Intermission #7: Etana
Norimor’s scream of pain shattered the air, pulling Etana from her bewildered state. In an instant, her senses sharpened, capturing the chaotic scene unfolding before her as a weapon tore through Norimor’s body. Gripping Norimor tightly, Etana reacted instinctively, lashing out at the woman with purple eyes who materialized before her. A surge of sharp but unfocused air propelled the woman backward, momentarily halting the assault.
Without hesitation, Etana sidestepped, her mind racing as she sought refuge in the only sanctuary she could think of.
You are in Trina’s Refuge. In this place, no harm can come to you.
Trina’s Refuge enveloped her, shielding her from harm's reach. Yet, amidst the safety of the haven, chaos reigned. A cacophony of voices and frantic movements swirled around her, blurring together in a dizzying whirlwind. The wounded littered the ground, their agonized cries piercing through the tumult.
Carefully, Etana lowered Norimor to the ground, offering what solace she could in the protective embrace of The Refuge. But Norimor’s anguish persisted, her body contorting in pain. “Help!” Etana's voice merged with the cacophony, overshadowed by the multitude of other pleas. Her desperation melded with the cries of the many refugees she had already escorted to safety.
Bending close to ensure Norimor could hear, she shouted, "Stay still!" Frantically, she sought a Professed, her eyes landing on a woman named Prany, whose name lay open and exposed to her aspect. Immediately she recognized her as the one who had helped Vina when she first arrived, hurt and injured, at Termily. She almost called out to her, but Etana hesitated when the woman’s life events rushed into her understanding. She withdrew carefully instead and moved to a different Professed. Her surprise at Prany's history was so significant, she momentarily forgot her assumed identity until she reached out to the man. He turned and stared at her in astonishment. "Lady Trina?" he exclaimed, taken aback.
"Solyn, your attention is needed elsewhere," Etana asserted, slipping back into the persona of Trina. Extending her arm, she meticulously directed a stream of air toward the spot where Norimor should have been. The crowd, caught off guard, parted in awe, their gazes trailing back to her. But the figure now lying on the ground bore little resemblance to Norimor. Subtle transformations had altered her features, hair, and physique—yet, to The Aspect of Names, such changes were meaningless. It was obvious to Etana that Norimor had activated a skill to evade detection.
"Her anonymity and well-being shall be preserved. Prany will not administer aid to her. Do I have your word?" Etana insisted, her tone brooking no argument.
With a solemn nod, Solyn pledged his commitment and hastened to the side of the altered Norimor.
Etana remained resolute, her night far from over. She advanced purposefully and reappeared at the secluded log cabin near Solitude, the refuge where they had left Norimor's companion to recover from her travel sickness. On arrival, Etana discovered the young woman huddled by a hearth, engrossed in the hypnotic ballet of the flames. Etana's presence coaxed her back to reality, prompting a cautious glance.
"Where's Norimor?" she inquired, her tone laced with wariness.
“She was gravely wounded by one of the Twelve. I had to transport her to Termily to be healed.” Etana replied, her voice steady despite the concern in her heart.
Amets shifted her focus to her hands, her eyes, mirroring the fire's glow, "I've seen enough memories to know who was responsible. Tacey finally found her. But why Termily? The Twelve will simply track her down there."
With a comforting, knowing smile, Etana responded, "The situation is likely not as dangerous as you think. Termily is currently a haven for injured refugees right now. Norimor will be just another face among many. You could join her, adopt a third name, and lose yourself among them."
Contemplating, the young woman grazed her scar on her head, murmuring, “A third name...” she whispered, her voice tapering off. “I detested the name The Exemplar gave me. I never could weave dreams, only nightmares. Like Norimor, I'm merely another failure. I hope to never hear the name Amets again.”
Etana sank down beside her by the hearth, the warmth of the fire a stark contrast to the icy dread constricting her heart. The news of Annalina's death still echoed in her mind, a haunting pain that refused to be silenced. It was a devastating blow, but her innate desire to help her people contended for her attention. The internal conflict left her spinning.
"None of this was your fault," Etana gently asserted, breaking the silence. "You were burdened with an unspeakable weight, one that no one, especially not someone as young as you, should bear. I understand why you did what you did to Valanire. It was a desperate bid for freedom from your tormentors, yet you found yourself wrestling with something you couldn’t control."
Her words triggered a cascade of tears in the younger woman. She nodded, grief wracking her slender frame. "I...I killed so many. Unintentionally… but... And then The Watch pursued me, relentlessly. They kept sending people to kill me. I couldn't leave the city because I couldn’t control my aspect. I was afraid I'd cause more deaths. And without the aspect, I'd die too!"
The words hung heavy in the air, and Etana echoed the same way she felt. “Even when you escaped, you were still trapped,” Etana whispered softly.
Amets's sobs were heart-wrenching. "I... I still hold their memories... Trina... Of... Of their final moments... The fear... The pain I caused... I remember all of them!"
Etana pulled the young girl close, feeling her tears seep into her clothing. Her heart echoed the despair she saw in the girl's face, a mirror of her own internal turmoil. Yet as the waves of grief threatened to overwhelm her, Etana realized that now was not the time for her own sorrow. She needed to care for her people and this young woman desperately needed her now.
Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she shifted her focus to the trembling figure in her arms. She offered no empty reassurances or promises. Instead, she offered quiet solidarity, an anchor of shared understanding amidst her tempest of grief. Despite the magnitude of her own sorrow, Etana hoped the young girl could take solace in knowing she wasn’t alone in her pain.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
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After entrusting Alora, the young woman she had renamed, to the care of Norimor, Etana found herself drawn to the comforting solitude of her modest dwelling in Termily's shadowed lanes. The weight of her actions and decisions pressed heavily upon her as she traveled to her doorstep, a monument of normalcy in her turbulent life.
Awareness of the danger that clung to every corner of Termily for her and her family gnawed at Etana's resolve. She was acutely conscious of the omnipresent eyes of the Watch, their methods and reach shrouded in obscurity, yet their efficacy undoubted. The city was abuzz with whispers of Trina's visit, a tumult that seemed to quicken the pulse of the streets. Etana's senses were sharpened by necessity, noting the undercurrents of tension and the sidelong glances of those who walked by, their names etched with stories stirred by the unexpected appearance of Haco in the city's fortressed heart.
Yet, driven by an aching need for solace, Etana dared the risk. She sought a fleeting respite, a chance to commune with the fragments of herself she had neglected amidst the chaos. With caution, she listened at her door, finding the silence within reassuring. Moving beyond the realm of physical spaces, she transitioned to her bedroom, a sanctum of memories and familiar comforts.
The essence of her home enveloped her as she settled in the room. The air, laden with the mingled scents of her past, wrapped around her, tugging at the threads of remembrance. With unsteady steps, she approached her bed, and collapsed onto it. Immediately, she was engulfed by the flood of emotions she had held back.
Visions of Annalina danced before her—her radiant laughter, the brilliance of her curiosity, and the boundless joy she exuded. Etana was haunted by the echoes of Annalina's devotion to healing and her vibrant tales of triumph and empathy. The stark absence of her luminous presence carved a void in Etana's world, a grievous wound that bled afresh with each remembered smile.
For the remainder of the unbearable evening, she lay there, her mind spinning with memories and her heart hurting with sorrow. But amidst the whirlwind of grief, another sensation began to surface as the morning sun began to rise. It started as a slight twist in her gut, a feeling of discomfort that went beyond the hollow sorrow that filled her. It began to grow, coiling and burning like a lit fuse waiting to ignite. The injustice of it all, the cruelty of a world that could simply erase someone as wonderful as Ann... It was unthinkable.
"No," she muttered, the word forming around the lump in her throat. "This isn't right." The fire inside her surged, her heart beating a furious rhythm in her chest. The Twelve had done this. They had taken Ann away from her.
As if compelled, Etana rose, her determination outpacing her doubt. With a decisive step, she crossed the threshold of possibility, the world shifting around her. She found herself amidst an ocean of grass, its waves undulating gently in the dawn breeze. She stood defiant, her silhouette stark against the Tower of Solitude, as the nascent sun cast an elongated shadow. “Tacey!” she screamed at the top of her lungs
She looked around and listened, but heard only the sounds of the animals awakening for their morning plans. Etana screamed again and again for Tacey, but there was no response. Refusing to succumb to despair, Etana tapped into her new tracking abilities, a skill pale in comparison to Norimor's mastery but her only tool in this moment of need. She had gained this ability while on the trail of Vina, yet now, as she scoured the landscape, hope dwindled like the fading stars. She found nothing even as something else found her.
“I see you’ve lost more than you could ever imagine,” a voice squeaked from the base of the tower.
Etana's gaze was rooted to the diminutive animal before her, its inconsequential appearance belying the profound gravity of the voice that emanated from it. The dawn chorus of the wildlife, a moment ago so vibrant and distracting, now seemed to recede into the background, rendering this peculiar exchange starkly intimate.
The Marf, an animal she had only known as a staple in the food chain, now stood confidently before her. Its six eyes pierced through the shadows with an unnerving intensity. The drooping of its four ears, a characteristic she had found endearing in better times, now seemed a deliberate shield, hiding its eyes partially as though to soften its gaze.
"In our initial meeting, I surmised you and your sisters lacked the curiosity to delve deeper. I now perceive a deep desire for understanding within you," the creature articulated, its voice betraying the influence of The Darkness. "The expanse of knowledge I can impart is boundless."
Etana swallowed hard, but her grief would not let her turn down this opportunity. “I want to know what happened to Ann.”
"You seek not truth but validation, to dispel your doubt," it countered. Etana's affirmation was silent, her voice ensnared by the weight of her emotions. With confronting The Darkness, she knew she tread into forbidden realms, neglecting the warnings of her youth.
“The severity of your sister's condition defied all but the most extraordinary interventions. And yet, she was taken to the wilderness by The Titan when Vina surrendered The Aspect of Life to Trina,” conveyed The Darkness through its diminutive envoy.
Etana felt a torrent of emotions she could scarcely articulate. She nearly traveled away, yet the Marf's ensuing words anchored her.
"But your quest transcends the search for your sibling. You bear another purpose."
"Tacey?" The word barely escaped her lips, a whisper of hope amidst her turmoil.
"Yes, what was your purpose in searching for her?" The creature's inquiry pierced the silence, its voice tinged with an unsettling curiosity. When Etana didn’t immediately answer, it answered for her. “You seek her death. Would you like to learn how to find her?”
Etana's gaze lingered on the Marf, a being devoid of a personal name but not of an identity, marked only by an numerical identifier. She pondered its past, a tapestry of mundane existence punctuated by fleeting moments of terror. Recently, a transformation had occurred; it had willingly sought The Darkness, acquiring a newfound sense of purpose overshadowing mere survival. Yet, its ambitions were thwarted tonight; Vina had already vanished.
Her brows knitted in suspicion, Etana pressed, "What do you want with Vina?"
The creature hesitated, its response emerging after a palpable delay. "You wander aimlessly, ensnared within invisible walls, your rage flaring against perceived threats. Yet, your sanctuary captures no loved ones; they dwell beyond your ability to protect. How frustrating must your existence be?"
A flash of insight struck Etana. Her constraints, the bounded range of her Aspect of Travel and her struggle with the portal rings, symbolized her cage. Her inability to guard her siblings epitomized her deepest pain, contrasted against an instinctual urge to protect and care for everyone else, likely fueled by the Aspect of Names.
“My influence is expanding all the time.” Etana countered, as an epiphany struck her. For the first time ever, she realized why Trina walked the world . She was constantly expanding her ability to travel.
The Marf's reply was tinged with derision. "So thoroughly you embrace your captivity that you've neglected to question their architect. Was it The Watch? Your mother? Or perhaps Norimor?" It advanced, its ears parting to unveil its unobscured gaze. "Or did Vina ensnare you, burdening you with Trina’s legacy?"
Compulsively, Etana's hand grazed her necklace, a token now mired in doubt. 'A gift,' she reassured herself, yet skepticism crept in. The turbulence following her union with Trina's necklace seemed less like fortune and more like a curse. While she resisted blaming Vina, uncertainty lingered—how had the Aspect of Light, the necklace, truly come into her and Ann's lives?
But her resolve hardened a second later when she recognized The Darkness’ attempt to divide her from her family. “I can see through you.”
The Marf paused, contemplating its response meticulously. "Ignorance obscures your vision; you can scarcely skim my existence. You are not yet Trina."
“Not yet,” Etana echoed. She stared at the small animal once more, absorbing more of its life history. Then she traveled away once more.