had been a Warrior with Mesmer inclinations like his daughter, according to Coran…

Coran…

Trained in service to Dwayna, and likely would have remained in service for the goddess's favor while learning under Sslani, under the impression he would have inherited the role of High Priest of Ascalon upon returning…

Damn him.

Sure enough, a pair of real hands stroked her face gently, and the prince's features emerged into her vision. With a smile of relief, he nonetheless chided, "Don't ever do that again. I will not have you throwing your life away for any reason, understand?"

By that time, Devona was well enough to jump to her feet and respond with righteous indignity, "Coran, you are the sole heir to the crown of Ascalon! You are too important to the kingdom to risk!"

"And you are too important to me to risk." Coran answered quieter, but with equal firmness.

"As much as I love watching lovers' quarrels, may I like to remind you that we're about to have more company?" Yuu said with a slight snarl, "However, for the record, I am of Devona's mind. If you ever dash off like a lovesick adolescent again, Coran, I will make sure you wish you had died here."

"You're assuming we'll survive here to begin with." Aiden remarked grimly, noting that two of the warbands had turned to charge the party's position, while the three others seemed focused on the wall.

"Yuu, Grazz, you're with me in the front. Cynn, Aidan, take the second line. Protect Prince Coran at all costs. Coran, help Mhenlo however you can."

"Don't forget me now." Idori said, stepping forward and taking one of Yuu's wrist blades before the assassin could react. "I may be getting older, but I'm certainly not helpless."

"Father! You are in no condition to fight!" Yuu protested.

"Fifty-five is not a condition, girl." Idori snapped angrily. "Now, focus on the task at hand. End of discussion."

The debate did indeed conclude, but not so much because of Idori's insistence as the charge of the first line of Charr. The first wave was easily enough dispatched, as most of the meager creatures normally were, but the Lord, this one of a Warrior's tendency, bowled over Devona and Idori with its bull rush, catching them somewhat unawares.

The blow had been softened by a spell of Coran's, judging from the tender, near seductive sensation hovering in her mind, and thus she was able to roll to her feet quickly, her Rinblade slashing in counterattack as Cynn and Aidan worked swiftly on the second warband as it approached, that was comprised of some front line warriors, healers, and a Ranger Lord.

For a moment, Devona spared a split second to wonder where Yuu and Idori had disappeared to, but as if in synchronization, they seemed to materialize from thin air behind the Warrior Lord, their weapons cutting into the calves of the Charr, drawing blood, an angry roar, and a hobbled series of strikes.

Even crippled, it took a nearly ludicrous number of blows to bring the beast to his knees then finally force it to fall in death. Grazz had switched off to a bow to assist Cynn and Aidan's efforts in felling the last remnants of the second warband, the Ranger Charr Lord collapsing, almost more resembling a pin cushion than a once living being with the number of arrows driven into its mailed flesh.

Devona felt it fortunate that the ranged attacks had been sufficient to fell the second warband, as Devona was loathe splitting the party in order to attack in melee, especially with three other such groups apparently still out there.

Yuu seemed to acknowledge that too. "Where did the other bands Grazz saw get off to?"

At that moment, the friendly outcast Charr in question pointed down towards the wall, and they did indeed notice a haggard mess of Charr rushing haphazardly with no sense of order towards the northwest, going by the party's position no more than fifty yards away without even stopping to analyze the humans.

"Wonder what that's about?" Cynn commented.

At that point, Grazz barked in alarm, and dashed off after his kin, leaving seven perplexed humans in his wake. Only Aidan noticed the reason for Grazz's abrupt departure, the ranger pointing down towards the direction of the wall, where a large regiment of Ascalonian soldiers was approaching at a swift march.

Devona stepped forward to the lead of the party, and squinted towards the approaching army. "The Ascalon Army has mobilized. They must have seen the Charr warbands as well." After a few moments, she added, "Is that Lord Darrin?"

Aidan took to her side, and agreed. "I do believe so. Curious that he would be leading troops into Charr territory."

For a moment, Devona grew slightly concerned. "Darrin knows I was sent to find Prince Coran. He didn't seem too pleased by it either. He would have learned that we crossed the Wall earlier, and if he suspected we were returning…"

Mhenlo's astonished query followed, "You aren't suggesting that Darrin would seek to kill Coran?"

"I don't want to think so… but Darrin was suspected of having Royalist loyalties before the searing, and he would be in a good position if all of Adelbern's children were to have fallen. Yuu, Idori… if you could keep him hidden for the moment…"

"No." Coran asserted. "I am not running from my obligations, nor am I going to hide in fear of those that might envy my position."

Devona sighed in dismay. Coran had always been cautious and safe when they were younger, and had not seemed to have inherited the brash and near irresponsible courage of his older brother and father in King Adelbern's earlier years. Why did have to start manifesting now?

"Fret not, my dear Devona." Coran said softly, not exactly a whisper, but clearly not meant for too many ears. "I have no intention of dying today. If Darrin's intent proves to be malicious, I have contingencies prepared."

By that point, the regiment was in clear sight, and picked up their pace as Lord Darrin ordered them to do so, as if he was in a rush to confirm what his eyes were seeing.

"Devona! I had heard you crossed into Charr territory, and when I saw the Charr approaching, I thought you might be related somehow. Then we start getting unidentified humans literally appearing outside the wall, claiming to be from the Hylan Colony. I thought they were ghosts at first!"

"Let me assure you they are not ghosts, Darrin." Coran interjected. "They are indeed survivors of Hylan… where I myself have been the last two years."

At that moment, Darrin turned his attention to the prince, as if he hadn't even realized the monarch was there. The Lord's eyes bulged in recognition, and he stammered, "Is this… that can't be! Is this some sort of trick?"

"No trick, my lord." Devona replied. "As you have somewhat guessed, my party has been on a long trek across the length of this kingdom and beyond. I can promise you with the utmost certainty that this man is indeed Coran, Aldebern's son."

"I can second the assertion, my lord." Mhenlo reinforced. "Although no doubt you and the other nobles will wish to confirm it for yourselves…"

Darrin shook his head. "I certainly don't. I know the face, even though it has aged. He has his father's eyes and his mother's elegance. I'm sure some of the newer lords will want to prove it to themselves, but to me there's no doubt, and now I know what I figured was Barradin's damn fool search was anything but damned and anything but foolish. I apologize for passing you over at first, your highness, as you may have guessed, I didn't even figure your continued life was even a possibility."

"My father was never too fond of pomp and properness, Darrin, a tendency I share. You did not insult me by ignoring my presence or addressing someone else before me. I trust you have given sanctuary to the refugees?"

Darrin nervously gulped, "Not as of yet. I didn't even know who they were, after all. Then they started getting angry and restless, and there was no way I was going to let this increasingly large number through in that case."

Coran frowned disapprovingly, but seemed to accept the explanation. "Then let us return to the Wall as quickly as possible, and escort the Hylan people across. I'm afraid their agitation is my fault. I had promised them a relatively painless entry into Ascalon, but as you can see, I was unexpectedly delayed in giving proper word to you and your men. Besides, the longer we all are on this side of the Wall, the greater the perils become."