The Silence Between

by Lara P. Ambrose

  "You could control those creatures. And you nearly killed that girl, someone you were supposed to watch over and protect!"

  Reiem didn't deny the accusations. Instead, he grimaced and released a sigh.

  "I wasn't…myself back then. Sixteen hundred years had passed since I began my service to the bloodline and…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "Something during my time with Loreley's father drove me a little mad." He dropped his voice to a low whisper. "I sometimes wish I'd never been let out again."

  Griff laughed. It wasn't his normal carefree laugh, but more one that trembled as it was forced from his lips. "Well, I'm glad you're back to normal, dude."

  Reiem didn't reply. He focused his gaze ahead, increasing his speed so he passed Charlie by. She couldn't help but flinch as their arms touched in his passing, feeling immediately bad afterwards. Sure, he'd done something terrible and pretty messed up, but he'd already paid for that…right? Four hundred years had surely changed him. Charlie gathered that much from his voice as he retold the story. At least, she hoped he wasn't still hiding that side of himself.

  Conflicted but still determined to get this done, she increased her own speed to catch up with him, much to dismay of the guys who shouted for her to wait for them.

  III

  Ten minutes had passed before the fog finally cleared, revealing a narrow road flanked by more towering, sheer cliffs. Thankfully, the canopy overhead lightened enough to allow thin shafts of light to pierce the mist. The trees changed, too. They were thick and verdant with taller trunks and branches far overhead. Charlie could see movement in them—squirrels, birds, and possibly even some of the forest sprites themselves.

  The four of them walked into the large clearing at the burial glade's heart, where a towering ruin sat nestled within the green. Ageless trees grew around the edges of the crumbledown temple, spilling lengthy, flowering vines down each side. Through the empty windows and gaping doorway, there was nothing but wide, empty space, and at the very back of the structure, towering and carved from some unknown stone or metal-like substance, stood a trio of statues.

  "Reyfa, Dalheim, and Anachtyr," Charlie said aloud, skimming her eyes over the familiar runic markings and symbols of the trio of silent stone deities. The sketches from her studies were true to form, save for some weathering here and there. To the quizzical looks she received from Griff and Ignis, she added, "They're kinda like what Erde is to the rest of Miner's Cove—guardian deities that watch over and protect the land."

  "It's all in Seithark," Ignis observed. He approached the statues, tracing his fingers along the patterns of the central one—the one devoted to Reyfa. He seemed entranced by them but quickly jumped back when they began to glow.

  "Oh, shit, dude!"

  While Griff hurried up to Ignis's side, Charlie stood back, unsure if this was something good or something bad. Judging by how calm Reiem remained, she didn't feel cause for alarm. The glowing faded after a moment.

  "Uh oh," Griff said, a smirk crawling onto his face. Charlie and Ignis looked to him, then to Reiem. "Storytime again?"

  "Indeed." He walked past them, stopping at the statues.

  "Guess we gotta take our seats," Charlie whispered.

  The trio found the best places they could between fallen rocks, bulging roots, and the floor, and stared intently at the immortal.

  "Of all the magics in the world, the one most connected to us is seithark. It is an old magic, a sort of shamanism concerned with discerning the course of fate and working within its structure to bring about change. Some people are touched directly by the Astrals and gifted with their sight. These people are called Seers, and can perform rituals for divination and clairvoyance, weaving new events into being with ease.

  "Many are the rituals undertaken by peoples of the past—for seeking out the hidden, both in the secrets of the mind and in physical locations; for healing the sick; for bringing good luck; for controlling the weather; for calling game animals and fish.

  "However, the opposite was commonly called upon as well—to curse an individual or an enterprise; to blight the land and make it barren; to induce illness; to tell false futures and thus to set their recipients on a road to disaster; to injure, maim and kill, in domestic disputes and especially in battle.

  "As we are neither gifted in seithark nor are we Seers, we call upon the gods connected to the runes of the seithark and ask that they fulfil our wishes. Thanks to our bond to Loire—the mighty tree of life itself—our wishes tonight should reach them with ease."

  All three kept their silence as Reiem produced four candles from his bag.

  "Though this glade is protected, there are still spirits freely wandering about. And not all the ancestors were kind," he added in a hushed tone.

  Reiem walked a circle around the three, placing a candle at each of the cardinal directions—North, South, East, and West—before taking his place once more before the statues.

  "Casting a circle, right?" Charlie asked. Reiem nodded.

  "What's that for?" Griff followed up.

  "A magic circle is a sphere of space marked out by a caster as 'safe'. It contains a mystical energy that creates a sacred space, providing protection for all within."

  Once back at the northern candle, Reiem whispered something the others couldn't hear. At a snap of his fingers, the candle lit up. He repeated this at each candle until he returned to the north once more. A faint dome of energy crackled into view, fading just as quickly as it had appeared.

  "And so, the circle is cast." To Charlie he added, "I do hope you are taking notes. This is a core practice of a Guardian."

  "Yeah, sure thing," Charlie replied with a bit of a nervous smile. "What I don't remember, I can always look up in Grandma's journals."

  "Very wise." He turned to the three statues. "These are the deities that we honor. While many in the Dellcro region honor Erde for her connection to the planet itself, the Old Gods are still very much alive. We may call on them for aid, protection, or simply for honor, yet in exchange so as to not sour our relationship with them, we must offer something in return."

  Reaching once more into his bag, Reiem pulled out two vials full of golden liquid—one darker and viscous, and the other more fluid.

  "From Reyfa we call…Ansuz, and offer to you honey from the Hollow's wildflowers." He set the first vial into the bowl at the statue's feet. "From Dahleim we call…Algiz, and offer to you mead crafted from the same sweet honey." He set the second vial into that statue's bowl. "And from Anachtyr, we call…Othala, and offer to you not something material, but something transformed in the months to come: a Guardian trained and true to the duties of which she vows to uphold."

  A gentle chiming rang out as the lines and runic markings lit up on the statues—pink, multi-hued, and red respectively. While the markings on Dalheim and Anachtyr faded, Reyfa's intensified, nearly blinding all within that spacious temple ruin.

  ‡ † ‡

  The moment the light faded he knew immediately that something was wrong. The air felt wrong. Heavy. Oily. The sweet scent of flowers soured to that of rot. It made Reiem's body feel strange. Lethargic. It was as if every toil and tarry wrought upon him over the centuries—every ache, every pain, every punishment—were magnified and brought to the forefront of his mind.

  Somewhere, in the recesses of his mind, he recognized this feeling. Her.

  A strange deep purple and black substance bubbled and oozed over large swaths of Reyfa's idol. The sight of it unsettled him. Repulsed him. Icy tremors shivered deep within him. He needed to get his Master and her friends away from here. It was no longer a place of respite or peace.

  Charlie stepped as close as the circle would allow her, her eyes locked onto the substance. A curious but disgusted expression lit up her face. "What is that? Is this supposed to happen?"

  Reiem shook his head. "I've no idea."

  A sickening sound—almost like a death rattle—seeped from what could be seen of the deity's face.

 
; (…why…have…you…brought…)

  (…elder…blood…)

  Reiem stared in horror as the words in the Ancient Tongue registered.

  "Elder…blood…?" he whispered.

  The sound came again, but this time as a cackle of sorts—dry and broken. A purple haze began to rise from the revolting sludge. It grew thicker, obscuring more of the idol as it did so and rising up to morph into a vaguely humanoid shape. The sludge fell away from the thing's face and Reiem recognized it after a moment—it was Reyfa, her form blighted and corrupt.

  (…you…carry on…what Marianne…could not…)

  (…such a…good monster…)

  (…good…brother…)

  The voice turned, no longer frantic and pleading, but hungry and vile. Reyfablight's chortling words registered in his mind, but he couldn't believe them. From the circle, Charlie shouted to him but he couldn't shake from this new nightmare. Even when she banged on the invisible edges of the magic protecting her, Griff, and Ignis.

  "Hey! What's that thing saying!? Reiem!?"

  "Whatever it is, it isn't good." Ignis was at her side in a flash.

  "Guys, get to the back of the circle." They turned to look at Griff, confusion on their features. He bared his teeth in a low growl at them when they didn't move. "Just do it, okay!?"

  With a quick look to each other, the pair nodded and retreated as far away from the monster as they could without pushing up against the edges of the barrier. Griff, however, approached Reiem.

  "Hey, let me out."

  Weakly, Reiem shook his head, gaze to the floor. "No, you…must stay inside…"

  Growling his frustration, Griff slammed a fist against the barrier wall. It chimed loudly, shimmering briefly before fading away.

  "I'm not asking, man! I'm telling you! This thing is—"

  Spheres of purple ooze formed all across Reyfablight's body, shivering and chiming as they burst to reveal glowing orange eyes. More ooze began to take on a different shape. It grew long and narrow before several appendages began to extend from her extremities. A pair of stunted legs grew, though they floated above the ground and terminated in rounded stumps. A pair of arms grew, one thin and the other easily twice as long and thick. The ooze rushed back up to cover her face, and a new head began to take shape, narrow and pointed.

  This blighted deity towered over them all, taller even than Griff, even without its ability to float in the air. It was not done yet, however.

  As they watched, armor appeared. Its stunted legs, waist, and chest were all partially covered in the armor. The long arm was fully encased in the same armor from the elbow down. Its head was, likewise, encased in armor, though this extended out to either side of its head in a pair of strangely flat horns.

  "Reiem!"

  Reiem looked up in horror as a trio of round, purple eyes appeared in the center of its head. Sentinel eyes. He saw a flash of memory—three eyes pulsating as they took aim at him—but he pushed it away quickly as the repetition of his name finally broke him from his trance. He couldn't afford anymore distractions—he must fulfill his duty. Those purple eyes focused on him and something about the creature's posture changed. It leaned forward in a menacing way, and its longer arm extended. There was a flash of light as a glowing blue spear extended from the hand there, easily three times as long as Reiem was tall.

  Griff banged again.

  "Dude! Reiem! Let me outta here!"

  "Don't be foolish!"

  Reyfablight suddenly reared back, throwing both of its arms out and its head back, and released a horrible shriek that made the walls tremble in its ferocity. Reiem's instincts screamed at him to move, and he did, leaping to the side. A moment later, the creature thrust its spear forward. The incredibly long spear crossed the distance between them in an eyeblink, stabbing not for Reiem, but for the circle. Fine cracks spiderwebbed across the front of the protective barrier.

  "Focus on me, monster!"

  Reiem broke into a sprint, his feet splashing in the thin layer of ooze that coated the ruin's floor. The massive spear put him at a slight disadvantage with his spiked chains, yet he had only a dragon fang dagger for combat up close. Flicking his eyes past the blighted goddess, he spotted the blade in the outstretched palms of Anachtyr's statue—Tyrfung, the cursed dark blade. If he could reach that…

  Fortunately for him, even with that spear, the creature hovered far enough off the floor that he could get in some good strikes with his chains. Reiem could launch himself onto one of the walls and attack with the kind of coordination needed to help him get around the room to reach the blade. He called the chains from the ether and threw one towards the eastern wall, landing at an angle against it with precision and ease as he launched a second chain towards the creature's trio of eyes. The pointed tip only bounced off, harmless.

  The creature's counter, however, was not. It swung its free hand—shorter than the other and ending in vicious looking claws. It would have caught Reiem in the side had he not released his grip and descended back to the floor. He felt a sudden shower of pebbles and dust—the thing's claw was stuck in the wall. Reiem took this brief opportunity to sprint for the blade, but just as he wrapped his fingers around the hilt, Reyfablight freed herself and spun fast. The flat of the glowing spear slammed into Reiem's side, bringing him around with it. He flew back and slammed into the barrier, landing in a heap.

  He heard Griff's voice, cursing at him from a distance, but he ignored it. He jumped to his feet, taking several more steps back to try and keep out of range of the spear. Where he had been lying, he saw briefly that the ooze had been stained red with blood. His blood.

  Grimacing, Reiem reached down to his side, where the tip of the spear had grazed him. His hand came away red. He did not feel much—adrenaline would keep most of the pain at bay until his healing abilities kicked in.

  The creature lunged at Reiem again, and Reiem, too disoriented to dodge, tore open a portal. Reyfablight destroyed the floor where he'd been a mere moment before, and mercifully, the circle remained untouched. In anger, the creature withdrew and slammed its spear again into the barrier. More thin cracks fanned out, but still it held. Another spear strike thrust towards Reiem, crackling with the strange Sentinel energy, and Reiem jumped aside, weighing his options. His chains had already proven useless against it, and the creature's reach would spell Reiem's doom if he wasn't careful.

  He had more than just his chains, however.

  Returning the silver links back to the ether, Reiem called forth his dagger, crouching with it gripped tight before him. Reyfablight made a hissing sound and thrust its spear once again at Reiem. He sidestepped it and broke into another run. The creature was ready for him this time, raising its shorter right hand, claws extended, ready to sweep him away. As it did, however, Reiem thrust his dagger out, impaling the creature's palm.

  Iridescent runes lit up on the dagger, spilling across the creature's palm and up its arm. Small seeds of light bloomed from the runes and shot towards Reiem, covering his form with a rejuvenating light.

  The creature shrieked, ripping its hand away. Purple mist burst from the gaping wound like spraying blood, and the creature raised the hand well out of Reiem's range. Deity or not, he could hurt it. That was good. The next question was whether or not he could actually kill it.

  It swung the spear at Reiem in a wide arc, and Reiem threw himself forward onto his belly in the ooze. He heard the hum of the spear as it passed overhead and leaped back to his feet, running towards the creature again.

  A wall of wind suddenly formed before him, and Reiem stumbled, slipping on the ooze underfoot and slamming into the wall with his shoulder.

  "Reiem, watch out!" Charlie's voice, shrill and terrified.

  The wind wall swirled away into falling leaves as the creature thrust its spear through it.

  IV

  He was saved by a flash of light. As the spear pierced through the wind, a shield of light blossomed where the tip would have struck, knocking Reiem
onto his back in the ooze.

  Another sound came from Charlie—this one more startled and confused than scared.

  "Charlie, what was that!?" Ignis shouted. "What did you do!?"

  "I-I don't know!"

  The spear pulled back before angling down, the impossibly sharp edge aimed towards Reiem. Eyes widening, Reiem rolled to the side, just as the spear's edge crashed down to the ground where he'd been like a machete.

  He pushed himself up, kicking up another splash of ooze as he attempted to round the blighted being to find an opening in its guard. The creature followed him, locked on to him with its trinity eyes, forming a guard that seemed unbreakable.

  "So stubborn," he growled.

  He turned, running back to give himself enough space. He called forth a solitary chain and removed the pointed tip, replacing it with the runic dagger. Spinning around, he took aim, and hurled it at the creature. The blade struck home, dead center of its chest. Reyfablight shrieked, throwing its arms wide as the vitality-draining light swarmed across its body.

  The wall of wind dissipated, and the spear deactivated. Reiem broke into a sprint, retracting his chain and pulling the dagger from its end. He gripped it tight and yelled a battle cry as he leaped off a chunk of fallen wall, ramming the dagger into the center of the creature's trinity eyes.

  Reyfablight shrieked again, backing away quickly as purple mist sprayed out of its face. Reiem kicked off the thing's chest but stumbled on loose rocks upon his landing. Sharp pain flared through his ankle. He had twisted it. He grunted and fell aside, crashing in the ooze. Upon impact, the wound in his side reopened. Something was preventing the effects of his dagger from fully healing him…and his own innate healing power had yet to activate. Something here was keeping it dormant…and he had no doubt it was whatever had corrupted the goddess.