Champions Vol. 02

Her heart surged with triumph as She finished the final verse. The spell of banishment was complete, and as the ritual objects burst into flame the Demon Lord screamed in rage. His form began to flicker, fading from this reality as he was pulled back to his hell dimension.

In a final act of spite, the Demon Lord swung his flaming sword downward. The hell-fire blade split Slate's serpentine neck with terrible force, severing his head from his body.

She screamed as rage and grief overwhelmed Her. The last bit of the defeated demon faded unnoticed by Her, and She could only stare in shock as the head of Her friend fell to the dust. The dragon who defied his elders, risked everything to help humans, and had reminded Her of the beauty of life, had given them all one final gift. He had sacrificed himself to save the world...

*** Chapter 33: Reunion ***

031930JUN13 DW

14^th of Pyanepsion, 2351 EC

The Isle of Eirini

Laurena returned to her body once more, and worked to overcome the rage and grief that lingered. She barely noticed that this time she was still standing. This trial, this memory, was very different from the others. This had not been a lesson in character, nor had it been shared in order to ward her against failure. It was a reminder that even victory has a price.

"What you just shared was the last moments of the most honorable, selfless, and heroic friend I ever had," the spirit of Amyntas explained sadly. "He ensured our victory that day at the cost of his life."

Laurena nodded in reply. She had shared the memory, so she knew all too well what his friend had sacrificed and why. Part of her became angry, though. The legends of Amyntas described that final battle in great detail, but the story of Slate, and the great sacrifice he had made that day, was not a part of it. In the two millennia since that battle, that portion of the legend had been lost, and the fact that so many Erosians did not know the truth fed the flames of anger which lingered from the memory.

"His sacrifice should never have been forgotten," Laurena replied angrily. "As soon as I return to Erosius I will command every historian to review the records of the battle, and add Slate's actions to them. What he did that day should have never left the minds of the faithful, and I will make certain that his great deeds are never forgotten again."

The spirit of Amyntas bowed his head in thanks. There was little the dead could do to affect the living, but the stories they left behind -- the legends of their deeds -- could still inspire others.

"All too soon you will face your own battles," Amyntas said. "And I hope that you will be victorious. However, it is likely that you will lose many in the fight. When the last arrow has been fired, and the last blow has fallen, if you are still standing you will look to those you have lost and question if victory was worth the cost. I assure you, I did the same many times in my long life. However, one gift that was granted to me by the family of my friend was a spell. It is part of the Dracian funerary rites, and a closely guarded part of their religion. To my knowledge, I am the only human that they ever taught it to. It was a gift to me from the father of my fallen comrade. When I returned his body to them, they allowed me to participate in his funeral.

"I have shared this spell with every other Champion before you, after exacting from them the same promise I will demand from you now. You must never teach this spell to another. It is for you and you alone," the spirit of Amyntas insisted.

"I so promise," Laurena replied.

"The following spell allows you to contact a departed spirit," Amyntas explained. "It requires a token of them, something that was either a part of them or of value to them."

Laurena was shocked. Dracians could talk to the dead? No wonder they so staunchly defended their religion. They were in contact with those who had passed on to the other side of mortality. Erosians' only proof of life after death was the word of their god, which was more than enough for most. Laurena had assumed that the spirits of the Fallen were only able to contact her because they were former Champions. But apparently, with the proper spell and token, anyone could do it.

"Yes," the spirit of Amyntas said, noticing the shocked expression on her face, "you can see why the Dracians are so protective of this spell. They believe that death is merely the next step in existence, and that those who pass on should not be distracted from that next life by those who remain in this one. They restrict the use of this spell to saying their final goodbyes to loved ones who have recently crossed over. I will teach it to you because you will outlive many, many people whom you will care for during your time as a Champion of Eros. The loss and loneliness will eat at you, and eventually destroy you if you let it. This spell will allow you to seek guidance and comfort from those you have loved and lost."

Laurena nodded, beginning to understand how valuable the spell was. For humans, who lived such short lives, death was something to be feared. It was both inevitable, and inexorable. For the Dracians, it was something that was centuries away, and merely the next step in their spiritual journey. It made sense that during their long lives they would want the closure that this spell offered. 900 winters was a long time to carry around regret over missed chances and words left unspoken.

Motioning Laurena to sit on the floor, Amyntas sat before her, and for the next hour he taught her the spell to contact the departed. There were two versions of its use. The simple version allowed the caster to speak across the Void to the target spirit. The more complex version allowed the caster to summon the target as a ghostly spirit, so that they could speak with someone other than the caster.

Once she felt confident in both versions' usage, Amyntas insisted that she practice by summoning his spirit back to her. He disappeared, and Laurena moved to place her hand upon his sarcophagus. Touching the stone, she cast the spell and waited for him to appear.

When the spirit of Amyntas returned he was more transparent than the last time, as though his presence was weaker than before.

"Well done for your first attempt," he congratulated her. "I would normally suggest you keep practicing, but considering the nature of this spell I think it would be better if you did not have to use it again for a few decades."

Laurena smiled politely at his attempted joke.

"Congratulations on completing the Trials," he continued. "I know that they were difficult to endure, but the lessons you learned here were important, and presented in this manner they will stay with you through the many centuries you will serve as Eros Champion. You have come rather far in your young life, and you would not have been ready even a year ago for the messages we shared with you this day. Yet, when you stepped within these walls you understood that being our god's Champion is a responsibility, not a prize. That is measure of a true Champion."

Laurena bowed her head respectfully, overwhelmed by the realization that the Trials were over. "Thank you, First Champion Amyntas," she replied formally. "I will work hard to ensure that I bring honor to the duty that our god has entrusted to me."

The spirit of Amyntas bowed in return, and then began to glow brighter as he moved forward to press one hand to her chest. As the spirit's palm connected to her, she felt a surge of power rush into her. It was as though every inch of her skin was vibrating in ecstasy.

Laurena gasped. So this is what the full power of being Eros' Champion felt like, she thought.

"Good luck, Laurena, and know that we all have complete faith in you," the spirit whispered softly, as he faded from view. As Amyntas returned to Eros' palace in the afterlife he quietly prayed that the young Champion would succeed in the fight ahead. The cost of failure was far too high if she did not.

* * *

Sapphire and David sat in front of their tent, eating a late dinner. They had delayed the meal as long as they could, in the hope that Laurena would return in time to join them; but eventually they resigned themselves to eating without her. Sapphire prepared a delicious stew she had learned from Myrrine, and the two of them sat on a driftwood log that David had pulled over as a makeshift bench.

The couple had alternated playing in the waves and relaxing on the beach during the afternoon. The white sand and nearly crystal clear water was a wonderful treat for the soldier that had not seen a coast in years. Sapphire seemed to enjoy the water even more, and David was amazed at how vibrant and alive she became when she was playing in the waves. When they grew too tired to continue, they would return to their blanket on the beach and allow the sun to dry them as they cuddled in one another's arms. It was a day that both would remember fondly for the rest of their lives.

As evening came with nothing to indicate Laurena's return, Sapphire decided to pull her tent from her saddlebags and set it up. Initially the fabric flapped strongly in the ocean breeze, but David conjured massive two-foot-long tent stakes and heavy-duty nylon rope to secure it. They had already conjured the bed, and after waiting another hour their hunger finally defeated their patience.

The white moon was high in the night sky, and as they ate they watched the blue moon lowering below the watery horizon. The temperatures were cooling off from the heat of the day, and the ocean breeze felt wonderful.

"This is so beautiful," Sapphire whispered beside David, staring at the moon.

He looked at her, and seeing how her skin and hair glowed in the soft moons' light he replied, "Yes, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Hearing the mixture of wonder and love in his voice, Sapphire turned to look at him. As he continued to stare at her, unblinking, the edges of his mouth began to creep upward into a smile. Perplexed, Sapphire thought about what he had said. Then she added the words to his tone and actions and she blushed as a soft giggle escaped her. This caused David's smile to burst into a massive grin.

"Keep spouting words like that, sir, and I'll have to put that mouth to work," she teased him.

"Woo Hoo!" he cheered softly.

Sapphire chuckled at him, and after sharing a quick kiss they returned to their meals.

As they were finishing the last few spoonfuls of stew they heard Laurena's voice calling to them.

"Did you happen to make enough for three," she joked tiredly, "I am famished."

Sapphire shoved her bowl at David, leapt from her seat, and rushed to meet her returning friend. Covering the last few feet at a run, Sapphire spread her arms wide and met the returning Champion with an exuberant hug.

Laughing as she returned the forceful hug, Laurena joked, "While I really enjoy the welcome back I was not gone that long."

Moving back far enough to look at her friend, Sapphire replied, "Yeah, but you forgot that you left me here with him," motioning over her shoulder towards David. "I've never been so happy to see another person in my life after a day with that horny man. It was all I could do to preserve my purity."

Laurena burst into laughter at her friend's ridiculous statement. After the trials she had faced, being here laughing with Sapphire was very cathartic.

"Are you daring to suggest I was anything less than a complete gentleman?" David inquired with amusement as he walked forward to join the pair.

"It depends on if you consider groping, fondling, kissing, and rolling around on a beach with a naked woman the acts of a gentleman," Sapphire teased him.

"Hey, I was naked too," David replied defensively, pretending to be affronted.

Laurena just raised an eyebrow at his statement, waiting for him to reevaluate his defense.

"Okay," David admitted sheepishly, "that sounded a lot better in my head."

"Of course it did, my love," Sapphire replied mischievously. "Since it was probably the only thing in your head it was automatically better than all of the nothing around it."

Laurena giggled and David snorted.

"All right you two, march," David announced, pointing back towards the tent and driftwood bench. "I'll fix the food while you ladies chat for hours about absolutely everything and nothing at the same time," he added with a smile.

Sapphire stuck her tongue out at him, but led Laurena forward as instructed. As David prepared a bowl of soup that was sadly less impressive than the stew he and Sapphire had shared, Laurena described her trip to the Tomb of the Fallen. With wonder in her voice she described the beauty of the ancient temple, and the elaborate murals she had barely had time to inspect. She also described the tomb itself, with rows of stone daises either holding the sarcophagi of the Fallen Champions or resting empty to await the future Fallen.

She confirmed that [eek] was in fact the Keeper of the Tomb, and his actions had been the first trial. When Sapphire asked what the other trials were Laurena went silent, and a sad look crossed her face.

"If you can't talk about it I understand," Sapphire hurriedly offered.

"No, it is alright," Laurena assured her with a soft smile. "The remaining trials were delivered by the spirits of the Fallen Champions. Each one shared a lesson with that they believed would help me become a better Champion of Eros. Unfortunately, the way the lessons were shared was...difficult. It is not an experience I wish to relive, even in the telling of it."

"Did you pass?" Sapphire asked quietly.

"Yes," Laurena replied with a wan smile, "I did."

Sapphire grinned and congratulated her friend. The light from the two moons was not very bright, but even in the low illumination she could see Laurena's eyes were bloodshot from crying, with dark circles underneath. There was also a sad, almost haunted look behind her feeble smile. Despite her success, the trials had definitely left her friend greatly troubled.

David walked over and handed the steaming bowl of soup to the hungry young woman, then moved behind her and began to gently massage the tension from her shoulders. "Congratulations Laurena," he said. "And please know that whether you decide to talk about it at some point, or never at all, we are both here for you either way," David reassured her softly.

Laurena nodded in thanks, her mouth full of soup. The combination of her hunger and his relaxing ministrations made it the best soup she had ever had. Once her bowl was empty Sapphire took it from her hands, and David's strong fingers increased their pressure, soothing the tension from her shoulders and back.

Leaning forward so that he could more easily access the tension in her lower back, Laurena pulled her knees up higher and crossed her arms over them to lay her head down on them. After all of the stress and tension of the day, she began to drift into the realm between asleep and awake. She did not notice when David's hands stopped, but she felt him lift her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as his own supported her back and knees. She did not bother to open her eyes, knowing that she would be safe and comfortable wherever he carried her.

She began to drift again, but could feel him lower her onto the bed, and she felt Sapphire help her out of her robes. The last thing she noticed before she sleep fully took her was the sensation of Sapphire's body on one side of her, and David's on the other. It was a wonderful feeling.

* * *

The next morning David was the first one awake. He eased out of bed slowly, being careful not to wake Laurena and Sapphire. He threw on his trousers and a tan t-shirt, then grabbed Sapphire's saddlebags and snuck outside to make breakfast. He had spent some time learning how to use magic for cooking, but he knew he was nowhere near as capable with it as Sapphire, or even Laurena, so he decided to keep things simple. A few minutes later he had three bowls of steaming oatmeal mixed with dried fruit, two cups of water, and one mug of tea ready, and he conjured a tray to carry it all back inside.

Walking into the tent he set the tray on the ground next to the bed, then grabbed the mug of tea and held it in front of Sapphire's nose, watching her reaction. He smiled when she started to stir, sniffing at the tea. It was her favorite drink in the morning, but she could only get it in Lexia and her supply was running horribly low since her trip to that city had been interrupted three months earlier. She had started rationing it when they sailed from Calavius, and had only allowed herself one cup a week. The little amount she had left would not last the rest of the return trip.

That thought made him grin. She would probably yell at him for wasting it...after she finished drinking the entire thing. Laurena began to stir, and Sapphire turned toward the mug and breathed deeply, eyes still closed.

"Time to wake up, honey," David whispered with affection.

"Don't wanna," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, but we have a busy day ahead and we need to get moving," he verbally prodded her, waving the mug slowly in front of her face so that the aroma from the tea would get stronger.

Her eyes cracked open, and she focused on the steaming mug inches from her nose. Her eyes traced along its surface to the hand that held it, up the arm, across the shoulder, to David's face. Looking into his eyes she gave a cute pout.

David laughed. Most of the time she acted like a completely unflappable hard-ass, but that was just an image she projected. The real Sapphire existed in these moments, when the façade came down and the beautiful woman he loved shown through...cutely pouting at him for waking her up. It was a side of her that very few people ever saw, and he felt incredibly lucky to be one of them.

"No talking," she grumped, reaching for the mug. "No laughing, no making noise of any kind until after this entire mug is in my belly."

He almost said 'yes ma'am', but decided to be a shit instead. Snapping to attention he saluted her sharply, and then reached up with his left hand and imitated zipping his lips closed.

"David," she said in exasperation after taking the first tentative sip, "I have no idea what either of those mean."

Dropping the salute, he shrugged, reached down, and lifted the tray from the floor. The smell of the oatmeal and fruit was enough to finish waking Laurena, and she smiled when she saw David had made breakfast and brought it to them.

"Wow, breakfast in bed," she murmured appreciatively.

David extended the supporting legs from the bottom of the tray and set it down over her lap. Then he removed his cup and bowl from it, and sat next to them.

"Thank you for breakfast, David," Laurena told him happily. David just nodded in reply, still following his 'commander's' orders.

Laurena gave him a puzzled look when he did not respond. Seeing the look, David stuck his spoon in the bowl and with his now free hand he covered his mouth, then pointed at Sapphire and shrugged. Laurena turned to Sapphire with a questioning look.

"He decided it was a good idea to wake me up from a dead sleep by waving what is probably one-quarter of my remaining tea in my face. Then he wouldn't let me go back to sleep and laughed at me. So I told him he couldn't speak or laugh until I finished drinking it," Sapphire explained. "And I plan to take my time," she added with a smirk.

"At least he is well trained," Laurena snickered.

David snorted loudly in reply.

"Shush you," both Sapphire and Laurena told him simultaneously, and then giggled at the coincidence.

David shushed.