They go to the Fulcrum.
One by one, the sacred energies take flight and re-form the circumference of the barrier my mother created to keep the people of Anathos safe, and as they begin to circle around, the Fulcrum starts to resume, the bands filling out, the spin starting anew.
Faster. Faster… until the sand is recaptured from the ground, and the prison of my father re-surrounds him.
Such that what once was is now again.
I look at Merc and trace his scarred face with a trembling hand. “I love you as you are.”
Though he is exhausted and still in pain, he lifts his head with a groan and brings his lips to mine. “And I love you just the same.”
His head falls back, for he cannot hold the weight up.
It is as his skull lands back against the red earth that I notice something is happening and have a fresh shot of horror. The black snow that has fallen on the red ground is reconstituting. Flake by flake, it’s pulling together, the phenomenon occurring all around us.
My father is not done yet.
He is already attempting to reconstitute himself.
And all the while, along the horizon, his many demons stand at the ready, empty vessels… until his will is again strong enough to command them.
“We have to leave,” I say urgently. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
If we can.
It takes me two tries to stand on my feet, and I grab Merc by the arm and haul him up.
“Leave me,” he croaks. “You must l—”
“Shut up.” I heft him a little higher. “Remember how this goes—I’m in charge. And I’m not going forward without you. Back is relative, right?”
We are the halt and the lame as we shuffle toward the Fulcrum’s swirling circle of energy. The closer we get, the more I wonder how in the world we’ll get through—
An aperture is created, just for us, and it’s only as big as what we immediately require.
The moment we’re on the other side, the exit reseals.
All I can do is blink. I see trees. I see the last of the light in the sky. I see the stars overhead, especially that one that burns brightest.
“Come on,” I say as I set us to walk, though I am about to keel over. “We must get to safety.”
Wherever that might be. There are still demons in the forest, and I don’t know whether the spell I put on them works as yet, or if my father pulled them back in—
I lose my footing, and though Merc catches me against his chest, he doesn’t have the strength to continue. Neither do I.
I tell myself to keep going, but I cannot and we both fall to the sandy ground.
Much as my will wishes otherwise, this is where we are. At least for right now.
In my peripheral vision, I watch the new version of the Fulcrum spin… and worry about what’s happening inside of it. But then I think of all the souls that lent their energy to its magic.
Anybody can be a hero. And people working together can change the course of an epic war, before it even gets started.
Unfortunately, I fear this was just the greeting, as the Sooth said, and if this was just the handshake? I can’t imagine what comes next—
Merc and I stiffen at the same time, and then in spite of our pain and exhaustion, we twist around… and watch an army gather up on the rim of the crater we’re in.
There must be… a thousand soldiers, the armed men all on horseback with their swords drawn.
