head.
“ What do you remember?” she asked concerned.
“ We came through the portal, but then the Other gained control. I don’t remember what I…what the Other did.”
Avriel smiled. “You destroyed the rifts, and the entire Draggard army. I have never seen such a magnificent spell cast before.”
“ It was not my doing,” said Whill.
“ The Other then, is he...?”
“ He is gone,” Whill confirmed. He studied Avriel’s reaction to the news and sensed more than a little disappointment. “You would see the tortured side of me endure?”
“ I do not mean to be insensitive, Whill, but he struck a great blow against the dark elf forces. You do realize the two of you are one.”
“ And he has been put in his place, once and for all. Let us speak no more of him,” said Whill.
“ Of course, I apologize. I understand what great pain it must have cost you. I am glad you are well once more.” She gazed at him intently.
“ What?” Whill asked.
“ I don’t know, you are different. There is a peace about you.”
Whill understood what she meant. There was a calm deep inside him, like soft lapping waves on a moonlit beach. He had discovered the essence of all life within him; he had become illuminated. The raging inner fires of the Other had been quenched.
“ I spoke with Abram,” he said.
Avriel perked her pointed ears at the mention of his oldest friend. “He yet lives?”
’ No, he came to me inside the prison of my mind. He took me away to a memory,” said Whill.
“ Was it a good one?”
“ Yes,” Whill laughed. “As good a memory as a wolf attack can be, I suppose.”
“ Do you think that it was real?” Avriel asked with genuine curiosity.
“ I do,” he said, the memory bringing a wide smile to his face.
“ What did he say?”
“ He told me what I already knew.”
“ What?”
“ I needed to let go, I had to accept…the Other.”
T wilight came to the world, a time when shadows flirted with phantoms in the corner of the eye. The last of the army crested the far hill. Somewhere in Drindellia was Eadon’s floating palace of crystal, or so Kellallea had said. Would he find Eadon as well? Would the final battle come tonight? He hoped not…he was not yet prepared to die; there was much work to be done. Whill had united the elves and dwarves, but had yet to unite Agora.
“ We should catch up with the others,” said Avriel, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder.
Whill hummed agreement, lost in his thoughts of facing Eadon. He found he was no longer afraid, no longer bitter because he was expected to face impossible odds. The scales were tipped against him, yet he did not care. He was no longer at odds with his reality.
“ Come, fly with me upon Zorriaz. You have wielded incredible power this day; come and rest.”
Mounting Zorriaz the White, they flew off to follow the two armies. A half-moon rose as the sun died away, and the clouds began to part. The further they got from the dark cloud that still hung over the battlefield, the clearer the sky became. Roakore flew with them, as well as a host of elven Ralliad. They came as eagles and hawks, owls and crows. Whill suspected the dwarves had been given energy from the elves, for the two armies ran at a fast pace and did not slow. The armies made good time over the mostly barren terrain, the lack of vegetation leaving them unhindered.
Although Whill could have stayed awake indefinitely with the power of Adromida, he fell asleep on the double saddle. He had faced his inner demons, and he had won. No longer did he fear his dreams.
Avriel came to his mind and gently woke him, and he stirred in the saddle stiffly. Morning had come. When he dismounted, Zerafin was there to greet him.
“ The crystal fortress is beyond the ridge, as you said,” Zerafin told him. “I have sent elves out wide to strike from the sides. The dwarves will do what they do best: charge straight in.”
“ You be gods damned right!” said
“ What do you remember?” she asked concerned.
“ We came through the portal, but then the Other gained control. I don’t remember what I…what the Other did.”
Avriel smiled. “You destroyed the rifts, and the entire Draggard army. I have never seen such a magnificent spell cast before.”
“ It was not my doing,” said Whill.
“ The Other then, is he...?”
“ He is gone,” Whill confirmed. He studied Avriel’s reaction to the news and sensed more than a little disappointment. “You would see the tortured side of me endure?”
“ I do not mean to be insensitive, Whill, but he struck a great blow against the dark elf forces. You do realize the two of you are one.”
“ And he has been put in his place, once and for all. Let us speak no more of him,” said Whill.
“ Of course, I apologize. I understand what great pain it must have cost you. I am glad you are well once more.” She gazed at him intently.
“ What?” Whill asked.
“ I don’t know, you are different. There is a peace about you.”
Whill understood what she meant. There was a calm deep inside him, like soft lapping waves on a moonlit beach. He had discovered the essence of all life within him; he had become illuminated. The raging inner fires of the Other had been quenched.
“ I spoke with Abram,” he said.
Avriel perked her pointed ears at the mention of his oldest friend. “He yet lives?”
’ No, he came to me inside the prison of my mind. He took me away to a memory,” said Whill.
“ Was it a good one?”
“ Yes,” Whill laughed. “As good a memory as a wolf attack can be, I suppose.”
“ Do you think that it was real?” Avriel asked with genuine curiosity.
“ I do,” he said, the memory bringing a wide smile to his face.
“ What did he say?”
“ He told me what I already knew.”
“ What?”
“ I needed to let go, I had to accept…the Other.”
T wilight came to the world, a time when shadows flirted with phantoms in the corner of the eye. The last of the army crested the far hill. Somewhere in Drindellia was Eadon’s floating palace of crystal, or so Kellallea had said. Would he find Eadon as well? Would the final battle come tonight? He hoped not…he was not yet prepared to die; there was much work to be done. Whill had united the elves and dwarves, but had yet to unite Agora.
“ We should catch up with the others,” said Avriel, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder.
Whill hummed agreement, lost in his thoughts of facing Eadon. He found he was no longer afraid, no longer bitter because he was expected to face impossible odds. The scales were tipped against him, yet he did not care. He was no longer at odds with his reality.
“ Come, fly with me upon Zorriaz. You have wielded incredible power this day; come and rest.”
Mounting Zorriaz the White, they flew off to follow the two armies. A half-moon rose as the sun died away, and the clouds began to part. The further they got from the dark cloud that still hung over the battlefield, the clearer the sky became. Roakore flew with them, as well as a host of elven Ralliad. They came as eagles and hawks, owls and crows. Whill suspected the dwarves had been given energy from the elves, for the two armies ran at a fast pace and did not slow. The armies made good time over the mostly barren terrain, the lack of vegetation leaving them unhindered.
Although Whill could have stayed awake indefinitely with the power of Adromida, he fell asleep on the double saddle. He had faced his inner demons, and he had won. No longer did he fear his dreams.
Avriel came to his mind and gently woke him, and he stirred in the saddle stiffly. Morning had come. When he dismounted, Zerafin was there to greet him.
“ The crystal fortress is beyond the ridge, as you said,” Zerafin told him. “I have sent elves out wide to strike from the sides. The dwarves will do what they do best: charge straight in.”
“ You be gods damned right!” said
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