Chapter 22
Iris regained consciousness and transformed into her human form. Her left wing and arm were throbbing painfully. Her back and right side were covered in blood and she was lying in a small pool of it. But she was no longer bleeding. She rolled over her right side onto her hands and knees. When she tried to put weight on her left hand a stinging pain shot all the way up her arm into her shoulder and back.
She noticed a small device lying near her and sat back on her knees. She picked it up with her right hand and looked it over. There was a crack down the side of the device. And the screen glitched occasionally. She looked through the device. It had absorbed a powerful lightning spell and countered two of Seth'ius's light beams. She nodded, "So that's how the New God of the Sea survived." She struggled to get to her feet and collapsed.
"Lady Iris!" Aurelia landed, folding her white feathery wings against her back, and raced towards her. She helped the dragon to her feet, "Are you alright? We should-"
"Take me to the Izzet," Iris commanded.
Aurelia blinked at her.
"Ma'am," Isperia said as she landed, "With all due respect, we need to get you to a healer."
"Take me to the Izzet," Iris repeated her command.
Aurelia glanced at Isperia and then looked back to Iris, "Yes Ma'am."
The three of them walked carefully to the Izzet Guildhall.
"Go ahead and take the city off of lock down when you return to your guildhalls," Iris told the two of them, "Seth'ius has left."
"And the New God of the Sea?" Aurelia asked.
"He is gone as well. I failed to stop his family from taking him," Iris admitted shamefully.
Isperia and Aurelia exchanged worried glances.
"He will be alright," Iris promised, "Seth'ius would not dare destroy him. The Oracle has told him of the Sea God's importance."
"Will he break the Sea God though?" Isperia asked.
Iris smirked, "He won't be able to. The New God of the Sea has picked up Ravnica's defiant spirit. And already has the Guildpact's contradictory attitude. If nothing else, he will help us simply to spite his father."
Isperia sighed in relief, "Good."
In the Izzet Guildhall Ral Zarek and many other Izzet Mages worked to repair the androids that had been damaged in the battle at the mansion. Iris pulled away from Aurelia and Isperia, "Ensure the dead are buried with honor."
"Yes Ma'am." The two nodded and left.
"Lady Iris!" Ral, Vala, and Lavinia hurried up to her.
"Are you alright?" Ral asked worriedly.
Iris ignored him and held out Spell Breaker, "I believe this belongs to the New God of the Sea. However since we cannot reach him it is your duty to look after it."
Ral stared down at it in horror, "So he's gone?"
Iris nodded, "He was taken back to his world."
Lavinia pressed her lips together and shook her head.
"What about the other kids?" Vala asked, "Are they alright?"
Iris paused. After a long silence she nodded, "Most are. Five are dead."
The three in front of her exchanged glances. Ral swallowed, "Which five?" His tone said he already knew the answer. He just wanted to be told he was wrong.
Iris closed her eyes, "His friends. Shanniah Seaquester, Hailey-Anne Serax, Jexus Shadowfell, Zven Shadowfell, and Sammuel Endier." She opened her eyes and took a deep breath, "The other children are in the Salara Institute. Give them some time to recover but they will know better what exactly happened."
Seth'ius dragged Lian into his room and threw him to the ground before closing the door.
Lian landed on his hands and knees. He turned and scrambled away from Seth'ius, into a corner between his desk and the bedroom window. He gritted his teeth.
The fox watched from his bed, snarling with it's ears flat back.
"While you were living under the delusion that those demons actually cared about you, your family, who loves you more than anything, has been searching for you. Worrying about. For weeks! Weeks!"
Lian turned away from Seth'ius, really wishing he had the power to phase through the floor.
Seth'ius grabbed the lower part of Lian's face and turned his head towards him, "Look at me when I am speaking to you!"
Lian clenched his jaw tightly. It felt like the weight of the world was sitting on his chest, keeping him from breathing, and his heart was going to jump out of his body at any minute.
"You're weak willed, Mii'lian! Even a simple child would've seen through that illusion. Those monsters you called your friends were another water demon," Seth'ius snarled.
Lian pushed down the urge to bite his father's hand. His friends had been kinder and more loving than nearly everyone on this miserable excuse for a world.
"You are lucky I have let you live this long," Seth'ius threatened, "Your very existence disrupts the peace of the multiverse. But if you continue in your defiance I will have no choice but to destroy you. You will not leave this world again. To do so will end in a fate worse than death." He shoved Lian into the wall and got to his feet, "Do you understand me?"
Lian nodded, "Yes, Father."
Seth'ius stormed out of the room, locking the door behind him.
Lian laughed to hide the fact that he really just wanted to curl up and cry, "Locked in my room again huh?" He got slowly to his feet.
The fox climbed down from the bed and trotted over to him. It jumped up onto the desk chair and looked up at him.
Lian smiled, "Hey, Buddy." He wrapped it in a hug, "You're one thing I did miss while I was gone." He petted it's head, "Did Loc look after you while I was gone?"
The fox barked.
Lian sighed and walked over to his bed. He wasn't tired anymore. It was unlikely he'd be able to sleep anyway. His stomach was tight and he was desperately trying to ignore the bombardment of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He sat down on his bed. After a couple deep breathes it all faded into numbness.
His eyes widened suddenly, "I'm still wearing my boots!" He grinned at the fox, "I'm still wearing my boots!"
The fox laid it's head down on his lap.
Lian gave it a flat look, "Really, Buddy? Can't you be excited for me?"
The fox lifted it's head and headbutted his side. It's tail flopped around behind it.
Lian laughed, "Thanks."
The fox barked again.
Lian watched as the sun rose. It's light shone directly into his window the moment it crested the horizon. He squinted around at his room, "Ow." He growled and flopped onto his bed. He covered his head with his pillow and buried his face into the mattress.