-Chapter Thirty-
Casavir hastily packed his gear and put on his armor. After a quick mental check over his equipment, he rushed to join Lana and the others in the courtyard.
He was dismayed to find them all mounted. Lana sat holding the reins for his mount looking dismal as he approached. Bishop flanked her closely on the opposite side of her horse, sneering when Casavir caught his eye. Zhjaeve, Sand and Shandra were patiently waiting on their respective mounts. Casavir threw himself quickly into the saddle and Lana kicked her horse roughly forward.
After riding for several days, they arrived at the Ruins of Arhahn. Lana had kept her distance from Casavir, speaking to him only when necessary. Casavir fought with himself- part of him wanted to lash out at her in anger while the other wanted nothing more than to embrace her. He had spent several nights watching her still form as she slept. He still found her beautiful and didn't want to lose her but she had made her intentions clear. There had been several times he had caught her gaze upon him but she would turn away quickly. He sensed a deep hurt lingering behind her features but she kept him always at arm's length.
The only consolation he had was he noticed Lana kept Bishop at a distance too. Lana stayed apart from the ranger, never letting herself be alone with him. Casavir was unsure what this meant but felt a modicum of relief. His mind roiled as he tried to make sense of it all but unable to find answers, decided to let the gods have their will. The other choices were to go mad with indecision or leave Lana's company. Neither choice was appealing.
Zhjaeve pushed her horse up to Lana's side. "We shall have to search for the Statues of Purification. Each should be in this area."
Lana nodded curtly in acknowledgment. "We need to use caution. These hills will leave us blind to any attackers."
They rode slowly into the small rolling hills, almost immediately coming upon a large granite statue after rounding a small embank. The statue was a faceless woman holding a large bowl in outstretched hands. It was unremarkable in form or beauty.
Lana dismounted and approached warily. A husky female voice spoke aloud when Lana had drawn near. A blue light emanated from the statue engulfing Lana.
"In ancient times, the Guardian was created to protect Illefarn. If the time has come to dismantle our Great Instrument, you will be an agent of its destruction. Take this Blessing of Camaraderie. May its power strike down all who oppose you and your allies."
As the statue completed its speech, a searing red light encircled Lana accompanied by a blinding flash of white from the statue. Lana stood staring at the statue for a few moments after the light faded. There was mixture of emotions playing across her face, a mixture of awe and sadness. She drew herself up straight pulling her shoulders back with a sense of finality.
"The first ritual is complete," Zhjaeve commented flatly. It seemed a bold understatement.
They continued onward, encountering a group of orcs and goblins fighting one another. A well placed fireball from Sand ended the battle with almost dissatisfying abruptness. Casavir shot Bishop a look of disgust when the ranger uttered a snicker at the surprised yelps from the orcs and goblins.
The group met several groups of peaceful orcs whose only intentions for violence were toward the other local tribes. Lana made necessary arrangements for safe passage, having to agree to fight only one tribe instead of the three separate factions who held the locations where the remaining statues lay.
They entered what Lana had learned was Riverguard Keep to find a band of orcs. After making further deals against one of the other tribes, they set off.
Lana halted in front a large statue kneeling to read the inscription below. "It says four knights are buried here. They fell in service to their country. It also says there was a renovation for a Statue of Purification here." She stopped and caught Casavir's eye, holding his gaze. He could see fear lurking in her stare. She turned abruptly but he heard her mutter with a shiver, "As the four knights long ago guarded our last hopes in life, may they do so once more in death." It looked to Casavir as if she were trying to shake off something unpleasant as if a spider web grazed her skin.
It was quiet, dark and musty as they entered the final resting place of the four knights. Four large sarcophagi lay before them with large trunks at the feet of each one. Lana froze in her tracks as they entered, staring at each tomb.
Casavir approached her silently, stopping behind her. "These are knights who fell in battle in service to their people... their countries," he said with reference, his voice low and husky in her ear.
Lana nodded slightly. "They were brave warriors who gave everything for their ideals. Is this how all noble deeds end?" she asked softly.
He placed a hand gently on her arm. "Does any worthy cause last only as long as there are those to fight for it... and die for it? And what if there is no one left who believes in such things?"
She turned slightly to stare up into his eyes. "But it is easily seen in you Casavir."
He smiled gently. "Your words honor me. Perhaps one day we shall see." Casavir stood with his hand still on her arm but looked again at their surroundings. "I ask this one thing of you… If I should fall in battle, I would like to be buried here."
Lana's eyes unexpectedly welled with tears. She started to shake her head in dismay, but he took her chin in his hand. He stared intently down into her eyes, forcing her to look at him. "Lana, I ask this of you. The day will come when I shall fall. I pray this one request of you. Please promise you will honor this one thing I ask of you."
A tear streaked unchecked down her cheek. "Why? Why here Casavir? It is so quiet and lonely. How did they know it was worthwhile? How do they know they made a difference? They gave everything they had for one cause and this is all that remains to show for their efforts." Her voice was a harsh whisper. She looked again at the four tombs.
Casavir sighed deeply and wiped the single tear with his finger. "Lana, they did not seek glory or fame, but did their duty. They fought for what they believed in. I desire to be surrounded by those that were willing to fight for what they believed and remained loyal to the end."
She stood silently for a beat before turning to face him again. "And that is enough? To give your life for a cause? They died alone, no one morns their deaths."
He gazed into her eyes. "Are you saying you would morn my passage my lady? Would you lay flowers upon my grave if I were to leave this earth?"
"Of course I would Casavir, but aside from you who would morn my passage? I am the shard bearer, hero of Neverwinter, slayer of orcs and now the anointed one against the Shadow King, but does any of it matter? Pretty titles but lonely company."
She strode away from him to finish the rite silently. Lana seemed lost in thought as they completed each ritual. Her countenance darkened, a light fading within her with each progressive statue. They reached a large portal atop a lonely hill and looked to Zhjaeve for further instructions.
Zhjaeve stood beside the large vertical ring. "There is one remaining statue then the ritual will be complete. Know that this is the final step towards weakening the Shadow King." She activated the portal and stepped back to allow Lana first passage.
Once they all had passed through, they were startled to find themselves in West Harbor. It was not the West Harbor Casavir remembered. Something dark and sinister lay heavily upon the air.
Lana looked around with shock etched on her face. "Why are we here? This isn't right."
Casavir grabbed her arm, stopping her advance. "Something is indeed wrong. We need to use extreme caution."
They had arrived in a clearing and warily approached the town proper. Lana gasped in dismay as they rounded the burnt remains of a barn. Before them lay charred and mangled bodies, left in lifeless heaps where they had been struck down.
Lana ran forward towards a woman Casavir recognized. It was Retta's body. Retta lay crumpled on her back, legs awkwardly bent behind as if someone had pushed her onto her backside, open eyes staring into nothingness. Her face still had an expression of mixed horror and surprise. Close beside were the two furry bodies of large grey dogs. Casavir had to look away when he saw the smaller forms of two children clinging even in death to Retta's skirt. Lana fell sobbing to her knees beside the three bodies.
"This is my fault. They did nothing to deserve this. Why?" Lana raged fists clenched tightly together as she knelt over the bodies. She cried for several more minutes before squaring her shoulders and coming to her feet.
Her companions had gathered silently behind her. "Let's search for any survivors. Someone will pay, on this I swear." Her face was fierce, lips drawn into an angry snarl of rage. Her features looked feral and loathsome, all shred of mercy or kindness gone.
After looking through the remains of the small town, they could find no trace of Deaghun or Lana's old friend Bevil. Lana commented aloud she hoped it meant they managed to escape but her tone had an undertone of hopelessness.
They gathered the bodies they could find, dragging the corpses into the large remains of the burned out barn. After the group had found all they could and gathered anything of use, they stood silently outside the barn.
"It is not how things should be done but I can think of no better way. At least we did not leave them to the crows. There is nothing more we can do," Casavir uttered grimly.
"I know. We must keep moving and there are too many to bury properly," Lana said with a catch in her voice. She nodded at Sand and he cast a fireball into the heart of the barn. It bloomed into a roaring blaze instantly. They watched as the fire engulfed the timbers, snapping and popping angry orange and red flames. After the barn burned to the ground, Sand cast a large ice storm over the remaining fire. The flames hissed as ice melted into the ashes, extinguishing the remaining small fires within the ashes with hissing and smoking. The small band remained long enough to be sure the fire was fully extinguished before moving onward.
Zhjaeve had surmised the final statue to be in the nearby swamp so they grimly set forth. No one spoke; the situation was too ghastly for conversation. The adventurers tromped wearily through the swamp down the small winding path through the soggy marsh.
They approached a small mausoleum and halted. "Something seems wrong," Lana stated in a low, cautious tone. "Prepare yourselves, this might get ugly."
"You mean this hasn't been ugly enough?" Sand muttered darkly while casting various buffing and protective spells quickly. Bishop gave a snort of agreement.
She and Bishop drew near the door, arrows nocked, bows slightly drawn. Shandra and Casavir stood a short distance behind, swords drawn ready to spring forward. Bishop pushed the door open with his foot quietly taking the first step into the dark entry.
They were not alone in the chamber of the final ritual statue. An explosion followed by a blast of flame greeted them in the large room. A flaming skull headed Shadow Reaver turned away from the smoking remains of the ritual statue.
"Looks like we got company," Bishop muttered under his breath.
The Shadow Reaver stood silently watching as Lana and her company advanced. His head was engulfed with blue flames. The white skull that was once a man's head floated in the continuous flicker, jaw hanging open in a sick mockery with a grin full of large canine fangs. Lana and her companions arrival did not seem to surprise the Reaver.
"You are too late. This statue's power has been spent by another and we have destroyed it. The Shadow King will triumph, you have no hope," the monstrosity cackled at Lana.
Lana's snarl was almost as fearsome as the Shadow Reaver's grin. She flicked her bow quickly into its holding case at her back and arrow into its quiver with a smooth, practiced movement.
"Ya, well you have no face bonebag. I will see that you pay for what you have done to West Harbor." With an animalistic wail of rage and hatred, she unsheathed her glowing blades almost too fast for the eye to see while lunging forward. The Shadow Reaver stepped back at the unexpected attack as Lana swung her blades upwards in blue and red arcs. The Shadow Reaver began rapid incantations while fending off Lana's attacks. Bursts of light and color flashed through the air as the sounds of pain and weapons clashing rang out.
Casavir and Shandra plunged past Bishop as the ranger launched arrow after arrow into the surging wraiths and two Shadow Priests. Sand cast a raging ice storm overhead, crushing one of the wraiths instantly with a howl of pain while chunks of ice slammed down onto the shoulder a Shadow Priest. He whirled in pain and surprise, caught off balance. Casavir took an upward swing, plunging his blade into the priest's chest. The blade pushed the priest's robe into a peak through the back as it went cleanly through his torso. With a grunt of effort, Casavir pulled down and back releasing his blade as the attacker fell grasping at the protruding weapon. The paladin stood watching for a split second to ensure he had delivered the death blow as the priest's body slumped sideways onto the cold stone slabs below. Blood pooled around the body, thick and inky in the dim torchlight.
Bishop had picked off the other wraith and Shandra was delivering the final blows to the remaining priest as Casavir did a quick survey of the scene. Lana had backed the Shadow Reaver into a corner. She had him pinned against the wall so his hands were useless to cast further spells. Lana was panting heavily, one blade crossing where the reaver's neck should have been, her other blade poised with the tip piercing his robes above his heart. She held the blade elbow cocked slightly into the air, hilt following at a slight upward angle in preparation to run her blade down through the reaver's chest.
Casavir could see the snarl of hatred on Lana's face; her lips were drawn tight across her teeth. Her panting sounded like growling as she harnessed her fury into her attack.
"You may have stopped me but you will never stop the Shadow King," the priest cackled mockingly at her.
"I don't really care. I just want you to suffer you bastard," she replied. Her voice was deep, a snarl more then human speech. Lana's eyes looked almost gleeful as she slammed her blade downward into the reaver's chest with a grunt of effort. The reaver emitted a screaming howl of pain and agony. She stood with her sword angling through the Shadow Reaver's heart watching with a maniacal gleam in her eyes. The body twitched its final death throes still pinned to the wall against her weight. Lana withdrew her blade with a swift tug, stepping back a pace to allow the lifeless body to crumple to the floor at her feet. She knelt and wiped her blades unceremoniously on its robes before resheathing her swords.
Lana stood and gave a cursory glance at the devastation around them. She was still panting slightly from the exertion of battle, streaks of blood and grime across her face and exposed skin. She had small burn marks and scratches but was otherwise unharmed. "Great, now what?" she asked as she looked around the desecrated ruins nonchalantly.
Casavir felt a chill run up his spine as he once again witnessed the cold killer that had been his lover.
Zhjaeve stepped cautiously forward. "Know there is another we must seek. Another who has the final part of the ritual. In finding him, we find the answers we need."
A portal gleamed and shimmered on the back wall behind the statue. The cleric continued, "We must return through that portal and seek this other one."
They entered the portal and were returned to the same lonely hill in the ruins. Everyone reclaimed the horses they had left on tielines and headed back towards Crossroads Keep.
The ride back was a solemn affair. Lana kept her distance from everyone speaking only when necessary. Her face seemed to be constantly taut and distressed looking; her eyes seemed to have taken on a haunted look.
If I could just get her alone for a few moments. I need to speak to her and tell her what happened, that this is all a ridiculous misunderstanding. If she would just stop and listen, this stupid situation could be over and done with. I still love her, why can't she see that? I know she still cares after the way she acted in Riverguard. We just need a little time alone and to make some effort again.
Casavir sensed something deeper than just their disagreement was haunting Lana but was unable to reach her to find out what. There was something ugly chasing away her peace, even her sleep had become affected. She slept near Casavir as they traveled but no longer shared his bedroll. He heard her teeth gnashing often and she would call out in her sleep. Casavir heard her pleading for someone or something to cease but he didn't know what or who she was trying to restrain. As soon as morning came, she would rise before he had the opportunity to question her.
They finally returned to the keep and Lana bolted from her horse without a word to anyone, charging to the main hall as if she could not part company fast enough. After turning his mount over to the stable hands and removing his gear, Casavir hastened to follow Lana.
He entered their bedroom in hopes of finding Lana. She was not in the room, but he had a fleeting glimmer of hope when he noted her equipment flung onto their bed. He tossed his gear next to her rucksack. Casavir found her in the library consulting with Zhjaeve, Sand and Aldanon and looking frustrated. Sand and Zhjaeve looked equally upset but Aldanon wore the same expression of bewilderment Casavir had always seen on the sage's face.
"But surely you must have a way to find the haven. We need to find it immediately," Lana pleaded.
"Oh yes, I wish I could too but you must understand there is no way to trace where it is hidden if it's even there." Aldanon replied.
Sand pursed his lips, "There are many ways, and we must try something. This is strong magic, but not impossible. We are sure it is Jerro Haven we need to seek, surely you can find something of use."
Aldanon shook his looking at Sand like a child who can't understand two plus two equals four. "Jerro Haven is old magic. I have tried but…"
An apprentice came charging into the room blushing fiercely as he realized his intrusion.
"Yes, what is it young man? That's the trouble with young people, always rushing around." Aldanon said incredulously.
"Sir, we have found the location you asked us to find," the apprentice sputtered excitedly.
"And what location is that young man? I do not recall any such request."
The man looked around at each of the expectant faces in the group before returning a perplexed look at Aldanon. "Jerro Haven sir. You asked us to look sometime ago. We tried everything but… well we finally managed to locate it. It is marked on this map," he offered almost fearfully.
Lana stepped forward hastily taking the proffered parchment. "Looks like we have more work to do. Time is wasting, let us prepare quickly and leave as soon as possible. Sand, can you teleport us to that location? There might not be time for traveling."
"I will prepare the necessary scrolls. Consider it done," Sand nodded curtly. Lana gave a quick bob of her head in acknowledgement and she turned to leave. Her face was grim but determined as she set off to resupply and inform the other party members.
Casavir caught her arm as she tried to push hastily past. Lana looked at him, her lips pursed tightly together.
"My lady, we need to talk. We need to speak before we leave. This can wait no longer."
"Casavir, it will have to. Jerro has the final ritual. Our personal lives will have to wait a little longer. Duty calls." She said the last sentence with a touch of finality. He nodded grimly and followed her to reclaim their equipment.
"I imagine we should find Shandra for this excursion. We need her along this time," Casavir commented as they hurried through the hallways in search of Bishop and Shandra.
"Any other time she would be closer to me than a shadow at high noon except now that I need her," Lana spat.
"She really has become a solid fighter. It's good to have her along."
"True, she has gained some decent skill with her sword. That is always useful. I just wish she wouldn't tail me so. It's hard enough to find any privacy around here." Casavir only nodded in grim agreement.
Lana and Casavir scrambled to find Bishop and Shandra and informed them of the new development. The party hastily visited various merchants throughout the keep to sell off unnecessary goods and purchase needed potions, scrolls and healing kits. They were ready to travel within the hour. Lana also made sure to gather extra potions for Sand since he was preparing the scrolls necessary for their departure.
After everyone was satisfied with their purchases, the four hastened to the library where Sand was waiting for them. Zhjaeve was reading through more research and had decided to not accompany them. She looked up to acknowledge their entrance a polite bob of her head.
"Know that my thoughts are with you all. Good luck."
With a grim nod of acknowledgement, Sand cast the teleportation spells and the five disappeared in a blink.