After this brief inspection, the Sannyasi alighted on the boulder next to Atreus. He turned at once to the girls.
'Have no fear,' he said, and touched his palms to their faces. 'The devil will harm you no more.'
'We are not afraid for ourselves,' said the oldest sister. 'We are thinking of our father.'
'The devil bit him!' gasped the younger.
'I know,' the Sannyasi said grimacing. He continued to touch them, but even he could not erase their pain or explain to them why Tarch had done such a terrible thing. He merely nodded and said, 'He is from Outside, and there are things Outside we can never understand. Do not worry on your father's account He is with the Serene Ones now, and it makes no difference to them how he died. You were a blessing to him in life, and I have it on good authority that his only wish is for you live in peace and forget what you have seen today.'
This drew some of the pain from the girls faces, and only then did the Sannyasi spread his feathery wings and glide down into the hollow. Tarch's scorched and battered body began to tremble and exude vile-smelling fumes, and he glared at the winged guardian in red-eyed hatred.
The Sannyasi took the axe from Yago and motioned him out of the hollow. He looked down at Tarch.
'How dare you bring your evil into this place.' The Sannyasi's voice was filled with controlled fury. 'Did you not see my wards?'
'Pike it… bubber!' Tarch barely managed to moan the words. 'How long you think you can hold this little corner? This world's ours. We'll be coming for you soon enough-'
'If that is so, you will not see it'
The Sannyasi stepped on his prisoner's chest. A glowing white halo appeared beneath his foot and started to spread outward, slowly turning the devil's scaly hide pale and translucent. Tarch howled in pain and began to flail around, his thrashing fists pounding stones to powder. He struck at his captor time and again, clawed his leg, tried to drag himself free, but he was no match for the Sannyasi's strength. The white radiance continued to spread over the devil's body, turning him as clear as glass from head to toe, and when he became nothing more than a crystal ghost, he finally let out an agonized howl and stopped writhing.
The Sannyasi glared down at the devil's still form, then brought the axe down. Tarch's body shattered like ice, and began to melt away and stream off in all directions.
'Water turns the wheel, the wheel turns time,' said the Sannyasi. 'When the wheel brings your spirit around again, I pray you find a happier life.'
Yago arched his bushy brows. 'You killed him,' he said. 'After all we went through not to?'
'I did not kill him. I sent his spirit back to the endless river,' the Sannyasi said, then returned the axe to Yago. 'You were right to spare his life. It will help you find happiness Outside.'
'Outside?' Seema asked.
The Sannyasi nodded. 'It is not easy to subdue such a fiend without killing him,' he said. 'If your friends are strong enough to do this, they are strong enough to leave Langdarma.'
Atreus's heart sank.
'How soon?'
The Sannyasi looked from Seema to Atreus. 'Three days,' he said. 'The fall storms are coming soon.'
'And if we don't care about the storms?' Atreus asked. He glanced at the scowl on Yago's face, then added, 'What if / don't care about the storms. What if I don't want to leave… ever?'
The Sannyasi's eyes softened. 'This is not your home,' he said softly.
'I have never been happier in my home than I am here.' Atreus took Seema's hand, then added, 'I have found here what is forbidden me in Rivenshield.'
'Perhaps that is so. But you are a child of Rivenshield. You have a violent heart, and we have already seen what comes of violent hearts in Langdarma.' The Sannyasi gestured at the web of scarlet streams spreading over the valley and said, 'It cannot be.'
'Violent hearts?' Rishi scoffed. 'Did we not risk our own lives to spare Tarch's?'
'Tarch was here only because of you, and you are here only because of him.' The Sannyasi glanced up at the two young sisters, who were observing the exchange with blank, faraway eyes, and continued, 'Violence clings to you like an aura. You carry it with you wherever you go. You may stay for three days… no more.'
'Ungrateful squab!' Rishi hissed. 'After all we have done for Langdarma, you dare insult us like this? You do not know who you are talking to.'
'I do not need to,' said the Sannyasi. 'You have proven my point with your own words.'
'And if they don't leave?' Yago's tone was stubborn and menacing, but it did not escape Atreus's notice that the ogre had not included himself. He, at least, knew where he belonged, and it wasn't Langdarma. 'You think you can force them?'
Seema gasped at the ogre's brazenness, but the Sannyasi's silvery eyes remained calm and patient
'They will leave. That is the only possible outcome.' He looked away from the ogre and asked Atreus, 'What of the other two missing women?'
It took Atreus a moment to swallow his disappointment and answer, for his stomach had grown so bitter and tight that he could barely speak.
'I imagine they're still alive,' he said, gesturing at the cave mouth toward which Tarch had been climbing. 'We'll find them somewhere in there.'
'I will find them,' said the Sannyasi. 'You must rest and prepare yourself for your journey.'
With that, he spread his wings and flew up to the cave, leaving Atreus and his companions alone with the two girls. Atreus watched the Sannyasi disappear into the dark cavern and turned to stare out over Langdarma. The red web already stretched over as much of the valley as he could see.
'Maybe the Sannyasi is right,' Atreus said, shaking his head sadly. 'I only hope we haven't destroyed this little world already.'
'Us?' Rishi snorted. 'This is not our fault It was Tarch who killed, not us.'
'Tarch wouldn't have found Langdarma if we hadn't been looking for it,' said Atreus.
'And Seema would've been some devil's bed slave by now,' Yago said, and smothered Atreus's shoulder beneath his heavy hand. 'Don't go playing What if. This is a big valley. If you want to stay, we can hide out until after the storms start. The Sannyasi won't send us off till next summer, and maybe he'll change his mind by then.'
'Thanks. I know what a sacrifice that would be for you,' said Atreus, 'but no good can come of defying the Sannyasi. It would only harm Langdarma, and we'd still have to leave.'
Seema raised her brow, then her eyes grew glassy. She turned to the girls Tarch had kidnapped and asked them, 'Will it be okay for Rishi and Yago to take you back to your mother? They helped rescue you, and I believe you know you can trust them.'
The oldest girl nodded, and the younger one said, 'Rishi is nice.'
'So is Yago,' said Seema, 'and very brave.'
'And where will you be taking the good sir?' asked Rishi.
Seema turned to Atreus and said, 'There is something I would like to show him before he leaves.'
'And this is something we are not permitted to see?' Rishi leered, then gestured at himself and Yago.
'I fear not,' Seema blushed. 'Besides, you saw much of Langdarma while Atreus was recuperating. I think it only fair that he gets to see something special.'
Atreus bit his Up, torn between his desire to spend his last few days with Seema and to continue his search for the Fountain of Infinite Grace. 'How long will this take? Perhaps we could meet Rishi and Yago after they return the girls.'
Seema winced, clearly stung by Atreus's suggestion.
'You do not wish to spend your remaining time with me?'
'Of course I do!' Atreus exclaimed, realizing what a mistake he had made. 'It's just that… we all had our plans, and I didn't want to let the Sannyasi's decision change them.'
'Oh, you must not concern yourself with Yago and me,' said Rishi, patting Atreus's side. 'We will see to the girls and continue on as before, but I think you should go with Seema and see this special sight'
Atreus felt something small and light drop into his cloak pocket Guessing that it was probably the empty vial Rishi had taken from Seema's kitchen, Atreus realized the Mar was right. Perhaps Seema had decided to show him the Fountain of Infinite Grace after all. Atreus turned to Seema and took her hands.
