The Reborn King (Book Six) (26 page)

Reassured, Gewey drew in the
flow
and quickly healed the Ajagara. Then, in a single motion, he leapt upon its back. With a thought, he urged it to carry him back to the yetulu and his friends.

Grunyal was waiting for him just beside the archway. His eyes shot wide on seeing Gewey atop the mighty beast. He lowered his head and bowed low.

“You are truly the son of Gerath,” he said with humility. “Please forgive my doubts.”

Gewey jumped down and rubbed the Ajagara’s neck. “There is nothing to forgive. When I arrived, I was not as I am now. You had good reason to doubt. You have my gratitude for keeping the secrets of the god stones safe - my father's too. And I
will
keep my word. Your people will be returned to you.”

Grunyal bowed again. “Then know that we are always at your service should the need arise.”

Gewey smiled. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

“Come. Your friends will want to know you are safe.”

Grunyal led him back to the room where Nehrutu and Felsafell were waiting. All the yetulu they passed by along the way gazed at Gewey in wonder. He guessed they were astonished to see him returning from the hunting grounds alive.

On his return, Nehrutu beamed a smile and leapt over the table. Felsafell simply nodded his approval.

“I was beginning to worry,” Nehrutu said. “You have been gone a long time.”

“I’m sorry,” said Gewey. “It was…a difficult trial.”

“So you tamed the Ajagara?” the elf asked.

Gewey nodded. “I did. And I saw Gerath.”

“So your father left more than one part of himself here,” remarked Felsafell.

“No,” he replied. He went on to recount all that had happened.

After he was done there was a dead silence. A single tear fell down Felsafell’s cheek. Only the opening of the door a short time later broke the solemn mood. Cloya came in and walked straight up to Gewey. She stared down at him for a moment before bowing low.

“Forgive me, Darshan.” Her small, meek voice was ill-fitting to her massive frame.

Gewey laughed. “Forgive you? You saved my life. If not for the male Ajagara essence you gave me, I would have never made it through.”

He could see the confusion on his friends' faces. Taking Cloya’s hands, he led her to a seat.

“The phial Cloya gave me contained the essence of the male Ajagara,” he explained. “You see, the young ones we encountered are all male. When the mother that lives in the hunting grounds reaches the end of her life, one of her children will automatically become female. The rest of them will then fight for the right to mate with her until only one is left alive. After the two remaining Ajagara mate, their young live within the mountain while the mother finds her way to the hunting grounds.”

“And what becomes of the father?” asked Nehrutu.

“He dies.” 

“It is said that Gerath created the Ajagara to protect us,” Cloya added.

“He didn’t create them,” Gewey said. “But he did alter their size and make them more aggressive so that they could prevent anyone from finding you.”

He chuckled softly, seeing in his mind exactly how it was done. He had clear images of the quite small creatures Gerath had found wandering through the bowels of the mountain, and he could hear the words of his father saying: “
Yes. These will do nicely
.”

“What will you do now?” asked Cloya.

“Nothing that you should be concerned about,” he replied. His tone was kind and his expression yielding. “You and your people are safe. You can remain in this place for as long as you wish. No one will ever come here again.”

“You will return, won’t you?”

“I don’t know,” he said, trying to keep any hint of foreboding or melancholy from his voice. “Perhaps. In the meantime, I would ask that you give my friends some provisions and escort them back through the mountain after I leave. And don’t worry; the Ajagara won’t bother you. I’ve taken care of that.”

Cloya stood and bowed. “I will see to it immediately.”

Once she was gone, Nehrutu fixed his gaze on Gewey. “You are not coming with us?” he asked.

“No. I have things I need to do before I face the Dark Knight. And I must do them alone.”

“Tell me,” said Felsafell, a hint of suspicion in his tone, “Am I speaking to the same man who left this room? Or am I now speaking to Gerath?”

“I'm still me,” Gewey replied. “I have gained my father’s knowledge and experience, along with his power, but I’m not Gerath.”

“Are you certain?” asked Nehrutu, suddenly suspicious as well.

“Yes,” he quickly reassured the elf. “I am no more Gerath than I would be any man just because I knew everything about him.” He paused for a moment. “Think of it like reading a book. If that book tells you every detail about someone's life, that doesn’t mean you've actually become that person. What Gerath did with me is something like that. I know things. I can imagine his experiences – I even see them as clearly in my mind as I do my own memories. But what I do not experience is the flavor of the moment or the subtle nuances. I am unable to
feel
it in my heart.”

Nehrutu nodded in understanding.

“When will you go?” Felsafell asked.

“Straight away. People are dying in the north. And as I said, I have something I must do before I fulfill my destiny.”

“Then go with our love and prayers,” said Felsafell. “And I hope this is not our final goodbye.”

“Is there nothing we can do to help?” asked Nehrutu.

Gewey smiled warmly. “You have already done more than anyone has the right to expect. And no matter what happens next, I love you both.” He rose calmly to his feet. “All I ask is for you to return to Aaliyah and Basanti…and live well.”

He embraced them both in emotional farewell. Only with great effort were they all able to choke back their tears. After striding purposefully over to the door, Gewey hesitated for an instant longer to take a final look back at his two friends. Then he was gone.

The silence that followed was heavy with a sense of loss.

“Will we see him again?” Nehrutu asked.

Felsafell sighed and gazed thoughtfully at the empty space that Gewey had occupied only seconds ago. “I think we may have seen
Darshan
for the last time. In this life, anyway.”

Kaylia woke, unsure at first what had disturbed her. Instinctively, she looked at the crib where Jayden lay sleeping. And there beside it, silhouetted in the pale moonlight, was a familiar form.

“Gewey!” she cried out.

In a single motion she was out of bed, and an instant later her arms were around him. Gewey held her close, bathing in the warmth of her body and the softness of her skin.

Eagerly, Kaylia tried to reach him through their bond, but found she was unable.

“Why are you keeping me from you?” she asked. “Surely the enemy knows you are here if you used the
flow
to travel.”

He looked into her eyes and brushed the curls away from her face. “He knows.”

“Then why?” Her tone had become nervous.

Gewey looked tenderly at his son and smiled. “He really does look more like you than me, don’t you think?”

“Answer me, damn you!” she demanded. “Why have you not freed our bond?”

Gewey lowered his head and took a step back. “Because there is no bond to be freed. I have severed it completely.”

For several seconds, Kaylia could only stare at him in utter disbelief. She reached out again, but there was still nothing. Her face contorted in fury.

“Why would you do this?”

It was breaking Gewey’s heart to see her in such pain. “There is no other way,” he told her. “When I am gone, the fate of the world will be decided. And the battle I am about to fight would destroy you if you were still bonded to me.”

“None of this makes sense,” she shot back. “I would have felt it. I would have known.”

“I broke our bond in a way that would be painless to you,” he explained. “I could not bear to see you suffer.”

Her hand swung across in a blur to slap his cheek. The sound of the blow landing was like the crack of a whip. Jayden stirred, but to the relief of them both, he did not wake.

“You had no right to do this.” Her voice was now an anguished whisper.

“I am so sorry, my love. I wish there was another way.”

“Don’t call me that,” she hissed. “If you loved me you would have never…” Her words faded away into soft sobs.

Reaching out, Gewey tried to wrap his arms around her. Kaylia struggled at first and began pounding her fists against his chest. But he refused to move back.

“I do love you,” he insisted. “That is why I had to release you. And why I came here.”

Kaylia gradually stopped fighting and allowed him to pull her close, her body shuddering as she continued to weep. Gewey kissed the top of her head repeatedly while the two of them simply held each other for a short while. 

“Tell me what happened,” she finally said. After wiping her eyes, she led Gewey to the edge of the bed.

“I can’t,” he replied. “There is no time. I was selfish to come here while so many others are dying. But I had to see you and Jayden once more before…”

“Before what? Before you die? Is that what you think is going to happen?” Her voice was hard and accusing.

“I have the strength to defeat the Dark Knight,” he answered. “But doing so may still destroy me as well.”

“It
may
?” she scoffed. “Then you aren’t sure.”

“No,” he admitted. “I’m not sure. But even Melek feared him. And the knowledge I now possess tells me that he had good reason to.”

“Then if you are not sure, I will not lose hope,” she stated with stubborn resolve. “And even though we are no longer bonded, you are still my
unorem
. Do you understand me?”

Gewey smiled. “I understand. I really do.”

He started to get up, but Kaylia pulled him back down.

She cupped his face in her hands. “You say that you have no time to tell me what happened. So be it. But you will not deny me my rights as your wife.”

Even with her face racked with sorrow and anger, she was so beautiful to him. And though the end was looming near, she still made him burn with desire. His heart began to race as she touched his lips with the tips of her fingers.

“Please,” he said. “King Lousis fights...”

“I don’t care who lives and dies anymore,” she declared sharply, yet somehow still not losing her seductive air.  “I will have you with me before you go.”

Gewey could no longer resist. He kissed her deep and long. Their love was absolute, and their passion so great that, even without the bond, he could feel her spirit within him. This was a love that the gods could never know or understand: one that only the Creator
herself
could fathom.

In that moment, he knew that this was the true strength of the mortal world.

* * *
* *

Kaylia could hear the buzzing of hummingbirds coming from just outside her window. Jayden was cooing and fussing quietly in his crib. Even so, she knew that he would soon be in a more demanding mood if not fed.

Still she did not want to open her eyes. Gewey was gone, and she was dreading the sight of the empty space beside her. He had been there only hours before, and though she desperately wanted to cling to hope, she could not escape the fear that last night had been a final goodbye.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. She wanted to weep, but her tears would not come. She wanted to cry out, but her voice was gone. All she could do was lay there and stare at the last place that she had been able to touch her
unorem
.

There was a soft knock at the door. Kaylia wanted to scream at whoever it was to go away, but wasn't able to.

“Kaylia?”

It was Aaliyah. Sensing that something was wrong, she immediately checked on Jayden, then sat down at the bedside. She only needed to glance at Kaylia's face to know what had happened. “How long ago did he leave?” she asked.

“Before dawn.” Her voice was inaudible to all but elf ears.

Aaliyah continued to scrutinize her. “He will return. Whatever he may have told you, and whatever he might believe, I know he will return.”

“I keep telling myself that same thing. And before he came to me I had no doubts. But the look in his eyes and the sorrow in his voice....”

“It was nothing but his own fears,” Aaliyah said, cutting her short. “He is not immune from fear any more than we are.”

Kaylia grasped hold of Aaliyah’s hands. “You don’t understand. He has severed our bond. He told me I would not survive otherwise.” She pulled herself up into a sitting position. “He said that his battle with the Dark Knight would kill me.”

Aaliyah thought for a long moment. Slowly, from the corners of her mouth, a tiny smile began to appear. “Then he did the right thing. Bonds can always be reformed. Besides, your connection to Gewey is far deeper than any bond he could break. Your love for him - and his for you - that is your true bond. And when he is victorious you will see him again.” She glanced over to the crib. “But until then, there are more pressing matters needing attention.”

Kaylia squeezed her eyes tightly shut in an effort to chase away her despair. Aaliyah was right. Gewey would return. She would not lose hope.

Her friend saw the change in her and gave a sharp nod. “That's better.”

She stood and headed for the door. “Oh, by the way, I think there is something you should know.” Her tiny smile grew until her entire face was shining with delight. “Just now, when I was holding your hand, I felt something. You are with child.”

As Kaylia’s eyes shot wide, Aaliyah burst into cheerful laughter and danced from the room.

* * *
* *

Gewey gazed down at the vast expanse of the desert. With the power gifted to him by Gerath, he could look upon it with new understanding. He knew why the exiled elves were drawn here, and why they began to reject the
flow
. He knew so much more now. And yet, for all his strength, he was unable to alter the path set before him.

Gerath had spoken of his anger toward the Creator.
I feel it too, father
. He could see where he needed to go. And he knew that
he
was waiting for him. But first he must repay the man who had saved him. What he must do now would break his heart. Only leaving Kaylia and Jayden would hurt him more.

It took just a few minutes to find the one he sought. He was wandering aimlessly a short distance from the Black Oasis. As Gewey reached out and touched the man's mind, his heart sank. He could feel nothing but rage and confusion. His will had been enslaved and his spirit broken. The gathering of the Vrykol was far away to the north, yet still they controlled him – or at least, what was left of him.

He descended about fifty yards from where Lee Starfinder was standing. His friend's skin was pale and riddled with pulsating veins that were filled with corrupted blood. The clothes hanging off him were tattered and covered in dirt and grime. Though he wore no boots, the bare skin on his feet was unaffected by the scorching sands, and his black eyes were utterly devoid of life or intelligence.

The moment he spotted Gewey he charged toward him, screaming maniacally. His speed was beyond belief, and he covered more than half the distance between them in a mere instant. But Gewey was not there to fight.

Using the
flow
of the earth, he enveloped his mentor in a pillar of sand all the way up to his neck. Lee struggled furiously, but the sand hardened into unyielding stone.

“I am so sorry,” Gewey said. “But there is nothing I can do for you.” He moved closer and touched his face. Lee grunted just once, then became unconscious. “You will join your wife in heaven soon, I promise you.”

So many promises
, he thought.
How many of them will I be able to keep?

The bells and laughter of the
flow
of the spirit surrounded him. “Farewell, my good friend,” Gewey said quietly. With that, he ripped Lee’s spirit from his corrupted body.

The foulness of what the Vrykol had done to him wrapped around the light of his soul, strangling and biting into its purity. Before now, Gewey would have simply destroyed it and sent Lee into oblivion. But thanks to his freshly acquired knowledge, he knew a better way. With great care, he reached inside and pulled out the remains of his friend's soul. It was not enough to sustain a
living body. But once heaven had been reopened and Lee was taken beyond its gates, he would be whole again.

“Until then, rest and be at peace.”

Gewey willed Lee’s spirit within the borders of the Black Oasis and asked the others waiting there to watch over him. That done, he rose skyward and looked out over the sands.

“I am coming,” he roared. His voice shook the earth and echoed across the desert.

“I am waiting,” came a soft reply.