Soulgatherer, Epilogue

Soulgatherer, Epilogue The end!

Epilogue, Healing

Allayard was the only person there who knew everyone, recognizing the professor from his student days. He made introductions all around, studiously avoiding Lizel’s eyes as he did so. Rachael seemed to see the tension between them. Rachael seemed to see a lot, it seemed. At any rate, Lizel forwent her vengeance on Allayard for now, considering he had just saved their lives. But he had also helped to endanger their lives in the first place, so she didn’t consider him off the hook yet by any means.
“This area is still very unstable,” Rahael said. “There are holes in the air all over the place. I can see creatures pulling at the holes, trying to get through. Like the hole that Okasto was pulled into. The... weirdness in the air around here is also coming in through those holes. Like steam coming out of a cracked pot. Is there any way we can fix it?”
“The staff Okasto was using,” McDurgle said. “He called it a reservoir. He seemed to think it was important for whatever his plans were here.”
“Reservoir,” Lizel said. “I wonder. Could that be where he was storing all the energy he had taken? And was this, this place,” she gestured around her, “what he was replacing it with? Is that why all those people and my!... my sister got sick and died? Swapping out clean thaumic energy with this shit? Building up all that energy in order to do the gods know what?”
“I think you might be right,” Allayard said. Lizel glared at him and he looked away quickly.
“But how to get it?” McDurgle said.
Once again, Rachael came to the rescue. She could see where the staff lay in the poisonous waters of the pond, guided the wizards in retrieving it.
They took the staff to the tree, planted it in the ground, and all grasped its haft with one of their hands each. The three wizards opened themselves to the reservoir of soul energy gathered at so much cost, passed it through Rachael and into the hollow. She wove with it, stitching shut the gaping holes, blowing out the foul airs, draining the malevolent pond. It took a long time, but it felt timeless. To be a part of this power, this healing, was bliss.
Finally, there was nothing left. The staff was empty. The hollow was thick with protection: nothing would come through to bother this world for a thousand years or more.
Lizel looked at the smooth skin on her hands, felt her face. “Am I…?”
“Good as new,” Professor McDurgle said, grinning and putting a hand on his hip. “Me, too!” He actually skipped and hopped in the air.
“The pond is empty,” Lizel said. “Thank the gods that sea serpent is gone with it.”
“What do you suppose Okasto was doing?” Allayard said. “What was the point of all this? To unleash the demons on the world?”
“I don’t think so,” McDurgle said. “He seemed to find them as much of a nuisance as we did.”
“No,” said Rachael. “He wanted to put that power into himself. To make himself a god here in the world.”
“And all of that power went through us,” Allayard said. “I wonder…”
Lizel lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Cotton appeared in front of her. She crouched down, and the rabbit hopped forward and jumped into her arms. She stood and stroked the backs of her ears.
“A rabbit from a hat?” McDurgle chuckled. “That’s how you test your godlike powers?”
“It’s a start,” Lizel said.