Amendments (18 page)

              The scarred man picked up Noir's sword and held it horizontally to Noir's throat.  “You are a weakling, little Luxin.  This rebellion, that town Talik, and Chiron will all fall to Tier's unstoppable force.”

              Noir realized he had to do something.  There were no other options.  No one would save him.  He forced himself to clear his mind.  He had to do
something
!

              “The Woman in Rags is all-powerful.  No one can stand up to her!”

              In a sudden burst of inspiration, Noir got an idea of what he could do and didn't self-guess.  He immediately solidified the air around the sword pressed to his throat and pushed it away from him.  In an instant, he saw a flow of yellow light come from his opponent and push on the blade in return.  Noir longed for air desperately but pushed with every ounce of power he could muster.  Slowly the blade inched toward his opponent.  Noir made another flow of lux around the man's neck and pulled it toward the blade.  The man's head lurched forward onto the blade of his sword.  For a long, disturbing moment, the man looked into Noir's eyes with horror, then his eyes glassed over.  Noir was suddenly able to breathe again as the scarred man's body fell to the ground.

              Noir fell as well and clung to his chest.  He gasped for breath with shameless pleasure.  “I'm too weak!” he thought as he breathed raggedly.  “He almost got me!”

              Another scream forced Noir to stand.  “But he didn't get me.  I still have a job to do.”  Noir gasped a few more breaths, then ran toward the scream.

              A robed woman stood with both hands out toward another small group of people.  A steady stream of flames poured from the robed, scarred woman's hands.  Noir saw writhing bodies among the flames.  Noir had had enough.

              Noir bellowed in rage and the scarred woman turned in surprise.  She shot a spear of ice in Noir's direction as he charged, but Noir created a brick of solid air to jump from.  Noir jumped, stepped on the air over the ice, and then careened over the woman's head.  He swiped down hard at the robed vigor user.  Noir landed on his feet and thrust with his sword again into the woman's abdomen.  Two and three more times Noir trusted, blade penetrating the woman again and again.  Noir screamed in her face as she fell from his attacks.

              Noir immediately turned to the burning people nearby.  They writhed on the ground, still on fire.  Noir unfastened and whipped off his Luxin cloak and smothered the flames.  Then he knelt down beside the three and put his hands on two of them.  He mended their skin as fast as he was able.  Burned, flaked skin became smooth and healthy once more.  He finished and went to the third who groaned miserably.  Noir laid a hand on her head and mended her flesh as fast as possible.  He was vaguely aware of the other two watching him, but he focused on what he was doing.  Soon, the woman's burns were healed and Noir stood feeling drained.

              “Thank you, Luxin Noir,” the woman he'd healed first said.  He realized she was crying.

              The third one Noir had healed, which he now realized was a teenage girl, ran and clung frantically to the man he'd healed.  The man cried with reverence, “You saved my family, Luxin!”

              Noir wasn't sure what to say.  So much was happening that he simply backed away.  He had to go make sure Ratt and everyone else was okay.  Noir turned to run, but called over his shoulder, “You're welcome!  Now hide!”

              Noir sprinted through the streets of Garmak.  People reached out to him as he ran.  Some asked what was happening.  Noir simply yelled for everyone to go inside and hide.

              How had these dual vigor users gotten inside?  The lux users could have bent light around them and sneaked inside.  Noir's thoughts were answered by a massive shaking of the earth.  He looked to the wall behind him and saw a pillar of earth fling a robed person into the sky over the wall.  Noir surrounded the person with a light barrier and flung him away.  The person flew through the air with tremendous speed.  He would most likely die when he landed, but Noir was past trying to save his enemies' lives.  These dual users meant to murder him, his friends, and the people of the resistance.  Noir was finished playing nice.

              Noir ran past the western wall gate and saw with horror that it stood wide open.  The soldiers stood to the side as two robed figures walked easily past them.  Traitors?  No, Noir realized, they were being sye controlled.  Noir felt the mental attacks come quickly, but he had the mind lux barrier in place a moment before their attacks.  Noir formed one large lux barrier around the two men and made to hurl them as well, but a stream of light came from one of the men's hands.  A blade of light cut open Noir's light barriers.  He didn't know another lux user could do such a thing.

              Noir felt his body held in place with solidified air and the two robed figures walked toward him deliberately.

              A blur of green came from Noir's left and hurled itself into the two robed figures.  They both screamed, then fell limply to the ground.  The solid air around Noir's body dissipated.

              “You alright?” Ratt called to Noir.

              “Yes!  Thank you, Ratt!”  Noir was relieved to see his friend.  “Let's stick together from now on.  These dual users are dangerous.”

              Suddenly and inexplicably, Ratt's body moved impossibly fast toward Noir.  Before Noir realized what had happened, Ratt's axe was at Noir's throat.  Noir looked into his friends eyes and saw nothing of the person he knew.  He saw a blank stare devoid of emotion or persona.  “Ratt!  What are you doing?”

              Ratt blinked and Noir saw personality return to his friend.  “What the heck, Ratt?!”

              Ratt lowered his axe and took a step backward.  “I... I...”

              Noir raised his sword to his friend.  For a split second, Noir was reminded of the peaceful time in Fafnir's cave when he trained with his friend.  So much had changed since then.  “You almost killed me, Ratt!”

              Ratt shook his head and said, “I told you this would happen.  I'm a killer, Noir!  I never should have put on this armor!”

              A green blur sped away.  “Ratt, stop!  Come back!”

~~~

              Another forty-seven people died on the night of the counterattack, but eventually all of the dual vigor users were slain.  At final count, there were seven who could use lux and din, and five who could use sye and din.  Each bore the scars of Nidhoggr's blood.  Each killed innocent people in Garmak.

              No Tierian army came in the days following the counterattack.  Many believed the attack was over.  They had won their freedom.  Lord Murik, however, believed that another large scale attack was coming.

              Noir didn't care.  He had too much to think about.  He thought about those he had killed, and about those he had saved and healed.  He thought about how strangely Ratt had acted at the western gate.  Mostly, however, Noir thought about his cousin and uncle and how much he wanted to get out of a world of such death.

Chapter 19

Redemption

              “Remember, Grandel caused all of this!  He's our enemy! 
The
enemy!”

              A woman's voice responded, “But he's dying of thirst.”

              Similar conversations had taken place during the weeks that Grandel had been a captive in the Returner camp, but he listened anyway.  There was nothing else he could do but listen while he was trapped in the cage.

              “Do you forget the suffering?” a Returner man asked angrily.  “Do you forget the faces of the dead?”

              “Do not insult me, Tad!” the woman replied.  “You know I lost everything just like you did.  I will never forget!”

              “But you bring water for the very man who killed your daughter!  You say you haven't forgotten, but--”

              The woman interrupted.  “Starving Grandel to death will not bring my daughter or your wife back.  He has helped us.  That means someth--”

              “It means nothing!”  Grandel watched the man called Tad smack the jar of water out of the woman's hands.  “Let the bastard rot!”

              It was not nearly the worst thing Grandel had heard about himself in the past weeks.  He'd endured every insult and accusation.  Some of the Returners tried to harm Grandel, but an odd thing happened after he'd gotten hit by a few rocks: two of Grandel's trained soldiers began guarding his cage at all times.  They rotated out and rarely spoke to Grandel, but they protected him from harm.  Grandel had instructed them many times to leave him, but they silently continued to stand guard.  One time, one of his best soldiers told him that Menoh had ordered them not to guard him, but they didn't listen.  It seemed to have made Menoh very angry, but he couldn't stop the soldiers from doing what they wanted.

              Even though Grandel instructed Adeel not to heal his injuries, she'd gotten to him during the second night in his sleep.  She must have been invisible, reached through the wood boards, touched him, and healed him.

              Despite the guards seemingly watching out for Grandel, no one regularly brought him food or water.  On occasion, like with the exchange he was currently watching, someone would feel sorry for him and try to bring him some food or water.  However, it was uncommon, and they usually got stopped or even attacked by others for trying to help.

              Isis was Grandel's lifeline for food.  She would steal pieces of bread or cheese in her talons and bring it to Grandel in his cage.  The guards didn't seem to pay her any mind.  Once she managed to steal a piece of cooked meat and get it to Grandel.  The one thing Isis could not bring him was water.  On the third day of Grandel's imprisonment, he was thirsty beyond reason.  Grandel did not allow himself to ask his captors for a drink, but he was getting desperate.

              Jarek often watched Grandel.  He would see the boy peeking from behind bushes or houses.  The boy must have seen him scraping the tiny amount of snow off the bottom of his cage and putting it into his mouth because that evening, he brought a small jar of water.  He approached Grandel with downcast, ashamed eyes.  No doubt he blamed himself for Grandel being where he was.  Grandel drank the water greedily whenever Jarek visited.  He had much he still wanted to do to help these people, so he couldn't die yet.  Jarek sneaked him water several times every day and Grandel was grateful for the boy.

              “Hey!” the woman exclaimed while picking back up her water jar.  “We can't let him rot.  That would be murder!”

              Tad yelled in response, “It would be just one murder compared to the countless people he's responsible for killing or sending off to be slaves!”

              The woman sloshed the water that was still inside her jar.  “Just because he has that in his past doesn't mean we can do the same!”  She walked toward Grandel but Tad moved between them once more to block her.

              The sound of horses' hooves approaching rapidly distracted Grandel and the Returners.  There were few horses in the Returner's camp, so this was unusual.

              Four riders galloped toward Menoh's large tent.  To Grandel's surprise, three of the four wore Azurite Knight armor.  The one leading the three knights was one of the scouts Grandel had trained.  The young man was named Selvin.  He was a seventeen-year-old of small stature who was alert and a good shot with a bow and arrows.  Grandel looked closer at the Azurite Knights and recognized Osarik himself, captain of the order.

              “What's going on?” Tad echoed Grandel's thoughts.

              The four dismounted and strode into Menoh's large burlap tent.  Tad and the woman he'd been arguing with went on their way and Grandel sat wondering for a long while what was taking place in that tent.

              Eventually, the three knights, Selvin, and Menoh himself exited the tent and walked toward Grandel's cage.  Selvin was leading the knights and Menoh walked behind with a scowl.

              Selvin talked as he led the other men.  “Grandel is our General, sir Osarik.  He taught us everything.  We'd all be dead by now if not for his guidance.”

              They neared and Grandel stood to face them.  Captain Osarik scowled and objected in his gruff voice, “This is not the man Grandel.  I know him personally.”

              Selvin shook his head and said, “No, it's him.  He had his appearance changed by Luxin Adeel so he could help the Returners.  We refused his help before, so he did it anyway without us realizing it.”

              Osarik looked at the boy with trepidation.  “This is a strange tale.  It is not one that is easy to believe.”  Osarik turned to Grandel.  “Is this true?  Are you Grandel?”  Many other Returners had begun to gather to listen.

              Grandel replied, “Yes, Osarik.  You know me.  What Selvin says is true.”

              Osarik still looked skeptical.  “This is Grandel's voice.  This also sounds like some foolish thing he'd do.  Is there another way you can prove your identity?”

              “We buried the Lumin together, Osarik,” Grandel said somberly.  “You, me, and the generals from Chiron and Tier.  We both watched the Lumin die above the battlefield just down the hill from where we are on now.  You shed tears onto the grave by my side.”

              Osarik lowered his head and closed his eyes.  “There was not a dry eye at that burial.”  Osarik turned to Menoh.  “I understand when you say this man has done you wrong in your past, but I ask you now to release him.  His military expertise is needed.”

              Menoh clenched his fists.  “Absolutely not!  Grandel is our prisoner!  He murdered our children!  His actions got our villages slain or enslaved!”

              “We understand, but the Returner village and New Talik are in grave danger.  We need him to lead--”

              “What danger?” Grandel finally spoke up.  A murmur ran through the other Returners who were listening.

              Osarik turned to Grandel.  “An army of straghs is com--”

              “He is going nowhere!” boomed Menoh.  “I don't care what is coming!  Grandel must pay for the evils he has brought upon the Returners!”

              More murmurs ran through the crowd.  “A stragh army is coming here?!” someone yelled.

              Osarik turned toward the voice.  “Yes.  I do not mean to frighten you, but they are only a few hours out.  We must prepare quickly and not squabble needlessly about--”

              Someone interrupted, “How many?”

              “Are there any of those big ones?”

              Osarik addressed all of the crowd which was rapidly growing.  “There are several hundred straghs approaching.  Also, we counted four of the behemoths.”

              “No!” many in the crowed cried out.

              “We're doomed!”

              “We are not doomed,” came a woman's voice.  Luxin Adeel pushed past some of the Returners and approached Menoh, Osarik, and the others.  “We have two armies, Fafnir, me, and an excellent commander to coordinate the defenses.”  Adeel pointed sternly at Grandel in his cage.  “Talik's army will help defend, but we need Grandel to lead.”

              Someone in the crowd cried out, “Let Grandel free!”

              “He will protect us!”

              “NO!!!” bellowed Menoh.  His voice cracked with rage.  Silence spread across the entire crowd.  Menoh took a step toward the crowd.  He shook his fists in front of their faces and his eyes were wild with rage.  “Do you forget the dead faces of your loved ones?!  I do not!”  He pointed at the band of lighter colored skin on his neck.  “Do you forget the slave collars?  Death, slavery, pain, all because of him!”

              “Menoh,” a teenaged girl said, stepping forward with eyes downcast.  “We are now free.  If the straghs come... we will be dead.”

              Another young man stepped forward.  “Menoh, you have helped lead us and organize us, but now what you say is madness.  We will be destroyed.”

              An elderly man with dark, deeply wrinkled skin croaked, “None of us forget what happened to us.  None of us ever will.  But we must forgive General Grandel or our freedom will be lost to destruction.  We are free in part because of this man.”

              Menoh looked with wide eyes as though he was being betrayed.  “Your fear makes you abandon your morals, Returners!  Grandel and others like him stole our families!  Stole
years
of our lives!”

              The elderly man said, “This is in the past.  Look.”  The elderly man walked to the teenaged girl who had spoken a few moments ago.  He brushed aside her brown hair so her neck was visible.  The pale ring of untanned skin where her slave collar had been was barely visible.  “The marks of our slavery are disappearing.  Light purifies evil.  The Returners are moving past that stage in their lives.  We must fight for what we have now or lose everything we've gained.”

              A long stretch of silence passed.  Menoh looked around wildly at the circle of Returners.  “So... you can forgive this man for killing your families?”  He paused and looked around again.  No one met their leader's eyes.  “You can forgive him for your enslavement, your abuse, your rape?!”

              Again, no one met Menoh's eyes.  To Grandel's surprise, Jarek pushed his way out from behind several people in the crowd and stepped forward with a confidence that Grandel had never seen on a boy of his age.  “Grandel has helped us for over a month now,” the boy said loudly.  “I watched him train our soldiers every day and teach the blacksmiths to make weapons and armor to defend us.  Every second he has been here, he has tried to make our lives better, teach us, and protect us.  I know he would willingly die if it meant helping us even in the tiniest bit.”  A murmur of approval ran through the crowd.

              For some reason, Grandel found his vision blurring with tears at the boy's speech.

              Jarek continued, “What have
you
done to help us, Menoh?”

              Menoh glared down at the boy with shock and malice.  “Jarek.  I am the Lumin's voice.  I have guided these people from--”

              Jarek interrupted.  “I thought The Diviner was the Lumin's voice.  You have no connection with the Lumin or The Diviner.  Grandel has both!  He'd be a better leader than you!”

              Menoh's face twisted with a mix of anger and shock.  “Boy, you have no idea what—”

              Jarek turned from Menoh and shouted.  “I forgive General Grandel!  My mother and sister were both made slaves by him, but I still forgive him!  Who else is ready to embrace the teachings of the Lumin and start forgiving for past mistakes?”

              Grandel looked at the boy with shock, then looked around at the ring of Returners.  Their eyes were no longer fixed to the ground with shame.  They now looked upon this young boy with strong, confident eyes.  To Grandel's surprise, a man's voice rose from the crowd.  “I also forgive General Grandel.”

              Menoh turned toward the voice and peered into the crowd.  He couldn't find who had said it before another voice rang out, “I forgive General Grandel.”  Menoh spun to try to see the new speaker.

              Next, something that Grandel had never dreamed of happening took place right before his eyes.  Multitudes of voices rang out in random intervals, “I forgive General Grandel.”  They were not joyful in their declarations.  Their voices were solemn, as if remembering and honoring the past.

              Grandel looked out from the wooden boards of his prison with absolute surprise.  Didn't they remember what he'd done to them?  How could they forgive him so quickly and so easily?  Grandel found himself sitting on the wooden floor of his cage weeping into this hands with joy.

              The voices finally died down and Menoh's eyes stared at the ground.  It seemed as though his rage had finally been overshadowed.  After a while he lamented, “I have harbored hatred and the desire for vengeance for years.  I have much yet to learn about the will of The Lumin.”  Menoh looked up at the cage that still held Grandel as if seeing it for the first time.  “I do not forgive Grandel, but I now see that my lack of forgiveness has endangered my people.  I am not fit to lead The Returners.”