Maksim splayed wide open in a mass of wild red, torn apart limb from limb with bands of connective tissues stretched out. His body was a torn open wound with layers of tendons and musculature.

A great gust of pain hollowed out a huge emptiness beneath River’s stomach. She was losing power over her muscles, feeling numb. What she didn’t realize until this moment was that she was undeniably one half of a whole. Another truth running roughshod at her, clouding her vision with a striking wave of emotion that could engrave itself on each part of her soul. Never to be mistaken again.

It had taken effort to distract her from that insane reality, that a part of her had well and truly been gone to another place, another someone. From whatever insanity the multiple universes could pull at her, it had ultimately brought her Maksim, the snow prince, she barely even knew.

And yet her soul danced with his. It sang a wild and boundless tune that had frightened her because the song they made sounded a lot like hope. And she never had one of those before. Not for a very long time.

It was hope that fortified forgotten promises. It was hope that made being abandoned so unbearably long.

That very hope had her opening her heart to Rover, back then when they were young.

Only to be crushed.

He hadn’t believed her truth.

No one believed how a sweet grandmother and strong, competent grandfather can ever let their ward, their own grand-daughter— be forsaken under the mountains inside the dangerous tunnels that had killed off hundreds of miners in one fell swoop. No one believed how a child like her could ever survive there. Or even believe how she traverse the jungle on her own for days.

But she did.

And she could never explain why.

Magic, was it? It’s more like a curse.

How did it come to this?

Why did she think she can play a fool for so long when so many lives are at stake? For a world so full of magic and wild, vibrant colors unlike anything she has seen before, maybe she could have been more astute, prudent instead of being reckless like a child set free. Going about and taking risks because this world was new and fresh, the consequences unthinkable since she was going to leave anyways. Was she really going to save this world? Wasn’t one of the oracle brothers themselves told her that a behagthi takes about a near decade to save their world? How in the world did she think it’d be that easy?

For a few simple songs? What good did it do other than cause more pain?

Doubts plagued her like a swarm of darkened insects, finding purchase in each pores of her skin, digging deep.

Ylia from the settlement’s apothecary came storming in, the three oracle brothers on her back. The four of them sporting arching wings that trailed behind their shoulders with large leather bags on each arm. “What’s the meaning of this? You cannot treat her this way. River and I made a deal. Let her go!”

The load they were carrying dropped to the floor as the oracle brothers were grappled by feral werewolves, holding them captive.

“Ylia, didn’t you hear?” El’rra gave a smug grin “River is Brumcia’s progeny. A behagthi for a divine progeny. How absurd. What abomination!” She laughed. Her mirth belying their current crisis.

“So?” Ylia seethed, arching her wings to its full span. “Her deal with me holds greater weight than divinity. It cannot be reversed. Or have any of you forgotten to honor my business?”

The dark tribe guys from the apothecary had the decency to look sheepish, one by one stepping backwards to disappear into the crowd.

“You dare dishonor me this way?” Ylia roared. “Release my River!”

The crowd receded and yet began to huddle together in solidarity. With renewed strength, a random voice from inside that huddle rose up. “Honored Ylia, she killed our dark majesty, the bearer of our curses. She doomed us all!”

A cutting remark. “Did you see it happen?” Animal ferocity formed her features. Large fangs and blown-up pupils like an avenging angel under soft afternoon glow.

Tribespeople stared among themselves, searching “She is a child of divinity!” A teenager shouted from within the safety of their huddle “Their magic is unseen, invisible. Most unholy! Xiankere’s spirit lives within her, it’s true. We all heard it. Natura Brumcia herself spoke of it.”

Ylia took a stand against a sea of frustrated, newly homeless tribespeople “We honor no divinity around here! Certainly not their words! We cannot abide by their dictions!”

El’rra unfurled her wings in a menacing way that created a huge cast of shadows on the ground. Her blue nightwings were gigantic, leagues bigger than her bodyweight. “River is outsider! She needs to pay for the damage she cost. For the lives we lost.”

Na’reem had his knees sunken into the dirt, held by two werewolves “No one died, El’rra.” he gritted. “Stop getting dramatic. Each and every one from this village is accounted for. We have lost no one.”

“Our homes!” someone roared in anger. It sent such an echoing wave of rage that it prickled each hair on her body to stand on edge.

Sul’ahvi replied through barely held in rage, the werewolves’ hold on him didn’t budge as he flexed his arms “We rebuild again. Need I remind you it’s our temporary settlement. We would have gone above ground in a month’s time. What happened today is premature, sure. At our shorelines of these wildlands lie every bit of resources and rations prepared for our migration. There is no reason to be anxious.”

Within the mob, a man shouted “You’re gonna put us to work?! We haven’t even had our fill of the festival. We had barely started. Months of planning down the fucking drain and buried!”

Me’ren shot forward with every bead of his strength but three werewolves held him back in his place. “Do you forget your lessons? We are tribespeople! Creatures of change and evolution. Our ancestors built and rebuilt civilization, built and rebuilt progress until they get it right. Until now, we are still getting it right. We change, just as those before us. It is our legacy. We uphold our ancestor’s virtues. You cannot turn your back on that.”

El’rra squared her shoulders, addressing the settlement tribespeople “We can. From now on, the united tribes will stand as one, forever and always. Never to be separated again. The homes we build from this day on will house our children, our family for generation and generations to come.” She honed a spiteful glare at River “No behagthis will ever disrupt this. No divinity will ever destroy what we built, what we worked and hustled for every second of our fucking days. No more divine interference!”

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They cheered wildly for her, excitement buzzing across the open meadows, sunlight glowing brighter down on them. El’rra continued, “You heard what Brumcia said. She can’t care less about us— our own world! We mean nothing to her.”

“Yeah, I heard her say that.” Tribespeople began locking eyes, to their left and to their right. Confirming what they saw and heard, murmuring amongst themselves about the callous nature of their real god. As they spoke, their determination grew. Righteous fury and indignant rage.

Taking a deep sigh, River closed her eyes.

There it was.

A collective signature of scents and auras belonging to a mass of tribespeople. It tasted sour like watered-down lemon. She took a mental step backwards and took in the scent of a wildland scent of the forest, searching for a meditative calm.

River, a ringing in the corner of her mind. Stop worrying so much about death.

Maksim? she sent a wider mental message all around, pulling Me’ren’s attention to her with a squint of his eyes.

I meant to say goodbye. Thank you for caring to bring me back. Thousand of years I have already spent on the living, River. The curse of eternity no longer holds me to it. I can be free. You have my gratitude.

She gave a wet chuckle at the absurdity of death and passing. The insanity of curses and wealth of dimensions opening whenever she sang. Here I thought we had a bond of some kind. Is this really over?

I haven’t the faintest idea. What about the eternal soul we used to share within you, do you feel it?

Yes. It merges into me, I can feel it. It’s making my hunger grow. And I’m thirstier and emptier than I ever felt. And yet I feel..

Alive? he finished.

Isn’t that weird? It’s like I’m cold and hot. All at the same time. Ice through my veins and my skin feels like my body flaring to life. Do you know what’s happening?

It’s Brumcia’s influence. I fear her lofty ambitions about you may involve shifting through thousands of dimensions. Possibly, in order to hold those dimensions hostage. It’s known that she cannot be omnipotent throughout a whole multi-universe. But gaining control over them through the extension of you might be just what she needs to manage her own galaxy.

God, I hope that isn’t true. I’m sick of being used as a tool. I’m a human being. And I will be treated no less.

The sound of him grew distant, I wonder which orchard will be my new home. I have a fondness for apples.

She remembered what he told her in his own orchard. Go on, live your best fantasies. It’s a paradise of your own, isn’t it?

Correct. But I will be leaving you and my tribe—

Don’t worry about us over here. We’ll be fine. As for your tribe, I’ll make sure they’re okay. Whatever it takes.

Don’t make such promises, River. No one is as at peace with death as snow tribespeople. My people live with it hand in hand. I’m only sorry I couldn’t have given them a better future.

Please, Maksim. We both share an eternal soul, don’t we? It’s like a bond and I can’t even feel the seams where you and I start and end. We’re together. Even if we’re a few universes apart, I can still feel it. Feel us. So believe me when I say that I know you. If any of us needs a vacation, it’s you. You’ve been through a hell of a lot. Go somewhere peaceful where sorrow and guilt won’t follow, teh? You deserve every happiness.

I only wished I could see back to my snow tribe, see how well they are doing now that the mountain poison is gone. When I left, we still had ways to go.

She sighed, looking at the sky and trying not to see the dead lifeless body across her. Maksim was alive. And he was going to a much better place, to a well-deserved vacation in an apple orchard after being a snow prince for thousands of years.

And yet, she felt sorrow over losing him. The sound of her casual language influencing his speech made her curious. Made her wonder how far her influence went. Made her desire to hear more of him. See more of him. And the thought of never having a chance to do any of that had silent tears streaking down her cheeks. Your snow tribe is united with other tribes. They have all that they can get. If I get to stop worrying about death then you need to stop worrying, too. Go and be at peace.

There was no reply. Only the feeling of pressure lifting off her chest, along with his scent. Now that she had Me’ren’s worldly knowledge, she can finally put to words what his scent is like: fresh winterberries, the kind that grows along the mossy banks of ponds and blooms at a complete tilt during a snowstorm.

She snapped her eyes open and bit her lip. Me’ren still watched her, a heated gaze that might have bore down to her soul. Did you hear all of that?

Hear what?

Nothing! She pulled back and stared forward at El’rra.

Her majestic wingspan raised higher and higher as slow as ever possible that it was practically showboating to the rest of the tribespeople who didn’t have anything as huge as her beast side does. “Who stands before you but the slayer of eternal beasts? Healer of heroes? And Elder of light? I rip and pull lost souls from the darkness of death and sickness to us— to reality, to the living!”

“That’s right!” the crowd cheered.

“I guide them back to their families— to their loved ones!” she rallied, watching each tribespeople gripping their hands into fists, hardening their jaws as they straightened their spine more. The way they squared their shoulders and adjusted themselves fittingly to a perfect line made River thought of an army ready to be put to death for a noble cause.

“I am the great, noble healer! Slayer of divine monsters! The most powerful god tribe native of all time! When the beasts came and got our tribes united against them, who championed your champions as they lay wounded? I did! When all the heroes have fallen, who rallied each and every healer of the tribe to stand against blood-thirsty monsters? I did! It was my brilliant idea to gather round these beasts to this wildland, an island rife of dry spells and fire! This place is their prison and as I had predicted, their numbers lessened, dwindling down to almost nothing!”

Ylia shared a meaningful glance with Me’ren whose jaw was hardening like granite. They both understood what was happening. El’rra was taking credit for the oracle brothers’ grand plans. Stealing from them.

Na’reem bore down a glare to Ylia and shook his head. It wasn’t the time to confront El’rra when almost the entire village was dancing around her fingers.

Sul’ahvi’s head drooped down, he was heaving lungfuls of air in clear pain and agitation. All at the same time, the brothers tensed.

Me’ren’s chin snapped up, his shark black eyes shifting to River wanting to drag her attention as she numbly watched the gory mess on the ground across her, River! he called, panic lacing his tone.

She tilted her head, meeting his eyes. He recognized the shadow of regret haunting behind those brown dewy gaze. Hear me out, River. You have to come looking for us at the peak snow tribe. Save us. Please.

Wh-what?! she said, surprised. Awareness lighting her vision. I don’t know how.. I keep doing things wrong.

El’rra abruptly turned her head to the direction of the brothers, raised her arm towards them with a clawed hand and dug her fingers in the air, curling inwards. It effectively loosened the tension in their muscles, as all three brothers slumped forward. Unconscious.

Then, she turned her attention back at the crowd and gasped. “Now, ain’t this a pleasant surprise?” she chuckled at the direction where the snow princess stood whose full form and stature were the embodiment of health and stark icy power.