much more than worm back and forth ineffectually. Kael set the bowl down and helped him.
“Where are we?” Tauran asked after he had gotten more comfortable. “What’s happened to us?”
Kael drew a long breath before answering. “I think we’re somewhere in the Blood Rift,” he said. “I heard Vhok and Aliisza discussing some battle between these demons and a host of devils they ran into.”
Tauran’s mind reeled. It could not be! “No,” he gasped, his voice a gurgle of panic. “No!” he repeated.
“Be still!” Kael growled softly, reaching out and holding Tauran down again. “Let me finish explaining.”
Tauran used every bit of his willpower to calm himself. If he was to suffer the tortures of a horde of demons, as must surely be his fate, bound as he was, he would show Kael the
bravery he knew the half-drow deserved to see. “I’m sorry,” he said at last. “Continue.”
Kael nodded and released the angel. “I awoke some time ago. Vhok and my mother were still here.”
Images of Vhok and Aliisza flashed through Tauran’s mind. He remembered clearly the devastated emotions that washed over him when the alu had appeared with Micus in tow within the great rotunda. Everything that had gone wrong in that battle had been because of her. Tauran’s heart sank deeper, but he realized Kael was speaking again. He refocused his mind on the words.
“They were bargaining with a wretched creature who seemed to distrust both of them a great deal. Something about providing his lord with information gained from tricking you. I didn’t quite get all of it, but it sounded like they were debating what could and couldn’t be done to us until it was time to meet.” The half-drow’s voice quavered the tiniest bit as he finished.
Her betrayal had run much deeper than he had suspected, Tauran realized. The High Council had been right; she and Vhok had been manipulating him all along. They had used him to see Zasian succeed. That thought sapped any remaining will Tauran had left to fight for his life. His sorrow was complete. He had failed miserably.
“Before they left, my mother leaned down to us and whispered to me not to worry,” Kael said, interrupting Tauran’s lamentations. “She said it was all a ruse to save our skins and that she and Vhok would be back soon. She seemed unsure of herself, but she also seemed sincere.”
Tauran tried to make sense of the knight’s revelation. Too much was at odds. How did we come to be here? he wondered.
What’s happened to Zasian? Can I trust Aliisza? That last question stuck with him. He feared allowing himself to hope that she had been forthright with her son. To do so was to invite even more pain and suffering later. And she had brought Micus with her. Hadn’t that been a betrayal?
But didn’t you yourself try to teach her that the essence of goodness was to trust, even when it put you in danger of grief? he asked himself. Can you practice what you preach, Tauran?
He honestly wasn’t sure.
“Where’s Micus?” Tauran asked.
“I don’t know,” Kael admitted. “I haven’t seen him.”
“He became cursed,” Zasian said from across the room. His voice, so shaky and filled with fright, belied every sense Tauran had of him as a dangerous, cunning foe.
“What?” Tauran asked quietly, suspicious of the priest’s motives. “What do you mean?”
“He and the dragon creature were fused,” Zasian said, sounding uncertain. “A terrible thing. He was mad, filled with unreason.”
Tauran leaned forward and spoke his next words very carefully. “How do you know?”
Zasian began to explain everything that had happened to them, to all of them, since he had awakened. He told his tale in a simple, straightforward way, detailing events as a child might. From time to time, Tauran or Kael would prompt him about some piece of information or another. Always, the priest expounded on his story to the best of his ability.
Through it all, Tauran listened
“Where are we?” Tauran asked after he had gotten more comfortable. “What’s happened to us?”
Kael drew a long breath before answering. “I think we’re somewhere in the Blood Rift,” he said. “I heard Vhok and Aliisza discussing some battle between these demons and a host of devils they ran into.”
Tauran’s mind reeled. It could not be! “No,” he gasped, his voice a gurgle of panic. “No!” he repeated.
“Be still!” Kael growled softly, reaching out and holding Tauran down again. “Let me finish explaining.”
Tauran used every bit of his willpower to calm himself. If he was to suffer the tortures of a horde of demons, as must surely be his fate, bound as he was, he would show Kael the
bravery he knew the half-drow deserved to see. “I’m sorry,” he said at last. “Continue.”
Kael nodded and released the angel. “I awoke some time ago. Vhok and my mother were still here.”
Images of Vhok and Aliisza flashed through Tauran’s mind. He remembered clearly the devastated emotions that washed over him when the alu had appeared with Micus in tow within the great rotunda. Everything that had gone wrong in that battle had been because of her. Tauran’s heart sank deeper, but he realized Kael was speaking again. He refocused his mind on the words.
“They were bargaining with a wretched creature who seemed to distrust both of them a great deal. Something about providing his lord with information gained from tricking you. I didn’t quite get all of it, but it sounded like they were debating what could and couldn’t be done to us until it was time to meet.” The half-drow’s voice quavered the tiniest bit as he finished.
Her betrayal had run much deeper than he had suspected, Tauran realized. The High Council had been right; she and Vhok had been manipulating him all along. They had used him to see Zasian succeed. That thought sapped any remaining will Tauran had left to fight for his life. His sorrow was complete. He had failed miserably.
“Before they left, my mother leaned down to us and whispered to me not to worry,” Kael said, interrupting Tauran’s lamentations. “She said it was all a ruse to save our skins and that she and Vhok would be back soon. She seemed unsure of herself, but she also seemed sincere.”
Tauran tried to make sense of the knight’s revelation. Too much was at odds. How did we come to be here? he wondered.
What’s happened to Zasian? Can I trust Aliisza? That last question stuck with him. He feared allowing himself to hope that she had been forthright with her son. To do so was to invite even more pain and suffering later. And she had brought Micus with her. Hadn’t that been a betrayal?
But didn’t you yourself try to teach her that the essence of goodness was to trust, even when it put you in danger of grief? he asked himself. Can you practice what you preach, Tauran?
He honestly wasn’t sure.
“Where’s Micus?” Tauran asked.
“I don’t know,” Kael admitted. “I haven’t seen him.”
“He became cursed,” Zasian said from across the room. His voice, so shaky and filled with fright, belied every sense Tauran had of him as a dangerous, cunning foe.
“What?” Tauran asked quietly, suspicious of the priest’s motives. “What do you mean?”
“He and the dragon creature were fused,” Zasian said, sounding uncertain. “A terrible thing. He was mad, filled with unreason.”
Tauran leaned forward and spoke his next words very carefully. “How do you know?”
Zasian began to explain everything that had happened to them, to all of them, since he had awakened. He told his tale in a simple, straightforward way, detailing events as a child might. From time to time, Tauran or Kael would prompt him about some piece of information or another. Always, the priest expounded on his story to the best of his ability.
Through it all, Tauran listened
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