Morgan Rice - A Land of Fire

Thor gasped, shocked, as Gwen wept.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “So, so sorry.”

Thor leaned in and hugged her, holding her tight, rocking her, reassuring her.

“You did what was right,” he said. “You cannot punish yourself. It was indeed likely you would have died—as many of our people have died.”

Gwendolyn slowly calmed, and stared into his eyes.

“We must find him,” she said. “I will find him or die trying.”

Thor nodded in understanding.

“He will return to us,” he said. “What is ours cannot be taken from us.”

Gwen searched Thor’s eyes with a glimmer of hope.

“Mycoples?” she asked, tentative. “Ralibar? Can they help?”

It was Thor’s turn to shake his head sadly.

“I’m sorry, my love,” he said. “I alone survived.”

Fresh tears rolled down her face, but she nodded, stoic.

“I sensed as much,” she said. “I could feel it, in my heart, in my dreams. I could feel Ralibar trying to talk to me. I loved them dearly.”

“So did I,” Thorgrin said.

A long silence fell over the room, as they both stared into space, lost in memories, lost in sorrow.

“And then how shall we find Guwayne, without a dragon to comb the seas?” Gwen asked.

Thor thought for a moment, reflecting, and a new purpose arose within him. He recalled his mother’s words, and he sensed that what lay ahead of him would be the greatest quest of his life. It would be a quest of greater importance than his search for the Destiny Sword, greater even than his search for his mother. It would be more important than his own life itself.

“I shall find him,” Thor said. “Without the aid of a dragon. Without the aid of anyone but myself. I will take a boat, and I will embark to search for him right away.”

“I already tried,” Gwen said, shaking her head. “I feel certain he headed north. There is no land there, nothing on any map. To lead our people there would be to kill them all. They need provisions desperately. I tried it once, and I cannot do it again.”

“I understand,” Thor answered. “But I can.”

Gwen looked at him, hope rising in her eyes.

“You lead our people to a new land, to safety. Wherever that may be. And I shall find Guwayne.”

Gwen looked pained again.

“I hate the thought of parting from you again. Not for anything,” she said. “But for our son…it must be done.”

They both looked at each other and came to a silent agreement to part ways, and Gwen reached out and took his hand. They stood and faced each other.

“Are you ready to greet our people?” she asked.

Gwen led him up the stairs from the cabin, and Thor squinted at the harsh daylight as they came above board.

Thor was surprised to see hundreds of his fellow people waiting there to greet him, looking at him like a hero risen from the ashes. Thor saw in their eyes such love and admiration, as if they were witnessing the emergence of a God.

They all rushed forward, and Thor embraced them, one after the next, his heart swelling with joy to see all his old friends and people again. There came Reece, then Elden, O’Connor, Conven, Kendrick, Godfrey…one face after another whom he recognized, all men whom he thought he would never see again.

“My time is short here,” Thor boomed out to the crowd, as they settled down in silence. All eyes fixed on him, riveted. “I must leave you all. I go to seek out my son. I shall take one of the small boats from the rear of the ship. It will be a desolate and joyless journey, and I do not expect any of you to join me. I shall return when I find him, and not before.”

In the long silence that followed, Reece stepped forward, his boots creaking on the wood, and faced Thor.

“Wherever you go, I go,” Reece said. “Legion forever.”

Reece was joined by Elden, O’Connor, and Conven.

“Legion forever,” they echoed.

Thor looked back at them all, touched, honored to know them.

“It is a quest from which I may never return,” he warned.

Reece grinned back.

“Even more reason to join it,” he said.

Thor smiled back, seeing the determination on their faces, knowing he would not change their minds, and welcoming their companionship again.

“Very well then,” he said. “Prepare yourselves. We shall leave at once.”

Reece paced back and forth on the ship, gathering his few possessions, mostly weapons, and stuffed them into a sack, preparing for the journey ahead. He was elated that his best friend Thorgrin was alive, was thrilled to have him back again, and was excited to be heading out on a quest with him again. This quest, more than all the others, hit home for Reece, as they were not just searching for a weapon, but for Guwayne, his nephew. Reece could think of no two people he loved more than Gwendolyn and Thorgrin, and he could imagine no higher cause than striving to retrieve their son.

Reece prepared his weapons carefully, sharpening his sword, checking the aim on his bow, adjusting his arrows as he strapped one bow over his shoulder and another sword over his back. Reece felt that this would be the most important mission of his life, and he wanted to be prepared.

Reece tried not to think of the others he was leaving behind—Gwendolyn, Kendrick and the rest of his people, and most of all Stara; yet he felt confident he would meet up with them again, and more importantly, return victorious, with Guwayne in tow.

After all, Reece and Thorgrin were brothers of the Legion, and for Reece, that was more sacred than blood—more sacred than anything in this world. They held a bond of honor: if one of them was in trouble, all of them were in trouble. If Gwendolyn’s son was missing, it was as if Reece’s own son was missing. Reece recalled Kolk’s words, hammered into him during training: Don’t ever imagine that you fight alone. When one of you is hurt, all of you are hurt. If you can’t learn to be there for your brothers, you shall never learn to become a warrior at all. Battle is about sacrifice. The sooner you learn that, the greater warrior you will be.

Reece regretted only one thing about this quest, and that was Stara. Although he would not admit to himself that he had feelings for her, he had to admit, at least, that he would think of her. There was something about being around her, he had to admit, that was addicting. It wasn’t so much that he ached to be in her presence, but rather that, when she wasn’t around, he felt her absence. Like something about him was a little bit off.

But Reece shook these thoughts away; in the forefront of his mind there still remained Selese, his mourning for her, his penitence. And sailing with Thorgrin, going on this journey, would help give Reece time to reflect, to keep fresh his guilt for Selese. That was what he wanted.

And yet, he had to admit, there remained a part of him that felt he was abandoning Stara, even if she were here on the ship with all the others.

“So are you just going to leave then?” came a voice.

The hair stood up on Reece’s back, as he heard the voice of the very person he had been thinking about—as if it were his own conscience speaking to himself.

Reece put his sword in his scabbard, turned around, and saw Stara facing him, a look of sadness and disappointment etched across her face.

Reece cleared his throat and tried to put on his bravest face.

“My brother has summoned me in his time of need,” Reece replied, matter-of-factly. “What choice do I have?”

“What choice?” Stara repeated. “You have any choice you wish. You needn’t go on this mission.”

“Thor needs me,” Reece replied.

Stara frowned.

“Thor is a great warrior. He does not need you. He does not need any of you. He can find his son on his own.”