It didn’t take long at all to clear the immediate area of life. It’s really quite unfortunate for these creatures; they try to leave a place of danger, to create a safer life for themselves, but we cut them down for the sake of maintaining a pre-established status-quo. Even I can tell these creatures aren’t worth hunting for their energy.
Is it not possible to integrate at least some of them into the local wildlife?
“Aright. Well, it looks like if there ever was a higher tiered beast, it never came through here. It might’ve left from closer to the Chasm, but we don’t have the time to go that far. For now, I think it’s best to head back. See if we can spot anything we might have missed,” Remus says.
“Don’t you think it’ll be better to clear the path on our way down?” Jav asks. “I doubt we’ll find anything heading back the same way.”
“There’s no sign of anything too dangerous heading down the path. We may as well let the Fearn teams earn their pay.”
As we travel back to the abandoned camp, it becomes apparent that whatever terrified the wildlife is long gone. Signs of local wildlife have returned. The whistling songs of birds, the rabbits dashing to their burrows, and the chirping of crickets. They aren’t exactly frequent, but it tells us that whatever was here has moved on.
The issue is that we don’t know what the creature is, nor where it has gone. For all we know, it’s some unthinkable horror heading right for the garrison or some undefended village.
We arrive at the Fearn team’s camp, still as untouched as we left it. They haven’t returned while we were looking for them. It was unlikely to happen — considering how wide Jav’s search range is — but I’d still hoped for an optimistic resolution.
At least we don’t need to worry about dealing with their bodies, as horrible as that sounds.
I’d been thinking about Grímr’s apology. Thinking about my own feelings. While it is true that burials go against my tribe’s teachings, no one in my tribe would have reacted with as much hostility as I did. Upon reflecting, I realise that it’s my fear of entrapment messing with my thoughts.
I still think it’s one of the worst ways to treat the dead, but if I think of it as an eternal, impassible entrapment, then that would mean my tribe is still stuck under that cliff.
I cannot accept that.
I gave them a funeral pyre to send them off. There is no way that wasn’t enough to guide them to the Eternal Inferno. There were plenty of cracks through the earth for their deceased flames to escape.
The fleshy bodies of most creatures on the other hand, would have no way to break free of their tombs in death. Their bodies would not be found useful for those still living, and therefore, would be forever trapped with their decaying bodies.
Grímr’s proposition to cremate the corpses without making any use of them goes against my uncle’s teachings, but it doesn’t horrify me as much as burial. I can begrudgingly agree to this middle ground, even if I’m not happy with it.
Remus lets out a deep sigh at the sight of the camp. “There’s no way around it. We’ll just have to report their disappearance and the presence of a strong beast in the area. We can’t delay our return any longer than we already have.”
It’s rough. To know our efforts were for nothing is depressing. As strong as the members of this team are, if there’s no fight to take or road to follow, then nothing can be done. The Fearn team is missing, likely dead, and we have no explanation for it besides a few animals going quiet.
Is there some creature now roaming the Stepps that leaves no trace of its passing and can kill without dropping any remains? I can only hope other teams don’t go missing as well.
❖❖❖
It is dark when we finally return to the garrison. Remus and Jav head for the command building while a khirig guides the rest of us to the house we’ll be using for our stay here. It’s smaller than the cabin they have for themselves near Baansguard, but still plenty of room for the five of us. Fortunately, there’s a porch running around the front and side of the building. No couches like the team cabin’s verandah, but the few wooden chairs will be fine to sleep on.
The loud chattering from where the mercenaries collectively drink and gamble echoes off the buildings. Even as late as it is, there are still plenty enjoying themselves.
As I take a seat, Grímr eyes me from the front door. He seems to hesitate for a moment before lowering his head and moving inside.
I relax back into the chair and look up to the glowing red moon as Eldest Ember declares her presence. From here, it’s only possible to see the highest tip of the moon peeking over the Alps, but the Ember’s light still reaches us. The summit ridgeline is enveloped in the crimson light, silhouetting it from the sky above.
My fingers brush over the small pouch with Mum’s marble. I’ve not opened it in a long time now. I’ve come so close to losing it before that I don’t take it out for fear of dropping it.
I wonder what they would think about where I am. About what I’ve done. Mum, Eldest Ember, the rest of my tribe. Would they be proud that I’ve come so far? Might they be disappointed that I haven’t returned to the wasteland?
What would they think of all the people I’ve killed? Gloria, the Henosis soldiers, the Empire’s General, those at the mill. Would they think everyone I’ve killed was justified? Or say I should have found another way?
I don’t regret what I’ve done at all. But the thoughts of my family mean a lot to me. If they were to label what I’ve done despicable, I don’t know how I’d react. I’d be devastated, at the very least. After all that has happened in my struggle to survive, will they still welcome me when I return to the Eternal Inferno?
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These doubts are pointless. I’ll never know until I die, and I don’t plan to find out for a long time.
I continue watching the Ember Moon.
The Alps make it seem higher in the sky than I’m used to.
“Hello.”
I lower my gaze to the khirig rising the steps of the porch. It’s that man from when we first entered the garrison. I forgot his name.
“Hi.” I expect him to continue past me and knock on the front door. Instead, he drops into the chair next to mine.
“You’ve been on the tip of everyone’s tongue recently, you know? Nobody can stop talking about the young mage that Remus found out of nowhere.”
I’m unsure how to respond. It doesn’t really matter whether people are talking about me or not. If anything, it annoys me they think I’m a mage.
“So, Solvei right?” At my nod, he continues. “From one mage to another, tell me. Where did you learn? How do you hide your markings? You must have an excellent teacher to have caught old Remus’ eye.”
I look over the black markings etched into his antlers. Right, a mage. If it weren’t for the clear indication — and him saying so — I never would have thought he was one. His antlers make him an immense presence, far taller and bulkier than Ossian back at the cabin. Compared to the thinner stature of the mages from the Empire and even Leal’s scrawniness — for an ursu — he didn’t seem to fit the mould.
“I’m an áed,” I answer simply. Being so far away from the wasteland is rather inconvenient. At least in New Vetus the ursu knew of our race, even if the knowledge was limited.
“An áed? I’m sorry I’m unfamiliar with the term. Is that some albanic family?”
A bubble of irritation rises in my chest. I’m fine with him not knowing what I am, but being mistaken for an albanic bothers me.
“No! It’s my race.” I wreath my fingers in flickers and pull back on their physicality.
He stares for a moment before lighting up. “Oh! The fire people from Remus’ old stories. Damn, kid, you’re far from home. He used to tell many stories about his travels when I was your age. Your people were one of them.”
I look the khirig up and down. He calls Remus old, but I got the impression this man is old himself.
“How old is he?”
“Oh, he’s an absolute fossil. Been around for at least a good century and a half, at the very least. We suspect he’s long past two hundred, though.”
A hundred and fifty years? I thought he was old, but that’s insane.
I sit in silence for a moment, just considering how much he could’ve done in such a long life before my attention is dragged back to the khirig sitting next to me.
“What was your name?” I ask.
“What? Am I not interesting enough for you to remember after our first meeting?” His smirk is the only indicator that he’s joking. “I’m Hirsh, Mage of team Fearn-three.”
“What type of mage are you?” please be anything but a water mage.
“I’m a water mage.”
Damn it.
“Do you want me to give you a little showing?”
“No.” I scoot a little further away from him.
“Nonsense. My nieces and nephews love watching what I can do. I’m sure you will too.”
He rises to his feet and I stumble to my own not a moment later. Whatever he wants to do, I don’t want to be anywhere near. He walks down the steps and stands before the house, while I scamper off in the opposite direction and climb over the porch railing.
I crash into the ground. As I pull myself to my feet, I cast my sight back to watch an immense volume of water pouring out of the ends of his antlers. His markings glow a bright white-blue illuminating the waves of water rolling off his body. In the dark, post Ember-Moon night, the water is both as mystical as it is terrifying.
It seems to almost float as it leaves Hirsh’s antlers, but gravity soon takes hold and pulls it to the earth with the rest pooling around his legs. A mound of the liquid amasses around the khirig. It collects under his feet before lifting him off the ground, raising him on a pillar of water higher than the building.
I want to be ready if he does anything, so I scuttle backwards while keeping my eye on the water flowing around him.
The water stops gushing out the ends of his antlers and at the same time, several bright lines cease their glow. There are still other markings lit, unaffected by the dimming of nearby patterns.
He lifts his arms and new lines shine. Immediately, spinning discs emerge from the column of water. A grinding hiss rings out from the many rapidly rotating blades. Several of them spin around the water pillar, but most rush down to the puddle surrounding him. The blades of water tear through soil and rock as they speed away from his central water concentration.
I notice that each of the blades stop before reaching the end of his puddle of water on the ground, but they still cut through air and earth as they spin around his suspended body.
Calm, still, unmoving water is too much for me, so why do there have to be people able to wield it so terrifyingly freely like that?
The latest activated marking dims and the buzzing water discs fall into the puddle below.
“Solvei? Are you watching?” Hirsh turns to see me backing away on the far side of the house. “Why are you so far away? Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”
Another set of markings light up, this time much closer to the constantly lit ones. The water bunches up underneath him and carries him forward on a wave. He speeds after me at nearly the same pace as team Luis-Eight travels.
I twist and launch into a sprint, but without my wings I’m nowhere near fast enough. I’ve put some distance between us already, but it wouldn’t be enough.
“Stop it!” I shout desperately.
Is this really going to be my end? Not to the Empire responsible for hunting many of the áed. Not the Titan which tore my tribe from me. I’m going to go out not to some terrible evil, but to some overzealous idiot too excited about showing off?
No, I refuse. There must be some way and I will not give up until I’ve found it.
Droplets of water splash over me from the wave closing in on me. My oversized jacket stops most of it, but the water that breaches the exposed areas burn on contact. I ignore the stinging pain and pump my legs.
Jets of flame blast back into the wall of water closing on me. I pull back my inner flame so it isn’t myself touching the water. Hopefully, it scares him back from chasing me.
I hear his laugh from behind. “So you want to play, do ya? Alright, I’m game.”
He’s an absolute moron.
Instead of backing off, it only encouraged him more. My flamethrowers spearing into his wave do nothing but billow out steam. I only have the time to glance back for a moment to see him activating another set of markings.
I wish I could change my form in a second; that would solve everything right now. But I’m still stuck with a fifteen minute limit. I can’t switch to a bird for an easy escape, nor can I think of anything else that might save me now.
My only chance is if I can get into the building ahead of me. I’m still terrified of being locked inside. My arms stiffen even thinking about what I’m going to do. But it’s that or death.
Maybe if I hadn’t been so afraid, I could’ve hidden inside our team’s home instead of running away, but I’m already too far.
It feels like I’ve been running for ages, but barely a few moments have passed since he begun the chase. With each step I take, he cuts the distance between us, but I also close in on the door to my safety.
Something speeds by out of the corner of my eye. I turn to watch as a wall of water speeds around my side and curves ahead of me. Another from my other side does the same. Before I can react, they close in and seal off my only escape, completely encircling me with the khirig water mage.
I never made it inside the building, but the overwhelming pressure in my chest of being trapped burns.
I turn to face down the coming wave and the imbecile with it.
My flames smoulder around me, prepared to incinerate the khirig who will kill me, even if it’s the last thing I’ll do.
The droplets are agonising as they splash against my face, but I hold my glower at him.
“Fuck you!”