Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter XXV : Duty & Honor

Latemorn of Primoris, Second Day of Autumnmoon

Bram and Kane emerged from the cave to find themselves in a vast basin, surrounded on all sides by steep mountains. Despite the high elevation, the weather was humid and warm, which created a lush and verdant foliage. By some natural miracle, the heat of the geothermal core provided a unique environment for the flora to thrive. It was a tropical paradise, replete with hanging vines, luscious flowers, and abundant vegetation. A soft, spongy moss blanketed the valley floor, while a thick, imponderable haze hid the treetops.

He and Kane forged a path through the jungle, weapons drawn, ready for whatever they might find. The rainforest burst with activity: tiny mammals leaping between branches, snakes slithering across the ground, and webs with fist-sized spiders stretching between the trees.

Bram had never battled in such a dense environment, and he worried if he could match a group of tribesmen who better understood the landscape. Of course, he considered another possibility: that perhaps this was a repeat of his mission in Minoa, where the so-called rogue scholars didn’t exist. He couldn’t help but notice some parallels, even though there were also stark differences.

Like Minoa, the area appeared peaceful, full of natural beauty. Certainly, not the kind of place someone would associate with a den of criminals. But unlike Minoa, there were no evil chancellors planning to incite unnecessary violence, nor was there an ulterior motive, such as stealing a sunstone. Rather, he and Kane had stumbled upon the valley by chance, and they were following their instincts.

He turned to his friend, hoping for a second opinion. “This place is uncanny, don’t you think? I never imagined a jungle, so high in the mountains. It hardly seems like the kind of place where we’d find hostiles.”

The Royal shrugged. “I disagree. This place is isolated. Cut off from the rest of the continent. Protected. Those seeking sanctuary from local law enforcement would find it quite appealing. And by their nature, outlaws would treat our presence as a threat.”

Bram was skeptical. “We don’t know for sure if there are outlaws here. We followed footprints and fought an unknown creature, but we never found a convincing link between the two. It could have been coincidence. If there are tribes living in this valley, they might be peaceful.”

Kane stopped his march to face Bram directly. “Maybe they are. Maybe they ain’t. Either way, we can’t let down our guard. That dead tribeswoman might not have worn Ashingi garb, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have tried to kill us on sight. You know how these savages think: they see Angkor’s expansion, and they believe that we’re a threat. We should come prepared for a cold welcome.”

Bram couldn’t blame his friend for being cautious, as long as he took things slow and used aggression only as a last resort. Bram wasn’t too worried, since he knew the Royal Guard trained in de-escalation and wouldn’t attack unless forced to defend themselves. Bram wondered if his experience in Minoa had left him too easily triggered. He needed to remain objective and trust his friend.

He and Kane resumed their march until they reached a gently flowing brook. Bram tasted the water and found it clean and refreshing. Further downstream, the jungle opened up, and an overlook offered a clear view of the lowlands. The water cascaded from the ledge, down fifty spans, to a pristine pool at the bottom. At the edge of the pool was a primitive village, built from tents and clay structures.

The two warriors crept along the precipice and peered down to get a better view. The villagers were all fair-skinned with white hair, just like the woman in the cavern. They went about their daily lives; carrying jugs of water, tanning the hides of jungle animals, and preparing meals over an open flame. Children played in the water, happy and oblivious to the Knight and Royal hiding high above them.

An uneasy feeling stirred in the base of Bram’s gut. There was nothing hostile about these villagers. Even if scholars lived among them, there was little to be gained by disturbing their peaceful settlement. He backed away from the rock ledge, ready to head back.

“What’s wrong?” Kane asked.

Bram shook his head. “Can’t you see? Our hunch didn’t pan out. It’s time to turn back.”

The Royal rose to his feet, wearing a look of shock and dismay. “What do you mean? We haven’t even finished our reconnaissance.”

Bram had lost patience with Kane’s detour. He had already given the Royal too much leeway, but it was obvious now that it was a dead end. It was time to rein it in.

“You heard me. We’re leaving. I don’t care if there are scholars down there. Those are children playing in that pool. We can’t risk a skirmish that puts them in danger.”

“We have a job to do,” Kane scolded, scowling. “Remember that you’re a Knight.”

Bram took a step back and gave his friend a full sizing. “What’s gotten into you? This isn’t our mission.” Images of dead worshippers flashed in his mind. “We have no justification for being here.” Blood dripping from a man’s open wound. “Those men and women are innocent villagers.” The sound of a sword cutting through a woman’s breast. “The only hostiles here … are us!”

Kane glared at him. “So you’re just going to abandon your duty and return to Angkor a coward? Don’t forgot what happened in that cave just now.” He pointed back in the direction they had come. “We were attacked … by a voice that called us outsiders. I doesn’t matter what those villagers look like from afar. They’re all part of it!”

Bram would have laid down his life, rather than repeat what happened in Minoa. Kane’s insistence made him feel angry and frustrated, so he took his friend by the shoulders and tried to force some reason.

“Listen to me! This isn’t a battlefield. We can’t just march down there and demand that they remand their neighbors into our custody. We’d be inviting their wrath. And for what? Could you live with yourself if innocents die today because of us?”

Kane shook his head. “That’s not how we’re going to settle this. Look here.”

The Royal removed a pouch from his travel bag. It was small enough to fit in one hand. He emptied the bag, and a handful of what looked like golden-brown marbles landed in his palm. They shifted color, like a tiger eye gemstone.

“What are those?” Bram asked, fascinated.

“They’re from King Richard,” Kane explained. “Forged by the power of the sunstone, in case of an emergency.”

Bram’s muscles tensed, and he stepped back in repugnance. After witnessing the weaponized power of the sunstone incinerate a five hundred year old oak in seconds, the thought of manifesting that power upon a peaceful village chilled him to the core.

“Put those away,” he ordered.

Kane did not obey. He looked defiant. “Listen carefully, Bram. All I need from you is a simple gesture. Just take the orbs and cast them down upon the village.”

Bram was awestruck. He couldn’t believe the words coming from Kane’s mouth. “What are you talking about?”

“The orbs, Bram.” Kane peered deeply into his eyes, as if begging. “Take them and cast them over the edge.” But he was also nervous. A drop of sweat rolled from his temple, down his cheek and neck. “Perform your duty, in King Richard’s name.”

Bram didn’t know what crazy world he had stepped into, but he couldn’t deny that the man standing before him was operating under a different agenda, one which Bram knew nothing about. And it was a betrayal of everything their friendship stood for.

Anxiety turned to anger, anger to rage, with pressure enough to burst. “What in the Burning Pits did you agree to do, Kane?”

The Royal looked at him blankly.

“Answer me!”

“Keep your voice down,” he demanded.

Bram drew close, inches away from his old friend. His hand clenched into a fist, but he held it back with a single open index finger, which he jammed in Kane’s face. “I want to know who gave you those orbs. Are they truly from Richard?” His eyes narrowed. “Or someone else?”

There it was! Bram saw it. Kane flinched, ever so subtly. Proof that he was hiding something!

Bile rose in the back of his throat. The betrayal was more than he could take. His fist, driven by a deeply sated anger that he couldn’t hold back, struck the Royal across the jaw, catching him off guard. Kane fell, and Bram pounced, using the weight of his elbow to pin his friend firmly into the mud. Kane’s eyes widened in disbelief, as cold running water washed over his face.

“What are you hiding from me?” the Gnostic growled. His body shook with fury. Images of dead villagers surrounded him on all sides. “Goddess damn you, Kane … if you’ve been colluding behind my back—”

His friend gurgled between gasps of air. “Let … me … go!”

Bram realized what he had done. Kane’s face was beet red, so he loosened his grip and gave his friend room. The Royal rolled onto all fours and breathed in deeply, coughing several times. “Bloody fool!” He spat, sending a spray of red droplets from a wound on his jaw. It had already started to bruise. He looked angry and hurt. “You had your chance to obey, but you gave it up, you damn, bloody fool ….”

Bram sat as the cold water washed away his anger. “I just want the truth.”

He wanted far more than that, but he was exhausted and confused.

Kane’s face was smeared with mud and dripping blood. “It can wait until after we’ve completed our mission.”

Bram was exasperated. “What mission?” He shook his head. “We were supposed to go to Kitezh and confiscate their sunstone, but you speak as if we were meant to be here. I want to know why. Tell me why, Kane. You owe it to me.”

Kane scowled and averted his gaze, but Bram kept his eyes fixed.

“I’ve already been played once before, and I won’t let it happen again. Least of all from you.”

The Royal looked hesitant, so Bram wanted him to know there was more at stake than the mission.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, Kane, and our friendship means a lot to me. I hope it means something to you, too. I’m asking you to honor what we had. Whatever Richard asked, now’s the time to absolve yourself from the responsibility. Help me to stop the madness before it happens again.”

Kane spit out another wad of blood and jerked his head in the direction of the waterfall. “You’re too late.”

In the water, at the precipice of the falls, the orbs drifted in the current. Bram leapt to his feet and sloshed ankle-deep through the mud, but he couldn’t reach them in time.

He scrambled to the ledge to see what became of them, but he didn’t make it far before Kane tackled him to the ground. “Stay down, you fool!”

Bram heart raced, and his blood pumped so hard it rattled his ears. From his prone position, he had a clear view of the basin. The orbs washed into a shallow pool and landed in a bed of tall grass, where they emanated an unholy glow. Villagers stopped and stared, wearing looks of concern and curiosity. The light expanded, covering the reeds in sickly orange. Tribesmen gathered their children and ran for help. Men in woolen robes arrived from a nearby tent, looking like trained scholars. Moving their arms in intricate gestures, they sent their magic directly toward the sickly light.

At first, the light ebbed, and Bram felt hope that they had gotten it under control. But, then, a supernatural shriek echoed throughout the valley. Tribal men and women held their ears as a dark fluid oozed from where the orbs had landed. It gathered along the ground and coalesced into horrible looking creatures made of black mud. Flames danced in place of their eyes and nose. They were repugnant, and tribesmen ran at the sight of them. Worse, they kept on forming. As soon as the creatures reached the huts and tents, everything they touched burst into flame. The fires spread, and pandemonium ensued.

Despite Bram’s efforts, he failed once again to stop King Richard’s sanctioned violence. The sunstone’s power unleashed a plague of pure evil, and his trusted childhood friend was the harbinger. Kane’s side mission had been a farce, used to lure him to where he now stood. Bram knew he should have known better. The signs were glaring, but he ignored them, convinced that friendship would prevail. But he was wrong.

The abscess of anger deep inside his gut finally burst, spreading septic levels of rage and fury throughout his body. He hated himself for his naivete, but most of the animus went to the friend who had betrayed him. He wanted to scream for all the world to hear.

An explosion snapped him out of his bloodlust. He realized there might still be time to help the villagers and save a few lives. He vowed to fight or die trying. But as he readied himself to race to the basin below, Kane grabbed his arm.

“No. Look!” He pointed to the sky.

Bram saw a set of bluish spheres, something he had never seen before. They were gates, and out of them walked legendary creatures that he remembered from tales long ago. He shrank back from the ledge, doubting his own eyes.

“Dear Goddess … I don’t believe it.” The words died on his lips. He recognized the creatures as aeons, supposed spirits of the planet that served in Gaia’s army and would come if ever the world were in crisis.

He saw Charis, the Graceful Mistress: several times larger than a woman, with blue-colored skin and the wings of a dragonfly. Her wand sent spells of ice that froze her enemies. Akhana, the Thoughtful Soul, was a wise old man with stag antlers and a long white beard that ran the length of his body. His mighty staff called down lightning from the heavens. Sige, the Silent Protector, had a long, eel-like body with rainbow-colored scales. It flew through the air with a massive maw that swallowed its enemies whole.

The aeons fought on behalf of the villagers, bravely attacking the mud monsters that continued to multiply. They battled bravely, but the dark ooze added reinforcements faster than the aeons could destroy. It seemed that nothing could quell the sunstone’s evil.

Bram watched the houses burn, along with the people inside. He pictured his father, in his farmhouse in Providence. For years, he had directed his rage at the Kitezhian raiders who started the fires. But now, Bram was the raider. The screams of innocents penetrated his psyche, and he lost all grip on his emotions. He glared at the Royal who had knowingly brought this scourge. Kane faced him with a sickeningly triumphant smile.

“You son of a bitch!” Bram spat, anger churning, fury boiling. “Your mission was to lead me here all along, wasn’t it? You wanted me to murder these inhabitants, and I want to know why!”

Kane faced him defiantly. “It pained me to lie to you, but my orders were absolute. Had you slayed these Gaians willingly, you would have been absolved of your failures in Minoa.”

One word echoed in Bram’s mind. “Gaians …? What do you mean?”

The people being slaughtered were nothing like the Gaian priests from Minoa. Kane’s response sounded like nonsense, but he couldn’t think, deafened as he was by the beat of his own blood. Blinded as he was by the deep red haze of anger smeared across his vision. Something had robbed the world of its humanity, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the insanity, even as his body sobbed at the tragedy.

“So, that’s it, huh? I was Richard’s butcher during The War, so why not expect me to go after potential enemies, too, right? Such as these villagers, whose aeons are possibly the only thing capable of standing against the sunstone. Is that where you pledge your loyalty, Kane? To a power hungry tyrant who would murder anyone who stands in his way?”

Kane rubbed the bruise on his chin, already dark and swollen. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. True, these people are a threat, and we had to put an end to them. But Richard is not a tyrant. He has always taken care of you, as he’s done to all who have remained loyal. He even gave you a second chance, and you squandered it.”

Bram found the response profoundly disgusting and no longer recognized the man standing before him. He was no different than the mud creatures that were slowly burning an innocent village to the ground. Bram acted on instinct when he drew his sword and pointed it at his friend.

Kane sobered quickly. His arrogant smile melted, and his eyes widened. “Don’t you dare turn that on me, Bram. I did all this for you! I’m not your enemy. Your enemy is down there!”

Bram said nothing, but he was determined to put an end to it. With his emotions so heightened, the enchantments on his sword pulsed with waves of violent energy. The hilt throbbed beneath his grip.

Kane raised his arms defensively. “Whoa, whoa, whoa … don’t do anything rash. I get that you’re angry ‘cause I lied, but you need to know … it had to be that way to protect you. If not for me, you’d be dead!”

Bram looked back through bloodshot eyes. “Why should I believe more of your lies?”

His friend stepped forward, bravely confronting the poisoned blade at his throat. “It’s the truth! I was told that if you failed again … if you tried to stop me from completing this mission … you were to burn along with everything else.”

He gestured to the mayhem below. “Those were my orders. If not for our years of friendship, I would have obeyed.” The grin was back. “Don’t you see, Bram? We’re both guilty of disobeying, but neither of us needs to die for it. The village is just about finished. The aeons and their summoners will soon be dead. All you need is to take credit, and I’ll back you up. Then we can both return to Angkor for our reward.”

Bram wanted to rinse the rotten taste in his mouth. His entire body felt diseased … cursed. But he also felt clarity. For the first time, things made sense.

“You know what? I don’t believe this plan came from Richard. I’ve known him for years, and this isn’t like him. I want to know who gave you those orders.”

Kane looked confused, but the expression quickly shifted to the stoic facade of a Royal. “You’re wrong.”

Bram’s blood boiled. “And you’re a bad liar! That look on your face earlier, when I asked you who gave you the orbs? You did the same just now. Don’t deny it. I want to know who wanted the Gaians dead. Was it Chancellor Garvey?”

“What? Virgil? No ….” Kane’s expression looked genuine, but he still held back. His scowl deepened. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Put your sword away, and I promise you riches beyond imagination. Richard will proclaim us heroes. You’ll regain command of the Heron, and all will be as it was. Better, even!”

Bram bared his teeth. This man he had known since childhood was unrecognizable. The bowls of his gut burned hotter than the fires consuming the ruined village.

“Heroes?” He spat on Kane’s face. “You’re a murderer, and don’t you ever make peace with that. Your soul is forever tainted. And so help me, if you don’t leave my sight, I’ll avenge the deaths of these men and women starting with your blood!”

Kane stumbled backward. “You’ve really lost your mind, haven’t you? Don’t you care about the blood on your own hands, Bram? Does Richard’s ‘Butcher’ not regret the many who died from his own sword?”

Bram seethed at the false equivalency. Kane’s words were disingenuous. “We were at war fighting soldiers, from a country that invaded our land and killed our people! But those down there … they’re civilians, and they’ve done no crime!”

He pointed to the men and women who were dying at the hands of the mud creatures. Their screams came from all directions. “Of course I regret what I had to do as a soldier, but I did it to give Angkor a better future. You can’t just take lives for no reason!”

Kane glanced over at the chaos below, but his voice was cold and calculating. “No reason? Bullshit. We’ll be at war the moment they learn we have a sunstone.”

He pointed at the aeons, which still valiantly fought the demons below. “Behold their power, and imagine if you were at the receiving end. Would you be absolved from guilt, if Akhana’s lightning charred the bones of our loved ones? How about if the mighty jaws of Sige swallowed our children?”

The creatures still floated around the village, trying in vain to halt the impending destruction. But the mud creatures slowly overwhelmed them.

Kane’s voice was ice. “Their very existence is a threat. You saw how they attacked us in the cave. That’s right … the snake … that was an aeon, too. You’ve already witnessed what these savages can do, and it will only be a matter of time before they take the battle to us. Don’t you see? Thinking that today is any different than what you did during The War only makes you a hypocrite.”

Bram felt pure revulsion. It was senseless to argue. Every moment he spent with the lunatic made it less likely to find survivors. So he turned and raced down the embankment. It was his last chance to do something. Anything.

Kane screamed from behind. “Don’t you dare turn your back on me, Bram!”

But Bram ignored his empty threats. He jumped to a nearby ledge and used a tree branch to swing down. On his way, he noticed the remains of some of the mud creatures. Small piles of sand along with hollow husks resembling their heads and limbs were the only sign of their former existence. It seemed that when dead, their bodies dissolved into the ingredients that made them. A stiff wind blew through the smoky village, scattering even those husks that remained.

Among the piles of sand were the charred remains of women and children, whose lives had been tragically cut short. In all his days of war, Bram had never been more affected. He felt sick, but he held back the nausea to continue his search, hopeful that he would still find survivors.

The air was black with smoke, and ash stung his eyes and lungs. He ran, with vision blurred, dodging flames and corpses, until he reached the far end of the village. There was nothing left. No one alive. He had failed. He felt drained and sank to his knees. From his mouth, he vomited the acid that boiled inside of him.

From the edge of his vision, he caught sight of a mud creature coming from the side of a flaming hut. He forced himself alert, and with renewed strength, plunged his sword into the creature’s back. The magical blade rended cleanly through its body. Just as he suspected, the body decayed at the moment of death. Before he had a chance to yank his sword free, the corpse turned to sand and crumbled.

He faced off against four more of the creatures, but he destroyed them all. The battle felt good. It was his only means to cope and focus his anger. He dismembered heads and limbs with ease. It was all he could do to push onward, without a single man or woman left to save.

He circled back to the village center. Nearly all hope was gone, when he heard a tiny whimper, barely audible over the roar of the flames. He followed the sound to its source and came upon a large, ornate pavilion with totems on the sides and fur skins in front. It must have been the chieftain’s hut. Flames slowly consumed the structure, but lying on the ground a few spans away was a man’s body. And beside him was a weeping child, no older than seven or eight.

Bram sheathed his sword and removed his skull-shaped helm to appear less frightening. He approached the child slowly. “Young one … is this your father?”

The child looked up, face red with grief, cheeks stained with tears. The poor thing was too hysterical to answer.

Bram bent down and checked the man’s body for a pulse, but found nothing. There were no wounds or burns, similar to the female he had found in the cave. It seemed that these Gaians formed some kind of connection with their aeons. And when their guardians fell, so did they.

He tried once more to get the child’s attention. “Little one … you must tell me where to find your parents.” Perhaps there was a chance that the mother was still alive somewhere.

Each word from the child’s mouth appeared to be a struggle. They stuttered, as if they never learned to speak properly. “M-m-momma … i-in … c-c-cave.”

Bram had a feeling that the tribeswoman in the cave was the child’s mother. But he had to be sure. “Was your mother’s … ‘aeon’ the snake made of fog?”

The child nodded with words that flowed between tears. “Ou … ou-ouro … b-b-borus.”

Despite the speech impediment, the child’s words left Bram with no doubt. He and Kane had killed the mother by destroying her aeon. The creature had been quite powerful, too, suggesting the woman might have been the village chieftain.

Bram’s heart felt squeezed. The child had lost both parents, and their village burned to the ground, all in the matter of a few agonizing moments. He remembered how he felt, weeks later after learning about his father. If he had been in Providence to witness it that day, he might have been just as distraught.

He knew what he had to do. No matter what it took, he would take responsibility for the child’s survival. Though it might not be enough to redeem him for what he had done, it was a start, and it became a heartfelt commitment.

He lowered his voice, trying his best to keep it calm and authoritative. “Don’t be afraid, young one. Your mother needs you to leave the village with me right away.”

He took the child by the hand and gingerly helped them to their feet.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Bram.”

Kane’s voice came from behind, a reminder to the Knight that he still had unfinished business. He spun around to face the man who had betrayed him. Instinctively, he placed himself in front of the child.

“Move aside!” the Royal commanded.

Bram seethed through clenched teeth. “Your bloodlust knows no bounds. You’d murder even this child in cold blood?”

Kane chuckled. “Once again, you’re blind to what’s standing right in front of you. You have no idea what that savage is capable of. But believe me, I’m about to do you a favor.”

Bram drew his sword. “You’re a monster!”

Kane tsked. “A pity you’re too stubborn and arrogant to accept the truth. Just mark my words: I will finish this. I’ll spare your life if you leave now and never show your face in Angkor again. But if you stand in my way … I swear I’ll cut you down!”

Bram faced the Royal. “To the Burning Pits with you and Richard both! I renounce your rotten kingdom!”

Kane pointed his spear. “The words of a traitor, punishable by death. This is your last warning. Think carefully before you answer, as there is no turning back.”

Bram had never been surer in his life. “I made my choice. How about you?”

Kane looked down at his spear, his face contorted with disappointment. But his visage soon transformed into the disciplined calm of a warrior about to enter battle. “So be it.”

Bram donned his helm. The pain of facing the man he had known since childhood was immense. Hours ago, he would have died to protect his dear friend, but now he was facing off against him in a battle to the death. Kane had been a virtuous youth, full of hopes and dreams. That he had changed so much in ten years was unthinkable. And yet, here he stood, beyond redemption.

Shouting a war cry that filled him with as much pain as it did vengeance, he ran forward and made his first move. Kane pivoted and swung his spear, and the two weapons clashed with a torrent of magical energy. So much power, synergized with so much emotion, created a deafening thunderclap that blew both warriors back in a cloud of earth and rock.

The child, fearful of the violence, cried out in fear. A golden aura surrounded them, amplifying their voice, which echoed across every treetop, beyond the roar of the fires. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as an eerie silence descended upon the ruins of the village. Magic permeated the air, and Bram’s flesh broke out in goosebumps.

Above him, a magical gateway appeared, filling the skyline above the burning village. Out of the portal came an aeon of such magnitude that it dwarfed all the others. A single red hand appeared, enormous in size. The trees could have been toothpicks. Bram inched backward, shocked and in disbelief. A colossal arm extended out from the portal, followed by another, each the size of hillocks. Finally, a gargantuan head and torso emerged, its prodigious girth larger than the village itself.

The creature was so tremendous, the gateway wasn’t large enough for it to fully emerge. It was stuck, halfway between worlds. Even so, it curled its hand into a fist and bashed with an incomprehensible force against the valley floor. A fearsome tremor shook the Ur mountain range. The earth swelled, and a gaping chasm split the basin in two. Bram and Kane dove out of the way of a widening trench, which separated the two warriors on either side.

“This isn’t over!” Kane threatened. But as the chasm widened, he lost any chance of jumping over.

Bram ignored the threat and instead searched for the child, who appeared to have lost their footing and hit their head on a rock. They were now unconscious. Bram took the child, cradled them as gently as he could, and ran. The ground shook, boulders fell from the hillsides, and lava oozed from the geothermal core.

Even with his armor’s enchantments, Bram strained to make it to higher ground. Looking up, he watched the aeon grab hold of the mud creatures and crush them into dust. Trails of sand scattered on their way down. Meanwhile, bubbling magma spilled forth from the chasm, incinerating everything in its path. The mountain’s core had ruptured. In minutes, molten rock would decimate the entire valley.

Bram could no longer retrace his steps to the cave, so he looked for alternate routes. Fortunately, the chasm had widened to the valley’s edge, causing a landslide that opened a new path. Bram took care of his unconscious passenger as he climbed out. His destination was the Zeugma Pass.

After reaching a safe distance, he stopped to catch his breath. Behind him, curls of smoke drifted toward the sky. The jungle paradise was utterly obliterated. With nothing else to target, the aeon retracted, back through its portal. In a final instant, it gazed directly at Bram. The Knight’s heart stood still, but the creature continued its course until the portal closed and disappeared.

Bram was stunned. He felt pain for the loss of a place of great beauty, one that would never return. Even more agonizing was mourning the friend who was now dead. Certainly, the Royal with the icy spear might have made it out alive, but the man that Bram once knew, his truest friend, was gone forever.

Meanwhile, the child slept soundly in his arms, the only survivor of a once thriving tribe of aeon summoners. Kane had called them Gaians, but the only ones he knew with that name belonged to the Gaian religion. He realized there was still much he didn’t understand. He might have seen a glimpse of the sunstone’s secrets, in that brief moment when King Richard displayed its powers, but he needed to learn more before he was ready to stand against them.

One thing was certain: the sunstones were evil, and the Gurudeva was right. Bram had unleashed a calamity upon the world. And any who coveted the sunstones were now his enemy. With a painful sigh, he marched down the mountain path, until the sight of the ruined valley was far behind him.