Champions of Serenity: Destiny Fulfilled

Chapter 23

“This can’t be like last time; Galogosch isn’t set up like Kreben was. This is a major city and the garrison is built in the center of town. A hit and run would cause more damage than good. Not only does Handsome not have as many troops there, but it’s near enough to the Elven lands that they could be a factor. So, what do you all suggest? I would say follow Shrelannasha’s idea of a shopping raid.” Tris said as she looked over the map secured to the stone table.

It was late afternoon and Tyra had rejoined the group earlier that morning. She hadn’t spoken to Tris; she hadn’t even really looked at her since returning. When the others asked how her training went, she changed the subject until they got the idea she didn’t want to talk about it. Tris respected her silence even though it hurt Tris that Tyra wouldn’t even greet her. Remembering her own training, Tris didn’t speak to Noshtra or Drianne for a week after that particular test, so she was willing to understand and give Tyra her time to fully accept the necessity of it.

“Well, Tris, you said that we need to hamstring Handsome without making the other races hate us. If we just attack Handsome’s men and help the others where we fight, then they will flock to us faster than the poor to free gold.” Shrina said simply, looking at the map and thinking about it.

Jehro sighed and rolled his eyes. “Thanks for stating the obvious, Shrina. Now can you tell us something we don’t know? Like how to do that in the middle of a crowded city without losing yet another member of our Circle?”

Shrina glared at Jehro and drew a dagger from her sleeve and started to wave it around. Without thinking, Jehro pulled his fang and poised it in his hand to use against Shrina. Airidon growled and drew one of his short swords and thrust it between the two of them, angrily telling them to put up their weapons and concentrate on the task at hand or he would deal with them both. Korol let his face darken and his body thin out until it was almost transparent and came up behind Shrina, grabbing her arms and holding them behind her like iron bands. Screaming, Shrina reached behind her and tried to claw at the Shadow, cursing him as her hands passed harmlessly through his face.

Without saying a word, Tris turned from the group and stalked back into the sleeping area, her back to the fight. Ever since losing Meckin it felt like everything was unraveling at the seams. Chaos and Handsome wouldn’t have to destroy them; they would destroy themselves from the inside out.

Footsteps sounded behind her and she didn’t turn to see who it was. It was either Shrina demanding that she side with her or Airidon or Korol to offer her advice on how to deal with the strong emotions or Fini asking her to please put a stop to all the fighting. At the moment, she just didn’t care enough who it was or what they wanted, she had to figure out a way to stop them all from self-destructing.

“Tris.” It wasn’t the voice she was expecting and turned to look into the violet blue eyes of Tyra, surprise on her face. “I didn’t change the glade; it’s the same as it was when you took me there, even that stupid boulder. I understand why you left me there, I didn’t like it, but I do understand. My cousins did the same to me when I was learning the sword, it’s a matter of self-trust.” Tyra smiled as she read the relief and gratitude on Tris’s face at her words. It was then that she understood just how fragile Tris’s hold on emotion truly was.

A screech from Shrina caused both women to shudder and Tyra sat down beside Tris. “I just wish there was a way to get them to understand how much their fighting is hurting us. Even Fini is blind to it at the moment as he’s trying to keep them from killing each other.” Tyra said, voicing Tris’s thoughts.

Looking over at Tyra, Tris thought about her words, and then with a soft chuckle, Tris tapped Tyra on the forehead. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am daily glad you are in the Circle, Wisdom, without you, I would be lost. Trust me in this, as you did before, and perhaps we can teach the blind to see.”

In a single movement, the two women stood and returned to the fight in the main chamber. The light of the day was dying and the fire was nothing but embers, dinner wasn’t started, water hadn’t been brought in, wood hadn’t been gathered, and no one seemed to care as they shouted at each other and brandished their weapons to make their points heard.

The map table shattered with a streak of amethyst lightening and a thunderous clap that crushed the battle and everyone dropped their weapons as if they’d been stung. Her eyes were frigid purple touched with frosty green as she glared at everyone but Tyra. In the silence that filled the cave the hiss of the dying coals sounded loudly against the ragged breathing of five combatants. “There is no point continuing, Handsome’s already won. I quit. Have a good life, well, as much of a life as you can have before he kills you.” Disdain dripped from her voice as her words poisoned the air with their brutality. Without another word, she wrapped her magic around her like a cloak and vanished into the night.

Fini was the first to move and he took a step toward Tyra. “She wouldn’t really give up on us, would she, Tyra?” His voice was filled with agony as he thought of not having Tris around. The wound her leaving left in them all was as gaping as losing Meckin had been, worse almost because they knew that she was somewhere and they had driven her away with their bickering.

“She sounded pretty serious to me.” Tyra said and walked over to the fire, tossing the few sticks still in the cave onto the glowing embers. Light flared in the cave for a moment as they caught and rapidly burned down. “While you were all fighting in here and coming close to drawing blood, Tris was in the back trying to figure out how to save all of Sandeenai from the darkness that Handsome has brought to us all. For someone who doesn’t have human emotion, she has a heart bigger than anyone I know for all of Sandeenai, not just her own races, but all of them. It isn’t helping that she can’t even seem to pull the seven of us together again after Meckin’s loss and it’s killing her.” Tyra looked into the darkness of the forest, picturing Tris out there somewhere wounded to the very heart. “I just wish I had the strength to leave as well, I’m just too afraid to face the world anymore without the rest of you at my back.”

Tyra then picked up the two water buckets and walked into the night to fill them. Her soft words cut as deeply as Tris’s abandoning them. Airidon walked to the pieces of the table and tried to use his magic to heal the stone but it resisted him. He then noticed it was in seven wedges and two of the wedges were still connected. Looking at the others, he took a deep breath and started to speak but was cut off by Korol.

“Tris and Tyra are both right. We can’t ever win if we are fighting with each other. I know I’m as guilty as everyone else in being too damn stubborn to admit when I might not be right. And I’m sorry that I haven’t been very good company since Meckin died. He was my best friend and before him I hadn’t ever let anyone get as close to me as I let him and all of you for that matter. I’ve always been something of a loner, as perhaps we all were within our respective families, but that has to change if we are going to make this happen. Airidon, I’ll go along with whatever you decide.” Korol said, watching his hands as he spoke. Then he looked up at them all, pain in his eyes, but pleading for understanding and acceptance also filled them.

Fini walked over and rested his hand on Korol’s shoulder. “I, too, will follow what Airidon says we should do. Korol, help me get some wood so we can eat tonight?” The gentle giant asked, his dark eyes flashing understanding to the Shadow. Together, the Druid and the Shadow went into the night to share their grief and grow together as brothers in Serenity.

Jehro looked at Shrina and then to Airidon. The Siblen had her back to the two men, tapping her dagger against one hand as she thought. Jehro looked behind Airidon to the table that has lain in pieces just a few moments before. “Airidon, I can’t promise that I won’t disagree with you, but I will follow you. Ever since you pulled me from that cage in the badlands, I’ve had faith in you and Tris. I haven’t lost that, I’m just frustrated that we can’t seem to move forward.” Jehro stated simply as he walked over and offered his hand to the second in command. Grasping his arm tightly, Jehro nodded as Airidon accepted his words for the pledge they were.

The table behind Airidon came back together with a loud pop. Shrina still hadn’t said anything, but her piece was also back together with the others. Returning with the water, Tyra noticed the table and how Shrina still stood with her back to everyone, facing the wall, tapping her dagger thoughtfully.

“Shrina?” Tyra asked softly, pouring the water into the hollow boulder they used to heat water.

The Siblen started, pulled from her thoughts by Tyra’s voice. She looked around and saw Korol and Fini come in loaded down with logs. As she watched, Fini touched one, closed his eyes, and it splintered into kindling. The fire was fed and grew under the Druid’s careful ministrations. Airidon was slicing chunks of meat from the deer that hung in the cool room of the cave. Korol and Jehro cleaned the pots and dishes needed for dinner. They all went about the nightly chores without speaking and Shrina watched how they moved. There was the tenuous peace between them all that comes when family are making up after a nasty fight as they waited for next internal battle to be sparked. It felt empty and rote, as if they were afraid to really voice what they were thinking.

“This is stupid.” Shrina said and all activity stopped as they looked at her in question. “We all know we aren’t going to stop trying just because Tris said she was going to. We all know she isn’t the kind to quit, no matter what she says. We also know that when it comes down to the bare bones, we will do whatever she and Airidon think is best. But I’m scared; I have never been scared before. Angry, annoyed, curious, cautious, cruel, thoughtless, happy, and many others I can’t think of right now, but never have I known fear and never the terror I knew when I helped Tris and Jehro and Drianne steal and clean that power stolen by Handsome. I don’t want to be the one to say this but I guess I have to, we can’t do this alone, and we need more help.”

“And just who is supposed to help us, Shrina?” Korol asked, his voice tired, lacking his normal cynicism.

“There is an entire world out there, Korol. They are the ones who want to be free from Handsome. Until he attacked us personally, each of us was pretty content to just ride this out and then find our niche in the new world order. As Korol said, we were all pretty much loners within our families and we probably would have died loners. But Handsome did single us out and Serenity did pull us all together and against all logic, we have made a family out of eight, seven misfits. Now because things aren’t as smooth as butter and we have encountered unexpected bumps in the road we are going to tear our family apart again. That is stupid. We don’t want to fight each other, we want to lash out at the one who caused us this pain and because we are all afraid of him now that we are missing one of our numbers we aren’t.” Shrina threw her dagger against the log Meckin always sat in and heard the solid thunk as the blade bit deep into the wood.

Airidon set the wooden platter filled with raw meat next to Fini and then looked at Shrina. “What did you do with the crazy, question asking, shrill voiced Siblen we all know and love?” His voice was teasing as he sat down in his normal place by the fire. Picking up a block of wood, he started to play with it, shaping it with his magic.

Sticking her tongue out at him, Shrina left her dagger in the log and sat down around the now blazing fire. “I just want to know what we are going to do next.” Shrina said and selected another dagger from her person and started to clean her nails.

“We have dinner, we get a good night’s sleep, and in the morning we go and talk to Drianne. She and Noshtra have been plotting while we’ve been mourning.” Tris said as she formed out of the smoke floating above the fire. She held out her hand to keep everyone in their places as she took her own around the fire and within the Circle. She looked at the blade in Meckin’s log and felt that somehow it was right to just leave it there.

They sat together quietly at first, then Shrina started to giggle. Jehro looked at her a moment, glanced where she was looking, and then he started to laugh with her. Tris lifted a finely sculpted eyebrow at the two laughing and reached for Jehro’s mind.

“Look behind you.” Jehro mentally stuttered as the laugh was bubbling up from deep within his heart and mind.

Tris turned and her action made everyone else stop staring at the two laughing and look in the direction that caused their mirth. Covering her mouth with her hand, Tris felt a bubble of laughter building in her as well, but being so new to human emotion wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“I’m so glad that I’m so humorous to you all.” His voice was dry and sarcastic. He stepped from the shadows, pulling his lilac and scarlet robes about his perfectly bronzed body. He took a seat between Tris and Korol. “May I join you for dinner? It smells wonderful.”

Airidon looked around Tris and glared at the man then asked Tris who he was as Tris nodded to Fini to give some food to their guest. Fini shrugged, handed his bowl to Tyra for a moment, then dished up a large bowl of stew and broke off a big chunk of bread, handing them with a spoon to the stranger.

“What brings you here, Chaos?” Tris asked after the food had been handed over. She reached over and gently patted Airidon’s back when he choked after hearing who their visitor was.

Chaos smiled at the startled expressions on all but Tris’s face. He took a bite of the stew and groaned with pleasure. “Fini, this is…it’s beyond words.” Chaos then took a bite of the bread and then a bite with stew on the bread, each time moaning with delight at the taste and texture of the food in his mouth. “Tris, you are spoiled with this man to cook for you.”

“Chaos.” Tris said simply, waiting.

“Oh, right, right, the reason. Well, I’ve been looking into Meckin’s death. I’ve actually been bothering all of the gods about it so that I can get all of the answers. And I thought you might want to know what I’ve discovered.” Chaos stated and then tugged his robe a little closer to his body under the weight of seven almost hostile stares.

“To begin with, he isn’t dead.” Chaos said and then put his hands up to protect himself from the snarl that tore from Tris’s mouth and the hiss of steel being drawn. “No one knows where he is, but he didn’t pass through the halls of the dead. None of the other gods will admit to having him in their halls and I seriously doubt any of them would hide him from Serenity’s wrath or my wrath. So, with Meckin neither dead nor taken into another god’s protection, I have only two possible theories.”

He looked around at the utter silence and stillness in the cave. Even the fire burned without sound, casting shadows on the wall that reminded Chaos of his own halls.

“Your theories?” Korol growled next to Chaos, his icy gray eyes flashing with lightening hot rage.

“My theories? Oh yes, about Meckin. The first one is that he’s in another realm, unrelated to Sandeenai or Earth, and I’m not sure how he could have gotten there, but it isn’t unheard of. The Supreme Creator did make countless worlds and perhaps the magicks used when destroying Dreybrenic’s catalyst caused a rip through which he fell. If that is the case, he is the only one who can make his way back, if he even knows where he is. That is the one that I’m most sure is the case, because the other is so, well, contrary to everything we know as gods as to be almost laughable. But it’s something I have to consider.

“Well, as you know, the Supreme Creator made all of us, the gods, the worlds, the patterns for the races, and such. And normally when He’s finished with one of His projects, He leaves gods to oversee its growth and then begins another project.” Chaos held up his finger to make a point. “But, on rare occasions, and by rare I mean only twice before in all known existence, He has stepped in after He’s turned a project over to those of His children He’s set up as the gods. It is possible, extremely unlikely, but still possible, that He is the one who removed Meckin from Sandeenai for a time or for all time.”

Tyra looked up from her plate, tears glistening on her cheeks. “And if the Supreme Creator has him?” Hope sounded in her voice, hope that maybe, just maybe, they could have Meckin back with them and knowing that both her counter Emily and her brother, Meckin’s counter Darin would want to know the answer as well.

Chaos looked at the hope in Tyra’s face and wished he could give her something to justify the hope, but he didn’t know how. “Tyra,“ he began in a soft voice, almost tender in his address to her. “I wish I could tell you something positive about either theory. But the truth is Meckin has a better chance to come back from an unknown world than from the Supreme Creator. I can’t begin to understand what goes on in His mind. If He has Meckin, only He can say if and when he’ll be returned. I’m sorry, I wish….”

Tris rested her hand on the god’s arm and waited until he turned his golden green eyes her way. “Thank you, Chaos, for what you have done for us in looking for Meckin. And we do understand that you can’t tell us for sure what has happened. Thank you for the hope though, it will help us, more than you can imagine.”

Chaos looked around the Circle again, nodding his welcome. Then a wide grin broke over his face. “Fini, if you ever want to quit working for Serenity, I would be happy to have you come and cook for me in my halls.”

Tyra scowled at Chaos and Fini looked like he was thinking about it. “Will I have to look at you dressed that way?” Fini asked and when Chaos looked confused at his robe, Fini laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, Chaos, I’ve pledge myself to Serenity and I don’t change allegiance so easily.”

“Well, it was worth a try.” Chaos said and then with a wink at Tris, he was gone and so was half of the stew in Fini’s pot. Fini shook his head and went back to eating. But the mood was no longer so somber, Meckin wasn’t dead, he was just lost. Where he was and when or if he could return was still the mystery, but now, they had hope.

In the morning, as the haze burned off slowly, the seven of them made their way to Drianne’s glade. Noshtra looked up as they made their way into the clearing, her golden eyes narrowing.

“Trisinda, has something happened?” the she-wolf asked, taking a good sniff in the air. “The scent of mourning is gone from you all.”

Taking her normal seat at the base of Drianne’s tree, Tris leaned against the sun warmed bark and smiled. “We had a visit from Chaos last night. He told us that he’s been searching for Meckin, and that Meckin hasn’t passed through the halls of the dead. Chaos thinks he’s either slipped into a world we don’t know anything about or that he was taken by the Supreme Creator. Either way, he’s alive somewhere and there is a chance he’ll be able to make it back to us.”

Drianne lifted her branches high to catch the warm, morning breeze. She made a sound in the back of her throat that was part scoff and part disgust as she stretched.

“You think he was lying, Drianne?” Jehro asked, watching the whorls on the tree move into a frown. “Why would he do that to us?”

The Dryad’s voice was gentle in its explanation, but the disdain with which Drianne held Chaos was very clear. “Chaos enjoys making things difficult, especially for Serenity. It’s part of his very nature to take the natural order and mess it up. Picture, if you will a two year old running through the room its mother has just cleaned with its arms wide open bumping into as many things as possible and knocking them over and around. This child laughs at the mess it’s made but really has no concept of what it’s just done to its mother, to this child, it’s just a game. Now, picture Chaos as that child, only he knows what he’s doing and he deliberately creates as much havoc as he can. Think of the chaos he can bring from having you hope that Meckin is alive, only to dash it by showing you where he turned up among the tortured souls in his very own halls.”

“I can see your point, Drianne. And ever since he caused that problem for Debra on Earth, I don’t trust him.” Airidon said as if that sealed the matter. “Now, what have you and Noshtra decided for our attack on Galogosch?”

Tris shook her head but didn’t argue with her mate. Chaos had done much to abuse the trust of the Circle and it was up to him to repair that damage. She and Jehro exchanged a look, they knew he was telling the truth and so they dared to hope. Noshtra had seen the look shared between Tris and Jehro and her eyes narrowed again, this time in speculation.

Drianne relaxed her branches and appeared to make herself comfortable. “Well, I would suggest striking at dawn. From Korol’s information, Handsome has doubled all night patrols in and around the places of his catalysts. Most of those we need to remove from Galogosch will be sluggish due to lack of sleep. And since we don’t want to cause problems for the city, I suggest we do it while most of them are still either in bed or having their morning meal.”

“That sounds like a good plan. But who is staying with Tris and Jehro this time?” Airidon said, using the tip of his dagger to draw the plans out in the dirt.

With a smile that brightened the entire glade, Drianne announced who it would be. “My brother, Fini, will be joining us this time. It will be sheer pleasure to share minds with such a wonderful Druid.” She enthused and Fini groaned.

Shrina patted Fini’s knee. “It really isn’t as bad as all that. Well, except for the sickness afterward. Oh, and the attacks by Handsome when he discovers we have stolen his power. And of course the part where you can’t keep any secrets with all four of your minds all joined together. But other than that, it’s actually quite easy.”

Fini just hid his face in his hands and groaned. He knew he would have to take a turn with this, he just wished it hadn’t come so soon. Airidon patted his back, “I know, buddy, I know.” Was all Airidon said, but to Fini, it was worse than Shrina’s condolences.

“All right,” Tris’s voice said and Fini looked up. “Tomorrow morning we take Galogosch and destroy the second of Handsome’s power stores. Airidon, get your team ready. Finbrahner, Jehrones, and I will stay here with Drianne and practice our merging for tomorrow.”

Noshtra went with Airidon and the others back to the cave to plan out their attack. The glade became very quiet as each of those left were wrapped up in their own thoughts. A squirrel ran down the side of the dead cedar and stopped at the base of the golden rose that grew on the tree. It looked over the three people sitting at the base of the Dryad a moment, and then ran between them and up the side of a hazel nut tree.

Drianne was the first to pull herself together. “Fini, don’t you want to join minds with mine?” She asked a little hurt.

“It isn’t that, Drianne. I would be honored to share thoughts with you. It’s just….” Fini said, trying to find the right words.

With a smile, Tris helped him out. “It’s just being so open without being able to guard your most precious of memories is a little daunting. Don’t worry, Finbrahner, we won’t go searching through your mind to discover its secrets.” Tris said simply. “Now, shall we practice joining our minds? Shrelannasha had difficulty with it, which is why I suggested the practice, Finbrahner.”

Fini took a deep breath and then nodded. He re-arranged his feet and legs into a more comfortable position, rested his hands lightly on his knees, and closed his eyes. Ever since he was a young child, his parents had taught him how to meditate to hear the voices within the forest that spoke no louder than a whisper. When he was ten years old, he had been taught how to follow this meditation to where he could actually join his thoughts to those around him, actually speak to mother earth and the Dryads that lived around their cabin in the Samtin forest. Using these teachings, he allowed himself to be open to the life around him and he marveled at how peaceful this glade truly was.

When the golden green flavor of Drianne floated into his mind, Fini didn’t fight it. He opened himself to the flow of the sunshine over her leaves and the cool earth that her roots dug deeply to caress. Together, the Druid and Dryad shared the sweet nectar of water drawn up from pristine aquifers running pure and delicious far beneath the surface.

He didn’t know when he felt the light melody of Jehro’s thoughts join with them, but it was a wonderful counterpoint to the birds nesting near Drianne’s tree. For a moment, he wondered just how much of his mind was open at that time to Jehro and then it really didn’t matter. The peace of the moment wasn’t shattered by Jehro’s being there so Fini knew his own peace hadn’t been disturbed.

“This is very pleasant.” Fini was startled to hear the soft voice of Tris in his mind. He didn’t know when she had joined with them and for another moment he panicked wondering just what he was revealing and what he would see being in her mind. “Relax, Finbrahner, just feel the sun and the warm breeze. With this kind of blending, tomorrow will be no trouble at all.” Fini felt himself relaxing with her words and knowing the truth of them. This joining of these four minds would be a very strong defense against whatever Handsome could throw at them.

As slow as the setting sun, Fini felt the others withdraw from his mind. He, too, was reluctant to release the bond between them. When he opened his eyes, he smiled at Tris and Drianne and Jehro. Although not very many words were shared, he had an instinctive knowledge of them now that could only come from such a sharing.

“Will it be like this tomorrow?” He asked and it felt strange to use words.

Tris shook her head. “The ease and strength of our joining will be the same, but that is all. What we must contain and cleanse is blacker than the darkest night and thicker than the muck from the bottom of a stagnant pond. And while we have it, Handsome attacks with all of his power to get it back. Today was the reward for tomorrow’s task.”

Fini nodded slowly, understanding and accepting her words with an ease he hadn’t before they shared minds. He stood up and offered Tris his hand. She smiled as she took it and lifted herself to her feet. Jehro was already standing. Together, they returned to the cave for the evening meal before they began their next attack.

Chaos gagged in his palace. All the peace and light of that joining was enough to make him go charging to Dreybrenic to stir the pot. He was just about to leave his palace when Perlish contacted him. Curious, he forgot about his minion and went to see what his sister/daughter had to tell him.

Serenity chuckled softly at how easy it was to distract Chaos at just that moment. He thought she didn’t try to help her champions and left them to their own devices, and most of the time she did. Certain circumstances, however, called for her to step in and Chaos interfering at the wrong time was one of them.