Endings

She knew that their time together was drawing to an end, and yet she did not wish for it to end. She gave a sad sigh and continued her walk. It was dark out here, and she did not know where she was going. Her feet just carried her on and on. Six years he had stayed by her side, six long years which seemed to have gone by as the arrow in the wind. And he had never changed in all that time. She did not know what she truly wished, but only that he could stay. And yet she could not, would not, ask him to. She looked up and realized that she now stood upon a tourist's balcony on Right's Hill looking out over the harbor. The moon shone high above, bathing everything in dreamy white. From the distance she could hear sounds revelry. The celebration would hit its stride come midnight. She smiled. Her people were making up lost time, for this celebration was for the overthrow of the Lords. This was it, she thought. Behind her the cable car sat, alone and forlorn, the metals worn to rust like some monument to the passing of an age. The cable car was a relic of some bygone day when freedom and justice meant something, when politicians preached the values of law and order. She gave a soft laugh at that. Politicians preach, but their words mostly do not match their actions.

Her delicate brow curved into a frown. That cable car was a monument of an age that had passed. Now another age was passing away into the night.

Just as he was...

Six years ago he had appeared before like some ancient guardian out of the night. It was a dark night, and she had passing through the tavern district to a friend's house when a group of youngling lords thought she'd provide some evening fun. The lordlings had much to drink that night, and they were in no mood to take no as an answer. She ran...after she kicked the leader in the crotch. That was enough to leave the rest of them in a state of shock. No one hits a lord...the thought ran through her mind as she was running through the back alleys of Landing Town. She giggled...Dammit, but she was oddly calm. No one hits a lord...she thought again. Much less kick one in the nuts. A giggle slipped out unbidden. Behind her shock was not long lasting. With a roar the lordlings chased after.

Then it began to rain like the bloody flood was back again. This was just not her night. They finally cornered her in a dead end alleyway. Panting, she faced her pursuers, back to the wall. This was it. There was nowhere to go, but she intended to go down fighting.

"You bloody wench!" One of the toadies snarled, spittle and rain running together down his face. "You think you can hit one of us and get away? Ha! There's bloody hell to pay bitch. And you're going to pay in full!"

"Over my dead body!" she spat.

The rain patted softly on her head, and high above the roar of thunder rumbled through the night. She ignored them.

The look the speaker gave her told her enough. She would not live through the night, the icy thought chilled her. As if on cue, one of the lordlings lunged at her. Quickly she stepped back, trying to avoid his reaching hands...all the others surged forward. She flailed at them, kicking and screaming. Please Lord, she prayed desperately. Please...

Thunder crashed.

"What the-" one of the younglings startled cry cut off.

There was a slight hiss as someone tried to draw his sword in a futile attempt. She heard a thump, and a crash. Through the drumming of the rain, more blows followed quickly upon that first thump, and the night was filled with the fear filled voices of her the youngling nobles. She suddenly found the weight pressing atop of her vanish as the younglings turned to face her rescuer. More blows followed, too fast for the eye to follow. As quick as lightning all of the younglings were down in the puddles of muddied water.

Rain water streaming down brow, she looked from where she still laid and saw his cloaked and hooded form standing still as a statue, as if he had never once moved a single muscle. The unconscious forms of the younglings sprawled about him gave the lie to that thought. His dark eyes studied her from beneath his hood. Without preamble, he offered his gloved hand. Looking at it with shock still running through her system, she reached before her mind could think clearly. He pulled her to her feet, and thus began the years of the struggle to free mankind.

He was a Gifted, a Traveller, one who travelled through the dimensions to maintain the Order of the Universe. She was one too, he said. At first she did not believe, but as time went and he did the impossible-altering the physical world and creating portals-she came to believe him. Only she knew of his talents, and kept it secret from others per his wishes. He taught in the Arts of Combat, both ranged and close, magical and physical. Her skills she knew were still so weak, but in the years that followed she became stronger and faster. Through all those years of strife, he was always there for her, either lending a shoulder or giving her a well deserved scolding. She smiled. Those were the best times of her life...

She leaned against a rail, and stared out at the scene before her. The still waters of the harbor glistened with the glow of the full moon above. For a long time she stared, losing herself to the calm of the night.

It was there that he found her.

She felt his presence behind her, though he made no sign of his coming. He kept silent behind her, waiting for her to speak. Sadness welled up in the depths of her soul, sadness that she had not felt since she was little, when her parents were by an Overlords whim. Somehow, this sadness she felt echoed the old ache, but also seemed greater. She knew what was coming, and had known it since the very first time they met during that dark stormy night.

Ever so softly, without turning around, she spoke. "It's time, isn't it?"

For a long moment he did not answer, as if he were afraid to speak.

"Yes," he answered sadly.

He slowly came forward, and stood next to her leaning against the rail, looking out at the harbor and moon. They stood like that, without saying another to the other, but just gazing for long moments outward. Suddenly, the night sky was filled with explosive light as night flowers blossomed. She smiled, it looked like Akila and Timu had lived up to their promise of doing a fireworks display this night.

"My work here is done," he whispered. He hesitated. Sensing that hesitation she knew that the moment could not be delayed.

"Now you must leave." As she said those words, she felt her heart torn in two. He did not say anything. He didn't need to. His silence was all the confirmation she needed. She had hoped to have more years yet to have him by her side, but now...

Unbidden, tears unshed glistened her eyes, and the view before her shimmered in her gaze. It is time...

"Goodbye," he finally whispered. "Nadia..." And his presence vanished from her senses. Before she could always point out to the direction he was in, and she could tell whether he was far or near. Now, his presence had vanished completely, as if he had never been.

The night flowers continued to blossom, bathing the night with read and blue, and the world knew not his passage, but for one...

For a long time she stood there, leaning against the rail with tears streaming down her face. All through the night, she stood upon that hill, crying.

The End