Only Lydia was happy about the outcome. From the sounds of it, Imre had tried talking to Casper about it; judging from context clues afterwards, it ended miserably. There was no changing Casper’s mind about the five of them being the ones to do it.
Knowing that they’d be leaving the next morning (though to where they had yet to decide), they all went to bed early. At least, they all said they would. Imre probably couldn’t sleep, Kiah was likely either arguing with Casper or figuring out which one of the nobles brought alcohol, and Samone wasn’t the slightest bit tired. Any time she thought she was about to fall asleep, some image flashes through her head and she was wide awake again. If she knew she was the only one awake in the whole camp, she would’ve grabbed her pipe, went to a secluded area, and calmed herself down a little. But that wasn’t an option.
She decided that she could still get some fresh air. At least she could do half of what she wanted without being questioned. She wandered around, avoiding all the signs of others being awake. Then she found a place away from the water, knowing no one would come there.
Some said they enjoyed the view of the lake. They liked seeing its vastness, so big that they were unable to see the shore on the other side; they revered its cultural importance, even if its historical reputation was mixed. It bound the two kingdoms, they would say, by the one festival they both celebrated since the time of their rebirths: the Lantern Festival, or the Day of the Dead, depending on who one talked to. She didn’t really see any of the charm they claimed it to have. The only kind of water she fancied were natural hot springs and the actual ocean. This was nothing more than a glorified puddle, and not even its flowers (another aspect of its supposed beauty she, oddly enough, didn’t understand) were enough to sway her.
A songbird soon joined her, giving a few chirps in greeting. It was like the one she saw on her balcony.
It proved to be no normal bird after a moment, though. Right in front of her, it went through the fluent transition from bird to child.
He didn’t look any older than twelve, but appearance alone was never to be trusted. His light blue-and-purple clothes suggested he was cold—or, as Dimas’s tendencies had made her consider, had something to hide. His icy blue hair, the bangs longer than the back was, covered his right eye. He only needed one gray eye trained on her, though, to unnerve her.
For a minute, all he did was glare at her. “You’re staring,” he finally remarked nonchalantly.
“Normal people don’t go from being a freaking bird to a kid,” Samone pointed out. “What am I supposed to do? Act like I see that every day?”
“Did Calli mention anything to you?” He tilted his head. “I suppose she was a bit forgetful.”
“What does Minne have to do with any of this?”
He sighed. “Or maybe you’re just stupid. Lovely, someone here might compete with Mazel…” He shook his head and went back on topic. “Calli had a special little dream friend. A tree swallow. Do you realize what was also a tree swallow?”
“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t care about the types of small birds,” was her response. She already didn’t like him.
“Me. I was a tree swallow just now. I was her special little dream friend.” It seemed like the feeling was mutual. “In case you’ve forgotten, since it seems like you have, I’m Zokel. I know that you’re Samone, so you needn’t waste more of my time by telling me so. Can you at least tell me what I am, with all that knowledge already out there?”
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Everything clicked after he said that. “You’re a Fos. They’re the only creatures that can change forms like that… and, along with Skiá, the only two creatures that can influence dreams.”
“Ah, so you do know something.” Zokel, for a second, grinned. He quickly snapped back into the emotionless glare, however. “There’s a bit more I need to get out of the way, though. Are you, by any chance, familiar with the Butterfly Effect?”
Her silence was probably enough of an answer. She felt like she knew it; but she couldn’t place any faces or names to it, thus said nothing.
“My specific job branches off of it. Think of it as… a set of dominoes; an awful chain reaction that leaves chaos in its wake. Most Fos try to remove all the unnecessary pieces to limit how many people are affected by it. What I do follows a certain path of people: the Ilethera, and all those close to them.
“If any of your previous questions mean anything, you’re likely now wondering ‘what does an Ilethera have to do with me?’ Well, all you have to do is think a little. You’re close to more Ilethera than you realize. There’s Calli, clearly a seed of the ill-fated saint. Then there’s all of you, because the Keys themselves are anomalies… it may not have always been that way, but now the blood of the saint is always present in them. Mortals like you tend to get tangled in Darkness’s webs, so you need someone to get you out of them. Unfortunately, I’m that person.”
“For a Fos, you would think you’d sound like you cared a little more,” Samone remarked dully.
“Do you care for all the idiots you tend to on a daily basis?” Zokel returned. “Mortals are like tamed dogs or cats. They’re excruciatingly dependent on their ‘owners,’ always vying for love and attention. I really can’t tell what Day sees in it all anymore…” He sighed. “I want you to guess what legend I’m trying to tell you. Are you ready?”
She debated telling him that he was probably going to be disappointed. Still, she nodded.
“There was once a mighty king, but his path was far from easy and luxurious as one might assume. He was a twin, though no one would know if they only saw him as an adult; that twin died by unknown causes a couple months after they were born. Because of this, he was overwhelmed with misfortune. After nearly losing his daughter, he made a deal with the devil. She made sure that no one could ever toy with him again and turned him into a beast. He was soon locked away, but the promise was still kept in the sense that no real harm befell him. There he was eventually slain. His spirit still lurks there, either waiting for his next offering or a vessel to feel whole for just a moment. What is it?”
“I don’t know a lot of Qizarn legends,” she admitted. “While I’m sure I’ve heard about it before, I don’t know what you’re referring to specifically.”
“You’re a perfect image of your kind,” he said casually. “There’s a reason the two sides aren’t getting along very well. Neither of you are willing to look from the other’s perspective. I do hope that changes before you spark a war… or before all the light that remains goes out.”
Samone would’ve tried to get him to elaborate if it weren’t for the fact he turned back into a bird. He glared at her once more, letting out an innocent chirp before flying off. What was even the point of him showing up, if he didn’t actually contribute anything to their mission? He could’ve at least given her a hint about where they were supposed to be going, or a safer way to go about doing the king’s will.
She stayed there for a little longer, until she decided she was actually getting tired. Hoping that feeling would last by the time she actually laid down, she headed back to her family’s little room.
They were all still asleep when she entered, something she was glad for. She didn’t want to have to explain why she left to begin with, however simple it might’ve been. The only part they needed to know about all the things running through her head was that she was leaving by Casper’s request tomorrow morning. She wasn’t ready for the inevitable argument that would follow such a conversation.
No matter what she tried to do, Zokel’s words kept nagging at her. She didn’t think they were meant to be taken so seriously; now, with nothing else to do, she realized the full extent of them. They weren’t things that she was supposed to keep to herself. Someone else needed to know about them, however much she regretted having to come to that decision.
If she could find him while he was alone, she’ll talk to Imre. He’d probably know for certain which legend that was anyway, looking into them both out of personal curiosity and the fact his boyfriend hailed from the nation where they were taught. It wouldn’t be too hard.
She couldn’t place what she was afraid of. Was it the Minotaur? Was it some sort of secret meaning behind why Zokel came to her? Did it have to do with the person she was tied to as the Fox? Or was it something else completely? Whatever it was, it stuck with her for the mostly-restless night until she was finally able to sleep.