Missteps
Chapter 59 - Nightmares
All Carric knew, was that he was being chased. His heart beat loudly in his chest when he jumped over a log as he raced through the twilight woods. Whenever he could, the half-elf spared a glance around him, straining to see any other members of M.A. He slid to a stop on the rocky terrain and ducked into the hollow between a fallen tree and a large boulder. He clung to the shadows as he willed his breathing to even out. The blood pounded in his ears as he tried to listen for his pursuers. With no bow or sword, he wasn't thrilled about his chances to put up a fight.
The forest was silent for several minutes, with the only outside sounds being the rustle of the wind through the trees. He peeked out, and with no enemies in sight, he climbed out. These woods weren't familiar to him, and with the light fading fast out of sight he didn't have much hope of tracking down his friends.
As he stood there, planning his next move, an arrow whistled out of the darkness. The half-elf cursed and took off once again. He prayed to every god of nature that he was headed towards safety. After several minutes of fierce running he left the forest, only to find himself on the edge of a cliff. Below, he could hear the crash of ocean waves as they broke against the rocky surface.
A branch snapped behind him.
Carric turned around, his hands raised above his head, ready to face the one who'd chased him for the past two hours.
He came face-to-face with himself.
Carric's eyes widened in shock as he took in the almost perfect visage that stood in front of him. The duplicate's eyes were hidden in shadows as it aimed the familiar bow and arrow at Carric's heart. Just as the duplicates mouth opened to speak, the ground below Carric began to shake. Before he could even register what had happened, he tumbled back through the air and fell towards the water below.
His body hit the icy water, and he felt his mouth open in shock. Water flowed in and soon filled his lungs. His vision went black.
He woke up coughing. His body was cold, and he had trouble catching his breath. Carric tried to push himself to his feet, and his fist came away with a handful of sand. He was on a beach. He looked over his shoulder, and saw the cliff just within eyesight. He looked around the deserted beach, but his vision could barely cut through the darkness of the moonless night.
The cool night air breezed over him and he shuddered. The half-elf stumbled to his feet, and headed down the sandy beach. He didn't know how long he'd be safe, and if he didn't find a way to warm up he knew he wouldn't survive the night.
He'd only been walking a few minutes before he heard the music. It was a soft melody, played by a single instrument. At first it seemed to emanate all around him, but soon he found the direction and headed towards it. He crested the next dune, and found a lone individual sat before a fire on the sand. Carric tried to call out towards the figure, but the music drowned him out. The half-elf scowled in frustration. He slowly picked his way down the other side of the dune, as more of the melody played out.
When he was halfway down, he realized that he knew this song. He'd known this song his entire life. This was the song his brother had sung to him every night in the orphanage, as a way to drown out the crying of the kids who missed their parents or hated their lives. This was the song he'd sung to himself every night as he sat in his little cabin in the woods, alone, with a bottle of alcohol in one hand, and his knife in the other. His pace down the sand dune quickened.
The figure began to sing words of comfort and a promise of a better life, to match the melody. As the voice hit Carric's ears, he froze. He knew that voice, deep within his soul and the recesses of his memory. That sudden stop caused him to stumble and he fell down the rest of the dune.
His whole body ached as he crawled towards the figure, every inch of him covered in sand. The sand got into his eyes, his ears, and his nose. The breathing issues he had before were even worse now than when he'd first gotten out of the water. He didn't care. He had to see the figure's face, not just a fiery silhouette.
Through the music, a new voice cut through, clear as a bell. In fact, it was several voices. He paused to listen, and could identify every member of M.A. as they called his name. He tried to call out, but the sand flew into his mouth and stopped him. He realized that he had a choice. He could either continue crawling to the shadowy figure, or turn around and choose his friends. He hesitated for a few moments, before he continued his crawl towards the shadowy figure.
Within arm's reach, he reached out and tugged on the figure's clothes. He could barely breathe, and the edges of his vision were black, but he tugged with all the strength he could muster. The figure turned and looked down at him, and tears filled Carric's eyes as he gazed upon the woman. She set down her lute. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders as she cupped Carric's face and pulled his head onto her lap. She gently stroked his hair, as she sang the song. To him, the song was even more beautiful with just her voice. Unconsciously, Carric twisted his head into her ministrations. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he felt his body begin to shut down. No longer did he hear the shouts of his friends, all he heard was her. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace.
With a whispered voice, he looked up at the woman and spoke. "Heian was right, you did come back, Mother." As he faded away, a blue light cascaded over them and clouded her from view.
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Elaine grunted as she came to consciousness. Her whole body was sore as she opened her eyes. She sat slumped against a wall in a stone hallway. Every few feet, torches near the ceiling illuminated the passageway. She climbed to her feet, her armor clanking with her every move. She looked around for her weapons, but neither her mace nor her crossbow were within sight. Neither were any of her friends and teammates.
The cleric ran a hand through her hair in frustration. She reached up and ripped a torch out of its bracket before she headed down the passageway. She wasn't going to find anyone just standing around. Soon enough she came to a T-junction, and went right. A few steps later she was faced with another choice. It quickly became apparent to her, that she was in a maze. She didn't remember who put her in this maze, but she'd be having words with them as soon as she got out.
She laid a hand on the wall, and took her time going forward, trying to commit her decisions to memory. In theory, as long as she kept her hand on the wall, she'd find the exit. She traveled like that for about an hour, and she was still in the maze. The cleric sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. She needed a new plan. Out of the corner of her eye, there was a flash of light. Elaine brought her wrist up and gazed at the holy symbol that hung like a charm on her bracelet. The sun motif gave a soft glow. She swung her wrist around her, and noticed that the charm gave off a brighter light as it neared a certain direction.
"Thank you Vowil." With this direction, Elaine followed the light. At every intersection she followed the charm, with full confidence in her goddess to lead her to safety. It wasn't very long, before instead of an exit, she was led to a dead-end. However, sitting slumped against the wall, was Lia. The elf looked worse for wear as she had bruises all up and down her arms, and her clothing was torn. Elaine kneeled next to her, and gently shook the elf awake.
Lia's eyes fluttered open. "Elaine? What are you doing here?"
"Forget me, what about you?" The cleric reached out and tried to heal her friend's injuries, but the spell would not take.
The elf shook her head and pushed Elaine's hand away. "Magic doesn't work here. It feels like I've been here for weeks."
Elaine helped the elf get shakily to her feet. She looped a slender arm over her shoulders, and began the slow process back down the hall. A quick glance at her symbol showed the light shining brightly. A half hour later and the two of them came to another t-intersection.
The cleric paused and looked down both. Down the right hall, was the slumped and unconscious figure of Iados, and down the left hall was the unconscious and sprawled out figure of Kerri. Her first instinct was to go towards Kerri, but Lia tried to pull her towards Iados. As she wavered, an armored individual stepped into view and leaned over the akudaem.
Elaine set down Lia against the wall, and ran for Iados. "Leave him alone!" She cried out. When she approached, the figure stood up.
He held up his hands. "I mean no harm." In the torchlight, Elaine saw the symbol of Vowil affixed to his dented armor.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, as she positioned herself between the new man and Iados. With her foot she nudged the akudaem awake.
The man smiled. "I'm merely looking for a way out, same as you. My name is Albion, and like you I follow the Mistress of the Sun." He gestured towards the charm on her wrist. "Please, let us work together."
Elaine narrowed her eyes, but nodded. She directed her head towards the now-groggy akudaem behind her. "Pick him up and follow me." Albion nodded and gently gathered Iados over his shoulder. Elaine led the way back to Lia and picked her up. When the cleric turned her eyes towards the other side of the passage, her breath hitched. Kerri was gone.
"Where to now?" Albion asked.
Elaine looked down at her charm. It directed her to go back up the passage they'd just left, in the opposite direction of where she'd seen Kerri. She gave a heavy sigh, and followed the charm.
Over the course of the next few hours, they managed to locate the rest of M.A., minus Kerri. She'd seen Kerri several times, but each time an obstacle had come up and Elaine had had to choose between going after her best friend, or the safety of the team members she already had. Albion wasn't of any help besides just muscle to haul her weakened teammates around. The only other inhabitants of the maze were large rats that scurried around and occasionally nipped at their ankles, hungry for their next meal. Elaine gritted her teeth as she teetered under the weight of Ander on her back as Lia hung off her shoulder. Her own strength waned, and she still didn't know what had caused her friends injuries. They'd all described some sort of beast, but the only beasts she'd seen were the furry rodents.
Finally, the party reached a large stone door. Elaine and Albion deposited their charges on the floor, and between the two of them were able to shove the door open. Outside, the air was crisp, the sun shined, and there was a beautiful meadow full of flowers and butterflies.
One by one, Elaine led her friends to the door. They seemed to recover some of their strength as they approached, and each one walked through the doorway of their own accord. Finally, it was only Albion and Elaine left.
Albion walked through. He reached out and held out a hand towards Elaine. "Let's go, we can't be certain that we're safe just yet."
The cleric bit her lip. She looked behind her, back down the passageway. It'd been a while since she'd last seen Kerri. Elaine held up her bracelet in front of her face. It shone brightly towards Albion and freedom. As she stood there, she watched as a rat scurried past and out through the doorway. The rat got spooked by the feeling of the grass and tried to run back into the maze, but an invisible force stopped it.
"I can't leave Kerri." The cleric finally said. Albion didn't say anything. He merely moved so that she could see the rest of her new friends. All of them sat in the grass, not talking, barely moving. They were alive, yes, but they were in no condition to protect or even care for themselves. Elaine's eyes flicked over to Albion. Did she trust him to care for her friends, while she looked for Kerri? How long would it take to find her?
All these thoughts swirled in her mind as she struggled to find the answer.
"There are no perfect answers." Albion's deep voice said. "Trust in your own judgment, the same as Vowil does." Behind the armored man, the sun began to set on the idyllic scene.
Elaine took a harried breath as her eyes squeezed tight. She knew exactly what Vowil was telling her, but she didn't know if she had the strength to follow through. It'd only been a few months since she'd gotten her best friend back. How could her goddess put her in a position to just leave her behind? To abandon Kerri to whatever horrors lay in that maze?
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She turned around and faced the passage. A rat scurried out of the darkness and began to gnaw lightly on her boot. Before she could even blink, she'd reached down and picked up the squirming creature. She spoke a prayer and a plea to Vowil as she pulled her holy symbol off her wrist and around the rat's midsection.
"Find her." The dark-skinned woman whispered as she knelt on the ground and let the rat go free. It scurried off and out of sight back into the maze, with Elaine's hope that it would find Kerri soon. Keeping her eyes on where the rat had gone, Elaine backed up out the doorway. Now, she had to have faith not only in Vowil, but in Kerri to find her way out.
Albion laid a heavy, gloved hand on her shoulder as the door to the maze shut with a loud thud, and then shimmered out of sight. Behind where the door had been, the two of them could see a village just a couple of hours journey out, easily marked by a wide, earthen path. The sun finally set with a final flash of blue light.
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Kerri's nightmare, was much less involved. In hers, she laid out on a large chaise lounge. Next to her was a side table with a large decanter that had yet to run empty of alcohol, and a tray of meats and cheeses that replenished itself no matter how much she ate. She was clothed in a silken purple nightgown, with a sheer robe that fell delicately over her figure. She sat in a small circular, windowless, door-less chamber lit by a circlet of dancing torches above. The only other item in the room, was a large framed piece of glass that was easily twenty feet wide and half that tall.
Through this, she watched life go by. She watched as her friends encountered dangerous obstacles and explored ancient ruins. They collected mounds and mounds of treasure in gold coins and priceless artifacts. They bought property, houses, horses, and esteem. They got married, had children, founded organizations, and left legacies to be proud of. Through all of these adventures, Kerri was by their side.
Or at least the other Kerri was.
This Kerri always sang half a note lower than her.
This Kerri preferred blackberries over raspberries.
This Kerri tied their boots with a looser single knot, than the more reliable double knot.
This Kerri was inferior to her in every way, and no one seemed to notice.
With a yell the robed woman hurled the decanter at the mirror. As the decanter clattered to the floor (still in one piece and not letting go of a single drop), the crack that had been inflicted upon the surface effortlessly closed.
Kerri huffed and flung herself back into the chaise. She knew that wouldn't have worked, just like it hadn't the first handful of times she'd done it. At this point it didn't even make her feel better. Was she really so unremarkable that none of her friends or family could tell the difference? She'd had to suffer as the person living in her skin had found happiness with Maron. As she'd watched her parents pamper the children that were little carbon copies of her and the prince, with not even any hesitation that their daughter wasn't their daughter.
She stood and strode to the glass. With her finger she traced the wrinkled lines on the other Kerri's face. With her other hand, she ran fingers over the smooth skin of her own still youthful face. She'd watched years go by through this glass, but for her it was as if time stood still. Would she still be here after the other Kerri died? Would the images on the glass merely cease and fade to black as the other woman let go of their final breath? Is this really how her story would end? Stuck in a tower where no one would hear her final words? Cut out of a world that'd only seen the worst parts of her tale? Tears of anger sprung to her eyes as she pounded on the glass. Under her fists she could hear as the surface cracked, but just as quickly it repaired itself.
The young bard slumped to the ground. She reached up and wiped her tears away with a bloody hand. For a moment, an idea slid across her mind. How long would it take for her to die if she just kept bashing her head against the glass? If she died here, would that imposter also die? She shook her head. She looked up, the image on the glass showing one of a beautiful sunrise, a silent promise of a beautiful day. She felt another swell of anger cascade over her.
With speed unknown to her, she crossed her small chamber to the other side of her chaise lounge. With all the strength she could muster, she shoved the furniture into the glass. Then she pulled it back and did it again. And again. And again. A satisfied smirk crossed her face as she saw the damage she was doing. The cracks radiated out and built upon one another with every strike. The smallest ones closed up almost immediately, but couldn't keep up with all the damage at once. Finally, she gave one shove too much and the chaise soared through a shower of glass into an inky blackness beyond.
Kerri stood there stunned as she watched the lounge fall out of sight. She looked at the edges of the glass, and already it was rebuilding itself. She had one chance, and it was now or never.
The bard took one last look at the windowless prison, before she fell back into the inky darkness. It was a weird sensation as she fell, for no wind wrapped around her, and no forces fought against her. All around her was darkness, but she could see herself with no trouble. As she twisted round and faced the darkness she fell deeper into, it was as if she was actually flying down a chute. She looked down at her hands, and saw deep wrinkles form around her knuckles. When she felt her face, she could trace the folds of her skin as her skin aged more and more the longer she fell. Gone was the excitement of this new journey. Now, all she felt was tired, and at peace that at least she'd die on one last adventure that was all hers.
A blue ring of light shimmered into appearance below her, and she fell through.
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The late afternoon light streamed in through the window. The birdsong outside was melodic and harmonious. Inside the spacious chamber, the inviting white-polished furniture glistened. Lia sat at her dressing table, dressed in an elaborately embroidered green and white wedding gown. Delicately she applied green eye-shadow on herself in the mirror. The door opened behind her.
"Still doing your makeup?" The man who walked in tutted as he crossed the room. He was tall, and a little heavyset. Large swatches of gray hair were scattered through his blonde hair that had been gathered into a long braid. His robes were black with red trim, while golden vestments crossed his chest. "Come now, you mustn't keep your groom waiting."
Lia set down the brush and flicked her eyes over to the image of her uncle Himo in the mirror. "Don't you mean 'your' groom?"
The man waved her off as he grabbed the sheer veil off the bed and brought it over. Gently he slipped the white headband next to the braided crown on her head, and brought the lacy veil down over her face. "All that matters, is that after tonight he will be your husband." Himo pulled Lia to her feet, intertwined her arm with his, and led her out of the room.
Outside the door, two armed guards fell into step behind them.
Before the chapel doors, an older woman in a black, hooded robe stood waiting for them, with a bouquet in her hands. She handed the bouquet to Lia, before she slipped through the door.
Himo gently clapped Lia's hand. "Now, don't be nervous. All you have to do is say 'I swear', and then tonight, well you know what to do." He chuckled. "Do try to make tonight special for him, even if it must all seem old hat to you."
Lia had to bite her lip to hold in a cold retort. She took a deep breath to settle herself. "Once I do this, our bargain will stand, right?"
Himo nodded, as the doors opened. He led the way into the high-ceiled room. Candle chandeliers hung in different levels to illuminate the space. In the pews, the audience was sparse. The groom's side was filled with black-robed figures that had their heads covered. On the bride's side, the members of M.A. sat huddled together, their hands and feet shackled to the ground. Their mouths were gagged. Behind each of them sat a black-robed figure with a dagger to the back of their necks.
"Once you do this, they will live to see the next dawn." The older elf whispered into his niece's ear as he pulled her down the aisle.
Lia gritted her teeth. "Not only the next dawn, but all the others after, and they will be free to leave the woods." Briefly she caught Iados's gaze as they passed by. His eyes were hardened and full of fury. She saw the flecks of bloods around his shackles.
"In Zhagra's name, you have my word." Himo kissed her cheek as they reached the dais. Upon it, stood another black-robed man. All Lia could see of her future husband, was his chiseled chin from under his hood.
Himo took his position in front of the couple. On a podium was a large, red leathered back book. It opened smoothly under his touch, and he began to read from it. He read out passages of obedience and servitude not only to the god they willingly served, but to their betters. He spoke of how a wife served their husband, and how a husband ensured their place in society. It may have been dressed up in pretty words, but the meaning of the selected passages was clear, Lia was about to agree to give up her life, decisions, and choices to a man she couldn't see the eyes of. The black and red bouquet in her hands shook.
Only the thought of her friend's lives that she was saving kept her rooted to the spot.
Finally, came the vows. With a clear, low, masculine voice the person next to her swore to uphold the examples given.
Himo turned to Lia, his eyes narrowed, and his face lit up in a terrible grin. "Lia, do you swear to uphold the ideals and decisions of your husband? To dedicate your life and body to his pleasures and expectations?"
Her blood turned to ice in her veins, and she gave an involuntary shiver. She couldn't stop herself from turning back to look at her friends. Each one violently shook their heads as they fought against the bonds. A cold tear escaped her eye as she heard herself repeat the answer her Uncle wanted.
"Then by the power of Zhagra and myself, I declare you to be wed." The joy in Himo's voice was sickening. Her shoulders were grabbed by bony hands and she was wrenched around. The still-covered face of her new husband lowered itself down to her, and her lips were captured. It was the grossest kiss of her life, as he fumbled and forcibly stuck his tongue down her throat. She tried to push him away, but he ground his fingers into her arms and held her firm.
"You are mine now." He rasped as he finally pulled away. Her new-husband twirled her around to face her friends. He laughed. "You are mine now, body and soul. You may have made a deal with Himo, but not with me. Kill them!"
With wide eyes Lia watched in horror as the daggers were plunged into the back of M.A.'s necks. She covered her ears as the sound of their last gurgled breaths filled the air. The man that was now her husband let her fall to her knees as he laughed at the sight.
Himo knelt down next to her, and gently gathered her up in his arms. She was too stunned to even weep. She felt a cold pressure at the base of her neck. "Do not worry," The older man murmured in her ear. "I will make this memory and all the ones to come a happy one." As the searing pain cascaded into her, her vision was eclipsed by a blue light.
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It was the sound of breaking glass that alerted Ander to the danger. With as little sound as he could muster, he crept out of bed and into the hall. His sisters joined him, as they looked over the railing into the store below. Dark shadows weaved in between the shelves.
Something touched his shoulder and he jumped. His mother in her pale dressing gown was quick to shush the lot of them. "Get back to your rooms, and lock the doors. No matter what you hear, do not come out." She commanded in a harsh whisper.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that." The gruff voice behind her said as he stepped out of the shadows. The man held up his mace and brought it down towards his mother's terrified face.
"NO!" Ander yelled as he shoved his mother out of the way. Before the mace could hit him, he'd pulled up his sleeve and dug his nail into his forearm, drawing blood. The whole scene was engulfed in a blue light.
With a start and heaving breaths, the halfling bolted up from the soft feather bed. As he came to his senses, he ran a heavy hand down his face. He climbed out of the bed and went into the hall. Out there, the lanky teenager from before sat in a wooden chair against the wall, a scroll in his lap. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.
"What are you doing awake?" The teen asked as he quickly rolled the scroll up.
Ander waved off the question. "Take me to Master Bymer." The teen nodded and led the way down the hall and past the other closed doors. They took the mystical elevator up to a different floor. This time they didn't encounter another hallway, but a large circular room. Obviously they'd gone into the tower main this time. It wasn't till the two of them had rounded to the other side of the mystical elevator, that they encountered Master Bymer.
The older man lounged back in a large armchair, his legs crossed. Suspended in the air in front of him, were six blue-framed disks.
Master Bymer flicked his eyes to the halfling and chuckled. "That didn't take long."
Ander pulled up his sleeve and showed off the runic circle he'd inked onto his arm that morning. "Didn't feel like messing with another of your nightmare scenarios again, once was enough. By the way, you were wrong."
The older man pouted as he puffed on his pipe. "Wrong, how?"
Ander stood in front of the disks. Each one of them showed a different member of his party, and the nightmare's that Bymer gave them. With a quick raise of the eyebrow, he noticed that Jun's disk had a thick strand of amber weaved around it, and Elaine's had a thin strand of gold. The halfling turned his attention back to the Circle Master. "You said before in your class that you use these scenarios to show people the worst moments of their lives, so that when they encounter them in real life they won't freeze."
The older man nodded and gave another puff. "I did say that."
Ander's hand clenched down at his side. "I encountered one of these real-life scenarios, in Dayur when I went up against a minotaur. I still froze, and people died because I didn't act fast enough. What's the point of subjecting people to these scenes if they don't work?"
"If you truly believed that, then why are you the only one with the runes on your arm?" Bymer asked, as Jun's disk vanished with a small pop. Shortly after, Carric's followed. "When you were a student, I put all of you into the nightmares to show you the power of enchantment. That was an introductory class, nothing more."
He took another puff and blew a smoke ring out towards Kerri's disk as she slammed the chaise. "When I was young, all you had to do was sign a piece of paper and the Circle made you an adventurer. No training, no counseling, just your signature in a log book. Many of my friends never came back, and the ones that did came back broken, not just in body but in spirit. During their adventures, they'd faced the evil of the world head on." Bymer sighed heavily. "It's a sad day when you realize that the amount of darkness in the world heavily outweighs the light. The grand irony of that darkness, is that it illuminates the darkest parts of your soul. Every fear you've ever tried to bury, every dark thought you thought you'd banished, and every rush of pleasure from the pain of others you might have had is brought to the surface. In our business, it's a delicate balancing act of acknowledging those parts of yourselves and society, and not being buried in them. The majority fail in this; they choose to both embrace that darkness and become corrupted by it, or they're broken by it."
Ander's eyes flicked to Lia's disk, and the wedding that was presided over by a man wearing the symbol of Zhagra. Next to it, Elaine's gold-threaded disk blinked out.
"When I took over the Recovery Department nearly thirty years ago, I made the process more complicated than just signing a piece of paper. Every team that applies has to go through me. I use the nightmares to pull out the darkest parts of themselves, be it fear, memory, or thought, and rub their noses in it." Bymer's eyes hardened as he turned his gaze to the halfling. "Unlike before, these are no lessons. This is a test to see if they have what it takes to do this job." Almost simultaneously Lia and Kerri's discs blinked out.
"If it's a test, does that mean there's a chance they could fail?" Ander asked softly.
Bymer didn't answer as he brought his pipe back up to his mouth, his gaze fixed on the remaining disk. Ander turned to look as well. This disk was Iados's, and it showed the akudaem lounging on the bow of a rocking ship in the middle of the ocean. What unnerved Ander about the scene, was how the purple-skinned pirate seemed to be at peace in what should have been a nightmare.