‘33, 34, 35.’ Rio breathed, wiping the grime from his face. ‘36,37,38,’ He continued to count. He listed every number with three in it until a thousand before repeating. The nightmare creature slumped into the red waters, lapping at Rio’s feet. The spell spoke to Rio, praising him like a child. Rio focused on counting, hesitating as a thick feeling of forgetfulness befell him. It was not physically painful but mentally straining. What had he forgotten? The question would burn for eternity inside him. There is no way to remember what you've forgotten alone.
Rio dug through the creature's bowels for four shards. He absorbed them to saturate his new core. Being able to absorb shards again made him feel better. There was less displeasure in leaving his kills.
The rain quickly went to work washing the blood from the beach, cleaning the dozens of human-fish corpses strewn about. Rio stopped counting, finished with the fight, and summoned the voices of the dead.
They raved and wailed around him, fighting for his attention. Rio ignored their plight and marched towards the silence.
“This island is another dead end,” Rio muttered. “I’m getting tired of running in circles, Odysseus.” The air hummed, and a sublime voice replied. “A wasted trip this was not. Can’t you smell it in the air?”
“Yes, the smell of mold and fish is wonderful,” Rio rolled his eyes and summoned Leviathan. The serpent’s body bulged into existence and shifted all the sand.
“It was here. Calypso’s island was here,” The voice said.
“A dead hero remembers the smell of a girl he met a super long time ago. Not creepy at all.”
“Run your mouth all you want brat, I know where we are going.” Rio dismissed the voices and sighed. Every second he spent wandering the storm sea was one lost. What could change in a few months? ‘Nico,’ Rio clenched his fists and mounted Leviathan.
Rio unrolled a pleat of leather, tracing his fingers over the map. He was close. Troy was nearby, and with it was the third nightmare.
~~~
The streets bustled with people. Men and women alike hurried about their business, minimizing their time out. Tension grew in the air.
“The western mills were burned. The store houses went up in flames!” A man in brown robes walked the streets, proclaiming the latest news to the populace. The religious order told the truth no matter how hard the high houses tried to keep some things smothered. Or most of it.
“These incidents are a sign! Sky Eye is displeased,” The man raised a gold pendant of the sun over his head and continued to yell. Nico moved elusively through the tides of people, slipping by the priest, his hair wrapped in a thin cloth. He smiled at people passing and purchased writing materials with some of the most generously given funds.
Prices were fluctuating. Demand for frivolous products was plummeting while food was rising. Nico hummed to himself as he thanked the lady vendor. He dusted his loose trousers of soot and continued on with his business.
The streets were more crowded today. Men went stall to stall begging for work while others littered around alleys, shooting disgruntled looks at passersbyers. ‘Dangerous times,’ Nico kept his head down and dashed into an empty alley. He bounced off the walls onto the roofs and leaped over them. Some people watched, gawking at the Path Finder. Nico waved and fell through the window of a house. He crashed to a stop and ran down the stairs. The old man at the bottom grunted in greeting, and Nico threw open a trap door under the rug.
He tossed a silver coin at the old man and disappeared down the steps. The halls were dark, with light coming in from the drainage systems in the streets.
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He pressed himself against the wall, hiding from the light. The tunnel rustled with water and Nico’s heavy breaths.
“They’re already gone.” Nico repeated softly. “They’ve already been murdered.” He hissed, anger seeping out of every word. Now wasn’t the time for him to get cold feet.
‘Once you have attained power, shout the name of the island.’ Eviphore existed somewhere in the waking world or the dream realm. These people probably existed as well. But Nico couldn’t help any of these people. Who he could help was Jay. After they escape Jay’s aspect, Nico can help Gen and the others.
Nico smashed his fist into the wall, the pain more sobering than debilitating. He had experienced pain often: his own or others. Yet, the pain in his heart hurt the most.
The feelings of the kid who received a tasty treat. The feelings of the mother holding her child. The sentiments of the baker watching the two enjoy the fruits of his work. The feelings of knowing how it all feels but never experiencing it.
Nico would wipe away all semblance of everyday life from the people. What took years to build would fall in days.
“Pull yourself together, Nico!” He clenched his fist and opened his eyes. The stone was like sandpaper against his back, and the damp floor reminded him of the caves he’d been in. Nico snatched a rat from the floor and held it tightly before arriving at the end of the tunnel.
If anyone was looking at the grate, they would have seen someone push a bag through the bars and then a dim glow followed by a rat. Nico turned human again and threw off his hair cover. Nico, the citizen, vanished, replaced by the timid slave.
The guards paid him no mind, unworried by his lack of bonds. Here in the palace, slaves do what they are told when they are told and do not step out of line. “You are hungry, Mister Levi. And your friend Squire Trevor is thirsty. Take a break.” strength flowed from Nico’s limbs as he invoked their names. The guards nodded, unsuspicious, and strode away.
Nico turned a corner and entered the small room at the end. The room had changed a lot in the last few weeks. Pillars of books stood scattered over the floor, and coins on a scale on the desk. Jay lay on the bed, his face hidden by his book.
Nico placed the writing materials down and produced warm bread from the bag. Solace perked and reached out, waving his hand in the air. Nico instead handed him some coins and bit into the loaf.
“Feel them,” Nico mumbled. Solace sat up and examined the coins. “One’s lighter.” He reported. “So they decreased the purity.”
“We’re one step closer to leaving this nightmare.” Nico knocked over a stack of books for the hell of it and grinned. The hardest part would soon be over. But that didn’t mean that another part wasn't impossibly challenging. Jay looked forlorn and laid back down.
They’d already justified their actions. Nico knocked over another stack as he thought about nothing.
“Pardon me, Lord Solace.” Neaudiel appeared behind Nico. Nico jumped in his skin but didn’t move. The Royal guard’s habit was anticipated and still unwelcomed. Jay rolled his wrist, signaling the man to continue.
“Lord Illford has asked to meet with Nico,” the man side-eyed the pale boy and left. Nico rushed to follow and pulled up his facade. ‘One step behind the master, don’t look anyone in the eyes, and keep a neutral expression.’ Nico ran through his steps.
“When you go in there, do not betray anything. The noble does not know anything. He will state conjecture as fact to draw the answer from you.” Nico snapped his jaw shut before responding as the doors in front of them opened. A beefy man stood poised at the door. Neaudiel nodded and stopped. Nico walked forward into the familiar room.
Illford was like a lion masquerading as a rabbit. His graying hair was slick and combed back, and his face was unwrinkled. He stood with his hands behind his back, facing the window. Nico shifted, actually nervous. His mind raced with plans and answers to unasked questions. The swirl of his thoughts was so thick that he didn’t hear the man speak at first.
“P-pardon my lord?” Nico asked timidly.
“I asked if you ever tend the garden.” The man turned his eyes ash.
“I do…” Nico answered.
Illford moved from the lounge area and beckoned Nico into his office. He obeyed and shuffled across the priceless rugs. Nico kept his eyes down, avoiding looking around at the familiar room.
“You went out into the city again,” He stated. Nico let out a short gasp before looking up to reply. Illford smiled, and Nico felt his veins burn.
Illford chuckled, his smile both amused and satisfied. “So…You broke the King’s sorcery. How?”
Nico’s back perspiration and he contemplated. ‘Grant me serenity. What…should I do next?’