Desolation

See the darkness, fast it slays,
Strives to snuff my candle's flame.
With thunder it roars, with hate it starts wars,
Who am I to stand in its way?

Kai was hardly able to contain his excitement as he burst into Cyrus' study.

Cyrus looked up from his work table and squinted. When he adjusted his glasses, his eyes widened. "O-oh, it's you," he said. He set down his tools. "Did-"

"My blood," Kai said. "It's- the poison is gone. Besai's better."

Cyrus laughed with him. "Wonderful! Come, quickly. I want to take another blood draw, see if I can finally get that antidote."

Kai was already rolling up his sleeve. "How much longer until we can save Nya?"

Cyrus wheeled to a cupboard and pulled out a needle. "At this moment, I'm more concerned about Varasach. But if all goes well...she could have the antidote tonight."

"Can you give her some of my blood? That would do it."

Cyrus cleaned Kai's arm and prepared the plunger. "You don't have the same blood type. It would only make things worse."

The needle went into Kai's arm, and he winced.

"Of course, you could always kiss her," Cyrus said. "But..."

"Let's save that one 'till it's her only hope," Kai said.

"Indeed."

"Hey, what about Nya? Would a blood transfusion work on her?"

"Maybe..."

"It's worth a shot, don't you think?"

Cyrus pulled the needle from Kai's arm, full of bluish, unoxidized blood. "If it doesn't work, the outcome will be...well, irreversible."

"And if I don't try, same scenario." Kai poked the blood that peeked through the hole in his skin. "Let me go, please."

Cyrus fiddled with the rim of his glasses, then went back to cabinet for another needle. "You probably want to stay with Besai while she recovers, so I can send one of my men with a vial of your blood-"

"Cyrus," Kai said. "You don't understand. I need to see her again. If I don't get to say goodbye, I'll never forgive myself."

Cyrus was pensive as he repeated the process and placed the second vial on his lap.

He sighed, then picked up the full vials. "I can teach you how to transfer this to her bloodstream. You'll have to travel by horse to make it in time."

"Thank you," Kai said. "I-"

A machine on the wall wailed, startling him.

Cyrus looked up, and his face grew dark. "That's Overlord," he said. "Excuse me, Kai. I need to answer it."

Jay reached the Overlord's camp without trouble. But Stormstrider had taken to reminding him that they were running low on power, and that they had to be more frugal.

Yeah. Like that was going to happen.

He landed in the middle of the camp, scowling at the rain. Things had changed since he was last here. The Keith Mansion was gone, replaced with four massive brick buildings that looked like they'd swallow him whole if he got too close.

Blessedly, he didn't need to go into any of these. He turned his eyes to the base of a nearby cliff and took flight-

Walk, Stormstrider said. Save my energy.

With a sullen grunt, Jay landed on the muddy path and stomped his way to the cliff.

Two stone warriors stood at the entrance to the underground fortress. They saw Jay and drew their swords.

Jay was in no mood for this. The rain had made sure of that.

"Don't you dare treat me like some prisoner," he said in the Dark Tongue, pressing Stormstrider's tip into the first ones nose, drawing blood. "Your master is expecting me. I demand to see him at once."

The man wiped the blood from his face, eyes wide with fear. Then he pulled the stone door open and walked in, beckoning for Jay to follow.

Jay nearly smirked. He could get used to the power he held over these stone monsters.

The halls were eery, lit with torches that seemed to wave their reddish tendrils to warn of the dangers ahead, begging him to turn back. Good had no place among so much dark, rank evil.

What's your plan? Stormstrider asked.

Get Merv and the Blades, and fly out of here as fast as possible.

Stormstrider rumbled. I had hoped that you actually had a plan.

Didn't I just tell you what my plan was?

Yes. And it is so poorly conceived that being Wiped by the Overlord will be a welcome change.

Jay wanted to slap himself. Guilt flooded his heart, and he bit his lip.

You never thought about it, did you? The fact that you'll be trading me- your one ticket off this island- for that slave.

I...I have Nya's mech.

Ah, yes. A three day walk through the rain. And what about supplies? From what I can gather from your memories, that mech is slow. Slower than me, at any rate. You'll starve before-

Before the Blade could finish the thought, Jay thrust a few memories at him. Look at these, he said. Do you see what I feel?

He and Merv playing in the avocado trees outside the mansion when they were but six years old.

Years later, Merv throwing her arms around him and giggling, whispering about how much she'd missed him, and asking him why he needed to travel to Ninjago with his father every single year.

And finally, them fleeing the fires on that night. How, as they ran through an alley to avoid some of Overlord's men, a brick wall had toppled, crushing Merv. How he'd tried to get her out, but the bricks had been too hot. And he could see the Overlord running toward him, eyes aglow, sword glinting green.

How Jay had presumed her to be a blackened pile of bones- like his parents- and fled the scene, hugging his burnt hands close.

How he'd huddled behind a pile of rocks by the lake and wept, trying to drown out the distant sounds of screaming and crackling fire and hurt and pain and fire and-

Jay held up his hands, which still bore the scars of that night.

Do you understand now? he said. I'll come back for you, Stormstrider. I promise. Once Kai and Cole have their Blades, Overlord won't stand a chance. I'll get you back.

Stormstrider supplied him no answer.

The stone warrior stopped before an ornate door at the end of the hall and pounded a gauntleted fist against it.

The door opened. Overlord stood on the other side, imposing despite his...unfortunate height.

"Blue Knight," he said, voice just as cold and heartless as it had been on that night. "I expected you to come hours ago."

"Yeah," Jay said. "You could say I fell a little behind."

"It happens to the best of us." Overlord's smile suddenly warmed. "This will be an exciting show. Please, do come in."

Jay did so.

Overlord nodded to three indistinguishable figures that sat against the far wall. "She's over there," he said. "Please, take a moment to get acquainted while I set up."

Keeping one eye on Overlord, who was now fiddling with a screen on a table to the left of the door, Jay slinked toward the darkest wall.

He was more than a little surprised to find that he recognized two of the women.

"Liana?" he said.

The woman Liana lifted her amber eyes to meet his. For a moment, she didn't seem to believe that he was actually there. Then she stood and threw her arms around him.

"Jay," she whispered. "How is my father?"

Jay returned her embrace. "He's well," he said. "Stressed. But hey, that's the life of a man with work like him. How are you?"

Liana pulled away. "I heard Overlord say he might let me go back with you," she said. "But...maybe not. He said it's not his choice to make, whatever that means."

Jay pulled a dark strand of hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." He glanced at the second woman, whom he didn't recognize. Her arm was in a sling.

Then he turned to the last woman in the line, and his hands started trembling. "Merv."

Merv stared up at him with wide, fearful eyes. Her lip quivered, and she looked down at her knees again.

"Hey," Jay said. He knelt and touched her shoulder.

She flinched like he'd slapped her.

Jay took her frail body into his arms. "Hey, shh. I'm here. It's all right." His body struggled to comprehend his emotions. He wanted to laugh, but his throat was too tight. He wanted to cry, but...no. There were no tears. Especially not in front of the Overlord.

Merv only grew tenser. She was shivering.

Too fast, he told himself. She was a victim of severe trauma. But he'd dealt with her kind before. Mended a great number of them. He knew he could do it again.

So he let go and lifted her chin. "Are you ready to be free?"

He loved that line. He said it to every fugitive he rescued. It always gave their eyes a little spark, their shoulders a little strength so they could stand tall and face their new lives with the excitement of a child.

But it didn't work for Merv. Her blue eyes refused to meet his. They ricocheted to every corner of the room as her breathing quickened. She wanted him to stop touching her. To stop looking at her.

Because in her world, a man's gaze meant trouble.

Jay's hand fell from her chin, and he forced his air passages open with a cough.

The noise made her jump again.

Jay backed away, chest tight like...like a thousand pounds of brick had crashed down on him. "What did he do to you?" The question was rhetorical, spoken more because he needed to express his disgust and horror than because he wanted her to answer.

Merv's hands clenched on her lap. Her long, reddish hair- similar to her sister, Besai's- fell in front of her eyes like a sheet.

"Don't leave me here," she said in the Dark Tongue. "Yes, John. I want to be free."

Overlord cut Jay off before he could respond. "Are you ready?" he said, also in the Dark Tongue. "Come over here, you four. This will be quite the show."

That didn't sound too promising.

Merv obeyed the fastest, leaping to her feet and bolting to Overlord's side.

Liana stayed by Jay, waiting for him to respond to Overlord's call.

But Jay was focused on the other woman on the floor. She seemed too weak to move.

Jay leaned down and offered her a hand.

The woman lifted her silver eyes and examined his hand. "Your accent is strange," she said in his language, reaching out to accept his offer. "Who are you?"

Jay pulled her up. "I am a friend."

When he saw her face a little closer, he realized that something was wrong. Her eyes seemed heavy, like storm clouds.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

The woman looked at the Overlord's turned back and nodded. "But...there is nothing you can do to fix it."

Jay patted her arm with a reassuring smile. "What is your name?"

"I...I am Hagar."

"Well, Hagar," Jay said, "I promise, I'll do what I can to make you free today. I've got room for a few more in my company."

No you don't, Stormstrider said.

Hagar took a deep breath and let it out through her nose. She nodded.

Jay led both women to where the Overlord was working a screen.

"Where is Kai?" Overlord asked, speaking through a large microphone. "And Cole. They both need to be here, Cyrus."

There was a long moment of silence, then a voice came through the speaker. "They're here. And my screen is ready to accept your signal."

Overlord pushed a button on his huge control panel, which looked out of place among so much stone and firelight. His screen crackled to life, revealing Cyrus, hair frazzled and eyes dark with exhaustion. Cole stood on his right, expression neutral. Kai scowled at the screen with his arms crossed on Cyrus' left.

Hagar gasped, hands over her mouth.

Jay noticed that Overlord had pushed both Hagar and Liana away so they could not be seen by the camera, but he and Merv were still visible.

"Jay," Cyrus said. "What's going on? Was it a trick? Is he going to use you too?"

"No trick," Overlord said. "I just thought I'd give you all a head start on finding those Blades. Here." He pulled the cylinder of maps out of his pocket and tossed it to Jay, who opened it. Both maps were inside. He secured them in his pocket, then nodded to Kai and Cole.

"The Blue Knight kept his end of the deal," Overlord said. "He arrived three days early, bearing the Blade of Nen the Just. So I deciphered the text at the bottom of this map and figured out the location of the next two Blades. They are buried at the roots of a weeping willow near what is now a coastal farming town."

"Genesan?" Kai said. "That town in the Middle realm?"

"Yes."

"Well...there aren't a lot of weeping willows down there, so it shouldn't be too hard to find." Kai stroked his chin. "But how do we know that you aren't lying? Who's to say that you aren't sending your own men to pick up the Blades- which are on a different part of the island- while we're distracted with your wild goose chase?"

"A good question," Overlord said. "But I am not lying. I believe that the Dark Knight said it to you himself once. I may be...a nasty sort, but I keep my word. No lies. That would be cheating. I like to win my battles with a bit more honor than that."

Kai seemed did not seem pacified, but he said no more.

"Your Blue Knight has both his woman and the maps," Overlord said. "He is free to leave at any time he chooses."

"What about my Blade?" Jay asked.

Overlord waved his hand in dismissal. "I don't want it. You can keep it."

Jay frowned but did not push further.

"Now," Overlord said, "we can get to more...pressing matters." He nodded to Hagar and Liana, and they stepped hesitantly into Cyrus' field of vision.

Cyrus saw Liana and leaned forward in his wheelchair. He didn't seem able to find his tongue.

Cole, on the other hand, rushed forward and pressed his hand to the screen. "Hagar," he said.

Hagar rushed up to the screen and touched the pixelated version of his face. "Cole," she said, tears in her voice. "You're alive."

Cole nodded. "And...you too. Where is Chedva?"

"Dead, I'm sure," Overlord said. "My men found her wandering alone near the river."

Cole's eyes grew dimmer- if it was even possible- and he retracted his hand. "What's your play, Overlord?"

Overlord smiled. "Oh, it's simple enough," he said. "One of these two women are going to die. Liana or Hagar, it's Cyrus' choice to make. The survivor will leave with the Blue Knight."

Cole sank into a chair, silent.

Kai's mouth dropped open.

"No."

All eyes went to Cyrus, who was livid with rage.

"It's Cole's fault that Liana is there," he said. "He needs to bear the consequences of his own actions. You," he pointed a bony finger at Overlord, "you promised! You said I could have Liana back if I did everything you said. And I did my very best! I am not losing my daughter tonight!"

Overlord chuckled and drew a long dagger from his waist. The pommel seemed to glow with purple light. "The choice has been made, then?"

"Yes. I want her back."

Jay looked at Cole, who's focus was on Hagar. His hand was balled into a fist and pressed to his lips. As if he were trying to keep from screaming, or weeping, or from throwing that fist into Cyrus' face. Or maybe all three.

Why did he say nothing?

"You deserve this," Cyrus said to Cole, teeth bared. "You took her from me. Sent her to live in that wretched place. I'm not letting her die now. It's time you had a taste of my pain."

"Uncle," Jay said. "Please, calm down. This isn't like you."

Overlord kicked Hagar's knees, sending her to the floor. "Do you have any final words for your lover?" he asked, knife digging into her back.

"C-Cole." Hagar's voice was ragged and fringed with panic. "Do not give up. Please remember. This blazing fire from embers restored."

A flicker of recognition crossed Cole's face, and he looked up.

"Yes, yes, Cole." Hagar nodded. "A broken heart mended by a small hand to hold. Do you remember? Don't forget me. Fight him. Be strong, please."

Cole's hand fell to his lap. "I am not good, I am not brave, I am not strong, I stay a little longer, just to end my final song."

"No!" Hagar said, chest convulsing as the knife pressed deeper, drawing blood. "No, Cole! That's not right! Know this, Dear One: my love for you is true, and beneath the cherry trees, with strength I'll protect you!"

"My one desire is to replete my life, to lay down the bow, forget my strife."

Hagar's mouth fell open. "I... No, Cole," she whispered. "That is not right. You know that."

"But while She's here, I must stay strong, even though it feels so wrong."

Where had Cole gotten that poem from? Jay way unfamiliar with it.

"Cole, please," Hagar said, shaking her head. "I love you."

"And I love you," Cole said. "I love you so, so much. That's why I stayed alive for so long. For you and the baby."

"But Cole-"

She gasped as the blade pierced her heart.

Overlord pulled his dagger free, sending up a spray of blood from the wound, which had cut straight through to her breast. "That was ample time to say goodbye, don't you agree?" he said.

The silence was thick and black, as if the air had suddenly been polluted by unbreathable smog.

"You're a coward, Dark Knight," Overlord said. "Don't you realize what you could have done to save her? You could have demanded that Cyrus choose Hagar. He would have caved under violence. But no, you sat idle. Just like a coward. Hiding under-"

"Stop!" Kai said, eyes livid. "Hasn't he suffered enough? Leave him alone!"

Overlord wiped his dagger clean with his sleeve and sheathed it. "Not enough," he said. "Dark Knight hasn't done what I need him for. But now that his wench is out of the way, he will."

He pointed. "See? He's already left the room. Where is he now? Perhaps you'll never find him. Not until it's too late."

Kai hesitated but a moment before running out of the open door to chase Cole.

Overlord stifled a yawn. "I'm done talking," he said. "Jay, Merv, and your daughter are going to leave now. You'll see them in a week." He flipped a switch, and the screen went blank.

Jay could not pry his eyes away from Hagar's body on the floor. Blood still oozed from her chest and back.

She was dead.

Jay drew his Blade.

No, Stormstrider said. Let's go. You'll die if you fight-

The building pressure inside Jay's lungs burst, and he screamed. He rushed forward, Blade extending into a broadsword, and shove it through Overlord's chest.

He paused there, Stormstrider protruding from the other side of Overlord's right shoulder, and wondered what had possessed him.

Anger. Disgust. A burning passion, a desire- no, a desperate need- to keep those he loved safe, and to avenge those with whom he had failed. Like Hagar.

Overlord stood still for an intense five or so heartbeats, blood trickling down his shirt.

Then he lunged forward, dislodging the Blade from his shoulder, and drew his knife again. He turned to face Jay, green eyes aglow with demonic fury, and a flash of purple cut through Jay's-

The pain. It consumed Jay for an agonizing moment, then was gone. He couldn't blink. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't cry out.

"Leave now," Overlord said. "Before I lose my patience and do something worse."

Jay lost his balance and fell to the floor, which was slick with blood. ...His blood?

He felt his heart pounding in his eardrums.

He heard Liana's shrill scream.

But...he couldn't feel his leg.

Jay looked down at said leg, marveling at the sheer amount of blood it was spraying. From...what wound?

"No, Jay!" Liana said. "Merv, help me!"

His vision was skewed. All he could see was blood.

But, blessedly, he felt no pain.

Kai found Cole in the kitchen, a bottle of wine under his arm as he rummaged through a drawer for a knife.

"Cole," he said.

Cole turned on his heel and stared at Kai.

If there was ever a face that screamed out fear, anguish, and death, it was his.

Kai leaned back on his heels as he assessed the situation. His friend, despite numerous efforts on his part, was going to get himself drunk and go crazy with a sharp object.

He'd tried comforting Cole. He'd tried encouraging him. He'd tried just being there and doing nothing. His efforts had been like a desert: extensive, but infertile.

An idea clicked in his head. Like two pieces of a puzzle.

"Ah," Kai said, displaying a set of white teeth. "Good idea, Cole."

The fear left Cole's eyes, replaced by confusion.

Kai took two steps forward, hand stroking his chin. "Yeah, you know, that's smart. But wine? Tsk, tsk." He plucked the bottle from Cole's arm. "No, we'll need something more substantial."

He went to a huge crate and opened it. "Prunes? Eew, no. Let's try another one. Hmm...ah, here we go." He pulled a handful of salted pork out of another crate. "How much will we need? Off the top of my head, I'd say...six pounds? Oh, here's some preserved apples! Perfect. The body needs extra sugars in cold weather, you know."

He took the knife from Cole's hand and shook his head at it. "No, this won't do," he said. "We're adventuring, for Una's sake. We need proper swords. Ooh! Or maybe some bows and arrows. Or spears?"

He looked at Cole, then nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Swords. But where would we get two of those? They'd have to be good, strong beauties, preferably with awesome inscriptions on both sides of the blade, and..." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, yes. I heard that there's a couple high-quality Blades hiding under a weeping willow in the Middle. It won't be easy to get them, but you never know," he broadened his smile a touch, "one of them might have the power we need to free this land of the dreaded ECS."

Cole blinked maybe three or four times before his mind reined in the muscles that controlled his mouth. "ECS?" he said.

The first thing he'd said to Kai in days.

Kai whistled. "You haven't been out of that bedroom much, have you? It stands for erythrocyte convergence syndrome. Basically, what one-third of the country is currently suffering from. Tragic, since there's no known cure."

He bounced an eyebrow and dropped the pork back into the barrel. "Let's see if we can change that, eh? Maybe one of those Blades has a stronger healing talent than Zane's."

"Uhh..."

"Excellent. So glad I have you to help me plan everything. So come on, Black Knight, let's go talk to Cyrus. He can set us up with the pork and apples and a couple horses. But we'll need to retrieve those Blades ourselves. Would you mind accompanying me?"

"Well...I..."

"No? Didn't think so. Come on, partner!"