The Chaos Blade - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Yamara floated in a warm sea of liquid blackness, yet she was not wet. She rushed along an unfelt current, moving faster with each throbbing pulse. She felt a presence nearby, light a beacon of light, guiding her through the inky darkness towards a troubled area ahead. It was the equivalent of a whirlpool, siphoning off the sea of life in which she swam.

Eric, nearly spent, fought as ever he did against the enclosing darkness. He refused to give in to it; refused to sleep. At first he did not feel the warmth spreading from where their hands were joined. He did not even feel their hands grasping his tightly anymore, so far removed was he. Then the first spark of new life found it's way into him, spreading up his arm rapidly. He gasped, having been so intent on fighting off the darkness that he had forgotten to breathe. He knew then that it was going to be all right. He closed his eyes, unfelt tears of relief sliding down his cheeks. His mind, like Yamara's, was suddenly sucked downward into the pitch black abyss.

They were together and apart then, floating above the maelstrom of their joined essence. Each was aware of the other, yet both were confused and lost. Yamara faltered and was caught up in it, circling slowly at first about the edge, progressing deeper with each passing heartbeat and unable to break free. Eric watched her for only a second before he dove towards her, moving through it so naturally he seemed unaffected by it.

He caught her hand and arrested her descent, clinging to her fiercely. Yamara returned his grip, looking back at him thankfully yet somewhat warily. She had no idea where they were or what was happening, only that a few moments before he was on the verge of death and she had offered to help him.

Was that then what this was? The swirling vortex led them to the underworld? Death's embrace, warm rushing waters ferrying them to eternal darkness? She clung more fiercely to Eric's hand and fought against the current. Eric fought with her, striving against the insurmountable force that had them caught up.

In a few short moments it became apparent that there was no escape from it. They were caught up in it and would ride it through to its bitter end. Yamara continued to struggle against it, but both knew they would fail.

Eric would fight death to the end, but he was not afraid of it. He was not certain how much he enjoyed the thought of spending an eternity with Yamara, though only a few short weeks before he had been pondering a very similar question, just under much more pleasant circumstances.

"It's no use," Eric called out to her, his voice carrying through the soundless void they were in. "We cannot escape."

Yamara stopped fighting and looked at him. Fury raged in her eyes. She possessed an indomitable spirit, Eric could tell that now more then ever. She would never be vanquished, never be defeated. Death, when it came for her, would be on her terms. She would accept no less. He admired her and was terrified by her.

"Last chance for absolution," Eric joked, determined to honor her spirit and go out with a smile and a joke. She just looked at him and shook her head.

"Why are you here?" He asked, knowing they grew closer to the funnel that would suck them into the underworld. "Why did you come for me?"

"A favor for a friend," Yamara said, clasping his hand tightly.

"Then consider me a friend and do me a favor as well," Eric said to her, his hand only held within hers because she refused to let go. "Tell me the truth, was there anything between us in those first few days?"

Yamara smiled sadly. She would give him the truth, though it was not what he wanted to here. "I have come to respect you far more since then, Eric. At that time you were a mark. An obstacle I needed to overcome. I enjoyed myself but would have killed you just as readily had I needed to."

Eric nodded. "Thank you, Yamara, for being honest. One last thing, tell Bill he's the best brother a soldier could have."

"Now let me go, it's not your time to go where I'm going. I'm dying, Yamara. Shit happens and you can't stop it."

Yamara eye's widened as he grinned and closed his eyes. Yamara clenched her teeth and let go. Almost immediately Eric plummeted into the vortex. She watched him go, no longer feeling herself weighed down so heavily, and thought she saw him open his hand and give her a thumbs up before he disappeared from view. She stared a moment longer then used her mind to swim up away from the maelstrom towards consciousness far above.

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"What did you do to them?" Elvanshalee asked. Alesha slumped back away from the pale forms of Yamara and Eric. They lay unmoving on the ground, dead to the world.

Alesha groaned softly and shook her head to clear it. "Nothing, I have no power," she admitted at last. "I tried to take the gift Yamara was offering and heal Eric with it."

"Then what is happening?" Elvanshalee repeated.

"I don't know.," Alesha said, watching the two of them. At first she thought them both dead, their pallor was waxen and wan and they lay unnaturally still. Then she saw the faint raising an falling of Yamara's chest. "Yamara hinted to me once that she had some special ability with her mind once, she must be doing this of her own will."

"She can heal him?"

Alesha shrugged. "I don't know, he is beyond me."

"And what of you and the demon?" Elvanshalee asked.

"He is destroyed forever, his essence torn to the winds and scattered. With him gone I am free to do as I wish."

"What do you wish to do?"

Both women, human and elvish alike, turned to regard the haggard sounding voice. Bill stood unsteadily, using a now dead and desiccated tree for support.

Alesha looked at him, her eyes regarding him kindly. She took a stress reducing deep breath and glanced around the small grove of trees that she had destroyed. She pondered the question as she surveyed her handiwork. Again more innocent life lost because of her, mere vegetation perhaps, but life nonetheless.

"I will avenge Kelnozz by going after Ancaruin, it is as he would have done."

Bill nodded and carefully staggered over to where Eric lay on the ground. He slumped down beside him, using the only living tree in the area as a backrest. Elvanshalee regarded him coolly. She felt that his behavior was very out of the norm for his short lived and selfish race. Of course every species had their extremes, but she seemed to be in the presence of some of the best of the human race. Still no match for a decent elf, of course, but respectable in their own way.

Yamara gasped loudly and sat straight up. Elvanshalee, who was closest to her, reached out and grabbed her instinctively to keep her from falling back to the ground. She took a few shuddering breaths and gained her balance. She was cold to the touch.

"What happened?" Alesha asked, staring at her intently.

"Didn't you do it?" Yamara asked after she looked around for a few seconds to regain her bearings.

"Do what? I did nothing, my strength is gone," Alesha said tiredly. Indeed, she had never felt so drained and exhausted in her life. "You did that on your own."

Yamara blinked a few times, comprehension slowly coming to her. She reached out with her mind, experimenting. It caused a sharp pain to spear through her mind. She grunted and shook her head to clear it. When it went away she opened her eyes and stared at Bill.

"He wanted you to know that you are the best brother a soldier could have," she said quietly.

Bill nodded and shut his eyes before hanging his head respectfully. He sniffed loudly then forced himself to his feet. He looked around then found a relatively flat rock. Ignoring his own weariness, he dropped to his knees and used the sharpest edge on the rock to start digging into the loose soil.

All of the women turned at the sound of more people arriving. From the camp of refugees a small group of relatively able-bodied men and women bearing weapons advanced, investigating the strange sound of the pistol shot and the echoing effects of the pyrotechnics.

"What happened here?" The leader of the ragtag group said. She was one of the former Lords of Sanctuary, a retired pirate captain named Igrid. In spite of being in her sixties she looked strong and fit and carried herself well. No missing limbs or digits either, which seemed rare for a former pirate.

"One of the demons followed us through the gate," Elvanshalee spoke up quickly before Alesha or Yamara had a chance to. "They tracked it down here and gave battle to it, destroying it utterly."

"You sure it's gone?" A man named Kal said, looking around anxiously. He had perfected his own unarmed methods of combat he had invented over the years in the pursuit of serving of Alto, the God of Justice and Loyalty, with great success against men, women, and beasts. These demons that had attacked them were a different sort of adversary though. He was not so sure about them, but with Alto's light to guide him, he would do his best to test them.

"Yes, it wounded our friends badly but while they distracted it, we killed it," Alesha said, picking up on Elvanshalee's train of thought quickly.

They all nodded and the conscripted guards around her looked relieved. Kal alone seemed disappointed. It seemed he wanted a chance to seek some vengeance and justice against the demons that had driven them from their homes.

"Do you need any help with him?" Igrid asked, noting the finality of Eric's position. Bill looked up at her, his face a mask of determination. Not trusting himself to speak he shook his head and went back to it.

"Let us at least post guards then, in case any other found their way here," she said, motioning to some of her followers to take up positions. Kal chose to remain behind as well, though he was not one of the "official" guards. Bill ignored them all. Alesha rose to her feet and cast about, finding her own stone to use to aid in the grave digging. Yamara followed suit and Elvanshalee, feeling uncomfortable and not knowing what else to do, joined in the task as well.

Less then an hour later a proper grave had been dug with their crude tools. Bill laid Eric within it and spent a quiet moment in respectful thought. He looked at each of the remaining people, searching for something. Finally he ended up with his eyes resting on Alesha. He nodded as he seemed to find something, then tossed in the first handful of dirt to the grave. One by one, starting with Yamara, they did the same. Then they fell to it using their stones, hands, and feet, not stopping until the dirt was a shallow mound.

Finally, thoroughly dirty and exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally, they returned to the camp with Kal and the remaining soldiers.

Continued in Chapter 28

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