A figure peeked into the dark room, hesitating for a moment, then stepped in. Tella blinked, trying to see in the darkness, hoping she wouldn’t stumble over anything. Her eyes focused on the bed in front of her, as she tried to guess if she was in the right room.
“Demus?” she whispered. There was no response. She fidgeted in annoyance, and stepped closer. She could tell by the bulge in the covers that someone lay there, and it didn’t look like it could be anyone but Demus by the size of it.
“Demus!” she whispered sharply. “Are you awake?”
“No.” came the muffled reply.
“Get up.” Tella said, shaking him. The bulged made and annoyed sound and shifted away.
“What do you want Tella?” a tired voice asked.
“I need you to get us a boat.” Tella said.
“A… boat?” Demus said slowly, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
“Yes. We need one for tomorrow.” Tella said.
“Tomorrow?” Demus asked absently. Tella growled.
“Are you awake Demus?” she asked.
“I told you I wasn’t.” He said shaking himself. Normally Demus wouldn’t have been this groggy, but today had been especially exhausting. “We need a boat… Right.” He said.
“I need you to go to the harbor now and secure one for us.” She said.
“Now…?” he frowned, still trying to focus his mind, “Mmm… Get Will to do it. He knows the harbor men.”
“Will is connected with Fairien.” Tella hissed. “Fairien is not going to just let this go! I know him. He’s going to do his best to keep us here.”
“You want me to get… the boat… now?” Demus asked.
“Yes.” Tella said. Demus sighed, and pulled himself from bed. “What time is it?” he asked, finally waking up a bit.
“It doesn’t matter.” Tella said. “I would go myself, but Avery is watching me much too carefully for me to slip away. Please?”
“Ummm, yeah. Yeah.” Demus stood up and pulled on his boots. Tella glanced away as he pulled on some clothes. “I think I can find us a boat.” He said, as he was about to walk out.
“Wait,” Tella said, pausing and turning. She strode to the chair that Demus had draped his sword belt over. She took it and handed it to him.
“Take this.” She said. Demus frowned.
“I’m just going to Verca, Tella. It’s not that dangerous. I’ve got my dagger.” He said. Tella frowned and slowly stared out the window. He eyes unfocused and she spoke,
“Betamy is wild tonight.”
“… Is it now…?” Demus murmured, following her gaze. The trees and the sky were a dark mass outside, blowing slightly in the wind. Demus took the sword belt, and tied it on.
“I’ll be back soon.” He said and moved away. Tella continued to stare out into the night.
Demus strode quickly into the trees. There was something growing in the back of his mind about this night. Tella was right, there was something wild in the air. He chanced a glance back at the castle and found his body stop completely at the sight he beheld.
A lone figure stood on the wall, looking down on the grounds. Even from a distance, Demus knew it was Fairien. A wind blew, rustling the trees again, however, Fairien’s robes did not stir. He was staring directly at Demus. Demus shivered and turned, pushing himself into the woods. Fairien continued to stare after him.
The distance from the castle to Verca wasn’t far, only a mile or so. Normally it wouldn’t have taken Demus very long. He was good at navigating though woods, but found that tonight he was having trouble concentrating. His mind kept wandering off down the strangest paths.
The mind could be a frail thing. He knew that. It could be turned, corrupted, and even broken… But couldn’t the same be said for the spirit and the soul? He shook his head. What did this matter now? Still… he realized the spirit was a unique thing. It fueled everything. Passion, love, ambition… and hatred. He frowned. But the soul… What could be said for the soul…? It was the most pure and basic element in a human being. But could it be broken and corrupted as the spirit and mind could? Demus found himself unsure. He wasn’t to say that it couldn’t, but he thought of Collin, when he had looked into the mirror. He had been poisoned then, his soul rotting away. So the soul could be corrupted… But that had been unnatural. That was the work of something beyond human power.
So the soul can only be corrupted by something outside its power? A voice asked. Again Demus paused. It was hard for him to state anything for certain. His mind spun as his feet pounded through the underbrush, striving to find their way out of this jungle. The heat and thorns tore at him, combining the tumbling thoughts into a feverish tempo, a strange and disturbing music of the woods.
He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, trying to rid himself of these feelings. The air around him thickened. Demus snapped his eyes opened again and gasped, stopping. A river, wide and deep, was flowing aggressively in front of him. One more step and he would have fallen in. Again, the air thickened and the rush of thoughts pounded down on him. Fighting to think Demus realized, that there shouldn’t be a river in these woods, and certainly not one this big. Something was wrong… Suddenly, he felt a flash of memory. It was an insignificant memory, boiling up to the surface of his mind, flittering about.
“Iyokia is a strange country… Some say it likes to play with travelers
minds.”
“That’s foolish. Countries don’t
have wills of their own.”
“No. But
the deities that rule them do.”
It was an argument Will and Collin had had, back when they were in Iyokia.
Countries don’t have wills of their own, but the deities that rule them do… Demus shook his head, staring out at the impossible river. What was this? What was it really? Demus peered closer. He had always been good at seeing the truth. He supposed that’s why he was good at creating illusions. But this…
There are
many paths, Demus found himself thinking, many trails to follow. Those
in power need not dictate them to you. Sometimes, you must make a choice
yourself… Even if it appears meek or wrong to others… When you know the truth-
not your beliefs, but the truth- then you can make a decision. Then you can act
without regret.
The image in front of him wavered. Demus blinked, and found the river gone. Instead, he now stood in a forest glad. It looked like the real woods, but there was an unearthliness about it that made him attentive.
Demus blinked in confusion. Had he heard that… Or was it his own mind?
That answer
may lead you down strange and dangerous paths… Paths that are not taken
lightly.
A figure appeared, slowly. Demus gasped, looking up at the thing that hung before him. It was intertwined in a golden sheen, which made it impossible to decipher features. He felt his body move into a kneeling position.
Is that your path? It asked. Demus hesitated a moment. He knew his answer. Slowly he said,
“Yes.” The figure turned, gradually descending.
“Then so be it.” It said. The golden sheen unraveled around the figure. Demus gasped as the person fell forward. Instinctively, he caught them, and cried out in surprise, as he realized it was the wanderer.
“Wanderer?” he asked in awe.
“Mmmm…” the wanderer groaned, as her eyes slowly opened. She looked up, “Demus…?” she asked.
“… Are you alright?” he asked, helping her to stand. She nodded, moving her body and staring forward into the woods. Demus frowned.
“What’s going on?” he asked. The wanderer held out her hand, making her staff materialize. She was silent for a moment, then said slowly,
“Betamy is wild tonight.”
Their shoes clicked on the cobbles stones of Verca’s main street. Demus looked up and down the row of buildings in the gloomy darkness and hesitated. The wanderer beside him peered into the darkness warily.
“This place is empty.” She said. Demus nodded slowly.
“Yeah… They evacuated, remember?” he said. The wanderer frowned and walked ahead a few steps before sopping again.
“If that’s true,” she said, “Then who is that?” Demus looked to where she pointed. A lone figure stood at the end of the street. Demus could have sworn there was no one there a moment ago, when he had swept his eyes over the street… But now… Demus moved forward, stepping quickly to reach the figure. Who ever it was, was wearing a thick hood and dark robes. The wanderer followed cautiously behind Demus, watching this person. As they approached the end of the street, they could see that the figure stood next to a dock, where a long wooden boat was tied. Demus stopped a few feet away from the person and waited in silence.
“You need a boat?” the person asked. The voice was young and gentle. Demus hesitated before answering.
“Who are you?” the wanderer asked carefully. The person regarded her for a moment, then slowly removed his hood. It was a young man, Hailian by the look of him. He had long shoulder length dark hair and dark eyes, which seemed somehow hollow.
“I am a ferryman.” He said. “My name is Charon. You wish to cross the waters?” he asked, turning to eye Demus. Demus blinked, frowning.
“Yes.” The wanderer said, “We need a boat that will take us and our friends to the world’s center, tomorrow.” The wanderer said. Charon nodded.
“Then I will serve you.” He said.
“I don’t know if that is such a good idea.” Demus said. The wanderer turned to him.
“Why not?” she asked. “We need a boat. He has a boat.”
“What is your price?” Demus asked. Charon shrugged.
“Nothing, for those who are servants to Lord Azrael.” He said.
“You know Azrael?” the wanderer asked. Charon smiled.
“Yes. I’ve known him for a very long time.” He said. Demus felt his body tense.
“Wanderer, I think we should go somewhere else.” He said quickly, taking her by the shoulder.
“What?” she asked, “Why?” Demus turned to Charon, looking into his eyes.
“Because he is Azrael’s ferryman of death.” He said. The wanderer gasped slightly and turned to Charon. Charon frowned.
“No need to frighten her Baslicus.” He scolded, then turned his attention back on the wanderer, “I am not here to take you to your death my dear. I am here to merely provide a service to those faithful to my master. That is all.” Demus paused a long moment before finally answering.
“Very well then.” He said. “We will be here at dawn.” Charon nodded.
“I will await you then.”
The dawn air moved lightly through the trees as the sun rose. Avery pushed a window open to let the fresh air in. He paused for a moment taking in the beauty of the countryside. It was hard to believe that only yesterday this place had seen war. He turned, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear and walked down the hall to the guest rooms. He would wake Tella and the others now, and call them to breakfast. They would have a busy day, he knew.
As Avery opened the doors he called,
“Good morning, breakfast-” he cut off suddenly, seeing that the bed was empty. He frowned, then backed quickly out of the room, and ran to the other doorways, checking the beds. They were all empty. He cursed quietly and went to the window. There was no sight of them, of course. They had left long ago. Avery sighed and pulled the curtains together.
“Good luck.” He said softly.
The small group stood in the still deserted streets of Verca. Tella growled impatiently.
“Well, where is he?” she asked annoyed.
“He was here last night.” The wanderer said. Will closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe Fairien had done a better job at stopping them than he would have expected. Fairien, of course was not with them. He had disappeared at some point in the night and hadn’t since returned. Will brooded silently. Why was he being so stubborn about this whole thing?
“Hello!” a young voice called. They turned, as a small boat pulled up. Charon grinned apologetically. “Sorry I’m late.” He said and stepped out of the boat. He wasn’t wearing the dark hooded cloak from the night before. Instead, he was dressed in normal Betamian clothes, a green tunic with a faded yellow vest. He bowed to them, still smiling disarmingly. “My name is Charon.” He said holding out his hand. “I’ll be taking you across the water.” Will, who was standing the closest, glanced at Charon, then shook his hand absently, and boarded the boat, mumbling a hello. Collin followed suit. Tella stepped up, looked him over, nodded and stepped on board. Demus followed her, and paused upon seeing Charon. Charon smiled.
“I believe we’ve met.” He said. Demus blinked as a shadow passed over his face. He looked as though he were trying to remember something forgotten. Still confused he nodded vaguely and stepped on board. The wanderer watched him, puzzled as to why Demus was acting strangely.
“Miss Wanderer?” Charon said politely. She jumped slightly and turned to him. He smiled warmly. “Are you going to get on?” he asked. Slowly, the wanderer nodded and stepped onto the boat. Charon climbed to the front, and took up his oar. Strangely, the boat had room enough to fit all of them quite comfortably.
“Here we go.” Charon said, pushing forward.
The wanderer had watched in amazement as Charon pulled them through the water, quite quickly, even though he only had one oar to move the boat. Within minutes, Verca harbor was a mere speck on the long green expanse that was the shore. Stranger still, no one seemed to notice, except the wanderer. She glanced up at Charon next to her, standing still and propelling them along with ease.
“Charon?” she asked.
“Yes Miss Wanderer?” he asked. She paused, not quite sure what to ask.
“Is there something strange going on?” she asked. Charon laughed lightly.
“My dear, there is always something strange going on.” He said. “But to answer your question. Yes. You’re friends cannot see anything strange about this boat or about me. You on the other hand…”
“… Me?” the wanderer said quietly. “Why me?… Because I’m from another world?”
“Yes.” Charon said smiling softly. “That and I want to tell you something that your friends cannot hear.”
“… They can’t hear us?” the wanderer asked, looking over to her friends who were either silent or chatting idly.
“They can,” Charon said, “But to them, we are chatting about the weather.” The wanderer blinked, looking around. Charon took another sweep with his oar. “I want to tell you a story.” He said.
“Alright.” The wanderer agreed. Charon gazed out onto the empty horizon and began.
“You no doubt know that Azrael journeyed to your world. However what you may not know, is that the trip he too to bring you here was not his first.” Charon said. “He discovered he could move himself through the seams of the universe and into your world many centuries ago. He took a trip there and stayed for a while, and found that he loved your world. In your time, his trips would have taken place, oh, about fifty years ago. You realize, time flows differently between worlds.”
“Fifty years ago?” the wanderer mused.
“Yes.” Charon said. “He found that one of the things he loved most about your world was its music. You have so many different types… When he returned here, he brought with him a song, one of his favorites from your world.”
“Amazing Grace?” the wanderer asked. Charon nodded.
“I see you’ve come across it.” He said smiling. “Yes, he brought that song to his people. Also, when he returned, he brought stories of your world to Minerva and Michael. They were both shocked that there was another world and both of them wished to visit it.” Charon paused, laughing quietly, “Michael tried his hardest, but couldn’t quite figure it out. After a while, he gave up, and decided that this world was enough for him.”
“Minerva though…” the wanderer began.
“Correct.” Charon said, “Minerva found a way into your world. She too loved it. She admired the technological advances and tried to bring those back to her people. However, the Iyokians were afraid of this new technology. They didn’t trust anything they didn’t know how to make themselves. They shunned it and angered her. So, Minerva went back to your world, and this time, it wasn’t merely technology that she brought back. Can you guess what it was Wanderer?” he asked. The wanderer frowned for a moment, then jerked her head up in realization.
“It wasn’t-” she started. Charon nodded, seeing that she understood.
“Yes. Minerva brought an entire race of people back with her.” Charon said.
“… The Areans.” The wanderer finished. Charon sighed.
“Yes. She left them alone for a few centuries, let them develop, let them find their place and then, when she was ready, she left the Iyokians for the Areans.”
“… The people of this world don’t know anything about that.” The wanderer reflected.
“Yes. That is why I am only allowing you to hear this. As far as they know, the Areans have been in this world just as long as the Betamians, Hailians, and Iyokians.”
“Do… Azrael and Fairien know about this? About the Areans?” she asked. Charon shook his head.
“All they know is that a group of people showed up one day. They weren’t certain how or why and Minerva gave the impression to them that she didn’t know either.”
“… Then how do you know about it?” the wanderer asked. “I thought you said you were Azrael’s servant.” Charon gazed down at her a moment, then lifted his eyes to the sky.
“The thermal lifts are picking up today.” He said.
“Oh would you two shut up about the weather!” Tella shouted. “That’s all you’ve talked about! Give it a rest!”
“You have to know about the weather if you’re a boater.” Will said gloomily, “Otherwise you die.”
“Well aren’t you in a cheery mood.” Tella scowled at him.
“Shut up Tella.” Will growled.
“Children, children, please.” Charon said. “You might want to prepare yourselves, we’re almost there.”
“Already?” the wanderer asked, her eyes widening.
“Yes. You can see it, just now. There.” he asked pointing. Looking out, they could see some kind of gray flat island-like thing. Will shivered. He knew this part of the ocean well and had never come across anything like this.
“There’s something there.” Demus said. “Something really powerful.”
“Minerva.” Collin said, feeling the mirror’s cold metal against his chest. Will frowned. Fairien was being a jerk and not telling him anything right now.
There were jagged cliffs all along the side, with rocks jutting out of the sea around the island. Sea spray shot up around them.
“How are we going to land on that thing?” Will asked.
“I know a calm place.” Charon said, steering them around the side. As he said, there was a small portion of the rock that was smooth and slid slowly into the water, like a ramp. They pulled up to it, the boat hitting the edge.
“This is where I leave you.” Charon said to them. “I wish you all good luck.”
“Thanks.” Tella said dully, not paying him any attention. They slowly lifted themselves up and climbed out of the boat. The wanderer lingered, gazing at Charon.
“Good luck Miss Wanderer.” He said smiling softly. She nodded uneasily. “Have faith in yourself.” He said, touching her shoulder, “You’ll be alright.”
“Thank you.” She said quietly, and back away, pulling herself out of the boat to join her friends on the shore.
“Give me a push off, will you?” Charon asked. Will went to the front of the boat and pushed, dislodging it from the shore.
“Goodbye.” Charon called, as he paddled away.
The wind blew harshly across this barren gray landscape. Tella shivered and glanced around angrily.
“Which way should we go?” she asked.
“How about toward the center of the island?” Demus suggested. “This way.” He began climbing up the steep incline. The ground seemed to be made up of mostly pebbles and chunks of rock.
“This place looked flat from the boat.” Collin noted, as they climbed up the incline.
“I think this island is a plateau. We’ll get to the top soon.”
“And then what?” the wanderer asked. No one answered.