CHAPTER VII - The Calling

You are too young to bear the burden of such knowledge.

Those words had stuck to her like a leech.

When night had struck, Aurae lay awake in bed. The sky was asleep yet she was awake and bright as the stars. And she thought of everything yet nothing, the birth of the universe and the grandiosity of time.

She thought about Silas and wondered if he were asleep. The necromancer had said he’d be in his room for the night, yet who knew where that was, in this vast and endless palace? Perhaps it was on a second floor, or a third, or a twentieth. She did not know.

She thought about Vilja, the red-haired witch. Aurae hoped she was not dying of worry, but then again, she did not want her to be completely void of it either. Part of her wished she would come looking for her in the morning, but part of her wanted Vilja to leave her be. Aurae did not want to return home; she did not belong there. Would her disappearance really be bad news for the townsfolk? Wouldn’t it just mean less trouble on their side?

Perhaps she was better off vanishing into the unknown.

Perhaps that was what she desired most.

For she felt an alien to the world, and that in itself was a curse.

Aurae sighed a heavy sigh. She sat up, and the room was dark. Yet the window beside her was bright; a painting of nightlife. The moon shone as diamonds do, though its light dimmed when the clouds began to float into the scene. Slowly and slowly, until they ate up the sky, and there was nothing left but a blanket of void.

She did not like the dark… the unknown, the nothingness. Yet somehow, it was the things she disliked, the things she feared, that fascinated her the most. A morbid curiosity, if you will. After all, did fear not come from a lack of knowing? That’s what Mei always told her. “We are afraid of what we do not know – of what we do not understand.” The memory of her voice was clear in her mind. “That is the nature of humans. Uncertainty is our greatest dread; the weight of what can and could have been.”

But perhaps, if she learned to understand what she feared…

Aurae moved to the window, and stared out into the darkness.

Night.

Fire.

Control.

Loss.

What was it that she feared the most?

“Aurae!”

Something called from the shadows. A whisper in the wind.

“Aurae!”

But it was louder now, clearer. She turned towards the sound.

“Aurae!”

Vilja’s voice, in the dead of night. The sound of it sent chills up her spine – why could she hear her? Surely she had not come looking for her at this hour. Perhaps this was another trick, another hallucination forged by her mind… but no, the voice called on and on, until it was impossible to ignore.

Aurae did not have to think twice; she left the room as quickly as she could, and suddenly she had forgotten. Forgotten about the herbal teas, the strange artifacts, and the comfort of his abode. Silas’ warnings of night's dangers had slipped her mind, and she would not be stopped. Aurae was leaving, here and now.

She followed the sound of her voice while moving through the endless hallways. Where did it begin; where did it end? When she thought she was indoors, she was outdoors; when she thought she was outdoors, she was indoors. The sky became the ceilings and the earth became the floors. The walls were there yet not, her sense of direction was there yet not. She ran, as quickly as her feet would take her, and it was as though the mansion warped and shifted around her. Like a strange illusion, a twisting dream. She ran. Further and further, bare feet striking the ground like lightning struck earth. This mansion was a maze of madness; a palace of unreality. The night beckoned, the wind howled, until finally, she bumped into something.

Or someone, rather.

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Before she knew it, arms were wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

She saw red; she smelled hazelnuts, and she knew she was safe.

“Aurae!” Vilja’s voice was breaking, “You stupid girl! What are you doing?!” she yelled at her, “Are you trying to sicken me with worry?”

“I’m sorry!” Aurae started, “But I passed out at the lake! There was strange magic and–”

“Save your stories until we get home! As of now, I want to hear none of it!”

Fair enough. Vilja didn’t appear to be in the most lively state – her red hair was patched with dirt; her clothes dusty and splattered with mud. The cold of winter could be heard through the shiver in her voice, and it seemed as though she had been searching in the snow for hours.

Hours… yes, she must have come very far, then.

Aurae took a look around. She was standing in the middle of the woods, with the red witch at her side. They were outdoors – there was no sign of the necromancer’s home.

She squinted in the dark…

The mansion was completely gone.

It occurred to her that she didn’t recognise this part of the forest – not even in the slightest.

“Come,” Vilja took Aurae by the wrist, “This place gives me the chills. We’re leavi–”

“The two of you are foolish to be out this late.”

Both ladies turned, and saw Silas standing before them looking quite displeased. There was a moment of silence as his eyes met with Vilja’s. Aurae could sense the awkwardness eating away at the air.

“You,” the witch finally spoke, voice bitter like vinegar, “I should have known… of course you’re here. Explain why you’re trying to kidnap my apprentice.”

Silas made a sound of offence, “I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t act stupid,” Vilja scoffed, her lips turned downwards in disgust, “Looking for souls to fuel your nightmarish rituals, are you?”

“Well I’ll have you know I was trying to protect her.”

“Oh, be serious,” Vilja moved in front of Aurae defensively, and looked him dead in the eyes, “You couldn’t protect anyone even if you tried.”

He didn’t respond to that. Silas let out a huff of air; he looked at Vilja, his nonchalance returned to him. The sky darkened and the clouds seemed to weigh down on the stars like thick smog. Aurae rubbed her head uncomfortably. Was it her – or were things getting quite tense all of a sudden?

“Look – can we all just go home and call it a day? I don't think any of us want to be out here,” Aurae said.

“And how can I guarantee you’ll both make it home safely? That you won’t come across any more, strange magic?” Silas questioned

“I came all this way perfectly fine,” Vilja continued to drag Aurae away. “And we’re going to make it home perfectly fine."

“By sheer chance,” Silas was suddenly in front of Vilja; speedy as a shadow. “You know not of the dangers that lie here. The woods are changing, warping like a beast. The trees watch your every step, the wind hears your breaths, the lakes speak and cry, and they are the very reflection of hell itself,” his eyes were wide with warning; the amber of his irises shimmered like polished bronze. Despite her attitude, even Vilja sensed the intensity of his words, and for a moment she had been taken aback.

Aurae stopped in her tracks, her body stiff. She looked up at her mentor with furrowed brows, “Maybe we should liste–”

“And worst of all?” Silas continued, “Death is undoing itself. In ways one would find most repulsive.”

“He’s trying to scare you,” Vilja tugged at Aurae’s arm, and she sent a furious glare toward the necromancer, “I haven’t the time for your little myths. Now get out of my sight before I–”

A hellish howl split the air, and for a moment, the shards of time henceforth seemed to unravel. The black of night stopped, silent, and the wide moon watched over the forest foliage in deep suspense. Such a howl was sharp enough to slice sound itself; it cut through the winds and shook the earth. With firm hands, Aurae pressed her palms over her ears. Vilja turned, her stance defensive. Silas sighed another long and weary sigh.

“Wolves…” Vilja uttered, “Aurae, stay close.”

“Let me at ‘em,” she replied, “I’ll burn them to ashes!”

“You will not,” Silas retorted, “Save your fires until you have learned to control them.”

There came a growling from the trees. The three were bundled together: Vilja with her readied bow, arrows pointed toward the darkness. Silas spoke some words of magic, and branches swayed as the winter wind swept up and gathered between his palms.

The growling became louder. The three backed up. Aurae saw a glint of red among the shrubs, a crimson light that shone like the crescent moon. Heavy feet struck the earth, the scent of decay filled the air.

And when the moonlight finally washed over the scene, the sight before them made Aurae’s stomach churn.

“What is that?” Vilja said, “Some bloody wolves they are…”

“These are not wolves…” Silas squinted, hard.

“These are hounds of Helvar. Beasts from the underworld.”