The Brightest Shadow, page 51
"Well, learning to speak the Deathspawn tongue came in handy after all! I'd just as soon have killed them, but it might be better not to get noticed for this."
"What exactly are we doing down here?"
"I told you, I just have a good feeling. This is where I need to be." With that, Melal set off down the corridor at a fast pace, forcing Slaten to scramble after him.
It seemed like they were heading toward the room that they had opened up earlier. Slaten had been there at the time but not been allowed inside, so he was somewhat curious about what it might contain. Yet when they got near the entrance, Melal blocked him with one arm.
"This is not for you. Stay here."
Deciding it was better not to argue, Slaten stayed by the entrance as Melal entered. He did lift his lantern as high as possible, angling it so he could see inside. Carvings covered all the walls, displaying some kind of narrative. Unfamiliar text ran along the top and bottom, but the pictures themselves seemed like they might tell a clear enough story. Whatever ancient civilization had built this room, they had left behind their wisdom here.
Melal ran to the center, barely glanced around him, then began stomping on the floor. Each stomp came a little harder, the lamplight seeming to cling to him and his eyes glowing. The tiles on the floor began to shatter, flying in all directions, which only drove Melal to a greater frenzy.
Eventually he dropped down onto his knees, hurling fragments of stone away as he dug down to the center. He threw handfuls of stone away from him, shattering against the walls and breaking the carvings there. Melal's pace increased with each movement until, all at once, he went still.
Slaten edged inside, glancing at the damaged room before looking to Melal. There was something in the rubble beneath him... Melal reached down, lifting it almost reverentially. It seemed as though it was a box, made from marble that looked pure white even in the light of the lanterns. A lock of some sort bound it, yet Melal's fingers moved confidently over the patterns and it opened.
"What is-"
"Silence." Melal's voice echoed through the chamber and Slaten shrank back. All he could do was watch as Melal reached into the box and lifted something out.
A crystal disc, smaller than Melal's palm. Though the lantern cast flickering yellow light on it, the light that reflected from it was steady and pure white. The disc almost seemed to glow with its own energy, but Slaten was too enraptured by it to check. When Melal lifted it over his head, the world grew still.
Then Melal pulled the disc down to his chest and light exploded from him. Slaten threw himself back, blinded and overwhelmed. He had managed to throw himself out of the room, yet the light burst from it so intensely that the entire corridor was lit as bright as noon.
The mental skills he had barely begun to learn from Tani shredded themselves. As Slaten stared at the brilliant light, he found himself taking shelter not in reason or in his individuality, but in a depthless despair welling up from deep within him.
When he could see again, he saw that Melal stood in the room. His eyes glowed an intensely piercing white and he carried an authority that had been absent even a moment ago. For once in his life, Melal appeared as calm as a master. As directionless as he had seemed over the past days, now it was impossible to deny that he was the Hero.
After a moment, he gave an odd shrug. "I have no idea what that was."
"What?" Slaten climbed to his feet, still staring. Melal shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out past him.
"It definitely feels like that was the right thing to do, but I'm not sure. The false heroes seemed really confident, so I thought I'd be given a lesson on how it all works or something. But I'm figuring this out as I go along."
"Then... are we just going back?"
"Oh, that was all we needed. The rest of this is worthless." He shot a smile at Slaten and began jogging. "Now, let's kill some Deathspawn!"
Numb from the flood of light, Slaten didn't react at first. Melal was already down the corridor, vaulting up the rope ladder several rungs at the time. Slaten cursed under his breath and hurried after him. Just as he reached the bottom, he heard two choked screams and some blood fell down the grate.
When he reached the top he found the Hero there, holding a glimmering sword with only a trace of blood dripping from it. His smile was cocky and his face didn't have any sense of gentle horror, but his presence... the Hero didn't seem to exist in their world, but to have descended from somewhere far above it.
"None left for you, sorry, I got excited. But pick up a sword and follow me and maybe you'll get a chance."
"Melal, wait..." Slaten struggled to speak as he followed him on the way back. The Hero shook his head.
"Waiting was a good strategy to get us this far, but there's nothing else for me here. It's time for us to end this."
When they reached the top level, Slaten's head threatened to crack open. He seemed to see the entire world through a white glow, yet that glow would occasionally flicker darkly. Though he couldn't muster the strength to contradict Melal, his mind refused to flow along with this stupid plan.
As they got close to the entrance, Slaten spotted someone in the way. Ulviab. The mansthein man was playing with the newest litter of kittens, trying to keep them in their box. When he saw Slaten and the Hero approach his eyes widened, but then he smiled.
"I didn't expect to see you here so early, boys. What are you doing?"
"Your time has come, monster!" Melal raised his sword to point at Ulviab, who faltered.
"Oh dear... son, are you thinking clearly? We've just started to rebuild, I don't want more violence again..."
"I am the Hero! I will not allow the enemy to live!"
"Maybe you are the Hero." Ulviab set down the kitten he was holding and gave Melal a pained smile. "You can still choose who you want to be. Are you the type of person who would strike down an unarmed man? I don't think you have to be. Hero or not, you can use your power to help everyone."
"Shut up!" Melal clenched his eyes closed, then shook his head violently. When he opened his eyes, he started to advance with his sword still drawn.
"Wait!" Slaten placed himself between the two of them, making Melal pause.
"Don't get in my way, Slaten. It has to be this way."
Slaten struggled to keep his feet there instead of moving aside, barely managing to shake his head. "Don't do this. Is this really how you want to begin your Legend, Melal?"
"Silence!" The roar made the tunnels around them shake and Melal took a step toward him, furious. "If you don't get out of my way, I'll cut you down too!"
They stared at each other, Slaten struggling to think. This wasn't the Hero, it was just Melal. He did some stupid things, but he could usually be argued out of them. Whatever else was happening, Ulviab was a defenseless man who didn't deserve to die. And yet the Hero, no, Melal...
Then Slaten realized that he was wrong: this was the Hero. Slaten drew his sword.
With a cry of rage the Hero struck, his strike blinding white in the tunnels. It was a huge overhead swing that was easy to predict, throwing everything into one blow as if he aimed to cut both of them in two with one swing. Slaten easily moved his own blade into position to block it...
The Hero's blade cut through his, snapping it in an explosion of light. The next thing he felt was the wall hitting his back. Slaten nearly fell to the ground, barely retaining his footing and reaching for his chest. He could feel a shallow cut to his shoulder, but he wasn't severely injured.
Before he could recover, he saw Melal cut down Ulviab. The mansthein man cringed at the end, opened his mouth to beg, and then the sword went through his chest.
With that, Melal turned to leave the mine. Slaten knew that he should follow, but couldn't remember what he should do after that.
~ ~ ~
Part of Tani was glad when Ith Ire began to tear itself apart. Though she felt somewhat more stable, she never wanted to see any of it ever again. Setting such things aside, Tani focused solely on what she could control.
Something had happened with Melal. She made sure that her mind was focused, letting the influence pass through her. That was the first step. Once she was sure she wouldn't join in the violence, then she could worry about the screams and sounds of combat outside.
Walking to the window, Tani looked out. She couldn't see Melal, but she could hear him, shouting commands to attack. Coran warriors were beginning to gather, mansthein workers were attacking, and the soldiers were beginning to move from their camp. If they arrived, she had a feeling that they would leave no one alive, this time.
"This is too early." Eraes stumbled to the window beside her. "Melal is going to get himself killed just like the others. I wanted him dead, but he's going to take half of us with him."
"I don't think anyone survives this." Tani was mostly certain that she wasn't letting personal thoughts influence her judgment. "If they do make peace, it will be at a great cost. We need to get out of here."
"And just leave them to kill each other?"
"No. No, we need to take Melal away." Once she said it, it seemed so obvious. Slaten had even suggested something similar. It would be dangerous, but if they could lead Melal away, the soldiers would follow. Maybe Kolanin and everyone living in Ith Ire could survive, maybe even recover without a Hero to disturb them.
"I'll trust you on this, then." Eraes rushed to her desk and unlocked a drawer, pulling out a pack that seemed suspiciously full. No doubt she had been planning this for a long time. Well, if they did end up escaping across the Chorhan Expanse, they would be glad for her plans. For now, survival was the higher priority.
When they headed down the stairs, Celivia met them at the door. It seemed that she had stolen her bladed whip back. If that hadn't been proof enough of the fact that this time would be the last, Celivia's eyes held a grim rage. Tani considered trying to say something, but in the end they just exchanged nods. This wasn't the time to talk.
Before they got far out the door, she spotted Melal coming toward them, with Laeri and a few others at his heels. Something had changed. The presence that had been mere background noise to her suddenly became an assault on her mind. Tani actually staggered back into Eraes, but righted herself. The principle was the same. His eyes were white now, but that didn't matter to her.
"Just the three I was looking for!" Melal grinned at them and gestured with his sword. "Come on, let's go!"
"Melal..." She had to swallow, then forced herself to keep speaking. "The soldiers will attack if this continues. We need t-"
"Oh, I know. This battle doesn't mean much of anything, anyway. I just wanted to collect the people who mattered before we get out of here."
Tani blinked at him several times, taken aback. It troubled her how casually he said it, yet perhaps that didn't matter. If he was planning to leave Ith Ire, that was exactly what she wanted, regardless of his motivations. Ignoring her hesitation, Melal turned away and marched off.
Only afterward did Tani realize that Slaten was there as well. He drifted behind Melal, holding a sword loosely. His shirt was soaked in blood, yet he seemed to be walking without difficulty. She would have been concerned that he had gotten swept up in Melal's presence, yet his eyes... there was absolutely no hope or inspiration there.
She wanted to go talk to him, but it was a struggle to stay focused. Whatever had happened to Melal, he was no longer content to sit inactive. Yet his plan of simply leaving wouldn't work very well, not in a part of the Expanse as flat as this. The army would see them and give chase, and it was a long way to any kind of hiding place or refuge.
Before she could think of a solution, Tani heard the sound of screams coming from the soldiers. Instead of responding immediately, she flinched, and hated herself for it.
She looked toward the source and to her surprise, spotted a muscular Coran man smashing through the ranks of semi-skilled soldiers. He almost looked familiar, though the man she remembered hadn't worn an eyepatch.
There was another man as well, wearing armor like a Coran knight. She couldn't see his face, but could tell that he was fighting alongside the other man. He didn't attack nearly so recklessly, instead simply taking on every enemy that came toward him.
She had to wonder who exactly they were, but in a sense it didn't matter. The two of them were providing a perfect distraction. Melal stared toward them a while, scratching his chin.
"They look strong, they should join us. Let's go talk to them."
"Melal!" Eraes spoke through clenched teeth, but managed to get his attention. "They look more capable of escaping the soldiers than we are. Perhaps we should let them provide a distraction while we reach safety?"
"Eh, but I wanted to talk to them... but I guess strategy is more your thing. Maybe I'll see them later. It should work out." With that broad statement, Melal marched off again. As soon as they left Ith Ire, he started to run, much faster than the last time they had traveled together. At a pace like that, they might be able to lose themselves in the grasses, though it would be a close thing.
Thinking about their potential routes and chances of escape, Tani almost missed it when Eraes dropped back. She turned, thinking the other woman might be struggling to keep up, and immediately knew that was not the case. Eraes had intentionally stopped, looking out toward the deep grasses to the east. Tani glanced back at the others and then ran out to meet her.
"Eraes? What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving." The words seemed difficult for her to drag from her lips, but once they were out, Eraes smiled bitterly. "This is absolute madness, Tani. Surely you have to see that."
"Yes, I do. But..."
"Come with me." Eraes stepped forward and gripped her arm. "All of you except Melal. I have official papers that will get us to a ship, so we can disappear into Teralanth. There's always work for warriors with your talent. You could live out normal lives instead of being controlled by... all of this."
Tani smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Eraes. But if I let this keep happening, I couldn't forgive myself. If there was a chance I could prevent deaths..."
"I figured you would say that." Eraes fumbled around in her sack and then shoved something in Tani's direction. The circular mirror. "You liked this, right? Take it."
"Eraes, I..."
"Just take it."
Since she seemed so serious, Tani reached forward to take the mirror. She had only mentioned its quality a few times, so it was a strange gift. When Tani looked up, she realized that the other woman needed to give it to her. Eraes turned away, pretending to brush something away from her face.
"Don't die, Tani. All of you... don't let your lives be consumed by a bunch of stories."
"I'll try." The words were completely inadequate, Tani struggling to say more. She had long suspected that Eraes would leave the continent, but this was too sudden. It shouldn't have been like this.
They stood like that in silence for a while longer, then Tani moved forward and hugged the other woman. Eraes gripped her back, tightly, then pushed her away. She turned rapidly and ran. Tani watched her, just in case any soldiers spotted her or gave chase, until she disappeared into the tallest grasses. The edges of the mirror bit into Tani's fingers as she gripped it.
Tearing her gaze away, Tani saw that the rest of the group had far outpaced her during her delay. She began running again, not holding anything back. The ground melted away beneath her and the gap between her and the others rapidly decreased.
As she ran she looked back toward Ith Ire. The fighting seemed to have shifted to their side of the town, almost as if drawn after them. That was probably good for the workers. Unfortunately, the soldiers had spread out as well and some of them were beginning to march out into the grasses. Not quickly, but if they had been spotted then pursuit was guaranteed. Tani sped up to warn the others.
Before she caught up to them, however, she saw them come to a halt. Someone had moved in front of them, a Coran woman... no, not just any Coran woman, it was Veron. Despite everything, Tani smiled to see her again. She rushed to join the others as Veron approached.
"Looks like I got here just in time, huh? You kids would have had some real trouble if you'd gone it alone." Her smile was part-way to a smirk, but couldn't entirely hide the real emotion underneath.
"I'm the Hero!" Melal waved his sword in Veron's direction. She looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time, then groaned.
"Good for you. Was it too much to ask that it be me for once?"
"There can only be one Hero!" He sheathed his sword again, then stared at her. "What are you doing here?"
"Other than saving your asses?" Veron smirked fully and jerked her head for them to follow. "I'm recruiting you into the resistance. Let's go."
Given their circumstances, there was no choice but to obey. Tani looked toward Celivia, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, and Slaten, who had recovered enough to stare at everything grimly. Laeri had a huge smile on her face, as if all was right with the world again.
Overhead, the clouds seemed to hang low in the sky. The glowing expanse descended until it threatened to crush them.
- End of Part 3 -
Interlude
Whenever the storms came in, Bakkago's teeth got to hurting. That was one benefit of getting older, he supposed: the more teeth fell out, the less there were to hurt.
Bakkago ran his tongue over the remaining teeth in his mouth as he eyed the clouds. Right side of his jaw was still good, but he was missing a few. Once those went... well, he'd probably go too. Up in the big cities, old men might be respected, get new silver teeth or have servants to cut up food for them. Out here, they followed the old ways. Mansthein who couldn't eat were left behind.
There'd been a time when he dreamed of earning enough to move into Ith Silvaros, getting a big fancy house like those he saw shining on the horizon. It was a bit late for that, these days. Even if he had enough money to afford it, what did he have to offer? Right now he had an edge on the young teeth because he knew the region, but he was slowing down.
