“Alright, the base is just beyond here. There will be guards around…” Collin said quietly. “We have to-” he cut off as a deafening roar of thunder exploded.

“What?” Tella looked around wildly. “Did they blow something up?”

“No… That was thunder.” Demus said in a strange voice. “But… The sky…”

“Was clear. Look!” Collin pointed. Clouds were rolling in, quickly with the force of a hurricane. The sky grew dark and bolts of lightening flickered violently.

“What’s going on?” the wanderer asked. “Do storms come up this quickly all the time?”

“No.” Collin said. “It almost never rains down here…” with a final clap the clouds released their rain. There was no light warming up drizzle, just a sudden pounding of blinding painful rain.

“Maybe this is a trick of the Areans?” Demus shouted above the roar.

“No way….” Collin shouted back.

“We have to get out of here!” the wanderer said, “As much as I hate to suggest it, we can’t see anything in rain like this, and we’ll be easy targets if we’re spotted.”

“But… Will…” Tella said, “We…”

“Come on,” Demus said laying his hand on her shoulder, “If we can’t see Will in this torrent, then neither will the Areans.”

“But what if they already have him?” she asked.

“Then there is nothing we can do. Let’s go for now and pray that Will’s idiot’s luck holds out.” Demus said.

 

 

Will’s ‘idiot’s luck’ is feeling a little stressed right now. Fairien thought as he watched the group struggle away. Well, at least they were leaving.

 

 

Uggg… I’m soaked… Will thought unhappily. Where was Fairien?

“I shouldn’t have to rely on him. I’m going to get out of here myself.” Will said softly as he stood up. He wasn’t really scared of being seen right now, since the rain pounded down so heavily he couldn’t see five feet in front of him. Of course, while this kept him safe from the guards, it also made it very difficult to tell if he was going in the right direction.

 

 

Stupid rain! Mahito cursed. How dare it! This was his moment of triumph. Not that a little rain was going to stop him, he smiled. Ah yes. There was one of Tella’s companions now, running along, blindly in the rain. It was that boy from before. Mahito started after him.

 

 

Fairien made sure that the group was moving off in the right direction and then turned his attention back to Will.

Alright now- AAK! WILL! he cursed watching Will stumble blindly farther into the base as Mahito chased after him.

Will! Fairien shouted into his mind, Can’t you do what your told for once?! Mahito is behind you!!

“What?!” Will shouted and turned to see that Fairien was right. He cursed and ran harder.

Idiot! Why didn’t you stay where I told you to stay?! Fairien demanded. You could try staying alive, you know, just as a change of pace. You never know, you might like it!

It doesn’t matter! Help me or stay out of this! Will panted as he ran.

You… Ugg! How can I help you?! Turn right here. You won’t listen to me! Run strait, there is an exit about thirty feet from you. Your friends think your dead by now, and very soon they may be right!

Oh come on Fairien, be an optimist for once! Will said. Look, I’m through the gates now!

That doesn’t mean a thing if that general catches you! He doesn’t like you, remember?

He doesn’t like anybody!

He especially doesn’t like you!

Huh, well that’s rude. I never did anything to him. Will said.

You defied him.

So?

Just run. I’m tired of arguing with you. Fairien sighed wearily.

Haha, I win.

You do not.

Do too.-AAK! Will squeaked as he felt his body go numb and he tripped, falling to the ground. He had been shot, he realized with some kind of spell… But Mahito hadn’t had any weapon to channel magic through… he thought numbly

Will! Will, get up! Will!

 I can’t…

“So, the boy from before.” Mahito said grinning, looking down on Will’s pathetic soaked form. “You sang nicely, however, I won’t forget how you defied me.”

See? I told he would carry a grudge.

Shut up.

“… That was very interesting. No one has ever been able to resist my strongest magic. Yet, you did. Very strange indeed. Tell me boy, how did you do it?”  Mahito had laced his voice with powerful magic once more and Will wanted very badly to give into it. He was so tired and his whole body hurt from the spell. But he made a small fist and glared up at Mahito, drawing strength from anger. How dare he asked about Fairien! He would never give Fairien’s secret to someone like this! Mahito sighed in boredom, looking down at Will’s angry face.

“Fine then, boy. Have it your way. You weren’t much fun. I’ll leave you to the dogs. I have more important business.” With that he brought his hands together, chanting a low spell, smiling darkly. Black forms appeared around them. Large, growling black forms, with dripping fangs and wet noses. Will was still unable to move without terrible pain. Mahito smiled darkly.

“Good bye boy.” He said and disappeared. Will gasped. He had never seen anyone disappear like that! No one was supposed to be able to do that, even Will with his small understanding of magic, knew that.  The large black dogs growl lowly and tightened their circle around their prey. Will caught his breath and tried to stand, but fell again into the wet mud.

Fairien… What can I do? Will asked, trying to fight back desperation and fear.

Don’t panic. Fairien said, though, his voice betrayed how frighten he was. He paused for a moment as one of the beasts, snarled and jumped foreword, stopping just above Will, looking down at him.

Will… Do you trust me? Fairien asked.

Yes. Of course. Will answered, watching the beasts. And that was the last thing Will knew.

 

 

“We have to find some place dry. I can’t stand this anymore!” Tella complained.

“Mmm…” the wanderer made an agreeable noise but looked away sadly. Tella glared at her.

“Hey! Come on! We can’t do anything if we die out here!”

“Don’t worry wanderer. Everything will work out.” Collin said to her. “Will won’t let them catch him!”

“Yes, he’s a sailor. That means he has to be resourceful in tough situations.” Demus said.

“Mmm.. Yes… But… I don’t think we need to stop going right now. We should keep walking through the night and then at dawn circle around and see if we can’t find Will.”

“Oooh! Come on! Can’t we even take a break?!” Tella asked.

“Yes. We should do that.” The wanderer said. “And… I want to try and contact Lord Azrael. We won’t be in Hailia much longer and it may be harder to contact him when we get in Area.”

“Yes. That’s a good idea.” Demus said.

“…If you contact him, pray for Will.” Tella said. “He’s used his idiot’s luck too many times already.”

 

 

 

The first thing Will was aware of was that his head hurt. Really bad. He groaned and sat up. He was covered in mud and his body felt gross and sticky.

“Fairien…?” he muttered trying to focus his eyes. It was still raining, but not as hard. “Umph?” he blinked, clearing his eyes and saw Fairien looking at him from a few feet away. His eyes were round, as though in terror, but there was also a strange emptiness in them as well. Will looked groggily around. What had happened to those dogs?

“Will.” Fairien said. His voice was soft, but tired and strained.

“Fairien what-” he began as he rose up. And then Will saw them. Piled around him, the dead corpses of the dogs. He caught his breath in horror at their terrible bloody wounds. Some had their heads, literally ripped off…. Had Fairien… He shivered and then looked down at himself. Dark blood was caked all over him, some fresh, some dried. He struggled to stay upright, but found his legs refused to work. Will began to fall, but Fairien strode jerkily over to him and caught him, holding him up.

“F-Fairien…” Will cried out painfully. “What’s… what’s happening?… What happened?”

“Will…” Fairien tried to speak but was unable to begin.

“What have I done?!” he demanded.

“No! It wasn’t you!” Fairien said loudly, “You didn’t do this...”

“But… It’s… The blood… Is on my hands.” Will protested weakly as his eyes stared hollowly foreword.

“No, no…” Fairien was trying to explain.

“The blood… It’s on my hands… But… I don’t remember… What did I do?”

 

 

Fairien wanted to reassure Will, but he had no idea how he could. He first had to get some kind of control on himself.

“C-Come on Will.” he ordered, pulling Will away from the littered clearing. The first thing he had to do was get Will out of here… Maybe if he hurried, he could get Will back with his friends and-

No. That wasn’t happening. At least not yet. They needed to talk. But Will didn’t seem to be capable of talking right now. Fairien wasn’t sure if he was either.

Will was silent as he let Fairien lead him. Such a terrible empty fear was consuming him. Not just because of the corpses… but because of… Fairien closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about it right now. He should get Will cleaned up and find him some place dry to sleep. Maybe then he could get Will to come back.

“Fairien…” Will said in a dull quiet voice, “I’m tired.”

“I know.” Fairien said softly trying to sooth him, “Just hang on a little longer.” Fairien could hear a stream of water bubbling from up ahead. He moved Will toward it.

“Try and clean yourself up.” Fairien said letting Will sit on the bank. There’s a cave over there, see it? I’ll take your clothes and dry them over there while you get clean… O-Okay?” Will nodded absently and began to slowly take off his soaked and dirty clothes. Fairien rinsed Will’s clothes and got as much to the blood out as he could, before retreating to the cave to hang Will’s garments to dry.

 

 

The wanderer paused walking softly away from the group. She didn’t want to look like a fool, trying to call Azrael, and failing, which is what she believed she probably would do.

“Wanderer….?” A voice called after her. She turned and looked back to see Demus watching her.

“Ah yes?”

“Are you going to bring Lord Azrael here?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know. I’m going to try and contact him. I don’t know if I even can though.”

“Would you like me to help? I don’t think I should try a summoning, but perhaps contact would be possible.”

“Yes.” The wanderer drew out her staff and concentrated into it. It glowed softly but after a moment, it faded. She pulled back and gazed at it in despair.

“That’s all that I did before, the other times, he was just there…” she trailed off.

“Other times…” Demus said quietly. “… I wonder, could I try?” he asked. The wanderer nodded and handed him the staff. Demus studied it a moment, then held it up. The staff began to glow, but then disappeared, reappearing in the wanderer’s hands. Demus shook his head smiling.

“I guess it only likes you.”

“I guess.” The wanderer said. “But I don’t even know how to use it. Everything I try, fails.”

“Then maybe, it’s not time yet. Maybe it’s waiting for something.”

“Maybe. But I would have thought that… Lord Azrael would come. He said he would come again…”

“We cannot understand beings like him.” Demus said. “We must be content with our confusion if we are to lead our lives.”

“I suppose so…” the wanderer said, starting back toward the make shift camp. For now they would wait. There was nothing more that could be done.

 

 

Will was dry now. And clean. He lay curled up at the other end of the cave. Fairien watched him and fed the small fire. It would have been dangerous to light such a fire, but Fairien was making sure no one came close enough to see it. He really didn’t need to worry. The rain was still pounding down as hard as ever and no one would have come this far out into the woods.

“Will?” he said softly. Will made a soft noise of recognition but didn’t move. “Will, about what happened back there-”

“I don’t want to know.” Will said quietly.

“I know, but you need to know. I-”

“Please… Fairien.” Will said still not turning around, “I don’t want to think about it right now.” Fairien paused, then nodded and looked away, out into the night.

 

 

The morning came too swiftly. The wanderer yawned and gazed up at the hazily lit sky. They had begun to circle around back toward the base, however, they were still miles and miles away and would have a log way to go.

 

 

Fairien slowly opened his eyes. He didn’t want to. He was sleepy and the cave had warmed up nicely. As his eyes focused, he became aware of Will, sitting across the cave, staring at him. He blinked and sat up.

“Good morning.” He said.

“Good morning.” Will returned. The stared at each other in silence for a moment then Will turned, looking away.

“Can I go back to my friends now?” he asked quietly. Fairien paused and then nodded slowly.

“Yes. Of course.” He said. “… They’re looking for you. But they’re miles away.” Will nodded and stood up.

“Will you tell me which direction?” he asked. Fairien nodded and stood up as well.

“Yes, but I can take you to them easily.” He said. Will paused.

“You can?”

“Yes.”

 

 

“When we get to the base, where should we look?” Tella asked.

“I’ll try and break into the jail, they may have put him in there.” Demus said.

“There may be too much security… We have to be careful and not get caught-” the wanderer started.

 

A few feet away Will stood behind a clump of bushes.

Just act like you’ve been walking all night. Fairien told him. Will nodded and stepped out of the bushes.

“Hey!” he called. The group froze, staring at him.

“W-Will!” Tella shouted.

“You’re alive!” the wanderer said smiling happily.

“How did you get out? I mean-” Collin started. Will smiled and tried to think of something to say.

“I hid behind some boxes and when it started raining, I made my escape. I think the Areans were on the look out for people outside the base, not people on the inside of it…. So I wandered through the woods all night until I found you guys.”

“Wow. You really do have idiot’s luck.” Tella laughed. “Maybe we should just keep you around as a good luck charm.” Will smiled.

“Well, we shouldn’t relax yet.” Collin said. “Mahito will be after our blood. Now he knows vaguely where we are.”

“Yeah… Let’s try and get as far away as we can before nightfall. The Arean wall isn’t but a few days travel away.” Tella said.

“The Arean wall?” the wanderer asked. Tella nodded.

“Years before the war started, the Areans built a huge wall around their country. They said it was to keep outsiders out and to keep their borders safe. No one is allowed to cross the wall in less the Arean government approved it.”

“It’s highly guarded, even on the Hailian border.” Collin said. “What’s your plan for getting past it?” To this Tella sighed.

“I don’t know. We’ll have to think of something I suppose.”

And so they began walking.