Author's Note:
Apologies again for the delay between chapters. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own this franchise, although I wish I did.
-Tangent
The temperature was nearing freezing, and yet there was no sign of land ahead. All around them, lightning flickered and danced between the black clouds, as if trapping the party between the flashes of light. Ean set his hand gently on Beregond's neck. Night had fallen many hours earlier, drenching the sea below in black absolute.
"Fly lower, my friend. It will be easier." The dragon snorted, but began to descend warily, even his legendary stamina nearing its exhaustion point. Next to him, Iya's eyes were closed, and her chaos orb was hovering between her outstretched palms. Now and then, she would murmur something or open her eyes, but for the most part, his mate was focusing all her energy upon the storm. Now and then, flickers of magic would leap out and be lost in the vast, raging sky. As she had explained briefly before the storm, her magic could divert the worst of the natural forces at work, but not all.
Chancing a glance behind him, Ean saw the others huddled close together around Gavin, who had used a scroll to temporarily ward off the rain. The elf knew he was soaked, but he trusted Vincent and the others to keep him warm. Jack shot him a wan grin, and Ean gave him a thumbs up. Then they broke through the clouds, and he saw the ocean below.
There was no other word for it but alive. The waves towered dozens of feet tall before being pounded flat by the wind and rain. It was a battle between two primeval forces, and neither would yield any ground. Again and again, the water rose only to be smothered by the sky.
"Ean?" Iya called, and he whipped around. The pulsing magic in her hands had faded slightly, enough that she could talk and cast her spell at the same time.
"We should be almost there." The elf replied. "Please, Beregond. One last effort."
It happened so fast he could not react. A bolt of electricity flew past, so close he felt his hairs stand on end. The ocean exploded into mist around the superheated flow, and the party was temporarily deafened by the ensuing crack. His mate looked at him, the first stages of panic showing in her eyes.
"If we stay out here, we could die!"
"We have no choice." He responded, and Beregond increased his speed with a herculean effort. "It's weather the storm or be dragged beneath the waves."
When morning came, it found the party thoroughly soaked and bedraggled, but alive, nonetheless. The storm had broken an hour ago, and the elf had told the others to get some sleep while they could. Only Iya remained awake, her powers sustaining her for longer than normal. Beneath him, Beregond still labored, grunts of exertion coming from the fanged mouth.
"Ean." Vincent spoke to him, and he was instantly alert. "I feel... I feel something."
"The last spirit?" It was very unlike the former man to be vague and unclear.
"I don't know. Be careful." A moment later, the connection had been cut.
"I see it!" Iya breathed.
There, in the distance, Ean could see the tops of mountains, towering high over the turbulent ocean. With an effort, he enhanced his eyesight, so that he could see the waves beating against the unrelenting stone cliffs. To the right, he could see the southern edge of the island, where Dead Man's Canyon still sat.
"Fly, Beregond. We are nearly there!" The dragon angled himself upwards and shot into the clouds once more.
Half an hour later, they were climbing steadily over the mountains that formed an impenetrable barrier between the rest of the world and Eredar. The whole party had awakened and was on alert, weapons drawn. After all, they'd been waiting for this moment for several months. The Land of the Lost had been the goal, yes, but now that they had arrived, the mood was much more somber.
Beregond passed the tips of the mountains, and Ean beheld the largest range of mountains he'd ever seen. There were thousands, all uniquely shaped and reaching towards the sky. Even the ranges of Shaenlir did not compare to this wild, untamed beauty.
"Ean!" Rye called to him. "I see an area to the north where the mountains seem to drop away. Is it worth investigating?"
"We need a place to set down so Beregond can rest." The elf replied. "Let's head for it."
The area in question turned out to be a large, rather desolate-looking plain, rocky and barren of anything except grass and stone. Still, it was flat, and so Ean directed Beregond to land, much to the creature's relief. The dragon soared downwards and landed with a crunching sound, sliding for a few yards across loose shale and mud.
"We made it." Nicholas breathed wearily as the party dismounted.
"Should we break camp?" Rye asked. Ean thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I think so. We need to rest and try to figure out where we are. Right now, I think we're all pretty worn out." Rye tossed him a quick grin and began directing the others to their tasks. As Jack and Emma assisted him in setting up tents and starting a fire, Gavin and Ava seemed to come to some unspoken agreement and moved away to patrol the area.
The elf turned to tend to Beregond, but Nicholas was already there, searching in his bags for a remedy.
"Just worn out, I think." The prince murmured after a moment. "I've tended to the immediate injuries, so food and sleep should take care of the rest."
"Thank you, Nic." Iya said sincerely, and the man nodded tiredly.
"Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll stretch my legs after being stuck on that beast for days." Beregond snorted indignantly, and the prince scoffed as he strode away.
"We made it." Iya said to him, and he turned to look at his mate.
"We really did. This island feels so much more wild than anything we've encountered thus far. Be sure to stay on your guard, Iya." She tossed him a serene smile, and the pair moved off to join the others.
A hot meal did wonders for their morale, and Ean set aside a generous portion of food for Gavin and Ava, who were still absent from camp. When the pair did return, they looked uneasy, and Ean raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" He asked after they had eaten. Gavin glanced at the pirate opposite him, who rolled her eyes.
"There's some structures to the north, towards the mountains. They looked ruined, but they're definitely not natural. Some monsters roaming around there too. Giant birds and what looked like that behemoth from the volcano."
"In other words, fun times ahead." Rye put in from his spot stoking the fire, grinning slightly. Ava rapped him on the head, and the ranger winced.
"I'm not done. We didn't go further, but there was some sort of road leading towards the mountains. It went south too, but I didn't see any buildings that way. And Gavin says something was watching him." The warlock shot her a glare.
"I said it felt like it, Ava. For all I know, it could just be this constant wind that keeps on blowing."
"But you saw nothing? " Ean clarified, and the man nodded.
"Not so much as a hint. My detection spells picked up nothing as well." The elf frowned, consulting the other presences in his mind.
"That sound familiar? Was there a beast able to cloak itself?"
"Not that I ever saw, but I guess that's the point. It would be like that witch to keep one of us in reserve. But still, I don't feel like anyone been blocked from my memories." Cigni replied, and Amari and Edward chorused assent. Erik remained silent, but Ean felt he did not know any better.
"I... I feel something." Vincent murmured, echoing his thoughts from earlier. "I should know... but I don't."
"Don't strain yourself." Ean told him. "If it comes to you, tell me."
"Ean?" Gavin asked curiously, but the elf waved him off.
"They don't know anything either." Making a decision, Ean gestured to a spot next to their camp where a slight rise could be seen. "We'll sleep for now, and have a look around later. But I want two people on guard rotation at all times. Rye, I'll leave that up to you to figure out." The ranger nodded, immediately selecting himself and Jack, who volunteered. The rest of the party fell into their bedrolls, exhausted despite the fact that morning had only just come.
The next few hours were, thankfully, quiet and peaceful compared to the turbulent flight of the past few days. Beregond returned, having hunted for himself, and curled up nearby, eyelids opening and closing lazily.
When the sun reached its peak, the party's morale had improved tremendously. Everybody had gotten several hours of rest, and it was with that in mind that Ean came to a decision.
"We're going to take a look at these ruins to the north." He announced, strapping his gear to his back. "We'll be walking, but if you don't want to come-" The elf was immediately met with several vocal complaints, Gavin and Emma chief among them. "Alright, alright. Better get ready, then."
As the others were seizing their equipment from near the fire, Ean moved over to stroke Beregond's nose.
"You'll keep an eye on things, won't you?" The dragon snorted, but sent a thought of asset his way. "Thank you."
Ava had been correct in her findings, as there was a road that led almost directly towards the northern range of mountains. It was worn and nearly consumed by grass, but the foundations seemed sturdy enough. From what Gavin had told him, the road had been several yards wide.
"Not sure it looks like dwarven work, but I'm not an expert." The warlock said as the party moved swiftly down the constructed path. They had been walking for several minutes, and Ean could now see the ruins of buildings in the distance, collapsed and abandoned.
As they got closer, the elf realized that the structures had been several stories high. The remains of what had likely been watchtowers could be seen with rotting wooden foundations.
"An outpost of sorts?" Rye murmured as they moved between two ruins and into the former town square. "Not a whole lot of buildings, but enough to be a village."
"Maybe a place for farming." Gavin replied, running his hands across a nearby. "An empire as powerful as Eredar would have needed food, and there's not much space in these mountains besides here. I'd guess that as we get closer to that huge mountain north of us, we'll see more farmland."
"But where did they go?" Iya asked, gripping her staff uncertainly. "I mean, this place has been abandoned for centuries, by the looks of it."
"I don't know yet, but-" There was a sharp hissing noise, a loud screech, and an arrow buried itself in Gavin's thigh. The warlock bellowed in pain and fell, clutching his leg as several shadows swooped over the square.
"Harpies!" Ava shouted, seizing Gavin by the shoulder and dragging him backwards. The pirate was right. The half-bird, half-human creatures were flying overhead, bows clutched between their talons. Their fur and feathers were blue, save for one that was light-red. The leader, likely the one that had shot first, let out another scream and dove towards the injured man.
Unfortunately for the creature, however, Iya was ready. As it fell, gleaming claws outstretched, the elf spun, bringing her staff up in a blur. It struck the harpy square in the head, and the ensuing blast of wind hurled the monster straight through a nearby wall. Fragments of stone and red feathers flew everywhere, and the other harpies attacked.
Somehow, the rest of the party made inside one of the more complete buildings without anybody else getting shot. Outside, the harpies were swirling around the ruined structure, occasionally firing arrows through the windows. Evidently, they weren't going to come inside.
"Damn, they're smart." Rye said, firing back through a gap in the ceiling. He was rewarded with a screech of pain, but the attack did not abate. "And I'm pretty sure there's even more out there now."
On the floor, Gavin gritted his teeth and yanked the arrow out of his leg. He cried out, but let Nicholas cast a healing spell upon the wound before binding it with a bandage.
"I'll be... good. Thanks." Ava looked concerned, but did not press the matter as Jack peered out through a crack.
"I see eleven. And they've all got bows."
"Rye, return fire if you can." Ean said quickly, mind shifting into battle mode. "Emma, guard the entrance and make sure they don't try to come in. Jack, help them." The elf turned to his mate. "We'll go out there and try to drive them off, but we have to do it before even more arrive." Rye looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded.
"Don't get killed.' He said shortly, and Ean grinned.
"Not planning on it." He waited until the storm of arrows had abated, and he and Iya bolted out into the sunlight once more.
They were immediately targeted by the monsters, but the two elves had already dashed into cover behind one of the watchtowers.
"I'll draw their fire!" Ean shouted over the screeching. "Take them out." Iya nodded and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
"Be safe, Ean."
The next thing the harpies saw was a shadow that dwarfed even them in the form of a griffin that shot directly towards the group of monsters. Before they could react, Ean was upon them, his claws and beak ripping two of the creature bodily from the sky. The rest tried to attack, but the beast was already soaring away, dodging arrows that flew too close. As the elf spun in the air, he felt Cigni giving him advice.
"Your strength is in mobility. If you use your wings to create shockwaves, you might be able to catch them off guard."
With an answering roar of anger, Ean thrust his forelimbs outwards. The result was a rush of wind that knocked the closest harpies away, stunning them. The others gave chase, and he dodged neatly between two buildings. A moment later, two lightning bolts fried the closest monsters. Even as he turned again, his enhanced eyesight saw an arrow pierce another of the half-birds.
We've got them now.
It took the better part of an hour to kill the rest of the harpies, as reinforcements kept arriving. At last, when he estimated he had killed over a dozen by himself, the monsters retreated, flying northwards as fast as they could. The elf considered giving chase, but decided against it. After all, flying for such a long time was exhausting. Ean hit the ground with a thud, transforming back into his normal body, and watched as the others emerged from their hiding place.
"Nice shooting." He told Rye, who grinned good-naturedly.
"You can't have all the fun." The ranger merely laughed before setting off across the square with Emma to retrieve his arrows.
"You all did great." The elf told his party. "How's the leg, Gavin?"
"It'll serve." The warlock mumbled. "Wish I could have done more."
"We didn't know they would be armed." Ava said, looking somber. "They knew what they were doing, boxing us in."
"Not your fault." Iya told the pair gently. "We couldn't have known."
"This place is dangerous." Jack muttered, looking at the setting sun. Ean agreed with him. Already, Eredar was proving to be much more than he had anticipated.
"Ean?" Rye called, his voice sounding off. "Come look at this." The party hastened to the ranger's location, around the side of the former inn.
"What happened?" The elf asked, taking in the scene. Scorch marks lined the walls, and the askes of what had been several harpies littered the floor. "Did someone use fire?" The party all shook their heads.
"This is recent." Rye said. "Smell that?" Indeed, a burnt smell was lingering in the air. Ean frowned.
"Then... what did this?"
"I don't know." Rye said. "I saw nothing the entire time, and there's no tracks."
"A predator of some sort, attacking the harpies?" Nicholas asked. "It's not impossible."
"No, it feels as though it was... waiting for something." Rye replied. "There's only marks here, nowhere else."
"Not waiting for something. Waiting for someone." Gavin said, and the group fell silent.
"You think it was after us?" Ean broke the silence, gazing around at the others. Their faces were tentative and concerned. "Then why didn't it attack?"
"Who knows?" Rye reached down, touching a stray pile of ash. "But the fire was hot enough to turn the creatures to dust. It could be nothing, but we need to keep an eye out."
"Agreed." The elf said, letting his claws slide back into their sheathes. "I'll have the spirits keep watch in addition to two of us." Overhead, a familiar orange shape was descending towards the remnants of the battle. Beregond had come to fetch them, as Ean had requested.
They spent the rest of the afternoon flying around the valley, but no more monsters presented themselves. Evidently, the harpies had gotten wise and fled the area. The only point of interest was a long, extremely deep canyon that nearly divided the entire plain in two. As they soared above the chasm, Ean tried to see the bottom with his enhanced eyesight, but to no avail. Once or twice, he thought he saw ladders leading down into the darkness. Gavin seemed extremely interested in the ravine, saying that it was likely a source of precious minerals and ore.
"After all, the dwarves were the best builders in the world. If anybody could devise ways to get up and down there easily, it would be them."
"He's got a point." Vincent murmured. "When I was younger, the dwarves were in many of our books. Their craftsmanship is legendary."
"No sign of this promised weapon, though." Ean reminded him. "You'd think such a thing would be obvious."
When he mentioned this to the others, Gavin merely shrugged.
"I would guess that such a thing would be kept in the capital, but we don't yet know where that is."
"We'll just have to keep looking." Iya put in, and Ean agreed as Beregond wheeled around and flew away from the ravine.
Dinner that night was better fare than usual, as Rye managed to shoot an odd-looking deer with three horns instead of two.
"This is awesome!" Jack said, or at least that's what Ean was able to make out. The actual noises had been much more incoherent, due to the full mouth the teenager currently had. "Rye, you're too good at cooking!"
"It's only meats." The ranger said sheepishly, but his eyes gleamed with happiness at the comment. "You learn how to do it right or starve, in the forest."
"I think it could be better. More seasoning, maybe." Emma said teasingly, and Rye elbowed her.
"I'm surprised anyone in Candar still has working taste buds." This sparked an argument, with Jack vehemently defending the meal while Emma pointed out the flaws in a joking fashion. After a moment, Iya decided to take Emma's side, while Gavin came to Rye's defense not long after.
Ean watched as the people he'd never expected to care so much for laughed and joked with each other, and a smile touched his lips. Even Nicholas and Ava had joined in now, and event that was decidedly rare amongst the part.
I lost my home... but I think I've found another here, with them.
"And us? "Amari teased.
"You guys too. Thanks for coming this far with me."
"We should thank you." Edward rumbled, and the others fell silent. "For everything."
"It's nothing." The elf replied. "I just want them, and all of you, to be happy. So I'll fight whatever I have to."
"Ean! Whose side are you on?" Jack asked plaintively, and the elf felt everyone's eyes turn to him.
Even as the fire began to die down, Ean felt warmer than he ever had in his life.
Dawn was not far off. It was a comforting thought to the warlock who sat wrapped in a cloak atop a nearby hill. There had been no monster sightings for several hours, and the ones Rye had seen during his shift had been moving away from the camp. Below him, the others were wrapped tightly in their bedrolls to ward off the chill. Likewise, Beregond was snoozing happily a short distance away from the fire, but Gavin did not doubt that the dragon would awake in an instant if need be.
"See anything?" Nicholas called softly from his position on the other side of camp.
"No." Gavin replied shortly. It had nothing to do with the prince. "Make sure to scan all sides for monsters."
"I know!" The man snapped, his voice rising for a second. "...Thanks."
Honestly, Gavin was astonished that the spoiled prince he had seen in Thais had come this far without folding.
I would have been at his throat for that once, but now... We agree to disagree, I think. Indeed, he and "Nic", as Iya called him sometimes, had more or less stayed out of each other's way. He hates dark magic users almost as much as Ava does, but it's not like I know anything else. I tried asking Iya about song magic, but I couldn't manage a single spell.
Gavin turned enough so that he could see Nicholas a dozen or so yards away, silhouetted in the faint light. The prince looked bored, tired, and-
Unaware of the shadow creeping up behind him. Gavin rose, raising his hands, but at that moment, his still-injured leg gave out. The warlock collapsed, bellowing a warning.
"Behind you, Nicholas!" The prince turned, but he was much too slow, and the monstrous shape was already opening its jaws...
No! Gavin roared, and his hands sparked as the camp below began to stir. Even as the gleaming teeth descended, his eyes met the prince's and saw the absolute terror in the blue orbs.
Even if he hates who I am, I can't let him die. There was a flash of brilliant light, and a bolt of crimson lightning flew from his hand. It impacted the shape squarely upon the chest and knocked it backwards with a boom. Nicholas scrambled backwards, hands raised desperately in a defensive spell as the monster closed in again. And he was still too slow, and his leg would not function...
A gleam of steel, and Ava was there, sword flashing in two quick strikes as she dragged the prince backwards. Ean and Iya were on their feet now, and Jack was running up the hill to his spot where he lay.
"Gavin!" The teenager dropped to his knees. "Are you-"
"I'm fine." The scarlet-haired man snarled. "Help me up. They need us there, Jack." Without another word, the ex-thief hoisted the warlock to his feet, helping him hobble down the grassy slope. The feeling was returning to his injured thigh, but not fast enough.
Down on the ground, Emma and Ean were darting around the unknown monster, cutting and clawing at its flanks. To his right, Beregond roared and spat fire into the sky, and they saw their enemy clearly for the first time.
It was like a dragon, but with no wings. Its body was covered in armored scales that flashed red in the dim light, and the tail thrashed angrily at its attackers. But most terrifying were the twin heads at the top, both hissing and spitting with rage. As the warlock watched both heads turned at spat fire at Emma and Ean, who dodged aside as Iya called up a barrier in front of the shocked Nicholas.
"What is it?" Rye shouted as he darted along the ridge, firing arrows. For a moment, he saw Ean falter, and Gavin knew what must have happened.
"It's the last spirit! It found us!" Ean nodded grimly as he came running to regroup with the others.
"Don't know who, or what, but it's one of the spirits alright. A dragar..." The elf staggered suddenly, clutching his head. "Enough... It's too much.."
A roar of fury literally shook the air around them, and a massive orange shape crashed into the dragar, driving it backwards off the small hill. Beregond roared again, spitting fire that clashed with the darker flames of the transfigured spirit. The pause gave the rest of the group time to regroup, and Gavin grimaced. His leg was still numb, Nicholas had several cuts on his face, and the rest were sporting bruises and burns.
"Ean!" Iya said, grabbing the elf as he dropped to one knee, eyes closed.
"I can't hold him... They don't know what's happening to..." Jack glanced from person to person, looking terrified.
"What's happening to him?" Ean gasped, and his eyes cleared.
"The spirits... something set Vincent off, and he's furious. I can't even reach him. You guys have to stop that thing, now."
"Then we will." Rye said immediately, seizing another arrow from his quiver. "Just hang on, Ean." He nodded to Iya, and the pair charged off towards the sounds of roars and the smell of ash. Emma and Ava followed a moment later. With a groan of pain, Gavin placed his weight on his bad leg and began to limp towards the battle.
"Gavin, are you-"
"Save it, Nicholas." He snarled. "I can still work magic if Jack can keep an eye out." The teenager stiffened, but nodded.
"I can do it."
"Good." Gavin replied, turning to look at the elf who was now laying flat on the earth, eyes closed. "Because I have a sinking feeling that Ean needs us now more than ever."
There was so much happening, and he could comprehend but a little of it. He saw Iya, face taut with anger, summoning a raging storm of frost, but the image was swept away seconds later. Instead, there was a cottage silhouetted against a forest, and the shadow of a man standing in the doorway.
And now Rye and Emma were fighting, and Beregond let out another awful roar as his flames enveloped a section of the grass.
Stop this... Ean tried to cling onto something, anything, but the images were flicking by too fast. People he didn't know, places he had only seen in the memories of others...
It is too much to bear. The elf froze, hunched over on the grass, and his eyes widened. That wasn't his voice. But then...
I left her alone! Alone! An axe blade descended towards him, and he flinched, only for the picture to waver and vanish into nothingness. The only thing I cared about! The voice was so raw and anguished that it was unrecognizable, and Ean felt the rage and pain clawing at the inside of his skull like a fire. He howled, or maybe the other voice did, and felt his body hit the ground. Red lights were pulsing at the edge of his vision, but the elf refused to pass out.
"You won't... have them." He panted through gritted teeth. "Iya... Rye... the others... I won't let you." The red lights grew brighter and brighter, until he could see nothing at all.
When Ean could see again, he found himself in a familiar place. It was the room in his mind that housed the spirits, but something was terribly wrong. In the distance, a series of shadows writhed and fought as though alive, illuminated by a crimson light. The elf began running, his heart pounding with fear.
As he drew nearer, he saw that one of the creatures was tall and bulky, with a single eye gleaming on its forehead. It was straining to hold a monstrous beast in check, some sort of wolf with fangs several inches long.
"Edward!" He shouted, sprinting forward, but another shape tackled him to the floor. It was a young woman with wild, desperate eyes and long hair.
"Don't go over there, Ean!" The voice was terrified, and his glance switched over to her. Nearby, he could see the other spirits circling around the wrestling pair, eyes fearful.
"Amari, what's happening? Why is Edward fighting that wolf?"
"It's Vincent." The woman half-sobbed. "He went quiet a few minutes ago, and when that dragar attacked, he went crazy and attacked Cigni. Edward is trying to hold him back, but he can't do it for much longer."
"But... that can't be Vincent. His form doesn't look like that." Ean murmured, stunned. "How can it be?"
"It is him, Ean! We all saw it. Please, you have to help them!" The elf felt a pang in his heart, replaced moments later by steely determination.
"I will." Dimly, he could feel as his body pushed itself off the ground, settling into a fighting stance.
I'll have to control both my body in here and the one out there at the same time. Seems impossible, but... No! This isn't a time to delay. They need me. Ean felt his power surge, and charged into the battle with an earsplitting roar.
Iya sidestepped a blast of flame, extinguishing it with a flick of her wrist. The dragar growled at her, both sets of fangs bared menacingly, and she hurled another freezing-cold mist at it. It recoiled, hissing angrily, and lunged at her. The elf rolled away just as two arrows came flying in, piercing cleanly through the leftmost head.
Rye. A moment later, Emma yanked her to her feet, blocking another gout of fire that surged towards them with her shield.
"I need you to unsettle it." The knight told her. "Give me an opening, and I'll try to cut the heads off."
"You've got it." Iya said. "I haven't tried this one out yet, but Ean needs us. We can't delay."
"I'll be ready." Emma said. "Scatter!" They moved to either side as the monster barreled past, evidently fed up with playing with its prey. Rye shouted, and another arrow pierced the left head, making it look like a bizarre sea urchin. It turned and spat a fireball at the ranger, and Ava tackled him into the grass as it soared overhead.
We don't have Gavin or Ean, so we're at a magical disadvantage here. Iya gripped her staff tighter, feeling the song inside of her swell. So it's up to me. If ice isn't enough, I'll just have to go bigger! The elf raised her weapon with both hands, and the song seemed to reach a crescendo in her mind. Each note pulsed and beat with a frenzy, reflecting the emotions she felt. Iya took them and pushed, forcing them out in a wave before her. The song of my soul becomes a maelstrom! She let out a shout, thrust her staff forward, and the elements answered.
A whirlwind of fire, ice, lightning, and every other piece of nature descended from the sky with the wrath of a god. The dragar itself vanished beneath the blast, which spanned dozens of feet, and Iya felt herself knocked backwards by the blow. A moment later, Emma sprinted past her, sword gripped with both hands and bellowing a war cry. She leapt upwards just as a shadow emerged from the smoke, hissing and spitting.
The dragar had certainly been affected by the attack, if the dozen streaming wounds were anything to judge by. As its heads rose off the ground, Emma's sword was already swinging around in a swift arc. There was a flash of silver, and one of the heads was sent spinning high into the air. Blood spurted from the severed stump in a fountain, and the malevolent spirit screamed with fury.
"Emma!" Rye shouted as the dragar spun, smashing the green-haired knight aside with its tail. She hit the ground a dozen feet away and did not move.
"Keep going!" Ava screamed over the horrible gurgling now coming from the remaining head. Iya made to rise, but her strength deserted her, and the elf collapsed onto the ground. It was just Ava and Rye now, holding their ground as the dragar loomed over them.
A deafening clap of thunder, and the monster was sent reeling from a series of electrical bolts. In the corner of her vision, Iya saw Nicholas and Jack dragging Emma backwards, the healer already mumbling spells under his breath. Gavin was next to Ava, face set in a grimace of pain, but standing, nonetheless. Lightning surged forwards again, but the dragar opened its mouth and ate the spell, swallowing it as though it were a tasty morsel.
"How..." The warlock breathed. "It doesn't matter. We just need to cut off the other head."
"Ean." Iya panted between long gulps of air. "What is happening?"
"Turn around." Rye said grimly, and the elf turned. Where her mate had lain was a brilliant cloud of red light, with a dark shape writhing in the middle. As she watched, it shifted from elf, to griffin, to chicken, and back to Ean's normal form. Her eyes widened in horror, and Iya felt her strength flood back, fueled by rage and panic.
"Oh no... Ean!"
The cyclops staggered backwards, hurling the shadowy beast away from him. He grimaced as its fangs slipped free from his arm, but Ean was already hurling himself forward, his fist becoming a claw and slashing down upon the mutated werebear. The razor sharp talons slashed across the crimson eyes, and the beast recoiled.
"You're using too much strength!" Cigne called to him. "You can't keep this up forever, Ean."
"Vincent will come back to us!" The elf roared, taking on the form of the behemoth. He could feel the others spirits around him, watching and lending their strength to him. As the maddened creature leapt forward again, he batted it away with a massive arm. With the other hand, he hurled a devastating hook that seemed to shake the realm around him. "I have to buy that time!"
"You don't know that." Amari said quietly. "What if... what if he's too far gone this time."
"None of you were! I can reach him!" His concentration wavered, and Vincent's fangs sank deep into his chest. Ean staggered and fell, and his elven body was pinned by the massive creature.
"Ean!" The werebear snarled and clawed at him, and he felt each strike consuming more and more of his energy.
"Vincent... why?" He begged, attempting to force the insane man back. "What could have hurt you this bad?" The crimson eyes seemed to slacken slightly, and Ean felt the claws stop their incessant burrowing. A voice bubbled from the mouth, quiet but incredibly ferocious.
"Ean... You can't possibly understand. All this time... I thought... I thought..." And now there no werebear at all, in the darkness of Ean's mind. Instead, an old and weary man knelt before him, face bowed and hands clenched. It was Vincent's face, as he had seen in Horace's memories months before, and he was in pain.
"Understand what?" He asked softly, feeling blood trickle down his chest. Ean felt, rather than saw, fractured images of the real world racing past. Emma unconscious, and Iya facing a wounded dragar with the others... "They need my help, Vincent. Please, let me go to them."
"I can't let you kill that thing." Vincent said in a fractured voice. "I won't let you do it, Ean. I remember everything now. My... My daughter is-"
Time seemed to stop, and Ean had no words to convey the sense of absolute horror that was washing over him.
"Your... daughter?" Vincent let out a strangled sob.
"My darling Violet... I was such a fool. I left her alone while we sought vengeance!"
"But Horace protected her, didn't he?" Ean said desperately, mind racing. "The charms, I mean..."
"Worthless..." The man moaned. "She took her... and now she's become like me!" Sobs wracked his whole body, and Ean felt tears trickling from his eyes.
"We can save her, Vincent. Please, just don't fight me. Her body might be that thing, but her spirit isn't-"
"NO!" The woodsman roared, and his eyes snapped up to meet Ean's. "Nobody will ever touch her again. Not even you!" The black orbs turned crimson once again, and fangs began to sprout from his mouth.
"But my friends will die!" Ean roared back, angry and saddened at the same time. "All because you won't-"
"Enough! I would rather kill you than let you lay a finger on her! If that's what it take to save my daughter..." Vincent's body shifted and morphed back into a wolf, and the words became huskier and deeper. "Then you will die, Ean." The wolf pounced, and the elf let out a howl of rage and pain.
Iya stumbled back, feeling blood soak her robes.
It cut me. Can't feel where. Rye screamed her name, and she dove to one side, managing only a faint shield to redirect the fire. The dragar was angrier than it had ever been now, spitting a corrosive blue blaze in all directions. Emma was still down, and Gavin had no more spells in him than she did. Only Ava was still mostly unharmed, but the elf knew that would not last. Ean was still hunched over, and the red light had become tinged with black.
"Iya!" Nicholas seized her arm, but she shook him off with a great effort. "Stop! Let me heal you!"
"See to the others." She snarled, raising her staff and preparing to cast another spell. "I need to put this thing down before it kills one of us." Nicholas hesitated, then placed a hand on her arm and muttered a quick spell before darting off into the flames. She could no longer see Rye or Ava, but the dragar was still screaming that horrible sound. Even as her arms shook with the cost, Iya managed to summon a burst of wind and water to douse the flames before they could spread out of control.
And there they were, several dozen feet away. Rye's quiver was empty, and his bow had been strung across his back. The ranger was standing next to Ava, holding a blade she recognized as Emma's, and his face was locked in a snarl as they faced down the monster. The dragar was now staggering with every step, but its head was still very much alive. She tried to run, tried to make it in time, but the dragar was so far, and the flames were already spilling forth from its maw. Ava raised a hand, as if to ward off the flames, and Rye lunged forward.
Someone screamed, and Iya realized it had been her as the fire plunged down upon two of her dearest friends.
It happened faster than she could comprehend. Something exploded behind her, painting the tableau in red light. Half a second later, a dark shape hurtled into view, just before the fire engulfed the pair. But instead of burning and consuming, the fire merely faded away, as though it had choked at the source. Gavin let out a cry and plunged forward, seizing Ava by the arm and yanking her backwards as the thing that had been her mate reared back and sent the dragar reeling with a monstrous arm. After a moment, Ean bodily seized Rye and hurled him backwards across the grass and out of danger.
"Ea-" She choked on the smoke and fell to one knee. Dimly, she felt Nicholas carrying her back to the others, and tried to rise. "Stop! I can't... leave him!"
The dark shape turned, surveying them with a face that had no eyes, and Iya saw that it bore only the smallest resemblance to the elf she loved so much. Ean had been engulfed by a darkness so thick it seemed solid, making him seem larger and grotesque.
"Get... away... from them." His voice was deeper and raspy, and sounded as if it came from somewhere other than his mouth. "Vincent..."
The dragar roared and spat more flames, but Ean was already transforming into a wolfish thing that darted under the blast and slashed at the dragar, drawing blood. It tried to strike back, but the werebear had become a griffin that soared above it and raked at the remaining head, tearing out the eyes with a screech.
Maddened and blinded, the creature turned slowly about, as if confused as to what was happening. Ean shifted back into elven form and approached, his hands elongating into claws. With a roar, he slashed faster than she could track, and the dragar's head went spinning into the darkness.
"He did it. "Jack breathed, and Iya felt her body relax slightly as Ean turned to face the party. Nicholas was still chanting under her breath, and she felt the wounds on her chest closing. The shadows seemed to writhe, and receded until there was nothing left but the form of the elf she loved. Ean stared at them, his eyes sunken and hollow.
"Ean..." She breathed, rising to her feet. "Are you okay?" Her mate did not answer, but turned and looked at the still form of the dragar behind him. His eyes widened even more, and his hands began to shake.
"What have I done?" He breathed. "What have I done?"
"Ean?" Rye said warily, reaching for his bow once again. "What's happened to you?"
"What have I done? What have you done, Ean Okho?" The elf screamed so loudly Iya thought her ears would burst, and red light exploded from his chest. Ean fell to his knees, howling in pain as a shadowy shape ripped itself free from his skin with an awful tearing sound.
"Ean!" Iya screamed, lunging forward, but Jack seized her from behind and dragged her backwards.
"Don't, Iya!" She clawed at the boy's arms, leaving deep red marks in her panic, but Jack refused to drop her.
"Ean! Ean, look at me!" His tortured eyes met hers once, and her mate fell to the ground. His body shook uncontrollably, and Iya knew he was dying.
It was a pain worse than anything he had ever felt, even when bathing in the lava of the volcano. His very essence was being torn asunder as Vincent, furious behind comprehension, tore himself free from his host with a roar.
I'm going to die. I'm going to die. And now the werebear was standing over him, crimson eyes boring into his skull with a force that felt physical. He heard Iya screaming his name, and their eyes met. With a monumental effort, he turned his head enough to see Vincent, now in human form, standing over the corpse of what had once been his daughter.
He couldn't reach the others. They were gone, and he was alone with the man who hated him more than anything.
If I die... they'll be released like him.
"Vi..." The words left Vincent's mouth in a hiss. "Violet... Violet..."
"Ean!" Rye roared, now on his feet. "Get away from you, you-" The spirit didn't even glance at him, but flicked a finger, and the ranger was blown away with a force of a hurricane.
"You... You killed her."
"No... I killed this form." Ean whispered. It was the only volume he could manage, but Vincent's eyes bulged with rage. A second later, a vise-like grip had clamped down on the elf's throat and hoisted him into the air.
"I hate you." The spirit said, and Ean knew he meant it with every fiber of his being.
"Please, Vincent." He begged. "Don't hurt them. I'm the one who did this."
"I know. But you deserve to know the pain I feel. So I'm going to tear them apart, one by one, and I'm going to start," He slammed the elf into the ground, and Ean nearly blacked out from the pain. "With that little elf you call your mate."
Iya? His heart began to beat quicker. You dare threaten her? The pain was receding, and Ean felt his muscles bulge and tense with the force of his anger.
"Don't... you... dare... lay a hand... on her!" His leg shot up and slammed into Vincent's chest with a crushing blow, and the man staggered. As he did, Ean's arm lashed out, seized the spirit's head, and brought it down to meet his in a devastating headbutt that sent the woodsman reeling. He was on his feet in a moment, the rage in his blood surging and melding into a song that set his heart alight.
"Can't you see this is what she wants?" He screamed at Vincent. "The witch knew you'd react like this. Don't prove her right!"
"How can I not?" The enraged spirit leapt forward, swinging a blood-red axe in a murderous arc. "My only daughter... my only family, Ean!"
"I don't care!" He knew he was only making this worse, but the elf was done playing nice. "You think the village would want you to do this?" He dodged a strike and lashed out with his claws, but Vincent blocked the punch with the haft of his axe. "You think Violet would want you to do this?"
"It doesn't matter!" The man shrieked, his voice reaching fever pitch. "She is dead and gone, and my only hope of ever seeing her again has been ripped away forever! But what do you care, with your precious mate and friends? You don't know how I have suffered!" Ean froze, and Vincent buried the axe in his side.
There was silence for a moment. He could not hear Iya's screams, nor Gavin's cries of rage. He could nothing save his own labored breathing, and see nothing but Vincent's crazed eyes.
"I don't know?" He said quietly. "You're a part of me, Vincent. I've known every time I look into your memories how painful and full of misery your existence has become. I know you hate me and everyone who's still alive."
"Stop." The man breathed, his axe trembling in his grip. "Stop talking."
"I swore... to save you all. To restore you to life." Ean choked out as blood began to pour from his side. "But I can't give you back what you've lost, Vincent. Nobody can."
"Be quiet, Ean Okho!"
"Losing your daughter, only to remember her when it's too late... it must hurt like hell. I can feel it inside of me, you know. But Violet has been dead for centuries, Vincent, and your only hope of seeing her again... is me." His strength was fleeing now, but the elf was not finished.
I cannot leave this unsaid.
"So kill me, then, if it will help you grieve. But Violet needs you. She's scared, and alone, and she needs her father to be there for her." His knees hit the scorched earth, and Vincent left the axe embedded in his side. His eyes were wide, and his arms were shaking with emotion.
"I'll swear it again, Vincent." Ean said, so quietly he wasn't sure if his voice could be heard anymore. "I will do everything in my power to find the witch and make her restore you and your daughter to your former lives when the war is over. I'll do anything. Just please... don't lose yourself in the rage."
"Please, don't-"
"I've been there. It's not pleasant. But you have to endure, for your sake. For her sake."
"Ean, you can't-"
"I want all of you to live." Ean whispered, and he knew no more.
It could not be. It simply could not be. Her mind rebelled against the very thought and the way it cut at her soul.
Not him... anything but him. And then Iya was running, stumbling and falling in her desperation to reach the form that was so still and limp.
"Ean!" She did not recognize her own voice. The axe was gone, and there was blood and tears everywhere. His eyes were closed, and his face had a peaceful smile etched upon it. More footsteps, and Nicholas hurled himself down beside her, his eyes frenzied and hollow. The prince ripped the cork from a bottle and poured the contents into Ean's throat, his hands gleaming with pure light.
"Come on, come on..." He hissed.
A movement in her peripheral. Iya glanced up to see the man standing over, the one that had stabbed her mate in the side. Rage boiled up, and her magic surged.
I'm going to kill-
A strangled sob left the man's throat, and he dropped to his knees.
"What have I done?" The spirit croaked. "Ean... Violet..." His hands caressed the corpse of the dragar tenderly, as if he cared for it. Her shadow fell over him, but he did not look up.
"You did this to him." She said coldly, not caring if the words hurt. "Vincent... you're one of the spirits." He nodded and wept even harder. "Then you need to fix him."
"I don't know if I can. My daughter..." Her temper flared, and Iya struck him with her staff. He reeled to one side, but did not defend himself.
"Do it. I deserve it."
"Fix him!" She screamed, and her voice broke. "Please... Please..." Their eyes met, and she saw tremendous amounts of anger and grief warring for dominance. Vincent looked at her for a long moment, then nodded.
"He is like this because I forced a separation between us. If I rejoin him, maybe..."
A spark of hope flared in her chest, and Iya's breath caught.
"Please, I'll do anything. I-"
"It is I who would do anything to save him, Iya Tiki." Vincent said quietly, moving past her to where her mate lay still. "But is the love between you that will decide his fate in the end." His body began to shimmer with a soft red light. "The ranger will be fine. I never intended to hurt anyone besides him." Vincent met her gaze one last time, and she saw unshed tears brimming there.
I... I believe him.
"You have done a great service in freeing my daughter from her bonds. Thank you. All of you." A final flash, and the spirit was gone. In the distance, the first rays of dawn began to break over the horizon.
Oddly enough, it didn't hurt any more. Ea
n opened his eyes, expecting to see the afterlife, or maybe his friends, but instead, he saw nothing but a brown grainy substance.
"Wood...?" He murmured, raising his head to see that he had been resting it on a table made of crudely hewn planks. There were several vacant chairs around the table, and a fire cracked merrily in a corner. Nearby, a kitchen held a rack of pots and pans, as well as a stove and basin for washing. If he turned, he could see the front door and a set of stairs that led upwards and out of sight.
"Are you feeling better, mister?" He spun, senses on alert, but it was only a small girl. She couldn't have been much older than nine, and she had long dark hair and serious eyes. "You were hurt outside, so I brought you in."
"Outside?" The memories flooded back, and Ean sat bolt upright. "My friends! Do you know if-" The girl shook her head.
"It was only you. Sorry, mister. Say, are you human? Your ears look funny!"
"My name is Ean, and I'm an elf like in the picture books." He said, getting off his chair to kneel in front of her. Her plain white dress looked a little worn, and her hands and feet were dirty, but the brown eyes tracked his every move.
"I'm Violet." His eyes widened, but he made an effort not to show his reaction.
It's her. Vincent's daughter. But then, where is he?
"I'm pleased to meet you. Could you tell me where we are?"
"We're in my daddy's house!" She said, smiling brightly. "He went away for bit, but he'll be back soon, and you can meet him!"
I see. So this is where her spirit dwells, hidden from the world. And if the dragar is dead, then maybe I can bring her with me.
"Violet, listen to me." The elf said seriously. "Do you remember anything about the outside world?" Immediately, the girl's face scrunched up slightly, and she took a step backwards.
"I... I don't know. It was dark, and that lady was there. Daddy told me not to let anybody in, so I locked the door, but then..." Ean felt his jaw clench, but forced the emotions down. "She came in anyway, and I remember screaming and... and..." A tear fell to the ground, and the girl began to shake.
"That's enough!" Ean said as gently as he could. "I'm sorry, Violet. You're safe now."
"I want my daddy." She whispered. "He said he'd come back."
"I'm sure he will. In fact, I bet he's on the way right now." He told her with a smile. "So don't worry about him. He sounds very strong and smart."
"Daddy is the smartest!" Violet said at once, smiling again. "He built this house all by himself with the trees!"
I have to take a chance.
"If you want... I can take you to see him." Ean offered, and Violet looked up at him at once. Her eyes were cautious and serious again.
"He said not to leave."
"But I know where he is." Ean told the girl. "He wanted me to come find you." It wasn't quite the truth, but it would suffice for now.
"I..." A knock at the door, and Violet yelped, backing towards the stairs.
"It's her! She's come back!" She bolted to hide behind Ean as he rose, fists raised.
"Show yourself!" He called, and the door swung open slowly.
"Hello, darling!" Vincent said as he came into the room, a bigger smile than any Ean had ever seen beaming on his face. Violet's eyes went wide as saucers as she stepped out to view her guest.
"D-Daddy?"
"You've grown so big." The man said, and a tear slipped down his cheek. "Look at you."
"Daddy!" Violet shrieked, and flung herself headlong across the room and into the spirit's waiting arms. Vincent let out another choked sob and wrapped his hands around his daughter. The pair spun in a half circle, both entirely focused on the person holding them, and Ean felt his own tears began to fall.
How long the two remained locked together, he did not know. It could have been minutes, or days. Violet was crying, her whole body shaking from her father's grief.
"I really... tried not to let her in." The girl whispered, and Vincent's eyes flashed with anger no longer directed at Ean.
"You did nothing wrong, my sweet. Nothing at all. I'm proud of you for staying here for so long and waiting for me."
"I wanted you to come back so bad." Violet murmured. "I prayed for it every day."
"Well, I'm here now, and I won't leave again. We'll be together forever."
"You promise?"
"I promise." Vincent seemed to see Ean for the first time, and turned to face him fully, Violet still clinging to his arm. "You found her. How..."
"I think she brought me here." The elf said quietly. "She wanted to see you more than anything in the world, and so it brought me too." Vincent nodded, unwilling to meet his eyes.
"I'm so-"
"Save it." Ean interrupted immediately. "I know that wasn't the real you."
"But what if it was? What if I'm nothing more than a hateful old man who never deserved to have a daughter?"
"I think you're wonderful, Daddy." Violet interjected, and Vincent ran his hand through her hair lovingly.
"Thank you, darling. But he knows the truth."
"Yeah, I do." Ean said, gazing into the flickering fire. "You're a good father, Vincent. Your first instinct was to protect your daughter, and that is no crime. I would have done the same for Iya and the others. We can't go back to the way we were before, but..." The elf extended a hand. "I still need your help, and Violet's, to make things right. Will you aid me?"
"I..." The woodsman seemed near tears again, and his hands trembled. "I don't know if I can accept what I did..."
"Dad?" Violet asked, and Ean's eyes widened.
She called him Dad. The girl's eyes were serious, and she seemed to be much older than her appearance.
"I want to help. I want to fight the bad witch with Ean." Vincent knelt next to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking deep into his daughter's eyes.
"Violet... You want to fight?" The girl nodded resolutely. "But what if you get hurt?"
"Then you'll fix me, like you always have. I don't want you to go away again, Dad."
"Okay... then I won't." Vincent rose, taking his daughter by the hand once more. "You have our support, Ean." The elf let out an audible sight and slumped into a chair. He could feel his mind beginning to awaken, and the pain and fatigue had begun to creep up on him.
"Thank you so much. Both of you. Are you going to stay here, or meet the other spirits?"
"As much as I want to hide... I want them to meet Violet. And... I need to apologize." Vincent admitted with a sad smile. "Best to gest it over it. You just focus on your healing, go it?"
"No problem." The elf said, holding up a hand in farewell. "See you soon, Violet!"
"Bye, Mister Ean! And thank you!" The girl shimmered and vanished into a burst of red light. Vincent's form was going too, but the elf saw his lips form the words he could not say.
Thank you, Ean Okho. A burst of heat, a flash of pain, and the world went dark once more.
His shoulder was wet. Why was it wet? And there was a mass on top of him, something that was soft and warm. Ean drew in a shuddering breath as his lungs reawakened, and he felt the lump jolt in surprise.
"Ean!" Iya's hands were cupping his face, and he could do nothing but stare into her beautiful, tear-filled eyes.
"I'm okay." He whispered, flexing his fingers experimentally. "Everything's fine, Iya."
"You were... He killed..." The elf broke down into renewed sobbing and did not speak again. He pushed himself up, still supporting his mate, and saw the others gathered around his bedroll near the fire, worry and happiness in their eyes. Emma had a bandage around her torso, and Rye had bruises around his arms and head, but Nicholas appeared to have healed the worst of it. The sun had risen, and the air was pleasantly cool.
"Is that man gone?" Rye asked, his voice hard. "The one that came out of you?" Ean hesitated, not sure what to say.
They deserve to know everything.
By the time he had finished relating the events of the past hours, Iya had ceased crying, although she had not relinquished her hold on him.
"His daughter?" Jack asked, a look of profound sadness etched on his face. "So that was why he was so angry."
"I still don't forgive him." Rye muttered, and Emma placed a hand on his arm.
"Nobody is forcing you to. But if Ean did, can't you?" The ranger scoffed and turned away.
"He was influenced by the witch's hold on him." The elf said, rising from the ground and stretching. Iya stepped back, a little red in the face, but no longer looking sad. "There is no point in assigning blame. We freed Vincent and his daughter. That's a job well done, in my book."
"I agree." Ava put in, her purple hair messier than usual. "You think it's safe to go after Eredar now?"
"Probably. With the dragar laid to rest, the other monsters should take the hint and leave. If not, we'll eliminate them when he have to." Ean told the group. "Now, let's see about lunch, shall we?" He turned and began moving towards the top of the nearby hill. Iya followed him, eyes still tracking his every move.
He sat in one of the few patches of unburnt grass.
"Ean, is this wise?" His mate asked, and he smiled reassuringly.
"I just need to check in with the others. You can come with me, if you'd like."
"Come with you? But I thought..." Iya trailed off, looking unsure. "Isn't that impossible?"
"Well, Violet brought me to her mind, so I should be able to bring you into mine. Are you willing to try?"
"I... Are you sure you want me to?" Ean chuckled and reached out, seizing Iya's hand with both of his own.
"There is nobody in the world I trust more than you. Of course I'll let you in." The elf blushed, then nodded slightly.
"What do I do?"
"Just close your eyes and relax. Hopefully I can do the rest." The pair settled themselves more comfortably on the hill, and Ean reached out for the space in his mind.
He was immediately greeted by a wave of sound that almost deafened him. In his mind space, he could see four monstrous shapes in a semicircle, all gazing furiously at a pair of people in the center of the room.
"How dare you come crawling back here!" Amari roared at Vincent, who was standing in front of a little girl. "After what you did to him?"
"Ean?" A soft voice came from his right, and he turned to see Iya standing there, looking concerned. "Is this... normal?"
"No, but I figured it would be happening. The others are... understandably upset." As Amari continued to harangue Vincent, Violet turned around. Upon spotting Ean, she ran over, a smile on her face despite the turbulent environment.
"Hi, mister Ean! Is that your girlfriend?" She pointed to Iya, who seemed mesmerized by the concept of a child amongst so many monsters.
"You could say that. Iya, this is Violet."
"I-I'm pleased to meet you." The elf managed to respond. "And the others are..." Ean let out a sigh.
"Sorry. Give me a moment." He strode forward confidently until he was standing next to Vincent. "That's enough, all of you." Instantly, the spirits fell silent at his tone, and Ean continued. "I know you're angry, but-"
"He attacked you!" Amari burst out, and Edward rumbled in agreement. "How can you let him-"
"Enough, Amari." Ean said firmly, and the dark shape fell silent. "You do not know the whole story. I have accepted Vincent's apology, and so he has returned to us. If you wish to question him further, be my guest. But you will not attack him or his daughter. Am I understood?"
"Daughter?" Cigne breathed, stepping forward. "Vincent, you never said-"
"I didn't remember until a few hours ago." The man said, ruffling Violet's hair as she hugged his leg. "I thought she was lost forever. When I found out that they had attacked her, I... lost control. I'm sorry." Silence ruled for a few moments, and then the lumbering form of the cyclops moved forward.
"You hurt me."
"Edward, I... It was not my intention. I was just so... angry." Vincent shuddered and knelt, pressing his forehead to the floor. "I understand if you cannot forgive me."
"Now? No. But later." Edward stepped back, his piece finished, and Amari came forward.
"If you're really sorry, show us."
"I agree with Amari, old friend." Cigne added. "I can't say I condone what you did, but I do understand it." The whole time, Erik had been silent, a monstrous form brooding in the corner. Now he stepped forward, shifting down into his human form of a small boy, a little older than Violet.
"I'm Erik. Do you want to play sometime?" He asked Violet, who started at the sudden appearance of a child her age. Slowly, she stepped out from behind her father, eyes focused intently on the boy.
"I... I would like to." She murmured slowly. "Is that okay?"
"Fine by me." Ean said with a grin.
"Me too." Vincent grumbled. Erik smiled widely and stepped backwards. His body morphed back into the behemoth, and Violet let out a squeak. Ean placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You can do that too, Violet. You can have either form in here, and nobody will get angry." The elf nodded to Vincent, who shifted into his werebear form. Violet reached out a stroked the muzzle, eliciting a chuckle from the other spirits.
"I don't know if I want to... not right now."
"That's fine by me." Ean smiled gently at her. "Take all the time you need. I have to go now, but you can always call for me if you want to talk." He turned to take Iya's hand, and a small lump hit him in the back, arms reaching around to hug him tightly.
"Thank you, mister Ean." Violet whispered. Using all his willpower to hold back his tears, the elf turned and embraced the little girl.
"I'm so sorry." The words were meant for everyone, and he saw the other spirits shift in acknowledgement.
"Oh, and one last thing!" Violet said, looking up at him. "While I was a dragon, I remember seeing a tower on top of the really big mountains! I tried to go up there, but the wind pushed me back. Maybe you can go look?"
"We certainly will." Iya said with a small laugh. "Goodbye, Violet. Hopefully I can come by and see you again." The girl hugged Iya too before moving back to stand next to her father.
"I'm going to pull us out." Ean cautioned his mate, and she nodded.
The elf opened his eyes to see a pair of shimmering blue ones a few inches away from his own.
"That was... something." Iya said in a quiet voice, her eyes locked onto his. "I could feel so many pieces of your mind swirling around. Is it always like that?"
"You get used to it. It was weird for a while, being inside my own head like that."
"It was nice, though... It felt like I belonged." She tucked her head into his shoulder, and Ean held her for a few minutes. They were safe, and disaster had been averted for now. A light breeze rippled across the plain, and the elves basked in the contrast of the sun and wind.
"Sorry for worrying you." Ean's fingers moved lightly through her hair as he spoke. "It was the only way to fix things with him."
"I'm not mad at you for that." Iya sighed. "I just wish we could go one day without being involved in some deadly struggle for our lives."
"A very ambitious goal."
"Seems entirely out of reach." They laughed, and he planted a swift kiss on the elf's cheek. Iya looked up at him, startled by the affectionate gesture, and he gave her a reassuring smile.
"We'll have that life one day, Iya. I promise." The elf nodded slowly, before leaning in for another kiss. Ean returned it enthusiastically, his problems washed away in an instant. For a moment, it was only him and the elf he loved, and the way they were-
"Ahem." Nicholas was standing over them, his face stern. "I hate to interrupt you two, but Rye says that food is ready. Also, as a healer, I should warn you about-"
"Nicholas!" Iya all but shrieked and leapt to her feet, her face crimson with embarrassment. "You know we weren't doing... well, that!" The prince's expression did not change, but Ean saw his silent laughter reflected in the dark eyes.
"Come on, Iya." He rose and tugged on his mate's hand. "I'm starving. Let's eat." The elf sputtered for another moment before letting out a long sigh.
"We'll talk later, Nic." She glared at the prince, but he only nodded and strolled off towards the camp. Ean let out a joyous laugh and followed, hand still wound tightly around Iya's.
I'll make that life happen. No matter what.