Upon a Star: The continued journey, ch4

The possibility of death, and of ending the world's suffering, leads a desperate group to make a bargain with a conflicted enemy.

Chapter 4

The room was eerily silent as the group looked on at Allision's attempt to close the sword wound that Karyana was inflicted.

Ever since they returned from Grimroot, the whole group was in a grim state. The inhabitants of Harbor's Keep had quarantined them after one of the guards noticed the black scars on Alban's arms. Onyx tried to barter as best as he could with the local priests, potion dealer and alchemist, but to no avail. They were all in terrible shape, and the only thing the Keep could provide was a few beds in the soldiers' barracks and just enough food and water to share paltry meals.

Turalyon had thrown the remnants of his crossbow in the fireplace, as the weapon was beyond repair, and the keeps-folk did not want to sell him anything. For the past few days, he had been feeding the flames with the remaining bolts, using iron stokers to pull the steel bolt-heads out of the fire. Though his wounds were less important, his nature as a battlemage made him more prone to quick battles and explosive results, so the winded battle against Pison, which seemed �" to him at least �" to have lasted over an hour, was enough to keep him winded. The meager way-bread was hardly enough to satisfy him, and the ban on his magic made it impossible for him to conjure any sort of food, not even the possibility of filling his growling stomach with plain gruel.

Onyx was more successful with the keeps-folk, as their needs for a competent smithy was required. Though he tried again and again to reforge Twilight, the runic enchantment that he placed on the weapon made it impossible to fix. As Karyana's will was still as brittle as crystal, so was the metal of the blade. All he could do was hold on to the weapon's guard, hilt and pommel, hoping the last bit of blade on it would serve her once more. The rest of the weapon, far too damaged to fix, was melted down with the boltheads and the still parts of the crossbow. The best he could do was trade his services for a sturdier sword for her, hoping it would be enough to hide his shame.

Alban's wounds took forever to heal, even when the druid finally decided to treat them. Neither the ranger nor the druid knew what the weapon was coated in, but the lash wounds had withered his flesh and muscles, making it even harder to properly heal. Even now, with most of his wounds closed, he still had trouble holding up his great-sword. The best he could do was pass his anger and sadness in combat training with the other soldiers of the barracks. He couldn't forgive Pison for making them fools, but he couldn't bare the thought that Arius, who he and his comrades fought side by side with during the Battle of Bolestra, actually served their common enemy.

However, the spell-sword was in no position to speak. The blow he took to the skull when his head struck the snow-covered stone left his mind in a terrible condition. The worst issue was when he first awoke, as he did not recognize any of the group, even so much as wondering why he wasn't back at Silverbark �" one of the largest elvish homesteads in the Emerald Sea, a ten-day to the north-west-west of their current position. All he seemed to remember was his name and his self-given title, but he had no memory of the Battle of Bolestra, of his betrayal, or even of meeting Pison in the first place.

Allision tried to mend their wounds and help raise morale somewhat, as her own magic was allowed, but the fact that her friend lay on a bed, in what seemed like stasis, made her feel as if all of this was her fault. The Shadowsnare's powers made her believe she had slept for almost a full day, but the reality was that she had been missing for almost two weeks. The realization of her situation still caused her hands to shake as she tried again and again to mend Karyana's sword wound, as she felt unable to muster the will to the wide cut that still lingered, even though the blood had stopped trickling out days before.

"That wound… will never fully heal." The priestess concluded, even as her best efforts to heal her friend did little to hide the scar she now bore on her left side, inches away from the ribcage. "I… I tried all I could, but I just…"

Alban placed his hand on the half-elf's shoulder, hoping to stop her tears. "It's not your fault. Times have been dark since the Battle of Bolestra, but none of this was your fault."

The priestess wiped her eyes. "B-but… if I had known…"

"That wouldn't have changed a thing." Turalyon spoke, throwing his last bolt in the flames. "Arius was Pison's inside man, and that allowed him to see and hear everything that happened inside the Shrine."

Allision let out a deep sigh. She had been shocked when Arius' strike team had returned to the Shrine in a crippled state, the latter saying that they were outmatched and outnumbered in every way. If she had known that he was a turncoat, she would have warned Father Korgan. But now, what happened could not be undone, and all she could do was pray for her friend's well-being.

Turalyon looked back at the water-skin Arius had dropped. "I don't know how he had acquired a Blood Rose, but somehow, he knew what it could-"

Onyx cocked an eyebrow. "A what now?"

The priestess let out a sigh. "A Blood Rose. It is said that the lifeblood of a virgin woman who was touched by the blessings of a Planar or one of its champions creates a potent flower that blooms in even the coldest of regions. Its fragrance brings an uncontrollable euphoria to the one who would smell it, but the flower itself, if ingested, can numb the mind and force a… submissive state upon the victim."

Alban frowned. "That would explain why she was so eager to learn, and so open-minded." he figured. "I remember her being that more vigorous, and even defiant of orders during the conflict… but she still had the mind to learn and didn't always obey at the beck and call. Remember when I tried teaching her to use her two hands with her sword?"

"I don't understand why she even needed those lessons." Turalyon remarked. "Though her skills were somewhat unpolished, she possessed greater power than one of her age would ever have. And to be able to master the Astrean tongue? That is a miraculous feat…"

Onyx scratched his chin through his beard. "Well, maybe Arius was ordered to make her forget some of those things. Ever since the end of the Battle, she had become less skilled with the ritual dances of the Planar-Mother, and had not spoken in Astrean since."

Alban thought for a moment. "I don't quite remember what that sounded like, but I do know that, as a child, I did see her tame a manticore and transform it into a harmless… um… I'm not sure what kind of beast it was, but she did it by shouting twice… perhaps she knew how to speak Astrean from birth?"

The battlemage's eyes shot wide open. "That is unheard of!" he shouted. "The Astrean tongue can only be spoken by the Planars, the highest members of the Order and the hierophants and high priestesses that protect the shrines of Medierth! How could she have known the power of these words as a child?"

Allision looked lost in thought. "The same could be said about how I was saved…" she spoke, thinking back to her last moments as Sayeth. "She pleaded to the Planars for my salvation… and before the darkness had taken me… I was… alive."

The dwarf glanced back at the resting Karyana. "She definitely sounds like quite the miracle." He commented. "Perhaps we should protect her even more now."

The ranger let out a sigh. "If Pison was so adamant on killing her, why didn't he do it himself?" he wondered out loud before realizing that the question was not worth answering. "Arius… that fiend played him like a puppet, and in the end, we were all fooled."

Onyx rose off of his chair and looked back at the others. "Well, I think I know what I'll be doing now." he answered, stretching as he looked back at the priestess. "And I will need your help."

The red-haired half-elf rose to attention. "M-my help?" she asked, not sure how she could help in any way.

"We will need you to negotiate with the locals for the finest and more durable fabric they have, and I will need to work on forging a special armor for her." The dwarf explained before looking back at Alban. "If you could keep an eye on her, please? Oh, and tell us when she wakes up."

Turalyon took a moment to examine Arius' discarded water-skin and wondered. "Hmm… if the ingested flower made her compliant, I wonder if it could…"

------

Xelnos looked down at Pison with an eerie expression of concern. "I expected you to have returned to me with the mortal girl's head." He remarked. "Instead, I find out that, rather than slay her like you let on about, you let another mortal do it for you?"

The demonic assassin knelt down and bowed his head. "I am sorry, my master." He apologized. "Had I know he would fail in his promise…"

The Arch-Demon cracked his knuckles, the very sound worse than trees being ripped asunder by a hill giant. "Yet, rather than with her demise, you come back with the scent of her blood… but I can clearly see you did partake in battle, yet not against her."

The mercenary looked back at his armor. While most of the spells and strikes had left little to no damage against his body, his armor was punctured, gashed and burned in several places. "Indeed. I led her comrades away, and gauged their power in combat. I believe, my master, that they do not possess the strength needed to best me, let alone yourself."

"You speak too much." The obsidian colossus spoke, staring down at his lackey. "Had it not been for the ban placed upon the Planars by the Childlord himself, you would have not survived to tell your tale."

Pison grit his fangs. "You mean…? Damn them! I should destroyed them there and then!"

"Don't be so pompous." Xelnos replied with a calmer tone. "Your efforts are not in vain. They now believe that you have orchestrated this and will likely hunt you down. But that will only lead them to me… where they will truly learn the meaning of despair."

The mercenary looked down at the bone-covered ground. "What must I do now to please you, Master?"

"Lead them here… then be done with her." He answered back with the same vile tone that Pison had used to order Arius, which made the mercenary flinch.

-------

Turalyon took a moment to look at the cup of tainted water that rested on the bed table. "So much pain and suffering caused by such a strange little flower…" he thought to himself, before getting up from his chair.

Walking the few steps towards the young woman's bed, he almost cursed when the wooden floor creaked, as the night meant that almost all of the soldiers who weren't on any shifts would be sleeping in the barracks, and any noise could wake them up.

It was a good thing that he had conjured a wall of silence to make it impossible for sound to come in or resonate out of the room, but it didn't make the atmosphere any more tense than it already was.

Picking up the cup, he placed it away from the bed, but as he took a single step away from the bed, the battlemage heard a loud gasp behind him. Being careful not to spill the tainted water onto his skin or clothes, Turalyon turned towards the bed to see Karyana sitting upright on her bed, gasping for air and in cold sweat.

"Karyana… thank the Planars you're awake." He said, letting out a sigh of relief while trying to keep himself calm, as to avoid spraying water around. "Here, drink this. It should calm you down."

Instinctively, the black-haired girl, still panicking, reached out for the cup, snatched from the battlemage's hands and hastily drank the liquid before gasping again. "It… it was horrible…"

Turalyon sat back down after taking the cup out of the young woman's hands. "I know. It seems Arius played us all for fools… and Pison was behind Allision's capture."

Karyana's gaze shot towards the lanky mage. "Allision? Wh-where…?"

"Onyx freed her, so calm down." He answered back, hoping to see how potent the Blood Rose's effect still was.

As if a weight disappeared from her heart, the black-haired woman let out a sigh of relief. "I'm… sorry. I just feel terrible." She answered, her tone already much calmer than her previous panicked state.

"Your friend tried to mend your wound as best as she could, though I fear it might not have been enough." the battle-mage remarked, pointing at the wide scar on the girl's side. "I am truly sorry."

Karyana ran her fingers against the scar, still feeling a twinge of pain from touching it. "At least… I'm still alive… and Allision is free." She answered, trying to ease her mind with the words she spoke. "This accounts for something, right?"

Turalyon let out a sigh as he tried to hide his concern with a mild smile. "Of course. I heard that Onyx and Allision are working on something to keep you from any more cuts like these. If you can stand up and tell me how you feel…"

The young woman blinked, then slowly moved her legs so that her feet rested on the ground before giving herself a push to stand upright on the bed. "It… it still hurts when I move, but I think I can walk."

Turalyon raised a finger to his chin and rubbed it lightly. The young woman had been stripped of the azure robe she wore and placed in a plain cotton nightgown. The fabric was bulky enough to hide the bandages underneath, but was from flattering on her, as it seemed to tent everywhere.

"Good, very good." Turalyon thought aloud, taking note of the effects. So far, the complete flower, mixed in water and left out of sunlight, was making her compliant to orders that affected her mental state and compelled her to certain actions. He only had a few more tests to try, specifically to see if such a state could cause the body and mind to react in… particular ways. "Before we go any further, I would like to point out something. The water you just drank was from Arius' water-skin, it was tainted with a potent plant called the Blood Rose. How he obtained it, I do not know. If you knew, then perhaps it would clarify everything."

Karyana thought for a second before she looked back at her comrade with semi-glassy eyes. "I do know." She responded.

Turalyon waited for an explanation, but it didn't come, even after a minute of waiting. "I guess that means the Blood Rose's effect does not force a person to answer an indirect question." He thought before examining her. "Karyana, we noticed that you have had episodes of… memory lapses since the Battle of Bolestra, and it is my firm belief that Arius was the cause of all this. So, I would like you to forget about him, but remember what he taught you, and remember everything you seemed to have forgotten since the moment you were granted the ability to cast the spell that ended the war."

The young woman's eyes glazed over as her pupils vibrated quickly, the rapid eye movement barely visible as her memories of what happened flashed back in her mind faster than she could react. The flood of information crashed into her like a tidal wave, knocking her back onto the bed.

The lanky man walked towards Karyana's bed, picked up her legs and placed them onto it, then pulled the sheets over her until only her shoulders up were uncovered before adjusting a pillow under her head. "By the time she remembers everything about the Astrean tongue, everyone else will be here." He spoke with a confident tone. "Until your mind can adjust to all the memories that are returning to you, sleep. When you regain consciousness, you will forget all that I have said and done on this hour."

---------

Allision examined the steel-padded corset with a bewildered expression. "Are you sure that it will protect her enough?" she asked the dwarf smithy as she tapped a finger against one of the metallic plates that had been sewn in between two layers of thick cloth.

"One thing I have to credit Arius, is that he taught her well how to parry and evade sword strikes." Onyx answered. "Though her sword is in shambles, she only suffered that one sword wound. She must have picked up on how to use that weapon in a defensive method rather quickly, or else she wouldn't have… erm…"

The dwarf felt like biting his tongue as he noticed that his words did very little to comfort the young priestess. "I'm… I'm sorry. We dwarves tend to be a bit loose on the tongue when it comes to anything related to-"

"Don't apologize so much…" Alban's voice resonated a few meters behind the two. "You'll just make yourself look worse."

The quirky remark made Allision smirk. "Well, I guess I'm learning more about you everyday." She said. "But I'm surprised you made this. I swear, with all the details, I thought it had been crafted by elves."

The smithy didn't want to admit it, but he had help from one of the keeps-folk �" a young elvish woman barely in her adult age. It was actually her that had decided on weaving a four-point diamond, surrounding in reinforced silver wire, into the armor, adding a number of woven patterns to the front, sides and even back. The armor in itself mostly covered the front and sides, but the corset added to protection along the back. A series of plates, welded in place and adjusted to every muscle line, allowed for a flexible protection that wouldn't hinder spell-casting… though he wondered if her spells required as much maneuvering as the elven weaver told him. The armor itself covered a simple white robe, which seemed intriguingly familiar to Alban.

"Hmm… that looks almost like that dress Tarolon tried to sell us." The ranger noted before his eyes locked onto a strange pair of items. They looked like fingerless gloves, though a large gem, which seemed to have been cut in twine, had been fixed onto a metallic plate that covered the back of the hand… from what he could tell. "What are those?"

Allision smiled. "I have heard a strange legend from the locals." She explained. "Supposedly, a young princess from far to the east, beyond Weepfall, had traveled here in search of a powerful dragon that had ransacked her kingdom, and of what they said, she had a gem imbedded in her forehead, as well as one in her chest! Can you believe that?"

Alban looked uneasily at the priestess. "If only you knew…" he said, remembering the events before this ordeal began. He knew of the young princess; in fact, he was there when she met the dragon. It turned out that the dragon had waited for the descendant of the first princess, who was also a powerful priestess, to free her from the curse placed by the bejeweled girl's ancestor on him. Not only was the dragon the first lover of the ancient princess, but her descendant looked almost like her twin.

The red-haired half-elf continued. "From what I heard, those gems were the source of her powers, as well as the reason she lived for so long. I was thinking that these sapphires might help her channel her weaving abilities further."

It was Onyx's turn to smile. "She definitely has potential." He remarked, pointing at the young woman. "Now, how about we go back and see if our friend is awake?"

"That won't be a problem." Turalyon answered as he walked in on the rest of the group. "She's already awake."

----------

Karyana readjusted her braid after donning the intricate, armored dress. "You did all this for me? How can I repay you all?"

Allision helped her friend with the last ties of the armor. "Well, I'm sure a weave or two can hide the more cumbersome parts. I swear, Kary, you will look splendid, no matter where you go."

The black-haired young woman rose a hand to her face, looking embarrassed by the comment. "Oh, stop. You're making me blush…"

Alban folded his arms together. "I suppose making it look like a normal robe until battle is upon us would look decent… but we have bigger problems."

Turalyon rubbed his neck. "Right… since we were so busy with Karyana, it seemed as though Arius up and vanished." he added.

"Well, considering his marbles are all jumbled, I doubt he'll be much of a problem." Onyx spoke as he pulled out a sheathed longsword from his bag. "And on with the good news, lass: I kept your old sword. Even sharpened it for you."

Karyana looked relieved for a moment, even if her hand shook a little as it grasped Eclipse's handle. "I'm really sorry about Twilight. I didn't think-"

"Don't worry so much." the dwarf smithy answered. "It was probably my fault. I might have made a mistake in drawing the runes. I'm just glad you turned out able to wield it."

The ranger shook his head. "Well, that handles one issue, but not the biggest one. Pison will still be on the hunt for us…" he said before looking back at the blue-eyed young woman. "…and especially for you."

The battle-mage looked concerned. "But what did he mean by 'the poison of the Planars'?" he wondered. "Does he think Karyana has the power to slay the Aspects of Existence?"

Alban thought for a moment. "Hmm… back at Bolestra, Pison did command part of Xelnos' army." He thought out loud. "What if he just wanted Karyana's blood spilled to use it somehow?"

Allision shivered. "If the stories are true, then…" she nervously said, before clearing her throat. "S-sorry. I read in the Shrine's archives that the blood of a Chosen has the power to fell the most powerful of forces."

"H-he wanted my blood… to kill the Planars?" Karyana asked, her tone going from frightened to nervous to angry. "I can't believe this!"

Alban balled his fists before slamming them together. "Then we have no choice but to find him… and stop him before he destroys-"

"Look no further." came an eerie voice from behind the group.

Turning around, they noticed a tall shadowy form, standing taller than Alban. "Meet me at Death's End… and I will explain everything…" the dark form spoke before changing into a swarm of bats that flew skyward.

Turalyon looked nervously at the others. "Death's End? The cliff that is said to have been the final toll of the Sky Swallower?"

Onyx had heard of the story of the titan known as the Sky Swallower. It was said that the creature was greater in size than any beast that ever existed. As people feared the titan for its immense size, the inhabitants of the city where Death's End used to stand sought the aid of the Planars. The ensuing battle between the champions of the Aspects and the colossal creature caused the earth-shaking form to plummet to the ground. The unfortunate result was that the city below was entirely crushed, while the mountain from which he fell cracked and fell asunder, burying the body deep underground.

"This could be a trap." the dwarf thought. "And even if we go, who's to say he won't attack us again?"

Karyana looked back at the others, sword in hand. "We don't have a choice." she flatly answered. "If we don't go to him, he will just track us down… I should know. I fought him before…"

---------

Pison rested at the base of the broken peak where the Sky Swallower met its end. The trek to this place would have taken him a few days since Harbor's Keep, but he was used to waiting games. And this was one game he knew he would win, as the tracked would come to him.

Yet, even as he spotted the group as they stopped the caravan a hundred yards from his position, he kept his weapons sheathed. Instead, he simply rose from his seat, wiped grass off his cloak and walked down towards the group.

This time, he would not raise his weapon, nor force their hand though his sangromancy. He came to talk… and they were to listen.

"So, you decided to come." He spoke, folding his arms, resting them at the level of his torso.

There was one member less to the group, he noticed. The half-elf was not there, and he could not smell her blood. Knowing them, they probably sent her back to the Shrine. A commendable gesture.

Karyana was the first to speak for the group of adventurers. "Enough games of cat and mouse!" she spoke, venom in her words. "What do you want with me?"

Pison smiled, showing his long, sharp fangs. "Brave and to the point." he answered. "Very well. The poison of the Planars runs in your veins… Yet, I do not wish the death of all of them. In fact, there is only one I wish to see slain."

The mercenary turned around as the group readied their weapons. "Still your arms. I am not here to fight." he commented before sitting down at the base of a rock pillar. "Know this: I was once a loyal cathar to Raemu's order before the events that led to the naming of Cathar's End… for I am the one who fell from grace on that accursed day."

Turalyon frowned. "You mean to tell us that you were Thivalt, the man who slew his love to-"

Pison snapped to his feet, roaring in rage. "I did not kill her!" he shouted. "Those throat-cutters took her from me! Had I not be so foolish as to believe Xelnos to bring her back to life, I would have followed her into the Cycle of Life and Death itself!"

Karyana gasped before a memory stirred in her mind. Something she did not even know she had heard before. A single name. "Alphea…"

The mercenary's eyes grew wide. "You know her name?" he asked, trying to calm himself after the rageful display.

"I… I don't know why… but I remember that name." the black-haired woman spoke. "You… you loved her, didn't you?"

The demonic assassin closed his eyes, his voice resounding in grief-stricken huffs. "Yes… she is the only light left in this… blackened heart." he muttered. "Her soul is… she is locked inside the Shadowsnare pendant that he wears around his neck…"

Alban frowned. "What makes you think that we believe you?" he gruffly questioned the creature before him.

"Think all you want of me… but know this: Xelnos made me into this horrid vision you see before you… and even the blood of the Chosen does not suffice to slay him." Pison explained, his voice sounding more like that of a determined cathar than that of a merciless demon. "The Cycle of the Chosen is like a noose: every time the Aspects wage war amongst themselves, they choose their champions from mortal lineages and grant the Chosen powers beyond those of a normal mortal. Xelnos himself was bested by the powers and skills of the champions before… but every time, he would rise again, always to torment the mortal realm. No… the Cycle must be broken…"

"You mean… you are playing us… just to save her?" Karyana asked, not sure if what she was thinking was the correct answer. In fact, she feared what Pison would say.

"No… not just for her." the mercenary spoke. "Xelnos' existence must end… for good."

Author's Note

I hope you like the story so far. If you have any comments, please let me know.