23. Yurick and Mirania


Zael…

Zael…

You're here…Zael…

Zael faltered as he cut down the last of a few Gurak soldiers blocking his and the others' paths. Since defeating Jirall, the party pressed forwards through the fortress, hoping to find Zangurak.

"Calista!?" Zael called out.

No response, this time.

Arganan looked around, and then towards Zael. "You heard Calista?" He asked.

Zael nodded. "Did you?"

"I did." The older man swallowed lightly. "She's probably up ahead. Holding back Zangurak."

"Then we ought to get to her." Asthar managed, stepping ahead of both men. "Let's keep going."


Zael found himself cutting past more Gurak soldiers. There were even giant beings with equally huge maces and hammers, swinging them around. Where Zangurak found these beasts, Zael had no clue, but he vaguely remembered fighting them before.

Knights crying for mummy as Syrenne, Zael, and Therius reluctantly saved them from the beasts…Zael tried not to laugh at the newly-remembered memory as he dodged the swing of one giant, then another. Instead, he focused on dodging the beast a few more times, before slashing at its legs to get it to fall, before stabbing it further in the chest.

Arganan healed up Zael with more healing magic, afterwards. "Your head seems clearer."

"Yeah. And good thing, too."

"Remember anything?"

"A few things. Nothing relevant to Zangurak."

"Damn."

Zael noticed Therius suppressing a sigh. "Count, as much as I understand that you want to know more about anything regarding Zangurak and Lady Calista through Zael's memories, I don't think constantly asking him is going to help."

Arganan opened his mouth to argue, but then sighed, shaking his head. "Very well. Let's press on."

Zael thought he heard Asthar laugh from nearby, but he wasn't sure.


With every step and every foe Zael faced, he found more memories along the way.

Mirania being attacked by a giant spider, as Yurick tried to save her with his fire magic.

Yurick struggling with poison from gigantic crabs as Zael held him tight.

Dagran, taken through a wall by ghostly, skeletal hands.

Asthar, gasping for breath, bleeding out on the ground of the Turret Control Room.

Therius, taking a wound to the leg, insisting that Zael and the others go help the other civilians.

Calista, pleading with Zangurak to let Zael live and to take her instead.

Syrenne and Lowell in the dungeon together when Zael and the others were first arrested.

Zael shook his head as he cut through another Gurak soldier, his right hand glowing as he noticed the enemies around him slow down. He couldn't be letting the memories get to him. Not now. Not when they were so close to reaching Calista and the others!

"There's a doorway ahead!" Therius' voice echoed through Zael's ears. "Zangurak could be this way!"

He heard Calista's pleas ringing in his ears next.

Zael…closer…you're getting closer!

Zael cut down the last Gurak standing in the hall before following Therius and the others into the next room.


The next room was a much larger hall, with pathways splitting into the left, right, and straight ahead. However, Zael couldn't pay too much attention to that right now, because of two voices he heard.

Zael? One of them was a young man, and the image of a familiar, eye-patched man came to mind.

Zael? The other was a soft-spoken woman, and Zael remembered her black hair, and the white flower she wore within it.

You're…here.