for Quargard, then for me.” Ariana grinned at him, but he was shocked by how weak her smile was. “Mother will never forgive you if you tell her that you not only let me die, but refused to do a Goddess’ bidding, and I will never forgive you if you don’t.”
Aranok felt his sister’s heartbeat stop for one long, terrifying second, then start again. He sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Then he looked up at the Goddess.
“What do you want of me?”
“I have a loyal Cleric in Galivor. She was part of a similar expedition that claimed the lives of the whole party except her. I wish you to go to her and become her Guardian. No one, but you and I will know of your affiliation, not even Kalytia. With My Tear she is destined to be the one to destroy the evil that threatens to take over Quargard and she will need your help.”
Aranok glanced down at his smiling sister and without hesitation replied, “Yes. Will you do me a favour, Lady Goddess? Allow my sister to travel with me to the sunlight outside and see the end of what she has sacrificed herself for.”
Espilieth nodded and stroked Ariana’s face.
“Allow me to merge with you one final time child, so that your brother may have his wish.”
Ariana nodded and closed her eyes. The Goddess’ form disappeared and flowed into Ariana as she took a breath. Then Ariana pushed herself up and stood, stretching slightly.
“That’s better, even if it is only temporary.”
She looked around at the devastation and picked up the Tigers Eye nestled in the pile of ash that had been Morian.
“This is a powerful stone, but it isn’t evil. I think it might be what was there before he became a devil demon.”
Aranok blinked.
“Morian wasn’t always a demon?”
“No, Aranokkinadiel. All were men and women at one point. Sadly, they sacrificed their humanity to the Dark Gods and became devil demons.” Espilieth’s voice coming from Ariana’s lips was a bit of a shock, but Aranok took it in his stride. “All that was good in their hearts became encased in stone and the gem is Morian’s goodness. It would be a powerful tool in the right hands.”
Ariana slipped it into her bag of holding and held her hand out.
“Allow me to use the transport crystal?”
“Of course, little one.” He handed Ariana the small red crystal, wrapped his arms around her, tightly holding onto the bag with the Dungeon crystal.
Ariana focused on the crystal and whispered something to it. A red glow surrounded them and when it faded away, they were standing in bright morning sunshine, the horses cropping the grass not far away.
Aranok let Ariana go and turned to look back at the entrance. One of the doors was open and a pair of green eyes stared out of the darkness inside.
“Expose the heart crystal to sunlight quickly. It will destroy the Dungeon.” Espilieth said as Ariana moved to sit under a tree, sorting through the items in her bag of holding.
Aranok nodded and opened the bag, bringing the crystal out into the sunlight. It pulsed with a deep red glow and as soon as the sunlight hit it, the red pulse weakened.
From the door there was a desperate scream and a deep rumble as the walls below them caved in. Dust billowed out of several holes that appeared in the ground which kept shaking until all of the red glow had drained away and the crystal was as clear as diamond.
He recovered it, putting it back into his bag.
“Aranok, I must go now. Take my bag of holding and do with it as you will. The items of power might be useful for you… with a little training from Eliethor.” Ariana held the bag out to him and after a moment Aranok knelt beside her and took the bag, putting it beside the one holding the heart crystal.
“Sister, I will miss you so much,” he said taking her hands.
“I will watch over you, Brother. Do two things for me please, Nokkie?”
“Anything.”
“Give Liana my necklace; she always did like it. And propose to her. She needs you as much as
Aranok felt his sister’s heartbeat stop for one long, terrifying second, then start again. He sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Then he looked up at the Goddess.
“What do you want of me?”
“I have a loyal Cleric in Galivor. She was part of a similar expedition that claimed the lives of the whole party except her. I wish you to go to her and become her Guardian. No one, but you and I will know of your affiliation, not even Kalytia. With My Tear she is destined to be the one to destroy the evil that threatens to take over Quargard and she will need your help.”
Aranok glanced down at his smiling sister and without hesitation replied, “Yes. Will you do me a favour, Lady Goddess? Allow my sister to travel with me to the sunlight outside and see the end of what she has sacrificed herself for.”
Espilieth nodded and stroked Ariana’s face.
“Allow me to merge with you one final time child, so that your brother may have his wish.”
Ariana nodded and closed her eyes. The Goddess’ form disappeared and flowed into Ariana as she took a breath. Then Ariana pushed herself up and stood, stretching slightly.
“That’s better, even if it is only temporary.”
She looked around at the devastation and picked up the Tigers Eye nestled in the pile of ash that had been Morian.
“This is a powerful stone, but it isn’t evil. I think it might be what was there before he became a devil demon.”
Aranok blinked.
“Morian wasn’t always a demon?”
“No, Aranokkinadiel. All were men and women at one point. Sadly, they sacrificed their humanity to the Dark Gods and became devil demons.” Espilieth’s voice coming from Ariana’s lips was a bit of a shock, but Aranok took it in his stride. “All that was good in their hearts became encased in stone and the gem is Morian’s goodness. It would be a powerful tool in the right hands.”
Ariana slipped it into her bag of holding and held her hand out.
“Allow me to use the transport crystal?”
“Of course, little one.” He handed Ariana the small red crystal, wrapped his arms around her, tightly holding onto the bag with the Dungeon crystal.
Ariana focused on the crystal and whispered something to it. A red glow surrounded them and when it faded away, they were standing in bright morning sunshine, the horses cropping the grass not far away.
Aranok let Ariana go and turned to look back at the entrance. One of the doors was open and a pair of green eyes stared out of the darkness inside.
“Expose the heart crystal to sunlight quickly. It will destroy the Dungeon.” Espilieth said as Ariana moved to sit under a tree, sorting through the items in her bag of holding.
Aranok nodded and opened the bag, bringing the crystal out into the sunlight. It pulsed with a deep red glow and as soon as the sunlight hit it, the red pulse weakened.
From the door there was a desperate scream and a deep rumble as the walls below them caved in. Dust billowed out of several holes that appeared in the ground which kept shaking until all of the red glow had drained away and the crystal was as clear as diamond.
He recovered it, putting it back into his bag.
“Aranok, I must go now. Take my bag of holding and do with it as you will. The items of power might be useful for you… with a little training from Eliethor.” Ariana held the bag out to him and after a moment Aranok knelt beside her and took the bag, putting it beside the one holding the heart crystal.
“Sister, I will miss you so much,” he said taking her hands.
“I will watch over you, Brother. Do two things for me please, Nokkie?”
“Anything.”
“Give Liana my necklace; she always did like it. And propose to her. She needs you as much as
Similar Books
