because of that man in the reflection…that pretender…that hideous delusion…that monster that I cannot stop…
Two long, dark hands touched him and called him back.
Two willowy, dark arms wrapped around his shoulders and calmed his grief.
“Peace, Drakis,” Urulani said in soothing tones. “Peace.”
“Peace? What peace?” Drakis shuddered under her hands. “She’s gone!”
“Yes, she is gone,” Urulani said softly. “I saw her go. I was there.”
“I wasn’t there. I
should
have been there! If I had been there…” Drakis’ voice trailed off then he continued. “She’s gone, Urulani. Where did she go?”
“Home, Drakis,” Urulani said. “In the end she said she was going home. Please believe me when I tell you that is true.”
“What home?” Drakis scoffed.
“A better home,” she said. “A home far away.”
“The gods again,” Drakis hung his head, the bitter laugh catchingin his throat. “If they do exist, then I must be their greatest amusement…their most tortured plaything.”
“Or their greatest weapon,” Urulani said. “The best blades are forged in the hottest of fires, Drakis. You know this…and the gods know you. I did not believe it before we walked among the fallen Citadels but I know it now.”
“Don’t you see? Don’t you understand?” Drakis shuddered again, gritting his teeth as he fought for control. “This isn’t
me
. I’m not the man everyone wants me to be—some champion of the gods who will fix everything that has gone wrong in their lives. I can’t even fix what’s wrong in my
own
life! And the gods are only laughing, Urulani…at their joke of a hero.”
Urulani pulled him up by his shoulders, setting him to kneel upright. Then, leaving her steadying hand on one shoulder, she moved around him. She crouched down in front of him, taking his face in both her elegant, long hands and lifting his chin so that he looked into her dark eyes.
“Listen to me, Drakis,” Urulani said, her gaze locked with his. “Whoever you believe yourself to be—this legendary Drakis is real. Maybe he isn’t you. Maybe he is just a dream or an idea. Maybe he’s out there right now walking the Vestasian Savanna or the Northern Steppes of Chaenandria. I don’t know. All I know is that whatever and whoever the Man of the Prophecy is…the Drakis that all these people look to that they might be free again…
you
have to be him right here and right now.”
Drakis shook his head, defiance in the set of his jaw.
“I believe in Drakis,” Urulani said, her lips quivering slightly as she spoke. “And I believe in you, whoever you are. I believe the gods did send you…and in the end, Mala believed it, too.”
“One way or another…we are all going home.”
Drakis blinked, his eyes suddenly bright and focused. It suddenly had become so clear to him as though he had known it all along but had refused to see it.
Slowly, he got to his feet.
“So, the gods want a show, do they?” Drakis said, drawing in a ragged breath. His lips split into a strange grin. “Then by all means let us give them a performance to end all performances.”
Urulani gazed up at him, her large eyes narrowing. “Drakis, what do you mean?”
“I mean to give everyone the Drakis they deserve,” he replied, still grinning. “Perhaps even a good deal more. When does the War Council meet again?”
“At dusk tonight,” Urulani answered, trying to look into Drakis’ eyes as she stood. She could not fathom the sudden change in him.
“Is Soen still asking to see me?” Drakis continued.
“Yes,” Urulani nodded, folding her arms across her chest. “In fact, Ethis has been asking me all day to arrange a meeting between you and the elf.”
“Of course,” Drakis nodded. “Tell Ethis that I will meet with the Iblisi no later than noon today…in Xakzaz’s Warehouse.”
Urulani shook her head. “I’m not sure which…”
“It’s the third warehouse on the right outside Trader’s
Two long, dark hands touched him and called him back.
Two willowy, dark arms wrapped around his shoulders and calmed his grief.
“Peace, Drakis,” Urulani said in soothing tones. “Peace.”
“Peace? What peace?” Drakis shuddered under her hands. “She’s gone!”
“Yes, she is gone,” Urulani said softly. “I saw her go. I was there.”
“I wasn’t there. I
should
have been there! If I had been there…” Drakis’ voice trailed off then he continued. “She’s gone, Urulani. Where did she go?”
“Home, Drakis,” Urulani said. “In the end she said she was going home. Please believe me when I tell you that is true.”
“What home?” Drakis scoffed.
“A better home,” she said. “A home far away.”
“The gods again,” Drakis hung his head, the bitter laugh catchingin his throat. “If they do exist, then I must be their greatest amusement…their most tortured plaything.”
“Or their greatest weapon,” Urulani said. “The best blades are forged in the hottest of fires, Drakis. You know this…and the gods know you. I did not believe it before we walked among the fallen Citadels but I know it now.”
“Don’t you see? Don’t you understand?” Drakis shuddered again, gritting his teeth as he fought for control. “This isn’t
me
. I’m not the man everyone wants me to be—some champion of the gods who will fix everything that has gone wrong in their lives. I can’t even fix what’s wrong in my
own
life! And the gods are only laughing, Urulani…at their joke of a hero.”
Urulani pulled him up by his shoulders, setting him to kneel upright. Then, leaving her steadying hand on one shoulder, she moved around him. She crouched down in front of him, taking his face in both her elegant, long hands and lifting his chin so that he looked into her dark eyes.
“Listen to me, Drakis,” Urulani said, her gaze locked with his. “Whoever you believe yourself to be—this legendary Drakis is real. Maybe he isn’t you. Maybe he is just a dream or an idea. Maybe he’s out there right now walking the Vestasian Savanna or the Northern Steppes of Chaenandria. I don’t know. All I know is that whatever and whoever the Man of the Prophecy is…the Drakis that all these people look to that they might be free again…
you
have to be him right here and right now.”
Drakis shook his head, defiance in the set of his jaw.
“I believe in Drakis,” Urulani said, her lips quivering slightly as she spoke. “And I believe in you, whoever you are. I believe the gods did send you…and in the end, Mala believed it, too.”
“One way or another…we are all going home.”
Drakis blinked, his eyes suddenly bright and focused. It suddenly had become so clear to him as though he had known it all along but had refused to see it.
Slowly, he got to his feet.
“So, the gods want a show, do they?” Drakis said, drawing in a ragged breath. His lips split into a strange grin. “Then by all means let us give them a performance to end all performances.”
Urulani gazed up at him, her large eyes narrowing. “Drakis, what do you mean?”
“I mean to give everyone the Drakis they deserve,” he replied, still grinning. “Perhaps even a good deal more. When does the War Council meet again?”
“At dusk tonight,” Urulani answered, trying to look into Drakis’ eyes as she stood. She could not fathom the sudden change in him.
“Is Soen still asking to see me?” Drakis continued.
“Yes,” Urulani nodded, folding her arms across her chest. “In fact, Ethis has been asking me all day to arrange a meeting between you and the elf.”
“Of course,” Drakis nodded. “Tell Ethis that I will meet with the Iblisi no later than noon today…in Xakzaz’s Warehouse.”
Urulani shook her head. “I’m not sure which…”
“It’s the third warehouse on the right outside Trader’s
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