“There is always peace in a quiet death,” someone whispered behind her.
She didn’t have to turn to see who it was. She already knew, “Why did you give him that?”
“He asked for power, and I gave him power from one of the things I’ve collected.”
This time she did turn on him. Ripped herself from the peace of the water to look him directly in his now deep blue eyes that held no sorrow, no guilt, only wonder.
“You could have given him something that wouldn’t have killed him!”
Obsviden shrugged, “There would have been no fun or lesson in that.”
She got up to leave and opened a portal to Atta, where her friends were.
“Giving up on your own people?”
She stopped, regret sinking into the hole that she closed up. Was she? After everything, it had completely escaped her mind. How bad of a person did that make her? Only hours ago, her whole goal in life had been to bring her people back. She had given up many things along the way just for that. And now, she had forgotten? How could she have forgotten about the pit where all her people were held?
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“Is it even possible to bring them back?” she whispered. She refused to look at him. She didn’t want to see the satisfaction her question brought him. Didn’t want to see his teasing smile that always wanted her to ask for more.
The thought of bringing her people back, leaving here, and finding someplace else sounded too good to be true.
“You tell me.”
She sighed. Her shoulders were suddenly too heavy to allow herself to stand straight like a queen. Which was fine since now she wasn’t one. She had no kingdom or place to be.
“I don’t think so.”
“Giving up so soon?”
Her yellow eyes rose to meet his, now green. He had crossed his arms, his posture obscured, impatient.
He looked annoyed when she didn’t say a thing.
“You were so close. Did you know that?” he laughed and held up one finger that looked like pure marble in the dark, “One of the items you were told of would have taken you there. But you found yourself there anyway.”
The Shackled-Eye. The land of black ice.
She looked out to Ausrine’s ever-reaching mountains covering a slice of the dark, night sky.
“But how?” she asked.
He pointed to her and smiled mischievously, teeth gleaming white, “At the moment, it has the highest ratio of lost souls dwindling. Until they are freed. It’s interesting how far the powers of gods can reach, isn’t it? Almost more than any other power besides death. But I would consider this a piece of death’s power also.”
“But my people… when Sedeth had tried it, I’m sure my people hadn’t… weren’t...”
He shrugged again, still smiling. “Maybe there is something else trapped inside. Something big that died here long ago.”
“And they… they need to be free?”
“Break the ice, Airya. Break the ice.”