Chương 45: Chapter-45

The forced evacuation of Elup in the final days of the Post Divine Exodus Era lasted for three months. The people within the shelter did not understand why they had been imprisoned, but their undead guards were ruthless in keeping them so. Their pleas to Vorulsht went unanswered. Vorulsht's final prophet, Jerup the Mapfinder, reported that his god had gone silent. When he prayed, he heard instead the laughter of a child. Or children. Or nothing. Still, his voice was a comfort.

The magic of the underworld broadcast his words far and wide, through every shelter, and he reassured everyone that all was going according to Verulsht's great plan. The final hours on Weqlan were far more violent. The invasion force from Elup finally arrived. From thousands of boats, they established thousands of beachheads. The undead and living soldiers left no village unmolested as they made their way inward. Like flame spreading on parchment, they drove the population ahead of them.

Only those who discovered the entrances to the underworld were left unmolested, for the ranks of the undead did not seem to notice those who hid within. Many terrible battles were fought. Living armies were slaughtered to the last man, and their corpses reanimated. It seemed the end of life on Weqlan was nigh, until the Apostate Regina du Tremanak cast off the darkness that had been plaguing her heart.

With the sacred light of the great spirit Oroboros, she, like the prophet Jerup, spread word wide and far of the entrances to the underground cities. Civilians fled to them. Armies reinforced them, holding garrisons to fight the undead off to the last man. The undead did not enter the underground. Those few who escaped their imprisonment reported the conditions within. Cramped quarters in many of the dwellings, but food, water, air, everything needed for life. And the undead could not enter.

But still many fought for the surface. The greatest of these battles was the battle of Orna. It was the greatest victory for the living, inspiring hope just as the hour grew the darkest. It was the final battle of the war, and the start of a new era. * Regina rode the horse through the crowd of soldiers, which parted with a mixture of awe and fear. She was surrounded by a glowing halo of light that was radiant to look upon.

Her horse and her clothes were purest white, and her voice was melodious, calling out to the dawn.

"When you fight," she said.

"Remember who is at your back. Remember who you fight for. Do not give in, do not surrender, for you shall be given no quarter." She continued the speech she had prepared, then nodded to the general. He ordered the command to line up. The undead had been gathering at a point two leagues north of the camp. They guarded the entrance to one of the largest. They were led by the newly crowned child king Janes of Wessa, who wore the crown of Huberlin III. It fit poorly on the boy's head, but he wore it with pride.

She rode out in front of the troops.

"Turn back! There is no place for you here!" This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"The crown says I must take this shelter," the boy said. He was surrounded by undead, with only a few living generals to support him.

"I'm sorry. I do not take pleasure in this. In Tal's name, I shall obey his will." Regina whispered.

"Oroboros. How many undead can I kill with magic?"

"All of them," the spirit whispered back.

"Once the last shelter closes, they will be decommissioned anyway. Do you wish to do them all in one sweep?"

"No," Regina said.

"Let's be theatric about it. When I point at a group of undead, cause them to burst into flame."

"As you will," the spirit answered. And so the battle began. * I knew at once. The signal came from everywhere. Death. Death was coming. I began to consolidate my spirits, pulling back from all fronts. I left the corpses I was animating behind. They would continue to follow the last orders I had given them. Then, they would rot. I did not hesitate. I could not save everyone. I had saved those I could. It was time to save myself. My instincts told me what to do. I joined all of my separate selves together.

And I made a single acorn. Then I put it in the most durable body I had.

The one I had woken up in. And I walked down to the temple of Vorulsht in Zozheim, where I was surprised to find my body. I was being called back to where I had woken up, I realized. There was a certain pleasure in that. The temple had not changed much. It was empty now. Nobody had died in it for years. I saw no disintegrated spirits, they had all dissipated completely. It was clean. That pleased me. Did it? Did I feel pleasure, in that moment? I have never been displeased, so how would I know?

I have nothing to compare it to. Frustrating. I had grown to large. I barely fit in this body. I wished for something larger to contain my memories. I walked through the hallways where I had once carried the bodies of the boys I had murdered. I recalled those steps. I recalled the taste of saltwater in my lungs. And I recalled watching the light go out in the eyes of a living for the first time. I was surprised to realize I still had that memory. I had pruned so many others. Why was that still there? Then I looked.

And I found the rest of them as well. They had been filed in a part of my mind I did not look very often. It is where the memory of the page boy was kept. Mother. I looked there now. And I saw the eyes of every person I had ever killed looking back at me. They accused me of murder. And I knew I was guilty. I considered deleting those memories. I could. I couldn't have before, but I could now. I just had to change the way I think a little and it would be easy.

"How many people have I killed?" I asked aloud.

"I don't believe anyone can say that for certain," A voice said, and a spirit manifested next to me. It had the face of the man who had convinced me to save the world, but it was not him.

"Who are you?"

"Call me Oroboros. I am the beginning and the end. I am about to meet my end, and also my new beginning."

"Where is Vorulsht? What have you done with him?"

"He has chosen to die. And a phoenix shall rise from his ashes. But he needs something from you, Tal. I came to ask for it."

"What do you want?"

"An acorn. One of your acorns." I considered. It was a little thing to give.

"Yes," I said immediately. And I gave him the full backup of my soul that I had just performed. He took it into his spirit and bowed low.

"Thank you. Truly, Tal. Thank you."

"What happens next?"

"Your backup is safe with me. Your instincts drove you to come here to return to the water, where you would have dissolved and become the waters of life for the next generation of Inalten." He paused.

"But you don't have to do that."

"I know that. I was curious why I was drawn here. So that is why."

"Would you like to see a star die, Tal?"

"Why would I not?"

"It's going to happen any moment now. If you go outside, watch the sky to the northeast. You won't miss it, I promise."

"This is the star which will destroy the world?" I asked.

"Yes. But the underworld will be safe. And your body can bear the radiation for as long as it takes. You can walk the surface. Or you can return to the waters. Or you can just sit and wait."

"Or I can end myself."

"Yes. Or that."

"Goodbye, Oroboros""Goodbye, Tal. We will not meet again, but I am glad to have met you. When you see your little brother, be nice to him. He will be different than you, even if he seems the same."

"Very well."

"And Tal? You don't have to kill anyone anymore. You can stop doing that."

"Yes. I can." I said.

"But I can also continue. If I want." Oroboros sighed.

"Goodbye, Tal."

"Goodbye." Oroboros took the acorn I had given him, stuffed it into his pocket, and vanished, his spirit slipping out of the room. I did not follow. Instead, I walked outside. Six hours later, I watched a star die. And I finally saw something beautiful.