by Gabi Moore
They were running along his shoulders while his arms were spread outward from his body. Both dogs scampered around him and barked playfully at their master. He looked so loved, and yet he was alone.
I walked over closer, and gave Amethyst a scratch between the ears. She pounced after a stick on the ground and brought it to me expectantly.
"Did you hear me?" I asked, as I threw the stick into the ocean.
He started to speak, but was interrupted by a sharp bark from Rosemary.
The cry surprised both of us, and we watched as the dog positioned itself between the truck and a figure that was standing on the edge of the dunes.
Chapter 14
"Rosemary.... Hush!"
Amethyst came back drenched in seawater, only to drop the stick at my side, and lower her gaze in the direction of the figure on the hill. Amethyst's stance grew closer to the ground, and a low growl came out from her throat.
"I think we've found out where we need to go."
Even as I spoke, the figure fled from the hill, opting to disappear backward into the depths of the sand dunes.
"You think following them is a good idea?"
His voice was laced with reservation. He didn't want to have another episode like the restaurant any more than I did. Still, I shook my head.
"I don't think it's going to be like that. If they wanted to attack, they would have done so already. Our guard was down. We need to follow."
Whether or not the decision to follow was an aspect of the will of fate, or not was not a concern for me. I had my own questions to answer, and I had a suspicion that the if we moved in the direction that this stranger lead us toward, I might find more than just the answers to my questions. I would find the transfer point. The portal used by the Wilder Fae to track us down.
I had been too blind before to piece things together. The battle had been too shocking.
“Put your stuff away, Erol, and stay with the dogs. I need to have a word with this stranger.”
“What if they come back while you’re gone?”
“Like I said, if they wanted you dead, you would already be gone. I’ll be back shortly.“
I sprinted off in the direction of the figure. They already had a fair enough start on me, but I had a feeling that we would talk soon. You don’t make yourself known unless you wish to be known — especially if you are the Wilder Fae.
My feet sank into the sand, and I could feel the grains of sand on the dunes slip in-between my toes. My muscles burned as I ascended the hill, but the exertion felt good. I smiled, thinking about how cramped my legs had gotten after driving all night. An early morning run was exactly what I needed to wake my body up again.
When I arrived at the top of the dune, I noticed that the figure I was chasing had left footprints along the crest of the next dune, which lead toward a hill. I accommodated for the change in trajectory, and made it my goal to balance along the crest of the dune with each footfall.
Scanning the peaks of the dunes, in mid sprint, I saw my target ahead of me by forty yards or so. All of the time I had spent in training came back to me, and my body assumed the position of peak physical performance.
The landscape around me came into hyper focus, and I became incredibly sensitive to the most subtle changes in the shape of the dune.
I wanted my feet to land at precisely the right angle, allowing me to minimize drag in the sand, and make up the distance left to cover.
The dunes went on for a half-mile or so, before transferring into more stable ground. The trade off was that instead of negotiating the surface of the dunes, the chase would lead up the trail toward a set of beachside cliffs.
My breath ran heavily, and my vision started to go soft. At that moment, I had only one goal:
I had to capture that person and make them answer for the intrigue surrounding the attack at the restaurant.
A leap from the final crest of the sand dune left me skidding down the side of the final hill. At the base of the dune, the ground assumed a different texture as I climbed upward on the hill toward the sea cliffs. The sand had been replaced by a more firm foundation. In addition to the foundational changes of the soil, sparse, wind-blown trees began to crop up on either side of the trail.
Through the switchbacks, I sprinted up the hill, until the trees around had grown tense enough to provide a semblance of protection. That coverage was all that the Wild Fae needed to deceive me in my pursuit. While I ran headfirst up the hill, I was tackled from behind by the very figure I had chased.
The impact threw me off balance, and I fell face first into the ground. My body burned from the abrasions on my skin. I also lost what breath was inside of my body while my assailant brought their entire weight down on my chest cavity.
Stars exploded in my vision, and for a moment, I lost all context. My body was little more than a vector for confusion and pain in that moment.
Without wasting any time, my attacker wrapped a cord around my throat, and pinned my shoulders to the ground with their knees. I struggled, and bucked my hips, but the more I thrashed around, the tighter the cord grew on my skin. I flailed around for a moment longer, refusing to give into the submission.
Then everything went black.
* * *
I woke up with cords wrapped tightly around my body. My neck ached, and my jaw was spread wide by rope. When I spoke, the words only came out as muffled yelps, but that was enough to let my captor know that I was conscious.
The figure I had chased was alone, by all appearances. More of them could have been waiting in the trees beyond. My wits were not the sharpest they had ever been. I was both fatigued, and in physical pain, but I was alive, and that counted for something.
"You don't recover nearly as quickly as you used to..."
My vision blurred, and I looked at the figure standing in front of me.
They were dressed in the garb of the Wilder Fae Assassins.
Dark green clothes.
Masks covering their faces, but their bodies displayed alluringly for all to envy. This one was a woman, and she looked not only beautiful, but also highly capable. I realized then, that even if I had not been in a state of fatigue, I would have had difficulty matching myself against her prowess.
While we all had trained hard during the years of conflict in the Revolution, the Wilder Fae had always trained. They exercised and ate like warriors even in times of peace, so that if, and when -- for it was always a when -- conflict arose, they would be prepared to do what was necessary to protect their way of life.
The Wilder Fae were some of the fiercest allies during the time of the Revolution, but they were also some of the most philosophically stoic. Their separatist attitudes protected them from getting caught up in the nationalistic self-righteousness that infected both the Revolutionary Troops, and Xan's Army.
The only reason they had become involved in the war was to protect their won autonomy. Anything beyond that, was never acknowledged. As a result, a great many of the Revolutionary Army soldiers never quite found it inside of themselves to trust the Wilder Fae with any aspect of battle at all. Even when the sacrifice of the Wilder Fae saved countless lives, and enabled the support and tactical knowledge necessary for us to survive the final battle against Xan.
I stopped moaning, and allowed myself to find a sense of composure. I knew that whatever this one wanted to talk about, it must have been important. I also noted that I was not dead... which meant that there was a great deal for me to learn from what they might have to share.
"Aria, you don't recover quite as quickly as you used to."
I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out who it was that spoke to me. The mask extinguished all defining characteristics of the face, and the eyes were not familiar enough to me to do any good.
"Don't try figuring out who I am. If I wanted to tell you that, you would already know. Just as if I wanted to kill you, you would already be done.
I'm aware of your mission into the Material Plane, and
I'm also aware of the good intentions you have for moving forward. You are a strong and noble warrior; you always have been. In fact, this is the only reason you are alive right now.
I've come here to tell you that the reasons behind your current mission are not what they seem to be. Mistakes that you make will cause traumas to ripple outward across all dimensions. Our seers have warned us of your ignorance, which is why the plot had been formed against you and the human in your care."
At the mention of Erol, my eyes lit up again, and pain flashed across my face.
"No need to worry. The human has been drugged, and sleeps now by the sea, in the company of his animals. At this point, the only person you should be concerned about is yourself."
At this, she produced a knife which I knew to be wickedly sharp. She grabbed the knife by the hilt and began to press it slowly into my mouth. As the blade touched each cord, they were severed, without so much as a fraction of hesitation. The cords did not stand a chance against the edge of that blade. One by one, the thin cords snapped, each time relieving pressure on my jaw. I began to sweat, as the blade inched close and closer into my mouth. My muscles twitched with involuntary fear at the prospect of the sadistic intent of this rogue fae.
When the last cord was slit, I felt the blade just brush the side of my lip as the woman pulled the knife out from my mouth. The taste of blood seeped into my mouth, and I licked my lips subconsciously in an effort to heal this tiny wound.
"You killed a good friend of mine, and I would be happy to feed your blood to the hillside."
The statement was not a threat, but a cold and soberly delivered fact.
"Then why don't you?"
The woman hung her head for a moment, and then raised it up toward me once more. When she saw me again, she had a smile on her lips. The smile was one of a person who has inside information that they will never share. I myself have smiled that way at people in the past. The smile is one that says, ‘I know why, but you'd never believe me’.
"Let's just say you and I are little more than character being moved along by the hand of fate, and right now, it is not my responsibility to kill you, though at some point, it most definitely might be."
"Why not do it now, and save yourself the trouble?"
"For the same reason you wouldn't... which is perhaps another reason why I'm going to let you go."
"Doesn't make sense," I began. "If you were going to let me go in the first place, why go to the troub--"
*SLAP*
"Next time, I'll use the flat of my blade..."
Too cocky. I was getting too cocky.
"You are bright, and that has served you well, but you are dealing in matters that are far outside of your comprehension. I have brought you here to deliver you a warning."
The way she glared at me, I felt the heat of her stare burn through any defenses that I might have possessed.
"Do not forget where you have come from, as you move forward on your path. If you do, I swear to every one of the Gods that my blade will taste your blood once more -- and this time, I will let it drink its fill."
My lip stung as a subtle reminder as the woman backed away from the tree.
"If you and I have reached an understanding, I will take you and your friend to the portal you seek."
Chapter 15
I was cut free from my bondage. What's more is I was gifted the very dagger that loosed my bonds.
"For you to remember all of the potential behind the power you possess."
"Or to stab you in the back..."
She didn't respond, she only walked through the underbrush, back toward the trail we had both ascended. She walked in front of me without fear. Of course the inclination to strike out at her would be there. She had totally and completely caught me. There was no other way of seeing the situation. The grace had to do with how she treated me after I was captured.
Ultimately, I realized she had actually given me a gift, in her own way.
The descent back down to the dunes was slow and contemplative. She was in no obvious hurry. What's more is that the sun was already low in the sky by the time we slid down the dunes that lead back toward the beach. In the lapse of consciousness, we had lost an entire day.
In the distance, both dogs started hollering at us, announcing our presence.
As though the dogs themselves had awakened Erol from whatever spell he was under, I watched as he sat up in the back of the truck. Amethyst ran up to see me, and stopped short of our approach. Her ears lay flat on her head, and she growled, but there was an air of uncertainty in her tone.
"Give it up Amethyst... we can't always win."
I got a small yelp in response, and our new 'guide' received nothing more than a sharp snorting blow from Amethyst's nose. Figuring she was as satisfied as she was going to get, she bounded back to Rosemary and Erol, communicating her concerns the entire time.
"Amethyst... that's enough girl."
When the two of us approached, both Rosemary and Erol were wary about our approach.
"How long was I asleep?"
"You slept the entire day," the woman responded. 'I had to have a word with your friend here in private. Your dogs kept you company."
"You poisoned me?"
"Best to let that one go, Erol."
He looked somewhat confused, and uncomfortable, then relented and sat down on the bed of his truck.
"Good. Now that we're all together, I have a few announcements. Erol. The information that got you here was sufficient, but you are going to need something else if you want to move forward. That information is what I am prepared to offer the two of you. You are both free to take the information or leave it. At this point, I am one hundred percent detached from whatever future you two choose to bring about."
"That's a lie."
"I didn't say I would remain detached."
"Exactly one hour ago, the two of you were dosed with the most potent psilocybin that grow in this region. Your psyches, as well as your physiologies are different, so I would not expect that the remainder of the night would be similar by any stretch of the phrase for either of you. However..." She took a long breath, and let her chest and shoulders fall into a relaxed and composed position."… they are certain to be highly formative. May the gods show you the way forward. I will lead the two of you toward your final destination. You will come together to perform the magic necessary to open the portal, and the hand of fate will guide you further from that place. May the gods care for us all."
"You aren't going to tell us your name?"
"I need no name, as to you, I am no more than Psychopomp."
"You mean to say we are going to the realm of the dead?"
"And beyond, is my hope."
The sun was already inches away from kissing the horizon. Stretching out over the vanishing point, brilliant hues of red, pink, and violet spread throughout the air. When the sun hit clouds, the light reflected and modified its appearance even more; creating one of the most beautiful sunsets I had seen in my entire life.
"Come, quickly. Leave everything behind. We will need to hurry if we want to get to the peak before the sun sets. If one is going to initiate the catalyst for Ragnorok, one might as well do it with auspicious timing."
"You think this is the end of the world?"
"It's the Death archetype, Erol. We are moving toward a closure of one mode of experience, and pushing into the next."
The words had been straight from my memory of Thane. Whatever synchronicities were guiding this moment, were far too ironic for my own liking.
"Very rarely does the Death card actually mean someone's physical demise, though that is something that has surrounded your movements thus far."
Her ominous warning echoed in the back of our minds as we followed her up the same trail I had ascended earlier. I realized that in my haste, I had missed out on the beauty of the area. The grasslands that jutted out from between dunes contained a mixture of soil that was conducive toward the growing of bright
blue fungi.
"These are the clue," Erol said, mostly to himself.
The dogs padded along after us, and the rats were left to sit in the truck, alongside whatever gear Erol may have had the presence of mind to bring. We were on our own now, and on our way, even if we now kept stranger company than before.
Right when we started walking past the final area of the trail that I remembered before the assault, my vision began to shift. The world around me grew more vivid, and I felt an incredible burst of energy growing inside of my body. The fatigue that I had felt previously was gone, and I was left in a state of nervous arousal.
The fluctuation in my energetic state seemed to be tied directly to fluctuations in my field of vision as well. As I grew more and more aware, the world around me seemed to arc, and glow with the colors of the sunset. Leaves, that had moments before, been the colors of the changing of the season, now caught a light which brought them to life beyond my wildest imagination.
The hillside was on fire, yet none of it would burn up.
We were walking within a perpetually renewing world. In spite of the fact that we marched on toward the embrace of some form of death, the earth itself was reminding me, in its own morbid way, to be at peace.
I tried to understand what Erol was going through at that time, but could not.
He had withdrawn into himself, and stuck close to the two dogs which walked close by his side. I could tell by his expression that he was bewildered by his experience, but no more information was made clear to me. I realized in that moment just how little I had endeavored to connect with Erol, during my time here on the Material Plane.
A sense of guilt and frustration came over me, as I realized that to me, Erol had been nothing more than a tool to achieve my own ends. The questioning of my own assumptions meant that I could no longer be sure about whatever purpose I had set out for in this world. I could no longer be content to think of myself as a savior of the Fae race, or some agent sent on behalf of a failing government.
I had my own agency to worry about, and I would be held accountable for my own decisions in life, not the decisions I made in the name of some cause or paradigm.