The Reborn King (Book Six) (12 page)

Letting out a series of feral screams, he struggled in vain against his enemy’s strength. He could no longer feel the arrow digging in his flesh as the child was ripped from his arms. He could only watch in terror as one of the elves brought Jayden to the waiting Tallio.

“Please!” cried Linis. “Don’t do this! I’m begging you!”

Ignoring his pleas, Tallio drew a short dagger from his belt. “I am truly sorry. But this must be done.”

Time stood still as cold steel hovered above innocent flesh. And yet through all of this, Jayden had not made a single sound. Tallio stared down into the child’s eyes and hesitated for a moment. Then, shaking his head as if coming out of a trance, he pressed the dagger against the baby’s throat.

“Stop this at once!” a deep male voice boomed out from behind Linis’ position.

Tallio looked up and his eyes flew wide. At first he said nothing. But after a few seconds he lifted the deadly blade and tucked it back into his belt. “Why are you here, father?” he asked.

“To stop your madness,” the voice replied.

Linis thought the voice sounded familiar, but it wasn’t until the man advanced and glanced down at him that he was sure. It was Kaphalos. He had met him only briefly on their way to the Chamber of the Maker, but there was no mistake. He stopped just in front of his son.

“But father,” said Tallio, suddenly now sounding like a troubled child. “This is what you said must happen. This is what you wanted.”

Kaphalos stiffened. “This? How could you possibly think that the murder of an innocent child would be something I desired? Have your senses completely left you? Are you so crazed by hatred that it has led you to this?”

“You said yourself that the gods are evil,” Tallio countered, a small amount of defiance creeping back into his voice. “You said that the only way for elves to survive would be for the gods and their human cattle to be driven from existence. Those were
your
words.”

His shoulders slumped. “Yes…they were. But they were words spoken out of fear and regret. The sunset of my life has come too late. I should never have witnessed the things that have come to pass. I am too old and filled with memories.” He touched Tallio’s cheek. “I have sinned many times in my life. But my greatest sin was passing my hatred on to you…my beloved child.” He glanced down briefly at Jayden. “That I have driven you to murdering innocents is inexcusable. And yet I still beg for your forgiveness.”

Tears began streaming down Tallio’s cheeks. “But father. You are dying because of what they have done to our world. How can I....?”

“I am dying,” he said, cutting his son short, “because I am rotted away and empty. Only my love for you has kept me alive in recent years. And I understand now that I was selfish to cling to life for so long. There is no place for me in this new world.”

“That is not true,” Tallio whispered. “You are the wisest and most honorable of all the elves. It is your guidance that the people should follow now. Not that of traitors such as Theopolou, Chiron, or any of the other elders. They would see us corrupted. They would have us believe that we are a mongrel race.”

“And perhaps we are,” said Kaphalos. “Perhaps it is I who am wrong.” He lowered his head. “But it makes little difference. I am spent, and there is no turning back…for any of us.” He looked over his shoulder. “Release Linis!”

Linis could feel the uncertainty of the elves holding him.

“Do as my father says,” Tallio told them.

Slowly, they released their hold and Linis struggled to his feet. Reaching down, he gripped the arrow and in a quick motion, pulled it from his thigh. Blood poured from the injury almost immediately.

“Bind his wound,” Kaphalos commanded.

Linis waved them away and instead tore a strip of cloth from his tunic. Soon, the leg was wrapped and the bleeding contained. Without asking permission, he then headed straight toward Kaphalos and Tallio. No one tried to stop him.

As he limped over, he regarded the father and son for a moment. Tallio’s expression was one of hurt and confusion, while Kaphalos’ face reflected inconceivable sorrow. Without saying a
word, Linis gently took Jayden away from Tallio. As soon as he had the child in his arms, he drew back a few paces.

After seeing Jayden safely returned, Kaphalos reached out to embrace his son. But as he did so, his legs crumpled beneath him. Tallio was only just able to catch him and lay him carefully down on the ground.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tears starting afresh.

“My strength is spent, son,” Kaphalos replied, somehow mustering a fragile smile. “I used it all to catch up with you and your brethren. I am done now.”

“No,” he cried. “You will live. We can still leave this place. Others are gathering in the desert. We can go there…together.”

His fluttering fingers sought and then found his son’s hand. “I am sorry, Tallio. That cannot be. I must leave you now. I want only one thing from you before I make my final journey.”

“Anything,” he whispered.

“Your forgiveness.”

Tallio buried his face in Kaphalos’ chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He could hear the slowing of his father’s heart as the life gradually ebbed from his body.

With a desperate expression, he looked up to where Linis was still standing. “It is said that you are a great healer. And that you have learned skills from those from across the Abyss.” His eyes were pleading. “I have no right to ask after what I have done, but…”

More sobs choked off any remaining words.

Without offering a reply, Linis knelt beside Kaphalos and placed his hand over his eyes. The old elf shook his head, but was too weak to stop him. After a minute, Linis removed his hand and drew a deep breath.

“He is beyond my skill,” he said. “I am sorry.”

As the harsh reality sank in, Tallio's face went pale. Great sobs fell from his mouth, each one sounding more desperate than the previous.

“There is one thing I can do for you,” offered Linis. He touched Kaphalos’ chest, then took hold of Tallio’s hand.

The
flow
came to life all around them as Linis guided the spirits of both father and son closer and closer until they were actually touching. Once joined, he allowed them to remain together until every last bit of life had faded.

“Thank you,” wept Tallio when it was all over.

Linis got to his feet and stared down at the scene. In spite of the terrible atrocity Tallio had been intent on committing, he could now feel nothing but pity for him.

“What will you do?” he asked.

“You need not fear,” Tallio replied. “No one will harm you or the child. As for me…I go to join my father.”

Quickly drawing his dagger once more, he plunged the blade directly into his own heart before Linis could do anything to stop him. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, then he slumped down atop the body of Kaphalos. Linis squeezed his eyes shut and backed away.

The other elves remained totally silent, stricken expressions on all of their faces. They didn’t even bother to look at Linis as he set off with Jayden into the forest.

The wound on his leg slowed his progress, and by nightfall he could still see the faint glow of Tallio’s funeral pyre in the far distance. Linis figured that his followers would likely go east to the desert now. Even so, the danger remained. There were certainly others equally fanatical as Tallio. And they might not have an elder such as Kaphalos to quell their madness.

His injury was still painfully fresh when he finally reached Valshara. Without enough rest and proper treatment, his efforts to heal the wound had only been sufficient to keep infection at bay.

The sun was just setting as he passed through the gates. Dina burst from the door before he was even halfway across the main yard. The moment she saw that he was injured, she took Jayden from him and shouted for healers.

“How did this happen?” she asked, slipping her arm around his waist.

Linis stopped and pulled away. For a long moment he gazed at her face, a loving smile on his lips. “I have so missed the sight of you.”

Careful not to crush Jayden between them, she leaned in and gave him a long awaited kiss. “I have missed you too. More than you can imagine.”

Just then, three healers arrived, along with Ertik. After handing the baby over to him, Dina wrapped her arms around her husband. This time the embrace was desperate and forceful.

“We must tend his wound, High Lady,” said one of the healers.

“Unfortunately, I was not able to do it myself,” admitted Linis. “There was no time.”

“You can tell me about that once we have you cleaned and tended,” said Dina.

She ordered food and drink to be brought to her chambers. Linis joined her as soon as his wound had been treated.

Ertik insisted that he take care of Jayden for the time being so that Dina and Linis could have a long awaited night together alone. Though hesitant at first, she eventually relented, but only after making Ertik promise to stay in the room nearest to her own. Having been through so much to protect the child, Linis initially seemed to be even more reluctant than Dina about this arrangement. However, the soothing calm of his wife’s voice soon had him relinquishing control to Ertik – though not until after delivering a final kiss on Jayden's delicate forehead.

Once alone, they sat at the table while Linis told Dina of the events leading to his arrival. She sat in stone silence and without a hint of emotion until he was finished.

“Then it is out of our hands for now,” she said. “Basanti and Aaliyah will not fail.”

Linis was impressed by the way in which she was taking the news. As much as he loved his wife, he knew her to be a woman of intense passion that could sometimes overcome her reason. Apparently, serving as High Lady has tempered her quite a bit.

She then told him of the assassination attempt, as well as the interrogation of the culprit by her mother.

Linis’ face darkened. “I know it must have been a hard thing for you to allow. But I would undoubtedly have done the same to him…or worse. But what if there is a second attempt on your life? How are you going to guard against that?”

Dina shrugged. “I will bolster our defenses as best I can. I've also had everyone in the temple questioned in order to check for traitors in our midst. And Jayden will be guarded at every moment by the best warriors we have.”

Linis thought for a moment. “Does that cover everything?”

“There is one other precaution I plan to take.” She stood up and held out a hand to him. Her movements were now seductive: her eyes burning with desire. “I will be keeping you here with me as well. Your days of war are over, Linis. You are
my
captive now, and you will not leave Valshara until Gewey has completed his task.”

Linis smiled up at her and gently took her outstretched hand. “I will not resist…nor attempt escape, I swear it. I surrender to your will...my dearest love.”

Aaliyah waited just at the edge of her ability to sense the enemy. They were certainly aware of her presence, even though they had not made any move against her yet. But that would surely come soon enough, and by now Basanti was already in place and waiting patiently.

She thought of Nehrutu, praying that he was safe. Any journey with Darshan would be fraught with peril. Seeing her love die once had been unimaginable torture. If something were to happen to him for a second time…

She pushed such thoughts from her mind and focused on the forest ahead. The Vrykol were still not showing any sign of advancing. For a long, tense moment she worried that Basanti's plan was about to unravel. But then they began moving in her direction. The corrupted half-men were remaining behind – she guessed to guard Kaylia. 

The creatures spread out in a straight line, though not so far apart that it would prevent them from blocking the
flow
. Aaliyah stood motionless, her blade gripped loosely.

When it became obvious to the Vrykol that their elf quarry had no intention of fleeing, they began moving with greater caution. But caution wouldn’t save them. Aaliyah knew that there was no way they could be prepared for what was about to come.

As they came into view, Aaliyah reached out with the
flow
and felt it being suppressed. That was to be expected; only Darshan would have sufficient strength to break their hold. She pressed harder, feeling the creatures' increased concentration to keep the
flow
at bay. Their focus on preventing her from using her power was absolute. Just as she hoped it would be.

The deadly song of Vrykol blades sliding from their scabbards tore through the otherwise quiet woods. Aaliyah’s muscles tensed and she crouched low, jaw clenched and teeth bared.

As they neared, the center of the Vrykol line slowed its pace, allowing those on either side to begin encircling her. But just as they drew closer, a blur flashed across Aaliyah’s vision – moving faster than anything she had ever seen. Three Vrykol heads rolled off their shoulders in the merest blink of an eye.

The hold of the
flow
lessened while the astonished beasts tried to understand what was happening. Aaliyah was almost able to break through.

The Vrykol halted their advance, desperately searching for the source of the attack. Again, two more heads were separated from cloaked bodies. Aaliyah couldn’t help but to marvel at Basanti’s speed and agility. Five enemies had been effortlessly slain – the only sound being the whistle of her blade and the heads bouncing off the soft forest turf.

Two of the half-men began moving in their direction. Meanwhile, the remaining Vrykol were now grouping together as fast as they could, hoping to form a line of defense against the unexpected onslaught. But there was nothing they could so to save themselves.

The bells and laughter of the
flow
of the spirit filled Aaliyah’s ears. Tiny points of light showered the forest with divine radiance. With systematic deliberation, she began ripping the Vrykol’s' spirits from their forms. In only seconds, they were all crumbled to dust.

An agonized cry tore through the air, diverting Aaliyah's attention.  For a horrifying moment she thought it might be Kaylia. But the release of the flow had renewed their connection, and she immediately understood. There was another Vrykol with Kaylia. A different kind of Vrykol such as the one who'd attacked her with a poison dart in the Black Oasis.

The two half-men were already closing in, the ominous shadow that heralded their approach forming into a malignant cloud of darkness. But Aaliyah knew she had to ignore them. Kaylia was her mission.

The sinews of her legs exploded, propelling her forward. But just as she reached the shroud surrounding the two half-men she heard the slashing of steel cutting into pale flesh. This was followed by a couple of heavy grunts.

For a nervous moment she was blinded as she passed through the darkness. The fact that it remained told her Basanti was still fighting. That left the other two half-men and a Vrykol for her to deal with alone.

It took less than a minute to reach them. Kaylia was standing in a small clearing with a half-man on either side of her, each one
with a hand gripping her by the shoulder. A few feet away was what appeared to be a human female. But Aaliyah quickly realized the truth; this harmless looking creature was in fact the Vrykol she had sensed.

She could still hear the fighting going on at her back and wondered if Basanti was a match for her new foes. Even with her strength and speed, the half-men should not be taken lightly. They had destroyed fifty elves – many of whom were likely
seekers
– with relative ease.

Kaylia looked to be in good health. Her eyes were calm and she was sending waves of reassurance through their shared bond.

The Vrykol spoke first. “Very clever,” she said. “Very clever indeed. But it will do you little good. Whoever…or whatever you brought to aid you will be dead shortly. If you surrender now, I will give you a quick and painless death.”

The offer was brushed contemptuously aside. “Let her go,” Aaliyah demanded. She took a step forward and began to draw in the
flow
of the spirit.

“You should do as Aaliyah says, Jillian,” remarked Kaylia, her voice even and unafraid.

Aaliyah raised an eyebrow. “Jillian? A Vrykol with a name?”

Jillian sneered. “Shut your mouth, elf. Lay your weapon down, or else I’ll have my servants rip Kaylia apart.”

The two half-men visibly tightened their grips, causing Kaylia to wince. Undeterred, Aaliyah began drawing in the
flow
of the spirit.

“She’ll be dead before you can harm me,” Jillian quickly warned.

The wind sifted through the trees, stirring the fallen leaves. The tension was palpable, made more so by the sudden quiet. After a moment, Aaliyah gave a sinister grin and took a step back.

“That’s better,” Jillian said. The half-men relaxed their hold, but only enough to give Kaylia slight relief. “Now…before you die, you must tell me one thing.”

“And what is that?” asked Aaliyah.

“Why did you bother to attempt this? Was it not enough that we left the child alive and in your care?”

The wind rose, then fell again as the chirping of a finch sounded from high above. Aaliyah's gaze remained fixed on Kaylia for nearly a minute before she replied.

Finally, she sheathed her blade and turned to look directly at Jillian. Her eyes were ablaze, her features hard and determined. “I would not abandon a friend to the like of you, even at the cost of my own life. Fortunately, on this occasion, that is a sacrifice I will not have to make.”

Jillian responded with a fiendish laugh. But her amusement was short-lived. Aaliyah sprang forward in Kaylia's direction. In the instant it took the half-men to react, a blur rushed in from behind them. With a silvery flash, a sword lopped off each of their hands holding on to their prisoner. 

Momentarily confused, the half-men stumbled back, black smoke already spewing from their wounds. It was just enough time for Aaliyah to reach her objective. Without pausing, she threw her arms completely around Kaylia, and, using the
flow
of the air, carried her skyward. Now unhindered by the Vrykol, Kaylia quickly merged her own power with that of Aaliyah’s. Within seconds they were hovering high above the clearing.

They looked down. Basanti was darting back and forth, the sword in her hand finding its target again and again. But Aaliyah could tell that she was not quite as fast as she had been only a short time ago. Her enemies were now fighting back furiously. Twice a half-man blow sent her staggering back. And Jillian’s blade was also flying with supreme skill.

“We must help her,” said Kaylia.

“No,” Aaliyah replied. “We cannot.”

“What? Then release me now!” Kaylia began to struggle, but Aaliyah held her fast.

“If I do, I break my oath,” she explained. “Basanti made me swear to leave this to her. And if you are killed, her sacrifice will have been for nothing.”

Kaylia glared furiously, but finally relented. Together, they rose even higher until they could see only tree tops and the horizon. For more than an hour they traveled until both of them were completely spent from the effort. Finding a clearing, they set their feet back on solid ground, uncertain of how far they had gone.

Both of them plopped down against a thick maple tree, exhausted. For several minutes neither spoke a word – their thoughts and fears centered entirely on the fate of the Oracle.

“We can go no further,” said Aaliyah. “At least, I cannot.” She reached to her belt and produced a small flask. The scent of jawas tea filled the air as she removed the top. “In truth, I would prefer brandy right now. But this will have to do.” After taking a long drink, she passed the flask over to Kaylia.

“Why did she do that?” Kaylia whispered. A vivid picture of Basanti’s battle was still burning in her memory.

Aaliyah pushed herself closer. “Because she knew, as did I, that Gewey’s task outweighs all of our lives. We could not afford for you to be used against him.”

“I would not have allowed that to happen,” she countered, then took a sip of tea. “I would have...”

“Taken your own life?” Aaliyah cut in. “Of course you would. As would I, had I been in your place. But none of us would see that happen. Especially Basanti. She told me something just before we came after you.” Her eyes locked firmly with Kaylia's. “She said that even after the war is over, the world will continue to be in peril. It will still need much strength and guidance. She said that the last true vision she witnessed before her powers diminished was confusing. For many years she could not divine its meaning. Only when she held your son in her arms after you were taken did she finally understand what it meant.”

She took a deep breath before continuing. “Two roads, she told me. Both leading to the future. On one of these stood a tall figure of a man cloaked in fire and death. The ruins of the world crumbling around him as he trampled the earth beneath his iron shod boots. To his left lay a woman, her body ravaged and her spirit dead. To his right, a man on his knees, his back turned and weeping.”

“And on the other road?” Kaylia asked.

“On the other, three figures. A man, a woman, and a child. Yet the child stood above his parents, even as they wrapped their loving arms around him. In the distance was a land of peace and plenty waiting to welcome
them.”

Kaylia furled her brow. “How could that confuse her? I don’t possess a fraction of the Oracle's wisdom, and I can see it clearly.”

“Can you?”

“The woman is me, the man weeping is Gewey, and the Dark Knight is the fiery figure.”

Aaliyah smiled. “That is what I assumed when she first told me. And that is what Basanti thought too until she held Jayden and could feel the power that lives within him.” She took Kaylia's hand. “The woman
is
you, and the man weeping
is
Gewey. But the man cloaked in fire is
not
the Dark Knight. It is Jayden.”

Kaylia jerked her hand free and slid away. “That’s not true! She is wrong.”

Aaliyah shook her head, never once breaking her gaze. “She is
not
wrong. Don’t you see? It is the second road that gives the first one its meaning. Should Jayden be left without your strength and guidance, he will one day become the very evil that you now fight to protect him from. Gewey turns his back and weeps, unable to fight his own son.”

Kaylia said nothing, though Aaliyah could feel her anger swelling dangerously.

“But it is the second road,” she pressed on. “The one with your loving arms around him. That is the way to peace. The first road serves only as a warning. One day Jayden will realize that the blood in his veins gives him power beyond any man, elf, or half-man. And when that day comes, what will he do? Will he seek to rule as the Dark Knight does? Or will he seek to better the world and make it a place unhindered by darkness and hate?”

“My son comes from a place of goodness and light,” Kaylia snapped. “His heart is pure. There is no darkness in him.”

Aaliyah sniffed “No? Is there no darkness in the heart of his father? You and I both know there is. Only through you has Gewey managed to keep his humanity. Without you he would have succumbed to the rage that even to this day dwells within him and threatens to break free.”

Kaylia wanted to argue, but she knew Aaliyah was right. Even so, she could not believe her son capable of creating such a terrible future. “He is an innocent. And I will keep him safe,” she stated. Her eyes burned fiercely. “From anyone.”

Aaliyah nodded, understanding her meaning. “You have no need to ever fear me. Should Jayden ravage the world, I would still not be able to bring myself to stop him. Never forget that I was there when he took his first breath.” She reached out again for Kaylia's hand, and met no resistance. “This is why it must never come to pass. The only road to salvation is through you. It always has been.”

Tears were welling in Kaylia eyes. The magnitude of what Aaliyah had just told her was a heavy weight on her heart. One that she felt inadequate to bear. “And Basanti gave her life to see that I am here to show my son the right path. Is that it?”