"Bring her inside, right NOW!" Lorian issued command to Rylan in grim tone filled with suppressed anger.
Rylan scrambled out of the hall and returned a moment later, guiding Zara. The council fell into a silence of a graveyard. Zara's usually bright golden fur was now matted with dark, tacky patches of dried blood. She was trembling, it was not clear whether it was from the sheer exhaustion of the run, or what she had encountered.
Lorian didn't wait for her to reach the dais. He rushed down the steps and grabbed her arms. His fingers dug into her heavy cloak, "What has happened? What happened to Jax? Zara, look at me. How is he?"
"He… he is… He is alright, My Lord…" She fumbled the words, her eyes darting to his eyes and then immediately dropping to her boots. She couldn't hold his gaze.
Lorian's grip tightened on her arms. He leaned in close, "Please, Zara. Tell me everything. In detail. I am not a man built for suspense. I feel suffocation when I am left in the dark, like the air leaving my lungs! Please. Tell. Everything."
Zara took a ragged breath and nodded, "Yes, My Lord. We had traversed halfway when we came across a fallen knight of Valoria. The white and gold armor was unmistakable, but it was drenched in dark red. An axe was buried deep in the backplate. When we turned the body over… it was Darina Sihar. The head of the Justicar Army."
Lorian's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt.
"She was delirious," Zara continued, but her voice was shaking, "Crawling through the dirt as if she wanted to reach Veridia by dragging herself all the way. When we tried to speak to her, to ask what happened, she only blabbered that the Stormholds were in danger. She begged us to inform you- the Lord of Veridia, as soon as possible. The Commander was adamant. She told us to leave her there to die so we wouldn't waste a second giving you the news. But…"
Zara finally looked Lorian in the eye, her expression a mix of defiance and guilt, "We beg your forgiveness, My Lord, but we chose a different path. We decided Jax would carry her back to the Spire while I followed the trail to check on the carriage. Jax ran for the Auric Spire with her on his back, while I continued the mission alone."
Lorian's face was now cold and calm, suppressing the agitation inside, "And what did you find at the end of that trail?"
"I saw the crows first," Zara whispered, "Vultures hovering on the horizon. I picked up my pace. When I arrived… it was a massacre, My Lord. Corpses of knights and soldiers were littered across the road. There were still some carriages burning while rest were reduced to charred cinder. I searched every face there. I turned over every body. But I did not find Lady Serana Stormhold, or Princess Selena, or Drengen Sihar among the dead."
She paused, swallowed her agitation and resumed, "I rushed further, but I realized the group had crossed the border. They had abandoned the wheels. Ahead of the slaughter, there were no more carriage marks- only the heavy prints of hooves. They were on horseback and moving fast. Chasing them further would have been a waste of the little time we have left. So, I turned back."
Zara looked at Lorian, waiting for a rebuke, a shout, or even a nod. But he was silent. He stood there like the statutes in the walls of Obsidian Hall. His hands were still on her arms, but his eyes were fixed on a point somewhere beyond the walls of the hall. The Council watched him, holding their breath.
At last, Lorian stepped back. He looked at the gathered Lords, his voice suddenly sounded hollow, "Gentlemen, the meeting is adjourned for today. Rylan, make a report of everything we discussed. I want it on my desk before the sun sets. Have a good day."
Lorian turned to leave, but Gravil Fartom called out from behind him, "My Lord, may we accompany you? This concerns us all."
Lorian gave a stiff nod, "Why not." He signaled Zara, "Guide us to where Jax is."
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
The Restoration Wing felt more like a barracks than a hospital. Throne Guards stood at every door, with raised spears. Jax was there, leaning against the cold stone wall in front of Darina Sihar's ward. He looked like a man who hadn't slept for days.
As soon as he saw Lorian, Jax snapped to attention, his back straightened despite the fatigue. He knocked once on the heavy door, and the doctor emerged, wiping his hands on a stained cloth.
"She has sustained grievous injury, My Lord," the doctor said, "The axe went deep. She is not out of danger, and she is far from conscious."
"Save her life," Lorian said, "At any cost. The moment she speaks, I want to be the first thing she sees."
Jax moved to stay by the door, but Lorian stopped him, "You and Zara. Go. Rest. That is not a suggestion; it is an order."
Lorian returned to his chambers alone. The night stretched on, a long, agonizing wait for a story that only a dying woman could tell. He instructed Anya to send her men into the shadows of Valoria and Grisel to send his people into the underworld of Veridia to find any snippets of information regarding the incident, but his mind stayed in that hospital room.
It was late night when the four of them- Jax, Zara, Kaelen, and Elara, sat with him. It felt like the old times, but the air was different.
And then suddenly, a sharp knock came at the door. As Elara opened the door, she found a Throne Guard was standing there, breathless, "My Lord… she has regained her senses."
They rushed back to the wing, only to find she had slipped away again. But this time, they decided to stay back. They camped in front of the ward, leaning against each other in the dim light of the hallway.
At early morning, Elara nudged Lorian's shoulder, "Lorian. She's awake. And she's stable."
Lorian walked into the room. He didn't recognize the woman in the bed. This wasn't the Commander of the Justicars. This was a ghost. She was drained of everything- her strength, her pride, her will.
As Lorian sat beside her, she reached out and gripped his hand with a strength he didn't think she had left. Her eyes were red and wet.
"My Lord," she sobbed, the sound seemed to be breaking in her throat, "Please… save the Stormholds."
Lorian put a hand on her forehead, and replied in a low and steady voice, "Tell me, Darina. Tell me everything."
She nodded, the tears finally spilling over, and began the tale of how the world fell apart on the road to Valoria.