“Oh. Right. Well, they showed up and brought us back to life. Incredible. This totally spiritual and awe-inspiring moment.” Alain pursed his lips, considered, then shrugged. “Anyway, Plassus was there, and he spoke with Naomi while I was talking to Fyrona—man, I think she really likes me. Or, well, maybe her idea of me? I think she thinks I’m actually a little more dangerous and amazing than I really am, which I understand, I mean, that punch -”
“Alain.”
“Sorry. So Plassus spoke with Azeran, and then Sarana stepped up and agreed to kill him. Which really upset a lot of folks, because Plassus insisted Azeran do it. But Sarana exerted some kind of privilege, and Azeran didn’t argue, so she flew away with Plassus, and returned a while later by herself.”
“She what?” Scorio stared. “Nobody saw what happened?”
“She’s an Imperator, Scorio.” Naomi’s tone was flat. “But nobody liked it. Plassus was shouting at us to do something, but what could we do? Sarana carried him away, and when she came back she said she’d given him peace. That’s when I decided I wanted nothing more to do with those people, and came to find you. Plassus said that you’d see me at LastRock, but if you think I was going to go sit there and wait you don’t know me at all.”
Scorio smiled lopsidedly, but his mind was on Plassus’ last words. He felt a pang of dismay, but Naomi was right: what could anyone have done?
Alain continued. “So both Imperators flew straight north. Naomi immediately slipped away from camp but went northwest, so I almost, I mean, almost kissed Fyrona goodbye, and ran after her. She moves fast!” He glared at her. “I basically sprinted the whole way here.”
“If I’d known you were following me I’d have gone faster.”
“Well, I guess I’m glad you’re as discerning as a rock.”
Naomi feinted at him, causing Alain to leap back.
“So they went north.” Scorio rubbed at this chin. “They mention anything about dominion?”
Naomi shook her head.
“Huh.” Scorio considered. “Why do I get the sense that there’s more going on here than we know?”
“Smart,” said Alain, pointing at Scorio. “Smart hunch.”
Naomi rolled her eyes.
Scorio glanced at Naomi. “Should we tell Moira?”
“Depends. What are we planning to do, exactly?”
Alain raised his hand. “How about I just tell her part of it? I imagine you want to keep Xandera here secret?”
Xandera smiled.
“Absolutely,” said Scorio. “And… yes. That might be the best approach. Tell her what the Blood Ox said to me, and that we think he’s heading to the Fury Spires for Bravurn’s Gold mana.” Scorio considered. “What about the teleporter working with them? The one who brought Charoth and Aezryna to our aid? Could they bring reinforcements again? Or help us get to the Fury Spires before the Blood Ox?”
“I can ask.” Alain didn’t sound hopeful. “But I remember something about their being limited to traveling within a level of hell. Which really sucks. But speaking of, she’ll say we can’t reach Bravurn in time. And will demand to know what we’re planning when we get there.”
Scorio grinned. “She knows me well enough to believe my saying I’ll improvise. Tell her we have a way of getting there, fast, but don’t want to share what it is.”
“Great. I love saying ‘no’ to Moira. It’s her favorite word.” Alain sighed. “But fine. The next time she taps me, I’ll update her and let you know in turn.”
“Good.” Scorio turned to Xandera. “I guess that means we’re still heading to the Fury Spires.”
“What about the Imperators?” Naomi stepped up alongside Scorio to look up at the blazeborn queen. “What will you do when they come to the Fury Spires?”
The young fiend shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. It’ll depend on what I’ve learned by that point.”
“Fair,” said Naomi. “But don’t expect mercy from them.”
“I expect mercy from nothing and nobody.” Xandera’s tone was friendly. “Just as I never intend to give it, either.”
“I like her.” Naomi turned to Scorio. “She’s definitely a fiend after my own heart.”
“Oh, so suddenly she’s your friend?” Alain stared at Noami in disgust. “That easily? Honestly, you’re one fickle lady.”
“Let’s kill Alain real quick and get going,” said Noami, tone upbeat.
“Well, we can get going, at any rate. Alain, you coming with us? To face Bravurn?”
“Of course! But that sounds like a terrible idea. You know one of Bravurn’s powers is to drop huge cylinders of metal on people? As in, he can literally summon them in the air above people and squash them?” Alain glanced from Naomi to Scorio. “You still want to go?”
“Yeah.” Scorio inhaled deeply and nodded. “It’s a bad character flaw of mine. I keep insisting on going where I’m not wanted.”
“It really is,” agreed Naomi.
“But even if we kill Bravurn, which I don’t think we can do, because he’s a Blood Baron, then what? It’s the four of us against the Iron Vanguard and the Blood Ox’s army? How are we going to fight them?”
“I don’t know.” Scorio took a deep breath. “But we’ll take this one step at a time. If we can assassinate Bravurn, we’ll be one step closer to complete and utter success.”
“Complete and utter success,” scoffed Alain. “You’re mad. But then again, you’re not wrong. So sure. I’m in. If I go, then will you believe we’re best friends?”
“Depends on how you behave,” said Naomi.
“I mean, I’m going to behave like one of your best friends, obviously.” Alain paused, eyes widening suddenly. “Oh, wait! Nobody even knows what that looks like, do they, because you don’t have any!” He tapped his chin. “I wonder why that is?”
Naomi narrowed her eyes and Alain skipped back with a grin.
Xandera hopped off her rock to land neatly and without a sound. Her hair, which had pooled upon the boulder, stretched down, sagged, then split, leaving rapidly darkening ropes of black rock behind, the rest darkening to cherry red at the tips. “I’m eager to go home.”
“Let’s go,” said Scorio. “The huge ravine shouldn’t be too much further.”
“About an hour’s run south,” agreed Naomi.
Scorio winced. “Then let’s get moving.”
“What, now?” Alain groaned. “I’ve been running forever already!”
“Bye then, Alain!” Naomi took off at a jog. “See you at LastRock, maybe.”
Xandera ran after, hands linked behind her back once more, flitting from rock to boulder, leaping lightly over cracks and gulleys. Scorio took off gamely after Naomi, and a moment later Alain caught up, running with obvious reluctance.
“If I’d known becoming best friends would take so much work, I’m not sure I’d have bothered.”
“Alas,” Naomi called back. “If only we could send messages back through time.”
“Ha, ha. Mark my words, Naomi. One day you’ll say I’m the best and you couldn’t imagine living without me! You’ll see!”
“Keep dreaming,” laughed Naomi, and ran faster.
Despite everything, despite the betrayals and pain and heartache, Scorio couldn’t help but grin. His friends were back, and no matter what impossible odds they faced, they were together.
And that filled his heart more than any kind of mana ever could.
Chapter 50
They reached the ravine without incident. It was a ragged gash in the ground, its edges uneven, too wide for Scorio to hurl a rock across, and descended into the darkness in a series of ledges.
“This is perfect!” beamed Xandera, twirling from sheer exuberance, and causing her luminous hair to fan out about her. “I can sense the dead heat rising. Let’s go down to it!”
Alain made a face. “Dead heat? What’s that even mean?”
Xandera peered at him quizzically. “Heat that’s died?”
“You mean, like, cold?”