“You must be Uriel,” said Claudia once she found her voice again. “I’m deeply honoured that you would care for someone like me.”
Uriel laughed, a deep resounding sound that seemed as if it was coming from the earth itself, “It is I who should be honoured young Claudia,” he boomed. “You seem to be the key to a great many things.”
Claudia was taken aback by this revelation, “But I’m just an alchemist!” she exclaimed, “Dmitri is the one you are after!”
“Yes,” replied Uriel, “Dmitri is, but you are as important to him as he is to greater things. If you are lost to him, he will be lost to us. I shall explain when he awakens.”
Almost as if on cue, Dmitri staggered over to them, healed but very weak. “Claudia,” he asked, “are you alright?”
Claudia made an exasperated noise and indicated Uriel.
Again Uriel laughed, “It is as I said Claudia, you are more important to him than anything else. Young Dmitri, I see that you have not changed since last we met.”
Dmitri turned on Uriel in anger, “Did you know this was going to happen? All the deaths? The Exarchs are gone!”
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“No Dmitri,” replied Uriel. “They live on in you,” he gestured towards the main body of the monastery and they began to walk towards it. Uriel continued, “You are the last Exarch, the final light in the growing darkness. No sooner than I had shifted you into this time, Akahaziel escaped his planar prison. He waged his own war first against the village whose ancestors trapped him there. Then he went after your brethren.”
“They fought back didn’t they? Why didn’t you help them?” demanded Dmitri.
“I did,” replied Uriel quietly, his normally echoing voice a mere whisper. “I did help them, but I could not do it alone. I was unable to convince my brothers to help; they knew you were safe and that was enough for them.”
Dmitri exhaled, “I’m sorry, this has been wearing on me, I shouldn’t have yelled.”
“We almost lost you to the darkness Dmitri. Your hatred of Birkett, and when you attacked Draycott, such anger and hate. You yelling at me just now is but a small flame against a bonfire compared to those,” he paused. “I would have come for you sooner, but Akahaziel has corrupted the city. Without being able to see you, I couldn’t risk you by interfering. Your friend Judith told me of what happened, of your incarceration, and of the man Jonathan Wayte. We are indeed quite fortunate to have a man on the side of the light.”
“So what do we do now?” asked Dmitri.
“Now is the time for you to rest. With the amount of corruption and darkness that Akahaziel has bled into the city, there is no doubt that he will have an army marching upon us.” The group had reached a small room with a bed in the corner. “Dmitri, rest here, regain your strength. Claudia, if you will come with me, we need to discuss how we are to defeat Akahaziel.”