The Six

Chapter Twenty Four- Worries

The group were sat in a circle inside a cottage in the village at the border. After convincing Raus to join them his father had no choice but to let him go, it had been easier to convince him once Kimi had described herself as his personal guard.

She hadn't been able to contain her glee at joining in their 'adventure'- as she called it- a big grin filling her face with glee for a moment until she remembered she was supposed to be acting seriously.

That same evening, they headed out on horseback back towards the village they had first passed through at the border. The considerable faster mode of transport meaning they could arrive by very next day.

They were currently taking refuge from the thousand-man army that was stood to attention at the border. Going over their plan of how to stop the Empress- and then escape.

"This is ridiculous." Atu sighed "we can't plan for every single outcome because we don't know how this is going to play out."

"He's right, it would be foolish of us to try and guess what the Empress is cable of now." Orlan agreed.

Iasa rolled her eyes, leaning back into her chair as she looked at the few people who were actually trained to fight. "I think it is pretty obvious she wants us all dead."

Eboni smiled softly as she watched Bren leaned over to Iasa and squeezed her hand soothingly as the group fell silent.

"One of us is going to die, the prophecy does say so." Raus said, breaking the silence.

Eboni stilled, recounting the prophecy in her mind. Her heart stopping as she went over the last few lines.

"Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Spirit. One will fall- I don't know how I could have missed that!" She choked out as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Kas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his embrace calming her erratic heart.

"Until a few days ago we thought Darkness meant the Dark Ones, not Bren. But yes, the Prophecy does say 'fall' though, not death. I don't think we should read too much into it." Atu said matter of factly as he assessed the situation.

Iasa scoffed "Fall- of course that means death. The world isn't going to end if one of us trips and falls over a rock. It will end if one of us dies."

"We won't die, not if we stick to our plans. Once we are on the boat and heading to the Barren Land we will restrategise. Right now, we only think about what could occur once we step over the boundary and accuse the Empress." Eboni said brushing the tear from her face as her voice hardened with determination.

"Can we go over the plan one last time before bed?" Kimi asked, nervously picking at the hem of her tunic.

Atu nodded. "So long as we stay with our partners and remember our jobs there should be no surprises we can't handle. We play to our strengths, leave the fighting and distractions to Eboni and Kas, they are out strongest wielders. Iasa and Orlan create the distraction for Raus and Kimi while Bren and I go after the Empress. Any questions?"

Eboni had insisted the group sleep in the village for one last night to try and build up as much energy as possible so they would be ready for whatever came their way.

The villagers were more than welcoming, giving them a large cottage to stay in as well as sending all their willing and able fighters to go and help Jolon round up the others.

Everyone was soon saying their goodnights and heading to their beds. Eboni and Kas were the last ones still up, huddled by the fire sharing a warm and comforting silence.

She felt Kas pick up a strand of her hair, running it through his fingers absent mindedly. She was glad her cheeks were red from the fire so he would not be able to see her blush.

They had been paired together to watch one another's back. Turning to look at him, he smiled as their gazes met.

"Tomorrow, know that I will protect you with my life." He said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Eboni frowned, realising that he had misunderstood her saddened gaze.

She shook her head. Taking his hand, she grasped it tightly. "I don't know how that would work, when I intend to protect you with mine. You have a family that need you, a brother, little niece, a fiancé." She said, shocked at how much the word fiancé hurt her to say.

What did that mean? She didn't think she loved him, though the thought had never seemed possible. Sisters of God's land never fell in love and married. They were devoted to their faith and that was all. She cared for him, of course- they were destined to meet and fight beside one another. But she also cared for the others in the group, even Raus and Kimi even thought she had only met them yesterday.

To say she felt good in Kas's presence would be an understatement. He always made her happy. Was that love?

She drew her hand back from his as he sat staring at her in silence.

"Goodnight Kas." She said, pulling herself up from the floor and turning towards the room that held her bed.

"I am not engaged. I don't know who- or why- they told you- but you must believe me. Eboni, please. I am not." He jumped up after.

"I do not see why Isi would lie? She said, now confused. "But no matter, you are still the one who needs to return to his land, to his family."

She watched as anger briefly flashed through his eyes.

"And you do not have a land? What of Bren?" His tone was short, angry.

"Bren will be fine without me." She chuckled, choosing to ignore the sudden onset of hostility that had begun to radiate from Kas. "As for a land to return to. I don't know."

Kas remained silent, his face now devoid of any emotions. He continued to look at her, his emotionless stare making her uncomfortable- and sad.

She looked away. "Goodnight Kas. We have a long day ahead of us when we wake." She walked towards her bedroom, ignoring the questioning thoughts floating through her mind about Kas and the tingling sensations on her skin where he had touched her. She didn't have time to think about such trivial emotions- Though she knew sleep would not come easily to her this night.

The haunting screams of her Brother and Sisters, the broken bodies of her enemies and the dark void that awaited them all if they failed on this journey flowed through her mind as she shut her eyes each night. She constantly reminded herself that there would be more death to come, that she would have to use her powers to end lives. But what kind of life was one that was filled with Darkness?

Surely by ending their lives she would not only be freeing them from the Darkness, but also freeing the world from the iron fist that it would become if she- if they- did not end those responsible for the plague threatening to consume them all.

Once this was all over she could return to her old life, of libraries and rituals. But that stagnant life felt so dull to her now. Bren would no doubt continue to travel, he had been freed from the invisible shackles of tradition and protection that had bound him to God's Land. Iasa would return home to her castle, Raus and Kimi would return to Cerina and Kas and Atu would go home to their own people. She would have to go home.

Was there even still a God's Land to go back to? They had fled from the carnage and not looked back. The plan was to goad the Dark Ones towards the Barren Lands where they could create a terrain that suited them tactically. Jolon would be heading the Army from Cerina and he had said that they would stop off at Rolezal and inform the King of what had been decided. Perhaps the Brothers and Sisters would hear of the amassing army and join them for the fight?

The King would have no doubt returned to his home to await news of his daughter, so would be ready at a moment's notice to join them on the battle field. If the army of Admari chose not to fight along with them then the Army of Rolezal still gave them a fighting chance at winning this war.

With the comforting reasoning putting her fears at bay for the moment she drifted off into a chaos filled sleep.