Forsaken Dreamscape (Nevermor)

by Lenore, Lani

  “It’s all a game,” he started evenly. “Whatever he has brought you back here for – whatever he told you – is just some ploy. The Scourge has made his mark and the Rifter has been nothing but silent for years. Why now? Why has he decided to reintroduce us to it? Why you?”

  Nix sat in silence a moment, putting the curved pipe back into his mouth. Wren thought this over, feeling a nauseous rumble in her stomach. All this talk was making her feel sick. Perhaps it was best to change the subject.

  “What do you know about the Scourge?”

  “What would I know?” he asked, seeming surprised by the inquiry. “I live in seclusion in the woods.”

  She kept her expression firm to show him that she did not withdraw her question. He saw that and relented.

  “The Scourge never came back, and that’s all I know. I know nothing of the most recent theories concerning the darkness,” he said to please her. “Sly always tried to keep up with the facts, though I couldn’t tell you where to find him either.”

  “Then we must go look for him – and the others as well,” Wren insisted, rising up. He stood at her sudden action, rooting himself firmly in her path as if she would dash past him.

  “Just where do you think you’re going? We both know you can’t hope to do anything by yourself.”

  “At least I’m willing to do something,” she sneered pointedly, “unlike some who just want to hide.”

  His lip curled. “What gives you the right to judge me? I can choose whether or not I want to be involved in this.”

  She had no argument for that. Maybe he was right.

  “As for you, you might as well settle in,” he said. “You’re not going anywhere ‘til morning.”

  “You’re coming with me,” she blurted as if she had the authority to command him. She wasn’t sure where her zeal had come from, but it widened his eyes. He hummed thoughtfully, observing her, and she was surprised to see him smile.

  “You always had a bit of spark in you when it counted,” he mused.

  He actually sounded impressed, and somehow, Wren thought she felt herself blushing. She shook it away.

  “Still, I’m not sure what to think about all this,” he went on. “Am I to reunite with my brothers after all this time? They’d probably be content to forget about me.”

  “Rifter brought me here to bring all of you back together,” she told him, and saw the annoyance on his face when she brought it up again. “It’s what I have to do.”

  He said nothing for a moment. Wren was unsure about all of this. She had bad thoughts about Nix and what he had told her – his attitude. Could she trust him? And why did everyone think Rifter was dead?

  “Are you so certain of his intentions?” he asked. “Even after what I’ve said to you, can you trust him unquestioningly? Do you think you love him that much?”

  There was no waver of doubt on his face as he looked down at her. He wanted her to answer, but she did not have to think about it, and she needed him to see her determination. She had to give Rifter the benefit of the doubt.

  “I have to at least give him a chance to make things right,” she said.

  Nix considered, examining her resolute expression. “I suppose Rifter did not exclude any of us to be brought? He did say to bring us all with you?”

  Wren didn’t quite understand, but she nodded. “Why would it be any different? It will take all of you working together to be complete. He needs to know you support him.”

  Nix had to think about this, looking around at the walls of the old den and at all the weapons he housed here. She hoped that he was considering which he would take with him, though he might have been remembering the past. How clear was his memory?

  “He must have known your face would lure us in,” Nix said finally, “but I’m not so sure that I can play his game, especially without knowing what it is.”

  She made no response, even though she thought he expected one. She was, however, beginning to feel disappointed. Would he continue to refuse?

  Eventually, he relented with a short grunt as if he was disappointed with himself for giving in. He peered down at her with a stare that was not so cold as it had been. Somewhere inside, he had melted for her.

  “I’ll go with you,” he agreed. “We’ll look for the others together. But I will go for you, and for them. I make no promises whether I will meet Rifter or not.”

  He would go for her sake? That, over all things, was not something that she had expected him to say.

  “You don’t need to be alone out there,” he said to cover his tracks – no doubt seeing the way she was stunned. “I’ll come along for a while, at least until we’ve found someone else who can look after you, and then the decision will be my own.”

  She was surprised that such a response had come from his mouth. Was this the same boy who had once preferred that she be dead rather than be a burden to the group? He had once looked her directly in the eyes and told her that he would not go out of his way to protect her, and now that was the basis of his reasoning?

  “I… Thank you,” she said sincerely, unable to wrap her mind around any other words. She was too dazed to smile, but a smirk came up on his own mouth as he saw how she gaped at him.

  “For now, you should get some rest,” he said. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

  Nix moved back toward the fire, and though Wren believed that she would not sleep, she felt more at ease for the first time since being left on her own. Perhaps it was only luck, but she hoped that it held. She still had a long way to go. Hopefully the rest of the Pack could also be found and convinced, and there would be time for Nix to change his mind about meeting Rifter, but as long as she had convinced him to go with her, she counted this as a success.

  Wren leaned back into the hammock, staring up toward the ceiling where the roots had crept in like tentacles. She had learned many things and there was certainly more that she wanted to know. Some questions, she was almost afraid to ask, but there was a distance to go yet. There would be time.

  3

  Cutting through the sky, Rifter put his sword away, dirtied with Valkyrie blood. He had managed to lure the flying nightmares away from Wren, and once he had gotten them in the air, he was able to kill them at his own leisure. They had not been so hard to deal with, and he had been left to his own devices once again, undisturbed as he soared over the land.

  He looked down at Nevermor, noting the land’s scars that had been left in the wake of so many earthquakes and fires. The island had shifted, rearranged itself and broken apart, but despite its state, he still desired it. He would soon have control over the chaos. He was certain of that, for now all the pieces were falling into place. Finally, after all this time, he had found Wren. With her here, he could set himself to work.

  He almost hated to leave her, but he knew that it had to be this way. She needed to be alone when she met with the boys. She would be able to sway them. They would trust her.

  She will be safe, he told himself. She will make this happen.

  He pushed Wren to the back of his mind now, knowing he had to in order to focus on his next task. He had quite a job ahead of him, and it needed his full concentration.

  After flying for miles, which was no great stretch for him, he finally saw what he was looking for.

  He had found it previously, years ago, and still it was untouched. He’d dared not disturb it until all was ready, but now it was time. Taking himself down, he landed beneath the thick fog, believing that he would be shielded here. It would not do for any nightmares to interfere with him now.

  This was the ruined ground where the last battle with the Scourge had taken place years ago – where the mountains had erupted and destroyed much of the landscape. The ground here was like black glass, covered by layers of hardened lava. Most would not dare to walk here, but he was not afraid.

  He stepped boldly, moving on to the place where he had seen it, finally stopping when he saw that it was still there. Rifter stretched out his hand –
but a sharp pain in his chest made him jerk back. He winced, but held on until the ache began to fade, grinding his teeth.

  Be steady, he coached himself. Just make it through this. It won’t be much longer.

  He reached for a bag tied at his belt, opening it to spill a bit of glittering ash into his hand. He drew his sword and rubbed the fairy remains down both sides of the blade, giving it a golden sheen. That done to his satisfaction, he raised the sword and stabbed the air where the fog was thickest, and was not shocked when the blade met resistance there.

  He pulled back with all his strength, slicing through the weakness in the veil. He was cutting the fabric of the universe, rending the barrier between this world and the one nearest to it on the other side. He had business there. Despite a new flare of pain that arose as he worked, he did not stop until he’d managed to rip it open with a satisfying sigh from the air itself. Within, he saw precisely what he’d expected.

  The dark portal looped and swayed before him. He could not see beyond into the depths of where it led, and yet he knew where the rift would take him.

  It’s now or never, he told himself.

  Rifter took a deep breath and dove head-first into the realm of shadows.

  Chapter Eight

  1

  Wren spent the night in the underground home, just like in former days, but she did not sleep. Nix was restful, however; slumped in the chair by the fire that had eventually died down to embers.

  She’d watched him for a while, marveling at how much he’d changed in just a few years. He’d matured to a point that she hardly recognized him anymore, though she had to consider that her own memory of him had faded. She observed how he had grown, traced the tattoos on his arms and the scar on his face that had taken his eye. What had happened to it? She pondered this for a while, and once she had exhausted herself with silent possibilities, she’d turned away from him and rested there, staring at the ceiling, letting old ghosts keep her awake.

  This was home once. I’d wanted to stay here forever.

  She kept thinking that at any moment, Whisper was going to dash in, signaling Rifter’s return, and all of the boys would come out from their rooms within the tunnels, unchanged, to meet him. He would tell them that they were going to hunt, and they would follow him without complaint. He would smile at her and tell her that he would be back before night…

  Wren smiled sadly at those memories. The den did not even look as it once had. The tunnel where their rooms had been was blocked off now, either by Nix or some natural force that had swallowed them up in rock and earth. For all her time wishing that she was back here, this ruin was what she had come home to.

  Rifter said it can be fixed. I have to believe him.

  At that, Wren tried to let her mind go blank. Though she believed that she did not sleep, she knew she must have drifted in and out that night, for at one point, she opened her eyes to see that Nix was gone from the chair, and the next time she opened her eyes, he was standing over her.

  She was shocked by his sudden appearance. For a split-second, she was back in the asylum where men were scarce. Her heart had pulsed, believing that he was Rifter who had come to take her away, but then she remembered the day before and knew that she was wrong.

  It’s Nix, she remembered. Rifter left me alone.

  His hair was wet and she guessed that he’d just come from bathing, but he wasn’t quite prepared for travel. Though he was wearing his armored vest and dark pants, he seemed almost naked without the coat and weapons from yesterday.

  “You still want to do this?” Nix asked, peering down at her.

  She could tell that he wasn’t anxious to set out, even now, but her answer was still the same. She fixated on his one blue eye, and she could do nothing except nod.

  He lingered there, examining her a moment, perhaps seeking her resolve. Finally, he backed away, but Wren thought she’d caught a hint of disappointment on his face.

  “Get yourself ready then,” he said.

  Wren began to lean up on the hammock, suddenly aware of a cool, soothing sensation on her forearm. She looked down and saw what Nix had done – the reason he had been standing over her.

  The gash on her arm where the shadow had slashed her: he had bandaged it.

  2

  It did not take Nix long to decide what he would take along with him. He worked hastily, and Wren watched as he put many items – coated with fairy ash – into a satchel made out of hide. She tried to note everything that he put into it, but he moved so swiftly that this was a difficult task.

  She saw a pair of knives go into it, several bags of ammunition, a whetstone, a hatchet, a pouch that she supposed contained tobacco for his pipe, some bandages, wraps of what appeared to be dried meat, but everything else was lost to her. When he was done, he pulled the satchel across his chest, fixed a quiver onto his back, holstered some gun with a sawed-off barrel on one hip and attached a sword to the other. Finally, he made sure there was a dagger strapped to his leg.

  So many weapons… Observing this, she wasn't sure how she could have expected otherwise. Nix had always been fond of armaments.

  Wren had watched in silence, and while she was anxious to be moving on, she couldn’t help admiring the decisive way he assembled himself. It was a fine quality for a man, she thought, though was careful not to voice her opinion. She guessed her comments would mean nothing to him.

  Wren felt a bit useless, watching him. The only thing she did to prepare was tie her hair back.

  After he’d finished with his own things, he’d surprised her by giving her a smaller satchel to carry and a sheath for the dagger Rifter had given her. Despite her aversion to the weapon, she belted it promptly around her waist and thanked him absently.

  “I also want you to have this, just in case.” He offered a small drawstring bag, and she did not have to guess what was inside. It was a portion of the shimmering ashes he had gathered up before, and while she still felt uncomfortable at the thought of using them, she could not deny that they might aid her in a time of danger.

  She held out her arm and allowed him to tie the bag around her wrist. At that, they were ready to depart.

  Once he had gone out first to assure safety, he summoned her to join him. The first thing she noticed upon reentering the forest was that there was no fire. The treetops had been ablaze the day before, and now there was nothing but ash and a calm wind to greet them.

  “The fire went out,” she said, marveling, looking into the treetops.

  “The forest burns every day,” he informed her. “We’re out early, but it’ll get started soon. It burns through most of the night and gradually fades out. Happens the same way every time. This part of the island is confused. It’s stuck in a time loop or something.”

  The world must be remembering that night the Scourge bombed the forest, she thought. That had been one of the most terrible nights of her life.

  “Nevermor is without order now,” Nix went on. “The land wreaks havoc on itself.”

  “Because of the demon, or because of the Scourge?” Wren asked, walking faster to keep up with his stride.

  “Because of the Rifter,” Nix said darkly. This wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. “It’s because of all the promises he broke, the vows that snapped – with us, with Whisper. Everything that once anchored him to this world is gone, and now it’s merely an ungoverned plane. Rifter can’t fix it.”

  “He can fix it,” Wren interjected. “He said he knows how.”

  “Yeah?” Nix asked, clearly not buying into it. “Well, we’ll see.”

  Holding her tongue, Wren followed him across the terrain. Despite her greatest effort, it was a bit harder for her than for him. She stumbled over the rocky ground while he almost seemed to float over it. This did little for her pride, but she came to accept the way she stumbled onward. She might have blamed it on her shoes, but they were only part of her problem.

  They passed on beneath the charred trees, and Wren wondered where
they might go from here. She tried to remember the land as it had been years ago, but she did not need to be reminded that it was different now. Back then, she had been told that the world could change and shift over time. Perhaps the areas she had once remembered had moved, and some may no longer exist.

  “Where are we headed?" she asked finally, climbing down from a rocky ledge as Nix supervised, already past that obstacle. “How far to the Tribal camp? Though, first I suppose we should cover enough ground that we can search for the others.”

  He waited patiently for her to finish, and it was only as she awaited his reply that she realized she had asked several questions at once.

  “I don’t know anything about the others,” he said, and she believed there was a bit of regret on the edge of his voice. “I left them at the den, and later when I swallowed my pride and came back, there was no one left. They had all gone. Serves me right, I suppose.”

  The more she talked to him, the more she believed that Nix’s former anger had been replaced by bitterness and guilt. She couldn’t blame him, she guessed. It was likely that they all had regrets. They had watched the world they loved fall apart, after all.

  What had happened to Nix out in the world? What had given him the sense of guilt that had made him return home – to seek forgiveness?

  And what has given him a sense of compassion toward me?

  “What is it?” he asked, noticing her silence. “You’re judging me, aren’t you?”

  “It’s just that you’re different now,” she confessed, examining his face as if she could find the answer in his one clear eye.

  “People change, Wren,” Nix said simply. “They grow up.”

  Though she was certain that just a few years ago, none of them would have said anything of that sort, she thought she could accept it. Maybe Nix was different enough that they could bury the hatchet and come to an understanding. She considered asking him why he had been so hostile toward her in the past, but she guessed it was worth ignoring. She would deal with his behavior as it came, and she would try to be civil.