“A dangerous criminal?” Madeline was tired and her mind was moving slowly. “Yes, I can answer your questions. You said you were from Garrison?”
“Yes, ma’am. Garrison.”
“Please,” Madeline pointed to the couch, “have a seat.” Madeline walked around the room, reigniting candles that she had recently extinguished. The room filled with light and Madeline looked back to view the face of the woman who had entered her home. “I apologize for my rudeness, but I don’t recognize you. Are you new to Garrison?”
“You could say that. Now, ma’am, about this criminal, I was wondering if you had seen anyone suspicious recently. Any strangers come knocking at your door?”
“Yes,” answered Madeline slowly. “But these people were working for the Holy. They weren’t criminals. We shared a meal.”
“Could you describe them to me?”
“Okay. The woman was young and pale, with pretty, blue eyes and long, red hair.”
“Was there a man?”
“Yes,” Madeline paused. “You know, he did seem a bit odd. He certainly could have used a little more personality.”
“Please, ma’am, the description. Time is a factor in this case.”
“He was tall and pale. He had a beard and wore a white hood. He had a terribly scarred face and eyes, which may explain his disposition. I gathered that his scars had left him blind, but you know, it seemed as if he could see just fine. He looked like a man who had experienced quite a bit.”
“Did these two people tell you their names by any chance?”
“Yes, they did, but I don’t remember them exactly.”
“I need you to try.” The stern tone in Rachael’s voice caught Madeline off guard. “I apologize ma’am, but as I said, time is not on our side at the moment.”
“Am I in danger?” asked Madeline.
Rachael considered this question and decided to answer in a way that she hoped would speed up the process. “Yes,” she replied.
This answer did exactly as Rachael had hoped. Madeline’s mood changed immediately. It was just the jolt the old woman needed to shake off her sleepy bewilderment. She seemed to be accepting the reality that she may have entertained criminals.
“I think the woman’s name was Catherine, maybe Cassandra. I can’t be sure. The man had an M name.”
“Was it Murray?” asked Rachael.
“Yes,” said Madeline gravely. “That was his name. Tell me, what has he done?”
“I’m not going to get into details, but you can consider yourself lucky. Any information you can give me is important. We do not know at this time if the young woman that is with him is an accomplice or a hostage.”
“Oh, dear.” This information had caused Madeline to become very distraught. “That poor, young woman, she was so nice. She must have been a hostage. That man must’ve threatened her into silence.” Madeline paused for a moment and looked away from Rachael as if thinking deeply about something. Then she turned her eyes back resolutely. “Ask me anything. I want to help.”
“Did either of them say where they were going?”
“No,” answered Madeline. “We didn’t get a chance to speak at great length. They arrived at my cottage late in the day. We shared a meal that I had already been preparing and then we went to bed. The two of them left rather abruptly in the morning.”
“Did they do anything odd, anything out of the ordinary at all?”
“Well, no. Not really. Except…”
“Except what?”
“The man, Murray, he was muttering in his sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night because I thought I had heard the door close. I got up quietly and checked around the house. Everything was quiet, but I could hear a voice coming from the guest room. I walked closer and poked my head through the doorway. The young woman was sleeping in the bed and the man was sleeping on the floor next to the bed. He was talking in his sleep. He kept repeating the name Blue. He was telling Blue that everything would be all right, that he wouldn’t let Joe hurt him. Whomever Joe might be, I don’t know.” A tear glazed Rachael’s cheek, however Madeline did not notice and continued speaking. “He was talking to this Blue person about going home. I couldn’t understand everything that he said, a lot of it was just mumbles, but he definitely said they were going back home.” Madeline finally stopped talking and looked up at Rachael who was now openly crying. “Are- Are you all right?” Madeline asked.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door. “Garrison police. Open your door.” A man’s voice boomed from outside.
Both Madeline and Rachael jumped from their seats. Madeline was very confused. She looked at Rachael bewildered. “I thought you were the police.”
Rachael didn’t respond, but instead darted for the closest window she could find. Mere seconds passed and Rachael had leapt from the window onto the forest floor and was running.
“You there, stop!” yelled a man’s voice. “This is the Garrison authority speaking! Stop!”
Rachael never hesitated for even a second. She was fast, much faster than the men who were chasing her, and it wasn’t long before they abandoned their pursuit. Rachael was gone and no one, in or around Garrison, would ever see her again. The two policemen who attempted to catch her were doubled over in the forest, trying to catch their breath.
“You let her get away,” said one of the men to the other.
The man picked up a stick and threw it at his partner. “The only thing you’ve ever tracked down was a sandwich.”
•••
Rachael didn’t stop running. She never even turned around. I’ve traveled all over Ephanlarea to find him, and now he’s going home. The arrival of the police had scared the emotion out of Rachael, but now that she was sure they were not behind her, she was again brought to sadness by the memories of Edgar and Blue. I can’t believe I’m going back to Hammlin, after all this time. But I can’t be behind him anymore. I have to find a way to be there before him. I have to.
Chapter 9: Relics
“We’ve been walking for so long. Can we please stop?”
Iolana’s arms hung limp at her sides and she breathed heavily. The wind had been blowing, causing their throats to go dry. Iolana had consumed more water than she should have and now found that she had run out. She tipped her canteen upside down and nothing fell from it, not a drop.
The Messenger stopped and turned to Iolana as she was holding her canteen upside down. “Why are you out of water?”
“I didn’t realize,” Iolana said sheepishly.
“This is not a good place for us to stop.”
Iolana looked at her surroundings. They had been tracing a range of mountains, sticking to the foothills, but there was no sign of civilization to be seen.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” Iolana said, almost to herself in defeat.
“Yes, we are,” confirmed the Messenger.
Iolana continued to look around her, helplessly scanning the horizon, hoping against all hope that she would spot some sign of a suitable shelter. The Messenger looked at her and felt a twinge of an emotion that confused him. Pity? he wondered. No, different than pity. This hint of unfamiliar emotion broke the Messenger’s concentration. He found himself staring at the horizon, just as Iolana had been.
“Murray,” Iolana’s voice tried to penetrate his daze. “Murray, are you all right?”
The Messenger broke from his trance and snapped at Iolana. “We keep moving.”
A familiar voice came into the Messenger’s consciousness. His Holy was speaking to him.
Gain her trust.
The Messenger looked back at Iolana. Blue smoke traced her tired face. He could see the fatigue that was eating away at her.
“We keep moving until we find a suitable cave to use as shelter. We cannot stay out in the open.”
Iolana nodded thankfully and the two of them started scanning their surroundings for an acceptable shelter. They began to walk closer to the mountains in hope of finding a cave, and the M
essenger reached out for the Holy with his mind.
What power does this woman have? I know that she can heal the wounded, but my mind... She holds some sway over my mind.
This Ancient is a healer, returned the Holy. That is all. We must gain her trust so that it is you she heals and not our enemies.
The Messenger asked no further questions.
Iolana and the Messenger made their way up to a mountain on the outer portion of the range. Its walls were shear and the rock was smooth. There would be no hope of ascent.
“We’ll walk around the base,” said the Messenger. “Look for a large fissure.”
Again Iolana nodded and they proceeded to march around the base of the mountain. It was not long before a fissure appeared; a cave that would suit them fine as an overnight shelter. The hole was dark and the two of them peered inside. Iolana was exhausted and began to walk forward into the cave.
“Wait,” barked the Messenger. He pushed past her and entered the fissure alone. As he disappeared into the darkness, Iolana could hear a low growl. The growl began to grow louder but was suddenly stopped with a flash of blue light. Iolana took a step back from where she stood. What in the world was that? she thought. Moments later, the Messenger emerged from the cave dragging the body of a large mountain lion.
“Murray,” gasped Iolana in astonishment.
“Turn away,” commanded the Messenger. Iolana’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in shock. The mountain lion that lied on the ground was totally motionless. “I said turn away.”
Iolana turned away from the Messenger and the mountain lion and heard a muffled snapping sound after she had. She couldn’t help herself, she turned back to see that the Messenger had snapped the neck of the mountain lion. She opened her mouth to protest but the Messenger cut her off.
“I had to kill it, Iolana. It would have killed us if it had the chance.”
Iolana was still shocked at what had happened. “W-What was that blue light?” she stammered.
The Messenger dragged the lifeless body of the mountain lion away from the cave and turned back to Iolana. She was shaken; this experience was beginning to be too much for her. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Iolana didn’t know where she was or who she was and it was starting to become apparent that she didn’t even know whom she was with.
The Messenger stared at Iolana with his swirling, blue vision. He could see her fear. She was breaking down. He knew he would have to give her more information to make sense of her situation or she might break down completely. This is annoying, he thought to himself. However, he resigned himself to what he would have to do in order for Iolana to maintain her sanity.
“Do you believe in the Holy?” asked the Messenger.
“Th-the Holy?”
“Yes, the Holy. Do you believe there is a being, greater than all of us, that has created all that you see; all that we are?”
The question seemed to bring Iolana back a bit from her state of oncoming hysteria. She locked her eyes onto the Messenger and spoke with an indignant tone.
“Yes, Murray. I might have lost my memory, but I’m not an idiot. I understand the concept of the Holy.”
“But do you believe it?”
“I don’t know. Does this really matter right now?”
“Iolana, I wasn’t lying when I told that old woman that I worked for the Holy. I am his servant. I work for him and all that he is. Those men who kidnapped you work against him, against us. They are evil.”
“That doesn’t explain that light in the cave, Murray. How did you–?”
“The Holy came to me, Iolana. He saved me. He gave me my life back. I was blinded as a child. Fire took my sight and gave me the scars you see. I was lost, but one day he came to me. He gave me a new sight and he gave me great strength and he also gave me this.”
The Messenger raised his hands, palms outward, and a blue light began to emanate forth. Iolana stared in amazement as the light enveloped her. Panic struck as she immediately lost the ability to move her body.
“Relax,” said the Messenger. “I’m only doing this to show you. It won’t last long.” He closed his palms and the light vanished. “It’s a gift from the Holy, so that I may serve him well.”
Iolana slowly began to feel her body coming back to her. As soon as she was able to speak, she did.
“Why?”
“Because I am faithful.”
“No, I mean, why do you need to be able to paralyze people?”
“Iolana,” began the Messenger. “Sometimes people deserve to die. Sometimes people are just evil, and the rest of us need to be protected from them. I am that protection.”
“You’re a killer?” Iolana was appalled. “Your job is to take life?”
“My job is to save lives. I saved yours.”
“I can’t deal with this right now. Stay away from me.”
Iolana turned and walked into the darkness of the cave, obviously done with the conversation. The Messenger began to follow but the voice, again, came into his head.
Let her be. Sleep will right her thought.
The Messenger stood outside of the cave. He contemplated going into the cave, but instead, turned around and walked back to where he had dragged the dead mountain lion. He looked at it through his wispy vision and played Iolana’s words through his mind. Your job is to take life. Visions of Blue shot through his mind, followed by visions of a bully named Barton and visions of that terrible morning in the blacksmith’s shop. The Messenger spun away from the dead animal in front of him and vomited upon the ground. His heart was pounding and his eyes watered. He took a minute to gather himself and then returned to the cave.
The Messenger’s blue visions enabled him to see in the dark. He entered the cave and found Iolana lying upon the floor. He stared down at her and again he was moved by some unrecognizable emotion.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She did not respond. She had fallen asleep. The Messenger slid down against the wall of the cave, opposite Iolana, and allowed himself to sleep.
•••
Iolana startled awake. The cave was pitch black and cold. She couldn’t see anything.
“Murray,” she muttered.
“Shhh,” came the reply. “Stand up and move behind me.”
The Messenger helped Iolana to her feet and she moved to his back.
“What’s that noise?” she whispered.
“Shhh.”
The Messenger opened the palm of his hand, casting a light against the back of the cave, but he could see nothing.
“What is it?” Iolana asked again.
“There’s nothing there,” said the Messenger. He looked over the wall with close scrutiny and noticed slight motion against its surface. “Stay behind me. There’s something on the wall.” The Messenger moved closer to the wall of the cave, reaching his other hand out to touch it. “Water,” he said. “There’s water running down the wall.” He looked down at the floor. “But the floor is not wet.”
Iolana was tight against the Messenger’s back and as she followed him, step-by-step, closer to the wall of the cave, she heard a loud crack. Iolana screamed and wrapped her arms around the Messenger. Another loud crack came and the floor gave out beneath them. Before they knew what had happened, they were falling into the open blackness. Iolana tried to scream but her breath had been stolen from her. The fall only lasted a mere second as Iolana and the Messenger plunged into cold, dark water. Iolana released her hold upon the Messenger and they both scrambled to swim back to the surface.
Gasping for air, they burst out of the surface of the dark pool they had fallen into. They yelled for each other and swam closer. They wiped the water from their eyes and spun to see their surroundings, and that was when they saw it.
No more than one hundred feet away stood the ruins of an ancient palace. Moonlight spilled across the ruins and Iolana looked into the air to see where it came from. Quickly she realized that they were not in a mountain at all, b
ut that they had come through a large, rock wall that had been protecting this ancient place from view.
They swam for the shore and when they reached it, they tried to wring as much water out of their clothing as possible. The air was cold and they shivered as they stared at the ruins that stood before them. The Messenger reached out with his mind.
What is this?
No response came.
“Stay behind me,” said the Messenger. Iolana obeyed and they began to make their way through the gate of the ruined palace.
“How old do you think this is?” asked Iolana.
“Very,” replied the Messenger.
Marble pillars lay broken all around them. No portion of ceiling was intact. Glass ornaments lay dashed upon the ground and splintered wood lay scattered about. The moon allowed Iolana to see it all. Iolana could imagine the beauty that this place once was, traces of its greatness could still be seen. It was magnificent in its destruction. They moved through the ruins and noticed a tower that stood above it all, seemingly untouched.
“I don’t think we should be here,” said Iolana. Her voice broke the eerie silence that had enveloped them. When they had crossed into the ruins it had been like entering a vacuum. Nothing was moving except for their bodies. Iolana was terrified. “This place is strange to me. I don’t know why, but I think that I’ve been here before.”
Where are we? The Messenger again reached out for the Holy with his mind, but again there came no answer.
They had now reached the door of the tower, or what had once been the door of the tower. It was splintered and charred as if something had blown it off of its hinges. The Messenger walked toward the doorway.
“No, Murray. I can’t.”
The Messenger spun around to see Iolana had stopped following him. She had tears streaming down her face and she was shaking violently. He couldn’t tell if it was from being cold and wet or if it was from fear.
“What’s wrong?”
Everflame: The Complete Series Page 33