The Eternal Blade Saga Book 2, Chapter 43: A Promise of Revenge

Dee, Alena, and I carefully wrappedAriella’s body in a white canvas Dee had found off to the side covering materialsthat would have been used to finish our hall’s renovations. I guess that didn’tmatter anymore. Thankfully, only the edge of the canvas has been charred by embersthat had been blow onto it by the wind. I would have rather used a finermaterial for the norn who had served us without complaint, but since we wereseverely limited on options, the canvas would have to do.

I knelt next to Ariella and placed her pistols on her body, crossing the barrels over her chest. The unsettling quiet shrouding the norn enveloped my senses. Where once was a heartbeat, strong and fierce, there was now only silence. A part of me knew she took on that silence herself, but her death still weighed heavily on my shoulders.

The flames had finally started to diedown, leaving behind a charred skeleton of what was once our home. It remindedme of that fateful day when I discovered my aunt and uncle dead and their farmburnt to the ground. That day, the blade became mine. Everything else I had wassuddenly gone, and I was left with what seemed like an impossible task. But notthis time.  I hadn’t lost everything, butI had lost more than I wanted to. We all had.

The three of us hoisted our fallencomrade up and carried her body into the center of the courtyard where weintended to build a pyre out of whatever material we could find. As we shuffledalong, I noticed Alena staring at me in the corner of my eye. She had a strangelook in her eye, like I was a morbid curiosity for her to unravel carefullywith lab-approved gloves. I was glad to see the fear subsiding, though. I justhoped her interest didn’t result in more tests like the ones she put me throughwhile in the Shiverpeaks.

“Tuborg is back,” Alena announced aswe lowered Ariella’s body to the ground. She gestured off to the west side ofthe courtyard, then her ears drooped suddenly. “Oh dear…”.

We all stopped and looked where Alena waspointing. Tuborg and Clarkus were making their way back to us with members ofDanae’s crew.

“Bear’s back,” Dee uttered.

Through the smoky haze, the pair wereescorting the crew of the Raven’s Reach into the courtyard. A young man Irecognized as Markus from our time on Danae’s ship, supported himself onClarkus’ shoulder as he limped from a severe laceration on his leg. Blood hadalready soaked through the haphazardly wrapped bandages and his visage wastwisted in pain with every step he took. Harrisson, the large charr in Danae’semploy, lumbered behind them. He was limping as well, and his golden fur wasmatted with crimson and black all along the side of his head and on his chest.Tuborg walked next to him, trying to offer his help. The proud charr pushed thesylvari away with a growl.

“Back off, ya leafy bastard,” thecharr snarled, and then bared his teeth.

Tuborg put his hands up and backedaway from Harrisson, letting the charr slowly move along without his help. IfTuborg had been insulted by the remark, he never let it show. Instead, thesylvari remained walking just behind him, out of visual range, while keeping awatchful eye on him. I admired his patience. I don’t think I could have shownthat level of restraint at a remark like that.  

The charr made his way through thegroup, pushing past Dee, who flashed him a nasty look as he passed by. He keptmaking his way toward me until he was mere inches away from me. I had alreadybeen within biting distance of one charr today. I really was not enjoying beingwithin biting distance of another. He looked me from head to toe and then huffedin my face so hard it blew back some of my hair. Despite my heart thundering inmy chest, I tried not to move or show any fear in the face of this great beast,even when he suddenly grabbed my trembling hand. With a throaty growl, he wipedhis other paw on his chest and then smeared something on my hand.

“Where it belongs,” he growled, andthen he let go of my hand and turned from me.

I didn’t know what to say. I just stareddown at my hand now covered in red and black. Who or what this was from, Iwasn’t sure I wanted to find out. I looked back up at the charr for anexplanation, but he silently walked away to join his captain at her side.

The last time I had seen Danae Morganin a state such as this, it had been her roughest day while training with theOrder. I remember because I had been there with her, and through her pain, webonded. Usually so well kept, her current appearance was jarring. She had cutsalong one cheek and eye that dripped blood down the side of her face. Her blackhair, which was usually swept neatly up into a pony tail, was disheveled andhanging down past her shoulders. In her arms, she held something wrapped in hercoat. The bottom of the bundle appeared to be leaking, and red had soaked intothe arms of her cream-colored tunic. I swallowed hard, overcome by a wave ofdread.

“This is all your fault,” thedistraught captain said as she approached. Wild eyed and her arms trembling, shethrust the bundle toward me. She wanted me to see, but I wasn’t sure I wantedto. The space between us grew bitter cold and empty, just like it had when Iapproached Ariella’s body. She thrust the bundle at me again, her dark eyeswild with anger. “Look at what you’ve done. Look!”

I did as she commanded and pulled backthe edge of her jacket with a shaking hand, revealing a small body with palegrey skin smeared with blood and a head of messy teal-colored hair. The smallasura had been a casualty of the crash. I looked at my hand again. Now I understood.It was her blood as the black was oil from the ship.

“Oh gods. Danae, I’m so sorry.”

“Keep your apologies,” she bit back.“This is what your little quest has done. This is the result. My crew—my ship.They are everything to me, and now mycrew is in shambles, my first mate dead, and the Raven’s wings broken. I hadworked so hard to build this life and you’ve wrecked it. Just like you wreckedeverything when you left.” She clutched her first mate to her chest, her eyesturning glassy.

“What?” I asked, confused. “I had to leave-youknew that. You yourself said you would cover for me.”

The airship captain scoffed. “What wasI supposed to do? I couldn’t let on that the Order was watching. And let’s faceit, you wouldn’t have stayed for one person. Your quest was far too great forthat.”

Alena joined me at my side and lookedup at Danea. “We understand your pain, captain. We’ve lost people too, but Iask you to please look at this logically. This wasn’t Nienna’s fault. Thepeople on that other ship fired on yours. They’re the ones responsible for allthis carnage.”

Danae looked down at the asura, herface twisted in indignation. “This whole thing wouldn’t have happened if yourcommander here would have stayed with the Order in the first place. We couldhave kept people from dying.”

“This whole thing wouldn’t have happened if Lord and Lady Byrne, the oneswho fired on your ship, the ones who killed your first mate, hadn’t killed myparents in the first place. Their death started all this, so if you wantsomeone to blame, blame the Byrnes and their desire for revenge against theparties involved. But please don’t put all of this on me. I didn’t want any ofthis in the first place.”

“Then you shouldn’t have taken theblade into your possession in the first place!” Harrisson roared.

Dee placed her hands on her hips andstared down the charr. “I don’t imagine it was that easy for her.”

“It’s as easy as walking away,” Harrissonargued.

Harrison comments elicited a throatygrowl from Clarkus. “Watch your tongue or I’ll tear it out.”

“Okay guys,” Markus said as he pattedClarkus on his arm before motioning between him and Harrisson, “I really don’tthink this is the time to be fighting.”

Both charr abruptly turned to Markusand growled, who then immediately dropped the subject.

Tensions between Harrisson, Clarkus,and Dee suddenly burst into a violent display of arguing. Alena tried tointervene, but her pleas for them to stop were ignored. Danae remained silent,still clutching her first mate to her chest, showing no intentions ofintervening. She just stood there in a daze, her eyes focused on nothing inparticular. I glanced over at Tuborg who was now trying to get everyone to calmthemselves without much luck. Their voices grew louder as each assigned blameto the other. The sounds became a deafening roar in my ears, sending my head intoa spin. I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Enough, please!” I begged. I took astep toward the group, but the world around me lurched. I stumbled and fell tomy knees. “Please, I just-.”

Alena ran to my side. “Is it happeningagain? Are you feeling cold? Are you tasting any colors?”

“What sort of nonsense is that?” Deeasked, her eyebrows raised. She knelt down next to me. “Check her arms. I sawthem before at the boat.”

“It’s really not necessary,” I said asI tried to wave them off, but Alena had already pulled my left arm toward herand was examining it closely.

She traced the dark lines with herlittle fingers. “Oh dear. When did these show up?” She put a hand to myforehead to feel for a temperature.

“Just after I used the blade.”

There was a collective gasp amongst Danaeand her crew.

“You used the blade?” Danae askedsharply, finally breaking her silence.

“We needed help,” I started toexplain, but paused as a sharp pain attacked my temples.

“Is it bad?” Dee asked.

“What’s wrong with her,” Harrissonasked as he eyed me. “She’s not going to infect us with anything, is she?”

Dee shot a worried glance at Alena.

“Uh, no. She shouldn’t be contagious,”the asura assured everyone, and then whispered to me, “at least I don’t thinkso.”

“That inspires a lot of confidence,” Iwhispered back and then addressed the rest of the group. “I’m fine. Really. Ijust…it’s been a long year-or twenty.”

With Dee’s help, I got back to my feetbut a number of sharp edges kept poking me with every move. I kept shiftinguncomfortably.

“Are you all right?” She asked, eyeingme suspiciously.

“Can you help me with this?” I motionedto Quint’s coat. She carefully pulled one sleeve off, stopping briefly everytime I winced or made a painful sound. Once I was free of the garment, the norninspected it and then immediately let it fall to the ground. “Nienna! Is thatwhat I think it is?”

“Yes.”

I spread out the leather material,exposing the three pieces of Dhuum’s scythe nestled within. I knew there wouldhave been no way to conceal the weapon as a whole. My longshot of a plan had surprisinglyworked. The Valar blood was the key to the magic protecting the blade, and inusing mine, I was able to break through it and fracture the weapon into threepieces. There were a series of pockets and leather ties that had been sewn intoQuint’s coat, excellent for securing the pieces inside and out of sight. I hadbeen fortunate my former adviser had the foresight to have these customalterations added.

“We need to take it to the Order andseal it away immediately,” Danae said. “One piece or three, it doesn’t matter. Noone else is going to die for that thing.”

I remembered what Quint had told mebefore he left. This isn’t over. Morepeople will die, possibly some of our own. But until the blade is destroyed andthis situation put to rest, our lives rest in your hands and all who follow. Icouldn’t let them take it and put it in storage. I had to see this through.

“The blade isn’t going into storage.It’s not going to be sealed away in some crate and forgotten about until oneday a curious agent comes through and has a look.” I flashed a serious glance atthe rest of my group and immediately they closed ranks. “We’re going to take itand destroy it.”

Markus, who had opted to sit on theground at this point, raised a pointed finger. “Is that even possible? I mean, thisis a weapon imbued with godly energy. Can you even destroy something of thatmagnitude?”

All expectant eyes turned toward me.

“The truth is I don’t know,” Iconfessed. “I have no idea how to destroy the blade, but that doesn’t mean theanswer isn’t out there somewhere.” I suddenly remembered the parchment Quintgave me before he left. I needed to read it, but not here. Not with so manyeyes.

“What’s our move then, commander?”Clarkus asked while still keeping a wary eye on Harrisson.

“Let’s take this a step at a time,” Tuborgchimed in. “We have a godly weapon to destroy and we are missing members of ourgroup.” He flashed a concerned glance over at Dee who nodded. “We need todecide which path to take first.”

“Your missing people are none of ourconcern,” Harrisson said. “Right captain?”

Danae ignored the comment as shelooked down at her first mate’s lifeless body in her arms. Then slowly, sheknelt down and laid her down on the ground next to Ariella. She returned to herfeet and silently stared down at the two bodies side by side.

“Rightcaptain?” the charr asked again.

She looked over at Harrisson. “They’reboth of this world. We made a promise.”

“I can’t bring your first mate backand I can’t bring your ship back,” I began, “but I can offer you a chance atjustice. I can offer you all a chance to get back at the people to who did thisto us. Who took our friends from us. Who took our home. But the road is goingto be dangerous and I can’t make that choice for you. Each of you has to makeit for yourselves.”

“Count me in, commander,” Clarkusreplied without question as he thumped his fist on his chest. “Some of us stillremember how to be a good soldier.” He sneered over at Harrisson who repliedwith a low warning growl.

“Well, I’m not letting you go alone andrisk missing out on one hell of a battle,” Dee scoffed as she crossed her armsover her chest. She then looked over at Tuborg and raised an eyebrow.

The sylvari shook his head. “You knowwell enough that I’m coming too.”

“Well I am certainly not missing out soyou can count me in,” Alena said as she planted the end of her staff in theground. “Besides, you’ll need someone to monitor your symptoms.”

I smiled down at the brave asura. “I’llbe fine, but I wouldn’t mind the company.” I then looked up at the airshipcaptain who had not said a word yet. Her gaze had returned to our fallencomrades as she clenched and flexed her jaw in silent thought. “How about youand your crew, captain? We could use the help.”

Danae looked up at me. I could tell bythe slight twitches in her features that she was fighting to keep a mask overher true feelings. She was a captain after all—a leader. She didn’t have the luxuryof breaking down in front of her crew. To do so would call your capabilities intoquestion. How could one possibly lead if their emotions kept getting in the way?Here, in the face of tragedy, she couldn’t risk showing how she really felt.

“Revenge,” she finally said quietly.

“Captain?” Markus uttered, his eyesgoing wide. He waved to Harrisson who helped him back up to his feet. The manwinced as he shifted his weight into a standing position that was tolerable. “Whatare you saying?”

Captain Danae Morgan stifled herquivering chin and looked at me square in the face, her aqua eyes hardening. “I’msaying let’s call it revenge and we have a deal.”