Salzeka grabbed his Scrying Communication Mirror from his back pocket and infused it with magic.
"Lisa, this is Salzeka."
"General!" The mirror transmitted his pupil's voice. "Is everything alright!?"
"Get everyone's butt out of their chairs and into the streets. Things are gonna get ugly in here."
"Calling for reinforcement won't matter." Klaus said. "Shit a couple of summons out of your arse won't matter. Nothing you do will matter. Soon enough, this entire city will-"
"Just shut up and fight already!" Salzeka screamed before jumping into battle.
Animated by their masters' sudden arousal, the monsters coming out of the now closing Rifts and the summons that Salzeka had invoked joined in the clash, turning the central garden of Kaelnah -And soon enough the entire city- into a battlefield…
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
Talj leaped to his left, narrowly avoiding a strike from a nearby beast. He summoned his spear and blocked another blow from a short creature before kicking it away. His mind kept his instincts sharp, whereas his hope stoked his steps.
Where is he!? Where is he!?
The battle raged all around him even as he exited the park. Salzeka's summons worked with inhumane coordination -probably because he's somehow controlling all of them- against the horde. The Spearman, still running, slid beneath a giant golem-like monster that attempted to strike it down.
"Darn it! Aklas, where did you go!?"
As an answer, the distinctive cry of an eagle echoed in the night. Looking up, Talj spotted Nyr's blue wings drawing circles in the sky, a street away from his location.
Much appreciated, Nyr! Talj thanked him internally before leaping forward.
As he jumped and rolled to avoid monster blows while giving random strikes left and right while engaging in a narrow alley, another cry resounded near him, but this time it wasn't an eagle cry, but rather a frightened one.
Talj looked behind him and found a small girl, probably no older than ten, on the ground and sobbing. Her arms seemed to be holding something he couldn't see clearly.
Weren't all citizens supposed to stay locked in their homes!? Talj paused in his steps.
A humanoid lizard was approaching the child, the remnants of what used to be Salzeka's invocations at his feet. Its skin was grey, its fingers were sharp curly claws and it arbored a long tail at the end of its back.
A lacerta? Talj recognized it. Those creatures that are normally harmless towards humans weren't from the Akhdar kingdom. They must have prepared their coup for a long time then, to fetch creatures from all corners of Ylbunish.
The blacksmith started to see a pattern in The Darkness's schemes. It first infiltrated the Council and placed one of its High Lords into it, then it arrested Talj using the two most problematic Generals to their plans to keep both their foes distracted, and now they're attacking The Academy. They're weakening The Dali from the inside while slowly replacing its infrastructures with their own.
Now is not the time for strategic analysis! Talj reminded himself.
He threw his spear at the lacerta, startling both it and the child. The creature moaned in pain and surprise. Using Ghost Burst, Talj rammed into it with his left shoulder. The creature crashed on the wall. Without letting it get back to his senses, Talj called his spear to him and slashed it at its elongated jaw.
Staggered and in pain, the lacerta tried to grab the blacksmith with his claws, but its hands merely scrapped beneath the fabric of his pants as Talj dodged the strike swiftly before plunging his spear into his opponent's mouth, shattering its sets of teeth and piercing its neck in a bloody thud.
Oh boy that must have been ugly to watch.
Talj looked towards the small girl, thinking of how horrified she should be after such display of gore. Relief washed over him when he found her burying her face in her forearms and knees and sitting down on the floor and facing the wall, her gaze turned away from the scene. He briefly checked his calf, where the lacerta had struck him. A small trickle of blood was visible, but the wound was superficial.
Talj walked to the girl and kneeled to her level.
"Hey, hey." He said. "Are you alright?"
The girl only sobbed more violently, not giving him a clear answer. To appease her, Talj put his hand on her head and patted it down.
"It's okay, the bad monster is gone now. You're okay."
The child shivered, startled and alarmed by the sudden gesture. But after a few seconds, she gave in and looked over at Talj with hopeful but broken eyes.
"I… I didn't mean to stay out during the alarm… I didn't know monsters would show up… I just couldn't let Caramel out alone!"
"Caramel?" Talj raised an eyebrow.
The girl finally pivoted and faced him fully, revealing what she was holding onto so dearly. Talj widened his eyes. In the girl's arms, a small frightened orange cat eyed him curiously. The blacksmith chuckled and said:
"You're a brave little girl. What's your name?"
"T-Tria."
"Tria, is your house nearby?"
"Y-yeah. Right around the corner, beyond that small street!" The young girl answered.
Good, that's where I'm headed.
"Okay then, Tria. I want you and Caramel to climb my back and hold onto me tightly."
The girl nodded, her tears slowly faltering. Talj stored his spear back and took the cat in his arms. After Tria settled on his back and locked her arms around his neck tightly, he infused himself with lightning magic.
"This might tingle a little." He warned before leaping off. Right as they exited the alley, another wave of monsters clashing with summons met them.
"Quick! Which one is your house?" Talj demanded.
"T-There! The one with the red door!" Tria replied.
"Hold tight!" The Spearman told her.
Taking a herculean leap, Talj jumped over two of Salzeka's troops fighting a six legged monster and attenuated the landing using wind magic.
He reached the door and put Trial down before handing her her kitty back.
"Hey, uhhh… Open up!" Talj called, giving the wooden frame frenetic knocks.
No reply came.
"Are you sure your parents are inside?" He asked Tria.
"They were there when I… left the house." She said, a mix of shame and worry in her voice.
Talj knocked again.
"Is someone in!?" He called. "I have your daughter with me!"
At the mention of the word 'daughter', the doorknob spun to life. A woman appeared behind the frame, her eyes red and worry was painted on her face.
"Tria?" She asked.
"Mom!" The young girl jumped in her mom's arms, still holding onto Caramel.
"My sweet child!" The woman started to cry. "I thought I lost you!"
Her eyes met Talj's and confusion followed by skepticism filled her gaze.
"You!" She said. "You're the one on the wanted signs, aren't you! Did you do something to my child? If you think you'll get away-"
"Mom, don't worry!" Tria looked up at her mother. "He didn't do anything to me! There was a big scary monster that attacked me and Caramel, and he saved us from it."
"What?" The woman frowned.
"It's true! I promise you-" Tria spoke again but Talj interrupted her:
"Ma'am, better lock the door now. The party out here isn't a pretty one, so please don't leave the house, and keep a close watch on your kid."
The blacksmith turned around to leave, only to be surprised by a monster heading his way. Talj readied himself, but the beast got intercepted by a red-skinned warrior with an axe.
Thanks Salzeka.
"Close the door and stay inside!" Talj ordered.
"I don't understand… General Salzeka said you were a dangerous criminal… Why did you help us?" The woman inquired.
"Sorry if I disappointed you, ma'am, but as you can see I'm not a madman. Now please hide inside before one of these things invites itself." Talj urged a final time, turning around to leave.
The woman looked at him with a new gaze, as if she just realized he was there.
"Thank… Thank you for saving my daughter." She said with a sharp nod before closing the door.
Talj used Ghost Burst, this time to stride above the battlefield that unraveled in the large street. When his body materialized again, he dropped with agility on his feet and continued to run towards the spot on top of which Nyr was skimming over.
Upon seeing him, the dark feathered bird descended to his level perched himself on the blacksmith's shoulder.
"Hello again, lad." Nyr greeted.
"Nyr, where's Aklas?" Talj asked.
"Here." A voice replied.
Talj turned around and saw the remnants of Aklas's invisibility spell being unveiled, revealing the hunter's tired but relieved face. Talj joined his brother in the dark and narrow space between two tall constructions and chuckled.
"You sure look uglier than I recall you being." Talj said.
It was true that his brother seemed incredibly tired and covered in mud. Talj could see him suppress a wince as he rubbed his chest, and his eyes closed slowly before getting brusquely opened, forcing himself to stay awake.
"And you're bleeding." Aklas noted.
"I'll be fine." Talj replied. "Can you move?"
"I think I'll manage." The hunter said.
"You'll have to grit your teeth, young one." Nyr said. "We're still hours away from the north gate of Kaelnah, and this city will soon become a pitiless showdown."
"Does anyone have a plan?" Aklas asked.
"Staying alive seems like a good start." Talj said.
The calamitous sound of an explosion reached them. Talj and Aklas turned towards the sound to find smoke rising in the sky.
"That came from the garden where we left Klaus…" Talj said.
"Such things are to be expected." Nyr said. "Every ignition leaves a spark, and what greater ignition is there than a battle to the death?"
Talj nodded, feeling a slight unsettlement settle in his heart. Before he could determine what was bothering him, though, Aklas spoke up:
"We need to get out of here before that Saber Lion finds us again."
"How did you even escape it?" Talj asked. "Last I checked you seemed like you were about to pass out."
"Credits go to Nyr, so I'll let him have the honor of telling the story later." Aklas replied. "Right now, let's focus on escaping Kaelnah."
"I believe I've charted a safe path towards our destination." Nyr declared. "With every soul stashed in their abode, and every guard joining the fury of the battlefield, we may be able to flee Kalneah unspotted like shadows."
"Won't we meet monsters on our path?" Talj asked.
"Unlikely." Nyr answered. "The fighting is currently hosted in the southern half of the city, whereas our path takes us north."
"But what about the Dali?" Talj insisted. "Or just the regular guards?"
"They won't be an issue either." The Night Eagle patiently said. "From what I could gather, Salzeka invoked a total of ninety-two summons, and the Rifts brought forth a bit less than twice that amount of monsters. As much as his spell is a phenomenal sight to behold, it won't be enough to subdue the threat Klaus has brought to this city. He'll need all the help he could get from his subordinates."
His magic detection is so acute he managed to establish the exact numbers of combatants. Talj mused to himself, impressed by Nyr's precise perception.
"Naturally, we may encounter a few hindrances on the way, but I believe that they won't hold us for long." The Night Eagle said.
Another burst, this time followed by screams. Talj's heart squeezed in his chest, feeling even more conflicted.
But why..? Talj, lost in his thoughts, didn't pay notice to the conversation that was now happening in front of him.
"Aklas, I know your body is in great ache, but we'll need you to move as fast as you can." Nyr addressed the hunter.
"I can walk… Probably." Aklas replied. "Although if Talj could use Ghost Burst to help us gain some ground that would suit us nicely. Do you think you can carry all these of us in your spell for… Let's say, a minute ? Uhm… Talj?"
"Huh? Oh sorry." Talj apologized. "I zoned out a bit there."
"Is something on your mind, young man?" Nyr asked.
"No… I mean… I think not? I'm just thinking… What if Klaus summons another horde of monsters? Or what if Salzeka fails to defeat him?"
"For someone who has been on the look-out for optimistic solutions to all of our trials, you seem to be uncharacteristically dissonant right now." Nyr pointed out.
"It's just…" Talj started.
Just what? He thought. If we don't move soon the fighting will eventually reach us. And Aklas isn't in good shape, not to mention that I'm feeling slightly weary myself… And yet, the prospect of leaving this city behind seems to frighten me and fill me with an immense sense of… Guilt..? Why? It's not like I'm the one who's about to burn this whole town and abandon it to rot-
Talj interrupted his thoughts.
Abandon it..?
"Talj..?" Aklas called out.
"We can't leave." His brother abruptly declared.
"Have no fear, little one." Nyr tried to reassure him. "As I've always said: If you have time for fear, then you have time for flight."
"That's not what I mean. We can't leave these people without protection." Talj said.
"What?" The hunter's eyebrow violently clashed.
"The people of Kaelnah." Talj specified. "They may die. Salzeka may not be able to save them all."
"Well, yes. That's how a battle functions. There are risks, and there are losses." Aklas replied.
"And you're okay with leaving them to their fate?" Talj asked.
"We are not leaving them, perse. The Dali's objective is to keep them safe, and so we'll have to trust in their abilities!"
"But they could easily fail! You saw how powerful that Archmage was! We can't take the risk of-"
"Talj, now is not the time for this!" Aklas snapped. "We can't stay to make sure that no casualties would ensue!"
"But why!?" Talj refuted. "How many of those people will end up like us? Orphans and abandoned! How many parents will have to bury their children! Not to mention what would happen if Klaus ends up being the victor of that battle. Do you not wish to preserve-"
"It isn't about what I wish for!" The hunter was practically shouting. "But it's about what must be done! Even if we manage to win this fight and make it out unscathed, what do you think will happen? Do you believe the Dali will give us medals for our efforts and set a nice carriage for us towards the Crying Mountain!?"
"But isn't that the entire purpose of being a Spearman to trade this world's suffering with our battles! To fight so that Ylbunish doesn't suffer the wounds!?" Talj started raising his voice too.
"And what is it you think we're doing!? I'm not asking you to let Kaelnah get wrecked to save ourselves! We're already fighting so that Ylbunish doesn't suffer!"
"But if we let this town burn, what's stopping us from abandoning the next one!? We let everything crumble behind us and close our eyes for we are following a grander and more important scheme. Is that what you suggest!?"
"We can't save everybody, Talj!" Aklas winced, shouting visibly hurt his chest. "I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to mend the chaos we encounter, but we have to make sure it doesn't compromise our task! And its purpose, I remind you, is precisely to save our world!"
"After we let it drown in its own tragedy! Flames and ashes! Broken screams and bones! A fine world we're going to save!" Talj replied.
"If you're so adamant about protecting the guiltless and undoing evil at the cost of your own darn life THEN WHY DID YOU RUN LIKE A COWARD WHEN THE SPEAR FELL!? WHEN YOU WALKED INTO THE BATTLE, WHY DIDN'T YOU STAND AND DEFEND US!?"
"Aklas." Nyr warned, his voice sharp.
"I…" The hunter seemed to realize what he had said.
Too late.
Talj's face was blank as a sheet, and whiter than snow. Emptiness deeply rooted itself in his eyes, no emotions sparking from them. The stinging pain in his leg died, the weariness left him, the anger he had felt just seconds ago vanished.
All he could feel was emptiness. His mind was too busy assessing Aklas's words to give anything else value.
The words fell on the blacksmith like an anvil, clanking in his mind with a wild echo. His heart, despite running slower, seemed to be louder than before. His stare was blank, as his eyes were watching a scene that was invisible to Aklad and Nyr. The world warped around him. Slowly, the distant sounds of battle merged with the ones of the past.
The same past he ran away from.
Coward…
The word pronounced by the hunter clung to him like a hook, dragging him into a spiral of thoughts he thought had drowned years ago.
You could have helped… You should have saved them… You were already a fully fledged Spearman at the time, so why didn't you stay!?
A bestial scream tore through the streets, dissolving those thoughts like they were nothing but a bad dream.
"The Saber Lion." Nyr alarmed. "We need to move. Now."
"Brother-" Aklas tried to speak.
"Put your hand on my shoulder." The white-haired young man brought his hood to his face, hiding his expression from the group. "Nyr, where to go?"
"Harmonize your magic with me." Nyr said. "I'll guide the spell and even fuel it partly for you."
"Right." Talj uttered one word before turning away, waiting for Aklas to put a hand on his shoulder.
Aklas opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, deciding now wasn't the time.
Another scream from the Saber Lion, this time closer, ripped through the streets. The hunter put his palm on his brother's shoulder. A radiance instantly shone in the alley, and a blur of light zapped from it with fleeting speed.
The trio, their bodies now glowing and partly incorporeal, darted through the labyrinth of Kalneah's streets. To the eye of any inhabitant who looked out from their window, it would seem like a thunderbolt was hastily winding through the convoluted alleys of Kalneah.
Usually, changing directions while actively using Ghost Burst demanded a great amount of focus and power from Talj, and he would often fail due to the fleeting nature of the spell, not giving him much room to gather enough energy to stir his thoughts into actions. Nonetheless, with Nyr's help, he felt as if his own magic was gently being guided by the Night Eagle's will. All he had to do was fuel it to keep it in motion.
Ten seconds passed, then twenty, then thirty…
Talj could feel the toll of the elongated use of the spell being mercilessly expropriated from him, but he didn't care. He could feel his mind getting overwhelmed with thoughts that should normally take minutes to process in mere seconds and the stinging sensation on his skin -despite the fact that his body became lightning and lost substance when he used Ghost Burst- but he didn't care. He pushed through his pain, letting the rage that his previous conversation had sparked hold his willpower together tightly, allowing him to race the town's lanes for longer than he would originally be able to.
More than a minute had passed, and the blacksmith felt like his head was about to explode. Without any warnings, the spell died. The Spearmen all crashed into the ground, coming to an abrupt stop as their body regained their original density.
Talj, spread on his back, panted heavily. His head throbbed with a pain so immense he felt he was about to vomit. His thoughts were all fuzzy, like a library after an earthquake where every shelf collapsed and the books scattered in disorder. He looked at the spinning starsky and buildings. They were probably singing a lullaby, because he was suddenly unbelievably sleepy.
"Why didn't you stop him!?" He heard Aklas's voice. Or was it Aklas's? At this point, Talj wasn't sure.
"I couldn't! Only he could have chosen when to halt the spell! I wasn't aware that he was about to exert himself to the brink of his strengths!"
As Talj looked to his side, the north gate of Kalneah seemed to congratulate them for their escape. But Talj couldn't see it, for his consciousness slipped from him.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
Xara washed her face with cold water. The person that stared back at her from the mirror strangely looked like her. They may both have the same long wavy blond hair, the same round face with a straight nose in the middle and the same blue eyes, but the young craftswoman refused to acknowledge that the worried expression and the exhausted look that watched her was hers. After several seconds of gazing into her reflection, she giggled.
I sure look tired, don't I?
It's been slightly more than two weeks since Kinfol had come to her home and rescued her and her father. After hiding Surtr's body with deliberate clumsiness, the ex-Dali General escorted them eastward of the city of Folden. After a few hours of quiet walking, Kinfol had then taken a sharp turn left until she reached the northern coasts of Enyo's main islands.
They then embarked on a small boat that she seemed to own, waiting for them near the beach -Xara wondered how it was left unattended and still remained intact- and sailed away. An hour after dawn, they reached a small island, one of the furthest ones from the capital of the Enyo kingdom. Nested between the rocky terrains and vivacious greenery, a large beautifully constructed house that greeted their arrival.
Talj had told me that Kinfol was wealthy but I didn't know she owned her own island of the archipelago! Xara had mused.
Kinfol had informed them both that no one aside from the queen knew of it.
"I needed a quiet place to recuperate whenever my duties as a General were too wearisome." She had explained. "The area isn't broad, but it is still a soothing place to replenish my forces and release some tension."
After that, Xara and her father needed to acclimate to the new lifestyle that awaited them. But after a few days, her curiosity swayed her worries away. She felt excited to explore this new island -despite its small size- and discover new sights. She found flowers and seashells she had never seen before, and as the days passed, she got her hands on more and more exotic items. That's when she slowly gave in to her passion as a craftswoman again.
Life had then taken a semblance of peace. An illusion of normality that could easily be broken, but that she had refused to dissipate. She'd wake up, eat breakfast, head out in the morning and explore the island while keeping her enthusiastic smile on, enjoying the walks through bushes and waterfalls. In the afternoon, she'd bring back all sorts of trinkets from her childish adventures and, sometimes with her dad's help, would start her handwork. Bracelets, cup holders, chains…
She even made a small necklace out of pearls and gave it to Kinfol as a thanks for her hospitality and her help. The ex-General was taken aback and had allowed herself to chuckle.
"I'm not one for jewelry, sorry." She had said. "But your gift is sincerely appreciated, Miss Higgar, so I'll still keep it safe with me. Thank you."
However, the island wasn't that broad as their host had said, and soon the scenery became predictably boring for Xara. And the worry she had felt during all those days finally manifested.
Kinfol would leave the island once every two to three days early at dawn, and return late at night with provisions and, more importantly, news.
However none of them concerned Talj. When she had accompanied Kinfol to this house, she had hoped that, despite the sudden change, it'd mean that she'd hear more often of the outside world through her host. Information on Talj and his whereabouts, the current evolution of the conflict between the Dali and The Darkness… Anything at all! But she received no information apart from what Kinfol had told her about Talj's arrest and escape.
Furthermore, despite her cheerful attitude, Xara was still not over the fact that she was taken away from her everyday life. Her mind would surprise her unannounced with questions that, while natural, didn't stop lamenting her:
How long will I truly have to stay here until I can go back to how it was? Are my friends okay? Will I ever have the chance you get my life back? Or am I doomed to wait here, prisoner of my own circumstances while the whole world is at war. Everyone I love is carrying the fight, while I'm hiding here, alone with no voice…
Xara hated confinement. It only reminded her of the times where her family could do nothing but accept their despair. One of her most defining traits was her altruistic sense of adventure. The sincerest joys she'd feel when she wandered through the marvels of the world, learning new tales and discovering new stories, and the satisfaction of sharing those rides with people she cared about while mending whatever broken thing she found on her path was a feeling that was deeply anchored in her.
To have her shunned away from the world instead of allowing her to help those she loved get through these times of despair was a form of torture that burdened her mind cruelly.
What help can I even bring to them? Xara asked herself. I certainly can't fight, and whatever is going on feels way bigger than what I can understand.
She went out of the bathroom and headed for the bedroom that Kinfol had prepared for her. She closed the door soundlessly behind her and opened her drawer to take a small wooden box. She unlocked in a click and her eyes shimmered at the sight of its content: An intricately crafted golden ring with a blue stone on it. The same one that Talj had made himself before using to propose to her. She's developed a habit of taking it out and staring at it to give herself strength and anchor his memory in her mind.
She wandered off from the room, skimming through the river of time into the bitter comfort of the past. She remembered when she met him, still a young teenager but as broken as a person could be. She could see him striving to ignite the spark in his eyes, but to no avail. And so, since Xara Higgar had made it her personal endeavor to heal every splinter that crossed her steps, she opened her arms to him, promising both him and herself that she'd make sure he wouldn't fall apart.
And in return, he offered her safety. While everyone reprimanded her carelessness, he admired it. He didn't try to chain her or keep her bubbliness in check, but he made sure that she wouldn't put herself in dangerous situations or wander off too far without a way to defend herself if needed. And when she was tired from radiating her light into the world, he'd open his arms and let her rest. It brought such joy to her heart to see someone not only allow himself to get healed by her hand, but also didn't simply see her as a reckless but talented craftswoman.
When she had confessed to him, she saw the conflict in his eyes as he had wanted to reciprocate, deeply worrying her. Not even an hour later, Talj was telling her about his true past.
"Someone as pure hearted as you doesn't deserve to be lied to. You ought to know the real me before making this step." He had said.
When he was done, the shameful look on his face wounded her. He expected her to hate him for simply using her to heal his heart, or fear him for being a member of an infamous order, or even blame him for abandoning his kin during the attack…
Instead, Xara only loved him more. His feelings, no matter their origins, were still genuine. He wasn't using her as he had assumed, but he still had been in need of help to soothe his pain, but that didn't mean he didn't care for her and see her for who she genuinely was. And besides, she was the one who stepped forward and insisted on helping him. He relied on her when he needed it, and Xara knew it. She may not have known the circumstances of his pain but she still stood by his side until she saw his true self: An exhausted man, but who still wished to go forward and spread peace while living a simple life.
And when Talj had told Xara about his past, she felt honored. Whether by guilt or moral duty, he had nonetheless trusted her with the most vulnerable and secret aspect of him. In regard to letting his emotions be sincere and give her a truth she deserved to hear before taking on the responsibility of their feelings.
When Xara had reassured him that she wouldn't push him away, and that she'd keep his secrets safe, she had asked him:
"It will sound a bit silly to ask but… Why didn't you just put these memories behind you and never bring them up? Not that I say it's the healthy path of course! I'm just wondering… You always wanted to move on, so why not just… Not tell me and move forward?"
"I felt like you deserved to know. You're the one who taught me that moving on didn't mean to forget the past, but to use it to grow. If I let you love a lie… Then I would only harm you in the long term, and my whole life would be built on top of the same guilt you're saving me from."
After four years, his words were still clear in Xara's mind. Talj was fighting an unfair battle, and she did everything she could to help him win. And in return, he kept her safe and clasped her hand as she showed him the world as she loved to see it.
Even now, with entire countries separating them, she knew he was fighting that same unfair struggle, to keep her and all those he cared for safe. Not because he could win, but because he believed that's what he owed himself and everyone else.
Including her.
Xara's resolve anchored itself in her heart: If Talj was out there, striving for her safety, then she'd still aid him as always. She closed the wooden box and stepped out of her room. When she reached the living room, she found Kinfol and her dad deep in conversation. Upon her arrival, their eyes met hers. The craftswoman looked at the warrior with a penetrating gaze and surprised everyone -including herself- with her words:
"Teach me how to fight."