In a burst of white light the pair emerged standing in front of Charna and the watery form of Imagehi. Both of whom jumped back to avoid contact with the field of mental magic. Cienn blinked and gasped as Kain's knees gave out next to him. He grabbed him quickly with his telekinesis, holding him upright until his sudden spins left him.
"Yeah, definitely did not enjoy that." He said with a rather disgusting gurgling burp. Charna blanched at the sound.
"How did you get here?" she asked. Imagehi's watery form nodded slightly above them.
"Teleportation." Kain said sickeningly, covering his mouth as he fought to keep down his lunch. Cienn rolled his eyes. It wasn't that bad he'd thought; kind of exhilarating actually.
What? Imagehi asked within their minds' as her ethereal form couldn't actually speak.
"The fifth channel," it was the voice of the actual Durchali ambassador. Who was in fact a powerful medium like her imposter had boasted. The healer mages had restored her to full health hours before the battle began. Those in command around her looked at her confusedly. "Long before any of the nations we inhabit existed, there were five channels for mind magic to go through. Four of them exist today but the fifth vanished, thought to be gone forever. Until today." She looked on in awe at Cienn and suddenly dropped to one knee. "It is an honor to see one such as yourself, Your Highness." She said in her strange accent. Cienn balked and moved quickly to make her rise.
"I am no one's highness my lady. Trust me." Kain stepped forward then, his momentary sickness passed.
"The Gods have shown us the way to victory." He called out to the battlefield. Aludaria raced down along the line of rebels, Kain swung up into her saddle with ease, turning her about to face his troops again. "Rally to us and we shall show you the way to dispense of these beasts of darkness." Aludaria turned to face the advancing dark army as Kain drew his sword. It set alight at his word and he raised it high. Behind him the soldiers and sorcerers of his army raised their arms in salute, chanting victory to the heavens. Above them the Gods rung out in holy choir as the men and women of the ruins of Bylis charged at the demon army.
Cienn reached in and unleashed his power. He whipped up in a glowing white whirlwind, levitating high above the battlefield swooping down to lash out with his telekinesis. He came down with a shattering blast wall in the heart of the demonic mass. Dozens of dark creatures squealed in unearthly terror as he let his glowing white magic lash out at their shadowy forms. One by one he pushed, pulled, leapt, and floated throughout the battlefield, laying waste to demons with increasing brutality. Their strange black ichor began to dampen the ground in rivers as the rebels quickly turned the tide of battle, led on by Cienn and his friends. All of which seemed bolstered by the Gods involvement against their rival above.
Charna dove out in front of him as a particularly nasty looking insect-like demon swooped up suddenly. With a roar she slashed out with red battle magic. The creature screeched painfully high as it bisected in half from her slice. Its two halves twitched and moved on the ground for a moment before it dissolved into the dirt.
"Ew," Cienn muttered as another such demon rose up over the mushy remains of its brother. He blasted it's frightening pincered head clean off with a telekinetic blast. The momentary surge of the rebels began to wane as a new wave of demons rose up from the ooze on the ridge. Cienn looked at it with enhanced magical vision and gasped.
He was suddenly pulled to the past and witnessed as a singular soldier with an over robe of Jay blue place a small altar like the one Cienn remembered from the temple of Nanali. Only this time the little green-black statue looked like The One's true form, a grotesque floating skeletal version of her once regal self. The dark paladin recited a short prayer over the altar, causing the statue to sink into dark shadows. He rose and charged with his fellow troops.
The altar was what had called Itellia here! Cienn realized after the vision. If he destroyed that he would break her hold to the mortal plane and send her back into the Void. He wasn't exactly sure how he knew that but he trusted his gut. He focused on Kain and with a flash of white light was sitting behind him on Aludaria's saddle. He yelled and grabbed quickly at the mage's waste as the horse Familiar reared back from the attack of a strange lizard-like demon.
"Hey!" Kain shouted as his blast missed the lizard-demon target. Cienn shoved it back with a motion of his hand. It pierced itself on the horn of another demon and killed them both as it burst into flames.
"I know how to get rid of Itellia!" Cienn shouted in Kain's ear. He switched to telepathy and quickly informed both mage and Familiar of the altar on the ridge.
So you're saying that we have to go to the heart of the demonic mass and break an ancient artifact that could possibly explode as we sever a demon-goddesses connection to the Mortal Plane and potentially save the world? The mage asked into Cienn's mind.
Yes, he replied. Kain sighed.
I was hoping you wouldn't say that. The mage responded grimly. Aludaria reared once more and dove into the demonic ranks.
Don't worry, Cienn thought comfortingly. I have a faster way to get us there.
Imagehi roared with the rest of the warriors as Kain led the charge into battle. Along with her brethren she rose upward on a waterspout, calling her rebellion to the skies. Thunder rumbled back from the strangely swirling clouds. She dove forward into the throng, crashing onto the battlefield almost gleefully. While her religion strongly abhorred the thought of unnecessary violence, she herself found a strange exhilaration in battle. Her watery body crashed over a swathe of demons that had closed in on her. They struggled in her liquid embrace momentarily before their oozy bodies disintegrated.
Imagehi cackled and dove headfirst into the demonic line, smashing through them at breakneck speed. Demonic bodies shattered in her wake. She broke back above the line in a wave and laughed into the sky. Adrenaline coursed through her veins (she wondered momentarily if her ethereal form had veins) as she looked back to her compatriots. Across the battlefield she could see the effects the arrival of their leader and messiah had brought the warriors of Bylis. As one they fought against the ever surging line of demons.
She knew that many like herself had never actually seen a demon, and the fact that they fought on unlike so many Crown troops despite their trepidation and fear filled her heart with pride. Their cause was a just one, right in its convictions and beliefs. She had always believed that, and seeing the opposing sides true face had only convinced her of that belief. She dove back in amongst the demonic throng and pushed a handful of them back. Her water washed harmlessly over her allies, while demon after demon dissolved, faded or died at each graze.
Across the battlefield Elementals like herself dealt similar damage, keeping their fire, earth, water and air from harming those who fought alongside them. The animals of the Wild Elementals raced in droves across the battlefield attacking demon after demon. Rats and birds would swarm over strange, malformed versions of themselves without a care while their Elemental guides would swoop in for a killing blow in some animal form or another. One such wolf Elemental snapped the neck of a rather human looking demon as it jumped at Charna's back. The mage turned at the snarl and gave the creature a humbled nod before turning to her next victim.
The mage for all her strength was flagging, the length of the battle was taking a toll on even her extensive stores of magical power. She lashed out with a blast of red battle magic turning an insect demon to char, and balked as another simply rose over its corpse and advanced. They just kept coming no matter how many they killed. And as long as Itellia's spawn surged menacingly at the hilltop it would never end. Even the Gods wouldn't be able to keep up this pace should the dark goddesses tie to this realm was severed. She just wished she knew what it was.
She stepped back, blasting out at this next insect demon and screamed when she tripped against a body of the fallen. She breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed his silent face but screamed again as his hand thrust out to grab her ankle.
She blasted without thinking, charring away the top half of the body. It's legs twitched eerily a moment then lay still. Terror mounting Charna looked up to the battlefield to the bone-chilling vision of fallen warriors rising again. The zombies moved slowly across the battlefield, enemy and ally alike now turned against the rebel forces. Many of the troops turned back to the walls, especially those without magic. Charna's mouth set in a grim line as she went about the sick task of attacking her fallen brethren. Her vision blurred a moment as she noticed her lone attacker.
His name was Arani, and he had been in her training class back at Rodari. It felt like years ago now. She hadn't even known that he'd died in the battle today. She let out a wail as she dispatched his head in a swift fluid movement, the blade of red magic severing it cleanly through the spine. She choked back a sob as she sought the source of this sudden necromancy.
Every mage knew that necromancy was an impossible feat for a god, even a fallen god like Itellia. Necromancy took the work of a real sorcerer, someone physical and grounded to this dimension. That meant that Itellia had formed some sort of necromantic demon on this field somewhere. As she swung her mage-fire sword at the heads and necks of the rising zombies she looked back across the field.
There! At the bottom of the rise stood a line of strange anthropomorphic creatures. They wore dark cloaks over their hunched forms and Charna could see the glint of some form of magic forming between their claws. Those had to be the necromantic demons. As if to prove her point the magic between their misshapen finger surged momentarily and a new line of zombies rose up into her vision.
Her target in sight Charna couldn't keep back the smirk as she stopped dead in her tracks. Her sword extinguished leaving her hands free. Quickly she traced a circle with her foot in front of her and stepped inside it. This spell would take more than a few words and glyphs. At five points tiny flames burst into life around the circle to act as candles. She clasped her hands in front of herself and stared at the advancing zombies as she began to chant.
Glyphs traced a line of blue-white light from her collarbone down across her chest, split at her waist and traced downward along each leg. Their blue-tinged white light shown clearly through her clothing. Her chanting began a fast crescendo as with a musical call made all the more wonderful against the horrid sounds of battle, Alcana swooped down behind her mage to cast a glorious silhouette against the brilliant white pillar of light that still shown out from the heart of Bylis mountain. Charna's chanting climaxed as Alcana lit with a beautiful inner light of her own. The tiny flames burst upward at the spells apex to encompass the mage and her Familiar. The demonic zombies that had almost reached her spell circle fell back in flames as the fire shields worked their magic.
Across the battlefield four of the necromantic demons paused in their own sick chanting and twitched unnaturally a moment before they simply burst into a shower of black powder. Three of the necromancers remained, and resumed their chanting as soon as it was apparent their brethren would not rise again.
The spell ended Charna collapsed to one knee, surprised that it had taken so much out of her depleted stores. She looked up with a gasp through the auburn strands of hair that had collapsed over her face, the line of advancing zombies closing back in once more.
In an instant however the bodies were washed back in a surge of enchanted water. Charna felt it wash over herself as it bolstered her failing strength and healed quickly a few of the cuts and bruises she had attained in moments of sloppiness. She stood back up to watch as the watery form of Imagehi crashed across the distance between her and the necromancers and quickly laid waste to their remaining numbers.
The water Elemental flowed back across to her friend and smiled. The sound of the ever-flowing form of her friend was somehow comforting in Charna's ears.
"Thanks," she said sincerely and smiled when the Elemental nodded. The battle was far from over however as the two sorcerers teamed up against the surging demonic horde. Above them the Gods' battle raged onward, the clouds of white slightly over taking the black darkness of the One. The rebels were clearly flagging however in the continued onslaught of Itellia's horrific minions. Just then Cienn and Kain rode up on the back of Aludaria.
"Cienn says he knows how to get rid of Itellia!" Kain shouted over the din of battle. Charna and Imagehi nodded. They didn't need an explanation; if Cienn knew a way to end this slaughter they were behind him one hundred percent.
"But we'll need some help, we're going to the thick of everything." Cienn shouted at them, pointing to the hilltop that surged with demonic ooze.
You want to go there?! Imagehi asked incredulously.
"Do you want to help or not?" Cienn asked back just as surprised. They really didn't have time for this.
"We're in," Charna said for the both of them. Cienn nodded.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Kain asked him, worry in his eyes. Cienn only smirked.
"Oh ye of little faith," he said in chagrin and closed his eyes a moment. They opened with a brilliant white light as white mental electricity sparked outward from his magical core. Charna stepped in while Imagehi sloshed her water closer to the horse Familiar at the sparks, clearly wary.
With the explosive sound of displaced air they all disappeared, reemerging into the physical at the heart of the demonic ooze. Before them sat the tiny altar to the One, complete with gruesome totem. The ooze turned on them instantly as the dark clouds above rumbled with angry surprise. The One certainly hadn't expected anyone to get this far. With a roar the sorcerers launched themselves at the attacking ooze, keeping it back with the best in their arsenal. An orb of blue light formed around Cienn as he jumped off Aludaria's back, heading for the altar. He turned back to Kain and frowned at the mage's shield but the man only winked when he noticed Cienn's stare and slashed his flaming sword through the face of an ooze demon.
Cienn turned back to the altar, refocusing on his mission and took a step forward. Demons bounced off screaming in pain from Kain's shield and Cienn wondered what a trick like this was costing the mage. Surely he couldn't keep something like this in power for long, especially when under attack. What the hell was that man doing?
The altar was a tiny little thing, a campstool with incense burning on it and the little totem of the One leaning up against it. Two thick black candles sat lit on either side of the totem. Everything was on a black silk cloth ringed in gold and blue; the colors of the One's church. Cienn could feel the dark power pulsing out from the totem, Itellia's physical tie to the Mortal Plane. He reached out to grasp the thing in his hand, intent on smashing it on the rocks around them when a surprisingly human screech resounded out across the battlefield at his touch.
Instantly he was elsewhere. Birds chirped among treetops as a gentle breeze rustled their branches. A stream babbled somewhere beyond Cienn's vision as the hum of cicadas rose in their end of summer song. The totem sat firmly in his hand, but he felt no dark power emanating from it.
"I'd be very careful with that if I were you," came a rather pleasing, sultry woman's voice. Cienn looked up to see the face of a beautiful woman. She was pale with a dusting of freckles across her cheeks. Fiery red hair rose out to frame her heart-shaped face. A strange, otherworldly kindness looked out at him from gentle green eyes. The woman was clothed in green that flowed like clouds against her shapely figure, clasps keeping the wrapped dress pinned over her shoulders. Atop her head sat a glittering golden headdress with a large eye-feather at its apex over her brow.
Cienn was honestly surprised with Itellia's appearance; he had expected Her last throws of defeat to be more gruesome. This was a little anti-climactic really.
"But what if I don't want to be careful with it?" he asked coyly of the ex-goddess. She only chuckled.
"That's what I like about you Cienn, you always think for yourself. Do you know that's all that I ever did? I thought for myself and asked what more could the universe offer and my family cast me out for it. They told me I was a monster and threw me away, just like you." Cienn was impressed with Her conviction.
"But that was your doing. Your church banished magic and told me I was so wrong." He replied easily. "Is that seriously the best you've got?" He raised the totem to smash it against the ground. Itellia reached out across the small space between them and shouted.
"Wait! Wait! I... I can give you everything you ever wanted Cienn. I can give you your old life back without any of the old hardships. No more overbearing stepfathers, no more court at your back to produce an heir. You and your family could live the rest of your lives safe and happy. Isn't that what you want?" She sounded so pitiful as She pleaded with him. Her words struck a chord with him surely and he paused, thinking back over the past few weeks and how much his life had changed.
"And of course no magic," he stated. It wasn't a question, but fact.
"Of course," Itellia thought She had him. She'd found Her hook at last. "You wouldn't even have heard of the word magic Cienn. It would be as if it never existed." Cienn thought of a world without magic now that he knew so much more about it. Before he'd believed it still existed but wasn't sure if he or the world really needed it anymore. Now he saw what life was like with it and without it.
"It was what I wanted," he answered. "Once. But if I hadn't been forced to leave home I never would have found my magic. And without magic I never would have met Kain, or Charna or even Imagehi. I wouldn't have seen an otho or danced at a festival of the Gods. I'd have never been on that bridge when Kain told me how he felt. I'd never have met him at all, I'd still be home bored of all the parties and wondering when I would truly find myself." He stared at the totem in his hand as he spoke, spelling out all the wonderful things he'd seen since his journey had began. "With magic I've seen amazing things, met incredible people and found that no matter what I feel I'm just the way I'm supposed to be. Just the way the Gods and the universe intended." He gripped the totem tightly in his fist and glowered up at Itellia. Her glamour was beginning to fade, showing him the true ugliness beneath.
"It was your ways that forced me from my home and put me in the middle of this mess. You brought all of this upon yourself Itellia. And I promise I won't rest until your influence is gone from this world and my home is a safe haven for people like me once more." He raised the totem again.
"NOOOO!" Itellia shouted, Her form changing as She did. Her beauty was replaced with the gruesome truth of Her real form, skeletal face and body reaching out vainly to stop Cienn. As the totem shattered against the ground the ex-goddess's scream turned into an un-earthly wail as She reached in vain to grab at the shattering connection to this plane. Thunder rumbled and lightning crashed above the battlefield as collectively the demons lost their form and collapsed into piles of slimy ooze. In front of Cienn Itellia's form faded further and further from sight as Her connection was fully lost and she vanished from the Mortal plane into a rather pitiful pool of her own sludge. Indistinguishable from that of her multitude of minions.
Instantly the sky atop the ridge was awash in heavenly white fire. As one the Gods descended on the hilltop casting the battlefield into stark shadow with their presence. At their head stood Majran in all her glory. To her left stood the black robed figure of her brother Miskev, the God of Death, and to her right swirled the many purple coils of Qipori, the dragon God of Dreams. Movek stood next to his brother, clutching firmly at the hand of Alden, the God of Air. Cienn pouted when the God of Humanity gave him a subtle wink, which was followed by a tiny wave from Alden. Behind Qipori hovered the massive rainbow form of Bitepu, the Phoenix Goddess of the Seasons. Cienn also saw behind her the swirling leaf cloak of Nanali the Earth Goddess. Next to her stood the short bearded man that was Rondin the God of Fire, and next to them stood Morwona the Goddess of the Wild. Next to Alden, arms crossed over her massive sea-foam colored breasts, was Sanasha, the touchy Goddess of Water. Cienn had heard them spoken of his entire childhood, but it wasn't until now as they stood before him that he realized how much they had influenced his life from the beginning. While he didn't appreciate their meddling, he did appreciate their influence now as they shown out over the rebel victors. Majran raised her hands out in a grand gesture as she spoke, her voice booming out across the mountains.
-With your valor and heart we have won today my children. - Her words brought forth a cheer from the exhausted rebels. -Itellia is gone from this land once more. You and your homes are safe again. However the true war for Sundast has only begun. You must look to the chosen to guide your cause and your Queen to their rightful places once more. Good luck my children, continue to grant us victory in your honor on the Divine Plane- As quickly as they had arrived they vanished leaving in their wake the gruesome reality that was the aftermath of battle. What had momentarily been glorious in the wash of Their holy light was now replaced with the sad truth.
Healer mages rushed out to tend to the wounded, those still able to fight were sent out to check the surrounding areas for any signs of further resistance. Cienn didn't know much of that at first however; all he could see was the shattered remains of Itellia's totem. He jumped slightly when he felt comforting hands on his shoulder and reached up to cup Kain's hand subconsciously. For it was obviously Kain that reached out to him as he stood there.
"She seemed so, sad." Cienn said. For all the evils she had unleashed at the very core of the One's being she was still an outcast much like he was. "I couldn't help but feel sorry for Her you know?" he leaned back into Kain's broad chest, thankful for his comforting warmth. "At least a little bit."
"I think that's what makes you the least like Her of us all." Cienn was surprised by Kain's statement, and he turned in the taller man's embrace to look at his face in confusion. Kain explained. "Any one of us here who saw what you saw Cienn would have lost themselves in Her. She would have played to our anger, or our hatred or our pride. When confronted all you saw in Her was honest sorrow. You saw past what She had done and felt sorry for what She was. It was always pity that She could never overcome." Cienn gasped then as he noticed blood trickling down the front of Kain's face. He ripped at his tunic and reached up to dab at the wound.
Kain winced at the contact but brushed Cienn's hand away. "Just a scratch," he muttered then quickly looked Cienn over for any injuries of his own. Despite a few bruises and cuts on his face and arms the medium had come out of the battle unscathed. Kain and the others however were a different story. Imagehi had vanished, a damp ground beneath their feet a sign she had deserted her ethereal form in favor of her physical one. She would be back in the temple with the other Elementals then. Charna leaned against Aludaria, her chest rising and falling heavily as she used the Familiar to keep herself upright. Cienn left Kain's embrace and rushed over to help his friend.
Charna smiled as Cienn came up to slip her arm comfortingly over his shoulder, effectively taking the bulk of her weight. She looked exhausted. As the strongest mage in Bylis she had been going since the start of the battle, and by now had almost no magical stores left. Huge bags hung under her eyes, but her smile was genuine enough. If only a little fatigued.
"You did it." She said. Cienn was surprised by how soft her voice was. A group of Healer and Spy mages were coming across the warzone as fast as possible. Already the two swan Familiars were landing in front of the small band, informing them all not to move but to wait for transport.
The two spy mages, the magework that included transportation magic, got to work setting up a temporary spell gate to bring them back behind the ruins walls without walking. Cienn got up from his helping put Charna onto a stretcher and went over to them. Their weasel Familiars looked up from their shoulders as he approached.
"Don't worry gentlemen," he said. "I think I can take care of this." He smirked.
Teleporting that many people left Cienn a little lightheaded as they touched back down, but he hid it as best he could. He had transported them all to the antechamber of the council room. The healers began a protest, saying the hospital tents were clearly the proper place to go, but Cienn and Kain dismissed them. Still they carted Charna away quickly enough while the spy mages simply vanished into the shadows, humbled by Cienn's impressive use of his new power.
Kain didn't wait a moment longer but barged into the council chamber. What was left of the council was already there in their various stages of injury. The young wild Elemental had died in battle, taken down by a massive insect demon. Lords Fillident and Hildart unfortunately hadn't made it as well, and the Lord of Southmarch was out dealing with the loss of his left leg. Cienn heard amongst the mutterings of those present as well as their open thoughts that the healer mages hoped to restore it before he lost too much blood. It would be a long and gruesome spell though. The earth Elemental was also absent. Cienn heard the thought of Heratise the fire Elemental that his daughter had died in battle. Cienn hadn't known he'd been a father.
With the arrival of Kain all the Lords and Elementals rose to their feet. Upon seeing Cienn they all bowed. Cienn frowned.
"Stop it! You heard the Gods, I'm not to be king. There is to be a queen on Sundast's throne once more." The Lords and Elementals rose then.
"So it is true," Heratise said as they all retook their seats. "What the Gods have said. Who is to be this queen then?" she asked.
"My sister, Cerenae." Cienn responded solemnly. He still wasn't quite taken with the idea of his sister in such danger. At the announcement the council erupted into chaos. Each Lord and Elemental thought his or her opinion the most important, which clearly led to nothing but more shouting. Kain sat immobile in his seat at the end of the table, gazing out over his steepled fingers with single-minded intent. Cienn knew what he was staring at, and he avoided the man's gaze in a vain attempt to keep his blush hidden.
Finally Kain stopped in his slightly obsessive staring and stood. The council room fell silent almost instantly. He quickly summed up his and Cienn's explorations in the Chambers of Time and the implications of this sudden turn of events.
"It is clear we must find a way to protect this girl from the Crown. She still sits at the apex of the One's gruesome hold and is in grave danger the longer she stays."
"Her powers have also begun to manifest." Cienn said from across the table. He cringed slightly as he felt the council's collective stare turn to him. "She has somehow been able to stay safe this long, we have to trust that for now with this recent crushing defeat at our hand she will continue to be so." The council was nodding. He took this as a cue to continue.
"I may not be your prophesized sovereign anymore but I hope that you would still trust my judgment as the Gods messenger. It is imperative that we find a way to keep my sister safe until I can convince her of her divine favor." The councilmen began instantly offering their own way to save his sister from the peril she didn't even truly know she was in. Finally it was Kain's frustrated slap against the table that silenced them.
"While we are very much aware of Cerenae's impending peril," he said. "First and foremost in our minds right now should be our peoples. Bylis's location has been compromised, and there is no way of knowing if the Crown will send more troops through their swaths of destruction."
"The Woods will regain their land easily. We have nothing to fear from those horrid scars on Sundast's beauty, they will be gone within a fortnight," said Lord Gorgan, who held a large slightly green steak over half of his face.
"Yes," said the Durchali ambassador in her strange, lilted accent. "Surely Lord Cienn's actions with the One have banished the demons?"
"We have no way of knowing any of these things," the Air Elemental said calmly. Cienn was surprised by his resigned attitude. For an Air Elemental he appeared oddly droll Cienn thought honestly.
"Furthermore," said Heratise. "I spoke with Urthond before he, before he received his news," her words caught in her throat a moment. Cienn wondered if he had known the earth councilman's daughter as well. She continued, 'he said that he and a few of other earth Elementals who scouted out beyond the battlefield discovered the earth scored by these new thundercoal monstrosities was as dead as any they had every seen. They worried that even the magic of the Woods might not be enough to save the scars." The council began a hushed muttering at this. Kain held up his hand for silence once more.
"With this information it is clear that we must evacuate the refugees and all wounded through the portal to Rodari." Cienn was mildly confused by all of this talk of portals but he knew it would be explained to him by someone soon enough. "I would even go so far as to suggest an entire evacuation of the ruins." Cienn was surprised to hear Imagehi speak up first of the remaining Elemental council.
"You would ask us, those whom have lived within this mountain for countless centuries, to abandon our temples and homes to the ravages of a fringe cult gone to far? You extend even your reach Kain!" She stood to her impressive 7'8" height in her disgust and anger. Kain stared up at her rage calmly.
"You know as well as I do that Bylis has been completely compromised. Currently it would be foolish for anyone to stay here. Even a culture as strong as the Elementals." The Air Elemental spoke up from his seat.
"I am inclined to agree with Commander Kourokain's suggestion." He rose his hand as Imagehi turned to protest again. "It is indeed clear that Bylis is no longer safe for even those such as ourselves Imagehi. And it is certainly not safe for our families." He turned to Heratise, the only other Elemental still in the room. "I propose that all Elementals with unessential spiritual duties evacuate to Rodari with the refugees and rebels. Those of us with important rituals that cannot be ignored will stay and perform them within the mountain city. The ruins and skyward entrances to the city will be permanently closed off until such a time that it is safe to rebuild." Heratise was nodding in agreement and Imagehi had retaken her seat, although she still looked rather dour.
"Fine," she muttered dejectedly, clearly outvoted. Kain interjected at this time.
"We of the rebels will leave you to your own plans afterward but we request the use," he paused to look at what remained of his own council, and watched as they all nodded. "We request the use of your Portal to travel to Rodari." The Air Elemental waved his hand as if this was a non-issue.
"It will take time to organize the retreat." He said. "And of course we will have to bring with us as many supplies as possible in order to keep our burden on the peoples of Rodari light." Everyone was nodding.
"We need everything ready to move in three days time. It will probably take two or three days to get everyone through without crowding either chamber." Kain explained. "Ladies and Gentlemen I will leave you to your preparations. Cienn and I have someone important to check up on. I suggest you all find some time to get some rest and food as well. Good work today all of you. May the Gods grant us continued victory." With that he dismissed the council and made to leave the door. Imagehi grabbed his arm before he left and whispered in his ear.
"Tell her I say hi alright?" Kain nodded his assent. He grabbed Cienn's hand on his way out and led him back out across the camp toward the hospital tents. Cienn winced as they walked back into the early evening sunlight and shaded his eyes a moment until they adjusted. As things came back into focus he really saw for the first time the damage the Crown's forces had done to the ruins and tent city of the rebels. Craters dotted the rebel camp, vast circles of charred remains surrounded by damaged tents and shacks. A few of the crumbling towers had collapsed from the impacts of the bombs. In fact many of the ruined buildings looked even less stable than they had before. Cienn wasn't sure if that was simply the aftermath of the battle or if it was true that they were that much closer to complete destruction.
Finally they were able to reach the mass of hastily erected tents that served now as the ruins hospital. At the center of these massive white canvas walls was a sturdy looking stone square. Cienn thought it might have been a warehouse or meetinghouse once. While the roof had rotted away the walls stood there as strong as ever, and fortunately the entire area seemed to have missed the trajectory of the Crown's thundercoal.
Kain stopped the first nurse he could find and whispered Charna's name into her ear. She nodded and after depositing a mess of clean bandages to a woman working to stop the stump of a man's arm from bleeding took them through the bulk of the hospital tent toward a section at the back corner of the stone walls. It was walled off with more white canvas hung up like curtains. The nurse motioned for them to go through there and without another word raced back off to her previous duties. Kain grabbed at Cienn's hand and they entered together.
It was the mage wing. Mages required special attention because more often than not their own magic would interfere with the work of healers. And in extreme cases their pain could cause a mage to loose control of their powers. So they were kept separate from the regular foot soldiers. The horror of the battlefield hospital was no different in here though. Cienn moved closer to Kain as they passed bed after bed of invalid, each man or woman's injuries different but just as gruesome as the last. Finally they moved passed those with injuries into the ward for those mages who were first and foremost worn out. It was relatively quiet in here.
A few mages sat up in their beds shoveling down food as fast as they could. Their various Familiars lay sprawled wherever they could find suitable resting space. Be it on a shoulder or the ground between cots. They noticed Alcana before the found Charna, the great black bird sat perched silently over her mage's bed. There was a lone healer mage on his rounds. At his feet slinked a slick black lynx Familiar that noticed them first and raised his hackles.
The healer turned to them and glowered a moment. But as if she could sense their presence Charna shifted, groaning groggily. Kain and Cienn pushed past the healer and each grabbed one of her hands. She blinked a few times then finally opened her eyes. As they focused on the faces of her Familiar and her friends looking worriedly down at her she smiled.
"You guys worry too much. That's my job," she said weakly, wiggling slightly in the bed in an attempt to raise herself up. She slumped back down almost immediately. Kain and Cienn couldn't hold back their chuckles but Cienn's stopped in a choked back sob as tears flowed unbidden to his eyes. Thank the Gods she was alright.
They stayed only a little while, the healer they had interrupted not impressed with this show of friendship. He insisted Charna needed plenty of rest and as much food as she could eat. In about a week she would be back to her old self again. Kain informed the man of the evacuation plan and told him to tell his superiors. By the time they left the tents it was almost sundown, and Cienn knew both of them were near exhaustion themselves. His tent was closest and they somehow found themselves there trying to make a bed on the ground rug in the center of the tent. Satisfied it would be enough they both collapsed onto the bedding gratefully and fell almost instantly asleep, boots and clothes still on.
The work was far from over however and the next day found both men instantly swept up into the preparations it took to move almost 20000 people, many of them frightened refugees and the rest injured mages and warriors. It wasn't easy work. Cienn hardly saw Kain outside of official duties or council meetings. It was at one such council meeting that had run long into the second night before the relocation was to begin that the topic of prisoners came up. It was the general consensus to strip them of their weapons and armor and set them loose to find their ways home through the Woods. But the discussion reminded Cienn of something else. Something that he had forgotten in the middle of everything but now most certainly needed solution.
That afternoon he gathered up a small bundle of food, fire starters and some rope and stuffed it all in a bag he got from the rebel quartermaster. After speaking to a pair of guards in a low undertone he set out for a hilltop on the edge of camp. There was a walking path but he felt like challenging himself. He chose instead to test his telekinesis by jumping and climbing up the rockier unfinished incline. He slipped a few times and was certainly glad he could push his body with his mind at will, but by the time he reached the short summit he was mildly impressed with his skill. It would need some polishing of course but he wasn't disappointed.
Wind whipped at his face and tore at the edges of his clothing. He smiled into the westward breeze and thanked Alden for the reprise from the horrid stench of the battlefield below him. Crews were working constantly to clear the dead. He watched them a while, marveling at the speed with which they cleared the land and returned it to its former pristine condition. Magic certainly was impressive.
The sound of rattling chains behind him gave reason to turn. He saw the pair of guards approach with a hooded prisoner. They dumped him unceremoniously to the ground. At Cienn's direction they unlocked his chains and pulled off the hood. With a wave of his hand he dismissed them. They protested but one glowing, white-eyed look was enough to send them on their way. Gerall blinked feebly in the bright sunshine. His wounds had been healed slightly, a testament to the kindness of healer mages surely. His black eye was now yellow and no longer swollen. He still wore a great many bandages but Cienn was sure a lot of them were just an added precaution.
Gerall's eyes adjusted to the light and he noticed the man who stood before him. In a tableau that was too similar to really sit well with Cienn he gasped and called out.
"Cienn!" he cried and tried to stand. His strength apparently hadn't returned enough however for he couldn't stand and upon reaching his feet fell face first back into the dirt. He struggled to his hand's and knees, breathing heavily from his exertion.
"When we last met like this I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to see you, to talk to you, to hear you speak. Now I know what must be done." He gently tossed the parcel of survival goods before the fallen man. "Leave Gerall. Leave this place and never return to Sundast." Gerall looked up in shock at Cienn's ultimatum.
"But Cienn! This was a gift from the Gods. Surely me being here is a sign of our," Cienn cut him off with a raise of his hand.
"No Gerall. We were never meant to be anything. You sought me out because the king suspected me of being different. You thought to save your own skin by sacrificing mine." He stopped Gerall's protests. "It doesn't matter what it became, you still wronged me in ways that can never be forgotten." His calm exterior broke slightly as he continued. "Did you ever even really love me?" Gerall's silence said enough.
"No, I didn't think so. From start to finish you're only wish was to save yourself. Even now I can tell that you wish to save your own hide more than pay for what you've done." His thoughts certainly proved that. Gerall looked at him in confusion.
"What? No one told you that your suspicions were correct? That not only was I fey as Movek himself but that I was also the medium prophesized to bring your Crown down?"
"It's not my Crown any more than it is yours. I may not have had honest intentions with you Cienn but they hurt me much the same as they did you. More so." Cienn had to admit he was surprised by Gerall's conviction. Time among the more accepting company of sorcerers must have done much to bolster his flagging spirit. A few good meals probably hadn't hurt either.
"That may be but it doesn't change what you've done. You should be grateful. The rest of the important crown captives will be shipped back to their king. And I doubt Kadesh will be as forgiving as we are." He looked out at the carnage being cleaned below them. A strong breeze from the south whipped up into his face, its scents full of the clean air of mid autumn. Things had changed so much in the last few months.
"Where will I go?" Gerall asked after it appeared Cienn wasn't going to say anything else. "I don't know how to survive in the wild. I spent my whole life in Loris." Cienn pointed down a path in the forest behind him.
"That trail will lead you to the Great Road East. If you follow that you will soon reach the border between Sundast and Durchall." He looked back out at the ruins below them on their small plateau. Even way up here the signs of the rebels departure were evident. Tents and shacks were falling left and right. The flash of green or blue magic shown about the fallen walls and buildings as mages assisted in the hasty dismantling of the camp.
"I would suggest somewhere to the east; maybe the Bandan Islands, or Yasten. They have a history of being more accepting of people," he paused as he thought of a word. Unable to really find one he simply said: "people like us." He looked back at Gerall one last time. "But you will never again be welcome in Sundast Gerall. Forget your old life and be grateful you have the chance to start a new one. I hope that someday you find peace." Without another word he turned and walked down the path heading back to the ruins. Gerall called after him a few times, but Cienn refused to give him the satisfaction of any further discussion. Eventually he reached the gates of Bylis proper. Only then did he look back to the ridge. Gerall was gone.
He stuck his hands in the pockets of his trousers and strolled through the hastily dismantling camp. As he walked he couldn't stop his mind from mulling over everything. He wondered what his life would have been like if Gerall had always been sincere. If they had kept their secret and learned to live within the confines of the Crown. He could be sitting on the patio behind his house right now sipping tea with his mother and siblings. Cerenae would be talking about some noble boy or another while their mother simply listened quietly. The new baby would probably be suckling gently in her lap while Tenny played in the gardens. He fought back the sudden well of tears.
His mind so absorbed in his imagination he didn't notice the wall of people in his path until he bumped headlong into a broad, comforting chest. He started and began to apologize. He looked up into the warm face of Kain, Aludaria's large black form at his back. To his left and right stood Imagehi and Charna, Alcana on her shoulder. He laughed at their presence and with a smile took Kain's offered arm. No he was honestly glad that everything had happened the way it did. He finally knew where he belonged. And most importantly he knew truly who he was meant to be. Together he and his friends made their way back to the city of the Elementals. There was still much work to be done.