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Previous Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 24: No Time

Next Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 26: Last Moments

All Chapters HERE .

Watch the Trailer: ENDLESS Trailer

CHAPTER 25: REUNION

The night was unforgiving, cold inside Gorken’s lungs. He was struggling to keep up with Gabrielle’s pace. She ran across the forest without stopping or faltering. She knew the trees, the roots and the ground by memory. Gorken’s main worry had been not getting to the palace in time to save Malia, but at their absurd speed they would reach it before dawn.

He knew he was weakened, still recovering from the effects of the poison, but he wouldn’t have had an easy time chasing Gabrielle even if his body had been in its optimal state. His skull was pounding as much as his heart, both in pain. His sword was heavier than usual. His vision was unfocused, and he had only been able to run through the woods because he was following Gabrielle’s trail. But he couldn’t allow himself to slow down. He was strong. That was all he had. If he wasn’t strong, then what was he?

They had to get there in time. Failure was not an option. Not this time.

The minutes stretched, and Gorken lost his grasp of time. He didn’t know if they had been running for an hour, or five, or ten. And yet he had to keep running. Gabrielle hadn’t looked back once.

Then the dark woman stopped dead in her tracks, gestured with her hand for him to stop too, and crouched behind a tree. She steadied her breathing, and Gorken used the precious seconds to regain his. When his chest stabilized, he glanced over the bushes in front of them and recognized the lights of the northern palace in the distance.

“I’ll talk to myself now,” Gabrielle whispered, “so anyone who’s interested should pay attention.” If Gorken hadn’t been so tense, so fearful, he would have found Gabrielle’s behavior ridiculous.

“Eight years ago, I opened a crack in the great stone wall.” Gabrielle continued. She noticed Gorken’s shock, “Why and how I did it are both tales for another time. What matters is that I know how to break the spell that protects the wall. Opening a crack that big took me months. But even if it’s been repaired, the magicians of this era are not competent enough to recreate the protective spell. I could puncture the wall using my own strength, but if anyone listening thinks they are strong enough, I would rather let them do it.”

Gorken nodded, and she went on, “I can use a very limited amount of magic. I’m great at it, but I can’t use much, which is why I specialize in light bending magic. Rearranging particles to distort light and create illusions requires great talent, knowledge and training, but very little magical energy. So if someone else can take care of the physical labor, I won’t stop them.”

Gorken nodded once more, and so Gabrielle kept going, “Ideally, we should avoid confrontations. I can distort light in the area around myself, so no one should be able to perceive me or those in my proximity as long as we’re stealthy. We need to open the crack in the stone wall without being noticed, and then find out the location of the worthless princess. We won’t be able to avoid conflict with the guards or anyone else who’s with her, but quick silent assassination should be the preferred method of combat.”

Gorken nodded one last time. After that they stood up and kept running. The darkness was their ally; Gabrielle didn’t have to use her magic until they were close to the castle. As they approached the imposing barrier, they saw soldiers making rounds and inspecting the perimeter.

In his exhausted trance, Gorken adhered to Gabrielle’s movements as a faithful shadow. She advanced and paused with purpose, aware of rules and patterns and routines that escaped him. His strained senses were narrowly focused on her, on complying the moment he was needed. He understood then, when their resolute dash toward the stone wall finally began, that it was his duty to open a path. He couldn’t give the stubborn rocks a chance to resist, a chance to call for help with their resounding breakage. He had to be as implacable as he had to be hushed.

Gorken would have to use it. Trepidation so constant as to become a habit had no place in those crucial seconds; dreading its power was no longer an option.

He untied the cloth that covered the hilt of his sword: the unassuming shield that allowed him to hold his weapon without it becoming something other than a sword, something nastier… something more akin to him. Hungry for his touch, the blade reacted instantly, morphing into a thing that would allow him to do whatever he needed to do. Its power was frightening because it defied, it demanded, it accomplished. With a few swift thrusts, a small portion of the wall crumbled into a pathway for them to go through. His mission attained, Gorken wrapped the cloth around the hilt with a speed only panic could incite.

Gabrielle’s eyes intently swallowed everything, but she could not afford distractions. Not then and there.

Despite her years away from it, the map of the castle was still vivid in Gabrielle’s head. Malia’s chambers would be their first stop; as unlikely as it was for the princess to be there, it was the closest relevant location to their entrance point, and they could focus on searching the dungeons after ruling out the obvious option. The lack of guards near the princess’ room compounded the notion that no one was there, but Gabrielle wasn’t one to change course once her mind was settled.

Unseen, they traversed the ivory corridors and weren’t shocked to find the door unlocked. As they entered the room, their pupils had to adjust to the abrupt gloom.

On the floor, kneeling on the carpet in front of the bed frame was a young woman. The dim moonlight that reached her through the windows was enough for Gorken to see that her hair was a light color, probably blonde. She was holding something tightly against her chest, sobbing in private grief. The mantle of Gabrielle’s magic hid the two intruders from her sight.

With a heavy sigh Gabrielle dispersed her spell, and instantly the girl raised her head, detecting the sudden presence in front of her. Gorken recognized the girl. He remembered her name. Lyra. Malia’s handmaid, the one he had met the day he had reunited with the princess.

Once it dawned on Lyra who they were, her crying deepened.

Gorken realized what she was holding: Malia’s tank top. The one Rose had made for her. The one she had been wearing just a few hours ago. The fabric looked dark, but not because of the faint light. What darkened it was the blood soaking the cloth. Malia’s blood.

Description

Previous Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 24: No Time

Next Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 26: Last Moments

All Chapters HERE .

Watch the Trailer: ENDLESS Trailer

CHAPTER 25: REUNION

The night was unforgiving, cold inside Gorken’s lungs. He was struggling to keep up with Gabrielle’s pace. She ran across the forest without stopping or faltering. She knew the trees, the roots and the ground by memory. Gorken’s main worry had been not getting to the palace in time to save Malia, but at their absurd speed they would reach it before dawn.

He knew he was weakened, still recovering from the effects of the poison, but he wouldn’t have had an easy time chasing Gabrielle even if his body had been in its optimal state. His skull was pounding as much as his heart, both in pain. His sword was heavier than usual. His vision was unfocused, and he had only been able to run through the woods because he was following Gabrielle’s trail. But he couldn’t allow himself to slow down. He was strong. That was all he had. If he wasn’t strong, then what was he?

They had to get there in time. Failure was not an option. Not this time.

The minutes stretched, and Gorken lost his grasp of time. He didn’t know if they had been running for an hour, or five, or ten. And yet he had to keep running. Gabrielle hadn’t looked back once.

Then the dark woman stopped dead in her tracks, gestured with her hand for him to stop too, and crouched behind a tree. She steadied her breathing, and Gorken used the precious seconds to regain his. When his chest stabilized, he glanced over the bushes in front of them and recognized the lights of the northern palace in the distance.

“I’ll talk to myself now,” Gabrielle whispered, “so anyone who’s interested should pay attention.” If Gorken hadn’t been so tense, so fearful, he would have found Gabrielle’s behavior ridiculous.

“Eight years ago, I opened a crack in the great stone wall.” Gabrielle continued. She noticed Gorken’s shock, “Why and how I did it are both tales for another time. What matters is that I know how to break the spell that protects the wall. Opening a crack that big took me months. But even if it’s been repaired, the magicians of this era are not competent enough to recreate the protective spell. I could puncture the wall using my own strength, but if anyone listening thinks they are strong enough, I would rather let them do it.”

Gorken nodded, and she went on, “I can use a very limited amount of magic. I’m great at it, but I can’t use much, which is why I specialize in light bending magic. Rearranging particles to distort light and create illusions requires great talent, knowledge and training, but very little magical energy. So if someone else can take care of the physical labor, I won’t stop them.”

Gorken nodded once more, and so Gabrielle kept going, “Ideally, we should avoid confrontations. I can distort light in the area around myself, so no one should be able to perceive me or those in my proximity as long as we’re stealthy. We need to open the crack in the stone wall without being noticed, and then find out the location of the worthless princess. We won’t be able to avoid conflict with the guards or anyone else who’s with her, but quick silent assassination should be the preferred method of combat.”

Gorken nodded one last time. After that they stood up and kept running. The darkness was their ally; Gabrielle didn’t have to use her magic until they were close to the castle. As they approached the imposing barrier, they saw soldiers making rounds and inspecting the perimeter.

In his exhausted trance, Gorken adhered to Gabrielle’s movements as a faithful shadow. She advanced and paused with purpose, aware of rules and patterns and routines that escaped him. His strained senses were narrowly focused on her, on complying the moment he was needed. He understood then, when their resolute dash toward the stone wall finally began, that it was his duty to open a path. He couldn’t give the stubborn rocks a chance to resist, a chance to call for help with their resounding breakage. He had to be as implacable as he had to be hushed.

Gorken would have to use it. Trepidation so constant as to become a habit had no place in those crucial seconds; dreading its power was no longer an option.

He untied the cloth that covered the hilt of his sword: the unassuming shield that allowed him to hold his weapon without it becoming something other than a sword, something nastier… something more akin to him. Hungry for his touch, the blade reacted instantly, morphing into a thing that would allow him to do whatever he needed to do. Its power was frightening because it defied, it demanded, it accomplished. With a few swift thrusts, a small portion of the wall crumbled into a pathway for them to go through. His mission attained, Gorken wrapped the cloth around the hilt with a speed only panic could incite.

Gabrielle’s eyes intently swallowed everything, but she could not afford distractions. Not then and there.

Despite her years away from it, the map of the castle was still vivid in Gabrielle’s head. Malia’s chambers would be their first stop; as unlikely as it was for the princess to be there, it was the closest relevant location to their entrance point, and they could focus on searching the dungeons after ruling out the obvious option. The lack of guards near the princess’ room compounded the notion that no one was there, but Gabrielle wasn’t one to change course once her mind was settled.

Unseen, they traversed the ivory corridors and weren’t shocked to find the door unlocked. As they entered the room, their pupils had to adjust to the abrupt gloom.

On the floor, kneeling on the carpet in front of the bed frame was a young woman. The dim moonlight that reached her through the windows was enough for Gorken to see that her hair was a light color, probably blonde. She was holding something tightly against her chest, sobbing in private grief. The mantle of Gabrielle’s magic hid the two intruders from her sight.

With a heavy sigh Gabrielle dispersed her spell, and instantly the girl raised her head, detecting the sudden presence in front of her. Gorken recognized the girl. He remembered her name. Lyra. Malia’s handmaid, the one he had met the day he had reunited with the princess.

Once it dawned on Lyra who they were, her crying deepened.

Gorken realized what she was holding: Malia’s tank top. The one Rose had made for her. The one she had been wearing just a few hours ago. The fabric looked dark, but not because of the faint light. What darkened it was the blood soaking the cloth. Malia’s blood.