The Source
Page 21
seemed to stretch back trying to touch him. He moved back slightly, still being pulled by her.
He watched the red hairs slowly dancing in the air. “What happened to…” he looked around. “…to everything?”
“Didn’t the Source tell you?”
“Not in so many words…” He could barely remember what the Source had said. In fact, it seemed more like a quickly fading dream. Had Mayla been there?
“Well…you and I are now bound.” She glanced back, something in those glittering eyes he couldn’t read. She turned. “All this land has been renewed. The well cap broken. Magic released!” A spark of the brightest blue spiraled around her arm, around her hand, tightened down on his own, binding them.
Before he could tug away, the blue traveled up his arm and vanished over his shoulder. He shivered as a cold finger made a slow, winding path down his back.
“You and I, we will do this for all lands.” She began walking again, pulling him along.
“But–” He started
I was dead. I’m supposed to be dead.
“Come come. We have a long way to go. So many lands to free. It was wrong what they did. Cleansing magic? Cleansing! Ha! More like locking it away and letting the lands die for lack of it.” She shook her head. “Fools.” She tugged him along, trying to make him move faster.
“East.” He mumbled. Trying to take it all in.
“Yes. But we will need to stop at the first shop we can find.” His stomach grumbled. She laughed. “Exactly. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. I think you are too.” He was.
“East.” He repeated. So it was still east? No rest? No death? How?
She looked into his eyes, stopping his thoughts. “No worries now, Aiden. Just a quest. An adventure. A just cause and true purpose. New daggers,” he felt for them and sure enough. “New shields.” He saw the shimmering blue ribbons around his hands and arms. “We’re all set.” She nodded. “You want to do good before you leave this world…yes?” He nodded slowly. “Then come come. We have a long journey ahead.”
She muttered in her own language. “What was that?” He asked.
“Nothing.” She smiled. It should have been unsettling. He looked around as darkness gave way to light and the land looked new. Fresh. Vibrant in ways he had never seen.
He let her continue dragging him. “How long will this journey take?”
Her laugh was small. She shrugged. “However long it takes. The world is a big place.”
He nodded. It was a big place. He glanced upward.
Don’t worry, my friends. I’ll be joining you as soon as I’m able.
When his head lowered, he found Gen’s glittering eyes on him. A small, strange smile there. Or was that a smirk? “What?” He snapped.
She laughed, squeezing his hand. With a glance up, she turned and pulled him along. He walked on behind her, letting her lead the way. She didn’t know where the towns were, but he did. So he’d let her lead till she was lost…
Then I’ll help.
It was small and petty but in the end, it was the best he could do.
For now…