Argol gave the lead when his sharp shout came out of his wide-open beak, letting the Titans know about the immediate danger, which was lurking on them.
„They attack!” Island suddenly shouted, taking his sword out of its scabbard. „The Dirges attack! Watch out!”
Hearing this, Lodur suddenly snapped his fingers, making the soldiers and the horses, who were still lying on the ground, vanish. Yet, he couldn’t save them all, for a few dozens fell already prey to the Dirges’madness, whose sharp shout made that valley suddenly seem like a real desert, and then, coming out of that abundant sand, that was also serving like a hard soil for them, the Dirges made the poor soldiers shudder from top to toe before making them disappear in the depths of the sand.
That’s why the Dirges madly shouted when the other soldiers vanished at Lodur’s command - because they lost part of their prey, and this was something unbelievable for them. So, while their shout surrounded the valley in seconds, making even the horizon shudder, their mouths opened much wider than a human mouth can be open, and this made them similar to real monsters, for the interior of their throat was somehow reminding those who were seeing this about the throat of that Black Hole known as Māṉsṭar Kēlaksi.
Seeing this, after he could finally take his palms from his ears and managed to tightly hold the handle of his sword, Boor could cut the head of an old Dirge, which right away rolled at the horse’s feet. Yet, even if he could protect himself from that imminent danger, other Dirges were coming toward him, as if summoned there by a secret call. Namely because of this Boor kept his other hand around Sephir’s girdle while she was the one holding the reins of the horse - for not allowing her to fight and uncover her face, for if this had happened, she would have been killed in seconds or would have fallen prey to madness because the Dirges had such power over the Spirits like Sephir was. And, also because of this, she didn’t even dare to normally breathe or move on that horse, looking like a real stone statue on that alive animal.
Around them, the other Titans were fighting tooth and nail, defending themselves with the swords from the lances and other sharp flying objects thrown by the Dirges toward them.
Then, a sudden powerful hit of a mace, felt on his back, followed by a side one, managed to make Boor totter on his horse. Yet, he could keep his balance eventually when he grabbed, so suddenly, the reins with his left hand, after releasing Sephir’s girdle.
Not feeling her father’s hand around her girdle, Sephir stopped breathing, and, only the fact that she squeezed the reins, betrayed that she was still alive, that she was aware of that battle. And, even if she knew that big danger that was surrounding them and that using her power she could help, Sephir stood calm, for she knew very well that she could have fallen prey to madness in the end and that too many people would have suffered because of her loss.
But there was another huge danger if Sephir had used her power: the fact that if she had fallen prey to Dirges, they could have used the power of a volcanic Spirit, like Sephir was, to escape the prison of the Valley of Cry, where the Dirges have been imprisoned many decades ago by Uranus after the Dirges made vanish hundreds of humans’villages, killing them all.
And the havoc left behind by the Dirges wasn’t just a legend, but a true fact, for they were cruel and savage, and, wherever they were seen, nothing alive was left behind.
Also, the legend known by humans about the Dirges said that they could appear next to humans out of nowhere, and, only by screaming in their ears or pitifully yelping next to them, could make them lose their minds and go into the wide world.
Thus, hundreds and hundreds of succumbed villages have been left behind after the Dirges had been heard then. And, because of this, the humans started to lament and ask Chaos for mercy. Then, when their prayers finally got to Chaos’s ears and he understood that the humans’hearts were bleeding because of the loss of their dears, he asked his son Uranus to save the world from those mad souls.
And as Uranus could only listen to his father, he had to obey his order in the end. That’s why, he gathered a big army, formed by Titans, Cyclops, and any other living creature able to fight against the Dirges and, after many days of battle and losses on both sides, they managed to chase the Dirges in the Valley of Cry, imprisoning them there.
But, the legend also said that before the Dirges have been imprisoned there, that Valley was splendid: green all over, with a lot of multicolored flowers, and which was smelling like the Garden of Paradise. However, after those one hundred and one days of battle between the Dirges and Uranus’s army, the Dirges have been finally defeated and Uranus could throw a strong curse over that Valley, just to close the Dirges there, forever.
Yet, the curse didn’t fall only over the Dirges, but also over the Valley, which lost its previous beauty and became just a ruin.
But… what Uranus forgot then has been to also mention the name of the volcanic spirits as those who couldn’t break the spell. Thus, Sephir entered the category of the Spirits whose power could release the Dirges and that’s why they were trying everything to summon her to that Valley.
„Island, help Boor!” Lodur told the Titan when he saw Boor tottering on his horse after those received mace hits.
But Island couldn't approach his son and granddaughter and help them because he was fighting with a man Dirge at that moment. That's why he only nodded yes, letting Lodur know that he heard him and rushed to defend his opponent, and only when Island saw that man Dirge dead, he tried to transform into an icy dragon. But... he couldn't in the end.
„Our Magic is useless here!” He heard Gaea’s voice in his head and he understood that he can help his son only by fighting with the sword.
But… while running toward Boor and Sephir, he met other enemies in his way, enemies that made him delay getting closer to his dears, and even if he bravely fought, he didn’t manage to get in time there, and, while fighting, he saw Boor thrown off his horse by another mace hit that Boor received on the back of his head this time.
Feeling dizzy after the hit, Boor felt at first that everything was spinning around him and, while falling, he saw Sephir’s hand slowly shaking while holding the reins.
That's why, with tearful eyes - partly because of the hit, partly because of knowing that Sephir was unprotected at that moment, Boor managed to whisper: „don’t do anything, Sephir! Don’t do anything! Just… bear up!”
„But, father…,” Boor heard Sephir’s voice in his head.
„Don’t do anything, Sephir! Only endure! Endure!” He whispered over and over again, lying on the sand, face up, and seeing that blue sky madly spinning in front of his eyes.
Then, he saw someone jerking from his left and climbing on his horse, behind Sephir. „No!” Boor yelled in his head, thinking that Sephir will be finally submitted by the Dirges.
That’s why, being so preoccupied with his daughter, after fighting against his pain and dizziness, Boor managed to stand up in a sitting position and he could glimpse how the person that was behind Sephir was whispering something in her ear, and when that stranger touched Sephir’s hands, she calmed down and confidently squeezed the reins.
After that, the same person that whispered in Sephir’s ear turned toward Boor and threw him a sword that she took from her girdle, yelling at him: „Don’t stay like this, Boor! Stand up!” And… hearing that woman’s voice, Boor shuddered, because it was a so familiar voice to him.
„Himera?!” whispered Boor, staring at that person and, when the wind uncovered her face, he finally saw that she was really Himera, Sephir’s mother, the one he considered dead after many years of looking for her, without finding her.
But… that one wasn’t any more that Himera he had known once: beautiful and lively - she looked much older, about 40 as if she had faced many harsh battles in that period of time they didn’t see each other and… half of Himera’s face had visible traces of scald.
Seeing him staring at her as if ashamed, Himera suddenly covered her face with that scarf that the wind tried to take from her. Then, she pulled the reins and spurred Tūfon to leave that place that could have been Sephir’s grave eventually if they had stood there for longer.
Behind them, a group of a few dozen women, dressed like Himera, followed Tūfon, running.
And, while staring behind them, Boor could see that all of them wore clothes made from a kind of dark-green cloth and they also had their heads covered by a thick scarf.
However, even if those women tried to vanish from there, unseen, they couldn’t and, while running, they had been attacked by a group of Dirges.
„Gaea! Follow them!” Lodur told the Titanide, who only nodded yes and spurred her horse after Sephir and her mother.
Only then, did Boor manage to stand up, after the dizziness felt in his head decreased its power, and then he looked at the sword’s blade that became red and, on the blade, something written could be seen: „go North after getting rid of the Dirges! We’ll wait for you at the border between the Valley of Cry and the former realms of Mortor!”
„Himera! Finally!” murmured Boor, squeezing the handle of the sword, but he hadn’t enough time to think more about this because he had been so suddenly attacked by other Dirges.
***
Tired and scraped as woe to them, after they finally managed to get rid of the Dirges that ran away - ashamed and with their tail between their legs - Dike, Lodur, Island, and Boor approached the Northern part of the Valley of Cry, that was considered the border between the Valley and the wide Ghost Realms, known once as the Realms of Mortor.
At the moment they were advancing toward that border, the sun was already rushing to bunk down, about to fall west and sink into that blue ocean, known as the horizon, leaving a big red stain, a fire one, on that blue celestial vault.
And namely that reddish shade of the sky made the right part, where it was considered to be the Phantasmagoric Forest of Mortor, look even darker than it really was, for even if during the day that part wasn’t more than a wide scorched land, the light of the night stars and especially the light of the dusk, often revealed, even if for a short period of time, those ghost trees and the black silhouettes of those souls that were still living in those realms.
Looking over there and thinking that someone was following them, Dike took Ionas out of its scabbard and the handle of Ionas suddenly illuminated in his hand. Then, the light of the handle has been projected to the right and the outline of the Forest of Mortor has been seen in all its quondam splendor.
And, when that image of the old Forest of Mortor, which was alternating with that ghost one, suddenly appeared in all its glory in front of their eyes, the Titans stopped and stared in amazement at what they were seeing.
„I can’t believe that it has been hidden from our glance and from the eye of our mind for thousands of years already. Now instead, it looks so alive, so beautiful, as if being painted on the horizon’s canvas,” Island murmured.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
„It’s because we didn't have why to see it till now,” Lodur answered as if those said by Island weren’t just a simple remark, but a question.
„Yet… this realm still has a mission to fulfill if it’s still on earth, in the same place where it had been once when its trees and its inhabitants were still alive,” Dike said and slowly bent toward the forest when, at the edge of that ghost forest, a few black silhouettes, surrounded by a thick fog and whose faces weren’t well seen, appeared.
Then, as if being summoned up there, other silhouettes, behind those 20 seen at first, appeared, and their lines were increasing and increasing when other silhouettes appeared behind those already seen and, those lines, got till far in the depths of the forest.
And, among those ghost-people, surrounded by black fog and mystery, there could also be seen the living creatures that had existed once in the Forest of Mortor: from a thick bush, a huge, black wolf appeared, slowly stepping toward the west; a fox has been seen to his right, having a small white bunny in her mouth; above the fox, on a thick branch, a magpie was seen, and, below her, at the entrance into a small hollow, seen on the upper part of the trunk, a red squirrel was seen, tightly holding a nut between its front paws.
Soon after, when Ionas’s light totally covered the first line of the trees, the cheerful chirps of the birds could be heard among the leaves, even if their small bodies weren’t seen. Then, those chirps had been accompanied by the melodious music of the other birds, by the owls’shouts, by the wolves’howls, or by the bears’grumble while they were climbing that slope, advancing through that forest.
„They continue their daily routine, even after their death. Just as they did while still being alive,” Boor murmured, thunderstruck.
„That’s right, son! They do, over and over again, the same things they were doing in the last moments of their lives,” Island said, melancholically smiling.
„And the havoc left behind by that huge fire, that eventually scorched the Forest of Mortor, can’t be described in words. It can be only seen,” murmured Dike.
„And it’s the same view we are seeing now, brother. We won’t ever see another one.”
„We’ll see it once again, yet. We’ll be forced to see it once again,” said Dike in a whisper, and, turning his back to the other Titans, he headed North, as their primary destination has been right from the beginning.
The other three Titans followed him in silence, also turning their heads from that gloomy picture at what they looked at till that moment and, with each step taken in front by the Titans, the image of the Forest of Mortor left behind them was vanishing and, it eventually totally disappeared along with the sun’s light in the sky.
***
The border of the Valley of Cry with the scorched one of the former Forest of Mortor was formed by hard land, with green grass covering it and with fragrant flowers among the blades of grass. And, because of this, the Dirges never could get on that land.
But, even if that strip of land was alive, there was no star illuminating the path of the Titans at first. Only a few lit torches and the light of Ionas guided their footsteps toward that place.
Seeing them coming, Himera, who was sitting down next to Sephir, who was still with the hood over her head, stood up and approached them.
But Sephir and Himera weren’t alone there: they were accompanied by Himera’s fighters, Gaea, and by the rest of the soldiers, who Lodur could save when the Dirges attacked them. And namely, the soldiers were waiting in silence for the Titans to come there: part of them sitting and part of them lying on their backs and watching the sky on which a few stars started to be seen. Most of them instead were standing, like Himera’s fighters, as if being on guard.
„Welcome to life!” Himera told the four Titans in a kind voice when they got in front of her.
Dike only smiled, seeing her, and, after touching her shoulder with his palm, a hint that he was happy to see her, he passed by her and approached the soldiers, and one of Himera’s fighters gave him a bottle of water to stay his thirst.
Lodur also passed by, following Dike, and, when he passed by, he slowly bowed his head toward Himera, for he only heard about her, but he never met her personally, even if Himera has been the Titanide of Dreams once and she also had the dreams of the Titans in her power. But, because Lodur never fell asleep, being the only Titan who never felt tired or the necessity to sleep, he also didn’t have why to meet her.
„Father!” murmured Himera looking at Island and slowly bending her head toward him.
Island smiled, seeing her: „how’s life, Himera?”
„Not so well as I would have liked to be, but… I can at least still breathe,” she said, forcing a smile. Then, Island passed by her, approaching the others.
Left alone, face to face, Boor stretched his hand and uncovered her face, staring at those visible burn traces on Himera’s right cheek.
She turned her head to the right, covering her face with the scarf and trying to hide her burnt face this way.
Boor instead didn’t care about those scars, for he was so happy to see her that he right away held her to his chest while his eyes had been wet with tears. Then, he sunk his face into her scarf, and this sudden movement of Boor made the soldiers smile.
Island, who was sitting next to Sephir at that moment, covered her eyes when he saw Boor kissing Himera’s neck: „that’s not for the children’s eye,” he said in a joke and Sephir smiled.
„Did you already forget that I’m married, grandpa?”
Abashed, Island suddenly withdrew his hand, sweetly smiling at his granddaughter: „oh, yeah. It seems that I’ve started to forget already. The old age is already coming.”
Sephir looked amazed at him: „old, you?! Don’t make me laugh, grandpa Island. You are the youngest here and… the wisest.” After that, she grabbed his arm and laid her head on his shoulder, looking at Boor and Himera, who went away to have some time alone.
***
Sitting on a small hill, which the valley could be well seen as if having it right in their palm from, Himera and Boor looked at the light of the lit torches seen in the distance.
„So quiet here,” whispered Boor, looking at that small dance of blinks seen in the distance.
„That’s right: the nights are quiet enough here, even if, in that part of the Valley, the Dirges are acting up even during the night. If to stay and carefully listen to what comes from there, you can hear their cry well,” Himera murmured, looking to the right, and Boor did the same.
Only after a few moments of silence, could Boor hear the scream of an eagle and he understood that Argol was still there, flying over that valley and protecting them, being sent there by Cronus, at Chaos’s command. Then, he heard the Dirges’cry: at first deaf, to be later heard better and better.
„Even if I know their story, yet, I can’t understand their continuous cry,” Boor said in a whisper, not taking his eyes from that valley, that was branching all over to his right.
„It’s their way of making their presence in this world felt and letting others know that there are still here,” Himera said, also in a whisper. „Thousands of years ago, when the herds of the enemies destroyed their lands, all these women died, weeping for their husbands, sons, and daughters, that fell in that battle. And… many of them joined the army of the ruffians, trying to get revenge on them, but they only brought more evil and pain into this world, hurting others or killing them. And… after their death, being cursed by the mothers that cried their children’s death, they became these restless souls that we met today. But they also have children and men among them, and those are only souls that the Dirges could curse with their weep.”
„Yet… why are they using the cry to attack?”
„Because… there’s no worse punishment for the soul that to hear a lament. And… these cries remind us about our loss and pain that we suffered in the past.”
Boor looked at his wife. „And… what these laments remind you about, Himera?”
The Titanide looked into his eyes: „about a huge fire that took my beauty away, Boor. And that fire burnt many villages and towns in the Northern part of Mortor Land… the same fire that took you away from me.”
„And… when did this happen?” Boor whispered, not being able to take his eyes from his wife, whose face continued to be hidden with the scarf.
„A few weeks after I left the Ice Palace, intending to bring joy in the soul of the children that were still living in the war-tormented villages. I fell prey to flames then, the same flames that had been thrown over the lands by the dragons.
Who saved me then have been the women from the village where I was, when they saw that there’s nothing they can do to protect their lands. That’s why they ran, taking their children with them and they also took me.
I came to my senses weeks after that day. My face was already healed due to their medicine, but… it looked worse than it looks now. And… many of those women looked as I look. And… my fighters are only their heirs… the children of that village.”
„Why didn’t you turn back home, Himera? Do you think I wouldn’t have accepted you back?”
Himera looked at him, kindly smiling: „You… would have definitely accepted me, Boor. But… I couldn’t accept myself then. I wasn’t worthy to be the wife of a God anymore. My beauty was gone, as was my dignity. Or… at least this is what I thought then. But… I don’t regret that I took that decision that day, for thanks to it you have this beautiful family now: with other two wonderful daughters as Zeal and Bestla.”
„Do you also know about Zeal and Bestla? But… how is this possible? I never felt your presence around me. If you had been there, next to me, even for a few seconds, I would have known that you are alive. But so…”
Himera took Boor’s hands into hers, deeply looking into his eyes. Then, she touched his cheek with her left palm, making him close his eyes as if he intended to live that moment at maximum. „It’s because your heart was already closed for me. It’s because you were in love with someone else. How could you feel me then?”
„If I had known… If I had known that you are alive, then I wouldn’t have ever…,” murmured Boor, touching her left palm with his right palm, kissing it.
„Shhh, no, Boor. Don’t regret what happened then, for you wouldn’t have had the present now. You have Sephir, Zeal, and Bestla now. You have wonderful memories like those you experienced next to their mothers. Don’t ever regret that you loved once, Boor, for namely love makes us humans, it makes us get closer to each other while living on this earth, and it makes us better than we have ever been.”
„What about you?! Did you ever love after that? Did you ever feel happiness again?” Boor asked while deeply staring into his wife’s eyes, for even if life separated them a long time ago, the bond that had existed between them once never disappeared.
„Of course, I loved: the sun, the life that it was given to me to live, the nature around, our daughter, our memories, and… I kept loving you, Boor,” whispered Himera, suddenly kissing him.
„Then… you should have turned to me, Himera. You should have turned to me,” he murmured, holding her to his chest.
„Loving doesn’t mean to be selfish, Boor. Loving means to give freedom to the one you love, the freedom to love as he wants, and loving also mean not to oppose Fate.
That's why I preferred to do that: not to oppose it and wait. I was sure that once again the same life that separated us will bring us once face to face again and that I’ll feel again our hearts beating at the same time while our chests are touching each other.”
„Then, turn to us, Himera! Let’s go back home together or at least come with us to the Rophion Forest. It’s there where it’s supposed to be the last battle against Maranam. I need you by my side. I need you with us.”
„And you’ll have me, Boor, but not physically, for I decided long ago to defend these lands and I’ll respect my given word as long as my heart will beat in my chest.
But… if we defeat one day this evil that surrounds us, and if we live as long as this earth will live, then we’ll meet each other once again. And… you also know where to find me now. That’s why you don’t need me by your side each second you live, and you also know that if I promised something, I’ll do it till the end.”
Still hugged, bathed by the weak light of the stars that suddenly appeared in the sky, Boor and Himera looked as if they were two lovers that only met each other, even if love entered their hearts more than four hundred years ago. Even so, love continued to be as burning as it had been the first day they met each other and maybe it’ll still be so till the end of the world.