Walk On Mountains - Chapter Eighteen

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By the time they were ready, Marienda was feeling more like her old self. The nightmare images had subsided, with only the residual emotions remaining behind. The emotional punch she had felt from Grydin was carefully walled off, safely away from her mind, but close at hand in case she needed to dip into the maelstrom. 2

She took one glance back at the still body of Karro as she lay on the bed where they had moved her, and then nodded to Yanuia. 3

Yanuia wet her lips, placed a hand on the curtain, and then opened it quickly. She was shocked at the deftness Marienda displayed as she darted out between the two men at the door and spun around to face them. Yanuia slammed both of them in the back of their heads with energy and walked out as they fell to the ground. 4

"Main chamber," Marienda said as she started to walk down the hall to their right. She rounded the corner just in time to get a right hook to the cheek and land on the ground. She shook her head as she pushed herself up, and dove at the legs of her opponent. Isiru motioned and Marienda fell to the ground, unable to move. 5

Yanuia raised her own hand and directed all her energy and anger on the woman standing in front of her. She caught Isiru off guard, pushing her into the wall behind her and holding her there with energy. 6

"Get up," Yanuia ordered. "Keep an eye out for anyone else." 7

Marienda slowly got to her feet, annoyed at being the recipient of so many energy holds. She positioned herself at the corner, and watched for any sign of danger. She temporarily opened herself up to Grydin’s emotions, and then immediately closed the connection again. The feelings were still too raw, too animalistic for her to accept. She wondered what he was experiencing that would require him to allow his ‘evil side’ to surface, and hoped that he knew what he was doing. 8

Yanuia stood directly in front of Isiru as she stared into her eyes and placed a hand on her chest. The amulet around her neck started to glow a soft red as she began her revenge. Memories of Dorran surfaced in her, and she knew that he would not want her to do this. He was a gentle soul, who believed that everyone had some good in them, and they should be given a chance to redeem any wrong doings. 9

He had been the main voice in backing Grydin when he chose to return, and she knew that, even if Dorran had known that someday he would be killed as an indirect result, he wouldn’t have changed a thing. Her amulet changed from red to soft white as she mulled it over in her head. 10

Marienda kept a lookout at the corner, not wanting to watch someone else lose their life, even if that person was Isiru. She forced herself not to look back. This went against every thing she had been raised to believe in, and everything she had been taught. She knew she no longer belonged to that old life, but she still believed that everyone deserved the right to be judged for their sins. 11

Isiru could feel the energy slowly coming back to her body, and wondered why Yanuia wasn’t finishing her off. She took advantage of the indecision that showed on the other woman’s face, and sprung into action. Too quick for any warning, she forced herself to move as soon as the grasp loosened enough, and soon had Yanuia in her own hold. It had transpired so quickly and quietly that Marienda hadn’t noticed, and, if she was lucky, would be able to finish off Yanuia, and move on to Grydin’s woman without missing a beat. 12

So intent on killing Yanuia, Isiru didn’t hear Marienda approaching until it was too late. She looked and raised her hand as the amulet glowed red, and shoved at the same time Marienda leapt and spun in the air. Her foot caught Isiru in the right temple, driving her across the hall, and into the stone wall. Her head smashed against the surface with such force that it echoed in the enclosed space. 13

Marienda picked herself off from the floor, shaking her arm to get some feeling back in her shoulder from where Isiru had managed to throw her energy. She watch, wary, as Isiru stared ultimate hatred at her, then took a step back as the other woman slid to the ground and closed her eyes. 14

Not sure if she was faking or not, Marienda slowly approached, and nudged Isiru with her toe. When she didn’t move, Marienda bent down to feel for a pulse. She found one, although it was faint, and getting weaker by the minute. 15

"Is she dead?" 16

Marienda looked up at the voice and shook her head. "No," she told a weak looking Yanuia. "But I doubt she’ll be alive much longer." 17

"Good." Yanuia turned and walked away. 18

Marienda tensed as Isiru moved slightly, and her eyes cracked open. She tried to raise a hand, but nothing would move. She tried to summon her energy, but nothing would come. She knew she was dying, and wanted to hurt someone the way she had been. 19

"Grydin," she whispered weakly, " will never be faithful." 20

Marienda shook her head in disbelief at the audacity of the dying woman’s words. She knew that Isiru was just trying to hurt her, and refused to allow her that privilege. "You got greedy," she said instead. "And it killed you." 21

Isiru started to say something else, but never got the chance. Instead, her eyes closed for the last time and her chest stopped rising in shallow breaths. 22

"Now, she’s dead," Yanuia said from behind them. 23

Marienda nodded, unsure of just how long she had been standing there. She got to her feet and turned. "Let’s go." 24

~~~~~~~~~~ 25

Grydin landed on the table with a loud thud, and rolled quickly off the other side as Pontage picked up a chair and swing it at the spot where he had been. The chair smashed into fragments as Grydin leapt on to the table and launched himself at the other man in one smooth move. He knocked Pontage in to a few of the chairs, tangling him up and causing him to fall to the floor. 26

Grydin moved away quickly as Pontage lashed out with a foot. He took those moments to catch his breath and weigh his options. He paced like a caged animal as Pontage picked himself up, and then approached his old friend again. This time, Pontage was ready for him, and put a hand on his chest. Grydin coughed as his breath seemed to leave him. 27

He spun away, breaking the contact, and inhaled raggedly as he stared at his foe. Pontage attacked again, forcing Grydin against the wall. 28

"You forget that I have a piece of amulet imbedded under my skin," he goaded as his palm landed on Grydin’s chest. "It will take some time, but I can take your life-energy." A small patch of skin on his collarbone shone from inside. 29

Grydin moaned in pain, then brought his own hand up to his old friends chest. "And you forget who taught you to do that." 30

Pontage laughed as he remembered that Grydin also had done the same procedure years before. "So we drain each other only to be fed by each other. A win-win situation." His stare grew colder. "You’re weak, and I’ll wear you down." He pulled Grydin away from the wall. "Marienda is mine," he hissed and slammed him back against the wall. 31

Grydin yelled in pain as he felt something pop in his side. "You forgot one more thing," Grydin said as he weakly brought his other hand up behind his old friend head and pulled it close to his own. He stared into deep eyes. "You forgot what my amulet looked like." 32

Pontage’s eyes grew wide and he glanced down at the arm around his head. Grydin’s amulet glowed red as it dangled from the cord tied around his left bicep. Pontage tried to break away, but the energy was leaving him too fast. 33

Grydin pulled his head closer so that they nearly touched. "And now…you die." He shoved Pontage away, sending him stumbling across the dirt floor. Grydin brought his hands to his side, then quickly opened them, sending an energy wave that hit Pontage in the chest, and slamming him against the wall. Grydin punched again, pushing him further against the wall, then let him fall in a lifeless heap to the dirt. 34

Anger, pain and energy flowed through him and he breathed deeply, knowing that he could accomplish anything that he wanted. The power felt wonderful, exciting, mystical; dangerous, evil, unsettling.  He could completely destroy the people in front of him; crush them like they were a fragile rock and let the remains flow through his fingers like they nothing more than pebbles. 35

He shook his head as the thought remained, and mentally reigned in the anger that seemed to emanate from his very soul. Although he knew he would probably regret what he had just done, the anger had served its purpose, and he had to finish the fight. 36

Grydin turned to the others in Pontage’s Clan, put his hands by his side and wiggled his fingers, the energy crackling and dancing around the tips. The others backed away, then turned and ran. The energy seemed to grow around Grydin as he put his head back and concentrated. The walls around started to shake, while rocks fell to the floor. Part of the ceiling collapsed onto the raised portion where Pontage had held court, crushing the throne, and concealing Grydin within the rising dust. 37

Marienda and Yanuia ran into the room, fearing the worse, and stopping at the scene that greeted them.  Marienda coughed as she waved the dust away from her face, and scanned the ruins for any sign of her mate. 38

When the dust cleared, Grydin was on his knees, tottering weakly. He put a hand down to steady himself, and looked as someone touched his shoulder. 39

He grabbed Marienda and pulled her down gently as his arms wrapped around her. "I thought I lost you," he whispered into her hair. The emotions he had clamped down on for the past week broke though as a few tears trickled down his cheek. 40

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Yanuia wrapped her arms around her middle as she stared at the lifeless body of Pontage. "Rest easy, my love," she whispered to the spirit of Dorran, "those responsible are gone." She turned away and looked at Grydin as he sat in a chair holding Marienda against him. His face was buried in her hair and he looked like he never wanted to let her go. 42

"I’m going to find Trishu and Lagen," she announced to no one in particular. 43

"We’ll come with you," Marienda said. 44

"No." Yanuia started for the opening in the large room. "I’ll be fine. After what just happened, I don’t think anyone will attempt to bother me." She smiled briefly as she left. 45

Marienda looked into the eyes of her lover. "Are you all right?" 46

"No," he admitted. "But I will be." The anger he had released early was now behind its familiar wall, and he knew that he would have to work hard so that he could not access it that easily again. "Are you all right?" 47

"I think so.  I have a lot of things to think and work through."  She kissed him lightly. "I just want to go home." 48

He smiled genuinely for the first time in a week. "Home?" 49

"With you," she replied. She knew it would take time to get over what happed to her, but she also knew that with her man's love, she would get through it faster. She reluctantly got off his lap and stood, allowing him to slowly get to his feet. 50

Grydin bent down and picked up the fake amulet he had worn to trick his old friend. He closed his fist around the dull stone, silently thanking the cosmos for helping him save his mate, then opened his hand. 51

Marienda glanced at the stone. "Shiny." She looked into his face, stopping as he stared at her. "Grydin?" 52

Images of long ago flashed through his mind of when he had arrived to the mountains. Images of Yanuia putting his rock in his palm and clasping her hand over his. ‘Tell me what you see’ she had said, and as he had yelled in surprise as images came at him from all sides; and for an instant he was sure he could see through eternity. He had pulled away from her; angry at how she could cause that to happen. 53

"Grydin?" 54

He jerked slightly as he was pulled from the memory, and looked into Marienda’s eyes. He put the stone in her palm and closed his hands around it. 55

"Tell me what you see." 56

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THE END58