Authors: Laszlo,Jeremy
Making the shoreline, she was careful of every foot fall. Here arrows, spears, and every other type of blade she could imagine had been abandoned and now lay hidden beneath a thin coating of snow. Though she doubted she could be killed by stepping upon the blade of a sword, she did fear it might slow her down, at least temporarily. That wouldn’t be a problem if she and Borrik weren’t racing. Of course, then again, the flying wolf man had yet to be let in on the competition.
Running nearly a third of a mile a minute, it was not long before the tops of the great white towers of Valdadore became visible, its walls stretching for miles and miles across the horizon.
Defying the possible, Sara pumped her legs even harder, knowing her husband was again in reach. For a moment Borrik swooped down out of the sky behind her, warning her of Sigrant’s camp ahead before rising again to a safe altitude. Veering left she continued running, aiming for the north corner of the city.
Onward she ran, forcing herself to move faster and faster, feeling herself growing yet stronger by the minute as Sigrant and his troops fed upon their countrymen. Still accelerating incrementally, she watched as the city grew at a steady rate before her. Leaping a small tree, rather than go around, she could see the base of the city’s walls before she again touched down to the ground. Almost there! Faster still she urged her legs, stretching out her strides as far as she was able.
Two miles…
She sprinted on, growing closer and closer before suddenly changing direction. Upon the air the scent of his blood. She had tasted it before, what now felt like a lifetime ago. Now that her senses were keener she focused in his direction and could hear his heart.
Pumping her legs she angled towards the great door upon the west wall that looked like a giant maw of a stone beast. Then, with one great leap she rocketed into the air and invoked the magical boots her husband had gave her.
“Jump!”
Up she went. Up and over. Then down she fell, those defenders on the wall craning their necks around, completely overwhelmed. Falling felt like forever, but finally she struck the ground, landing in a crouched position with one knee low to the ground, her fingertips resting on the cobbles. Before her stood the most powerful man upon Thurr, and rising, she leapt into his arms, tears streaming from her eyes.
* * * * *
Seth watched her aura come. Though her life force was bloated to be near equal to his own, he recognized her, as he would always recognize her, as the only woman he would ever love.
Towards him she raced, moving faster than any human he had witnessed. He wondered if she intended to plow through the great defensive wall surrounding the city, or climb it like their last adversaries had done. Then he heard her voice, and realized her intention.
Without so much as wiping the tears from his face, he rose to his feet just as she struck the ground before him. Looking up to him, she immediately burst into tears. Spreading his wings, he pulled her into his arms and wrapped them both in a cocoon of his own flesh.
Together, wrapped within his wings, they spent many intimate moments, their lips and bodies locked together as if they were one. Seth needed her, and though he had sworn to keep emotion out of his daily life, he realized now that for her he would make an exception.
Though she was likely one of the most powerful women on the planet, she trembled in his arms, sobs wracking her body for many long moments. After the initial realization that she was returned to him, Seth calmed quickly. Realizing that they needed to catch up so that Sara could join him in the preparations for a battle he believed would come this very night. Time was of the essence and as much as he wanted to, he could not simply stand in the street all day holding her small body against his own.
“I want to hear all about what happened to you,” Seth whispered to the top of her helmet.
“You have some explaining to do as well,” Sara replied, taking on a mock stern tone.
“I’m glad to have you back,” Seth whispered.
“I love you too,” she replied.
Unwrapping his wings from their bodies, he led her back down the alley he had come from earlier, and rounding the corner Borrik plunged to the ground to join them. Pulling the door open to the building where he had changed all of the children into soldiers, Seth allowed his companions to enter. Jonas, already inside and waiting, bowed low to Sara, welcoming her home.
Pulling up cages that the rats had been stored in for makeshift seats, each of the four companions sat. They looked around the circle of familiar faces and each of them grinned.
“It’s an odd group we make, isn’t it?” Sara asked to three responded nods.
“I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of time,” Seth began. “Perhaps you should start, Sara. What happened to you from the time I was struck until now?”
Sara appeared to think for a moment, her lower lip quivering slightly as she recalled some detail, but steeling herself she began to speak.
“I panicked. I think everyone did. No one knew if you were dead, or if you would heal. Borrik pulled you from the bolt, and you were gone. I tried to save you. I bit you, but nothing happened…”
“Wait…” Seth interrupted. “You bit me?”
“Yes? Why?” Sara asked
“Just… No. Keep telling your story.”
“Well, then, the next thing I know some guy grabs me and everything goes to spinning. All of a sudden, wham, we’re in a new spot and then he teleports us again and again. Then, some big creature bangs me around like a doll and tosses me in a cage. I was broken to bits, but I was healing. After that, King Sigrant came to my cage. He offered me his arm and I took it, thinking to drain him dry, but then the teleporter reappeared and hacked off his arm. He
used
me, Seth. He used me to take the gift you gave me. He figured out how to use me as a weapon against you and I’m so sorry.”
“It’s OK, Sara, this isn’t your fault. But keep going, I want to hear everything.”
“Well, then I was hauled away on an ox cart across the lake. When I got to the other side I got a new driver, and big black stallions were swapped out for the oxen. They raced me past Westgate and into Sigrant’s lands but then something really weird happened.”
Seth watched as Sara stopped and looked around to make sure everyone was paying attention. Borrik of course knew the most about what Sara was saying, but even so he listened intently.
“As we raced down a path through the forest, we were attacked by the trees. I could never believe it if I hadn’t been there, but Borrik can tell you that they are very much a real thing. It seems that Shadra forest is protected by these huge tree people that can uproot and walk around. They can talk and everything! Anyways, we get attacked and all of us, me, the driver, and the horses get crushed pretty bad. But the tree people pick us all up and haul us through the forest to Shadra keep. There isn’t much left of it, but when I heal up, the trees all gathered at the keep and they talked to me.”
Seth found the whole story enthralling. Of course he believed her, not just because he loved her, but because at this point he was convinced that absolutely anything was possible.
“So what did they say?” he asked.
“They said that all life is precious,” answered Sara.
“That’s it?”
“They said that to end a life is wrong, and every life we touch, we change that life’s destiny and fate. They showed me the monster I have become, and made me realize what I was doing not only to the people I hurt, but also people in general. It may already be too late, but they freed me and gave me the chance to come back and put right what wrongs I have done. They told me what you have been saying all along. That all life is meant to serve life, not destroy it.”
“So then, I might have allies in these tree people?” Seth asked anxiously.
“I doubt they want to get involved. They called me the Plague Bringer, and you The Abomination. I think you have the same beliefs, but different tactics,” she grinned.
“Then what?” Seth continued his questioning.
“Then Borrik showed up, a little worse for wear, but they let him live too. At first I didn’t believe him when he said you had come back. I wanted to, but I couldn’t bear the disappointment if he was wrong. But of course he convinced me and we came back as fast as we could.”
Seth nodded slowly, reaching across to take her hand. He had sworn never to leave her and yet he had done so. Giving her hand a squeeze, he assured her that he understood.
“I suppose then that it is my turn,” Seth began, “but now I have doubts about the truth of what happened to me. I’ll explain as I tell my story, though. Let me see. I died, so far as I know. When I left this plane of existence I came to stand before Ishanya, but I was not yet willing to give up. At first I was angry but then I asked her to send me back. Obviously she did, but not without conditions. She said I would be changed, though she never actually said that
she
was going to change me. I think that I have you to thank for that,” Seth said, smirking at Sara, watching her red tinted amber eyes light up with a smile of her own. “She said that I was to see this war through and then leave Valdadore to collect followers for her from around Thurr. If I did not agree, then she threatened to absorb my power and I would have ceased existing. At least that is how I envision it. But now, as I said, I have my doubts. I can’t help but wonder at your bite, Sara. I rejoined my body and already I was like you. Between what the tree people told you, and my own understanding, I am beginning to think that there is more going on in the heavens than we presume. I was already working upon my own plan, or rather, Jonas was working on it for me, but I think I am going to need all of your help in this regard in the future.” Seth paused a moment in silent reflection, his features straining as he made previously unknown connections about his understandings of what was transpiring around them. “I’ve strayed. Back to my story. I awoke on the battlefield, and in a hurry to get to Valdadore I gave myself these,” Seth said, raising his wings slightly. “Then, when I arrived, I helped to fend off Sigrant’s initial attack. Long story short, Valdadore has been decimated. Our troop numbers are pathetic. Garret is the only remaining knight. We have perhaps two dozen battle mages, Thousand Hole Tommy, Borrik, Jonas, and six others. Now we have you as well. I needed more troops so I had my men gather up teenage orphans and I melded them with rats.”
Sara gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.
“Yes, I know. Lives and collision. But I didn’t have a choice. They are formidable for their size. I’ll look after them as best as I am able. To continue, I still think we are destined to fail. Sigrant is too strong. If he were to attack the city alone, I think he could destroy it. I don’t know what his abilities are, but if I had to guess I would say they far exceed yours, Sara, and I think I know why.”
“I know too,” she interrupted. “I know how it works and I know how to stop him.”
“Yes, me too, but I don’t think it will work. My plan was to destroy some of the strongest of his infected troops that feed him power. Then, maybe when he is diminished, I will be able to end him.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Sara interjected. “When we are new and weaker, and one we have changed dies, it feels like we lose power, but we don’t. We just lose a connection to the one feeding us the power. The power we have already gained remains with us. No matter how many of his underlings you kill, he will remain just as powerful as he is. There is only one way to take away his power.”
“I won’t do it,” Seth replied before she could even explain, having worked it out himself already.
“Seth, it’s what the tree people were trying to show me. For many to be saved a few will have to die. If I die, how many could be saved? They would all be human again. You could pluck the life away from Sigrant and it would all be over. You know I am right,” she said, moisture threatening from the corners of her eyes once more.
“You can’t ask this of me, Sara. I’ve sacrificed too much already. I’ve killed people that I loved. I’ll not lose you too. There has to be another way to kill him.”
“I think there is, m’lord.” Jonas said cautiously, then waited for his master’s command.
Turning to face the werewolf, Seth eyes locked with the once human’s own before he spoke. “Tell me how to save her.”
“It is a wicked thing that I speak of, but it seems that we all agree that for many to live, some must die,” Jonas began, his voice deep and guttural. “What if Sara was to kill the swine?”
“She can’t, he is too strong,” Seth answered, thinking his hopes had been raised just to be dashed again.
“So we make her stronger,” the wolf man continued.
“Give her a blessing?” Borrik asked, his own feral mind chiming in.
Then Seth watched as Borrik’s eyes widened in understanding, having exchanged the idea telepathically between the wolves in an instant. Seth’s hope arose once again at Borrik’s expression.
“Explain, Jonas!” Seth nearly shouted.
“Feed her the people of Valdadore and they become warriors, and she becomes more powerful than he.”
Again, Seth’s hopes fell. It would work, but it put them in the same predicament they were already in. The change would continue to spread without end. Lives and collisions. Then it struck him.