Chapter Thirty-four: Until Spring
Soren hadn't been kidding when he had told Callum and Rayla that everyone back home thought they were dead. Callum in particular was nearly swamped with the delighted squeals of the children and gaggle of flirtatious young women expressing their relief. It wasn't often that Rayla needed to physically step in to tame the crowd, but it was necessary now. Callum was by no means unaware of his popularity with the girls of the village, and perhaps to reassure Rayla that there was nothing to worry about – he was hers alone and would happily remain so for as long as she wanted him – he wrapped his arms around the elf and kissed her head, telling their audience how he would never be whole again if he lost her. This display of affection not only seemed to do its job of deterring any love-struck teenagers who walked away in resignation and disappointment, but also scared away the kids; heroes or not, kissing was still gross.
A witness to their little act that neither had known about had been Lain, who watched the couple closely as, in the absents of the crowed, their embraced lessened to holding hands before they wandered off to some place or the other in the village.
When the pair approached the house, they were confused by the sounds of hammers coming from the upstairs windows; had something happened here while they had been gone? Apparently bursting into the house the way they did caught Amaya's attention as well, as she and Gren came from Rayla's room, also looking ready for a fight. This aggressive demeanor was dropped when Callum and Rayla froze and the two pairs looked at one another for a moment, each in confusion. Sensing the danger had passed, Callum and Rayla continued up the stairs, joined his aunt and her second in command outside of Rayla's room and looked in, to where the hammering, once paused, had resumed for a short time, and then stopped.
A pair of carpenters where working by the opposite wall of Rayla's bed, now checking the sturdiness of what looked like a second bed. Nearby, against the wall, was the appropriate dressing for a bed such as mattress, a blanket and a pillow. At the foot of the construction was a large but simple wooden box with its lid on hinges which were currently being checked by the second carpenter as the first walked over to get the mattress.
"What's happening?" Callum asked.
"For Mira." Gren said, translating Amaya's signs. Upon meeting Mira at the top of the Storm Spire and hearing everything they'd gone through, Ibis said that the best thing for her would be to stay with Callum and Rayla, at least for the time being. This was a great opportunity to give the child some stability for once. If she wasn't reeling from so many changes so quickly, than she would likely be more receptive to her new family when it became time to place her, so for now she'd be staying at the house; Ibis had said perhaps until springtime a few months away, a decent window of time to calm down. "If she's staying with us, she'll need a real place to sleep, not just on the couch."
"Right." Callum told her, raising an eyebrow the box at the foot of a bed in particular. He smirked, having the faintest suspicion that his aunt had an ulterior motive for that box. When they had been little, the woman had spoiled him and Ezran with endless presents and games, especially before his mother's death, before she had to buckle down and become an authority figure in her sister's place, and that box looked just the right size to hold a petting zoo of stuffed animals. Yep, Mira would be well taken care of here.
"Where is she now?" Rayla asked.
"Ezran, Soren and Zephyr took her to the marketplace." she signed, and again, Gren translated. "I told them to be back before sundown." For the next couple of minutes, they watched in silence as the bed came together; a simple, comfortable bed with a soft pillow, a warm red blanket and a toybox at its foot. Callum had hung her now empty bag on one of the back posts and had put its contents of small, blunt weapons in the toybox.
The smile on Mira's face could have powered a city for a day. She was still selective about who she expressed affection for, but now it seemed this tiny circle had grown by two people, those being Amaya for the bed and Zephyr who, at the market, had beaten the woman to getting the child her first toy. They had come back about an hour after the carpenters had left, Mira coming back with a taste for jelly tarts thanks to Ezran, and a stuffed shadowpaw in her arms.
The view of the outside from a window told Claudia that night was falling. It was perhaps the single stupid thing her father had ever done to trust an elf. This memory only served to reinforce Viren's words that elves were incapable of true loyalty. This was why she didn't regret what she said, at least in regards to the elf. But she shouldn't have said what she said to Soren. Being all alone, she needed someone to help. Maybe she could get Soren back on her side once she got out of here, which she would. She just needed to wait for the right creature.
For the first time since she could remember, Mira fell asleep completely at peace. Warm, safe and not wondering what tomorrow would be like. In her arms was the shadowpaw Zephyr had gotten her, which had quickly become her most cherished possession. Her sleepy mind was filled with images of star dragons and an epic journey. Callum hadn't exactly meant for the book he had retrieved from the mirror to be used for this, it had simply not felt right to leave it abandoned in some other realm. Maybe he could have gained more knowledge from it, given it to a history museum or something but using it as the story book it was fine, too. In any case, Mira had seemed to like it and fell asleep quickly.
Taking a moment to tuck her in a little more securely, Callum walked over to the stand beside Rayla's bed and placed the book beside a lantern. He snuffed out the light and the room went dark save for the moonlight spilling in through the window, before quietly slipping out of the room and gently closing the door.
Callum descended the stairs, where everyone else was still awake. It appeared that Rayla had been trying to convince the others that she and Callum needed to head out again tomorrow, only to be met with nothing but protests. It seemed that he couldn't show up quickly enough to come to her aid.
"You just got back!" Ezran protested. "At least stay a week or something."
"We only came back to drop Mira and the Kimaare off somewhere they'd be safe, we were never going to stay." Rayla seemed like this had been just going in circles for the last two minutes. "We need to get out there. As long as Aaravos is out there, we're still putting you all in danger."
"Especially now," Callum said. "Aaravos isn't trying to get me on his side anymore, I'm not safe myself."
"Well, than I'm coming this time." Ezran said with whatever authority he felt he still had. Callum and Rayla looked at each other tiredly and Amaya didn't seem to like the idea either.
"Ez, no." Callum told him. "It's still too dangerous, and it'll probably only be a couple more months anyway. We'll probably be back before spring."
"I can take care of myself." Ezran said. "And you even have one less enemy hunting you, Sirus and his group are gone."
Soren sighed, wanting to end this already tired back and forth. "Look, how about Ezran can come if I come, too? You two can do your primal magic thing, he can go on his little adventure and I'll keep him safe. Everyone's happy."
Amaya thought this over for a moment before she began signing. Gren interpreted; "On one condition. I'll go out tomorrow and rent a messenger crow. I am to receive one letter every week you're gone detailing your progress until you return. If even one week is missed, I'm coming to find you."
"Deal." Ezran said, eager to finally get back out on an adventure. Callum and Rayla exchanged a defeated look. At least someone a couple of months away from turning thirteen would be easier to look after then a small child and baby dragon.
The night air was freezing, but the patrol had to be carried out. Lain's keen eyes, which were ideal for this job of nightly patrol, scanned the areas he entered thoroughly. It was his luck, than, that the intruder was given away by sound before sight. Lain immediately pinpointed its location and gave chase. Well, chase for a mere seven feet at the most before Lain overtook the stranger and sent him to the ground with his polearm. It was Amer, glaring up at him.
"What do you think you're doing back here?" Lain asked with venom in his voice.
"How can you hold you head high as a Moonshadow elf while defending them? You saw them kill one of your own before your very eyes!" Amer countered, avoiding the question.
"Sirus' death was his own doing." Lain said. "If he had stayed where he was, the dark mage wouldn't have attacked." Amer continued to glare at him, but the façade quickly crumbled when the Moonsahdow elf lifted his polearm, positioning one of the scythes just over Amer's heart, draining any semblance of courage. "Wait! That Callum!" Lain watched him closely, though he didn't lower the polearm. Whatever he felt about the boy, this was a different matter. "I can help you get rid of him."
Lain was outraged at the sheer nerve of this pathetic little wretch. "You dare insult my honor?"
"What I say can't be any more dishonorable then having a human lover for a daughter!" This, it turned out, might have been the single least intelligent thing to possibly say. Amer found his throat being pressed by the sharp end if the scythe and Lain's face saying, quite plainly 'your next words will determine whether you die her or at your sister's hands'. All it would take is a single decisive push, and it would be over for him. Panicking, his mouth ran wild. "You know as well as I do that it's dishonorable, he's one of them!"
'He's one of them.' This stunned Lain. He had said that very same thing. This moment of hesitation was what Amer needed to escape and he produced something from his ratty cloak that surprised Lain – a sun primal stone. Before Lain could process this, a flash of light blinded him. The flash alerted the others on patrol who came to the elf's aid, but by the time anyone got to him, Amer was gone.
Lain, effectively blinded for the next few hours, allowed himself to be escorted home for the night; General Amaya wouldn't have expected a blinded scout to continue on duty. This wasn't a cause for alarm, they all knew his sight would be back by morning. Along the way, though, Amer's words – his own words – rang in Lain's head. 'He's one of them'.
Somehow, Callum went to sleep knowing Aaravos would invade his dreams that night. He had fallen asleep looking at the bedside drawer that contained the precious key, which he had been relieved to find still worked after the trip in the mirror and the departure of Aarush or whatever it was that had happened. Set carefully beside it was the green cloth with the star rune on it – a keepsake, if nothing else. Had the temperature outside been more agreeable, Callum would have gone outside to search for Aarush among the stars. It was an old elven superstition Rayla had told him about years ago that the night following someone's death, if the night is clear you could see their souls among the stars, shinning as they climbed the heavens to the afterlife. As sleep overtook Callum, he imagined the joy Aarush must be feeling right now to finally be reunited with his – possibly their, he reminded himself, for once not feeling horrified at the notion – family.
When Callum began to dream, he was already on edge.
"Aaravos, I know you're here." Callum told the air.
"My, my, aren't we feisty tonight?" His voice came from behind him.
"I've been though the mirror." Callum told him. "I've met Aarush."
"Aarush?" Callum felt a glimmer of satisfaction seeing that Aaravos had truly not been expecting that and looked genuinely surprised.
"He created a soul jar to preserve himself in the mirror, somewhere you'd never find him." Callum informed. "It was only to tell me things about your past, after that he moved on."
"I see." Aaravos said, the surprise on his face quickly giving way to that same calculating smirk Callum was already familiar with. "And what have you found out?"
"You lived among the humans of Elarion, who saw you as a hero; a powerful elf who cared about them." Callum said, "You had an apprentice named Ziard and taught him dark magic."
"And so, he taught the others." Aaravos finished. "Aarush was always a clever boy, if short-sighted. He never did see the beauty of the darkness."
"I asked him about our relation." Callum said. "He didn't have an answer, but he helped me regardless."
"Well, I suppose some secrets are simply meant to be." Aaravos shrugged coolly. "Tell me, son," Callum flinched at the word. "how far have you come in your quest as an archmage?"
"I've connected to the sun and star arcanums, but I haven't mastered them. I only have ocean and earth to go." At the elf's raised eyebrow, Callum explained. He had chosen for forgo the guarded answers tonight; he had the feeling that, for once, he wasn't in danger. Perhaps it was the knowledge that even if he could master the remaining two primal sources, he was still up against a being with untold centuries more experience than him. Seeing Aaravos in that vision allowed Callum to realize just how old and powerful the elf was; there was little point anymore in keeping secrets, at least on that front. "I don't know how much time we have left, so I've been focusing on connecting to the arcanums as fast as I can, then I'll learn every spell I can to defeat you."
"How precious." Aaravos responded, his words condescending, as though he were watching a small child playing pretend. It was quite possible that this was really what the ancient elf felt like he was seeing. "Well, I give you four months, five at the most. I have collected all but on of the arcanums. The sky arcanum will have to wait until spring, for the first thunderstorm of the year, when sky magic is its strongest. They might have stripped me of my powers, but the knowledge of spells were not lost, and am still a master. In the meantime, make it known to all at the Storm Spire that I will not hesitate to slay all who get in my way on that day. Afterword, I will be back to my former glory, and continue my work. And, Callum, with the whole Sol Regem debacle alone, I do believe that I would have more sway in this era then I have had before."
"Five months." Callum repeated grimly. The elf smirked at him in a silent taunt. He had less then half a year – at the very most – to connect to two arcanums and master four different types of magic. The sky and moon arcanums alone had taken up the better part of two years. How was he supposed to even begin to prioritize one over the others?
Callum awoke in his bed to the nearly white sky. There was now ice on his window. In the moment, Callum decided while the others got ready to go, he'd go to the Storm Spire and warn Queen Zubeia and the Dragonguard of Aaravos and how he would attack the Storm Spire – the Sky Nexus – during the first thunderstorm of spring.
Claudia couldn't believe her luck. How could she have forgotten that the vermin around here were still Xadian creatures, every last one teeming with magic? Since this cell seemed to have been kept reasonably neat until her capture, there wouldn't be mice or rats scurrying about, but she had found a fat black spider with a blue crescent on its back. As she crushed the thing in her hand, she muttered an illusion spell that would allow her to escape. Her first stop, the General's house.
Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Soren and Zephyr, who now joined them as a 'surprise team member' as she called it, were now at the edge of the village, with Umbra ready to, once again, fly them a safe distance away. Soren certainly wasn't complaining about the last-minute tag-along. Mira was a bit less than happy to see her guardians go, but she wasn't putting up as much of a fuss as Ezran had the first time. Amaya still didn't like the fact that Ezran was leaving with his brother; on her demand, a messenger crow was on Rayla's shoulder.
Callum signed to his aunt, also speaking out loud. "We'll be back by spring. I promise." Amaya's answer to this was to hug her eldest nephew; a true hero in every sense. Once the last of them boarded, Umbra took to the sky once more.
Author's Notes: Now we have a limited time before the big boss fight! In my mind, this is taking place in late November, early December, so early in winter, and the first storm of the year will be sometime in May, so that's where the numbers four and five come from. Review.