Aruters

by D Leon D.

  - There it is –Sonyei told the old man, pointing out to one of the pits that were on the ground of that deep basement– let it drop, they will do the rest.

  And that’s what Windark did, he approached the pit, it was sealed with some sort of protecting field, he knew that nothing that fell inside it could get out, with his foot he pushed Falan’s corpse to the edge until he let it drop, this took some seconds in reaching the bottom, that’s what he thought and then he heard noises that came out of the place where the body should have fallen, terrible noises, they sounded like suction, growling, agitation, without a doubt something was alive in there, anything that was in there was feeding from Falan’s body, of which there was probably not much left, was this possible?, he confirmed it in seconds because the noises ceased leaving everything in silence once more, now that Windark knew something was alive inside the pit, he couldn’t just only hear the silence, he could also feel the breathing of the creatures, creatures? He faced Sonyei who was apparently calmed, who did a brief gesture with his face indicating him that maybe he could take a look, Windark bent over a little forward to have a better vision, at the bottom something started glowing, a dull glow that gave light to…

  - Aruters, Sonyei! Have you lost your mind?

  - I need them, or soon I will. I don’t ask you to understand –he walked until he reached the edge of the pit, he kneeled and placed his hand on the force field that locked the beasts, the dull glow that Windark had seen climbed up through the pit and it merged with the force field in the same place where Sonyei had placed his hand, he stood up and stared at Windark– Like I said, I can’t lose this soul, –referring to the light, and he finished warning him– Not a single word, old man.

  CHAPTER 9

  Ramsil decided to come back from his walk without leaving the mine, although he had discovered that it had several exits, he didn’t want to get lost in it, he saw Ycze asleep, he went to her side and allowed himself to sleep too. The fifth moon was coming closer to its new phase, Cornelium told them that when he returned and woke them up, Ramsil decided not to comment about his recent discovery, surely Cornelium knew about it and considering they would be able to escape, escape?, at some point he stopped hiding and being safe to escape, at some point during the last phases he had allied with a strange girl and an old man he didn’t know either, he felt sad about being where he was, up until that moment the only decision he had made was to escape, somehow what kept him alive was his cowardice.

  On the other hand, there was Ycze, always in a rush since she ran away from the temple, running and also hiding, the difference was that she had a purpose, and she was standing next to it: Ramsil, in some vision he saw him, not as a carrier, the visions had a weird effect that made them feel –or at least her– as if she were under water, when the vision ended she was soaked in revelations or images that she could have seen, but little after it the drops were drying away, this meant that the vision was fading and it was very little what she was going to manage to remember, but she remembered him, she wanted to trust that.

  - Do you have something important to say? –Cornelium asked– Being honest, we don’t have many options.

  - We should go to Aruland –Ramsil proposed before the surprised look of his companions– What? If they already attacked Aruland they’re not going back to it.

  - Whatever, I have something to recover before that, I know how to get there, so I’ll catch up with you later –Ycze answered.

  - Splitting up is not the best thing we can do, we’ll go with you and then we’ll go to Aruland together, besides with the moons in new phase everything will be darker–Ramsil answered looking at her with resolve, he knew she was a tough girl to contradict, something in that moment made him feel less of a coward.

  - Well, let’s go then, it’s the best time we have, the attack is surely over and if Sonyei didn’t find what he was looking for, he will soon send an army to find it somewhere else, this mine for example –Cornelium said guiding them toward the exile of crystals through the entrance they had used before.

  They walked behind Cornelium until the exit, after that it was Ycze who lead the walk, always in silence, the Exile of crystals without the moonlight was strangely relaxing, you could heard the whistle of the wind through that labyrinth of structures, in calmness they kept on walking, Ramsil admired everything in a different way, what before seemed to him gloomy, now it took shape, almost like a forest made of crystal, although almost nothing swayed with the wind, he felt the almost alive rhythm of that place, «It’s wonderful» –he thought–, but he didn’t say anything aloud, he didn’t want that moment to be interrupted somehow, no screams, no races, no fear.

  They walked until the fifth moon was in new phase, enough time for the first moon to start showing a ray of light that changed everything with its weak glow, it was a cozy night, he no longer wanted to remain in silence, he knew that at any moment the nostalgia would whip him with strength, therefore he was thankful for the moment in which Ycze turned back and announced aloud:

  - Here is where I left them–She got on her knees and with her hands started moving the soft soil, Ramsil deduced that the soil there would be infertile, at least in that space because of its aspect, it was gray and very thin– Here they are, now we can go –She pulled a big book out of the ground, a little thick, with some loose pages.

  - Let me have a look, maybe there’s something there that can help us –Cornelium took the scriptures and examined them while they walked in the direction of Aruland.

  - What do you expect to find, Ramsil? –Ycze asked.

  - I don’t know –He answered after a moment passed– Everything changes so quickly, the world doesn’t notice it and it keeps its course, it doesn’t matter if you’re sad– Ycze put her hand on his shoulder.

  - I wish I could heal those wounds too.

  Ramsil answered the gesture by touching her hand, perhaps she could do it, maybe by touching him she had healed those wounds, and she comforted him. A moment passed, more than a moment, almost half a phase of one moon had passed when they arrived: dust, ashes, smoke and death, those were the remains of the place that saw him birth, Aruland as he remembered it, would never be the same. It couldn’t be said that there was chaos, chaos implied screams and noise, instead, there was no one left, no one to run to in order to help them, they walked and Ramsil hadn’t noticed, but Cornelium and also Ycze had left him almost alone, they gave him his distance to cry, did he want to do it? Maybe not, he had so much to live for now, promises, and now somehow a huge responsibility, not only to Ybrian, but with everyone who trusted him, he was a carrier and that supposed a great responsibility, it wasn’t a time to be weak, not anymore.

  - Ramsil, come here! –It was Ycze’s voice above of the silence of the ruins.

  - What’s going on? –He said when he reached her running, with his breathing accelerated.

  - Cornelium found him, he’s from the army –Ycze said pointing out a body on the ground while Cornelium was removing the rest of the debris to see him better.

  - But who could have attacked him? –The old man asked– No one in Aruland would have dared to do it, it happened by surprised, no one expected it, and the commotion must have petrified all those who didn’t escape.

  - It’s true, the ones who knew where the elders, but they left Aruland long before, no one knows anything from them, and they wouldn’t have attacked –Ramsil answered without being able to stop looking at the body.

  - How many are we talking about, Ramsil? Do you think we can contact them? –Cornelium asked at the same time he stood up with some nervousness.

  - They’re eight, ten, I don’t know. I never met them, Ybrian did, she told me they trained her, I guess they developed with her the abilities of her Feider so that she could control it or use it, she didn’t use to give me details, I think she wasn’t supposed to.

  - If they’re not helpful, then it doesn’t matter, not for now, will you help me turn the body? –Ycze asked standing cl
ose to the body of the guard from the army.

  - What do you expect to find? –Ramsil said starting to turn the guard.

  - This –Ycze said and she looked a bit puzzled, taking out a dagger from the chest of the guard– This dagger is from the army that came with him, from the temple.

  - That means that…

  - That means that someone inside the temple doesn’t want Sonyei’s orders to be accomplished –Ycze answered without letting Ramsil finish.

  - We must find him then, he can help us –Cornelium intervened.

  - Any other suicidal idea? –Ramsil asked.

  - Of course, get used to it Ramsil, I have a good idea, but you must take care of the scriptures and please, don’t tell me what you are going to do with them –Ycze said taking the dagger.

  - I don’t understand, why don’t you want to know what we are going to do with them?

  - You’re a little slow, Ramsil, did you know that? –Ycze answered taking the scriptures and handing them to Cornelium– I will find the owner of this dagger.

  - Ycze, what you mean is that you are going to leave the scriptures with us to go to Sonyei’s temple again, is that it? –Cornelium answered taking the scriptures with force, as if he were afraid they could get lost.

  - Yes –She answered without a trace of doubt– I’m going back to the temple

  CHAPTER 10

  Both Cornelium as Ramsil decided to accompany Ycze to the other side of the exile of crystals, from there until the temple they’d have no way of protecting her, she showed herself calm on the outside, but on the inside it was more likely that she cradled layers of emotions that reached her core, fear perhaps, she didn’t know well. Ramsil thought about offering himself to go with her, but he didn’t, he knew that Ycze by herself would have more opportunities.

  For his part Cornelium didn’t stop checking the scriptures with so much attention, every once in a while he took a look at some of the phrases, he was concentrated on the path and his muted lips repeated words that seemed random, as though they had a hidden meaning that he wanted to understand by repeating them in silence, he didn’t pay much attention to the emotions, Ramsil and Ycze watching him from the back while the three of them walked, then they would look at each other, they didn’t need words, they both knew they didn’t want to separate.

  - What you gave me before, when I got hurt, what was that? –Ramsil asked so the silence between them both wouldn’t consume them.

  - It was nothing actually, what you swallowed was a plant, I was the one who healed you, but I didn’t know if I could trust you, that’s why I wanted you to think it had been something else.

  - So… you knew I was a carrier?

  - No, but I did know you needed help, and so did I. We both helped each other –She answered and then they both remained silent the rest of the way.

  Silence flowed in a way that time seemed eternal, time, seemed that without wanting to, it became more tangible for them. They went through the path until they reached a point where the crystals would soon no longer hide them, the exile began and ended in both sides in a similar way, with few crystals, although the difference to what Ramsil had seen before was that almost all of them offered a bluish aspect on that side, there were some trees with thick roots, and the exile that felt endless ended with a strong contrast, it induced in Ramsil the thought that it actually didn’t have an end, as though everything they knew were the crystals surrounded by more crystals. They had entered through Aruland, it was one of the sides of the Exile of crystals, and now what they had ahead was some kind of desert, they could see it quite well because they had reached it at the top of a hill. The desert had a sensible aspect, as though it were conscious that it wasn’t like that all the time and it was holding on with little success to the past, to the color and the glow of the moons in an attempt not to seem scary, some small creatures were able to be seen, rushing under the five full moons, it’s true, time seemed eternal, it had been half a day since they came out of the mine, at that moment with new moons, and now they had to split.

  - Will you be Ok, Ycze? –Ramsil asked her holding her gaze.

  - Of course, I’ll be back with you before you get yourself into trouble again –She answered smiling, winking an eye to her partner.

  - Are you sure you want to leave us with this information? Sonyei is going to want to get it back –Cornelium intervened.

  - I’ll manage –She looked down, she didn’t want to say goodbye like that, so she minimized the effect by pretending to be in a hurry– I must go now if I want to go through the desert –She turned around and before walking toward the temple, she spun and threw the dagger, Ramsil caught it– Take care of it for me –After those words she left walking with a steady pace towards the temple.

  They stayed there standing at the same place for a moment, Ramsil looked at her, he thought she would turn to look at any moment to know if they were still there, but she didn’t. The distance grew each time wider between them, you could see the temple in the distance, it had to be huge, he thought that if for some reason he wanted to go to Ycze at the temple the moons would change of phase several times before he could find her, it had some towers, one of them was without a doubt the tallest of all of them and they had the aspect of being connected by some kind of energy. Perhaps it was better to take really good care of the dagger, he was sure Ycze would return because she was clever and she knew how to defend herself. Cornelium turned around and started going into the exile of crystals, Ramsil hadn’t noticed and he was left at the same spot, supporting himself on a crystal watching the temple.

  - What do we do now? –He asked Cornelium when he reached him after a few moments.

  - I think go back to where we started; let’s go back to the mine, Ramsil.

  - Is it safe to go back? The army could get there.

  - Or it might have already left, anyway it’s the best option, we need to study these scriptures, you must help me with this –Cornelium didn’t believe he needed help, but he assumed that giving Ramsil a purpose, would help him to cave in, they had to move.

  - All right –He answered after looking at Cornelium and then the scriptures.

  They walked back to the mine, Cornelium gave Ramsil a few of the loose pages to keep his mind busy, Ramsil walked a little slow while he was trying to understand a little of what he was seeing, some words he didn’t even understand, some pages had drawings, others had notes handwritten on the edges, most of them didn’t tell him anything, initials maybe, they could be anything, names, places, they didn’t matter, he would take a mental note to go over them later and comment it to Cornelium who on their way back seemed to repeat his new habit of moving his lips in silence.

  - Here we are at last –He said pointing out the entrance of the mine.

  - Well, on our march or… whatever –Ramsil answered.

  - Not so fast, why don’t you go look for something to light for the night?

  - Yes, whatever. I won’t go too far –He gave the loose pages to Cornelium.

  - Be careful, Ramsil, I’ll let this drop to the floor if I get into trouble in there –He told him showing him the Agatha Crystal, which he still had– If you see it, take it and run as far as you can.

  - And where would I go? –he spoke with a trembling voice because of the nervousness.

  - It’s just an option, Ramsil; go calmly, nothing will happen.

  Without answering him, he turned his back on him and started walking in silence, he had to focus and stop being afraid about everything, Ycze had gone to the temple from which she had escaped, he just had to find them something to give them light, the day was fading little by little and the little light left by the visible moons –two at that moment, one already waning and the other full– it would soon disappear, some torches or maybe a bonfire would be very useful to continue reading and not waste their time, besides, he didn’t want to stay doing nothing, he knew that if the silence shouted out to his ear again, he wouldn’t just only remember his siste
r, this time it would make him tremble nervously for Ycze too, therefore it was best to focus on being useful. Without realizing he was gripping the dagger, ready to attack, he was still afraid, but ready to not show it.

  The fourth moon was only a waning ray of light; the fifth was beginning to wane when Ramsil went back to the mine with enough Ligna –a mineral similar to wood that was abundant in the exile of crystals– to light up a good bonfire, he had used them before with Ycze in the poor torches, he knew they’d work pretty well. He got into the mine quietly, as much as it was possible, because the wind was so strong that night and whistled through the walls, it was a good idea to return to the mine, if a storm was coming–which seemed the most likely thing to happen– only there they could take shelter, Aruland would no longer bring them that safety, not in a storm. He walked fixating on the floor of the mine; he was expecting not to see the Agatha Crystal, his walk ended when he heard Cornelium.

  - Good job! –He came closer to help him with the load– This will be more than enough, follow me, we’re going a little lower.

  A couple of crossings and they arrived to another zone of the mine, the path had been a little steep, they had descended a few meters, what he had around him was shown almost cozy, it was like a little ancient room, a little full of dust, but even though they’d have more space, there were some tools that might be useful to them, a narrow hole in the roof that looked outside, some kind of table with a smooth enough surface where the scriptures were already placed, something resembling a well, in fact it was, but not too deep and it was just below the narrow hole in the roof. Cornelium dropped the load of Ligna on a corner.