'The Brood Kaan, and through us every brood on Beshara, is at risk. The Arakhe are our enemy of eons. We cannot afford to grant them access to our home or they would overwhelm us as they will Balaia.'
'They are that strong?' questioned The Unknown.
Sha-Kaan said nothing. Darrick watched him see everyone digesting the situation as best they could. Darrick couldn't see all their faces but those he could told him they believed. Gods, they had to.
'Xetesk has a great deal to answer for.'
It was a heartbeat before Darrick realised who had said that.
'But no one blames you, Denser,' said Hirad.
'Every Xeteskian mage is to blame, and I am one,' he said. 'We all swore the oath that brought us to Xeteskian magic, we all wanted to
see the development of dimensional spells and we all gladly accepted the deal with the demons that brought us the increased mana flow.'
'There will be a reckoning if there still is a Xetesk when the Arakhe are beaten,' rumbled Sha-Kaan. 'Your guilt is natural but Hirad is right. You cannot be to blame for that over which you have no control.'
'It doesn't make me feel any better.'
'Then use your anger,' said Sha-Kaan. 'Fight.'
'But how?' Denser threw up his arms. 'It sounds as if we are already too late.'
'Not yet.' Sha-Kaan shifted again, his claws grinding against the stone floor. Diera shushed Jonas who had become restless.
'Perhaps you should take him back outside,' said The Unknown.
T need to hear this,' said Diera. 'For me and for him. I have to be able to tell him what happened if you don't ever come back.'
The Unknown looked pained. He drew a hand down her cheek. T always come back. I promise you this will be no exception.'
'You promised you would never leave again unless I was with you,' said Diera though there was no accusation in her tone. 'Why did I marry a Raven warrior, eh?'
'We cannot choose who we love,' said Sha-Kaan. 'In that if nothing else, we and you are the same.'
Diera knelt by her boy. 'Will you be good for me and your father? We need you to be quiet just a little longer while Sha-Kaan speaks.'
'Then will he fly away again?' asked Jonas, his bright eyes on his mother. She shrugged.
T expect so, darling. He can't stay in here all die time.'
'How will he get out?'
'Well,' said Diera. 'He'll probably use the doors like we will.'
Jonas's face held such an expression of doubt that Darrick had to fight back a laugh. In a voice that was meant to be a whisper, the boy said, T don't think they're big enough, Mummy.'
It broke the tension at least. All of diem laughed hard, Hirad almost doubled over, leaning on The Unknown for support the big man was in no position to give. Sha-Kaan rumbled loud, the sound booming in the chamber, and Cleress had to wipe the tears from her eyes.
'Perceptive for such a nipper, isn't he?' said Hirad.
'You'd better believe it,' said The Unknown. 'Like father like son.'
'He'll get stuck!' shouted Jonas, revelling in his new-found confidence and all the attention. 'But we could pull him out.'
'Calm down now, sweetheart,' said Diera. 'There's a good boy.'
'But he will!' insisted Jonas. 'He will.'
He found himself confronted by Sha-Kaan's muzzle, canted to one side so he could be seen by one enormous eye.
'I do not have to use doors,' the dragon said. 'I will use the pathways of . . .' He paused. 'I will use magic. One day I will show you. But not today.'
Jonas sat down hard on his behind under the force of Sha-Kaan's breath. He was still smiling.
'All right now?' asked Diera. The boy nodded.
'Let us discuss what must be done,' said Sha-Kaan. 'Because the fight for Balaia will be difficult and, like the fight for the spirit dimension, will not be fought here, not by The Raven at least. And then I will prove to you all that Jonas was right. But while I cannot fit through the doors, I can poke out my head and look again on this beautiful island.'
They ate outside that night. A breeze kept the air fresh and the tide was sending waves onto the southern coast, the sound comforting, bringing them all back to reality, at least for the time being.
They set up tables along the southern cliff edge so that they could see out across the expanse of ocean while the sun dipped down in the west, sending spectacular reds across the water. With a lamb gendy turning on the spit and the young wine flowing, The Raven talked about everything but that which was to come. Around them, the elves and the former Protectors were relatively quiet but they listened intently, interjecting when they could.
When Jonas complained once too often, Diera took him to his bed. Hirad turned to The Unknown as soon as she was out of earshot.
'You could stay, Unknown,' he said. 'Look at her. Her heart is broken but she can still smile and laugh. But we're going to have to go and what then?'
The Unknown's eyes shined in the moonlight as he watched his wife walk away up to the house.
'You know I can't stay,' he said. 'But thank you for the offer, even though you didn't really mean it. I always said I would fight for the world in which my family could grow up in peace. I thought that here, and eventually back on Balaia, I had achieved that. But now it is clear that there is still one more enemy to be beaten and I will be there to do my part for Diera, for Jonas and for The Raven. This isn't going to be anything but personal for me and I think we'll all work better if we feel the same way.'
'The Raven never work apart,' added Thraun. 'And what good would any of us feel if we didn't join the fight and that fight failed? We would die just as surely.'
'Myriell once spoke to you, didn't she?' said Cleress. 'About the One magic and why it must survive?'
Hirad turned his head to see the Al-Drechar looking at him and The Unknown, her eyes as strong as ever, burning with the barely suppressed energy of the One.
'She did,' said Hirad. 'After we'd beaten off the Dordovans from Herendeneth, if I recall correctly.'
'You do,' said The Unknown.
'But you probably don't remember what she said. She knew even then as we all did that there was a threat coming to Balaia and, we feared, to other dimensions. She told you that the One had to survive because it would be a potent weapon in the fight to come, whatever form it took. That time has arrived. The world will be grateful you kept your side of the bargain and that Erienne still lives.'
'Thanks for keeping the pressure off me, Cleress,' said Erienne.
'Ah, but you must understand what you can bring that no one else can,' she said. 'Yours is a magic that doesn't rely solely on mana for creation. It is one of the reasons the demons will want you gone. They will fear you as they will fear all The Raven because your belief, not just your power, makes you dangerous. Sha-Kaan sees it or he would not have involved you.'