Chapter 48
“Come on, Rwiordes. Tell me something you remember from your
childhood.”
“I told you I can’t. It’s no use.”
“You’ve got to concentrate.”
“Let’s see, have I told you about my
uncle Biorew, and my first time on horseback?”
“I think that’s my memory,
Rwiordes. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. It was a pleasant memory, even if it wasn’t
mine.”
Somehow, they had managed to hang on
to each other in the pit of hell.
Rwiordes had focused so thoroughly on Kilfrie that the dark universe of
nightmare faded and he became lost in her memories, her personality just as she
had focused on him. They had found an
oasis of stability in each other’s presence in the churning sea of chaos that
had dragged them through limitless worlds of madness.
“Why don’t we stop worrying about
whose memory is whose.”
“Fine. What do you want to do to pass the time?”
“I want to leave.”
“How do you suggest that we do that?”
“Well, this place is the realm of
total chaos, right?”
“I think that’s obvious.”
“It seems to me that our struggle to
retain our separate identities makes us fit right in here. We’re in a constant fight to maintain
ourselves against each other. What would
happen if—”
“You mean if we unify. Provide a basis of order in this world of
instability.”
“We’re going to end up loosing our
individuality eventually anyway.”
“We should try and turn it to our
advantage.”
“I like the way we think.”
While holding the rest of the Demon’s
domain at bay, Rwiordes and Kilfrie opened up to each other. They embraced each other’s essence in pure
love. Complete openness. They revealed every fiber of themselves to
each other and blended every thought, every memory in a fabric of unity. They were a little boy who got lost on the
way to school. They were the little girl
who was forced to practice her “gift” until exhaustion took her every
night. They were the mysterious druidess
who could take possession of any creature they desired. They were the remorse-filled man who had
brought about the destruction of the world by his dabbling with his friends in
matters occult. They fought off the
darkness that tore at them. They felt a
rising sensation. It was as though they
were in the center of an onion that was being pealed away around them. Their love for each other in their embrace of
ultimate unity carried them through the darkest depths of horror.
Blurred images assailed their vision
as the darkness receded. The Demon
rushed towards two people on the ground and they knew this because they were
seeing through his eyes, or so it seemed to them now. They had become a new
being, comprised of the synthesis of two separate entities joined together in
harmony and love. They became aware of
the metal that their finger’s gripped.
Everything was clear. They swung the Moonsword at the Champion, who was
already bleeding from the wound inflicted by the Demon using Perelisk’s
body. A desperate panic flashed across Tolian’s eyes.
Perelisk’s black eyes watched in malicious delight for Rwiordes’s arm to
deliver the fatal blow. The new being
that had been Rwiordes and Kilfrie could feel the Demon’s satisfaction and
delight as his powerful swing brought the Moonsword down towards Tolian.
Tolian was ready to die. She had failed the World. She had failed her beloved. The crushing guilt she felt would soon be
over. She had never envisioned dying in
a female body by her own sword. It was so
ironic and she was so bitter that she couldn’t cry. She smiled as she waited and watched as the
charging Demon’s expression changed from savage triumph to one of
surprise. She watched in disbelief as
the Moonsword passed over her head and cleaved off Perelisk’s head which
toppled to the charred earth screaming a litany of curses. Then the blackness drained from the eyes, the
body shook one last time and then collapsed.
Tolian looked up at Rwiordes. He stared down on Tolian with two green
eyes. A numb shock took hold of her.
“Are you two all right?” asked the new being from
Rwiordes’ lips.
Tolian looked at Brythia.
“I think it’s over,” the druidess
said.
“It is,” said the new being. “Oh, I think this sword belongs to you.”
He handed the Moonsword to Tolian.
“I don’t understand. What about the prophecy?” asked Tolian.
“The Druidic Prophecy was exactly
right,” answered the New Being. “Davlin
was also right. There were two of Champions:
You and us.”
“Us?” Brythia asked.
“I’ll explain later. Let’s get out of here if you’re not hurt too
badly to travel, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll be fine. Let’s go home.”
Copyright 2002, 2015
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