《Seekers of the Light》


 Epigraph

    It is said there was peace, once, in the beginning.


    But only in the beginning.


    That peace ended long ago, when the Erak¡¯sai summoned Oblivion from the depths of the unknown, killed Vertras, and corrupted the afterlife.


    For ten years the city of Meridian held against the siege of the Enemy. Ten long years of battle, yet it was only a speck compared to what came when it fell. Three thousand years after that collapse the Wars of Endowment still raged, with only the noble Rift to hold back calamity. Again and again the avatars of the Void came, slaughtering thousands, millions, enslaving planets, torturing souls. Finally, Etheri, the last Bladewielder, sacrificed herself to imprison that avatar.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Peace. It is a fragile thing, but it reigns. For now ¡ª and only for now. In time Oblivion will return, and war with him.


    And yet, in the highest room of the Tower of Foreseeing, known only by the True Eye itself, there is one last hope. The Endowed, they call it. A hero who will defeat the Void, reclaim the afterlife, end all suffering.


    Such will be the salvation of Delti.


    -The Tale of the Wars of Endowment

 Prologue - The Tower

    An end. A beginning. Between it all, death. Oh Okron, when will it end?


    -Anonymous Soldier, circa 500 Post Fall of Meridian


    The bodies heaped in piles on the streets of Toroth Vedd had finally ceased to smolder, but memory of the battle that had created them still lingered. Aiedra Okron, holding a glowing ball of light in her hand, could feel those memories, dancing across her vision, her hearing, her smell, her touch. Even her taste. She could not resist cringing at that sensation. The metallic tingle of another¡¯s blood spraying into one¡¯s mouth was not pleasant, even if there was no blood actually there.


    Nothing about being a memory burner was pleasant, though.


    She extinguished her ball of light as a ship descended from the sky, smoke wreathing its sleek form. The landing gear groaned as the carrier landed atop the scorched cement. This place had been a communal skyscraper once, a home where hundreds of Kiedd had lived together in that odd familial way of theirs. They were dead now, the building so thoroughly flattened during the battle it now functioned as a landing ground for Aiedra¡¯s troops. Their memories haunted this place.


    They were oppressed, Aiedra reminded herself. Life under the Khazath was not life at all.


    It was little comfort.


    The underside of the carrier folded downward, creating a ramp for its occupants to descend to the ground. They did, dozens of soldiers dressed in carbon-fiber chain mail, faces covered by titanium masks. All save one.


    Tall, muscular, and with gray hair tied into a bun atop his head, E¡¯vin Yaenke never wore armor, instead sporting a crisp, tight-fitting nylon uniform. He said he could defend himself better than any piece of metal could, and he liked the extra mobility. Aiedra suspected there was more to it, though. Like her, E¡¯vin wished someone would finally kill him.


    If only it were so simple. She took her own titanium helmet off her head. ¡°E¡¯vin. It is good to see you. The Formless are well?¡±


    E¡¯vin did not answer the question at first, instead sweeping his eyes over the carnage. Over broken buildings, heaps of corpses, and ever-rising smoke. Then he nodded.


    ¡°They survive, so well enough.¡± He waved a hand. ¡°The rest of you will hang back. Aiedra and I have¡­ matters to discuss. Take Dromidius to the wounded. He is needed there, I think.¡±


    The soldiers hesitated, but retreated into the carrier, which took off a moment later. Aiedra watched it go, trying to ignore Yaenke¡¯s eyes boring into her. Finally, when it was gone, the man folded his arms.


    ¡°I hate this.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± Aiedra said softly.


    ¡°The war should be over. We imprisoned Oblivion. Why do we still fight?¡±


    A wistful smile crossed Aiedra¡¯s lips. ¡°You never were a politician, were you? Always a scholar, at heart.¡±


    ¡°The Khazath sued for peace, Aiedra. Why did we refuse?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t. I gave my vote for Mekezia to sign the contract just now. If they still choose to accept, the war is over.¡±


    ¡°Then why? Why this?¡±


    Aiedra forced her expression to become stone. Forced herself to drown out the echoes of the dead, still whispering in her mind.


    ¡°You know why.¡±


    Yaenke hesitated, then shivered. ¡°All this for one visit to the Tower?¡±


    ¡°Not just one. We need to see the future, E¡¯vin. The lack of clarity has cost us too much.¡±


    E¡¯vin hesitated, meeting her eyes. There were tears in his. She tried her best not to avert her gaze.


    She failed.


    ¡°Fifty thousand,¡± he said.


    She winced.


    ¡°Fifty thousand civilians, Aiedra.¡±


    She closed her eyes. ¡°It was necessary,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°You sound like Mekezia.¡±


    She forced her eyes back open. ¡°Then perhaps Mekezia has always been right.¡±


    Yaenke scowled. ¡°I worried about this. While you were on my side¡­ well, I can wait no longer.¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    She blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mekezia wants the secret,¡± he said.


    ¡°She swore she wouldn¡¯t take it,¡± Aiedra said.


    ¡°Can you honestly say you think she is wrong to want it, though? Or is it necessary, just as all the rest of this has been?¡±


    She paused, then sighed. ¡°No. No, it is necessary. I cannot force myself to betray you so, old friend, but Mekezia is right.¡±


    Yaenke stared for a moment, clearly shocked, then shook his head, lips curling in disgust. ¡°So be it, then.¡± He turned away, striding down the street.


    Aiedra still did not meet his eyes. She just turned away, too, staring at the Tower. At the reason all these lives had been spent.


    The Tower of Foreseeing, taken back from the clutches of the Khazath. The possibilities now afforded her would be worth the blood she had paid to open them. They had to be.


    It will harden you, too, Yaenke, she thought. Time eventually wears on all of us.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    She closed her eyes, burning memories, then shot into the sky, drifting toward the tower. As she did, she saw men in ragged uniforms stand and salute her. She felt their thoughts, knew their doubt. Who wouldn¡¯t doubt, after what had happened with Arath? But they saluted anyway, weapons held in tight fists, expressions resolute. Three Powers bless them for that salute.


    This battle was for them. Even if it cost their lives, it was still for them.


    Burning Ever, she pushed herself higher, ascending through the thick layer of smog and toward the tower.


    Her eyes drifted toward the ravaged city below as she rose. The flames had gone out, but even in the dark of night she could see the smoke clouds. Large swaths of the city had been leveled, the structures torn apart, then vomited out as rubble by the vortex bombs the forces of Oblivion had so freely used. Buildings had gashes in their sides where Voidlings and memory burners had fought. Heaps of bodies were even taller in places where atom burners on both sides had been allowed to run unchallenged, cutting through human flesh like paper, leaving their victims in two pieces wherever they¡¯d gone. Some of those towers were more than three stories tall, and surviving memory burners hovered above them, lighting the corpses with bursts of plasma from their hands.


    Fifty-thousand¡­


    ¡°A small sacrifice,¡± she whispered, ¡°if we can get what we need.¡±


    She fixed her eyes back on her destination, burning more Ever to race toward it; as much as she desired to wait, there was no time to hang about in anticipation. A pair of fellow memory burners drifted through the air toward her as she approached, saluting and escorting her to the Tower¡¯s highest landing pad. Even more burners waited there, half a dozen memory burners glowing with blue light, and a squadron of atom burners clad in titrite and ablaze with white Purity. Aiedra nodded to them, then ordered them to stand guard as she went inside.


    She wavered, for just a moment, staring down the chrome hallway that would lead to the Tower¡¯s main room. The place where, according to the legends, she would be told her fate. Then, forcing courage into her veins, she stepped forward.


    The bodies of the Khazath soldiers who had guarded this hallway had been dragged out, but the blood stains, tears, and char marks remained. Murals older than Aiedra herself, depicting events no historian had ever heard of, now lay ruined. Artifacts from millennia ago sat shattered on cracked podiums. And this was after Oblivion had scoured the Tower for centuries. Who knew what knowledge had been lost forever, even before today?


    Yet, loss was nothing new, not to Aiedra. So she continued, noting the Surges inlaid into the wall, shining with bright green light, the color of Eternity, the Third of the Three Powers. The Power men called Void now, for Oblivion¡¯s first act had been to corrupt it, tainting those who wielded it and dooming the afterlife forever. The Tower, it seemed, was one of the few places unaffected by that terrible act.


    Finally, she arrived at the gateway to the Room of Foreseeing, two large titanium doors with golden symbols emblazoned on each, though Aiedra recognized none of the glyphs. She could hear nothing behind the entrance. According to E¡¯vin, the True Eye never stirred unless someone summoned him.


    She rested her hand on the door, breathed in, breathed out. Then shoved the gates open with a blast of Ever, and stepped inside.


    The room was dome-shaped, with a ceiling made of pure black marble. Torches held flickering flames all around, though they provided very little light in the darkness that swallowed the space as the doors clanged shut behind Aiedra. Most of the floor was covered in a thin, circular pool of water, a small walkway of smooth granite stretching out into its center. Wringing her hands behind her back, Aiedra strode out onto the walkway until she reached its end, then cleared her throat, then shouted.


    ¡°True Eye, I summon you to speak my fate.¡±


    For a moment, there was silence, save for the crackle of the torches and the soft whoosh of the water in the pool.


    Then glowing, turquoise-colored, almost metallic mist swirled in front of her, twisting and churning as compartments in the wall snapped open, revealing Surges of blue and white and, most prevalently, green. The mist began to coalesce, forming into the shape of a man, and two solid-green glowing eyes burst into existence on its otherwise featureless face. A male voice rumbled, echoing far louder than even Aiedra¡¯s shout within the now-lit chamber.


    I have waited long for you, last Daughter of Meridian.


    Aiedra bristled. Few knew she was old enough to have seen the days of Meridian, and fewer still knew she had helped lead their armies against Oblivion, during those first days of war. It was knowledge she did not like to share.


    I know why you have come, the True Eye continued. I know all things that can be known. But you must voice the question yourself. It is a rule by which I have always been bound.


    ¡°The Endowed,¡± Aiedra muttered. Her heart pounded so fast she could not do more than mutter. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    There was a long pause. Twenty heartbeats long; Aiedra felt each one.


    Do you truly wish to know, child?


    Child. The word made something snap in Aiedra. She spoke, and this time she did not mutter.


    ¡°Six times! Six times we have marched on Dareth Guur, and six times we have failed! Do you have any idea the slaughter those campaigns were? You claim to know all things, see all things, but did you see that? Did you hear the men dying, see the rivers of blood as the ground seized them and squeezed it from their veins?¡± She felt her voice break. ¡°You promised us a hero. Told us to look for them, and that they would end this war. How much longer do we have to wait? How many liars do we have to entertain, before our salvation?¡±


    Another long pause. Longer, this time. Forty-three heartbeats, each one thumping harder than the last.


    The Prophecy of Ever. Do you truly wish to see its fulfillment, Daughter of Meridian?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aiedra hissed. ¡°Give it to me.¡± A tear dripped from her eye, even as fury raged in her veins. ¡°Please.¡±


    Very well. I am¡­ sorry, child.


    The walls suddenly broke apart into rings, then spun, light pouring in rays from the Surges that lined them. Green flashed before Aiedra¡¯s eyes, and the future, finally, showed itself.


    ***


    Aiedra found herself face-down, floundering in the water. She gasped, took in only more liquid, then spat it out in a flurry of coughs. Tears mixing with the water of the pool, she stumbled her way back to the edge, then sank against the wall. The lake remained calm, but for a moment it seemed to her a raging ocean, waves splashing as high as her climbing fear.


    I am truly sorry, the True Eye rumbled. If I could change this, I would.


    ¡°You promised us peace,¡± Aiedra rasped. She meant it to be a shout, but she could only manage a rasp after¡­ after¡­ after what she had seen. After watching that terrible sword, held up to the storm-filled Ethean sky. ¡°Was that peace a lie? Why lie? Why tell us we would win, when that is in our future?¡±


    You were promised an end, the True Eye said. I do not know fully the meaning of that prophecy, only that it is an end.


    ¡°You said you know everything. Then why? Why this?¡± Her voice broke again. ¡°Please. Tell me why.¡±


    A long silence. In this, the True Eye said finally, you have misunderstood. I know all that can be known, but some things cannot be. I cannot tell you why this must be. I am sorry, Daughter of Meridian. But do not say I did not warn you of this burden.


    The True Eye¡¯s misty form suddenly retreated, then vanished, too quickly for Aiedra to stop it. Furious, she shouted, screamed at the being, but it did not bring him back. Instead, the Surges on the wall slid into their slots, leaving her in darkness, save for the flickering torches.


    Darkness. She felt it around her in more ways than one. She stood, trembling, for too long, before at last she steeled herself.


    So Fate itself was against them. So be it. She would find a way around this, discover some path to fulfill the Prophecy, whether it was false or not. The True Eye might not have been able to tell her who the fabled hero was, but she could locate them herself. She would create a hero if she had to, would find a way to avoid that¡­ that terrible future. She had fought too long, and too hard, to do anything else. She would succeed.


    That was what she told herself. Though, even as she dried herself with a burst of heat, and pushed the worry off her face, even as she strode back to face the corpses of men she had just sent to their deaths for nothing, she wondered.


    For she knew now, with more certainty than ever before, that if she failed, the galaxy would burn.

 Chapter 1 - Living Nightmare

    1,247 Years Later...


    Three Powers, given by the Three Bladewielders.


    Ever, power of the mind, to control our world.


    Purity, power of the body, to shape ourselves.


    Eternity, power of the soul, to harness that which lies beyond.


    Between them, unity. Unity, gone, till the Endowed doth come¡­


    -The Song of the Three Powers


    They came in the night, as killers always do. E¡¯vin Yaenke awoke to the whine of battlecruiser engines, the crackle of plasma bolts striking energy shields. The screams, the shrieks, the whispers of echoes crashing into his mind. The sounds were familiar ¡ª too familiar, so much so he almost didn¡¯t wake. When you had lived through what he had, the nightmares and reality melted together.


    But he opened his eyes, then sat up, slowly, tossing the rough blanket off his chest. Dreams full of pain still danced before him, but he stepped to the window, throwing open the shades.


    Nightmares, reality. As he took in the sight before him, they blended more than ever.


    He cursed. He¡¯d told them. Thaus take it, but he¡¯d told them war would come. That the Confederacy would not interfere. The signs were all too obvious. Larsh had claimed to be the Endowed. She¡¯d breathed a thousand threats against Ethea, subtle, sometimes even in private, but threats nonetheless. Rion¡¯s daughter was gaining popularity. The Church publicly denounced Rion, but did not denounce Larsh. The Talar were rumored to be gathering their forces near Xilia. He¡¯d seen these warning signs before. He¡¯d ignored them then. He hadn¡¯t this time.


    They¡¯d called him a liar, a fearmonger. The Talar were neutral, they¡¯d said. The Confederacy wouldn¡¯t allow open conflict, they¡¯d said.


    War was impossible, they¡¯d said. Well, now it was here.


    Plasma ripped into the hulls of Ethean trade ships, tearing through their thin defensive shields like knives through flesh. The shrapnel fell from the sky, a rain of molten metal, shining an angry orange. Talar fighters, angular and small, glided between buildings, moving with expert precision, taking out guard posts, sending human-shaped silhouettes flying into the night. Other fighters, bulkier and more heavily armored, chased their enemies. They were less precise, often crashing into the very buildings they sought to defend. One would think the militia of a nation eons old could at least hold its ground. Alas, that was not so. Flames spread across the skyline. In the darkness, they almost looked beautiful, flickering beneath the stars. E¡¯vin watched them for too long, numb.


    So it has begun, just as Aiedra said it would.


    For a moment, he was more afraid than he¡¯d ever been. Then he straightened his uniform. The Governor. Where was the Governor? Why had no one alerted him of the attack, and how long had he been sleeping? He snatched a Surgeblade from the wall, then threw open the door to his bedroom.


    The shouts grew louder. There were so many he could not make out specific words, or even specific voices. In the blue-lit hallway, people dashed by, cooks, servants, mechanics, soldiers. Yaenke recognized none of them. He did, however, recognize one sound.


    Plasma fire.


    He swore again, an Erak¡¯sai profanity slipping involuntarily from his mouth. Normally, that would have drawn stares. But today was no day for prejudices.


    He glanced at his Surgeblade. It was a long, elegant weapon, made of gleaming, chrome titrite metal, light as aluminum, more durable than a steel alloy. The blade was longer than most swords, two-edged, sharp enough to cut through most anything with ease.


    The blade, though, was not the defining feature of the weapon. Its actual power came from the jewel embedded into the hilt, deep blue, like lapis lazuli, but glowing with lines of azure light ¨C lines of Ever. The jewel was a Surge, a manifestation of the First Power in the physical world. Yaenke moved his thumb to touch that jewel. For a moment, his skin rested on its icy surface, but nothing happened.


    Then Ever, ethereal energy from the Surge, rushed into his body, making his skin glow with bright sapphire light. Instantly, his mind focused, the initial confusion of the invasion turning starkly clear. The Talar were here. Some of their forces had likely slipped into the palace, judging by the sounds of gunfire nearby. The Governor was supposed to be in his bedchambers. Yaenke formed a route in his mind, then another route, in case the enemy had blocked off the first.


    And if the Governor is already dead?


    Well, he¡¯d deal with that if it came to it. His feet leapt into action, dashing down the hallway.


    Servants slowed their rush, stepping away as Yaenke ran by. Dressed in full uniform, for he always slept prepared, Yaenke¡¯s glowing body was an intimidating sight, particularly with a four-foot longsword in his hand. Even when he encountered a pair of soldiers, who should have been trained to deal with a Surgewielder, they stopped as he approached, eyes widening.


    ¡°Sir,¡± one of them said, saluting with a hand to his chest. ¡°General Krot ordered us to¡­¡±


    ¡°Follow his orders!¡± Yaenke snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the Governor.¡±


    The soldiers nodded, rushing off in the opposite direction, toward the center of the palace, where General Rion Krot would undoubtedly be commanding the resistance effort. The gunfire was growing louder, and Yaenke swore he could feel vibrations underneath his feet as plasma continued to crackle outside. The Ethean palace had its own shield, but that wouldn¡¯t hold long. In fact, from what Yaenke had seen in his brief look outside, it wouldn¡¯t hold for longer than an hour.


    When it falls, he realized, the only safe place for me is the Undercity.


    He stopped at a fork, hesitating, choices dueling in his mind. He could bring the Governor to Rion, and help repel the invasion. That, of course, was what he was expected to do. Or, he could run. Escape, through the Undercity.


    And protect his secret.


    He stood at that fork for a long moment, alone in the corridor. Voices murmured in his ears; while wielding Ever, one could hear, and sometimes even see, the thoughts of people nearby. They shouldn¡¯t have bothered him ¨C he¡¯d used Ever many times before ¨C but today, they seemed to taunt him. Mocking the terrible choice he had to make. They flashed through his mind, driving him to his knees.


    A Talar slave, one who had never even seen the green of a tree¡¯s leaves, died to a spear through the neck.


    An Ethean guard screamed as plasma struck his spine, leaving him paralyzed and bleeding on the ground.


    A woman nearby fled, trying not to think of the child she¡¯d left behind, yet knowing the infant¡¯s cries would give her away.


    Memories. Decisions. The terrible past, the unbearable future.


    Did he leave, and protect the secret that could destroy the galaxy?


    Did he stay, and die with those he loved? Die, and seal the fate of Delti anyway?


    Either way, he lost. Finally, he forced himself onward. He could save the Governor. Get him to safety, before making his final decision, and keep Ethea from further chaos. His feet moved with uncharacteristic speed, pounding against the carpeted ground, almost as fast as the blood pounding through his head.


    The secret.


    And the boy.


    A red blade, raised in the air¡­


    The gunfire was even louder now. Yaenke pulled in more Ever; the Surge produced it at a constant rate, leaking energy from the Everrealm into the physical world. He rounded a corner, then stopped.


    Here, the hallway expanded into a massive glass dome. Shops lined the edge of the structure, on multiple floors, with gleaming marble supports holding up terraces for the higher levels. A giant chandelier hung from the ceiling, secured by a thick, painted metal chain. The chandelier itself glowed with green, white, and blue jewels, one color for each of the Three Powers. Directly across the dome from Yaenke, a golden archway opened into the Governor¡¯s quarters. It was a grand sight; even the carpet was beautiful.


    Save, of course, for the blood and bodies that now lay strewn across it.


    In the center of the dome, the Governor¡¯s Guard, dressed in blue and silver uniforms, ducked behind furniture, firing blasters at the oncoming enemy. The Talar soldiers, their backs to Yaenke, were dressed in full battle armor, purple and gray, helms covering their faces perfectly. Though they were still human, their armor was vaguely insectoid, particularly the helmets, which had two black spots for eyes, and metal spikes jutting out near the mouth, like mandibles. There appeared to be about four dozen of them. More than Yaenke¡¯s entire guard force ¨C and that was excluding those who already lay dead.


    It did not take long for the Talar to spot Yaenke¡¯s glowing figure. Shouts echoed, and in unison, six of those fighting in the back turned. Immediately, they sheathed their blasters. Ever could manipulate energy, and plasma would do little good against a Surgewielder. Instead, they drew pikes from their backs, then began stalking toward Yaenke, forming a semicircle around him.


    Yaenke forced himself to smile. He let them surround him, let them point their weapons at his chest. He brandished his sword, as if preparing for them to attack. Then, raising his hand, he burned his Ever, expending it to send a bolt of energy flying at the chain holding the chandelier.


    The bolt connected, then exploded, and the chandelier began to fall. Yaenke waved his hand toward the Talar forces, burning more Ever to push the chandelier toward them. Though he could not see the Talar men¡¯s expressions, he felt their thoughts. Felt their fear, as a wave of shards shot outward, stabbing into chinks in their armor, the heavier chunks crushing many of them. Yaenke snapped his sword upward, burning even more Ever as he directed the blast toward the Talar, and formed an energy shield around himself. A couple of shards still flew past that shield, digging through his padded uniform and into his back. He winced.


    When the dust had settled, the Talar force was decimated. A few of the soldiers on the edges of the blast had survived, but Yaenke¡¯s men quickly surged forward, finishing them. Yaenke stood for a moment, glancing at the carnage. At the white, blue, and green jewels shattered on the floor. Even in this, they represented the Three Powers. Broken, perhaps permanently.


    You need to leave, he thought. If Larsh is here¡­


    But first, the Governor. He¡¯d have a better chance if he stuck with the Governor, and the rest of the guard.


    His Ever was almost spent; directing the chandelier¡¯s explosion toward the Talar had taken most of it. He Reached and pulled in more, though his Surge had hardly produced much in the few seconds of fighting. Careful to avoid bits of broken glass, he strode toward the other guards.


    ¡°Governor Lysh? Is he alive?¡±


    A man with long, white hair saluted. Tyrin, his second in command. Though his hair was white, he was only in his thirties, Etheans¡¯ hair was naturally white, even for children. ¡°Alive, sir. Though¡­¡± He hesitated.


    ¡°Though what?¡±


    ¡°Best if you see for yourself.¡± He gestured toward the archway. Strangely, the hallway beyond was dark. Yaenke nodded, and they headed towards it. As they did, Yaenke¡¯s eyes drifted toward the bodies on the ground. Thirteen of his men dead, as far as he could see. His breath caught in his throat, but he reminded himself to grieve later. He had no time now.


    He hadn¡¯t had time to grieve for centuries.


    The glass dome, though not completely transparent, was see-through in parts. Through those parts, Yaenke could see the shield, still holding against the missiles bombarding it. His muscles tensed as the blue sheet of energy flickered briefly, then restored itself. Perhaps they had less time than they thought.


    They arrived at the hallway. Tyrin stopped outside the arch. ¡°Talk to him yourself,¡± he whispered. ¡°He¡¯s already said he doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡±


    Is he throwing a fit again? Blood-cursed vret. Yaenke frowned, but did as Tyrin said, stepping down the short hallway and through the door to the Governor¡¯s chambers. As he did, he Reached for more Ever, mentally drawing it from the Surge and into his body. His blade was a strong one, and he was glowing as brightly as he had been before the skirmish by the time he arrived at the Governor¡¯s door. It was open.


    The lights were out in this room, too, though Yaenke¡¯s glow illuminated it as he stepped inside. It was lavish. Paintings hung on all four walls. There were three dressers, all made of rare violet wood from Artensia. The bed was bigger than any Yaenke had seen, and he¡¯d lived a long time.


    The Governor waited on that bed, legs crossed beneath him. He was a fat man, balding, with pasty skin. The kind of man who had spent too much time with his wine. His eyes were closed.


    For a moment, a long moment, Yaenke twisted the Surgeblade in his hand. This man had been nothing but a nuisance the past year. Taxing the people harder in the name of the cause, then spending it on himself, then impeding any legislature Rion tried to pass to stop him. He¡¯d appointed corrupt Councilors, cut military funding, quietly spread rumors claiming Rion had developed a Soulcurse. This invasion was in no small part due to his incompetence.


    It would be so, so easy to just kill him.


    He raised his sword. Then the palace rumbled. Outside, someone shouted in surprise.


    ¡°Shield¡¯s fallen!¡±


    Yaenke paused, then pushed the thoughts of treason away. More chaos was not what Ethea needed right now. He lowered his Surgeblade.


    ¡°My liege. We need to move.¡±


    The Governor twitched. Evidently he had not heard Yaenke enter the room. But he did not respond.


    ¡°My liege,¡± Yaenke repeated. ¡°The shield has broken. We need to get you to safety.¡±


    Still nothing. Yaenke restrained his anger. Heavens Above, it would be so easy¡­


    ¡°The Talar will be here soon, my liege.¡±


    ¡°I am aware.¡± The Governor still did not open his eyes. His voice was a rasp, clearly damaged by years of drugs. Drugs, funded by taxes that should have gone toward stopping this disaster.


    ¡°Then you know why we need to leave,¡± Yaenke said coolly.


    The Governor snorted. ¡°We will not be leaving, Captain E¡¯vin.¡±


    ¡°This is not the time for drama.¡±


    The Governor¡¯s eyes opened. They were a sickly yellow. ¡°I am not being dramatic, Captain. If I stay, Larsh will come for me. And I will sue her for peace.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Yaenke blinked, not even sure how to respond to the absolute stupidity of the plan. The Talar didn¡¯t accept surrender. Everyone knew that. He would laugh, if the stunt wouldn¡¯t cost so many lives.


    ¡°My liege, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s wise.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care.¡± The Governor¡¯s eyes closed again. ¡°Leave me. Try not to get killed when Larsh arrives. Unless you don¡¯t care about your life, like everyone else out there.¡±


    Yaenke stood, stunned. The Governor grunted. ¡°Well? Leave!¡±


    Yaenke stepped back, cursing softly. This is not the time for this, thau it. Legally, he had to obey the Governor¡¯s orders. So did his men. They wouldn¡¯t leave, even if Yaenke told them to; he¡¯d trained them for total obedience to authority.


    But if he stayed, Larsh would get the secret. He shivered as memories flashed through his mind. Memories of darkness, devastation. Of an empty city, smoking and ruined, yet without a corpse in sight. It had been four thousand years, yet they were vivid as ever.


    He decided in an instant.


    ¡°There can be no peace with darkness,¡± he recited. Raising his hand, he burned Ever and sent a single blast of concentrated plasma directly for the Governor¡¯s chest. It struck home, sizzling as it burned through fat, then through muscle. The Governor¡¯s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to scream, but a second bolt took him in the throat. He fell slack on the bed, blood covering the white sheets.


    Yaenke inhaled sharply, hands trembling, then forced himself to exhale. Why, after all these years, did killing still make him shiver? This man had deserved his death. Yaenke had simply administered justice that should have been dealt out months ago.


    Yet, as he watched green mist pour from Governor Lysh¡¯s mouth, he couldn¡¯t help but tremble. The mist turned red, and he swore he could faintly hear screaming; the Governor was in Torment now, the realm of the dead. A place controlled by Oblivion, where everyone was condemned to endless pain.


    The Void is the real enemy, Yaenke reminded himself. He lowered his hand. Beneath him, the ground rumbled again, accompanied by the thunder of a nearby explosion.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    Tyrin. He¡¯d left the man standing outside Lysh¡¯s quarters. He¡¯d probably heard everything. Yaenke hesitated.


    During his moment of hesitation, Tyrin stepped around the corner. Yaenke hastily closed the door, but not before Tyrin¡¯s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to cry out, but Yaenke burned Ever, using it to stifle Tyrin¡¯s shout, then burning more to freeze him in place. He stepped toward his friend, leaning in close.


    ¡°We both know he deserved it. Get your men out of here, while there¡¯s still time. Leave the palace, leave your uniforms. Pretend you never had anything to do with this. They might spare you.¡±


    He met the man¡¯s eyes, pouring as much sincerity into his mournful expression as he could. He¡¯d enjoyed his time here, even with the threats looming around every corner. These men didn¡¯t deserve death, any more than Governor Lysh, as corrupt a man as he¡¯d been, deserved eternal anguish. Hopefully, they would abandon their post. They wouldn¡¯t, they were Etheans, but Yaenke could hope they would see past their honor.


    He closed his eyes, Reaching and pulling as much Ever as he could from his Surge. Then, glowing blue, he released Tyrin.


    Immediately, the man lashed out with his boot, trying to trip Yaenke. The captain reacted with blinding speed, sweeping the flat of his blade outward, blocking the blow and tripping Tyrin. He clattered to the ground, then rolled, shouting.


    ¡°Traitor! He killed the Governor! He is Worthless!¡±


    Some of the men snapped into action instantly, but others hesitated. Infused with Ever, Yaenke could hear their thoughts. Their Captain, a traitor? A Worthless?


    That hesitation gave him time. He burned all of his Ever at once, sending a shockwave rippling around him. There wasn¡¯t much force behind it ¨C he was aiming to stall them, not kill them ¨C but it was enough to throw all of them to the floor. Tyrin slammed into the wall, and he grimaced. Yaenke met the man¡¯s dazed eyes one last time.


    ¡°Run,¡± he said.


    Then he followed his own advice, dashing out of the dome, sprinting away from the Governor¡¯s wing, then into the black, smoke-filled night beyond.


    ***


    Blood mixed with sweat and tears as it dripped down young Perelor Krot¡¯s face, falling off his cheek and down to the dusty ground below. Most of that blood came from his right eye, which had been slashed across the iris. It stared, dead, at the floor, a scab slowly drying over the wound.


    Perelor¡¯s hands were above his head, locked together with magnetic cuffs. He and his sister, Eliel, slumped beside a broken wall, near a landing pad, heads hung low, waiting, presumably, for one of the cruisers on the pad to take them away. Unless Larsh killed them. She might. She¡¯d already had an opportunity to finish them, yes, but people like her tended to enjoy cruelty.


    Eliel was coughing ¨C there was smoke everywhere, a thin haze that reduced everything around them to silhouettes. Perelor sat silent, cringing at every cough, but helpless to assist her. Helpless to assist anyone. He wished he could shut his ears the same way he could shut his eyes. Wished he could simply not listen to the rattle of gunfire, the rumble of explosions all around.


    Two Talar guards watched the children. One had his helmet off, revealing a short beard and violet eyes that seemed to glow through the smog. The other kept his helmet on. With it, he looked like a mix between a spider and an ant, staring down at Perelor with sharp mandibles and solid black eyes.


    Perelor closed his own eyes, spots dancing across the blackness of his left eyelid, a more pure blackness still dominating the right side of his vision. He felt drained. How long had it been, since he¡¯d fallen unconscious the first time? How long had it been since¡­ since¡­


    Since his father had died.


    Keep your sister safe, son. He¡¯d seemed so confident, even as his hand had fallen slack in Perelor¡¯s hand. Perelor had felt his thoughts. He¡¯d believed in Perelor, even in that final moment.


    In that, he¡¯d been a fool.


    Something rammed into his abdomen. Perelor gasped, eyes leaping back open. It was the butt of a lasertip ¨C the guard without the helmet had smashed it into Perelor¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Hey! No Reaching!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t Reaching,¡± Perelor spat. He hadn¡¯t been ¨C had he been Reaching, he would have started to glow. But, of course, the guard didn¡¯t know that. It had been a thousand years since the powers Perelor wielded had been commonplace, and myths, rumors, and downright untruths about memory burning abounded.


    The comment did, however, earn him another smack to the gut. Perelor wheezed, but hung his head, falling silent. His eyes drooped, but he kept them at least partially open. Blood continued to drip down his cheek.


    The gunfire was growing quieter. Perelor couldn¡¯t decide if that was good or not. On the one hand, it meant that the battle was close to over.


    On the other hand, it meant she had won. And that meant he had failed.


    You¡¯ve already failed, a part of him whispered. Remember those ash-filled eyes. He did, and a tear dropped down his face. He didn¡¯t think he would ever forget those eyes, staring upward. Accusing him.


    The guards watched Perelor closely for several minutes, then stepped back, conversing among themselves. Perelor was surprised at how casual the conversation was. These weren¡¯t evil men. They were just soldiers, doing their job.


    And they¡¯d killed his father in doing so.


    His eyelids slid down farther. Sleep would give relief. Better not to exist, than to exist in this Torment.


    ¡°Perelor.¡± That was Eliel¡¯s voice. It forced him from his stupor. Eliel. His sister.


    She was still alive. It felt surreal that she wasn¡¯t dead, and simultaneously, it still felt surreal that his father was dead. His memories were torn in two. His life before today, his life after today, they would likely never fully merge into one life in his mind.


    ¡°Perelor, we have to get out of here.¡±


    He was silent.


    ¡°Perelor! You¡¯re¡­ better at this than I am. We have to try.¡±


    More silence. He should have said something. He didn¡¯t. The words simply wouldn¡¯t come out.


    ¡°Perelor, please.¡±


    Eliel¡¯s voice was desperate. It broke as she spoke.


    She¡¯s hurting, too, he thought. She lost him too.


    ¡°Alright. We can try.¡± He forced his eyes back open, trying to think. It wasn¡¯t easy, he¡¯d lost a lot of blood. The thoughts he did manage didn¡¯t amount to much.


    I need Ever. Wielding the First Power, even a little of it, would sharpen his mind. Perhaps enough to figure out a plan. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to connect to it, to the Everrealm. For a moment, it worked. Voices flooded his mind, thoughts of the guards, of Eliel, of those fighting and dying nearby.


    And then another voice. A voice he recognized, combined with the ring of boots striking metal. Fear overpowered him, and he lost his hold on the Power. He tensed involuntarily.


    ¡°Larsh,¡± he whispered.


    The footsteps continued, and a moment later, Perelor looked up to see her, Jadis Larsh, commander of the Talar forces, memory burner and murderer, sweeping her eyes over them. Her face was sharp and angular, and though her eyes had faded back to their normal violet, they still seemed to pierce Perelor. She nodded, then turned to the guards.


    ¡°My cruiser will be here shortly. Unbind them, and move them inside. Leave some room. I have other prisoners to accommodate.¡± She glanced at Perelor. ¡°You are conscious, I see. You¡¯re resilient. It will be a good trait, I think, when you are properly broken.¡±


    She didn¡¯t let him reply, instead striding forward until she reached the end of the landing platform ahead, where a troupe of other guards waited. She folded her arms, staring out over the city. Perelor had to arch his neck painfully to see her from where he was, but he did so anyway, staring hatefully at her back.


    She¡¯d caused all this. And she¡¯d cause more, if he didn¡¯t stop her.


    He turned back to Eliel, meeting her eyes, then nodding to the guards. She gave her own curt nod of understanding.


    When the Talar soldiers untied them to move them, that would be their best chance. Perelor could memory burn, and Eliel could at least try to. Then they could fight Larsh, kill her, take her cruiser, and escape. Perelor didn¡¯t know how to fly a ship, but it couldn¡¯t be too hard. He¡¯d figure it out.


    If you make it that far, he noted. The plan was desperate, and not well fleshed out. Furthermore, there was Larsh to worry about. She¡¯d likely kill them before they got the cuffs off. They¡¯d try it anyway.


    This is for you, father. For you, and the oath I swore today.


    He closed his eyes, readying himself to Reach again. He¡¯d have to keep doing so, even after the guard hit him. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but it was possible. He¡¯d seen Yaenke do it.


    To his surprise, though, even as he relived the memories around him, no spear to the gut came. Instead, a trickle of Ever began rushing through his veins. He smiled, confidence increasing as his mind quickened. If he had Ever, he could make it.


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    Larsh¡¯s voice rang again in Perelor¡¯s mind. He shouldn¡¯t know it as well as he did ¨C she¡¯d hardly spoken to him as she¡¯d cut through the Ethean guards, then thrown him aside, then killed his father. Yet, he felt as if he knew that voice better than his own.


    And it terrified him.


    His eyes flashed open, and the Ever fled as he failed to relive the memories, caving to his moment of weakness. He froze, realizing Larsh was staring down at him, her eyes now glowing with crimson Void. With the power of death itself.


    ¡°You almost managed that,¡± she breathed. She turned to the guards. ¡°Beat him until he learns his lesson, though don¡¯t kill him.¡± She straightened. ¡°I have another prisoner to take. Stay at your stations, no matter what happens.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Perelor Krot and E¡¯vin Yaenke, all on the same day. A victory indeed.¡±


    She strode away, moving with the same graceful speed Perelor had seen her use when she¡¯d fought the Etheans earlier. As she faded from view, the two guards approached. The bearded guard slid his helmet back on.


    ¡°Now, kid,¡± he said, voice now metallic from the vocoder in his helm. Though it was designed to be intimidating, the way the man spoke, it almost felt¡­ weary. ¡°You get to know what it feels like to be Elekhai. Get used to pain. It¡¯ll be quite familiar soon.¡±


    The helmet lingered on Perelor for a long moment, expressionless. Then the guard reached for his belt, retrieving a slim, metal rod from it, pointed at the end. A shock rod. Perelor¡¯s eyes widened. Eliel shouted, but the soldier thrust the weapon forward. Electricity blazed through Perelor¡¯s body, and despite his loss of blood, despite his grief, despite the tiredness, he began to scream.


    ***


    The palace courtyard was a chaotic field of flames, metal, and corpses. Some of those corpses still walked, lasertips in hand, but they were corpses all the same; battles like these did not end with survivors. Fire gulped down once-green gardens, turning color to ash, cracking the metal of intricate bronze statues. Ethean soldiers, some in blue uniforms, others wearing the clothes they¡¯d slept in, fought against their Talar counterparts pouring through the gates. Though the palace shield had fallen, it seemed Larsh had no intention of destroying the building, at least not yet, for the enemy bombers had not descended upon it, and instead, a steady flow of purple-clad warriors pushed the Etheans back. Most of the fighting was hand-to-hand; both sides had Dispellers, making plasma guns useless. Though Yaenke could not see well in the dim light the flames provided, he felt his boot stick to patches of drying blood as he wove his way through dueling warriors, careful to avoid any packs of Talar.


    His destination, the west armory, was in the center of the courtyard. Though the outside was made to look like an obsidian wedge, it had been cracked by explosives, revealing its cement interior. Most of the inside had been looted; hooks sat empty, and equally empty supply packs lay on the ground.


    Yaenke had expected that. He leapt through a blasted-out hole in the wall, then moved to a specific rack on the east side of the building. Everything had been claimed, save for a few unused Adrellian shots. A body lay here, too, one eye staring lifelessly at the sky, the other stabbed out. Yaenke stepped over it, then pressed his hand to the cement underneath the rack. It was smooth and hard ¨C this wasn¡¯t cement, but a hidden patch of anthrenite. He Reached for Ever from his Surgeblade, then pushed that Ever into the stone.


    The anthrenite glowed, then ground against the nearby rocks as it slid away, revealing a hidden compartment beneath. Inside it lay two more Surges, these without a corresponding blade. One glowed white, the other red. Yaenke set aside his Surgeblade, tucking both of the other Surges into his pockets. One of them, the white Surge, would give him access to Purity, the Second Power. The other would give him access to Void, the corrupted Third Power. He could only use one of the Three Powers at any given time, but it didn¡¯t hurt to have options.


    He rose, snatching his Ever Surgeblade from the ground. He moved behind the obsidian wall, looking outward from a hole at the battle. He couldn¡¯t fight his way to the gates. Even if he succeeded, he¡¯d expose himself as a threat, and the chase would not cease until he was dead. The Talar likely defended the other exits, too.


    I¡¯ll escape through the Undercity, then. Thau it. The nearest entrance to that was back in his apartment, sealed by a similar anthrenite device to the one that had hidden his Surges here.


    For a moment, he hesitated, the screams of the dying Ethean men ringing in his ears. Their thoughts crowded his vision and hearing, desperate, hopeless.


    Could he really leave them? Could he really betray them, as he had the Governor?


    The secret, he reminded himself firmly. The secret so heinous he dared not even whisper it in his thoughts. He¡¯d killed the Governor to protect it. As terrible as it was, these men¡¯s deaths were a small price to pay to keep it hidden.


    By that same logic, you should be dead, too. Killed by your own hand, to protect the secret.


    Coward.


    He cringed, but pushed the thought back. He¡¯d fought that logic a thousand times, over several thousand years, and he knew how to defeat it. He ran back across the courtyard, ducking into a palace entrance nearby. He shut the door, then slid into a side passageway as a troupe of soldiers marched past. He did not want to hurt them, should they label him a traitor.


    He took an obscure stairway up to his apartment, though he still passed several servants, all desperately searching for an exit unblocked by the Talar. They would find none. When the Ethean line fell, the civilians here could only pray Larsh was kind enough to spare them.


    One of those servants, though, was a messenger. He wore a soldier¡¯s uniform, though his included green stripes, indicating his duty. He shouted, loud enough Yaenke could actually hear him over the din of battle and panic.


    ¡°Rion is dead! And his second! Command has been changed to General Vyrik!¡±


    Yaenke paused as the messenger passed. The man seemed too caught up in his job to realize that Yaenke, a Captain, was fleeing. But Rion¡­ dead¡­


    Perelor was supposed to be with him, Yaenke realized. And Eliel, too.


    He hated himself for doing it, but, instinctively, he closed his eyes, Reaching for memories. The Surge could not assist him in this, and he was forced to use his own powers. The powers of a memory burner. Powers that, if others knew about, would put him in even more danger.


    The Confederacy isn¡¯t here, he chided himself. But Larsh is. Don¡¯t be a coward. He Reached harder, mentally pulling with as much willpower as he could muster.


    His mind expanded even more than it had when using the Surgeblade. Ten times more. Hundreds of streams of thought shot through his memory, and though his faculties were heightened by the Ever in his flesh, he still felt overwhelmed.


    But, within that stream of thoughts, he detected the presence he¡¯d been looking for. A young boy¡¯s panicked cries, as he was beaten with a shock rod. Though Yaenke could not feel the pain of the beating, he saw the electricity leaping across the boy¡¯s skin, saw the blood seeping from burns that hadn¡¯t quite cauterized. Saw his sister, sitting beside him, crying.


    He stopped Reaching. His mind slowed. He drew in Ever from his Surgeblade, but it helped little.


    Did he protect the secret?


    Or did he save the Endowed, the very hero prophesied to destroy his terrible creation?


    He cursed. Then cursed again. Then slowed to a stop, making his decision.


    Thau it, but I¡¯ve come to like those children.


    He turned and ran toward the source of Perelor¡¯s thoughts.

 Chapter 2 - Agony

    There shall come a day when they are born, stronger than all before them,


    Endowed by the Powers themselves.


    They shall rule the throne of death, and all shall bow to their scepter.


    Their enemies shall crumble before them.


    Nations shall they raise up, nations shall they destroy, all according to the will of the Powers.


    They shall unite the Three Powers in glory,


    And end all suffering.


    -The Prophecy of Ever, as written in the Book of Eternity of the Church of Meridian


    Agony. There was no other word to describe this but agony. Though Perelor was surprised at how little of that agony came from the burns.


    The guard hit him¡­ three times before ceasing? Four? Five? It could have been hundreds, for all Perelor could tell. His skin seemed to gasp as smoke rose from it, his legs twitching, aching, but too shocked to feel any pain.


    No, the real agony came from the reminder. The memory of his father¡¯s burned body, laying on the floor. Of eyes that were not eyes, just ash. Of a hand, skeletal, stained red and orange and black, reaching to grip Perelor¡¯s own. Words whispered in his mind, words from a ragged voice, one he loved more than anything.


    Keep your sister safe, son. Believe. I love you.


    Love didn¡¯t matter. His father was dead. Perelor was surprised at how quickly he accepted that. It felt like a toxin dagger stabbing into his chest, but he accepted it.


    He forced his one good eye open. Colors swam before him. He could hardly make out any shapes, but he was able to glance sideways and see a long, white blotch beside him.


    Eliel¡¯s hair. Eliel was still alive. That was all that had mattered to his father. It was all that mattered to him now.


    ¡°Should we beat the other one? The reports say she¡¯s a burner, too.¡±


    A long pause. Perelor tensed. Keep your sister safe, son.


    ¡°Nah,¡± the other guard said finally. ¡°The reports say she¡¯s not very good at it. If she tries anything, though, we¡¯ll do what we have to.¡±


    The guard¡¯s mask lingered on the two children for a moment, but then he backed away. ¡°Just a reminder for them,¡± Perelor heard him whisper. He sounded regretful, though Perelor couldn¡¯t quite tell through his thick Talar accent. ¡°Not like things will get any easier from here.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Eliel¡¯s voice was high pitched. It was the voice she used when she was panicking, perhaps on the verge of a Soulcursed episode.


    Perelor was silent. Alright? How could he be alright? Father was dead. Ethea had fallen. And¡­


    And she¡¯s just trying to help.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he gasped. He tried to keep the pain out of his voice. He failed. Eliel leaned forward. He still couldn¡¯t see well, though the blobs of color were starting to form back into shapes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Eliel said softly. ¡°Voidlings.¡±


    She was angry. And afraid. And she just sat there, shivering. Were those tears on her face?


    It¡¯s going to be up to me to do this, Perelor realized. They still had to try to escape. And Eliel had never been good at memory burning, even if she had the ability. Drawing in a ragged breath, he Reached again.


    Then froze.


    ¡°Yaenke,¡± he whispered. He could feel the man¡¯s thoughts. He was close. And he was coming to rescue them.


    We might make it. For the first time in several hours, hours that had felt like days, Perelor felt hope leap in his chest. Memories flashed before his eyes, and a moment later, he was glowing with Ever.


    For a moment, the guards didn¡¯t notice. Then, suddenly, their masks swiveled toward him. They immediately stepped back in surprise.


    ¡°What? I thought they couldn¡¯t Reach without¡­¡±


    They didn¡¯t get any longer to protest. Though pain still pounded across Perelor¡¯s skin ¨C Ever couldn¡¯t heal physical wounds ¨C his mind was now sharper, faster. He burned a touch of Ever to release his hands from their cuffs, then threw them forward, burning more to send the two Talar flying backward. They tumbled over the edge of the landing pad, screaming as they fell.


    Perelor stood, then watched the empty ledge for a long moment, wondering if he should feel remorse. He¡¯d just killed two men. He hadn¡¯t killed anyone before today, though he¡¯d been trained to. Strangely, though, he didn¡¯t feel guilt. Not the slightest bit of it. Should he?


    Shaking his head, he turned toward his sister. He snapped his fingers, using a little more Ever, and her bands released. Her head tilted up toward him. His vision was mostly clear now, and he could see her eyes.


    There was hope in them. Awe. Even after everything that had happened today, she still thought they had a chance.


    He stretched out his hand, helping her to her feet, though he suspected she did most of the work, his muscles still quivering from the shock rod. Finally, he turned toward the landing pad, poking around the corner of the wall they¡¯d been chained to.


    They¡¯d been restrained in a place such that the other guards hadn¡¯t seen the incident, and apparently, the din of battle was loud enough they hadn¡¯t heard the screams, either. They stood all around the pad in trios, straight-backed, but didn¡¯t seem worried. Perelor let out a relieved breath. Eliel scooted behind him.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Perelor hesitated. Did they even try to fight that many guards? Perelor might manage it alone, with his memory burning, but Eliel would undoubtedly get shot if they found her. Furthermore, if they attracted attention here, they might not be able to escape in any of the ships on the pad; they¡¯d just get shot down.


    ¡°We wait,¡± Perelor said finally. ¡°Yaenke¡¯s coming. I felt him.¡±


    To his surprise, Eliel didn¡¯t protest. She just nodded. ¡°Alright. If you say so, I believe you. We¡¯ll get out of here with his help.¡± Her breathing was rushed, almost too fast. She was nervous, no matter what she pretended.


    Keep your sister safe, son.


    I¡¯ll try, father, Perelor thought. I¡¯ll try.


    ***


    As it turned out, the Talar forces had breached the palace. The North Gate¡¯s defenses had crumpled under enemy pressure. Some of the soldiers whispered that a memory burner had helped with that. Yaenke could only pray they were wrong, for there was only one person that could be.


    If it were true, though ¨C and it likely was, knowing Larsh ¨C Yaenke needed to move fast. He could feel Perelor¡¯s echoes still, though they were less tortured than before. He was on a landing pad nearby, one Yaenke recognized. He could get there easily by breaking a window and flying there with Ever. He had that Ever now, too, his Surge had recharged while he ran.


    He hesitated a moment. Was it worth risking himself for this? Worth risking everything for this?


    ¡°God Above curse me,¡± he muttered. He kicked the nearest window. The glass cracked, exploding outward into the night. Yaenke flung himself through the window without another thought.


    He hung, weightless, falling for a long second. Then he burned Ever, pushing his body upward. He had to be careful to distribute the force equally throughout his feet. If he pushed too hard in one spot, he¡¯d end up crushing his limbs. Even with the force equalized, flying was hard. You had to be very precise with how much Ever you burned; too much and you¡¯d shoot upward too far, too little and you¡¯d fall.


    Fortunately, Yaenke had plenty of practice. He raced toward the pad, weaving between plasma bolts fired by soldiers below. Some of those bolts had been fired by Etheans ¨C it was rare indeed to see a Surgewielder fly, and, with his body glowing, most of his allies probably didn¡¯t recognize him. He dodged the blasts easily, though, whether they came from friend or foe.


    It was only a few moments before he arrived at the landing pad. He couldn¡¯t see Perelor just yet, though there were dozens of Talar guards scattered among small cruisers and fighters. They yelped as they saw Yaenke descending upon them, shouting orders in their native tongue rather than their usual Common. Yaenke spotted at least two Surgeblade wielders among them. Those two immediately lit up with blue Ever, pushing themselves into the sky to meet Yaenke.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    They didn¡¯t stand a chance. Both were glowing brighter than him, but he had the benefit of experience. Millennia of experience. He dodged a blast of flames from one, then beheaded the other with a flick of his sword. The remaining soldier¡¯s eyes widened. Clearly, though he was trained, he hadn¡¯t seen battle before. His shock kept him paralyzed until Yaenke ran him through the chest. Their bodies immediately stopped glowing, then fell to the ground below. Yaenke burned Ever to throw their Surges aside; you could only effectively wield one Surge at a time, even if they were Surges of the same Power. Then, he landed himself, burning the rest of his Ever to send a shockwave pulsing outward. The ships rattled, and soldiers went flying.


    Yaenke hesitated. He could kill most of these soldiers himself, between his training and the extreme advantage his Surge gave him. But if he attracted too much attention, he¡¯d be pursued, and eventually killed. Or, worse, captured and interrogated.


    He cursed. He shouldn¡¯t have done this. Not for Perelor, not for anyone. But he was already here. He might as well find the kid.


    To his surprise, the kid found him first. Perelor darted out from behind a crate, dragging his sister behind him. Both of them were bloodied, though Perelor seemed more significantly wounded. Burns covered the teen boy¡¯s skin, and his normally white hair was stained by dark, dried blood. He was, however, glowing with Ever. Perelor was a memory burner, someone able to use Ever without a Surge, and use far more of it than any Surgewielder could dream of. Eliel, his older sister, was technically a memory burner, too, though she wasn¡¯t very good at actually using her powers.


    ¡°You came,¡± Perelor wheezed. ¡°I thought maybe I was hallucinating.¡±


    Eliel frowned. ¡°You said you were sure.¡±


    Perelor shrugged apologetically, eyes darting to the Talar soldiers, who were regrouping. ¡°I may have embellished the truth a bit. Do you have a sword, Captain?¡±


    Yaenke hesitated. Perelor shouldn¡¯t be fighting. He was fourteen. His sister was sixteen. He could see the pain in their eyes, could feel Eliel¡¯s thoughts. They¡¯d been there, when their father had died.


    But then, having a memory burner on their side dramatically increased their chances. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sword,¡± he said finally. ¡°You¡¯ll have to use Ever.¡± He fell into stance as a pack of Talar approached, swords in their hands. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the melee fighters. You keep their ranged men off of us.¡±


    Perelor nodded, his expression grim. ¡°Got it.¡± He closed his eyes, and a moment later, his skin glowed a bright blue ¨C far brighter than Yaenke¡¯s did, enough it was hard to look at him. A moment later, the Talar attacked.


    It was a massacre. Yaenke lunged to intercept the sword-wielding Talar, burning trace amounts of Ever to throw their swings off base, then slashing through their chests with impunity. Blood sprayed across the cement ground, and onto Yaenke¡¯s robes. Behind him, Perelor sent bolts of lightning flying into Talar gunmen. Within less than a minute, the entire enemy force was annihilated, mostly due to Perelor.


    You taught him well, a part of Yaenke whispered. And for a moment, he was proud.


    Then he saw the corpses on the ground, and remembered. He shivered, then dashed over to the two teens, grabbing Perelor¡¯s arm.


    ¡°We need to move. Before the Talar seal off access to the Undercity.¡±


    Perelor frowned. ¡°We could use these ships.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be shot down.¡±


    ¡°If we use a Talar one, we might be able to slip through the siege. Escape.¡±


    ¡°No. We have to retreat. Wait it out.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Your friend is right.¡±


    Yaenke tensed. The voice was not Perelor¡¯s voice, nor Eliel¡¯s. Nor that of any Ethean. That was the voice of Jadis Larsh. Perelor, too, seemed to recognize it, for he stepped back, gasping. Eliel stood silent, eyes widening.


    Slowly, Yaenke turned, heart pounding. Sure enough, there she stood, robes billowing in the night wind, face barely illuminated by the dim lights focused on the pad. She had regal features: thin eyes, a sharp nose, and soft lips, highlighted with red makeup. Though she had killed many today, her purple clothes had no blood upon them. She was glowing a deep red ¨C her skin was Infused with Void, the Third Power. The Power that had been corrupted. She smiled as she met Yaenke¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I should have known you¡¯d come for him, E¡¯vin. I expected you would be smarter than that, but you¡¯ve never been a practical man.¡± Her smile fell. ¡°Though the world would be a far better place if you realized how dangerous your existence really is.¡±


    Yaenke fell into stance, though he was shaking. Endowed, he was shaking.


    Suddenly, Perelor ran forward, screaming, unleashing a hail of lightning toward Larsh. The lightning, however, deflected away from her, striking the ground nearby, making the concrete sizzle. As Perelor ran, a tendril of red light flew from Larsh¡¯s hand, like a living, crimson snake. It lashed around Perelor¡¯s left leg, then snapped to the side, throwing him to the ground. He rolled, groaning. While he was down, a second tendril exploded from Larsh¡¯s other hand, smashing into Perelor¡¯s head. He fell still.


    Eliel sobbed, running toward her brother. His chest was still rising and falling, but she probably couldn¡¯t tell that. Larsh didn¡¯t stop her. Instead, she stepped toward Yaenke, tendrils still expanding from her hands.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± Yaenke whispered. ¡°There are other ways of fighting, Jaela.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°That name no longer means anything.¡± Her mouth opened in a smile again. A crazed, uncontrolled smile. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re afraid. You think you can¡¯t win this fight.¡± She seemed to be almost talking to herself, her voice barely audible to Yaenke. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, of course. About a great many things. But when have you ever been logical?¡±


    She¡¯s trying to decide if she wants to fight me, Yaenke realized. Trying to decide if I¡¯ll use the secret.


    He hesitated. He could use the secret. Could end all of this, if he wanted to. With his heart beating fast in his chest, he genuinely considered it.


    But no. In the end, the cost was still too high. In the end, he was still a coward.


    However, Larsh was distracted.


    Pulling in the Ever his Surge had produced while Larsh talked, Yaenke attacked. He threw all of it into a single blast of plasma; though Larsh would probably avoid it, it would divert her further. As he¡¯d predicted, she twisted aside, but as she did, he ran forward, swinging his sword at her chest.


    The tendrils writhed inward. Though they appeared to be made of light, they acted more like a fluid form of steel, blocking Yaenke¡¯s attacks. They weren¡¯t nearly as fast as he ¨C Yaenke was a master swordsman ¨C but there were two of them and one of him, and he couldn¡¯t manage to get a hit in. Within a few seconds, one of them slipped through his defenses, knocking his feet out from under him. He cursed as his knees hit the cement, then yelped as the second tendril struck his head, throwing him in a roll across the ground.


    His vision swam. Desperately, he reached into his pocket, trying to grab one of his other Surges, the ones he¡¯d retrieved from the armory. Before he could, the two tendrils slammed into his arms, pinning them to the ground. He could barely crane his neck enough to see Larsh stalking toward him. Her smile was gone, replaced by pursed lips and grim eyes.


    ¡°Aezer said you would put up more of a fight. Apparently, he was wrong. It¡¯s very rare he¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Voidlings are wrong about many things,¡± Yaenke hissed.


    ¡°On that, we agree,¡± Larsh said. She stepped onto Yaenke¡¯s stomach, then released the tendrils. She then extended her right hand, and a blade formed in it. A red blade, made of pure light, the way the tendrils had been. Yaenke¡¯s eyes widened. Larsh snorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you. The information you have is too valuable.¡± She leaned in close, her breath against his ear. ¡°But know this, last of the Erak¡¯sai. I will make you wish you were dead. By the time I am done, you will beg for Torment. And I will count it all pleasure, for after the harm you have brought to the galaxy, you deserve far, far worse.¡±


    Fear spiked in Yaenke¡¯s chest. He could see the hatred in her eyes. Hatred he¡¯d only seen in one other person. She meant what she said.


    The secret, part of him whispered. Use it. Better she die, than she know.


    He considered, again, for one treasonous moment. Then he closed his eyes.


    I deserve this, he thought.


    Something cold struck his flesh. Everything went black, and the nightmares began again.


    ***


    Captain Yaenke¡¯s head lulled back, and Eliel Krot¡¯s last flicker of hope faded. She clung to her unconscious brother¡¯s hand, crying. Knowing, deep down, that this was all her fault. She should never have shown Dad her scar. What was she thinking, claiming to be the Endowed? As if she, of all people, could defeat the Void.


    Larsh stood up, though her eyes lingered on Yaenke for a long time. Part of Eliel wanted to run. She¡¯d be caught, maybe even killed, but a blaster bolt to the back would be merciful at this point.


    She didn¡¯t, though. She just kept clinging to her brother¡¯s hand. Perhaps he could stop Larsh. He¡¯d always been better at this than her.


    Finally, Larsh turned toward Eliel. She looked at Eliel for only a moment, though, before her gaze went down to Perelor. Her expression was unreadable as she stepped toward him, lightly shoving Eliel aside. Eliel did not resist. She just backed away. Whimpering, like a veirehound pup.


    Larsh rolled Perelor over with her foot, revealing his face. His nose had been crushed by the cement, and even more cuts and bruises ran across his skin. That skin was growing pale.


    Larsh raised her hand. A tendril leapt from it, snatching something from Yaenke¡¯s pocket, then retreating backward to drop it in Larsh¡¯s hand. It was a small white jewel, a Purity Surge. She pressed it against Perelor¡¯s chest.


    Instantly, Perelor¡¯s wounds sealed. Burns turned back into skin. Dried blood melted, then fell away. Flesh knit itself back together. Within moments, Perelor looked just as he had before the invasion. A fourteen year old boy, laying peacefully asleep.


    Except for one thing. His eye, the one that had been cut earlier. It was no longer bleeding, but a rune had been burnt into the iris. Eliel could not read Talar, but she recognized that rune.


    Elekhai, it read.


    Slave.


    Larsh¡¯s eyes lingered on Perelor a moment longer. Then she turned back to Eliel.


    ¡°Rion said you were the Endowed,¡± she murmured.


    Eliel said nothing. She just trembled. Was this the part where Larsh finally killed her? Where she was defeated, just as every other person who claimed to be the Endowed had been? Her neck burned, as if expecting Larsh to lash out and snap it.


    To her surprise, no death came. Larsh just snorted.


    ¡°For your sake, child, I hope he was wrong. But if he was not, I ask you to save us.¡± Her eyes moved to the sky, watching the battle above. ¡°I wish, sometimes, that I could believe. In the end, though, hoping is foolish. That prophecy has never amounted to anything more than broken promises.¡±


    She was silent for a long time, staring up at the starry, smoky blackness. Long enough Eliel knew she should have run.


    She didn¡¯t. She waited until Talar soldiers rushed onto the pad, binding her, her brother, and Yaenke in electric chains. She sat quietly as all three of them were branded by a green-robed man with a Purity Surge. She didn¡¯t even weep as they were shipped away on a cruiser, away from Ethea and everything she¡¯d ever known.


    Her father had believed in her. He¡¯d thought she was the Endowed, the mythical hero prophesied to destroy the Void, take back the afterlife, and end all suffering. He was dead now. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his spirit was watching her, disappointed.

 Chapter 3 - Open Wounds

    8 Years Later...


    They shall be born with a scar already on their skin, and it shall mark them as the Endowed, chosen by the Powers.


    -Excerpt from The Book of Eternity


    Keep your sister safe, son.


    The oath Perelor had sworn that day was all he could think of as he twisted the lasertip in his hands, unsure how best to grip the weapon. It was spear-like, a long staff with a blade at the top. Part of the blade had been cut open to make room for a blaster; this weapon was designed for common infantry, and was a mix between a ranged weapon and a melee weapon. The trigger for the gun was in the middle of the staff, where Perelor¡¯s hand rested now. He had to be extra careful not to hit it by accident.


    He¡¯d hoped his skill with the sword would translate more easily to this, but it hadn¡¯t. His former style of fighting had involved a lot of parrying, and lasertips were downright terrible at that. The weapon was far better at stabbing than slashing, too ¡ª the exact opposite of a sword. The differences were irritating him. He needed to be good at this. His ability to protect his sister, and keep his word, depended on his ability to fight.


    But, this was his weapon now. Larsh had refused to give him a sword, and frankly, he wasn¡¯t sure if he deserved one anymore. So he worked with what he had.


    Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t been given a teacher, either, not until recently. Few of the slaves here in the Talar camps were even allowed a weapon, and fewer still were willing to practice. So far, Crelang Deonto was the only one he¡¯d found who would spar with him for longer than a few minutes. A tall, pasty man with long black hair, Crelang stood before him now. He was a few years Perelor¡¯s senior, and more muscular, too ¡ª he was a former Herreon soldier, and he¡¯d stayed fit during his years of captivity. There was something off about him today, and Perelor couldn¡¯t figure out what. Right now, though, they stood in a gravel pit set at the bottom of a bumpy slope. It wasn¡¯t designed for sparring, it was just a spot where nothing had yet been built, but it was what they had.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to want to adjust your stance,¡± Crelang said. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re not supposed to focus on defense here. Offense is your best defense with a lasertip.¡± He frowned. ¡°And you¡¯re going to want to stop twisting that handle. It¡¯s a waste of energy.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Perelor forced himself to stop. It was difficult, it was more of an anxious tick than a conscious movement. He fell into a more offensive stance, feet forward, the lasertip¡¯s blade pointed directly at Crelang¡¯s chest. ¡°Like that?¡±


    ¡°Close.¡± Crelang stepped forward, prodding Perelor¡¯s limbs to adjust his position just slightly. ¡°There. Like that.¡± Suddenly, he swept his weapon forward, smacking Perelor¡¯s legs and forcing him off balance. Perelor stumbled for a moment but then fell back into the same stance. Crelang squinted, staring him down with a critical eye, then smiled.


    ¡°You got it first try. Good. You¡¯re learning quickly.¡±


    ¡°I have an excellent teacher,¡± Perelor said.


    Crelang¡¯s grin widened. ¡°You¡¯re searing right you do.¡± He fell into stance himself, then began circling Perelor. ¡°Is your blade dulled?¡±


    Perelor nodded, briefly raising his lasertip to show the rubber coating the blade. They¡¯d had to steal that rubber. Crelang had seemed a little too eager when they¡¯d done that.


    ¡°Good. We begin.¡±


    He lunged forward. Perelor parried. The metal staves clanged as they struck one another.


    Most people thought melee fights lasted a long time. If both fighters were skilled, they sometimes did. But, more often, they were over in an instant. The less experienced warrior made a single mistake, and their more experienced counterpart took advantage of it, ending the duel immediately.


    That was exactly what happened here. Perelor was too slow on a riposte, and Crelang batted his weapon aside, then shoved the rubber-covered tip of his own weapon into Perelor¡¯s chest. Perelor stumbled back, gasping. Crelang kicked him, knocking Perelor down. Perelor raised his hand in surrender.


    ¡°The kick wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± he wheezed. ¡°In an actual fight, I would¡¯ve been dead from your first blow.¡±


    ¡°In an actual fight, you¡¯d try to kill me, even after I stabbed you. You wouldn¡¯t do a very good job, but I¡¯d still need to get you out of the way.¡± He smirked. ¡°Plus, in an actual fight, you¡¯ll be dealing with pain. You need to get used to that.¡±


    Perelor snorted. ¡°I know how to deal with pain.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Most soldiers seem to think they can, but I¡¯ve found few truly do. You need to have been through Torment itself to stay calm when you¡¯ve been stabbed.¡± His eyes grew distant for a moment.


    You¡¯d be surprised what I¡¯ve been through, Perelor thought bitterly. But he said nothing. Crelang was just doing his best to train him. If that meant a kick to the stomach, Perelor would deal with it. He was about to be assigned to the slave squadrons, and he had to survive. Eliel depended on it.


    Crelang stepped back, preparing for another bout. Perelor stood, catching his breath. Crelang raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Tired? Really?¡±


    Perelor sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve been going for three hours. Yes, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Crelang smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing. For now. You¡¯ll need to improve your stamina.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will.¡± Perelor rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to work on your sass, too,¡± Crelang said slyly. ¡°If you get good enough at it, you can kill the enemy with sheer sarcasm.¡± His face grew grim. ¡°Again.¡±


    His muscles protested the movement, but Perelor fell into stance, keeping a careful eye on Crelang. Though he insisted otherwise, Crelang was incredible with his lasertip. And he knew how to teach the art, too. Though he hadn¡¯t given many details about his past, Perelor suspected he¡¯d been a high-ranking military man before he¡¯d ended up here. He¡¯d won every duel he¡¯d fought with ease, and had survived several raids with the Talar slave squadrons himself.


    Perelor would figure out how to beat Crelang, though. He had to be at least as competent with this weapon as he had been with the sword.


    For all the good it did you that day, a part of him whispered. The voice was unsettling, and his guard fell for a moment. Crelang stepped forward, stabbing at Perelor¡¯s stomach. Perelor batted the blow away, but awkwardly, leaving him open. He winced, waiting for Crelang to strike the finishing blow. Another bout lost¡­


    Alarm bells rang.


    Immediately, both Crelang and Perelor stepped away from each other, exchanging worried glances. The alarm didn¡¯t always mean the Artensians were coming, but when it did¡­


    Perelor shivered, looking to the sky. Nothing. He let himself relax a little, then even more when a messenger came running by. ¡°Whipping at the North Square!¡±


    Beside Perelor, Crelang, too, let his shoulders slump. Slowly a smile crossed his face.


    ¡°They won¡¯t take attendance, you know.¡±


    Perelor nodded. They wouldn¡¯t; there were too many slaves to do that. They¡¯d send guards patrolling through camp, but those weren¡¯t hard to avoid. Times like these were usually when Perelor and Crelang would practice memory burning together. It was even rarer ¡ª and even more important ¡ª than sparring time; Crelang was the only other competent memory burner Perelor had ever encountered. At least, the only one who would admit to their powers.


    ¡°I know.¡± He hesitated. ¡°Let me get Eliel first.¡±


    Crelang frowned. ¡°Perelor, as much as I love your sister¡­ she¡¯s not exactly good at the whole burning thing. Besides, what if she has an episode?¡±


    That¡¯s exactly why I have to be near her, Perelor thought. Beside him, Crelang nodded in understanding. Perelor chided himself. He wasn¡¯t Infused with any Ever. Because of that, other memory burners, including Crelang, could read his thoughts. That wasn¡¯t a problem right now, but if Larsh or one of the other memory burners she employed came near, they¡¯d be exposed.


    ¡°I see,¡± Crelang said. ¡°Well, get her quickly. They like making a show of it, but they won¡¯t take too long. Got to keep us working.¡± He said the last part bitterly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be quick,¡± Perelor said. He Reached, burning nearby thoughts to infuse himself with Ever, not much of it, but enough to keep his mind shielded. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± Crelang said. ¡°At least, not by your definition of stupid.¡± He grinned again. He did that a lot. Perelor wasn¡¯t sure how he managed it, in a place like this.


    Knowing him, though, that promise was the best Perelor was going to get. Perelor jogged away, off of the gravel and into the dirt-covered streets of the slave camp.


    The camp wasn¡¯t exactly what Perelor had envisioned when he¡¯d first heard of the Talar slave system, back on Ethea. It was hygienic; each Elekhai had enough space to avoid the spread of infection, and there was running water and comfortable enough cots in each of the cement huts. There were restrooms and baths, too, though slaves didn¡¯t wash quite as regularly as Perelor had when he was free.


    No, the conditions weren¡¯t awful. What was awful was the feeling of the place. Everything was perfectly utilitarian. The clothes were all the same, purple and gray uniforms, with occasional variations in the collars and embroideries depending on the slave¡¯s profession. Decorations were not allowed. Each cement hut had the same dimensions, same layout, regardless of who lived there. Even the way the slaves groomed themselves was regulated. The overall message was clear: you are not a person, you are an object. A tool. Outlive your usefulness, and we will throw you away.


    It was wrong. Horrifyingly wrong. The downcast faces of those Perelor passed tugged at his heartstrings. Tugged at his honor. A part of him wanted to light up with Ever right now, and burn as many of the guards as he could to cinders.


    But, of course, that would accomplish nothing. Memory burners were powerful, but they weren¡¯t gods. He¡¯d just get himself killed. There was nothing he could do.


    That was what he hated most.


    Weaving his way through the crowd, which was making its way toward the North Square, Perelor arrived at his cement hut in just a few minutes. Inside, there were four cots ¨C one for Perelor, one for Eliel, and two for the other slaves that had been assigned to this building. Perelor knew little about them, he¡¯d never been able to get them talking. Currently, one was lying on his cot, coughing up a storm. The man was getting old. Perelor worried the guards would dispose of him soon; in their eyes, he was just a waste of food. When they tried that, Perelor¡¯s honor would demand he interfere.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He didn¡¯t have time to fret about that now, though. Because Eliel wasn¡¯t here.


    Panic rose in Perelor¡¯s chest, though he quickly forced it down. She was probably just at the North Square, watching with everyone else. It would be difficult to find her, but with his memory sense, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible.


    He dashed back into the crowd, which grew thicker as he made his way toward the Square. He had to squeeze and shove to get near the front. He froze when someone he pushed fell over, but another slave quickly helped them back up, and he forced himself to continue onward.


    It was loud here, loud enough Perelor doubted Eliel could hear him, but he shouted her name anyway. As he did, he focused on the thoughts of those around him. It wasn¡¯t easy, with so many active minds nearby, but he could pick out a few voices that sounded almost like her. A young girl, near the back of the crowd, clutching a doll¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t it. A woman, who stared down at her feet, lifted her wrinkling hands¡­ no, Eliel wasn¡¯t that old.


    He focused on the last potential voice, then froze. That was Eliel. He knew the pulse of her thoughts as distinctively as he knew her face. And she was being held by a Talar guard, blood dripping down her cheeks, blood that mixed with tears and sweat.


    Perelor screamed. The sound drew curious eyes, but he did not care, and he couldn¡¯t have contained it if he tried. Growling, he pushed his way through the crowd, shoving, elbowing, doing everything he could to make his way to Eliel. Eventually, people parted for him, and he burst out of the crowd, finding himself in the center of the North Square.


    It wasn¡¯t a beautiful place, not at all like Squares in the cities of Ethea ¨C it was just a large cement pad where slaves would gather to witness an event, usually a punishment. In the center, a small stone cube rose above the rest of the structure, just large enough for a dozen or so men to stand on it.


    Right now, that cube was surrounded by Talar soldiers. On top of it, a man in gleaming insect-like armor held a long, segmented metal whip. It crackled and popped, electricity flowing freely through its center. Beside that man, two more Talar soldiers held a prisoner.


    Eliel.


    As he¡¯d seen with his memory sense, she was already caked in blood. A long gash ran across her forehead, not deep enough to strike bone, but deep enough that she was growing pale. Her eyes turned to Perelor as he exited the crowd. They were wide. She wasn¡¯t even shaking; she¡¯d frozen up, as she often did in situations like this.


    Keep your sister safe, son.


    Perelor snarled, stepping toward the guards surrounding the platform. They leveled their blasters at him. Perelor hesitated.


    ¡°No closer!¡± one of them yelled. ¡°Back away, or we shoot.¡±


    For a moment, Perelor stood still, debating if he should advance anyway. Then one of the soldiers fired a warning shot into the ground. The shriek forced Perelor to his senses, and he stumbled back, raising his hands in surrender ¨C for now.


    They won¡¯t hurt her. They can¡¯t. I won¡¯t let them.


    His eyes drifted toward the whip, and suddenly, he wasn¡¯t so sure. Dread crept up his spine. He wouldn¡¯t lose her. He couldn¡¯t.


    She was all he had left.


    Someone handed the whip master a vocoder, which he placed near his mouth. He spoke, and his voice echoed across the entire Square.


    ¡°Those of you who worked in the mines know well why we are gathered here today.¡±


    There had been gossip before, but now the slaves fell silent. One of them, near Perelor, looked down at his feet. He was wearing a miner¡¯s uniform.


    Maybe he knows what happened.


    The whipmaster gestured toward Eliel. ¡°This Elek thought it wise to try and stall our war effort. She collapsed a vein of ethium, on purpose. Two men died, both of them Elekhai themselves, though she did not seem to care.¡±


    This drew a couple of shouts of outrage from the crowd. One of those cries Perelor could distinctly make out: hang her.


    No! I won¡¯t let you. He almost stepped forward again, but then his eyes fixed on the guards again. Two of them still had their blasters aimed at his chest. If he tried anything ¨C even Reaching for Ever ¨C he¡¯d be shot.


    ¡°I just wanted to help,¡± Eliel mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would end up¡­¡±


    ¡°She has been sentenced to two dozen lashings,¡± the whipmaster continued, ignoring her. ¡°To be administered immediately.¡±


    The guards holding Eliel suddenly threw her to the ground, then forced her back onto her knees. She yelped, eyes staring pleadingly at Perelor. The whipmaster stepped behind her, raising his weapon.


    ¡°One.¡±


    He swung downward. The whip sizzled as it struck Eliel¡¯s flesh, electricity burning her cracked skin. She shrieked. Blood flowed freely down her back. Perelor knew instantly from that one blow that two dozen of these lashings would kill her.


    The whipmaster cocked his whip back again. ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Perelor yelled. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± He was surprised at the forcefulness of his voice. He stepped forward, hands in the air, an idea forming in his mind. The guards did not shoot, though their hands tightened on their blasters. ¡°Stop.¡±


    The whipmaster¡¯s head immediately turned to Perelor. He snorted.


    ¡°You really think it wise to interrupt me, boy? I will kill you, too.¡±


    Perelor didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, he looked up, meeting the whipmaster¡¯s helm-covered gaze. ¡°I take the whippings,¡± he said. ¡°All two dozen lashings. I take all of them.¡±


    The whipmaster was silent for a long moment. Then he let out a static-filled chuckle. ¡°You invoke the tradition of atonement?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Perelor said. It was a Talar thing, and he knew little of it, but he¡¯d seen people use it a few times before. In theory, you could take someone else¡¯s punishment for them.


    In theory. Perelor had learned from experience that, though tradition ran strong here, Talar cruelty was not something to be underestimated.


    The whipmaster motioned to the guards standing beside Eliel. He took off his vocoder, and they stepped away, talking for a moment. Perelor remained standing in the center of the square, hands above his head, the other Talar soldiers still pointing their blasters at his chest. His heart pounded. Would they just kill him, and then whip Eliel anyway? Had he just doomed them both?


    It took several minutes, but finally, the conversation ended, and the whipmaster stuck his vocoder back on.


    ¡°In an intriguing turn of fate,¡± the whipmaster said, ¡°this young Elek has invoked the right of atonement. He shall intercede between death and the girl, as the Endowed shall intercede between Oblivion and mankind. We will lash him until he either dies, or takes her punishment in full.¡± The whipmaster¡¯s head turned down to Perelor. ¡°Should he die, however, the girl will receive the remaining lashes. Justice does not see the hand that pays it, but it will be paid.¡± He paused. ¡°Unless you wish to back down?¡±


    Perelor¡¯s stomach sank. He¡¯d seen beatings like this before. Usually, the victim died at around ten strokes. He might be able to survive a little longer than that, but even if he survived fifteen, that still meant another eight for Eliel. That still might be enough to kill her ¨C she wasn¡¯t exactly healthy, these days, with the lack of treatment for her Soulcurse.


    But then, it was her only chance. Their only chance. He raised his voice.


    ¡°I accept.¡±


    The whipmaster nodded. ¡°So be it.¡± He waved his hand, and the guards who had pointed blasters at Perelor strode toward him. One slammed the butt of his gun into Perelor¡¯s stomach, and he doubled over. The soldiers each grabbed one of his arms, dragging him to the cement platform, then lifting him atop it. In the corner of his vision, he could see another set of guards dragging Eliel away. She looked a little less pale now, though her eyes were glazed over with shock.


    I¡¯m sorry, he thought. I should have stopped this earlier. He met her eyes. This might be the last time he saw her, he realized. Twenty-four lashings was a death sentence, and he¡¯d just taken it.


    Strange, how little he cared about his death, even in the face of it.


    The Talar wasted no time. The guards kicked Perelor to his knees, then stepped back. Without hesitation, the whip master snapped his arm downward, and the electric, metal chain struck Perelor¡¯s back.


    The blow came with such force, he nearly fell on his face. He felt his flesh burn and smoke, and blood dripped down his spine. He gasped as the pain hit him, an explosion of agony lashing across his skin.


    ¡°Two!¡± the whipmaster yelled.


    The whip came down again. Again flesh burned. The pain intensified.


    ¡°Three!¡±


    The whip came down again. And again, and again, and again. Pain became a blur. Black spots danced across Perelor¡¯s eyes. The voice of the whipmaster became distant. He didn¡¯t know how far he¡¯d made it anymore. Six? Ten? His clothes were wet with sticky redness. His thoughts felt disconnected, as if this were happening to someone else. Was this how it really felt to die? Just an increasing numbness, until finally you descended into Torment?


    For a moment, fear gripped him, and he debated rising, and letting Eliel take this burden. Then he remembered his father¡¯s charred eye sockets, and he let out a growl. Those thoughts were traitorous. Dishonorable. He steeled himself.


    But he was not made of steel. And the whip kept coming down. Hit after hit, cut after cut, he felt himself fading. He could have sworn he saw fiery red lines of light, writhing around him, spirits that signaled what was to come.


    Then the whip stopped.


    ¡°Twenty-four.¡± The whipmaster¡¯s voice was not so excited anymore. Now he sounded as shocked as Perelor felt.


    Perelor closed his eyes, bracing himself for another strike. He was delusional, wasn¡¯t he? He had to be. No one survived two dozen lashings.


    Nothing hit him, though. Instead, a guard rolled him over. Perelor¡¯s body ached as it moved, though that added very little pain compared to the agony that spread across his back. Another soldier hoisted him to his feet. He trembled on weak legs, then fell. The guard yanked him back up, and this time, he kept his footing, though his vision still swam. He could hear people talking. They sounded so distant, though he knew they weren¡¯t. One set of voices was the whipmaster, talking with Traegus Yral, the local noble. When had he arrived? The other, though, was his sister. She was crying.


    ¡°No, no, no, no. I¡¯m sorry, Perelor. I¡¯m so, so sorry. This is all my fault¡­¡±


    Briefly, he saw someone moving toward him, though a flash of purple indicated a guard pushing that someone back. Perelor stumbled forward, barely catching himself. He felt so weak. He almost reflexively pulled in Ever; at least then his mind would still function.


    Finally, a hand shoved Perelor forward, hard. He flew off the whipping platform, crashing to the cement below. The skin on his face tore as he hit, opening up gashes in his cheeks, though he hardly cared.


    ¡°The boy has taken the girl¡¯s punishment,¡± a voice declared. Shal Yral¡¯s voice, rather than the whipmaster¡¯s. ¡°His fate will be determined by the Endowed now. The girl is free.¡± The way he said that last sentence implied something different: she is free ¡ª for now.


    Groaning, Perelor rolled onto his left side, the place that hurt the least to lean on. Vision gradually clearing, he watched as the crowd dispersed, moving silently back to their daily tasks. In the background, he heard his sister sobbing, protesting as guards held her back. Finally, he heard Traegus interfere, letting her pass.


    ¡°Perelor! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry, I never wanted this.¡± She kept repeating that as she rushed toward him, falling to her knees. Tears streamed down her face, tears that were mixing with sweat and blood. She¡¯d lost plenty of it. She needed medical attention.


    So do you, a piece of him whispered. Lay down. Wait for Crelang.


    But his father¡¯s charred eye sockets disagreed. It took all his strength to stand, but he stood, extending out his beaten hands to steady himself.


    ¡°We need¡­ to get you¡­¡± His voice was a rasp. He collapsed.


    Eliel caught him, then swung his arm over her shoulder. Limbs exhausted, mind numb, Perelor had no choice but to let her walk him back through the camp, then lay him down on the cot.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get Crelang,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Perelor. I just wanted to save the trapped miners, I never thought it would collapse.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Focus, Eliel. Hang on, I¡¯ll get Crelang.¡± She left.


    Perelor cocked back his head, staring at the gray cement ceiling. It was strange, his mind was so foggy, yet so clear all the same. He understood little, yet he understood what was important.


    Keep your sister safe, son.


    ¡°Okron,¡± he whispered. He rarely addressed the Goddess anymore, but he did today. ¡°Please don¡¯t let me lose her. She¡¯s all I have left. Please don¡¯t let me lose her. She¡¯s all I have left. Please don¡¯t let me¡­¡±


    He repeated that prayer, over and over, nearly delusional from blood loss, until finally, his body gave in to unconsciousness.


    Just a year later, that prayer would go unanswered.