CHAPTER FIFTY #3
Nearly five months prior, Deckard had been to Olbury on his recruiting mission.
The town had intrigued him even then, though he hadn’t had much chance to explore.
Large merchant ships were moored alongside smaller fishing trawlers and dories at the docks.
While farmland surrounded the outskirts of the city, the majority of its revenue came from fishing and trade.
The Allundan language was met with a blend of Schonese and various other foreign languages and accents Deckard didn’t recognize.
Merchant stalls in the trade district were filled with men and women with unique features and manners of dress.
The sharp, pungent scents of Jal’Khoyan spices, a nation in lower Giyda, contrasted sharply with the sweet aroma of caramelized nuts from the Denebergen stands, the northernmost empire in Matteire.
Evylin gaped around at the chaos and novelty. “Where are all these people from?” she asked.
“The varying nations of Terraeus,” Isla said. “Olbury is the singular post of foreign trade in Allund.”
“Though we intend to change that,” Vayden added. “We’d like to see far more commerce and resources coming to our land.”
Dismounting, they led their horses toward an inn, boarding them in the stables. However, they didn’t bother to rent rooms. Their plans were already set.
With their shortened timeline, they would enter the Terrae Keep that evening.
Though Ilain was the stronger Mage and could employ her Terrae magic if called to, Isla had a stronger connection to the resource.
Therefore, she would lead their charge and defeat the Guardian.
After recovering the Relic, they would then camp around the Keep, watching for Blount’s arrival.
They would be exhausted, but it was their best chance.
If they could ambush Blount on his way down into the Keep, he and his men would bottleneck in the stairwell, unable to defend themselves well.
With their four Relics in hand and a Bonded couple, they should manage his defeat handily.
As prepared as they could be and all feeling the urgency of their mission, the troop followed Isla and Ilain, who were guided by their Elemental magic toward the Terrae Keep.
Outside of the port city, they wound through the rocky cliffs that lined the shore.
The sea breeze coated them with salty air.
Pebbles crunched under their boots on the cavernous beachside.
The wild, green-blue ocean rolled around them as they traversed the craggy shore.
Nearly two hours later, they found the split in the cliffside.
They squeezed through and into the antechamber below, Deckard’s magic humming contentedly within him.
After the dedication he and Evylin had shown to their marital “practice” the previous two nights, he’d begun to find his center.
Though he had yet to utilize their Bond in battle as a means of control in a heightened situation, he was going into this Keep with more hope than ever before.
They stepped into the antechamber of the Terrae Keep, emerald light pooling into the hall as they drew their weapons.
A faint sense of nostalgia reached Deckard, a feeling that Evylin shared.
He scanned the arched windows and domed ceilings.
This was the last time they’d enter a Keep.
And while he wouldn’t miss the looming possibility of death, he would always remember the wonder and beauty of the magical worlds within.
Flora decorated the ironwork windows around them.
They passed farther into the hall. Isla and Ilain stood at the front, ready to open the metal door.
Ethenn held the Wind bow ready while Brea transformed the Night Relic into a staff of iridescent amethyst. A pulse of power came from Deckard’s side as Evylin held the Space sword in her hand.
The onyx blade seemed to absorb the emerald light around it while reflecting a rainbow of colors around its hilt.
Ilain paused at the door, looking over her shoulder at them. Isla and Vayden stood with her, with Thom and Rafferty next in line. Deckard and Evylin waited next while Brea and Ethenn took up the rear.
“This is it,” Ilain said, her eyes locked behind Deckard’s shoulder.
He felt Ethenn shift behind him. She swallowed tightly.
“I want to thank you all,” she addressed the Ephrians, an unexpected glimmer of moisture in her eyes.
“Without you, Auden and I would have failed long ago. You made this possible, and my brother’s legacy will live on through our success. ”
A somber silence passed through the hall.
Finally, Thom raised his chin. “Into the fray,” he said proudly.
With a nod, Deckard added, “Into the fight.”
Ilain gave the brothers a soft smile. Then she turned to Isla. “Into the fray,” she repeated.
Isla stepped forward, turned, and set her hand on the iron door. A booming thunk echoed into the hall. The door slid open with rolling clicks.
A momentary surge of panic raced through Deckard’s limbs. He feared that he’d be consumed by the power of Space when he stepped over the threshold. But Evylin’s fingers brushed his arm.
“Together,” she said.
He looked down at her, taking comfort in her strength. “Together,” he murmured, and hand in hand, they stepped into the Terrae Keep as one.