His eye hurt. It hurt a lot.
William sat up in his bed with a start, bringing his hand to his left eye. He could still see fine; there was no more blood. But the skin over it had a long, rough patch, so the scar must have healed. And it hurt. Oh, and everything else hurt, too.
He looked around. He was lying in a luxurious bedroom in a bed of silk. There was the banner of Carn Gable on the wall and a shield and sword on the walls. Throwing the covers off of him, he made his way blearily for a mirror he saw on the far wall.
Coming before it, he saw sothing he didn't like at all. His face remained marred. He'd heard of warriors baring their scars with pride, but...
There had to be a way to heal this. He made for the door. It opened as he reached it and was hit in the face.
He hit the ground. "Ow."
"Oh, William, I'm sorry," said Rusara's voice. "I didn't think you were awake yet."
"I noticed," said William as he stood. "Why do I hurt all over?"
"You were in direct contact with horror from the darkest aspects of the mind, William," said Rusara. "You are lucky to have your body and mind intact."
"I don't feel lucky," admitted William. "It has been one adventure after another recently. I'll be glad to get so rest at last."
"Well, I expect you may get plenty of that," said Rusara. "Your mother, of course, wanted to take you back to Carn Gable at once. But I convinced Vanion to keep you here until you awoke."
"What happened to my eye?" asked William.
"I..." Rusara sighed. "You took a wound that couldn't be healed by any magic we possessed. I did what I could, but... it wasn't enough. You'll have a scar until we find a better healer."
"So forever then," said William.
"More or less," admitted Rusara. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," said William. "It wasn't your fault."
"Yes, it was!" said Rusara. "I... we're the ones who pressured you into coming on this trip in the first place! We told ourselves it was for your benefit, but it was just to spite your mother and-"
William sighed. "It was for the best. Believe it or not, I'm glad I went on that adventure. I an, there are many bits I could have done without, but..." He paused. "Nevermind. Where are Kiyora and Felix?"
"Felix is running so errands for Vanion," said Rusara. "As for the Dreaming Goddess, she is gone. After Laughing Wraith was defeated, she ascended once again."
"When did you get here anyway?" asked William, "I know your fla destroyed the trees. But how did you get here?"
"Well, that is a bit of a long story," admitted Rusara. "As soon as Raynald and I learned you'd gone overboard, I contacted a sea spirit to tell us your location. So Raynald and I went ashore and tracked you and Felix all through Seathorius.
"Unfortunately, because you had the help of a goddess, you were moving a lot faster than we were. No matter how quickly we went, you were always one step ahead. Eventually, we found the border forts under attack by trees.
"I expect you already know the rest."
"Yes," said William. "What happened to the satyrs? And the trees?"
"Well, the trees by the wall were burned to ashes. The ones that weren't fled" said Rusara. "I was in a particularly foul temper after going through all those swamps. As for the satyrs, after Wraith was defeated, they were taken captive.
"It seems that Laughing Wraith forced them to attack the fort against their will."
"What is Laughing Wraith?" asked William. "I read the journals, but he can't be a drear. He is nothing like Kiyora."
"You are nothing like Raynald," noted Rusara. "And yet, both of you are human. I wish I had an answer to that question, William. It would make the business of killing him much easier. But, unfortunately, I don't, and the best I can guess is that he is a nightmare."
"What did you do with the satyrs?" asked William.
"We made them swear never to attack us again and sent them on their way," said Rusara. "They were in a pitiful state when we captured them. So were even begging for death." She paused and gave him a look.
"What?" said William.
"You realize that if you had simply stayed with the dwarves, none of this would have happened, don't you?" asked Rusara. "At that point, we were only a day behind you."
"I felt I had to do it," said William.
"Well, the next ti you feel that way, don't," said Rusara. "It was a great deal of trouble for Raynald and , and you might have been-"
"Well done, William!" said Raynald, walking through the door and clapping him on the back.
"Raynald?" asked William.
"You choose the most dangerous course of action. And when you had the opportunity to remain safe and wait for rescue, too," said Raynald. "I'll admit I had my doubts about you, but let
tell you I'll make a great warrior of you yet."
"Thank you," said William, feeling a surge of pride despite himself.
"Raynald!" said Rusara. "What have I told you about presenting a united front!"
"I wouldn't know; I wasn't listening," said Raynald.
Then William rembered a chira. "Massacre, what happened to her?"
"Oh, the chira," said Raynald, "she's fine. Her lion head needs to regenerate, but she'll live."
"Regenerate?" asked William.
"Naturally," said Rusara, "chiras have three heads. If one could die, that head would rot and kill the others. So they have evolved to resurrect their heads so long as one of them remains alive."
"I'm glad," said William. "Can I see Father?"
"He has been swamped lately," said Rusara. "But if you'd woken up a day ago, you'd have found him by your bedside. At the mont, he is off inspecting the border forts reconstruction. So of the walls were badly damaged and-"
"Leave us." said a cold voice.
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Raynald and Rusara looked up and saw by the doorway the Lady Azgora. She had a stern expression, and her eyes fixed on Raynald with hatred. Raynald t her gaze right back as though daring her to do sothing.
"Co, Raynald," said Rusara, "we'd best go."
The two of them filed out, and William was alone with his mother. He felt her gaze on him and looked down at the ground as she approached him. This was it. She would yell at him and call him a fool for associating with Raynald and Rusara in the first place. He'd probably never- Was she hugging him?
"By the goddess Zeya, William," said Mother. "If you ever scare
like that again, I'll never forgive you!"
"Mother, I... I didn't an to scare you," said William, not knowing what to say.
"Then why did you listen to Raynald?!" asked Mother, separating from him. "You are too important to risk like that to !"
"Because I want you to be proud of ," said William. "But I have no idea what you want."
She separated from him. "What do you an?"
"You say I should be one thing and then another," said William. "You tell
to listen to Raynald, and then you insult him and bait him. How am I supposed to prove myself if I don't know what you expect?"
"You've already more than proved yourself!" said Lady Azgora, looking like she was trying to hold back a smile. "You've proven yourself a fool for going along with them! A courageous, cunning, and brilliant fool!
"What business do you have, taming chiras and facing demons at your age?"
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" asked William.
Azgora sighed. "I see now the workings of destiny."
"Are you going to explain what you an by that?" asked William. "Or are you just trying to be mysterious?"
"In ti," said Azgora. "In ti." She arose. "Co, you have not seen Arsheen before now. It is a beautiful place. I will show you the palace for a start."
The Palace of Arsheen was beautiful, with flowing fountains and elegant arches. The walls were as white as snow, and many beautiful statues could be seen throughout the rooms. Murals of significant battles, fallen lovers, and dark sches.
Almost all of them depicted Calishans.
"Why do we keep these up here?" asked William, feeling resentnt.
"Your Father finds so beautiful," said Azgora. "Had I seized this castle, I would have burned it all. But wars are waged differently here."
Then he saw sothing. The image of a blonde, bearded Harlenorian defending a nest of eggs, a broken sword in his hand. He moved forward, almost touching the image.
"That's Erik the Voyager!"
"So of the Calishans retold tales of his adventures," said Felix, appearing. "He beca a folk hero in the regions he visited, so so art was created of him. You think he got the symbol of a cobra for nothing?" Over his back was slung a sword.
"Felix, one of these days, you will have to explain how you appear like this," said Azgora.
"Ask Rusara; she's better at it than I am." He slung the blade off his back and pressed it into William's hand. "I had it reforged."
William took the sword and drew it out. The entire blade had gone pitch black, like the sword of his Father. He looked at it, noting several gleaming red runes, then looked to Felix. "What happened to my sword?"
"After you cut Laughing Wraith with it," said Felix, "all the pieces turned black. It's just as strong as before. I used the money we took from Massacre's lair to pay for unique treatnts that made the blade like it was.
"Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," said William. "In a savage sort of way."
"Then it fits where you got it," said Felix. "Rusara put a few runes on it. I'm not at all sure what they do, to be honest."
William turned the blade around and sheathed it. "Whatever they are, I'm certain they are for the best."
"You an like you were sure going with Rusara was for the best?" said Felix.
"It was," said William. "If we hadn't, we'd never have t Massacre and Kiyora and seen the things we did. Not all of it was pleasant, but I'm glad I went on this adventure."
"Though such an attitude is an improvent," said Azgora, "you would do well to temper it with so wisdom."
"Yes, Felix never lets
forget that," said William.
Silence fell over them for a long mont. William stared into his friend's eyes and wasn't at all sure what to say. Both of them had changed over their journey. Before, Felix would never have spoken when he was talking to others. Before, William would never have looked forward to adventures.
Before... before, everything was different.
William smiled.
"What?" said Felix.
"Nothing," said William, "let's see what else we can find here."
The day wore on, and Mother had things to do. William and Felix continued to explore the castle of Arsheen. They saw many strange and beautiful things. Though Felix had already seen it all, he tolerated William's ignorance.
Finally, he and Felix ca to a balcony overlooking the city. It was a beautiful sight, indeed, and William found his breath taken away. Arsheen was a vast coastal city that stretched three miles in length. Its roofs were mostly flat, but the buildings in it varied greatly. The poorest of the districts looked like works of art.
A high white wall rang the city. In every direction around it was farmland, unlike in Carn Gable. The air here was far less cold. The sun bore down on them, and the fields were different. They grew other crops; they tended other trees.
William wondered if he was dreaming for a mont. Then he decided that it didn't matter. He turned from the balcony, and then she appeared. Kiyora appeared without warning. Her entrance was with none of the bright light or flash that had usually preceded her.
"Hey," she said, looking awkward.
"Greetings to you," he said, "what brings you here?"
"Cut the formal speech, okay," said Kiyora, "I'm not in the mood."
Silence fell over both of them as they waited there. Waiting for either of them to speak or break the silence. Finally, William had a question co to mind.
"Kiyora," he said, "when you destroyed Laughing Wraith, what did you do?"
"I didn't destroy him," said Kiyora. "I an, I don't think I did. How do I put this? When I looked into that mirror, the Mirror of Laevian, I saw myself as I was. And I really couldn't stand it; I hated what I saw so... so I think I shut that part of myself out of my mind.
"I guess I got a bit carried away and shut away my powers of divinity as well."
"So you manifested them when Laughing Wraith was going to kill you," guessed William.
"No, I did it when I realized he was going to kill you," said Kiyora. "And Felix and Massacre. It dawned on
that all of you were important to . I didn't care if it was a dream then; I knew I had to do sothing."
"Gods aren't supposed to interfere with mortal affairs directly," muttered Felix.
"Well, it was sort of a loophole," said Kiyora. "See, when I attacked Wraith, I was a mortal ascending to beco divine. I think, or at least that is how Elranor described it to ."
"You spoke with Elranor?" asked William.
"I had a long conversation with him," said Kiyora. "He kind of... appeared to
in my world. I think. Or maybe I'm going insane, and my dreams have beco hallucinations. Either way, our reality is boring, so much better."
"What did he say?" asked William.
"A lot of things," admitted Kiyora. "He had a ssage for you."
"Really?" asked William, eager. "What was it?"
"'Everything goes according to plan.'" said Kiyora.
"That smug bastard," said Felix.
William opened his mouth to criticize Felix for speaking of the gods with disrespect. Then he realized he was just as annoyed as Felix by this statent. Worse still, he wondered if he was supposed to take it seriously.
"I wasn't aware Elranor had a sense of humor," admitted William.
"Well, it's probably a good thing he does," said Kiyora. "People who don't know how to laugh at themselves tend to be arrogant. And arrogant people make bad decisions. People who never laugh at all should be kept far away from positions of authority."
"I don't think that makes sense," said William.
Silence again.
"You know," said William, "I ant what I said before about building a shrine to you. It might take a while, but I'll do it."
"You don't have to," said Kiyora. "I an, the Nakmar have their ans of worship."
"Just think of it as my way of saying thank you," said William.
He looked down at the gatehouse where the watchn were peering down. Soone was at the gate. He wondered who it was, what they were doing here, and what the watchman was saying to him.
"Open the gates!" called the watchman. "The Duke has returned!"
William looked at Kiyora. "Could you stay for a bit longer?"
"Well, I've probably got soone who wants my help," said Kiyora. "But I guess I could spare a minute or two."
"Great," said William, "do you want to et my father?"
Kiyora smiled slightly. "I uh... sure, I guess."
"Great," said William, "let's go."
The adventure had concluded. Yet William could hardly wait for the next one. He took this as proof that he had gone slightly mad.
It was an ending of sorts. But it did not end.
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