Chapter 90: Aftermath

Nira stood over the grounds where she had fought in mere hours and looked out over the remains of the east wall. Several parts of it were completely gone and even more had been torn from their rightful places. Trees were uprooted and buildings once held proudly in the territory of Duskryn were reduced to smoldering husks. She brought her hands down to look at her shaking arms. She tried to still them, but the motion did little effect.

It was only when the battle finally ended that the fatigue set in and her body reminded her how much strain she had been through. Her thoughts drifted away fragments, battle cries, dark clouds of magic, the feeling of everyone dying around her, spirits appearing before her eyes-

She had truly been afraid.

She just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it when it happened.

"Nira."

She turned her head to the familiar voice of her father and found herself face to face with him as he walked slowly towards her through the ruins of the battlefield. His armor was scratched and torn, cuts littered his face and arms, and the rest of him was covered in filth and dry blood. Still, he stood before her with the same strength she had seen him wield throughout the battle.

Nira stared at him before walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling his figure close to her own.

Vaeron was clearly startled by the gesture but quickly rested a hand upon the top of her head.

"You did well."

Nira’s eyes were already filling with tears as she responded.

"I was scared."

"I know."

"I thought everyone was going to die."

The statement was simple, but Nira could sense the strength behind it as Vaeron gave her back another firm press.

"I know."

She stopped briefly, her throat tightening before continuing quietly.

"There were so many moments where I didn’t know what to do. Even after spirits came to me, I felt so weak."

"Look at what you protected when the fate of this territory seemed doomed. What did you just fight against? An Arch Demon! You fought for your people and lived to see another day. You don’t need to convince yourself that you were weak,"

Nira blinked her tears away.

"I just couldn’t save everyone."

"Neither can I."

The response made Nira look up at her father. The same strength that had protected their army for so long was now reflected in his eyes.

"Strength doesn’t mean you can stop anything unfortunate from happening. Sometimes, strength takes the form of a protector of those still living."

Nira lowered her gaze and gave a small, thoughtful nod.

The sounds of workers were already rising around the two as the soldiers sorted through the wreckage to find the injured, wounded, and dead. Carefully, the last three groups were being collected, weapons laid down beside each pile.

Nira looked on silently, the sight heavy upon her heart.

Too many people lost because of this battle.

She spotted some familiar faces among the dead. People who had fought beside her the day before who would no longer come back to their homes.

Close by, Sylvara worked over the wounded with her healing magic.

"Stay still," the First Queen ordered as she pressed her hands to one of the soldier’s shaking shoulders. A soft purple light filtered out from under her hands before the woman’s wound slowly and steadily healed.

"Thank you, Lady Sylvara."

"Save your strength. There are still so many who need help."

Sylvara moved on to the next injured soldier without another word. Despite her apparent composure, Nira could see the tiredness in her mother’s face. Her movements were slower than usual and she seemed to struggle with maintaining her powerful healing magic.

Kaelith was at work too, repairing what little was left of the Duskryn’s walls. He was dirty, his normally neat blonde hair was wild, and his arms bore several burns. He carried a wounded soldier to the healers before returning to help another.

He gave a grin to Nira when he saw her looking at him.

"You look terrible."

Nira gave him a small glance.

"So do you."

Kaelith laughed.

"Guess that means we’re both doing great."

Nira allowed herself a smile, and for the first time since the battle, it was a real one.

Her thoughts wandered to another man before too long. Edris was standing a few feet back from where the workers and soldiers were sorting through the battlefield. His gaze was drawn to the ruined estate around him and his bow fell loosely at his side.

Nira’s smile was gone the moment Edris’s name reached her thoughts.

More so, her memories of the day did not stop there. It was Edris who had opened the gates to the enemies. It was his arrow that had loosed the barricade, allowing the army of monstrous horrors to breach the walls of Duskryn. It was his traitorous actions that led to so many of her allies becoming mangled and slaughtered. And yet, after seeing Morvain betray him, she knew Edris had fought as a friend to the end.

Nira knew she shouldn’t be so conflicted, but she was.

Nira was angry.

And she hated herself for even entertaining the idea that Edris had done anything other than what he was forced to.

"You will answer for what you have done," Vaeron’s voice was quiet when he finally joined Edris at the front of the battlefield. Nira took no steps to leave him as he spoke again.

"I know."

"There is no justification for betraying Duskryn."

"I know."

Edris’s hands tightened around the bow at his belt.

"My son was ill. I made myself believe that if I took the demon’s side, that no innocents need lose their lives."

His gaze shifted from the ruined estate to the ruined wall.

"I was wrong."

Vaeron studied his former lieutenant for a long moment.

"You endangered everyone here."I know."

"You allowed yourself to be deceived."

Edris closed his eyes.

"I know."

He did not say another word for quite a while. When he did speak, it was to the wounded soldiers still being gathered.

"Whatever punishment you receive, take care of the people. The soldiers, the healers, the workers- help them in whatever way you can."

"Commander?" Edris finally turned to Vaeron.

"Help the healers. The wounded. Clear away the rubble. Whatever needs to be done."

Edris nodded.

"Yes, Commander."

Edris turned and made his way over to the piles of debris, but even in his stiff back Nira could see it. He was not sorry for what he done. He was sorry for the people he had led to massacre. It would take a long time for Edris to find forgiveness, but what he done was not enough to define the rest of his life.

Nira turned back to the battlefield and suddenly felt something else. A familiar whisper at the edge of her memory.

Nira blinked as she felt something else crawl along her skin.

A tiny light hovered close to Nira’s shoulder. Another drifted to her other side, hovering just inches from her face. The spirits had returned.

Nira was glad of the opportunity to speak with them in peace, but she also knew that it could not last long. Before her encounter with the spirits, Nira could hear them whisper. The way the wind blew through the trees, the rustling leaves, the flow of water- that was all she could hear them for. Since then, however, she knew the whispers had become something else.

Too loud to hear her own thoughts.

Voices filled the air around Nira, filling her mind with the sound of broken down trees, the injured animals and plants, the destruction upon the ground.

Nira quickly clamped her hands over her ears.

"Wait. One at a time,"

The chatter quieted down at once.

Nira gave a tired blink before finding herself staring at a small spirit.

You can hear us.

Nira smiled a little.

"Yes."

Another spirit drifted lazily around her presence.

You understand us now.

"Not completely,"

Nira looked out over the gathered spirits who hovered above and around the battlefield.

"But I think I’m finally starting to."

The small lights glowed with warmth.

Nira felt warmth spread through her too. Since finding the ability of Spirit User and developing her elemental magic, Nira never thought of it as anything other than a means of communication and reinforcement. She knew that a Spirit User’s bond with the spirits could be stronger than one’s magic alone, but she never thought of it as something greater.

It had, in a way, changed when her bond with the spirits had transformed with the power of Spirit Sovereign. She could understand their emotions. She could know their intent. And even better yet, they answered when she needed them.

She did not need to always call forth the spirits when they were needed to help. They simply knew it.

The sudden whimper of a wounded soldier brought Nira’s attention to another part of the battlefield. She quickly stood and rushed over to the wounded man.

"What happened?’ Nira asked one of the healers as soon as she reached the group. The woman pointed at the soldier’s leg and Nira followed her gaze.

"We need to move this rubble aside," one of the soldiers said as they pulled the broken bits of wood and stone away.

Nira placed her palm over the injured part of his body.

"Greater Heal."

Purple light filtered out from her hands, weaving over the wound. Slowly, it faded away as the skin reformed, but the spirits were there with her. Their lights wove into her healing magic and it shimmered with renewed strength as the wound closed even quicker. When Nira looked at her hands, surprised at the power she had used, the spirits gave a happy glow before vanishing.

The man gave a pleased grunt as he moved his leg.

"I can feel it."

Nira smiled as he rested his leg on a couple of logs.

"Good. But don’t try standing yet."

"I won’t."

Nira stood slowly, her legs giving out before Vaeron caught her by the arm.

"That’s enough."

"I’m fine."

"You’ve been fighting since the beginning of the attack."

Nira began to argue, but the fatigue was too much and she found herself agreeing with him instead.

"Maybe I’m just a little tired."

Vaeron gave her a look.

"A little?"

Nira smiled.

"Very tired."

"Then rest."

Nira turned her gaze back to the battlefield one last time. Broken buildings. Wounded soldiers. Her mother still at work healing as many as she could. Kaelith bringing supplies, Edris doing what he could. Even the spirits flying around gently watched over the scene. They had all lost people. They had all lost parts of their homes.

Nira slowly sat down against a broken part of the wall. One of the small spirits landed on her shoulder and she watched it come closer before she gently poked it with a finger.

"Thank you."

The spirit glowed with a warm light.

Nira closed her eyes. For the first time since beginning this battle, she did not have to prepare any new spells or anticipate any more attacks. The people worked to recover what they could. For now, there would be no enemy to stand against or fight. The sky above their city was dark and full of night, but Nira could still see the glowing lights of the spirits hovering over the battlefield.

Tears slipped quietly down Nira’s cheeks. This time, they were not due to the feeling of fear or impending doom-

They were the tears of relief.

"We survived," she murmured as the spirits flew around her, their gentle lights contrasting against the wreckage of the battlefield.