Chapter Eight
"Maybe archery just isn't our thing. We should try something else." Dozla's bass rumble was unmistakable.
Seth very nearly fell to his knees. He had never before in all his life been more grateful, though once he would have thought it quite impossible that he would ever be thankful to hear that well-trodden exchange again.
Eirika...
He set off at a run in the direction from which he knew Tana and Eirika always appeared. Just the sight of her, whole and living, her wind-tousled hair, her sunburnt skin: That was all he wanted in this world.
When he rounded corner of a tent and finally glimpsed Tana and Eirika there ahead of him, Seth skidded to a halt, and he found he could neither move nor speak, so much did his heart overflow with joy. There she was, his beautiful, darling Eirika. She was alive. It was only when Tana and Eirika paused, their glances uncertain, that it dawned on him that he was staring.
"Seth?" Eirika said hesitantly as she approached him. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," he said, feeling for the first time in ages that it was true, a smile breaking loose from him as he looked upon her face. "Yes, my lady. I am very well." He could not seem to look away from her even as a blush crept into her cheeks. He just barely restrained the urge to pull her into his arms, and only because he feared it might cause her undue abashment with Tana here– and the rest of camp for that matter.
"Aren't you going to the briefing?" she managed with the poise and dignity expected of a princess– this in spite of the beautifully scarlet tint of her cheeks.
Seth nodded. "Yes, Princess. I had needed to... check on something. But everything's fine now."
"I... see. We– we should be on our way then." Though it would once have distressed him to admit it, he could not but be delighted by how easily he could make her flush. To think that all he had to do was look at her!
"Princess Eirika, Princess Tana," he said gesturing for them to go ahead. He fell into step behind them and tried to rein in his giddy relief.
Syrene had arrived ahead of them this time, but otherwise all was the same in the war pavilion, and, as the familiar discussions proceeded, Seth used the time to consider his situation. His mood fouled as his thoughts turned to what he had seen in the clearing. Riev...
Like fire from a lightning strike, anger surged through Seth's veins. He would put an end to this. All this suffering, all this pain would come to an end. Today. This was the last time.
While the others planned for tomorrow, Seth made his own plans and the moment Ephraim dismissed them, he crossed the pavilion to speak to Lute.
"I have something to ask of you."
She titled her head slightly and peered at him as if he were an interesting new insect specimen she might wish to study. "Oh? My requests are classified into seven categories and
twenty-five items."
"Category three, item five," he replied; he'd been through this before, several times in fact.
She blinked once, her brow crinkling momentarily, surprised perhaps that she'd not had to elaborate, but finally nodded. "You want my counsel on magical matters. Very well. Ask away."
"What is the best way to break an enchantment?"
"To destroy the object that created it– the staff or tome or whatnot," she replied.
"And if that doesn't work?" Seth asked, almost certain that he knew the answer.
"Kill the caster," she replied matter-of-factly.
Seth's heart was pounding. "Thank you, Lute," he said with a slight bow. He would need her services soon, but dared not tell her so yet. Part of the day at least had to proceed as normal so that Riev would not expect him. Surely Riev had realized that he was not alone; at the very least he would have realized it the first time the pale staff never made it to the clearing, if not before. It would be there today... but so would he.
ooo
"My Lord Ephraim!" Seth hailed him as the twins emerged from Ephraim's tent. Eirika appeared troubled as she saw him and Ephraim's lips thinned to a line, but this time Seth had kept his distance and they could not know that he was aware that it was he himself who had been the subject of their discussion only moments ago.
"Yes, Seth. What can I do for you?" Ephraim replied, his features grown impassive.
"Riev is planning to attack our camp in a matter of an hour and a half."
"What?" His air was anything but impassive now. "How do know you this?"
"I cannot explain at present, my lord. He's after a staff that's been in Lute's possession since it was taken from Grado. I believe he's had his eye on it for some while. He plans to send a wave of demons to attack the western edge of camp as a distraction while he comes from the east alone to take the staff."
A glance passed between the siblings. On previous occasions Seth had gone to Eirika first. He had asked for her trust and relied on her to convince her brother. Ephraim's brow was creased but Eirika's features were pleading. "My lord," Seth began, his voice taut, "I realize this sounds like nothing more than madness, and that, of late, my behaviour has been... less than entirely courteous." His eyes flitted for a moment towards Eirika before returning to meet Ephraim's gaze. "But on my honour, Lord Ephraim, I swear I speak truth and I can only beg for your trust." He bowed his head, eyes closed for a moment. After all this time, he had almost forgotten the gnawing fear of uncertainty.
It was only when he felt the pressure of a hand gripping his shoulder that he dared look up. "Of course, Seth," Ephraim said with a curt nod. "Now tell me, what do you need?"
ooo
As the sun slanted low in the west, its light turned the leaves of the dying trees a coppery colour like the tint of dried blood, thought Seth. A few paces away Saleh and Lute waited, the former with stoic silence, the latter with unabashed curiosity as she peered through the brush into the glade where Dozla and Garcia were wreaking havoc with the twisted staff they had pilfered from the war tent. Neimi had one arrow nocked and another tucked behind her ear, eyes rivetted on the space ahead of her. Syrene's pegasus was as still as sculpted ice, while the breeze teasing loose strands of her long hair was the only sign that its rider was any more than that. Kyle, sword drawn, periodically shifted his weight from one foot to the other, but was otherwise focussed entirely on the scene before them.
Seth spared his unit only a passing glance and the glade even less so. By now he could tell just by listening how much time remained. Ephraim had been generous in his trust and had allowed Seth to choose a group with which to face Riev. The prince had only hesitated when Seth had asked that Eirika accompany him and even then he had quickly relented upon Seth's insistence. Seth could not but be humbled by the faith his liege placed in him even now, when he had erred so grievously, enough that he had given Ephraim cause to doubt him.
Eirika's eyes, too, were fixed on the glade, but she turned to him when he addressed her. "My lady," Seth said in a low tone. "I must speak to you of a matter of great import."
"But, Seth..."
"We've time still."
Her brow was furrowed but she nodded and followed him a few paces away from the others. He wasted no time. "At some point during the battle," he said, "a trio of gwyllgis will appear. They will have your scent and will come after you. Whatever happens, please, stay close to me." His fingers reached out and glanced over her cheek for the barest instant before he remembered himself.
Eirika's eyes widened, but finally she nodded. "I will," she whispered.
"Here I'll use the staff to heal that in a jiff," Dozla announced from the glade.
"It won't be long now," Seth said. Eirika's eyes remained upon him as they returned to join the others. There would be time for explanations later. If this worked there would be time for all things once again.
"I can fix that!" The rumble of Dozla's voice set Seth's heart hammering.
"Perhaps we should put an end to our training for today?" Garcia suggested.
Seth drew his sword. The others steeled themselves. "Keep your eyes on the staff, Neimi," he said.
"Yes, sir!" she replied without batting an eye. She drew her bow.
As one, the others started at the sound of shouting from across camp. Only Seth remained unfazed, staring straight ahead as Dozla and Garcia sprinted back towards camp and the staff was tossed onto the grass.
He didn't see Neimi loose the arrow, only saw the blur of it piercing the air, and then a strangled cry like creaking branches in a storm.
Seth raced into the clearing to face the withered magician, the others close behind. Riev clutched the staff even as an arrow pinned his hand to the ground, blood dribbling from around the shaft where it had pierced the muscle between his thumb and index finger. As he drew a ragged breath and looked up, his lips parted in a smile that reminded Seth of nothing so much as the grisly grin of a skull. "Ah so you finally caught on," Riev croaked, his eyes on Seth. "And here I thought my gwyllgis were the ideal distraction." Riev's smile widened into a veritable smirk and his eyes shifted. Seth spun to see the familiar trio of gwyllgis bursting from the brush, racing towards Eirika.
Even as it ran, the lead gwyllgi drew in a deep breath, a sign Seth had learned to look for and he wasted no time in diving towards Eirika, knocking her aside as the creature showered them with a burst of flame. He rolled to his feet and Eirika, only a moment later. From the corner of his eye he glimpsed one of the gwyllgis stagger as an arrow buried itself to the shaft in its side. Kyle was off to his left facing down the third gwyllgi. He could hear the roar of magic behind him but there was no time to wonder as the lead gwyllgi lunged towards him.
The beast roared as Eirika's blade pierced the left eye of the outer head. She drew it out with a jerk and the outer head lolled along the creature's body, blood oozing from the gaping wound. It staggered and Seth used its distraction to leap towards it, his blade making a wide arc across the base of the creature's necks, cleaving through the tender flesh. It uttered not a sound as it fell to the grass in a heap.
Scanning area before him, Seth was satisfied that the remaining gwyllgis were well in hand. Kyle had injured the one and the other was about to meet its end as Syrene's pegasus dived towards it. The crash of magic sounded once again and Seth spun to see Saleh and Lute launching spells at Riev. The arrow shaft that had pinned him lay broken on the grass and Riev pressed his injured hand against his robes even as his left clutched the blood-spattered staff. By all that was holy! The damnable staff!
The staff seemed able to perform regular magic, much like it had for Dozla when it had set Garcia's beard aflame, for it shot a bolt towards Lute and Saleh, knocking them both off their feet.
He sensed more than saw Eirika's movement and reached out to restrain her even as Kyle came racing forward, blade ready to strike. Riev raised his staff, a sibilant chant wafting from his lips and all at once, the runes on the staff flared to life and a pale, orange light shot from the staff and enveloped Kyle. When it faded, Kyle was frozen in mid-step like a carved figure beyond the skill of the greatest sculptor of their age.
"I've not been idle all this time," Riev croaked, his lips curving in smug satisfaction. An arrow soared towards him but the staff was raised and before the arrow could strike, its flight had slowed to a crawl. Lips curling into a grimace of pleasure, Riev stepped out of the arrow's path as it floated by.
In an eye's blink Riev had raised the staff once more and Seth's gaze followed it as it snapped upwards and the ruddy glow shot towards the diving form of Syrene and her pegasus. His voice caught in his throat before he could shout a warning. By some miracle she managed to swerve in midair and the glow wrapped itself only around the lance in Syrene's had. Seth watched in fascinated horror as, before his eyes, the lance turned to rust and crumbled entirely, as if in the space of a few seconds it had aged a century's time.
Riev had somehow learned to use the staff to manipulate time, much as Lute has suggested, but to greater effect than even she had envisioned...
Seth edged in front of the princess as he kept his eyes on Riev. No one dared move as Riev held the staff, but even in the dimming light he could not disguise the blood that soaked his robes from the puncture wound in his hand. A stalemate. Dammit.
"What did you hope to accomplish?" Seth said.
Riev's lips twisted into a smile. "Time, of course. When I master the staff I'll wield more power than the Demon King himself and this world will be mine. You were a surprise, however." Seth stumbled away, pulling Eirika with him as magic shot out from the staff. He glimpsed a tree to his left wither before his eyes into a lifeless hulk and then crumble to dust. He shuddered to think what might happen if it were to strike one of them.
"This is futile, Riev," Seth said, his voice like chilled iron. "If you strike me down today I'll return the next time and the next. Or I'll break the staff before you can reach it. We can both be trapped in this day this for the rest of time," he snarled.
"Seth, what are you saying?" breathed Eirika, pressed so close behind him that he could feel the heat of her breath on his neck.
A mirthless laugh crackled from Riev's lips. "Poor fool. I could release you from this. Is there nothing you want? Some moment you might wish to live over, perhaps?" Riev's eyes flicked over Seth's shoulder towards Eirika. "I could grant it to you," he said, his gravelly voice barely more than a whisper now.
Eirika's fingertips, brushing over his arm, sent a shiver down his spine and all at once he was overcome with the memory of her touch, of the way her trembling hands had explored his body, of the way his lips had explored hers. His mouth went dry as he thought of her lips, her breasts, of that innocence she had offered up to him freely, as desirous of him as he'd been of her. To live forever in that instant of perfect union...
Seth's palms were slick around his sword hilt and his heartbeat thundered in his ears. He felt bile rise in his throat as shame and disgust washed through him at the awareness of his own lust. He could not damn all the world just to have her once more.
"I will escape time and... gain immortality. And you can have whatever pleasure you wish." Seth's eyes narrowed. Had Riev swayed for a moment? "Do we have a... bargain, general?" Though it was difficult to be certain in the ruddy glow of the remains of daylight, the stain on Riev's robes seemed to have expanded considerably.
Seth let his sword fall to the ground.
"Seth, what are you doing?" Eirika said urgently.
"Trust me, my lady," Seth replied, eyes on Riev.
Riev appeared delighted, his lips contorting into a smile as he held the twisted wooden staff out before him. The dusky light struck his pallid features and the wooden staff, illuminating them both with a crimson glow. Seth lunged.
Before Riev could utter more than a syllable, Seth had wrapped both hands around the staff. He tried to wrench it away, but even wounded Riev clutched at it with a vice-like grip, his face twisted into a mask of rage so that in the ruddy light his features took on the likeness of the demon spawned beasts more than that of a man.
Riev's good hand was still clenched around the staff when Seth snapped it down over his knee. He felt a searing heat and the force of a blow knocking him backwards, flinging him through the air... a sharp pain and then darkness.