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Everyone was scared. It was painted across their faces as plain as could be. Diana huddled everyone into a group quickly just outside of the underground entrance. They gathered together like nervous sheep, waiting for the wolf to choose one for the sacrifice. Dusk glanced down, looking at the long rope that disappeared into the inky blackness. He wondered if it would be enough to hold them or if they would be enough to stop Nedarya. Either way, there wasn’t any time left to ponder their chances. They had to go.
“Remember,” he said to them, trying to keep his voice steady. “If you can’t make a clean kill without being caught, don’t do it. We don’t know what we’re going to find in there and we want to take every precaution.” He looked at each of them in turn. “Some of you are here for the money, others out of loyalty to Diana or myself. But know that what we do here today will change the fate of the world. If we want Ditania or even Udalara to see another sunrise, we have to succeed. We’ve gotten this far. We can go the rest of the way.”
“If any of you want to leave, this is your last chance,” Diana said, looking at her guild. “There’s no judgment here. I won’t sugar coat it, what we’re about to attempt is a suicide mission. You can walk away, I give you my permission and my blessing.”
There was a long silence.
“We’re not leaving ya, boss,” one of the men said, lifting his blade.
“Aye,” another replied.
Each of them in turn raised their weapons, staring at Diana expectantly. She beamed back at them, nodding in approval.
“If we pull this off we’ll be heroes,” she said. “A fine noble title for a bunch of thieves, eh?”
There were a few soft grunts in response, all of them having enough sense to stay mostly quiet. They turned their attention back to Dusk along with Diana, waiting for their orders.
“At the bottom of the rope there’s an underground lake, so even if someone slips, you won’t be hurt. But we need to be as quiet as possible. On the far side we’ll find a tiny tunnel leading into the ruins themselves, leftover from previous unfortunate miners.”
Dusk glanced at Lex, his face twisted into a grimace as he remembered the bone crunching space they had to squeeze through their first time in the ruins. He knew Lex hated small spaces, but there was no helping it this time.
“The cave lets out at the very bottom of the ruins. The main chamber is a massive open pit to the sky with a spiraling walkway all the way to the top. There are many chambers along the walkway and we’ll have to clear them as we go. I have no idea where Nedarya has the heart or how heavily guarded the place is. We’ll have to adapt as we go.”
“Keep together and archers to the front. Our best shot at staying hidden is by taking them out before they know we’re here,” Tara added. “If a fight breaks out, swords switch in and archers stop those rushing from afar. If absolutely necessary we’ll retreat back to the cave to funnel their numbers.”
“Alright,” Diana ordered. “Let’s get going!”
Taking hold of the rope, Diana was the first to lower herself into the dark abyss. It only took a few seconds before she disappeared from sight completely. Her men waited a long moment to give her a start, then began to follow one by one behind her. It was some time before each of them had sunk into the earth, leaving only Dusk and his friends behind. Dusk went to grab the rope, but Tara pulled him back.
“You should stay up here as long as possible, just in case Lyra tries to reach out,” she said, turning him around. “We’re not gonna get another chance for this, so here it is and don’t interrupt me.” She took a deep breath. “I’m proud of you, Dusk.”
He looked up at her, already feeling the tightness in his chest.
“I’m not really good at sentimentality, I’m sure you know that. But you’ve come so far since I met you. You were a beaten dog and look how much you’ve grown. You’re leading people, making decisions, owning your mistakes. I know Juniper would be proud of you too for everything you’ve accomplished.” She paused, a tear shining in her eye. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in there, but I wanted you to know that whatever happens, I’m happy to have met you. Thank you for giving me a reason to live again.”
Dusk was so taken aback by her words he didn’t get a chance to respond as she forcefully wiped her eyes with her sleeve, grabbed the rope, and slipped out of sight.
“By the gods,” Lex whispered. “I didn’t know she was capable of that.”
Dusk felt a tear threatening him and wiped it away before it could form. “She’s come a long way too,” he said simply.
“This is all touchin’ and whatnot, but I think I’ll be goin’ next,” Ciaran chuckled, grabbing the rope.
“Ciaran,” Dusk said, stopping him, remembering something. “I... I lost your book. I’m sorry.”
He stared at Dusk for a long moment, a smile pulling at his lips. “Well then, I suppose you better make sure we get out of this alive. I’ll be requirin’ the full replacement set after all this is over.”
“I’ll make sure you get it, one way or another.” Dusk paused. “Thank you for coming along. You didn’t have to do it.”
“Are ya kiddin’?” Ciaran said, gesturing at Cyrilo. “As if that mutinous cur would give me half a chance to say no. Besides, I’ve got to protect my treasure, don’t I?” He waggled his eyebrows at Cyrilo. “That’s a lot o’ booty to keep track of.”
“If you don’t go down that hole I will kill you here and now,” Cyrilo said, trying to hide his laughter at the terrible pun.
Ciaran gave him a wink and a playful smile. With that he slid down the rope and into the darkness.
“That man will be the death of me,” Cyrilo said, shaking his head.
He stepped up beside Dusk and pulled out what was left of the crystal horn. Placing it on the ground against a rock, he pulled his leg back and stomped down. With a resounding crack that echoed through the trees, the crystal snapped in half. Picking up both pieces he handed the larger half to Dusk.
“You’re gonna be needing this.”
Dusk hesitated. “I don’t know if I deserve it.”
“Deserving’s got nothing to do with it. You’ll need it to survive and to get rid of Nedarya.” He came close to Dusk, his face only a few inches away, staring him dead in the eye. “Mistakes happen, I know that better than anyone. But I also know you can’t let them drag you down because if you do, you’ll miss out on all the opportunities to make them right. You taught me that.”
Dusk was silent.
“I’m not gonna die here today. I’ve got a long life to live for Eiran, for Ciaran, and for myself.” He nodded towards Lex. “And you’ve got someone to live for too. We can do this.”
Dusk nodded. “Okay.”
He pulled Dusk into a hug before tucking his own half of the crystal back in the satchel. Reaching down he took the rope, flared out his claws to get a better grip, and began to descend.
It was just Lex and Dusk left, standing there under the dark forest canopy, a few shimmers of stars poking through the dense foliage. A gentle breeze brought with it the scents of summer flowers, dry leaves, and earthy forest mildew. The insects chirped in the trees, filling the night with their song. If Dusk had let himself, he could have forgotten all about the ruins, the crystals, Nedarya, and all the people descending to their potential doom far below. Standing there with Lex at his side he felt peaceful, even in the face of danger. He knew destiny could intervene no longer. The path was set and there was only one way left to go.
Lex reached down and took his hand, pulling him in close. “Dusk, if anything should happen to me down there...”
“No,” Dusk replied a bit more forcefully than he intended. “You will walk out of here today. I won’t allow it to go any other way.”
“But if it doesn’t go well...”
“No. That’s not an option.”
Lex was silent, but leaned forward and rested his head against Dusk’s shoulder. His hand let go and he wrapped his arms around Dusk’s torso, pulling him in close. Dusk held him tightly back, feeling the warmth through his armor. He wished he could have one more night with Lex. One more night to tell him how much he loved him and how much he appreciated everything he’d done. Without Lex, he never would have survived the journey or accomplished the feats he did. Something about Lex drove him forward, made him want to be better. It was enough to do it for himself, but to do it for Lex as well gave every bitter moment a hint of sweetness. He wanted more of those, a lifetime full of sweet moments. He wasn’t sure if they’d ever get them, but he wasn’t about to let Lex know he had his doubts.
“We’re going to walk out of here and spend our lives together,” Dusk said, his chin resting against Lex’s head. “We’ll change the world, see beautiful places, and sleep in every morning until noon. I’ll go anywhere you want to go, just lead the way. My heart belongs to you.”
He felt Lex’s shoulders tense up as he gripped Dusk harder.
“Stay by my side, Lex.”
“Always.”
They stayed there for a number of minutes, just holding one another, neither wanting to let go. At long last Lex pulled away, his face streaked with tears. He wiped them away and reached up, pulling Dusk in for a long kiss. However long it was, Dusk knew it would never be enough. Eventually Lex stepped back, reaching down to grab the rope.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Dusk said, waving him on.
Lex nodded silently and leaned back, cascading down into the hole in the ground.
Left alone in the woods, Dusk took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the forest one last time before he descended. His thoughts flashed through the memories of his journey across the world, each of them spanning less than an instant in his mind. He’d learned so much along the way and grown more than he ever thought possible. He just hoped it was enough to get everyone through the next few hours. Glancing down at the crystal in his hand, he saw the green lichen-textured skin of his arm glow, reacting to the crystal’s presence.
“If you can hear me Haldura,” he whispered, “please help me through this night.”
There was a soft rumble in the back of his mind, similar to Tephyss, but lighter and more feminine. He wasn’t sure if it was real or if he made it up, but it gave him comfort either way. Reaching out with his thoughts one last time he pulled at the thread that connected him and Lyra. A long moment passed, but there was no answer. Sighing he tucked the crystal into the front of his armor so it pressed against the scar the crystal eye had left on his chest.
Grabbing the rope Dusk walked to the edge of the hole. He glanced up at the starlit sky for the last time, his gaze falling on the crystal moon that was still shining bright in the sky like a ball of flame. It had grown larger in the time they’d spent saying goodbye to one another. It was getting closer.
There was no more time to waste and what little time they had was ticking away dangerously. Leaning back he dropped down into the darkness, letting it swallow him up and leaving the world behind for the last time.