Normally I try to keep the falling action sections of these books short, but this book's will be longer. I think it's due, given the events covered, and I also suspect that anyone binging or rereading the series in the future will want a breather between the end of this book and the next one, which will be intense.
-
Chapter 50
Consciousness returned to Nauda slowly. The first thing she was aware of was dull, throbbing pain, but the second was that she was resting on Fiyu's lap again. That awareness, even within the darkness, made the adrenaline and panic drain away.
"Nauda? Nauda, are you alright?" Fiyu gripped her shoulder with surprising force. "Your body is healing, but you hadn't woken up yet, so... so I feared..."
"Nnh." Her throat was dry, but Nauda managed to make a sound, then opened her eyes.
Fiyu was fretting over her, staring in concern, but her mouth opened in silent joy. She seemed almost too happy to speak, then something distorted in her mask, which had been severely cracked.
"Are you alright?" Nauda managed to croak.
"I just... just..." Fiyu pulled off her mask, revealing that she had been crying and her tears had pooled within. Even with the tears staining her cheeks, she was so beautiful that Nauda instinctively reached up to touch the side of her face. The other woman's silvery eyes widened, so much more vulnerable without the mask obscuring them, but she didn't pull away.
"We won?" Nauda presumed.
"We did, we did." Fiyu nodded with excessive force.
"Theo isn't here?"
"He wanted to stay, but I asked him to defend us." Fiyu took her hand and clasped it tightly between her own. "Things are happening so quickly, Nauda. I don't know all of the details because I've been staying with you, but too many people wanted to meet. Theo is taking care of all of that."
"Good." Nauda relaxed back, letting her aching muscles go limp. She was glad that Theo was running interference for them, but she was also glad that it could be just the two of them now. It was hard to tell if Fiyu was just too emotional to be uncomfortable with their proximity, but Nauda was going to enjoy just being together like this while she could.
"I... I thought I might lose you," Fiyu said, so quietly it was nearly inaudible.
"It was close for both of us," Nauda said gently, then she was almost shocked when the other woman reached out and put a finger on her lips.
"No, let me try to explain. I thought our path to becoming lifemates was wonderful, I wanted to stay on it, growing ever closer together... jumping forward on that path scared me. But when I saw you fall, I... I realized that losing you scared me even more."
Relaxation evaporating, Nauda hastened to sit up, ignoring the minor aches and pains. They were in a small chamber in a Blacksilver complex, lying on a sort of bench. None of that mattered compared to the woman beside her, so Nauda sat close and held her hands, listening without daring to hope.
"I realized..." Fiyu took a deep breath and eventually continued. "Tymetron may retreat now, but if the war starts again... we'll be facing even more opponents like that. Either of us could... lose the other. I want to spend forever with you, but we might not have forever. And that... that made me realize that I want us to be lifemates. Not in the future, now."
Nauda took a deep breath. "What does that mean? Because we were always moving in that direction, but you said that you couldn't..."
"The fear when I saw you changed everything." Fiyu gripped her hand even tighter. "Taking care of you, watching you sleep... I'm sure of it. This is what I want."
"Fiyu..." Nauda had tears in the corners of her own eyes now, the emotion was almost too much. She wanted to pull the other woman into an embrace, but she was afraid of blundering through these uncertain boundaries. "Then what happens next?"
"This part is very serious, Nauda. If we are to become lifemates, we need to travel to my home in Ichil. There we will spend one year growing a lifemate flower, which we will take to the mountain of marriage. There we will spend three years-"
"No we won't." Despite all the tension, Nauda chuckled, then laughed.
"No." Fiyu pulled back, pleased with herself. "I'm sure my lyingwit was inept, but I am glad it made you happy."
"But it's a real question," Nauda said. She reached up and gently brushed away the remnants of tears from Fiyu's cheek. "I want you to be happy, but I don't know what I can-"
Suddenly Fiyu lunged forward, kissing her with shocking passion. Her arms wrapped around Nauda, gripping so hard that her injuries ached, but somehow she barely even noticed.
~
Chaos was spreading across Norron as the Tymetronese strategy collapsed, and Nauda was still in recovery, but Theo had no choice except to move forward. This conflict had been born from neglecting small details, and now that they had survived, there was one detail that he couldn't allow to be forgotten.
As soon as he could spare a moment, he returned to the tournament grounds. Though they were covered in rubble, the buildings themselves were remarkably intact for all they had endured and the demonic artifacts had all been hunted down. More importantly, the largest investment of the tournament remained: the contestants who hadn't died or fled. They were milling around, enjoying their freedom outside the main compounds again, and Theo had no intention of letting them slip away.
When he descended, he saw some flinch at the feeling of a Stronghold, but most began greetings as soon as they recognized him. Theo gestured for everyone to gather and then projected his voice to the group.
"Tymetron thought they could destroy you, without even expending their resources to do it. But you fought back, working together with soulcrafters you'd been competing against the previous day." Theo swept his eyes over the crowd, noting Fithans from all sides as well as guests from other worlds. "You proved them wrong, fighting off a horde of demons. After all that, are you going to go home empty handed?"
His question was met with silence, until an Authority shouted, "What else can we do?"
"I propose that we finish the tournament," Theo said, and raised a hand at some of the resulting shouts. "We can't immediately, not until some repairs are complete. But Tymetron's top soulcrafters are weakened, and you all represent an army that could overwhelm their main forces."
They were starting to understand it now, and Theo raised his voice to ride the wave of cheers and shouts.
"So many treated the tournament like a sideshow, but I know how much it meant to you! That's why I spoke to the leaders of the Ruling Cities, the Asplundat Movement, the Wavefront, and the surrounding oceans. If you all strike a blow for the cause, we can return here and pick up where we left off. Every sublime material, from the humblest stone to prized deadgold, is still available. After all you've been through, don't you deserve your rewards?"
Theo stopped speaking and let the cheers rise, simply mirroring the energy of the crowds. He wondered what they would think if they knew that he'd been against the tournament and more than once rolled his eyes at it. But now that they'd come this far... he was going to make sure they could finish their tournament in peace for once.
~
Everything was wonderful with Friend Nauda - now Betrothed Nauda - exquisite beyond anything Fiyu could have imagined. But if she wanted to protect this new happiness, she knew that she would need to make the proper arrangements, and that meant meeting with Relative Guchiro.
She had determined his location from Blacksilver allies, then took a weirkey out to the northern coast, but she held back to steel herself first. It was important to remember that she was not fully rational at the moment, flush with personal emotions. At times she had observed members of the community in love, and though she had been happy for them, their behavior had seemed strange to her.
For a long time Relative Guchiro had been skeptical about the relationship, and she had to admit that the differences between worlds had been vaster than she had expected. Now that she had made her decision, however, surely he would not stand in her way. Technically she was no longer his ward, but she could not bear it if her elder relative disapproved.
When she found her relative, he was standing at the edge of a rocky cliff, observing the ocean batter against the continent. He didn't turn when she approached, but the muscles of his arms shifted slightly. She walked up beside him and, after an appropriate pause, began to speak.
"I value your opinion deeply," Fiyu began, "and I hope that we can always retain good relations. There is a serious matter on which we have disagreed, and I hope to present nine reasons why I believe that-"
"You want to marry Nauda, don't you?" Relative Guchiro asked.
Fiyu gaped, suddenly adrift without her speech. "Was... was it that obvious?"
"I knew it would break one way or another." Relative Guchiro turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I trust your judgment, Fiyu, and I want you to be happy. If this is what you want, then I support you."
"Oh... we hope to have a ceremony, will you participate?"
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
So much tension and fear, all draining away in an instant. Just like it had been with Friend Nauda... Fiyu didn't think every problem would melt away so easily, but after so many ordeals, it was a joy to have everything work out for once.
After confirming some details with Relative Guchiro, Fiyu departed in a pleased haze. She really was drunk with the new relationship, but fortunately other members of her community could cover for her until the relationship became a pillar of strength for everyone else. For the most part Fiyu ignored the political conflicts, only confirming that conventional wisdom had not changed: Tymetron was wounded and on the back foot, so this was a time for recovery.
According to Friend Nauda, ceremonies on Tatian were huge community celebrations, and Fiyu was extremely relieved that her future lifemate did not insist on this element. It could be a small private ceremony... still large to Fiyu, but a reasonable size for a community.
Since she was carrying their Fithan weirkey, it was her task to make arrangements and invite guests. She couldn't meet with everyone, but she left invitations for Navim, Homez, Isorales, and Nanjuma. It seemed mildly alarming that she knew so many people, much less trusted so many of them, but it was good to have members of a community who could guard them.
Of course there was one other meeting that was critical: Friend Theo. Fiyu fidgeted as she descended into Norro Yorthin, seeking out the Blacksilver complex where he was meeting with the others. She didn't need his approval, exactly, as he was not an elder relative, but it was essential to have the support of such a close companion, for the sake of logistics if nothing else.
When she found Friend Theo leaving a meeting, Fiyu slipped in beside him. "Theo, I have very serious news for you."
"What is it?" He looked at her with more intensity than she had expected, forcing her to stumble over herself to continue.
"Not political news! I wish to tell you... Nauda and I are making arrangements for a ceremony to... to bind us together as lifemates. I fear that-"
"Congratulations." The harsh lines of Friend Theo's face softened in a sincere smile. "The two of you have been through so much, you deserve it."
"But... do you think it will be possible?" Fiyu looked nervously about the complex and all the people moving about on more serious business. "I fear that we could be attacked again, or our presence would be required, or..."
"Don't worry, I'll figure things out." Friend Theo's face sharpened again, but it was pointed outward, away from their tent toward the threats outside. "The lull should last months at least, so this will be the last chance to rest. If the two of you are willing to fight together once or twice more first, then you can go away together."
"Though I should be clear... I hope that all three of us will travel together in the future again, for a time I will be traveling only with Nauda."
Friend Theo smiled for some reason. "I guessed as much. We can figure out the details, just let me know what you're thinking about the timing of the ceremony."
There were more details to consider again, even more joyous than before, yet Fiyu found herself growing restless. Now that she had confirmed there were no obstacles on the path ahead, she wanted nothing more than to return to be with Friend Nauda. The very instant she had arranged everything, she hastened back to the base where her future lifemate rested.
Friend Nauda was waiting for her, of course, and smiled as she entered. That smile was so warm, and it made new feelings blossom within Fiyu's heart, but somehow she had grown to contain them. Instead of scaring her, they drew her in and she went to clasp the other woman's hands.
"Everything is ready, Nauda. I have made arrangements."
"I wouldn't say everything," Friend Nauda said, rubbing the back of her hand fondly. "We agreed on a small ceremony, but there are a lot of different ways that could go. What would you say to blending flowers from Tatian and Ichil? And I had some ideas for a meal afterward..."
Oh my. It seemed as though the matter would be more complex than Fiyu had expected, yet for once she saw only joy ahead of them.
-
Chapter 51
It was strange to think that meetings with Dominions had become routine, but Theo realized that they truly had. As the war turned against Tymetron, his involvement became an unspoken part of the balance. Fortunately, the tone of the meetings had improved as the tournament army swept aside one of the few remaining Tymetronese footholds on the continent.
That improvement was reflected in the soulcrafters as well, when Theo flew down to the rocky pillar where they met. Crintak was wearing fresh robes again instead of worn leathers, Melitta had gotten her injuries healed, and Citizen Dominion no longer looked haunted. When Theo arrived, they all gave him a respectful nod, and it wasn't for his strength.
"I still expect Tymetron to turn this into a full retreat," Crintak said, resuming their conversation. "It makes no military sense for them to stay here, losing soulcrafters for a conflict they don't care about."
"It didn't make sense in the first place," Citizen Dominion objected. "If they were willing to push this hard for so long, why should we expect them to stop now?"
Melitta didn't join in the debate, instead watching Theo, until eventually she spoke quietly, "What do you think?"
"I don't have evidence." Theo spread his arms to the assembled leaders and spoke directly. "To be blunt, I don't understand exactly what motivates Plutalgion. But I think he'll be willing to attack again, with even more forces. We didn't warn him off, we forced him to take us seriously."
"Then what can we do?" Citizen Dominion asked. "At most we can raise up a Dominion or two, but the enemy will still possess an overwhelming advantage."
"Only when they can field their strongest, which right now they can't because of their other rivals. Keep funding as many ascensions as we can, otherwise they can still overwhelm us. The longer the peace lasts, the stronger our position."
Crintak had shifted away from the group and scratched at his missing eye, but he turned back enough that the sapphire in his eye socket glimmered at Theo. "I've heard tell of other forces beyond Dominion. Seems like you know something about that."
"I wish I knew more." Theo shook his head slowly. "Every great power in the Nine Worlds is playing the same game of watching one another. I did my best to persuade those I could, but I can't control them. We need to plan as if we won't have anyone supporting us."
The obvious truth hung between them: they had done what should have been impossible, throwing back an empire and claiming victories that should have won the war. But all it had earned them was a reprieve, and they could only guess how long it would last.
After a moment longer, the leaders of Norron nodded to one another and separated to prepare for the fight.
~
When the United Norron Tournament started up again, Homez wondered if no one would care. After everything that had happened, it might seem like a pathetic attempt to feign normalcy. Yet to his surprise, the contestants and even many of the crowds came back, as if defying Tymetron to stop them.
They focused on the base tournament first, everyone else prepared just in case the empire decided to invade again. When it became clear that no attack was forthcoming, the tournament rolled forward rapidly with multiple matches per day. No one took the first level terribly seriously, even toward the end of the matches, and it seemed more like an opportunity for everyone to relax. Homez was just glad that the eventual winner was a young Fithan woman on her way up, not a failed veteran who had tried to maximize the first tier in order to win contests.
Occasionally some of the others would come to join him and watch for a while, which Homez always enjoyed. Nauda and Fiyu had changed, always holding one another close, and it made him smile even if it also hurt at times. They cared for one another with a pure love, without caring about any expectations society forced on them. If only he could have done the same.
His favorite visitor, surprisingly, was Theo. The outsider had somehow turned from considering the tournament a waste of time to finding the matches relaxing. He seemed to care about the fundamental soulcrafting regardless of tier, so Homez enjoyed discussing details with him.
When the Archcrafter competition finished next, the final victor was a depths Fithan who hadn't been in the tournament at the beginning. Once that would have been a shock, but now the crowds actually cheered for him. Theo and Homez discussed the changing political landscape, but their heart wasn't in it, not after enduring so much. Just like the crowds, they simply wanted to enjoy the tournament.
As the matches increasingly focused on the higher tiers, people from across the continent began to pay more attention. That even included Citizen Dominion, who met Homez and assigned him to scout for the most promising Rulers who might be able to ascend before the war resumed.
Almost disappointingly, for patriots like Homez, the Ruler tier had fewer Fithans than any of the factions would have hoped. The final round ended up being between a young Deuxan man named Victon, who had blazed his way to that point with brilliant soulcrafting, and an Aathali being who had proved to be a sleeper competitor. After a long and grueling match, when the Aathali finally pulled out a victory and Victon acknowledged him, the crowds went wild.
Theo flew out and handed the young Deuxan man a bowl that looked far simpler than the rewards from taking second place, yet it seemed to matter more to him than all the glittering sublime materials.
By that point, only the Authority tier of the tournament remained, and it received considerable pomp and circumstance. When they reached the final thirty-two candidates, there would only be one round of the tournament per day, letting all of them rest and soulcraft in between matches.
In a strange way, Homez felt like that was the most outdated part of the event. Once, getting resources that could take you from Authority to Stronghold meant winning the game of life, reaching the highest position that a normal person could hope to attain. But the war had swept away the old systems, Strongholds were far more common now, and yet the Authorities fought their hearts out all the same.
Competition was fierce and Homez regularly found himself wondering whether or not he could have won against some of the candidates. He thought he was closer to ascending than most of them, but chamber for chamber, he guessed that many were better soulcrafters than he was.
When all was said and done, the winner was an ominous-looking Noveni man named Aurelon Candorus. This didn't inspire particular confidence, particularly when he refused the deadgold, took some of the other prizes, and disappeared without comment, but that wasn't enough to ruin the tournament. People from countless factions that had once been at one another's throats had set aside their differences, fought off a greater enemy, and come together in this celebration of soulcrafting.
As he sat in the stands and watched the closing festivities, Homez realized that it had been a long time since he had woken drenched in sweat. He might never be the same as he had been before, but he was on his feet again, and soon he'd fly.
~
It took longer to arrange a meeting with someone as important as Giatrice, but given how much of their war hinged on the involvement of aeon-class soulcrafters, Theo returned to the Gold Wastes as soon as he could. This time, there were no pompous officials getting in his way: even though he came alone, he was allowed to go directly to the highest terrace.
When he arrived it was just the two of them: the aeon-class leader of the Gold Wastes and a Stronghold who by rights shouldn't have been there. Yet when Giatrice saw him arrive, she smiled.
"Never thought that little investment in you would pay off," she admitted cheerfully. "Your continent is practically swimming in deadgold, now."
"More than we can handle, actually." Theo wanted to ask her specific questions about the process, but it was probably best not to test this alliance with soulcrafting pedantry, so he moved on. "If my count is right, we've killed two of Tymetron's Dominions. They had a new one ascend, but still... that's better than anyone expected from us, right?"
"Oh, you're being modest. The Demonweaver showed up here, but she was nursing an injury. Now, Tymetron won't say how it happened, but I have a feeling you just might know."
Theo shrugged as if indifferent. "She was only there for part of one fight and she nearly destroyed us. If Plutalgion sends his best, or even comes himself, would it be worth it for you to fight?"
"Don't expect I'll need to." Giatrice scratched at her scalp as she walked to one wall, then pushed aside a curtain to reveal a map of the continent. There were three marks slashed across it in recent ink, covering what looked like major cities within Tymetron. "I admit, they got us with the double-feint. I even lost one of my Dominions when they came back in force. But now they're suffering."
"What are these strikes? Did you do all that yourself?"
"Hah, wish I had that much fire in me. No, I only did this one: fought Plutalgion over one of his cities, and I think I got a few good licks in. But while I was doing that, the Demonstalkers actually struck at the main city he uses to craft demonic materials. I didn't think they had it in them anymore, but they injured the Goldreaper and practically wiped the place off the map."
So all his work negotiating had produced some effect after all. Theo wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but his eyes had to wander to the third mark. "And over there?"
"See, that's the really strange thing." Giatrice put her hands on her hips and stared at the mark as if it personally offended her. "I thought I knew most of the strong folks in the Nine, but this was somebody new... a strange soulcrafter, I can say that much. Whoever they were, they consumed one of Plutalgion's armament vaults."
"Consumed?"
"That's what I said. When the Demonstalkers hit, they left normal destruction behind. But over there... nothing left but a big distorted scar. I think even Plutalgion is a bit worried about that."
For once Theo might be better informed than the aeon-class powers, because he was fairly certain that was the work of the House of the Lost. He didn't know how much to expect from them or especially their leader, but if they had been willing to act, that was a good sign. Three aeon-class forces striking against Tymetron meant that the empire was deadlocked... assuming that everything held.
"So where does that leave us?" Theo asked.
"That gets back to where we started: I don't think it's up to you anymore." Giatrice turned from the map to grin at him. "Personally, I think we might finally be able to take down Tymetron. Not today, and not a month or two from now. Plutalgion will retreat, lick his wounds, and try to figure out a new strategy. But after getting a beating like that from a weaker continent - no offense - I don't think he can get back on his feet."
"Then what do we do?"
"Well, I'd suggest that you soulcraft. Not for the war, for your own sake." Giatrice poked him in the chest with a bone-like finger. "If you did all this at Stronghold... I want to see what you can do when you get stronger. Surprise me."
After negotiating the remaining details, and a shipment of sublime materials from the Gold Wastes, Theo left for home. He looked back once, watching Giatrice as she examined her map. Tymetron was wounded, but he didn't share her confidence that it was dying.
This wasn't victory, it was just buying them enough time that victory wasn't a dream.