《Falling Faster than the Speed of Light》


 Chapter One (born sick)

    She woke with dread like a stone in the pit of her stomach and nausea that was hot and acidic in the back of her throat. With eyes closed tight and head buried in her pillow, she swallowed once, then twice, and pushed it down. She took a deep breath and rolled onto her back, careful not to roll off the bunk. She counted up and back down again until she felt like she was in control of her stomach.


    The ship cut through the small white-capped rolls down along the water''s surface, waves crashing as it drove. It created a constant noise that mixed into the almost vibrating hum of the engines below. The hull of the ship whined and groaned while the sea pushed and shoved and rocked, throwing its dark, reaching, hands up trying to drag the beast down. A hovercraft did not belong in the sea, and the sea knew it.


    That''s how Mezalie felt about it anyway.


    She knew, logically, that the ship was sound for seafaring. Her Pod¡¯s tevenise vapor-engine craft was exceptionally well maintained and had almost never had a leak or a downed engine while at sea despite it being practically ancient. She should know, since she spent an almost equal amount of time down in the engines as she did topside tending to the crops they grew on the upper decks. The knowledge, however, didn''t stop her gut from protesting the ever-present rocking.


    Five quick taps on her door told her that she¡¯d already slept past what was politely late. She groaned out a miserable, ¡®I¡¯m up¡¯, before she scooted to the edge of her bunk and swung her legs down to sit up. She took her time to stretch, twisting and shaking out the sleep from her body and her mind. The soft, plush rug she¡¯d gotten at a bazaar in Voledesen, soltzets ago now, was still such a welcome barrier between her and the shock of the cold floor. A tap with the back of her heel and the compartment below her bunk popped open producing a variety of things including her worn-in, arcter fiber socks. The chill the metal ship took on in water was something she never really shook, no matter how many luel they were out to sea.


    She pulled a blanket from her bed and huddled it around her shoulders before shuffling the short steps to her closet, secured and built into the ship like everything else on a TVE, and like her drawer, it popped open with a small push. Everything was designed to not open accidentally when travel became turbulent, whether it was land or sea.


    There wasn''t much space, in terms of both the room and her closet space but she managed to cram a great many things into it anyway. The closet was full of shoes and slippers, belts and beads and scarves and everything between on hooks and in bags, all packed as tightly as she could get it. Any clothing that fit on a hanger was hung and what didn''t fit was secured in the drawer below her bed.


    What her tiny bunk room didn¡¯t have in furnishings she made up for in decor. The cold, drab walls were covered in faded, grainy photos of places and people across the world. There were flyers for shows she¡¯d caught in towns they¡¯d stopped in and posters for festivals in a variety of languages. There were no windows on the level her room was on and the beauty and fun she decorated her room with reminded her that driev like this were worth it.


    She gripped the edge of the closet door and considered her options as she gently swayed in place. She felt¡­kind of awful, if she was being honest. The rocking of the ship the last several driev was getting to her and she spent less time sleeping and more time curled up trying not to puke. She picked a soft, comforting t-shirt that she could layer with a sweater and pulled on a thick pair of pants. She was on deck first-thing and while the greenhouse was warm, the outer beds were much chillier. She wasn''t interested in being nauseated and cold. She grabbed her work boots from where they¡¯d slid into the corner by the door while she had her nap and shoved her feet in.


    The door to her room swung itself shut behind her with a gentle hiss and a click. The hall was empty, which she¡¯d somewhat expected, and she padded as softly as she could so as not to disturb the silence. She found, as she often did, that her footsteps began to sync up with the rhythmic beating of the engines on the deck just below. The consistent beat was nice, a mechanical heartbeat she could rely on to keep her grounded when she¡¯d been at sea too long.


    The weather had been good. The water was mostly calm and the sky was mostly cloudless. They¡¯d moved through two small storms, which she¡¯d spent most of in her room or down in the engines with a bin nearby, but otherwise it had been rather nice all things considered. It felt a little unfair that her stomach was so uneasy despite optimal conditions.


    The lights that dotted up and down the hall were dim, on the nente cycle; the ones that lit the staircases were brighter. As she ascended there were windows on the higher decks, though there was little light for them to let in yet. The sky ahead of them was completely dark still, the horizon a deep purple that was hard to distinguish from the dark water rising up to meet it. When she reached the top deck she could see the whole of the sky as Sol crept over the horizon in the wake of the ship.


    They¡¯d stopped to rig the TVE for seafaring on the coast of Syskel as Sol had begun waning overhead, continuing its annual crawl through the sky. They¡¯d made great time across the Folbenx Sea though so they¡¯d come out well ahead of the light as they approached Arlenasch. Behind them a violent pink threatened to turn to red as Sol rose slowly, steadily over the sea behind them.


    Sol Ahran Pods spent their entire time traveling just ahead of, or in the wake of Sol and Mezalie never got tired of the way the colors of the sky blended together in places like this. It was something to look forward to even when they were at sea. Ahraan, the smaller of the two moons, was just beginning to make its transit across the sky while the larger, ringed, moon would not be seen for another several driev.


    She was on late shifts, when most everyone else in the Pod was sleeping. During the sailing portion of their travels it was possible to keep a minimum number of people active on the sleep cycle. It was quiet on deck, just the sounds of the waves crashing below and the wind whistling by as they went. It felt eerie, like she was all alone in the world sometimes and she desperately wished for the background chatter of people living their lives around her. She felt a shiver run down her spine and she took the steps up to the second deck two at a time until she could drag herself up the ladder to the roost.


    Pidka no doubt heard her coming if he hadn''t also expected her. She was a creature of habit afterall. Even so he kept his nose crammed in his book, a reading light swaying on the hook above him as she pulled herself up onto the platform. The single chair that sat upon the platform was pushed off to the side against the railing, blocking at least some of the wind. The thin cushion had been moved and Pidka sat curled upon it, back to the chair to block some of the wind, with several thick blankets tucked tight around himself.


    The wind was worse up here, whipping her hair around her face, but the comfort of a familiar face was worth it. She didn''t have to say a word as she approached, his arm automatically came out for her to nestle herself under. She curled into the warmth as she pulled the heavy comforter up to her shoulders.


    "Rough one?" He asked, squishing her into his side to reach over and turn a page. She nodded into what was essentially his armpit.


    "It''s not even choppy out here or anything." She complained.


    "You tried eating anything yet?" He asked, marking his place and finally setting the book aside. He looked over at her, even in the low light he saw the dark spots developing under her eyes from too much time at sea.


    "Not yet. I just got up." She punctuated with a yawn. He shifted them both to the side as he reached around behind him. She heard something solid scrape along the floorboards and suddenly the arm wrapped around her was retracted but a dish was produced instead so she couldn¡¯t be mad about it. She pushed the blanket down just enough so she could select a bun from the ceramic dish, still warm enough to give off a bit of radiant heat as her hand drew near. She stuffed one in her mouth and grabbed a second for good measure before the dish was retracted. She mumbled a barely intelligible thanks as she chewed.


    ¡°Thought you might not be joining us. I saw Klia go down that way a few times.¡± He said around his own bite as she groaned and sank further into the blanket.


    ¡°She¡¯s obsessed with me, Pidka.¡± She complained.


    ¡°She¡¯s our sister, Mez. She needed family and she took a leap of faith in joining the Pod. She¡¯s trying to make friends.¡± Pidka reminded her. ¡°And she¡¯s excited.¡± He laughed as a gust of wind blew her hair into her face again as she was trying to take another bite.


    ¡°Nobody should be excited to-¡± she batted at the hair in her face, ¡°nobody except you should be excited to do nente a mor.¡±


    ¡°You used to be.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah because I was young and everything was exciting then,¡± she countered. He simply gave her a look and waited. The light hanging overhead cast long, swaying shadows over both of them as she narrowed her eyes back at him for a tes before finally breaking.


    ¡°Fiiiine,¡± she relented. ¡°I see your point.¡± She rolled her eyes and stuffed the other bun in her mouth.


    ¡°She looks up to you. And she¡¯s taking on a lot and it¡¯s all new. You¡¯re not that old, you remember.¡± He nudged her gently with his elbow and she elbowed him right back.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re right and I hate it.¡± She huffed as she untangled herself from the blankets. She reached a hand out and steadied herself on the arm of the chair above them as she hauled herself up. Pidka moved to reach for his book.


    ¡°Have fun.¡± He bid her as she lowered herself over the side and down the ladder. At the last moment she stuck her hand back up over the edge to send him a rude gesture and his laughter trickled down after her as she went.


    With food in her stomach and almost pleasant company, she did feel better than when she woke. She made her way from the front of the TVE to where the greenhouses sat near the other end. The level one greenhouse was internal and housed flora that needed Sol-light to bloom. There, they were able to use lighting and heat vents from the engines to control blooms throughout their travels, no matter where they were or where Sol was overhead.


    She stuck her head inside and was relieved to find the familiar puff of curls bopping between rows of plants. The air smelled damp and warm and felt slightly sticky on her face as she entered. She could see the trails of water zig-zagging along the floors where the hoses had been flung back and forth and they led right up to Klia, hose in hand. As she got close Mezalie heard the quiet humming of a familiar tune and instead of announcing herself she chose to simply join in, humming along in tune with the younger woman as she stepped up behind her.


    ¡°Mez!¡± Klia perked up instantly at the addition and swung around, the hose spray going wide around her as she did. Mezalie had done that enough times to know better and was comfortably out of hosing-range. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Klia cringed, redirecting the business end of the hose back into a bed. Mez motioned to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m still dry, no harm done.¡± She assured the younger woman. She offered a smile and stepped closer now that the threat of being soaked had passed. ¡°Besides I deserve it for leaving you to work by yourself.¡± She leaned in and stuck a finger knuckle-deep into the soil of the bed being watered. Deciding that it was good enough she tugged the hose down to the next area with Klia running back to drag more slack around the bends.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I couldn¡¯t really sleep anyway. Switching my sleep cycle has been weird.¡± Klia called over the plants as she rejoined her. Mezalie reached up to dead-head the tallest plants that the others couldn¡¯t reach. The tallest fruiting flowers would grow to the ceiling of the greenhouse and could grow much taller out on the seasonal deck.


    ¡°You seem to be adapting okay at least.¡± Mez smiled at her as she turned and dumped the plant detritus into the basket Klia had clearly been doing her own dead-heading into. ¡°Already much better at sea-faring than I¡¯ve ever been.¡±


    ¡°Aw, that''s not fair. You can¡¯t help that though.¡± Klia was quick to defend her. ¡°Some people are just prone to seasickness. Plus,¡± she paused to heft the basket up onto her hip and take it to the end of the next row as they worked their way down. ¡°I grew up on the coast, I¡¯ve been on lots of little boats and they¡¯re way worse than any TVE.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a good point.¡± She heaved the hose down again. Klia had done most of the greenhouse before Mez had joined her, leaving just a few more rows for them to tackle. For several tes they were quiet, the sounds of steam hissing up through vents rhythmically every few moments accompanied by the sound of a heavy flowerhead softly thumping into the basket as the two girls worked, Mezalie pretended not to notice that Klia would often peek over at her and on several occasions opened her mouth as if to say something but at the very last moment decided against it. She could feel the nervousness radiating off the girl and she reminded herself that what Pidka said was right.


    Joining a pod on your own was difficult at the best of times. Most folks nowadays were good about it but there were still those few in every Pod that felt that brietts needed to prove themselves before being completely accepted. Even without that though, leaving behind everything you know for constant change and new challenges daily was a whole other thing.


    Around the time they were finishing up the last bed Mezalie had started forming an idea in her mind. Klia was younger, but not as young as Mezalie liked to act like she was. It had just been a long time since they¡¯d had a new baby in the family and Klia was younger than the rest of them so it felt nice to be the big sister. She flipped the switch on the hose-head to stop the flow and turned to Klia with what she hoped was a conspiratorial grin.


    ¡°Hey, hear me out,¡± she started, ¡°once we¡¯re done with the upper deck how about we split a bottle of binent up in the farisses garden?¡± The flowers in question were in bloom presently and they smelled amazing; sweet and so, so, fresh. She raised an eyebrow as she saw a smile creep onto Klia¡¯s face. Mez was a little startled to recognize her own smile in the tilt of the other girls¡¯ lips. Klia shifted her eyes a bit, not quite meeting Mez¡¯s.


    ¡°Sooo¡­What if I told you I¡¯d already done the top deck?¡± Mez could see the deep reddish tinge that the tips of the girls'' ears took on where they just peeked out of her hair. Mezalie dropped her jaw.


    ¡°Shut up, you did not.¡± She hissed but there was no venom in it. Klia covered her face with her hands, peeking out from between fingers.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯ve had a hard time sleeping! I figured starting a bit early couldn¡¯t hurt and then I thought you were feeling too ill so I said ¡®Well might as well get it done¡¯ so¡­¡± She paused for a breath, finally removing her hands and meeting Mezalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yeah. I already did it.¡± She looked a bit sheepish still but the nervous energy had shifted at least.


    Mez barked out a laugh, coiling the hose around her arm and walking past Klia to continue winding it back up.


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    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s go rinse up and we¡¯ll just have the drink before I have to go down to the engines?¡± She turned to look back and Klia hefted the dead-head basket onto her hip and followed after her.


    ¡°Sounds great.¡± She smiled and Mez felt that nervous energy drain away at last. She hadn¡¯t even really realized that she¡¯d been treating Klia as an outsider this whole time and she felt rather guilty about it. Drinking wasn¡¯t necessarily the best remedy for closeness but Mez found that it often helped her greatly in breaking down the walls between herself and other people.


    They parted ways by the greenhouse door; Mezalie setting out to find a bottle of binent she¡¯d stashed away and Klia on her own mission to gather two glasses, and possibly a snack, she¡¯d proclaimed.


    ¡°Lir mido.¡± She called out as she hurried down the steps she¡¯d come from, an affirmative and a similar call coming from Klia as she went. As she rounded the deck and the roost came into view again she let out a long, high, whistle once, then twice before she saw Pidka¡¯s head poke up over the side.


    ¡°Gonna have binent up in the garden.¡± She called, not too loud because despite the wind and the crashing of waves below it still felt odd to disrupt the silence of the nente even though she knew nobody below deck could hear them. She saw Pidka give her a thumbs up before disappearing back below the edge that she could see. It was unclear if that just meant he heard her or that he would be joining them but that was simply how Pidka was. Either was fine with her, so she continued on with her task of retrieving the drink.


    She took the stairs back down the way she¡¯d come up, making a detour all the way down to her room for a blanket which she draped over her shoulders like a cape. She ascended the stairs once more to check several pantries looking for the specific bottle she wanted. She didn¡¯t find it in the first or second, which surprised her, and she resigned herself to checking the next level up.


    When she finally made it up the steps to the top deck she wasn¡¯t surprised to find Klia had beat her there. She was overjoyed to see the girl had brought another blanket in addition to the goblets and what Mez assumed must be a loaf of bread wrapped in waxed cloth.


    Mez came bearing not one but two bottles of dark sweet wine, both her favorites but with very different tastes. She plopped herself down next to Klia on a soft curled grass patch in the center of the garden. It was the best place to watch the Sol rise or even watch the moons transit across the sky as they sailed for luel on end. It kept time from feeling endless without another solid landmark for as far as one could see.


    She held both bottles up for the girl to see, letting her choose. She popped the cork on the chosen bottle, taking one goblet from Klia and pouring a sizable amount before presenting it to the other girl.


    ¡°More? Less?¡± She asked. Klia indicated for a bit more and Mez smirked at her. ¡°Oh you surely are our ana¡¯s daughter.¡± Klia took the goblet with a laugh and Mezalie poured her own.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to do on a small island but fish and there isn¡¯t much to do when you fish but drink.¡± Klia shrugged, taking a swig from her drink. Mezalie took a long drink of her own glass and lay back in the grass, resting the butt of her glass on her sternum. She let the warmth of the wine settle in her stomach, the sweetness leftover on her tongue a good contrast to the subtle heat.


    ¡°You smile like her too.¡± Mezalie finally said.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯ve been told.¡± Klia grimaced just the tiniest bit. ¡°Everyone back home told me how much I looked like ana,¡± she directed her eyes to Mezalie¡¯s face. ¡°But if they could see you they¡¯d know a more accurate copy exists.¡± They both laughed. Mez knew she looked like their mother.


    ¡°When I was little, everyone used to call me her mirror,¡± she huffed. ¡°There goes bida Erid¡¯¡±. She made a funny little running motion with her fingers in the air. ¡°It was a little annoying when people continued to accidentally call me Erid as the Solcen passed though.¡± She narrowed her eyes at the thought. Klia pulled her knees up to her chest, balancing her goblet on one knee as she nursed it. She had pulled her own blanket up over her shoulders, however she wasn¡¯t quite as bundled up as Mez was in her own blanket.


    The wind really wasn¡¯t so bad in the open garden as one might expect. They had a considerable amount of permanent hearty bushes, some were nuts, some berries, at the front end and even a couple of medium trees who''s root systems could be safely maintained. The garden was raised at the front end, sloping down just slightly toward the back, both for irrigation and to minimize wind on the smaller more delicate plants at the back.


    ¡°Did it bother you when ana stayed behind?¡± Klia¡¯s voice was low, Mez could tell she was trying to be careful in asking this question.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Mez shrugged, taking another long sip. ¡°I was a very independent child so by the time she hopped off I was already mostly doing my own thing.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re close with Pidka?¡± Klia asked.


    ¡°That guy? Psh.¡± Mez rolled her eyes but she was smiling the whole time. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes me.¡± Klia said in a quiet rush. She winced as she peeked over to gauge Mezalie¡¯s reaction. She wasn''t expecting the other girl to burst out laughing, spilling a drop or two of wine before sitting up to steady herself again.


    ¡°Oh no. Pidka is just like that, I promise. He likes you just fine.¡± Mez assured her but she still saw a small fear on the other girl''s face. Maybe not fear, maybe vulnerability. She waited as Klia chose her next words.


    ¡°And you?¡± Two simple words was what she finally settled on. Klia was looking into the bottom of her goblet instead of anywhere near her. Mez reached behind herself to place her goblet safely out of the way before scooting over the small space to wrap her arms around the smaller girl. It was somewhat awkward with Klia holding her own glass so she unwrapped her long enough to take the cup and place it near her own.


    ¡°I like you just fine too. We¡¯re family.¡± Mezalie said finally once she¡¯d sufficiently wrapped Klia in the best ¡®big sister hug¡¯ she could manage. ¡°I¡¯m excited to have you in the Pod. Now I¡¯ve got someone else to help me bully Pidka besides the children.¡± She felt Klia¡¯s laugh as it shook her.


    They finished the first bottle of wine and half the bread together and elected not to open the second in favor of simply savoring the light buzz while they compared growing up on the TVE versus staying in a single place. Klia complained about the fishy smell that clung to everything you had when you worked on the docks, and how when she realized she¡¯d stopped smelling it that it was time to leave.


    ¡°I have a confession.¡± Mezalie said some time later, when Ahraan was creeping up in the sky and it transitioned from being Late to Early, the sky became a warm lavender as the soft blue light of the moon reflected back at them through the atmosphere. Klia turned her head to look at her. They¡¯d taken to both laying back in the grass, watching as the sky turned. ¡°I¡¯ve been considering stopping off in Arlenasch when we land.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°That makes sense for you, I think.¡± Klia answered back. It was nice, Mez thought, that Klia wasn¡¯t a born Solhaaran and there was no judgment in her voice when she said it. She really didn¡¯t see a negative to the alternative lifestyle, she¡¯d lived it.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Mez asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah. I mean, you grew up on a TVE. You¡¯ve traveled with the Pod your whole life. It makes sense that you might want to try something else.¡± Klia reasoned, and it sounded so simple when she said it. Like it was just that easy.


    ¡°You¡¯re extremely brave.¡± Mez said in response, to which Klia laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call it brave or desperate,¡± Klia reached her arms above her head, stretching. ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything for me back home but fishing and I¡¯ll tell you this secret-¡± She leaned close, bringing her hand up to her mouth to whisper her secret. ¡°I kind of hated fishing.¡± They both laughed.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t imagine you love seafaring-¡± Mezalie turned her head to the side to mock-retch into the grass. ¡°And given that about half of Solaahran travel is on the water I honestly can¡¯t believe you made it this long.¡± Klia¡¯s reasoning was not only sound but spot on.


    ¡°Admittedly I have been thinking about it for a while now,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Ana did it.¡± Klia pointed out. ¡°And she was pretty happy with her choice. And if you hate it it¡¯s not like you couldn¡¯t come back, you know?¡±


    ¡°By the gods you¡¯re more like Pidka than I could have guessed. So logical.¡± As they laughed together the sound of a high whistle blew somewhere past the garden followed by the melodic sounds of bells, still audible over the wind and their laughter. Mezalie pushed herself upright, reaching her arms high above her head in a stretch.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s back into the belly of the beast for me.¡± She joked as she helped Klia gather their things up before setting back towards the front of the garden.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you if you do end up leaving.¡± Just before they reached the steps Klia spoke up. ¡°But you should think about it. We must be coming up on landfall soon.¡±


    Mezalie made a show of acting like she was thinking hard, she rolled her eyes, pursed her lips, rolled her shoulders.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll think about it.¡± She said finally.


    As they came down onto the main deck it was no longer empty and dim. The lights that dotted along the deck had brightened and several larger overhead lights posted up had come on to better illuminate the deck as the first few people made it on deck bright-eyed and awake. Mez and Klia waved to most and stopped for pleasantries as they passed the elders headed for the garden themselves for their first hot cups of navaroot.


    Unbeknownst to Klia, Mez was headed straight back for the roost. She was delighted when they rounded the corner and Pidka was still standing at the base having a chat with Drenna before they swapped roles. She waved to catch his attention and they both turned to the two girls as they came to join them.


    ¡°Kol driev!¡± Drenna called out as they approached. She was always in such a good mood it was rather contagious.


    ¡°Kol driev.¡± Mez repeated back with a smile. Drenna was a tiny thing, especially standing next to the three of them. All three had gotten Erid¡¯s height and stature, even if Klia had a slighter, more delicate frame. Mez tipped her head in Klia¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m down in engines for a bit,¡± she started, looking to Drenna. ¡°I was wondering if you might like some company?¡± The other woman was the perfect candidate she thought, friendly and outgoing, to get Klia to branch out and get comfortable with the others. Sure enough, Mez saw her face light up, her smile somehow brightening.


    ¡°Oh of course!¡± She wasted absolutely no time at all in reaching over to take Klia¡¯s hand. ¡°I love company in the roost. It¡¯s so boring all alone up there all the time.¡± She gave a pointed look at Pidka who, Mezalie¡¯s short visits aside, spent his shifts alone. Her dramatics could be a bit much for Mezalie but Klia seemed perfectly enchanted.


    Mezalie quietly excused herself from the group as Drenna and Pidka tussled over the benefits of company. She gave a little wave to Klia as she headed back down toward the main stairs. Down, down, down she went to the lower deck, below the last sleeping quarter level where her own bunk was. There was a single living quarter on the engine deck for the engine master though hardly anyone ever actually stayed there anymore. The noise of the engines and the vibrations of an ancient, pre-war, ship like theirs would rattle anyone down to their last nerve.


    She pulled the door open to the entryway into the main engine cabin. Inside the noise was deafening and she hooked a pair of earmuffs securely over her ears, blocking out the worst of it. She shed her heavy sweater and hung it near the door with a single other jacket. At the end of the small room was an open closet full of loose zip-up suits made of stiff, thick fabrics. She clunkily pulled one on over her clothes, hearing the scratchy fabric scrape across itself.


    The cuffs of the suit were covered in a sooty blackness, as were several other places, whether from a dark greasy oil or charring it was hard to tell. She tucked the suit over the tops of her work books. Finally she pulled a pair of gloves on and tucked the cuffs of her suit down into them. When she dragged the heavy inner door open the heat hit her like a wall. It was enough to take a person¡¯s breath away and made it hard to take that first breath, like swallowing fire.


    Mezalie took a strong, deep breath in and relaxed for the first time since she¡¯d awoken. Even through the suit the heat warmed her to her core and she felt well in a way she otherwise didn¡¯t when Sol was far from overhead. Like the overwhelming majority of Solahrans, Mezalie possessed a fire fen, like her ana and hers before that. It was said the fire in their blood is what drew the first Solahrans to follow Sol around the world in a never-ending voyage to bask in the warmth and the light. During their longest sailing, across the Folbenx Sea, Mez enjoyed spending her time in the engines, letting the heat ease her chilled bones.


    The door opened to the first engine, a massive central casing with a dozen enormous pistons pumping in time. The entire room rattled along in time with their firing. It was a familiar tune that she knew well. As she crossed the room she heard a whining sound and was unsurprised when she picked up the task list for the shift that there was a belt marked as needing attention.


    She made herself busy attending to belts and checking pressure gauges. She crossed off tasks left for her and marked down new ones as needed. By the time she was ready to head into the second engine her hair was damp and sticking to her forehead where it sat. She ran the back of her arm over her face again, no doubt leaving behind a grime.


    The second engine room was still hot but significantly cooler in comparison to the inferno that was the first. It was similar in build to the first however the pistons on this one ran much slower as did most of the components. In a similar fashion it needed much less attention, working at a much more leisurely pace. She was able to knock out the entire task list, all two items, in barely any time at all. She was able to spend the rest of her time on thorough cleaning, part of the upkeep she did often. Vell drilled into everyone that the best way to avoid greasy grime on everything was to not let it build up in the first place. Not everyone was as dedicated to the procedure as Vell was but Mez liked to think she did a pretty good job.


    She was thankful for the ease of her day. While she really was feeling better than she had when she woke, time at sea really did wear her down. Nearing the end of their trip made her yearn for solid ground even more, knowing they were so close. She thought about what Klia had said as she sprayed a degreaser into a small crevice before jamming a cloth in to wipe it away. The cloth came out with minimal residue and she moved on. She thanked the gods she only had to do engine two, of the four.


    It really was a miracle that she¡¯d lasted as long as she had in the Pod. She delighted in the travel aboard the TVE. She¡¯d seen so much of the world in broad strokes as they went along but she¡¯d never explored as much of those places as she wanted. When Erid had chosen not to continue on with the Pod all those solcen ago it had seemed like such a foreign decision to Mez. Her whole family, her whole community, was on the ship. The idea of starting over somewhere new with nobody was something she had a hard time thinking of without making herself feel a little bit ill. She moved methodically from one end of the enormous engine to the other.


    Klia had done it though, she reminded herself. And Klia was younger than her, though she seemed a fair bit more outgoing than Mez herself felt in most situations. It wasn¡¯t that she had a hard time with people or anything. She preferred company to alone time unlike Pidka but she often found herself struggling to initiate, struggling to consistently reach out.


    She had a pile of somewhat grimy rags at her feet when she was done. She was no longer sweaty but she felt thoroughly warmed from her fingers to her toes all the rest of the way in between. She gathered the rags together and piled them into the cloth bag that sat on the floor just inside the utility closet door. The bag was rather full at the end and she elected that it was time to bring it up for washing. She hefted the bag up over her shoulder and brought it with her back through the scorching heat of the first engine room where she shed her suit and gloves. Those went back where they came from.


    With her sweater donned she nudged the wash with her foot back out the door and into the hall, hauling the engine room door solidly closed behind her. She adjusted and settled back into her sweater as the chill of the hall tried to spread its icy fingers along her skin where she¡¯d sweat along the back of her neck. She was about to heft the bag back up when she paused, straightening as she looked down the hall, to the end.


    She pushed the wash bag up against the door to come back for on her way out. She instead found herself making her way to the door for the number three and four engines and pushing the door open to a dark room. This room did not have an oppressive heat wave nor was it quite as loud as the mechanical engines. The lights blinked to life as she entered, roused by her movement. The room was alive with the buzzing of hundreds of fans, all whirring to life at their own pace dependent on what bank of tech they were cooling. Along each wall were rows upon rows of power banks, masses of cords protruding to connect them all to each other. A third row in the center split the room in two all the way to the end, creating a loop of sorts. There was only a single monitor connected to the wall at the front of the room near the door, the contents of which were of no concern to her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®at?¡± A voice called out from somewhere deeper in the room. Mez made her way down the side of the corridor the voice seemed to have come from. She almost walked right past Vell when she did finally find the other woman. Mez stooped down to peer under the counter that Vell was presently wedged beneath. She¡¯d removed a large panel in the siding and had crawled into the guts of the engine. She had a small square light box wedged up between her and the wall and a cable between her teeth with a mess of others around her. She was methodically swapping ends of some cables for others that looked no different to Mezalie.


    ¡°You look busy,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m always busy.¡± Vell answered, swapping another end, absentmindedly placing another cable between her teeth as she ran out of hands. Mezalie dropped into a sit at the mouth of the cave Vell had created. She watched the woman work, checking small fuses and plugging and unplugging before checking a small device for a readout. Thus far it hadn¡¯t given a read out that Vell had liked since she continued her guess and check procedure. The floor was cold, even through her pants and a chill tickled up her spine. Mez hugged her knees to her chest, throwing her arms around them.


    ¡°I think I might want to stay behind in Arlenasch this Soltzet.¡± She finally offered up. Vell paused to look at her, met her eyes, saw the set of her jaw and the way she sat, before she spoke again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about it then.¡± She said finally, not unkindly. She leaned back into her task, flicking her eyes back to Mezalie in a show that she was still listening. Mezalie took a deep breath and released a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the seasickness, to be clear.¡± She started. ¡°But that¡¯s certainly part of it.¡± She placed her forehead against her knees, gathering her thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m having this dream... I¡¯m in a big open field but I can¡¯t see anything past the edge of this fog.¡± She closed her eyes, imagining it. ¡°But I¡¯m not alone. There''s something or someone else beyond the fog, I can sense it somehow. But no matter how fast or how far I run I never get past it but I know I need to. Whatever is past the fog is so important but I also feel afraid of the unknown of it.¡± Vell is nodding along as she tells her story.


    ¡°I think maybe I need to go find myself somewhere out there and staying where I¡¯m at is preventing me from seeing past the fog. I¡¯m looking for something that¡¯s not here... And with Klia joining us it¡¯s got me thinking about Erid too.¡± Vell plugged her connectivity sensor in once again and finally a small chime played along with the readout. She set about gathering up the various bits and bobs that had spread themselves around her.


    ¡°I think maybe I want something different. At least for now. And Arlenasch is never lacking in agricultural work, especially for the luel before solrise.¡± She added. Mezalie unbent herself and scooted out of the way as Vell crawled backwards out of the paneling. Once out the woman twisted this way and that, popping her spine and stretching herself out.


    ¡°Are you trying to convince me or you?¡± Vell asked, her voice light.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯m still trying to decide,¡± Mezalie groaned.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re just about there you know. Any driev now.¡± Vell reminded her and Mezalie simply groaned again. Vell let out a small chuckle. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve put some thought into it though so it seems like you¡¯ve made your decision.¡± She said in a more serious tone.


    ¡°I talked to Klia about it a little and I guess it made me feel brave. Like if she could do it, I could do it, right?¡± Mezalie reasoned.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re talking to Klia before me now?¡± Vell put on a dramatic, scandalized front. ¡°I see I¡¯ve been demoted to second-¡± she narrowed her eyes, waiting for any protest, ¡°-confidant now.¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t you dare.¡± Mezalie rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Really though,¡± Vell had managed to separate out all the cords that needed to come out and stuff in all the cords that needed to go back in, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally really talking to her.¡± She picked up and placed the panel she¡¯d removed to get into the cubby, back where it belonged, popping it back into place. Mezalie huffed.


    ¡°Yeah. It feels like such a waste that it took until now and, well, if I leave¡­¡± she shook her shoulders as Vell collected the various tools and bits of cabling left over from her fix. Neither woman said anything as they stood and made their way back to the front of the room. Mez watched as Vell methodically placed tools back in cases and bins.


    ¡°Are you upset?¡± Mez finally asked. It felt silly leaving her mouth but she had to ask it anyway. Vell stopped where she was, frozen for a moment.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m upset!¡± Vell practically shouted into the cabinet. Vell looked over at her before resuming her previous task. ¡°I¡¯m very upset. I¡¯m gonna miss you so much.¡± She closed the cabinet with a soft click. ¡°But I¡¯m not surprised by this at all and that tells me that it¡¯s probably the right thing, ya know?¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Mez nodded to herself. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel this dread though the closer we get.¡± She absently placed her hands on her stomach.


    ¡°That¡¯s the seasickness, actually.¡± Vell said.


    ¡°Oh shut up.¡± Mez batted at the other woman as she passed. Vell turned back to face her, taking several backwards steps.


    ¡°Are you staying to help me with rul?¡± She asked. Mez hooked a thumb over her shoulder towards the door.


    ¡°Can¡¯t. I¡¯ve got grease rags that need attending,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alright well, like I said. Any driev now.¡± Vell waved her off, turning back around to make her way down the opposite corridor.


    Mez stood there a moment, her hand on the door handle to the hall. She still felt the heavy dread in the pit of her stomach she¡¯d woken up with. It wasn¡¯t seasickness, but it probably was the fact that their arrival made her choice more real. She didn¡¯t intend to split off from the Pod right away or anything but the realness of it frightened her as much as it thrilled her.


    She opened the door and headed back out into the hall to grab her bag and take it up to soak. She had plenty of things to keep herself busy until then.

 Chapter Two (the end)

    It turned out to be four driev more when Orlon sighted land in the vague distance. The TVE was alive with excitement as people celebrated the end of their long trip at sea. Mezalie was alerted via a half dozen frenzied knocks to her door to wake her before it was practically yanked open.


    ¡°Mez,¡± came Vell¡¯s voice, softly. It was Mezalie¡¯s off shift and she¡¯d been trying to get some sleep in an attempt to reorient her schedule before they landed.


    ¡°Mez.¡± Vell said a bit louder as she approached. Mezalie groaned in response, rolling over in her bunk. ¡°As requested I¡¯ve come with news.¡± Her voice was high and full of excitement as she barely kept it to a sort of whisper. ¡°Land has been sighted.¡±


    Mezalie untangled one of her hands from her blankets and wiggled her fingers along as she gave a sleepy cheer. Despite the sleep haze she really was ecstatic. They¡¯d hit another small storm the nente before and it had been a rather miserable time for her.


    ¡°We¡¯re a ways out still but we¡¯re landing soon.¡± Vell said, reigning in her excitement to hush herself. ¡°I¡¯ll come back down to get you later,¡± she promised, quietly retreating back out the door and then it was dark and quiet in her room again.


    She thought for a moment that she may not be able to fall asleep again. She turned this way and that for a few moments, trying to mash her pillows into the most comfortable arrangement. As quickly as she¡¯d thought it though she felt the comforting weight of sleep pulling her down once again.


    The grass was tall, about knee high in most places. Smaller springy grasses covered the ground between larger patches. It was thick and spongy beneath her feet and feeling it she realized she wasn¡¯t wearing any shoes. She looked down only to realize her feet weren¡¯t there, at least, she couldn¡¯t see them. They felt like they were there.


    The fog was as thick as ever, just like all the other times she¡¯d found herself in the dream. She could see a short distance ahead of her or around her but nothing further. There were no landmarks, no especially remarkable clumps of grass, or anything to mark her place. She¡¯d tried pulling up clumps of grass to leave a trail telling her where she¡¯d been but it never worked. As soon as she turned around everything was as it had been.


    So she walked. There was no point in running when she wasn¡¯t going anywhere at all, let alone in a hurry. It seemed like the smart thing to do would be to just simply stay put but she felt compelled to go.


    She was looking for someone.


    She couldn¡¯t recall who she was looking for but she could tell they were here somewhere. Lost in this foggy field just like she was. If she could just figure out a system of some kind to find them.


    She tried to yell, maybe they could find each other by sound. When she opened her mouth though not even a whisper of a sound came out. She realized with a start that there wasn¡¯t any sound. Her feet made no noise as they trod through the grass. The tallest pieces of grass swayed in a soundless wind. It was suddenly silent in a way that was deafening. A roaring quiet that crashed in her ears and suddenly disoriented her.


    She found herself falling but which way she was falling was a mystery. All she could see in any direction was thick white fog. The field was gone and so was any hope of orienting herself. She had nothing but the swoop of her stomach and the feeling of freefall for what felt like an eternity and then suddenly she remembered again.


    She was looking for somebody.


    She was getting closer, she could feel it. She could feel them, hidden by the fog somewhere around her. She tried and tried to think of a way to find them. Her fall had gradually slowed into a drift. She felt like a feather floating on an unseen current, drifting through the unending ether.


    She remembered that she couldn¡¯t see her feet and realized for the first time that she couldn¡¯t see the rest of herself either. She had no form here and she told herself, maybe she wasn¡¯t limited to abilities of one either. She reached out, stretching past herself and further into the unknown around her. She felt as wisplike as the fog around her, twisting and curling herself outward and mingling with the mist.


    Maybe this was how she found them, whoever they were she was looking for. She wished she could remember. It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach. She felt like she should know. How could she have forgotten?


    She drifted there, aimless in the fog, for some time. Trying desperately to remember someone she didn¡¯t know.


    A noise crept into the roaring silence of the empty place. At first it was barely there, she didn¡¯t even notice the soft rise and fall of it. Then it became more and more jarring, blaring louder and louder, shaking her in her dream, until finally she was shaken from the dream all together. She was ripped back into consciousness when the TVE itself shuddered and jolted, throwing her into the wall of her bunk. Her eyes flew open and the sound of the ship''s alarm was suddenly overwhelmingly loud in its screaming. The ship shuddered again, throwing her into the wall again.


    She righted herself as quickly as she could, realizing that everything was slightly slanted and uneven. Engine one was down but from the feel of things they didn¡¯t seem to be sinking and she remembered they¡¯d been close to landfall. It felt like they¡¯d been downed on some kind of solid ground which was its own kind of relief. The steady rise and fall of the alarm as it wailed continued on as the only background noise she could hear as she righted herself and shoved her feet into her work boots as quickly as she¡¯d ever done. Her heart hammered in her chest and she could feel herself shaking lightly as she hurried.


    Their ship was extremely well maintained and she¡¯d been down in engines recently. It didn¡¯t seem right that the engine could have failed.


    With the way the ship was tilted it was difficult to get her door open, the power-based mechanics were shot and she was fighting against the weight of the door as she slid it just far enough to get out. Engine four must also be down, she thought to herself. The door clanged loudly behind her as it slid closed on itself. The alarm blared even louder in the hall than it had in her room, the sound grating on her ears and the beginnings of a headache setting in. Outside of her room now she could smell the acrid stench of something burning. The nose of the ship was pointed down so she began making her way up toward the opposite end. Her instinct was to go to the engines but she needed to find out what was going on first, where was everyone and who was already working on it.


    She managed to make it to the staircase at the far end of the hall and she still hadn¡¯t heard any indication that others were present. The further she got the more fear trickled icy into her veins. She heard no footsteps above, no echoing shouts from above. Where was everyone? Why wasn¡¯t there any commotion around the fact at least two of their engines were down? As she rounded the top of the flight going up, the door on the landing above her opened sending voices spiraling down to her. She raced up the steps, relief flooding her, questions ready to tumble from her mouth, only to be met by faces she did not recognize.


    There were three people standing at the door. One was dressed in a long, heavy looking cloak of green, adorned around the chest with an ornate golden filigree. The other two wore what appeared to be a uniform of some kind. They wore the same long sleeved gray jacket and black pants.


    Mezalie saw them at the same time they saw her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked at the same time the man in the green robe pointed down to her.


    ¡°Get this one too. Make sure there aren¡¯t any others.¡± It wasn¡¯t even the thick Yoshkish words he spoke but the way he looked at her that made Mezalie¡¯s blood run cold. He looked at her like something inconsequential, something to be simply dealt with.


    She took off at a dead run back down the stairs. She did not waste time looking back to see if they were chasing her. She half-ran, half-slid back down the stairway and threw herself into the door, desperately shoving it open again to get out. When she hit the hallway her feet missed just slightly on the uneven flooring and she went sliding down toward the nose of the ship. She could hear someone fighting with the door behind her and she picked herself up from an uncontrolled slide into a deliberate half-tumble run the rest of the way down.


    She managed to make it into the other stairwell before her pursuers caught up with her and she was up the stairs before they¡¯d managed to make it into the stairwell. Up and up she went, trying to get out of the belly of the ship, trying to find anyone that she could to make sense of what was happening.


    Breath heaving she burst through the door to the lower deck. She was so focussed on her singular mission of ¡®up. out. get out.¡¯ that she was blindsided when several pairs of arms reached for her at once. She fought to break any grip someone got on her- kicking and flailing and biting down hard on an arm around her neck and chest. She heard several curses shouted as they tried to take her down. She immediately recognized the Yoshkish curses, telling her they had indeed made it to Arlenasch.


    In her panic she didn¡¯t think twice about using her fen, releasing it in a hot burst from her core. She felt it shoot down her hands, fanning out to her fingers, then down her legs and to her toes. Her body came alight with heat and she felt the fire pooling at the surface of her skin. Shouts followed as the places where strangers tried to hold her burned and her tears ran boiling where they streamed down her face. Places she bit down sizzled as they burned. A man¡¯s scream could be heard as the heat increased with her panic.


    She hit the deck hard, shoved from behind and at least one person¡¯s body weight on top of her as she screamed and kicked as hard as she could to shake them off. Someone else grabbed her feet, yelping as they did and she felt helpless as someone haphazardly shackled a pair of large cuffs around her ankles. She tried to twist out of their grip but it was no use, she couldn¡¯t get any traction to get away. Her arms were wrenched behind her and another pair of cuffs were fitted over her wrists. These ones were larger and fully encased her hands separate from each other. She could feel the fen being drawn out of her and into the cuffs, both at her hands and feet. They were nolstone, absorbing the fen to keep her from using it herself. They were heavy and the weight burdened her movement as she was hauled up from the deck by at least one person on each side of her. She tried to wriggle her way free from them as well but from somewhere behind her she received a strong blow to the head and everything went dark.


    ***


    Mezalie swam back to consciousness in bits and pieces sometime later. She jerked her head up only to bang it back into something behind her- a thick wooden beam that had been driven deep into the sand beneath the rocky beach. She felt the solid weight of the cuffs that encased her hands pulling down behind her. Her hands had been re-shackled around the beam at some point, and her shoulders were stiff and ached from being forced to sit with them wrenched back as they were. She could still feel the stone leaching away her fen, drawing it out of her and into the stone.


    She tried again to lift her head, slower this time, and leaned it back against the solid beam at her back. Her head was throbbing with a tight, pulsing pain that made her feel sick. The first thing she noticed was the smell, it was smoke and burnt hair acrid and tangy in the air. It burned at her nose and filled her lungs forcing her to cough but she could barely get enough air in without gagging. The next thing she noticed was that someone was shouting, several someones in fact.


    She blinked her eyes against the pale light of the small moon, Ahraan, as she tried to look around her. Most of what she could see was in dizzying double vision. She noticed several people in those drab gray uniforms moving around nearby. She saw more people in green robes as well, an old woman wearing them passed in front of her. She followed the movement as the woman passed and when she managed to get her head to roll to the side she saw that Klia was there, bound to a beam just as she was but Klia was standing already.


    ¡°Klia?¡± It was unclear if the other girl heard her weak words over the noise and distance between them or simply noticed her moving but she looked over toward Mezalie. She had tear tracks down her face and fresh ones continued to fall as their eyes met. Mez wanted to say something, opened her mouth but all that came out was nonsensical noises around the burnt taste in her lungs and her head hurt so bad it was hard to clarify the jumble of what she¡¯d even meant in the first place. A man in gray seemed to notice that she¡¯d awoken as he stepped between her and Klia. He kicked her hard in the leg.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Kivey o lomi ki,¡± the man commanded in thick Yoskish. Get on your feet, her mind supplied from somewhere, at least that¡¯s what she thought he said. He stood there, over her, waiting for her to comply. When she didn¡¯t immediately respond he kicked her again, ¡°Up. Now.¡±


    She tried her best to gather her legs beneath her despite her position. It was a multiple attempt process to shimmy her way to standing, her arms still bound painfully behind her. Her legs immediately began to tingle as the blood rushed back to them. She shifted her weight from foot to foot momentarily. Her head swam even worse for a moment, her vision tunneling and going dark around the edges, before clearing.


    The tide was out, the waterline quite a ways down. She could see the TVE just down the beach. It sat unevenly with its hulking mass perched downward on a sandbar, explaining the tilt. There were several large, dark spots on its side and front hull that as she stared she realized were not spots, they were holes. Someone had blown holes in the side of the TVE. She remembered the smell of smoke in her brief scuffle.


    Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her body go numb as her vision focused again. Between her and the TVE, all down the beach, were other beams standing tall. Each of them had what was obviously a body bound to them. The furthest ones she couldn¡¯t see clearly, but closest to her, she could still see the smoke rising from the charred husk that was once a member of her family. She wanted to cry, like Klia, but she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t feel anything. She swung her head clumsily back toward Klia and saw that there were others past her. Virda. Arden. Drenna.


    "Be it the will of the Universe to grace us-¡± a booming voice cut through both her horror and the noise.


    An old, wrinkled, woman stepped away from the crowd. The gathered group of gray and greens quickly silenced themselves. They parted easily for the woman to pass. She wore the heavy green robes Mez had seen on the man in the ship. It was ornately embroidered and she noted for the first time that the gold was on a separate cowl piece. The woman turned to face the crowd and raised her arms skyward, the crowd cheered once then silenced themselves. Other robed men and women stepped forward toward her and the others, each holding an ornately carved staff. The old woman approached Mez first, on the end and stood well over a head shorter than her. Mez tipped her head to look down at her, trying to focus her dizzied glare at her.


    ¡°This will all be over soon my dear,¡± the woman said. She had the thick accent of someone from northern Arlenasch. Mez¡¯s anger suddenly boiled over her numbness as she realized the woman looked perfectly pleased, a small smile on her face. Under different circumstances she¡¯d have thought the heavy laugh lines and upturned lips made the woman look kind. Mezalie said nothing in return, glaring in hopes that maybe the woman would combust from sheer willpower alone. When, disappointingly, nothing of the sort happened, she opened her mouth and spit in the woman¡¯s face instead, letting out a quick snorting laugh when she managed a direct hit despite her head trauma. The crowd around them gasped and several people made to move toward her at once but the old woman held a single hand aloft, stopping them in place. She looked taken aback for only a moment before returning to her pleasant composure. She used the heavy sleeve of her robe to wipe the spit away.


    Mez was furious that it hadn¡¯t even burned her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go last,¡± the old woman said. Despite the smile, her words were cold.


    Without another word she turned away and raised her arms skyward again and the entire crowd cheered. The woman turned and motioned to the man standing beside Virda on the end opposite Mez. He raised his staff aloft. The crowd cheered again and Mezalie turned her head to meet eyes with her friend as best she could. She saw the fear there before Virda locked it away and steeled her expression, refusing to look out at the crowd before them. Klia¡¯s tears had returned in full force.


    The man took his staff and placed the end of it above Virda¡¯s head on the post and suddenly bright sigils appeared along the wood, slowly lighting from top to bottom. A strange ringing hum emitted from somewhere and it made her head spin and her teeth feel like they were chattering. The glowing marks increased in brightness as they went and Mezalie could barely see the woman against the light anymore. As the sigils reached the bottom of the post Virda screamed and Mez closed her eyes. Another jeer erupted from the crowd. She''d never seen fen like this before. What were they doing to them?


    ¡°Stop! Please! Please!¡± Klia¡¯s voice rang out between sobs. ¡°Stop!¡± She cried again. As she said it Virda¡¯s post, and Virda, exploded in bright, heatless, flames. Mez desperately wished she couldn¡¯t hear the screams, the sizzling and popping of the false fire as it consumed her friend. She could hardly even hear Klia¡¯s cries over it anymore.


    Mezalie looked straight ahead, straight out at the crowd and straight ahead at the old woman smiling pleasantly as her friends and family were murdered. That ugly, wrinkled, smiling face lit something deep in her core, an anger that she had no control over. Her heart was pounding and her vision was beginning to tunnel again but for very different reasons. Her breaths were coming faster. She could feel her fen responding to the anger as Klia and Arden¡¯s screams of pain rang out around her and hoots and hollers were coming from the crowd. Each time she felt the swell of fen bubble up in her chest though, it was quickly wicked away by the Nolstone.


    Finally a man stepped forward and blocked her view of the crowd and the old woman. Like all the others, he placed his staff above her head. She felt the moment that the foreign, wrong, fen began to flow in and out of her. The pain was excruciating, like she was being unraveled, like someone was stabbing her over and over, like she was being peeled down to the very last layer and despite the lack of any physical heat, like she was being seared alive. She could no longer hear anything over the roaring sound in her own ears as the fen worked its way through her, meeting her own in an internal struggle that felt like it would overflow from her body, tearing her apart. It was too much for her to contain. She didn¡¯t know if the ringing in her ears was from the fen or her own screams as it all mingled together. Suddenly there was a loud crack all around her and everything went dark.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    When Mezalie opened her eyes again the brightness of her surroundings was blinding. She slammed her eyes shut and tried to remember where she was. There was a gentle quiet around her, a soft rushing. She felt a light breeze tickle over her skin. She was lying on her back, wherever she was. It wasn¡¯t her bunk, she had far too much room. She was warm, comfortable, and something smelled vaguely sweet around her. She blinked her eyes open slowly this time, acclimating to the brightness.


    She sat up, all around her was tall grass as far as she could see: a field. She had the feeling that she¡¯d been here before but couldn¡¯t quite remember. Out in the distance she could see that a thick, misty fog obscured anything further. The sky above was hazy and overcast, like she existed in a bubble of field and fog.


    Everything here was muted, the sounds of grass shifting in the sweet soft wind, the colors of everything around her. Everything seemed dull, dampened by the haze, even her mind felt foggy. She couldn¡¯t remember how she¡¯d gotten here. Where was everyone?


    Carefully she pushed herself to her feet. Despite laying in the grass and dirt and moss, she was neither damp nor dirty when she bent to brush herself off. The grass where she¡¯d been laying didn¡¯t even appear disturbed. She turned in a full circle, looking for any indication that told her which way to go but she found none. Every part of the horizon looked like every other; grass and then fog.


    So she picked a direction and she walked.


    She padded through the grass, the soft ground beneath her feet quieting her steps. She reached a hand out at her side and felt the long grasses against her palm as she passed. They didn''t feel like much of anything, like a whisper of a touch, the remembrance of a feeling. She brought her hands up to inspect and discovered she could see them but she could also see through them. She could vaguely see the horizon through the haze of herself.


    She reached out again to touch the grass and was pleased to find that if she pulled hard enough on the end, both forms of her hand and the frond blended together in a mist before drifting apart from each other, neither entire corporeal. In the transference there was a sense of peace.


    She continued onward, wandering aimlessly forward for an eternity, an unknowable amount of time. As she walked she began to feel lost, as if she''d known where she was going to begin with.


    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be looking for someone? Yes. She couldn¡¯t remember who she was looking for but she¡¯d been walking an awfully long time now so she must be getting close.


    She remembered a pathway. A staircase? No, not a way up, a way in. It was a doorway and it existed somewhere beyond the fog. She was beginning to recall, she had been here before.


    A crossroad.


    She was meeting them at the crossroad and as she thought it a pathway in the fog began to disperse before her. As she approached she saw that beyond the edge of the field were great foggy stepping stones that led the way. The space below was incomprehensible, either there or not there depending on if she was looking directly at it. She carefully placed an unseen foot onto the first step and the impression showed and the footing felt stable. She gingerly picked her way across the steps, compelled to go.


    She realized, about halfway across, that she wasn¡¯t sure how to introduce herself. Both because she couldn¡¯t recall who she was meeting and because she wasn¡¯t sure who she was either? She¡¯d had a name, she was sure. In fact, the more she thought about it, maybe she¡¯d had many names. She paused on the last misty step, contemplating. Would it matter if she couldn''t remember?


    In the end she felt like if it had been important she would have remembered. She picked her way across until unexpectedly she found herself stepping off the last step and onto a foggy plateau. There were no long grasses here, no sweet wind or peaceful gentleness. Here it was just-


    Empty.


    She turned back the way she¡¯d come and she knew the stones she¡¯d followed here would already be gone. There were no landmarks here to orient herself in any way. A place so vast and devoid of anything that she felt so, so small and lost in the emptiness. She couldn¡¯t remember anything. Who was she? Who was she looking for? How was she supposed to find someone when she didn¡¯t even know where she was?


    A swell of emotion rose up through her, a powerful grief suddenly erupting from her in a noise she wasn¡¯t sure was a shout or a sob. Maybe it was both. The sound of it echoed long into the void. She meant to bring her hands up around herself but they¡¯d faded to nothingness long ago like her feet had. She hugged the impression of her arms around herself instead and she crouched down, huddling in on herself as she wept. The sense of loss was enormous despite not being sure what she¡¯d lost.


    Her tears felt hot on her face where they tracked down her cheeks. It was more than the barely there feeling of the grass on her palm. They were not wet, just pleasantly warm where they fell. She let the heat comfort her until the tears soothed themselves away. It could have been only for a moment or it could have been for the rest of time. She stayed there, curled in on herself in the void.


    Quiet and still, like the space around her, she felt it, the gentle thump-thump of a heartbeat that wasn''t her own. She listened, over the roaring, disorienting, silence and she heard something else. It wasn''t a whisper, it was softer than that. It felt like a fleeting thought across the back of her mind but it hadn''t come from her.


    She felt another fen flow through her, overwhelming in its suddenness. She looked around herself and saw nothing. Instead she pressed her hand into the empty space beside her in a desperate attempt to orient herself again. Suddenly her awareness shifted and the direction she felt the fen coming from was forward. She pushed herself up onto shaky not-there legs and scrambled along to follow the feeling.


    She followed the feeling in whatever direction it felt like it came from. She followed a path up then down and around in circles but the landscape never changed until suddenly, there, in the distance, was another person. They were faced away from her but they were definitely there, the only other thing that appeared to exist in this limitless space with her.


    As she approached she saw that the person who stood there, like her, was barely there. A shimmering transparent afterimage of someone that was. They turned to her as she approached and as she stood face to face with them she felt the strangest feeling that she was looking into a mirror. She recognized herself in the dazzling brightness where a face once was. The other being held out a hand to her and she knew immediately that she would take it.


    She heard the crack and smelled what reminded her of a desert after rain. She felt the backlash of fen as it exploded outwards and coursed into her, throwing her back and nearly ripping their hands apart. Quickly she scrambled back to sit upright only to see that the other being hadn¡¯t even budged from their original position, now bathed in a blinding, iridescent light. She moved to take their hand again more firmly and immediately images began to flit past behind her eyelids.


    Images of lives she didn¡¯t know but felt sure she¡¯d lived flew by. People she knew nothing about but felt indescribably connected to all passing by. For just split seconds she saw through each of their eyes and the almost-person across from her wore another face too, different but still somehow recognizable. She felt a bond reach out between them, connecting them again and again. The visions flashed and flickered by so quickly that each time she¡¯d managed to grab onto one it was already gone. Each time she found comfort in a bond she felt the backlash of a bond severed. Each passing vision was harder to keep up with than the last and soon she wasn¡¯t sure where they ended and she began.


    The sudden tickle of words against the back of her mind brought her to attention. They had no tone, no voice, but she felt the cold chill of urgency trickle through her with them. The feeling of urgency was turning into adrenaline and they needed to go- now. The other being used their joined hands to pull her after them. She tried to drop their hands then but they held tight to her, shaking their head and pulling her along. She followed because she didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    For the first time since entering this place Mezalie heard a noise, a real noise. They both heard it because the other came to a stop and they both looked around and then at each other. A chill ran down Mezalie¡¯s spine. The sound came again and she had to wince against it. It was a sound like nothing else she¡¯d ever heard. like ragged screaming or metal against glass; a terrible, agonizing, wailing.


    She was almost afraid to but she turned to look over her shoulder, following their gaze. There behind them was a smudge on the otherwise blank backdrop they were in. That inky smudge was dragging itself out of the emptiness on elongated, overly jointed jegs that looked both solid enough to walk on but liquid enough to bend at angles they shouldn¡¯t. Its oozing body had no defined shape at first until a single, large, white, eye peeled open and centered itself at the front of the monster. It had no pupil but Mezalie was positive it was looking right at them. Below the eye the shape began to bubble and stretch and a jagged hole tore open to reveal a mouthful of crooked teeth that matched the rest of the gross body.


    A sudden pull tore her attention away from the grizzly monster and she looked back in time to see the other press their free hand into the emptiness and suddenly a door of light yawned open. They quickly bolted through the door, pulling her along behind but she slammed into an invisible wall right at the threshold, her ability to cross through the door stopped at her shoulder. The other immediately turned to see what was wrong, why she¡¯d stopped. They pulled and it appeared that her arm was solid all the way up to the point she was stuck. Looking down, the rest of her still seemed mildly transparent. She couldn¡¯t cross this doorway. They gave another tug and another hideous screech was heard behind her.


    She heard the ear splitting scream of the monster again and pulled her hand away finally in order to cover her ears. It was the only noise in the otherwise absolute silence and she wished with all her being that it would stop. She turned to face the monster and saw that it was dragging itself closer, slowly though, like it was being cautious. She took a step backwards, and then another, pressing her back to the doorway she could not cross. She turned to look over her shoulder and the other being was pounding on the doorway from the other side, unable to cross back it seemed. The monster came closer still, its bubbling, impossible mass moving in a way she couldn¡¯t describe. It simply moved.


    The closer it got the more she wanted to run away but where would she even go? It moved closer and she stayed in place. The creature was almost upon her and she felt fear icy in her veins. This close she could see the oily slime oozing out between its gnarled teeth. She felt like it should smell, it looked like it should smell foul but like everything else in this vacuum there was nothing. She fell backwards, pressed to the light door as the other beat uselessly against the divide.


    The monster loomed over her, inky darkness beginning to drop down onto her skin. There was no pain but she watched as the splotches seeped into her and dark veins webbed across her where they did. She kicked out violently as the monster placed grotesque ¡®hands¡¯ on her legs and dragged her forward. She reached out for anything, trying to find purchase to keep the monster from pulling her with it but there was nothing to hold onto. She scrambled and called on her fen, quickly throwing her hands up, and for the first time since being captured she was able to release a blast of light toward the creature. The monster however, was unfazed. It seemed to absorb the energy into its body and continue spreading its oily darkness over her, slowly swallowing her.


    She fought and struggled and pushed back at the substance until it had engulfed her up to her chest and she could no longer fight back. The monster seemed to stop then, bringing its large eye close to her face, examining her. It suddenly reared its head back and let out another piercing wail and Mezalie was only thankful that it sounded no worse up close than it had at a distance. It looked back down at her, heaved its body closer and opened its awful mouth, dripping ooze down onto her face. She saw, at the last moment, a bright burst of light explode from behind her, washing over her and the monster, the sound of something immense shattering and a voice came, crystal clear in the silence.


    ¡°No!¡±


    It was her own voice, she thought, but it hadn''t come from her own mouth. It was the last thing she heard as twisted teeth came down and the monster snapped its great maw closed around her and then there was nothing

 The Order of Vraiste: Onoara

    A soft breeze drifted through the sanctuary and carried with it the heavy scent of incense and warm, sweet, wine. The curtains on both sides had been opened to let the light of the moons in, brightening the open hall as much as possible. A great variety of candles had been lit and placed around the room to add both light and ambiance for the occasion. In the center of the room sat a stone monument and before that sat a girl. She was surrounded by a circle of her elders and other oracles-in-training who had completed their own rites, just as she was about to do.


    The anticipation singing in her veins made for a rather excitable stomach. She took a long, deep breath in an attempt to calm the churning and reminded herself that she was supposed to be meditating. She wiggled her fingers silently where they lay in her lap.


    She couldn¡¯t resist cracking one eye ever so slightly, just enough to be able to tell that Fai was ever so sneakily peeking back. They both grinned at each other in mirrored excitement. Fai¡¯s eye flicked across the circle before suddenly snapping shut and Onoara couldn¡¯t help her own eyes from following when she caught Elder Noam¡¯s eye. She wore her own sly smirk and Onoara caught her wink before she closed her eyes again.


    ¡°Onoara,¡± the voice of Elder Reyra startled her and she jumped, shoulders shooting up to her ears. She opened her eyes fully to the warm smiles of her friends, her family, and her own smile grew until it practically split her face. She felt a flush rising in her cheeks so she quickly bowed low to the floor to hide it, placing her hands down in a point and placing her forehead atop them. The cool tiles of the sanctuary floor felt welcome to her hot face.


    ¡°Yes, Elder Reyra.¡± The words came out so calm and smooth she was surprised that they came from her own mouth.


    ¡°If you would recite The Oaths, please." There was a softness in her voice that, when Onoara rose up from the floor, she saw reflected in her eyes. Elder Reyra''s smile was always small, just barely there in the upturned corners of her mouth. Her real tell was the soft creases around her eyes, placed there by time. When Elder Reyra was happy, Onoara had learned over her many Sol cycles, it showed in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course." Onoara took one deep breath and released with it her anxieties. Everyone in the room knew that there were few that knew The Oaths like Onoara.


    She started with the most ancient ones, the ones that were only spoken in the Mother Tongue. There were so few of those but she enjoyed them the most. They felt rhythmic as they fell from her mouth. She felt the power imbued in the ancient words, many meanings lost to time but the fen remaining. Everyone in the sanctuary felt a buzz begin to fill the room.


    ¡°I lend my strength, my heart and my body to the gods that came before. I offer my service to the Sleeping God and the Order of Vraiste.¡± She said, placing her hand first over her heart and then her eyes. When she brought her hand away her eyes remained closed. She pushed herself to her knees. ¡°Please guide me in my journey to understand the will of the Sleeping God.¡±


    At that, Elder Reyra, Elder Noam and the others present in the room joined hands creating a circle ending on both sides of Onoara. With her eyes still closed tight and a helping hand on each side of her she turned herself around on her knees to face the stone at her back.


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    It had been worn down over the many, many soltzet it had remained fixed in its place. It lay draped along the floor near the back of the room, swelling up in smooth curves and dipping at the waist. It was hardly recognizable as the human form it once was. Onoara reached out to place her hand upon the lump of stone that was once a god.


    Nobody held their breath and the tension in the air was soft but excited. Onoara¡¯s ceremony was the third and final one of the driev, Fai having gone just before her. When a blinding light erupted from the place where Onoara¡¯s hand touched the stone nobody had been expecting anything of the sort.


    There was chaos as the room erupted into motion. People rushed to get away as the temple shook. The beautiful, old, stained glass windows rattled in their panes and the old stone building groaned and shuddered. Elder Noam rushed forward, trying to reach Onoara but she was thrown back and to the floor by a second tremor erupting from the stone. They could see as the tiled floor rippled outward, leaving them uneven and loose. Reya rushed to her side, quickly helping her back to her feet.


    With the heat a heavy weight settled over the room. The fen that was erupting out from the stone and from Onoara was extremely aggressive, choking the air from the room and all of the oracles present were especially sensitive to the vibrations. The younger ones became lightheaded and one girl collapsed. The older members of the temple did their best to evacuate the sanctuary.


    Together Noam and Reyra watched as the light dimmed and they could once again see Onoara standing there, a shimmering radiance beaming from her, hand still pressed to the stone. There was a heat beginning to build in the room, hot enough to be uncomfortable.


    Slowly Onoara turned her head to them, eyes spilling glowing tears that slipped down her cheeks. She opened her mouth and a single word fell from her lips.


    ¡°LoVelly.¡±


    As she said it, light poured from her throat in a torrent, spreading out in all directions and bathing the entire room in an impenetrable brightness. Everyone present had to shield their eyes, even placing hands over their faces as just closing their eyes was not enough.


    When it finally receded so did the tremors and the oppressive feeling of the fen. Fai and the others stood near the doors to the sanctuary, huddled together, afraid to move and unsure what to do yet. They looked on at what had become of Onoara; solid crystal, not unlike the landscape around the temple, encased her from head to toe. They could only barely see the impression of the girl through the thick layers. Elder Noam made to move toward what was left of the girl, slowly at first. She looked back to Reyra who looked equally unsure. Nobody else dared move.


    Noam approached the girl, walking around the front of her. The crystal was heavily faceted, distorting what could be seen of the girl within. It appeared to be quite thick. Onoara¡¯s eyes were closed and despite the previous moment, Noam thought she looked peaceful. Reyra approached the crystalline girl as well, eyes wide in disbelief. Neither of them made a move to touch the surface yet.


    ¡°LoVelly¡­?¡± Noam repeated, head tilted as she inspected it closely. She pulled back, regarding Reyra instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, to be honest.¡± Reyra admitted. She quickly swept her gaze to the back of the room where the others were waiting for the all clear. She leaned in close to Noam and on a hushed breath, ¡°We should contact Datsa.¡± Both women locked eyes and gave a quick nod. There was much more to be said but not here with an audience.

 Chapter Three (something wicked)

    It was the first of Jasirid and the sky was a rich coral pink that deepened to red at the horizon and the seas were calm, gently lapping at the shore. Sol threatened to rise on the land within a ven but the heat, however, had not yet come and the slight breeze that blew in off the water made those present thankful for their thick robes. The moons, most notably were stacked in the sky with the little moon Ahraan passing in front of the larger Dhelarly, the partial eclipse creating strange half shadows upon the landscape. It would have made for a beautiful drievette, were it not for the bodies.


    Acolytes in gray uniforms flitted around following the ritual that had taken place on the shore. An old man sat upon a makeshift throne that was really just a crate with a blanket and decorative cushion, but it appeared grand and that¡¯s really all it was about. He had in his hands a piece of parchment that he and a significantly younger man at his shoulder, were reviewing. Their ritual, they believed, had failed though they¡¯d done everything right according to the instructions.


    They knew it may take several tries to succeed, that¡¯s why this was just the first of several rituals that would take place. They would try as many times as was necessary. It was imperative that they achieved their goal before prophecy came to pass. He dismissed the young man beside him to go call in the report while he organized the clean up situation. Despite the orders for the deed to be done it wouldn¡¯t do to leave the dead that way.


    He heaved himself up and onto his old bones and walked down the beach, toward the ruined husk of the TVE and the first of the bodies that had been taken down and awaited blessing. They weren''t monsters, everyone deserved a blessing to take them beyond.


    The others made way for him and a young acolyte led him to the first body. He knelt down in the sand beside the young woman. Like all the others she had the dark, sooty, burn marks pouring from her eyes, nose, mouth and ears where her fen had been forced out of her all at once. There were scorch marks all along the remains of her clothes and body where her own fire had burned her. It certainly wasn''t a pretty sight but the Grand Wizard kept his gaze steady as he placed his hands over the woman''s face, just barely hovering above her nose, covering her eyes and mouth. He said the blessings and once he was complete he reached into his pocket and pulled one of the many tiny, flat stones he had there. He placed it between the woman''s eyebrows, just above her burned out eye sockets.


    ¡°I truly am sorry child,¡± he said, ¡°but your death serves the will of the Universe and will not be in vain.¡± He rose to move on and another acolyte quickly moved to place a thin, gauzy square of fabric over the dead woman''s face.


    ¡ª


    On the first of Jasirid, a terrible and incomprehensible thing was unleashed on Dhelaran soil not for the first, but for the second time. Nobody present had been alive for the first time so none had any idea of what it was they¡¯d truly done.


    It was hard to call it a creature. It was hard to call it anything. Some said it had far too many legs while others said it had none at all. Some remembered haunting eyes that pierced the soul and others described horrible, gaping holes where eyes may have once been. The only consistent description of the thing was that the sight of it was deeply, deeply, upsetting and that the sound it made would bring anyone that heard it to tears.


    Whatever it was, indescribable or not, it hungered.


    It arrived silently, slipping into reality without anyone noticing at first. The thing saw through dizzying binocular vision at first. The body it inhabited was heavy and limp. It hadn¡¯t felt the weight of flesh surrounding it in an eternity and the feeling was...odd. Slowly and carefully it wiggled an extremity trying not to exert too much force, trying not to break anything. Mortals were so delicate after all. This body was rather broken, it found, but not unfixable.


    It pooled its essence at the surface of the vessel that tied it there. It oozed from the eyes, the nose, the ears, even the pores. That was when the first cries of concern came. The creature engulfed its vessel from head to toe in a thick, fluid-like exoskeleton. Its limbs extended and its body rose away from the place it was held, oozing out of the restraints that held it. Its new body shimmered a color that, when pressed, people would not be able to describe consistently. Finally it¡¯s single, great eye bubbled to the top of what was now a mockery of the human form- all limbs and and a great, hulking, torso.


    People had begun scattering in every direction, shouting as they went. Dozens of feet pounded through the sand with too much urgency and not enough traction. The creature let out a wailing scream and people stopped in their tracks to drop and cover their ears, crying out in agony. The creature carried itself on as many limbs as it needed to keep itself upright and moving forward. There were so many scattering bodies it was hard to focus on any single one. Long, thin, spikes shot out from the oozing mass in multiple directions. Any of the fleeing people that the spikes hit were immediately sucked in on themselves, to a tiny singular point before an audible pop and crackle sounded, like firecrackers. From each of the points there was a burst of blood and bones and viscera that fell in a hot, wet mess in the sand staining the area dark.


    In its frenzy to feed, the creature missed the moment that another consciousness awoke within it.


    Mezalie opened her eyes and there was only darkness.


    She struggled trying to find a way out but she felt like she was fighting against the tides of a dark sea. As she tried to reach the surface the waves dragged her back down. She couldn¡¯t decide if this was better or worse than the vast emptiness from before. Where was she now? She closed her eyes again. Maybe if she could shut out everything else she could focus on her other senses.


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    Once her own eyes were closed a great swiveling orb appeared above her. She fought her way up to get a glimpse of anything that might be beyond. As she approached, pleas for mercy, shouts of ''monster'', and sobs for the goddess Ellani skittered along the forefront of her mind. The smell of hot blood wafted past her senses. As she peered down into the orb, the view changed erratically as if the viewer couldn¡¯t focus on any one thing. Bodies lay in pieces on the ground, decapitated, limbs wrenched from their sockets and blood pooling around what was left. Those that weren''t frozen in terror ran, trying to escape.


    Her viewpoint snapped to the left, to a man on the ground. He was scrambling backwards clumsily against the sand, his mouth agape in horror. In an instant the vision changed and he was closer. She was looking down from a height that surprised even her.


    She felt a low rumbling at first and then it became a persistent buzzing and the buzzing became a high pitched whine and finally came the scream. Not the screams of the fleeing people and not the screams of the man before her but the awful, inhuman wailing of the monster.


    For that brief moment she could feel her body, alive somewhere within this dark space, because she could feel the shiver that ran through her. She shook her head and the view through the big open orb shook with her. She looked down, towards herself, and all she saw was dripping, black ooze. Her attention panned back up to the man before her, stricken with fear.


    "Please¡­please¡­.please" He was heaving out over and over again in a mantra. His eyes looked liable to pop out of his head at any moment. She opened her mouth to speak to him but what came out was another inhuman screeching, so awful the man at her feet began to weep.


    Something, a fen like nothing she''d encountered before, quickly overthrew her. She lost the feeling of control, her sense of self fading into the unknown. She felt powerless to stop or look away as a dark, slimy, maw opened and ripped the man apart. She was both enraptured and appalled by the sight before her until a gentle ''thump'' called the attention of the monster behind it. Her vision once again swiveled and the sight of a wrinkled old woman in green robes came to her. She was holding a short staff that Mezalie recognized.


    She felt an anger rising in her core at the sight and this time there was nothing to stop it from overflowing out of her like lava. The woman raised her staff again, aiming it at her. The jaws of the creature loosened, dropping a forearm, and the vision fixated on that single spot and ignored the chaos around it. Without warning, she was there, hovering above the woman, watching the fear pooling in the creases of her leathery face. An ear-splitting scream was released, her anger pouring out in it. The woman''s hands began to shake lightly, her mouth falling open in a scream that never made it to her lips.


    The monster made to lunge down and snap its jaw over her but an invisible force stopped it. A barrier stood between it at the mortal it felt a bubbling vitriol for. It tried again and again to push through, slamming itself against the barrier to no avail. It screamed out in frustration.


    The old woman held her staff before her firmly. Hers, unlike the others¡¯, had a small stone embedded into the point that looked rather unremarkable in appearance however it pulsed with an old, forgotten fen.


    The creature became frenzied in its need to destroy not only the mortal holding it but the stone itself. Its cries becoming even more violent on the ears of those on the beach. It threw itself once again, particularly hard and the force of the blow threw the old woman to the ground, throwing the staff to the ground. The monster roared in malice as it reared and swiped a disfigured appendage over the woman raking across her. The smell of blood wafted into the thing¡¯s sensitive senses. The creature reached in and poured itself into the inflicted wounds. It devoured as it went, removing matter from the inside out.


    Before it could finish consuming its victim the creature felt a change in the energy flow around it. Its great eye swiveled quickly, lookng for the source of such a disruption. It quickly spotted a distortion appearing, a small tear in in the otherwise correct flow of energy. its last meal forgotten, the creature retracted itself from the husk of the old woman. It ignored the fearful cries of the mortal creatures scrambling along the beach around it. They were of no concern to it.


    The distortion grew, becoming visible now to even the mortals. The creature, curious about a potentially bigger, better meal, approached the area. It skittered across the space on its disjointed form. Just as it approached the distortion, leaning its eye closer to inspect the area, a burst of energy shot forth from the widening distortion. The creature screeched and receded its eye into itself. It hissed and vibrated, its form shooting long pulsing spikes of fluid-like body out from itself as it thrashed and howled.


    Another blast of energy shot out, again hitting the shimmering, wailing monster. A form pressed through the distortion, first a hand pushing forth and then the rest of a body following after, the distortion receding slickly to reveal a young man. He wore a thick hooded coat that ended low on his hips over pants and heavy boots, the hood up.


    As he marched closer to the creature, it was in long confident strides. The creature''s great white orb came forth to see him momentarily before disappearing back in again. Suddenly the creature began to sink in on itself, shrinking down and folding in and suddenly the shape of a woman became apparent. Then all at once the creature had receded and all that was left was the girl. Her eyes blinked once, twice, before rolling back as she fell face first into the sand where she stood.


    ¡°Mezalie!¡± The young man shouted. He ran the last few steps to her, falling to his knees in the sand at her side. He quickly rolled her over, brushing the hair back from her face. He pushed his hood back, long hair falling forward over his shoulder. He leaned his face down to hers, turning his head to listen for breath. She gasped quickly, eyes shooting open as she sat up abruptly, their heads colliding. They both let out a yelp, Mezalie falling back into the sand, blinking. He turned to face her, a hand pressed to the side of his head.


    ¡°Mezalie.¡± he breathed out, relieved. She scrunched her brow, narrowing her eyes looking at him. Her eyes were still hazy and unfocussed but she knew she didn¡¯t recognize the face looking down at her.


    ¡°Where am i?¡± She slurred out. Quickly he looked up. He saw the carnage around them, bodies littered the beach, from both human and inhuman monsters. He saw that the few remaining people alive on the beach aside from themselves were peering at them from their hiding spots. Many were holding weapons and they were all pointed directly at them.


    Suddenly a pulse of energy rang outward from the young man, the sand whipping up in ripples flowing outward. He wavered, swaying unsteady before he slumped forward. Both hands shot to his head as he grunted in pain. Mezalie looked at him, confused, not understanding what was going on. He still hadn¡¯t answered her yet. The man took a deep breath, letting it out through his nose. He raised his head again, looking back at her.


    ¡°Hang on. I have to make this quick if we want more time.¡± He smiled kindly, softness in his eyes as he looked down at her. ¡°First we¡¯re going far away from here.¡± He said with finality.


    The green robed priests and gray suited acolytes looked on as just as strangely as the young man arrived, a shimmering distortion appeared around him and swallowed both him and the girl and then they were gone.

 Chapter 4 (all roads lead to you)

    She woke the first time with a start. Her adrenaline was already, or maybe still, pumping in her veins and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. When a pair of arms gave her a gentle squeeze as they readjusted, it grounded her. For the briefest moment she thought that they were Vell''s arms and they''d simply fallen asleep reading in the top deck garden again. It wasn¡¯t clear to her at what point she began to drift off again, even if she didn¡¯t want to. Her body was far past the point of caring what she wanted when it wanted rest.


    She¡¯d been to several small libraries as she¡¯d traveled with the Pod growing up but her mind had always held onto the wonder she¡¯d felt at seeing row after row of tall shelves reaching for vaulted ceilings in the grand library in Joura when she was very small. Much like that one, every shelf in her own mental library was packed tight, full to bursting, not with books but abstract things she couldn¡¯t quite describe. They shimmered around the edges and weren¡¯t there if she looked directly at them but she could feel them there. Thoughts. Memories. Feelings maybe. She wandered through, not touching anything for fear of disturbing it, just floating, through the endless maze of shelves.


    A smooth, inky fear slithered, unwelcome, between the shelves in her mind. She could feel it prodding and poking, looking¡­ digging for something, but she had no idea what. It crept through the shelves and rows of thoughts and memories and knowledge of her mind. She could feel the monster lurking but it was quiet, subtle. It kept just out of sight, just out of reach no matter what she did. All the while though she could feel it observing her, following her train of thoughts and¡­ avoiding her, if she had to place the feeling. It certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of her but it kept its distance nonetheless. She was afraid of it though, of what havoc it could still inflict upon her here in her own domain. She wanted to confront it, cast it out, but she was also terrified of the idea of being face to face with it.


    After drifting for what could have been forever or only just seconds, lost in her thoughts with images swirling past her, she stopped.


    Even in her dreams she was exhausted.


    It was there behind her eyelids, body curled in on itself, lost in the abyss of herself that the images came to her and she was an observer to her own memories, playing out like the grainy visuals on a broadcast box.


    The memories came flooding back to her in a wave of devastation.


    Her whole family was dead.


    She waited for the grief to come. She waited for the stabbing twist in her chest and the tears to spring forth- but nothing came and that scared her as much as anything. She wanted to scream or cry and be upset but all the emotions she wanted to feel felt far away and out of reach. Instead she felt cold and numb. She tried reaching for her fen again but it was nowhere to be found. The loss of it left her feeling colder than she ever had.


    Finally, she remembered the face of a man she didn¡¯t know. He¡¯d said something to her but she couldn¡¯t remember what now, it had all been so spotty, like her consciousness. He knew her name though, she remembered hearing him call out to her. She¡¯d felt him call out to her, through everything, the chaos and even the monster.


    When she awoke in the total darkness, cold and seemingly alone, she thought maybe this was finally death. She felt numb and tired in a way she''d never been before, like she could lie there for an eternity and still never feel rested. In fact the only thing she really felt at all was tired. She lay there a while with no way to tell how long wondering if this was all there was now. The worst part was, she wasn¡¯t sure if she minded it all that much.


    Feeling came slowly, first as a tickle of icy wind across her and then as the whisper of that wind whistling around her. Finally she realized she could, in fact, feel her body. She opened her eyes to discover that the world was not in fact nothing but inky darkness. Her fingers and toes were numb from the cold but she could feel her body pressing down into a somewhat soft, spongy surface, probably grass. She mustered up what little she had left and lifted one arm up, brought her hand to where she thought her face was and inelegantly smacked herself lightly on the cheek just to make sure she wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    Then, feeling came all at once. As her arm fell out to the side of her somewhere in the darkness it fell across what seemed to her to be another body. As soon as her arm was there she was overwhelmed by the flurry of things she felt. It was a barrage of echoing thoughts, images of places and people she didn¡¯t know, emotions she recognized but weren¡¯t her own; fear and confusion. As quickly as her uncooperative muscles would allow she wrenched her arm back and felt it thump back onto her chest and she could hear her own heavy breaths mixing in with the wind.


    Her body ached. Her skin felt too tight on her body, like it was trying to contain far more than simply its contents. She also felt hollow. Like a husk left out in the sun, shriveled and dry. She blinked her eyes open rapidly, feeling the tears slipping down her cheeks. As she blinked through the tears she could see that Ahraan was slowly making its way up and over the horizon, illuminating the world around them in a soft pink glow. A sob wrenched itself out of her and the tears kept coming. She pushed herself up from her curled position and dragged the collar of whatever she was wearing to try and wipe away some of the dampness but all it really did was muffle the sounds of her sniffling. When she heard movement off to her right she nearly jumped but a familiar voice spoke up.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He spoke hesitantly. She managed to scrub the fabric over her face one last time before looking over to see the man from the beach sitting there beside her, he was what she¡¯d hit, what caused that strange swirl of thoughts and emotions. She saw that behind him, as she¡¯d suspected, was a wide open field sloping gently downward. She sniffled again before she spoke.


    ¡°Hello.¡± She replied. She took a deep breath in, held it, and shuddered on the exhale, trying to get a hold of herself. The attempt was fruitless though as more tears slipped out. ¡°Sorry.¡± She said with little gasps between sobs.


    ¡°No no no. Don¡¯t be sorry.¡± He waved his hands in emphasis. ¡°I just uh, I don¡¯t really know what to do- Oh!¡± She wiped at her face again as he came closer and she saw now that on his other side was a small pack. He stuck his hand down into the bag and pulled out a water pack, popping the nozzle before offering it to her. Taking another shaky breath she reached and took it, suddenly aware that her mouth felt dry. The water was cold and it felt¡­strange in her mouth but not unwelcome. She took only a couple of sips before she handed it back.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± she said, handing the pouch back after a few moments. He took it back with a smile of his own. She did feel surprisingly better after something as simple as a drink. She sniffled a final time or two and the tears seemed to have at least slowed down.


    ¡°I found my backpack once it got light enough to see.¡± He explained. ¡°No food though. I don¡¯t think I planned for¡­uh, whatever happened.¡± His smile dropped. He turned to look at her, narrowing his eyes a bit. For several moments he said nothing, just looked.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± She finally grumbled. He startled and seemed to realize he¡¯d been staring.


    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­I guess I¡¯m still processing.¡± He looked down at his hands for a few moments. ¡°What happened?¡± He gestured vaguely between them and around them. Her eyes followed the movement and she too looked between the two of them then out to the empty fields that went on as far as she could see, just soft rolling hills. She could see small breezes whipping through as the tall grasses swayed and bowed with it.


    "I don''t really know¡­" She sounded unsure even to herself. "I mean¡­I remember the¡­" she stumbled to get the word out, bile rising hot in her stomach, but she refused to soften it, ¡°the execution.¡± She kept her eyes resolutely on the distance. "And then I remember waking up on the beach and you were there? I think you saved me.¡± She dragged her eyes back to meet his, something unsure and fragile felt like it was bubbling in her gut. He nodded before he spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± He said simply. She stared at him, waiting for more but nothing came.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I mean I don¡¯t remember anything before I woke up right here with you.¡± He clarified.


    ¡°But you knew my name!¡± She accused.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess I know your name. It''s Mezalie?¡± He asked. She nodded. ¡°And I know my name. I¡¯m LoVelly by the way.¡± He pointed to himself.


    ¡°But that¡¯s it?¡± She demanded. "You don''t remember the beach?" He shrugged at her, looking sheepish.


    "I really don''t. I''m sorry. I''m trying to remember but it''s like the harder I try the harder it is. It took me until the moon came up to remember my own name.¡± He shrugged. ¡°When I first woke up all I knew was yours." He said. As he talked his hands came up to worry at a long lock of hair slung over his shoulder that hung down to his waist. She saw him twist it around and around his finger.


    She reached out and grabbed his hand as he wound the hair around again. The force of the barrage nearly knocked the wind out of the both of them. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what happened but the next thing she heard was a crack and then the smell of what reminded her of the desert after a good rain. They both felt the backlash of the fen next as images began to flit past behind their eyelids.


    Images of lives they didn¡¯t know but that they felt sure they¡¯d lived. Men and women they knew nothing about but felt indescribably connected to. For split seconds each they saw through each of their eyes and the person sitting across from them wore another face, different but still somehow the same. They felt whatever this bond was reach out between them, connecting them again and again. The visions flashed and flickered by so quickly that each time they¡¯d managed to grab onto one it was already gone. Each passing vision was harder to keep up with than the last and soon neither one was sure where they ended and the other began.


    Mezalie saw a woman with dark auburn hair that glowed red as sol in the light. She had a wicked smile that said trouble and dark eyes that devoured the light and then she saw a gaping darkness. Nothing beyond the woman, only an empty vastness where memories should be. She felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature, in the darkness she saw a cloud of breath blow out into a fog.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    On the contrast LoVelly saw too much, he saw carnage. Every halfway pleasant thought of other people, Mezalie¡¯s family he gathered, was cut with an alarming amount of blood and viscera. He saw glimpses of the beach Mezalie was talking about, her family murdered around her. He felt the loss coursing through her, nearly unbearable in its weight. He felt the tremendous loneliness she¡¯d felt for so long, pushed deep, deep down. He ripped his hand back from her to get away from the images. It made him dizzy.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± his voice dragged them both back to the now.


    ¡°That was a lot¡­¡± She shook her head out and took a deep breath. He was a bit breathless, the force of the feeling had hit them both hard. They both sat unmoving for several moments, just catching their breath. When she locked eyes with him slowly reaching out between them, an invitation, he didn''t know why he did it, he really shouldn¡¯t want to, but he reached out and met her in the middle.


    Bits of random information, images that were more flickers of a vague idea of something, floated softly on the edge of their consciousness. The longer they sat and focussed on them the less intrusive they became, more like a hum or a buzz around the edge of their own thoughts. Mezalie could still feel out the big ones, the panic, the fear, but now she could feel the little ones too; curiosity: about her, about himself, about where they were. He wasn¡¯t lying- he really didn¡¯t know.


    Finally, despite it beginning to settle, the feeling still became too much and she pulled her hand away. Immediately the buzzing of those outside thoughts was gone. Her eyes met with his and they both seemed to have the same expression of bewilderment on them.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird right?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She quickly nodded.


    ¡°Is that going to happen every time?¡± He wondered.


    ¡°It seems that way.¡± She huffed a heavy sigh. She brought her hands up to cover her face, pressing her palms into her eyes. She could feel more tears welling up there. She startled both LoVelly and herself when she let out a long miserable shout that ended in a sob. At the end she took a deep breath, as deep as she could and she held it. She hiccuped on another sob, releasing her breath and then took another deep breath and held. She repeated the process until the sobs subsided.


    LoVelly watched her fight the back the tears and his heart ached so viciously that he wasn¡¯t sure who''s emotions he was feeling. He¡¯d moved to reach out more than once but he wasn¡¯t sure it would do more good than bad with their track record. He had an idea though.


    Once Mezalie finally pulled her hands away, her eyes were red rimmed and her lashes were wet and clumpy. She pulled a thick sweater up and wiped at her face. When she pulled it back she inspected the sweater, squinting at it.


    ¡°Where did this come from?¡± She asked, still a bit watery, into the sweater as she pulled it up over her face once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± LoVelly said.


    ¡°Did you dress me?¡± She accused. She had no memory of putting the sweater on but truth be told she was glad for it. There was a comfort in it, in the warmth and the smell of it. And it fit okay.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hate this answer but I don¡¯t remember. You were wearing it when I woke up but it¡¯s definitely mine.¡± He scooted a bit closer to her, sidling up right next to her but not quite close enough for shoulders to touch. She looked over at him with great skepticism in her narrowed eyes.


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± He said it gently and when she made no move to push him away he bridged the distance between their shoulders. He scooted the rest of him to press the two of them together from shoulder to hip. The force of emotional barrage was slightly less powerful this time but still significant. LoVelly had a plan for it this time though. Once he¡¯d gathered himself through the mixed thoughts and feelings he pushed back. He took his own feelings of calm and desire to comfort and he pushed outward with them. He¡¯d had no idea if it would work or not but when it did he felt somehow sure he had known, somehow. He tried to find Mezalie¡¯s distress in the jumble and when he came across bits and pieces he set his task to offering comfort.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Mezalie finally said, after a while. It felt like someone was coming along to snuff a candle on her hurts. She felt a bizarre sense of peace despite the still present knowledge of her situation.


    ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡± He asked, already moving to pull away from her.


    ¡°No.¡± She said simply. She moved to press herself back into his side. For a while they sat there and said nothing. They listened to the wind whisper through the grass and the occasional tree that she¡¯d spotted in the distance.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± He finally asked. She realized she¡¯d been close to dozing off when his voice roused her.


    ¡°¡®m not sure.¡± She said, yawning and sitting up to stretch. Ahraan had crept across the sky by now, about midday, and it bathed the landscape in soft pinks and deeper magenta.


    She admittedly felt much better than she had. She looked over to LoVelly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She told him, taking a good look at him now. He was a bit shorter than her but she couldn¡¯t tell how much sitting down. He had a square jaw but a baby face and maybe it was the light and maybe it was her last driev but she found it hard to focus too much on his face. He had eyebrows but she couldn¡¯t quite tell if they were thick or thin, was his nose round or pointed? She shook her head, moving on. His hair was long, at least to his lower back she¡¯d guess. It looked like it had been in a braid at some point but it had fallen out. He was fussing with the loose hair trying to gather it all over his shoulders and re-bundle it.


    ¡°Here. Turn around.¡± She motioned at him to turn his back to her. There was a tie that had been tangled into the ends and gently she worked it out before moving to undo what was left of the braid. ¡°Got a convenient brush in that bag of yours?¡± She asked. He leaned forward, pulling the hair from her hands, to go through the meager contents in the bag and sure enough produced a small comb. She set to working through the long strands. It was clearly very straight naturally but the braid had worked a slight wave into the locks. They were fairly easy to brush out thankfully. Her own was much curlier and would take some time once she was done with his.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where we are.¡± She said over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure how we got here.¡±


    ¡°I think it was me.¡± He tried to turn his head to look at her but she held tight to the hair as she braided, guiding him to look straight ahead. ¡°I think it was my fen.¡± He said to the open field.


    ¡°You remember?¡± She asked, hopeful, but he shook his head.


    ¡°No. I just kind of know.¡±


    ¡°He just knows,¡± she mocked, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, Mezalie-¡± he began.


    ¡°Mez.¡± She corrected, finishing off the braid.


    ¡°Mez.¡± He huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you. I¡¯m as inconvenienced as you are by this no-memory situation.¡± He finally turned to look at her. ¡°I keep feeling like I¡¯m forgetting something important and then I remember, oh yeah- my whole life.¡± He closed his eyes tight, scrunching them slightly, wrinkling his nose. ¡°It¡¯s still here somewhere. I can feel it. It¡¯s just like someone¡¯s put a big wall between me and it.¡± He explained.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She considered it for a moment, rolling over what they knew and what they didn¡¯t. ¡°I think maybe we should find a temple first.¡± She said finally.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± He asked, waiting for her to elaborate further. She nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I think they could help you with your head and help me with¡­¡± She hesitated, eyes flicking to his briefly before bouncing away. ¡°I think we could both use a temple. I need to tell someone what happened, get word out to other Pods. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be able to help but we need somewhere safe to figure out what to do next. And I want to know why our fen does that.¡± She waved between them. She stared at him for a moment trying to understand the familiarity she felt when she looked at him. ¡°I feel like I know you but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve never met.¡±


    ¡°I get what you mean. I don''t remember anything but somehow I remember you.¡± He agreed. ¡°Okay, how do we find a temple?¡± He asked. He looked around them and the empty fields. ¡°I really don¡¯t know where we are.¡± Mezalie pointed upward and he followed her to Ahraan. She then arced her arm down, in the direction the moon was travelling.


    ¡°I figure the moon is going that way so if we go this way,¡± she turned her arm a bit ¡°then we¡¯ll hit a coast eventually and we can follow it to a city.¡± She turned to the horizon where Sol was threatening to stain the sky red as it approached. ¡°Based on Sol¡¯s position I¡¯m confident we¡¯re still on Arlenasch at least.¡± LoVelly nodded along as she explained.


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad one of us is smart.¡± He said with a good amount of awe.


    ¡°I¡¯m Solahaan. All I do is travel. You get pretty good at navigating. Also I think that maybe I see a path or a road out that way which means hopefully someone lives out here somewhere.¡± She said, hauling herself to her feet finally. LoVelly followed suit, hefting his pack over his shoulder. It was then that Mezalie realized that he was about a half a head shorter than her.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re tall.¡± LoVelly noticed at the same time.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard.¡± She rolled her eyes but she couldn¡¯t hide the small smile she wore as well. She started walking down the gentle slope and in the direction she¡¯d spotted the road. It wasn¡¯t too far really with nothing but empty field in front of them but they¡¯d be walking for a while. She could hear LoVelly tromping along behind her. They said nothing for a while and it wasn¡¯t exactly awkward but also¡­ she felt a little bit awkward.


    She was trying desperately not to think about the beach but there was nothing else so pressing and all consuming in her mind. Eventually it became impossible to drown out the echoes of screams in her mind on her own. She needed to drown out the dark thoughts and the slinking feeling in the back of her mind. LoVelly saved her from her spiraling as if he could sense her despair.


    ¡°Is your favorite food pickled nava?¡± He asked and she wasn¡¯t sure what she had been expecting him to say but it wasn¡¯t that. She turned to look at him, eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Yes. How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I think I picked it up when I was in your head?¡± He guessed. ¡°I get what you mean that it feels like I know you but I don¡¯t know how.¡± Mez put her hands to her face, palms cupping her cheeks and took a deep breath in before laughing a little wildly on the exhale.


    ¡°What is even happening to me?¡± She asked, a bit hysterical. She felt a single tear escape down her cheek and she determinedly pushed the feelings back down, wiping away the dampness. LoVelly looked at her, brows furrowed and worry written on his face.


    ¡°I saw¡­¡± He hesitated, trying to broach the topic gently. ¡°What happened on the beach¡­¡± Neither of them looked at each other. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say Mez. Sorry isn¡¯t enough.¡± They were quiet again as they went, Mezalie leading and LoVelly beside her as they wandered along toward a point on the horizon.


    LoVelly could see the thoughts bombarding Mezalie. She was trying to hide it, he could tell she was trying to put on a neutral face but the despair slipped through the cracks. He desperately wished he knew why he knew how to look for the way she bit and rolled her lip when she was trying to hold back tears. Finally he couldn¡¯t stand it and he reached out between them and caught her hand. Surprisingly the force of it wasn¡¯t so bad this time, just a shock of colors and swirls of feelings flowing between them but like before he tried to project a feeling of calm, of something kind and soft. She looked between them at their joined hands as they continued, and then at him, but she didn¡¯t say anything, she just slotted their fingers together more comfortably.

 Chapter 5 (hunger)

    They walked for nearly the entire driev as lof after lof ticked by. Ahraan slowly sank toward the horizon again and with it the light dimmed to a darker more oppressive purple as it blanketed the landscape. Mezalie was again thankful for the thick sweater she wore as the meager heat of the day waned as well. She found it odd that she didn¡¯t feel as cold as she expected to. She was still in just what was left of her bedclothes. There was a small tear in the pant leg of her pants and she hadn¡¯t even inspected her shirt beneath the sweater. The chill of cold on land was different from the chill at sea though and she attributed it to that.


    Finally, as the moon was just about to touch the horizon they crested a small grassy hill and there, running along it, was a road. It was clearly a farm road, recognizable by the track left behind by a tevvy passing over it regularly. Mez stood in the center of the path and looked as far into the distance and the dark as she could on either side, looking for any indication of which way they should try.


    ¡°Oh! There!¡± LoVelly pointed toward the darkened, red horizon. There, just barely visible over the red light was a twinkling white light.


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯ll be welcome but we should try right?¡± She looked to LoVelly and he shrugged back at her.


    ¡°I think so?¡± He offered. They seemed to agree as they both set off down the road in that direction without another word. The light was waning but they were able to mostly follow along the path in the lowlight. They were hopeful that whatever settlement the light belonged to had water as the canteen LoVelly had had on him was only half full and they were almost out. Neither of them had eaten in who knows how long and they¡¯d laughed when LoVelly¡¯s stomach had started to complain about it.


    As they got closer Mezalie was able to make out several small buildings in the distance. One of them was definitely a small barn or shed, bigger than the rest. Nestled beside it was a house as far as she could tell and the light in the distance became two smaller more distinct lights, one on a tall pole, illuminating the area around the barn and house and another mounted at the peak of the barn roof.


    Finally they were close enough she saw the tevvy parked near the barn, a trailer near it to be hitched to the back. There were lights on in the windows of the house. She paused just before they reached the edges of the lit yard.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about what we¡¯re actually going to tell anyone.¡± She turned to ask LoVelly his thoughts and he strode past her as she did, unconcerned with this problem. ¡°Hey where are you going?¡± She hissed after him.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell them we¡¯re lost?¡± LoVelly answered like it was obvious and he walked right up to the door and knocked. Mez followed after him despite her hesitation. It was a moment before there was movement from inside and the door opened to a middle aged man. He looked rightfully surprised to see visitors, eyebrows high on his face.


    ¡°Can I help you young man?¡± The man asked. LoVelly managed to not miss a beat.


    ¡°Hello, We seem to have gotten ourselves very turned around. Can you point us back toward town?¡± He even had the sweetest smile to go with it. The man peered out past LoVelly and then around past Mezalie, at the fact they clearly had no vehicle.


    ¡°Lost? Out here? You must¡¯ve been walking an awful long time.¡± He eyed them skeptically, took in the way they were dressed and likely how exhausted Mezalie looked, dark circles under her eyes and hair unkempt in its updo, her ragged pants. She didn¡¯t even have shoes on.


    ¡°Look. I don¡¯t want any trouble. I don¡¯t know what really brought you two out here but it looks like you¡¯ve had a day. You promise nobody¡¯s coming looking for you and you can stay the nente. I¡¯ll drop you off in town on my way in tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh we couldn¡¯t-¡± Mezalie began to protest but the man cut her off.


    ¡°It¡¯s several lof by tevvy. If you wanna walk be my guest.¡± The man offered again, pointing out to where the road wound further into the field and into the dark.


    ¡°No no.¡± LoVelly interjected. ¡°We appreciate it. We¡¯d love a place to stay for the nente.¡± He sighed. ¡°Really, thank you.¡± He added.


    The man pointed out toward the barn.


    ¡°There¡¯s running water, a cot and a halfway decent hammock out there in the barn. I¡¯ll send the wife out in the drievet to get you to wash up and we¡¯ll go. I like an early start.¡± The man seemed happy enough to not ask any further questions and LoVelly saw a woman''s face peek around a corner down the hall for just a moment, curious of them perhaps.


    Mezalie was already stepping back to walk to the barn as LoVelly was waving good night and the man closed the door on them.


    ¡°It worked!¡± LoVelly chirped as he caught up to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it counts as ¡®working¡¯ if he saw through it immediately.¡± She countered. ¡°However it could have gone worse so, you know, good job.¡± She reached out and pulled the handle hard on the heavy door to slide one door open enough to fit through.


    The barn smelled musty. It wasn¡¯t horrible or anything but it was a heavy smell that you could almost taste. It smelled of dust and wood and oil, of disuse and time. There were no doubt dust fae packed into every crevice of the structure. Mezalie could smell the mildew and decay that sets into an old building with them.


    She felt along the wall near the door and found the switch that illuminated the dark barn. It wasn¡¯t much for light but it was enough to see by and not run into the various things stored. There was of course several large pieces of farming equipment; a tractor sitting centered in the room surrounded by various tools and a few things that looked like covered furniture.


    As promised there was a hammock hanging between two beams on the far side of the barn. Mezalie wandered over to inspect their potential beddings and discovered that there were several old and tattered but usable quilts folded into the hammock. Behind it was a cot, folded up and zipped away to protect the mattress and she was relieved that their accommodations weren¡¯t quite as dire as she¡¯d feared they might be.


    ¡°Do you want the- LoVelly?¡± She turned around and he had disappeared. She stepped back and traced back toward the door, peering around the large stored items that dotted the inside of the barn. She almost jumped when a door to the side suddenly opened, producing a bright light in the otherwise dim barn.


    ¡°I found the bathroom.¡± LoVelly announced as he clicked the light off behind him, the light humming as it dimmed down until it died completely. He had his pack slung over one shoulder and his big puffy jacket stuffed through the other strap. His hair was damp around the edges of his hairline. He made to move out of her way.


    ¡°Can I borrow your comb?¡± She asked before he wandered away. He was quick to sling the bag forward and dig the comb out for her. She closed the door behind her and flicked the switch back on, the light humming and sizzling briefly as it illuminated, the liquid nol heating up quickly. There was no mirror in the tiny room, just the toilet and the sink. She ran the water and tried to be thankful there was water at all when it only ran cold. She cupped her hands and brought it to her face, splashing the water over and over herself. Trying somehow to feel clean but her skin just felt tight and strange to her.


    She set to work detangling her curls as best she could. She didn¡¯t want to wait until the morning for the worst of it. The elastic came out surprisingly easy considering the state it felt in. She took her time detangling the knots one at a time, sometimes picking them apart with her fingers where she needed to.


    What felt like an eternity later she stepped out of the tiny, rudimentary bathroom and back into the barn. She wandered back to where she¡¯d been earlier to see that LoVelly had gone ahead and unpacked and set up the cot, spreading the quilts over the relatively decent looking bed. The comforters were so big on the tiny, squat bed that they nearly touched the ground on either side. LoVelly saw her round the corner.


    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind sharing?¡± He asked. It sounded joking but she sensed the tension in the set of his shoulders. She hated that it didn¡¯t even sound bad. She didn¡¯t know LoVelly and she felt so instantly comfortable with him and that made her hesitate. Everything about their situation rang alarm bells that her mind simply wanted to ignore.


    ¡°You¡¯re the little spoon.¡± Was what she ended up saying with a look that dared him to challenge her but he didn¡¯t. He just started to kick off his boots. He pointed off to the side, getting her attention. There on an upturned bucket was a sandwich and a pile of biscuits. A kettle was steaming on a hot pad next to it.


    It was the best spread she could even imagine at the moment. She didn¡¯t hesitate to start in on it, seeing an empty plate already stacked neatly beneath hers. She poured herself a small mug of herbal tea of some kind, it smelled dark and warm. It was a small comfort that felt like the whole world to her right then.


    ¡°Ruvona, the wife, she came and dropped off some food. She seems really nice.¡± LoVelly remarked as he pulled his feet up to sit criss cross on the tiny bed. Mezalie said nothing as she chewed through a biscuit. She watched him as he watched her back and she thought. She thought about the last driev and how it had come to this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± She finally said, looking him in the eye. ¡°I know I said I think you saved me¡­and I still think that but after everything I just¡­I can¡¯t.¡± She finally dropped her gaze to the side. She saw him nodding in the corner of her peripheral.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± He said and it was the most serious she¡¯d heard him. He seemed to have such an upbeat quality to him that she looked back at him when she heard the lack of mirth in his voice. He was looking down at the quilt, picking at the loose threads there. ¡°I can¡¯t even give you a reason to.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I just know there was a reason I came to find you and I can almost remember. It¡¯s¡­ just not there though.¡± He huffed, laying back on the cot, stretching his arms and legs.


    She rounded the little bed and took a seat doing her best to brush off her feet of the grass and dirt stained to the bottoms. She would need to hope the man and his wife had a pair of shoes she could relieve them of. She slotted herself onto her ¡®side¡¯ of the shared cot and LoVelly followed suit, his back to her. She was prepared this time for the onslaught of external thoughts and feelings that came. She hated how instantly comforting the touch was. How suddenly tired she felt and how perfectly LoVelly¡¯s head slotted beneath her chin. She took several deep breaths, the tension she¡¯d felt building behind her eyes finally easing just the slightest bit.


    It was so comforting that it put her on edge.


    If he¡¯d wanted to hurt her, he could have. They walked for lof after lof alone and while he was smaller than her she didn¡¯t know what kind of fen he had. Something that was able to transport them from the beach to wherever they¡¯d ended up. He¡¯d also mentioned that he¡¯d woken up before her so there had been time then too.


    He seemed so genuine. Every emotion and thought he had was plainly displayed on his face as well. It seemed unlikely he was harboring a dark ulterior motive under soft smiles and sad eyes. Still, she wasn¡¯t ready to trust quite so easily.


    Something was wrong with him, memory loss notwithstanding. She felt it when their fens mingled together both the first time and every time since. She didn¡¯t know what it was but there was a strangeness in the blank places where his memories should be, the way that there was a disorienting hum that got her so turned around it made her dizzy if she tried to pick at those blank spaces. She didn''t even know why she could feel his fen at all, that in itself was weird.


    Right now all she had was a head full of questions and absolutely no answers. But a head full of LoVelly¡¯s mysteries kept it clear of her own.


    ***


    LoVelly dreamt in bits and pieces. Swirling torrents of confusion. Faces slipped by that he recognized on instinct but couldn¡¯t name if he tried. He knew he should know them.


    A bright beam of sol light warmed his face. There was laughter. Someone was laughing. He was laughing too. He turned to say something to whomever he was with but when he turned there was nothing. Just a blank empty space instead. He turned around again and suddenly everything was blank.


    He was in a field full of fog and he was lost. Lost and looking for someone he¡¯d forgotten.


    He felt panic set in. How would he find someone he couldn¡¯t remember? How would he be sure if he found them? Before he could take more than a handful of steps in any direction he was falling.


    Down.


    Down.


    Down.


    It was odd to say he was falling because there were no landmarks to dictate that he was falling. Only the sensation of weightlessness and the swoop of his stomach that told him he was tumbling.


    He woke with a start, heart hammering in his chest and a bit breathless. He sat up, clapping a hand over his beating heart. He looked to see if he¡¯d woken Mezalie but the space beside him was empty and when he placed a hand down it was cold too. The barn was quiet as he listened for movement elsewhere. He thought to himself she was probably just using the bathroom.


    He rolled onto his back, taking up a bit more room while he could. His internal clock told him it must still be sometime in the wee lof of the drievette.


    He waited for some time but Mezalie did not return nor was there any indication that she was still in the barn. The stillness of the quiet set him slightly on edge. He didn¡¯t think she¡¯d leave without him but it also wasn¡¯t out of the question. She had told him point blank that she didn¡¯t trust him and he didn¡¯t blame her. He knew she was curious though, about him and his missing mind.


    Still, he sat up and stuck his feet back into his boots, lacing them haphazardly, just enough to be functional. He wandered across the dark barn managing to pick his way through the detritus in the dark, and sure enough the bathroom door was cracked still and the lights were off. He made his way to the barn doors instead and slid one open to slip out into the darkness.


    It wasn¡¯t early enough for Ahraan to begin making its way across the sky just yet but it wasn¡¯t far off. The tall overhead light near the barn illuminated the wide circle of the yard but any further was oppressively dark. The red glow of the far horizon wasn¡¯t quite enough to reach this far inland yet. The Tevvy was still parked between the house and the barn so he at least knew she hadn¡¯t left with the old man without him.


    He picked his way across the yard to the house. There was a single light that he could see shining through a window as he rounded the house to the front door. A chill ran down his spine when he spied the front door just slightly ajar. A tiny bit of light spilled out through the space between.


    He approached hesitantly, his heart beating a bit faster as a fear crept into him. He didn¡¯t know how but he knew something was wrong.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He called out into the darkness. It sounded so so loud in the silence. He waited but there was no response. Slowly he approached the door and he pushed it gently, so gently, trying not to make a noise but the hinges squeaked just so anyway. They sounded like an alarm blaring in the quiet.


    ¡°¡­Mezalie?¡± He tried again. There was nobody to be seen in the entryway. He pushed the rest of the way into the house. The wrongness he felt was certainly not just from wandering into someone¡¯s house uninvited.


    He followed the entryway down until he came to the room with the light on. He saw it was a kitchen, a small table tucked into the corner. There was a mug sat on it and he saw a kettle still on the stove. He stayed there in the doorway, unwilling to disturb the scene as it was.


    There was a noise, he heard, from the room across from the kitchen. It was small but it made him jump. He swung around, facing the room, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He stood, frozen for several seconds, waiting to see if the sound came again.


    A moment passed.


    And then another.


    When no further noise came, he mustered up his courage to cross to the threshold. Slowly he reached a hand around the wall to the side of the door looking for a light switch. When he finally found it he flipped it but no lights came on. He took one step into the room and looked.


    It was a living room, he thought, though it was hard to tell. As his eyes adjusted he saw a couch and a broadcast box against the far wall. He made to take another step but when he did he could feel something wet beneath his boot. He looked down but all he saw was darkness on the floor. He bent to inspect whatever it was when the wet, slurping noise came again, closer this time.


    From above him.


    LoVelly stumbled back, tripping over his own feet as blood froze to ice in his veins. He felt himself hit the floor behind him, landing hard on his hands and wrists, but the pain barely even registered in his mind as the monstrous¡­thing¡­dripped down from the ceiling toward him. His heart hammered in his chest, blood rushing so loud in his ears that it took several moments to recognize that the ringing he could hear was his own screaming. He scrambled back, boots slipping in the awful wetness as he pushed himself away as it came closer and closer to him until his back hit something solid and he could no longer retreat.


    Long, grotesque imitations of human limbs stretched out of the writhing mass and gently touched down on the wet, sticky floor. Even in the darkness of the room, he could see the dark stains, could feel it soaking the bottom hems of his pant legs where he¡¯d drug them through the mess in his retreat. In the dim light the shape of the creature and the color were somewhat impossible to comprehend as it simply looked like a dark, writhing thing.


    He saw the twisting, crawling movement of dark hands come down to bracket either of his legs, boxing him in. His head tipped back of its own accord, looking up as if commanded to do so. Slowly, a long pillar of dark mass reached down and at the end of it appeared a large, glassy orb. Despite the lack of any kind of pupil, LoVelly could feel it looking at him, through him.


    Another smaller hand abruptly shot out of the mass and sealed itself over his mouth, effectively cutting off his shouting. The room fell quiet at last, so quiet, despite his muffled protests. All he could hear was the wet, mucky sounds of the monster''s movements and his own desperate heaving breaths through his nose. All he could think, despite everything, is that he hadn¡¯t expected the touch to be warm.


    Quiet.


    A voice that was surprisingly soft, seemed to speak all around him. It made his once-frozen blood curdle in his veins instead. It sounded like Mezalie.


    QUIET.


    It spoke again, this time commanding rather than asking. This time, he could hear the distorted second voice wrapped around Mezalie¡¯s, masquerading itself as her. Neither of them moved for several moments, that great orb of an eye simply swaying softly before him, watching him. Slowly it peeled back its formless, inconsistent hand shape from his mouth and he instantly let out a ragged breath but was careful to make no other sound, terror still creeping down his spine as the monster shifted side to side, still looking at him closely. Far too close for comfort.


    need¡­ to eat.


    The voice was so clear despite sounding like it was coming from the other end of a tunnel- so far away and so distorted. There didn''t appear to be a mouth that he could see to speak. It felt like it was projecting straight into his brain but he was sure he was hearing it with his ears. It was almost melodic, the sound of its voice, like a song rising and falling. He felt like it should sound more sinister despite it still raising every hair on his body.


    The creature ever so slowly began to withdraw, first with the great eye retreating back towards the hulking body and then one slithering arm beginning to pull away. It shocked LoVelly most when he heard his own voice call out after it.


    "What did you do to Mezalie?" His voice was quiet and wavered but in the otherwise silence of the night it rang out loud and clear. The monster froze, one hand raised in the air and make-shift head turning away. It twisted back around in a way that made LoVelly''s stomach turn. Slowly it came back to face him, its uncomfortable piercing eye coming ever closer to him this time. More of the body slithered down to trap him against the floor as it appraised him.


    She is¡­still here.


    It said in its grossly soft voice. It waited several moments before beginning to back away once more. Before it could pull away though, despite every survival sense telling him to keep his mouth shut, LoVelly blurted out the only other thing on his mind.


    "You murdered them¡­." He felt numb as he said it. Like it was someone else saying it. His mind was attempting to make sense of the horror before him but didn''t want to accept it.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    This time when he spoke the monster whipped back down to face him. It was so fast he barely even registered it but suddenly the grotesque mass was surrounding him and he felt like he might pass out from the enormous burst of negative energy exuding from the creature.


    I eat. She eat.


    I starve. She starves.


    There was an anger present in the voice that made him want to simultaneously cry and throw up. The pressure from the fen was like nothing he''d ever felt. It felt wrong as it washed over him, like sand whipping across this body, leaving him feeling raw and painful to the touch.


    Understand.


    It wasn''t asking, it was simply telling- leaving no room for comment. This time when the creature turned back to its¡­meal, LoVelly said nothing. He could no longer find any words worth saying. He tried to move, he desperately wanted to leave but his body was rooted to the spot. His limbs would not heed the call to pick him up and carry him away. So as the creature leaned down to drag up whatever was left of the person it was devouring, LoVelly simply closed his eyes as tightly as he could to block out the image of the thing. Despite that, tears still slipped past now and again. His hands clamped over his ears wasn¡¯t quite enough to block out all of the gut wrenching noises that came from several feet over but it was better than nothing.


    Sometime later, after what felt like an eternity, after all his tears had run dry and all that he was left with was a vague feeling of fragility, he realized the noises had stopped.


    He tried to peel one eye open but realized that his eyes were so swollen from crying that he could barely do so. They stung fiercely as he tried to blink several times to work through the crusted feeling. Finally after several blurry attempts he managed to peel them open enough to see the dark writhing mass folding in on itself in a way that didn¡¯t really make any sense visually. It made his brain feel weird to watch it but he couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away now. As it did so he saw the form of a person- a normal person and not the grotesque approximation of one- began to take form until finally all that was left was the girl.


    He didn¡¯t dare move yet and neither did she at first. For a moment she simply stayed there, on hands and knees, breathing harshly. He watched carefully as her expression moved through vague confusion to horrific realization.


    She turned her head slowly, as if in slow motion, taking in first her sticky hands beneath her. She raised one slowly to her face before turning her head to look directly at LoVelly. Her mouth dropped open and a hoarse sound was coughed out. She tried again, violently huffing out a ragged sound that was supposed to be a scream but barely anything managed to escape her throat.


    She instinctively reached a hand to her throat but repelled when she felt the wetness against her skin, she turned to the side retching. Her breathing was coming in ragged pants.


    For the first time since hitting the floor LoVelly pushed himself up. He was sore and a bit stiff as he made to crawl across the space between them. His hand felt something wet and he recoiled, shaking it out before pushing on.


    ¡°Mez- Mezalie.¡± He tried. He sat up and wiped his hands on his pants as best he could before reaching out to her. It was too late for both of their clothes at this point. He saw her breathing too fast, too high and raspy. He kneeled in front of her and placed his hands on either shoulder, hoping to ground her.


    What he got felt like being sucker punched. It was an emotional overload that felt a lot like someone screaming into his ear. It was very possible that Mezalie was screaming in his ear, he wouldn¡¯t know. His mind was being bombarded with dizzying images so vivid it was impossible to discern where they ended and reality began.


    He tried to take a deep breath but it was then that he felt it, a thrumming in his veins. He felt dizzy and his fingers tingled like sparks but under the panic he felt a pull, something calling out to him. As he squeezed his eyes shut the chaos around him fell away and instead gave way to a whole new kind of chaos.


    He saw a churning, swirling sea of dark water. The waves thrashed violently into and against each other. In the sounds of the crashing water he heard a desperate voice screaming for help. Again and again Mezalie cried out and then without a thought on his part suddenly LoVelly was there. Mezalie was fighting to keep her head above the peaks of the water that fought to drown her but LoVelly didn¡¯t know what he could do. He wasn¡¯t even sure what was happening but in a brief moment she opened her eyes and he was sure they made eye contact in the dark swirling tides.


    And then her head dipped beneath the waves and she was gone.


    LoVelly gasped in a lungful of air.


    ¡°Mez!¡± He yelled over the roaring in his own ears. He was thrown back to reality and when he did he startled and threw both himself and Mezalie to the floor, both of them breathing hard. He rolled to his back on the floor, feeling the sticky wet feeling beneath him as he did. He tried not to think too hard about it. He turned his head to face Mezalie to find her already facing him. Despite the dim light he could tell there was more recognition, more lucidity in her eyes. There was also exhaustion there in the droop of her eyes. LoVelly sat up slowly, keeping his eyes on her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up.¡± He said, reaching down to help her sit up. Surprisingly when his hand found her arm there wasn¡¯t much, just a soft buzzing feeling in the back of his mind. It seemed strange but it wasn¡¯t an unwelcome change, he just hoped it would last.


    They both managed to get to their feet and LoVelly steered them out of the grisly scene of the living room. They stumbled further into the home, past the kitchen and sure enough one of the open doors in the hall was a washroom with a tub. He reached for the light but Mezalie caught his arm before he got to it. She didn¡¯t say anything but the message was received. He left the light off.


    He sat her on the little step stool huddled up next to the tub and he set to work fiddling with the tap. He managed to get the water running warm and was thankful they even had hot water. As the tub filled he stepped back and turned the tap in the sink too, setting to work washing up his own hands and arms. He was thankful Mezalie had opted to keep the lights off. He didn¡¯t particularly want to see all that blood swirling in the bowl in the starkness of the light either. It was the fine line of denial that was allowing him to avoid a breakdown.


    ¡°Do you want me to go?¡± he asked. She still hadn¡¯t moved from where he¡¯d left her. He heard her take a deep breath and release it, shaky. She started to say something but her voice came out as a croak. She cleared her throat and tried again.


    ¡°Will you give me a tes?¡± She rasped out. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone but I just¡­I need a tes to myself.¡± She let out a scratchy cough at the end. LoVelly finished and turned off the tap, drying his hands on the small towel beside the sink.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll go get you a glass of water.¡± He stepped out into the hall, pulling the door part way closed behind himself. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this open. Call if you need me.¡±


    Mezalie stared at the half closed door for a few moments more before she slowly uncurled herself from the huddled position she¡¯d been in, the smallest she could manage to make herself. The water was still filling in the tub but she could start to feel the heat rising up off the water.


    She peeled the sweater, LoVelly¡¯s sweater, off first and she was briefly sad that she would be losing it but the feeling of drying blood made her drop it to the floor and kick it away all the same followed by the rest of her clothes. Like LoVelly she ran the sink and washed what she could from her hands and arms. She kept her eyes resolutely away from the mirror, looking down into the sink as the water ran in dark swirls against the bowl.


    She could hear LoVelly tinkering around in the kitchen as she lowered herself into the tub and twisted the handle to shut off the faucet. The water wasn¡¯t quite hot but it still felt incredible against her skin. She sank down low in the water, far enough to submerge her throat, even if that meant her knees stuck out, and scrubbed profusely with her hands, wiping away the dark stain there.


    There in the bathtub she sat motionless, soaking. She could wash as much as she wanted but she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever feel clean again. She stared at the tap as a small bead of water gathered until it dripped into the tub. She watched drip after drip and listened to LoVelly shuffling around. She heard him walk by the door at one point but he didn¡¯t come in.


    She didn¡¯t think she had any more tears left to cry. The tragedy of the last day took everything she had. So when she thought about the awful thing that had taken over her mind and body she just shivered despite the warmth of the water.


    She didn¡¯t remember everything. She hadn¡¯t seen everything. She remembered enough. Enough that it triggered a memory from before, on the beach. She remembered seeing through that strange distorted eyeball. She remembered blood.


    And then she remembered LoVelly.


    At least, the creature remembered him. She wasn¡¯t sure how exactly the memories worked but she could feel the creature''s memories like her own. She remembered the curiosity and then the fear. She saw LoVelly emerge from a burst of light but that was where the memory ended, slipping away like water through her fingers.


    Flashes of the man and his wife, of the violence the monster inflicted, pushed their way to the surface again and with nothing else to do she bent her knees further to allow herself to slip beneath the water. She held herself there, trying to focus on the sound of the water sloshing against the side of the tub, the sound of LoVelly¡¯s footsteps echoed in the floorboards. She heard the door creak as it opened again, the footsteps closer now. She waited another moment before coming up for a breath, feeling no urgency. She kept herself submerged up to her chin though, her knees sticking up at the other end.


    She glanced up and saw LoVelly setting a stack of fabrics on the stepstool before he put his back to the wall, sinking down to sit there beside the tub.


    ¡°I found us some clean clothes.¡± He said but it sounded morose. She felt it too when she considered where the clothes had come from but at least now they¡¯d be dressed for the cold. She peeked over the edge of the tub and saw that he¡¯d already changed his long hair wound up in a knot atop his head. It looked damp and she wondered if he''d rinsed it in the sink. She sat up to reach for the soap and busied herself with more scrubbing.


    There was a window above the bath, a small one, but it was facing the right way that she could see that Ahraan had begun rising, the early light of the drievette beginning to brighten the bathroom. She dunked herself again to rinse. She peeked over the edge of the tub and saw that a towel had been set atop everything else. She dragged herself from the warmth of the bath and unfolded the towel, wrapping it around herself as much as she could, LoVelly politely directing his view to the floor.


    She didn¡¯t understand him.


    He¡¯d seen what she¡¯d done and instead of running he¡¯d stayed and comforted her. Where had he even come from? There were so many questions surrounding the man and absolutely no answers. In fact she had more and more questions the longer he was around.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± She blurted, the words slipping out without permission. His head turned as he went to say something before catching himself and turning back to the floor.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, genuinely confused.


    ¡°Staying. Being nice. Helping me.¡± She draped the towel over her shoulders and up over her hair as she set to work pulling the clothes on. They were work clothes, clearly belonging to the man they¡¯d met at the door.


    The man that she¡¯d murdered.


    She shook her head. Trying to clear the thought before the guilt overcame her.


    ¡°You saw what I did,¡± she said in a hush. Even saying it aloud felt awful, felt like it made it more real to acknowledge it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that.¡± He said resolutely.


    ¡°That thing came out of me.¡± She said, a bit hysterical. He did turn to look at her then.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that Mez.¡± He said again. ¡°That thing did. They did something to you to put that thing in you and we need to get it out.¡± He insisted.


    ¡°How do you know we even can?¡± She nearly sobbed. She wrapped her arms around herself, the thermal shirt she now wore a comforting warmth as her hair dripped water down her back. ¡°What if I hurt other people?¡±


    LoVelly rose up from the floor, now. He took her discarded towel and used it to wipe down the sink before he reached over to finally flick the light on. Now that Ahraan had risen higher the overhead light wasn¡¯t so harsh as it illuminated the room.


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out as we go along I guess?¡± He finally said, ushering her to pass him and gently guiding her back toward the kitchen. As they approached she saw that LoVelly had put a coat rack in the doorway to the living room and with the various things hung from it it mostly obscured her vision into the room. It was such a small thing but she was exceedingly grateful for it. She was finding it harder and harder to find malintent in any of his actions.


    The chair at the table was already pulled out and he directed her right into it. There was a glass of water sat alone on the table and as LoVelly busied himself with a kettle on the stove she reached for the glass and downed it faster than she expected. The empty glass settled with a hollow clink as she set it back down. She stared down at the tabletop, at the whorls in the surface of the wood while she listened to LoVelly shuffle around the small kitchen. His boots made a slight squeak every once in a while against the flooring as he moved about. She heard the refrigerator open and close several times. Dishes clinked as they were picked up and set back down.


    She had no idea how long she sat there, staring, before LoVelly came and pulled out the chair next to her and quietly set a plate in front of her. She dragged her eyes up to see a plate of spiced riced vegetables, a thin puddle of green tinted cream escaping the edges of the pile, leftovers of some kind. She stared at it for a moment, still feeling a bit far away from herself and the food and the entire scene. She heard the clinking of a spoon on a dish as LoVelly ate his own food. Under the table the side of LoVelly¡¯s boot found her own foot and stayed there, solid and grounding.


    Finally, she reached out for her own spoon and took one bite and then another. She noticed that LoVelly had brought over the kettle, settling it on a hot pad. He had his own mug of tea in hand and she saw a second one sat next to the kettle. He must have followed her eyes because he quickly set his mug down and reached to pour the other.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said into the quiet kitchen and took a long, hot sip of the tea. It was the same tea as the first mug she¡¯d had in the barn but it felt bitter in her mouth this time.


    ¡°So¡­¡± LoVelly started, sounding unsure. ¡°I feel weird about this morally but I did find the keys to the Tevvy¡­and I don¡¯t know about you but I don¡¯t know that I want to walk to town when we have an alternative¡­¡± He placed his spoon down and took up his mug again for something to do with his hands.


    She looked over at him. She didn¡¯t get him. He didn¡¯t look crazy or nefarious. If he had an angle in all this she wasn¡¯t sure what it could be.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She finally asked, hugging her arms to herself. She heard him inhale sharply but she pushed on before he could interject. ¡°Why are you still here? You could have left. You should have left me here when you could.¡± She saw a sadness on his face as he put his cup down and really looked at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you all alone Mez.¡± He said it was the simplest thing.


    ¡°I am alone!¡± Her voice came out higher and louder than she expected. ¡°Everyone else is dead! I wish I was dead too!¡± She let out a hiccup and a sob but it was dry, out of tears.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t say that,¡± LoVelly pushed his dish away, turning in his chair to face her properly. ¡°I promise that as long as you want me around you won¡¯t be alone. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± He assured her.


    ¡°Why?!¡± She snapped. ¡°Why are you doing this? You don¡¯t even know me!¡± She sounded hysterical to her own ears but she couldn¡¯t help it. LoVelly threw his hands up, one tangling into his hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really wish I could just tell you but I can¡¯t.¡± He insisted. ¡°When I woke up in that field with you it was like someone had just wiped everything from my mind. I don¡¯t even know, maybe I did it, I wouldn¡¯t know and I have no idea why.¡± He placed his other hand to his head as well. ¡°It¡¯s all in here and I think maybe I need your help to figure out how to get to it. All I know right now is that I¡¯m not going anywhere and so long as I¡¯m around, you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    She watched him carefully, looking for any indication he was lying but again she found that he wore his emotions rather openly. His face and his words felt sincere. To be quite honest he seemed like he¡¯d be a terrible liar. She turned away from his searching eyes, back to her own plate of food.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She relented.


    ¡°Fine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess we¡¯re doing this together then.¡± She elaborated, stuffing a spoon into her mouth. LoVelly didn¡¯t say anything to that. She saw him smiling at her out of her peripheral vision but she didn¡¯t acknowledge it. Eventually he went back to his plate and they sat quietly as Mez picked at her own food. She knew she should be hungry after¡­well everything, but she had a hard time convincing herself to chew and swallow bite after bite. Finally she placed her spoon down and pushed the plate away. LoVelly had long since finished his own and sat sipping another mug of tea.


    Ahraan was well on its way up now and it illuminated the kitchen in a soft lavender glow. She could see the dust motes in the air as they danced through the light streaming in through the window.


    ¡°We should go,¡± she said, pushing her chair out making a small scraping noise against the floor. She stood and almost immediately her vision darkened, her head spinning. She felt his hand land softly against her side, steadying her.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± He asked. She noticed that the touch did not elicit a huge tidal wave of feeling this time around, just comfort.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be fine¡­just need to get moving again.¡± She insisted. Her vision was clearing up and the head rush was dissipating already. She took a deep, steadying breath. ¡°I need shoes.¡± She redirected. LoVelly perked up at that at least.


    ¡°Oh. I found some. I hope they¡¯ll fit.¡± He grabbed her hand, pulling her gently back toward the front door of the house. Mezalie saw the smeared dark stains on the wooden floor and she saw that LoVelly had tried to wipe away their bloodied footprints at some point. It made her stomach turn to see the remnants anyway. As they reached the front door she saw that not only was LoVelly¡¯s pack there but another, smaller pack was also there with it. Both seemed to be stuffed as full as they could be. Next to those were several pairs of shoes, all well worn.


    She knew immediately the smaller pairs wouldn¡¯t fit her but the larger ones likely would. LoVelly reached down and produced a pair of thick socks that he handed her as she got to work, stuffing her feet into the larger boots and lacing them up. Sure enough they fit with the socks on, at least well enough to work until they made it into town. She was used to hand-me-downs growing up so it wouldn¡¯t bother her too much.


    As she finished lacing the boots she heard the jingle as LoVelly pulled the keys to the Tevvy from his pocket and swung his pack over his shoulder.


    ¡°Oh-¡± he just as quickly dropped his pack and she watched as he shuffled down the hallway to the coat rack he¡¯d shoved in the doorway. He pulled two warm looking jackets off the hooks before hurrying back to her. He offered her the larger one and she quickly shoved it on as well before following out the door behind him. She closed the door behind her with a click that felt like it echoed both in the silence of the drievette and in the pit of her stomach.


    The Tevvy sat parked right where it had been when they¡¯d arrived, silent and cold in the early light. There was a slight dew coating the grass and the hull of the vehicle. As they approached it LoVelly held out a hand, keys dangling from his fingers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± She took the keys from him. She rounded the driver¡¯s side of the old vehicle. It was definitely older judging from the faded paint and rusting edges around the bottom. The lifters that ran around the entire bottom of the vehicle were dinged up in a couple of places she could see from years of use.


    She popped the door, unlocked, and swung it open to climb into the driver¡¯s seat. LoVelly followed suit, tossing his backpack into the footwell. Once both doors were closed she slotted the key into the ignition in the center console and the machine whirred to life, a soft vibration humming as the lifters warmed up.


    It was cold in the Tevvy, the metal clinging to the chill of the nente. The seats had haphazard covers on them, just some sheets of woven fabric, but it was enough to shield them from the worst of it. She waited for the sound of the lifters to become consistent and in tune with each other, an even hum. A light blinked on in the dash indicating that they were ready. She carefully disengaged the break and they felt the jerk as the machine jumped off the ground at first before leveling out. She turned to look at LoVelly.


    ¡°Here we go I guess?¡± She said with a shrug and she put the vehicle in gear and shifted the thrusters into forward motion and the machine gently hovered along just about knee height as she made her way back towards the road they¡¯d followed to the farm in the first place.


    They headed down the opposite direction than they¡¯d come in from. She was fairly sure that the man had indicated that the town was down that direction. The engine hummed along, rising and falling in pitch as the engine rotated. Years of work on the TVE had trained her to hear the slight hiccup in the rhythm of it but it moved them along steadily, an older machine for sure.


    LoVelly looked out the window but she couldn¡¯t imagine he was really looking at anything. All there was around them were more rolling hills and marked fields full of sprouting grains. In fact his thinking was so loud she felt like she could hear the gears turning not only in the engine but in his head. Every once in a while he¡¯d turn to her, like he was going to say something but in the end he turned back to the window.


    ¡°You can say it, whatever it is.¡± She finally said, breaking the tension building in the cab. She kept her eyes resolutely on the distance in front of them. He turned to look at her again, slumping back into his seat and sighing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what to say.¡± He admitted with a huff. ¡°Every once in a while something will float to the surface and I almost remember¡­¡± He squeezed his eyes closed tight, scrunching his brow. ¡°And then all I get is bits and pieces.¡± He opened his eyes, mouth downturned in disappointment.


    ¡°Tell me what you do have.¡± She offered. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll help you connect some things?¡± She quickly glanced in his direction, nodding to him. He closed his eyes again, tipping his head back and forth like he was trying to roll the information into place like marbles.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­ Vell?¡± He said and her grip instantly tightened on the steering console.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± She kept her eyes steady on the dark road ahead of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just keep hearing that echo in the back somewhere. Vell.¡± He brought his hands up to indicate that ¡®somewhere¡¯ meant his head. She felt the hot tears rise up but just as quickly the feeling was gone and she was left feeling empty instead.


    How could he know? He wasn¡¯t there. She knew she was missing bits and pieces of the memories but she knew he hadn¡¯t been there. How could he possibly know?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± He said and she followed his eyes to her hands clenched tight around the steering column as she drove. Her knuckles stood out white against her skin. She tried to loosen her grip but her hands stayed firmly locked there they were around the edges of the steering column.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± She tried to say but it came out high and breathy and she realized she was struggling to breathe; breathing too fast while also not getting enough air. Not only her hands but her arms shook as she tried to keep the tevvy on course.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not but maybe we should pull over for a deb.¡± LoVelly made to reach across the middle console but stopped himself, pulling back.


    ¡°Okay. Yeah¡­Okay.¡± She nodded, managing to unclench first one hand and then the other. She reached for the gear shift in the center console and set the craft down, almost gracefully, right there in the middle of the path. It wasn¡¯t as if they were expecting any other traffic, anyway.


    Mezalie crammed her shaking hands between her thighs and leaned down, trying to put her head as close to between her knees as she could get. There wasn¡¯t quite enough room with the steering column though so all she really achieved was twisting herself up as she tried to calm down.


    She took several long, deep breaths in before she unfolded herself. She sat back in the seat, pressing herself into it, trying to ground herself with the pressure.


    ¡°Maybe we should wait here a bit?¡± LoVelly suggested. She looked at her already re-clenched hands and tried to take a deep breath in through her nose, holding it for a moment. They could sit in silence for however long it took for her to work out her problems, or they could get through this. She blew out her breath and laid her forehead down on the steering column.


    ¡°Let¡¯s teach you how to drive, I guess.¡±

 The Modern Devout Pt. 1

    It was a flurry of knocks to her chamber door that roused her. A woman well past her youth disentangled herself from her sheets and made her way to the door, groggy and a bit disoriented. The knocking did not cease. Finally she was able to yank the door open and there on the other side was one of her assistants looking rather panicked, hand raised to knock again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to bother you this late, Grand Wizard Sahayna,¡± the words came out in a rush. ¡°It¡¯s just that Grand Wizard Teramyn is back from the Breidelle temple and the situation requires your attention.¡± Nimel was still young, hardly an adult yet, but Sahayna knew them to be rather reserved and level headed and seeing them so ruffled lent credibility to the urgency.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right down.¡± She gave them a pat on the shoulder and dismissed them. She wasted no time in throwing on a thick overcoat and palace shoes, grabbing her hat off the hook by the door before following after them to the entrance hall of the great sanctuary.


    She quickly understood the alarm the young oracle had displayed when she saw what awaited her. There in the foyer were two gray-clad acolytes, or at least the uniforms they wore were once gray. Now they were covered in dark stains that could only be blood. Before them was another man clad in the robes of a high priest, equally covered in gore. All three people looked absolutely hollow, long stares of unseeing eyes. As she approached she turned again to the young oracle who¡¯d woken her.


    ¡°Nimel, please wake some others to help take care of them. Run baths and get someone cooking something. Return to me when you can.¡± She said gently, sending the young one off before stepping up to the green robed wizard covered in blood.


    ¡°Are there more with you?¡± She asked first. From close up she could see the way his face was lined and weary. His eyes were barely staying open and he looked dead tired. The man nodded, clearing his throat.


    ¡°Not many. Barely a handful,¡± he croaked.


    ¡°And Teramyn?¡± she asked with an edge of hesitance.


    ¡°Already gone up to the tower.¡± Sahayna was a bit taken aback by this. She could hardly believe he¡¯d left the others and rushed off. She couldn¡¯t imagine what was so important but she knew whatever it was couldn¡¯t be good given the state of those before her.


    ¡°I see. Please tell the others to come in to get cleaned up and we¡¯ll find them space to rest.¡± Sahayna peered around the wizard, to the two gray clad acolytes and nodded to them, tipping the large brim of her hat to dismiss them. They quickly turned back toward the front doors and slipped out.


    ¡°Please come have a seat and tell me what happened.¡± She spoke in a soft, even tone, placing a hand to the man''s back and steering him toward a room off the foyer, a sitting room. The man released a sigh so heavy when he sat down it sounded like he was deflating. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to get the words out.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what it was. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± His voice shook as he said it, his gaze fixed on a point on the rug somewhere between himself and Sahayna. ¡°It was¡­a monster. There¡¯s no describing it. I saw it and I don¡¯t even know what I saw. But it¡­it pulled people apart from the inside.¡± He finally looked up to Sahayna, meeting her eyes and there was no denying the terror in the depths of his. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand. Was that¡­it? It can¡¯t be, oh gods it was terrible.¡± His voice took on a watery edge, just barely managing to hold his composure.


    Just then Nimel stepped into the room as well, with them a tray with an assortment of herbs and medicines around a steaming teapot and two mugs. He brought the tray over and set it on the end table nearest the man.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought some baane for your tea to help you relax.¡± He pointed to the herbs placed on a small plate next to the tea pot. When Nimel saw the man¡¯s shaking hands reach for the pot they instead took up the teapot and poured the water over the leaves and stirred in the herbs, handing the mug to waiting hands. The man thanked Nimel, who then stepped back and over to Sahayna, taking a seat on the end of the couch.


    ¡°I only have a couple of questions for now and then we can talk to everyone else once you¡¯ve had time to rest.¡± She spoke softly, afraid to startle the man.


    ¡°Right.¡± He nodded but his eyes were far away again.


    ¡°Where did this monster come from?¡± Sahayna asked. The man shook his head, staring down at the mug in his hands as he spoke.


    ¡°We intercepted a Pod of Solahrans landing on the loren shores. We performed the ritual as directed by Grand Wizard Teramyn, with Nolstone and everything and¡­we thought they were all dead¡­Next thing we know some¡­.thing is ripping everyone apart. It was going inside people first and pulling them inside out. I¡­I¡­¡± He began to stutter, his hands shaking so bad that he spilt a slosh of tea on his hand, hissing at the heat.


    ¡°Thank you for that information. Only one more question for now. Where did it go? How did you and Teramyn and the others get away?¡± she asked, just as gently as before. The man stared down into his tea, eyes unseeing and far away.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Someone else¡­they came out of some kind of rift and hit the thing with some kind of light and it just¡­collapsed? I don¡¯t know how else to describe it but when it did there was just a girl. A Solahran girl¡­but she was dead, burnt out, I¡¯m sure of it¡­they all were¡­¡±  The man shook his head. ¡°The other person and the girl, they just disappeared.¡± He was still shaking quite badly. He brought the mug to his mouth to take a long sip of the calming brew.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re safe here now. I will alert the other Sanctuaries.¡± Sahayna stood, seeing the royal temple¡¯s doctor approaching the doorway from the foyer. ¡°Let our doctor attend to you and please, get some rest.¡± She waved the doctor over to the man as she made to step away, Nimel at her heels.


    ¡°Wait-¡± the man blurted before they could leave. Sahayna turned back to the man, his eyes still wide with fear and bloodshot. Between that and the blood and grime covering him he made a rather unsettling sight. ¡°The last thing I know-¡± he rasped, ¡°her name¡­ I think it¡¯s Mezalie.¡± She thanked the man kindly before leaving him in the hands of the doctor.


    Sahayna rushed down the hall to the stairs, quickly taking the steps up the tower. She resented having to take so many stairs in the middle of the nente. The brim of her hat softly slapped against her shoulder blades where it hung as she went round and round and her palace shoes tapped softly against the steps. Nimel was silent, a shadow on the steps behind her and if she didn''t already know they were there she wouldn''t have any other indication.


    When they finally reached the top she took a moment to catch her breath, one hand braced on the smooth sanctuary wall. She huffed and puffed for several moments, vindicated when she saw Nimel place a hand gingerly to their side to soothe a pinch, even if they didn''t seem out of breath. When she''d regained her composure she pushed herself off from the wall and hurried the last few paces to the Prophecy Room. She saw the door was ajar but she didn¡¯t need that to know she would find Teramyn there.


    The royal Sanctuary tower, like much of the entire compound, was immaculate in design and decor. The marite floors were a beautiful, gleaming cream color with swirls of white or almost-pinks and they were kept so clean that the bottoms of her palace slippers still looked virtually new. The door that stood ajar was made of panels of light, dusty brown tok wood. It was a lightweight material and easily swung aside when she pressed a light touch to it. Just as suspected it revealed Teramyn stood at the center of the room, bent down low over the raised pool there,


    After seeing the state of the others downstairs she was surprised to see Teramyn looking mostly fine. However as she got closer, motioning for Nimel to close the door behind them, she saw that he did appear a bit worse for wear. Where his robe hung open in the front she could spotted a rumpled, dirty looking undershirt. His face held traces of grime in the fine lines and wrinkles  between his nose and his chin, likely from reaching to stroke his beard as he often did.


    Now his eyes were white, rolled back in his head, mouth slack just above the water''s surface. He surely knew she was there but he did not disrupt the process. His breathing was so soft that he appeared statuesque as a tiny fingernail-sized blemish sprouted and began to swell from his forehead near the hairline. It swelled only to the size of a torzjosha berry, tiny and dark where the blood pooled beneath the skin. Finally the skin gave way and it burst releasing not only the blood and fluid but also a small round stone that fell with a plunk into the bowl. Teramyn gasped loudly, finally coming out of his reverie. His eyes rolled back into position and he shook his head gently back and forth a few times. He reached a hand up to the wound and held his fingers over it for several moments before releasing a hiss when it started to burn. When he removed his fingers the wound was shiny and pink, healing over already. He stayed bent down and pushed the sleeves of his robes all the way past his elbow before reaching into the bowl and fishing the tiny object out. When he pulled it from the water, exposing it to the air, it quickly turned a yellowed off-white. Sahayna crossed the room to him, just an arms length apart across the bowl from him.


    ¡°I hear it did not go well,¡± she said evenly. She kept the ¡®I told you so¡¯ from her voice as best she could. Teramyn did not answer her at first, glaring down at the bead between his fingers, like it was the source of his frustration.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± he ground out between clenched teeth. ¡°I have never had a vision that indicated a living vessel was possible.¡± He took a sharp breath in through his nose and reached across the bowl, offering the bead to Sahayna.


    ¡°As much as I loathe to say it,¡± she lied, ¡°I did voice my concerns that there were far too many unknown variables involved.¡± She did not reach out to take it yet, instead looking him in the eyes, searching his face for something she wasn¡¯t sure of.


    ¡°We are running out of time,¡± he hissed, shaking his hand and the bead at her. She finally reached out, taking the bead in hand.


    As soon as it touched her skin she felt its warmth radiating from within and then she felt the strange dizzying effect of a foreign fen mingling with hers. It spread slowly, tickling up her arm and then settling low in her chest. She waited for the vision to come, a memory of Teramyn¡¯s in vivid detail, so visceral that she could feel the wind on her face and the smell of the sea on it. She watched the scene unfold with no small amount of horror but when the thing, she could only call it a thing, when it screamed it was awful. It was such a horrific sound that she startled and dropped the stone from her fingers sending it rolling across the gleaming floor. Nimel swiftly stepped in to retrieve it using a cloth set aside on one of the tables to pick it up before handing it back to Teramyn.


    ¡°That was it then? The infinite creature?¡± she asked. The images of whatever it was were strange and difficult to understand, ever shifting and changing even in her mind''s  eye. What persisted though was the shiver that ran up and down her back at the memory of the noise, the blood, the terror.


    ¡°Yes. The God of Infinity heard our call and answered.¡± The words escaped him with such intensity. Sahayna watched as he fished the bead back out of the bowl where she¡¯d dropped it. ¡°This is a setback but not one we cannot overcome.¡± He pushed to his feet and crossed the room to a cabinet along the far wall, pulling the doors wide to reveal several clear cases, inside of which were rows of similar tiny, lumpy spheres. He reached for a case that was about half full, opening it to place the bead in the next open space. ¡°We will find the girl soon enough and complete what we started,¡± he said with confidence.


    Sahayna said nothing, still reeling from what she¡¯d seen. She had had her doubts before but now¡­now she couldn¡¯t help the feeling in her gut that this wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as Teramyn proclaimed. She had a bad feeling that this was going to be much messier than she¡¯d been led to believe.

 Chapter Six (friends of Datsa)

    It turned out that LoVelly wasn¡¯t the worst driver Mez had ever been in a vehicle with, which was saying something. She wouldn¡¯t even go so far as to say he was proficient now, he was just certainly better than a lof ago when they¡¯d started. Tevvy¡¯s really weren¡¯t that complicated once you got the basics down and what better an opportunity than a long, empty road to practice on?


    She leaned up against the window, an extra shirt from LoVelly¡¯s bag balled up under her head to keep it from slamming into the window when LoVelly overcorrected the controls or hopped a raised patch of ground. She definitely wasn¡¯t asleep but her eyes were closed at least and it was better than driving, maybe, probably. The other bonus to having LoVelly drive is that he was quiet while he concentrated on keeping the Tevvy on the road. He wasn¡¯t obnoxious but he was chatty and while he was driving she felt less pressure to keep up the conversation if he didn¡¯t. She let him quietly focus on the road while she tried to rest.


    The worst of the swerving subsided after a few eides and it was mostly just hiccups here and there as LoVelly figured out the sweet spots between the lift and acceleration which were, admittedly, the hardest parts to master. She was glad he seemed to be getting the basics of it; if they were going to stick together for now they¡¯d need to be able to trade off. It also gave her peace of mind knowing that he could drive in an emergency.


    They drove for lofvs in relative silence, only the barely-there hum of the engine and occasional pitter patter of tall grasses reaching up to brush the bottom of the vehicle. When LoVelly¡¯s voice rang out in the cabin it startled her enough to jump. ¡°Oh! I see it!¡± He pointed through the window out ahead of them. Mez sat up, rubbing at her eyes and blearily looking out the window for herself. Sure enough there were buildings rising up ahead of them.


    ¡°Great,¡± she yawned, ¡°we actually made it.¡± Her voice was scratchy and she went to dig into the bag at her feet for the water bottle LoVelly had refilled before they''d left. ¡°Good job.¡± She smiled over at him and LoVelly briefly glanced at her before looking back to the road.


    The buildings in the distance became buildings right in front of them far too quickly and she still felt groggy from her almost-nap. As they got closer LoVelly slowed the Tevvy, lowering it to hum just barely off the ground. The farm road became less of a road and more of an open yard with smaller paths that branched off of it. The area was sparsely populated with squat little sheds, houses near the edges and two large buildings that might be warehouses but otherwise it wasn¡¯t much to look at. There were people sprinkled about here and there, mostly headed inwards just like they were. She spied an area where several other people had parked their vehicles, some of them still had boxes of supplies loaded in back and others were empty like their own.


    ¡°How do I park this thing?¡± LoVelly asked as it became clear that they wouldn¡¯t be able to take the Tevvy much further. She directed him to take it over to where the others were and they managed to not hit anything in the process. Mez reached over and flipped the switches to disengage the thrusters and they felt the craft set down in the grass with a soft thump as the engine hummed while it powered down.


    They both tumbled out of the tevvy with legs cramped from sitting so long and Mez slung LoVelly¡¯s pack over her shoulders. LoVelly came around to hand her the ignition chip. It had a cord tied through the hole in it and she looped it through a belt loop on her stolen pants and tucked it into the pocket. They both started to walk toward what looked like the main street, the same way that most of the other people they¡¯d seen were headed.


    ¡°Where to now?¡± LoVelly turned to her, his pleasant little smile back in place.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± She looked out ahead of them as the street became more populated, watching as people popped in and out of small shops and houses around them. ¡°If I had to guess I¡¯d say the town center is our best starting point. If the temple isn¡¯t already there we can definitely ask someone. I¡¯ll bet there¡¯s a market too.¡± LoVelly had had a small coin purse in a pocket of the pack and while there wasn¡¯t much in it she¡¯d counted it out on their long ride so they knew exactly what they were working with. It was enough for food at least. If they were frugal, very frugal, they could get some other supplies as well. She wasn¡¯t even sure what they needed. She wasn¡¯t sure what their next move was past finding the town¡¯s temple. She guessed that it all depended on what kind of help they could get here.


    They walked toward the heart of the city and nobody paid them any mind as they threaded through the growing crowd in the streets. Dressed as they were in farming clothes, like many of the other locals, they fit right in. Children hollered and laughed as they chased each other down alleys and through the streets. Wolkieve¡¯s chittered overhead as they glided between buildings and down to the ground to scamper between people¡¯s feet, looking for crumbs and other snacks that might have been dropped. She spied several mien curled up on stoops or in windows soaking up the low light of the drievet. There were even a few scant weather fae posted up on the peaks of tall roofs, huddled together and watching everything below with strange, unblinking eyes set deep into their uncanny faces.


    Mezalie led the two of them along and looked around above the crowd for a building that looked like a temple. She stumbled when a hand tugged her back by the elbow sending a whip of condensed thought and emotion across her mind- confusion, excitement, wariness and a sense of dread all mingling together. It was a lot to process at once and she blinked several times before her vision came back into focus. She saw LoVelly pointing to a shop across the street.


    ¡°Whatever they have over there it smells amazing. Can we stop there?¡± he asked, eyes pleading. The scent of cooking dough and herbs hit her as well and they quickly crossed the street. A bell jingled as they entered and a stout old man greeted them as he bid the man in line a farewell and sent him off with a crinkling bag of goods. The smell was even stronger inside and they both heard LoVelly¡¯s stomach rumble in request making them both laugh.


    ¡°Provoto,¡± she identified the smell as they peeked around a woman in line ahead of them at the pastries packed into a case behind the counter. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re smelling,¡± she informed him. It was a staple in inland towns like this. They tasted best when they were fresh but the meat kept for a long time if treated properly and you could freeze the pastries for a soltzet.


    When it was finally their turn to step up LoVelly happily ordered one for each of them and Mez dug the coins out of the purse in exchange. LoVelly didn¡¯t wait to make it out the door before digging into his, releasing an appreciative moan before he hissed out the steam on a few breaths. She laughed at him as he went for another bite despite it trying to burn him. She had the self control to wait a few tes before digging into her own.


    ¡°I think I saw a sign that said town center back that way and I¡¯d bet that¡¯s where we¡¯re going to find our temple,¡± she announced as she steered them in the direction she¡¯d seen the signs. LoVelly nodded and kept chewing as he followed after her. By the time she finally pulled her own pastry out of its wrapping to take a bite LoVelly had finished his.


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll be able to do? At the temple.¡± LoVelly asked, wadding up the paper wrapper in his hands.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± she said around a bite of pastry. ¡°If nothing else they have books on rituals and fen we could try.¡± She didn¡¯t miss the way a woman passing them gave them a look as she went by. Mez waited a few tes before glancing back but the woman didn¡¯t look back at them again. It felt strange but she wasn¡¯t sure why. She wasn¡¯t about to run after the woman though. It would be best, perhaps, to keep vigilant of their surroundings, she thought.


    ¡°Hmm. I guess it¡¯s better than nothing right?¡± LoVelly brought her attention back.


    ¡°Right,¡± she agreed.


    They meandered through the streets, backtracking more than once when they had to, until the path they were on spilled out into a large open square. It was flush with people and as Mez had expected there was a market filling up a large portion of the pace. There were dozens of stalls full of produce and goods. People shuffled between them and between each other trying to get where they needed to go, haggling for what they wanted with stall keepers.


    There, in the far corner across the square was a grand looking building. It had a beautiful filigree carved into the stone face and a pillar at each corner. Around each pillar a climbing flower had snaked its way to almost the very top, its dark vines sprawling around each one like long spindling fingers holding tight. It had a long line of beautifully colored glass windows lining the front.


    LoVelly must have recognized it for what it was too because his eyes widened and he perked up, pointing to the building in excitement as he looked at her. She nodded, following after him as he made his way across the square. She tucked her pastry back into its paper pouch as they approached the great ornate doors, too nervous to eat anything else. Her stomach was already churning. The temple had a large double door and from the way the ground was worn before it, it looked like they were often propped open, but now they stood closed. She reached back and stuffed the pastry bag into the small side pocket of the bag and hefted it more comfortably as they stepped up to the door. LoVelly was the one to reach for the handle and pull the great door open for them.


    Inside, the temple was well lit both with the soft light coming in from various windows and from softly humming lights dotting the hall occasionally. It smelled amazing, like flowers and warmth, the aroma drifting through the open space inside. Someone must have heard them enter because before they could wander far enough down the entry hall to the main worship hall a woman popped her head out of a side room to greet them.


    ¡°Hello!¡± she said, bright and chipper. ¡°Welcome, welcome. Can I help you?¡± She had long, long hair, at least down to her hip, as many temple oracles did, and she wore it unbound and it spilled over her shoulders in curled silver waves. Mez put on her best polite smile.


    ¡°Hi, thank you.¡± She stepped forward to meet the woman halfway. ¡°I¡­¡± She choked on what to say. What could she say? How could she summarize what she¡¯d been through in the last driev? The woman waited with quiet patience as she worked through the words trying to spill forth from her. She hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d worked herself up to near tears when she felt the gentle touch of LoVelly¡¯s hand at her elbow, a grounding touch. She sniffled once, pushing the tears back town and willing the heat in her eyes to simmer down.


    ¡°We were attacked,¡± she choked out finally. ¡°My family and I,¡± she clarified. ¡°They downed our TVE and I¡­we¡¯re the only ones who made it out and we need help.¡± She finished softly. Saying it still hurt too much, made it too real. The woman¡¯s face was washed in grief as she took in Mezalie and her story.


    ¡°Oh you poor things.¡± Her eyebrows drooped and the woman looked like she was moments from her own tears. ¡°Come, let me get someone.¡± She swept her arm out, toward the main hall and ushered them forward with her.


    At the end of the entryway was a small room just before the worship hall. They could see the beautifully carved details that ran along the edges of the ceiling and the colorful designs painted along the walls, no doubt a community effort. ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you get comfortable and I¡¯ll come back once I¡¯ve got someone you can talk to,¡± she said with a smile.


    The room had a door at the front where they entered and a door at the back. There were two chairs on either side of a little table which was centered. The room was small enough that each seat was pushed flushed with the wall behind them, just enough room to slip between them and the table in the center. The silver haired woman waited for them to settle before beginning to leave but she stopped, just inside the doorway.


    ¡°What did you say your name was dear?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Mezalie,¡± she looked over to answer.


    ¡°And LoVelly.¡± LoVelly added, taking a seat across from her on the other chair. The woman gave them another smile before she closed the door behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. Mezalie leaned down to rest her elbows on her knees, head in her hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do after this,¡± she bemoaned. They were finally at the only destination she¡¯d planned so far, she had no plan beyond this. ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone left. Nowhere to go,¡± she whispered it into the space between them.


    She thought of her conversation with Klia that nente on the TVE, of her thoughts of leaving the Pod. She thought of her admission to Vell. Even then, she had never thought it would be goodbye forever. It would have been temporary, the knowledge she could rejoin her Pod, her family, any time she wanted, anytime she missed them. Her eyes went far away, looking past him.


    Before LoVelly could respond the woman returned both with two glasses of water and a man behind her. Beneath his open clergy robe he was dressed in simple clothes just like the oracle, just like themselves and everyone else in the town. He looked more like a farmer than a Wizard of the temple.


    ¡°Ah, Mezalie was it?¡± the man addressed her. She nodded. His eyes flicked to LoVelly and he smiled at him before returning his gaze to Mezalie. ¡°Would you mind joining me?¡± he asked, motioning back out into the hall.


    ¡°Just me?¡± she asked, looking over at LoVelly who met her gaze.


    ¡°Rest assured we will be right back. I understand you¡¯ve had a terrible time recently. I would just like to get your story on record individually.¡± He nodded again toward the door before stepping out into the hall, the woman following after. Mezalie looked again at LoVelly and nodded as she stood and followed after the man.


    He led her into the worship hall, past the seats, past the main altar and to a door at the very back. Through it was another small room where several people already sat around a large oval table. There were a couple of open seats and the man directed her to any one of them. Once seated she felt awkward as the other occupants looked on at her and the man crossed the room and took his own seat around the table. Finally, he took the lead once more.


    ¡°Okay, can you please tell us what happened?¡±


    So she told them about the men in uniform, the green-clad wizards, the holes in the TVE. She told them about her murdered family and friends. She didn''t tell them about the monster and she didn¡¯t tell them about the man whose clothes she was wearing or the kindness his wife had shown them or how she¡¯d repaid them. Those she kept for her alone.


    Her and LoVelly, she supposed.


    She didn¡¯t know why but when they asked about LoVelly she lied. She said he''d been with her on the TVE and had escaped with her and nobody seemed the wiser. The details were hazy and unclear, she played up the memory loss to her advantage, unsure about disclosing everything just yet.


    The longer she sat telling her story and watching them watch her, the less sure she felt that this had been the right choice. Many of them seemed indifferent to the horrible things she described and they occasionally whispered among themselves, regarding her with strange interest in their eyes.


    When she was done she waited a moment, waiting for a reaction she felt was appropriate to the situation but all she got was a barely-concerned, ¡°we will deliberate on what you¡¯ve told us¡±.


    She didn¡¯t wait for anyone to excuse her, she just got up and left the way she¡¯d come.


    ***


    When Mezalie stormed back into the room some time later, LoVelly could feel the agitation rolling off of her before the slam of the door told him what kind of mood she was in. She paced the small space at the front of the room, wall to wall. LoVelly stood up too, he didn¡¯t know why but he felt like he should. Mezalie¡¯s frenetic energy had him feeling antsy.


    ¡°They are deliberating,¡± she said with a scoff and enough sass to fill the tiny room.


    ¡°Deliberating what?¡± he asked. He considered sitting back down, but the energy kept him rooted to the spot he was in. He watched her stalk the length of the room a few times, not that it was far.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what there is to deliberate. I told them what happened, and the clear course of action is to hold those who did this accountable.¡± She threw her hands up, ¡°but half of them didn¡¯t even seem to be listening to me.¡± She hissed and flailed her hands around like she needed to, like she needed a way to release the energy before she exploded.


    LoVelly watched her continue to pace. It made him feel awkward to stand there, but the room wasn¡¯t big enough for them both to pace around. Finally, Mezalie threw herself down into one of the chairs with an audible thump before turning to sit sideways in it, her legs slung over one of the arms. Now that she was seated, he felt even more awkward to just stand there, so he took his own seat once more.


    He leaned, placing his elbows on his knees and holding his face in his hands, mirroring her position from earlier. He watched her fume for several moments, unsure of what, if anything, to say. He didn¡¯t know how to discuss anything about their very odd situation. He watched her pick a fuzz off of her pant leg and then fuss over her hair for a moment, gathering it all over the chair arm so that she wasn¡¯t lying on it. Finally she crossed her arms and did what LoVelly could only really describe as pouting.


    They sat in silence for a while. It wasn¡¯t necessarily uncomfortable but LoVelly wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable in the situation either. The uncertainty made him feel jumpy. Finally Mezalie released a heavy sigh and tipped her head to look over at him. It made her hair poof up funny where it got pressed beneath her face.


    ¡°What do you want to do when we¡¯re done with all this?¡± she asked.


    She looked at him so seriously that it made him feel like he should know the answer but all he could say was simply, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She stared him down a few moments more before tipping her head back to stare at the ceiling.


    ¡°Think about it then, I guess. We have time.¡±


    He really hadn¡¯t had time to consider it yet. Everything had happened so fast and so violently that he¡¯d never stopped to think further than the moment he was in. Everything was strange and he didn¡¯t even really know where to begin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know what there is,¡± he said. ¡°I mean¡­I don¡¯t know what I would want because I don¡¯t know what my options are.¡± He stared hard at the floor. The more he tried to think about it the more that jumpy feeling started to roll around in his body and mind. The closer he tried to get to his memories the more jumbled his thoughts became.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Mezalie interrupted his frantic thoughts and he looked back to see her watching him again. Her expression was softer this time, less absolute. ¡°It¡¯s okay to not know. We can figure it out as we go.¡± She gave him a small, reassuring smile. It occurred to him that she had said ¡®we¡¯ and that settled some nerves he wasn¡¯t even aware were upset. This whole world was new to him and he didn¡¯t want to be alone in it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± He looked her in the eyes. ¡°You know you¡¯re not alone either right? You¡¯ve got me now.¡±


    Mezalie made a face that he couldn¡¯t quite read, like she was looking at him but she wasn¡¯t quite seeing him, or she was trying to see something past him. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly, just a whisper.


    She looked like she was about to say something else when there was an audible click from the door. They both turned to look but the door didn¡¯t open and nobody else appeared. Mezalie swung her legs down and immediately went to the door, turning the handle but it didn¡¯t turn. He saw her attempt to turn it either way but there was no give.


    ¡°What-'''' she beat her fist on the door a few times. ¡°Hello? What¡¯s going on?¡± She turned back and LoVelly was already on his feet again.


    ¡°It¡¯s locked,¡± she clarified.


    ¡°That seems bad,¡± he said bluntly. For no other reason than it was something to do he crossed to the door at the back and tried that handle and sure enough, the door did not open. The both of them stood there dumbly at their respective doors, staring at each other.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What about your fen? You said you thought you used it to get us off the beach. Can you do it now?¡± She crossed half the room toward him, panic seeping into her voice.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± He looked down at his hands, palms up like they somehow had the answer.


    ¡°Now would be a really good time to know something LoVelly,¡± she hissed, curling her fingers into her hair and raking them back. He could see the sweat beading at the edges of her brow. ¡°No no no¡­I can¡¯t-¡± she gasped, ¡°I can¡¯t do this again.¡± She was breathing too fast and too shallow.


    She crossed the small room to him, throwing herself onto him as she hugged him to herself, still breathing too fast. She laid her cheek on his forehead trying to take deep, calming breaths. The contact sent a zing through the both of them and the comfort was immediate. LoVelly took his own deep breaths as his mind swam through panic that was not his own but he felt all the same. It was a strange feeling, to feel the thrumming in his head but not his veins.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mez. I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± he said, muffled into her neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay,¡± she repeated, though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was for him or for her. She took deep, shuddering breaths that he could feel. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine.¡± LoVelly realized he¡¯d started breathing in sync with her as they both took a deep breath in.


    ¡°Maybe I can just¡­try my fen?¡± he offered. He made to pull away and Mezalie released him so they could untangle from each other and LoVelly looked around at himself, looking for what, he wasn¡¯t sure. He quickly shook himself out all the way down to his fingers. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes and then¡­tried?


    He clenched his fists, his eyes and he just¡­tried. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to do exactly. He thought that it would be second nature and that despite his memory loss he¡¯d just know how it worked, innately somehow.


    ¡°This is embarrassing,¡± he finally sighed.


    ¡°Yeah it is,¡± she agreed. He gave her a look of betrayal, mouth agape. ¡°You said it first!¡± she defended, giving him an unimpressed look.


    ¡°Fine. But I don¡¯t think we should count on me for this.¡± He didn¡¯t mention it but he noticed that her breathing was back to normal now and she didn¡¯t seem like she was about to crawl out of her skin right this moment. He counted that as a win, even if they weren¡¯t necessarily any better off for his less-than-stellar performance.


    Mezalie looked thoughtful, her brows pulled together as she squinted down at the floor. She lifted one boot and stomped it down a few times. LoVelly wasn¡¯t sure what she was doing but she did it a couple more times with the other boot before turning in a circle, looking intently at the floor. She seemed to see what she was looking for as she made for the corner of the room near the chair she¡¯d slung herself over earlier. She pushed the chair over, against the other one and once she had the clearance she pulled the rug on the floor back, flipping it onto itself. Beneath the rug was a stone floor that looked slightly different from the tiled stone of the rest of the flooring. She reached a hand down to touch the stone before recoiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s not you, it''s Nolstone,¡± she hissed.


    They both startled as the handle at the back of the room rattled and they both whipped their heads towards the noise. The door opened and a man quickly stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind him. LoVelly didn¡¯t recognize him. Mezalie left the carpet flipped up as it was and rose, pointing an accusatory finger at the flooring.


    ¡°What is going on?" she demanded, stepping toward the man. Whether it was intentional or not, she loomed over him, her presence and anger palpable. LoVelly felt it like a pressure that almost made his ears pop. The man threw his hands up in an act of surrender under Mez¡¯s suffocating glare.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to alarm you both. We were afraid you might be in danger so we thought it best to secure you,¡± he explained, shrinking back on himself. Mez didn¡¯t let up on him.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think it would be a good idea to tell us that?¡± She nearly shouted it, the panic still there at the edges of her voice. LoVelly reached a hand out to brush his fingers over her forearm. She jumped slightly at the touch, head whipping to see him but she didn¡¯t pull away. She took a breath and huffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m here to escort you to another part of the Temple,¡± he said and he moved to open the door he¡¯d come through. He moved aside and let Mez through the door first. LoVelly made to follow but the man cut between them. Mez looked back to him briefly, catching his gaze and he could see the hesitation in her dark eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be just to the left at the end here.¡± The man said as they reached the end of the hall. The walls were plain with no decoration unlike the entryway and worship hall. In comparison it was simple and unremarkable.


    Mezalie had just turned the corner when she let out a shriek and LoVelly didn¡¯t even have time to see what was happening because something was thrown over his head and he was being shoved to the ground by at least two people. He heard Mezalie scream again and it sounded like she bit someone before another shout that was definitely not her rang out.


    ¡°Mez!¡± He tried to shout but it came out muffled. Whatever was over his face was sticking to his nose and mouth as he breathed hard. He heard her shout out what he thought was his name before she went suddenly quiet.


    ¡°Mez! Mez!? What did you do to her?!¡± he shouted and struggled but he was roughly dragged to his feet by someone at each shoulder. Nobody answered him.


    ¡°Take him downstairs with the rest,¡± said an unidentified voice before the hands on his shoulders started dragging him. He did his best to fight back but it was useless. Whoever had hands on him was simply strong enough to fight him. He didn¡¯t make it easy at least. They nearly lost their grip on him as he writhed around when they started down a flight of stairs but all he accomplished was giving himself several new bruises. When they reached the bottom of the stairs one of the people who had dragged him down called out.


    ¡°Got another one. Come help us. He¡¯s squirmy.¡± The hands at his shoulders and arms pushed him to the ground and he heard another set of footsteps jogging over to them. His arms were yanked and his hands were bound tightly together. Whoever his captors were, they dragged him and he did his best to go limp and create as much dead weight as he could. Something was threaded through the circle of his arms and then the hands holding him were gone and he gave one final violent flail as he tried to sit up but whatever had been threaded through his arms was tied down behind him and it yanked him back down.


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    ¡°Settle down!¡± A voice yelled before a boot connected with his hip. He cringed in pain, finally going still, breathing hard.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he shouted. ¡°Where is Mezalie?¡± He turned his head this way and that, unsure where to look. Someone took pity on him and finally the cloth was pulled from over his head and the room he found himself in was surprisingly well lit for a dungeon.


    He was surprised to see he wasn¡¯t the only one sat on the ground and shackled. There were at least a dozen other people all around him in the room. It looked like it had been a storage room of some kind, maybe an office. It had been furnished at one time and he could see the marks from where a large area rug had once covered the floor. There were scuffs on the beige painted walls where furniture had been dragged or small dents where corners scraped. All around the perimeter of the room huge metal hooks had been driven into the walls at equal intervals and attached to over half of them was a person leashed to it just like LoVelly.


    There were children.


    LoVelly glared his nastiest glare as he looked back up to the people who¡¯d brought him here. There were two men and a woman, all dressed in a thick, gray, wool uniform. He noted that one of the men¡¯s shirts was different than the other two but he didn¡¯t know what the significance of that was.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He spit out, looking between the three standing around him but just out of reach of his lead.


    ¡°None of your business.¡± One of the men said, the one with the different shirt, as he turned to make back for the door. The other two turned to follow him and nobody bothered to answer him further. They closed the door and LoVelly heard the tell tale clicking of a key and the slam of a lock sliding into place.


    LoVelly looked around himself again now that they were gone. Some of the other people were openly staring at him while others simply sat with their heads hung. It was mostly the kids that stared at him, their eyes big like saucers as they regarded him with caution and curiosity in equal measure.


    To his immediate left he saw a dark haired woman and to his horror he realized now that he got a good look at her that she was pregnant, her big belly mostly hidden under a fairly dirty looking excuse for a blanket. She looked back at him with exhaustion on her face. Her cheeks were somewhat gaunt and he could see the dirt caked under her nails.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± he asked softly, not sure if he really wanted the answer or not. The woman tipped her head at him, thoughtful. She looked across the room at another woman who was watching them and said something in a language he didn¡¯t seem to know very well. He thought he caught a word or two but he couldn¡¯t be sure. The woman across the room shrugged at them before she spoke up.


    ¡°About three ven, I think?¡± the woman said finally. ¡°Some of us have been longer.¡±


    ¡°What are you even in here for?¡± He still didn¡¯t even know why they¡¯d been captured. Or where they¡¯d taken Mezalie or why they¡¯d been separated.


    ¡°Fen.¡± A young man on the other side of the pregnant woman spat. He leaned forward as far as his lead let him, which wasn¡¯t far. He was younger than the others, younger than LoVelly even. ¡°As far as we can tell the only thing we all have in common is our fen.¡± His voice dripped with heat through his thick accent. LoVelly didn¡¯t understand though.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, leaning out to speak directly to the young man.


    ¡°We''re all sola fentra. We''ve overheard them saying we''ve got fire in our blood,¡± he explained. ¡°We all got a summons to come to the temple at request of the High Priestess and when we got here they cuffed us and dragged us down here. Won''t tell us why. Sometimes they come take someone.¡±


    LoVelly looked around again at the room full of people; elderly people, children, a pregnant woman. Somewhere, they had Mezalie.


    ¡°What about your families? Won¡¯t people come looking for you?¡± he asked, looking around the room.


    ¡°If they have, we don¡¯t know about it. Can¡¯t imagine what kind of excuse they¡¯ve given,¡± the young man answered again.


    ¡°And it¡¯s the oracles and priests in the temples doing this?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe,¡± the young man shrugged. ¡°Something about ¡®Modern Devout of-¡± LoVelly didn¡¯t understand the rest of what the man said, the words sounding foreign and strange. The woman across the room piped up.


    ¡°Whoever they are, they¡¯re not Ellanian oracles,¡± she asserted. ¡°This is not what the Ellani believe in. I¡¯m not sure what happened to our regular priestess.¡± LoVelly thought about this. Trying to roll it around in his mind until it clicked in somewhere. At least he had a better understanding of what was happening, even if he had even more questions now.


    ¡°Where are we exactly?¡± he asked, still trying to orient himself.


    ¡°Doss. Where¡¯d they bring you in from?¡± the woman told him.


    ¡°The coast.¡± LoVelly offered. He really didn¡¯t know, to be honest, but thankfully nobody asked him to clarify what coast. He didn¡¯t even know where Doss was to be honest but at least once he found Mez they had new information to go on. ¡°They took my friend somewhere else upstairs. Any ideas where they would have taken her?¡± He asked to the room at large and waited but nobody answered him.


    ¡°They bagged us all and dragged us down here just like you. They didn¡¯t take us anywhere else.¡± The woman across the room finally piped up. ¡°If they didn¡¯t bring her with you, who knows where they took her.¡± LoVelly huffed and gave a tug on his lead, against the ropes on his wrists.


    ¡°Hey,¡± a different voice came, ¡°I see that look in your eye and I¡¯m gonna tell you right now: We¡¯ve tried to escape. We¡¯ve tried a lot of things in the ven we¡¯ve been down here.¡± A man spoke up from the other side of the room. LoVelly looked over at him. He was older, a long beard hung ratty from his chin. His clothes were grimy, ripped in places and his skin sallow. He looked worse than many of the others with dark bruising along one side of his face and continuing down, one eye swollen shut and crusted. He didn¡¯t say more but he didn¡¯t need to. LoVelly looked around at the room, at everyone and took in the grim atmosphere. These people had lost hope already and if he was getting out of this he was probably doing it on his own and he was getting out of this because he needed to find Mez.


    He told himself that he ought to examine this blind commitment that he felt when it came to the woman. He didn¡¯t think it was bad, quite the opposite. He felt like their meeting was supposed to happen, something destined, but it was certainly something that required further introspection. Something about Mezalie herself made him feel¡­at home, which was quite the novelty feeling recently. Mezalie claimed not to know him but they both felt the way they fell into sync and how their thoughts and emotions moved freely between them. But, if he was going to unravel that mystery he needed to get out of this remodeled basement-dungeon and find her, so he set to work on how exactly he was going to go about doing that.


    ***


    Mezalie was absolutely sick and tired of coming to into some kind of horrific situation but she was also starting to get used to it which was its own horror. As she came to she had enough wits about her to stay still and keep her eyes closed. She wasn¡¯t sure what they¡¯d done to her but they¡¯d used some kind of fen to knock her out instead of blunt force this time, which was nice in a way. It meant she didn¡¯t wake up with a worse headache than she¡¯d already had for the last two driev.


    She registered that she was sitting up. She was tied to a chair, she thought, not even a very sturdy feeling one if the thin wooden arms were anything to go by. Someone else was in the room, they were talking but it was hard to hear them, like they were on the other side of a window, muted and warped. She waited as the sound rose and then dropped again as the voice passed close by. Finally after what felt like an eternity the voice came close and she realized it was actually two voices. They were talking to each other and then suddenly the barrier was gone and she could hear the voices clearly.


    ¡°-we supposed to do with her until they get here?¡± A woman¡¯s voice was saying. She heard footsteps approaching but they didn¡¯t come much closer, stopping several tem back.


    ¡°I think we just keep her sedated so we don¡¯t get disemboweled,¡± a man¡¯s voice answered.


    ¡°Are you sure this is enough to contain it? What about when it wakes up?¡± The woman¡¯s voice sounded unsure. ¡°You heard what happened¡­¡± She heard them move back away, keeping their distance.


    ¡°They said if it starts¡­I dunno getting ¡®active¡¯ we can feed it fae but I said we could just give it a couple of-¡± The voices suddenly became soft and distorted again. She waited until they faded completely and then she waited several more dib, making sure they weren¡¯t coming back before she dared crack her eyes open, first just a tiny bit and then slowly the rest of the way. The first thing she noticed was that everything around her not only sounded distorted, it looked it too. She saw that she was in some kind of¡­dome, maybe. It was definitely some kind of fen they had her trapped inside. The barrier was in a small, mostly empty room with possibly a large desk or cabinet near the front beside the door and she couldn¡¯t quite tell what anything else was through the distorted haze around her.


    She was, as she¡¯d suspected, tied to some kind of simple kitchen chair, they clearly thought the barrier was enough. The barrier itself seemed to swirl and reflect light in soft colors both inside itself and on the walls of the room outside of it. It seemed an awful lot like an enormous soap bubble and it was actually quite pretty. She wished she could appreciate it but circumstances required that she figure out what, if anything, she could do to get out of it.


    There weren¡¯t any immediately obvious answers, nothing besides herself and the chair within the bubble that she could see and she had to assume the bubble was there to keep her in. Seeing that she was alone in the room she turned her head around and it appeared that, like before, the flooring here was made up of Nolstone preventing her from using fen.


    The thought of her fen made a swell of anxiety rise in her stomach. She hadn¡¯t tried to use her fen since her futile attempt on the deck of the TVE... She was afraid to, if she was honest, because she wasn¡¯t ready to face the possibility that it wouldn¡¯t be there anymore¡­


    She knew how people became death witches, how it changed them and their fen and slowly twisted their minds. Her fen was a part of her and the thought of its absence was like missing a limb. The thought that she might have come back wrong and strange terrified her. As the anxiety washed over her she felt a tickle across the back of her mind.


    Dead Witch


    The softness of the voice made a shiver run down her spine.


    The monster slinked out from whatever dark corner of her mind it had been hiding in since the farm house and made its presence known. It immediately made her skin feel greasy and clammy. She felt sick to her stomach at the sensation alone.


    ¡°Go away,¡± she pleaded aloud.


    We can''t stay here


    The strange melodic cadence to the voice filled her with unease.


    ¡°Please go away,¡± she begged again.


    There was no answer after that but she didn''t feel the presence recede either. It created an intense anxiety that made her feel like she was suffocating. She gasped in lungfuls of air but she felt like she just could not get enough no matter how hard she tried. The feeling of a slick coating on her skin intensified, like she was sweating oil. She squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as she could against the feeling and took one final lungful of air and held her breath.


    She had no idea what exactly occurred but it felt like she became an unraveling ball of yarn, like a liquid pouring through a strainer. The concept of Mezalie was absorbed into the spaces around her and unwound to become a string of information that slid into a puddle somewhere in the spaces between particles. The parts of her that consisted of three-dimensional matter became a questionable consistency as it spread back into something resembling the being that was once Mezalie.


    We must go.


    The whisper came again and she opened her eyes and they became eyes again, her vision blurring and spinning before settling into focus. As she looked down at herself, maybe solid maybe not- she wasn¡¯t ready to examine that at the moment- she saw the chair and she turned.


    It was half sunken into the floor. Like the floor had become liquid and swallowed it halfway up. It sat at a forward angle.


    An alarm suddenly whined, strange and elongated wailing sounding from somewhere on the other side of the barrier. There was nothing she could do to stop it and there was no way to pretend to still be incapacitated so she¡¯d better think fast.


    Then it came again, forceful like a cold wind in her mind, quietly angry.


    We will go now.


    ***


    LoVelly was in the middle of figuring out if he could dislocate any of his joints in order to free himself when the outer door to the staircase opened and they heard feet hurrying down the steps. He quickly shuffled himself back into what he hoped looked like an unassuming, miserable position.


    The man that appeared in the doorway was winded, taking a moment to place a hand on the frame to catch his breath. He was dressed in gray acolyte robes just like all the others but he wasn¡¯t any of the people LoVelly had seen so far. The man¡¯s vision swept over everyone in the room quickly before he wheezed out, ¡°Which one of you came in with Mezalie?¡±


    LoVelly looked around at the others and most of them were already looking at him so he figured his cover was already blown. He wiggled his shoulders, rattling the chain that tethered him.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± he demanded, giving the man the dirtiest look he could. Instead of answering the man rushed over to him, reaching into a pocket in his thick green robes for a jangling bunch of keys. He quickly got to work on detaching the lock holding him in place.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to have much time so I can¡¯t tell you everything but I¡¯m here to help and we need to get you both out of here.¡± He pulled the chain out from between LoVelly¡¯s arms and got to work on his other bindings.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before, recently in fact, so forgive me if I don¡¯t believe you.¡± As soon as his hands were loose enough to pull apart he quickly got his arms back under him and scrambled away, pins and needles flooding his limbs. He made sure to stay facing the man.


    ¡°I know and you¡¯re right to be cautious but right now I need you to help me get Mezalie out of here and as far away from here as possible,¡± the man said in a rush. He got to his feet and stepped back, putting space between them before tossing the keys to LoVelly and that did in fact make him feel a little bit better about the man¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°What do you get out of it?¡± He regarded the man suspiciously, grabbing the keys and pushing himself to his feet. He rubbed at his wrists, rubbing the tingles out as best he could.


    ¡°Like I said, I''m on your side. That thing that¡¯s in your friend upstairs is extremely dangerous on its own and even worse in the wrong hands and the people upstairs are very wrong hands.¡± The man glanced toward the door, toward the stairs, listening for anyone coming.


    Although he still felt uneasy about it LoVelly decided at that moment that he didn¡¯t have time to hesitate. Best case scenario the man is honest and helps him and at worst he can try and overpower him and escape.


    ¡°Fine. Okay. But I¡¯m not trusting you.¡± LoVelly narrowed his eyes. ¡°Can you help me untie the others?¡± He quickly turned to get started on the pregnant woman who was closest to him but the man didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for them,¡± he said simply. LoVelly stopped and turned to stare. He kept eye contact, waiting, but the man stayed firmly where he was.


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving these people down here.¡± LoVelly said resolutely and removed the lock and removed the chain so he could set to work on her ropes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, we really don¡¯t have time. Plus it¡¯ll be impossible to escape with a group,¡± the man insisted.


    ¡°It would be a lot faster if you helped.¡± LoVelly said. removing the ropes from the woman¡¯s hands. Her wrists were red and raw and bloody, some of it was fresh and a lot of it was old, caked-on, red-brown crust. He rubbed around the wounded area for her for a moment. He could tell it must hurt but she quickly took her hands and shook them before motioning to the keys, motioning for him to keep going.


    He quickly got to work on the young man next to her. He heard the man in robes sigh out the most frustrated sigh but he crossed to a woman on the other side of the room and got to work. When LoVelly got the lock open on the young man''s restraints the woman he¡¯d freed shooed him off as she got to work on the ropes, urging him to keep unlocking as she helped remove the ropes.


    Suddenly the air pressure around them dropped and LoVelly¡¯s ears popped. It felt like someone sucked all the air from the room. In place of all the air, suddenly his lungs were full of Mezalie. He could feel her in the oppressive pressure that had flooded in and she was angry. For a moment it felt like he was suffocating but as quickly as it had come on it was over and the others in the room were gasping along with him. LoVelly quickly looked across the room, to the robed man who was already looking back at him, eyes wide.


    ¡°It¡¯s happening,¡± he breathed out in horror, ¡°I was sure she wouldn¡¯t sleep for very long but I thought we¡¯d have more time¡­We need to go,¡± he urged again.


    ¡°We leave together or not at all.¡± LoVelly hissed, getting back to work. The man begrudgingly got back to work as well, another frustrated sigh escaping him.


    There came a strange noise and everyone looked to the doorway, expecting to have been caught but no footsteps came and nobody appeared. Then the young man from earlier caught LoVelly¡¯s attention and he pointed up to the ceiling.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± he said, perplexed, stepping closer to get a better look but still a cautious distance away.


    LoVelly felt the same curiosity, unsure what he was looking at. There, protruding from the ceiling near the side of the room, were some kind of uneven, thin, wooden beams. There were no gaps or unevenness around the protrusions, as if they had always been there but they definitely weren¡¯t there before, he was sure of that. He had stared at that ceiling for quite a while trying to decide if he could dislocate his thumbs.


    LoVelly wasn¡¯t sure what that meant but he redoubled his efforts in unlocking that last two people on this side of the room. Just as he finished up the lock he was working on, a sharp, wailing alarm sounded from somewhere upstairs but was loud and clear enough to hear in the basement.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be good.¡± He said, looking back to the robed man. The man cursed and met his eyes, a pained look on his face.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of time.¡±


    ***


    It barely took a tes before two gray clothed men, just like from the beach, burst back into the room, looking straight at her and Mezalie wasn¡¯t sure what to do with herself. There wasn¡¯t anywhere to hide but she also couldn¡¯t really go on the offense either, the only possible weapon was a part of the floor now. She¡¯d tried to push the chair with her toe just to see and it solidly was not budging.


    The men saw her standing there and curiously, instead of rushing toward her they kept their distance, lingering near the desk. She could hear their muffled voices as they discussed something, probably her, if she had to guess.


    One of their blurry forms leaned out the doorway, looking around in the hall before returning to stand next to the other person near the desk. They appeared to be waiting¡­maybe for someone else, she thought. Neither one seemed to be able to turn the alarm off though as it continued to wail and even through the muffling it was starting to grate on her senses.


    Go. Now.


    The voice was hypnotic in her mind, the words somehow feeling so enticing she found herself automatically taking a step toward the shimmering dome. She caught herself and willed herself to pause, looking down to her traitorous feet and back at the bubble and the men outside watching her from a distance.


    ¡°How?¡± she said aloud. In her mindscape though, where the voice existed, the intent was clear: the barrier. What would happen if she touched it? Would it hurt her? The thoughts swirled in a way that created a clear idea and she realized she didn¡¯t need to say anything aloud to communicate with it.


    This film will not hold. They do not understand us. They underestimate.


    The intent was clear to her. The voice intended to simply leave, walk out the door. She could clearly picture herself walking out but she hadn¡¯t created the image. She still felt hesitant to the concept and she thought, what about the men outside the bubble, about whoever else they were waiting for? Presumably it was back up and she was just one person.


    The voice did not seem worried about this. She felt a wisp of reassurance wash over her, like a soft touch of a hand to her cheek, comforting.


    It was going to be fine.


    And in that moment she believed it. She took a step toward the barrier, and then another, and then she was right up against it. The voices on the other side picked up, louder and more frantic than before. She looked up in time to see one, then two, then three more people enter the room. They were less hesitant than the ones in gray and they marched up to her, emboldened by their assumed safety. They stopped just short of the colorful film and she could see them somewhat clearer. She recognized them now, from the group she¡¯d told her story to.


    ¡°I address the Vott, Infinite Creature,¡± the man bowed his head briefly as he spoke. ¡°We are prepared to make an offering for your hunger. We humbly ask you to stay as we await a High Priestess to properly welcome you.¡± They seemed to be waiting for an answer but Mezalie wasn¡¯t sure what she was supposed to say. The voice wasn¡¯t giving her any impressions or thoughts. It infuriated her that these people were acting as if she wasn¡¯t there, as if it wasn¡¯t her they were talking to. What did they mean by an offering? She couldn¡¯t imagine what a ¡®proper welcome¡¯ could entrail based on the ¡®welcome¡¯ she¡¯d gotten so far. She felt the anger light a flame in her core, molten and deadly as it threatened to overflow from her.


    ¡°If you leave right now, you might live,¡± she advised them. She¡¯d briefly lent her trust to these people and it had landed her right back into the worst day of her life so far. She felt her fists shake where she clenched them. ¡°Because I am leaving and if you¡¯re still here when I do I¡¯m going to let this thing do what it likes with you.¡± The smile that crept onto her face felt manic but she couldn¡¯t stop it. She watched the dread and the fear wash over the faces of those on the other side of the flimsy bubble. They were right to fear her and it felt good to know it, to see it clearly.


    She took the final step that allowed her to lean into the barrier and she felt a crackle across her skin as she did. It felt like tissue paper, thin and just ever so slightly resistant as she pushed herself into it. Just like tissue paper it gave way so easily and she ripped through it with a burst of ozone and nothing stood between herself and the people that had wronged her.


    Let them burn


    The vision of bursts of light, of white hot flames that drained the color out of anything it touched, inescapable, came to her and she curled and uncurled her fingers. She fanned them and stretched them and she felt the bursts of fen light up there. It was a strange, foreign fen yet somehow still familiar. It wasn¡¯t the searing heat of her sweat burning into something, this other fen, it was something new but it was hot.


    The movement of one of the men, previously frozen as they watched her tear through their barrier, caught her attention. He looked down and she followed the sight and she saw the tiny sizzling sparks that bloomed from the tips of her fingers. They fell to the ground like tiny falling stars. She flexed her hands and a burst of flame flared from them. She brought her hands up before her, aimed at the people before her who¡¯d begun backing up, tripping over themselves and each other to get away from her.


    She let the oily slick feeling coat her despite the discomfort it gave her initially. She could feel the hunger clenching in a stomach that wasn¡¯t her own. It was all consuming, never to be satisfied, but it still felt nice for a while to feed it. She felt herself sink into what felt like a viscous liquid, a dark water that allowed her to float comfortably along its calm surface. It cradled her like a giant hand cupping her whole self. It made her feel safe in a way she desperately wanted. It made her feel detached, both from her body and her troubles, enough so that she didn¡¯t feel any guilt when the strange thing that she became exploded outward in a burst of heat and a strange viscous matter and dragged the bodies in the room back unto itself. She was unbothered by the splatter on the walls and floors where anything that was left came to rest. It consumed and it added to the ever growing vastness that was the creature that was becoming her.


    She found herself only slightly aware again in the hall outside the room they¡¯d kept her in. There was a trail of carnage behind her but she found she didn¡¯t care about that. She¡¯d cared about the man and the woman in the farm house. They had shown her kindness and they had not deserved a fate like that and she implored the creature to understand the difference. The men and women strewn behind her in a sprawling web-like gore had hurt her. They¡¯d hurt others and they intended to hurt more in whatever this scheme they were involved in was.


    It was unclear if the monster understood the message or not.


    More gray and green movement swam in the strange fish bowl-like vision that the monster viewed the world through. She saw them wielding any fen they had at her but it simply absorbed into the oily sheen covering and extending from her body. Some of it rolled off even but the biggest realization was that none of it affected her greatly outside of a small tingle or a soft hissing sound as the coating on her body burned and eroded it away immediately. Everything they threw at her was a minor inconvenience at best.


    Truthfully she didn¡¯t even notice that she¡¯d quickly lost control. The feeling of power and vengeance fuelled her to let the creature continue in its ravenous feeding. When she heard a voice calling out to her it barely registered, just hardly a drop of noise in the roaring background of eat, consume, devour running through her mind.


    The second time she heard it, she recognized the voice and she tried to call back but she couldn¡¯t find her mouth. She couldn¡¯t find herself in the unending depths of the creature. She felt the body twist and shift and there he was, LoVelly in that swirling vision. She felt the body move toward him but she stopped. She willed the understanding, not LoVelly. And the body stilled and she felt the creature recede, pack itself inside itself and then inside of her. It receded back into that dark place in her mind that it hid. Finally she felt human enough to find her mouth, to find her words.


    ¡°LoVelly.¡± She blinked to see him standing there, just steps away. Behind him was a group of other people that she wasn¡¯t overly invested in but as she glanced over to look at them she caught a man in a green robe approaching LoVelly from behind and her pulse quickened, immediately going on the offense. She ducked around LoVelly¡¯s shoulder and swiftly decked the approaching man across the jaw sending him sprawling to the ground. The man shouted as his hands jumped to cradle his jaw as he rolled along the ground on his back. LoVelly immediately dropped to his side, checking the damage and asking if the man was okay and Mezalie was confused, getting the feeling she¡¯d missed something.


    ¡°Who is he?!¡± She squawked, waving her hand at the man.


    ¡°He¡¯s helping us escape!¡± LoVelly insisted. She winced, sensing that she¡¯d made a mistake by punching first, asking questions later. LoVelly gave her a sympathetic look in return.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± The man finally said. ¡°She¡¯s got the right instincts, actually.¡± LoVelly helped him to his feet.


    ¡°Who are all these people?¡± She asked, looking once again at the other people hanging well back from LoVelly and regarding her with quite a bit of concern.


    ¡°They¡¯re other prisoners that they were keeping here for some reason.¡± LoVelly answered. He gestured to the youngest ones of the bunch. ¡°Even kids.¡±


    It made her blood boil and she felt the anger at the mere thought bubble up hot in her throat. She knew she was right, they¡¯d done it to her pod and they were doing it to these people and probably others too.


    It wasn¡¯t until she saw LoVelly¡¯s look of concern, putting his hands out in front of him like he was trying not to spook an animal, that she realized with a start that there was smoke pouring from her nose and mouth. It billowed up around her..


    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked. She could tell he was searching her face for an answer. He was trying to make sure she wasn¡¯t lying to him and she felt somewhat indignant at that- he didn¡¯t know her. Except that he did, sort of, and she wasn¡¯t sure if he could tell if she was lying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered truthfully. ¡°I think we need to get out of here first.¡± He nodded at that and turned back to the man she¡¯d punched and the group of people who seemed rather anxious.


    ¡°Can you get them out of here?¡± LoVelly asked the man.


    ¡°Yes but I need to get her out of here.¡± He pointed directly at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it covered.¡± LoVelly assured him, giving him a thumbs up. He turned back to her, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got my fen figured out!¡± He said with barely hushed glee, despite their situation. He put both hands out in front of him, between them. He focussed and took a deep breath and slowly, with varying success at first, a small swirling rift began to form there. Small at first and then wider and rounder as he worked to make it bigger, more stable. When he let it go it suddenly snapped back in on itself, disappearing. LoVelly had a huge grin on his face when he looked over to her. He looked back over his shoulder at the man.


    ¡°Go ahead and get them out of here. Thank you for your help but we¡¯re going to go our own way,¡± he told the man and he looked like he wanted to argue but instead he sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°Fine. There are things you need to know though. They¡¯re not going to stop looking for her. You need to stay hidden as long as possible.¡± The man stepped away from the group, over to her and LoVelly where he wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°Find friends of Datsa. They can help you.¡± He said, looking at Mezalie specifically but her head was still swimming in a strange sea of detachment and she barely nodded at him in response.


    He returned to the group and ushered them past Mez and LoVelly and down the hall, past the carnage of what was once the other members of the temple that had stood in her way. LoVelly looked past her and she could tell he was looking at the blood and viscera that was painting the interior. She hadn¡¯t felt bad when it happened and she still didn¡¯t but she worried about what LoVelly thought of it. He hadn¡¯t seen what they¡¯d done to her family, he didn¡¯t know her hurt. But what if he hated her for it?


    ¡°This is an old building,¡± is what he finally said.


    ¡°I guess so?¡± She didn¡¯t know what else to say, thrown by his question.


    ¡°Probably full of tevedev, you think?¡± He asked, looking around at the corners of the floor, the dust along the ceiling corners where the slight orangey-pink build up of tevedev collected over the nente cycles when it was hard to see.


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± she answered.


    use your fire


    She remembered the words from earlier and they echoed now too. She nodded as she looked at LoVelly, understanding what he was getting at.


    ¡°Stand behind me,¡± she waved him over. ¡°Get ready to get us out of here. I have no idea what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± He nodded at her.


    She took a deep breath and she pulled all of the white hot fen she felt thrumming in her body and she poured it into her belly, into her lungs, into her throat. When she released it in a scream it was a guttural thing, ripped from her body in torrents. With it went the bright flames in streams and gobs, falling from her mouth like molten fury. She turned from side to side as she released more than just the flames- her pain, her anger, everything she poured out and it began to make the air around them sizzle and pop as the layers of tevedev dust heat-activated and began to explode.


    She screamed and screamed, lighting the air and walls aflame with what she felt. She fell to her knees in a heap, exhausted, shaking and brittle. Her breath finally having run out and she was left heaving in a room sweltering and popping with fire and tiny explosions. She saw the spots of tevedev on the walls ignite and the places it was heaviest it left dark scorch marks behind as it exploded. She felt the flames sucking the air out of the room.


    She hadn¡¯t felt LoVelly move from her back but she instantly felt his touch to the back of her shoulder. She turned her head to him and realized her hair had long fallen out of the tie she¡¯d had it in and so had his. They both needed a brush and another bath, and they needed rest. The air behind LoVelly shimmered not just from the heat waves but from his fen as well. He opened a portal behind him and he pulled her tiredly to her feet and his hand slid down to hers as he pulled her along behind him and out of the burning building.

 Chapter Seven (convergence pt. 1)

    LoVelly had said that he¡¯d figured out how to use his fen but that may have been a slight exaggeration because while yes, he¡¯d figured out how to activate it to create the portal he had no idea how to aim it. He didn¡¯t know where it was going to take them or what awaited them there.


    They were weightless as they fell in a soft descent, drifting like feathers on the wind. He could feel Mez¡¯s hand in his still and he turned to look back at her as they fell. She looked ethereal and strange in the shimmering half-light around them. It made her skin seem almost translucent and he swore he could see dark, reticulate veins pulsing just there under the surface. The light shifted and they were gone and as if they were spinning around the light it created bright starbursts and valleys of shadow that pooled across them both as it passed around and around. Tiny cosmos came to life and faded to dust all in the span of a tes. He wanted to tell her how beautiful it was but he couldn¡¯t find the words.


    His eyes caught hers and something in the curve of her cheeks, the brightness present in her eyes, gave him the peculiar sense of familiarity. In his mind he felt the impression of another place, another time. It was warm, hot even, under the light of Sol as both moons closed in on it, almost in position for a double eclipse.  They sat high in the sky, somewhere with a vantage point that was unnaturally high. Wherever they were they looked down over the water, at the vast open sea. In the distance a bright burst of green bloomed before it turned white, ballooning upward. Other flashes followed but the force of them and the devastation that came afterward was only felt as a soft gust of wind from where they were. Here it was quiet, just the sound of the sea, waves crashing and wind drifting.


    He turned to someone next to him, they were the same as Mezalie, he was sure, but different. The eyes that twinkled back at him were lighter, the face sharper, but he knew them all the same. Their mouth was moving and even though he couldn¡¯t hear them in the memory he knew the words. He¡¯d heard them time and time again in lives before.


    Can you feel it? The convergence?


    He couldn¡¯t remember what it was but he knew he felt it.


    All too soon it was over and the peace of the moment was ripped from them and he was dragged back into the present as they went plummeting into the freezing surf. He hadn¡¯t been prepared for water and the surprise caused him to gasp, aspirating whatever water he¡¯d landed in. He panicked as the water tried to pour into his mouth and lungs. He struggled to find the surface, thrashing about but losing air fast. A hand grabbed him roughly by the arm and hauled him up before he could drown.


    He felt himself break the surface and gasped in a lungful of air causing himself to choke and cough wetly and throw up a little bit of water on the cough.


    ¡°Can you swim?!¡± Mezalie was yelling at him as the swell of a small wave tossed them but her grip on him was firm.


    ¡°Yeah! I think so.¡± He choked out. She pushed and prodded him into turning and he saw that they weren¡¯t that far from the shore. Finally she loosened her grip on him and they both kicked their way towards the shore. The closer they got the easier it was as they were able to let the small rolling waves drag them in as they crested.


    They were both gasping when they finally dragged their waterlogged bodies onto the fine sand of the beach. Mezalie collapsed face first as soon as she found a high enough point on the beach that the sand went from wet to dry. LoVelly followed suit, falling onto his back and staring up at the sky.


    Ahraan was low in the sky now but LoVelly saw that Dhelarly had begun peeking over the horizon now, starting its two-ven trek across the sky. Even with just a sliver of its huge mass peeking out, the sky lit up with the bright pink hue of it, brighter than Ahraan could ever do alone.


    ¡°Mez?¡± LoVelly rasped after a while after he''d somewhat caught his breath.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She said into the sand. He heard her sputter as she spit and blew sand out of her face and turned towards him.


    ¡°New plan. We change our identities and move somewhere remote until this all blows over.¡± He heard her huff out a little laugh at that across the sand. She rolled onto her back then, toward him so they were side by side pressed together from shoulder to hip. It was cold and they were soaked with sea water, coated in sand like a batter, but it was almost nice like this, together.


    Mez dusted her hands together thoroughly before she brought them up to her face and pressed her palms down into her eyes and took several quiet, hiccuping breaths before she quieted and sighed. LoVelly felt a single hot tear escape his eye as he turned to look at her. He hadn¡¯t even realized his eyes had welled up.


    ¡°You should go. You don¡¯t need to stay with me.¡± She told him, hands still pressed to her eyes.


    ¡°What? Mez no, I said-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not running. I¡¯m going back for them.¡± She said with finality.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked, pushing himself up onto his elbow. He waited while she seemed to deliberate on what to say.


    ¡°There are others¡­¡± She started. ¡°At the temple, there were those other people and they¡¯re doing these awful things they did to my family to them too.¡± She sniffled once, finally pulling her hands away to rub at her nose. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave them behind if I can do something about it.¡±


    ¡°But what about you?¡± He asked. He didn''t even realize but his voice dropped to a whisper as he asked, ¡°what about the monster?¡± as if afraid to say it too loud.


    ¡°I think¡­maybe I¡¯ve got it under control now.¡± She said slowly, testing the words out. She seemed satisfied as she nodded at the end. ¡°Like I said though, you don¡¯t need to stay for that...¡± She didn¡¯t meet his eyes.


    He found her hand between them with his own and laced their clammy, sandy fingers together.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± He shook their hands around between them for lack of anything else to do. ¡°I told you you¡¯re not alone as long as I can help it and I meant it. You¡¯re stuck with me now.¡± He smiled a big smile, teeth and everything, over at her and he was sure he probably looked deranged, waterlogged and sandy, but he didn¡¯t care. Mez didn¡¯t seem to either as she laughed, either with him or at him but it didn¡¯t matter which.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± she scoffed, ¡°Fine. I guess.¡± she said sarcastically and they both laughed. ¡°It¡¯s so strange¡­ I really do feel like I¡¯ve known you my whole life.¡±


    He felt the same way. They way their hands fit together. The way he felt her emotions ebb and flow through their strange connection like they were one, it had been barely a driev and he couldn¡¯t imagine it being any other way. Suddenly, he remembered the memory he had before they¡¯d been unceremoniously tossed into the sea.


    ¡°I think we knew each other in a previous life.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± She agreed half shrugging into the sand. She turned to look at him. ¡°You think we were seltzetura?¡± She had a small lopsided smirk on her face, one eyebrow raised.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He shrugged back. ¡°I¡¯m just sure this isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve met.¡±


    They said nothing for a while, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore lulling them into a calm they enjoyed until LoVelly started to shiver when a soft wind blew over them carrying the chill off the water. Wherever they were it was significantly warmer than the last place they¡¯d been. While the water had certainly chilled them they probably weren¡¯t at risk of freezing to death.


    ¡°Think you can make a fire so we can dry off?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Fire is my specialty actually. Let''s find some things to burn.¡± she answered, pulling her hand away so she could push herself up.


    They both did their best to brush the sand off but they were going to have to make peace with being uncomfortably sandy for a while. They set off in opposite directions to gather a variety of small sticks, bunches of dried leaves and dried out seaweeds. Mezalie had climbed up to the edge of the hill they were at the base of and reported back that there was a city not far off in the distance.


    They climbed up past the edge of the sand and into the soft, curly grasses that marked the beginning of a sloping hill leading away from the beach. There in the grass they dug a shallow pit. They left the grass tall around the edges of the pit to contain any wayward sparks that might try to escape.


    Once she¡¯d built their sticks around the leafy dry debris Mezalie laid down close and took a deep breath before releasing a huff of smoke on the exhale the first time. She tried a couple more times until she breathed out and a bright flame licked at the target. She repeated it until their little fire had taken on its own life. She sat back, smacking her lips together and coughing out a last puff of smoke.


    ¡°I was actually really worried that I''d become a death witch and lost my fen¡­¡± Mezalie said, staring into the tiny growing flames. ¡°I don''t even understand how I survived.¡± She looked across to LoVelly who only shook his head.


    ¡°Still no answers here.¡± He said.


    ¡°The monster called me dead witch so I thought¡­¡± She wasn''t sure why she''d believed the creature in the first place. ¡°But obviously that''s not the case.¡± She concluded.


    LoVelly held out his hands to the flames and it felt wonderful. He was still shivering and he quickly reached down to pull his wet, soggy sweater over his head to get himself a bit closer to the warmth. Mezalie quickly followed suit, pulling the thermal over her head and laying it out next to his. She came over and plopped herself next to him in front of the flame and they both sat, deflated as they tried to warm themselves.


    ¡°Lost the backpack.¡± She said miserably. What little supplies they¡¯d had had been in there and now all they had were the clothes on their backs which were now drying by their meager fire, sure to be crunchy when they did finally dry.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He told her. There wasn¡¯t anything that could be done about it.


    ¡°This sucks.¡± She complained.


    ¡°Yeah it kinda does,¡± he agreed. ¡°So what was your plan from here?¡± he asked, curious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know¡­¡± She stared past the flames, out at the dark ocean. ¡°To be honest I guess I was just gonna go in and demand they release everyone and take out anyone who stands in my way.¡± She frowned. ¡°Sounds worse out loud than it did in my head.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good start,¡± LoVelly said gently, ¡°but I think we could maybe workshop it a bit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She agreed. ¡°We also need to work on your fen. I¡¯d like a warning next time if we¡¯re going for a swim.¡± She said but she was snickering at him.


    ¡°Fair.¡±


    They sat by their little fire to dry while Ahraan disappeared beneath the horizon and the Votton stretched on. They took turns getting much needed sleep but Mezalie refused to sleep unless at least one of them was awake to keep watch. LoVelly had to fight her to let him take the first watch so she could finally get some rest. He reminded her she hadn¡¯t even gotten a full nente sleep the last time they had a moment. He felt bad bringing up the farm house again but he needed the leverage to get her to go to sleep.


    It was terribly boring to sit and listen to the waves crash and the fire crackle and do absolutely nothing else for lof after lof. Mezalie¡¯s breathing had leveled out rather quickly as he¡¯d expected with how ragged she¡¯d looked, eyes just barely staying open. Once she was out, head pillowed on their mostly dry pile of clothes, he¡¯d picked his way up the rest of the hill they were on. He could still see her if he looked back and he turned to check back on her occasionally as he meandered up.


    At the top of the hill he saw that they weren¡¯t too far from the coastal city she¡¯d spotted earlier. There was a road just down the slope on the other side of the hill from them and it snaked back and forth down to the outskirts. The city itself was well lit and the lights twinkled brightly in the darkness. The city was clearly built around the harbor and he could see great tall ships anchored there in the distance.


    The wind chill brought him back down to the fire eventually. He couldn¡¯t go anywhere for now, especially without his clothes, so there was nothing to do but rest and stay warm while he did his best to detangle his hair.


    At some point, despite his best efforts, the calming sound of the sea lulled him to sleep. He woke with a slight start as something popped in the fire, probably a seed pod they''d missed. The sound had him upright and blinking blearily. When he looked over to where Mez had been sleeping and found her and what he assumed were her clothes missing he let out a sigh that sounded weary even to himself.


    He''d managed to pull his clothes back on sleepily and barely stumbled to his feet when he heard movement and looked down toward the beach. Mezalie was walking up the beach back toward him. She saw him up and waved at him so he gave a little wave back and sat back down, feeling a little ridiculous for panicking. The last couple of driev had given him reason enough to jump to panic so he felt at least a little bit justified. He leaned in to stoke what was left of their fire while he waited for her. When she wandered up she dumped an armful of burnables beside him and he threw a couple onto the embers.


    ¡°I felt you panic when you woke up.¡± She said as she set down next to him, shoulder to shoulder. It wasn¡¯t much but the barely there touch was comforting for the both of them. ¡°You should go back to sleep.¡± She swayed just enough to bump him.


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m up now.¡± He shook his head. The flames had picked back up and he poked at it with a long stick he¡¯d found in his wanderings of the area.


    ¡°Well, I guess if we start walking now we can probably hit the drievett markets.¡± She offered.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any money.¡± He sighed. They hadn¡¯t had much to begin with but they had nothing now. Mezalie reached up and tapped at her earlobe until LoVelly looked over and realized she was pointing at something.


    He¡¯d never even noticed that she was wearing tiny dark earrings in both lobes. They were small so he guessed he¡¯d just missed them.


    ¡°They¡¯re urite. It won¡¯t be much but it¡¯ll be enough to get by for now.¡± She shrugged limply. ¡°I always joked they were for emergencies but I never thought I¡¯d ever actually have to¡­¡± She paused a moment before she huffed and then took the earrings out and pocketed them. ¡°We can warm up a bit, make sure the shoes are dried out all the way before we leave.¡±


    They¡¯d set the boots up against the edge of the pit, unlaced and open to dry and she leaned over to stick her hand in one to find they were very nearly dry now. LoVelly wanted to say something but again he found himself at a loss for words. It didn¡¯t matter though because Mezalie broke the moment by standing, letting out a yawn and reaching her hands high over her head in a stretch.


    ¡°So did you aim for the water or what?¡± She asked with a hint of humor in her voice. LoVelly groaned and put his face in his hands.


    ¡°Nooo¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± He whined. He huffed and plopped his chin in one hand, elbow on his knee. ¡°I thought since I figured out how to make it happen it would just work but I have no idea how to aim.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s places you¡¯ve been before? Or completely random?¡± Mezalie pondered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± LoVelly whined again. ¡°I wish I knew anything but I¡¯m really just going into all this blind.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she sighed, ¡°I know it¡¯s frustrating.¡± She came around the fire to drop down next to him. She reached over to pull the boots from beside the heat, handing LoVelly¡¯s over first. she started on lacing her own back up.


    ¡°It really, really is.¡± He agreed, grabbing his own laces and starting to thread them through a still warm boot.


    ¡°Well, when we get into town let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t find out who we can go to for some info on you, maybe an oracle¡­?¡± She wondered aloud. ¡°The temples are out of the question for now. Not until we know what¡¯s going on¡­how far this all goes.¡± She waved her hands to indicate ¡®this¡¯ meant ¡®everything¡¯, their whole situation.


    ¡°And maybe we can scope things out, make a solid plan on how to handle the situation in the temple?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, yeah.¡± She agreed. They laced their boots and smothered the remnants of their fire before heading up the hill and climbing down to the road leading toward the city.


    It didn¡¯t take them all that long to walk into town considering how far it looked. The streets were already alive with people when they wandered into even the furthest outskirts. The further in they got the denser it got with people moving things both up from and down to the docks. Goods were unloaded off of ships and appropriately sorted before being sent off where they needed to go. Palettes of fresh goods were then loaded back in to go across the seas where things were still too harsh to grow well or were out of season.


    The sides of buildings that faced the sea were all dusted with a coating of sparkling white; crystals that formed when the wind blew in the mists off the ocean. They dried, layer after layer of [baardot] building up until it formed tiny white crystals adorning each building face like shimmering jewelry.


    They found a drievet market down near the docks as Mezalie had predicted they might. They wandered between the stalls for a while, looking for someone that might be interested in their meager offerings. Finally she spotted a stall full of a variety of shiny, glittering objects and she [bee lined] across the aisle they were in and between two others to get to it. She made eye contact with the owner as she approached, shoving her hand in her pocket and pulling out the earrings.


    ¡°Are you interested in buying?¡± She asked, as pleasant as she could sound about it.


    ¡°Depends. What¡¯dya got?¡± The old woman asked in thick accented Hecten. LoVelly hardly understood her through it.


    ¡°Urite,¡± Mez told her. The woman held her hand out over the table beckoning for the tiny stone to take a look. She held a light up to it, twisting it this way and that, seeming pleased with it, if LoVelly had to guess based on the warbling noise she made. It sounded pleased, he hoped.


    ¡°Give ya devdrabek for the pair.¡± The woman said, holding onto the earring and beckoning for the other. Mezalie pulled the remaining earring back.


    ¡°Debekdev.¡± She argued. The woman harumphed at her, grumbling before she finally relented. They may be small but urite was hard to come by if you didn¡¯t travel much. It was more than a fair price to ask for them. They were beautiful work with the thin shards of dark urite inlaid in bright gleaming metal. The shards themselves formed a tiny, simple flower. The hand craftsmanship was obvious in the detail of such small pieces.


    The woman ducked down for a moment before popping back up with several coins in hand. She handed them over to Mezalie, who quickly rolled them in her hand, counting them, before she handed the other earring over to the woman. She felt a pang of loss in the finality of completing the exchange. The earrings had been a gift from Vell once upon a time but the echo of the other woman¡¯s voice in the back of her mind said ¡®be practical, take care of yourself first¡¯.


    She gave her thanks and bid the woman a farewell as they turned back to the market at large with coin in their pocket. It was about what she¡¯d hoped to get out of them, enough for food and if they were lucky, enough for a real bed and a real nente''s sleep somewhere. She looked around at the stalls around them, letting her nose guide her towards something down the way, LoVelly just a few steps behind her. She laughed when she turned and saw he was so easily distracted as he kept stopping to look at this or that.


    She¡¯d settled on a kebab stand when LoVelly finally caught up to her. She handed him the one she¡¯d already got for him and he took it with glee. They were wandering away when LoVelly quietly asked around a bite, ¡°So how are we doing on the¡­other hunger situation?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She took a bite of her own kebab, ¡°for now at least.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s going to need to eat again.¡± He said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She chewed but as she did it felt wrong in her mouth. Too chewy¡­too slimy. She couldn¡¯t decide which but she did decide to spit it out as soon as she was able. She held her stick out to LoVelly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not as hungry as I thought.¡± She grumbled. LoVelly looked worried but he took it from her at least. She looked down at her hands, frowning. She turned her hands over, like somehow the answer would be written on the other side maybe.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to try get some help before we jump back into things?¡± LoVelly tried. ¡°There¡¯s a port here. We could take a ship somewhere far away from here and find someone who can help you and maybe both of us.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°No.¡± She said with finality and pushed off the wall and slowly picking down the aisle again. ¡°I wonder if word of what happened in [last place] has spread at all¡­¡± She looked around them, suddenly wondering if they should be hiding or making sure nobody recognized them.


    They both looked around for a moment and realized that nobody was jumping to point them out or raising any kind of alarm. As far as anyone was concerned they were just any two people passing through with a ship.


    From where they were they could hear the bustle from the docks. Shouts and directions were heard over the din. Flocks of palm sized drak fluttered up in a burst as someone wandered too close to where they were picking apart a stolen [fish]. On the peaks of the tallest buildings and the tips of ship masts sat the occasional weather faerie. They sat solemn and unmoving, their wings tucked tight to their sides as they watched the people go about their business. Their slightly too human eyes always watching.


    ¡°I suppose we have the advantage for the moment.¡± LoVelly said, thinking it over. ¡°I¡¯m sure they haven¡¯t worked out where we are yet since neither have I.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in Desmek. It¡¯s on the signs.¡± Mez pointed out, looking at him with a curious expression, eyebrows pinched together.


    ¡°What signs?¡± He asked.


    ¡°All of them?¡± She tilted her head, looking more worried now. She turned and pointed to a banner on a stall across the way from them, then to another sign hanging above a building next door to them. ¡°Any of these?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± LoVelly followed her directions and sure enough there was writing all over the place and now that he really looked it did look like the same thing was written in the same place but even as he stared at it it didn¡¯t make any more sense to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can read.¡± He said with confusion as he tried his best to make sense of any of the words written on anything around them. So far nothing was really making any more sense than the first squiggles.


    ¡°None of it?¡± Mezalie asked him, astonished.


    ¡°Not so far.¡± He swiveled his head back and forth as he tried to find anything that made sense to him. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Mez crossed her arms and stepped back to lean against the building face they had stopped near and thought about that development and what that told her about LoVelly.


    ¡°You can speak both Yoshkish and Hecten but you can¡¯t read it¡­ Or anything for all we know.¡±


    ¡°I must be able to read something. I can¡¯t be illiterate. I don¡¯t feel illiterate.¡± He defended.


    ¡°How would you even feel illiterate?¡± She snarked at him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know because I¡¯m not illiterate.¡± He snarked right back at her. She pulled a face at him, sticking her tongue out.


    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s good to know though. There are a lot of worse ways we could have found that out I guess.¡± She relented, pushing away from the wall. ¡°You¡¯re right though. We probably still have an element of surprise going for us so maybe it¡¯s best to just get in and get out before they wise up.¡± She reasoned, setting off down the street they were now on.


    It led deeper into the city. Just like back in [previous city name] the temple was located near the city center. In larger cities like this they often had inner city trolleys that would all intersect at the center station. It made sense for the temples to be there.


    Once they¡¯d sifted their way through the market crowds and back onto a main street Mez grabbed his hand and pulled him along as they ran to catch a trolley before it pulled away. The trolley didn¡¯t go terribly fast thankfully so they managed to catch up before the next block. The both of them had wide grins on their faces as they caught their breath, both clinging to a hand rail at the back of the car. They rode the car all the way to the heart of the city and just as she¡¯d suspected they saw the grand looking building that was the city¡¯s temple rise above the buildings around it.


    Also like the one in [previous city name] it was beautiful and ornate. This one much more so. Where the other one had had beautiful trims and some glass work this one was even more of a piece of art. Mezalie saw the pieces that were either excellent replicas or extremely well preserved pre-war style pillars standing tall near the entrance. The face of the building was ornately carved stone accents laid over the shell of the building.The front doors were a set of tall intricate filigree double doors. They were propped wide open and people didn¡¯t seem to be giving it any suspicion or keeping their distance.


    ¡°How do we find out if they¡¯re here or not?¡± He asked her as they meandered through the city center. It wasn¡¯t as packed as the market streets had been but it was still bustling with people running errands and on their way to shops or businesses.


    Instead of answering him Mezalie marched straight up to the building and walked right in the front door and LoVelly was both exasperated and didn¡¯t know what else he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d heard Mezalie¡¯s original intent and they¡¯d never gotten around to planning out anything more intricate. He could feel the heat of anger, the burning torrent of grief, begin to well up inside him and he hurried after her, stepping into the building himself.


    The inside was even more immaculate than the outside. Where the other had had a thin pink layer of dust in the corners and the baseboards, which wasn¡¯t unreasonable in the countryside, this one was clean from the ceiling to the grout between the tiling of the floor. The hallway to the worship hall was lit with hundreds of tiny lights strung from the ceiling in gossamer strands that shimmered and sparkled in the light.


    Mezalie walked just ahead of him, as casual as anyone else they passed on their way. He saw her turn her head to get a look into a side room they passed but she continued on down the hall until she got to the end, just before the main hall. There was a door to the side of the entryway, closed but also obscured by the grand entryway. Peeking around them she crossed over and tried the handle and when it turned she pulled the door and slipped in. LoVelly quickly did one more scan around them and followed after her before the door closed behind her.


    Like the other temple, the halls off the main one were significantly less ornate. This one was still nicer and he wouldn¡¯t call this one plain like he would the other but it certainly wasn¡¯t as dressed up either. There were a variety of doors down the hallway and he saw now that many of them had a little plate on them with writing on them and Mezalie appeared to be reading them as they went along before deciding if she was going to open the door or not.


    ¡°What are we going to say if there are actually people in one of these and not the kind we¡¯re looking for?¡± He asked. He still definitely couldn¡¯t read as he tried to decipher the lettering on the most recent one.


    ¡°I''m sure one of us will figure something out.¡± Mez shrugged as she swung another one open and it swung open to a staircase. ¡°It¡¯s not even locked.¡± LoVelly looked up and down the hallway before he followed after, unsure about this but following after her anyway.


    As they came around the turn at the bottom of the stairs a man came into view. He was sat in a chair settled at the doorway to another chamber off the small room at the landing. He was leaned back, the chair tipped back on its hind legs and leaning on the wall. He had a book in hand. He wore the thick gray uniform that they¡¯d seen the other group who¡¯d detained them wore. He looked up as he heard them approaching. He looked at them, in their scruffy clothes and narrowed his eyes at them, immediately suspicious.


    ¡°What are you doing down here?¡± He demanded. LoVelly froze, unsure what to do. Mezalie however did not miss a beat and immediately replied.


    ¡°Looking for a bathroom?¡± she said seriously. The man briefly looked bewildered as he tried to work out if she was serious or not. When nobody moved or said anything for several tes the man started to look uncomfortable and clunked his chair back down on all four legs and stood, starting toward them but Mez didn¡¯t give him a chance. In the brief pause before he could react Mez launched herself down the stairway, barreling into the man and taking them both to the floor with a shout.


    They wrestled around as the man tried to reach for something at his belt but Mez was able to grab it and kicked it across the floor in the tussle. LoVelly hopped down the last of the stairs to grab it before the man had the chance to get it back. He looked at the face of the device but sure enough he couldn¡¯t read any of the labels on it.


    ¡°LoVelly! A little help?!¡± Mez yelped as the man tried again to throw her off, managing to get an elbow into her ribs. She used her weight to slam the man back down to the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± He panicked and pressed the largest button on the side of the device and yelped as it whirred to life and shot a burst of energy from the end of it and into the wall, leaving a small scorch mark where it hit. Mez looked from the mark to LoVelly again, eyes wide. She hadn¡¯t seen a gun in Solcen; there were hardly any operable ones left these driev''.


    ¡°Okay look,¡± she managed to get the man¡¯s arms secured behind his back and his chest to the floor, putting all her weight on him to keep him there. ¡°If you cooperate I won¡¯t let my friend shoot you with your own gun. Accidentally or otherwise.¡± She told him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked into the floor.


    ¡°Keys.¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Front pants pocket.¡± He groused. She looked to LoVelly and tipped her head, indicating for him to get said keys. LoVelly came over to her and somewhat awkwardly fumbled the gun from hand to hand before ultimately handing it off to Mez as she allowed the man to roll to the side so LoVelly could extract the keys from his pocket. With leverage in hand Mez backed the man up to the wall. She looked between the gun and the man, making a show of it.


    ¡°I have no desire to hurt you but if you give us any problems you¡¯ll wish I¡¯d used this on you instead. Do you understand?¡± She said to the man while LoVelly made himself busy figuring out which of the keys on the ring opened the door. The man being questioned nodded and stayed where he was.


    On the second try the key slid home in the lock and LoVelly opened the door. Inside the scene was similar to the last time he¡¯d found himself in this position. In the room were a handful of people, thankfully looking unharmed save for the shackles around their wrists keeping them apart from each other and firmly in place. From the looks of them they hadn¡¯t been kept as long as the others he¡¯d been with had.


    LoVelly rushed into the room and immediately got to work figuring out which keys opened which lock mostly by trial and error. He could feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins and he could see his hands shaking as he quickly tried to jam the key into the lock. Like the last time he ushered the first freed man to help untie the next and so on. There were significantly less people trapped in this temple than there¡¯d been at the last, which gave him some hope that they might be able to make this work. He looked around at the remaining few, quickly taking a head count when he heard another shot fire in the hall and shouting from the doorway that was definitely not Mezalie. He looked to the young man he was currently helping before placing the key in his hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ll clear a path. Just get everybody out as fast as you can.¡± He said to the room at large as he leapt to his feet and ran for the door.


    Mezalie had stayed with the man in the hallway as LoVelly got to work helping the others. She kept the gun firmly trained on him but he didn¡¯t seem particularly interested in trying to escape or call for help which caused an unease to settle into her stomach.


    ¡°What are you doing with all these people?¡± She demanded. Nothing had made any sense since she¡¯d awoken that driev on the TVE and even that felt like a lifetime ago now.


    ¡°None of your business.¡± The man said frankly.


    ¡°I¡¯m obviously making it my business.¡± She snapped back at him. She took a step forward, gun trained on his chest. She¡¯d never fired a gun before, only seen one fired from a distance. She knew the concept behind it, how to channel her fen into it to activate it but she didn¡¯t know if she could do it in practice but this man didn¡¯t know that. He shifted and she snapped to attention at the motion but he simply leaned back against the wall.


    ¡°To be honest with you, I don¡¯t really know what they¡¯re doing with these people, I¡¯m just here to keep them here.¡± He shrugged. Mez watched his shoulders rise and fall with nonchalance and it made the fire in her burn a little hotter as she took another step closer. She felt the anger bubble up in her that everyone she knew was gone and this man didn¡¯t even care what they were doing with the people he held captive.


    It felt senseless.


    She took another step toward the man, blinded by her anger, hands shaking slightly where they held the gun now. She felt a tear slip down her face but paid it no mind. Now was not the time. She didn¡¯t notice the two people that now stood in the doorway at the top of the stairs, looking down on her. She didn¡¯t see one of them take aim at her.


    She felt oddly disconnected as she felt the pain explode in her gut. It felt more like someone was describing the pain to her than experiencing it herself. She felt the shot pass through her from front to back. It was hot like Sol, it was bright and red and blinding. It was all she could think for several moments. She heard a noise but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was the sound of the gun hitting the floor or the sound that came out of her mouth. Either way it was a roaring in her mind as the pain saturated her consciousness.


    When LoVelly stepped back into the hall he saw that Mez stood between the door to the prisoners and the others that had come to investigate. The gun lay discarded on the floor to her side. A man in a green robe stood at the top of the stairs and a woman stood beside him with another gun in hand and LoVelly felt his blood ice over as he followed the gun¡¯s line of sight directly to the gaping wound in Mezalie¡¯s abdomen.


    He watched in cold horror as the black splotch of blood bloomed on her shirt. Nobody moved at first. They all watched as the blood pooled and then gurgled out of the hole left by the gun. It dripped and pooled on the edges of the fabric and Mezalie dropped her head to look down at the wound.


    She looked up to the two at the top of the stairs. She looked back to her blood and LoVelly saw her eyes widen slightly before she looked to him and then finally back to the first man, still against the wall where he¡¯d been. He was clutching at his bicep, teeth grit in pain. She could see the dark blood beginning to seep out around his hand; fingers coming away bloody as he adjusted his grip and pressure. But she never fired the gun, she was sure of it. She looked back down again to the blood oozing from her wound and realized that the shot that hit her had passed right through and hit him as well.


    A laugh trickled out from her mouth, high and hysterical. It was short, just a single burst that quickly became panicked, squealing breaths as she began to hyperventilate. When a light burst forth from the wound, both front and back, everyone, LoVelly included, shielded their eyes against the brightness of it. When he blinked back against the light he saw the tail end of it recede back into the once bleeding wound. Mezalie reached up to touch where the wound had once been and when she pulled her hand away she brought with it only the blood still sticky on her clothes telling her it had been there. She dragged her hand through the blood that had soaked into her borrowed clothes.


    ¡°I warned you.¡± She barked out before LoVelly felt his ears pop from the pressure drop, just like he had before. He knew before the shimmering, oily, sheen began to engulf her body.


    He knew that the monster was coming.


    He felt a presence at his back and was reminded that there were other people present, people they were trying to protect. He quickly turned to see one of the women from the group behind him, waiting for some kind of direction. LoVelly quickly looked between the two scenes and made a snap decision, unsure if it was the right one or not. He quickly ushered the people back into the room behind him, slamming the door shut, his back against it.


    Mezalie was vaguely aware of the door slamming behind her and she was only briefly concerned that there were in fact other people present. As the creature took over, so did its wants. All it wanted was to consume, consume, consume. Nothing else mattered in that moment. She heard the gasps of the remaining people in the room as her view rose up, even taller than she already was, towering over the pathetic beings that thought they could stop her, harm her.


    The man in the green robe- her mind flashed to a man in green robes back on the TVE, the one with the cold eyes who¡¯d ordered her dead- he was the first to bow. He bowed low and held it there before the other two in the room followed suit as well. This interested the creature. She felt its curiosity bloom in the front of her mind as the man in green rose back up.


    ¡°Infinite creature, we humbly ask for your forgiveness in our lack of a proper meal ritual. We were not expecting you quite yet. However, we have prepared an offering just through that door.¡± The man said calmly but she could still see the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands as he spoke. He was terrified of her.


    they should be, the voice told her.


    they do not understand what we are


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± She felt her words push to the front of the storm she felt inside and they spilled from the mouth of the creature in a hundred strained voices. The sound was surprisingly hushed. It spoke like a quiet organ playing the same notes in different octaves all at once.


    Mezalie realized she had at least some control over the body they shared in this state as she reached a hand out toward the man on the stairs and a long spindling limb extended toward the man, too many joints, not enough bones, but it was indeed an arm. It beckoned the robed man closer. He took one hesitant step down, and then another as he descended the steps. He followed as the arm beckoned him ever closer as it receded back into itself until he was before the creature.


    ¡°Why have you done this to me?¡± She asked in her chorus of voices and the noise filled the room like a wave, sloshing into every corner. The man was visibly shaking before her now but he stood tall with his head held high. His eyes flickered back and forth as he wasn¡¯t sure what to focus on. The creature was ever changing form and it was impossible to pick a solid point to focus on.


    ¡°The prophecy foretold You, the Vott, turning the world anew, bringing the fen back like before the shift¡­¡± The man trailed off as he stood in awe of the thing before him. Despite his fear it was impossible to deny the beauty of a thing beyond understanding.


    Mezalie tried, despite the thrashing of the dark waves in her mind, to file that information away for later. She knew it was important but it was so difficult to hold onto thoughts while the creature was out. Like she was just floating in a soup of her own mind and she could only clutch onto what drifted by her, but she wanted to remember what the man had said. She remembered the people from [diynen] addressing the Infinite Creature.


    They¡¯d done this to her on purpose.


    They¡¯d killed her family to make it happen.


    Prophecy the man had said.


    Mezalie felt the pang of hunger roll through her that was not hers. It was an insatiable hunger, something that would never be satisfied but the need to feed it was overwhelming and all consuming all the same.


    With barely a thought at all, long thin spikes of matter that the creature was made of shot out, straight through the other two people in the room. There was no struggle and barely any sound. There was no time. In the blink of an eye the spikes that had shot through them swallowed them. They became two small gaping black holes in the backdrop of the room. They became spaghettified information forever circling the event horizon of their own personal black hole.


    What was left over was a mess of blood, bones and viscera that was unnecessary for the transfer of information and the creature left that to slough off into a puddle of gore as it retracted its spikes and with it what it took from them. The man in the green robe that was still standing, but only barely, before them was breathing too quickly as he took in what had happened around him in only the blink of his eyes. A whimper escaped him.


    ¡°I will not be a tool in your very mortal games.¡± The chorus of voices boomed down at the man before launching a spear through him too and devouring everything it could of him. Like the others all that was left was a slick mess of gore where he¡¯d once stood. Mezalie felt the pang of hunger recede only slightly, like scratching an itch that was always present.


    Before she even realized it she¡¯d climbed the stairs and on entirely too many legs the creature filled the hallway with its bubbling mass. In the back of her mind though she felt a pull back toward the basement. What about the others and LoVelly? She didn¡¯t think she wanted to leave LoVelly behind, plus where was she even going?


    eat


    She got the mental impression of people, of bright glowing beings full of energy, of the green robed wizards, brightest of all. The hunger was overpowering once again and it clouded her mind, thoughts of anything else drifting away. LoVelly drifting to somewhere in the back of her mind.


    We can¡¯t just eat everybody, she thought back at it eventually. She tried not to think of all the blood on her hands already.


    Instead of an answer she was sent a barrage of memories; of being shot through so recently, of the beach and her home destroyed, of her family staked out and burned alive. Of her own experience being burned alive¡­


    She felt the anger and the anguish burble to the forefront of everything. It obscured any protest she may have had for sparing the others. She felt the instinct to curl in on herself, to protect herself from the hurt that hadn¡¯t had enough time yet to settle into an ache. It was still rough and jagged around the edges, tearing and digging in wherever it touched.


    She let the creature eat without protest. She wasn¡¯t even really paying attention to what it was doing, too focused on her own hurt. It wasn¡¯t until she felt the warmth of flames licking at her that she was able to feel herself within the cacophony of the monster. The heat washed over her in a wave as she opened her eyes and saw through the strange vision of the creature the blinding bright light of fire all around her.


    She hadn¡¯t meant to use her fen but all she could feel was burn, burn, burn singing in her veins.


    Uncurling, she pushed herself to the surface again- towards the fire and out of the suffocating darkness at the bottom where she¡¯d been adrift. As she got closer the crackling and popping of a blaze became clearer. She started to feel the creature recede, folding in on itself and packing itself away. It was such an indescribable thing to become herself again knowing what was hiding within.


    When she realized she was left in her own body again she found herself in the Grand Hall, the benches and tapestries and leaflets all burning. Anything that would catch flame was burning. There was smoke choking the room. There was blood and viscera in puddles around the room from people she¡¯d never know but had taken the lives of. She didn¡¯t even remember doing it. She didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d all been acolytes or just unlucky temple-goers.


    It didn¡¯t matter at this point. It was already done.


    She turned and dragged her heavy feet back toward the main doors of the temple but moving felt like fighting through syrup, thick and resistant to her attempts. She felt herself stumble but like before it was like it was happening to someone else. She felt herself fall but hitting the ground felt more like laying down for a much needed nap; a welcome experience.


    She took a deep, smoky inhale.


    She heard the fire crackling around her still and thought it would be nice to drift off like this in front of the fire, almost cozy. She felt the pull dragging her down into the depths of slumber but then came the voice.


    up Dead Witch


    She ignored the command. She was tired of this. She was tired of everything.


    She thought about the shot from earlier. It went all the way through her and she knew it should have killed her.


    ¡°Mez!¡±


    A louder voice, one she realized was coming from outside her mind, broke through the crackling blaze.


    ¡°Mezalie!¡±


    She blinked her eyes open. She hadn¡¯t even known she¡¯d closed them. She saw him running towards her, through the flames and the carnage.


    Why was he always there?


    She tried to tell him to go, to leave her, but the words came out slurred and messy even to her. She tried to sit up but the motion was clumsy. As he reached her he was saying something to her but what it was she couldn¡¯t say.


    Questions piled up behind her eyelids as they shuttered and closed up shop. She felt her equilibrium shift once and then she felt it fall away completely and she hoped against hope that wherever LoVelly landed them this time it wasn¡¯t in the water.

 The Order of Vraiste: Reyra

    Noam sat for driev'', meditating, in the sanctuary at the foot of what was once her student but was now a solid crystalline structure. Its edges at the top and bottom were somewhat jagged and raw. She saw, once she''d had a proper look, that the crystal hovered just ever so slightly above the floor. It didn''t move or bob it just hovered, silent and firm, the mechanics of it unknown. Noam sat equally silent but not as unnaturally still as she breathed deeply and released a sigh. Despite her attempts, nothing at all had come to her regarding the girl, the crystal, or the name LoVelly.


    The door to the sanctuary creaked open and she turned to see Reyra padding softly toward her holding a tray. As she approached she set the tray between them as she took a seat beside Noam, bending her long legs beneath her. On the tray was a steaming pot of nava root and hard, sweet, biscuits for dunking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a drak.¡± Reyra said in greeting as she reached over and lifted the pot. Noam held the strainer over each cup as Reyra poured the dark liquid.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Noam asked, blowing softly across the top of her cup before sipping the foam around the edges.


    ¡°...Tewey.¡± Reyra mumbled quietly. Noam¡¯s face instantly dropped into a scowl, eyes narrowing.


    ¡°You know we don¡¯t send Tewey anymore!¡± She scolded.


    ¡°You said, ¡®get the message there as quickly as possible,¡± and Tewey is by far our fastest drak.¡± Reyra defended.


    ¡°She ate a royal drak last time we sent her! They almost shot her down!¡± She took a simmering sip of her drink and released a long suffering sigh. The drak in question had returned with a tattered wing they¡¯d had to nurse for a luel before she could fly again.


    ¡°In any case,¡± Reyra waved her hand, dismissing the argument, Noam rolled her eyes but let her continue, ¡°We can expect a reply by the end of next ven I''d bet.¡± She reached out and tapped the crystal with her index finger


    ¡°Before that, if you sent Tewey.¡± Noam grumbled and aggressively dunked a biscuit in her cup.


    ¡°You can be sour about it if you want, but this counts as an emergency to me. Look at her¡­¡± Both women looked up at what they could see of Onoara¡¯s face, faceted and distorted.


    ¡°At least she looks peaceful¡­¡± Reyra could see the pain in Noam¡¯s face when she looked up at the girl, in the way she sat by, driev after driev, scrying for any hints at all about the girl''s condition.


    Onoara had practically grown up in the temple, training as an oracle before she even learned to read. Her family brought her in when she was just a babe, barely talking yet and even then she¡¯d shown such a strong connection to the One Who Whispers, words and phrases she couldn¡¯t possibly know falling from her tiny mouth. Her parents had braved the Crystal Flats, riding for ven after ven with dwindling supplies across a barren land in search of a place foretold by a toddler.


    When they¡¯d arrived, run ragged, nearly frozen and covered in the strange glistening spores that drifted on the wind throughout the flats, they¡¯d nearly fallen down in thanks. They¡¯d run out of water the nente before and were running on the last of their fuel when the temple came into view, shimmering like an iridescent castle growing out of the crystal landscape and they¡¯d never been so happy. Once inside the tiny girl had toddled right up to the Sleeping Deity stone before wrapping her short arms around what she could of it in a tiny hug, her journey finally complete.


    The elders knew from the moment she arrived that she was destined for something tremendous. Afterall, her arrival was foretold. What exactly that would be though they had yet to decode and looking now at the frozen girl it was hard to say what it all meant. Even worse was the fact that it took several ven to get any intel back and forth due to the remoteness of their location. A drak had to be sent to the mainland to request a carefully coordinated call or a simple letter.


    ¡°I think you should go get some rest.¡± Reyra said finally. ¡°Nothing has changed since it happened. I doubt anything is going to happen while you get some sleep.¡± She reached across the short distance between them, placing her hand down over Noam¡¯s knee. Noam stared down into her cup, steam rising into her face, and released a deep, miserable sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡± She relented. ¡°I just feel bad leaving her alone.¡± They hadn¡¯t found any way to move the crystal, it seemed rooted to the spot despite not being anchored to anything. Noam pushed herself to her feet and stretched her limbs, stiff from sitting. She twisted and bent, popping the vertebrae in her back and neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay for a while.¡± Reyra looked up, meeting her eyes in assurance. ¡°And I¡¯ll get one of the oracles to come take over for me after.¡± She pulled her knees up toward her chest, resting her cheek atop her [willowy] legs and closing her eyes. She hummed a quiet tune, Onoara¡¯s favorite, as Noam wandered out of the sanctuary and hopefully found her way to bed.


    She ended up staying for a long while, long enough for Ahraan to bypass Dhelarly and sink toward the horizon. She was at her own wits end about the whole ordeal. Members of the order looked to her for guidance and wisdom and for this she had neither. Worse was that she had nothing to offer Noam who was taking things the hardest. She had been in charge of the girls¡¯ training since she¡¯d come to the temple.


    Reyra had been able to foretell every major event they''d had for almost thirty soltzet but now all of a sudden she was blind sided. Even when she sat so close as to press her forehead to the cool surface of the crystal and meditate there was nothing, just a strange blankness she couldn¡¯t see past.


    She believed in what she''d told Noam, that whatever afflicted the girl likely wouldn''t change anytime soon so she called for another oracle to sit by instead. She found herself climbing the stairs to the main tower and drifting down the hallway to the library.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Many solcen ago some small remodeling was done to add vents to let the heat from the lower levels rise up into the room but still it remained somewhat chilly. Reyra was thankful for her thick cloak and slippers. She tapped at the light orbs hung through the room as she went, each of them coming to life with a soft glow at first before brightening, lighting up the room gradually.


    Reyra broke her own rules and used her fen to bring several books floating down from the tallest shelves at once to the large circular table in the center of the room. She told herself nobody else was there to see it therefore it didn¡¯t really happen. Plus, the rule mainly existed for young oracles whom¡¯s fen was unpredictable and prone to accidents. The books kept in their library were irreplaceable. Most of them were handwritten and hand-bound right there in the temple and dated back as far as the Sleeping God themselves. The room was heavy with the smell of old glue, leather bindings, and rich, dark inks- most of them derived dyes that could only be found in specific seaweeds and sea snail shells.


    The books landed softly on the table, only creating a noise due to their heft. She rounded the table to a large tome in leather binding and with the flick of her finger the cover turned over and the pages whizzed by before landing on a page sandwiched in thin, protective sheets.


    Reyra poured over the contents of the page. The trouble with prophecy and whispers was that they were, more often than not, vague and up to interpretation until given context. It was clear that the girl¡¯s path involved the Sleeping Deity but as Onoara had grown older Reyra¡¯s and the other oracles¡¯ vision surrounding the girl had clouded. At first it was simply a decline in visions involving the girl but as time went on they stopped being able to scry for her at all.


    The entry she chose was old, one of the oldest, and written in the ancient language of the Sleeping Deity, brought over with them from across the stars a lifetime ago. The writing had faded over the soltzets and she was careful to handle the page as little as possible. It was written in neat, tiny, script by the first Oracle who¡¯d resided at the temple, Vraiste. It named Onoara specifically despite being written hundreds of Soltzet before her birth.


    ¡®For as long as I shall live


    The beast is kept at bay


    But as the fen wanes,


    So too do I


    The Crystal will bloom


    Before the arrival of lovely LoVelly


    Then Onoara will walk again.


    It happened a handful of times, throughout the Solcen, that shoots would suddenly break through the surrounding crystal landscape and the jagged, encrusted stalk would release a thin, gossamer cap that hardened over several lof. Once hardened it began to release the iridescent spores that floated throughout and coated everything in the Crystal Flats. They had assumed, at first, that the ¡®blooming¡¯ mentioned would be related to that phenomena but they had to assume now that it could mean Onoara¡¯s encasing.


    She flicked her finger and another heavy tome slid across the table to her. She pulled back the cover and began combing for the right section. This book was the most complete collection of ancient words and their interpreted meanings, or lack thereof, that anyone had. She analyzed and reanalyzed the words as they were, arranged them into every translation she could think of to make them make sense.


    Onoara had given them a new key to consider: LoVelly, The original translation hadn¡¯t made any sense with the foreign word, ¡®lovely¡¯, but Noam and Reyra had immediately recognized the name as Onoara spoke it. They had a new lead to follow, they just needed to figure out where to start.


    Reyra had tried a dozen-dozen times now to scry into the meaning of the words, into the name LoVelly, to get an impression or a feeling- anything at all from the words on the page. She silently pleaded with the Sleeping Deity to reveal to her something that would help them understand but still nothing came.


    She was met with the same strange disorienting blankness that she always was when it regarded the girl. Anything to do with her past or future was always just out of reach. It wasn¡¯t gone, just unattainable to them, as if it existed on another plane somehow. Somewhere even Reyra had not learned how to get to in all her soltzets as an oracle. She slammed a small, frail fist onto the table, frustrated by the lack of answers. She read it again, willing the words to change, to somehow give way for a new meaning she hadn¡¯t thought of yet.


    She paced throughout the library, wandering back and forth to tap the lights back into life every once in a while. When the Nente crept on she called for one of the oracles in training to go down and stoke the stoves on the lower level to keep the cold from reaching in.


    Finally, she sighed and dropped herself into the cozy armchair she¡¯d brought over to the table at some point, she didn¡¯t even remember doing it now. She felt the weariness of her soltzets catching up to her and she hated that despite it all, she was no closer to an answer now than she¡¯d been to begin with. The armchair was plush and comfortable and she caught herself starting to doze off and thought it was probably time to take her own advice.


    She slowly gathered up the papers that had somehow spread out all over the big circular table, tucking them back into books and places they¡¯d come from. She used her fen to raise the many books she¡¯d eventually amassed back into their places on high shelves. Finally, she gathered herself up at last, tucking her cloak tight around her shoulders and dragging herself along and out of the library, leaving the lights to dim out on their own.


    She carried herself back down the tower, one sluggish step at a time, and finally to her chamber. She all but collapsed face first onto her bedspread with an oomph before rolling to her back and wriggling under the covers. She pulled a pillow over her face and pressed as she screamed into it, releasing some of her frustrations. She felt the fight drain out of her after and she took a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders on the exhale and uncovering her face.


    LoVelly.


    LoVelly.


    Who was LoVelly?


    She rolled onto her side, finding a comfortable position and aggressively stuffing a pillow between her knees. Tewey would return soon, if not with news, then with an alignment for a call. Hopefully she would return without incident this time.


    Maybe it was the Sleeping Deity finally answering her requests or maybe it was just luck but as Reyra closed her eyes and as she fell into a fitful sleep she dreamt of a young man whose face she couldn¡¯t quite see, obscured as it was by a wisp-like cloudiness and a woman whose name she would wake with on the tip of her tongue.

 Chapter Eight (convergence pt. 2)

    Mez was barely conscious when they tumbled through LoVelly¡¯s portal but she tried her hardest to keep her feet under her. Despite her efforts they still stumbled the landing and they both went rolling through sand. It wasn¡¯t far, thankfully, but now there was sand in her face, sand in her hair, sand in her clothes and she was so absolutely sick of sand.


    They landed together in a heap and the tandem groan would have been funny had they not been so completely and utterly exhausted. She felt LoVelly shuffle around as he extracted himself from their tangle of limbs before she suddenly felt hands on either side of her face, pressing gently.


    ¡°Mez,¡± he said. She only grunted in response. ¡°Mez look at me,¡± he insisted. Painfully slowly, she cracked her eyes open against the meager light and her vision swirled as she tried to focus on LoVelly¡¯s face so close to hers.


    ¡°What?¡± She whined.


    ¡°We are not doing that again.¡± He turned her face back and forth just so as he said it, emphasizing the words. ¡°We need to have a plan beyond ¡®you losing control and that thing¡­ liquefying people¡¯.¡± He released her and sat back on his heels. Mez begrudgingly pushed herself up onto her elbows, her head spinning at the movement. When she wobbled LoVelly reached out an arm to balance her and suddenly she was hit with a swirl of irritation and fear that she recognized was not her own.


    ¡°I am not losing control,¡± she hissed but she knew he was right.


    ¡°Then what do you call what keeps happening?¡± LoVelly pressed. She could feel her temper begin to flare. She wasn''t sure if it was set off by the irritation that had been transferred or if it was just LoVelly that was irritating her.


    ¡°I don''t know,¡± she jerked away from the touch on her shoulder, trying to distance herself from the flow of foreign emotion. Her anger still simmered. ¡°I don''t know!¡± She shouted this time, burying her face in her hands. Why was he pushing at this now? She was exhausted, she was dirty, and she was irritable.


    ¡°Maybe we should try figuring that out then?¡± He pressed again. Her eyes snapped up to meet his, glaring daggers at him.


    ¡°Maybe you should drop it!¡± She snapped at him.


    ¡°I can''t Mez. I can¡¯t drop it because I¡¯m the only one that seems interested in figuring it out.¡± He narrowed his eyes back at her.


    She moved her hands to dig her palms into her eye sockets, pressing, pressing until she saw spots behind her lids. She took a deep breath and growled on the exhale. She scrambled to get to her feet, a bit wobbly but she managed. LoVelly looked up at her but did not follow. She snapped her hands to her sides, spun on her heel and stomped away, not caring where she was going as long as it was away from LoVelly, away from anyone in this moment. She felt the sand give way beneath the soles of her shoes step after step, making her movement feel syrupy and slow in addition to shaky. She breathed deeply, in through her nose, out through her mouth.


    They had landed in the ruins of a pre-war city. She had no way of knowing which one or how deep they were into the sprawling, crumbled city.


    Around her were heaps of broken stone and time-worn rubble, half buried in dark, black sand where monumental buildings once towered. These driev'' all that was left of any of them were scraps that hadn¡¯t been useful in rebuilding and junk that was no longer operable after The Shift. Large metal and concrete columns rose up, sometimes several stories tall, out of the ground and extended too far down into the sand to be scavenged and instead rested there, forgotten. Ruined walls occasionally remained standing, crumbling around the edges with age.


    It was hard to imagine now that anything of importance once stood where she stood.


    For lack of anywhere else to go she stomped past heaps of metal, stone and dune. She walked until she couldn¡¯t see LoVelly anymore, fuming as she went. She climbed over heaps of broken pavement, careful of any sharp edges or metal sticking out and scrambled through shifting dark sands.


    She did want to figure things out.


    She wanted to help LoVelly.


    She just¡­she needed someone to help her but it felt like everywhere she turned it was more horror and misery.


    Of course there was LoVelly. He seemed to want to help her- despite everything he¡¯d seen- but she just wasn¡¯t sure if she was ready to put her trust in him. He¡¯d given her no reasons not to but she couldn¡¯t shake the strangeness of the bond they shared. Familiar in a way she couldn¡¯t describe but it set her on edge nonetheless.


    She took a bad step and between the unstable footing and her shaking legs she went down hard in the sand again. She yelped when she landed and something jabbed her in the thigh sending pain sparking through her. She quickly reached for the source when her hand came across a familiar feeling piece of metal. She rolled and dug her hand into her pocket and sure enough it was a key that was digging into her among the coins jingling loose in her pocket. She¡¯d forgotten all about the earrings and the money and the sweet promise of a room somewhere she could hide away, if only for a little while. It all felt so far away, had it really only been that drievett? She rolled back to her feet, half hysterical, and let out a peel of laughter, anger and frustration temporarily forgotten, and she made her way back toward where she''d left LoVelly.


    The man in question must have gone to do his own exploring because by the time she made it back he wasn''t where she left him. The depressions left in the sand however gave away his path as he dragged his feet through it and were easy enough to follow. She fiddled with the key on its loop as she pulled it back through her belt loop, swinging it around and around as she followed his tracks.


    The sand gave way to cracked and broken pavement that quickly rose up above her head and she had to clamber up over the edge to continue on. Once she¡¯d pulled herself up she spotted LoVelly where the enormous chunk of rubble they were on jutted out over a chasm between it and another large ruin. A set of stairs, profoundly intact on one side, led down to where the remnants of a bridge once led across the yawning space below. She found him there, sat atop the steps tossing pebbles over the edge and down, down into the pit.


    She thought to scuff her feet as she approached, make some kind of noise so as not to startle him but he turned to look back at her like he¡¯d expected her to be there. He didn¡¯t say anything and turned back to tossing pebbles as she made her way towards him. She suddenly felt a bit ashamed of her outburst earlier. She knew he was only trying to help but she argued that she was also under a lot of stress lately. They were both trying their best given the circumstances.


    ¡°Can you believe that after all that,¡± she waved a hand in reference to ¡®all that¡¯. ¡°I''ve still got this tevvy key?¡± She held the key out to behold as she took a seat on the steps near LoVelly. Not quite next to him, still leary of the air between them. LoVelly looked at the key and then past it, at her, and smiled.


    ¡°Oh well thank the gods.¡± He rolled his eyes but it was playful, not angry. ¡°I¡¯m sure that will be useful.¡±


    ¡°And some pocket change¡± She dug into her pocket and shook the money, a light jingling emerging.


    ¡°That is genuinely good to hear since we lost everything else.¡±


    ¡°Everything except for the key.¡± She added.


    ¡°Except the key.¡± He agreed.


    They sat for a moment, Mez dropped her chin into her hands, elbows on her knees. LoVelly plucked another stone from the steps and tossed it over and they waited for it to hit the bottom. There was a soft plunk followed by the splash as it hit water at the bottom.


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± She finally asked, still not quite looking at him, just quick glances out of the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°I was, a little bit, earlier. But I¡¯m not anymore.¡± She could feel him looking at her.


    ¡°I''m sorry I yelled.¡± She offered. She finally shifted and turned to meet his eyes. He was looking at her with a smile on his face. She searched his eyes for any trace of ill will but there was nothing to find. ¡°Are we good?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah. We''re good.¡± He broke their eye contact to pick up another pebble and throw it over the edge. She watched him do it, watched the little stone arc and fall below her line of sight. She heard it plunk into whatever water sat below.


    ¡°Oh! Oh oh!¡± LoVelly turned to her suddenly, eyes big with excitement. ¡°I wanna show you something I found when I was wandering around.¡± He quickly scrambled to his feet and leaned down to offer her a hand up. He quickly helped pull her to her feet, using their joined hands to pull her along. He led them along the uneven surface, back to where Mez had climbed up onto the ruin and they scrambled back down into the sand. He led them along the colossal pile of rusted and weathered metal to a spot not far from where they¡¯d arrived in the first place.


    ¡°Here.¡± He finally said, stopping before a crevice in the heap and to her horror, ducking into the space. He stopped and looked back when she didn''t follow.


    ¡°You just¡­ went in there? Is that even stable?¡± She asked, looking around at the surrounding structure. LoVelly looked around himself briefly and shrugged.


    ¡°It opens right back up a little ways in.¡± He said, like that settled the matter. He waited for her to reluctantly allow herself to be led on. She ducked down and hunched her shoulders as she shuffled through the space.


    Admittedly the little walkthrough wasn¡¯t that bad, it didn¡¯t seem like anything was going to collapse on them immediately or fall apart. It was mostly just bare, cracking pavement sections that had been smashed into each other where they fell long ago, occasionally producing a gap like the one LoVelly had found. The opening was narrow but not uncomfortably so, she ducked her head more out of habit than need. It sloped down fairly steep at first and she placed a hand on the wall to steady herself but as they went down it began to level out. And before she had to think too much about it they were carefully shuffling back out into the open.


    The path through the crevice had led them out somewhere down below, somewhere down the path of the rocks LoVelly had thrown. They stood on the edge of the chasm, with several enormous slabs of stone angled down towards them where they¡¯d collapsed sometime long ago.


    Mez saw now what LoVelly must have been talking about. While the colors had long worn away and the pattern was broken in plenty of places, Mezalie could still make out the distinct starburst inside a circle that had likely been laser-cut into the stone ages ago and worn smooth over time. She took a small step to peek over the edge of where they stood, getting a better look at the broken pieces below. It wasn¡¯t terribly far to the bottom, maybe two stories, and now she could see the water that had gathered there in a pool.


    ¡°An old convergence marker?¡± She asked, stepping back to relative safety.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± LoVelly agreed. ¡°I could feel it when we got here like it was, I dunno, calling to me?¡± He held his hands out before him, palms up, like they held some kind of answers that he did not. ¡°Can you hear it?¡±


    Mez paused, listening at first for a sound out of habit but knowing it wasn¡¯t something audible she was listening for. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the fen in her veins and looking for a sign, but there was nothing. She opened her eyes and shrugged at him, shaking her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this is how my fen works. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s hazy still but it¡¯s coming back to me in waves. It has to do with the convergence points¡­¡± LoVelly squeezed his eyes shut in concentration, brow furrowing. He was waving his hands around gently in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s these old man-made ones but it¡¯s-¡± he paused, struggling for the word.


    ¡°Ley Lines?¡± Mez cut in.


    ¡°Yes! Yes, ley lines!¡± LoVelly cheered. ¡°If I¡¯m not aiming it¡­the portals follow ley lines to natural convergence points.¡±


    ¡°So the field near Doss, the beach outside Desmek, and from Desmek to here-¡±


    ¡°All on ley lines en route to this convergence point. I was thinking about it once I found this and it¡¯s starting to click into place in my brain.


    ¡°Do you remember anything else?¡± She asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Sort of¡­?¡± He shook his head gently, willing the memories to come. ¡°I remember finding you on the beach but I don¡¯t know how I found you¡­¡± He squeezed his eyes tight, pursing his lips together. ¡°I know there¡¯s more. I can see it sort of. I had a vision before too.¡±


    As he rambled on, Mezalie watched as he worked his way to answers they both desperately needed. She noticed when his hands started to radiate a soft white light, giving off what looked like tiny wisps of smoke or steam.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°LoVelly.¡± She interrupted, getting his attention. She flicked her eyes down and he followed until he saw what she meant.


    ¡°Oh! Yeah.¡± His mouth stretched into a grin. ¡°I remember this.¡± He brought his hands up between them, light radiating toward her. Mez didn¡¯t even think twice before she was reaching her own hands out to meet his. She almost expected something dramatic and explosive to happen when their hands joined but instead what she got was the sound of wind chimes. Long, varied tones ringing around each other not unlike a song but more like a conversation. They were soft, just in the background of the white noise of silence.


    ¡°I can-'''' Her voice sounded far too loud in the quiet so she started again softer, whispering, ¡°I can hear it.¡± She couldn¡¯t help the smile that crawled onto her own face. The melodic sound made her feel giddy somehow. Her hands tingled where LoVelly held them and they both watched as the light from LoVelly¡¯s hands engulfed hers, then crawled up their arms before suddenly it surged, blinding both of them. Mez blinked back the tears against the light and tried to focus on LoVelly but she was no longer in the ruins and where the man once stood was a beautiful young woman with dark auburn hair and fire in her eyes. She looked back at Mez with a hunger in her eyes that made her want to recoil. When she tried to pull her hands back the young woman mouthed something at her and even though no sound came out the words were clear.


    ¡°Can you feel it? It¡¯s Convergence.¡±


    She gasped in a breath, sucking in air desperately and suddenly she was back in the ruins, LoVelly¡¯s hands in hers. They were still on a ledge in the middle of a ruin surrounded by an old broken city and the dark sand of a dead spot. The woman was gone but she remained in Mezalie¡¯s mind. Something about her had frightened her, the intensity in her eyes or the way her lips curled around the words¡­


    She took another deep breath and met LoVelly''s eyes and for a moment she couldn''t understand what she was seeing. When she looked directly at him she couldn''t quite see his face. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see it, vaguely, the shape of something much more than LoVelly. She quickly shook her head and blinked hard and when she looked back all seemed well. She''d have to compare with him the effects their fen had together. It was making her dizzy and light-headed, her stomach turning.


    LoVelly has power here.


    The thought came unbidden into her mind. She knew it was true though, the thought flowing into her mind unencumbered by the separation between LoVelly¡¯s mind and her own. She seemed to be able to read him like a book like this. She felt his feelings as they flowed through him and ultimately through her like an unstoppable tide.


    She felt a brush of his mind against hers and it was chaotic, loud and abrasive. It shot by in streaks too fast to latch onto. She felt so much of the confusion swirling in his mind. It felt a lot like falling, in a way that made her stomach lurch. The certainty of knowing you cannot catch yourself and fear of not knowing when you¡¯ll reach the bottom. At the mercy of forces outside of one''s control.


    In the same way that he¡¯s been gathering her up and pushing on together, he needed that from her in return. Someone to catch him before he reached the bottom or at least someone¡¯s hand to hold on the way down.


    She could do that.


    Like a punch to the gut, pain and nausea erupted in her stomach. She yanked her hands back, away from LoVelly and wrapped her arms around herself tightly, begging the feeling to stop as a whine escaped her and she dropped to her knees.


    ¡°Mez-¡± LoVelly immediately dropped down with her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He raised a hand as if to reach out but he stopped short when she held one hand out between them.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be sick.¡± She moaned and suddenly lurched to the side, towards the edge as she began to gag. LoVelly scrambled after her, afraid she was going to fall. She didn¡¯t make it quite to the edge before she began to heave. He placed a comforting hand on her back as she did but quickly pulled back when a hot, dark material sprouted forth and coated Mezalie, bubbling and hissing. It engulfed her from head to toe but only down her back and the thin membrane-like substance inflated and deflated, as if breathing as she retched onto the sandy concrete.


    The smell hit LoVelly almost immediately, the smell of rot, and he had to gag. When he dared look he saw that some of what was splattered on the pavement was almost identifiable as what he¡¯d fed Mez back in the farmhouse. Mez gave another burp, a choke and another miserable sound as her body rid itself of what was left in it.


    A roar erupted from the thing pouring from Mezalie and LoVelly was glad he was the only one around to hear it because, without all the commotion and the noise, he could hear it properly. He could hear the separate tones that made up the chorus of voices that belonged to the creature, including Mezalie¡¯s own voice.


    It screeched again and as Mezalie finished heaving her arms collapsed, sending her down and rolling to her side. Strange viscous arms shot out of the mass barely in time to catch her. Her own arms waved feebly around, trying to right herself but barely managing to do anything at all, disoriented by the sudden, violent episode. The strange arms dragged her away from the ledge and seemed satisfied with that and retreated back into the viscous blob which began to recede back into Mezalie¡¯s body.


    LoVelly quickly shuffled across the distance to her side, gathering her up. She groaned and leaned into him.


    ¡°I want a nap so bad.¡± she rasped, tongue darting out to lick her lips and making a sour face at the taste.


    ¡°You can nap as long as you want.¡± He assured her but she shook her head.


    ¡°I don''t know if I can sleep anymore.¡± She said softly. ¡°I can¡¯t eat food. That awful thing just told me so.¡±


    ¡°Mez whatever you need, we can-¡± LoVelly tried again but she brought an uncoordinated hand up to his face, silencing him.


    ¡°The monster calls me dead witch.¡± She said very seriously. LoVelly scrunched his eyebrows trying to understand.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± He asked. Her eyes remained trained on his face but she seemed far away as she spoke. She also looked tired, dark circles under her eyes and her skin dry and dirty. She took a long breath and released a deep sigh.


    ¡°I think I might be dead.¡± She said simply, like it made all the sense in the world.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked again, because now he was surely lost. Mez pushed herself up, dusting the sand from her hands and then her clothes. LoVelly tried to help but she waved him off.


    ¡°I''ll be fine. I''ve been seasick my whole life so I can handle vomit. I just¡­¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°wasn''t expecting it.¡± She brushed the sweat-stuck hair back from her face.


    ¡°I would like to return to the part of the conversation where you think you¡¯re dead?¡± LoVelly looked at her with naked concern on his face.


    ¡°I got shot through back there. I felt it. I should have died then. But even before that, on the beach? I don¡¯t remember much because it¡¯s all a mess then, but I¡¯m pretty sure I died. I remember dying and I remember a¡­a place. It was familiar.¡± She paused trying to recall what she could. ¡°It¡¯s where the monster-¡± she made a sour face and her eyes darted to the vomit. ¡°Can we talk about this somewhere else? That smells foul.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± LoVelly immediately agreed. ¡°But we¡¯re not done with this conversation.¡± He got to his feet, offering her a hand up. She used their joined hands to pull him closer, twisting their hands so the back of his faced her and she leaned in and placed a kiss to it. When she leaned back she looked at him expectantly, waiting.


    ¡°Solahran promise knot. I trust you. You saved me and I¡¯m gonna save you too.¡± She shook their hands once and he took the queue to mirror her action and placed a kiss to the back of her hand. Pleased, Mez smiled and dropped their hands.


    ¡°Promise.¡± He smiled back at her and they made their way back through the passage into the open. Mezalie stretched her arms high over her head as they emerged, twisting and turning, trying to stretch out the soreness she seemed to feel in her whole body. LoVelly turned to her, determination on his face.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s talk about this again. You think you¡¯re dead? But you¡¯re also here with me right now.¡± He looked perplexed, motioning to Mezalie herself.


    ¡°At first I thought I¡¯d become a death witch but I don¡¯t have faul-fen¡­¡± she dropped down into the dark sand, criss-crossing her legs and scooping a handful of sand. ¡°My fen is different now but it¡¯s still fire.¡± She let the sand slowly spill through her fingers. ¡°You¡¯ve seen that. But I¡¯m telling you I remember dying.¡± The final word sounded like it was pulled from her unwillingly. LoVelly could see the upset on her face. She scooped another hand of sand. ¡°It¡¯s where this thing came from. Wherever I went, it came back with me but how did I come back? I don¡¯t understand-¡± She looked to him, ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­no I don¡¯t think so. The monster was already there when I found you. I just don¡¯t know where I was or what I was doing before that. How I knew where you were¡­¡± He dropped down into the sand across from Mezalie, turning to lay on his side, head propped up on one hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat food. The thing told me earlier that anything I put in this body will rot and I¡¯ll puke it up.¡± She took a deep breath and reached her hands up to work at the tangles in the ends of her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to breathe.¡± She said it quietly before pressing her lips together in a tight line, eyes wide. For a moment they said nothing, just looked at each other. LoVelly could feel that Mezalie was searching him for a reaction.


    ¡°Okay. Well,¡± LoVelly did his best to stay casual. If she wasn¡¯t going to freak out then neither was he. ¡°We can test that, can¡¯t we?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked.


    She nodded.


    ¡°Alright. Starting now, don¡¯t breathe until you need to, I guess?¡± He felt odd saying it but she nodded and then placed her elbows on her knees and her chin atop her hands and closed her eyes. He watched her sit still- perfectly still, in a way that was rather unnerving. He waited, counting the tes, as he took his own breaths and she did not.


    After what was already an uncomfortable amount of time Mezalie opened her eyes and met his. She didn''t look like someone who was rapidly suffocating, turning red or blue or purple. In fact if anything he thought she looked calm if not a bit worse for wear. Her gaze was even and unwavering as she continued to stare him down. After what had to be several deb by that point she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Talking is only exhaling, right?¡± She said, the words becoming breathy and soft at the end. She finally, finally, took a short breath. ¡°I think I still need air to work the vocal cords.¡± She shrugged but pointedly did not take another breath.


    ¡°Okay. Are we sure this means you''re dead though?¡± He still sounded unconvinced.


    ¡°I was burned, then I got shot through. I can''t eat.¡± She began listing, ¡°dead witch,¡± ticking things off on her fingers. ¡°No breathing-¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay. I get it. Let''s just say that''s our running theory then.¡± He rolled onto his back, pillowing an arm behind his head. ¡°We need to talk to someone who knows more than we do.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Who are we supposed to ask?¡± She threw her hands up, exasperated. ¡°So far asking for help hasn''t worked out great for us.¡± She gave him a pointed look.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± He sighed. ¡°What we really need is some time to regroup¡­figure out what we know.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re after us?¡± Mezalie blurted


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I did probably burn up two temples and still got away.¡± She shrugged, ¡°They were trying to keep me there at the first temple. They were using a barrier-fen and they were saying something about a ¡®proper meal¡¯-¡± she shuddered, taking a deep breath. ¡°Whatever that means.¡±


    ¡°So maybe, it¡¯s possible, they¡¯re looking for us.¡± LoVelly connected the dots.


    ¡°Right.¡± They both looked at each other, glum, as they realized their options may be even more limited than they¡¯d thought. LoVelly released a long, tired, sigh before rolling himself to his knees, facing Mez.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about you but if we need to lay low for a while I¡¯d like to do it somewhere with a shower and a bed.¡± He said, pointing to Mez. ¡°You still have that money right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She patted her pocket, nodding.


    ¡°I say we find ourselves somewhere decent while we figure this out.¡± LoVelly clenched his fists, a soft white light starting to grow from them.


    ¡°Where are we going to go? We don¡¯t know where we are.¡± Mezalie asked. The white light was brighter now and she could see a ring of shifting light widening between his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to follow the ley lines and convergence points until I find something.¡± He explained. ¡°I¡¯m sure one of these things I can feel is at least near a city.¡± He closed his eyes, searching for something he couldn¡¯t see.


    The ring had widened to the size of a window and as it grew it obscured LoVelly from Mez¡¯s view, instead showing her a gray, shifting landscape. Images seemed to zoom by at random, too quickly for her to get a good look at. Occasionally she thought she recognized the shape of something as a building or a tree or something else but she wasn¡¯t sure. When the rushing landscape suddenly stopped on a soft, gray field, tall grasses swaying softly, Mezalie felt a pull of familiarity. The landscape looked so familiar to her, like somewhere she¡¯d been before, somewhere she wanted to be... She didn¡¯t notice that she¡¯d leaned in or that her hand had come up as if to touch until LoVelly¡¯s voice broke through her thoughts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that yet.¡± He warned. Opening his eyes, as if he could sense her proximity to the open portal. She caught herself, pulling her hand back. The image of the field in the ring disappeared, replaced again by shifting colors. LoVelly stretched his arms out wide to his sides, focussing on the fen in his hands creating the glow that was slowly creeping up his forearms now. Then he brought his hands in, towards himself and the rounded view shrunk down, to something the size of a book as he appeared to hold it in his hands. She could see now that his eyes were flicking back and forth rapidly, trying to follow the images as they flickered by.


    ¡°Aha!¡± She jumped, the noise startling her when she¡¯d been so focussed. She looked back and the little portal seemed to have stopped on a single image finally. Mez leaned forward to better see what it had stopped on. LoVelly had let a smile creep onto his face as he raised his hands again and seemingly stretched the portal back out just a bit.


    Inside it showed what looked like a darkened street but past that, buildings rose up and lights twinkled in the dim light of the moon. It didn¡¯t appear to be busy, nobody bustling around or wandering by. Their view was limited to what could be seen directly through the window. Just the empty walkway, the dim light and the buildings in the distance.


    Mez quickly scrambled over to LoVelly¡¯s side, trying to get a better look at the shimmering image of the other place.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± She asked in a hushed tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s along a ley line. It¡¯s far, where Sol isn¡¯t rising yet. Is that okay?¡± He asked, turning to face her.


    ¡°Anywhere away from here and all this sand is fine by me.¡± She confirmed as LoVelly unwound himself to stand. He maintained the soft glow up his arms as he stood and began trying to widen the portal, making soft motions with his hands as the edges of the view warped and turned. Mez watched him mold and shape until he stepped back, seemingly done.


    ¡°This is the best one I¡¯ve done so far.¡± He said, grin on his face.


    Mezalie hadn¡¯t actually gotten much of a look at the portal before. She¡¯d been somewhat preoccupied or otherwise indisposed the other times LoVelly had used it. She had a vague memory, from the monster, of LoVelly appearing on the beach through a shimmering portal like this. It was strange and confusing [as it wasn¡¯t her memory but she got enough to gather that the creature thought LoVelly was dangerous. She felt the creature recoil in its dark corner in her mind when she realized that it was wary of LoVelly. ]


    She needed him if she was going to deal with it.


    She might just need him in general.


    ¡°You coming?¡± LoVelly¡¯s voice broke her from her thoughts again. She realized then that she¡¯d been lost in her mind, the creature dragging her down. She pushed it away with a shake of her head. The window-portal was large enough now to step through, even for her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She got to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get outta here.¡± She stepped up beside him and when she looked at him he nodded, indicating for her to go ahead. She wasted no time in stepping right up to and through the portal, going first this time, LoVelly on her heels and she prayed to any gods that would listen that they could be granted some time to rest.

 Chapter Nine (get a room)

    There was a moment of horrendous vertigo as she stepped through the portal, like spinning around and around again. It thankfully lasted only a moment before her feet were planted firmly on the cobbled street. She placed both hands on her knees, bending over them as she took a deep breath out of habit, letting the motion sickness pass. She felt LoVelly¡¯s hand on her shoulder blade as he offered comfort. By the time she righted herself the portal behind them was gone.


    The street they¡¯d seen through the portal looked much the same in person, still and dimly lit and quiet. It ran down a softly sloping hill. The street itself was paved smooth in two narrow, mirrored, paths with grooves for a netiline street car to roll past on either one.The buildings looked residential with curtained windows and colorful faces, mostly duplexes and quadruplexes. Further down there looked to be a corner shop occupying a lower unit with bright, colorful signage in the window, lit from the top by unseen lights. Stationed right out in front of it was a rail stop.


    Mezalie looked around, taking in the architecture, the plants growing in baskets and beds dotted down the street and hanging from hooks, and the view of the city. She looked up to the skies to see Dhelarly visible here, brightening the skies with it''s pale light; it and its glowing rings took up a large chunk of the visible sky making it as bright as it got without Sol. They were somewhere where the light of Sol had yet to reach but the heat had already begun to thaw the chill enough for some [spring] flora to sprout. As she looked down at the city that sprawled down, out and away from them, lights twinkled in windows and out front of shops. She couldn¡¯t smell the ocean on the breeze anymore.


    A door closed somewhere behind them and she turned toward the sound, seeing a man leaving one of the buildings. He gave them a quick glance but no more than that as he made his way in the other direction. It sparked Mezalie into motion as she started towards the side of the street out of the center lane, LoVelly hot on her heels. She really didn¡¯t want to stand out as they¡¯d already discussed the possibility of being targets and their luck wasn¡¯t good enough to be testing like that.


    The sidewalk led down the hill and toward the quiet city laid before them. It seemed to be rather early and they had the walkway to themselves as LoVelly fell into step beside her.


    ¡°How¡¯d you land on that spot precisely?¡± She asked, looking back over her shoulder at the spot they stumbled onto the street. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything spectacular about it, no markers of any importance. She turned back in time to see LoVelly shrug as he tipped his head back and forth, looking for the words.


    ¡°I can feel a lot of¡­of convergence energy here.¡± He said it slowly, like he wasn¡¯t sure what the next word would be until it was coming out of his mouth. The word convergence echoed in Mezalie¡¯s mind, a feeling of unease rising up with it as she thought of the woman with piercing eyes and a predatory smile.


    ¡°I had a vision, back in the ruins,¡± she whispered in a rush, ¡°Before I was sick, I saw this woman with red hair and she said something about convergence. She asked if I could feel it?.¡± LoVelly¡¯s eyes widened as she spoke.


    ¡°Me too! I had a vision right before I dropped us in the water on the beach and I saw someone¡­I knew them but I can¡¯t remember now. They said the same thing, about feeling the convergence.¡± The excitement could be heard in his voice.


    ¡°That''s got to be something then.¡± She reasoned. ¡°Was your person a woman with red hair?¡±


    ¡°No, but I think I¡¯ve had a vision of the woman with the red hair. It¡¯s jumbled up in my brain somewhere but I think I remember her.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay. That¡¯s something to start with at least.¡± Mez turned the information over in her mind. It was hard to know what visions and memories were her own and what were shared things from LoVelly through their strange, open, bond. She had some tests she wanted to run, when they got the chance.


    The hill had become steeper as they went down it. The buildings began to rise up taller, with housing blocks stacked higher here, sometimes five or more blocks up. Most of the ground blocks were shops as they neared the heart of the neighborhood. They passed a grocery store where two people were dragging out signs and propping up an awning in front. It had a charming little banner draped across it with a mien curled around the store''s name, its long tail draped over the last few letters.


    ¡°Where should we start?¡± LoVelly asked, finishing with a yawn. Mez looked at him as they passed beneath a street lamp and she saw the dark circles forming beneath his eyes, how exhausted he was beginning to look. While it was still unclear if she could actually sleep or not, LoVelly certainly needed to.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start by finding a room.¡± She decided. LoVelly peered around at the buildings they passed.


    ¡°Okay... That sounds nice.¡± She could swear that he visibly deflated with the words, his eyes drooping even further.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got enough for a nente somewhere until we can figure something else out.¡± Mez assured him. She figured she only needed to budget food for one of them anyway so they had a couple dorva left over. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find some kind of- Oh!¡± She interrupted herself and ran ahead of him to the end of the street, stopping at the corner. She looked to the street sign and the cross-street they¡¯d come up on, the name sparking familiarity in her mind. She looked at the skyline and realized she saw a familiar outline there too. When LoVelly caught up to her she turned to him, her eyes wide.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re in Temal,¡± she announced. ¡°This looks familiar because I¡¯ve been here before. It¡¯s been solcen because we never come this far inland but-¡± she spun around again, the wonder evident on her face. It was the happiest LoVelly had actually seen her.


    ¡°This is¡­was where I wanted to go in the first place¡­¡± She trailed off, excitement suddenly dying on her tongue. She stilled where she was, hands coming to rest at her sides limply as she stared up at the sign and then out past it at the gigantic moon rings radiating soft light back down on them. She took a deep breath in and released it on a huff. She didn¡¯t turn to him when he caught up to her, just stared up at the sign post, a somewhat vacant stare. ¡°I was thinking about leaving¡­¡± She said softly. ¡°I wanted¡­I was thinking about getting off the TVE and making my way here.¡± Her voice shook near the end, emotion creeping into her voice making it thick. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen like this though.¡± She whispered as she dragged her gaze from the sign to LoVelly and back.


    ¡°None of this was-It shouldn¡¯t be-¡± She stumbled and tried to find the words but nothing that came to her mind correctly expressed the way she felt. There weren¡¯t words big enough to carry her grief so she continued to hold it for now.


    The desire to scream- scream until everything felt better- was so sweet that LoVelly felt it well up in him as well. LoVelly saw the tears gathering in Mezalie¡¯s eyes as much as he felt them in his own eyes. The shine in her eyes in the moonlight was enough to give her away though. He could feel the pain threatening to spill over at any moment but this wasn¡¯t the place nor the time and they both felt it when Mezalie crammed it back into a corner of her mind before it could break her down. Mez reached up and dragged the back of one hand across her face and took a deep breath. She wasn¡¯t going to fall apart here, not where anyone could see her.


    ¡°We should follow this street down.¡± She said instead as she stepped away from him. She purposely kept her gaze focussed on the street as she walked. Down they went, until the ground leveled out and the road no longer sloped ahead of them.


    More than once LoVelly found himself reaching for Mez¡¯s hand with the want to understand, maybe even to soothe. However when he reached out she pulled away, determined to be left to herself.


    She saw the way his steps dragged, lagging behind her own. She glanced at him while he was briefly distracted by a banner they passed, saw the way his eyes looked but didn¡¯t see, glazed over. She thought that he looked as tired as she felt and she feared that the weight of her burden might crush him if she wasn¡¯t careful. When he reached out to take her hand and risked opening that onslaught of emotion, she pulled away.


    She kept walking, occupying her mind with trying to find familiarity in her surroundings. She looked to the cross street they¡¯d come to and turned the corner to follow it, instinct telling her where to go. She wasn¡¯t wandering aimlessly, exactly, but she also wasn¡¯t quite sure where she was going yet. She was looking for something, somewhere, a vague memory in her past of streets she walked as a child during a Sol festival. She was taking in the landmarks and anything she might recognize to jog her memory. The streets themselves looked different when they weren¡¯t covered in festive decor, colorful streamers and packed full of people.


    She saw the twin towers of a grand temple she remembered visiting, once upon a time, rising high into the skyline across the city. Despite the distance she felt her stomach knot itself up in dread. She noted its relative placement and was determined to stay as far away from that side of the city as they could. She noted several building numbers as they passed shop fronts, suddenly wondering if LoVelly could read numbers even if he couldn¡¯t do words- another test she''d like to try, but it could wait for now.


    More people were beginning to emerge from their homes for the driev and she allowed LoVelly to close some of the distance between them so that she wouldn¡¯t lose him. A light from behind them and a quiet whirring with a soft, high pitched chime gave warning that a netiline streetcar was making its way down the hill behind them. Ahead a group of people clustered around a stop, waiting to be picked up and start their driev.


    LoVelly was in such a daze that he nearly kept walking when she decided to stop and wait with the others. They¡¯d done enough walking lately that a short ride sounded nice. Thankfully Mez caught his attention with a tug on the shoulder before he wandered too far. It sent the tiniest zing between them just at the proximity. He blinked several times trying to clear his head of the exhaustion and the tingling that sometimes came with touch between them.


    ¡°We getting on the train?¡± LoVelly asked around another yawn and stretched his arms above his head. He eyed the crowd around them lazily as everyone pressed in, the street car slowing to a stop before them. There was a moment of stillness as the car sat in its dock before the whirring quieted and the car¡¯s magnetic thrusters disengaged and it lowered into its cradle. The doors on either end of the car opened with barely a hiss and people quickly poured into the car, finding themselves a seat or a place to stand.


    They were some of the last to board and found only standing room left. At first LoVelly did his best to create space between them but it quickly became apparent that that wasn¡¯t going to be sustainable as people shuffled in closer around them. Mezalie relented and pressed up to LoVelly, back to back, preparing for whatever strange thing would happen this time.


    It was an immediate torrent of thoughts scattered like a flock of startled [weather birds] across her mind. She didn¡¯t try to grab hold of or decipher any of it though, letting it flow through her instead. Her focus was on somehow holding her own feelings safely and securely behind a neat little wall constructed in her mind. The effort of doing both things nearly made her knees buckle but LoVelly was a sturdy weight against her back to hold her up.


    She didn¡¯t know if he could tell what she was doing or not, neither one about to ask in the crowded car, but it felt like it was working, she hoped. She could feel LoVelly¡¯s exhaustion bleed into her followed closely by his concern- for what exactly she wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint, too busy with her own emotions for the fine details.


    She felt the creature twist and writhe away from LoVelly¡¯s presence, a shrill noise emanating somewhere deep in her psyche. Her head ached with the sound of it and she felt a squirming discomfort in her body and she lurched to the side as the car took a gentle bend. She bumped into the person next to her before she caught herself on a handrail across the ceiling of the car. She apologized, sheepishly blaming motion sickness for the intrusion. The person waved her off, seeming half asleep still and she was thankful for it.


    She peeked over the few people between her and the window and saw the neighborhood roll by outside. They passed another street car headed in the opposite direction. It had a mural painted along the length of the car with bright, blooming flora painted in glowing pigments, visible even during the darkest luel. She hadn''t paid attention to their own car and wondered if it displayed similar artwork.


    A bell chimed once and everyone swayed in sync as the car slowed and came to a stop. Just like before there was a moment of pause as the sensors aligned the car with its cradle and then it gently set down before another chime and the hiss of the doors signaled it was safe to exit. LoVely moved to follow after the crowd that was exiting the car when Mez caught him by the sleeve.


    ¡°Nope. Not this one,¡± she said with a shake of her head when he turned back, a look of confusion on his face. He shuffled back in next to her before about half as many people filled into the car again, leaving some breathing room this time. Mez shuffled so that she could press her back against the side wall, welcoming the coolness of the surface. LoVelly leaned over to peer out the window as the car picked up and once again everyone swayed together as it set off down its tracks.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The scenery began to change the deeper they went into the city. The ground level of most buildings became shops and businesses with many buildings reaching higher and higher, double the size of the ones they¡¯d seen on the outskirts. They were also denser the further along the car went. At one point the track climbed up and over an open square where they could see a market setting up for the driev, people setting up stalls or hauling goods in. Here Mez caught the sight of several vacancy signs scattered about past the market.


    Here was as good as anywhere she suspected and she didn¡¯t want to risk going much further into the city lest it take the nearer to the temple. There really was no way of telling how far things went and LoVelly was right, they needed a solid plan first.


    The track descended back to ground level and when it came to a stop Mez tugged on LoVelly¡¯s sleeve to let him know they were actually disembarking this time. He followed behind her as she led them through the crowd that exited with them. When she turned back to check on him though she saw that he¡¯d gotten separated and was looking around with something akin to panic on his face. She weaved through the crowd back to him and quickly took his hand to pull him along instead. They both felt the zap run through them like the tingling of a dead limb waking.


    ¡°Thank the gods. I swear I blinked and you were gone,¡± he breathed. He looked a little bit more alert now, the fear having jumpstarted his heart.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. I promise.¡± She assured him as they pulled away from the crowd and down the way she¡¯d seen the signs. They finally found themselves in front of a rather tall, thin, building. The front face had a set of short steps up to the front door. On the edges of the steps were numerous containers of small sprouting plants and flowers. The fragrant smell of herbs wafted up to them as they followed the narrow path through the planters and up the steps. The sign in the front window said ¡®rooms available¡¯ and she hoped against hope that they had decent hot water.


    She turned the handle and a bell chimed pleasantly overhead as she pulled the door open to let themselves in. The lobby was plain in color but only in that. While the backdrop was plain white walls and old, tan carpet, just like outside on the steps there were planters of every size and shape on any surface on which they could rest. Bookcases were home to creeping vines and heavy, drooping flowers instead of any books. What Mez assumed to be the front counter was only distinguishable by the clear break in foliage where the top of a dark head of hair could just barely be seen behind the counter. As the door closed behind LoVelly and gave another quick jingle the head popped up and an elderly man rose up to greet them from his place behind the counter.


    ¡°Welcome in!¡± He raised one hand to wave them over. ¡°Gonvenen Drieva.¡± Mezalie recognized the accent and the dialect as Lelistik and was thankful she¡¯d just been in Syskel where that was spoken in the ports. LoVelly, however, surprised her by not missing a beat.


    ¡°Doren rom drieva skensca.¡± He replied to the old man who smiled at him, nodding.


    ¡°A fine drievett it is.¡± The man responded in Yoshkish, a little chuckle in his voice. LoVelly¡¯s accent wasn¡¯t bad but it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t his native tongue.


    ¡°You have an amazing garden. It smells really great in here.¡± LoVelly took a deep inhale and it did smell quite nice. It smelled like fresh herbs and a little bit of dampness from the humidity but it made the old, bland building smell bright and clean.


    ¡°Well thank you. I start all the seeds myself and all the food we offer is seasoned fresh from the right here. I find that food grown yourself just tastes better. But you didn¡¯t come in here to talk about my garden.¡± The old man laughed as he pulled a book from below the counter and laid it out in the blank space on the counter. ¡°Will you be needing one room or two?¡± He laid a pen out on the page as well. Mez was the one that approached and took up the pen, scribbling in the requested information in the guest log.


    ¡°Just one is fine.¡± She put on a pleasant smile as she slid the book back across the counter to the man.


    ¡°Arri drah-dorva eb nente.¡± He told her and she was relieved, 3 dorva per nente was rather affordable, especially on their budget.


    ¡°Hin hin. Tari bi ov.¡± She thanked the man and dug into her pocket for the coins and handed over enough for two nente. If they stayed longer than that she could come down and pay again but Mezalie had a feeling they¡¯d need to keep moving. The man took the coins and handed her a ring with two keys on it and explained that one was for the room and one was for the door around back where the stairs were that led to the upper floors. He told them they served breakfast and dinner in the common room through a door at the back that neither of them had even realized was there until the man pointed it out. Laundry was available on the bottom floor around the back.


    They both thanked the man again and followed his directions out the door and around the back of the building. Mez used the key to let them up into the stairwell and they climbed up to the third floor and finally arrived at their door. She wasted no time in unlocking the door and throwing it open to shuffle inside.


    It was a small room, as expected. There was one bed, a simple desk and an empty wardrobe with one door propped open. Above the desk was a rather large window with a nook that looked like it might be a comfy spot to sit with a cushion or two. An old faded rug covered most of the bare tiled floor beneath it.


    LoVelly made straight for the bed and fell face first into it with an ¡®oomph¡¯, his legs still sticking off the end, boots on. He didn¡¯t move for several tes, just turned his head to the side to breathe and laid there, eyes closed. Mezalie walked over to the desk and unlaced her boots, shucking them off and reveling in the feeling of being able to sit down and relax for even a moment.


    Exhaustion hit her all at once like a street car. One moment she was leaning back in the chair just enjoying stretching her aching feet out and the next moment she was blinking her eyes open, straightening up before she toppled out of the chair. She was surprised because she¡¯d been fairly convinced she couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. Every time since The Incident, as she was calling it in her head, she¡¯d either passed out unwillingly or there was the farmhouse catastrophe. But now she felt her limbs weighing her down and her body yearning for rest.


    LoVelly still hadn¡¯t moved from where he¡¯d fallen and as she dragged her body from the desk across the tiny room she heard the tiniest snore. As she dropped herself heavily onto the side of the bed she reached over to shake him.


    ¡°LoVelly¡­take off your shoes.¡± She mumbled at him. He groaned long and whiney but when she shook him again he rolled over onto his back and sighed.


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± He mumbled back at her. His eyes were barely open as he sat up and scooted down to clumsily untie the laces and kick his boots off at the foot of the bed. While he was fumbling with that Mez had managed to fight her way under the covers laid out. When LoVelly made his way back up and pulled the covers back to get in neither one of them thought twice about scooting in close and tucking themselves together, even though there was room this time. The closeness was good like this, the buzz soft and comforting between them instead of an intense electric sparking. She wished they had better control over it but that thought was quickly lost as her mind descended into softness.


    She wasn¡¯t quite asleep, too aware of her surroundings, of LoVelly¡¯s breath against her collarbone, of her hair sticking to her face. She wasn¡¯t quite awake either with cloudy dreamlike thoughts intruding into her reality. Wisps of thoughts drifting through the room around her. She thought she probably could move her body, if she wanted to, but she also couldn¡¯t imagine a reason to do that when she was so comfortable and warm.


    There was a knock on the door and she didn''t remember getting up but her hand turned the knob and there stood Vell. Mezalie was so happy she felt the tears well up instantly in her eyes. She reached out to pull the other woman into a hug and for a moment she felt alright. When she inhaled to take a deep breath she smelled smoke and it nearly choked her. She quickly pulled back to find her friend alighted in dark, consuming flames like they were on the beach and she shrieked, pushing away.


    The dark fire flared and Vell was gone, engulfed and from the pyre burst the woman from her vision. Her eyes were so bright they nearly seemed to glow. Her gaze was so intense that Mezalie forgot to run, or to move at all, mesmerized by the desperation that those eyes held.


    For what?


    What was it about this woman that was so unsettling?


    Just as she thought she was about to have a coherent thought she woke with a jerk and a gasp. She was still in bed in their tiny rented room with LoVelly curled up next to her, again with the tiniest snore. Thankfully she hadn¡¯t woken him and he simply rolled over when she carefully detangled herself and crawled to the edge of the bed and sat, her feet flat on the floor, hands at her sides and she stared out the window. She wasn¡¯t looking at anything in particular, just staring.


    What was she going to do now? What could she do? There wasn¡¯t anyone she could turn to. She didn¡¯t know who to trust.


    She remembered telling LoVelly not to worry about those things, that they had time to figure it out. That felt like a gigantic lie now.


    She felt a tickle across the back of her mind that filled her with dread as the thing crawled out of whatever dark hiding spot it lived in in her mind.


    Eat.


    The command came. She sat, resolute, at the edge of the bed.


    No. She refused, balling her fists up where they rested at her sides. No.


    Eat.


    It came again, forceful and angry. She felt her resolve slip in the face of fear but she remained firm.


    No. She told it again. She would not let it slaughter for the sake of its unending hunger. If I can¡¯t eat then neither will you.


    She felt the roiling anger, hissing and bubbling within her. She felt it threaten to spill over and a sickening greasy feeling came over her. She bolted to her feet wrapping her arms around herself trying in some way to contain it, to stop the creature from emerging. LoVelly rolled toward her, sleepily blinking his eyes at her. He''d barely been asleep for a few dib and she felt terrible to have woken him.


    ¡°Mez¡­?¡± He squinted up at her, back-lit by street lamps through the window.


    ¡°It''s fine,¡± she said quickly. ¡°I''m just going to the bathroom. I''ll be back.¡± She didn''t leave him time to question her as she headed for the door and flipped the lock. She thought she heard him mumble something else but she was already in the hall and closing the door.


    The bathroom was at the end of the hall, shared by occupants on the floor but thankfully the door sat ajar and the room vacant. The overhead lamps were vintage and charming but still modern enough to be fenoperable. She fed her fen down to her hands and placed her fingertips to the switch pad to start them and waited-


    And waited.


    But the lights remained dark.


    Puzzled, she removed her hand and tried the other and still, nothing happened. She jabbed at the pad several times just for good measure before giving up. She resigned herself and flipped the manual switch for the lights and the hum of the generator battery hummed to life. She would have preferred the silence but either the switch was broken or she was.


    She had fen. It wasn¡¯t the same anymore but if anything it was more powerful than she¡¯d ever been. She barely remembered anything from the adrenaline fueled states she¡¯d been in but she had no doubt that she¡¯d unleashed torrents of hot, burning fen flames in those temples. She remembered hearing the crackle and pop of tevedev dust as it activated under the heat and pressure.


    The lights gradually brightened and she closed the door behind her, flipping the lock. Her breathing was still too fast, too shallow and she took deep gasping breaths, trying to calm the fear. She crossed to the sink and ran the water cold, using her hands to splash the water on her face over and over. She stopped, one hand resting on the tap handle and one on the rim of the bowl and forced herself to look in the mirror.


    She couldn''t actually remember the last time she''d seen her own face. It was at least a lifetime ago and she wasn¡¯t sure she recognized the woman looking back at her. Her skin looked dry and pale, her eyes were bloodshot around the edges and her lips were chapped and cracking. The woman in the mirror had seen more than she could have ever imagined just several driev ago.


    She was almost disappointed, in a way. It felt like for everything she''d endured there should be some kind of big physical change she could see. Something that made everything feel real, like they''d happened to her and not somebody else. Instead there was just a vaguely miserable looking face, that she barely recognized, who looked a bit worse for wear staring back at her.


    She turned the water off and stepped back from the sink, looking away from the mirror. There was a tub in the room with a standing shower and considering the last driev she¡¯d had she decided the shower sounded great. It might help her relax, she hoped, as she turned the handle for hot water. She needed to comb through her hair at some point, the curls were tangled and limp where they hung down to her shoulders. She tried to run her fingers through the ends to work out some of the tangles there while the water heated.


    She kicked her dirty clothes into a pile in the corner, determined to wash them later. She thought she could probably ask the man who ran the place if he had anything they could wear while they washed theirs. Better yet would be to find something better fitted but they were limited on funds at the moment. There was a cabinet in the corner of the room and inside she found several well worn but soft, fluffy blue towels. She took one and set it out next to the foot of the tub.


    When she stepped into the tub and felt the hot water run over her back and then her head as she moved under the spray she audibly sighed. She let the water run over her, closing her eyes and letting the heat soothe the aches and wash away the grime she felt like a layer on her skin. Like so many Solahrans before her she thrived best in the heat, something that compelled them into traveling the world in chase of their star to begin with. She knew she could stand there until the water ran cold if she let herself but she reached up for the soap in the little basket hanging from the shower head and began scrubbing.


    She still didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever feel clean again but it was better than nothing, she thought, as she got to work lathering the soap into her hair. The floral smell hit her with a wave of nostalgia. The soap had chunks of greft comb and niesium flowers embedded in it and it soothed her senses like a balm. She¡¯d always loved making soaps with Vell and the others when they would harvest and dry the seasonal flowers and other collected items from their travels. Most of their soaps were floral or sharp and tangy but some of them had things like soothing greft comb jelly or scrubby porfen meal in them when it was available.


    She rinsed the soap from her skin, watching the suds gather and burble as they were swept down the drain. Once the water was off she wrapped herself in the minor comfort that was a soft towel after a hot shower. She was patting herself down when she thought she heard a light tapping. She paused, listening and at first she heard nothing, just the hum of the lights and then just as she began to try toweling off her hair, there it was again. This time when she paused she heard the faint ¡®mep¡¯ from outside the door and the soft bapping of a tiny paw trying to reach beneath the door.


    She unlocked the door and opened it to find a little black and white spotted mien who immediately let themselves right in. Mez, a bit puzzled, closed the door after them so as not to let all of the heat escape so soon. She watched with curiosity as the little creature marched up to the side of the tub, paused to look back at her and let out what sounded like the brattiest noise she thought a mien was capable of before hopping up and into the tub. All she could see was its thick, fluffy black tail bopping up over the rim.


    Mez continued about her business and enjoyed the steamy room and the heat. There was a little basket on the counter that she''d ignored earlier in favor of her meltdown. She was overjoyed to find a couple of small combs and elastics there. She picked a wide toothed comb, washing it in the sink, and set to work on detangling her mop. She didn''t know how long she sat combing, listening to the mien lapping at the water in the bottom of the tub and the hum of the lights. By the time she was finally done the furry little creature had climbed out of the tub and sat patiently at the door, staring at her with its big, dark eyes and a pathetic sounding, ¡°mep.¡±


    ¡°Just a tes, you demanding little monster,¡± she said, looking it in its big eyes. She ran her fingers experimentally through her hair again and this time they made it through with minimal tangling and she called it good. She pulled her clothes back on, somewhat self conscious with the mien staring her down from the door. It felt silly but she swore she could feel its eyes boring holes in her as she moved about the room.


    Finally she turned to open the door, releasing the very sassy furball who trotted ahead of her with a huff. The steam that was left in the room rolled out behind her as well. She nearly forgot to flip the light switch and had to double back to get it.


    When she arrived back at their room she found it was still unlocked and LoVelly was sound asleep in the bed, curled onto his side and snoring softly and she couldn¡¯t help but liken him to her little visitor. She was both relieved that she hadn¡¯t woken him when she returned and concerned that he could sleep so soundly with the door unlocked but, LoVelly was strange.


    She knew she wouldn¡¯t be sleeping, or whatever it was she did now, anytime soon. She could feel a prickling in her veins, an itch like a crawling sensation, beginning and she knew she needed to get out of the room. She was an anxious mess still and she desperately wanted to calm herself down, maybe a drink? Maybe not, could she even drink? She didn¡¯t know what counted as food and would be violently rejected later and what didn¡¯t. If she understood what the thing said she didn¡¯t need food. She didn¡¯t need to breathe, she was doing it out of habit. There were so many things swimming in her mind that she wasn¡¯t sure what to do with or how to organize.


    For now, she slipped her stolen boots back on and promised herself she wouldn¡¯t go far. Maybe she¡¯d just go down and ask about borrowing some clothes to launder theirs. Maybe she¡¯d run into her little mien friend again and poke around the inn and the shops around it. Either way she¡¯d let LoVelly sleep for now, he deserved it.


    She crossed over to the little desk and pulled out a drawer and then another one, looking for a pen and paper and luckily she found some on her third and final try. She jotted down a quick note explaining that she¡¯d be nearby in case he woke while she was gone. She left it on the desk and headed out the door again, turning the lock on the inside handle this time before she closed it.


    She felt the creeping darkness across the back of her mind again, not pushing- just lingering like it wanted her to know it was there. She felt what was scarily becoming a normal amount of dread rise up in her throat before she squashed it back down.


    She could control this.


    She just had to try a little harder.

 Chapter Ten (hunger strike)

    Down on the street things were picking up with people dotted all along the sidewalks going about their business for the driev. Mez did her best to duck her head as she went around the building to the front door. The bell chimed once, then twice as the door opened and then closed behind her. This time however there was no head of dark hair behind the counter. She was met only by the plants and the slight dampness of the room. She remembered the door to the kitchen and she wove between tendrils of plants and reaching vines to the back of the room.


    The door swung open directly into the kitchen, it seemed. The floor was tiled and it smelled of fragrant herbs. There was a soft sizzling from the corner of the room and there at the stove was the man she''d come to see, stirring something that she could smell from where she stood. It hissed in the pan as he pushed it around. He looked up when she opened the door, smiling at her and beckoning her over.


    ¡°Ah, I see you''ve found the bath.¡± He patted his own head, referring to Mez¡¯s still-damp hair.


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± She took a deep whiff of whatever was in the pan. ¡°That smells amazing.¡± She added.


    ¡°Lunch,¡± he said simply. ¡°It¡¯ll be ready soon. You two should come down.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± she lied. Pretending to eat with an audience sounded awful, especially when the food smelled so good it turned her stomach. ¡°I was hoping to run our clothes through the wash if possible. Is there any chance you have anything temporary we could wear?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh yes, of course.¡± The man placed the large wooden spoon down on the stove and reached to lower the heat. He turned to the counter and lifted a large lid over to cover the pan, dampening the sound of sizzling and popping inside. ¡°Come come.¡± The old man wasted no time in leading her back out of the kitchen and into the lobby. He wove between the plants with expert ease, leaving Mezalie in his wake trying to keep pace and not damage any leaves. She followed him out the front door and back around the building but instead of up the stairs he rounded the corner of the little building and to a door on the ground level. He produced a set of keys from his pocket..


    The door opened with a bit of a scrape and the smell of disuse and dust hit them like a wall as the air rushed past. There were boxes stacked high in the corner with little markings on them denoting what might be in them. There were no doubt [dustbugs] The man moved one to the side before opening the one beneath it and looking at her.


    ¡°Use whatever you like. Most of this was left behind in a room at some point. Don¡¯t have much use for any of it so if it fits you can keep it.¡± He shoved the box between them.


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind, thank you.¡± She didn¡¯t mean to but the easy generosity caused tears to well up in her eyes. She tried to blink them back but one managed to escape and she quickly reached up to wipe it away. ¡°K¡¯div k¡¯div.¡± She quickly apologized and put on a smile. The older man looked at her with a seriousness on his face she hadn¡¯t seen from him up to this point.


    ¡°You were pretty rough looking when you came in, no bags no nothing. I had to assume you fled during the upheaval out loren.¡± This caught her attention. It was the first time she¡¯d really spoken to anyone besides LoVelly and it hadn¡¯t even occurred to her that other people might have heard things.


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± she asked. ¡°Have you met others?¡± It came out in a rush, a tiny spark of hope igniting for just a moment. What if others managed to get away from the TVE? What if they made their way into cities like Temal? The man shook his head though and the spark dimmed.


    ¡°Naw, you¡¯re the first I¡¯ve met but I¡¯ve heard from others around town about it. I read in the papers that there was some kind of government upheaval. A coup or something¡­¡± He waved his hand between them. ¡°K¡¯div k¡¯div. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to talk about it. If you want, I¡¯ve got a paper in the office you can look over but for now I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± He kindly excused himself and shuffled past her, closing the door behind him on his way out.


    Mez dropped down to reach in and sift through the clothes that were neatly packed away. The man wasn¡¯t wrong, they were refugees from the loren coast, but not from political upheaval. Whatever had been done to her and her Pod was something much more sinister than that. Possibly, the thought came to her, it was Vasdaat Fensa; fen that defied the bounds of life as they knew it and whose consequences could be¡­unpredictable. She couldn¡¯t imagine what would drive people to dabble in those practices again and what they thought they stood to gain.


    She knew- no everyone knew- what the use of vaasdat fensa had done. There had been soltzets upon soltzets of drought, of burning hail that burned what was left to the ground. Nothing grew, livestock died and people starved long after the wars were over.


    She hadn¡¯t told LoVelly of her suspicion yet, but she would. She had meant it when she said she was going to trust him.


    She pulled something bright and colorful from the stack but was disappointed when the dress, it turned out to be, was definitely too small for her. She found a thick, well-worn longsleeved darven blouse near the bottom of the stack that would fit though. It was soft enough that she didn¡¯t mind that it was a parchment colored beige, it laced in the front so she could adjust the fit but most of all it would be warm. She was thrilled to find a pair of faded overalls with wide billowy legs in the next stack she dug through. They were a loose fit and long enough that they looked promising.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what kinds of things LoVelly would want. She didn¡¯t really know much about him she realized not for the first time, despite having been glued to each other for several driev. She knew that he knew a lot about her, somehow, but he didn¡¯t seem to know much about himself. But then he surprised them both with things like speaking semi-fluent Lelistik and that he couldn¡¯t read. She froze mid-motion.


    LoVelly couldn¡¯t read.


    She¡¯d left him a note and disappeared with no other indication if she was coming back or not. She realized her mistake and quickly tore through the rest for some casual items that looked like they¡¯d fit LoVelly. She grabbed a long sleeved shirt that seemed like it would be warm and two pairs of linen type pants, one drawstring and one that buttoned, unsure which would fit better. She gathered up all the clothes she¡¯d picked and worked bundling them all up as best she could to carry them. She tapped the door closed with her foot and checked that it locked behind her before she started up to the second floor.


    The door to their room was closed and when she tried the handle it was still locked as well. She knocked a few times, a little too frantically at first before she calmed herself and knocked just twice more and waited. She was overjoyed when she heard movement within the room and finally, finally LoVelly pulled open the door looking rather sleep rumpled.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he yawned, stepping back to let her in. ¡°What¡¯cha got?¡± he asked as she went to the bed and dumped her armful onto it. He followed her over with shuffled steps and rubbed at his eyes. He¡¯d still been asleep it looked like and she was so relieved.


    ¡°Clothes!¡± She announced, covering her nerves with excitement. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash what we have but the innkeep said we could keep these if we want them.¡± She explained, holding up a green pair of pants she¡¯d brought for him. LoVelly looked at them sleepily before finally reaching out to take them, holding them up to his hips and seeming satisfied with the potential fit.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± He yawned once more before shaking himself out quickly. ¡°Sorry, the nap really got me. I still feel groggy.¡±


    ¡°No, no it¡¯s okay. I feel bad I woke you, actually. I panicked because I¡¯d left you a note but you can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°-can¡¯t read.¡± They said in unison, LoVelly nodding along, seeing where she was going.


    ¡°Yeah. And I was worried.¡± She finished. ¡°I thought you might have thought I¡¯d taken off or something.¡± She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the blouse over to herself. She made quick work of slipping the dirty shirt off and pulling the soft, clean fabric over her head. It smelled a bit old, dusty maybe, but it was already infinitely better, the softness of the fiber oh so welcome against her skin. She heard the telltale rustling of fabric that LoVelly was doing the same; a soft sound as something was dropped on the bed, the sound of kicking pants off one¡¯s feet.


    ¡°And here I was, just sleeping the whole time.¡± He laughed behind her. She pulled the overalls up over her hips, wiggling her feet through the elastic bands at the ankles.


    ¡°Exactly. I worried for nothing!¡± She laid back, across the bed, and her head came down next to LoVelly¡¯s thigh- newly covered in green linen. She turned to look up at his face. ¡°There¡¯s a washroom down at the end of the hall. You may have to pay respects to the mien who clearly owns it though.¡±


    ¡°Despite nothing to back it up, I feel confident in saying I¡¯ve never met a mien who didn¡¯t like me.¡± LoVelly mirrored Mez and laid back across the bed, tucking one arm under his head, elbow coming to rest on her thigh. ¡°Are you feeling better? It doesn¡¯t seem like you got any sleep.¡± His weight against her side was comforting and the only strange extra feelings she got was that of contentedness and a soothing calm. She felt¡­okay, in the moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s hungry.¡± She told him instead. ¡°I¡¯ve been refusing so far but I can feel it, waiting.¡± She stared up at the ceiling, at the boards that spanned across it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do,¡± she admitted. They were silent for a tes, both thinking about the dilemma before Mez blurted, ¡°Oh. The old man that runs this place told me something. He thought we were refugees from the loren side of the country. He said there was some political thing going on- a coup or something.¡± She held one hand up to illustrate her conversation, flipping or waving it this way and that as she spoke. ¡°He said it¡¯s in the papers.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t that where you said it happened? You think it''s connected?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± she nodded. ¡°It''s got to be. I don''t know what they''re doing but it''s bad. I think they''re using Vasdaat Fensa.¡± As soon as the words left her mouth she felt LoVelly tense at her side. He pushed himself up onto his elbows.


    ¡°Vasdaat¡­fensa¡­¡± LoVelly tried, something in the words triggering an echo in his mind. ¡°That sounds really familiar. I know about that.¡± He said, squeezing his eyes closed and trying to recall.


    ¡°You should. Everyone should!¡± She swung her arms up in the air, grasping at nothing. ¡°Everyone likes to forget that the Great Wars were not that long ago. The world is still recovering. I know, I''ve seen a lot of it.¡± She brought her hands down to rest on her chest, lacing her fingers together tightly. ¡°Our Anana''s taught us about the world early after the second war¡­they told us how bad it was. When you pull something through the Faul the cost of that kind of fen¡­It''s enormous. They sucked all the life out of the planet to bring a monster through and I''m terrified they''re trying to do it again. I''m terrified they''ve done it.¡± Mez blinked away the blurriness in her vision and let the tears slip away silently. She didn''t look at LoVelly or anything really, she just breathed deeply and tried to relax the death grip she had her hands in. She felt the bed dip as LoVelly got up and turned around and came to lay shoulder to shoulder with her. He also kept his gaze firmly on the ceiling.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°You think that''s what that thing is?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it, you should be able to tell me. But it lives in my head and I''m telling you that it''s not right, whatever it is. The way it thinks, the way it feels when it¡¯s rifling through my mind¡­ It¡¯s horrible. But I''ve thought about it and what else could they have been trying to do?¡±


    ¡°You said something about a political problem, what about that?¡±


    ¡°Even then, everyone likes Solahrans. We bring festivals and trade seasonal goods and stuff. Everyone loves that. I just can''t see why anyone would murder a whole pod.¡±


    ¡°Aren''t most Solahrans sola fentra?¡± He asked, raising a hand in the air, pointer finger out.


    ¡°Mostly, yes.¡± She nodded. He raised his other hand up and brought his pointer fingers together.


    ¡°Someone I talked to when I was being held said they were specifically targeting sola fentra.¡± He let his hands fall and turned to look at Mez.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said after a moment. ¡°That¡­Okay. I guess that could make sense then. If they¡¯re after fire then a Pod does make sense but why fire?¡± She turned to look at him but all he could do was shrug slightly, as much as the space between them allowed.


    They simply didn¡¯t have enough information.


    ¡°Did you hear anything else while you were there?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Not really¡­Just that they were taking people one at a time and nobody knows what¡¯s happening to them. Some of the people I was there with had been there for a luel.¡± Suddenly his eyes widened. ¡°Oh. That guy you punched! The one that helped us escape.¡± He looked at her excitedly and she winced, remembering it quite clearly. She¡¯d been panicked and had swung before asking questions.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I probably broke his nose.¡±


    ¡°He told me something! He told me to look for uh¡­friends¡­¡± He was struggling to recall what the man had said. They¡¯d all been in such a hurry and there was so much commotion it was hard to pick out the details.


    ¡°He told us to make friends?¡± She asked, confused.


    ¡°No¡­Friends of dodson¡­dolton?¡± He let out a frustrated huff. ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t remember now but he told us to find friends of someone and that they could help us.¡± He smacked his palm over his forehead a few times trying to knock something loose in his mind, wishing he could just remember.


    ¡°Well, if it comes to you, we can try and look into that but it¡¯ll be difficult to find someone¡¯s friends when we don¡¯t know whose friends.¡± She huffed a tiny laugh out her nose at him. He placed both hands over his face and groaned.


    ¡°I hate this brain. Why can¡¯t I remember anything?¡± he whined, muffled into his hands. Mezalie shifted and rolled onto her side, facing LoVelly. She watched him breathe, in and out, deep calming breaths.


    ¡°Maybe we could try a doctor?¡± She offered. ¡°We may not be able to ask a healer but¡­maybe a doctor could help?¡± LoVelly peeled one hand and then the other away from his face and huffed.


    ¡°I guess it couldn¡¯t hurt to try?¡± he agreed.


    ¡°We can ask the innkeeper for a recommendation and I can take a look at that paper he mentioned. I want to get caught up on what¡¯s happening.¡± LoVelly nodded along with her words. It sounded like a solid plan and they didn¡¯t exactly have other plans.


    ¡°Yeah¡­okay. That sounds good. Anything at this point.¡± He pushed himself up to sit, intent on grabbing his boots and putting them back on but Mez reached up and placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back. He looked back down at her, confused.


    ¡°Not right now. You deserve to try and get some more sleep and maybe I can try again too.¡± She told him. He nodded absently and as if the mere mention of sleep was that strong he yawned again.


    ¡°I think I should bathe first. I think it would make me feel better.¡± He turned to look down at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back?¡±


    ¡°Sure sure.¡± She waved a hand, dismissing him. When he got up she took the opportunity to move so she was laying on the bed the correct way and her legs weren¡¯t just dangling over the edge anymore. LoVelly took a moment to gather their dirty clothes together into a single little pile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see about washing these real quick before I do.¡± He headed for the door but didn¡¯t bother with his boots.


    ¡°Are you sure? I can do it while you shower?¡± she offered.


    ¡°No, it''s okay. I¡¯ve got it.¡± She wasn¡¯t even sure where the laundry was yet but he was already turning the handle and walking out the door. ¡°Promise I won¡¯t be too long.¡± And then the door was closed and he was gone.


    Truth be told she wasn¡¯t excited about being alone again but she told herself it wouldn¡¯t be long. There wasn¡¯t anything else for it except to close her eyes and do her best to get some rest, whatever she could. She spent several dib tossing and turning; too hot with a blanket but too cold without it. She finally settled on her side with one leg out and a pillow held mashed over her head to block out the meager light that came in from the street below. She huffed into the sheets as she settled. She was tired but she felt so restless it seemed impossible that she would get any sleep.


    She lay there for a while, just listening to the sounds of the building, the way the boards creaked when someone on the floor above them walked around, the faint scattered chatter from the street. There were pipes that ran through the walls and she heard the swish of water running deep within them. Normally these kinds of things would put her right to sleep just like the gentle hum and sway of the TVE would but now it felt like every single noise was a siren blaring, her body still on high alert.


    Despite the noise she much preferred it to the quiet lurking of the creature in the back of her mind. It was still there and it was quick to remind her of that. The moment she lost her focus she began to slip, to start sinking into the burbling pit of darkness that lived permanently in her mind now. She rolled onto her back with a groan, mashing the pillow into her face with her hands.


    She couldn¡¯t sleep. Not if she wanted to keep the monster inside. She could still vaguely feel the thoughts of hunger and discontent floating in the ether of her brain soup.


    It was fine. Everything was fine.


    She wasn¡¯t going to let it eat anyone else.


    She would just stay awake if she had to. It wasn¡¯t like she needed to sleep if she was dead, she just needed moments here and there to rest and collect herself. She pulled the pillow from over her face and tossed it to the side and sighed at the ceiling, tangled in the blanket and more frustrated than when she began.


    LoVelly hadn¡¯t even been gone that long yet.


    At a loss for what else to do she flailed her arms and kicked her legs into the bed. She thrashed about trying to rid herself of the anxious feeling weighing on her. If she was going to throw a fit at least nobody else had to see it. It did feel better, afterwards. The fluttering feeling of anxiety seemed to ease up just the slightest bit.


    She sat up and pushed the blanket off herself, detangling it from around her legs. Looking around the room, there was nothing- nothing to do, nothing to see. It was just a room in an inn and she was alone in it. LoVelly had even taken their clothes to be washed and they didn¡¯t have a backpack anymore so it truly was just empty- all they had were the clothes they wore.


    With a huff she got out of bed and to her feet. If she wasn¡¯t going to sleep she could at least do something. It would keep her mind off the gnawing hunger she was starting to feel more and more. She paced back and forth in the room, from the bed to the desk to the door and back, not quite sure what she was accomplishing but it was better than lying in bed.


    Eat.


    The voice brushed against her consciousness, startling her. She bristled at the command, stopping mid pace.


    No.


    She implored back at the thing that she did not want to eat anything. The memory of the vomit in the sand and the stench rose up, making her gag a little. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath and tried not to think of vomit. What was pushed through her mind instead was a vague sense of something smooth and cold, something metallic. She recoiled against the feeling as it trickled and slithered icy through her veins, making her shiver and her hair stand on end.


    The creepings of desire trickled in. It was different from the hunger because it was hers. While the hunger was all consuming she recognized that it was not her own. Now though she desired the heat, searched for the warmth that used to run through her veins. She wanted to feel the heat of Sol on her skin as it baked into the soil beneath her feet. She could feel the thing rifling through those thoughts and leaving little pieces of itself, cold and alien, in its wake.


    Suddenly a heat burst forth from somewhere in her center and radiated down to her fingertips and toes. It replaced the cold feeling, melting the ice in her veins. It flowed through her quickly and immediately and she felt a relief that she hadn¡¯t felt in what seemed like ages. She let herself be momentarily comforted as it enveloped her, seeping into the places the darkness had frozen over.


    And then it was gone, the heat retracting back inward in a snap. She was left feeling even colder than before in its absence and a shiver ran down her spine. Her hands automatically came up to wrap around herself to fend off the cold but it was no use, the cold was inside her.


    Eat


    The thought came again but it wasn''t as intrusive this time, not a demand but a request. It trickled in with the feeling of heat, little by little. It felt more like a bargain, a trade; if she fed the thing it promised more, and she absolutely wanted more.


    No.


    She stayed resolute on her decision however. She wasn¡¯t going to let the thing eat if she could help it. She looked down at the floor, feeling sick at the thought of the blood already on her hands.


    A noise brought her out of her mind and she¡¯d never been so happy to have been interrupted. The door swung open to reveal LoVelly, long wet hair wrapped up in a towel and wearing the clothes Mez had picked out for him. She expected the smell of soap and dampness that came with him but she didn¡¯t expect the mien to come trailing in as well. When he turned to close the door the little creature stopped to rub itself against his leg and he stooped down to pet it once the door was closed. Their dirty clothes were nowhere to be seen so she gathered that he¡¯d found the laundry. He looked at her, standing in the middle of the room with her arms wrapped around her middle and he paused.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. It seemed like he wanted to move towards her but he stopped midstep, unsure. Quickly she unwound herself trying to relax her posture.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± She tried to cover the roughness in her voice with enthusiasm but she knew it was obvious. ¡°Yeah...I¡¯m okay.¡± she tried again, slower this time. Instead of addressing the awkwardness she crossed the room and knelt, reaching her hand out for the mien. Instantly the little creature saw the chance for more attention and slinked over to rub its tiny head into her palm. It was soft and it purred while it ran its entire body against her hand and then wrapped back around to brush up against her legs as well.


    ¡°You can tell me, you know.¡± He said it softly, dropping down into a crouch across from her. She didn¡¯t move to look at him but glanced up through her lashes and she didn¡¯t so much as see the concern on his face as she felt it. She was hit with the strangest sensation that she wasn¡¯t quite sure what LoVelly looked like. She was looking at him and it was as if she could see individual features of him but her mind couldn¡¯t quite put the entire picture together. He had eyes, yes, but she wasn¡¯t sure what color they were. When she looked into them she felt like she was looking at something abstract and it made her dizzy the harder she tried.


    She felt a grumble and a low sense of unease trickle out of the darkness in her mind and she realized again that there was something about LoVelly that upset the creature. When she looked away from him, back down at the mien who had flopped over to roll on her feet while she pet it, and in the peripheral of her vision she could somewhat see the blurriness that obscured LoVelly¡¯s face. It was just like she¡¯d seen back in the ruins. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a trick of her mind. She realized that she¡¯d delayed to answer and had just stared at him intently, she should probably say something. She had a thousand things she wanted to ask but one in particular managed to make it to force its way out finally-


    ¡°What are you?¡±

 The Modern Devout Pt. 2

    A passenger tevvy found its way down to the very end of a long, winding, mountain road. Once on level ground it was a short drive to the coastline. They¡¯d been driving for the better part of four driev and Teramyn was just peachy with the journey through the rolling foothills and then the narrow mountain roads because he did not have to drive. Now that they had young Ahshka on the throne there were a great many things he did not have to do, should he choose it.


    The passengers included Teramyn, the driver naturally, Teramyn¡¯s assistant Carmis, and the other head of church and Royal Advisor, Sahayna. They had gotten word of the events that transpired in the temple at Doss first but before they could organize and respond word was coming all the way from Desmek of another incident. Since that was the latest and closest sighting of the young woman carrying the Infinite Creature, that is where they were headed.


    It frustrated him to no end to be one step behind when they had been preparing for the Welcoming for ages. Everything had been perfect. They had accounted for everything, contingency after contingency. They thought they knew what they were dealing with but somehow they had never expected the host to survive the sacrifice. The creature was supposed to be under his control and instead it was at the whim of some girl who was causing him a myriad of problems including sowing doubt about the Great Plan and dissent amongst his followers.


    By the time the town came into view, Ahraan was almost setting on the horizon. Thankfully the larger moon Dhelarly was still high in the sky so the landscape was well lit in cool blue and purple tones. Teramyn could not wait to get out of the Tevvy. He felt like he¡¯d been sitting for an eternity and he was dying to talk to the witnesses and get a reading on the fen if he could.


    The town was small, just a standard coastal thing. Nothing like the grandness of the new capitol city where they¡¯d left Ahshka and his royal guard. The driver took the tevvy through the town until they could no longer proceed by vehicle. He parked the machine in a lot designated for personal vehicles and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the tevvy came to a stop and they felt the drop of it touching down. They¡¯d all been crammed in together for far too long. The first thing Teramyn did was release himself from the vehicle to bend and stretch. He reached down to touch his toes and then side to side, cracking his spine. Carmis and Sahayna followed right behind him in bailing out of the vehicle the moment it touched down. They were performing their own stretches and groans as they exited.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± He turned to the others, the driver would wait for them until they returned.


    ¡°Ready to be anywhere but in a tevvy for as long as possible.¡± Sahayna grumbled. She was younger than Teramyn but old enough to have held her position as High Priestess for a decadi already. Her joints popped as she bent this way and that. She was tired of sleeping in the Tevvy and looking forward to a nente in town before the return trip.


    Carmis was quick to the back of the tevvy to unload their two compact bags, They¡¯d traveled light, having been in a rush to get on site as soon as possible. He donned the one containing his and Teramyn¡¯s things and Sahayna dragged herself over to gather her own bag up, sourcing her official hat from the bag. Teramyn preferred not to wear his own hat outside of the temple if he could help it. It was large enough to be burdensome in his opinion but Sahayna wore hers everywhere she went now that they effectively ran things. She wore it much like a fashion statement, much to his distaste, with the extra wide brim bent up in the front and dipping low down her back.


    Carmis fell into step behind him as he set off in the direction of the township¡¯s temple. It wasn¡¯t hard to find, not that anything was hard to find there. The streets were laid in a mostly grid-like pattern making it easy to navigate. The closer to the heart of the town they got and consequently closer to the sea, the more buildings were lightly coated in a layer of rhike, algae spores that blew in off the sea. The buildings in towns like this were planned and built so that their fronts faced inland, those sides painted and decorated while the others were left plain for when the rhike bleached the colors out anyway.


    The walk was not long and Teramyn was rather disappointed it was not further. He was enjoying the nice stretch in his legs, sorely needed after their ride. It felt good and he was not ready for it to be over, however the building loomed before them already.


    The temple in question looked like virtually every other temple across the countryside. Of course they each had their own flair, some less so than others, but when it came down to it they were all the same simple shell. Two pillars out front, a square boxy face with double doors that swung outward, beautifully adorned in intricate patterns of climbing flowers and filigree in a bright white against the dark wood. These were the first welcoming arms one could encounter within. The rest of the building was laid out mostly mirrored on each side with all halls converging on the worship hall at the very back and of course one basement level that doubled as a shelter should it ever be needed again. It was far easier to simply use the same blueprints, especially since many wizards and oracles traveled between temples as needed.


    Carmis predictably ran just ahead of them as they arrived finally and dragged the heavy front door open for Teramyn and Sahayna to enter.


    They were taken aback at the chaos of the scene that greeted them rather than an oracle. There were acolytes scrambling in every direction, most of them looked to be cleaning frantically. Though it seemed that things had mostly been cleaned up, Teramyn still spotted some questionable splatters high along the walls. Even more than that though was the stench of smoke and¡­ meat, that flooded their senses on the first breath. Sahayna let out a harsh cough at the intrusion.


    ¡°By and for the Gods, what happened in here?¡± She was the first to speak and when she did one of the frenzied acolytes noticed that they had arrived. He instantly snapped to attention, scrambling over to them. Teramyn noticed as he hastily wiped his hands on his robes that they left dark stains there. He quickly bowed before them.


    ¡°Grand Wizards Teramyn, Sahayna. It is good to see you.¡± He stood straight, placing his stained hands behind his back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to see this but we are still cleaning¡­ the mess.¡± He quickly looked over his shoulder, back the way he¡¯d come. He released one hand so that he could gesture to his right, toward a hall which seemed to have already been cleaned if the smell of scented cleaner was anything to go by. ¡°Please, follow me.¡±


    He led them away from the main entrance and down the hall that led around the outer perimeter of the building. They passed a variety of doors along the way, most of which were closed but occasionally one stood open to reveal an office or dark room. The hall finally led them back to the main worship hall where unfortunately the smell of smoke was even stronger. The acolyte who led them wrinkled his nose against the smell before he turned and led them into the great room.


    There were scorch marks on almost every wall, the floor and the ceiling. They all led away from a single point near the front of the room. There were pock marks in the stone walls and floor where tevedev had ignited and exploded and small chunks of rubble and debris littered the floor. Teramyn looked up to see there was even a place in the ceiling now sporting a small hole into the attic above.


    All of the windows in the room had been opened and the doors at the back of the hall had been propped wide to get as much crossbreeze in as possible. It left the room rather chilled but thankfully the breeze was quickly carrying the stench of burnt out.


    The acolyte who¡¯d led them quickly ducked aside as they came upon the group of elders who were gathered at the very back of the hall, near the open doors. Teramyn approached first and one of the elders spotted the newcomers quickly, ushering attention onto them. Sahayna stepped forward tipping her head and large hat to the others.


    ¡°Envotton.¡± She greeted them with formality. Several voices repeated the sentiment back to her and Teramyn alike. ¡°While we wish we were here under better circumstances, things are what they are. Please, can you tell us what happened here?¡± She asked.


    One of the elders stepped forward, a woman in her middle ages, her long hair bundled up into a loose and messy bun. She looked exhausted, dark rings and a vaguely haunted look in her eyes. Teraymn noticed the dark splatters along the hem of her green robes.


    ¡°We will do our best, of course. However I would like to preface with this: We¡¯re not entirely sure what happened. Much of what we saw is¡­difficult¡­to explain.¡± The woman wrung her hands.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Teramyn stepped in. He kept his voice light, soft, ¡°We understand that what happened here was devastating and traumatic for you, Please, we only ask that you do your best.¡± He barely had to imbue any fen into the words, just waited for the woman to drop her hands, relaxing just ever so slightly.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­right.¡± she nodded, more to herself than anything, ¡°Let us move this discussion to one of the private rooms that was not damaged.¡±


    They were led through the door at the very back of the worship hall. These were typically the High Wizard¡¯s quarters but here they seemed to be used as storage space. There were a great deal of boxes and lumpy bags tucked up against the far wall. In the middle of the room however was a long rectangular table with a variety of detritus on it. There were papers and books and pens spread across it. There was a mug, forgotten and long gone cold sitting on one corner of the table where it had been left in haste.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Some of the chairs were neatly pushed in and others were haphazardly strewn around the table. The woman who had spoken rounded the table and took a seat at one end of the table. The others scattered about and Teramyn and Sahayna were ushered into seats next to each other near the woman.


    ¡°Well then, please, tell us what you saw of the infinite creature and its vessel that was here.¡± Sahayna reached up to adjust her hat as she adjusted herself in the seat.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The woman reached across the table and picked up a page, looking it over before she slid it over to Teramyn. ¡°These are the official reports we have so far.¡± He took the offered page and briefly glanced over it, looking for specific key words before he passed it along to Sahayna for a more thorough read-through. That kind of thing was more her department than his, he was more of a people person than she was, his fen making for an excellent tool in that.


    ¡°It was¡­I¡¯ve never seen anything like it, never even imagined...It isn¡¯t a thing so much as it is many things. Maybe everything, all at once. It shifts through forms as it moves and as it rests. Any living thing it came into contact with was¡­was¡­¡± she paused, eyebrows wrinkling as she tried to think of a word that conveyed what she¡¯d seen happen.


    ¡°As if they were sucked down through a tube from the inside out.¡± One of the men from the group piped up, stepping forward. ¡°It happened so fast it¡¯s hard to say but that¡¯s the best I can sum it up. It shot out all these long, spindling, tube-fingers, or something, and anything those touched was pulled in through such a small point that it left behind all the meaty bits and the skeleton. We¡¯ve been cleaning since we contacted you but as you¡¯ve seen there¡¯s still quite a mess.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Teramyn nodded before he leaned in, ¡°But what of the host? How did she get in here, how did she get away?¡± He asked, gathering himself back up and straightening in his seat. This was what he came all this way for, information about the girl that had stolen his God.


    ¡°The woman?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Yes, the woman.¡± Teramyn repeated, gentle despite his desperation.


    ¡°She was¡­tall, I think,¡± one of the others said. There were affirmative hems and haws as the group briefly discussed. They turned to one another, raising their hands up as they discussed how tall she might have been.


    ¡°She was tall.¡± Teramyn nodded his head slowly as he waited for more but nothing came. He used his hands to prompt the man into saying more. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And she seemed¡­¡± he waved his hand, thinking. ¡°Unorganized.¡±


    ¡°Untrained.¡± Another voice added.


    ¡°And she was with a boy.¡±


    ¡°A boy?¡± Teramyn repeated.


    ¡°Yes. He helped her escape.¡±


    ¡°They left through a rift-¡±


    ¡°A shimmering portal-¡±


    Teramyn held his hands up, trying to calm the group as they began to speak over each other. ¡°Please, please. One at a time. Now, a child helped her escape?¡±


    ¡°Not a child! He was a young man.¡± Another voice cried but now several people were talking, discussing whether the person with her was a child or not. Teramyn rubbed his fingers into his temples in slow, gentle circles, deeply regretting his decision not to send Carmis and a scribe rather than coming all the way himself. Wishing that this whole experience would be over already he glanced quickly to Sahayna and saw the same pained look on her face as well. She caught his eyes and though she did not visibly roll them he felt the eye roll she wanted to give. She placed her hands atop the table and pushed herself from her seat.


    ¡°On second thought perhaps myself and my assistant will meet with everyone individually or in small groups to take statements.¡± She clapped her hands together once and tipped her overly large hat, her way of dismissing an audience and reached for the page she had been looking over. She turned and sure enough Carmis was there at her elbow, seemingly materializing from nowhere, as they often did. ¡°A copy, please.¡± She handed the page off with a nod from Carmis and turned back to Teramyn. ¡°While I do that, why don¡¯t you have a look around and see if you can read anything.¡±


    ¡°I think that might be a wise decision given the state of things.¡± The woman said with a sympathetic smile on her face. ¡°I can walk you through the mess,¡± she offered.


    ¡°Thank you¡­I must apologize I didn''t catch your name.¡± Teramyn stood and so did the woman across from him, reaching a hand out to him. He took it near the elbow, as did she and they shook once, firmly.


    ¡°Of course, I am the now-acting High Wizard and Oracle of this temple, Moroa.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure, Moroa. Grand Wizard Teramyn of the Royal Order.¡± Moroa quickly bowed her head.


    ¡°Let me show you to one of our council rooms. I must apologize that it isn''t much but we''re somewhat limited at the moment.¡± She began to lead them away while the others dispersed on their own, more chatter rising up between them.


    ¡°I''m sure whatever you have is better than the seat of a tevvy so we''ll be delighted,¡± Sahayna assured from behind Teramyn as they fell into step with Moroa, Carmis melting into the chaos but sure to appear later as needed. Things were going to be somewhat more challenging than he¡¯d originally thought but hopefully he could glean something from the wreckage left behind.


    They went back through the worship hall and Teramyn took it all in again, prepared this time for the smell and the chaos. The worst of it had clearly been taken away but there was ash everywhere still, especially in the grout lines where it was harder to sweep up. The normally light and dark blue tiles were stained by sooty shoe prints and smears of grime. Nearly all of the seating had been removed, most likely all unsalvageable after the blaze. The huge windows on either side of the room were tinted dark under a fine layer of ash as well, those would take forever to clean and he didn¡¯t envy the person whose task that was. He stopped when they passed the spot where the heaviest scorch marks originated, closing his eyes and holding his hand out into the space around there.


    ¡°Go on ahead, I¡¯ll be here a moment.¡± He said evenly as he focused on the residual fen lingering there. There was chatter as the other oracles and acolytes wandered through the hall as well until there were several harsh shhh¡¯s before the chatter ceased, replaced by the sound of people trying very hard to be quiet. Teramyn took a deep breath and waited for them to pass by before trying to refocus.


    He released a breath slowly through his mouth before taking another deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs, then his belly. With his eyes still closed he tried to visualize with his third eye instead what was in front of him. Not the physical charred floor tiles, the small chunks of wall debris or the stink of flesh and cleaning herbs but the invisible residue of something otherworldly.


    It was hot, an inferno of heat compressed and waiting to explode. It was heavy, nearly suffocating as he breathed it in and it filled his lungs like wet sand, choking him. Within the blaze there was a form taking shape. The heat waves obscured any real view but he knew it was a person, slight in frame and not very tall. The flames flared bright, eliciting sweat to bead on Teramyn¡¯s brow, before he was given one nearly- clear view of a figure whose long, dark hair glowed red-hot from within, as if burning up from the inside. It blended completely into the smoldering cape they seemed to wear across their shoulders and hung long down to their feet. Anything more was obscured once again by a flare, this time violent enough to knock the wind from him and Teramyn found himself back in the ruined worship hall, panting. He placed the outstretched hand over his racing heart willing himself to calm with quick success, he wasn¡¯t immune to his own fen afterall.


    He had been occasionally plagued by visions and dreams of the figure since he was a considerably younger man. It was what pushed him to seek oracle training in a temple all those soltzet ago. The dreams were always different and the levels of destruction accompanying them varied greatly. What was always the same though was the heat, it was always so suffocatingly hot and he could not see the figure clearly, some strange glimmer obscuring them. The best he¡¯d ever gotten was a glimpse out of the corner of his eye during one of the more terrifying dreams, enough that he believed the figure to be a young woman.


    Teramyn reached up and wiped at the sweat that had gathered on his brow. He could still clearly see the figure in his mind¡¯s eye, could feel the heat on his skin. He focused solely on the image, poured all his thoughts into it and only it. He focused on the feeling of dread that being in the had moment held, the way it made his heart hammer just to be in their presence. With his mind steeled he called upon his fen, pooling it in his mind, capturing the vision and trapping it, like bottling it up. He held his hands together out in front of his face, leaning over just slightly when he felt the intense pressure build at a point just above his brow. He felt the spot swell, a pain coming with it that started like a small headache but quickly became a searing pain on his frontal lobe and just as quickly it was over and he felt a small item drop into his palm.


    Two prophetic visions in a single luel¡­now that was concerning. Especially when he felt confident in making the connection between the girl who¡¯d upended his plans and the figure in his visions. They had to be connected when the vision came so clearly through the presence of the girl¡¯s fen.


    He rolled the new blood-black bead in his hand and reached into his robe pocket for a very small flask he carried with him for just these moments. He carefully wrapped his fingers around the bead to open the flask before opening his hand to pour the water over the bead. The color immediately bled out leaving behind nothing but the color of the bone it was made of, a vision trapped within it. He pocketed the tiny object and the flask together and let out a heavy sigh, pressing the heel of his hand to his temple. The residual pain was only a dull ache but prophecy preservation was demanding and it often took several driev or even a ven to really recover. Teramyn had done two back to back and he was sure he would have a headache for a ven.


    He hoped that Sahayna was getting solid information from the acolytes and temple staff. He would need to join her and ensure that the situation that unfolded here had not dampened the people''s faith in the Prophecy. It had taken driev to bring the folks from the initial incident around, driev in ¡®quarantine¡¯ where he could easily keep track of people and use his fen to keep them faithful to the cause. It was exhausting but he was prepared to do it again if he had to. He¡¯d come too far to give up now.


    At least now he had a taste for the girls¡¯ fen so it wasn¡¯t all for naught. He would be able to scry for her and hopefully give them at least a general idea of where she was hiding. Maybe not now, per se, but perhaps after a rest and after hearing what Sahayna had managed to drum up from the others. The pressure behind his eyes and the ache in his skull was building and he probably needed to lie down. He placed a hand to his forehead, squeezing to apply pressure as if that would help somehow.


    This girl, Mezalie, she couldn¡¯t hide forever. Prophecy had ways of finding its subjects one way or another and it was often kinder when you didn''t fight it.

 The Order of Vraiste: Tewey

    It was true that Tewey had, on occasion, been less than subtle in her pursuit to deliver a message ahead of schedule. But to a drak a shortcut was a shortcut and sometimes that shortcut was a snack. She was discreet where it counted though and Reyra had made the right decision in sending her knowing that information of this importance couldn''t be left to just any drak. Tewey did not bother herself with the details of human pursuits but she understood the complexity of their emotions. She understood that this job was important to her familiar, more important than most things, and that made it important to her.


    The temple she departed from sat at the heart of the crystal fields and for the most part the winds there were easy to read. They swirled and circled the heart like veins and arteries that pumped magick to and from that center. She spent the first part of her journey looking for good places to cut across currents and into others, using the winds to propel her faster and navigating her way to the outerlands.


    Just above the clouds, in the lower atmosphere, the currents were the fastest and this is where Tewey did her best work. It could be tricky when the higher reaching clouds reduced visibility and currents shifted on a whim but she had made this journey many times before, for familiars before Reyra and she likely would for others after her.


    The driev began to melt together as she flew, the landscape far below feeling like a different world altogether. The streaks of different colored terrain bleeding into one another with little to no distinction from her height. Occasionally she passed other draks along the way, their minds and emotions brushing hers like bright spots on the otherwise bland canvas of the sky around her. She did her best to keep her own a neutral red as she passed, blending in with the tones of the sky, not to be bothered. Sometimes she would drop out of the sky to descend upon an unsuspecting wyrn or even a smaller drak and take her meal to go, storing calories for the trip ahead.


    As she was cruising over the lands to the north along the path to the Great Sea, she picked up the chittering of a hivemate heading home not far off her course. She diverged only to bring her just close enough to quickly brush minds, getting any news she may be carrying. It would also serve as an update when the other returned home, letting the familiars at the temple know that she had made it to the northern coast and was preparing to cross the great sea. Once their minds had been shared she quickly returned to her course, determined to have her time under the Eye.


    Draks that wanted to make it over the sea needed to ride the winds at the highest altitudes they could to avoid the turbulence of the sea itself in addition to the morfae that lived in the depths. Strange magicks ruled the seas and they were far too temperamental to risk the chance of being swallowed up on one''s journey. So Tewey circled higher and higher into the sky, finally slowing her pace as she climbed into the upper reaches of what was considered the cruising altitude. As she slowed, the high pitched whirring of her gossamer double-wings became a low hum as they beat opposite each other, working to take her up, up, up.


    It was cold in the cloudbank even when the Eye blazed down upon the soil and baked it in heat. It was freezing now when the Eye did not grace the land. She would surely have icicles attached to her underside before long. She was flying to somewhere the Eye touched though, where she could bask in the warmth for several extra cycles if she arrived early. Until the call of the magick inevitably drove her back to the crystal lands and the beating heart at its center.


    The cold began seeping into her thick skin between the breaks in the chitin scaling covering her body, prompting her to retract what she could inward. The thick plates slid together as designed, creating a hard-shelled bullet out of her, capable of slicing through the winds no matter the conditions. Her legs tucked up close to her body, pressing nearly flat against her underside.


    Tewey shot straight out over the water at the highest altitude the winds and her wings would take her. Once she was on course she picked up speed once again, aiming to use her momentum to reduce energy loss along the trip. She could feel her organs cinch in, close together, preserving warmth and slowing her biological processes. On long trips it was essential to reduce energy waste as she would not stop to eat or rest along the way. For all they were built for; plated and armored for defense, equipped with sharp claws and teeth for fighting and their long skinny bodies easy for slithering through shallow waters, draks did not float. And once wet it took time for their wings to dry out enough to take flight


    The sky was clear enough for the first driev that she could see the ships like little flickering speckles on the surface of water far below. There were many of them at first but the further she went the less there became until there were none. It was just her and the dark ocean far below with the occasional puff of cloud.


    She passed over a stormfront somewhere into her second driev and she watched from above as the bursts of light rolled through the clouds and briefly lit up the sky around her. She caught glimpses of a flock of storm byrds from time to time bursting up through the clouds before diving headfirst back into the storm. They made a graceful sight, all long necks and sleek feathers moving in sync as they rolled and dove between each other in their strange games. Despite the knowledge that they would have made a tasty meal she ignored them in favor of continuing on her journey, she was halfway across the sea already and she couldn¡¯t spare the energy for the chase.


    Below her, great thunder claps echoed across the open sea. They would have rattled the walls of buildings had they sounded over land. Storms of that size rarely made it inland though, relying on the moisture and the seasonal winds to lay the right conditions to feed them into the monsters they became. She passed the storm by after a driev and was back over open water. By the next driev she was starting to recognize shapes on the horizon, barely there yet but definitely taking form. She knew she was getting close now but she didn¡¯t dare relax her rigid form until she got much, much closer. She was liable to pass out shortly upon arrival and she didn¡¯t dare risk losing the tailwind she was currently enjoying. It wasn¡¯t a personal best but she¡¯d made excellent time as usual.


    As soon as she could actually see land in the distance, the shapes of mountains looming, the shore outlining the edges, she hooked a sharp turn and headed lor, toward The Eye. She couldn¡¯t see it yet but she could see the way the sky shifted from the deep, dark color of the long nente to something brighter and brighter until it was a blazing red at the edges. She was nearly there now. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    She flew until she was whistling overhead of small coastal townships, until she went far enough that a sliver of The Eye could be seen peeking over the horizon. With it the sky became so bright that the natural glow from the flora far below dimmed to nothing, instead switching over to gathering light instead. As she flew she began to descend circling around on currents that took her back toward the land. She started to feel the heat that came with the light that graced the surface of the planet. She basked in it as she glided the last few eides to her destination. The grandiose city she was gliding into had not been there for long. It¡¯s shining jewel of a tower had only been built sometime during the last reign of human lords and then rebuilt and expanded after the Great Destruction. She¡¯d only bothered with it recently, in fact, at Reyra¡¯s request.


    As she came within landing range she circled a few times around, first to relax and descend her legs, letting the feeling return to them. Then she began to stretch her body out to length, separating the plates that had kept her internal processes safely regulated during her long trip. She felt the warmth around her begin to seep into the exposed skin.


    She was still going quite fast as she descended and zipped once, then twice around that shining tower to slow herself down, startling the other drak that had been settled upon its sloped rooftop soaking up the heat. She looped around and came to a running stop along the long roof of the royal hall. Despite it all she managed to come to a rather graceful full stop, whipping her tail around to shift her weight and using her nails to dig in and stop herself, sliding around into a stylish standstill.


    She gave herself several moments to breathe and when she noticed a palace drak eyeing her, sizing her up, she turned and let out a hissing shriek, raising the spines along her back and charging toward the other for several steps. She was in absolutely no mood for their antics. The other drak immediately backed down to avoid the scuffle, thankfully. They didn¡¯t know she¡¯d just flown the Great Sea and wasn¡¯t fit for much let alone a fight. Tewey took one more breath and used her tingling legs to take her all the way across the palace roof and up to the tower walls.


    In truth, only the top most part of the tower gleamed like a gem. The lower floors were made of stone bricks and other very climbable materials. Tewey used the last of her reserved strength to climb her way up the side of the tower to a familiar window that she found unlocked and let herself in.


    The room was empty, its occupant gone doing whatever it was that humans busied themselves with in their castles. She hopped from the window ledge and let her wings glide her the short distance to the soft, blanketed bed. When the human returned she would convince them to build a fire to warm the room but for now she crawled between the layers of blankets on the bed, curling up beneath them as best she could despite the soft fibers catching on the ridges of her plates. She managed to create a tangled mess of a nest and was asleep before her eyes were even closed.


    It was sometime later, possibly the whole driev had gone by, when the sound of a door opening and closing alerted Tewey that someone had returned and she stirred from her place curled beneath the blankets. As she poked her head out it was then that the human caught sight of her and gave a surprised shout, jumping just a bit. She pushed her mental presence outward in a swirl of colors to announce herself.


    ¡°Oh, Tewey?¡± Nimel breathed with relief, recognizing her specific color combination. She slinked out the rest of the way and shook herself out and went into a long stretch, letting her hind legs trail behind her and wiggling her tail. She was careful not to catch at the bedding with the spines or rough edges along her body. Nimel came to stand beside the bed and reached down to stroke along her head and the smooth underside of her jaw. They knew exactly how to appeal to her and she purred in delight.


    ¡°I''ve already sent Inder down rowe but he couldn''t have arrived already. What kind of message warranted them sending you?¡± Nimel laughed as Tewey plopped onto her side so they could stroke her underbelly before reaching for the harness carrying the message tube that she''d expedited all the way there. They unclipped and unrolled the curled piece of parchment within, reading it silently but Tewey felt the burst of alarm that quickly reared up from them.


    ¡°Oh no¡­ Onoara...¡± They shook their head as they went on. ¡°-now believe that the original translation was misinterpreted and we are looking for someone named LoVelly¡­.¡± They looked down at Tewey, a puzzled expression on their face. ¡°I suppose that is reason enough to send you. It certainly changes some things.¡± Nimel turned their back to the bed and sat down on the edge next to tewey, parchment in hand and hands in their lap. They released a great sigh as they wilted backwards onto the bedspread. Tewey wound herself around their side and slithered in next to them, stealing any body heat off them she could. It was so cozy and warm pressed against the softness of a human. She made several audible clicks low in her throat to communicate her pleasure before letting her rumbler go, filling the room with the comfortable sound of drak purring.


    ¡°So now we¡¯re looking for two people, are we?¡± Nimel shifted to look down at her. They knew she could not speak back to them yet they appeared to wait for an answer. She instead pushed vague ideas and colors at them. She did not know what would appease this situation or even what they were asking. Her job was done, she¡¯d flown the route and delivered the message. Now was her chance to bask in the heat of the eye while she could before going back to the desolate crystalscape that was home.


    ¡°Things just keep piling up don¡¯t they¡­¡± They spoke at her running a thumb under her chin, annoyance and anxiety fluttering across the limited mindscape they shared. ¡°First it was Teramyn¡¯s prophecy girl and now we have find Onoara¡¯s too? I just feel like this is getting away from us.¡± They ran a consoling hand carefully down her back spines. ¡°Not to doubt the will of the Universe or anything Tewey, but I think you and I got the worst jobs in all of this.¡± They lifted their head to look directly at her and give her a commiserating look. She let out a little huff of air through her nose in response as she laid her head upon their ribcage and snuggled in.


    ¡°I know, I know. You need to eat and rest now.¡± They placed their warm palm over her head and she couldn¡¯t help but nudge into that warmth. ¡°We¡¯ll start getting the word out after the nente cycle. For now,¡± they shifted, dislodging Tewey and eliciting a grumbling and several shades of dark gray-blue displeasure from her, ¡°let¡¯s maybe get you something to eat.¡±


    Tewey did not mind her long trek across the great sea and over the vast distance because she particularly enjoyed her time with the human Nimel. They indulged her much like Reyra did and she could see herself striking a bond with the hatchling in the future perhaps, once her time with Reyra had passed. For now though she let them gather her up and drape her long body over their shoulders like a scaly, cumbersome scarf. She would let them hand feed her in the midnente-silent kitchen of the palace and later she would convince them to take her to the gardens so she could bathe herself in the warm light of Sol on one of the large stones there. Perhaps she would have a soak in the fountain, if she was feeling up to it. She would enjoy her respite knowing her job was done and it had been earned.


    The rest of it, afterall, was the humans¡¯ problem.

 Chapter Eleven (information drought)

    ¡°What am I?¡± LoVelly repeated back, confused. ¡°Is that like, a philosophical question?¡± Rather than answering, Mez reached out and took his chin in her hand, turning it this way and that, her eyes narrowed. There was a slight zing, like a tiny current that zipped between them.


    ¡°No, I mean what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± She tipped his head back and forward, ignoring the strange sensations that came with their connection.


    ¡°That is deeply hurtful,¡± he said, narrowing his eyes back at her. She rolled hers with a huff.


    ¡°What I mean is that I think you have some sort of glamour.¡± She leaned in closer, trying to see the edges of the mask, if there were any.


    ¡°What? No,¡± he whined, ¡°But I like this face.¡± She released him and sat back, out of each other''s space.


    ¡°I wonder if anyone can see it or if it¡¯s just me,¡± she thought aloud. LoVelly reached up to place a hand to his face, patting gently like he was suddenly unsure if it was there or not. The mien, forgotten in favor of the mystery of LoVelly, let out a long, desperate whine for attention as it rolled around between them. LoVelly relented and resumed petting the needy thing, stroking between its ears and earning a rumbling purr in response.


    ¡°Do you think I did it myself?¡± He paused, looking thoughtful, ¡°Actually, can you even place a glamour on someone else?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve never met anyone who could do it and I didn¡¯t read much on it growing up. Wasn¡¯t really my natural disposition.¡± She shrugged once. ¡°There are way too many layers to whatever is going on with you.¡± She gestured vaguely at him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to begin. I tried meditating while I was in the bath but everything¡¯s still a big, blank space in my brain.¡±


    ¡°I think maybe we could try the central archive. They have books and documents that were saved from the old world, or at least they did last I knew. They¡¯ll probably have something on convergence points and I think that¡¯s where we have to start with you. Before that though,¡± she braced her hands on her knees and pushed herself to her feet, ¡°I want to see what the papers are saying.¡± She offered a hand to LoVelly and helped pull him to his feet as well.


    ¡°That sounds reasonable,¡± he agreed, ¡°but I really think we should be keeping a low profile from here on out. We¡¯ve kind of made a mess up to now.¡± She didn¡¯t think it was his intent but the words made her mind flash to the husband and wife and the gory scene they¡¯d left behind in that home. How long would it take for someone to miss them? How long until someone found them?


    ¡°Mez?¡± His voice drew her back. It was a gentle question, a check in that did not necessarily require an answer because he reached out and touched the back of his hand to hers, just barely, enough to let the emotion flow freely between the two of them.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah¡­sorry. A lot going on in here,¡± she excused, pulling away and waving her hands around her head. ¡°I agree though. Low profile and we might not want to stay in one place too long so we¡¯re going to need to figure out money.¡±


    ¡°One thing at a time, right?¡± he asked, turning for the door.


    ¡°Yeah I guess¡­¡± she agreed, reluctantly, because he was right. There wasn¡¯t much they could do yet but they would do what was in their control: get the paper, go to the library, find work.


    The mien followed, padding lazily after them and even following them down the stairs. When they reached the ground level it quickly trotted to LoVelly and threw its body against his leg, rubbing its face a few times before trotting away, across the little alley.


    ¡°I told you mien like me.¡± LoVelly said with a grin and raised eyebrows, clearly pleased with himself. Mez in return shoved her hand in his face, threatening to literally wipe the grin away. LoVelly of course fought back and they scuffled back and forth until they reached the end of the alley where LoVelly nearly ran into someone rounding the corner. They apologized and took a moment to collect themselves before opening the front door of the building. This time it was not only the plants that greeted them but also the smell of food and the sound of chatter.


    The door to the kitchen stood open now and they were unsurprised to find the owner and several others that Mez assumed were other patrons. There was a woman standing near the stove as the owner spooned the fragrant contents of the pan from earlier into her waiting bowl. Several pairs of eyes met them as they entered the room and Mez suddenly felt distinctly uncomfortable. It was a strange feeling, she¡¯d never really been shy before but now the weight of those eyes was something she wanted to be excused from immediately. She¡¯d forgotten already but the threat of having to eat, or pretend to, once again reared its head as well. She quickly averted her gaze away from the others¡¯, scanning the room for anything except someone else¡¯s face.


    ¡°Trezza, you join us for lunch!¡± The old man motioned excitedly for them to come closer but Mez found it impossible to move. She felt all but pinned to the spot despite the fact most eyes had left her and gone back to their own business. A soft touch to her elbow surprised her and she glanced briefly down to see, of course, LoVelly¡¯s hand gently resting there. When she glanced at his face he seemed none the wiser that he¡¯d even done it, focussed as he was on complimenting the man¡¯s cooking, making conversation. He said something to the woman who¡¯d been at the stove before them and she laughed, nodding enthusiastically at whatever but Mez couldn¡¯t have told anyone what was said, focussed instead on how she was going to decline the food politely in front of other people. The old man told a joke of some kind, the punchline went over her head as the joke was in heavy Lelistik, but LoVelly laughed. She wanted to laugh anyway but all she managed was what was likely just a pained grimace.


    She was struggling to tune back in, desperate to get out of her syrupy head, she didn¡¯t even understand what had brought it on and then suddenly she was being gently guided away and the old man was wiping his hands on a rag tucked through a loop on his pants as he wandered back toward the office. Mez was confused and she realized she¡¯d missed the entirety of the conversation already.


    When she stepped back into the front she immediately realized how much harsher the light had been in the kitchen. Here it was just two small lamps and lowlight from the street lights on the driev cycle. She felt the fuzz in her head lift slightly, enough for her to hear LoVelly quietly thanking the man as he placed a newspaper in waiting hands. LoVelly turned and took one of her hands and placed the paper into it. The feeling of the paper against her skin brought her back into herself, the texture and realness of it helping her find her way back.


    ¡°We really appreciate it.¡± LoVelly said one last time and the man excused himself back to the kitchen. Once it was just them, the soft sounds of life a room away from them, LoVelly turned and put his hands on her arms, just below her shoulders. It was only a gentle pressure but the brief shock of fen that snapped between them brought her all the way out.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said and their eyes met.


    ¡°Sorry I¡­I don''t-¡± She tried to push the words from her mind to her mouth but they came out in a rasp.


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± He shushed her. ¡°All I want to say is that you should at least pretend to breathe when we''re around other people.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± It came out as barely a huff of noise from her lungs. It was only then that she realized that she hadn''t been breathing. For one panicked moment she wasn''t sure if she remembered how. Thankfully instinct quickly kicked in and she gasped, taking in a deep lungful of air. It strangely did not bring a feeling of relief, only a slight coolness in her chest but even that was short lived.


    ¡°I''m worried someone might notice because it is¡­ oddly unnerving.¡± He dropped his hands from her and the static in her mind suddenly jumped in volume again and she quickly reached out and caught his hands, holding them in a vice grip in her own, crinkling the paper where it was clamped. She took a deep breath and released it, then another; she raised her eyes to meet his and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah¡­yeah okay. I don''t know what happened. It just, it felt like stage fright but that''s never happened to me like that before.¡± Instinctively she listened for her pulse, trying to calm herself but there was nothing, only an eerie silence within her that she wasn¡¯t quite used to yet. She laughed once, dry and raspy. ¡°I can¡¯t believe now that I¡¯m dead I get panic attacks.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure that you¡¯re dead.¡± LoVelly countered. Mez gave him a rather unimpressed glare, eyebrows low.


    ¡°Says someone who just reminded me to breathe around other people,¡± she scoffed. He rolled his eyes at her but she rolled hers right back, finally releasing her death-grip on his hands, holding the paper out and smoothing the edges where she¡¯d nearly put her fingers right through it.


    ¡°Can you read it aloud, please?¡± LoVelly asked softly when Mez was silent for several moments, eyes scanning the page.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Sorry.¡± She tore her eyes from the page momentarily to meet his before dropping back to the top of the front page article.¡°We¡¯re putting ¡®teaching you to read¡¯ on the list of priorities¡­¡± The words were half mumbled to herself as she scanned the front page.


    ¡°It says ¡®political unrest threatens to spill over¡¯-¡± she skimmed the first bit again, ¡°I¡¯m going to paraphrase most of it but it says ¡®ongoing crisis since twelve Trilles¡¯ so this has been happening for more than a luel¡­And you don¡¯t know anything about this either?¡± LoVelly just shook his head so she continued on. ¡°There was a coup, or something, it sounds like. They have a large group of Ellani priests, wizards and oracles and they¡¯ve occupied several cities on the Lorn side of the mountains.


    ¡°Three driev ago they publicly executed the members of the Grand Council that refused to relinquish power to ¡®The Reign of Ashka¡¯. From the list of names though it looks like that was most if not all of them¡­¡± She stopped to take a deep breath before releasing it in a tremendous sigh. ¡°Despite this action there is still an overall approval of the drastic change in governing body. A large majority of citizens report being in favor of returning to a single monarch-led government.¡± The look of disgust on her face was impossible to disguise as the words left her mouth. ¡°People here are worried about them coming over the mountains.¡± She quickly flipped the page to follow the article and felt the dread rise up in her when there, front and center, was a colorless image. The quality wasn¡¯t great, likely taken from a distance, but still she knew it was him.


    There was a boy, truly just a boy, he barely looked like an adolescent yet, and he stood between an older woman on his left and there on his right was the man from the TVE. The man whose cold words had started the nentemare she¡¯d been living since. The caption below the picture labeled the man as Grand Wizard Teramyn, the boy as ¡®King¡¯ Ashka, and the woman as Grand Wizard Sahayna. Mez did not recognize the woman or the boy from the beach or anywhere since then.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Mez?¡± LoVelly asked when she¡¯d been silent for too long, her fists clenching the edges of the paper where she held it.


    ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± The words came out surprisingly steady and she released her grip to point to the grainy picture. ¡°That¡¯s the man that did this.¡± She thought to herself that it had also been the old woman at the ritual but she was already dead. ¡°Grand Wizard Teramyn.¡± LoVelly craned his head to see the picture until she turned the page for him to see.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the kid?¡± he asked after a moment.


    ¡°The king.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. That¡¯s a child.¡±


    ¡°The majority of people are fine with that, according to this.¡± They both jumped when suddenly the front door opened, the little bell jingling. The man that entered was dressed warm like they had been when they arrived, a thick jacket with a hood that came up high to protect one¡¯s face when needed. It was undone now and the first few buttons of the jacket were open.


    He blinked at them a few times and they stood there silent and motionless, staring at each other. After a moment the man shifted on his feet, clearing his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯d uh¡­like to rent a room?¡± He didn¡¯t sound especially sure about that but it was enough to spur the other two into action.


    ¡°Oh, uh. The owner¡¯s back in the kitchen.¡± Mez hooked her thumb over her shoulder, pointing him to the open door at the back of the room. The man said his thanks and shuffled past them. Mez laid the paper on the counter, smoothing it out as best she could before abruptly heading for the front door.


    Outside Dhelarly was high in the sky and the city lights were on the driev cycle illuminating the city as much as could be done without Sol. It was still rather cold, not only being much further away from the Solrise but also over the mountains. It would take some time before it began to warm up. Mezalie expected to feel the chill creep in, afterall she¡¯d spent her entire life in the heat of Sol, but she didn¡¯t feel cold at all. She could see her breath leave her in a cloud of fog from time to time but that was her only indication.


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± LoVelly asked when they continued on past the side of the building that led back to their room. He didn¡¯t seem to mind, keeping pace with her as they wandered down the street. The streets were alive with other people passing them on their own business. A woman walked past them with her children in tow, the smallest one held in her arms. The baby held Mez¡¯s gaze for a moment as they walked past and she found some comfort in the perception.


    ¡°To be honest with you I¡¯m not really sure. I haven¡¯t been here in solcen. I was a child last time we came through.¡± She stopped to turn in a small circle, looking at the things around her ¡°Some things are broadly familiar like the skyline and I remember some places I visited but I don¡¯t know where they are or if they¡¯re even there anymore.¡± She shoved her hands into the patched pockets on the sides of her overalls to hide the slight shake of her hands. There was no actual reason for the tremor and it frustrated her that she couldn¡¯t will it to stop. If LoVelly noticed he pretended not to.


    ¡°I suppose that means we¡¯re exploring then. Just don¡¯t lose me. I won¡¯t be able to find my way back.¡± He stepped in close and quickly looped his arm through hers, securing himself to her side. ¡°Can you imagine? ¡®Where are you staying?¡¯ They¡¯ll ask and I¡¯ll say ¡®I don¡¯t know. ¡®what it¡¯s called?¡¯ I don''t know. I can''t read.¡± LoVelly let out a hearty laugh but Mezalie was struck by the realization that LoVelly did not know these things and getting lost would truly be a danger. It hadn¡¯t occurred to her just like it hadn¡¯t occurred to her that leaving a note was useless.


    ¡°The place we¡¯re staying is called Frinnedot Len. It¡¯s on Rels flat.¡± She looked over at him with no trace of the humor he had about the situation. ¡°If we find something to write on I¡¯ll write that down for you in case you forget. You could show it to someone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember,¡± he said with confidence. Mezalie however gave him a rather skeptical look. ¡°What? I don¡¯t remember anything from before. I remember things now just fine. But I think writing it down is too risky. With the last driev we¡¯ve had I don¡¯t think we can be too careful.¡± Mezalie released a sharp huff at that. He was right but there was a feeling of shame rolling around in her mind somewhere telling her that she needed to be more mindful of these things with LoVelly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She squeezed his arm close where it looped through hers. ¡°It just didn¡¯t occur to me that you wouldn¡¯t have known those things. I¡¯ll be better about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He squeezed her arm back in forgiveness but it pulled them slightly off balance and they took several lurching steps together to one side and then the other. Mez used her greater stature to stabilize them as LoVelly let out a huff of laughter.


    ¡°We are so uncoordinated.¡± She groused despite the smirk upon her own lips. They managed to keep their arms linked and continued down to the main intersection at the end of the street. It was even more populated there with what looked like a street car station with multiple tracks criss-crossing an open plaza and people waiting on multiple platforms. Mezalie dropped her arm down from LoVelly¡¯s forearm and slid her hand into his as they entered the crowded area. There was a station directory and a map, she was thrilled to see.


    Mez led them across the plaza, squeezing between people as they made their way to the huge board that stated the various routes and approximate times they arrived on one side. The other showed a large city map that detailed the sectors of the city by color and a variety of locations within each of them. It didn¡¯t take her long at all to spy the place she was looking for. She pointed up to a spot on the board, grabbing LoVelly¡¯s attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s the City Archive. That¡¯s where I want to go.¡± She moved her finger down. ¡°This is where we are.¡± She dropped her arm and turned her attention to the streetcar schedule and then back to the map. ¡°I think¡­I understand how to get there.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± LoVelly replied and she pulled them further across the plaza to the platform she¡¯d seen on the board that ran to that part of the city. It was still two sectors away from the city''s main temple and she felt okay about those odds. She would still be on alert anyway. She was increasingly worried that that was going to be her new normal anyway.


    ¡°I want to see what I can find about that man. You don¡¯t just end up the royal advisor to a child monarch who overthrew the local government without some kind of paper trail.¡± She kept her voice low and leaned her head close to LoVelly as she spoke. The article had said that people mostly disapproved of the situation, not that everyone did. There were still likely to be people who agreed with what was going on.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± he agreed. ¡°We might be able to find records about you know what too.¡± He dropped his voice into an even quieter hush on the last part.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we.¡± Mez shrugged because really she wasn¡¯t even sure how to go about looking for information about it. Even if the thing cohabitating her mind and body was what she thought it was, she didn¡¯t know that there would be all that much information to find. Any real, reliable records from that time were destroyed in the war.


    They waited with others on the platform for several dib. Mez occupied herself eavesdropping on conversations around them, watching as a man towed a little wagon with two toddlers in it up the ramp to the platform. They were cute with round, rosy, cheeks as they smiled wide in excitement. The man and woman to one side of her were going shopping and he was reading back their list. It was mostly fruits that stored well, things that were on the verge of being out of season as Sol would begin to rise. When her eyes flicked over to LoVelly she was disconcerted by the vacant look upon his face, eyes unfocused. She shook their joined hands sharply, startling him from his reverie. He shook his head and blinked several times over.


    ¡°What realms are you wandering over there?¡± She teased him but he laughed along with her.


    ¡°I wish I could tell you but even I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted.


    They turned their heads in unison with everyone else as a smooth tone played from a single speaker near the top of the platform, indicating a streetcar was approaching. It looked remarkably similar to the one she¡¯d seen before with bright, glowing, floral markings. This one was blue with delicate rytzykel petals where the previous had had purple clusters of baane which she wasn¡¯t surprised to see considering how widely renowned the hospital in Temal was.


    The doors hissed open and a handful of people shuffled out of the car before their own crowd shuffled in. It wasn¡¯t as crowded as the last one they¡¯d taken and they were able to snag seats this time with LoVelly taking the seat nearest the window. Everyone swayed together as the car picked up and took off.


    It was slow at first, crawling through the busy inner city pathways. When the track began to rise and the car began to climb up above doors and windows, then roofs, it picked up speed. By the time the track had leveled out againg, running along over rooftops and around other infrastructure the scenery was speeding by outside. LoVelly leaned in close to look past Mezalie, out the window, as they zipped down the track.


    ¡°Wow this city is bigger than I realized,¡± he said, leaning back just a bit to meet her eyes. ¡°I really could get lost here.¡±


    ¡°It''s one of the biggest cities on the pellan zeit,¡± she answered. ¡°I think only Clovrae is bigger but it''s a port city so that''s to be expected really.¡±


    They spent the ride pointing out strange and interesting things on the Temalen skyline as the streetcar took them to stops all over the city along its route. People joined and departed at almost every stop along the way, shuffling the seating time and time again. When the display at the front of the car read the same as the stop number that she¡¯d seen on the board Mezalie reached over and tapped LoVelly. At first she pointed to the display but halfway through the motion she realized her mistake and instead said aloud, ¡°This is our stop,¡± before moving to sit up.


    An audible crack sounded in the car when she withdrew her hand from LoVelly¡¯s shoulder. They were both so shocked that they jumped in their seats as the sharp zing of energy shot through them both. All heads immediately turned this way and that at the noise but everyone else seemed as confused as they were and nobody had quite figured out where it had come from. Thankfully the car slowed and gently lowered at their stop and despite a few scrutinous stares they were able to slip out the doors without confrontation. They both walked as normally as they could down from the platform but about halfway down the long ramp they both turned to each other with wide eyes and bewilderment on their faces. At that they both burst into barely stifled laughter.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Mez asked, stifling a cackle.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± LoVelly giggled. ¡°I literally have no idea what¡¯s happening, ever. I thought that was what this adventure was about?¡± He straightened up, taking several deep breaths to calm himself down.


    ¡°Hin hin,¡± she said, laughing out the last of her breath. She pointed up ahead of them and when he followed it was easy to spy the building up ahead. It was nestled among smaller shops and buildings that made its looming height stand out among them. It was three storeys above ground and likely four or more in total as almost every public building was built with a basement for sheltering in place.


    It was a little bit of a walk, which was fine except that it was all uphill. It wasn''t especially steep but it was a continuous gradual incline that left LoVelly breathless by the time they reached the top, heaving and winded. There were large, beautiful steps with various designs set onto the rise of them but neither took note of the beauty as LoVelly all but collapsed on the bottom step. He narrowed his eyes up at Mezalie who, for the most part, seemed entirely unfazed by the trek. He certainly wasn¡¯t the only one though. A variety of people also rested on the steps, some out of breath like him and others simply sitting with friends or family, children played games jumping up and down the steps and chasing each other. Mez waited patiently while he recovered and took long labored breaths leaned back on his elbows against the steps behind them.


    ¡°Time to see what we can find out about your weird-¡± She made a circular motion, gesturing at him, ¡°everything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he sucked in a breath, ¡°and your-¡± he repeated the motion back at her, ¡°unpleasant passenger.¡± Mezalie immediately pulled a face and LoVelly narrowed his eyes as he rolled the words over now that they''d been said.


    ¡°Oh, no, I hate the way that sounds. Call it a monster before you call it that,¡± she complained.


    ¡°On reflection, I hate it too.¡± LoVelly wrinkled his nose as he nodded at her. ¡°Let''s just go inside and see what awaits.¡± He pushed himself off the steps and to his feet.


    ¡°After you,¡± Mez told him, and so he took the lead up the steps with her on his heels. They went, hopeful that they could find something to help them make sense of their strange situation because really, neither one of them knew what else to do.

 Chapter Twelve (lost in translation)

    Inside the double front doors it was even busier than the street outside. The foyer was flush with people. There was a staircase going up on one side and down to the other and they had to pause as several people crossed the entryway to continue going up the other side. Once clear they quickly shuffled into the main lobby which was a large open room. There was a counter that ran the perimeter of the room and people queued up at designated places to speak to one of the people behind it. There were signs hung from the ceiling that denoted which lines were for what and there were smaller signs on posts that were shaped like arrows that pointed this way or that for various services.


    LoVelly tried his hardest but none of the writing looked familiar to him. It all just looked like shapes and squiggles and the more he tried to force it to make sense the more overwhelmed his brain began to feel. His head turned as if on a swivel trying to take everything, anything, in. Something had to make sense, something must be familiar. Anything.


    Mezalie dragged him from his internal spiraling when she announced that they were going up to the third floor. She placed her hands on his shoulders and steered him back towards the stairs, neatly dodging around a couple entering the building. The touch allowed a fleeting trail of spotty feelings and impressions to glide across his mind- a little bit of excitement, some fear, and something he couldn¡¯t decipher between desire and hunger.


    ¡°The archives I want are upstairs, according to the signage.¡± she told him as they began to ascend.


    The smell of the library hit him before they¡¯d even made the landing; aging paper and glue had such a distinct, lingering odor. It was musky and sweet, a smell that enveloped him and made him feel at ease. It was there in that moment that he felt it: a memory pushing at the seams of the blank space in his mind, a flicker of who he once was.


    He remembered books¡­no not books, but maybe the smell..of something smoky and maybe spicy? His feet kept marching up the steps, Mezalie at his back. He took another deep breath, tasting the air on his tongue. It was tangy, the glue no doubt lending it that quality. He heard Mezalie take a deep breath behind him and he wondered if she did it to taste the air too or if she was just remembering what he¡¯d told her.


    When they reached the landing his feet took him away from the stairs, in amongst the bookshelves. He stopped, eyes squeezed tight, just beyond where the flooring went from bare to faded carpet. He let the smell drift and settle in his mind, finding its way home to whatever memory it was trying to dig up.


    He remembered soft, sturdy leather in his hands. The sharp tang of greases and conditioners exploded like starbursts and he realized why the smell of the library had triggered it. It was the smell of tools of the craft and while they weren¡¯t the same, they weren¡¯t all that different either.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± he whispered, bringing his hands up and opening his eyes to truly see them, ¡°I remember something.¡± He could almost feel the phantom weight of a tool in his hand.


    He turned his head to see where Mezalie had gone but she wasn¡¯t far, just steps away from him. He waved a hand to get her attention from whatever cover she¡¯d started reading. Once her eyes slid over to him he pointed back, down one of the rows of shelves and away from the more crowded area. She didn¡¯t even glance back at the book, setting off down the aisle before him and taking them all the way to the back.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked with some hesitancy, glancing around them.


    ¡°I think I have a memory.¡± He blurted in his excitement. It must have been a little contagious because a tiny smile tried to turn the corners of Mezalie¡¯s mouth up too.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! What is it?¡±


    ¡°I- it¡¯s uh¡­¡± He struggled to find the words for the way his mind was processing something as simple as a smell. ¡°Can I show you?¡± He didn¡¯t actually know that it would work but he had a feeling, almost like remembering something, almost like muscle memory. He reached between them to offer his hands, palms up. Mez quickly reached out and threaded their fingers together, letting the zap of energy run back and forth between them until it settled. He tried to leave his mind open, inviting even, in hopes that Mezalie could find her way to the same memory that he was so close to having.


    A bit of movement caught his eye as a person started down their aisle but decided against it when they saw Mezalie and LoVelly already there. He glanced over her shoulder for any other interruptions but there were none thankfully. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on peeling back a layer in his mind like a sticker, letting himself drift into that space. It was dimmer, in his mind''s eye, than it was in the library with a gentle glow that came from everywhere and nowhere at once. Soft dustings of colors drifted by as Mezalie¡¯s mind began to mingle with his. He felt it when she must have found it, her curiosity piqued and she began burrowing down for the memory he was also chasing. It felt like a tickle in his mind as she grasped for the fleeting images that shot by too fast and feelings that were only half formed.


    As if the so-called sticker had been hiding a crack in the wall, it pulled away just enough and a torrent of information came pouring into the void in his mind. It was a needle and thread. It was colors and textures. A smile on a woman¡¯s face over an item mended. Currency exchanged for a pair of shoes in better condition than before. A child''s delight in the repair of a sacred toy. It was solcen after solcen of practice and application. His hands were those with skill and precision that had taken his entire life to gain and he¡¯d just¡­forgotten.


    How had he forgotten?


    It was as if his entire being sung with it now, he was a craftsman, he was an artist. He always had been and he always would be. He wanted to shout it because how could he have forgotten?


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mez breathed out, ¡°I see now.¡± LoVelly opened his eyes when she started to pull her hands away. The memories felt like smoke drifting lazily through his fingers. They were there and he could feel them settling into places in his mind but they were so few and far between. There was no context and nothing to ground them, they were abstract moments on an otherwise empty canvas but at least now there was something.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah. I remember now. Just a little bit but I remember something finally.¡± He clenched his hands into fists and then stretched them back out a couple of times, testing the feeling.


    ¡°What happened? How did you remember?¡± she asked. They both paused when another person stopped at their aisle and, after a moment, started towards them. They were looking so intently at the books he didn¡¯t think they¡¯d even noticed the two of them yet. Mezalie made a sweeping motion and they silently agreed to move along. LoVelly turned at the end of the aisle and they kept walking through the bookcases, watching for other people.


    ¡°I think it was the smell? Something about the way it smells in here reminded me somehow. It just came to me really.¡± He explained as they slowed to linger around the end of another row as two other people passed them.


    ¡°Huh¡­okay so some things can trigger it. Maybe we can figure out how to trigger more on our own?¡± she wondered. He watched her place the tips of her fingers to the spines of the books on the shelf and dragged them along as she wandered down the new row.


    ¡°What exactly are we looking for?¡± LoVelly asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­something on old convergence points maybe? Or maybe something about memory loss.¡±


    ¡°And what about your thing?¡± he asked. She paused momentarily before taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Well we have to start somewhere.¡± Mezalie argued with a shrug and an eyeroll and he let it go because he figured she was right. It was just that ¡®starting¡¯ felt a lot like searching for a pin in the dark.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be much help,¡± he sighed. Even now, scanning the titles of books and looking at the signs that hung down denoting each section, nothing stood out as readable. Instead it all remained strange and unfamiliar with some of the squiggles seeming to shift around in an effort to keep him from deciphering them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m thinking of you more as my moral support greshgen,¡± she said absently as she reached up and pulled a book from the shelf. She cracked the cover to skim over the contents, briefly flipping through before replacing the book on the shelf.


    ¡°A greshgen?!¡± LoVelly gasped, mouth hanging open in offense. ¡°I am not a pet.¡± Mezalie narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°You would be honored to be a greshegen,¡± she told him and spun on her heel away and marched away from him to the end of the aisle. LoVelly surely followed after, drawn like a magnet that always pointed home. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find some way for you to help.¡± LoVelly was skeptical despite her confidence. He really truly wanted to help but he couldn¡¯t force himself to be able to read, not for a lack of trying.


    Mezalie led them around the library and back toward the front where they¡¯d come in. She was clearly looking for something, head turning this way and that. Finally she perked up at the sight of a small counter tucked away against the far wall and quickly led them over. The woman behind the counter noticed them and gave a small wave as they approached.


    ¡°What can I help with?¡± Her voice was hushed to match the muted sound of the surrounding room. There was chatter around them but the many many books acted as a great insulator.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Mezalie smiled in greeting, ¡°I¡¯m looking for something old on convergence points. Maybe even something pre-war if you have it?¡± she whispered back. The woman¡¯s eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Well now that¡¯s a request!¡± The woman laughed and LoVelly couldn¡¯t help but admire the way her laugh lines settled heavily on her face; she was someone who smiled wide and laughed often. ¡°Forgive me,¡± the woman waved a dismissive hand at them, ¡°I just hardly get requests for those kinds of things. We have them though.¡± She looked down at her desk and reached to press a button on a palm sized box there. A bluish white light appeared between them and her. It flickered a few times before stabilizing and the holographic screen started to load a variety of text. The woman used her finger to drag the screen until she found what she was looking for, tapping an empty box. Another light came on the front of the box and a digital keyboard appeared on the table before her. She quickly tapped away and the screen reloaded several times in quick succession.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve got a few things on the subject.¡± She said with a conspiratorial smile as if it were a secret they were sharing. She dragged her finger up the screen, scrolling through a list of things. ¡°I¡¯ve got collections of historical accounts, I¡¯ve got¡­partial reconstructed engineering records but they¡¯re in untranslated Kargeine. And then several books that talk about the role and impacts they had in both Great Wars. Do you know more specifically what you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    There was that feeling again, like a corner of the blank sheet in his mind was peeling up, gently coaxing him into picking at it. If he could just¡­peel it back far enough¡­ then, surely, it would release the contents it was hiding from him. A different touch, a physical one, to his shoulder dragged his attention out from his mind and both Mezalie and the woman were looking at him expectantly.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Did you get lost again?¡± She said it playfully with a little puff of laughter but he could feel the concern, the curiosity, that transferred between them. He quickly laughed along, flashing an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°K¡¯div k''div,¡± the words fell from his mouth, and even though he wasn¡¯t sure where they¡¯d come from, they felt right. ¡°Can you say that one more time?¡± He abandoned the scratchy feeling in his brain for the time being.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about it. Here¡¯s a list for now,¡± the woman placed her pen down and handed Mezalie a card with several lines of text scrawled across it. ¡°If you don¡¯t find what you¡¯re looking for, come back and we¡¯ll try some others.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, truly.¡± Mezalie scanned the card, turning to look around at the section signs.


    ¡°All the way down, second to last row, for the first three. And the other ones are upstairs. You¡¯ll need to ask Elelle at the desk up there to help you with those. They¡¯re very old.¡± They nodded as she dismissed them and they headed in the direction she¡¯d pointed them.


    Mez held the paper out to him, raising her eyebrows in question. He took it and looked at the words there. He closed one eye and looked and then the other. He tried turning it this way and that but finally sighed in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t even tell if she has good penmanship.¡± He let out a miserable little groan in defeat. Mezalie squinted at him, like she was trying to look through him.


    ¡°Can you even recognize the difference between languages or can you actually not see the letters?¡± She asked in a hushed tone. He looked back down at the card for a moment. He looked up at a plaque on the wall ahead of them.


    ¡°I think I can¡¯t see the letters right. It¡¯s like¡­they shift around before I can figure out what they are. Does that make any sense?¡± He briefly closed his eyes because trying to decipher the squiggling words was making his head spin a little bit.


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s the [glamor]?¡± She offered up as they arrived at the correct aisle and Mez began combing through the shelves looking for whatever was written on the card. LoVelly felt awkward having to simply stand there and wait but Mez began to pull books off the shelf somewhere in the middle of the row and he gladly reached over to take them as she collected more.


    Once they had a sizable collection of maybe six or seven books, some short and some intimidatingly long, they wandered off to find somewhere to comb the material for anything they could. They ended up finding a quiet corner set with a squat table and thick, dense cushions around it. A little ways further a young woman sat on a wide window seat, her knees pulled up and a book propped there. Otherwise the area was theirs. They both slid their books down onto the table and dropped into a seat. Mezalie drew one of the thicker books to herself and flipped the first few pages before flipping it face down on the table. She met his eyes across the table and maybe it was the lighting or the strange after effects of his memory burst but the intensity in her gaze made a shiver run down his spine. There was a depth to her dark eyes that made her feel so cold in a way that had nothing to do with her clammy body.


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± She placed an elbow on the table beside her book and propped her chin in her open hand. He narrowed his eyes skeptical, but finally closed them. He huffed in a deep breath and released it all in a put-upon sigh. ¡°Good, yeah. Deep breathing.¡± She made a show of taking her own deep breath.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    ¡°[Meditating]. Since you can¡¯t help me read maybe you can try traversing the realms with intent and see if anything else comes to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see. I supposed it can¡¯t hurt. And if all else fails I can just take a nap,¡± he snickered.


    ¡°Either way I¡¯m going to try to get through¡­some of this.¡± They both looked at the pile and he was starting to have doubts about the viability of this plan. ¡°Actually, come sit over here.¡± He opened his eyes and Mezalie scooted over far enough for him to scoot his cushion around the corner and join her. It was a bit cramped but Mezalie immediately cozied up, making herself comfortable which solved the space problem. Neither of them minded the closeness and the tingly sharp feeling that snapped between them was starting to feel familiar. She picked up her book again. ¡°Maybe you can absorb some of this through me if you try hard enough.¡± She turned to the first page of the book proper.


    ¡°You say that sarcastically but I don¡¯t think it''s a terrible idea. It¡¯s not like I have a better one.¡± Her only response was to shrug at him. He closed his eyes and took several more deep breaths, holding them for a tes before releasing each one. He tried to find that itchy feeling again that had had him so thoroughly distracted earlier. There was something in his mind trying to claw its way out and maybe Mez was right, maybe he just needed to let the ambiance of their surroundings guide him back like it had when they¡¯d arrived.


    At first all he noticed was the quiet. The denseness of the room, the shelves acting like corrugated layers created a gentle hush over everything and it was easy to relax into Mez¡¯s side, breathing deep and even. It wasn¡¯t for several dib that LoVelly realized it wasn¡¯t all that quiet actually. He could hear a dull roar coming from downstairs, he could hear people chatting together in other rows. He could even hear someone shelving books somewhere nearby, the gentle ¡®thunk¡¯ and ¡®shwish¡¯ as books were shuffled and shelved. There was a lot of general noise happening around them that he hadn¡¯t really notices until he slowed down.


    He was so caught up in the whirlwind that was Mezalie that hadn¡¯t really stopped to assess the situation. He¡¯d said he needed to examine his blind devotion and maybe later was now. So he pondered. He examined the abstract thing in his mind that represented Mezalie and her ¡®isms. Something that felt a lot like all of his blood and organs and maybe his soul too, sang to him that Mezalie was important, that she was the key to everything. It was a strange thing to have such conviction for when he had absolutely no context for what ¡®everything¡¯ was. He was sure it had to do with the monster though.


    He tried to remember something beyond a vague notion but he found it difficult to focus on anything specific. How did he find her? How did he know he was needed?


    Who was he besides ¡®LoVelly¡¯? He¡¯d had a life before this, he was sure of it. The few precious memories he¡¯d been afforded so far proved that but there was much more. There must be. Someone out there had to know him, right? Would they look for him? He had no way of knowing.


    His mind drifted instead to what he did know. He knew he was LoVelly, that was most certainly his name and now he knew he was a craftsman. He fixed things with his hands and he thought if he gave it another try he would pick it right back up. On the other hand Mezalie was fairly certain that he had some kind of glamour over him and that his appearance may not be what it seemed. He tried very hard to picture his own face and it was harder than he thought it would be, trying to recall times he¡¯d looked in the mirror or had seen his reflection but when he thought of recent times it seemed fuzzy and unclear. Like there was a haze he couldn''t quite wipe from the lens to view. What came instead was a sudden onslaught of photographs like his mind had taken a sudden tour of someone¡¯s home.


    He saw photos in frames and when the space ran tight there were photos tacked and taped around those frames and on walls, everywhere and anywhere they could be put really. They were beautiful, many of them were capturing natural phenomena and even some fae, from any variety of landscape. But as his mind shifted erratically with little control he saw that in so many of them there were small groups or sometimes just two people, smiling back at the camera and he only mostly recognized one particular face but it must be him because he was in most of them. It felt more like seeing a twin, someone that looked like him but wasn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t have a twin though, he was sure about that.


    His mindscape shifted into a nebulous space that his heart said was home. It was¡­ unremarkable actually. He wasn¡¯t sure he could identify what anything at ¡®home¡¯ looked like. There was the vague impression against the background of furniture maybe, a staircase going down, a door that led somewhere deeper. Like the letters on the page though, these things shifted, undefined and only partially formed in his mind. Those things, barely there at all, began to dissolve even further, slipping away like smoke in the air and he was left adrift in the non-space in his mind.


    It hadn¡¯t even occurred to him that he might fall asleep, sitting down, with his eyes closed, warm and comfortable. When Mezalie shook him for the third time, unbeknownst to him, he jolted awake. He slammed his knee into the table in his full body jerk and he hissed, immediately rubbing a hand over the affected area that was sure to bruise. LoVelly blinked a few times, squeezing his eyes and trying to shake out the needles in his feet. He looked over at Mezalie who was stacking the books in two piles on the table.


    ¡°Did I miss anything exciting?¡± he joked. To his credit she did crack a smile as she shook her head.


    ¡°Honestly the first book was too dense for me right now, and I skimmed these ones,¡± she motioned to one pile of books, ¡°for anything that stood out but it¡¯s a lot of useless stories and pictures of people who threw a lot of money at the Convergence Project.¡±


    ¡°I did find one thing that was interesting though.¡± She flipped the last book she had open to a marked page. There was a photo on one page and a full block of text on the other. The picture was taken at a distance, it showed a very small, slight figure that was entirely in shadow, back lit by a huge torrent of light. It wasn¡¯t a perfectly clear shot having the tiniest bit of motion blur as the moment was captured.


    ¡°It says that the Seltzeka, the mage that took out the Vott, came here through a convergence point. Which is whatever but-¡± she flipped the page, ¡°look at this.¡± She pointed to the technical drawing that was on the backside of the page detailing the specific convergence point. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this is the same one that you took us to. Look at the lines.¡± She ran her fingers along the lines in the image for a distance before swiping her finger across it. ¡°It¡¯s the same it was just broken here,¡± another swipe, ¡°and here.¡±


    LoVelly was still fighting off images of places and strangers and a feeling of creeping dread but he did his best to listen to what Mezalie was telling him. He squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head a few times, trying to clear it of the dreams still haunting him. He took a deep breath and then refocussed on the image she was showing him. He did think it looked familiar¡­


    ¡°Yeah. I think I see it. Here and¡­¡± he punctuated the sentence with a wide yawn, ¡°here.¡± Mezalie looked at him, expression blank, then at the book and back at him. She softly closed the book and set it on top of the pile in front of her before she unsettled them both to stand. LoVelly blinked up at her, a frown in place.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to leave because of me.¡± He patted the edge of her cushion a few times. ¡°The meditating just worked too well.¡± He laughed at that. ¡°I do think it was a little bit helpful though. It¡¯s hazy but I remember¡­I almost remember, seeing people¡¯s faces that I knew.¡± He tried to find any of those memories now but they were impossible. Mezalie gave him a soft smile and offered him a hand to get to his feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can come back later. We¡¯ve been through a lot. I think we deserve the rest. I was just so anxious earlier, like I was buzzing and this seemed like the best way to use that to our advantage. But the passion has passed and now I want to lay down.¡±


    LoVelly stretched his arms high above his head and twisted a few time before he helped Mezalie gather up the books they¡¯d pulled. They made a quick stop to drop the books on a return cart before heading back towards the front of the building for the stairs.


    ¡°Oh. Wait. Before we go,¡± LoVelly stopped them suddenly. ¡°I need a bathroom break before we head back.¡± He didn¡¯t need to be able to read to know what a bathroom looked like thankfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Mezalie assured him.


    He broke away and pulled hard on the heavy door they nearly passed. He was relieved to find a remarkably clean facility; there were vents along the ceiling on the far wall that allowed airflow in and out even. He was quick to do his business and move to wash his hands. With the water running over his hands, the soap sloughing off with it he had to confront the growing ball of twisting feelings in the pit of his stomach. He had no reason to be afraid, or even concerned, because it didn¡¯t matter. Whatever he saw in his reflection was going to be the same as it had been this whole time and likely would be until they managed to solve more of their mysteries.


    Even so, it was hard to look.


    But he did it anyway.


    And then he moved to dry his hands, shaking them still after and briefly patting them on his pants, front then back, and left the bathroom. Mezalie was still waiting right where he¡¯d left her and together they descended the stairs and started their trek back to their accommodations for the rest of the driev. And if she noticed that he was quiet on the trip back she must have thought it was the exhaustion. LoVelly wasn¡¯t sleeping though, nor was he interested in the scenery that flew by as the street car whizzed along. Instead he was fixated on the thing he could see in the almost-reflection the window offered periodically.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, exactly, but what he¡¯d seen in the mirror and what he was catching glimpses of in the glass now was strange. It didn¡¯t make sense to look at and all he could think of was the way he felt when he''d looked at the creature lurking within Mezalie. It was otherworldly, an impossibility, and it certainly wasn¡¯t the face he¡¯d recognized in his dreams but like that stranger in the photographs this too, he could feel deep in his soul, was him.

 Chapter Thirteen (blood on her hands)

    Once LoVelly was out he was out, Mez quickly discovered. She¡¯d had her suspicions when she realized he must have slept through her getting up in the barn. She didn¡¯t actually remember doing it, only laying down and trying to find a comfortable position but the space had been small and they¡¯d been so closely tucked together that she must have shuffled or bumped him. Either way, he was a deep sleeper when he was exhausted. She had watched his eyelids droop closed several times on their ride back from the library.


    He slept the rest of the driev away and she left him to it. She¡¯d tried at first to lay down and close her eyes too but no matter what she did, no matter how comfortable she got, the soft dreaminess of sleep never came. She was plagued by the memories of the farmhouse at first, afraid that if she closed her eyes and drifted off that she would accidentally relinquish control to the monster again. There was no telling how much damage it could inflict if it took control and she shuddered at the thought.


    At one point LoVelly rolled over toward her, resituating, and she thought he might wake up but he stayed blissfully asleep. He didn¡¯t snore but now she could hear his gentle breaths puffing against the pillow beside her. She tried to focus on those little breaths, tried to let the rhythm of it lull her into a slumber. She realized after some time that in her focus on his breath, she herself had stopped breathing.


    It felt strange to be so still. At first her mind tried to force urgency upon her but as she laid and did not draw a breath, nothing changed. Her lungs did not ache, her body didn¡¯t scream for air or send alarms to the brain that something was wrong. She was like a statue lying in the bed beside her companion, motionless and cold.


    It didn¡¯t feel bad to lie there per se, she¡¯d been telling the truth when she¡¯d told LoVelly that she wanted to lay down. It was just that she was expecting the sweet release of sleep or of dreams but it never came. She was starting to think that much like breathing, sleep was no longer a requirement for her body.


    LoVelly did not stir when she got up, nor when she pulled the chair out at the small desk beneath the window. Her note still sat there untouched where she¡¯d left it for him. She settled into the seat and flipped the page over, picking up the pen. She tapped it against the page a few times, attempting to organize the chaos that her thoughts had been in recent driev. She wasn¡¯t even sure what her goal was but she thought maybe being able to see the words on the page would help her put the pieces together.


    She started by simply writing ¡®LoVelly¡¯ in one corner of the page. Since she¡¯d just spent a couple of lof digging up what she could about convergence points and what they might have to do with him, she figured she might as well start there. She wrote ¡®no memory¡¯, ¡®can¡¯t read¡¯, and ¡®possible glamour¡¯ to start with. She recalled then that LoVelly knew at least some Lelistik in addition to Yoshkish and Hecten, which¡­did not help at all to narrow down where he might have come from. She wrote it down anyway. She added convergence points and underlined it. LoVelly was using natural ley lines to navigate using his fen, which ultimately led them to the ruins of what she was almost certain was Wulphera. She¡¯d seen that picture in one of the books and while, of course, it was hard to tell from ruins, she was so sure that that was where LoVelly had taken them.


    That then brought up the context of the picture itself. She wrote ¡®kenna seltzaka¡¯ and drew a circle around it. The figure that had been backlit in that image, taken decadi ago, was supposedly the mage that had been called across the cosmos to Dhelra during the second Great War to destroy the Vott. According to the information accompanying the image, the Wulphera convergence point was where the kenna seltzaka had originally come through from their world. They too had used the planets natural energy wells and ley lines to navigate. Mezalie found it interesting LoVelly had taken them there, to that convergence point, of all places.


    Opposite of all that she wrote her own name and then between the two of them she wrote in ¡®vasdaat fensa¡¯. Something told her, despite the very spotty information she had, that LoVelly had something to do with the strange mage that had come to their world so long ago. When she¡¯d turned the page to the photo she¡¯d had the strangest sensation, something that told her to stop, a feeling of familiarity she couldn¡¯t shake. She thought somehow she recognized the grainy, shadowed figure in the photo, which was impossible.


    If LoVelly had something to do with that then maybe the thing that linked the two of them together was the awful thing lurking within her. The Vott had been summoned to their world through a gross misuse of fen and then the mage had been led there in response.


    That seemed like¡­something?


    But a lot of it, most of it really, was conjecture. She sighed and laid the pen down for a moment, rubbing her hands over her face and then back over the top of her head and through her hair. She realized how tangled it felt already and she wished again that they hadn¡¯t lost LoVelly¡¯s bag, comb included. She busied herself running her fingers through it and working out the knots section by section as best she could with her fingers. She thought about what she knew about her own situation. She¡¯d been avoiding it for long enough, even feeling a little bit guilty about it.


    She still didn¡¯t know what, if any, kind of selection process there had been in attacking her Pod. There were other people too, they¡¯d discovered, being held prisoner in temples. To what ends? She still wasn¡¯t sure. Was it random? Was their plan simply to kill as many as it took to find a¡­a vessel? Is that what she was now? A vessel for some kind of horrific, cosmic, thing?


    She took a deep breath trying to prevent the spiral from going any further but like before there was no relief, only a strange sensation in her chest as the air moved through her. She paused her detangling and picked up the pen and tried to jot down the relevant information; ¡®dead¡¯, ¡®vessel¡¯, ¡®Grand Wizard Teramyn¡¯.


    She vividly remembered the man¡¯s face from those final moments aboard the TVE. She remembered it from the photo in the paper. Somehow that man was responsible for this, for the trauma that she¡¯d been through. He was also very clearly behind, or heavily involved in, the government upheaval taking place across the mountains. She needed to find out more about that man.


    Finally, with no small amount of dread, she wrote hunger in small letters. The creature had shown on several occasions that its hunger was ravenous. It could eat and eat and eat. She didn¡¯t think it would ever stop if she allowed it. It brought her some comfort that she seemed to have some control over the monster¡¯s ability to emerge. She thought maybe it was because it was her body first but again, there was no evidence to back that theory up. She scribbled a tangle of lines at the bottom of the page, frustrated that she had spent all that time researching and still could only guess at things. She turned in her seat, looking back at LoVelly¡¯s sleeping form.


    ¡°Hey-¡± barely a hiss came out on her lack of breath. She took a deep breath and tried again. ¡°LoVelly.¡± She said it louder but still not quite at talking volume. ¡°LoVelly.¡± She tried one last time in a normal voice and still not so much as a twitch or any indication that he¡¯d heard her. She thought she might need to be wary of that in the future. For now though she thought that perhaps trying a new angle couldn¡¯t hurt. She slipped her boots back on, a little bit less concerned about the noise she made now and snuck out of the room.


    She wandered back out onto the street where buildings cast long shadows under the light of Dhelarly and its rings, slowly trekking toward the loren horizon on it¡¯s luel-long transit. Ahraan had already disappeared for the driev, taking its brighter, more direct light with it and leaving everything that wasn¡¯t in shadow in a bluish-purple haze. The lamps were already lit outside and Mez found herself certainly not alone on the streets. In fact, as she walked down the way she found herself behind a somewhat rowdy group of friends that she had a suspicion were probably headed where she was headed.


    She followed them for a block, keeping a respectful distance both to not be weird about it and partly because the group tended to weave and wobble about as they went. Another corner turned and another block passed and she was about to give up, thinking that the group was on their way home instead of out, when she finally spied the sign. Her unwitting guides must have noticed it just as she did and a cheer rang out between them. They quickly filed into the pub, disappearing through the doorway while Mez instead ducked down an alley on the street before. It was much darker in the shadow of both buildings, effectively hiding her as she paused to take stock of herself.


    First of all: remember to breathe.


    She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before settling into something that seemed like a normal rhythm. She felt like her body, her mind, should remember how to do these things on their own. It always had before, without complaint even, but now it seemed that the responsibility was on her alone to fake it for the comfort of others.


    Secondly, what was her story? She knew that they needed to be discreet. There was no telling who they could trust and who might feed them right back into the jaws of the thing that had chewed them up more than once already. She was in no hurry to face another situation like they had in the temples. The man at the inn had drawn his own conclusions and she supposed others might too and it didn¡¯t hurt to run with those. A half truth was better than a whole lie anyway; one less thing to keep track of.


    She slapped her hands against her sides a couple times in an attempt to hype herself up. She was going to act normal and have easy conversations with people. She was going to see what she could find out that way; she¡¯d always had better luck with people anyway. She backtracked out of the alley and made her way to the door of the pub and pulled the handle so there was no turning back now.


    Nobody even looked when she slipped in, not that they could have heard the door over the music and the noise. There was a Band playing something smooth on a tiny stage tucked into the back of the room. The space between her and them was packed with people, drinks in hand and moods elevated. Curiously, she noticed they were almost all wearing something purple. Some wore shirts, others had scarves or hats or just some small accessory but they all had it. In contrast her neutral top and faded, rust colored overalls stuck right out and she was immediately self-conscious.


    Just remember to breathe, she told herself.


    The mantra repeated itself in her head and each time she would try to take the most normal breath she could, not too long, not too short. She shuffled through the crowd, careful as she picked her way around boisterous patrons and beer being sloshed onto the floor. She found her way to the bar eventually and she waited in line behind a woman with thick, curly blonde hair in a long-sleeved purple sweater. Mez thought about digging up the courage to ask her about it but by the time she¡¯d gathered herself the woman had moved forward to order and then all too quickly she was gone and it was Mez¡¯s own turn.


    ¡°Ka¡¯nente,¡± the bartender greeted in Yoshkish, ¡°What can I get you?¡± Mez could see the little beads of sweat forming just at their hairline. There was another bartender working the other end of the bar but even then, they were clearly busy.


    ¡°Please a bitter-sweet ale for me,¡± she told them, leaning down to rest her elbows on the countertop. Her Yoshkish was still stiff but she¡¯d get it by the end of the nente. ¡°If I can ask, what¡¯s the occasion?¡± She did her best to sound as casual as she could instead of as anxious as she felt. The bartender offered her a kind but tight smile as they tipped a glass against the tap to begin to fill it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first driev of the pre-planting season. The farmers unions met for the first time this soltzet.¡± They let the glass overfill to run off some of the thick, bitter, foam that had fizzed up in the glass, leaving only a thin, fizzing cap on the dark liquid. Mez could only blink back at them, because of course it was the beginning of planting season. Sol was creeping closer to the horizon every driev. She felt like her mind had been spinning in a whirlwind for driev¡¯ and she felt so disconnected to what should have been obvious.


    ¡°Oh. Of course, thank you!¡± She took the glass that was handed to her and slid them the coin she¡¯d brought for the sole purpose of buying a single drink to use as a social buffer. Hopefully nobody else would notice if she nursed the same drink all nente.


    She quickly stepped out of the way and faced the room at large again. This was the worst part: trying to figure out who she might be able to strike up a conversation with. She scanned the room as she moved; there were a few old men at the corner table sitting solemnly and quietly sipping their liquor together, they were out. In the middle of the room were the most concentrated groups, people who seemed to know each other. In this group of people she spied the blonde woman from the bar chatting with another woman at a table crowded with people. She decided that there were entirely too many people in that area and they all seemed to know each other already. She didn¡¯t especially want to figure out how to insert herself into any of that.


    She wandered to the back, closer to the Band. The noise level was higher but it wasn¡¯t so densely packed either. Many had their attention turned to the Band as they drank or chatted over the tops of small tables. She took a sip of her drink letting the bitter shock of it settle on her tongue. The aftertaste was sweet and she felt it slide down to settle in her stomach. She knew that she would likely be forced to rid herself of it later like she had the food she¡¯d tried to eat. Her body did not need food nor could it process it, the creature had told her and that probably extended to beer. Anything she put in would have to leave the same way. If her body needed something the creature would provide it, though through what means it wasn¡¯t clear.


    She took her time wandering around the edges of the room until she found an empty seat at a table of three. There were a couple of empty glasses between them but the empty seat seemed unburdened and she decided to take her chance.


    remember to breathe


    She was momentarily stunned, frozen mid step, at the feeling of the creature¡¯s voice across her mind but beyond that single reminder, there was nothing- no further presence or whispers, no demands. It was there and then gone. And then as if the reminder had been her own, she took a breath and the moment broke. Suddenly she was back in the pub surrounded by noise and she was placing her hand on the backrest of the chair and leaning in.


    ¡°Is this seat free? Could I sit with you?¡± She tried very hard to sound normal despite her momentary panic. She cringed a little bit at how stiff her words sounded out loud but she was greeted with smiles and passive waves inviting her to sit anyway. She took one deep breath as she pulled the chair out and took her seat on the outer corner.


    She turned to look as the song faded down to just a baseline and the Band prepared the next song. She turned back to the strangers at the table who were all equally pink-cheeked and cheerful. One was a woman, older than herself but probably the closest in age. She wore a very sharp purple blazer over a pressed white top. Anything else about her was eclipsed however by the man next to her and the energy that Mezalie could somehow sense radiating off of him. It was new to her, she¡¯d never felt anything like it. There wasn¡¯t anything outwardly abnormal about him, just another intoxicated man in any pub. The young man next to him in contrast seemed unremarkable to say the least.


    ¡°Are they any good?¡± she blurted to the table at large, trying to parse the growing sensation in her mind. She took a sip of her drink to avoid saying anything else, wiping away the foam that stuck to her lip. The woman lit up at the question, jumping at the chance for conversation.


    ¡°Oh they¡¯re okay I guess,¡± she waggled a loose hand around in a vague gesture towards the Band. ¡°I¡¯ve heard worse, That¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°That Band in Cysivvey, they were terrible,¡± the young man piped up. ¡°Couldn¡¯t hear a yarking thing over that noise.¡±


    ¡°Oh by the seltz, yes they were terrible.¡± the woman bemoaned, earning a chuckle from both of her companions. The music picked back up around them as the Band meandered into their next song.


    ¡°You travel? I had assumed you were local with the-¡± she pinched at the fabric of her blouse, eyes flicking purposefully to the woman¡¯s blazer.


    ¡°Nah,¡± the older man interjected with a gentle smile. ¡°We came down with the Harvest Caravan for the start of the season. This-¡± he waved a hand around at the room, ¡°is just where everybody decided to go after the big meeting.¡± He spoke with a softness that made it difficult to hear him if not for the low booming timbre of his voice. He also had a thick accent that she couldn¡¯t quite place that had her spending several extra tes to make sure she¡¯d heard him correctly. ¡°Where¡¯re you in from?¡± The way he asked was polite, curious, but there was the unspoken bit that she obviously wasn¡¯t local either. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Rinot, originally. I just got in from Syskel.¡± She was proud of how natural it sounded despite being sure she was going to forget what she¡¯d pre-planned in the alley. She turned her glass in her hand for something to do. The sensation she¡¯d felt from the man when she sat down had gradually shifted into what she could only call a pressure, something thick and heavy; the air around her felt saturated with it. Strangely it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling, seeming like a big, heavy blanket thrown over her.


    ¡°¡®D¡¯you come around pel or lor?¡± he asked further. She met his eyes briefly before she decided to answer the question. Despite his lightly pinked cheeks and empty glass in front of the half empty one he held, his eyes held a surprising amount of clarity.


    ¡°Pel.¡± she said simply. Better to distance herself from anything to do with what happened, even being there. The man nodded at her response but she could somehow tell he saw right through her lie. ¡°Though I¡¯ve just heard about what¡¯s happening over the other side,¡± she said, because of course she would have heard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± the woman seethed. ¡°It¡¯s one thing for the political changes but I¡¯ve heard all kinds of things about people being held prisoner for ven. It was just in the last news cycle!¡± Mez was genuinely surprised that word had traveled so quickly. She wondered what else was public knowledge yet. Did they know about her?


    ¡°That¡¯s awful. I hadn¡¯t seen that yet.¡± Mez said before taking another sip of her ale. The young man leaned in.


    ¡°I heard two of the temples got burnt up over there. There¡¯s a lot of rumors about who did it and there¡¯s even been talk about whether this whole thing could spark another war.¡± He all but whispered the last word, everyone at the table going a little bit rigid at the utterance. It had been decadi and decadi since the last Great War but the subject was still a sensitive one. The older man¡¯s face dropped into a stern frown, eyebrows drawn.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare be spreading those kinds of rumors.¡± He said, low and careful. The strange pressure Mezalie felt shifted slightly but didn¡¯t let up.


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± He raised his glass to his lips to hide the twisted frown at being chastised.


    ¡°Are you staying for the Sol season or will you keep moving?¡± The man shifted his attention back to her and she hated the way his eyes seemed to see through her. His outward demeanor was so soft and unassuming yet just a few simple words paired with the powerful presence he exuded was enough to make her feel unbalanced. She tried to focus instead on the cold glass in her hand, how she was firmly sitting down despite her head starting to spin. What was this man?


    eat


    The voice cut through the noise of the pub, like someone whispering into her ear. She could feel the alarm that the creature was projecting to her. It startled her enough that she gasped, taking a sharp breath. She looked across to the other three at the table and it was obvious that they¡¯d noticed her surprise. ¡°I uh- I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± She tried very hard to simply pretend everything was fine. The woman gave her worried glances as she took a sip of her own drink. For a lack of anything else to do she held her glass to her lips and drank. She drained half the glass before she put it back down. She desperately wished for it to calm her nerves the way it used to.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± The younger man spoke up first, his eyes were on her shaking hand on the tabletop.


    there is a threat. it can be dealt with


    The whisper came again and with it came horrific, visceral memories of blood and flesh and a wave of grief welled up inside her.


    hunger


    The intent came with the word and it was clear, it wanted to eat the man and his strange energy. It supplied this information in a terrifying visual across her mind''s eye of a body being¡­well she wasn¡¯t sure what was happening to it exactly but oh, she could feel it. Even though she hadn¡¯t had control, even though she had barely been aware of what was happening she remembered the feeling of what it did to people. She looked up from the dark liquid in her glass to meet the somewhat alarmed and concerned faces of her table mates.


    This had been a bad idea.


    Abruptly she shoved her chair back and stood. The Band was painfully quiet at the exact same moment and the sound of the legs scraping across the floor was enough to draw several more eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, excuse me.¡± Mez apologized on her last puff of air before she spun away and began picking her way towards the exit. She couldn¡¯t get there fast enough between people standing around in the walkways or crowding around full tables. She felt a tightening sensation and the tell-tale beginnings of gurgling low in her gut and she knew what was coming.


    She burst out the door in a rush, startling several others who were milling about outside the pub for a smoke. She quickly looked to either side of the street, looking for a trash can or something but there was nothing to be immediately seen. In her panic she simply started walking as fast as she could, away from any other people. She didn¡¯t want to be there anymore. She didn¡¯t want anyone to see her like this.


    She made it just over a block before the hot, burning, acid began climbing up her throat and she looked for the first secluded spot she could find. She ducked down on her knees behind a large planter. It had thick, curly patches of ornamental grasses with long, thin, stalks raising up and bulbous flowers on the ends. She leaned down and heaved, hard, choking at first before vomiting back out the drink she¡¯d only half drunk. At least it wasn¡¯t much. She retched several times before she was done, taking heaving breaths out of habit more than anything, they didn¡¯t help or make her feel any better.


    She pushed herself upright on her knees, only half hidden behind the planter, and stared up into the dim, hazy lavender sky. At least she was alone. She was so, so, tired. Tired of having the worst interactions she¡¯d ever had with people. Tired of panic attacks triggered by things she didn¡¯t expect. Tired of being puppeted by something insidious. She laid her forehead against the rough lip of the planter, determined to sit until the misery passed, however long that took.


    Maybe forever.


    She closed her eyes, no longer concerned about breathing for appearances and she listened to the ambient noise of the city late in the nente. She could hear the low rumblings of the street cars still running in the distance. She noticed the humming and chittering of weather fae talking amongst themselves, unseen in the shadows and eaves of buildings. She could hear people talking in the distance, probably outside the pub. She wanted to cry, just for the catharsis of it but she had no tears left. Even when the tight, sharp pang of misery welled up in her, the tears never came nor the sniffles.


    A light sound, a whisper of rustling among the grass in the planter, alerted her. She picked her forehead up slowly and froze, eye to eye with a tiny little treffae. Its bulbous black eyes watched her, unmoving for several tes, before it slowly stretched its long thin legs out and began to move away from her. It moved extremely slowly at first, never taking its big eyes off of her until its little body couldn¡¯t accommodate the torsion anymore and it quickly skittered to the end of the planter, out of reach. She stayed there as it moved about in the plants and when it came around again there was a second one with it. She was transfixed by them as they made their way back towards her before disappearing again into the grass.


    When they burst back out of the grass right near her she moved on an instinct. She didn¡¯t even know she was going to do it when her hand shot out and caught one of the treffae, its slightly slimy body squirming violently in her hand but she held tight. Before she¡¯d even thought about why she¡¯d done it her hand came to her face and like a starved man she slurped the little thing down with fervor.


    It was disgusting, slimy and cold. It wiggled in her mouth for a moment before she swallowed it down. She¡¯d never eaten a fae before. There wasn¡¯t a point to, they weren¡¯t always corporeal and if they were they didn¡¯t stay that way. There wasn¡¯t anything there to eat, and that was if you could even catch them in the first place. The most thought she¡¯d ever given to treffae was for their help in the garden. She and the others in the Pod had cultivated a thriving ecosystem onboard their TVE and the evidence was the presence of the treffae they would occasionally glimpse in the early drievett or after rain. She hadn¡¯t considered catching one since she was a child and even then, she¡¯d never considered eating one.


    The relief was nearly instant and it was immaculate. She felt like she¡¯d swallowed all of Sol in one gulp. It heated her from the inside out and the heat spread violently from her core outward. It flowed out into her extremities in piping hot torrents. It was the best she¡¯d felt since¡­well since dying. She felt like she had become a glowing ember, burning up from the inside, like she¡¯d laid under the hot rays of Sol for too long and burnt herself, her skin staying hot to the touch for driev'' as she remained tender and peeling. Instead of the pain and tenderness of the burn though she felt radiant.


    She waited, still as a statue, to see if the other one would come back but after several dib it seemed that it had gone, slipping back across the veil to wherever else it belonged. Strangely disappointed, she shot straight up onto her feet but found herself flailing wildly as she rocked on her heels, dizzy and disoriented. She looked down at her feet and her vision swam trying to keep up with the movement. Was she drunk? She hadn¡¯t been drunk in ages but still, something wasn¡¯t quite the same even if she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what. She felt light, almost buoyant as she began to walk back towards the inn where she¡¯d left LoVelly sleeping.


    LoVelly.


    What a strange man, she thought. He was young but he didn¡¯t seem young. Something about him felt too worldly to be as young as he appeared and there was something strange about how he appeared at all. She couldn''t quite put all the pieces together even in her mind to make a clear picture of LoVelly. What was he hiding and did he even know? Was he like her, some great evil trapped in a body for better or worse or was he something else altogether? Sometimes when she thought of him she thought she remembered him from somewhere, a tickle in the back of her mind.


    The buildings bled together and so did the backdrop of the street. She passed buildings that were only vaguely familiar and it felt like her feet were taking her somewhere of their own choosing. She was just along for the ride. She hoped she was going back to the inn but she wasn¡¯t sure where it was anymore. She couldn¡¯t keep track of the scenery as she stumbled along.


    She believed LoVelly, she decided, when he said they¡¯d met in a past life. It was the only way she could explain the strange familiarity she felt for him. In actuality she might have accepted any answer to make something in her life make sense anymore. She wanted to believe him though. Some kind of innate sense was telling her it was okay to believe him. She wanted to trust herself but she wasn¡¯t sure she did¡­


    She blinked and suddenly the scenery changed. Instead of urban sprawl and buildings there were trees, fluffy and gently luminous up on the tips of the branches and up near the tops of them. Cobbled streets gave way to well treaded paths framed by tangled grasses and blanketed patches of tiny, white gendan flowers. She had enough wits about her to pause, looking for a sign or something to orient herself but she didn¡¯t see anything helpful around her as she turned. She didn¡¯t mean to but she continued to drift down the dirt and gravel path she was on, unable to stop.


    There was water. She didn¡¯t know where it came from but suddenly she found herself knee deep in dark, calm waters. She closed her eyes and stood there, letting the coolness soothe the fire within her. She liked the fire but she also liked this feeling of the water flowing around her. It was peaceful and soft, so unlike the burning chaos inside of her. She wiggled her toes in her waterlogged boots and felt a giggle trying to escape her but it died of a lack of air before it could make it out.


    The soft, even, tone of a water sprite came from further out in the water. Then she heard it again, a bit closer this time. It was just one at first but then another answered back, and then another joined in and it became a chorus of watersong. It was sweet and melodic and it was vibrating the surface of the water. The air became alive with the vibrations of the singing sprites.


    Watersong was for healing but she wasn¡¯t feeling healed when she stood there like a pillar, waiting in the softly humming water. She felt ravenous.


    She felt bad, somewhere in the back of her mind where she was still processing things, because she figured the fae were doing what they thought she needed. They wanted to heal her, they wanted to help her, which was more than some of the people she encountered thus far had offered. They were only doing what they thought was right and she knew that she was just the bait. Her wounded soul, trapped beyond life and death and tethered to flesh and blood with a monster, was full of pain. It drew the sprites out from between the veil and into the water which is exactly where the monster wanted them.


    It wasn¡¯t even her hands that shot out into the water in perfect unison. It was three strangely long and disjointed limbs that each successfully dragged a screaming sprite from the water. She never even noticed that she¡¯d somehow become more monster than woman. She saw now in the rippling reflection of the water the impossible moving shapes and colors of the monster as it dropped one sprite after the other into its waiting maw. Once the final sprite was swallowed down, the screaming went with it.


    The silence was so much heavier now that the struggle was over.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    She didn¡¯t know how long she stood there in the water, staring at nothing in the dark water while the monster retracted itself back within her. At some point she must have waded back out of the water because by the time she was starting to feel like herself again she was laying in a patch of wet, muddy grass near the water¡¯s edge. It was especially dark under the canopy of larger trees, fed and fattened by the water of the pond. The lowest branches there did not have the luminescence of the upper branches she remembered seeing on her way in.


    She rolled onto her back, cringing at the feeling of dirt and mud stuck to her, under her nails. She¡¯d just been in the water and yet she needed a bath so desperately. She only had the clothes she wore and the ones she¡¯d stolen from the people she¡¯d murdered. Now they were covered in mud and she would need to wash them. Shakily she pushed herself up to her hands and knees first, then onto her feet. Her boots were soaked and sloshed when she stepped in them and she hated it. Clumsily she reached down and un-tied them, pulling her feet out of the squelching confines. She tipped them both upside down and let the water spill out of them before tying them together by the laces. She slung them over her shoulders and began her long trek back from wherever she was.


    When she cleared the trees and low shrubbery it occurred to her that she was in some kind of park. The treeline opened up into a well kept field that had lines marked on it for sports. She marched on through it, boots clunking against her body as she went. She surely looked ghastly, waterlogged and covered in mud but she felt better than she had since it had all begun.


    She let that warmth lead her back.


    It felt like it took so much longer to find her way back than it had to get lost. She¡¯d blinked and found herself in the pond. By contrast the walk back to the inn seemed to drag on forever. She skulked down dimly lit streets and slithered through the darkness for quite a while before the writing on the front of the building came into view. She was thrilled to finally recognise the face of the building.


    She took herself around the back and up the stairs, no mien to accompany her this time. She went straight to the bathroom, not bothering to check in on LoVelly first. He was there, and he would still be there when she was done, she knew it in her gut and she was choosing to trust her instincts for now.


    As soon as the door had closed behind her she began peeling the muddy clothes off her body. She didn¡¯t bother with the light now, she didn¡¯t need to. She was aware of the room in a way she couldn¡¯t explain, a sense she¡¯d never had before mapping the placement of things. She navigated smoothly in the dark, turning the water on and getting in, letting it pour cold over her first while it heated up.


    She let the water first wash away the dirt that had dried and stuck to her. She felt the water soften it where it had dried and flaked, running down the drain in the dark. Then as it heated she let it run, filling the room with steam and chasing the heat she¡¯d felt after eating the treffae but of course it wasn¡¯t the same. This heat came from the water and while it warmed her skin it didn¡¯t warm her to the core like she wanted it to. It wasn¡¯t the same.


    Suddenly, like a slap to the face, a memory came to her in the hot, steaming darkness. She remembered someone at the temple saying something about ¡®feeding it faeries¡¯. She barely even remembered hearing it but now it seemed so clear; this was her solution to the hunger. She would feed it fae as much as it pleased if it meant she wouldn''t have a repeat of the farmhouse. She shut off the water, found a towel and dried herself down with a numb sort of detachment, like she was doing it for someone else. She would absolutely need to find a brush of some kind she realized because her hair was a mess and running her fingers through just wasn¡¯t going to do it anymore. She made her way down the hall in a trance to their door, muddy clothes forgotten in the dark bathroom and a towel wrapped tightly around her.


    She let herself in, the only indication was the squeak of the door as it opened. The light was off, LoVelly had got up at some point and turned it off. She noticed he had also turned the chair around at the desk to face the room. She wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d been doing but the paper she¡¯d been writing on was still where she¡¯d left it, scribbles and all and he was fast asleep again so she closed the door behind her and locked them both in. She was tired but it didn¡¯t feel right, not the way it used to. She knew she wouldn¡¯t sleep. She just wanted to rest for now, to let the floating feeling fade away. She found the stack of clean clothes that LoVelly had washed for them and slipped back into hers. They were stiff and a bit scratchy but they were clean and dry.


    She pulled back the covers on her side, trying as best she could to not wake LoVelly. He was, of course, laying on the blanket so she had to tug it out from under him. He shifted, mumbling something and rolling over when she pulled it free and she waited for his eyes to open but he did not wake, instead smacking his lips and settling back in. She slipped into her side of the bed and lay there, head spinning around and around about what had happened. It all felt like a dream. The pub seemed like driev¡¯ ago and the pond felt like another world altogether but she had discovered a new piece in the bizarre puzzle of her existence.


    She could eat fae and the rush she felt after was intoxicating. She could work with that; she had to. As she lay there in the dark, trying to settle her swirling mind, she listened to LoVelly breathe. She tried to let that rhythm lull her into a sense of calm. Would she tell him about what had happened, about her new diet? She wasn¡¯t sure yet.


    She had no idea what time it was or how long until the light of Ahraan joined Dhelarly in the sky and the lights outside began to dim and shut off. She listened as the sounds of a new driev began; floorboards creaking under sleepy feet, voices murmuring through the walls. She no longer felt strange and disconnected from herself and neither did she feel like an inferno trapped inside a body. She thought perhaps she could perform some trial and error with her newfound knowledge in the coming driev¡¯. If this was her life now she was going to learn how to live it.

 The Modern Devout (doubt)

    Teramyn had seen the girl and her accomplice in his dreams that nente they stayed in Desmek. He¡¯d seen ruins swirling past and dark sands that stretched on; he recognized one of the dead zones. Suddenly he was plunged beneath the sands into not the ruins of a long lost city but of Djramei, of their shining capital. Fire rained down from the sky in a burning hail and everything around him smoked. At the center of it all was the smoldering specter. A swirling inferno surrounded them and magma flowed out and away. Everything they¡¯d worked for was in ruin, falling to ashes around him. He¡¯d awoken in a cold sweat that had nothing to do with the chill that permeated the room around him.


    In the drievette he tried to scry for the girl and the Infinite Creature but wasn¡¯t able to locate them with only the trace amounts of residual fen left over at the site. He had both Sahayna and Carmis join him back at the temple to perform emurafen. There were just some things it took more than one person to accomplish.


    Finally, with their combined fen he was able to catch a glimpse of the girl. Her companion for whatever reason was impossible to lock onto, seeming more like a vague impression than another person he could track. The visions he was given showed him more of the ruins he¡¯d seen in his dreams. It was enough for him to identify the enormous broken remains of the convergence platform that, once upon a time, channeled the natural power well deep within the planet and powered the city around it.


    Of all the places they could have chosen he was surprised that it was Wulphera. There was an enormous amount of history in the ruins of the once-capital city of the old world but there was a darkness attached to it and people tended to stay far away from the stretch of black sands that preceded the ruins. It was also the place that the [last mage] had used to come through the cosmos to their world, nearly leveling the inner city with the aftershock.


    He saw the creature and for the briefest moment he even saw through its dizzying monocular vision. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking at exactly, mostly just a dizzying swirl of shapes and colors slapped across the otherwise desolate background. He saw the girl and he could see that she was unwell. He needed to catch up to her as soon as possible.


    Two royal guards arrived in a skipper in Desmek that driev, having been stuck behind them due to the weather in the pass. He decided he would take them and the tevvy up to Wulphera. He sent Sahayna and Carmis back to Djramei; Carmis to retrieve some essentials from the capital and bring them to him, and Sahayna because she¡¯d been asking a variety of unwelcome questions following her interviews with the devotees. Had he considered appealing to the girl? What would they do with her once they had her? As if the girl had control over the Infinite Creature, something so beyond their understanding. If there was anything left of the girl by the time he found her it was surely only enough to play pretend at being a person, like a puppet.


    He had seen the visions of the creature all his life. He knew it, along with the figure from his visions, was the key to the end of everything. He only needed to track it down and complete the binding. Once he controlled it he would be able to stop the end of all things. He would be able to figure out how to reverse the shift, even refill the fen wells, with that kind of power. He thought about these things on the long drive to the ruined city.


    The land became dry and arid well before the ruins of the former city were visible on the horizon. The ground was cracked and dusty, the tevvy kicking up a vast cloud behind them as they zipped along over the scar on the land. When they finally arrived it took some time to get to the heart of the ruins as they had to go most of the way on foot, the barely existing roads too decayed to safely navigate the tevvy.


    It was when they found themselves looking down at the ancient, broken, convergence point that Teramyn felt the familiar swell in his brain of a vision pushing itself through his background thoughts to the forefront of his mind. Images swirled behind his eyes and he felt light headed, reaching out to place a steadying hand on one of his companions.


    She has been there. Her and the other person, who he could not for the life of him get a read on. He knew they were with the girl but they were always only vague. He wasn¡¯t concerned about that so much as where they had gone. In his mind he saw the convergence point, a light, a swell of energy and then¡­nothing.


    He tried and tried for lofvs to scry for where they had gone but he couldn¡¯t get anything that gave up their whereabouts, only glimpses that meant nothing to him. It was fine though, he had at least two driev¡¯ before his requested aid arrived and he would find her before then. He could feel that he was getting closer. The residual energy left behind by the creature was stronger, cleaner, there in the ruins only because it wasn¡¯t muddied with the lingering fen of all the others in the temple.


    He would not underestimate the power or the trickiness of the creature, even at the risk of the new crown appearing aggressive by sending a proper troop of mages to assist in apprehending it. The political impacts were trivial in the grand scheme of things though. None of it would matter if the prophecy was allowed to proceed. He would do whatever it took to get his ultimate weapon against the [ivellacht vail¡¯le] back. If everyone had seen what he¡¯d seen they would understand that the ends would justify the means.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    They took a skipper back over the mountains, just Sahayna, Carmis and their chauffeur, and she deeply regretted complaining about the tevvy. There was hardly room to move in the cramped cabin and in comparison the tevvy seemed luxurious. The skipper was faster, sure, pulled by a small team of arcter¡¯s steady hooves instead of the sail due to the inclement weather. The trade-off was that the cabin roof was so low it required them to stay on their knees at the best of times and there was just barely enough room inside for all three people to lay down and sleep for the nentes they would have to spend in it before they arrived back in Djramei.


    Teramyn had announced that he would not return with them and instead continue to pursue the girl. She had tried to talk him into coming back to the capital with them, to regroup and figure out a better plan but the man was resolute. It concerned her because she didn¡¯t need the kind of fen he had to feel the dark desperation growing in him. He¡¯d had a vision while they were there, producing another prophecy stone. Then he¡¯d had a dream that nente that left him shaken. He¡¯d confided in her the following dreivette that he was afraid they were running out of time. Sahayna touched her hand to her pocket, within which she could feel the enclosed stone she¡¯d been tasked with taking back to the capital. She¡¯d spent several lof rolling it in her hand, trying to glean everything she could from the glimpses it offered.


    She saw it in her mind''s eye, the fiery figure the stone showed. She¡¯d seen it before in her own vision. It¡¯s what had brought her and many others to Teramyn in the first place.


    Teramyn had his first vision of the end of everything as a child. It came as a recurring nightmare that he woke from screaming each nente. His family quickly became familiar with the events that were unfolding in his head but they did not have the ability to travel the long distance to see a priestess or an oracle. However when he became an adolescent and produced his first prophecy stone his family could no longer ignore the signs. He went to them, stone in hand and prophetic words spilling from his lips and it was decided he would be sent bid with the farming caravans come that Sol season. His ana traveled with him all the way to the Grand Temple in Karnen where they had been expected and Teramyn was immediately welcomed into the ranks as one of the youngest prophets.


    As the solcen passed one after another, more and more people were drawn to the Grand Temple in search of the boy. They all claimed visions or dreams that led them there in search of a boy that they immediately recognized as the young prophet.


    Sahayna had been one of them.


    She¡¯d been the only other one to receive visions of the figure bathed in flames. Teramyn called the figure in the visions the Seltoldev, god of the end. She had only seen it once but it had been enough. The toll of being in the presence of that figure was immense, the heat pressing in on all sides, choking out any air, sucking it from her lungs. More than that though was the overpowering waves of despair that rolled out from them. It was enough to bring her to her knees, even in a vision. It was enough for her to pledge to keep the vision from coming to fruition no matter what.


    She believed in the cause.


    Again she rolled the tiny stone through the fabric of her pocket and reminded herself of that until sleep found her.


    ***


    It was late when they finally arrived in Djramei and the palace could be seen on the hill through the single tiny window in the skipper. It was one of her favorite things about the capital, how picturesque the landscape leading up to the castle was, even during Votton. It was lush with short fluffy trees surrounding the castle and the road. Wide patches of glowing Niesium dotted the land around the castle and trickled down the hill where the seeds had spread on the wind. They could hear the thundering of arcter hooves on the smooth paved streets rather than the snowy mountainside. She was equal parts excited and exhausted as she waited patiently to be let in through the palace gates and finally, finally the driver stopped the tiny craft and killed the engine, setting it down with a thunk.


    Carmis hardly even waited for the drop before he was cranking the handle on the hatch and crawling out into the nente. The cold air rushed into the tiny compartment and while it chilled Sahayna straight through it was a welcome relief to the stuffy cabin. She crawled to the open door and scooted herself out feet-first onto the palace driveway and stuffed her hat over her messy hair. There were attendants and staff to take her single small bag and offer her a heavy cloak which she gladly took. There were voices speaking to her from multiple mouths and she barely processed any of it.


    Nimel- thank the gods for Nimel, they were there to help field the questions and offered to get back to people ¡®once the Grand Wizard Sahayna has had time to collect her thoughts¡¯. The apprentice led her around the side of the palace the long way to the tower. She would have complained but she knew they¡¯d done it to avoid further demanding generals and royal staff that no doubt had even more questions.


    Everyone wanted to know about what had happened and what was going on, what had gone wrong at the summoning? What were they doing to recover the [the vott]? Sahayna didn¡¯t have answers to those questions yet but she knew she¡¯d have to provide something sooner rather than later.


    They let themselves in through the staff door at the back of the tower. The lights were lit but if Carmis had already been there, there was no sign of him now. He was meant to meet with Teramyn somewhere along the route once he''d determined the girl''s location. She frankly wasn¡¯t worried about whatever Carmis did, she just wanted to go and stretch herself across her bed like a star and sleep uninterrupted for at least a handful of lof before she had to get up and figure out all those answers.


    The fire was lit in her chambers already and she nearly melted into the chair right across from it. She didn¡¯t even realize her eyes had closed when Nimel made a soft noise in their throat and her eyes shot open to find the apprentice seated upon the plush ottoman across from her. She heaved herself up into a more upright position placing her elbows on her knees and lacing her fingers together.


    ¡°Alright, tell me only the most vital things now. The rest can wait on drievett after I¡¯ve taken a meal.¡± she sighed. Nimel had several pages stacked together in their hands which they shuffled through. Once they had the one they wanted they leaned into the firelight.


    ¡°Grand Wizard Teramyn has called to mobilize the royal guard to meet him en route at a location near the ruins of Wulphera-¡±


    ¡°HE WHAT?!¡± Her voice echoed around the room. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yes, that is by far the most vital thing that everyone wants an answer for.¡± Their dry, factual delivery and level headedness was something Sahayna deeply appreciated about her student but sometimes their words struck like a fist. She placed her forehead in one of her hands and took a deep, grounding breath.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°drievett arszo. He sent the message directly through an oracle at the temple and the news was out before Ahraan had risen.¡± They dutifully flipped a page in their stack and continued. ¡°The captain of the guard has dedicated a group that will go however they want to meet with you first before they send off their team. As you can imagine everyone is concerned-¡±


    ¡°By what looks like a show of power or an act of war,¡± she finished.


    ¡°Correct. As per the consensus not everyone agrees with the new monarchy. It would be unwise to instigate anything at this point.¡±


    ¡°Teramyn said nothing of mobilizing before he and I parted ways.¡± Sahayna sighed again, long and pained. ¡°Please tell me that is the only thing that needs my immediate attention¡­¡± She looked to Nimel as they flipped another page but then flipped back again and nodded seeming content.


    ¡°Yes. The rest can wait.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic. Please get some sleep if you can. Szoret driev will be long.¡±


    They bid each other well for the nente and Sahayna stayed sat in her plush chair by the fire for quite some time. She let the heat soak into her aching bones until the fire began to burn down. When there were only embers left and the room had settled at a reasonable temperature she rose from her chair and went through her regular routine, hat on the post at the end of her bed and first to the washroom to wash away the stale smell of the skipper and then to her wardrobe for clean robes. She slipped on her palace shoes to keep the chill that settled in the stone floors out. She stared at her cloak on the hanger, torn because she should lie down and at least rest but she also knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep now.


    She pulled her cloak out and threw it over herself.


    She¡¯d spent an entire driev interviewing members of the Desmek temple. They¡¯d all been heavily shaken by what they¡¯d seen and she¡¯d had to interview them each one at a time in order to keep them from upsetting and interrupting each other. Most of them had similar accounts of what happened; they¡¯d heard the commotion from wherever they had been in the building and rushed to the scene, they¡¯d seen the creature, which none of them could describe. What they had been able to describe was gruesome, how it had¡­liquefied, or something akin to it, anyone that got near it.


    What had her quietly slipping out of her quarters though and into the dark hall was something that one of the younger acolytes had told her in the quiet of the office they¡¯d met in.


    She ghosted down the long hall of the main floor from her chambers back to the tower, back to the stairs. She took her time up each step, dread weighing heavy on her as she went. What was she even going to do? Then she thought again of the acolytes'' snotty, teary face as she recounted her experience.


    Like the others she couldn¡¯t describe the monster but she did describe the girl. She¡¯d been in the main hall when the creature had emerged into the open area. She saw as it slurped up other members of the temple as it moved. When a wave of energy and heat burst from the monster she¡¯d been thrown back and trapped under a bench that went with her. She said she¡¯d blacked out and when she woke the building was ablaze and she could hear someone sobbing. She looked up to see a figure on the debris covered floor as smoke quickly filled the room. She could see a young woman, her curly hair was a mess and she was covered in soot and some kind of shifting, iridescent goo.


    The woman was sobbing into the floor and speaking between hiccups and tears. Between the flames cracking, bursts of activating tevedev and the crying it was hard to understand her but the acolyte had managed to catch several things. She¡¯d screamed into the floor that she wanted it to end, that she wished she was dead. She was quiet for a moment after and the acolyte had thought maybe she was dead. That¡¯s when she heard footsteps and the young man arrived. He quickly went to the woman, calling out to her- Mezalie was her name. When he roused her she cried that everyone was dead, why had they done this to her?


    The acolyte didn''t hear what the other person said back but she saw the bright ring of light open up behind them and then they disappeared. The girl had called for help and thankfully had been rescued before the flames spread to where she was trapped. They¡¯d been able to use the emergency procedures, meant in case of an especially bad burning hail, to put the fires out and save most of the building. It would take several ven if not an entire luel to truly clean the mess inside though. On top of that the trauma that the remaining oracles and devotees now carried may drive them away from the temple altogether. She and Teramyn had done their absolute best to counsel and assure the followers that the tragedy would not go unacknowledged. They would send help from the palace to clean and rebuild. They would send oracles and wizards from nearby temples to fill the gap in community needs.


    She desperately hoped it would be enough. It had to be enough. They couldn''t afford to lose followers to Great Doubts now when things were still so unstable; Ahshka was barely on the throne. It had been unthinkable at first that it could even happen, a child king winning the favor but somehow Teramyn had done it. The man had a way with winning people¡¯s faith.


    Teramyn''s following had practically built itself, with more and more people arriving every driev in search of the face from their visions. Most of his initial followers were already Whisper sensitive before suddenly becoming plagued by visions of ¡®the end of all things¡¯ that drove them to seek out the End Prophet. Teramyn didn''t like the moniker, preferring instead to call themselves the Modern Devout of the Unknowable Expanse, or just The Modern Devout.


    And he had a plan to stop The End.


    As she reached the landing at the top of the tower she kept her steps light and immediately felt silly for doing so because there was no reason to sneak. She was allowed in her own tower. She was allowed in any room she wanted.


    She believed in the plan. Everything was fine.


    So what was she doing sneaking around in her own shared tower hoping to snoop through her colleague, and mentors, things? Because ultimately that''s what she was doing and she knew it.


    She was maybe having doubts.


    Small ones though. And perhaps sating her curiosity would remove them from her conscience. She could not afford to have doubts now.


    The tower landing was dark, all the windows were in the rooms themselves and with no lamp she had to fumble her way to the door she knew led to the prophecy room. She''d done it many times before. The door was slightly ajar and pushed open easily. She felt around on the wall for the fen switch until she found the familiar shape and pushed her fen into it. The switch glowed green first before setting alight several overhead lights that also glowed with a slight green tint to them.


    She wasn''t sure what she was looking for yet¡­ Something that would prove to her that her feelings of unease, that Teramyn was hiding something from her, were false and that her devotion was good and just. She''d justified a lot of things in the name of the plan. She''d sacrificed a lot of things in the name of the plan.


    She went immediately to the edge of Teramyn¡¯s workspace and she paused, unsure if she could do it at first. She wanted to believe she wouldn''t but then her feet took her forward and she stepped down into the round recess in the stone floor that served as a multi-use space. It was identical to her own on the other side of the tower. There was a small round table in the center with just enough room on all sides to walk around it. Along the curved wall there were drawers that followed the curve of the wall. One of the drawers was slightly ajar and she went first to it. She put her hand on the handle and she wanted to simply push it closed and turn and go but she just¡­couldn¡¯t. Something in her gut didn¡¯t feel right and she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to go until she knew.


    She rifled through the contents of the drawer and found nothing especially incriminating. The first drawer was mostly loose texts and booklets. They appeared to be notes on work they¡¯d done but she¡¯d already seen all of them, she¡¯d written half of them. The next drawer was simply extra supplies and odd ends. Teramyn¡¯s things were in especially careful order; everything had its place. She was on her third drawer, steam quickly dissipating as she felt uncertain about what she was even looking for. She certainly wasn¡¯t going to find a confession of wrongdoing.


    She had asked to look into the mind of the young acolyte for her memories of the experience. Her account had been so different from the others and she had needed to see it for herself. It had sent a cold shiver down her spine to hear the broken sobs of a girl pushed to her limits and not that of someone nefarious with ill intent towards those around them.


    Teramyn had said that Infinite Creature had been stolen, that the girl had taken it from them. It had been implied that she was controlling the Infinite Creature to pursue her own ends but Sahayna couldn¡¯t put the picture of the broken girl she¡¯d seen and the supposed thief together into one. And on top of all that, what of the mystery person with her, who were they?


    Something just didn¡¯t add up. And now he was mobilizing forces in a move he had not discussed with her or with anyone, it seemed, before deciding on. The fear of war was still strong in the minds of the people, even two generations later. Their history was not quickly forgotten.


    Teramyn warned of an impending war like nothing they¡¯d seen previously, a war of the gods, if the prophecy came to pass. The fear that something so catastrophic was possible loomed in the minds of people now that word was spreading about what had happened, about the creature.


    A noise came from behind her and Sahayna jumped, whipping around to look, scanning the room but she saw nobody. She did see however, that the stone case was open, which she found odd. She didn¡¯t think the latch was faulty, at least not last she¡¯d checked. She slowly pushed the drawer she¡¯d been in closed and turned towards the case. She stepped up out of the recess and she saw on the floor in front of the case a small, round, white stone. A prophecy stone. She approached the area cautiously, unsure what was going on. A few steps away she stopped, looking at the case, door ajar, and to the stone, frowning.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± she said.


    She nearly jumped out of her skin, releasing a shriek when Carmis materialized in front of her. He had a look of shock in response and reached out to steady her. She placed a hand over her racing heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Grand Wizard Sahayna. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I thought you knew. I thought you were talking to me.¡± She looked up into his apologetic face and couldn¡¯t help the little chuckle that escaped her.


    ¡°No. I was talking to the stone. Which sounds silly out loud.¡± She took a deep, steadying breath. ¡°And I suppose you were here the whole time?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I-yes¡­¡± he thought better of a lie. He had all but admitted guilt already.


    ¡°So, I caught you sneaking about and you¡¯ve caught me sneaking about. Where does that leave us?¡± She took a step back, straightening up and regarding the apprentice with narrowed eyes. He looked pained and hesitant as she stared him down. While he was an incredibly gifted young man she knew that he would rather go unnoticed at any given point and being under scrutiny was not his strong suit.


    ¡°I swear to the gods I did not see anything and if I did I would never speak of it.¡± He insisted.


    ¡°Ah ah.¡± She tutted. She stooped down to scoop up the round stone off the floor, pulling the sleeve of her cloak over her fingers before touching it. ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t but I certainly did.¡± She held the stone out between them, regarding it and then the young man. ¡°What exactly compelled you into sneaking up here to go through your mentor¡¯s things?¡±


    ¡°I really couldn¡¯t say.¡± He kept his face blank giving nothing away. She knew she had to be delicate if she wanted the young man to talk to her. She realized that maybe he was what she had been looking for, a sign that her doubt wasn¡¯t unfounded.


    ¡°Carmis. I¡¯m asking you this as¡­as a friend. Not as a mentor, not as a Grand Wizard. Just me to you and I hope you can tell that I am sincere in asking. Do you understand?¡± She hoped that her face showed the desperation she was starting to feel. Slowly he nodded, saying nothing as he waited for her to go on. ¡°I have reason to think that Teramyn may be hiding something from us all about his true intentions. What do you know that brought you up here?¡±


    Carmis sighed deeply and brought both his hands up to rub his face before shifting his weight on his feet. ¡°Miss Sahayna, if I may, my loyalties have and always will lie with Ahshka first and foremost. My position with Teramyn is a byproduct of politics but it keeps me close. That said I feel that mobilizing the guard is far too risky a move. I¡¯ve felt for some time that something was off with Gran- with Teramyn. I¡¯m so sorry, I know we cannot doubt but I couldn¡¯t just stand by.¡±


    ¡°We are of the same mind on that, actually.¡± She told him. He''d voiced her concerns exactly. He looked down at the floor, his eyebrows drawing in and she could see him biting the inside of his cheek. She waited, letting him consider his words.


    ¡°I swore secrecy to Teramyn but I no longer feel it is in the best interests of Ahshka to keep it.¡± He said slowly, in a low voice. He took a deep breath. ¡°Grand Wizard Teramyn is an extremely regular, routine-oriented individual and lately he has been acting increasingly erratic. He often goes into a frenzy where he will scry for lofvs and fill page after page with unintelligible writings. He says they''re coming from ¡®the other side¡¯ but I still don''t know what that means. He''s having nente-terrors. He''s becoming paranoid. The list goes on.¡±


    Sahayna was shocked. She thought that she and Teramyn were rather close and that she had a good handle on his behavior but what Carmis was describing was far beyond her imagining. She couldn''t believe that she''d missed something so huge.


    ¡°Where are the writings?¡± She asked.


    ¡°He burns them but,¡± he leaned in and spoke softly, ¡°I did keep one.¡±


    ¡°Meet me in my tower room with it. We have a lot to discuss before the drievett.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen (the change is subtle)

    Sometime in the early drievett, when the city was just waking, Mezalie had the realization that she had left her wet, muddy clothes in the washroom. When she let herself back out in the hallway she spotted the mien that had already made their acquaintance. She made a noise to it as she approached and it turned to look at her, ears perking at first. Once she got closer though it¡¯s big pointed ears suddenly laid flat back against it¡¯s head and a rumbling growl emitted from the creature. She drew her hand back, confused by the change in behavior. She paused, crouching down low before reaching out again, offering her hand. The previously friendly furball now swiped at her and scrambled past her to run off down the hall and down the stairs.


    Mezalie was left stunned and wondering what had just happened. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do though, so with a sense of bewilderment she made her way to the washroom and collected her clothes. She thought she¡¯d seen at least a spout around back if not a hose. When she came down the stairs she cautiously peered around, checking to see if the mien had stayed close or wandered further off. When she saw no trace of the angry poof she continued her search in the dim light. Finally she spied the end of a hose peeking out from behind some boards leaned up against the back wall of the building. There were palettes stacked nearby and bags of soil, clearly overstock for the owners gardening. She dropped her clothes and followed the hose to a spout. She had to move a bag of soil to get to it but once she was able to turn it she heard the flow of water burst to life.


    She hosed the mud off of her clothes against the palettes until they looked reasonable enough to put in a laundry machine. She was thankful that the mud had come out so cleanly from the blouse. She felt selfish for wishing she had something more to her taste to wear when she was lucky to have what she did due to the kindness of strangers. But still, she found herself wanting.


    Sooner rather than later she would need to figure out their money situation. Perhaps sooner was now. It wasn¡¯t like they had much else on their agenda aside from hoping to stumble upon something useful in a book in the archive. Mezalie was starting to have her doubts about that anyway. LoVelly couldn¡¯t help, and she¡¯d spent lofvs reading until her eyes hurt and she didn¡¯t feel much closer to figuring out what to do, what was going on or why it was happening to her¡­


    First though, a job.


    She wrung out her clothes as best she could and took them to the laundry room on the corner of the ground floor. The machine was thankfully empty this early so she tossed her things in and set the cycle. She sat back on the table that was set against the wall opposite the machine. It was meant for folding, with one side having a fold out for ironing as well. It had peeling diamond patterned laminate that she thought had probably looked quite nice once. It was cute now.


    She was content to sit and wait for her clothes, listening to the sound of the tumbler go round and round. She felt remarkably good for once, a feeling of peace settling over her as her eyes slipped closed. She listened to the soft thump of her wet clothes as they went around. She wanted to sigh but, once again, had no air left in her lungs. She took a deep breath and she tasted as much as she smelled the savory, salty flavor in the air. There was something meaty and rich cooking.


    She closed the door to the laundry behind her on her way to the propped door that appeared to go into the back of the kitchen as she peered in. The lights were much brighter inside and she squinted her eyes against it as she stepped in.


    ¡°Go¡¯vendri.¡± She called in her barely passable Lelistik. It didn''t seem to matter much though because the inn owner paused and turned to her from his place at a chopping board, a smile on his face.


    ¡°Ah, an early riser,¡± he said.


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± she answered.


    ¡°I bet the smell brought you in. I have some toast and yawk ready.¡± He pointed his knife towards the stovetop where there was indeed some food ready and waiting. ¡°Tor juice in the pitcher in the sink.¡±


    ¡°Tari bi ov.¡± She thanked him as she moved to grab a plate from the stack set out on the end of the counter. She looked back over her shoulder at the man as she stacked two pieces of toast on the plate. ¡°I need to find some work so I can continue to pay you.¡± She added two thin slices of meat to the plate. ¡°Do you know of any large machine shops that might need extra hands for the season?¡± She asked as she went to the sink, plucking a glass from the rack beside it and pouring a drink. She balanced the plate in one hand and the glass in the other.


    breathe.


    The reminder did not startle her this time but what did was the fact she didn¡¯t know if it had come from her or the creature. She could still feel the awkward other-ness of the creature that intruded in her mind always but no more than usual. Sure enough however, she took a breath and then another, settling into a steady rhythm. The man did not seem to notice her momentary strangeness as he nodded eagerly before returning to his dicing.


    ¡°Hin hin, I will get the address for you. You can tell them Dren sent you. I¡¯ll slip it under your door,¡± he offered.


    ¡°I cannot thank you enough.¡± She hoped the sincerity survived her less than perfect accent.


    ¡°It is my pleasure.¡± He said with a smile, not looking up from his task as Mezalie made her way back towards the door she¡¯d come from and into the cold drievett, plate held close.


    When she opened the door upstairs she had expected LoVelly to still be asleep. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be pacing back and forth gripping a sheet of paper held in front of him. His attention snapped to her as soon as the door opened, eyes going wide.


    ¡°I told you I could read something! I knew it. What does this say?!¡± He ran to her side, showing her the paper he held so tightly. On it were a variety of small scribbles written in an unsteady script. She tilted her head, squinting at the scrawl and trying to make sense of it. She paused and looked to LoVelly instead.


    ¡°What do you mean? If you can read it, why don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t read it now.¡± He said, which somehow made less sense.


    ¡°What?¡± she said bluntly, appropriately. LoVelly took a step back from her so she could finally step away from the door. He walked to the little desk and picked up another small scrap of paper with writings on it. She nearly forgot she was holding a glass and plate until she moved again. She held both out to him and took a breath. ¡°I brought you food. Eat it before it gets cold.¡± He took the plate with a bewildered face, eyebrows scrunched in.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He handed her the papers in exchange and took the glass. He dropped to the floor right there in the middle of the room, plate on his knee and glass beside him. She had no reason not to so she dropped down across from him as well. He picked up a piece of toast and took a bite and she saw something in his face light up when the sweet jam hit his taste buds and he took a second and third bite like a starved man. To be fair he hadn¡¯t eaten for¡­a while. She waited for him to finish the first piece of toast, finally slowing down. He took a long drink from his glass, gasping for air when he finally came up.


    ¡°Okay. I had a dream and during it I saw all this writing and in my dream I could read it! I remember writing things, books, manuals¡­something like that. But the point is I could read it in my dream so I must have been able to read it before.¡± He was waving wildly with his hands as he told his story. ¡°When I woke up I tried to write down as many things as I could remember but now that I¡¯m more awake I can¡¯t really¡­see them right anymore. When I look at them they stop making sense.¡±


    She spread the papers out on the floor between the two of them. She tried to make sense of what was there in front of her but¡­she turned one of the pages, seeing if maybe it made more sense that way.


    ¡°I have no idea what language this is.¡± She admitted, puzzled. ¡°I know at least a little bit of every spoken language and this is¡­well I don¡¯t know what this is.¡± She looked up at him, his mouth full of yawk and toast, he hmm¡¯d and continued to chew his food. She turned the paper again, trying to decide which way made the most sense. It was definitely a language, even if it was one he made up. She recognized repeating characters and some semblance of structure to the writings but beyond that she wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°We have got to get into that head of yours.¡± she told him as he started on his second piece of toast. ¡°I¡¯m going to find out about work, maybe we can find a doctor while we¡¯re at it. Someone who¡¯s qualified to dig around in there.¡± She reached across the gap and poked him twice in the forehead to illustrate her point.


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea.¡± He finally said, washing his food down with more juice. ¡°If I could just remember something, or if I could read, maybe I could be more help.¡± Mezalie could hear the frustration in his voice.


    ¡°LoVelly it¡¯s okay. Even if it turns out we can¡¯t fix it. We will find other ways for you to help.¡± She assured. He met her eyes and she felt like he must know she meant it. Even without a touch that felt like a live wire at times, she swore she could still feel his emotions spilling over into her own. She thought it probably went both ways, or she hoped it did.


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± He sighed. ¡°But I would just feel better if I could help more.¡±


    A noise suddenly caught both or their attention, just a soft swish but in the otherwise quiet space it was noticeable. Mezalie immediately identified the folded slip of paper that had slid under the door and into the room. She got to her knees and crawled just the short distance needed to be able to reach out and snatch the paper. She sat back on her knees, flipping the paper up and finding the address and name of someone who could hopefully get her a job.


    It felt surreal to be worried about finding work with everything going on but here she was anyway. She held the paper up for LoVelly to see what she had. ¡°It¡¯s a contact for someone who might be able to help me find work.¡± She told him. He was finishing his last piece of meat but he nodded at her, swallowing it down to speak.


    ¡°I could probably find work too.¡± he offered.


    ¡°You can¡¯t read. And we don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you.¡± She countered.


    ¡°Ouch. First of all I don¡¯t need to read to do what I know how to do. It¡¯s a trade skill and that''s always needed. And second we do know what¡¯s wrong with you and it feels a lot more dangerous than whatever I¡¯ve got going on.¡± He argued. He kept his voice low but she could hear the tension to it and she realized she had genuinely upset him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it like-¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s fine.¡± They spoke over one another. LoVelly put his hands up between them. ¡°Really. It¡¯s fine. I am just worried about keeping us safe until we can figure out what to do about the creature.¡± He picked up his plate and pushed himself off the floor, putting the plate on the desk. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Thank you, I do appreciate it.¡± She stood up so that she could shuffle back to sit on the edge of the bed. ¡°I want to see about finding you a doctor before a job though.¡± She reiterated.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s reasonable,¡± he sighed, coming over to drop down next to her on the edge of the bed. ¡°Might as well do it while we¡¯re out and about, yeah?¡± He turned to her, glancing at the paper she held and she watched the little wrinkle form between his eyebrows as he tried to decipher the letters. She folded the page in half on itself and leaned back a bit to stuff it in her pocket.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She stood up and went to the door, grabbing the handle and turning back to wait for LoVelly. She tipped her head at the door once in an attempt to get him moving. He took the cue to join her, tilting his head at her.


    ¡°Did you not like the other clothes?¡± He asked, perceptive as ever and she internally groaned.


    ¡°They just¡­smelled stale. Kind of dusty, so I wanted to wash them.¡± She lied. LoVelly''s extra clothes were still neatly folded on the end of the bed. ¡°I should grab those before we leave, actually.¡± She had almost forgotten about her things, truthfully.


    ¡°I''ll meet you downstairs then. I''m going to use the washroom.¡± He told her as she opened the door and they split ways. Mez headed down to the laundry to find the machine still running. She popped the door open, feeling for dryness and while they were just a little damp it wasn''t so bad they wouldn''t finish drying on their own.


    She hurried them back upstairs and dropped them next to LoVelly¡¯s things, promising herself she would fold them when they got back. For now she laid them out flat to dry. She heard the washroom door open and quickly turned and locked the door on her way out, barely remembering to grab the key off the hook just inside the door. LoVelly was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her as promised and they found themselves together in front of the inn again.


    It was still very early. Ahraan had not yet risen and the street lights were all still bright as they dotted along the street. There was a chill in the air that was punctuated by each of LoVelly¡¯s exhales, a plume of breath rising up and away from them and fading away into the dark sky past the lights. As they made their way down the same street they were beginning to know Mez realized just how early it was. There were hardly any lights on in the windows they passed, and they had only crossed paths with barely a handful of other people by the time they made it to the station. The people they passed were sleepy and as quiet as the city around them.


    The station was relatively empty, just a few people standing silently on the platforms as they waited for the first cars of the driev. On the far side of the station a car was just pulling into the station and the sound echoed around the open space. Its lights swept across them briefly as it came around a turn before settling into its docking.


    ¡°Backup plan is looking less likely considering how few people are around.¡± She joked as she exaggerated looking around at the handful of people lingering about.


    ¡°Yeah I think we might be on our own. I didn''t realize how early I''d gotten up.¡± LoVelly admitted.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you slept like the dead.¡± She told him as she led them to the center of the open station where the signs and maps were posted. There were lights along the top and sides of the boards which illuminated them enough to read even during the darkest driev of Votton.


    ¡°Did you manage to get any sleep?¡± he asked. It was an innocent question but she felt no small amount of dread rise up in her from it. She kept her eyes resolutely on the board in front of her when she took a small breath and answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I sleep anymore,¡± she said evenly. She could feel LoVelly¡¯s eyes on her even if she couldn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°But¡­I¡¯ve seen you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t actually fallen asleep since¡­well since I woke up in that field with you. I can rest, obviously. And more or less I think I can pass out but I think when I do that thing gets control,¡± she explained, eyes focussed on a single spot on the board. She didn¡¯t know why she couldn¡¯t look at him when she said it but she felt too exposed already. Every admission of something new and strange about this state of being she was in felt like striking an exposed nerve. She felt raw and far, far too seen.


    She wasn¡¯t expecting the gentle bump of LoVelly¡¯s shoulder into hers as they stood there. It wasn¡¯t demanding or overwhelming, just there. She felt the trickle of emotion mingle into hers and while confusion was a strong one so was the warmth of compassion. It allowed her to relax from the tense state she¡¯d worked herself into, allowed her to drop her shoulders that she hadn¡¯t even realized were hunched up towards her jawline.


    ¡°Huh. That sounds really boring. What did you do that whole time I was asleep?¡± he asked and again, it was a perfectly reasonable question. It just so happened that now she was faced with making the decision: did she tell him about the fae or did she keep it to herself?


    With the flow of energy humming back and forth between them she knew that no matter how hard she tried she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a secret from him for long anyway. It wasn¡¯t worth the extra stress of trying either, she thought.


    ¡°I actually¡­I went out for a bit.¡± She admitted. She finally turned away from the spot on the board she was drilling holes into with her eyes. She didn¡¯t look directly at him but she could see his face in her peripheral vision. ¡°I went to a pub. I don¡¯t know why really. I guess I thought maybe someone might have something useful to say.¡± She shrugged at that. It seemed silly now. ¡°But it didn¡¯t go well-¡± she felt LoVelly tense suddenly at that so she quickly added, ¡°not in a monster way but in an ¡®I had a panic¡¯ attack way.¡± Thankfully they were the only two standing in the middle of the plaza but she still kept her voice low and private.


    ¡°I ended up leaving and long story short, I ate a couple of treffae. And I think it got me really high and I might have eaten water sprites too? I don¡¯t know if I imagined that or not. It was a really weird time.¡± She turned her head slightly to meet LoVelly¡¯s eyes finally. She wasn¡¯t sure what expression was sitting on his face but it was somewhere between confusion and tasting something sour. She didn¡¯t know what to make of that.


    ¡°You ate treffae?! But they look so¡­slimy and wet.¡± His expression made more sense now.


    ¡°Oh it was slimy.¡± She said flatly. ¡°I didn¡¯t even mean to do it. My body just acted on its own. It was scary, honestly. And once I was high it was like someone else was at the controls altogether. I was just along for the ride.¡±


    Another person joined them at the other end of the boards, looking up and assumedly looking for their own route and destination. Mezalie stopped the conversation where she was and actually looked up at the board with intent. She dug into her pocket for the paper she stowed away. She unfolded it and held it into the light. She looked at it and then at the large map, trying to decipher the address format as best she could. It looked like the sections of city were marked by a letter-number combo on the board and she was able to match that to part of the address and from there she was able to narrow it down to a few neighborhoods nestled on the edge of the city not far from where they were. She quickly ushered LoVelly off toward a platform across the plaza. They were the only ones waiting for that car so they found themselves again with privacy to speak.


    ¡°My gods this happened while I was just sleeping back at the inn? What if you needed help? I had no idea you were even gone!¡± He kept his voice down but he whisper-shouted it at her. She could sense his overwhelming concern even without a touch.


    ¡°I know I know. It wasn¡¯t the best idea but I think I figured out something important. I think eating the fae helps keep the monster happy. I don¡¯t feel the overwhelming hunger constantly all the time like I did. I feel warm again, even.¡± LoVelly reached out to touch the back of his hand to hers.


    ¡°You still feel cold,¡± he told her, pulling away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure how to describe it but I feel good. I think I can eat them to keep the creature from getting into a frenzy.¡± She explained what she¡¯d been mulling over in her mind since her discovery.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better than people.¡± he said, looking down at the ground beside her. Neither of them said anything for several moments because as true as it was it was hard to hear it outloud. LoVelly took a deep breath and Mezalie took none at all while they waited for their car to come.


    ¡°I had another dream of the girl with the red hair.¡± LoVelly said finally when the silence had grown too heavy. ¡°She was talking to someone. I don¡¯t know who. I couldn¡¯t actually see anything but her.¡± He tipped his head back, looking up at the sky instead now.


    ¡°Do you remember what she said?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s weird because it¡¯s the same thing someone said in another vision I had, ¡®can you feel the convergence¡¯.¡± A rumbling sound approached interrupting him and they both looked to see the light of the car swing across the station as their car began to pull up to the dock. It let out a chime that was still rather shrill in the quiet.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to find out who she is.¡± Mez raised her voice to be heard over the sound of the car approaching. ¡°She must know something about what¡¯s happening. We¡¯ve both seen her.¡± They boarded the train and found themselves less alone than they had in the station. There were a handful of others sprinkled about the car but they quickly found themselves a seat together near the middle of the car.


    ¡°When we go back to the library maybe we can look for something about convergence. I¡¯m not sure what it means, to feel the Convergence, but maybe that will tell us something.¡± LoVelly suggested.


    ¡°Yeah. That sounds like a plan. It¡¯s on the list of mysteries that need solving between the two of us.¡± She half joked but the list really was starting to pile up.


    The car picked up with a sway and crawled along on its tracks out away from the city center. Several times it stopped at a crowded stop to pick up additional passengers until folks were standing, hanging onto a railing or a seat back.


    Eventually the car took them out toward the edge of the city where the buildings were fewer and further between, toward the eides and eides of land used for farming that sustained not only Temal but the surrounding townships and villages as well. Dotted here or there were large industrial buildings on the landscape, standing tall and stark against the otherwise mostly flat land around them. It was there at a stop in front of one such group of buildings that they found themselves standing from their seat and shuffling out the door with a handful of others. She wasn¡¯t quite sure which building it was but she was pretty sure it was one of them. She looked back at the paper she¡¯d crunched up in her hand during the ride there.


    The inner city may be just waking up but that wasn¡¯t necessarily true of the outer districts. Out in those places were warehouses, manufacturing shops, and the most common- agriculture processing sites. It was more common for there to be two driev and two nente shifts enabling a more even workload among the workers. This also meant those districts never really slept, always rolling over one group for another.


    It was pretty easy to tell which were agriculture by the bins being wheeled in and out full of produce or byproduct. The shop she was looking for was instead identified by the noise emanating from its general direction. There was the raucous clatter of metal on metal and the whirring of fans and ventilation hoods drew her to the end of the hard-packed dirt road, wide enough for three tevvy¡¯s, at least.


    There was an open garage bay door through which she could see an enormous piece of equipment designed to churn huge swathes of soil. It stood almost as high as the bay door itself. There were people with hardhats moving about in and out of the building and she knew she wouldn¡¯t be allowed further onto the site without one so she waited until she was close enough to flag someone down as they were on their way back in. When she showed the woman the paper with the name on it and explained that Dren had sent her, she was told to stay put and the woman would send the site manager out shortly.


    When Mezalie finally turned around with the intention to say something to LoVelly and realized he wasn¡¯t there she was somewhat shocked. He was always just there, three steps behind her and while she wanted to find it irritating, she actually liked it. She couldn¡¯t be lonely if she was never alone. She did have to admit that he had a habit of wandering off though so her shock was somewhat misplaced. She scanned the surrounding area, darkened by the shadows of the towering warehouses in the already dimly lit ambiance of the driev and, ah- there he was under the illumination of a floodlight mounted to a building across the road. He was, of course, adoring a greshgen he¡¯d found. It lay on its back, wiggling with joy as he rubbed its soft, fuzzy belly.


    ¡°LoVelly!¡± She called out to him, waving her arm to get his attention. He looked up, looking around for her before waving back once he¡¯d spotted her. He gave the greshgen one last pat and hopped to his feet to jog across the road to her.


    It was surely an alignment of the fates that the moment LoVelly hopped to his feet and turned to head back towards her he ran right into someone carrying an overly large box. The man was leaning back and trudging carefully under the weight of the load and as soon the two collided they both went sprawling, the box falling heavily to the ground with a thud that Mez heard even from a distance. She winced and took off at a run as she saw the moment LoVelly¡¯s head hit the hard ground and she hoped against hope that it wasn''t as bad as it looked.

 Chapter Fifteen (i met her once in a dream)

    LoVelly opened his eyes to find himself nowhere. He wasn¡¯t sure what he registered first, how dark it was or how cold it was. He was immediately chilled to the bone and when he drew his arms around himself they felt oddly heavy and it occurred to him that he was floating. He was underwater. Suddenly the panic for air set in and his lungs burned for a breath. He struggled, trying to get his bearings, looking for a surface anywhere but it was all black water.


    In his panic, swinging his head around wildly, he saw a light. A round bright disk of light shone at him and it didn¡¯t even matter which way was up or down or sideways, he swam for the light, his only beacon in a dark sea. He didn¡¯t think he was going to make it, his lungs screaming for air due to the extra exertion to push himself towards his only hope. The light was getting bigger as he quickly approached, swimming as fast as his body would allow him.


    He gasped, loud and desperate, when he broke the surface, heaving air into his lungs and even swallowing several gulps of water in his haste. He wasn¡¯t expecting to also go tumbling up and out of the water in a violent shift of gravity. He landed in a heap on a cold stone floor spitting up water and trying to orient himself and failing. His head was spinning and it was all he could do to roll himself flat onto his back and spread his arms and legs out, holding on for dear life.


    After more than a couple of dib he felt like the room should have stopped spinning but he still felt like he was moving. He opened his eyes hoping to find something to ground himself with and he was met with the disorienting pool of dark water on the ceiling (or was he on the ceiling?) The glasslike surface was a mirror reflecting back his own confusion.


    He sat up onto his elbows so that he could look around the room he¡¯d fallen into. The floor was wet right where he''d fallen onto it but was otherwise dry. Despite that there was a pervasive smell of dampness lingering in the air. The room was baren save for what appeared to be a staircase going down following the curve of the rounded room. There were two windows, directly across from each other and from the angle he was at all he could see was inky darkness like he had in the water. He gave one more look back up at the mirror pool, having a thought and felt around in the low light for any loose pebbles or similar in the grout between stones tiles in the floor. He managed one tiny little stone and he got to his wobbly feet and threw the pebble up toward the water.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting, for it to fall or continue on into the water beyond, but it wasn¡¯t for it to burst into a ball of sizzling light before fizzling into nothing.


    He decided not to do it again.


    Still feeling a bit off-center he could finally see out the window nearest that he realized the tower was spinning. Not especially fast it seemed, but it was in fact turning. He could see a handful of tiny glowing dots slowly passing around him. He also found that upon further inspection they looked an awful lot like the light disk he¡¯d swam towards.


    He turned around and went to the opposite window, sticking his head out and leaning as far out as he safely could. He braced his feet against the wall and hoisted himself for the best view. There were so many other lights and looking below him he saw that the tower extended well below, further than he could see, into the darkness around it. He turned back to the room, to the staircase, and realized there was nowhere else to go but down. He walked to the edge of the first step. He could see the first bit of stairs fine and they looked normal but he noticed that the further down they went the¡­weirder they got. He didn¡¯t know how that was going to work exactly¡­They seemed like they slowly twisted up and down and around and surely he couldn¡¯t walk on those?


    He found himself taking one step down at a time anyway. He felt crazy but something within him told him to go and somehow, some way, the stairs seemed to continue on in a very manageable downward slope the entire time. He looked out over the edge of the stairs once to confirm and what he saw made him dizzy trying to mentally process the  swirling shapes and colors popping in and out of view. It nearly made him wobble right over the edge but he pulled back bracing himself against the wall until he felt like he could continue.


    He walked in circles around and around as he went down the tower, the floor he¡¯d descended from long behind him and invisible in the distance now. How far had he gone? He had no way to tell. There had been no other floors since he¡¯d left the one he started on and he didn''t dare look down again to see if he was getting any closer to the next.


    He wondered if he''d be stuck on the spiraling descent forever and just as the thought came a landing suddenly appeared just ahead of him. It was just a small break in the stairs that leveled out and there was a simple metal door set into the wall. The stairs continued on past the landing but he was far too eager to consider them. He quickly pressed the handle down and pulled and the door popped open easily and then it felt like he was pulled through the threshold. Just as suddenly as the door had appeared he found himself in a very different place.


    The hallway was wide open and airy and well illuminated through numerous tall paneless windows that lined the outer wall. Sol shone brightly above and it was reflected brilliantly off the sparkling, jewel like landscape outside. He had to shield his eyes against it, looking instead up and down the hall. The floor was lined in brilliant blue tiles. He heard voices coming from somewhere down the hallway and he followed the sound of them to an open door some ways down.


    He peeked his head in the doorway and there he saw a group of people gathered in the center of the room. There were a couple of bench seats near the back of room, near the door but everyone present was situated on one of many assorted cushions clustered around a woman with long long hair, the longest LoVelly thought he¡¯d ever seen. It fell over her shoulders like a silver shroud and onto the floor in a pool around her. In contrast the woman wore a bright colorful tunic of thick woven fabric. There were intricate designs embroidered on but the stories they told were lost on LoVelly. She was speaking to a group of young people who hung on her every word. He felt bad about it but he took a step into the room and cleared his throat awkwardly.


    ¡°Um¡­hello?¡± He started but it came out quiet and when nobody reacted he thought it was too quiet. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to interrupt!¡± He tried again. This time he got a reaction but oddly, it was just one person that turned to look at him and it wasn¡¯t the woman at the center, it was a young girl near the front of the group closest to the woman. He found it odd that not a single other person seemed to take notice of his intrusion. The woman never paused her sermon and nobody else looked.


    The girl, however, did a double take when she saw him, a look of surprise on her face. She looked back to the woman and then back at LoVelly. A girl next to her noticed her sudden attention and looked toward the back of the room as well before turning a strange look on the first girl. As gracefully as possible the girl got to her feet and weaved her way through the small crowd of lounging youth before heading straight for the door, for LoVelly.


    As she walked toward him she looked back over her shoulder once and when she turned back to him she had a look of pure excitement on her face, grinning from ear to ear at him. As she got closer she shuffled faster toward him, picking her long robes up in the front so as not to trip on them. As she got within earshot, before he could say anything, she whispered a barely contained, ¡°come with me!¡± as she shot around him in the door and into the hallway.


    They ran all the way down the hall to the end, to a little alcove he never would have known was there without her guidance. They wouldn¡¯t be seen tucked away in it from the main hall unless someone knew where to look. Once they were both tucked neatly into the space the girl stuck her head out briefly as if to check that the coast was clear, as if there had been anyone else in the large open hallway but them. Once she seemed satisfied that they had succeeded in sneaking away she turned to look him in the eyes and she let out a squeal that he felt might be counterproductive to their hiding in the first place. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± She said, giving a little hop up and down in excitement.


    ¡°I¡­am,¡± he agreed, hesitantly, because he wasn¡¯t sure yet where ¡®here¡¯ was or who the girl was. ¡°I¡¯m LoVelly, who are you?¡± The girl''s mouth dropped into a little ¡®o¡¯ and her eyes similarly looked like little saucers staring up at him.


    ¡°This is it,¡± she breathed, awestruck, ¡°you don¡¯t know me yet.¡± Her smile was back twelvefold. LoVelly smiled back at her awkwardly but unsure what else to do.


    ¡°You are correct. I¡¯m pretty confused, actually. I just came down some really weird stairs out of a tower-¡±


    ¡°The time tower!¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Uh. Sure. Is that what it¡¯s called?¡± He shrugged but the girl nodded vigorously at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to officially meet you LoVelly. My name is Onoara.¡± She smiled at him and he swore he saw sparkles in her eyes with the way she looked at him.


    ¡°Have we met before?¡± he asked finally, unable to shake the strangeness of the girl. She was practically vibrating out of her skin at the question.


    ¡°Yes and no. It¡¯s complicated and we probably don¡¯t have time to get into it. The important part is now I know your name.¡± She pointed one finger directly in the center of his chest and it startled him when it passed straight through him before she pulled back. He reached his hands up toward hers and with a clean swish they passed right through her.


    ¡°Am I dead!?¡± he asked her, panicked now. She only laughed at him, shaking her head.


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re celestieling the dimensional planes. But you¡¯re not dead. In fact, this is the youngest I¡¯ve seen you, I think. It¡¯s wild what a beard changes.¡± The girl framed his face with her hands, hovering just so. He gave her a strange look and rubbed a hand across his chin in contemplation of it.


    ¡°And you can¡¯t be dead yet because you have to come and save me!¡± She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. This made LoVelly give her what he hoped was his most confused look yet.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you in trouble right now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m fine right now. In the future.¡± She reached out and pointed to a spot in the presumed distance to illustrate her point.


    ¡°I have to save you in the future? From what?¡± He felt his eyes narrow, trying to make sure he was following the plot.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. But you told me a long time ago when we met when I was little that you were going to come and save me someday.¡± LoVelly took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, hating to disappoint the girl.


    ¡°The thing is, I don¡¯t remember anything from before just a couple of driev ago. I don¡¯t remember you but if you know me, please please tell me what you can. I don¡¯t know anything about my own life.¡±


    ¡°Actually, this is the first time you¡¯ve met me. Time is nonlinear so that¡¯s just kind of how it works sometimes. You taught me that.¡± She told him matter of factly. ¡°But this is the first time I learned your name. I hope I remember when I wake up.¡± She squeezed her eyes shut, perhaps trying to will it into her memory.


    ¡°Are you not awake right now?¡± He asked in an ongoing state of confusion, bordering on crisis at this point.


    ¡°Well, I mean. Sort of. If I can see you then that means my mind is between realms right now. When I snap out of it there''s a chance I forget it all and pass out.¡± She shrugged nonchalantly at the explanation. LoVelly put a hand to his forehead, running it up into his hairline and shaking his head slowly back and forth.


    ¡°I¡¯m so incredibly lost, oh gods. I really need to help my friend first, we kind of have a lot going on right now. I don¡¯t actually know how I got here and I don¡¯t know how to find you either.¡±


    ¡°Oh oh,¡± she waved excitedly. ¡°This is the big part.¡± She looked directly into his eyes, suddenly putting on a demeanor of calm. ¡°Find the friends of Datsa. They¡¯ll bring you here. You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s time. You seem to know when you¡¯re older so I assume you¡¯ll know when you need to know. I don¡¯t even know yet.¡± She explained. It still left him with questions but as if a gear finally clicked in place in his mind suddenly it was so clear, ringing in his ears.


    ¡°Datsa! That¡¯s the name I was trying to remember!¡± he finally joined her in at least some of her excitement.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she quickly got a coy look across her face, eyes narrowing. ¡°You told me once you met Datsa himself. Make sure you tell me all about him somewhen?¡± She pleaded with her big, round, girlish eyes. It was then that LoVelly registered the light pinking of the girl''s cheeks and the tips of her ears where they poked out from beneath her long,straight hair, held back in a loose tie.


    This girl was at least somewhat enamored with him, it occurred to him finally.


    His head was spinning with everything she¡¯d told him, barely following all the threads laid out before him. It was overwhelming to say the least.


    ¡°I can see your mind spiraling from over here.¡± she laughed again and this time he definitely felt like it was at his expense. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all the details. Just remember Datsa. I trust that it¡¯ll all work out the way it¡¯s supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay. But wait, what about the other times we¡¯ve met? What else have I told you? Maybe something can help me remember. I need to remember so I can help my friend.¡± He pleaded with the girl. She was the first real lead he¡¯d had into who he was. Who he would be, if she was to be believed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry LoVelly,¡± his name sounded like poetry from her mouth, somehow. ¡°We¡¯re already out of time for this one. But don¡¯t worry it won¡¯t be the last.¡± She motioned up and down at him. His head snapped down to see that his body had already begun to disappear, fading like mist.


    ¡°Oh no oh no what¡¯s happening?¡± He would have flailed his hands if he still had any to do so. They¡¯d gone with the rest of him already.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your consciousness is just returning to wherever your body still is. It¡¯s good. Because you¡¯re still alive.¡± She reiterated to him with a seriousness on her face. She just really wanted to make sure he knew. He took a deep breath, like he was about to hold it underwater or otherwise, and nodded, unable to keep the small amount of concern off his face.


    ¡°I have to stand over here now,¡± Onoara said as she took several steps out of the alcove and into the hall proper. ¡°In case I pass out when you cross through so someone will be able to find me.¡± She said it like it was such a normal thing and it made LoVelly feel a bit concerned for the girl.


    ¡°Should you maybe sit down?¡± he meant to suggest but the words felt the wrong shape in his mouth and he realized he wasn¡¯t sure where his mouth was anymore. Somewhere between here and there. Whatever that entailed. He wasn¡¯t sure if she even heard him or not and he didn¡¯t see what happened to her either as his mind drifted into some kind of abstract¡­soupy feeling place.


    It felt a little bit like looking over the edge of the staircase again, disorienting and incomprehensible.


    Where¡­was he? Where was he supposed to be? Where was he going?


    Mez. That¡¯s right.


    He needed to get back to Mezalie and he needed to remember Datsa when he woke up. Because he knew that name. He¡¯d heard it before. The man back at the temple had told him that Datsa could help Mezalie.


    It was the clue they¡¯d been looking for.


    Now, if only he could figure out exactly how to get back to wherever he¡¯d left his¡­body?


    Wherever he¡¯d left Mezalie.


    He knew, somewhere in the core of his being, that he would always be able to find her. He only needed to know how to look and when he thought about it, it seemed obvious.


    Onward he went through the swirling entanglement between one plane and the next. It would take no time at all, if that even mattered. Onoara had said that time isn''t linear and the concept alone made his mind spin when he tried to think about it. There was no tower and no staircase this time, just him and the expanse of space between time and place.


    And then,  just like that, LoVelly opened his eyes and gasped.

 Chapter Sixteen (the doctor)

    LoVelly¡¯s body acted on instinct and the moment he was awake he bolted upright. His heart was pounding, blood rushing in his ears and his head was pounding. He was on his feet before he even knew he was lying down. He was in a mostly dark room, a door cracked and light spilling across the floor in a thin wedge. There was a heavy acrid smell in the air that he could almost taste, bitter in the back of his throat. Suddenly there were hands on him, pulling him back and he didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He was throwing them off and bolting for the door. A voice shouted behind him but he barely heard it let alone understood what was said. He was hurtling out the door when he bodily slammed into someone else and they both went sprawling onto the floor.


    ¡°LoVelly!¡± Mezalie¡¯s voice hissed as she sat up. ¡°Why are you running?!¡± She was looking at him with an equal amount of irritation as confusion. He looked back at her, still breathing hard. He closed his mouth to swallow and took a deep breath and held it, trying to get his breathing and his heartbeat to calm. He finally took a moment to look around himself and realized they were not alone. There was a man standing in the doorway he¡¯d just run out of, looking rather confused as well. There was also a woman standing behind Mezalie that he didn¡¯t recognize who looked amused, trying and failing to hide her smirk.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know.¡± He finally said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just panicked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I gathered that.¡± She said it slowly, like he was a creature easily startled. Maybe he was. He was suddenly reminded of that time on the shore that Mezalie had also sensed his panic.


    ¡°What happened?¡± His brows drew in as he tried to remember what was going on. Where was he? He didn¡¯t recognize these walls or these people. Just Mezalie. She moved to stand up and offered LoVelly a hand up as well which he gladly took.


    ¡°You hit your head pretty hard. Knocked you out and gave yourself a pretty decent bump.¡± She touched her hand to the crown of her own head. ¡°You¡¯re not dead yet though so it could have been worse.¡± She said it jokingly, going for light but the words hit LoVelly like a tevvy, nearly taking him back to the ground. Mezalie put a hand on his shoulder when he wobbled.


    ¡°Datsa!¡± he blurted out. It rolled right off his tongue and it felt so right when it finally did, like an itch finally scratched. He looked at Mezalie, excitement building in him. ¡°That¡¯s the name I¡¯ve been trying to remember!¡± He told her but she still seemed confused. ¡°Our friend. Datsa.¡± He said purposefully, hoping it would be enough. Something told him that this was probably sensitive information. The man who¡¯d helped him had been dressed like the others but he¡¯d been working against them. He¡¯d told him the information carefully and quietly and he seemed to know things about Mezalie and the creature that they barely understood. Something told him to keep this information to themselves.


    ¡°Oh! Oh. Right. I forgot.¡± And Mezalie was a terrible liar but it was too late they would just have to push on. He looked at the man who stood in the doorway and gave him a look he hoped was as embarrassed as he felt about it.


    ¡°Sorry I freaked out on you there,¡± he stepped across the space and reached a hand out to the man. He smiled kindly at Lovelly as they shook. ¡°I¡¯m LoVelly. Thanks for helping me out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about it. No lasting damage done to me at least. You have some head trauma from before this drievette though I hear. I¡¯m Ghel, one of the yard doctors.¡± Ghel stepped back to lean one shoulder against the doorframe. His eyes flicked over to Mezalie and the woman with her.


    ¡°Right.¡± Mezalie chimed in. ¡°Mylen and Ghel recommended a doctor. We were getting the address.¡± She held up a small page with what he assumed was an address written on it.


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s great actually.¡± In truth all he wanted to do was figure out what to do about Datsa. Friends of Datsa. How was he to find them? How was it connected to both Mezalie and the girl from his dream? She¡¯d said he was ¡®celestieling the planes¡¯ but it felt a lot like just a vivid dream. Maybe Mezalie hadn¡¯t been so wrong when she¡¯d accused him of wandering the realms in his mind.


    ¡°Let me take a look at you before you go anywhere please. I need to make sure you¡¯re not going to fall right back over the tes you get out of here.¡± Ghel said, stepping aside and beckoning him back into the room that was now well lit and he saw it was a simple first aid room. He looked around at the rest of the space.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Just the upper floor of the agricultural processing plant. It¡¯s where we keep the offices and the first-aid.¡± Ghel told him as he guided him to sit down on the cot he must have been laying on. Mezalie and Mylen hovered just outside the door. It turned out that he¡¯d been bandaged and he discovered the source of his pounding head when Ghel checked that the bandages he¡¯d applied to LoVelly¡¯s head were still solidly in place. Ghel then moved through several tests, shining a light in his eyes and asking if he heard any ringing in his ears. He concluded with a balance test, having LoVelly prove he was sound on his feet. Once the man seemed satisfied he clapped LoVelly on the shoulder, telling him to follow up with the recommended doctor as soon as he could.


    They thanked the two aids and LoVelly followed Mezalie back down a set of stairs and through the floor of the plant. There were workers buzzing around the floor, moving products from one station to the next. Some people were working their way through washing baskets of raw produce and some were separating and inspecting. There was a gentle hum of machinery and chatter as they made their way towards the exit of the building. Once outside in the cold, crisp air of the drievette LoVelly turned to Mezalie, eyes wide and full of excitement.


    ¡°I had a vision while I was out!¡± He said with barely contained excitement. ¡°There was a girl and she knew me. She told me I¡¯m supposed to come save her but I don¡¯t know how or from what.¡± Mezalie looked at him as they walked back towards the station.


    ¡°Did you recognize her?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No. She said¡­that this was the first time I¡¯d met her.¡± He tried to explain while also working through it in his own mind. He recalled the girl''s face in his mind as she told him, eyes sparkling, that he was so young. ¡°She told me that time isn¡¯t linear and that she¡¯d met me before but¡­¡± he trailed off, getting lost in his own thoughts


    ¡°This doctor-¡± Mezalie interrupted suddenly, ¡°Mylen told me that he¡¯s pretty good with  head trauma,¡± she told him. ¡°Hopefully that means he can help you out.¡± LoVelly was nodding along as they walked, running through all the new information in his brain when a thought came crashing in, stopping him in his tracks. Mez looked rather startled at his sudden halt.


    ¡°Did you get the job?¡± he asked, reaching out to place a hand on Mez¡¯s shoulder. They¡¯d come all this way for that sole reason and he¡¯d nearly forgotten in all the commotion. His mind felt so untrustworthy sometimes that it drove him mad. Mezalie just let out a short laugh at him.


    ¡°Yes, I did. While you were being moved to the recovery room I was able to talk to the head operator. I¡¯m going to start the driev after tomorrow.¡± LoVelly let out a long relieved breath at hearing the confirmation.


    ¡°Glad I didn¡¯t completely ruin the trip.¡± He sighed as they resumed their walk to the station.


    ¡°Not at all. It was certainly more dramatic than I expected it to be.¡± She poked fun at him, to which he rolled his eyes at her but she continued, ¡°Anyway, tell me more about the girl. What else do you remember?¡±


    He spent the rest of their walk and the wait for the car detailing what he could remember of the strange tower and his meeting with the girl. He told her about the vast emptiness outside the tower window and the disorienting strangeness inside as well. He described the girl and did his best to reiterate what she¡¯d told him.


    ¡°So,¡± Mez began, taking a deep breath, rolling the new info over aloud, ¡°we have ¡®Friends of Datsa¡¯ and ¡®Onoara¡¯ as new pieces?¡± She tipped her head back and forth as if rolling the items into place somewhere in her mind.


    ¡°Right,¡± he nodded eagerly, ¡°but it¡¯s connected. The guy in Doss that helped us told me to find the Friends of Datsa and Onoara told me they¡¯d help me find her too.¡±


    ¡°Any chance she told you how to find them though?¡± Mez asked as the street car rumbled into the station docking.


    ¡°No,¡± he sighed in defeat and they boarded the car. They were on the opposite tracks, heading back into the city instead now.


    ¡°Okay. Well¡­¡± she pondered. ¡°We could try to look up records of a Datsa in the public archive¡­but that could-¡±


    ¡°Take forever and how would we even narrow it down¡­?¡± They sighed in tandem. Mez sank low in her seat, knees pressing up against the seat in front of her. Her eyes slipped closed as she tried to think of a way that they could do something with the new information they had now but seemed futile. They had just enough pieces that it was starting to become clear that the puzzle pieces were supposed to connect but they were missing key connecting pieces to make the larger picture make sense.


    The city was much more alive on the way back in. Each stop brought more and more people shuffling into the car until it was properly crowded, standing room only. The streets outside were buzzing with energy. Mez thought it was at least partially the pre-season excitement in the air that she was feeling. There were always more people in the city, more buzz generating, right before and during the start of the Sol planting season. In truth they¡¯d been rather lucky; they''d only had to walk past two ¡®no vacancy¡¯ signs before Mez had found them a place with a room.


    Agriculture didn¡¯t stop when Sol went down for the Soltzet, of course. A large variety of produce only grew during the Votton cycle and there was always work to be done processing but it was a slower more relaxed season if there was such a thing. During the Drieven cycle there was an explosion of growth and the need for extra hands in the fields, the plants and in the city services was tremendous. People flocked from the outlying towns and cities, sometimes coming a great distance, to work through the season.


    It¡¯s exactly what Mezalie had planned to do. It seemed impossible that her entire world had upended in less than a ven and yet it had only been five driev. A wave of grief threatened to spill from her aching heart but she quashed it back down quickly before it could overtake her. LoVelly must have felt it anyway because she felt his little finger snake around her own in a loose hold. A tiny zap of warmth ran through her and it helped to settle her, just as he intended for the gesture to do.


    Ghel and the others had assumed that LoVelly was her qiven, which, she understood to some degree. She knew what they must look like to others. The comfortable intimacy they seemed to share was more commonly found in a long standing relationship, not just a handful of driev. And how were they to explain it otherwise anyway? She certainly hadn¡¯t wanted to correct them when they¡¯d asked her if her qiven had any known conditions that would require emergency attention. She¡¯d simply answered their questions and followed as they¡¯d gotten help carrying him to a place to rest.


    She hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about it since.


    The nature of their relationship was truly bizarre and she didn¡¯t know what to call it. She liked the way they seemed drawn to each other. She liked the easy way they seemed to fit together like they were made to do so. She felt with LoVelly a way she had so often craved during her life. It was one of the reasons she¡¯d grown discontent with her traveling lifestyle, she¡¯d felt unable to make meaningful, lasting relationships outside of her pod with the limited amount of time she spent in any one place.


    She often felt she didn¡¯t quite make relationships the way that others could. She was close with her Pod because everyone was close with their Pod. It was impossible to live in each others¡¯ pockets and not be close but that also meant that your own business was everyone¡¯s business as well. She had grown up knowing nothing else. She¡¯d had a best friend, Vell. She¡¯d had tambenura her age that she¡¯d been close with like Pidka and Drenna. But she¡¯d always felt drawn outward, toward something she couldn¡¯t quite pin down. At first she¡¯d thought a partner, surely, but she¡¯d quickly found her desires were not romantic.


    With no good way to articulate what she felt was missing she¡¯d simply felt a longing. It was that longing that drove her to decide to leave the Pod finally. She couldn¡¯t help the crushing weight of guilt that her decision was somehow responsible for the deaths of everyone. It was irrational, of course, but that didn¡¯t make it feel less true in her heart.


    It felt like she¡¯d unknowingly traded them all for LoVelly.


    It made her feel sick. She readjusted their hands so she could properly lace their fingers together, letting the comfort wash over her. She wouldn¡¯t deny herself the miniscule amount of creature comfort she had left in the world.


    The ride felt much longer taking them back into the heart of the city in the crowded, noisy car. The majority of people also exited the car with them once it pulled into the central station. Mez led them both, hands still linked, towards the big map once more.


    ¡°Since we have nowhere else to be, let¡¯s go see this doctor. Maybe we can get something else out of that brain of yours.¡±


    ¡°If only we could be so lucky.¡± he groaned.


    ¡°Alternatively, one good thump on the head knocked a little bit loose. Maybe another couple would get the rest of it?¡± She joked, reaching over to lightly, playfully jab him in the chest. He tried to lean out of her reach, batting back at her with his free hand.


    ¡°Yeah yeah. Let¡¯s just go see this doctor.¡±


    They didn¡¯t need to get back on the street car, deciding instead to walk the several blocks back past their inn. Unlike the trek to the library the ground here was mostly flat so it was an easy walk. They found themselves back in an area that was more residential with the occasional shop on the street level, similar to the area they¡¯d come through LoVelly¡¯s portal. Mezalie was dutifully checking street signs as they went, turning this way or that to wind through the neighborhoods in search of their destination.


    Finally they came to a stop on the doormat of a shop with a large front window with the blinds half-drawn inside. There was writing on the window and Mezalie checked it against the scrap of paper she held, seeming satisfied when she reached for the handle.


    The inside of the office was simple with neutral walls and plain brown chairs pushed with their backs to the window. The only pop of color was the green baseboard trim running around the room, behind the chairs and eventually behind the high counter that boxed off the back of the room. On either side there was a door, closed, with a sign on them saying exam room: do not disturb.


    There was a young man, roughly their own age, sitting behind said counter with a stack of files off to one side as he scoured over the page in front of him. As they entered the small office he looked up from his task, a smile spreading across his face and giving them a cheerful, ¡°Welcome in.¡±


    Mezalie dropped their joined hands and approached the counter with a confidence that LoVelly envied just a bit.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Mez placed both hands against the lip of the counter as she approached and came to a stop. ¡°One of us-¡± she side-eyed LoVelly pointedly, ¡°suffered some head trauma and long story short Ghel and Mylen from-¡± the young man perked up.


    ¡°Oh I know Ghel.¡± He nodded, waving with the pen in his hand. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± he shuffled some of the papers on the countertop until he could slide a small calendar book out from beneath it all. He tapped his pen against the page, considering the things written on it.


    ¡°Yeah, okay. If you can wait just a bit we have time for a walk in after the doctor is done with this current appointment. I¡¯m going to put you with Briha since it¡¯s head related. Any current dizziness, loss of vision or lightheadedness?¡± He looked to LoVelly for an answer.


    ¡°No. I did pass out earlier but I¡¯m feeling okay now.¡± The man scribbled something down in the book. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°And your name?¡±


    ¡°LoVelly.¡±


    ¡°LoVelly¡­?¡± He looked up at him expectantly. ¡°Surname?¡± He prompted again when LoVelly said nothing.


    ¡°Oh. Uh. I¡¯m not sure.¡± He admitted to the countertop.


    ¡°He¡¯s having some pretty¡­significant memory lapses.¡± Mezalie cut in. ¡°It¡¯s Chekara.¡± She finally supplied. The man looked taken aback at them both.


    ¡°I see. I''m sorry to hear that.¡± He replied and then wrote something else down and underlined it. Twice. He didn''t bother looking up again to ask,¡±and what is your address?¡± Mezalie gave him the address of the inn and he confirmed that it was a temporary and then, ¡°go ahead and have a seat. It won¡¯t be terribly long.¡±


    They both took a seat in one of the plain brown chairs, settling in next to each other. It was suddenly silent in the little waiting area aside from the sounds of the man behind the counter shuffling and flipping pages every now and then. Neither of them wanted to break the silence to speak and many of the things they might discuss were better left for when they had more privacy.


    Mez looked over to LoVelly and made a face, brows raised high, expression exaggerated. In response he gave her his own exaggerated look of shock. They took turns making increasingly bizarre faces at each other. The sounds of them shifting in their slightly squeaky seats joined the background noise of the office space. Finally Mez had to look away, letting a snort and a hiss of laughter out before stifling the laughter to keep quiet. LoVelly reached over and shoved her shoulder playfully.


    They sat for a while longer, in higher spirits than before and the silence didn''t seem so heavy now. It really wasn''t all that much longer when one of the exam room doors opened with a creak and voices flooded out into the lobby. A woman and a little girl stepped out with a wave and a thank you. They went to the counter to discuss follow-ups with the man behind the counter and then they made their way out.


    A rather tall man came into view behind the counter, coming from somewhere around the corner. He dropped down into a crouch, nearly out of sight behind the counter to quietly murmur with the front desk man. They said something and when the first man pointed to LoVelly over the counter the new man peeked up and over at them, giving a little wave and a kind smile, before dropping back down. After a few more tes of quiet exchange he got back to his feet and disappeared back the way he''d come.


    ¡°It''ll be just a dib.¡± The man behind the counter stood and said to them, ¡°He''s just cleaning up and preparing.¡± Sure enough in what felt like hardly any time the tall man stepped through the exam room door and gave them a sweeping motion towards the door.


    ¡°LoVelly Chekara, and company, please follow me!¡± There was no small amount of cheer to his tone. They both got up and filed into what turned out to be a rather spacious room. There was a second door on the wall opposite that must lead further into the clinic. There were high cabinets against the walls and low ones below the little sink and countertop. There were a variety of standard doctors'' office supplies pressed up against the backsplash in various cups and jars. It looked so typical.


    The door closed behind the man with a creak And a soft click. ¡°My name is Dr. Briha. I hear you''ve had a good thump on the head.¡± He picked up a waiting clipboard and pen before dropping down onto a waiting stool that spun him around with a flourish. When he saw them hesitating, paused in the middle of the room, he pointed LoVelly to the low exam table and Mezalie to a seat against the far wall.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I ran into someone and hit my head on the way down.¡± LoVelly told him, hand coming up reflexively to the large bandage covering his temple.


    ¡°Did you lose consciousness?¡± Briha asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡± LoVelly looked to Mezalie, unsure how long he''d been out and apparently projecting elsewhere.


    ¡°About half a lof.¡± She offered. Briha jotted something down.


    ¡°And that has caused significant memory loss?¡± He was at another loss for what to say because no, his memory loss was much more complicated than that but how much was safe to say?


    ¡°Er¡­kind of? I''ve been having¡­spotty memory issues for several driev. Unrelated to this incident.¡± He said what he thought was enough but skirted around the actual truth. Briha looked up from his clipboard, eyes intent as he looked at LoVelly.


    ¡°Okay. Tell me about that then.¡± He propped the clipboard against his thighs, setting his chin atop it as he waited patiently for LoVelly to continue. LoVelly¡¯s eyebrows knit together In the middle as he looked down at his lap, his hands there, as he considered how to explain. They should have thought about this, they should have come up with a story.


    ¡°Well. I- we¡­we were¡­something happened-¡± he paused trying to gather himself, find the right words.


    ¡°Something bad?¡± Briha supplied for him. LoVelly nodded, meeting his eyes finally. Briha still looked open and kind as he nodded. ¡°It''s not uncommon to experience memory loss after something traumatic.¡± He said gently.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything before a few driev ago. It''s in here. I''ve had a couple of little breakthroughs but it''s so inconsistent.¡± Briha was scribbling quickly on his paper as LoVelly told his story. ¡°And I think it forgot how to read?¡± he added finally.


    ¡°Interesting. You can''t read anything?¡±


    ¡°Not so far.¡±


    ¡°And you don''t remember if you could before?¡±


    ¡°Well no, not really,¡± he huffed, ¡°but I''m sure I could. Can.¡± he insisted. Briha nodded but didn¡¯t say anything right away, pen always moving against the clipboard until finally he snapped it down against the board and looked LoVelly in the eyes.


    ¡°So my first professional opinion is that you should avoid any additional head trauma. It¡¯s just plain not good for you.¡± He said it seriously but then he cracked a smile at the end and LoVelly let out an embarrassed little chuckle. At least it lifted the mood a bit.


    ¡°Second, the best remedy for things like this is time. It will likely come back to you but your mind needs time to sort through its trauma. That said, we can help a little bit.¡± He spun his little stool around and over to one of the low cabinets and opened it to reveal a small cold storage case and opening that revealed a stock of bubble-bags. He pulled one out and considered it then without looking he asked, ¡°Do you know your botanical lineage?¡±  he pulled a different bag out with his other hand, considering it as well.


    LoVelly considered it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Any allergies?¡± Briha asked instead and LoVelly frowned.


    ¡°Not sure about that either. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be!¡± He assured, placing one of the bags decidedly back into the case and closing it. ¡°Hyotic fluids for the mystery man since they¡¯re universal and highly unlikely to cause a reaction.¡± He brought the bag over to show them. ¡°These will target your stress response systems and allow your body to relax. That should help your mind as well.¡± Briha pulled a tall thin metal rack from the corner of the room and pulled it over to the exam table. He got LoVelly situated how he wanted him on the table, lying back with his arm out and it was a simple thing really to poke and set the IV. Once he got the fluid dripping and LoVelly was lying quietly with his eyes closed Briha spun to face Mezalie, a glint in his eyes.


    ¡°So, let''s talk about you.¡± He said it gently, kindly, but it set Mez¡¯s nerves on edge. She didn''t want to talk about her.


    ¡°I don''t know that there''s much to say.¡± she deflected.


    ¡°I can''t imagine it''s nothing if something happened that affected LoVelly so strongly.¡±


    ¡°The thing that happened to LoVelly and to me were different.¡± she defended.


    ¡°But you admit something happened.¡± he said. She only glowered in response at first but then she took a breath, ready to say something and she saw the way his eyes narrowed just slightly as he caught her doing it. He looked confused, likely unsure what exactly he found off about her yet but she didn''t want to wait for him to figure it out either. Her eyes darted to LoVelly¡¯s IV and she was exasperated to find that barely a quarter of the liquid had drained yet.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said finally, ¡°It''s been a very¡­difficult ven.¡± She said on a huff that was the last of her breath. She finally looked up from somewhere around the floor and up at Briha, breathing in through her nose. ¡°But I am processing my grief in my own ways.¡± She said it calmly and with little emotion but she felt a small spark within her flare just the tiniest bit at the thought of her last meal, a tingle of fen spilling forth within her, warm and strong. She took another breath.


    It was decidedly exhausting to be aware of one¡¯s own breathing at all times. But she was sure this man would figure her out if she didn¡¯t keep it up. His soft demeanor belied the sharp intelligence in his dark eyes, which he narrowed at her as he visibly deliberated with the expression on his face before he seemed to drop it.


    ¡°Alright but you let me know if that changes.¡± Just as simple as that he turned back to LoVelly. ¡°How are we doing over here?¡± He started up an easy chatter back and forth and LoVelly was more than eager to answer his questions, even if he sounded a little bit sleepy. The hyotics can do that apparently, Briha informed him. While they waited the doctor assessed the damage to LoVelly¡¯s head, carefully removing the bandages placed there earlier. He cleaned and re-bandaged the area once he was satisfied that the damage wasn¡¯t in need of further attention.


    Once the bag was empty and it seemed that LoVelly had dozed off Briha moved to pinch off the bag and remove the IV. Mezalie stood and went to LoVelly¡¯s other side, intent to wake him. She gently ran the back of her hand across his cheek a couple of times as his eyes blinked open. He gave her a strange look before bringing his hand up to hers. She thought at first to hold hers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel cold.¡± He said instead and she looked just as strangely back at him.


    ¡°The fluids can temporarily lower your temperature.¡± Briha offered before pointedly asking Mezalie, ¡°Are you normally cold or is that a new thing? A drop in body temperature can be a symptom of shock.¡± Mezalie could feel him looking at her but she was too focused on remembering to breathe in a normal way. Too focused on what to say.


    ¡°No I- Yes. I usually run a little cold. It¡¯s normal.¡± She stumbled inelegantly from start to finish.


    ¡°Alright. Well, you know where to find me.¡±


    They got LoVelly to his feet and he looked much more alert once he was up. They thanked Briha as he sent them back out into  the lobby to the receptionist to make LoVelly¡¯s follow up appointment for two driev later. Mezalie couldn¡¯t wait to get out the door and out from under the scrutiny of the doctor who probably had the best of intentions but had no idea what he was stumbling onto.


    LoVelly, on the other hand, seemed to have a spring to his step as they walked, an easy grin on his face. Mezalie couldn¡¯t resist the opportunity to poke fun of him as a form of distraction.


    ¡°Feeling good?¡± She elbowed him, a sly grin of her own sliding into place.


    ¡°Yeah. Wow.¡± He rolled his neck and shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s like a whole new body.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy it while it lasts. You¡¯ll probably get the rest of the driev.¡± She¡¯d had hyotic treatment on occasion and the lasting high was always the best part. Eventually it faded away and left her feeling like she could nap for a luel but that was the worst of it. Not bad, all said and done.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m hungry...¡± He illustrated by placing a hand to his stomach. ¡°Yeah. Food would be good¡­¡± Mezalie considered their options. Their money was back at the inn but it was only mid-driev yet, plenty of time to retrieve it and venture out for something. They were on the very, very last of their money but she would start working soon and she would be able to pay the innkeeper at the end of the ven¡­It would work out.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s stop back at the inn for a coin and we¡¯ll get you something.¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡± He perked straight up, nearly jumping in his excitement, ¡°We should look up Datsa. Friends of Datsa. That¡¯s who the girl told me to find. And the man.¡±


    ¡°Right. The girl- Onoara?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think she¡¯s an oracle. She was dressed like a temple oracle¡­ but I don¡¯t know where. When I looked out the window there it was really bright so I couldn¡¯t really see¡­¡± He squinted into the distance, thinking about what he could remember from the encounter. It was harder now the more time had passed but he could still see most of it clearly. He could see the girls soft, round features- her face, her eyes, her long hair that hung like a dark sheet around her head.


    ¡°I supposed we could go back to the library for the rest of the driev. I¡¯m sure there are public records we could check.¡± Mez offered. She had mostly expected LoVelly to want to go back to the inn and possibly lie down so she was pretty surprised when he nodded enthusiastically agreeing.


    This was how they found themselves walking back up the hill to the enormous building on the top of it. They had stopped at a little deli on their way that LoVelly had once again followed his nose to. Mezalie noted that it was carzetta, a meat and gravy dish over bread, that he was drawn to. Similar to the provotto.


    Instead of in the library floor however they waited patiently in line for a teller in the reference records section. When they tried to explain to the teller what they were looking for, and what they had to work with, Mezalie couldn¡¯t help but feel the irritation that rolled off them. To be fair to them they really didn¡¯t have anything else to offer but she understood where their irritation came from.


    They walked away with a handful of pages being stuffed in their direction with various results pertaining to their very broad, very unspecific request. Mezalie was shuffling through the pages, trying to figure out where to even begin, as they wandered back up to the library floor. There they were able to find a table to spread out their clues to analyze.


    ¡°This is a lot of paper.¡± LoVelly noted,


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Now I feel bad for suggesting it. I can¡¯t uh¡­help.¡±


    ¡°You took a solid thump on the head in order to get us a lead. It¡¯s okay. I can do this part.¡± She assured him. She started shuffling through the pages and organizing them into piles of ¡®people¡¯ and ¡®places¡¯, as best she could at least. They were quiet as the dib ticked into a lof, LoVelly had his chin in his hand, elbow propped on the table and his eyes nearly drooped closed.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re probably Trezhen.¡± Mezalie said sometime later, almost offhandedly. LoVelly blinked his eyes distantly before turning to her.


    ¡°Wha-?¡± A yawn cut him off. Mez looked up from her pile back at him.


    ¡°Oh. Your botanical lineage. I think you¡¯re probably Trezhen.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s ¡®at?¡± He asked sleepily. She paused her work, looking at him with a grin on her face and a huff of a laugh on her lips.


    ¡°You are always so sleepy.¡± She teased him. ¡°How are you always so sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Hey. Hey. I¡¯ve had a lot of head trauma lately.¡± he defended.


    ¡°Yeah. So you probably should be staying awake if anything.¡± She told him. He rolled his sleepy eyes at her.


    ¡°Why Trezhen?¡± he asked again. She looked back down at the papers before her, away from him, looking bored.


    ¡°Because, you seem to be craving salts and certain proteins. All my Trezhen friends have had the same reactions in the cold.¡± His eyebrows knit together in the middle as he considered this news. He hadn¡¯t noticed what he¡¯d been drawn to, just that it smelled good.


    ¡°Huh. I guess that¡¯s true.¡± he finally admitted.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mez said with finality. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got this organized. Let¡¯s go over what we¡¯ve got and see what we think we should look into.¡± She scooped up one pile of papers. ¡°I¡¯ll read them to you so stay awake. I¡¯ve got this pile that I think are good leads,¡± she used one hand to point to another pile she¡¯d placed further up the table from herself, ¡°and those I think are less likely.¡± She took a deep breath and started summarizing what she thought were the best leads for them to look into.


    By the time they¡¯d finished going through the majority of it LoVelly felt was starting to feel like the name Datsa wasn¡¯t even real anymore. It sounded fake. It was well into the late-driev and Mez could tell that LoVelly was barely hanging in there. She took pity on him and they wrapped it up, shuffling their papers into some semblance of order and folding them on themselves. They shuffled down the stairs together and out into what had turned into a rather cold driev as it wore on.


    When they were huddled next to each other on the street car back through the city Mezalie noticed that the warmth had returned to LoVelly¡¯s skin and it felt hot against her own. She was worried that her own cold body would leach the heat from him and she tried to shift the other way in her seat but he followed her anyway. She didn¡¯t mind it if he didn¡¯t.


    When they stumbled into their room finally LoVelly went straight to the bed, falling face first, sideways across the whole thing, and released a groan. Mezalie laughed at him quietly as she walked over and placed all their papers on the desk.


    ¡°Yeah. Hyotic¡¯s will do that to you.¡± She sympathized, she did, but it was funny when it was someone else. She got another groan in reply.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She came and sat down at the foot of the bed. LoVelly did not get up or move but he did turn his head to the side so she could hear him. He was facing away from her though so she couldn¡¯t see his face.


    ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± he asked. When she didn¡¯t immediately answer he clarified, ¡°While I¡¯m sleeping. You said you don¡¯t sleep now.¡±


    Mezalie considered this. What was she going to do? She felt like she knew the answer but she also hated the idea of saying it, of telling LoVelly she was already planning it. But she felt the beginnings of the hunger, all consuming, starting to creep in. It was dull just then, but still she could feel it. It would grow, she knew. It seemed like the right thing to do to stay ahead of it¡­


    Was it the right thing though? Eating fae was going to have consequences one way or another. She¡¯d heard all the stories growing up, gathered around an Anana as she told them all a folktale they¡¯d heard before.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to eat.¡± she said finally, quietly and without any inflection. She resumed removing her boots for something to keep her hands busy. He didn¡¯t reply right away but eventually LoVelly rolled over to face her.


    ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡± He asked sincerely. She dropped one boot to the floor.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s okay. You¡¯re tired and it¡¯s uh¡­I don¡¯t know if I want you to see me like that.¡± She said slowly.


    ¡°What if someone else sees you though? What if you need help?¡± He asked and she could hear the sleep in the scratchiness of his voice but he was so earnest in his concern.


    ¡°I will be careful. I promise. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll even be gone that long. But I¡¯ll wait until it¡¯s fully dark and hopefully nobody will see me but still I¡¯ll be really careful.¡± she insisted. He seemed like he wanted to argue further but finally he sighed and rolled back over.


    ¡°Okay¡­you promised.¡± He let out another huge yawn. She reached over to LoVelly to shake him lightly.


    ¡°Take your boots off before you pass out.¡± She chastised. ¡°And tomorrow we need to check out those leads so I¡¯ll be back before you even know I¡¯m gone.¡± LoVelly just grumbled as he kicked off his shoes and wriggled under the blankets on the bed, dislodging her from her place at the end.


    She was being honest. She didn''t plan to be gone long once the moon went down and it got properly dark again. She would just find some kind of fae and then she would come right back. She had some experience now so it should go much smoother this time.

 The Modern Devout (desolate)

    Teramyn arrived at the edge of the ruins several driev before the reinforcements he had sent for. He had expected as much and was relieved to have time to scry the area without the pollution of other fen lingering. He stood alone on the outskirts of a once-grand city that was now only recognizable by it¡¯s location and a single, crumbling spire in the distance that looked ready to fall at a moments notice. His driver had gone around the back of the tevvy to unpack themself a ration and he left them to it. They deserved the rest after the trip they¡¯d driven.


    Teramyn bent to remove his shoes, supposedly for a closer connection to the Zheo through the soles of his feet but maybe also because he''d been crammed in that tevvy in his travel boots for too long. He missed his palace shoes and the comforts of home. The smooth black sands were icy against his skin but still oh so welcome. He closed his eyes and blew out a long breath, feeling his fen connect from head to toe with the ground beneath his feet. He took a deep breath in, filling his chest and his belly and then he looked with his mind.


    He let his fen reach out like winding, graceful tendrils, spreading like vines or veins in their search for anything of interest. He continued to breathe, rhythmic and devoted, until it pleased the gods. Until he began to


    see with his mind.


    The girl was not there, he knew. It would have been convenient, yes, but far more than he could ask of the gods, favor could only get you so far. She had been there though, he could feel it, the lingering malaise of the Vott in the natural fen channels. There was something else too, something he didn¡¯t recognize, curling in around the traces of the Vott. Strangely, it almost seemed like this other presence was choking out the Vott fen. He took a deep breath, trying to sort it out in his mind. It was something inviting, soft and warm and it drew him in immediately when he                               focussed on it.


    Teramyn caught himself when he realized he was being drawn into the city, taking step after step through the darkened sands. He stopped and turned to look back at the tevvy parked in the distance, he hadn¡¯t meant to go so far, just stretch his legs and get a read on the girl. He was sure of it now, anyway, so he turned and began to trudge back toward the TVE.


    He felt the sand shift and give way beneath him as he went. He tipped his head back and looked up into the dark sky. Dhelarly was transiting the other side of the world and Ahraan reflected only enough light to bathe the landscape in soft blue glow. There was a deep orange on the horizon as Sol crept ever closer. Any driev now it would peek it''s bright, hot, face over the edge of their edge of the world and bathe them in the loving glow of light and warmth.


    He blinked once, recognizing the swell of emotion building in his center in a fraction of a tes. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for a vision to bring him to the ground so it was with little surprise that his hands found the same grainy dark sands that his feet had. When his driver came back around the front of the tevvy they would see him on his hands and knees in the sand surrounded by rubble and remnants of a time long ago. The sand fell away from his hands and feet and then so did the world in his mind.


    A rush of energy blew past him and Teramyn turned to see the echoes of a glittering city rising behind him. The faces and roofs of a buildings twinkled back at him under the radiant light of Sol. The street was no longer filled with sand and he found himself on a manicured pathway that had a bit of bounce to it. Buildings with gorgeous colored glass fronts reached up around him. Wisps of people, long gone, echoed around him, forming ghostly apparitions lingering in the light.


    A sudden beam, brighter than anything else, shot straight up into the cosmos from the city center. He could feel the heat from it on his skin, radiating out with such immense energy. The buildings rushed by and then he was there, at the heart of the city, at the convergence marker.


    It was beautiful, exquisite, and intact. The smooth surface of the platform rose up just a step above the ground surrounding it. There were tall, slim, ornately carved pillars standing evenly spaced around the perimeter of the round dais. The blinding light stayed within the confines of those pillars as he looked on in awe.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    People had gathered around, he could see the whispers of them fade in and out, unaware of him there.


    Just as suddenly as it had come the light was gone. It left behind a small, pale figure at the center of the enormous marker. Teramyn squinted, trying to get a better look but the brightness of the light that had delivered the figure still left him partly blinded. He felt an almost suffocating wave of energy roll over him, spilling out from the figure at the center and he knew immediately that this wasn¡¯t a vision of the ivellacht vail¡¯le. This was someone different.


    And then another rush swept over him, tearing him away from the figure on the platform. This one he recognized as the heavy, oppressive feeling of the Vott. Like a thick blanket rolling over the scene, it¡¯s darkness snuffed out the vision as it devoured everything, pulling the light and the memory of times long gone with it.


    He blinked through the tears that had gathered in his eyes and found himself staring directly down into the sand. The vision still swirled around in his mind making it difficult to pick out what was now and what was then. He took a deep long, deep, breath and focussed on his hands, half buried where they held him up, to ground himself. He felt the cold granules against his skin and reminded himself of where he was. What he was doing.


    He looked up, out, and there was the tevvy, parked right where it had been. He heaved himself back to his feet, joints whining at him as he rose from the sands.


    He made his way back to the tevvy slowly, one step at a time and he was reminded that there was no remedy for time. His body ached, both from the long ride and from so many visions in such a short time.


    They had been coming in like clockwork. Every time he closed his eyes to rest he was met with driev¡¯ long past painted across the backs of his eyelids. Bright streaks across his mind¡¯s eye showed him destruction, past and future, and at the heart of it all, it always led back to the ivellacht vail¡¯le


    He was having a hard time feeling present.


    He placed a hand on the still-warm front of the tevvy when he finally made it back. It was smooth and pleasant to run his hand along as he walked around to the back of it. The metal of the machine held within it the warmth of the journey and he was just as drawn to it as anyone.


    When he made it around the back he found his driver leaned against the rear of the machine. There was a crumpled ration pack set neatly beside them on a lip that jutted out from the smooth exterior. Beside it sat another, unopened, pack.


    They jumped to attention as Teramyn came around but he waved them down. There was no use for formalities in their setting, exhausted as they both were. They were eides and eides from anywhere and as far as Teramyn could tell they were the only people present in the scar of a city. They were quick however to offer him the other ration pack and he took it with thanks. His bones dictated that he take a seat in the cold sands rather than lean against the warm tevvy while he punched a hole into the pack with the straw.


    They sat in silence as Teramyn drained his ration. He watched as the others¡¯ eyelids drooped little by little until they caught themselves, jumping and shaking their head a few times to clear the fog. Once he¡¯d finished his pack, crumpling it in his hand out of habit the two of them quickly set about laying out their meager camp for the time being. Any heat the driev had to offer had quickly faded but the warmth of Sol had already started to spill over onto the land, raising the temperatures considerably. Still, he was happy to climb into his insulated bedroll inside the tiny makeshift cabin in the back of the tevvy.


    That nente he dreamt of strange shapes and colors flickering across his mind, nonsensical and disorienting. It was so vivid he could feel the water lapping at his feet, dark, dark, water and when he looked down there was the double moons shining brightly back at him from the waters surface. They began to unstack and circle each other instead, around and around and then the luminous bodies shifted and became waterfae, singing their ethereal songs.


    When he looked up he saw a skyline, stark and distinct against the horizon. He¡¯d only been a handful of times through the soltzet of his life, mostly during his schooling, but it was a recognizable skyline.


    When he woke the next drievette he eagerly recorded his dreams in the most excruciating detail he could recall. As soon as he was done he went to the long range communication box mounted to the ceiling between the front two seats and sent an eager update to the arriving support he¡¯d requested.


    They were heading to Temal.

 Chapter Seventeen (consequences)

    She didn¡¯t know why she was surprised that when she set out looking for fae that she couldn¡¯t find any. The saying was as old as any she¡¯d ever heard, ¡®the harder you search for fae the harder they are to find¡¯. Fae came to you when they wanted to or you were lucky to stumble across them. As she wandered around in the dark she was starting to realize this wasn¡¯t the most effective plan she¡¯d had.


    Not that any plan she made was, honestly.


    She didn¡¯t want to wade into any ponds in any parks again. She was lucky that she got away with that the first time and even more lucky for the water sprites coming to her at all.


    She would have to think of something else.


    She could go rifling through as many gardens as she wanted but so far she hadn¡¯t found a single trace of any treffae and she was getting frustrated by the search. She was trudging down the street, shoulders hunched over, head down, and a foul mood emanating from her. Even if she did stumble across someone else so late in the nente, she''d likely be left alone.


    She had no idea how far across town she¡¯d wandered until she spied the temple on the skyline and she realized she had strayed closer than she cared for. She wasn¡¯t sure how late into the nente it was but she was sure it was later than she¡¯d meant to be out already. When she looked up at the other building nestled around the temple on the gentle slope she saw that many of them were big, old, buildings. They had high peaked roofs and ornate decorated exteriors that created dramatic shadows that cast over the nooks and crannies of the buildings. They were clearly old and they were the perfect place for wirfae and peps to gather and hide.


    It made her nervous to wander closer to the temple but she reasoned that it was late and she was rather unlikely to run into anyone at all, let alone a temple acolyte. Still, it was a risk and she was aware she was taking it.


    That said, she was only going to take a cursory look around and she would leave if she found nothing. She kept this firmly in the front of her mind as she continued up the street toward the outlines of the buildings rising up. When she reached the neighborhood with the grand old buildings she turned down the street leading away from the temple. There were more buildings the other way but there was no reason to tempt fate more than strictly necessary.


    The street lamps that dotted up and down each side of the narrow road were ornate like the houses instead of a plain orb on a tall pole as they tended to be. These were meant to look vintage and match the aesthetic of the buildings.


    The first building she came to had a plaque on a raised stone stand that labeled it as ¡®The Museum of Old Temal¡¯. There were entirely too many lights still lit both inside and outside for her to approach so she passed it up in favor of a dark, unlit building on the end of the block.


    Quickly and quietly she stole around the backside of the house on the corner. It was easy enough to stick to the shadows as she padded along the path that took her into the alley that ran between it and the neighboring building. As she got close she was careful to watch her footing as her attention was aimed upwards mostly, into the eaves of the building, into the shadows beneath the second floor deck. The building itself was in a bit of disrepair. It looked like it hadn¡¯t been maintained in some solcen, the windows fogged over with grime and the paint flaking with time.


    It was perfect.


    When she came around the corner of a portion of the house that jutted out, windows all around and old dusty curtains drawn, she looked up into the dark peak of the roof. There in the darkness that her eyes had finally adjusted to she could see them; a cluster of reflective eyes looked back down at her.


    Wirfae had always made her just a bit uneasy. Their slightly too-human faces and their glowing reflective eyes unnerved her. Now with a dozen of those eyes looking down at her she felt her resolve slipping. She could still go look for peps in the dark dusty corners of a place instead.


    She felt the telltale stirring of the creature. It was the first time all day that she¡¯d felt it and it startled her in its sharpness, its clarity in her mind.


    hunger


    She looked up at the unmoving, unblinking eyes looking down at her. She didn¡¯t dare move either, rooted to the spot.


    Well then, go and get it. I can¡¯t reach up there. She told the thing. She hadn¡¯t really considered how she would get to the fae in the high points but she now figured that the monster could get its own food. She¡¯d brought it to the food at least. She¡¯d done her part.


    It apparently did not take any more convincing than that because she felt the sickening oily feeling ooze from her pores, over her body. Long terrible arms stretched out from a part of her she couldn¡¯t see and in the blink of an eye they¡¯d shot up and a cacophony of noise rang out as the horrible oozing hands clamped down on one of the wirfae. Their shrill squawking and the sound of wings flapping filled the silence of the nente.


    At once she panicked over the noise, thinking to herself she needed to quiet them. She had no more than thought it when from the gross elongated hands that clutched the first wirfae, long thin spikes shot out in all directions. They were just like the ones that had appeared in the temple and just like before they pierced everything they touched, immediately slurping down whatever it was that it wanted as if through a straw.


    She found out the hard way that it didn¡¯t take everything though as hot, wet, globules rained down from the peak. She hadn¡¯t been expecting them and didn¡¯t know to step out of the way. She nearly gagged when a blob landed wet and sloppy on her shoulder, then on her arm and in her hair. She quickly jumped back at that point but the damage was done. The nente was silent once again and she felt disgusting, albeit for different reasons than the first time but a shower was still desperately in order.


    ¡°Alright¡­Are we good now?¡± She asked into the dark around her. She knew she didn¡¯t need to speak aloud to communicate with the thing but it didn''t feel so jarring now, after all the noise of the struggle. She didn¡¯t get a response so much as she got a tickle across her mind that she could only roughly translate as ¡®less hungry¡¯ but otherwise it was quiet. Truthfully she wasn¡¯t even sure that it understood the meaning of many things she asked it. It seemed to respond to her emotional state more than anything, she was finding.


    There came a noise from somewhere around her and suddenly she remembered where she was. How long had she been standing there?


    She needed to leave.


    Surely someone heard the commotion. She needed to leave before someone found her there, covered in gore and only barely in her mind.


    She turned on her heel and nearly toppled right into the ground, barely catching herself on the wall nearest her. Somehow she¡¯d nearly forgotten about the high she¡¯d gotten last time as well. Her movements all felt syrupy and delayed as she tried to keep her feet under her but she kept tripping on them anyway.


    The noise continued, a soft, scratchy sound in her mind, and her panic rose. She promised LoVelly she¡¯d be careful, that she¡¯d come back. She stumbled to the end of the alley somehow and it opened up onto the street. She took a turn and it was sharper than she expected as she felt her body lurch to the side to follow the path she wasn¡¯t even sure she¡¯d decided on.


    When she came to the intersection at the end of the street and the noise persisted she froze and she listened. It was so overwhelming in her mind, rushing like wind and overtaking anything else. There was an underlying, deeper sound beneath that as well that she could now feel in her chest. Her head was spinning trying to decipher the overstimulating sounds and she dropped into a crouch, folding over and hugging her knees to her chest in the shadows of the street. There, curled up with arms like a vice around her legs she realized that she was still moving, just a little bit, just barely, somewhat erratically but still orderly.


    She was breathing.


    Not consciously, not because she was trying to blend in, but out of some deeper, instinctual, need. It was the way she should be breathing, automatically, but now it felt intrusive and wrong. She had no control over it so even if she wanted to stop or hold it, she couldn''t. She should be thrilled by it but she absolutely hated it and she wanted it to stop. The rushing noise she was hearing in her head was actually the sound of air being aggressively pushed through her lungs and windpipe from her ragged breathing. Then she remembered the other, deeper noise and she focussed on that instead and she realized she knew that noise too, a familiar beating she should have known right away.


    Her heart was beating.


    It seemed like such an obvious thing once she started to realize it and yet, like her erratic breathing, this too felt disconnected and wrong. She hadn''t realized how loud the simple functions were until she''d been without them. It was overwhelming now. The persistent rise and fall of her breathing rocked her back and forth gently. Shocks of color and bursts of light ripped across her mind behind her closed eyes. She recognized it as the thing communicating in its own bizarre language.


    you wanted breath yet you are unhappy now


    I want to go home, she thought miserably back instead of an answer. She wasn''t in the mood to explain the difference between wanting to be alive and needing to breathe. She didn¡¯t know now why she¡¯d thought this little adventure would be a good idea.


    When she popped her head up from her knees her vision wiggled like it too was blowing in the wind. The once rigid structures of the buildings wobbled and bowed around her. The air was full of swirling mists that shifted and rushed around on the currents. They were iridescent, sparkling through the air and she was temporarily distracted from her miserable state.


    Suddenly she found herself on her feet, a bit wobbly at first but she was making her way down the street ever so quietly. When her foot caught on a lip in the pavement she nearly went down but a long, oozing arm shot out to stabilize her before she could hit the ground. Just as quickly as it came it retracted the limb back into herself and was gone.


    She had walked so far from the inn she wasn''t even sure how long it would take to get back or if she knew how. She would likely have to navigate to the city center station and then find her way back from there and she wasn''t exactly operating under the best of circumstances. She resigned herself to it, reminding herself the high would wear off eventually just like it had before.


    Would it last longer after a larger meal? She directed the thought into the dark recesses in her mind where the creature had carved out its residence, where it had oozed and seeped into the cracks and clung there. The answer she got was non committal at best, the equivalent of a shrug even.


    Without warning, the heat burst forth from her core and coursed through her like a molten torrent. The breathing ceased and so did the sound of it. Her heart gave just a few last flutters and then it, too, went quiet and in its place the fire in her burned. It burned so hot she thought she might combust and turn to ash herself.


    This was the part she¡¯d secretly hoped for. The heat coursing through her was the closest feeling to being alive she¡¯d felt since¡­well since dying.


    It was like being in a dream, after that. The heat relaxed her into a trancelike feeling and it almost felt like sleep. She missed being warm almost more than anything else, more than a heartbeat, more than breathing. She could be convinced to keep this up if she could be warm all the time again.


    The last thought that surfaced to the front of her thoughts was that she needed to get back- back to the inn, back to LoVelly. She tried to focus on that, over and over in her head, maybe out loud even, she couldn¡¯t be quite sure.


    Back to the inn. Back to LoVelly.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Back to the inn. Back to LoVelly.


    If she kept repeating it she wouldn¡¯t forget what she was doing. It would be too easy to lose her focus and drift off into a slumber like this, as easy as letting heavy eyelids finally fall closed after a long day, perhaps curled up beneath Sol with a good book¡­


    She could not though. She must stay awake


    nd away from thoughts that drew her into the trap of slumber. She knew all too well  that whatever passed for sleep for her now only meant giving control over to the monster.


    And she walked, half human, half creature, through the sleeping city, it was impossible to contain the creature entirely when it was active and hungry but she was keeping it in check.


    After it ate she had expected to feel a satisfaction of sorts, a contentedness or something but all she felt now was hunger. Insatiable hunger. If she let it, surely, the monster would consume anything it could. It growled and gnawed at her, begging for more. It tempted her, it really did. With the hunger came the impressions of warmth


    She kept her mantra nearly until the moon rose, when she finally found herself staring up at the newly familiar sign hanging from a bar above the front door of the inn. The lights were all off inside but the sign in the window still said ¡®open¡¯ and ¡®vacancy¡¯. With a darkness wrapped like a shroud around her head and shoulders she moved like a shadow around the back and up the stairs.


    When she reached out to take the handle she paused. She felt the darkness enveloping her, pressing in from all directions, a thick, syrupy weight that tried with all its might to drag her back down into it. It felt like the only point of her grounded in the world was the places her fingertips touched the handle.


    She had a slow, drifting thought, a memory even. She remembered being in the strange shimmering bubble meant to hold her in the temple. She remembered moving through her retraints, through the barrier and through other physical barriers after that. She could do that again, couldn¡¯t she?


    She let herself sink into the inky wells that held her even as she pressed further against the handle. And then she was pressing into it and then again through it. She let the wet, shifting coating carry her through something as trivial as a door. The thought was pressed neatly into the front of her mind that a barrier was only as obstructive as it was convenient. She wasn¡¯t in the headspeace to consider the full implications of that.


    When she opened her eyes she found herself peering through dizzying monocular vision, the vision of the creature. It peered around at the window and the desk and finally to the bed where she expected to find LoVelly. If she¡¯d been in her own body she¡¯d probably have fallen back in her shock and her urge to jump away.


    The image she saw was so loud in its chaotic and disjointed visuals. Bright colors violently jumped from one shifting shape to another. Like a moving scribble, curled lines swam by like floaters across her eye. It was an immediate headache like a slap upside her brain. She reeled back, shaking her head in an attempt to rid her vision of the awful picture. She felt a dread well up in her and suddenly she was falling to her hands and knees, the darkness receding into her like her body was a sponge soaking up a spill.


    ¡°Mez?¡± A sleepy voice called out to her. She took a shallow breath.


    ¡°Yeah, Lov¡¯,¡± she called back. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± She chanced a look back over at him and was relieved but confused to find just¡­LoVelly. Nothing strange, nothing out of place. Just a slow blinking face that for once she felt like she could see. Soft winky eyes peered at her, dark and warm in the low light of the lamp that he must have lit at some point in the nente. He reached a hand up to rub at his face before he pushed the blanket back and swung his legs over the side of the bed.


    ¡°Are you okay? Did something happen?¡± His voice was thick with concern and sleep.


    ¡°No. No, I¡¯m okay.¡± She insisted and pushed herself back to her feet. ¡°Just a long nente is all.¡± LoVelly shuffled over toward her, stopping just short and giving her a look.


    ¡°What¡¯s all over you?¡± He wrinkled his nose at her. ¡°Smells weird.¡± She hadn¡¯t noticed a smell at all but then again she hadn¡¯t been breathing, mostly, and when she had been she¡¯d been occupied with other things.


    ¡°Liquefied wirfae leftovers. I think.¡± she said flatly. She felt as grossed out about it as LoVelly looked. ¡°I need to go bathe myself. Maybe forever.¡± She looked down to inspect her footwear for any trace of goo but was happy to find none so she leaned down to unlace and remove them. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asked instead. LoVelly rolled his shoulders and sort of wiggled himself in place, thinking about it for a moment.


    ¡°Good. Great even.¡± He told her, moving back to sit on the edge of the bed when she went to put her shoes by the door. ¡°So you were able to feed it then?¡± LoVelly was not to be deterred apparently.


    ¡°Yeah. I walked half the city looking though. It took the whole nente,¡± she complained.


    ¡°Did it help?¡± he asked. She turned to look at him and met his eyes across the distance between them. For just the briefest moment, half a tes even, she saw a flicker of those overwhelming, color shifting shapes in place of LoVelly. But then in a blink it was gone and it was just LoVelly. Her head hurt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± she answered truthfully. ¡°It definitely did¡­ something.¡± She put a hand to her temple, applying pressure in hopes it would curb the pulsing sensation.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? You don¡¯t look okay.¡± He moved to stand but she held a hand out, stopping him.


    ¡°Yeah. I just need a shower and I¡¯ll feel better. I¡¯ll be back.¡± He looked like he wanted to argue but he held it back. She grabbed her change of clothes and fled down the hall to the bathroom and she silently thanked  whatever diety would listen that she hadn¡¯t run into anyone else in the halls or the bathroom yet. There were definitely other people staying at the inn. She could hear them through the walls occasionally or passing by outside their room but she hadn¡¯t run into any of them in person.


    She washed the grime from her body with fervor, scrubbing until she was nearly raw in places, her skin stinging to the touch. If she shed a few tears in the shower there was no way to tell except the overwhelming ache in her chest.


    Once she¡¯d let the emotions out, she felt remarkably better again. She stepped out of the shower finally with a renewed sense of warmth that wasn¡¯t just from the water. She felt it radiating from her core sending a heat through her veins into her limbs,


    ¡®What is this?¡¯ she internally questioned as she patted herself down and changed into clean clothes. She knew that whatever the feeling was it was the creature¡¯s doing. It didn¡¯t take any time at all for her to feel it stir, slinking on the edges of her awareness like it was tiptoeing.


    leftovers


    She waited a moment for further explanation but none came. That was all it had to say on the matter apparently.


    She toweled her hair before stepping up to the mirror, intent on detangling her hair as best she could while it was still wet and she could easily separate the curls. She dropped the towel to the counter and looked up in the mirror and as she did her eyes caught the light in the reflection and she was surprised when they flashed back, reflecting the light.


    That had never happened before.


    She tilted her head this way and that in the mirror and sure enough, when her eyes caught the light they flashed back at her.


    She didn¡¯t know what to make of that. Was it a side effect of the creature or was it a consequence of consuming fae blood? She had no idea but she wondered if she could see in the dark now too.


    She finished her hair and resigned herself. It was time to deal with whatever was up with LoVelly. There were too many unknowns surrounding the man and she wanted to start getting some answers. She felt the hot rivers of fen flowing through her and she felt like now was the right time to try digging around in his mind again. There was certainly more hidden in his mind than he was privy to and whatever she¡¯d seen¡­she could barely even picture it.


    She made a detour to take her dirty clothes to the wash but unfortunately the machine was in use so she rinsed what she could in the sink. It definitely wasn¡¯t in any effort to procrastinate, she told herself, it simply needed to be done. Besides, as soon as she was done she dutifully made her way back upstairs.


    LoVelly was more or less right where she¡¯d left him. He was sitting cross legged on the end of the bed, elbows on his knees and chin in his hands. He looked¡­asleep. His eyelids drooped so low they were nearly closed and his stare was vacant, even after she closed the door behind her. She went and dropped her towel over the back of the chair and grabbed a page of paper and the pen. Still, LoVelly did not stir.


    ¡°Lov¡¯?¡± She said, stepping closer but stopping an arms length away still. She waved a hand in front of him before leaning in to shove at his shoulder. It unbalanced him and sent him into a sputtering shock. She was able to easily lean out of reach as he shook himself out.


    ¡°Sorry. Kinda just dozed off again. I just feel really¡­sleepy?¡± He wrinkled his brow and nose, thinking. ¡°Not sleepy but-¡±


    ¡°Relaxed?¡± She offered. She slid one knee onto the little bed and sat facing LoVelly, one leg off the side and foot planted firmly on the floor.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess that is what the doctor said would happen.¡± He punctuated it with a yawn.


    ¡°Here, face me.¡± She patted the space in front of her. ¡°I want to try something.¡± He did as he was asked without complaint and once they were face to face, knees to knees, she paused and just looked at him.


    It made her brain feel scrambled, like static on a broadcast box. It made her feel uneasy and she didn¡¯t think it was the creature pushing that thought onto her this time. Still, she could tell that he was looking at her with curiosity and a bit of confusion. She could see him just¡­not directly, or something like that.


    ¡°I think if ever there was going to be a time to try a fen exchange and for me to get into your mind it¡¯s gotta be now.¡± She explained and reached over for his hands. She guided him to lay them down, palms up. She tore off two scraps of paper just large enough to draw a circle on each. She placed one in each of LoVelly¡¯s waiting palms before going in to make another mark. LoVelly wiggled and let out a small peal of laughter, jerking his hand back.


    ¡°Sorry. Sorry. That tickled. I wasn¡¯t prepared.¡± He offered his hand back, slightly crumpled paper. ¡°I¡¯m ready this time.¡± She quickly made several more marks within the main circle before moving to the other hand and making several shapes that she filled in, somewhat haphazardly, which made LoVelly wiggle just the slightest bit.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see if this works.¡± She dropped the pencil to the bed beside them and raised her hands to hover over his.


    ¡°What exactly are we doing?¡± LoVelly finally asked.


    ¡°Cerebral loop. I¡¯m not sure if we can even do it honestly. It takes a lot of fen. More than most people have these driev¡¯ but I thought we could try.¡± She explained, pulling her hands back just a bit more. ¡°If it works it should let me pick your brain a bit easier. Maybe we can yank something loose in there.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so delicate,¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°Are you sure you even know how to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± she defended. ¡°I learned about it in my studies with my Pods elders. And really, worst case scenario, nothing happens.¡± She shrugged but he narrowed his eyes at her, holding her stare for a moment before relenting.


    ¡°Please just remember that¡¯s my mind you¡¯re digging around in.¡± Despite the slight apprehension he never pulled his hands back or away, he kept them steady where they rested over his criss-crossed knees. Mezalie said nothing more before letting her palms come down on top of his.


    LoVelly¡¯s hands were so warm in comparison to her own even after the heat of the shower. She tried to use that heat as a way to ground herself, keeping herself focussed on LoVelly, living and breathing in front of her. Then she looked inward, on the fen within her and she pushed it outward, towards her palms. If she was right, and she was pretty sure, then she might have enough fen to pull off something like a cerebral loop.


    Joining two minds, even just temporarily, was not an easy task even with all the right materials. She did not have shech¡¯n paper or fine inks or even just candles. What she did have however was an excess reservoir of fen and nothing left to lose except possibly the man in front of her. She¡¯d never had fen like this before. Most people since the end of the Second Great War had very little fen; a little less with each generation. Of course there were exceptions but it was nothing like accounts of things were like before The Shift. Before all the natural fen wells dried up, the convergence points went dormant and the world was cut off from the other realms.


    Now though she had more fen than she knew what to do with. It felt like it would ooze from her, like she might overflow with it. She tried though to channel it, to focus it on the task at hand. Activate the sigils joining her and LoVelly and potentially allowing her a more intimate look around his mind. She curled her hands around LoVelly¡¯s as best she could at the angle, mostly his wrists. She felt the sudden tingle that began to spark from their joined palms. She quickly looked up at LoVelly, to see if he¡¯d felt it too.


    ¡°Your eyes¡­¡± He said with curiosity, tilting his head just a bit to look again. ¡°They didn¡¯t always do that.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a new thing.¡± she admitted.


    A snap grabbed both their attention back down between them to their hands. They both sat, LoVelly holding his breath, as they waited for something more to happen.


    But nothing came.


    LoVelly looked back up at Mez with a shrug and a look before trying to withdraw his hands. Mez held tight where she had been, shaking her head.


    ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s a binding fensa. You have to wait for it to release before you let go.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you let go?¡±


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well how do we know? What if it doesn¡¯t release?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to feel it. At the very least I¡¯ll let you know. Sometimes it just takes a dib.¡± It could take longer than a dib sometimes but she didn¡¯t want him to freak out about it. She took a deep breath in just to be able to sigh.


    ¡°I told you it might just not work.¡± She was still trying to channel all her fen to her hands, into the sigil paper. It had popped once already. If she could just get it to do it again¡­


    And then it felt like her face began to melt and her skull fell straight through her feet. She was flying through the ether at light speed as everything became a long stretch of noodle-thin color moving by around her.


    She wasn''t sure where her thoughts were occurring exactly, but the last coherent one she had was a sense of satisfaction that she had been right.

 Chapter Eighteen (in the loop)

    Hands on cold tile- feeling the break in the smooth, even, surface of a grout line. There is water on the ground, just enough to cover up to her ankles and it is cold.


    The sharp smell of explosives and smoke, thick, tangy and acrid in the air. The ground shakes once, then twice. She feels deep, rumbling vibrations in her bones.


    The damp wet taste of mold lingers around her.


    Torrents of thought tear through her mind at breakneck speed. Thoughts were there and gone before she could realize she¡¯d even had them. It was all both so horrifically quiet and so overwhelmingly loud that it had her spinning. She was trying and failing to grasp onto something that could keep her grounded.


    A hairbrush drags through long hair, tugging back. The length of hair is in someone else¡¯s hand. It feels wonderful, fingers against scalp, gentleness and care in the movement. She nearly gets lost in the feeling when it falls away and she suddenly finds herself alone.


    Alone in a new place. Walls that appear to be carved out of stone were on either side of her, two doorways with no doors spread evenly along each one. Behind her was a dead end. The hallway appeared to lead into an open room with a warm, soft light glowing from it, spilling golden onto the floor.


    She wandered quietly toward the light, a hope of warmth. She was so cold.


    She peered into each doorway as she passed them by but they were all too dark to see anything. The darkness within them was thick and heavy, choking out the light just past the threshold. Long tendrils like fingers reached for the light and it felt like a living thing, the shifting and moving darkness. Maybe it was.


    Nonetheless she passed those rooms by in favor of pursuing the light at the end of the hall. She would check there first. She could always come back for the dark rooms.


    She found herself in a simple, cozy studio. It was a very cluttered studio, she noted. The floor was an eclectic variety of rugs of every shape and size overlapping each other. There were several desks and cabinets pushed up against walls, chairs both scattered around and stacked up in corners. Every surface that could be utilized had stuff on it- trinkets and baubles and books and statues and, well anything really.


    As she stepped into the room she had the strangest feeling she''d been there before but she didn''t actually recognize anything. It was just a feeling she couldn''t shake. She reached a hand out to run her fingertips over the smooth wooden front of a wardrobe. She wasn''t prepared to be nearly flattened by the torrent of voices and thoughts that welled up through the touch. She snached her hand back sharply and the noise died down right away. Curious, she turned in place and slowly reached out to run one finger along the back of a chair.


    Nothing happened.


    She turned back to the wardrobe and ran the same finger along the front of it and immediately the noise started up, like a crowded room of people all speaking at once. She was better prepared for it this time and instead of pulling back she wrapped her fingers around one handle and carefully pulled the door open.


    She felt like she should have expected it but the wardrobe was not full of clothes but more bits and baubles. There were rows of shelves and they were all packed from the back to the front with any manner of small trinket. She couldn¡¯t make out any kind of organizational pattern to the way they were placed. The noise was somewhat more subdued with the door open, more even like a low chatter. It was much more tolerable.


    Carefully she reached out and picked up the item o n the top shelf that she recognized: a key. Not just a key but the tevvy key she¡¯d finally tossed away after they¡¯d left the ruins. She hadn''t wanted to keep the evidence and the reminder of it after all.


    Now when she picked up the familiar shape it was warm to the touch and she was immediately taken back to the ruins, to the moment they¡¯d had when she¡¯d apologized. She saw her own face, a bit flustered and eyebrows drawn. She heard her own apology and she hated to hear her own voice.


    She placed the key back down on the shelf and the vision fell away like a fine mist dissipating. She was still in front of the wardrobe full of trinkets that were memories that belonged to LoVelly.


    Her Ananas had said that cerebral loops were most dangerous in their lack of predictability. There was no real way to prepare or expect what you might encounter. Sometimes they were confusing labyrinths that were nearly impossible to navigate and even harder to find your way back out of. She counted herself lucky that LoVelly was fairly straightforward.


    She turned to look at the room again with new eyes. All those things, the plethora of objects, were parts of LoVelly.


    She still wasn¡¯t sure how she was supposed to find anything specific, how to find things he knew and things he didn¡¯t. While her eyes swept the room she caught something tucked away at the back between a bookcase and an end table; there was a door. Just a simple wooden thing but she could see light spilling out from beneath.


    The wardrobe forgotten in favor of this new discovery, she made her way to the door. As she approached she saw shadows shifting through the crack beneath as flickers in the light. She paused and watched them, slow moving and lazy. She leaned in close and placed her ear to the door, hoping for a clue to what lay beyond but there was nothing, no sound.


    Finally she turned the doorknob only to find that the door was locked. She pulled and pushed and tried to jiggle it but there was absolutely no give. She would need to find a key or try something else.


    When she turned back to the room at large she felt off, as if everything had shifted. It wasn¡¯t the same room it had been a dib ago although it was rather similar. She couldn¡¯t pin down what exactly was making her feel off but she knew it to be true. Something was different.


    She trailed her fingers along the smooth edge of a table as she walked past it. Chatter that took the form of long dark jagged lines sprang forth at her and faded as she passed by. Anything she touched brought forth the memories and thoughts associated with it and suddenly the clutter made sense. LoVelly¡¯s mind was jumbled and unorganized. It was a wonder he remembered anything at all.


    She looked at piles of things stacked up on a desk, scraps of paper, writing tools, a knick-knack of some kind, perhaps a jumping mard?- some tools and their various attachments, a candy dressed in shiny metallic wrapping, the list went on. She wasn¡¯t sure how to begin, where to begin.


    Was she supposed to¡­to organize all this? It would take a lifetime and then some. She liked to think she was a tidy person, especially looking at the mess she was in, but she wasn¡¯t great at starting a big cleanup project like this. This was best left to people like Pidka who were self starters, meticulous and thorough.


    She turned around and swept her gaze over the room at large, trying to find some kind of starting point. What caught her eye was the book laid face down, open, on the arm of the chair. She carefully stepped through the room, right to the chair, looking down at the book conspicuously laid out for her.


    This she could work with.


    She plucked the book up with care to preserve the page it was open to. When she flipped it around however she found it was blank. All the pages, as she flipped a few back and forth, appeared to be blank. She rolled her eyes and groaned because of course. She glanced up at the various book shelves around the room, looking for a clue to where the one in her hand could belong. She supposed she would have to play the games required for the task at hand, if she must.


    Like everything else in the room there was clutter on the shelves as much as there were books. Sometimes the things obscured the books behind them and she had to carefully check around and behind them. Behind one such pile she found three small volumes tucked together that appeared in the same fashion as the one in her hand. Each one was a bit different from the others but they were clearly a set and she felt confident in that assumption when she slid the fourth book in alongside the others. She reached instead for the first volume, dark in binding with a faded, curling script, a language she wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    She tipped the book out by its spine and even the light touch sent a swell of tingles up through her. It wasn¡¯t the same, exactly, as the feeling she got when her and LoVelly touched but it wasn¡¯t dissimilar either. She let the feeling creep as she took the book up and flipped the cover open. Like the first book it appeared blank at first but when she dragged her hand across the page to flip it a dark, curling script began to appear in her wake.


    As she touched her hand to the page once more she was alarmed when the writing swirled itself around her finger as if attracted to a magnet and then began to draw up, up her wrist and arm. The tingling feeling returned in full force and when her jaw dropped in surprise a complicated combination of clicks and high pitched noises escaped in place of her voice.


    Suddenly she was no longer in the little room. She was far away in a place she immediately knew she recognized.


    She looked down at the water that lapped at her ankles, feeling the cold sapping what heat was left in her. Except she wasn¡¯t her, was she? It was more accurate to say she was LoVelly but even that wasn¡¯t quite right. She was someone LoVelly used to be. Someone she used to know.


    The beautiful blue tiles of a temple floor looked ethereal in the glow of a blinding light emanating from the back corner of the room. The roof was gone, torn away by inhuman force like a can lid peeled back. The light of Sol filtered into the room through the wreckage and she saw the clusters of dappled half crescents that indicated an eclipse of Sol by Dharlarly, the larger moon. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    She felt herself step forward, toward the light shining like a flare, just a passenger along for the ride through a memory. A hand swept out in front and then to the side and the debris that littered her path was pushed aside by an unseen force and she was able to press on. As she came closer she could just barely make out the silhouette of a person against the blinding light.


    As she came even closer still she realized that the silhouette was all there really was. There was no person at the center of the light, they were the light. Features like arms and legs ended in bright shocks of shifting and sparking colors instead of fingers or toes.


    She dropped to her knees before the figure, reaching out but not touching. Bursts of light sprang forth like wings made of lightning leaving fractal patterns hanging behind like afterimages burned into a screen left on too long. The figure opened their eyes and she was shocked to see her own eyes looking back, the same eyes she shared with Klia and her ana. How strange it was to see them there on the face of a stranger she only knew was herself because her self that was LoVelly knew.


    Her arms reached out and hands cupped the face of the figure of light and she recognized the noise that tore from her throat as someone choking back a sob. Her lungs drew in a deep, shuddering breath and for the first time in a while it felt like something, like relief, like cold water against a burn, like fresh air after lungfuls of smoke. She wanted to take another just for the feel of it but she wasn''t driving this body.


    Where her hands cupped a cheek and smoothed over a cheekbone, her skin began to crackle like broken pottery and in the cracks a light shone through. The light was just as blinding as what was before her and as she moved her hands the broken pieces fell away to reveal a form of light just like the figure.


    ¡°My love, I think we need to put an end to this.¡± The words fell from her lips despite the shapes feeling strange and wrong in her mouth. The tears were hot against her face and gods she was so cold.


    The figure raised a hand up between them, turning it over and back. There weren''t discernible fingers there as the light danced and arced back and forth.


    A sound like wind chimes twinkled and she recognized the whisper-quiet words between the bells.


    ¡°Look at me¡­like this¡­ I don''t belong anywhere but with you.¡±


    A feeling like mist, brief and cool to the touch, drifted down and her head tipped back to see the portal that had opened above them. The smell of atmosphere and something metallic came sharp and tangy after the cool feeling. Through the ethereal window she saw a soft field blowing in a gentle wind. She knew that place too. Beyond the field was a dense fog that obscured any path out but it wasn''t a bad place to be lost. It was warm and the wind blew sweet like blooming flowers.


    She was pulled so jarringly from the moment when the book slipped and fell from her hand. There was no sound as it hit the floor, pages fluttering on the way down. She nearly fell down with it only barely bracing herself on the shelf as the black ink that had soaked her skin began to fall from her skin like dried paint flakes.


    She felt shaky, a bit rattled by the intensity of the vision- the memory.


    LoVelly was right in his assessment that they''d known each other in another life. She''d suspected it too after the visions she''d had and the strange connection they seemed to share but it was another thing altogether to feel it so viscerally through LoVelly¡¯s mind.


    She didn''t even bother to pick up the discarded book, reaching desperately for the next volume. She suddenly hungered for more, anything. All this time she''d been asking what was LoVelly when she just as easily could have been asking what were they?


    She tore the cover open and flipped the pages not caring where she landed as her hands scoured the pages, watching the words appear only to draw up into her, covering her skin.


    The scene began to unfold with a sound like an engine roaring in her ears. She was swirling around, being thrown like a ragdoll in a wind that threatened to rip the air from her lungs. There was a hand in hers and she opened her eyes, unaware they''d been closed, braced against the storm. There across from her was the being of light from before. The one with her eyes. They held on like they were a part of each other but even that was not enough to stop them from being torn in half and flung apart.


    Suddenly everything froze, mid motion, mid destruction, and something new invaded her perception. This one was not made of light or anything eokl,y. All she could parse were strange violet eyes that burned into her eyes, if she had any.


    That''s enough for you.


    The foreign sounds echoed directly in her head, felt like syrup dripping into her brain. It¡­they, moved and it was strange, like they were drawn into real life, moving like a flipbook but it felt like some of the pages were missing. Like they were jumping past the parts of motions that made them look smooth. It made her metaphorical skin crawl and she was able to momentarily demand control in order to shrink away from the thing.


    She was flying back- no, everything was rushing in reverse past her, the storm, the light being, the not-LoVelly, the books, the room, everything rushing and blending together as it went. She could hardly tell what was what until she was being flung like she was being thrown from a speeding vehicle suddenly braking. She was thrown so hard she was afraid it might do her real harm to land.


    And then just like that she was blinking her eyes open to a dark-boarded ceiling in an inn that was surprisingly well dusted. She didn¡¯t move for just a tes, listening. LoVelly¡¯s breathing hitched and then picked up right before he gasped when he realized her eyes were open. She turned her head to meet his eyes and she tried to reach up to brush her hair back where it had fallen only to realize that their hands were still interlcked between them.


    She looked at him, really looked at him. She¡¯d done it before but she felt like she had this new perspective and maybe somehow he would look different. Maybe she would be able to truly see him, or something like that.


    And for just a tes, she thought she did.


    Long, dark hair, straight as a rielaf frond, hung in ribbons around a deceptively soft face for a jaw so square. Dark eyes stared back at her and as she tried to parse the entire picture in her mind she swore she saw the face shifting, another face she knew but from somewhere long ago, another lifetime, but she knew them. All of them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­the first time we¡¯ve done this.¡± LoVelly breathed into the space between them. ¡°I remember now. Some of it anyway. How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Cerebral loops are¡­weird. What was that thing that flung me out? Was that you?¡± She wrinkled her face thinking of it still. LoVelly¡¯s brows drew in as he wrinkled his face back.


    ¡°The what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That. I dunno. It wasn¡¯t a person but it was¡­person shaped. It moved really weird and it-nevermind.¡± She dropped it judging from the look on LoVelly¡¯s face. He really didn¡¯t know. ¡°Must have just been part of the loop.¡± she murmured mostly to herself.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± he asked. She looked at him blankly for a moment and it must have been just as obvious because he shook their joined hands. ¡°The loop. You said you¡¯d know but I couldn¡¯t tell and you said it would hurt.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Oh.¡± She peeled her fingers back from his, feeling stiff in fact from holding so tight. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s over. We can let go.¡± They disentangled and LoVelly rubbed his hands together, trying to rub feeling back in. They were quiet for a while but Mez could see the gears turning in LoVelly¡¯s head.


    ¡°That was really weird,¡± he begain finally, ¡°I just kind of remember things now. Some things. And if I focus hard enough I can sort of remember things related to those things.¡± She allowed him to talk it out, figuring it was mostly for himself, his way of processing.


    ¡°I remember those things you saw. I remember being there. I¡­feel those ones the most. Like it¡¯s fresh now.¡± He took a deep breath in his nose and blew it out his mouth.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I think so.¡± He shrugged, which just kind of jostled him a bit.


    They were already so close but now they would be breathing the same air, if Mezalie breathed. It was a strange feeling, this building roiling in her gut that had nothing to do with her stomach or any other physical function.


    She¡¯d seen it. They¡¯d been together through lifetimes. He¡¯d come for her when she¡¯d needed it, without even knowing what or who he was. She¡¯d never felt a physical attraction or a want for it but perhaps she just hadn¡¯t met anyone like LoVelly. Because surely that was what this feeling was, building now within her ribcage like a caught fae?


    It felt like the right thing to do to lean across, to bridge the gap between them. She looked up to lock eyes and when she looked into the endless depths she hesitated. What if she was wrong? But, always on the same page, LoVelly leaned forward to close the final distance, to seal their lips together.


    It was only a tes, at first, but she had expected so much more, if she was being honest. All the times they had touched and floods of feeling and emotion erupted on the contact so she had expected¡­something. Instead it was just lips on lips and it wasn¡¯t bad but it wasn¡¯t much of anything.


    She tried as a last ditch attempt to move her lips against his but it somehow made it worse. They pulled away with what she thought were probably identical looks of bewilderment.


    ¡°That was-¡±


    ¡°I thought-¡± They stumbled over each other in an attempt to ease the awkward air that had formed. LoVelly pushed himself up on one elbow, waving a hand between them. ¡°I really thought that was the right move,¡± he said, with a face that said it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Me too,¡± she agreed but made a motion like she¡¯d touched something gross, ¡°but that was bad, right?¡± Her eyebrows drew in as she said it. She didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings if he felt differently but to her relief he nodded immediately.


    ¡°It was weird. Like kissing my sister.¡± He gasped suddenly pointing an accusing finger at her. ¡°We¡¯re not sisters are we!?¡± His face was so serious that she did her best not to laugh.


    ¡°Lov¡¯, look at us.¡± She gestured between the two of them with a deadpan look. ¡°Do we look like sisters?¡± She tried to hold the look but as soon as she saw the muscle in his face twitch from hold back his own laughter she lost it. Within moments they were in stitches, continually prompted by the others¡¯ laughter until a new fit had overtaken them. She had to keep taking gasping breaths to keep up with the laughter that her body seemed to remember how to do until she was only letting out raspy clicks and pops. She had to slap a hand over LoVelly¡¯s face, shhhing him repeatedly before they got ahold of themselves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think kissing is for us.¡± She said finally, feeling better about letting it sit between them now.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so either. Not this time around.¡± He agreed, turning to look at her. She could feel his big, round, eyes on the side of her face. ¡°That¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±


    She considered it for a moment.


    ¡°No. Not really. Not as long as you stay.¡±


    ¡°I think you already know,¡± was all he said in reply. Because she did. She¡¯d said it, or a version of her had.


    ¡°Nowhere else but with you.¡± She said aloud anyway, just because it felt nice to say.

 Chapter Nineteen (panoramic view)

    The first meal of the day turned out to be a simple but effective meat and jam sandwich that LoVelly took with a sincere thanks to the woman they found in the kitchen cooking. They hadn¡¯t seen her before and when LoVelly mentioned as much she explained that she was the owners daughter and that her father had taken the driev to run errands around the city. Once she''d said it Mezalie agreed that she could see the resemblance; the woman had soft, kind features, sloping eyebrows and a complexion like that of a nearly translucent page with visible veining in some areas. Like her father she was also petite, carrying her weight low. She offered Mezalie another sandwich, hot and melty off the pan, when she shook her head and politely declined the woman smiled and slid the sandwich onto a waiting hotplate on the other side of the stove instead.


    There was nobody else in the kitchen with them and the woman and while LoVelly happily munched and carried a conversation Mezalie kept thinking about the loop. She was thinking about the books, about the writing that had swirled up and taken her to a place where the beautiful and terrifying memories were stored. She did her best to engage, reminding herself to breathe- which she was getting better at, she thought, but she kept losing herself in thought. When LoVelly was finishing up his last bite, moving to wash his hands and cooing praise over how delicious the meal had been, Mezalie moved to stand beside him.


    ¡°I think we should go back to the city archive library one more time,¡± she said slowly, as if she was still forming the idea as it came out.


    ¡°I thought we were going to check out all those leads we looked up yesterday?¡± LoVelly asked.


    ¡°We will,¡± Mezalie shrugged. ¡°I just have this theory and I want to see if I¡¯m right or not. Then we can go.¡±


    ¡°What kind of mystery are you solving?¡± The woman asked with curiosity. She turned her back to the stove, leaning gently on it. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t mean to eavesdrop.¡± She added with a tinge of embarrassment.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a friend, actually.¡± Mezalie quickly supplied as Lovelly dried his hands.


    ¡°Oh no, are they missing?¡± she asked with concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We¡¯re just having a hard time connecting.¡± It was mostly the truth even.


    ¡°Well, I wish you two luck on your search. The city is so busy right now in preparation for the Sol season I can¡¯t imagine that helps narrow it down.¡± LoVelly let out a small laugh at that.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± he told her. They offered their thanks again and then they set off across the city once again. The streets were flooded with people much more now than just a couple driev¡¯ ago. Droves of people had been arriving in the city just in time for the farmers unions meetings. Even more would arrive still as soil prep and machine maintenance wrapped up and planting began.


    There was standing room only on the street car as they shuffled in, tucking into a little pocket of space in the corner. There was a subtle shift in the warm comfort of being pressed side to side. Now when Mezalie felt the inexplicable rightness of having LoVelly near it didn¡¯t ring alarm bells in her mind, instead soothing her fraying nerves.


    When they arrived at the city archives it too was bursting with people but Mezalie knew exactly where she was going this time. She led them up the crowded stairs, up past the floor they searched before, all the way to the top. It was set up much the same as the floor below but along the right wall was a set of shelves that stretched the length of the wall, protected by clear sliding doors between people and the books on them. At the front of the room was a small podium and behind it sat a short, round man with a button nose and dark eyes that reminded Mezalie of a drunem.


    Mezalie went directly to the enclosed shelved, tugging LoVelly along behind her. The person behind the podium looked up when they approached but otherwise paid them no mind. She scanned the shelves, finding that they were labeled by subject and then on from there down to author. She didn¡¯t know where exactly to look but she knew what to look for: old, leather-bound and made to withstand time. She was looking for something that looked like a textbook and at last, on a high shelf she spied what she wanted. A row of blue spined books with titles written in a very minimalistic and blocky script with the occasional round, empty circle. Mezalie pointed up at the books and grabbed LoVelly¡¯s attention, directing him to her find.


    ¡°What does that say?¡± She asked quietly. LoVelly looked intently, squinting and lifting his heels up to get just the tiniest bit closer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­oh. Wait. That¡¯s a¡­¡± he absently brought his hand up and began to draw the letters in the air as he sounded it out. ¡°I think it¡¯s something to do with fenoperable machinery.¡± Mezalie looked positively giddy next to him.


    ¡°Lov¡¯ you can read Kargeine. That¡¯s incredible. Bizarre, but incredible!¡± she told him.


    ¡°I don''t know if read is the right word. I don¡¯t think I understand it that well but I can read the letters I guess.¡± He tried to explain.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. We can work with that I think. Let¡¯s see if we can take them out to look at.¡±


    When they approached the person they were greeted with a smile.


    ¡°Wanting to look at some of the special handling books?¡± They asked, obviously having seen them looking.


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there are a couple of rules.¡± they began, standing to follow them back over. ¡°These books cannot leave the floor. Please do not damage them or mark them. No food or drink on the same surface or a surface above them. Other than that just take care of them. Most of these are older than our ananas.¡± Mezalie pointed out the blue tomes on the upper shelf. The person pulled a set of keys from their locked and unlocked the sliding door and turned to Mezalie, ¡°you can go ahead and grab them so I don¡¯t have to get a step.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± LoVelly said as Mezalie pulled four books down and the librarian slid the case shut again.


    ¡°Happy reading!¡± They responded.


    They took the books to a table not terribly far from the case. Mezalie quickly opened the first one, the one LoVelly had identified. She flipped through a couple of pages and pressed it over to him, waiting expectantly. He leaned in close, brow wrinkling as he placed a finger to the page.


    ¡°It¡¯s some kind of manual.¡± He paused, skimming the page before turning it over. ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t believe I can read this. But honestly, it¡¯s a lot of technical language and I don¡¯t really understand it very well.¡± He flipped the page until stopping on one with an image of a partially deconstructed for detail, convergence marker. The words around it detailed what the individual parts were and where they belonged. He flipped the page and he could feel Mezalie nearly vibrating out of her seat waiting on him to tell her what it said. He read it over a couple of times before he felt like he understood enough to repeat it back.


    ¡°It¡¯s talking about how the markers were just used to¡­convert natural fen into usable product. They were placed on top of natural wells of fen. The concentration at those places allowed for people to create things that nobody could make on their own. They used them to create fuel for-¡± he paused to wipe the back of his hand across his nose where he felt an itch but recoiled when it came away wet. He looked down at his hand to see dark, wet blood there.


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Mezalie¡¯s voice came out much too loud in the relatively quiet room.


    ¡°Yeah. I just- my head hurts.¡± he complained, wiping again at his nose where he felt another drip of blood forming.


    Without warning, a siren blared outside the building. Everything fell silent, even the air felt still, as everyone in the building, probably in the city, froze.


    ¡°Oh no. He¡¯s here.¡± Mezalie whispered with no small amount of dread.


    ***


    The trip over the mountain pass was winding and as long as ever. It only took them the nente to make it all the way through though. The worst of the cold had passed for the season and the road was clear enough to take their small caravan of TVE to safely travel. Nimel had spent most of their time staring out the window at the view of the mountainside. They had never been over the mountains before.


    When they finally made it down the other side it was still several lof before the twinkling of the city lights came into view. They only spent a few dib taking in the sight before they got up and to head to the lower deck. They were all instructed to meet once they arrived on the outskirts for further briefing. For all they were told that this was a diplomatic outing it certainly felt more like a military movement in practice. Not that Nimel knew what that would be like. There hadn''t been a formal military since before they were born.


    Down below, Sahayna and Teramyn were already standing around the already cramped table. They didn¡¯t see Carmis but that wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary. He would pop up eventually when he was needed. He was always quick to disappear when they arrived places and thus avoided having to help unpack, too.


    ¡°Our Tevvy is the only one we¡¯ll be taking all the way into the city. The only streets large enough to accommodate a TVE are still narrow and we want to avoid damage.¡± Teramyn was saying.


    ¡°And we don¡¯t want it to come across hostile.¡± Sahayna sharply added. Her hat was tipped back on her head, wide brim pointing up toward the sky.


    ¡°Of course.¡± A man across the table agreed. He was the head of the royal guard and in Nimel¡¯s opinion he was a bit full of himself about it. Of course, he was extremely talented and he was chosen for his position in Ahshka¡¯s regime for a reason. Nimel just thought he could be a bit more humble about it.


    Nimel placed himself at Sahanya¡¯s side, ready as they slowly took the road in. Teramyn once again went over his plan to appeal to the city¡¯s open council to give up the girl and maybe even her accomplice for good measure. If they would not then Teramyn would instead bring in the additional TVE¡¯s and they would search the city by force.


    Nimel wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the whole thing. It felt dangerous, this thing they were doing. It felt wrong too but they were in no position to stop it. They had their instructions from the Order and deviating now could cause even bigger waves in the aftermath. Their knuckles were white where their hands were balled into the fabric of their dress.


    As soon as they were reaching the first settlements along the road leading in they could hear it, a siren wailing from within the city. It tied their stomach in knots to hear as it got louder and louder.


    Nimel, as predicted, was instructed to stay back in the TVE while Teramyn and Sahayna and a few of the guard approached a large gathering of people outside the Council building. Carmis however went with them, of course showing up at the right moment to whisk away with them.


    Now was their chance though. Once the TVE was mostly empty, only a few of the guard and the operating team were left on board. They quietly slipped to the back of the craft, to the emergency exit in the back. It was a tiny door with a hatch nearly rusted shut and it whined when they put their body weight on the lever to force it open. There was no alarm sensor connected to the old door anymore so nobody would notice them slipping out the door and closing it behind them. They imagined that the negotiations in the Council Hall would likely last at least a lof. These kinds of things were never quick. Plus they had to first appeal to the crowd outside to let them through.


    Nimel stayed hidden in a nook between two large thrust fans on the back of the craft. They pulled from the pocket of their dress a small but dense, heavy stone. It smelled of smoke and it held a warmth within it that soaked into their hand. There was a single sigil hand carved onto one surface of it. Nimel focussed their fen deep within their core and held the stone tightly until they began to feel a tingle that spread from their hand and quickly to the rest of their body. They felt themselves begin to shift, contorting, shrinking and twisting into a new shape entirely.


    On newfound wings they took flight and quickly soared across the city and much like Tewey had done for them, they aimed to deliver a message. It was strange however, to look through eyes that were not their own and for a short while they feared they wouldn¡¯t be able to carry out their task due to simply being lost.


    Once they dropped down lower, closer to the streets, the light from the driev lamps was strong enough that they could read street signs and storefronts. Only once did anyone pay them any mind and it was another drak, who perked up and Nimel felt curiosity brush their mind as they passed by but that was all the encounter was. They continued on, recalling the lof after lof they had spent memorizing the paths they could take, memorizing landmarks to help them find their way.


    When they landed it was about as ungraceful as it gets; a rolling tumble at best. But they landed near enough to their desired location nonetheless. There were groups of people out on the streets looking stricken as the siren rose and fell in the distance. It could be heard anywhere in the city. Nimel crawled on foreign limbs into an alley closest to their landing site before willing their body to change back.


    It felt like popping a seam and suddenly their own body exploded out of the compressed little body of a drak. They were dizzy and disoriented, fingers and toes tingling as they gathered their bearings. They wobbled on their feet but managed as they pushed themself upright. Nimel braced their arm against the alley wall as they took a deep breath, trying to recuperate from the exertion of flying that they were not used to.


    At least they were close.


    They took a tes to gather their bearings but pressed on nonetheless. Time wasn¡¯t a luxury they had currently. They peered out at the street and the people pouring out into it. There was a nervous energy in the air. The sirens continued to ring. Nimel quickly shook themself out and took off down the street at a jog on legs they were much more sure of.


    When they found the address they were searching for they nearly let out a yip in glee, nearly. Instead they knocked on the door they¡¯d stopped at, trying not to convey the panic they were currently experiencing personally. There were several tes that nothing happened, no sounds or indications that anyone had heard or was there. They waited, unsure if they should knock again. Was it loud enough? Would it be rude to knock again? Mid-spiral the door was opened and relief flooded them. A tall man stood in the doorway, alarm as plain on his face as the sound of the siren in the distance.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Briha. I have a message for Datsa.¡± They said as evenly as they could. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed at them for a moment, scrutiny open and obvious. For a breath Nimel was worried they had, in fact, gone to the wrong address but finally the man opened the door further and gestured them inside.


    Once the door was fully closed and locked Briha turned toward them, expression serious. ¡°You sent the drak?¡± He asked. The two of them stayed there by the door, going no further into the room.


    ¡°Yes. I sent a drak earlier this ven after I received one from the Order.¡±


    ¡°What is going on out there? Why are the sirens going off?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The Grand Wizard of the Royal Court of Aleary Ahshka is here. He¡¯s demanding to speak with the open council in order to find a girl he¡¯s looking for.¡± Nimel explained. Briha¡¯s expression said that the explanation left more questions than answers.


    ¡°Teramyn is here? What is he thinking!?¡± Nimel wasn¡¯t sure how much they could say but they considered that Reyra trusted this man. She wanted the information passed along to him so badly that she¡¯d sent Tewey of all draks to deliver the message. And they had come all this way.


    ¡°A drak was sent to me by the order asking me to pass along a name. They said that someone named LoVelly was identified in the prophecy and we¡¯re looking for them to find out what role they may play.¡± Nimel watched Briha¡¯s face make a bizarre expression that they couldn¡¯t name before going blank.


    ¡°LoVelly?¡± he repeated in surprise.


    ¡°Yes. That is all I was given. I can¡¯t stay long either. I have to get back or I¡¯ll be missed.¡± They spilled out, anxiety starting to creep through them.


    ¡°I met a LoVelly recently, actually.¡± the tall man said. His eyes narrowed and his face scrunched in before he asked, ¡°you said Teramyn is looking for a girl too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He brought half the royal guard in order to search the city if he has to. That¡¯s what¡¯s caused all this commotion.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name? Does he know her name?¡± the man asked with desperation.


    ¡°Yes. Her name is Mezalie.¡± They told him. The man shook his head and released a sigh that rightfully should have deflated him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe this,¡± Briha said with a somewhat hysterical smile.


    ***


    Once they¡¯d convinced the angry mob to let them pass and proceed inside the Council Hall, Teramyn, Sahayna, Carmis and their three guards didn¡¯t have to wait to request an audience. At least half of the Council was there waiting in the main hall for them. Teramyn counted nine of them but only one stepped forward when they approached. A woman with long golden hair falling to her low back, younger than Teramyn or Sahayna but still with fine lines around her eyes and little wrinkles between her brows. He stepped forward to meet her.


    ¡°Teramyn of [   ], what is the meaning of this?¡± Her voice carried a barely contained anger, a brittle edge to her words. He narrowed his eyes at the slight but otherwise kept his composure.


    ¡°Firstly, Council member¡­?¡± he paused.


    ¡°Rawlen.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Well, Council member Rawlen, it is Grand Wizard Teramyn of the Royal Court of Ahshka. You will do well to remember it.¡± He had even worn his hat for the occasion. He noticed the muscle in her jaw flex at that but like him, she retained her composure.


    ¡°Of course, very well. My question still stands. You come into this city without warning and with an army. I hope you did not expect a warm welcome.¡± Another council member approached her and placed a supportive hand upon her shoulder. Her head whipped around, barely contained seething on display, but she stopped and took a deep breath before turning back to Teramyn. ¡°Well, go ahead. Tell us what you think you¡¯re doing here.¡±


    Teramyn knew that he needed to bring the tension in the hall down to a more manageable level and he needed to do it quickly. He needed a smaller area to cover so many people¡¯s emotions but he could start with Rawlen at least. The others would likely follow her lead. And pleasantries and custom dictated that they at least be granted an audience to be heard.


    ¡°I promise you that we do not come with ill intent, despite what you may think.¡± Teramyn directed the majority of his focus on soothing Rawlen¡¯s bubbling temper. ¡°We are simply looking for someone who is in the city. Once we have them we will leave.¡± He noted as Rawlen took a deep breath, shoulders dropping just the slightest bit.


    ¡°How do you know this person is here?¡± She countered, but her voice held significantly less vitriol.


    ¡°She¡¯s stolen something from the crown and I am able to track it. I¡¯ve tracked it here to the city as of this dreivette.¡± he explained, hoping that his fen would sway her to his aid. He really didn¡¯t want any violence or collateral damage to the city or its people. However they knew better than to underestimate what the girl could do. He¡¯d seen the aftermath and they would need as much help as they could get in subduing her.


    ¡°We do not recognize your monarchy here and your matters do not concern us.¡± The man who¡¯d stepped up behind Rawlen spoke.


    ¡°I assure you that the girl we are looking for is a danger to your people and it will concern you if she is not apprehended.¡± Teramyn insisted.


    ¡°Perhaps we could all convene in a chamber and further discuss this? Time really is of the essence if we are going to stop her from leaving the city.¡± Sahayna suggested, speaking up finally. Rawlen placed a hand over her eyes, massaging her temples for just a tes before sighing.


    ¡°Follow me. We will make this quick. I want you out of the city by the end of the driev.¡±


    ***


    There was a bubbling anxiety in the air as everyone in the library all looked at each other with varying levels of confusion and fear. Many people had sort of drifted towards the exits, some people left entirely but many stayed put, unsure what was happening or what was best to do.


    ¡°Who¡¯s here? That wizard guy?¡± LoVelly asked. Mezalie nodded to which he asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡± She nodded again.


    ¡°Yeah. I can¡­I can feel it. The creature can feel it I think.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± LoVelly whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My plans are historically not that great.¡± Mezalie hissed back. ¡°I think we just need to leave.¡± She reached over and flipped the cover of the book closed and stacked the books up on the table. She turned back to the podium but didn¡¯t see the person who had opened the case for them there. She figured it was better than nothing and she jumped up and took the books to the podium, setting them neatly atop it before retreating back to LoVelly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the back. We can leave from there.¡± She motioned to LoVelly to follow her, away from the groups of anxious people and away from prying eyes. LoVelly¡¯s fen would be too noticeable out in the open as they were. Once there were a couple of shelves and a half-wall between them and anyone they could see she stopped and turned to him. ¡°We¡¯ll have to use your fen. I don¡¯t think we can go back to the inn for our stuff.¡±


    ¡°Not that we had much,¡± he shrugged. It would have been nice to keep the change of clothes at least.


    LoVelly took a deep breath and pulled on his fen, trying to let the muscle memory kick in and help him create the portal. He felt it stir in his chest and wind its way down his arms but then it just¡­ stopped. Like it hit a wall and try as he might he couldn¡¯t push past it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°What¡¯s not good? LoVelly please tell me you can get us out.¡± The anxiety was creeping in and LoVelly could hear it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. Something is wrong.¡± He panicked.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s think about this. It is what it is about your fen right now. We need to come up with a back up idea.¡± She grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him back toward the front of the building, toward the stairs. She wanted to get out, out, as quickly as possible. She didn¡¯t like feeling trapped inside. It reminded her too much of being in the TVE that driev. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. If nothing else we can walk out if we have to.¡±


    They skirted around the bustling crowd. People ranged from sounding bored to sounding near hysterical. The alarm still screamed in the distance. They took the stairs down to the ground floor and Mezalie saw that one of the city employees was directing people and trying to create some semblance of order among the chaos. She didn¡¯t look back as they slipped out the main doors and nobody tried to stop them.


    Outside the alarm was even louder, wailing from somewhere nearby but she wasn¡¯t sure where. Being situated on the very top of the hill gave them the vantage point to see down into the rest of the city as it rolled out away from the foothills and into the fields long past it. From there they could see the little blob that was a TVE parked in an open square near the heart of the city. There was enough light both from the city lights that she could easily make out the bright metal hull. It was near the street car station hub and Mezalie felt her stomach drop. If they took the streetcar it would take them right to them. If they didn¡¯t they would have to walk and it could take them all day to get across the city and out. They couldn¡¯t retreat the other way into the mountains either, they had no supplies or way to survive the weather or hazards.


    She started walking. There was nothing else to do about it. They would have to walk, they couldn¡¯t risk taking a car. And she couldn¡¯t stand around and do nothing. Her anxiety demanded that she do something about it. She made sure that LoVelly was following and she reached back, silently making the request and LoVelly answered it by taking hers. She used it to pull him along faster. They weren¡¯t running but it was a near thing.


    ¡°What are we doing? Are we just going to walk?¡± LoVelly puffed out, trying to catch his breath. She realized that she was going to exhaust him faster than herself and she needed to be aware of that.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess so. The street car takes us too close to them. We can¡¯t risk it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take us all driev to walk across the city. And then where will we even go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I told you my plans are not good. I don¡¯t know what else to do though!¡± They were headed down the hill and when they reached the bottom Mezalie followed the fork to the left, toward the edge of town. She thought perhaps they could skirt around everything if they were fast enough. She told LoVelly as much.


    ¡°Okay. Okay. We can come up with something as we go. It¡¯s not ideal but that''s nothing new.¡± He was saying. ¡°I''m going to keep trying my fen. See if I can get something to work.¡± They quickly passed by a group of people gathered outside of an apartment complex. The two of them did their best to sneak by and not draw attention to themselves as they went. For a short while they just walked quietly, looking away from people they passed and switching between an easy walk and an almost jog now and then. The anxiety rippled back and forth between them, unable to tell what belonged to who anymore.


    ¡°Did you notice-¡±


    ¡°How are they even-¡±


    They both began to speak at once, stumbling over their words as both stopped.


    ¡°Sorry. Go ahead-¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You go ahead.¡±


    Despite everything they both let out a tiny snicker at themselves. They always seemed to be tripping over each other. Mezalie said nothing but waved at LoVelly to speak,


    ¡°I was just going to say, how are they even going to find us? It¡¯s a pretty big city.¡± LoVelly finally said. Mezalie considered this.


    ¡°Well. I mean, they¡¯ve followed us all the way here didn¡¯t they? They must have some way of tracking either me or the monster.¡± She reasoned. They¡¯d even used LoVelly¡¯s fen to get to Temal so it¡¯s not like they left a trail.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± LoVelly sighed.


    ¡°But you¡¯re right. It is a big city. We might be able to sneak our way out just by being careful about it.¡±


    ¡°We have to try, I suppose,¡± he shrugged. ¡°What were you gonna say?¡± He looked to her expectantly.


    ¡°Oh. Just that it doesn¡¯t feel so overwhelming when we touch anymore.¡± She shook their joined hands to illustrate. ¡°Remember how bad it was at first?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s nice actually. It made me feel like I wanted to throw up sometimes.¡± LoVelly admitted and then after a pause, ¡°do you think we could steal a tevvy?¡± His brows were furrowed as he was clearly working something out in his head. Mezalie squinted at him, wondering how she had actually been inside his mind and still she did not understand this man.


    ¡°Probably? As long as it¡¯s not locked. I could get it running but I can¡¯t pick a-¡± she was saying when she came to a dead stop. Looking at LoVelly with wide eyes. ¡°The siren stopped.¡± And sure enough as they stood quietly and listened, the air was silent once more.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s good?¡± LoVelly said with optimism. Mezalie started walking again, pulling him along.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not stop to find out.¡± She didn¡¯t even want to be in the same city. ¡°How¡¯s your fen?¡± she asked and he could hear the anxiety in her voice again.


    He once again focussed on pushing his fen out and away from his core, down into his hands for manipulating. This time, he felt it burning in his core, bright and wild. It quickly spread down and to his hands, finding no opposition like it had earlier. He dragged them to a stop.


    ¡°Mez. I think I can do it. I think I¡¯ve got it.¡± he said excitedly. He pulled both hands up, dropping hers and he tried again to open a doorway. Again though, his fen seemed to hit a wall. He grumbled in frustration, confused because it had just worked, he hadn¡¯t done anything different¡­


    And then it clicked.


    He quickly grabbed Mezalie¡¯s hand and laced their fingers together. She looked surprised, watching him intently. He quickly peered around the empty street around them but sure enough there weren¡¯t any other people around. They were on the edge of town and there weren¡¯t many houses or people. A lot of the large old buildings were seasonal storage or warehouses. Surely there were some people but none around to see them.


    He immediately felt the difference, the inferno of fen that swiftly swept in to mingle with his own he recognized now as Mezalie, of course. Her fen seemed to give his the boost he needed to overcome whatever seemed to be stopping him. He raised his free hand to try to pull open a door once more. He felt his fen building and he could see the shimmer as the space began to ripple open.


    Mezalie slapped her other hand up to her head, hissing and gritting her teeth.


    ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he dropped his own hand turning to her and before she could respond she let out a pained grunt, stumbling a bit and LoVelly tried to catch her with their joined hands but suddenly he was struck with a blinding pain in his head. He let out his own pained noise, taking a deep breath trying to focus through it.


    Mezalie went down to her knees and took her hand back to herself to cradle her head in both hands. As soon as she did, the pain in LoVelly¡¯s head subsided. He heaved in several heavy breaths and shook his head, clearing it of the last of the pain haze. Mezalie was whining out the last of her air and all he could hear from her were little wheezes. He dropped to his knees beside her, placing a hand on her back for comfort but he was again hit by a blinding pain and he sharply retracted his hand.


    He didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Mez! What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s happening?¡± She turned to look at him, pain etched across her face. He saw her lips move but no sound came out and then she took a gasping breath.


    ¡°I dontknowithurts.¡± She wailed out finally. Her voice sounded strange, garbled and frayed.


    LoVelly felt it before anything else, a deep unease that made him want to squirm away. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck and he knew what would follow.


    A pulse of energy violently rippled out from Mezalie, dragging her and LoVelly to their knees and rattling the buildings around them. She screamed as she hit the ground, writhing in pain. A thick, black ooze began to bead up on her skin. It was starting to engulf her and he didn¡¯t know what else to do so he reached out. He forced himself to move the tiny distance between them and reach out for her. His vision began to sway and colors were starting to bleed together. He reached out blindly, swiping back and forth until finally he found her.


    The pain was blinding and immediate as soon as he touched her but he refused to recoil. He let the bubbling, hissing ooze consume him too. He wouldn¡¯t lose her. Not again.

 Chapter Twenty (the end pt. 2)

    Once he had been allowed the space and appropriate materials it was easy for Teramyn to lock onto the Vott. It hadn¡¯t even taken all that long which surprised him considering how much damage it seemed capable of. He expected more of a fight really, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain about it. It was just another chore to hold it in place while they trekked across the city to the outer limits where the girl was hiding it.


    When they arrived he wasn¡¯t quite sure what to expect so it was with open fascination and awe that he exited the cab of the little passenger tevvy and approached the burbling mass. It was a swirling, angry storm of black trapped within a shimmering iridescent bubble. It crashed and exploded against the walls of the bubble to no avail.


    Sahayna arrived in the tevvy just behind him and he heard the whirring hum of other machines as they gently sent down far behind him. The entire council had followed despite his and Sahayna¡¯s rather gruesome descriptions of what the Vott had done to others. They were curious, disbelieving. Nobody else dared come any closer though.


    ¡°What is that?¡± he heard the gasps and murmurs spring up behind him as the others emerged and saw the huge dark orb. He turned back to face them. He saw Sahayna there, looking on from a distance. He didn¡¯t need his fen to sense the concern rolling off of her when it was so clear on her face.


    ¡°This!¡± he pointed sharply at the roiling orb behind him now. ¡°This is salvation. This thing is a source of unlimited fen. Properly harnessed this will allow us to once again access the realms of the fae.¡± He spoke in a booming voice to the people that were present. It certainly wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d envisioned accessing the power for the first time. Everything had been so carefully planned out for the rituals on the beaches of [Doss], there had been oracles and acolytes and everything.


    Now he just had to work with what was available.


    ¡°Teramyn!¡± Sahayna called out. She came forward, stepping toward him across the distance. He waited for her to come to him, right up to the edge of the bubble. She looked past him, at it, taking in the swirls of color that sometimes burst forth from the dark mass. It was mesmerizing, twisting in and out of itself forever on. Sparkling under the driev lights and the light of Ahraan. She looked at him again, eyes pleading but for what he didn¡¯t know.


    The orb let out a whislting shriek that brought everyone to their knees. Tears were slipping free in response to the awful, wailing noise. When it finally stopped, Teramyn recovered first, pushing himself back to his feet quickly. He would not lose this opportunity now that it was right there.


    He reached his hands out in front of him and with all the force in his body he tried to compress the orb. He made crushing motions with his hands trying to use his fen to subdue it into one small point. It felt like it was working, it seemed like it was working. The orb was becoming  somwhow darker and smaller, crushing down into itself.


    A light burst forth from the orb, blinding everyone in its wake. Teramyn found himself temporarily stunned just like everyone else. A cold white light bathed over everything, washing the color away and in a snap everything began to fall away.


    Teramyn felt the change, felt the intense pull of the orb as it began to devour and he released his fen, all of it. A torrent of energy rang out around him like ripples in a pond. It rolled in waves away from him, kicking up dust and scattering small objects. It had the council members and onlookers on the ground. He didn¡¯t even know they were there anymore, focussed solely on the orb, on the Vott.


    He needed to get closer. He needed to absorb the energy of it if he wanted to live on forever. He would harness the energy within himself. He didn¡¯t remember telling his hands to do it but he felt his fingers snap once and then the noise and commotion of the background fell away. A shimmering dome came down and encapsulated him and the orb. Once enclosed it was as if the world outside suddenly stopped moving, frozen in place where they stood. Sahayna stood there, stricken look frozen upon her face just beyond the barrier.


    There in the center of the space was the screaming churning orb of black. Teramyn looked back to the frozen figures outside the barrier and then back to the orb. He pushed himself up. He¡¯d come this far afterall.


    He went all the way the orb, drawn in by it¡¯s screaming melodies. He went until he was close enough to touch and then he reached out and did. He placed his hands against what turned out to be a freezing, solid surface. A burst of heat flooded through him at the touch, only just at the point of contact thought. It was a confusing sensation. Curious, he pushed his own fen out to meet it and subsequently into the orb and a shockwave rocked him as the orb began to vibrate and sputter in place, seeming to sping out of control. He quickly withdrew his hand but suddenly the orb retracted inward, collapsing into an almost imperceptible spot before exploding back outward in a shower of sparks.


    When the dramatics had subsided, there lay two bodies in a heap, a man and a woman. Teramyn recognized her immediately, the woman from the temples. The one who¡¯d stolen his God.


    For a tes they did not move and Teramyn was about to move closer when Mezalie¡¯s eyes snapped open and she sprang up, nearly tripping over herself in her haste. Her eyes were black and when she opened her mouth an earshattering noise fell from her lips and Teramyn clapped his hands over his ears on instinct. The man on the ground did not stir.


    The noise came to an end adn neither one of them moved. Teramyn felt his skin prickle in the presence of the Infinite Creature. The only thing that could have prepared him for the feeling of its presense was that of the Ivellacht Vaille, and that was only in dreams. It was impossible to tell where exactly the black pits for eyes were looking but Teramyn felt like they could see much more than there was to see.


    He did what he had trained to do for ages and he bowed. He slowly lowered himself to his knees and placed his hands upon the ground, flat and wide like two starbursts.


    ¡°It is with honor and reverence that I am in the presence of your essence,¡± he finally spoke. The creature did not move, or blink, or do anything to acknowledge that it had heard him. He held his position for several more tes. When still there was no response, he got back to his feet and heistantly, he approached Mezalie.


    He stopped less than an armslength away, reaching into his robe pocket to withdraw a blackened, heavy stone. He pressed his thumb over the carved sigil on it and he began to speak a hymn in the old tongue. It was only then that Mezalie did suddenly move, her head snapping just slightly to the side. It unnerved him so much he nearly lost his grip on the stone. He paused, not even daring to breathe for several tes as he waited for any other reaction. It was only then that he noticed her unnatural stillness and its uncanny effect.


    Finally, he continued, reaching down to wrap his hand around Mezalie¡¯s wrist. As he spoke the place his hand touched began to heat, until it nearly burned. A black veining pattern began to form around their joined hands. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Suddenly Mezalie blinked several times, shaking her head once before slowly taking in her surroundings with unfocussed eyes. Her head hurt. She blinked once more for good measure and her mind suddenly took in the man standing in front of her- Teramyn. She immediately tried to recoil only to find he had her wrist in his hand. She instinctively yanked, twisted and flailed her arm, trying to break free.


    ¡°h-¡± she tried to scream at him but found she couldn¡¯t make a noise. Whatever grip he had on her was firm. He was talking, he was saying something that sounded like a hymn but she had no idea what. She saw black branching veins spreading up her arm and up his. She tried with renewed panic to rip her arm away but she found that her body felt slow and heavy, it wasn¡¯t responding to her commands and when it did it was syrupy and uncoordinated. Her strength was sapping from her. She took a deep breath, because she could still do that.


    ¡°Stop. Stop. Don¡¯t do this to me.¡± she mumbled, trying to stay focused on Teramyn but he seemed to be getting taller or she was getting shorter. It wasn¡¯t until he was lowering down as well to follow her that she realized she was on the ground and hey, LoVelly was there too.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this to you.¡± Teramyn finally said to her, softly. ¡°You were never supposed to be a part of this. I needed a vessel and you were it. I¡¯m honestly sorry that you had to endure this but this is bigger than you. It¡¯s time for you to rest.¡±


    He continued his hymn.


    ¡°Lov¡¯.¡± Mezalie barely whispered out. He was so close she could touch him if she could just lift her arm. ¡°LoVelly.¡± It was no use, the man did not stir.


    What was she supposed to do? She couldn¡¯t do anything. Why wasn¡¯t the creature fighting back? Why had it done so all those other times but not now?


    No.


    No.


    She¡¯d already lost everything but somehow this felt worse.


    Maybe it didn¡¯t matter, a little voice in the back of her mind said. Maybe she had suffered enough finally. Perhaps it was time to rest.


    What would it mean, for something like her to rest? She already did not breathe, or sleep or eat. Her body did not function like a living thing so what would it mean for it to die? Would she still find herself in the faul awaiting the next thing or would she be endlessly trapped in an unusable body? And after that? After the rot and decay took that? What then?


    Her mind was spiraling in freefall as she felt the enormous exhaustion start to trickle into her.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    It was with a great deal of surprise that the fog began to recede. Instead of pushing her over into whatever lay beyond she found herself becoming aware of herself again, of the ground beneath her, of a sound above her. It took a dib to realize that she could lift her head and when she did she was in no way prepared for the wide, frantic stare she caught on Teramyn¡¯s face. He coughed once, a wet, bubbling sound and she saw the dark blood mixed in with the spit that dribbled past his lips. Teramyn¡¯s own head dropped down to look at his chest and only then did she notice the shining, wicked, blade that protruded there, black droplets decorating it.


    Teramyn took a shuddering breath and violently coughed out the exhale, blood splattering everywhere. Shaky hands came up to delicately touch the end of the knife, as if to check its realness. His eyes locked with Mezalie, mirrored looks of confusion.


    A boy appeared right before Mezalie¡¯s eyes out of thin air, his hand still on the hilt of the blade from the looks of it. His eyes were as round as saucers like he, too, couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened.


    The moment broke when the boy yanked once to pull the blade out. It did not pull free the first time and he had to pull twice more before it came free from the man¡¯s back, the sound of fabric tearing in the process. Teramyn hacked and sputtered before he fell to the ground completely, blood and spit spraying on each breath.


    Teramyn tried to inhale but it sounded wet and became an even wetter cough as bubbles of blood tinted spittle fell from his lips. He inhaled short and sharp before hissing in pain. He turned to her, still on the ground just an arms length away. Then he wheezed as he turned to look up at the young man with the dagger with a kind of disbelief she knew had to be genuine.


    ¡°Carmis¡­¡± he wheezed and coughed up another bloody mouthful, spitting into the dirt beside him. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­know what,¡± he gasped, ¡°what you¡¯ve done.¡± He paused, heaving for breath and there was no denying the pooling darkness spreading from his chest.


    Mezalie had thought the attacker was a young man at first but now, seeing his pale, freckled face and his slightly shaking hand gripping the dagger, he was only a boy. She hadn''t seen where he''d come from; he''d simply materialized. She saw his eyes flick down to the blood left behind on the blade and she thought she saw a moment where his lip wobbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± he hiccuped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡± The tears began to fall, hand shaking in earnest now. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let you do that.¡± Those words were firm despite his tears. Teramyn just stared at him for a long moment, Mezalie wasn¡¯t even sure he was going to say anything else, just listening to the sound of his horrid breathing.


    ¡°You¡¯re short-sighted,¡± he wheezed, ¡°but you¡¯re young. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    The boy did not seem moved by his words, holding still as a stone, perhaps in shock. He looked down at the blade in his hand again and then his hand jerked and he flung it down, away from him. It came to rest right in front of Mezalie, close enough she could see the sigils etched into it. She found herself trying to read them and surprised herself by recognizing the Kargeine from one of the books she¡¯d had LoVelly looking through.


    LoVelly.


    She remembered LoVelly there next to her. With newfound clarity and strength she reached her arm out to shake him. He was still breathing, she could tell by the fluttering of the hair that spilled over his face.


    She felt her ears pop and her eyes snapped up to see the same kind of iridescent, shimmering dome from the temple, starting to dissipate from the crown down. When she looked back the boy was gone, like he¡¯d never been there but Teramyn¡¯s body and the knife were still there, blood stained.


    As the bubble dropped slowly down, Mezalie tried to think about what was going on. Where was she?


    She blinked.


    There were people on the other side of the bubble. They were moving and she could see them now. There seemed to be quite the commotion going on outside and she was terrified. She barely had the energy to lift her hand to pat at LoVelly again, urging him to action. They needed to get out of there.


    She didn¡¯t notice the darkness creeping in until all she saw was tunnel vision and she felt herself going dark. She wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back the monster. She wouldn¡¯t be able to save LoVelly, or herself.


    She thought she saw hands come into her field of vision but she was swimming in confusing images that didn¡¯t make any sense to her. Her equilibrium shifted suddenly- and was she being carried? She wasn¡¯t sure because at some point her eyes had slipped closed. The last thing she remembered trying to do was form the sound to make LoVelly¡¯s name.


    She couldn¡¯t lose him again, she just got him back, she thought to herself. Whoever was carrying her had to know that she needed LoVelly.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Somone was calling her name.


    She was far too tired to answer.

 Chapter Twenty One

    When LoVelly awoke it was dark and quiet. In that quiet though he recognized the gentle hum of an engine. He felt the subtle sway of a tevvy hovering just over the land, little hiccups as they cruised over bumps and dips. He tried to stay still, to pretend to still be asleep, and listen for any indication of who might be driving.


    His head hurt.


    Finally, when he still heard nothing, he decided to turn his head and peek around himself. He appeared to be in the cabin of what was probably considered a small TVE. He could see a ladder-staircase at the back of the cabin that meant there was probably an actual sleeping quarter upstairs. He was lying on a bench seat against a wall at the front. The drivers seats were probably through the small door just behind him. The curtains were all closed, keeping any light out but also maybe keeping anyone from seeing inside.


    Across from his makeshift cot, in the middle of the cabin there was a low table top and set on that was what looked like a stretcher and despite the dim light he recognized Mezalie right away.


    She was so still- not breathing, not moving. but he knew better. As he shifted his weight to his feet as silently as he could, crossing the room to her, he noticed that she wasn¡¯t just lying on the stretcher, she was strapped down to it. He didn¡¯t know why he was free to move and she wasnt but he wasn¡¯t going to question it when it was to his advantage. He quickly scanned the small room to make sure they were alone, that the door to the cabin was closed, before he reached down to start unbuckling the straps that held her arm down.


    He had only just released the strap over her wrist when her eyes snapped open. He wasn¡¯t prepared for the full body convulsions she had when she was disturbed. Her arm, now free, flailed violently and in the surprise of it all she caught him across the cheek, just below his eye. He recoiled in shock and a bit of pain, sending something behind him spilling to the ground. Thankfully the other restraints kept Mezalie firmly in place and avoided any other damage. After just a tes of violent struggle against the restraints her body went completely limp again, unmoving.


    Before he could take a breath or relax her mouth opened and an awful wailing spewed forth from her mouth. LoVelly winced against it but he recognized it was not Mezalie¡¯s voice.


    The door to the cabin flung open, letting light pour in from the adjoining cabin. LoVelly did not have time to even assess the commotion that was not happening behind him. He didn¡¯t see Briha rush in. Mezalie¡¯s free hand shot out to grab a hold of his hair where it had fallen over his shoulder. With her grip like a vice, drawing him in close, and now with the added light he could see her eyes were completely black. She was shouting at the top of her lungs, nearly spitting with rage by the time LoVelly realized someone was pulling him back, out of her range..


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± A voice chastised him, a voice he recognized. LoVelly took a moment to pause, to collect himself despite the noise. He didn¡¯t remember how they had gotten there in the first place. Briha was standing between LoVelly and the door, hand still on his shoulder, casting a long shadow across Mezalie¡¯s screaming form.


    ¡°Doctor Briha?¡± LoVelly asked, rightfully confused. The tall man visibly relaxed when LoVelly stepped back, getting a hold of himself. LoVelly¡¯s head whipped back and forth between the man and Mezalie, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Surely drawn by the commotion, another person appeared in the doorway. They quickly rushed forward, hands held out toward Mezalie. They made several motions, finally sweeping their arms down and the horrid shouting from Mezalie¡¯s mouth stopped. LoVelly watched as they quickly moved to re-tie the bindings holding Mezalie¡¯s arm down. They spun on LoVelly.


    ¡°Do not untie her.¡± the woman said firmly. LoVelly could see her face now, covered in freckles. ¡°It is hard enough to keep her still.¡± LoVelly spent several tes looking between the people present and Mezalie.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± He asked again, slowly. He was still tense, unsure what would come next. He didn¡¯t know if these people were there to help or hinder. Briha took a step toward him, toward Mezalie. LoVelly stayed firmly in place between them.


    ¡°Once Mezalie killed Teramyn the barrier came down. We were able to rush in and grab you both before anyone else could get to you. You were both unconscious by that time.¡± Briha explained. LoVelly¡¯s face scrunched up and a look of confusion crossed it.


    ¡°Mezalie killed Teramyn? Barrier? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Where are we?¡± LoVelly placed a hand to his temple as his headache flared, pounding beneath his eye. ¡°Ugh, my head.¡± he complained with a wince. Briha looked to the woman beside him.


    ¡°Vitra, can you get LoVelly some painkillers? Should be some in the kit.¡± He asked in a soft, easy tone. Vitra nodded and quickly stepped out the way she had come. Once she was gone Briha moved to sit on LoVelly¡¯s makeshift cot, clasping his hands together with elbows on his knees. He looked blank for a moment, thinking, before he turned to LoVelly.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t there when it happened but Teramyn must have thrown up some kind of barrier. When it fell Vitra and some others were able to create a distraction while we went in to grab you. Both you and Mezalie were unconscious. Teramyn¡¯s body was next to Mezalie and so was the knife that presumably killed him.¡± Briha briefly glanced at Mezalie¡¯s motionless form. ¡°We got you out as fast as we could and now we¡¯re heading to another friend of Datsa to hopefully help us sort some of this out.¡±


    ¡°Friends of Datsa? We¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± He looked at the man with new eyes now, with relief instead of suspicion.


    Vitra came back through the doorway then, a water flask in one hand and pills in the other. She offered them to LoVelly and he took them gladly..


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for the two of you too.¡± Vitra told him. He took a gulp of water and swallowed the pills down. He looked back at Mezalie once more. Briha scooted to the end of LoVelly¡¯s makeshift cot.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come sit down? It¡¯s been a long driev.¡± he offered the space next to him. LoVelly gladly took it, settling in. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about what you do remember?¡± the man prompted.


    LoVelly sighed but gave the two of them what he thought was the short and easy version of their last several driev. He started with waking up in the field together, what happened at the temple the first time, then the second. He might have omitted the farm house but he didn¡¯t think he wanted to talk about that. He explained how they¡¯d been doing their own research in the city archives, looking into their cryptic visions and dreams. He told them what they¡¯d been doing when Mezalie had sensed Teramyn in the city, how they¡¯d tried to run. He told them everything, right up to the point that he couldn¡¯t remember anymore.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Briha said once he was done, unsure what to even say.


    ¡°So,¡± Vitra cut in, ¡°what exactly is Mezalie then? She doesn¡¯t even breathe but we had to restrain her to keep her from hurting anyone. Or herself.¡± She looked at Mezalie with unease. LoVelly shook his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t actually know. After her pod was attacked and she¡­died I guess?¡± He shrugged because he still wasn¡¯t sure about that. ¡°She came back with that thing.¡±


    ¡°Can she controll it?¡± Vitra asked. When LoVelly just winced and shook his head slowly Vitra took two steps back toward the door. ¡°Great. That¡¯s great. Briha, your thoughts?¡± She turned to the man, who still seemed to be contemplating something staring at a spot on the floor. He looked up at the other two finally.


    ¡°Well. I¡¯ve met Mezalie personally and I¡¯d just like to say that I was right. I knew something was off about her when we met but she wasn¡¯t going to talk to me about it.¡± He nodded once. ¡°That said, whatever that is,¡± he pointed to the one in question, ¡°Is not Mezalie. At least not the woman I met. Nimel told me what they knew about Teramyn¡¯s plans and I think that is the Vott.¡±


    ¡°Vott¡­¡± LoVelly repeated. ¡°That sounds familiar, yeah. I think someone in a temple might have said that.¡± He pressed a hand to his forehead, wincing again though this time in actual pain. ¡°Ugh. Head still hurts too much for this.¡±


    A gasp drew all of their attention to the bed. They all watched in tense anticipation as her chest rose and fell once, then rose again. When her mouth opened it was with the voice that sounded like a chorus of voices speaking together, strangely melodic for something that made the hair on the back of one¡¯s neck stand on end.


    ¡°Let.¡±


    Another breath.


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°Out.¡±


    Another.


    ¡°Of this wretched body.¡±


    Mezalie¡¯s body struggled against the restraints again before going limp. Once again an awful wailing began. Vitra moved in, hands raised and ready to silence the creature but LoVelly stepped between them.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Vitra demanded.


    ¡°Wait. Just¡­wait. Let me, please.¡± He held his hands up between them, eyes pleading. The noise did not help his argument as it grated on all of their ears. Vitra waved a hand at him finally and he blew out the breath he¡¯d been holding. He turned to Mezalie and went to stand near her head. He reached a hand down to place it on her forehead and she began to thrash.


    ¡°Do not touch me.¡±


    He managed to get his hand on her forehead despite her thrashing. He tried his best to hold her still until she gave up.


    ¡°Get your filthy hands off of me.¡±


    LoVelly did not let up his grip on her, forcing her face to turn and look at him. The black void eyes made him feel flayed open at the contact but at least the wailing had stopped.


    ¡°Where is Mezalie?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    Mezalie¡¯s face twisted into a sneer at him.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s in there.¡± He said leaning down just a bit, just a tiny bit closer. ¡°Let her out.¡± The creature did not have a response for him, just stared, unblinking, unmoving.


    ¡°You said ¡®let me out¡¯, are you unable to leave her body like you were before?¡± he asked. He had noted the the creature seemed aware and agitated but it had made no move to manifest externally and attack them like it had in the past. It seemed to have a great power when manifested so it was strange it did not use it.


    Once again the creature did not answer him. He waited but then, unnerved he finally stepped back, pulling his hand back as well. She just stayed there, staring at him with empty dark eyes and he had to look away. He hated that she actually looked dead like this. He moved to sit back down next to Briha, head in his hands. He took a long, deep breath.


    ¡°Where are we going again?¡± he asked because he didn¡¯t want to think about what he was going to do about Mezalie right then.


    ¡°To see a friend. If anyone can help, it¡¯s them.¡± Vitra answered. ¡°They live out on the pellard coast. We¡¯re taking the long way out in case we were followed.¡±


    ¡°Who else is with us?¡± he asked. Someone must be driving the TVE but again, it wasn¡¯t a big craft. There couldn¡¯t be too many people on board.


    ¡°Just my partner Fehrin.¡± she said. LoVelly nodded several times, rolling it all over in his head.


    ¡°How long until we reach your friend?¡±


    ¡°About four driev.¡± Briha answered. LoVelly thought to himself then, that he had four driev to get Mezalie back. Somehow he would dig her out of the darkness the Vott had buried her in.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he finally said. ¡°four driev.¡± He was hopeful now that they had allies, people that were there to help them instead of hurting them. It was a big deal for them, based on their track record.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to get Mezalie back. Wherever she is in there.¡± he told them. Vitra looked a bit skeptical but she smiled at him anyway. Briha clapped a hand onto his shoulder.


    ¡°I wish you the best of luck with that.¡± the man said. ¡°But before you do, why don¡¯t we get you cleaned up and settled. She¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± His eyes swept over Mezalie¡¯s still form. He hoped that was true.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡± LoVelly tried to tell him but Briha gave him a look, eyebrows low and flat, mouth pursed,


    ¡°You have blood on your face and you¡¯re covered in dirt. At least change. We have a couple changes of clothes upstairs.¡± Briha told him. LoVelly instinctively reached to touch his face, where Mez had caught him and sure enough his hand came away with dark, wet smudges. ¡°Come with me.¡± The man stood and crossed the tiny cabin to the ladder-stairs that led up to the tiny bunkroom. LoVelly dutifull followed after him, casting one last glance back toward Mezalie. Vitra disappeared back into the driver¡¯s cabin, sliding the door mostly closed but leaving it just barely ajar.


    The bunkroom was even smaller, with a ceiling low enough that Briha had to duck just the teeniest bit to move freely. There was an upper and lower bunk against each wall for a total of four in the room. There was just enough room to move between them. Briha went straight to one of the lower bunks where a travel bag sat open on the end of the bed. He dropped down to the floor there, starting to rummage through the bag, pulling things out and setting them on the bed. Finally he pulled what he was looking for with an ¡®aha¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m stealing these from Vitra because nothing of mine or Fehrin¡¯s is going to fit you. Catch.¡± Briha wadded the clothing and lobbed it across the small room at LoVelly. He didn¡¯t so much catch it as much as it unfurled and landed on him. It counted though.


    Truth be told Lovelly was happy to have something else to wear at this point. He and Mez had been making due with literally the bare minimum right from the start. Again he reveled in how nice it would be to have help, to have people on their side. It allowed a relief to wash over him where up until now there had only been anxiety that something bad could happen at any moment and they had no way to prepare for it. He needed to get Mezalie back so that he could tell her the good news.


    LoVelly quickly changed into the pants he¡¯d been given, they were a loose style but made of a thick, woven fabric sure to keep him warm. Briha also brought him a shirt to change into, long sleeved and soft.


    ¡°Go ahead and sit down on one of the bunks. I¡¯ll be right back with the kit.¡± Briha told him. LoVelly plopped himself down on one of the low bunks, his legs straight out and nearly reaching the bunk across from him. He laid back across the bed and spread his arms out to the sides. He let out a whiney sound on a long sigh while he waited.


    How was he going to get Mezalie out of her own head? He couldn¡¯t imagine that the Vott would go quietly based on what he¡¯d seen so far. He knew she was still in there though, he could feel it. If she were gone he knew he¡¯d be able to tell. They were connected through lifetimes. When Mezalie had been in his head she¡¯d found memories of their lives together before. She had unlocked several pieces in the mysterious puzzle of their circumstances.


    And then he realized, a loop.


    Mezalie had been able to get in his head and help him. Perhaps he could do the same thing? Was it safe with the Vott in there too? Who could tell but it was maybe his best chance.


    Briha came back up to the quarters with a small latch box in his hands. LoVelly sat up and pulled his legs back to allow Briha enough space to get by and drop the kit on the bed next to LoVelly. He flipped the latch so he could rummage through the basic medical supplies.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s clean that up.¡± He had LoVelly scoot to the very edge of the bed and lean out for the best light. He used a disinfectant wipe to clean away the blood. ¡°She got you pretty good.¡± he said somewhat absently.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt at least.¡± he shrugged. Briha put a tiny amount of fragrant ointment on a swab and dabbed it over the wound before he placed a bandage over it all.


    ¡°So,¡± Briha began, scooting back so that he could sit on the bunk across from LoVelly. ¡°We never did get to do that follow up. It feels silly to ask this given the circumstances but how are you feeling?¡± When LoVelly huffed out a little laugh he felt the bandage on his cheek pull just a bit.


    ¡°Oh, you know. Just about as good as you can imagine.¡± he shrugged again. It seemed like that was all he could do, shrug it off and keep going. ¡°Just relieved to have your help I suppose.¡± Briha nodded at that.


    ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t even imagine what you all have been through.¡± His face and tone were serious. ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly we¡¯re going to do just yet but we¡¯re going to find some way to help.¡±


    ¡°Tari bi ov.¡± LoVelly thanked him and he meant it. ¡°I have an idea.¡± he said finally. ¡°To get Mezalie back.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°A loop. A cerebral loop.¡±


    Briha looked properly surprised by that.


    ¡°A loop? I mean, theoretically¡­but I don¡¯t know anyone who can do that. Those are incredibly difficult and require so much fen.¡± he looked rightfully skeptical.


    ¡°Me and Mez have done it before though.¡± LoVelly told him flat out. That, somehow, made Briha look even more surprised, eyebrows creeping up his forehead.


    ¡°Oh.¡± was all he said at first. He looked LoVelly over, like he was seeing him for the first time again, with new eyes. ¡°I dont know how to react to half the things that come out of your mouth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to keep her still enough though. It seemed like just touching her disturbs the monster.¡± LoVelly barreled on. Mez had told him that it would hurt to break the connection during the loop and there was no way he could focus on the loop and keep her hands still.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need help to keep her subdued so we¡¯ll have to wait for now. When we get to our destination we¡¯ll try it.¡± Briha told him. ¡°You may as well settle in and get comfortable. It¡¯s going to be about four driev.¡± He told him.


    ¡°Four driev?¡± He asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all the way on the coast and it¡¯s somewhat remote. You can take one one of the bunks up here.¡± They weren¡¯t especially comfortable but they were probably better than the bench seat.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯d rather stay close to her.¡± he said anyway.


    ¡°Suit yourself. There are some books downstairs in one of the drawers if you get bored.¡± Briha offered.


    ¡°I actually can¡¯t read.¡± LoVelly told him. He couldn¡¯t really identify the look that Briha gave him then.


    ¡°Okay. Well, you¡¯ll have to come up with your own entertainment then. There¡¯s a travel toilet at the very back. It¡¯s the only door. You¡¯ll find it. I need to go double check we¡¯re still going the right way.¡± Briha told him. ¡°I¡¯ll be back though.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks again.¡±


    LoVelly did just sit on the bunk for a while. He couldn¡¯t find it in him to move. He was so tired. At least his head no longer hurt.


    He thought about what he was going to do. He wasn¡¯t even sure he knew how to do a loop. He remembered the symbols Mezalie had written on the paper, he wasn¡¯t sure what they meant but he could see them clearly in his mind. He really could remember things just fine since he;d woken up and now he was starting to remember snippets from before.


    He had this nebulous memory floating around in his mind of someone brushing his hair; a mother, or perhaps a sister? Whoever she was, she was humming a song. He recognized the song somewhere deep in his mind, he¡¯d heard it so many times he knew it by heart. He found himself beginning to hum along with a memory. The melody began to soothe something in him that felt tight enough to snap.


    The door to the main cabin opened and closed and LoVelly was drawn back to the present as he listened to footsteps shuffle about. He heard them walk to the back, another door- the toilet surely. When the door opened and closed again he listened to the footsteps come closer until they were climbing up the steps.


    A face he didn¡¯t know yet popped up over the edge. They smiled at him and gave an awkward little wave when their eyes met.


    ¡°Hello,¡± they offered. ¡°I¡¯m Fehrin. Nice to see you up and about.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m LoVelly.¡± He offered a smile in return.


    ¡°Briha said you want to do a loop with¡­whatever that thing downstairs is?¡± they asked with a nervous edge to their voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a thing. Mezalie is in there and I¡¯m going to get her out.¡± LoVelly said stiffly. Fehrin waved their hands.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way but I know how it sounded. It¡¯s just, I can¡¯t imagine wanting to go in there with whatever is holding her hostage in her own body.¡± They came to sit on the bed next to him. ¡°What if you can¡¯t get back out either? What if you both get trapped in there?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    LoVelly hadn¡¯t actually considered that.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He sounded a lot more confident when he said it than he felt about it. ¡°Mezalie told me once that the monster is a little bit afraid of me. I¡¯m hoping that¡¯s still true but either way I¡¯m getting her back.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too because to be perfectly honest she creeps me out as is.¡± LoVelly laughed at that.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I get that.¡± he agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna try and get a few lof of sleep in before I¡¯ve gotta drive again. I don¡¯t mind if you stay up here but I¡¯m gonna kill the lights.¡± Fehrin told him, moving to crawl into the other lower bunk.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m gonna go back down and sit with her,¡± he told them. He stood and lowered himself back down to the main cabin. It was darker still with the lights upstairs off and he found his way back to the bench seat half by touch and half by the tiny sliver of light coming from the driver¡¯s cabin door.


    Four driev. He just had to wait four more driev and then he could get his best friend back. And he would get her back.


    The memory of that ethereal being of light, of someone he once was, drifted through his mind. He also remembered the memory he¡¯d had driev¡¯ ago, of seeing catastrophe from somewhere above- of someone who Mez was asking him, ¡°can you feel the convergence?¡±. It was all connected in the way that the two of them were drawn to each other in every lifetime.


    He couldn¡¯t help when he looked at her now but feel that something was wrong. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. How had this happened?


    The last one was supposed to be the last one.


    The thought jumped to the front of his mind and it made his head pound, right behind his eyes. He winced and hissed at the pain. He steered himself away from those thoughts and decided he needed a distraction. He stood slowly as his head rushed and made his way to the cabin door, sliding it open.


    The cabin, like the bunkroom, was built for four. There were two seats at the back by the door, one on each side. There were two small steps down to the front seats and the steering columns and dashboard that held the other functions, a few buttons and mostly gauges. At the very front was the great big navigation window. Briha and Vitra were in the front seats, bickering playfully about something when they both turned to see him closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Can I join you?¡± He asked, standing there awkwardly.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Vitra waved him in. ¡°Do you know how to drive?¡±


    ¡°Vitra no. He¡¯s been through enough.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he wants to drive Briha, had you considered that?¡± Vitra looked back at him expectantly. He laughed and stepped closer, dropping down onto the step between them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a good driver. And I¡¯ve only driven a tevvy. Nothing this big. I wouldn¡¯t let me drive this thing.¡± He told them.


    Conversation with them turned out to be easy. It was nice to talk about things that weren¡¯t about horrible things happening directly to him for a while. The other three switched out driving every few lof so they never had to stop. Apparently Briha was the only one who actually knew where they were going so he spent more time than any of them in the driver¡¯s cabin. He slept in the chair. He told LoVelly it was just as good as one of the beds to him anyway since he was too tall for them. LoVelly spent his time rotating between the driver¡¯s cabin, talking with whoever was up, and dozing off into a fitful sleep on the bench seat. They ate cold packed rations whose flavor left something to be desired but they lasted forever and travelled easy.


    There were two occasions in which the Vott suddenly flared to life, struggling against the restraints and screaming like it had when LoVelly had touched it. The first time Vitra had easily subdued it and they were able to carry on. The second time however it had managed to get a hand free taking them by surprise and managing to give Vitra a black eye in the struggle. She was rightfully sour for the rest of the driev, sitting upfront with an icepack held to her face. She made LoVelly take her driving shift, pretending to be stern and angry but she was a surprisingly gentle teacher and it didn¡¯t take him long to get the hang of driving the large vehicle.


    After that Briha came down and announced that they were getting close and that he would take over driving. He folded himself into the drivers seat and took them straight out towards the sea. When they got close LoVelly could see how high the cliffs they were on were and it made him nervous how close they were getting to them. Briha only turned off at the last moment, LoVelly¡¯s heart already pounding in his chest when he saw the narrow, rocky road that appeared to lead down the cliffside.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing there isn¡¯t an easier way¡­¡± Vitra said when she saw the obvious direction they were taking.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s much easier by boat.¡± he answered easily. ¡°But given our circumstances, no.¡± He slowed the craft down considerably as he eased it onto the cliff road. LoVelly could see that it switched back some ways down but all he could think about was the severe tilt of the TVE as it began to descend. Vitra elected to go upstairs rather than enjoy the view from the front window. Fehrin had come to look and continued to stand and stare with morbid faschination.


    Aside from the anxiety in the air from the passengers they managed to get over halfway down the cliffs before anything started to go wrong. It was when they were on a long straight stretch and the road suddenly dropped out beneath them in a hidden dip there was a crash from the back and then screeching.


    LoVelly of course jumped up, doing his best to make it to the door despite the fight of gravity pulling him down. When he threw the door open he saw that the makeshift stretcher Mez was fastened to had slid down, stopped by the wall, and now sat at an angle. The creature was making its displeasure loudly known and LoVelly barely heard Vitra¡¯s, ¡®on my way¡¯ from where she had gone upstairs.


    LoVelly did his best to right the angle of the stretcher but there was only so much he could do against the weight of her being pulled by the angle. Until they leveled out it would likely slide again. LoVelly found himself laid over her, one arm over, trying to at least hold her in place. Instinctively he tried to project a feeling of calm, a feeling of softness, out and toward Mez through his fen. He still felt that tingly zip down to his fingertips and toes when they touched, He recognized it now as something that carried over from lifetimes long past, something he would always be drawn to.


    ¡°Lov¡¯¡­?¡± Her voice was so small that he thought he imagined it. Still, he held his breath for a moment, waiting to see if it came again. It was then he realized that she was no longer screaming, nor was she struggling. Hesitantly he leaned back.


    ¡°Mez?¡± he whispered down to her, hoping. Praying to whatever gods might listen.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah it¡¯s me. For now. Listen-¡±


    ¡°Oh thank the gods. I¡¯m so happy-¡±


    ¡°No LoVelly listen to me.¡± she insisted, head lifting up off the table. He stopped dead, mouth clicking shut. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any control anymore. I don¡¯t know what happened but when Teramyn tried to, I don¡¯t know, take it or something, he didn¡¯t get to finish and now it¡¯s locked in here. It can¡¯t get out of my body like it could before and it¡¯s mad.¡± Her head thumped back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been aware since we¡¯ve been on the TVE but I¡¯ve been trapped behind it. I¡¯m not sure how I finally got ahead of it but I think you helped me find my way.¡± LoVelly hadn¡¯t even realized Vitra and Fehrin were present, absorbed only in Mezalie. When Vitra spoke it startled him.


    ¡°So this is actually Mezalie.¡± she said. Mezalie¡¯s focus shifted to her over LoVelly¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, about earlier.¡± Mezalie apologized. Vitra waved her off.


    ¡°No hard feelings. As I understand it you were not driving then.¡± There was a long pause where everyone tried to figure out what to do next.


    ¡°Should we untie her?¡± Fehrin finally asked.


    ¡°Well of course we should.¡± Vitra said.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Mezalie quickly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that I trust myself to keep this control.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave you like this?¡± Vitra insisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to accidentally or on purpose hurt anyone.¡± Mezalie paused, thinking it over. ¡°I suppose I wouldn¡¯t hate being able to sit up.¡± she relented.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep you partially restrained and LoVelly will stay with you.¡± Vitra offered then. ¡°That way if something changes we can get a hold of you right away.¡±


    They managed to get her off the stretcher and seated at one of the stationary chairs around the table. It swiveled somewhat so once she was tied to it, it sort of spun her around back and forth very slowly. She still proclaimed that it was an upgrade. LoVelly did not leave her side, always a hand on her shoulder or her arm. Vitra quickly excused herself to inform Briha of the situation when he yelled from the cabin for an update. Fehrin excused themself as well behind her and it left Mezalie and LoVelly alone for a moment.


    LoVelly had taken up the other seat next to her, the only two at the table, and sat facing her. He locked legs with hers to keep her from spinning away despite the gentle sway of the TVE. She could tell he had something on his mind. Something he was figuring out how to say. So she waited for him to work it out. Finally, finally, he leaned in close and she leaned as far as her bindings would allow.


    ¡°Did you really kill Teramyn?¡± he whispered. He watched her face go blank, expressionless as she stared back at him. She didn¡¯t answer for a long moment, then finally, her gaze swept to the cabin door, still open and they could hear the others¡¯ voices, muted but still clear. Mezalie looked back at hime, and he could see something in her eyes, something he couldn¡¯t identify. Very slowly, she spoke.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Just the single word was all she said and LoVelly did not push for more. He knew there was more to tell but here wasn¡¯t the place to tell it. He trusted her and he nodded, understanding.


    With a final jolt and a thump, they felt the TVE level out as their equilibrium shifted with it. Vitra came rushing back into the main cabin.


    ¡°Good news. We¡¯re here.¡± She told them, not stopping as she rushed up the stairs and disappeared. Mezalie and LoVelly looked at each other, unsure what that meant for them next. They both hoped that it was, in fact, good news.


    They felt the TVE come to a gentle stop and then the subtle hum of the engine cut. Finally Briha came shuffling out and Mezalie¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°Dr. Briha?¡± she asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Oh. Yeah.¡± LoVelly jumped in. ¡°Briha is a friend of Datsa.¡± he explained.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Briha waved and smiled. ¡°Good to have you back. I don¡¯t much care for the other thing.¡± he said and Mezalie released a huff of laughter. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯m going to let our friend know we¡¯re here before she comes out shooting.¡± He said, backing toward the door on the side of the vehicle, just past the bench seat, before he turned and disappeared through it.


    Once the door was open they could hear the rush of the waves outside, the whip of wind rolling in off the sea. LoVelly thought it was nice, to smell the briney air filter into the somewhat stale air of the TVE. He felt Mezalie stiffen and when he looked up and saw the stricken look on her face, tears welling up already, he realized the problem immediately.


    The sound of the ocean, the smell of the shore, the last time she¡¯d been in a similar position.


    He immediately jumped up and began to wordlessly undo the bindings. He didn¡¯t care what the consequences were, they would deal with them as they came. He wasn¡¯t going to let her relive that trauma. Vitra came down the stairs then, a hefty looking bag slung over her body. She saw LoVelly and opened her mouth as if to say something but when she took in the state of the girl she hesitated. She came to a stop beside them as LoVelly got her to her feet and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Vitra placed a hand gently on her back, rubbing soft circles there.


    Briha found them like that when he came back through the door, out of breath.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re good to come in.¡± He announced to them all with glee. The tears had dried up and Mezalie extracted herself from the group hug, wiping her face. They were all happy to shuffle out of the TVE one at a time onto the rocky shoreline. It was mid-driev and with the light of both Ahraan and Dhelarly they could see the rocky spit that led out into the bay. There was a path that led all the way out to several buildings that sat on the end of it but it certainly wasn¡¯t big enough to take a TVE through.


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re back Mezalie. I thought we were going to have to carry you out literally kicking and screaming.¡± Briha called from the head of their little grouping.


    ¡°I still could, if you want.¡± She called back at him and LoVelly snorted out loud. He was so relieved to hear her snarky response rather than more tears.


    It took them several dib to pick their way to the end of the spit but when they finally did they were met by a rightfully ancient woman. In one hand was an old wooden cane that she leaned on, in the other hand was a long barreled gun propped against her hip. The gun should have drawn more attention but the womans burnt orange puff of hair was so striking that it was all they saw at first. There was an old shaggy greshgen sitting happily at her feet but they could see another one lying on the porch of the stone house nestled there. Beyond that there was what appeared to a be an old, old temple. The sea and time had worn the stone but the pillars and the face of the building remained intact.


    ¡°Hello weary travellers!¡± the woman rasped at top volume so they could hear her over the sea. ¡°I hear you have some exciting news for me.¡± When they got close enough to her that they didn¡¯t have to yell Briha stepped up and held his arms out to the woman. She sort of shrugged, motioning to the gun and cane so he just wrapped his arms around her gently in a one sided embrace.


    ¡°Yomi. It¡¯s so good to see you.¡± He released her, turning to the group. ¡°Everyone, this is Yomi.¡± He pointed to each of them, introducing them one by one. ¡°Yomi has been a friend of Datsa for a very, very long time. If anyone can figure out what to do with you Mezalie, it¡¯s her.¡±


    Yomi foisted the gun off to Briha before approaching Mezalie, cane first. LoVelly¡¯s fingers tightened around Mezalie¡¯s own as the old woman regarded her. She held her free hand aloft, up to Mezalie¡¯s face, not touching, but close. She took several long, deep breaths and closed her eyes, humming on her exhales.


    ¡°Oh this is quite something.¡± she finally said, voice gravelly and low. She dropped her hand into then and reached into her pocket and after a tes withdrew a smoke, placing it between her lips before producing a shining flip-top lighter, lighting up. She took a long drag and turned away from them before releasing it and heading straight toward the old temple. ¡°Come with me children.¡± She waved them on with the smoke in hand.


    Briha made a motion for the two of them to lead them on. Vitra and Fehrin followed behind them and Briha brought up the rear as they dutifully followed the old woman and her equally ancient greshgen. It was a little bit¡­rotund, resulting in a slight waddle as it followed by her side. Mezalie pointed it out silently to LoVelly, a smirk on her face and he rolled his eyes at her but laughed silently anyway.


    Yomi carefully took the short steps up to the main entrance of the temple. Briha ran ahead of the rest of them and helped the woman pull the enormous stone door open. It groaned as it went but it went nonetheless. As they stepped in there was some light coming in through the windows but Yomi felt along the wall for a tassled end of a rope. When she gave it several sharp tugs a series of light orbs shook on their hooks, beginning to glow. They would brighten to full force in a dib or two. Yomi took them to the main hall, easily recognised by the blue tile floor leading up to.


    LoVelly¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed as he looked this way and that, around them, at the building. It was dusty and smelled like stale sea side, as one might expect. There were only a couple of desire paths carved out of the fine layer of grime that stretched from corner to corner. One of them led right where they were going: to a staircase leading down. LoVelly paused before they reached the staircase, placing a hand to his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mezalie asked, concern clear in her voice. Yomi stopped and turned back to them.


    ¡°Sorry. I just. I feel like I¡¯ve been here before and it feels weird.¡± He looked down at his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have. Both of you, probably.¡± Yomi said, surprising them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been here.¡± Mezalie told her.


    ¡°Maybe not in this life.¡± Yomi shrugged and took another drag off her smoke.


    ¡°How do you¡­?¡± LoVelly¡¯s eyebrows drew in even more.


    ¡°I can see you.¡± the woman told him bluntly. ¡°I can see what you are.¡± She leaned over on her cane, one eyebrow raised.


    ¡°You can see?!¡± he gasped. ¡°Do you know what we are?¡± He asked with hope tinged in his voice. Answers were so close he could taste it. Yomi shook her head though.


    ¡°I can see. Doesn¡¯t mean I know what I¡¯m looking at.¡± LoVelly deflated a little bit and Mezalie gave his hand a squeeze in response. She waved them all on to follow her down the stairs.


    They went down.


    And down.


    And down, when finally the stairs ended in great big stone door like the one outside. This one Yomi pushed open herself and it seemed to go easily with hardly a touch. This chamber was completely dark at first. Like before Yomi lit the room by disturbing the orbs that hung along the ceiling. The room itself was mostly empty save for a handful of floor cushions, some boxes pushed up against one wall and a big, metal, half circle contraption that gave LoVelly the same weird feeling.


    Yomi had them all take a seat, situating Mezalie right in front of her. Mezalie knelt before her, finally letting go of LoVelly¡¯s hand but she looked visibly nervous as the old woman appraised her again.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Yomi snipped at her. ¡°I can feel your anxiety and it¡¯s clouding up my vision. We¡¯re in control here. Whatever this is,¡± she waved her hand in a wide arc around Mezalie, ¡°It¡¯s contained. Did you do some kind of binding ritual? The being trapped is a new thing, I can tell.¡± She finally stubbed her smoke out on the stone floor. Mezalie shook her head.


    ¡°Not that I know of.¡± She paused with a ¡®hm¡¯, then took a deep breath. ¡°The man, Teramyn¡­he did something but I don¡¯t know what. It made me feel weak and¡­tired. Very tired.¡±


    ¡°I see. I see.¡± Yomi nodded. ¡°That explains it.¡± She said in a way that seemed like that settled things but they were all still very confused.


    ¡°Can you tell us what, exactly, that explains?¡± LoVelly finally asked, thankfully.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Yomi croaked. ¡°I¡¯m still sort of formulating this.¡± Then she quickly licked her thumb and leaned forward, placing it on Mezalie¡¯s forehead, between her eyebrows. Mezalie went crosseyed trying to follow the motion.


    A low purple glow began where the woman¡¯s thumb was and then quickly spread out, all over her face. They were symbols, the rest of them realized finally. LoVelly recognized the characters right away, Kargeine IB. The words quickly covered her entire body and Yomi reached out and took her arm, seemingly reading the print along and around her arm first before moving on to the other.


    ¡°As I suspected, your body is harboring too much potential energy. Too many souls in not enough space. And yet,¡± she took a long deep breath, eyes closed again as she placed her fingertips against Mez¡¯s face. ¡°None of them belong in this body.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s my body.¡± Mezalie protested.


    ¡°Not anymore. You¡¯re meant to move on and yet here you still are.¡±


    ¡°No. No.¡± A sniffle escaped and LoVelly quietly shuffled closer, pressing into her side. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± She whined.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m in any position to pass judgement. It¡¯s not up to me if you continue to inhabit this place.¡± She motioned at Mezalie as a whole again. ¡°What concerns me is that now you¡¯ve got three entities all fighting for control over an ungodly amount of power. And a soul bond to something even I¡¯m unqualified to define.¡± To which she circled her finger in LoVelly¡¯s direction. LoVelly pointed at himself.


    ¡°Me?¡± He asked, for clarity.


    ¡°Yes, you.¡± She repeated. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like you.¡±


    LoVelly thought back to that time in the bathroom at the library. At the thing he¡¯d seen looking back at him in reflections of windows. He wondered if that¡¯s what Yomi saw when she looked at him. At whatever Mezalie had seen in him all those times she¡¯d noticed something strange about him.


    ¡°Wait, you said three? Three entities. What¡¯s the third one?¡± Mezalie asked. ¡°Me, the monster¡­?¡± She listed them off on her fingers. Yomi looked surprised, eyebrows raising up.


    ¡°Teramyn, obviously. Can¡¯t you feel all that boiling anger and righteousness?¡± Yomi chuckled.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Mezalie said miserably. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to be stuck with him too. Is there anything we can do?¡± Mezalie asked. ¡°There has to be something.¡± She begged.


    ¡°I brought you down here for a reason. I already had a pretty good idea. I¡¯m not an oracle for nothing.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Teramyn had this nasty habit of thinking his visions were the truest version of events.¡± Yomi told them, leaning back on her hands. She looked at Mezalie intently and Mez already knew the woman could see more than the eye could. She could see the truth, she was sure of it.


    ¡°You did the right thing.¡± Yomi said carefully and Mezalie puzzled over what she meant by that as the old woman pushed herself to her feet and hobbled over to the huge metal half circle. It was some kind of contraption and she pulled a sheet back from the control panel to its side. She flipped several switches and suddenly everyone¡¯s hair felt static-y. The air had a charge to it. Within the half circle an iridescent, shimmery light began to ripple. The machine hummed.


    ¡°We brought you here specifically because I¡¯ve got one of the last two fenoperable gates left.¡± Yomi told them, stepping back over to them. Her hair that sat around her head like a golden cloud and it seemed alive with the static as she spoke. The ripple in the ring began to grow stronger, looking like ripples in a pond.


    ¡°A fenoperable gate?¡± Mezalie asked incredulously. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there were any left anymore!¡±


    ¡°Well, of course. That¡¯s what we want everyone to think. The only two left are under control of the Friends of Datsa. This one and one in Joura.¡± She explained. ¡°We¡¯ve kept them operable in order to carry out special prophecy missions. Like this one.¡± She gestured to Mezalie.


    ¡°Where does it go?¡± she asked.


    ¡°To Kep.¡± the woman said simply then pulled a face, ¡°That¡¯s actually the only place it goes, as far as I know.¡± she added.


    ¡°To Kep.¡± Mezalie repeated.


    ¡°To Kep.¡± Yomi repeated.


    ¡°Sorry. I know after everything nothing should surprise me anymore but somehow it still does. Kep is a fairytale place my anana¡¯s talked about their anana¡¯s telling them about.¡±


    ¡°And yes. We were essentially cut off from the other realms due to the wars but we have these two tiny beacons of hope that we can someday restore that access.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± the voice startled Mezalie as she¡¯d all but forgotten there were other people with them, so absorbed in what was happening. Briha took a deep breath, waving them off. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. There¡¯s just so much I didn¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good man Briha. I¡¯m entrusting you when I¡¯m gone so you¡¯d better be taking notes.¡± She teased. Briha¡¯s jaw went slack in shock at the woman¡¯s words.


    ¡°Tari bi ov.¡± He said reverently but Yomi waved him off. She came over to take Mezalie¡¯s hand.


    ¡°The last time we had something anywhere near this kind of messy we had to have our friends in Kep help us clean it up. I¡¯m confident they have the resources and tools for the job.¡± Yomi led Mezalie up closer to the circle, LoVelly in tow. She positioned Mezalie in a specific place in front of of the shimmering portal charging in the semi-circle.


    ¡°Say your goodbyes and step back LoVelly.¡± Yomi told him and they both looked back at her round eyed.


    ¡°Say goodbye?¡±


    ¡°I want him to come with me.¡±  They both said. Yomi shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s not cleared.¡± Yomi told them bluntly, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Can we clear him then?¡± Mezalie insisted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t clear something like him. He might fracture.¡± Yomi argued like it made all the sense in the world. The hum of the machine picked up an octave and the shimmering brightened and began to open from the center outward, condensing around the metal bars that made the half circle. ¡°LoVelly you need to step back.¡± She warned again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t lose her again.¡± He told the woman, taking Mezalie¡¯s hand. Yomi shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that kind of machine will do to you. You might not even end up in the same place! You might end up in pieces.¡± She insisted again. The light concentrated on the bars shot straight out around them, bathing them in a tunnel of light and shifting colors. They could both feel the pull of the vortex it was creating, pulling them in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± Mezalie yelled over the roar of the light as it dragged them inward. She adjusted her grip on his hand, lacing their fingers tightly together. The light became unbearably bright as they were pulled across the threshold and then it was just like being in LoVelly¡¯s portal that time before they ended up in the sea. That gentle, floating, freefall kind of feeling that felt like slow motion. She closed her eyes against the harsh light. She felt the tears squeeze past her lids because it was so, so bright.


    She felt a squeeze around her hand and her eyes snapped back open because, LoVelly! Was he okay? Did he make it through? And what she was looking at was not LoVelly but some strange amalgamation of colors and shapes and movement. He was something otherworldly she couldn¡¯t otherwise describe.


    And just like that he unwound like a ball of string and slipped right through her fingers, carried on a wind only he could feel. She reached and flailed, scrambling trying to get her hands back on him but it was no use. She couldn¡¯t alter her freefall and she couldn¡¯t catch up with the quickly disappearing slithering string.


    When her eyes squeezed shut again several tears slipped past that had nothing to do with the light. No sooner had her eyes closed did she feel herself come to a halt and it took her several tes to orient herself enough to know she was lying on her back. When she blinked her eyes open the light level was tolerable and the ceiling was blue. It was a nice color. She sat up, wobbling a bit, to find herself alone. Immediately the grief welled up in her.


    LoVelly.


    What happened to LoVelly?


    She turned to look around herself. She was in a small room but she recognized the markings on the floor for what they were: a convergence marker. A little one, just big enough for her to lay across really. She was shocked to find that all of the writing that Yomi had made appear on her skin seemed to still be there. Was that permanent?


    And then she noticed that the the wall behind her was not, in fact, a wall. It was a window. And there were people standing on the other side of it, gawking at her.


    Unsure what else to do and feeling suddenly very awkward, Mezalie gave a little wave and then all the people began to scramble. All she could think while she waited was that somebody there had better have some answers for her, finally. Starting with what happened to her best friend. Starting with what in all the realms was happening to her.


    A door hissed and then slid open to reveal a young woman in a long, gray coat, crisp and clinical. She approached Mezalie slowly and Mezalie noticed that she too had markings all along the skin that was visible.


    ¡°Hello.¡± the woman smiled at her. ¡°Welcome to Kep.¡±

 Epilogue

    The fenoperable gate spat LoVelly back out like a fruit pit with no care for the things that were in the way. Several of those things came crashing down on top of him in the dark and he heard other things go rolling away. He felt something wrapped around his leg and he thrashed about trying to get free, panic creeping in. Whatever had landed on top of him was thankfully light enough that he was able to push it off in his struggle and he rolled it off to the side of him. Finally he was able to get a hand on whatever held him and he paused, feeling slightly silly, running his hand over the fabric. Whatever was tangled around his leg felt like an ordinary sheet or cloth of some kind. It wasn¡¯t moving and it wasn¡¯t holding him there, it was just tangled from his crash landing. He took a moment to calm himself down, taking deep breaths and willing his heart to stop hammering in his chest.


    He knew before he¡¯d even oriented himself that he was alone. Wherever he¡¯d ended up was not where Mez had. He could still feel her fen- hot and acidic within him, and he knew she was okay wherever she¡¯d ended up. Now he needed to figure out where it was that he¡¯d landed because it definitely wasn¡¯t where they¡¯d gone into the portal. Yomi, Briha and the others were nowhere to be seen.


    He was able to clumsily detangle his leg in the dark and now that his eyes had had time to adjust he could see a tiny bit of light trickling in from across the room in a small, thin, line from beneath a closed door. It wasn¡¯t enough to really see by, just enough to guide him in the right direction once he¡¯d gotten to his feet. He bumped into several things in pursuit of the door and sent at least one item rolling across the floor before he managed to cross the room. He reached blindly for a light switch at first but when he found none he felt around for a doorknob instead.


    The light from the hall was blinding at first and LoVelly squinted, his eyes watering. On one end of the hall was a staircase and the other was a dead end so his choice was made for him at least. He turned to close the door behind him when he heard a thump from above and what he thought was a voice but he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Sound was¡­strange, he noticed as he walked to the end of the hall and took the first steps. The quiet was heavy, an almost oppressive silence pushing down on all sides. Everything felt just a bit too muted. If he hurried up the stairs in hopes of not being alone there for much longer, nobody was around to see it.


    The staircase opened up to another larger hall with several doors down one side and it appeared to open up into some kind of large room but it was dark and he couldn''t see much into it from the light in the hall. There was only one light at all and it sat just above the staircase. He looked up to see that the light was set in a very industrial base, a thin metal mesh acting as both a shield and a shade on the bulb beneath. A creaking door caught his attention and he turned to see one of the doors slightly ajar.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He called out, making his way toward the door. There was no response and he stopped again to listen but no further sounds came. He stepped closer and just as he grabbed the handle a flurry of motion erupted behind him. A door was thrown open and a shout came from behind him before he was suddenly being whacked repeatedly. The blows weren''t especially painful but they just kept coming and he didn''t have time to figure out what was happening.


    ¡°Whoa! Stop!? Stop! Please?¡± He squawked between whacks. Finally when he was on the floor, beaten into submission, his assailant paused and he was given a moment to assess. Before him stood a frankly tiny woman. She was barely his shoulder height and about half the size. She was holding a thick broom out in front of her, aiming it at him and the threat to keep on swinging was clear on her face.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± she shouted at him and made a threatening swipe with the broom when he tried to move. ¡°No moving! Answer the question!¡± He stayed down.


    ¡°LoVelly! My name is LoVelly.¡± He squeaked out, holding his arm over his face and head, just in case.


    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± She demanded next. ¡°This is a sealed container.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what that meant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I came through a fenoperable gate but this isn¡¯t where I went in!¡± He peeked over his arm at the woman. She lowered the broom slightly as she looked at him, like she was inspecting him for some visible show of proof. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where I am.¡± He offered instead. She narrowed her eyes but took a step back.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you came out of an old, broken, machine that hasn¡¯t worked in decadi?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°It works fine in my opinion.¡± It came out of his mouth before he had time to stop it and he tensed preparing for another thwack of the broom. When none came he released the breath he¡¯d been holding, peeking out at the woman. Her eyes were still narrowed as she motioned to him with the broom.


    ¡°Get up. Keep your hands where I can see them.¡± LoVelly sighed and prepared for whatever mess he¡¯d gotten himself into now. He carefully, slowly, got to his feet, keeping his hands in front of him. She motioned down the hall to him and he took the cue to start walking.


    ¡°I¡¯m really just as confused as you are.¡± He tried again, looking back over his shoulder at her. To be quite honest, he could probably over power the tiny woman and get away if he really wanted to. But he didn¡¯t know the layout of this place at all and there¡¯s a good chance she might have something sturdier than a broom laying around.


    When they came to the end of the hall and a door, there was a keypad beside it that the woman very quickly, while whipping her head back to watch him, punched in a code for. LoVelly heard the chimes of the beeps as she did and he thought he could probably remember that pattern if he tried. Once the door hissed she pulled it open one-handed and motioned for him to go through with the broom. She followed him through and closed the door with a clank.


    LoVelly¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the floor and he went straight to press himself against the railing of the walkway they found themselves on. He wasn¡¯t a threat to begin with but now he barely even remembered the woman behind him at all, so thoroughly distracted by the view in front of him. The door opened onto a walkway but the walkway opened up to an enormous cavern. LoVelly was feeling dazzled by all the glittering lights twinkling back at him.


    There was an entire metropolis burrowed into the ice and stone around him. When he looked up there were wires and lights and layers of a city he¡¯d never dreamed of, reaching up towards the sky above him. When he looked up he saw that the city appeared to be settled into a crevice in the rock and ice. Where there wasn¡¯t width to the space the people had gone up instead. There was just a sliver of bright pink sky running in a long, thin strip, visible far above him but still, it was there, peeking down on him and the rest of the city. A swat from the broom to his hip dragged him back to his current circumstances and the tiny woman who¡¯d found him. When he turned to her he found her stance more relaxed than before.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± he asked, hopeful that she might be willing to tell him more. She side eyed him with suspicion as she motioned for him to walk with her.


    ¡°Grinmeka.¡± She told him bluntly. Somehow his brain helpfully supplied him with the facts that he knew where that was. Grinmeka was on Daverda though. He had gone into the portal on Arlenasch. Where had Mezalie ended up?


    ¡°Did anyone else come out before me?¡± He asked, head swiveling between the woman beside him and the sprawling city filling every corner of the cavern, spiralling up toward the surface. It was a task to try to take it all in. He also noted that while he could see flurries of motion, of tiny people going about their driev far above and below, there was nobody else around them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you any other information. If you really did come out of the gate-¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Whatever. I have to take you to my boss. He¡¯s the only person who knows anything about those anymore,¡± she told him. She still held the broom between them but she wasn¡¯t poised to swat at him further.


    ¡°Okay. I guess that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just, I went in with my friend but we got separated. I want to find out what happened to her,¡± he told her. She looked skeptical of him, eyes flicking back and forth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Datsa can tell you all about what you want to know,¡± she huffed.


    ¡°Datsa?¡± he nearly shouted. The woman bristled at his outburst, waving the broom in his direction. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just, Mezalie and I have been trying to find Datsa. Or friends of Datsa at least,¡± he explained. He watched as the woman¡¯s eyes grew large and round at his words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that name,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°But you just said it?¡± he questioned, surprised.


    ¡°No, not Datsa. The other one.¡± LoVelly was thoroughly confused now.


    ¡°Mezalie?¡± he asked again, though quieter this time.


    ¡°Yes. Stop saying it,¡± the woman cringed away from him.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand,¡± his brows wrinkled together in the middle as he tried to fit this new piece of information into his mental picture.


    ¡°Look. No more questions. I¡¯m taking you to Datsa and you can ask all the questions you want then,¡± she told him resolutely. He desperately wanted to ask more but he could feel the tension rolling off the woman beside him and he knew better than to push his luck.


    He would have his answers soon.