Chapter 41

With a cold and serious look in his eyes, Kraevos spoke to Aren and Moren, going through what was necessary for the unfortunate situation about to occur. “You two cannot let on to the others what is about to happen,” Kraevos said. “Were Sai or Vella to know they would try to stop me and we do not have the luxury of time to find another way. With each passing day, others die and suffer for my mistakes, it is time I bear the burden for what I helped create for once.”

Aren looked to More and then Kraevos, “So why exactly are you tellin’ us this, what’s to stop us from tryin’ ta stop this?”

“I won’t,” Moren replied, “Though I don't like this solution, I know when a man has chosen his fate, there is little you can do to stop it. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the individual.”

“That is one way to put it I suppose,” Kraevos replied. I am truly only telling the two of you because there is a piece that must occur after the ritual is complete. My stone must be bound to another or the chaos we are hoping to prevent will only be expedited.”

An eerie quiet hung in the air as the men realized what had to happen, “So Moren’s not an option since he already has a stone, that leaves me, Sani an Vella.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Moren interjected, "it only leaves Sani.”

“What do ya mean?” Aren asked.

“Though you have a strong magical bloodline, your magic is all wrong for my stone,” Kraevos replied. “You could bear the stone of Lazzure, but it is Sani who must bear my stone, Vella on the other hand has a greater struggle in front of her, for she must bear the bloodstone once it is taken from Emeria.”

Aren felt his heart drop again, “Cause she has the same type o magic, that’s why she could break Moren’s bond.”

“Precisely,” Kraevos replied, “None of this is what I would have wished, I would have hoped to prepare Sani and Vella better, but if they knew what it would cost to empower these gauntlets, they would have refused. Sani will not refuse once the ritual is complete. She will not back down from the responsibility I pass to her.”

“Yer not wrong, she’d knock ya out cold if she knew about this, Can't imagine what I’ll be put through for lyin’ to her,” Aren responded. “But why exactly are we gettin’ told this part?”

“Because you are the one who has to complete the ritual and then do it again once you reach Emeria. I can empower them enough to be used, but it is you Aren who will have to use them. The charge I give them will be more than enough to take care of these tasks without another sacrifice, but it is still a monumental task.” He held up his hands and let Aren examine them. “They will form to you once I am gone. They will allow you to place or remove a stone and bond it to a new person whether they are willing or not. All you will have to do is place the stone on Sani and the magic will take hold. Just be sure to place it on her forehead if possible. If you place it someplace else it will still travel its way there, but it will be far more painful for her. She is in tune with the right magic and is more than strong enough to become the conduit for Aroster and take my place atop the Wild Order.”

“And what will the stone do to her?” Moren asked. “I remember receiving my stone and it was not a comfortable or painless experience.”

“Honestly I cannot say exactly how she or the stone will react,” Kraevos replied. “Every stone reacts differently, as does each person. In your case, the stone was placed after the previous bearer died. It also wasn’t bound with the use of the gauntlets, they should actually help ease the process.” Kraevos looked up at the massive vein of stone in front of him and shuddered. “This should be a far smoother process than when my stone was bound to me. Sani is better trained than I was and equally as stubborn, she will be fine.”

“An’ what about Vella?” Aren asked.

“As much as I wish I could change it, I do not worry about her receiving the stone, she is far stronger than any of us have given her credit for at times. I worry more for Vella in what comes after, but that is of little concern if we cannot get through this and take down Emeria.”

“You say all that, but let me guess, not much choice or all of magic is thrown for a loop?” Aren said, shaking his head.

“You know I wouldn’t ask this of her otherwise Aren,” Kraevos replied sharply. “I understand your feelings here but I have no choice. Just as I have no choice with Vella or you either.”

“What do you mean with me?” Aren asked.

“As I said, you must place the stones onto them. No matter what you see, or how they cry out, no matter what emotions you feel, you must follow through,” Kraevos said flatly. “You will watch your friends writhing in pain and yet you won’t be able to stop what you are doing.”

Aren stared at the ground, unsure how to respond to what he was going to have to do. “So not only do I have to lie to my family, I have to be the one to make them suffer too. You can phrase it how you like, but the whole reason I have to do this is because I’m not as strong as the others.”

“We have no choice,” Moren interrupted. “Whether it is strength or resolve, this is the way it must be and self-pity won’t help us here.”

“Self-pity, that’s what you think I’m feeling?” Aren said angrily. “I couldn’t care less about myself on this. All I care about are my friends, and my family, the only people who’ve ever truly cared a bit about me! I have to do this because like every other time I’m just a burden they have to bear, not strong enough to really help, but still here. It’s the story of my whole darned life, can’t ever help the people I love.” He shook his fist at Kraevos, but even he knew he wasn’t actually angry at him.

Kraevo stepped forward and took Aren’s fist in his hands, “I know how you feel my friend, truly I do. In this case, though you are helping and doing something that they could not easily do. I know you will do what must be done, that you have the resolve to see it through, no matter how dark it may get.”

Before Aren could reply, Sani and Vella began trudging out of the supply chamber, dragging behind them two large boxes of various materials, scrolls, and vials. “Is this everything you need?” Vella yelled over to Kraevos. The three men backed away from each other and tried to maintain their composure as they looked at Sani and Vella.

Kraevos took in a deep breath, letting the magical air fill his lungs, “Yes, it appears to be,” he replied. Lay them on that table over there and we can get started.”

Sani looked at the three men and sensed the tension in the air as she could easily read Aren’s frustration. “Everything ok in here?”

Not wanting to let out more than needed, Moren replied, “Yes of course, just getting down to the serious work of planning our strategy when we head to Presidia.” He lied, though it did seem to throw Sani off of the trail. With this, everyone gathered around Kraevos, placing the various items on the table and awaiting his directions. He filled several vials with different liquids and mixed others together, eventually getting the concoction just right for what he needed.

“I’ll need all of you to stay back here while I perform the ritual, do not approach me,” Kraevos said as he took the concoction and walked over to the center of the exposed vein of the magical stone. The magic in the air was palpable and he felt as though he was swimming through the very essence of life and energy in the world. He held his hands out and slowly touched both palms against the stone, feeling the energy wash over him. As tears began to stream down his cheeks he said quietly, “I’ll be with you soon Precia.” He took in a deep breath and felt the energy surge through his body before he redirected it back, letting loose a massive bolt of lightning-like magical energy through the stone. It crackled all throughout the vein, making the entire cavern shake. He took the vial of the concoction and poured it directly onto the stone. The entire vein thrummed violently and the colors pulsed and changed quicker than before. After a moment the entire stone stopped shifting, each color locked into a rippled pattern that hung in the air no matter where you looked. Then from the center just above Kraevos, the stone began to take liquid form, dripping a luminescent material onto the gauntlets. As the liquid touched the gauntlets it began to solidify again, forming the same kind of shimmering stone around the metal frames.

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With a primal yell, Kraevops plunged his gauntlet-clad hands directly into the liquid-like stone. The sound of his earring skin could be heard across the room, competing with all of the sounds of cascading and crackling energy in the air. “Kraevos, " Sani yelled out. As she attempted to lunge out and save her friend, Aren wrapped both his arms around her, himself crying as he watched what was happening. It was then that Sani understood what was going on. At the same time, Vella felt Moren’s hand wrap around her wrist like an unbreakable chain.

As the others struggled, Moren and Aren upholding what had been asked of them, Sani and Vella fighting for their friend, Kraevos continued his task. He did not look away, he did not slow down, and he focused himself only on what must be done. Even as he heard his name yelled, he persevered, wishing only that he could have spent more time with this found family that he had never thought he deserved. Biting back tears from pain as he spoke he yelled out his final incantation, “Animos Mensae Corporion Calceat!” A blinding flare filled the cavern and all sound and sight was washed away.

Moments passed by without any bearing of where they were or what was going on, only knowing that Kraevos was in pain. At last, as Vella’s sight began to return she was able to free herself of Moren’s grasp and charge up to her mentor and friend. His form was weak, his very body was a kaleidoscope of colors, the magical energy rippling through him. She ran over, though she was met with a weakly raised hand to stop her. “Kraevos, please, Kraevos are you ok?” She sobbed out.

“Please Miss Vella, do not weep for me,” Kraevos said, his usually commanding voice frail sounding and barely more than a whisper. “I knew the price of my actions long ago. I am happy to give my life for the people of this world, though most of all I am happy to give my life for all of you. I have been a luckier man than I have ever deserved, first with Precia and now with the rest of you. Most of all Miss Vella, I am lucky to have known you, for you reminded me who I was supposed to be, that there was still some good in me after all these years. You share that with her, you know, she always brought out the best in people, my Precia.” As he finished uttering his daughter’s name, Kraevos’ form began to slowly dissolve. His skin began to flicker like magic dissipating, filling the air with the bright glow of silver magic until there was nothing more than the gauntlets and a stone of shimmering silver and green in his place.

Vella began to sob, reaching for whatever was left of her friend, expecting something to happen, for him to return, but there was nothing. “Why,” she sobbed.

Sani ran up and looked at where Kraevos had been before gazing at the stone and gauntlets. After a moment Aren and Moren walked over, both feeling the guilt of what had just occurred. Moren’s shoulders slumped as he looked to where the only person he’d known all his life had been. Aren looked at the gauntlets with a vacant stare, unsure of what to do or say at the moment. “He’s gone,” was all Aren managed to murmur. Though he’d been told what would happen, he couldn’t help but hold out hope that Kraevos would have been wrong, that he would have been ok.

“What do you mean he’s gone!?” Sani said turning and staring right into Moren’s eyes. Her eyes were filling with tears, though she was doing her best to hold them back. She saw that both Moren and Aren had tears rolling down their faces too.

“He knew this would happen,” Aren said somberly. “He knew exactly what would go on, didn’t stop him fer a second. He told us, this was the only way he could make these things, the only way we could stop Emeria.”

The air began to grow heavy in the room as magic began to concentrate around the stone that had formerly been bonded to Kraevos. Aren grabbed the gauntlets, affixing them to his hands without a second thought. He then grabbed the stone in his hand and looked to Sani, “I’m sorry about this, probably gonna hurt, but it has ta be this way.” With that, he thrust the stone to Sani’s forehead. A flood of blue and green light filled the chamber and Vella and Moren were thrown back. As their sight refocused they could see Aren standing in front of Sani, her whole body shimmering in the colors of the stone. Aren seemed unfazed by the magical blast, which Vella surmised was because of the gauntlets. The energy in the room began to pulse the same colors, though less violently than before as Sani’s body began to channel it and pulse at the same pace and hues. After a moment Sani stopped shimmering and seemed to come back to focus.

Sani fell to her knees, her body convulsing as the waves of energy washed over her. The others rushed to her side, trying to get some response from her and to steady her. Aren and Moren brought her to the table and laid her on top of it as Vella checked for a pulse. After minutes that seemed like hours, Sani sat up like a shot. “What did you do to me!?” she yelled out toward Aren. Her arms were shaking and rage was filling her eyes as she looked at her friend.

“I did what Kraevos told me to do,” Aren replied. “He told me after he was gone, I had to bind the stone to you or the whole place would go crazy.”

“Why didn’t he tell me that!” Sani screamed angrily. As she yelled a ripple of green and silver magical energy pulsed through the whole cavern, making it shake as it resonated with her emotion.

Before Sani could yell anymore, Moren took the notes from Are and handed them to Sani and Vella. “I’m sorry, we cannot be forgiven for how we deceived you, but we did as Kraevos said. He told us to give you these after he passed.”

Vella ripped open her note and began reading it aloud, Sani looked hers over, nodding to tell that they were reading the same thing. “Firstly let me apologize to both of you, there was some deception necessary in this process, though I wish I hadn’t the need to lie to you. Needless to say, I am no longer with you. This is no surprise to me as I have paid the same price my dear Precia did ages ago. This was unavoidable, I just did not want to have you try to stop me. I did what was necessary and what I should have done long ago. Miss Vella you know the burden you must bear and I am sorry to force it onto you. Aren will remove the stone from Emeria and bind it to you. Sani, I would have forewarned you about what has most likely just occurred, but then you would have known of my sacrifice. You must bear the same stone I have lived with. Aroster is now your home as you will help to channel the power around it. This stone will grant you the same powers I have used for hundreds of years, may they serve you well.”

Vella paused for a moment and looked at Sani who was still reeling from receiving her stone. Sani spoke at little more than a whisper, “He’s right, I would have tried to stop him,” she said sullenly.

Vella continued to read the letter, trying to get all of Kraevos’ final words. “I know instinct says to be sad, but please do not. These last few weeks have been some of the most memorable of my life and you all have truly brought this old man much joy in his final days. It has been quite some time since I have been on such an adventure. My journey has ended, though yours however is far from done. Even now you have the impending threat of your encounter with Emeria. It will not be easy and there is a chance it will fail, but at least now you have a hope of succeeding. I wish you the best of luck as all that I have ever known and my legacy itself rest squarely upon your shoulders. Please do not blame Moren or Aren for keeping my secret, they have to bear as much as the two of you going forward.” As Vella finished reading she began to wipe the tears from her eyes and simply looked to her friends saying “I’m going to really miss him.”

“Aren, come over here,” Sani said, her voice low and gruff. Once Aren approached she stood from the table and in one swift motion punched him in the stomach. “That’s for not telling me what was going on.” She grabbed Aren and helped him stand up before she gave him a hug. “This is for putting up with me and protecting me.” The two stood in their embrace for a moment before Sani pulled away. “I can forgive you for doing what Kraevos told you to do, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to pay for it from time to time, you know better than to lie to me to protect me. Didn’t you learn your lesson when you joined the knights?”

Aren ran his fingers through his hair as he took in a deep breath, trying to let his emotions out, “I think this would say I didn’t learn that lesson at all.” Sani glared at him, but they both shared a chuckle.

Vella looked down at the note, which was in all truth the last words of the great mage Kraevos, and took out Precia’s book. She folded up the note and placed it in the back of the book, “They should be together,” She said quietly to herself.

Overhearing her, Moren stepped over, “He would want it that way,” he said. “I too am sorry for what we had to do, but there was no other choice.” The four stood in the room in silence for a time, recovering what little emotional energy they could from what had just happened before Moren spoke again. “As much as we would all like to stay here and lick our wounds, our fallen comrade only did what he did to give us a chance to settle the score for all of Surren.”

“Right,” Aren replied as he looked down at the glowing gauntlets that were wrapped around his fists. “It’s time that we strategize a bit and go take our kingdoms back from Emeria.” The other three nodded in agreement before beginning to hatch their plans to return to Presidia and end the sanguine queen’s reign once and for all.