by D N Meinster
"I'm hearing things," Aros told himself, and he made to turn around.
But then he heard the laugh again. It was brief, consisting of only a giggle or two, but Aros knew that sound well.
It was coming from this patch of trees.
Aros pressed onward, launching his hands forward so he knew where the trees were. Carefully, he navigated the grove, emboldened by every titter that reached his ears. It was darker here than in the open fields, and the trunks were grouped so closely that reaching for his swords would have been impossible. If there was a trap waiting for him, he would easily fall victim to it.
But the only danger had been walking into a tree, as he reached the other side of the grove without incident.
Aros' eyes adjusted to the bit of light emanating from the night sky and tried to make out what was ahead. There was a lake close by, the ripples on the surface visible even at this late hour. And there was a shadowy figure standing on the grassy shore, its back toward him and its other features impossible to make out.
Aros took out a clawblade and approached. Was it waiting for him? Should he call out to it?
"Perish Lake," it said. "Named for the horrible atrocity Fauns committed on Streamers during the Manifest War. The Phodos dynasty was new to the throne, and its emperor was eager to expand the meager land that was under his control. So he launched an assault on both Terrastream and Kytheras. The Streamers were not well organized, and tribe-after-tribe fell as the Fauns claimed their land. But Kytheras was formidable and pushed back against the invading forces. Soon, it looked like Phodos might actually lose land. No man back then could consider such an outcome acceptable. Forces were recalled from Terrastream and ordered to the front lines of their Kytheran assault. But not before they gathered all the Streamers they had taken prisoner and drowned them in this lake. Madam Tudith loved to recite this story."
Aros knew the voice, and as he got closer, he recognized the details of her appearance. The golden hair. The black and pink dress. He put his sword away and tried to confirm what he was seeing. "I'm dreaming," Aros said, more to himself than the girl right in front of him.
Leidess turned around and smiled at him. "I've missed you."
Aros tried to get closer but Leidess held out her arm to stop him. "This isn't a dream, Aros. But I'm not really here, either."
"So I am hallucinating," Aros replied.
"I didn't say that." Her grin got wider, but there was a sadness in her brown eyes that even the darkness could not shroud.
Aros fell to his knees. "Leidess." His breathing stammered as he began to cry. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you. I tried. I did all that I could. But I failed."
Leidess crossed her arms as she stood over him. "Aros Asilias, do you really think this is your fault? Do you think I could blame you? I didn't come here to haunt you for failing me. Now stand up. We have important matters to discuss."
Aros wailed a bit more before he was able to get his tear ducts to let up. He wiped away the salty liquid on his cheeks and stood up as Leidess had requested. After a few deep breaths, he spoke again. "You might not blame me, but it is my fault," he stammered. "You were with me when you were taken. And you were right in front of me when he killed you. How could you see it any other way?"
"Blaming yourself won't do either of us any good," Leidess said. "You're fighting with your friends. You're about to abandon your mission. How could you not believe me when I tell you it's not your fault? None of it. You need to accept that."
Aros' head sunk, as her words did nothing but make him feel worse. He kicked at the grass and refused to look at her. "Why are you here, Leidess?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Leidess moved her face to within inches of his. "You need some guidance. The Goddess would have provided some Herself, but She's got the impression you blame Her for my death as much you blame yourself."
Aros lifted his head back up. "The Goddess?"
"I am here at Her request," Leidess stated. "Who else could send me back?"
"Why does She care?" Aros mumbled.
"Come now, Aros. You know it was Her voice you were hearing before the Celebration, don't you?"
Aros figured as much, but the realization provided little consolation, especially when the all-powerful Goddess couldn't save the one he loved most in the world.
Leidess backed away. "Yes, you do."
"Why was She torturing me? Keeping me up every night?"
Leidess' lips contorted into a confused and hesitant frown. Aros was so familiar with the expression, and missed it so much, that he nearly started crying again.
"I had the same question for Her," she said. "It was inadvertent. She knew Neanthal was plotting his return and needed someone to interfere with his plans. And since it was me he was after, who better to choose than my boyfriend? But when She first reached out to you, all you were able to perceive was Her calling your name."
Aros recalled his sleepless nights and the fears that he was losing his sanity. It seemed so long ago; not the few decks it actually was. All of that was because of Magenine? His outrage toward the Goddess was growing with every minute. "So all of this is because of Her."
"It's because of Neanthal," Leidess reminded him.
"She could've come here to handle this Herself," Aros said.
"It's not so simple," Leidess responded.
"Isn't it? She's the Goddess. She can do what She wants!" Aros could feel that rage building inside once more. He hated it.
"If that were true, Neanthal never would have been a threat," Leidess said. "Look at me, Aros. Look at me!"
Aros stared into Leidess' eyes and could almost immediately feel his ire abating.
She approached him and put a hand on his cheek. There was no warmth or sensation from her action. If he couldn't see it, it would be like there was no hand there at all.
"My Aros," Leidess tenderly stated.
A tear dripped out of his eye and slid right through her hand.
She pulled back and stared at her fingers. "I wish I was really here."
"Why can't She bring you back?" Aros moaned.
"Death is permanent," Leidess replied. "When you go to the Bastion, you stay there. Only Neanthal impugns such rules."
"Then maybe I'm on the wrong side," Aros meekly stated.
"Aros!" Leidess scolded him.
"What?" he said, scratching the back of his head and giving her a weak grin.
"There's the Aros I remember," Leidess said.
They smiled at one another, and for those brief seconds, they could forget that they were in the midst of a war between deities and pretend like everything was as it used to be. They both started giggling for no real reason and let the laughter consume them. It was only when Aros reached out to touch her that they both stopped.
"I'm going to join you," Aros said. "And we can both be together again."
Leidess' eyes widened. "You have much to do before that, Aros. And you almost made me forget to tell you why I'm here to begin with."
"I don't want orders from the Goddess," Aros replied. "She can pick someone else now. Or ask Rikki and Doren." Aros felt twinges of guilt saying his friends' name. He had chosen to abandon them, without even letting them know he was leaving.
"You're right, Aros," Leidess said. "This is a request, not an order. You could go back, if you wanted. I don't want you to. She doesn't want you to. But you could do as you please. She's done whispering in your ear. But you could still relay this request to your friends, if you choose to go back."
"Go on, then," Aros said.
Leidess' arms shot to her side and she straightened her back as she prepared to relay the Goddess' desires. "Magenine wanted to thank you for joining your friends, despite your hardship. You are, all three, on the right path. Hatswick cannot be allowed to obtain any of the Keys. But Her request is thus: you must kill Sarin."
Aros raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Milo's soul is still inside him. If it is not freed, Milo will be stuck in limbo f
orever. You have to kill him."
Aros scowled as she relayed the order. "Hasn't there been enough violence? I almost hurt my friends. And now She's asking me to kill this resurrected Thalian? What if I can't control myself after I let loose? What if I lose myself? I'm not the same without you, Leidess."
"I've noticed," she replied. "You have a choice, Aros. Leave your friends to face these challenges on their own, or stay by their side. Even though you've changed, they need you. I can't force you to stay, but I can tell you that you should."
Leidess' opinion probably mattered more to Aros than anyone else's, living or dead. He took out a blade and held it up in front of her. "I will do as you ask. I won't fail you again. This, I pledge"
"You never failed me, Aros," Leidess said. "I hope you realize that someday."
Aros was still holding up his clawblade when she disappeared. He frantically searched the lakeside, desperate to get another look at her. But she was gone, and Aros could only put away his clawblade and keep his word.
Chapter Eight
Determination
Doren's gray eyes peeked out at the world; his eyelids still heavy, as if to tell him he hadn't gotten enough rest. The inside of the hut was dim, but enough light broke through to hint that it was past daybreak. Rikki was still asleep, but, ever cautious, her staff was still locked in her grip.
Doren went to move but was struck by an immense pain running along the side of his neck and down his back. Sleeping against a curved wall composed of dirt and foliage had not been a great idea. He rubbed the muscle, trying his best to soothe it, and fought through the pain as he made to leave.
He did his best to stay quiet as he passed by Rikki, even leaving his shield behind, but he couldn't help but linger as he gazed at his friend. He envied her serene face and her peaceful dreams. But, at the same time, he was glad she could escape all this, if only for a few hours at night. They had been given so much responsibility; more than they had ever wanted. It weighed on Doren constantly. Every night he dreamed of King Halstrom or Hatswick. His prior nightmares of a coronation had all but ceased.
After giving her a brief smirk, Doren left the hut before she could wake up and find him staring at her. He wasn't ready for the embarrassment, or complication, that might bring.
Doren was greeted by a pleasant odor as soon as he stepped outside. Faunli's morning scent was refreshing and intoxicating. He had smelled it every morning since arriving in this kingdom. It had confounded him at first, as Kytheras had nothing similar to compare it to. Doren attributed it to what his home had lacked: mainly trees and grass.
Doren's focus turned to the hut. He hastily encircled their shelter, and then scanned the horizon. There was not a single person in sight.
The pain in Doren's back subsided as his entire body loosened. He grinned in self-satisfaction and relief. Aros had gotten the hint and left.
It wasn't that Doren hadn't taken to Aros. They had become friends over the course of days, as they took on the greatest threat Kytheras had faced in three hundred years. Aros had proven to be an able fighter and an all-around decent human being. But when he lost Leidess, he had lost a part of himself. Doren had seen it happen before, to himself when he was younger, and to his father. He had tried to relay as much to Aros, but there was no story that could provide comfort in such a time. It was a mistake for him to be here. Rikki saw it as the Goddess' plan, but Doren only saw it as coercion.
When Aros began his assault in Neanthal's Hamlet, it was immensely clear that he wasn't supposed to be here. It was frightening, the resolve and the fury; the way he had pounded his clawblades on Doren’s shield. Doren though the shield might actually break, even though it was enchanted. He did not like what he saw in his friend that day, and he did not want him around any longer. Aros was unpredictable, and thus a threat to them and their goals. He needed to go back home.
But they couldn't make Aros leave. Rikki wouldn't have been party to that anyway, no matter how obvious the argument. Yesterday's discussion had proven it. Aros had to decide on his own to go back. Doren hoped his friend had been eavesdropping, if only to give him a little push in the right direction. It appeared he had.
It was still early, and there was no telling when Aros had left. Best to let Rikki sleep while Aros put as much distance between them as possible. She would want to go after him, and he couldn't let her. Aros was meant to continue mourning Leidess. He was meant to return to Kytheras.
Rikki opened her eyes, expecting to see Doren. Instead, the hut was empty and Doren's shield was lying on the ground.
Her heartbeat sped up, and she laid waste to the hut. The dirt and grass crumbled back to the earth, leaving Rikki standing in their wake. When the bit of dust cleared, she was relieved to see Doren standing just feet in front of her.
"Why did you leave this?" she asked sharply, the shield rising up and floating toward its owner.
"I thought fumbling with it might wake you," Doren admitted. He snatched the shield out of the air and slung it on his back.
"Never leave your weapon behind," Rikki stressed. She then looked for her other friend but was perplexed when she did not see him. "Where's Aros?"
"He left," Doren said plainly.
"Left?" she repeated. She could feel her face sinking and the sneer forming. Doren had caused him to leave. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," he said, though his unsteady voice revealed otherwise.
"You wanted him to leave!" Rikki accused, the crystal on her staff becoming red.
"He's dangerous!" Doren shouted back. "Why can't you see that? What if he outmatched us the other day? What do you think would have happened?"
Rikki slammed her staff down on the ground, enough to unsettle the nearby terrain. "Magenine wants him with us. Why don't you understand that?"
"I'm sorry, Rikki, but if you ask me to choose between the Goddess' wishes and our well-being, I choose us."
Rikki was almost taken aback by the comment, and her heart fluttered for a moment before she remembered her anger. "Dammit, Doren. This is bigger than us."
"Doesn't matter now," Doren said, his black locks swaying in the breeze. "He's gone, and we're not going after him."
"Says you," Rikki replied. She studied the ground until she saw an imprint of Aros' sandal. "I'll go after him then. You can wait."
"Rikki," Doren pleaded with her.
Rikki pointed forward. "That's the way back to Kytheras." She then pointed a finger behind her. "And that's the way Aros went."
Doren lightly slapped his forehead. "He went the wrong way?"
"Come along, Doren." Rikki swung around and headed in the direction of Aros' footprints.
Doren moaned and whined, but eventually followed Rikki.
"Don't you see, Doren?" Rikki asked as he chased after her. "Aros needs us."
Doren couldn't help but keep quibbling with her. "He needs time to mourn, not us. Right now, I don't feel safe around him. How could you?"
"Because I know why he's here. Aros is hurting, but he's not a threat." Rikki paused to examine Aros' tracks. They made an abrupt turn to the left, leading to a grove just a few hundred feet away. "He went that way." She indicated the direction with her staff.
"It just had to be muddy last night," Doren muttered.
Rikki gave him an obnoxious grin. "See? Magenine has a plan."
"Yeah, to have our friend kill us," Doren retorted.
Rikki thought of responding but figured it was better to ignore the comment. She didn't know how serious Doren was, or if there was some sarcasm laced in his words. But she did know that Aros would never kill them. He was on their side even when he was lashing out. Aros was scarred, but he was still Aros.
She departed from Doren and traced Aros' footprints to the edge of the thicket. The ground had hardened overnight, and she left no imprints besides the ones already sculpted into the earth.
Rikki made to enter before Doren had even caught up with her, but froze before she had squeezed b
etween two trees. A powerful essence was permeating this wood. She stepped back, the very nature of it frightening, yet somehow familiar.
"What is it?" Doren asked as he joined her.
She remained fixed on what lie ahead, confounded and less than thrilled to continue onward. "Magenine," Rikki whispered. The Goddess had left her own trail in Faunli.
"What do you mean?" Doren said, trying to see whatever had stopped Rikki.
"She was here," Rikki replied. It didn't make sense. If the Goddess really could come to this place, why did She need them?
Doren made to keep going, but Rikki interrupted him. "I'll lead."
The two of them maneuvered through the packed trees, squeezing between branches and knocking off leaves. Aros' footprints were no longer visible, but she didn't need them. Rikki could feel they were going in the right direction as Magenine's essence grew stronger.
They emerged on the other side but found no divine being awaiting them. All they saw was a lake. More precisely, they saw half of a lake. Midway through the calm waters, there was the black wall Faun's referred to as Oblivion.
"Do you think the rest of the lake is on the other side?" Doren wondered aloud.
Rikki wasn't concerned about the lake. She could feel Magenine all around, more potent than she had ever felt in all her life. Which was odd, since the Goddess actually shared her abilities with mages.
But Magenine was nowhere to be found on this lakeside. She did spot Aros, however, not far from where they were. He was lying down, his head propped up on a tree, and his clawblades eschew.
As she moved toward him, she saw he was still sleeping. The sun's rays were minutes away from hitting his face, but she wasn't going to wait. "Aros!"
Aros' head moved slightly, but he did not wake.
Doren came up beside Rikki. At first, she thought he was going to suggest they leave him. Maybe he had intended to, but he wound up shouting "Aros!" inches from his ears.
One of Aros' eyes opened, but Rikki still wasn't sure he was going to get up. So she started tapping his cheek with her staff, increasing the pressure with every tap.