Fifteen

            “It is time, are you ready?” He asked me.  I looked up into the crystal of his eyes and smiled a little sadly.

            “As I’ll ever be.” I answered. 

            I sat in the chair beside the bed, my bare feet just off the floor and watched him.  He gripped his fur lined legion cloak in his hands and scrutinized me as if to commit to memory every thing about me.  He looked a little lost, and more than a little lonely, as if he would never see me again…

            Truth be told I wasn’t sure we ever would, but in my heart of hearts I knew we had to.  Aion would not have instructed me to love them both if I were never to see one or the other ever again.  Would He?

            Elethor knelt before me, and slid the cloak around my shoulders, wrapping me it its warmth his clawed fingers gentle as he clasped it at my throat.  Haji and Evensong had gone still behind him and we both looked up in unison.  Elethor’s brow wrinkled in irritation.

            “What?” he demanded, harshly but not unkindly.

            Haji responded in a mumble, and I was pretty sure it was a hasty “nothing” that he uttered.  Evensong continued to stare; she had seen something though I know not what exactly.  I smiled weakly at her and she raised an eyebrow.  We would talk later, if there was time. 

            If there was time… I swallowed past the lump in my throat as the three checked their weapons and made certain their armor was fitted properly.  Haji was striking in hardened red leather, the wicked curve of his bow over his shoulder crying the warning that even at a distance, you were not safe. Evensong stood beside him, small and striking in amber colored chain, her staff held fast in her hands unassuming until it met with an enemies’ head.

            And then there was Elethor, the cerulean and white of his vestments setting off the dusky undertones of his blue skin to perfection.  He flipped his jewel, the embodiment of his sorceric powers lightly through the air; almost nonchalantly save for the deep lines carved into his brow as he thought furiously, about what I don’t know.  He set the jewel back to the holder at his wrist with a thought and came to me.  He, Evensong and Haji exchanged a look and nodded to one another and without a word Elethor tucked the cloak around me tightly and lifted me in his arms.

            The three of us slipped silent and unseen into the deepest dark of Beluslan.  Elethor kept a firm grip on me, and my arms twined about his shoulders and neck, holding to him, perhaps for the last time, perhaps for a long time to come. My legs were still brittle and unsound and the plan was for Elethor and Haji to switch off carrying me until we reached where the rift was to spawn.  The journey would be long, and dangerous, though his cloak was long, and hid me well all it would take would be one curious passerby or one over cautious night watch to bring this whole endeavor crashing down.

            Elethor kept his pace even and I held to him and just breathed… I just breathed deep and even and tried not to weep, for I had finally found him again and soon would be lost to him all over again, yet still I would be reunited with Aalairius, and my heart longed to see him, whole and safe, and with our friends.  Aion had told me to love them both, and He never asked of his children that which they could not do, yet still my heart ached for though I loved them both, I knew neither would understand the other nor would it be fair to ask them to… It was up to me.  I had to be strong for all of us.  Aion had a plan, and I was his instrument.

            Elethor murmured something in Asmodian and Haji nodded, I thought for a moment that they were going to switch but instead Haji bent and kissed Evensong deeply before trotting ahead in the familiar scout’s way. He would warn us of danger ahead. And they walked, and I held to Elethor and tried not to shiver despite the frosty air that crept along my skin finding every nook and fold of his cloak to seep in to.

            The snow began to fall, and all went silent, the soft shushing of their footsteps convincing me that we were the only living beings in Asmodae on that road, heading further into what was for me hostile lands, and turning the home my friends had known for the last thousand years hostile by my proxy.  I could not help it; I began to shiver with the increasing cold… Elethor gazed at me a brief moment and called softly to Evensong who returned to us.  He uttered silvery words in the language of the arcane and the air around us colored with warmth.  I murmured my thanks and we continued on. 

            The snow fell thick and silent, and I marveled.  There was no snow in Elysea, not since before the cataclysm… over one thousand years and yet another thing I missed.  The scenery changed from barren rock and ice fields slowly to trees and frozen forest loam.  Haji ghosted up to our small party and signaled.  Whatever it was he communicated must have meant the all clear because Evensong and Elethor visibly relaxed. Evensong dug out three hanks of cloth.

            “From here on in we should wear these.” She said.  Haji took his and tied it over his nose and mouth, Evensong followed suit.  I expected Elethor to hand me off to Haji to tie his but he surprised us all.

            “Give it to Sirona she will fix it for me.” Evensong handed me the cloth.  I folded it in half into a neat triangle and looked at him, memorizing his face before covering the lower half obediently, securing the material with a sturdy but gentle knot.  Haji said something, and Elethor withdrew his crystal gaze from mine and looked at him, shaking his head.  Haji shrugged and we moved on. The clearing was just ahead, and though I knew Elethor must be growing tired under my burden he still had refused to let me go… it tore at me, a deep wrenching emotional pain.

            We waited and rested, well hidden by the trees and brush, the skies lightened from inky black to an almost twilight that passed for day here as the morning wore on.  I held fast to Elethor’s hand beneath his cloak.  None of us dare to speak, remaining silent less we alert anyone to our presence, or to the impending rift my beloved and my friends were sure to come through.

            It was beautiful despite the cold, the clearing where the rift was to spawn sparkled and glittered with frost, a waterfall cascaded into a moonstone pool.  I turned to Evensong and held out my free hand to her, she took it and both of our eyes welled with tears.  Haji, uncomfortable cast his own eyes to the ground, scuffing one boot against the frozen moss cover on a nearby rock.   Elethor held me tighter in his lap, his expressions, ever hard to read, were nigh impossible to interpret now that the lower half of his face was obscured by the triangle of dark cloth.

            I shivered but not with cold.  The mere thought of what could be done to them for their protection of me filled my soul with icy dread and made it hard for me to breathe.  Elethor looked to Haji and asked him a question; Haji looked at me, shifting from foot to foot and gave a one word reply.

            “Soon.”  Elethor translated.  I closed my eyes, a deep bass filled crack emanating from near the falls.  We all turned and where the sound had come from the air swirled and colored a deep violet shot through with blues and greens and began to whorl and my time with my old friends and love was at an end…

            I looked up at Elethor.  Working up my courage I spoke low and urgently. 

            “You have to live, you cannot become lost.  I couldn’t bear it a second time Elethor, I need to know you’re well and that we may someday meet again.” He closed his eyes above the mask in a long pain filled blink. 

            “I promise you Sirona. I promise.” He returned, low and intense, and I couldn’t leave without doing it…

I lifted the cloth covering his face and pressed my lips to his, gentle.  He froze unsure at first, but then, with a deep mournful sound he buried his fingers in to the hair at the nape of my neck and pressed my mouth to his, holding me there returning the kiss with a devastating urgency that left me breathless, on fire, and on the verge of tears. 

He broke the kiss first, gasping and I bowed my forehead to his shoulder and rested there a moment, when he finally stood, face obscured once more.  Evensong and Haji both stared, eyes wide and more than a little surprised, but it was too late for explanations… three shadowy figures appeared on the other side of the rift.  It was time for me to go home.    

Toxemia stepped through first, his swords out, quick mossy green eyes scanning the darkness.  Next came Aalairius, so large and imposing in his full plate, mace out and shield at the ready his visor down and hiding his face from me.  Then the third figure emerged, and I honestly did not know who it could be.  As he stepped into the twilit clearing my heart leaped into my throat and I tasted the bitter copper tang of fear for my friends.  Nepech, straight laced and unflappable as always, stepped through the gate, his tome open and at the ready, sorceric powers gathered in his right hand casting the clearing in an eerie glow.

“Of all the sorcerers in my Legion I do not know why they brought Nepech, but be careful he has great power and is one of the most feared warriors of Elysea.” I warned my friends.  Elethor nodded and stepped out from the trees, Haji and Evensong flanking his either side, weapons cautiously at the ready.  Aalairius strode forward.

“Sirona!” his voice cracked with emotion.  Tox’s swords sparked as he drew one down the length of the other, spoiling for a fight.

“It’s all right! I’m all right! They mean me no harm; they are just trying to get me back to you.” I called out to my Legionaries, and prayed to Aion that no blood would be spilled.  Evensong lowered her staff, Haji reluctantly following suit with his bow, his dark eyes smoldering.   Nepech, grinned, white teeth bright in a wolfish grin, set behind his dark close beard.  Aalairius put up his mace and slung his shield carelessly onto his back and reached for me.  Elethor took a small involuntary step back and I looked up at him, pleading in my eyes even as Tox raised his swords and the glow emanating from Nepech’s right hand intensified.

Elethor finally took the last few steps and carefully, tenderly transferred me to Aalairius’ waiting arms.  I gasped as he drew me close against his cold plate, my legs jolting painfully into one another.  Elethor, Evensong and Haji retreated hands raised.  Aalairius held me tightly.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.  “What did they do to you?”  I drew a deep breath of the icy air.

“My legs are… bad.  They didn’t do anything,” I said looking back to Elethor, standing with a sheer naked helplessness in his eyes. “They got me out.  Please, please just take me home.” I begged, the tears starting.  Tox’s swords dropped, Elethor’s cloak had parted and my feet showed from beneath the hem of the dress Elethor had given me.  His expression grew hard and grim and he whipped about turning to Nepech.

“Open a port to Sanctum. Now! She needs healers.” Tox backed up and looked to my three friends, two old, one new, but they were gone, melted back into the shadows of the thicket, and my heart dropped and my tears fell and I knew loss once more. 

I held tightly to Aalairius as the portal to Sanctum went up beside us, I could see a large crowd gathered on the other side, several Destiny members waited, as well as several temple healers.  Tox went through first, yelling something.  Nepech’s eyes were on the dark of the wood, I called to him.

“Nepech.  Nepech please… take me home.”  He turned to me a static cloud of anger flaring about his head and shoulders in an almost visible nimbus.  Aalairius stepped through the portal first, Nepech I saw, followed.  I praised Aion under my breath and as we crested the portal into the warmth and light of Sanctum, the chaos set in…