Dan returned to the land of the living after what seemed like a very long time. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn\u2019t in pain. At least compared to how he had felt. His arms might be sore and aching like they had been sliced open and sewn back together, his head might be throbbing with a headache, and his skin might be itching and tingling, but compared to the mind-numbing agony he had felt, it was nothing. He opened his eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaseff was healing his arms, his long hair hiding his face as he bent over Dan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Dan asked, making Jaseff jump. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood morning to you too,\u201d Jaseff said. \u201cIt\u2019s over. Utgar\u2019s dead.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd the alliance?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGone,\u201d Jaseff said. \u201cVydar\u2019s the only Valkyrie left. He used Utgar to kill them all, even convincing him to betray Valkrill.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen that means\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe war is over.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan sat up. \u201cWhat about Francois? Caela? The others?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrancois\u2019 alive,\u201d Jaseff said. \u201cNo thanks to himself. He tried charging one of those demons on his own; woke up here a few days later. I haven\u2019t seen Caela. Gideon and Laelia didn\u2019t make it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was there,\u201d Dan said, lying back down. He was silent for a moment. \u201cSo if Vydar\u2019s won\u2026 what does that mean for us? For Valhalla, for that matter?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Jaseff said. \u201cVydar\u2019s already secured all of the amulets. Apparently he had strike forces just waiting for his command to seize them. They\u2019re being sent to his wellspring as we speak. As far as you and me go\u2026 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s planning on executing anyone, not even Utgar\u2019s or Valkrill\u2019s soldiers. But I don\u2019t know exactly what he\u2019s planning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHowever,\u201d Jaseff added, \u201cyou\u2019ll have a chance to find out. Vydar said that as soon as you were able, he wants to see you. He didn\u2019t say why,\u201d he added, as Dan opened his mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\u2026 why? Dan wasn\u2019t stupid enough to believe that Vydar would honor his promise to Dan. Dan had betrayed him, and possibly even forced him to act prematurely by saving Gideon and the others. Not to mention that he had killed a lot of his kyrie when they were attacked. No, something else was in store for Dan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was two days before Dan was able to move without bursting into pain, and a third before he was finally able to hobble around the great hall of Liesic, which now served as a hospital. On the fifth day, the healers finally agreed that he could leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A kyrie of Vydar was waiting for Dan outside the door. The kyrie led him through a maze of halls, through several doors, and finally motioned him to a staircase, which winded tightly upwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVydar is waiting for you,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wondering if his trials were just beginning, Dan ascended the stairs. He finally came to a small landing and a solid-looking wooden door. He gently eased it open, and then paused a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was on one of the highest walls of Liesic. It was narrow, battlements on both sides, the keep on one side, the city stretching out far below on the other. A haze of smoke still hung in the air, but the city no longer burned, and the sun was no longer red. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vydar stood on the wall, leaning on the battlements, gazing out over Liesic. Standing next to him, a cowl pulled over her head, was a kyrie woman. Neither one of them had seen Dan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI still hear it,\u201d Vydar whispered. \u201cThe battle. The rush of fire and clash of weapons still echo in my ears.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kyrie woman spoke, and Dan instantly recognized her voice. \u201cIt will pass,\u201d Caela said quietly, staring out over Liesic as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vydar turned to her. \u201cHow can you be sure?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caela turned to face him, and as she did so, saw Dan standing nearby. She looked at him for only a moment, and then turned to Vydar. \u201cBecause the war is over,\u201d she said softly. \u201cThe time for conflict is over. Now is the time to rebuild what was destroyed, and to rediscover what was lost.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan saw her look at Vydar meaningfully as she said those words, and though Vydar was facing away from him, he felt a change come over the Valkyrie. He was silent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caela looked at Vydar steadily, and then gave a slow nod. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vydar embraced her, and she hugged him warmly, as if they were old friends long parted. Dan didn\u2019t know what to do, so he just stood there, waiting for Vydar to notice him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d Vydar whispered as he held Caela close. \u201cWhy were you in Hyleran? I could have lost you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what you were planning,\u201d Caela whispered back. \u201cI didn\u2019t know your alliance with Utgar was temporary. I thought you had joined him. My loyalty was to our people, and I knew how Utgar would treat them. So I didn\u2019t join him.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI should have told you,\u201d Vydar berated himself. \u201cAt least hinted at what was coming. What might have happened in Hyleran\u2026\u201d He held Caela closer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They eventually pulled apart, and Vydar looked out over Liesic one last time, and beyond, over Valhalla itself. Dan could see his weather-beaten face now, and he saw nothing but happiness, the same happiness he had once seen in Gideon, as he lay next to Laelia in the forest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll rebuild,\u201d Vydar said. \u201cOne stone at a time, but we\u2019ll fix everything we\u2019ve destroyed.\u201d He glanced at Caela. \u201cEverything,<\/em>\u201d he promised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In reply, Caela nodded in Dan\u2019s direction. Vydar turned, saw him, and then beckoned him forwards. Caela took a few steps away. Dan glanced at her, but her face told him nothing. Not knowing what else to do, Dan stepped forward and closed the door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For a long time they just stood there, Mariedian and Valkyrie, silent, watching each other. Then Vydar spoke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you thinking, Dan?\u201d he said. \u201cWhat are your thoughts on all\u2026 this?\u201d he gestured to Liesic below them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thoughts? He had plenty of thoughts, most of which he wouldn\u2019t say to Vydar if he wanted to stay alive. He said nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you think I\u2019m a monster?\u201d Vydar asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPerhaps,\u201d Dan said. \u201cYou have acted as one.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vydar sighed. \u201cYes,\u201d he said. \u201cYes, I have. I told myself it was all for a good cause, but even now I doubt my words.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA good cause?\u201d Dan echoed. \u201cThe conquering of Valhalla? The slaying of its people? What causes are those?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vydar slowly shook his head. \u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cThose are no causes, and they are never ones I would adopt. I fought for only one thing, and I think you know what that is.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan knew. \u201cHow can you say you fight for your people, when you have shown so little regard for the lives of others?\u201d A hint of anger at Vydar entered Dan\u2019s voice despite his best attempts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vydar looked at him. \u201cBecause there was no other way,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe in a more\u2026 civilized world, things would have been different. But in war, especially in a war such as this was\u2026 there can be no doubt. There can be no moment of indecision. If you are lenient, if you are compassionate, if you let your fallen foe get back up, he will strike you down without hesitation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd you believe the people you have slain were your enemy?\u201d Dan said venomously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d Vydar said. \u201cAt least, in a way. When Ullar threatened my borders, I joined Utgar to drive him out. When Utgar then poisoned my waters, I joined the alliance to stop him. And when my people suffered because of the war, I made a deal with Utgar to end it. Every time, my allies were more than willing to turn on me. I showed them only the same amount of trust they showed me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd that makes what you did right?\u201d Dan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d Vydar said quickly. \u201cNothing could make what I\u2019ve done right. I\u2019ve had to lie, murder, and betray to keep my people safe. I had to hurt many. Was it right? No. Never. But it was necessary. If this war was ever to end, it was necessary. That doesn\u2019t make it right, but it\u2019s done now, and it cannot be undone. You must understand that, Dan.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan was silent. Certainly he understood it. He himself had been willing to go to any lengths to get Heleer back, at least until the moment in Valkrill\u2019s caves. He had found the line he wouldn\u2019t cross. Vydar had found that line, but had crossed it anyway, knowing that not doing so would bring even more suffering on Valhalla. That didn\u2019t make Vydar a good person. But he was, perhaps, at least one Dan could understand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will have to answer for my crimes,\u201d Vydar said, \u201cand I will. But until that time, the least I can do is try to fix some of the damage I have caused, and repair some of the lives I have ruined.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vydar took a breath. \u201cI once made you a promise, Dan. You upheld your end of the deal as much as any man could be expected to. It is time I honored mine. Once the amulets are in place, I will summon anyone you wish.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan felt like he should be surprised, but he wasn\u2019t. Somehow, through all of his hatred of Vydar, he had known that he wasn\u2019t the enemy. The enemy was Utgar. It had always been Utgar. Vydar was extreme, possibly even misguided, but he wasn\u2019t selfish. Aviir had been right: he was selfless to the point of doing what no one else could bare to do so that Valhalla would have peace. And he was willing to take the consequences, whatever those were. Now it was Dan\u2019s turn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat about Terav?\u201d Dan asked. \u201cHe told me the deal was off.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTerav doesn\u2019t speak for me,\u201d Vydar said quietly. \u201cI made a promise, and I keep my promises. I promised I would summon the one you wished, and I will.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, at last, on this wall, he could have Heleer. They could have a life together, here in Valhalla, away from the soulborgs, away from Isadora. Somewhere out there, surrounded by nothing but trees and green hills, they could live the rest of their lives. Dan looked out over Liesic, to the rising sun, shining its brilliance on the new Valhalla. He sighed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vydar looked surprised. \u201cNo?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d Dan repeated. He had found his horizon. At last, in a world he had never wanted to be a part of, he had found it. He knew what it was now. He knew it was his horizon to show others theirs. Well, he had done that. He had helped others find hope and strength in Valhalla, and now the war was over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan remembered when he had escaped from his cell back on Isadora. He remembered the faces he had run past. They hadn\u2019t understood. They hadn\u2019t known what they were looking at. They were blind, lost, prisoners without even knowing it. They had no idea what was beyond their walls, and the soulborgs had made sure that they had no desire to find out. That <\/em>was where Dan needed to be. Those people needed to glimpse their horizons, even as Dan had glimpsed his. They needed to be fought for, struggled for, and ultimately achieved. Dan looked at Valhalla one last time. His work here was done. He belonged on Isadora now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want to be sent back,\u201d he said. \u201cSend me back to Isadora.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI \u2013 Are you sure?\u201d Vydar asked, taken aback. \u201cYou would have a piece of land here all your own. I could summon anyone you want.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan shook his head. He knew now that Valhalla held no horizon for him. He must always be among the blind and the lost. There was no better place than Isadora. \u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d Dan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He felt a twinge of regret as he said the words, knowing that he could have a life of freedom with Heleer in the new Valhalla. But then he remembered Ana. She had sacrificed her life so that others could live theirs. He understood that now. Well, if she could do it, then so could he. Dan returned to the land of the living after what seemed like a very long time. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn\u2019t in pain. At least compared to how he had felt. His arms might be sore and aching like they had been sliced open and sewn back together, his head might … Continue reading Chapter Sixty – Aer Ilisyna<\/span>
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