Page 201 of Keeper of the Word

They fought—through the blare, which was pure evil itself. They fought.

’Twas a fight that, through punch and strike and jab, seemed as though it would ne’er name a victor.

All the way to the stars, I wait for you.

Sloane’s last words in his ears were all Tolvar needed.

With an elbow to Crevan’s face and with more force than Tolvarshould have been able to muster, he smashed into his brother’s nose and clutched the Edan Stone in his hand.

“Now, Tolvar!” Elanna screamed impossibly over the blare.

With both hands, Tolvar gripped the Edan Stone, shouted thewordup, up, up to the stars, and snapped it in twain.

Awhooshresonated in his ears.

And then.

Nothing.

The blare ceased.

Nary a sound.

Silence.

Tolvar sat, and before his very eyes, the great city of Light—in all its glory, in all its magnificence—vanished.

A collective,oh,passed through the field.

The witches dropped to the ground and turned to dust. Just as the Brones had when the Befallen was destroyed.

Tolvar exhaled. ’Twas over.

Movement behind him caused him to flinch. Tolvar braced himself. Certain Crevan would be hunched over him, brandishing a weapon. And ’twas Crevan, but he lay in the grass. His only muscle that moved was his neck.

Like the witches, Crevan’s body seemed to be decaying at a rapid rate. His chest sunk in, spilling out what appeared to be ash.

Tolvar met his brother’s eyes. Eyes that were the same as their mother’s. Crevan’s mouth, festering and rotting, shriveled, and no words could escape. But his eyes. His eyes seemed to hold regret.

He gave a nod to Crevan, whose body disintegrated into nothing.

“Wolf,” Ghlee’s voice was the first to reach him. “Wolf, are you well?”

Tolvar winced; he definitely was not. Much of his body was left broken, and he knew he’d lost a great deal of blood. Moreso, Tolvar lifted his hand, and where the traces of Adrienne’s torture had shown, it appeared withered.

“We’ll return you to camp,” Ghlee said, helping Tolvar to stand. His legs wobbled.

Surveying the vicinity was the most horrific sight. Bodies scattered the field. Stillness surrounded them. A deadly quiet, which could only be shaped by the great exodus of the many souls who had just given their last breath to this world.

So few were left. Those who were left were either staring blankly at where Asalle should be standing or were already fleeing the field, as if they might, in their escape, forget that of which they’d been a part.

Where Asalle had stood sprawled a continuation of the countryside as if the city had ne’er been. Not its walls, nor docks, nor anything that would hint at its existence remained.

Alvie stood next to them. “That was somethin’. Fact o’matter, no one is goin’ to believe this.”

The two nodded in agreement. Words lost.

Hux, Elanna, and the others joined. Everyone simply stared, disbelieving that their quest was fulfilled. That the magic of Asalle’s Light was safe.