94: TACTICAL MANEUVERS

Kihrin’s story

Raenora Valley

During the fighting

I wasn’t as much help as I would’ve liked.

The problem was that my assistance was all or nothing. Yes, I could disintegrate anything—even dragons. I had, in fact, killed Rol’amar at one point by using that very method. But I couldn’t guarantee that if I let loose I wouldn’t accidentally affect friends—a thing I wanted to avoid at all costs. So mostly, I was on the sidelines, taking advantage of opportunities.

Sharanakal was missing a wing from one such an opening. Grounding the dragon had helped, if only to predict where the overactive dragon volcano would attack next.

Then I heard Relos Var’s voice in my mind.

[This is a pointless battle. You and I aren’t on different sides. We can find a way to work this out.]

It was so out of character for the man that I wondered if I might have hallucinated that. But I knew I hadn’t.

“Unless you’re going to stop trying to kill my friends, I really don’t think that’s true.” I felt no small amount of skepticism. Relos Var had an angle. Perhaps as simple as what Janel had done with Xaltorath—create a delay for long enough for the special attacks to line up in position.

[Whether or not they die is entirely their choice. They could always cooperate. But please. After I destroy the demons, there will be little reason for us to fight—]

I felt a frisson of dread ripple over my body. That meant he’d already started. We’d been assuming—very stupidly—that he’d do the de-powering ritual first. “Destroy the demons? You mean with a ritual?”

[I’m almost finished.]

“Relos, listen to me. You can’t—”

The link between us slammed back down like a prison gate falling. I settled back onto the ground, mostly to keep away from any draconic aerial acrobatics. Dodging that was starting to interfere with my concentration. The approaching dawn turned the small river into a meandering band of bright silver, while evergreens swayed in the brisk breezes.

It was a trap. I knew it was a trap, but I also knew that Relos Var didn’t have to be bluffing. After all, said ritual to free the world of demons would most certainly be on his to-do list. Nothing said that he couldn’t mark off more than one bird with that same stone. I assumed both the trap and the threat were real.

So I was going.

As soon as I figured out where to go. But that wasn’t as difficult a problem for me as it would have been for anyone else. I simply followed the faintest sounds of heavenly music.

Urthaenriel was close. And I knew in my heart that at this last stage, only one person would be wielding Urthaenriel, despite his stubborn refusal to touch the sword for so many years: Relos Var.

[It’s time,] I told Valathea and Janel.

I left to find my brother.