Brynne

Dense fog swirled unnaturally in the darkness.

Brynne felt a spike of horror as she caught a glimpse of one of the things that stalked the expedition through the sickly forest. This wasn’t the first time Brynne had seen one of the twisted shapes through the fog, but her nerves were starting to wear thin after nearly two full days of walking within The Wall. Architect of souls! Brynne thought, it feels like we’ve been walking here for two years, not just two days.

Brynne began to scan the fog for any sign of the thing, but her eyes couldn’t pierce through the murk. She noticed that some of the other members of the expedition looked just as unsettled as she did. That relieved her, but it worried her as well. If they could see the thing, it meant that she wasn’t going mad, but it also meant that the things she saw were real. There is something disturbing about this place, Brynne thought with a shudder, something wrong.

Not for the first time she began to regret coming on this mission. It felt like she was stumbling through a nightmare with no way out. Ever since they had entered The Wall, she felt trapped as if this place were some kind of massive prison. She was frustrated at the world after travelling through the fog for so long.

Brynne hated this forest of gnarled and sickly trees. She hated the fog that churned and roiled. Most of all she hated herself for coming on this expedition. Her anger was a beast, growing more primal and urgent each and every moment they remained within The Wall.

Why aren’t we making faster progress? Brynne asked herself. How much longer will I have to deal with this constant terror?

There were only twenty-one of them now. They had started the mission with twenty-two. During their first day of walking through the fog a man had strayed just a little too far away. Brynne could still remember his screams so vividly. Desperate, terrified screams. Afterward, whatever it was that had killed him left pieces for the company to find along their path.

No one dared move more than five paces from one of the shapers after that. Are any of us going to survive? Brynne wondered. Are we even going in the right direction?

All these questions kept circling around in her mind, but there didn’t seem to be any answers.

Tieren said that if they stayed within the realm of influence of one of the shapers they would be safe, but she couldn’t help but think of that man’s screams. She couldn’t help but wonder if that was the same fate that the rest of them were doomed to suffer. A grisly end for daring to enter into The Wall’s depths. Left to rot in pieces and to waste away in obscurity.

No expedition had come back before.

Brynne didn’t doubt that many of the others were having the exact same thoughts.

Even though Brynne was walking less than two paces from several other members of the company, the silence was deafening. No one would speak in the oppressive environment and the dense fog muffled the sounds of their footsteps.

The deathly silence combined with the occasional glimpse of the things surrounding them made her spine tingle. Her instincts told her to run as far as she could from The Wall and try to forget she had ever come here.

Just then, she caught sight of movement to the side of the group. The now familiar horror spiked once again, just as potent as the first time she had seen one of the creatures moving through the darkness. This one was closer than she had ever seen before.

The shapes were so wrong, so unnatural. What were they? She wasn’t sure if she actually wanted to know the answer to that question.

She suppressed another shiver and walked closer to the shaper at the center of the group.

Everyone else did the same.

Her frustrations began to bob to the surface again now that the terror was beginning to ebb away. She felt like her emotions were being yanked around, from one extreme to the other. She never should have come on this mission, but someone from the Deserrow high court had needed to come and oversee the expedition.

Of course, one of the truly important members couldn’t be risked on the mission, so it had to be someone of a lower station, but why did she volunteer? She shouldn’t have been so desperate to escape her family. How could I have been so afraid of expectations? Fear of her family’s expectations seemed foolish now that she was living through true terror.

Regardless, she couldn’t turn back before completing the mission. She had been reminding herself of that fact ever since they entered this shadows-begotten place. If fear made her turn back, she would be branded a coward, and if not a coward, unreliable. Failing such an important mission due to cowardice would mean her family’s connections being severed. The Deserrow high court would reject her. That would be a fate worse than death.

She continued to brood in silence as the expedition marched ever onward. She said a quick prayer to The Creator for what felt like the hundredth time. At this point, she would take anything.

At that moment that she noticed that the fog wasn’t as thick as it once had been. Was that just her imagination, or some trick of the mind? But no – it wasn’t as thick as it had been just moments before. What was happening? Other members of the company had noticed it as well. Almost everyone was looking around cautiously, confused expressions on their faces.

And then, after just a few more steps she burst out of The Wall. As soon as she left the fog it felt as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders, and her thoughts immediately lightened. She had never felt more relieved in her entire life.

The fog bank she walked out of was so defined it was bizarre. Almost like some massive, invisible hand was shaping the fog to its will, exactly like it had been when they entered The Wall two days earlier. Scholars wondered why it was so different from normal fog, but no single theory had become more prevalent than another. No one could agree as to why The Wall was so unnatural.

Even though the fog had somewhat diminished before she had set foot out of The Wall, it was still quite thick when she finally left its terrible embrace. Though, now that she thought about it, perhaps it wasn’t that the fog had diminished, but rather it only appeared to diminish as they approached the edge of the fog bank. Either way it was strange that in just one step she could move from a heavy layer of fog to complete clarity.

“Thank The Architect in his mercy.” Brynne said under her breath. Perhaps The Creator had been lis-- Any further thoughts were cut short when her eyes fell upon the sight that lay before her.

It was incredible.

Someone cursed as they crashed into her from behind, but she hardly noticed. The man himself stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw what she was so focused on. She stared through the trees at the thing they had been looking for. The thing that so many had searched for over the years. The thing that so many had died pursuing. The city of light and shadow, Eloria itself.

They stood there, staring somberly at what they had found. There was no cheering nor wild excitement, only a quiet satisfaction tempered by the realization that they would have to enter The Wall again to return to their homes and families.

The city looked like it had once been grand. Large domes and majestic spires appeared beyond the massive walls that encircled the city. It was huge, and there were signs that the buildings had once been incredibly fine, but the centuries of abandonment hadn’t been kind to the city. The buildings that she could see were faded, weathered, and falling to ruin. On top of that, plants had grown over many of the building that Brynne could see.

After what seemed like an eternity Tieren began walking to each of the small groups of people giving soft instructions to move further away from the fog bank and to set up camp. Brynne had been so dumbstruck by the sight of the city that she hadn’t even thought of moving further from The Wall, but now she was more than happy to get as far away from it as possible.

Brynne didn’t know if she could have endured another night within the fog. Last night she hadn’t slept a single minute. She had lain awake the entire time staring at the churning fog and jumping at every sound that she heard, wondering if the horrors that stalked the night would come for her. She couldn’t even stay in a tent because their pack horses wouldn’t enter The Wall. Food and water were the priorities on this trip, and her tent was left behind.

They didn’t go into Eloria that night. Instead, they went to clearing halfway between the city and the fog wall. There was no telling what lay within Eloria, and it was best to wait until morning before beginning their exploration.

The mood of the group began to pick up now that they had escaped The Wall’s touch. Small conversations began to break out as the expedition prepared for the night. Even though the only food they had was bland travel rations, just leaving the fog had improved the atmosphere and no one complained about the simple meal.

Brynne sat down on a log to eat. She made certain to pick herself a place to sit that lay within the circle of influence of Larik, one of the shapers.

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Brynne set down her pack and tried to relax. She had insisted on carrying her own supplies. It was a decision that she regretted wholeheartedly. Pack-horses had carried the supplies up until they had left Kakren, the final city on the road to The Wall. She had been carrying her own pack ever since. Shadows take me, but it’s heavy. Heavy enough that the thought of making some poor man carry two packs felt cruel.

She was brought out of her thoughts as she saw someone approaching her log. She smiled as Martin walked up to her. The willowy Conductor made the other members of the company nervous, but he fascinated Brynne.

He gave her a small smile as he approached.

“May I sit Arbiter Deserrow?” Martin asked, gesturing at a spot next to her on the log.

“Sure.” she said, returning his smile. “You know you don’t have to be so formal with me anymore.”

“It is not formality, rather respect for your station.” Martin replied as he took the place on the log that he had indicated, setting his heavy pack to his side.

Brynne rolled her eyes. Respect for her station didn’t keep him from seeking her out. Besides, she wasn’t even a full Arbiter. It was hopeless though. She had already had the same conversation with Martin twice, and the only occasions he had spoken to her less formally were the times he became excited about something or another. She was glad for the company though.

He seemed content to eat his meal quietly, so they ate in silence for some time. Brynne hadn’t met Martin until they both had been sent on this mission. They had started talking to one another because she was curious about his abilities as a Conductor. When she asked him about his abilities, he had grown excited. Apparently, there weren’t many people who were actually interested in what he could do. Over the course of a full month of travel, a strange sort of friendship had grown between them. Even if he was far too formal towards her.

She finally broke the silence.

“Do you think it will be worth it?” Brynne asked suddenly.

Martin stopped eating, looking up from his meager dinner of bread, cheese, and preserved meat. “What will be worth it, Arbiter Deserrow?” he asked, looking confused.

“Whatever we’re supposed to find in this city,” Brynne said, taking a bite of her jerky. After she clarified what she meant, Brynne could see a gleam appear in Martin’s eye.

“Of course!” Martin said emphatically, all formality immediately fleeing before his interest in the conversation. “Haven’t you heard the legends? Haven’t you heard about the wonders that the Ancients performed here? The things that we’ll find here will change the world!”

She had heard the legends, but he spoke with such conviction that she didn’t have the heart to tell him that she didn’t believe that they were true. Legends had a tendency to change over time. It was likely that these legends were exaggerations of the powers that they already knew.

Martin must have noticed her skepticism because he quickly added, “Don’t you believe that we will find something here that will change the world?

Brynne looked at him uncomfortably, but she eventually decided to confess what she had been feeling over the past two days.

“I don’t think that anything is worth what we went through in The Wall. Not even something that changes the world. I have never been so terrified in my life. I was sure that we were going to die.”

Martin scrutinized her for a moment then reached toward his pack, pulling something out of one of the side pockets and showing it to her.

“Do you know what this is Arbiter Deserrow?” Martin asked, the formality returning to his voice after her outburst. He held out a dark, rounded object with stark white veins running through it. The veins branched around the surface in a complex pattern, and glowed softly in the darkness.

“It’s a soul stone!” Brynne gasped in surprise. Looking at the small stone with awe. “Where did you get it?”

“I’m afraid that is a secret that I must keep.”

“What will you do with it?”

“This is why I am here. The Ancients that lived in Eloria were said to be able to work wonders with soul stones. I hope to discover how to use them in new and amazing ways, rather than a simple pairing of stones. Being able to discover something that is lost and bringing it to the world again, that is what motivates me to keep moving forward and push through obstacles when they come. I would do anything to make these discoveries.”

His last sentence came out with such conviction that it took Brynne by surprise. This was a side of Martin that she hadn’t seen before. The look in his eyes while he talked about discoveries was almost fanatical but, in a way, it was a good thing.

That was the very reason why Brynne’s family had sent Martin on the mission. To discover objects of power that would be useful to conductors. He would be a great help while searching through Eloria.

Martin returned the soul stone to his pack and looked straight into her eyes and asked, “What is it that motivates you Arbiter Deserrow?” curiosity replacing the fanaticism she had seen just moments before.

Brynne paused for a moment trying to think about what motivated her. The only thing that had prompted her to come on this trip was the fact that she was desperate to get away from her family. They had such high expectations for her, and they wanted her to become someone that she wasn’t so that she could achieve the goals that they had set for her.

Is that my motivation, to run away from responsibility, or is there something more? Brynne questioned herself. Will I ever accomplish anything without having the proper motivation? She pondered that for some time before she pulled herself out of her thoughts, and realized that Martin was still waiting for her reply.

She was saved from answering Martin’s question by the arrival of Tieren. Brynne felt the now familiar increase in sensation as one of the shapers drew near. It was such an uncomfortable feeling, but she knew it well after spending so much time with the shapers. She had been feeling the same thing to one degree or another ever since they had left the capital. The uncomfortable sensations grew stronger the closer she was to one of the shapers.

Every single one of her sensations started to act strangely. She felt tingling move through her body at random and the white noise she had been hearing began to increase in volume, almost as if she were walking towards a waterfall. The white and black dots in her vision grew larger and started to move more erratically, and alien tastes and smells began to overcome the taste of her food and the natural smell of the surrounding air. The sudden increase in sensation was almost overwhelming. It was always harder to think when one of the shapers was close. That was one of the reasons that they were so hated.

Tieren looked just as hard as he had the first day Brynne had seen him one month ago. His strong features looked as if they had been cut from stone. On top of that, he had an intensity to him which was only heightened by the fact that he was a shaper. His eyes were cold and hard, and they hinted at something deeper, something disturbing. He had seen true sorrow with those eyes.

“Brynne,” he said coming to a stop in front of her. “We will start exploration of the city at first light.”

Tieren spoke quickly, not a shred of formality in his voice. The juxtaposition between Tieren and Martin served to make Tieren sound even more abrasive than usual.

Brynne frowned up at him. “Shouldn’t we allow the men to get more rest? No one slept well last night. It would be good to give everyone extra time to recover from what we all went through in The Wall.”

Tieren nodded as if to say she had a point, though he didn’t look convinced. “I don’t want to spend any more time here than I have to. The faster we explore this city and find what we’re seeking, the faster we can leave this place behind.”

Brynne considered for a moment, but she realized that she couldn’t argue with what he had said. Although it would be good to give the men more time to rest, just the idea of staying even one extra day here made her skin crawl. “Very well. Arrange it, and make sure that everyone stays within the realm of influence of their assigned shaper tonight. We may have left the fog, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

Tieren nodded once again, turning away to do as she asked.

The assault on her sensations immediately lessened, and Brynne let out a sigh of relief.

Every conversation Brynne had with Tieren was somewhat disconcerting because of his abrupt manner, not to mention the fact that he was a shaper. Despite it all, Tieren had proven himself reliable over the course of the trip.

Hopefully, everything would go according to plan, and they would find something to take back to her family quickly. Anything to get out of here faster.

“I don’t like that man.” Martin said looking uncomfortable. “He doesn’t show you the respect that you deserve.”

“He’s useful.” Brynne replied. “We never could have arrived here in the first place without him and the other shapers.”

“That doesn’t mean that he should treat you like you are some common wench”

Brynne could only sigh at that.

They had both finished eating, but they continued to sit there in silence for some time until she finally stood up. She was starting to get quite cold now that the sun had gone down, and she wanted to prepare her bedroll before it became too dark.

Brynne gave Martin some parting words as she picked up her pack, but before she could walk away Martin’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the wrist. A foreign emotion rushed into her from Martin’s hand.

It was a strong sense of optimism. A hope for the future.

Brynne almost jerked her arm away by reflex before the conductor used his ability to share his emotions with her, but she suppressed the reflex as she realized the optimism was pushing away her fear. Anything was better than the gut-wrenching terror she had been feeling for so long.

They remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity, but only could have been a few minutes before Martin finally released her from his grip.

“Thank you.” Brynne whispered, feeling oddly reverent about the interaction.

After receiving a small smile and a nod in return, she stepped away and looked for a place to set her bedroll.

The feeling of optimism slowly faded as she walked away, but a small part stayed with her as she inspected the camp for both a place to sleep, and to ensure that the night’s preparations were progressing smoothly.

She was pleased when she noted that sentries had been posted around their small camp. Tieren was good at this. The men had even started to respect him even though he was a shaper. It was surprising considering how much they had hated the man at the beginning of the trip. His competent leadership had managed to sway them in the end.

Although Brynne had started out as the leader of the small expedition, she had slowly allowed Tieren to take command. His expertise was essential, and he could direct the search for objects of power far better than she could. While she still retained a measure of power, it was almost a relief that she didn’t have to deal with the burdens of leadership over the course of the trip.

Brynne put any further thoughts out of her mind as she found a relatively flat piece of ground to place her bedroll. She set her pack down and realized that she was completely exhausted as she prepared to sleep. Travelling all day with hardly any rest, as well as the inability to sleep the night before, left her feeling drained.

She laid down on her bedroll and closed her eyes trying to think about anything but The Wall and the horrors that lay within.

She failed.

When her eyes closed, she could see the twisted shapes in the darkness, and she could hear the screams of the man who had been killed.

Brynne opened her eyes looking at the stars shining defiantly in the night sky. It was at that moment, as she lay there, staring up at the stars that she could feel it. She knew, deep down, that tomorrow was going to be a long day, but she could overcome it.

Tomorrow I will succeed she thought, but before that, she had another sleepless night ahead of her.