Four Horsemen Book 5 - Old Histories: Chapter 22

Petor walked beside Desari down the stone ramp from the tower's base. Her shoulders slumped, and dark circles rimmed her eyes. The usual sharp intensity of her gaze had dulled.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

Desari rolled her shoulders, wincing slightly. "Better now, teleporting a tower across an ocean is one thing. Teleporting the whole island and said tower as one—thankfully I didn't have to use any of my mana—just guide the whole thing."

"You make it sound almost easy," Petor forced a chuckle.

"Space time, different planets and planes," Desari waved him off, fatigue layering her voice. "It's a fucking pain in the ass."

Petor snorted out a laugh and then coughed as the battlefield's stench hit him. Bodies littered the beach below, some half-buried in blood-stained sand. Smoke rose from smoldering wreckage, mixing with the salt spray to create a thick haze. The constant lap of waves against the shore did nothing to mask the metallic tang of blood or the acrid smell of spent powder.

Desari produced a small crystal vial from her storage. She dabbed the liquid under her nose before extending it toward him.

"Lavender," she said, her voice quiet. "Covers the smell."

Petor hesitated for a moment, then took it, applying it to his upper lip. The subtle burn tickled his nose, but the fragrance quickly drowned out the stench around them. He took a tentative deep breath, testing it. "Thanks."

He handed her back the vial.

They walked down the rest of the ramp in silence, observing the battle's remains.

Just a few hours it would have been death to stand upon this very ground.

Newly raised undead moved across the battlefield, still wearing the armor and gear of the various groups that had made up the United Irdun Forces. Their faces showed no emotion as they sorted through the carnage. Equipment, gear and bodies were seperated from one another, then carried to different piles.

Mardun bodies that could be saved and the soul returned to them were wrapped in cloth and taken to ritual sites where soul and flesh could be united once more.

Those who's bodies wouldn't support a soul anymore were wrapped in cloth and taken away for burial.

"I thought that traders and sea going folk buried people at sea," Petor said.

"Think you'd let the waters have you if the Dark gods wanted to steal your soul away?" Desari asked.

"Ah," Petor grimaced. "Fair point." the whole of Irdun was truly against them.

Mya, Draden, and Lianne were gathered near a section of beach relatively clear of debris at the bottom of the ramp. 

Draden looked remarkably composed for someone recently freed from torture, his newly acquired hat tilted at a rakish angle.

“The Shoals?” Lianne asked—Petor overhearing as they approached.

"Mid point between Anvil Spike Island and Coral Bastion—got friends in both places and there are others in the area that you can trade with easily." Mya tilted her head at Petor and Desari in greeting.

Draden and Lianne looking over.

"How are you feeling?" Lianned asked as the trio made room for Petor and Desari to join them.

Petor sent some of his stamina over to Desari, feeling the drain upon himself. He hid a yawn behind his hand.

"Like I haven't slept in a week and I have a beach worth of sand in my eyes," Desari said.

"If not for you teleporting, well everything—" Mya started.

Desari waved her off. "You'd have done the same for me, you did at Ilus."

“Where’s Valter?” Petor asked.

“Headed in-land said he was going to finish fixing up your armor,” Draden said.

Petor glanced down at his own armor, encrusted with crap from fighting. 

"Said that what he did before was quick and dirty—wants to properly size it and revise the enchantments," Mya said.

Desari nodded, hiding her own yawn. "Yeah we talked about that while we were working on them. The Enchanmtents weren't as strong as they could have been—they worked, just not as strong as what you could get out of Othir metal."

He cast a cleansing spell over his armor, removing the grime and gunk.

“So do any of you know what happened to the island?" Draden asked. "The cracks running through the ground, the sharp shards of water in the interior bay and the raises and sunken areas?”

“Yes." Desari gathered herself. "So when I teleported us I basically scooped out Osola, I went as big as I could, then I dropped us on the shoals. Its basically a lot of rock protrusions just sticking out of the water. Mya bought a lot of artifacts that will help with altering the earth. I’d suggest having teams move through the island—inspect what’s happening underneath, fuse the island's rock to the shoals, secure everything in place, then alter the ground of the island how you want it."

“The farmers have the best understanding of the earth and ground, I’ll reach out to them and have them check the island,” Lianne said.

“I can offer my help and you could hire people from Ilus to help as well,” Desari said.

“Ilus?” Draden asked.

“That is the city that I hail from, it is part of the nation of Trinity which is located in the Abyssal Plane—”

“Which is through Anvil Spike and they trade with the Nether Forge that control the island and the other side of the convergence point,” Mya picked up as Desari was flagging.

Petor sent more of his stamina to Desari. Her eyelids fluttered as her eyes focused on him.

“What about the tower? Does it need to be worked into the shoals too?” Draden asked, staring up at it.

“I secured it into the island and the shoals,” Desari said, "I didn't want it falling on the island."

Lianne turned and grimaced at its edifice. "What are we going to do with it?"

“It’s the tallest feature on the island," Draden said, "It might have uncomfortable memories but the highest level is filled with cannons that look over the strait cutting through the shoals. With its height and position we have a commanding position to defend from." 

“The shoals also extend around us in most directions. Desari did an incredible job of placing us right at the edge of the strait,” Mya said, “Though some of the shoal did come up in the middle of the bay.”

Desari grimaced.

“Not like we had many ships left anyway.” Lianne softened the statement with a smile.

Mya’s smirk returned, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Oh, I might have a few ships stashed away to start rebuilding. And Petor here knows a thing or two about growing ships, don’t you?”

Petor rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a faint smile. “I can help, sure. But it’s going to take time and resources.”

“Now we’re away from Irdun we once again have time on our side,” Lianne bit her lip, looking at the sand and then away. 

She pulled off her hat and ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry its going to take sometime getting used to not having to look over our shoulders.”

“Once the island’s connected to the shoals we’ll get those with the earth artifacts moving through the bay clearing up the shoals that are a hazard and open the inlet up again,” Mya said.

“Talking about looking over our shoulders,” Draden crossed his arms and lowered his voice. “What about the people of the Water Plane? How will they react to our arrival?”

Desari opened her mouth, then frowned and turned towards the shoreline.  “It looks like the Water Lord has already taken notice.”

Petor followed her gaze as the waters stirred, rising into the towering form of the Water Lord.

Mya held out her hand, stopping everyone who had been reaching for their weapons.

He reached out a hand the surface of the sea rippled once more, summoning another figure from the water.

The woman that kissed Draden in the prison?

"Ella?" Draden asked, taking a half-step forward, his voice cracking with emotion. His hands trembled at his sides.

She ran up the beach towards him and Draden ran towards her, sand kicking up beneath their feet as the two of them collided in a fierce embrace, their lips meeting in a desperate kiss.

Draden is laughing and crying, holding Ella's face in wonder, his weathered fingers tracing her features as if memorizing them anew. They hugged—talking to one another in hushed, intimate tones that carry across the beach like whispered prayers.

The Water Lord moved past them, to give the reunited couple a moment.

"Water Lord," Desari bowed her head, Petor and Mya following suit.

“You horsemen have been keeping things interesting in my water plane. The other elemental lords are going to get jealous.” The water lord smiled.

“So these are your people Mya?”

“That they are,” Mya nods.

"Interesting times we live in indeed," The Water Lord smiled.

Mya crossed her arms, the ghost of a smirk playing at her lips.

"The water plane welcomes honest trade," he continued, gesturing to the assembled group. "Those who respect our customs find profitable routes here. Though I must say, your recent activities around Anvil Spike have drawn quite a bit of attention."

His tone carried no heat, more like someone sharing an inside joke than delivering a reprimand.

“I know that most of the leaders throughout the water plane are appointed by you,” Mya said.

“It is less appointing and more I check in on them. There are a few islands that fall under my domain. Most are governed by themselves. The only time that I would become involved is if those of the island start to harm others of the water plane.”

“So—we’re good to run Osola how we want?” Mya asks.

“Yes, though I have one request,” The Water Lord looked at Mya and Lianne. “The waters are free, I would not like it if passage through the shoals was to be controlled.”

“Can do that,” Mya nodded. “Trade?”

“No restrictions, trade as you want.”

“Nice, the inland lake is going to be really damn useful-and the plants. Maybe we should see about expanding the island over the shoals,” Mya squinted and looked up the beach.

They turned as Ella and Draden rejoined the group with their fingers intertwined. Ella in her form of water.

“The Water Lord and I have come to an agreement.” Ella grinned at the towering figure beside her, who seemed faintly amused.

“Traders, always looking for the best deal.” The Water Lord sighed, but there was an amused twinge to his smile as he straightened.

Draden's smile was filled with pride.

The Water Lord’s voice rolled across the beach, clear and cutting over the noises of the sea. “I cannot watch over all my waters. There are dangers among the waves. But I can assure you this: if you die at sea or on land, your souls will be judged by your actions, not your location. I have accepted the goddess Ella by her code. May your dead rest according to the lives they have lived and ride the seas forevermore.”

“Well the whole island will know about, now,” Mya said.

“So, that means that our dead can rest?” Lianne asked.

“Yes, when Akem died the Mardun souls that he held were released and being a lower divinity I was able to bring them into my celestial realm. Killing the three dark gods freed even more souls which entered my celestial realm. To the point I was able to manifest and ascend as a god. Those that followed me—their souls were drawn to my celestial realm,” Ella said.

“Through your actions we saved every soul that was captured or held in bondage by the other gods,” Draden said.

Lianne let out a shaky breath. “That’s oh, I—are you sure we got all of them?”

“I went to every god’s celestial realm and took back every Mardun—every ally. All the souls of the dark gods also reside in my celestial plane,” Ella’s voice took on a darker tone. “All are judged by their actions—their twisted pleasures have been visited upon them.”

The Water Lord made a note of approval the way a warship might groan at sea.

Lianne’s brow furrowed. “And what about the people of Irdun? Can they follow us here?”

The Water Lord regarded her with a calm but knowing expression. Desari answered first. “If they have the ability to teleport here, they might. But there are countless worlds and planes. They’d need an artifact powerful enough to cross the void, and even then, they’d need to find us.”

“It is as the Liberator says,” the Water Lord rumbled, inclining his head toward Desari.

“We didn’t even know about things that could teleport people across a world let alone between them,” Mya said.

"We're going to head up the temple, ready the souls there to rest," Ella said.

"Till the next time and welcome to my Water Plane. I hope you find it to be home." The Water Lord's massive form dissolved into water, staining the sand where he had once stood.

Petor watched as Draden and Ella drifted away from the group, their voices carrying softly on the evening breeze. Their silhouettes merged with the lengthening shadows as they walked toward the interior of the island, hands clasped together like they'd never been apart.

The sun hung low on the horizon, painting the clouds in deep purples and oranges. The tide had risen further, washing away more traces of the battle, though the acrid smell of gunpowder still lingered beneath Desari's lavender remedy.

Desari stretched, her shoulders popping audibly. "I need to find somewhere to sleep before I fall over." She nodded to the group and started up the beach.

"Where are the wounded?" Petor asked, turning to Lianne. His mana reserves were low, but he could still help with some basic healing.

"I'll show you," Lianne said, adjusting her hat. "We've set up a temporary infirmary in one of the intact warehouses."

"I'll stay here," Mya said, her eyes on the dark waters. "The dead need someone to guide them." She walked toward the water's edge, her boots leaving clear prints in the wet sand.

Petor followed Lianne up the beach, leaving Mya to her solemn duty. 

"Oh, Lianne!" Mya called out.

A ring shone in the light as she tossed it over. "That has the ships and their gear within. Never say I don't get you anything!" Mya kept walking.

"She always been like that?" Petor asked as he and Lianne continued their trudge up the beach after Desari.

"She used to be worse as a teenager I'm told. Though I was usually caught up with here in some kind of plan she'd come up with." Lianne smiled softly.

"With friends like this," Petor smiled.

Lianne snorted. "Quite."