by Jeff Gunzel
But after taking another step, her leg swept out from under her. With a shriek, her body whipped up into the air. Hanging upside down with a vine wrapped around her ankle, Assirra found herself twisting and turning like a top. “I hear you! Who’s out there?” came a voice from the hut. “Intruder!”
Filling with terror, Assirra reached up to grab at the vine around her foot. But she only managed to brush it before swinging back down. Her body was too weak to hold up her full weight like that for any period of time.
“I’ll gut you like a hung pig!”
“No, no! Wait!” Assirra cried out. Hearing the crunching of dried leaves approaching quickly, she reached up again, clawing at the vine in hopes of breaking free. “I mean you no harm, I swear!” Spinning faster now because of her own jerky movements, she could not tell which direction the stranger was approaching from. Her vision blurring with spinning trees and shrubs, she braced to be skewered, certain the stranger would go through with the threat. She shrieked again when a pair of hands steadied her twisting body.
“Well, well, I don’t believe it,” said the tarrin, her upside-down face looking into Assirra’s terrified eyes. “And to what do I owe the pleasure, High Cleric?”
“Cut me down. Please!” Assirra begged, covering her mouth with both hands. Although her stomach was empty, she was certain she was about to throw up.
“As you wish, Assirra.” The tarrin marched around a bush and pulled out a dagger.
“Wait, not like—” There came a ripping sound, and Assirra hit the ground with a jarring thud. She wheezed once, then just lay there watching the leaves in the trees sway in the breeze overhead. “Thank you,” she croaked when she could finally spare a breath. “It’s good to see you again, Aleesia.”
*
The inside of the hut was much larger than Assirra would have ever suspected. Part of that was due to the lack of furniture. All she could see was a single table, surrounded by cut tree stumps to sit on, and a worn old hammock strung up in the corner. The hut, which had mostly been cut right into the side of the hill, provided a pleasant coolness that felt nice in this otherwise tropical environment. Aleesia came back in from a separate entrance and set down a steaming pot fresh from the fire.
“I did not expect to ever see you again, Assirra,” she called over her shoulder as she went back to fetch two cups. “Or anyone else from the village, for that matter.” Returning, she placed both cups down on the table, then sat on the stump opposite Assirra and began to pour the tea.
Assirra took her steaming cup and sipped it carefully. Although a tall glass of water would have been preferable to hot tea, it was still quite good. She had yet to work up the nerve to ask for anything specific, or even speak for that matter.
Glancing up over her cup, she noticed Aleesia staring a hole right through her. The woman was quite beautiful in her own right. Her long hair was a deep red, and so thick that it nearly covered her curled horns completely. And her large eyes were a soft, creamy white. Assirra remembered her being very young, but now she seemed to look even younger somehow.
“So, you have come to kill me then?”
Assirra nearly spit out her tea as she fumbled with her cup. After a brief juggling act, she managed to set it back down, but only after spilling a fair amount in her lap. “Of course not!” she blurted, her voice hoarse and scratchy.
“I know you’ve brought the others with you,” Aleesia said, rising from her seat as she pointed her finger accusingly. “Well, I promise you it will not be easy.” The room seemed to darken as if the light were being sucked away. Aleesia’s hair started to move in waves as if a breeze were rising up from her feet. Hands extended, her eyes began to glow faintly as steamy white faces appeared out of thin air all around her body. They rolled and boiled as if they were made of smoke, each one changing expressions multiple times before vanishing like ghostly apparitions. “Perhaps you will eventually overpower me,” she boomed, her suddenly enhanced voice seeming to shake the walls. “But I promise to take many of you with me.”
Assirra fell back off her stump, but managed to scramble back to her feet. “I am not here to hurt you!” she shouted. In a way, she was somewhat prepared for this. They hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms. But now that her fears were being realized, she wasn’t sure what to do about it. “Look at me!” She ran her hands across what was left of her dress, sending the set of shredded ribbons in motion. Her face was dirty and her wild hair was flared out in all directions. She dropped to her knees and began to sob. “I’m a wreck. Do you really believe I would come to you in this condition if I meant you harm?”
“I can’t believe you would come to me at all,” Aleesia said, her voice lowering back down to a normal pitch. Her hair began to settle and the room seemed to lighten once more. Her eyes no longer blazed with anger, but seemed to hold a small measure of pity. Until now she had been so blinded by the sight of her old nemesis that she hadn’t truly noticed Assirra’s physical condition. Aside from her muddied appearance, her cheeks were drawn in and she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days.
“Does this not demonstrate to you how desperate I truly am?” Assirra asked. “You think I have come here to hurt you after all these years? You could not be more wrong. I have come to beg your forgiveness.”
Aleesia took a few steps forward. Despite being nearly a foot shorter than Assirra, she seemed to loom over her like a giant. “Why?” she asked simply. “Why after all these years would you track me down just to ask for my forgiveness? Do you not remember the last time we saw each other?”
Holding the knife’s edge in the palm of her hand, the edge of cold steel pressed against her skin. Eyeing the open book sitting next to her, Aleesia skimmed through the spell’s details one last time. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and dragged the blade across her palm. Wincing, she held out a bloody fist, allowing the flow of blood to trickle down into a bowl. Red droplets mixed with the water, creating a cloudy, milky pink swirl.
Waving her other hand over the bowl, Aleesia reached out with her mind. She could feel the bloody mix as if it were alive, feel its energy throbbing like a pulsing heart. Eyes still closed, she sensed that she was no longer alone. There was a presence nearby, watching, waiting, observing her with great curiosity.
The bloody mix began to swirl about like a bottomless whirlpool. Up from the water rose a hairless head, its wide-open eyes a far deeper red than the bloody water it came from. “Yes,” Aleesia whispered, feeling the creature’s life force, feeling its eyes on her. She did not dare open her own eyes yet, but she knew it was there. “Spiritual being from the other side, lend me your strength, show me the forbidden light so I may taste it for myself.”
“Break it down!”
Aleesia’s eyes jetted open at the order from outsider her door. She caught a fleeting glimpse of the being as it splashed back down into the shallow water. “One...two...” Her door burst right off the hinges just before a flood of tarrins came barging into her room. Before she could react, she was face down on the floor, struggling to breathe as they piled on to help immobilize her. “How long did you think you could hide this treachery from us? Your days of black magic are over, witch. You will now face the High Cleric for sentencing.”
*
Down on her knees with a circle of spears pointed at her neck, Aleesia trembled before the High Cleric. As Assirra read off what appeared to be an endless list of charges, Aleesia continued to sob, her face buried down in her hands. Black magic... Conspiring against the village... Practicing witchcraft... Defying Odao... The stream of accusations just kept coming. After a time, the string of charges against her sounded like some muffled, foreign language to her ears.
But what she did hear were the hateful whispers raining down from the crowd gathered around. No matter how hard she tried to block them out, they still came through clear as a bell. Worse, not only could she hear their stinging, hateful comments, but she recognized each voice as someone she had known for mo
st of her life. These were her friends, her family, and each of them now seemed to hate her with all of their hearts.
“What?” Aleesia spoke up, only now realizing that Assirra had stopped speaking and was looking at her expectantly.
“I asked, how do you plead?” Assirra repeated. Her expression remained neutral despite the hushed whispers urging her to dish out a maximum punishment.
“I am no witch,” Aleesia cried out, her face streaked with tears. “You’ve known me all of my life. All of you have!”
“Do we?” Assirra asked, her voice as hard as her eyes. “Do we really know you? I’m not so sure anymore.”
“I have done nothing wrong! You are my brothers, my sisters, and I would never hurt any of you. These absurd charges against me are born of nothing more than fear and prejudice. You fear what you do not understand, and therefore call it black magic.”
“Odao fears nothing,” Assirra assured her, a sharper edge to her voice that time. “I will consult his greatness before I make a decision. And while I am praying, I suggest you do the same.”
“So that’s it then?” Aleesia said, rising to her feet despite the many spears attempting to keep her down. “You would leave my fate in the hands of the gods instead of trusting your own heart?”
“Never speak ill of Odao in my presence!” Assirra shrieked. “You dare to mock the creator?”
“If he is so powerful, then let him strike me down here and now!” Aleesia said, her eyes searching the sky. “If your god seeks vengeance, then let him make an example out of me right before your eyes. I do not fear him and neither should you.” There came an uproar from the crowd, but she ignored them and went on. “You know what I think? I think you are afraid to make a choice for fear of being held responsible for your own actions. It is just easier to mumble at the sky, praying for the wisdom you do not think you possess on your own.” She stepped closer to Assirra and lowered her voice. “You know what else I think? I think you are a coward, just like the god you follow.”
Assirra’s hands clenched momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure. “If you have lost your faith in Odao, then that is your loss,” she said calmly, but loud enough for all to hear. “Although it pains me to admit this, I am afraid you are beyond saving. Aleesia, I hereby banish you from our village.”
“I hereby banish you from our village,” Aleesia repeated, remembering Assirra’s last words as if it had happened yesterday. “Do you remember saying that to me?” Assirra hung her head. Of course she remembered casting one of her own out into the wilderness in the name of Odao. Practically sentencing someone to death was not an easy thing to forget. “You took everything from me. All of you did! Friends I had known my entire life just stood by and watched as you sent me away to die in the wilderness.
“Where did you think I was going to go? I couldn’t go live in a human city for fear of prejudice and ridicule. You see how they treat their own kind. How long would I have lasted in such a hostile environment? No, I had to find some way to survive all on my own. For days I was forced to eat things you wouldn’t even hold in your hand! But somehow I managed to stay alive.” Aleesia gave a half turn with her hands extended. “I built myself a crude shelter out here in the forest, and over the years I’ve improved it bit by bit. It is not exactly a luxurious way to live, but I make do. And now, after all these years, you show up on my doorstep out of nowhere. Why?”
Aleesia looked as if she might start crying. “Why?! Why does my past come back to haunt me? Why must you torment me so? You got what you wanted, right? Is it not enough that you banished me from my home? If you were checking to make sure I was dead, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Aleesia stormed towards the flimsy door and threw it open. “Get out!” Her eyes pooled with unshed tears. “It pains me to look upon you, and I won’t tolerate it for another second. Now get out!”
Assirra dropped down and sat on the floor. “If it is revenge you seek, then I will not stop you. Go on and kill me if that will close the door to your pain. I promise I will not resist.”
“Just get out!” Aleesia shrieked, her unshed tears now flowing freely.
“I have nowhere to go,” Assirra said, slouching down with her legs crossed. She looked tired, beaten. “I cannot even begin to apologize for what I have put you through, but I apologize nonetheless. I never wanted any of this to happen. I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice,” Aleesia snarled, closing the door and coming back to sit on the floor across from Assirra.
“You’re right,” Assirra admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “And I suppose it took me this many years before I finally understood that.” They sat in silence for a time before Assirra spoke again. “Did you not find it odd that I knew where to find you?” she asked.
Aleesia shrugged. “As I stated before, I assumed you finally tracked me down in order to finish the job.”
“No,” Assirra replied softly, even managing a casual smile. “I had you followed that very same day. When I told you that I had no choice, that was very much how it felt to me at the time. How could I defy Odao’s name if front of so many witnesses, and let you stay in the village? Still, that did not mean that I didn’t feel guilty about what I had done. When you finally settled here and began building this place, I had my followers stage an accident nearby.”
“The robbed merchants?” Aleesia interrupted, remembering something she had discovered all those years ago. That stroke of luck had saved her life.
“Yes,” Assirra continued. “The turned-over cart, the bags of food and tools thrown about. Those were all carefully laid out so as to appear like the aftermath of a robbery gone bad. I assure you that no one was hurt. After all, there was no raid. That was all meant to be found by you.”
“That food lasted me for weeks,” Aleesia said, her voice cracking a bit. “Those tools enabled me to start building this place. I would have been dead without that stroke of luck.”
“I had to do something,” Assirra said. “Although I truly believed you could no longer be saved after dabbling in the black arts, I didn’t want to see you die because of my ruling. I’m not sure what the rest of the village would have thought if they knew the steps I took to help keep you alive, but at the time I felt that the risk was worth it. Aleesia, I swear I wish things could have been different. I never meant to hurt you.” She looked around the hut. “I didn’t even recognize the place when I stumbled across it. You’ve come a long way since then.”
“What do you want from me, Assirra?” Aleesia groaned. This entire conversation had brought back many painful memories. It was becoming more than she could bear.
“First of all, I need you to forgive me. I don’t know that I deserve to be forgiven, but still I am asking.”
“Very well.” Aleesia’s soft words didn’t sound all that convincing, but she said them anyway. “What else do you require of me so that you may leave me in peace?”
“You may find this hard to believe, Aleesia, but I no longer follow Odao or his teachings.” Aleesia’s eyes opened to the size of teacups. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever believe she would hear Assirra utter such blasphemy.
“It’s true,” she nodded, assuring Aleesia she had indeed heard correctly. “His power no longer flows through me, and therefore I no longer have a place at his side. In fact, I no longer have a place in my own village. I am a homeless, faithless rogue.”
“I’m...sorry,” Aleesia said, not sure what else to say.
“Why?” Assirra asked, her face brightening. “I am liberated. I am no longer a slave to a god who would treat me like a plaything until the day I offered him my last breath. This is why I admire you so. You broke free of those chains years ago, defied him at the risk of your own safety and wellbeing.”
“You said I practiced the dark arts. You and everyone else called me a witch.”
“We did,” Assirra agreed. “And we were wrong. I was wrong and you were right. And so leads me to my final request. And be warned, I won’
t leave until you agree.” Aleesia held her breath, not sure she liked where any of this was going. “I respect and even fear the power you have gained. I too want that same power for myself. Therefore...I need you to train me.
“I need you to teach me the ways of the black arts.”
Chapter 6
“You have no idea what you’re asking of me,” Aleesia said with a stunned look on her face. “I cannot. I will not. And now I think you should go.” She went to open the door once more, but Assirra raced in front of her and stayed her wrist.
“Please, just hear me out,” Assirra said, releasing her wrist before stepping aside. “Much has happened that you are not aware of. Just hear what I have to say. After that, if you still want me to leave, I will do so. But don’t make the same mistake I made all those years ago. Please, don’t make a hasty decision based only on ignorance.” Nodding reluctantly, Aleesia stepped away from the door. The least she could do was listen to Assirra, and maybe even learn a thing or two about the world she hadn’t been a part of for many years now.
After setting a table, they both sat down to several plates of fresh fruit. If there was one thing Aleesia had learned in her years of isolation, it was where the food could be found in this forest. Gorging on the badly needed meal, Assirra tried to gather her thoughts before speaking. She knew she was going to sound crazy. But that was all right, it was crazy. The world had practically gone mad, and Aleesia may very well be the only person in the realm who was not yet aware of it.
After taking a large gulp of water, she sat up straight and began to tell her tale. She told Aleesia everything that happened from the beginning, the ghatins, the lerwicks, the new friends she had made in Viola and the others. Watching Aleesia’s jaw drop lower and lower as the story progressed was not surprising in the least. Nothing could quite prepare a person who had withdrawn from the civilized world years ago to find out that the world they once knew no longer existed.