2
Slayn was the only person left moving inside Karla’s mansion. He sat by Ghim’s corpse for a long time, waiting patiently. The dwarf’s expression seemed satisfied, as if he had died proud of his life.
“Oh, I almost forgot…” Slayn reached into Ghim’s pocket and took out the gold craftwork. The hair ornament was the last thing the dwarf craftsman had made, so the wizard wanted to be sure it got to the person it had been intended for. He slipped it in his robe pocket and went back to waiting for Karla—or rather, Leylia—to regain consciousness.
It didn’t take long. A little while later, she stirred and moaned weakly.
“Are you all right?” Slayn asked gently, peering into her face. “How do you feel?”
The woman slowly opened her eyes. Slayn saw his face reflected in those clear blue orbs. She was beautiful—and she looked completely different from when she was under Karla’s control. Karla may have controlled her body and mind, but she couldn’t own her nature—and true beauty originated in the soul.
“Wh-who are you?” she asked, clearly confused. “What am I doing here?”
A moment later, her face went pale and her features twisted in torment.
Slayn knew what must be happening—she was regaining the memories of everything that had happened under Karla’s control. Slayn winced in sympathy—it seemed cruel that she’d have to carry those memories. But this was her destiny; it was an ordeal she must endure.
Leylia pushed herself up on her elbows and looked around quickly. After a moment, she caught sight of Ghim’s body and stared.
“Ghim…the kind dwarf craftsman…” she murmured, voice hoarse. Tears overflowed her eyes. “I do remember. Your voice…it reached me when I was asleep in the darkness, trapped deep in my own mind. I thought it was all just a nightmare…but this is real…” She staggered to her feet and stumbled over to Ghim’s corpse. She took his hand gently, then collapsed beside him, clinging to the body that could never speak to her ever again.
“I wish it had all been a dream…” she said, her tears spilling silently. “If only all of this were a nightmare I could wake up from back at Tarba temple. But… But this is reality…” A sob rose in her throat, and soon she was crying and cursing herself uncontrollably.
Slayn stood by and waited for the tears to purge her sadness.
Leylia thought she might cry forever, but gradually her sobbing subsided, then stopped.
“What I’ve done can never be taken back,” she said, voice shaky but tears at bay for now. “I killed Ghim and so many others…and brought war to Lodoss. How could I possible atone for a sin that horrible?!” She looked to the robed man who’d been sitting beside her when she woke, desperate for answers.
“Live on,” he said simply but firmly. His eyes were gentle, but she didn’t see pity in his gaze, just deep knowledge and understanding. Looking at him, the pain in her heart seemed to lighten, just a little.
“This isn’t your sin,” he continued. “You weren’t the one who did all of those things. It was Karla, the witch of the ancient kingdom. You should put it all behind you, if you can…though I suspect that won’t be possible.” He gave her a knowing look. “So, you must confront it. Save as many lives as you can. Do whatever you can to bring peace to Lodoss. As a priestess of Marfa, there is so much you can do. But before all of that…return to Tarba and put your mother’s worries to rest. Ghim’s one goal through all of this was to bring you home.”
Leylia sat silently, biting her lip so hard it drew blood. “All right,” she murmured. He was right—her death would accomplish nothing, and the war had just begun. “I will offer the rest of my life to serve Lodoss…and I’ll go home to Tarba to see my mother.”
Slayn nodded and shot her a smile. “I’ll come with you, Priestess of Marfa. My name is Slayn Starseeker, and I’m a wizard from the Wizard Academy. I’d like to help you.”
“I remember you,” she said. “I remember everything from the past seven years.”
Slayn’s heart ached for Leylia. It would be hard for her to move past her pain, but her smile would come back one day. He would help her any way he could. He couldn’t wield a sword like Parn, but his magic would surely come in handy.
Slayn took Leylia’s arm and led her out of Karla’s mansion. Along the way, he cast combustion spells to light fires around the mansion, and soon the entire building was engulfed in flames.
In that fire, Ghim’s soul would depart peacefully and find its way home to the world where the fae folk of the earth dwelled.
They stayed by the mansion until the last of the embers died down. After that, they started walking, Slayn letting Leylia lead. The fog lifted, and early autumn sunlight shone down on them.
Slayn suddenly remembered the hair ornament in his pocket. He took it out, looking it over one more time.
“May I…?” he asked, and when she nodded, he placed the ornament in her hair. He took in the sight with a sigh. “Ghim was right…” As soon as it was in place in her hair, the ornament that had seemed so plain started to shine. It caught the light and turned it to rainbows, like it had finally found the one place it belonged. Ghim had known exactly what he was doing. “Beauty from harmony,” he said, then explained, “Ghim made this hairpin as a gift for you.”
As Slayn gazed into her red-rimmed eyes, he found he couldn’t look away. The hairpin twinkled against her jet-black hair, and as he gazed upon her, a new thought gripped him.
I may have found my star.