As they sat in solitude, in a cave behind a waterfall, Zalia told Ember what she had been through. Everything that had happened from the moment she had been captured to the moment she had floated down from the sky with a starlight puppy.
Things got a little fuzzy for her around the constant torture. She had thoroughly lost track of time, having been there for much, much longer than she thought. Perhaps it was how often she passed out, for who knew how long each time. Maybe it was the fact she had been locked in a cell without windows, out of reach of the sun and stars. It could have been the torture itself, the pain enough to make her mind simply shut down until it stopped.
The reality was probably a mixture of all three, a horror she didn’t quite manage to convey to Ember.
Learning about the demon being there led them down a path of discussion that resulted in Ember having many of the same thoughts Zalia had. Juniper being a piece on the board of the Astar, who were also responsible for the massive ritual. The king possibly being under their control somehow. Even the idea that Hidey was being controlled by them. Sure, Juniper had been in control of some of his actions, but by the conversation Zalia had with him and this new information, it was highly likely the Astar were as well.
It was all theory, as they had no solid proof other than the fact the demons were working with the Astar. At least, a demon was working with two Astar. They didn’t know if there were any more of them involved in it.
They had to assume it was all of them. If it wasn’t, then it would be a lot easier to deal with. If it was all of them, they would suffer from not being prepared for it.
Ro-ak came to find them before long, barely managing to fit through the entrance of the cave and into the small space.
“So this is my altar, you wouldn’t believe what I just had to deal with. They all kept trying to give me shi-”
He didn’t finish the word “shiny” as he observed the hoard of reflective metallic objects filling the cave.
“Zalia what have you done?”
It was her turn to look sheepish.
“Well, I might have accidentally started a new religion dedicated to you where they believe giving you shiny things is an important part of it?”
“Why would you…?”
“Look! Remember when you were just a little crow following me around, collecting little shiny bits and pieces and giving them to me? Well, when I left I put them on your altar here. The farmers found it and started doing the same.”
Ro stared at her.
“I’m a spirit of forests and mystery, not forests and shiny things.”
“Shiny things can be mysterious. Well, they can distract from mysteries. By being shiny.” Ember put in.
Zalia and Ro turned to her, staring.
“We should go see Indis.”
“Agreed.”
They left the Grove, Ro taking flight soon after leaving the cave to avoid dealing with the farmers again. He seemed pretty distressed at the idea of having to talk to them. Maybe that was why gods didn’t appear before or talk to their followers very much. They were just all introverted. Zalia told Aylie through mental communication where they were going, and received on the vaguest confirmation of her words. It was a stark contrast to Aylie’s previous behaviour of sticking to her like glue. Having her eyes open to a whole world that no one else could see was having an effect on the girl already.
She knew there were a few other “gods” that the people of Endaria… no necessarily followed or worshipped but talked about. Zen had mentioned one a few times, though Zalia had forgotten the name. Either way, none of those ones had ever shown up here to help or participate. Only a select few of the nature spirits or old gods as they called themselves were doing anything at all.
Ro rejoined them on the ground as they approached the war camp, the mass of people arrayed outside the walls beginning to become an obstruction to their passage. Zalia had been able to restrict the Silver rank effect of her aura enough that it didn’t affect the war camp from her Grove, and pulled it even tighter to herself now.
She leaned over and whispered to Ro as they started pushing through the crowd.
“Hey Ro, are you able to take other forms?”
“For what reason?”
Zalia looked around to the people beginning to whisper and watch with wide eyes.
“You’re the spirit of mysteries right? Well right now you’re being kinda really in the open and obvious.”
“Hmm, perhaps I can alter this form. It is not something I’ve done in a very long time.”
He went silent for a moment as they walked, concentrating.
Just as the gates to the war camp came into view past the crowded people, his form altered and shifted, reducing to a shorter figure covered by a hooded cloak, only the gleam of light off his beady black eyes visible.
“Will this do?”
His voice was still the same, but the figure was a little less attention drawing.
“It’ll do. Just be quiet until we get an audience with Indis or the general.”
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Zalia herself, dressed in what looked like simple farmers' clothes didn’t draw much attention. She just wished she still had the floppy wide-brim hat Ember had bought for her. Maybe she could buy another one.
When they arrived at the gates, the nervous man whose task it was to inspect people greeted them. Usually he only came out when people arrived but it seemed like they permanently had one gate open these days, with the man inspecting everyone who entered.
When he looked at Ro, the guy's eyes seemed to bug out of his head for a moment. Then panic flickered across his face, replaced soon by the most neutral face she had ever seen him maintain, all semblance of nervousness gone. What the hell?
“You alright?”
“Mmm? Er, yes. Everything is fine, all good. You may enter of course.”
The Silver rank guard flanking the man looked at him, then at Zalia equally confused.
She shrugged at him, then walked past into the camp.
They trudged through the masses of people, the massive increase in numbers not only due to more refugees but also an increased presence of soldiers. This must be because of the army group that had joined up with them from the far south of Endaria, further west.
It took a while to get past the people, but eventually they found themselves approaching the command building, when Ro spoke up.
“Are you starting a religion to yourself as well Zalia?”
She turned to him in confusion, then followed his gaze to where her statue still stood, now fixed so that Boreal was the right size.
“Oh, hell no. That is Indis’ fault.”
“Who is this Indis you keep mentioning?”
“Ah, well. That is a really long story. A friend? Kind of? Sort of maybe leader of the country right now? But not really. Ex-noble, now semi-one of a few leaders of the rebellion. Again, long story. We’re going to go meet her and General Faian right now.”
“I see.”
He stared at the statue for a few moments longer, before they moved on.
Without Boreal at her side, Zalia was able to blend in with the people a little bit. She, her partner Ember and their small edgy friend hidden in a cloak.
If she had thought the command building was busy last time she’d been there, it was nothing compared to the storm in front of the place now. It took them twenty minutes of pushing, shoving and strongarming before they managed to get into the building and past the clerks.
There, she finally had a bit of personal space as she left the busy entrance room behind. It was only a short distance to Faian’s office, a noticeable increase in guards on duty standing by doors and hallways.
Some of the guards must have recognised her and Ember because they were let through without much trouble.
She knocked twice on Faian’s door and opened it after a yelled, “Come in!”
Poking her head through, she saw the general by herself at her desk, writing on some piece of paperwork.
“Zalia! You’re alive, good. And who is that behind you, Ember and…?”
“I am Nateysta, spirit of the forests. It is good to make your acquaintance Indis,” Ro introduced himself, his grating yet melodic voice filling the room.
Zalia smacked her hand into her forehead.
“Nateysta, this is General Faian, one of the commanders of this army.”
She moved aside to let Ember and Ro come into the room.
Faian was looking at Zalia with a raised eyebrow and she just shrugged. She looked back to Ro as he spoke again.
“Apologies, General Faian. I come from your sister world, Cormaine, to aid in your fight here. The old god Starlight has sacrificed themself to bring me here to take part in your war.”
Faian’s one raised eyebrow turned to two as her gaze flicked back to Zalia once more.
“Straight to the point then. Ro is an ascendant being, a god basically. He can help us take the capital.”
That peaked Faian’s interest.
“Take the capital? Are you sure? Scouts we have sent there say that the aura surrounding the city only grows stronger and stronger the closer you get.”
Ember poked Zalia.
“This one should be able to get us pretty damn close without having to worry about that corruption now. What Ro is here for is to fight the thing emitting that corrupting aura.”
Faian stood up, excited.
“You can fight it? Really? Well that is excellent news. You said he was ascendant, if that is true I don’t doubt the power of your abilities,” she grew somewhat sober, “but I must ask, what do you want in return for this?”
“In return? Nothing, as of yet. Partly, I do this to repay the life debt I owe to Zalia. However, I would ask that when the time comes, you help me free my world of these demons too.”
Faian tapped her finger on the table repetitively, deep in thought.
“I would love to help you but I must ask. Realistically, how helpful will we be in freeing your world? We can barely protect our own from this invasion on our own.”
A guttural croaking that Zalia realised was a laugh came from under the hooded cloak.
“Oh young General, do not worry. The lives of ascendants are long indeed. You might not be powerful now, but in ten, twenty, a hundred years from now, how many strong people will you have? A kingdom that is focussed on building an army to destroy these demons would be one I would consider a most valuable ally and I have a feeling that is where this kingdom will be going after this.”
Faian’s finger tapped a little faster.
“We are going to need you to win this, I feel. We have a good number of strong amongst our ranks but that corrupting aura and its source has been a big roadblock in launching an assault on the capital.”
Then, Faian turned to Zalia.
“I’m trusting you on this one. If you say this Nateysta is the answer to our problem, then I’ll take it. Is he the solution?”
Zalia didn’t hesitate.
“I trust him with all of our lives, then more. Yes, he is the answer.”
Faian nodded, her finger stopping its incessant tapping.
“Right, agreed then. We will begin preparations to mobilise immediately. The overpopulation of this camp is getting worse and worse and we need to strike the capital to take back a bigger city soon or things are only going to get worse. Tell me Nateysta, do the demons know you are in this world? What are the limits of your powers?”
Zalia and Ember took the back seat as Ro was basically interrogated for information on what he could do and what his powers were. In the end, Faian decided that it would be best for Zalia to hold back the corruption as long as she could manage and only when they had to reveal Ro’s presence would he unleash his power. If they made it look like they were making a desperate final attack on the capital, then having Ro as a surprise against their enemies might turn a tactical advantage. This was all pending agreement from the other generals, of course.
Partway through, Zalia realised she and Ember were no longer needed in the conversation. She interrupted to ask to be excused to talk to the Hidden, telling Ro to communicate with her mentally if needed. Faian agreed, calling in her advisor Ryn to assist them with getting in to the prison cell holding him.
They had theories about the Astar and she hoped that a conversation with Hidey could prove a few of them.