Chapter 53
—Danek—
The forest was quiet without Kienna’s presence, even with Broan talking next to him.
His Viking brother invited him to sit amongst the rest of his newfound family.
He’d boasted to them of Danek’s exceptional company, so when Danek zoned out and brooded instead, he earned a rightful elbow to the ribs.
“Where the fuck’s your mind, Brother? We haven’t seen each other in weeks.”
Danek lifted his chin off his hand. The rest of the Vikings stared at him with a mixture of emotions.
The woman was the least friendly and least favorable, matching closest to Broan’s demeanor.
The smallest Viking, however, reminded Danek of his past self.
Danek wasn’t necessarily smaller or weaker than his other Guardians, but his heart lived on his sleeve, and he often trailed the others.
He didn’t think he’d go back to that kind of man after the island split him bare, gave him his memories, and told him he was meant for something.
What that something was refused to be seen.
Danek’s power increased regardless. He grew stronger.
Faster. Smarter. He proved that in the desert and on the battlefields.
He proved it every day in the Hollow Blades.
“Pretty boy?” Broan asked.
“Sorry,” Danek responded, shaking his thoughts away.
“Fuck.” Broan reached behind him, digging in a pack until he pulled out a large skin filled to the brim. He shoved it into Danek’s chest. “Drink.”
Danek stared at the skin. Slowly, he unlatched the cover. Strong barley released into the air, foam spilling over the rim. “I don’t—”
“Brood like that, and you drink,” Ingrid snorted, crossing her arms. “Viking customs.”
Lief and Broan laughed. Danek took a careful swallow and immediately coughed, eyes watering. Whatever was in that flask was three times the ale he’d ever had. It was earthy and pungent. Danek resisted the urge to growl in disgust.
Broan grinned. “You’re still soft. Drink more.”
Danek grimaced, handing the skin back to the Vikings. “I think I need a walk.” He rose from his seat and left without saying goodbye. They were a brutish bunch anyway. Anything polite he had to say would probably have been mocked by Broan’s sister, Ingrid.
Broan’s heavy steps crunched behind him. “Mind explaining?”
“Do you want to spar?” Danek asked, stopping quickly as he turned to Broan. He certainly didn’t want to explain anything about what he was feeling. It wouldn’t have made a difference.
Broan tilted his head for a moment, studying Danek out of the corner of his eye. Then he smirked. “You are brooding a little too much. Makes sense to hit something. Which island?”
Danek thought about it. He had three islands that empowered him.
Broan had one. It wouldn’t be a fair fight, but part of Danek wanted Broan to know who he’d become as well.
Broan never made Danek feel inferior despite his grand presence.
Walking next to the Viking, Danek realized he wasn’t as tall anymore.
Danek’s head nearly reached Broan’s chin. “Galeweaver?”
“The fucking wind?” Broan scratched at his jaw.
“I can fly,” Danek said.
Broan raised a brow at the declaration. He caved instantly and let Danek lead them up to the island gusting with wind.
As they walked, the trees swayed, pouring light along their path.
It guided them past the sacred islands with prayer temples.
Danek caught glimpses of the water sanctuary.
He’d seen small spurts of water magic in Trinity once after a battle he had no part in, but there weren’t any water mages around.
When his eye caught the sacred house of fire, Danek had to clear his throat. “Did you know I used to like history?”
“What?” Broan asked, almost stopping.
“In River Storm,” Danek continued, weaving further up the bridges. “I don’t know why the king wiped that memory from me. I think it was taken after Kienna was in the dungeons.”
Broan did stop at this revelation. “You have your memories?”
Danek confirmed, briefly explaining his trip to the island above and how he took Kienna there as well.
He didn’t give many details. He couldn’t.
The island demanded its privacy, but Danek did wonder why Broan was never called.
Or Moira. They all carried the Eternal Mother’s magic.
Surely, she’d want them back, too. It was a thought that crossed his mind from time to time when he ran through the forests of the Malintale.
Why him first? “I wonder if the island will take you,” Danek said.
Broan barely reacted to this revelation. He continued onward. “I thought about my missing memories for a long time after we left that fucking wall. It’s funny.” He scratched at the lightning sigil on his temple. “I can’t think of a time my memories could have been stripped. Nothing is missing.”
“You don’t have distorted views of our life there? I always had a feeling it was a terrible place, but it was confusing because my memories told me a different story.”
The Viking shrugged, shaking his head. “I remember every damn hit the king gave me. I don’t know. Maybe he fucking tried, but I know what I left.”
“Hmm.” No wonder Broan switched sides so easily.
Kienna wrestled with it for a long time.
Even Danek had his reservations at first. He had pride, of course.
He found his heritage, and that sparked a lot of emotion within him.
He didn’t jump for joy to join the battle like Broan did.
He simply existed. It wasn’t until the Mother called him and restored his being that he knew he was part of this realm and this war whether he liked it or not.
Whether he was on the right side or not.
Sides were a fickle thing for Danek. All he knew was he was fighting against King Vaerin and protecting the people he loved most was enough for him for now.
“Well, he certainly did a number on Kienna and Moira.”
“Aye,” Broan agreed, and for once, he didn’t have a mean thing to say at the sound of Kienna’s name. “That he did.”
The Galeweaver Island came into view. Wind mages soared through the air, leaping with all their might as they trained in battle tactics. There was word that King Vaerin’s army retreated to River Storm. Their presence was no longer seen, like how it had been after Dalelry.
King Vaerin was playing with them, surely.
His army was strong. How could it not be when they resurrected from the dead?
Only when Danek put Baila out of commission with her shadow blade did the war turn in their favor.
And yet, King Vaerin still had monsters from the dead.
The shadow blade was nothing. It was simply something he sent Baila with to toy with them.
There was no other explanation. The king had this power to himself.
So, the question still stood: Why was he playing this game?
Why was he not coming out of River Storm to end this for himself?
And what happened to Baila?
“You look sick,” Broan said as he stepped onto the island.
Danek pushed the guilt away. He needed to hit something to rid himself of the pent-up energy. Broan was as good a target as any. “Shall we set ground rules?”
“You are still fucking soft,” Broan laughed. “I imagine the damn island will block my magic again?”
Shrugging, Danek rolled his sleeves. “We can go to the Shardborn Island if you’re scared.”
“Ha!” Broan pushed his hand into the ground, igniting a spark within his palm. The island rumbled a little. It wasn’t enough for Broan’s magic to take hold and do anything special.
Danek grinned. Above them, Raelan and several other mages somersaulted through the air, landing in a loose arc beyond the clearing.
Broan tipped his head to follow their movement, and that was all the opening Danek needed.
Wind caught him mid-leap, lifting him cleanly over Broan’s shoulder.
When the Viking turned back, Danek was already circling. “Over here,” he called.
Broan pivoted in time for a boot to slam into his chest, the force shoving him back a step. “You fuck,” he spat. “You won’t land that move again.”
We’ll see.
Broan and Danek circled each other. Danek watched the big man clumsily step over his own feet.
Perhaps Danek had something to teach Broan after all.
Before going to the mountains, Danek had way more to learn about himself and his magic.
Broan was on a path of discovery that matched Danek’s.
Danek was not as inferior as he once thought.
This gave him confidence. It far outweighed the feeling of Kienna leaving him behind to go to Dove Port, and it certainly overtook the guilt he carried for Baila’s potential turn. The sigil on his temple bloomed with power, the luminescent, blue glow shining through his vision.
“Do my eyes light up that way?” Broan asked.
“Not at all,” Danek said. He leapt forward, taking Broan’s sleeves and slinging him to the side.
Broan stumbled over his feet and barely caught himself before hitting the ground. Adjusting his tactic, he bent his knees, lowering to prepare.
Danek struggled to hide the smug laughter. “Are you playing defense?”
“You’ve become a cocky shit.”
Danek cricked his neck, the blue overcoming his face.
He pulled the wind inward, the gust twisting around him.
He was a vortex made flesh. When the wind reached its peak, he released it until it picked Broan from the ground and flung him toward the trees.
Danek caught him before he slammed too hard against the bark.
He landed on the grass next to the High Commander.
“I yield,” Broan said.
“We’ve barely begun.” Danek approached, shooting Tristian an apologetic glance.
The High Commander barely paid them any attention as he scribbled in a book.
“Are you already tired of getting your ass kicked?” Danek laughed.
“Shardborn,” Broan said, pulling himself up. “I’ll show you an ass kicking.”