Page 64 of Of Empires and Dust

Tivar gave Chora a brittle smile, tears once more welling in her eyes. “And yet, these are two things I must ask. The first is that you do not make the same mistakes The Order did. Do not allow our people to become instruments of war sent at the behest of kings and queens who care little for the blood-cost of their greed.”

“And the second?” Aeson asked.

Tivar drew a long breath in through her nose, rolling her shoulders and straightening her back. “It is a simple thing. Take Avandeer’s life first, quickly and as painlessly as you can. I would not have her live a single moment where she does not know the touch of my mind. That pain is mine to hold, no matter how brief. I would save her from it if I could.”

Tivar’s words carved a hollow in Calen’s chest. Valerys’s mind pulled his closer, wrapping around him. He could see by the dumbfounded expression on Aeson’s face that he, too, had not expected that request.

“Tivar… I…”

Tivar jerked forwards, her chains pulling at her. “Aeson, I need you to promise me on your honour. If I could go back, I would, but Ican’t. Please, let me take her pain. Do me that kindness. I know I don’t deserve it, but she does.”

“This is madness.” Calen looked around at those gathered, incredulous. “How many of us are left in the world? How many dragons?”

“There have to be consequences, Calen,” Chora said.

“This continent has been at war for four hundred years.” Calen opened his arms wide, pleading. “All our legends, all our histories are of death and blood and darkness. After The Fall, the empire almost wiped us from existence. You all know that better than I, and yet here we are talking of taking one more dragon from the world.” He slowed his voice. “We are doing their work for them. We are murdering each other. Tivar and Avandeer saved us. They risked their lives to protect ours. What good to the world is one more dead dragon, one more dead Draleid? One more of our kind in the ground?”

“What would you have us do, Calen?” Aeson turned to face Calen. There was no anger or fury or hatred in his eyes, only agony. For the first time, Calen saw the true struggle in Aeson, the conflict. “What is your solution?”

Calen looked to Tivar, his decision made. “Would you fight by my side?”

“What?” Disbelief painted Harken’s voice. “You cannot be serious.”

“Would you fight by my side?” Calen repeated to Tivar, ignoring the others’ stares.

“I…”

“It was you who told me we should be guardians. You who made me understandwhyI am here, made me understand what I am. You do not deserve forgiveness for what you did, but that does not unburden you of your obligation to your brothers and your sisters and to every soul you shattered and every life you destroyed.” As Calen spoke, he looked around at the others. “Death is the easy way out. Death is not a consequence. It is an escape.” Calen looked back to Tivar. “I would not have you die,Tivar Savinír. I would have you wake every day and look your brothers and sisters in the eyes, knowing what you did, bearing that weight. I would have you face the results of your treachery with every sunrise. And I would have you give every drop of blood in your veins to bring the empire to its knees. So I ask you, will you fight by my side? Will you swear to protect your brothers and sisters, by the light of Varyn? Will you stand against the darkness you helped forge? On your honour, on your very soul, do you swear it?”

A moment passed where Calen thought he might hear objections from those around him, but none came.

Tivar dropped to one knee with athumpand brought a hand to her chest. Above her, Avandeer dropped low, bowing her head.

“I swear by The Father to give my life protecting the kin I betrayed. I swear by The Mother that I will walk openly into her embrace to save the lives of others. I swear by The Warrior to stand by your side no matter the odds. I swear by The Maiden to be both your shield and your sword. I swear by The Sailor to be your anchor in the darkest seas. And I swear by The Smith to forge you into the greatest Draleid that ever walked this earth.” Tivar held Calen’s gaze for a moment, then looked around at the others. Tears rolled from dark and bloodshot eyes. “I swear these things so long as your heart remains true. If you want me dead, I will stretch my neck out for you. But if you allow me to fight, I will bring fire and fury on Fane Mortem the likes of which he has never known. Please, let me give you my dying breath. It is the only thing I have left worth giving.”

For a moment, nobody spoke, until one of the Rakina, an elf by the name of Danveer shook his head. “She deserves a noose. I say no.”

“As do I.” Chora rested her hands on her lap, using threads of Air to move the wheels of her chair until she was next to Calen,eyes level with Tivar’s. “I cannot forgive what you did. I wish I was better, but I’m not. My vote is death.”

“I say life.” The sound of Aeson’s voice speaking those words took Calen by surprise. The man dropped to one knee before Tivar, drawing more than a few looks from the others.

Aeson cupped Tivar’s cheeks in his hands and stared into her eyes. “You turned your back on us when we needed you most, and it cost us everything.” A tremble set into his voice. “I can never forgive you. I need you to know that. But I can allow you to spend the rest of your days trying to earn a semblance of your honour back and to die knowing that in the end you did something worthwhile.”

Tivar nodded softly, the muscles in her jaw clenching.

“If you even think of betraying us a second time, I will drive the blade into your heart myself.” Aeson rose and moved to stand beside Calen.

“Thank you,” Calen whispered.

“I did it because you were right, we can’t keep killing each other. A line must be drawn, and we must be the ones to draw it.”

One by one, the other Rakina stepped forwards until all had cast their vote. Of the twenty-six who resided in Aravell, fourteen had chosen death, twelve life. With Aeson and Calen’s votes, that left fourteen a piece.

Atara and Thacia were amongst those who had chosen life, while Harken stood to Chora’s left, guilt etched into his face.

“There are two more,” Harken said, folding his arms. “Coren Valmar and Farwen Ethylion.”

“So there are.” Aeson let out a long sigh, staring down at Tivar, who still knelt before him. “What say you, Chora?”

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