Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 

Knowledge is pain…

 

 

The world exploded in shards of ice, cries of pain, and blood. The ice that had circled the surviving soldiers erupted outward in a wall of razor-sharp spikes. The enemy soldiers not quick enough on their feet now slumped to the ground. Cameron and Skiff, without a second thought, jumped over the wall and ran straight for the unmoving form of Don.

Cameron pulled up short as the enemy commander engaged him; Skiff dodged around and tried to flank the commander but was intercepted by another soldier. Cameron blocked a stab at his heart with his shield, deflecting it to his right. As he tried to stab the commander his attack was blocked and returned again. They traded blows and blocks for what seemed to Cameron, too long. Don had not moved at all the whole time.

Finally, the commander over reached and Cameron was able to press this advantage, stabbing the man through the neck. As the commander died gurgling, blood seeping from between his fingers around his neck, Cameron helped Skiff finish off his attacker and together they ran toward Don. Slidding to a halt next to Don, Cameron called his name as he turned him over.

What Cameron rolled over was not Don, “What the hell!” Skiff yelled in fury, “Where’s Don?!”

The training dummy, complete with a wonky smile and the words ‘Kiss me I’m Draggus!” scrawled in purple across its face, stared innocently up at them not able to answer Skiff’s question. Cameron cursed as he stood up, looking around wildly for any sign of Don. The two of them made their way off the battlefield, which was slowly being turned into a frozen death zone, ignoring the cries of their comrades.  

Skiff trailed after Cameron as he climed the small hill back to where he had entered into this nightmare. When he crested the hill the clouds that had covered the sky in a black blanket, immediately disappeared. Shaliah sat in the middle of a cluster of red flowers, still in her decayed state, trying to make a daisy chain with one hand.

“I thi-“ Cameron turned to Skiff who was no longer next to him.

Spinning around in a full 360 he didn’t see any sign of him, nor the battle they had just vacated. Sighing in aggravation he grit his teeth and stomped down the hill slope toward his previous Caster. She squeaked in surprise when he grabbed the front of her blouse and held her bodily off the ground in front of him.

“No more games, Shaliah.” Cameron growled, “What is going on?!”

Her green eyes swelled with tears that overflowed down her decaying cheeks, “Cammy! You’re frightening me.”

“Oh, I’m going to do more than frighten if you don’t tell me right now whats going on and how I stop it!”

Shaliah squeezed her eyes shut, “I don’t know! Cammy, stop it!”

“Tell me!” Cameron shook her, causing her other arm to fall off, “Tell me right now or so help me Shal-“

Cameron stopped. He stared at the poor pathetic creature in his hands; she cried starring at him in wide eyed terror. Gently he set her down to the ground and collapsed at her feet covering his face with his hands. For a long while neither of them spoke, though Shaliah was able to calm her histerics from blubbering gulps to small sniffles.

“Shaliah,” Cameron whispered softly, dropping his hands into his lap, “are you alright?”

Taking a deep breath she nodded, “You really scared me, Cammy. In the past no matter how frustrated you were with me you never laid a hand on me.”

Cameron didn’t reply as he turned his gaze to the little red flower by his knee.

“What’s made you this way?” Shaliah asked softly, her eyes narrowing, “You’ve never lost your cool before.”

Shaking his head Cameron sighed, “I did. The day I lost you.”

Shaliah was taken aback. Cameron recounted the days following her death, how his need for revenge had nearly killed him, leading him into one battle after another.

“That battle just now,” Cameron indicated over his shoulder, “was the last straw. I had gotten a lead on the whereabouts of Mistriss and Skirm. Against Maltoris’ explicit orders I led a small troop to here, the very edge of Order territory. Skiff and Don came with me, because I guilted them into it. The rest of them owed me favors for one time or another.”

Taking a breath he continued, his voice soft and gentle, “When we arrived, the storm hovering on the horizon, we began to set camp. I sent Don with about five others to scout the area around us. It was a trap. The enemy ambushed us from what seemed like everywhere. Don was captured, the rest of them slaughtered in a clump of trees a little further south of here. An Order Pair happened to be patrolling the Edge, and came to our rescue. We got Don to a healer who was able to save his life.”

Shaliah watched in silence as the past played itself across Cam’s eyes. Pain, guilt, and sorrow gleamed in them, “We lost fourteen out of twenty-five, that day. I was almost court-martialed. The council took into consideration my service record up to that point and was merciful. After that I was demoted, and put under Skiff’s command.”

“Did you miss me?” Shaliah spoke softly, in a squeky childlike voice.

Cameron snorted, “Every day. It was torture waking up and not feeling the Connection, like I was missing a part of my soul. I tried to forget, turned to drinking, battle, anything I could to distract me from the emptyniess.”

“Kailah saved me,” Shaliah’s smile vanished, Cameron obliviously continued, “its like I was drowning in an ocean of guilt. Out of no where this fireball crashed into my life bringing hope of redemption with her.”

Cameron’s eyes were miles away, seeing not the landscape or decayed girl in front of him, but a dark haired beauty with crimson eyes and a secret smile, “Eveyday I look into those eyes and see a trust I don’t deserve. She’s perfect, Shaliah.”    

“Is she now?”

A chill like a knife went down Cameron’s spine at the malice in Shaliah’s voice. When he turned to her she was completely whole and undecayed, her green eyes no longer the naïve innocent jewels he remembered, but hard and calloused with anger.

 Shaliah smirked crossing her arms over her chest, “We’ll see about that.”

 

Kailah started awake, immediately wishing she hadn’t moved. Cramps seized both her legs along with parts of her chest and sides. No matter which way she turned something on her hurt.

She groaned in aggravation, “Ah, I haven’t felt like this since the aca-

“Good morning, my dear.”

She froze, horror gripping her heart, the sound of someone approaching her from behind came soflty to her ears. A slippered shoe came into sight then disappeared under the hem of a blood red robe. She looked up into the silver eyes of Surkaust, eyes that regarded her with a predatory hunger.

Before she could scamper away from him, his eyes turned black and her body was no longer under her control. A small cry escaped her lips as Surkaust used his casting to make her sit up.

“Shhh, my pet.” Surkaust purred, “I hope you had a good rest.”

 

Cameron’s breath escaped him in a rush as he landed face down on what felt like tile. He laid there, his face pressed against the cool surface, trying to regain control of his respritory functions. Shaliah’s dainty toes alighted into his field of vision; he followed the leg up to the blond framed face that smirked down at him.

“And here I though I was the clutsy one.” She grinned as Cameron got to his feet slowly.

He glared at her as he shifted his hips, stretching taut muscles, “You are.” After a slight pause, “Well, were.”

Surveying their surroundings, Cameron wracked his memory, trying to figure out where they were. The more he thought the more confused he became, after a few minutes he was convinced he’d never been there before.

“Where are we?” Finally giving up and turning to the still smirking Shaliah, “What are you playing at?”

Before she answered Surkaust rounded the corner, floating down the corridor like a red robed ghost. Surkaust walked straight through him just as Cameron turned around, just like he was a ghost. There was no sound at the passing, which made it even creepier, Cameron stood there for a moment then shivered in revulsion. He glared at Shaliah as he turned to follow the man down the corridor. She merely smirked in return.

Figuring he was not an actual part of events this go around Cameron made no attempt at stealth. As he passed a window the scenery outside was calm and serene and completely foreign to him. He shrugged turning back to follow Surkaust, jogging a bit to catch up to the man, despite his quiescent mannerisms he moved quite fast.

Surkaust stopped at a door, composed himself, not that he needed to as far as Cameron could tell, and walked into the room beyond. Cameron followed, slightly interested in what the small man got up to in the past, and stopped dead in his tracks. Kailah sat demurely on the edge of a chair starring at the floor. Two more people occupied the room, both were hooded and cloaked, but Cameron could tell the one sitting was female and the one standing behind her was male.

Cameron edged to the left watching the occupants of the room with suspicion; this Kailah was a lot younger, possibly in her mid teens with very short cropped hair, so short Cameron almost second guessed himself. At Surkaust’s entrance, those crimson eyes put away any doubt that it was Kailah. Shaliah stood next to him watching his reactions.

“What’s going on?” Cameron asked icily, “What is it you’re trying to do?”

Shaliah placed a finger to her lips as Surkaust addressed the two cloaked figures, “I explicitly instructed you not to come here.”

Surkaust floated across the room and alighted in the chair next to Kailah, facing the two figures. His usually mellow tone took on an edge of aggravation, but only just. The lips of the female figure smirked but made no attempt at either apology or grievance. Surkaust steepled his fingers in front of his face waiting patiently, with soft malice radiating from him, for an answer. The man behind the woman slowly eased his hand to the hilt of his sword; Surkaust saw the movement his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Enough.” The woman’s soft command caused the man behind her to relax, “My dear Surkaust, you worry too much. Now, am I to believe this is the young lady you referred to in your ever so informative missive?”

Surkaust’s eyes flicked to Kailah, crimson met silver without emotion and Surkaust nodded almost imperceptively. Cameron glanced from one person to the next, having no clue what was going on. The woman’s voice was familiar but nobody was coming to mind. The woman stood and crossed the small space between them, gently took Kailah’s chin in her delicate hand and turned her face to look at her.

Kailah didn’t react as the woman turned her face this way and that, Cameron was surprised at her demur compliance with her violent reaction at dinner fresh in his mind. The woman straightened, her hand disappearing beneath the cloak.

“And how do you feel about this, my dear?” Her voice was cautious almost gentle.

Kailah didn’t respond meerily regarded the woman before her with indifference. The hooded head regarded Kailah a moment then nodded in satisfaction.

“I’m assuming you have a plan from here on out?” The woman asked turning to Surkaust, “I need not remind you we are on a deadline, my dear Surkaust.”

Surkaust’s silver eyes glinted in aggravation, “Yes on both accounts, my lady.”

The woman seemed satisfied with this answer and made to leave, the cloaked man falling into step behind her. Kailah had returned to staring at the floor, seeming uninterested in whatever plans the two had for her. As the woman passed Cameron was able to see her face clearly, his stomach sank through the floor.

“I’ll see you again soon,” Surkaust smiled benevolently, “Mistress.”

 

Lady Niehra stormed into the Soul Seeker’s audience chamber, anger rolling off of her almost as a perceptible force. The guards on the doors moved to block her entrance but were thrown back by her phantom. She walked past them, black boots striking the ground causing her footfalls to echo around the great hall. Lady Niehra stopped at the bottom of the dais, her long coat swishing about her ankles, and glared at the figure perched regally on the edge of a most disconcerting throne.

The Soula Seeker, her monochromatic wings slightly flexed, regarded Lady Niehra with a blindfolded gaze of annoyance, with perhaps a dash of amusement. The throne upon which she so haughtily sat seemed to have been carved out of a single piece of onyx. The sculptor, it was rumored, had gone mad after the thing was created. Lady Niehra, gazing at the carvings of screaming humans, wondered not for the first time if the other rumor about the throne was true, the one that said the Soul Seeker’s victims were cursed to spend eternity trapped inside of it.

“Ah, Lady Niehra,” The Soul Seeker purred softly, “to what do I owe the pleasure of your impromptu visit?”

Lady Niehra’s anger rekindled at the amusment in the Seeker’s voice, “You know why I am here, Seeker.”

“Now, let me think.” The Seeker tapped her chin delicately, the bangles on her wrist chiming softly, “Could it perhaps be because of your brother’s failure?”

“Bring him back.” Lady Niehra demanded, “He’s worth more to you alive, and you know it.”

Lady Niehra blinked and the Soul Seeker was no longer on her throne. Feeling a presence behind her, Lady Niehra stiffened. The Seeker gently slid her fingers down the side of Lady Niehra’s neck. Suddenly she put pressure on a certain spot in Lady Niehra’s shoulder. Lady Niehra cried in pain and sank to her knees.

“Do not presume to tell me what is of worth to me,” The Soul Seeker hissed softly into her ear, “you all are nothing to me, merely a distraction.”

She tightened her grip causing Lady Niehra to cry out again, “Never forget that.”

The Soul Seeker let go and walked serenely back to her throne. Lady Niehra fell forward onto the black marble floor, tears betraying her pain. As the Seeker sat back regally once again on her torturous throne, Lady Niehra glared up at her through her raven hair.

The Seeker raised one delicate eyebrow and flicked an imaginary priece of dirt from her golden robe, “You have something to add, Lady?”

Lady Niehra closed her eyes and swallowed her pride, “Please, Seeker, he’s all I have left.”

Silence reighned in the hall, the guards dared not breathe as the Seeker regarded her best Caster, a small smile on her lips. Lady Niehra knew it was weak of her to beg, if there was one thing the Seeker didn’t tolerate more than failure was weakness. As the seconds stretched on, seemingly into eternity, Lady Niehra figured she had nothing left to lose.

“Very well.” The Seeker’s sudden exclamation and subsequent clap made all present start, “This might prove to be amusing.”