Chaos (24 page)

"Fire warm your hearth and light your path," Sasha said, and he raised his hands, cupping them so that his fingertips were pressed together. The ring on his right hand shimmered as he intoned,
"Life and death are but steps on a path the soul walks. The soul is not meant to linger, but to walk. Cease your waiting and resume your walking. In fire born, in fire end, to be born again."

Golden flames filled his cupped hands, and as he opened them, the flames poured out, melting the snow, banishing the cold, and consuming Achim. It lasted only seconds, but may as well have lasted hours.

As the flames burned out, Sasha felt the softest brush of feathers against his cheeks, absorbing his tears, before he was left once more with only falling snow and cold wind. Before him, the gate seemed to shiver, shimmering with violet light that spread out along the wall on both sides.

When the last of the magic had faded, Sasha went back inside. Removing all but his breeches and shirt, he slid into the bed and bundled David close, practically wrapping around him, burying his nose in David's soft, rose-scented hair. He was asleep within moments.

Memories jerked him awake a few hours later, but even as he sat there trying to cling to them, they slipped away out of reach, leaving Sasha feeling lost and frustrated. Would he never get his memories back? Was he cursed to spend the rest of his life wondering who he was?

Just thinking about it made him tired. Sighing, he shoved his loose hair out of his face and looked around the room. The fire had mostly gone down, but the stones must have held the heat well because the room was still comfortably warm.

At his side, arms still twined around his waist, David slept on. Sasha stroked the line of his cheek, wondering again what he was doing with David. Achim's comments rolled through his mind again. If David did love him, hopefully it was more of an infatuation that would ease over time as David grew fully into adulthood and …

And just thinking about it churned his gut. Sasha made a frustrated noise. How had he gotten himself into such a situation? Especially given his lack of memories.  He pushed the blankets away and started to slide out of bed, but the soft sounds of protest, the arms that tightened around him, stopped him short. David's bright eyes blinked open, foggy with sleep he could not quite break free of. "Sasha …" he said groggily before his eyes fell shut again. But his grip on Sasha did not ease.

Shifting and twisting, Sasha lay down once more and pressed a soft kiss to David's lips. David kissed him sleepily back, muttering his name again as he tried to press even closer. They were warm, clean, safe, and rested. The bed was comfortable, and they were in no hurry to be anywhere. It should have been the perfect opportunity to show David many things.

But the thought of seducing David in the bed of the man he had just killed turned Sasha's stomach. He gave David another soft kiss, then closed his eyes and tried once more to get some sleep.

When he woke again, it was to the familiar smell of tea and the sounds of David puttering around. Sasha groaned, yawned, then sat up and stretched. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed, eyes immediately seeking out David.

It took only the barest glance to see that David had been crying. "I'm sorry," Sasha said softly.

"It's not fair they have to die, not when they're not monsters," David said, stirring the porridge over the fire with a vengeance. "Why?"

Sasha considered his words before he said, "People too often lash out when they're hurt, especially when that hurt is caused by loved ones. The deeper the pain, the harder the lash. The more power a person has at their disposal, the more willing they are to use it to strike. Teufel is twisted, and nothing he has done deserves to be excused, but ultimately his actions result from pain. The one ultimately to blame for all of this is Licht, and we may never know in full why he caused the world so much pain."

"What did he do to the rest of the world?" David asked. "I never thought about it before because we were always told they were the ones who were wrong. Does the world hate us? Do they think we're all evil?"

"The rest of the world worries for Schatten. Many believe the country is a dead land, that no living souls remain," Sasha replied. "Come here."

David immediately abandoned the porridge in favor of pushing into Sasha's arms. "I can't believe everything is so wrong. What did Licht do?"

"Many things," Sasha said. "He encouraged a priest to kill his own brother and the Dragons of the Three Storms. He provoked the deaths and riots that eventually destroyed the Firebird. He tried to kill the Basilisk and steal his power, and he encouraged the jealousy and rage of the Faerie Queen who murdered her siblings. Worst of all, though, is the way he abandoned his own children to do those things. Schatten was—is—the domain of Licht, and once he loved his children more than anything. Somewhere along the way, he got lost in his own darkness."

Sasha just hoped that whatever he was doing, it would bring Schatten back into the light. When—if—he managed to kill Teufel, Schatten would have no god to look after it. That was a problem for gods, however.

He was drawn from his thoughts when David looked up at him, eyes the most intense Sasha had ever seen them. Then David leaned up and kissed him, surprising Sasha momentarily before he happily gave in to it. David clung tightly, his hands sliding into Sasha's loose, mussed hair, and the way his body fit so perfectly against Sasha's was the best sort of distraction.

But Achim haunted him, and though Sasha wanted nothing more than to strip David bare and make him scream, it was neither the time nor the place. "As much I would gladly spend all my days kissing you, sweet, the porridge is burning and we have a long road to travel."

David swore at the mention of the porridge and bolted away again, scowling and fussing over it. Sasha chuckled and left him to it. He prowled the room while he straightened his sleep-mussed hair and clothes, poking through what few supplies Achim had remaining. "There does not appear to be much here," he said with a sigh. "I think we may have to leave the wall and go into a city to find fresh supplies."

"So we are going to Raven Knoll, after all," David said as he spooned the porridge into two bowls and drizzled both with honey. "I'm not sure how long it will take, but at least several days."

Sasha ate several bites of the porridge, which wasn't bad as porridge went, even with a bit of scalding, before he replied, "I just hope we can carry enough supplies to last us around the rest of the wall. If I recall correctly, most of the cities and villages are scattered along the base of the mountains and the east coast. There isn't much on the west half of the country."

"I don't know," David said. "I've never been further west than Deer Run, and it's not far from Black Hill. Gold Rock is to the west, they say, and that it's as large as Raven Knoll, but I don't know how true that is. No one I know has ever been there; they just pass on rumors they hear."

"Mmm," Sasha said thoughtfully. "Hopefully there is some truth to the rumors. But that is a problem for later. For now, we need to worry about getting to Raven Knoll, obtaining supplies, and then getting out again."

David nodded. "I packed our bags a little while ago and tidied up what I could … it seems so sad to leave it all. He shouldn't have had to die."

"He should not have had to live so long, either," Sasha replied gently. "There are people who can handle such a fate and others who cannot. It should be a choice, not something forced." He finished his porridge and took both of their empty bowls to wash them. By the time he was done with that, David had taken care of the fire, and together they made quick work of the rest of the room.

When they were ready to depart, Sasha strode over to the bookcase and looked through the myriad books that filled the shelves. Every imaginable subject was covered, and for a moment, he did not think it would have the sorts of books he sought—but then he saw them, tucked neatly at one end of a very bottom shelf. Taking the three slim volumes, he tucked them into his pack, then settled it on his shoulders. "Shall we?"

David nodded and led the way out into the snow. Not long after they started, it began to fall so heavily that they lost visibility beyond a couple of steps. They paused long enough to pull out a short length of rope and tie themselves together before they forged on with David in the lead, pushing on relentlessly until hunger and exhaustion finally forced them to stop.

It took them nine days to reach Raven Knoll, and by the time the towering walls of the city loomed into view, Sasha was ready to drop to the ground and never rise again. Visions of a bed, hot bath, and real food spun in his mind, pushing him to keep moving, to pick himself up after stumbling and press on …

But as they reached the immense gate of Raven Knoll, the gate pillars topped with marble ravens, Sasha knew something was wrong. For one, the iron gates were not just open, they had been torn off, bent, and mutilated. That could only be the work of Sentinels.

They had barely stepped foot into the city proper when the snow cleared enough that he could see them—the entire city was filled with Sentinels. What remained of the city was in ruins and at a glance, he was not certain how much of it could be salvaged. Was there anyone left alive?

At his side, David bit back a cry. "What happened? How—how could he do this? How could he let this happen? All those people … Raven Knoll is Teufel's city. The Temple of Unheilvol is his, built for him by Lord Licht. Why would he ruin a tribute to himself?"

Sasha hugged him and kissed his brow. "I don't know," he said quietly. "It just further proves he does not deserve anything except pity and vengeance. Stay close and run for cover if I tell you." He stroked David's cheek with his fingertips, then pressed on into the city, calling up his magic so that he'd be able to use it in a moment's notice.

They made it about a third of the way down the main road before they came across Sentinels, which he found rather surprising, if a relief. The fewer they encountered, the better. Sasha gestured to David, who nodded and tensed to run for cover. One enormous Sentinel with huge, heavy horns and wings moving restlessly on his back prowled toward them, half a dozen smaller ones creeping from shadows and corners, babies and infants slithering.

How could so many be in one place? The poor city had never stood a chance. Sasha held his arms out, palms up, and said quietly, "David, stay close to me. I'm going to try what I meant to use on the Great Sentinels before I met Achim. I am probably going to pass out when this is done."

"I'll take care of you," David replied.

"I know," Sasha replied. "Be careful." David nodded and stepped up behind him, twining his arms around Sasha's waist. Sasha called up all of his power and tilted his head up to face down the adult Sentinel, ignoring the others that drew close from all sides.
"Wind and water, snow and ice, thunder and lightning. The depths of the sea and the infinity of the sky answer only to the Storms. Dragons of the Three Storms, Lords of Chaos, destroy these rotted threads of fate."

A sudden silence fell over everything, the sort of lull that always preceded a storm.

Chaos arrived with a slow rumble of thunder that ended in a world-shaking crash. The sound boomed and echoed through the devastated city, causing the noise-sensitive Sentinels to rear back in panic and pain.

Next came the lightning, the wind, and the soft snow turned into biting bits of whirling ice. Sasha turned and held tightly to David, dragging him to the ground and huddling with him there as the storm raged through the city.

When the hush came again, there was a note of finality in it. Sasha swayed as the draining of his energy finally struck him, and he slumped tiredly against David, who held him fast and kissed his brow. "I've got you," David whispered.

"I count on it, little spark," Sasha whispered and let his eyes slip shut.

He was roughly jarred awake again by the sound of shouting and dozens of voices speaking at once. Dragging his eyes open, he stared up into a face that was unfortunately familiar. "Ah, the Seer from the clearing. I was hoping our paths would not cross again."

The man's mouth twisted, making him look as though he had bitten into a lemon. "Well, at least you have spared me the trouble of having to go find you. And you've solved my Sentinel problem. Grab him."

"No!" David said, and he shoved Sasha back to stand protectively in front of him. "Get away. You can't—" He cried out as a whip cracked, the metal-tipped end catch him across throat and shoulder.

Sasha snarled and rose, throwing out his own arm as the whip came at him. "Touch him again—"

"Neither of you is in a position to be giving orders. Seize them," the man ordered.

Dragging David close, Sasha said, "When I distract them, run. I'll get free of the temple and come find you. Until then, stay safe."

He didn't give David a chance to argue, simply threw his right hand into the sky and said,
"Light is not always kind. Thunder roar, lightning strike!"

At his bidding, thunder again crashed and boomed so loudly the entire city seemed to shake. Unlike before, the lightning that had rolled and flickered in the heavy clouds came down in sharp bolts, shattering the street and houses they struck, melting snow and leaving behind an acrid, burnt smell.

Sasha saw David give him a last, agonized look before he ran, and then the world turned dark. His last thought was that he was extremely tired of passing out.

When he woke, it was to a sharp slap to his face. To judge from the way his face was throbbing, it was not the first attempt to wake him. He stared at the man looming at the foot of his bed, recognizing him from before. Sitting up, ignoring the faint dizziness that said he was not yet fully recovered from overextending himself magically, he stared coolly at the man and said, "You may bring me tea now."

The man standing beside Sasha slapped him again, and Sasha shifted the direction of his gaze. "Hit me again and I will demonstrate how to do it properly."