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Gage ran over to Hye-jun and dropped to his knees next to her. Her nose was clearly broken, she had a gash across her temple, and her lips were split in multiple places. It looked like this is where most of the blood around her had come from. With one eye swollen shut, the other rolled lazily to look at him. Hye-jun coughed some blood out and her lips trembled. It took Gage a moment to realize she was trying to smile.

“He-hell of a day to-to take off.” Hye-jun gritted out, wincing as she did so. Her voice was faint, quiet, and gravelly.

“Hold on Hye-jun. I’ll…” Her head rolled side to side, cutting Gage off.

She gasped, sucking in a breath. “L-look but do-don’t touch.” She winked and flinched. “I di-did all I cou-could.”

“Stop talking and let me work.” Gage closed his eyes and placed his hands onto her torso. He let his power flow. It rolled down his arms and into his palms. As his power reached out between them a painful shock sent him flying backwards! He tumbled a few feet away, gasping for breath. Gage struggled to his feet to see Hye-jun seizing, her back arching her chest into the air. Pain seared across her face even after she collapsed back to the mat.

Gage stumbled over to her and collapsed next to her. She spoke before he could. “I a-am t-too far. Pa-past my t-time.” Each word caused her to labor for breath. “I d-died hours ag-go. My p-power let me ho-old on f-for a while.” She paused to pant, as she did Gage stayed silent. Each breath hitched in his throat as he watched her struggle. “I wa-wanted K-kin he-ere when I g-go.”

“Hye-jun…” Tears were pouring down Gage’s face.

“Oh! This is fantastic!” Gage turned to stare at Ma’tuk with shock and horror. The archon continued. “My Lord. You are here in person! She believes! Hye-jun! You believe in Kin, right?”

Hye-jun tried to speak, but only a small gurgle came out. Gage snapped his eyes back to her face to see her nod, smiling. Her eye was wet as she matched Gage’s gaze. Confusion began to well up in him. Ma’tuk calmed down and moved to float on the other side of Hye-jun from Gage. “Normally,” The archon began, “You would have minions for this, but this is very good for you to know.”

“Know what, Ma’tuk?” Gage’s voice was strained. “What is going on?”

The orb bobbed down towards Hye-jun for a moment. “You can take her to the afterlife.”

“Wha-?”

“Shh!” Ma’tuk cut him off. “It is time my Lord. Reach out with your power. Watch.” Gage grabbed his power and let hit fill him entirely. His Breath and Nimbus swirled around inside him and pressed at his skin as if trying to break free. He watched as, from Hye-jun’s chest, a light blue glow seemed to overlay her body and then the light sat up.

Gage’s eyes widened and his heart sped up as he watched Hye-jun’s spirit sit up from her body, and then stand. All the injuries that marked her body were gone. Her spirit looked relaxed and relieved. “Da-,” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Daja… Hye-jun?”

The spirit turned to look at him with surprise. Her eyes widened. ‘Gage? You can see the dead?’ Her voice was echoey and faint. She squinted, looking at him closer. ‘No. Oh. OH! I knew there was something up with you!’ Her accusation was teasing as she smiled. ‘A god among mortals, eh? I thought maybe you were a child of divine lineage, but this explains a lot.’

As Gage stood a very odd sensation of vertigo ran through him. As his head stopped swimming, he looked around and gasped. His physical body was still kneeling next to Hye-jun. He now stood like her, a spiritual echo of himself. He was made primarily of his pink light, with green outlining him. “Hye-jun. I- “

‘Enough, I am serious. If you had tried, you would have been drained dry. Which may have been the point. We will get into that later.’ She smiled, a little sadly, and then stepped forward and hugged him. Gage wrapped his arms around her, sobs shaking him. ‘What are you crying about? You are acting like a child whose dropped a candy.’

“You’re dead! And people keep interrupting me today. And my freedom, life, whatever has been threatened. And I feel like I’m abandoning people who believe in me.” Gage was cut off from continuing his rambling by a hiccup. “And I’m not even physical and I have the *hicc*-ups!”

A soft thwap hit the back of his head, resetting him. ‘You really are a child. Gage, it’s okay. I’m fine.’ She raised a brow as he opened his mouth. ‘Yes, I am dead. But I am fine. Honest. The pain is gone, the burdens are gone. I know, I won’t be here to help people and yes, I am sure I could have done more, but I understand fully it is my time. Was my time. Kinda fought that a bit. I didn’t win. And that is OK!’

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Gage looked down at himself to avoid looking at Hye-jun, letting his sniffles run out. “I look like a fruit.” He grumbled. Hye-jun began to laugh and slowly Gage joined in, chuckling. As their laughter subsided, “I guess I’m glad we get to say good-bye.”

‘What are you talking about? You heard that gas ball. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.’ She stood back and crossed her arms over her chest. ‘You have to take me to the afterlife, my Lord Kin. Bout time I got some special treatment around here.’ She sniffed, nose in the air, before she glanced at Gage and smiled. ‘I am glad it is you, though.’

“You’re not mad? That I didn’t tell you?” Gage chuffed a foot at the sand.

‘Mad? No. I am happy. I am happy to know that such a good person, ah,’ She grinned, ‘A good god is watching over these people. You have gone out of your way to help them. Sure, you don’t go out and preach, but you treat them like the people they are.’ She put a hand on his shoulder. ‘That is more than even most mortals do.’

Gage sniffled once more, “Thank you Hye-jun.” He was silent for a moment before he looked around. Ma’tuk hadn’t moved or even said a word since either of them had stood up. “I have no idea what I am doing. Ma’tuk?” The archon didn’t move or speak. Instead, it just stayed there, floating in the exact same place. “Ma’tuk?” Gage reached out to touch the orb. Even giving it a light push, it stayed in place. “I guess I’m on my own with this.”

‘What am I? A ghost?’ Hye-jun’s mock hurt made the joke even worse and Gage groaned. As he looked around, he heard the sound of running water. Curiosity took him and he moved to the tent flap. Out of habit, he moved it aside and was surprised when it actually moved. Even more surprising was that instead of leading into the alley, Gage was now faced with a canyon. A very familiar canyon.

Gage waved for Hye-jun to come over. “I know where we are.” As Hye-jun joined him, he offered out his hand and she took it. Together they stepped out of the tent into the alley. As they did, Hye-jun’s ghostly form seemed to solidify. She looked almost exactly as if she was alive. Her hair, however, was the same shade of light blue as when she had been a spirit. “How are you doing?”

“Better, actually.” Her voice was back to normal, no longer the faint echo it had been. “After I had died, I felt fine at first, but the longer I stood there… It was like the wind was starting to pull at me, like it wanted to pick me up and blow me away.” They both turned to look back through the flap. The tent flap looked like it was made from the side of the canyon and through it they could still see the inside of the healer’s hut, just as they had left it.

“I want to show you something.” Gage turned and began to lead Hye-jun through the canyon. A sandy dirt path wound through small hills, desert plants growing all about. A creek ran through the canyon alongside them. “Hye-jun… what happened?”

Hye-jun’s face was a carefully built mask of neutrality, “I will state, and I mean it, I don’t think they meant it to go that far but they were unfamiliar with munshin and how they are built. The damage they did was more destructive than they had anticipated.” Gage saw her look at him out of the corner of his eye, but he kept his own face as neutral as possible. He could feel the pain and anger well up in him though. “It is not an excuse, just… a thought. I believe they just wanted to send a message. What it was, I am not certain. They said little.”

“I think I know what it was. Xarax knows who I am and wants me to submit to him. I think this…” He stopped talking to take a breath and try to calm himself. “I think this was a power move by him. To show me he could do what he wants. To show that he can.”

“Ah, well, I hope you don’t give in to him.” Gage turned in shock, which he was beginning to think all this shock was not going to be good for his heart, to face Hye-jun as they walked. “Gage’kin, I am serious. Don’t give in to him. With me gone, these people don’t have a proper healer anymore. They will have no one to defend them from Xarax’s faithful. It will be submit or die.”

Gage felt a bit of shame as his cheeks reddened. “I’m not a fighter Hye-jun. There is this feeling I have that he is more powerful than me as well. He has followers among the kumdahari and the settlement. I have more of the settlement, sure…”

“There are other ways to fight than with the sword.” Hye-jun sounded both amused and annoyed, something Gage had never thought someone could pull off. “Spread your faith. Get more followers than him. Convert some of his. You don’t have to be violent. Gain the power so that he cannot stand up to you.” She sighed. “Though you are right. I do think he will try to remove you if he can. If he thinks you are still here.” She looked deep in thought and Gage let her process the idea she had clearly obtained.

The two walked in silence for some time before she spoke again. “Let him think you left. The kumdahari would not support him if he just starts killing people, it is not his way. To remove your followers, and the settlers in general, he has a long way to go. If you stay, he will try to remove you though. One disappearing is easier to explain away than many.”

“But if I leave, it would be far easier for him to convert my faithful, right? Because I wouldn’t be here to keep spreading ‘the good word’?”

Hye-jun snorted. “Hardly. Religion spreads even when the god isn’t present, as long as the people believe. Also, don’t interrupt, it’s rude.” Gage grumbled and stuck his tongue out at her. When her head snapped to look at him, Gage was carefully looking away from her to study the waterway. She waited just a moment before continuing, “As I was saying, if he thinks you are still here.” Gage could see the canyon opening up ahead of them. They stepped through into Gage’s Haven.

As they did, Hye-jun turned towards Gage and took his hand. Looking him dead in the eyes, “Gage’kin. You need to hide in plain sight and gather your strength. I want you to take my form and place.”