《Accelerator》


 CH1. It was a long way down.

    Riding a lurid string of color amongst a black endless void, the silhouette of a leaf held steady among the current. It was a flat, wide vessel colored white and red. Though against the bright luminescence of the jump current it was a mere shadowt. The engines were dark, as riding the jump currents needed no power once you were inside, just a clever navigator and skilled pilot.


    Embedded in the center, an almond-shaped pod colored an onyx black against its white and red wings. One of its faces a shutter letting out what little light was to be had inside the leaf-vessel. Inside, beyond the pod was a very tightly quartered living space. A bed, a shower-bathroom combo, a kitchen, all split between a very small compartment. No space to be wasted when your vessel is built for battle. A loud set of chimes went off as a feminine voice announced the hour, and estimated time of arrival to a destination named in a series of numbers.


    Welcome aboard my ship.


    "Time to wake up," The kind voice of my friend and vessel construct, Dalliance, rang over my intercoms as the shock of cold air woke me from my sleep. "Exiting warp in ten minutes, Ashildr. The requested combat zone has been locked in as your exit point. Please get ready."


    "I''ll get ready now. Do you have to keep yanking my blankets off?" I asked, groaning as I reluctantly roll myself off the bed. The answer to my complaint, as usual, was silence.


    I ran through the shower, got dressed, and sat down in the pilot¡¯s chair within¡¯ six minutes. I had it down to an art at this point. With a practiced, fluid motion, I swept a finger along the skin-tight, flexible metal choker. Drawing off a long silver bar that snapped easily shape as it left my neck. I spoke into it, and watched as black netting wove itself into a weird fluid-like consistency, then held the bar vertically to my face. The netting gently grabbed on to my face, enveloping my vision quickly upon contact.


    Once my helmet finished bringing itself into existence, the display flickered to life, my vision clearing and populating with various statistics and icons. Including a small feminine avatar marking Dalliance''s presence. She waved with a smile once I had loaded in. The form she had chosen for herself was lithe, with short hair and a fluttering summer gown. I asked her why the dress, apparently she''s always wanted to see a planet in the spring, in person. Or as close to in-person as a construct can get. I love her.


    I heard the cords snake from my pilot''s chair, plugging snugly into ports installed in the back of my head to feed me data from the vessel. Music swelled in my ears as I moved my hand over the glowing dust particles that made up the controls of my ship. A pretty dull routine at this point in my life, but that anticipation of dropping into an ongoing battle made everything a little more colorful.


    ¡°How are we looking, Dalliance?¡± I asked, watching her small avatar as she bobbed her head to the music. She was repeating a small animation, turning pages in a large notebook. Usually meant she was busy with something. My displays populated with additional controls that I saved for combat, and a static scan of the battlefield. Probably take when Dalliance woke me up earlier.


    "Here is the snapshot. You''ll be exiting¡­here," a small dot pinged below a thin part of the enemy formation. The situation looked terrible for the coalition I was flying in to assist. But, I was called in to help by a friend so the least I can do is make an appearance, and at least try and offer some support. Maybe even make an impact? Unlikely, though it''s been known to happen, something to hope for.


    ¡°Exciting drive now, prepare for reentry.¡± Dalliance announced, the hum of the drive increasing as she woke it up from hibernation. This was always my favorite part. Entering and exiting jump space was always jarringly beautiful.


    ¡°Just another day, let''s finish this and get back to stargazing." I stretched in my chair, willing the rest of my grogginess away, popping my neck, wishing I hadn''t drunk all of the coffee before hitting port.


    "Talking to yourself again, Ash?" Dalliance asked, her avatar raising an eyebrow as she twirled her hair. Don''t look at me like that, you''ll be with me.


    "Well, you too." I adjusted my displays and got comfortable. Hopefully, this wouldn¡¯t last too long. They usually come to agreements pretty quick...


    Ah, flames?


    A whole lot of heat washed into my box, a blaring alarm, an explosion followed by a rush of bone-chilling cold. I realize only as it happened, that I have been ejected from my vessel. The hiss of my emergency hatch sealing is barely audible over the roar encroaching vacuum. The following silence was punctuated with a short click as the hatch fully sealed, protecting me from the dangers of the void.


    Honestly, it was the last thing I expected, failure. I sigh in frustration, and do some breathing to relax. Not much else to do now is there, Ash.


    It was more dire than I imagined I¡¯d when I dropped out of the jump current. I ran over the situation again and again in my head, thinking of what I could do better. Much easier to do, now that I was much calmer and not fighting for my life (Kind of out of my hands at this point). I felt the tether between my box and vessel grow taught as we were pulled into the gravity well of the planet.


    Quick review is; that I essentially walked into a trap, its pretty annoying to think about, especially since I should''ve noticed it from the initial scan. Overall, I swooped in on the wrong zone of the fight. Positioning myself into a place to assist felt too easy, and it emboldened my allies. Which drug the fight out longer than you normally would''ve wanted, wrong choice Ash. Once I had gotten my tasks handed down, finding a rhythm was simple and it wasn¡¯t long before I was on a roll.


    Our chances of winning went up in smoke when one of our cruisers crumbled twenty minutes after I arrived. It opened up a vector for the enemy force to exploit, and the next thing I know several other vessels had already started to flank my beautiful non-attention-paying self. So, it was my turn to get rolled out of the void. It only took a few good hits to disable my vessel and send me spinning. Dalliance should be able to take care of the damage, and any fires, hopefully. My only wish is that it''s not a heap of trash by the time we hit the ground. I trust her though.


    As the temperature of my box began to rise, I caught one last glimpse of my craft plummeting into the atmosphere of the planet below, with me right behind it. The roar of atmospheric entry shaking my box. Standard procedure, extremely nerve-wracking. They say it¡¯s for better personnel and equipment recovery after crash landings occur but we all know if you¡¯re crashing, it¡¯s never somewhere safe, friendly, or easy to get to. The displays and visions shut off as the cockpit spun up its suspension protocols.


    The box¡¯s systems were designed for emergency ejection to follow and land after one¡¯s ship had hit the surface, though since this was a fight I already had it reroute for evasive actions. That tether often snaps during reentry, but it disconnected in this case as the new grid coordinates were plotted by the system. It would likely take some time for my friends to find me and recover myself and my ship, but I was okay with that at this point...as long as they came for me.


    Now that the automated emergency systems had activated, the cords of my chair withdrew from the back of my head, and the chair began to lay back. With a word and gentle tug: the helmet''s material snapped back into the faceplate, and I gently wrap it back into my choker. Time to get comfortable.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Ultimately I''m not as upset as I thought I''d be. survival comes first, I¡¯ll figure out what to do after a short nap. I wait patiently, drumming my fingers on my chest as I wait for the rest of the emergency system kick in. Deafening the noise, leveling temperature, and a lot of sleepiness as the torpor system kicked in. Naptime for Ash! Hopefully, Dalliance deems the area safe enough for me to reactivate right away, or at least soon.


    Not soon enough¡­I realize in retrospect.


    My dreams were vague and amorphous, like usual. Sometimes certain moments stood out more than others. I visited some of those locations that love to pop in and out with some amount of consistency. Dream Portland, back in the dream Columbia province, back on dream Old Earth. Sometimes I got to visit dream Helsinki. Won¡¯t ever see those places in person again, not like anyone (that was alive when I left) ever wanted me back anyways, a big part of the reason I signed up for the whole star pilot program.


    Being aware of these thoughts tipped me off though, I was waking up. Waking up from the long suspension animation type naps always started out like this. Kind of like my whole body rebooting from square one, the brain first, self-awareness second, then as the temperature slowly dropped from the resting warmth the rest of your body follows.


    Alright, initial self-diagnostic feels...groggy, my eyes are really tired and won¡¯t open yet. Give that one a few minutes. The last thing I remember was being shot down in a coalition scale battle that I was late too. I will move my fingers, they twitch in response.


    Everything was sore, but intact and moveable. The rest of my body slowly follows. Every joint popped, sounding like someone twisting bubble wrap as I forced myself to sit up. If anything was actually wrong with my brain at this point I wouldn¡¯t notice until I talked to Dalliance. The only thing that irked me was the soreness, like someone had set a boulder on me and left it there. Probably meant increased gravity outside?


    ¡°Dalliance, you there?¡±


    Total silence was my loving reply.


    Oh, wait...Not good. I grope around in the darkness, and ended up falling off the chair and crawling across the tight quarters of my cord jumbled floor until I felt the emergency latch for my hatch. Inside opening only, unless you have the really fancy techno-crowbar. I pulled on it, cursing how weak I felt at the moment. As it clicked into place, the hissing slowly followed. Must be real fucking low on power if it¡¯s taking that long. I impatiently swipe my helmet into place, tapping the faceplate in confusion as the material remained opaque on my side.


    Odd, old fashioned way it is I guess. I take several deep breaths. Oh, a draft. I took a moment to bask in the sensation of the light breeze rustling my clothing, the hatch finally decided to open. Felt nice though.


    I slowly breathed in, exhaled all the way, and there it is. I mentally reach out and grasp the little wisp-like tendrils of energy at the edge of my senses.


    Magic


    That¡¯s the colloquial term anyway, the prevailing theory is it¡¯s essentially ambient cosmic energy that can be channeled. It¡¯s channeled through technology, or ritual, or through your body. Every culture has its own way of doing it. I run through my breathing exercises, visualize the pathways, and watch as my vision is suddenly assailed by bright daylight light.


    ¡°Fuck, man!¡± I shout and shut my eyes tight, crawling forward, then out, tumbling onto the ground below. Stone? Smooth, hard, uniformly bricked. That cannot be good right? I slowly open my eyes, the first thing entering my vision being the canopy of a massive tree. Shouldn¡¯t that be knocked over? Why am I not in a crater? ¡°I better not have slept for¡­¡± I rolled to my side to get a better look at the world around me. A ruined, well-overgrown stone city. Not a person or crater in view, ¡°¡­long.¡±


    ¡°Dalliance!¡± I shouted again, sitting up once more as my body caught up with me.


    Nothing,


    Well...


    I start looking around aimlessly trying to get a bearing on my surroundings and self. I feel like, and probably look extremely lost, one of the things you typically don¡¯t want. But I did get a good grasp of where I woke up.


    A small shrine-like stone structure sat in rubble around my box (which isn¡¯t shaped like a box, by the way, it''s more of an almond. It just feels like a box when you¡¯re in it though.) From the way it had collapsed, it seemed like it was once built around my box. There were several wooden bowls filled with various flowers, over-ripe mango looking things, pretty rocks, and what seemed to be nuts? Like a bunch of walnut-sized acorns. Let''s not try and eat those yet.


    No immediate sight of my ship, my clothes are¡­intact. One of those standard form-fitting black shirts(long sleeve), knee-length bloused pants and knee-high leather boots, and black leather gloves that fit my hands very snugly. I love the gloves and boots with all my heart; one of my buddies commissioned them to be made from an actual cow back on old earth. I¡¯m going to kiss him if he made it out of that battle...if I ever see him again.


    Above me, and to the right of my box was a very large tree, judging by the bark and the one or two trees I saw as a child. Oak? I didn¡¯t get to visit the parks very often. Speaking of parks, this place is absolutely covered in plants. I probably spent a good five minutes just staring at all the greenery in awe. My helmet seemed to have been damaged, or maybe not having Dalliance took away some of its functionality. That''s probably the case seeing as I now have to manually control the flow of my magic energy at this point. Main reason we received training in flow control, to begin with. Stating the obvious but, this sucks.


    The stone I¡¯m sitting on is cut into approximately one square foot paving bricks, worn smooth by erosion, with some cute looking blades of grass growing between them. Vines clung to walls, bushes and flowers thrived where the stone wasn¡¯t present, and despite being legitimate-looking buildings most of the stonework was falling apart. That''s because of plants right? The sun feels really good right now, it looks like summer too. Dalliance is probably loving this view from the ship.


    I pat my body down, nothing broken, muscles atrophied, oh and extremely hungry. Damn it, I could''ve ignored that for a while longer. I clutch my stomach as it voiced its demands. Those fruits are looking extremely tasty now. I crawl over, grabbing one of the fruits to inspect it.


    I was never very good at the survival portions of training. Barely passed those in fact. But it looks like an overripe mango; it feels like an overripe mango. Must be a mango, hope I don¡¯t die.


    I peel back the bottom of my helmet by shifting the faceplate with a finger. The black material shifts and crawls away to reveal my mouth and jaw. I set the mango down, remove my gloves, pick it up reverently with both hands...and take a bite. Definitely just over the normal taste-good date for a mango, but the risk was worth it. Tastes exactly like a mango. Always too much prep work to eat one without getting all sticky though, the juices are getting all over my hands.


    After downing two more mangoes, I finally feel alive enough to get up and start walking around. I find that one of the pots next to my box is water. I start to get the feeling like someone knew I was in here or something. I wash my hands, now extra suspicious of my surroundings. These bowls can¡¯t be more than a few days old at most, and there are quite a few of them in the nooks that are much older with moth-eaten cloth and giant acorns with small sprouts growing out of them. Wait, cloth? I lift one of the bowls and pick one up, it folds out into a white and red patterned jacket with wide sleeves. The kind you would typically keep closed with a belt. I throw it in a half-assed attempt to look like I belong here. Strangely convenient that it was placed here. I''m beginning to feel like someone is just setting me up for a false sense of security. That could just be the survival paranoia kicking in though.


    However, now that I''ve snacked, washed my hands, and acquired a cool new jacket, I should find my vessel.


    I take probably, six steps before I hear shouting in the distance. Well, distance was the wrong word to choose. The shouting is quickly getting closer. Finer details; rapid footsteps, boots, metal, also a quiet set of bare feet.


    I get the distinct feeling I¡¯ve seen something like this in a movie. I turn around and expediently rummage around in my box for a moment, catching a lucky break as I pull my trusty hunk of roughly sword-shaped sharp metal from its container just as four visitors busted into my new home¡­area. Its more like a really big, dual-edged machete. Good thing my equipment didn''t bounce around as much as I thought it would!


    They all slow to a stop, I guess the courtyard is some kind of dead-end? They¡¯re all pretty sweaty, and must''ve been running for at least a few kilometers. They haven¡¯t noticed me yet, the three bigger masked folks are surrounding the fourth. I lean my trusty sharp paddle against my box and sit on my hatch as they begin their little pokey-whacky, hand-over-the-thing dance. One of them, shorter, feminine looking? Can¡¯t tell from here? I¡¯ve always been bad at people watching. They''re clutching a roughly head-sized, black, cubic¡­


    Wait¡­that¡¯s mine!!

 CH2. Centuries...right.

    "You could''ve stayed."


    The words echoed through my head, one of those whole ¡®someone said this to you years ago but you can¡¯t remember because it¡¯s currently a stressful moment¡¯ things. If you haven¡¯t experienced it, I really don¡¯t recommend it. I unslung my weapon, making my way toward the group with a purpose. One of them noticed me though, and they all stopped to gawk me at me. Shut up, hand it over. I rested the long handle of my weapon on my shoulder and stuck my hand out expectantly, making a gimme motion toward the long-haired brat type.


    More words I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Hand over that cube,¡± I pointed at the brat. ¡°That belongs to me, I¡¯ll only ask once.¡±


    The masked fellows looked between me, and the kid. One of them rushed in and grabbed the brat, the other two turned to face me with spears. I sigh and heft my hunk of steel. I guess I¡¯ll secure the brat myself. I quickly assess, a familiar anxiety gripping my chest. Their stance is set, they can probably move a short hop in any direction. They don¡¯t want me to charge, but they know how to work together. A bit better for me.


    ¡°This¡¯ll sting,¡± I call out and use both hands to quickly trace a circle in the air in front of me with the blade. Exhaling the last of my breath as it completed. A black, inky link flowed from the squared tip of my weapon, when it connected a deep hum chimed and it dissipated, I inhaled sharply and felt strength suddenly fill me to the brim. The world slowed down around me as I sprinted the short distance to the brat. Knocking aside the first spear with ease, slipping the other and planting a foot in the masked folk holding the brat. They went tumbling back in slow motion and I secured the¡­now that I¡¯m up close they¡¯re clearly an adult, just a good four inches shorter. I¡¯m very quickly realizing the disadvantages of my lifestyle making it so that 90% of the people I¡¯m interacting with are taller than me. This is a bit new. I blame the baggy clothing.


    Getting away was simple, I circled around back to my box and tossed my new friend in. Too easy. I even made myself look intimidating by taking some half-official looking sword stance. I only took like two or three historical sword fighting classes so I probably looked like an amateur. The masked fellows looked between each other, there was a lot of shouting. I shouted back, something along the lines of ¡°It¡¯s my box, go away.¡± but words weren¡¯t really getting through. After a quick deliberation, they composed themselves¡­and ran.


    It was a bit deflating, I was just starting to get spun up too. Bad Ash, bloodthirsty is not what we need on the ground. Too easy to die when you aren¡¯t encased in metal specifically designed to keep you alive. Stating the obvious to myself here, but sometimes you have to.


    With my new friends deciding to cheese it, I turned to the person huddled up in the back of my box. Slinging my sword, I offered my hand once more. They stayed there, understandable, don¡¯t interact with the strange masked person and they might go away. Well, unfortunately for them, that box is mine. I step inside.


    They cry out in fear and cover their face, like I¡¯m going to hit them or something? Fear grips my chest, please don¡¯t look at me like that. I feel you, I really do. I put one hand to my chest as a show it won¡¯t move, and very slowly reached down, grabbing the head-sized cube off the floor where it tumbled. Stepping out with both hands on the cube, and away from the entrance of my box. A good thirty feet at least, in case they charged out to try and stab me or something. My androgynous friend isn¡¯t out of the suspicion zone yet.


    ¡°Alright Dalliance, I hope you¡¯re doing ok,¡± I whisper to the cube, taking a glove off to feel around the sides of the cube for Dalliance¡¯s connection. A small panel slides open at my touch, allowing me to pull a cord from the cube and plug it comfortably into the back of my head. A small icon grew from a speck to a symbol in my vision, a set of concentric hearts that alternated rotations before lining up and filling. The heart turned into a small collection of pink cubes in my vision, and pulsed slowly. Like it was breathing.


    ¡°Ah, Ash. Good morning, it seems you found the¡­¡± Dalliance¡¯s level tone began, then trailed off. ¡°You¡¯re downloading, me¡­Ash what is going on.¡± I felt sorry as her tone changed to a mild panic. She tried speaking again but it was broken and unreadable, then a small chime echoed through my ears and she sighed.


    ¡°Someone else had your container,¡± I mentioned, holding up the box in front of me, studying it for damage as Dalliance downloaded to my helmet¡¯s system. Our lovely visitor poked their head out of the box, I assume it¡¯s to keep an eye on me. I made no move to acknowledge them, as long as I don¡¯t have a knife in my ribs they can wait. ¡°Well, I guess it would be like several people. We¡¯ve been out for a hot minute.¡±


    ¡°It will take me some time to sort through everything and get a bearing on what happened. My last log dates back,¡± another sigh, she sounded kind of annoyed. I felt bad, we were both pretty lost at this point.


    ¡°Last log dates back nearly five hundred years.¡± Dalliance announced solemnly.


    Right¡­wait, ¡°Five hundred years?!¡± my hands habitually slap to the sides of my cheeks. I groan and stare up toward the sky. ¡°Five. Hundred. Fucking. Years. Well better get started on recovery, let me know when you¡¯re done sorting through the data. I¡¯m supplying power manually until we can automate intake again. When you have a moment can you start a background translator?¡±


    Dalliance¡¯s program chimed in affirmation, and then there were no more words from my friend. Now¡­


    ¡°Hey! Come Out!¡± I unplug the cord and let it snake back into the black cube. I toss the useless thing aside now. Neither Dalliance or I have use for it now that she¡¯s living in my helmet. I hope she has enough space.


    The visitor¡¯s eyes widened, and they ducked back into the box as I approached. Please don¡¯t try and take anything apart to use as a weapon. As a show of good faith, I keep mine slung and out of the way¡­hopefully, they take that as good faith, I am still armed.


    ¡°I had to write a new one, but the translator is up. Try getting them to talk.¡± Dalliance informed me, her cubic structure pulsing in rhythm with her words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± I sighed in reply, but it wasn¡¯t without an idea popping into my head. I circled around to the front of my box, my new friend still hiding behind the pilot chair, watching me with a look of apprehension. Look I don¡¯t blame you but this is a little much. ¡°How much magic can we control at the moment?¡± I asked Dalliance, removing and gently setting my metal flat stick down on the ground.


    ¡°We can manage small effects, your acceleration has depleted my capacitor. We probably won¡¯t be able to pull off anything like that for another day or two.¡± The cubes reshuffled, attempting briefly to compress into a different form before comically falling apart. ¡°Also, the helmet needs repairs.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, I¡¯m going to draw some pictures. Don¡¯t laugh at me too much please,¡± I removed my gloves, setting them neatly on the clean steel. Rubbing my hands together, I set to work. With more practiced deep breathing I focused on the very basic message I wanted to get across. I bent over, gently brushing my hands against the stone. A thin white layer of that same, black inky liquid that had come from the tip of his weapon, spread itself out across the stone forming simple images.


    ¡°Are¡­You sure that¡¯s what you want to draw?¡± Dalliance asked in a worried tone. What was she worrying about? it looked fine.


    ¡°Yeah? It makes sense doesn¡¯t it?¡± I studied my work. Two vaguely person-shaped figures stood a slight distance away from each other, one spoke and symbols representing words came out of their mouth, and wrapped around the other¡¯s head. In the next image, the person with words floating around their head spoke a different set of symbols. Simple enough right? I thought so.


    ¡°Okay, just know it might backfire,¡± Dalliance warned me, I always appreciate her worry but I felt exceptionally confident about this plan for once. It looked super clear to me, they talk, the program absorbs the words and then I¡¯m able to talk back!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much Dalliance, I got this one.¡±


    It failed. I had picked my things up, taken a few steps back, and given my guest a friendly wave. Gesturing vaguely to the pictures in front of me as they cautiously stepped out of the box. I waited patiently, putting my gloves back on and slinging my weapon as they studied my very simple and easy to read examples. After a moment a look of terror crossed their face as they looked from me to the pictures, then around at the courtyard. Why are you looking at me like I¡¯m some kind of demon? They start to mutter something, then get up and point at me. They start shouting angrily, then as if realizing a mistake, then covered their mouth and glared at me.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that¡­wait do you think I¡¯m stealing from you?¡± I say aloud, but I could tell the translator wasn¡¯t kicking in yet. They shook their head and took off running frantically back the way they came, a look of fear across their face.


    ¡°I told you, Ash.¡± Dalliance sighed, ¡°She probably thinks you want to eat words. I did get a sample of speech but it''s not enough to start real-time analyzing, you should probably follow her in as non-threatening a manner as possible¡­with my black box.¡± Well, Dalliance did say it might not be a great idea so I stick with her plan this time and grab her former housing.


    ¡°You said she, do you know her name too?¡± I asked as I jimmied all of the compartments open in my box to acquire my emergency supplies, tools, and the little bit of luxuries I stashed away for long term stays like this.


    ¡°No, but after piecing together my recent log¡­ I¡¯ll tell you on the way there,¡± Dalliance pulsed strangely afterward, I shrugged and laid out my equipment to take stock.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    One standard emergency survival kit: tent, nutritionally complete rations for thirty days, multi-weather sleep system, and spare oxygen tank. All compressed neatly onto the top half of a surprisingly comfortable frame. The only other time I¡¯ve had to use this was when I was assigned to an extended observation mission on a moon, and since then I keep it close at hand and well-stocked.


    Additional supplies include: one set of portable metal-working tools, a hobby of mine I picked up when I joined up with my buddy¡¯s coalition. They¡¯re super useful for basic imbuing practices and repairs as well. A set of finer imbuing tools are shuffled in, I use these to add additional functions to my helmet when I have the inspiration to do so. Dalliance is invaluable for this process since she allows me to make super-fine adjustments.


    One set of basic mechanic''s tools for when I find my ship. As long as nobody with the right tools has stripped it, I should be able to get it working enough time and patience. An unused fishing rod still in its case with the price tag and everything. I got it on sale at some space station. Some alcohol flasks filled for celebrations, haven¡¯t cracked them open in awhile. Lastly, a couple of sets of clothes, double that amount in socks, and a barely broken-in pair of boots.


    It all fits neatly onto the frame, which I hoist onto my back and secure. It¡¯s definitely heavy after being immobile for hundreds of years, but nothing I can¡¯t handle. I try to spin it positively as the beginning of my physical rehabilitation, but part of me is deeply afraid that I¡¯ll never be back to where I was.


    ¡°Are you doing ok, Ash? You¡¯re doing that, about-to-speak-but-won''t thing you do when you¡¯re conflicted.¡± Dalliance¡¯s voice rocked me from my train of thought with a quick shock of surprise directly to the heart. I exhale slowly and try not to laugh at being startled.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re in my helmet now. I uh...I think I¡¯m ok, the pack is a bit heavy now that I¡¯m out of shape.¡± With a short nod, I tap the hatch of my box with my boot. ¡°See you later, box. Stay safe now,¡± with the final farewell to the small space I have lived in most of my life, I close the hatch and watch it seal.


    ¡°I can retrace the route for you, it should lead to a small pilgrimage town.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Dalliance, just let me know where to turn. I¡¯m going to have to dial my brain down for this walk,¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ash. Hang in there for me ok?¡± It was her sweet voice, the one she used when she wanted me to do something that I had little chance of doing anyways. It made me smile to hear it. I¡¯d hang in there for her though, our survival kind of depends on it.


    The walk was uneventful but beautiful. The ruins of this once large town were nestled onto the sun-warmed summit of a tall. It was comfortable outside, the view of the surrounding mountains was breath-taking. As I reached the edge of the ruined town, there was a winding back that switchbacked down the mountain, I could see wisps of smoke rising over a small ridge far below, far below (with the help of my helmet), and the figure of the girl already six hundred meters down.


    ¡°This is what I get for taking my time,¡± I look toward the sun, it hung halfway between the horizon and a noon position, but I couldn¡¯t discern whether it was morning or afternoon. I just woke up, so basing my travel schedule off the time of day might be a bit foolish, but the exertion the party that had met me outside my box began to make sense. Running up a mountain was no joke.


    ¡°Take your time, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anywhere else safer than the town to run for some leagues.¡±


    ¡°Did you really just use leagues,¡±


    ¡°I did¡­ Oh, interesting.¡± Dalliance made a chime noise, as though something had finished loading, ¡°I¡¯ve accessed more of my logs, let me sort through them. I¡¯ll fill you in on what I¡¯ve learned as you walk.¡± She hummed as the sound of pages turning occasionally reached my ears. ¡°The town is a three-hour walk away at your current speed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­fill me in soon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Dalliance''s cheerful tone soothed me enough to keep the anxiety down. She kept me company as I walked with her humming, I should ask her to compose something for us to sing at some point.


    It was a terrible three-hour walk, but I made it, mostly. The speed I had to walk felt like a snail''s pace, but I could feel the sweat making my shirt cling to me. My helmet dulled the sensation of anything under it due to the material but I imagine if I took it off I¡¯d be just as soaked as the rest of me. The pack only felt heavier even when I drank the water packed with my rations. My knees, hips, shoulders, back¡­My whole body felt like it was about to fall apart really.


    Dalliance had filled me in on what she could discern from her records during our wonderful walk through the woods. First is that the girl removing her from whatever weird altar she had been sitting on for centuries ended up scrambling all of the data she had collected up to that point. The download fragmented it further, so reorganizing and gaining access to complete records would take some time.


    From the flashes she could extract, Dalliance had detected the box beginning the last resort wake-up process. In desperation, she used what little functionality she could to make contact with one of the shrine maidens and have her bring the box to me. The girl I had scared was the shrine maiden. Apparently, this planet has an incredibly dense mago-sphere, like humidity for cosmic energy. So not only was my box able to sustain torpor for hundreds of years, but Dalliance was also able to extract ambient wisps to sustain herself in a low-power mode and gather information on our surroundings.


    They also apparently worshiped her as a conduit of their goddess, but that seems to be distorted and locked behind the fragmentation. It¡¯s going to be a wild ride once she defragments everything. Now as far as how she is still able to recognize me and use some of my helmet¡¯s functions is because she had taken it upon herself to write it into her foundation at one point. I nearly cried when she told me that, because for magidigital beings like her it meant that she viewed me as a permanent part of her.


    I learned that my box had become a pilgrimage destination for a goddess of life and fertility, which is why there was food and acorns and water left. Things needed to nourish the body and earth. Sometimes people would bring clothing as an offering, as a sign of respect for those recently born or passed, like well wishes for the afterlife. The basics as far as my box went. This town we were talking to facilitated the journey up the mountain, and was home to one of the larger temples to the goddess.


    Oh, we also composed a lovely musical poem about the sights of the mountain. Dalliance has always been really good with that kind of thing, we sang it together a few times.


    ¡°So this didn¡¯t occur to me until now, but why aren¡¯t we recovering the ship first?¡± I asked Dalliance, interrupting her humming of our lovely new song. The entrance to the village was in sight, and I slowed my pace to observe and decide on a plan of entry. Especially since I couldn¡¯t speak their language yet.


    ¡°Ah¡­you¡¯ll see.¡± She answered, rather cryptically, a bit sheepish. It¡¯s in the town, isn¡¯t it? I sigh and rest my hand on the handle of my trusty rectangle chopper.


    I guess I haven¡¯t really talked about this thing yet; it''s a weapon I¡¯ve grown quite fond of since its mainly a multi-purpose thing. It''s a strange sword design: three feet long, one-third of it is a handle, dual-edged, a black circle sitting on the end of the handle, and a squared-off tip. The tip is able to take magic energy I¡¯ve stored inside of it, or myself, and release a semi-physical (partially ethereal) liquid that I then use to make magical circuits. Or as most nerds like to call them, spells.


    Spells that I hope I didn¡¯t have to use because it would consume what energy I had left, and probably kill me.


    I approached the gate to find it closed. The sun had begun to set at my back, and two men with great bushy beards and grey robes with a red sash looked down at me from the adjacent wall. Calling out in their language. I look around, point at the gate, then point to me and make a walking motion.


    Wow, they sound really annoyed. I try to do the same message with different motions, and they leave. Maybe to get someone? Or open the gate, that¡¯d be cool.


    ¡°You¡¯re really bad at charades, Ash.¡± Dalliance giggled in my ear. Hush, I don¡¯t need it from you too, I¡¯m too tired.


    ¡°Need more words for the translator huh,¡± I grumbled a reply and approached the gate.


    ¡°Correct~¡± She sang, her cubes lighting up a pleasant neon pink, (she usually sticks with a pastel).


    A white circle was painted on the gate, it seemed fairly fresh, as though it were painted today. The seams of the gate where the circle met were totally sealed. I removed a glove, setting my hand against the gate. I usually don¡¯t have to use this much magic in a day, maybe I should invest in an open-palmed glove. I exhaled slowly and cleared my head of distracting thoughts, focusing on sending my own energy into the door to feel out what this was.


    A seal, freshly applied to the door. It was a simple one, it reinforced the door and kept it from opening for all but the caster. The pattern inscribed wasn¡¯t protected, so I could write myself into its structure as a caster if I wanted to, but since I had to be careful with my current state¡­


    ¡°Do we have enough power for a rewrite?¡± I asked cautiously, even with a dense mago-sphere rewrites could be exceptionally dangerous since you never know how much power was originally put into a seal.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude, someone worked hard on that,¡± Dalliance teased. When I wasn¡¯t teasing back, she answered ¡°yes, you can open the gate without draining yourself,¡± in a dejected tone, her pink cubes darkening with her defeated tone.


    ¡°I appreciate you Dalliance,¡± I say quietly and close my eyes, withdrawing my energy from the door and visualizing the circle. Little scrubbing here, stretch that a bit, write in glyphs representing me and¡­oh, that¡¯s nice. I open my eyes and step back, feeling only a little dehydrated. Not too shabby, it feels nice to be useful while your friend has been working hard all day.


    ¡°Ashildr,¡± I shout once, and a line of line runs once down the center of the gate. Alright, it accepted me! I can¡¯t help but feel excited as the door opened before me. I step through the threshold, into the town. A new surge of energy coming with my success.


    ¡°Ash¡­¡± Dalliance said quietly, her cubic avatar becoming very small. Like she was trying to be invisible or something. My happy place goes up in flames as I look around at the scene before me.


    Spears, bows, and a lot of startled, angry shouting from multiple sources.


    ¡°You¡¯re collecting words right,¡± I sigh and pull my sword off my pack. Several arrows land in front of me, followed by clear warning shouts, a step forward from the wall of spears puts me in a very small pointy box.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fighting right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll blow up if they go for my helmet,¡± I reply and throw my sword to the ground. A good ninety percent of the folks seem to visibly relax as I do. Parting ways for three new friends to enter. A short masked individual with green and pink robes, a taller masked person with a spear, who¡¯s hand was firmly planted on the shoulder of our young shrine maiden.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll try something.¡± Dalliance said nervously. I quietly fed her some of my energy, feeling the strength readily leaving my limbs. The anxiety following vulnerability quickly sets in. I won¡¯t even be able to run away at this point. ¡°Trust me, I have a strong feeling this will work¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries, we have time if anything,¡± I reassure her and watch the crowd carefully.


    I see a flicker of pink across my vision. That¡¯s, not in my helmet.


    From everywhere it could slip, that magical liquid flew from my body and formed into an inflated representation of that avatar Dalliance was always so fond of. It was fascinating to watch her go through the process of coloring and forming into a ten-foot version of herself. She¡¯s so adorable in that sundress.


    I looked down from Dalliance¡¯s dazzling display, to find everyone genuflecting.


    Dalliance, I swear to the stars¡­

 CH3 Love for the Goddess

    -An excerpt from a letter to Head Priest Valvan-


    ¡­and there''s a lot to a name, my dear friend. You''ve probably heard most of this kind of conversation before, but I feel it is relevant to reiterate, in lieu of me being there to have a dialect. Casually, names are things built by language and stuck onto people so that others have something to call them, but rarely do they resemble the name.


    A name is also something we give items, beasts, spirits, parts of the world so that we can attempt to relate to them, or so we can at least identify them. Most often, names are divined from words within¡¯ our language. Like small prophecies echoed from history. There are names we bestow that have intrinsic meaning, something named in such a way becomes the nature of the name and is added to our scripts. These are often the names of those spirits and deities and beasts that we peripherally perceive, their reality indescribable to us except through an arbitrary collection of sounds. I''ve personally enjoyed finding where words of our language fail to encapsulate reality. However, if I¡¯ve learned anything in my long studies at the university, it''s that the names of old, those wily names-with-no-meaning, hold power. Things that existed before the places like the once fantastical and scholarly city of Brunkost existed are not to be uttered lightly. For those are the names of gods, of demons, and the beasts that still rule those places people have been unable to tame.


    So my caution, Valvan, to your concern regarding the artefact, is to tread lightly. There¡¯s a reason we revere them¡­


    * * *


    The town of Kova sat comfortably nestled in the draw of a mountain ridge along the river that ran from the nearby summit where the ancestral ruin of Brunkost lay long dormant. It was a small and bustling place fed by winding latticed gardens and hunting. Frequently visited by passing traders and pilgrims. The buildings were single-story, wood and stone buildings connected by many raised and covered avenues. As the river''s seasonal flooding often came without warning, most of the town was built raised from the ground. These pathways ranged wide and small, stone and wood, forming the streets and walk-ways of the town. Weaving through trees, around ancient boulders, and forming with the slopes of the mountainous terrain the town had grown from. Home to many skilled foresters and carpenters, and most notably the home temple of Valia; a deity of love and knowledge. Who long ago passed her passion for learning and the natural world to the forebears of Kova, and the kingdom. As such the town¡¯s buildings are often beautiful, if simply made. Their foundations strong, the home built to last, and as such have lasted generations.


    Aida Shaan¡¯s expression was subdued, eyes cast forward as she quietly wove through the crowded promenades. Returning to the temple from a day¡¯s errands. Most people moved out of the way for her, when they saw the uniform of the temple. If she didn¡¯t acknowledge them, they made no fuss. As an acolyte of Valia, she was supposed to be determined, resolute, and diligent in her duties. You do your utmost of the goddess and the community and that work is returned with respect. That¡¯s she was taught anyway, so she never actually expected anyone to do anything for her.


    She stopped at the gate to the temple grounds, a wide platform situated directly above the river. She touched her neck with two fingers and bowed her head. The scripture said the Goddess¡¯ first wisdom was ¡°We Speak Last,¡± though many never seemed to take it to heart. Aida¡¯s mentor, the high priest, always said it was because Valia would want to hear everyone¡¯s input before speaking. Aida herself held the amusing idea the goddess said it after some bickering fools asked her why she wasn¡¯t joining their discussion, the priests here liked to argue over small things all too often.


    Entering the temple, Aida went to work storing the items she had purchased where they belonged. Food to the kitchens, books to the study, tools to the workshop, money to¡­oh gods. Aida sighed, when the high priest was nowhere to be seen, again. That wily old fool could be anywhere.


    Aida left the money on the desk in his small, rather bare office with a short note. Promptly leaving to find him, clasping her hands behind her back as she meandered through the less-visited parts of the temple. Besides her and the high priest, there were two others (of note to Aida anyway).


    Master Valkan, who was often in town assisting with teaching new apprentices, or helping repair the promenades, buildings, carts, you name it. Always restless and active, it made Aida¡¯s head hurt thinking about where that endless supply of energy came from.


    The other was Master Valyai, a very quiet and grumpy chef. Spending most of his days sleeping in the same chair, drinking the same alcohol, living in the same routine of sleeping and cooking. Though as much as he hated people, he adored everything else in the world, and a well-timed question could send him into hours of particulars he¡¯s observed on a plant or animal. Aida learned the most from him, feeding her curiosity about the natural world.


    High Priest Valvan was the mystery. A mischievous old Wilden who always had that knowing twinkle in her remaining eye, and a smile in her whiskers. She also frequently vanished from the temple when you would least expect it. Even when you expected it. Usually returning some hours after you learned she was gone, drenched in sweat, or water, claiming to have been studying her life¡¯s work. she never shared with anyone but Master Dolyai what that work was, and only one answer ever came from asking: ¡°Don¡¯t stick your nose in dangerous places,¡±


    There were others that stayed in the temple. Thousands of craftsmen and women from tailors to smiths to enchanters, from all over the surrounding kingdoms make multiple journeys in their lifetimes to this temple to receive the blessings of the goddess and wisdom of her priests, all retired master artisans themselves. A few foresters hired as caretakers, paid in food and board to keep the gardens tended when they returned from the forest. Various pilgrims were always present, Aida can¡¯t remember a time where there hasn¡¯t been any. And lastly, Aida, the only acolyte of Valia at this temple. She heard rumors, after she joined of course, that the old men were exceedingly hard to please. Being an acolyte of Valia was like apprenticing to the three exacting master craftsmen, she wouldn¡¯t argue there, but they seemed easy to please if you worked hard and listened. Must be something else that caused them to not get along?


    Aida¡¯s duties were mainly running errands, and receiving lessons in the teachings of Valia, and any knowledge the Priests wanted to teach. For her it was a simple life: wake up, eat, learn, errands, learn, sleep. Sometimes she would assist the Priests in cleaning the Confluence. A dark, roughly head-sized, smooth black cube that the high priest described as the Goddess¡¯ conduit to us. It was easily the most beautiful thing Aida had seen in her life, and she relished the moments when she was allowed to clean it and it¡¯s altar.


    Today felt different though. Aida noticed a soft pink flash from the entrance to the main hall. Looking around at the few pilgrims still milling about, reading, or resting, she wondered how none of them had noticed either. She casually walked into the main hall, pretending to look for work. The main hall was a large, beautifully designed room. Lined with cushions for those that wished to pray in the presence of the goddess¡¯ confluence. Offerings to the goddess were also displayed here for periods of time. Her feet stopped in their tracks at the threshold. She could feel, Something in there. An overwhelming presence, something completely other. Aida had studied the basics of magic in relation to how the natural world fed off of its energy, and this was certainly magic. Her curiosity got the better of her though, and she stepped inside. Was this why the pilgrims couldn¡¯t notice? Magic?


    Walking into the room felt like walking into a waterfall. A constant pressure rained down onto her shoulders, her walk slowed as she tried to keep steady. The Confluence was gently humming with life, Aida could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she continued to approach. Her breath under the pressure was becoming ragged, the weight only got stronger the closer she got. Then, she felt herself trip and fall on the step leading up the goddess¡¯ dais.


    Aida hung there, her mind felt as though it was suspended in time. She stared down at the floor, that sensation of falling still rushing through her. The Confluence pulsed again with that soft pink light she had caught sight of previously.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, Aida.¡± a calm, kind sounding voice filled Aida¡¯s entire body with the closeness and comfort of a tight hug. Aida¡¯s voice caught in her throat. Time slowly resumed, Aida watched her hands and feet move slowly, then faster, as she caught herself on the dais¡¯ stairs.


    Staring up at the Confluence as a black liquid began to steadily flow from it. Fear gripped Aida¡¯s heart, her mind and body screaming for her to flee, the density of power in the room was crushing her at this point. It took all of her strength just to keep her head and body from the floor. The flow ceased, and the pool began to vibrate and ripple. Slowly, a head formed from the center and rose, a body forming below it as the pool grew smaller. When the body completed, a white summer dress fluttered into existence as color filled the form. Filled with awe and distress, Aida gazed upon the dark-skinned woman with pink eyes that stood before her with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your current state, it¡¯s taking the majority of my ability to appear to you.¡± The woman spoke, kneeling next to Aida. The woman gently took Aida¡¯s head in her hands, touching their foreheads together. ¡°I have a very important task, as the one your people call Valia.¡±


    Aida received a flash of images, a blurry figure with a smooth face, a handsome man with a rectangular sword, a seed shaped pod. The shrine of Growth in old Brunkost. ¡°Bring my housing here, as soon as possible. He is waking up,¡± Aida looked up at Valia. Determination with a hint of confusion. Who was He? Why did the goddess choose her? Do all gods naturally put out this much energy when they step foot on the earth? The questions could wait though. Her heart leaped when she saw Valia smile. The goddess¡¯ eyes were soft, encouraging, her smile calming like a night of quiet rain. Aida felt like she could run anywhere, make anything, if it meant the goddess could smile at her once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will succeed, I¡¯ve been watching you, Aida.¡± Valia giggled, ¡°Ashildr always wanted one, but because you¡¯re about to do something very important¡­Let me give you a good luck gift, yes.¡± She nodded to herself and leaned in close. Aida¡¯s eyes widened as she felt the goddess¡¯ soft lips brush her own, a small peck on the lips from the goddess herself filled Aida with an immense excited energy.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Go dear, run swiftly¡­I will see you again soon,¡± Valia cooed as her body slowly fell back apart into the black liquid, flowing back into the confluence. The goddess¡¯ hand on Aida¡¯s cheek was the last thing to dissolve. When the burden of magic dissipated, and Aida could move again, her own hand lingered on her cheek. The route was already planned in her head, she knew where to run. Aida refused to let the goddess down, no matter what.


    ¡°I will, my goddess,¡± Aida said quietly, climbing back to her feet. Her lips tingling as she played the scene over and over in her head. As long as nobody saw¡­With a quick glance around to ensure her current area was clear, Aida rushed up to the altar and snatched the cube into her arms. Cradling it protectively against her chest as she crept out of the Priest¡¯s door of the main hall, and out to the back of the temple.


    ¡°Aida! It is good to see¡­Aida, what is that in your arms?¡± Bad luck, Aida thought. A couple of the foresters had been sitting in the rear garden, taking turns smoking from a pipe. Three sets of eyes quickly locked on to her, then to the Confluence. ¡°Aida, why do you have the Confluence. You know better than to¡­¡± They had begun to rise, seeing her posture herself to flee. She knew they wouldn¡¯t catch her, not right away anyway.


    ¡°I must go, Provo. Sorry!¡± and Aida ran as quickly as she could, leaping over the railing to one of the promenades that ran behind the temple. Sprinting to the path that led to Brunkost. She mentally thanked the high priest, who had been putting her through physical training all the years she has served. ¡®You never know when your curiosity will get the better of you!¡¯ was the cheerful reply to Aida¡¯s complaints. Now it served her well as she took off through the gate and into the forest, the three foresters shouting some distance behind her.


    The run-up the mountain was hard, and the foresters slowly gained ground. Their bodies were much more used to the steady inclines than Aida¡¯s. After nearly an hour of adrenaline-fueled running up the path, Aida could feel herself running out of steam. She constantly replayed the scene in the hall, drawing what strength she could to push her body well beyond its limits. Her legs were excruciating, her lungs felt like they were on fire with each desperate gasp for breath. However, the moment she saw Brunkost her energy renewed. She was almost there, and she would make the goddess proud.


    The journey through Brunkost was much easier than traversing the mountain, she was running on pure determination, her body moving on willpower alone. Those foresters, damn them, were hot on her heels. She broke into the square where the shrine was centered and slowed, she had made it.


    ¡°Aida!! Stop already!!¡± Provo, panting and gasping for breath cut her off. ¡°Enough with the games, why did you bring the Confluence here.¡±


    ¡°The goddess revealed herself to me!¡± Aida begged, trying to dodge past Provo. The foresters brandished the spears they had brought with them, clearly not wanting to hurt her, but not willing to let her leave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, the goddess hasn¡¯t spoken for centuries.¡± One of the foresters shouted, clearly irritated he was brought on this chase.


    ¡°Aida, this is as far as you¡¯re going,¡± Provo said and stepped to detain her.


    ¡°???!¡± A shout came from behind Provo. Behind him stood a strange figure, Aida¡¯s breath hitched, dread filling her stomach as she recognized them to be the smooth-faced one from the goddess¡¯ vision. They were wearing one of the articles of clothing from the offerings around the shrine, normally that¡¯d be pretty rude, but Aida found herself unable to be upset. Did he step out of the shrine?


    ¡°Who are you!! Wait, why are you wearing that? What have you done to the shrine?¡± Provo began barking questions, and the spears turned to the strange figure. The foresters closed in like they were about to fight a wild animal.


    ¡°??? ???? ?¡± They pointed at Aida, making a come hither motion. ¡°??? ????¡±


    ¡°Stay where you are, Aida.¡± One of the foresters gripped her shoulder and moved in front of her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it anywhere near Aida!¡± Provo shouted, reading himself as the figure¡¯s position shifted.


    ¡°?????? ?????¡± the tone sounded irritated, and it unslung a strange rectangular bladed sword. Another match, where was the man? She watched as the foresters shouted to each other and edged closer. This wasn¡¯t a bear, you fools. That belief was reinforced as Aida watched the figure trace a circle in the air, that same black liquid the goddess formed herself from issuing forth from the tip of the weapon. When it completed, he vanished. Aida blinked once, unable to believe her eyes, only to find herself now facing Provo and the foresters. The figure patted her shoulder. ¡°?????¡± the words were a whisper, that she could barely hear.


    ¡°Aida!! Shit, we can¡¯t do this alone.¡± One of the foresters looks to Provo, looking ready to bolt.


    ¡°This is her will, I will be fine! Go back, and stay safe!¡± Aida shouted back at them, clutching the confluence.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming back for you Aida!¡± Provo declared, reluctant to leave. But it was clear they were dealing with a being beyond their ability to handle.


    Aida slunk into the shrine while the figure watched Provo and the others run. Shrinking back when the figure stepped inside, when their hand moved, she instinctively covered her face. They had a similar presence to the goddess, not as strong, but just as strange. It would be wrong of him to touch her if he were a spirit or deity. The peoples that walked the earth were often considered unclean in the scriptures. It wasn¡¯t something that was minded or preached much, but Aida remembered stories and first handwritten accounts of beings who burned down or erased villages because of filth. Aida heard the Confluence regrettably clunk to the ground, and she felt useless as they took it from the floor and stepped back outside.


    She could hear them talking to the air, and stuck her head outside a few moments later. Watching with intense curiosity as they seemed to remove a strand from the Confluence and insert it into the back of their head. A soft pink glow flowed from the Confluence to their head. They spoke and shouted to themselves a few times, then after a minute or so they removed the strand from their head and simply dropped the Confluence. Aida was shocked as the relic was so casually cast aside, was that not how the goddess would contact the being before her? Unless¡­


    ¡°??? ???????¡± The being spoke to Aida directly, discovered¡­Aida ducked back inside, anxiety whelming up once again. What did they want? She heard them mumble to themselves again, as though they were having a conversation with someone. Aida watched closely as they spread that black liquid across the ground, and pulled it away to reveal rudimentary images etched into the stone.


    She had never seen magic like this before. There were plenty of enchanters and wizards who would stop by and offer their services in the town. Aida had even been fortunate enough to interview and receive demonstrations from various individuals, but nothing any of them did look remotely similar.


    When they finished looking at their handiwork, they nodded and waved at Aida to come look, gesturing to the pictures. Aida timidly approached, still exceptionally cautious of the being. She looked over the message he was trying to relate, an image she guessed was her seemed to be speaking, little symbols floating out, with an arrow pointing to the figure. The next image made her stomach drop, the words floated around his head, and looked as though they were entering him. She had heard someone speak of demons that could steal words from their victims. She looked from the pictures, to the figure several times, her anxiety hitting a peak. Then she realized, what did he do to the Confluence, what was that pink glow¡­Valia!


    ¡°What have you done with the goddess?!¡± She shouted, then covered her mouth. If he was, this was the last thing she should be doing. The figure tilted its head, like it didn¡¯t understand her question. Aida couldn¡¯t take any more chances though, she turned and bolted. She had to warn the town so they could seal the gates. Her body was protesting, but she had to push. She could rest later.


    The run back down the hill was a blur, her footsteps felt heavy, and her mind raced to all of the worst outcomes. She never saw the figure follow her though, despite the paranoia she felt. Like he was coming, or he¡¯d arrive any moment. After seeing his magic, she couldn¡¯t leave any possibility out of the question. She crashed through the gate, and into the waiting hands of High Priest Valvan.


    ¡°Aida, you¡¯re safe.¡± High Priest Valvan sighed, cupping Adia¡¯s cheeks in her hands. ¡°You look awful, let''s get you looked over.¡±


    ¡°Demon, in Brunkost, seal the gates.¡± Aida blurted, tears rolling down her eyes from the constant throbbing pain radiating from every part of her body. She felt like a strong wind would cause her to crumble into dust.


    ¡°We¡¯ll seal the gate, come and sit in the garden and tell us everything.¡± The high priest¡¯s voice was soft as she led Aida to a nearby garden. Shouting for people to tend to her. As Aida told her version of the events, high priest Valvan sat and listened closely, not uttering a word until Aida finished with her return. In this time the gates had been locked.


    ¡°Aida, I will consider your story while I seal the gate. Watch closely, this is my first demonstration to you of our sacred sealing magic. Passed down centuries ago by the goddess herself.¡± The high priest arose and began walking to the gate. Aida weakly clambered to the edge of the garden to watch despite the protests of her caretakers.


    Aida watched with rapt attention as high priest Valvan began to sing, softly at first then as she moved her hands her voice grew louder. A thin white paint floated from several barrels, forming together into a single sphere. A wave of magical energy pulsed suddenly from the sphere, sweeping through the square in front of the gate like a gust of wind.


    Valvan¡¯s singing ceased, and she lightly tapped the sphere, sending it drifting into the gate. When the sphere touched the gate, it rippled and spread into a circle. The center of the circle soaking through the gate, leaving behind a uniform band of white. A golden light sealed the seam of the gate, and then pulsed across the walls.


    Valvan sighed, seeming drained as she slowly made her way back to Aida. ¡°That should keep out most demons, ah Master Valkan. Please assemble a militia and distribute masks to everyone who will be present. We shan''t take any chances.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Aida watched Master Valkan jog into the town once more after barking orders to several others. Aida shook her head, it¡¯d be no use.


    ¡°Aida, believe in your people. We¡¯re quite strong when put together.¡± High Priest Valvan laughed and reclined in a seat next to Aida. ¡°Now we wait, do your best to relax. The goddess will be with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡­right,¡± Aida said hesitantly, and laid back down on the cushions provided for her.


    It was a couple more hours before the figure showed up. The watchmen above the gate spotted him as he stepped up to the gate and rushed to join the growing assembly of defenders. Aida watched, holding her breath as she saw the white circle flash, and a golden light begin to slide down the gate once more. The high priest cursed under her breath and stood. Drawing the symbol of Valia from her robes.


    ¡°They rewrote it¡­¡± Valvan muttered, stepping forward. Aida clutched at Valvan¡¯s robes. The head priest laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aida.¡±


    There was a chorus of shouts as the figure stepped through the gate. Aida could see Provo nearly jump at the opportunity to fight.


    They all stepped closer at Master Valkan¡¯s order. The figure seemed to sense the tension and stopped coming forward.


    That black liquid flooded from the figure¡¯s body.


    Then, she appeared, and Aida¡¯s entire body felt light as a leaf once more as she gazed at Valia¡¯s smile.

 CH4. The Tower

    Inka Kells¡¯ eyes opened, a gasp escaped her lips as she sat up. Her head sank into her hands as what little of the nightmare that tore her from sleep replayed in her head, flames and sudden rain. She was covered in sweat like she had stood in front of an inferno, a lead weight of dread in her gut. Every night for the past couple of days it had been the same thing. Inka could never get back to sleep after waking up like this, and the lack of it was wearing her down. Inka swung herself out of bed, grumbling in frustration, as she opened the shutter to her window and peered out into the cold morning air. The sun had not yet risen, and her breath was barely visible in the lamplight.


    The stars were still bright in the sky and thus it was too early for doing any work she wanted, but chores would do. Anything to keep her from laying sleepless in bed. Shivering from the chilly night air, Inka stripped her sheets, changed into fresh clothes, and tied her thick brown hair back with a small cord. If anything, her mother would appreciate waking up to morning chores finished. She decided that this was the beginning of her day, and quietly crept downstairs to get to work.


    It was all done before the sun rose. Wood chopped, water drawn from the local well, charcoal stocked in the house, the forges in the workshop were cleaned, and the porch swept. Inka sat and twiddled her thumbs, struggling to keep her eyes open after the third night of terrible sleep in a row. They felt like they were vibrating to stay open. Once the sun had risen enough to see, Inka began watering the garden.


    ¡°My daughter, do you ever sleep these days?¡± Inka looked up from her work slowly, the lithe and ever-graceful Kerttu standing at the side door to the house. Kerttu yawned, brushing a hand through earthy brown hair before folding her arms to ward against the morning cold as she watched Inka work.


    ¡°Never slept a day in my life dear mother,¡± Inka deepened her tone, the deadpan expression that accompanied her and her father¡¯s sarcasm brought a look of amusement from her mother¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How long will you look at me in that tone of voice?¡± Kerttu raised an eyebrow to accompany her small grin, the ever piercing gaze of her mother made Inka feel sheepish. Kerttu always seemed to know, and when she stepped down from the threshold Inka¡¯s shoulders drooped as though she were guilty of a crime. Inka recoiled at her own behavior, she hadn¡¯t been doing anything wrong, the process of Inka¡¯s emotions, however, must have been interesting because it drew a laugh from her mother.


    ¡°How you and your father find joy in mountain humor escapes me, but then again, you two talk to rocks for a living,¡± Kerttu laughed again and slid through the garden, draping her arms around Inka¡¯s broad shoulders. ¡°Was it that dream again? You should go back to sleep, your father is just going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother I¡¯ll be fine. I was able to work yesterday! A few bad dreams won¡¯t interfere with my duties,¡± Inka interrupted in a reassuring tone. Kerttu didn¡¯t look convinced, and leaned forward to kiss Inka¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Set the table for breakfast. Your father is lighting the fires in the smithy now. He says thank you for the charcoal,¡± Kerttu sighed, and after a couple light pats on her daughter¡¯s cheek she made her way back inside to begin cooking breakfast, Inka following shortly after.


    #


    Inka¡¯s home was cozy, and warm now that the fires had been lit for the day. Half-finished but functional furniture decorated the house and a single portrait detailing Inka as a small girl, Heikki her mountain of a father, Kerttu, and a tall young Raine hung above a grey stone fireplace.


    Just out of sight a door shut, a man sighed loudly and the sound of hands beating against pants accompanied bootsteps in a steady rhythm. Heikki rounded the corner, his eyes twinkling as he saw his daughter.


    ¡°Inka you look exhausted, again!¡± After wiping charcoal dust from his apron, Heikki wraps a massive arm around Inka and gives her a squeeze, lifting her from the ground momentarily before taking a seat in one of the creaky wooden chairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, I can still do good work,¡± Inka flexed her arm and winked. Anxiety setting in as Heikki didn¡¯t look convinced.


    ¡°I can see that you were able to do chores, but I¡¯m not going to let you into the workshop when you look like you¡¯ll fall over at any moment.¡± Heikki stroked his beard, leaning back.


    ¡°Dad I can work.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. Go rest, it¡¯s not safe to work while exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve seen you work multiple days without sleep.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve seen you fall asleep standing up, lass. I¡¯m telling you no work, because your safety is more important,¡± Heikki clapped a big hand onto his daughter¡¯s head and ruffled her hair. ¡°I know you want to help Inka, and there¡¯ll be time to push your limits in the future. That isn¡¯t now.¡±


    Inka stared at the floor, her cheeks flushed with frustration. She sighed, removed her father¡¯s calloused hand from her head, and looked up at her father. She definitely wasn¡¯t happy being banned from working, but didn¡¯t fight the decision.


    ¡°May I use your silvered hammer tomorrow? You promised you¡¯d show me how to use it,¡± Inka asked, resigning to her fate of no work. Heikki scratched his beard in thought for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Eat all of your dinner when you get home tonight, get some sleep in, and if you don¡¯t look like a ghost tomorrow, I¡¯ll see what we¡¯ll need the hammer for.¡±


    ¡°It will be done,¡± Inka said in as ominous tone as she could muster, before headbutting her father¡¯s chest and walking upstairs.


    ¡°I expect it to be excellent. Say hello to Marcielle for me, his father¡¯s sword should be ready by the end of the week,¡± Heikki said in a similarly forced ominous tone before laughing, and turning to assist his wife with breakfast.


    #


    After breakfast, Inka struck out into the city of Oak¡¯s Crossing. She loved her home city, and was excited to spend the day out and about even if it meant she couldn¡¯t work. On her way to the central market she marvelled at the white stone streets, the beautifully sculpted fountains, and the gardens that seemed to pour from every crevice. Everywhere she looked she could see the hard work of artisans she knew personally. She also knew how well the Count who ruled this place paid for their work, and the artisans put their best effort forward in return.


    The one thing that always vexed Inka, was the towering spire that seemed to touch the clouds. She knew a wizard lived there. Her friend Marcielle often boasted about how he got to see and talk to the wizard often, but such were the privileges often afforded Knightly Houses. From what Inka understood, the wizard advised the Count in matters relating to the mystical, and often helped contain disasters. But as far Inka was concerned, he barely existed.


    Being free of duty gave Inka a great deal of nothing to do, but Marcielle was easy enough to find. She spotted him first, sitting on a bench in the town square watching people go about their day. The moment Marcielle¡¯s eyes fell upon Inka, the young gentleman stood in a flash and made his way to her.


    ¡°Inka! My friend of fire and skill over metal and mountain, sky-eyed beauty of the earthen tones. You¡¯re out before the sun has reached its Zenith!¡±


    Inka frowned as she watched him make a scene, like usual. Even those that stepped out of his way looked as though they¡¯d roll their eyes. But they knew better, and deferred to Marcielle as he passed.


    ¡°I hate it when you do that, can¡¯t you stay put for five seconds, Ser Marcielle?¡± Inka sighed, then turned and began to walk. Marcielle stared slack jawed for a moment, looking as though the words had been snatched from his mouth before he jogged after Inka.


    ¡°I¡¯m no knight yet, I am simply excited that my dear friend is free from her duties so soon! Absolutely beside myself with joy,¡± His words were as smooth as his gait, as he flowed through the crowded streets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, I was instructed not to work today.¡±


    ¡°Instructed? You? By who, that Reginald fellow you keep complaining about?¡± Marcielle raised an eyebrow, finally falling into step next to Inka. He watched Inka¡¯s face intently, then laughed, ¡°No, it was your father wasn¡¯t it? If it was the new foreman, obscenities would be filling this whole street at the mere mention of his name.¡±


    ¡°It was, I don¡¯t look that tired do I?¡± Inka asked, and looked to Marcielle, gently pulling at her cheeks to emphasize her eye bags.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to fall asleep standing up again, was it that dream?¡± Marcielle asked after studying Inka¡¯s face for a brief moment, ¡°Do you need a nap? The wizard said today is supposed to be the last good day of sun we get before winter hits.¡±


    ¡°You believe in his predictions? They¡¯re wrong at least half the time,¡± Inka rolled her eyes and rubbed her palms into the sockets as though it would remove some fatigue.


    ¡°The wizard has done my House many good favors, so I¡¯ll vouch for his predictions,¡± Marcielle replied in faux offense, before his eyes caught something in the path and he shoved Inka off balance.


    Inka¡¯s eyes went wide as she stumbled, finding herself narrowly avoiding a cart she would have otherwise walked right into. Marcielle slid gracefully past with a quiet apology to the man pulling the cart and fell back into step on the other side. Inka glared and Marcielle shrugged, then gestured to a garden just at the corner of the street.


    ¡°So, those nightmares are keeping you awake in the night yet again are they?¡± Marcielle asked as he strode into the garden, finding a nice shaded bench among the large flower bed to continue his morning relaxation.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Inka found a spot on the stone path amongst the flowers to lie back and stare at the cloud scattered sky, her hands resting on her stomach.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to ask the wizard about it? I¡¯m allowed to visit his tower...we could go today,¡± Marcielle offered, gesturing to the ever-visible spire.


    ¡°Again with the wizard,¡± Inka muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask a noble to go out of his way to help with bad dreams. Especially if it involves an old man who hardly does anything.¡±


    ¡°Gods...Inka, you are not the one asking,¡± Marcielle gently kicks Inka¡¯s boot. ¡°You¡¯re so set on taking on the burden of your father¡¯s position by yourself, that you can¡¯t recognize when you¡¯re being offered help.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want help! I just want these dreams to end so I can work!¡± Inka exclaimed in frustration.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it! Relax! Your father is proud you want to continue his work, but you¡¯re the type of person he would be proud of no matter the path you chose. You know that, but for some reason you burn the candle at both ends.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Shut up, and let me nap,¡± Inka mumbled, he was right but it didn¡¯t make her any less upset that she seemed to be getting scolded by an irresponsible noble heir.


    ¡°Becoming proficient at a skill won¡¯t solve your problems. I know your parents will support whatever you choose to do, and branching out would help tremendously.¡±


    ¡°Shut up already,¡± Inka groans as her fist curls into a ball as she feels the blood rush to her face. This was the last thing she wanted to be hearing from Marcielle right now.


    ¡°None of us want to see you destroy your body to fill your brother¡¯s shoes,¡± Marcielle said flatly. Inka¡¯s mind went to what her mother and father were saying this morning, from them it was fine but from Marcielle it was the last straw.


    Marcielle¡¯s face turned from frustration to surprise as Inka rose from the ground with a speed that even she didn¡¯t know was in her. Inka pounced on the foppish boy, and swung her fists wildly in succession, with only the first blow hitting Marcielle¡¯s cheek in a blind rage. After the initial surprise, Marcielle calmed himself and shimmied just enough to avoid taking the next two fists.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know when to stop?!¡± Inka shouted before being thrown off rather suddenly. Landing on the hard stones nearby nearly knocked the wind out of Inka. She lay there refusing to move, anger white hot in her chest.


    ¡°That is exactly what is happening, you¡¯re too stubborn to accept that you don¡¯t need to be Raine. You¡¯re you! A stubborn brat, but still one of the better people I¡¯ve met,¡± Marcielle¡¯s tone was anything but angry as he stood slowly, brushing the dirt and dust from his fine clothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a nap,¡± Inka said curtly, closing her eyes. Everything was calm, peaceful, the sun warm, and the din of people going about their day in no hurry was calming. She took a breath and her body relaxed, for the first time all week Inka looked forward to sleep.


    #


    Rolling thunder woke Inka from the thankfully dreamless nap that she slipped into. Looking up she saw the warm colors of the sunset, and as she sat up she saw a wall of dark clouds approaching the city. A bolt of lightning struck in the distance, crossing the tower in a way that Inka found visually appealing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t actually expect you to sleep the whole day,¡± Marcielle¡¯s voice greeted Inka unexpectedly from the bench. The snap of a book shutting made her flinch, she was embarrassed to look at him. Marcielle¡¯s sigh didn¡¯t help, however, he offered his hand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to stay,¡± Inka said quietly, accepting the gesture, placing her hand into his.


    ¡°I know Raine being gone can be a sore spot for you, I certainly deserved that first blow. Don¡¯t know about the other two though,¡± Marcielle chuckled, hauling Inka to her feet as she grabbed his hand. ¡°Let''s get you back home, your mother likely will have dinner ready soon. I for one, am famished.¡±


    Inka brushed herself off and stretched, stealing a glance at the approaching storm. The city had already begun to darken, flashes of lightning only occasionally illuminating its walls and the spire. She stared at the spire and considered Marcielle¡¯s offer, maybe after dinner.


    The two began their walk back to Inka¡¯s home. The clouds were overhead now, the rain was beginning to sprinkle down, and another peal of thunder followed more quickly after the last flash. Then an explosion shook the stone where they stood.


    ¡°What in the name of...Inka where are you going?¡± Marcielle said as he searched for the source of the noise. Though as Marcielle was searching, Inka was already sprinting back home, the scene of a burning workshop beginning to play in her head.


    By the time she reached the workshop her lungs were burning, the rain was growing and her fears confirmed. She stood stupefied in front of her home being consumed by flames, though unlike her dream she wasn¡¯t held in place. Quickly she dashed forward and attempted to barge into the workshop in a desperate search for her parents. It would have been the closest entrance but she was immediately rebuffed by one of her father¡¯s craftsmen.


    ¡°Can¡¯t let you do that lass! Your father would never forgive me!¡± yelled a blacksmith as he grabbed her by the arm. Others were already shouting and trying to direct efforts, knowing the incoming rain alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop the fire, let alone contain it.


    ¡°They could still be in there!¡± Inka shouted in panic, looking between the smith and the fire. The smith pushing Inka away from the inferno, and pointing to the line of people passing buckets across the street.


    ¡°If you need something to do, help run water until the wizard gets here. Someone already went in there to get your parents earlier but I haven¡¯t heard anything yet.¡±


    The smith¡¯s words flew over Inka¡¯s head as her attention snapped between the several activities going on once more before she attempted to circle around the building, looking for a way in. This time she was thwarted by Marcielle, who snagged her collar and brought her to a screeching halt.


    ¡°Stop before you hurt yourself,¡± Marcielle said calmly as he planted both of his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place. Inka knew she was strong, but this was the first time he had actually rooted her to the ground.


    ¡°How can you be so calm, my parents--¡± Inka grumbled struggled against his hold, only to find herself horizontal in the blink of an eye and slammed into the ground. The jarring impact hurt, but it broke up the panic enough for Marcielle to speak.


    ¡°Your parents are fine, I saw them myself when I arrived. Breath, calm down, and think, if you continue to panic you are not going to be helpful to anyone,¡± Marcielle¡¯s words stung, but again he was right. She would have run into a fire that would likely have killed her.


    Inka took a deep breath, and Marcielle hauled her to her feet once more. He rolled his eyes when he was greeted by Inka¡¯s stoney expression that she wore when she was dead set on doing something.


    ¡°Water line,¡± Inka said and again she was off in a dead sprint.


    ¡°I swear to the gods, this girl does not think for more than a second.¡± Marcielle sighed and ran after her, annoyed at the sheer determination that propelled Inka into action.


    Inka finally felt like she could do something, she felt less useless than she had moments ago and was ready to work until she dropped. Though as she looked up from her sprint, she had to attempt to halt as a sharp-eyed older man dressed in green-gold threadbare robes appeared in front of her. Where did he come from?! Inka thought to herself as she skidded to a stop. Inka panicked and thought she was going to slam into him, but found herself stumbling past, the man not seeming to move.


    ¡°Fire containment service,¡± the wizard chimed in sarcastically, and chuckled. Mostly to himself as the only other person close enough to hear was Inka.


    ¡°It''s about time, wizard! Where were you?! Everything is gone now!¡± Reginald screamed, soaked with sweat and the light rain, stomping up to the wizard with all the fury he could muster. The wizard simply put a hand up and shook his head.


    ¡°This is when I could arrive, child,¡± the wizard said, his voice commanding and clear. He glanced over Inka for a moment before turning his attention back to the burning workshop. ¡°Quite unfortunate timing, the coming storm won¡¯t contain the fire that is about to spread. Everything shall be done in short order.¡±


    ¡°So do something, we don¡¯t need your cryptic nonsense,¡± the foreman snapped before running back to help with the water.


    Inka opened her mouth to speak, but could find no words as the wizard raised his hands, the rain of the storm hitting the city from the thunderous clouds above, and then, the wizard¡¯s voice boomed.


    ¡°Sammuta tulet,¡± the incantation was short, but the effect was immediate and impressive. The rain stopped, and was all drawn into a ring of water gathered in the sky like a floating current. The torrent crashed upon the flames and the surrounding buildings, killing the fire completely. The process soaked all nearby, to include the wizard himself.


    ¡°That...that¡¯s it?¡± Inka said as she stood in shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, we¡¯re lucky it started raining aren¡¯t we?¡± The wizard winked at Inka, ¡°Didn¡¯t your young knight tell you? I¡¯m containment,¡± he continued, a sour note to how he said containment.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Inka turned around to ask the wizard more questions as he began to leave, still feeling that pit of dread. The wizard stopped and turned, acknowledging no one else but Inka.


    ¡°That was incredible, as usual sir,¡± Marcielle¡¯s voice rung out next to Inka. ¡°Well, problem solved. Your parents are over here,¡± Marcielle nudged Inka in a direction, but she stood fast and stared at the wizard, her mind muddled, in shock at how quickly her life had turned around.


    ¡°I was useless,¡± were the only words Inka could manage, Marcielle beginning to object but the wizard raised his hand.


    ¡°Why do you think that? Because you were slow?¡± The wizard asked, as he raised a sharp eyebrow to stare her down. Not to be intimidated, Inka took a step forward.


    ¡°How could I not when you just show up out of nowhere and do that?!¡± Inka said, throwing her hands up. She felt small, insignificant in the face of what this old man had just done.


    ¡°Why are you comparing yourself to me?¡± The wizard asked, sounding almost offended, and catching Inka off guard.


    ¡°I--¡±


    ¡°Why are you comparing yourself to anyone? What could any of you have done other than slow this fire? How much more useless would you have felt if it had consumed this entire block?¡± The old man leered over her, every word making him feel larger in Inka¡¯s vision, causing her to feel afraid. Suddenly he snatched both of her wrists and held Inka¡¯s clenched fists in front of her. She struggled, but the old man was solid and unmoved.


    ¡°What do you think these hands are for?¡± The wizard asked with all the deadly seriousness of a king. ¡°These callouses tell me they¡¯re meant for shaping steel. How many people in this city can say the same?¡±


    ¡°Why does this matter?!¡± Inka shouted.


    ¡°Because, you fool, you¡¯re obsessing over things out of your reach,¡± the wizard dropped Inka¡¯s hand, allowing her to turn away and begin storming off.


    ¡°The craftspeople of Valia are holy in themselves, you would do well to understand your gift. Not everything will be in your control,¡± he said sternly, and with those parting words he was gone.


    ¡°There he goes again! You really got him riled up didn¡¯t you Inka?¡± Marcielle whistled, patting Inka on the back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about him. Where are my parents,¡± Inka grumbled, her hand shooting out to grip Marcielle¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Hey hey, that hurts, I¡¯ll take you to them,¡± Marcielle laughed, ¡°The emergency is over, do your best to relax okay?¡±


    Inka didn¡¯t answer.


    #


    ¡°My dear. Good evening,¡± Heikki¡¯s strained voice drew Inka from her haze of frustration, and she immediately went to her parents¡¯ side. She drew both their hands into hers, sitting between them as they lay on a set of sheets beneath the awning of a neighbor¡¯s house.


    ¡°I was terrified,¡± Inka mumbled as further words escaped herk, pulling her parents'' hands close to her chest. Her throat closed off any attempt to do anything but sit there and watch over them. Heikki¡¯s expression as he looked to Kerttu was unreadable to Inka, but her mother seemed to know what he meant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that Heikki, we both knew she was fine out and about,¡± Kerttu mumbled, and closed her eyes as she remained completely still. ¡°The physician is retrieving medicines, but it sounds like we¡¯ve only light burns and smoke in our lungs, do not worry overmuch about us my dear Inka.¡±


    ¡°Nothing escapes your notice even with your eyes closed! That about sums it up, we¡¯ll be back in action in no time...well maybe some time,¡± Heikki barked a laugh but was cut short by intense coughing. Heikki pulled Inka into a strong hug, she could tell he was trying to resist laughing and when she was released he exhaled sharply ¡°Moving still stings a lot.¡±


    ¡°Then stop,¡± Inka said, separating herself from her parents. Heikki raised an eyebrow, but complied. The two of them held eye contact for a brief moment before Heikki closed his and settled into his recovery.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that is sure to have survived the fire, it belongs to you now,¡± Heikki said with that smile never leaving his lips.


    ¡°The silvered hammer,¡± Inka said quietly in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ll get it and be back quickly, but it¡¯s ours, not mine,¡± Inka said, but the pained tone caused her to choke on the tears she had been pushing down since the fire ended. Inka stood and dutifully left, Marcielle hot on her heels to accompany her into the debris after snagging a lantern.


    What Heikki had said turned around in her brain as she searched through the debris. She had trouble believing that the hammer was hers now. The silvered hammer was what they used to shape special metals, it required special circumstances, it required skill, knowledge, and willpower. It required someone like--


    ¡°Inka, is this it?¡± Marcielle called from the other side of the workshop¡¯s remains.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Inka to scramble to that spot, and luckily Marcielle was right. Inka knew the silvered hammer the moment she saw it and incredibly enough it wasn¡¯t covered with as much debris as she thought it would be. From the ashes of what used to be an old workbench, Inka raised a perfectly clean hammerhead that glinted like silver in the lightning. It¡¯s metal unmarred, unaffected by the heat or ash or rain. Marcielle looked between her and the hammer, then over his shoulder.


    ¡°My father would be proud of me regardless of what I chose to do, right?¡± Inka asked, doubtful she was even worthy of holding this neatly engraved tool. ¡°When I look at this, I just feel like I¡¯m a disappointment, like I¡¯ve let him down somehow...all I want to do is give up and cry.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to imagine, but you¡¯re not a disappointment and I think your father would agree. That¡¯s why he sent you to get it right?¡± Marcielle stepped up next to Inka and closed her hand over the cool silver metal in her palm. ¡°Let¡¯s go see your parents. Then you¡¯ll rest, does that sound reasonable?¡±


    ¡°I, yeah...yeah, that sounds reasonable,¡± Inka could feel that stonewall she had held begin to crumble. The immediate danger was behind them, and all of the items that were a part of her previous life were gone, except the head of this hammer. In the end, Inka thought, she couldn¡¯t do anything.