Chapter 109

A long and torturous battle gave way to a weary dawn.

All Riley wanted to do was sleep.

Tobias, still pale and feeling sick from the trauma, trudged stoically forward, making his way up the road toward the cemetery as Riley moved beside him, beleaguered by all that had happened.

The strange voice rang in her ears again. It sounded some like Grimm.

Life is a balance. It takes all to make a life. Fear not.

"That's easy for you to say," she said to herself in reflection, letting the cool predawn air chase away some of the cobwebs, with her reflection acting as her other crutch, keeping her going, keeping her moving, distracting her from the soreness in her joints, or the low-level buzz of fatigue and grit that felt like sand in her eyes that seemed to be growing by the moment.

"We verify the portal is closed, we check in with command, and we sleep the day in the cathedral," Tobias said, offering his words like a conciliation.

Svad had been left behind, tethered in town, next to a full trough of water, safe from the deluge of events that had transpired between now and then.

It did not matter that it had only been one battle. It had been enough.

As if in harbinger to that truth, notifications blinked for her attention in the upper right-hand corner of her vision, and, like always, she was choosing to ignore them.

Hopping into a tree wouldn't do, after all.

"So, no pushing back to Ashenvale?" Riley asked, seeking confirmation, hoping against hope.

A safe cathedral was just as good as a safe basement with a bed.

"Not till tonight unless you can present a compelling need too. I'm doing my best to hold down what breakfast I have left," Tobias admitted as they came upon a broken down stone wall.

True to form, a glowing, blue-white tear in reality presented itself, existing at the border between the graveyard and the forest. Just behind it were dozens of blown open graves, with bits of coffin lumber strewn about.

Otherwise, it was preternaturally quiet; not a bird sang or flew, or squirrel ran from tree to tree, which granted the scene a strange and quiet dignity akin to the calm after a thunderstorm.

The portal pulsed, its ovoid edges distorting.

"We don't have long to harvest its energy," Tobias announced, racing forward as three stones appeared in hand.

Setting them out, forming a rough triangle around the strange aperture, it began to pulse faster as the stones glowed brighter, strobing with light all as the portal began to fade.

With a pop, it vanished as if it had never been there.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Somehow it just got even more quiet," Riley said, her projected voice booming like a sheet of thunder.

"Portals have this inaudible hum. You can't hear it, but you can feel it; makes you tense," Tobias tapped his chest for emphasis.

Gathering up the stones, he held the three aloft in triumph. "Mana potions."

"You just want to play with your new alchemy kit," Riley accused.

"It's not playing. It's serious business," he countered.

"Uh-huh..." Riley said, her tone dripping with disbelief.

"Still, I wish I could have used more alchemy in that fight," he confessed, setting his hands on his hips, surveying around.

"I don't know if it would have made much of a difference," Riley replied as they began to make a circuit, checking tombs and graves for any stragglers.

"I've never seen a healing ability like that. You're probably right. You had to drain him, didn't you?" Tobias's words were casual, but she could not help but sense his deep concern over their bond.

"Can we talk about this later?" She asked.

"The monster's dead, and that's what matters. Of course, it will keep," he said.

Riley winced as she felt the concern increase, saying what he wouldn't.

"Yes, I drained him, ok, and then I had a vision, all three sides of myself, with a booming voice talking about balance and how I shouldn't be afraid, but I don't feel afraid! I feel....guilty." She made a show of peeking over a grave, trying to distract herself.

Far down was an open coffin, missing its top, looking like a prop from an old west horror movie.

Riley could feel Tobias probing their connection, reaching out across his half of the bond.

"I'm here. I understand," he said, checking the last row, leaving it at that.

"The Erkrandir is a "true enemy of reality," whatever the hell that means. It was all drive and no sense, which is exactly how I felt when our mana bottomed, and I was feeding on him like some type of vampire bat, so what makes me different?" She asked, her voice quiet and small as Tobias pulled out his com crystal.

"Ranger Forward to Command," Tobias said, letting the conversation wait.

"Little busy Ranger Forward. Move up that line! Keep up the pressure, Cavalry, move to the eastern flank, repositioning through the rear," came the reply from the Captain.

"We're an hour and a half out, moving quick. Do you need us to come in and assist?" Tobias asked, the tension chasing away all other tiredness and concerns.

"Negative, we've taken some losses, but this is, at best, a preliminary force. Our lines are holding. The best thing you can do is take down that portal. Is it done? That will help us the most right now," he asked.

"Closed, and lynchpin entity defeated," Tobias reported with a hint of pride.

"Exactly what I needed to hear. Report in when you can, we'll be waiting. Command out."

The crystal dimmed as Tobias looked towards Riley. "Successful mission."

"Our first successful mission," she added, as joy chased away some of her fear.

"Let's go, goon," he said, walking towards the entrance of the cemetery.

For a while, they moved in silence, enjoying the quiet early morning hours with its misty coolness. Sun dappled through the forest as Riley reflected over and over again, caught in a loop of rumination and resolve.

"You're not a true enemy of reality, Riley," Tobias said, his voice breaking the peace just as they crested a small hill, bringing the depopulated city of Bremerton into view.

"How can you be sure? When I'm out of control, I stop thinking. There was this strange sensation of flow and instinct at the end of that fight like I wasn't driving," she began.

"And that's where you've gone wrong. When the threat was over did you feed on me? Or start roaming around like a monster seeking victims?" Tobias challenged.

"I passed out," Riley countered again.

"So? What about the last time, with the Imp? You didn't then? Your instincts kicked in, and in the heat of battle, you followed them until the battle ended. That's what the voice is trying to get through to you, I think. You might be part Erkrandir, but you're part Celestial, too, and in between those two forces is a unique balance. Life confluence, remember? That doesn't mean you won't swing to one side, but never all the way. That ability has saved us three times now; it's our trump card, and you've responded each time not with elation but concern. That should tell you something," Tobias pointed down at her, all while looking longingly at the Cathedral.

"That's... That's fair, I guess," Riley replied, at a loss for words.

"You'll feel better after dinner. I think we both will," Tobias replied.

"And sleep," Riley added.

She only hoped she could.