Once Forgotten 2.7

Rya awoke with a yawn and stretched. They had arrived in Rising Sun late last night. With a smile, she climbed out of bed and went about preparing for the day. She had been very ill last night, her back had felt like molten rock. But today, it had never felt better. She dressed and washed her face, reveling in the coolness of the water.

Downstairs, a few of the soldiers were eating and talking. She saw Brint talking with Alda and approached their table. Brint smiled and looked up.

“Feeling better?” Alda asked.

Rya nodded. “Very much so. My back doesn’t hurt at all today.”

“Curious, no? You’re back hurts for days, then suddenly ceases to. Wonder why?” Alda asked, thoughtful. “Regardless, I already went asking. The stories are all odd, yes.”

“I would have to agree.” Brint said. “From what Alda found out, there seems to be no real carrier of whatever is plaguing the people here. A village will be fine, with no signs of illness, then people will begin to complain of headaches. The headaches get worse, and it spreads to their stomachs. They can’t keep food down; they can’t drink anything. Then they die. This takes place anywhere to a week to mere hours. And that’s not all. Not every villager is affected. It’s actually only a small percentage of the village that fall ill.”

Rya sighed. “Definitely the work of a M’rachtkenta.”

Alda’s eyes widened. “So which one is it?”

“Only one is the bringer of plagues. Who is said to cause illness to spread. We are dealing with Graindianeth.” Rya answered. She noticed their expression. “He won’t come here. He knows I killed Maldis, so he will be wary. For a while at any rate.”

“That’s a relief.” Brint scoffed into his drink. He set it down. “Still, I shouldn’t be complaining.”

“Don’t forget. We have an audience with the Emperor, no?” Alda asked.

Rya frowned. “An audience? With the Emperor? But we’ve only just arrived in Rising Sun!”

Brint shrugged. “Word travels fast here. And I’ve been listening here in the tavern. Rya, you are the talk of this place!”

Her eyes widened. “What? But…but how? How can that be?”

Alda nodded. “Someone saw you, yes. Someone witnessed your slaying of Maldis.”

Brint shrugged. “We don’t know. Whoever it was, they didn’t leave a name.”

“What are they saying?” Rya asked.

“They say that a Child of the Gods walks among us, that you have come to purge the Realm. There is talk of a prophecy, yes.” Alda answered.

“A prophecy?” Rya frowned.

“We don’t know anything about it. The people won’t say, but I expect that we will find out when we meet with the Emperor.” Brint said. He lowered his voice. “You best be careful, Rya. These people, they claim Alacandis as their patron. He is their primary God.”

Rya frowned. “I thought you didn’t believe?”

Brint sighed. “I…uh…I borrowed your Book.” He looked away then met her eyes. “Look, I’m not saying that I believe…I just think that there may be some truth to it. That’s all.”

Rya smiled at him. “That’s a start.” She turned to Alda. “What time is our audience?”

“An hour after the lunch meal.” The Katar replied. Rya nodded, then left the table. Alda chuckled and gave a slight smile. “What is she to you?”

Brint frowned at the priestess. “What do you mean?”

The Katar chuckled again. “She is a beautiful human female, no? She would make a good mate for any man. But she would choose you, I think.”

Brint looked away. “It’s not that simple.” He sighed.

Alda cocked her head, her fur covered ears facing forward. “Oh? How is it complicated? You are a man, and she is a woman. That is how it is with humans, is it not?”

Brint gave an embarrassed laugh. “I meant our situations. She is an Overseer. I am but a soldier.”

Alda frowned, her feline eyes glinting slightly. “And that is where you err. I’m not sure how, but you are more than a soldier.” She took a sip from her drink. “You were Touched as well.”

Brint frowned. “Touched? What do you mean?”

Alda looked away. “You will learn in time.” A tremor rocked the room slightly. From somewhere outside, Rya gave a piercing scream. They rushed from their table and into the crowd outside. They burst through the circle to find Rya on her hands and knees. She trembled with pain, her eyes wide open and staring at the ground. Her fingers dug into the dirt as her back arched into the air. Two bulges were growing before their eyes, just below her shoulder bones. With a loud ear splitting cry and a shower of blood and feathers, two enormous wings burst from her back.

Rya remained crouched, trembling with shock and pain. Around her, her wings lay spread out along the ground. Sky blue feathers covered them, running with fresh blood, blood that glowed with a strange iridescence. Blood flecked feathers floated gently to the ground.

The people at the front of the crowd began to murmur chants to ward off evil, several fell to their knees, while others wailed aloud. A couple began to panic as they wiped the blood from them, thinking of Chiel and the fear of being drawn into the demon world. Above them, the once clear sky was now overcast with light grey clouds. A gentle rain began to fall.

As her blood mingled with the rain, Brint slowly approached her. She raised her head and met his gaze. When he knelt beside her, she fell into his embrace and wept.
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The ice crumbled to powder as Kadrin stood to his feet. With a wave of his hand, his sword was back in his hand. He chuckled. “Since you are so determined to destroy this place…” He threw his empty hand down, shattering the ice beneath them. The blast traveled down two levels, sending the cracks far deeper than ever. They both landed lightly, the ice a series of shattered panels.

Balancing precariously on the thin lines of solid ice, they began to fight anew. Using the power he had gained, Salazar began to press against Kadrin’s mind, seeking to distract him enough for him to slip. Kadrin’s mind was unlike anything he had felt, save for…

A gust of wind knocked about him. Salazar used all his focus to remain where he was. He dispelled the wind and ran along the line, straight at his foe. Kadrin’s knee came up, smashing into his gut. Again, Salazar went crashing through the floor. Shards and powder of ice fell about him. Kadrin landed, somewhat heavily now, not far from him. The strange sword he wielded brightened.

“It seems we grow closer to the object of dispute.” Kadrin said. Salazar lashed out, slicing into Kadrin’s cloak. Kadrin spun away, bringing his sword around. His enemy blocked, sending another shockwave. The ice groaned as the cracks finally deepened and widened beyond stability. With the sound of a thousand shattering mirrors, the ice disintegrated. They fell into the nothingness beneath. Far below them, level after level of the Keep shattered at an alarming rate. They fell in a free fall; down below, the final level was visible, cold white stone gleaming with a strange light.

Kadrin flipped over in the air, falling feet first. He watched as Salazar smashed into the ground. Summoning much of his strength, he landed with a roaring crash. The structure about them shook from the two impacts. The stone was caved in and cracked beneath him as he stood to his feet.

Salazar leapt to his feet, shaking the daze from him. He glanced around and then up. High above, both swords were lodged firmly in the ice. He smirked. “It appears we shall have to continue with might alone, Kadrin.”

“Are you sure you want to? You have yet to draw a single drop of blood from me, yet your tainted blood fills the air with the stench of your crimes.” Kadrin replied.

Salazar wiped his hand across his face. Dark red smears covered it when he drew it away. “It matters not. You will die this day!”

Kadrin threw his cloak back, fully revealing his form. His arms spoke of strength, yet he was not burdened with much muscle. His figure was slim, in perfect shape. He crouched, ready for the next phase. He leapt forward, throwing a simple punch. Salazar dodged right and barely avoided the true attack, as Kadrin’s other arm came at him. He grabbed Kadrin’s arm and twisted, sending the man onto his back.

Kadrin leapt up from the ground, Salazar leaping back to avoid the rising attack. Their fists collided in a flurry of punches. Salazar landed a hit, kicking Kadrin in the gut. The Overseer flew back a few feet. He stood to his feet. “Let’s make this more interesting, shall we?” He threw out a palm, the air heating from the flames. Salazar threw a palm, absorbing the fire into darkness. He drew back his arm, then threw it forward, sending the blackened flames back. Kadrin leapt to the side, then sliced threw it with his palm. The fire dissipated, leaving behind a black smear on the white stone. Each element proved the same; Salazar sent them all back, tainted by the darkness that clung to him.

He laughed maniacally. “I told you: you cannot beat me! I have the powers of a God!” He grunted as a fist made contact with his stomach. Kadrin stood over him.

“You never listened. Even when I tried- oh the wasted effort!- you ignored me, choosing to go your own way. You, bearing the power of a God?! HA! You know nothing of Gods.” Salazar rose with rage. He lunged, throwing out a fist blindly. The earth shook beneath them, and with a clatter, Kadrin’s mask fell to the ground in two halves. Salazar’s eyes widened. Shock, awe, wonder showed on his face. But another expression soon took their place. Horror. A horror that turned to purest hatred and malice.

“You! You…were Kadrin?!” He exclaimed. The man known as Kadrin raised his head. Eyes bluer than the purest sapphire and far colder than the ice above them stared into his eyes. Eyes flecked with silver and streaked with gold. The eyes of a Fallen God.