Vainglory 3.47 - Full Circle

Okay, folks! Here's the final chapter in Book 3. As I've indicated in the past, I'm going to take a break from VG now to see how it does on Audible and Kindle. I like the story and the characters, but I'm not sure they have mass appeal. A lot of work goes into these books, and I just want to make sure that, if I continue, it's worth my time.

I did my best to make this a kind of satisfying pausing point for the story. Some earlier conflicts get wrapped up, Ward sees a lot of progress with his bloodlines, and Haley and Grace also make some good character advancement. I try to put myself in a reader's shoes, and I feel like I'd want to see more of the story, but I wouldn't be mad if it ended here. Does that make sense? Hope I'm not too wrong about that.

Anyway, here's the last chapter. Enjoy!

-Plum

47 – Full Circle

Rose’s uncanny senses proved to be right. Not long after she left the chamber, Veylan let out a croaking gasp and fell to his knees, the light in his eyes utterly extinguished. Pallishae, on the other hand, turned Gwen’s plump, pleasant face toward Ward and smiled. “I have vanquished my dark echo.”

“Good.” Ward nodded to Veylan. The sorcerous Assembly member blinked, staring into nowhere, his expression blank. “What about him?”

“His mind is damaged. You can deliver him to justice with this one.” Pallishae gestured to Gwen’s body.

“Huh? What about you?”

“My work is done. I’ll return to my vessel and slumber.” He tapped the medallion embedded in Gwen’s chest. When Ward nodded, grimacing, he looked around, sighing as he saw the dead guardian reptilians. “A pity so many had to die. At least we stopped them before they opened the third seal.”

“No, we didn’t.” Ward pointed to the scorched corpse of the spider-shaped cultist near the base of the third pillar.

“But the leviathan…”

“It spoke to me.” Ward shrugged. “I dove into the water to try to get the rod that cultist pulled out.

“This water?” Pallishae looked horrified.

“Yeah.” Ward sighed, shaking his head ruefully. “I realize it was kind of impulsive. Anyway, the leviathan spoke to me.” He tapped the side of his head.

“Ah! Your Harrowguard lineage. Your mind was open to the creature’s thoughts. So, is it at peace now?”

Ward shook his head. “It’s waiting to see if you’ll release it. It told me it won’t destroy the city if you do, but it says the city will crumble if it has to break the final gate on its own.”

“Waiting for me in particular?”

“Yeah, buddy.” Ward chuckled, shaking his head ruefully. “Sorry to say, but it saw my memories. It knows you’re one of the ones who trapped it. It doesn’t blame humans, though.”

“And does it know I’m but a spirit—a pale echo of the man who did it wrong?” Pallishae started walking toward the fourth pillar.

“I mean, like I said, it saw my memories, so I think so.”

“This is dangerous, Ward. It may be wiser to simply reseal the open locks.”

Ward shook his head, scowling. “Not going to happen. For one thing, I made a deal with it. It could have killed me—or just let me die. For another, you’re missing one of the rods.”

Pallishae sighed. “I could retrieve it with a minor spell, but I trust you, Ward. The creature could be rampaging even now, smashing the final lock and destroying the city in the process. If it spoke to you…” He shook his head. “My people were vain and proud. When the leviathan came here, we bound it almost as much out of conceit as necessity. It was a way to display our might—our knowledge and mastery—to the great primordials of the world. I’m pleased that you, a representative of a much younger species, have made an agreement with it. It gives me hope that, if we failed in other ways, at least our selective…” He trailed off, looking at Ward sideways.

“What?”

“I let my tongue run away from me. I babble. Please, allow me to concentrate on this lock.” With that, he pressed Gwen’s small hands together and closed her eyes.

Ward tried to talk to him, but he refused to acknowledge his words, fully absorbed in whatever he was doing with the lock pillar. While Ward watched, Haley managed to get Marie to her feet after applying some healing salve to her neck and the base of her skull. Holding her arm, she helped the sorceress limp closer.

Marie glanced at Veylan as she approached. “Will he live?”

“I guess. Pallishae says he’ll have brain damage, though.”

“That’s no reason not to lock him up,” Marie growled.

Ward nodded. “Agreed.”

“What’s he doing?” Haley asked, pointing to Gwen’s meditative stance.

“Unlocking this pillar.”

Marie inhaled sharply. “But the leviathan!”

Ward sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not as bad as the old ones thought. It spoke to me. If we let it out, it’s just going to return to the sea—no murderous rampage.”

“You believe it?” Haley asked, but Grace answered for Ward, suddenly sweet and clingy again, holding Ward’s arm.

“Don’t pester him, Haley. He’s had to explain it enough.”

Marie narrowed her eyes, looking at Grace. “I see your little demon survived our adventure.”

“Does that upset you?” Grace replied, arching an eyebrow.

“Stop it!” Haley growled, turning to face them both. “We’re all friends here.” She glanced toward the tunnel. “Rose should be back—”

As if her words had summoned her, Rose appeared around the corner of the tunnel, leading nearly a dozen ragged, limping figures. Ward saw Lali first. She was bloody and battered, and her mace hung loosely from her wrist by its strap, but she was in one piece. Behind her, True walked among seven or eight other leather-clad wardens, and behind them was Fitz, striding side by side with the one-armed werefox. He looked uninjured. “Damn miracle,” he muttered as Haley charged off to meet him.

“Is your bloodline quiet, Ward?” Marie asked.

Ward realized it wasn’t—not entirely. He still felt some dread, but it was muted. “Not yet. I think…” He shook his head. “Well, I mean, I hope it’s because Pallishae hasn’t unlocked this thing yet.”

“What’s he doing, exactly?” Grace asked.

Marie shrugged, putting a hand on Ward’s shoulder and leaning her weight into him, favoring her right leg. “Perhaps trying to discern the proper sequence in which to move the crystal rods.”

“Crystal!” Ward snapped his fingers, laughing.

“What?”

“I’d been thinking of them as glass. I guess crystal makes more sense.”

As he spoke, Pallishae stirred, lowering Gwen’s hands and turning to look at the gathering party. “I’m pleased so many survived.” He gestured to the pillar. “I’ve determined the pattern. Are you certain about this, Ward?”

Ward thought about it, folding his arms over his chest. He was putting a lot on the line by trusting that voice that had been in his head. What if it had been deceiving him? Why not just crash through the final lock, then? More than that, he’d felt the leviathan’s sincerity when it spoke to him. It had been in his head, after all. Besides, it had saved him; he would have died in that water. With those considerations in mind, he nodded. “I’m sure.”

Pallishae looked at him for a moment, locking eyes with him. Then, he held out Gwen’s left hand, and the crystal rods began to move, sliding out of their holes in the pillar, drifting through the air to different holes, and sliding back in. It was almost musical, the way they rubbed the shiny black stone, like an ancient song that wasn’t meant for human ears. When it was over, the ground shuddered for just a few seconds, and then, to Ward’s surprise, the water in the black lake drained about halfway down.

“Where did the water go?” Haley asked.

“Nowhere,” Pallishae replied. “The leviathan has left its prison.”

“Holy shit!” Ward hissed, realizing that the displaced water was equal to the creature's mass—it had to be truly colossal.

Pallishae turned toward the group, looking at everyone and then focusing Gwen’s gaze on Ward. “I will depart this vessel now. You should bind this sorceress’s mouth and hands.”

“What’s that now?” Lali asked, tilting her head at Pallishae.

“I’ll explain later,” Ward sighed, reaching into his magical bag for some rope and a torn shirt.

“It was a pleasure getting to know some of you,” Pallishae said, as Ward tied Gwen’s hands behind her. “I’m pleased to see some members of the younger species are such honorable, brave folk.” Ward held the gag up, waiting for him to finish, and then Pallishae nodded Gwen’s head. “Go ahead. Farewell, all. Ward, take the amulet when it falls from her flesh.”

“All right. Goodbye, Pallishae.” With that, Ward stuffed the knotted-up, less-than-clean shirt into Gwen’s mouth and tied it behind her head.

###

True waved Ward and Haley over to her table, smiling broadly. “Glad you accepted the invitation.”

Ward shrugged. “I’m always ready to eat, especially if it’s on someone else’s dime.”

Haley looked at him, shaking her head. “Dime. Do you hear that, True? I think his brain got addled when that leviathan poked around in there.”

Ward chuckled. “Gonna make me regret telling you that story, kid.” He waited for Haley to sit, then took a seat. Looking at True, he asked, “Figured you wanted to say goodbye or something. You heading out?”

She shook her head. “Now, why would that be? Didn’t I tell you the Marshal General offered me a job at the Citadel?”

“Oh,” Ward shrugged. “Well, I guess I thought it wasn’t a done deal, or maybe after everything that happened down below, you’d had enough.”

“Not exactly. You know, we lost five marshals down there, right?”

Ward nodded, looking for a server. True had invited them for lunch, but the place felt more like a tavern to him. He supposed that was the nature of a strange, magical, steam-age society. “We ought to make a toast to ’em.”

“Keep yer britches on, you animal. We’re expectin’ one more.”

Haley leaned forward. “Who?”

“You’ll see. Oh, ’ere he comes, now.” True pushed her chair back and stood suspiciously straight-backed, with her hands to her sides. Ward frowned, turning to look over his shoulder toward the door. A man wearing a leather overcoat typical of the wardens he’d met in Ordo Caelus had just entered the establishment. The leather was well weathered, but lovingly taken care of—oiled to a rich, dark sheen. He was a tall man with thick gray hair, and when he took off his coat to hang it on the rack by the door, Ward saw that he wore a blue and gray sash of office.

As he approached, Ward noted his polished boots, almost ceremonial-looking saber, and the fine gold chain of a pocket watch hanging from his tailored vest. Ward stood, and when the man held out a hand, he shook it. “Marshal General?” he asked, wondering if he’d guessed correctly.

“Mr. Dyer! I’ve heard a great deal. We’re not on official business here, so feel free to call me the same thing my old cavalry commander did: Yates.”

“Commander,” True said, clearing her throat, speaking stiffly and commencing with introductions as if she hadn’t heard a word the Marshal General had said. “This is Ward Dyer and Haley Dodson.” She stiffly gestured to the tall, gray-haired man. “May I present Goram Yates, Marshal General of the Citadel of Measure.”

“Great goats, Marshal True! Would you relax? You’re going to constipate yourself standing like that!” Yates chuckled and offered his hand to Haley. “Pleased to meet you both. Now, let’s sit down, we’ve business to discuss, and unlike the young, listless instructors at my citadel, I’ve only a few free hours each day.”

He waited for the ladies to sit, then as Ward sat down, he pulled out his chair and, with a grunt, plopped himself down. “I’ve heard a great deal about you both.” Frowning, he looked at the table, then over to True. “Marshal, will you get us some beer?”

“Right away, sir!” She practically knocked her chair over as she stood.

Ward raised an eyebrow, watching his usually irreverent friend. She certainly seemed to be in awe of the Marshal General. When he’d seen who True’s mystery guest was, he’d begun to suspect this was something of a setup. True wasn’t the first marshal who’d tried to talk him into joining their ranks, and now, for some reason, the Marshal General of their headquarters on Primus was having lunch with him?

“Well, Ward, Haley, I understand the city owes you a debt. I believe there will be a general Assembly meeting scheduled to honor you and the others who descended beneath the city to confront the lunatics who were trying to kill us all.”

“Yeah, I heard some—” Ward started to demure, but Haley’s enthusiasm ruined it.

“That’s right! Tomorrow night!” She beamed at the Marshal General and nudged Ward’s shin under the table with her foot.

“Very good. Well deserved. Say, the reason I wanted you here, Ward, was to talk about—”

“Listen, um, Yates, let me save you some time. I don’t think I’m too interested in being a lawman again.”

“Oh?” Yates raised a bushy eyebrow. “And do you speak for you and your partner?” He looked at Haley, and her eyes flew wide as she held a hand to her chest, fingering an ivory button on her blue, silken shirt.

“Me?”

“Naturally. I can’t separate a duo like yours. Let’s table that, however. I wanted to speak to you about your bloodline, Ward.”

“Uh,” Ward frowned, looking around the restaurant for True. Where was that damn beer? “I take it you don’t mean the lycan?”

“No. I’m curious about the one that the adjudicators at the Proving Gate decided warranted your deportation.”

Ward sighed with relief when True arrived with four big mugs of foamy beer. She set them down, sloshing some foam onto the table. Ward didn’t wait for an invitation, picking one up and gulping the top third down. Smiling broadly, he set the mug aside and shrugged. “I have the dreadmarked bloodline. I mean that’s what people nowadays call it, but it used to be known as Harrowguard.”

“That’s what I understand from our friend here.” He nodded at True. “She says that much of the reason this city is still standing is because of that bloodline of yours. That’s true?”

Ward took another drink. “Maybe to a small degree. It gave me some warnings. Premonitions. I, uh, am more sensitive to…” He trailed off.

“He’s too embarrassed to say that he hears voices. Spirits and whatnot,” Haley said.

“Well.” Yates picked up his mug and took a long pull. When he swallowed and wiped his mustache on his sleeve, he said, “I think that would be a valuable ability for a marshal to have.”

“Aye, sir! I told ’im the same thing!”

“Unfortunately, I’m not welcome in your city with—”

Yates waved a hand. “I’ve already issued you a permanent visa. I won’t even hold it as contingent on you serving under my command. Consider it a gift for the work you did here.” He took another long drink while Ward absorbed his words.

“Well, thank you, Marshal General. That’s very—”

“It cost me nothing. In fact, I enjoyed putting those damned, snooping ledger lovers at the Proving Gate in their place. At any rate, now that you’re not worried about having to leave, I hope you’ll consider the idea of spending some time at the Citadel and becoming wardens. We’ve lost some good men and women recently, and there’s plenty of trouble in the system—more than we can handle.”

“Would I be able to continue my Gopah studies?” Haley asked, leaning forward to pull a beer closer to her.

“Of course! Wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, you could earn credits at the citadel for putting on lessons.” He nodded to Ward. “Same for you, young man. I understand you’re well-experienced. It wouldn’t be like you were a recruit—a fresh-faced kid. We’d curate a custom curriculum for you. Marshal True has volunteered to organize things.”

“Well…” Ward didn’t want to say no, not right off the bat, especially when he saw how damned excited Haley was.

“Think about it. Just let True know when you’ve made a decision. She’s got all the paperwork ready to file, either way.” Yates picked up his mug, drained it in three big gulps, then slammed it down with a satisfied sigh. “And that’s my break over. Pleasure to meet you both.” He pushed his chair out, and Ward hastily stood to shake his hand again.

“Thank you for the visa, Marshal General.”

“And we’ll give True our answer soon,” Haley added.

The commander nodded, smiling, as he walked back to the door, aiming for the coat rack. True released an explosive sigh when he left and sat down like every bone in her body had turned to jelly. “Did I say anything stupid?”

Ward laughed. “Relax. You were fine.”

Haley picked up her beer and took a sip. “He was nice! Why are you so on edge?”

“Well, you two ain’t ’eard all the tales I’ve ’eard ’bout that man! He’s led armies!” She sighed and drank her beer.

Ward looked at Haley. “I know what you’re going to say.”

She smiled. “I don’t want to leave Primus yet, Ward. Master Rose is here. Fitz is here. If we joined the Citadel…” She trailed off, and he sighed, nodding.

“I get it. I’m sure he’ll have you with or without me, so don’t—”

“Don’t you!” Haley growled. “We’re a team!”

Ward held up his hands, palms out. “I get it. I’m not saying no. I’m just saying to let me sleep on it. Let me bounce the idea around in my skull for a little while.”

Haley nodded, looking at True. “If we became Wardens, would we get to travel a lot? Or would he try to put us on one assignment for years and years?”

“There are different types of wardens, lass. Some stay here at the citadel all the time. Then, there are the provincial wardens, like you’ve met on Cinder; they’re the ones who patrol a certain area and deal with the populace there. Now, a third type is the troubleshooters. They’re the kind of wardens who get sent out when there’s a problem the provincial wardens can’t handle. I think it’s plain that you and your surly partner, here, would fit that category the best.”

Haley smiled, nodding. “Wouldn’t that be something, Ward? We’d be just like Silverblade and Ravenwing!”

Ward sighed, well aware that she was talking about one of the pulpy novels she’d read back in Tarnish. “Yeah, that would be something.”

While True smiled and sipped her beer, Grace appeared, sitting in Yates’s vacated spot. She smiled slyly as she winked at Haley. “I like the idea, Ward. You need purpose in your life, and it would give you solid opportunities to continue learning magic, exploring, and, well, doing good things. I like it when we do good!”

Haley smiled, her cheeks a little rosy from the alcohol. “Yep! It’s a good idea, Ward.”

True, oblivious to what Grace had just said, nodded, slamming her empty mug down. “A good idea! I’m getting us more beer.”

As she walked away, Ward sighed. “I’m not going to get a chance to sleep on this, am I?”

“Look at this way, Ward,” Grace said, “Wardens aren’t sworn into duty for life. If it’s terrible, you can always quit.”

Haley nodded at Grace. “That’s right, but it won’t be terrible, Ward. It’s going to be amazing!”

“Maybe you’ll get a job on Cinder and you can stop in to see Fay!” Grace added.

Haley’s eyes opened wide. “Wouldn’t that be great? You know you wanted to visit her! I bet she’d positively swoon over all the stories you could tell her, and when she saw your warden’s badge?” She giggled and winked at Grace.

Ward looked from Grace to Haley, frowning. After a moment, he set his beer glass down and said, “All right, all right. I’ll try to have a positive outlook about it. Some time here on Primus sounds good, and yeah, I like the idea of some traveling. Anyway, uh, you two need to clear something up for me, ’cause I’m feeling a little funny here. Who the hell is Fay?”

###

Ward watched as the aetherflux beneath the hemograph's crystal panel swirled, slowly coalescing into his new readings. Looking them over only confirmed what he’d already known—what he’d already felt in the depths beneath the city. He’d regained his anima and even improved his “vessel” in several categories. He was tougher than ever, despite the tribulations he’d been through. “Nah,” he corrected himself, “because of them.”

Still, he didn’t feel good, not after what he’d learned at lunch that day. “Fay,” he whispered, straining his memory for even the tiniest glimpse. There was nothing. Yet, if he were to believe Haley and Grace… He shook his head. It was what it was. Why lose sleep over it? If Grace was right, he’d given up the memory of her, the experience of her, in order to save Haley. He’d agreed to it. He remembered that much, just not what he’d lost, but that made sense, didn’t it? How could you remember a memory you gave away?

“Still thinking about Fay?” Grace asked, appearing beside him on the big bed. He was getting ready to sleep, but had wanted to look at his readings before doing so.

“Well, not exactly. Thinking about the idea of her, I guess.”

“Maybe something will come back to you if you see her again.”

Ward sighed, shaking his head. “Sounds like a bad idea. She’s going to remember me; how would it feel to her to know I don’t remember a damn thing?”

Grace shrugged. “I’d want to see you, even if you didn’t remember me. I’d want to believe we could become friends again.”

“Hypothetically?” Ward asked. “As in, if you were Fay?”

Grace put a hand on his wrist, squeezing gently. “Sure, but also if I were just me. I care about you, Ward.”

Unable to resist her positivity and gentle touch, he smiled and nodded. “It’s mutual. You’ve changed a lot. Would you ever imagine you’d be encouraging me to become a marshal? That you’d want to do more good in the world?”

“You can blame Haley for that. She’s the sweet one who makes me want to impress her with my goodness. You’re a savage—” She broke off in a fit of giggles as Ward moved his arm around her neck and pretended to strangle her.

“Savage, huh?”

“Don’t, Ward!” she laughed. “I’ll get you back, and you won’t like it!”

“Hah!” He let her go, still laughing. “I knew the devil was still in you. Threatening me with unspecified torture!”

“Well,” she said, lying down to rest her head on his thigh as she looked up at him. “We’re all creatures of habit. Look at you—back to law enforcement after everything you’ve been through. Full circle.”

He leaned back in his pillows, looking up at the ceiling as he let his mind wander. It was true what she said—to a point. “It’s not exactly the same. I’ll have a lot more freedom, and if we get sent out to deal with folks like Nevkin, I’ll find that a lot more rewarding than dealing with corrupt judges and department politics. Besides, most of the time we’ll be traveling or training back here, on Primus.”

“Sounds like you’re starting to like the idea.”

“Well, just like you, I’m doing it for Haley. This is going to be good for her, Grace.”

Grace smiled, stretching as she closed her eyes. In that moment, she reminded him decidedly of a cat. Before he thought about it and stopped himself, he idly stroked her soft, pale blonde hair. She murmured happily and, as far as he could tell, fell asleep. Smiling, content that if nothing else, he and Grace had truly improved their relationship, he picked up his hemograph and looked at the display again:

Recordings of this blood detected. Previous values will appear in [brackets].

Evolved human with three bloodlines:

Lycan – Prominent signs, Aetherborn – Trace signs, Dreadmarked – Manifesting signs

Bloodline Integration: Coexisting

Bloodline potential conflict analysis: Minor conflict possibility between Lycan and Aetherborn

Bloodline Tolerance Threshold: 78% - 40% Lycan, 6% Aetherborn, 32% Dreadmarked

Accumulated Mana: 766 [1201]

Mana Distribution: Natural – No allocation enchantments detected

Mana Well: Tier 5 – 71% [Tier 5 – 55%] to next tier, Enhanced regeneration from aetherborn bloodline – minor

Mana Sensitivity: Tier 5

Mana Pathways: Tier 6, 2 tiers from pathway artifact influence

Vessel Capacity: Tier 4

Vessel Durability: Tier 4 – 22% [Tier 3 - 96%] to next tier, Enhanced healing from lycan bloodline – notable, Enhanced bone density from lycan bloodline – moderate

Vessel Strength: Tier 4 – 33% [Tier 4 – 6%] to next tier, Enhanced physical power from lycan bloodline – notable

Vessel Speed: Tier 4 – 9% [Tier 3 - 83%] to next tier, Enhanced reflexes from lycan bloodline – moderate

Vessel Vitality: 85% – Tier-3 depletion rate

Anima Heart: Tier 1 – Quickening

Anima Pathways: Emerging

Anima: 100/100