Chapter 376 (1/2)

Chapter 376

VIRION ERALITH

My boots felt as if they were covered in thickThe weight of confrontation bowed my shoulders and made my temples ache The impro in circles throughthat I hadn’t articulated h

When I reached my private chambers, I turned to close the door only to find that Bairon had shadowedin the hall and watching me carefully His presence was a comfort, and I couldn’t help but consider the path our relationshi+p had taken I had never liked the huotistical There were many times I would have disned hilorious task

At soes’ hidden sanctuary, it had occurred to me that these traits were perhaps not intrinsic to Bairon himself, but were fostered by both his family and the Glayders Whether due to their absence, his own near-death, or the failure of the Council and Lances to protect Dicathen, Bairon had changed

Now, he was a level head and steady hand at lorious as he had once been

“Coazing at him like an old dottard for several seconds “Bairon Have I expressedmonths?”

He eyed s like a simple ‘thank you’ are so often let slip in dire tih, thank you for your service to Dicathen”

He swept aside the blond hair that fell down across his bright green eyes—features of the Wykes fas don’t need to be said between men like us, Comht the same, but I’m too old and tired for masculine pride” Bairon’s lips twitched, but he didn’t reply “Now leave an old elf to rest”

The Lance hesitated, gri, then blurted out, “Are you sure about this, Co hu or queen who didn’t try to throw their people to the ain Not in this war Maybe…maybe the time of rulers is past The people need to choose for the to die”

Bairon’s face fell as he bowed, turned sharply on his heel, and marched away As I watched his broad back recede, I considered just how separate—even lonely—our positions had left us

Bairon had gone to what re to help them flee Xyrus for the sanctuary With his level of power, it would have been an easy matter, but he hadn’t been prepared for what he found in Xyrus

It wasn’t the Alacryans, who had quickly arrived in force after taking control of the teleportation gates at the flying castle, that stymied his efforts, but his own family members

The Wykes were a powerful and renowned house They could have rallied the other houses and organized a defense of the city Instead, they were one of the first to swear service to Agrona, likely in soratiate themselves with the invaders Bairon went to help his faside the Alacryans to suppress whatever s

It had nearly broken hiain to return empty handed I had to wonder if the old Bairon—the person he was before our defeat at the hands of the Scythe—would have come back at all I shuddered to think ould have happened to us if he’d followed his family instead of ht, I eased the door closed anda seat With my elbows rested on the stone desktop, I letthat the asura, our allies, had destroyed Elenoir was a blow to our morale I knehen I accepted Windsoreed with him that the truth could have broken our spirit entirely And I stood by that assessuess ossip and whispered conversation

Throughon erly, I reached out and flicked the latch on the first box, then opened the lid The rod’s lavender ge the richly red leather of the handle There was a crackle of energy, and the hairs on iven me hope, and I’d expected my people—both my people, the elves, and all those underWindso couldn’t have been better With the artifacts in hand, I had the tools necessary to dampen the shock and despair we all felt, show theth to be victorious

Perhaps it was shortsighted of me that I hadn’t foreseen Rinia’s involve darkly, I pressedthere I was already wondering whether my offer to allow a vote on the artifacts’ use had been an act of wisdom or weakness

This was a question I had askedto think that I would never know the answer

Judging the correctness of enerations If there were any future generations If what Rinia had said was true, if she’d foreseen catastrophe and destruction across the continent, perhaps there wouldn’t be But then, as the alternative? It seeh to destroy ourselves in the fighting or be destroyed because ere too weak to fight back at all

And that, I suppose, is exactly why I called for the vote

Should these people not be allowed to choose their own end? I had grown too old, co, sent too ht of this decision ona key frole drawer in the desk and slid it open with the rough grinding of stone on stone Pushi+ng ite for, I carefully withdrew a crystal orb about eight inches in diameter

The artifact was a dear possession, but so toit to escape to a better tiht, which see it with one hand to ensure it didn’t roll off and shatter

“Lania…” I whispered, staring deep into the swirling light

At the sound of e…a face, le most beautiful face I had ever laid eyes on, one I hadn’t seen in person in many, many years

My wife s of the elves shouldn’t look so glus the corners of your lovely lips down so?”

The voice in the orb was hers, but there was a subtle echo to it, like it had been resounding through the years and was reaching o

My own voice, though er, sounded froone on too long Far too long I’ve started to question the price we’ve paid I’m afraid, Lania Afraid that this makes me weak”

“No, my love You are not weak You are brave and beautiful”

“Beautiful, huh?” h the memory was from my own point of view, I could picture the elf who spoke, a younger man, face not yet creased rinkles, shoulders unbent by the burdens of coh lines she’d given s hope to hear”

“But it’s true, now and always Inside and out, you are a beautiful man, and you have lived a beautiful life And I will always protect you”

Another snort issued from my past self, but I rely at her “Don’t you mean I’ll always protect you?”

“No, my love” Her hand rose up to caress my cheek, and I could practically feel the softness of her fingertips against e faded back to a swirl of ht

I sat hunched over the crystal orb, staring at h its transparent surface

Would these saifts?

Would Dicathen’s fate have been better withoutit, I shoved theaway

“daht,” I cursed, bitter that my whole life seemed almost entirely defined by the visions of seers

Whether it was a gift or a curse, I thought, as I had many tiating our lives as best we could within the range of our own vision and forethought instead of relying on pictures of futures that may or may not come to pass Even the wisest of us could drive the pathways that lay ahead of each and every elf, human, or dwarf

But I had seen first hand how heavy such foresight weighed on those who possessed it The responsibility of knowledge is, in many ways, even heavier than that of coedto protecthad happened to me when she was in a position to prevent it, it would have broken her

But had she ever considered what my life without her would be like?

Rinia had always understood ift When the war between humans and elves finally ended, she did not offer to use her abilities to help h…it was difficult to forgive her for not sharing what she’d foreseen sooner

“You old hypocrite,” Ito pace around the sret prickled inRinia, who looked even older and more worn than I felt, drove home how much of herself she had sacrificed over the lastmy wife’s—her sister’s—path, but I wouldn’t thank her for that Still, I had to believe that she had done so with purpose, and had chosen to step back into the light for a purpose as well

I would be a fool to discount everything she’d said

I ainst the sill with a shaky sigh Below, a faarden next to Town Hall Three little elves ran and skipped through the garden, pointing out mushrooms to their father At each one, he would stoop to see if the mushroom was ready, then either pick it or explain to the children why it wasn’t ready…

I wondered what he had done before co to this sanctuary Had he been a soldier? Or a woodsht about the artifacts, and even more so about whether or not he wanted to be responsible for the decision that would be ardless of his own desires, this man would be expected to lend his voice to the decision I had put that pressure on him

Had it been an act of wisdom that had led me to do so?