Chapter 11 Overload
Overload
Aquilan cradled Declan against his chest as he used his magical senses to find the hurt.
Declan was clearly hurt. He fumbled taking the young man’s sunglasses off his face before setting them carefully aside.
He knew that when they got back to Earth that Declan would need them.
Because the Sun would rise. The light would reign over the land.
And this blasted darkness would be gone.
And they were going back to Earth.
They would be in Tyrael.
Declan would be going home.
To the Aravae Empire. Not the Kindreth one. He’d promised Declan that. He would keep that promise.
“Declan? Declan, can you hear me?” Aquilan called.
The young man’s eyes were closed, but they were moving underneath his eyelids as if he were dreaming, but they were clearly not good dreams. His whole body was twitching, shaking, and shuddering.
Cold sweat coated his forehead and upper lip.
Aquilan pressed the back of his right hand against Declan’s forehead.
He snatched it back with a hiss of pain.
He turned it over and saw ice crystals had formed a thin layer across his knuckles.
They quickly broke and melted away, but the unnatural chill remained. He shook his hand, but it ached.
Not a fever then. Some kind of magical storm perhaps?
That had to be it. He had seen what his Shadow had done. The power that must have taken would have been incredible. It dwarfed his own. Never had he seen anything like it.
Had Vex seen it?
Of course, he had.
His son was… his son. A magical prodigy.
That Declan could destroy a Leviathan nest so huge with a sweep of his sword arm shouldn’t have been surprising.
But it was. Of course it was. Because, though he had already known that Declan was a remarkable fighter, and had guessed he would have great magic, what he had seen Declan do was something altogether on another level.
And what caused it? What caused Declan to suddenly snap?
The drifting remnants of the cocoon that Declan had tried to catch floated before Aquilan’s eyes and dusted Declan’s cheeks. He grimaced as he tried to scrub them away. They left smears of ashy-white on the already too pale face.
The person in the cocoon… Who was that? Someone Declan knew clearly. A person from Earth dragged here and entombed for the Leviathan to feast upon undoubtedly.
He thought of the other cocooned figure he had seen earlier in the nest that had dissolved at the barest of touches.
It had been a horrible experience for him and he had not recognized the person within.
What would it feel like to see a familiar face?
To see potentially a beloved face? His Shadow had lost nearly everyone in the war.
This could have been a friend or part of his adopted family.
Good gods, no. I am so sorry, Declan. So sorry that I didn’t shield you from this. Protect you from it. But I didn’t. I didn’t…
He cursed himself for rushing ahead in the nest. He’d been so eager to get them out of there that he hadn’t realized that Declan had slowed then stopped.
If only he had been more aware of what was happening with his Shadow!
But this self-flagellation was useless. Worse than useless.
He had to focus on Declan and help him now.
Find out what was wrong. And make those beautiful eyes open and focus once more.
“Declan? Declan?!” Aquilan called his name, gently shaking him, but Declan remained insensate.
I have to help him! But can I? If this is the result of a magical storm, why isn’t it dissipating?
He released so much energy, but he’s still shaking with power!
This is beyond me. Where is Vex? Aquilan shot a quick glance around the cavern, but the beautiful and terrible presence of Xelroth Vex did not appear.
They were alone. With the lichen. The Night King is his father!
If anyone would be able to help him, it would be Vex. Just like he knew how to help me…
But then Aquilan shook himself. Vex’s help didn’t come without strings.
Hadn’t he learned that? His mother and father certainly had.
Vex had all but stated he had not killed them.
Yet they had only ventured into the Under Dark to somehow undo those strings on his life.
He knew that. And their deaths were connected to that bargain.
So while Vex may not have cut them down, he had a hand in it.
So the last thing Aquilan wanted for Declan was for him to be beholden to the Night King.
Whatever had happened between Declan and Vex in Illithor had soured the young man on his father for the time being.
He would not bind them together. It seemingly was the last thing Declan wanted.
Besides, I am a healer. Or was… once…
He had spent as much time healing wounds on the battlefield as killing, but still it was stomach-clenching to try and help Declan. What did he know about the Kindreth? Could he hurt Declan in an attempt to help him?
Obviously spells that involved the healing power of the Sun would be highly detrimental so what spells would be helpful? He wasn’t even completely sure what was wrong! But then Declan arched in his arms. His whole body was like a bow. Taut and shaking.
I will give everything I have to help him!
Aquilan’s hands glowed gold as he was about to pour all of his healing energy into the young man when Rhalyf shouted, “DON’T! AQUILAN, STOP!”
Aquilan jerked and his head snapped towards his best friend who was running towards him. Rhalyf had a hand outstretched and his face was pale as cream. At that moment, Aquilan realized that Rhalyf knew what was wrong with Declan.
No, that can’t be. He’s an Aravae. He would not know anything more than me. Even if the Neres have Kindreth blood, what would he know of a Vex?
“He’s getting worse, Rhalyf! I have to help him!” Aquilan cried.
But he halted. Because even if Rhalyf didn’t know for certain what was wrong with Declan, he never said things like this lightly.
His best friend was the smartest person he knew.
The most capable of Mages, too. And while healing was not Rhalyf’s strong point, his instincts about what was wrong–especially if it was magically wrong–were always correct.
Rhalyf flew to his side, skidding at the last moment so that he landed on his knees by Aquilan’s side.
Immediately, his hands hovered over Declan’s body, moving up and down it, but not touching it.
Aquilan had a ridiculous urge to pull Declan tight against him as if he didn’t wish to share the young man.
But, of course, he didn’t. Rhalyf might be able to help.
His best friend’s mouth formed silent words of some spell.
Some spells he never speaks loud enough for me to hear the words. For anyone. But others he does. Why?
But this was another question he could not afford to ask right now. So many of those in the Pedway. So many more now about Rhalyf, but more importantly, about himself.
“What do you sense? Why don’t you want me to give him my energy?” Aquilan demanded to know.
Rhalyf’s gray eyes were intent on the young man. He gave Aquilan a half smile. “Look at him, Aquilan. The last thing he needs is more magic coursing through him. He’s full up. He’s trying to release it, but can’t.”
Aquilan looked back down at Declan. Was it an overload of magic doing this? Yet that seemed impossible.
“I suppose it could be a magical storm of some sort. But you saw what he did, didn’t you?” Aquilan asked with a shake of his head in wonder. “All that power released, he should be drained to the dregs, but you’re claiming he’s not?”
“Forget what you think you know. Just look at him,” Rhalyf said.
Aquilan lowered his gaze once more, ready to protest, but then he saw it. Declan was vibrating with power. There was so much of it that it was threatening to shake him apart.
But how is this possible?
Finley huddled down on the other side of him and Declan then. One of his elegant, expressive hands touched Declan’s forehead lightly as if to let Declan know he was there. And it seemed, for a moment in any case, that Declan did know and was eased by it.
“I’ve only seen him a fraction this ill after being in the Sun,” Finley said.
His voice held a low hum of fear and anxiety, but he tightly controlled it.
Aquilan could hardly believe that this young man had only lived 25 years.
He had the poise of an elf who had lived a thousand at least. “But there’s no Sun down here, Rhalyf, what’s wrong with him? ”
“His magic…” Elasha pressed a hand tight against her chest. She was carrying a set of magnificent daggers that glowed like the Sun. “How… How did he do that? The whole nest is destroyed by one blow.”
“No one has that much magic,” Darcassan muttered, shaking his head in disbelief even though he had seen what all of them had seen.
His nephew was tottering on his feet, looking gray and ill as well. Aquilan’s alarm rose, but Darcassan steadied himself. He could not have two people he cared about in such dire straits at once!
“Declan big boss,” Snaglak muttered even as he patted Glom’s head anxiously. “Big, big boss.”
And to think, Rhalyf and I laughed at the thought of him defeating six orcs! Six orcs would be nothing to him.
Helgrom’s amber eyes were glowing steadily as he stared at Declan’s suffering form. “Rhalyf, please help the boy. You must help him. You know who he is.”
You know who he is… The Night Prince… The son of Xelroth Vex… Heir to the Kindreth Empire… And here we are. In the shadow of Illithor. Vex, where are you? Aquilan called again mentally even as he warned himself not to.
“Who is he exactly?” Darcassan asked. His eyes flickered suspiciously between all of them. “You’re not saying he’s the Night King’s son again, are you? That’s just crazy.”