Heroes Never Die ✓

Chapter 18 The Deceiver

"Nothing happens to us," Gawyn replied, annoyed. "We cease to exist. Our story is over. The only thing left of us is how others remember us."

"That's a nice way to put it," Alarat mused, rubbing his beard in thought. "I thought so too. But then I died. And guess what? Somehow, I'm still here."

"You are not. You are an illusion meant to torment me."

"Torment you? But I'm delightful! If I'd like to torment you, I'd get you to the party!" Alarat laughed.

Gawyn felt a painful tug in his heart. Alarat felt far too real. The way he talked, the way he laughed. And the way he knew him so perfectly well. He didn't think about it much, but he missed his brother so much it hurt. "Yet here you are."

"Yes, to help you."

"I think not."

"Oh, come on! Why would I want to hurt my favourite little brother?"

"I'm your only brother," Gawyn growled, annoyed. It felt far too real. "But that's not the point. Everything in this damn place is an illusion, and so are you, so stop wasting my time and go away. I have sorcerers to kill."

"Sure, go and do your thing. But this is a big place, and they are hiding like cockroaches. Good luck finding them."

Gawyn narrowed his eyes. "And you know where they are, of course."

Alarat shrugged. "I've been here quite a while. Look, you getting here is the most exciting thing that happened to me after I died. You can't believe how boring the afterlife is when you have absolutely nothing to do. Do me a favour and just let me help you."

Gawyn scoffed. "You'll lead me into some trap. Or stab me in the back as soon as I turn away."

"I would never do that. I swear I have no ill intent." He placed his hand on his heart and smiled innocently. "Besides, I'd like nothing better than getting back on those shady bastards for getting me killed!"

"Elinora killed you."

"Yes, but she was already working with them, and that's why I'm here."

Gawyn frowned. "Explain."

Alarat sighed and walked past Gawyn to sit on the stairs. "You know Elinora was dabbling in dark magic herself?"

"I might have noticed, yes," Gawyn said when the memory of a dragon-like creature came back to him.

"Well, it's an awful business, their magic - requires loads of blood, sacrifices and such. They also have a use for souls, apparently."

"What use?"

Alarat shrugged. "I have no idea. You are the smart one, remember? They have some... machinery to harvest the magic from human souls? It all looks very complicated."

"Machinery?" Gawyn frowned and leaned on his sword as if it was a cane. "Then why didn't you get sucked into it?"

"I think Elinora messed it up. I gather they need to make a sacrifice in some specific way to use it. But she used Skylar's sword to frame her. It worked well for her but not for the sorcerers. So, I did appear right here, but I'm not bound to do their bidding. And funnily enough, they can't seem to do anything about it."

Gawyn looked at him for the moment. If Alarat was lying, it was an unnecessarily convoluted deception. It would be far easier to say he saw his distress and came to help. And yet, he was sitting on the stairs, returning his gaze with his usual half innocent and half-mocking smile.

"Do you know where Skylar and Zephyr are right now?"

"No. But I suspect the sorcerers closed them in separate illusions. They can create a lot of those, as you have probably noticed. You got here unexpectedly quickly, and I think they got scared. That's why they separated you."