Matt Forbeck - Ghosts of Ascalon

"And Ascalon is haunted," agreed Almorra. "The legacy of the Foefire."

"So, how does the Claw fit in?" said Dougal.

"A peace faction has grown among the charr," said Almorra, then stopped. "Perhaps I give my people too much credit. Call it a truce faction. They seek to end the hostilities with Ebonhawke, so that they may better deal with the Flame Legion and other matters."

"And the humans, as you've noticed," said Riona flatly, "have other foes as well."

"The Vigil has been acting as go-betweens," said Almorra. "We have human agents in Divinity's Reach and charr crusaders in the Black Citadel. The discussions have been extremely secretive to date. There are humans-and charr-who would reject out of hand any attempt at peace and ban our order for promoting it."

The charr general leaned forward again. "The discussions have gotten to the point that the charr legions have agreed to open formal negotiations, combined with a cessation of hostilities. But they want a sign of good faith from the humans."

"The Claw," said Dougal.

"The Claw," said General Soulkeeper.

"What is in all this for you?" asked Dougal.

"The Elder Dragons," said Killeen, and Dougal looked at her. She had been listening intently throughout the discussion. "If the humans and charr can stop fighting, you hope they can turn their armies against Zhaitan, Kralkatorrik, and the others."

Riona nodded curtly, and Almorra said, "The sylvari have a talent for cutting to the heart of the matter."

"Do the legions know the Claw is in Ascalon City?" said Dougal.

"They suspect," said the general. "But those who have attempted to find it have never come back out. You did."

"I was lucky," said Dougal, more to himself than anyone else.

"We could use that luck again," said Almorra.

There was a long silence in the room. At last Dougal said, "You are completely mad."

"The world is mad," General Soulkeeper observed. "We merely have to deal with it."

"All of Ascalon is haunted. Ascalon City is the heart of the Foefire and is overrun with ghosts. There is a reason the legions have never conquered it," said Dougal.

"Yet, you went there. And came out alive," said the general.

"I was young," said Dougal, "and stupid." He looked at Riona, but the other human's face was as unexpressive as a stone.

"And yet, you are alive," said Almorra.

"No," said Dougal, "I am sorry, but I am not interested in returning to Ascalon City."

The charr general, leader of the Vigil, blinked, and her ears flattened. "You agreed to come here."

"I agreed to listen to your proposal," said Dougal. "I did that. Now I am saying no, because you are chasing a madman's dream, and I will not be part of it. I'd like to go now." Dougal stood up, hefting his small pack over his shoulder. Killeen and Riona also stood up, but more slowly.

Another silence, and Dougal could almost feel the tension gathering in the room. Finally, General Soulkeeper stood up and said, "Of course. I'd like you to think about it, but I will respect your decision. If you could wait outside for a moment, I'd like to speak with Crusader Riona."

Dougal looked at Riona and raised an eyebrow, but the other human kept her eyes fixed on the general. Dougal and Killeen left the room, the hylek Naugatl opening the door to escort them back to the waiting area. As he closed the door to the meeting room behind him, Dougal caught Almorra's rising voice: "You mean you never told him what we wanted…" Then the door closed and muffled the angry voice of the charr general.

In the waiting area, Dougal sat down and looked at his hands. Killeen remained standing.

"I'm not afraid," started Dougal. "I want you to know that-"

"I'm going," said Killeen.

Dougal looked up and saw the sincerity in the sylvari's face. "Killeen, you don't know-"

"No, I don't," she said, "but I want to find out. I think what they're doing is for the best. For humans. For charr. For everyone."

Dougal shook his head, but Killeen pressed on. "Your races are fortunate. You've been here forever. My people have been here twenty-five years and have never known a world where the Elder Dragons were not present, gnawing at the corners of our lands, bringing us zombies and abominations and all forms of twisted creatures in their wake. My people are here for a reason-I think the dragons are that reason-and if I can do anything to help the other races put aside their squabbles and turn to the greater danger, I will do it."

"Killeen," said Dougal, "even the charr legions give Ascalon City a wide berth. It is a city filled with ghosts."

"Necromancer," reminded the sylvari, smiling, "that argument is not going to have a lot of traction."

"You don't stand a chance without me," said Dougal, standing up and looking down on her smiling green face.

"You should lead us, then," said Killeen. She shook her head at some private joke, then reached up and touched his forehead. "You humans. You think too much up here." She moved her hand down, resting on his chest, her fingers grazing the locket that hung around his neck. "You should be thinking from here as well."

Dougal's face darkened. Blushing, he turned away from her. He took a deep breath and said, "Killeen…"

The door opened and Riona entered. Her face was flushed as well, though in her case from barely contained anger. Dougal could imagine how unpleasant it must be to be chewed out by a charr, especially a superior who is a charr.

"She'd like to talk to you again," she said. "Come with me."

"I think I'll stay here," said Killeen. "You two may need a moment." Riona left the room without even seeming to have heard her.

In the hallway, Riona turned to him, angry. "Dougal Keane. What happened to you?"

"Riona, I really don't want to…" Dougal started, still shaken from Killeen's words.

But Riona would not be denied. "You used to take chances. You used to always talk about that big strike, that ultimate prize, that great treasure. The chance to prove to the world that you could beat it."

"I took that big chance. And in taking that chance we betrayed you," said Dougal.

"But you lost it," said Riona, ignoring him. "Whatever happened in Ascalon City. You lost more than the rest of our platoon. You lost your will. You lost your bravery. You started running and haven't stopped."

"Are you done?" said Dougal, fixing her with a glare as sharp and angry as her own.

Riona's mouth became a thin line. "Yes. I think we are."

"Fine," Dougal said. "Now bring me to your general."

A minute later, once Riona had left the chamber and closed the door behind her, Dougal said calmly, "Now, are you going to yell at me?"

"No," said General Soulkeeper, standing in front of the fire, staring into its depths as if looking for an answer. "Instead I want to tell you a story. I understand you left Ebonhawke five years ago, and you have not been back."

"I thought there was nothing for me there," said Dougal.

"I was part of the siege of Ebonhawke as well," said Almorra. "We may have hunted each other, or stared at each other across the battlements. My warband and your patrol."

Dougal said nothing but nodded. Almorra looked up from the fire to Dougal, and her gaze drilled into the human.

Her next words were heavy with emotion and memory. "I was there. Four years ago, when Kralkatorrik, the Crystal Dragon, awoke. I was in the Dragonbrand."

Dougal felt slightly ill. "I-I didn't know anyone survived that."

Soulkeeper grunted. "I served as a legionnaire in the Blood Legion at the time. Our centurion was in charge of interdicting enemy supplies and was overseeing the scores of our finest warbands stationed there. I was on patrol with my own warband in eastern Ascalon when the Crystal Dragon stirred.

"I felt it first rather than heard it. The creature's coming warped everything around it, and the vibrations reached me through the air, not as a low thunder but a strange feeling that reached into my bones and made every bit of my fur stand on end.