Post by Solana on Sept 11, 2014 11:48:57 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty-One- Calm Before The Storm
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Solana and Joshua could see the Crystal Citadel shining like a beacon with the sun's dying light as Ena and the others dropped them off in the shallows. Some kind of barrier spell seemed to be wrapped around the entire structure, more than likely to keep out any uninvited guests, but they would worry about that later.
Not wanting to take the chance that Bachlan had mastered his stolen powers, Joshua had warded the entire pod from any sight spells and could only hope that Bachlan wasn't using Oriana's power to sense other lifeforces.
As in Miniki, Ena and Blaze came in close to shore and let their riders slide off into the water. "We will pass the warning on as far as we can. Be safe, cousins, and fight hard. We have plenty to discuss after your victory," Ena said strongly, slapping the water with her tail for emphasis.
Solana smiled as she noted that Joshua had been included in the endearment, and his eyes softened as he realized it from her translation. "We do, indeed. Ena, all of you, this has been quite an honor, and an enlightening journey in more ways than one. We owe you our very lives, and rest assured that that debt will not be forgotten," Joshua said formally, inclining his head modestly.
"Thank you all. We'll do our best to protect the seas and all of the Merna we love, and will see about forming better ties with you all," Solana added, and the Guardians gave a bow of gratitude to their fellow mammals.
Ena raised up her flukes in an orca salute, and the others quickly imitated her. A few dozen tails slapped the water in unison, once, twice, thrice, before taking off to the west. Solana watched them go off into the sunset, touching a few fingers to her heart and then to the seawater in a silent promise before rejoining Joshua.
Joshua immediately drew a fresh warding spell around them to keep out of sight, leaving the other with the orcas until they were well away from the Citadel. The pair kept silent as they reached the shore and began walking towards the small stand of trees that held their destination. It felt strange to be on a solid continent again and to smell a brisk breeze that was free of salt, although the ground under their feet still seemed to rock a bit after all of their time at sea.
Solana tried not to think of the possibility that their comrades hadn't been able to make it. She trusted them all- even Joshua, even Trista. She trusted the information from the orcas. Now it was her turn to get to work and get everyone united for those who were depending on her. A gentle breeze sighed through the tall grass that swished as they walked through it, as the seedpods on some of the blades seemed to nod encouragingly.
Both let out a sigh of relief upon entering the small grove that housed the Ayadoia Glade. Crickets had set up their nighttime orchestra, and frogs were calling to one another as the night settled in. A few birds had also joined the choir as they called good night to their fellows, and the wind rustled the emerald canopy over their heads. A much-needed sense of tranquility entered both of their hearts after the stressful journey here.
For so long, the cracks of twigs and rustled leaves under their feet were the only suggestions of people in the forest, making them feel alone, but then things changed. Wood smoke greeted their noses, as well as the smell of herbs and cooking meat. Solana's nose had known that blend of spices for many decades, and they picked up their pace. Flickering shadows were brought to life on tree trunks, and soon they could see the dancing orange and scarlet wisps of an honest campfire.
Coming through one last clump of trees, they encountered the welcome sight of Aryn kneeling in front of that fire. Her braids were wound around her head and secured with a spare chopstick to stay out of her way, and her leather armguards were off and her sleeves rolled to the elbow. She was whistling softly under her breath as she mixed up some kind of dough in a small bowl. Her travel knives and all kinds of foodstuffs were neatly arranged around her.
Joshua dropped his wards and coughed loudly to get her attention. The Fire Guardian spun on her knees with her sword in one hand and a large ball of fire in the other, until she looked up and grinned widely at the sight of them. Relief was a warm glow in her hazel eyes as she set down her sword and returned her fireball to the campfire. "Welllllll, it's about time you two showed up! Now I'll know to set the table for six, and you guys can help us set up camp for the night."
"So everyone is all right?" Solana asked as she and Joshua set down their travel packs. She happily noticed that there were four others sitting nearby.
"All present and in one piece, mama hen," Aryn replied easily. Joshua let out a small smile of relief, while Solana was too happy that they had been reunited to bother responding to the 'mama hen' jibe.
"Where are the others at this time?" Joshua asked quietly, his eyes searching the forest around them.
Aryn ticked the names off on her fingers. "Trista's putting up a sound shield around us for the night, while Raoul and Eziban are setting up two tents they got from the elves." Her face turned serious for a moment. "Joshua, did you get your essence rejuiced?"
Joshua nodded solemnly. "I did. If you two will please excuse me, I will assist Trista in providing a full ward for our camp for the night." Aryn pointed out the direction that Trista had stalked off in. Joshua gave a little bow of thanks and went to go track Trista down.
Aryn rose to her feet and came over to throw her arms around her best friend in a crushing welcome back hug. "Man, I'm glad you're all right, Solana. It's been one hell of a haul since we got separated, and the leader cap is all yours again."
Solana was gasping a little for breath, but hugged her back just as strongly. Air could wait. Despite the many times they had been separated during various missions or quests throughout their long journey, Solana had always felt more prepared to handle whatever would come when they were a team. There was no one in the Universe she trusted more. And, judging by the bruises that would likely follow that hug, Aryn felt the same and hadn't been kidding about wanting out of the leader role.
They laughed and finally separated, and Solana joined Aryn in sitting by the merrily crackling campfire. A few fallen apple branches gave off a comforting aroma as they burned, and others gave off a scent that would keep away overinquisitive insects or animals while they slept.
Knowing her friend as well as she did, Aryn handed Solana a freshly made cup of hot tea. Solana quickly checked to see what type it was, but the fruity red tea was nothing like the Monsee spring rose tea that had helped to knock her out in Ridley. As she took an appreciative gulp, she wondered when she'd be able to touch the stuff again.
Thankfully, Aryn was too busy checking over her preparations to notice Solana's hesitation with the tea. Her lips moved in silent calculation of dish possibilities. "What do you guys have for supplies? An army marches on its stomach, after all."
Solana dug through her and Joshua's packs and unearthed their food from Miniki and the other islands. Aryn studied the dried fish and tropical fruit carefully, then fished out the dried lavender left over from Solana's herbal remedy for her injuries in Ridley. Her eyes twinkled in anticipation. "This will be perfect with those peaches that the boys brought. Hey, Solana, you wanna wash up and give me a hand on this?"
"Sure."
It felt good to be around a campfire again, taking Aryn's instructions for cooking up a tasty supper. Familiar. Life flowed on like a river, diverted by any number of stones and even being tossed over cascades and joining others until the mouth couldn't be recognized from the source. But that river could carry some little things- a twig, a leaf, a flower petal- that could travel with the river the whole way through. It was those little things that could serve as a comforting constant in an ever shifting world.
Looking over at Aryn, Solana knew that her friend's mind was solely on food preparation. She had been making biscuits of a nutty flour from the elves blended with a harder wheat one from Fief Caldera. There were also several long skewers out, already soaked and ready to be loaded with tropical fruit from Solana's trek, dried meat cubes from Aryn's, and plenty of fresh vegetables from the elves. The dried azure fish from Miniki was mixed with a few more ingredients and flavorings to make some fried fish balls. Lastly, Aryn decided to cook some of the peaches over the fire with a syrup made of the dried lavender and sugar dissolved in water for dessert.
With the important issue of the next meal being taken care of, they traded stories. Solana was stunned at the story of the elves being the original keepers of their essences and Bachlan's way of acquiring them, while Aryn had to be talked out of adding Ridley's leaders to her hit list after the draw and quartering attempt. They took a few minutes in silence to let it all sink in.
"Damn," was all Aryn could say when she finally finished. She put a fistful of loaded bamboo skewers over the fire to cook, then turned over the seasoned fish balls in their pan.
"I know. I'm just wondering if we should have a backup plan, in case Bachlan does manage to defeat us all," Solana confessed, picking up a peach to cut up.
"Don't."
"What?"
Aryn scowled. "Don't even start thinking like that. If you figure there's a chance you can be defeated, then you make it a possibility. And that can't happen, because you of all people can't die tomorrow."
Solana stared at her friend in disbelief. "Aryn, I don't want to lose anyone, so why-"
Aryn waved her hand, cutting her off. "Tomorrow's just the first step of a nasty road. We have entire countries already pissed off at us, more that will be at losing their shields against forces of nature, and a new path to forge for all of us. You're a symbol of rebellion against Bachlan, Solana, and our people know that. And your people in Lantias need you, too."
Solana's mouth was open in astonishment at Aryn's declaration. "Why tell me all this?"
"Because Bachlan fights like a dirty, cheating bastard, that's why," Aryn replied frankly. "You figure I spent all this time challenging opponents just to learn new moves? He's the Guardian of Memory, remember, and we've both got things on our consciences that we aren't proud of." Her tone turned deadly serious. "No matter what he throws at us, no matter what tricks he tries, remember that there are many people out there who still need what you can do, Solana. Promise me that."
Solana had never seen Aryn so serious. It was a bit unnerving. "I promise."
"Good," Aryn replied. She flipped over her kebabs, then grimaced as she remembered one more piece of bad news that she had to deliver. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Ezi didn't get his essence back."
"What?" Solana's head shot up in shock.
Aryn shrugged. "I don't know why. But what really sucks is that he had a plan to prevent Bachlan from swiping our essences again. Something about... oh, using some rocks from the elves to block getting our magical signatures out of our work crystals, I don't know." She shook her head. "If you want details, you'll have to ask him. But if he's out of the game, that means we'll need a Plan B."
This was bad. Solana looked down at the peach in her hand, her mind racing. If Eziban couldn't neutralize their work crystals, then they would have to be destroyed. Aryn, Raoul, and Joshua would be the best choices for such a job, but would it be possible for them to destroy seven before Bachlan tried again? Or would Bachlan be able to use his spell before they could even place one step in the Citadel? Was that why their home was wrapped in layers of protections?
Destroying the whole thing wasn't an option with Oriana still trapped inside, though otherwise it was an attractive option. There was also the factor of having to safeguard Eziban if he couldn't protect himself anymore, unless he had some more stones on him that could help on that...
Solana sighed uneasily as she and Aryn kept working on the meal. Maybe things would be clearer in the pool of her mind after some food and a meeting with everyone to discuss their options.
Joshua doggedly made his way through brush and shrubs. His robes seemed to catch on every protruding twig and leaf he passed, but he didn't want to take them off with the cooling of the night. As he yanked the caught white fabric from the third shrub that had ensnarled it, he thought some very undiplomatic thoughts involving greenery in general and things not inclined to be kind to it. With a muffled but still lukewarm mutter, he ducked under some branches that just missed tangling in his blond hair and came to where Trista was working on her portion of the camp's wards.
Startled at his noisy approach, she looked up in annoyance, then swiftly away. Tear tracks ran down her cheeks and glittered in Girith's lavender moonlight, and she tried to wipe the incriminating drops away with the sleeve of her nomad shirt before he could spot them.
Joshua stood still for a few moments, trying to think of what on Merna he could say. He was one of the few that knew how truly close Trista and Bachlan had been all of this time. Mentioning Trista's tears would serve as a reminder that he could easily surmise their origin, which would make her more uncomfortable.
Trista, a little surprised at his silence, finally looked back at him and gave another sniffle. "You knew," she said in a soft voice, her tone leaving no possibility of it being a question.
"Indeed," Joshua answered reluctantly, then stepped a little closer. Trista didn't move, so he joined her in the clearing and got to work on his portion of the wards.
Trista seemed grateful for a chance to collect her thoughts while they worked, so Joshua didn't push her. He'd let her speak first when she was ready, if she wanted to. Their spells to protect the clearing from sight or sound wove together seamlessly to encompass the camp, the nearby stream, and several yards beyond both in all directions. Bachlan would have to use his full power to detect their presence, but a casual scan of the premises wouldn't show a thing. Light could reveal, but it could also hide in its way.
When they finished, they sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Finally, Trista couldn't stand it anymore. She screwed up her face in an expression of pained incredulity. "It's sad, isn't it? We were ready to kill those two runaways a few years ago, on sight a few weeks ago, and now we're fighting alongside them against our leader? Who are the traitors now?" She laughed bitterly.
Joshua saw through her facade of lightness and answered her seriously. "I do not see it as such. Our cause has remained the same- the only change is in how we carry it out."
Trista kicked away a large stone, frustrated at this response. Scorn or sarcasm were easier for her to deal with. This calm acceptance was positively grating at her. "Why don't you just say it?" she asked angrily. "I was an idiot who was tricked by a monster." He didn't say a word, which infuriated her all the more. "SAY it, damn you!"
"Because you were not," Joshua replied, meeting her eyes squarely. Trista froze at the odd expression she saw there, one that had nothing to do with the polite mask he had worn for millennia. Whatever had happened on his journeying had let him lower it at last. Sympathy, understanding, and the caring of a friend all glowed in his eyes. She felt her own anger melt like ice crystals in the sun.
She suddenly realized for the first time that he was probably suffering as much as she was for their 'desertion', if for different reasons. They had followed Bachlan for more than his merely being the leader of the Guardianship, and he had chosen a different path than that loyalty just as she had. What had been driving him all of this time? And why was it no longer hanging over his head?
"I believe that you saw something in him that he dared not display to anyone else. Something soft and tender that he thought would be considered a weakness to be exploited," Joshua continued, his eyes on the sky.
"Like me," Trista breathed.
Once again, Joshua didn't push her for details. He appeared to be fully absorbed in watching tiny Chizu on its nightly parade across Merna's starry skies. "I believe that it was a real part of him that you alone came to know. That was the man he could have remained, had he desired, and you should feel no shame for loving him."
"I... don't," Trista admitted, realizing it was true. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, then rested her head on them. "But I wish he could have stayed that man forever, and made the Guardianship into something more genuine instead of what we became."
"He made his choice, as did you. I have my own regrets, Trista, but I believe that their reconciliation will lie in my future actions rather than simply remorse for the past," Joshua finished.
Trista nodded as Joshua's words bolstered the flame of her courage that her rescue of the children had ignited. Bachlan's choices had led to their separation, as he cut off the warm and loving part of his heart in return for power for his foundless cause. If she had followed him blindly, she would have done the same. She would have lost out on the love she felt for her skies, her friends, and even for him, and become a shell of the woman she was now.
The woman that she could still choose to become.
Trista smiled humorlessly. How odd that they were already speaking of their former leader in the past tense. The man she loved, who had rescued a teenaged damsel in distress and given her a pretty flower, had already been killed by this sick ambition long ago. But he had been there, and their love could remain a precious pearl of memory apart from whatever the next day would bring. "Then I suppose we'll have to find our own paths to follow."
Joshua smiled in reply, his hands tucked behind his back and his fingers interlacing as his eyes stayed on the tiny moon. Oh, yes, that was certainly the lesson for them all on this little journey. Perhaps Solana had learned that when she had left Merna with Aryn in tow, to step back and look at her life in different circumstances. That, and what a life could become.
When the next day's work was done, his would merely begin. In the rusted and locked chest under his window, nearly forgotten but impossible to throw out, were his notes from his time under Ambassador Luzio. Perhaps it was past time that the wisdom contained within could be shared with the rest of the world, and a piece of his beloved mentor would live on forever.
After most of the food was cooking, Raoul came by to ask the girls a favor. Eziban was brooding over not receiving his essence back the way everyone else had, especially with not being able to finish powering up his Star core. Aryn scooped up a warm fish ball and instructed the others on how to finish the meal before going to track down her best arm-wrestling partner.
Eziban was sitting on a large boulder, chin resting in one hand as he stared at the Sacred Stars embedded in his and the elves' metal core, looking absolutely rejected. Aryn's heart suddenly ached to see it. It was an expression that she had never seen on his handsome face, and she would have been fine with leaving it that way forever. She longed to wipe it away.
Aryn crept up behind him and slipped the fish ball into his free hand. Startled, he looked up at her. "I promised you some new tastes, Ezi," she said playfully. "The spices in this came from Meribia, mixed with azure fish from our own Tethys, and I want you to be the first to try it."
A faint smile touched his lips as he decided to indulge her. He took a huge bite, then his eyes seemed to glow as his smile grew. "That's pretty darn tasty! You haven't lost your touch," he said happily after swallowing, sounding closer to normal. Aryn preened a little under the praise.
Eziban in turn rummaged around in one of the pockets on his vest and pulled out a tiny vial of a reddish-toned amber liquid. "I got this from Deynain's brewmaster. It's a special ale brewed with chocolate, oranges, and a hint of hot spices. If you like it, we can order a keg or two for the kitchen."
Aryn accepted it and popped the top to sniff the contents, then tipped the spiced ale into her mouth. She closed her eyes to savor the taste. "Well?" Eziban asked expectantly.
"Oh, WOW that's yummy!" Aryn replied gleefully. She opened her eyes and held the vial upside down to see if there were any more drops left, but the vial had contained only a sample. She shook it hopefully a few times, but no more came out. Eziban chuckled a little, but then his eyes went to his core again and his frown returned.
Aryn sat down on the rock next to him, throwing a comforting arm around his shoulders. "C'mon, Ezi, talk to me. When we weren't trying to beat the snot out of each other while in training or arm-wrestling matches, we talked about anything and everything."
That was true. Eziban scooted a little closer to her and sighed. "It's my essence, firebird. I don't get why I'm not as worthy to have mine back like you guys did. Even worse, THIS- " he pointed to his core, "-was supposed to be the lynch-pin in our plan tomorrow." His frown deepened. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do, sell popcorn for the event while you guys protect my back?"
"Maybe Merna lost the earth essence or something, I don't know," Aryn suggested feebly, while Eziban let out a snort at the image. "Look, I got mine back while looking at my volcano and thinking about my family. Solana was looking at the ocean and thinking about preventing another Atlantis. What do YOU wanna fight for?"
"That's the thing, I don't KNOW," he said, with a hint of a whine in his voice. Aryn raised an eyebrow, and he spread his hands in frustration. "You know that I don't have a stomping ground or family left, and I don't have a particular region or philosophy to uphold. I just..." He paused, still searching for the answer, then finally finished with, "...like to do what I do."
Aryn didn't believe that rubbish for a second. She knew full well what his cause was. The trouble was, it wouldn't mean anything unless he could be brought to see it for himself. If only there was a way to get his mind off of his misery so that there was a chance for him to see it with his own eyes...
Studying the rock they sat on, flat and almost table-like, a glimmer appeared in her hazel eyes. She got up and pushed her friend off of it, not unkindly, then propped one elbow on the rock with her hand open. "Come on, Ezi. It's time to see how strong you've gotten while we were gone."
Eziban stared at her in disbelief, though a faint twinkle appeared in his eyes. "You want to lose now, of all times?"
"All I'm going to lose are tears of laughter after beating you down," Aryn shot back with a grin.
"Oh, it's on!" Eziban replied, gripping her hand in his and positioning his own elbow on the rock. After counting to three, the match was on. Both were shocked at the improvement of the other, and the glitter of hazel and brown eyes promised no mercy.
Eziban's hand was trembling with the effort to push Aryn's arm down, but a part of his mind was working on what Aryn had told him. He was upset about not being considered as worthy as the others because he wanted to continue on as a Guardian, but he hadn't really done a whole-hearted job at first. Maybe that was why he'd been left out in the cold. "I don't think I was even a real Guardian until you showed up," he confessed out loud.
Aryn cocked her head slightly. "Say what? You were here doing an amazing job centuries before I was even born!"
"True, but... it was just a job then. One that I didn't think I should be filling," Eziban replied.
Aryn just stared at him, and he reddened. "Oh, come on, Aryn! I didn't have the same passion for this grand role that the others did! I'm just an ordinary guy that likes his work, and is damn good at it, but also likes to kick back afterward with a good homemade brew and a good friend to talk to. It wasn't my whole life, you know?"
Aryn did know. Solana was famous for getting tons of work done with little sleep, Oriana had been a healer even before becoming a Guardian, Joshua hadn't taken a day off in probably centuries, and having to follow Trista into the ranks... it was a wonder that Eziban hadn't made a break for it.
Then Eziban's eyes softened as they rested squarely on Aryn. "I always thought I could be either myself or the Guardian of Earth, but never both at once," he continued. "But one day, this beautiful, vivacious, but temperamental swordswoman comes waltzing in, and things change. Along with your love of your land and this world was your free spirit, and somehow that never got pushed aside during our work. You were a noble, a warrior, a chef, and a Guardian, but through it all, you were always... Aryn. I always admired you for it. When I saw that, I realized that I didn't have to give up being myself when serving this world, and I became more of a true Guardian than I ever thought I could be."
Aryn was stunned at this revelation, stunned and flattered, but she owed him a truth as well. "Ezi, you helped me become a real Guardian, too. Don't forget, I was just eighteen when Bachlan recruited me, and we all know that he asked for my mom instead of me after meeting us at the fief."
Eziban shrugged, though his arm was starting to tremble from his determination to win. So was Aryn's. "Baroness Nazirah was an amazing woman, but you were the one that belonged with us."
"Flatterer," Aryn mock-scolded, pretending to reach out and swat him on the head as he quickly ducked. "Still, I was more used to swinging a blade and sensing fire than I was at putting it to work. You and Solana spent a lot of time helping me learn to master this thing, and showed me that patience was worth learning when it came to developing my skills with both fire and my sword." She grinned at the memories. "You never gave up on me, no matter how frustrated I got."
"Did you ever! You threatened to set my hair on fire one time if I didn't leave you alone!"
"But you look good with shorter hair!"
They both laughed. Aryn was pleased that he seemed happier and was getting closer to his answer. She decided to give him one more mental shove. "Whatever makes your spirit fly and makes you so happy that you wanna reach out and protect something bigger than yourself, that's your cause."
Eziban paused. He had never really thought about it like that before. He felt happy now, with his hand in Aryn's and their old mock-rivalry in place, but surely an arm-wrestling match wasn't his cause.
Whatever makes your spirit fly...
He thought on how fun it had been working with the elves, making the core and finding a harmony with all the stones balanced and set perfectly. Then there was the taste of the contents of the first glass of a freshly-tapped barrel, especially when there was just the right amount of foam at the top and a smooth treasure underneath.
What else is there?
Memories came flying to him now. Sparring with Aryn and finishing with a cold glass of cider, and the tastes and camaraderie of a birthday feast. The time he and Raoul and Aryn had gone to watch Solana dance at the groundbreaking party of a new harbor... and running like hell when a pair of canes went flying. Card nights with Raoul and Joshua, who had a poker face like stone. Sitting up late carving arrowheads for Trista's special arrows, and helping Oriana to make amulets to hold healing spells for her patients.
Times of peace, and fun, and laughter. The Guardians were like his family now, and he wanted them to be able to enjoy the simple pleasures that life had to offer. His family, and all of the rest of their people. Maybe it didn't sound as grand as some of the others' reasons to protect their world, but for Eziban, it was enough to fight for. He knew that a peaceful life filled with simple pleasures was one of the universe's greatest blessings.
If Bachlan had his way, everyone would be wiped off of the face of this world in order to resurrect some untouched nirvana that hadn't existed for millennia. If Merna was rejuicing everyone's powers, she wanted her people to keep on living happily in harmony with her. Maybe Merna found peace and joy when her people did, and that's why Merna wanted to share herself with them. If that was true, then Bachlan was dead wrong on all counts.
Flickers of light appeared in his peripheral vision, but as he shifted his arm to try bearing down on Aryn, he tried to ignore it. Fireflies, probably.
Except that fireflies didn't glow such a deep green. Or come up from the ground in a huge sphere. Stunned, the two stopped their match and turned to watch it.
Swirls of green erupted from the soil, the boulder, and even seeped from the trees around them. Masses of emerald and peridot joined together, then radiated towards the Earth Guardian.
Eziban grinned and closed his eyes. He'd been right. A cause didn't have to be super large or unspeakably noble to be worthy- just true in one's heart. With the earth essence rejuvenated at last, he was ready to be the last piece of the puzzle.
He turned to say something to Aryn, who merely smiled and slammed his arm down. "I win," she declared.
"Hey, I was a little busy!" Eziban protested.
"Tough. Real battles are always full of distractions, so you have to be ready for anything. Plus, opponents don't always play fair," Aryn replied, a shadow passing over her expression briefly. Eziban nodded knowingly, guessing that she was thinking about her midnight duel, but Aryn shook it off. "I knew you'd get it back, Ezi. I have a lot of faith in you. Always did."
Eziban grinned and glanced at his core resting on the forest floor. "I hope I don't disappoint you, firebird. Get outta here- I have work to do." He swatted playfully at her, while Aryn laughed and dodged. He thought a moment of the shards that had been counted amongst the Stars, then added, "Actually, can you bring me your armor? And see if Joshua has one of his light crystals handy?"
Aryn blinked at him, then shrugged. She knew that glittering look in his eyes when he had a plan, and he'd explain it in far too many words when he was done. She was just happy to see that confidence back in his eyes where it belonged. Smiling to herself, she went back to the fire to fulfill his requests.
Solana was as relieved as she had ever been to hear that Eziban's earth essence had been rejuvenated and that he was finishing up his work on the core with the Stars. Aryn had claimed that he had finally found his cause, but from the way her eyes were dancing she'd had something to do with helping him find it. With that problem out of the way, Aryn plopped back down by the fire to finish up what she called "a melting pot of Merna's finest," before calling out for everyone to come and get it.
Although Aryn was an expert outdoors cook, tonight she had truly outdone herself. The biscuits were surprisingly light and flaky for having been cooked over a fire, and the mix of flours gave them a nice texture that instantly melted on one's tongue. The fish balls were succulent and finely seasoned with a spice mix sold by Meribia's very best seafood shack. As Solana joyfully bit into her third one, she could almost see Jessica's mansion in one direction and Meribia's busy harbor in the other, and hear the roaring yet endearing background chatter of Lunar's biggest city. On the fresh kebabs, the dripping juice from the tropical fruit was soaked up by the roasted meat and fresh vegetables, giving them a zesty kick. A small jar of sauce was opened up and ready for kebab dipping. As for the grand finale, the sweet and delicate lavender syrup not only enhanced the flavor of sun-ripened peaches, but also sealed in the juices. Like the very best desserts, it was delightfully messy and tasty.
As if by common consent, the supper was a merry one and no one mentioned their plans for the next day yet. Solana and Aryn were pressed to tell funny tales of their travels and what they had seen, while the other four told of crazy mishaps that the pair had missed out on in the last forty years. Those not talking were sitting back comfortably against rocks or stumps with contented smiles and full bellies, gazing at the pans as if contemplating one more fish ball or glazed peach.
One of the best parts was the fact that Trista and Joshua were getting just as involved in the conversation as anyone else. Trista was giving Aryn hell for a cooking mishap that had ended with a few hundred pounds of popcorn in storage getting popped and bursting open a silo, while Aryn gave it right back. Joshua wore an expression of genuine interest as he leaned in to listen to Raoul's account of his Rite of Truth. Solana was telling Eziban about some of the enchanted weaponry she had seen during her journey, while he scribbled notes on a little sketch pad from his leather vest.
Eziban was finishing off the last swig of a nicely chilled Calderan wine when he suddenly remembered something. A twisted grin appeared on his features. It was the kind that promises nothing but doom for the victim and complete hilarity for those fortunate enough to be on the other side of it. "Hey, Aryn...."
"....so what, the city just decided to hold a massive viewing of a double feature and I'd just supplied the popcorn early," Aryn finished her defense to Trista, who was clearly buying none of it. Aryn turned away from her with a pretend huff and faced Eziban. "Yeah?"
"I think that you owe all of us a dance," Eziban said wickedly.
Aryn cocked her head in confusion. "Huh? You want a dance, try Solana."
Eziban shook his head, while Aryn paled as she took in his expression for the first time. "No, don't you remember?" he asked sweetly. "You said outside the Crystal Citadel that if Joshua and Trista joined us, you would 'put a cooking pot on your head and do the funky chicken.'" He gestured grandly at the two across the fire as Aryn turned chalk white. "Here they are."
Aryn coughed, trying to work moisture into her mouth and lighten her expression. She'd forgotten that Eziban's memory was legendary, especially for the embarrassing details. "Nuh-uh," she said with a false lightness that fooled no one. "Wasn't that you who promised?" She turned entreatingly to Solana, her hazel eyes filled with pleading. "That was Ezi, wasn't it?"
Solana had to hide a laugh. Oh, she wanted to stand by her dearest friend on this one, she really did, but hadn't their journeys all been about acquiring truth? Aryn had stated that promise thinking that she wouldn't have to keep it in a million years or longer. Certainly Aryn had made her carry out the results of statements and bets over the years. There was the time she'd had to wear a fake mustache while doing the marketing, or the time she'd had to dress up like a cow during that barn dance, and many more. "I'm so sorry, Aryn, but you DID make that promise."
"And you can't go back on your word," Trista said, her voice a silky-smooth purr. She looked like a cat that had just gotten into a dairy farm. "What kind of example would you be setting, you naughty girl?" she added, shaking her finger sternly.
Even Joshua was smirking. "I believe that we have fulfilled our requirements, and thus you are obligated to do the same."
Aryn's face was now ruby red and steam seemed to be literally coming out of her ears. She glared them all down. Raoul hadn't added his two cents, but there was a small smile on his face as well. "You all suck!" Aryn declared in defeat, but only laughter greeted this pronouncement.
Grumbling, Aryn found the cookpot that she had washed after making ALL of those ungrateful lots a tasty meal and slaving over a hot fire. So this was how she was repaid, was it? Oh, she'd get them all back for this sometime, one by one...
"Wait!" Trista called, and for a second Aryn was pleasantly surprised that Trista of all people was bailing her out of this.
As it turned out, she wasn't. She came up to brush twigs and leaves away from the space in front of their fire, then bowed. "Your dancing ground," Trista explained, choking back more laughter as she indicated that Aryn should take the cleared space.
Aryn shot her a look that could have sublimed a glacier, then carefully placed the pot on her head. Slowly, reluctantly, she went through the classic steps of the Funky Chicken with hoots and hollers for accompaniment from the peanut gallery.
When she finished with a dramatic flourish, applause and whistles came from her audience. Aryn finally let out a little laugh and gave a deep bow before returning to her spot between Solana and Eziban. True, she had enjoyed herself a bit at the end, but that wouldn't make future payback any less sweet.
Solana was wiping her streaming eyes with her cloak. The only way it would have been better was if Raoul had brought a spare mem-gem along to record it, but they could still store the memory another day. Poor Aryn, they'd be talking about this for a long time...
Joshua started coughing, apparently trying to quiet down his laughter. "Should we be finished with performances and eating, perhaps it would be wise to discuss our agenda for the next day?"
Solana nodded. She gave one last giggle before taking a deep breath and finally getting herself under control. "You're right." She met Eziban's gaze, and almost started laughing again at the twinkling mirth still in his eyes. One more breath did the trick. "Eziban? Aryn told me that you had a plan for keeping our new essences safe from Bachlan's grasp."
"That I do," Eziban replied proudly. He scooped up a very strange object- a woven metal ring set with eight different stones- and held it up for everyone's inspection. The ring was set around the light crystal borrowed from Joshua.
Trista squinted at it, trying to see the point. "What the hell is that? That's the gaudiest thing I've ever seen."
Eziban almost growled at her, but being a gentleman of sorts managed to stop himself from asking how she could think that after seeing Bachlan's wardrobe. "It's a magical core, a construct of sorts," he explained. She still looked blank. Eziban racked his mind for a better way of explaining it. "Bachlan stole our power by using his memory magic to duplicate our magical signatures from our work crystals. Those signatures told the essences in us that Bachlan was their real master. Thus, they obeyed his commands over ours."
"So what will this do?" Solana asked curiously.
Eziban beamed, eager to explain his new toy thoroughly. "This puppy will block any power from coming out of our work crystals, which means the signatures will be off-limits. The signatures are ephemeral in nature, lacking any real physical structure, so will dissolve shortly unless repeatedly ingrained in something. Bachlan can't ingrain them in pure magic, so he'll need a fresh set to steal our new essences." He patted the light crystal. "This baby will make certain that my core is locked onto our work crystals, since it's made of the same type."
Hope glittered in many eyes, but Joshua was still looking cautious. "You are certain that these will manage to overcome the current level of power that Bachlan possesses?"
Eziban nodded. "No question. The Stars held off almost all of Raoul's power level with just the elves' enhancements. With mine, they can handle whatever he's got."
"Stars?" Aryn asked, looking at the core closely. "Those aren't stars, or any part of them. These came from way underground."
"Right, but see those lines in the gems, firebird?" Eziban asked, pointing them out. Aryn nodded. "That's just a nickname for the cut of the crystal. These were what originally carried our essences from Merna's heart to the surface. That's why they're in tune with us and our crystals."
"But can we trust the elves?" Trista asked. At Raoul's hurt expression, she softened her voice and quickly added, "Look, no offense to you, but they can't have much of a liking for us after what happened."
"I would trust them with my life," Raoul answered quietly. "Even if I did not, Eziban would have discovered if the stones were not what Liam and Tayn claimed. They have as much reason to want to stop Bachlan as we do." Trista looked apologetic and said no more on the topic.
Solana thought back to the wards around the Citadel itself. "Eziban, will that be able to get through the barrier that Bachlan put up?"
Eziban hesitated, his eyes gazing off into the distance as his mind made the calculations. "In terms of raw power, probably," he admitted. "But we don't know the nuances of it, and I don't wanna use brute power against it."
"I could likely analyze it and determine the most efficient way to take it down. I shall begin my work late tonight to have less chance of being caught," Joshua volunteered. Solana nodded her thanks to him.
"So what happens after that barrier is taken down?" Raoul asked quietly.
"Probably a rush assault is going to be our best bet," Aryn commented, shifting to a more comfortable position. "We're not going to have surprise on our side, but he'll have trouble dealing with all of us at once."
Solana shook her head. "Not everyone. We still need someone to get Oriana out."
Joshua flushed red with shame while Trista looked away. "I... ah..." Joshua cleared his throat as everyone stared at him. He never flustered. "I would like to assume that task as well. If I may."
"That sounds best," Raoul said kindly. Joshua smiled in reply and began making notes in the dirt with his finger.
With that decided, the group moved onto tactics. Solana and Aryn explained about their new powers acquired on their trip and heard about the new tricks of their trade that the others had picked up in the meantime. Trista and Joshua shared everything they knew about Bachlan's likely state of mind and habits, while Eziban mentioned the unsavory looking items in his secret workroom with a grimace.
Joshua continued taking notes while their fire burned low and a plan of attack was finalized. A rush assault seemed to be their best bet, with Solana and Aryn leading. Raoul would be providing magical support to Solana as the next best water mage with the thunder element complementing her powers while Trista would be providing the same service for Aryn. Eziban's first priority was looking after and maintaining the Star core while getting in attacks only if feasible.
"Did we cover everything?" Solana asked.
"Speech! Speech!" Aryn and Eziban began clamoring.
Solana was startled, then met everyone's eyes. They were watching her, waiting to hear what she would have to say about tomorrow. Things had come full circle since that night forty years ago when she and Aryn had been secretly teleported out of the Citadel by Oriana to begin a journey. After so long, she was finally, truly returning to her rightful place.
"It's been good coming back here again, at long last. Merna, from her beautiful oceans and features to the wonderful people that we've had the privilege to serve for thousands of years, has a way of entering one's soul," she began, searching her heart for the right words.
"Oh, yeah," Aryn agreed, then hushed when Eziban elbowed her teasingly.
Solana smiled in response. "I want to thank you all for coming with me on this trip. Tomorrow, when we get to work, I want you all to keep in your hearts what carried you this far. Whether it's a specific person, or region, or philosophy, or personal mission. Bachlan may have come to us at first and offered us this chance to become Guardians, but we each made a choice for ourselves. We made it thousands of years ago, and again these past few weeks. Merna herself heard our promises and accepted them and us. So she gave us this chance."
"But tomorrow is only going to be the first step," Solana warned, and noted the many nods. "If we succeed in preventing the Great Rebirth, we will still have the task of finding a balance in stewarding our world's powers and looking after our people. It will be difficult, but we have some brilliant leaders to work alongside. Our days of lording our essences and living separately from our fellow Mernans can and MUST end."
Silence, as everyone thought over her words. "Does anyone want to add anything?" Solana asked.
"And try to follow that? 'Get some good rest and don't get taken out tomorrow' is what I was thinking," Aryn suggested. Everyone laughed.
"I believe that both of your sentiments cover the entire situation. I shall begin my scrying of that shield and come to my own rest shortly," Joshua offered, a rare twinkle in his eyes. He took one of the last of his light crystals out of his pocket and went to find a quieter corner of the woods to work.
Everyone else began to split up to head to the girls' and guys' tents to get whatever sleep they could for the next day, but Eziban tugged on Aryn's arm for a moment to remain behind. "I finished up something for you for tomorrow, firebird. Some goodies for your new ensemble," he explained with a self-satisfied grin.
He went back to his little clearing to fetch Aryn's breastplate and laid it on the ground for her inspection. Ever the perfectionist, he gave it one last polish with his sleeve and laid it out on the ground just so.
Aryn cocked her head as she studied it. She could feel his power twined with some that felt familiar to her own, as well as the ancient power of one of the Stars. "What did you do?"
"Have a closer look," Eziban offered, and Aryn squatted down beside him. In the etching of the Caldera crest on the breastplate was... glitter of some kind. Eziban pointed to this. "These are the rock crystal shards of the ninth Star that carried the others to Merna's surface. Your relative had some wonderful standard defensive spells woven into her work- she must have been a hell of a smith. The Star boosted these and will help drain any type of negative magic or power thrown at you in battle."
Aryn stared at it in awe. "ANY?"
Eziban nodded in understandable pride. "Yep, any. The beauty of this quartz is that it's clear and receptive to any type of energy, since it possesses no tendencies of its own. It'll block smaller things, and at least help buffer the bigger ones." His smile quirked. "As for plain brawling, that'll be up to your skills."
Aryn ran her fingers over his work, almost at a loss for words. She suddenly understood that this was his way for making up for not being on her side earlier. Wherever she went, whomever she fought, Eziban would be protecting her in this way. "Ezi, this is amazing."
Eziban blushed a little, pleased that she was pleased. There was a new warmth in his voice as he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you floundering again, Aryn. I've been thinking a little since Deynain, and it came to me that the past forty years were too damn quiet." His smile quirked a little at the sides. "I got used to having you around, and I need you to keep challenging me."
Aryn smiled back, covering his hand with hers and giving it a tender squeeze. Though she knew she'd made the right decision to go with Solana that night, there had been something missing on the trip. "We'll make up for lost time, Ezi," she promised him. "You'll have to make sure that I didn't slack off, either. I'm expecting late nights in the kitchen to show you what I've learned, you can show me any crazy new drinks you've put together, and then we'll hit the training area."
"I'm looking forward to it," Eziban replied happily. He helped her pack up her modified armor for the next day, then secured his Star core nearby. With the night's work, he finally felt that he'd earned Aryn's forgiveness for abandoning her to Bachlan's fury those years ago.
Suddenly, Eziban stopped. Forgiveness... uh-oh... "I'm not off the hook for the chicken dance, am I?"
Aryn's eyes flickered with unholy mischief. That look promised that she'd pay him back with double for her trouble. "Oh, no."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Eziban replied facetiously.
"Well, we've got a battle to win tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep. G'night, Ezi," Aryn said, giving him a light peck on the cheek.
"Rest well, my firebird," he replied as he returned the favor. As he watched Aryn trudge off, he couldn't help a smile that lit up his face despite the promise of retribution. Whatever humiliating scheme she came up with, Eziban really didn't mind.
Life was going to be a helluva lot more interesting with his firebird back again.
Solana was grateful to have finally called it a night, and was looking forward to a good rest before the next day's work. She was stepping around branches and leaf litter as she followed Trista to the girls' tent when the Air Guardian suddenly stopped without turning around. "Solana, I need to ask you a favor." Her voice was husky and uncertain.
Solana managed to halt just in time. "Of course, Trista. What is it?"
Trista shut her eyes a moment, steeling herself. She laid one hand on a large tree as if to give herself extra strength. "Can you... can you give him one more chance?"
Solana's eyes widened. Surely Trista couldn't mean what her words would suggest, could she? "Trista..."
Trista's head drooped, as if her gaze was on the moonlight-painted path under her feet. Her voice was soft with pain. "I know how it is, Solana; I'm not a fool. There's no chance of a happily ever after for us in this life, even if he wanted it." She proudly raised her head. "But the only way I can go to sleep and do what's needed tomorrow is to know that there's no hesitation on his part. That he'll have a chance if there's the slightest part of him that wants redemption."
Solana hesitated, wondering how to answer her. Bachlan had had his chances to turn away from this path already, and had shown no inclination to do so or to show mercy. The realist in her knew that another chance would make no difference. But the idealist and healer agreed with Trista. Solana listened to them both and thought out her response very carefully. "If there's a chance, I will present that choice to him." She delicately paused, then added, "But if he doesn't take it-"
Trista raised a hand to stop her, then finally turned around. The ends of her mouth were pulled up in what was possibly a ghost of a smile, but her amethyst eyes were teary and haunted. She had already reconciled herself for the aftermath of her decision. "I know. Thank you, Solana." She started to reach out as if to grab Solana's hand, then seemed to change her mind. Instead, she clambered into their tent and crawled into her sleeping bag without another word.
Solana waited outside for Aryn to give Trista some time to herself and felt a dull ache in her heart. What would it be like, to have to go up against the love of one's life? To have been rejected and cast aside like so much rubbish, but still harbor a glow of hope that a piece of that love still existed? How much worse would it be than having to turn on someone like Aryn, or Oriana, or Kiel?
She couldn't imagine.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Solana and Joshua could see the Crystal Citadel shining like a beacon with the sun's dying light as Ena and the others dropped them off in the shallows. Some kind of barrier spell seemed to be wrapped around the entire structure, more than likely to keep out any uninvited guests, but they would worry about that later.
Not wanting to take the chance that Bachlan had mastered his stolen powers, Joshua had warded the entire pod from any sight spells and could only hope that Bachlan wasn't using Oriana's power to sense other lifeforces.
As in Miniki, Ena and Blaze came in close to shore and let their riders slide off into the water. "We will pass the warning on as far as we can. Be safe, cousins, and fight hard. We have plenty to discuss after your victory," Ena said strongly, slapping the water with her tail for emphasis.
Solana smiled as she noted that Joshua had been included in the endearment, and his eyes softened as he realized it from her translation. "We do, indeed. Ena, all of you, this has been quite an honor, and an enlightening journey in more ways than one. We owe you our very lives, and rest assured that that debt will not be forgotten," Joshua said formally, inclining his head modestly.
"Thank you all. We'll do our best to protect the seas and all of the Merna we love, and will see about forming better ties with you all," Solana added, and the Guardians gave a bow of gratitude to their fellow mammals.
Ena raised up her flukes in an orca salute, and the others quickly imitated her. A few dozen tails slapped the water in unison, once, twice, thrice, before taking off to the west. Solana watched them go off into the sunset, touching a few fingers to her heart and then to the seawater in a silent promise before rejoining Joshua.
Joshua immediately drew a fresh warding spell around them to keep out of sight, leaving the other with the orcas until they were well away from the Citadel. The pair kept silent as they reached the shore and began walking towards the small stand of trees that held their destination. It felt strange to be on a solid continent again and to smell a brisk breeze that was free of salt, although the ground under their feet still seemed to rock a bit after all of their time at sea.
Solana tried not to think of the possibility that their comrades hadn't been able to make it. She trusted them all- even Joshua, even Trista. She trusted the information from the orcas. Now it was her turn to get to work and get everyone united for those who were depending on her. A gentle breeze sighed through the tall grass that swished as they walked through it, as the seedpods on some of the blades seemed to nod encouragingly.
Both let out a sigh of relief upon entering the small grove that housed the Ayadoia Glade. Crickets had set up their nighttime orchestra, and frogs were calling to one another as the night settled in. A few birds had also joined the choir as they called good night to their fellows, and the wind rustled the emerald canopy over their heads. A much-needed sense of tranquility entered both of their hearts after the stressful journey here.
For so long, the cracks of twigs and rustled leaves under their feet were the only suggestions of people in the forest, making them feel alone, but then things changed. Wood smoke greeted their noses, as well as the smell of herbs and cooking meat. Solana's nose had known that blend of spices for many decades, and they picked up their pace. Flickering shadows were brought to life on tree trunks, and soon they could see the dancing orange and scarlet wisps of an honest campfire.
Coming through one last clump of trees, they encountered the welcome sight of Aryn kneeling in front of that fire. Her braids were wound around her head and secured with a spare chopstick to stay out of her way, and her leather armguards were off and her sleeves rolled to the elbow. She was whistling softly under her breath as she mixed up some kind of dough in a small bowl. Her travel knives and all kinds of foodstuffs were neatly arranged around her.
Joshua dropped his wards and coughed loudly to get her attention. The Fire Guardian spun on her knees with her sword in one hand and a large ball of fire in the other, until she looked up and grinned widely at the sight of them. Relief was a warm glow in her hazel eyes as she set down her sword and returned her fireball to the campfire. "Welllllll, it's about time you two showed up! Now I'll know to set the table for six, and you guys can help us set up camp for the night."
"So everyone is all right?" Solana asked as she and Joshua set down their travel packs. She happily noticed that there were four others sitting nearby.
"All present and in one piece, mama hen," Aryn replied easily. Joshua let out a small smile of relief, while Solana was too happy that they had been reunited to bother responding to the 'mama hen' jibe.
"Where are the others at this time?" Joshua asked quietly, his eyes searching the forest around them.
Aryn ticked the names off on her fingers. "Trista's putting up a sound shield around us for the night, while Raoul and Eziban are setting up two tents they got from the elves." Her face turned serious for a moment. "Joshua, did you get your essence rejuiced?"
Joshua nodded solemnly. "I did. If you two will please excuse me, I will assist Trista in providing a full ward for our camp for the night." Aryn pointed out the direction that Trista had stalked off in. Joshua gave a little bow of thanks and went to go track Trista down.
Aryn rose to her feet and came over to throw her arms around her best friend in a crushing welcome back hug. "Man, I'm glad you're all right, Solana. It's been one hell of a haul since we got separated, and the leader cap is all yours again."
Solana was gasping a little for breath, but hugged her back just as strongly. Air could wait. Despite the many times they had been separated during various missions or quests throughout their long journey, Solana had always felt more prepared to handle whatever would come when they were a team. There was no one in the Universe she trusted more. And, judging by the bruises that would likely follow that hug, Aryn felt the same and hadn't been kidding about wanting out of the leader role.
They laughed and finally separated, and Solana joined Aryn in sitting by the merrily crackling campfire. A few fallen apple branches gave off a comforting aroma as they burned, and others gave off a scent that would keep away overinquisitive insects or animals while they slept.
Knowing her friend as well as she did, Aryn handed Solana a freshly made cup of hot tea. Solana quickly checked to see what type it was, but the fruity red tea was nothing like the Monsee spring rose tea that had helped to knock her out in Ridley. As she took an appreciative gulp, she wondered when she'd be able to touch the stuff again.
Thankfully, Aryn was too busy checking over her preparations to notice Solana's hesitation with the tea. Her lips moved in silent calculation of dish possibilities. "What do you guys have for supplies? An army marches on its stomach, after all."
Solana dug through her and Joshua's packs and unearthed their food from Miniki and the other islands. Aryn studied the dried fish and tropical fruit carefully, then fished out the dried lavender left over from Solana's herbal remedy for her injuries in Ridley. Her eyes twinkled in anticipation. "This will be perfect with those peaches that the boys brought. Hey, Solana, you wanna wash up and give me a hand on this?"
"Sure."
It felt good to be around a campfire again, taking Aryn's instructions for cooking up a tasty supper. Familiar. Life flowed on like a river, diverted by any number of stones and even being tossed over cascades and joining others until the mouth couldn't be recognized from the source. But that river could carry some little things- a twig, a leaf, a flower petal- that could travel with the river the whole way through. It was those little things that could serve as a comforting constant in an ever shifting world.
Looking over at Aryn, Solana knew that her friend's mind was solely on food preparation. She had been making biscuits of a nutty flour from the elves blended with a harder wheat one from Fief Caldera. There were also several long skewers out, already soaked and ready to be loaded with tropical fruit from Solana's trek, dried meat cubes from Aryn's, and plenty of fresh vegetables from the elves. The dried azure fish from Miniki was mixed with a few more ingredients and flavorings to make some fried fish balls. Lastly, Aryn decided to cook some of the peaches over the fire with a syrup made of the dried lavender and sugar dissolved in water for dessert.
With the important issue of the next meal being taken care of, they traded stories. Solana was stunned at the story of the elves being the original keepers of their essences and Bachlan's way of acquiring them, while Aryn had to be talked out of adding Ridley's leaders to her hit list after the draw and quartering attempt. They took a few minutes in silence to let it all sink in.
"Damn," was all Aryn could say when she finally finished. She put a fistful of loaded bamboo skewers over the fire to cook, then turned over the seasoned fish balls in their pan.
"I know. I'm just wondering if we should have a backup plan, in case Bachlan does manage to defeat us all," Solana confessed, picking up a peach to cut up.
"Don't."
"What?"
Aryn scowled. "Don't even start thinking like that. If you figure there's a chance you can be defeated, then you make it a possibility. And that can't happen, because you of all people can't die tomorrow."
Solana stared at her friend in disbelief. "Aryn, I don't want to lose anyone, so why-"
Aryn waved her hand, cutting her off. "Tomorrow's just the first step of a nasty road. We have entire countries already pissed off at us, more that will be at losing their shields against forces of nature, and a new path to forge for all of us. You're a symbol of rebellion against Bachlan, Solana, and our people know that. And your people in Lantias need you, too."
Solana's mouth was open in astonishment at Aryn's declaration. "Why tell me all this?"
"Because Bachlan fights like a dirty, cheating bastard, that's why," Aryn replied frankly. "You figure I spent all this time challenging opponents just to learn new moves? He's the Guardian of Memory, remember, and we've both got things on our consciences that we aren't proud of." Her tone turned deadly serious. "No matter what he throws at us, no matter what tricks he tries, remember that there are many people out there who still need what you can do, Solana. Promise me that."
Solana had never seen Aryn so serious. It was a bit unnerving. "I promise."
"Good," Aryn replied. She flipped over her kebabs, then grimaced as she remembered one more piece of bad news that she had to deliver. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Ezi didn't get his essence back."
"What?" Solana's head shot up in shock.
Aryn shrugged. "I don't know why. But what really sucks is that he had a plan to prevent Bachlan from swiping our essences again. Something about... oh, using some rocks from the elves to block getting our magical signatures out of our work crystals, I don't know." She shook her head. "If you want details, you'll have to ask him. But if he's out of the game, that means we'll need a Plan B."
This was bad. Solana looked down at the peach in her hand, her mind racing. If Eziban couldn't neutralize their work crystals, then they would have to be destroyed. Aryn, Raoul, and Joshua would be the best choices for such a job, but would it be possible for them to destroy seven before Bachlan tried again? Or would Bachlan be able to use his spell before they could even place one step in the Citadel? Was that why their home was wrapped in layers of protections?
Destroying the whole thing wasn't an option with Oriana still trapped inside, though otherwise it was an attractive option. There was also the factor of having to safeguard Eziban if he couldn't protect himself anymore, unless he had some more stones on him that could help on that...
Solana sighed uneasily as she and Aryn kept working on the meal. Maybe things would be clearer in the pool of her mind after some food and a meeting with everyone to discuss their options.
Joshua doggedly made his way through brush and shrubs. His robes seemed to catch on every protruding twig and leaf he passed, but he didn't want to take them off with the cooling of the night. As he yanked the caught white fabric from the third shrub that had ensnarled it, he thought some very undiplomatic thoughts involving greenery in general and things not inclined to be kind to it. With a muffled but still lukewarm mutter, he ducked under some branches that just missed tangling in his blond hair and came to where Trista was working on her portion of the camp's wards.
Startled at his noisy approach, she looked up in annoyance, then swiftly away. Tear tracks ran down her cheeks and glittered in Girith's lavender moonlight, and she tried to wipe the incriminating drops away with the sleeve of her nomad shirt before he could spot them.
Joshua stood still for a few moments, trying to think of what on Merna he could say. He was one of the few that knew how truly close Trista and Bachlan had been all of this time. Mentioning Trista's tears would serve as a reminder that he could easily surmise their origin, which would make her more uncomfortable.
Trista, a little surprised at his silence, finally looked back at him and gave another sniffle. "You knew," she said in a soft voice, her tone leaving no possibility of it being a question.
"Indeed," Joshua answered reluctantly, then stepped a little closer. Trista didn't move, so he joined her in the clearing and got to work on his portion of the wards.
Trista seemed grateful for a chance to collect her thoughts while they worked, so Joshua didn't push her. He'd let her speak first when she was ready, if she wanted to. Their spells to protect the clearing from sight or sound wove together seamlessly to encompass the camp, the nearby stream, and several yards beyond both in all directions. Bachlan would have to use his full power to detect their presence, but a casual scan of the premises wouldn't show a thing. Light could reveal, but it could also hide in its way.
When they finished, they sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Finally, Trista couldn't stand it anymore. She screwed up her face in an expression of pained incredulity. "It's sad, isn't it? We were ready to kill those two runaways a few years ago, on sight a few weeks ago, and now we're fighting alongside them against our leader? Who are the traitors now?" She laughed bitterly.
Joshua saw through her facade of lightness and answered her seriously. "I do not see it as such. Our cause has remained the same- the only change is in how we carry it out."
Trista kicked away a large stone, frustrated at this response. Scorn or sarcasm were easier for her to deal with. This calm acceptance was positively grating at her. "Why don't you just say it?" she asked angrily. "I was an idiot who was tricked by a monster." He didn't say a word, which infuriated her all the more. "SAY it, damn you!"
"Because you were not," Joshua replied, meeting her eyes squarely. Trista froze at the odd expression she saw there, one that had nothing to do with the polite mask he had worn for millennia. Whatever had happened on his journeying had let him lower it at last. Sympathy, understanding, and the caring of a friend all glowed in his eyes. She felt her own anger melt like ice crystals in the sun.
She suddenly realized for the first time that he was probably suffering as much as she was for their 'desertion', if for different reasons. They had followed Bachlan for more than his merely being the leader of the Guardianship, and he had chosen a different path than that loyalty just as she had. What had been driving him all of this time? And why was it no longer hanging over his head?
"I believe that you saw something in him that he dared not display to anyone else. Something soft and tender that he thought would be considered a weakness to be exploited," Joshua continued, his eyes on the sky.
"Like me," Trista breathed.
Once again, Joshua didn't push her for details. He appeared to be fully absorbed in watching tiny Chizu on its nightly parade across Merna's starry skies. "I believe that it was a real part of him that you alone came to know. That was the man he could have remained, had he desired, and you should feel no shame for loving him."
"I... don't," Trista admitted, realizing it was true. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, then rested her head on them. "But I wish he could have stayed that man forever, and made the Guardianship into something more genuine instead of what we became."
"He made his choice, as did you. I have my own regrets, Trista, but I believe that their reconciliation will lie in my future actions rather than simply remorse for the past," Joshua finished.
Trista nodded as Joshua's words bolstered the flame of her courage that her rescue of the children had ignited. Bachlan's choices had led to their separation, as he cut off the warm and loving part of his heart in return for power for his foundless cause. If she had followed him blindly, she would have done the same. She would have lost out on the love she felt for her skies, her friends, and even for him, and become a shell of the woman she was now.
The woman that she could still choose to become.
Trista smiled humorlessly. How odd that they were already speaking of their former leader in the past tense. The man she loved, who had rescued a teenaged damsel in distress and given her a pretty flower, had already been killed by this sick ambition long ago. But he had been there, and their love could remain a precious pearl of memory apart from whatever the next day would bring. "Then I suppose we'll have to find our own paths to follow."
Joshua smiled in reply, his hands tucked behind his back and his fingers interlacing as his eyes stayed on the tiny moon. Oh, yes, that was certainly the lesson for them all on this little journey. Perhaps Solana had learned that when she had left Merna with Aryn in tow, to step back and look at her life in different circumstances. That, and what a life could become.
When the next day's work was done, his would merely begin. In the rusted and locked chest under his window, nearly forgotten but impossible to throw out, were his notes from his time under Ambassador Luzio. Perhaps it was past time that the wisdom contained within could be shared with the rest of the world, and a piece of his beloved mentor would live on forever.
After most of the food was cooking, Raoul came by to ask the girls a favor. Eziban was brooding over not receiving his essence back the way everyone else had, especially with not being able to finish powering up his Star core. Aryn scooped up a warm fish ball and instructed the others on how to finish the meal before going to track down her best arm-wrestling partner.
Eziban was sitting on a large boulder, chin resting in one hand as he stared at the Sacred Stars embedded in his and the elves' metal core, looking absolutely rejected. Aryn's heart suddenly ached to see it. It was an expression that she had never seen on his handsome face, and she would have been fine with leaving it that way forever. She longed to wipe it away.
Aryn crept up behind him and slipped the fish ball into his free hand. Startled, he looked up at her. "I promised you some new tastes, Ezi," she said playfully. "The spices in this came from Meribia, mixed with azure fish from our own Tethys, and I want you to be the first to try it."
A faint smile touched his lips as he decided to indulge her. He took a huge bite, then his eyes seemed to glow as his smile grew. "That's pretty darn tasty! You haven't lost your touch," he said happily after swallowing, sounding closer to normal. Aryn preened a little under the praise.
Eziban in turn rummaged around in one of the pockets on his vest and pulled out a tiny vial of a reddish-toned amber liquid. "I got this from Deynain's brewmaster. It's a special ale brewed with chocolate, oranges, and a hint of hot spices. If you like it, we can order a keg or two for the kitchen."
Aryn accepted it and popped the top to sniff the contents, then tipped the spiced ale into her mouth. She closed her eyes to savor the taste. "Well?" Eziban asked expectantly.
"Oh, WOW that's yummy!" Aryn replied gleefully. She opened her eyes and held the vial upside down to see if there were any more drops left, but the vial had contained only a sample. She shook it hopefully a few times, but no more came out. Eziban chuckled a little, but then his eyes went to his core again and his frown returned.
Aryn sat down on the rock next to him, throwing a comforting arm around his shoulders. "C'mon, Ezi, talk to me. When we weren't trying to beat the snot out of each other while in training or arm-wrestling matches, we talked about anything and everything."
That was true. Eziban scooted a little closer to her and sighed. "It's my essence, firebird. I don't get why I'm not as worthy to have mine back like you guys did. Even worse, THIS- " he pointed to his core, "-was supposed to be the lynch-pin in our plan tomorrow." His frown deepened. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do, sell popcorn for the event while you guys protect my back?"
"Maybe Merna lost the earth essence or something, I don't know," Aryn suggested feebly, while Eziban let out a snort at the image. "Look, I got mine back while looking at my volcano and thinking about my family. Solana was looking at the ocean and thinking about preventing another Atlantis. What do YOU wanna fight for?"
"That's the thing, I don't KNOW," he said, with a hint of a whine in his voice. Aryn raised an eyebrow, and he spread his hands in frustration. "You know that I don't have a stomping ground or family left, and I don't have a particular region or philosophy to uphold. I just..." He paused, still searching for the answer, then finally finished with, "...like to do what I do."
Aryn didn't believe that rubbish for a second. She knew full well what his cause was. The trouble was, it wouldn't mean anything unless he could be brought to see it for himself. If only there was a way to get his mind off of his misery so that there was a chance for him to see it with his own eyes...
Studying the rock they sat on, flat and almost table-like, a glimmer appeared in her hazel eyes. She got up and pushed her friend off of it, not unkindly, then propped one elbow on the rock with her hand open. "Come on, Ezi. It's time to see how strong you've gotten while we were gone."
Eziban stared at her in disbelief, though a faint twinkle appeared in his eyes. "You want to lose now, of all times?"
"All I'm going to lose are tears of laughter after beating you down," Aryn shot back with a grin.
"Oh, it's on!" Eziban replied, gripping her hand in his and positioning his own elbow on the rock. After counting to three, the match was on. Both were shocked at the improvement of the other, and the glitter of hazel and brown eyes promised no mercy.
Eziban's hand was trembling with the effort to push Aryn's arm down, but a part of his mind was working on what Aryn had told him. He was upset about not being considered as worthy as the others because he wanted to continue on as a Guardian, but he hadn't really done a whole-hearted job at first. Maybe that was why he'd been left out in the cold. "I don't think I was even a real Guardian until you showed up," he confessed out loud.
Aryn cocked her head slightly. "Say what? You were here doing an amazing job centuries before I was even born!"
"True, but... it was just a job then. One that I didn't think I should be filling," Eziban replied.
Aryn just stared at him, and he reddened. "Oh, come on, Aryn! I didn't have the same passion for this grand role that the others did! I'm just an ordinary guy that likes his work, and is damn good at it, but also likes to kick back afterward with a good homemade brew and a good friend to talk to. It wasn't my whole life, you know?"
Aryn did know. Solana was famous for getting tons of work done with little sleep, Oriana had been a healer even before becoming a Guardian, Joshua hadn't taken a day off in probably centuries, and having to follow Trista into the ranks... it was a wonder that Eziban hadn't made a break for it.
Then Eziban's eyes softened as they rested squarely on Aryn. "I always thought I could be either myself or the Guardian of Earth, but never both at once," he continued. "But one day, this beautiful, vivacious, but temperamental swordswoman comes waltzing in, and things change. Along with your love of your land and this world was your free spirit, and somehow that never got pushed aside during our work. You were a noble, a warrior, a chef, and a Guardian, but through it all, you were always... Aryn. I always admired you for it. When I saw that, I realized that I didn't have to give up being myself when serving this world, and I became more of a true Guardian than I ever thought I could be."
Aryn was stunned at this revelation, stunned and flattered, but she owed him a truth as well. "Ezi, you helped me become a real Guardian, too. Don't forget, I was just eighteen when Bachlan recruited me, and we all know that he asked for my mom instead of me after meeting us at the fief."
Eziban shrugged, though his arm was starting to tremble from his determination to win. So was Aryn's. "Baroness Nazirah was an amazing woman, but you were the one that belonged with us."
"Flatterer," Aryn mock-scolded, pretending to reach out and swat him on the head as he quickly ducked. "Still, I was more used to swinging a blade and sensing fire than I was at putting it to work. You and Solana spent a lot of time helping me learn to master this thing, and showed me that patience was worth learning when it came to developing my skills with both fire and my sword." She grinned at the memories. "You never gave up on me, no matter how frustrated I got."
"Did you ever! You threatened to set my hair on fire one time if I didn't leave you alone!"
"But you look good with shorter hair!"
They both laughed. Aryn was pleased that he seemed happier and was getting closer to his answer. She decided to give him one more mental shove. "Whatever makes your spirit fly and makes you so happy that you wanna reach out and protect something bigger than yourself, that's your cause."
Eziban paused. He had never really thought about it like that before. He felt happy now, with his hand in Aryn's and their old mock-rivalry in place, but surely an arm-wrestling match wasn't his cause.
Whatever makes your spirit fly...
He thought on how fun it had been working with the elves, making the core and finding a harmony with all the stones balanced and set perfectly. Then there was the taste of the contents of the first glass of a freshly-tapped barrel, especially when there was just the right amount of foam at the top and a smooth treasure underneath.
What else is there?
Memories came flying to him now. Sparring with Aryn and finishing with a cold glass of cider, and the tastes and camaraderie of a birthday feast. The time he and Raoul and Aryn had gone to watch Solana dance at the groundbreaking party of a new harbor... and running like hell when a pair of canes went flying. Card nights with Raoul and Joshua, who had a poker face like stone. Sitting up late carving arrowheads for Trista's special arrows, and helping Oriana to make amulets to hold healing spells for her patients.
Times of peace, and fun, and laughter. The Guardians were like his family now, and he wanted them to be able to enjoy the simple pleasures that life had to offer. His family, and all of the rest of their people. Maybe it didn't sound as grand as some of the others' reasons to protect their world, but for Eziban, it was enough to fight for. He knew that a peaceful life filled with simple pleasures was one of the universe's greatest blessings.
If Bachlan had his way, everyone would be wiped off of the face of this world in order to resurrect some untouched nirvana that hadn't existed for millennia. If Merna was rejuicing everyone's powers, she wanted her people to keep on living happily in harmony with her. Maybe Merna found peace and joy when her people did, and that's why Merna wanted to share herself with them. If that was true, then Bachlan was dead wrong on all counts.
Flickers of light appeared in his peripheral vision, but as he shifted his arm to try bearing down on Aryn, he tried to ignore it. Fireflies, probably.
Except that fireflies didn't glow such a deep green. Or come up from the ground in a huge sphere. Stunned, the two stopped their match and turned to watch it.
Swirls of green erupted from the soil, the boulder, and even seeped from the trees around them. Masses of emerald and peridot joined together, then radiated towards the Earth Guardian.
Eziban grinned and closed his eyes. He'd been right. A cause didn't have to be super large or unspeakably noble to be worthy- just true in one's heart. With the earth essence rejuvenated at last, he was ready to be the last piece of the puzzle.
He turned to say something to Aryn, who merely smiled and slammed his arm down. "I win," she declared.
"Hey, I was a little busy!" Eziban protested.
"Tough. Real battles are always full of distractions, so you have to be ready for anything. Plus, opponents don't always play fair," Aryn replied, a shadow passing over her expression briefly. Eziban nodded knowingly, guessing that she was thinking about her midnight duel, but Aryn shook it off. "I knew you'd get it back, Ezi. I have a lot of faith in you. Always did."
Eziban grinned and glanced at his core resting on the forest floor. "I hope I don't disappoint you, firebird. Get outta here- I have work to do." He swatted playfully at her, while Aryn laughed and dodged. He thought a moment of the shards that had been counted amongst the Stars, then added, "Actually, can you bring me your armor? And see if Joshua has one of his light crystals handy?"
Aryn blinked at him, then shrugged. She knew that glittering look in his eyes when he had a plan, and he'd explain it in far too many words when he was done. She was just happy to see that confidence back in his eyes where it belonged. Smiling to herself, she went back to the fire to fulfill his requests.
Solana was as relieved as she had ever been to hear that Eziban's earth essence had been rejuvenated and that he was finishing up his work on the core with the Stars. Aryn had claimed that he had finally found his cause, but from the way her eyes were dancing she'd had something to do with helping him find it. With that problem out of the way, Aryn plopped back down by the fire to finish up what she called "a melting pot of Merna's finest," before calling out for everyone to come and get it.
Although Aryn was an expert outdoors cook, tonight she had truly outdone herself. The biscuits were surprisingly light and flaky for having been cooked over a fire, and the mix of flours gave them a nice texture that instantly melted on one's tongue. The fish balls were succulent and finely seasoned with a spice mix sold by Meribia's very best seafood shack. As Solana joyfully bit into her third one, she could almost see Jessica's mansion in one direction and Meribia's busy harbor in the other, and hear the roaring yet endearing background chatter of Lunar's biggest city. On the fresh kebabs, the dripping juice from the tropical fruit was soaked up by the roasted meat and fresh vegetables, giving them a zesty kick. A small jar of sauce was opened up and ready for kebab dipping. As for the grand finale, the sweet and delicate lavender syrup not only enhanced the flavor of sun-ripened peaches, but also sealed in the juices. Like the very best desserts, it was delightfully messy and tasty.
As if by common consent, the supper was a merry one and no one mentioned their plans for the next day yet. Solana and Aryn were pressed to tell funny tales of their travels and what they had seen, while the other four told of crazy mishaps that the pair had missed out on in the last forty years. Those not talking were sitting back comfortably against rocks or stumps with contented smiles and full bellies, gazing at the pans as if contemplating one more fish ball or glazed peach.
One of the best parts was the fact that Trista and Joshua were getting just as involved in the conversation as anyone else. Trista was giving Aryn hell for a cooking mishap that had ended with a few hundred pounds of popcorn in storage getting popped and bursting open a silo, while Aryn gave it right back. Joshua wore an expression of genuine interest as he leaned in to listen to Raoul's account of his Rite of Truth. Solana was telling Eziban about some of the enchanted weaponry she had seen during her journey, while he scribbled notes on a little sketch pad from his leather vest.
Eziban was finishing off the last swig of a nicely chilled Calderan wine when he suddenly remembered something. A twisted grin appeared on his features. It was the kind that promises nothing but doom for the victim and complete hilarity for those fortunate enough to be on the other side of it. "Hey, Aryn...."
"....so what, the city just decided to hold a massive viewing of a double feature and I'd just supplied the popcorn early," Aryn finished her defense to Trista, who was clearly buying none of it. Aryn turned away from her with a pretend huff and faced Eziban. "Yeah?"
"I think that you owe all of us a dance," Eziban said wickedly.
Aryn cocked her head in confusion. "Huh? You want a dance, try Solana."
Eziban shook his head, while Aryn paled as she took in his expression for the first time. "No, don't you remember?" he asked sweetly. "You said outside the Crystal Citadel that if Joshua and Trista joined us, you would 'put a cooking pot on your head and do the funky chicken.'" He gestured grandly at the two across the fire as Aryn turned chalk white. "Here they are."
Aryn coughed, trying to work moisture into her mouth and lighten her expression. She'd forgotten that Eziban's memory was legendary, especially for the embarrassing details. "Nuh-uh," she said with a false lightness that fooled no one. "Wasn't that you who promised?" She turned entreatingly to Solana, her hazel eyes filled with pleading. "That was Ezi, wasn't it?"
Solana had to hide a laugh. Oh, she wanted to stand by her dearest friend on this one, she really did, but hadn't their journeys all been about acquiring truth? Aryn had stated that promise thinking that she wouldn't have to keep it in a million years or longer. Certainly Aryn had made her carry out the results of statements and bets over the years. There was the time she'd had to wear a fake mustache while doing the marketing, or the time she'd had to dress up like a cow during that barn dance, and many more. "I'm so sorry, Aryn, but you DID make that promise."
"And you can't go back on your word," Trista said, her voice a silky-smooth purr. She looked like a cat that had just gotten into a dairy farm. "What kind of example would you be setting, you naughty girl?" she added, shaking her finger sternly.
Even Joshua was smirking. "I believe that we have fulfilled our requirements, and thus you are obligated to do the same."
Aryn's face was now ruby red and steam seemed to be literally coming out of her ears. She glared them all down. Raoul hadn't added his two cents, but there was a small smile on his face as well. "You all suck!" Aryn declared in defeat, but only laughter greeted this pronouncement.
Grumbling, Aryn found the cookpot that she had washed after making ALL of those ungrateful lots a tasty meal and slaving over a hot fire. So this was how she was repaid, was it? Oh, she'd get them all back for this sometime, one by one...
"Wait!" Trista called, and for a second Aryn was pleasantly surprised that Trista of all people was bailing her out of this.
As it turned out, she wasn't. She came up to brush twigs and leaves away from the space in front of their fire, then bowed. "Your dancing ground," Trista explained, choking back more laughter as she indicated that Aryn should take the cleared space.
Aryn shot her a look that could have sublimed a glacier, then carefully placed the pot on her head. Slowly, reluctantly, she went through the classic steps of the Funky Chicken with hoots and hollers for accompaniment from the peanut gallery.
When she finished with a dramatic flourish, applause and whistles came from her audience. Aryn finally let out a little laugh and gave a deep bow before returning to her spot between Solana and Eziban. True, she had enjoyed herself a bit at the end, but that wouldn't make future payback any less sweet.
Solana was wiping her streaming eyes with her cloak. The only way it would have been better was if Raoul had brought a spare mem-gem along to record it, but they could still store the memory another day. Poor Aryn, they'd be talking about this for a long time...
Joshua started coughing, apparently trying to quiet down his laughter. "Should we be finished with performances and eating, perhaps it would be wise to discuss our agenda for the next day?"
Solana nodded. She gave one last giggle before taking a deep breath and finally getting herself under control. "You're right." She met Eziban's gaze, and almost started laughing again at the twinkling mirth still in his eyes. One more breath did the trick. "Eziban? Aryn told me that you had a plan for keeping our new essences safe from Bachlan's grasp."
"That I do," Eziban replied proudly. He scooped up a very strange object- a woven metal ring set with eight different stones- and held it up for everyone's inspection. The ring was set around the light crystal borrowed from Joshua.
Trista squinted at it, trying to see the point. "What the hell is that? That's the gaudiest thing I've ever seen."
Eziban almost growled at her, but being a gentleman of sorts managed to stop himself from asking how she could think that after seeing Bachlan's wardrobe. "It's a magical core, a construct of sorts," he explained. She still looked blank. Eziban racked his mind for a better way of explaining it. "Bachlan stole our power by using his memory magic to duplicate our magical signatures from our work crystals. Those signatures told the essences in us that Bachlan was their real master. Thus, they obeyed his commands over ours."
"So what will this do?" Solana asked curiously.
Eziban beamed, eager to explain his new toy thoroughly. "This puppy will block any power from coming out of our work crystals, which means the signatures will be off-limits. The signatures are ephemeral in nature, lacking any real physical structure, so will dissolve shortly unless repeatedly ingrained in something. Bachlan can't ingrain them in pure magic, so he'll need a fresh set to steal our new essences." He patted the light crystal. "This baby will make certain that my core is locked onto our work crystals, since it's made of the same type."
Hope glittered in many eyes, but Joshua was still looking cautious. "You are certain that these will manage to overcome the current level of power that Bachlan possesses?"
Eziban nodded. "No question. The Stars held off almost all of Raoul's power level with just the elves' enhancements. With mine, they can handle whatever he's got."
"Stars?" Aryn asked, looking at the core closely. "Those aren't stars, or any part of them. These came from way underground."
"Right, but see those lines in the gems, firebird?" Eziban asked, pointing them out. Aryn nodded. "That's just a nickname for the cut of the crystal. These were what originally carried our essences from Merna's heart to the surface. That's why they're in tune with us and our crystals."
"But can we trust the elves?" Trista asked. At Raoul's hurt expression, she softened her voice and quickly added, "Look, no offense to you, but they can't have much of a liking for us after what happened."
"I would trust them with my life," Raoul answered quietly. "Even if I did not, Eziban would have discovered if the stones were not what Liam and Tayn claimed. They have as much reason to want to stop Bachlan as we do." Trista looked apologetic and said no more on the topic.
Solana thought back to the wards around the Citadel itself. "Eziban, will that be able to get through the barrier that Bachlan put up?"
Eziban hesitated, his eyes gazing off into the distance as his mind made the calculations. "In terms of raw power, probably," he admitted. "But we don't know the nuances of it, and I don't wanna use brute power against it."
"I could likely analyze it and determine the most efficient way to take it down. I shall begin my work late tonight to have less chance of being caught," Joshua volunteered. Solana nodded her thanks to him.
"So what happens after that barrier is taken down?" Raoul asked quietly.
"Probably a rush assault is going to be our best bet," Aryn commented, shifting to a more comfortable position. "We're not going to have surprise on our side, but he'll have trouble dealing with all of us at once."
Solana shook her head. "Not everyone. We still need someone to get Oriana out."
Joshua flushed red with shame while Trista looked away. "I... ah..." Joshua cleared his throat as everyone stared at him. He never flustered. "I would like to assume that task as well. If I may."
"That sounds best," Raoul said kindly. Joshua smiled in reply and began making notes in the dirt with his finger.
With that decided, the group moved onto tactics. Solana and Aryn explained about their new powers acquired on their trip and heard about the new tricks of their trade that the others had picked up in the meantime. Trista and Joshua shared everything they knew about Bachlan's likely state of mind and habits, while Eziban mentioned the unsavory looking items in his secret workroom with a grimace.
Joshua continued taking notes while their fire burned low and a plan of attack was finalized. A rush assault seemed to be their best bet, with Solana and Aryn leading. Raoul would be providing magical support to Solana as the next best water mage with the thunder element complementing her powers while Trista would be providing the same service for Aryn. Eziban's first priority was looking after and maintaining the Star core while getting in attacks only if feasible.
"Did we cover everything?" Solana asked.
"Speech! Speech!" Aryn and Eziban began clamoring.
Solana was startled, then met everyone's eyes. They were watching her, waiting to hear what she would have to say about tomorrow. Things had come full circle since that night forty years ago when she and Aryn had been secretly teleported out of the Citadel by Oriana to begin a journey. After so long, she was finally, truly returning to her rightful place.
"It's been good coming back here again, at long last. Merna, from her beautiful oceans and features to the wonderful people that we've had the privilege to serve for thousands of years, has a way of entering one's soul," she began, searching her heart for the right words.
"Oh, yeah," Aryn agreed, then hushed when Eziban elbowed her teasingly.
Solana smiled in response. "I want to thank you all for coming with me on this trip. Tomorrow, when we get to work, I want you all to keep in your hearts what carried you this far. Whether it's a specific person, or region, or philosophy, or personal mission. Bachlan may have come to us at first and offered us this chance to become Guardians, but we each made a choice for ourselves. We made it thousands of years ago, and again these past few weeks. Merna herself heard our promises and accepted them and us. So she gave us this chance."
"But tomorrow is only going to be the first step," Solana warned, and noted the many nods. "If we succeed in preventing the Great Rebirth, we will still have the task of finding a balance in stewarding our world's powers and looking after our people. It will be difficult, but we have some brilliant leaders to work alongside. Our days of lording our essences and living separately from our fellow Mernans can and MUST end."
Silence, as everyone thought over her words. "Does anyone want to add anything?" Solana asked.
"And try to follow that? 'Get some good rest and don't get taken out tomorrow' is what I was thinking," Aryn suggested. Everyone laughed.
"I believe that both of your sentiments cover the entire situation. I shall begin my scrying of that shield and come to my own rest shortly," Joshua offered, a rare twinkle in his eyes. He took one of the last of his light crystals out of his pocket and went to find a quieter corner of the woods to work.
Everyone else began to split up to head to the girls' and guys' tents to get whatever sleep they could for the next day, but Eziban tugged on Aryn's arm for a moment to remain behind. "I finished up something for you for tomorrow, firebird. Some goodies for your new ensemble," he explained with a self-satisfied grin.
He went back to his little clearing to fetch Aryn's breastplate and laid it on the ground for her inspection. Ever the perfectionist, he gave it one last polish with his sleeve and laid it out on the ground just so.
Aryn cocked her head as she studied it. She could feel his power twined with some that felt familiar to her own, as well as the ancient power of one of the Stars. "What did you do?"
"Have a closer look," Eziban offered, and Aryn squatted down beside him. In the etching of the Caldera crest on the breastplate was... glitter of some kind. Eziban pointed to this. "These are the rock crystal shards of the ninth Star that carried the others to Merna's surface. Your relative had some wonderful standard defensive spells woven into her work- she must have been a hell of a smith. The Star boosted these and will help drain any type of negative magic or power thrown at you in battle."
Aryn stared at it in awe. "ANY?"
Eziban nodded in understandable pride. "Yep, any. The beauty of this quartz is that it's clear and receptive to any type of energy, since it possesses no tendencies of its own. It'll block smaller things, and at least help buffer the bigger ones." His smile quirked. "As for plain brawling, that'll be up to your skills."
Aryn ran her fingers over his work, almost at a loss for words. She suddenly understood that this was his way for making up for not being on her side earlier. Wherever she went, whomever she fought, Eziban would be protecting her in this way. "Ezi, this is amazing."
Eziban blushed a little, pleased that she was pleased. There was a new warmth in his voice as he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you floundering again, Aryn. I've been thinking a little since Deynain, and it came to me that the past forty years were too damn quiet." His smile quirked a little at the sides. "I got used to having you around, and I need you to keep challenging me."
Aryn smiled back, covering his hand with hers and giving it a tender squeeze. Though she knew she'd made the right decision to go with Solana that night, there had been something missing on the trip. "We'll make up for lost time, Ezi," she promised him. "You'll have to make sure that I didn't slack off, either. I'm expecting late nights in the kitchen to show you what I've learned, you can show me any crazy new drinks you've put together, and then we'll hit the training area."
"I'm looking forward to it," Eziban replied happily. He helped her pack up her modified armor for the next day, then secured his Star core nearby. With the night's work, he finally felt that he'd earned Aryn's forgiveness for abandoning her to Bachlan's fury those years ago.
Suddenly, Eziban stopped. Forgiveness... uh-oh... "I'm not off the hook for the chicken dance, am I?"
Aryn's eyes flickered with unholy mischief. That look promised that she'd pay him back with double for her trouble. "Oh, no."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Eziban replied facetiously.
"Well, we've got a battle to win tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep. G'night, Ezi," Aryn said, giving him a light peck on the cheek.
"Rest well, my firebird," he replied as he returned the favor. As he watched Aryn trudge off, he couldn't help a smile that lit up his face despite the promise of retribution. Whatever humiliating scheme she came up with, Eziban really didn't mind.
Life was going to be a helluva lot more interesting with his firebird back again.
Solana was grateful to have finally called it a night, and was looking forward to a good rest before the next day's work. She was stepping around branches and leaf litter as she followed Trista to the girls' tent when the Air Guardian suddenly stopped without turning around. "Solana, I need to ask you a favor." Her voice was husky and uncertain.
Solana managed to halt just in time. "Of course, Trista. What is it?"
Trista shut her eyes a moment, steeling herself. She laid one hand on a large tree as if to give herself extra strength. "Can you... can you give him one more chance?"
Solana's eyes widened. Surely Trista couldn't mean what her words would suggest, could she? "Trista..."
Trista's head drooped, as if her gaze was on the moonlight-painted path under her feet. Her voice was soft with pain. "I know how it is, Solana; I'm not a fool. There's no chance of a happily ever after for us in this life, even if he wanted it." She proudly raised her head. "But the only way I can go to sleep and do what's needed tomorrow is to know that there's no hesitation on his part. That he'll have a chance if there's the slightest part of him that wants redemption."
Solana hesitated, wondering how to answer her. Bachlan had had his chances to turn away from this path already, and had shown no inclination to do so or to show mercy. The realist in her knew that another chance would make no difference. But the idealist and healer agreed with Trista. Solana listened to them both and thought out her response very carefully. "If there's a chance, I will present that choice to him." She delicately paused, then added, "But if he doesn't take it-"
Trista raised a hand to stop her, then finally turned around. The ends of her mouth were pulled up in what was possibly a ghost of a smile, but her amethyst eyes were teary and haunted. She had already reconciled herself for the aftermath of her decision. "I know. Thank you, Solana." She started to reach out as if to grab Solana's hand, then seemed to change her mind. Instead, she clambered into their tent and crawled into her sleeping bag without another word.
Solana waited outside for Aryn to give Trista some time to herself and felt a dull ache in her heart. What would it be like, to have to go up against the love of one's life? To have been rejected and cast aside like so much rubbish, but still harbor a glow of hope that a piece of that love still existed? How much worse would it be than having to turn on someone like Aryn, or Oriana, or Kiel?
She couldn't imagine.