Chapter Twenty-nine: Lights In The Night
In the three days since the two elves had been captured, they were like night and day, pun not intended. Sirus went along quietly, not taking food or drink. Lain and Kiara explained that this was common for their kind when captured by the enemy; better to either be killed with a shred of dignity or wither away on their own terms than beg for mercy like a coward. Kiara was frankly impressed; she had been sure that Sirus had abandoned all of the codes of conduct and sense of honor of the Moonshadow elves in this long, long quest away from home.
Amer, on the other hand, was like a rapid animal; wild, unpredictable, and very, very noisy. Ezran, having his gift with animals, had never known what it was like to be afraid of an animal that couldn't be reasoned with and who was at risk of attacking anyone who came too near. He still didn't, but this had to be a close approximation. Amer had kept on and on about the humans and Aaravos, so at some point he was gagged. His muffled sounds weren't ideal, but they were far more bearable than his talking.
Mira couldn't be blamed for what she did. Being so young and even more sheltered, she probably didn't even know what a goblin was; the small creatures were a danger that every young elf was taught to avoid before they could speak. They were dangerous because of their deceptive appearance; they stood on two legs and had hands, covered in black, leathery hide with huge, luminous red eyes. They looked like they should have been intelligent beings, sharing their shape with elves and humans, but in truth they had the intelligence – and accompanying instincts – of insects.
So, when she had curiously approached the wretched little thing, it had reacted according to its instincts at snarled at her. Being a small child, Mira had retaliated by shoving the thing off of its branch – the three had come to a swamp that was currently covered in frost and ice. Most of the creatures had evidently chosen to keep to their dwellings to stay out of the cold, which was probably why the goblin was out, in a desperate search for food.
The blood-curtailing scream instantly had Mira covering her ears as Rayla grabbed her and they began running. Thankfully not only was the ice covered in a fresh layer of snow, but the swamp was small. They made it out, somehow, without slipping or tripping. The angry chattering behind them didn't fade, it grew, and only Mira looked back to see a mob of goblins chasing them.
Coming to an open field, Callum turned to face the mob and drew the Aspiro rune, allowing Rayla to run passed him before unleashing the spell, blowing the mob away – adult goblins were about the size of a five-year-old, the danger came from numbers, not physical power – so it was a simple fix. Rayla, however, didn't let Mira down and they kept running.
When they finally stopped and Mira was set down, she looked guiltily up at Rayla. She was sure she was in trouble, so she was confused when the older elf drew her close and held for a bit. She must have thought she was just scared. When Mira caught the human looking at her with worry, she scowled at him and turned away. Callum and Rayla looked at this, then sadly to each other.
Callum checked on the egg, and was relieved to see that it was safe, having never left the bag. He sighed. Rayla, who would have once responded to this with a playful, sarcastic quip, walked over to him and hugged him. Her presence was enough to dispel the bad feelings and he smiled and kissed her head.
"Nothing fell through the ice this time." Callum said. In fact, luck seemed to be on their side in general lately. The fresh snow on the ground that kept the ice from being slippery, the goblins who had given up the chase, the small size of that swamp. He only shuttered the think of the calamity that would no doubt end this lucky streak.
Aaravos stared up at the sky, contemplating. The new moon would be coming around in a few days. He looked at the Scepter of Darkness for a moment; there was an occasional lightning-like discharge. He imagined, much like the minds of his inferiors, such a huge swell of magic was a lot for one simple stone, but only two more arcanums to go, then he'd be able to regain his power. Surly the thing could hold on that long.
Claudia watched him and her father, making sure neither were watching her. She couldn't risk being stopped anymore. Now that Callum wasn't a point of interest to Aaravos anymore, it was time to act before something happened. She crushed the insect in her fist, whispered the shadow travel spell and slipped away.
The sound of hoof-steps and frantic muttering got Callum, Rayla and Mira's attention. It sounded like someone held captive. They were in a thinner part of the woods, surrounded by thickets. Beyond a small cluster of thickets was a short slope of maybe five feet, flanking a dirt road, which they imagined was were the footsteps were coming from. Callum took off his bag and handed it to Rayla.
"Stay here with Mira and the egg." Callum told Rayla "I'll go see what's happening." Rayla nodded, though she had every intention of jumping into whatever it was if she heard anything she didn't like. Callum walked through the thicket and looked down to the road, preparing himself for a fight. He was surprised, than, when he instantly recognized each of the group.
"Aunt Amaya!" Callum gasped. Said general needed to be tapped and pointed his way to see him, and she joined the others in their amazed looks. She was the only one not on horseback, instead leading her horse who was laden with the bound and gagged Amer, who looked displeased as ever to see him.
"Callum!" Soren, Ezran and Gren exclaimed as Callum made his way down the slope to them. He was too happy to even question what Amer, Sirus and Kiara were doing here, let alone what they were all doing together, as he threw his arms around his aunt and brother who had dismounted the horse he shared with Soren.
"What are you guys doing out here?" he asked when he pulled away. Soren approached them.
"Avenging you." Soren told him. "Everyone thinks you and Rayla are dead."
"Awfully presumptuous." Rayla said. She had appeared when everyone had been distracted, Mira held to her side and the bag on her other shoulder. She made her way down the slope more gracefully then Callum had. Lain's heart swelled with happiness; she was alive. "What made them think that?"
"Rayla!" The elf in question was surprised to find herself being charged by Kiara, and even more so when, rather than an attack, she found herself in a hug.
"I…" Rayla was very confused. The last she and Kiara had seen each other, Rayla had killed one of her last companions. Looking past her, Rayla saw Sirus glaring at her. The look she returned simply told him to buzz off. Still, she wrapped her free arm around the other girl to return the hug. "I'm glad to see you, too, Kiara."
"Hey, how long has it –" As Kiara backed away, Soren meant to greet her but stopped when he saw the child under Rayla's arm. The green-eyed, brown-haired, elven child. "I mean, really, how long has it been?"
"Only about two months!" a blushing Callum told him as Rayla set the little one down. "She's not ours."
"Everyone, this is Mira." Rayla said, and the child looked at them with distrust. More humans. Most of the strangers regarded her with curiosity, Lain looking relieved for some reason. Mira's look became fascination when her eyes landed on Bait, and gave a started yelp when the glow toad turned orange, and then pink. "Now, what's this about us being dead?"
Being so caught up in their reunion, none of the group payed any attention to the prisoners. Amer had spent his energy thrashing about all morning; not so with Sirus, who had kept calm. Therefor, he was allowed to redden his face with effort to break the ropes and spring into action. Or he would have, had he not been in the custody of seasoned soldiers. Gren and Lain were quick to subdue him. He struggled in their grasp, though the outburst did gain the attention of the others.
'We found them skulking around.' Amaya signed to Callum. 'They apparently threatened your brother and K-I-A-R-A saved him.'
Callum nodded and looked over to the angry elf. "Hey, Sirus."
"Why aren't you dead?" Sirus half-yelled, half-asked.
"I donno." Callum shrugged. "Lucky?" Sirus continued to struggle and Callum turned to Kiara. "Does he have a weapon?"
"No." she said. "Those Earthblood elves stole them."
"Okay." Callum said and turned to Sirus. "Let him go. He won't stop until he's fought me."
"Are you sure?" Ezran said. He, along with most of the company looked surprised, having never expected this from Callum who had always prefered not to fight. Even Rayla was perplexed.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Callum promised. "Maybe if he gets put in his place, he'll finally calm down, and I think it needs to be me. Just move to the side, give us some space and I'll take care of it."
Reluctantly, the group did so, moving to the side of the road in front of the slope. Amaya, Rayla, Soren and Ezran watched closely, Mira with confusion, wondering what was happening. Amer was also unconscious. Gren and Lain let the hostage go and had just joined the rest at the side of the road before Sirus rushed Callum.
Somehow, Callum couldn't bring himself to take Sirus seriously, even now that the guy wasn't trapped in ice. Probably because he had no weapon and likely no real plan. Callum, on the other hand, had connected to half of the primal sources; he wielded three different kinds of magic, meaning this fight was bound to be a cakewalk. He drew a rune and hit him with a simple Aspiro spell, strong enough to blow the elf off of his feet, kicking up snow in the process. Sirus growled as he practically jumped to his feet and again charged.
Callum was weighing the effects of other spells to attack with when Sirus leapt, and in midair was struck by what looked like a rogue Fulminous spell from the side of the road opposite the slope, where a thicker entanglement of trees stood. Sirus dropped like a stone and all eyes went to where the lightening had come from. Claudia appeared from the shadows.
Callum narrowed his eyes at her. "What's your game?"
"He would have tried to kill her again." She looked at Rayla. "And really, you're mine, not his."
"I'm flattered," Rayla's tone was sarcastic, despite the scorn evident on her face. "but I'm with someone, and we're happy."
Claudia didn't seem to appreciate the joke and turned back to Callum. "Callum, I don't want to see you get killed. If we leave now, maybe Aaravos will still accept you."
"Accept me?" Callum asked. "Who says I need to be accepted? Aaravos is trying to take down the dragons, it's not right, why would I ever join in on that?"
Mira, going out of her mind with fear, ran, ignoring Rayla calling her name. She ran away from the evil lady, away from the humans. She was done, she'd do what she could to survive on her own. Of course, as small as she was, she didn't get terribly far before she slipped and fell on a puddle of ice. Claudia watched her, producing a small bone of some sort – one end of which was charred – and drew another Fulminous rune. His heart spiking in panic, Callum bolted to Mira.
Mira looked back, helpless, to see the woman preparing to send a spell her way and the human she'd been traveling with racing toward her. She clinched her eyes, wondering if it would hurt. She could hear the buzz of the lightening only for a second, the sound of running ending in a crash and a scraping noise coming toward her. At the voices screaming the human's name, Mira opened her eyes. The human was on the ground, not moving, in front of her. Feeling suddenly sick, she dared not look any lower than his face.
In less than a moment, Rayla and the young human were at his side, her shooing the evil woman away when she tried to get near him. His breathing was heavy. Mira, meanwhile, was so confused. All her life, her parents, her friends, everyone had told her that humans were evil and crafty monsters, but this…this monster just saved her.
"Get away from him!" Rayla snarled, her swords now out in a threat if Claudia took a step closer. The dark mage was horrified at what she had just done. This time, there was no way she could blame the elf. The guards surrounded Claudia, pointing their weapons at her, Soren doing so with a heavy heart. Yes he had come out here with the idea in his mind that Claudia had been in part responsible for Callum's death, and he had witnessed with his own eyes are willingness to end Ezran's life, but...it was his sister. Somehow, Soren couldn't help but feel like he'd failed her in some way.
"None of that will be necessary." A low, silky voice said. In the mist of the chaos, no one had noticed Aaravos and Viren appear where Claudia once was. Viren was again in a pale, weak state, but he looked angry to see the swords pointed at his daughter; he didn't even look at Callum. Aaravos spared the boy a lingering glance, his eyes hardening as they turned to Claudia. "She's been causing more and more trouble as of late, so allow my assistance."
The elf was bold as he walked right into the circle and grabbed Claudia by the jaw, forcing her to look at him. Her captures moved out of the way in the interest of not being near Aaravos, but kept their weapons on her and their unwavering eyes on him. She had always found the elf unnerving, but rarely had she been truly afraid of him before. What would he do to her? "Ab intis uri."
Before anyone saw, Viren bolted forward and pulled Claudia out of his grasp, shouting, "Not my baby girl!" Viren didn't flinch when Aaravos looked at him, unsmiling for once, and placed the hand on him; the incantation was spoken, now the spell needed to happen. Viren was suddenly sent to the ground by a burning sensation that he had never felt the likes of. He wailed in pain and the guards packed up, Amaya gesturing for them to join her over by Rayla and Ezran, if only for the safety. Soren grabbed Claudia by the wrist and dragged her back along with them to a safe distance. The first thing that happened almost instantly was the canceling of the illusion Viren always put up. His eyes were fully black, skin gray, sagging and wrinkled, flashes of purple around his eyes that looked like heavy bruising; a walking corps that had been dead for quite some time.
Viren watched in horror was his fresh began to scorch away, like cinders crawling over an old log, revealing a void inside – perhaps that was what the earlier pain had been, burning his insides clear away. Or was it that, after a lifetime of dark magic, that void was all that was left of him to start with? His voice was gone, he couldn't scream; only produce the same choked, panicking gasps that the Moonshadow elf, and later Callum, had given when he had stolen their voices. The faces of those he knew he had wronged - the humans, that is, the elves deserved whatever he did - flashed before him. Harrow, Sarai, Callum, Ezran, Soren. His Lissa. Oh, if he could go back and beg their forgiveness. How could he have done those things to his own kind? How could he be so stupid as to trust and elf? He looked horrified up at Aaravos.
"It appears as though I won't need you after all, Viren." Aaravos said, getting up and allowing the spell to run it's course freely. "Don't despair, though, you've done so much for me already. Without you, I never would have been able to return to this plane. I'll be sure to remember you." These were the last words Viren heard before the flames overtook the last of him, and all that was left was one last gasp on the wind. Aaravos drew the rune Rayla now knew let him travel through shadows, and he acknowledged them with a court nod before turning back and melting into the shadows.
The group was now left alone. The guards quickly resumed their apprehension of Claudia, who was now in shock; wide eyed and unresponsive, staring blankly at the spot where her father had once been. This time, there was nothing left. He was gone for good. Amaya released Mira, who's eyes she had covered to spare the child this gruesome scene. Showing just how much either truly cared for the old dark mage, Ezran and Rayla returned their attention to Callum, who had not seemed to have noticed what happened at all, still fighting for breath. Soren told himself that there would be time later to properly reflect on this, but now wasn't that time. He assisted in apprehending his sister, feeling more worried about her than upset about Viren.
"We have to get a message to Aviana, we just came from there a few days ago." Rayla told the others. "We know a healer there."
Amaya nodded, signed at Gren to keep watch over Callum and the others and mounted a horse. After pulling Rayla up to sit behind her, they took off down the road.
Mira felt awful about how she had behaved to the human and she wanted to make it up to him. She had heard dragon eggs were powerful things. Maybe…Mira ignored the odd looks she was given as she took the star dragon egg out of the bag and set it on his chest, holding it in place. It didn't seem to help, but no one but the two of them - Callum and the life within the egg - could feel the synchronizing of their heartbeats.
Author's Notes: For the goblins, just imagine Gallum with pitch-black skin and glowing red eyes. That's a Xadian goblin. Ah, but none of you care about that; OMG, Viren's dead and Claudia's captured! The incantation means 'burn from inside' and is the same thing Aaravos used on Janai's sister. Man, that was one brutal way to go. And if that wasn't enough, the next chapter is going to be the new moon! Review.