Chapter Thirty

Spring’s Becoming

‘And that’s the whole story?’ Jaho asked finally.

Thawn nodded. ‘The whole story.’

‘For the best, I think,’ her voice croaked, ‘that Winter is laid to rest. We bore a long twilight, but now the sun sets on us, no? Arval-Harra will outlive us, even if forgotten.’ She spoke with a vague effervescence, her mind beckoned back to less mired times. When Winter was great. They both cast their eyes to the body on the ground. ‘And what of the boy now?’ she added.

‘Eron?’ Thawn replied.

Jaho drew her veil a fraction lower and leaned back into her chair. ‘Both of them. The survivor- he knows now what you are. What he is. I can only imagine what that might mean for him.’

There was a pause as Thawn considered her words. ‘Well… I didn’t tell him everything. Some things are better left unsaid. If he chooses to pursue her, he’ll find out. But the impression I got was he didn’t want to. He’s happy with what he found.’

Jaho hmphed. ‘The truth worms its way through the cracks sooner rather than later. It always has its day, Thawn. What of you now?’

‘I’ll take Eron to the machines. Then bury him in Devil’s End. Somewhere the Sign won’t dare look.’

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Thawn heard Jaho shuffle forwards again. ‘You arrived in this place was such disdain, such shame. There is no shame in survival, Thawn. You did what you had to do to earn a life. And beyond Jask’s hoards, you took only one in return, a cursed one at that. It was a mercy. I bear no ill will for your actions. Your debt to Winter was paid when you died on Forlorn. You never owed this institution your body or your service since that fall. You need not have come.’

‘All the same,’ Thawn said.

‘Go on, Thawn. Your life is your own.’

‘You don’t… care?’

Jaho laughed. ‘I care tremendously. I care for what Jask did. I may sit in private judgement over your actions, but as Priestern, my private concerns are trivial only. You owe nothing to this place anymore. But, even if in service of the enemy, you did tremendous good, Thawn. You saved lives. You honoured others. You respected Winter in a way Jask never did, even as he re-forged in it his image. You spared generations of children torment and agony by doing what the Sign have always been too cowardly to do- take Erebus’ life. A Patent! You bring the war a step closer to its end. For the greater good. And at great personal cost.’ She gestured Eron’s body. ‘You think that shames you? On the contrary.’

Thawn sat, almost disappointed Jaho was not degrading him like she used to. ‘You’ve changed,’ he said.

‘I got old and mellow. So, did you. The Abbadiah Thawn I knew wouldn’t have saved those children’s lives. Despite what you may think of me, of Winter, of what you came here to do… I am proud of you, Abbadiah.’

Thawn said nothing, bemused.

‘You would go on and beyond with my blessing,’ Jaho added. ‘I am sure we may see each other again, Thawn. But for now, it is farewell.’

Thawn then stood from the confessional. He said nothing more, for there was nothing more to say. His story was told. The pilgrim hoisted Eron’s body across his square shoulders and turned to leave. He then kicked in the door with a lazy boot, out into the hall beyond and so began the long journey to Devil’s End.