by Isu Yin
He glanced back. “What’s wrong?”
“Meil ou ya do,” she said, recalling the phrase he said in Chi’s cottage. For some reason, its meaning became crystal clear.
As he registered her statement, his expression blazed with embarrassment.
“It’s like saying I love you very much, right?”
He avoided her gaze, and his hand grew warmer.
It may have been her moment of clarity, but all the feelings and thoughts she’d restrained now made perfect sense. The ambience of the community lights, combined with the distant song of the Ussan, stirred something buried deep inside her soul. She thought that if she ever intended to uncover those feelings, she’d better do it before the moment faded away.
“Our bond is precious to me” she said. “Everything that’s happened has been completely unexpected, and I still don’t know anything, but I do believe that my feelings for you are sincere. I don’t feel this way because of what Akira said, or because Madam and Abyssus pushed us together. I simply did as everyone told me in order to survive, but I’m tired of living that way.” She squeezed his hand, and a light shot into the sky. Fireworks crackled and shimmered above, filling the community with awe.
Hero’s attention shifted from Fate to the sky, but he shortly returned his gaze to her.
She resumed. “I think things are going to get harder. I know you’re tainted, and you often lean towards doing bad things, but I want to be more supportive of the path you decide to choose. I found my path by following my brother’s wishes. Maybe our paths are a little different, but I think that’s okay. I want to change this empire for the better and protect people like you from the Council.
“I want to uncover the truth about the Grim and Undal, and learn about the realms around us. The High King and Queen are going to forcibly choose a path for me. I just hope it’s one that allows me to reach my goals and remain by your side.”
When he was finally ready to reply, he loosely intertwined his fingers with hers. “Honestly, I don’t care if I succeed the throne. I did everything my father—no—Niteo wanted me to, but it was never enough. Abyssus was like a brother to me. He helped me find my way, and taught me how to enjoy life. I can’t be everything that he was—I’m selfish and childish—but I cherish my bond with you. I admire your sensibility.” He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “I’m tainted, that’s true. I’m flawed... but I want to work hard to improve. If my abilities can help you in some way, I’d like to repay you for all you’ve done.”
“All I’ve done?”
He covered his face with the back of his hand. “I hit rock bottom when Abyssus died. I was overly confident about fighting Mortis. It was selfish of me to act alone. I haven’t been able to forgive myself, but you still supported me. Our relationship might be uncertain, but I want to become someone you can rely on, and support you the way you’ve supported me.”
“Okay.” The weight in her heart lifted. “I told you before that I am very loyal. I’ll protect you with my life, if that’s what it comes to, and I will support your decisions.”
He presented a hint of a smile and grunted in agreement.
“Now, how about we begin by finding Abyssus’ journal?” She ran down the stairway, pulling him along behind her.
Together, we can change this empire. I want to have hope in our dreams.
The long winding stairway of Inoue Community glistened with light. Hero and Fate traveled down hand in hand towards the glowing shoreline, stopping briefly as he pulled her into a store.
“You’ll need a change of clothes,” he said. “It’ll be difficult to move around in a gown.”
“From now on, I’ll try and wear different attire. Vien’ou.”
He stood back while she searched the shop for something to wear. “Do you like speaking the L.o.A.?”
“Of course. It makes me feel closer to you. I hope you’ll continue to teach me.”
When he spoke the language, he often sounded more cheerful, even melodic. “Ba’am. I’m happy you want to be close to me.”
“I guess that’s unusual for you?”
“It’s fine. I can handle it.”
“I don’t want to sound doubtful, but I’m worried. Is that the truth?”
“It’s hard to explain, but when I’m with you, I feel lighter.” He rocked back and forth.
“How do you say things like that so easily? You’re embarrassing.”
“That’s all it takes to embarrass you?” He sang. “Ooh, ma’ail.”
“I don’t know what you said, but your singsong way of saying it is embarrassing me.” She hurried around the shop, picking up random shirts and pants to check the sizes. The closest fit was a pair of worn boots, an olive green shirt that hung loosely on her small frame, and a pair of tight-fitting black pants.
After making her purchase, she dragged Hero back to the cottage, apologized to Firmus, and changed her clothes in the guest room. When she exited, Hero was standing before her without his scarf.
“Oh?” He pointed at her. “That looks like my shirt.”
“Are you teasing me or something? You’re awfully chipper.”
“Ye. Are you ready?”
“Wait, what about you?”
“I left clothes here a few turns back.”
She held back her laughter. “Oh my, and they still fit you.”
He deadpanned. “No.”
Firmus leaned back on the legs of his chair. “I thought you hated liars.”
“Let’s go before it gets too late,” Hero said, beckoning Fate outside.
She shrugged at Firmus and laughed, then followed down the next path to the glowing sands of the beach. “Wow! It really does glow!”
“Ah, hmm, yes. It’s crystal.”
The blue light shone into the shallow parts of the water. A cave in the distance emitted the same haze. “Isn’t it dangerous?”
He shrugged. “Potentially, but right now it’s safe due to the high levels of salt in the water.”
“The sand is so pretty.”
“Come with me. We’re going into the cave.”
They treaded through the sand, and passed several chunks of crystal jutting up onto the beach.
She scooped up some of the glowing sand and studied it. “Where is the crystal growing from?”
“Ha. Good question.”
The entrance to the cave was closed off by the crystal growing around it. As they reached it, Hero removed his shoes.
She dusted off her hands. “What are you doing?”
“I should’ve asked earlier, but I assumed that a survivalist would be capable. Do you know how to swim?”
“Yes. Are we going to swim?”
He nodded.
“No wonder you left your scarf. Why didn’t you just leave your shoes?”
He snarled. “No! The ocean is dirty enough as it is.”
Ah, yes, of course. How foolish of me. So this is why he wears shoes to bed.
“It’s not good for you to wear shoes all the time. Don’t your feet hurt?”
He pouted slightly. “At least they’re not dirty.”
“Goodness gracious. You’re troublesome.”
“Stop patronizing me and come!”
Fate untied and removed her shoes, stashing them into the crystals as Hero had done.
He pointed to a round pool of water forming between them. “I’ll go in first. It isn’t far, but I’m worried that you’ll panic.”
“Thanks for worrying. That might be true, but how did you even find something like this?”
“Uh... I was an escape artist when I was a child, so maybe that’s why I found weird places. Still, only Abyssus knew about this. Don’t tell anyone.”
“I feel special, ha-ha.”
He ruffled the back of his hair, then fixed it. “I’m going, then. Try not to jump in. It might be difficult for you to swim back up and find me.”
“I’ll get in carefully.”
He nodded again and entered without stirri
ng the water.
Once he moved, she took a deep breath and lowered into the icy water. The crystals glowed and lit the area around the cave, giving clarity to the path ahead.
He pointed ahead and swam deeper.
She kept a careful distance and focused on conserving air as they journeyed through the crystals and rocks. They swam through a narrow, stony tunnel and surfaced inside the cave through another pool of water.
He climbed out, pushed the hair back from his face, then helped her out.
Most of the cave was dark but small pieces of crystal stuck into it, glowing like stars in the shadows. Fate gawked at it while Hero inspected the rocks by a wall.
“You think the journal is here?” She hurried to help him search.
“The last journal said it was in a hidden place. I know this is just my assumption, but if the second journal was in Inoue Com, why not the third as well? I presume that he would hide it some place familiar.”
“I wonder what color it is.”
“Ilrn dei.”
“Huh?”
“No clue.”
“You speak the L.o.A. a lot now. Is it because of me?”
Hero lifted his head, and his mouth quirked back on one side. “At first I was just tired, but you made me happy when you said you wanted to learn it. Though I may not know where I learned it, I find it easier to speak than the Rahma language.”
“Then I will do my best to learn it. What I mean is—don’t teach anyone else.”
His expression and tone fixed in their usual monotonous way. “Are you being possessive? I’m shocked.”
“You don’t sound shocked. Maybe I’m slightly possessive. I’ve always been that way, even with Abyssus. I like keeping secrets with people I’m close to. It makes our bond feel more private and unique.”
He grinned and swayed his head back and forth. “Ahh, I see.”
“You’re too happy. You’re starting to resemble a fish.”
“Fish? Nui, nui. I’m all wox.”
“Was that a joke? What is that, anyway? A wolf-fox?
“Ye.” He crouched beside her, nuzzling her side.
“Ah! Stop it! Go find the journal!”
“You’re fun to tease... even more so than Abyssus. I wish I’d realized this sooner.”
“No!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll be honest. I actually found this while I was listening to you. This one is Luna,” he said, holding up the journal for her to see.
She snatched it from his hands and studied the metal case. “Ugh! Hey, what’s this, a cover?”
“Ba’am. It would get wet without one.”
“Does that mean something similar to ‘of course’?”
“Ooh, good guess. So proud.” He stroked her head.
“Praise be, why are you like this?”
His expression fixed. “I guess it’s because I’m often restricted. Even Chi told me, more wolf, less fox. I tend to exhibit the erratic side of our clan. I try really hard not to show it, but you made me really happy, so it’s hard to keep it in.”
“So, you’re always like this on the inside? Then, that’s a good thing!”
Oftentimes, when he smiled it seemed contrived, but now he appeared sincerely happy. His entire face lit up with an uncharacteristic softness.
“It’s really pretty here,” she said. “I’m happy you showed it to me.”
“Ou duin.... Me too.”
“You said you found something in the journal?”
“I need the journal from Nex. There’s some kind of inscription on the covers, but I can’t read it with what I have.”
“Did you read anything interesting inside?”
“That’s what I find odd. There’s nothing important. It’s just another record of Abyssus’ time with us. The inscription might tell us what to look for. I have faith that he uncovered something.”
“Faith? You do? Did that come out of your mouth?”
“Let’s call it hope.”
“Good, I have faith covered.”
Hero sighed deeply.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry. I think we should get back. I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Me? Sick? I’m not sure I’ve ever been sick.”
“You didn’t know me before. I’m just being cautious.”
“I understand.” She watched the crystals for a moment longer. “Let’s come back here sometime.”
They lowered into the water again and swam back to collect their things from the crystal on the beach. As Hero leaned forward to grab his shoes, the hourglass fell from his shirt, and he quickly hid it inside.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that,” she said. “I saw it this morning. Some time ago, I asked you about the Story of Space and Time, and you seemed hesitant. Are you hiding something from me?”
“I....” He pulled the sleeves of his shirt. “I stayed in the Capital when I was younger. You might’ve heard, but I was blinded for a while during my childhood. I ran into the Ussan to avoid returning to Nex. After that, I had strange dreams about being trapped inside the forest. I was always in pain.”
“I heard that’s when you met Akira.”
“Yeah. I’ll admit, I admired him for a while. It’s like I told you before, children are easily captivated. If not for his annoying speech patterns, I may have never recognized him, especially since I couldn’t see. Not that there’s anything to look at. He said a lot of weird things to me back then. I suggest you avoid him.”
“Weird things?”
“He encouraged me to study the three scriptures that surmise our traditions. Actually, he read large portions of them to me and explained everything in full detail. This hourglass... was a gift from him. I don’t really understand him, but I couldn’t throw it away.”
“Wait, he gave that to you? Did he say why?”
“Um... no, he just told me not to lose it again.”
“That’s weird. This is just a theory, but I’ve heard that Ulnaire, Solaris, and Leoht are all intertwined. Perhaps... he needs you.”
“For what? He only comes to annoy me.”
“In my opinion, it might have something to do with the Spinner. In the stories, Ulnaire and Solaris were Bound. Hypothetically, if Ulnaire and Fati are the same person, then could she have had two partners?”
His hair nearly stood on end hearing her suggestion. “That’s obscene!”
“It’s just a theory. You don’t need to get worked up yet.”
“What’re you trying to say? He needs me to get to you?”
“Hero, breathe. Since when did you think of me as the Spinner, anyway?”
He pressed a hand over his mouth.
“It sounds to me like you need to explain, not Akira. I finally caught you. It’s time to tell me what you know.”
He lowered his hands and twiddled his thumbs. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you.”
Maybe Akira was right. Has Hero been lying to me all this time?
The clouds hung over Inoue Com like an ominous black cloak. Hero and Fate returned to the cottage after collecting Chi from the gate, and they gathered in the back room to discuss the secrets and lies of the Rebellion.
Hero sat on the window seat, twiddling his thumbs. “To be honest, I have been a part of the Rebellion since I was six. I learned about the folklore in the Book of Ages and suspected you might somehow be connected to the Spinner. That is why I asked you to play Rota Fortunae.”
Fate opened her mouth and twisted her jaw, as she analyzed his sudden change in formality. She gathered that anxiety drove him to alter his speech patterns, which startled and intrigued her. “Why would you suspect that?”
He opened and closed his mouth a few times.
Chi rested a hand on his shoulder. “He is getting flustered. It might be better for me to explain before this gets out of hand.”
Fate lifted a hand to stop her. “Chi, I mean no offense—I appreciate that you’re here—but right now
I just want to hear the truth from Hero’s mouth.”
He took a deep breath.
“Continue,” she told him.
“I mentioned, previously, that I used to have strange dreams. Even though I cannot remember the old ones, I remember the dreams I had after I was sealed. In those dreams, I was always Leoht, and I spent a lot of time with the Spinner, but even if I believed it, I did not know for certain if it was true. It was only when you noticed that I am tainted that I began to accept it.”
“How did you first join the Rebellion?”
He twiddled his thumbs again. “Kyou asked me to join. I had a hard time suppressing effects of the miasma, and I almost killed Niteo. They brought me here to help and told me the truth about my parents. Kyou said that if I joined the Rebellion, I would learn the entire truth, so I trained here and learned from the Lady Heqet for a while.”
“What were you studying?”
“She taught me about Mu and the Tainted. She explained that I was one of them, and she wanted to protect me from the Council. She told me the Council is corrupt. Her husband followed them down the path of depravity. The Astor Tournament was supposed to be different, but he destroyed everything she set out to accomplish.”
“It sounds like the High King and Queen are competing for your favor. Were you so influential?”
He sounded desperate now. “It is because of my history.” After a brief pause, he pleaded. “Fate, you might not trust me, but I swore not to tell anyone. My word is my bond, and there is still so much I doubt.”
She raised a brow. “Is it? I trusted you, and what’s worse is that I defended you when Akira expressed his doubts.”
He presented a far more vulnerable expression than she had expected. “Akira? You can’t trust everything he says.”
“Hero, I can hardly trust what you say. At least Akira told me the truth.”
Hero chewed his bottom lip. “I never wanted to lie to you.”
“So what about your history?”
Chi crossed her arms. “As I told you before, Hero’s parents are my sister and Liulfr of the original Wolf Clan. We were all survivors of the fall.”
Fate heaved a sigh of exasperation. “The fall? Of what? Undal?”
“Of Ussan.”
“Ussan? What are you talking about? The forest?”