Daylight peeked through the curtains of Xoital’s bedroom, where she and Elysia slept. Dew from the night’s mist had condensed onto the window, texturing the glass as it sparkled with light. The wind whistled gently against the pane, brushing the water drops across the clear canvas. As the moisture accumulated, the clanging of utensils softly rang from the kitchen. Xoital was the first to awaken. The smell of her mother’s cooking was always a pleasant start to her day. She looked over at Elysia, who slept on a smaller mattress beside her. Quietly, she snuck out of the room and headed towards the kitchen.
Just as Xoital chose not to disturb her, Elysia opted not to reveal her wakefulness. Instead, she used this solitary time to quietly contemplate the events of the previous night. The image of the shattered moon flashed in Elysia's mind, accompanied by a wave of regret. She couldn't help but replay the events, consumed by thoughts of what she could have done differently.
“I would not recommend wallowing in your past blunders first thing in the morning,” Ayii chimed in, watching Elysia replay the memory.
Yeah, well, the fact you called it a ’blunder’ makes me regret it even more, Elysia thought, breaking out of her depressing daydream. For a moment, she forgot she had a divine being inside of her, experiencing everything the same as herself.
Letting out an audible sigh, she sat up and stretched in an attempt to shake off the morning grog and her emotions. Although her sleep wasn’t completely rejuvenating, she enjoyed the comfort of modern inventions. A soft mattress that hugged your shape was infinitely more comfortable than the straw & Lemm fur-stuffed pads she and the Keepers had endured. After a moment, she got up and walked out of the room.
The aroma cleared her thoughts enough for her to notice the emptiness in her stomach. Yesterday had been so eventful that she had all but forgotten about food. The scent of cooked meat excited her taste buds, and her mouth began to water.
“Good morning,” Elysia greeted her hosts as she entered the kitchen.
“Buenos días [Good morning],” Xende smiled at Elysia. Her attention quickly returned to cooking.
“Good morning, Elly!” Xoital hopped past her mother with a thin strip of meat she promptly handed to Elysia.
Elysia unabashedly consumed it.
A look of humorous surprise grew on Xoital, “I guess we didn’t feed you yesterday,” she laughed.
Relishing the salted glory of the food she devoured, Elysia grinned with a hint of embarrassment, “Sorry, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“No need to apologize,” Xoital reassured as she hopped past her mother once more and grabbed another strip to give Elysia. A knock on the door broke through the clanging of dishware and sizzling of oil. Xoital raced over to answer it.
Choosing to bathe in the aromatics of the meal being prepared, Elysia sat by a faded wooden table that was in desperate need of refinishing. She watched Xende prepare the food, noticing the sleek stovetop releasing steady blue flames under a silver pot. The kitchen, with all of its modern technology, cleanly shaped housings, and counters, still mirrored what Elysia remembered from her time.
The material was of higher quality, harmoniously combining metal, wood, and stone to achieve its functions. Gray stone countertops, where Xende placed plates, were supported on perfectly square dark wood cabinets, with a matching set floating just above her head. A silver metal sink sat on the fringe of the counters, and beside the fancy cooking stove stood a tall metal box that revealed containers of liquid and vegetation whenever Xende opened it.
Savoring her sample, Elysia watched Xende tend to the food in delight, humming a melody to herself.
“Xende,” Elysia gently called.
Finishing her last stir, Xende met Elysia’s eyes. As they stared at each other, Elysia could see that she had already moved on from whatever stress she experienced. Her energy was calm and light, dancing around her as she happily prepared breakfast without a trace of animosity.
“I -” Elysia stopped herself. She could tell from Xende’s expression that her apology was unnecessary.
Xoital’s mother walked to Elysia and softly rested her palm against her cheek. Her warmth was all the reassurance necessary. From their silent exchange, two words swelled within Elysia, spoken by Ayii, who watched along: “Let go.”
Xende smiled and returned to the stove. Elysia finished her meat strip just as a familiar voice caused her to perk up. Ishh walked in, greeting Xende with a kind embrace.
“Just the woman I wanted to see. Good morning, Elysia.” Ishh said, making his way to her.
“Good morning,” she muttered through her chewing, trying not to choke.
He sat in the chair against the wall, moving through Xoital’s home with the comfort only displayed by a regular guest.
“How are you feeling today?” he inquired, placing his jacket on the back of his chair.
As Xoital approached the table, encumbered by dishware, Ishh rose to assist her, centering each piece evenly in front of every chair.
“I am tired,” Elysia explained. Ishh, returning to his seat, fixated on Elysia.
“I see, “ he responded as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing shimmering tattoos etched on his almond-brown skin that ran up his forearms underneath. His blue shirt fit snugly against his broad chest, causing the buttons that ran down its center to stretch their threading. His build complimented his stature; not only was he large, but he was also incredibly fit. Elysia could only assume this was a result of military-style training attributed to his title of rebel captain. Her eyes returned to his ocean-blue ones that watched her back.
“Well, I hope you are not too tired. I am here for a reason.”
Xende and Xoital came to the table with platters of food, rested them in the center, and then took their seats.
“I contacted the other captains and told them of the ambush at our satellite base in the Gale. Then, I explained to them the woman we found who could bring life back to nature.”
As they ate, Ishh continued, “They want to meet you.”
Elysia listened to Ishh explain the potential of what was to come if the other captains of the Rebellion accepted her.
“We could continue to grow and remove Ome from the seat of power in Zephyr—” Ishh paused and stared into Elysia’s eyes, silent. After a long lull, Xoital spoke.
“You okay there, Captain?”
The golden glow of her irises consumed his full attention.
“Ishh!” Xoital scolded, seeing Elysia’s discomfort grow.
“Forgive me,” Ishh said, reclaiming his thoughts and motor skills. “But were your eyes always that way?”
The two women looked at each other, unsure if the knowledge gained last night should be divulged to Ishh. Xoital trusted him; she knew his intentions and motives were good, but she was unsure of the other captains. Such sensitive information—of a god existing within a mortal—may not be received with grace and excitement.
“He is kin.” Ayii chimed in, sorting through Elysia’s indecisive feelings. “We can trust him.”
“Where do I start,” she began, trusting Ayii’s opinion. “I was sent five hundred years into the future by another. He and I are bound to two halves of a God that once maintained the balance of Xyria. I am tethered to ‘Ayii’, the god that wants to bring harmony back to the world. And He is tethered to ‘Uou’, the one who created the corrupted world you know today.”
Ishh was silent. Elysia could see him processing the information and deciding how to respond.
“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words, Captain.” Xoital teased. “It looks terrible on you.”
Xende gently grabbed Elysia’s hand, “I knew, with all my heart, that the stories shared through my family were true.” She began to tear up. “Welcome back, Mother.”
“So you aren’t Scarred?” Ishh finally spoke.
“Yes, your powers come directly from me,” Ayii answered
“Yes. My powers come directly from Ayii. In fact, She was the one who saved you when we met with the Guardians.” Elysia replied.
Ishh stood up and moved to the living room.
“I will let you three talk,” Xende offered as she gathered the silverware and dishes from the table.
Xoital and Elysia followed Ishh, who had already begun to pace about. Xoital took her place against the edge of the hallway while Elysia stood near the same sofa she had communed with Ayii on the night before.
“I had heard about a cataclysmic battle between gods once when I was a child. Rebels my father commanded spoke of such things.” Ishh ceased pacing and looked to Elysia. “They said it changed the landscape – created these very islands and left us and the planet with Scars. I assume you know what Scars are?”
“Yes! I explained them in great detail to her.” Xoital interjected with glee, happy to provide intel before Ishh.
Ishh continued to pace. “So you know how they work?”
Elysia shook her head, “Xoital told me what they were, but-” she paused as she caught Xoital staring at her. “-but she may have forgotten to mention how they work.”
Xoital’s stare sharpened.
Ishh turned to Elysia and pulled a glob of water from his jacket. She felt the coolness as it passed her, placing itself inches above Ishh’s palm in a loose, spherical shape.
“Scars allow us to manipulate the element of its affinity. Fundamentally, we are manipulating it through a sort of telepathy. My Water Scar lets me speak with the molecules of water, and they move accordingly.”
The orb of water extended into a loop that encircled his hand.
“Right now, I am communicating with it, thinking about it rotating and maintaining its shape around my hand. It hears my thoughts but chooses to listen because of my will.
“Your will?” Elysia asked.
“It goes by many names depending on who you ask: will, conviction, resolve, determination. The list goes on, but it all points to the same inner strength needed to achieve a goal. The stronger your will, the more the element will do for you.”
The water slowed its rotation, freezing into a solid sphere of ice. Ishh dropped his hand and began to pace again while the orb orbited him like a moon caught in his gravity.
“The same is true for all the elements: Water, Fire, Air, and Nature. We Scarred must have a purpose and ambition to control our connection to the elements; otherwise, we are mere mortals, chained to the same fate of subjugation on Zephyr.”
The ice sphere softened and melted back into water as Ishh sent it back into his jacket.
“Nature Scars, in particular, are special. They can revitalize the land, bringing life back to plants and making the land fertile. Their power is by far the most precious and sought after- but theirs comes at a cost.”
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“A cost?” Elysia asked.
“I haven’t seen it myself since Ome is quick to capture Nature Scars, but we have sources that say they tend to have shorter life spans. The current theory is that these Nature Scars exchange their life force to give life back to nature.”
“Interesting,” Ayii reacted.
“And you said Ome is capturing these Nature Scars? Do you know why?” Elysia inquired.
“He is using them to grow crops,” Xoital said, answering for Ishh. “Zephyr is primarily a mining society. The islands are dense with valuable, extraterrestrial ore that Ome sells to other societies. Nature Scars can command not only plant life but land as well, so he uses them for mining. What he mines, he sells for goods that supply his military. Then, he uses the Nature Scars he enslaves to revitalize his crops to control the food supply of Zephyr. Farming is forbidden on the islands if they are not under the control of Ome. That is why he and his family have ruled for so long – he controls the food.”
“And because Nature Scars tend to die younger when using that aspect of their power, he constantly searches Zephyr and the Land Below for anyone that possesses this Scar to keep his slave count high and retain control of the food supply,” Ishh added, approaching Elysia.
“This is why your power is so pivotal to our cause. Please, tell me, do you recall any level of pain when you rejuvenated the field we were in?”
“No,” Elysia responded after thinking for a moment.
“There is no such cost with my power,” Ayii added. “I am the god who created all of this. Well, half of the god.”
“Ayii says using Her power has no cost,” Elysia said, divulging the words of the severed god.
“If they are remnants of excess energy during our fights with Imal and Uou, then Scars are only fragments of My true power. Do not worry, my dear. I kept you here for 500 years, and your life will not be traded on this journey. I promise.”
“Remarkable,” Ishh said as he walked over to Elysia. “You can speak with her right now?”
“Yes,” Elysia replied, hesitating at Ishh’s closing proximity.
“What else did she say?”
“Uh, that Scars are only a fraction of her power.”
Ishh leaned in for another look into her eyes. “Truly, remarkable…” he whispered to himself.
“He seems to be quite taken by you, don’t you think, dear?” Ayii teased.
“Give her some breathing room, you creep,” Xoital rolled her eyes.
Ishh stepped back from Elysia’s face, realizing the awkwardness he created. His hands moved to adjust the collar of his jacket but grabbed the air. He then moved to retrieve his jacket.
Xoital, seeing Ishh gather his things, ran to her room to change out of her pajamas.
“So, you want me to grow crops for the Rebels? Create competition against Ome?” Elysia asked, shaking off the awkwardness.
“No, but I have a plan,” Ishh spoke, motioning towards the door as he put on his jacket. “We must meet with the rest of the rebel captains first so I can get approval. Come.”
Elysia picked up her cloak and followed the rebels out.
----
With the suns setting and halfway to their destination, they stopped on a small, baron island to set up camp for the night.
“I think it is pertinent that we ensure you can control nature at will. The other captains will want to see you do it.” Ishh proposed.
The mist recondensed over the floating islands as it did the night before, concealing the travelers. It was dark, but the glow of the shattered moon held strong, pushing through and giving the islands a silver ambiance. As Xoital took charge of building the tents for the night, Ishh and Elysia walked over to a withered bush.
“If you can, please bring this bush back to life.”
Resting her hands on it, she closed her eyes, attempting to find the sensation from the last time she revitalized grass. As she concentrated, the world faded, and she found herself once again within her inner sanctum, appearing in the field containing the black house where she first spoke with Ayii.
In front of her was a small, pale gray bush. Reaching out to touch it, it rigidly rocked in place. A feeling of relief washed over Elysia, seeing the bush remain solid and not melt to ash as it did before. She looked up and felt the warm sunlight on her face and appreciated the lack of thunderous clouds. Her head turned to the black abode in the distance, setting her sights on Ayii as she approached.
“Hello, dear,” she greeted, “I see you’re still struggling to access my power.”
Elysia nodded, “Is there something I’m missing? I thought when the corruption that separated us was removed, we could bond again?”
Ayii walked around the bush, meeting Elysia.
“Ishh described it well – your will dictates how deeply you can connect with the elements. When we were bonded back then, you had a conviction that burned like the suns. You were determined to stop Imal and bring harmony back to Xyria. This place was a paradise.” Ayii stretched her hand past Elysia, presenting the current state of her inner sanctum, “But it is no such place at the moment.”
Seeing the darkness that clung to the house, the muted tone of the field, and the dark clouds that still hugged the horizon, Elysia’s relief faded.
“What do I need to do?”
Ayii looked at her with sympathy, “My dear, you are still holding on to that pain from your previous transgressions. There is fear and doubt all over you.”
Elysia quickly turned her head away, Ayii’s words striking the right chord.
“Your actions may have brought harm to some, but your intentions were in the right place,” the severed god reached out to hug Elysia, but Her attempt was stifled by rejection.
“Life is the dance partner of Death. They will dance regardless of your interference,” Ayii stated, with firmness in her tone. “Whether you threw the moon or grew a tree, mortals will live and die.”
Tears beginning to well up, Elysia marched towards the black home without a word.
Entering the front door, the foyer lit up. White marble reached ahead until it met a large white double door that sat within a tall, plain white wall. The ceiling was traced with intricately detailed marble carvings that encircled the foyer, expanding from the epicenter that held a modest gold candle chandelier. Half columns rose up to the vaulted marble as they framed several other doors covered in shadow adjacent to the front door. Black granite console tables sat next to each portal, holding a single familiar object atop.
Elysia walked to the nearest door on her right, wiping the tears before they could fall. As she moved closer to the table, the object that rested upon it became more recognizable. It was a pendant – carved circular jade with an embedded bar of gold touching from end to end, with a leather tie looped through it. She felt a warmth slowly rise within as she picked it up.
“A pendant?” she thought.
The warmth grew stronger as a memory began to reform.
“My… pendant.”
Elysia clasped the pendant in hand. A feeling of nostalgia developed as she looked at the door next to the console.
“A proud moment in your life when your will and confidence were at its peak.”
The shadow that hovered over the door nearby dissipated, revealing a dense stone with familiar mortar patterning. With the pendant in hand, Elysia pushed the stone door open. The light from the foyer could not penetrate the pitch-black threshold of the room. The air from it was stiff and moist. Hesitant to walk in, Elysia looked back to Ayii, who encouraged her to proceed.
“You have to rediscover it yourself. I will be watching.”
Elysia entered the darkness with the stone door slowly closing behind her. As she stood in the uninterrupted black, the moist air began to move. A warm breeze lifted her curls. Voices could be heard riding the wind. Familiar voices, though, she could not pinpoint exactly whose.
The darkness slowly started to lift as the voices became clearer.
“Chanting?” Elysia thought.
The fading darkness revealed the ground she stood on. Dirt appeared all around her, and a small light popped into existence—a flame that created a show of shadows from the figures around it. The chanting swelled and faded, and a collective, asynchronous clap erupted right before the figures began to disperse.
With the darkness completely gone, Elysia found herself standing in a small clearing. Tall, lush trees encircled the space, obscuring the horizon. With the sun low, it was difficult to tell if it was dawn or dusk as an orange glow bathed the treetops. She saw several figures around a firepit, all dressed in brown, tattered cloaks. She glanced down at her hand and noticed the pendant was gone.
Her awareness of the pendant caused the cloaked figures to notice her, all turning at once. As they approached, Elysia felt her heart rate elevate. Panic simmered amidst the warmth that had built since she entered the strange room. Their faces were submerged in the shadow of their hoods as they moved closer.
“Elysia?” a shaky male voice sounded.
The voice dispelled the waking panic within her. The man who spoke removed his hood, revealing a face weathered by time. His dark brown eyes sunk in, contrasting his fair skin with brush strokes of grey painted throughout his beard and hair. As he moved closer, the other figures all removed their hoods in recognition of Elysia. His cloak shifted, parting slightly as he walked, allowing a glimmer of gold and green jade to peek from underneath.
He met her eye with an expression of pleasant delight at the sight of her and reached his hand for her. Without hesitation, Elysia accepted his offer, placing her hand in his. The two walked into the trees with the rest of the cloaked figures.
A serene quiet followed them as they walked through the forest, periodically masked by the melody of birds. The canopy filtered light rays onto their cloaks, creating kaleidoscopic shadows that rolled on them as they moved.
The trees broke open, bringing them to the foot of a dark grey stone building similarly patterned like the door to the room. As her eyes lifted, following the jagged grooves of masonry upward, the man who spoke earlier stepped into her view, obscuring the source of a great pillar of golden light that reached into the sky.
“It is time.” He spoke.
Despite her jumbled thoughts, Elysia willingly accepted the words of the familiar stranger.
They surrounded Elysia as the orange sky faded to black, and after a moment, they broke apart, revealing the stone walls of an inner chamber. Her clothes had changed as well. She, too, was draped in the tattered Keepers linens. Watching them spread out into a line facing one of the walls, she filled the space they left in the middle. Once she was in place, the texture of the wall dulled. It melted to the ground and took shape as a long, dirt path directly before Elysia. After a brief moment, people grew out of the dirt in a single-file line that stretched far beyond what her eyes could see.
The first person hobbled forward and humbly reached his hand to her. She gently cupped it, allowing the warmth she was feeling to flow into the man. As it did, his hunch straightened, and he stood tall. He shared a gracious smile, kissed her hands, and walked away.
The next person approached, presenting her shaky hands to Elysia. Gently, she placed her hand atop them, allowing her warmth to be shared with this woman as well. The woman’s trembling subsided as she raised her face and smiled. She kissed Elysia’s hands and walked away.
This went on for what felt like days. One after another, people in need approached Elysia, received her warmth, and walked away renewed – sure of their life’s purpose. As she continued to heal and guide people, the line never seemed to end. Her warmth maintained its same strength regardless of how many she shared it with.
More time passed, and Elysia continued to help without rest. What seemed like days now felt like years, but the line was near its end. As the last person approached, Elysia reached her hands to them, awaiting reception. The person’s hand reached out and poured golden light into Elysia.
The repetitious process had locked Elysia into a trance, but the light from the stranger caught her attention as it filled her eyes with the same glow.
“Help me, Elysia,” the luminant stranger pleaded.
Elysia held their hand as she had done countless times before and poured her warmth into them. Once she did, the stranger clasped Elysia’s hands back.
“Please,” they asked again with pain in their voice.
The chamber began to tremble. Cracks formed through the walls and floor, seeping golden light from the outside. As the space started to fall apart, Elysia tried harder, forcing her warmth into the stranger again with no effect. Seeing that her warmth was an impotent salve, she thought about what Ishh and Ayii had said about ‘will’ and searched herself for it.
With their grip weakening, Elysia felt the looming danger if she failed. Saving this last person meant more than soothing their affliction; it meant saving herself. The burning warmth transformed into a determination that rooted itself in Elysia’s heart.
The walls of the chamber were almost completely gone, and the golden light that crept in was replaced by shadow that rapidly pooled. Elysia watched the stranger deteriorate as all the light in the room succumbed to the growing abyss.
“El-” The stranger’s voice fainted in a ghostly echo as the darkness consumed them.
Peering into the void, where the horizon and the seemingly endless line of the needy once awaited her, Elysia felt the gnaw of corruption once more. It had reached her hands that once clasped the golden stranger’s.
Her thoughts became a garbled mess. The darkness clung to her as it did the black house. The pressure it placed on her made it hard to move away.
“Ayii...” she whimpered as fear began to take root, attempting to remove what little determination she had developed in her efforts.
rest now
A perverse idea traveled across the darkness. Its malice pierced her chest, actively uprooting her inner strength. It pulsed against the rhythm of her heartbeat. Her arms went numb. Her legs were heavy, and the shadow had made its way up her torso, over her chest, and worked up her neck.
The weight of it all took its toll. Just as her eyes began to roll back, Elysia caught a glimpse of a pair of golden eyes staring at her from the abyss. Sinister, unblinking, radiant eyes.
Give in, Elysia.
A familiar voice accompanied the intrusive thought this time. It spoke in a low, menacing tone that sounded off the alarm in her body. A voice she had not heard in 500 years that reminded her entire being of endless pain. Elysia’s eyes widened as their own glow erupted through the darkness that had all but devoured her. Their shine chipped away at the shadow with increasing force.
Washing away the darkness like a sudden burst of water into a stream, Elysia removed the bind of corrupting tendrils. She stared back, unblinking. Looking into the eyes that mirrored her own, feeling the evil intent, hearing the voice of the one who put her in this position – it fueled her. Her determination found its seat again as the darkness of the abyss receded, fading back into the golden light that wrapped the chamber before.
“No,” Elysia said, resolve affixed to her tone. “You cannot have me.”
Her shine expanded from her eyes, painting her body in light like the severed god of benevolence that resided in her.
“And you will return what you have stolen.” Elysia’s voice boomed.
As it neared its full recession, His eyes remained, beaming into Elysia’s, looking for a gap in her sudden strength.
Will I now…
His eyes closed, and the darkness completely abated.
Elysia fell to her knees. The golden void softened, feathering back into the misty island where Ishh eagerly anticipated her attempt to revitalize a withering bush. Elysia’s eyes opened, seeing the gray plant in front of her. Her hands rested on the tips of its branches before she retracted them to wipe away the forming tears.
“Are you okay?” Ishh asked, noticing the sudden change in Elysia’s demeanor.
“Yes,” she whisked away the last of her emotions.
She replaced her hands on the bush and let her mind wander to the Keepers and the endless pilgrims she helped once before. The feeling of fulfillment that grew from guiding those to the Light of Xyus awakened her resolve, steeling her will.
The bush rustled, and color radiated from Elysia’s hands into it. A dark brown consumed the branches as dark green leaves budded and bloomed instantaneously. Life continued to pour into the bush, giving way to flower buds that scattered around it. Elysia smiled, satisfied with her effort; she released the bush and looked at Ishh.
“Fantastic,” he complimented her with a pat on the shoulder. “Well done, Elysia.”
“Well done, indeed, my dear,” said Ayii.
Ishh offered his hand to assist her off the ground. She looked at it for a moment and smiled as she stood up on her own.
“Right,” Ishh said and retracted his hand.
They turned to head back to Xoital, who had finished setting up the discreet camp for the night.