03/07/337

Audra

  “So you’ve finally done it.” Audra felt breath on the back of her neck. She jumped forward then turned to face the man that was forcing her to feel so much fear. Felix stood with his hands behind his back. A deep scar danced across his neck, the memory of a mortal wound that he somehow survived. A gust of wind came from the west, causing his scarf to gently sway to the east.

  “Nice scar.” She taunted. He sneered at her but didn’t make any moves to harm her, nevertheless she had her weapon ready, “What do you want, Felix?” He stood eerily still, more than any normal person.

“I’ve already obtained what I wanted. It seems that Vasuki needs a bit more motivation, however.” Felix claimed, “It’s true what he says, despite what has been happening, there was no deception in your encounter.”

“You know what’s going on? Are you the cause?” Audra tightened her grip on Keen Piercer.

“No need for accusations, the cause is unknown to me. But there is something else about you, something chaotic...do you mind divulging what has happened since our last encounter?” Felix smirked.

“Go fuck yourself!” She could feel that fire in her soul beginning to burn, and she was ready to give herself to the flames. Instead of probing her for more information Felix simply turned away.

“I won’t push the subject, you’ve become a well-endowed fighter.” His wording made her extremely uncomfortable.

“Why are you even here?!” Audra demanded.

“To let you know,” he turned with a cheeky grin on his face, “That even though you got away from me, you’re still going along the path I wanted for you, Stormbringer.” Felix was covered in an explosion of lightning. She covered her face with her arm, protecting her eyes from the brightness, when she finally looked back he was gone.

  Audra walked back into the city, the full moon hanging high in the sky above them. One question clouded her thoughts, it wasn’t how she was still going along Felix’s path she knew he wanted her to ascend, instead it was a different one. How did he know? How did Felix know that she was chosen by Runahera to be the one that brings fourth the Storm? What will happen to her after she does? Could she stop it?

  “You okay?” Audra looked up to see Zadkiel standing a few feet in front of her, his eyes went wide when he saw the dried blood on her clothes, and the gray skin where her shirt had been ripped apart. “Are you okay? Did you find Vasuki?” He asked. She nodded.

  “It’s complicated...I’ll explain everything when we get back to Cabana and Noelem.”

  Some time passed before they could finally see the group of trees that hid Noelem’s home.

  “So...I was thinking. Do you want to grab lunch sometime?” Zadkiel asked. Was he seriously asking her out at a time like this?

  “No. Maybe another time, okay. I’m under too much stress to be thinking about that kind of thing right now.” Audra explained, picking up her pace, though she could hear an aggravated sigh escape from him.

  Audra’s knuckle didn’t even get a chance to knock before Cabana opened the door. She had a large smile on her face that quickly died when she didn’t see Vasuki with them her eyes went wide when she saw all of the dried blood. A powerful glow seemed to escape her, but it was more of a feeling than an actual glow. She ignored it for now.

  “There’s a lot going on.” Audra claimed.

  Audra found herself standing in front of a burning fireplace in Noelem’s home. A comfortable blue rug rested under her bare feet. Cabana and Noelem shared a green couch, the feeling of a golden glow from Cabana was mixed with a deep abyss that came from Noelem, while Zadkiel sat in a green cushioned chair. She had finished explaining everything that had happened; how she had found Vasuki and how they had fought and how her Ascension process was completed so that she would give in to her injuries. She also included her encounter with Felix afterwards.

  “So Vasuki was...tortured...and he thinks that we did this to him?” Cabana asked herself, “How did I let this happen?” She questioned.

  “It isn’t your fault.” Noelem’s hand found the middle of her back.

  “Well now we just need to track him down and explain everything that’s going on. Show him we’re not here to hurt him.” Zadkiel pointed out, as if doing that would be so simple.

  “The question is where he would go though? Where are those people taking him.” Audra brought up.

“You said the girls name was Izenia right?” Noelem asked. Audra nodded.

“Yeah, I...I think that was it. Kind of blurry on all of the details. Do you know her?”

“Izenia is a fox variant, rather known in the area for being one of the best damn thieves around. She could steal your shirt off of your back if you aren’t careful around her. So saying I know her is an understatement. I’ve ran into her group multiple times. I’m surprised she was caught in North Daemerall.”

“So you know where they’re heading?” Audra asked, somewhat hopeful.

“It’s an easy track if you know her and her kind. We’ll get some rest and head out early tomorrow, their tracks should still be there, but if I had a good guess she’s probably heading to Trudid.” Noelem claimed. Cabana clapped her hands and took a deep breath.

“Then it’s settled, tomorrow morning Noelem will get a wagon to Trudid ready for us. I’ll go look for tracks with Audra, Zadkiel you’re on duty for gathering supplies, I’ll give you the gold to do it.” Cabana ordered, “Everyone get some rest, we have an early day tomorrow.” Cabana finished, her past position of Royal Knight definitely flaring up as she took charge of the group.

  Sleep was as evasive as ever. Audra tossed and turned in the guest room Noelem had set up. She rolled onto her side and grabbed her bag, pulling out her pocket mirror she clicked it open. To see her own reflection yawning back at her.

  “Hey there princess, been a while.” Lusalene commented.

  “Since a normal conversation, yeah. Had a normal time, went to hell, got chosen to release the apocalypse, fought my best friend, almost died, ascended. You know, the usual...thanks by the way, if you hadn’t showed me how to ascend...I would have died back there.” Audra said. Lusalene waved it off.

“It’s my job as your Ascender to keep you alive...and because I’m not ready to move on to the Dream yet, if that’s where I end up. For all I know I’ll be put in a different person.”

“It’s a question to think about, that’s for sure. What about Felix? How do you think he knew that I was the Stormbringer?” Audra wondered aloud. Lusalene put her hand on her chin.

“That’s definitely a good question. Not even true sight would be able to tell someone that. My only guess is that he’s in cahoots with Runahera.” Lusalene answered.

“Another question comes up from that theory. Why would Runahera team up with Felix? Is he more powerful and influential than he’s letting on?” Audra theorized.

“I don’t think these questions have an answer we can conceive yet.”

“Please don’t word it like that.” Lusalene laughed through her nose.

“Such a perv. Let’s get you to sleep.” Lusalene ordered.

“You’re right, thinking of this isn’t helping anyone...goodnight, Lusalene.” Audra said, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

“Goodnight.” Lusalene said, snapping her fingers and the darkness of sleep’s embrace enveloped her.

04/07/337

  Audra wore a vest given to her by Cabana, as well as a change of pants, they were the loosest fitting clothes that Cabana had, she was smaller than Audra so they were still slightly tight.

  Early that morning, before the sun was done rising from the horizon, she took Cabana to the spot where Vasuki had almost taken her life. The arch of cobalt ice had yet to be even partially melted, her blood was frozen solid on the spears that jutted outwards. The spear of ice that had went through her side was sticking in a tree and completely covered in frozen crimson. She walked up to the tree that she had backed up to, the place she almost died. It was as caked in dried blood as her clothes had been.

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  “This is the spot I ascended. The spot I almost died.” Audra claimed.

  “Looks like Vasuki is right on the verge of it, I’ve never felt ice this cold before. You said the ice gave you frost nip just by a mere touch, right?” Cabana asked.

“Yeah. The frost is okay to touch but the ice is dangerous.” she pointed out.

  Cabana held her hand out and a ball of wind surrounded the ice, shattering it in an instant then reducing it to little more than dust. She went around to each body of ice and did the same to each one.

  “Can’t leave this out for people to lose a finger or two.” Cabana pointed out. Oddly enough there were no signs that Felix had been there at all, not even charred marks where he vanished in a blast of electricity.

  Audra pointed out where Vasuki had been when he passed out.

  “Then they picked him up and began heading that way.” Audra said pointing at the path Rahzel had taken Vasuki. Cabana began to walking in that direction, Audra right behind her.

  “Looks like someone very heavy went this way.” Cabana pointed out. Audra could barely tell of any footprints at all, someone had went behind them in an attempt to hide the trail.

  They followed the, barely visible, trail east until it transitioned and instead backed around west and over the northern edge of Daemerall, at this point Cabana was jogging after the foot prints, she was fast when she didn’t mean to be, Audra had a hard time keeping track of her at a jogging pace. She’d always trip over a root or have to duck under a tree branch, while Cabana was as graceful as a deer.

  After a while the trail continued straight.

  “Seems Noelem was right, but one of us will need to go by foot to keep track of where they went.” Cabana pointed out.

  “Noelem could go by foot, following the trail, and if the path deviates and he doesn’t get to Trudid in a week we could assume they went somewhere else?” Audra offered.

“Good idea, let’s get back to Noelem. Tell him what we found.”

  Upon entering the city the pair went to the wagon station that they had planned to meet up at. Noelem had already paid for a ride to Trudid, he smiled upon hearing their idea.

  “That’s smart, Izenia isn’t easily influenced by others so, at least while Vasuki is passed out from Etherea exhaustion, she would head to Trudid. She doesn’t know that we know but she might not feel safe going somewhere familiar to her. That’s a deal, I’ll follow the tracks if it deviates, to say Gushe, I’ll head there instead, we have enough gold to get you back to Daemerall in case that happens. Wait here if I don’t show up in Trudid in six days, after you arrive.”

  “Then on day seven we head back to Daemerall.” Audra said, solidifying the plan, Noelem replied with a nod.

“I’ll go on ahead, wait for Zadkiel then get on the dusty trail.”

  Audra and Cabana stood at the wagon station, waiting for their newest ally to arrive. Cabana didn’t show it easily but Audra could feel the glow that came from her grow dark and sorrowful.

  “You want to talk?” Audra asked, “About what’s going on, I mean. Like what you’re thinking about?” Cabana looked down and sighed.

  “I’ve been with Vasuki for a long time now, always supported him, been there for him. When I fought Felix, I was forced to ascend in order to win that fight. Due to the nature of my ascension my feelings numbed out, I’m sure you’ve read it in my journal by now.” Audra nodded in response.

“We have.”

“They only recently came back to me in full. Every birthday he’s had he’s only wanted his mother to come back from the dead. We all know that’s impossible and that makes him hurt all that much more. No one was there for him that day, so he felt abandoned. Then the hallucinations began and he was forced to that hellhole. I’m happy he escaped, but I’ve failed him as his protector.” Audra could hear the knot that had formed in her throat, “Now he sees us as the monster that will put him back there. I love him as if he were my own son. To know that I have failed him and hurt him in such a way...it makes me sick.”

“I’m sure we can rebuild his trust. I’m sure everything will go back to the way it was before, though I do owe him a good beating, you know, since he almost killed me.” Audra stated. Cabana let out a chuckle.

“I’m glad you don’t hold too much of a grudge against him.” She claimed. Zadkiel’s scent was becoming clear.

“I do hold a grudge against him, and the next time I get the chance I’ll make sure he pays for making me ascend to survive a wound like that. The bitch scarred me after all.” Audra lifted her shirt enough to see the gray skin that was slowly beginning to grow scales.

  “You three over there?! I got the goods!” Zadkiel claimed, carrying three travel bags, one on his back and one in each hand, “Maker this is heavy as hell! Mind giving me a hand!?” He begged.

  After helping Zadkiel with his load of supplies, they got into the wagon that Noelem had paid for. The driver was a human with short blonde hair and a well managed beard. As well groomed as he was, it was easy to tell that he was rugged from years doing this job. He introduced himself as Aithen.

Zadkiel quickly questioned where Noelem was and Cabana and Audra told him their idea. He seemed content with it and leaned back on a folded blanket.

  “Well I hope they headed for Trudid. That way we don’t have to waste too much time looking for them. You know, the guards say that the first day is the most important when looking for missing people.” Zadkiel claimed.

  “Thankfully, I’m not a normal guard, and neither is Noelem. We’re both on the same level as any Royal Knight out there.” Cabana claimed.

“All this ascension business...it’s starting to make me feel useless.” he complained, “But I don’t mind being around two beautiful women for a while.” Audra shook her head and looked away from him, Cabana rolled her eyes at his compliment.

“Flattery will get you far, but not with me.” Cabana stated, “And honestly, do you think Audra’s into it? Isn’t she dealing with enough as it is?” Cabana said, leaning forward. Audra felt like she was sitting next to an apex predator ready to pounce on it’s prey. Zadkiel backed away from her, sitting up with his back to the wall of the wagon, his hands up in innocence.

“Alright, alright, it was just a compliment!”

  “No fightin’ in mah cart, ya hear!” Aithen ordered. Cabana looked to the front of the wagon and backed away, resting her back against the wall.

  That was when Audra saw it, Cabana didn’t just see Audra as a friend, she saw her as someone she needed to protect. Was she being a mom to her as well? Audra wasn’t exactly sure but she was glad that Cabana was on her side, now she saw why Vasuki had put so much faith in her. But that was one of his downfalls, it was why Vistrata could trick him so easily after the hallucinations had hurt him in such a way.

  “Thanks Cabana, after we get out of here I’ll stab his foot.” Audra claimed. Cabana gave her a smile, and Zadkiel looked a little worried.

  “She’s joking right?” He asked, looking between the two of them. Audra grabbed the handle of Keen Piercer.

“Does it look like I’m joking?” She asked. He exhaled heavily and audibly gulped. Cabana couldn’t help herself and began to laugh.

  “You’re pathetic!” She laughed, “The look on your face is priceless!”

“It’s not funny! I’ve been stabbed before, it isn’t a fun experience!”

  “Sonny, you’ve got yaself some crazy ones, back there. I’d take care where I step if I were you!” Aithen laughed as the wagon bumped along the dirt roads.

  Audra looked out the back and watched the city of Daemerall fade into the distance. It was just another chapter of her story that would be left in her memory, one she would remember with a mixture of joy and fear when they were arriving to Daemerall, and of confusion and betrayal when they left. It was a chapter of her life, that she didn’t want to relive, but something told her that this story was still just getting started. She knew there was more to come. And that if she ever encountered Vasuki again he would be much more dangerous than she had ever known him to be.