Chapter 5 Rifts
Rifts
Declan was the first to dash around the corner as the chanting of a spell and the blue-white light of a rift flared.
Finley’s chest grew tight. He remembered this.
The endless flares of rifts. The endless battling.
The faint screams of dying humans and then…
those had stopped. But the Leviathans’ cries had just begun as his best friend had not wavered, not rested, not tired. Just kept going…
His best friend had always tried to hide his differences, his strengths, after that battle but now it seemed as if he were throwing all caution to the wind. Before Finley would have been glad.
See? He would have said. Humans have magic! They can defend themselves and others against the Leviathan! You should treat us as equals!
But he knew that Declan wasn’t human now. It was hard to believe he’d ever thought that Declan could be. His best friend was so different even before all of the Leviathan killing. That difference had drawn him near Declan, but repulsed most others. Not that Declan seemed to care.
His best friend regarded people with wary suspicion.
Was that because of the 40 years of life he’d lived with the Kindreth?
How hard had his life been? Had it caused him to develop some unconscious sense that people simply couldn’t be trusted?
But Finley loved him all the more desperately for this uncertainty in dealing with people. Because Finley was different, too.
Declan’s special. I’m just strange.
Wasn’t that what his parents had always indicated to him with their veiled discussions and narrow-eyed looks?
The kids at school had always thought him a little off, too.
It made sense to everyone that the two outsiders–Declan and Finley–had become friends with each other.
Because no one else would do it. Strangely, after the war, no one treated them that way. Because strange had become normal.
Declan had used his difference–everything in him without restraint–to save Finley and Gemma.
And now he was fighting the Leviathan again for much the same reason.
Finley’s heart began to pound like a drum.
He nearly ran after Declan. Declan meant safety.
But Declan shouldn’t be doing this on his own! Not this time!
But Rhalyf gripped his shoulder, drawing Finley’s attention back to him. “Stay back out of sight. Don’t even think about following after us until we call you. Promise me, Finley!”
Finley’s head snapped up to look into Rhalyf’s handsome face.
There were lines there that had not been present that afternoon and it hurt to see them.
They were carved by despair. His heart ached instead of pounded.
He covered Rhalyf’s gripping hand with his own and squeezed it.
His own fear dimmed. Rhalyf had greater problems. More immediate problems. And Finley didn’t want to add to him.
Rhalyf clearly cared for his safety. It was surprising and it made him feel safe, too.
“I will,” Finley promised. “Go. Save Darcassan.”
Before he starts a war with Vex.
“I’ll be right back. With Declan. Don’t you worry,” Rhalyf promised him and then he leaned in and kissed Finley on the forehead once more.
It wasn’t the quick press of lips like it had been when he’d been kissing Finley’s “big brain” but more tender.
He pulled back and searched Finley’s eyes for a moment then said, “Everything will be fine.”
For me? Maybe. But for you? I wish I could make that promise to you, Rhalyf. I wish Aquilan could see what I do.
Then Rhalyf turned from him. The loss of his touch had Finley swaying forward as if he needed it to stand upright. He caught himself. Firmed himself. He was strong. He would be fine. He had to be fine for the others.
Aquilan and Rhalyf moved as one unit after Declan with Elasha behind them.
She was pulling out two twin swords that flared with magical light.
Aquilan and Rhalyf tossed spells to each other as if they had done this hundreds–thousands–of times.
They probably had. Plasma, fire and acid balls were exchanged as if they were marbles.
Rhalyf and Aquilan were best friends forged in battle and good wine and food after the killing was done. Would lies destroy all of that?
Lies that were understandable after what Aquilan said about Kindreth.
Finley wouldn’t have expected the Sun King to have such prejudice, especially since he had seemed interested in Vex after singing The Forever Hunt.
But maybe there was more here. There definitely was.
Aquilan wasn’t such a hypocrite. He seemed torn between two different poles. It was odd.
Vex did kill two of his citizens. Maybe that was enough to change his mind. But he didn’t think so. I just hope he can see beyond whatever it is to give Rhalyf a chance to explain. And what about Declan? If Declan is Vex’s son then…
Finley didn’t know what would happen if Aquilan turned against the two Night Elves. Well, he knew what he would do. He would take his best friend and Rhalyf’s sides. Even if that meant losing any chance at getting into Taranth. Or even staying in Tyrael.
It’s not fair! Declan, at least, was here first!
Before the Sun Elves. This is his home. He shouldn’t be forced out, Finley thought angrily.
And Earth is humanity’s home. It’s not right that Aquilan should be allowed to kick Rhalyf out either.
Whatever old quarrels are between the Aravae and the Kindreth shouldn’t hold sway on this plane.
Besides where would they go? Shonda and Michael will help. I know they will.
“CRUSH! SMASH! KILL! MONEY!” Snaglak lifted up his club as he bellowed his unique war cry.
Glom let out a warble after “MONEY” as if he, too, knew what that meant, which was, undoubtedly, something to do with ham.
Snaglak and Glom tumbled after Declan. The naki let out a wild hiss of joy as it trundled behind its master, still trying to nibble on Snaglak’s heels as it did so. Finley shook his head. This would be the first time that Snaglak would fight beside Declan.
Snaglak and Glom will be right by him. They’ll watch Declan’s back.
A frown soon followed. He should be fighting too. He should be out there. By Declan and Snaglak’s sides throwing fireballs and…
Humans don’t have magic. His hands fisted at his sides. They don’t. All my belief that we did stemmed from Declan and he’s a Night Elf. So that hope is gone. I’m just a useless human. Weak. Powerless. I’ll only get in the way.
His heart tumbled into his feet. How could the thing he loved the most–the thing that entranced him–always be out of reach?
How was that fair? Technology allowed everyone to do miraculous things like delve into all of human knowledge or talk to someone across the globe. Technology was the great uplifter.
But magic?
That was the great divider. You either had the skill or you did not. You had the gift or you did not. Yes, there was hard work involved and if that was all there had been to separate the great Mages from the mediocre ones, Finley would have risen to the top. But he had nothing.
“Are you going to stay with me, Helgrom?” Finley asked as he noticed the dwarf drawing his hammer from its holder at his back.
“Ach, laddie, I will keep you safe better from in there,” Helgrom said, patting his arm with a hand that was sheathed in armor. “You stay here. Out of sight. Safe. We’ll come get you when it’s over.”
“Oh, right. You’re going to fight, too,” Finley said softly.
With a grimness and determination that Finley had never seen on the inn keeper’s face before, Helgrom launched himself down the hallway, shouting a word in dwarvish that Finley knew meant victory or death.
His hammer was held high over his head and Finley knew that many a Leviathan would be crushed beneath its weight.
He runs an inn, but he’s a great warrior. Fair enough that his father was a king and he’s actually a king. But still! An innkeeper has more to offer than I do on the battlefield. How will humans ever get respect like this?
Now he was alone at the bottom of the stairs. The darkness clung to him like cobwebs. He drew his arms around himself. He didn’t even have a kitchen knife like Declan. If anything came after him here he would have no chance against it.
The others will keep the monsters at bay. Declan killed the ones up above. So there’s nothing to come get me here. Is there? He grimaced. God! Listen to me! Like a child scared of the dark! Will I start rocking myself, pull a blanket over my head, and hope I’m safe?
Bright flashes of purple, green and gold light reflected against the wall that led into the station.
They were like brilliant fireworks and the afterglow of them was imprinted on his retinas for a few seconds.
He glanced over his shoulder back up the stairs to the Pedway.
Nothing there. Declan had killed them all, he reminded himself.
But still, he hated having all that empty space behind him.
Something could creep up and he’d never know until it was too late.
Maybe I’ll just get a little closer to everybody, he thought. Not in the way and not to be seen. But not so exposed either.
He crept to the wall where Declan had flattened himself just moments earlier and mimicked the position subconsciously.
Then he slowly, carefully peeked around the corner.
This wasn’t part of the plan to keep himself unseen.
In fact, he was pretty sure that Rhalyf would consider it breaking his promise on some level.
But he couldn’t help himself. Magic was being used!
And he could see it up close and personal here.
This was battle magic so it wasn’t something that he would see Rhalyf simply cast for fun.
No, this was the only place he’d catch a glimpse of it. So it was worth the risk.