XXIX. Shadows in the Light

The sight of mages, many of whom were little more than children, gleefully bathing in the still tepid blood of the slain dragon was both perplexing and unnerving. Several even emptied canteens to collect the fluid, and sacrifice space in their packs to hold scales, teeth, and nails of the slain beast. Aichlan’s best guess was they believed it held some magical properties, but he had too many more pressing matters to occupy himself with at the moment. Such as where they would go from there. Numbering nearly three hundred strong at the outset, their forces now numbered less than fifty. Thankfully, however, the new king had come out unscathed. Even more, he had impressed his guard via his willingness to engage the beast. However, his bravery would mean nothing if no one made it back to tell the tale.

“We should press on.”

Aichlan looked up from his seat on the rocky cavern floor to the towering slayer of dragons beside him. Still covered in the creature’s blood, Donough never struck a more imposing pose, sword in hand and as calm as lamb in closed pasture.

“Aye? And to where should we be pressin’ on ta?”

Donough snarled and planted his sword into the ground. “We’ve nae time tae second guess. We may very well reach a dead end, or even our ends, but the only path left is forward. Seize it.”

Aichlan sighed and held out his hand, allowing the burly elf to pull him to his feet. Aichlan patted him on the shoulder and gathered his own sword and small shield.

“Listen up!” Donough bellowed.

His voice thundered through the cavern, ceasing all conversation as everyone, all forty-two or so of them, turned to hear him out.

“Alight,” Aichlan began, “We’ve come here to do a deed, and that deed still needs doing. So uh…let’s go.”

* * *

The cavern narrowed into a winding passageway, one which gave way to an underground lake and series of tunnels that looked both man-made and natural. Rusted relics of an ancient past dotted their path, though they looked eerily similar to tools of construction than engines of war. The small expeditionary force refilled their canteens and followed a winding concourse up into another vestibule marked by plaques and decorative masonry.

Hours turned to a day, and a day soon became two. Sleep did not come easy as they felt the ever present and hungry eyes of subterranean terrors watching their every move from the shadows. Eventually the tunnel ended in a large cleared out vertical shaft. The tiny pin prick of light could be seen above them, but there was no way to scale the smooth, sheer walls. They searched the rotted husks of forgotten vehicles and scoured the derelict concrete shacks for anything of use or some means of escape, but came up empty.

On the opposite side of the shaft was a mechanical lift loaded with lacquered boxes full of strange looking tools and dry rotted crates full of the remains of long ago spoiled consumables. However, their attempts to find the crank to operate the lift came up empty.

Quite by accident, it was discovered that a bolt of lightning magic caused several lights on the car to illuminate. More experimentation revealed that sustained magic and the pressing of a red or green button by the gate could move the car. After two trips and three hours, they had reached the summit.

The air, while cold, was unnaturally still for such high altitude. Already tired and weakened from the ordeal and lack of food, several mages collapsed in the thin atmosphere. The jagged mountain path sharply dropped off into a lightly forested cirque. While Aichlan was not sure how high up they were, he was certain it was too far up for trees and shrubbery, and they most definitely should not be green and in bloom.

Cautiously, he led them down into the glacial basin, along a stairway of roughhewn stone. A deer darted across their path, and Taryn took the shot, hitting it square in the flank. The startled beast darted, and it took all Aichlan had to convince her not to follow it. The valley was unnatural, and he felt ill at ease. His decision was greatly unpopular however, and he forced them onward, well aware that he may soon face a mutiny.

“Is this the place?” Odell asked as he slung his bow over his shoulder.

“I am afraid I don’t know your majesty.” His guard said breathlessly. “I have never actually been on this journey before. King Laelianus took only his top advisor and a single general, but then again, there were neither dragons nor dusk borne to contend with then.”

Odell plucked a white flower from the ground in passing. “This certainly seems like the place…”

As they passed beneath a canopy of deciduous trees, leaves green and rustling in the arctic breeze, a mausoleum of stone came into view. It was rotund with a glass domed roof. Its entry way was a classical post and lintel design, with a series of alternating pilasters and columns with heavy capitals. A celestial light illuminated the structure from above, wrapping it in a column of warm light.

“You gotta be shittin’ me…” Aichlan mumbled.

“That’s… strange.” Enyo passed Aichlan a canteen, which he declined.

As they approached, a figure came into view. It took Aichlan a moment to recognize the shade, and even longer to come to terms that it was actually who he thought it was. The former king of Duvachellé spotted their approach and turned a smarmy grin towards Aichlan.

“While I appreciate the gesture Aichlan, I would have preferred it if you’d come looking for me a bit sooner.” Laelianus held out his arms and looked down at his semi-transparent form. “As you can likely see, it’s a bit late for a rescue.”

Aichlan smirked, still in disbelief. “Sorry, got held up. Your replacement couldn’t spare the men.”

Laelianus sucked his teeth and brushed the words away with a disgusted wave. “Yes, yes, I know the harpy made a show of twisting the knife in.”

“That harpy is my wife sir.”

Both Aichlan and Laelianus turned a questioning eye to Odell, they had forgotten he was even there. They had forgotten he was even the reason they were meeting as they were.

“Ah yes…” Laelianus said as he stroked his thin mustache thoughtfully. “The new king.”

Laelianus cut his eyes, full of mocking laughter, towards Aichlan. “He’s one of yours is he not?”

“And how did you die exactly?” Aichlan quipped.

“Gentleman,” Odell said forcefully. “I’m not trying to disrupt your reunion, but I came here to complete a task. I would like to get on with it.”

Laelianus nodded with approval of the new king's assertiveness. “Of course.”

Laelianus stepped aside and motioned towards the door of the mausoleum. It glowed slightly, almost as if it were made of something more than iron and wood. Aichlan noticed the smell of lemongrass and rosemary, a scent usually associated with Elysium, emanating from the cracks around the door.

“You must open this door so that I may pass, and shut it behind me.” Laelianus explained. “The epitome of simplicity.”

Laelianus gestured to the heavy doors, made of pitted steel and ancient timber. Odell swallowed and slowly approached the first step. The metal was engraved with fantastical designs and the timber, while visibly old and weathered, was in remarkable condition, still gleaming as if lacquered in the light.

Odell stepped forward and held his hand up. “It’s warm…”

Odell looked back to his guards and then to Laelianus. The shade of the fallen king stroked his chin idly as he waited for his successor to complete the task. Odell stepped forward hesitantly, searching for a handle.

Laelianus flicked his hand in Odell’s direction. “Just touch it anywhere. It doesn’t really matter.”

“What is this about?” Aichlan whispered.

“Hrmm? Oh, I’m not really sure.” Laelianus replied. “It’s a tradition we adhere to. I’m certain your own kingdom has its queer practices.”

Odell placed his hand to the door and it vanished, causing the young liege to leap back with a startled yelp. Behind the door was a dark, forested path that seemed to go on infinitely despite the finite borders of the mausoleum walls. Laelianus clapped his hands together once and proceeded towards the gateway.

“Wait a moment.” Aichlan called out as he reached for Laelianus.

Laelianus paused as Aichlan’s hand passed through his body. “I am quite dead, if you recall.”

Aichlan quickly retracted his hand and clutched it as if wounded. “What lies beyond there?”

Laelianus smirked. “That’s not for mortals to know.”

Aichlan looked his hand over several times to be sure it was still attached and unharmed. “If you did, would you tell me?”

“Probably not.”

“One more question.” Aichlan demanded.

Odell shivered and inched away from the door. “I would really like to get this over with.”

“Hurry up.” Laelianus sighed.

“Have you seen my father?”

Laelianus arched his eyebrow. “The General? Why the devil would I see him?”

Aichlan visibly deflated as he waved the former king off. “Forget it. Have a pleasant time in hell.”

Laelianus laughed and disappeared into the forest. Aichlan stared into the darkened wood, hoping to receive some sort of vision or a sign. He had not heard from his father in far too long, and was beginning to worry. While he knew the man was dead, their previous interactions showed that was not a deciding factor in the latest bout of reticence. Aichlan would be fine even if he just showed to give him a scolding, so long as he could see him again and show Garrick his grandson.

Odell shuddered and glanced around for guidance. “So, how do I close this damn thing?”

Aichlan shrugged just as a portal ringed in black fire opened up between him and Odell. Before he could react, the black witch that assaulted the castle strolled out of the void, shoving Odell to the ground as she glided into the mausoleum. Dressed in rags of satin and lace, its train billowing out behind her like an oil spill. Aichlan unsheathed his sword and froze mid step as Osric stepped out of the void. He turned his golden gaze on Aichlan, tossed his hair and continued into the mausoleum after the witch. The void quickly closed behind them, leaving ice and snow fluttering in the ensuing vacuum.

In the place of the void now stood the soldier who claimed to have once destroyed the world, wearing his queerly patterned jacket and trousers with foreign military patches and insignia on the breast and shoulders. At his hip he had the projectile device he had used in Marquez, and a longer variant in his arms. Aichlan raised his shield and readied his sword, wholly unprepared and unsure of how to proceed.

The soldier raised his weapon and squeezed the trigger, sending a bolt of red fire screaming through the air. It hit one of Odell’s kings guard square in the chest, leaving a smoking crater as it knocked him to the ground. Somewhere a woman, likely a mage, screamed as the rest of the remaining guard scrambled to protect their king. The soldier, Alden, aimed his weapon at the approaching knights and fired two more bolts in quick succession. He then trained the weapon on a mage mid cast, and punched a hole through his chest, nearly cutting the young man in half with the blast.

“Scatter!” Aichlan shouted as he dove behind a tree, nearly being blown away by a shot from the weapon.

Several more bolts impacted the trees and rocky outcroppings as terrified mage and soldiers scrambled to take cover. A mage called out his spell, summoning a flaming nymph to crawl up from the soil. Its hair was a literal flame and her flesh was molten stone. The nymph hurled a fistful of molten fire at the soldier, which he nimbly dodged. The attack had a splash effect, spreading more magma that set the nearby trees and foliage alight. Alden fired several shots at the creature, causing it to erupt into a fiery explosion before quickly fading to nothing.

Aichlan hunkered up against the tree as the weapon sent bolts singing past him, striking wood and stone with explosive fury. From the corner of his eye he spotted Tiffany, the young mage responsible for bringing down the dragon, frantically weaving spells as she chants her incantations like a mantra. Aichlan sunk lower into the dirt as a bolt struck his hiding spot, causing a branch to come tumbling down beside him.

Alden unhooked something from his belt and lobbed it towards Aichlan and Tiffany's location. The small metal orb began to cheep like a baby bird as a red light blinked on its side. Aichlan scrambled to his feet in an attempt to warn the young mage, just as the orb erupted into an inferno of smoke and fire. The concussive force sent Aichlan careening into a rocky outcropping, his ears rung incessantly as the smell of burnt flesh stung his nostrils. Another bolt struck nearby, showering him with rubble.

Aichlan rolled over onto his side and tried to crawl to his feet, but found his arms lacked the strength. He gasped and gagged as his lungs tried to draw in air as the ringing in his ears intensified. He collapsed as he drew in his first ragged breath. Alden continued to fire the weapon with deadly precision. Unbeknownst to him, Enyo charged in from the side and struck his weapon with her own. Sparks shot out from the cut, and Alden immediately released it, quickly drawing the smaller one at his hip. He fired three shots in quick succession, the bolts of which were smaller but considerably quicker than the larger version. Enyo deftly swung her massive blade to deflect the bolts, blocking one that destroyed the weapons edge, the second taking a chip off the tip, before the third cracked it down the middle. She stood motionless as her useless weapon clattered to the ground and shattered into several fragments. Alden raised his weapon to her head and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened.

Aichlan clawed his way to a standing position with the aid of a nearby birch, just in time to see Enyo’s hard right send Alden stumbling back. She lashed out again, and he blocked, riposting with a jab to her throat. She clutched her neck and doubled over, drunkenly stumbling back to gain some distance between herself and the soldier. A roundhouse to the face caused her body to go limp before it even hit the ground.

Aichlan stumbled over towards Alden as he ejected a tube from the bottom of his weapon and inserted a new one. He fired twice in quick succession, rolled forward and fired twice more. Each shot was accompanied by the death knell of some poor fool that got roped into this excursion. Aichlan quickened his pace to a limping jog, his sword raised and his shield protecting his face and chest. Alden turned and fired, the bolt nearly knocked the shield from Aichlan’s hand. The metal had become red hot from the impact, and was almost unbearable to hold, but he pressed on, gaining momentum. Alden fired again, and Aichlan juked to the side, narrowly avoiding the bolt and stumbling briefly. While he was still too far to properly engage, Aichlan swung his blade before Alden could fire a third time, just nicking the weapon and causing the shot to go wide.

Aichlan raised his shield again and charged, feinting with the sword to strike Alden hard across the face with the buckler. The soldier tumbled back, dropping his weapon as Aichlan continued his advance. Before Aichlan could deal the coup de grâce, Alden pulled a small rectangular device from his coat pocket and held it out at him. Aichlan froze, lowering his blade halfway as Alden trained the weapon at him. It was only now that he realized the soldier only had one eye.

“One more step and I’ll punch a hole through the fucking planets core and end this shit once and for all!”

Aichlan steadied his blade, but made no moves forward or back. He didn’t know what the hell the man was talking about with planet cores, but he knew how deadly his weapons could be. Alden scooted back in the dirt before jumping to his feet, the strange device trained on Aichlan. The front side of the device was illuminated, with colored shapes and an alien script visible beneath Alden’s gloved hand. Alden slowly maneuvered himself in front of the mausoleum, aiming his weapon at each new face that popped up out of hiding.

“Everyone is just going to sit right there and fucking relax until those two get back, understand?”

Aichlan inched closer to Alden, who whipped around, aiming the device at Aichlan’s chest. Aichlan held up his arms at chest length, shield and sword still in hand.

“I don’t think you fucking people understand,” Alden spat as he knelt down to pick up the weapon Aichlan knocked free earlier. “I can kill every last living thing on this planet, and I have no gumption against doing so either.”

As Enyo slowly came too, she turned a rage filled glare to Alden and leapt up to finish him off.

“Enyo!” Aichlan shouted. “Stop!”

Alden spun to train his weapon at her, and Enyo stopped, raising her hands slowly, her eyes burning with contempt. Alden circled around her, keeping the bolt throwing weapon trained on Enyo and the other one pointed at Aichlan. The soldier had a crazed look in his eye, like a man both haunted by past demons and possesed by a lunatics conviction.

“What the fuck did you just call her?”

Aichlan got the sense he was addressing him, but didn’t care to answer him. Alden clicked a switch on the side of the weapon aimed at Enyo, causing it to whine like a mosquito.

“I won’t ask again, what did you call her?”

“Her name.” Aichlan replied glibly.

“Funny.” He turned to Enyo. “Why did he call you that?”

Enyo spat and placed her fists to her hips. “Maybe cuz it’s me fookin’ name.”

“Are you her though? Are you Enyo?” Alden demanded, putting both hands on his weapon as he aimed it at Enyo’s head. “Are you her? Answer me!”

“She already told you it was her name.”

Alden pointed the weapon at Aichlan and then back to Enyo. He had a crazed look in his eye as he slowly backed away.

“Old gods are dead. We killed them, I killed them! You can’t be Enyo! It’s a fucking trick!” Alden quickly fired a shot at a mage who tried to sneak up on him and retrained his weapon on Enyo. “No, no…She’s the last one. You can’t be here.”

“What the hell are ye oon about?” Enyo asked in genuine confusion.

“And Linh? Malady? Are they hiding in your merry little band too?”

“Who the fuck is Linh?” Enyo demanded.

Before he could respond, a sudden impact caused him to stumble forward as blood squirted from the fresh wound in his chest. While Alden looked down in confused horror at the arrow tip protruding from his chest, Enyo knocked the weapon from his hand and elbowed him in the face. As he hit the ground, Aichlan looked up to see Odell, breathing heavily, his bow in hand.

To their surprise however, Alden began to laugh. He held up the rectangle and pressed the red oval on the glowing face of the device. The blood pouring from his wound blackened and dried as his skin began to flake and crumble. His hair dried out and fell in clumps as the flesh turned to ash and disintegrated. The fabric of his uniform turned threadbare and worm eaten, and soon all that remained were his dusty bones.

“What the hell is that light?”

Aichlan turned around to see one of the last remaining king’s guard pointing into the sky. Aichlan followed his gaze to see a twinkling orb of bright blue light forming in the distant sky.