ã€ŠChild of Nightmaresã€‹


 Prologue - Just Like Always

    PROLOGUE

    JUST LIKE ALWAYS

    Vi glared expectantly into the infinite darkness, as she had every night for the last ten years. It swirled before her, showing her glimpses of different pathways she could take, and the different possibilities that waited at the ends. For the most part, they were an amalgamation of her personal experiences and pop culture. All these were tricks designed to weaken her will. There were strings attached to each of them, little quirks that lurked on the periphery, slowly corrupting the dream around them until it became a nightmare.

    Last night, Vi had watched helplessly as the world ended, as her friends and family died until at last she too was crushed beneath a fallen skyscraper. She felt everything, even beyond the point when she should have died, crushed to a pulp beneath tons of warped metal. She¡¯d suffocated, then her chest had caved in. That same dream was there again, as if she were stupid enough to pick it a second time.

    Sensing resistance, the darkness picked at her mind for weaknesses. Vi knew it would find one eventually--it always did--but this trivial defiance gave her strength she would desperately need later that night. It took all her willpower to remind herself she was only dreaming and not to give in completely to fear.

    YOU ARE AFRAID.

    ¡°Nope,¡± said Vi, although not aloud. She was as formless as the darkness here. Still, her voice echoed through her mind, and the darkness heard, and squirmed as if annoyed. She could see its movement like ripples in a pool of ink. If Vi had a face, she would smile. Few things were better than making things difficult for Her.

    Vi could sense Her, somewhere out there, waiting for an opening. She could almost see that smug expression falter for just a moment, the evil eyes light with anger. The darkness squirmed again, reacting to her thoughts.

    YOU ARE AFRAID.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± said Vi, although it wasn¡¯t quite as true. Merely being here made her uneasy and unsure like nothing else could. Eventually, she would get dragged down into the mire and suffer for the rest of the night.

    YOU ARE AFRAID.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± said Vi, quieter this time. It was getting harder to control her thoughts. This was how the darkness won, if she resisted. It bided its time, waiting for her own fear and doubt to open holes it couldn¡¯t itself. But resisting was still better than giving in. She cast out her consciousness again, searching for Her, hoping to get another rise and buy herself a few more minutes. She found her easily enough, and--If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Wait. No, it was something else. Something foreign. Something that shouldn¡¯t be here, that couldn¡¯t be here.

    YOU ARE AFRAID.

    Vi had lost her focus. She felt something snap as Her darkness slipped through Vi¡¯s defenses and into the deep recesses of her mind, where it consumed her.

    All but unnoticed, the trespasser followed.

    <hr>

    You are standing alone in the center of your bedroom, and you notice traces of blood on the closed door. Your blood. You look at your hands and see you¡¯ve cut yourself. Foolish. You know that whatever is here with you, it can smell blood. It hungers for it. You feel the fear.

    No you don¡¯t.

    You feel you should be panicking, but an odd sense of calm washes over you. Gathering your wits, you search for anything that can help you stop the bleeding. But you know your bedroom well, and there is nothing here that can help you.

    This is not your bedroom.

    And yet, it isn¡¯t your bedroom. Not quite. The subtle differences become more apparent, and you realize that if this isn¡¯t your bedroom, there may be something here to help. But what? You can¡¯t seem to think of anything.

    A shirt in the dresser drawer.

    THERE IS NOTHING IN THE DRAWER.

    You decide to check the dresser drawer, but it¡¯s empty. Damn. The fear is back again, clawing. You can sense whatever¡¯s hunting you getting closer, drawn to your blood. It¡¯s going to eat you alive. It¡¯s going to open you up with its razor claws, and you will not die quickly. You will not go into shock. You will feel everything.

    Not if you run.

    You run, a mad dash for the window. It¡¯s right behind you. You can feel its rotten breath on your neck. You can hear its footsteps, slamming hard against the wooden floor and racing faster than anything should be. Too late. It has you. It has you.

    YOU ARE AFRAID.

    You are not afraid.

    But you are not afraid. This pain is not real. That is not your blood. Those are not your guts. This is only a dream. This is only a dream. This is only a dream.

    <hr>

    A shudder, and Vi once more glared into the darkness. It seethed angrily, beaten for now and not taking it well. She loomed beyond it, matching Vi¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I am not afraid,¡± said Vi.

    YOU WILL BE AFRAID.

    And the darkness lost its form and gave way to pleasant dreams. Vi let herself sink into them, blissful, but always aware that She was watching and waiting for another chance. Just like always.

    The trespasser secreted itself in the margins, and began its ill work.

 1 - Rude Awakening

    C H A P T E R 1

    RUDE AWAKENING

    Vi¡¯s eyes were caked shut, and she rubbed at them absently as she woke. Whatever dreams she¡¯d had after the nightmare had lumped together into a vague feeling of emotional fulfillment. Totally unsatisfying. That monster, though... The hunger for blood bit was overdone, but the design of the monster itself had been pretty cool. Short rigid fur, with an almost deer-like snout. Why had nobody ever thought about how awesome deer would look with sharp teeth? It was going in her notebook for sure. Vi rolled onto her side, hand searching for the notebook she always kept at her bedside table. She touched cold stone. In fact, she was laying on cold stone. And she was naked.

    Squealing and scrambling upright, she scraped her eyes completely clear and looked around. She was on the floor of a rectangular room that appeared to have been carved from solid rock. Designs had been carved into every surface, almost floral. In fact, flowers similar to the carvings were spread around in tiny clusters and bouquets, propped against giant stone cases that lined the walls of the room and filled depressions along the walls. The ones at the back were still empty, save for an odd spider web. In the center of the room, a little behind where Vi sat, was a raised altar of some kind. In front of her was an open doorway, shaped like an arch.

    This is a crypt, she realized. I¡¯m naked in the middle of a fucking crypt.

    ¡°Donnat, Avri,¡± said a voice, growing closer. Wavering light filled the doorway, followed by a young robed man holding a torch. He had an unruly head of blonde hair that looked a bit greasy, and a wispy beard only a boy around her age would be proud of. His narrow, defined nose was his best feature. ¡°Yakat ma har--¡± He stopped speaking as he saw Vi, the torch falling from his limp hand. He gawked, his jaw open to an almost comical degree. Vi made a feeble attempt to cover herself, but it was obvious the man wasn¡¯t gawking at her nakedness. He was surprised she was here at all.

    ¡°Um, hi?¡± She said, trying her best to smile. It probably looked awkward as hell. Just like how she felt. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to be here? That wasn¡¯t supposed to be a question?¡±

    The man took a small step back, testing his footing, and then bolted back the way he came. ¡°Avri,¡± she heard him shout as he ran. A door slammed somewhere outside. ¡°AVRIIII!¡±

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± muttered Vi, pushing herself to her feet through the sudden flares of pain she was beginning to feel. Taking a deep breath, she ran out the door, her bare feet slapping loudly against the stones.

    Beyond the arch was another stone chamber that looked a lot like a mortuary. Simple wooden chairs were set in neat rows in front of a raised plinth. More tables and chairs stacked in the corner, along with cushions and cloths, made it clear the room was meant to be rearranged. Through a half open door opposite the entrance to the crypt, she could a rack with a bunch of sharp- and creepy-looking tools hanging from it. To her left were stairs going up.

    Vi grabbed one of the tablecloths and wrapped it around herself like a bath towel, trying not to think about germs. Wet spots started to form even before she finished; she was already sweating despite the chill temperature. Thankfully, the stairs sported a simple wooden railing, so she was able to haul herself up despite her sleep-addled brain¡¯s attempts to trip her.

    She threw open the wooden plank door at the top and stumbled into a breezy corridor. All around her, men and women in white robes turned in alarm, calling out to her even as they encircled her to block her escape.

    There would be none of that.

    In a moment of unmatched bravy, Vi let the tablecloth slide off her body and whipped it at a balding, middle aged man who was reaching out for her shoulder.

    ¡°Scat!¡±

    The man recoiled, backing away and saying something in a stern tone. She couldn¡¯t understand the language, but it sounded similar to the one the kid from earlier had been speaking. She heard the term ¡°Avri¡± thrown around a few times, but with no idea what it meant there was little use in thinking about it.

    Without looking around, she wheeled suddenly to the left and pushed the gap between two of the robed strangers, wrapping the cloth back around herself as she glared bloody murder at them. They made no move to pursue her, and for that she was glad. Until she ran into something hard.

    She saw a flash of metal before her feet went out from under her, her head spinning as she fell backward and hit her head quite painfully. When her head stopped buzzing, she found herself looking up at the tines of several pitchforks all pointed at her prone form. Behind them loomed the faces of what appeared to be a gaggle of angry farmers, all staring down at her with judgement written on their faces.

    ¡°O-okay,¡± she squeaked. ¡°I think things may have gotten a little out of hand? That wasn¡¯t supposed to be a question?¡±

    <hr>

    Vi winced as the farmers deposited her into a solid wooden chair with no small amount of force. What bruises she¡¯d sustained in her fall had made new friends as she¡¯d been dragged bodily up no less than three flights of stairs.

    ¡°Avri,¡± intoned a short, bearded priest as he pointed to himself. His whiskers were so thick she could barely see his mouth move when he spoke, but he came off as kindly, rather than intimidating. He moved his hand slowly, as if she would bolt at any sudden motions, and gestured again toward the man she¡¯d scared half to death in the crypt. ¡°Kett.¡± Kett nodded, averting his eyes. Or trying.

    Vi pulled the flimsy cloth tighter around her.

    The crypt, it turned out, was in the basement of an isolated temple. She¡¯d looked through windows as they¡¯d ascended and seen nothing but rolling hills and a few goats. Nothing to give her any idea where she was, or how she¡¯d gotten here. It was still early morning, and mist clung to the landscape in most places. What she thought were the peaks of distant mountains loomed beyond the clouds.

    Right now, they were in Avri¡¯s office, which was on one of the upper floors. It was sparsely decorated, with only a simple rug to keep one¡¯s feet warm, a desk and two chairs--currently occupied by Avri, who looked incredibly uncomfortable with the entire situation, and Vi--made of some rich dark wood Vi had never seen before, and an altar to whatever god this temple was dedicated to in the corner behind Avri. There was another chamber off to the side, hidden behind a curtain, which she assumed was a bathroom or maybe a private prayer room of some sort.

    ¡°Vi,¡± she said, mirroring his gesture. Avri smiled and nodded, then reached across the desk to pass her a steaming pewter mug of hot¡­ something. The liquid within was pinkish in hue, and smelled vaguely of cider. She took a sip, and was overcome with a sweet and spicy flavor she couldn¡¯t place. Definitely fruit, but definitely not apples.

    ¡°Vi,¡± Avri said mostly to himself, thoughtfully. ¡°Varrest enwa gora?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Varrest¡­ Enwa¡­ Gora... ? Hest orren?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Vi. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    Avri turned to Kett and asked something in their language. Kett looked between them for a moment, then shrugged and said something that sounded incredibly noncommittal. Avri raised an eyebrow, and Kett sighed. His next word was whispered, but seemed to please Avri.

    ¡°Avri... Kett¡­¡± Avri swept his hand around the room. ¡°Sheksetir¡­¡± He hugged himself and smiled warmly. ¡°Henn.¡±

    Vi supposed they were offering to keep her safe until they could figure something out. She nodded, smiled, and took another sip of hot alcohol.

    They led her down a floor to a small bedchamber, throwing some more gestures her way which she took to indicate the room was her¡¯s. Inside was a simple cot, an empty writing desk and accompanying chair, and a small chest-high wardrobe. It was about the size of a big closet, and homey, which was nice. The floor wasn¡¯t carpeted, but a pair of slippers were tucked under the cot. Perhaps the best thing about the place was the folded robe that rested atop the wardrobe.

    Avri and Kett were already walking away, having a heated argument that they were struggling to keep to a whisper. She paid them no mind. Despite just waking up a little over an hour ago, she was incredibly tired for some reason. She shrugged. ¡°Well, nothing else to do. May as well take a nap.¡±

    As she drifted off to sleep, Vi briefly thought about how strange it was that nothing bad had happened yet. Usually, She threw a curveball about now. Maybe the monks were cannibals, or she was actually a prisoner. For all that this dream was more vivid than usual, she¡¯d expected even more torment to go along with it. Instead, she got¡­ two nice monks? Oh well. There was no sense in worrying about it. She might as well enjoy a good dream, for once.

    In minutes, she was asleep.

    <hr>

    Vi realized it had never been a dream when she woke up that afternoon. Both Avri and Kett spent hours bringing her sweetcakes and cups of mystery cider to calm her down. She ruined most of the sweetcakes by tossing them to the floor, and immediately regretted it, which only made her feel worse. Kett had gone from thinking she was a vengeful spirit to thinking she was an insane and possibly murderous vengeful spirit.

    Neither he nor Avri understood why she was upset, because neither of them spoke English.

    And even though her sleep the previous night had been thankfully dreamless, she wouldn¡¯t be so lucky the next night, and she had no Prazosin.

    She muddled through her cider-haze, trying to figure out what was going on. She was in a strange place, a temple where they worshipped strange gods. It was definitely not anywhere near home. The people didn¡¯t speak English, only something that sounded vaguely European. They wore robes and--if the torches and sconces she¡¯d seen around the place were any indication--had no electricity, or even gas lights.

    About the only thing that made sense was that she¡¯d been summoned to a fantasy realm, and there was no way that made any sense whatsoever! She wasn¡¯t a hero. She was Vi, the fat nerd girl from the middle of nowhere who nobody liked. And this¡­ this was what she¡¯d always wished would happen, when she was depressed and alone and shaking after the nightmares. She never got what she wanted. It was always a trap. It was always snatched away at the last second.

    And the poor monks. Some teenager apparates into their crypt, they¡¯re kind enough to feed and clothe her, and then she has a meltdown on them. Good job, Vi. How are you going to fix this?

    Inside her mind, the darkness stirred.

    ¡°I have to talk to them,¡± she said to herself. Before she could change her mind, she hopped out of the cot into her waiting slippers and opened the door. Into Kett¡¯s face.

    Kett grunted and recoiled, clutching his nose. So much for his best feature, she thought, and surprised herself with how nasty that had sounded.

    ¡°Sorry, Kett! Are you okay? Let me see.¡± She reached for his face, and he zipped away faster than she thought humanly possible. By the time she realized he wasn¡¯t there anymore, he was halfway down the corridor to the stairs. ¡°A-Avri amakt en henn est. Erm... ¡± He struggled to find words for a moment. ¡°Vi.¡± He pointed to her. ¡°Avri.¡± He pointed up.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Vi guessed that meant follow him to Avri, so she did.

    Avri was seated in his usual place in his office, but this time there was someone else here. The stranger was seated in the corner on a borrowed stool, speaking to Avri enthusiastically. He had short black hair and skin to match, and a gigantic mustache. His eyes were a pleasant almond brown, and mirrored the excitement in his voice.

    And this was the first time she¡¯d seen clothes other than monk¡¯s robes. He wore a highly polished breastplate over an expensive looking shirt all in red and gold. His pants--she thought they were called johdpurs--matched, as did his knee-high boots, which were plated in the same shining metal as his armor. She also noticed that he had some sort of paper inscribed in clawlike script sealed to his left breast in wax, where medals would be pinned on the military uniforms she was familiar with.

    He turned to her when she entered and cut off his previous conversation. ¡°Kett,¡± he said. ¡°Vestin se jangelt, arr.¡± As he finished speaking, he pointed to an amulet on Avri¡¯s desk. Kett, who had been standing as far away from her as possible, picked it up and¡­ stood there.

    Avri sighed, but the stranger grinned mischievously. Without warning, he clapped his hands together as hard as he could and screamed ¡°KETT!¡±

    The amulet sailed across the room as Kett dove for cover behind the altar. Everyone laughed, including Vi, though Avri was trying hard not to. Bending to pick up the jewelry in question, Vi took a moment to examine it. It was about the size of the palm of her hand, and etched with glyphs that were probably magical in nature. They formed a neat circle around a red gemstone, set deeply into the center. Silvery chains were strung through it at several points, meshing together to form the loop where it looked like her neck would go. Since Avri and the stranger were now busy talking, she decided she might as well put it on.

    ¡°Hest orren sa karr en,¡± said Avri. ¡°Ilm var hope that this works.¡±

    ¡°My enchantments have never failed before,¡± said the stranger. He turned to regard her, and smiled. ¡°Ah. If the look on her face is any indication, my record holds true. Can you understand me, dear?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ yes,¡± she said, a bit sheepishly. Yep. This was magic. Real magic. Holy shit I¡¯m wearing a magic amulet for reals a magic amulet this is the best ever! Fantasy world confirmed!

    Avri looked a bit confused, but the stranger--a wizard?--merely pointed to the amulet. ¡°You need to grasp the amulet. It doesn¡¯t work unless it¡¯s touching bare skin. You see, not only is that working Physik, but touching it opens up the channels through which the--¡±

    Vi touched the amulet. ¡°Sorry, but I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°--latent energy¡­ oh. Er, aren¡¯t you one of Avri¡¯s students?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Avri took a sip of cider and looked to the wizard. ¡°This young lady¡¯s circumstances are one of the things I wished to discuss with you privately.¡± Vi hadn¡¯t noticed when all she could hear was moonspeak, but Avri had one of those wise old man voices that made you feel calm. It was nice. Kett, on the other hand...

    ¡°Avri,¡± he said, his voice shaky and a bit too nasal as he got to his feet. ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea? We don¡¯t even know who she is.¡±

    Avri--bless his wise old man soul--shook his head and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, Kett, but this is the easiest solution for everyone. Now, why don¡¯t you go help Magg in the kitchen? Judicator Barrus and I have business with our guest.¡±

    Kett looked like he might protest at first, but a stern look from Barrus put a stop to that before it started. ¡°As you say, Avri. Judicator.¡± He bowed low at the waist and left the room, trying to look dignified and not doing a good job of it.

    ¡°All right,¡± said Barrus. He looked Vi over for a moment and began to blush beneath his impressive mustache. ¡°Erm¡­ Avri, old friend. Perhaps there¡¯s a robe more suited for Miss Vi¡¯s¡­ less masculine... proportions.¡±

    Vi looked down. Thankfully, nothing was popping out of the borrowed robe, but the fabric had ridden up on her waist and chest, accentuating her curves. Especially the curves she didn¡¯t want accentuated.

    Too fat, a voice said deep in her mind. It sounded like Her.

    Hurriedly, she tugged on the cloth and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean¡­ sorry.¡±

    Barrus waved his hands, eyes going wide. ¡°Nononono, I wasn¡¯t implying, that is, I¡¯m not... Avri?¡±

    Avri¡¯s face was in his palm, his thumb and forefinger massaging his temples. ¡°Sorya is working on adjusting a spare to her size. My apologies, to both of you. Vi? Can I fetch you a cloak, perhaps?¡±

    Vi nodded. Avri rose from his desk and walked into the side chamber she¡¯d noticed before. He emerged moments later with a rich burgundy cloak, which he draped around her shoulders. It was incredibly soft, but also a little thick. Much better than a hoodie. Beneath the cloak, Vi crossed her fingers all manner of capes and cowls were in fashion wherever she was.

    ¡°Vi,¡± said Avri, easing back into his chair. ¡°I hate to impose on you like this, but we¡¯re going to have to ask you a few questions. I¡¯m sure you can understand, a strange girl suddenly appearing in our crypt and running rampant through the grounds is cause for alarm.¡±

    There was certainly no doubt about that.

    ¡°I have asked Judicator Barrus to join us. Among other things, he will be able to tell if you¡¯re lying. So please don¡¯t.¡±

    Vi looked at Barrus, who smiled benignly. As she watched him, his eyes began to change from their usual brown to a bright sky blue. They also looked to be glowing. A shiver went up Vi¡¯s spine. ¡°I would hate to have to kill you, Miss Vi. You seem like a charming young lady, and you¡¯re wearing my finest cloak.

    Come to think of it, the cloak did match the rest of his outfit. Awkward.

    Avri cleared his throat, and Barrus¡¯ eye-glow subsided a bit, along with his smile. Apparently satisfied, Avri launched his line of questioning. ¡°First, where do you think you are?¡±

    Vi considered her options. She couldn¡¯t just outright tell them that she thought this was another world. Best case scenario, they kept her locked up and tried to figure out how she¡¯d traveled between worlds. Worst case scenario, they¡¯d torture and execute her. Barrus had already threatened to do that, unless it was a joke. She couldn¡¯t be sure. Best to play safe.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she said brightly and with absolute confidence.

    ¡°Truth,¡± intoned Barrus without hesitation.

    Avri sighed. ¡°You¡¯re in Avendar, County Osten to be exact, about fifteen fales south aaaaand you have no idea what any of that means.¡±

    Vi shook her head dumbly.

    ¡°Avendar is our nation. It¡¯s a small Principality bordered by the ocean to the east and our allied nations on the other three sides. Following?¡±

    The only Principality Vi was familiar with was Zeon, but she nodded anyway.

    ¡°Our Prince is also the head of our church. Here in Avendar, we worship the old gods, like Sheksetir.¡± He nodded to the altar. ¡°It¡¯s a sort of bastion for us, since the rest of the world has adopted a newer, more stylish religion.¡±

    ¡°Stylish,¡± chuckled Barrus. ¡°Please. Their priests go to sleep dressed in better clothes than I¡¯m wearing now.¡±

    Avri ignored him. ¡°Judicator Barrus is an old friend of mine, who despite his borderline blasphemous sense of humor has a righteous heart hidden under that armor.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who called them stylish,¡± he fired back goodnaturedly.

    ¡°Moving on,¡± said Avri, taking a sip of... Vi really needed to figure out what that drink was. ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    That had to be the next one. Shit. ¡°Brooklin,¡± she said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s a small¡­ fishing village... in¡­ the¡­ north?¡±

    Barrus looked at her strangely for a moment. ¡°Truth, but you seem a bit flustered. Perhaps not the truth so much as a truth, hm?¡±

    Vi had to change the subject. ¡°So, Judicator Barrus¡­ how do you do that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the Truthseeing? It¡¯s a gift, by divine mandate of Anathar--¡± He made a sign with his hands. ¡°--I am given his full authority and backing on the material plane. I speak only truth, and I have the power to tell if others are doing the same. In some parts of the world, my word is law.¡±

    ¡°But not here,¡± added Avri.

    ¡°Ah, correct. Here and now, Avri¡¯s word is law.¡±

    Vi thought for a moment. ¡°So Anathar is the God of Justice?¡±

    Barrus clapped gleefully. ¡°Yes! Good!¡±

    ¡°And Sheksetir?¡± Vi asked.

    ¡°Sheksetir,¡± began Avri, taking another sip of his drink. Did he time that for dramatic effect? ¡°Is the God of Death.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Vi. She didn¡¯t know quite how to respond to that. Was she supposed to feel safe under the protection of the God of Death?

    ¡°I can see why you¡¯d find that a bit distressing,¡± said Avri, sympathetically. ¡°In most places, death is something to be feared. We, on the other hand see it as more of a peaceful conclusion to a life well lived.¡±

    ¡°That sounds¡­ nice, I guess?¡± Vi wasn¡¯t so sure.

    Avri raised a hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure all your questions will be answered in time, child, but we have more pressing matters. Now come the more important questions.¡±

    ¡°Um, all right. Ask away.¡±

    Avri took another sip of cider. ¡°Are you a Faynite sympathiser?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Truth,¡± intoned Barrus.

    ¡°Are you a member of the Ten Zei Wa, or hoping to become one?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Truth,¡± intoned Barrus.

    ¡°Does the name Sanna mean anything to you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Truth,¡± intoned Barrus.

    ¡°Have you come here for a book?¡±

    What was that supposed to mean?

    ¡°No? That wasn¡¯t supposed to be a question?¡±

    ¡°Truth, and truth.¡± Barrus chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Do you know how you came to be here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, a bit relieved. Finally, a question that made sense.

    "Truth."

    ¡°Have you been trained in the magical arts?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Truth.¡±

    Avri took another drink and paused for a moment. ¡°One final question, and that will be all. Do you intend to harm myself, my associates, or anyone in my care?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Truth,¡± said Barrus, clapping his hands again and smiling. ¡°Well, that was helpful.¡±

    Vi couldn¡¯t tell if he was being sarcastic.

    ¡°Avri?¡± Barrus raised an eyebrow at the old monk. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±

    Avri sighed. ¡°My most immediate concerns are allayed.¡±

    Barrus¡¯ eyes faded back to brown. Had he kept his powers active on purpose until he heard Avri¡¯s answer? She wasn¡¯t sure if the monk had noticed, or if it was even a concern. Better not to say anything. Better to watch. Listen. Learn. The darkness stirred.

    The two men stood and nodded at each other in unison. Vi looked between them for a moment and decided she should also stand. She had already started to move before she realized she was standing up already. Then she tried to sit down, and remembered there was no chair for her. She hoped neither man had noticed that she¡¯d just wiggled twice for no reason.

    ¡°Barrus, my friend,¡± said Avri, not noticing after all, or pretending. ¡°I had wondered if you would show Miss Vi to the seamstress. I have private matters to attend to. Shall we meet over dinner?¡±

    ¡°Alas, but I must be off.¡± To his credit, Barrus looked legitimately upset that he couldn¡¯t stay for the meal. ¡°I¡¯ve been called to settle a dispute between two Rukhari Shamans. I must travel far, overnights, and hope that I arrive before things start exploding. But of course, I will show your lovely guest to the seamstress on my way out.¡±

    Avri rounded his desk and embraced Barrus, who was much taller. ¡°Look to the light,¡± said the old monk.

    ¡°Put the shadows behind you,¡± replied the Judicator. He turned about on his heels and motioned for Vi to follow him. Pulling up the hem of her robe, she trotted after.

    The walk wasn¡¯t particularly unpleasant, but Vi felt like Barrus was waiting for her to say something, and she wasn¡¯t sure what he expected her to say. The result was a companionable silence. Walking beside this man, the closest thing to a paladin she¡¯s seen so far, was the only time she¡¯d felt truly safe in¡­ years. She basked in that feeling, and Barrus let her.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± he said, suddenly stopping at an open door. Vi almost bumped into him, still caught up in her own head. He didn¡¯t seem to mind. He smiled at her. Was this man even capable of frowning?

    ¡°Oh. So, this is the seamstress?¡±

    ¡°Indeed it is, young lady. Ask for Sorya. I believe she¡¯s the one the old man has working on your¡­ situation.¡± Vi remembered Avri mentioning that name. She was a bit thankful that Sorya was a woman. Being the only woman in a temple full of men was a certain kind of hell for an introvert like Vi.

    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Barrus, and goodbye. Maybe I¡¯ll see you again if you come visit?¡±

    Barrus stood there, looking at her with a grin plastered on his face.

    ¡°Um¡­ did you need something else?¡±

    ¡°Well, my dear,¡± he said, ¡°I was hoping I could get my cloak back. Nights can be a bit chilly around here."

    His cloak. The one she was still wearing. The one she¡¯d almost walked off with. Right. She took it off her shoulders and handed it to him. In one smooth motion, he whipped it around his body and fastened it.

    ¡°Take care, dear Vi. I have a feeling we¡¯ll meet again. You know what they say about Judicators and feelings.¡± He winked, and departed without waiting for her reply. She didn¡¯t know what they said about Judicators, or who they were, but she had a feeling he knew that. She watched him go, a tiny part of her wishing he¡¯d asked her to join him.

    Questing can wait, she decided as she made her way through the door, toward the sound of a woman¡¯s laughter. I need to get clothes that actually fucking fit first.

 2 - Gods and Magic (Part 1)

    C H A P T E R 2

    GODS AND MAGIC (PART 1)

    Avendar was turning out to be a nice place. It was similar to what Vi imagined Ireland would be like. Not that she¡¯d ever been there, but she knew it was foggy and had a lot of rocks. Sorya had taken her to a seaside cove a few days ago. The only way to get there was to hike down a steep trail after a two hour walk. They¡¯d had a picnic, and Sorya had answered any and all questions Vi could think to ask.

    The monks generally accepted that Vi knew nothing about the world. No one questioned how this was possible when she was obviously educated. No one questioned why a girl from a fishing village would not know how to fish or sail, and have no calluses on her hands and feet. No one questioned why a peasant would be pale and fat like a noble. They didn¡¯t question anything about her. Apparently, Avri was as feared as he was respected.

    Sorya was her rock. As Avri had stepped back on his involvement in her affairs, Sorya had stepped in to take his place. She was only a little older than Vi, and looked a lot like her. They had similar senses of humor, had fun together, did chores together, even slept together on cold nights. That last part had been weird at first, until Vi had learned it was common practice.

    Despite growing up worlds apart--literally--Sorya was fast becoming the sister Vi never had.

    ¡°And legend has it¡­¡± Sorya spoke in hushed tones, using the storyteller¡¯s voice that seemed to come naturally to her. ¡°That in a far and away place, beyond the tallest mountain at the end of the world, if you listen closely to the sound of the wind¡­ you can hear the clang of hammer and sputter of flame, at the forge where the Stars are made.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Vi managed, between shovelfuls of horse shit.

    It was early morning, and they were mucking out the stables. It was the least popular chore, so the monks and workers of the temple drew lots to decide who got stuck with it. For the last tenday straight, it had been Vi. She kept telling herself it was only a coincidence that for the last tenday straight, Kett had overseen the drawings.

    ¡°That was a good one.¡±

    ¡°My mother told me that story,¡± said Sorya. ¡°There were a lot of nights we¡¯d have to sleep outside, if she couldn¡¯t find work or if we¡¯d been evicted again. One night I asked her what stars were. That was her answer.¡± Sorya grinned. ¡°Biggest mistake of her life. I asked for that story near every night. Drove her half mad.¡±

    ¡°But she told it anyway,¡± Vi said, wistfully.

    ¡°That she did. Mothers,¡± Sorya shook her head.

    Their conversations were a little one-sided. Vi had to have a free hand to speak, and most chores required two. But Sorya usually finished her own chores early, and when she found out Vi was on stable duty for the third day in a row, she¡¯d volunteered to help. That had been seven days ago.

    ¡°Oh, I should warn you, we have a full day ahead,¡± said Sorya. ¡°Avri asked me to teach you the basic rites and rituals and Sheksetir.¡±

    ¡°We have the whole day, for just the basics?¡± They were almost finished, so Vi could afford to rest for a moment and actually converse. ¡°You going to teach me how to walk on water or something? Or how to turn it into wine?¡±

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll learn those things if the God of Storms ever invites you for tea.¡±

    The biggest problem Vi had right now--and was probably going to have for a long time--was never knowing when someone was telling the truth or being sarcastic. Back home, she¡¯d never really considered how greatly sarcasm depended on context and common knowledge.

    Seeing the look on her face, Sorya chuckled. ¡°Endyrimon, God of Storms, is known for inviting mortals that strike his fancy to lavish parties. According to the stories, he¡¯s the friendliest of the gods.¡±

    Not joking then. ¡°Well, old stories and all that.¡±

    ¡°Old?¡± Sorya shook her head. ¡°No, his last party was two years ago. A retinue of Cloud Knights sailed down from the sky on a ship of glass to give Avri his invitation personally. Caused quite a stir.¡±

    Joking or not, Vi? Joking or not?

    ¡°You must come from a place where they worship the new gods,¡± Sorya grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t like the new gods. You¡¯ll change your ways, staying here.¡±

    Vi shoveled as Sorya spoke, considering what to say next. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the new gods and the old gods?¡± Vi never thought she¡¯d be jealous of someone shoveling shit, but stopping every few seconds to grab the amulet was getting annoying, and quickly. At least she had no problem understanding people now.

    ¡°...You must understand, some people serve the gods only for their personal gain. Whether or not their beliefs truly align, doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s about three things for them: power, influence, and inclusion.¡±

    ¡°Inclusion?¡±

    ¡°People want to belong, to feel like they¡¯re part of something greater than them. So they worship gods. Even if they don¡¯t believe in them, the feeling of speaking the rites, surrounded by tens, hundreds, sometimes thousands of men and women and children doing the same, is intoxicating. Addictive. And as more people flock together to know that feeling for themselves, they become easy prey for the darker hearts within their number.¡±

    ¡°Power and influence,¡± chimed Vi.

    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m getting away from my point. The old gods are here. They¡¯re real. Their hands shape everything around us. And sometimes, they walk among us. I myself¡­ I spoke to Sheksetir, in the flesh.¡±

    Whoa.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence that I¡¯m here at this temple. Regardless, there were, and are, some who believe that a being that walks our land, breathes our air, eats our food, and speaks our tongues cannot, by definition, be a god. So they invented their own. Or found them somewhere, I don¡¯t claim to know. Gods so great that you can¡¯t understand their methods and motives. Who you can speak to but may never deign to listen. Who you are not allowed to question, because you can¡¯t possibly understand the answer. They threw away something true and meaningful because it wasn¡¯t good enough for them, and that¡¯s what they chose instead.¡±

    Vi felt cold. Sorya had tried to stay calm, but venom had crept into her words. It was strange, to think about religion like this. She considered herself an atheist, but she¡¯d always thought if the gods were real, that everyone would believe in them, and the entire issue of religion would be solved. Yet even here, where magic was real and the gods invited mortals to tea parties, people denied them, and believed whatever they wanted to believe. There was no good religion versus bad religion like in books and movies. Here, or Earth, it was the same.

    And suddenly Vi understood Sheksetir on a level she never thought possible.

    <hr>

    Vi didn¡¯t understand Sheksetir at all.

    Pour enough water but not too much. Walk with your feet spaced so far about but not too far, holding the bowl like so. Set it just so. Everything, just like so, just like so, just like so. These rituals had obviously not been designed for clumsy teenagers. Fortunately, the Sanctum was empty except for her and Sorya.

    ¡°Now repeat after me,¡± said Sorya, who Vi thought was enjoying this way too much. ¡°As the river of bright water flows from the high mountains--¡±

    ¡°Slow down!¡±

    ¡°I said repeat after me, not tell me how to do my job.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going too fast!¡± Water sloshed out of the bowl as Vi let go with one hand and almost tripped over herself. She never would have complained about having to wear dresses to formal occasions if she¡¯d known she¡¯d be doing the sadist¡¯s version of the wedding march while wearing a heavy robe and wooden sandals. Okay, she would have, but not as much.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Remember? We have the whole day.¡±

    It was early afternoon, and they weren¡¯t a quarter of the way done.

    ¡°Ahh! As the river of bright water flows from the high mountains¡­¡±

    ¡°It brings light and life to all it touches. On its journey, it will build forests, carve mountains, and nurture hearts. We Adherents of Sheksetir know all journeys must end, and all rivers must flow to the sea. Yet what is the sea, but the place all rivers gather to rest, when their noble work is done.¡±

    Vi repeated the words, and then poured the bowl of water into a depression on top of the altar. She stood back and watched as the water ran in tiny rivulets down the carved face of the altar, clinging to the stone, until it reached the reflecting pool at the bottom.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Good job,¡± said Sorya, who was lounging in a pew two rows back. ¡°At least as far as the movements. I can''t understand a word you''re saying unless you''re clutching that amulet. Mayhap I should hide it so you have to learn the language the old fashioned way. Or you could just hand it over now?¡±

    The Sanctum was the largest room in the temple, but it still wasn¡¯t very large. It hadn¡¯t been designed to hold a lot of people, just the monks and a few bystanders. Sorya had mentioned that the Temple of Anathar that Barrus operated from--in some country far to the south whose name she¡¯d forgotten--was practically a palace, and its Sanctum held thousands. Apparently the God of Death did not garner as much favor, here or anywhere else.

    To make up for the lack of space, however, they¡¯d covered the walls in every manner of stone carving and scrollwork. The altar itself was a stone monolith that had been chiseled down into shape. The top half was some sort of abstract sculpture, while the bottom half was a small alcove at Vi¡¯s shoulder height, with space for offerings and the water bowl. The reflecting pool was set about a foot off the ground, jutting out in a half circle from the altar itself. It was designed so that an Adherent could reach over the pool and touch the altar, but get no closer.

    ¡°No way in hell,¡± she said, plopping down next to Sorya,

    Sorya laughed. ¡°Speak not of hell in the realm of death.¡±

    ¡°Hell¡¯s for the living anyway,¡± said Vi with no small amount of melancholy. The darkness stirred.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Sorya raised her hand, palm up, and quirked an eyebrow.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Vi gave Sorya a similar look. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that,¡± Sorya shot back. Was she upset? ¡°You¡¯ve been here for what? Almost three tendays? And you¡¯ve spent most of that time with me. I¡¯ve never heard you say something like that.¡±

    ¡°I talk like that all the time,¡± Vi defended.

    ¡°You can be mopey and defeatist sometimes, yes, but that? That was dark, Vi. Demon dark. And blasphemous.¡±

    ¡°All right! Sorry, Sorya,¡± said Vi, nearly cutting the older girl off. ¡°I was being sarcastic and I went too far. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±

    Sorya harrumphed. ¡°You¡¯d better not, or I¡¯ll turn you into a toad.¡± Sorya¡¯s hand began to glow with ethereal light, and Vi leaped up out of the pew, mouth agape.

    ¡°YOU CAN DO MAGIC?! WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU TELL ME?!¡±

    Sorya closed her hand into a fist, and the glow stopped. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, Vi,¡± she said somewhat sheepishly. ¡°Pretty much everyone here can cast a little something.¡±

    ¡°This IS a big deal! This is a VERY big deal!¡± Vi grabbed Sorya¡¯s now tragically unmagical hand in her own and pulled it every which way, as if it were a machine and she could figure out how it fit together. ¡°I¡¯ve been here this long and I never knew, and now I find out everyone can do it?!¡±

    Sorya yanked her hand away. ¡°Okay, okay, I probably should have told you earlier. Let¡¯s call us even, then. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re going to make much more progress today, so¡­¡± Sorya grinned mischievously. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get something to eat, and then I can show you a few tricks.¡± Vi nodded enthusiastically and let Sorya push past her and lead the way to the kitchens.

    The temple¡¯s lands were laid out in a vague triangle. The western point was the temple proper and the dormitory, two buildings in an L shape connected by walkways and courtyard garden. The southern point was the pasture and its surrounding fields, where peasant workers and a few monks would spent their days working under the sun. The eastern point was the kitchen, part of a squat outbuilding that also housed the dining hall and the laundry. A flagstone path meandered there between stone walls and hedges before finally coming to a footbridge over a simple fish pond.

    The first whiff of food always came the moment Vi stepped onto the bridge, which made it the high point of the short journey. Usually the cooks made hearty vegetable dishes with fresh baked bread and goat¡¯s milk, but today Vi smelled roasting meat. Her stomach rumbled.

    ¡°Do we not feed you well enough, milady?¡± Sorya joked, eliciting a fake chuckle from Vi.

    They didn¡¯t. But food was the last thing on Vi''s mind. She was going to learn magic! It was every nerd''s dream to learn magic, wasn''t it? And she was going to get to live it!

    Sorya flung open the door to the kitchens and announced in a cheery voice, "We''ve come to eat your food!"

    The kitchens were crowded with all manner of cookware; knives, cleavers, pots, pans, bowls, prongs, tongs, and spoons hung on hooks from the thick wooden ceiling beams. Rows of ovens lined the back wall, and a cauldron big enough to fit a grown man comfortably steamed in the corner. In the center of the room were two great tables. Their surfaces had once been smoothe, but years of constant use had left them scored and pitted. Lastly, nearby the door, a mound of unwashed dishes loomed over a metal washtub filled with soapy water.

    Marya the kitchenmistress looked up from a pot she was scrubbing, her tall, narrow frame unfolding until she stood ramrod straight. She looked at Sorya and Vi down her nose and then turned her cheek toward them. "Wait until supper like everyone else, you glutton! You''ll get no food from me until then!" With a sneer, the old women bent over again, her top half disappearing into the pot.

    Sorya was about to respond when a hand appeared from under a counter holding a basket of rolls and dried cheeses, which Sorya accepted with a bow. Vi caught sight of a ten year old boy winking slyly before disappearing once more into the shadows. The young master of stealth reappeared halfway down the line and resumed chopping a cabbage as if he''d never left his station.

    As they closed the kitchen door behind them, Sorya held a finger to her lips. "Effran always keeps a few baskets on hand in case anyone shows up hungry. Don''t tell anyone. Now then, let''s go for a walk."

    Vi munched on a dinner roll as Sorya led the way. They left the path, crushing wet grass underfoot. By the time they lost sight of the temple behind the rolling hills of Avendar, Vi had finished two more rolls and was starting on a fourth. Sorya was still absently munching on her first, and when she turned her head Vi could see a wicked grin creeping up her cheeks.

    "Is there something you''re not telling me?" Vi queried haltingly. Sorya''s face merely took on a more fiendish quality as she turned away.

    They walked for another half hour in silence before they came to what looked like the entrance to a tomb, and Vi immediately knew that was their destination. Vi could only wonder if there was some purpose to bringing her here or if Sorya was being dramatic. She decided it was likely a bit of both.

    "Here''s a demonstration of the first spell you''re going to learn," Sorya said, turning around and walking backward over the threshold in measured steps. Vi stood outside the entrance and watched her friend disappear into the unnaturally deep shadows. She thought she could see Sorya make a gesture with her hand, and then she disappeared from view entirely.

    It began as a pinprick of light, like an ember in a fire that had burned out. Then it slowly grew, highlighting the silhouettes of black fingers clutching the air around it. Then Sorya''s face appeared, the bright globe swirling between her palms washing out the lines and detail so that she appeared ageless and angelic. Her hair swirled in a soft breeze that seemed to eminate from the light as she kept her face calm and expressionless, eyes closed as if in sleep.

    "This is Illuminate," Sorya whispered as what was now a perfect sphere of peach-colored light left her hands and floated gently upwards until it hung above her forehead, casting her shadow wide behind her so that it obscured what lay beyond. She opened her eyes. "Avri likes to start neophytes with it because it teaches Etherik compression and isn''t dangerous."

    Vi stared at the ball until spots appeared in her vision. Screwing her eyes closed, she rubbed at them with her pointer fingers until the spots went away. "Wouldn''t it be dangerous if it was too bright?" she asked, thinking about what had just happened. "You could go blind, like if you stare into the sun too long."

    "Well, it''s..." Sorya petered off and looked up at her spell, blinking rapidly as she did. "You see, I... Huh." She shrugged. "I guess don''t stare at it then, oh wise one. Consider it a lesson that any spell can be dangerous if you put your mind to it."

    Jabbing a finger in Sorya''s direction, Vi retorted. "What do you mean consider it a lesson? I was the one who pointed it out to you!"

    Sorya cocked her head. "I''m sorry, do you want to learn magic?"

    "Yes," said Vi.

    "Then follow me and shut up." Sorya wheeled about on her heels and marched deeper into the underground. With a momentary pause at the entryway and a final glance at the sunny sky, Vi trailed behind. As soon as she was fully inside, the ambient light began to dim until the Illuminate spell was the only thing she could see. Even her footsteps sounded thick and distant. Her robes dragged behind her as she moved. It was almost as if the air had thickened to water and she was caught in a current.

    "This place," Sorya began, her voice carrying despite its quietude, "is filled with Etherik, the unseen energy that courses through the world, our bodies, and our souls. It is the residue from the first act of creation, the first spell. Every living thing has a connection to Etherik, but only those with a strong will and a stronger life force can ever wield it. Those who cannot keep their feet are swept away like a grain of river silt into the ocean, and lost forever."

    "So how do you know I can do it?" Asked Vi. Her voice echoed in the dark. Or she thought it was an echo. She could have sworn one of those echoes was male.

    "Your amulet. Not anyone could have picked it up and used it so instinctually, or at all." Vi thought for a moment, and realized Sorya was probably right. Barrus had assumed she was one of Avri''s students when he gave her the amulet, and the fact that she wasn''t had surprised him. Distantly, it occured to her that she should be excited that magic came to her instinctually, but for some reason her emotions felt hollow. Out of reach somehow.

    The Illuminate continued to glide down the tunnel, but Vi couldn''t see Sorya beneath it, or anywhere in the light. And yet, she knew her friend was there. She was starting to get wise to this place and the kind of magic she was dealing with. It was playing tricks on her mind.

    "Yes, it is," Sorya''s disembodied voice said from multiple directions. Had Vi spoken aloud? She shook her head, focusing on her steps and trusting that Sorya wouldn''t lead her astray. The older girl could be snarky at times, but she would never be cruel enough to leave Vi alone in this place, or put her in any danger.

    Finally, Vi stepped into an open chamber, and immediately felt a weight lift from her mind and body. Sorya had conjured three more Illuminates and sent them to rest in sconces placed along the walls. Vi could see a doorway at the opposite end of the room, but the light couldn''t penetrate through it. Sorya knelt in the center, her hands on her lap, facing what looked like a headstone. Vi crept up behind her and attempted to copy her pose. Unfortunately her knees did not take kindly to that, and her butt didn''t take kindly to the next pose she tried. She frowned, crossed her legs, and scooted forward. That was better, at least until her legs fell asleep.

    The headstone was actually a runestone, now that Vi had a closer look. The symbols etched into the basalt seemed to follow a geometric pattern, but trying to trace it with her eyes made Vi dizzy, and she didn''t dare touch the thing. Burying her consternation, she huffed and waited for Sorya to speak up about what was going on.

    "This is what is known as an Etherik Riddle," Sorya intoned after an uncomfortably long silence during which Vi''s legs did, indeed, fall asleep. "It comes in two parts. The first provides you with a tool, usually a basic spell. In this case, Illuminate. The second requires you to utilize that tool to solve the riddle."

    Vi''s eye twitched. "That sounds way too complicated. Can''t you just teach me?"

    "This is me teaching you," said Sorya with the patience of a saint. "I''m here to provide context to what you feel, or answer your questions about the nature of Etherik. Even if I told you everything you''ll need to do and why, none of it would make sense until you experience it for yourself."

    Sorya extended a hand toward the runestone. "Etherik Riddles are a tradition thousands of years old. At the end of this hall is a sarcophagus containing the body of one of our greatest mages, Ruthik the Bright.No one has attained the same level of mastery with light spells, and even today his greatest spell awaits a worthy successor, somewhere in there." She swept her hand in the direction of the far passage. "No one knows how many Riddles are down here; even Avri has only managed to reach the eighth stone. I hear he''s even learned the spell, but the answer to the Riddle has evaded him for sixteen years now."

    Avri didn''t come across as a powerful mage, but Vi was beginning to learn there was a lot more to the old man than he let on. He wasn''t just some abbot at a podunk temple. Gods didn''t invite people that like that to parties. Groaning with effort, Vi stood on unsteady legs and tried to shake them out, ignoring the way her thighs jiggled in her robe, and the almost painful tingle that shot through her nerves.

    "Okay," she said to herself. "I guess it''s time to see if I can even do one."

 3 - Gods and Magic (Part 2)

    C H A P T E R 3

    GODS AND MAGIC (PART 2)

    Vi huddled in front of the Riddle, letting the ambient Etherik flow through her. Sorya''s explanation had made it sound a lot like the Force, but with a lot more rules. She''d also implied that Vi was already capable of harnessing this mysterious, almost fluidic energy and should have a slight advantage over the average neophyte. Unfortunately, that was likely a white lie to make Vi feel better, since the average neophyte could probably read the inscription on the runestone.

    Sorya had already left, leaving Vi to figure it out on her own. She took that to mean it was possible if she applied herself, but that was the same thing her aunt told her about math and relationships, and she could never call herself successful at either of those.

    Eyes closed, Vi concetrated on how the Etherik made her feel. It moved around her, put pressure on her, and made her mind wander in strange ways. It was, in more ways than one, like being underwater. She felt numb, like she was partially outside her body but not entirely separated. Still in control, but disconnected.

    Underwater, or dreaming. The darkness stirred, and Vi felt eyes on her. She recognized them.

    Let''s see how you like light spells, Vi spoke into her mind, as clearly as she could, her focus slicing like a knife. The eyes closed, and she felt better almost immediately. The Etherik around her trembled, reacting to her turbulent emotions. It calmed a few minutes later.

    Silently, Vi thanked her high school guidance counselor for recommending meditation as a way to deal with her anger issues. It had seemed like such a useless skill at the time, but it had helped a little, and Vi had kept up with it long enough to remember the techniques.

    Recentering herself, Vi breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. The Etherik fluttered around her. Before long, her skin began to buzz and tingle. She twitched and stretched her spine, trying to make the odd sensations go away. They only got worse.

    Grumbling, Vi broke the meditation entirely and stood up. She flung her arms above her head and stood on her tip toes. The tingling leapt from her back to her arms, all the way to hands. She clenched her fingers.

    Bright light flared, causing Vi to see spots even through her closed eyelids.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "OW!" Vi flung her hands in front of her eyes and jerked her head away, all the oneness she''d felt disappating like it had never been and replaced by burning frustration. Hesitantly, she cracked her left eye open and looked around to see what had happened.

    The first thing she noticed was that the room was bright now.

    The second thing she noticed was a ball of white light near the ceiling, so large that it shone like a small sun. Vi couldn''t look directly at it, but she could sense its size and location in her mind.

    Magic!Vi thought. Probing with her newfound sixth sense, Vi found she could feel energy flowing into her from her surroundings and being channeled to the light. The Etherik energy blazed through her like electricity, being pulled toward the light faster than she could absorb it. After a few seconds, the energy flow stabilized, and the light reduced to a more managable size.

    "Let''s see here," Vi muttered. In her mind, she visualized the energy as a pipeline leading from her body, with a big red valve in the middle. She focused on the valve, pictured it turning, and slowly the energy flow reduced to a trickle. The ball of light--her Illuminate--shrunk to the size of a softball.

    Vi willed the Illuminate to float down to her waiting hands, and when it did she cupped it much like Sorya had. Shadows danced on the walls as Vi''s hands shook, and soon her entire body was quaking. "Yes! Yes! MWAHAHA! HA! HA HA!" Her jittery cackling echoed through the chamber. "I can do magic motherfuckers! Woop Woop!"

    Vi danced through the chamber, waving her hands wildly as the her spell orbited around her making soft tinkling noises. "I''m sorry. Vi can''t come to the phone right now, she''s too busy being a fucking WIZARD!"

    "You may still be hot as shit Tiffany, but you''re not a majestic sorceress! Bitch!"

    "Two plus two is four. Minus one that''s three. Quick maths!"

    "I''m a mage, I''m a mage, I''m a mage, I''m a mage, I''m a maaaaaaaage!"

    "Oh god I can''t breathe. Shit. Uuuugh."

    Vi crumpled into a ball on the floor, gasping for air. The cold air in the chamber prevented her from sweating, but she still felt like a tropical swamp on the inside. After a few minutes of panting, Vi grabbed her ankles and pulled herself to a sitting position. Her Illuminate came to rest above her right shoulder.

    "Okay..." Vi huffed. "I can do the spell. Now what about the riddle?

    Her eyes set upon the far corridor, which still remained in pitch darkness even though her light was shining. Cocking her head, Vi put her foot down and hauled herself up. "I guess I have to go through there?"

    She began walking--slowly, as she was still trying to catch her breath--toward the darkness, but no matter how much closer she got nothing changed. The light seemed to slough off it like it was alive. She could almost see it moving.

    Stopping a few feet away, Vi stooped with her hands on her knees. She had a strong urge to touch it, but years of bad horror movies had convinced her that doing so would be catastrophically stupid. She moved the Illuminate around her a few times as she stared closely at what looked almost like animal shapes wiggling around.

    When the Illuminate passed behind her back again, hundreds of sets ofeyes opened and stared back at her.

    "Oh no," Vi squeaked as the shadowy wall erupted toward her like a swarm of insects.

 4 - Gods and Magic (Part 3)

    C H A P T E R 4

    GODS AND MAGIC (PART 3)

    Vi screamed as the shadow creatures swarmed over her, gnawing and biting at her robe and her hair. Where they touched her skin, it bubbled and blackened until it went numb. Their crazed chattering overwhelmed Vi''s senses until she became nothing but a huddled, gibbering wreck.

    And as suddenly as they came, they retreated. An Illuminate sprung into being above the runestone, focusing like a spotlight and sweeping over the shadowy mass. Where the light touched, the creatures screeched and smoked like a grease fire, dissolving into the air and reforming a short distance away, safe in their corridor, where they watched and waited.

    Slowly, Vi came back to herself. She dragged her fingernails down her arms, as if to scrape off the remnants of whatever had been done to them. Blood welled in the scratches, but the black patches and broken skin returned to their normal pallor and began to ache.

    "Fuck me," Vi whispered, shivering against the sudden cold. The darkness stirred, and she took to her feet. "Shadowy god damn monsters." They were still watching from from the corridor, with unblinking grey eyes like car headlights in the morning mist.

    She flipped them off.

    "Some fucking riddle swarmed by fucking shadow monsters kill whoever designed this ain''t no way I''m putting up with this shit..." Vi paced back to to the runestone and plopped down on her ass. Her breathing slowed as she slipped back into a meditation. She let her mind drift as she focused on slowing her heart beat.

    "I swear, if you keep bothering me about these dreams there will be no TV time." Shelby said. Unlike her last step mom, Shelby could be called nice. Maybe even friendly if she was in a good mood. But her attitude made it clear that she was here for Vi''s father and not Vi herself. If Vi had a problem, Shelby would brush it aside, or threaten to ground her, or other unhelpful things.

    "But there''s nothing else to do around here," Vi complained. All her ''friends loved being outside, but wandering through the woods taking potshots at squirrels or racing between islands at low tide was not Vi''s idea of fun. She said as much.

    "Jesus Christ, Vi, sometimes you have to make your own fun. I didn''t even have a TV growing up, and I turned out fine. I married my high school sweetheart after all." The way Shelby talked about Vi''s dad always made her cringe, but at least it was better than complaining about him. She hated when people complained about her dad.

    "Fine, I won''t talk about it." Vi huffed and ran down the hall to her bedroom. This was their old house, before her dad had sold it and moved them into his brother''s trailer. In the corner was the bunk bed she''d insisted on having for the sleep overs she''d never had. At its foot was a toy box Vi never opened anymore.

    The desk against the wall was host to an old Macintosh computer that was almost too big for it. Vi remembered a time when it was covered in art supplies and drawings of happier times. Flaked wallpaper displayed the likeness of a cartoon character Vi had loved as a child, but at the age of eleven had long since grown out of. The rest of the room was empty, and dark but for a single electric lamp with no shade.

    The floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and protested loudly when she fell face first into her bed. She rolled onto her back and looked around one more time. This was a room of youth and decay, of a young girl fading away to be replaced by an as yet undetermined young woman with new hopes and interests. A story waiting to be told.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It was where Vi came to think, because it was the one place she felt unburdened by her troubles, both past and future.

    "Shadow monsters..." Vi said to herself. " Obviously the light hurts them, but either mine wasn''t bright enough or it didn''t work for a different reason." Vi thought back and pictured the scene. The Illuminate had been behind her head when the shadow monsters struck, which meant the light hadn''t actually been shining on them at the time. She''d lost track of it when the swarm had hit her, so she couldn''t account for anything after that, but she thought she''d found the obvious solution.

    Opening her eyes, Vi rose calmly to her feet and drew on the Etherik like she had before. She felt the tingle in her spine and turned the imaginary valve. A trickle of energy seeped out and began to Illuminate according to her mental commands. With a firm control over the energy flow, this attempt was much easier, but Vi still found herself making adjustments and overcorrecting constantly. Any sort of grace or poise was still a long time coming.

    FIinally, the Illuminate was big and bright enough that Vi felt satiasfied with it. She commanded the orb to hover in front of her and advanced upon the wall of darkness. The creatures twisted to watch her, shivering in either anticipation of trepidation as they beheld the light.

    Vi shoved the ball forwaed, grinning as the monsters recoiled. "Ha! How do you like that?" Vi slammed more energy into the spell, brightening the entire room and finally revealing a glimpse of the hallway the creatures were guarding. Black, earthy-smelling smoke billowed from their bodies and shrouded both Vi and the Illuminate in darkness.

    "Wait a minute," said Vi, but It was too late. The monsters scrambled along the lines of shadow, zigzagging faster than Vi could follow until they reached her. Their scathing touches numbed her again, the chattering filled her ears and threatened to driver her mad. She felt something on her face, two of the creatures using their tiny claws forcing open her mouth, their presence bringing a milky film to her eyes that left her blind to all but vague shapes.

    The darkness stirred.

    "You think this is enough to scare me?" Vi snarled. The creature scrambled into her open mouth, but she bit down on it hard. It whimpered as it died and coated her tongue with something that felt like static sparks in her mouth.

    "I''ve been through so much worse than this. This is nothing! This doesn''t even hurt! Can you even kill me?!"

    The creatures seemed to sense the change in Vi, and began to relent. Almost as if they were about to retreat. Some disintegrated in the waning light of her spell rather than approach her. She couldn''t see, but she could sense it somehow. An aura the creatures were giving off.

    Fear.

    "ARE YOU AFRAID?"

    Something snapped in Vi, and she let loose all of her accumulated Etherik energy. Hundreds of writhing creatures died, but the shadows behind her deepend, and the survivors gathered there in a vain attempt to flee her wrath.

    "YOU ARE AFRAID."

    Vi tried something new and made the energy snap like a whip as it left her body. Multiple orbs sprang up around her and flashed brightly before they winked out and new ones took their place. Like magical strobes, the Illuminates flared chaotically all around, drowning every shadow and every crevice in blinding white light. The creatures tried to run, but the shadows they hid inside were blown away, and they went up in smoke with pathetic, pleading shrieks. Vi showed them no mercy.

    And then she was alone.

    Cracking her knuckles, she strode confidently into the now open hallway, where she found an identical chamber and a new runestone. Illuminate orbs lit the path she''d taken, guiding her to the exit.

    She considered trying her luck with the second runestone, but hunger and fatigue won out, and she made her way back. The hallway and the first chamber stayed lit as she passed through them, her reward for solving the Riddle and a sign that the rest of Ruthik the Bright''s secrets awaited her eventual return.

    The sun was still high in the sky when Vi emerged, even though she could have sworn she''d spent hours in that chamber, either meditating or unconscious. She found Sorya sitting in the tall grass outside, munching on the last roll. The older girl regarded Vi''s battered and bruised form, torn robe, and half-lidded expression with a raised eyebrow.

    "You look like shit," she pointed out. "Did you do it?"

    " ...Yeah. " replied Vi.

    "Ready to head back?" Sorya tossed her the half eaten roll, which she shoved unceremoniously into her mouth and chewed like a cow chews cud. "You look tired. We could rest for a bit if you''d like."

    " ...Gryah. " Vi took two plodding steps in the wrong direction, and sleep thankfully took her before she hit the ground.

 Interlude - Bait

    I N T E R L U D E

    BAIT

    Orias regarded the eye with a blank expression as he knelt in front of it. He moved his head from side to side, watching for any reaction. The eye blinked and followed him. It never left his face. He stood and took three steps back. It still followed him, its reptilian, vertical slit widening the further away he went. He scratched his shaven chin.

    "How much further, master?" whimpered Absinthe from somewhere behind him. The girl was by far the whiniest apprentice he''d ever had, but he supposed that was to be expected from an eleven year old forcibly ripped from the arms of her parents due to her strong Etherik perception. She complimented his own strength in Physik, or she would if she survived to become a journeyman.

    "No further unless I find the answer to this Riddle," Orias said rapidly. "I can assume any attempts on my part to damage or destroy the door would fail, for this is not a normal door. It appears to be made of some sort of magiometallic alloy forged in chaosfire, though the last is a deduction based on our ever ungracious host''s prepensity for using that building method. That and doors don''t usually have eyes."

    "I want to go home..." mumbled Absinthe, which was not her real name. That was something like Laura or Lurine and Orias couldn''t be bothered to remember it. Absinthe was a better name than Calculated Risk, or Bait.

    "This is home now, girl. I burned your farm down when I took you. There''s nothing left of your old life but charred remains and possibly a well-fed family of timber wolves."

    Tears welled in the girl''s eyes. "W-WHAT? B-BUT WHY?!"

    "Why? Oh, I didn''t really do that. There is a slim chance that someone who hated your family decided to take matters into their own hands, or incensed locals declared you a witch in absentia and held a trial by fire, but I highly doubt either of those things have occured in truth. I was merely attempting to send you into shock so you''d be quiet."

    The girl was weeping openly, now and Orias regarded her with a frown. "My plan seems to have backfired. Apologies my dear apprentice. I am not good at dealing with children. Therefore, it is vital you grow up as fast as possible so I won''t have to anymore."

    Absinthe sniffed and readjusted her satchel so it rested on the tops of her crossed arms. Made of simple leather, it contained all the tools Orias thought he might need to delve further into the labyrinth. He could never be truly sure he had exactly the right thing. Surety was a luxury when dealing with the Chaos Wizard and his creations.

    That last thought sparked an idea. Why was he sure this was a Riddle? Could it be that simple?

    With a sigh, Orias raised a hand. He channeled pure Physik into his fingertips, taking the extra time to strengthen the strands by weaving them through his muscle and bone. He felt a tingle race up his arm as his heart rate increased, feeding his own blood into the magic. Heat began to build under his skin as muscles contracted, expanded, vibrated. When the energy was at its peak, Orias leaped forward.

    With all his might, he poked the eye.

    The construct let out a sound resembling an offended scoff, screwed its metal lids shut, rotated ninety degrees to the right, and allowed the door to open with a disused groan. At last, Orias beheld his next goal. A disused stone corridor, identical in every way to the last eighty-three he''d traversed to get here.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "I hate Chaos Wizards," proclaimed Orias, running his Physik-charged hand through his curly blonde locks. When he reached the crown of his head, he wheeled about, coming to rest in an aggressive stance with an accusatory finger pointed behind his apprentice. "But not as much as I hate assassins!"

    Absinthe gazed blankly at her master before she dared to look behind her. The edge of a curved knife was mere inches from her face, frozen in the air after it had been thrown. The assassin, lurking in the nearby shadows and poised for a second throw, looked just as confused as she did.

    Squeaking with delayed shock, Absinthe fell backwards and hit the floor with a thwump. The assassin''s eyes followed her down before traveling to her master, a mixture of fear and wonder glinting within his almond-shaped orbs. "H-how did you know?" he asked incredulously with a thinly disguised Aihuan accent.

    "Ha ha, your tactics became predictable after the fifth apprentice!" Orias'' voice exhuded pride. The assassin overcame his shock, sheathed his throwing knife somewhere in his mottled green and gray ensemble and withdrew a longer blade from a cloth wrap. Ancient markings -- curses from the Codex Praetor -- ran in red down its length. They would pierce through any magical protection they touched.

    Orias beckoned Absinthe to his side, and she scuttled across the floor to the relative safety he provided. "Perhaps you should stop trying to kill me," Orias suggested.

    "Perhaps you should stop searching for that which cannot be found, " the assassin retorted.

    "Cannot, you say?" Orias readied one of his staple spells.

    "Not by you." The assassin charged, his steps a blur.

    Orias cast his spell, Flamelance, and a bright beam of white hot fire surged from his palm. The assassin turned it with the flat of his wide blade, but the heat still burned him. He grimaced beneath his facemask. When the beam dissipated, the assassin sidestepped, swirling the blade around the top of his head before chopping it down on the diagonal. Orias redirected the strike with a hand swiftly turned to metal and couched his palm for another Flamelance. Off center and unbalanced, the assassin leaned back until his torso was almost parallel with the floor, allowing the spell to blaze harmlessly over him. He thrust out a foot, hoping to hook Orias by the back of the knee and carry him to the ground. He met nothing but air as Orias leaped forward, his hands wrapping around the assassin''s wrist and throat as he carried his enemy downward.

    "You''re quite good at dodging my Flamelances," Orias taunted, allowing the assassin to ineffectually punch and slap at his magically hardened flesh with his unarmed hand. His sword arm was pinned, and likely broken. So was his windpipe. "But you fell into the same trap as your predecessors. You treated me like any other mage."

    The assassin gagged and gurgled, eyes widening his fear as his neck began to sizzle and crack. Orias smiled down at him, the merciless smile of a killer. "Let''s see if you can dodge this one, shall we?"

    Moments later, Orias stood and brushed ash off of his robe. Absinthe lay huddled behind the satchel in a ball, the collar of her dress pulled up over her head.

    "What are you doing?" Orias wondered allowed.

    "I..." Absinthe stuttered. " I... I thought the magic in the bag would protect me. " She unfurled herself and rose unsteadily to her feet, deliberatelyaverting her gaze from the charred mess strewn about the floor.

    "Ah, yes, good thinking." Or at least it would have been if her assumption was correct. She has probably sensed the energies from the tools and assumed the bag was similarly treated.Little did she know Orias would never waste his valuable time and skills to cast protective enchantments on something mundane like a bag. Bags were like apprentices; if they broke, you merely got a new one.

    "Now, come along. I suppose I''ll give you some instruction before dinner. I may as well start treating you like my apprentice, since you survived this relatively unscathed." Orias clapped his hands together, dispelling his Physik energy, and began to the long trek back toward the surface with Absinthe in tow.

    "You really mean it?" she asked, barely above a whisper. "You''re going to treat me like an apprentice now?"

    "Of course I mean it," said Orias, slightly nonplussed. "If you comport yourself well, I may even treat you like something valuable."

 5 - Cragstep

    C H A P T E R 5

    CRAGSTEP

    "Vi."

    Vi came awake to Sorya shaking her. Groaning into her pillow, she swatted her friend''s arms away. She was so tired. Her dream last night had been bad even by her standards. Something had been hunting her through the temple, and she kept turning corners to find dead bodies and shadow shapes waiting for her.

    "Vi, get up," continued Sorya, stepping back and delivering a solid kick to Vi''s blanket-wrapped form.

    "Ow!" Vi turned over and wiggled her way deeper into her cot. "You said I got to rest for a few days after I learned the spell. I learned the spell. I should have known it was all lies.All liiiiiieeeees."

    Sorya crossed her arms and stared down at Vi disapprovingly. "There''s been a change of plans. Avri wants you to come with me and Kett to Cragstep." Seizing an opening, Sorya ripped the blanket from Vi''s grasp and started to roll it up. "Oh poor thing, you look so cold without your blankie," Sorya mocked. "Maybe you want to go to the kitchens where it''s nice and warm? Doesn''t that sound so much better than moping?"

    Vi scowled and rolled into a sitting position. Her body sagged under its own weight, pulling her down towards the floor. It was only with great effort and many creaking joints that she pushed herself to her feet. She looked expectantly into Sorya''s stupid, smug face. They really did look a lot a like, when Vi actually stopped to notice. It was uncanny.

    "Fine. Let''s go, and while we''re walking you can explain what the fuck Cragstaff is."

    "Of course!" Sorya beamed. She was too excited too early in the morning, and for some reason that only annoyed Vi more. "And it''s Cragstep."

    <hr>

    "So we''re going to an actual city?"

    "Well," Sorya began tentatively as she stirred her spoon through a thick root vegetable soup. Vi had already finished her portion and was politely waiting for a second. "It''s more of a large town. It''s the primary stop for merchant caravans this side of the Inner Sea. They either can''t afford sea travel or they don''t want to travel through the desert."

    Vi tried to recall anything she''d learned about this world''s geography and failed utterly. "What''s so bad about the desert? Besides the heat and the sand, I mean."

    "A Warden escort is ridiculously expensive, and between the undead and the serpent cult, there''s a high mortality rate. Most caravans just disappear."

    Vi clacked her spoon against her empty dish. If she had any food in her mouth she would have done a spit take. "Undead serpent cult?"

    "No, no, it''s... it''s two different things that happen to be nearby one another. I haven''t told you about this?"

    Vi shook her head. "I''m like, a hundred percent sure you haven''t mentioned anything like that. Are there any other massive evil things you''ve left out of your stories?"

    Sorya spooned some soup into her mouth while she thought, cupping her chin. When she swallowed, she started right in. "Well, a Demon destroyed Old Aihu. It''s completely uninhabitable now except for the northern provinces. A lot of people say the Traveler -- he''s something like a child of a god, not a whole one in his own right -- secretly eats children. In some parts of the world people have to stay inside at night or they''ll die. The City of Bells was razed in an hour a few years ago and nobody knows how it happened. There are stories about oceandwelling monsters raiding coastal villages and eating everything they find. Um... I can''t really think of anything else off the top of my head. Mostly it''s just the undead and the serpent cult. I''m not an expert on any of this, so if you have any more questions, you should probably ask Avri or Kett."

    To describe Vi as stunned would be an understatement. "And what you''re saying... is that these are all real things that really happened for real? This is some wicked crazy shit, Sorya."

    "I''ve obviously never seen any of it for myself,except for that one time I mentioned earlier. But you wouldn''t be wrong to say this ''wicked crazy shit'' was real. I must have misunderstood the sorts of things you were accustomed to in your homeland. What sort of threats do your people have to face?"

    "Fucking..." Vi struggled to think of something. "Rednecks? Mosh pits?"

    Sorya nodded sagely. "Barbarian savages are indeed a great threat. I do not envy you. And the creature you call a Mosh has claimed many lives. The tales say it is incredibly difficult to kill."

    "Um... yeah, okay. Anyway, tell me more about Cragstep." Sorya finally finished eating, so they both went back to the pot for more. Technically, they weren''t supposed to get seconds, something something piety blah blah blah, but Effran was the one stirring the pot. The boy grinned and gave Sorya a suggestive wink as he ladled the thick orange soup into their bowls with unbridled speed and precision. By the time Marya turned her suspicious gaze in their direction, Vi and Sorya had already returned to their seats and Effran had somehow managed to look worn down again.

    "There isn''t much to tell. It''s a nice little place. The Baron doesn''t worship Sheksetir, but he pays homage to the old gods. The merchants know not to fleece us, and many of them will donate some of their goods. Usually it''s just me, Kett, Furman the village smith, and one of the herbalists who go, but Avri wants you to come with us this time. It''ll be fun!"

    The girls finished their food and walked back to the dormitory to collect their meager belongings. "We''ll spend most of today traveling," explained Sorya. "Then we''ll spend all of the next day shopping, and leave early on the third day so we can be back here in time for supper."

    Vi nodded along hesitantly. While she''d left the temple grounds before, she hadn''t exactly been anywhere else. She hadn''t even been allowed to go to the nearby village that supported the temple. This would be a first.I should be excited for this, thought Vi. She was still trying to convince herself to lighten up when they climbed into a small covered wagon and the driver set their draft horses with a snap of the reins.

    Kett, she decided, was the reason she wasn''t excited about this. The nervous brother still treated her equal parts like a nuisance and a threat. Even in this wagon, with Sorya and a burly man she assumed to be Furman carrying on a boistrous conversation, she and Kett sat slumped, staring at their feet. Occasionally, they would glance up at the other''s feet and frown.

    The poor, lanky, balding herbalist brother, Tomas, was caught off guard by their awkward behavior. His half-hearted attempts at conversation with Kett were ignored, and eventually he was staring at his feet too.

    "And I said, woman, that''s not a nail. That''s a blank!" Furman and Sorya burst into uprorious laughter at a joke that went so far over Vi''s head that she didn''t realize it was a joke until they''d stopped laughing.

    For the most part, Vi was lost in her own thoughts. The other four made this trip together often. They were used to each other''s company. Now, with Vi here, their dynamic was ruined. Half of them weren''t talking, and the other half were obviously trying to make up for it. She was the fifth wheel. It was a solemn reminder that she was a stranger here. Different.

    I guess this is my lot in life. To drift through it, never quite fitting in, never doing anything important. Has being here changed anything? Was I dreaming to think it would? Am I dreaming now?

    The darkness stirred, and Vi slapped herself hard across the cheek.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Silence descended as everyone stared at her, Sorya and Furman with clear concern, Kett and Tomas with fear. "Sorry," said Vi. "I was falling asleep."

    Conversation was sparse for the remaining hours of the trip, but as the sun''s glow began to cast long shadows, they crested a hill and Vi beheld Cragstep at last.

    It looked like a fort. Not a fortress, that implied it was big and impressive. No, Cragstep was a squat settlement situated in a basin. It had wooden walls about twice as tall as a person, sharpened into stakes on their uneven tops. A palisade, Vi remembered it was called. On the southern side, a rickety gate held open by ropes and pulleys let a small trickle of merchants and farmers through. On the other side, Vi could see a dirt road snaking through the beginnings of a thick forest, up into the foothills and toward the mountains that dominated the horizon.

    "The Craglorns," Sorya offered. "Impressive, yeah?"

    They were certainly a lot different from the mountains in Maine. Even from this far away, Vi could see steep cliffs, plateaus, and a small white line she thought might be a waterfall. The range stretched as far as she could see in either direction, and the smallest peak was about the size of Mount Katahdin, the largest mountain she''d ever personally climbed.

    "Yeah," said Vi, at a loss for words.

    The wagon rounded the walls at a good clip and met the southern road, their driver easing them into what Vi realized was a line behind a family of farmers circled around a huge ox. Their little boy jumped up to catch a glimpse at them before his mother shuffled him away, muttering about how he was being rude. The father nodded his head respectfully. "Fair afternoon, brothers."

    "And to you," intoned Kett. "What news from the Midlands?"

    "That''s what we call the land south of here," Sorya whispered to Vi as the farmer droned on. "It doesn''t belong to any one country, even though a lot of them wish it did. It''s the best farmland in this part of the world." She clapped Vi on the shoulder. "Let''s go explore. We don''t have to wait for the wagon."

    Sorya helped Vi out the back and led her toward the gate. There were two guards in simple chain hauberks stationed there. Tabards displaying a stylized mountain in gold covered their chests, and they held long spears over their shoulders, with the shafts abutted on their boots. "Ah, sister Sorya," one of them called out. He was a younger man, probably mid twenties, with a gaptooth smile and a head of shaggy blonde hair. "I was wondering when I''d see you again."

    Sorya twirled a finger through her bangs, smiling shyly as she bit her lip.No, thought Vi.Him?

    "Darek, you know I come here every month. The others are in line, but I wanted to show the new girl around. Let us in?"

    Darekflourished andbowed in a poor imitation of courtly ettiquette. "It would be my pleasure. Follow me." He led them through the gate, past the other guards who were busy inspecting carts and sacks of goods.

    Vi found herself stepping onto a wide main street surrounded by squat wooden buildings and filled to the brim with people. The sounds and smells -- she had to cover her nose briefly -- were a departure from what she''d grown used to at the temple. Men and women from all walks of life marched about with purpose. There were wealthy merchants flanked by bodyguards, runners and messengers sliding smoothely between the marketgoers, hawkers carrying samples of their shop''s wares and displaying them proudly to ayone who would pay attention.

    "Market day crowds," muttered Darek as he led them to a relatively unoccupied street corner. "Well, sister, I have to get back to work. The town needs me and all that." He bowed to them again. "Sister, pleasure to meet you. Mayhaps I''ll stop by your inn when my watch ends and get to know you better." Before Vi could collect her thoughts, Darek disappeared back into the throng, waving at them over his shoulder. All they could see was the top of his spear wavering back and forth, and soon even that disappeared behind a noble''s carriage.

    A fiendish grin crept up Sorya''s face as she turned to face Vi. "Look at you," she said, crossing her arms and rubbing her chin. "Red as a beet. And all he did was offer to drink with you."

    Vi pursed her lips. "I-I''m just not used to guys paying attention to me. Besides, you''re the one shooting him looks. I thought priestesses were supposed to be chaste."

    "Wherever did you get such an outlandish idea...?" Sorya mocked, her voice trailing off into a seductive tone. Vi sputtered and tried to think of a response, turning even more red.Curse this pale complexion!

    A gaggle of children rounded the corner and slammed into Sorya, knocking her to the ground. "Ow! You urchins should know better than to run in the street!" The kids stuck their tongues out as they ran further into the crowd. "Sorry, lady," one of them called. "We''ve got a silver piece on our survival!"

    Before Vi could ask Sorya what that meant, another group of children followed the first. These shambled and twitched and drooled, holding their limbs at odd angles. A smaller boy was balanced on the shoulders of two slightly older girls, and he wielded a long, curved tree brach in both hands. "Feast on their flesh!" he snarled, and his minions made exaggerated monster noises as they charged after the others.

    Oncethey were gone, Vi helped Sorya back to her feet. "Children and their games," she said, rubbing her backside. "They may look innocent but sometimes they get a bit carried away."

    "Oh, okay," said Vi. "That was just abit carried away. I see how it is."

    "Yes, well," Sorya cleared her throat. "Veiga can be rough. Let''s move along?"

    "Sure, but tell me about Veiga. Is it like tag?" Vi queried.

    Sorya pawed her way through the market, inspecting anything shiny that she saw while answering Vi''s questions. "...but the survivors have to be careful that they aren''t being tricked. They''ve been known to hide for days, trying to suss out if the game is actually over while planning their next move."

    Vi chuckled nervously. "Yeah, that''s way more complicated than tag."

    When the sun began to set, Vi and Sorya at last made their way to their inn, the Wyrmtooth. Standing four storeys tall, it towered above all the nearby buildings. Its steeply sloped roof and carved wooden ornamentation reminded Vi of nordic buildings from Earth.

    "The owner is a Faynite," Vi was informed as Sorya flung the heavy oaken door to the common room open. "But he''s one of the good ones, so be nice."

    "Everyone keeps mentioning Faynites, but nobody''s told me what they are yet." Vi huffed. Inside the inn, the bustle of the crowd was almost another world. Only a few customers were here, two at the bar and a table of five enjoying mugs of beer by the fireplace. The floor and walls were made of heavy, colorful wood with swirling grains, strong enough that Vi''s footsteps made almost no sound. Rugs made from animal pelts were spread generously throughout the room, beneath tables and some even hung on the walls.

    From the four corners,arching beams carved with runic markings rose ten feet up and met in the center of the ceiling, from which hung a large oil lantern. The bar was topped with an expensive looking lacquered wood, but wasn''t as long as Vi was used to. Neither did she see the shelves of alcohol bottles she''d expected. Instead, there were two large kegs, one of which the innkeeper was using to dispense a brew. Above them, displayed proudly on a set of heavy bent nails, was a cracked and yellowed tooth as long as Vi''s arm. The eponymous wyrmstooth, she supposed.

    "Welcome," said the innkeeper as he slid the now full mug down the bar to an awaiting hand. He was thinner than Vi expected, and had tattooes running down his bare arms. He had a day''s stubble growing on his chin, and the hair on his head was cropped close. In the poor lighting, Vi couldn''t tell the color. "About time you lot showed up. What can I get for you?"

    Sorya raised her thumb and forefinger. "Two geysas, Karl, my good man."

    Karl poured two mugs of what looked like beer and passed them to Sorya. "Sit anywhere you like, you''re the only guests I''m expecting."

    Sorya plopped down at a corner table and motioned Vi to join her. "Try this," she said passing. "All the men say it''ll put hair on your chest. Hasn''t happened to me yet, but it''s sure refreshing after a long day." Sorya took two big gulps of the stuff and wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her robe.

    Vi had never had beer before, except for a few sips she stole out of her father''s cans when he wasn''t looking. She took a more tentative sip. She coughed involuntarily, sending fizzy liquid squirting out her nose. "Dis tasse like shit," grumbled, blowing her nose into a bar towel Sorya passed her out of pity.

    "It tastes like a barnyard smells," Sorya said. "but after working all day, a mug of this will make you feel right as rain."

    Vi and Sorya talked for what felt like hours until Kett, Tomas, and Furman finally trickled in. Furman and Sorya immediately started joking again, but the two monks were quiet. Vi let Karl take her mug away and stood up. "I''m going to go to bed early. Sorya, can you show me where I''m staying?"

    Sorya chugged the rest of her drink and swayed toward Vi. "Sure, but you should stay. The night is young, and Darek isn''t even here yet." She tried to wink, but it looked more like she was blinking one eye out of sync with the other.

    "No, I''m tired. I don''t want to bring you down. Besides, I have to rest up for tomorrow, right?"

    "Yeah, that sounds like a smart thing to say. You''re smart." Sorya clapped Vi on the shoulder and led her to a room on the second floor. She had to be helped up the stairs at one point, and Vi hoped her friend could navigate her way back down on her own. She''d never seen Sorya drunk before, but living with her father had taught her all she needed to know about handling them.

    "Lean forward before you fall. There you go. Grab the railing." Sorya smiled dumbly at Vi''s instructions, and leaned into her until they reached the door to them room. It was a simple affair, with two small beds and a chest to store belongings. A single window overlooked the street, and Vi could see that it was getting dark out.

    "I''ll be in later," Sorya slurred. "Or maybe not. Depends on Darek." She did her best erotic hip sway, which in her current state was not good at all. "Either way, I have a feeling tomorrow''s going to be a great day."

    Vi sighed and forced a smile. "Yeah, of course," she said as she shooed Sorya down the hall and closed the door. "If you say so," she said.

    The darkness stirred.