Kade opened his eyes, and for a moment he just stared up at the beautiful blue sky. The moons had faded back to wherever it was they belonged, and it seemed like maybe, just maybe, they’d won. He lifted his head with some difficulty, and saw Edwin standing next to an emaciated Drake, who looked more like a skeleton made of chains than a knight.
Kade dragged his weary, damaged body off the cold stone, and started moving toward the pair. After a few steps he noticed a tiny light show hovering over Drake’s shoulder, and smiled; it seemed that Alaric had survived as well. This victory had a heavy cost, but Kade decided to focus as much as possible on the small miracles. As long as Drakus and Alaric were with him, a small piece of the men he still felt were his brothers would always be with him too.
Edwin turned to look at him as he approached. “You’re awake,” he said, his own exhaustion making his voice hollow. “We saw the light of the moons retreat and figured it had worked, but you collapsed and convulsed for hours. You okay?”
Kade considered the questions, letting his mind probe his scarred and cracked Soul Core. It would hold. “I’m…yeah I guess ‘okay’ is about the best I could describe myself right now. Physically, at least.” Kade’s mind turned back to the flood of memories that had reawaked in him, and cringed at the man he’d been on Earth.
Thankfully there was a level of detachment now, and the guilt and shame that he’d never felt when he was there passed over him now as well. The things he’d done since coming to Iros made the mess of a life he’d lived on Earth seem trivial, and he resolved not to let it define him going forward.
He finally knew who he was, and he wouldn’t let himself lose that.
Edwin had gone back to gazing out over the plains of Karavash, and Kade joined him. The landscape was dotted with craters and blemishes from the recent battle, but there was still a sense of peace to the place. The two men, as well as the two Aspects were content to simply stare out for a long while.
At last their reverie came to an end at an unusual sound behind them, and Kade felt a surge of adrenaline as he turned, hoping there weren’t any more surprises today. He was confronted by the beginnings of a portal, which slowly, and raggedly carved a hole into thin air. After a moment a hunched and weary Salarus stepped through, needing to duck in order to fit.
He looked around rapidly, then smiled when he saw the four. He limped as he walked forward to join them, and Kade noticed numerous injuries, including what looked like torn flesh in more than one place. “It’s good to see you both alive,” he said brightly, but there was something sad in his eyes.
“You as well, Sal. Does this mean the Keepers are okay?” Kade asked.
“Anton is still escorting them back to Karthas, and they’re as well as can be hoped…but there were many casualties. Thankfully we’ve retrieved a great deal of Fragments from the slain Elders; we’ll be recovering our numbers for decades to come.”
Edwin and Kade could only nod sadly at the news. Once more, it was the best that could be hoped for under the circumstances. Finally Kade cocked an eyebrow, “You don’t seem surprised to see us alive, did you know?”
Sal’s smile slipped further, and he gave a sad nod. “I went back to Master Sythkara after my victory over the First Sorcerer, Alomagus. He had enough strength left to tell me of your success, but he…he perished only minutes after my arrival.”
The man had told him this would happen, but it didn’t make it easier to hear. Syth wasn’t just someone that felt like a brother to Kade, or a Master to Sal. He was the one who had taken care of the first people who now called themselves ‘Children of Korthos’, and he was the mastermind behind the Calm, even if its conception had been drenched in blood and tragedy.
His was a loss for the whole world, even if they didn’t know it.
Sal stepped forward and handed something to Kade. Turning it over in his palm, he saw that it was a small, blue crystal. “Master wanted you to have it, but he didn’t have time to explain what it does,” the Sorcerer said quietly.
Kade stared at the crystal for a moment, trying to make sense of it, but it began to glow on its own, before flashing and fading entirely. Kade blinked in confusion, but a familiar beeping told him all he needed to know: his final ability as a Chaos Blade had been unlocked.
Kade smiled, he didn’t even need to consult his bracer to know what the new power was, as he felt the tiniest fragment of power within him stir. It was so small he hadn’t recognized it until this moment, but now that he did, he realized it was the last shard of power that wasn’t truly his own. And he knew exactly what he was meant to do with it.
“I offer this piece of my Soul, that a Bond may be shared, that a life may be lived as one. Hear my call and come to my side, accept this humble offering, Aspect of Sorcery!” Sal’s eyes widened, and he began looking around for what he knew was coming.
They didn’t need to wait long, and the other two Aspects came to stand with Kade, their curiosity piqued. Soon a deep blue cloud of smoke started swirling in front of them, gradually taking shape. First came a staff, a perfect copy of the one Salarus wielded, though entirely in tones of blue. Next came a familiar long, flowing cloak, and Sal began to smile in recognition.
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The cloak flowed in the breeze, and appeared to be pressed against a body, but it was definitely empty, the inside appearing ominously dark. Finally a pointed hat just like Sal’s own formed above the cloak, appearing to rest on a head that wasn’t there.
Kade couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw his new familiar standing next to Sal, looking like his friend’s wardrobe had come to life. He went to examine his new companion, and smiled when two glowing yellow eyes appeared in the empty space between the cloak and the pointed hat. The brothers were truly reunited now, though it was a new generation, of sorts.
He placed a hand on the newcomer’s shoulder, surprised at how solid it felt, despite the cloak still appearing empty. “Welcome home, brother,” Kade said warmly, then let the name come to him as the last two had. He now understood it was his native tongue from Earth trying to approximate the foreign sounds of the language of Iros, but he liked the fit.
“Welcome home, Seth,” he said, and Drake came to join him, the flickering form of Alaric exploding in a way that Kade hoped was joyful.
“So you have a full set now,” Edwin said, shaking his head. “Aspects are extraordinarily powerful even when they’re not forged from the Souls of dead Elders. You’re going to be quite the force when those things finish evolving.”
Kade smiled, watching Sal examine the Aspect of Sorcery with a mix of curiosity and sadness. Then something the man had said earlier finally registered, “Did you say you defeated someone called the ‘First Sorcerer’?” he asked.
Strangely, Salarus looked embarrassed. “Absolutely,” he replied. “Through pure Sorcery. He was…” Sal coughed, and looked away, “...no match for the precision and ingenuity of modern magic.” Kade raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think he’d heard his friend lie before. It was so bad that it was almost endearing.
He was about to respond with a quip when a dark feeling gripped him. Salarus and Edwin appeared to be reacting to something as well, as they both were looking around in confusion, searching for some threat like startled animals.
Next came a deep rumbling as the mountains began to vibrate beneath them. The group huddled together, trying to force exhausted bodies into some kind of defensive posture, but all painfully aware they were in no shape for battle. “What’s happening?” Edwin asked, struggling to be heard as the mountains reverberated with the rumbling ground.
“I don’t know!” Kade said, looking to Sal for answers, who shook his head and shrugged. Their attention was finally caught by a stirring out in the Plains of Karavash, and they made their way shakily to the edge of the summit to get a better look.
Below, dust and rock were churning and being thrown in every direction. They couldn’t quite tell what was happening, but as Kade reached out with his senses he felt the disturbingly familiar power of the World Shaper. Looking inside himself in terror and surprise, he quickly confirmed that the Artifact was still safely nestled inside; it couldn’t be causing this.
Then the truth came rushing back, and he felt like a fool for allowing the victory to blind him to it. Karavash had gloated. The first circle of runes had been completely lit, and it had done something. The world might be safe from the Lost God’s return, but Karavash’s plan had been for more than just that.
With panic and fear, Kade looked back out over the Plains, knowing what to expect, but not being truly prepared. Finally, and with an explosion of debris, immense walls of stone rose from deep within the earth. Pillars joined them, and even domed structures, all soaring into the sky as they emerged from eons of slumber.
It was a city, resurrected from some unknown age. It was ancient, and nearly destroyed, but it had likely been the capital of a great Kingdom once, judging by its size and faded splendor. It continued to rise until it had covered the entire plain, and parts even burst through several mountains as they rose. Castles, keeps, streets, an entire civilization’s legacy were suddenly part of the world once more.
Praying he was wrong, Kade forced his gaze farther into the distance and even made his way to the opposite side of the summon, confirming his darkest fears. There were more ruins rising in all directions, covering every visible inch of landscape as far as he could see.
Worse, the architecture clearly varied wildly, sometimes even within what appeared to be a single structure. It wasn’t just one Kingdom tearing its way to the surface, it was countless Kingdoms across hundreds, perhaps thousands of generations, all rising at once.
Kade returned to his companions, still staring with equal parts wonder and horror at the spectacle. At last Edwin spoke the obvious question, “What has Karavash done?” Sal and Kade shared defeated glances.
“We believed his plan was to awaken the sleeping Elders,” Salarus began. “Evidently that wasn’t enough. It appears he intended to restore entire Kingdoms…he’s raised the lost realms of countless generations. He’s brought back Ancient Iros; he’s brought back a world from before the end of the Cycle.”
They all silently stared for a time as the cities continued to rise. Finally Edwin spoke once more, “How far does this go? Do you think Karthas is safe?” There was desperation in his voice, and Kade almost couldn’t gather the will to answer. But he knew the truth.
The World Shaper was a part of him, and he could sense its power now nearly as clearly as his own. It was an aptly named Artifact. “I’m sorry Edwin, but…no, Karthas isn’t safe. Nowhere is safe.” As if queued by his words, the nearest city stopped rising at last, revealing hundreds of Elders, slowly rising from the stone tombs in which they’d slept for eons.
“Karavash used the World Shaper for this,” Kade continued sadly. “It’s happening all over Iros. It’s everywhere. They’re everywhere.”
End of Book One