James Islington - The Shadow Of What Was Lost

Caeden dropped to his knees beside Taeris as the others crowded around. A ghastly gash ran the length of Taeris' stomach, exposing intestines and other innards; blood pooled around him on the stone of the road, dark and smooth. The Gifted’s eyes were still open, but his breaths were shallow and had a horrible bubbling sound.

Taeris was dying.

Caeden turned to Wirr. “He needs healing,” he said urgently.

Wirr ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t have enough Essence left in my Reserve to heal him. Even if it were full, I’m not sure I could repair a wound that bad." He hesitated. "You need to do it.”

Caeden looked at Wirr, horrified. “I don’t know how.”

“You have to try and remember.” Wirr grabbed Caeden’s hand and forced it against Taeris’ stomach. “I know you can do this, Caeden. Close your eyes, try and sense your Reserve. Then you need to tap into it and infuse the wound with raw Essence. If Taeris gets enough, his own body will do the rest.”

Caeden swallowed, heart pounding. “I’ll do my best.” He began to close his eyes.

“Wait.” Wirr grimaced. “Maybe I spoke too soon. It’s not like firing a bolt of energy. It’s gentler than that, trickier. You don’t hurl it, you let it flow. Like a stream.” He bit his lip. “That’s very important, Caeden. If you can’t get the difference, the energy will be too forceful. That would kill him.”

Caeden paled. “Is there some way I can practice?”

“There’s no time.” It was Aelric. He placed a hand on Caeden’s shoulder. “He’s almost gone, Caeden.”

Caeden gave a resolute nod, turning his attention to Taeris. He positioned his hands over the gash in Taeris’ stomach, ignoring the blood soaking up between his fingers. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, searching out his Reserve. Trying desperately to remember how he’d done it in his dream.

The warmth of Essence was flowing through him, out of him, before he knew what was happening.

As quickly as it had come the feeling faded and Caeden sat back, drained. The wound had closed, only the raw pink of a newly healed scar now visible, but Caeden could not see any indication of Taeris’ chest rising and falling. Wirr dropped to his knees beside the Gifted, ear over Taeris' mouth, listening for any sign of life.

There was nothing for several seconds… and then Taeris gave a violent, hacking cough, his entire body contorting with the effort. He sat up and turned, vomiting the remaining blood from his stomach. When he’d finished he slowly turned back to Caeden and the others, hand on the freshly healed wound.

“Seems taking that Shackle off was a good idea,” he said weakly.

Caeden gave him a relieved smiled and allowed his tense muscles to relax a little, from the corner of his eye seeing the others doing the same. He helped Taeris stand. The older man tested out his muscles gingerly for a few seconds; once satisfied he could move without pain, he wandered over to where his attacker had fallen. Llys' eyes were closed, but her chest rose and fell rhythmically.

“We need to take her with us,” said Wirr.

Taeris sighed. “No, lad. I saw her eyes, just before she stabbed me. Her body may still be sound, but her mind is gone. Following orders, but making use of her memories to achieve them.” He rubbed his beard, expression thoughtful. “I’ve seen this once before, a long time ago - we called them Echoes. These ones were left behind deliberately, a trap for anyone who came after. Especially Gifted, apparently.”

"I think he’s right," added Caeden. He flushed a little at everyone’s surprised looks. "I don’t know how I know, but I thought the same thing when they attacked."

Dezia stared at the woman in disbelief. “But she told us her name. They were upset about what had happened.”

Taeris shrugged. “And that was likely the case, before they were changed. But the people that they were no longer exist.”

Wirr scowled. “So you’re saying we should just kill her?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” said Taeris softly. “It gives me no pleasure, but it is what needs to be done. If we leave her, she’ll kill others.”

“We don’t know that!” protested Dezia.

Taeris gave her a sorrowful look. “Didn’t you notice how the last group of bodies we saw coming in to town didn’t match the others? They were fresher, and were wearing travelling cloaks, not work clothing. There were children amongst them. I thought it was odd at the time….”

Caeden’s stomach churned as he glanced back down the road. He hadn’t spotted that.

To his side, Dezia’s face twisted as she realised what Taeris was saying. She looked at Llys in horror. “We can’t kill her,” she said, though her voice was more uncertain now.

“What would you have us do?" asked Taeris. "There are three options. One, she comes with us. We don’t even have rope to tie her up with, let alone know anything about her capabilities given what’s been done to her. Two, we could leave her. She could come after us, or she could lay in wait for more people here. Or three, we can kill her.” He folded his arms. “She’s dead , understand. Something else is using her body and memories to trick people. She’s no longer human.” He raised an eyebrow at Wirr. “Unless you think you’ve somehow found a way around the First Tenet?”

Caeden grimaced, and Wirr turned away, looking sick. Taeris was right. Wirr had blasted Llys with Essence, something he shouldn’t have been able to do.

“We should at least wait until she wakes up,” Wirr said stubbornly. "We need to make sure."

Taeris groaned. “She will just try to fool you again, but….” He threw his hands up in the air. “Very well. You think you can restrain her?”

Wirr nodded. “I should be able to." He hesitated. "Do you think it’s still wise to be heading for Ilin Illan, now? Coming in behind this army?”

“Yes. If anything, this means it’s more important than ever we reach Tol Athian quickly, before they get to the city. Otherwise we may not be able to get inside to restore Caeden’s memories," said Taeris. "We’ll take the Eastern road, go around them. We should be able to get to Ilin Illan days before they arrive.”

Wirr shook his head. “The southern road is the quicker route. I doubt we can beat them there by much.”

“Look around you, Wirr.” Taeris gestured at the rubble that surrounded them. “This army isn’t in any hurry. Regardless of whether what Jashel told us was true, they certainly took the time to take down these buildings brick-by-brick. There are no signs of them using fire – probably because they didn’t want the smoke letting people know they were coming. But they have managed to destroy every structure here nonetheless, and done horrible, unspeakable things to the occupants. It all takes time, time a normal army wouldn’t bother wasting.”

Caeden stared at the remains of the town. “Why do you think they did it?”

Taeris scratched his beard. “Could be that they’re trying to draw the king’s forces out of Ilin Illan, to engage them in the field rather than meet them on the city’s walls. These things seemed designed to taunt.”

Suddenly there was a moan from the prostrate woman on the ground, and all five of them took a wary step back. Llys shook her head groggily, getting slowly to her feet. “What happened?” she asked in bemusement. Then her eyes fell on Jashel’s corpse and a scream ripped from her throat, a heart-rending sound full of pain. Heedless of the onlookers she rushed over to her son, cradling his head in her arms.

“No, no, no,” she sobbed, repeating the words over and over again as she rocked back and forth, the boy’s blood smearing across her already-dirty dress. “No, no, no.”