34
I have no idea what the Alchemist would be able to do once they had access to a pure element! Don't you see?! If they get ahold of you, it could spell doom for this realm…
Phos's words came to Cole's mind and he tried desperately to think of something that he could do to get out of this…but the more he struggled in vain to free himself, the more a small worm of despair grew in his chest. He didn't regret coming back for Keyda-who knows what the rebels would have done to her if he hadn't shown up-but…
He could see Keyda from his frozen position; she was still exactly where he had left her, unmoving in the moonlight. In fact, there were bodies all around him, and it was impossible to know who had fallen in the battle and who had been struck down by the Alchemist…it felt like he was frozen in a graveyard. He looked over at where the Alchemist was fiddling with her ornamental arm bands. Each was inlaid with a different stone and he wondered if they worked like her strange necklace. She was concentrating on two of them, trying to ease power out of them for who knows what. He tried to swallow. He couldn't move, Keyda was unconscious, and no one was coming to help him…but he could still talk. He had talked Yang down long ago…maybe he could do the same with this crazy woman.
"Um…"
Her eyes darted up at him and away from her armbands, and she raised an eyebrow. His mind went totally blank and he tried to figure out what on earth he could say.
"Yes?" She asked with a patronizing expression. It reminded him of someone….
She was still looking at him and he realized he needed to say something…but what could he possibly say that would make this maniac back down?
"Doing this…it isn't…" he swallowed again. "It isn't right. I mean, you're basically…"
"Right?" Her voice cut in sharply. She looked amused but her eyes flashed. "Who says it isn't right?"
He hesitated a moment and tried a different approach.
"There's got to be another way…some way that doesn't involve kidnapping and hurting people…and trying to destroy the realm…"
He cursed himself for being so bad at talking. Why did he ever think he could do this? She started walking towards him and he regretted opening his mouth.
"Destroy? No, my dear Ahsakar…I am seeking to transform this realm. Look around you; can you not see the potential here? Sometimes sacrifices are required to achieve great things…but at the end of the day all the best transformations involve risk and change…"
"But…"
She had reached him now, and she gently put a hand over his mouth.
"I'm afraid you aren't going to talk me out of this…I've had a long time to think about it already. Don't fret too much…we are going to discover so many amazing things together. I hope that it will be with you that I finally discover how to break the banishing spell that keeps me in exile…"
She took in his nauseated expression and shook her head, the way an adult would at a child's irrational fears or silly thoughts. She glanced back up at the moon and tilted her head.
"We have a bit of time still…perhaps I can show you what I mean…"
She removed her hand from his mouth and Cole's blood ran cold as both her hands began to glow.
"No…don't…"
"Shhh…." she hushed, placing her hands on either side of his head. They felt icy despite the flame-like Oni power, and Cole's vision began blurring in and out. It was the strangest sensation…it didn't hurt, necessarily…but it felt wrong…
"Stop…" he mumbled; his tongue felt thick and he was struggling keeping his eyes focused. He willed himself not to give in, not to let her in his head…
Her expression flickered and she sighed.
"Relax …" she murmured, her hands growing brighter. He closed his eyes as he fought to keep her influence out of him.
"This is exactly why things will be a lot easier when your memories are gone…" she explained with mild irritation. "These spells are complex enough without you fighting me…"
She was winning; the icy tendrils of her power seemed to be invading deeper. He felt a jolt of sick terror…this was it; she was going to take him. He'd never see Keyda again…even if she found him someday it would be too late…
Despair gave way to further inner freezing, and she smiled encouragingly.
"There you go…" she cooed. She began closing her fists, the spell nearly complete…
"Evynn….that's enough."
Shock caused the spell to break, her train of thought shattered. Cole gasped as if coming up for air, the darkness and bitter spell fading as his vision cleared. The Alchemist clenched her jaw and finally addressed the newcomer, though she didn't turn around to face him.
"Well…look who came out of his hole. You've been hiding for so long…you'll have to forgive me if I don't remember your name."
As his mind cleared, Cole looked over and caught sight of an ancient Oni with a satchel, eyes flashing violet in the shadows.
"Phos…"
His voice betrayed his relief; sure, the old Healer might have only come all this way to kill him, but at this point he much preferred the cantankerous old Oni to this mad scientist chick. The Alchemist finally turned to face the Healer, looking amused while her eyes burned with Hatred.
"Oh…so you're the one he calls Phos? So cute you let him call you that…how else have you misled him?"
Phos didn't react to the woman's sweetly bitter words as he came closer.
"So dramatic…" he muttered, and her eyes flashed in fury as he continued. "You know why I'm here. Get away from the Elemental Master or…"
She laughed again, sounding as lighthearted as ever.
"You think I would leave him now? This is the opportunity I've waited over a century for…"
He rolled his eyes. "Guess you'll be waiting a little longer. You know I can't let you take him and destroy him like you did so many others…for what?! Your misguided 'discoveries'?!"
She narrowed her eyes.
"You've always done this…painted me as some monster. That's all you seem to see me as…all you ever saw. And yet I KNOW you have the same thoughts, have realized the potential here…" she shook her head in anger. "You cannot have been around this pure elemental source without thinking of the possibilities…I know you have!"
"Unlike you, I actually learned how to control myself," Phos countered dryly, reaching into his satchel. She scoffed.
"You've waited decades to find me, old man; I've been searching for you ever since you sent me to that nightmarish wasteland, and now you show up tonight of all times. So I guess the question is, are you just bent on keeping me from obtaining my goals, or do you really care about whether or not the boy gets destroyed?"
Her hand had snaked into Cole's hair and she grabbed tightly, as if she were afraid that Cole would disappear at any given minute. Phos's expression darkened as he continued to rummage in his bag. She shook her head.
"No…I suppose that's a stupid question, isn't it? And you were always so angry when I asked those. The truth is you don't have the capacity to care…not about some Ahsakar…not about your own daughter!"
Phos narrowed his eyes and her voice dropped.
"Did you tell him all about me? About how horrible I was…the people that I hurt…" she shook her head. "You were always so eager to point out my supposed flaws…but did you tell him about your part? About the things you did…how you crippled me and banished me—your own child—while sealing the spell with your own name?!"
"You left me no choice!" Phos yelled back.
The grip on Cole's hair tightened, and he grimaced at the pain as his mind tried to catch up. He had been wrong; the Alchemist wasn't the person who killed Phos's daughter. His stomach lurched as he processed the truth; the Alchemist was Phos's daughter.
"I hope it's been worth it, spending those years hidden and nameless among your dusty scrolls…." she shook her head. "If you had just listened to me, the realm would not be in this destitute state! But instead you turned all the others against me, and forced me to live out eternity in a nightmare…"
"I believe I said that's enough." Phos's voice was sharp and cold as he pulled out the Ivory hilted knife from his satchel. At the sight of it the Alchemist took a slight step backwards before laughing bitterly.
"So that's what you did with my horn…" she murmured, raising a patronizing eyebrow. "You know you can't kill me…"
"But I can kill him."
She shook her head.
"So you don't care about him, after all. It doesn't matter…you'd have to get past me to even touch him and I've been plotting how to finally end your miserable life ever since you banished me."
He scoffed. "You always were one for wasting time…" he muttered. She released Cole as her fists erupted with power.
"Perhaps…but if you were so sure I couldn't figure it out, why have you spent so many years hiding from me?" she asked quietly. His grip tightened on the dagger and she smiled. "Are you afraid, 'Phos'?"
"Not of anything you could do to me," he muttered and she shook her head.
"Maybe you should be."
The attack came quickly and Phos lurched out of the way, surprisingly spry despite his ancient age. He scowled and looked up at the moon.
"You don't have much time to try, do you?" he asked blandly. "Once the moon reaches its apex you will be returned…"
"At least this time I won't be going alone," she retorted, giving a sharp smile as she drew a deep purple power out of one of her armbands. Phos exhaled in a tired way before giving the dagger a shake, power sparking out around its edges.
Aura winds were picking up and Cole couldn't tell which Oni was causing it…or if it was stemming from something else entirely. He had hoped that with the Alchemist's attention elsewhere he would be able to escape…or at least move. However, he found that all he could do was watch as the fight began.
Evynn's long hair floated in the wind as she unleashed her attack. But rather than a blast, her hand twirled with the spell and the long tendrils of magic lashed towards Phos like nearly-black snakes. He struck quickly with the dagger, severing the head of one while spinning out of the way of the other's strike. It reared and the dagger sliced through its middle, dissolving it to nothingness.
"And here I thought you've been practicing…" he muttered, and her eyes narrowed to slits.
"Makes it easy when you've got my horn to counter my attacks…" she pointed out before whipping her arms up. A large flood of power erupted from her and poured towards the Master Healer who muttered something under his breath while one hand dug into his bag and threw a few crystals into the air. The flood hit him and he grunted in annoyance and pain, but his spell kicked in and the crystals began glowing and levitating in the air, a thin strand of lightning connecting them. Phos relaxed as the crystal net forced the cruel aura away from him.
"Not as fast as you once were," Evynn noted smugly and he shook his head at her in irritation.
"You're just as cocky as always."
"Better cocky than dead."
She clenched her fist and the swirling flood around his net of protection constricted. Phos's brows furrowed in concentration to keep it from crushing his spell. His teeth ground together as he held up the daggerless hand towards the net, flat palmed. It glowed with aura and the crystals changed from glowing white to blazing red.
Cole watched the proceedings with a pounding heart. He wasn't sure how this was going to end…and he wasn't sure who he should even be rooting for. He looked around suddenly at the Oni on the ground, but they hadn't moved or woken up. He felt a jolt of panic as another thought lashed through his mind…what if Keyda didn't wake up? The Alchemist had said they'd be fine…but he wasn't sure he really trusted her to be honest…
"Using Anger? Seems you're kicking it up a notch…" Evynn cooed at her father, tightening her fist. A vein bulged in Phos's neck as the power constricted further. The Alchemist's smile grew at seeing his discomfort. "Anger all on its own isn't going to be enough…" she continued.
"Did you think all these bitter lines up in exile? They feel a bit forced…" Phos retorted as the dark power around him pulled tighter.
"Sometimes I wonder if we stripped away all your sarcasm if there would even be anything left…"
Phos grunted in frustration as the outside power seemed to seep into one of the crystals, turning it deep purple. It began sparking and shaking, the net of protection near it shorting out.
"Seems you finally discovered Pure Hatred…" he pointed out dryly, his hand shaking slightly as he tried to keep the rest of the net together.
"Yes…" she smiled blithely as her hair whipped around her in the aura winds. "It's one of the only things I gained out of your betrayal…"
Cole watched as another crystal seemed to short out, and aura winds becoming stronger. He glanced over at the Alchemist's triumphant expression and back at the struggling Healer.
"C'mon Phos…" he muttered.
"Not much time left," Evynn pointed out, glancing at the moon. "But I would love to see you crippled before I get sent back to that wasteland…"
Another crystal sparked and darkened, and Phos's eyes narrowed as the malicious power pressed further inward. Then he looked up at his daughter and let out a patronizing chuckle before disappearing.
Cole's stomach lurched, thinking that somehow the Alchemist had destroyed the ancient Oni after all. However, the tall woman near him let out a frustrated scoff as she dropped her arms, the swirling Hatred dissipating. She looked around, her robes whipping in the continued storm.
"Where've you transported to, you old…"
Her words died in her throat as she threw out a desperate blast to knock away the dagger that would have buried itself into Cole's back in the next instant. She stepped in front of the Elemental Master, shaking her head disappointedly at the Healer who had reappeared a few yards away.
"Nice try..." she said darkly, and then she glanced up at the moon. "Seems my time is up…but I'm sure this won't be our only rendezvous, father…"
Phos had recovered the dagger, eyes flashing as he reached into his bag again, presumably for another weapon. The Alchemist narrowed her eyes and began drawing power from her bands and necklace, forming some kind of barrier. Cole watched as the swirling shield came down around them and his heart sank. He wished he could at least turn around to see what Phos was doing, but he was still infuriatingly frozen in place.
The Alchemist was breathing harder as the aura storm continued to wrap around their little bubble, and she shook her head at her father, who was glowering from outside the force field. She turned to Cole, who was straining desperately one last time against her spell.
"Don't worry…" she said kindly, touching his face. "He can't get to you in here…and soon it will be too late for him to do anything anyways."
Behind them both, Phos had dropped to his knees and began to whip items out of his bag.
Cole wanted to say something...but he couldn't think over the alarm pounding in his head. He could see the Alchemist, and to his horror her outline was becoming more smoky, as if the storm around them were about to suck her away. He glanced down and realized that the same smoke was wafting off of him and he let out a panicked moan, feeling horrified and nauseous.
Evynn smiled sympathetically.
"It doesn't hurt…" she whispered.
Phos finished the arrangement in the dirt, not even wasting the seconds to glance up at the two figures within the force field. He opened the vial and poured it around the rune made of crystals, and the acid hissed as it formed a circle in the dirt. The purple jewel glittered from the middle of the group and Phos clenched his jaw as he stabbed the dagger into its place in the arrangement.
The Alchemist turned to see what the Ancient Healer was up to. She couldn't see very well through the storm and shield, but as Phos sent power into the crystals the rune lit up. Her eyes widened.
"It's not possible…" she murmured, but she didn't get much farther than that. The power shot through the crystals at an alarming rate before launching into the deep purple stone in the middle.
The pain came out of nowhere and Cole screamed in agony; it felt like his blood was boiling. Evynn's eyes flashed and she tried to blast through the force field to get to the rune, but more of her was disappearing and she couldn't get the attack to obey. The power in the purple stone shot out like an electric pulse to both the small jar of hair and the dagger's hilt. The Alchemist grabbed her head and dropped to her knees, eyes smarting with pain.
The storm continued to spin around them, though it was hard for Cole to notice anything through the agony. Just as he was on the brink of passing out, the torment subsided and he dropped to the earth, conscious but drained. The force field crumbled around them and Phos stood nearby, watching it all with a stony expression. The Alchemist had all but disappeared when she looked up and met her father's eyes, her gaze full of loathing.
"I hate you…"
The Master Healer looked away as the storm enveloped his daughter. A few moments later the storm suddenly dissipated, leaving no trace of the Alchemist in the moonlit field.
35
The silence was deafening in the aftermath of the apex. Cole pushed himself up with shaky arms; he felt like he had been hit by a train.
Phos walked over to the rune, now cold and dull in the dirt. He leaned down and ripped the dagger out of the ground, spinning it distractedly as he stared at it, lost in thought. He heard Cole groan and he looked over at the Elemental Master.
Cole couldn't quite make it to sitting position; he stared at the ground, leaning heavily on his arms. He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, fixing Phos with a wary look.
The Master Healer stopped right in front of him, scoffing slightly. Cole clenched his jaw as Phos lowered himself to the boy's level, eyes flashing slightly as he studied the dagger in his hand.
"I knew exactly what you were when you showed up with Syn, all those months ago…" the Healer started cooly, looking over at last to meet Cole's eye. "I almost decided to kill you then. Had I knew how much trouble you would be, I would have." The ancient Oni sank backwards. "I have half a mind to kill you now."
"Yeah?" Cole's voice came out quietly as he struggled to push himself the rest of the way up. A jolt of adrenaline finally assisted him into sitting positon, though he knew he didn't stand a chance if the Healer attacked now.
"You stubborn…." Phos started, and then sighed, irritated. "You risked everything and nearly lost, boy; I guess now we know how you earned the name 'Idiot'…"
"Why didn't you tell me? That the Alchemist…that she's…"
"Because it was none of your business!" Phos snapped angrily, his grip on the dagger tightening. Cole stopped talking, swallowing as his eyes flicked between the weapon and the Oni. Phos rolled his eyes.
"I ain't actually gonna kill you, kid…I need you to take the fall for all of this."
Cole's brow furrowed in confusion and Phos gestured to the bodies still strewn around them.
"All this, Idiot…it didn't just happen, and no one can know about the Alchemist. In fact, they can't even know about my part in these happenings…"
"Why can't they…"
"When people know about dark forces, they tend to seek them out." Phos said darkly. "No need to give any power-seeking saps the idea. No, the blame'll fall on you, the mysterious Ahsakar: Outsider…"
Cole sighed.
"But I didn't do this…I would never be able to replicate it…"
Phos snorted.
"You don't need to replicate it, fool…people know what you did in the gorge months ago. They've seen your scar, your arms, the elemental attacks and that spin-whatsit…you obviously have powers and no one has bothered to figure out what their limits are. No, you don't need to prove anything, the fault will fall on you naturally; all you have to do is let people think that way."
Cole frowned and Phos rolled his eyes.
"It'll work out in your favor, in the end." He spoke slowly in a patronizingly explicit way. "After what these Oni experienced at 'your hand' there won't be many eager to rebel in the future."
Cole didn't reply as he looked over at where Keyda was, still silent on the ground.
"What'd the Alchemist do to them? Are they…"
Phos scratched his chin, frowning thoughtfully.
"They're not dead," he mused, voice low. He stood and walked over to the closest Oni, feeling their pulse. He put his hand above their chest, flat-palmed, and frowned.
"She's compromised their aura source…"
"What?! What does that mean?!..."
Phos gave Cole a withering look.
"If you would just shut up and listen…" he muttered before glancing back down at the fallen dragon master. "All Oni have a kind of aura core, even if their powers aren't unlocked. Whatever the Alchemist did knocked them out by compromising that core. It's a problem that will fix itself naturally…but it will take time." Phos looked around at all the bodies. "Gives you time to get them all locked up, eh?"
Cole looked around as well, heart sinking. He knew that some of these dragon masters were loyal, but he had no idea which ones. And there was no way he'd have the energy to move them anytime soon.
"So Keyda will be alright?" he asked, and Phos scoffed at the boy's worried tone.
"Eventually."
"Eventually?" Cole ran a hand through his hair, feeling sick. His expression changed as his fingers came across something.
"What the…" he muttered, pulling a small braid out of his hair, trying to look at it. Phos walked back over to him.
"Careful with that!" the Healer snapped, and Cole looked up, confused.
"What the heck is it? How did you…"
Phos pulled the braid out of Cole's hand, studying it.
"The braid holds the spell, fool…it will stay for years unless you pull it out…"
"Spell? What spell?"
Phos closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to keep his temper.
"The one that kept you from getting sucked into exile…" he said carefully, tone sharp. "What…you think the Alchemist just left you behind after all that?"
Cole fell silent as Phos studied the braid a few moments longer before dropping it and continuing.
"It's a protection spell, bound specifically to you. The Alchemist won't be able to influence you as long as it is in force…in fact, she won't be able to touch you…"
"So it's like a…magical restraining order?" Cole asked, and Phos rolled his eyes.
"Sure…if you want to whittle it down to an extremely simplified metaphor, it's like a 'magical restraining order.'" He said sarcastically. "And I almost wasn't able to get it completed. If you had just stayed put…"
"You could have just done the spell sooner!" Cole countered and Phos narrowed his eyes.
"It's a complicated spell, fool, one that must be completed when the moon is at its apex during a solstice. Spells are strongest around the times that they are cast, so in order for it to rival the Alchemist it had to be cast during the solstice when she was at her strongest…"
"Why do you keep calling her that?"
Phos fell silent, and he gave Cole a murderous look. The Elemental Master swallowed.
"I mean….I already know that she's…"
"I call her what she is." Phos said quietly, his tone making it clear he wasn't going to discuss it further. Cole fingered his new braid unconsciously, and the Healer slapped his hand away.
"Leave it alone. If you take out the braid the spell will unravel," he reminded forcefully. Cole looked around, a realization hitting home.
"Do all Oni braids hold spells?"
Phos stood and dusted himself off. "Not anymore, I reckon. Back in ancient times Healers would use braids to hold spells. Kahzym the first noticed them and thought they'd make a nice symbol for a united nation, so he encouraged everyone to wear them. The tradition still holds, it seems…though I doubt most Oni nowadays know what the braids represent."
He turned and looked over at where Keyda was still on the ground.
"Speaking of the nation…the sooner you two get bound, the better."
Cole gave a start, having a hard time keeping up with Phos's continuously changing train of thought.
"What? Phos, I already told you…"
"This about more than just you and your silly fears!" Phos snapped. "Why do you think I let you live when you first showed up? As inconvenient as it is…you and that childish ruler are the only two people who will be able to get this realm where it needs to be."
Cole's face contorted in confusion and Phos sighed exasperatedly.
"This nation…it used to be something you could be proud to be a part of. But it's slowly crumbled into the degenerate mess it is today. And as much as I hate to admit it, you and she are in a position to make the necessary changes before we fall into complete ruin." He shook his head. "I mean you both need a lot of work; you need to know our history, and she needs to learn control…but the potential is there…"
"But why are you so adamant we get bound?" Cole asked. He had finally regained enough strength to push himself to his feet. "We've been making changes….I don't see why we have to…"
"You can only accomplish so much from the sidelines!" Phos snapped. "In order to achieve what needs to be done, you will have to take on a more relevant role…
"Then you fix the realm!" Cole challenged. "You've got the knowledge and control, so why don't you just…"
"Not allowed to get involved in politics." Phos cut in. "So I guess you can consider this as me being indirectly involved…"
"But…"
"Enough!" Phos said, putting a hand to his head in irritation. "I've wasted enough of my time on you…"
The Healer went to go and Cole looked around at those on the ground. He remembered something and called out, hoping Phos would stop. The ancient oni did, irritated.
"What now?!"
"There's someone else who really needs your help…"
It was only an hour or two till sunrise by the time Phos made it back to his tent, sore and weary. The walk to and from the fortress was exhausting enough…but his fight with the Alchemist had left him drained. She had gotten better, he had to admit. It would have been a different story if he hadn't brought her horn with him.
He pushed open the tent flap and realized as he came in that the children had never made a fire; the tent was as cold inside as the chilly outside air. He sighed in irritation and made his way into the back of the tent.
Hershel and Syn were curled up next to each other, both fast asleep. Syn's nose was pink from the cold and Phos shook his head, scoffing in annoyance. He pulled some boxes off of a buried trunk in the corner and opened the large chest to reveal some old blankets and furs. He pulled one out off the top and walked back over to the two children. He hesitated, dropping to his knees as he tugged Syn's dress up to check Hershel's bandaging job. The wound wasn't deep and the blood on the bandages was dry. Satisfied, he put the dress back in place and threw the heavy blanket over the two small forms.
"Stupid kids…" he muttered. Why didn't they make a fire? What good would they be to him if they came down with fever? Syn sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer to her brother, who had one arm around her. Phos reached over and brushed the hair out of the boy's face. He had come close to discovery today. They were going to have to be more careful.
He pushed himself back up, wincing at the pain in his joints. It was all a mess…but at least the main crisis had been avoided. He collapsed into the nearby armchair, pulling the dagger out of his satchel before tossing the bag into a corner. He studied the hilt, rubbing a thumb over the engravings as he sat lost in thought. He was physically and mentally drained, but he sat back in the chair and waited for dawn to wake the children. He knew already that sleep would not come to him that night.
Cole heard the dragon roar and immediately headed to the front entrance. He pulled open the door as Wu was approaching.
"Sensei…" Cole breathed, his voice weary with relief. The Dragon Master took one look at his pupil and shook his head. Cole's arms looked raw and torn, his hair and clothes were in a state, and he had dark circles under his eyes.
"Cole…what's…"
"I don't know how much my Guardian told you," Cole interrupted, ushering Wu inside. "But there was this rebellion…and…and all this other mess…but basically the fortress is defenseless at the moment because all the dragon masters are in the dungeons and I still don't know how we're going to tell them apart and I guess we really can't till they wake up but I don't know when that will be…"
"Cole." Wu said firmly, interrupting the Elemental Master's rambling explanation. The older man stopped walking and Cole turned back to look at him as Wu continued. "You can fill me in on the details tomorrow…you need to go get some sleep."
"But…"
"You aren't going to do anybody any good in the state your in." Wu insisted and Cole sighed. Wu continued in a gentler tone. "I can hold things from here…go get some rest."
Cole nodded slowly and finally looked up to give his sensei a ghost of a smile.
"Thanks for coming."
"Of course." Wu replied, and Cole turned to head down the hallway. He had been longing for his bed ever since Phos had left the night before, but there had been too much to do in the aftermath of everything that had gone down. Even now he turned in the opposite direction of his bedroom, instead making his way up to the Ruler's quarters. He pushed the heavy door open and looked over at the bed, hoping to see Keyda awake or at least moving. But she was in the same position that he had left her in and he sighed as he shut the door, moving a heavy piece of furniture in front of it. He felt safer now that Wu was here…but after everything that had gone down, he felt he couldn't be too careful.
He reached the armchair that he had moved earlier to be next to the bed and sat heavily.
"Wu's here…" he said quietly. "I figured we could use a bit more help…"
Keyda didn't respond and Cole ran a hand through his hair. It had been nearly a day so far, and there had been no change in Keyda or any of the others affected by the Alchemist's spell. Phos had said they'd come to eventually…but what did that even mean? And what if he had been wrong?
He shook his head, trying to clear it. Panic seemed to come so much easier when he was dead tired. He needed sleep…Wu was right enough about that. He reached out and took one of Keyda's limp hands, rubbing his thumb across it.
"You gotta pull through, Keyds…" he murmured. "You gotta wake up…we've made it through too much to have everything fall apart now…"
He shivered as he realized that with the arrival of the Alchemist, it nearly had. He remembered the way the Oni woman had looked at him, the things she had said, and felt sick all over again. If Phos hadn't shown up she would have taken him…and he would never have seen Keyda again. He shuddered to think about what the horned lady would have done with him…or done to him…but the thing that disturbed him the most was the threat of losing his memories. He had done that once before for a brief period of time; he couldn't imagine having them gone completely, leaving him unable to remember any of the things that had led him to this point…unable to remember the girl in front of him now and what she meant to him. It was a horrible thought, and he forced it out of his head. The Alchemist had been banished and they were safe for now.
But being out of danger wasn't enough if Keyda wasn't going to recover from her unseen wounds. She was so strong…so stubborn…he rarely found himself worrying about her ability to survive situations. He was more likely to worry her control or how she would react to different things…but this experience of waiting hour after hour with no change was causing a whole different kind of dread to rise up within him. He had lost those he cared about before. But the thought of losing Keyda was harder to swallow than any other loss he'd been faced with….it was something he didn't think he'd be able to come back from. A few months ago they didn't even know each other…but now he couldn't imagine a life without her teasing and laughter and strength.
He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. He watched her for awhile longer before falling into a fitful sleep, haunted by the sound of Keyda's scream and a pair of flashing golden eyes.
36
Wu frowned as he read through the scroll…or as much of it as he could decipher. He had picked up the Oni shorthand somewhat, but it was slow going and he generally only ever got the gist of whatever Keyda wrote to him.
Someone knocked on the door and he looked up as Cole poked his head in, looking somewhat better rested. Wu gestured for the younger man to join him and Cole came and took the seat opposite Keyda's desk.
"I found this…" Wu stated, holding up the scroll. "It was addressed to me, but I guess with everything that happened Keyda didn't get the chance to send it."
It took Cole a second, but he could vaguely remember Heavy Metal telling Keyda to write that letter a few days ago. It honestly felt like months ago, considering all that had happened since then.
"Oh…yeah. I think that's about…"
"…an incident involving the slave traders, from what I gather." Wu finished, squinting at the writing. "I mean, I can pick out some things, but based on what I know about the realm and what I know about you I can fill in the gaps." He lowered the scroll and Cole sank back into his chair, sighing.
"It's a mess, Wu…everything's just a mess and it has been ever since I got here but we've been trying to make the best of it….trying to fix things and make things better but it just feels like…" he trailed off, head in his hands. "I don't know. All it took was a few things going wrong and we nearly lost everything…"
"Tell me what happened," Wu encouraged, and for the next hour or so Cole related everything he knew about the rebellion. Wu asked where he was during it and then Cole found himself having to explain Phos's role in everything. The Dragon Master listened calmly, stroking his beard as he heard about everything from the slave trader incident to the Alchemist. Cole knew that Phos didn't really want her to be common knowledge, but he had to tell someone. He tried to keep things as generic as possible; he didn't tell Wu that the discovery-crazed woman was Phos's daughter, for instance.
Wu's frown deepened as Cole related what had happened out on the battlefield.
"So where is the Alchemist now?"
"I dunno. Banished, apparently. The spell is strong enough to keep her wherever she is until the winter solstice, which I guess was a few days ago, but even then she always has to go back…"
"And the protection spell?"
Cole pulled the braid out from his unkempt hair and Wu leaned in for a closer look.
"I mean…I'm pretty sure it worked; she wasn't able to take me with her, at least."
"And this Healer…where is he now?"
Cole shrugged.
"Home, I guess. He tried to get Heavy Metal stabilized and then he left." Cole fell silent a minute. "He hasn't woken up either. Phos said there's a chance he'll live, but he made it sound like even if Heavy Metal pulled through he wouldn't ever be the same…"
"I see…and do you think this Phos character is any kind of threat to you or Keyda?" Wu asked. Cole swallowed. A week ago he would have been pretty sure that Phos would never really hurt either of them….but now he doubted he'd ever have such trust again.
"I have no idea. The only consolation is that he could have killed me or Keyda really easily out there on the battlefield and he didn't, so…so I guess he doesn't want us dead. At least not at the moment."
Wu sighed, shaking his head.
"I've been trying to stay out of the way more." he admitted regretfully. "Trying to keep the nations separate so Keyda didn't feel so controlled and so that there would be less of a chance of renewed fighting between dragon and Oni. But now I regret distancing myself…had I known how fragile everything was…"
"S'alright, Wu." Cole said softly. "Until a couple days ago I didn't even realize how fragile it all was." He dry-washed his face. "And I'm scared that we may not be able to fix it all. I mean, Keyda's unconscious, and so is her whole guard. And on top of that, the majority of the dragon masters fought with the rebels, so what do we do with them all? Keep them locked up? But can we really run the fortress with just the seven or eight who are loyal! There are so many new problems that we have to deal with; how are we ever going to find the time and ability to address the older problems, problems like slavery?!"
Wu gave his long time student a comforting smile.
"We don't have to have all the answers today, Cole…and you don't have to do this by yourself, either. We'll wait for Keyda to wake up, we'll keep the dragon master's locked up until we know who's loyal, and we'll keep the fortress running. I'll send out the Ultra Dragon to get a good look at things going on in the rest of the realm. I'm interested to know how the other fortresses are reacting to the news of all of this…and quite frankly I'm not afraid of having them know I'm involved now."
Cole hadn't even thought about the other leaders in the realm. He sank lower in his chair; last he had heard the others were bent on war because of him. He had to hope that they'd come to their senses, and with any luck seeing the Ultra-Dragon on patrol would help them do just that.
"Let me know if there's anything I can do…" Cole finally said, pushing himself up out of his chair. "Otherwise, I'm going to go wait for…"
"Of course," Wu said, excusing him. "Let me know when she wakes up."
Cole gave a nod and disappeared from the room, and Wu shook his head as he sank back into his chair. It was quite the mess indeed, and it was times like these he felt his age the most. He looked down at the scroll on the desk again and sighed. They would just have to do the best they could.
Keyda's eyes were closed in pain, the tears slipping out despite the promise she had made to herself that she wouldn't cry. Her hands were tied in front of her, and she was kneeling in the hot sand, the sun beating down. She trembled, not sure that she would be able to remain upright through any further punishment.
Behind her the Baron's eyes flashed in near amusement.
"I hate seeing you like this…" he was saying, and she wanted to curl up in a ball. But she didn't; she knew that if she tried Heavy Metal would just rip her back up off the ground and force her to take the rest of the punishment; she had seen enough whippings to know how they worked, and young as she was she still had a sense of dignity. The Baron was still talking, and she ground her teeth together, waiting for the next strike.
"You've been instigating fights among the slaves, and I feel responsible to break you of this streak early. A slave is only useful when they are obedient…."
He trailed off and Keyda knew he was raising the whip for another strike. It slashed out, white-hot against her back, and just because she was prepared didn't mean she was able to stop the agonized wail that escaped.
The Baron struck two more times before Keyda was finally reduced to fetal position in the sand, and he motioned for Heavy Metal to intervene. The masked guard regarded the situation as the Baron raised the whip again, eyes glittering mercilessly.
"Sir…" The Captain murmured, not moving to go lift Keyda from the ground. The Baron turned to him with an irritated expression and Heavy Metal glanced over at the child. "I'll do as you ask…but you realize that if she takes any more of this she's going to die…"
The Baron's jaw clenched as he looked back over at where Keyda was lying on the ground.
"You sure?" he murmured, unconvinced.
"I've had a lot of experience." the guard replied. "In fact…she's already looking like she'll not last the night…."
The Baron stood down, lowering his weapon as he came closer to the frail form.
"Send for a Healer…."
They were the last words Keyda heard before she ebbed out of consciousness.
She woke lying on her stomach on a strange table to agony in her back. She screamed out, eyes still closed, and felt strong hands pushing her down as she fought to escape.
"Keep her down, for ancient's sakes…unless we get the salve in the wound it's going to infect…"
The unfamiliar voice was old and bossy, but then she was falling unconscious again.
She continued to fly in and out of memories…painful, hopeful, horrible, happy…it didn't seem to matter. One moment she was with her parents or Echo…the next she was reliving some childhood trama. And Cole was in so many of them…she went from kissing him to losing him to waking up to him at her side. Her emotions were exposed, heightened, raw, bursting….she felt nauseous as she swung from emotional highs to lows and back, and when she finally found her voice she screamed for it to stop.
Everything went black. Her mind still felt foggy, but it began to clear somewhat as she started to finally regain consciousness, the black fading to grey.
She opened her eyes and it took her a second to figure out where she was. Light was coming in from the windows and she tried to remember where she had been before falling asleep…she had a feeling that something had happened…
She realized that someone was holding her hand and she looked over to see Cole dozing in a chair next to her bed, head resting in his other hand with his elbow perched on the armrest. She inhaled deeply and tried to sit up, tugging his hand in the process. The movement threw off his head's precarious balance and he woke with a start as his head dropped forward. He looked over at where she was and sagged in relief.
"You're awake…" he said, and she was surprised at the emotion in his tired voice.
"Yeah…" she said, pushing herself the rest of the way up. She winced as her movement pulled painfully across her back. What…
The rebellion suddenly flooded back into her memory and she looked over at Cole in panic.
"What happened? Where are…"
"It's ok, Keyds…" He had moved to sit on the bed. "The rebels have been taken care of…you're safe…."
She swallowed, trying to remember everything that had happened, but her memories of the event were hazy. The pain in her back helped her remember the shallow slash one of the traitorous dragon masters had managed to land…and she remembered that Heavy Metal was there….
"Cole, Heavy Metal…he was…."
She trailed off as she caught sight of Cole's expression, not sure how to read it. She exhaled shakily.
"He's dead?"
"No…" he answered, but the expression didn't change. "No, he's alive…but, um, we don't know if he's going to make it or not…"
She dry washed her face, the emotions from everything that had happened over the last few days catching up to her. She finally looked back up at him.
"How long have I been out?"
Cole gave a little half-smile.
"Three days."
"Three days?!" She moved to get out of bed, and Cole stood up. "What….how?! What even happened? I can't remember…"
"Keyds…take it easy. It's alright…"
"But the rebels, they…"
"I told you, everyone's down in the dungeons. Wu came to help out and everything's more or less stabilized. Honestly, the biggest worry lately was just whether or not you would…"
He trailed off and cleared his throat as she finally extracted herself from the blankets and stood next to him. He looked like he wanted to say something but first he reached out hesitantly to wrap his arms around her waist.
"I was so worried…" he finally admitted and Keyda blinked.
"I'm…I'm fine," she said lamely, not really sure what else to say. She was still trying to process everything that was going on, but looking at his tired expression she realized that he must have been stationed in that chair for the majority of those three days, worrying. She reached up to finger-brush through his disheveled hair. "I'm…"
Whatever comfort she was going to say trailed off as she discovered a small braid in his hair.
"What's…"
"Oh," his hand flew up to meet hers, pulling it away. "It's nothing….just something I thought I'd…"
He trailed off again, looking conflicted, and she furrowed her brow. What was going on with him?
"No …" he glanced over to meet her eyes again. "…Actually, there's something else I need to tell you…"
Phos heard the dragon wings beat overhead and frowned up at the roof of his tent, glaring at the unseen beast.
"Figures he would get involved…" he muttered as he dropped a handful of herbs into the boiled water to steep. Hershel was passing by with a heavy bucket of water and he paused next to the old Healer.
"Who?"
Phos waved him off and Hershel frowned, lowering the bucket.
"Master Healer…is everything…" he trailed off, not sure how to phrase it. "Is everything alright now?"
Phos fixed him with a confused look.
"With what?" he snapped and Hershel swallowed.
"Well…a few days ago you made it sound like everything was on the verge of something bad and I was just wondering…"
"Do you see the realm collapsing around you? No?! Then I guess that's answer enough, eh?!" Phos snapped angrily. "Stop wasting my time with stupid questions!"
The Ancient Oni turned his attention back to his tea and Hershel lingered only a few moments longer before picking the bucket back up and heading into the back of the tent. He dumped the contents into the large and dented laundry pot on the table and Syn came over to throw in all the dusty articles of clothing they had into it.
"He's been in a bad mood ever since he got back," she murmured.
Hershel just shrugged, eyes flashing as he began heating the bottom of the pot. Syn went and found a large wooden spoon as she continued.
"Hershel….do you…you don't think…."
The young teen looked over at his sister, who was staring at the ground, brow furrowed in concern.
"You don't think that Master Healer will throw us out, do you?" she asked finally in a quiet voice, and Hershel's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she continued. "I failed…and he's been so angry since he got back I'm afraid he's just going to…"
"Syn." Hershel dropped to one knee so he could be eye level with his small sister. "You didn't fail anyone, alright? You…"
"Where would we even go?" Syn cut in, her eyes darting up to meet her brother's. "We can't even go back to the fortress cuz I tricked Cole into coming and you attacked him…"
Hershel's grip on her shoulders tightened and his eyes flashed.
"We aren't getting thrown out! Yeah, Master Healer's upset, but that's something else. He's not going to just get rid of us."
Her eyes were swimming with tears and he sighed.
"It's gonna be ok, Syn…I promise. You don't need to worry about getting thrown out, alright?"
"…Alright."
She gave him a watery smile and turned her attention back to the pot full of murky clothes. Hershel was lost in thought for a minute until she reminded him to heat the laundry. They worked in silence until the pot was steaming and Syn added the rough soap.
"Hersh?"
"Yeah Syn?"
He didn't look up from his new task of stripping leaves off the herbs he had collected earlier; they were the ones used in Phos's daily tea and thus were in constant demand.
"He probably won't ever come back…will he?"
Hershel frowned and it took him a moment before he realized who she was talking about.
"Oh. I…I dunno. Maybe he will."
"I don't think he will." she said, wobbling slightly on the stool she was standing on to stir the laundry. "He hasn't been here in three days and last time he was here he got tied up and…"
"He's probably busy," Hershel snapped and she sighed.
"Do you think that's why the Master Healer's so angry?"
Hershel ripped apart another stalk of tender leaves, not being as careful as he usually was.
"I really don't know why he's angry…maybe that's why. Just focus on the laundry, Syn."
"He's supposed to finish all those scrolls and now he probably never will…"
Hershel didn't reply and she finally fell silent. After a bit she hopped off the stool and grabbed the empty bucket before heading towards the back exit of the tent. Hershel put the herbs he was working with down.
"Hey Syn…lemme do that…"
She shook her head, curls flopping around.
"I got it." she insisted before heading back out towards the well. Hershel watched her go and turned back to his task. He finally got the leaves all ripped off the stalks, and he carefully laid them out in the drying box in a sunny spot. He chewed his lip a moment before going to peek through the doorway into the front of the tent. The Master Healer was muttering to himself again, sipping his tea as he glared at the ground. Hershel let the door flap swing back into place and sighed. It was going to be alright….it had to be.