—The Sanctuary, Shadowlands—
When Idelle awoke, she was met with the raised voices of Lulu and Uncle Baloren. Her eyes opened slowly, her vision blurry at first, but slowly, it began to clear. She was wrapped in a warm embrace, a small tilt of her head revealing it was Duncan who held her, his face crumpling with relief when he saw her wake. He called out quietly to someone nearby, but Idelle didn't have the strength to raise her head to see. In a few moments, several healers were all around her, checking her vitals and such to see if she was well enough to stand. They parted, however, when they were joined by Le'Mon, who looked at her carefully and gave her a tired smile. Idelle's eyes flickered to the closed flaps of the tent.
"How long have they been yelling?" she asked, her voice dry and cracked.
"Over an hour," Le'Mon mumbled. "Don't see what good it will do. In the end, Lulu will do whatever she wants."
"And what does she want?"
Le'Mon sighed, coming to sit at the edge of the bed. "The barrier is destroyed beyond repair. To construct a new one would take no less than a decade...time that we don't have. We've managed to make a temporary barrier, but it's powered through our own lifeforce. We're taking turns to see it maintained. To keep powering it, most of us would be dead in a few days."
"Is there nothing else that can be done? Can I help in some way?"
Le'Mon laughed quietly at that. "You really are a hero, aren't you? So unlike Lulu...or me for that matter."
Idelle frowned, shifting in Duncan's hold. "I don't understand."
"Things have looked pretty dire, and for a while, most of us were resigned to seeing the Sanctuary permanently destroyed. The Sanctuary means a lot to a lot of people. Even after all our fighting, all the injuries...We merely had to step inside the Sanctuary to be healed of all our wounds. How could we not be devoted to a place like that?"
"You said 'for a while.' You mean, you've figured out a solution?"
Le'Mon nodded. "One so incredibly simple it was rather humbling to realize we overlooked such an elegant solution. One of your friends, the Witch Queen Isadora, she came not too long ago and suggested that rather than using our aether to power the construction of a new barrier, why not use the Sanctuary itself. From inside, we will be able to construct much faster, and no one needs die for the repairs."
Idelle smiled. "Then, all is well, yes? You can repair the Sanctuary, and I will go far away so that Virmira Tanadall can't use me to drain the aether."
"Yes, all would be well...except your lover is quite adamant that our solution is no solution at all. She doesn't care that the barrier can be rebuilt. She believes that as long as the Sanctuary remains, Virmira Tanadall will continue to try and use you for her own ends. She believes if she destroys the heart of the Sanctuary, the aether will dissipate and you will be free from Virmira Tanadall forever."
"Is that...even possible? To destroy the heart of the Sanctuary?"
Le'Mon nodded. "And the aether will dissipate. Though, whether or not Virmira Tanadall will leave you alone after that, I have no idea."
"I doubt it," Idelle grumbled.
"You need to speak with Lulu, Idelle," Le'Mon urged her quietly. "The heart of the Sanctuary isn't a formless source of aether. It is the wife of the King of Bones, Aer'Avyn. Her aether has protected and enhanced the Umbra since the beginning of living memory. She heals our wounds, eases births, extends life, and rejuvenates the land. She is sacred to us, and she is...everything to the King of Bones. I fear what would become of him if she were lost. Lulu will not listen to anyone. Your Uncle Baloren refuses to do as she asks, but whether she tries on her own or with others, she will die here."
Idelle shook her head even as she rolled over, legs swinging over the edge of the bed with a groan. "You don't know Lulu if you think I can convince her of anything. Once she's decided something, she commits, regardless of the consequences."
Le'Mon made no comment, following close behind as Idelle hobbled from the small tent, one arm curled around herself against the pain. Duncan allowed her to lean on him for support as he helped lead her to where Lulu and Uncle Baloren were facing each other, the others sitting quietly nearby as they waited for the argument to abate. Lulu quieted the moment she saw Idelle, hurrying to her side. She quietly assured her lover all was well with her, despite the pain still filling her chest.
"Lulu, we should go, now, before the crystal wakes up again and we destroy the new barrier," Idelle urged her softly.
Lulu shook her head. "That's only a temporary solution. So long as this Sanctuary remains, Virmira Tanadall's going to try and get it again. You won't be safe if we leave it alone."
"You can't destroy their Sanctuary just because you're frightened, Elusia," Uncle Baloren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We've lost too many people here as it is. If you push this, we'll lose more. A good warrior knows when to attack and when to withdraw. Now is the latter."
"He's right, sweetheart," Corlis nodded nearby. Though Idelle had begun to heal him, she had been far from finished when she was lulled back to sleep. As such, Corlis was still in bad shape, evidenced by the wheeze in his voice and the pained expression flitting across his features when he moved. "We barely survived against Virmira Tanadall. We can't win against the King of Bones."
"We don't have to fight a long engagement," Lulu countered. "One of us can sneak inside, and..."
"Impossible," Le'Mon shook his head. "The King of Bones knows the moment anyone steps foot inside the Sanctuary. You'll never reach the heart of it before he knows you're there."
"Then, we distract him, and..."
"And whoever does will die, painfully," Uncle Brendamir stated with a forlorn expression. "I'm not dying here for this. We just lost Cara. I'm not risking anyone else. So long as Idelle remains removed from the Sanctuary, there's little danger. Better to retreat and regroup now. We can figure out how to fight Virmira Tanadall later. But for now..."
"No," Lulu refused resolutely. "We let this go, and Witch Tits is going to get what she wants. It's too dangerous."
"If you do this," Isadora warned, leaning heavily against Brendamir, her wounds still healing beneath several layers of gauze. "Any more deaths are on your hands alone. You already got Isaac, Eyje, Cara, and most of the Evv'Arrtan coven killed. Do you really want more blood to stain you?"
"That's unfair," Duncan growled at her side. "She was just doing what needed to be done. Without her, we wouldn't have figured out how to defeat Eivør. We would have had to face her and Reivar both here at the Sanctuary."
"And if she had never gone and killed Eivør's lover, perhaps we would have been better prepared when she did attack. You may think what you like, Sir Duncan, but the facts speak for themselves. Virmira Tanadall chose to throw Eivør in Lulu's path for a reason. You shouldn't forget that. I certainly won't."
"So, it was her, then," Idelle nodded, sadly. "She's the one that took Ori's brooch and left it on the doorstep to get us to make the connection to Eivør."
"Something about that still worries me," Corlis said quietly. "I doubt very much that Virmira Tanadall took it by force, or that she snuck in to retrieve it."
"You think she has an agent on the inside," Baloren looked to his friend. "Someone to retrieve it for her?"
Corlis nodded. "Which means Ori could be in very real danger. We should speak to the King of Bones about contacting her, and..."
"No," Lulu stubbornly crossed her arms. "The only thing we'll be speaking to him about is destroying the heart of the Sanctuary. Either he can help us, or we'll do it by force."
"Are we certain she's Orik's kid?" Brendamir groaned. "Orik would never do something so rashly stupid."
"Fuck you."
"Lulu," Idelle hissed. "He has a point, alright? There's absolutely no reason to destroy the Sanctuary. I don't understand why you're being like this."
"Am I the only one who understands how terrifying Virmira Tanadall is?" Lulu looked around at each of them, her face a mask of disbelief. "You're all supposed to be great heroes. You helped defend and then end an entire galactic empire! How can you all sit there and say the boogeyman should just be left alone to do as she pleases?"
"No one is saying that, little girl," Isadora clicked her tongue. "Or has your brain not developed enough to understand the intricacies of strategy?"
Lulu riled at that, shoulders squaring as that defiant look appeared in her eyes. Idelle sighed. It wouldn't matter now what anyone said. Lulu was adamant her point of view was the correct path to take. No one could convince her otherwise.
"No, I understand," Lulu countered in a low, deadly tone. "I understand that you supposed heroes are all fucking cowards. But that's fine. I don't need you for this. You'll just get in the way."
Lulu whirled around, marching toward the Sanctuary. Panicked, Idelle looked to Uncle Baloren, but he, too, seemed at a loss of what to do. They followed behind, all knowing there was nothing they could do to deter her. Lulu wasted not a moment, storming all the way to where the King of Bones stood with the White Riders, the twins, and the Triad.
"You have to destroy it," she demanded without ceremony. The King of Bones stopped what he was doing but did not turn to look at Lulu. Regardless, Idelle saw the way his back stiffened, his head tilting in their direction. "Right now, before Virmira Tanadall comes back."
A beat of silence. "Do I now? And why, pray tell, must I?" the King of Bones spoke slowly, a dark edge to his tone that made Idelle shiver. Lulu, however, was undeterred.
"Because every second it remains, it's a danger to Idelle and all the worlds."
"The barrier is being restored even as we speak. Its survival means nothing to you and yours. As a reward for helping to defend it, you may enter the Sanctuary to receive my wife's blessing, and I shall forever be in your debt. But should you cross the boundary without my permission, should you harm it in any way, I will be forced to defend what is rightfully mine, and I will do so with every available recourse to me. Do not believe you will ever find victory here."
"Its survival means everything!" Lulu shouted. "Virmira Tanadall will do anything to get her hands on the magic in there, and she wants to do that by using Idelle to obtain it. It absolutely concerns me! I'm not leaving here until it is completely destroyed, and I know that Idelle will be safe."
A long, uncomfortable silence followed. The twins shifted nervously. The Triad backed away. Even the White Riders fidgeted as everyone waited for the response. The King of Bone straightened his posture and turned. His face seemed exceedingly blank as he faced Lulu, as though they had been having a rather trivial discussion. But then, in the blink of an eye, the King of Bones reached out and grasped Lulu by the throat, lifting her clear off her feet so they were eye to eye. Idelle and the others moved to intervene, but without so much as a wave of his hand or snap of his fingers, dark shadows appeared on the ground around them, rooting them in place. The King of Bones' orange eyes darkened considerably as a low growl emanated around him, shadows curling off his body.
"I shall repeat myself one final time, and I do so only because my wife happens to share a familial bond with you in this lifetime," the King of Bones pulled her in close. "Leave, and you have my eternal gratitude and protection. I shall never hunt Orianna again. I shall defend you against Virmira Tanadall, and you will be granted my wife's eternal blessing. Walk into the Sanctuary, however, and try to destroy that which I love most in this world, and I will see you suffer horrendously. None of you will leave this place alive. I will drown you in nightmares. I will turn your blood to ice, make you scream and howl in utter agony until you forget there was ever a world outside your nightmares, outside your eternal abyss of suffering. This I promise you. So, I offer you the choice, Elusia Vale, will you leave, or will you fight me here, today?"
"Lulu," Idelle groaned, the shadow's icy grip freezing her to the bone. "Think about this. Please."
Lulu hesitated, but it was only for a moment. "I won't take any chances. The Sanctuary will fall."
In a flash, their restraints were gone, and the King of Bones released Lulu, letting her fall unceremoniously onto the ground. Idelle and Corlis moved to her sides as the King of Bones turned away.
"Your wish is my command, Elusia Vale," the King of Bones snapped his fingers, and around the Sanctuary, burst forth a wall of undulating, angry shadows that pulsed with dark, raw aether. The growl that emanated from his magic grew even louder, a warning of the horror that would lay within. "Come and let us begin. I shall await you at the heart of the Sanctuary. Should you come to your senses and leave, we can forget this ever happened. But know that your fate is sealed the moment you breach the boundary. Happy trails."
With a backwards wave, the King of Bones disappeared through the shadow wall, his Umbra following close behind. Corlis and Idelle pulled Lulu to her feet, guiding her away from the Sanctuary as Idelle tended to her wounds.
"We need to leave, right now," Isadora looked to Brendamir in a panic. "Someone, knock her out and drag her out of here before she gets us all killed."
"I'm right," Lulu snarled, hunched over and struggling for breath. "This is the right thing to do."
"Destroying a sacred shrine?" Idelle couldn't help but look at her lover in disbelief. "Destroying the tomb of someone who is very much loved? Risking everyone's death on something that might happen? How is any of that right?"
"Because it will save you."
Idelle pulled away. "If you're willing to let our friends, our family, die to save me, I want no part of it."
"Makes no difference if you're there or not," Lulu pulled away, reaching for the nearest sword. "I'm going with or without you. I don't need your..."
Just as she turned around, Corlis' fist slammed into the side of her face, knocking Lulu out in one swing. She hit the ground, though no one moved to her immediately. Idelle blinked, startled as she looked over at Corlis. He shook his head.
"I'm not watching her die for this," he whispered.
"Thank you," Idelle squeezed his hand.
"We need to hurry, then," Baloren ordered, already moving toward the nearby tent to retrieve his bag. "Gather up whatever you need and then we're gone. Lulu will wake up from that sooner than later."
They each scrambled off to secure their belongings, what meager few possessions they had brought with them. In all, they couldn't have taken more than a few minutes at most, but it was enough. It was enough for Lulu to wake up, to realize what they were doing, and to subdue the guard they had left to watch over her. A few minutes later, and Lulu had done exactly what Idelle had known she would.
Their fate was sealed.
*************
Inside the Sanctuary, deep in the heart of it, the King of Bones sat beside the ornate glass coffin, hands tucked beneath his chin as he gazed upon his motionless wife. It had been many, many years since he had the requisite aether to expend just to be able to sit here with her. He missed the peace she had always brought him. Even in death, she was the sole occupant of the universe who could calm his heart.
"I will not let them take you," the King of Bones whispered softly. "I know its still possible to wake you up. I know Orianna is the key to doing it. I won't lose you now."
Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his gaze. There, stood a familiar figure in a red dress that sparkled like starlight. His wife's beloved sister. Her haunted emerald gaze was fixed upon the coffin, her ghost making not a sound as she stood with him there in the Sanctuary. Both of them felt the moment the barrier opened far along the edge of the Sanctuary, Elusia Vale taking her first steps inside. Neither moved in acknowledgement, however, for several long, silent moments. But then, the King of Bones sighed and pushed himself to his feet.
"It would seem your champion has come at last," he spoke softly as he positioned himself in front of the coffin. His Umbra, a legion of them, stood at the ready, surrounding the entire tomb at his sudden call.
The woman in red shifted her gaze to the King of Bones, but he would not acknowledge her. He continued to stare straight ahead, where he knew Elusia Vale would emerge.
"At first, I thought you led Baloren Tor'Varyan here as a defender to her tomb, but that was such a ridiculous thought, wasn't it? As if you could ever conceive of a world where my wife was loved more than you...Ylessra."
He chose to look at her then, but her face betrayed nothing. "My sister deserves better than a cold tomb, and you know it. You keep her trapped in here, to exist only in your memory, but she was, and always will be, so much more than that. She is life. She is goodness. She is hope. And she deserves her rest. True rest."
"So, you pushed Elusia Vale into coming in here?"
Ylessra shook her head. "I did nothing. That was her decision alone, but I admire her for it."
"Then, you'll be soon admiring a corpse."
"Perhaps, but you waste your time in here, defending a memory when the hour is growing late. Her birthday is almost here. You would abandon the rest of her shards just to defend the body?"
"It is more than that and you know it!" The King of Bones shouted in pure roiling rage. "It is the last...the very last piece of the woman I love, and I will not see it squandered, not to fulfill Virmira Tanadall's insanely stupid plan, and not to be destroyed by the hands of a fleeting insect. I will defend her until the last of me is gone. Until the world falls to silence once more."
Ylessra smiled sadly. "I always wondered...what it was to be loved like that...My sister truly was a lucky woman." She turned her head, staring out into the Sanctuary with a studious gaze. "May the stars guide you...Archon."
Ylessra disappeared, leaving the King of Bones seething in rage as he waited for Elusia Vale.