The Forgotten Hero - PART THREE

IX – The End of Innocence

 
“Over here. Up here,” Elias called over his shoulder.
He stopped by a large tree trunk. Weeds and tall grass surrounded the ancient structure.
Jerrim struggled for breath when he reached the trunk, and held a hand to his bloodied side. He could feel blood seeping from the bandage, though he dared not say anything to slow them down.
“Up here,” Elias repeated, before ascending the dry bark, jumping more than climbing. Hooky swooped up after him.
Meeting Liana’s questioning look, Jerrim thought to ask her to go first, but couldn’t find the words. He found himself lost in her expectant eyes.
Liana eventually stammered, “I–ah… I’ll go.”
Jerrim sighed and shook his head when she was on her way up the tree. Their moment earlier flashed through his mind. Her green eyes continued to stare at him, so close to his face, her hair clinging to her sweaty forehead. The image had burned into his mind and now was the only thing he could see. He couldn’t help but wonder what the look had meant.
A low rumble came from overhead, followed by a patter in the leaves far above. Drops of rain found their way to the jungle floor, accompanied by a whispering wind that swept through the area.
Jerrim managed to climb the ancient tree with little issue, after learning not to overstretch his left arm or twist his body too much.
Within a cluster of thick branches, surrounded by leaves, Liana helped him up to sit on a thick tree branch next to her. Jerrim kept his grip on her hand, waiting to see when she would release her own hold, and was disappointed when she let go almost immediately.
Elias sat on branch that extended almost ninety degrees from theirs, with Hooky sitting next to him, watching the surrounding leaves with wide eyes. They sat in silence, with the sound of the rain all around them.
Another rumble above them reminded Jerrim of the last storm he had been in. One that had swept through his hometown. He shivered at the memory.
“Hooky, up,” Elias told the creature, nodding upwards. “Tell us what you see.”
Hooky appeared to consider his words, quiet with thought, before a wide grin spread across his furry face, followed by a large, determined nod. Hooky dashed into the foliage above, rustling leaves before his excited movements faded.
“So tell us,” Liana said to Elias. “Who are you really? We’ve heard of the war hero Auren Ellaison. But… who is he?
Elias regarded her a moment, before shifting his position to face them. “He was… someone I’ve been trying to forget. I was a priest of Waton, once. When I was younger. Too young to really know what it meant to worship. I left home shortly after my mother passed from an illness.” Gulping a breath, he continued. His sombre voice captivated them. “Somehow, I found myself joining a military. It seemed to be the thing to do at the time. For a long while it was all I knew. When the Shadow Wars came, I, the General Commander of the Homefront and Renegade Rangers forces, did my part. We all did what we could.”
He looked away, falling into a silence before continuing. “Among the invading armies of Nox, I was forced to battle my uncle, Banaethos, and his son, Trillas. I tried not to do what I knew I had to. But there was no other way. I killed my mother’s brother. I killed her nephew, my cousin.”
Through the darkness, glistening tears streamed down his lined, haggard face. “I told myself I would have no part in any affairs of the world after that. Restoring order to the world was little comfort after the ordeals I was forced to go through. And so I left. Everything. And this became my home.”
Jerrim studied the man’s troubled face, trying to imagine what it felt like to go through the things he spoke of.
Elias looked up at them. “As it appears… as I always feared… the past will always find you. These men… they must be remnants of the Army of Nox. Their war is not over.”
“They’re after you?” Liana asked.
“I believe so,” Elias responded with a deep frown.
Jerrim looked between them, coming to his own conclusion. “But you’re a super war hero,” he told the old man. “From what we’ve seen you could easily take on a whole army on your own, let alone a small group of leftover soldiers.”
“And what makes you believe they are a small group?” Elias shot back. “We could be witnessing the rise of an even larger Army of Nox, and we’ve just encountered their scout party. We can’t presume to know anything about them.”
“But the things you can do…” Jerrim began, at a loss for words.
Elias gave him a severe look. “I do what I can to protect the people I care for. The people that can’t fight for themselves.”
Jerrim nodded. He realised that he understood what Elias was saying, even before the old man clarified. Jerrim had always felt that being the strongest and the smartest also meant being the best. A week ago he wouldn’t have seen the point at being the best at something if it meant hiding that fact away. He would have prided himself and boasted for all those to hear that he was the best. But Elias’s views had contradicted all of that. Someone so strong, but so humble…
“You are a Xylophite, is that correct?” Elias asked him.
“I… well, my grandparents worshipped Xylophia, sure. But I never–”
“Then we are at an advantage. Xylophia is strongest in nature, particularly in the company of her followers.”
Jerrim frowned. The old man sounded like his grandpa.
“Her blessings will give us strength, I am sure of this,” Elias added. He looked around them and then to the leaves above. “Hooky has taken too long. I will check on him. Think on what I have said.” With that he planted his feet on the branch and shot up, disappearing in the roof of leaves.
In the silence that followed, the rain strengthened and the wind howled around the two teenagers.
Jerrim sensed Liana shiver beside him. A raindrop splashed on her shoulder and she shook with more movement.
Though he kept his eyes away from her, Jerrim felt her shift closer.
“It’s so cold,” she said. Her throaty voice sounded different. Forced, or unsure.
Her bare thigh touched his hand resting on the branch. He froze, keeping their skin touching. Did she know he could feel her leg?
Liana leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. Jerrim’s heart raced and his stomach twisted into knots. He didn’t know what to do, or what to say. Her stringy hair smelt like damp, although there was a sweetness to it.
Slowly, Liana raised her head, and Jerrim found the courage to meet her eyes. Her dazzling emeralds took hold of him. Before he knew what was happening, her face moved closer, as did his, and their lips touched.
Slowly at first, with apprehension, and then more forceful as their emotions took over.
Liana pulled back, gaging his response. Heavy breath left her parted lips. Jerrim was at a loss to convey any emotion other than stunned excitement.
In an instant, they were kissing again, more passionately and without holding back. Jerrim gripped her waist and pulled their bodies closer.
A rustle from above signalled the return of Elias, and they released each other with such force that they almost fell off the branch.
“We head north,” he told them, seemingly unaware of what he had interrupted.
A second later, Hooky appeared, humming and yapping as he hopped on the branch energetically.
Reaching into his satchel, Elias brought out two square blocks of metal, and handed them one each.
“If anyone gets too close, throw them at the enemy,” he told them.
The grey and black cube felt heavy in Jerrim’s hand. He couldn’t see any openings or buttons on the device, and wondered what throwing it would cause. Liana frowned thoughtfully at the silver and black cube in her hand, likely wondering the same thing.
They descended the tree, carefully moving from branch to branch, while Elias jumped the distance and Hooky flew down.
Jerrim was last to reach the ground, and was the last to realise they were not alone.
He wondered why his companions weren’t moving, especially with the rain hitting them, and then noticed the unusual shadows within the darkness of the jungle.
Soldiers slowly closed in, rifles and staffs raised. Jerrim counted eight of them, though there could have been more. Some held staffs with balls of orange light glowing from the tops, casting the area in a murky light. They must have been waiting for them all along.
Two of the Umbrai soldiers parted to reveal a stout figure, spiked shoulder guards over his powerful frame, and two wide swords crossed over his broad back. His horned helmet and spiked gauntlets added to his monstrous silhouette in the dim light.
Elias took a measured step forward, putting himself between them and the newcomer. Hooky looked out from behind Elias’s leg with hooded eyes, a low growl rumbling through him.
The stout figure raised his helmets face guard to reveal a sallow face with blistered skin that stretched over a skeletal frame, lines of scars running along his left side and nose.
“At last, we meet again, Auren Elliason.” His grating voice was raspy and pained.
“Tokks,” Elias murmured, his own voice strained. “How is this possible?”
Jerrim could feel the old man tense beside him. He thought of holding Liana’s hand for comfort, but decided that would not be received well.
“All things are possible with Nox,” the skeletal man said. After a pause, he added, “We have unfinished business, Ellaison.”
They stood in silence, the rain strengthening around them.
“Aye,” Elias grumbled, a great sadness in his voice. “I imagine we do.”
“Just us two,” the man named Tokks declared, taking a step forward.
Elias nodded. With a flash of light, he shot towards the Umbrai leader. When they collided, an aftershock of energy lit the area briefly.
From what Jerrim could determine, Tokks had drawn his two giant swords before Elias met him, and the two clashed with great sparks and bursts of light in a blur of movement. Waves of energy surged from them, shaking the trees.
Soldiers closed in on the two fighters, firing shots which glanced off the bursts of energy.
Movement came from their side, and Jerrim turned to see a soldier almost upon them.
Liana spun and her hand jerked upwards, throwing out her metal cube.
An electrical blue light sprayed out and encompassed the soldier. The tendrils of light buzzed and rotated, growing to hide him from view. Seconds later, the energy dissipated and the ball of light withdrew. When their vision readjusted to the darkness, they saw that the soldier had disappeared.
Liana looked to Jerrim, but he had no answers for her.
Flashes of light and sparks of energy continued to fluctuate from Elias and his foe.
Another soldier dropped from a nearby tree and raised his staff at Liana. She countered the blow with her spanner-blade, almost losing her footing, before stepping aside for an attack of her own.
Jerrim’s cube was in his hand, but he dared not throw the object so close to Liana. He tightened his grip on the baton in his other hand, and waited for an opportunity to help her.
Hooky’s cries echoed through the forest as he flew around in agitation.
Liana ducked under the swinging staff, and shot up with a vertical strike, connecting the blade with the soldier’s chin, almost knocking his helmet off. He staggered back a few steps, before preparing another attack.
Jerrim moved on the spot, trying to join in but not finding an opening. He raised his baton in anticipation.
With a desperate swing that carried all her weight behind it, Liana managed to knock the staff out of the soldier’s hands. Thick gloves grabbed her before she could move away. The soldier brought her up higher before throwing her to the ground. Liana’s scream was cut short when the impact took her breath away.
Ignoring the girl, the soldier stepped to Jerrim. Calling out, Jerrim charged forward. He knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against the soldier with his baton, and threw the cube Elias had given him.
The block hit the soldier’s chest, and a thick gummy substance burst out. The paste spread out and covered the soldier, growing and overflowing.
Liana kicked back and managed to clear the growing paste that dripped to the ground.
Soon the soldier was covered in the thick glue, becoming still as a statue.
Sparing a look to Elias, Jerrim saw that he still battled the Umbrai leader, along with five other soldiers. Bodies spread out around the remaining fighters. He marvelled at the agility and power radiating from their saviour; a stark contrast from the calm old man he had been with them.
Hooky’s cries were louder than ever, and carried a pained moan, but he could not be seen now.
Liana brought herself up onto an elbow, panting heavily. Jerrim bent and helped her up, curling an arm around her waist. His other hand took hers, and they stood a moment, holding each other, before a ball of red energy shot past their heads.
Another guard ran to them, firing his rifle. Jerrim and Lianna dove away to clear the barrage of red energy that burned the undergrowth behind them.
Gathering her feet, Liana lunged at the approaching soldier and struck the rifle with her spanner-blade. The soldier reeled back but managed to keep his hold on the weapon.
The rifle swung back and knocked her across the shoulder, sending her to the ground. The spanner-blade came free and flew into a thick bush.
A rage pushed Jerrim forward as the soldier lowered the rifle to Liana. He ran full bodied into the armoured man, knocking them both to the ground in a rolling heap.
A shock of pain exploded from Jerrim’s damaged side, though he endured and hammered the soldier’s chest and helmet with his baton as hard as he could. Flashes of Liana’s bloodied cheek and her being struck and thrown around came across Jerrim’s view, giving his blows strength. He cried out now as he rained down blow after blow.
The soldier found an opening and pushed free from Jerrim’s attacks, rolling to his feet with the rifle still in hand. Breathless, Jerrim turned to face the rifle, freezing a second before he scrambled to his feet. Ducking from an inevitable shot, Jerrim set off into the bushes.
He saw the flash of red light an instant before a hot energy tore into the back of his shoulder, burning him to the bone. Jerrim staggered and fell to a knee, fighting through the burning pain, before finding the will to rise. Turning, he faced the soldier, breathless and defeated, knowing that running would do no good, even if he still could run. He kept his eyes open and awaited his fate as the soldier raised his rifle.
Another burst of heat splashed over his chest, ripping into him. Fire burned through him, like lava seeping into his body, and his breath left him. The heavy rain battered him and stung his wounds.
Liana’s screams rang through the air, but sounds had faded for Jerrim. The world shifted and his vision blurred, his senses numbing.
On his knees, Jerrim saw the wavering form of the soldier aim his rifle at him again.
A pillar of light crashed down from the roof of leaves. The soldier dissolved instantly, crispy wisps of his remains dispersing in the wind, before the pillar disappeared.
The dull sounds of Hooky’s cries gained strength and momentum. Now the monkey-creature was flying in tight circles, clawing at himself.  
Jerrim realised Liana was by his side, tears streaming down her dirty and bloodied face. But he could not feel her embrace.
Over her shoulder, the forest brightened, somehow. A golden glow was spreading through the trees.
Through his blurred vision, Jerrim found the source of the golden light; the satchel slung across Elias. The old man was surrounded by soldiers at that moment, more than had been seen before. Elias threw the satchel down, the glowing light burning a hole through the fabric.
The world darkened for Jerrim, an overwhelming urge to sleep taking over him. He slumped, and Liana brought him down to lie on his back. Twinges of pain shot through his burned back, but his senses were leaving him.  
A thunderous roar ripped through the air, shaking the trees with a deafening force.
The sound jerked Jerrim’s head up, his curiosity giving him new life.
Hooky flew into the air, a golden glow radiating from him. The monkey-creature held his arms out, embracing the light that came down onto him.
Liana kept her back to it all, her wide, shivering eyes focused on Jerrim’s condition. Wind whipped her hair wildly around, but she ignored it all.
Over her shoulder, Jerrim saw Hooky’s form grow with the strengthening light. Wailing wind spun around him, enveloping him in a maelstrom of golden light. The creature’s shape contorted as it grew, twisting and bulging. Within the light came the form of a dark figure, which continued to grow and fill the air above them. Trees bent away from the growing form, its presence distorting the jungle’s structure. Flowing robes wavered from the newly formed shadowy figure, and a tall crown of sharp spikes spread over the featureless head. Its lower half remained within the glowing light.  
Jerrim’s weak breaths quickened as he recognised the figure, having seen him depicted in books and spoken of in the old tales. The God of War, Nuneus himself, was before them. The air burned and a throbbing vibration filled the world.
The scene faded as Jerrim’s strength waned. He closed his eyes, hearing sounds of crashing trees and rifle fire.  
“No!” Liana cried out, pulling him closer. “Jerrim. Stay with me.”
Her rain soaked hair wavered and bordered her tortured face. Jerrim tried to speak, but couldn’t. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright. That she shouldn’t cry for him. That he loved her more than anything.
Beams of devastating dark energy shot out from the great god’s hands. Trees splintered and screams ignited the night air. Dozens of soldiers disintegrated as the black beams moved through the jungle.
Liana gulped a strained breath, fighting through the tears as Jerrim’s head slumped back. “No, no, no. Jerrim!”
A hazy fog muddled his vision, but he focused on her voice. Her emerald eyes sparkled through the growing mist, lighting the darkness with a green, holy glow.
Liana sniffed and choked back the tears. “I love you.”
The world darkened into nothing. 

X - The New World

 
Liana shook with an uncontrollable sorrow. She held Jerrim’s lifeless body to her, crying furiously in the rain.
Pulling him closer, she willed his arms to hold her, for his head to come up and look at her with his cheeky smile. To tell her he was fine. That he felt the same way as her. That they could go home now, together.
“Auren Ellaison,” came a booming voice that rattled Liana’s ears.
Her temple throbbed and specks of blood dripped onto Jerrim, washing over his shirt in the falling rain. Wiping her nose with a palm, she saw smears of blood on her hand. Turning, she finally saw the scene before her.
Elias’s coat whipped around him as he stood facing the giant shadow figure, which hovered within a golden light that lit the jungle. Dozens of mutilated bodies lay around them.
“Nuneus,” Elias called over the rain and the wind. “How is this so?”
“Our mutual friend, Hooky,” began the thundering voice. “He proved a viable vessel for me to accompany you in your reclusive life. I thank you for finally revealing my Chaeolite.” Nuneus raised a hand, and the glowing Chaeolite gem flew from the burning satchel into his waiting palm.
“That is what you wanted?” Elias asked, shaking his head in confusion. “Why you took possession of a woodland creature?”
“One of the reasons,” Nuneus told him. “One of many.”
Each of his words pulsated through Liana, and she trembled at the overpowering presence.
“I did enjoy watching you,” the god continued. “The Saviour of Eclauria. The great hero, Auren Ellaison. A creature more pathetic than the one I possessed. War is prevalent, whether you choose to ignore it or not, saviour. And I intend on witnessing the first battles of the next great war. My war.”
“So you will kill me.”
“No. That is not your fate.” Nuneus’s featureless head turned towards Liana, and she felt a great wave of power crash over her. “You were good to me. To that creature, Hooky. You both were. I will enjoy watching good people like you suffer.”
The wind gathered strength and trees wavered with the hazy energy that gathered around the god.
“I will see you both again,” Nuneus declared, before he was swept up within the glowing mist and vanished, leaving wisps of vapour in the air.
The rain stopped almost immediately, leaving a few remaining drops from the leaves above.
Liana could make no sense of any of it. Her mind was numb, exhaustion overpowering her. She still held Jerrim, his torso resting on her knees. Tears fell again as she looked upon his lifeless face.
Leaves crunched behind her. Elias was by her side. He stood in silence, though Liana did not care for him. Nothing mattered anymore.
Oh Jerrim. The words left her mouth in a pained moan. Or maybe she thought them. She played with his hair and ran a hand along his muddied face, not knowing what to do, just wanting to touch him.
“I am sorry,” Elias whispered.
Liana wiped her eyes and looked up at him.
Elias shook his head. His eyes were red. “I did not want any of this to happen.”
Liana wept again, returning to Jerrim.
After a moment, Elias spoke again. “We have to go, Liana.”
“I’m not leaving him,” she said, her voice shaking with defiance.
“He belongs to Xylophia now. He is not for us any longer. I will bury him, and leave him for nature.”
Liana tried to focus and understand his words. Stifling her sobs, she said, “I’ll bury him.”
It didn’t take them long to find a suitable patch of earth by an ancient looking tree. They both dug the grave in silence. Liana’s hands were numb and bloodied by the end of it, and she saw that Elias showed signs of fatigue also; the first time she had viewed him as a frail, old man. The battle with the soldiers must have taken a great toll on him.
When she asked him what had happened with the soldiers and that giant being in the air, Elias told her it was not important, and that he would explain another time.
Standing over the empty grave–trying not to look at Jerrim’s lifeless body beside it–Liana stretched her aching back, and noticed the first signs of the approaching dawn through the trees. It had been a very long night.
Sometime later, she and Elias stood over the burial mound of her closest friend. She had stopped crying up to this point, having found an anger and a determination take over her, but now, looking at the bulging earth, she wept uncontrollably. Elias laid an arm over her shoulder, and she buried her head in his chest.
A succession of bird calls brought her back to the jungle, and their situation returned to her.
“He loved you very much,” Elias told her in a soothing voice.
Looking up at him, Liana wiped her eyes and rubbed her nose, attempting to compose herself. “He never said anything. We hardly even knew each other.”
“But it was clear. I saw from the start. You must have known. The way he looked at you. His thoughts and hopes behind his eyes. His jokes.”
“I…” Liana shook her head. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it until… until recently. Until it was too late.” She stifled a whimper.
“You both knew how you felt about the other. Whether it was spoken with words or with your hearts.”
Liana nodded, holding back more tears. She rested her head against his chest again, exhaustion overpowering her.
They stood in silence for a while.
“It is time,” Elias finally told her.
She nodded again, keeping her eyes on Jerrim’s grave. She tried to imagine her life going forward without him. Without his smile and his jokes, and him looking out for her. He worried about her so much. Her thoughts went to a dark place, and she snapped herself back to the present.
With an endless stream of thoughts and goodbyes in her head, she had no further words to speak out loud as they left the resting place of Jerrim Lightrun.

***

They traversed the jungle in silence, the dawn strengthening around them.
Liana tried not to delve into her head too much, and told herself it was best to concentrate on leaving the island first.
Elias did not look at her, not once. She understood that he was giving her time to grieve.
Pushing their way through a thick bush of tall leaves, they came to the edge of a grassy cliff, and Liana saw the shores of the Jungle of Ari once again. The gleaming blue-green ocean of the Mare covered the world for as far as they could see, fading into a misty haze over the horizon.
The biting wind whipped at their clothes as they surveyed the area. A few hundred feet below, the trees and grass gave way to sharp rocks that stretched into the waters, with some patches of coarse sand and stones.
“To the north, along the beach, is a boat,” Elias said as he studied the horizon.
 “What will we do now?” Liana asked, her voice hoarse after not speaking for some time.
“I must return to the world,” he told her. “It was a mistake for me to try to hide for so long. The remnants of the Army of Nox have revealed themselves, and the world is no longer safe. Nuneus, the God of War, is planning something, and I must discover what that is.”
“And… what will I do?”
Elias’s cold grey eyes met hers. His lined face glistened with sweat, trying to hide a pained grimace which Liana saw. “You are a part of this now. Nuneus has marked you as my companion. I’m sorry; you cannot return to your home. Not while this threat is over Eclauria.” 
Liana remained silent, taking in his words. She knew he was right, and a part of her knew that she would not be going home. Maybe not ever. She eventually nodded to him, too weak to give any further words.
Making their way down a hill of patchy grass and thin trees, their steps sunk into the soft wet mud of the jungle floor. Rain drops still fell from the glistening leaves. A moist, sweet smell carried in the wind that reminded Liana of wet grass, and a park back in her homeland.
The jungle had come alive with the sounds of insects and birds singing their endless songs. Through a cluster of trees, Liana thought she saw a flash of blue and yellow. In another blink of an eye, a large bird hovered ahead of her. She instantly recognised it as the bird she had seen the other day, which she had mistaken for Iselda’s Spyra Fyre. The patch coloured bird fluttered its near-invisible wings, darting here and there in flashes. She had forgotten the name that Elias had given it before.
Another fluttering sound came from behind her, and over her shoulder flew a second bird. It cawed and chirped as it met the first bird, and they turned to face Liana, darting back and forth. She stopped and looked upon them both.
The moment overwhelmed Liana, and she almost cried again. She saw the great bird as Iselda’s favoured pet, rather than the simple jungle bird that Elias had said it was. And now there were two before her, regarding her. What did it mean? A part of her thought of Jerrim, and his family’s god, Xylophia. Seeing a symbol of Iselda, with the feeling of Xylophia, brought a smile to Liana, along with fresh tears. She knew that Jerrim was still with her. That he would always be a part of her. And the thought brought a smile to her sad face.
In an instant, the two birds flew into the sky and disappeared over the tree tops.
Liana walked on, still smiling, though her eyes were sorrowful.
They soon came to the rocky beach, and Elias turned them along the shore to a group of tall rocks further away.
Liana closed her eyes a moment, embracing the warmth of the rising sun, attempting to gather strength from it.
Something large hit the ground ahead of them, sending out a storm of rocks and dirt in its wake.
When the dust cleared, the battered form of a soldier rose up and looked upon them. Liana recognised him as the leader of the group. Tokks, Elias had called him. His heavy armour was mostly missing, revealing tattered rags underneath, and what armour was left was dented and torn. His mangled and scarred skeletal head was bare in the morning light.
“I told you,” he rasped, looking to Elias. “We have unfinished business. Nox will not allow me stop until you are destroyed, Ellaison.”  
“Then I will release you from his hold,” Elias said in a defiant voice, which shook with emotion.
A raging energy burst over his fists, giving him the appearance of wearing gauntlets made of light.
A smile rose up Tokks’s broken face, before Elias charged at him.
They clashed with a detonation that pushed Liana back, sending shockwaves and sparks of unstable energy that burned where they landed.
Through the bursts of energy and debris that surrounded them, Liana saw them trading magical blows, blocking and countering in quick succession.
When Elias knocked Tokks back a few steps, the mangled soldier threw an arm to the sky, and brought down a column of lighting that channelled into him. Tendrils of electricity undulated over him. He threw his arm forward, and a beam of red and blue lightning shot towards Elias. The old man crossed his forearms over his chest, likely holding a defensive spell, but the magical lightning crashed into him and sent him soaring into the air, and landing on a high rock jutting out over the shore.
Liana froze when Tokks’s two-toned eyes locked onto her. A crooked grin spread on his hideous face.
She looked to Elias, although he showed no signs of movement.
Vines of red energy spun around Tokks’s hands as he stepped towards her.
“The master is gone,” he said in his strained and croaky voice. “Now for the apprentice.”
Liana cursed herself for not keeping hold of her spanner-blade, even if she knew that it would do little good against this foe.
She stepped back, her heart racing, as Tokks approached her.
Her foot caught on a rock and she fell back, but she continued moving, pushing back with her hands and feet. Tokks closed in on her.
The morning light shifted, as though the sun had flickered. Turning to the rising sun, Liana shielded her eyes and saw–or thought she saw–that it was growing.
The blinding orb’s rays strengthened and grew into a brilliant glow that whitewashed the world.
Somehow, it looked as though the sun was moving towards them. When Liana realised that wasn’t possible, she looked again and saw a dark smudge within the sphere that was shooting towards the beach.
It wasn’t the sun. It was Elias. Auren Ellaison. The Saviour of Eclauria.
Tokks planted his feet and channelled blazing tendrils of red energy around him, prepared to meet his foe. 
Liana realised she was too close to him, and turned and ran down the beach as fast as her tired legs would let her.
The immense ball of light crashed onto the beach, sending out a powerful shockwave that threw Liana to the ground. She hugged the sandy rocks as the blast blew over her, like a hurricane passing by.
When the wind subsided, she remained frozen a moment, her muscles tense, before she rose up onto shaky legs.
In the distance she saw Elias standing over the tattered remains of Tokks. The rocks around them were charred and still smoked from the devastation.
She approached them, seeing Elias’s shoulders were heaving with exhaustion. Relief washed over her when she focused on Tokks and saw that he showed no signs of breathing. Elias panted heavily, his eyes still on his fallen enemy.
Liana turned to Elias to say something.
Suddenly Tokks gasped and spluttered blood, his chest heaving and gasping for air. His blood-shot eyes bulged and darted all around, taking in the scene. When they fixed on Elias, he grinned, showing blood-stained teeth.
“Im–impressive…” he rasped, barely a whisper. “It means nothing, however. I will find you again, Ellaison.” He coughed and spluttered more blood, gasping for breath. “This is not… over.” His head fell back and his eyes rolled back.
His chest stopped moving, but that gave Liana little comfort. Surely he must be dead now, she thought. She hoped.
Elias stepped closer to her. “Are you hurt?”
Liana shook her head, wrapping her arms around her. “I’m fine. Is he…?”
“Sorcery holds him together, somehow,” Elias said gravely. “We have not seen the last of him.”
Liana shivered and held herself tighter. “Can we please get away from this place now?”
Elias nodded absently, still watching Tokks’s remains, deep in thought.
He snapped out of whatever trance held him, and looked to her. “Aye. Let us leave.”
The sun had fully risen and held the world in its warm embrace by the time they reached the boat Elias had spoken of.
The sturdy looking wooden boat was partially hidden by a cluster of tall rocks, moored in the shallow waters by a thick rope. Elias pulled the bobbing craft closer to them, gesturing for Liana to embark.
She turned to survey the great Jungle of Ari one last time, and knew that she would remember the image for the rest of her life. She whispered a prayer for Jerrim, and then smiled to herself. She hadn’t said a prayer in years. This time, somehow, she knew that someone was listening.
She climbed into the boat, and Elias untethered it and pushed the craft further in the waters, before jumping in himself.
He brought up two wooden oars and placed them in their holds on the edges of the boat, and guided the craft into the vast ocean.
“Do you have a plan?” Liana asked. She sat behind Elias, hugging her knees and keeping her back to the jungle island, not wanting to look back.
“Not yet,” came his sombre voice over his shoulder. “But we have a long journey ahead to think of one.”
The soft roar of the wind over the ocean and the splashing of the oars were the only sounds that followed.
Liana laid her head against the back of the boat, looking up at the cloudy sky, and tried to imagine what her life would be like now. What was in store for her, and her companion, the Saviour of Eclauria.
The events of the last few days washed over her in a numb haze, forcing all thoughts to fade away. 
She closed her eyes, and saw Jerrim.
The endless sea stretched out on all sides as the tiny brown speck crossed its serene waters.
 

The End.