Sage of the Forlorn Path
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Across Eternity: Book 6 - Chapter 2
🕑 Added 2024-08-27 01:36:13 +0000 UTCSwift Wings
Noah and Shannon traveled ever deeper into the heart of Uther, following the tracks of the fiend army. However, the distance between them was growing with each passing day, and Noah was doing the math. “I have an idea,” he said, sitting with Shannon beside the campfire as they ate dinner, “an idea of how we can get to Colbrand faster.”
“I’m listening.”
Noah unrolled a map and pointed to a mountain near their location. “They say there is a dragon that lives in this mountain. Though feared for their strength, dragons are known to be very intelligent, far more so than their wyvern descendants. We might be able to convince him to join our cause, at least temporarily.”
“You want to enlist the help of a dragon?” Shannon gawked.
“He may be able to get us to Colbrand before the fiend army arrives, and I can’t think of a more powerful ally. Besides, if it doesn’t work, at most, we’ve added a few more days to our journey. What do you say?”
Shannon took a deep breath. “If anyone else were to propose such an idea, I would have called them mad. But if you tell me it’ll work, I’ll believe you.”
“Not quite the response I was looking for, but I appreciate your support.”
Thus, they took a detour, moving off the fiend’s path of destruction and heading for the mountain. They expected to find a gothic and foreboding stone spire in the wilderness, untouched by man, minus the scores of charred skeletons and signs warning travelers to stay away. Instead, at the foot of the mountain, they found a healthy village with fields of crops, including vast vineyards and farms devoted to hops and barley.
“Huh, ‘Dragonpint.’ I wasn’t expecting this,” said Noah, reading the village entrance sign. The sign was carved with the effigy of a dragon blowing a stream of fire over a beer stein.
“I’m certainly not complaining,” said Shannon.
They entered the village, healthy and thriving in the spring warmth. As they walked down the main street, Noah spotted a young man wearing armor and a bronze knight emblem.
“Excuse me,” Noah said, waving to him.
“Can I help you, travelers?” he asked.
Noah flashed him his gold emblem, and the man tensed up. “I need to speak to the leader of this town. It’s an emergency.”
“R-r-right this way,” he stuttered.
“I must say, I never expect to find a village next to a dragon’s den,” said Noah as he and Shannon followed him through the village.
“It’s actually because of the dragon that this village is still around.”
“What do you mean?” Shannon asked.
“The dragon and the village have an agreement. Should an army of bandits or monsters attack, the dragon will awake from his slumber and deal with the threat. The agreement is one hundred barrels of wine and spirits a year, plus another hundred every time they call on him, but they haven’t had to awaken him in a long time. They say he’ll go out and hunt every few years, but he just sleeps the rest of the time. There are only a couple of other knights here and some soldiers, and really, our only job is maintaining the peace and dealing with problems too small to bother waking the dragon.”
The knight’s words gave Noah hope. If the dragon’s services could be bought with liquor, then his plan had a good chance of working. They were brought to one of the vineyards, where a well-dressed man could be seen speaking with a farmer.
“Mr. Mayor, there is someone who needs to speak to you!”
Noah, Shannon, and the knight met the mayor halfway. “Welcome to Dragonpint. I am Haven, the mayor. I must say, we rarely get a gold-ranked knight out here.”
Noah reached out and shook his hand. “I’m Sir Noah. This is my companion, Shannon. I’m afraid there is a dire situation.”
“What’s going on?”
“A colossal army from the beastman city of Welindar is marching on Colbrand, ready to wipe out every last man, woman, and child. They’ve already carved a path of destruction across the countryside and are moving fast. We hope to speak with the dragon and see if he’ll consider helping us save Colbrand. It may already be too late, but we have to try.”
The mayor rubbed his balding head and turned away. “If Colbrand is destroyed, the entire country will fall apart. I doubt he’ll go for it, but it’s certainly worth a shot. Come with me. We’ll prepare a tribute.”
The mayor hurried back to town, and Noah and Shannon followed.
“How did your town form this pact with the dragon?” Shannon asked.
“Believe it or not, it was his idea. Long, long ago, before my time, this village was being attacked by an ogre tribe, and then, out of nowhere, the dragon appeared and obliterated them. ‘Grow wheat and grapes,’ he said. ‘Brew me enough liquor to sleep until the end of time, and I will defend you.’ Then he spat out a big lump of gold and told our ancestors to use it to get started.”
Haven brought them to a large building near the vineyards, where men were hard at work making booze of all kinds in massive barrels. The smell of wine and beer was heavy, almost bringing tears to Shannon’s eyes, as though huffing a bar rag.
“I had heard about a company called Dragon’s Brewery that produced some of the country’s best wine, beer, and spirits, but their drinks were expensive, scarce, and kept secret. Is this the headquarters?” Noah asked.
“That is correct. We keep a large reservoir in case of emergencies, and whatever remains that we don’t drink ourselves is sold to a select few distributors.”
“Huh, I always assumed the name was just picked to sound interesting. You can find a thousand pubs, brothels, apothecaries, and other businesses with ‘dragon’ in their name.”
“‘Fit for a dragon’ is our motto. After all, he might not choose to help us if we provide subpar product.” Haven turned to a nearby barrel and filled two cups from the spigot. “Here, give it a taste. This is our prized ale.”
Noah and Shannon accepted and emptied their cups. “Oh, that is good.”
“I’ve never been one for these kinds of drinks, but that is nice,” said Shannon.
Haven then stepped away. “Men, we need to prepare a tribute for Roroaka!” The announcement sent a rush of fear through the workers. None of them had ever delivered to the dragon’s lair outside of the yearly offering.
“Is the town under attack?” one man asked, standing atop a series of scaffolding around several massive fermentation vats.
“Not our town, someone else’s! Colbrand! An army is marching on the capital! Hop to!”
The men rushed to fulfill the order, but it was a process. This was a society without forklifts, so moving the hundred barrels just around the brewery was a feat of monumental engineering, requiring pullies, rollers, and even monk magic. They were loaded onto huge wagons, each pulled by a team of oxen. Noah, Shannon, and Haven stood back, watching the herculean effort unfold.
“Each one of those barrels costs a fortune. I don’t suppose we could expect to be reimbursed by the kingdom?”
“I can’t speak on their behalf, especially if they’ve already been wiped out. It’ll be easier to just pay for it myself. Would you accept gems as payment?”
“You have them?”
“By the time the barrels are done loading, I will. Shannon, my stationary if you would, please.”
She smiled. “Hanger vellum and No. 3 ink?”
“Precisely, dear.”
They stepped outside, and Shannon assumed her centaur form. She then conjured a roll of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a quill from her ring. She carried much of his materials and tools in her ring, acting as a magical caddy. She also conjured a plastic slate for use as a makeshift writing surface. It could be set on anything, but for some reason, she liked it when Noah hung it off her back and used her as an easel. Noah wrote a long alchemic formula, and Shannon performed the magic, preparing a king’s ransom in diamonds using nothing but locally sourced carbon. Her magical capacity had grown by leaps and bounds while working as Noah’s assistant, simply from how often she cast these spells. As per his words, the last barrel was being strapped down in its wagon by the time he was finished.
“Prepare yourselves; you’re about to meet a dragon,” said Haven, climbing into one of the wagons.
Noah and Shannon did the same, and the caravan began its journey up the mountain slopes. A road had been built ages ago for tribute and was painstakingly maintained, but still, the slightest bump and jostle made everyone nervous. The oxen groaned as they pulled the wagons, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. Finally, they arrived at a massive cave, large enough for a 747 to pass through, and extending deep into the heart of the mountain. In front of the cave was a large basin, the size of a backyard pool, and a church bell. Examining the basin and the surrounding rock, Noah realized that all the stone had been warped into shape. Even the cave was too smooth and uniform to have naturally occurred. The barrels were emptied into the basin, and once it was full, Haven retrieved a hammer and approached the bell. All the workers covered their ears, so Noah and Shannon did the same.
GONG!
Haven struck the bell repeatedly until, finally, a great tremor shook the mountain. The men quivered in fear and got ready to prostrate. Noah stored his wyvern leather coat in his ring, not wanting to cause offense. He could hear movement in the darkness, and soon, a massive shape entered his view. Even he was shocked by what emerged.
The dragon stepped out into the sunlight, the epitome of power and supremacy. His muscular four-legged body was wrapped in black and dark-red scales, each one the size of a knight’s shield and infinitely more durable. He was massive, capable of shredding a basilisk with one swipe of his claws, and as he stepped out of the cave, he stretched his wings, each one several times the size of a football field. He gazed with golden eyes at the puny humans before him and huffed with an almost regal bearing, fitting with the five large horns atop his head reminiscent of a crown.
“The time of year is not right for my awakening. What new vermin threatens my sanctuary?” he grumbled with a voice like thunder.
“Almighty Roroaka, we humbly come before you asking for your help!” Haven shouted. “However, it is not our village that is being attacked. Please, let this man explain.”
He turned to Noah, waiting for him to step forward, but Noah was stunned. Even after more than a hundred lifetimes and everything he had seen—no, he was at a loss for words because of those lifetimes. A hundred lifetimes of study and experience, uncovering the secrets of life and witnessing its most extraordinary and horrific forms, and it was that knowledge that allowed him to properly appreciate the sight before him.
This being was a biological marvel, blasting everything he thought he knew about anatomy out of the water. A creature of such size should collapse under its own weight, but to even fly? Noah could also sense his overwhelming power, greater than Adwith Tarnas and Elisandra, as if he had a nuclear reactor for a heart. Only this world could produce such a life form. But just as he could sense the dragon, so too could Roroaka sense him.
He lowered his head and glared at Noah. “You, you’re different from the others. There is something about you, something powerful, something… ancient.”
Noah cleared his throat. “When I communed with the spirits of nature, they acknowledged me as an entity similar to them. That connection is what you are sensing. The queen of the elves was able to sense it as well.”
“Hmmm, I do indeed sense the spirits’ blessing, but that is only the result of what I detect, not the source. Very curious. Who are you?”
“I am Noah, the Wandering Spirit, a being that has transcended time, space, and death. This body I inhabit is merely a vessel, one of countless others I have owned throughout the millennia.”
“Perhaps you might be even older than myself.”
“I hope not. I’ve always wanted to meet someone older than me, who understood time on the same scale I do.”
Haven and the other men listened to the conversation with wide eyes, unable to believe what they were hearing. The way Noah and the dragon spoke to each other, the things they were saying, it was as if they were listening to two gods.
“What brings you before me, Wandering Spirit?”
“I seek your aid. In the past, you’ve protected this village from invaders. I ask you to do the same for the city of Colbrand. A monstrous army marches on the capital of Uther, a hundred thousand strong.” The men gasped in shock, trying to imagine an army of such numbers.
“These lands change ownership so often; those names mean nothing to me. I protect this village because it exists within my territory, and its humble citizens brew the drinks I enjoy. I have no intention of aligning myself with some arrogant human king on his gilded throne. Whatever army is threatening to conquer that city, I’d say they deserve to have it.”
“Even if that army was born from Zyrga?”
Roroaka narrowed his eyes. “Say that again?”
“The Profane have reemerged with their sights set on consuming this world. The army marching on Colbrand was once the population of a city, a hundred thousand men, women, and children. They were transformed into unholy abominations, had their freedom and souls stolen from them, and now they are forced to fight.”
“And? Why should I care what happens to Colbrand? Why should I go pick a fight with those demon-worshipping savages? My only desire is to drink my spirits and sleep until the end of time.”
“Trust me, I get it, more than you know. Look, if you don’t want to fight the Profane, I understand, but they’re going to erase everyone who will, starting with the nation of Uther. What happens when they win the war against life and claim dominion over this world? Your village will be an island in an ocean of blood and darkness, and that tide will keep rising. Do you really think they’ll stop at the edge of your territory and respect its borders? What happens when, instead of an army of a hundred thousand, it’s an army of a billion unholy monsters?”
Roroaka growled as he thought over everything Noah had said. All he needed was one more little push. “Tell you what? Just fly us down there before the Profane level the place. All this booze should be worth at least that. And if you help us win the battle, I’ll make you the finest drink known to man, something that’ll put this stuff to shame.”
“Hmph, I’ll call your bluff. Very well, I’ll escort you to the battlefield and do some hunting on the return journey. But first….” Roroaka lowered his head to the basin and inhaled every drop of liquor. “Ah, very nice. Village chief, your offering pleases me.”
Haven kneeled down. “You’re too kind.”
“As for you, Wandering Spirit, climb on my back, and let’s depart.” He held out his massive hand for Noah and Shannon to use as a ramp. Haven and the men were in shock, unable to believe that the dragon they worshipped was offering to let these travelers ride on his back.
Shannon was terrified of the idea of flying, but when she looked at Noah, there was a smile on his face, unlike any expression she had ever seen him wear. “My Lord?”
“Shannon, I have lived for a very long time and have done some outrageous things, but I never thought I’d get the chance to ride a dragon. Seven thousand years, and it just never came up, and now, finally, woo! This is a very special day for me. I did ride a wyvern on Kisara Island, but that doesn’t compare to this.”
The excitement in his voice was palpable, and Shannon giggled. She had always known Noah to be very detached from the world around him, hard to impress or frighten. That mental fortitude and stability was part of why she idolized him. It made him dependable, someone she could rely on no matter what the situation. However, seeing this ancient being actually giddy about something made her heart flutter and erased her fears. She and Noah climbed onto Roroaka’s hand and moved up his arm, with Noah grinning to himself the whole way. They reached his back, settling between two of the large spikes running down his spine.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you drank all that booze on an empty stomach. Are you all right to fly?”
“You should not underestimate dragons. Even if my wings were broken, the sky still belongs to me. However, I will need directions to reach Colbrand.”
“Head south. Do you know the Paleon Channel? The city is where the channel meets the sea.”
“Excellent.”
Haven and the other villagers cleared the area as Roroaka spread his wings, and with a mighty pulse, he launched himself into the sky. Shannon yelped and held onto Noah for dear life, her feet having never left the ground like this, but the man who had flown through space was still grinning. Roroaka turned south and set off across the cloudy expanse. He was watching his speed and altitude, mindful of his passengers. Too fast or too high, and they’d either die from hypothermia or hypoxia. Time was running out for Colbrand, and they were down to the wire, but with the speed at which Roroaka was flying, they would get there in a day at most. There was still a chance to save the city.
Miles of land vanished below Roroaka’s wings with clouds whipping by. The people of Uther, cast in his great shadow, looked to the sky in fear and awe. Countless legends and stories had been built around someone’s claim of witnessing the majesty of a dragon in flight. Their friends and family would deny, dismiss, and even mock the announcement, but the very idea stoked envy. Dragons were known to destroy kingdoms and incinerate armies, turning all human endeavors and strength to ash. They were something to be feared, yet it was impossible for someone to see that shape, to hear those wingbeats, and not feel their heart soar. To be made so small in comparison, but to be reminded of the vastness and wonder of the world, both humbled and inspired.
“Tell me something, Wandering Spirit, have you ever flown like this before?”
Noah tried to reply, but couldn’t speak loud enough.
“What?” Roroaka asked, turning his head back. With the air blasting by, his titanic voice could reach them, but the same couldn’t be said for the reverse.
Noah summoned his clone and sent it running up Roroaka’s neck and onto his head. “Can you hear me now?” Noah asked through his clone.
“What is this? What did you do?” the dragon countered, unable to feel Noah’s weight.
“Just think of it as me throwing my voice. Now we can properly talk. To answer your question, I have quite a lot of experience flying. I’ve ridden in metal crafts that could exceed the speed of sound and fly from one world to another.”
“What magic could allow such flight?”
“Not magic, machinery; technology from realms far from this one. There are infinite worlds where anything that can possibly happen does happen. I travel from one world to the next, dying in one body somewhere and then gaining a new body somewhere else. Some might call it a gift, but I call it a curse, one I seek to break, lest I continue getting tossed around the multiverse. This world and its magic are my best hope for that.”
“So, what is your stake in this fight? Fighting the Profane is to court death, which jeopardizes your quest. What drives you to risk your life?”
“Part of it is to protect the mother of my unborn child in Sylphtoria, as well as my friends in Colbrand. Part of it is to clear the way of obstacles that might stop me from breaking my curse. Part of it is simply because I was asked to help. A lot of it is because… I’ve come to like this world. I’ve lived and died more than a hundred times on a hundred different planets, carried across the multiverse through reincarnation, but this is the only one to hold my attention, the only one that I’ve felt comfortable in, where I can be my true self. I hope for this to be the last place I call home, my final life, before I rest.”
“A peaceful rest, something we all dream of. After thousands of years on this world, I chose to forsake reality for the world of dreams, the one place where the sun never sets on the Age of Dragons and Enochians. The villagers’ brew helps me sleep.”
“Do you mind if I ask you something? What exactly happened between the dragons and the Enochians? Everyone I’ve spoken to, every book I’ve read, they all tell a different story. Some say the war between your races was just a proxy war between the gods and spirits.”
“Your first mistake is thinking that we and the Enochians are different races.”
“Shamanism, I figured as much. I noticed your mana flows similarly to a beastman in their animal state, but I didn’t want to assume. I was worried you would take offense if I was wrong. You really are an Enochian, aren’t you? One of the last.”
“I was born as an Enochian, just as all dragons were, but I abandoned my original form a long time ago. Our shaman powers work differently from the lower races. Humans and the like are bound to a totem beast, a creature with which they share an innate relationship. For Enochians, our dragon forms could be thought of as our reversed selves, what happens when you take our elemental power and magic affinity and convert it into a more wild, animalistic form, with our bodies reflecting that power. We Enochians were created by neither the gods nor the spirits, yet we wielded their power and venerated them both, though not always equally.
The Enochians who worshipped the gods maintained their original forms and sought what you described: a world of machines and magic fused together. They saw the world not as something that exists, but something that waits to be made. They built their cities, using the power of the elements to shape nature into something that benefitted them. They prided themselves on their art, scripture, and knowledge, seeing the progression of culture, the cultivation of the mind, and the advancement of society as the one true destiny.
The Enochians who worshipped the spirits donned their dragon forms and thought maintaining the natural order was the proper path. To create is to destroy, to build is to corrupt, to affect is to defile. The world has no need for cities of stone, for paved roads, for ivory towers. It needs to be untouched, to function as it has before our arrival. Everything that should exist already does, and what nature does not provide is unnecessary to the world and soul.”
“Aside from booze, right?”
Roroaka snorted. “I can excuse the farming of crops, and nature granted us fermentation. To live as a dragon is to live a simple life, free from the constructs of civilization, to live in a world shaped by nature rather than built by ambitious minds with agendas. What many would call primitive and mindless, we call natural and balanced. Our mighty bodies are immune to the heat and the cold, the rain and the sun, so we have no need to build homes or cities. Game is easy and bountiful, so we need not farm. I created my den by burning an alcove into the mountain with my breath, simply for privacy and quiet, but that is the limit we dragons allow for altering the world.”
“That ideology still lives on in many beastmen today. Our enemy, Kaisen, sought to use the power of the Profane to destroy the foundations of civilization and have everyone live as animals, with the only authority being power, and the strong ruling the weak.”
“For our beliefs to be hijacked by a wretch of the Profane, despicable.”
“So what went wrong?”
“It was no single thing. There can never be peace as long as there is more than one belief in this world. The Enochians were not above war, and did not shy away from a chance to use their power to make the world as they envisioned it. They fought amongst each other as often as they fought against us. The cataclysmic powers unleashed in the Enochian Wars repeatedly brought the world to ruin. We dragons were no different. We were made arrogant by our powerful bodies and sought supremacy over each other. However, the ongoing conflict between Enochians and dragons didn’t escalate into full-scale war until the arrival of the angels.”
“Angels?”
“Beings of pure elemental energy, believed by many to be the progeny of the gods. A handful came to this world, falling from the stars. Such strange beings; alive, but not really, possessing only the most basic, bare-bones foundation of sentience. They didn’t communicate in any way we could understand, didn’t appear able to procreate, and were driven solely by the instincts of self-preservation and erasing those different from themselves. The Enochians, powerful in the elemental forces, were spared destruction, perhaps recognized as allies in some way. Dragons, however, wielding wild power like the spirits of nature, were regarded as threats and annihilated on sight.
Their arrival and instinctive antagonism towards us galvanized the Enochians, and that’s how the war started. It didn’t end until both sides were eliminated, and the world was left in ruin. Those of us who remained were left broken, if not in mind and body, then in our bloodlines. Enochians sired the elves, dwarves, and other lower races, while the dragons sired the wyvern race, having a fraction of our power and none of our intelligence. Honestly, I believe that our downfall was partly due to something beyond our control. I can’t explain it, but it feels like the world is running out of magic. It’s less abundant than before, and I think that’s why our descendants are so much weaker than us.”
“I think you may be right. I spoke with a member of the Profane who said that the power of Zyrga is fading from their kind. They seek new ways to build their ranks because they’ve lost the ability to produce venom. What happened to you may be happening to them.”
“For the sake of this world, I can only hope.”
The two continued talking, Noah about his past lives and experiences, and Roroaka about the Age of Enochians and the events that followed. He flew through the day and the night, with Noah and Shannon sleeping on his back. The winds were cold, but they had blankets to keep them warm. The next day, Colbrand entered their view, but that was not all. A massive blast crater had been carved into the landscape, reminiscent of an atomic bomb.
“By the spirits,” Shannon gasped.
Noah sent his clone up to Roroaka’s head. “Can you circle that crater?”
“As you wish.” The dragon turned, swooping around the crater with Noah scanning for signs of the fiend army.
“I think they’ve all been wiped out,” said Noah.
“It seems that way. Wandering Spirit, you should know I’ve sensed power like this before. The mana lingering in the air, it is undoubtedly from an angel attack.”
“You’re saying an angel destroyed the Profane army?”
“Easily. This is the kind of destruction they bring. I don’t know where it went, but I’d best not linger here in case it returns. Your city would be annihilated in the crossfire.”
Roroaka landed between the crater and the city, and Noah and Shannon slid off. Riding a dragon had been an amazing experience, but they were glad to be back on solid ground.
“Thank you for all your help. I truly appreciate it,” said Noah.
“It’s rather a shame we didn’t get here in time for the battle. You missed your chance for a dramatic entrance before saving the day.”
“Honestly, I’m really disappointed too. I mean, damn. That would have been such a great way to arrive for the fighting. Still, I’m sure the Profane will give us plenty more chances.”
“For that, you’ll need to make that drink you mentioned, the one that would put the villagers’ brew to shame. I’m quite curious.”
“You could always shrink down to your Enochian form and join us in the city. I’m friends with a brothel owner who sells it. We call it Knight’s Ambrosia. You could enjoy a drink, some good music, and we’ll even get you laid. There are no dragon girls, but I’m sure we can find someone you’d like.”
“I think not. I am a dragon through and through, and I find cities distasteful, but someday, I would like to taste that ambrosia.”
“Another time, then. I’ll have a big barrel ready for you.”
“My Lord, we have company.” Noah turned around and saw a small army of soldiers and knights galloping towards their location. What they hoped to do against a dragon was unclear, but they had to be able to say they investigated the event.
“Then this is where I shall leave you. I enjoyed our talks, Wandering Spirit. I’m sure we shall meet again.”
“I look forward to it. Farewell, my friend.”
Roroaka gave a mighty flap of his wings and returned to the sky, kicking up a dust cloud. Once he was gone, Shannon cleared her throat. “I was half-expecting Roroaka to be a female, and you’d have to seduce her.”
Noah chuckled. “So was I, I just didn’t want to say it.”
As the cloud settled, the knights and soldiers arrived, and leading them was a familiar face.
“Leuca Aithorn, it’s been a while,” said Noah, shedding his adult face for his natural one.
“Noah, is that you?” he asked, bewildered.
“The one and only. Accept no substitutes.”
The many knights and soldiers with Aithorn were shocked by the name. Noah? THE Noah? The Wandering Spirit had returned to Colbrand while riding a dragon, no less. They expected Aithorn to leap off his horse, spear in hand, aiming straight for the rogue’s heart, but to their disbelief, the notoriously icy elf calmly dismounted and walked over, shaking Noah’s hand.
“Valia said I should expect your arrival, but I never thought you’d show up like this.”
“She’s alive!” Shannon gasped happily.
Aithorn turned to her. “You’re Shannon, right? Valia told me about you. She’s alive, but the journey took a heavy toll. She’s at home, recovering.” Aithorn’s tone turned solemn. “She told us everything that happened, and said that you two stayed behind to look for Prince Lupin. I notice he’s not here.”
Noah held out his hand and conjured Lupin’s chain whip from his ring. “We scoured the city as best as we could, but this is all we found. In all likelihood… he was in that army.”
The knights and soldiers all paled. First, the king died, and now the prince. Even worse, he met his end among the ranks of the monsters that tried to destroy their city. Had he died in battle against them, that would be worthy of praise, but to have died as one of them, annihilated by the Wassengel, was a fate undeserving of such a beloved and accomplished leader. For now, Noah had to maintain the lie that Lupin was dead. He could not give the people hope without revealing where it came from. His affiliation with a member of the Profane, even being a master and slave dynamic, would paint him in a negative light and make cooperation with Uther difficult. He also wanted to avoid angering Valia and Shannon. It wasn’t a problem, as lying and keeping secrets was second nature to him.
“King Galvin has to be told,” Aithorn muttered.
“Please tell me Galvin isn’t actually in charge.”
“Well, there weren’t a lot of options. Besides, if not for him, we’d be dead. He saved us all using the Wassengel.”
“The angel… I thought that thing was destroyed centuries ago.”
“Just the means to summon and control it, but Galvin returned with a tool that could do it. It rose from the sea and annihilated the unholy army.”
Noah looked out across the blast crater. This was the power that carved the Paleon Channel. “Hmmm, how convenient,” he muttered, then turned back to Aithorn. “Regardless, I hope you’re not expecting me to follow orders or address him as ‘Your Majesty.’ I have a rule about dealing with people I’ve personally blinded and castrated. Frankly, it’s not a very old rule, only recently instated, but if we don’t have rules, we’re left with anarchy.”
“Lord Noah, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the knighthood willing to let you be in the same room as him. But you should know that what you did seems to have stuck. He’s a whole new man.”
“And Seraph?”
“Training with Adwith Tarnas somewhere.”
“Hopefully, he’s had a change of heart as well. How long ago was the battle?”
“Three days, though there was no actual fighting. The explosion caused a few casualties, but considering the alternative, we were beyond fortunate.”
“Three days, huh? Shannon and I spent a day saving a village being raided by bandits. It’s nice to know that time didn’t cost us anything. Anyway, I’m starving, and some borc would hit the spot.”
“Before you enter the city, there is something you need to know. You aren’t exactly welcome.”
“I’ve been pardoned by Prince Lupin for what happened with his brothers. I’ve also been promoted to gold rank, courtesy of your glowing recommendation.”
Noah held out his hand and conjured the two certificates. This bewildered the knights. For Noah to not only be forgiven by Lupin despite his crimes against his family, but also promoted beyond them was unthinkable. What mountains had he moved to earn such respect from the deceased prince? Moreover, they noticed that Aithorn only gave the briefest glimpse at the two documents, apparently believing Noah without question. Had the world been flipped on its head?
“That’s not what I meant. It’s about the former king.”
“I heard a fiend killed him. What does that have to do with me?”
“It wasn’t just any fiend. It was someone you know, a courtesan named Bella. She was bitten and went on a rampage. Despite our best efforts to stop her, she murdered the king, thinking that it would end your wanted status and you would return. She disappeared, and we haven’t seen her since. Many people died in the fighting, not just the king, and when details of your relationship came to light, a great deal of blame fell on you.”
Noah looked at the knights and soldiers, many of them flashing looks of resentment and disdain. He clicked his tongue and sighed. “Well, shit. It should go without saying that I don’t condone her crimes. Whatever she did in my name, she did so against my will and without my knowledge.”
“I understand that, but it’s not me you have to convince.”
“Is there a warrant for my arrest?”
“No, Valia was adamant about your innocence and defended you, but you’ll find few friends here.”
“I can live with that.”
“She also said that there was something you needed to tell me.”
Noah kept a straight face, but mentally braced himself. “It’s about Elisandra.”
The mention of Elisandra made Aithorn tense. It was natural he was protective of her. Any elf in Sylphtoria would lay down their life for hers, and he’d be at the front of the line. She was his family, his queen, and had personally stopped him from taking his own life. There was not the slightest shimmer of impurity in his love for her, just noble dedication and familial loyalty.
“Is she all right? Did something happen?”
“Let’s talk over here.”
Aithorn followed Noah away from the knights and soldiers, and once out of earshot, they resumed talking. Shannon and the men watched intently, trying to figure out what they were saying based on their body language.
“WHAT?!” Aithorn suddenly shouted.
After clearing things up with Aithorn, Noah and Shannon entered Colbrand, walking the city streets.
“Has it changed much since you were last here?” Shannon asked.
Noah turned and pointed to the massive arena where the slums once stood. “That’s new.” They were heading towards the castle, but it was not their destination, and at one point, Noah stopped an old woman passing by. “Excuse me, can you help us? We’re looking for the home of the Zodiac twins, Valia and Valon. I was told they live in this area.”
“Yes, of course, dearie. Go down this road, take a right at the bakery, and it’s the large house on the left with an apple tree. My friend Gertrude has been their go-to house sitter for decades, looking after the place while they were on their missions. The sister recently returned after some big trip, but it’s a tragedy about the brother. I heard he died in some potion-making accident.”
“Thank you.”
They continued down the cobblestone street.
“So, is Valon alive or not?” Shannon asked.
“He’s alive, but the kingdom had to claim he was dead so that rival countries wouldn’t go looking to recruit him. Though his mind is broken, it’s also filled with a treasure trove of national secrets.” They arrived at the house, Shannon both happy and anxious. She was about to knock on the door, but Noah stopped her. “Do you want to see something really funny?”
Inside the house, Valia lay in bed, reading a book. Her bedroom was full of mementos and souvenirs from her decades of service as a gold-rank knight. There were pieces of monsters she had killed and taken as trophies, antiques and knick-knacks collected and bought, and the weapons and armor sets she had carried through the ages. It was just as she left it, having thought she would never see it again.
Though this was her house, it was difficult for her to call it her home, now stricken with deafening silence. Without her brother, it was just an oversized shell for her to putter around in. Down the hall was his room, the door firmly shut to stop her from looking inside when she passed by. Some part of her would always expect to see Valon reading in bed just as she was or sitting at his desk and working on some new magical quandary. He never was, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he ever would again. She no longer even looked at the door, lest some false hope sprout in the wound in her heart.
She closed her book and laid her head back with a sigh. Here she was, alone again in this empty house. She abandoned this place to join Noah in searching for her brother, the two of them promising each other they wouldn’t stop no matter what, and would search for him to the ends of the earth. Lying in the bed she thought she had left forever, once again alone in this house, all she could think of was that it was just a big pointless circle with nothing to show for it.
A knock at the door shook her from her melancholy thoughts. She got out of bed, her movements slow and awkward. She was still far from healed after running all the way from Welindar. She put on her robe and headed downstairs, gripping the banister to stay balanced.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Noah and Shannon!”
Hearing her lover’s voice, Valia’s heart came alight, and all her doubts and pain were swept aside. Her relationship with Noah and Shannon was something unquestionably valuable. If her journey brought her nothing else, it was them, and that made everything worth it. She hurried to the door, finding new strength, and wrenched it open.
“Noah!” she happily exclaimed. But it was not the face she knew, not his aged guise or his natural youth. Instead, he had the face of a baby, babbling and flashing her a toothless smile. “Oh my God!” she screamed, instinctively turning away. “God-fucking-dammit!” Despite her shock, Noah was full-bellied laughing, and even Shannon was trying—and failing—not to giggle. Valia attacked him, pushing him out into the street and weakly beating on his chest with her fists. “You’re a bastard! A fucking bastard! I hate you!” But despite her outrage, she was laughing just as he was. Having used up her strength, she leaned against his chest, and he held her close.
“I told you I’d do it again. You wouldn’t know when or where, but it would be perfect.”
“You’re terrible. I’ll never forgive you for this.”
“Yeah, you will.” He then wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up, spinning around with her kissing him.
As soon as he set her down, Shannon hugged her. “My Lady!” she cried with tears of joy.
Valia turned and hugged her back. “Shannon! I’ve missed you so much!”
“I was so worried! I thought about you every minute of every day!”
Noah embraced them both, and after several moments, they moved inside. Once in the living room, Valia collapsed on the couch with a huff.
“Aithorn said you were in bad shape when we arrived. I guess he was telling the truth,” said Noah, taking a nearby armchair.
“That’s an understatement. I staggered into the throne room half-dead. That run from Welindar was perhaps the most physically arduous experience of my life. I’ve been healed with magic, but my whole body still feels like one big ripped tendon. My stamina is next to zero, and my instincts are telling me that if I try to use Zodiac, I’ll just throw up and collapse. I sure hope we elves don’t have a lifespan, because if we do, I’m sure mine’s been shortened. It will be a while until I’m back to my old self.”
“I can’t believe you made it, and ahead of the army too.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
Shannon sat with her on the couch and held her hand. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”
“Same to you. I felt so worried leaving you two in that toxic city. I kept telling myself you were right behind me, but I just couldn’t help but worry that something happened, that you got sick from the contamination or attacked by the Profane. You arrived faster than I expected.”
“We had a little help. You would not believe me if I told you,” said Noah.
“We rode a dragon!”
“A dragon?”
“You know that mountain up north where a dragon supposedly lives? We made a detour there and convinced him to carry us the rest of the way.”
“We paid him with booze,” Shannon said with a laugh.
Valia shook her head. “You’re right, I don’t believe you. I can’t. Then again, you rode a wyvern on Kisara Island, so I guess it’s not impossible. And let’s face it, if anyone were to show up here on the back of a dragon, it would be Noah, the Wandering Spirit.”
“Trust me, you’re going to be hearing plenty of stories about a dragon appearing at the edge of the city.”
“I take it that was just the finisher on an eventful journey from Welindar?”
“The trip was actually pretty boring. We stopped to help some villagers dealing with a bandit problem, but that’s about it. Shannon was a real champion. Getting her to actually stop and rest at night was like pulling teeth. She would have galloped until her hooves were worn down to the nub if I hadn’t stopped her.”
“I was worried,” she said bashfully.
Valia hugged her. “I know you were, and I love you for it.”
“So, were you there for the battle? Aithorn told me about the Wassengel.”
“Of course I was. I could barely walk, but I hobbled my way to the front line. Galvin had some kind of magic tool on his arm that summoned the Wassengel from the sea. It fired a beam of water with such power and pressure that it exploded on contact with the ground. Every single fiend was completely annihilated in an instant. We were all nearly blown away just by the shockwave. Waves of steam were blasting us with enough force to send people flying.”
“And now he’s everyone’s hero.”
“Can you blame them? Suffice to say, your feud with the Herald family was all but forgotten in an instant. What about Lupin? Did you manage to find him?”
Noah shook his head. “Only his chain. I’d say it’s safe to assume he got swept up in the army and died in that explosion.”
“Damn it,” Valia hissed. “I suppose we should talk about what happens now. My brother? The Profane? Where do we go from here?”
“We can’t do anything until you’re all healed up. After all that time we spent questioning travelers and merchants in Welindar, we have no new leads on Valon, and without support from Uther to fight the Profane, we’d be all alone in the vastness of Handent against God knows how many fiends and ghouls.”
“Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a break, at least until I’m in fighting shape. Is that all right with you, Shannon? I know we left things unfinished in Handent. We failed to purge the land of the Profane.”
Shannon’s gaze fell, and she spoke in a soft, mournful tone. “After everything that’s happened, I’m in no hurry to return to Handent. All that fighting and death, and for what? Even when we won, we lost. Besides, without my tribe, those lands are no longer my home. My home is wherever you two are. You decide our next step, and I’ll follow you anywhere, but until then, I would very much like a chance to rest.”
“Then, while we’re here, I’ll speak with Lewis Elyot and Madam Cyrilo. Now that I can produce the formula for my curse, maybe they can offer some insight.”
“Did Leuca tell you about the king?”
“Yep. A lot of people are dead, and a lot more are pissed off at me. Hopefully, those two aren’t part of that group.”
“First, you stole a prince’s betrothed, then you fucked a duchess on stage, and now your love-obsessed brothel girlfriend assassinates the king. It’s amazing how much damage your penis has inflicted on this country.”
“Believe it or not, most of my past lives were not nearly this… salacious. Before I came to this world, I pursued a girl in seven different realities, and never could I make her mine. Now I’m here, and the spirits of nature are playing matchmaker with me and the queen of the elves. I don’t know what’s going on with this world. I swear, it’s like there’s something in the drinking water.”
“Your penis is in the drinking water.”
“And you drank deep from that cup.”
Valia flashed a wry smile. “You’re right, I did, and it ruined me. I was a reserved, respectable woman devoted solely to the sword, my brother, and this country. But thanks to you, all I can think of at this moment is how I haven’t had sex in a month and how ridiculously pent-up I am. How are you going to remedy the situation?”
“The old-fashioned way.” Noah got to his feet with a smile, and Valia was about to do the same, but he stopped her. “Please, save your strength.” He then scooped her up in his arms.
“Ooh, the princess carry.”
“I told you, I’m romantic like that. Shannon?”
“Right behind you!” she happily chirped.
Noah carried Valia upstairs with Shannon following, and they reached her bedroom. Noah set her on her feet, and he and Shannon removed her robe and the gown underneath while running kisses all over her ebony body. Once stripped bare, she moved to the bed while they pulled off their clothes and joined her. Valia hummed in bliss as their lips and hands once more reacquainted themselves with her soft skin, feeling herself immersed in their love.
Noah lay beside her, the two of them kissing deeply and passionately. Shannon was down south, her head between Valia’s legs, reverently going down on her. She had missed the sounds of her Lady’s moans, and her sweet taste. As her tongue swirled around in Valia’s slit, she stroked Noah, then she’d switch, taking his cock into the depths of her throat while her fingers riled up Valia. She took turns pleasuring the two of them. They had trained her well.
Noah then moved atop Valia, and she spread her legs with Shannon guiding him in, biting her lip as she watched his cock penetrate the noble elf. Because Valia was still in the middle of her convalescence, he could not ravish her with his usual vigor. Her body had little strength to offer, and she’d wince if he went too hard, but it was no issue. He was slow and gentle with her, almost tantric. His thrusts could not even be called that. The usual machine-like speed and motion were abandoned, his manhood sliding lazily through her interior like the waves lapping at the beach on a windless day.
While they made love, Shannon played the supporting role, enhancing their pleasure. She would nibble on Valia’s ears, suck on her breasts, and play with her clit. For Noah, she’d service him with her mouth, juggling his balls on her tongue or coaxing him to full mast after each ejaculation. She’d grind against him, letting him enjoy the softness of her body against his, or straddle his hand and let his fingers swirl around inside her. When they changed positions, she was quick to assist. If Noah took Valia from behind, Shannon would be underneath her for support, their nipples kissing just like their lips. When Valia was on top, she would embrace her from behind, helping lift and drop her on Noah’s cock so she wouldn’t have to expend any effort. It was quite similar to their first threesome, but with their roles reversed.
Since Valia had little stamina, she often had to stop and rest, usually after an orgasm. While she caught her breath, Shannon would take her place with Noah, serving her Lord by receiving his lust in all its power. Valia would lie beside them, watching Noah ravage Shannon to their mutual bliss. She had forgotten how fast and hard Noah could go, almost frightfully so. Seeing Shannon being subjected to such intensity, she couldn’t help but wonder how her slender frame endured. Valia listened to her whimpers and moans and watched the vibrations ripple through her flesh. Her hand would move of its own volition and she would start playing with herself.
They spent the day in bed, making up for lost time and filling the empty house with moans of euphoria. They took breaks, such as to eat, but rarely left the room and focused almost all their time and energy on pleasuring each other. Eventually, evening fell, and the three fell asleep in each other’s arms. It was sometime after midnight that Valia woke up. She was tightly spooning Shannon, not just due to their affection for each other, but because there was little space in Valia’s bed. It was the feeling of having room that woke her up. Noah was gone. He could have been in the lavatory, but Valia knew better.
She let go of Shannon, careful not to wake her up. To her surprise, getting out of bed and standing up was easier than before. All that sex should have left her limp as a rag, but if anything, she felt it had returned some of her vitality. She left her bedroom and moved down the hall. Valon’s door was open, and light was coming from inside. She entered, finding Noah reading one of the books from a shelf with a glowing orb floating beside him, providing illumination.
“Of course, you would be here,” she said with an amused huff.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“This is the first time I’ve set foot in this room without a heavy heart. Better to see you here than just empty space.”
“I couldn’t sleep. Lying in bed with a pair of beautiful women is great, only so long as the bed is actually big enough. I was staring at the ceiling, thinking that maybe there was a clue here that would tell us where Valon is hiding out, even if he would never willingly leave one. I also hoped to find some of his research, but everything worthwhile is gone.”
“I’ve already combed through this room and found nothing, but fresh eyes are always welcome. It’s strange, I see you standing in his room, and I think back to how you two spoke to each other on Kisara Island. That was the first time you met, and though it turned into a huge violent mess, you understood him better than I did, his twin sister who had been beside him for hundreds of years. It was disheartening how far he and I had grown apart, but in a way, it was comforting to know that at least there was someone who could understand him, that there was someone in this world who could speak the same language he did.”
“The knowledge he and I share are our greatest strengths, but also the source of our pain. Once the truth of reality is burned into your soul, nothing is ever the same. You lose your happiness, your morality, your hope. Everything is stripped away. You can laugh, you can find amusement, you can kill time, but nothing fills the void, like pouring water into a colander and watching it all spill out the bottom.” Noah returned the book to the shelf. “I admire Valon, because he knows all that and didn’t take the easy way out. It would have been so simple to just give in to the hopelessness and end his life, but he found purpose, even if it cost him everything. He chooses to live with the knowledge, but I’m made to.”
Valia walked over and leaned against him. “I’m still mad at you for that baby face prank.”
“I seem to remember you laughing, but if you want me to apologize, I will.”
“It’s just strange. You’re the last person I’d ever expect to pull a prank like that.”
“Believe it or not, I’m not always the stoic strategist you see me as in this world. Here, I have to be careful to avoid dying while trying to break my curse, but in past lives, I was quite the hellion. Without a fear of consequences and no moral compass, I would often do the most stupid, chaotic, and amusing things simply to see the result, see how people would react. If you saw some of the idiotic stunts I pulled and heard the rude things I’d say, you would not stop shaking your head in disappointment. I guess old habits are hard to break.”
Valia chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like you did earlier, never seen you with such a warm smile. I’ve noticed you steadily changing since we first met. You’re happier, brighter, and today, you were downright silly. It was nice to know you can be silly.”
“I guess I’ve grown comfortable in this world.”
“I’m glad. When I see you smile, I feel hope for the future, and when I feel you against me, all my fears melt away.” She gently clutched his hand, interlacing their fingers. “Now, speaking of comfort, come back to bed.”
“Ok, but I’m buying us a bigger one tomorrow.”
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