The Guardians

Chapter 37

"Atevora?" Saren asked. "That's two days from here. Does Grace have that long?"

"I'm not sure," Lyra answered. "Kara's using blackroot to slow the progression, but the longer we stand here talking about it, the closer she gets to death."

"I'll go with you, Lyra," Aiden offered. "The sooner we leave the better."

"Not everyone will be able to go," Will said, motioning to the still recovering Guardians. Lyra frowned. The Druid was right.

"The Silent Hand had a sanctuary near Atevora," Orin said. "I was well known there, we can make it there if we are pressed."

Lyra nodded. "Will, stay here with the others. Neve, I'll give you the choice on whether you want to join us or stay here at Saren's side. Viktor, I'd like it if you joined us as well."

"Neve, go with them. Your talents will aid them."

"But..."

"I would rather go with them myself but I know my limits. I am not recovered well enough to travel that distance but I can defend our camp if we're discovered." Saren turned to Lyra. "And I'm relying on you to find our sisters. And I will pray all three of them return with you."

"No pressure at all."

Orin chuckled as the five Guardians began the journey.

~~~

Grace was declining fast and Kara feared that the blackroot wasn't enough of a treatment anymore. The older spellcaster lay on her side, her cloak wrapped tightly around her. Kara knew if they were discovered, Grace wouldn't have the strength to defend herself. She and Lex had been taking turns at night watching over her and keeping an eye out for anyone who stumbled through the illusion. Lex had been warning her for some time that it would happen and when it did, the person that she saw was, in truth, the last person she expected to see.

Neve was crouched down studying the ground looking for the slightest tracks that would give them clues as to where their quarries were hiding. The assassin was having a hard time picking up any kind of trail and when she did the trail almost always faded. The spellcasters had hidden their tracks well, products of years of Guardian training.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to lose a trail," Aiden teased.

"Not funny, Aiden."

"Do you have any idea where they are?" Viktor asked. "Did they give you any clues in your dreams?" Viktor doubted Lyra's claim of being a Dreamwalker and personally thought she was mad. Lyra knew this but didn't bother to try to convince him otherwise.

"Lex said they were outside of Atevora overlooking the town." The former Paladin was studying the rocks of the small mountain. "Kara will have an illusion up and Orin said there were several caves on this side."

"Which we haven't found any yet," Orin added with a sigh.

"Which means we could be standing in front of it," Neve stood. "What have you found?"

"Nothing. Again."

Aiden gave a sudden cry of surprise and Lyra turned just in time to see him disappear into the rock face.

"And looks like Aiden found it."

Aiden intended to lean against the rock face. But when he leaned back, he found himself continuing to fall. He gave a cry of surprise and everything disappeared. The next moment he was on his back in a cave. He heard a woman curse. Still laying on his back, he looked behind him. His view of everything was upside down, but he knew Kara and Lex when he saw them. Lex had her staff poised to defend. He gave a wave.

"Hi, Lex, Kara. Don't mind if I drop in, do you?"

Kara actually laughed.

"Thank Gaia!" Lex said, relaxing. "Am I glad to see you, Aiden."

Aiden rose and went over to them and knelt next to Grace.

"Aiden!" Lyra called.

"Where'd he go?" Neve asked.

Aiden cursed. She was worse than they thought she was. "Lyra didn't say she was this bad."

"That's because I didn't tell her," Lex said.

"Let me bring the others in and see if Lyra can do anything for her."

Lyra was relieved to see Aiden reappear through the rock face.

"Grace is worse than we thought," he said. "We may be too late unless you can pull off a miracle."

Lyra cursed and went through the illusion, followed by the others. She knelt next to Grace.

"I don't think the blackroot is working anymore," Kara said, worry in her voice. "I haven't been able to pinpoint the poison."

"It'll take everything but I think I might be able to reverse it."

"You're a healer?" Lex asked. "Are you sure you can do it?"

"Let me guess, Grace is the only healer in the Guardians."

"Actually, our healer died before the civil war started. Faeren hadn't found a spellcaster with the talent that also had combat skills."

"Lucky for Grace, he did just before he died." Both Kara and Lex looked distraught.

"What?"

"He died of wounds he took during the massacre," Aiden said. He looked at Lyra. "I'm with Lex. Are you sure that's something you can do without killing yourself?"

"I'm sure I can do it without killing myself. Like I said, it may take every bit of magic I have." She unwrapped Grace from her cloak. "Aiden, stay close behind me and no matter what you see, I'll be alright."

Lyra leaned over and placed both of her hands on the sides of Grace's face. She had to work quickly as the spellcaster's skin was deathly cold. Lyra had never had to use the drawing spell that Mathros had taught her. She muttered the spell and immediately felt her magic go to work. She continued to chant the spell until she felt the odd sensation of the drawing. She felt the poison beginning to flow in her veins and she swayed a bit. She felt Aiden's hands steady her. She removed her hands and began the counterspell to draw the poison out of herself. Lyra had to squeeze her eyes shut to keep from seeing the spinning of the room. She vaguely heard Aiden's voice. His hands were still on her arms.

"Let go, Aiden. Please."

His hands moved away and she held her hands inches apart. Lyra opened her eyes and wished she hadn't. The room looked like it was literally moving around her.

"I need a vial. Out of my satchel. Hold it under my hands." She sent the poison out how it had entered and held the liquid in mid-air before sending it into the vial. Aiden corked it when she finished. Lyra swayed again and again Aiden steadied her, forsaking her earlier request.

"Are you alright?" She heard the worry in his voice.

"I will be when everything stops moving."

"What did you just do?" Kara asked. "What spell was that? I've never seen anything like that."

"It's called Drawing. What I did was draw the poison into myself and then did a counterspell to expel it from me. With a sample, we can hopefully identify the poison."