S2E9 - The Promise

Zane coughed as he brought himself to his hands and knees in the room. At least he thought it was a room. Now as he looked it was outside. But felt like he was inside. Inside something. Looking around he saw his friends lying side by side in a covered cart. They all seemed to be sleeping.
There was a campfire. Sitting on a log at the campfire was an armorclad friend he hadn’t seen in months. “Keldor. Oh Keldor.” he went to him and realised his legs wouldn’t obey him. “Ugh, what the…” Zane was anchored to something.
“Oh come on I need to go I have to…”
“Hello Zane.” He looked up and saw a man in a black robe the folds held together by a dark grey hempen rope. His face was pale a gaunt but his eyes were familiar. The blazed like two lit sapphires. Zane remembered “I. I haven’t forgotton.” “I know. I know you haven’t.” The man stood there staring at him coldly. “Two for one. Was our deal.” He walked to the sleeping friends. Brother Benedict and his best friend Zorin. Sweet cousin Cordelia and their new comrades Vix and Skotmir. His heart warmed a little when his eyes fell on Sophie.
“I can’t choose 2 of them…just for my selfish life. Please don’t make me.” The man looked back at him with those blazing eyes. “Zane, it is not their lives we trade.” He opened his left hand and in it was 2 coins. “These 2 come from my domain. One was meant to be there as it was her time. The other was imprisoned there by those that wish to change the order of things.”
He walked to the clearing of trees and gently placed them on the ground. Sprouting there were the bodies of Eralin and Jade. Lying in the tall soft grass.
Zane drew in a deep breath. “For me. Right? That was the deal. I… I can do that. For them.” The man shook his head. His hand opened up holding a single white feather. “No. Zane not for you. For her.” He looked at him. “That night over 10 years ago. There were 6 children.” Zane thought to himself. “Wait… we were only 5 who is the 6th?” The man looked at him a growing sadness in his eyes. “My daughter. Will you bring her back to me. Please?” Zane nodded.
The man nodded then became very serious. “There are rules that govern this world that we all must obey Zane. You cannot tell anyone of what you seek.” “Of course I won’t say a word.” “Good.” The man walked to him. “One of you must stay here it is the law. But this is different. Very different.” He place a hand on his chin in thought. You destroyed the artifact you were sent to collect I believe. That was the green heartstone. One of the 5 pieces known left of the great anvil of the world.” He placed a hand on Zane’s shoulder. It was like ice causing the joint to ache as it spread through his body. “Do you remember what your last thought was?”
“YY..Yes… I thought of my promise.” Zane felt his very being going cold and frozen to the ground “Not to me correct?” “No… To Sophie. That I would never leave her.” the man nodded his cold blue eyes softened “She will never hurt again, never be alone… and you will always be with her.” Zane nodded “y..yyes.” He smiled “and so you won’t. I will keep your body here as the toll but your spirit will be with her as one forever more.”
Zane smiled through the burning pain and in one final moment Zane was free.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
*GASP* Benedict forced the air into his lungs with such force he rolled onto a side coughing. He was tangled in musty smelling sheets of coarse burlap. He franticly tore free of them sputtering.
“Oh sweet knight lord could it be? Is it you? are you..? *GRUNT*”
powerful arms pulled him free of the cart landing on the ground with a thud. The mid morning sunlight tore through the leaves blinding his eyes as he remembered the months they waited in the underworld. The tree sap was sweet smelling mixing with the moss of the nearby stream. The man cradled Benedict across one knee tears of joy streaming.
“Keldor?”
“SHHH Calm down... yes its me calm down I’m right here. I’m right here son dont fret i’m right here.”
Benedict felt safe in his arms at peace given the explosion a few moments ago with the dragon preparing to unleash its unholy breath on them all.
How long has it been?
“A week Benedict, a long week we thought you were all gone.” Benedict was stunned a week? “The day after the festival we found you all in your rooms in some sort of deep dreamstate. Nonresponsive. We snuck you all out in this cart to avoid raising any suspicions.” “Wait we? Who’s we” “That would be me!” A halfling peered from behind Keldor with a big grin on her ruddy cheeks. “Lorvana Birdsong, minstrel to the stars at your service!” She took a deep energetic bow but benedict was still swimming in his head. “A Week how… we were gone for at least a month captured by the dark elves alone.” “Dark elves?” “yes, they captured us. Keldor the dark was menacing we found our way to a city of iron with dark dwarvs that had Zane enslaved and…” Keldor became very quiet his formerly excited face paled “...benedict… I have to tell you something about your brother. “ “What… what Keldor?” Benedict jumped up the blood in head rushing to his feet sending his balance reeling. He grabbed the edge of the cart steadying himself and looked in, to his relief he saw his friends all beginning to stir. Cordelia, Sophie, Zorin, Vix and Skotmir. But..”where’s Zane?” “He took Ill my boy, one morning I heard him gasp slightly and he was gone.” “Gone?” “Yes. We buried him by a tree at the Darkovnia country line on the way back to Bemil. His things are in that pack over there.” “Can. Can I see them…?” They looked back at the cart. Standing there was Sophie one hand on the cart and the other on her forehead. Cordelia was getting out of the cart too. “Sophie?” Sophie ignored her friend walking to the gear. Steadfast in her resolution. “Keldor is it true, Zane is gone?” Cordelia began to well up. Keldor took in a deep breath “yes, lass he’s…” “He’s not… gone.” Sophie held the 2 orcish daggers of Zanes in her hands. Deftly she juggled them across her knuckles before letting them fly into tree together with expert precision. Precision only Zane had ever demonstrated. Zorin stumbled to Sophie. “What…” “Zorin do you remember the day we stole the entire tray of biscuits and fed the dogs behind old man Teller’s farm?” Zorin was stunned “We...We swore to never tell anyone. It..” He walked to Sophie who smiled that crooked grin of Zane’s. “It really is you.” “yes. Kind of. I can’t explain it. We are one person. Zane is here with me always... I can hear him.. I feel his…” she paused looking at Keldor “...his memories. “ Sophie felt her arms somewhat suprised Zane’s burns from so long ago wern’t there anymore. “Of course” “Keldor you were a knight wern’t you?” “I…” “don’t lie to me you were wern’t you?” Keldor stood straight. “First of all I wouldn’t lie to you. There’s no reason to. Yes for what its worth I was a knight.” Benedict looked at him with a look of compassion. Something terrible lay behind Keldors kind eyes.. “I...I know you.” “Many knew of me. What does it matter!” keldor walked away towards where the 2 coins had been placed in Zane’s mind.
“Served a Lord once. A kind and just lord and I failed in my duties.” Keldor was interrupted by a groan from the trees.
From behind a tree came a tall elven ranger with pale skin and a monkey on his shoulder stumbling past Keldor “Eralin!” Cordelia shouted running to him. “Jade is right behind me.” The name struck through Keldor’s core.“What?” He knew someone with a nickname of Jade but that was long ago. His heart was tight gripped in his chest half hoping for the impossible on a day where the impossible became reality. He suddenly smelled Elderflowers and Honey. he turned to see another elf scout. Her leather armor had thin silver work cascading in gentle knotwork around the Sword and Crown emblem at the center of her chest. His hand went to the tattered shoroud at his own chest. Her fire red hair was ablaze in the sunlight illuminating her face. A cuff of a horses head on one pointed ear as she looked at him with a blend of confusion and genuine recognition.
His face white and his hands trembling he reached towards her with tears streaming down his face.
“My love is it really you?” “I… I know you. Benedict’s eyes grew wide as Sophie threw her arms around an open mouthed Zorin. Cordelia covered her face gasping as they realized who it was.
“By the Knights Shield, Elloveve!”