Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Son goes home to Rest. 37

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Azeal watched his brother Ranjer sleep. He and his father had gotten word from Pelic of Athene's safe return and the fight. Knowing she was safe gave them a chance to check on Ranjer. Valkar hadn't seen his youngest son since he left for Tir Na with Drake. He stood at the door admiring his two sons. Tresandra walked up and stood beside Valkar at the door.
" He's an angel isn't he?" She said.
" Yes. He looks like his mother." He turned to her and took her hand.
" Thank you for taking him." Valkar said a tear in his eye." I dread to think what could have happened had he been in Yadessa when Balthazar took over."
" Then don't." She said. " He's safe that's all we need to think about."
" But so many are not." Valkar walked into the common room and sat down and put his hands in his hands."How am I going to get that monster out of my home? How many more have to suffer because of him?"
Tresanda walked over and sat beside him smoothing out her dress as she sat.
"I know people in Yadessa are suffering." She told him. "But there are a lot still in there that support you and your way of rule. You know that. All the killing Balthazar is doing proves it. If you take a stand, they will follow."
[ Yes they will. My son.]
Valkar jumped up out of his seat and looked around for whoever had just spoken to him. Next to him, Tresandra also wondered where the voice had come from. Then a blurry outline began to form of a man dressed in fine noble wear. They both could tell this was a spirit. Valkar recognizes him as Baron Valkar, his namesake. Tresandra also knows who he was. In Tir Na, he was infamous. The look of horror on Tresandra face saddened the Baron, so he spoke to her privately next.[
Lady Tyr. If I could become alive again to suffer all the horrors I made your people suffer, I would. I know you won't believe me, but death and the punishments I have endured since my death have taught me so much. I'm here to help in any way I can. I owe your people so much, lady. But there is something I can do for the were folk. There is a spirit I know of that is lost and he needs to be put to rest. He was one of my victims. The one I most regret. He is an ancestor of your family. I don't do this for forgiveness. I know you never can forgive me I do it because it needs to be done.]
" What is going on?" Valkar asks. Tresandra stood there with a strange look.
" Is he accosting you?" Valkar jumped to his feet.
" No." She said. " He wants to help me with something."
[ I will show you where Danik Tyr is.]
Tresandra's eyes opened wide with surprise. Danik's body had been lost in the war. His father killed vampires until his last day looking for his sons remains to put him to rest.
[Gran son.] Baron Valkar said. [The Lady Angela is free. She awaits you in Prafa in the blacksmith's house. I have to pay back a debt here I never can pay. I will meet you thereafter I am done.]
" Valkar," Tresandra called.
" Can I trust him?"
" Yes." He said. " Trust him."
Valkar stood and rushed to the bedroom and got Azeal. They bid Tresandra goodbye and left on their way to Prafa.
Standing in her common room with the spirit of Baron Valkar, the werewolves' most hated enemy. Tresandra asked him an important question.
" What will I need to free his soul?"
[Just a blood relative.] He told her. [I will take you to his remains.]
" I'll get my daughter to watch the little one and then I'll go with you Baron Valkar, but I will have my say to you." She said in a scolding tone." There's not many in the lands that have fallen to your depravity in life. You killed the whole clans of my people in some of the worse ways. I remember hearing stories of you using our children in hunts for your enjoyment. How could you hate us that bad? What did we do to deserve it?"
[ Nothing.] He sad sadly. [It wasn't your people, it was me. I deserve your hate and distrust. There is no punishment severe enough for my deeds and there will be no rest for me ever. When my soul is released, I will go back to my torture. To my hell where I belong. Just let me do these small things that I can, and believe how sorry I am for my whole life.]
"I'm going to call Sharone now." She told him. " While I do that, I want you to go see the young one rest in the room here."
[ I don't need to.] The baron said. [ I have more than enough pain in my heart than to have to look at a small werewolf-like Danik.]
" But I insist you see him, Baron." She stood with her hands on her hips. " Go see the child."
[ As you wish Lady.] His form floated across the room and entered Ranjer's room. In his bed, Ranjer slept looking the part of innocence itself. His youth and his need for protection gripped the Baron. I am a monster he thought to have hurt something as precious as this.
[ You have a handsome son there.] He said.
" No." She told him. " You do. That's your grandchild in there, Valkar's son. We are raising him but he is a vampire and we love him with all our hearts. He is also your legacy. No one here blames him for your deeds, no one in this whole city. I see you in him, so I must forgive you. But he will learn better then you did. He will learn love and peace, thou I'm sure there will be battles for him in his day."
The Baron leaned closer into Ranjer. He could see Valkar and himself in the handsome child. After all he and his people had done to them, these people cared for one of his kind like there own. How wrong he had been about them, about so many things he thought.
[ I wish there was a way I could face Azeal Tyr to ask his forgiveness.] The Baron said. [ But I can't. Your people are so much more than I ever thought. A noble race. I will not keep Danik waiting to see his family.]
" Agreed." She put her wrap around her shoulders and headed for the door to leave. As Baron Valkar waited, Sharone and her husband came running up. Tresandra told them of the errand she was going on and told them to care for Ranjer. Sharone agreed and her and Aggar when into the Manor. Tressandra took her to wrap from the door then shifted to her wolf form and took off through town.
The Baron led her on her way through town and off towards a border of Yadessa. The place they were looking for was an old vampire fort on the border. It had been abandoned for centuries. Most of it was in ruins, but there were places in the back area where vampires that had died in battle were buried. There the Baron stopped.
[This is where he is.] The Baron pointed to an unmarked grave. [ He lies here.]
Tresandra stopped and made the shift to back to her normal form. She looked down and found an old tombstone with faded writing on it. Tresandra took the hem of her dress and wiped away years of dust and dirt and looked closer at the writing.  It read in Yadessian.

HERE LIES OLEG MAJKA OF PRAFA.
LIEUTENANT TO KARL BELENOFF WARCHIEF
OF VASAGI.
DIED OF HIS WOUNDS IN THE BATTLE OF
DRESSLINA.
R.I.P

"Oleg Majka of Prafa?" Tresandra looked up at Valkar. "I don't understand.
[Oleg Majka didn't die at Dresslina." He told her. "He lived many many years after that battle in hiding. His brother claimed the body and put up the stone. Oleg was a coward. His brother Alec was trying to hide his disgrace by hiding Danik's body. This is where Danik lies, trust me.]
Tresandra had her doubts but there was a way to prove id he was right. All she had to do was call Drake and have him call Danik up. If he was there, his soul would rise.
[Drake!] She sent out. [Hear me, my husband.]
[Tresandra?] He answered. [Is something wrong with Ranjer?]
[No.] She told him. [ But I need you to come to me, It's very important.]
[ I'm on my way.]
There was much she could have said to the Baron. But what would be the point? She could see by the look in his eyes he was sincere. His pain was his to endure, so why add to it? The place they were in was a small cemetery. Filled with his dead allies. These were people that killed her ancestors, A shiver went through her as she stood there.
[Yes,] He said. [They were my warriors. I hope all of them found peace on the other side.]
" That depends on what's in their heart." Tresandra walked over and stood over Danik's grave. " If they were as black-hearted as you were, you know the answer."
[Yes, I do.] He settled near her. [ I am the cause of all you see here. That damned war was all my doing. My anger, my pride. All of it, me.]
" Then you know what you must do." She took her wrap from around her shoulder and put it on Danik's unmarked grave. " For Ranjer and for Danik, you have to help put things right. Help get Valkar back on his throne. Make Yadessa safe again."
" Who are you talking to?"
Tresandra turned and saw her husband and her son standing on a ridge over the cemetery. Drake and Tof hopped down and walked over to her. Tresandra kissed and hugged them both with tears in her eyes.
" Mother, what is this place?" Tof asked.
" It's an ancient cemetery from the war." She told them. " Most of these people were our most feared enemies."
" I see," Drake said as he stooped to read the grave markers. " Most of them are high ranking vampires from Baron Valkar's court. Why are we here, Tres?"
"For this one." She put her hand on the stone covered with her wrap. Drake took off the wrap to read the stone. But he didn't recognize the name. He knew it was the resting place of a vampire, but he still had no idea why they were here. He looked at his wife in confusion.
" I don't understand." He said. " Whose grave is this?"
" It's the grave of Danik Tyr." She said.
Drake fell to his knees. He couldn't believe what she was saying. They had searched for years after his death for his body. But never found it. It was thought that the vampires had destroyed it out of contempt for there enemy.
" Could it be true?" He asked. "Could this be our lost one?"
[ Have your husband call him up.] The Baron told her. [Then you have to remove the remains and place him in a grave of your choice. Next to his father if you can. That's where he deserves to be. Then he will have final rest.]
" It's him, Drake." She put her hand on his shoulder. " We have to take him home."
" How is this possible?" He asked. Both Drake and Tof looked at her in disbelief.
" How did you find him?"
" I had help. I'll tell you all about it later." She said. " For now, call him to you."
Drake removed the wrap then put his hand on the gravestone.
" Danik Tyr, lost son of Azeal Tyr. I am Drake Tyr. You are our lost son. Come to us so we can take you home to the rest of your family. Your father awaits."
A soft glow started to grow from all around the grave. It grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding. Then in a flash, it was gone and the transparent form of a little boy floated over the grave. Danik Tyr had risen. With a sharp intake of her breathe, Tresandra fell to her knees in tears. Wide-eyed in surprise, both Tof and his father stared at the spirit.
"He looks like Ono when he was younger!!" Tof said.
[ Father?] Danik called.
"We are your kin," Drake told him. " We will take you home to rest."
 Danik moved from the grave and floated over to Drake.
[ You look like my father, but I know you are not him. Please take me home.]
" Come with us little one." Tresandra held out her hand to him. He came over and took her hand.
It didn't take them long to dig up Danik's remains and collect them. Drake took Tresandra's wrap, laid it out and wrapped his bones. Carefully Drake passed him to Tof the smiled.
"Let's go home."
Danik looked back over his shoulder as they made there way back up the ridge.
[ Thank you Baron.] They all heard him say.
" Yes," Tresandra called. "Thank you, Baron. You have done a good thing today."

No comments:

Post a Comment